| Jay Leno | |
|---|---|
 Leno in June 2019 | |
| Birth name | James Douglas Muir Leno |
| Born | April 28, 1950 New Rochelle, New York, U.S. |
| Medium | Stand-up, television, film |
| Education | Emerson College (BA) |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, black comedy, surreal humor, insult comedy, deadpan, satire |
| Subject(s) | American culture, American politics, everyday life, pop culture, current events, human behavior |
| Spouse | |
| Notable works and roles |
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| Signature |  |
James Douglas Muir Leno (/ˈlɛnoʊ/ LEN-oh; born April 28, 1950)[1] is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2009 when Conan O'Brien took over as host. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ET, also on NBC. O'Brien turned down NBC's offer to have Leno host a half hour monologue show before The Tonight Show to boost ratings amid reported viewership diminishing, which sparked the 2010 Tonight Show conflict that resulted in Leno returning to hosting the show on March 1, 2010.[2] He hosted his last episode of his second tenure on February 6, 2014. That year, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.[3] From 2014 to 2022, he hosted Jay Leno's Garage, and from 2021 to 2023, hosted the revival of You Bet Your Life.
Leno writes a regular column in Popular Mechanics showcasing his car collection and giving automotive advice. He also writes occasional "Motormouth" articles for The Sunday Times.
- ^ Sandra Brennan (2013). "Jay Leno Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ Adalian, Josef (January 21, 2010). "Exclusive: Conan, NBC Officially Splitsville (Updated)". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David E. Kelley, Jay Leno, Rupert Murdoch, Ray Dolby, Brandon Stoddard Named To TV Academy's Hall of Fame". Deadline. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved February 22, 2014.