Will Forte Says ‘SNL’ Should Have ‘Retired’ George W. Bush Impressions After Will Ferrell, Admits His Version Was a ‘Letdown’: ‘It’s Like Trying to Replace the Church Lady’

Will Forte admits Will Ferrell is a tough act to follow.

While chatting with fellow “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler on her “Good Hang” podcast, Forte, who joined the show in 2002 after Ferrell’s final season, discussed the burden of playing George W. Bush on “SNL.”

“It was a huge cast,” Forte said. “It was, like, 17 people, you’re trying to get you’re stuff on, you’re trying to get noticed. And then I got, somehow, the George Bush role.”

Although it was a great opportunity to prove himself, Forte explained that impressions were not his strong suit, and that his placement in the role of Bush was “a match not made in heaven.” On top of that, Ferrell’s take on Bush is one of the most iconic impersonations in “SNL” history, setting Forte’s bar impossibly high.

“Will Ferrell was George Bush! He was George W. Bush. He was so good at it. Anybody replacing…it’s like trying to replace the Church Lady,” he said in reference to Dana Carvey’s immortal “SNL” character. “Trying to have somebody else do that…he made it such his own thing. They should have just retired it.”

“But of course, you can’t retire the sitting president on ‘SNL,'” Forte added. He went on to say that he felt his take on the 43rd president was ultimately a “letdown.”

Forte was on “SNL” for eight seasons, leaving the show in 2010. Most recently, Forte has appeared in shows such as “The Four Seasons,” “The Great North,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “Sweet Tooth” and “Clone High.”