Alec Baldwin 'Saturday Night Live' Preview; Will Rosie O'Donnell Play Steve Bannon?

Alec Baldwin, whose portrayals of President Trump for "Saturday Night Live" have famously inspired Twitter tirades from the commander in chief, will host the show this week, giving the former "30 Rock" star much more screen time. As a guest performer, Baldwin has portrayed Trump for just one sketch, but as host, will he reprise the role throughout the episode?

Baldwin, who will host "SNL" for a record 17th time, began impersonating Trump in the fall. His pouting, churlish take on the billionaire has become a cultural phenomena from the start, when he took over the role from former cast member Taran Killam.

On Thursday, he said it's not as fun for him as it is for the audience.

“I enjoy being a part of it,” he told his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, a correspondent for "Extra." "Playing him is not a lot of fun. He’s tense, he’s angry, he’s pissed off, and that’s not fun to play.

“Another thing I find that’s so weird about the stuff we’re doing, we’re just repeating back what he says…," the actor continued. "Doing this is strange, but what is even more strange is this is real.”

Adding extra intrigue as Saturday night's episode approaches is the speculation over whether "SNL" will take up Rosie O'Donnell on her offer to play Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon. On Thursday, the comedian and long-time Trump sparring partner retweeted a fan's suggestion that she play the controversial former Breitbart News exec, adding she is "here to serve." She subsequently changed her Twitter profile photo to an image of her as Bannon.

@calvininsf - i am here to serve - alec has trump - melissa has spice - i would need a few days to prepare - so if called - i will be ready
— ROSIE (@Rosie) February 7, 2017

However, on Friday afternoon, ABC Entertainment Editor Lesley Messer tweeted that "O'Donnell will NOT be playing Steve Bannon on SNL this week," citing an O'Donnell rep.

Sometimes a new avatar is just a new avatar: Rosie O'Donnell will NOT be playing Steve Bannon on "SNL" this week, according to her rep.
— Lesley Messer (@lesleymesser) February 10, 2017

Last week, Bannon was played by an actor in a skeleton costume.

If O'Donnell does portray Trump's key ally, it would likely rankle the president, who was said to be upset that a female, comedian Melissa McCarthy, played White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in last week's "SNL."

Trump, who has become a frequent critic of the show, himself hosted "SNL" in November of 2015.

Screenshot: YouTube/Saturday Night Live