People go to the zoo and they like the lion because it's scary. And the bear because it's intense, but the monkey makes people laugh.

"
In Canada Michaels also received a 2006 Governor General's Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. He has a sister Barbara Lipowitz who currently resides in Toronto and a brother Mark Lipowitz who died from a brain tumor. In a 2008 interview with Playboy as well in various other interviews Tina Fey admitted that Alec Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock is inspired by Michaels.