Darrell Hammond
Comedian, Actor, NY Times Bestselling Author Longest Running Cast Member of SNL
A regular member of “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players Company” on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member in show history. Darrell Hammond took over as the announcer for SNL in September 2014. According to The Washington Post television critic Tom Shales, “Hammond could be considered…
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Full Bio
A regular member of “The Not Ready For Prime Time Players Company” on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member in show history. Darrell Hammond took over as the announcer for SNL in September 2014.
According to The Washington Post television critic Tom Shales, “Hammond could be considered the impressionist laureate of the United States; his incomparable satirical portraits are not only amusing but defining.
He continues to make cameo appearances on SNL, including the ever-popular Sean Connery in the recurring Celebrity Jeopardy! skits and performs live across the country. He can also be seen in several of the hit FUNNY OR DIE episodes. Hammond is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show, David Letterman, and Conan, and has guest starred in several TV series, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Damages on FX. His stand-up comedy special, Comedy Central Presents: Darrell Hammond, gave the network its biggest ratings to date for a half-hour comedy special, and he’s appeared in numerous films, and on Broadway.
In 2011, he added New York Times bestselling author to his credentials, with the release of his memoir, God, If You’re Not Up There, I’m F**cked: Tales of Stand-Up, Saturday Night Live and other Mind-Altering Mayhem. Called “riveting, revealing, and refreshing in heart and honesty,” this open and brave trek through Hammond’s life garnered rave reviews.
It’s been described as “Tina Fey’s Bossypants meets David Carr’s The Night of the Gun,” and Publisher’s Weekly had this to say: “Hammond’s moving memoir contains surprising detours. . . . [His] breezy style and facile storytelling will keep readers entertained even while reading about his struggle with alcoholism. . . . This funny man’s serious life can be an inspiration to all.”
He frequently appears on Funny or Die and was also the first Colonel Sanders featured in the national KFC campaign.
Actor, Comedian, and Cast Member of Saturday Night Live
As a regular on Saturday Night Live, Darrell Hammond is best known for the many impressions he has
brought to the show by television critics and viewers alike for their uncanny accuracy and range. He’s
performed as everyone from politicians (Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Rudy Giuliani, and Al Gore), media
figures (Ted Koppel, Sam Donaldson, Bob Costas, Phil Donahue) to celebrities (Sean Connery, Jay Leno,
and Regis Philbin).
In April 1997, he was applauded in the media for his dead-on impression of President Clinton during a
surprise appearance with the President himself at an event before thousands of government officials and
members of the Washington Press Corps. Recently, Darrell Hammond has taken over playing practically
the entire Bush Administration from Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld,
Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge –
sometimes in the same sketch.
Born and raised in Melbourne, Florida, Darrell Hammond began doing impressions as a child, but his pursuit
of a career in performing only began after graduating from the University of Florida in Gainesville. After
college, he lived in New York for several years and appeared in off- and off-off-Broadway productions,
in both dramatic and comedic roles. Later, he returned to Florida and honed his skills as an impressionist,
performing on local and national radio programs.
For the last several years, Hammond has been performing stand-up comedy and impressions in New York
and throughout the country. On film, he has lent his vocal talents to the recent animated version of
The King
And I
, and appeared in a number of blockbuster hits such as
Blues Brothers 2000
,
Agent Cody Banks
, and
Scary Movie 3
. On television, he’s appeared on NBC’s
Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show
with Jay Leno, Late Show with David Letterman, The Hollywood Squares
, and
Comedy on the Road
.
Hammond is a proud resident of the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan.
Testimonials
Ernie was perfect for our Elders Conference at Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan. We will definitely be using PDA again!
LITTLE RIVER BAND OF OTTAWA INDIANS
Our speaker was great and the crowd enjoyed her! She was very engaging. Thank you again PDA for the great list of suggestions!
MEDTRONIC
Everything went great! and our speaker was wonderful! Thank you so much for all your help PDA! Looking forward to the next one.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI – KANSAS CITY
I hope that this message finds you well. We had a phenomenal time with Atsuko this past Thursday. We wanted to just let you know how amazing she was. All those that were in attendance thoroughly enjoyed her and had nothing but amazing things to say about her. Thank you for working with us to make sure this happened!
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
We had a fantastic day with Inge! She was very engaging with all those that attended. Her personal stories about the holocaust were very special and we were moved that she was willing to share them with everyone. Thank you again, PDA for all your hard work and dedication to make this program such a success!
SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Dear PDA Group, Thank you so much for your hard work in scheduling our speaker! From the moment we reached out to you the first time, you worked with us on all details and logistics and kept us up-to-date on the progress. Thank you for all your hard work on making our event such a success! We couldn't have done it without you and your team!
SAP COMPANY
Thank you again, Dr. Kimbrough, for a great presentation, our attendees are still talking about it!
CAMPUS LABS
Dr. Henry Lee's presentation was entertaining, insightful and wise. I, and everyone at Pfizer, especially appreciate the remarks you directed about following your passion and preparing yourself to excel. Thank you, everyone, at PDA for helping to make this happen!
PFIZER
The event was successful! I received many messages expressing how awesome, outstanding and inspiring Ms. Webb-Christburg's speech was."
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, BOSTON, MLK SPEAKER
Everything went well. Atsuko was very easy to work with and the students enjoyed her performance! Thank you again for your recommendation and I hope to work with you again in the future!
CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Novello left this morning after a very successful event on our campus! Thank you PDA Group for your help from the first phone to the last you were with us every step of the way.
GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY
Jordan Carlos was very very entertaining! A majority of students who answered the event survey indicated they really enjoyed Jordan and definitely will bring him back!
WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
On behalf of myself and my organization Entertainment Unlimited the Campus Programming Board of Ferris State University, we thank you PDA and Dan for a successful event!! Dan was magnificent! Students really enjoyed the presentation. I know I did. Can't wait to bring in more programs with PDA Group.
FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY
It was a great pleasure to work with PDA Group! The communication was always prompt, friendly and helpful. We loved the speakers and events we booked through Mr. Peter Walker (PDA Group).
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Thank you, Peter, for all your help, you'll be happy to know that the event went incredibly well! Aneesa Ferreira was by far one of the best speakers we've ever had!
FURMAN UNIVERSITY
Topics
Tales of Stand-Up, Saturday Night Live, and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem
Listed by TIME Magazine as one of the “100 Best TV Shows of All-Time,” Saturday Night Live boldly revitalized satirical and political humor on television. It continues to be a showcase for cutting-edge music and comedy, and is for many entertainers the dream gig of a lifetime.
t’s also one of the hardest jobs in show business.
A gifted comedian and impressionist, Darrell Hammond became the show’s longest serving cast member. He holds the SNL record for the most impressions by a single cast member, and has made more SNL appearances than anyone else.
His expert portrayals of such media figures and celebrities as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Donald Trump, John Travolta and Chris Matthews have been called “genius” and “defining,” and he continues to make cameo appearances on SNL- including the ever-popular Sean Connery in the recurring Celebrity Jeopardy! skits. He also appears in many of the notorious FUNNY OR DIE episodes.
Hammond’s road to success is an unlikely one for sure. On academic probation during most of his college career, he was singled out for his inability to speak very well. Yet, in his late 20’s he was working at a small radio station in Florida (where they did not let him do impressions on the air) and made it known that his dream was to be on SNL (you can imagine how that went over!). In spite of the impossible odds, he focused on his craft, committed to making one small, incremental improvement a week. Considered a late bloomer in the world of professional comedy, he was 39 years old when he was selected to join the cast of SNL. There, he continuously worked on improving his skills and soon became SNL’s “go to guy” for performing under pressure.
Off the air, however, he was battling a severe drug and alcohol addiction and other issues stemming from a hellish and abusive childhood. The fact that he even survived long enough to achieve his goal is a testament to his tenacity and focus.
With poignant and hilarious turns, Hammond takes audiences from the set of Saturday Night Live to visits to the White House (with stops along the way in various Harlem crack houses, a Caribbean jail and more than a few psych wards). He is passionately committed to reducing the stigman of mental illness and addiction, and the story of his journey to sobriety and the final (correct) diagnosis of PTSD is inspiring audiences nationwide.
Hammond’s surprising story resonates with anyone who shares a love of comedy, a desire to know how an artist can climb from the deepest despair to the very top of his profession, or simply with anyone wanting to find a way to make a living doing what they love.
Videos
Darrell Hammond
Donald Trump Impersonator John Di Domenico & Darrell Hammond CNN Isha Sesay 4.27.17
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