Master Thespian

Master Thespian was a recurring character on American sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, appearing 13 times between 1985 and 1989. Played by Jon Lovitz, Master Thespian was a ruthlessly ambitious, egomaniacal actor who spoke with a plummy "Shakespearean" English accent and often elicited the sympathy of other characters in the sketch, only to reveal the ruse by declaring his catchphrase, "Acting!" His arch-rival and mentor, Baudelaire (John Lithgow), often had the last laugh in the escalating one-upmanship, in reality childish pranks and paperthin disguises that they both fell for, ostensibly due to their brilliant acting. On the few occasions we actually see him act, it is clear that he is not as good as his reputation would have us believe, on occasion seeming completely oblivious to the concept of acting.

See also

• Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches
• Master Thespian SNL Sketch Transcript
• SNL Archives. [1]

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