Al Franken Biography (1951?-)

Born May 21, 1951 (some sources cite 1952), in New York, NY (some sources cite Minneapolis, MN); son of Joe (a printing salesperson) and Phoebe (a homemaker and real estate agent) Franken; married Franni Bryson (a homemaker), 1975;children: Thomasin Franken Davis, Joe. Addresses: Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (some sources citeWilliam Morris Agency, 151 South El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2775).

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Writer, producer, actor, comedian
Birth Details: May 21, 1951?; New York, New York, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1975-1980, 1988-1995
Al Freundlich, Lateline, ABC, 1998
Mayor of Leonardo, Clerks (also known as Clerks TAS and Clerks: Uncensored), ABC, 2000
Specials
Host, "High School Video Yearbook with Franken and Davis," Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1987
Superman's 50th Anniversary: A Celebration of the Man of Steel, CBS, 1988
MTV, Give Me Back My Life: A Harvard Lampoon Parody, MTV, 1991
Pat Robertson and Paul Simon, Saturday Night Live's Presidential Bash, NBC, 1992
Anchor, Indecision '92: The Republican National Convention, ComedyCentral, 1992
Anchor, Indecision '92: The Democratic National Convention, ComedyCentral, 1992
Why Bother Voting?, PBS, 1992
The American Television Awards, 1993
Correspondent, "Indecision '96: The Republican National Convention," Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Comedy Central, 1996
Correspondent, "Indecision '96: The Democratic National Convention," Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Comedy Central, 1996
Comic Relief American Comedy Festival, ABC, 1996
Panelist, Summit after Dark, Comedy Central, 1997
Gilda Radner: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1997
Himself, Saturday Night Live: 25th Anniversary, NBC, 1999
Pat Robertson (in archive footage), Saturday Night Live: PresidentialBash 2000, NBC, 2000
Episodic
SHE-TV, ABC, 1994
Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Comedy Central, beginning 1994.
Voice, Dr. Katz: Professional Therapist (animated), Comedy Central, 1995
Frank Gansmiller, "Dick the Vote," Third Rock from the Sun (also known as Life as We Know It), NBC, 1996
The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS, 1996
Late Night with Conan O'Brien, CBS, 1996
Himself, "The Roast," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1997
The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, CBS, 1997
Jeopardy!, ABC, 1997
Himself, The Charles Grodin Show, CNBC, 1997
Himself, Larry King Live, CNN, 1998
Himself, The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, multiple episodes,CBS, 2000-2001
Himself, The O'Reilly Factor, Fox News, 2000
"Ben Stein," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 2001
Other
Decline's henchman, All You Need Is Cash (also known as The Rutles), 1978
Presidential science advisor Jerome Weisner, From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries), HBO, 1998
Television Work
Series

Producer, Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1975-1980, 1988-1995
Cocreator and executive producer, Lateline, ABC, 1998
Television Producer
Specials
Saturday Night Live 15th Anniversary, NBC, 1989
Saturday Night Live Goes Commercial (also known as The Best ofSaturday Night Live: SNL Goes Commercial), NBC, 1991
Saturday Night Live's Presidential Bash, NBC, 1992
Saturday Night Live: All the Best for Mother's Day, NBC, 1992
Consulting producer, Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000,NBC, 2000
Film Appearances
Al, Tunnelvision (also known as Tunnel Vision), World WideFilms, 1976
First baggage handler, Trading Places, Paramount, 1983
Paul Flum, One More Saturday Night, Columbia, 1986
(Uncredited) Copilot, When a Man Loves a Woman (also known as Significant Other, To Have and to Hold, and Cuando un hombre amaa una mujer), Buena Vista, 1994
Stuart Smalley, Stuart Saves His Family, Paramount, 1995
Vagabond, The Definite Maybe, DJM Films, 1997
Film Work
(With Simon Maslow and Ron Bass) Executive producer, When a Man Lovesa Woman (also known as Significant Other, To Have and to Hold, and Cuando un hombre ama a una mujer), Buena Vista, 1994
RECORDINGS
Audio Books
I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me,Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1992
Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, Dove Audio, 1996
Videos
Appeared in the music video "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker, Jr.
WRITINGS
Screenplays
One More Saturday Night, Columbia, 1986
(With Ron Bass) When a Man Loves a Woman (also known as Significant Other, To Have and to Hold, and Cuando un hombre ama a unamujer), Buena Vista, 1994
Stuart Saves His Family (based on his book I'm Good Enough, I'mSmart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me), Paramount, 1995
Television Series
Saturday Night Live (also known as NBC's Saturday Night, Saturday Night, SNL, and SNL 25), NBC, 1975-1980, 1988-1995
The New Show, NBC, 1984
Lateline, ABC, 1998
Television Specials
The Paul Simon Special, NBC, 1977
Steve Martin's Best Show Ever, NBC, 1981
Bob and Ray and Jane, Laraine and Gilda, NBC, 1981
The 40th Annual Emmy Awards, Fox, 1988
Saturday Night Live Goes Commercial (also known as The Best ofSaturday Night Live: SNL Goes Commercial), NBC, 1991
Saturday Night Live's Presidential Bash, NBC, 1992
Indecision '92: The Republican National Convention, Comedy Central, 1992
Indecision '92: The Democratic National Convention, Comedy Central, 1992
Saturday Night Live: All the Best for Mother's Day, NBC, 1992
The 2nd Annual Saturday Night Live Mother's Day Special, NBC, 1993
(For David Letterman) The 67th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1995
"Indecision '96: The Republican National Convention," Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Comedy Central, 1996
"Indecision '96: The Democratic National Convention," Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Comedy Central, 1996
Saturday Night Live Remembers Chris Farley, NBC, 1998
Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2000, NBC, 2000
Television Pilots
The Coneheads (animated), NBC, 1983
Television Episodes
Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Comedy Central, 1994
Videos
The Best of John Belushi, 1985
The Best of Dan Aykroyd, 1986
Books
(Under pseudonym Stuart Smalley) I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me, Dell (New York City), 1992
Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations, Delacorte(New York City), 1996
Why Not Me? The Inside Story of the Making and Unmaking of the FrankenPresidency, Delacorte, 1999
Oh, the Things I Know! A Guide to Success, or, Failing That, Happiness, Dutton/Plume (New York City), 2002

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Newsmakers, Issue 3, Gale, 1996

Periodicals

Christian Century, March 20, 1996, pp. 351-354
Entertainment Weekly, April 29, 1994, p. 53; March 22, 1996, p. 64
Financial Post, July 9, 1994, p. S7
Mother Jones, November/December, 1996, p. 22
National Review, May 30, 1994, pp. 62-63

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

forum