David Letterman

David Letterman is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer whose career spans more than five decades. Born on April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana, he grew up on the city's north side and discovered an early love for jokes from his father, a local florist who entertained family gatherings. After graduating from Ball State University with a BA in Radio and Television in 1969, Letterman entered broadcasting as a weather reporter and announcer in Indianapolis, where his off‑beat on‑air antics began to attract attention. He moved to Los Angeles in 1975, performed at The Comedy Store, and soon landed writing gigs that led to his first national exposure as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1980 NBC gave him a short‑lived morning program, The David Letterman Show, which won two Emmys despite low ratings, and the network kept him for Late Night with David Letterman (1982‑1993), a groundbreaking program noted for its absurdist humor, Top Ten lists, and relentless interview style. In 1993 he shifted to CBS, launching The Late Show with David Letterman from the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where he remained until his retirement in 2015, amassing over 6,000 episodes and becoming the longest‑serving late‑night host in U.S. television history. His production company Worldwide Pants produced not only his own shows but also hits such as Everybody Loves Raymond and the Late Late Show. Since 2018 he has hosted the Netflix interview series My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, continuing his influence on generations of comedians and talk‑show hosts. Throughout his public life he has faced personal challenges, including a quintuple‑bypass heart surgery in 2000, a highly publicized extortion scandal in 2009, and the loss of his father, yet he remains a cultural icon celebrated for his deadpan wit, inventive comedy, and enduring impact on American popular culture.