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Lorne Michaels

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Lorne Michaels
NameLorne Michaels
Birth nameLorne Michael Lipowitz
Birth date17 November 1944
Birth placeToronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationTelevision producer, Writer, Comedian
Years active1968–present
Known forCreating and producing Saturday Night Live
SpouseRosie Shuster (m. 1971; div. 1980), Susan Forristal (m. 1981; div. 1987), Alice Barry (m. 1991)

Lorne Michaels is a Canadian-American television producer, writer, and comedian, best known as the creator and long-time executive producer of the iconic sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live. His career, spanning over five decades, has made him one of the most influential figures in American comedy and television. Through Saturday Night Live and his production company, Broadway Video, Michaels has launched the careers of countless performers and shaped the landscape of late-night and sketch comedy.

Early life and career

Born Lorne Michael Lipowitz in Toronto, he attended the University of Toronto before beginning his career as a writer and performer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. His early work included writing for the CBC series The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, a comedy-variety show he co-created with his friend Hart Pomerantz. In the late 1960s, he moved to Los Angeles to write for shows like Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show, honing his skills in variety television. He also collaborated with future Saturday Night Live alumnus Paul Shaffer on a comedy special for Lily Tomlin, which caught the attention of NBC executive Herb Schlosser.

Saturday Night Live

In 1975, NBC hired Michaels to develop a late-night comedy show to replace reruns of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The result was Saturday Night Live, which debuted on October 11, 1975, from Studio 8H in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Michaels assembled the original cast, the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, which included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, and Garrett Morris. He served as executive producer and head writer from 1975 to 1980, establishing the show's mix of live sketches, musical performances, and satirical Weekend Update news. After a five-year hiatus, he returned in 1985 and has remained in control ever since, shepherding subsequent generations of talent like Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, and Kristen Wiig. The show has won numerous Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards under his stewardship.

Other television and film work

Beyond Saturday Night Live, Michaels founded Broadway Video in 1979, a production company responsible for many successful television projects. He created and produced the late-night sketch series The Kids in the Hall and the sitcom 30 Rock, a meta-comedy about a sketch show, which starred Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin. In film, he has produced numerous movies featuring Saturday Night Live cast members, including the cult classic Wayne's World and the more recent Mean Girls. He is also an executive producer of the late-night talk shows Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, both of which are filmed in 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

Personal life

Michaels has been married three times; his first marriage was to writer Rosie Shuster, daughter of comedian Frank Shuster. He has three children and became a naturalized United States citizen in 1987. He is known for his private nature and his meticulous, often demanding, management style behind the scenes at Saturday Night Live. A significant figure in New York City's entertainment scene, he maintains a residence in Greenwich Village and has been a generous donor to various charitable causes, including the Public Theater in New York.

Legacy and influence

Lorne Michaels's influence on comedy and television is profound and enduring. Saturday Night Live has served as the premier launching pad for comedic talent in the United States for nearly half a century, impacting film, television, and politics through its satire. His production empire has extended his influence across multiple networks and formats. For his work, Michaels has received the Kennedy Center Honors, been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, and been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. His unique blend of creative curation, business acumen, and understanding of the cultural moment has cemented his status as a pivotal architect of modern American comedy.

Category:American television producers Category:Canadian television producers Category:American comedians