Dana Carvey Biography

Fast Facts

• Listed as number 90 on Comedy Central's list of the "100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time․"
• Won the American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Male Performer in a TV Series from 1989 to 1991
• Earned a degree in broadcast communications from San Francisco State University
• Got his big break when he appeared in "One of the Boys" alongside Mickey Rooney, Nathan Lane and Meg Ryan
• Quote: "I enjoy pushing my characters to the limit․ No matter how far out there I go, I look for things that make the characters human․ While many comics have a secret persona, I fundamentally want to be myself․"
• Frequently impersonates political figures, including George Bush, Ross Perot, Jimmy Carter, etc
• Had open-heart surgery in 1997 to unblock a clogged artery, but the doctor operated on the wrong artery by mistake
• At his time of departure, he held the record for say "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night" the most often
• Before becoming an actor, he worked as a busboy at Holiday Inn
• Was suggested as David Letterman's replacement for the "Late Show" on CBS