Brad Hall
A versatile performer who anchored Weekend Update and later built a quiet but significant career behind the scenes in television.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actor·Birthday: March 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Brad Hall's career is a study in understated influence. He arrived on Saturday Night Live in the early 80s, a tall, steady presence who brought a wry, cerebral calm to the show's chaos, most notably as the anchor of Weekend Update. His tenure there, while not as long-lived as some, established a template of dry, intelligent delivery. After SNL, he didn't chase the spotlight but pivoted skillfully into writing, producing, and acting in a stream of network sitcoms, often collaborating with his wife, Julia Louis-Dreyfus. His work helped shape the tone of 90s television comedy from a foundational role, proving that a career built on smart choices and consistent craft can have a lasting impact far from the glare of the sketch comedy stage.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Brad was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a cast member and Weekend Update anchor on Saturday Night Live from 1982 to 1984.
- Co-created and executive produced the NBC sitcom 'The Single Guy'.
- Wrote for and produced several successful television series, including 'The John Larroquette Show' and 'The Michael Richards Show'.
- Directed episodes of acclaimed series like 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and 'The New Adventures of Old Christine'.
Did You Know?
He is married to actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whom he met while they were both performing at The Practical Theatre Company in Chicago.
He graduated from Stanford University, where he was a member of the improvisational group 'Stanford Improvisors'.
He is the son-in-law of the late billionaire and philanthropist, Gérard Louis-Dreyfus.
“The news doesn't have to be delivered by a screaming maniac.”
