Whatever Happened To Kevin Nealon?

Comedian and actor Kevin Nealon made a name for himself as part of the "Saturday Night Live" cast between 1986 and 1995. He made audiences laugh with original characters and spot-on impressions of other celebrities and also served as an anchor for the popular "Weekend Update" segment, giving some of his most memorable comedic performances while delivering satirical news. After his successful run on "SNL," Nealon entered the film world with roles in multiple Adam Sandler-led projects including Gary Potter in "Happy Gilmore" and Stanley the Gatekeeper in "Little Nicky."

In addition to these film roles, Nealon also appeared in all eight seasons of the popular Showtime series "Weeds." In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, Nealon explained that he and his character, Doug Wilson, have very opposite personalities, but that he still enjoyed the experience of being on the show. Although it may seem as if Nealon's career slowed down after "Weeds" went off the air in 2012, the multi-talented performer has expanded his horizons and found new creative passions.

Instead of limiting himself to film roles, Nealon has spent several years immersing himself in various projects. For example, his resume now includes being a visual artist, a web series producer, and a charity fundraiser. Most notably, he has continued to do what he does best: stand-up comedy. Overall, Nealon appears to be living a full life and enjoying success on his terms.

In recent years, many creators have turned to the web series format to share their unique content. In 2017, Nealon launched a YouTube series he calls "Hiking With Kevin." In the show, Nealon takes a different celebrity on a hike every week and interviews them about various subjects. Each episode is relaxed and conversational, and audiences see the beauty of the hiking trails outside Los Angeles and Malibu. In a September 2022 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Nealon shared that hiking is one of his passions. He also noted that many people feel more comfortable opening up to him in this informal style than they might in a traditional interview.

The series is now in its fourth season and has featured some big-name guests including Adam Sandler, Conan O'Brien, Courteney Cox, Martin Short, Kristen Bell, and Kumail Nanjiani. Although many of his guests are comedians, Nealon has also interviewed musicians, athletes, dramatic actors, and authors. As the show progressed, Nealon began to explore hiking in international locations. For example, a Season 4 promo on YouTube shows Nealon traversing a hiking trail in Ireland. As he wanders the route, Nealon explains the many sights he passes along the way. "Hiking With Kevin" has over 100 episodes and counting, and Nealon shows no signs of slowing down production.

Although Nealon's comedy mostly appeals to adults, the performer shared his skills with a new audience in 2014. Nealon teamed with producer Ellen DeGeneres to launch a twelve-episode series on AOL, "Laugh Lessons with Kevin Nealon," that features a number of famous comedians teaching comedy to children. Nealon and DeGeneres appear in the series, and their guests include names like Adam Sandler, David Spade, and Chelsea Handler. Each episode features a different group of elementary school students in a classroom with one of the comedians.

Nealon serves as the series' host and interviews his guests about their lesson plans at the start of every episode. The comedy teachers focus their lessons on a particular aspect of their own comedy or practical advice for life as a comedian. In the first episode, Adam Sandler lets the children experiment with making funny noises and impressions. He shares some of his favorites and teaches his students to create a brief sketch around a particular noise. Each comedian brings their individual strengths to the series, and episodes last between five and ten minutes. The short-lived experimental series was one of Nealon's first web-based projects and paved the way for future web series endeavors for the comedian.

Celebrities are often passionate about giving back to charitable causes, and Nealon is no exception. Over the years, Nealon has continuously lent his time and financial support to a non-profit organization that helped his family through difficult ordeals. An article on the Hope Healthcare website in 2020 explains that Nealon and his family have supported their Florida-based Hope Hospice program for decades. According to the article, the Nealon family relied on Hope Hospice for end-of-life care for several of their family members over the years and appreciated the service they received. Although he grew up in Connecticut and primarily lives in Los Angeles, California, Nealon has ties to the Southwest Florida region because of his family and remains active with this organization.

In 2020, Nealon took his Hope Hospice fundraising efforts public on an episode of "Celebrity Family Feud," where his family went up against fellow comedian Drew Carey and his own family and won $25,000 for the charity. The team also included Nealon's brother, his mother-in-law, and actress Cheryl Hines. Although the contestants only needed to score 200 points to win the final round of the game show, Nealon and his wife far surpassed that amount and secured an easy victory.

Although Nealon is often associated with "SNL" and other television and film appearances, the actor has been a stand-up comedian since the late '70s. In 2009, he took to the stage for his first full-length comedy special, "Now Hear Me Out!" and toured comedy clubs around the country. In 2012, he returned with his second special, "Whelmed... But Not Overly."

However, in 2020, Nealon's third special, "Behind The Mask," had a very different look. In an interview with KTLA 5, Nealon discussed the special that he live-streamed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since comedy clubs around the country had closed their doors due to quarantine orders, Nealon saw an opportunity to allow comedy fans to enjoy stand-up from the comfort of their homes. 

In the interview, Nealon noted that the hour-long special also includes a virtual Q&A after-party to give fans a chance to talk with the comedian. According to Nealon, the most challenging part of creating a live-stream special is the lack of opportunities to perfect the material beforehand. He explained that touring comedy clubs traditionally give comedians a chance to rehearse their specials ahead of time and that "Behind The Mask" would therefore be less scripted. Nealon live-streamed the special from his home in Los Angeles, California, and featured musician Brad Paisley as a special guest.

Most Kevin Nealon fans love him for his comedic talents on stage and screen, but the actor has many other creative passions. In a 2017 interview with Watch! Magazine, Nealon explains that he has played the banjo since he was 18. He also notes that he can play the ukulele and has taken piano lessons. This should be no surprise to "Weeds" fans, who may remember Nealon playing the banjo and singing as his character, Doug Wilson, in the Season 3 episode "Go." Nealon also occasionally posts videos of himself playing the banjo on his Twitter page.

However, in 2020, Nealon took a break from playing and tried his hand at designing one of his own. He partnered with Deering Banjos to create what he calls a "Fireball." The performer created this one-of-a-kind instrument as part of a Giving Tuesday banjo auction, an annual event in which Deering Banjos offers custom creations for sale and donates the proceeds to charity. As he often does, Nealon named Hope Hospice of southwest Florida recipient of the auction proceeds. In a promo video for the auction, Nealon highlighted the best features of the banjo and showed off his signature on the front. As Nealon explains, he chose to sign the banjo with the quote, "Harness the good and block the bad," a reference to his beloved "Happy Gilmore" character, Gary Potter.