Kevin Nealon

Kevin Nealon was born on November 18, 1953, in St. Louis, Missouri. His family relocated to Bridgeport, Connecticut, and later to Heidelberg, West Germany for four years. He graduated from St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, in 1971 and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Sacred Heart University. Nealon began his comedy career in college, later moving to Los Angeles to hone his craft at The Improv. His network television debut occurred in 1984 on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” which led to regular appearances on both “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman.” In 1986, he joined the cast of NBC’s sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live,” becoming a full-time performer in the 1987–1988 season. During his nine-year tenure at SNL, he created memorable characters such as Mr. Subliminal and Franz of Hans and Franz. He also anchored the “Weekend Update” segment from 1991 to 1994, earning an Emmy Award nomination as part of the SNL writing team in 1988.

Nealon’s film career began with his first major role in “All I Want for Christmas” in 1991. He has subsequently appeared in numerous films, often alongside Adam Sandler, including “Happy Gilmore” (1996), “The Wedding Singer” (1998), “Little Nicky” (2000), “Anger Management” (2003), “You Don’t Mess with the Zohan” (2008), and “Just Go with It” (2011). His acting credits also include “Daddy Day Care,” “Good Boy!,” and “Aliens in the Attic.” On television, Nealon had a recurring role as Ted Halverson in the CBS comedy “Still Standing” from 2002 to 2006. From 2005 to 2012, he played Doug Wilson on the Showtime series “Weeds,” for which he received multiple Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. He also voiced the title character in the animated series “Glenn Martin, DDS” from 2009 to 2011.

More recently, Nealon starred in the CBS comedy series “Man with a Plan” from 2016 to 2020. Since 2017, he has hosted and produced his YouTube talk show, “Hiking with Kevin,” where he interviews celebrity guests while hiking. This series gained significant traction, leading to a streaming deal with Fox Nation in 2025. In 2008, Nealon authored “Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?”, a book offering a humorous look at pregnancy from a male perspective. He also released the stand-up specials “Kevin Nealon: Now Hear Me Out!” in 2009 and “Whelmed…But Not Overly” in 2012. In 2022, his alma mater, Sacred Heart University, awarded him a Doctorate of Humane Letters, Honoris Causa, where he also served as the convocation speaker.