The Man Behind The Wayne

Lorne Michaels is executive producer and creator of "Saturday Night Live", and more recently the producer of the box-office smash Wayne's World. In a recent interview with 15 Minutes, Michaels spoke of his experiences behind the scenes of both productions.

15 MINUTES: On its opening [Presidents' Day Weekend], Wayne's World broke the box-office record for that week-end, collecting $18 million. That's quite impressive.

Michaels: Yeah, well, it's great that that happened and I'm happy and all that shit, but I'm kind of hesitant to judge a movie by that standard.

15 MINUTES: How did you come up with the idea to produce Wayne's World?

Michaels: I thought there was enough material for a movie, so I asked Mike [Myers], who came up with the entire idea of Wayne's World to begin with, and then asked Dana [Carvey]. We finished writing the script last June and finished filming in July.

15 MINUTES: The Church Lady and the Coneheads were all popular skits. The last film spinoff of SNL was the Blues Brothers. Why Wayne's World?

Michaels: Basically, there was nothing else worth doing. We couldn't come up with enough material for any other script.

15 MINUTES: What is the future ofWayne's World?

Michaels: You mean, are we still going to do it on the show? Sure, if a skit works, we're not going to throw it out. That wouldn't help anyone.

15 MINUTES: What did you think of Mike and Dana when you first met them?

Michaels: A wife of a friend recommended that I see Mike when he was doing stand-up in Chicago a few years ago, and I absolutely loved him. Dana I saw at a comedy club in L.A. and loved him too.

15 MINUTES: Do you do most of the talent-scouting on SNL?

Michaels: Well, I try to go see a lot of shows in the summer, especially in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Toronto. We're always looking for new talent.

15 MINUTES: How does one get to be a famous comedian on SNL?

Michaels: Granting sexual favors. No, actually, if someone really enjoys the industry, they will make it. And you can always tell if someone is having a good time in this industry.

15 MINUTES: How did you get Rob Lowe for the film?

Michaels: Rob hosted the show a couple of years ago and he had expressed an interest in comedy. I thought he was very funny and when we were writing the script, we had him specifically in mind.

15 MINUTES: What was the budget of the film and how long was production?

Michaels: Budget was $14 million and we filmed for 35 days.

15 MINUTES: There is so much talk that SNL is going downhill. Is it ever going to go back to its glory days?

Michaels: Actually, I disagree that the show is going downhill. I think it's better now than ever. You know, after our first episode, people said we were past our glory days, but you always have the critics.

15 MINUTES: Why do you think the show is better?

Michaels: The writing's a lot better.

15 MINUTES: But the skits frequently have a tendency to die toward the end.

Michaels: You know, I'd probably agree with you on that point.

15 MINUTES: What was your preparation for comedy, film, and the entertainment industry when you were growing up?

Michaels: I read a lot. I guess that was more part of my English major at the University of Toronto than my own volition though.

15 MINUTES: Mike Meyers says that he based the character of Wayne a lot on himself. When you were growing up, were you anything like Wayne?

Michaels: Not in the least.

15 MINUTES: What is John Lovitz up to now?

Michaels: John's doing really well for himself. He's now doing a film with Teri Garr, so that should be interesting.

15 MINUTES: A few weeks ago when Susan Dey was hosting, Rob Schneider played the Sensitive Naked Man. Two questions, was he really naked, and why did he do that?

Michaels: Yes, Rob was naked, and to tell you the truth, I think Rob is just incredibly vain about his ass.

15 MINUTES: How are you dealing with competition from In Living Color?

Michaels: I don't think we are in competition with them at all. That show happens in an entirely different time slot.

15 MINUTES: What's in the future of SNL?

Michaels: We'll probably use more of the Delta, Delta, Delta (a sorority skit) and use the newer performers more, like David Spade and Chris Rock.

15 MINUTES: Who was your best musical guest?

Michaels: I thought Eric Clapton was absolutely breathtaking.