JamesG
04-16-2025, 05:39 PM
Lorne Michaels
by Will Ferrell, Emmy-winning Producer, Actor and Comedian
https://cdn.britannica.com/79/198679-050-894213C8/Lorne-Michaels-2007.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop
It’s still hard for me to believe I know Lorne Michaels. It is also still hard for me to comprehend that I ever got picked by Lorne to be on the show.
I remember before my first episode of SNL, there was a party where the cast got our photos taken for the opening credits. We were all very nervous, and Lorne came up to me and told me how funny he thought I was. How I reminded him of Chevy Chase and he thought I would do well. Well, guess what? I believed him. In one moment, Lorne filled me with confidence that allowed me to think I could be on national television—as part of the show I had always dreamed about, the show that has defined American comedy for 50 years.
Lorne has seen something special in every one of us who’ve had the thrill of saying, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” He cultivates new talent and gives us the ability to express ourselves in ways we didn’t know were possible. It’s that ability, paired with his format, that makes us all come back again and again to watch on Saturday night.
And yes, it is live. Still.
https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2025/7273806/lorne-michaels/
Kristen Wiig
by Marielle Heller, Filmmaker
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrds9A0zgGLStcZKCaoAbJ2IwpFM_mSh-2SQ&s
“She’s one of the best comedians of all time, and me and your dad know her!”
How can one person have the adoration of the snobbiest comedy nerds in the world, but also of my 4-year-old?
Because Kristen Wiig is effervescent. The human embodiment of Willy Wonka’s fizzy lifting drink. With Kristen in a scene, there is always liftoff. And not just in comedies. Kristen is one of the best dramatic actors out there. She can break your heart with a look moments after making your stomach hurt with laughter.
Kristen isn’t capable of giving a false performance. She brings the same dedication and truthfulness whether she’s playing Gilly and Dooneese on SNL or Annie in Bridesmaids or Maxine in "Palm Royale".
There’s one problem: editing her scenes is a terrible task. Picking just one take feels cruel—like casting diamonds onto the ground. Knowing the world will miss out on this version of that line, or that version of this character.
As I explained to my kids: “She’s probably the funniest person on the whole planet, and we’re so lucky we’re here on earth at the same time as her. Don’t you think it’s cool that we know her?”
With her best Gilly smile and silly little Gilly nod, my daughter responds “Sorry!”
https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2025/7273821/kristen-wiig/
by Will Ferrell, Emmy-winning Producer, Actor and Comedian
https://cdn.britannica.com/79/198679-050-894213C8/Lorne-Michaels-2007.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop
It’s still hard for me to believe I know Lorne Michaels. It is also still hard for me to comprehend that I ever got picked by Lorne to be on the show.
I remember before my first episode of SNL, there was a party where the cast got our photos taken for the opening credits. We were all very nervous, and Lorne came up to me and told me how funny he thought I was. How I reminded him of Chevy Chase and he thought I would do well. Well, guess what? I believed him. In one moment, Lorne filled me with confidence that allowed me to think I could be on national television—as part of the show I had always dreamed about, the show that has defined American comedy for 50 years.
Lorne has seen something special in every one of us who’ve had the thrill of saying, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” He cultivates new talent and gives us the ability to express ourselves in ways we didn’t know were possible. It’s that ability, paired with his format, that makes us all come back again and again to watch on Saturday night.
And yes, it is live. Still.
https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2025/7273806/lorne-michaels/
Kristen Wiig
by Marielle Heller, Filmmaker
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTrds9A0zgGLStcZKCaoAbJ2IwpFM_mSh-2SQ&s
“She’s one of the best comedians of all time, and me and your dad know her!”
How can one person have the adoration of the snobbiest comedy nerds in the world, but also of my 4-year-old?
Because Kristen Wiig is effervescent. The human embodiment of Willy Wonka’s fizzy lifting drink. With Kristen in a scene, there is always liftoff. And not just in comedies. Kristen is one of the best dramatic actors out there. She can break your heart with a look moments after making your stomach hurt with laughter.
Kristen isn’t capable of giving a false performance. She brings the same dedication and truthfulness whether she’s playing Gilly and Dooneese on SNL or Annie in Bridesmaids or Maxine in "Palm Royale".
There’s one problem: editing her scenes is a terrible task. Picking just one take feels cruel—like casting diamonds onto the ground. Knowing the world will miss out on this version of that line, or that version of this character.
As I explained to my kids: “She’s probably the funniest person on the whole planet, and we’re so lucky we’re here on earth at the same time as her. Don’t you think it’s cool that we know her?”
With her best Gilly smile and silly little Gilly nod, my daughter responds “Sorry!”
https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2025/7273821/kristen-wiig/