Here’s Who Lorne Michaels Was On the Phone With Backstage at John Mulaney

For anyone who might have wondered who Lorne Michaels was on the phone with in a backstage clip shared last week by the social team at Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney, after a week-long investigation LateNighter can reveal the answer.

The clip caused a minor stir among SNL fans as it captures a rare candid glimpse of Michaels, whose reputation is akin to the almighty Oz himself. While the SNL creator clearly did not intend to be part of the show’s social content, Everybody’s Live posted the clip to Instagram, where it was boosted in no small part by a repost from John Mulaney himself.

Shared with the simple caption “Needs no introduction,” the clip sees Michaels talking on the phone as he enters a backstage area at Mulaney’s show. The videographer be heard narrating “the moment of his entry.”

As Michaels approaches the camera, his side of his phone conversation can be heard as he relays what appears to be the end of a story: “He said, I’m about to start… I was standing on his spot!”

Noticing that he’s being recorded, Michaels says, “Well, I’ll call you tomorrow because there’s lots of things I want to talk about.” After hanging up, he stares down the camera for a moment before walking out of frame.

As is the Mulaney show’s wont, no context for the clip was given, but after an extensive forensic examination (we blew up a screenshot of Michaels’ iPhone), LateNighter can report that the person on the other end of Michaels’ call was none other than Tina Fey.

From SNL and 30 Rock to Mean Girls old and new, Fey and Michaels’ close collaborative relationship is no secret. Fey even joined the writing staff for SNL‘s 50th anniversary festivities, and Michaels has responded encouragingly when her name has been bandied about as a possible replacement when Michaels leaves his showrunner post at SNL.