# D. L. Hughley
**D. L. Hughley** (born 1963) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, radio host, and political commentator, born Darryl Lynn Hughley, best known as the original host of BET's *ComicView*, the star of the sitcom *The Hughleys*, and one of the four comedians of *The Original Kings of Comedy*.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley) • [2](https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/darryl-lynn-d-l-hughley-1963/) Over a career of nearly four decades he has worked across stand-up, acting, voiceover, hosting, radio, and books, with comedy that centers on politics, race, relationships, and American culture.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Darryl Lynn Hughley, born 1963[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley) |
| Breakthrough | First host of BET's *ComicView*, 1992 to 1993[2](https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/darryl-lynn-d-l-hughley-1963/) |
| Sitcom | *The Hughleys*, which he wrote, produced, and starred in, ABC 1998 to 2002[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/d-l-hughley/) |
| Kings of Comedy | Toured with Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and Bernie Mac; the tour grossed $37 million over two years, and Spike Lee's 2000 concert film documented it[4](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/) |
| Award | Peabody Award in 2013 for the Comedy Central satirical documentary special *D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List*[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dl-hughley/bio/3000188969/) |
| Radio | Host of the syndicated *D.L. Hughley Show* since 2012, heard on about 100 stations nationwide[4](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/) |
| Books | Four published titles, including two New York Times bestsellers, plus the 2026 memoir *Charlie's Boy*[6](https://dlhughleygigs.com/) • [7](https://www.apr.org/2026-10-03/d-l-hughley-talks-about-his-new-memoir-charlies-boy) |
## Early life
Hughley was born Darryl Lynn Hughley in 1963.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley) His family moved from [Portsmouth, Virginia](https://www.edgepedia.org/portsmouth-virginia), to South Central Los Angeles shortly after his birth.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley) His father, Charles Hughley, worked as a maintenance employee for Delta Airlines, and his mother, Audrey, was a homemaker.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley)
As a teenager in South Central he joined the Bloods, one of Los Angeles's street gangs, and was expelled from San Pedro High School.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley) In interviews he described the gang years bluntly: "I watched people do a great deal of physical harm to each other," he told *People Weekly*, adding, "You know it's wrong, but you don't have the courage to be different."[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley)
**Turning point.** The death of a cousin, a member of the rival Crips gang, pushed him out of gang life; he has said he could not even attend the funeral for fear of being shot.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley) • [2](https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/darryl-lynn-d-l-hughley-1963/) He earned his GED in 1988 and took a job as a telemarketer in the circulation department of *The Los Angeles Times*, where he rose into management and met his future wife, LaDonna; the two married on February 22, 1986, and have three children, Ryan, Tyler, and Kyle.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley) • [9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401018/bio/)
## Stand-up and the Kings of Comedy
LaDonna Hughley prompted him to try comedy, and he has said that from the first time he picked up a microphone he knew stand-up was what he was meant to do.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley) • [6](https://dlhughleygigs.com/) After years of club dates he was selected by BET as the first host of *ComicView*, a Friday-night stand-up showcase, hosting from 1992 to 1993, and he gained further recognition with two adult-oriented HBO specials.[2](https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/darryl-lynn-d-l-hughley-1963/) • [9](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401018/bio/)
In 1997 producer Walter Latham organized a national tour billing Hughley, Steve Harvey, Cedric the Entertainer, and [Bernie Mac](https://www.edgepedia.org/bernie-mac) as the "Kings of Comedy." The four self-described "old school" comedians routinely sold out several-thousand-seat coliseums and, over two years, grossed $37 million.[4](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/) • [10](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/08/18/kings-of-comedy-hold-court/663b72a4-c142-48df-84a3-240531abf07a/) [Spike Lee](https://www.edgepedia.org/spike-lee) filmed a [Charlotte, North Carolina](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlotte-north-carolina), stop of the tour and released it as the concert film *The Original Kings of Comedy* in 2000, which earned 82 percent on the Tomatometer and opened strongly in US theaters.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley) • [11](https://www.screendaily.com/the-original-kings-of-comedy/403412.article) Reviewing the film, Roger Ebert, the longtime Chicago Sun-Times critic, noted Hughley's "very funny explanation of why black people are not enthusiastic bungee jumpers" and called his material accessible and mainstream.[12](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-original-kings-of-comedy-2000) Hughley has said the tour was never revived: Bernie Mac died in 2008, and Steve Harvey retired from stand-up in 2012.[4](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/)
## Television, film, and radio
**The Hughleys.** In 1998 Hughley began producing, writing, and starring in his own ABC sitcom, *The Hughleys*, a satirical look at his own experience of moving his Black family into an upscale, largely white neighborhood; the show later moved to UPN and ran through 2002.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/d-l-hughley/) • [13](https://www.tvrage.com/person/id-10869/D-L-_Hughley/) Contemporary reporting called it the most-watched show with Black audiences and in the Top 20 for all audiences, and a year after its debut it was ABC's highest-rated new show with a People's Choice Award nomination.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley) He received NAACP Image Award nominations for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for the show in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003.[8](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley)
His later television work has ranged widely: guest roles as Turk's older brother Kevin on *Scrubs* and as Simon Stiles on [Aaron Sorkin](https://www.edgepedia.org/aaron-sorkin)'s *Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip*; the short-lived CNN comedic news show *D.L. Hughley Breaks the News* (2008 to 2009); a stint as a correspondent on NBC's *The Jay Leno Show*; and a ninth-place finish on season 16 of *Dancing with the Stars* in 2013, paired with [Cheryl Burke](https://www.edgepedia.org/cheryl-burke).[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/d-l-hughley/) • [14](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/dl-hughley) In film he voiced the Gadgetmobile in *Inspector Gadget* (1999) and appeared in *The Brothers* (2001), *Scary Movie 3* (2003), and *Soul Plane* (2004), among others.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley)
**Radio and commentary.** Since 2012 he has hosted a syndicated afternoon radio program, *The D.L. Hughley Show*, heard on about 100 stations nationwide, and he has described radio as the closest medium to stand-up because of the immediacy of the microphone and the conversation.[4](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/) He also hosts the weekly politics podcast *Uncertain with DL Hughley*.[15](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncertain-with-dl-hughley/id1871531782)
## Books and recent work
Hughley has published several books: *I Want You to Shut the F#ck Up: How the Audacity of Dopes Is Ruining America* (Crown Archetype Press, 2012), *Black Man, White House: An Oral History of the Obama Years* (William Morrow, 2017), *How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice From White People* (William Morrow, 2018), and *Surrender, White People* ([HarperCollins](https://www.edgepedia.org/harpercollins), 2020); the two middle titles became New York Times bestsellers.[3](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/d-l-hughley/) • [6](https://dlhughleygigs.com/) His satirical [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central) documentary special *D.L. Hughley: The Endangered List* won a George Foster Peabody Award in 2013, shared with the cast.[5](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dl-hughley/bio/3000188969/) • [6](https://dlhughleygigs.com/)
In 2026 he published the memoir *Charlie's Boy*, about his late father Charles, and discussed it on NPR and on *The View*, describing how humor became a form of armor shaped by his upbringing.[7](https://www.apr.org/2026-10-03/d-l-hughley-talks-about-his-new-memoir-charlies-boy) • [16](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/DL-Hughley-On-His-Fathers-Lasting-Impact-On-His-Comedy-20261014) The same year, the Los Angeles Tribune published and produced a new Hughley comedy album, with a production team including Moe Rock, Katina Fields, Septimius the Great, and Giloh Morgan.[17](https://thelosangelestribune.com/2026/08/24/d-l-hughley-returns-with-new-comedy-album-published-and-produced-by-the-los-angeles-tribune/) He continues to tour, preferring solo shows in smaller venues, and in 2026 co-headlined the "Anything Goes" tour with the journalist [Don Lemon](https://www.edgepedia.org/don-lemon).[4](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/) • [18](https://www.ticketmaster.com/DL-Hughley-tickets/artist/806051?page=1&tt_scene=anchor_view)
## References
1. [D.L. Hughley Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/dl_hughley)
2. [Darryl Lynn (D.L.) Hughley (1963- ), BlackPast.org](https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/darryl-lynn-d-l-hughley-1963/)
3. [D.L. Hughley, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/d-l-hughley/)
4. [D.L. Hughley, still a 'King of Comedy' at age 62, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution](https://www.ajc.com/things-to-do/2025/08/dl-hughley-remains-a-king-of-comedy-at-age-62/)
5. [D.L. Hughley Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/dl-hughley/bio/3000188969/)
6. [D. L. Hughley, official site](https://dlhughleygigs.com/)
7. [D.L. Hughley talks about his new memoir, 'Charlie's Boy', Alabama Public Radio / NPR](https://www.apr.org/2026-10-03/d-l-hughley-talks-about-his-new-memoir-charlies-boy)
8. [Hughley, D. L., Encyclopedia.com](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/dl-hughley)
9. [D.L. Hughley Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0401018/bio/)
10. ['Kings of Comedy' Hold Court, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2000/08/18/kings-of-comedy-hold-court/663b72a4-c142-48df-84a3-240531abf07a/)
11. [The Original Kings Of Comedy, Screen](https://www.screendaily.com/the-original-kings-of-comedy/403412.article)
12. [The Original Kings Of Comedy movie review, Roger Ebert](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-original-kings-of-comedy-2000)
13. [D.L. Hughley Biography & TV / Movie Credits, TVRage](https://www.tvrage.com/person/id-10869/D-L-_Hughley/)
14. [D.L. Hughley, Standupedia](https://standupedia.com/en/comedians/united-states/dl-hughley)
15. [Uncertain with DL Hughley, Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/uncertain-with-dl-hughley/id1871531782)
16. [D.L. Hughley On His Father's Lasting Impact On His Comedy, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/DL-Hughley-On-His-Fathers-Lasting-Impact-On-His-Comedy-20261014)
17. [D.L. Hughley Returns With New Comedy Album, The Los Angeles Tribune](https://thelosangelestribune.com/2026/08/24/d-l-hughley-returns-with-new-comedy-album-published-and-produced-by-the-los-angeles-tribune/)
18. [D.L. Hughley Tickets, Ticketmaster](https://www.ticketmaster.com/DL-Hughley-tickets/artist/806051?page=1&tt_scene=anchor_view)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › American stand-up comedians, contemporary › Stand-up comedians born 1960–1969*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license