Regis Philbin
Millions of Americans wake up by seeing Regis Philbin, the energetic host of the weekday talk show "Live with Regis and Kelly".
Since Philbin first stepped in front of the camera 40 years ago, he has ambitiously tackled talk shows, game shows, the literary world and even the fashion industry.
Early in his career, Philbin took "A.M. Los Angeles" from the bottom of the ratings to number one, where the show remained throughout his seven-year tenure. At the national level, he served as Joey Bishop's sidekick on "The Joey Bishop Show" and won an Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Variety Show for "The Regis Philbin Show," a daily 30-minute program.
His current hit originated in 1983 when Philbin created "The Morning Show" for WABC-TV in his native Manhattan and quickly became the top show in the market. Kathie Lee Gifford joined him in 1985, and three years later the program was syndicated as "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee." In 2001, Philbin was joined by new co-host Kelly Ripa for "Live with Regis and Kelly."
Honors for this popular personality include a recent star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host for "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," TV Guide's 2001 "Personality of the Year" award and a Broadcasting & Cable Lifetime Achievement Award.
A native of New York City, Philbin is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame. He and his wife, Joy, have two grown daughters, Joanna and Jennifer.
