A. Whitney Brown
A. Whitney Brown | |
---|---|
Birth name | Alan Whitney Brown |
Born | Charlotte, Michigan, U.S. | July 8, 1952
Medium | Actor, comedian, writer |
Years active | 1977–present |
Spouse | Cynthia Swanson (1976–2011) Carolyn Wonderland (2011–present) |
Children | 1 |
Notable works and roles | Saturday Night Live The Daily Show |
Alan Whitney Brown (born July 8, 1952) is an American writer and comedian best known for work on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s. In addition to writing for the program, he appeared opposite Dennis Miller in a biting satirical Weekend Update commentary segment called "The Big Picture". He won a 1988 Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, along with Al Franken, Tom Davis, Phil Hartman, Mike Myers, Lorne Michaels and Conan O'Brien. He was also one of the original correspondents on Comedy Central's The Daily Show from 1996 to 1998.
Career
Brown began his career as a street juggler, and became a stand-up comedian after entering the 1977 San Francisco Comedy Competition. He became a member of the Writer's Guild when he was hired by Lorne Michaels to join the writing staff of Saturday Night Live in 1985; he was also a featured performer. He left for personal reasons six years later. He worked briefly for the liberal radio network Air America Radio during its start-up period in early 2004 and remains active in online political discourse.
He also wrote the screenplay for an episode of HBO's horror anthology show Tales From the Crypt named "Collection Completed" (Season 1, Episode 6; first aired in America[clarification needed] on June 28, 1989).
Personal life
On March 4, 2011, Brown married Carolyn Wonderland, a blues singer and guitarist, in Austin, Texas. The marriage was officiated by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees. Brown was previously married to Cynthia Swanson, a New York newspaper designer, from 1976 to 2011. Through this prior marriage, Brown has a daughter, Serena, and a granddaughter, Thea Lenore.
Works
- The Big Picture: An American Commentary. HarperCollins, 1991. ISBN 0-06-096825-7
- 1952 births
- Living people
- American satirists
- American sketch comedians
- American stand-up comedians
- American television writers
- American male television writers
- Primetime Emmy Award winners
- People from Charlotte, Michigan
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American comedians
- Comedians from Michigan
- Screenwriters from Michigan