Jay Leno

Birthday: 28 April 1950, New Rochelle, New York, USA

Birth Name: James Douglas Muir Leno

Height: 180 cm

Jay Leno began his career in night clubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big in 1992 with his own late-night talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). By that time he had appeared on television, acted in a few films (American Hot Wax (1978)) but hit paydirt with his late-night television appearances (he made a record number of visits to Late Night with David Letterman (1982)); for several years, he served as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). A big, sweet guy with a very good comedy routine, he vied with David Letterman to inherit Carson's seat when Johnny retired in 1992. His victory was well-publicized, but empty, though he did gain a measure of revenge when his show beat Letterman's for the Emmy in 1995. Though he consistently lost in the ratings to Letterman except on special occasions, like Hugh Grant's first TV appearance after his encounter with Divine Brown, he surged ahead in 1996, as CBS plunged further into oblivion. Show less «

"In France, they're having trouble translating a lot of Internet terms into French. In France the la...Show more »

"In France, they're having trouble translating a lot of Internet terms into French. In France the law is you have to use French words. For example, there are no French words for surfing the Web, there aren't any French words for chat session, and there aren't any French words for hacker. Of course, a lot of other words don't translate to French either: military victory, deodorant..." (From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), May 4, 2001) Show less «

[on NBC replacing Conan O'Brien with Jay Leno after only seven months of his tenure hosting "The Ton...Show more »

[on NBC replacing Conan O'Brien with Jay Leno after only seven months of his tenure hosting "The Tonight Show"] -- Conan got screwed. I got screwed. This is TV. The reason show business pays a lot of money is so when you get screwed you've got something left over. Show less «

[on the now-defunct XFL] "Ratings for the XFL are so low that pretty soon they'll be able to address...Show more »

[on the now-defunct XFL] "Ratings for the XFL are so low that pretty soon they'll be able to address the viewers by name." Show less «

This week, Britney Spears sent out invitations for her marriage to Kevin Federline. But those aren't...Show more »

This week, Britney Spears sent out invitations for her marriage to Kevin Federline. But those aren't really invitations, those are more like season tickets. Once you have one, you get to go to all her weddings until January. Show less «

A new medical study reports that men who eat ten pizzas a week are less likely to develop prostate p...Show more »

A new medical study reports that men who eat ten pizzas a week are less likely to develop prostate problems at age 50. That's because they are usually dead by age 40. Show less «

In Huntington Beach, California, three police instructors lost their jobs after ordering two cadets ...Show more »

In Huntington Beach, California, three police instructors lost their jobs after ordering two cadets who were caught smoking to eat cigarette sandwiches as punishment. And of course the tobacco companies are thinking, 'Cigarette sandwiches - what a great idea.' Show less «

I've live with five women in my life. Everyone was born on September 5th. Including my wife. I can a...Show more »

I've live with five women in my life. Everyone was born on September 5th. Including my wife. I can always spot a September 5th. I guess I must just be attracted to women born on September 5th. Show less «

They always say the Miss America Pageant isn't a beauty contest, it's really a scholarship program. ...Show more »

They always say the Miss America Pageant isn't a beauty contest, it's really a scholarship program. If that's the case, why don't we just put all the contestants on Jeopardy! (1984) and pick Miss America that way? At least you get the smartest one. Show less «

The best way to ruin a comedy is to throw a lot of money at it.

[on the steering for his jet-powered motorcycle] "It's kinda like square-dancing with a fat lady: th...Show more »

[on the steering for his jet-powered motorcycle] "It's kinda like square-dancing with a fat lady: the fact that she does it at all is pretty amazing." Show less «

Some sad news: President George W. Bush's lapdog passed away. Gee, I didn't even know Tony Blair was...Show more »

Some sad news: President George W. Bush's lapdog passed away. Gee, I didn't even know Tony Blair was sick. Show less «

The reason there are two senators for each state is so that one can be the designated driver.

"A historic operation occurred over in Boston. Doctors successfully transplanted tissue from a pig's...Show more »

"A historic operation occurred over in Boston. Doctors successfully transplanted tissue from a pig's brain to a man's brain -- and the man's brain did not reject it. That pretty much confirms what women have been saying about men" (From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), April 25, 1995). Show less «

I see that Mike Tyson has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It marks the first time that Mike Ty...Show more »

I see that Mike Tyson has just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It marks the first time that Mike Tyson has made it to Chapter 11 in anything. Show less «

Happy birthday to Hugh Hefner. He just turned 88. You might remember, a year-and-a-half ago he marri...Show more »

Happy birthday to Hugh Hefner. He just turned 88. You might remember, a year-and-a-half ago he married his 26-year-old fiancée, Crystal Harris. Or, as she calls it, bed-panning for gold. Show less «

You aren't famous until my mother has heard of you.

"Seems there's a big debate going on about whether a new TV commercial for Minute Maid orange juice ...Show more »

"Seems there's a big debate going on about whether a new TV commercial for Minute Maid orange juice portrays Popeye and Bluto as gay lovers or just good friends. The commercial shows Popeye and Bluto at the beach and riding a bicycle for two. I don't think that makes them gay. I think the fact they both find Olive Oyl attractive, that makes them gay." (From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), June 4, 2001) Show less «

My dad's idea of a good time is to go to Sears and walk around.

"President James Garfield could write in Latin with one hand while writing in Greek with the other. ...Show more »

"President James Garfield could write in Latin with one hand while writing in Greek with the other. I would give my right arm to be ambidextrous." (From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), March 9, 2001) Show less «

It is said that life begins when the fetus can exist apart from its mother. By this definition, many...Show more »

It is said that life begins when the fetus can exist apart from its mother. By this definition, many people in Hollywood are legally dead. Show less «

If God had wanted us to vote He would have given us candidates.

[Advice to young comedians when starting out] Comedy is like going to college, you do it for four ye...Show more »

[Advice to young comedians when starting out] Comedy is like going to college, you do it for four years, then you graduate, then you start getting stand up jobs. You have to look at it like any other job, if you went to work for a big company, you would start in the mail room for a year, maybe nine months if you're exceptional, then you move up. Show less «

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Tea...Show more »

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak. Show less «

Riding a Ducati is like having sex with an aerobics instructor - you know, I'm exhausted and panting...Show more »

Riding a Ducati is like having sex with an aerobics instructor - you know, I'm exhausted and panting and it's going: 'Are you done, already?' Show less «

"You cannot be mad at somebody who makes you laugh...it's as simple as that."Woman's World (7-4-06)

The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't f...Show more »

The Supreme Court has ruled that they cannot have a nativity scene in Washington, D.C. This wasn't for any religious reasons. They couldn't find three wise men and a virgin. Show less «

"I saw something stupid in the paper today - a new alarm clock that makes no noise. It's for people ...Show more »

"I saw something stupid in the paper today - a new alarm clock that makes no noise. It's for people who don't like loud noises. Instead, it slowly hits you with light and gets brighter and brighter until you wake up. I already have one of those...it's called a window." (From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), February 14, 2001) Show less «

During the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial: "Actor wannabe Kato Kaelin is very excited about this...Show more »

During the infamous O.J. Simpson murder trial: "Actor wannabe Kato Kaelin is very excited about this trial. It's the first call-back he's had in two years. 'Oh, a part! A part! I got another part!'" Show less «

"Looks like Darva 'Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?' Conger (Darva Conger) will pose naked in...Show more »

"Looks like Darva 'Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?' Conger (Darva Conger) will pose naked in 'Playboy' Magazine. She says the photos will be tastefully done. And who else knows more about taste than a woman who marries a man she just met on Fox?" (From The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992), May 8, 2000). Show less «

People don't mind if you have a lot of money if they know you're working for it.

Jay Leno

Jay Leno's FILMOGRAPHY

Jay Leno'S roles

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