Ask Andy Samberg Blog!
We received a question about whether or not Jay Pharoah's principal, "Daniel Frye", is a character or impression. This is debatable. But I say character. More after this article bit...
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"Saturday Night Live" earned a few extra laughs in Hampton Roads this weekend when featured player Jay Pharoah, a 2005 graduate of Indian River High School, paid tribute to his former principal.
In a sketch about a high school's "holiday jam," Pharoah played Principal Daniel Frye. Despite the change in first name, there's no doubt about the source of Pharoah's inspiration.
Jimmy Frye, principal of Indian River High School
Jay Pharoah as Principal 'Daniel Frye' on SNL
"Mr. Frye is my first character on SNL and I asked him about it before I did it, he approved with a smile," Pharoah wrote on the website.
You can read the rest and more of our thoughts over on our new Jay Pharoah news site here:
http://jaypharoah.blogspot.com/2010/12/jay-pharoah-pays-tribute-to-his-indian.html
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So the reasons why we think this is a character are (1) He changed the name. (2) Jay, Jimmy Frye, and those involved all refer to Daniel Frye as a character. (3) It's normal for SNLers to base characters on actual people. That's where they get their inspiration.
Also, this isn't the first time Jay did this impression/charcter. After graduating from Indian River, Jay actually returned back to his high school at age 19 to do his standup routine. He did impressions of Principal Frye and several teachers (along with various celebs).
To see Jay's first time he performed this impression/character, go to this page on our Jay Pharoah news site:
http://jaypharoah.blogspot.com/2010/12/jay-pharoah-performs-at-his-indian.html
Enjoy!