Halsey’s Lili Reinhart Riverdale Impression on SNL Is Perfection
Saturday Night Live has parodied the CW’s melodramatic Riverdale before, spoofing the “iconic kids’ characters in a ridiculously dark setting” premise by applying it to Peanuts. But Saturday night’s episode was especially fun for fans of both shows, as host Halsey (who was also the musical guest) did a hilarious impression of Lili Reinhart, both in and out of character as Betty Cooper.
In the sketch, Betty and Jughead (Beck Bennet, scowling hard to prove just how weird he is) are at the morgue, saying goodbye to Betty’s cousin, a corpse played by Pete Davidson. But Davidson, aka “Lionel Rogers: I Play Corpses,” is taking his role a bit too seriously, making the sounds a dead body would actually make as it expelled posthumous gas, much to the chagrin of the scene’s director, played by Kenan Thompson. Most notably, Halsey’s impression of a 20-something who has been conditioned to play a teen and is taking her job very seriously is so on point. “Rick, can we go again before I lose the feeling?” she asks, rolling her eyes. After the next take, she wrings her hands and apologizes, “Okay, Rick, I’m sorry, I know that was me, I was flat in that.” No matter how ridiculous Lionel gets, Halsey-as-Lili is just super committed, super professional. “Rick, I’m kind of digging the authenticity.”
Now, can we please get a spin-off movie about Lionel Rogers? Pete Davidson looks like he’s having so much fun in the role, and a professional dead body who spent some months living in a morgue and knows the specifics of how human decay works is about as original as characters get. Maybe he could solve crimes by impersonating the victims. Maybe it’s a showbiz satire about an actor whose career finds new life the longer he plays dead. Just spitballing here.
Watch the sketch below for Halsey’s subtle and spot-on take on Riverdale‘s teen queen:
Related: Halsey Responds to Victoria’s Secret’s Transphobic Remarks on Instagram
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Amelia Windsor and Wes Gordon attend Moda Operandi Holds an Intimate Dinner With Carolina Herrera in London, Hosted by Lauren Santo Domingo and Wes Gordon.
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Flaviana Matata attends Santoni & Rubelli host an intimate dinner to celebrate the Resort 2019 Collection in New York City.
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Diane von Furstenberg and Andy Cohen attend DVF’s holiday party to kick off Follow the Stars in New York City.
