His Big Break
After years of struggling and performing at small standup comedy clubs, Spade finally got his big break in 1989. He was showcased on HBO’s 13th Annual Young Comedian’s Show. Dennis Miller hosted it, and the two hit it off. Miller then helped Spade get onto Saturday Night Live.
Photo by James Devaney/WireImage/Getty Images
Spade was excited because he had grown up watching SNL as a teenager, and then it was the show that would make him a household name. He only made three appearances during his rookie season, and producers planned to fire him until he came up with the “Hollywood Minute” sketch.