What did Lorne Michaels say about Tina Fey taking over SNL? Comedian responds by calling her former boss "irreplaceable"

Saturday Night Live veteran Tina Fey recently sat down in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming series The Four Seasons. During the chat, she was also asked about Lorne Michaels’ past comments on her replacing him as the SNL executive producer.

The interviewer referenced the Saturday Night Live creator’s chat with Entertainment Online’s Nischelle Turner. Michaels was on the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards (January 2024) red carpet when he was asked whether Tina Fey would be his successor, which “a lot of people think.” He told the ET Online correspondent,

“It could easily be Tina Fey, but you know, there are a lot of people who are there now, who would also you know [...] And Tina’s brilliant and great at everything, you know [...] She’s a very important person of my life.”

Tina Fey spent a decade at the late-night sketch comedy show and later returned as host and parodied Sarah Palin in multiple SNL skits. Reacting to her former boss’ comments, the Emmy winner told The Hollywood Reporter,

“It was nice of him [Michaels] to say that, and I love him very much [...] He’s irreplaceable. His set of gifts and skills are entirely unique. His eye for talent! He’s one of the last three people in show business who actually understand everything. I’ll leave it at that.”

Tina Fey’s response was somewhat ambiguous regarding whether she would succeed Lorne Michaels. The SNL creator had previously told ET Online reporter on the 2023 Emmys red carpet that he might take the call on deciding his successor around the 50th-anniversary special while continuing as executive producer.

Tina Fey has reportedly been seen as next-in-line SNL executive producer after Lorne Michaels’ future-exit, for the past couple of years

The speculations of the much-talked-about succession picked up when The New York Post published an exclusive story in July 2023. The outlet cited an inside source and reported that the 54-year-old comedian-actor-writer was “being courted to take over as executive producer” of NBC’s sketch comedy series.

According to the Post, a source commented on Fey accepting the role,

“I would be surprised if it wasn’t her. Seth Meyers has his own show. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg won’t come here. Judd Apatow passed [on the job] years ago. Amy Poehler has her own stuff. Bill Hader is directing a movie. Kate McKinnon is too hot.”

Lorne Michaels, who created SNL in 1975, served as its first executive producer until 1980. He was succeeded by Jean Doumanian and Dick Ebersol before he made a return in '85. Michaels’ second tenure is still underway, and no successor has been announced yet.

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Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a three-hour special episode in February, with many former and current cast members making appearances.

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