Can Dana Carvey play drums? Who is Dana Carvey? What is Dana Carvey’s profession? Who are the other famous artists that can also play the drums in real life? If you know Dana Carvey, then maybe you are familiar with him as being one of the main actors in the classic comedy movie Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World 2, that was released in 1992 and 1993, respectively. However, if you do not know him, now would be a good time to get familiar with him and check out whether he can play the drums in real life or not.
Who Is Dana Carvey?
Dana Thomas Carvey or known by many as Dana Carvey, is a famous American actor, stand-up comedian, screenwriter, producer, and impressionist that was born on June 2, 1955. He is also known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live for seven seasons from 1986 to 1993, which resulted in him garnering five straight Primetime Emmy Award Nominations.
Aside from being Garth Algar in the movies Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World 2, he is also known for starring in roles in some comedy movies, such as the Tough Guys, Opportunity Knocks, Trapped in Paradise, and the Master of Disguise. However, most people still know him as the Garth who played the drums in the duology movie Wayne’s World.
Wayne’s World And Garth Playing The Drums
So, can Dana Carvey play drums? In the movie, you will see him and his best friend, Wayne, visit a music store, and as he sees the huge drum set, he sits on its drum chair and starts to play the drums masterfully. He imagined himself playing the instrument on a concert stage with many people watching and cheering for him. As he ended his drum solo, there was one who applauded his drumming skills.
So, if you are questioning whether he can really play the drums or it is just all an act, Dana Carvey can really play the drums. In that scene, Dana is really playing the drums. In his talk show, The Dana Carvey Show, he performed to his audience live, showing his masterful skills in playing the drums. As his character in the movie was based on his brother, he said in an interview that both of them also played the drums.
Famous Celebrities That Can Also Play Drums
Miles Teller
If you are thinking of a famous celebrity that can not only act but also has some chops, one that comes to mind is Miles Teller. If you are not familiar with him, he is a 35-year-old American actor that is known for his roles in movies such as The Spectacular Now, The Divergent film trilogy, Fantastic Four, War Dogs, Bleed For This, and many more.
However, if you are thinking of whether he played the drums in a movie, then yes, he did. In the movie Whiplash, Miles played the role of a jazz drummer named Andrew Neiman, who is the main character of the movie that follows the life of an ambitious jazz drummer and music student that was pushed to the limit by his abusive mentor at the fictitious Shaffer Conservatory located in New York City.
Although they used a double in the movie, it was still almost 40% of Miles’ drumming was used in the film, as he pre-recorded himself playing the drums before the shoot. Even though he started playing the drums when he was still 15 years old, he had difficulty adjusting to playing the unconventional style of jazz drumming, resulting in him getting blisters on his hands. As seen in the movie, there was some blood of his on the drumsticks.
Will Ferrell
Another famous celebrity on our list with certified chops is the one and only Mr. Will Ferrell. If you think that Will only knows how to make people laugh, then you are wrong with that. Although he is mostly known by people as an actor, comedian, and maybe a producer, he can also play the drums.
He first became famous as he became a cast member of the legendary sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2002. He is also known to star in many comedy films, such as Elf, Anchorman, Kicking and Screaming, Semi-Pro, Step Brothers, The Other Guys, Get Hard, Holmes and Watson, and many more.
Though you may see his cowbell skits on Saturday Night Live, you may also have seen him having a drum-off with one of the most legendary drummers of all time, Chad Smith of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers, on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. One thing that made it so funny is that Will has a striking resemblance to Chad, making it look like they are twins playing the drums.
Aside from the drums, Will Ferrell can also play the violin, piano, and a little bit on the bass and guitar.
Fred Armisen
Another comedian and cast member of the legendary comedy show Saturday Night Live on our list, Fred Armisen, is a 56-year-old comedian, actor, producer, writer, and musician. He has founded the website ThunderAnt.com, which features the comic works he created with his comedy partner Carrie Brownstein. He is also the bandleader and the drummer for the show Late Night with Seth Meyers’s house band, the 8G Band.
When he was 18, he joined a local band as the drummer along with his best friends in high school; however, it ended soon after. After four years, he moved to Chicago and started to play for the punk rock band Trenchmouth, and in the 1990s, he also played the background drums for the Blue Man Group. He played the drums as well for Les Savy Fav in three tracks of the band’s album Let’s Stay Friends.
Aside from playing the drums as the mainstay bandleader of the show Late Night with Seth Meyers, he also displayed his skills of being a musician in some late-night shows, such as Conan and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Fred said in an interview that his passion for playing the drums led him to become a comedian.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
If you are looking for a celebrity that is self-taught in playing the drums, then Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the man you are searching for. In an interview with James Corden on his show, The Late Late Show, Joseph admitted that he only taught himself how to play the musical instrument, even without owning his own drum kit.
However, you can notice that there was really no one who taught him how to relax when playing the drums, as he is like forcing his every stroke. He kinda looks like a mess when playing the drums, but one thing I also noticed is that he can stay with the beat, which is a good sign for him. He also posted a video of himself playing the drums in the L.A. subway
So, can Dana Carvey play drums? Absolutely, yes, he can. As an accomplished drummer, he is not shy to show everyone that he has the skills to play the musical instrument masterfully, whether in movies or on his own short-lived talk show, The Dana Carvey Show.
