Arsenio Hall
Who Arsenio Hall is
Arsenio Hall is a stand-up comedian, actor and talk show host from Cleveland, Ohio, known for hosting The Arsenio Hall Show. He hosted the syndicated late-night program from 1989 to 1994 and again from 2013 to 2014, co-starred in Coming to America and Coming 2 America, and released the stand-up special Smart & Classy on Netflix in 2019.
At a glance
- Born
- 1956
- Came up through
- The Comedy Store
- Stand-up specials
- Smart & Classy
- Podcasts
- Arsenio: A Memoir
- On screen
- The Arsenio Hall Show, The Late Show, Star Search and 5 more
- Official site
- arseniohall.com ↗
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now — their own site has their dates: arseniohall.com ↗.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
Stand-up specials
- Smart & Classy 2019, Netflix
On screen
- The Arsenio Hall Show host, 1989–1994 and 2013–2014
- The Late Show host, 1987–1988
- Star Search host, 2003–2004
- Martial Law Terrell Parker, 1998–2000
- The Real Ghostbusters voice of Winston Zeddemore, 1986–1987
- Thicke of the Night announcer and sidekick, 1984
- Coming to America Semmi and other roles, 1988
- Coming 2 America Semmi and other roles, 2021
Podcasts
- Arsenio: A Memoir book, 2026
Where they got their start
- The Comedy Store one of its new voices of the 1980s and ’90s, 1980s–90s
Came up the same way
Other comedians in SUCDb who came through The Comedy Store:
Comedians like Arsenio Hall
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Carlos Mencia also in The Arsenio Hall Show
- Leslie Jones also in Coming 2 America
- Louie Anderson also in Coming to America
- Bonnie McFarlane also in The Late Show
- Carrot Top also in Star Search
- Chris Porter also in The Arsenio Hall Show
- Eddie Murphy also in Coming to America
- Felicia Michaels also in Star Search
Career timeline
- 1956Born
- 1984Thicke of the Night (announcer and sidekick, 1984) On screen
- 1986The Real Ghostbusters (voice of Winston Zeddemore, 1986–1987) On screen
- 1987The Late Show (host, 1987–1988) On screen
- 1988Coming to America (Semmi and other roles, 1988) On screen
- 1989The Arsenio Hall Show (host, 1989–1994 and 2013–2014) On screen
- 1998Martial Law (Terrell Parker, 1998–2000) On screen
- 2003Star Search (host, 2003–2004) On screen
- 2019Smart & Classy (2019, Netflix) Special
- 2021Coming 2 America (Semmi and other roles, 2021) On screen
- 2026Arsenio: A Memoir (book, 2026) Book
Questions about Arsenio Hall
Where is Arsenio Hall performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: arseniohall.com ↗.
What stand-up specials have they released?
Smart & Classy.
What podcast do they host?
Arsenio: A Memoir.
What TV shows and films are they in?
The Arsenio Hall Show, The Late Show, Star Search, Martial Law, The Real Ghostbusters and Thicke of the Night, among 8 credits.
Where did they get their start?
The Comedy Store (one of its new voices of the 1980s and ’90s).
When were they born?
In 1956.
Who are some comedians like them?
Carlos Mencia (also in The Arsenio Hall Show), Leslie Jones (also in Coming 2 America), Louie Anderson (also in Coming to America), Bonnie McFarlane (also in The Late Show) and Carrot Top (also in Star Search).
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Arsenio Hall ↗ Birth date and place, The Arsenio Hall Show (1989–1994, 2013–2014), The Late Show, Star Search, Martial Law, The Real Ghostbusters, Thicke of the Night, film…
- Wikipedia — List of Netflix original stand-up comedy specials ↗ Arsenio Hall: Smart & Classy, released 29 October 2019
- Arsenio Hall — official site ↗ Official site
Updated 5 October 2026 · the record checked 27 September 2026