# Was Edd Hall Fired?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [April 20, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957 "2004-04-20T02:55:50Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957/1 "2004-04-20T02:55:50Z")
He spent the last 12 years as the announcer of the _Tonight Show_ until the end of last month when he was replaced.
Hall’s parting remarks …
“This was a very difficult decision to make because I love everyone on the show dearly and I’ll miss them very much. I’ll always cherish the 12 years we spent working together, but I need to take advantage of new opportunities that have been offered me. I was with David Letterman for ten years and Jay for twelve; it just seems like the right time to begin a new chapter in my life.” – [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds13140.html](http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds13140.html)
Sounds more like a polite firing than actually going on to a better job.
Anyone with the poop on this?
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2004, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957/2 "2004-04-20T03:40:28Z")
Most of the [articles](http://www.azcentral.com/ent/tv/articles/0305stuttering.html) I find say pretty much the same thing:
> [@](#):
>
> And what of Edd Hall, “Tonight’s” longtime announcer who leaves later this month to pursue a “career in acting,” according to the show. “Yeah, sure,” says one late-night producer, who, like everyone else, figures Hall got the boot. "That’s like a politician quitting the race to ‘spend more time with his family.’ "
>
> But Hall – who admits he, too, is “puzzled” by his replacement – explains that producers “started phasing out (his comedy) sketches, which were my favorite part of the show, about a year and a half ago (and) I was on four or five times a week. I then kind of thought that I gotta decide. Am I gonna stay in this wonderful job with great money and be content being an announcer, or follow my heart, which was to do more acting?”
>
> He is starring in two movies that are premiering on DVD.
and just about the same [here](http://u.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,212%257E23478%257E2032823,00.html):
> [@](#):
>
> HAPPY TRAILS: Soon-to-depart "Tonight Show’ announcer Edd Hall admits things have been "bizarre’ since he broke the news of his plans to leave Jay Leno’s show after 12 fun-packed years. "People thought I was fired.’ However, Hall says his departure was pretty much written on the wall a year ago when Jay phased out doing sketches on the show.
>
> Now he’s making the rounds of prospective sitcom producers.
The whole thing is more believable if you look at his long performing and writing history on his long-unupdated [website](http://www.eddhall.com/), none of which I knew existed.
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957/3 "2004-04-20T12:31:54Z")
Ah, yes, I can certainly imagine how tough it would be for Hall to fit in what is no doubt a very busy schedule of non-speaking parts – waiter, second guy from left in police lineup, corpse, movie theater patron, random diner in restaurant – as well as work on “The Tonight Show.”
If you notice a slight but noticeable bump in the quality of extras in movies, THIS IS WHY!!!
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957/4 "2004-04-20T17:40:24Z")
If he wasn’t fired, then he should have been because he just proved he is an idiot.
Why would you quit that job? I mean, you are in LA, you can still audition and I am sure if Spielberg insisted, Jay Leno would have let Edd take a few weeks off to star in one of his films.
Ya know, laugh at Vanna all you want, but the woman ain’t no fool. She’ll be pointing to non-turning letters till that show goes off the air - even if she has to point with her walker.
Edd leaving The Tonight Show on his own free will ranks up there with really good career moves like David Caruso leaving NYPD, Andy leaving Letterman and Shelly Long leaving Cheers.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957/5 "2004-04-20T19:54:49Z")
Andy leaving Letterman? Tall, skinny, red-haired, white-skinned Irish Letterman? 😕
And Vanna is indeed a joke. She gets paid well for being one, but some people can’t live their lives as a national joke no matter how much money it brings in. The mental toll is too great.
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### Author:  [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-edd-hall-fired/240957/6 "2004-04-20T22:22:20Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#):
>
> Andy leaving Letterman? Tall, skinny, red-haired, white-skinned Irish Letterman? 😕
Oops…of course I meant Conan…really I did…redheads and…well
And speaking of which…[MSN | Outlook, Office, Skype, Bing, Breaking News, and Latest Videos](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4694609/)
(Sorry for the slight hijack).