Brian Williams

Biography: Good-looking and quick-witted, this veteran news anchor started out as a White House intern under President Jimmy Carter before embarking on a career in broadcast journalism. After working as a reporter for a number of local East Coast stations, Williams landed in New York City on CBS. In 1993, he jumped ship to NBC and the next year became the network's chief White House correspondent. Over the next decade, he gained fame, Emmys, his own TV news show (The News with Brian Williams on MSNBC and then CNBC), and the public's trust while covering high-profile stories. His charm and intelligence also made him a sought-after and amusing talk-show guest. In 2004, he found an even wider audience when NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw retired and the adaptable Williams took over for him. While careful to pay appropriate homage to his mentor and predecessor, he made a smooth transition to Brokaw's job as managing editor and network news anchor. During his second year heading NBC NightlyGood-looking and quick-witted, this veteran news anchor started out as a White House intern under President Jimmy Carter before embarking on a career in broadcast journalism. After working as a reporter for a number of local East Coast stations, Williams landed in New York City on CBS. In 1993, he jumped ship to NBC and the next year became the network's chief White House correspondent. Over the next decade, he gained fame, Emmys, his own TV news show (The News with Brian Williams on MSNBC and then CNBC), and the public's trust while covering high-profile stories. His charm and intelligence also made him a sought-after and amusing talk-show guest. In 2004, he found an even wider audience when NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw retired and the adaptable Williams took over for him. While careful to pay appropriate homage to his mentor and predecessor, he made a smooth transition to Brokaw's job as managing editor and network news anchor. During his second year heading NBC Nightly News, he made an enormous impact with his coverage of Hurricane Katrina. The first major network news anchor to reach New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit, he stayed and reported from the scene of the disaster through the aftermath. His coverage emboldened his journalistic reputation, made him one of the most trusted faces of broadcast journalism, and won him many accolades, including a Peabody Award. Named by Time Magazine World's 100 Most Influential in 2007, he has continued to report quickly and reliably from the scene of major events around the world with integrity and approachability. Aside from his duties reporting the news, he has found numerous opportunities to showcase his comical side. He became the first network news anchor to host Saturday Night Live, made frequent cameos on the NBC sitcom 30 Rock and entertained audiences as a popular guest on late-night shows. A devoted family man, his downtime is spent with his two children and his wife. Aside from enjoying his domestic life, he is a voracious reader of presidential and historical biographies, enjoys rock music and discovering new musicians, and is an avid NASCAR fan.… Expand