Dave Attell
About Dave Attell
David Attell (born January 18, 1965) is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer, best known as the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell. He was born in the New York City borough of Queens to a Jewish family and raised in Rockville Centre on Long Island. He graduated from South Side High School and, after graduating from New York University in 1987 with a degree in communications, began performing at open-mic nights.
Attell's first television appearance was in 1988 on VH1's Stand-Up Spotlight. On November 23, 1993, he made his first appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, which was seen by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, who recruited him as a writer and occasional performer on SNL for the 1993-94 season. In 1995 he was featured on two HBO specials alongside Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle, and in 1999 the network signed him as a regular commentator on The Daily Show, where his segment was called "The Ugly American" and where he appeared for three years.
In 2001 the series Insomniac with Dave Attell premiered on Comedy Central, which Attell described as "Wild on E! for Ugly People". He later hosted The Gong Show with Dave Attell (2008) and Comedy Underground with Dave Attell (2014), and his special Dave Attell: Captain Miserable aired on HBO in 2007. In 2018 he toured with Jeff Ross on the Bumping Mics Tour, taping a three-part documentary series for Netflix, and in 2024 he released the Netflix comedy special Dave Attell: Hot Cross Buns. He has been sober since the late 2000s.
Videos (1)
Videos 1 to 1 of 1.
Guest appearances (55)
Videos on other comedians' channels featuring Dave Attell.
Guest appearances 25 to 48 of 55.
0:39Dave Attell Does NOT Drink & Reflects on Meeting the Rizzler | We Might Be Drunk
Mark Normand
37.2K views
1:16Bill Burr talks The Greatness of Dave Attell - We Might Be Drunk
Mark Normand
37.1K views
8:38The Artie Lange Show - Dave Attell (in-studio) Part 2
Artie Lange
34K views
4:11The Genius of Dave Attell with Mike Vecchione
Bert Kreischer
32.5K views
0:23Mark Normand Tells a Hilarious Dave Attell Story | We Might Be Drunk w/ Sam Morril
Mark Normand
29K views
0:51Dave Attell Rules
Dan Soder
25.9K views
1:27:44Dave Attell (Fitzdog Radio ) | Greg Fitzsimmons
Gregory Sebastian Fitzsimmons
23.8K views
11:33The Artie Lange Show - Dave Attell (in-studio) Part 1
Artie Lange
21.9K views
0:15Dave Attell is fighting a tiger with a spoon
Tom Papa
20.3K views
3:41Remembering Gilbert Gottfried with Dave Attell - CLIP - Bertcast
Bert Kreischer
20K views
0:41Dave Attell explains his nocturnal habits (and the benefits of staying hydrated!)
Modi Rosenfeld
19.4K views
0:54Talking Woody on@stavvysworld with Dave Attell
Sam Morril
16.5K views
0:56Modi roasted by Jeff Ross and Dave Attell
Modi Rosenfeld
16.1K views
12:36The Artie Lange Show - Dave Attell (in-studio) Part 2
Artie Lange
15.7K views
1:17:52Dave Attell and Dino Stamatopoulos (Full Episode) | Humor Me with Robert Smigel & Friends
Robert Smigel
14.6K views
12:59Bad Cop Bad Cop w/ Dave Attell | No Disrespect Podcast w/ Mike Vecchione
Mike Vecchione
12.7K views
0:29Shout out to Room and Board for making Dave Attell's apartment a bit less creepy.
Modi Rosenfeld
9.5K views
5:06Joe DeRosa, Comedy Underground with Dave Attell, S1 E1 Full
Joe DeRosa
9.2K views
0:27You’re not seeing a ghost, Dave Attell is alive and well (and on tour!)
Modi Rosenfeld
8.3K views
0:43Dave Attell recounts receiving interior design guidance from Modi
Modi Rosenfeld
8.1K views
0:47Who gave the Heimlich maneuver? Definitely Dave Attell
Jason Michael Oakerson
7.4K views
5:31The Artie Lange Show - Dave Attell - In The Studio
Artie Lange
6.3K views
55:48Dave Attell | And Here's Modi Episode 149
Modi Rosenfeld
5.9K views
3:594. A Bit I Stole From Dave Attell!
David Cross
4.3K viewsChannels on this page: Mark Normand, Artie Lange, Bert Kreischer, Dan Soder, Gregory Sebastian Fitzsimmons, Tom Papa, Modi Rosenfeld, Sam Morril, Robert Smigel, Mike Vecchione, Joe DeRosa, Jason Michael Oakerson, David Cross
Frequently asked questions
Who is Dave Attell?
Born January 18, 1965, he is an American stand-up comedian, actor and writer, best known as the host of Comedy Central's Insomniac with Dave Attell.
What is Insomniac with Dave Attell?
It is the Comedy Central series that premiered in 2001, which Attell described as "Wild on E! for Ugly People".
How did Dave Attell get hired by Saturday Night Live?
His 1993 appearance on Late Show with David Letterman was seen by SNL creator Lorne Michaels, who recruited him as a writer and performer for the 1993-94 season.
What was Dave Attell's role on The Daily Show?
From 1999 he was a regular commentator on The Daily Show for three years, with a segment called "The Ugly American".
What is Dave Attell's most recent Netflix special?
In 2024 he released the Netflix comedy special Dave Attell: Hot Cross Buns.
Comedians similar to Dave Attell
Same comedic style, across countries
