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David Letterman Biography

Birth Name:David Michael Letterman

Birth Place:Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Profession Actor, Producer, Writer, Soundtrack

Fast Facts

Was one of the recipients of the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors where he was credited with entertaining a generation of late-night viewers and being one of the most influential people in television's history
Became the first recipient of the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at the 2011 Comedy Awards
Started his career as a weatherman on an Indianapolis television station and was known for his unorthodox reporting style, predicting hail stones the size of canned hams and giving temperatures for made-up cities
Quote: "We can all sleep easy at night knowing that somewhere at any given time, the Foo Fighters are out there fighting Foo․"
Admitted on air to having relationships with women who worked for him on "The Late Show" after a producer of "48 Hours" threatened to expose the secret unless Letterman paid him $2 million
Was originally recognized for his dry and sarcastic wit
Best known for hosting late night talk shows, first the quirky "Late Night with David Letterman" on NBC and later the more clean-cut "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS
After undergoing successful quintuple bypass surgery, he petitioned his hometown to name a highway "The David Letterman Bypass․"
The pencils at the desk of his talk show have erasers at both ends so that he doesn't injure anyone when he throws pencils at them
Owns a production company called "Worldwide Pants," and in the past has owned production companies called "Space Age Meat" and "Cardboard Shoe Productions․"

Awards

1981Daytime Emmy-Special Classification of Outstanding Individual Achievement - Writers: winner
1981Daytime Emmy-Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series: winner
1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
1984Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1985Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1985Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1985Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
1985Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1986Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1986Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
1987Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: winner
1987Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1988Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1988Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1988Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1989American Comedy Award-Funniest Male Performer in a TV Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication: winner
1989Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1989Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1990Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: nominated
1990Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1991Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
1991Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1992Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1992Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program (Series): nominated
1993Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1993Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: nominated
1994American Comedy Award-Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication: winner
1994Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1994Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: winner
1995Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: nominated
1996American Comedy Award-Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication: nominated
1996Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: nominated
1997OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series: winner
1997Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1998OFTA Television Award-Best Host of a Talk or Service Show: nominated
1998Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1998Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program: nominated
1999American Comedy Award-Funniest Male Performer in a TV Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication: nominated
1999OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series: nominated
1999Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program: nominated
2000OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series: nominated
2000Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2000WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series: nominated
2001American Comedy Award-Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication: winner
2001OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series: winner
2001Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2001Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
2001WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series: nominated
2002OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series: nominated
2002Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2002WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety (Including Talk) - Series: nominated
2003OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Series: nominated
2003Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2004Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2005OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer of a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Program: nominated
2005Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2006OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer in a Miscellaneous Series or Special: nominated
2006Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
2006Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2007OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer of a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Program: nominated
2007Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
2007Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2008OFTA Television Award-Best Host or Performer of a Variety, Musical, or Comedy Program: nominated
2008Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program: nominated
2008Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program: nominated
2009Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series: nominated
2009Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series: nominated
2009WGA Award (TV)-Comedy/Variety - (Including Talk) Series: nominated
2010Gold Derby TV Award-Variety Performance of the Decade: nominated
2010OFTA Television Award-Best Male Performance in a Fiction Program: nominated
2012OFTA Television Award-Best Male Performance in a Fiction Program: nominated
2012People's Choice Award-Favorite Late Night TV Host: nominated
2013OFTA Television Award-Best Male Performance in a Fiction Program: nominated
2015Primetime Emmy-Outstanding Variety Talk Series: nominated
2018Webby Award-Special Achievement: winner