“SNL” is back. Here are the stories behind the show’s iconic photos

She’s not in the cast, but Mary Ellen Matthews has been a key part of “Saturday Night Live” for the past 23 years.

Since 1999, Matthews has been the show’s official photographer, taking the photos you see every time the show returns from a commercial break. These celebrity portraits showcase each week’s host and musical guest, and they’re as much a part of “SNL” as the opening monologue or “Weekend Update.”

“I always try to bring joy,” Matthews said. “That’s my kind of maxim about how I operate: bring the sense of the game, keep it light. It’s also nice to have those quiet moments that are a little more introspective every now and then. I think it’s a good balance in the show.

These portraits have been on the sketch comedy show since 1975, the year the show premiered. Edie Baskin was the photographer then, and Matthews picked up where she left off.

Every Thursday before a show, Matthews is able to meet with each host and musical guest to collaborate on a variety of looks or concepts. She comes up with ideas that could play on each subject’s personality or public persona. Or maybe it’s about recreating a famous work of art. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting Charles Barkley’s bald head in a sea of ​​basketballs.

“And there’s always something organic going on, so you kind of have to leave room for that,” Matthews said.

After each shot, a bit of post-production is required to ensure the photos have the graphics treatment and colors they need to “pop” for live streaming. In recent years, Matthews has also dabbled in moving stills.

Due to the hectic nature of the “SNL” production week, Matthews only has about 90 minutes with each host and 20 minutes with each musical guest. But it’s exciting, and she loves it.

“Every week is like the first week all over again,” she said. “You still want to do better than last week, and you still want to provide the same fantastic and creative service to every host and musical guest and make it as fun for them and (fulfilling) their dream.”

And make no mistake: Even for some of the biggest celebrities, hosting “SNL” is a dream come true, Matthews said, and they usually come to shoots eager to partake in the lore.

“I feel the excitement,” she said. “I can feel them thinking, ‘What are we going to do? There are a lot of crazy ideas. There were a lot of fun concepts. I think it’s time for them to let go a bit and break down that kind of confidence.

Broadcasting date : January 25, 2020

No special tricks were used for this image of Driver, who hosted the show for the third time in 2020. Just carefully placed mirrors and a little patience.

“He’s someone who understands what we’re trying to do,” Matthews said. “Very collaborative in getting the right position and positioning of him in the mirrors and the right position of his hands. It’s really nice to have those kinds of images in the camera.

Matthews often references famous works of art in his shots. This is a nod to René Magritte’s painting “Clairvoyance”.

In Magritte’s painting, it is a self-portrait of him painting a bird looking at an egg.

“I was kind of like, flip it,” said Matthews, who brought a prop chicken for the shoot with Isaac. “And now it’s a fried egg, and the chicken doesn’t like it very much.”

Broadcasting date : December 1, 2018

Foy, one of the stars of ‘The Crown’, is perched on a swing drinking from a cup of tea.

“We sort of lean into his Britishness,” Matthews said.

The studio crew hooked up the swing set for filming at NBC Studios. “It’s real,” Matthews said. “She’s actually hanging from a swing in the rafters of Studio 8H.”

Broadcasting date : October 26, 2019

Chance plays a gospel choir on his own. It was appropriate because in this episode he was both the host and the musical guest.

“We did it in all these poses and put them together,” Matthews said.

Chance has also called himself a Christian rapper and references his faith in his music.

“It spoke to him,” Matthews said.

Broadcasting date : October 9, 2021

“I was doing color gels last year, and it’s kind of like long exposure (photography) and it plays with the accents on her dress there,” Matthews said. “I just think it’s beautiful for her. A little more of her just feeling the moment. …

“She understands what we’re doing with the light and the long exposure, so she’s aware of the process, and our collaboration went wonderfully there.”

“We found the couch, and then Tom Broecker, our amazing costume designer, had this costume made,” Matthews said.

She said she couldn’t remember for sure if the sofa was like this or if it was upholstered to match Rudd’s outfit. But everything was perfect for player Rudd.

“He’s so expressive,” Matthews said. “It’s just the best, isn’t it?” We all love it.

Broadcasting date : November 4, 2017

It was another example of how some of the best portraits are unplanned.

“We just started playing and, you know, sometimes a character evolves when you hand someone a blowjob,” Matthews said.

She said it was David’s favorite from their shoot.

“I think he was asked to use it as a headshot or something. He likes it too,” she said.

Broadcasting date : December 8, 2018

Matthews often tries to formulate ideas based on each subject’s public persona. But it’s also fun to go in the opposite direction — like putting Momoa, who often plays badass, in a goofy costume.

“There’s another photo from the same shoot where I had her in pigtails, and (her expression) is like ‘thank you so much,’ that sort of thing — which plays exactly against type,” Matthews said.

She first wanted to make this photo an animation, but she spread it out as a still image.

“We talked about it and he kind of gave me some moves at the end. And the costume worked perfectly in a graphic sense.

Broadcasting date : February 20, 2021

Matthews recalls the ‘Bridgerton’ star being “so loved” during her week. “He was just a wonderful, wonderful person to work with,” she said.

Like the Foy shot above, this plays into his British past.

“Maybe I’m overusing the cup of tea,” she laughed. “But we were doing something and we just both decided, why don’t we just go through the other side of this? It was at the very end of filming. Just be playful and destroy the set. Why? not?”

“He’s definitely one of my favorites to photograph because, you know, he’s Bond,” Matthews said. “And for him to be a subject is a hell of a thing, I have to say.

“I’m a big fan, and I just thought he was throwing those kind of looks and putting them together, he took the spy and gave him a little comedic something there.”

This mirror was not intended to be part of the Glover shoot.

“We were just using it to check looks and stuff, and it became this thoughtful and amazing moment,” Matthews recalls. “Not usual for this kind of fun bumpers. But I think it’s really powerful.

Broadcasting date : November 23, 2019

Every year, it’s tradition for Matthews to incorporate that same turkey prop into the Thanksgiving show.

“We’re asking whoever’s hosting the Thanksgiving show to do something else with the turkey,” she said. “I think Matthew McConaughey was in the steam room and they both had little towels.

“But with Will, I was just thinking of walking his turkeys over there on Fifth Avenue. I just made it up, I don’t know. As if I didn’t quite know where we were going with this. Instead of walking your dogs, you walk your turkeys, and it kind of became a 70s version sort of along the line.

Broadcasting date : February 6, 2021

“He’s such a dynamic person,” Matthews said of “Schitt’s Creek” star Daniel Levy. “So adding that vibrant color to that candid moment, it just felt right to him. There was nothing forced there. It’s effortless Dan Levy right there.

Broadcasting date : December 15, 2018

“Christmas shows are always fun to do, and for this one I found a reference to the Beach Boys’ Christmas album where they decorate a Christmas tree,” Matthews said.

As with other holiday shows, Matthews will start brainstorming ideas ahead of time that can make every year different. She thought this one matched Damon and his sharp image perfectly.

“Matt did it perfectly with that kind of stuck-on, ‘everything’s in the world’ smile. … I wanted every photo of him here to be kind of the same, and he was able to seize the opportunity.

Broadcasting date : February 9, 2019

This photo of Halsey is another nod to an album cover: “Goats Head Soup” by the Rolling Stones.

“Mick Jagger is kind of covered in silk the same way,” Matthews said. “We were playing the Rolling Stones, and I was talking about the Stones, and I suggested that and she loved it. … And she’s so present. She’s such a collaborator. I love her, her artistry. She’s painter. There is so much for her.

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, “SNL” aired special “At Home” episodes where cast members filmed segments at home while practicing social distancing.

Matthews didn’t have her usual hosts or musical guests to take pictures, so she had to improvise too.

“We all had to make do with what we had at home, and she became my subject,” Matthews said. “So I put her in a bubble bath with a shower cap and a rubber ducky. … It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t really a lot of water. It was more of a bubble bath. But she definitely sounds like, ‘Please stop. Get me out of here.’

“I don’t know how much fun she’s having there. But she was very patient, and I owe her a big cookie for that one.

See more photos of Matthews and the stories behind them.

The new season of “SNL” airs Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and Peacock. This weekend’s host is actor Miles Teller, and musical guest is Kendrick Lamar.