Hal Sparks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hal Sparks
Sparks in 2016
Birth name	Hal Harry Magee Sparks III
Born	(1969-09-25) September 25, 1969 (age 55) Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Genres	Sketch comedy, observational comedy, clean comedy
Children	1

Hal Harry Magee Sparks III (born September 25, 1969) is an American comedian, actor, and musician. He is known for hosting Talk Soup on E! and for playing Donald Davenport in the TV series Lab Rats. He also voiced Tak in the Tak and the Power of Juju TV series and video games. Hal Sparks has also been a radio host and a commentator on TV.

Early Life and First Steps in Comedy

Hal Sparks was born on September 25, 1969, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Peaks Mill, Kentucky.

When he was 11, Hal enjoyed playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends. He became the "dungeon master" because he was good at reading the game's rules.

At 14, he moved to Chicago and joined the theater program at New Trier High School. By age 15, he started doing stand-up comedy. When he was 17, he won a contest called "Chicago's Funniest Teenager." This contest was sponsored by the Chicago Sun-Times newspaper.

Hal Sparks' Acting Career

Movies and Special Roles

Hal Sparks had a big role in the movie Dude, Where's My Car? (2000). He played Zoltan, the leader of a group of space-loving nerds. He even created the "Z" hand gesture used in the movie! This "Z" sign later became popular with fans of the baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2012, Hal threw out the first pitch at a Pirates game.

He also appeared in other movies, like Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. You might have seen him in Spider-Man 2 as the funny elevator passenger. In 2009, he was in the movie Extract as a guitar salesman.

In 2004, Hal starred as Deputy Dale in an independent film called Lightning Bug. The movie was written and directed by Robert Hall, who was also in Hal's band, Zero 1.

Television Shows and Voice Acting

Sparks in 2009

Hal Sparks first appeared on TV in the movie Frog in 1987. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles. In 1999, he became the host of Talk Soup. He also appeared in the music video for "Beat It" by Fall Out Boy and voiced a character on Robot Chicken.

He has been a guest on many TV shows since 1994. These include Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Martial Law, Frasier, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and Las Vegas.

From 2007 to 2009, Hal was the voice of Tak in the animated children's series Tak & the Power of Juju on Nickelodeon. He also played Donald Davenport in the popular Disney XD show Lab Rats. This show was very popular when it first aired in 2012. He continued playing Donald Davenport in the spin-off show Lab Rats: Elite Force.

Hal also played Nelson Burkhard in the second season of Fuller House. In 2009, he was the voice of "Mr. Q," the computer, on the game show 20Q on GSN.

Hosting and Reality TV Appearances

In 1988, Hal Sparks became the youngest game show host in the United States for the show Treasure Mall. He also played on the Chicago Hitmen team in GSN's Extreme Dodgeball.

In 2006, Hal competed on the Fox show Celebrity Duets to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. He sang with famous musicians like Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight. He made it to the finale and finished in third place.

In 2007, Hal hosted the WB reality series Survival of the Richest. In this show, rich young adults teamed up with people who had a lot of debt to complete challenges. Also in 2007, he was a judge with Roseanne for America's Funniest Mom.

Hal was a contestant on the 2008 VH1 show Celebracadabra. On this show, celebrities learned and performed magic tricks. Hal came in second place.

In 2009, Hal recorded his first comedy special called Charmageddon. It aired in 2010 and was also released on DVD. In 2019, he appeared on Famously Afraid on the Travel Channel, where he shared a personal unusual experience.

VH1 Commentary

Hal Sparks has often appeared as a commentator on several VH1 series. These include:

• I Love the '70s
• I Love the '80s
• I Love the '90s
• I Love the New Millennium
• 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs

Other Interests and Talents

Radio Work

Hal Sparks is a regular guest and fill-in host on the Stephanie Miller Radio Show. He provides commentary and humor on Wednesday mornings. This part of the show is known as "Hump Days with Hal."

In June 2010, he started his own radio show called The Hal Sparks Radio Program (megaworldwide) on WCPT (AM). It airs every Saturday.

Music Career

Sparks in 2007

Besides acting, Hal Sparks is also the lead singer and guitarist for a rock band called ZERO 1. The band used to be called The Hal Sparks Band. Their first album came out in December 2006.

The band now has new members: Hal Sparks (vocals and guitar), Brian Crow (guitar), Bumper Renga (bass), and Lance Tamanaha (drums). They are working on a new album called The Sacred Nothing. They also plan to release their first music video for the song "American Psycho."

Hal often joins the Los Angeles cover band Steel Panther to sing classic 1980s metal songs.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Hal Sparks cares about helping others. He often takes part in charity events for groups like AIDS Walk and Farm Sanctuary.

In 2010, Hal and another passenger helped an elderly man who had collapsed at Los Angeles International Airport. They used CPR to help him.

In 2011, Hal announced he would become a father. He introduced his son, Camden Harrison Sparks, at the 2011 AIDS Walk in Los Angeles.

Hal has studied martial arts since he was 8 years old. He has belts in Karate, Tae Kwon Do, and different types of Kung Fu, including Wushu.

In 2012, the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team started using the "Zoltan" hand gesture from Hal's movie Dude, Where's My Car? as a good luck sign. Hal flew to Pittsburgh on July 25, 2012, to throw out the first pitch at a game. The Pirates won that game!

Hal Sparks lives in Chinatown, Los Angeles. He also has a political talk show on the Chicago radio station WCPT 820 AM on Saturdays.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

Video Games

Music Videos

Discography

• Charmageddon (2010)
• Wreckcreation (2018)

See also

In Spanish: Hal Sparks para niños