It's 1:01 a.m. on a Sunday in May, and Lorne Michaels, the creator and producer of “Saturday Night Live,” has just finished the final episode of the show's 49th season. He spent the entire 90 minutes with his hands in his pockets, pacing backstage, observing the actors, only occasionally chuckling with satisfaction.
Cast members gathered onstage to celebrate another year and exchanged warm embraces with each other, the evening's host, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, and musical guest, pop phenom Sabrina Carpenter.
But onstage, Michaels, 79, just finished his 20th show of the year with a feeling of resignation. “All I can see is the mistakes,” he says. Some jokes could have been done better, and he regrets the choice to cut some skits short. He says he'll likely spend the weekend nitpicking over the details. By Monday, he'll have some satisfaction. But then he'll have to start all over again.
Through “SNL,” Michaels built an entertainment empire that has endured for half a century despite the dismantling of traditional television.
He's loath to call himself CEO, but beneath his Canadian modesty he has become something of a management guru: He spends his days hiring top talent, keeping his ego in check, meeting nearly impossible weekly deadlines, navigating (mostly deftly) controversies and navigating a media environment that has driven many of his peers out of business.
All the while, unlike most chief executives who become the face of their own brands, he has carefully avoided the spotlight.
“I've spent my life hanging around things to be more visible,” Michaels said, explaining a style the business professor calls servant leadership. “You're expected to make other people look good.”
Recruiting may be Michaels' superpower: He's unearthed a generation of comedic talent, including Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell and Tina Fey.
“Most of the time they're looking for whatever spark of originality there is,” Michaels says. “The way their minds work, it's just their instinct that something more interesting is going to happen.”
Part of his approach is to go beyond the usual suspects like popular comedians from Los Angeles or New York and find new talent in the heart of America.
Things have become more difficult since the pandemic devastated many of the venues that served as development teams for “SNL” stars. Second City, which launched Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Chris Farley and Fey, faced additional pressure over its response to racial issues and was sold to private equity firm ZMC for a reported $50 million in 2021.
Michaels said that in previous seasons, the show often relied on well-known hosts like former “SNL” mainstay Kristen Wiig to take some of the pressure off less-experienced performers.
Michaels understands the challenges facing emerging stars: “When you go from being the funniest kid in class or school to working professionally and everyone else in the room is like that, it can be upsetting or it can be very inspiring,” Michaels said.
As these talents reach new heights, Michaels' job gets harder, not easier. The support changes.
“Nobody can stand fame,” Michaels said. “Generally, we tolerate it, but people turn into assholes because it's just part of the process. Nobody was raised that way.”
Some cast members have handled the spotlight better than others: Belushi and Farley both died of drug-related causes at age 33 after appearing on the show, and Pete Davidson, who left “SNL” in 2022, has spoken publicly about his anxiety and stints in rehab.
Longtime friend Paul McCartney suggested that Michaels' calmness was partly what made “SNL” a weekly comedy circus.
“He's a benevolent dictator,” said McCartney, who first met Michaels at a party McCartney hosted at Harold Lloyd's Greenacres mansion in Beverly Hills, Calif. “He brings together a bunch of crazy people and he has to choose among them and he has to instill in everyone a feeling that this is going to work.”
Amid a sea of chaos, Michaels rules “SNL” with discipline. He's never missed a Saturday night, and he attended a script read right after one of his three children was born. There's a weekly routine, with a 6 p.m. Monday meeting where Michaels introduces the hosts, followed by Tuesday nights at an Italian restaurant.
“The idea of there still being no availability on a Friday night is no longer scary,” he said. “It's not common, but it's not uncommon.”
The show has often courted controversy, but has also accidentally become embroiled in it, with Michaels sometimes acting as crisis manager, such as in 1992 when musical guest Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photograph of Pope John Paul II.
“SNL” dropped comedian Shane Gillis in 2019 after he was accused of making racist comments on a podcast. Gillis is now selling out stadiums, and the show brought him back as host this year.
“I think ideas blossom in an instant,” Michaels said of the swift backlash and equally swift forgiveness. “They used to call it mania.”
The show's buzz and longevity, say its hosts and Michaels, have created the right culture for a production: makeup artists can transform actors into Butt-Head in three minutes, costume designers can quickly create replicas of the outfits worn at Prince Harry's wedding, and writers grew up watching the show and now mentor Michaels, who is starting out as a writer himself.
“He listens and he has conversations with all kinds of people about what's funny and what's working,” said actress Emma Stone, who has hosted the show five times. “He's developed a kind of brain trust there.”
Unlike most businesses, SNL loses its best talent when things go well, with the likes of Wiig, Ferrell and Maya Rudolph moving on to big breaks in film and TV.
“I met Lorne in '91 or '90,” says Chris Rock, who went on to star in several films with his “SNL” co-star Adam Sandler. “Money has never been a problem since then.”
Rather than resenting when talent leaves and the problems it brings, Michaels seems to accept it as part of his model. He says he gives the same advice to bigwigs who sit on his couch and tell him they're planning to quit: “Build a bridge to your next job, and when it's strong enough, cross it, but don't quit too soon, because you never know what's going to happen.”
Sometimes, even as the stars walk across the bridge, they remain in Michaels' orbit. His media company, Broadway Video, has produced “30 Rock,” “Mean Girls” and “Wayne's World.” He plucked Jimmy Fallon from the cast of “SNL” to host “The Tonight Show,” which Broadway Video also produces, in addition to NBC's late-night lineup.
Michaels' broad responsibilities also include navigating tough economic times for the industry: NBCUniversal recently laid off Seth Meyers' late-night show band as part of industry-wide budget cuts.
“I think everybody's had to tighten the belt,” Michaels said of the job cuts, adding, “I think the only person right now who really believes in the network model is Ted Sarandos, who seems to be building the network model,” referring to Netflix's co-chief executive officer.
NBC appears to have given “SNL” unusual independence (its 46th season cost about $138 million to produce, according to public filings), perhaps because it helps the network stay relevant in the cultural conversation beyond its role as a talent factory for NBC.
The show's 50th season aims to celebrate its influence on media and pop culture. Music producer Mark Ronson and Michaels will produce a virtual homecoming at Radio City Music Hall on Feb. 14, followed by a primetime special featuring current and former stars that Sunday. Musician and producer Questlove will co-produce a documentary about “SNL”'s impact on music and culture during the landmark year, and Morgan Neville will produce five documentaries about “SNL” and Michaels.
The celebration will also inevitably raise questions about Michaels' retirement. The show has poked fun at the ages of both presidential candidates, Donald Trump, 78, and Joseph R. Biden Jr., 81. But as Michaels prepares to front the milestone season, industry insiders wonder if he's also preparing for his own “SNL” retirement, and have already begun speculating about who might replace him.
Michaels deflected the question, shifting the attention from himself to the show. “I'm going to continue as long as I feel I can,” he said. “But I'm always going to rely on other people.”
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