The original Not Ready for Primetime Players are headed to the big screen. (And no, it’s not a Coneheads sequel.)
Oscar nominee Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) is co-writing and directing a movie about Saturday Night Live‘s first ever taping, entitled SNL 1975. It takes place on Oct. 11, 1975, “where a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever,” according to the film’s initial announcement. “This is the true story of what happened that night behind the scenes in the moments leading up to the first SNL broadcast, retelling chaos and magic of a revolution that almost wasn’t, counting down the minutes in real time to the infamous words, ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!'”
To bring the birth of a late-night comedy institution to the big screen, Reitman has enlisted a number of familiar faces to play SNL icons like John Belushi, Gilda Radner and Dan Aykroyd. And we have to say, some of them bear a stunning resemblance to the comedians they’re playing. Read on to see who’s playing who, and what you might know them from, and then hit the comments below to tell us: Did they get the casting right?
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Lorne Michaels, the legendary creator of SNL.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: LaBelle broke out as teen filmmaker Sammy in Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical 2022 film The Fabelmans. His TV credits include iZombie and American Gigolo.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Original SNL cast member Chevy Chase, who shot to fame as the deadpan anchor of Weekend Update.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Smith played the villainous Edward Nygma, aka The Riddler, on Fox’s Gotham. His film credits include May December, First Man and Carol.
WHO SHE’S PLAYING: Original SNL cast member Gilda Radner, who won America’s heart with goofy characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna and Emily Litella.
WHERE YOU KNOW HER FROM: Hunt starred alongside Hailee Steinfeld on the Apple TV+ comedy Dickinson, playing Emily’s secret love Sue. Her movie credits include Anna and the Apocalypse and Les Misérables.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Dan Aykroyd, the jack of all trades who anchored the original SNL cast with memorable impressions like Julia Child and characters like one of the “Two Wild and Crazy Guys” with Steve Martin.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: O’Brien played sarcastic pal Stiles on MTV’s Teen Wolf, which ran from 2011 to 2017. He has also guest-starred on Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Other Two, along with a starring role in the Maze Runner film franchise.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Original SNL cast member John Belushi, whose outrageous physical comedy soon made him a movie star.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Wood made his Broadway debut in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical. His TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Difficult People and Instinct.
WHO SHE’S PLAYING: Original SNL cast member Jane Curtin, who manned the Weekend Update anchor desk after Chevy Chase left the show.
WHERE YOU KNOW HER FROM: Matula played Hope on the CBS daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful from 2010 to 2016. She also co-starred with Dylan McDermott on Fox’s short-lived airline comedy LA to Vegas, along with roles on 9-1-1: Lone Star and UnREAL.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Garrett Morris, SNL’s first Black cast member who famously played baseball player Chico Escuela (“Baseball been berry berry good to me…”), among others.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Morris is best known to TV fans as New Girl’s quirky roommate Winston. He also starred in Hulu’s Woke and the recent fifth season of FX’s Fargo. (And no, Lamorne and Garrett are not related.)
WHO SHE’S PLAYING: Original SNL cast member Laraine Newman, known for playing the Coneheads’ teen daughter Connie.
WHERE YOU KNOW HER FROM: Fairn played Suzie in the “Demon 79” episode of Black Mirror’s recent sixth season, along with an appearance on HBO’s Rain Dogs.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Actor and comedian Billy Crystal, who went on to become an SNL cast member in the 1980s.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Podany played Joey on the Apple TV+ sci-fi series Hello Tomorrow! and Max on The CW’s Hart of Dixie, along with guest spots on Blue Bloods, Chicago P.D. and Law & Order. He also starred in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: The legendary puppeteer and Muppets creator Jim Henson, who contributed several puppet-based sketches to SNL’s freshman season.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Braun played goofy corporate stooge Greg on HBO’s Succession, earning three Emmy nominations for the role. His film credits include Zola, Dream Scenario and How to Be Single.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: SNL’s first head writer Michael O’Donoghue, infamous for his volatile temper and dark sense of humor.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Dewey starred alongside Michaela Watkins in the Hulu dramedy Casual, which aired for four seasons. He also had regular roles on The Mindy Project and Code Black, with guest spots on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mad Men and Grey’s Anatomy.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: NBC executive Dick Ebersol, who was instrumental in putting SNL on the air.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Hoffman — the son of late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman — starred in writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-nominated 2021 film Licorice Pizza.
WHO SHE’S PLAYING: Rosie Shuster, the wife of Lorne Michaels who served as a writer during SNL’s early years.
WHERE YOU KNOW HER FROM: Sennott recently co-starred with Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd in HBO’s The Idol. Her film credits include Bottoms, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Shiva Baby.
WHO SHE’S PLAYING: Jacqueline Carlin, the girlfriend and future wife of SNL star Chevy Chase.
WHERE YOU KNOW HER FROM: The daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, Gerber is a model as well as an actress, with roles in the big-screen comedy Bottoms and the Apple TV+ series Palm Royale.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Legendary vaudevillian and comedian Milton Berle, who later became one of SNL’s most infamous hosts ever after a disastrous 1979 appearance.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Simmons won an Oscar for playing a hard-nosed music instructor in Whiplash, and also had memorable roles in the Spider-Man movies, Juno and La La Land. His TV credits include Oz, The Closer and Law & Order.
WHO HE’S PLAYING: Famed musician and Beatles collaborator Billy Preston, who was the musical guest on SNL’s first episode, along with Janis Ian.
WHERE YOU KNOW HIM FROM: Batiste is a Grammy-winning musician and was the bandleader of CBS’ Late Show With Stephen Colbert for seven seasons. He’ll also compose the score for SNL 1975.
The only one that doesn’t look anything like the actor (I know they’re not gonna look exactly alike as the actor) is Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase.
Really? I can totally see it. Especially in the pics they used above. I think, once they get the 1970s wigs on, they’ll pretty much all be dead ringers.
I don’t see it. All I know of Cory is from Gotham. He was a tall and lanky Riddler (which is what he’s giving me in the picture). Chevy Chase was tall, but I wouldn’t describe him as lanky… though Cory can put some weight for the role. And Cory is a bit pale compared to Chevy.
How much they look alike is less important than how well Cory can capture Chase’s mannerisms, cadence and physicality. Based on Cory’s excellent performance as the Riddler on Gotham, I’m pretty confident he can capture Chase’s sometimes over-the-top style.
Side note: Chase was best known in his SNL days for his impression of then-President Gerald Ford. Yet Chase looked nothing like Ford, and he didn’t even try to look or sound like Ford. Yet somehow, the impression worked because it was based more on exaggeration and parody than trying to actually look like Ford. Cory at least bears a superficial resemblance to Chase, which Chevy clearly did not to President Ford.
Cory is going to be fantastic, the casting I’m most excited for.
Roger that!
For me, that’s true also, but only because I saw him in Gotham, so all I can picture him as is the Riddler. He did such a great job in that that I can’t wait to see how he will do in this role.
Give him a dimple in his chin and bulk up slightly. It could work. Loved his as Nygma on Gotham.
“first ever taping”
Taping? What part of “Live” escaped your notice?
In certain contexts the terminology for something being filmed/broadcast live (WWE shows, SNL, news broadcasts, etc) are still referred to as a “taping.” Also, despite initially airing live, something like SNL is being taped for rebroadcasting purposes. Has the concept of a rerun alluded you?
What part of any of that escaped your notice?
I don’t know exactly how 1970s TV cameras work, but I’m pretty sure there was some sort of tape involved. I doubt they shot on film, and digital recording was still decades away.
I think they would have to tape it so that it can air in other areas of the country other than the Eastern Time Zone.
Being a ‘baby-boomer’, I remember the classic original 1970’s version of SNL (actually called Saturday Night… Live from N.Y.C.). Bill Murray was a great addition in the 2nd or 3rd season. The 2nd iteration in the early 80’s was funny only because of Eddie Murphy (okay perhaps Billy Crystal has some fans(?)… although I’m not crazy about him). Since then, SNL is irrelevant, too ‘leftist’ politically, it’s unfunny and completely unwatchable. Most of its former cast members were Belushi or Radner wannabe’s and they vanished into obscurity as “nobodies”. Poetic justice.
Go back to bed, grandpa.
SNL has always been a very good bellwether of both the comedy and the culture of its day. If you think it stopped being good after the 1980s, that’s probably about the time the modern world left you behind.
SNL lampoons anything and anyone that deserves it. I grew up in the 90s on Darrell Hammond’s Bill Clinton. It was a great impression, jusy like James Austin’s Johnson’s 45 today. I guarantee if SNL had someone with a fantastic Joe Biden, they’d use them a lot. They just don’t have one. I think Fallon does a great vocal impersonation though.
Having also watched it from the beginning, it was originally called “NBC’s Saturday Night,” because of ABC’s show that year called “Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell.” After Cosell was canceled, the NBC show became just “Saturday Night” for a couple years, and then “Saturday Night Live,” which is what everyone was calling it anyway.
Okay boomer.
I have watched SNL since I was 4 years old in 1977. Is every episode/skit hilarious? No. But there have been so many great performers to come from SNL: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Jason Sudeikis, Bill Hader, Kristin Wiig, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Kate McKinnon just to name a few! If you haven’t watched since Eddie Murphy was on it, you really can’t say its unwatchable. There are a lot of funny skits tht are still on it to this day!!
What about Michael O’Donoghue? No one will be playing him? He was also in that pilot and was one of those involved behind the scenes.
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He was also the actor who, in the opening skit, was teaching John Belushi’s character English before O’Donoghue’s character fell over dead from a heart attack. (Which Belushi’s character then mimicked/followed, as Chevy Chase stood over them saying that famous line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
.
And I only know this via repeats. I was born in 1972, so I was 3 when this show started. (And I read some SNL books. O’Donoghue was apparently an intense figure, but to omit him here seems rather surprising.)
O’Donoghue was clearly a major force in the show’s early history and probably should have been included. In addition to speaking the first line of dialogue ever used, he was also the show’s head writer and responsible for many of its most memorable sketches in the early years including the famous Star Trek parody where John Belushi played Kirk and Chevy Chase played Spock having his ears pulled off.
But he also had a darker side which turned off many executives, perhaps best exemplified by a long 20-minute sketch which never aired during his second term on the show where he compared former NBC executive Fred Silverman to Adolf Hitler. In real life, O’Donoghue suffered from chronic migraine headaches (which may explain why he wrote so many sketches involving getting needles in the eyes), and was considered by many to be unpleasant and difficult to work with.
I’m guessing O’Donoghue will be included in the film in a small role for historical accuracy, but because he was such a weird guy who no one really liked, I don’t think he will be a key character.
Years ago, I got tired of ‘clip shows’ or ‘shows about’. I would rather just watch the stupid show. Sure, I’m talking about the late 80s or early 90s. The same applies to the original cast. It was funny to a lot of people and the that later stuff was very funny to me. The original cast had a DVD release at least.
I guess I’m not a fan of biographies and ‘shows about shows’.
I’m glad they’re including Jim Henson in this, as a Muppet fan it gives me a reason to see the movie (even if the role is going to be small compared to everyone elses)
Three ethnic Jews being played by white Europeans, sigh, what else is new…
Are you familiar with the concept of acting?
This is an interesting project. But I wonder if anyone who experienced that era will like the movie. These actors were so important in our youth. Saturday Night Live in 1975 was a cultural earthquake. It was like the kids were given NBC for 90 minutes every Saturday night, starting at 11:30. Before SNL, Saturday late night TV was mostly B horror movies. After SNL took off, we couldn’t wait to see what the Not Ready for Prime Time Players were going to do.
Wow that is perfect casting. Some of them look so much like the people they’re playing it’s scary.
“…Jane Curtin, who manned the Weekend Update anchor desk…” She did not man anything, she took over.
Do better Dave.
We’ve yet to see SCTV 76, with Jack Black as John Candy, Rick Glassman as Harold Ramis, and Michelle Burke as Andrea Martin. Now, who would round out the rest of the cast?