Relatively new cast member Alex Moffat and Mikey Day have had a spectacular recurring bit on S.N.L. this past year featuring their killer impressions of the brotherly dynamic between Eric and Donald Trump Jr. This week the duo tried to see if their natural fraternal chemistry would translate to British humor as they took on Princes William and Harry. The results were mixed but promising.
It’s clear why Moffat’s version of William looked like his hair was scribbled on the side of his head with a brown marker. No, the S.N.L. wig budget isn’t out of money, the show was trying to poke fun as William’s freshly buzzed head. It’s a little less clear why Day’s Prince Harry was wearing such a shabby looking ginger beard. Day’s going to have to step up his fake beard game (not to mention stick to one British accent) if he wants to reasonably approximate the Cinnamon Prince. (The bracelets, however, were a nice touch.)
The excuse to introduce William and Harry on “Weekend Update” was the recent flap around President Obama’sinvitation to Prince Harry’s wedding and President Trump’s subsequent decision to cancel a trip to London. But instead of talking politics (which the royal family never does), the brothers just roundly mocked each other (and their significant others) instead. The Meghan Markle/Suits jokes were especially cheeky.
But there was one joke that showed the S.N.L. writing staff hadn’t quite done their research when it came to the royal princess. Moffat’s William accidentally gets Ron Weasley’s name wrong when making a Harry Potter joke at the expense of his brother. Everyone knows the royal princess are huge pop culture nerds who know their way around Star Wars, comic books, and, of course, Harry Potter. (And it’s not as if you need to be a nerd to know your Harry Potter.) The royal brothers even posed with wands as recently as 2013. At the time, the real William said of their trip to Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden: “Harry’s just excited to see a real-life talking owl in the Harry Potter studios. I haven’t told him yet that Harry Potter is fictional, so please keep the secret for a little longer.” Now that’s how you do a Prince William/Harry Potter joke.
Get Vanity Fair’s HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Joanna RobinsonJoanna Robinson is a Hollywood writer covering TV and film for VanityFair.com.
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