Legendary comedian and impressionist Dana Carvey made a memorable appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher” this past Friday, bringing with him a repertoire of voices that have entertained audiences for decades. Known for his spot-on impersonations of political figures and celebrities, Carvey didn’t disappoint, delivering his takes on Donald Trump and, notably, a work-in-progress impression of tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Carvey’s Musk impression is still in development, as he candidly admitted during the show. “I don’t really do it yet, but I’m working on it,” he told Maher. Mimicking Musk’s distinctive speaking style, Carvey quipped, “We got to go to Mars, because we can’t sustain life on planet Earth. We gotta go to Mars, it’s just gonna be really cool, OK? Mhm, mhm, mhm.” The audience chuckled at the attempt, appreciating Carvey’s effort to capture Musk’s unique cadence and enthusiasm for space exploration.
The impression, however, didn’t go unnoticed by the man himself. Following a previous SNL sketch in November where Carvey first debuted his Musk impersonation during a post-election appearance, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO took to his social media platform to critique the performance. “Dana Carvey just sounds like Dana Carvey,” Musk wrote, also taking a swipe at SNL, claiming the show is “dying slowly” and “out of touch with reality.” Despite the criticism, Carvey remains undeterred, acknowledging the challenges of nailing Musk’s complex accent.
On his podcast Superfly, Carvey opened up about the difficulties of impersonating Musk. “I can’t do Elon Musk very well,” he confessed. “But I can do something that sounds not like anything. He has an incredible accent — South Africa via Canada, via Pennsylvania. It’s almost like, it’s a little bit of Australian in there, a little bit of British, but he’s not totally that.” Carvey’s willingness to admit his shortcomings and his dedication to improving the impression demonstrate his commitment to his craft.
During his “Real Time” appearance, Carvey also treated the audience to a range of other impressions, including Joe Biden, RFK Jr., JFK, Johnny Carson, Bill Gates, Gollum, Woody Allen, and Paul McCartney. Each character was met with laughter and applause, proving that even after decades in the industry, Carvey’s talent for mimicry remains as sharp as ever.
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