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Steve Higgins

Steve Higgins (born August 13, 1963) is an American writer, producer, announcer, actor, and comedian, best known for his behind-the-scenes leadership on and as the announcer for . Born in , to Harold Higgins, a school custodial operations head who died in 1979, and Marian Coppola Higgins, a cosmetologist, Higgins has maintained a low public profile while exerting significant influence in production. Higgins joined in 1995 as a writer and writing supervisor, eventually rising to , where he contributes to sketch development, talent hiring, and overall show direction over nearly three decades. In parallel, he serves as the on-air announcer and occasional performer for , a role he assumed in 2014 following his work on , often transitioning directly from SNL production meetings to studio tapings. His career highlights include voicing cold opens, participating in comedic bits, and supporting hosts like through scripted banter and production oversight, embodying a rare combination of and live performance demands.

Early Life

Upbringing in Des Moines

Steve Higgins was born on August 13, 1963, in . He grew up on the west side of the city as one of five children in a middle-class suburban family headed by Harold Higgins and Marian Higgins (née Coppola). His father, , managed custodial operations for the West Des Moines Community Schools until his death in 1979 at age 49. Marian Higgins worked as a cosmetologist. Among Higgins's siblings are , a fellow comedian and , as well as Vianne Higgins, a based in Des Moines, and Mike Higgins, a software engineer in .

Education and Initial Aspirations

Higgins graduated from Des Moines High School in the early 1980s. Following high school, he pursued interests in performance and comedy by co-founding a troupe with his brothers and Alan Higgins, along with friend Dave "Gruber" Allen, performing locally in Des Moines. This early collaboration reflected his initial aspirations toward a career in entertainment, particularly and writing, influenced by his family's creative inclinations—his brother had begun stand-up routines in the local scene during the late 1970s and early 1980s. He briefly attended the for a few years but did not complete a , opting instead to relocate to with his brother Al to advance in comedy. aligned with his goal of breaking into professional , building on the foundational experiences from the Des Moines troupe, which later evolved into the Comedy Central series The Higgins Boys and Gruber (1989–1990). These steps marked a shift from local amateur performances to seeking opportunities in national television, prioritizing practical entry into the industry over formal .

Career

Early Professional Beginnings

Higgins initiated his professional career in by joining the Des Moines-based troupe , which his brother had founded three years earlier. The group, including brothers David and Alan Higgins, performed regionally in at venues such as the Spaghetti Works restaurant and the Kirkwood Hotel, delivering stand-up routines and improvised sketches to local audiences. The troupe later incorporated comedian Dave "Gruber" Allen, evolving into the trio known as The Higgins Boys and Gruber. This configuration gained national exposure through a weekday afternoon sketch series of the same name on —predecessor to —airing from 1989 to 1991. The program featured the performers in a laid-back studio setting, smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee while transitioning into absurd sketches and observational humor. In 1991, the group appeared in an HBO comedy special titled One Night Stand: The Higgins Boys and Gruber, further showcasing their raw, unpolished style that emphasized camaraderie and spontaneous comedy over polished production. These early endeavors established Higgins as a collaborative performer and writer in the Midwestern comedy scene, predating his transition to national television writing roles.

Saturday Night Live Contributions

Steve Higgins joined the writing staff of in 1995, contributing sketches and segments during a period that included the show's transition through multiple seasons under producer . Over nearly three decades, he advanced to writer supervisor, producer, and , overseeing aspects of script development, cast and writer selections, and production decisions such as hiring and terminations. His behind-the-scenes influence has supported the show's ongoing format of live , musical performances, and topical satire broadcast weekly from . As a writer, Higgins collaborated on recurring sketches, including those featuring such as the "Barry Gibb Talk Show" with , where he provided scripting support during Fallon's cast tenure from 1998 to 2004. He also co-wrote the "Celebrity Jeopardy" parody for the : 40th Anniversary Special alongside , highlighting his role in milestone content. Beyond standard writing, Higgins has performed voiceovers for numerous sketches, accumulating significant on-air segment appearances, and served as the show's unofficial provider of sound effects—a practical contribution to comedic timing in physical humor segments. Higgins's work has earned recognition through industry awards, including a 2018 Writers Guild of America Award for Comedy/Variety – Sketch Series for Saturday Night Live. He received Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series in 2025 for the show and wins for the SNL50: The Anniversary Special, reflecting sustained excellence in variety production amid the program's record-breaking Emmy tally.

Late Night and Tonight Show Announcer Role

In 2009, Steve Higgins joined as its , a role he held until 2014. His selection stemmed from his longstanding professional relationship with Fallon, forged through prior collaborations on , where Higgins served as a writer and producer. During rehearsals for the new late-night program, Higgins filled in temporarily as and sidekick, leading to a seamless on-air chemistry with Fallon that prompted to retain him permanently. Higgins' announcer duties on Late Night involved delivering show introductions, commercial breaks, and occasional comedic banter, often serving as Fallon's straight man in sketches and monologues. This position balanced his concurrent responsibilities at Saturday Night Live, where he contributed to writing and production four nights a week after late-night tapings. When The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon premiered on February 17, 2014, Higgins transitioned seamlessly into the announcer role, continuing as Fallon's on-air foil and handling similar voiceover and interactive segments. His dual workload intensified, with Tonight Show announcements typically occurring around 4:30 p.m. before he shifted to SNL production duties later that evening. As of 2024, Higgins remains the official announcer, though his on-camera appearances have occasionally varied due to scheduling conflicts with SNL commitments. This arrangement has been credited with enhancing the show's improvisational humor, drawing on Higgins' improvisational comedy background.

Personal Life

Family Dynamics

Steve Higgins married Ellen Niedert on March 30, 1990, in a union that has endured over three decades without public reports of separation or conflict. The couple met in , despite both hailing from —Higgins from Des Moines and Niedert from —and they have instilled a sense of Midwestern heritage in their family life. Together, they have four children, prioritizing privacy amid Higgins' high-profile career in and television production. One son, , has followed in his father's footsteps as a , , and performer, notably as a member of the sketch group , which gained prominence through appearances on . Limited details on the other children reflect the family's deliberate avoidance of media scrutiny, with no verified accounts of familial discord or estrangement emerging from credible reporting. The Higgins household appears characterized by stability and low-key domesticity, contrasting the performative energy of Higgins' professional roles; the family resides in , balancing urban life with occasional nods to their origins in personal anecdotes shared by Higgins.

Public Engagements and Interests

Higgins maintains a relatively low public profile outside his professional commitments, prioritizing family and occasional hometown engagements over widespread celebrity appearances. He is the father of five children and has described a close, physically playful relationship with his brothers, who are notably large in stature, influencing comedic portrayals such as the character on the television series Parks and Recreation. In August 2014, Higgins participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge alongside , , , and , dumping ice water over themselves to raise awareness and funds for research. On August 10, 2024, as a Des Moines native, he visited the to view a depicting him and on the Sky Glider ride, created by sculptor Sarah Pratt and her daughters Hannah and Grace Pratt to commemorate the ride's 50th anniversary; during the event, he expressed appreciation for Iowan traditions and anticipated enjoying fair staples like Bauder’s peppermint ice cream bars and breaded pork tenderloins. His personal interests appear centered on family life and regional pride rather than public hobbies or extensive philanthropy, with limited documented involvement in charitable causes beyond the ALS challenge.

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