Al Franken

• Genre: Sketch Comedy
• Hometown: New York City
• Al Franken Website

About

Minnesota native Al Franken grew up discussing politics at the dinner table with his family, so Political Science was a natural choice for a major upon entering Harvard. Discovered by Lorne Michaels while part of the comedy duo Franken and Davis, the satirist was hired as a writer for Saturday Night Live. Franken crept from behind the scenes into small "extra" parts, which allowed him to flesh out the sketches he wrote; eventually, he stepped into the SNL spotlight full stop. Franken's sharp wit and political savvy made him a hot, topical comedian who called politicians on their hypocrisy. Books, movies and his own sitcom (Lateline) were written and developed by Franken and the Emmys (five of them) and a Grammy (Best Spoken Comedy Album in 1997) followed. Given his satirical and political background, Franken was a natural fit for shows such as Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher, as well as election year specials such as and Comedy Central's Indecision '92. In keeping with election year politics, Franken released O'Franken Factor Factor: The Very Best of the O'Franken Factor, a collection of pointed, satirical gems lambasting George Bush's policies in 2004.

- Linda Ryan