Lorne Michaels teases 'SNL' successor: 'It could easily be Tina Fey'
Tina Fey is in the running for Lorne Michaels' position at "Saturday Night Live" — if she's interested.
The "SNL" co-creator and longtime executive producer discussed possible successors for his inevitable retirement during an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the Emmys on Monday, where Fey's name was tossed into the conversation.
"It could easily be Tina Fey, but you know, there are a lot of people who are there now who are also (an option)," Michaels said. "Tina's brilliant and great in everything. She's a very important person in my life."
The "SNL" mogul, 79, has been at the NBC sketch comedy since its inception in 1975. Despite questions about his retirement, he stood firm that he plans to stick around until the 50th anniversary in February 2025.
"I will definitely be there for that and definitely be there until that. Sometime before that we'll figure out what we're gonna do," he added.
Fey, 53, joined "SNL" in 1997 as a writer before becoming the first woman positioned as a head writer in 1999. She went on to become an official cast member and co-anchor of "Weekend Update" along with her co-collaborator Amy Poehler.
The "Mean Girls" writer left "SNL" in 2006 to write and star in "30 Rock," an office parody of the NBC sketch show. Michaels was a producer on Fey's show as well as her other projects from "Baby Mama" to all three versions of "Mean Girls."
Fey is certainly not out of the loop with "SNL," revealing on the latest "Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist" podcast episode that she and Poehler watch the show together when they're on the road together for their Restless Leg comedy tour.
"If it’s a Saturday, we go to our room, and we watch 'SNL' from the hotel room. It's a dream," Fey said. When they aren't physically together, the acclaimed writer said they will "live text during it."
Fey likened their watch parties to people who are dedicated sports fans. "We root for everybody. And the head writer in me is always like, 'Huh. Interesting. Maybe the game could've been clearer,'" she said.
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