Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels responds to THOSE rumors he might retire… as show prepares to mark 50th anniversary
Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels has responded to the latest round of rumors that he may be retiring.
The 79-year-old was at the helm of the sketch show when it debuted in 1975 and has remained there ever since, with the exception of a hiatus from 1980 to 1985.
Lorne went on to become one of the most powerful figures in TV comedy, earning a record 102 Emmy nods and winning 21 of them.
He has also steered the show through rougher waters, such as the explosive controversy when an NBC executive friendly with OJ Simpson fired Norm MacDonald for making fun of the ex-football player over his murder case.
As the show approaches its 50th anniversary, Lorne has given his opinion on the speculation that he will finally leave his position, speaking to the New York Times.
Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels has responded to the latest round of rumors that he may be considering retirement; pictured last week during the Paley Honors in New York
“I’m going to do it as long as I think I can,” he cryptically noted in his new interview. “But I rely on other people and I always have.”
During his time on Saturday Night Live, he launched the careers of a wide variety of stars, ranging from John Belushi and Bill Murray to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler.
Eddie Murphy, possibly the franchise’s biggest name, starred on the show from 1980 to 1984 during Lorne’s hiatus.
Lorne noted in his last interview that ‘[n]o you can handle the fame that comes from becoming one of the comedy world’s top stars.
“We’re generally more tolerant of it, but you know people are going to turn into holes. Because it’s just part of that process, because no one grew up like that.’
He also confessed that he himself tends to “only see the mistakes” in the immediate aftermath of an episode airing.
Last year, Lorne noted that he would definitely stay with the program, at least until the 50th anniversary special, which is scheduled for February 2025.
”We’re doing the 50th anniversary show in February ’25, so I’ll definitely be there, and certainly until then, and sometime before then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do,” he said. explained to Entertainment tonight at the Emmys.
The 79-year-old was at the helm of the iconic sketch show when it debuted in 1975 and has remained there ever since, with the exception of a hiatus from 1980 to 1985; pictured 1976
On Saturday Night Live, Lorne launched a wide array of stars ranging from John Belushi and Bill Murray to Tina Fey and Amy Poehler; Bill pictured on the show in 1981
Lorne Gas said that Tina Fey, his protégé and frequent collaborator, could “easily” take over for him when he eventually retires; the couple is pictured in 2014
Lorne also addressed rumors that Tina Fey, his protégé and frequent collaborator, could take over for him when he eventually retires.
“It could easily be Tina Fey, but you know, there’s a lot of people out there right now who are also, you know [could be good]Lorne said. ‘Tina is brilliant and good at everything. She is a very important person in my life.’
Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a three-hour live special airing next year on Sunday, two days after Valentine’s Day.
The Sunday night broadcast, which was announced in May, comes at the end of what NBC described as a full “holiday weekend” of programming.