David Letterman Bio

David Letterman is a late-night talk show host and comedian known for his sarcastic on-air personality and his unconventional approach to the traditional talk show format.

Born in Indiana in 1947, Letterman attended Ball State University, where in spite of being a self-proclaimed “C student,” he got his first on-air experience as a college radio announcer. After graduating, he worked as a television anchor and weatherman in Indianapolis, where he further developed his on-air persona, cracking jokes and occasionally giving the weather for fictional cities.

In 1975, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, where he sought work as a television writer. Throughout the late 70s, Letterman wrote for such shows as “Good Times,” performed stand-up comedy, and appeared on sitcoms and game shows.

His growing reputation as a professional smart alec earned him a guest spot on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” where he started appearing regularly in 1978.

In 1980, Letterman landed his own show on NBC: a short-lived morning program called the “David Letterman Show.” The morning show was quickly cancelled, but in 1982, NBC offered Letterman a second chance: the late night slot following “The Tonight Show.” Airing at 12:30 a.m. Eastern time, his new show “Late Night With David Letterman” soon developed a loyal following for its mix of goofy gags and segments like “Stupid Pet Tricks.” Letterman adopted a dry, sarcastic tone with the celebrities who appeared on his show, and wasn’t afraid to offend those he viewed as self-important or silly. His irreverent style struck a chord, especially with college students, and he dominated his time slot for the eleven years the show was on the air.

In 1992, when Johnny Carson retired from the “Tonight Show,” Letterman was disappointed not to be chosen as Carson’s successor. Instead, NBC gave the slot to Jay Leno, a comedian who had already been filling in for Carson occasionally. Letterman left the network, and in 1993 signed with CBS to host the “Late Show with David Letterman,” which aired opposite Leno’s “Tonight Show.” In many ways, Letterman’s CBS show was a continuation of his NBC program: he continued to do modified versions of the same segments from his previous show, such as the Top 10 list. Some critics argued that Letterman softened his sarcastic persona somewhat, particularly after his recovery from heart surgery in 2000.

The “Late Show with David Letterman” has been a mixed success: after initially drawing higher ratings than Leno’s “Tonight Show,” its popularity declined somewhat starting in 1995, after which Leno dominated the slot. Some attributed the decline to Letterman’s stint as Oscar host in 1995, which was panned by critics. Letterman has also started a successful production company, “Worldwide Pants,” which has produced several TV programs including “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

David Letterman has been married twice: first to Michelle Cook, whom he married in 1969 and divorced in 1977, and then to Regina Lasko, who bore Letterman a son in 2003 and married him in 2009.