Tina Fey, Lorne Michaels and Dennis McNicholas
Michaels, who has personally won 13 Emmys, flanked by Tina Fey and writer Dennis McNicholas, at the 2002 awards show.
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Candice Bergen
"I never asked Lorne why he chose me to host, but I was just so comfortable in that context. Maybe because when it first started, it was really magical," Bergen said. "You would perceive the power of TV the day after the show. Chevy Chase became a household name by the second or third week. You felt the atmosphere shift."
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John Belushi Slices and Dices
The original samurai sketch introduced Belushi and host Richard Pryor as a pair of katana-wielding, mock-Japanese-speaking bellhops arguing over who should carry a guest’s luggage. But the gag — which became SNL’s first recurring sketch — had been part of Belushi’s repertoire long before he joined the Not Ready for Primetime Players. “He auditioned for SNL with the samurai character,” says Alan Zweibel (who was on the show from 1975 to 1980 and wrote “Samurai Deli,” “Samurai Stockbroker” and “Samurai Night Fever”).
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Drew Barrymore
"Also as a fan, you feel like it’s a personal relationship you have with the cast. Someone graduates from the show, you’re like, 'Well, now how am I going to feel about the show? I got so attached to those people!' But then a new crop comes in and you get really excited," Barrymore said. "Also, by Saturday night, everybody has had enough of their life — they need to laugh, they need to escape, they need that goodness. And for me, the closing shot, when everyone is onstage at the end, is still very tearjerking."
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Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake (fourth from left) celebrates his fifth time as host with (from left) Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Candice Bergen, Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short in a 2013 sketch.
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Lorne Michaels
A young Michaels in his office.
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Dan Aykroyd’s “The French Chef”
Dan Aykroyd’s “The French Chef” originally was set to air on an earlier episode. “But Lorne wanted to hold the sketch because there wasn’t enough blood,” says early SNL writer Anne Beatts. “I heard somewhere that Julia Child thought it was hilarious. I really give her credit for that. Seeing a sketch on TV where you’re being portrayed by a man bleeding to death — it takes a sense of humor."
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Alec Baldwin
"SNL started before the Internet, but it has been, with regularity, as timely as a blog post. Its roots are vaudeville: jokes and music, followed by more jokes and music," the 16-time host said. "The show became an institution by emulating other institutions and doing it well."
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Jake and Elroy Sing the Blues
The Blues Brothers started as a warm-up act for SNL’s live audience. “Danny [Aykroyd] wanted to play harmonica, and John [Belushi] wanted to sing, so I let them up onstage,” says SNL’s original music director, Howard Shore, who initially introduced them as “those brothers in blues.” When the duo finally got airtime, they became an international sensation, spawning 14 albums and two feature films.
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A Sketch Lorne Michaels Regrets
“We did a sketch which used the word ‘penis’ about 60 times, and we were boycotted by the Reverend [Donald] Wildmon, and that caused a lot of sponsors to flee and all that. I don’t regret having done it, but I wish it had worked better,” Michaels said.