Inductee Profile
You either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
At a glance
Born: November 17, 1944Where: Toronto, ON Interesting Note:
Dr. Evil, a character of Mike Myers's in the Austin Powers films, has been rumored to be partly based on Michaels. Myers has denied the rumors, saying that the two share only a voice.
Mark McKinney of the comedy team, The Kids in the Hall has stated that his character, Don Roritor, the president of Roritor Pharmaceuticals in the film Brain Candy, is based on Lorne Michaels.
Michaels was played by Ari Cohen in the 2002 TV movie Gilda Radner: It's Always Something.
Michaels has been mentioned on three episodes of The Simpsons (every time as the butt of jokes).
In a 2008 interview with Playboy, Tina Fey admitted that Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock is inspired by Michaels. In a different interview, Baldwin stated some of his inspiration for Donaghy was drawn from Michaels.
In 1975, Michaels created the American TV show, Saturday Night Live, for which
he was also the executive producer and a writer.
In 1999, Michaels was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. In 2002, Michaels was made a member of the Order of Canada for lifetime achievement, and awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In 2004, he was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Speaking at the awards ceremony, original Saturday Night Live cast member Dan Aykroyd described Michaels as "the primary satirical voice of the country."
In Canada, Michaels also received a 2006 Governor General's Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.
In 2008, Michaels was awarded the Webby for Film & Video Lifetime Achievement. With the allotted 5-words allowed to each recipient, his five word acceptance speech was "Five words is not enough."
Filmography
As producer, except as noted
* Gilda Live (1980) (writer and producer)
* Nothing Lasts Forever (1984)
* Three Amigos (1986) (writer and producer)
* Wayne's World (1992)
* Coneheads (1993)
* Wayne's World 2 (1993)
* Lassie (1994)
* Tommy Boy (1995)
* Stuart Saves His Family (1995)
* Black Sheep (1996)
* Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996)
* A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
* Superstar (1999)
* Man on the Moon (1999) (appearing as self, uncredited)
* The Ladies Man (2000)
* Enigma (2001)
* Mean Girls (2004)
* Hot Rod (2007)
* Baby Mama (2008)
* MacGruber (2010)
Selected television credits
* The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour (1970–71) (costar, writer, producer)
* Saturday Night Live (1975–1980; 1985–present) (executive producer, creator)
* All You Need Is Cash (aka "The Rutles") (1978) (executive producer)
* Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979) (executive producer)
* The New Show (1984) (producer)
* Sunday Night (1988–1990) (executive producer)
* The Kids in the Hall (1989) (executive producer)
* Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009) (executive producer)
* The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch (2002) (executive producer)
* The Colin Quinn Show (2002) (executive producer)
* Sons and Daughters (2006) (producer)
* 30 Rock (2006–present) (executive producer)
* Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009–Present) (executive producer)
LORNE MICHAELS
2003 INDUCTEE
View all inductees from 2003 »Lorne Michaels is the creator and executive producer of Saturday Night Live, the longest-running and highest-rated weekly late-night television program in history.
Over the last two and a half decades, SNL has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy stars in America. The program has been nominated for scores of Emmy Awards and has won 18 Emmys in total. Most recently, Michaels and the show were honored with a 2002 Emmy for "Best Writing in a Variety/Comedy Series". Michaels has personally won ten Emmys as a writer and producer for television.
In addition to his weekly duties on SNL, Michaels is executive producer of NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
Michaels' past television credits also include The Kids in the Hall and Night Music, as well as specials with Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, The Rutles, Flip Wilson, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Randy Newman, Neil Young, and Simon and Garfunkel in Central Park.
Michaels' film credits include Three Amigos (which he produced and co-wrote with Steve Martin and Randy Newman); Wayne's World (and its successful sequel); Coneheads, Tommy Boy, and Lassie; Black Sheep, Kids In The Hall: Brain Candy, and A Night At the Roxbury; Superstar, The Ladies' Man, and the WWII drama Enigma, which he produced with Mick Jagger.
On Broadway, he produced and directed Gilda Radner Live from New York and the subsequent motion picture Gilda Live. He also worked with Randy Newman on the stage musical Faust at the La Jolla Playhouse and produced Colin Quinn's one-man show, An Irish Wake on Broadway.
Michaels began his career in Toronto, where he attended the University of Toronto and worked as a writer and producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He also starred in the comedy series The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour. In 1968, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a writer for NBC's Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In and other television series until he left in 1975 to begin SNL in New York.
In 1979, Michaels founded the New York-based production company Broadway Video Inc.
