‘I Think Lorne Michaels Is Scared of Me’: Michael Shannon Is Banging on ‘Saturday Night Live’s Door, But They Won’t Let Him Host
If the last two decades of TV and movies have taught us anything, it’s that standing between Michael Shannon and something he wants is rarely a good idea — though the same has been said for Lorne Michaels for a much longer period of time.
The imposing actor who cut his teeth on the stages of Chicago’s most prestigious theaters has a dream that’s not uncommon for performers in the Windy City: Shannon wants to be on Saturday Night Live. While speaking to the Awards Circuit Podcast, the George & Tammy star revealed that, despite his best hopes, he’s never been offered the honor of hosting SNL. Obviously, Shannon is best known for performances for which the descriptor of “serious” is an understatement, but therein lies the potential. The 6-foot-3, steely-eyed sensation is more than willing to mine his deadly demeanor for comedy, and he doesn’t take himself nearly as seriously as his on-screen enemies take him.
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“I think Lorne Michaels is scared of me or thinks I smell funny or something,” Shannon lamented to his hosts, saying, “The guy won’t arrest me.” To be fair, I wouldn’t want to “arrest” him, either.
“I’m adaptable, I’m malleable,” Shannon pitched himself, though he admitted that he has “lost hope” on receiving the hosting call.
The idea of juxtaposing Shannon’s stern manner with the wackiness of the SNL main cast is a clear winner, if history is to be consulted — a serious actor hamming up their seriousness in silly situations paid off in droves when Adam Driver hosted, bringing us such iconic sketches as “Career Day” and “Star Wars Undercover Boss.” Stick Shannon on the set of a fake children’s show or have him hand out balloons at the zoo and let the sparks fly.
Or, literally, just have him read more sorority letters on camera. It’ll automatically be better than whatever Kim Kardashian was doing when she hosted last season.
