Craig Ferguson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Craig Ferguson
Ferguson speaking at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1962-05-17) 17 May 1962 (age 63) Springburn, Glasgow, Scotland
Medium	Stand-up television film music
Nationality	British American (naturalised 2008)
Education	Cumbernauld High School
Years active	1980–present
Genres	Observational comedy improvisational comedy surreal humour deadpan satire
Subject(s)	Scottish culture American politics everyday life pop culture self-deprecation current events
Spouse	Anne Hogarth ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1986)​ Sascha Corwin ​ ​ (m. 1998; div. 2004)​ Megan Wallace-Cunningham ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	2
Relative(s)	Lynn Ferguson (sister)
Notable works and roles	Nigel Wick on The Drew Carey Show Host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a talented Scottish-American actor, comedian, writer, and television host. He is most famous for hosting the CBS late-night talk show The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson from 2005 to 2014. He won a special Peabody Award for his interview with South African archbishop Desmond Tutu in 2009.

After leaving The Late Late Show, Craig hosted the game show Celebrity Name Game (2014–2017), winning two Daytime Emmy Awards for it. He also hosted Join or Die with Craig Ferguson (2016) on History. In 2021, he hosted The Hustler, a game show on ABC.

Before moving to the US, Craig started his career in the UK with music, comedy, and theatre. In America, he became well-known for playing Nigel Wick on the sitcom The Drew Carey Show (1996–2004). Craig has written three books: a novel called Between the Bridge and the River, a memoir titled American on Purpose (2009), and another memoir, Riding the Elephant (2019). He is a citizen of both Britain and the United States.

He has also written and starred in several films, even directing one of them. You might recognize his voice from animated movies like the How to Train Your Dragon series (where he voiced Gobber), Owl in Winnie the Pooh (2011), and Lord Macintosh in Brave (2012).

Early Life and School Days

Craig Ferguson was born on 17 May 1962, in Glasgow, Scotland. When he was six months old, his family moved to Cumbernauld, a new town built to rehouse people from Glasgow. He grew up there and went to Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School.

At 16, Craig left high school and started an apprenticeship as an electronics technician at a factory. He has two sisters and one older brother. His younger sister, Lynn Ferguson, is also a comedian and actress. She even worked as a writer on The Late Late Show for a while.

Craig first visited the United States when he was 13, in 1975, to see his uncle near New York City. Later, in 1983, he moved to New York City and worked in construction and as a bouncer before returning to Scotland.

Craig's Career Journey

Starting in the UK

Craig's journey in entertainment began when he was a teenager, playing drums for punk bands in Glasgow. He even played drums for the singer Nico for some concerts.

After a nervous first try at comedy, he created a funny character named "Bing Hitler." He performed as Bing Hitler in Glasgow and became very popular at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a famous arts festival.

Craig also appeared on British TV shows like Red Dwarf and One Foot in the Grave. In 1991, he hosted a live music show called Friday at the Dome. He also had his own shows, 2000 Not Out and The Ferguson Theory, which mixed stand-up comedy with sketches.

He also performed in musical theatre, playing Brad Majors in the London production of The Rocky Horror Show in 1991. In 2017, he returned to UK television for a guest role in the comedy show Still Game.

Moving to the US

Ferguson's breakthrough in the US came by working with Drew Carey (pictured) on The Drew Carey Show (1996–2003)

Craig moved to Los Angeles in 1994. His first role in the US was on the TV comedy Maybe This Time in 1995.

His big break came when he was cast as Mr. Wick, the main character's boss, on The Drew Carey Show. He played this role from 1996 to 2003, using a very posh English accent. Even after leaving the show, he still appeared in some episodes.

While working on The Drew Carey Show, Craig also spent his free time writing. He wrote and starred in three films: The Big Tease, Saving Grace, and I'll Be There. He also directed I'll Be There and won awards for it.

He has acted in many other films, including Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Ugly Truth. His voice acting includes Gobber in the How to Train Your Dragon movies, Owl in Winnie the Pooh, and Lord Macintosh in Brave.

Craig has also toured the United States and Canada with his stand-up comedy shows. He has had several TV comedy specials, like A Wee Bit o' Revolution (2009) and I'm Here to Help (2013), which was even nominated for a Grammy Award!

Hosting The Late Late Show

Ferguson at the premiere of Brave at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, June 2012

In December 2004, it was announced that Craig would become the new host of CBS's The Late Late Show. His first show aired on 3 January 2005. His show was unique because it didn't have a human sidekick like other talk shows. Instead, he later added a robot skeleton named Geoff Peterson and two silent performers in a pantomime horse costume.

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson was very popular. In April 2008, it even beat Late Night with Conan O'Brien in weekly ratings for the first time.

On 28 April 2014, Craig announced he would leave The Late Late Show at the end of the year. His final episode aired on 19 December 2014. James Corden took over as the new host.

After The Late Late Show

Ferguson in New York City, May 2019, five years following his departure from The Late Late Show

In October 2013, it was announced that Craig would host the game show Celebrity Name Game. The show started airing on 22 September 2014. Craig won Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host for Celebrity Name Game in both 2015 and 2016. The show ended after three seasons in 2016.

On 18 February 2016, Craig began hosting a historical talk show on History called Join or Die with Craig Ferguson. The show's title comes from a famous Benjamin Franklin political cartoon, which Craig has tattooed on his arm. On the show, Craig and three guests (comedians and historians) humorously discuss different historical topics.

From January 2021 to April 2022, Craig hosted the American game show The Hustler on ABC. In this show, five contestants work together to build a cash prize by answering trivia questions. One contestant is secretly the "Hustler" and knows all the answers. At the end, the honest contestants must guess who the Hustler is to win the prize. The show aired for two seasons.

Other TV Work

Craig Ferguson has made many guest appearances on other TV shows, including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with David Letterman, and The Daily Show. He also co-hosted Live with Regis & Kelly and was a guest host on The Price Is Right for April Fools' Day in 2014.

In 2006, Craig hosted the 32nd annual People's Choice Awards. From 2007 to 2010, he hosted the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on 4 July, which was broadcast across the country. In 2008, he was the main entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

He has done voice work for cartoons like American Dad!, Freakazoid!, and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. He also voiced Susan the boil in an episode of Futurama, which was a funny reference to Scottish singer Susan Boyle.

In 2009, Craig made a quick appearance as himself in an episode of Family Guy and SpongeBob SquarePants. He hosted Discovery Channel's 23rd season of Shark Week in 2010.

In 2023, it was announced that Craig Ferguson will host a new late-night talk show called Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson.

Books by Craig

Craig's novel Between the Bridge and the River was published in 2006. He has said he plans for it to be the first book in a trilogy.

In 2009, he published his memoir, American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot. This book talks about why and how he became an American citizen, sharing stories from his life as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer, and how he became famous in Hollywood. The audiobook version was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2010.

In 2017, Craig wrote a short story for a book called In Sunlight or in Shadow, which featured stories inspired by paintings. His third book, Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations, was released in 2019.

Personal Life

Craig Ferguson has a FAA private pilot certificate, which means he can fly small planes. He became a vegan in 2013.

He has been married three times and has two children. His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth (1983-1986). His second marriage was to Sascha Corwin (1998-2004), with whom he has a child born in 2001. In 2008, Craig married art dealer Megan Wallace-Cunningham. They have a son together, born in 2011.

Craig has said that his comedy heroes include Monty Python, the Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and David Letterman.

He has five tattoos. One is the famous "Join, or Die" political cartoon on his right forearm, showing his American patriotism. Another is his family crest, and a Celtic cross for his mother's family.

Craig became an American citizen on 1 February 2008. He even showed parts of his citizenship test and swearing-in ceremony on The Late Late Show.

Media Appearances

Movies

Television Shows

Podcasts

Radio Shows

Web Shows

Video Games

Awards and Nominations

Music Albums

• Live at the Tron (as Bing Hitler). Jammy Records. 1986. Catalogue number JRLP 861.
• Mental; Bing Hitler Is Dead? Polydor. 1988.
• A Big Stoatir. Polydor. 1990.
• I'm Here to Help. New Wave Dynamics. 2013.
• Tickle Fight - 2018
• Hobo Fabulous - 2020

See also

In Spanish: Craig Ferguson para niños