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Ed McMahon

Ed McMahonAKA Edward Peter Leo McMahon Jr.

Born: 6-Mar-1923
Birthplace: Detroit, MI

Gender: Male
Religion: Roman Catholic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Talk Show Host

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: The Tonight Show

Military service: USMC (pilot)

Ed McMahon is famous for being Ed McMahon. He was Johnny Carson's sidekick forever, and he's hosted blooper shows and Star Search, and been a special guest voice on The Simpsons. If you grew up in America, you've probably heard McMahon's booming voice and barking laugh more often than you know.

As soon as his voice changed at adolescence, McMahon got part-time work calling bingo games. He worked as a carnival barker and a street vendor, and was the unseen voice in countless radio and TV commercials. In the late 1950s, ABC had a daytime game show called Who Do You Trust?, hosted by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy sidekick, Charlie McCarthy. When the network decided to replace Bergen & McCarthy, they brought in Carson as host, and Ed McMahon got the dummy's job. He laughed extra loud at Carson's jokes, so when Carson was picked to take over The Tonight Show in 1962, he took McMahon with him. For thirty years, McMahon's job was to laugh really loud at Carson's jokes and shout "Heeeere's Johnny!" When Carson left Tonight in 1992, McMahon left, too.

During and after his Tonight era, McMahon has also acted in cheesy movies and sitcoms, hosted "specials" on TV, been Jerry Lewis's co-host on those muscular dystrophy telethons, and been the perpetual pitchman for any product willing to make a check payable to Ed McMahon. He has been unable to do endorsement work since breaking his neck in a fall in 2006, and is reportedly facing foreclosure on his Beverly Hills mansion.

Father: Edward Peter Leo McMahon Sr. (traveling salesman)
Mother: Eleanor Russell McMahon
Wife: Alyce Ferrill McMahon (m. 1949; div. 1976)
Wife: Victoria Valentine McMahon (m. 1977; div. 1989)
Wife: Pam Hurn McMahon (m. 1992)

    High School: Lowell High School, Lowell, MA
    University: Boston College
    University: BA, Catholic University of America (1949)

    Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity
    Hollywood Walk of Fame 7000 Hollywood Blvd (television)
    Endorsement of Anheuser-Busch Budweiser 1978
    Endorsement of DirecTV 1998
    Surgery twice, to repair a broken neck (Mar-2007)
    Risk Factors: Obesity, Alcoholism

    TELEVISION
    The Tom Show Charles "Charlie" Dickerson (1997-98)
    The Tonight Show Sidekick (1962-92)
    Star Search Host 1983-95

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    The Weather Man (20-Oct-2005) Himself
    Bewitched (24-Jun-2005) Himself
    Jerry Seinfeld: I'm Telling You for the Last Time (9-Aug-1998) Himself
    Safety Patrol (29-Mar-1998)
    Just Write (Mar-1997)
    Love Affair (21-Oct-1994) Himself
    Full Moon High (15-May-1987)
    Butterfly (Feb-1982)
    The Last Remake of Beau Geste (15-Jul-1977)
    Fun with Dick and Jane (9-Feb-1977)
    Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (31-Aug-1973)
    The Incident (5-Nov-1967)
    Dementia (22-Dec-1955) Narrator

Author of books:
The Art of Public Speaking (1986)
Selling (1989)
Here's Johnny! My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show, and 40 Years of Friendship (2005, memoir)


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