Ahead Of Saturday Night Live Premiere, Unaired Lorne Michaels Clip Reveals His Thoughts On What The OG Cast All Had In Common

Ahead Of Saturday Night Live Premiere, Unaired Lorne Michaels Clip Reveals His Thoughts On What The OG Cast All Had In Common

As a gamer who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of television and comedy, I can’t help but feel a mix of nostalgia and anticipation as we approach the 50th season of Saturday Night Live (SNL). The upcoming film, Saturday Night, promises to take us back to the show’s roots with a fresh interpretation of its iconic 1975 cast.


We’ve reached a thrilling landmark in television chronicles! In the year 2024, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) is set to debut its 50th season on the TV calendar! But wait, there’s more – we’re also anticipating an entertaining reimagining of the legendary SNL cast from 1975 in Jason Reitman’s film titled “Saturday Night.” As if that wasn’t enough excitement, a previously unpublished interview featuring Lorne Michaels has surfaced. In this conversation, he candidly discusses the original cast and the common traits shared by these comedic talents.

In a previously unreleased conversation from a 2004 episode of 60 Minutes, Lorne Michaels discussed the groundbreaking cast of SNL. He mentioned that he was acquainted with Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd from Toronto, had collaborated with Laraine Newman on one of Lily Tomlin’s productions. Jane Curtin and John Belushi auditioned for the show. Garrett Morris was initially hired as a writer. And Chevy Chase was someone he already knew, having crossed paths in line for a Monty Python performance.

Later, even though they were all from various origins, Michael discussed the shared traits among these comedians, referring to his comments made in a 2004 interview broadcasted on 60 Minutes: A Second Look.

In the initial group, everyone I selected had experienced some form of turmoil during their teenage years. This could have been anything from losing a parent, going through a divorce, or any other significant disruption.

Despite their diverse pasts and geographical origins, they had all encountered similar challenges during their youth. They delved into some of the more challenging episodes in the show’s timeline, such as the passing of John Belushi and Chris Farley. However, the conversation eventually returned to Michaels and his experiences coping with traumatic childhood events.

According to Michael, several cast members seemed perpetually trapped in their teenage years. When journalist Lesley Stahl inquired about this and his experience of losing his father at 14 during an interview, the mastermind behind Saturday Night Live admitted that he too was caught in adolescence.

Since becoming a father, I have significantly mellowed, yet there was once a prolonged phase where I felt comfortable questioning established authority.

It’s widely known that working at Saturday Night Live is hectic, and the movie Saturday Night effectively portrays this dynamic by offering a glimpse into the work done by Lorne Michaels and his team during 1975.

Speaking about his goal for SNL back then, Michaels explained:

1) Typically, comedy came after significant action in society was seen. In an attempt to bring together the best talents, individuals who hadn’t previously had the opportunity to work on a TV show, were sought out.

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Well, the people he found turned out to be perfect, even if they did have traumatic pasts.

Sharing that common trait, as Michael’s disclosed, they’re all exceptionally funny – a key reason why Saturday Night Live has been running for five decades. Lorne Michaels has an eye for hiring the right people, and the show excels at cultivating top talent. This started back in 1975, and it continues to thrive today.

To revisit the 90 minutes preceding the debut of SNL, you can catch the movie version, Saturday Night, in theaters when it launches on October 11, 2024. For a glimpse into the amazing results of their hard work, you can stream not only SNL but also its Season 50 premiere (airing on September 28, 2019 at 11:30 p.m. ET) by signing up for a Peacock subscription.

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2024-09-26 03:38