Additionally, Doubleday recently published the third
edition of his ever-popular "rants" -- "I
Rant, Therefore I Am." His first two books, "The
Rants" and "Ranting Again," were both
New York Times best-sellers.
Miller got his start in the late 1970s, honing his skills
in Pittsburgh-area clubs and eventually relocating to
New York, where he performed at such famed clubs as
Catch A Rising Star and the Comic Strip. His next move
was a return to Pittsburgh where he wrote, produced
and appeared in more than 100 humorous essays for the
syndicated "PM Magazine" show, as well as
hosting his own Saturday morning television program
aimed at teenage audiences.
In 1982, Miller was touring the country as a comedy
club regular and establishing himself as one of the
most assured, accomplished and, of course, funniest
comics on the scene. It was shortly thereafter that
he was spotted by "Saturday Night Live" executive
producer Lorne Michaels at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles.
Michaels auditioned Miller and subsequently offered
the coveted "Weekend Update" slot on the show,
which Miller held for six years before exiting in 1991.
Over the years, Dennis has become both a public and
critical favorite. The New York Times said, "Mr.
Miller is exquisitely attuned to contemporary foibles
. . . his material can be scathing, his delivery low-key
. . . Mr. Miller reaches a bit farther than most comedians
for the scorching comment . . . this smart-aleck has
an uncommonly sharp eye . . ." Miller and his wife
live in Southern California with their two children.
Dennis Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American
comedian and television personality. Miller studied
journalism and graduated at Pittsburgh's Point Park
College.
Miller rose to fame from 1985 to 1991 as a regular on
Saturday Night Live, where he served as a "Weekend
Update" anchor, the longest any one performer has
held that position in the history of the show.
From 1994 to 2002, he was the host of Dennis Miller
Live, a half-hour talk show on HBO characterized by
its stark simplicity. The show had no set, band, or
even much lighting. It mainly consisted of Miller speaking
to the largely unseen studio audience on a darkened
stage. There would be one guest per show, who Miller
would quiz on the topic of the day. At one time, the
show also featured callers, but this was phased out
in later seasons. Miller won five Emmy Awards while
hosting the show, which aired 215 episodes during its
nine-year run.
The highlight of the show were Miller's "rants"
on various political issues. The rants always began
with the catch phrase "now I don't want to get
off on a rant here..." and ended with the phrase
"of course that's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Miller has a reputation for being very scholarly and
intelligent, and his distinct style of humor reflects
this. His rants and stand-up routines often feature
elaborate metaphors and references to obscure historical
and political events. This has prompted some accusations
of intellectual snobbery.
In 2000, Miller became a commentator on Monday Night
Football. Some feared his humor style was a little too
highbrow for football fans. His style was probably more
suitable for those fans who watched Monday Night Football
more for its entertainment value than primarily as a
sporting event, but he demonstrated considerable knowledge
of the game and its personalities, although at times
he tended to lapse into sometimes obscure analogy-riddled
streams of consciousness similar to his "rants".
After two seasons, Miller was replaced by a figure more
firmly associated in the public mind with football,
former Oakland Raiders coach John Madden, in 2002.
Miller has noted that the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
changed him. He became more partisan, and turned to
political commentary. In 2003, he provided regular commentary
for the FOX News show Hannity & Colmes, and began
a prime-time political show on CNBC in early 2004 called
Dennis Miller. Unfortunately for Miller, his conversion
to the right of the political spectrum alienated many
of his earlier fans. The Nielsen ratings for his new
program remain quite low, and a Craigslist ad seemed
to suggest that people were being paid by the producers
to be in the studio audience of his program.
Today Miller is a registered Republican and is now known
largely for his conservative and libertarian beliefs.
This, in addition to his being one of only a few mainstream
comedians to support the GOP has earned Miller a ride
on Air Force One and catapulted him to the top of the
GOP's "celebrity" A-list. Many in the GOP
even called for him to run for U.S. Senator from California
against Barbara Boxer.
