From Spielberg to Saturday Night.
After making his mark as Sammy Fabelman in Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed The Fabelmans, a loosely-based detailing of the famed director’s adolescence, rising star Gabriel LaBelle is taking on another icon of the industry in Lorne Michaels, the long-running creator of the American sketch comedy program, Saturday Night Live, in Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night, which details the final chaotic 90 minutes counting down to the first ever episode going to broadcast.
As the film arrives in Australian theatres, Peter Gray spoke with Gabriel about his own relationship to SNL, how he felt playing someone as prolific as Lorne Michaels, and if he has a favourite sketch from the show’s 50 season history.
In 2022, I had my first in-person experience at the Toronto International Film Festival and I saw The Fabelmans. In 2024, I was there again for Saturday Night. I’m thinking 2026, we need a third Gabriel LaBelle movie where you, once again, play a real-life person.
(Laughs) Honestly, that might be the case.
Congratulations on the film. The energy in that TIFF Saturday Night screening was electric. For you, personally, was there an era of SNL that you grew up on? In Australia, it feels like it’s only become more prominent in the later years with a Ryan Gosling or Ariana Grande skit going viral. I feel like it’s more of a staple in the US?
Yeah, how much NBC made its way to Australia? I know, like, America didn’t have Monty Python until like the 80s. When did SNL hit Australia?
In the early 2000s we had a pay TV service that would screen it. It was never on regular television. I started watching it in the Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell years, but I knew about it growing up because I would watch the Vacation movies and Blues Brothers, and things like that. But I feel like the early 2000s was the start of it here.
Right. I was born in 2002, so my cast was Bill Hader, (Andy) Samberg, (Jason) Sudeikis), (Kristen) Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Will Forte…those guys. Everyone in James Franco’s documentary (Saturday Night), that was my cast. I love that documentary!
With the fact that you’re playing Lorne Michaels, is there any pressure that comes with that? Did he offer you advice? Or did you stay separate because you wanted to embody him on your own?
Jason (Reitman) didn’t want us to talk to the original people, because this isn’t really a biopic. Jason’s not trying to crack any of these people. He said to me very early on “I just want to make a movie about a group of young people who want to make something new and they aren’t really given the opportunity to do that.” So much of directing is wanting to articulate something that you really can’t until you show it to somebody. I wanted to get Lorne’s physicality down. That wasn’t essential to Jason, but I felt it was important, because so many of the people who inspired me came from SNL. They made the movies that made me want to be an actor. I wanted to get Lorne right for them, because these people know him so well, and they spent so much time with him. He taught them so much. I did a lot of research to give context to my job of being a young person wanting to make something.
It’s so awesome to see the tenacity here. The fact that this show, which is now in its 50th season, was in danger of being cancelled so early on. The 90 minute countdown, almost in real time, did that add any intensity to the shoot?
I mean, everyone was game. Everyone brought it. The crew. The cast. Everyone was so grateful to be there, and Jason conducts such a positive environment. Everyone was just happy the whole time. And we also only had 10 hour days, which doesn’t usually happen when you’re making a movie. Usually they’re, like, 12 to 15 hour days, but we filmed from 8am to 630pm every day, and we could get a full night’s rest. You’d come back refreshed. And that makes such a difference.
It’s funny to think on a movie about a show that’s all about no sleep, you were getting the luxury.
(Laughs) You got to be restful. But definitely in the last couple weeks of shooting, I’m just exhausted and I remember there was one day on set, and it was only lunch time, but I was so tired and all I wanted to do was go home. Not because I didn’t want to be there, but I just wanted to sleep, but I had so much more to do that day. I was leaning on Rachel’s (Sennott) shoulder and she was rubbing my back, and I was just so wiped. But that’s a really sweet memory to look back on now.
Going off the mention of Rachel Sennott, the cast in this is just perfection. I never thought Dylan O’Brien would play Dan Aykroyd, but then you see it and it’s actually really perfect. The chemistry is so instant here. How many of the cast did you know beforehand?
I knew Cooper (Hoffman) beforehand. I met him on the set of The Fabelmans. He was a COVID Production Assistant on that right after he shot Licorice Pizza. That’s how we met. We actually auditioned together. Jason had organised our times so that I flew to New York to audition in person, and Jason asks if I can hang out for five minutes because somebody else is going to read. In my mind I’m thinking he’s letting someone else read and then he’s going to give me the part right there, but then I go outside and it’s Cooper. It was so good to see him, but I’m secretly hoping he’s not auditioning for Lorne (laughs). He was auditioning for another part. Jason walks out with Cooper, hands us the scene of Dick Ebersole and Lorne in the stairwell and asks, “Do you guys want to cold read this?”
So we cold read it, and a couple of days later, Jason got us all together, and I’ve known Cooper, so we’re friendly, but the more and more we all got to know each other, the more we all just fell in love with each other. Everyone was so, so great. It was like summer camp. We were all just having the best time.
When you’re watching it you do truly sense that these are people that have known each other for so long. It’s not bullshit on screen. And just quickly before I go, I have to ask if there’s an SNL skit for you that is one of your go-tos to make you laugh? Is there a favourite from its history?
The one right now I’m thinking of is Amy Poehler, Chris Parnell, and they’re in a conference room. It’s fourth of July, there’s American flag mugs and ties, and they’re just getting on with their meeting, and Will Ferrell walks in late, and he’s just wearing a fourth of July speedo. Nothing else. Everyone’s thrown by it, and he doesn’t pay any attention to it. He just walks past Amy to get coffee, and his ass is just in her face. It’s just so funny.
As soon as you said conference room, I knew it was that sketch. Thank you so much for taking the time out today. As I said, seeing you in The Fabelmans I was like, “Who is this guy?” You’re amazing in that, and then to see you in this? The choices you’re making are so divine. I’m so excited to see what you have for us going forward.
Man, I really appreciate that. Thank you.
Saturday Night is screening in Australian theatres from October 31st, 2024, following special previews taking place on Saturday, October 26th.
