Ron Manville
Eugene Lee in his studio.
Yes, really, the whole time. At 77, he is one of the only original crew members still working, alongside "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels, who brought Lee in for the variety sketch program from a background in Broadway theater.
Three Tony Awards, 12 Emmy nominations, and one Emmy win later, Lee continues to carry on his accomplished tradition in theater while also leading the "SNL" production-design team, week in and week out.
"In live television, we're a throwback to the past," Lee recently told Business Insider. "We still draw up sets by hand, the old-fashioned way: drafting sheets, pencils, tracing paper. But some things have changed over the years, of course."
Lee traced the evolution of the show over the course of its 42 seasons to us. In doing so, he revealed the inner workings of some of the best sketches in the history of the legendary series.
Here are the backstage secrets behind six famous "SNL" sketches: