NBC’s cast of SNL’s opening monologue on Nov. 17, 2015 at Rockefeller Center. (Deborah Westervelt/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
Although he’s only been on SNL for a few weeks, playing different characters every time he appears, Simu Liu has been impressive. Here’s a look at some of his early and notable sketches.
“Weekend Update”
On his first “Weekend Update” appearance on Oct. 12, Liu played Cornell grad student Kohei, who was struggling to understand his own viewpoints. He riffed on the president’s proposed border wall and spoke to why Israeli and Palestinian people like him and MJ would not support Trump’s decision to “shut down the Mideast for the duration of President Pence’s daughter’s marriage.”
Trump cards
Liu also appeared on the first episode after the 2018 midterm elections, playing an alien who sells Trump cards to voter swindlers. Trump is unable to remember any of his promises and his agents are tired of politicians selling what he has yet to provide them with.
“Morning Joe”
On Oct. 26, Liu portrayed a teenager who commented on the allegations that Stormy Daniels was fired from a work opportunity after she revealed her identity as the adult film star in her Playboy Magazine tell-all. She had been trying to go into acting, but was arrested for having been “indecent” during the summer.
Highway to Heaven
Liu’s first major sketch on the show was actually a recent “Weekend Update” segment called “Highway to Heaven.” Playing a China boy whose father gets off from work and on a road trip to South America, Liu told a story about visiting Santa. It wasn’t the first time he has played the character. He previously appeared in a clip called “Now a Saint,” according to The Washington Post.
Virtual Reality Pants Party
Also included in the “Weekend Update” opening monologue, Liu appeared on Oct. 19 in the role of a VR headset owner who invited everyone to a virtual reality pants party in Las Vegas. In the sketch, she described the attraction as “extremely convenient and Instagram friendly.”