Apparently Darrell Hammond was really good at hiding things from the general public. In a new book he wrote which comes out in a couple of weeks, Darrell talks about how while he was on SNL, he was not just regularly drunk, but also taken from NBC in a strait jacket and sent to a hospital because he was out of control. Oh, and he also spent time at the show doing coke and at one point even decided to start smoking crack and spent a great deal of time in a Harlem crack house. People there probably thought Bill Clinton had taken time off from work and come over to join them. The fact that Darrell was so prolific on the show and for so long all while doing this is crazy. Can you imagine how good he would have been if he had been sober the whole time. Darrell went to rehab a couple of years ago to deal with his drug and booze issues and also he spent time learning how to deal with the fact he cut himself too.
Very sad and shocking. I'll have to pick up his book. I remember being bummed when he went missing from SNL. Now it makes sense. They did a good job of keeping things mum.
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ReplyDeleteI am sorry to hear this.
ReplyDeleteHe and Chris Parnell are two SNL guys who have always made me wonder what their deal is - this makes sense. I looked up Chris once a few years ago, I think he's the only SNL alum to be fired and rehired - or was at that time, anyway - but I never found out why. I'm raising my coffee cup to Darrell, hope he's tamed the beast. I'm back online, yay!
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised, their after parties are full of drugs and alcohol, so it's no wonder the casts end up with some form of addiction.
ReplyDeleteHim? Really? I honestly NEVER would have guessed.
ReplyDeleteWishing Darrell good health.
I am not surprised. I had a girlfriend in the mid-2000s who had previously been in a relationship with Darrell Hammond. When she first described it to me, I thought she said "Daryl Hannah" and I replied, "Damn, that's hot!"
ReplyDeleteThe girlfriend was a alcoholic and addict so I can see what they had in common.
apparently he was emotionally and physically abused as a child. he's brave to come out with a book that goes into that.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like he was definitely in a lot of pain from his childhood so I'm glad he has gotten the help he needs.
ReplyDeleteA book that deals with those issues will no doubt help others.
I don't know why enty deleted my comment unless it was a glitch. But my comment is true, in an interview with Howard Stern he said both his parents molested him as a child. They tried to convince him it was bad dreams. He has had it rough.
ReplyDeleteI totally forgot about the Chris Parnell firing/rehiring!
ReplyDeleteDamn...I defnitely would not have pegged him as a crack user. He was in almost every sketch for awhile there, he hid it very well. So did NBC.
He was one of my SNL faves and certainly more talented than some former castmates who have gone on to movies or sitcoms.
ReplyDeleteI worked with someone that was either a friend or assistant to his wife year ago and yea he would say he was a big boozer and was really either emo or abusive to people around him; and the only reason they put up with his shit was because he was a so called "star", money and using his name to fluff theirs up; didnt hear anything about drugs tho, just massive amounts of booze.
ReplyDeleteNone of this surprises me really, many performers have emotional issues and addiction issues, especially comedians it seems. Many of the former cast members have commented on the abundance of drugs and alcohol on that set, Dennis Miller and Dana Carvey once said the Tuesday table writing sessions were not productive unless everyone was high and shouting out ideas at the tops of their lungs.
ReplyDeleteDarrell was one of my favorite performers, the show has been lacking since he left and he always gets massive ovations when he makes a special appearance. I am impressed that he performed that well if he was that high. I hope this book and his treatment have helped him deal with his demons, it would be nice to see more of him again.
I never would have guessed, either. Honestly, it seems like so many comedians are troubled.
ReplyDeleteRaising my cup to SNL for having him taken away in a straight jacket. Thank goodness he was saved! And too bad that didn't happen for others on SNL.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend saw Darrell Hammond a few years ago at a comedy club in NY. He showed up at like 2a and wanted to try some new material. My bf said Darrell was so bombed, you couldn't even understand most of what he was saying.
ReplyDeleteHope he has gotten the help he needs.
I saw him at the Comedy Cellar around the time he was apparently smoking crack. Sadly, I can't say I'm surprised by this either. He seemed really out of it.
ReplyDeleteHe sounds like the comedian version of Mickey Mantle.
ReplyDeleteI had no clue either. I am guessing that casts are tight and secrets can are well kept. Oh the secrets Lorne probably knows.
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