Mitch Laurance - Part 1 (From Queens to Studio 8H: Mitch Laurance’s Wild Turn Toward “Saturday Night Live”)

In this opening chapter of our multi-part conversation, Mitch Laurance takes us all the way back—before the bright lights of television, before the broadcast booth, before the roles that made his career a near-constant highlight reel—back to a simpler time on the south shore of Long Island.

Born in Queens and raised in Hewlett, Mitch shares what it really felt like growing up as an identical twin: the built-in best friend, the constant competition, the comfort of always having someone to throw a football to, run pass routes with, or battle one-on-one on the backyard hoop. It’s a window into a childhood shaped by sports, neighborhood freedom, and family dinners—long before screens took over daily life.

Mitch also paints a moving portrait of his parents: a steady, quiet father who anchored the household, and a magnetic, big-hearted mother who seemed to know everyone, everywhere—right up through her later years. Along the way, he reflects on the one thing many of us wish we’d done more of: asking our parents the deeper questions while we still had the chance.

From there, the story pivots into the late-1960s college experience—an era that cracked Mitch’s world wide open—and then into a string of “how did that happen?” turns: photography school, restaurant work, a short-lived banking career in Louisville that ended with a two-week notice typed in a flash of clarity… and finally, the moment that changed everything.

A friend. A brand-new show. A simple offer: “ Lorne Michaels needs a gopher.”
Next thing Mitch knows, he’s making $93 a week, running on no sleep, and living in a tiny room above a sandwich shop—right as Saturday Night Live is being born.

And that’s just the beginning.

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Music by Lyrium.

About

"Legends of the Cue" is a pool history podcast featuring interviews with Pool Hall of Fame members, winners of major championships and other people of influence in and around pocket billiards. We also plan to highlight memorable pool brands, events and venues. Focusing on the positive aspects of the sport, we aim to create and provide an engaging and timeless repository of content that listeners can enjoy now and forever. Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher, Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, our podcast focuses on telling the life stories of pool's greatest, in their voices. Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cue.”