Lorne Michaels is a legend in the world of entertainment and comedy, but even legends have to step away eventually. At some point, someone else will have to take the reins of Saturday Night Live, which Michaels created and continues to executive produce now, decades later.
While nothing is set in stone at current, Michaels has definitely given the inevitable handoff some thought. There could even be a future where SNL vet Tina Fey takes over, he mused in an interview with Entertainment Tonight at last night's Emmy Awards.
"Tina’s brilliant and great at everything," he said on the red carpet. "She’s a very important person in my life."
It's those qualities and more that could make Fey a good candidate to be the next SNL head honcho, Michaels suggested during that interview.
"It could easily be Tina Fey," he said, but caveated that "there are a lot of people who are there now who are also, you know," before trailing off, implying there are others in the running as well. Michaels estimates that he'll keep working for at least another year, which means he has plenty of time to give the decision some thought. While things may change between now and then, we do know late show host Seth Meyers has also been brought up as a possibility. He's seemingly taken his name out of the race, however, telling Deadline in an interview last year that running SNL is "not a job for me."
TINA FEY AND LORNE MICHAELS AT THE RECENT PREMIERE OF THE NEW MEAN GIRLS. (IMAGE CREDIT: JOHN LAMPARSKI/WIREIMAGE)
The Future of SNL
Michaels' pick is no doubt an important one, given SNL's impact in the decades since he launched the show all the way back in 1975. While SNL's ratings have varied over the years, its cultural signifance for American television is undeniable. Cast members often go on to become A-list stars in their own right. Lately, for example, Marcello Hernandez's star has shined brightly as the comedian uses his downtime from SNL to be in Bad Bunny music videos.
Over the years, SNL has acted as an incubator, and seen rise of superstars from Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler to Pete Davidson and Kate McKinnon. Lorne has had a huge hand in making those things happen, given that he is involved in everything from casting to picking the skits on the show.
Tina Fey's candidacy is not a surprising one, given her history. Beyond being a head writer for SNL, Fey's created comedy juggernauts like 30 Rock (which itself is based loosely on her days at SNL). Fey's been so consistent with developing hits that it stands to reason storied properties like that of SNL would be in good hands, should she get the role.
"We’re doing the 50th anniversary show in February of '25, so I will definitely be there for that, and definitely be there until that, and sometime before that we’ll figure out what we’re gonna do," Michaels concluded in the ET interview.
