bibliography
NNDB
This is a beta version of NNDB
Search: for

Regis Philbin

Regis PhilbinAKA Regis Francis Xavier Philbin

Born: 25-Aug-1931
Birthplace: Manhattan, NY

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

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Live with Regis & Kathie Lee and Kelly

Military service: US Navy

Regis Philbin was named for his father's alma mater, Regis High School, in Manhattan. It is the home of the Regis Rams. In his earliest show business work, Philbin was a page at The Tonight Show in the 1950s. Later he wrote for Los Angeles talk show host Tom Duggan, and nervously filled in one night when the hard-drinking Duggan didn't show up. After the jitters faded, Philbin found he liked being in front of the camera. He's been in front of the camera ever since.

Philbin first came to fame as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show (1967-69). Bishop liked to tease Philbin, but the teasing stopped after Philbin walked off the set during a live broadcast, and stayed away for several days. In 1972, Philbin played himself in Woody Allen's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, But Were Afraid to Ask. From 1975-1983, he hosted AM Los Angeles. In 1989, he started hosting Live with Regis & Kathy Lee and, starting in 2001, Live with Regis & Kelly. Philbin's wife Joy has also filled in occasionally.

From 1999 to 2002, Philbin was omnipresent on ABC, hosting Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?, an Americanized UK quiz show. WWTBAM was so popular ABC eventually ran it several nights a week, until the format and assorted all-star editions wore out the audience's welcome.

A stretch of Cruger Avenue in the Bronx where Philbin lived as a child has been renamed Regis Philbin Avenue. In 1993, Philbin was delightfully murdered in a Perry Mason Mystery Movie. He has had at least two angioplasties, and been a frequent and funny guest on The Late Show with David Letterman. In 2011 he announced his retirement after 28 years co-hosting Live with Regis and Kathie Lee and Live with Regis and Kelly

Philbin's son Danny was born with missing vertebrae and leg muscles, and grew up at Angel View Crippled Children's Foundation in California. He now holds a "high-level" position at the Pentagon.

Father: Frank Philbin
Mother: Florence Philbin
Wife: Catherine Faylan ("Kay", actress, m. 1955, div. 1968)
Daughter: Amy Philbin (b. 1961)
Son: Daniel Philbin (writer/editor, b. 1967)
Wife: Joy Senese (m. 1970)
Daughter: Joanna Philbin (b. 1973)
Daughter: Jennifer Philbin ("JJ", writer for Mad TV)

    High School: Cardinal Hayes High School, Bronx, NY
    University: BA, University of Notre Dame

    Bill Bradley for President
    Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame
    Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses 2002
    Hollywood Walk of Fame 6834 Hollywood Blvd (television)
    Endorsement of Kellogg (2006)
    Angioplasty 1993
    Mar-a-Lago Club
    Heart Bypass Operation 14-Mar-2007
    Wedding: Donald Trump and Melania Knauss (2005)
    Hip Replacement Surgery 1-Dec-2009
    Funeral: Nora Ephron (2012)
    Albanian Ancestry Maternal (from Greci, an Arberesh village)

    TELEVISION
    Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Host (1999-2002, 2009)
    Live with Regis and Kelly Co-Host (2001-)
    Live with Regis and Kathie Lee Co-Host (1989-2001)
    Ryan's Hope Malachy Malone (1987-88)

    FILMOGRAPHY AS ACTOR
    Jack and Jill (11-Nov-2011) · Himself
    Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (23-Jan-2011) · Himself
    Shrek Forever After (21-Apr-2010) · Mabel [VOICE]
    The Great Buck Howard (18-Jan-2008) · Himself
    Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (13-Oct-2007) · Himself
    Shrek the Third (17-May-2007) [VOICE]
    Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (11-Mar-2005) · Himself
    The Breakup Artist (23-Oct-2004) · Himself
    Cheaper by the Dozen (25-Dec-2003) · Himself
    People I Know (11-Oct-2002) · Himself
    Little Nicky (2-Nov-2000) · Himself
    Dudley Do Right (21-Aug-1999) · Himself
    Open Season (3-May-1996) · Himself
    Night and the City (16-Oct-1992) · Himself
    Funny About Love (21-Sep-1990) · Himself
    California Girls (24-Mar-1985) · Himself
    Malibu Express (1985)
    The Man Who Loved Women (16-Dec-1983) · Himself
    The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (30-Jun-1978) · Harry Hahn
    Sextette (3-Mar-1978) · Himself
    SST: Death Flight (25-Feb-1977)
    Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask (6-Aug-1972) · Himself

Author of books:
I'm Only One Man! (1995, memoir)
Who Wants to Be Me? (2000)
How I Got This Way (2011, memoir)


New!
NNDB MAPPER
Create a map starting with Regis Philbin
Requires Flash 7+ and Javascript.

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile



Copyright ©2020 Soylent Communications