In comedy, few are as influential — and elusive — as Jim Downey .

During his 30-year tenure as a writer on “ Saturday Night Live ,” he penned era-defining sketches like Chris Farley’s “Chippendales Audition” and defined the show’s political satire with Dana Carvey’s George H.W. Bush ( “na ga da it” ) and Will Ferrell’s W. Bush ( “strategery” ).

For many years he was the voice of “Weekend Update,” launching with Norm Macdonald a comedic crusade against O.J. Simpson that resulted in both of them getting fired by NBC. (Downey returned two years later and eventually retired in 2013.) Lorne Michaels has called him the “voice” of “Saturday Night Live” and the “best political humorist alive.”

Outside of occasional appearances on “SNL” and a memorable role opposite Adam Sandler in “Bill

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