Hal Sparks

Hal Sparks
Sparks speaking in June 2016
Born	Harry Magee Sparks III (1969-09-25) September 25, 1969 (age 47) Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Occupation	Actor, comedian, musician, television personality
Years active	1987–present
Website	Official website

Harry Magee Sparks III (born September 25, 1969), known as Hal Sparks, is an American actor, comedian, musician and television personality. He is known for his contributions to VH1, hosting E!'s Talk Soup, and the role of Michael Novotny on the American television series Queer as Folk and as Donald Davenport in Lab Rats.

Sparks was born on September 25, 1969 in Cincinnati, Ohio, but grew up in Peaks Mill, Kentucky.

When he was 14 years old, he moved to the Chicago area and enrolled at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, where he entered the theater department. Despite some initial opposition by his father, by 15 he began performing standup comedy and by 17 he won the title of "Chicago's Funniest Teenager" from the Chicago Sun-Times.

While still in high school, he became the host of the short-run Saturday game show Treasure Mall in 1988, just months shy of his 19th birthday. Upon graduation, Sparks moved to Los Angeles and after ten long years of paying his dues, he got his major TV break when he was hired to host Talk Soup in 1999.

He would go on to independently produce his first standup comedy DVD Escape from Halcatraz in 2008.

Sparks is a regular guest on such programs as CNN's Your $$$$$, The Joy Behar Show and The View when he's not hosting his own weekly progressive radio show. He's also participated in the Progressive Voices Cruise in 2009 and 2010. In 2011 he joined Stephanie Miller and John Fugelsang for the successful Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour in various cities across the country. This tour topped more than a million dollars in ticket sales while raising money for local progressive causes.