Last week, an SNL panel moderated by Jimmy Fallon, Lorne Michaels had a lot of interesting things to say. Check out some of these quotes from the panel, as taken from The Huffington Post.

On the indelible political characters that make the show famous, like Will Ferrell's George W. Bush and Tina Fey's Sarah Palin:



I think the secret always is to make them likable. They're always charming. You can't get laughs if the writing is just sad and you're pointing out a) that you have a strong opinion b) that you're really smart and c) people should agree with you.
 
On being mainstream:



When you leave NYC and LA and you realize how important the show is, [for] people who are not on the grid and can just check in on it...You're always aware you're doing it for the country. Unless you reach the middle of the country you haven't really succeeded.
 
On starting out:



We used to make the cast watch the show. In the first season, we used to watch it at noon on Monday and it was bleak...The only person who I knew loved watching the show when we'd come in on Monday was Jon Lovitz.
 
Where does Lorne find cast members?



We were in Chicago for three days, then LA, then there are submissions. Basically the people who want to audition know where we are now. Most people who audition are standing in homebase. Some people wilt under the pressure. That's not a good sign, because that's the number one job requirement. We don't bring anyone in we don't think has a good chance at succeeding, or else it's awkward at the after party.


And:


I think for most people who do the show it's their first professional job. I think stage experience is essential. Not necessarily theatrical, just being on the stage. It's a job you learn once you get there. There isn't a sure route to it.

On Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer's pitches for SNL Digital Shorts:



The gentleman come in early with their idea, like Friday afternoon.

As a kid, what did he dream of becoming one day?



Vaguely in the second grade I thought I was going to be a movie star. If I had been asked the question I would have said "lawyer."


Will SNL last?


[Yes]. It's a legacy thing at NBC. They've always supported the show, particularly in recent years.