He just can't stay away! Former Saturday Night Live star Darrell Hammond — who spent an incredible 14 seasons on the show — is returning to Studio 8H this fall in a new capacity, as SNL's unseen announcer, USA Today reports. He'll be replacing the late, great Don Pardo, who died in August at age 96.
Hammond was a steady presence on SNL from 1995 to 2009, during which time he became famous for his caricatures of celebs including Donald Trump, Sean Connery, and Bill Clinton. According to USA Today, however, he also did a lesser-known impression of longtime announcer Pardo, who was the voice of SNL for all 39 seasons before this one.
"I sat in for Don when he had laryngitis several times over the years," Hammond, 58, told USA Today. "He was a lovely person. When he passed, they wanted me; it felt right for me to be the one to replace him. It's been a very improbable life; I didn't expect something like this, but it feels real good."
The comedian won't be mimicking Pardo when he takes his spot in the booth later this month, but he'll honor the man's legacy in other ways. "It can't be what it was, but it could sort of be in the same tradition," SNL creator Lorne Michaels told the paper. He added that it would be "nice to have Darrell around" again, as he "understands the show and will probably be helpful in ways we haven't yet figured out."
The 40th season of Saturday Night Live premieres on Saturday, Sept. 27, on NBC.
