James Austin Johnson, a prominent cast member of *Saturday Night Live* (SNL), has made a name for himself with his uncanny and sometimes hilarious celebrity impressions. 

Known for his portrayals of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, Johnson has taken on a variety of well-known figures over the years. 

However, there was one impression that stood out as particularly nerve-wracking—impersonating the multifaceted actor Adam Driver to Driver himself.

In a candid conversation with *GQ*, Johnson admitted that performing his impression of Driver on *SNL* was “pretty nerve-wracking,” 

especially when he had to do it in front of the actor. 

“Doing Adam Driver to Adam Driver. Pretty nerve-wracking,” Johnson shared. 

He went on to express his admiration for Driver’s work, noting his love for Driver’s roles in *Star Wars* as Kylo Ren, *Marriage Story*, and *Girls*. “I love doing Adam Driver. I love Kylo Ren. I love Marriage Story. I love Girls. I love everything he does. I think he is hilarious and a little bit of a genius artist,” Johnson said.

While Johnson was clearly a fan of Driver’s acting prowess, performing an impression of such a well-known and intense actor was far from easy. The stakes were high when Johnson had to do his Driver impression during a rehearsal with the actor. “It’s kind of demeaning,” Johnson explained, acknowledging the challenge of mimicking someone in front of them, particularly someone as imposing as Driver. “Driver is huge. Like, he’s both a terrifying man as a presence. And he’s an intimidating artist.”

Johnson recalled the moment during the rehearsal when Driver was sitting at the opposite end of the table, arms folded, quietly watching him. The situation felt tense. “I’m doing my impression of him to him, and he was just at the opposite end of the table, just arms folded, kicked back, just watching me with a pretty scary look on his face,” Johnson said. He admitted that it was difficult to gauge Driver’s reaction, noting that while Driver didn’t laugh, he did tell Johnson that he thought the impression was funny. “I never saw him laugh, but he told me he thought it was funny. I’m going to take him at his word,” Johnson laughed.

The experience highlighted just how nerve-wracking it can be to impersonate someone as well-known and revered as Adam Driver, especially when that person is sitting right in front of you. Still, Johnson seems to have taken it in stride, noting that despite the intimidating nature of the situation, he enjoys doing the impression of Driver.

Beyond the challenge of impersonating Driver, Johnson has also bonded with other *SNL* hosts during his time on the show. One notable friendship he formed was with actor Owen Wilson. In the premiere episode of *SNL*’s Season 47, both Johnson and Wilson were navigating new experiences—Wilson was hosting *SNL* for the first time, while Johnson was making his debut as a cast member. “I really bonded with Owen Wilson right away,” Johnson recalled. “Owen had never hosted before, and I had never been on *SNL* before.”

The two immediately connected, with Johnson noting that they both came from a Southern background. “He’s from Texas. Half of my family’s from Texas, and my wife is from Houston. So we bonded on the whole Houston, Wes Anderson of it all,” Johnson explained. The shared Texas connection and their mutual excitement about the new experiences made for a strong bond between the two.

Additionally, Johnson expressed how the experience of working with Wilson aligned their comedic sensibilities. “For Owen to be psyched about the sketch I wrote… I think he was just really excited about playing Troy Aikman in it,” Johnson said, referencing a sketch in which Wilson played the famed sports commentator.

As *SNL* continues to entertain audiences with its comedic sketches and celebrity impressions, James Austin Johnson remains one of the standout performers, with his range of impressions and his knack for blending humor with sharp observation. Whether impersonating political figures or beloved actors like Adam Driver, Johnson’s comedic talents continue to shine in *SNL*’s ever-evolving landscape.

As for Driver, while Johnson’s portrayal may have been a tense moment, it seems that the actor appreciated the effort, giving Johnson the green light to continue with his spot-on impressions—perhaps even more nerve-wracking for future performances.

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