David Letterman

Before he became famous for "stupid pet tricks" and top-ten lists on late-night network television, David Letterman was honing his peculiar sense of humor at radio and TV stations in Indianapolis.

Letterman studied radio and television at Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana (B.A. 1969). He worked in Indianapolis as a radio talk-show host; the host of a children's program and a late-night movie; a news anchor; and as a television weatherman, where his brand of humor was already evident, if not necessarily appreciated. One night he reportedly upset his bosses when he congratulated a tropical storm on being upgraded to a hurricane.

In 1975 Letterman moved to Los Angeles and wrote material for popular sitcoms, including Good Times. His big break came when he began appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, whom he has since referred to as his mentor. In 1978, he became Carson's regular guest host, and in 1980, he was offered his own show, the daytime David Letterman Show. The show only lasted for three months, but was a critical success, and convinced NBC-TV to give the young comedian a late-night show following Carson's.

The late-late show hour was well-suited to Letterman's brash and quirky humor. Late Night with David Letterman soon became popular with a young audience by mixing the usual talk-show ingredients of celebrity guests and music with his irreverent manner and zany comic stunts. His signature features include The Top Ten List; Stupid Pet Tricks (along with its companion, Stupid Human Tricks); Viewer Mail; and pencils tossed at the camera and at the set behind him, "breaking" the non-existent glass with a cued crash sound. He is also known for his parody sketches that play upon the obvious weak acting abilities of his bandleader Paul Schaffer (and other members of The World's Most Dangerous Band), stage-hand Biff Henderson, and general odd-ball Larry Bud Melman.

After NBC chose Jay Leno as the replacement for the retiring Johnny Carson in 1993—a position Letterman had publicly desired—Letterman moved to CBS. He signed a lucrative deal to host The Late Show with David Letterman, which airs opposite The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He also founded his own production company, Worldwide Pants, that same year, which bought a stake in his new show.

His displeasure with NBC executives was fodder for his monologues, and when they blocked him from transferring regular features of his show to CBS (claiming it was NBC's "intellectual property") that, too, was mocked on air. The years that followed this head-to-head competition spawned a book and cable movie documenting the late-night talk show "wars." Letterman has received several Emmys for both writing and for his talk show hosting duties.

On January 14, 2000, fans were shocked to learn that Letterman underwent quintuple heart bypass surgery. In typical Letterman fashion, the recovering patient joked that "in addition to rerouting the arteries, they also installed an E-Z pass." Letterman's first post-op show aired on February 21, featuring Regis Philbin, Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams (wearing medical scrubs), and eight members of the team who took care of Letterman during his stay in the hospital.

In December 2006, Letterman renewed his contract with CBS, agreeing to host The Late Show with David Letterman through the fall of 2010. In 2007, he was ranked as No. 17 on the Forbes list of richest men in the entertainment industry, making an estimated $40 million that year. In 2009, Forbes also listed Letterman as No. 14 on their list of most powerful personalities in entertainment. The magazine cited Letterman's Peabody Award-winning company, Worldwide Pants, as one of the secrets behind his current wealth and power; in addition to Letterman's show, the company has produced successful comedies such as Everybody Loves Raymond and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.

Letterman is known for successfully keeping his romantic and private life under tight wraps from the media. He was married to Michele Cook from 1969-1977. He has also been romantically linked to comedienne/writer Merrill Markoe. He then began a relationship with production manager Regina Lasko in the mid 80s. Letterman and Lasko celebrated the birth of their son in 2004, who they named after Letterman's father, Harry Joseph Letterman.

Letterman and Lasko wed during a private courthouse ceremony in Choteau, Montana, on March 19, 2009. The talk show host announced his nuptials during his March 23rd show. The family now resides in North Salem, New York, on a 108-acre estate.