Lorne Michaels Biography

Lorne Michaels was born on November 17, 1944, to Florence Becker and Henry Abraham Lipowitz ,in a kibbutz in British Palestine. He was named Lorne David Lipowitz but according to some sources, his middle name was Michael and not David.

Michaels’ family immigrated to Toronto, Canada. Michaels and his two younger siblings grew up in a well-to-do neighbourhood in Toronto. His father worked as a furrier.

Michaels had been interested in showbiz since his teenage years. As a young boy, he put up shows in summer camps.

He studied at the Forest Hill Collegiate Institute. For his higher studies, he enrolled at the University College, Toronto with English as his major and graduated in 1966.

While at the University he kept his dream of show business alive and joined the Follies, a comedy troupe at the University. He also took up a job at a departmental store as a salesman in the clothing section.

Lorne Michaels’ broadcasting journey started with CBC Radio in Canada where he worked as a writer and broadcaster.

While at CBC he produced The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour in 1971 with Hart Pomerantz. The show fell through because of creative differences between Lorne and Pomerantz.

Comedy was where his heart belonged and as a newbie in the industry, he sent his writings to veteran filmmaker, Woody Allen, regularly. Allen did not use any of the comedy materials but did call to tell Michaels that one of his jokes was “brilliant”.

After he moved to Los Angeles, Lorne Michaels found a job as a writer for NBC shows like The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show and Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In.

In 1974, 29-year-old Lorne Michaels submitted an innovative idea to NBC to liven up a dull late-night slot. Michaels was given $115,000 to produce the first series.

Dick Ebersol, then a 27-year-old executive at NBC, joined hands with Michaels and the two young men worked together to create a comedy show that was very different from the ones airing on American Television at that time.

With rebellious edgy comedy, casual presentation and fresh talent, the show then titled Saturday Night went against expected television norms and created waves from the very first episode. Michaels was the writer for the show and later became the executive producer as well.

Saturday Night Live as the show came to be called became a turning point in the history of American television. It nurtured talents such as Amy Poehler, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers.

In 1979, Lorne Michaels founded Broadway Video the production company that continues to produce SNL. The production house also produced shows such as Kids in The Hall.

Lorne Michaels quit SNL in 1980 for five years. During this break, he wrote the film comedy western Three Amigos! with Steve Martin and Randy Newman.

In 1985 Michaels was requested by NBC to come back to helm the floundering SNL show. He agreed and stayed on with the show for the next few decades. SNL to date has millions of viewers tuned in and has numerous Emmy Awards.

As an executive producer Michaels has produced other landmark shows such as Late Night with Conan O’Brien (1993-2009),30 Rock (2006 - 2013) and Portlandia (2011 - 2014). From 2014 Michaels produced The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

As a film producer, Lorne Michaels made several films such as Wayne’s World (1992), Tommy Boy (1995), Mean Girls (2004), Baby Mama (2008) and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016).

In 1999, Lorne Michaels was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Canada honoured him with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2003.

He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humour in 2004.

In 2006 Michaels became the recipient of the Lifetime Artistic Achievement (Broadcasting) award from the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards.

In 2012 he became one of the few people to get a Personal Peabody Award, an award usually awarded to programs.

In 2008 and 2015 Time Magazine named him in their 100 most influential people in the world list.

Lorne Michaels lost his father at the age of 14. The teenage boy found a father figure in Frank Shuster of the comedy duo Wayne and Shuster.

Shuster suggested that he change his surname if he wanted to make a place for himself in Hollywood. Thus, Michaels dropped the surname Lipowitz.

In 1971, he married Frank Shuster’s daughter, Rosie. She also worked in SNL as a writer. The couple divorced nine years later.

He married model Susan Forristal in 1981. This marriage too ended in 1987.

In 1991, he married Alice Barry who had been his assistant.

In 1987, Lorne Michaels became a US citizen. He has three children, a daughter named Sophie and two sons Henry and Edward.

Michaels is an enthusiastic gardener.

His daughter Sophie has appeared on SNL in a few episodes.