Lorne Michaels Biography

Lorne David Lipowitz (later known as Lorne Michaels) was born in Toronto, Ontario. He graduated from the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1966.

Michaels began his career as a writer and broadcaster for CBC Radio. In 1968, he moved from Toronto to Los Angeles, where he worked as a writer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show. In the early 1970s, he met Lily Tomlin, who hired him to direct a series of her comedy specials, the first of which won an Emmy.

In 1975, Michaels created NBC's Saturday Night, which was renamed Saturday Night Live in 1977 and remains on the air today. Over its run, the show has received more than 156 Emmy nominations and won 36, consistently ranking among the highest-rated late-night programs.

He has also produced films such as Wayne’s World, Lassie, and Mean Girls, as well as television shows such as The Tonight Show, 30 Rock, and Late Night.

Michaels has three children — Henry, Eddie, and Sophie — and has been married three times. ~Megan Parsons