Fey as Palin on SNL? Rudolph as Michelle Obama?

• Sep 11, 2008 06:43 PM ET
• by TV Guide News

Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels hopes to lure back Maya Rudolph to play Michelle Obama, and also has an answer to whether Tina Fey will play Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: Maybe.

"There have been discussions," Michaels said Thursday, when asked about the possibility of Fey returning. "They're ongoing."

Given that Michaels also exec-produces Fey's 30 Rock, she shouldn't be hard to lock in.

The Not Ready for Primetime Players read through a possible Palin skit Wednesday for Saturday's season premiere, hosted by Michael Phelps. The show's Casey Wilson handled Palin duties in the read-through, which helps the show narrow down sketches for show night.

But Michaels said he worried the Palin skit might need updating after Palin's first major interview with ABC's Charles Gibson. And of course, no sketch is guaranteed to air. "If you're not doing what just happened... then it's not going to work," he said.

Phelps, for his part, says he's ready to go live. "I'm more nervous doing this than I was swimming in Beijing," said Phelps, who added that his favorite movie is Tommy Boy, with SNL alums Chris Farley and David Spade.

Michaels praised the swimmer's performance in rehearsals, saying, "Michael's been great and no matter what happens, they can't take those medals away."

Another sketch under consideration this week: Aquaman. - Tim Molloy

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