Lorne Michaels Biography
CC Lorne Michaels is a Canadian-American television writer and producer (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944). In addition to creating and producing Saturday Night Live (1975–1980, 1985–present), he also produced The Tonight Show (since 2014), The Late Night series (since 1993), and The Kids in the Hall (1989–1955).
He holds the record for being the person with the most nominations in the history of the award ceremony with 98 nominations and 21 Primetime Emmy Awards.
Lorne Michaels Early life
Florence (née Becker) and Henry Abraham Lipowitz welcomed Lorne Michaels into the world on November 17, 1944. It’s unclear where he was born, but several accounts claim he was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Others claim he was born on a kibbutz in the former British Mandate of Palestine (now Israel) and that his Jewish family emigrated to Toronto when he was a little child, while this is stated in.
Michaels was raised in Toronto together with his two younger siblings and attended Forest Hill Collegiate Institute. He earned his diploma from University College in Toronto in 1966 with a major in English.
Lorne Michaels Career
Early career
Michaels started out in radio broadcasting and writing for CBC. He relocated from Toronto to Los Angeles in 1968 to work as a writer for The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In. He co-starred with Hart Pomerantz in the early 1970s comedy programs The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour, which aired on CBC.
Saturday Night Live
With fellow NBC employee Dick Ebersol and network president Herb Schlosser, Michaels founded the television program NBC’s Saturday Night in 1975. In 1977, the program’s name was changed to Saturday Night Live due to a name conflict with an ABC program with the same name that debuted on September 20, 1975, and was canceled on January 17, 1976. The live performance of the show in front of a studio audience quickly gained a reputation for being innovative and unpredictable. Some of the most successful comedians in the country used it as a springboard for their careers.
Michaels, who started out as the show’s producer and eventually transitioned to executive producer, also wrote for the program. On occasion, he makes an appearance on television, where he is renowned for his deadpan comedy. SNL has received more than 156 Emmy nominations throughout its run, and it has won 36 of them. It has continuously ranked among the top late-night television shows. With the exception of his break in the early 1980s (seasons 6–10), Michaels has been a part of SNL for every season.
In one of the episodes from the show’s 30th season, which was hosted by Johnny Knoxville, his daughter Sophie made an appearance during the monologue when Lorne introduced Knoxville to his daughter and Sophie shocked him with a taser. When Zac Efron served as the show’s presenter, she also took part in a sketch concerning underage drinking.
Michaels made an appearance on the program during the first season, offering The Beatles $3,000 (a very meager sum) to come back together on the program.[19] Later, he raised the amount to $3,200, but no one ever requested the money. Lennon and McCartney attended the performance that night because they were in New York City, according to a Playboy magazine interview with John Lennon. However, they made the decision to forgo it because it was too late to make there in time and they were both exhausted. The television film Two of Us was inspired on this almost-reunion. George Harrison performed as a musical guest on the November 20, 1976, episode, but Michaels informed him that the offer was contingent upon all four members of the group attending.
Lorne Michaels Other work
Michaels established the production company Broadway Video in 1979. The company has produced SNL since its debut in 1981 as well as other programs like the Canadian sketch-comedy The Kids in the Hall, which debuted in the US market in 1989 on cable network HBO and remained there until moving to CBS in 1993.
The New Show, which Michaels created during his break from SNL, made its television debut on NBC on Friday nights in prime time in January 1984. The program was canceled after 9 episodes because it did not receive as much interest as SNL.
The Canadian Conspiracy, an HBO parody about the alleged subversion of the United States by Canadian-born media figures, starred Lorne Greene as the conspiracy’s leader in the 1980s. Michaels made an appearance in the film. Michaels was named as Greene’s chosen replacement.
Michaels also served as the executive producer of 30 Rock and Up All Night during their runs, in addition to serving as the executive producer of the NBC program Late Night.
Michaels’ appointment as The Tonight Show’s next executive producer was revealed on April 3, 2013. The Tonight Show changed its name to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and relocated to New York in the beginning of 2014.
The Origins of ‘SNL’
In order to replace the reruns of The Tonight Show that were broadcast on Saturday nights, NBC hired the 30-year-old Michaels and a 27-year-old executive called Dick Ebersol in 1975. The two came up with the concept of a sketch comedy program that would be taped in front of a live audience and assembled a team of writers and performers known as the “Not Ready for Prime Time Players,” which featured celebrities like Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, and John Belushi.
On October 11, 1975, George Carlin, a comedian, hosted the first episode of Saturday Night Live. The Albert Brooks short films and numerous appearances by the Jim Henson Muppets were highlights of the 1975 season.
SNL always declares at the conclusion of its opening sketch, “Live from New York! It’s Saturday Night!” gained popularity. The series gained a devoted viewership and four Emmy Awards after its debut season.
Influence and Reputation
The program developed a reputation as a comedy institution over time, being renowned for its capacity to reinvent itself by consistently bringing on some of the most promising new comedic performers. Some of the biggest names in comedy, including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, Will Ferrell, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Kristin Wiig, and Amy Poehler, have had their debuts on Saturday Night Live over the years.
In 1980, Michaels left Saturday Night Live for five years before NBC’s then-head of programming, Brandon Tartikoff, asked him to come back and bring the floundering program back to the attention of the nation. In 1985, Michaels made a comeback as executive producer, a position he still maintains today.
Over the course of its many years, SNL has garnered more than 60 Emmy Awards. Michaels earned the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the 2004 Kennedy Center Honors. He was included in TIME magazine’s list of the “100 Most Influential People” in 2008. Michaels received a Peabody Award for an Individual in 2012. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was awarded to him by Barack Obama in 2016.
Within the universe he built, Michaels’ reputation is divided. He is viewed as a paternal figure by several cast members, although some also regard him to be cold and distant. Michaels is described as intimidating and secretive, specifically in the context of SNL auditions, and frequently has comedians wait hours outside his office before speaking to them. Michaels is renowned for other things like always keeping a bowl of popcorn in his office and hiring three young female aides who have come to be known as “the Lornettes.”
Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, written by Tom Shales and James Miller in 2002, has cast member and guest host comments about the executive producer that are both flattering and damning. According to reports, Michaels insisted that he never intended to read the book.
Leslie Jones, a stand-up comedian and actress who made her debut in 2014, became popular with viewers after receiving criticism for the lack of diversity in the show’s ensemble at times. Michaels intended to address this issue by employing more African-American writers and performers.
Bowen Yang, a writer, was elevated to series regular by Michaels before to the start of the 2019 fall season, making him the first Chinese American cast member in SNL history. But Michaels also made a mistake when it turned out that another new recruit, comedian Shane Gillis, had a history of using foul language and making racial remarks, which caused Gillis to leave soon after.
Lorne Michaels Personal life
Michaels has been married three times and has three children. He started dating Rosie Shuster in the early 1960s; she was the daughter of his comedic idol, Frank Shuster of the Wayne and Shuster comedy duo. Rosie Shuster eventually collaborated with him as a writer on Saturday Night Live. Shuster and Michaels wed in 1971 and divorced in 1980. In 1981, he wed the fashion model Susan Forristal; their marriage ended in divorce in 1987. His former assistant Alice Barry is married to Michaels. They were married in 1991.
In 2002, Michaels was elevated to the Order of Canada after becoming a citizen of the United States in 1987.
In popular culture
The portrayal of Lorne Michaels by actor Mark McKinney served as a major inspiration for the character of Don Roritor in the film The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy.
Dr. Evil, the main adversary of Austin Powers in three movies, is modeled by Lorne Michaels in terms of speech patterns and mannerisms. Former Saturday Night Live performer Mike Myers, who played Dr. Evil, was at least somewhat influenced by Dana Carvey’s imitation of Michaels.
Tina Fey acknowledged that Alec Baldwin’s character Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock is influenced by Michaels in a 2008 interview with Playboy as well as in numerous other appearances. In a previous interview, Baldwin admitted that Michaels served as some of the idea for Donaghy in the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! segment on NPR.
Lorne Michaels Honors
In addition to receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Michaels was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.
Michaels also received an honorary degree from Ryerson University that year.
On Canada’s Walk of Fame, he was honored with a star in 2003.
The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. presented him with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2004. The program is “the primary satirical voice of the country,” according to founding Saturday Night Live cast member Dan Aykroyd, who spoke during the awards event.
The Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement, Canada’s highest distinction in the performing arts, was given to Michaels in 2006.
The Webby for Film & Video Lifetime Achievement was presented to Michaels in 2008. His acceptance speech, which was limited to five words for each recipient, began with the phrase “Five words is not enough.”
A rare Personal Peabody Award was given to Michaels in 2012. He accepted at a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria New York hotel in New York City.
Alongside Justino Diaz, Berry Gordy, Bette Midler, and Joni Mitchell, Michaels received recognition at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2021.
How did Lorne Michaels become famous?
Original name Lorne David Lipowitz or Lorne Michael Lipowitz, American writer and producer Lorne Michaels was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on November 17, 1944. He is best known for his work on the television show Saturday Night Live.
Was Lorne Michaels born in Israel?
a. Lorne David Lipowitz, played by Lorne Michaels, was born in 1944 on an Israeli kibbutz; but, when he was a young child, his family moved to Toronto, Canada. When Michaels was 14 years old, his father passed away, which was a tremendous loss for him. His younger brother died of brain cancer as well.
What is Lorne Michaels salary?
Lorne Michaels’ estimated net worth is $500 million, based on data from Celebrity Net Worth. His yearly pay is reported to be around $30 million per the outlet. In 1975, Michaels co-created the television program formerly known as NBC’s Saturday Night with Dick Ebersol and Herb Schlosser.
Who is Lorne Michaels?
In order to produce a program to air on Saturday nights, NBC hired Lorne Michaels in 1975. Michaels launched Saturday Night Live, a sketch comedy program that has won more than 60 Emmy Awards and launched the careers of some of the biggest stars in entertainment, after assembling a crew of actors and writers. Michaels is regarded as one of history’s most important comedy producers.
How many houses and cars does Lorne Michaels have?
Michaels is the owner of numerous residences and properties in both Canada and the US. He also has numerous expensive cars registered in his name.
How much does Lorne Michaels make per year?
The Canadian director reportedly makes between $30 and $40 million annually.
What investments does Lorne Michaels have?
Michaels has amassed a number of great real estate holdings. He reportedly spent US$5.2 million in 2003 buying a townhouse in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Additionally, he owns real estate in the Pacific Palisades district of Los Angeles. A well-known architect named Cliff May spent US$11 million to purchase the property.
Additionally, Michaels owns a vacation home in the Hamptons that he paid $10 million for in 2018. The luxurious features of this estate include ornate designs, a tennis court, and a swimming pool.
How many Endorsement deals does Lorne Michaels have?
It’s unknown at this time if he has endorsement deals or how many. However, as soon as we learn more, we’ll let you know.
How many Philanthropy works has Lorne Michaels supported?
Michaels is a generous man who won’t hesitate to help those in need. He is well recognized for his substantial donations to foundations and non-profit groups, including, but not limited to, The Bruce Springsteen Archives, God’s Love We Deliver, The Robin Hood Foundation, and the Centre for American Music at Monmouth University.
He gave $5 million to UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine as part of his charitable endeavors.
How many businesses does Lorne Michaels own?
In 1979, Lorne Michaels founded and became the CEO of the production company Broadway Video. He has been credited with producing Saturday Night Live (SNL) since 1981.
Saturday Night Live on NBC.com
His firm also produces the renowned television programs “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” “Portlandia,” and “The Kids in the Hill.”
In addition, Michaels is a co-founder of SNL Studios, a company that has worked on the production of shows like “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and “30 Rock.”
