Hastings was born in Casablanca, Morocco to an English mother, Pamela, and an American G.I. father named Drew. He emigrated to the United States at a young age and grew up in the Midwest, particularly in the Ohio cities of Kettering, Dayton and Cincinnati.
Stand-up comedy
Hastings began performing onstage at the age of thirty-one. After having lived in several large cities in the 1970s, including San Francisco and New York, he had moved back to Ohio. In the early 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he would later receive several guest-starring roles and television pilots for networks such as Fox, NBC, and HBO. While in California, he starred in several one-man shows such as Commencement Speech, Life & Other Short Stories, and The Business of Living. The main character of The Business of Living, a motivational speaker/success guru named "Jack Freeman", gained a cult following in California and has become increasingly popular throughout the Midwest. While living in L.A., he got a rare standing ovation on "The Tonight Show". Hastings would later sit in as a guest on The Bob & Tom Show. In 2006, he starred in The Friends of Bob & TomComedy Central special alongside other comedians such as Bob Zany, Greg Hahn, Roy Wood, Jr., and Mike Armstrong. On April 26, 2008, Comedy Central aired Drew Hastings: Irked and Miffed, Hastings' premiere one-hour television special. The performance was released on May 6, 2008 through Image Entertainment.
Mayoral bid
Hastings expressed interest in running for mayor in the city of Hillsboro, Ohio in June 2010 as a Republican Party candidate. On January 20, 2011, Hastings took out a candidate petition to run for the position of mayor for the city of Hillsboro. Hastings filed his petition with the county's Board of Elections, as did two other Republican hopefuls. With the city's primary election held on May 3, 2011, Hastings won the primary election with receiving 295 votes. On November 8, 2011, Hastings won the Hillsboro, Ohio general election garnering 1,008 votes and his opponent, John Levo, received 614 votes. He was sworn in on January 2, 2012. On November 3, 2015, Hastings won a second term as mayor of Hilsboro with 59% of the vote over Pam Limes. On July 12, 2016, Hastings was indicted on four charges, including elections fraud, following a months-long investigation by special prosecutors appointed by a Highland County judge. The counts included theft, theft in office and tampering with records. The judge in the case dismissed 2 of the 4 felony charges against Hastings, and a jury found him not guilty on the remaining charges on November 9, 2016.
Electoral history
Stage and screen
;One man shows
Tales Of Unrepentance – Written and performed by Drew Hastings – HBO Theatre, Los Angeles, CA – 1998
The Business of Living – Written and performed by Drew Hastings – HBO Workspace – Los Angeles, CA – 1999
Yard Sale – Written and performed by Drew Hastings – Tamarind Theatre, Los Angeles – 1995
;Movies'
Melvin Goes to Dinner – 2003Let's Go To Prison – 2006;Television
The Peter Principle – 2000 – Uncredited – Co-starred with Paul F. TompkinsThe Big Wide World Of Carl Laemke'' - 2003 - Uncredited
