Dean Edwards
A chameleonic comedian and impressionist who brought sharp wit and unexpected voices to Saturday Night Live and animated cult favorites.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American comedian, actor and musician·Birthday: July 30·Generation X
Biography
Dean Edwards carved a niche in comedy with a rubber-faced expressiveness and a gift for mimicry that landed him on the hallowed stage of Saturday Night Live in 2001. His tenure there, though brief, was marked by memorable impressions, from a smooth Don Cheadle to a frenetic Savion Glover. Beyond live sketch, Edwards found a lasting home in voice acting, stepping into big shoes to voice Donkey in 'Scared Shrekless' when Eddie Murphy was unavailable, and lending his pipes to the chaotic animated world of 'Celebrity Deathmatch.' His career path reflects the hustle of a versatile performer, moving seamlessly between stand-up clubs, television guest spots like 'The Sopranos,' and off-Broadway interactive theater, proving his talent was too multifaceted to be confined to a single medium.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dean was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Dean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
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
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Was a featured cast member on Saturday Night Live for the 2003–2004 season.
- Voiced Donkey in the Halloween special 'Scared Shrekless' and other Shrek franchise video projects.
- Provided voices for multiple characters on the cult stop-motion series 'Celebrity Deathmatch,' including Scottie Pippen and Spike Lee.
Did You Know?
He is a skilled drummer and has incorporated music into his stand-up act.
Before SNL, he was a finalist on the 'Star Search' television competition.
He performed in the long-running interactive play 'Tony n' Tina's Wedding' in New York City.
“I do a Don Cheadle that's more Don Cheadle than Don Cheadle.”
