Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco may not (yet) have a Saturday Night Live hosting stint under his belt, but he does have something arguably just as coveted — a bona fide impression. The comic, who is known for his physical comedy style and exaggerated speech, reacted to Marcello Hernandez‘s recent parody of him, calling the eponymous sketch flattering.
In a preview clip of his upcoming appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show Dec. 2, Maniscalco said, “He did a great job. I was very flattered that they did that. He actually called me on Thursday before the show, said, ‘Do you want to come in and do a cameo at the end of it?’ I couldn’t do it because I was performing in Palm Springs, but I thought this kid did a fantastic job.”
The Bookie actor noted the impersonation was “absolutely all in love.” Though he has never hosted the show, Maniscalco joked Barrymore could help him out as a member of the Five-Timers Club (the actress has hosted six times). “I’m here today to kind of petition — and maybe you could help me,” he said. “You’re taking all the spots!”
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Maniscalco gave similar comments to Complex in an interview tied to the release of his latest Hulu special, It Ain’t Right.
“The first thing I noticed: Do they think I’m that gray? I thought the gray hair was a little excessive,” he said.
The comic, who is among the top-grossing in the world, praised Hernandez for really going for it in terms of the physicality of his performance, saying he “really got a kick out of” his “over enunciation on the physical humor.”
He continued, “That was my favorite part: the whole step over, jump over. And I actually talked to Marcello via text, and I said, ‘Man I wish I could jump like that.’”
Maniscalco explained that he’s “gotten more traction on this video than any video I’ve ever been in. If we could just have people keep imitating me, I think it’ll be fine,” joking that “the problem is if I’m in it.”
In the viral SNL sketch, which debuted Nov. 15, host Glen Powell’s bachelor party is thrown into disarray when he invites an old pal to join the rest of the boys, warning his friends that the acquaintance is none other than world-famous standup Maniscalco.
“You gotta be kidding me,” Maniscalco commented on his initial repost of the skit shortly after its release.
SNL is currently on its holiday hiatus, returning for a three-week run in December beginning this Saturday.