David Letterman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids David Letterman
Letterman in 2016
Birth name	David Michael Letterman
Born	(1947-04-12) April 12, 1947 (age 79) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up television film
Alma mater	Ball State University (BA)
Years active	1970–present
Genres	Observational comedy black comedy surreal humor insult comedy deadpan satire
Subject(s)	American culture American politics everyday life pop culture current events human behavior
Spouse	Michelle Cook ​ ​ (m. 1968; div. 1977)​ Regina Lasko ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1
Notable works and roles	The David Letterman Show (1980) Late Night with David Letterman (1982–1993) Late Show with David Letterman (1993–2015) My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (2018–present)
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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.

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.

He has an older sister and a younger sister. As a child, he enjoyed collecting model cars, especially race cars.

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

Letterman's comedic career took hold in the 1970s at The Comedy Store in 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

Letterman interviewing comedian Jerry Lewis in 1982

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

The Ed Sullivan Theater, where Late Show with David Letterman was recorded

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

Letterman at the 2019 Indianapolis 500

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.

Fun Facts about David Letterman

• He credits Paul Dixon, a talk show host, for inspiring his career choice. David saw Dixon on TV and realized that was what he wanted to do.
• Letterman started his broadcasting career at his college's radio station, WBST. He was fired for not being serious enough about classical music.
• He earned 67 Emmy Award nominations and won 12 times.
• Letterman's biggest influence and mentor was Johnny Carson. Other comedians who inspired Letterman include Paul Dixon, Steve Allen, Jonathan Winters, Garry Moore, Jack Paar, Don Rickles, and David Brenner.
• The Late Show was taped at the famous Ed Sullivan Theater. This theater was where Ed Sullivan hosted his variety show for many years. CBS spent $8 million to renovate the theater for Letterman.
• The main competitor for the Late Show was NBC's The Tonight Show, hosted by Jay Leno.
• Letterman is a car enthusiast and owns a large collection of cars, including Ferraris and Porsches.

David Letterman's Filmography

Films

Documentary Films

Television Shows

Awards, Honors, and Legacy

The David Letterman Communication and Media Building

Letterman at the 39th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1987

In 1996, TV Guide ranked Letterman 45th on its list of the 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. In 2002, The Late Show with David Letterman was ranked seventh on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.

On September 7, 2007, Letterman visited his old university, Ball State University. A new communications building was named in his honor. The $21 million, 75,000 square foot David Letterman Communication and Media Building opened that fall. Thousands of students and locals welcomed him back. Letterman gave an emotional speech about his college struggles and his late father. He also shared a "top ten good things about having your name on a building." Over the years, Letterman has given significant help to Ball State's Department of Telecommunications. This includes an annual scholarship in his name.

At the same time, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels gave Letterman the Sagamore of the Wabash award. This award recognizes great service to the state of Indiana.

Awards and Nominations

Letterman has received many awards and nominations for his work. He is one of the most nominated people in the history of the Emmy Awards, with 52 nominations. He won two Daytime Emmys and ten Primetime Emmys since 1981. He also won four American Comedy Awards. In 2011, he was the first person to receive the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence.

Letterman was honored at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors. He was recognized as "one of the most influential personalities in the history of television." On May 16, 2017, Letterman received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. This award is given annually by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He received the prize at a ceremony on October 22, 2017.

The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming

The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming (LFCG) was a private foundation. David Letterman was its president and main supporter. The foundation donated over $9.2 million to various charities and organizations. These included Ball State University and the American Cancer Society.

See also

In Spanish: David Letterman para niños