David Spade biography

Synopsis

Profile

Actor, writer, comedian. Born July 22, 1964 in Birmingham, Michigan. Spade and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, at the age of 4, where he recalls keeping a twice-weekly appointment to be beaten up by the other kids at elementary school. As a teen, he loved watching Saturday Night Live, and dropped out of community college to work in a skateboard shop and perform occasional stand-up gigs.

He relocated to Los Angeles and went on a comedy tour, performing at nightclubs and on college campuses. During a show in Los Angeles, Spade caught the eye of an agent who subsequently cast him alongside Steve Guttenberg and Sharon Stone in the poorly received film Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol. In 1989, he was one of six comics showcased on HBO's 13th Annual Young Comedians Show. The show was hosted by Dennis Miller, who eventually helped Spade secure a role on Saturday Night Live in April 1990.

It was during his early years on Saturday Night Live that Spade befriended fellow comedian Chris Farley. Their close friendship offstage made for great chemistry in front of the camera, earning them larger roles on the series. After a few bit parts in forgettable films, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels got the idea to put Spade and Farley together on the big screen, capitalizing on the formula Spade called, "the age-old secret of fatty and skinny." Michaels produced 1995's Tommy Boy as a vehicle for Farley, with Spade serving as straightman. Though the film received lukewarm reviews, it was a hit at the box office among the duo's legions of SNL fans.

By 1996, Spade teamed with Farley again for Black Sheep, and made his exit from Saturday Night Live. He also signed on as snide assistant Dennis Finch on the NBC comedy series, Just Shoot Me, which premiered in 1997 as a mid-season replacement.

It was during this year of career highs that tragedy struck when friend Chris Farley died of a drug overdose. Though the news couldn't have come as a total surprise to those who knew of Farley's excessive consumption of food, alcohol, and controlled substances, the comic's untimely death still devastated Spade, who didn't attend the funeral.

Back at work, Spade appeared in numerous films, including Joe Pesci's Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag in 1997, Senseless in 1998, the romantic comedy Lost & Found in 1999 and Joe Dirt in 2001. He also supplied voice talent for the animated film The Emperor's New Groove in 2000.

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