‘Saturday Night’ Actor Gabriel LaBelle Opens Up About Playing Lorne Michaels and the Fear of ‘Screwing Everything Up’ in the ‘SNL’ Movie

For Gabriel LaBelle, the iconic phrase “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” takes on a new consequence. At Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles on Thursday, LaBelle discussed his role as “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels in Jason Reitman’s upcoming film “Saturday Night,” which focuses on the inaugural broadcast of the NBC comedy show.

Variety’s Angelique Jackson remarked, “We last spoke about ‘The Fablemans,’ where you brilliantly portrayed a young Spielberg. Now, you’re embodying a young Lorne Michaels.”

LaBelle responded, “It’s not out yet, so there’s still a chance I could mess it up. But I saw the film a few weeks ago, and it’s really impressive. Jason did a fantastic job. I’m proud to be part of it.”

To prepare for his portrayal of the “SNL” icon, LaBelle shared his approach: “I briefly met him once. I did extensive research—reading books and exploring endless online resources. I studied impressions not to mimic him but to understand the nuances and mannerisms that those close to him remember. I focused on refining his Canadian accent without exaggerating.”

The film, written by Reitman and Gil Kenan, delves into the intense 90 minutes leading up to the first “SNL” show. The newly released trailer depicts LaBelle struggling to launch the show despite mounting pressure, erratic cast members, and demanding executives.

Reitman, in a Vanity Fair interview, explained that casting 21-year-old LaBelle as Michaels, who was 30 at the time, heightens the sense of the character’s overwhelming challenges. “We encounter Lorne during his formative years,” Reitman said. “He’s a visionary genius facing enormous expectations, which is a burden for any actor to portray.”

The film also features Dylan O’Brien as Aykroyd, Cory Michael Smith as Chase, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Lamorne Morris as Morris, and others, including Willem Dafoe and J.K. Simmons.

When asked if he might host “SNL” himself, possibly for the October 12 episode coinciding with the film’s release, LaBelle expressed enthusiasm: “I grew up watching SNL, so hosting it would be a dream come true. I never thought I’d have the chance.”