He joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1990, serving as both writer and performer. During his SNL stint, He appeared in smaller roles in films such as Coneheads (1993), Reality Bites (1994) and PCU (1994). His comic chemistry with fellow cast member Chris Farley led to their pairing in two successful films, Tommy Boy (1995) and Black Sheep (1996).
After leaving SNL in 1996, Spade landed the role of Dennis Finch on the sitcom "Just Shoot Me!" He continued to make movies, such as Lost and Found (1999), Joe Dirt (2001) and Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003). He returned to series television in 2004 with a role on "8 Simple Rules ⿦ for Dating My Teenage Daughter."