Dana Carvey
Born 1955 · Age 70
American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, producer and podcaster; best known for Saturday Night Live (1986–1993) and the role of Garth Algar in Wayne's World.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Missoula, Montana
Dana Thomas Carvey born to Billie Dahl and William John (Bud) Carvey in Missoula, Montana.
Family moved to Anderson, California
Carvey's family relocated to Anderson, California when his father took a teaching job.
Family moved to San Carlos, California
At age three Carvey's family moved to San Carlos in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Central Coast Section cross-country champion (high school)
Member of Carlmont High School's Central Coast Section champion cross country team.
Won San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition
Carvey won the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition, an early career breakthrough on the Bay Area comedy circuit.
Bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University (approx.)
Earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast communications/communication arts from San Francisco State University (no exact year given; estimated here based on chronology).
Minor film role: Halloween II
Had a small role (Assistant Barry McNichol) in the horror sequel Halloween II.
Moved to Los Angeles to pursue career
Relocated to Los Angeles to pursue television/film opportunities.
Engaged to Paula Zwagerman
Became engaged to Paula Zwagerman while performing in San Francisco venues (they later married in 1983).
Co-starred in sitcom One of the Boys
Co-starred alongside Mickey Rooney, Nathan Lane and Meg Ryan in the short-lived NBC sitcom One of the Boys.
Small role in This Is Spinal Tap
Appeared as a mime/waiter in Rob Reiner's cult comedy This Is Spinal Tap.
Appearance in Blue Thunder TV series
Appeared in the short-lived aircraft-action television series Blue Thunder.
Appeared in Greg Kihn music video 'Lucky'
Featured in the music video for the Greg Kihn song 'Lucky'.
Finalist to host Nickelodeon's Double Dare (withdrew)
Finalist for Double Dare host but withdrew after being cast on SNL; the job went to Marc Summers.
Co-starred in film Tough Guys
Co-starred opposite Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster in Tough Guys; described as his 'big break' film role.
Joined Saturday Night Live (SNL) repertory cast
Became a primary cast member on NBC's Saturday Night Live and part of the 1986 cast revival alongside Phil Hartman and others.
Created breakout character 'The Church Lady'
Introduced the Church Lady (host of 'Church Chat'), one of his signature SNL characters.
Film role: Moving
Starred in the comedy Moving (1988) while a cast member of SNL.
Primetime Emmy nomination (Individual Performance) — 1989
One of consecutive Emmy nominations for his SNL performances (part of five+ consecutive nominations during his run).
Film role: Opportunity Knocks
Reported salary for Opportunity Knocks listed at $700,000 (IMDb salary note).
Primetime Emmy nomination (Individual Performance) — 1990
Another consecutive Emmy nomination for SNL work.
Starred as Garth in Wayne's World (film)
Reprised his SNL character Garth Algar in the hit film Wayne's World (1992) with Mike Myers.
Hosted 1992 MTV Video Music Awards; appeared at 64th Academy Awards as Garth
High-profile TV appearances in film/promotional roles during 1992.
Primetime Emmy nomination (Individual Performance) — 1992
Continued consecutive Emmy nominations for SNL performance (part of the early-90s run of nominations).
Starred in Wayne's World 2; left Saturday Night Live
Appeared in Wayne's World 2 (1993) and departed SNL after seven seasons.
Won Primetime Emmy Award (Outstanding Individual Performance)
Won the Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his SNL work.
Starred in Clean Slate and Trapped in Paradise
Appeared in multiple feature films in 1994 including Clean Slate and Trapped in Paradise (and The Road to Wellville).
Nearly rejoined SNL for season 20; hosted early in season
Almost rejoined the cast but ultimately did not; hosted an episode early in the 1994 season.
Personal milestone: home in San Fernando Valley; parents relocated
Report noted Carvey owned a home in the San Fernando Valley and his parents relocated to Murrieta to be near family.
HBO stand-up special 'Critic's Choice' filmed
Filmed his first HBO stand-up special titled Critic's Choice, performing SNL impressions and new material.
The Dana Carvey Show premiered (co-creator / star)
Created, wrote, executive produced and starred in The Dana Carvey Show; short-lived but launched Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert and Smigel's Ambiguously Gay Duo.
Primetime Emmy nomination for guest acting (Larry Sanders Show) (approx.)
Received an Emmy nomination for guest acting on The Larry Sanders Show (years of nomination noted in filmography references).
Underwent heart bypass surgery (mistaken artery operated on)
Underwent bypass surgery for a blocked coronary artery; surgeon mistakenly performed the bypass on a different artery, leading to ongoing angina.
Additional corrective heart surgery
Underwent corrective surgery in May 1998 after complications from the earlier operation.
Legal settlement for botched heart surgery: awarded $7.5M (reported)
Successfully sued for $7.5 million in damages related to the mistaken bypass procedure; reportedly donated the settlement to charity.
Film cameo: Little Nicky
Appeared as a referee in Adam Sandler's Little Nicky.
Starred in and co-wrote The Master of Disguise
Starred in, co-wrote, and had the film executive-produced by Adam Sandler; North American box office ~ $40 million.
Took extended break from on-screen work to raise children (2002–2010)
Stepped back from film/TV to focus on family and raising two sons.
Ranked #90 on Comedy Central's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups
Recognized in Comedy Central's list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time at #90.
Rotten Tomatoes ranking for The Master of Disguise
Rotten Tomatoes ranked The Master of Disguise as the 18th worst-reviewed movie of the 2000s decade (1% approval as of March 2007).
Reprised Garth Algar at MTV Movie Awards with Mike Myers
Appeared in a Wayne's World sketch with Mike Myers at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards.
Filmed HBO special 'Squatting Monkeys Tell No Lies'
Recorded his second HBO stand-up special (first in 13 years).
Appeared in Funny or Die 'Presidential Reunion' and co-created pilot 'Spoof'
Starred in Presidential Reunion and co-created/spots from the Fox pilot Spoof with Spike Feresten.
Hosted Saturday Night Live (return) and cameo in Jack and Jill
Returned to host SNL and had a cameo in Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill (2011).
Voice role in Hotel Transylvania 2
Voiced Dana, the Camp Director, in the animated feature Hotel Transylvania 2.
Public statement about lucrative corporate shows ('few million-dollar months')
Said in interviews he regularly performed lucrative corporate dates and had 'a few million-dollar months'.
Recorded two live performances at the Wilbur Theatre for Netflix special
Recorded two April 29–30 shows in Boston; his sons Tom and Dex opened the shows; material released as Netflix special 'Straight White Male, 60'.
Released 'Deep Dive with Dana Carvey' mini-series on Conan podcast
Featured in a six-episode mini-series titled 'Deep Dive with Dana Carvey' released in August 2019.
Voice role: The Secret Life of Pets (Pops) — 2016 and sequel 2019
Voiced Pops in The Secret Life of Pets (2016) and reprised the role in The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019).
Guest on 'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend' podcast
Appeared as a guest on Conan's podcast (episode recorded Jan 27, 2019).
Started podcast 'Fantastic! with Dana Carvey'
Launched the comedy podcast featuring sketches and interviews with family and comedy friends.
Reprised Garth in Uber Eats Super Bowl LV commercial
Reprised Garth Algar alongside Mike Myers in an Uber Eats commercial that first aired during Super Bowl LV.
Launched 'Fly on the Wall' podcast with David Spade
Began co-hosting Fly on the Wall with fellow SNL alum David Spade; features former SNL cast and hosts as guests.
Personal tragedy: death of son Dex
Elder son Dex Carvey died of an accidental drug overdose on November 15, 2023, at age 32.
Returned to Saturday Night Live to impersonate Joe Biden and Elon Musk
Made recurring appearances on SNL in the immediate lead-up to and aftermath of the 2024 presidential election impersonating Joe Biden and Elon Musk.
Audacy launches 'Superfly' video podcast spinoff
Audacy expanded partnership with Carvey and Spade to launch Superfly, a video podcast spinoff of Fly on the Wall.
Elon Musk publicly criticized Carvey's impression on X
Elon Musk said he did not believe Carvey's impression sounded like him; Carvey later agreed (reported Nov 24, 2024).
Net worth public estimate (reported)
Various recent profiles (2024–2025) estimate Carvey's net worth at approximately $20 million.
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