Anthony Michael Hall was born in Boston, Massachusetts. His stepfather is a show business manager and his mother, Mercedes Hall, is an actress-singer. His sister is also a performer. He started doing TV commercials, and his first major break came when he was cast as the young Steve Allen in Allen's semi-autobiographical play "The Wake." He came to the attention of movie audiences with his performance as the geeky, overbearing yet endearing "Farmer Ted" who talks Molly Ringwald into giving him her underwear in Sixteen Candles. His television credits include the Emmy Award-winning The Gold Bug, in which he played the young Edgar Allan Poe, as well as the TV movie Rascals and Robbers: The Secret Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn and specials "The Body Human" and "Orphans, Waifs and Wards". On stage he appeared in the Lincoln Center Festival's production of "St. Joan of the Microphone".


Youngest member of "Saturday Night Live" (1975) ever, in 1985 when he was 17. Was only on SNL for one season because he had to go to rehab. Was hired by Stanley Kubrick to star in Full Metal Jacket (1987), but was fired after repeatedly complaining about Kubrick's time-consuming, perfectionist directing style. He was replaced with Matthew Modine. He is a singer, plays drums and composes songs for his band. Briefly dated Molly Ringwald. Former "brat packer." All of the characters played by Anthony in John Hughes films are actually based on Hughes himself. In Freddy Got Fingered (2001), Anthony had trouble driving the sports car his character had. Director Tom Green commented in the DVD of the film that it took several dozen takes to get the two-second shot. Has appeared with actor and friend Robert Downey Jr. in Weird Science (1985), Johnny Be Good (1988), and Hail Caesar (1994) (which he directed himself). Claims his favorite book is John O'Donahue's "Eternal Echoes." Is of Irish and Italian heritage. While not related to musician Daryl Hall, he did play Daryl in a skit on "Saturday Night Live" (1975) with Robert Downey Jr.. Auditioned for the role of Ponyboy in The Outsiders (1983). Beat out Jim Carrey for the role of Ted in Sixteen Candles (1984). Godfather of Indio Falconer Downey, Robert Downey Jr.'s son.