Lorne Michaels once said Tina Fey ‘could easily’ succeed him at ‘SNL.’ Here’s what she has to say about that

Tina Fey is one of the most recognizable “Saturday Night Live” alumni working in show business, and has been floated out as a possibility to one day be the one to take the reins from “SNL” creator and longtime overseer Lorne Michaels – even by Michaels himself.

Tina Fey has been floated as a possibility to one day take the reins from “Saturday Night Live” creator and longtime overseer Lorne Michaels – but she’s apparently not so sure. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published on Wednesday, Fey shared her thoughts on her former boss’s seeming endorsement of her, when he said in January 2024 that she “could easily” replace him on the long-running NBC comedy sketch show. “It was nice of him to say that, and I love him very much,” Fey told the publication. “He’s irreplaceable.” Michaels, 80, has been in the driver’s seat of “SNL” since its inception in 1975, taking only one break as producer between 1980 and 1985. Naturally, speculation has long abounded as to who might replace him at “SNL” when the time comes. “His set of gifts and skills are entirely unique,” Fey added. “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.”