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McPherson, whose group was part of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, will play ‘Saturday Night Live’ musical guest Janis Ian in the film focusing on the show’s premiere night.
By Ryan Gajewski
Senior Entertainment Reporter
Musician Naomi McPherson is joining the star-packed cast of SNL 1975, Jason Reitman‘s forthcoming film about the debut night of the long-running NBC sketch series Saturday Night Live.
McPherson, who uses they/them pronouns, will make their acting debut as singer-songwriter Janis Ian, a musical guest on the first episode of SNL that aired Oct. 11, 1975. Reitman is directing the Sony Pictures project that focuses on the behind-the-scenes moments leading up to that initial broadcast. The cast includes Gabriel LaBelle as series creator Lorne Michaels, Cooper Hoffman as former NBC exec Dick Ebersol and Rachel Sennott as Michaels’ ex-wife and former SNL writer Rosie Shuster.
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McPherson is a member of the Los Angeles-based band Muna and handles production duties for most of the group’s music. Muna has spent the past two years touring in support of the self-titled 2022 album that includes the single “Silk Chiffon” featuring Phoebe Bridgers. The band, including fellow members Katie Gavin and Josette Maskin, served as an opening act on Taylor Swift‘s record-setting Eras Tour and previously opened for Harry Styles, The 1975 and Kacey Musgraves.
Ian is a two-time Grammy winner whose 1975 album Between the Lines reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Ian was the second musical guest on the premiere episode of SNL after Billy Preston and performed her songs “At Seventeen” and “In the Winter.” Jon Batiste, who is composing the score for the film, will portray Preston.
Reitman and Gil Kenan penned the screenplay for SNL 1975 (which is the working title) based on their interviews with living cast, writers and crew about the debut of the show that is now airing its 49th season. Reitman, Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld and Peter Rice are producers on the movie, while Erica Mills and JoAnn Perritano serve as executive producers.
Portraying SNL’s inaugural players are Dylan O’Brien (as Dan Aykroyd), Lamorne Morris (Garrett Morris), Cory Michael Smith (Chevy Chase), Matt Wood (John Belushi), Ella Hunt (Gilda Radner), Emily Fairn (Laraine Newman) and Kim Matula (Jane Curtin).
Also appearing in the movie are Nicholas Braun (Jim Henson), Kaia Gerber (Jacqueline Carlin), J.K. Simmons (Milton Berle) and Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page.
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