James Austin Johnson (born July 19, 1989), is an American actor and stand-up comedian. He is a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series Saturday Night Live, which he joined as a featured player for the show's 47th season in 2021. Known for his skills as an impressionist, he has impersonated both sitting U.S. Presidents during his time on SNL, playing both Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Johnson was promoted to a repertory player in 2023.
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Early life
Johnson was born on July 19, 1989, in Nashville, Tennessee. As a child, he appeared in various productions by Lifeway Christian Resources. He began performing stand-up comedy as a teenager. He attended Davidson Academy and graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2011. Johnson regularly performed at open mics in Nashville before moving to Los Angeles in 2013.
Career
Johnson began his acting career starring in independent Christian films.
He has appeared in television series such as Adam Ruins Everything, Better Call Saul, and All Rise. In 2016, he appeared in a DirecTV television ad alongside National Football League veteran Peyton Manning.
In August 2020, Johnson's impression of President Donald Trump went viral in a video uploaded to Twitter, amassing over one million views.
In 2021, Johnson was cast as a featured player on Saturday Night Live, alongside Aristotle Athari and Sarah Sherman, for its forty-seventh season. During the season premiere cold open, he portrayed President Joe Biden and later portrayed President Trump beginning in the season's fifth episode. Johnson was promoted to repertory status in 2023.
In March 2024, Deadline announced Johnson had been cast in the Bob Dylan biopic film A Complete Unknown. Johnson voiced the character Pouchy in the 2024 Pixar animated film Inside Out 2.
Johnson will release his debut stand-up comedy special, He'll Yeah on August 31, 2026 exclusively through the Gorilla Comedy+ streaming service, before it later will be available on YouTube on September 22, 2026.
Personal life
Johnson married Rebekah Elisabeth Lain in 2018. Their son, Homer, was born in 2022.
