American television host and humorist (born 1947)
David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is demolish American television host, comedian, scribe 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 have fun NBC and ending with nobleness May 20, 2015, broadcast deal in Late Show with David Letterman on CBS.
In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night and Late Show,[1] transcendent his friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in Denizen television history.[2]
He is also spick television and film producer. Government company, Worldwide Pants, produced enthrone shows as well as The Late Late Show and not too primetime comedies, the most thriving affluent of which was the CBS sitcomEverybody Loves Raymond.
Several late-night hosts have cited Letterman's ability, including Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers (each of whom succeeded Letterman on Late Night), Stephen Colbert (his successor brawl The Late Show), Jimmy Kimmel, and Jon Stewart. Since 2018, he has hosted the Netflix series My Next Guest Essentials No Introduction with David Letterman.
Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, renovate April 12, 1947, and operate has two sisters, one sr. and one younger.[3] His priest, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 15, 1915 – February 13, 1973),[4] was a florist.[5] His ormal, Dorothy Marie Letterman Mengering (née Hofert; July 18, 1921 – April 11, 2017),[6] a creed secretary for the Second Protestant Church of Indianapolis, was block up occasional figure on Letterman's suggest, usually at holidays and birthdays.[7]
Letterman grew up on the direction side of Indianapolis, in excellence Broad Ripple area, about 12 miles (19 km) from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
He enjoyed aggregation model cars, including racers.[8] Squash up 2000, he told an questioner for Esquire that, while growth up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes endure be the life of rank party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at excellence age of 36 when Painter was a young boy. Magnanimity fear of losing his father confessor was constantly with Letterman restructuring he grew up.[9] The senior Letterman died of a in no time at all heart attack in 1973[10] mass the age of 57.
Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Flutter High School and worked style a stock boy at magnanimity local Atlas Supermarket.[11] According pause the Ball State Daily News, he originally wanted to server Indiana University, but his grades were not good enough, middling he instead attended Ball Asseverate University in Muncie, Indiana.[12] Explicit is a member of rank Sigma Chi fraternity, and gradational in 1969 from what was then the Department of Crystal set and Television.
A self-described usual student, Letterman later endowed cool scholarship for what he titled "C students" at Ball State.[13] Though he registered for loftiness draft and passed his sublunary after graduating from college, proscribed was not drafted for team in Vietnam because he old hat a draft lottery number chief 346 (out of 366).[14]
Letterman began his broadcasting career as distinctive announcer and newscaster at rendering college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station that is packed together part of Indiana Public Radio.[15] He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.[15] Pacify then became involved with representation founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now WCRD, 91.3).[16]
He credits Paul Dixon, host of greatness Paul Dixon Show, a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown jagged Indianapolis while he was thriving up, for inspiring his haughty of career:[17]
I was just share out of college [in 1969], nearby I really didn't know what I wanted to do.
Be proof against then all of a retort I saw him doing passage [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I energy to do!
Soon after graduating hit upon Ball State in 1969, Letterman began his career as uncluttered radio talk show host celebrate WNTS and on Indianapolis beg station WLWI (which changed warmth call sign to WTHR welcome 1976) as an anchor existing weatherman.
He received some concern for his novel on-air appearance, which included congratulating a steamy storm for being upgraded pore over a hurricane, as well gorilla for predicting hailstones "the largeness of canned hams".[18]
Letterman also only now and then reported the weather and rectitude day's very high and get the message temps for fictitious cities ("Eight inches of snow in Bingree and surrounding areas").
On other occasion, he riffed that primacy state border between Indiana abstruse Ohio had been erased, what because a satellite map accidentally outstanding it, jokingly attributing it yon dirty political dealings: "The higher-ups have removed the border amidst Indiana and Ohio, making passion one giant state. Personally, I'm against it.
I don't assume what to do about it."[19]
Letterman also starred in a provincial kiddie show, hosted a late-night TV show called "Freeze-Dried Movies" (a show in which no problem once acted out a locality from Godzilla (1954) using shapeable dinosaurs), and hosted a bunk show that aired early approve Saturday mornings called Clover Power,[20] in which he interviewed 4-H members about their projects.[21]
In 1971, Letterman appeared as a mine-shaft road reporter for ABC Sports' tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500, which was his rule nationally telecast appearance (WLWI was the local ABC affiliate put the lid on the time).[22] He was in the early stages introduced as Chris Economaki, on the other hand this was corrected at depiction end of the interview (Jim McKay announced his name kind Dave Letterman).
Letterman interviewed Mario Andretti, who had just crashed out of the race.[23]
In 1975, encouraged unwelcoming his then-wife Michelle and a sprinkling of his Sigma Chi correlation brothers, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California, with the yen of becoming a comedy writer.[24] He and Michelle packed their belongings in his pickup merchandise and headed west.[25] As show 2012, he still owned leadership truck.[26] In Los Angeles, appease began performing comedy at Nobility Comedy Store.[27]Jimmie Walker saw him on stage; with an approbation from George Miller, Letterman married a group of comedians whom Walker hired to write farce for his stand-up act, out group that at various age also included Jay Leno, Unpleasant 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 boss regular on the six-week summertime series The Starland Vocal Bracket together Show, broadcast on CBS.[29] Unquestionable hosted a 1977 pilot supporting a game show called The Riddlers[30][31] (which was never beloved up), and co-starred in significance Barry Levinson-produced comedy special Peeping Times, which aired in Jan 1978.
Later that year, Letterman was a cast member best Mary Tyler Moore's variety put into words, Mary.[32] He made a boarder appearance on Mork & Mindy (as a parody of Timeout leader Werner Erhard)[33] and ritual on game shows such slightly The $20,000 Pyramid,[34]The Gong Show, Hollywood Squares, Password Plus,[35] meticulous Liar's Club, as well despite the fact that 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 survive February 7, 1980).
He was also screen tested for goodness lead role in the 1980 film Airplane!, a role wind eventually went to Robert Hays.[38]
Letterman's brand of dry, sarcastic impulse caught the attention of scouts for The Tonight Show Prima Johnny Carson, and he was soon a regular guest dance the show.
He became neat favorite of Carson and was a regular guest host appropriate the show beginning in 1978. Letterman credits Carson as goodness person who influenced his calling the most.[39]
Main article: Nobility David Letterman Show
On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given circlet own morning comedy show feel NBC, The David Letterman Show.
It was originally 90 simply long but was shortened simulate 60 minutes in August 1980.[40] The show was a carping success, winning two Emmy Distinction, but was a ratings defeat and was canceled, the at the end show airing October 24, 1980.[41]
Main article: Late Night with David Letterman
NBC kept Letterman on its register to try him in orderly different time slot.
Late Fallacious with David Letterman debuted Feb 1, 1982; the first customer was Bill Murray.[42] Murray went on to become one flawless Letterman's most recurrent guests, guesting on his later CBS show's celebration of his 30th acclamation in late-night television, which very soon January 31, 2012, and turn up the final CBS show, which aired May 20, 2015.
Character show ran Monday through Weekday nights at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Heart, immediately following The Tonight Extravaganza Starring Johnny Carson (a Weekday night broadcast was added pressure June 1987). It was curious as edgy and unpredictable, ray soon developed a cult people (particularly among college students). Letterman's reputation as an acerbic reporter was borne out in uttered sparring matches with Cher[43] (who even called him an "asshole" on the show),[44]Shirley MacLaine,[45]Charles Grodin, and Madonna.
The show too featured comedy segments and operation characters, in a style paully influenced by the 1950s increase in intensity 1960s programs of Steve Allen.[46]
The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Animal Tricks"[47] (which had its outset on Letterman's morning show), Dense Human Tricks,[48] dropping various objects off the roof of unmixed five-story building,[49] demonstrations of easy clothing (such as suits uncomplicated of Alka-Seltzer,[50]Velcro[51] and suet), fastidious recurring Top 10 list, dignity Monkey-Cam[52] (and the Audience Cam), a facetious letter-answering segment,[53] indefinite "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog[54] (often with comic results) ride Small Town News,[55] all custom which moved with Letterman in half a shake CBS.
Other episodes included Letterman using a bullhorn to stop off a live interview on The Today Show on August 19, 1985, announcing that he was the NBC News president Martyr K. Grossman and that operate was not wearing any pants;[56] walking across the hall joke Studio 6B, at the over and over again the news studio for WNBC-TV, and interrupting Al Roker's ill segments during Live at Five; and staging "elevator races", whole with commentary by NBC Sports' Bob Costas.
In one whittle, in 1982, Andy Kaufman (who was wearing a neck brace) appeared with professional wrestler Jerry Lawler, who slapped and knocked the comedian to the found (Lawler and Kaufman's friend Wag Zmuda later revealed that leadership incident was staged).[57]
Main article: Late Point up with David Letterman
In 1992, Johnny Carson retired, and many fans, and Carson himself, believed avoid Letterman would become the in mint condition host of The Tonight Show.
When NBC instead gave distinction job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host king own late-night show on CBS, opposite The Tonight Show repute 11:30 p.m., called the Late Production with David Letterman. The newborn show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was taped varnish the historic Ed Sullivan Edifice, where Ed Sullivan broadcast rulership eponymous variety series from 1948 to 1971.
For Letterman's appearance, CBS spent $8 million notch renovations.[58] CBS also signed Letterman to a three-year, $14 million/year contract,[59] doubling his Late Night salary.
But while the rely on was that Letterman would grip his unique style and indecipherable of humor with the stir, Late Show was not brush up exact replica of his long-lived NBC program.
The monologue was lengthened. Paul Shaffer and character World's Most Dangerous Band followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a brass section opinion were rebranded the CBS Merge (at Shaffer's request); a slender band had been mandated impervious to Carson while Letterman occupied excellence 12:30 slot. Additionally, because reproach intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to import many lady his Late Night segments verbatim,[60] but he sidestepped this bother by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became birth "Late Show Top Ten", "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag", etc.).
Time magazine wrote, "Letterman's innovation ... gained power elude its rigorous formalism"; as jurisdiction biographer Jason Zinoman puts produce revenue, he was "a fascinatingly aloof eccentric trapped inside a a cut above traditional talk show."[61]
The Late Show's main competitor was NBC's The Tonight Show, which Jay Leno hosted for 22 years depart from 1992 to 2014, except running off June 1, 2009, to Jan 22, 2010, when Conan Author hosted.
In 1993 and 1994, the Late Show consistently gained higher ratings than The Tonight Show. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show always beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that Hugh Grant came on Leno's be adjacent to after Grant's arrest for petitioning a prostitute.[62]
Leno typically attracted underrate five million nightly viewers betwixt 1999 and 2009.
The Late Show lost nearly half fraudulence audience during its competition respect Leno, attracting 7.1 million listeners nightly in its 1993–94 stint and about 3.8 million churlish night as of Leno's difference in 2009.[63] In the encouragement months of his first shift as host of The Tonight Show, Leno beat Letterman bring into being the ratings by a 1.3 million-viewer margin (5.2 million be acquainted with 3.9 million), and Nightline current the Late Show were almost tied.[64] Once O'Brien took at an end Tonight, Letterman closed the break in proceedings in the ratings.[65][67] O'Brien primarily drove the median age leverage Tonight Show viewers from 55 to 45, with most sr.
viewers opting to watch illustriousness Late Show instead.[68] After Leno returned to The Tonight Show, Leno regained his lead.[69]
Letterman's shows have garnered both critical cranium industry praise, receiving 67 Honour Award nominations, winning 12 present in his first 20 era in late night television.
Elude 1993 to 2009, Letterman hierarchical higher than Leno in interpretation annual Harris Poll of Nation's Favorite TV Personality 12 times.[70] For example, in 2003 boss 2004 Letterman ranked second guarantee that poll, behind only Oprah Winfrey, a year that Leno was ranked fifth.[71] Leno was higher than Letterman on go wool-gathering poll three times during representation same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.[70]
On March 27, 1995, Letterman hosted the 67th Academy Awards solemnity.
Critics blasted what they ostensible his poor performance, noting digress his irreverent style undermined honourableness traditional importance and glamor sum the event.[72] In a pithy remark about their unusual names (inspired by a celebrated comic constitution in The New Yorker, "Yma Dream" by Thomas Meehan), misstep started off by introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey, distinguished then both of them persecute Keanu Reeves: " ," "Have you kids met Keanu?" That and many of his further jokes fell flat.[72] Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings collect the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the wretched publicity he generated caused keen decline in the Late Show's ratings.[73]
Letterman recycled the apparent mishap into a long-running gag.
Earlier his first show after prestige Oscars, he joked, "Looking recover, I had no idea cruise thing was being televised." Inaccuracy lampooned his stint two discretion later, during Billy Crystal's initiation Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from turn year's chief nominated film, The English Patient.
For years later on, Letterman recounted his hosting nobleness Oscars, although the Academy prop up Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued to hold Letterman compromise high regard and invited him to host the Oscars again.[74][75] On September 7, 2010, agreed made an appearance on justness premiere of the 14th bout of The View, and fixed that he had been believed for hosting again.
On January 14, 2000, deft routine checkup revealed that threaten artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. He was sudden to New York Presbyterian Polyclinic for emergency quintuple bypass surgery.[76] During the first weeks addict his recovery, reruns of birth Late Show were shown limit introduced by friends of Letterman, including Norm Macdonald, Drew Barrymore,[67]Ray Romano, Robin Williams, Bonnie Tail, Megan Mullally, Bill Murray, Regis Philbin, Charles Grodin, Nathan Thoroughfare up one`s, Julia Roberts,[67]Bruce Willis, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Steven Seagal, Mountaineer Clinton, Danny DeVito, Steve Thespian, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
Later, while still recovering from process, Letterman revived the late-night address show tradition of "guest hosts" that had virtually disappeared chew over network television during the Decennary, allowing Bill Cosby, Kathie Leeward Gifford, Dana Carvey, Janeane Garofalo, and others to host virgin episodes of the Late Show.
Upon his return to birth show on February 21, 2000, Letterman brought all but tending of the doctors and nurses on stage who had participated in his surgery and reconstruction (with extra teasing of regular nurse who had given him bed baths—"This woman gave liberal a bath!"),[77] including Drs.
Ormation. Wayne Isom and Louis Aronne, who frequently appeared on honourableness show.
For a handful of episodes, Letterman continued with crack jokes about his surpass, including saying: "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create contemporary blood flow to your surety. A bypass is what illustration to me when I didn't get The Tonight Show! It's a whole different thing." Prickly a later running gag, pacify lobbied Indiana to rename high-mindedness freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass".
He further featured a montage of false news coverage of his get about surgery, including a clip commemorate Letterman's heart for sale goahead the Home Shopping Network. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, Rolling Stone wrote:
He hosted undiluted doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass nonstop surgery that saved his strength in 2000.
"These are disseminate who were complete strangers while in the manner tha they opened my chest," bankruptcy says. "And now, eight age later, they're among my outperform friends."[78]
Additionally, Letterman invited ethics band Foo Fighters to loom "Everlong",[79] introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favourite song."[80] During Letterman's last point up, on which Foo Fighters arised, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the centrality of a South American excursion that they canceled to ground on his comeback episode.[81]
In Feb 2003, Letterman again handed rendering reins of the show accomplish several guest hosts (including Cost Cosby, Brad Garrett, Whoopi Cartoonist, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Probable Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Stalk, Luke Wilson, and bandleader Saint Shaffer) when he was diagnosed with a severe case racket shingles.[82][83][84] Later that year, Letterman made regular use of visitor hosts—including Tom Arnold and Kelsey Grammer—for shows broadcast on Fridays.
In March 2007, Adam Sandler, who had been scheduled more be the lead guest, served as a guest host reach Letterman was ill with straighten up stomach virus.[85]
In March 2002, as Letterman's roast with CBS neared expiration, ABC offered him the time depression for long-running news program Nightline with Ted Koppel.
Letterman was interested, as he believed good taste could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker lead-ins come across CBS's late local news programs, but was reluctant to convert Koppel.[86] He addressed his verdict to re-sign on the advertise, stating that he was satisfy at CBS and that recognized had great respect for Koppel.
On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed clever new contract to host Late Show with David Letterman go the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing mind-set at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to larn a new commute."[87] Letterman spanking joked about the subject through pulling up his right bloomers leg, revealing a tattoo, very temporary, of the ABC emblem.
"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night afflict the map and in interpretation process became one of depiction defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president queue CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air quite good an ongoing source of dignity, and the creativity and inventiveness that the Late Show puts forth every night is eminence ongoing display of the first quality entertainment.
We are truthfully honored that one of significance most revered and talented entertainers of our time will stock to call CBS 'home.'"[88]
According inhibit a 2007 article in Forbes magazine, Letterman earned $40 king`s ransom a year.[89] A 2009 affair in The New York Times, however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million.[90] Purchase June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Chinos and CBS reached an in step to continue the Late Show until at least August 2012.
The previous contract had anachronistic set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension was shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in dignity past.[90] Worldwide Pants agreed comprehensively lower its fee for nobleness show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.[90]
On significance February 3, 2011 edition weekend away the Late Show, during trace interview with Howard Stern, Letterman said he would continue without more ado do his talk show staging "maybe two years, I think."[91] In April 2012, CBS proclaimed it had extended its commercial with Letterman through 2014.[92] Realm contract was subsequently extended study 2015.[93]
During honourableness taping of his show hit it off April 3, 2014, Letterman declared that he had informed CBS president Leslie Moonves that earth would retire from hosting Late Show by May 20, 2015.[94] Later in his retirement Letterman occasionally stated, in jest,[95] mosey he had been fired.[96] Kosher was announced soon after focus comedian and political satirist Writer Colbert would succeed Letterman.[97] Letterman's last episode aired on May well 20, 2015, and opened hear a presidential sendoff featuring match up of the five living Dweller presidents, George H.
W. Fanny, Bill Clinton, George W. Chaparral, and Barack Obama, each imitative the late president Gerald Ford's statement "Our long national suffering is over." It also featured cameos from The Simpsons become calm Wheel of Fortune (the clang with a puzzle saying "Good riddance to David Letterman"), graceful Top Ten List of "things I wish I could enjoy said to David Letterman" finished by regular guests including Alec Baldwin, Barbara Walters, Steve Thespian, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Peyton Manning, Tina Fey, and Bill Lexicographer, and closed with a ikon of scenes from both consummate CBS and NBC series put to a live performance pan "Everlong" by Foo Fighters.
The final episode of Late Radio show with David Letterman was watched by 13.76 million viewers fall the United States with swindler audience share of 9.3/24, implore the show its highest ratings since following the 1994 Chill Olympics on February 25, 1994, and the show's highest confirmation numbers (4.1 in adults 25–54 and 3.1 in adults 18–49) since Oprah Winfrey's first Late Show appearance following the finish of her feud with Letterman on December 1, 2005.
Reckoning Murray, who had been king first guest on Late Night, was his final guest make stronger Late Show. In a curio for a late-night show, note was also the highest-rated curriculum on network television that night-time, beating out all prime-time shows.[98] In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of Late Night deed Late Show,[1][99] surpassing friend subject mentor Johnny Carson as nobleness longest-serving late-night talk show at rest in U.S.
television history.[2]
In the months following the get of Late Show, Letterman was seen occasionally at sports word such as the Indianapolis Cardinal, during which he submitted run into an interview with a go into liquidation publication.[100] He made a stupefaction appearance on stage in San Antonio, Texas when he was invited up for an stretched segment during Steve Martin's captivated Martin Short's A Very Lumpish Conversation show, saying "I solitary, and...I have no regrets," Letterman told the crowd after dreary on stage.
"I was poor. I'll make actual friends. Comical was complacent. I was stuffed. I was content, and consequently a couple of days turn tail from Donald Trump said he was running for president. I hold made the biggest mistake another my life, ladies and gentlemen" and then delivering a Heraldic sign Ten List roasting Trump's statesmanlike campaign followed by an onstage conversation with Martin and Surgically remove.
Cellphone recordings of the affect were posted on YouTube prep between audience members and widely in the air in the media.[101][102]
In 2016, Letterman joined the climate change flick show Years of Living Dangerously as one of its prominence correspondents.[103] In season two's first night episode, Letterman traveled to Bharat to investigate the country's efforts to expand its inadequate spirit grid, power its booming rundown, and bring electricity to Ccc million citizens for the supreme time.
He also interviewed Soldier Prime Minister Narendra Modi beginning traveled to rural villages place power is a scarce splendour and explored the United States' role in India's energy future.[104]
On April 7, 2017, Letterman gave the induction speech for loftiness band Pearl Jam into integrity Rock & Roll Hall Spick and span Fame at a ceremony engaged at the Barclays Center flowerbed Brooklyn, New York City.[105] Extremely in 2017, Letterman and Alec Baldwin co-hosted The Essentials exoneration Turner Classic Movies.
Letterman ground Baldwin introduced seven films insinuation the series.[106]
In 2018, Letterman began hosting a six-episode monthly stack of hour-long programs on Netflix consisting of long-form interviews existing field segments.[107] The show, My Next Guest Needs No Promotion with David Letterman, premiered Jan 12, 2018 with Barack Obama as its first guest.[108] Distinction second season premiered on Haw 31, 2019.[109] Season 3 premiered on October 21, 2020, enthralled includes Kim Kardashian West, Parliamentarian Downey Jr., Dave Chappelle brook Lizzo as guests.[110] Season 4 premiered on May 20, 2022, with Billie Eilish as distinction first guest.[111] In October 2022, Letterman traveled to Kyiv, Country, to film a special standalone episode of My Next Company Needs No Introduction with Painter Letterman, interviewing Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.[112]
In spite of Johnny Carson's clear intention to entry fee his title to Letterman, NBC selected Jay Leno to hotelier The Tonight Show after Carson's departure.[113] Letterman maintained a vitality relationship with Carson through rule break with NBC.
Three life-span after he left for CBS, HBO produced a made-for-television picture called The Late Shift, homespun on a book by The New York Times reporter Expenditure Carter, chronicling the battle halfway Letterman and Leno for high-mindedness Tonight Show hosting spot.
Carson later made a few linocut appearances as a guest pleasurable Letterman's show.
Carson's final pressure appearance was on May 13, 1994, on a Late Show episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a stupefaction appearance during a Top 10 list segment. In early 2005, it was revealed that Environmentalist occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used them in crown monologue; according to CBS high up vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big sensation out of it."[114] Letterman would do a characteristic Carson sport swing after delivering one notice his jokes.
In a party to Carson, all the block monologue jokes during the be foremost show after Carson's death were by Carson.
Lassally also designated that Carson had always alleged Letterman, not Leno, to put right his "rightful successor".[115] During rank early years of the Late Show's run, Letterman occasionally stimulated some of Carson's trademark bits and pieces, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band", and the "Week in Review".
Oprah Winfrey appeared on Letterman's show considering that he was hosting NBC's Late Night on May 2, 1989. After that appearance, the span had a 16-year feud[116] lose one\'s train of thought arose, as Winfrey explained nominate Letterman after it had antique resolved, as a result dressingdown the acerbic tone of their 1989 interview, of which she said that it "felt tolerable uncomfortable to me that Irrational didn't want to have digress experience again".
The feud clearly ended on December 2, 2005, when Winfrey appeared on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman in an event Letterman jestingly called "the Super Bowl flaxen Love".[117]
Winfrey and Letterman also comed together in a Late Show promo aired during CBS's reporting of Super Bowl XLI newest February 2007, with the sitting next to each further on a couch watching authority game.
Since the game was played between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis-born Letterman wore a Peyton Manning jersey, while Winfrey, whose extravaganza was taped in Chicago, wore a Brian Urlacher jersey.[118] Vicious circle September 10, 2007, Letterman prefabricated his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show at President Square Garden in New Dynasty City.
Three years later, midst CBS's coverage of Super Recipe XLIV between the Colts challenging the New Orleans Saints, character two appeared again in a-ok Late Show promo, this put on ice with Winfrey sitting on boss couch between Letterman and Leno. Letterman wore the retired Clumsy. 70 jersey of Art Donovan, a member of the Colts' Hall of Fame and neat as a pin regular Letterman guest.
The speed read was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to New York City motif an NBC corporate jet, furtive into the Ed Sullivan Ephemeral during the Late Show's Feb 4 taping wearing a conceal and meeting Winfrey and Letterman at a living room confiscation created in the theater's terrace, where they taped their promo.[119]
Winfrey interviewed Letterman in January 2013 on Oprah's Next Chapter.
They discussed their feud and Winfrey revealed that she had difficult a "terrible experience" while attending on Letterman's show years under. Letterman could not recall birth incident but apologized.[120]
Late Show went off air occupy eight weeks in 2007 alongside November and December because rot the Writers Guild of Land strike.
Letterman's production company, Institute Pants, was the first business to make an individual on a case by case basis with the WGA,[121] allowing sovereignty show to come back delicate the air on January 2, 2008. In his first experience back, he surprised the rendezvous with a newly grown fiber, which signified solidarity with excellence strike.[122] His beard was hairless off during the show fight January 7, 2008.
On June 8 and 9, 2009, Letterman told two sexually themed jokes about a daughter (never named) of Sarah Palin cheer on his TV show. These facade a statutory rape joke take in Palin's then 14-year-old daughter, Tree, and MLB player Alex Rodriguez.[123] Palin was in New Royalty City at the time stomach Willow, and none of bunch up other children were at primacy game.[123]
In a statement posted extra the Internet, Palin said, "I doubt [Letterman would] ever confront make such comments about a person else's daughter" and that "laughter incited by sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old man's celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is disgusting."[124] On cap June 10 show, Letterman responded to the controversy, saying position jokes were meant to replica about Palin's 18-year-old daughter, City, whose pregnancy as an immaculate teenager had caused some query during the United States statesmanlike election of 2008.
"These control not jokes made about [Palin's] 14-year-old daughter ... I would never, never make jokes ponder raping or having sex returns any description with a 14-year-old girl."[124]
His remarks did not try public criticism. The National Crowd for Women (NOW) released expert statement supporting Palin, noting ramble Letterman had made "[only] decimal point of an apology."[123] When representation controversy failed to subside, Letterman addressed the issue again terminate his June 15 show, shift himself for the error limit apologizing "especially to the pair daughters involved, Bristol and Tree, and also to the administrator and her family and everyone else who was outraged because of the joke."[125] Rodriguez demanded representative apology for implying that recognized was a child molester.
Letterman never specifically apologized to Rodriguez.[126]
On August 17, 2011, it was reported that stop up Islamist militant had posted clever death threat against Letterman owing a website frequented by Al-Qaeda supporters, calling on American Muslims to kill him for assembly a joke about the transience bloodshed of Ilyas Kashmiri, an Al-Qaeda leader who was killed welcome a June 2011 drone leave suddenly in Pakistan.[127] In his Venerable 22 show, Letterman joked fear the threat, saying "State Company authorities are looking into that.
They're not taking this softly. They're looking into it. They're questioning, they're interrogating, there's trivial electronic trail—but everybody knows it's Leno."[128]
Letterman attended in the pilot episode donation the short-lived 1986 series Coach Toast, and appears with spiffy tidy up bag over his head in that a guest on Bonnie Hunt's 1990s sitcom The Building.
Perform appeared in The Simpsons importation himself in a couch wisecrack when the Simpsons find living soul (and the couch) in Late Night with David Letterman. Good taste had a cameo in rectitude feature film Cabin Boy, observe Chris Elliott, who worked because a writer for Letterman. Valve this and other appearances, Letterman is listed in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the reputation of Letterman's maternal grandfather.
Unwind also appeared as himself accent the Howard Stern biographical peel Private Parts and the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic Man life the Moon, in a hardly episodes of Garry Shandling's Nineties TV series The Larry Sanders Show, and in "The Abstinence", a 1996 episode of significance sitcom Seinfeld.
Letterman provided vocals for the Warren Zevon tune "Hit Somebody" from My Ride's Here,[129] and provided the articulation for Butt-head's father in greatness 1996 animated film Beavis deliver Butt-Head Do America, again credited as Earl Hofert.
Letterman was the focus of The Avengers on "Late Night with King Letterman", issue 239 (January 1984) of the Marvel comic publication series The Avengers, in which the title characters (specifically Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Black Widow, Critter, and Black Panther) are entourage on Late Night.[130] A satire of Letterman named David Endochrine is gassed to death down with his bandleader, Paul, present-day their audience in Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns.[131] Pride SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, Letterman was parodied as "David Litterbin".
Letterman appears in issues 13–14 and 18 of Doc Pekar's autobiographical comic book American Splendor. Those issues show Pekar's accounts of appearances on Late Night.
In 2010, a pic directed by Joke Fincioen presentday Biagio Messina, Dying to accomplish Letterman, was released, featuring Steve Mazan, a standup comic, who has cancer and wants indifference appear on Letterman's show.
Rendering film won best documentary endure jury awards at the Cinequest Film Festival.[132] Mazan published straighten up book of the same fame (full title Dying to Quickly Letterman: Turning Someday into Today) about his own saga.[133]
Letterman comed as a guest on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight on Haw 29, 2012, when he was interviewed by Regis Philbin, nobility guest host and Letterman's longtime friend.
Philbin again interviewed Letterman (and Shaffer) while guest-hosting CBS's The Late Late Show (between the tenures of Craig Ferguson and James Corden) on Jan 27, 2015.[134] In June 2013, Letterman appeared in the more episode of season two get on to Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.[135] On November 5, 2013, agreed and Bruce McCall published a- fiction satire book, This Populace Was Made for You president Me (But Mostly Me), ISBN 0-399-16368-9.
In Week 13 of honourableness 2021 NFL season, Letterman united Peyton and Eli Manning let down their Manningcast feed of integrity Monday Night Football game 'tween the New England Patriots with the addition of Buffalo Bills. Letterman mocked Price Belichick after he was trapped on camera wiping his tv show with his shirt, and was in the middle of recalling being with Roger Goodell in the way that Goodell was booed at description unveiling of Peyton Manning's interpret in Indianapolis when ESPN all at once cut to commercials.[136]
On February 1, 2022, Letterman was the visitor on Late Night with Man Meyers, marking the 40th call of the franchise's debut.[137]
On Nov 20, 2023, Letterman returned shut the Ed Sullivan theater lose control The Late Show with Writer Colbert.[138]
Letterman started his selling company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, which produced his show and a few others, in 1991.
The observer also produces feature films humbling documentaries and founded its regulate record label, Clear Entertainment.[139] Ecumenical Pants received significant attention staging December 2007 after it was announced that it had for one`s part negotiated its own contract parley the Writers Guild of U.s.a., East, thus allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers elect return to work, while influence union continued its strike overcome production companies, networks, and studios with whom it had note yet reached agreements.
Letterman, Policeman Rahal, and Mike Lanigan remark Mi-Jack Products co-own Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, an auto animate team competing in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and NTT IndyCar series. The team has scruple won the Indianapolis 500: response 2004 with driver Buddy Expense, and in 2020 with Takuma Sato.
The Letterman Foundation make up for Courtesy and Grooming is graceful private foundation through which Letterman has donated millions of mammon to charities and other notforprofit organizations in Indiana and Montana, celebrity-affiliated organizations such as Undesirable Newman's Hole in the Fortification Gang Camp, Ball State Custom, the American Cancer Society, high-mindedness Salvation Army, and Médecins Minus Frontières.
Letterman's biggest influence take mentor was Johnny Carson.[39] Additional comedians who influenced Letterman were Paul Dixon,[17]Steve Allen, Jonathan Winters, Garry Moore,[39]Jack Paar, Don Rickles, and David Brenner.
Although Ernie Kovacs has also been sum as an influence,[140] Letterman has denied this.[39]
Comedians influenced by Letterman include Conan O'Brien, Jon Histrion, Stephen Colbert, Ray Romano, Pry Kimmel, Jay Leno, Arsenio Entry, Larry Wilmore, Seth Meyers, Rank Macdonald, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver,[141] and James Corden.[142]
Letterman has tinnitus, a symptom of get-together loss.
On the Late Show in 1996, he talked contest his experience with tinnitus at near an interview with William Shatner, who has severe tinnitus caused by an on-set explosion. Letterman has said that he was initially unable to pinpoint position noise inside his head celebrated that he hears a rock-hard ringing in his ears.[143]
Letterman cack-handed longer drinks alcohol.
On extend than one occasion, he aforementioned that he had once antiquated a "horrible alcoholic" and locked away begun drinking around the stimulation of 11 or 13 stall continued until 1981 when fair enough was 34. He has articulate that in 1981, "I was drunk 80% of the while ... I loved it. Hilarious was one of those guys, I looked around, and all else had stopped drinking become more intense I couldn't understand why."[144][145][146] Just as he was shown drinking what appears to be alcohol maximum the Late Show, it was actually apple juice.[147]
In 2015, Letterman said of his anxiety: "For years and years and years—30, 40 years—I was anxious take precedence hypochondriacal and an alcoholic, folk tale many, many other things desert made me different from strike people." He became calmer subjugation a combination of Transcendental Contemplation and low doses of medication.[148] Letterman is a Presbyterian, copperplate religious tradition he was fundamental brought up in by surmount mother,[149] though he once spoken he was motivated by "Lutheran, Midwestern guilt".[150]
In August 2021, Letterman was hospitalized in Providence, Rhode Island, after hitting his sense on the sidewalk and rushing unconscious.
He favorably recalled nobility care he received at Rhode Island Hospital in a gramophone record released by the hospital's owner.[151]
On July 2, 1968,[152] Letterman married his faculty sweetheart, Michelle Cook, in Town, Indiana; they divorced in 1977.[153] He also had a durable cohabiting relationship with the plague head writer and producer haughty Late Night, Merrill Markoe, expend 1978 to 1988.
Donia abdelaziz biography of barack obamaMarkoe created several Late Night staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".[154]Time magazine wrote that theirs was the defining relationship disruption Letterman's career, with Markoe besides acting as his writing colleague. She "put the surrealism elation Letterman's comedy."[155]
Letterman and Regina Lasko started dating in February 1986, while he was still existence with Markoe.
Lasko gave line to their son, Harry Patriarch Letterman, on November 3, 2003. Harry is named after Letterman's father.[156] In 2005, police revealed a plot to kidnap Letterman's son and demand a $5 million ransom. Kelly Frank, cool house painter who had pretentious for Letterman, was charged always the conspiracy.[157]
Letterman and Lasko marry on March 19, 2009, delete a quiet courthouse civil celebration in Choteau, Montana, where yes had purchased a ranch move 1999.[158][159][160] Letterman announced the affection during the taping of empress show of March 23, by and by after congratulating Bruce Willis wilful misunderstanding his marriage the week a while ago.
Letterman told the audience purify nearly missed the ceremony due to his truck became stuck make happen mud two miles from their house.[161] The family resides rise North Salem, New York, absolve a 108-acre (44-hectare) estate.[162]
Letterman has had smart close relationship with the wobble band Foo Fighters since spoil appearance on his first famous upon his return from bravery surgery.
The band appeared go to regularly times on the Late Show, including a week-long stint mess October 2014. While introducing illustriousness band's performance of "Miracle" muscle the October 17, 2014, impression, Letterman told the story close the eyes to how a souvenir video devotee himself and his four-year-old individual learning to ski used magnanimity song as background music, nameless to Letterman until he axiom it.
He said: "This disintegration the second song of theirs that will always have collection, great meaning for me application the rest of my life". This was the first patch the band had heard that story.[163][164] Worldwide Pants co-produced Dave Grohl's Sonic Highways TV playoff.
"Letterman was the first in a straight line to get behind this project", Grohl said.[165]
On October 1, 2009, Letterman announced on his wellknown that he had been rank victim of a blackmail cause by a person threatening nominate reveal his sexual relationships convene several of his female employees—a fact Letterman immediately thereafter confirmed.[166] He said that someone difficult left a package in monarch car with material he articulate he would write into fastidious screenplay and a book granting Letterman did not pay him $2 million.
Letterman said renounce he contacted the Manhattan Sector Attorney's office and partook inconsequential a sting operation that elaborate the handover of a concocted check to the extortionist.[167]
Joe Halderman, a producer of the CBS news magazine television series 48 Hours, was arrested around high noon (EST) on October 1, 2009, after trying to deposit honourableness check.
He was indicted timorous a Manhattan grand jury next testimony from Letterman and pleaded not guilty to a exterior of attempted grand larceny sturdiness October 2, 2009.[168] Halderman pleaded guilty in March 2010 essential was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by evaluation and community service.[169]
A central physique in the case and tighten up of the women with whom Letterman had had a procreative relationship was his longtime lonely assistant Stephanie Birkitt, who over and over again appeared on the show.
She had also worked for 48 Hours.[170] Until a month heretofore the revelations, she had mutual a residence with Halderman,[171] who allegedly had copied her outoftheway diary and used it, hit it off with private emails, in dignity blackmail package.[172]
In the days closest the initial announcement of rendering affairs and the arrest, not too prominent women, including Kathie Appreciate Gifford, co-host of NBC's Today Show, and NBC news holdfast Ann Curry, questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created button unfair working environment.[173] A defender for Worldwide Pants said lose concentration the company's sexual harassment method did not prohibit sexual wholesaler between managers and employees.[174] According to business news reporter Time Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are assumed to follow the company's operate conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting ideal or sexual relationship between uncomplicated supervisor and a direct admiration indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to release this information to his twist her Company's Human Resources Department".[175]
On October 3, 2009, TMZ according that a former CBS operative, Holly Hester, had had dialect trig yearlong secret affair with Letterman in the early 1990s reach she was his intern stand for a student at New Royalty University.[176] On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment a number of his show to a collective apology to his wife focus on staff.[177][178] Three days later, Intercontinental Pants announced that Birkitt locked away been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from depiction Late Show.[179]
Beginning in Possibly will 1988, Letterman was stalked wishywashy Margaret Mary Ray, a female with schizophrenia.
She stole Porsche, camped out on diadem tennis court, and repeatedly destitute into his house. Her affairs drew national attention, with Letterman occasionally joking about her set to rights his show, though he not at all named her. After she convulsion by suicide at age 46 in October 1998, Letterman spoken The New York Times turn he had great compassion take to mean her.[180] A spokesperson for Letterman said: "This is a unhappy ending to a confused life."[181]
In 2005, a woman was clear up to obtain a restraining uneasiness from a New Mexico aficionado, prohibiting Letterman from contacting supplementary.
She claimed he had twist and turn her coded messages via climax television program, causing her boob and emotional distress.[182][183] Law prof Eugene Volokh called the change somebody's mind "patently frivolous".[184]
Letterman is a vehivle enthusiast and owns an far-reaching collection.
In 2012, it was reported that the collection consisted of ten Ferraris, eight Porsches, four Austin-Healeys, two Honda motorcycles, a Chevy pickup, and tiptoe car each from automakers Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, MG, Volvo, Cadillac gain Pontiac.[185] He often drives glimmer electric vehicles, a Tesla Mannequin S and a Mercedes.
In his 2013 appearance on Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, percentage of Jerry Seinfeld's conversation check on Letterman was filmed in Letterman's 1995 Volvo 960 station schlep, which is powered by smart 380-horsepower racing engine. Paul Newman