Lorne Michaels Biography

Producer, writer. Born Lorne Michael Lipowitz on November 17, 1944, in Toronto, Canada. Soon after graduating from the University of Toronto, Michaels set his sights on a career in entertaininment, becoming half of a comedy duo with fellow Canadian Hart Pomerantz. He moved to Los Angeles in 1968 to write for Laugh-In and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show, as well as for a number of Canadian TV shows.

In 1975, NBC hired Michaels to create a show to fill a late Saturday night spot that was currently running reruns of The Tonight Show. After pulling together a group of actors and writers, Lorne debuted Saturday Night Live, a sketch comedy show that was filmed in front of a live audience. In time, the show earned the reputation of having launched some of the biggest names in comedy, incuding Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers and Will Ferrell. With Michaels as producer from 1975 to 1980 and executive producer from 1985 through today, the show has been nominated for more than 80 Emmy Awards and has won 18.

Michaels founded his production company, Broadway Video, in 1979. The company produced such shows as Kids in the Hall, as well as films based on SNL sketch acts like Wayne’s World and Tommy Boy. Michaels is also the executive producer of NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien.

Michaels was married to Rosie Schuster from 1973 to 1980 and to Susan Forristal from 1984 to 1987. In 1999, he married Alice Barry with whom he has three children.

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