Johnny Carson

Acting•Born October 23, 1925•Died January 23, 2005 (age 79)•Corning, Iowa, USA

Biography

John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.

Known For

Filmography

2026

Soccer's American Dream

as Self (archive footage)

2025

Breakdown: 1975

as Self - Host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (archive footage)

Movie

2025

Raise the Flags: 50 Years of Buccaneers Football

as Self (archive footage)

2025

John Candy: I Like Me

as Self - Host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (archive footage)

Movie

2024

6 morts dans la nuit : « De sang-froid » – Truman Capote

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2024

Luther: Never Too Much

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2024

Bad Hostage

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2024

Jim Henson Idea Man

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2024

Butterfly in the Sky

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2023

Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2023

The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2023

Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields

as Self (archive footage)

2023

The Many Faces of Jim Carrey

as Self (Archive Footage)

Movie

2022

Untold: Caitlyn Jenner

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2022

Finster

Movie

2022

Lucy and Desi

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2021

The Capote Tapes

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2021

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2020

Audrey

as Self - TV Host (archive footage)

Movie

2020

The Sounds of Baseball

as Self (archive footage)

2020

My Darling Vivian

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2020

The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2020

The Great Toilet Paper Scare

as Himself

Movie

2019

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2019

Mike Wallace Is Here

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2019

Jeff Dunham: Talking Heads

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2019

Biography: Comedy Icons

as Self

2018

The Front Runner

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie

2018

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

as Self - TV Host (archive footage)

Movie

2018

Game Changers

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2017

This Is Bob Hope...

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2017

There's... Johnny!

as Self (archive footage)

2017

Jerry Before Seinfeld

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2017

The Nineties

as Self (archive footage)

2017

Whitney: Can I Be Me

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie

2017

The Swingin' A's

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2015

The Seventies

as Self (archive footage)

2014

Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2014

Life Itself

as Self - TV Host (archive footage)

Movie

2014

The Battered Bastards of Baseball

as Himself (Archive Footage)

Movie

2013

Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2013

Llyn Foulkes One Man Band

as Himself

Movie

2013

Behind the Candelabra

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Movie

2013

Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story

as Self (Archive Footage)

Movie

2013

Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2012

Johnny Carson: King of Late Night

as Self

Movie

2010

The Best of Johnny Carson

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2009

The Minnie Riperton Story

as (archive footage)

Movie

2008

Johnny Carson Celebrates Christmas

as Self

Movie

2007

Jimmy Carter Man from Plains

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2007

The Best of The Tonight Show: Stand - Up Comedians

Movie

2006

The Best of Carson, Volume 1

Movie

2006

Carson Country

Movie

2004

Seinfeld: How It Began

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2003

Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2003

Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2002

The Ultimate Collection Starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 60s and 70s

Movie

2002

The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2001

The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

2001

The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

1998

The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts

as Self - Roastee (archive footage)

Movie

1996

Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

1996

E! True Hollywood Story

1994

The World of Jim Henson

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

1994

Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '70s & '80s: The Master of Laughs!

as Self - Host

Movie

1994

Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '80s & '90s: The King of Late Night

as Self - Host

Movie

1994

Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '60s & '70s: Heeere's Johnny!

as Self - Host

Movie

1994

Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - The Final Show: America Says Farewell

as Self - Host

Movie

1992

Jack Benny: Comedy in Bloom

as Himself

Movie

1992

Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys

as Self

Movie

1989

The Simpsons

as Johnny Carson (voice)

1987

Whales!

as Narrator

Movie

1987

It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration

as Himself - Guest

Movie

1987

Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour

as Self

Movie

1987

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

as Self

Movie

1986

TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines

as Self

Movie

1986

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special

as Self

Movie

1986

The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special

as Himself

Movie

1985

The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There

Movie

1985

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

1984

Night Court

as Johnny Carson

1983

George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business

as Self

Movie

1983

Koyaanisqatsi

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

1983

Sheena Easton: Act One

as Self (uncredited)

Movie

1982

Newhart

1982

Cheers

as Johnny Carson

1982

Johnny Goes Home

as Self

Movie

1981

A Love Letter to Jack Benny

as Himself

Movie

1980

Lucy Moves to NBC

as Self

Movie

1978

The Kennedy Center Honors

as Self

1978

Mickey's 50

as Self

Movie

1977

Life Goes to War: Hollywood and the Home Front

as Himself

Movie

1976

CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years

as Self

Movie

1976

NBC: The First Fifty Years

as Self

Movie

1976

Bob Hope's World of Comedy

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

1976

Joys

as Self

Movie

1972

Don Rickles: Alive And Kicking

as Self

Movie

1972

Cancel My Reservation

as Himself (uncredited)

Movie

1971

Pure Goldie

as Self

Movie

1970

Friars Club Roast of Don Rickles

as Self - Host

Movie

1968

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

as Self (uncredited)

Movie

1968

Here's Lucy

as Johnny Carson

1968

The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show

as Self

1968

Carnival Nights

as Self

Movie

1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

as Self

1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

as The Mystery Person (uncredited)

1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

as Dick Martin (uncredited)

1968

Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In

as Self (uncredited)

1967

The Danny Thomas Hour

as Narrator

1966

Murder at N.B.C.

Movie

1966

Space Ghost and Dino Boy

1966

Stuart Little

as Narrator (voice)

Movie

1965

Get Smart

as Herald (uncredited)

1965

Get Smart

as Special Guest Conductor

1965

Frank Sinatra Spectacular

as Self - Host

Movie

1964

Looking for Love

as Self

Movie

1962

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self - Host

1961

You're in the Picture

as Himself

1958

Kraft Music Hall

as Self - Host

1958

Kraft Music Hall

as Self

1958

The Dick Clark Show

as Self

1957

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

as Self - Guest Host

1957

Three Men on a Horse

as Erwin Trowbridge

Movie

1956

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

as Self

1956

The Steve Allen Show

as Self

1956

The Steve Allen Show

as Self - Comedian-Quiz Show Host

1956

The Steve Allen Show

as Self - Guest

1956

Tony Awards

as Self - Presenter

1956

Lucy's Really Lost Moments

as Self

Movie

1955

Miss Universe

as Host

1955

The Johnny Carson Show

as Himself

1954

The Wonderful World of Disney

as Self

1953

The United States Steel Hour

1953

The Oscars

as Self

1951

The Red Skelton Show

as Knight Who Makes Point of Order

1951

The Red Skelton Show

as Self

1950

The Jack Benny Program

as Johnny Carson

1950

The Bob Hope Show

as Self

1950

The Bob Hope Show

as The Masked Killer (uncredited).

1950

The Bob Hope Show

as Self - Cameo

1950

What's My Line?

as Self - Mystery Guest

1950

What's My Line?

as Self

1949

The Emmy Awards

as Self

1948

The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self

—

Untitled Joan Rivers Documentary

as Self (archive footage)

Movie

Personal Info

DepartmentActing

BirthdayOctober 23, 1925

Day of DeathJanuary 23, 2005

Place of BirthCorning, Iowa, USA

Popularity0.8