See who's playing Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and more in SNL 1975
Young actors have also been cast as Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman in Jason Reitman's drama about the beginning of "Saturday Night Live."
By
Wesley Stenzel
Updated on January 30, 2024
See who's playing Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, and more in 'SNL 1975,' Jason Reitman's drama about the beginning of 'Saturday Night Live.'
ew.com
Live from New York... it's the story of the very first
Saturday Night Live.
Jason Reitman (
Juno,
Up in the Air) is directing
SNL 1975, a film that chronicles the tense behind-the-scenes drama leading up to the first-ever
SNL broadcast on Oct. 11, 1975. Reitman is co-writing the screenplay with frequent collaborator Gil Kenan based on interviews with the cast and crew of
SNL's first year on the air.
Original 'Saturday Night Live' cast members.
NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK VIA GETTY
So far, the project has cast young actors to portray some of the most memorable Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players, including
Chevy Chase,
Dan Aykroyd,
John Belushi,
Gilda Radner,
Garrett Morris Jane Curtin, and
Laraine Newman, as well as behind-the-scenes figures like
Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. Here's who's playing who in
SNL 1975.
01of 10
Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels
Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels.
JEFF KRAVITZ/FILMMAGIC; NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY
Gabriel LaBelle is set to play Lorne Michaels, the co-creator and perennial top dog at
SNL. LaBelle previously broke out playing a fictionalized version of young
Steven Spielberg in 2022's
The Fabelmans. LaBelle is only 21 years old, whereas Michaels was about 31 when
SNL first hit the airwaves.
02of 10
Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase
Cory Michael Smith, Chevy Chase.
ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES; EVERETT COLLECTION
Cory Michael Smith will portray Chevy Chase, the breakout star of
SNL's first season (and original "Weekend Update" anchor) who quickly left the show to pursue a movie career. Smith played the Riddler on
Gotham for five seasons, and recently appeared as
Julianne Moore's son in
May December.
03of 10
Matt Wood as John Belushi
Matt Wood, John Belushi.
COURTESY SONY; NBCU PHOTO BANK
Matt Wood will play the late John Belushi, the cast member known for bringing live-wire energy to characters like Jake Blues, Samurai Futaba, Pete Dionisopoulos, James T. Kirk, and Henry Kissinger. Wood has primarily worked on stage in shows like
Spongebob Squarepants and
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, though he's also appeared in episodes of TV series like
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and
Difficult People.
04of 10
Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner
Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner.
DAVID M. BENETT/DAVE BENETT/GETTY; NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY
English actress Ella Hunt will star as the late Gilda Radner, the legendary cast member behind characters like Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, and Baba Wawa who won an Emmy in 1978. Hunt played Sue Gilbert in
Dickinson opposite
Hailee Steinfeld on Apple TV+, and will next appear in
Kevin Costner's four-part epic Western
Horizon: An American Saga.
05of 10
Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd
Dylan O'Brien, Dan Aykroyd.
JERRITT CLARK/GETTY IMAGES; EDIE BASKIN/WARNER BROS./ARCHIVE PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES
Dylan O'Brien will play Dan Aykroyd, the Conehead/Blues Brother and skilled impersonator who did impressions of Jimmy Carter, Richard Nixon, Julia Child, and many more on the show. O'Brien starred in
Teen Wolf and the
Maze Runner trilogy, as well as movies like
Deepwater Horizon,
Love and Monsters, and
Bumblebee.
06of 10
Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris
AMY SUSSMAN/GETTY IMAGES; NBCU PHOTO BANK
Lamorne Morris is set to portray
Garrett Morris,
SNL's first Black cast member, best known for characters like Chico Escuela and the "News for the Hard of Hearing" translator as well as his musical performances. The younger Morris (no relation) played fan-favorite Winston on
New Girl, and recently appeared in season five of
Fargo.
07of 10
Kim Matula as Jane Curtin
Kim Matula as Jane Curtin.
MICHAEL TULLBERG/GETTY; OWEN FRANKEN/CORBIS VIA GETTY
Kim Matula will play Jane Curtin, the beloved cast member who specialized in straight-woman performances and the matriarch of the Coneheads. Matula appeared in projects like
LA to Vegas,
UnReal, and
Fighting WIth My Family. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2014 for her work on
The Bold and the Beautiful.
08of 10
Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman
Emily Fairn / Laraine Newman.
DAVE BENETT/GETTY; NBCU PHOTO BANK/NBCUNIVERSAL VIA GETTY
Emily Fairn will play Laraine Newman, the performer known for characters like Christie Christina, Connie Conehead, and Valley girl Sherry. Fairn appeared in last year's "Demon 79" episode of
Black Mirror, as well as British series like
The Responder and
COBRA. She also starred alongside
Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist in the recent West End production of
Brokeback Mountain.
09of 10
Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster
Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster.
ARAYA DOHENY/GETTY; RON GALELLA, LTD./RON GALELLA COLLECTION VIA GETTY
Rachel Sennott is set to portray Rosie Shuster, the longtime
SNL writer who was married to Lorne Michaels in the 1970s. Sennott made waves in comedies like
Shiva Baby and
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies before starring in (and co-writing!) last year's buzzy
Bottoms.
10of 10
Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol
Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol.
SEAN ZANNI/PATRICK MCMULLAN VIA GETTY; NBC/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION
Cooper Hoffman will play Dick Ebersol, the former NBC executive who helped launch
SNL and later produced the Olympic telecasts for NBC Sports. Hoffman, the son of the late
Philip Seymour Hoffman, made his film debut as the young hustler Gary Valentine in
Paul Thomas Anderson's
Licorice Pizza in 2022.