Which cast member portrayed Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election season?

Kate McKinnon portrayed Hillary Clinton during Saturday Night Live’s 2016 election-season sketches. McKinnon’s impression became one of the defining political performances of the 2016 campaign cycle, alongside Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Donald Trump.

McKinnon joined SNL as a featured player in 2012 and was promoted to repertory status the following year. Hillary Clinton appeared alongside McKinnon in the season 41 premiere, creating a memorable mirror-image moment between the real candidate and her comic impersonator.

A common mix-up is Amy Poehler, who played Clinton during the 2008 presidential campaign. McKinnon’s version belonged specifically to the 2016 race. After Clinton lost the election, McKinnon reprised the role on November 12, 2016, opening the show with a solo performance of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” She later shifted toward impressions of figures including Kellyanne Conway, Elizabeth Warren, and Rudy Giuliani.