Alec Baldwin to return as President-Elect Donald Trump on this week's 'SNL'

Alec Baldwin will be taking on the role of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live this weekend. The actor, who portrayed Trump during his presidential campaign on this season of the NBC sketch series, was absent during last week's show, the first episode to follow Election Day.

"I'm going to do it again this weekend, but not all that often," Baldwin told Vanity Fair. "There were a lot of things online said about it — like why didn't I do it after the election? I was booked [last] weekend. Not even other jobs; we have things to do. It crashes every weekend."

Baldwin has played Trump on five of this season's six episodes. Last week, during the Dave Chappelle-hosted installment, Kate McKinnon carried the cold open solo when she sang a rendition of the late Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" while in character as Hillary Clinton.

Read more: Alec Baldwin on Trump Win: "The American Political System Is Broken"

Baldwin, who has three young children at home with wife Hilaria Thomas, has hosted SNL more than any other performer, with a record 16 bows at the helm of the late-night comedy show, but the show's hours can be a strain. "When he does SNL, it takes a big chunk out of it because you're up so late, and then it eats into the next day. And for us, with little kids, it's hard," Thomas told Vanity Fair.

Following the election last week, Baldwin tweeted that "Trump has yet to look happy, satisfied, triumphant. Only grim, purposeful and exhausted. Did he really see this coming?" He also tweeted, "The American political system is broken."

The veteran actor opened up on his opinions of Trump while telling WNYC's The Brian Lehrer Show how he gets into character for SNL. "I don't hate Trump," he said. "But he's not somebody I admire."

Baldwin's impersonation was hailed by critics and fans. (Trump said on social media he thought it was lousy.) On Saturday, however, Baldwin will be channeling a new version as he takes on President-elect Trump.

Ahead of the season 42 premiere, the NBC series announced that Baldwin would revisit the role of Trump throughout the season.

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