Biography
Dennis Miller, an American standup comic, talk show host, commentator, and actor, first attracted widespread notice in the mid-'80s as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. His acerbic political commentary while anchoring "Weekend Update" formed a central element of SNL's broadcast during those years and enabled him to extend his singular approach across an extended career that encompassed multiple popular standup specials, film and television appearances, and, most prominently, the hosting of his own news talk programs—one of which, HBO's Dennis Miller Live, collected five Emmy Awards across its eight-year span from 1994 to 2002. After a period with Monday Night Football, Miller sustained strong listener interest as host of The Dennis Miller Show, a Westwood One radio news program that continued until 2015. Several years afterward he issued his tenth comedy special, Fake News, Real Jokes, in 2019.
A Pittsburgh native, Miller started out hosting Punch Line, a Saturday afternoon news magazine aimed at teenagers, on the local KDKA-TV station. He soon began performing standup and advanced through club circuits on both coasts until Lorne Michaels discovered him at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. In 1985 he replaced outgoing anchor Christopher Guest on SNL's "Weekend Update" segment and rapidly earned audience approval through his smirky, deadpan delivery and biting political satire. During his time on the show Miller released his debut comedy LP, The Off-White Album, together with several HBO specials. In 1992, the year after leaving SNL, he introduced the short-lived Dennis Miller Show, a late-night talk program on NBC, which was succeeded two years later by the more successful Dennis Miller Live on HBO. The scaled-down Dennis Miller Live featured only one guest per half-hour episode and, over its eight-year run, secured five Emmy Awards for its host and staff.
Miller joined ABC's Monday Night Football in 2000, applying his offbeat brand of color commentary to sports broadcasting. Over the following decade he pursued several projects, among them hosting another commentary program on CNBC, appearing in commercials for M&M candies, hosting two game shows, and, in 2007, launching his long-running Westwood One talk radio show The Dennis Miller Show (distinct from his earlier television program of the same name). Politically, Miller launched his career as an outspoken liberal, although his positions moved toward neoconservatism in the 2000s and he became a regular commentator on Fox News' political talk show The O'Reilly Factor.
In addition to his hosting duties, Miller continued to appear in films such as Joe Dirt (2001), Thank You for Smoking (2005), and The Campaign (2012) and on television shows like Boston Public and House of Cards. He also authored several books. Maintaining occasional standup appearances, Miller recorded a handful of politically charged comedy specials including 2010's The Big Speech, 2014's America 180, and 2018's Fake News, Real Jokes.
A Pittsburgh native, Miller started out hosting Punch Line, a Saturday afternoon news magazine aimed at teenagers, on the local KDKA-TV station. He soon began performing standup and advanced through club circuits on both coasts until Lorne Michaels discovered him at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. In 1985 he replaced outgoing anchor Christopher Guest on SNL's "Weekend Update" segment and rapidly earned audience approval through his smirky, deadpan delivery and biting political satire. During his time on the show Miller released his debut comedy LP, The Off-White Album, together with several HBO specials. In 1992, the year after leaving SNL, he introduced the short-lived Dennis Miller Show, a late-night talk program on NBC, which was succeeded two years later by the more successful Dennis Miller Live on HBO. The scaled-down Dennis Miller Live featured only one guest per half-hour episode and, over its eight-year run, secured five Emmy Awards for its host and staff.
Miller joined ABC's Monday Night Football in 2000, applying his offbeat brand of color commentary to sports broadcasting. Over the following decade he pursued several projects, among them hosting another commentary program on CNBC, appearing in commercials for M&M candies, hosting two game shows, and, in 2007, launching his long-running Westwood One talk radio show The Dennis Miller Show (distinct from his earlier television program of the same name). Politically, Miller launched his career as an outspoken liberal, although his positions moved toward neoconservatism in the 2000s and he became a regular commentator on Fox News' political talk show The O'Reilly Factor.
In addition to his hosting duties, Miller continued to appear in films such as Joe Dirt (2001), Thank You for Smoking (2005), and The Campaign (2012) and on television shows like Boston Public and House of Cards. He also authored several books. Maintaining occasional standup appearances, Miller recorded a handful of politically charged comedy specials including 2010's The Big Speech, 2014's America 180, and 2018's Fake News, Real Jokes.
Albums
Singles
