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Among the various pop culture gods who hover benevolently over our modern society, few are more sacred than Jim Henson. We would go so far as to argue that much of our enduring affection for Henson’s most beloved creations, the Muppets, is basically a function of the love many feel for Henson himself. The man embodied a rare mix of subversive humor and deep empathy in almost everything he did, a mix of kindness and cutting wit that is rarely seen. It’s a tough act to follow, is what we’re trying to state.
That is why we are fascinated to know that Nicholas Braun, better known to the public as SuccessionCousin Greg, who is sweating failure, will try to play Henson in the next Saturday night live historical drama SNL 1975. Braun joins the cast alongside Tommy Dewey, from The Mindy Project and Casualwho will play as legendary SNL the writer Michael O’Donoghue and Harry Potter Broadway alum Nicholas Podany, who will play a young version of Billy Crystal. (Before you ask: Although Crystal didn’t join the show’s cast until 1984—after had featured it several times, it’s worth remembering: it was originally scheduled to appear in the first episode, the theme of the film).
Henson’s tenure in SNL It was generally seen as a rare flop for him, and his “Land Of Gorch” sequences in the show’s first series were the subject of much mockery, most famously from O’Donoghue, who once quipped: “I won’t write for felt”. That said, it’s unclear how much of Braun’s Henson will appear in 1975, which is directed by Jason Reitman, working from his own co-written script based on accounts from the show’s first broadcast. The incoming trio joins a cast that includes Gabriel LaBelle as Lorne Michaels, plus Cooper Hoffman, Rachel Sennott, Ella Hunt and Lamorne Morris, among others.