Friday, November 22, 2002

"THEN I GOT A SECOND CHANCE." Now that Will Ferrell has left for the big screen, Darrell Hammond stands as SNL's best male performer. (For the first time in SNL history, the women are more talented than the men, but that's another essay, for another day -- on the greatness of Dratch-Fey-Poehler-Rudolph.)

Anyway, great profile on Hammond in the Orlando Sentinel, on Hammond, his work, and his struggles with addiction. Thorough and well-done. And it contains this beaut of a quote from executive producer Lorne Michaels, which is quite telling: "'The show doesn't go on the air because it's ready. It goes on because it's 11:30."

P.S. If you haven't picked up the new Tom Shales book on this history of SNL, do so. It's a little too heavy on the interpersonal drama and too light on talking about the comedy itself, but it's worth reading if only for the story of the the night Damon Wayans got himself fired. Great stuff.

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