James Austin Johnson reveals his next big move after SNL

Saturday Night Live star James Austin Johnson is taking his comedy from Studio 8H to the stand-up stage with his first-ever comedy special, He’ll Yeah.

The comedian will debut He’ll Yeah exclusively on Gorilla Comedy+ on Aug. 31. The special will later become available on YouTube on Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. PT, giving fans another opportunity to watch Johnson’s debut hour.

Johnson performs across several comedy venues in the special, including The Den Theatre in Chicago, Cobb’s Comedy Club in San Francisco and Zanies Comedy Club in Nashville. The trailer promises the comedian’s trademark absurd style, opening with a tongue-in-cheek premise that he has one hour to “change comedy forever” or face an outrageous consequence.

Johnson joined Saturday Night Live in 2021 during Season 47 and quickly became one of the show’s most recognisable impressionists. He is particularly known for his Donald Trump impersonation, which has frequently featured in the NBC sketch series’ cold opens.

Beyond Trump, Johnson has performed impressions of Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell and Bob Dylan on SNL. His Bob Dylan impression also led to a role in the Timothée Chalamet-led film A Complete Unknown. His other acting credits include Ghosts, Barry and Better Call Saul.

Johnson’s stand-up comedy draws on his interests in video games and music. A longtime Dylan fan, he has also released covers of songs including “The Man in Me” and “She Belongs to Me.”

He’ll Yeah is produced by Johnson and Bryan B. Stray, with Daniel Page and Kris Evered serving as co-producers. Johnson wrote the special, while Stray directed it.

The upcoming release marks a new chapter for Johnson as he expands his career beyond Saturday Night Live and into the world of stand-up comedy specials.