20 Little-Known Facts About David Spade From His New Laugh-A-Minute Memoir, Almost Interesting

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Written with the same dry wit and pun-dropping style as his standup comedy, David Spade’s new memoir Almost Interesting is chock full of self-deprecating delights chronicling his life thus far—from his meager beginnings in nowhere-Arizona to his later life in the Hollywood big-time. This welcome addition to the blossoming canon of SNL-alum bios is hard to put down, with each chapter coming across as either an unfiltered diary entry or a late-night, vodka-and-Diet Coke-fueled (Spade’s cocktail of choice) convo with the “pipsqueak from L.A.” Laden with insider stories about life under Lorne Michaels, alongside Chris Farley, and in the shadow of his two older brothers, Almost Interesting serves up plenty of what we knew and didn’t know about the “comic brat.” Here are 20 obscure facts culled from its pages that are sure to charm you into getting your hands on a copy.

Notes From Your Bookseller

1. David and his two older brothers often took to the Arizona desert as kids to catch rattlesnakes (with tennis rackets!) to keep as pets.
2. Growing up, David was not just a smart-aleck, he was smart. He was his school’s spelling bee champ, read 47 books one year for a contest, made it to the state chess finals, and was a member of Mensa.
3. David’s brother, Andy, is married to Kate. As in Kate Spade. As in purses.
4. David spent his first $6,000 in cash from Police Academy 4 on a crappy Honda Accord that was stolen an hour later. He later borrowed another 6k from Bobcat Goldthwait to buy another crappy Honda Accord.
5. David was almost cast as Uncle Joey on Full House.
6. When David was at SNL, all sketches were written on a legal pad. No computers.
7. David’s personal assistant, Skippy, attempted to murder him one night.
8. David’s famous recurring SNL bit “Hollywood Minute” came about when someone overheard him reading People magazine out loud.
9. Sean Penn gave David his first tattoo, a Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.
10. A stranger says “BUH BYE!” to David at least once a day, even when he’s not on an airplane.
11. David was catfished by a fake Victoria’s Secret model on Twitter.
12. David starred on Just Shoot Me and Rules of Engagement, and he has a daughter! But don’t expect him to mention these in the book.
13. David gives readers a hilarious chapter on dating advice. His most valuable may be: “Never tickle a girl when she has diarrhea.”
14. Eddie Murphy chewed out David for a snarky comment he made on SNL. It took almost 20 years for Eddie to speak to David again.
15. Rolling Stone called the “Motivational Speaker” sketch that starred David and Chris Farley the best SNL skit of all time.
16. When David started out, his standup routine included props that he carried in his mother’s blue suitcase.
17. David’s single mom couldn’t afford childcare, so she would sometimes drop her three sons off at one end of the desert, equipped with guns and bag lunches, for a day-long hike.
18. David spent much of his childhood collecting rocks.
19. According to David, SNL’s live Saturday show isn’t planned until Wednesday at 10 p.m.
20. David first appearance in an SNL skit was titled “Not Gettin’ Any.” It was based on personal experience.

Nonfiction