Iconic Impressionist and ‘Saturday Night Live' Star Turns 71
Comedian and legendary Saturday Night Live actor Dana Carvey turns 71 today!
Born on June 2, 1955, in Missoula, Montana, the actor was raised in San Carlos, California. His father (Bud Carvey) taught business law, and his mother (Billie Dahl) was a school teacher. Unlike his parents, Carvey (very obviously) didn't pursue a career in education. Instead, he majored in Communication Arts at San Francisco State.
The would-be SNL star, who always had a penchant for impressions, started his stand-up career performing in Bay Area comedy clubs during the late 1970s. He moved to Los Angeles in the early ‘80s and landed a TV role on the sitcomOne of the Boys, starring alongside Mickey Rooney and Nathan Lane.
While his first real role was an uncredited part in the movie Halloween II, in 1984 Carvey made his first major big-screen debut as a mime/waiter in Rob Reiner's iconic film, This Is Spinal Tap. Two years later, Carvey joined the cast of SNL, launching him into super-stardom.
The 71-year-old's SNL career spanned almost a decade, from 1986 to 1993. Carvey created legendary characters (such as The Church Lady, The Grumpy Old Man, Hans, and Massive Head-Wound Harry) and famously parodied top political figures and Hollywood celebrities, including George H.W. Bush, Ross Perot, and Johnny Carson.
Known for creating catchy phrases, Carvey made in-real-life memes before they were a thing. Most notably, The Church Lady's "Well, isn't that special", George H.W. Bush's "Not gonna do it", and Derek Stevens' "Choppin' Broccoli" song.
Even though he was already a beloved SNL cast member, in 1989 his career skyrocketed when Carvey appeared as Garth Algar alongside Mike Myers' Wayne Campbell. The pair parlayed the characters into a franchise, releasing Wayne's World in 1992 and Wayne's World 2 in 1993.
Carvey appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1992, speaking about the success of Wayne's World: "It's all over the world, who knew? I mean, I think it's kind of frightening myself."
After leaving SNL, Carvey went on to star in Clean Slate, Trapped in Paradise, and The Master of Disguise. He also voiced characters in the animated films Hotel Transylvania 2 and The Secret Lives of Pets 2. He released a Netflix stand-up special, Dana Carvey: Straight White Male, 60, in 2016 and currently hosts "The Fly on the Wall" podcast with fellow SNL alum David Spade.
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This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 9:42 AM.