Seth Meyers: Year Of Big Changes For Emmy Host And SNL Alum

Seth Meyers will be in the television industry spotlight this summer as host of the 66th annual Emmy Awards. It’s a coveted entry into prime time for the late night star.

Seth made the switch from Saturday Night Live, where he was a writer and popular anchor of the Weekend Update desk, to his own talk show in February. His 12:35 a.m. time slot follows fellow SNL alum Jimmy Fallon, who was tapped to host The Tonight Show upon the departure of Jay Leno. Fallon himself hosted the Emmys in 2010, the last time NBC broadcast the ceremony.

NBC executive Paul Telegdy praised Meyers whose “expertise and ease in front of a live audience during his time at SNL,” as well as his “comedic brilliance” make him an ideal Emmy host. Meyers himself is no stranger to Emmy awards. He won in 2011 for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for co-writing a Justin Timberlake monologue on SNL.

Variety reported in early April on the success of Meyers’ new late night endeavor, notably drawing high numbers from the young adult demographic.

Seth Meyers has passed many milestones in the past year. Last September he married his long time girlfriend and in December, he turned 40.

Seth’s nuptials to lawyer Alexi Ashe netted them a spread in Vogue, whose writer revealed Ashe got food poisoning mere days before the wedding and spent the morning of the ceremony in hospital. Despite this challenge, the event, held under a “bipolar Martha Vineyard’s sky,” according to Vogue, went off without a hitch.

Meyers is still easing into his career transition. On leaving SNL after more than a decade, Meyers told NPR this week:

“The part [I] miss the most not being on the show anymore is Wednesday, which was the table read where you basically had to watch 40 pieces all with varying degrees of success… [Y]ou got to see everything in the incubator stage to the final product, and that part of the job is so wonderful.”

Thankfully, Seth has kept his SNL buddies close in his new job. Former Update co-anchor Amy Poehler was his first guest. Former SNL cast member and Portlandia star Fred Armisen is Meyers’ bandleader on Late Night. It would seem that no matter what big changes may be coming up for the comedy star, Seth Meyers will always hear the words “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” echoing in his memory.

[Image: AP Photo/Matt Sayles]