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Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian and American television writer and film producer. He created and produced ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and produced the '' Late Night'' series (since 1993), '' The Kids in the Hall'' (from 1989 to 1995), and ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'' (since 2014). He has received 21
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
from 106 nominations, holding the record as the most nominated individual in the award show's history.


Early life

Lorne David Lipowitz was born to a Jewish family in
Toronto, Ontario Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, on November 17, 1944, to Florence () (1915–2001) and Abraham Lipowitz (1908–1959), who worked as a furrier. Several sources incorrectly state that he was born on a
kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...
in the then- British mandate of Palestine, and that his
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
family immigrated to Toronto, Ontario, when he was an infant. Michaels and his two younger siblings were raised in Toronto; he graduated from Forest Hill Collegiate Institute before attending
University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...
at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
, earning a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
in English in 1966.


Career


Early career

Michaels began his career as a writer and broadcaster for
CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
, working with partner Hart Pomerantz. He and Pomerantz moved to Los Angeles from Toronto in 1968 to work as writers for ''
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for six seasons from January 22, 1968, to July 23, 1973, on the NBC television network. The show, hosted by comed ...
'' and '' The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show''. They returned to Canada to star in '' The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour'', a series of comedy specials that ran on
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
in the early 1970s. Michaels returned to the United States in 1973 to write for ''The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour''. This brought him to the attention of
Lily Tomlin Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedian, writer, singer, and producer. Tomlin started her career in stand-up comedy and sketch comedy before transitioning her career to acting across stage and screen. ...
who hired him to produce a series of specials, the first of which won an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
. Michaels credits his work with Tomlin for giving him the credibility needed for NBC to hire him to create ''Saturday Night Live''.


''Saturday Night Live''

In 1975, Michaels created (with fellow NBC employee Dick Ebersol and president of the network Herb Schlosser) the TV show ''NBC's Saturday Night'', which in 1977 changed its name to ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' (initially there was a name conflict with an ABC show titled '' Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell'', which debuted September 20, 1975, and was cancelled on January 17, 1976). The show, which is performed live in front of a studio audience, immediately established a reputation for being cutting-edge and unpredictable. It became a vehicle for launching the careers of some of the most successful comedians in the United States. Originally the producer of the show, Michaels was also a writer and later became
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
. He occasionally appears on-screen as well, where he is known for his
deadpan Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of Comedy, comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant t ...
humor. Throughout the show's history, ''SNL'' has been nominated for more than 156
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
s and has won 36. It has consistently been one of the highest-rated late-night television programs. Michaels has been with ''SNL'' for all seasons except for his hiatus in the early 1980s (seasons 6–10). Michaels appeared in the show during the first season, where he offered
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
to reunite on the show. He later increased his offer to , but the money was never claimed. According to an interview with
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
in ''Playboy'' magazine, Lennon and
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
were in New York City that night and wanted to see the show. They decided against it though, as it was too late to get there in time, and they were both tired. This near-reunion was the basis for the TV movie ''Two of Us''. On the episode airing November 20, 1976, musical guest
George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician, singer and songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Culture ...
appeared, but Michaels told him the offer was conditional on all four members of the group showing up.


Other work

During the 1978-1979 season of ''SNL'', Michaels was offered a deal to produce nine features from
Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...
, but he turned it down to take a three-picture deal from
Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...
. The Warner Bros. deal didn't net any produced movies. In the early 80s, he subsequently had a deal to produce movies for
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
and was developing a Father Guido Sarducci movie written by Don Novello, a spoof of ''
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
'' called ''1985'' that was set in the future and written by
Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American politician, comedian, and actor who served from 2009 to 2018 as a United States senator from Minnesota. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he worked as an ...
, Tom Davis, and Jim Downey, and an adaptation of ''
Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is the second published novel (but third to be written) by English author Jane Austen, written when she was age 20-21, and later published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabe ...
'' Michaels himself was co-writing with friend John Head. The only movie to be produced from Michaels's MGM deal was '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', a black-and-white surreal sci-fi comedy written and directed by longtime resident ''SNL'' filmmaker Tom Schiller. The movie featured appearances from
Bill Murray William James Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an American actor and comedian, known for his deadpan delivery in roles ranging from studio comedies to independent dramas. He has received List of awards and nominations received by Bill Murra ...
and
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
, but the studio opted to never release it. In 1979, Michaels founded the production company Broadway Video, which has produced ''SNL'' since 1981 as well as other shows such as Canadian sketch-comedy'' The Kids in the Hall'' which began airing in 1988 on
CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...
in Canada, debuting in the U.S. market in 1989 on
cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with bro ...
network
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
until moving to CBS in 1993. Whilst on his ''SNL'' hiatus, Michaels created another sketch show titled '' The New Show'', which debuted on Friday nights in prime time on NBC in January 1984. The show failed to garner the same enthusiasm as ''SNL'' and was cancelled after 9 episodes. In the 1980s, Michaels appeared in an
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
titled '' The Canadian Conspiracy'' about the supposed subversion of the United States by Canadian-born media personalities, with
Lorne Greene Lorne Hyman Greene (born Lyon Himan Green; February 12, 1915 – September 11, 1987) was a Canadian actor, singer, and radio personality. His notable television roles include Ben Cartwright on the Western ''Bonanza'' and Commander Adama in ...
as the leader of the conspiracy. Michaels was identified as the anointed successor to Greene. Michaels is also the executive producer of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
show '' Late Night,'' and was the executive producer of ''
30 Rock ''30 Rock'' is an American satire, satirical sitcom television series created by Tina Fey that originally aired on NBC from October 11, 2006, to January 31, 2013. The series, based on Fey's experiences as head writer for ''Saturday Night Live' ...
'' and '' Up All Night'' during their runs. On April 3, 2013, it was announced that Michaels would be taking over as the executive producer for ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
''. Consequently, ''The Tonight Show'' moved to New York in early 2014 as ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...
''.


Personal life

Michaels has three children, Henry, Eddie, and Sophie and has been married three times. During the early 1960s, he began a relationship with Rosie Shuster, daughter of his comedy mentor Frank Shuster of the Wayne and Shuster comedy team, who later worked with him on ''Saturday Night Live'' as a writer. Michaels and Shuster were married in 1967 and divorced in 1980. He married model Susan Forristal in 1981, a marriage that ended in divorce in 1987. Michaels is married to Alice Barry, his former assistant. The pair wed in 1991. Michaels became a U.S. citizen in 1987 and was inducted into the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
in 2002. In January 2025, Michaels donated archival materials from throughout his career to the
Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center, known as the Humanities Research Center until 1983, is an archive, library, and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe ...
at the
University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public university, public research university in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 1883, it is the flagship institution of the University of Texas System. With 53,082 stud ...
. The Lorne Michaels Collection is scheduled to become available for research in January 2026.


Credits


Film


Television


Stage


In popular culture

In The Kids in the Hall movie '' Brain Candy'', the character of Don Roritor was based heavily on actor Mark McKinney’s impersonation of Lorne Michaels. The character Dr. Evil, the antagonist of
Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American satirical spy comedy films created by Mike Myers, who stars as the British spy Austin Powers as well as his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. The series consists of '' International Man of Mystery'' (1997), ' ...
in three films, has mannerisms and a speaking style based on Lorne Michaels. Dr. Evil was created and portrayed by ''SNL'' alumnus
Mike Myers Michael John Myers, (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. His accolades include seven MTV Movie & TV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood W ...
, who was at least partially influenced by fellow ''SNL'' performer
Dana Carvey Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster, screenwriter and producer. Carvey is best known for his seven seasons on ''Saturday Night Live'', from 1986 to 1993, which earned him five consecutive Pri ...
's impression of Michaels. In a 2008 interview with ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'', as well in various other interviews,
Tina Fey Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey (; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Known for her comedic roles in sketch comedy, television and film, Fey has received List of awards and nominations received by Tina Fe ...
admitted that
Alec Baldwin Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
's character
Jack Donaghy John Francis "Jack" Donaghy ( ) is a fictional character on the NBC sitcom '' 30 Rock'', airing from 2006 to 2013. The character was created by series creator Tina Fey, and is portrayed by Alec Baldwin. He was introduced as the Vice President of ...
on ''30 Rock'' is inspired by Michaels. In a different interview, on NPR's radio show '' Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!'', Baldwin stated that some of his inspiration for Donaghy was drawn from Michaels. Gabriel LaBelle plays Michaels in the 2024 film '' Saturday Night'', a dramatization of behind-the-scenes events leading up to the first episode of ''Saturday Night Live''.


Honors

In 1999, Michaels was inducted into the
Television Hall of Fame The Television Academy Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to U.S. television. The hall of fame was founded by former Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS) president John H. Mitchell (1921–1988). In ...
and was awarded a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
. Also in 1999, Michaels received an honorary degree from
Ryerson University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU, or Toronto Met), formerly Ryerson University, is a public research university located in Toronto, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District in downtown Toronto, although i ...
. In 2003, he received a star on
Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame () in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a series of maple leaf-like stars embedded in 13 de ...
. In 2004, he was awarded the
Mark Twain Prize for American Humor The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is an American award presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. annually since 1998 (except 2020-2021). Named after the 19th-century humorist Mark Twain, it is prese ...
by the
Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
in Washington, D.C. Speaking at the awards ceremony, original ''Saturday Night Live'' cast member
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
described the show as "the primary satirical voice of the country". Michaels received the
Governor General's Performing Arts Award The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards are an annual Canadian award, presented to honour distinguished achievements in Canadian performing arts and culture. Administered by the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation in associ ...
for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2006, Canada's highest honor in the performing arts. In 2008, Michaels was awarded the Webby for Film & Video Lifetime Achievement. With the allotted five words allowed to each recipient, his acceptance speech was "Five words is not enough". In 2012, Michaels was awarded a rare Personal
Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...
. He accepted at a ceremony in New York City at the
Waldorf Astoria New York The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story, Art Deco landmark des ...
hotel. In December 2021, Michaels was honored at the
Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to Culture of the United States, American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in ...
, along with Justino Diaz,
Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...
,
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
, and
Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...
. In 2022, Michaels received a Peabody Award for his work as an executive producer of the Spanish-language comedy series ''
Los Espookys ''Los Espookys'' is an American Spanish language comedy television series created by Julio Torres, Ana Fabrega, and Fred Armisen, who also star alongside Bernardo Velasco and Cassandra Ciangherotti. The series follows a group of friends trying ...
''. He was nominated for a second Peabody Award for his work producing ''
Documentary Now! ''Documentary Now!'' is an American mockumentary television series created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas (director), Rhys Thomas, and premiered on August 20, 2015, on IFC (U.S. TV channel), IFC. Armisen and Hader star ...
''.


References


Bibliography

* * *


External links

* * * *
The Museum of Broadcast Communications – ''Encyclopedia of Television'' "Saturday Night Live"
*

* in 2005 {{DEFAULTSORT:Michaels, Lorne 1944 births Living people 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American screenwriters 20th-century Canadian comedians 20th-century Canadian Jews 20th-century Canadian male actors 20th-century Canadian male writers 20th-century Canadian screenwriters 21st-century Canadian comedians 21st-century Canadian Jews 21st-century Canadian male actors 21st-century Canadian male writers 21st-century Canadian screenwriters American comedy writers American film producers American male comedians American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors American male television writers American people of Palestinian-Jewish descent American people of Israeli descent American showrunners American sketch comedians American television producers American television writers Canadian comedy writers Canadian emigrants to the United States Canadian male comedians Canadian male screenwriters Canadian male television actors Canadian male television writers Canadian people of Jewish descent Canadian sketch comedians Canadian television personalities Canadian television producers Canadian television writers Comedians from Toronto Companions of the Order of Canada Film producers from Toronto Governor General's Award winners International Emmy Directorate Award Jewish American comedy writers Jewish American male actors Jewish American comedians Jewish male comedians Jewish American screenwriters Jewish Canadian comedians Jewish Canadian screenwriters Kennedy Center honorees Male actors from Toronto Mark Twain Prize recipients Naturalized citizens of the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Primetime Emmy Award winners Screenwriters from Toronto Tony Award winners University of Toronto alumni Writers Guild of America Award winners American satirists Canadian satirists American television show creators Canadian television show creators American satirical television show creators Canadian satirical television show creators