Lorne Michaels
Lorne Michaels is a prominent comedian, writer, and producer, widely recognized for his role as the creator and executive producer of the iconic television show, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Born on November 17, 1944, in Toronto, Ontario, Michaels began his career in comedy after studying English at the University of Toronto. He gained initial success in Canada with his variety show, The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, before making his mark in the U.S. with SNL in 1975, where he helped launch the careers of many famous comedians.
Michaels formed his production company, Broadway Video, and has produced numerous successful projects, including 30 Rock and Late Night shows with various hosts, such as Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. His work has garnered him over thirty-five Emmy Awards, and he is also known for producing films featuring SNL characters, such as Wayne's World and Tommy Boy. Throughout his career, Michaels has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and an honorary doctorate from Ryerson University. Despite facing personal challenges, including three marriages, he has maintained a significant presence in the entertainment industry.
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Subject Terms
Lorne Michaels
Television and film producer
- Born: November 17, 1944
- Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario
Contribution: Lorne Michaels is an Emmy Award–winning comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known as one of the developers and creative driving forces of the popular television show Saturday Night Live (SNL)—one of the longestrunning shows on American television—and as the executive producer of the shows 30 Rock and Late Night.
Early Life & Education
Lorne David Lipowitz was born on November 17, 1944, in Toronto, Ontario. Michaels was educated at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute in the Toronto neighborhood of Forest Hill. He received a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Toronto before moving in England, where he worked briefly as a car salesman.
Comedian
Upon his return from England in 1966, Michaels teamed up with comedian Hart Pomerantz to perform as a comic duo on a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) satirical television show. The success of their act led to the creation of their own variety show, The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, which aired in 1970–71. The pair soon went to the United States where they continued writing comedy for American television shows as well as for well-known comedians such as Joan Rivers and Woody Allen.
Television & Movie Producer
In 1975, Michaels was offered an opportunity to write and produce a show to be aired late night on Saturdays. That comedy sketch show, called Saturday Night Live, eventually won more than thirty-five Emmy Awards and helped launch the careers of famous comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Chevy Chase, Will Ferrell, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, and numerous other stars.
Michaels formed his own production company, Broadway Video, in 1979. After a brief time away from Saturday Night Live following the 1979–1980 season, Michaels returned in 1985 at the behest of Brandon Tartikoff, then head of the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Under the leadership of Michaels, the show continued to enjoy widespread success and acclaim, including numerous Emmy Awards for directing, acting, writing, and music, among other categories.
As a movie producer, Michaels collaborated on a number of films, including such comedies as Three Amigos (1986), starring Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short; Wayne’s World (1992), starring Mike Myers; Coneheads (1993), starring Dan Aykroyd; and Tommy Boy (1995), starring Chris Farley and David Spade. Michaels is known for working with SNL alumni as writers and actors, and for producing films based on characters from SNL skits.
In the 2000s he went on to produce several more critically and commercially successful projects in film and television. Collaborating with former SNL cast member and writer Tina Fey, Michaels served as executive producer on the acclaimed series NBC 30 Rock (2006–13), which starred Fey along with Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, and Jane Krakowski. The series won three Emmy Awards for outstanding comedy series in addition to numerous other awards. Fey and Michaels also worked together on the films Mean Girls (2004) and Baby Mama (2008). In addition to 30 Rock, Michaels is the executive producer for the sketch comedy series Portlandia (2011–), which stars Carrie Brownstein and SNL alum Fred Armisen, and the NBC sitcom Up All Night (2011–12), which starred Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and SNL alum Maya Rudolph.
Continuing his role in NBC’s late-night programming, Michaels has been the executive producer of the Late Night franchise since the early 1990s. Michaels produced Late Night with Conan O’Brien from 1993 to 2009 and remained on Late Night when Jimmy Fallon replaced O’Brien as host; Michaels continued there in 2014 when Fallon was replaced by Seth Meyers. In 2014 Fallon began hosting The Tonight Show, which Michaels added to his credits as executive producer, notching 421 episodes before the show ended in 2020. Michaels also served as executive producer for ten years of Meyers' show, between 2014 and 2024. Notably, O’Brien, Fallon, and Meyers were all writers or performers on SNL.
Among his more than 200 career producer credits are numerous SNL specials, including the 2015 40th anniversary special, several holiday specials for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Mother's Day, along with several election night specials. Michaels was also the executive producer for the 2021 Miley's New Year's Eve Party hosted by Miley Cyrus and Pete Davidson. Some of his other producing credits include Mean Girls, both on Broadway in 2018 and on film in 2024, the play Leopoldstadt, for which he won a Tony Award, and several television series, including Schmigadoon (2021-23), Bupkis (2023), and The Other Two (2019-2023). None are as associated with his name, however, as the more than 800 career episodes as executive producer of SNL.
Awards
Michaels has consistently received recognition for his work in comedy and television production. His various honors in Canada include an honorary doctorate from Ryerson University in Toronto and a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in Toronto. Michaels was also named to the Order of Canada in 2002 and won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2004, considered the most prestigious prize awarded in recognition of humor in the United States. In 2013 Michaels was the recipient of an individual Peabody Award, a rare occurrence as the award is traditionally given to an institution or group.
Personal Life
Michaels was married to Rosie Shuster from 1967 to 1980. After his divorce from Shuster, he married Susan Forristal in 1984, but the couple divorced in 1987. Michaels married for a third time in 1991, when he wed Alice Barry, with whom he has three children: Henry, Edward, and Sophie. Michaels became an American citizen in 1987.
Bibliography
Cohen, Rich. “The Godfather of Studio 8H.” Rolling Stone 16 Sept. 2010: 68–84. Print.
Collins, Scott. “Late-Night Moves Give Lorne Michaels Even More Power at NBC.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2013. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Fey, Tina. “Lorne Michaels.” Time 12 May 2008: 98–99. Print.
Grove, Lloyd. “Inside Lorne Michaels’ Bubble.” Daily Beast. Newsweek/Daily Beast, 11 May 2010. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Itzkoff, Dave. “‘Saturday Night Live’ Breaks an Emmy Record, and Lorne Michaels Is Cool with That.” New York Times. New York Times, 8 July 2010. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
"Lorne Michaels." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0584427/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
Miller, James Andrew. “Michaels Is the Man When Show’s in Trouble.” Television Week 29 Sept. 2008: 12. Print.