Live from New York, it’s former Saturday Night Live mainstay Stephen “Demo” DeMaria!
DeMaria, a carpenter who has built the set for every episode since the show’s debut 50 years ago, is retiring at age 87, according to CBC Radio. His last show was Saturday night’s season 50 finale.
Known as “The Boss of the Carpenters,” DeMaria first started practicing carpentry at age 14. His SNL journey began in 1974, a year before the show’s debut, when he was hired to build the seating for the studio audience. That gig put him on the radar of series creator Lorne Michaels.
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‘The Wiz’ sketch on ‘SNL’ on December 5, 2015
“I’m grateful for Lorne Michaels because he actually gave me the opportunity to stay here,” he told the outlet.
As for where he’s at currently, the master carpenter said, “I’m still driving, I don’t wear glasses, and I still move around. I tell you the truth, I didn’t have a bored day in my life. Never. Even now.”
According to the report, DeMaria’s schedule at the start of each new fall season included starting his Thursdays at 1 a.m., receiving the week’s set design sketches by 2 a.m., and then splitting the work among five teams of approximately 50 total carpenters.
The sets would be built in pieces at the Brooklyn Navy Yard by Friday evening, and once completed, got sent to the famous Studio 8H at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan for the show on Saturday.
In a different interview with Gothamist, DeMaria said his favorite sets that he helped create were some of the early ones.
“I say the first 12 years was the best shows for SNL,” he told the outlet.
“My favorite sets were the ones with John Belushi, with the restaurant, and Eddie Murphy, with that little apartment he used to come down, open the door,” he added, referring to the “Olympia Restaurant” and “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood” sketches from the show’s early days.
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Dana Carvey, right, plays the Church Lady in a sketch with Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks on ‘SNL’
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As for what he’s going to do now that his time on SNL is behind him?
“People wanna know, what are you gonna do? I says, I got plenty to do,” he told Gothamist. His plans include taking care of the house he built for his family on Staten Island, and spending more time with his two kids, three grandchildren, pets, rescue animals, and garden.
And when it comes to the 50 years he spent at SNL, DeMaria said he had no regrets.
“I wouldn’t change a bit,” he said. “In fact, if I go out tomorrow, I’ll still be the happiest guy around.”
An Entertainment Weekly request for comment from NBC was not immediately returned Monday.
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