Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir Leno (/ˈlɛnoʊ/; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, writer and comedian. 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. When 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, it led to the 2010 Tonight Show conflict which resulted in Leno returning to hosting the show on March 1, 2010. He hosted his last episode of his second tenure on February 6, 2014. That year, he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. From 2014 to 2022, he hosted Jay Leno's Garage, and from 2021 to 2023, hosted the revival of You Bet Your Life.
| 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 |
Mavis Nicholson (m. 1980) |
| Notable works and roles |
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| Signature | |
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.