Encore: The Art of the SNL Portrait, with Mary Ellen Matthews

About this episode

The episode features a conversation with SNL's photographer Mary Ellen Matthews about her experiences and iconic portraits created for the show.

"Live From New York, it's Saturday Night!" That single sentence has become a catchphrase for devotees of comedy and popular culture for more than 50 years—generations of fans who willingly turn their attentions from the height of weekend revelry to the televised antics of Saturday Night Live. As this illustrious broadcast wraps its 51 st season, we're releasing an encore of our 2025 chat with SNL's photographer-in-residence Mary Ellen Matthews, while we busy ourselves backstage to bring you some exciting changes and an upcoming new look to our own show. Week in, week out for more than two decades, Mary Ellen has conjured visual magic behind the scenes, creating inventive and irreverent portraits that air for three seconds each as so-called "bumpers" that transition to and from the show's commercial breaks. During our spirited chat about what is arguably the world's best photo gig, we follow Mary Ellen from a fateful 1993 phone call, inviting her to assist the show's founding photographer Edie Baskin, through her journey from mentee to team leader. Along the way, we pull back the curtain on the creation of some iconic images and learn what it takes to be "in the driver's seat…

People in this episode

Guest: Mary Ellen Matthews

Topics covered

• photography
• Saturday Night Live
• portraiture
• behind the scenes
• comedy

Keywords

• SNL
• photography
• Mary Ellen Matthews
• Edie Baskin
• portraits
• comedy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Saturday Night Live

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