Jay Leno's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Jay Leno Muppets Tonight Jay Leno The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Himself - G… The Jay Leno Show Jay Leno The Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour Jay Leno De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7 Jay Leno The Anna Nicole Show Jay Leno

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Exit Through the Gift Shop 2009 - Love the Beast 2008 - Igor 2008 - The Great Buck Howard 2007 - Christmas Is Here Again 2007 - Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project 2007 - Underdog 2006 - Ice Age 2: The Meltdown 2006 - Cars 2006 - The Astronaut Farmer 2005 - Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room 2005 - Robots 2004 - First Daughter 2004 - Mr 3000 2003 - Calendar Girls 2003 - Stuck on You 2002 - John Q 2002 - Juwanna Mann 2002 - Comedian 2000 - Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 2000 - Space Cowboys 1999 - EDtv 1997 - In & Out 1997 - Contact 1997 - Wag the Dog 1997 - Meet Wally Sparks 1997 - Mad City 1996 - The Birdcage 1994 - The Flintstones 1994 - Major League II 1993 - Wayne's World 2 1993 - We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story 1993 - Dave 1981 - Polyester 1979 - Americathon 1978 - American Hot Wax 1977 - Fun with Dick and Jane

BIOGRAPHY:

Jay Leno began his career in night clubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big in 1992 with his own late-night talk show, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992). By that time he had appeared on television, acted in a few films (American Hot Wax (1978)) but hit paydirt with his late-night television appearances (he made a record number of visits to "Late Night with David Letterman" (1982)); for several years, he served as Johnny Carson (I)'s permanent guest host on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962). A big, sweet guy with a very good comedy routine, he vied with David Letterman to inherit Carson's seat when Johnny retired in 1992. His victory was well-publicized, but empty, though he did gain a measure of revenge when his show beat Letterman's for the Emmy in 1995. Though he consistently lost in the ratings to Letterman except on special occasions, like Hugh Grant (I)'s first TV appearance after his encounter with Divine Brown (I), he surged ahead in 1996, as CBS plunged further into oblivion.


TRIVIA:

• He and his wife of many years have no children.
• Maintaining classic cars and motorcycles is one of Jay's hobbies.
• Met his wife while performing at a comedy club in Los Angeles. Mavis was in the audience, and she laughed at all his jokes at the right time.
• In May 2003, he hosted NBC's morning talk show _"Today" (1952)_ (qv). In a May sweeps promotion, "Today" show host 'Katie Couric' (qv), in turn, hosted _"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992)_ (qv).
• In November 2006, on his show, he ate a vegetable for the first time in 37 years.
• 'Billy Crystal' (qv) was his very first guest on Monday May 25, 1992. when Jay took over the late night throne vacated by 'Johnny Carson (I)' (qv) on Friday May 22, 1992.
• Had guests sign one of his Harley Davidsons (the first being 'Arnold Schwarzenegger' (qv)), after which the bike was auctioned off with the money going to help victims of the September 11th attacks.
• Owns over 30 classic cars and over 40 motorcycles. His very first automobile was a 1934 Ford V-8 truck, which he restored himself at the age of 14.