Arsenio Hall

Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted a late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014.

He has appeared in Martial Law, Coming to America (1988), Coming 2 America (2021), and Harlem Nights (1989). He was also the host of Star Search and appeared as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the talk show Thicke of the Night.

In 2012, he won NBC's reality-competition game show The Celebrity Apprentice 5.

Early life Hall was born on February 12, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents are Fred and Annie Hall. His father was a Baptist minister. Hall performed as a magician when he was a child. He graduated from Warrensville Heights High School in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, in 1973, after briefly attending John F. Kennedy High School. He later attended Ohio University and Kent State University.

Career Hall later moved to Chicago, and then Los Angeles, to pursue a career in comedy, making his television debut on Soul!, and a couple of appearances on Soul Train. In 1984, he was the announcer/sidekick for Alan Thicke during the short-lived talk show Thicke of the Night (a role for which he has on occasion noted his confusion with Monty Hall).

He appeared on five weeks of episodes of the short-lived NBC game show Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour from 1983 to 1984. He was also the original voice of Winston Zeddemore in the animated series The Real Ghostbusters from 1986 to 1987. In 1988, he co-starred in the comedy film Coming to America with Eddie Murphy. During his career, he set up Arsenio Hall Communications in 1987, and then he had signed a two-year, multi-picture agreement with Paramount Pictures to develop films for an exclusive agreement.

Talk shows In 1986, the Fox network introduced The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, created to directly challenge The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. After a moderate start, ratings for the show sagged. Relations between Rivers and network executives at Fox quickly eroded, and she left in 1987. The series was subsequently renamed The Late Show, and featured several interim hosts, including Ross Shafer, Suzanne Somers, Shawn Thompson, Richard Belzer and Robert Townsend, before it was canceled in 1988. Hall was also chosen to host the show in the fall of 1987, and his stint proved immensely popular, leading to his being offered his own show in syndication.

From January 2, 1989, to May 27, 1994, he had a Paramount contract to host a nationwide syndicated late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show. It was a breakout success, rating especially high among the coveted younger demographic, and it was known for its audience's distinctive alternative to applause in chanting, "Woof, woof, woof!" (which originated in the Cleveland Browns' Dawg Pound in the east end zone) while pumping their fists. The practice soon became such a ritual that by 1991 it had become a "pop culture stamp of approval"—one that Hall said had become "so popular it's getting on people's nerves". The gesture was so well known that it appeared in films such as Pretty Woman and The Hard Way.

Support of gay rights and the fight against AIDS Hall was a supporter of gay rights long before the movement had become overwhelmingly popular and supported in the mainstream, especially in black culture. In the early 1990s, this culminated in an episode of The Arsenio Hall Show where Hall was protested by gay rights activists, who criticized that he didn't have any gay guests on the show and that he would occasionally play gay characters; Hall was clearly upset by the accusation, saying he had famously put gay celebrities on his show, including Elton John, and had others on who preferred not to publicly advocate their sexual orientation. After passionately stating his points, Hall received overwhelming woof chants of support from his audience. Additionally, Hall used his fame during this period to help fight worldwide prejudice against HIV/AIDS after Magic Johnson contracted the virus. Hall and Johnson filmed a public service announcement about the disease that aired in the early 1990s.

Other television and radio work

Between 1988 and 1991, Hall hosted the MTV Video Music Awards. Over the years, he has appeared as a guest on numerous talk shows, in special features, as a voice actor, on game shows and other award shows. Since The Arsenio Hall Show ended, Hall had leading roles on television shows such as the short-lived sitcom Arsenio (1997) and Martial Law with Sammo Hung (1998–2000), and hosted the revival of Star Search (2003–2004). While hosting Star Search, he popularized the catchphrase "Hit me with the digits!"

Hall appeared as himself in Chappelle's Show in March 2004 (convinced by Swedish comedy director Saman Khadiri) when Chappelle was imagining "what Arsenio is doing right now" in a dinner scene. Hall has guest co-hosted Wednesday evenings on The Tim Conway Jr. Show on KLSX 97.1 FM radio. He hosted MyNetworkTV's comedic web video show The World's Funniest Moments and TV One's 100 Greatest Black Power Moves. He also appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher in May 2012, in a discussion commemorating the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Hall was considered for the host of the syndicated version of Deal or No Deal and filmed a pilot (there were six taped). However, by the time the syndicated series began on September 8, 2008, Howie Mandel was chosen as host.

Hall also appeared regularly on The Jay Leno Show, and was a guest on Lopez Tonight. George Lopez credits Arsenio as the reason he had a late night show; Lopez appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show more times than any other comedian. Lopez requested Hall be a co-host on Lopez Tonight (November 25, 2009) since he regarded Hall as his inspiration and the first "late night party show host". Hall has filled in as guest host for NBC's Access Hollywood Live (2011) and CNN's evening talk/interview program Piers Morgan Tonight in 2012.

In 2012, Hall was a contestant on the fifth edition of The Celebrity Apprentice, which began airing February 19, 2012. Hall represented his charity, the Magic Johnson Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing economic and social equality by engaging minorities in every aspect of their communities; increasing academic and innovative achievement; and raising HIV/AIDS awareness, treatment and prevention. While Hall clashed with Aubrey O'Day, he befriended a majority of the cast. On May 20, 2012, in the live season finale, he was chosen as the Celebrity Apprentice winner, being "hired" by Donald Trump over the other celebrity finalist, singer Clay Aiken. For winning The Celebrity Apprentice, Hall won the $250,000 grand prize for his charity, in addition to money for the tasks he and his team performed when he was a team leader.

A revival of Hall's syndicated late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, premiered September 9, 2013, on Tribune owned stations and other networks via CBS Television Distribution. It was canceled after one season due to low ratings. The last taping aired May 30, 2014.

Arsenio appeared in a bit in the January 2024 Emmys.

Personal life In 1997, after being out of the public eye for three years, Hall gave an interview to dispel rumors regarding what had driven him off stage. "I went on the Internet," he said, "and read I was in detox at Betty Ford. I got online under a fake name and typed in, 'I know Arsenio better than anyone else and he's not in detox, you idiots!'"

Hall has one son, born in 1999. Hall says he took time off to raise his son before resuming The Arsenio Hall Show in 2013. Hall had an interest in returning to the business eventually, but his decision was not confirmed until he appeared on Lopez Tonight in 2009 (although he initially considered a weekend show because he did not want to compete in ratings against his friend George Lopez).

On May 5, 2016, Hall filed a $5 million defamation lawsuit against Sinéad O'Connor after she claimed he had fueled Prince's drug habit and had also spiked his drink at a party at Eddie Murphy's house. Hall dropped the lawsuit after O'Connor apologized and retracted her allegations.

Filmography Film + List of film performances Year Title Role Notes 1987 Amazon Women on the Moon Apartment Victim 1988 Coming to America Semmi, Extremely Ugly Girl, Morris, Reverend Brown 1989 Harlem Nights Reggie (The Crying Man) 1989 Paula Abdul: Straight Up Himself Music video 1994 Blankman Himself 2005 The Naked Brothers Band: The Movie Himself 2005 The Proud Family Movie Dr. Carver, Bobby Proud 2006 Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! Captain Crothers 2007 Heckler Himself 2008 Igor Carl Cristall 2009 Black Dynamite Tasty Freeze 2017 Gilbert Himself 2017 Sandy Wexler Himself 2021 Coming 2 America Semmi, Morris, Reverend Brown, Baba (witch doctor), Extremely Ugly Girl (archival footage)2025Being EddieHimselfDocumentary

Television + List of television performances Year Title Role Notes Refs 1981, 1989 Soul Train Himself 2 episodes 1982 Madame's Place Himself 1982 Elvira's Movie Macabre Dr. Mustapha Abdul Raheem Jamaal X Muhammad, Tyrone 1983 The 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour Host 1983–1984 Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour Celebrity panelist 1983–1984 Thicke of the Night Actor / Himself (1984) 1985 The Motown Revue Starring Smokey Robinson Regular 1985 New Love, American Style Actor 1986 The New Alfred Hitchcock Presents Cleavon Episode titled Happy Birthdayair date March 23, 1986 1986–1987 The Real Ghostbusters Winston Zeddemore, Mooglie seasons 1–3 1987 Uptown Comedy Express Himself 1987 Comedy Club Himself 1987–1988 The Late Show Host 1986-1988 Solid Gold Himself 1989 Comic Relief III Himself 1989–1994 The Arsenio Hall Show Host Also writer and producer 1990 Doogie Howser, M.D. Himself 1990 Cheers Himself 1992 Ebony/Jet Showcase Himself 1992 The Jackie Thomas Show Himself Ep. "The Joke" 1993 Blossom Himself 1994 Living Single Himself 1997 Arsenio Michael Atwood 1997 Behind the Music Himself Ep. "MC Hammer: Behind the Music #2" 1997 Muppets Tonight Guest Ep. "The Cameo Show" 1998 Intimate Portrait Narrator 1998–2000 Martial Law Terrell Parker 36 episodes 2000 The Norm Show Joe Episode titled Norm vs. the Kidair date December 8, 2000 2002–2003 Hollywood Squares Celebrity panel 2003–2004 Star Search Host 2003 Tinseltown TV Himself 2004 CBS Cares Himself PSA 2008–2009 The World's Funniest Moments Host 2009–2010 The Jay Leno Show Correspondent 2009 Brothers Himself 2012 The Celebrity Apprentice 5 Contestant Winner of competition 2013–2014 The Arsenio Hall Show Host Also producer 2015–2016 Real Husbands of Hollywood Himself - Guest star 2016 Greatest Hits Host 2017–2018 The Mayor Ocho Okoye Guest; 2 episodes 2018All About the Washingtons Himself Guest; 2 episodes 2025 Crutch Avery Ep. "Community Crutch"

+ List of biography television shows and specials Year Title Episode Notes Refs 1996–2008 Biography 5 episodes 2001 E! True Hollywood Story 2008 Pioneers of Television (PBS) 2012 American Masters

+ Guest appearances on talk shows Year Title Episode Notes Refs 1989, 1992 Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee Guest 2 episodes 1989 The Phil Donahue Show Himself 1991 The Howard Stern Show Guest 1996–2012 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Guest Multiple appearances 1997 The Rosie O'Donnell Show Guest 1997 The Chris Rock Show Guest 1998 The Magic Hour Guest 2003 Real Time with Bill Maher Guest 2004 Tavis Smiley Guest 2004 The Sharon Osbourne Show Guest 2004 Chappelle's Show Guest 2004 The Wayne Brady Show Guest 2009 Up Close with Carrie Keagan Guest 2009 Made in Hollywood Himself 2010, 2012 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Alternate Reality Host 2 episodes 2010, 2012 Chelsea Lately Guest (2010) / Soundtrack (2012) 2010 Tosh.0 Guest 2011 Lopez Tonight Guest 2011 Access Hollywood Live Guest Host 2012 Inside Edition Himself 2012 The Wendy Williams Show Himself 2012 Piers Morgan Tonight Guest Host

Discography As "Chunky A" Large and in Charge (1989)

Awards and nominations NAACP Image Awards

The NAACP Image Awards are awarded annually by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Hall has won 3 awards from 4 nominations, as well as an honorary award.

Year Award Nominated workResult 1988 Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Coming to America 1991 Key of Life Award Himself 1993 Outstanding Variety – Series or Special The Arsenio Hall Show 1995 Outstanding Variety Series 2014 Outstanding Talk Series

Primetime Emmy Awards

The Primetime Emmy Awards are awarded annually by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Hall has received 2 nominations.

Year Award Nominated workResult 1989 Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program The Arsenio Hall Show 1990

Miscellaneous awards and nominations Year Organization Award Nominated work Result 1989 American Comedy Award Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Coming to America 1990 Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication The Arsenio Hall Show People's Choice Award Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host Soul Train Award Sammy Davis Jr. Award for Entertainer of the Year Himself Hollywood Walk of Fame Star at 6776 Hollywood Blvd. 1992 Central State University Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree 1993 GMA Dove Award Outstanding Mainstream Contribution Award 2014 People's Choice Award Favorite New Talk Show Host The Arsenio Hall Show