First published 2025
Mary Ellen Matthews transforms Saturday Night Live's biggest names into unforgettable images. For over twenty years, she has created the show's signature bumper portraits that bridge commercial breaks. Her camera captures Andy Samberg submerged in an oversized martini glass and Billie Eilish emerging from fresh snow. Kevin Hart scribbles his own cue cards while Paul Rudd channels Paul McCartney. Sarah Silverman tends to the NBC marquee as Alec Baldwin embodies the Godfather. Matthews works week after week to produce inventive photographs that showcase each host and musical guest. Her bold visual approach brings playful energy to America's most enduring comedy program. Published for SNL's 50th anniversary, this collection presents more than 200 color portraits alongside behind-the-scenes photography. The book includes a foreword from show creator Lorne Michaels and features Matthews discussing her creative process. Each image appears with captions written by the photographer herself, revealing the stories behind her most memorable shots.
Genres: biography, art, photography, art-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: creative-process, visual-storytelling
Setting: NBC, Saturday Night Live
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
272 pages · Hardcover · Harry N. Abrams