David Spade made a name for himself as a stand-up comedian.
He spent most of the '80s performing in clubs and college
campuses. He joined the cast of Saturday Night Live
in 1990 as a writer and a performer. On the show, he
soon gained popularity for sketches such as "The
Hollywood Minute" in which Spade would joke about
some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Spade also impersonated
celebrities ranging from Jeff Foxworthy to Tom Petty.
He began his film career in the late '80s playing a
small role in Police Academy 4. In the '90s, he began
playing major supporting roles in such films as Coneheads
(1993) and P.C.U. (1994). He and former SNL alumni Chris
Farley shared top billing in two popular comedies Tommy
Boy (1995) and Black Sheep (1996). In 1997, Spade returned
to series television in the sitcom Just Shoot Me. In
2001 he returned to the big screen with the film Joe
Dirt.
 |
|
 |
He graduated in business at Arizona State University
in 1986. Spade was encouraged to take up a role in comedy
by friends and in 1990, became a regular cast member
on Saturday Night Live. Here he made popular his well
known sarcastic, smart alec character in a number of
formats, including an air-steward who bids an unpleasant
"Buh-Bye" to passengers as they leave the
flight; a receptionist for Dick Clark who, as a matter
of policy asks even the most recognizable face "And
you are?"; and, most famously, the bitingly sarcastic
Hollywood Minute reporter who assaulted celebrities
with a series of one liners. This particular role won
Spade both acclaim from the public and scorn from celebrities—perhaps
most noticeably from fellow Saturday Night Live alumnus
Eddie Murphy when Spade did a joke in which a photograph
of Murphy, whose career had started to falter, was shown,
and Spade quipped "Look children, a falling star...
Quick, make a wish." He also impersonated celebrities
such as Michael J. Fox, Kurt Cobain and Tom Petty.
Though many of the cast left in 1995, Spade stayed on
one more year to help the transition with the new cast.
He returned to guest-present in 1997.
Spade has also had a reasonably successful movie career,
most noticeably his work with fellow Saturday Night
Live cast member Chris Farley. His more recent movies,
such as Joe Dirt have not been commercial successes
but have gained a strong cult following. In 1997 Spade
reprised his role as a sarcastic receptionist in the
television series Just Shoot Me.
He starred, among others, in:
- Police Academy 4 (1987)
- Light Sleeper (1992)
- Coneheads (1993)
- Pcu (1994)
- Tommy Boy (1995)
- Black Sheep (1996)
- The Loser (2000)
- Joe Dirt (2001)
- Dickie Roberts-Former Child Star (2003)
David has been a regular on television, being in the
cast of:
Saturday Night Live (1990-1996, NBC)
Just Shoot Me (1997-2003, NBC)
8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter (2003-,
ABC)
He voiced several episodes of Beavis and Butthead and
produced his own TV series Sammy in 2000. Spade has
also appeared in recent commercials for Capital One.
