Al Franken is an Emmy Award-winning television writer
and producer, New York Times best-selling author, and Grammy-winning comedian.
In 1975, Al Franken was part of the original writing staff that created the
groundbreaking late night show Saturday Night Live. Al Franken remained with the
original show until 1980 and then returned in 1985.
He stayed for another 10 years, leaving after the 1994-95 season. Franken
received four Emmys for his writing on SNL and a fifth for producing. He also
won recognition for his on-camera work, first as half of the comedy team of
"Franken and Davis", then for his "Al Franken Decade" persona. He also was
recognized for such characterizations as the one-man mobile uplink unit and
Stuart Smalley, the new age cable TV host. Smalley was the subject of Franken's
first book, I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough and Doggone It, People Like Me,
which was published in 1992.
It provided the basis for a movie that Franken wrote and starred in for
Paramount Pictures. The 1995 movie, Stuart Saves His Family, was directed by
Harold Ramis and received "two thumbs up" from Siskel and Ebert. Franken was
co-writer of the Touchstone Pictures 1994 movie When a Man Loves a Woman
starring Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan. In 1992, he anchored Comedy Central's
Indecision `92, winning wide critical acclaim for his coverage of both
conventions and election night. In 1996, he teamed with Strange Bedfellow
Arianna Huffington, again covering the party conventions and election night for
Politically Incorrect, where he continues to be a frequent guest. His
performances at the 1994 and 1996 White House Correspondents Dinner demonstrated
why he is one of the nation's most sought-after speakers. Franken has been a
guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman,
Nightline, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Charlie Rose,
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The O'Reilly Factor, Politically Incorrect,
Inside Politics, The View, and Larry King Live.
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