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Hey! It's Fard. The Entertainment Swiss Army Knife.

001_FardMuhammad_07.2022_720x900
THIS… is Fard (fer-`rahd) Muhammad.
Yes, that is my real hair. I call it the FROVID-19.
No, you can’t run your fingers through it.
 
I hosted the last game on the HQ Trivia App.
I’ve acted in movies, TV shows, and new(er) media.
I’ve worked as a voice-over and have experience in audio editing.
I’ve animated intro sequences and logo treatments using motion graphics and 3D animation.
I have the World’s Best Laugh for TV and comedy album audiences.
I’ve performed stand-up comedy, sketch, improv, and other sorts of on-stage productions.
 
 
See that arrow below? Scroll in that direction to learn more about me.

Headshot by Sarah Elizabeth Larson
Drone photo background by Fard Muhammad

Recent News The latest projects and fun things...

January 19, 2023– The live mobile game show app HQ Trivia was taken over by a bunch of fans of the app some days prior in the hopes of producing new episodes of Trivia and Words. They were looking for a host, and I signed up. On the night of the 19th, I set up a production studio in my apartment and hosted an episode of HQ Trivia that was seen and played directly on the app- complete with graphic design, music, and even cash winnings.  As a fan of the show myself, this was a real treat. The fan response to my hosting was overwhelmingly positive. The video can be seen below. 

We were set up to do a game of HQ Words on January 23, but the people who own the HQ app took back control, and I couldn’t host anymore. Aside from this fan takeover, the app has been dormant for months. If the app becomes defunct, it would be quite possible that I will have been the last host of HQ Trivia.

January 2, 2023– I had my network TV debut as a background actor in the reboot of Quantum Leap on NBC. (Season 1, Episode 9) 

Hosting HQ Trivia – January 19, 2023
Quantum Leap – January 2, 2023 
Quantum Leap – January 2, 2023 

Acting The camera somewhat likes me.

Trained by Chelltoine Productions and McKay Arts for on-screen acting, I’ve been in front of the camera for many productions. 

I’ve acted in the movies Jesus, Bro! and Another Cinema Snob Movie by Walkaway Entertainment.

In online media, I am a part of the ensemble for the Nostalgia Critic movie review series and have made guest appearances in the comic review series Atop the Fourth Wall. Additionally, I shared hosting duties on (and wrote questions for) the Channel Awesome game show Pop Quiz Hot Shot.

I was also the co-lead on the ClickHole video 500 lb. Man, where I played one of the two 250 lb. men that he split into. The video has gained over a million views on YouTube, three million views on Twitter, and fourteen million views on Facebook.

Most recently, I was a featured background actor in the second season of the TV show South Side on HBO Max, and I was in the background for the Quantum Leap 2022 reboot on NBC.

I’m currently non-union, but that could change with a commercial or two…

South Side (HBO Max, 2021)
South Side (HBO Max, 2021)
500 lb. Man (Clickhole, 2016)
500 lb. Man (Clickhole, 2016)
Nostalgia Critic (Channel Awesome, 2019)
Nostalgia Critic (Channel Awesome, 2019)
Another Cinema Snob Movie (Walkaway Entertainment, 2018)
Another Cinema Snob Movie (Walkaway Entertainment, 2018)

Still from Jesus Bro, by Walkaway Entertainment

Voice-Over & Audio Editing Just call me "Don Fardo".

Trained by Acting Studio Chicago, I’ve lent my dulcet tones and audio editing skills to many roles over the years- including: 

  • The announcer and intro/outro audio producer of the Dennis Miller Option podcast
  • The intro announcer for the livestreamed talk show IsoLate Night with Scott Rogowsky (using a Bill Wendell impression)
  • The intro announcer and intro video editor for the livestreamed comedy show Saturday Night Quarantine (using a Don Pardo impression- seen below)
  • One of the on-air live station announcers for MAG-TV, the TV/streaming channel for the 20th Music and Gaming Festival in January 2023.
  • Various roles on the sketch comedy album The Essential Trevor Martin
  • The live announcer for the stand-up comedy showcase The Comedy Bowl with Mona Aburmishan
  • Other podcast intros include The Bladtcast and Another Day Above Ground
If you’d like to book Fard for your announcing or commercial work, reach out to Big Mouth Talent at 312-421-4400.

Check out his commercial voice-over demo below!
Commercial Voice-Over Demo
Saturday Night Quarantine Intro

Photo by Dave Kresl

Motion Graphics & Video Editing Making pixels dance for 25 years.

I’ve had a strong interest in motion graphics and title sequences for television and film.

When I was 17, I animated my first computer-generated sequence commemorating the 25th anniversary of Atari. The animating and modeling was done in Caligari TrueSpace, and editing was done with Adobe Premiere. That was followed up two years later with an animation commemorating the 5th anniversary of the Atari Jaguar that was shown at the Classic Gaming Expo and was the subject of a humorous story on the Chicago morning TV show Fox Thing In The Morning.

At 23, I worked as an animator for VisualCast, where I became familiar with working with After Effects. My work for them was shown on huge video billboards across the Chicago area.

Since then, I’ve produced animations in commercials that have been shown on Hulu and CNN.com.

I’ve also worked on the graphic design for several logos in Photoshop and Illustrator- including the ones for Chicago Movieoke and The Twin Towers Alliance.

For the last several years, I’ve been the animator of the intro sequences to the Nostalgia Critic web series and the logo animation for Channel Awesome, using Cinema 4D, After Effects and Video Copilot’s Element 3D.

Most recently, I animated the 80s-style TV graphics for the analog horror series Winter of ’83.

Motion Graphics Demo
YouTube playlist of Motion Graphics Work

Intro to the Nostalgia Critic web series

World's Best Laugh Big Laugh Energy.

I have a distinct and ebullient Laugh that has been a welcomed sound for comedians, show producers, and TV audience coordinators. 
The Laugh is heard in over a dozen comedy albums and specials– including:

During a taping of his late night talk show, Conan O’Brien heard the Laugh from the back of his audience during the opening monologue and incorporated as a running gag in the show (as seen in the video below.)

I am working on delivering the Laugh to more comedy clubs and television audiences in the Los Angeles area. If you are a studio audience coordinator, casting company, or comedy album/special producer looking to add a little “natural sweetener” to your audience responses, feel free to contact me.

Conan O’Brien noticing and featuring The Laugh

Photo by Sarah Elizabeth Larson

Stand-Up and On-Stage Performances Enter, stage right.

I’ve performed stand-up comedy in open mics and showcases all over Chicago since 2010- from the Hideout to the legendary Zanies Old Town. I’ve also co-hosted, hosted, and produced comedy shows- including hosting and/or producing the 2019 and 2022 Music and Gaming Festival’s Comedy Showcases and co-hosting the Late Night Open Mic at The Comedy Bar in Chicago.
 
Trained in improv and sketch comedy performance by Antoine McKay, I’ve performed with Antoine’s inaugural troupe in two sketch comedy shows, “The Recession of Wisdom” and “Natural Selection: The Burden of Being Alive”, which had some successful runs at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago.
 
In addition, I’ve written and performed with the live movie riffing club Down in Front, which performed live MST3K-style commentary on feature-length movies– including Congo, Ghost, The Mummy, Wild Wild West, and Reefer Madness.
 
Lastly, I’ve hosted movie-scene karaoke (or “Movieoke“) events– from bars to theatres to conventions– for almost a decade. Movieoke is like karaoke except that instead of getting in front of a mic and singing a song, one performs a scene from a movie (with the sound down and the captions on). 
 
Yes, it is a great idea. You should try it sometime. 
 
I’ve hosted Movieoke events in venues including the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, MAGFest and MAGLabs in the Washington DC area, and ConBravo! in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It’s my goal to bring Movieoke to the Los Angeles area after the pandemic subsides.

Zanies photo by Larry Bloom

About Fard Like this whole website wasn't about me to begin with...

I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. I have a bachelors degree in computer science from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and a masters degree in computer graphics from DePaul University.
 
And now, I want to host a game show- putting those degrees to their ultimate potential.
 
In my spare time, I talk a bit too much about late night TV talk show history, perform or host movie-scene karaoke (or Movieoke) events, attend TV tapings, fly camera drones, attend pop culture conventions, and play all sorts of video games– from classic Atari games, to VR, to my own cabinet of my favorite arcade game, San Francisco Rush 2049.
 
I live in Los Angeles with my wife and zero cats.

If you wish to contact me for voiceover projects, contact Big Mouth Talent.

I am also looking to get into commercial work, and I am currently seeking a commercial agent in LA. If you’d like to represent me, let me know!

You can find more of my credits and resumes in the links below.

IMDB | Actor’s Access | LA Casting

Fard Muhammad Headshot

Headshot by Sarah Elizabeth Larson
CONAN Set Background Photo by Gary Cannon