 Born in New York City , Franken moved to Minnesota when he was four but he later went back to the East Coast and attended Harvard College . With his writing partner Tom Davis , with whom he had developed an interest in improvisational theatre in high school , he was hired as a writer for SNL at its inception in 1975 . He worked on the show as a writer and performer until 1980 , and returned from 1985 to 1995 . After leaving SNL , he wrote and acted in movies and television shows . He also hosted a nationally syndicated , political radio talk show , The Al Franken Show , and wrote six books , four of which are political satires critical of conservative politics . 
