David Letterman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids David Letterman |
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Letterman in 2016
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| Birth name | David Michael Letterman |
| Born | April 12, 1947 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Ball State University (BA) |
| Years active | 1970–present |
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| Children | 1 |
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David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is famous for hosting late-night television talk shows for 33 years. His career started with Late Night with David Letterman on NBC in 1982 and ended with Late Show with David Letterman on CBS in 2015.
Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes in total. This made him the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American TV history. He passed his friend and hero, Johnny Carson.
He is also a TV and film producer. His company, Worldwide Pants, produced his shows and other popular comedies like Everybody Loves Raymond. Many current late-night hosts, like Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert, say Letterman was a major influence on them. Since 2018, he has hosted the Netflix series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman.
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Early Life and Career
David Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry, was a florist, and his mother, Dorothy, was a church secretary. His mom sometimes appeared on his show, which audiences loved.
Growing up, Letterman admired his father's sense of humor. He attended Broad Ripple High School and later went to Ball State University. He graduated in 1969 with a degree in radio and television. He started a scholarship at Ball State for students with average grades, calling them "C students."
Letterman's broadcasting career began at his college's student radio station, WBST. He was once fired for not taking classical music seriously enough. He said that Paul Dixon, a talk show host from Cincinnati, inspired him to pursue a career in television.
Becoming a Weatherman
After college, Letterman worked as a TV weatherman in Indianapolis. He became known for his funny and unusual on-air style. He would congratulate a tropical storm for becoming a hurricane and predict hailstones "the size of canned hams."
He also made up fictional cities and reported their weather. Once, when a map accidentally left off the border between Indiana and Ohio, he joked that the two states had become one giant state. He also hosted a kids' show and a show about movies.
Moving to Los Angeles
In 1975, Letterman moved to Los Angeles to become a comedy writer. He started performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store. There, he joined a group of writers for comedian Jimmie Walker, which also included a young Jay Leno.
Letterman began appearing on various TV shows, including game shows like The $20,000 Pyramid and talk shows. His dry, sarcastic humor got the attention of the producers of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He soon became a regular guest and a favorite of host Johnny Carson, who became his mentor.
Career at NBC
The David Letterman Show
In 1980, NBC gave Letterman his own morning comedy show, The David Letterman Show. The show was praised by critics and won two Emmy Awards. However, it did not get high ratings and was canceled after a few months.
Late Night with David Letterman
NBC decided to give Letterman another chance in a different time slot. Late Night with David Letterman premiered on February 1, 1982. His first guest was actor Bill Murray. The show aired after The Tonight Show and was seen as edgy and unpredictable. It quickly became very popular, especially with college students.
Letterman was known for his sharp and witty interviews. The show also had many silly and creative segments that made fun of typical TV shows. Some of the most famous segments included:
- Stupid Pet Tricks: Viewers sent in videos of their pets doing funny and unusual tricks.
- Top 10 List: A daily countdown of jokes on a specific topic.
- Dropping things off a roof: Letterman and his team would drop various objects from a five-story building just to see what would happen.
These unique segments became a signature part of his comedy style.
Career at CBS
Late Show with David Letterman
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When Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show in 1992, many people thought Letterman would take his place. Instead, NBC chose Jay Leno. So, Letterman moved to CBS to host a new show, Late Show with David Letterman, which aired at the same time as The Tonight Show.
The Late Show debuted on August 30, 1993. It was filmed at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City. Letterman brought his band leader, Paul Shaffer, and many of his famous comedy bits with him. He just gave them new names. For example, the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Top Ten."
For its first two years, the Late Show often had higher ratings than The Tonight Show. Over the years, the two shows competed for viewers, but Letterman always remained a fan favorite. His shows won 12 Emmy Awards and were praised by critics.
Hosting the Academy Awards
In 1995, Letterman hosted the 67th Academy Awards. His performance received mixed reviews. Some critics felt his style of humor was not a good fit for the formal event. One of his jokes involved introducing famous people with unusual names to each other, like "Oprah...Uma. Uma...Oprah."
Letterman later turned the experience into a running gag on his own show. He often joked about how badly he had done. Despite the criticism, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held him in high regard and invited him to host again.
Return from Heart Surgery
On January 14, 2000, Letterman had emergency quintuple bypass surgery on his heart. While he recovered, his friends, including Drew Barrymore, Robin Williams, and Bill Murray, hosted the show for him.
When he returned on February 21, 2000, he brought his doctors and nurses on stage to thank them. He also invited his favorite band, the Foo Fighters, to play his favorite song, "Everlong". The band has been close with Letterman ever since.
Retirement from Late Show
On April 3, 2014, Letterman announced he would retire the following year. His final show aired on May 20, 2015. The episode featured messages from four U.S. presidents and a Top Ten List performed by famous guests like Bill Murray, Steve Martin, and Tina Fey.
The final show was watched by 13.76 million people, making it one of the highest-rated episodes in the show's history. In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of his late-night shows, a record in American television.
Life After the Late Show
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After retiring, Letterman made a few surprise appearances. He appeared on stage with comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short and delivered a Top Ten List about Donald Trump.
In 2016, he joined the documentary series Years of Living Dangerously as a correspondent. He traveled to India to report on the country's energy challenges.
Return with Netflix
In 2018, Letterman returned to television with a new interview series on Netflix called My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. His first guest was former President Barack Obama. The show features long, in-depth conversations with famous people like Kim Kardashian West, Robert Downey Jr., and Billie Eilish. In 2022, he traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to interview Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Business Ventures
Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, was started in 1991. It produced his talk shows as well as other successful shows like Everybody Loves Raymond.
He is also a co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, a team that competes in the IndyCar series. The team has won the famous Indianapolis 500 race twice, in 2004 and 2020.
Through his foundation, Letterman has donated millions of dollars to charities, including Ball State University and organizations that help children.
Personal Life
Letterman married his college girlfriend, Michelle Cook, in 1968, and they divorced in 1977.
He began a relationship with Regina Lasko in 1986. Their son, Harry Joseph Letterman, was born in 2003. The couple married in 2009. The family lives in North Salem, New York.
Letterman is a car enthusiast and owns a large collection of cars, including Ferraris and Porsches.
Awards and Honors
Throughout his career, Letterman has received many awards. He has won 12 Emmy Awards and four American Comedy Awards.
- In 2007, Ball State University named its new communication and media building after him.
- In 2012, he received the Kennedy Center Honors, one of the highest honors for an artist in the United States.
- In 2017, he was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
See also
In Spanish: David Letterman para niños
