Morgan Neville exclusively tells PEOPLE that Lorne Michaels offered to build Maya Rudolph a nursery in 30 Rock when he found out she was pregnant
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“Part of it was he wanted them to keep working, but part of it was he knew that family was important to people,” he says
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In his latest documentary, Lorne, Neville pulls back the curtain on the elusive Saturday Night Live creator and his journey to becoming a legend of modern comedy
Lorne Michaelswas beyond supportive ofMaya Rudolphwhen she was pregnant during her tenure onSaturday Night Live.
While speaking with PEOPLE, Morgan Neville, the director of a new documentary about theSNLcreator, recalls Rudolph, 53, telling him that Michaels, 81, offered to build her a nursery at 30 Rock when she was pregnant with one of her children. The film,Lorne, dives into the true essence of Michaels through round tables and interviews with cast members and alums,
“When somebody has a child, Lorne is so happy for them,” the filmmaker says. “Maya Rudolph said, when she told Lorne she was pregnant, he said, ‘Well, why don't we build a nursery here in the office?’ ”
Rudolph, who was a cast member onSNLfrom 2000 to 2007, shares four kids —Pearl, 20, Lucille, 16, Jack, 14, and Minnie, 12— with her husband, Oscar-winningOne Battle After AnotherdirectorPaul Thomas Anderson.
“Part of it was he wanted them to keep working, but part of it was he knew that family was important to people,” Neville adds. “Family's hugely important to him, and when people have a child, or when people lose a parent or go through something really hard, that's when Lorne is at his best.”
“I think some of that is the Canadian in him,” he continues. “I think he has a very Canadian sensibility about morality and fairness, doing the right thing. I think it's actually one of his best qualities.”
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In addition to Rudolph, the documentary features interviews withTina Fey,John Mulaney,Andy Samberg,Conan O’Brien,Chris Rockand more. And while many of them tease the idea that Michaels is feared inside Studio 8H, Neville makes it clear that the fear of those who work for him stems from an overwhelming desire to please him.
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“I think everybody wants to please Lorne in some way,” he says. “It's his superpower.”
“The gravitas he has in the industry allows him to call in favors, which he does,” he continues, noting that the sentiment extends beyond those who are directly involved with the show. “Even more than that, often he won't call in the favor, but somebody calls in the favor on his behalf. It would be, ‘Lorne would appreciate it if you would do this,’ and it's one of those things — if Lorne asks, most people say yes.”
Neville is an Oscar-winning director whose acclaimed previous works include20 Feet from Stardom,Won't You Be My Neighbor?and the recently released documentaryMan on the Run, about the Beatles legendPaul McCartney.
Lorneis available to stream on Netflix from April 17.
Read the original article onPeople
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