Everybody Playing Everybody in SNL 1975
Plus those who may yet be announced. What about George Coe? Paul Shaffer?
They said it’d never happen again. Not in a million years. It’s too risky, too out-there! But, for the first time since The Late Shift, someone has been cast to play Dick Ebersol in a movie. SNL 1975 will tell the story of the little late night show that could and in fact still is. According to Deadline, the film will show the backstage chaos before the very first show, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!’” In a bold creative choice, filmmakers Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan have decided to cast real people to play the historical figures at the heart of the story, rather than go the Flash route and use AI deepfakes. The Fablemans star Gabriel LaBelle is playing lil’ baby Lorne Michaels, who is ushered into the NBCUniversal Universe by Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman). Here’s who’s who in SNL 1975, (as well as who played them in The Late Shift and Doug Kinney biopic A Futile and Stupid Gesture when applicable).
The C-Suite
LaBelle’s Lorne and Hoffman’s Dick are the main higher-ups who have been announced. Ebersol was played by Kevin Scannell in The Late Shift and Armen Weitzman played Michaels in AFASG.
Other execs that midwifed Saturday Night Live (according to oral history Live From New York) include manager Bernie Brillstein, former NBC president Fred Silverman and former NBC chairman/Mary Tyler Moore husband Grant Tinker.
The Not Ready for Primetime Players
Matt Wood will be playing John Belushi. Belushi has been portrayed by John Gemberling in A Futile and Stupid Gesture and Michael Chiklis in Wired. Dylan O’Brien of Ponyboi and “All Too Well” fame will play Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd was played by Jack Cook. New Girl’s Lamorne Morris will be playing Garrett Morris, who was a playwright before SNL. More people should know that! Chevy Chase will be played by May December’s Cory Michael Smith, and by his former Community co-star Joel McHale in AFASG.
Hey ladies, Dickinson’s Ella Hunt will be playing Gilda Radner in SNL 1975. Glow’s Jackie Tohn played her in AFASG. Laraine Newman will not be played by any of her successful offspring. Rather, Black Mirror’s Emily Fairn will be stepping up. Jane Curtin will be played by LA to Vegas’s Kim Matula.
One cast casting remains, and that’s resident Old of the OG SNL players, George Coe. Whither Coe?
The BTS (Behind the Scenes) Army
Bottoms star Rachel Sennott has been cast as Rosie Shuster, who came onto the show as a writer as well as Lorne Michaels’ wife. Shuster went on to date Dan Aykroyd (early seasons of the show were basically one big cuddle puddle, according to frequent host Carrie Fisher).
Important writers who could figure in SNL 1975 include Anne Beatts, John’s wife and writer Judith Belushi, Marilyn Suzanne Miller, Alan Zweibel, writing team Al Franken and Tom Davis, and Michael O’Donoghue. The State’s Tom Lennon played O’Donoghue in AFASG. And let’s not forget collaborators Albert Brooks and Jim Henson, who were lurking around Studio 8H that first season.
Also worth considering is whether anyone will play music supervisor Howard Shore or OG band member Paul Shaffer. If Shaffer figures in SNL 1975, he’d be the only figure to figure in all three major films of the NBCEU (National Broadcasting Company Extended Universe).
This story is developing.
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