Jay Leno facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jay Leno
Leno in June 2019
Birth name	James Douglas Muir Leno
Born	(1950-04-28) April 28, 1950 (age 75) New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Education	Emerson College (BA)
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	Mavis Nicholson ​ (m. 1980)​
Notable works and roles	The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (host, 1992–2009, 2010–2014) The Jay Leno Show (host, 2009–2010) Jay Leno's Garage (host, 2014–2022) You Bet Your Life (host, 2021–2023)
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James Douglas Muir Leno (born April 28, 1950) is a famous American television host, comedian, and writer. He is best known for hosting The Tonight Show on NBC for many years.

Leno first hosted The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009. After a short break, he returned to host it again from 2010 to 2014. He also hosted other shows like The Jay Leno Show and Jay Leno's Garage. He was added to the Television Hall of Fame in 2014.

Besides his TV work, Leno writes articles for Popular Mechanics. In these articles, he shares about his amazing car collection and gives advice about cars.

Early Life and Education

Jay Leno was born on April 28, 1950, in New Rochelle, New York. His mother, Catherine, was from Scotland, and his father, Angelo, was from New York, with parents from Italy.

Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts. He went to Andover High School. Later, he earned a degree in speech therapy from Emerson College. While at college, he started a comedy club in 1973.

Career Highlights

Starting in Comedy

Jay Leno first appeared on The Tonight Show on March 2, 1977, performing a comedy routine. In the 1970s, he had small roles in TV shows and movies. Some of these included Good Times and Fun with Dick and Jane.

He also appeared on the game show Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour in 1983 and 1984.

Hosting The Tonight Show

Leno in 1993, after becoming host of The Tonight Show

Leno became a regular guest host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show starting in 1986. In 1992, he took over as the main host after Carson retired. This decision caused some discussion because many people, including Carson, thought David Letterman would get the job.

Leno continued to perform stand-up comedy while hosting The Tonight Show. In 2004, he signed a contract to stay as host until 2009. It was planned that Conan O'Brien would take over the show in 2009.

During a writers' strike in 2007–2008, Leno was accused of writing his own jokes. This was against the rules for writers on strike. However, after an investigation, his name was not on the list of those who broke the rules.

In 2009, Leno had to go to the hospital for a short time due to exhaustion. This caused him to miss two episodes of The Tonight Show, which were his first missed shows in 17 years.

Michael Jackson Trial Jokes

Leno in 2006

During the Michael Jackson trial, Jay Leno was first told he couldn't make jokes about it on his show. But he found a clever way around this rule. He had other comedians like Roseanne Barr and Drew Carey come on his show to tell the jokes instead. Later, the court allowed Leno to tell jokes about the trial himself, as long as he didn't talk about his own testimony.

Moving to Primetime and Back

Because The Tonight Show with Jay Leno was very popular, there was talk about what he would do when his contract ended. He left The Tonight Show on May 29, 2009, and Conan O'Brien became the new host.

However, Leno stayed with NBC and started a new show called The Jay Leno Show. This show aired at 10 p.m. every weeknight, starting on September 14, 2009. It had a similar style to The Tonight Show, with celebrity guests and popular segments like "Headlines."

The 2010 Tonight Show Conflict

Neither Conan O'Brien's Tonight Show nor The Jay Leno Show got the high ratings NBC hoped for. In January 2010, NBC decided to move Leno's show to a later time slot, after The Tonight Show. This meant The Tonight Show would start even later.

Conan O'Brien did not want to move The Tonight Show to a later time. He felt it would harm the show's long history. So, on January 21, 2010, NBC made a deal with O'Brien for him to leave the network. His last episode was on January 22, 2010.

Jay Leno then returned as the host of The Tonight Show on March 1, 2010. Even though his ratings dropped a bit, his show was still the most-watched late-night program.

Leaving The Tonight Show Again

On April 3, 2013, NBC announced that Jay Leno would leave The Tonight Show in spring 2014. Jimmy Fallon was chosen to be the next host.

Leno's final episode as host of The Tonight Show was on February 6, 2014. Many famous guests appeared, including Billy Crystal, Garth Brooks, and Oprah Winfrey.

After The Tonight Show

Leno speaking in 2020

Even after leaving The Tonight Show, Jay Leno has remained very busy. He continues to perform stand-up comedy shows all over the United States and Canada. He also visits military bases to entertain troops.

From 2015 to 2022, he hosted Jay Leno's Garage as a TV series on CNBC. This show explored his love for cars and other interesting vehicles. The show was canceled in 2023 because the channel decided to focus more on business programs.

Leno also had a recurring role as a mechanic named Joe Leonard on the TV series Last Man Standing. From 2021 to 2023, he hosted a new version of the game show You Bet Your Life. This show was canceled when Leno chose not to cross a writers' strike picket line.

He also does voice acting, like playing The Crimson Chin on The Fairly OddParents and Billy Beagle on Mickey and the Roadster Racers. In 2019, he was a guest judge on America's Got Talent.

Comedic Influences

Jay Leno has said that many famous comedians influenced his style. Some of these include Johnny Carson, Robert Klein, George Carlin, and Don Rickles. Other comedians like Dennis Miller and Jerry Seinfeld have said that Leno inspired them.

Personal Life

Leno shaking hands with President Ronald Reagan in April 1987

Jay Leno has been married to Mavis Leno since 1980. His parents passed away in the 1990s, and his older brother, Patrick, passed away in 2002. In 2024, a court granted Jay Leno conservatorship of their shared finances to help manage things as Mavis experiences some disorientation.

Leno is known for his distinct jawline. He has also shared that he has Dyslexia, which is a learning difference that affects reading. He says he only needs about four or five hours of sleep each night. He does not drink alcohol, smoke, or gamble. He spends a lot of his free time working on his car collection in his private garage.

Leno has stated that he lives off the money he earns from his stand-up comedy shows. He saves all the money he made from The Tonight Show. In 2014, he received an honorary degree from Emerson College.

Leno with President Barack Obama in March 2009

Jay Leno has had a few accidents. In November 2022, he suffered serious burns to his face and hands from a car fire in his garage. In January 2023, he broke several bones after falling off a motorcycle. In November 2024, he broke his right wrist and got bruises after tripping.

Charity Work

Jay Leno and his wife are very generous. In 2001, they donated $100,000 to a group working to help women in Afghanistan. Mavis Leno is on the board of this group, the Feminist Majority.

In 2009, Leno gave $100,000 to a scholarship fund at Salem State University in honor of Lennie Sogoloff, who helped Leno start his comedy career. In 2012, he auctioned off his Fiat 500 car for $385,000. All the money went to a charity that helps wounded war veterans. As of November 2022, Leno also supports two scholarships at McPherson College.

Love Ride Event

Since 1985, Jay Leno has been the Grand Marshal for the Love Ride. This is a motorcycle charity event that has raised almost $14 million for different causes. These causes include research for muscular dystrophy, Autism Speaks, and helping those affected by the September 11 attacks.

Amazing Vehicle Collection

Leno arriving at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in his Hispano-Suiza Aero, 1993

Jay Leno is famous for his huge collection of vehicles. He owns about 286 vehicles, including 169 cars and 117 motorcycles! He has a website and a TV show called Jay Leno's Garage where he shows off his collection.

His collection includes rare cars like two Doble steam cars and a 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car. He also has three old electric cars, with a 1909 Baker Motor Vehicle being his wife Mavis's favorite.

Leno writes a regular column in Popular Mechanics magazine. In it, he talks about his cars and gives advice on car topics. He also writes articles for The Sunday Times, reviewing fancy sports cars.

His garage was even used by the company that made the video game L.A. Noire. They used his collection of 1940s cars to make the cars in the game look very real.

Views on Politics

With President Ronald Reagan and their wives in 1987

When hosting an award ceremony in Jerusalem in 2014, Jay Leno made some jokes about then-President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. He joked that Obama was trying to harm the relationship between the U.S. and Israel.

In a 2015 interview, Leno said he sees Israel as a strong democracy in the Middle East. He also said that Israel is very good at defending itself. In a 2024 interview, Leno stated he is not a fan of former President Donald Trump. He also said he likes President Joe Biden and thinks the economy is doing well.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Books by Jay Leno

• Leno, Jay. Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Headlines from America's Newspapers. 1989.
• Leno, Jay. More Headlines. 1990.
• Leno, Jay. Headlines III: Not the Movie, Still the Book. 1991.
• Leno, Jay. Headlines IV: The Next Generation. 1992.
• Leno, Jay. Jay Leno's Police Blotter: Real-Life Crime Headlines. 1994.
• Leno, Jay (with Bill Zehme). Leading With My Chin. 1996 (autobiography).
• Leno, Jay (with S. B. Whitehead-Illustrator). Jay Leno: If Roast Beef Could Fly. 2004 (children' book).
• Leno, Jay (with S. B. Whitehead-Illustrator). How to Be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (or Just in Your Class). 2005 (children' book).

See also

In Spanish: Jay Leno para niños