When it comes to comedy, timing is everything — and for Kelly Lyon, timing isn’t just a skill; it’s an art form she’s mastered over years of editing, one frame at a time. Lyon’s journey from a child behind her dad’s VHS camcorder in Farmington Hills to a professional walking the Emmy stage in a gold gown is a story of both passion and precision.
Best known for her Emmy-winning work on John Mulaney’s Everybody’s in L.A. and her Emmy nomination for Tig Notaro’s Hello Again, the University of Michigan alumna displays a unique editing style that enhances the timing of stand-up specials like Mulaney’s Baby J and Amy Schumer’s Growing. She got her big break as an editor for Saturday Night Live from 2011 to 2016 and has also worked on shows like Portlandia. In November, we discussed her time in metro Detroit, her career, and her future plans.
What was it like growing up in Farmington Hills?
It was so beautiful. As a kid, my cousins and I would go around and create LEGO stop-motions. As a teenager, I liked to venture out to surrounding cities like Ann Arbor or downtown Detroit.
How did your passion for editing start?
I started editing at North Farmington High School my senior year [in 1999]. I remember Mr. Dean Cobb, the teacher that taught me to edit, and I having a conversation towards the end of my independent study, and I was like, “Oh, this is so fun. I really like editing, but it’s not a real job, right?” And he said, “No, it is a real job.” He also said not a lot of women do it, [and] that I should just go out there and give them hell.
How did you decide to specialize in comedy editing?
When I first started out, I was focused on music videos and thought I was heading toward a career at MTV. However, I ended up working on SNL while working for a woman named Debbie McMurtrey. I quickly realized that cutting comedy was far more fun than working on music videos.
You’ve done a lot with John Mulaney. How did your collaboration with him start?
I met John at SNL early in his career when he was just starting out as a writer and I had already been there for several seasons. What stood out about John was how his ideas and notes were always unexpected — unconventional and different from what I would have thought of. Editing John’s first Netflix stand-up [special], The Comeback Kid, was a pivotal moment in my career.
What did winning an Emmy mean to you, personally and professionally?
I still can’t believe it happened — I never even dared to dream it would. I’m so proud of the work I did on Everybody’s in L.A. with [co-editors] Sean and Ryan McIlraith. Winning an Emmy for something I worked on with John Mulaney, someone I deeply respect, was a dream come true.
What do you have planned next?
I would love to do more sitcom work, like 30-minute comedy shows. I love doing stand-up specials, and I have a lot more of those coming up. They’ve announced that Mulaney’s doing another live talk show. I’m looking forward to working on that with him.
This story originally appeared in the February 2025 issue of Hour Detroit magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of Hour Detroit at a local retail outlet. Our digital edition will be available on Feb. 10.
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