He was born in Birmingham, Michigan to Judith M., a writer and magazine editor, and Wayne M. Spade, a sales representative. His father moved the family to Scottsdale, Arizona, but abandoned them not long afterwards. His mother eventually remarried, but David's stepfather committed suicide in 1981 (David was 17 years old at the time). David's brothers are Bryan and Andy Spade; Andy Spade is the husband Read more...

Not long after college, Spade was encouraged by friends to follow a career in comedy. His stepfather's suicide, followed closely by his best friend's death in a motorcycle crash, propelled him into comedy full time.

With the help of friend and fellow comedian Dennis Miller, he joined Saturday Night Live in 1990 as a regular cast member and writer. Here he made popular his well-known sarcastic, Read more...

Spade is very sensitive to light. The combination of bright lights on-set and working under sunlight while filming Black Sheep caused permanent damage to his eyes. On his condition: "I have to wear a hat even indoors and flashes in particular freak me out. I even have to make them turn down the lights in the make-up trailers. I've become such a pain in the butt with this light-sensitive thing, it's Read more...