Every ‘Saturday Night,’ the Stars Smile for Her
The New York Times
The woman who has photographed 25 years of “S.N.L.” hosts knows how to coax playful shots out of Kim Kardashian, Helen Mirren and Donald Trump.
Mary Ellen Matthews was trying to make the cast of “Saturday Night Live” look funny. Bouncing around a studio in Lower Manhattan in cowboy boots last week, she lobbed suggestions at four cast members like the leader of an improv troupe.
“Group hug!”
“How about a trust fall?”
“You guys are all about to start a race: ready, set, go!”
Her camera clicked away as James Austin Johnson squatted on a stool and flapped his arms like a duck. He bit into an everything bagel, while Ego Nwodim tossed her bagel (cinnamon raisin) overhead.
Since 2000, Ms. Matthews has been the official photographer for “S.N.L.,” where she is responsible for visually sumptuous and conceptually nutty images that manage to transmit the show’s sense of humor without the luxury of dialogue.
A “MAGA Youth” dinner in Manhattan gave young Trump supporters a place to socialize and celebrate the new administration.
From the Super Bowl to a self-produced version of “Cops,” the second Trump administration is using imagery to project an air of authority and invincibility.
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As she prepares for her first Oscars as a nominee, the star of “The Substance” talks about the daring role that revitalized her career.
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The first rapper to headline the N.F.L.’s biggest stage solo made his Drake diss “Not Like Us” the centerpiece of his set at the expense of a larger statement.
*Well, maybe only to me. “S.N.L.” fans all have their own idea of the show’s peak, and this is mine.
Jellyfish gowns, Old Hollywood suits, tube tops and more.