Genre – Stand Up Comedy
Hometown - North Andover, Massachusetts
Life & Career-
Jay Leno is one of the most well known stand up comedians and TV host. This famous comedian was born as James Douglas Muir Leno on 28th April, 1950 in New York. He was born to mother Catherine, a successful house wife, and father Angelo, who worked as an insurance salesman. His late elder brother, Patrick, was a lawyer and a Vietnam War veteran.
Leno grew up in North Andover, Massachusetts. Both his parents prized education but Jay suffered from dyslexia. During school days, his counselors suggested drop out to be the only option for him. However, he moved on and, in 1972, he bagged a Bachelor Degree from Boston’s Emerson College in Speech Therapy.
In 1980, Leno married his wife, Mavis. They met in a Los Angeles club, during one of his performances. He started by working in small night clubs, Even before he had his individual talk show, Leno wrote for the ‘Good Times’, a 1970’s series. The "Merv Griffin Show" is considered to be his 1st debut on TV. Furthermore, Leno showed up on the big screen on ‘Silver Bears’, in 1977. However, he bid adieu to his acting profession as he truly loved standup.
On March 2, 1977, Leno made his 1st "The Tonight Show", appearance. He was a shrewd and sharp political commentator and Carson's sole guest host on the show and eventually succeeded Carson 1992. On his show, he invited Barack Obama and made history. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" became famous as the 1st TV talk show to feature an in-office President as its guest.
In the year 2001, Leno and his wife Mavis, donated nearly $100,000 for the Feminist Majority's campaigns. These campaigns were meant to end gender apartheid in nations like Afghanistan. It also worked towards uplifting the position of women in after the Taliban regime fell. In the year 2009, he gave $100,000 as charity for Salem State College’s scholarship fund to honor Mr. Sogoloff. Mr. Lennie Sogoloff provided Leno with a chance at Lennie's-on-the-Turnpike, his jazz club.
Awards
- 1997 Emmy Awards Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
- 1999 Emmy Awards Outstanding Technical Direction/Camera/Video for “The Tonight Show”
- 1995 Emmy Awards Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
- 1999 TV Guide Awards Favorite late night show for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
- 2000 TV Guide Awards Favorite late night show “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”
- Nomination 1987 Writers Guild of America award
- Honored with star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Albums
- My Classic Car: Jay Leno - Certified Car Nut
Books
- Leading My Chin
- If Roast Beef Could Fly
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles
- Columnist in the Popular Mechanics magazine
Hits
- 1992 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- 1997 Contact
- 2000 Space Cowboys
- 2009 The Jay Leno Show