Hilarious. Smart. Sincere. Incredibly health-conscious. These are all words that describe Darryl Lynn Hughley, more famously known as D.L. Hughley, the popular and talented actor and stand-up comedian whose comedic gifts have been featured on the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys, and as one of the four stars of Spike’s Lee’s The Original Kings of Comedy. Hughley has also hosted CNN’s D.L. Hughley Breaks the News, and has been a correspondent for The Jay Leno Show on NBC.
Even though it was comedy that was his saving grace and led to all these opportunities, it was much different before he started laughing
Long before he was making people around the world laugh and hosting his own radio show, comedian D.L. Hughley was a young husband and father struggling to make ends meet. D.L. says that after marrying his wife, LaDonna, in 1986, they moved into a tiny apartment, and he got a job as a telephone sales rep, making about $3.35 an hour.
Money was tight, and it got even tighter when LaDonna got pregnant with their first child, daughter Ryan. “I work really hard, and I became assistant manager over the telephone sales operation room, and she gets pregnant again,” D.L. says. “I remember once LaDonna had to go to the hospital because this pregnancy was really hard, and me and Ryan came home, and our lights were off, and there was no food.”
That night, D.L. says, he made his daughter mashed bananas by candlelight. He also made her a promise. “She was just laughing and playing, and she had no concept of what was going on,” he says. “I said, ‘I’ll never put you in this situation again.’”
BlackDoctor.org caught up with D.L. to talk with him about the role comedy plays when it comes to health, and whether or not laughter really is the best medicine.
BDO: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us!
DLH: It’s a pleasure.
BDO: Okay, so what health grade would you give yourself?
DLH: Right now, I’d give myself a low B.
BDO: Not bad! Well, you’re well known for looking fit. What are some of your best health habits? And some of the worst?
DLH: I could cut out more preservatives, but I eat red meat only once a week, I portion my food, I watch my calories, I do cardio about 5 times a week, I play golf about 3 days a week so I can get in more Vitamin D, I drink a lot of water, I eat breakfast…and of course I go to the doctor and dentist regularly.
BDO: Sounds like your really doing a great job…and eating right. What’s your favorite healthy food?
DLH: Hmm…I eat egg whites, and many more turkey burgers than regular hamburgers. I like soymilk, oatmeal with blueberries, fish, shrimp. I really like seafood.
BDO: Okay, here’s a tough question for you…what is your favorite not-so-healthy, guilty pleasure food?
DLH: I love pizza. Not with pepperoni or anything like that, though. And I LOVE dessert. One of my favorites would probably be blackberry cobbler.
BDO: So, what’s your favorite way to work that cobbler and pizza off?