Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin[1][2][3] (/ˈriːdʒɪs ˈfɪlbɪn/ REE-jis; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)[4][5][6] was an American television presenter, talk show host, game show host, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest-working man in show business",[7] he held the Guinness World Record for the most hours spent on US television (surpassing previous record holder Hugh Downs).[8]
Regis Philbin
July 25, 2020 (aged 88)
- Television presenter
- talk show host
- game show host
- actor
- singer
1955–2020
- Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (1988–2000)
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (1999–2002)
- Live! with Regis and Kelly (2001–2011)
4, including J. J. Philbin
1953–1955
After graduating from the University of Notre Dame, Philbin served in the US Navy and got his television start serving as a page for The Tonight Show in the 1950s. He got his first network television exposure in 1967 as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show. He is most widely known as the co-host of the New York City–based nationally syndicated talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, starting in 1988, which became Live! with Regis and Kelly in 2001, and continued as Live! with Kelly after Philbin's departure in 2011.[9] He is also well known as the original host of the US version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, the most-watched prime-time series of the 1999–2000 US television season.[10]
Philbin also hosted Million Dollar Password[11] and the first season of America's Got Talent.[12]
Early life[edit]
Philbin was born in the Manhattan borough of New York City on August 25, 1931.[13] His father, Francis "Frank" Philbin, was a US Marine of Irish descent who served in the Pacific.[14] His mother, Filomena ("Florence"; née Boscia), was a member of an Albanian-Italian immigrant family from Greci.[3] Philbin had a Catholic upbringing.[14] He was supposedly named "Regis" because his father wanted him to attend his alma mater, the prestigious Regis High School.[13] It was long believed that he was an only child, but he announced on Live with Regis and Kelly in February 2007 that he had a brother named Frank (March 1, 1951 – January 27, 2007), who had died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma several days earlier.[13][15] Philbin said his brother had asked not to be mentioned on television or in the press while still alive to protect his privacy.[16]
Philbin was raised in the Van Nest neighborhood of the Bronx.[17] He attended Our Lady of Solace grammar school[18] and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School.[1] After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Notre Dame, where he lived in Fisher Hall,[19] and graduated in 1953 with a degree in sociology.[15] He later served in the US Navy as a supply officer Lieutenant Junior Grade[20] and then went through a few behind-the-scenes jobs in television and radio before moving into broadcasting.[15]
Career[edit]
Early work[edit]
In his earliest show business work, Philbin was a page at The Tonight Show in 1955.[21] Later he wrote for Los Angeles–based talk-show host Tom Duggan and nervously filled in one night when the hard-drinking Duggan failed to arrive.[22] Philbin soon got a job at KCOP as assistant news editor to Baxter Ward, and when the station's sportscaster did not arrive one day, Philbin filled in.[23] In 1957, Regis left his job in Los Angeles and returned to New York City. His replacement at KCOP was George Van Valkenburg. He also was an announcer on The Tonight Show in 1962.[24]
His first talk show was The Regis Philbin Show[1] in 1961 on KOGO-TV (now KGTV) in San Diego.[25] after serving as news anchor for the station. For budget reasons, he had no writing staff, so he began each show with what became his hallmark, the "host chat" segment influenced by Jack Paar, where he engaged his audience (and later his co-host) in discussions about his life and the day's events.[25] In 1964, Westinghouse Broadcasting picked up Philbin's talk show for national syndication in the late night time slot (replacing Steve Allen).[25] That Regis Philbin Show failed to attract many stations and Westinghouse replaced Philbin with Merv Griffin in 1965.
Writing and singing[edit]
Philbin's two autobiographies (with co-author Bill Zehme), I'm Only One Man! (1995) and Who Wants To Be Me? (2000), are written in the conversational or anecdotal style of his host chats. The first follows a year (1994–1995) in his life, his memories of celebrities, and work on Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, among other things. The next was a response to the success of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. In 2011, upon leaving Live!, HarperCollins released his final memoir, How I Got This Way.[75]
Philbin was a crooner in the styles of his favorite singers: Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Frank Sinatra.[76] He tested the musical waters with his 1968 pop vocal release, It's Time For Regis![77] After receiving poor reviews, he was reluctant to record another studio album, but he occasionally sang on Live, usually duets. In 2004, he recorded When You're Smiling, a traditional pop album.
The Regis Philbin Christmas Album was released in September 2005 by Hollywood Records.[77] It features several duets, with friend Donald Trump ("Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"), Steve Tyrell ("Marshmallow World"), and wife Joy ("Baby, It's Cold Outside" and "Winter Wonderland").[78] A special edition was produced, including tracks sung with the Notre Dame Glee Club.[79][80]
Popular culture[edit]
Acting roles[edit]
Philbin was cast as car salesman Handsome Hal on Kelly Ripa's sitcom Hope & Faith.[104] He was chosen as the voice of Mabel, the sister of the Ugly Stepsister (played by Larry King), in Shrek the Third.[105] His final film was Jack and Jill.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire[edit]
During the successful first run of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Philbin popularized the monochromatic look in men's formal wear that emphasizes color rather than pattern in ties and dress shirts. His look was a suit, shirt and tie coordinated in solid, slightly varying shades of the same, usually dark or muted, color.[55] A Van Heusen clothing line based on this look, called Regis, was short-lived.[106]
When Philbin hosted Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, he used the phrase "Is that your final answer?" whenever he had to confirm a contestant's answer. Adopted from the original UK host Chris Tarrant, this became Philbin's catch phrase during his tenure with the show.[107]
In August 2009, Philbin returned to host a two-week miniseries of new Millionaire episodes celebrating the American primetime show's 10th anniversary. The eleven shows (Sunday-to-Thursday twice, plus one extra Sunday) started airing on August 9 on ABC primetime.
Philbin (along with Steve Harvey and John Henson) were named the 2009–10 guest hosts of the daily Millionaire. Philbin's episodes aired November 30 – December 4, 2009, and debuted new rules on the show.
2007 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book[edit]
In October 2007, Philbin was featured in the 100th anniversary issue of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. He was a host of the Classical Superstars Fantasy Concert, which included piano virtuoso Lola Astanova with Russia's Kirov Orchestra led by conductor Valery Gergiev. The super concert for 500 guests was offered for sale at $1.6 million.[108]
In Morris Park, Bronx, Cruger Avenue between Sagamore Street and Bronxdale Avenue was co-named Regis Philbin Avenue.[109]
Legacy[edit]
The Regis Philbin Studio Theatre in the Marie P. DeBartolo Performing Arts Center was named after him. It is a 2,333-square-foot (216.7 m2) black box theater with configurable seating and staging and a system of five catwalks.[127]