Saturday Night movie cast vs. real 1975 SNL cast

Ensemble casts are back, baby! Jason Reitmans Saturday evening follows the ninety minutes leading up to the first episode of Saturday Night Live!and it contains over thirty characters. I haven't seen such a large cast since Barbie– and honestly, I was too distracted by Ken's Mojo Dojo Casa house to keep track.

Not again! This time I'm locked up. No one can pass me by, and I am here to give you the same happiness. For the sake of our (and your) sanity, we'll focus on the twelve most important players. Below you will find a casting guide for Saturday evening. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The film opens October 11th, but don't worry – there's still time to learn. If not, you risk whispering: Who is he?! every 10 seconds. Saturday evening is less than two hours long and the plot moves faster than Lorne Michaels' problem-solving skills. Don't you believe me? Jump straight to ours Saturday evening Postgame guide. But enough clapping. Here's your guide to the who's who Saturday evening.

Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels

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Gabriel LaBelle.

Arrival of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards

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Lorne Michaels.

Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) plays Lorne Michaels, the creator of SNL. Michaels pitched the series without a pilot, meaning the first episode was essentially a test run. No one at NBC knew what to expect, but unfortunately it was a hit. The first episode of the series premiered in 1975 – and it has been broadcast for almost fifty years. (PS: Read our interview with LaBelle, who does everything right in the film.)

Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd

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Dylan O'Brien.

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Dan Aykroyd (left).

Dylan O'Brien (Teen Wolf, Ponyboi) plays comedian Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd was one of the seven original cast members and began his first performances at Second City in Canada. Do yourself a favor and watch our latest interview with Aykroyd for yourself.

Matt Wood as John Belushi

Arrivals for the first Bafta North America Tea Party in New York

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Matt Wood.

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John Belushi.

Matt Wood (instinct) bears a shocking resemblance to his character John Belushi, another original cast member. Belushi came to SNL from the Second City Club in Chicago. His famous Hummel piece is referenced (somewhat hilariously) in Saturday evening.

Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase

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Cory Michael Smith.

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Chevy Chase.

Corey Michael Smith (Gotham) plays Chevy Chase. NBC reports that Michaels recruited Chase after seeing his comedy acts achieve success The groove tube. Chase was commissioned to write sketches; then he was asked to perform. Fun fact: He's the first person to say, “Live from New York, it's Saturday night!”

Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner

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Ella Hunt.

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Gilda Radner.

Ella Hunt (Dickinson) plays Gilda Radner, the first female comedian SNL. Michaels was a fan of her work with the Second City Improv Center in Canada. He told it once The New York Times that Hunt had a “remarkable quality for her.” His instincts paid off. Radner is best known for her characters Roseanna Roseannadanna and Lisa Loopner. In 1978 she won an Emmy for her contributions to the show.

Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris

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Lamorne Morris.

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Garrett Morris (right).

We know you're wondering this, but no, there's no connection between them. Lamorne Morris (New girl) plays Garrett Morris, the first black actor in the series SNL. Before the sketch show, Morris was an accomplished singer who trained at Julliard.

Kim Matula as Jane Curtin

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Kim Matula.

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Jane Curtin (right).

Kim Matula (I checked it twice) plays Jane Curtin, the first female anchor of “Weekend Update.” Curtin was part of the original SNL and stayed on the series for five seasons. If you are a fan of the film cone heads, You can thank her for that. Her alien sketches inspired the film.

Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman

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Emily Fairn.

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Laraine Newman (right).

Emily Fairn (Elicit) is Laraine Newman in Saturday evening. Before you play SNLNewman founded the comedy troupe Groundlings in Los Angeles. Newman was also a cast member for five years before moving on to other ventures. She eventually passed her comedy genes on to her daughter Hannah Einbinder, who stars in the Emmy Award-winning comedy Hacks.

Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol

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Cooper Hoffmann.

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Cooper Hoffman (Licorice pizza) plays Dick Ebersol, an NBC producer. He helped with the start SNL and worked with Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal in the show's later seasons.

JK Simmons as Milton Berle

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JK Simmons.

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Milton Berle.

JK Simmons (Whiplash) is the comedian Milton Berle Saturday evening. Berle only hosted one episode in season 4 SNLbut he left his mark long before that. You know exactly what we're talking about – and you can read more about it here.

Willem Dafoe as David Tebet

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Willem Dafoe.

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David Tebet.

Willem Dafoe (Poor things) plays NBC executive David Tebet. When SNL At the premiere, Tebet was the vice president of talent relations—in other words, a dapper man for Michaels to impress.

Tommy Dewey as Michael O'Donoghue

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Tommy Dewey.

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Michael O'Donoghue.

Last but not least: Tommy Dewey (Your monster) plays Michael O'Donoghue, the first-ever lead author of SNL. We can thank him for making audiences laugh so hard that it warrants another season.