Lorne Michaels

Biography

Lorne Michaels is a Canadian and American producer, writer, comedian and director who created Saturday Night Live. Born in Toronto, he began writing and broadcasting for CBC Radio with Hart Pomerantz, then moved to Los Angeles in 1968 to write for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. In 1973 he went back to the United States, wrote for The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour, and produced specials for Lily Tomlin, the first of which won an Emmy. In 1975 he created the NBC show that became Saturday Night Live, later serving as its executive producer, and he has produced Late Night, The Kids in the Hall and The Tonight Show. He founded Broadway Video in 1979, and his production credits include Wayne's World, Coneheads, MacGruber, Mean Girls and Will & Harper (2024). He appeared in the mockumentary The Canadian Conspiracy (1986) and has won 24 Primetime Emmy Awards from 112 nominations, the most nominated individual in that awards show's history.

81years old

Turns 82 on November 17in 5 days

Born November 17, 1944Toronto
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Lorne David Lipowitz (birth name)

Movie Career

Films: 9
Career span: 40 years1986 to 2026

Genres

Documentary78%, 7 films
Comedy33%, 3 films
Music11%, 1 film
Musical11%, 1 film

First and latest

Did you know?!

Big break
Michaels says producing specials for Lily Tomlin gave him the credibility that led NBC to bring him in to create Saturday Night Live. The first of those specials won an Emmy.
A first
During the first season of the show, Michaels offered The Beatles $3000 to reunite there. He later raised the offer to $3200, but nobody ever claimed the money.
A role that slipped away
Michaels turned down a deal to produce nine features for Paramount during the 1978-1979 season of SNL and instead took a three-picture deal from Warner Bros. that never produced any movies.
Behind the camera
Broadway Video, the production company Michaels founded in 1979, has turned out SNL starting in 1981 and also shows like the Canadian sketch-comedy The Kids in the Hall.
A first
Lorne Michaels has earned 24 Primetime Emmy Awards from 112 nominations, and no other individual has been nominated as many times in the history of the award show.
A change of course
Michaels started out at CBC Radio, writing and broadcasting alongside Hart Pomerantz. In 1968 the pair left Toronto for Los Angeles, where they wrote for Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.

Lorne Michaels movies on Netflix

Lorne2026IMDb rating 7.0as Himself
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not2025IMDb rating 6.8as Himself
Will & Harper2024IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Belushi2020IMDb rating 7.2as Himself
Love, Gilda2018IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
I Am Chris Farley2015IMDb rating 7.4as Himself
Saturday Night2010IMDb rating 7.1as Himself
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens - A Life in Animation2000IMDb rating 7.7as Himself
The Canadian Conspiracy1986IMDb rating 6.8as Himself

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Lorne2026 Documentaryas Himself
IMDb rating 7.01.3K votes
Will & Harper2024 Comedy, Documentaryas Himself
IMDb rating 7.414K votes
I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not2025as Himself
IMDb rating 6.82.7K votes
Belushi2020as Himself
IMDb rating 7.23.0K votes
Love, Gilda2018as Himself
IMDb rating 7.42.0K votes
I Am Chris Farley2015as Himself
IMDb rating 7.44.0K votes
Saturday Night2010as Himself
IMDb rating 7.1604 votes
The Canadian Conspiracy1986as Himself
IMDb rating 6.8247 votes

Most often with

Four actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Dan Aykroyd

Chevy Chase

Bill Hader

Martin Short

Kristen Wiig

Fred Armisen

Films together

Dan Aykroyd3 films together, 2015 to 2025
Dan Aykroyd's page
- I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not2025IMDb rating 6.8Michaels as HimselfAykroyd as Himself
- Belushi2020IMDb rating 7.2Michaels as HimselfAykroyd as Himself
- I Am Chris Farley2015IMDb rating 7.4Michaels as HimselfAykroyd as Himself
Chevy Chase3 films together, 2018 to 2025
Chevy Chase's page
- I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not2025IMDb rating 6.8Michaels as HimselfChase as Himself
- Belushi2020IMDb rating 7.2Michaels as HimselfChase as Himself
- Love, Gilda2018IMDb rating 7.4Michaels as HimselfChase as Himself
Bill Hader3 films together, 2010 to 2020
Bill Hader's page
- Belushi2020IMDb rating 7.2Michaels as HimselfHader as John Belushivoice
- Love, Gilda2018IMDb rating 7.4Michaels as HimselfHader as Himself
- Saturday Night2010IMDb rating 7.1Michaels as HimselfHader as Himself
Martin Short3 films together, 1986 to 2025
Martin Short's page
- I'm Chevy Chase and You're Not2025IMDb rating 6.8Michaels as HimselfShort as Himself
- Love, Gilda2018IMDb rating 7.4Michaels as HimselfShort as Himself
- The Canadian Conspiracy1986IMDb rating 6.8Michaels as HimselfShort as Himself
Kristen Wiig2 films together, 2010 to 2024
Kristen Wiig's page
- Will & Harper2024IMDb rating 7.4Michaels as HimselfWiig as Himself
- Saturday Night2010IMDb rating 7.1Michaels as HimselfWiig as Himself
Fred Armisen2 films together, 2010 to 2024
Fred Armisen's page
- Will & Harper2024IMDb rating 7.4Michaels as HimselfArmisen as Himself
- Saturday Night2010IMDb rating 7.1Michaels as HimselfArmisen as Himself
Also two films together10 more actors
- Maya RudolphLorne (2026) and Love, Gilda (2018)
- Kenan ThompsonLorne (2026) and Saturday Night (2010)
- Will ForteWill & Harper (2024) and Saturday Night (2010)
- Mike MyersLorne (2026) and I Am Chris Farley (2015)
- John MulaneyLorne (2026) and Saturday Night (2010)
- Seth MeyersWill & Harper (2024) and Saturday Night (2010)
- Paul ShafferI'm Chevy Chase and You're Not (2025) and Love, Gilda (2018)
- Colin JostLorne (2026) and Will & Harper (2024)
- Paula PellLorne (2026) and Will & Harper (2024)
- Ivan ReitmanBelushi (2020) and The Canadian Conspiracy (1986)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Eight awards and honors from 2003 to 2025, two of them major.

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Lorne Michaels's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Result
Emmy Awards
2010	International Emmy Directorate Award	Won
	Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series	Won
Other honors
2025	Time 100	Honored
2018	Companion of the Order of Canada	Won
2016	Presidential Medal of Freedom	Won
2004	Mark Twain Prize for American Humor	Won
2003	Canada's Walk of Fame	Honored
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame	Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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