Dan Vitale | |
|---|---|
| Died | May 6, 2022 Manhattan, US |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, actor |
| Years active | 1970s–2022 |
| Notable work | Saturday Night Live |
Dan Vitale was an American comedian, best known for being a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1985 to 1986, appearing in two episodes of its eleventh season.
Early life
[edit]Vitale was born in Long Island.[1] His mother was an alcoholic and his father, according to Dan, was a "possibly mobbed up" father who "unknown but shady business dealings".[1] His sister died in a car crash when he was thirteen years old.[1] He was brought up in Flushing, Queens.[2] Vitale abused drugs and alcohol as a teenager, and used comedy as a coping mechanism.[1]
Career
[edit]He moved to Greenwich Village in the late 1970s to start his career in comedy, performing at open mic nights and working with writer Tom Saunders.[1]
Vitale caught the attention of Lorne Michaels in 1983, who was looking for cast members for The New Show. Vitale bombed the audition, reportedly lashing out at the audience: "I get in the room, and I see Lorne, John Candy, Dave Thomas, Penny Marshall, all these people I’d seen for years. I get up and I didn’t have anything tight prepared because I’d work loose, organic. I start talking, then I get into it, a character. I get no reaction. Absolutely zero. And the arrogance of me in my 20s , at one point, in the middle, I said, "You know, I have a better idea. Why don’t all you guys just go fuck yourselves." And I walked out."[3]
Despite his outburst, Michaels allowed him to audition for another show, as according to Vitale he "kind of dug it",[3] and auditioned the pilot episode for another one of his shows, Big Shots in America, which he passed and starred in along side Joe Mantegna.[1] Big Shots in America was never given a series however Lorne let Vitale audition for Saturday Night Live in 1985, and was brought on the show for its eleventh season.[1]
Vitale was first brought on for an episode taped live on November 23, 1985,[1] and then his second and last appearance on February 8, 1986. He was fired in early 1986 due to his drug and alcohol abuse.[1]
Following his firing from SNL, Vitale found work as an uncredited extra in films and shows including Anger Management and Malibu’s Most Wanted[4] and in 2006 starred in a one-man show, Live from Rehab, It's Dan Vitale.[1]
Personal life
[edit]Vitale lived in Manhattan since 1980.[3] He died on May 6, 2022.[5][6]
Filmography
[edit]Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Who's the Man? | Bartender | Uncredited[7] |
| 2003 | Anger Management | Monk | Uncredited[7] |
| Malibu’s Most Wanted | Man | Uncredited[7] | |
| 2012 | Gangs of Brooklyn | Man on phone[7] |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The New Show | Various | One episode[7] |
| 1985 | Big Shots in America | Dave | Pilot episode[7] |
| 1985—1986 | Saturday Night Live[7] | Various | Two episodes |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wright, Megh (2014-04-22). "Saturday Night's Children: Dan Vitale (1985-1986)". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Shefik presents Invocation (2018-04-04). Dan Vitale: The Intellectual Part of Me That Wants to Fight Everything. Retrieved 2025-09-24 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c Hoglund, Andy (2020-04-29). "Dan Vitale's Saturday Night Live War Stories". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ "Dan Vitale - Filmography, Age, Biography, Credits & More". Mabumbe. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Heymann, Walter (2022-05-09). "A Tribute to Dan Vitale". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ Turner, Ashley (2022-05-07). "Dan Vitale, 'SNL' Actor, Has Died". PopCulture.com. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Dan Vitale | Actor". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-09-24.