SNL alum survives an assault, plans to riff about it onstage at the Spokane Comedy Club

Nov. 8—Tragedy is comedy plus time, according to iconic entertainer Carol Burnett. Chris Redd is running with that spot-on phrase. The former member of Saturday Night Live was violently attacked outside of legendary Greenwich Village comedy club, the Comedy Cellar, last November.

Redd, 38, who was hospitalized with three facial fractures, will riff about the unfortunate and inexplicable experience when he performs Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Comedy Club.

"I'll talk about getting punched in the face last year when I come in," Redd said. "It just happened out of nowhere. I'll also talk about my mental health and togetherness and love.

"I'll also be making up jokes on the spot."

The material is being worked out for a forthcoming television special.

"I have so much to talk about that will be in the next special," Redd said, while calling from his New York apartment. "I'm going to talk about my girlfriend and her kids. It was an adjustment since children wake up early and start talking about important stuff, but it's dope.

"I get to see how strong my girl is and if her kids grow up to be totally screwed up, I didn't have that much to do with it."

The St. Louis native, who came of age in Chicago, joined the SNL cast in 2017 and scored acclaim for impressions of hip hop artist Kanye West, New York City mayor Eric Adams and ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith.

"I love doing Eric Adams, since he's easy," Redd said. "He's a politician who comes from the hood. I can do him in a heartbeat.

"I've got nothing but love for Stephen A. He took my impression like a 'G,' which is the coolest thing you can do. He posted my impression on social media and brought me on his show ('The Stephen A. Smith Show') and that was so much fun, since I got to do my impression of him right in front of him."

Redd won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for writing the song "Come Back Barack," which lamented former president Barack Obama's departure from the White House.

It was a full-circle experience, since hip hop helped Redd overcome a speech impediment as a youngster.

"I had a stuttering issue that still comes up now and then," Redd said. "It comes back when I'm super anxious, but rap music helped me deal with that speech impediment. I would read my raps in front of people.

"It's terrible when a kid stuttering is rapping. When you're stuttering, it can be a long verse. (Laughs.) I practiced how to my have my thoughts catch up with my mouth. I slowed things down and worked it out through repetition and here I am."

Kendrick Lamar is Redd's favorite hip hip artist, followed by J. Cole.

"I can't wait for the next J. Cole album," Redd said. "Kendrick is just amazing. He's had an incredible career so far."

Redd's career isn't too shabby. After leaving SNL in 2022, Redd joined the cast of the short-lived sitcom "Kenan," which featured his SNL castmate Kenan Thompson.

"The show with Kenan was fun," Redd said. "We're like family, so I really enjoyed it but like many sitcoms it was cut short."

So Redd is focusing on the material for his special and working out.

"I'm in the gym learning how to duck better, so the next time I don't get punched in the face out of nowhere," Redd cracked.