Biography
Who is Lorne Michaels?
Early life and education
Lorne David Lipowitz was born on November 17, 1944, in Toronto, Canada. His father, Abraham Lipowitz, worked as a furrier. He grew up in Toronto with his two younger siblings. He attended the Forest Hill Collegiate Institute during his youth.
After high school, he enrolled at University College at the University of Toronto. He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1966. This education provided the foundation for his later work in the entertainment industry.
Starting his career
He began his professional path working with Hart Pomerantz as a writer and broadcaster for CBC Radio. In 1968, the duo moved to Los Angeles to write for The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show and Rowan and Martin Laugh In. During this time, they also released a comedy record called The Comedy of Hart and Lorne.
While working in the United States, he changed his professional name to Lorne Michaels. This decision was suggested by Frank Shuster, the father of his then wife Rosie Shuster, to help his career prospects. He eventually returned to Canada to star in a series of comedy specials known as The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour.
Saturday Night Live and production work
In 1975, he co-created the program NBC Saturday Night, which later became Saturday Night Live. He served as the primary producer, writer, and executive producer for the show. Throughout his tenure, SNL became a major platform for launching the careers of many successful comedians. He has remained with the show for almost all of its seasons, with a well-known hiatus in the early 1980s.
He founded the production company Broadway Video in 1979. Through this company, he produced various projects including The Kids in the Hall and multiple films based on SNL sketches. Some of his film production credits include Wayne's World, Coneheads, Mean Girls, and Tommy Boy. He also served as executive producer for 30 Rock and Up All Night.
Television and personal history
He took over as the executive producer for The Tonight Show in 2013. By 2014, the show moved its production base to New York and began airing as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He continues to hold significant influence in the late-night television scene.
Lorne Michaels has been married three times. He married Rosie Shuster in 1967 and they divorced in 1980. His second marriage to model Susan Forristal lasted from 1981 until 1987. In 1991, he married his former assistant, Alice Barry. He has three children. He became an American citizen in 1987 and received the Order of Canada in 2002.
Birthday and age
Lorne Michaels was born on November 17, 1944, which makes Lorne 81 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. Lorne shares the date with 48 other famous people.
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