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Darrell Hammond’s Demons
The popular Saturday Night Live alum details a dark life of abuse and addiction in his new book.
You’ve heard the saying, “laughing on the outside, crying on the inside”? So many of our most popular comedians have dark secrets in their pasts that seem to drive their need to entertain. Saturday Night Live cast member Darrell Hammond recently revealed he definitely falls into that category.
In his raw, honest new memoir, God If You're Not Up There, I'm F--ked, SNL’s longest-running cast member admits to struggling with alcoholism, crack and cutting. Some of the more shocking admissions include being taken from the NBC building in a straightjacket, keeping a pint of Remy in his desk at work to quiet the disturbing images in his head, and cutting himself when alcohol didn’t work to numb the pain.
Hammond, who appeared on the show for 14 seasons -- 270 appearances – found fame with his hilarious impressions of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Sean Connery and others.
Cocaine use turned to addiction in 2002 for Hammond, escalating to crack use in 2009, during his final season on SNL. After finding himself in a crack house in Harlem, he went to rehab. Like so many who seek help for addiction, Hammond faltered in 2010, relapsing with Vicodin. He re-entered treatment and this time it stuck.
Hammond doesn’t blame the popular comedy show for any of his issues. His demons date back much further than his SNL days, stemming from an abusive childhood, which he also addresses in the book. “I don’t have anything bad to say about anyone [at SNL],” he told the New York Post, adding, “They all really went above and beyond the call for me.”
His newfound sobriety has led to a fulfilling second act for Hammond. He starred this past summer as Truman Capote in a one-man show in New England, and is now making the rounds promoting his book. He’s also involved in fellow comedian Will Ferrell’s “Funny or Die” website.
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