It’s still hard for me to believe I know Lorne Michaels. It is also still hard for me to comprehend that I ever got picked by Lorne to be on the show.
I remember before my first episode of Saturday Night Live, there was a party where the cast got our photos taken for the opening credits. We were all very nervous, and Lorne came up to me and told me how funny he thought I was. How I reminded him of Chevy Chase and he thought I would do well. Well, guess what? I believed him. In one moment, Lorne filled me with confidence that allowed me to think I could be on national television—as part of the show I had always dreamed about, the show that has defined American comedy for 50 years. Lorne has seen something special in every one of us who’ve had the thrill of saying, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” He cultivates new talent and gives us the ability to express ourselves in ways we didn’t know were possible. It’s that ability, paired with his format, that makes us all come back again and again to watch on Saturday night.
And yes, it is live. Still.
Ferrell is a comedian, actor, and Emmy-winning producer