Lanky, mustachioed African-American stand-up comedian of the 1980s turned actor, producer and successful syndicated talk show host. An experienced child magician, Hall began performing standup after graduating from college, and, after several years, got work on TV on "The Half Hour Comedy Hour", "Solid Gold", "Motown Revue" and "The New Love American Style". A breakthrough for Hall came when he took over "The Late Show" for 13 weeks after Joan Rivers was fired. With nothing to lose, Hall cut loose with a mix of teasing questions, coyly risque banter and relaxed playfulness which impressed Paramount executives. Slightly over a year later Hall, with his hip but harmless image and his gushy enthusiasm for entertainment figures, introduced his own latenight chat and variety program, "The Arsenio Hall Show". The show quickly caught on, creating a "party" atmosphere featuring hot new film, TV and rap stars and tapping into the young latenight audiences who wanted an alternative to Johnny Carson. After several years of respectable ratings Hall's show received a major blow from his target audiance and affiliates who opted to view David Letterman's own talk show "Late Show with David Letterman". Hall has also made a handful of feature film appearances, notably in two films in support of his friend Eddie Murphy, "Coming to America" (1988) and "Harlem Nights" (1989). In 1993, he entered the realm of feature film production with a story of how apartheid affects a father-son relationship, "Bopha!".
After a three-year absence, Hall returned to the small screen as star of his own sitcom "Arsenio" (ABC, 1997). Co-starring Viveca A Fox, the show followed the trials and tribulations of a newly married couple, but it failed to win over critics or viewers and was pulled after a few airings. The star and network agreed to overhaul the sitcom for the 1997-98 season but instead he joined the cast of "Martial Law".
Profession(s):
Actor, TV host, comedian, producer, advertising
Sometimes Credited As:
NAACP Image Award Key of Life Award 1991
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Variety Series "The Arsenio Hall Show" 1991
People's Choice Award Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host 1990
1998 Had recurring role on the CBS series "Martial Law"; eventually made a series regular
1997 Returned to TV as star of short-lived midseason replacement sitcom "Arsenio" (ABC)
1994 Final episode of "The Arsenio Hall Show" aired May 27
1993 First feature as an executive producer, "Bopha!"
1988 Appeared as a guest on "The Tonight Show" on July 21; soon thereafter negotiated contract to star in and executive produce his own syndicated show
1987 Made feature film debut in a segment of the comic anthology, "Amazon Women on the Moon"
1987 Hosted "The Late Show" for nearly three months (from mid-August through early November) after original host Joan Rivers left the program; based on his success, Paramount tried to convince him to appea
1985 Appeared on the NBC summer series, "Motown Revue"
1985 - 1986 Was a regular on "The New Love American Style"
1983 Hosted the short-lived ABC show, "The Half Hour Comedy Hour"
1979 Moved to Chicago; switched to stand-up comedy
1965 Became interested in magic at age 7; later performed at birthday parties, weddings and bar mitzvahs; also led to an appearance on a local TV special, "The Magic of Christmas" (date approximate)
Began a career in advertising
Discovered at a Chicago nightclub by singer Nancy Wilson
Worked as an opening act for performers including Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, Patti LaBelle, Wayne Newton and Tim Turner
Had a regular comedy spot on the syndicated pop music show, "Solid Gold"
Hosted and executive produced "The Arsenio Hall Show" on latenight TV
Signed exclusive contract with Paramount which runs through 1995
Formed production company, Arsenio Hall Communications
