Dean Edwards

{{about|the stand-up comedian and actor||Dean Edwards (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox comedian

|name=Dean Edwards

|image=Dean Edwards2.jpeg

|alt=

|caption=Edwards in 2007

|birth_name=

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1970|7|30}}

|birth_place=New York City, U.S.

|death_date=

|death_place=

|death_cause=

|body_discovered=

|resting_place=

|height=

|alma_mater=

|medium=Stand-up, film, television

|active=1990{{ndash}}present

|genre=Comedy, sketch comedy

|subject=

|spouse=Tracy Walters

|children=3

|othername=

|notable_work=Saturday Night Live
Donkey on Scared Shrekless

|signature=

|website={{URL|deanedwards.net}}

}}

Dean Edwards (born July 30, 1970) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and singer.{{Cite web |date=July 18, 2022 |title=Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 24–30 |url=https://wtop.com/music/2022/07/celebrity-birthdays-for-the-week-of-july-24-30/ |access-date=July 28, 2022 |website=WTOP News |language=en}} His work as a voice actor includes Scottie Pippen and Spike Lee in Celebrity Deathmatch, a robot in Robotomy, and Donkey in Scared Shrekless after Eddie Murphy was unable to reprise the role (Edwards had impersonated Murphy on stage), along with a couple of other projects. He also appeared in Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Halftime Special as Savion Glover and Don Cheadle, in Tony N' Tina's Wedding as Father Mark, and The Sopranos.

Edwards has a YouTube channel, "deanedwardscomedy". He was also the host of the critically acclaimed TV show "Vidiots" on TVone.

Career

Edwards developed a reputation for working clean{{Clarify|date=January 2009}} and taught classes in stand-up comedy technique.

Edwards is also a voice artist, having done voice work for Celebrity Deathmatch and Robotomy. He also did voice work for the audiobook version of Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.

In the 2010 Halloween special Scared Shrekless, he provided the voice of Donkey after Eddie Murphy couldn’t return; as Donkey, Edwards impersonated Murphy's vocal characterisation. Soon, Edwards got replaced himself when Eddie Murphy returned to play Donkey in the 2010 Christmas special Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular.

Edwards was hired as a staff writer for Daily Comedy, a website where professional and amateur stand-up comedians would post new jokes frequently.[http://www.dailycomedy.com Daily Comedy]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328044900/http://www.dailycomedy.com/ |date=March 28, 2014}}

Edwards has also appeared in commercials for Snickers and Ford.

=''Saturday Night Live''=

Edwards joined the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2001. He developed several impressions, including Michael Jackson, Wayne Brady, Chris Tucker, Don Cheadle, Colin Powell, Serena Williams, Nipsey Russell, Grace Jones, Randy Jackson, Redman, Denzel Washington, and Billy Ocean.[http://snl.jt.org/cast.php?i=DeEd SNL Archives | Cast] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070310010951/http://snl.jt.org/cast.php?i=DeEd |date=March 10, 2007 }} Despite his penchant for impressions, Edwards didn't get much screen time in his brief tenure on the show. He left after the show's 28th season (2003), citing creative differences.