See how the Saturday Night cast compares to the real-life SNL stars

“Directing is 90% casting.” That maxim of unknown origin has been subscribed to by some of Hollywood’s greatest directors, including Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, John Ford, Elia Kazan, and, seemingly, Jason Reitman.  The filmmaker behind “Saturday Night,” the movie about making the first episode of “SNL,” has said he could only make the film if he got the casting right. “He’s gonna find a John Belushi, and he’s gonna find a Gilda Radner, and he’s gonna find a Chevy Chase,” Reitman recently told The Hollywood Reporter of the task he put to his longtime casting director John Papsidera.“And, if he doesn’t, I guess we’re not going to make the movie.”With “Saturday Night” officially out in theaters today, Oct.

11, check out how the movie’s cast compares to the real-life performers they portray.“We only talked about a handful, maybe 10 or a dozen, Lornes,” Papsidera told THR of the hunt to cast the role of Lorne Michaels, the creator of “SNL.”  “Once you cross out all the ones that are not Jewish and Canadian, you really come down to one guy,” Reitman added, referring to Gabriel LaBelle, the actor who had a breakout performance in Steven Spielberg’s loosely autobiographical movie, “The Fabelmans.” The only thing that worked against LaBelle when it came to casting was his age.Michaels was 30 when “SNL” debuted.

LaBelle is 22.Thankfully, the up-and-coming actor has confidence beyond his years and proved to Reitman he could be believable as a 30-year-old.“I met Gabe standing next to Steven Spielberg, and Gabe held his own standing next to the greatest director alive,” Reitman recalled.

“That was one of the first moments where I went, ‘Wow, this kid has a presence.’”“I met him once briefly,” LaBelle told Variety of Michaels.“I was reading books, a lot of books, the internet’s endless.” He admitted that he “looked at impressions” of Michaels, “not to do a caricature of him, but...