We spoke to the real Harvey Epstein about that SNL sketch

Personality

The (very real) Assembly member and City Council candidate was spoofed in a Saturday Night Live sketch poking fun at his name.

Comedian John Mulaney portrays Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, who’s currently running for New York City Council, in a Saturday Night Live sketch poking fun at Epstein’s name. Saturday Night Live

Have you heard of Assembly Member Harvey Epstein? You have now if you were one of the millions to tune into Saturday Night Live this weekend. And yes, he is a real politician who really has that name – and he took the ribbing in stride. “I think it went over very well, and I’m glad we can all make fun of ourselves in a way that – to bring joy to the world,” Epstein told City & State.

On the eve of the presidential election, SNL took time to look ahead to the 2025 New York City Council races, with a pretty niche sketch about Epstein, a state legislator from East Manhattan running for a Council seat. While roasting Big Apple mayors like Eric Adams or Bill de Blasio is nothing new for the New York City-based SNL crew, they don’t usually delve into local politics-pilled content.

In the sketch, framed as a satirical campaign ad that featured his real campaign logo, Epstein is played by comedian John Mulaney in a bald cap. The point of the fake ad? Convince voters that he is not Harvey Weinstein or Jeffrey Epstein. “I’m not gonna lie, the name thing has become a bit of an issue,” Mulaney’s Epstein says. “‘Harvey’ I can almost handle – but ‘Epstein’? This thing is an albatross.” In another scene, he points to pictures of Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein while telling voters they are different people. “And they certainly didn’t combine to form one person and make me,” Mulaney’s Epstein says.

The real Epstein told City & State that it was “a little freaky” to see himself played by Mulaney on screen, but that he found the sketch funny overall. “It’s really critical that I take the joy out of the joke and also be serious about issues of domestic violence,” Epstein said, calling Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein “two horrible human beings.” He added that the joke came as a surprise but said SNL should call him if it’s interested in having him appear in a follow-up sketch. “I totally would do that,” he said.

Epstein welcomed the spotlight the sketch offered his campaign, even if it wasn’t policy focused. “I think it definitely makes more people aware of who I am,” he said. “But luckily, I have high name recognition in my district already.” Speaking of names, Epstein said that people on the campaign trail have at times mixed up his name with Weinstein or Jeffrey Epstein, and he has occasionally been asked if he’s related to the notorious sex offenders. But he said that no one has ever thought he was actually Weinstein or Jeffrey Epstein.

The comedian’s portrayal of Epstein was spot-on, according to the real one. “John Mulaney was wearing earrings, he had a bald head, he was wearing the clothes I wear a lot – so I think he did those pieces right,” he said. Although Epstein never “stood with Mohawk Valley miners” (not minors) like the sketch claimed, the Assembly member has fought for tenant rights in the chamber, which the satirical ad mentioned. “That’s a great part of the sketch,” he said.

Can you tell the difference between Assembly Member Harvey Epstein and comedian John Mulaney? / Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images; Saturday Night Live

Epstein acknowledged the sketch publicly on Sunday morning, writing on X, “I agree with John @mulaney… let’s not call it Epstein’s Island,” referencing a line from the sketch. He followed that up with a link to donate to his Council campaign. Epstein also urged any “newfound followers” to donate to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network to support survivors of sexual assault.

After the sketch aired, many non-New Yorkers – and even some New Yorkers who were understandably not familiar with one particular state legislator – took to social media to express surprise that Harvey Epstein is in fact a real politician. “Even when John Mulaney said to the camera ‘this is a real thing,’ I refused to believe him,” one X user wrote. “Anyway, turns out this is a real thing.” Another user wrote, “Oh god, Harvey Epstein’s a real guy.” “Not being from NY I wasn’t sure if Harvey Epstein was real but knowing he is makes this 1000x times funnier,” reads yet another post on X about the sketch.

Mulaney, who lives in Manhattan’s West Village, is known for niche New York City sketches when he hosts SNL. In 2019, he performed a musical number about bodega bathrooms. It was a followup to the viral 2018 sketch about ordering lobster at a diner, which is admittedly not totally specific to the city, but New Yorkers do feel strongly about their diners. He’s also done musical numbers about Times Square, LaGuardia Airport and, most recently, the Duane Reade at the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

If you missed it, you can watch the Saturday Night Live sketch spoofing Epstein below: