Terry Sweeney facts for kids

Terry Sweeney is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He was a writer and cast member on the TV show Saturday Night Live in the 1980s. He also helped write the 1989 movie Shag. Terry Sweeney has written for other TV series like MADtv, Hype, and Tripping the Rift.

Early Life and Career

Terry Sweeney was born in Queens, New York. He grew up in Massapequa Park, New York. He was the younger of two children. His father, Terrence, was a butcher, and his mother was Lenore Sweeney.

As a child, Terry loved books and movie musicals. He also enjoyed putting on his own Broadway plays. His interest in performing grew, and he became a star in his high school talent show. He finished Farmingdale High School in 1969. Then, he went to Middlebury College, where he studied Spanish and Italian. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1973.

Becoming a Star on Saturday Night Live

After college, Terry Sweeney began performing in New York City. He created different characters for his shows. A great review in The New York Times helped him get an audition for Saturday Night Live (SNL). The show's producer, Lorne Michaels, hired him.

Terry Sweeney was a regular cast member on SNL during the 1985–86 season. Before that, he was also a sketch writer for SNL in the early 1980s. He was a groundbreaking cast member for SNL. He was open about his identity before joining the show. At that time, there were not many openly diverse characters or actors on television.

During his time on SNL, Terry Sweeney became known for his celebrity impressions. He often played famous women like Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Joan Collins, and Joan Rivers. He also impersonated Ted Kennedy. His most famous recurring character was a portrayal of then-First Lady Nancy Reagan.

While on SNL, the roles Terry Sweeney was given often involved playing exaggerated female characters. He sometimes had difficult experiences with other cast members.

Other Creative Works

Terry Sweeney has written for several TV shows. These include the FOX TV series MADtv and The WB's sketch comedy series Hype. He also co-created Hype. He wrote for the Sci Fi Channel's Tripping the Rift. He worked on all these projects with his partner, Lanier Laney.

Terry Sweeney's main movie work was as a co-screenwriter for the film Shag. This movie was released in 1989.

In 2000, Sweeney performed a stand-up comedy show called Coming Out Party. This show talked about his childhood in the 1960s. It also covered his journey of self-discovery in the 1970s. He shared how he navigated the 1980s and how he was open about his identity when he joined Saturday Night Live. This made him a pioneer as one of the first openly diverse male actors on a network TV show. He also spoke about his life after SNL, including caring for Lanier Laney's mother.

He has written two books. His first book, Nancy Reagan: It's Still My Turn, came out in 1990. His second book, Irritable Bowels and the People Who Give You Them, was published in 2015. It is a collection of funny stories about his life in Hollywood. In 2018, he appeared in two episodes of FX's TV show The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. He played the character David Gallo.

Episodes of Tripping the Rift Written by Sweeney and Laney

• "... Ball" (also written with Sy Rosen)
• "Power to the Peephole"
• "Android Love"
• "Roswell"
• "Creaturepalooza"
• "Chode's Near-Death Experience"
• "Six, Lies, and Videotape"

Personal Life

Terry Sweeney's husband is Lanier Laney. Lanier is an artist and comedy writer. He also wrote for SNL during the 1985–1986 season. They first met as members of a comedy group called the "Bess Truman Players."

Laney and Sweeney were writing partners for Saturday Night Live. They also worked together on the film Shag and the Syfy Channel cartoon Tripping the Rift. As of 2012, the couple lives in Los Angeles and Beaufort, South Carolina.