Actor/comedian Darrell Hammond fondly recalls his first taste of show business at age five practicing the impressions of his family members on the porch of their home in Melbourne Florida. It wasn’t many years later when Darrell realized he wanted to submerse himself in the pursuit of bringing his comedy and impressions to a much bigger stage. For years now, Hammond has brought to life a cavalcade of politicians, media figures, celebrities and newsmakers on television.  Darrell is known for being one of the most prolific comedians of his time.  He holds the title for being the longest running cast member on SNL.  He frequently tours comedy clubs and theaters boasting a number of brilliant impressions in his act that keep people laughing nationwide.

Hammond has brought a great number of wonderful impressions to SNL over the years. Television critics and viewers alike, for their accuracy and range, have applauded each and every one of his impressions.  Amongst the great number of people he has mimicked include; Bill Clinton, Sean Connery, Regis Philbin, Dan Rather, John Travolta, Jesse Jackson, Richard Dreyfus, Jay Leno, Donald Trump and Ted Koppel.

In addition to his SNL appearances, Hammond has been seen in a number of feature films and television shows. As a truly versatile actor Darrell has displayed his talents in both dramatic and comedic roles.  Some of his feature films include:  Screen Gems feature WEINERS and the Regency feature BOB BAILEY’S DISCO BALLS.  He has also starred opposite Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen in Warner Bros’ NEW YORK MINUTE and in the Dimension features SCARY MOVIE 3 and SCARY MOVIE 6.  He shared the screen with Frankie Muniz and Hillary Duff in MGM’s AGENT CODY BANKS.  Darrell also starred with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin in El Dorado Picture’s THE DEVIL AND DANIEL WEBSTER.  He received tremendous amount of reviews for his portrayal as a deranged but intense criminal defense lawyer in Dick Wolf’s LAW AND ORDER: SVU. Darrell also disturbed audiences with his masterfully creepy roll as The Deacon in the television series DAMAGES. Additionally, he did a guest spot on NBC’s THIRD ROCK FROM THE SUN. His other film credits include an appearance in Universal’s BLUES BROTHERS 2000 which also starred Dan Aykroyd, and Disney’s CELTIC PRIDE.  In 1999 he moved audiences everywhere by playing the voice of Master Little in Disney’s animated hit THE KING AND I. 

Recently, Darrell has starred in Bay Street Theatre’s TRU, written by Jay Presson Allen and directed by Matt McGarth.  Darrell also finished shooting a TBS pilot, HOUND DOGS, as Harry Hound, with director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham & White Men Can’t Jump).  Darrell is also the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, “God If You’re Not Up There, I’m F***ed:  Misadventures with Fake Noses, Funny Accents, Addiction, and Saturday Night Live”, which was released by Harper Collins in October of 2011 to rave reviews.

A Native of Florida, Darrell began doing his impressions and comedy early on in life, but his real pursuit of a career in performing began after graduating from the University of Florida at Gainesville.  After college, Hammond spent several years in New York appearing in many off-Broadway productions and honing his stand up at the local comedy clubs.  With his acerbic wit and masterful impressions Darrell quickly became a favorite on the comedy circuit.  He would also frequently display his comedic styles performing on a wide array of local and national radio stations.

Although it has been a dream come true for Darrell to be a regular on NBC’s SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, one of Hammond’s biggest honors came at our nation’s capital in April 1997. During a surprise appearance with President Bill Clinton, Hammond was widely praised by the media for his dead-on impression of the President at an event before a great number of government officials and members of the Washington Press Corps. In an equally as impressive fete at 2001’s WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS DINNER, Darrell received a standing ovation for his performance in front of 2000 press people and President George W. Bush.

Darrell continues to move audiences with his comedy, performing in New York and throughout the entire country.  Darrell gave Comedy Central it’s biggest ratings to date for a 1/2 hour comedy special performing in his own COMEDY CENTRAL PRESENTS: DARRELL HAMMOND.  Darrell also appears frequently on CBS’ “LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN”, and NBC’s “THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO”, and “LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN”. As an actor he continually looks for new challenging roles to expand his talents in Film and Television.

Recently, Darrell has seen a massive resurgence in national notoriety due to his uncanny impression of Donald Trump. From his first impression of Trump on SNL 15 years ago (earning him the praise of Trump himself), Darrell’s imitation of the outspoken presidential candidate has evolved along with all of the extreme changes in his public appearance. Hailed as “The Comeback Kid” by the Wall Street Journal, Darrell’s impression has become a favorite of the country, drawing some of the largest viewership to SNL in recent history.  

Hammond is a proud resident of the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan.

Doug Benson is known for his popular podcasts (including “Doug Loves Movies” and "Getting Doug With High"), films ("Super High Me,” “The Greatest Movie Ever Rolled,” "Chronic-Con: Episode 420"), appearances on TV shows like "@midnight," "The Trailer Park Boys" and "You're The Worst" and he had his own show on Comedy Central called "The High Court." All rise for the comedy of Judge Doug!

I was born and raised in the ironically-named town of Hopedale Mass. I started performing stand-up comedy at the tender age of 17. As a performer I was too young to be any good. As a person I was socially inept and looked weird. Let’s skip ahead! I moved to Los Angeles in the halcyon days of “The Comedy Boom” and in quick succession I performed in several HBO specials numerous appearances on Conan and Letterman. I recorded the CD Funhouse which was called "a comedy CD" by Billboard magazine and an actor appeared on Seinfeld The Ben Stiller Show and the series "Working" (which wasn’t and was soon cancelled). After writing the pilot "World On A String" (with Jay Kogen) I co-created MTV’s late lamented Super Adventure Team (with Rob Cohen). I then joined the staff of The Simpsons where I squatted for seven years. Stand up remains a big part of my career and I continue to perform regularly. I recently appeared in the film "The Aristocrats". and am preparing to record my next stand-up CD. I live in Los Angeles with my wife and a bunch of kids and dogs several of them ours.



 

With appearances on TOSH.0 The Late Late show The Smoking Gun Presents Conan and his own half hour special on Comedy Central Jay has come a long way since he moved to Los Angeles in 2000. After flunking out of college then finally getting accepted back after many attempts Jay threw away his diploma to pursue a career in Stand Up comedy. After living in a condemned house for 14 months I mean who hasn't Jay started opening for comedy greats such as Nick Swardson Daniel Tosh and Pablo Fransisco. He soon became known as a comedian with a whacky original voice who tends to get a little weird. Since those early days Jay has continued climbing the ranks with multiple TV appearances many internet short films and his first album "Self-Diagnosed". His voice continues to grow as he has delved into the world of interacting with strangers and creating conflict with people he doesn't know. Jay is a fantastic storyteller showcased weekly on his podcast "The Crabfeast" on Jay Mohr's Fake Mustache Studios. With TV projects in development be sure to catch Jay now before he ignores everyone...forever...seriously...he will.

The American dream came true for Catalina Popescu in October of 1986 when she and her husband Bob created a supper club devoted to serving an experience of superb eats and the shared magic of live performance. That grand experience began at the door where every night her mother Maria would greet each guest as family and share in their love of music. Housed in Hollywood and decked out in a timeless charm, the club offers a cozy ambience under sparkling stage lights garnished with its signature concoction — Jazz. The first artist to grace the stage was the masterful flutist and saxophonist Buddy Collette, and ever since then, over the past 36 years, the Catalina Jazz Club has hosted the most illustrious legends of all time — from the powerful puffers of Dizzy Gillespie to the electrified fingers of McCoy Tyner, the bubbly belt of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lynda Carter, the flirtatious saxophone of Joshua Redman, the slick strumming of Kenny Burrell, the insane drum clinic of Steve Gadd, the romance of Steve Tyrell, and the masterclass of Mike Stern.

For Catalina, Jazz is our way of life. It breathes pain. It knows love. It dreams hope. It bleeds courage. Whether we’re showcasing Broadway, Soul, R&B, or stand-up comedy, the lesson learned from all the greats who have serenaded our spirits is how to connect to one another. And that’s why the Catalina Jazz Club will always have a table ready for you.

The Catalina Jazz Club has been honored by A.S.M.A.C., California Jazz Foundation, Los Angeles Jazz Society, and a City of Los Angeles Certificate of Appreciation on their 25th Anniversary, which was awarded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the LA City Council which included then City Council member and current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.