David Letterman Biography (1947-)

Full name, David Michael Letterman; born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, IN;son of Joseph (a florist) and Dorothy (a church secretary) Letterman; married Michelle Cook, 1969 (divorced, 1977). Addresses: Office: Late Show with David Letterman, Ed Sullivan Theater, 1697 Broadway, New York, NY 10019-5904.; Agent: Lee Gabler, Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Publicist: Stephen Rubenstein, Rubenstein & Associates, 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10105.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Television host, comedian, writer
Birth Details: April 12, 1947; Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Television Appearances
Series
Announcer and regular, The Starland Vocal Band, CBS, 1977
Regular, Mary, CBS, 1978
Regular guest, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1978-1992
Regular guest host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1979-1981
Host, The David Letterman Show, NBC, 1980
Host, Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1982-1993
Host, Late Show with David Letterman (also known as Late Show Backstage and The Late Show), CBS, 1993-
Specials
CBS team member, Battle of the Network Stars V, ABC, 1975
Bob Hope Special: Bob Hope's Super Birthday Special, NBC, 1984
The NBC All-Star Hour, NBC, 1985
Late Night Film Festival, NBC, 1985
The Television Academy Hall of Fame, NBC, 1986
The Jay Leno Show, NBC, 1986
David Letterman's 2nd Annual Holiday Film Festival, NBC, 1986
Host, Late Night with David Letterman 5th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1987
Host, David Letterman's Old-Fashioned Christmas, NBC, 1987
Late Night with David Letterman 6th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1988
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 26th Anniversary Special,NBC, 1988
The Comedy Store 15th Class Reunion, NBC, 1988
Host, Late Night with David Letterman 7th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1989
Skyscraper (documentary), PBS, 1990
Host, Late Night with David Letterman 8th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1990
Two Years ... Later, NBC, 1990
Sunday Night with Larry King, NBC, 1990
(In archive footage) Johnny Carson's 29th Anniversary, 1991
Host, The Late Night with David Letterman 10th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1992
The Barbara Walters Special, ABC, 1992
Donahue: The 25th Anniversary, NBC, 1992
The Comedy Store's 20th Birthday, NBC, 1992
The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1993
The Twelve Most Fascinating People of 1993, ABC, 1993
Host, The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special, CBS, 1994
It's Just a Ride (also known as Bill Hicks: It's Just a Ride and It's Just a Ride: A Tribute to Bill Hicks), syndicated, 1994
A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman, 1995
Comic Relief VII, 1995
(In archive footage) 20 Years of Comedy on HBO, 1995
Host, The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special 2, CBS, 1996
Host, The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special 3, CBS, 1997
Steve Allen's 75th Birthday Celebration, PBS, 1997
Guest host, CBS: The First 50 Years, CBS, 1998
Regis Philbin: Made for TV, Arts and Entertainment, 1998
Host, The Late Show with David Letterman 5th Anniversary Special,CBS, 1998
(In archive footage) Sonny & Me: Cher Remembers, CBS, 1998
Intimate Portrait: Mary Tyler Moore, Lifetime, 1998
Hollywood Salutes Bruce Willis: An American Cinematheque Tribute,TNT, 2000
The Comedy Store: The E! True Hollywood Story (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 2001
(In archive footage) Survivor II: The Reunion, CBS, 2001
(In archive footage) 50 Years of NBC Late Night, NBC, 2001
The Billy Elliot Boy (also known as Omnibus: The Billy Elliot Boy), BBC, 2001
Awards Presentations
Cohost, The 38th Annual Emmy Awards, NBC, 1986
The 39th Annual Emmy Awards, Fox, 1987
The American Television Awards, ABC, 1993
Host, The 67th Annual Academy Awards Presentation, ABC, 1995
Movies
Matt Morgan, Fast Friends, NBC, 1979
Episodic
Panelist, The Gong Show, syndicated, 1976
Celebrity Cooks, 1978

Tomorrow, 1978
Ellsworth, "Mork Goes to Ork," Mork and Mindy, ABC, 1979
Panelist, Password Plus, 1979
Interviewer, TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes, NBC, 1984
"Paul Shaffer: Viva Shaf Vegas," The Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1987
"Action Family," The Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1987
"Merrill Markoe's Guide to Glamorous Living," The Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1988
Thief, "Damned if You Do," The Building, 1993
(Uncredited) Himself, "Bump in the Night," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1993
Himself, "Life behind Larry," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1993
(Uncredited) Voice of himself, "Late Night with Butt-head," Beavis andButt-head (animated), MTV, 1994
Guest, The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, 1995
Guest, The Jon Stewart Show, 1995
(Uncredited) Himself, "Pen Pals," The Nanny, CBS, 1995
Himself, "Larry's Big Idea," The Larry Sanders Show, HBO, 1995
Guest, The Charlie Rose Show, 1996
Guest, Larry King Live, 1996
(Uncredited) Himself, "The Abstinence," Seinfeld, NBC, 1996
Himself, The Dana Carvey Show, ABC, 1996
The Howard Stern Show, 1996
Guest, The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, 1997
Himself, "Fifteen Minutes of Fame," Cosby, CBS, 1997
Himself, "An Affair to Remember," Spin City, ABC, 1997
(Uncredited) Voice of Rags, the geriatric dog, "Dead Dog Talking," Spin City, ABC, 1998
Guest, "Insecure Perfectionist," Nightline Up Close, 2002
Also appeared in Good Friends, CBS; panelist, Liar's Club;panelist, $20,000 Pyramid; ALF; Open All Night.
Pilots
Dan Cochran, Peeping Times, NBC, 1978
Television Executive Producer
Series
Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1982-1993
The Building, CBS, 1993
Late Show with David Letterman (also known as Late Show Backstage and The Late Show), CBS, 1993-
The Bonnie Hunt Show (also known as Bonnie), 1995
Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 1996
The High Life, HBO, 1996-1997
The Late Show with Craig Kilborn (also known as The Late Late Show), CBS, 1999
Ed (also known as Stuckeyville), NBC, 2000
Specials
David Letterman's 2nd Annual Holiday Film Festival, NBC, 1986
The Late Night with David Letterman 5th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1987
David Letterman's Old-Fashioned Christmas, NBC, 1987
(With Jack Rollins) The Late Night with David Letterman 6th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1988
The Late Night with David Letterman 7th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1989
The Late Night with David Letterman 8th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1990
The Late Night with David Letterman 10th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1992
Episodic
"Carol Doesn't Liefer Any More" (also known as "I Was a Woman Who Loved Too Much"), The Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1988
Film Appearances
"Homage to Steve," Steve Martin Live, 1986
(As Earl Hofert) Old salt in fishing village, Cabin Boy (also known as Nathaniel, the Cabin Boy), Buena Vista, 1994
(As Earl Hofert) Voice of Motley Crue roadie number one, Beavis and Butt-head Do America (animated), 1996
(Uncredited) Himself, Eddie, 1996
Himself, Howard Stern's Private Parts (also known as Private Parts), Paramount, 1997
Jackie Chan: My Story, 1998
(In archive footage) Occasional Coarse Language, 1998
(In archive footage) Boyz in Tights, 1998
(Uncredited) Himself, Man on the Moon (also known as Der Mondmann), 1999
(Uncredited) Meeting People Is Easy (also known as Radiohead: Meeting People Is Easy), Seventh Art, 1999
(Uncredited) Comedian, Miramax, 2002
WRITINGS
Television Series
with Others
The Starland Vocal Band, CBS, 1977
Mary, CBS, 1978
The David Letterman Show, NBC, 1980
Late Night with David Letterman, NBC, 1982-1993
The Late Night Morning Show, NBC, 1985
Late Show with David Letterman (also known as Late Show Backstage and The Late Show), CBS, 1993-
Television Specials
with Others
The John Denver Special, ABC, 1974
The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour, ABC, 1977
Bob Hope's All-Star Comedy Special from Australia, NBC, 1978
David Letterman's 2nd Annual Holiday Film Festival, NBC, 1986
The Late Night with David Letterman 5th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1987
The Late Night with David Letterman 6th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1988
The Late Night with David Letterman 7th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1989
The Late Night with David Letterman 8th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1990
The Late Night with David Letterman 10th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1992
The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special, CBS, 1994
The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special 2, CBS, 1996
The Late Show with David Letterman Video Special 3, CBS, 1997
The Late Show with David Letterman 5th Anniversary Special, 1998
Television Episodes
Wrote an episode of Good Times, CBS.
Other
(With others) The Late Night with David Letterman Book of Top Ten Lists, edited by Leslie Wells, Pocket Books (New York), 1990
(With others) An Altogether New Book of Top Ten Lists: From "Late Night with David Letterman," edited by Sally Peters, Pocket Books, 1991
Roman Numeral Two! Top Ten Lists from Late Night with David Letterman, Pocket Books, 1994
(With Steve O'Donnell) David Letterman's Book of Top Ten Lists and Zesty Local Chicken Recipes, Bantam Books (New York), 1995
(With O'Donnell) David Letterman's New Book of Top Ten Lists and Wedding Dress Patterns for the Husky Bride, Bantam, 1996
(With Dorothy Letterman) Home Cookin' with Dave's Mom, Pocket Books, 1996

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

Adler, Bill, The Letterman Wit: His Life and Humor, Carroll &Graf (New York), 1994
Breckman, Andy, and others, Late Night with David Letterman: The Book, Villard Books, 1985
Cader, Michael, and Fabrienne Marsh, Dave's World: The Unofficial Guide to the Late Show with David Letterman, Warner Books (New York), 1995
Latham, Caroline, The David Letterman Story, F. Watts (New York),1987
Lefkowitz, Frances, David Letterman, Chelsea House Publishers (NewYork), 1997
Lennon, Rosemary, David Letterman: On Stage and Off, Pinnacle Books, 1994

Periodicals

Daily News (New York, NY), January 31, 1988
Detroit Free Press, September 3, 1992, p. 5G
Entertainment Weekly, June 21, 1996, p. 52; February 5, 1999, p. 84; November 2, 2001, pp. 24-28
Esquire, December, 1981; November 11, 1986, p. 144; September 11,1991, p. 141
Newsweek, July 7, 1980, p. 62; February 3, 1986, p. 46
New York, May 30, 1983, p. 69; January 19, 1987, p. 36
New York Times, September 17, 1980; July 27, 1986
People Weekly, February 4, 1980, p. 45; June 4, 1984, p. 11; July14, 1986, p. 88; summer, 1989, p. 74; August 27, 1990, p. 51; February 11, 2002, pp. 56-58
Playboy, January, 1994, p. 61
Rolling Stone, June 20, 1985, p. 25; November 3, 1988, February 18, 1993, p. 34
Sports Afield, winter, 1998, p. 15
Time, March 22, 1982, p. 69; February 26, 1986, p. 62; February 6,1989, p. 66; November 17, 1997, p. 97
TV Guide, March 27, 1982, p. 46; August 1, 1992, p. 8
Vanity Fair, June, 2002, pp. 192-195, 229-232

Electronic

David Letterman Official Site, http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow, December 22, 2002

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