Aziz Ansari Plays Kash Patel in 'Saturday Night Live' Cold Open
Aziz Ansari played Kash Patel in a live sketch that also cast Ashley Padilla as Karoline Leavitt and Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth.
- Saturday Night Live returned on Saturday, May 2, 2026, with a cold open featuring Aziz Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel and Colin Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth satirizing the political landscape.
- Following a hiatus since April 11, the sketch drew material from the shuttered White House Correspondents Dinner and President Trump's recent announcement that hostilities with Iran had been 'terminated.'
- Ansari's Patel declared himself a 'trailblazer' as the 'first Indian person to suck at their job,' while Jost referenced Trump's 'You're fired!' catchphrase from The Apprentice.
- Ashley Padilla appeared as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, while Olivia Rodrigo served as both host and musical guest for the evening's broadcast.
- SNL remains in the home stretch of its 51st season, with only two episodes left before the summer hiatus begins following the May 16 finale.
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44 Articles
‘SNL’ recruits Aziz Ansari to play FBI Director Kash Patel | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
FBI Director Kash Patel may or may not be a personnel problem for the White House. But he does present a challenge for “Saturday Night Live,” where there are no cast members of Indian descent to impersonate him.
Aziz Ansari's Brutal SNL Monologue References Kash Patel as He Tells Crowd to 'Kick Them Out With Humour'
Aziz Ansari made a surprise return to Saturday Night Live, delivering a brutal satirical take on FBI Director Kash Patel during the cold open of the 2 May episode. The comedian, who had not appeared on the programme in nearly a decade, portrayed Patel in a mock press briefing on the Iran situation alongside Pete Hegseth, played by Colin Jost. The sketch quickly became the talk of the night, with Ansari's impression highlighting perceived shortco…
Aziz Ansari's Kash Patel calls himself 'first Indian person to suck at their job' in 'SNL' cold open
"Saturday Night Live" opened its Saturday episode with a White House press briefing sketch featuring Aziz Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel, satirizing the administration’s response to an assassination attempt of President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.The sketch’s most striking moment came as Ansari’s Patel framed himself as a "trailblazer" while undercutting his own competence."I’m the first Indian person t…
SNL's Kash Patel Denies Being "Drunk On The Job"
The Daily Beast reports: Saturday Night Live granted viewers’ wishes with their latest cameo. The sketch comedy series brought in Aziz Ansari to play controversial FBI Director Kash Patel in the show’s latest cold open. “You guys should not be reporting the lies and the gossip,” Ansari’s Patel told reporters. “You should be reporting on the historic nature of my appointment. I’m a trailblazer. I’m the first Indian person to suck at their job.” P…
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