John Mulaney Sheds New Light on Lorne Michaels’ Backstage Visit to Everybody’s Live

Lorne Michaels‘ April visit to the set of Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney is the gift that keeps on giving.

As we’ve previously reported, Michaels was on hand for Mulaney’s April 16th episode, where he was briefly captured on video by the show’s social team strolling around backstage talking on his cellphone. Hilariously, the clip ends with Michaels appearing to stare down the camera before walking out of frame.

Adding to the intrigue of this rare candid glimpse of the SNL king out of his kingdom, a close examination of the clip later revealed that Michaels had been on the phone with none other than Tina Fey.

Though a portion of his conversation with her could be heard, it wasn’t clear what they were talking about. However, as Mulaney himself revealed this past weekend, that turns out to be an entertaining story in its own right.

Speaking with Fred Armisen at an event for Emmy voters Saturday, the Everybody’s Live host recounted Michaels’ set visit, telling Armisen that the SNL creator came very close to making an intentended cameo on the show when he ended up standing on the spot at the foot of the stage where Mulaney delivers his monologue just seconds before the show began.

“Do you know he was standing on my f*cking mark?” Mulaney told Armisen, who was also present at the taping in question. “Not a bit, like 20 seconds before we went live. He was on his cellphone. I’m walking out… and he’s standing on my mark.”

“He shows me his phone and is like, ‘Do you want to talk to Tina?’” Mulaney continued. “I was like, ‘You’re on my mark and everyone is too afraid to tell you to move.’”

It appears the social clip of Michaels on the phone with Fey was shot later in the evening, as Michaels can be seen heard her his version of the story:

“He said, ‘I’m about to start,'” Michaels tells Fey. “I was standing on his spot!”