Jay Leno Biography
Jay Leno (Full name: James Douglas Muir Leno) is an American comedian, actor, producer, writer, and television host. Leno was the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 1992 to 2009. He has hosted Jay Leno’s Garage since 2014.
Growing up in Andover, Massachusetts, Leno attended Andover High School. He then attended Emerson College where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. He started a comedy club in the school in 1973.
Jay Leno Age
James Douglas Muir Leno was born on 28 April 1950 in New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Jay Leno Family
Leno was born to a homemaker mother, Catherine (née Muir; 1911–1993), and Angelo (1910–1994), who was an insurance salesman. His mother was born in Greenock, Scotland, and came to the United States at age 11 while his father was born in New York, to immigrants from Flumeri, Italy.
Jay Leno Brother
Leno has an older brother Patrick Leno who died on 6 October 2002 as a result of complications from cancer. Patrick was a Vietnam War veteran who worked as an attorney.
Jay Leno Wife/Children
Leno has been married to American philanthropist and feminist Mavis Leno since 1980. Does Jay Leno Have Kids? The couple has no kids by mutual agreement. He is dyslexic and also claims to only need four to five hours of sleep each night. He does not drink or smoke nor does he gamble.
With his wife, Leno donated $100,000 to the Feminist Majority Foundation’s campaign to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan in 2001. This was to educate the public regarding the plight of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. His wife is on the board of the Feminist Majority.
He also donated $100,000 to a scholarship fund at Salem State College (now Salem State University) in honor of Lennie Sogoloff in 2009. He also auctioned his Fiat 500, which was sold for $385,000 in August 2012. All the proceeds went to a charity that helps wounded war veterans recover by providing them with temporary housing.
Jay Leno Stand Up
On March 2, 1977, Leno first appeared on The Tonight Show, performing a comedy routine. Leno has also appeared numerous times on Late Night with David Letterman.
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
He was a regular substitute host for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show starting in 1986. He replaced Carson as host in 1992 amid controversy with David Letterman. He continued to perform as a stand-up comedian throughout his term on The Tonight Show.
He signed a contract extension with NBC in 2004 which would then keep him as host of The Tonight Show until 2009. Conan O’Brien signed a contract with NBC later in 2004 under which Conan would become the host of The Tonight Show in 2009 replacing Leno at that time.
Jay Leno Conan
Neither Leno nor Conan succeeded in delivering the viewing audiences the network anticipated in their new roles. Several media outlets reported on January 7, 2010, that beginning March 1, 2010, Leno would move from his 10 p.m. weeknight time slot to 11:35 p.m. Due to the combination of pressure from local affiliates whose newscasts were suffering, and both Leno’s and O’Brien’s poor ratings.
It was then announced on January 21, that NBC had struck a deal with O’Brien. It had been decided that O’Brien would leave The Tonight Show. The deal was then made that O’Brien would receive a $33 million payout and that his staff of almost 200 would receive $12 million in the departure. His final episode aired on Friday, January 22, 2010. On March 1, 2010, Leno returned as host of The Tonight Show following the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Variety reported on July 1, 2010, that total viewership for Leno’s Tonight Show had dropped from 5 million to 4 million for the second quarter of 2010 and this was compared to the same period in 2009.
Jay Leno Monologue
He was accused of violating WGA guidelines by writing his own monologue for The Tonight Show during the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike. NBC and Leno claimed that there were private meetings with the WGA where there was a secret agreement allowing this but the WGA denied such a meeting. In February 2009 and June 2009, Jay answered questions in front of the Writers Guild of America, West trial committee. On August 11, 2009, when the WGAW published its list of strike-breakers, he was not on the list.
The Jay Leno Show
Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 pm ET, on NBC. The show debuted on September 14, 2009. It was then announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that it would feature one or two celebrities, the occasional musical guest, and also keep the popular “Headlines” segments, which would air near the end of the show. The first guests included Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey (via satellite). He also had a short sit-down with Kanye West discussing his controversy at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, which had occurred the night before.
Who Replaced Jay Leno?
NBC announced on April 3, 2013, that Leno would leave The Tonight Show in spring 2014. Jimmy Fallon was his designated successor.
Jay Leno Last Show
His last show as the host of the Tonight Show was on February 6, 2014. His last guests on the show were Billy Crystal and musical guest Garth Brooks. There were also other few surprise guests, including Jack Black, Kim Kardashian, Jim Parsons, Sheryl Crow, Chris Paul, Carol Burnett, and also Oprah Winfrey.
Jay Leno Cars
Leno’s vehicle collection includes approximately 169 cars and 117 motorbikes. Among them are two Doble steam cars, a sedan and a roadster that were owned by Howard Hughes, the fifth Duesenberg Model X known to survive, and also one of nine remaining 1963 Chrysler Turbine. Cars. It also includes three antique electric cars; the 1925 Baker Electric is Mavis Leno’s favorite car.
In Popular Mechanics, he has a regular column that showcases his car collection and also gives advice about various automotive topics. He also writes occasional “Motormouth” articles for The Sunday Times. In the articles, he reviews high-end sports cars and giving his humorous take on motoring matters.
Jay Leno Car Show
Leno has a website and a TV program called Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC. The show contains video clips and photos of his car collection in detail, as well as other vehicles of interest to him. The show has aired as a primetime series on the cable channel since 2015.
Jay Leno Cars List
Leno’s wide variety of cars include;
- 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado
- 2011 Audi R8 Spyder
- 1906 Stanley Steamer Vanderbilt Cup Racer
- 1986 Lamborghini Countach
- Blastolene Special
- 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car
- 2017 Ford GT
- Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren
- 2014 McLaren P1
- 1955 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing Coupe
- 1939 Lagonda V12
- 1967 Lamborghini Miura P400
- Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita
- 2006 EcoJet
- 1994 McLaren F1
Jay Leno Car Garage
Leno spends most of his free time visiting car collections and sometimes working in his private garage. His garage manager is Bernard Juchli. He opened his garage to Team Bondi. Team Bondi was the company that developed the critically acclaimed 2011 video game L.A. Noire. He allowed the team to recreate their images as accurately as possible in his collection.
Jay Leno Motorcycle Collection
Leno purchased his first motorcycle, a 350cc Honda that he purchased when he was a student because “it was cheap transportation.” He bought a Brough in the 1980s, paying $5,000 for a 1939 model that his friends scoffed at. He then began trading up and acquiring more esoteric examples.
His motorcycle collection include;
- 350cc Honda
- 1918 Pope
- Henderson Four
- 1922 Megola
- 375-horsepower Y2K bike
He also has a set of electric motorcycles and scooters, in a group not far from a rare Nimbus, a rare Rudge and also an early Whizzer.
Jay Leno Book
- How to be the funniest kid in the whole wide world – 2005
- If Roast Beef Could Fly – 2004
- Hot Wheels Cars – 2001
- Jay Leno’s police blotter – 1994
- Headlines IV: The Next Generation – 1992
- Headlines III: Not the Movie, Still the Book : Real But Ridiculous Samplings from America’s Newspapers – 1991
Jay Leno Politics
He made jokes mocking then-President Barack Obama and then-Secretary of State John Kerry while hosting the 2014 Genesis Prize award ceremony in Jerusalem. He accused Obama of “trying to break” the U.S.’s relationship with Israel.
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post in 2015, he said, “I always considered Israel as not only the only democracy in the Middle East, I think it’s the purest because every Israeli voter seems to have his own political party.” He then added about Israel’s relations with other Middle East countries: “Israel is so efficient in defending itself and so good at it, that to the rest of the world it looks like bullying.”
Jay Leno Salary
Depending on ratings for Leno on The Jay Leno Show, he could have earned up to $30 million each year.
Jay Leno Net Worth
Leno is believed to have acquired some great wealth from his wide television career on The Tonight Show. The television personality owns a vehicle collection and an oceanfront mansion in Rhode Island which are worth a handsome good amount. The stand-up comedian has an estimated net worth of $350 million.
Jay Leno Chin
Leno is highly known for his prominent jaw described as mandibular prognathism. In his book, Leading with My Chin, Leno stated that he is aware of surgery that could reset his mandible. He however states that he is not ready to endure a prolonged healing period with his jaws wired shut.
Jay Leno Car Collection Value
Leno’s car collection which is spectacular and pricey is approximately worth $50 million. This is 14% of his $350 million net worth.
Jay Leno Jet Bike
Leno’s 375-horsepower Y2K bike is powered by a helicopter engine, that has been tested at 237 miles per hour. It is basically referred to as a jet.
Jay Leno House
Leno is a proud owner of an oceanfront mansion in Rhode Island. It is a $13.5 million home in Newport which was listed by Lila Delman Real Estate. The mansion has a gated entrance and a winding drive that leads up to the estate. It sits on a 9-acre lot and features 15,851 square feet of living space.
It has 12 bedrooms, 12 full bathrooms, and three half-baths, and is also packed with luxe amenities, including a carriage house, walled garden, and tennis court. It also comes with access to the beach.
Jay Leno Height
The millionaire comedian stands at a height of 1.8 m.
Jay Leno Tour
- Thu, 25 Apr
20:00
Newark, NJ, United States
New Jersey Performing Arts Center - Sat, 27 Apr
20:00
Toronto, ON, Canada
Roy Thomson Hall - Thu, 2 May
20:00
Stamford, CT, United States
Stamford Center for the Arts - Sat, 11 May
20:00
Bensalem, PA, United States
Parx Casino - Fri, 17 May
22:00
Las Vegas, NV, United States
The Mirage - Thu, 30 May
19:30
Burlington, VT, United States
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts - Fri, 31 May
20:00
Hampton, NH, United States
Casino Ballroom - Fri, 21 Jun
20:00
Scottsdale, AZ, United States
Talking Stick Resort - Sat, 22 Jun
22:00
Las Vegas, NV, United States
The Mirage - Fri, 20 Sep
20:00
Durham, NC, United States
Durham Performing Arts Center - Fri, 18 Oct
20:00
Kingston, NY, United States
Ulster Performing Arts Center - Sat, 19 Oct
20:00
Westbury, NY, United States
NYCB Theatre at Westbury - Fri, 22 Nov
20:00
Medford, MA, United States
Chevalier Theatre - Sat, 23 Nov
19:00
Medford, MA, United States
Chevalier Theatre - Sat, 7 Dec
20:00
Grand Prairie, TX, United States
Verizon Theatre - Sun, 29 Dec
06:00
Las Vegas, NV, United States
Jay Leno Tank Car
Leno’s Tank Car is designed by the Blastolene brothers, Randy Grubb and Mike Leads. It was never really meant for road use, but for show. When he got ther car, his priority was to modify it to be street legal. The 20 foot long, 10,000 pound tank is fully equipped to driven on the road legally and weighs 10,000 pounds.
Jay Leno Movies and TV Shows
- 1977
Fun with Dick and Jane - 1978
Almost Heaven
Silver Bears
American Hot Wax - 1979
Americathon - 1981
Polyester - 1983
What’s Up, Hideous Sun Demon - 1989
Collision Course - 1993
Dave
We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story Vorb (voice)
Wayne’s World 2 - 1994
The Flintstones
Major League II - 1996
The Birdcage - 1997
Meet Wally Sparks
Contact
In & Out
Mad City
Wag the Dog
Just Write - 1999
EDtv - 2000
Space Cowboys - 2002
John Q
Juwanna Mann - 2003
Stuck on You
Calendar Girls - 2004
Mr. 3000
First Daughter - 2005
Robots - 2006
Tales of the Rat Fink
Cars
Ice Age: The Meltdown
The Astronaut Farmer - 2007
Christmas Is Here Again
Underdog - 2008
Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King
The Great Buck Howard
Igor
Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare - 2010
I’m Still Here - 2013
Delivery Man - 2014
Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas - 2015
Ted 2
Jay Leno TV Shows
- The Fairly OddParents – 2001 to 2017
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno – 1992 to 2014
- Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale – 2013
- The Jay Leno Show – 2009 to 2010
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – 1962 to 1992
- Television Parts – 1985
- Jay Leno’s Garage – since 2015
- Mickey and the Roadster Racers – since 2017
- Celebrity Rides: Jay’s Duesenberg
- Jay Leno’s Garage: Extras
Jay Leno Twitter
Jay Leno Garage Tour | Jay Leno Garage Visit
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