| Profile | |
| Pseudonym | Earl Hofert |
| Birth name | David Michael Letterman |
| Born | April 12, 1947 (1947-04-12) (age 61) Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Medium | Stand-up, television |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1974 "present |
| Genres | Observational comedy, surreal humour |
| Subject(s) | Self-deprecation, everyday life |
| Influences | Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, Paul Dixon |
| Influenced | Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, Rove McManus |
| Spouse | Michelle Cook (1969 "1977) |
| Domestic partner(s) | Regina Lasko (2001 ") |
| Notable works and roles | Host of Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) Host of The Late Show (CBS) |
| Website | CBS.com/latenight/lateshow |
| Emmy Awards | |
| Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series 1981 The David Letterman Show Outstanding Individual Achievement - Writers 1981 The David Letterman Show Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Progr | |
| American Comedy Awards | |
| Funniest Male Performer in a TV Special (Leading or Supporting) Network, Cable or Syndication 1989 Late Night with David Letterman 1995 Late Show with David Letterman: Video Special Funniest Male Perf | |
David Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joe Letterman, was a florist who died in 1973; his mother Dorothy Letterman (née Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering) (born August 12, 1921), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays. He has an older sister Janice and a younger sister Gretchen. One of Read more...
Letterman began his career as a radio talk show host on WXLW (AM), and on Indianapolis television station WLWI (now called WTHR) as a local anchor and weatherman. He received recognition for his unpredictable on-air behavior, which included jokingly calling attention to state borders missing from the weather map, and predicting hail stones "the size of canned hams." (Because this upset his bosses, Read more...
In 1975, encouraged by his then-wife Michelle and several of his fraternity brothers, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California with hopes of becoming a comedy writer. (Gail Koch. "Letterman Evolved from Struggling Radio Host to Star." Ball State Daily News, 1 February 2002.) He started off by writing material for the sitcom Good Times. He also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, Read more...