Al Franken ’73 has never done things by the book.

Franken, a comedian, writer, actor and political commentator who shifts effortlessly from penning screenplays for the silver screen to cutting up politicians for Comedy Central’s election coverage, defies categorization as an entertainer.

And among Harvard alums to go on to comic stardom, Franken took an unconventional route to fame.

While others such as 2000 Class Day speaker Conan C. O’Brien ’85 cut their teeth writing for the Harvard Lampoon, Franken was rejected from the semi-secret Sorrento Square organization that used to occasionally publish a so-called humor magazine.

And though O’Brien is a household name, most Poonsters who have gone on to work in comedy do so behind the scenes and are far less recognizable than Franken’s trademark tortoise shell glasses and curly brown hair.

His famous look came accidentally to Franken as a first-year at Harvard.

“I’d never taken a drink of alcohol until my freshman year of college,” Franken says. “My roommate and I split a bottle of scotch and got so drunk and I fell down the stairs and broke my glasses.”

He replaced them with the dark-framed glasses he wears to this day.

While the accident created the appearance that became part of his comedic persona, his success in comedy was no accident.

By meshing together his life-long interests in politics and comedy into an inseparable pair, Franken has forged a unique brand of satire that in many ways has redefined political humor.

With a career that has included starring in his own short-lived primetime television series and feature film to authoring best-selling books, Franken has been one of the most versatile entertainers in recent memory.

And as one the original writers for Saturday Night Live (SNL), Franken’s comedic skill—which has garnered five Emmy awards—helped build a show that is now one of the most celebrated in television history.

Today, Franken will impart his humorous brand of advice and wisdom on a graduating class of Harvard undergraduates ready to begin their own journeys after college with a laugh.

‘Honest Al’

Born in New York City in 1951, Franken spent most of his early life growing up in suburban Minneapolis, where he inherited a love of politics from his parents during the politically-charged 1960s.