Signature Office Senator (MN) since 2009 Religion Judaism Spouse Franni Bryson (m. 1975) | Role United States Senator Children 2 Name Al Franken | |
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Full Name Alan Stuart Franken Books Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them Movies and TV shows Similar People | ||
Sen. Al Franken is still seriously funny.
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American writer, comedian, and politician. Since 2009, he has been the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s as a writer and performer on the television comedy show Saturday Night Live. After decades as a comedic actor and writer, he became a prominent liberal political activist. Franken was first elected to the United States Senate in 2008 in a razor-thin victory over incumbent Republican Senator Norm Coleman, and then won re-election in 2014 over Republican challenger Mike McFadden. Franken is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), an affiliate of the Democratic Party.
Contents
- Sen Al Franken is still seriously funny
- Senator al franken draws map of usa
- Early life and education
- Saturday Night Live
- Post SNL
- Political activism prior to election
- 2008 elections
- 2014 elections
- Tenure
- Committee assignments
- Books
- CDs and compilations
- Personal life
- References
Born in New York City, Franken moved to Minnesota when he was four. With his writing partner Tom Davis, with whom he had developed an interest in improvisational theater at the prestigious college preparatory school The Blake School, he was hired as a writer for SNL at its inception in 1975. He worked on the show as a writer and performer until 1980, and returned from 1985 to 1995. After leaving SNL, he wrote and acted in movies and television shows. He also hosted a nationally syndicated political radio talk show, The Al Franken Show, and wrote seven books, four of which are political satires critical of conservative politics. His latest book, Al Franken, Giant of the Senate, about his time in the Senate, was a New York Times Non-Fiction Best Seller.
Senator al franken draws map of usa
Early life and education
Franken was born on May 21, 1951, in New York City, the son of Joseph Franken, a printing salesman, and Phoebe Franken (born Kunst), a real estate agent. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Germany; his maternal grandfather came from Grodno, Belarus, and his maternal grandmother's parents were also from the Russian Empire. Both of his parents were Jewish, and Al was raised in a Reform Jewish home. The Franken family moved to Albert Lea, Minnesota, when Al was four years old. His father opened a quilting factory – but after just two years, the factory failed. The family moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. Franken graduated from The Blake School in 1969, where he was a member of the wrestling team. He attended Harvard College where he majored in political science, graduating cum laude (top 25% of the class) with a Bachelor of Arts in 1973. His older brother Owen is a photojournalist, and his cousin Bob is a journalist for MSNBC.
Franken began performing in high school where he and his friend and long-time writing partner Tom Davis were known for their humor. The two first performed on stage at Minneapolis' Brave New Workshop theater, specializing in political satire. They soon found themselves in what was described as "a life of near-total failure on the fringes of show business in Los Angeles."
Saturday Night Live
Franken and Tom Davis were recruited as two of the original writers (and occasional performers) on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (1975–1980, 1985–1995). In Season 1 of SNL, as apprentice writers, the two shared a salary of $350 per week. Franken received seven Emmy nominations and three awards for his television writing and producing while creating such characters as