Who is Sandy Wernick? Saturday Night Live airs title card tribute

Who is Sandy Wernick? We recognize that there may be many out there who curious after the Saturday Night Live tribute tonight — and of course, we are happy to shed a little bit of light on the issue.

First and foremost, though, we do think it is worth a reminder that title cards are a way for every show out there to honor something hugely significant to their legacy — and of course, the late-night sketch show has more of one than most. They air in perpetuity and because of that, they allow viewers a chance to become educated on key figures over time.

For Wernick in particular, we are talking about someone who helped shape someone extremely important to Saturday Night Live, and also Hollywood in general. He was best known as Adam Sandler’s longtime manager, dating back to even before he was a breakout star. He also went on to serve as an executive producer on many of his feature films. Sandler of course defined a generation of SNL with his brand of humor, and has since turned back up for assorted appearances over time.

So what was Sandy’s connection to SNL beyond just being a talent manager? Well, a recent obituary at Variety notes that he was essential in packaging and producing the show among many others (including The Muppet Show), and that executive producer and series guru Lorne Michaels was one of his many clients as an agent / manager. Two other notable names include Colin Quinn and Rob Schneider.

Wernick passed away earlier this week at the age of 86, and clearly, Michaels and the entire team wanted to make sure that they honored him as soon as they could. While he was never the name at the top of headlines when it comes to the series, the title card signifies his importance — and also just how many are going to miss him.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to Sandy Wernick’s friends and loved ones during this difficult time. We hope that the tribute from the series tonight offers up a sense of comfort.