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Alec Baldwin says impersonating Trump is like ‘agony’

The allure of portraying the nation’s president has come to an end for “Saturday Night Live’s” Donald Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin.

“Every time I do it now, it’s like agony. Agony. I can’t,” Baldwin told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Thursday.

Baldwin’s character was a hot topic when it first debuted on the late-night sketch show back in 2016 and remained popular through the start of Trump’s presidency. The “30 Rock” alum’s ability to mock the president’s mannerisms made him a stand-out in more than 20 sketches in under two years. Though not the first to portray the president on “SNL,” several of his Trump sketches — an interview with Lester Holt and a look inside the Oval Office with Trump and Stephen Bannon — are now among the show’s most memorable. “SNL’s” ratings even surged in early 2017, back when Baldwin’s Trump and Melissa McCarthy’s Sean Spicer were regulars.

But now, the job apparently has become tiresome for Baldwin who most recently appeared in the role during a “Fox & Friends” cold open skit that aired on Feb. 3. When asked how long he’d be willing to continue impersonating Trump, the 59-year-old suggested his own political opinions have drawn him away from the early appeal of the gig.

“I could go out on the street, stand on any corner and tap 10 people on the shoulder. And all 10 of them, in all likelihood, would be more qualified — ethically, morally, intellectually and spiritually — than Trump. I’ll vote for Mitt Romney, I don’t care. Anybody over this guy. It doesn’t matter. We have to get rid of him,” he said. “If, God forbid, he wins again in 2020, I’m wondering, can I host a game show in Spain?”

Before he considers pursuing an out-of-country game show career, Baldwin has another new hosting responsibility to fulfill. His very own talk show, titled “Sundays with Alec Baldwin” will make its debut on ABC Sunday following the Oscars ceremony. His first guests will be Jerry Seinfeld and fellow “SNL” castmate Kate McKinnon. Also on his to-do list: hosting ABC’s revival of “The Match Game,” set to premiere this summer.