Former President George H.W. Bush chose to liven things up at his last White House Christmas party by inviting “Saturday Night Live” star Dana Carvey to bring his act to the White House and perform in front of the man he hilariously portrayed for so long.
Carvey’s antics turned what could have been a more somber affair — given that he had just lost a brutal race to his Democratic opponent, Bill Clinton — into a classic skit for the ages.
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Soon after “Hail To The Chief,” began playing, audience members began laughing as Carvey himself entered in place of the real “Chief.”
“This is very, very strange,” he said, laughing.
Carvey drifted in and out of character as he imitated the president, spoke to the methods behind his portrayal, and relayed the story of his phone call with Bush Sr. (RELATED: Alec Baldwin Explains What It’s Like To Play Trump — What He Says May Surprise You)
“The fact that we can laugh at each other is a very fundamental thing,” Bush Sr. said as he joined Carvey on the stage.
“Dana’s given me a lot of laughs,” he said, adding that Carvey “never crossed the line” in his portrayals.
“And wasn’t he lucky I didn’t hit him right on the head,” quipped Barbara Bush as the audience applauded.
The two remained friends following Bush’s presidency.