While plenty of research went into Saturday Night, Jason Reitman’s upcoming SNL biopic, it appears the family of George Carlin was kept in the dark about the late comedian’s role in the film.
Saturday Night will be a real-time account of the 90 minutes preceding the premiere of Saturday Night Live back in 1975, which Carlin hosted. However, according to Kelly Carlin, George’s daughter, she wasn’t told her father would even be represented in the film.
Earlier this week, in a post that has since been deleted, Kelly Carlin wrote on X/Twitter: “I find it so strange that this film is about the first taping of SNL and the host that night isn’t in the film. I know he was doing a lot of blow that week, but I do know he showed up to the taping!”
After actor/comedian Kumail Nanjiani let Kelly know that her father is indeed a character in the film, “played by the wonderful Matthew Rhys,” Kelly clarified her comments.
“I guess he is in it,” she wrote. “I can’t find anything on IMDb about it though. Gonna have to make some calls tomorrow.”
In March, a photo taken on the set of Saturday Night captured a prop flyer from the film depicting an actor (presumably Rhys) as Carlin.
To be clear, Carlin is not necessarily opposing her father’s inclusion in the film. Replying to Nanjiani’s update about Rhys portraying her father, she said, “Oh! Wow. He is great.”
Former late-night host Larry Wilmore then chimed in with “If that’s true about Rhys, then that’s great. He’s amazing.”
“We loved Perry Mason!,” Carlin replied, referring to the HBO series Rhys starred in.
However, she added that the estate was in the dark about it all. “We were never contacted by anyone about it. I’d think they’d get clearance to use his name & likeness,” she told Nanjiani. “I just find that weird. Wouldn’t you?”
Kelly admitted that she’s unclear on what legal permissions, if any, are called for in this situation. When another user speculated George’s likeness might be fair game since he’s a public figure, Carlin explained her reservation.
“From my experience since my dad died, depicting someone’s name and likeness is usually something you get permission for,” she said. “I’ve had TV shows use a picture of him on a wall and get clearance for that. But maybe this is different.”
Back in January, Kelly spoke with The Hollywood Reporter after the George Carlin Estate filed a lawsuit against a company that released an AI-generated special of “George Carlin” content. (The special’s creators claimed AI was not actually used. That lawsuit was settled by April.) The move was celebrated by the comedy community at the time.
THR noted then that Carlin’s longtime manager Jerry Hamza serves as the executor of his estate. While it’s unclear if the Carlin estate itself was contacted, Kelly was at least making it known that “no one has contacted me.”
Known during production as SNL 1975, the film’s new title and release date were announced this week. Saturday Night will be released on October 11, 2024—49 years to the day since the very first episode of Saturday Night Live was broadcast. It’s directed by Jason Reitman, who co-wrote the script with Gil Kenan.
While Carlin didn’t appear in any sketches during the premiere in the way modern SNL hosts do, he was featured prominently in the episode, performing four standup routines throughout the show.
Can’t think of a better actor to portray the legendary Mr. Carlin than Matthew Rhys.
Totally agree.