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Thursday, November 16, 2006
“Lost,” Criminality, project “Runaway,” cats and dogs living …By tivo
Darrell Hammond Has No Imitators
Washington Post, United States - Nov 3, 2006… Such shows are why the Lord made VCRs, DVRs, TiVos and, yes, perhaps even TV
critics, whose mandate it is to go forth spreading the word — that word being …
Tivo - http://tivo.mysupportblog.com
Hammond's 'Best' fits the Bill
New York Daily News - New York,NY,USA
... And "Saturday Night Live's"
Darrell Hammond has arguably given us the best Bill Clinton we could hope for - an inerrable lovable Lothario. ...
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| Hammond enjoys playing Clinton. |
| Lampooning elected officials is the métier of many a comedian. Comedy Central's Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert
have built careers out of whole cloth on the gaffes of President Bush and his cohorts. And "Saturday Night Live's" Darrell
Hammond has arguably given us the best Bill Clinton we could hope for - an inerrable lovable Lothario.
"The world will always be fascinated with [Clinton]," said Hammond. "Even when he's not in the news, we find a way to trot
him back out there."
Witness Clinton's recent finger-jabbing tirade against Fox News' Chris Wallace.
Hammond's Clinton parodies and many more are part of tonight's "SNL" special, "The Best of Darrell Hammond," at 11:30 on
NBC.
Like many "SNL" cast members, Hammond is a natural chameleon, morphing easily between Clinton, Jesse Jackson, Donald Trump
and in a "Celebrity Jeopardy" skit included in tonight's special, a randy but very obtuse Sean Connery.
Will Forte is "SNL's" resident George W. Bush. But Hammond does a hilarious Dubya in his standup routine.
"I'm really aware that some of the material I perform isn't always pleasing to some of the people I respect," he said.
But those people are pleased. Both administrations and various other world leaders and celebrities, according to
the soft-spoken comedian, have been incredibly supportive.
"They make you feel like you're one of the coolest things that happened to them in a long time. You wouldn't think these
world leaders would be so friendly. It's still amazing to me with their schedules that they have time to listen to me tell
jokes."
Part of Hammond's appeal is his ability to deliver blistering effigies of Clinton, Bush and even the Rev. Al Sharpton that
are not weighed down by smugness and derision. It's because he has genuine affection for all of his targets.
"When you start studying people, you end up really liking them," he said. "I watch them all the time, in all kinds of situations,
and see that they love their country and they're trying to do their best.
"I love them all."
Originally published on November 4, 2006 |
Tom Shales - Darrell Hammond Has No Imitators - washingtonpost.com
It's finally happened -- or will have happened by this time tomorrow: a "Saturday Night Live" show without
a single weak sketch or proverbial dull moment.
Darrell Hammond: Joke of all 'Saturday Night Live' charades Orlando Sentinel, FL - Nov 4, 2006… Clinton. Another montage celebrates his astounding range as Dr. Phil McGraw, Dan Rather, Geraldo Rivera, Jimmy
Carter and others. … ...
Brian Stern
vp and agent, WMA
BORN: May 28, 1971
Brian Stern has no complaints about his humble beginnings in the WMA mailroom. "I knew that you had
to work your way up," says Stern, who had worked briefly at HBO. "When you look at the long list of people who have done it
before me, it was such an honor." Stern's ear for comedy and his willingness to canvass New York's clubs and off-Broadway
theaters looking for new talent helped get him promoted to agent, with a client list that includes Susie Essman, Dan Fogler,
Darrell Hammond, Jennifer Hudson and the satirical paper the Onion, which is developing a movie based on
its brand.
OPENING NIGHT: "I figured out that the comedy space wasn't crowded in terms of agents, and I responded," Stern
says. When he was still an assistant, he helped the agency sign Steve Carell (who has since switched representation). More
recently, he and a colleague discovered and signed Fogler after seeing him perform in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling
Bee" in the Berkshires; one year later, the Tony winner is now starring in such 2007 releases as the Weinstein Co.'s "Fanboys,"
Rogue Pictures' "Balls of Fury" and Lionsgate's "Good Luck Chuck." "It's very exciting that all of Hollywood is falling for
him," Stern says.
NEW YORK STATE OF MIND: "It always comes up, the question of, 'When are you moving to L.A.?'" Stern
says. "But I don't feel the need to -- a lot of my clients are New York-based." Being in New York also allows Stern to stay
current with the shows most likely to feature up-and-coming talent. "The comedy festivals are a great resource," he says,
"but I probably see 25-30 Broadway and off-Broadway shows a year."
DRAMA BOY: Stern's no longer relegating himself to
clients who make him laugh and is now developing the careers of dramatic talent like Hudson. "There's nothing more gratifying
than mapping out a client's game plan and seeing it come to fruition," he says, "especially when it's sooner rather than later."
Tuesday November 7th, 2006 1:04 PM by Big Head Rob
Filed under: Washington Post, TV
We were a little harsh on the longtime Saturday Night Live player’s political impressions a few weeks back, but this
weekend the show paid him a great big “best of” tribute. And WaPo’s Tom Shales loved it:
His impressions aren’t just uncanny for how he captures the sounds and sights of his quarry but also for the keen, clear
cleverness of the portraits.
Conceptually and contextually, these are gems of near-perfection, with Hammond repeatedly opting for a subtler sort of
savagery than those run-of-the-mill impressionists whose mills often run dry. Hammond’s work is on a level
all its own, and the “SNL” writers often use it for a higher purpose even than getting laughs, although laughs are obviously
gotten.
We quibble, of course, but everyone can have an opinion.
NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED TEASER II
The Ronalds Brothers NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED is an UNDEAD OFFICE COMEDY starring Darrell Hammond(SNL),
Judd Nelson(Breakfast Club/Suddenly Susan), Dave Foley(Kids in the Hall/News Radio), Jason Mewes(Clerks 1&2/Jay and Silent
Bob ...
Thu, November 16, 2006 | link
Friday, November 3, 2006
Navel gazing costs smug Studio 60
Navel gazing costs smug Studio 60Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
... Not coincidentally, next Saturday's
show will be a "best of" compilation featuring deadpan impressionist Darrell Hammond, a veteran of some 11 years, longer
...
Darrell Hammond on political humor
Darrell Hammond on political humor
Nov. 2: With all the political talk, sometimes you just need a break. That's where political humor
comes in, and nobody does it better than "Saturday Night Live's" Darrell Hammond.
Yes, Mister Darrell Hammond, this is your life.
'Mr. President' finally gets his own special
... he helped to make famous too - has been out of office six years. Yet both remain indelibly
linked: The real McCoy still seems only barely distinguishable from his comic Doppelganger. Yes, Mister Darrell Hammond,
this is your life.
Video: Darrell Hammond on political humor
Video: Darrell Hammond on political humorBy Administrator
2: With all the political talk, sometimes you just need
a break. That’s where political humor comes in, and nobody does it better than “Saturday Night Live’s” Darrell Hammond.(MSNBC).
Read More Source: MSNBC.com: Politics.
Thursday, November 2, 2006
Veteran comedian Darrell Hammond to get SNL spotlight
He's survived creative redirections and misdirections, side-stepped cast purges (a recent one) and the more civilized cast
"departures." The president who made him famous — and perhaps in some small measure he helped to make famous, too — has been
out of office six years. Yet both remain indelibly linked.
Yes, Darrell Hammond, this is your life.
Hammond gets his very own, very first Saturday Night Live special (Nov. 4 on NBC), practically on the eve of the
Tuesday midterms. So one can reasonably ask: What's taken so long?
For 11 seasons — some glorious, some unspeakable — he's been the rock of SNL, with a few exceptions. (He still
can't figure out George W. Bush, and enough already with Chris Matthews.) Besides Phil Hartman and Dana Carvey, there is pretty
much no one who has performed the art of impression better than Hammond on SNL, and certainly no one for as long.
What to expect on this Saturday's clip show? Let's see — Clinton, Dick Cheney, Dr. Phil, Jesse Jackson, Dan Rather and
Al Gore are all reasonable guesses.
Meanwhile, Hammond's got three movies in production, including Netherbeast Incorporated with Judd Nelson, Dave
Foley and Robert Wagner, set for a 2007 release. But his future, he insists, will be stand-up: "I'm probably going to end
up returning to stand-up. That'll be what happens to me in my professional life."
That is, if he ever leaves SNL.
Thu, November 2, 2006 | link
A quick Q&A with Darrell Hammond
Not so long ago, Darrell Hammond set the new record for longest-running cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” possibly
because - as he admitted recently - he never walked into the show with the agenda of moving on to bigger and better things.
Whatever his reasons for sticking around, he’s been rewarded with the honor of being the first cast member to receive a retrospective
of his best work while still remaining within the show’s ranks. NBC offered Hammond up to the press for a teleconference earlier
this week, and Bullz-Eye got the opportunity to ask him a few questions. Our only disappointment was that he offered kind
of a non-answer to the one we were hoping would result in a really juicy response. Oh, well…
Bullz-Eye: Hey, Darrell, how’s it going?
Darrell Hammond: Hi, Will!
BE: So who were some of your impressionist influences? Or did you really have any?
DH: I think that my mother was probably better than I was, although she wasn’t interested in that as a
career; she was a secretary and a homemaker. Beyond her, I think it was Rich Little, Frank Gorshin, and then particularly
as time went by, Eddie Murphy.
BE: Is there any impression that you tried to get but you just didn’t feel like you got it?
DH: Well, I think that it would be the two times I tried to do President Bush on the air. It just went
so poorly for me, and I was aware when I was out there that I had no real basic understanding of how to do this guy. I knew
he was so complex, and I got the thing on short notice, and this is one of those instances where, in the time that was allotted
to me, I was never able to get it. I was never able. I ran out of time.
BE: And when the critics start – as they invariably do – throwing around phrases like, “oh, the show’s
gone wildly uneven again”…
DH: Right…
BE: …do you ever just feel like going, “Hey, I’m an impressionist! I can do anybody! Just bring me in!”
DH: No, I don’t. I know that…the fact is, with the exception of that one impression, most of the time
when I can’t do an impression, they won’t put me out there. There have been times when I’ve been out there doing an impression
that went well for me during the week and, for some reason, when I went out there on the air… (Pauses) There was
a sketch recently where I had to run across the theater and jump in the chair and act like I’ve been there the whole time.
And sometimes I’m not on the air and I just don’t have a good performance. But I try to never sink below the level of “pretty
good,” and I try to shoot upward from there.
BE: And I know they used to call Phil Hartman the glue of “Saturday Night Live.” What do they call you?
DH: I don’t know what they call me. I call myself the field-goal kicker; y’know, I get
plugged in sometime during the week. If I’m lucky, it’s on Wednesday, but a lot of times, it’s on Thursday or Friday…so there’s
a lot of times that I’ll go into read-through and, in a 45-sketch read-through, I might really only have 3 or 4 things, and
then maybe I’ll get something later in the week. But I don’t know what they call me. I wish I knew what they call
me. In fact, maybe next week when I go back over there, I’ll ask them.
BE: Alright, thanks!
DH: Thanks a lot.
Thu, November 2, 2006 | link
Wednesday, November 1, 2006
Making an impression: SNL's Darrell Hammond stays on and on
10/31/06 12:00 PM
 
Dick Cheney digs it when Darrell Hammond mocks him. By ED BARK
Saturday Night Live stalwart Darrell Hammond is best known for his impersonations
of Bill Clinton. Or maybe you prefer his Sean Connery, Dick Cheney, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Matthews, Donald Trump or
Al Gore. The one that got away still vexes him, though.
After Will "Strategery" Ferrell left SNL in 2002, Hammond
got his shot at doing George W. Bush. But he failed to nail him in two on-air tries. Eventually Will Forte managed to make
Bush his own while Hammond reverted back to Cheney.
"I would call that the great disappointment of my career," Hammond
says in a telephone interview tied to his one-man SNL show this Saturday (Nov. 4). "I think part of it was I was so
heavily influenced by Will Ferrell, and there wasn't a lot of time to put it out there. I just never got a handle on it, and
it went poorly a couple of times. So I thought it was time for me to step down ... I had no real basic understanding of how
to do this guy."
That's a rare admission of defeat for Hammond, who's in his record-setting 12th consecutive season
on SNL. At age 51, perhaps it's time for him to go. It's certainly crossed his mind but Hammond finds it tough to kick
the habit of "just sort of hanging around drinking coffee and waiting for somebody to ask me to start practicing somebody."
"It's hard not to love playing really powerful, famous people in front of millions of people," he says. "It's hard
not to get hooked on that, and I am hooked on that."
None of the powerbrokers he's lampooned has ever told
him to knock it off, Hammond says. And unlikely though it may seem, one of his best audiences has been the outwardly taciturn
Cheney.
The vice president is "the guy that ended up being the most charming and forthcoming about it, and the most
fun to talk to about it," says Hammond, who's attended one of Cheney's Christmas parties. "I always felt when I met him there
was a sense of good feeling there. He's just been very complimentary in a general sense."
The Nov. 4 SNL, airing
just three days before Tuesday's mid-term elections, will give Hammond an unprecedented forum. No ongoing cast member has
ever got a "Best of" special.
"Yes, it is an honor. It really is," Hammond says. "I graduated from college with a
2.1 (grade point average) and really had no hopes, no prospects."
He co-hosted a big John McCain party at the 2002
Republican National Convention in New York. But Hammond's bread-and-butter guy is still the only Democratic president of the
past quarter-century. So yes, he'd like to see Hillary Rodham Clinton run strong as a presidential candidate because that
would put her husband firmly back in the picture.
"I would love to play Bill Clinton as many more times as I could
play him in my career," Hammond says.
He's also done lesser known mockups of Bob Costas, Bill O'Reilly, Dan Rather,
Geraldo Rivera, Rudolph Giuliani, Jesse Jackson and Donald Rumsfeld, who wasn't particularly easy to grasp.
"I had
to learn to do Rumsfeld a couple of days before the show," he says. "I had to break that down quickly. I finally settled on
early Henry Fonda from The Grapes of Wrath."
His sendups of Connery as an Alex Trebek-baiting Jeopardy!
contestant are the most popular with fans, he says. The fake Connery's distaste for Trebek makes no logical sense, Hammond
agrees. Coming up with the idea "really was just a combination of strong coffee and late hours."
Impressions won't
last forever, though. Post-SNL, Hammond sees himself as a standup comic writing his own material. Mimicking famous
people would be part of the show, but not to the point where "it ends up being a magic act."
Still, "if I get typecast,
then I get typecast," he says. "That's not the worst thing that could ever happen to me in my life."
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I'll make changes to this site on a regular basis, sharing news, views, experiences, photos...whatever occurs to me. Check
back often!
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My Bio & Why I am running this site.
In 1984-1986, I live next to, and hung out with, and worked together with Darrell at BJ105
(WBJW now MIX105.5 in Orlando. That is when I became one of his "oldest fans" and cheerleaders.
This site is not owned, operated, or endorsed by Darrell. Just a friend helping a friend.
By the way D, are you still using those pots and pans I gave you?
Be sure to get in touch so I know you're out there!
Last updated on
My personal belief...D should have gotten the "Frank TV" show.
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