See the Cast of Saturday Night Compared to Their Real-Life Counterparts
The new movie nailed its casting of the original Saturday Night Live actors and crew.
Saturday Night, in theaters now, tells the reimagined story of the first episode of what would become Saturday Night Live. And while the movie is undoubtedly funny—what else would you expect?–it’s also an incredible look back at the beginning of a cultural phenomenon that just began its 50th year on the air as well as a peek into the beginnings of some of comedy’s most storied careers.
Directed and co-written by Jason Reitman, Saturday Night isn’t a documentary, but it does give audiences a sense of the chaos and camaraderie that went into creating one of television’s most beloved shows. But how does the star-studded cast stack up against the actual people they’re portraying? See how the cast of Saturday Night compares to their real-life counterparts.
Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels
Gabriel LaBelle’s Lorne Michaels is at the heart of Saturday Night. Long before he was comedy’s elder statesman, he was a kid with a vision—and 90 minutes of network TV at his disposal. “The movie sits on [LaBelle’s] shoulders for ninety straight minutes,” director Jason Reitman recently told Esquire. “It’s so much responsibility and pressure. What’s amazing is he’s a 21-year-old man who just doesn’t buckle.”
Related: How Lorne Michaels’ Determination Made Saturday Night Live a Comedy Empire
Dylan O’Brien as Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd would go on to win an Emmy for his work on SNL, but before that, he was a nervous TV newcomer. Actor Dylan O’Brien does excellent work with both his humor and newbie nerves; a scene where Aykroyd has to go on camera in short shorts is among the movie’s most memorable.
Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner
Gilda Radner’s five years on SNL play a large part in her long comedic shadow, but Ella Hunt doesn’t play her as a legend-in-the-making. Instead, she’s a funny kid having the time of her life—making it all the more charming for audiences who know what she’ll become.
Nicholas Braun as Andy Kaufman
A not-yet-wildly-famous Andy Kaufman appeared on the premiere episode of SNL, performing what would become his trademark offbeat humor—this time, to the “Mighty Mouse” theme song. Kaufman appeared on the sketch show until 1983 when an on-air poll of viewers voted to “dump” him from future appearances. He died a year later.
Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson
Braun does double duty in Saturday Night, playing both Kaufman and Jim Henson, the good-natured creator of The Muppets, whose nearly endless patience is tested by the SNL writers who seem to delight in refusing to share lines with him and posing his creations in a variety of unsavory ways.
Jon Batiste as Billy Preston
Musician Billy Preston played with acts including Little Richard, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and Joe Cocker. Who better to portray SNL’s first musical guest than Jon Batiste, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning musician who previously led the band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster
Rosie Shuster was not only a writer on SNL and responsible for some of its best-known sketches, but she was also married to Lorne Michaels until 1980. Rachel Sennott is a marvel in the role, portraying Shuster as the comic genius she was (she eventually won two Emmys and was inducted into the Museum of Broadcasting) as well as one of Michaels’ most trusted advisors.
Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris
Recent Emmy winner Lamorne Morris plays SNL original cast member Garrett Morris, a Juilliard-trained stage veteran who questions his place among his clearly comedic colleagues.
Related: 30 People You Completely Forgot Were in the Cast of SNL
Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase
If anyone in Saturday Night is portrayed as an obvious star in the making, it’s Chevy Chase who’s not only a skilled comedian but also a hit with the network brass. In fact, the only person who doesn’t seem charmed by him is Milton Berle who’s more interested in his girlfriend, Jacqueline Carlin (played by Kaia Gerber).
Related: Chevy Chase Helped Create SNL’s “Weekend Update” Segment
Kim Matula as Jane Curtin
Two-time Emmy winner Jane Curtin was an integral part of some of SNL’s most iconic sketches, including Coneheads and Weekend Update, and Kim Matula’s take on her sharp wit adds a delicious bite to Saturday Night.
Matt Wood as John Belushi
For all his on-screen charisma and humor, John Belushi was something of a tortured soul. In Matt Wood’s artful portrayal, the comic might be a bit more emotional than his colleagues, but he’s also one of the only one of them who seems to notice how big and scary their undertaking is. Whether he’ll even sign his contract to appear on the show is one of the movie’s most tense plot points.
Matthew Rhys as George Carlin
Late comedian George Carlin was the very first host of Saturday Night Live, helming its premiere episode on October 11, 1975. In the movie, Matthew Rhys nails Carlin’s dark humor, short fuse, and what made him a cultural icon.
Related: How George Carlin’s Seven Words Changed Legal History
Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman
A founding member of the SNL training group improv troupe The Groundlings, Laraine Newman spent five years in Studio 8H. Comedy also runs in her family; she’s the mother of Hacks star Hannah Einbinder.
Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol
A year into his stint as NBC’s Director of Weekend Late Night Programming, Dick Ebersol—who went on to become a broadcasting legend—began working with Lorne Michaels to launch Saturday Night Live. As the resident adult in the room, Cooper Hoffman’s patient, put-upon Ebersol doesn’t always have it easy, but he’s exceedingly likable and audiences can rest assured knowing he hasn’t made a bad bet.
JK Simmons as Milton Berle
The man once known as Mister Television might not have been lurking on the SNL set for its first episode, as JK Simmons’ version of him does in the film, but Milton Berle did host a 1979 episode—an experience that was said to be so unpleasant that he was allegedly banned from ever again appearing on the series.
Keep Reading: 10 Famous Comedians Who Were Rejected by Saturday Night Live
Adam Rathe is Town & Country's Deputy Features Director, covering film, theater, books, travel, art, philanthropy, and a range of other subjects.
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