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A list of 40 famous and influential hosts of late-night talk shows, from Johnny Carson to Conan O'Brien, with brief biographies and photos. Learn about their careers, styles, achievements and controversies in the world of comedy and entertainment.
- Stephen Colbert (Late Show) However, I think there are few who would disagree that the greatest post-Daily Show success story (at least, in the world of late night TV) is that of Stephen Colbert, who played an over-the-top conservative version of himself on the Comedy Central juggernaut and its spinoff, The Colbert Report, for years.
- John Oliver (Last Week Tonight) The Daily Show has proven to be a consistently fertile breeding ground for comedic talent, but one of the best to make the transition from social satire to… well, more social satire, is John Oliver.
- Jimmy Kimmel (Jimmy Kimmel Live) Of all the late night “Jims,” I feel most partial to Kimmel, being the kind of host you would love to be a guest for, or even just grab a beer with.
- Seth Meyers (Late Night) Following one of the longest SNL tenures on record – during which he also served as a strong head writer and solo “Weekend Update” host – Seth Meyers seemed like a perfect fit to replace Jimmy Fallon on Late Night.
- Johnny Carson. Corning, Iowa, USA. 7,054 votes. Johnny Carson, the undisputed king of late-night television, helmed The Tonight Show for an impressive three decades.
- Conan O'Brien. Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 11,643 votes. Conan O'Brien, with his distinct pompadour and quick wit, has undoubtedly carved out his own niche within the world of late-night television.
- David Letterman. Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. 7,583 votes. David Letterman, known for his iconic gap-toothed grin and acerbic wit, completely reinvented the late-night scene during his tenure on Late Night with David Letterman, as well as The Late Show with David Letterman.
- Craig Ferguson. Glasgow, Scotland, UK. 6,809 votes. Craig Ferguson, a breath of fresh air amongst the host of talk show stalwarts, injected his quirky musings into the conversation through his time on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
- 7 Taylor Tomlinson, 'After Midnight'
- 6 Jimmy Fallon, 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'
- 5 Andy Cohen, 'Watch What Happens Live'
- 4 Jimmy Kimmel, 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'
- 3 Seth Meyers, 'Late Night with Seth Meyers'
- 2 John Oliver, 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'
- 1 Stephen Colbert, 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'
Taylor Tomlinson is sadly the only woman on the list. Amber Ruffin could easily be here as well, but her Peacock show, The Amber Ruffin Show, rarely airs. Tomlinson goes last on the list, not because of her talent, but rather the fact that she's the new kid on the block. Taking over for James Corden leaving The Late Late Show, the rebranded hour af...
Once again, the nice guy finishes last. After helming Late Night for five years, Fallon became the host of The Tonight Show in 2014. He has become the object of much criticism over the years, from his less-than-stellar interviewing skills, his annoying habit of laughing too often when there’s not even a joke, and the awkward way he tried to tiptoe ...
Next to Jimmy Kimmel, no one has been at their gig longer than Andy Cohen, who has hosted Watch What Happens Live since 2009. Cohen has done it all. He's been a news producer and appeared on news shows as well. Many may know him as the host of Real Housewives (where he's also the executive producer), and he once even hosted a revamped Love Connecti...
Kimmel is the longest-tenured veteran on the list, having hosted his ABC show since 2003. The former star of Win Ben Stein’s Money and The Man Show has seen his act evolve from a more immature sense of humor to something, that while still funny, can also be very serious. Several times the host has shed tears on camera, whether it be about the lates...
The former Saturday Night Live cast member succeeded Fallon in 2014. His years of co-hosting “Weekend Update” with Tina Fey prepared him for the world of late night. His show sputtered at first but found success in the ever-popular “A Closer Look” segments and "Day Drinking," the latter of which sees him, well, drinking during the day with everyone...
The longtime The Daily Show correspondent and once fill-in host debuted on HBO in 2014 to much acclaim. He is the one most like his old boss and confidently carries Stewart’s torch.Each episode has the usual covering of whatever happened in the news last week, but the meatiest part is the main segment where for twenty minutes or more, Oliver focuse...
The leader of the pack in ratings, Colbert was already a late-night powerhouse from his The Daily Show days and his decade-long run on the Emmy-winning The Colbert Report. Replacing one of the all-time greats in David Letterman in 2015 became a more difficult task than most imagined, as he and the country struggled to leave his grumpy conservative ...
- Shawn Van Horn
- 2 min
- Senior Author
- Samantha Vincenty
- 35 min
- Jack Paar. Host Jack Paar appears with Joey Bishop on The Tonight Show on December 21st 1962. Paar was a comedian, TV radio personality, and sometime actor, and he hosted The Tonight Show from 1957-1962.
- Johnny Carson. Tom Selleck during an interview with host Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show on February 16th, 1984. Prior to taking on the role, Carson hosted a game show called Who Do You Trust?
- Jay Leno. Former Tonight Show host Steve Allen during an interview with host Jay Leno on September 27th, 1994. Standup comic Jay Leno was the last Tonight Show Host before Jimmy Fallon—and the only Host who did it twice.
- Conan O’Brien. Conan O'Brien hosts The Tonight Show on January 22nd, 2010. A former writer for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons, Conan O’Brien took over the Tonight Show after hosting Late Night with Conan O’Brien from 1993-2009.
The Official Home of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, That’s My Jam & Password! The Tonight Show is the longest-running talk show on television and the #1 late-night program...
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Jimmy Kimmel is America's longest-running late-night talk show host, with 20 seasons of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" and multiple Emmy® Awards. He also hosts "Live in Front of a Studio Audience" specials, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" and wrote a children's book.
