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Jay Leno

 
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Jay Leno, Comedian / Talk Show Host

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Jay Leno
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  • Born: 28 April 1950
  • Birthplace: New Rochelle, New York
  • Best Known As: Host of TV's The Tonight Show, 1992-2009 and 2010-

Jay Leno hosted NBC's long-running late-night program The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2009, and agreed to begin hosting it again in 2010. Leno got his start as a standup comedian with intense work habits; he reportedly toured 300 nights a year during the late 1980s. He eventually became a regular vacation standin for Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show for nearly 30 years. When Carson retired in 1992, Leno got the job full-time. (The same job had been coveted by comedian David Letterman, whose own program had followed Carson's for years. Letterman then moved his program Late Night to CBS, beginning a long-running rivalry between his program and Leno's.) Leno is known as a gentle and unthreatening comic with mass-market appeal, and he is often kidded about his sizable chin. (His book Leading With My Chin was published in 1998.) In 2004 he signed a contract extension to continue hosting The Tonight Show through 2009. NBC announced in 2008 that Leno would step down as the host of The Tonight Show in 2009, although it seemed clear that Leno didn't really want to go. Leno's last show was 29 May 2009, and he was replaced as host of The Tonight Show by Conan O'Brien on 1 June 2009. Leno then began hosting his own 10-11:00 talk show on NBC, but that experiment was a flop. NBC announced in January 2010 that Leno would return to his traditional 11:35 time slot in March with a half-hour show that would not be The Tonight Show. After O'Brien said he wasn't willing to have The Tonight Show vacate that time slot, NBC bought out O'Brien's contract for a reported $44 million. Leno then returned as host of The Tonight Show on 1 March 2010.

Leno married his wife Mavis in 1980; they have no children... Leno is a collector of vintage automobiles and motorcycles.

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Jay Leno

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(1950-)

Late-night television host Jay Leno began his show-business career as a standup comedian. Performing his comedy routines around the country, making as many as 300 appearances a year, Leno eventually procured a spot as guest host of the popular late-night program the Tonight Show, which starred Johnny Carson. With Carson's retirement from the show, Leno stepped in as his successor, beating out other contenders, including David Letterman. Soon dubbed the "King of Late Night" by the media, Leno's Tonight Show began top-ping late-night television ratings in 1995 and became a dominant force by the late 1990s.

The son of an Italian-American father and a Scottish mother who immigrated to the United States alone at the age of eleven, Leno has apparently always had a heart for comedy. His fifth-grade report card read: "If Jay spent as much time studying as he does trying to be a comedian, he'd be a big star." Leno first considered a career in comedy after winning a talent show during his senior year of high school. While a student at Emerson University in Boston, Massachusetts, Leno traveled several hours south to New York City to perform at comedy clubs. He moved to California in 1974 and made his first appearance on the Tonight Show in 1977. Years of hard work on the comedy-club circuit followed, and during the 1980s Leno often served as guest host of the popular show. When the time came, Leno was a natural choice to succeed Carson, and at Carson's retirement in 1992 he became the Tonight Show's permanent host.

Leno's 1996 autobiography, Leading with My Chin, details his rise to fame from small comedy clubs to his late-night television success. Leno's autobiography does not break from his comedic tendencies; he lightheartedly shares anecdotes of his rise to fame, including early gigs in mental institutions. One memorable appearance Leno describes in his book is performing before a group of Orthodox Jews only to find that the audience was really expecting to be entertained by a Yiddish storyteller. Entertainment Weekly contributor Bret Watson described the book as "amiable" and "mildly amusing."

In 2004 Leno published the children's picture book If Roast Beef Could Fly, which features illustrations by S. B. Whitehead. A humorous tale based on an incident from Leno's childhood, If Roast Beef Could Fly describes a disastrous family barbecue. Leno told People contributor Shannon Maughan that the story is a favorite of his. "I do a lot of charity events and fundraisers where you have everyone from kids to grandmas in the audience," Leno remarked. "Whenever I've told this story, kids seemed to think it was hilarious."

The book opens as Leno's father prepares for his latest home-improvement project: a new backyard patio and rotisserie. Young Jay tags along during the construction process, and when the rotisserie is unveiled at a big party, Jay's curiosity gets the best of him. As a roast turns on the spit, Jay scoops up the drippings with his pocket comb, which eventually gets stuck in the meat and begins to melt. As Leno recalled on MSNBC Online, "When my dad brought the roast beef out, he started to cut it and then—clunk! A big piece of plastic fell off and the meat was pink underneath." Leno's father was so angry he threw the roast outside, where the family dog quickly gobbled it up.

If Roast Beef Could Fly received mixed reviews. Some critics believed that the book's tone is loud and exaggerated; School Library Journal contributor Martha Topol wrote that the work seems "mired in excess," while a Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that Leno's tale "is told at the top of the authorial lungs, with no modulation in tone whatsoever." A Publishers Weekly reviewer offered praise for the work, however, stating that the comedian's "talent for storytelling and affection for his family shines through."

In 2002 Leno celebrated his tenth anniversary as host of the Tonight Show, and maintained that he had no intention of stopping. As he told Stephen Battaglio of the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, "I'll do it as long as they want me to do it." His rare absences from the show were precipitated by serious illness; otherwise, he continued to appear at his interviewer's desk five nights each week. While Leno retained a staff to help him prepare monologues and other well-known bits, he also contributed mightily to the writing of each episode, often completing the next night's monologue after finishing a show. As Leno once told a People contributor, "When I was a kid growing up ... I had dyslexia. My mother told me that I would always have to work twice as hard as the other kids just to get the same grades. It's the same now. I'm not better than anybody else doing this job; I just think maybe I work harder than some."

Career

Television personality, actor, comedian, and writer. Rolls Royce auto mechanic and deliveryman; stand-up comedian at venues, including Carnegie Hall and Caesar's Palace; performed as opening act for Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, John Denver, James Brown, Tom Jones, and Perry Como; Good Times, CBS, writer, 1974; Jay Leno and the American Dream, Showtime, host and producer, 1986; Tonight Show, NBC, exclusive guest host, 1987-92, host, 1992—. Appeared on television-show episodes, including Good Times, CBS, 1976; Laverne and Shirley, ABC, 1979; Alice, CBS, 1981; Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1986; The Larry Sanders Show, 1993; Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1995; Mad about You, NBC, 1995; Friends, NBC, 1995; Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC, 1996; Seinfeld, NBC, 1996; Third Rock from the Sun, NBC, 1996; Bay-watch, syndicated, 1997; The Simpsons, Fox, 1998; Home Improvement, ABC, 1999; The West Wing, NBC, 2000; Titus, Fox, 2001; The Fairly Oddparents, Nickelodeon, 2001—; Just Shoot Me, 2002; and Scrubs, NBC, 2003. Other television appearances include Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour, 1987; The 42nd Annual Prime-time Emmy Awards, 1990; Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, 1995; and Fifty Years of NBC Late Night, NBC, 2001. Appeared in films, including The Silver Bears, EMI Films, 1977; Fun with Dick and Jane, Columbia, 1977; American Hot Wax, Paramount, 1978; Americathon, Lorimar/Warner Bros., 1979; Collision Course, De Laurentiis Entertainment/Interscope Communications, 1988; Dave, Warner Bros., 1993; Wayne's World 2, Paramount, 1993; We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Amblin, 1993; The Flintstones, Universal/Hanna-Barbera/Amblin, 1994; Major League II, Warner Bros., 1994; The Birdcage, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1996; Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark, 1997; Contact, Warner Bros., 1997; In and Out, Paramount, 1997; Mad City, Warner Bros., 1997; EDtv, Universal, 1999; Space Cowboys, Warner Bros., 2000; John Q, New Line Cinema, 2002; Calendar Girls, Buena Vista, 2003; and Mr. 3000, Buena Vista, 2004.

Awards, Honors

Writers Guild of America award nomination, 1987; Emmy Award for Best Musical or Variety Series, 1995, and nominations, 1996 and 1997, and Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, 1996, all for Tonight Show; Best Political Humorist designation, Washingtonian magazine; Favorite Late Night Show designation, TV Guide Awards, 1999 and 2000, for Tonight Show; honored with star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Writings

(Editor) Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers (also see below), photographs by Gary Bernstein, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1989.

(Editor) More Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers (also see below), photographs by Joseph Del Valle, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1991.

(Editor) Headlines III: Not the Movie, Still the Book: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers (also see below), photographs by Joseph Del Valle, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1991.

(Editor) Headlines IV: The Next Generation: More Out-of-This World Headlines from the Bestselling Series, photographs by Joseph Del Valle, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1992.

(Editor) Jay Leno's Headlines. Books I, II, III, Wings (New York, NY), 1992.

(Editor) Jay Leno's Police Blotter: Real-Life Crime Headlines from "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Andrews & McMeel (Kansas City, MO), 1994.

(With Bill Zehme) Leading with My Chin, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

(Author of introduction) Jon Macks, Heaven Talks Back: An Uncommon Conversation, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

(Author of introduction) Frederick Voss, editor, Faces of Time: Seventy-five Years of Time Magazine Cover Portraits, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1998.

(With Dennis Homstrom and others) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles, Alpha Books (Indianapolis, IN), 2001.

(Author of introduction) Dennis Adler, The Art of the Sports Car: The Greatest Designs of the Twentieth Century, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

If Roast Beef Could Fly (for children), illustrated by S. B. Whitehead, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Biographical and Critical Sources

Books

  • Adler, Bill, The World of Jay Leno: His Humor and His Life, Carol Publishing (New York, NY), 1992.
  • Carter, Bill, The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and the Network Battle for the Night, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1994.
  • Contemporary Newsmakers, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1989.
  • Leno, Jay, and Bill Zehme, Leading with My Chin, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.
  • Leno, Jay, editor, Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers, Warner (New York, NY), 1989.
  • St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 2000.
  • Walker, Jay, The Leno Wit: His Life and Humor, Morrow (New York, NY), 1997.

Periodicals

  • Advertising Age, May 25, 1992, p. 24; November 30, 1993, pp. 1-3.
  • Booklist, January 1, 1990, p. 870.
  • Boston, May, 1992, pp. 16-21.
  • Cosmopolitan, December, 1993, pp. 70-72; May, 1996, pp. 180-185.
  • Entertainment Weekly, August 14, 1992, pp. 20-27; February 11, 1994, p. 63; April 22, 1994, p. 12; November 3, 1995, p. 19; March 15, 1996, p. 52; October 11, 1996, pp. 84-85; November 8, 1996, p. 11.
  • Esquire, October, 1995, pp. 98-105.
  • Hollywood Reporter, May 2, 2002, Barry Garron, "Leno: Tenth Anniversary," p. 10.
  • Insight on the News, July 22, 1991, pp. 42-44.
  • Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2004, review of If Roast Beef Could Fly, p. 273.
  • Kliatt, January, 1991, p. 55.
  • Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, April 17, 2002, Stephen Battaglio, "Tireless Comic Jay Leno to Mark Ten Years as Tonight Host," p. K7195.
  • Ladies' Home Journal, February, 1997, p. 166.
  • Life, November, 1993, p. 100.
  • Newsweek, June 29, 1992, p. 56; January 25, 1993, pp. 60-63.
  • New Yorker, November 9, 1992, pp. 46-65.
  • New York Times, January 30, 1994, p. 28; September 24, 2000, Marshall Sella, "The Stiff Guy vs. the Dumb Guy," p. 72.
  • New York Times Book Review, November 17, 1996, p. 24.
  • O, February, 2003, "Oprah Talks to Jay Leno," pp. 138-144.
  • People, December 24, 1990, pp. 56-59; August 23, 1993, pp. 46-49; October 14, 1996, p. 39; May 6, 2002, Michael A. Lipton and Pamela Warrick, "Funny Man at Work," p. 64; April 19, 2004, "Jay Leno," p. 24.
  • Playboy, December, 1990, pp. 57-69; October, 1996, pp. 51-60.
  • Publishers Weekly, January 15, 1996, p. 320; March 8, 2004, review of If Roast Beef Could Fly, p. 72, and Shannon Maughan, "Where's the Beef?," p. 73.
  • Redbook, July, 1992, pp. 48-51.
  • School Library Journal, June, 2004, Martha Topol, review of If Roast Beef Could Fly, pp. 112-113.
  • Time, March 16, 1992, pp. 58-62.
  • Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), January 14, 1990, p. 4.
  • TV Guide, April 11, 1992, pp. 16-21; August 15, 1992, p. 27; January 30, 1993, pp. 49-51; August 28, 1993, pp. 18-23; October 22, 1994, pp. 28-33; October 5, 1996, pp. 14-22; April 13, 2002, Jason Gay, "The Hardest-working, Least Talked about, Most Popular Man in Show Business," p. 16.
  • Vanity Fair, July, 1991, pp. 48-50.
  • Variety, May 29, 2000, Peter Bart, "Building the Leno Legend," p. 2.
  • Washingtonian, November, 1993, pp. 76-80.
  • Woman's Day, March 10, 1992, pp. 36-40.

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"If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates."

"The crime problem in New York is getting really serious. The other day the Statue of Liberty had both hands up."

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Jay Leno

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Biography

A popular comedian during the 1970s, Jay Leno is best known as the man who replaced Johnny Carson at the helm of The Tonight Show in 1992. Leno was born James Douglas Muir Leno to parents of Italian and Scottish heritage (Leno is particularly fond of discussing the Italian part) in New Rochelle, NY, but was raised in Andover, MA. During the year in which he was establishing his standup career, Leno was performing 300 nights throughout North America. He made his television debut on the Merv Griffin Show and his acting debut in Silver Bears (1977). That year he appeared in the cast of the short-lived Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Show, a musical variety summer replacement series. By the early '80s, Leno had left behind any notion of becoming an actor because his comedy career was in high gear. His subsequent film appearances have been as himself or as a parody of himself (The Flintstones, 1994). Leno made his first appearance on The Tonight Show on March 2, 1977. Though he can be sharp and is an astute political commentator, there is something nice and comforting about the soft-eyed, lantern-jawed funnyman that appeals to vast middle-American audiences, the same sort who regularly tuned in to Carson. It is small wonder that Leno became Carson's sole guest host by 1987. Leno hosted his first show as Carson's successor on May 25, 1992, with comedian Billy Crystal as his first guest. There was much furor surrounding the selection of Leno as many believed fellow late night gab-meister David Letterman would inherit the throne. Since taking the Tonight Show's reigns, Leno has attempted to inject the show with a slightly hipper edge by featuring more radical musical acts and affecting a more casual look. It's a tough balancing act, for he must do so without alienating his older, more conservative fan base. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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Jay Leno

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"Leno" redirects here. For other uses, see Leno (disambiguation).
Jay Leno

Leno in July 2008
Birth name James Douglas Muir Leno
Born April 28, 1950 (1950-04-28) (age 61)[1]
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.[1]
Medium Television, Film, Stand up
Nationality American
Years active 1973–present
Genres Observational comedy, Political satire
Subject(s) American culture, Everyday life
Influences Johnny Carson, Robert Klein, Alan King, George Carlin,[2] Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Rodney Dangerfield
Influenced Dennis Miller[3]
Spouse Mavis Leno (1980–present)
Notable works and roles The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (host, 1992–2009, 2010–)
The Jay Leno Show
(host, 2009–2010)
Signature Jay Leno Autograph.svg
Website The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
1995 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno /ˈlɛnoʊ/ (born April 28, 1950)[1] is an American stand-up comedian and television host.

From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time, UTC-5), also on NBC. After The Jay Leno Show was canceled in January 2010 amid a host controversy, Leno returned to host The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on March 1, 2010.[4]

Contents

Early life

James "Jay" Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York, in 1950. His mother, Catherine (née Muir; 1911–1993), a homemaker, was born in Greenock, Scotland, and came to the United States at age 11. Her schooling was limited and as a result she prized her children's successes. Leno's father, Angelo (1910–1994), who worked as an insurance salesman, was born in New York to immigrants from Flumeri, Italy.[5] Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, and although his high school guidance counselor recommended that he drop out of school, he later obtained a Bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Emerson College, where he started a comedy club in 1973.[6] Leno's siblings include his late older brother, Patrick, who was a Vietnam veteran[7] and a lawyer.[6]

Career

During the 1970s, Leno appeared in minor roles in several television series and films, first in the 1976 episode "J.J. in Trouble" of Good Times and the same year in the pilot of Holmes & Yo-Yo. After an uncredited appearance in the 1977 film Fun with Dick and Jane, he played more prominent parts in 1978 in American Hot Wax and Silver Bears. Other films and television series from that period include Almost Heaven (1978), "Going Nowhere" (1979) from One Day at a Time, Americathon (1979), Polyester (1981), "The Wild One" (1981) from Alice, "Feminine Mistake" (1979) and "Do the Carmine" (1983) from Laverne & Shirley.

The Tonight Show

Leno in 1993, shortly after becoming host of The Tonight Show

Starting in 1987, Leno was a regular substitute host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. In 1992, he replaced Carson as host[8] amid controversy with David Letterman, who had been hosting Late Night with David Letterman since 1982 (aired after The Tonight Show), who many had expected to be Carson's successor. The story of this turbulent transition was later turned into a book and a movie. Leno continued to perform as a stand-up comedian throughout his tenure on The Tonight Show.

In 2004, Leno signed a contract extension with NBC which would keep him as host of The Tonight Show until 2009.[9] Later in 2004, Conan O'Brien signed a contract with NBC under which O'Brien would become the host of The Tonight Show in 2009, replacing Leno at that time.[10]

During the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike, Leno was accused of violating WGA guidelines by writing his own monologue for The Tonight Show. While NBC and Leno claim there were private meetings with the WGA where there was a secret agreement allowing this, the WGA denied such a meeting.[11] Leno answered questions in front of the Writers Guild of America, West trial committee in February 2009 and June 2009, and when the WGAW published its list of strike-breakers on 11 August 2009, Leno was not on the list.[12][13]

In 1998, Leno competed in a tag-team match at the WCW's "Road Wild" pay-per-view . In 2001, he voiced The Crimson Chin, a superhero in the Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents and continues to do so today.

Leno said in 2008 that he was saving all of his income from The Tonight Show and living solely off his income from stand-up comedy.[14]

On April 23, 2009, Leno checked himself into a hospital with an undisclosed illness.[15] He was released the following day and returned to work on Monday, April 27. The two subsequently cancelled Tonight Show episodes for April 23 and April 24 were Leno's first in 17 years as host.[16][17] Initially, the illness that caused the absence was not disclosed, but later Leno told People magazine that the ailment was exhaustion.[17][18]

Michael Jackson trial

In the 2005 trial of Michael Jackson over allegations of child molestation, Leno appeared as a defense witness (many celebrity defense witnesses had been expected, but Leno was one of the few whose testimony was actually needed). In his testimony regarding a call by the accuser, Leno testified that he never called the police, that no money was asked for, and there was no coaching — but that the calls seemed unusual and scripted.[19]

Leno in 2006.

As a result, Leno was initially not allowed to continue telling jokes about Jackson or the case, which had been a fixture of The Tonight Show's opening monologue in particular. But he and his show's writers used a legal loophole by having Leno briefly step aside while stand-in comedians took the stage and told jokes about the trial. Stand-ins included Roseanne Barr, Drew Carey, Brad Garrett, and Dennis Miller among others.[20]

Succession by Conan O'Brien and The Jay Leno Show

Main article: The Jay Leno Show

Because Leno's show continued to lead all late-night programming in the Nielsen ratings, the pending expiration of Leno's contract led to speculation about whether he would become a late-night host for another network after his commitment to NBC expired.[21] Leno left The Tonight Show on Friday May 29, 2009,[22][23] and Conan O'Brien took over on June 1, 2009.

On December 8, 2008, it was reported that Leno would remain on NBC and move to a new hour-long show at 10 p.m. Eastern Time (9 p.m. Central Time) five nights a week.[24] This show follows a similar format to The Tonight Show, tapes at the same lot, and retains many of Leno's most popular segments. Late Night host Conan O'Brien was his successor on The Tonight Show.[25]

Jay Leno's new show, titled The Jay Leno Show, debuted on September 14, 2009. It was announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that it would feature one or two celebrities, the occasional musical guest, and keep the popular "Headlines" segments, which would air near the end of the show. First guests included Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey (via satellite), and a short sit-down with Kanye West discussing his controversy at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[26]

Timeslot conflict and return to The Tonight Show

Wikinews has related news: US TV host Conan O'Brien rejects NBC's offer to switch his show's time slot
Main article: 2010 Tonight Show conflict

In their new roles, neither O'Brien nor Leno succeeded in delivering the viewing audiences the network anticipated. On January 7, 2010, multiple media outlets reported that beginning March 1, 2010, Jay Leno would move from his 10pm weeknight time slot to 11:35pm, due to a combination of pressure from local affiliates whose newscasts were suffering, and both Leno's and O'Brien's poor ratings.[27][28] Leno's show would be shortened from an hour to 30 minutes. All NBC late night programming would be preempted by the 2010 Winter Olympics between February 15 and February 26. This would move The Tonight Show to 12:05am, a post-midnight timeslot for the first time in its history. O'Brien's contract stipulated that NBC could move the show back to 12:05 a.m. without penalty (a clause put in primarily to accommodate sports preemptions).[29]

On January 10, NBC confirmed that they would move Jay Leno out of primetime as of February 12 and intended to move him to late night as soon as possible.[30][31] TMZ reported that O'Brien was given no advance notice of this change, and that NBC offered him two choices: an hour-long 12:05am time slot, or the option to leave the network.[32] On January 12, O'Brien issued a press release that stated he would not continue with Tonight if it moved to a 12:05am time slot,[33] saying, "I believe that delaying The Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t The Tonight Show."

On January 21, it was announced that NBC had struck a deal with O'Brien. It was decided that O'Brien would leave The Tonight Show. The deal was made that O'Brien would receive a $33 million payout and that his staff of almost 200 would receive $12 million in the departure. O'Brien's final episode aired on Friday, January 22.[34][35][36] Leno returned as host of The Tonight Show following the 2010 Winter Olympics on March 1, 2010.

On July 1, 2010, Variety reported that total viewership for Jay Leno's Tonight Show had dropped from 5 million to 4 million for the second quarter of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. Although this represented the lowest second-quarter ratings for the show since 1992, Tonight was still the most-watched late night program, ahead of ABC's Nightline (3.7 million) and David Letterman's Late Show (3.3 million).[37] Ratings over the following summer, when compared to the same period in 2009 with O'Brien hosting The Tonight Show (including O'Brien's highly rated debut), showed that while total viewership was 12% higher for Leno, viewership in the important "adults aged 18–49" demographic was 23% lower.[38] NBC ratings specialist Tom Bierbaum commented that due to the host being out of late night television for a period of time and the subsequent 2010 Tonight Show conflict, Leno's ratings fall was "not a surprise at all".[39]

Public image

Criticism of Leno

Leno on The Tonight Show in 2005

Leno has faced heated criticism and some negative publicity for his perceived role in the 2010 Tonight Show timeslot conflict.[40][41] Critics have pointed to a 2004 Tonight Show clip, wherein Leno claimed he would allow O'Brien to take over without incident.[41][42] At the time, Leno stated he didn't want O'Brien to leave for a competing network, adding, "I'll be 59 when [the switch occurs], that's five years from now. There's really only one person who could have done this into his 60s, and that was Johnny Carson; I think it's fair to say I'm no Johnny Carson."[42] Leno also described The Tonight Show as a dynasty, saying "you hold it and hand it off to the next person. And I don't want to see all the fighting..." At the end of the segment, he said, "Conan, it's yours! See you in five years, buddy!"[43]

Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt was among the first celebrities to openly voice disappointment with Leno, saying, "Comedians who don't like Jay Leno now, and I'm one of them, we're not like, 'Jay Leno sucks;' it's that we're so hurt and disappointed that one of the best comedians of our generation... willfully has shut the switch off."[44] Rosie O'Donnell has been among O'Brien's most vocal and vehement supporters,[45][46] calling Leno a "bully" and his recent actions "classless and kind of career-defining."[47] Shock-jock Howard Stern, who has been openly critical of Leno for years, has become even more so in the wake of the controversy.[citation needed]

Bill Zehme, the co-author of Leno's autobiography Leading with My Chin, told the Los Angeles Times: "The thing Leno should do is walk, period. He's got everything to lose in terms of public popularity by going back. People will look at him differently. He'll be viewed as the bad guy."[48]

Support for Leno

NBC Sports head executive and former Saturday Night Live producer Dick Ebersol spoke out against all who had recently mocked Leno, calling them "chicken-hearted and gutless."[49]

Jeff Gaspin also defended Leno: "This has definitely crossed the line. Jay Leno is the consummate professional and one of the hardest-working people in television. It's a shame that he's being pulled into this."[48]

Paul Reiser and Jerry Seinfeld are two of the number of celebrities to have voiced support for Leno.[50][51]

Responding to the mounting criticism, Leno claimed that NBC had assured him that O'Brien was willing to accept the proposed arrangement and then would not let either host out of his contract.[52] Leno also said that the situation was "all business."[52] He appeared on the January 28 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show in an attempt to repair some of the damage done to his public image.[53][54]

Personal life

Leno with President Barack Obama in March 2009

Leno has been married since 1980 to Mavis Leno; they have no children.[55]

He is known for his prominent jaw, which has been described as mandibular prognathism.[56] In the book Leading with My Chin he stated that he is aware of surgery that could reset his mandible, but does not wish to endure a prolonged healing period with his jaws wired shut.

Leno is dyslexic.[6] He claims to sleep only four to five hours each night.[57] Leno does not drink or smoke, nor does he gamble.[58] He spends most of his free time visiting car collections or working in his private garage.[58]

Leno reportedly earns $32 million each year;[59] his total net worth is unknown, but has been estimated to be at least $150 million.[60]

Charity

In 2001, along with his wife, he donated $100,000 to the Feminist Majority's campaign to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan, to educate the public regarding the plight of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Mavis Leno is on the board of the Feminist Majority.[61][62]

In 2009, he donated $100,000 to a scholarship fund at Salem State College in honor of Lennie Sogoloff. Mr. Sogoloff gave Leno his start at his jazz club, Lennie's-on-the-Turnpike.[63]

Love Ride

Since 1985 Jay Leno has been the grand marshal for the Love Ride, a motorcycle charity event which since its founding in 1984 has raised nearly $14 million dollars for charities benefiting muscular dystrophy research and, in 2011, Autism Speaks.[citation needed]

Leno arriving at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in his Hispano-Suiza Aero[64]

Vehicle collection

Leno owns approximately 100 vehicles, not including about 90 motorcycles.[65] He also has a website called "Jay Leno's Garage," which contains video clips and photos of his automobiles in detail.[66]

He has a regular column in Popular Mechanics which showcases his car collection and gives advice about various automotive topics, including restoration and unique models, such as his jet-powered motorcycle and solar-powered hybrid. Leno also writes occasional "Motormouth" articles for The Sunday Times,[67] reviewing high-end sports cars and giving his humorous take on automotive matters.

References

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  2. ^ Breuer, Howard, and Stephen M, Silverman (2008-06-24). "Carlin Remembered: He Helped Other Comics with Drug Problems". People. Time Inc.. http://www.people.com/people/article/0,20208460,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontentcnn. Retrieved 2008-06-24. 
  3. ^ James Hirsen, Dennis Miller: Why I 'Ascended' to the Right, NewsMax.com, February 5, 2004.
  4. ^ Adalian, Josef (January 21, 2010). "Exclusive: Conan, NBC Officially Splitsville (Updated)". The Wrap. http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/new-nbc-breaking-story-13241. Retrieved January 21, 2010. 
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  6. ^ a b c Carter, Bill. "Pushed From Late Night, Leno Is Set for Prime Time" The New York Times, 12 September 2009.
  7. ^ Aivaz, Mike (October 18, 2007). "Obama on Leno: Hillary has declared 'mission accomplished' too soon". The Raw Story. http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Obama_takes_jab_at_Clinton_on_1018.html. Retrieved May 11, 2008. [dead link]
  8. ^ "Carson cuts appearances". Rome News-Tribune. Associated Press (Rome, Ga.): p. 14. June 2, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NQMIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SzYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5008,192179&dq=tonight+jay-leno+shandling. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  9. ^ "NBC signs Jay Leno to contract extension". USA Today. Associated Press. March 31, 2004. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-03-30-leno-contract-extended_x.htm. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  10. ^ Carter, Bill (September 27, 2004). "Conan O'Brien to Succeed Jay Leno in 2009, NBC Announces". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/business/media/28CND-NBC.html?pagewanted=print&position=. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  11. ^ "LENO/WGA: WHAT'S THE REAL STORY? NBC Claims Jay Asked For & Received WGA Permission To Write Monologue At Secret Monday Meeting With Verrone". Deadline Hollywood Daily. http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/lenowga-whats-the-real-story-nbc-claims-jay-asked-for-received-wga-permission-to-write-monologue-at-monday-meeting-with-verrone-et-al/. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  12. ^ Verrier, Richard (2009-08-11). "WGA: No chin music for Jay Leno". Company Town (Los Angeles Times). http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/08/guild-clears-jay-leno-of-violating-strike-rules.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  13. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2009-08-11). "Jay Leno cleared of strike violations; WGA West issues penalties in three cases". Variety (New York City: Reed Business Information). http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007189.html?categoryId=2821&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  14. ^ della Cava, Marco (July 17, 2008). "Jay Leno Gears up for Life After 'Tonight'". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-07-16-leno-cover_N.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-25. 
  15. ^ Hannah, Jack (2009-04-23). "Jay Leno hospitalized; 'Tonight Show' tapings canceled". CNN.com (Cable News Network). http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/23/leno.hospitalized/index.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  16. ^ Dillon, Nancy (April 24, 2009). "Jay Leno released from the hospital". New York: NYDailyNews. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/04/24/2009-04-24_rep_jay_leno_hospital_trip_precautionary_late_night_host_to_be_released_friday.html. Retrieved 2009-04-24. 
  17. ^ a b "Jay Leno misses first show in 17 years". Canada.com. Reuters (Winnipeg, Manitoba: Canwest Publishing Inc.). 2009-04-24. http://www.canada.com/News/Leno+misses+first+show+years/1530668/story.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  18. ^ Warrick, Pamela (2009-05-01). "Jay Leno Reveals Mystery Ailment: Exhaustion". People.com (Time Inc.). http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20276256,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  19. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa (May 24, 2005). "Comedians Jay Leno and Chris Tucker testify for Michael Jackson". Court TV. http://www.courttv.com/trials/jackson/052405_ctv.html. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  20. ^ Showbiz Tonight. 2005-03-08. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  21. ^ Moore, Frazier (May 18, 2008). "NBC's Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien swap prompts rumors". Newsday. Associated Press. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-fftv5685783may18,0,4188633.story?track=rss. Retrieved October 26, 2008. [dead link]
  22. ^ Carter, Bill (July 22, 2008). "Date Is Set for Leno's 'Tonight' Finale". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/arts/television/22late.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/T/Television. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  23. ^ Carter, Bill (2009-05-30). "Jay Leno Takes Final Bow on ‘Tonight Show’". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html?em. Retrieved 2009-05-30. 
  24. ^ Carter, Bill (December 9, 2008). "Where Is Leno Going? To Prime Time, on NBC". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/business/media/09leno.html?em. Retrieved May 6, 2010. 
  25. ^ "Leno's last 'Tonight' announced". CNN.com. Associated Press. July 21, 2008. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080724101827/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/21/tv.nbc.tonight.ap/index.html. Retrieved July 21, 2008. "Leno's last show was Friday, May 29, and O'Brien started the following Monday, June 1, NBC executives told a Television Critics Association meeting Monday." 
  26. ^ Jay Leno Reveals What To Expect From His New Primetime Show
  27. ^ "Future For NBC's Tonight Show Up In The Air", Los Angeles Times, January 2010.
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  32. ^ "NBC to Conan O'Brien – The Choice Is Yours", TMZ, 8 January 2010.
  33. ^ Conan Won't Do "The Tonight Show" Following Leno, MSNBC.com, 12 January 2010.
  34. ^ Robert Seidman , NBC Announces That Jay Leno Will Return To Host “The Tonight Show” Beginning March 1, tvbythenumbers.com, 21 January 2010.
  35. ^ NBC Universal Confirms Conan O’Brien Exit Deal Signed from Bloomberg via Business Week
  36. ^ Conan O'Brien, NBC reach deal[dead link] from CBC News
  37. ^ Levine, Stuart (2010-07-01). "'Kimmel,' 'Nightline' show demo increase". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118021316.html?categoryid=14&cs=1. 
  38. ^ Pike, Julie (September 7, 2010). "Tonight Show Ratings Plummet – Jay Leno Sinks Beneath Conan O'Brien Numbers". The National Ledger (The National Ledger, LLC). http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=53&num=34570. Retrieved 2010-10-04. 
  39. ^ Piccalo, Gina (October 24, 2010). "Comedians Laugh as Leno Sinks". The Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-10-24/jay-lenos-sinking-tonight-show-ratings-will-conan-obrien-get-the-last-laugh/. Retrieved 2010-10-26. 
  40. ^ The Wall Street Journal article: "Why Some Comics Aren’t Laughing at Jay Leno".
  41. ^ a b Kansas City Star article: "Jay Leno is Mr. Nice Guy no more — but was he ever?[dead link]".
  42. ^ a b Digital Journal article: Jay Leno in 2004: "In '09, Conan, it's yours"
  43. ^ Funnyordie.com: 2004 Tonight Show Clip: "Conan, It's yours!"
  44. ^ The Huffington Post article: "Patton Oswalt: Jay Leno Is Like Nixon, I Don't Like Him".
  45. ^ Porter, Rick (2010-01-14). "Rosie O'Donnell is on Team Conan". Zap2it. http://blog.zap2it.com/thedishrag/2010/01/rosie-odonnell-is-on-team-conan.html. Retrieved 2009-01-15. 
  46. ^ New York Daily News article: "Rosie O'Donnell, Jimmy Kimmel slam Jay Leno over Tonight Show battle."
  47. ^ New York Magazine article: "Rosie O’Donnell Has More to Say About Jay Leno."
  48. ^ a b Los Angeles Times article: "Taking on America's 'nice guy'", p. 2.
  49. ^ Los Angeles Times article: "Taking on America's 'nice guy'".
  50. ^ The Huffington Post article: "Paul Reiser: A Teachable Moment."
  51. ^ The Wrap article: "Seinfeld on Jay-Conan Debacle: 'I Can't Blame NBC'."
  52. ^ a b Entertainment Weekly article: "Jay Leno Tries to Make Nice, While Conan Rallies the Troops."
  53. ^ Perez Hilton article: "Oprah Shows Some Tonight Show Love".
  54. ^ TV.com article: "Confirmed, Jay Leno to Restore Reputation on 'Oprah'[dead link]".
  55. ^ "Jay Leno". Who's Who in America. Marquis. http://www.whoswhoinamerica.com/jay_leno/talk_show_host_comedian_writer/occ28/5463136. 
  56. ^ Chudley, A.E. (October 1998). "Genetic landmarks through philately – The Habsburg jaw". Clinical Genetics 54 (4): 283–284. doi:10.1034/j.1399-0004.1998.5440404.x. PMID 9831338. 
  57. ^ Mike McLeod, Jay Leno – The Tonight Show's $1 Billion Man Collects Cars and Motorcycles, go-star.com
  58. ^ a b Nevada Magazine article: "Classic cars and comedy".
  59. ^ Forbes article: "Jay Leno – The Top 100 Celebrities".
  60. ^ CelebrityNetWorth.com: "Jay Leno's Net Worth."
  61. ^ "Hollywood's Latest Cause: Can A Pack Of Celebrities Save Afghanistan's Women?". Newsweek. December 6, 1999. http://www.newsweek.com/id/90455/output/print. 
  62. ^ Greenberg, Susan H. (February 21, 2000). "So Many Causes, So Little Time Save The Rain Forest! Free Tibet! For Today's Stars, There's No Business Like Fund-Raising Business". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/82834. 
  63. ^ "Leno says thanks with $100k check". The Boston Herald. April 12, 2009. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/04/12/leno_says_thanks_with_100k_check. Retrieved November 29, 2009. 
  64. ^ Update: 1915 Hispano-Suiza Aero Engine Car (video), jaylenosgarage.com
  65. ^ The Cars, jaylenosgarage.com
  66. ^ "Jay Leno's Garage". Official Website. http://www.jaylenosgarage.com. 
  67. ^ Moran, Michael (May 9, 2007). "Jay Leno's million dollar garage". London: The Times. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/article1746609.ece. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jay Leno
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Media offices
Preceded by
Conan O'Brien		 Host of The Tonight Show
March 1, 2010–present		 Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by
Johnny Carson		 Host of The Tonight Show
May 25, 1992 – May 29, 2009		 Succeeded by
Conan O'Brien
Hosts
Steve Allen (1954–1957) • Jack Paar (1957–1962) • Johnny Carson (1962–1992) • Jay Leno (1992–2009, 2010–present) • Conan O'Brien (2009–2010)
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Tonight Show Band
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