Jim Carrey to play Joe Biden on Saturday Night Live

Jim Carrey will play US presidential nominee Joe Biden in the upcoming series of Saturday Night Live, it has been announced.

The long-running sketch show returns in October for its 46th season, a month before Americans go to the polls, network NBC said.

Alec Baldwin usually plays Donald Trump and can be expected to appear opposite his fellow Hollywood star Carrey in TV debate sketches in the run up to the election.

In a rare move, SNL’s entire cast will return from the previous season, including stars Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Kenan Thompson, Beck Bennett, Aidy Bryant,  Michael Che and Colin Jost.

And there will be three new additions to the show. Lauren Holt, Punkie Johnson and Andrew Dismukes are joining the cast.

There will be a limited studio audience at SNL’s Rockefeller Centre studio, NBC said, and the show will work closely with New York governor Andrew Cuomo.

SNL returns on October 3, with weekly episodes up until the election on November 3.