Why Pete Davidson Wasn't Featured in 'SNL' Creator Lorne Michaels' Documentary

The director explains the decision to exclude the former cast member from the film.

Apr. 19, 2026 at 7:34pm

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An extreme close-up of a shattered mirror reflecting a single bright spotlight, creating a dramatic, high-contrast image that conceptually represents the glamour and drama of the entertainment industry.The documentary 'Lorne' offers an intimate look at the creative mind behind Saturday Night Live, though some former cast members like Pete Davidson were ultimately left out of the final cut.NYC Today

In a new interview, the director of the documentary 'Lorne' about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels revealed why former cast member Pete Davidson was not featured in the film. The director, Morgan Neville, said that after interviewing other SNL alums like John Mulaney, he felt the documentary was already full of voices and didn't know where to fit in more, including Davidson who was not available when they started filming.

Why it matters

Davidson has been open about his complicated relationship with Michaels and SNL over the years, so his exclusion from the documentary about the show's creator is notable. The director's comments provide insight into the creative decisions behind the film.

The details

Neville said that after interviewing comedians like John Mulaney, he felt the documentary was already full of perspectives and he didn't know where to fit in more voices, including Davidson who was not available when they first started filming. Neville said he was focused on capturing Michaels' 'essence' rather than just collecting celebrity anecdotes.

  • The documentary 'Lorne' is currently in theaters.

The players

Morgan Neville

The director of the documentary 'Lorne' about Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels.

Pete Davidson

A former cast member of Saturday Night Live who was not featured in the documentary about the show's creator.

Lorne Michaels

The creator and longtime producer of Saturday Night Live, the subject of the documentary 'Lorne'.

John Mulaney

A comedian and former SNL cast member who was interviewed for the documentary.

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What they’re saying

“I interviewed so many people for the film, and at a certain point, after I'd interviewed [John] Mulaney and he had said everything he had said, I just didn't know where we were gonna put more voices. It just felt like it was full, you know?”

— Morgan Neville, Director

“That was the hard part. It was like an embarrassment of riches, that you could interview a thousand people about Lorne Michaels. So many people have stories.”

— Morgan Neville, Director

“I was just trying to distill his essence into a film. A lot of those stories are not about Lorne, they're about those people. I just wanted to make sure I was staying on Lorne's story and not other people's stories.”

— Morgan Neville, Director

The takeaway

The director's comments provide insight into the creative decisions behind the documentary, suggesting a focus on capturing Lorne Michaels' story and essence rather than just collecting celebrity anecdotes, even if it meant excluding some high-profile former SNL cast members like Pete Davidson.