Dean Edwards Biography

Comedian Dean Edwards has been making his mark in comedy following two successful seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. With such memorable impressions as Don Cheadle, Michael Jackson, and Denzel Washington, as well as such original characters as Man in Elevator and Cop #2, Edwards has pushed himself to the limits of creativity and exhaustion. Always the multitasker, Edwards found the momentum to juggle his Saturday Night Live career, his numerous stand up appearances, and multiple television appearances on television. Edwards most recently appeared in Showtime’s Comics without Borders, the nine-week comedy series which showcased multicultural stand up comedians. Currently devoting his career to his first love, stand up comedy, Edwards will release a comedy DVD with Salient Media in mid-2009.

In addition to stand up, Edwards has made several late night appearances, including The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Last Call with Carson Daly. He is also a favorite and frequent guest on Byron Allen’s Comics Unleashed and is frequently providing comedic commentary on various VH1 highlight shows. Director Malcolm D. Lee also chose Edwards to finish Bernie Mac’s voice/ADR work on Soul Men after the comedian’s untimely death. Edwards also provided the voice-over of Barack Obama on the new CNN show DL Hughley Breaks the News.

Born in the Bronx and raised throughout various parts of New York, Edwards' travels have made it easy for him to communicate with all walks of life. After dividing his college career between classes and a six-year term in the United States Army Reserve, Edwards ultimately made the choice to devote his career to comedy. Although his fellow soldiers loved his impressions of their drill sergeant, Edwards spent many an afternoon doing push-ups to pay for his comedic talent. That talent paid off and Edwards found his career when he participated in his college talent show. Armed with a degree in communications, Edwards became an in demand comic and landed his first big break on Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam. Though the show is renowned for its blue humor, Edwards found a way to break the traditional mold with his mainstream appeal.

Subsequently, he was a featured comedian on Showtime at the Apollo a few years later. Edwards followed his television appearances by starring in numerous commercials, and he also worked with Spike Lee on the hit feature film The Original Kings of Comedy. Edwards has since earned a reputation as a headlining favorite at comedy clubs and colleges across the country.