A beloved TV personality known for his emotional outbursts and strangely inflected speech, Philbin first came to national prominence as Joey Bishop's sidekick on the comedian's eponymous late-'60s talk show. It took another decade of various on-air gigs before Philbin hit it big as the host of WABC's local Manhattan morning show in 1983. Kathie Lee Gifford joined him as cohost in 1985, and in 1988 their series, renamed
Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, went into national syndication and turned them into superstars. Over the years Philbin was tapped to host a number of other shows (Walt Disney specials, prime-time game show
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) and appeared as himself in countless movies and television shows. He also weathered Gifford's 2000 departure and found great chemistry with her replacement, Kelly Ripa. In 2004, after over 15,000 hours on national television, Philbin entered the record books as the most filmed personality ever.
Regis Philbin Fast Facts:
- Named after father's alma mater, Regis High School in Manhattan.
- Served in the U.S. Navy 1953-55.
- Began broadcasting career in 1955 as a news and sports writer at KCOP in Los Angeles.
- Gained national attention as the sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show (1967-69) and famously walked off the set during a broadcast in 1968 in a disagreement with management, but returned three days later.
- Appeared as himself in a movie for the first time in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex in 1972.
- Wrote two memoirs, I'm Only One Man! in 1995 and Who Wants to Be Me? in 2000.
- Lives by the advice often yelled by his mother in his youth: "Hey, Mister Big Shot, the poorhouse is right around the corner!"
- Regis Philbin Relationships:
- Joanna Philbin - Daughter
- Joy Philbin - Wife
- Kay Faylan - Ex-wife
- Frank Philbin - Brother
- Amy Philbin - Daughter
- Daniel Philbin - Son
- Florence Philbin - Mother
- Frank Philbin - Father
- J.J. Philbin - Daughter
- College:
- Notre Dame University, South Bend, IN (BA, 1953)
