What's wrong with Darrell Hammond on The ED show right now

[Heather MC]

Is he on something? Or is that how he is?
He just seemed odd

[liberalmuse]

1. He has serious mental issues.

He wrote about it in his book.

[JBoy]

2. That was incredibly awkward.

Started off good - duelling Cheney impersonations.

Then just went weird.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. Yup. He was a rough interview after the open

Basically, He was a prick.

He's in show business. He should know better than to give 4 syllable answers to questions on a network interview.



He was being a pretentious dick.

[regnaD kciN]

18. I thought he was trying to do Joaquin Phoenix...

[hlthe2b]

3. Bad interview, for sure... Past few i've seen with him, he seemed to go out of his way

NOT to acquiesce on doing any impersonations. He seems to have made a conscious effort to step away from all that.

Very uncomfortable interview, though. He really didn't give Ed anything...

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

4. I think he couldn't hear Ed for a little bit

[Greybnk48]

5. He was acting completely bizarre.

It was very uncomfortable.

[ReRe]

6. It was almost like he didn't want ro be there...

Yeah, I will give him a break. I haven't read his book yet, but have seen several interviews
(one in-particular with Joy Bayhar), and he had a rough childhood...a mother from Hell. He didn't do himself any favors with Ed though. I hope he's OK. He sure brought allot of political humor for years on SNL. Oh... and what about that haircut... I almost didn't recognize him.

[sammytko]

7. I think he was mad because he wanted to talk about his book.

It was strange.

[pnwest]

9. thats what i got from it, he wanted to talk about

the books. He could have been more tactful and gracious, he was being a dick, and Ed wasnt picking up on it until too late. Very awkward.

[sammytko]

10. Yea, Ed wouldn't stop and D. finally said, well, I wrote this book.....

And even more downhill from there

[Springslips]

17. When I was a young reporter.

And a j-school student, I learned real fast that some celebs are sensitive about what they want to be interviewed about. For instance, never ask Bob Dylan about what he did in the 1960s, he gets very, very annoyed! Others are sensitive about type casting, or being stereotyped when all they want to do is move on and advance.

When I watched the segment it sure felt like this was the case. ( at least I didn't have to worry about bad interviews on air, I did newspapers/ magazines.)

[WinkyDink]

25. Well, aren't celebrities precious!

[Springslips]

32. NPD

Narcissistic personalities. It's what fame does to you.

[WinkyDink]

24. Yes, that's what I finally concluded. He gave Ed a rough time. so I'm done with DH!

[lonestarnot]

11. He appears to be a little nuts, but then

nothing is ever as it appears. It was bizzare, almost embarrassing from the little I was able to watch. Had to take a phone call after about 3 or 4 exchanges between the two.

[dem4ward]

12. Stupid interview. Very awkward!

[Floyd_Gondolli]

13. He was like this at the convention

Tweety had him on briefly I think with the expectation he was going to do his Clinton impersonation. He even seemed to prompt him but Hammond didn't do it.

He's a little different but having read his book, which came out at least a year ago, I get that like a lot of entertainers his off screen persona is different than on screen. To say he's had a rough life would be a grand understatement and it's obviously still something he's dealing with.

[Son of Gob]

14. Here.

[Le Taz Hot]

21. Wouldn't it be nice

if so-called "liberals" on this board were a little more compassionate and understanding about mental illness? But I guess it's cooler to call him "weird."

[WinkyDink]

26. I think Mr. Hammond should be prepared to be queried about his actual claim to fame.

[hlthe2b]

28. Wouldn't it be nice if we could give each other some benefit-of-the doubt on these matters?

I just watched that CNN video linked above, found it compelling and very very revealing about Hammond's past and mental illness--something about which I knew NOTHING. And, yes, it has opened up all kinds of feelings of compassion and concern for someone who had been a favorite of mine for years, but about whom I knew NOTHING on a personal level.

I doubt I am alone. I don't deserve to be called a "so-called liberal" who is :not compassionate and understanding about mental illness". Neither do most others who are equally uninformed about Darrell Hammond's traumatic past and experience of mental illness. Benefit of the doubt, compassion, and understanding goes BOTH directions.

I wish DH only the best and can hope that his future may bring him effective care that will enable him to reach some inner peace with the horrors he has experienced.

[Le Taz Hot]

30. Point taken.

I had assumed that Darrel Hannah's past and mental illness issues were common knowledge. Mea culpa.

[hlthe2b]

38. Good on you...

Thank you.

[Heather MC]

36. I have never seen Darrell Hammond in an interview just on SNL

So I didn't know what was going on in that interview.
It was clear he wanted to promote his book, it was just an Odd interview.

[grantcart]

31. wow. thanks for that. I had heard about something but had no idea that he was abused this badly.

[Raine]

15. Seemed like he was totally out of it, didn't come of very well

for him.

[Zen Democrat]

16. Isn't he a crack addict? I think that's why he was disappeared from SNL.

He had some hellacious childhood.

[aquart]

19. Awful. Deliberately obstructive, even.

[andrekb]

20. can someone point me to a link of the segment..it isn't on msnbc

Can someone please point me to a link of the interview...it either has been removed by msnbc.com or never put up... I was watching today's show online and right at the end of the second to last segment(the one about gop) ed said coming up in big finish was going to be darrell hammond...but the clip does not exist ANYWHERE on the msnbc.com site....can anyone point me to it please???

[Revolutionary Girl]

22. It's not worth seeing, really.

Hammond just seemed depressed and uncooperative. I was struck by the contrast in his manner and the label "comedian" under his name, but I figured when Ed asked about mental health issues that he'd gone through something. I think it might've been better if Ed had described the topic of the book beforehand, that could've given some clue as to what to expect from the author. But it was a pretty short segment in any case.

[MFM008]

27. I noticed that to.

Like he wasnt even there. Not engaged at all. I hope he is well.

[edhopper]

29. I met him once after a comedy show

he was nice enough, but shy and reserved.
I got the sense that he is uncomfortable when not doing a character or impression.

[andrekb]

33. still no segment on msnbc.com suppressed?

still nowhere to be found... can someone up it to youtube? Or find it as I have had no luck.. is this being suppressed by ED show?

[Motown_Johnny]

34. Ed's Cheney impersonation was terrible

I think it threw him

[Graybeard]

35. Great comic, lousy guest.

I've seen him interviewed before and it was the same. What his problem is I have no idea. He just looks like he doesn't want to talk about himself but if that's so why go on these shows?

I guess his agent says he has to get out there and hump his book if he wants it to sell.

[Mira]

37. My take was that he is an interviewer's nightmare.

But I don't know him well enough to know it it's just that one, or always.

Harrison Ford is like that.
Unwatchable.