Rich Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rich Hall |
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Hall in 2016
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| Pseudonym | Otis Lee Crenshaw |
| Birth name | Richard Travis Hall |
| Born | June 10, 1954 Alexandria, Virginia, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television |
| Education | Western Carolina University |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, deadpan, political satire |
| Subject(s) | American culture, British culture, United States politics, British politics |
| Spouse |
Karen Hall
(m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Notable works and roles | QI, Saturday Night Live, Fridays, Late Show with David Letterman |
Richard Travis Hall (born June 10, 1954) is an American comedian, writer, and actor. He first became well-known in the 1980s for his funny short skits, called sketch comedy. He wrote and performed for many American TV shows. These included Fridays, Not Necessarily the News, and Saturday Night Live.
In 2000, Rich Hall won a big comedy award called the Perrier Comedy Award. He won it by performing as a funny character named Otis Lee Crenshaw, who is a country music singer from Tennessee. After this, he became very popular in the United Kingdom. He often appears on popular TV quiz shows like QI. Rich Hall has also created and starred in several TV series for the BBC. He continues to have a successful career doing stand-up comedy as himself and as Otis Lee Crenshaw.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Richard Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia. He grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has said that some of his family are from the Cherokee people. When he was starting out, he performed comedy on the street. He would travel to colleges and do funny skits for people who gathered to watch. He went to Western Carolina University.
Comedy Career Highlights
Comedy in the United States
Rich Hall's first professional jobs were writing and performing on TV. He worked on David Letterman Show in 1980. He also starred in the sketch comedy show Fridays from 1980 to 1982.
After Fridays, Hall helped write and star in Not Necessarily the News (1983–1990). On this show, he invented the word "sniglet". A sniglet is a new word for something that doesn't have a name yet. He even published books of these words! He was also a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live for one season (1984–1985).
In 1986, Rich Hall had his own TV special called Vanishing America. He also hosted a talk show called Rich Hall's Onion World. He has appeared on famous American talk shows like The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Show with David Letterman. In 2011, he voiced a character in the animated movie Arthur Christmas.
Comedy in the United Kingdom
Rich Hall is also very well-known in the United Kingdom. He spends time writing plays in the US and performing in London.
He is a frequent guest on popular BBC quiz shows. He is a regular on QI and has appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats and Have I Got News for You. He also performed on the stand-up comedy show Live at the Apollo.
Hall has had several of his own TV series on the BBC. These include Rich Hall's Fishing Show (2003) and Rich Hall's Cattle Drive (2006). He has also made many documentaries for BBC Four. These films often explore American culture, history, and movies. Some of his documentaries include Rich Hall's How the West Was Lost (about Western movies) and Rich Hall's The Dirty South (about the Southern United States). He also made films about American presidents and country music.
In 2010, he performed at Channel 4's Comedy Gala. This was a special show to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. He also appeared on Stand Up for the Week.
Other Appearances
Rich Hall has performed at comedy festivals in Ireland and Australia. He has been a guest at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival many times. In the 1980s, he appeared in several Pizza Hut commercials.
Since 2015, Hall has voiced Captain Taylor in the ITV series Thunderbirds Are Go. This is an animated show for kids. He has appeared on QI 25 times and has won more episodes than any other guest!
Otis Lee Crenshaw Character
In 2000, Rich Hall won the Perrier Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He won it while performing as his character, Otis Lee Crenshaw. Otis is a tough, country music singer who has been in trouble with the law many times.
As Otis Lee Crenshaw, Rich Hall has released several music albums. These include London Not Tennessee (2001) and How Do We Do It? Volume! (2003). In 2004, he wrote a book of Otis's made-up memories called Otis Lee Crenshaw: I Blame Society. He has toured with a band as Otis Lee Crenshaw, performing funny songs and stories.
Personal Life
Rich Hall married his wife, Karen, in 2004. She is a filmmaker from Liverpool, England. They have two children and live in London.
Film and TV Work
Filmography
- Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985) – Street Punk #1
- One Crazy Summer (1986) – Wilbur
- Million Dollar Mystery (1987) – Slaughter Buzzard
- C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (1989) – Stan
- The Lives of the Saints (2006) – Club Performer
- Arthur Christmas (2011) – Idaho Man (voice)
TV Shows and Documentaries
- Vanishing America (1986)
- Monsters, episode 15, "Their Divided Self" (1989)
- Rich Hall's TV Dinner Party (1990)
- Rich Hall's Fishing Show (2003)
- Rich Hall's Cattle Drive (2006)
- Rich Hall's How the West Was Lost (2008)
- Rich Hall's The Dirty South (2010)
- Rich Hall's Continental Drifters (2011)
- Rich Hall's Inventing the Indian (2012)
- Rich Hall's You Can Go To Hell, I'm Going To Texas (2013)
- Rich Hall's California Stars (2014)
- Rich Hall's Presidential Grudge Match (2016)
- Rich Hall's Countrier Than You (2017)
- Rich Hall's Working for the American Dream (2018)
- Rich Hall's Red Menace (2019)
- Elliott from Earth (2021) – Kane (voice)
Radio
- In Search of Southern Hospitality
Music Albums
- London Not Tennessee (with The Black Liars) (2001)
- How Do We Do It? Volume! (2003)
- Waitin' On A Grammy (2016)
