7 Shocking Transformations Of Young Lorne Michaels Before He Created SNL

Few figures in television history are as iconic and enigmatic as Lorne Michaels, the creator and long-time executive producer of the legendary sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live (SNL). Yet, the man known for his calm, silver-haired demeanor and tailored suits was once a completely different person—a young, ambitious Canadian comic with a rock-star lifestyle and a different name.

As of late 2025, with the 50th anniversary of SNL approaching, the curiosity surrounding Michaels’ early life is surging. This deep dive into the archives reveals the incredible journey of Lorne Michaels—born Lorne David Lipowitz—from a Toronto high schooler to the 30-year-old "wunderkind" who would change American comedy forever. The story of "young Lorne Michaels" is one of constant reinvention, Canadian roots, and a crucial Emmy win that made Saturday Night Live possible.

The Complete Biography of Lorne Michaels (Lorne David Lipowitz)

• Full Name: Lorne David Lipowitz (Changed to Lorne Michaels)
• Born: November 17, 1944
• Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Parents: Abraham Lipowitz (furrier) and Florence Becker
• Siblings: Two younger siblings, Mark and Barbara
• High School: Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, Toronto
• Higher Education: University College, University of Toronto (BA in English, 1966)
• First Wife: Rosie Shuster (m. 1967; div. 1980) – Daughter of comedy mentor Frank Shuster and an SNL writer.
• Second Wife: Susan Forristal (m. 1981; div. 1987) – Model/Actress.
• Current Wife: Alice Barry (m. 1991) – Former assistant.
• Children: Henry, Eddie, and Sophie
• Notable Early Work: CBC Radio, *The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show*, *Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In*, *The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour*, *The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour*, Lily Tomlin Specials.
• Key Achievements: Creator of *Saturday Night Live* (1975), Founder of Broadway Video (1979), Executive Producer of *Late Night* and *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*, Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016), Companion of the Order of Canada (2018).

1. From Lipowitz to Michaels: The Hollywood Name Change

The most fundamental change in the life of the future comedy mogul was his name. Born Lorne David Lipowitz, he was persuaded to change his surname to Michaels when he was in his late teens or early twenties.

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The change reportedly occurred after his father, Abraham Lipowitz, died when Lorne was 14. The push came from the parents of his first wife, Rosie Shuster, who was the daughter of the famous Canadian comedy mentor, Frank Shuster.

According to friends, Rosie's parents suggested that they could not envision "Lorne Lipowitz" making it big in Hollywood. This single, strategic decision—to adopt the more marketable "Michaels"—was the first step in creating the powerful persona that would dominate late-night television for decades.

2. The Comedy Blueprint: Starring in a Canadian Sketch Show

Before the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" took the stage at Studio 8H, Lorne Michaels was a performer, writer, and producer on Canadian television. His crucial training ground was the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

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Michaels partnered with fellow Canadian Hart Pomerantz to create, produce, and star in a series of comedy specials that ran from 1970 to 1971, titled *The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour*. This show was the true, albeit loose, blueprint for *Saturday Night Live* (SNL).

It featured sketch comedy, musical guests (like James Taylor and Cat Stevens), and a format that was tailored to a younger audience. Michaels has credited the CBC for being a "tremendous training ground," allowing him to learn an enormous amount about television production in a short time, often working from midnight to eight in the editing room.

3. The Hippie Producer: Shoulder-Length Hair and Hawaiian Shirts

The image of Lorne Michaels today is one of a stoic, silver-haired executive in a perfectly tailored suit. However, in the years immediately preceding the launch of SNL, his look was drastically different.

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In 1974, when he was 29 years old and hired by NBC executive Dick Ebersol to create a new show for the Saturday late-night slot, Michaels was described as having "shoulder-length hair" and often wore "Hawaiian shirts." He embodied a "rock-star lifestyle" that was a direct reflection of the counter-culture energy he planned to bring to television.

A recently resurfaced clip from a 1970 CBC talk show, *Elwood Glover's Luncheon Date*, shows a young Michaels with a distinct mustache, a look he maintained during the early 1970s. This "hippieish hair and baggy shirts" look only made way for his signature close-crop and tailored suits when he returned to SNL in 1985 after a five-year hiatus.

4. The Psychedelic Experimenter: Beatles and LSD

While attending the University of Toronto’s University College, Michaels was far more than just a dedicated English student. He was heavily involved in the "Follies," a footlights-style comedy troupe, where he honed his writing and directing skills through satirical revues.

During this period, Michaels worked part-time at a local department store. Friends from the time claimed that he spent his earnings on records by The Beatles—the musical act he would famously attempt to lure back together on SNL with a $3,000 offer—and on psychedelic drugs, including LSD and magic mushrooms.

This exposure to the edgier side of the 1960s counter-culture directly informed the "enlightened amateurs" he would later seek out for his show, people who were a "world away from the stuffy 1960s hangovers" dominating US television at the time.

5. The Comedy Apprentice: Learning from Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin

Before he was a master, Michaels was an eager apprentice. While working at CBC Radio, he would "eagerly submitted jokes" to the renowned comedian Woody Allen. Although Allen never used the material, he once called Michaels to tell him a joke he had written was "brilliant." This single piece of praise was enough to sustain Michaels through his anxious early years in the industry.

The true turning point, however, was his collaboration with Lily Tomlin. After working as a writer on shows like *Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In* and *The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour*, Michaels was hired by Tomlin to produce a series of her television specials in 1973.

The first of these specials, *Lily*, won Michaels an Emmy Award for Best Writing in a Comedy-Variety Special in 1973. Michaels himself credits his work with Tomlin for giving him the necessary credibility for NBC to hire him to create *Saturday Night Live* two years later.

6. The Comedy Duo: Hart & Lorne, Not Just Lorne

For the better part of his early career, Lorne Michaels was part of a comedy duo. His partner was Hart Pomerantz, a fellow Canadian with whom he shared writing and performing credits on multiple projects.

The duo’s early work included moving to Los Angeles in 1968 to write for *Laugh-In* and *The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show*. They later returned to Canada to co-star in their most significant collaboration, *The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour*.

This partnership was instrumental in shaping Michaels’ vision, as it was a hands-on experience in producing a live-feeling sketch show with music. The experience taught him the logistics of television production, a skill he would master and use to build his comedy empire.

7. The 'Not Ready for Prime Time' Visionary at 30

When NBC hired Lorne Michaels to create a new show to replace *The Tonight Show* reruns on Saturday nights, he was only 30 years old. The show, originally titled *NBC's Saturday Night*, was conceived with a clear vision: to look like "a bunch of kids had slipped into the studio to put on a show."

Michaels was specifically looking for "enlightened amateurs" for his cast, avoiding the established, "stuffy" comedians of the era. He assembled the iconic original cast, the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players," including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner.

In 1975, the show was a sensation, quickly establishing a reputation for being cutting-edge and unpredictable, immediately launching the careers of some of the most successful comedians in the United States. Lorne Michaels, the young, risk-taking Canadian producer, had arrived, securing his place as the kingmaker of modern comedy.

The Legacy of the Young Lorne Michaels

The early life of Lorne Michaels, marked by his Canadian upbringing, the traumatic loss of his father, the strategic name change, and his immersion in the edgier comedy of the 1960s, was the perfect incubator for the creation of *Saturday Night Live*. His time on *The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour* and his Emmy-winning collaboration with Lily Tomlin provided the necessary experience and credibility.

Today, Michaels' production company, Broadway Video, continues to produce SNL, *The Tonight Show*, and *Late Night with Seth Meyers*, making him one of the most influential figures in entertainment. The foundation of this vast empire was built by a 30-year-old producer who dared to be unpredictable and was willing to give a platform to the next generation of comedy talent.

Key Entities & Topical Authority: Lorne David Lipowitz, Hart Pomerantz, Rosie Shuster, Frank Shuster, Lily Tomlin, Dick Ebersol, Herb Schlosser, Broadway Video, *Saturday Night Live* (SNL), *The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour*, *Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In*, *The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show*, *The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour*, University of Toronto, Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, CBC Radio, The Beatles, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, *The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon*, *Late Night with Seth Meyers*, *The New Show*, *The Kids in the Hall*, *30 Rock*, Alice Barry, Susan Forristal, Woody Allen, Monty Python, Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Presidential Medal of Freedom, Order of Canada.