Denny Dillon
Encyclopedia
Denise "Denny" Dillon is an American
comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live
. At 4'11" (150 cm), Dillon is the shortest cast member in the show's history. After a short stay on SNL during the troubled tenure of Jean Doumanian
, Dillon eventually found more success as Toby Pedalbee, the abusive yet loyal assistant on the HBO cable sitcom Dream On
.
Dillon has done voice-acting for animation, most recently in Ice Age
. She is remembered for her cameo in the 1977 blockbuster Saturday Night Fever
, in which she fawns over disco king Tony (John Travolta
) while asking him if she can wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Dillon appeared in an episode of Night Court
entitled Educating Rhonda (Dillon).
Dillon has had a distinguished Broadway career, appearing as Agnes in the 1974 revival of Gypsy starring Angela Lansbury; in the 1975 revival of Thornton Wilder
's Skin of our Teeth; in the 1980 stage version of Harold and Maude; and as Mickey in the 1983 Gershwin musical My One and Only, starring Tommy Tune and Twiggy, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She was the voice of Meadow Morn in the 1983 animation The Magic of Herself the Elf
. She played Judy on the TV series comedy Dr. Science (1987). She later appeared as a replacement cast member in the 2003 play, Enchanted April.
In September 2007, Dillon starred as Beatrice in the world premiere of Tom Dudzick's Don't Talk to the Actors at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, New York.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedian and former cast member of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. At 4'11" (150 cm), Dillon is the shortest cast member in the show's history. After a short stay on SNL during the troubled tenure of Jean Doumanian
Jean Doumanian
Jean Doumanian is an American producer.Doumanian is probably most well known for her short reign as producer of Saturday Night Live between November 1980 and March 1981...
, Dillon eventually found more success as Toby Pedalbee, the abusive yet loyal assistant on the HBO cable sitcom Dream On
Dream On (TV series)
Dream On is an American adult-themed situation comedy about single New Yorker, Martin Tupper. The show used a gimmick where old black and white clips were used to punctuate the main character's feelings or thoughts...
.
Dillon has done voice-acting for animation, most recently in Ice Age
Ice Age (film)
Ice Age is a 2002 American computer-animated film created by Blue Sky Studios and released by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Carlos Saldanha and Chris Wedge from a story by Michael J. Wilson. The story follows three Paleolithical mammals attempting to return a lost human baby to its parents...
. She is remembered for her cameo in the 1977 blockbuster Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
, in which she fawns over disco king Tony (John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
) while asking him if she can wipe the sweat from his forehead.
Dillon appeared in an episode of Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
entitled Educating Rhonda (Dillon).
Dillon has had a distinguished Broadway career, appearing as Agnes in the 1974 revival of Gypsy starring Angela Lansbury; in the 1975 revival of Thornton Wilder
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. He received three Pulitzer Prizes, one for his novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey and two for his plays Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth, and a National Book Award for his novel The Eighth Day.-Early years:Wilder was born in Madison,...
's Skin of our Teeth; in the 1980 stage version of Harold and Maude; and as Mickey in the 1983 Gershwin musical My One and Only, starring Tommy Tune and Twiggy, for which she received a Tony Award nomination. She was the voice of Meadow Morn in the 1983 animation The Magic of Herself the Elf
The Magic of Herself the Elf
The Magic of Herself the Elf is a 1983 animated television special produced by the Canadian animation company, Nelvana Limited. Directed by John Celestri and Raymond Jafelice, it stars the voices of Jerry Orbach, Georgia Engel and Priscilla Lopez...
. She played Judy on the TV series comedy Dr. Science (1987). She later appeared as a replacement cast member in the 2003 play, Enchanted April.
In September 2007, Dillon starred as Beatrice in the world premiere of Tom Dudzick's Don't Talk to the Actors at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, New York.
Recurring SNL characters
- Debbie, Valley Girl Vickie's (Gail MatthiusGail MatthiusGail Matthius is an American actress and voice actress. She was a cast member of NBC's Saturday Night Live during its critical and ratings low point at the time , and co-anchored the Weekend Update segment with Charles Rocket in 1981.-Recurring characters:*Vicki, a Valley girl who,...
) best friend - Mary Louise, a mentally disturbed child who scares people with her hand puppet, Sam the Snake
- Nadine, the neurotic frequent customer at Roweena's (Gail Matthius) Cut 'n Curl
- Pinky Waxman, Leo Waxman's (Gilbert GottfriedGilbert GottfriedGilbert Gottfried is an American actor, voice actor and stand-up comedian, best known for his trademark comedic persona of speaking in a loud, grating tone of voice. He has played numerous roles in film and television, perhaps most notably voicing the parrot Iago in Disney's Aladdin , and...
) wife and co-host on "What's It All About?"
Celebrity impersonations from SNL
- Amy CarterAmy CarterAmy Lynn Carter is the fourth child and only daughter of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. She entered the limelight as she lived as a child in the White House during the Carter presidency.-Early life:...
- Betsy Maxwell (Walter CronkiteWalter CronkiteWalter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
's wife) - Jean HarrisJean HarrisJean Harris was the headmistress of The Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia who made national news in 1980 as the defendant in a high-profile murder case of her lover Dr...
- Yoko OnoYoko Onois a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...