Lorne Michaels remains an enigma, even in a documentary about him.
At least that’s where Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville lands in his new film “Lorne,” which tries to unpack how the notoriously elusive Canadian creator of “Saturday Night Live” thinks.
Opening in theatres on Friday, the film is loaded with interviews with “SNL” alumni, including Conan O’Brien, Tina Fey, Chris Rock and Kristin Wiig, alongside current cast and staff, all of whom attempt to explain the man behind the mystery.
“If you told me he made maple syrup, I’d believe you,” Scarborough native Mike Myers says in the film.
Michaels, the subject of a deeply researched 2025 biography by Susan Morrison, seems intent on keeping much of himself out of the filmmaker’s reach. While the 81-year-old allows cameras into meetings, he remains guarded and sparing with personal details, including hiding the faces of his wife and kids in family photos.
Here are a few things we learn in “Lorne” despite his best efforts.
1. He is a creature of habit
Running a ship as tight as “SNL” demands routines, of which Michaels has many. His friends say he goes to bed around 4 a.m. and wakes at noon, a schedule shaped entirely by the show. His office is never without fresh popcorn, which he nibbles on throughout the week and passes around in a giant basket during meetings. Every Tuesday for the past 40 years, he’s taken that week’s celebrity host out to dinner at the same Italian restaurant, where they’re joined by the entire cast for a meal and conversation that builds their camaraderie. Even in his downtime, he finds structure by tending to his flower garden, explaining: “A garden is like a show that doesn’t talk back to you.”
2. His inner circle includes Alec Baldwin and Paul Simon
Some of the most surprising personal anecdotes are shared by two men who are tight with Michaels. Alec Baldwin, who has hosted “SNL” a record 17 times, says his friendship with Michaels deepened over the years — in part through yoga, as members of a group they jokingly call the “Yoga Boys.” Baldwin has also said his “30 Rock” character, Jack Donaghy, was loosely inspired by Michaels.
Paul Simon has appeared as a musical guest on “SNL” 13 times and hosted four times (including during the show’s first season). In a playful Vanity Fair profile, he once skewered his friend with intentionally false biographical details, writing: “Born on a kibbutz on land donated by Palestinians who were leaving anyway, Lorne Michaels immigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada, where he excelled in hockey and hooky.”
3. He went through years of soul searching
Five seasons into “SNL,” Michaels parted ways with NBC, citing burnout and creative tensions. “The first period was thrilling, but it was unsustainable,” he says in the documentary. He spent the next several years recalibrating, launching the sketch-comedy series “The New Show,” which lasted just nine episodes. He also hit the road with his friend Simon, who credits the trip with helping Michaels better understand middle America, and helping inspire his own 1986 album, “Graceland.” Michaels retook the reins of “SNL” in the 1985-86 season.
4. He loves a controversial host
Who gets to host “SNL” is of frequent debate among viewers and inside NBC. Michaels usually makes the final call guided by an instinct to book big personalities with undeniable cultural impact. That helps explain how Donald Trump and Elon Musk landed their controversial appearances on the show, though others were considered too hot to handle. “I remember getting into an argument with him if he would book Nixon,” recalls Martin Short of a discussion about the disgraced former U.S. president.
Colin Jost and Michael Che say Michaels once floated inviting former NFL quarterback Michael Vick after his dogfighting conviction. He ultimately backed off that idea. For Che, each week’s host captures a particular cultural moment. “It’s a time capsule,” he says.
5. He’s not letting go of ‘SNL’
Decades in, Michaels remains deeply involved in every aspect of the show. Footage from the 49th season shows him at the table read each week, weighing sketches and shaping the lineup. When rehearsals falter, he’s known for betraying his disappointment with long exhales or the thunk of ice tossed into a bucket. The documentary offers few clues about a successor, but it does capture Michaels reflecting on the inevitability of change. “The older you get, the more you realize it’s on its way,” he says. At one dinner with Steve Martin, he admits what that could mean for “SNL,” a costly endeavour to run, which even he admits is “done in such a wasteful manner” he feels responsible for defending. “As long as I’m here, they won’t attack,” he says of network executives.
