SIU Carbondale alum Tim Wilkime, right, talks with actress and SIU alumna Melissa McCarthy and actress Allison Janney on “Late Late Show” set. (Photo by Terence Patrick)
February 06, 2023
Media Availability: SIU alum, Saturday Night Live director Tim Wilkime
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Tim Wilkime, a 2009 graduate from Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s radio-television program who recently directed the 2022-23 season opening episode of “Saturday Night Live,” will discuss his career with current College of Arts and Media students on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Wilkime will meet with students from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Communications Building Room 1251A and hold a Q&A about how he was able to land a job with the long-standing late night show. Reporters, news crews and photographers are invited to attend the presentation. To make arrangements for interviews, contact Jan Thompson, professor and director of the School of Journalism and Advertising, at janione@siu.edu.
While a student at SIU, Wilkime was part of the award-winning “alt.news 26:46,” the university’s award-winning half-hour alternative TV news magazine. Thompson, the faculty adviser, recalls Wilkime’s passion for comedy.
"Tim was one of those rare students who lived and breathed comedy and video work,” she said. “He excelled in alt.news by winning several professional Emmys. Landing a gig at SNL I think was his destiny.”
Wilkime currently directs the “Saturday Night Live’s” taped pieces. Previously, he’s worked on “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon, “The Late Late Show” with James Corden and “Adam Ruins Everything.” His 2019 short film “Milton” premiered at SXSW and won the Vimeo Staff Pick Award.
For more about Wilkime, visit his website.