Saturday Night Live follows the same schedule every week. On Mondays, the writers and cast pitch ideas to the host. On Tuesdays, they go heads down writing sketches. On Wednesdays, there’s a table read. Then, on Thursdays, Mary Ellen Matthews enters the picture.
Matthews has been the late-night show’s visionary resident photographer, tasked with taking the bumper shots (images that air before the live taping cuts to commercial) of the talent who comes through the halls of Studio 8H, since 1999. The 59-year-old’s shoots are energized and imaginative. They sometimes recreate classic works of art or iconic scenes from film and TV; feature elaborate costuming or props (think: martinis, miniatures, and mammals), and capture the essence of both celebrity and comedy.
The photos only run for three seconds each, but Matthews has been committed for over 25 seasons to go as big as possible every week. In addition to “the new talent who comes in” who inspires her to keep it fresh when she gets behind the lens, she tells Marie Claire that the enthusiasm for her work—which fits into only a sliver of SNL’s runtime—is because of what a “dream” her job is. “Every year it seems to get better than last,” she says. “It's such a big part of my life here in New York City, and it's just a big family, so I'm so happy to be there still.”
To coincide with SNL’s 50th anniversary, Matthews is publishing a book featuring over 200 photos from throughout her tenure. Titled The Art of the SNL Portrait, out on March 4, the book is a snapshot of her portraits of SNL staples like Tina Fey, five-timers like Emma Stone, and recent first-time hosts like Ayo Edebiri.
Matthews spoke to Marie Claire about her process, whether she prefers shooting first-time or returning hosts, and the pop star whose gum she held onto for years.
Marie Claire: You were the successor of Edie Baskin, whom you assisted. Did it feel significant having a woman as a mentor to help navigate photography or SNL at the time, which was a bit more male-dominated?
Mary Ellen Matthews: 100 percent. It definitely was a little bit more of a men's club back then, so, to me, she was a very powerful figure—having so much influence on the show and creative direction. I really looked up to that. And there was another gal in our department, Leslie [Weiner], who got me the job there, so it was a girls' club for a little while.
When I first started with [Edie], I was in more of an administrative position there, while I was shooting a lot on my own. And so it worked up to me shooting at the show and taking over for her. It didn't happen overnight. I learned the right way, though. It's not just about the shooting, it's about being part of what the show is and how to represent the show.
MC: Your photos are rich in pop culture and artistic references. When you learn who the host or musical guest is, what is your process to conceptualize the shoot and have it fit the talent’s personality?
MEM: Because we don't live in a vacuum from pop culture, we know who might be coming down the road for us, so I try to stay up on things and be familiar with people. You kind of take somebody in and look at their [social media] account—just see what they're into, what their vibe is. And I'm always putting things away, thinking what could be a good idea for somebody.
I always say, ‘Make it ours. Make it our own.’ It's not to copy the Mona Lisa, but you make it a Saturday Night Live version of that. I'm always gathering, always collecting, always inspired. And then once I know who it is, do a deep dive on that person and try to see if I can come up with something that would be fun for them.
MC: What keeps you inspired and continuing to think of new concepts?
MEM: It's a way that I can contribute to the world of art. I'm not saying what I do is art, but it's in that world.
To keep your skills honed and your creative spark lit, it’s important to look outside and see what everyone else is doing, and we all influence each other. If you stay in your own box—the box in your head—it's not going to go very well. So, I'm constantly looking around and Instagram is such a great tool.
MC: Is it more fun to shoot a first-time host or someone who’s been on before?
MEM: I can't say one is better than the other. It's nice to have someone who's been on before because then you're familiar with somebody and you get to do what you didn't get to do last time. The more you get to know somebody, the more you can collaborate with them because they know what's coming and come up with ideas. That's always the most fun. So, instead of me pitching them, they'll pitch me.
I always say, ‘Make it ours. Make it our own.’ It's not to copy the Mona Lisa, but you make it a 'Saturday Night Live' version of that.
MC: Was there someone you worked with who brought ideas to you that you were particularly excited about?
MEM: A chapter in the book is a “case study with John Mulaney,” so he is that guy. He is somebody who takes this part of the show and really digs in and gets involved. He's so rich with ideas—what a hoot to play with him!
MC: Why is it so important to you to go so big every week?
MEM: Because it's like each shoot or each week, the next week is another week, and you have this blank slate to start over again. It's like, Well, how can I do better? How can I be funnier? How can I make it relate more? How can I get the next person to have more fun and relax that person more? You get to redo it. It's like this Groundhog Day scenario because I can—and I really care about it. I always want to do the best work possible because you're given amazing talent to work with, which is so special.
MC: Matt Damon was your first shoot as Head Photographer in 1999. How different was that week versus your typical week now?
MEM: Not very much. I wasn't really playing with props. I wasn't coming up with concepts. It was more just personality-driven. We were shooting on Tuesdays then, now we shoot everything on Thursdays. I took a big deep breath, that's for sure. But when you're given an opportunity like that, you really have to show up for it.
MC: What shoot props have you held onto over the years?
MEM: I was doing this thing for a while [where I was] keeping little things that happened on the set. Just as a joke, not to take this too seriously, I had Justin Bieber's gum. Because you're taking someone's pictures and they're chewing, you're like, ‘Get rid of the gum.’ So I had his gum, I put it in a thing, and it was in my freezer for a while. Billie Eilish smashed a toy guitar, so I have the neck of that. It's all broken up.
I have a lineup. It's a funny little museum—some at home, some in my office.
MC: I understand Lorne Michaels has some favorite photos in his office. Do you know which ones?
MEM: Not off the top of my head. But he has this big corkboard collage right next to his desk in his ninth-floor office. We've put years on top of years. It's really a piece of art now, and that's what the endpapers are when you open up the book on either side.
MC: Was Lorne always hands-off when you took over the role or was it over time that he was like, “She’s got this?”
MEM: Everybody will say this: He puts people into place that he doesn't have to worry about too much. I think he trusted Edie and to turn it over to me. I can't speak for him exactly, but I remember [in the beginning] being like, ‘Is this okay? Is this okay?’ We don't do that anymore. But in the beginning, I was coming to him to make sure that he was okay with what I was doing. I haven't thought about that in a long time, actually.
MC: You’ve said that coming onto this role meant learning what the voice of SNL was and capturing it. How much do you think it’s changed since then?
MEM: It's the sense of cool that SNL will always have, and that is a thing you bring and you take from it at the same time. That doesn't change at all.
But the people who are on [the show now] are so varied in who they are and what their background is. All these kids are so young now and have such success. That’s not to say that you don't have your Willem Dafoes and your Robert De Niros, which keeps it well balanced. But there's a youthfulness and the voice is coming from that—and also the voice of being on the right side of history and speaking to the right people in the right way.
MC: You’ve shot so many people, but is there anyone who you haven’t worked with yet and would like to?
MEM: It's women. Any women artist—like [visual artist] Cindy Sherman—I would love to shoot that kind of thing. Meryl Streep or Patti Smith. The band Heart.
MC: Is there anyone you’ve been starstruck by?
MEM: I got to shoot Stevie Nicks [in October 2024], which was incredible. She was absolutely a delight, and I couldn't believe it was happening. She has such a way about her—of course, her witchy aura—and she was so engaging.
MC: You got your start as a photographer in the music industry, so that must’ve been exciting for you as a longtime fan.
MEM: I was—I still am—a music freak. Where my happiness lies is when I look at the board of who's coming up and I get to learn so many new artists. I mean, sometimes I'm like, who? and then they blow me away. When they step on that stage, you see all the effort it takes. You see it from our perspective, from the Thursday rehearsals and sound checks to when they come Saturday and it's live. It's an amazing thing to witness every week, and I'm always cheering people on because you want them to succeed.
MC: Who is a new artist who you weren’t familiar with but became a fan of?
MEM: Lil Yachty. He just blew my mind. Blew the roof off.
