Dana Carvey
A master impressionist and Saturday Night Live star whose Church Lady and Garth Algar became defining comic characters of the 1990s.
Born 1955 (age 71)·American comedian and actor·Birthday: June 2·Baby Boomers
Biography
Dana Carvey's brand of comedy is built on pinpoint precision and childlike glee. Emerging from the San Francisco stand-up scene, his talent for eerily accurate impressions—from George H.W. Bush's stammering diction to Johnny Carson's smooth delivery—catapulted him to 'Saturday Night Live' in 1986. On SNL, he didn't just do voices; he created full-blown cultural phenomena. The smug, judgmental Church Lady and the blissfully dim-witted Garth (from 'Wayne's World,' co-created with Mike Myers) became household names. His film career, highlighted by 'Wayne's World' and 'Clean Slate,' showcased his broader comic timing, though stand-up and character work remained his core. After a high-profile heart surgery in the late 90s, he scaled back but never left comedy, eventually returning to the stage and launching a podcast. Carvey's legacy is that of a virtuoso performer who could dissect the quirks of the powerful and celebrate the absurdity of the mundane with equal brilliance.
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.
Dana was born in 1955, 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 Dana Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Dana's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
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
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 70
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 71 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created iconic 'Saturday Night Live' characters including the Church Lady and co-created Garth Algar for 'Wayne's World.'
- Won an Emmy Award in 1993 for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his work on 'SNL.'
- Starred in the successful film adaptation of 'Wayne's World,' which originated as an 'SNL' sketch.
- Has performed multiple HBO stand-up comedy specials, including 'Critics' Choice' and 'Straight White Male, 60.'
Did You Know?
He is an accomplished drummer and often incorporates it into his stand-up act.
He underwent emergency double-bypass heart surgery in 1998.
He and Mike Myers would often break character and laugh during 'Wayne's World' sketches on SNL.
He taught a young Jon Lovitz how to do stand-up comedy early in their careers.
“Well, isn't that special?”
