James Douglas Muir Leno is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 1992 to 2009.
Jay Leno Net Worth
| Net Worth: | $450 Million |
| Salary: | $15 Million Per Year |
| Date of Birth: | Apr 28, 1950 (72 years old) |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.803 m) |
| Profession: | Actor, Television producer, Screenwriter, Voice Actor, Stand-up comedian, Television presenter, Comedian |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
Early Life
Jay Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York on the 28th of April, 1950. His father, Angelo, was a salesman who was also born in New York. His mother came to New York at the age of 11, and is was born in Greenock in Scotland. Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts. He graduated from Andover High School where he received a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy.
Personal Life
Jay Leno has been married since 1980 to Mavis Leno. The couple has no children. Mavis is a leading feminist in California, the United States, and internationally. Mavis Leno keeps a low profile in comparison to her husband, choosing instead to work behind the scenes of the non-profit, politically charged groups she supports and runs. Leno has been the chair of the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan since 1997. In 1999, Mavis and Jay donated $100,000 to the organization, to further the cause of educating the public about the plight of Afghan women under the Taliban. In 1993, Leno’s mother died at the age of 82 and in the following year, his father died at the age of 84. Leno’s older brother Patrick Leno died in 2002 at the age of 62 after a battle with cancer. Leno is dyslexic and has a prominent jaw, which has been described as mandibular prognathism. Leno does not drink, smoke, or gamble.
Jay Leno’s Assets & Investments
Jay Leno’s assets include 14 real estate properties, 8 Cars, 5 Luxury Yachts. Jay Leno’s Assets Portfolio also includes Cash Reserves of over $42 Million. Jay Leno also owns an investment portfolio of 10 stocks that is valued at $13 Million. A few of the stocks owned by Jay Leno are listed below.
- Qualcomm
- Netflix
- Tesla
- Amazon
- Netflix
Jay Leno Honors and Awards
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series, TV Guide Award for Favorite Late Night Show, Won Hollywood Walk of Fame, People’s Choice Award for Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host, Hasty Pudding Man of the Year, Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Highlights
Here are some of the best highlights of Jay Leno’s career:
Awards
- Writers Guild of America Award for Variety, Musical, Award, Tribute, Special Event (1989)
- Primetime Emmy Award For Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, 1995)
- TV Guide Award (Favorite Late Night Show, 1999)
- Hollywood Walk Of Fame (2000)
- People Choice Award for Favorite Late Night Talk Show (2006)
- Hasty Pudding Man Of The Year (2011)
- TCA Career Achievement Award (2013)
- Mark Twain Prize For American Humor (2014)
Filmography
- Fun With Dick & Jane (1977)
- Dave (1993)
- In & Out (1997)
- Space Cowboys (2000)
- John Q (2002)
- First Daughter (2004)
- Cars (2006)
- Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006)
- Scooby-Doo! And The Goblin King (2008)
- I’m Still Here (2010)
- Delivery Man (2013)
- Ted 2 (2015)
Career
In his early career in 1977, Leno made his first comedy show debut on The Tonight Show. During the 70’s he appeared in several films and television series. He was in the debut episode of the TV show “J.J In Trouble” of Good Times, and also in an episode of Holmes & Yo-Yo. After his successful performance in the movie Fun With Dick & Jane (1977), he got several gigs as an actor. He started his career as a host on The Tonight Show, and in 1992 he decided to replace David Letterman as a host of the show. In 2004 Leno signed a contract with NBC which would keep him as a host on The Tonight Show until 2009.
During the Writers Guild of America Strike in 2007 Leno was accused of violating WGA guidelines by writing his own script for The Tonight Show. He went to trial in 2009, and when WGA published the list of strikebreakers, Leno was not on the list. Currently is known for being one of the busiest performers in comedy. Leno has collaborated with some of the best TV-hosts and comedians during his career, including the likes of David Letterman, Barack Obama, and Jimmy Fallon, and more. He is one of the best performers in comedy and books over 300 appearances annually. He is also famous for observational clean humor, and a cartoon-like facial feature, in which he made reference to in one of his biographies in 1996.