Jay Leno

American talk show host, comedian and commercial pitchman. In May 1992, Leno replaced Johnny Carson as host of NBC's coveted late-night spot, "The Tonight Show" following in the footsteps of Jack Paar, Steve Allen, and Carson. For his apprenticeship in the'80s, Leno had traveled all around the country performing his stand-up comedy in nightclubs large and small. By the time Carson was ready to retire, Leno and his manager, Helen Kushnick, orchestrated the comedian into the heir apparent position by squeezing out rival NBC talk show host, David Letterman. Television critics rebuked NBC executives for choosing the square-jawed, likable Leno over cagey trickster Letterman. The bitter rivalry between the two talk show hosts intensified in the mid-'90s. By 1998, Leno had dug out his niche with his own loyal "Tonight Show" fans with high TV ratings for his time slot.

Leno's parents were in their 40's by the time Jay was born. He had an older brother Patrick and the two were raised in a traditional middle-class home in the suburbs of Boston. His father, an insurance salesman and his mother, a homemaker, encouraged their sons at school. Jay envied his brother's natural over-achievements in school. His brother was patient and quiet where Jay was impulsive and could not stop talking to anyone who would listen. He enjoyed watching Alan King, Robert Klein and Rodney Dangerfield TV comedy spots in the '60s. Jay found himself bored at school, pulling in less than satisfactory grades, mildly dyslexic, and limited in sports. However, he found humor to be his salvation. His first joke occurred in his fourth grade class, a joke so funny that he heard his teacher repeating it to others. His ability to make jokes and give others a laugh felt like power to the young boy.

After high school, Jay entered Emerson College in Boston and majored in speech. He earned his living by performing his comedy act at night clubs.