Actor J. K. Simmons has been tapped to play the role of Milton (“Mr. Television”) Berle in Sony Pictures’ upcoming film SNL 1975, to be directed by Jason Reitman from a script co-written with Gil Kenan.

Milton Berle, also known as “Uncle Miltie”, was part of a pioneering generation of stand-up comedians during the 1950s, a period known as the Golden Age of Television. Berle, who died at the age of 93 in 2002, enjoyed a show-business career that spanned eight decades. The iconic comedian made his performing debut in 1913, winning a children’s Charlie Chaplin contest at the age of five.

SNL 1975 will depict the origins of the Saturday Night Live comedy show, which first appeared on television screens on October 11, 1975, heralding a brash new era for TV comedy. In making the film, the producers conducted extensive interviews with many of the surviving cast members.

Joining Simmons in the cast will be Gabriel LaBelle in the role of Lorne Michaels, Dylan O’Bryan as Dan Aykroyd, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Lamore Morris as Garret Morris, Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Nicholas Podany as Billy Crystal.

Other last-minute additions to the cast of SNL 1975 include Joe Chrest as Herb Sargent, Taylor Grey as Al Franken, Mcabe Gregg as Tom Davis, and Billy Bryk in a yet-unannounced role.

Simmons is perhaps best known for playing the role of J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. He also appeared in films such as Juno, Thank You for Smoking, and Up in the Air. On television, he played the recurring role of Dr Emil Skoda on the NBC series Law & Order. He is next slated to appear in Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant 2 for Amazon, starring with Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson.

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