Watch Arsenio Hall Online

In 1986, the FOX network introduced The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, created to directly challenge The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. After a moderate start, ratings for the show soon sagged. Behind-the-scenes relations between Rivers and network executives at Fox quickly eroded and Rivers left the show in 1987. Renamed The Late Show, it featured several hosts including Ross Shafer, Suzanne Somers, Richard Belzer, and Robert Townsend before it was cancelled in 1988. Hall was chosen to host the show in the fall of 1987, and proved to be immensely popular.

From January 2, 1989 until May 27, 1994, he hosted a syndicated late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show. The show was known for the audience's shouting "Woof, woof, woof!" while pumping their fists--a chant that was used by fans of the Cleveland Browns football team. He also had a rivalry with Jay Leno after he was named host of The Tonight Show, during which Hall said that he would "kick Jay's ass" in the ratings game.[2] The two have since patched up their differences and Hall has made numerous appearances on The Tonight Show. He is also remembered for having had his hair cut into a Hi-top fade during this period.

Hall used his fame during this period to help fight worldwide prejudice against HIV & AIDS, after his close friend Magic Johnson contracted the disease. Hall and Johnson filmed a PSA about the disease that aired in the early 1990s.

Since The Arsenio Hall Show ended, Hall has made only infrequent appearances on television (including a short-lived 1997 sitcom called Arsenio) before starring in Martial Law with Sammo Hung from 1999–2000 and hosting the revival of Star Search in 2003.

Hall made a cameo appearance as himself in Chappelle's Show in March 2004, when Dave was imagining "what Arsenio is doing right now" in a dinner scene. It showed Hall at a wine party eating some cheese and saying, "Damn! That's some good-ass cheese!" After which, Hall started punching and slapping people for not telling him about the apparently delicious cheese. Paul Mooney also joked about Hall in his "Negrodamus" sketch: when asked "Will Arsenio Hall ever get another show?" Mooney responds "Yes. Arsenio Hall will host another show. It will be called Good Morning Black America, and it will be broadcast at noon throughout the country."

In addition, as of 2008, Hall is a guest co-host on Wednesday evenings on the Tim Conway Jr. radio show on 97.1 in late 2007.KLSX in Los Angeles.[3]

Arsenio Hall (as a character named Chunky A) put out an album entitled "Large And In Charge." Paula Abdul, Wil Wheaton, and Ice-T are among the guests that appear on the album.

He was a member of Ohio University's forensics (competitive speech) team. The team has also had Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson) and Leon Harris (morning anchor, CNN) as members.

He appeared in a TV commercial for Tab Cola in the mid-1980s.

Graduated from Warrensville Heights High School, Warrensville Heights, Ohio.

Replaced Joan Rivers as host of the late night talk show, "The Joan Rivers Show" (1989) in 1987 after she was fired, and the name of the show was changed to "The Arsenio Hall Show" (1989).

As a teenager, he was an accomplished magician.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 202-204. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

Graduated from Kent State University.

M.C. at the Sheba Lounge in Chicago, late 1970s and early '80s. Discovered by 'Nancy Wilson'.

Has one son, Arsenio Jr.

He hosted the early pilot episodes of the US daytime version of the hit game show "Deal or No Deal" (2005).

Was the original voice of Winston Zeddemore on The Real Ghostbusters (1986), beating out Ernie Hudson, who had played Winston in the movies and had auditioned to reprise the role for the animated series. Hall was reportedly confused when he arrived to audition and saw Hudson there auditioning for the role he originated in the films. Hall was later replaced by Buster Jones, who continued with the role of Winston until the series ended (and reprised it for an episode of Extreme Ghostbusters in 1997).

• Black Dynamite(2008) (post-production) .... Tasty Freeze

• Igor(2008) (voice) .... Carl Cristall

• Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! (2006) (V) (voice) .... Captain Crothers

• The Proud Family Movie (2005) (TV) (voice) .... Dr. Carver / Bobby Proud

• The Norm Show .... Joe (1 episode, 2000)

• Martial Law .... Terrell Parker (36 episodes, 1998-2000)

• Arsenio .... Michael Atwood (6 episodes, 1997)

• Harlem Nights (1989) .... Crying Man

• Coming to America (1988) .... Semmi / Extremely Ugly Girl / Morris / Reverend Brown

• The Real Ghost Busters .... Winston Zeddemore / ... (91 episodes, 1986-1987)

• Amazon Women on the Moon(1987) (as Arsenio) .... Apartment Victim (segment "Mondo Condo")

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents .... Cleavon (1 episode, 1986)

• New Love, American Style (1985) TV series (unknown episodes)

• The 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour (1983) TV series .... Host (unknown episodes)

• Movie Macabre .... Dr. Mustapha Abdul Raheem Jamaal X Muhammad aka Tyrone]](1 episode, 1982)