Dan Vitale (comedian)

Last updated
Dan Vitale
DiedMay 6, 2022
Occupation(s)Comedian, actor
Years active1970s2022
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.

Contents

Early life

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

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 Dan 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 Dan 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

Vitale lived in Manhattan since 1980. [3] He died on May 6, 2022. [5] [6]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993 Who's the Man? BartenderUncredited [7]
2003 Anger Management MonkUncredited [7]
Malibu’s Most Wanted ManUncredited [7]
2012Gangs of BrooklynMan on phone [7]

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984 The New Show VariousOne episode [7]
1985Big Shots in AmericaDavePilot episode [7]
1985—1986 Saturday Night Live [7] VariousTwo episodes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Wright, Megh (2014-04-22). "Saturday Night's Children: Dan Vitale (1985-1986)". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  2. Shefik presents Invocation (2018-04-04). Dan Vitale: The Intellectual Part of Me That Wants to Fight Everything . Retrieved 2025-09-24 via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 3 Hoglund, Andy (2020-04-29). "Dan Vitale's Saturday Night Live War Stories". Vulture. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  4. "Dan Vitale - Filmography, Age, Biography, Credits & More". Mabumbe. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  5. Heymann, Walter (2022-05-09). "A Tribute to Dan Vitale". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  6. Turner, Ashley (2022-05-07). "Dan Vitale, 'SNL' Actor, Has Died". PopCulture.com. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Dan Vitale | Actor". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-09-24.