Following in the footsteps of legendary NBC late night hosts Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson is Jay Leno, host of the Emmy Award-winning top-rated "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Celebrating his eighth anniversary in May 2000, Leno has created his own unique late night style with a combination of humor, talk and entertainment each night at 11:35 p.m., a time when viewers want to relax with a few laughs before heading off to sleep.
Leno's "everyman" quality and his personable style have helped him earn millions of fans around the world. He has been touted as one of the nicest people in show business as well as the hardest working -- a winning combination for the man who says "anyone can have a life - careers are hard to come by!"
"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" has experienced a number of highlights over the years, including winning three Emmy Awards - the first in 1995 for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music series, the second in 1996 for Outstanding Technical Direction, and the third in 1997 for Outstanding Technical Direction. In February 1999 "The Tonight Show" took home the trophy for Favorite Late Night Show during the first annual "TV Guide" Awards voted on by viewers.
Prior to becoming host of "Tonight," Leno had been the exclusive guest host on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" since September 1987. He first appeared as a guest on the show March 2, 1977, and he made numerous appearances on "Tonight" as well as NBC's former program "Late Night with David Letterman." Leno can also be seen in major motion pictures such as "Contact," "EdTV," "Dave," "In & Out," and "Wag the Dog," He has also made guest appearences on the critically acclaimed television series' "The Simpsons," "Home Improvement," "South Park," "The Larry Sanders Show," and NBC's "Seinfeld."
One of the country's premier comedians for the past 20 years, Leno has appeared in hundreds of comedy shows around the United States. In 1995 he traveled to Aviano, Italy where he performed for military troops associated with the peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia. He remains passionate about performing in front of live audiences and appears regularly in Las Vegas, on college campuses and in other venues.
In addition to his work as a top comedian, Leno has been widely recognized as a car expert and enthusiast, and earlier this year, he drove the Pace car in the Indianapolis 500. He also writes a national column for a leading automotive magazine, "Popular Mechanics," as well as other well-known automotive publications.
Leno has written a book titled "Leading With My Chin" from HarperCollins, and he also has published four versions of "Headlines," the compilation of books and desk calendars featuring his favorite funny newspaper headlines, and "Police Blotter," a book with more humorous newspaper clips, this time involving police stories. Proceeds from the book sales go to various charities.
Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Andover, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Mavis, live in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys working on his collection of classic cars and motorcycles.
