In Part 2 of our conversation with actor and sports broadcaster Mitch Laurance, Mitch takes us deeper into the improbable zigzags that turned a behind-the-scenes job at Saturday Night Live into a front-row seat to entertainment history—and ultimately, into a life on camera.
Mitch starts where most origin stories don’t: as a production “gopher” in the early days of SNL, absorbing the chaos, the pressure, and the genius up close. But week by week, opportunity finds him. He becomes a researcher for the writers, hunts down film and music clips, calls cues from the control room, and eventually earns his way into the Directors Guild. Then comes the moment that still feels surreal: Lorne Michaels taps Mitch to produce 20 prime-time “Best of SNL” specials, combing through sketches by theme and cutting them together with what Mitch calls “45-year-old technology.”
As the show explodes, Mitch quietly discovers something else—he likes being in the sketches. A line here, an extra there… and by 1980, with the original era ending, he makes a bold leap: move to Los Angeles and give acting a real shot.
That leap comes with a mind-bending twist. Mitch lands in Penny Marshall’s guest house, surrounded by a revolving door of Hollywood royalty—De Niro, Albert Brooks, Carrie Fisher, and more—while battling the ultimate imposter syndrome. Penny changes everything when she gifts him a role on Laverne & Shirley, getting him his Screen Actors Guild card and breaking the industry’s infamous catch-22.
But the heart of this episode is the complicated, deeply human story of Mitch and his twin brother Matthew—competition, distance, resentment, forgiveness—and the powerful creative reunion that follows, including memorable work together on Cop Rock, The Commish, and a standout Outer Limits episode built on parallel universes.
It’s a story about timing, doors opening, and choosing reconciliation—just before we pivot toward the pool world and one legendary “Striking Viking.”
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Music by Lyrium.
About
"Legends of the Cue" is a cue sports history podcast featuring interviews with Hall of Fame members, world champions, and influential figures from across the world of cue sports—including pocket billiards, snooker, and carom disciplines such as three-cushion billiards. We highlight the people, places, and moments that have shaped the game—celebrating iconic players, memorable events, historic venues, and the brands that helped define generations of play. With a focus on the positive spirit of the sport, our goal is to create a rich, engaging, and timeless archive of stories that fans can enjoy now and for years to come.
Co-hosted by WPA and BCA Hall of Fame member Allison Fisher and Mosconi Cup player and captain Mark Wilson, Legends of the Cue brings these stories to life—told in the voices of the game’s greatest figures.
Join Allison, Mark and Mike Gonzalez for “Legends of the Cu...