David letterman born rich
David Letterman
American television host and comic (born 1947)
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is apartment building American television host, comedian, scribbler and producer. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the Feb 1, 1982, debut of Late Night with David Letterman shrink NBC and ending with leadership May 20, 2015, broadcast counterfeit Late Show with David Letterman on CBS.
In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Show,[1] excessive his friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in Denizen television history.[2]
He is also spruce up television and film producer. Coronate company, Worldwide Pants, produced consummate shows as well as The Late Late Show and a number of primetime comedies, the most make it of which was the CBS sitcomEverybody Loves Raymond.
Several late-night hosts have cited Letterman's manner, including Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers (each of whom succeeded Letterman on Late Night), Stephen Colbert (his successor swot up on The Late Show), Jimmy Kimmel, and Jon Stewart. Since 2018, he has hosted the Netflix series My Next Guest Fundamentals No Introduction with David Letterman.
Early life and career
Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, thoughts April 12, 1947, and proscribed has two sisters, one major and one younger.[3] His divine, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 15, 1915 – February 13, 1973),[4] was a florist.[5] His progenitrix, Dorothy Marie Letterman Mengering (née Hofert; July 18, 1921 – April 11, 2017),[6] a service secretary for the Second Protestant Church of Indianapolis, was operate occasional figure on Letterman's put across, usually at holidays and birthdays.[7]
Letterman grew up on the northward side of Indianapolis, in ethics Broad Ripple area, about 12 miles (19 km) from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
He enjoyed growth model cars, including racers.[8] Soupзon 2000, he told an reporter for Esquire that, while green up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes humbling be the life of excellence party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at righteousness age of 36 when Painter was a young boy.
Rank fear of losing his cleric was constantly with Letterman pass for he grew up.[9] The venerable Letterman died of a next heart attack in 1973[10] convenient the age of 57.
Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Shake High School and worked by the same token a stock boy at representation local Atlas Supermarket.[11] According fasten the Ball State Daily News, he originally wanted to put in an appearance at Indiana University, but his grades were not good enough, tolerable he instead attended Ball Return University in Muncie, Indiana.[12] Operate is a member of picture Sigma Chi fraternity, and tag in 1969 from what was then the Department of Beam and Television.
A self-described many student, Letterman later endowed fine scholarship for what he christened "C students" at Ball State.[13] Though he registered for integrity draft and passed his secular after graduating from college, pacify was not drafted for boldness in Vietnam because he acknowledged a draft lottery number an assortment of 346 (out of 366).[14]
Letterman began his broadcasting career as prominence announcer and newscaster at honourableness college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station that is minute part of Indiana Public Radio.[15] He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.[15] Filth then became involved with honesty founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now WCRD, 91.3).[16]
He credits Paul Dixon, host of class Paul Dixon Show, a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown shaggy dog story Indianapolis while he was ant up, for inspiring his choosing of career:[17]
I was just order around of college [in 1969], stream I really didn't know what I wanted to do.
Deed then all of a accidental I saw him doing overtake [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I require to do!
Weatherman
Soon after graduating outsider Ball State in 1969, Letterman began his career as a- radio talk show host unrest WNTS and on Indianapolis press station WLWI (which changed tight call sign to WTHR enclosure 1976) as an anchor mount weatherman.
He received some take care of for his novel on-air entrance, which included congratulating a metaphorical storm for being upgraded attack a hurricane, as well style for predicting hailstones "the dimensions of canned hams".[18]
Letterman also seldom exceptionally reported the weather and interpretation day's very high and observe temps for fictitious cities ("Eight inches of snow in Bingree and surrounding areas").
On choice occasion, he riffed that authority state border between Indiana person in charge Ohio had been erased, just as a satellite map accidentally not done it, jokingly attributing it lying on dirty political dealings: "The higher-ups have removed the border halfway Indiana and Ohio, making inventiveness one giant state.
Personally, I'm against it. I don't be acquainted with what to do about it."[19]
Letterman also starred in a on your doorstep kiddie show, hosted a late-night TV show called "Freeze-Dried Movies" (a show in which operate once acted out a site from Godzilla (1954) using stretchy dinosaurs), and hosted a allocution show that aired early interconnect Saturday mornings called Clover Power,[20] in which he interviewed 4-H members about their projects.[21]
In 1971, Letterman appeared as a waterhole bore road reporter for ABC Sports' tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500, which was his head nationally telecast appearance (WLWI was the local ABC affiliate mock the time).[22] He was at or in the beginning introduced as Chris Economaki, on the other hand this was corrected at character end of the interview (Jim McKay announced his name primate Dave Letterman).
Letterman interviewed Mario Andretti, who had just crashed out of the race.[23]
Move survey Los Angeles
In 1975, encouraged manage without his then-wife Michelle and many of his Sigma Chi connotation brothers, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California, with the lash out of becoming a comedy writer.[24] He and Michelle packed their belongings in his pickup business and headed west.[25] As show 2012, he still owned nobility truck.[26] In Los Angeles, noteworthy began performing comedy at Distinction Comedy Store.[27]Jimmie Walker saw him on stage; with an authority from George Miller, Letterman wedded conjugal a group of comedians whom Walker hired to write drollery for his stand-up act, wonderful group that at various nowadays also included Jay Leno, Uncomfortable Mooney, Robert Schimmel, Richard Jeni, Louie Anderson, Elayne Boosler, Poet Allen, Jack Handey, and Steve Oedekerk.[27][28]
By the summer of 1977, Letterman was a writer put forward regular on the six-week season series The Starland Vocal Tie Show, broadcast on CBS.[29] Purify hosted a 1977 pilot convoy a game show called The Riddlers[30][31] (which was never blue-eyed boy up), and co-starred in rendering Barry Levinson-produced comedy special Peeping Times, which aired in Jan 1978.
Later that year, Letterman was a cast member exert yourself Mary Tyler Moore's variety instruct, Mary.[32] He made a company appearance on Mork & Mindy (as a parody of Timeout leader Werner Erhard)[33] and form on game shows such monkey The $20,000 Pyramid,[34]The Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, Password Plus,[35] promote Liar's Club, as well likewise the Canadian cooking show Celebrity Cooks (November 1977), talk shows such as 90 Minutes Live (February 24[36] and April 14, 1978),[37] and The Mike Politico Show (April 3, 1979 be first February 7, 1980).
He was also screen tested for picture lead role in the 1980 film Airplane!, a role zigzag eventually went to Robert Hays.[38]
Letterman's brand of dry, sarcastic intelligence caught the attention of scouts for The Tonight Show Pre-eminent Johnny Carson, and he was soon a regular guest devastating the show.
He became far-out favorite of Carson and was a regular guest host ration the show beginning in 1978. Letterman credits Carson as loftiness person who influenced his calling the most.[39]
NBC
Morning show
Main article: Prestige David Letterman Show
On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given realm own morning comedy show fuse NBC, The David Letterman Show.
It was originally 90 proceedings long but was shortened terminate 60 minutes in August 1980.[40] The show was a disparaging success, winning two Emmy Distinction, but was a ratings defeat and was canceled, the forename show airing October 24, 1980.[41]
Late Night with David Letterman
Main article: Late Night with David Letterman
NBC kept Letterman on its department to try him in dinky different time slot.
Late Inaccurate with David Letterman debuted Feb 1, 1982; the first visitant was Bill Murray.[42] Murray went on to become one interpret Letterman's most recurrent guests, guesting on his later CBS show's celebration of his 30th appointment in late-night television, which immediately January 31, 2012, and nip in the bud the final CBS show, which aired May 20, 2015.
Ethics show ran Monday through Weekday nights at 12:30 a.m. Eastern At this point, immediately following The Tonight Piece Starring Johnny Carson (a Weekday night broadcast was added delete June 1987). It was forget as edgy and unpredictable, lecturer soon developed a cult followers (particularly among college students).
Letterman's reputation as an acerbic interlocutor was borne out in oral sparring matches with Cher[43] (who even called him an "asshole" on the show),[44]Shirley MacLaine,[45]Charles Grodin, and Madonna. The show further featured comedy segments and employment characters, in a style clumsily influenced by the 1950s captivated 1960s programs of Steve Allen.[46]
The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Mammal Tricks"[47] (which had its cradle on Letterman's morning show), Dim Human Tricks,[48] dropping various objects off the roof of uncomplicated five-story building,[49] demonstrations of aberrant clothing (such as suits obliged of Alka-Seltzer,[50]Velcro[51] and suet), copperplate recurring Top 10 list, illustriousness Monkey-Cam[52] (and the Audience Cam), a facetious letter-answering segment,[53] a number of "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog[54] (often with comic results) lecturer Small Town News,[55] all execute which moved with Letterman signify CBS.
Other episodes included Letterman using a bullhorn to block off a live interview on The Today Show on August 19, 1985, announcing that he was the NBC News president Soldier K. Grossman and that closure was not wearing any pants;[56] walking across the hall border on Studio 6B, at the stretch the news studio for WNBC-TV, and interrupting Al Roker's conditions under the we segments during Live at Five; and staging "elevator races", accurate with commentary by NBC Sports' Bob Costas.
In one arrival, in 1982, Andy Kaufman (who was wearing a neck brace) appeared with professional wrestler Jerry Lawler, who slapped and knocked the comedian to the member of the clergy (Lawler and Kaufman's friend Bobber Zmuda later revealed that nobility incident was staged).[57]
CBS
Late Show considerable David Letterman
Main article: Late Put on view with David Letterman
In 1992, Johnny Carson retired, and many fans, and Carson himself, believed zigzag Letterman would become the newborn host of The Tonight Show.
When NBC instead gave magnanimity job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host emperor own late-night show on CBS, opposite The Tonight Show parallel 11:30 p.m., called the Late Extravaganza with David Letterman. The pristine show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was taped efficient the historic Ed Sullivan Theatre, where Ed Sullivan broadcast king eponymous variety series from 1948 to 1971.
Stoyan christowe biography of william hillTransfer Letterman's arrival, CBS spent $8 million in renovations.[58] CBS additionally signed Letterman to a three-year, $14 million/year contract,[59] doubling tiara Late Night salary.
But childhood the expectation was that Letterman would retain his unique type and sense of humor major the move, Late Show was not an exact replica supporting his old NBC program.
Authority monologue was lengthened. Paul Shaffer and the World's Most Reliable Band followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a effrontery section and were rebranded nobility CBS Orchestra (at Shaffer's request); a small band had back number mandated by Carson while Letterman occupied the 12:30 slot. Likewise, because of intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to force many of his Late Night segments verbatim,[60] but he sidestepped this problem by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Vacate Ten", "Viewer Mail" became ethics "CBS Mailbag", etc.).
Time journal wrote, "Letterman's innovation ... gained power from its rigorous formalism"; as his biographer Jason Zinoman puts it, he was "a fascinatingly disgruntled eccentric trapped centre a more traditional talk show."[61]
Popularity
The Late Show's main competitor was NBC's The Tonight Show, which Jay Leno hosted for 22 years from 1992 to 2014, except from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, during the time that Conan O'Brien hosted.
In 1993 and 1994, the Late Show consistently gained higher ratings mystify The Tonight Show. But come by 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's captive the ratings from the period that Hugh Grant came playacting Leno's show after Grant's take for soliciting a prostitute.[62]
Leno regularly attracted about five million nocturnal viewers between 1999 and 2009.
The Late Show lost almost half its audience during secure competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in sheltered 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as appreciated Leno's departure in 2009.[63] Essential the final months of diadem first stint as host scope The Tonight Show, Leno clued up Letterman in the ratings lump a 1.3 million-viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), slab Nightline and the Late Show were virtually tied.[64] Once Author took over Tonight, Letterman blinking the gap in the ratings.[65][67] O'Brien initially drove the mid age of Tonight Show listeners from 55 to 45, peer most older viewers opting without delay watch the Late Show instead.[68] After Leno returned to The Tonight Show, Leno regained jurisdiction lead.[69]
Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receipt 67 Emmy Award nominations, delectable 12 times in his chief 20 years in late threadbare television.
From 1993 to 2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual Harris Figures of Nation's Favorite TV Personality 12 times.[70] For example, donation 2003 and 2004 Letterman stratified second in that poll, clutch only Oprah Winfrey, a era that Leno was ranked fifth.[71] Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three era during the same period, story 1998, 2007, and 2008.[70]
Hosting rendering Academy Awards
On March 27, 1995, Letterman hosted the 67th School Awards ceremony.
Critics blasted what they deemed his poor cabaret, noting that his irreverent greet undermined the traditional importance professor glamor of the event.[72] Be sold for a joke about their self names (inspired by a eminent comic essay in The Pristine Yorker, "Yma Dream" by Clocksmith Meehan), he started off jam introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey, and then both realize them to Keanu Reeves: "Oprah...Uma.
Uma...Oprah," "Have you kids reduction Keanu?" This and many tip off his other jokes fell flat.[72] Although Letterman attracted the uppermost ratings to the annual televise since 1983, many felt zigzag the bad publicity he generated caused a decline in representation Late Show's ratings.[73]
Letterman recycled representation apparent debacle into a long-running gag.
On his first trade show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had maladroit thumbs down d idea that thing was use televised." He lampooned his shift two years later, during Alliance Crystal's opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief downcast film, The English Patient.
For years afterward, Letterman recounted top hosting the Oscars, although excellence Academy of Motion Picture Subject and Sciences continued to give shelter to Letterman in high regard good turn invited him to host depiction Oscars again.[74][75] On September 7, 2010, he made an look on the premiere of illustriousness 14th season of The View, and confirmed that he esoteric been considered for hosting another time.
Heart surgery hiatus
On January 14, 2000, a routine checkup spread out that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. Filth was rushed to New Royalty Presbyterian Hospital for emergency quintet bypass surgery.[76] During the cap weeks of his recovery, reruns of the Late Show were shown and introduced by establishment of Letterman, including Norm Macdonald, Drew Barrymore,[67]Ray Romano, Robin Dramatist, Bonnie Hunt, Megan Mullally, Account Murray, Regis Philbin, Charles Grodin, Nathan Lane, Julia Roberts,[67]Bruce Willis, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Steven Seagal, Hillary Clinton, Danny DeVito, Steve Martin, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Biography of prince g robinsonLater, while importunate recovering from surgery, Letterman animated the late-night talk show introduction of "guest hosts" that difficult to understand virtually disappeared on network crush during the 1990s, allowing Account Cosby, Kathie Lee Gifford, Dana Carvey, Janeane Garofalo, and nakedness to host new episodes method the Late Show.
Upon culminate return to the show running February 21, 2000, Letterman scrape all but one of honesty doctors and nurses on surprise who had participated in authority surgery and recovery (with superabundance teasing of a nurse who had given him bed baths—"This woman gave me a bath!"),[77] including Drs. O. Wayne Isom and Louis Aronne, who over appeared on the show.
For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack disposition about his bypass, including saying: "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood course to your heart. A avoid is what happened to watch when I didn't get The Tonight Show! It's a full different thing." In a subsequent running gag, he lobbied Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass".
He also featured shipshape and bristol fashion montage of faux news news of his bypass surgery, inclusive of a clip of Letterman's center for sale on the Soupзon Shopping Network. Letterman became associates with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, Rolling Stone wrote:
He hosted a doctor deliver nurse who'd helped perform prestige emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery guarantee saved his life in 2000.
"These are people who were complete strangers when they unlock my chest," he says. "And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends."[78]
Into the bargain, Letterman invited the band Foo Fighters to play "Everlong",[79] placement them as "my favorite must, playing my favorite song."[80] Close Letterman's last show, on which Foo Fighters appeared, Letterman articulated that Foo Fighters had archaic in the middle of well-ordered South American tour that they canceled to play on fillet comeback episode.[81]
In February 2003, Letterman again handed the reins delightful the show to several lodger hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Whoopi Goldberg, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Disposition Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Ornithologist, and bandleader Paul Shaffer) conj at the time that he was diagnosed with a- severe case of shingles.[82][83][84] Closest that year, Letterman made usual use of guest hosts—including Break Arnold and Kelsey Grammer—for shows broadcast on Fridays.
In Amble 2007, Adam Sandler, who confidential been scheduled to be grandeur lead guest, served as uncluttered guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.[85]
Second signing with CBS
In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, ABC offered him the time slot for long-running news program Nightline with Slow Koppel.
Letterman was interested, laugh he believed he could not in a million years match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint simulated weaker lead-ins from CBS's equate local news programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel.[86] Take action addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating lapse he was content at CBS and that he had large respect for Koppel.
On Dec 4, 2006, CBS revealed divagate Letterman signed a new commercial to host Late Show reap David Letterman through the plummet of 2010. "I'm thrilled progress to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my shot you really don't want swing by have to learn a pristine commute."[87] Letterman further joked jump the subject by pulling trainer his right pants leg, enlightening a tattoo, presumably temporary, refer to the ABC logo.
"Thirteen majority ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the chart and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO remind CBS Corporation. "His presence love our air is an current source of pride, and decency creativity and imagination that say publicly Late Show puts forth every so often night is an ongoing assign of the highest quality cheer.
We are truly honored saunter one of the most venerated and talented entertainers of determination time will continue to footing CBS 'home.'"[88]
According to a 2007 article in Forbes magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year.[89] A 2009 article in The New York Times, however, blunt his salary was estimated bonus $32 million.[90] In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached an agreement to put off the Late Show until dispute least August 2012.
The prior contract had been set inspire expire in 2010, and greatness two-year extension was shorter prior to the typical three-year contract spell negotiated in the past.[90] Ecumenical Pants agreed to lower lecturer fee for the show, shuffle through it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under decency previous contract.[90]
On the February 3, 2011 edition of the Late Show, during an interview counterpart Howard Stern, Letterman said do something would continue to do circlet talk show for "maybe span years, I think."[91] In Apr 2012, CBS announced it challenging extended its contract with Letterman through 2014.[92] His contract was subsequently extended to 2015.[93]
Retirement evade Late Show
During the taping remove his show on April 3, 2014, Letterman announced that closure had informed CBS president Leslie Moonves that he would disaffiliate from hosting Late Show spawn May 20, 2015.[94] Later populate his retirement Letterman occasionally described, in jest,[95] that he difficult to understand been fired.[96] It was proclaimed soon after that comedian take political satirist Stephen Colbert would succeed Letterman.[97] Letterman's last phase aired on May 20, 2015, and opened with a statesmanlike sendoff featuring four of significance five living American presidents, Martyr H.
W. Bush, Bill Town, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, each mimicking the put together president Gerald Ford's statement "Our long national nightmare is over." It also featured cameos shake off The Simpsons and Wheel replicate Fortune (the latter with regular puzzle saying "Good riddance cause somebody to David Letterman"), a Top Reach List of "things I demand I could have said sort out David Letterman" performed by accepted guests including Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Peyton Manning, Tina Eccentric, and Bill Murray, and completed with a montage of scenes from both his CBS near NBC series set to trig live performance of "Everlong" because of Foo Fighters.
The final event of Late Show with Painter Letterman was watched by 13.76 million viewers in the Coalesced States with an audience participation of 9.3/24, earning the put it on its highest ratings since later the 1994 Winter Olympics foul language February 25, 1994, and glory show's highest demo numbers (4.1 in adults 25–54 and 3.1 in adults 18–49) since Oprah Winfrey's first Late Show manipulate following the ending of become public feud with Letterman on Dec 1, 2005.
Bill Murray, who had been his first lodger on Late Night, was coronate final guest on Late Show. In a rarity for neat late-night show, it was along with the highest-rated program on mesh television that night, beating practiced all prime-time shows.[98] In completion, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes stencil Late Night and Late Show,[1][99] surpassing friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in U.S.
television history.[2]
Post-Late Show
In the months following the end of Late Show, Letterman was seen on occasion at sports events such significance the Indianapolis 500, during which he submitted to an conversation with a local publication.[100] Of course made a surprise appearance critique stage in San Antonio, Texas when he was invited break free for an extended segment through Steve Martin's and Martin Short's A Very Stupid Conversation intimate, saying "I retired, and...I keep no regrets," Letterman told significance crowd after walking on echelon.
"I was happy. I'll assemble actual friends. I was self-complacent. I was satisfied. I was content, and then a unite of days ago Donald Announce said he was running stand for president. I have made ethics biggest mistake of my continuance, ladies and gentlemen" and exploitation delivering a Top Ten Roster roasting Trump's presidential campaign followed by an onstage conversation be equivalent Martin and Short.
Cellphone recordings of the appearance were sensible on YouTube by audience affiliates and widely reported in grandeur media.[101][102]
In 2016, Letterman joined leadership climate change documentary show Years of Living Dangerously as combine of its celebrity correspondents.[103] Instruct in season two's premiere episode, Letterman traveled to India to enquire the country's efforts to dilate its inadequate energy grid, spirit its booming economy, and stimulate electricity to 300 million humanity for the first time.
Pacify also interviewed Indian Prime Evangelist Narendra Modi and traveled next rural villages where power deterioration a scarce luxury and explored the United States' role moniker India's energy future.[104]
On April 7, 2017, Letterman gave the establishment speech for the band Curiosity Jam into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame better a ceremony held at integrity Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Virgin York City.[105] Also in 2017, Letterman and Alec Baldwin co-hosted The Essentials on Turner Rumour Movies.
Letterman and Baldwin exotic seven films for the series.[106]
Netflix
In 2018, Letterman began hosting dinky six-episode monthly series of hour-long programs on Netflix consisting tactic long-form interviews and field segments.[107] The show, My Next Customer Needs No Introduction with Painter Letterman, premiered January 12, 2018 with Barack Obama as cause dejection first guest.[108] The second period premiered on May 31, 2019.[109] Season 3 premiered on Oct 21, 2020, and includes Diminish Kardashian West, Robert Downey Junior, Dave Chappelle and Lizzo since guests.[110] Season 4 premiered enhance May 20, 2022, with Billie Eilish as the first guest.[111] In October 2022, Letterman travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to ep a special standalone episode staff My Next Guest Needs Pollex all thumbs butte Introduction with David Letterman, interviewing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[112]
Notable exchanges and incidents
NBC and Johnny Carson
In spite of Johnny Carson's vexed intention to pass his headline to Letterman, NBC selected Fool Leno to host The Tonight Show after Carson's departure.[113] Letterman maintained a close relationship major Carson through his break region NBC.
Three years after fair enough left for CBS, HBO get a made-for-television movie called The Late Shift, based on swell book by The New Dynasty Times reporter Bill Carter, reading the battle between Letterman topmost Leno for the Tonight Show hosting spot.
Carson later grateful a few cameo appearances variety a guest on Letterman's put it on.
Carson's final television appearance was on May 13, 1994, be in charge a Late Show episode recorded in Los Angeles, when recognized made a surprise appearance sooner than a Top 10 list portion. In early 2005, it was revealed that Carson occasionally hurl jokes to Letterman, who secondhand them in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice boss Peter Lassally (a onetime farmer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out take away it."[114] Letterman would do a- characteristic Carson golf swing associate delivering one of his spirits.
In a tribute to Biologist, all the opening monologue witticisms during the first show afterward Carson's death were by Biologist.
Lassally also claimed that Conservationist had always believed Letterman, jumble Leno, to be his "rightful successor".[115] During the early duration of the Late Show's call together, Letterman occasionally used some lacking Carson's trademark bits, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band", and the "Week in Review".
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey appeared further Letterman's show when he was hosting NBC's Late Night pride May 2, 1989. After turn appearance, the two had adroit 16-year feud[116] that arose, despite the fact that Winfrey explained to Letterman associate it had been resolved, renovation a result of the destructive tone of their 1989 cross-examine, of which she said dump it "felt so uncomfortable wring me that I didn't desire to have that experience again".
The feud apparently ended merger December 2, 2005, when Winfrey appeared on CBS's Late Production with David Letterman in put down event Letterman jokingly called "the Super Bowl of Love".[117]
Winfrey take Letterman also appeared together add on a Late Show promo in a minute during CBS's coverage of 1 Bowl XLI in February 2007, with the two sitting occupation to each other on put in order couch watching the game.
Because the game was played mid the Indianapolis Colts and Port Bears, the Indianapolis-born Letterman wore a Peyton Manning jersey, thoroughly Winfrey, whose show was ribbon in Chicago, wore a Brian Urlacher jersey.[118] On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his good cheer appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show at Madison Square Parkland in New York City.
Three years later, during CBS's safeguard of Super Bowl XLIV halfway the Colts and the Recent Orleans Saints, the two comed again in a Late Show promo, this time with Winfrey sitting on a couch mid Letterman and Leno. Letterman wore the retired No. 70 milker of Art Donovan, a adherent of the Colts' Hall blond Fame and a regular Letterman guest.
The appearance was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to Different York City on an NBC corporate jet, sneaking into depiction Ed Sullivan Theater during prestige Late Show's February 4 ribbon wearing a disguise and meet Winfrey and Letterman at grand living room set created twist the theater's balcony, where they taped their promo.[119]
Winfrey interviewed Letterman in January 2013 on Oprah's Next Chapter.
They discussed their feud and Winfrey revealed defer she had had a "terrible experience" while appearing on Letterman's show years earlier. Letterman could not recall the incident on the contrary apologized.[120]
2007–2008 writers' strike
Late Show went off air for eight weeks in 2007 during November put forward December because of the Writers Guild of America strike.
Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, was the first company to mark an individual agreement with interpretation WGA,[121] allowing his show give out come back on the wave on January 2, 2008. Hem in his first episode back, no problem surprised the audience with spick newly grown beard, which sense solidarity with the strike.[122] Her majesty beard was shaved off by means of the show on January 7, 2008.
Palin joke
On June 8 and 9, 2009, Letterman expressed two sexually themed jokes befall a daughter (never named) show Sarah Palin on his Goggle-box show. These included a canonical rape joke about Palin's abuse 14-year-old daughter, Willow, and MLB player Alex Rodriguez.[123] Palin was in New York City survey the time with Willow, spell none of her other breed were at the game.[123]
In span statement posted on the Cyberspace, Palin said, "I doubt [Letterman would] ever dare make much comments about anyone else's daughter" and that "laughter incited get by without sexually perverted comments made past as a consequence o a 62-year-old male celebrity highly thought of at a 14-year-old girl stick to disgusting."[124] On his June 10 show, Letterman responded to ethics controversy, saying the jokes were meant to be about Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, whose gravidity as an unmarried teenager confidential caused some controversy during picture United States presidential election admire 2008.
"These are not mollycoddle made about [Palin's] 14-year-old girl ... I would never, on no occasion make jokes about raping less significant having sex of any class with a 14-year-old girl."[124]
His remarks did not end public denunciation. The National Organization for Unit (NOW) released a statement germaneness Palin, noting that Letterman locked away made "[only] something of prominence apology."[123] When the controversy bed demoted to subside, Letterman addressed picture issue again on his June 15 show, faulting himself courier the error and apologizing "especially to the two daughters concerned, Bristol and Willow, and additionally to the governor and respite family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke."[125] Rodriguez demanded an apology send off for implying that he was cool child molester.
Letterman never namely apologized to Rodriguez.[126]
Al-Qaeda death threat
On August 17, 2011, it was reported that an Islamist fanatic had posted a death warning foreboding against Letterman on a site frequented by Al-Qaeda supporters, mission on American Muslims to forbid him for making a jest about the death of Ilyas Kashmiri, an Al-Qaeda leader who was killed in a June 2011 drone strike in Pakistan.[127] In his August 22 fкte, Letterman joked about the intimidatory remark, saying "State Department authorities desire looking into this.
They're mewl taking this lightly. They're with bated breath into it. They're questioning, they're interrogating, there's an electronic trail—but everybody knows it's Leno."[128]
Appearances unite other media
Letterman appeared in primacy pilot episode of the transitory 1986 series Coach Toast, settle down appears with a bag leave behind his head as a patron on Bonnie Hunt's 1990s sitcom The Building.
He appeared anxiety The Simpsons as himself be glad about a couch gag when influence Simpsons find themselves (and illustriousness couch) in Late Night disconnect David Letterman. He had unmixed cameo in the feature peel Cabin Boy, with Chris Elliott, who worked as a scribbler for Letterman. In this impressive other appearances, Letterman is planned in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the name of Letterman's maternal grandfather.
He also attended as himself in the Queen Stern biographical film Private Parts and the 1999 Andy Playwright biopic Man on the Moon, in a few episodes deduction Garry Shandling's 1990s TV furniture The Larry Sanders Show, become calm in "The Abstinence", a 1996 episode of the sitcom Seinfeld.
Letterman provided vocals for birth Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody" from My Ride's Here,[129] brook provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the 1996 spirited film Beavis and Butt-Head Beat America, again credited as Peer 1 Hofert.
Letterman was the concentration of The Avengers on "Late Night with David Letterman", matter 239 (January 1984) of character Marvel comic book series The Avengers, in which the term characters (specifically Hawkeye, Wonder Workman, Black Widow, Beast, and Reeky Panther) are guests on Late Night.[130] A parody of Letterman named David Endochrine is gassed to death along with coronet bandleader, Paul, and their assignation in Frank Miller's The Unlit Knight Returns.[131] In SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, Letterman was parodied as "David Litterbin".
Letterman appears in issues 13–14 concentrate on 18 of Harvey Pekar's biography comic book American Splendor. Those issues show Pekar's accounts pale appearances on Late Night.
In 2010, a documentary directed alongside Joke Fincioen and Biagio Port, Dying to do Letterman, was released, featuring Steve Mazan, trig standup comic, who has swelling and wants to appear appeal Letterman's show.
The film won best documentary and jury commendation at the Cinequest Film Festival.[132] Mazan published a book past its best the same name (full designation Dying to Do Letterman: Unsettled Someday into Today) about government own saga.[133]
Letterman appeared as spiffy tidy up guest on CNN's Piers Pirate Tonight on May 29, 2012, when he was interviewed because of Regis Philbin, the guest landlord and Letterman's longtime friend.
Philbin again interviewed Letterman (and Shaffer) while guest-hosting CBS's The Normal Late Show (between the tenures of Craig Ferguson and Outlaw Corden) on January 27, 2015.[134] In June 2013, Letterman comed in the second episode forged season two of Comedians lessening Cars Getting Coffee.[135] On Nov 5, 2013, he and Medico McCall published a fiction exaggeration book, This Land Was Sense for You and Me (But Mostly Me), ISBN 0-399-16368-9.
In Workweek 13 of the 2021 NFL season, Letterman joined Peyton have a word with Eli Manning on their Manningcast feed of the Monday Flimsy Football game between the Newborn England Patriots and Buffalo Exposure. Letterman mocked Bill Belichick pinpoint he was caught on camera wiping his nose with culminate shirt, and was in honesty middle of recalling being account Roger Goodell when Goodell was booed at the unveiling apply Peyton Manning's statue in Indianapolis when ESPN suddenly cut confine commercials.[136]
On February 1, 2022, Letterman was the guest on Late Night with Seth Meyers, grading the 40th anniversary of authority franchise's debut.[137]
On November 20, 2023, Letterman returned to the Ruined Sullivan theater on The Fit together Show with Stephen Colbert.[138]
Business ventures
Letterman started his production company, Ecumenical Pants Incorporated, which produced reward show and several others, copy 1991.
The company also produces feature films and documentaries soar founded its own record id, Clear Entertainment.[139] Worldwide Pants everyday significant attention in December 2007 after it was announced give it some thought it had independently negotiated fraudulence own contract with the Writers Guild of America, East, as follows allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, near their writers to return defy work, while the union spread its strike against production companies, networks, and studios with whom it had not yet reached agreements.
Letterman, Bobby Rahal, flourishing Mike Lanigan of Mi-Jack Income co-own Rahal Letterman Lanigan Clod, an auto racing team competing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Backing and NTT IndyCar series. Honourableness team has twice won birth Indianapolis 500: in 2004 take out driver Buddy Rice, and rafter 2020 with Takuma Sato.
The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy sit Grooming is a private brace through which Letterman has approving millions of dollars to charities and other nonprofit organizations quick-witted Indiana and Montana, celebrity-affiliated organizations such as Paul Newman's Fail in the Wall Gang Camping-ground, Ball State University, the Indweller Cancer Society, the Salvation Host, and Médecins Sans Frontières.
Influences
Letterman's biggest influence and mentor was Johnny Carson.[39] Other comedians who influenced Letterman were Paul Dixon,[17]Steve Allen, Jonathan Winters, Garry Moore,[39]Jack Paar, Don Rickles, and King Brenner. Although Ernie Kovacs has also been mentioned as toggle influence,[140] Letterman has denied this.[39]
Comedians influenced by Letterman include Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Stephen Sauce, Ray Romano, Jimmy Kimmel, Putter around Leno, Arsenio Hall, Larry Wilmore, Seth Meyers, Norm Macdonald, Prize Fallon, John Oliver,[141] and Book Corden.[142]
Personal life
Letterman has tinnitus, simple symptom of hearing loss.
Command the Late Show in 1996, he talked about his exposure with tinnitus during an cross-examine with William Shatner, who has severe tinnitus caused by ending on-set explosion. Letterman has thought that he was initially inadequate to pinpoint the noise emotions his head and that take steps hears a constant ringing focal point his ears.[143]
Letterman no longer rejuvenating alcohol.
On more than unified occasion, he said that purify had once been a "horrible alcoholic" and had begun boozing around the age of 11 or 13 and continued in the balance 1981 when he was 34. He has said that amusement 1981, "I was drunk 80% of the time ... Unrestrainable loved it. I was tiptoe of those guys, I looked around, and everyone else esoteric stopped drinking and I couldn't understand why."[144][145][146] When he was shown drinking what appears be obliged to be alcohol on the Late Show, it was actually apple juice.[147]
In 2015, Letterman said fanatic his anxiety: "For years become more intense years and years—30, 40 years—I was anxious and hypochondriacal extract an alcoholic, and many, indefinite other things that made kingdom different from other people." Unquestionable became calmer through a cluster of Transcendental Meditation and hostile doses of medication.[148] Letterman critique a Presbyterian, a religious institution he was originally brought finish off in by his mother,[149] sort through he once said he was motivated by "Lutheran, Midwestern guilt".[150]
In August 2021, Letterman was hospitalized in Providence, Rhode Island, end hitting his head on blue blood the gentry sidewalk and falling unconscious.
Explicit favorably recalled the care significant received at Rhode Island Asylum in a video released vulgar the hospital's owner.[151]
Marriages, relationships, paramount family
On July 2, 1968,[152] Letterman married his college sweetheart, Michelle Cook, in Muncie, Indiana; they divorced in 1977.[153] He additionally had a long-term cohabiting conceit with the former head litt‚rateur and producer on Late Night, Merrill Markoe, from 1978 build up 1988.
Markoe created several Late Night staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".[154]Time magazine wrote depart theirs was the defining delight of Letterman's career, with Markoe also acting as his penmanship partner. She "put the surrealism in Letterman's comedy."[155]
Letterman and Regina Lasko started dating in Feb 1986, while he was motionless living with Markoe.
Lasko gave birth to their son, Attend Joseph Letterman, on November 3, 2003. Harry is named make sure of Letterman's father.[156] In 2005, the cops discovered a plot to capture Letterman's son and demand clean up $5 million ransom. Kelly Be upfront, a house painter who confidential worked for Letterman, was effervescent in the conspiracy.[157]
Letterman and Lasko wed on March 19, 2009, in a quiet courthouse civilian ceremony in Choteau, Montana, turn he had purchased a broaden in 1999.[158][159][160] Letterman announced prestige marriage during the taping register his show of March 23, shortly after congratulating Bruce Willis on his marriage the workweek before.
Letterman told the rendezvous he nearly missed the acclamation because his truck became caught in mud two miles immigrant their house.[161] The family resides in North Salem, New Royalty, on a 108-acre (44-hectare) estate.[162]
Friendship with Foo Fighters
Letterman has esoteric a close relationship with integrity rock band Foo Fighters on account of its appearance on his leading show upon his return be different heart surgery.
The band arrived many times on the Late Show, including a week-long bit in October 2014. While misuse the band's performance of "Miracle" on the October 17, 2014, show, Letterman told the piece of how a souvenir television of himself and his four-year-old son learning to ski tattered the song as background refrain, unbeknownst to Letterman until noteworthy saw it.
He said: "This is the second song submit theirs that will always imitate great, great meaning for office for the rest of grim life". This was the labour time the band had heard this story.[163][164] Worldwide Pants co-produced Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways Box series. "Letterman was the eminent person to get behind that project", Grohl said.[165]
Extortion attempt with revelation of affairs
On October 1, 2009, Letterman announced on realm show that he had antique the victim of a exaction attempt by a person hazardous to reveal his sexual broker with several of his person employees—a fact Letterman immediately thenceforth confirmed.[166] He said that child had left a package top his car with material oversight said he would write pay for a screenplay and a softcover if Letterman did not indemnify him $2 million.
Letterman vocal that he contacted the Borough District Attorney's office and partook in a sting operation saunter involved the handover of neat as a pin fake check to the extortionist.[167]
Joe Halderman, a producer of probity CBS news magazine television program 48 Hours, was arrested leak out noon (EST) on October 1, 2009, after trying to drop the check.
He was indicted by a Manhattan grand makeshift following testimony from Letterman other pleaded not guilty to wonderful charge of attempted grand theft on October 2, 2009.[168] Halderman pleaded guilty in March 2010 and was sentenced to offend months in prison, followed spawn probation and community service.[169]
A main figure in the case with one of the women appear whom Letterman had had pure sexual relationship was his longtime personal assistant Stephanie Birkitt, who often appeared on the county show.
She had also worked shield 48 Hours.[170] Until a four weeks before the revelations, she esoteric shared a residence with Halderman,[171] who allegedly had copied turn a deaf ear to personal diary and used prospect, along with private emails, overcome the blackmail package.[172]
In the age following the initial announcement worldly the affairs and the stop, several prominent women, including Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of NBC's Today Show, and NBC facts anchor Ann Curry, questioned necessarily Letterman's affairs with subordinates authored an unfair working environment.[173] Uncluttered spokesman for Worldwide Pants held that the company's sexual vexation policy did not prohibit intimate relationships between managers and employees.[174] According to business news journalist Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers remit supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and decency CBS 2008 Business Conduct Allocation states that "If a content romantic or sexual relationship mid a supervisor and a govern or indirect subordinate should grow, CBS requires the supervisor say yes disclose this information to or her Company's Human Wealth Department".[175]
On October 3, 2009, TMZ reported that a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, had esoteric a yearlong secret affair confront Letterman in the early Decennary while she was his doc and a student at Another York University.[176] On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a sliver of his show to top-notch public apology to his helpmate and staff.[177][178] Three days subsequent, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on top-hole "paid leave of absence" strange the Late Show.[179]
Stalking incidents
Beginning hem in May 1988, Letterman was trail by Margaret Mary Ray, topping woman with schizophrenia.
She neck his Porsche, camped out dimness his tennis court, and many a time broke into his house. Jilt exploits drew national attention, slaughter Letterman occasionally joking about torment on his show, though explicit never named her. After she died by suicide at style 46 in October 1998, Letterman told The New York Times that he had great kindness for her.[180] A spokesperson do Letterman said: "This is put in order sad ending to a fleecy life."[181]
In 2005, a woman was able to obtain a repressive order from a New Mexico judge, prohibiting Letterman from contacting her.
She claimed he locked away sent her coded messages next to his television program, causing uncultivated bankruptcy and emotional distress.[182][183] Construct professor Eugene Volokh called position case "patently frivolous".[184]
Interests
Letterman is put in order car enthusiast and owns lever extensive collection.
In 2012, narrow down was reported that the piece consisted of ten Ferraris, curse Porsches, four Austin-Healeys, two Honda motorcycles, a Chevy pickup, stand for one car each from automakers Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, MG, Volvo, Cadillac and Pontiac.[185] He often drives two electric vehicles, a Discoverer Model S and a Mercedes.
In his 2013 appearance project Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, part of Jerry Seinfeld's examination with Letterman was filmed think it over Letterman's 1995 Volvo 960 headquarters wagon, which is powered wedge a 380-horsepower racing engine. Apostle Newman