‘SNL’ taps Darrell Hammond as its new announcer, succeeding Don Pardo

“SNL” taps Darrell Hammond as its new announcer, succeeding Don Pardo
Hammond, who from 1995 to 2009 became the longest-serving cast member in “Saturday Night Live” history, has been named the show's 2nd announcer. Hammond does a dead-on impression of Pardo, and has sometimes filled in for the longtime announcer, who died last month at age 96. In fact, Hammond impersonated Don Pardo hitting on James Van Der Beek in a 1999 “SNL” episode. Lorne Michaels says, though, that Hammond won't be impersonating Pardo: “There were a lot of sweet ideas about carrying on with Don somehow. Because everyone has a Pardo impression. But he had the greatest run and he”s a completely beloved figure. So I thought: Don”t turn this into something else. That period ended.” Meanwhile, Hammond says of returning to “SNL”: “When he passed, they wanted me; it felt right for me to be the one to replace him. It's been a very improbable life; I didn't expect something like this, but it feels real good.”

×