Regis Philbin

Biography: A beloved TV personality known for his emotional outbursts and uniquely inflected speech, Philbin first came to national prominence as Joey Bishop's sidekick on the comedian's eponymous late-1960s talk show. It took another decade of various on-air gigs before Philbin hit it big as the host of WABC's local Manhattan morning show in 1983. Kathie Lee Gifford joined him as co-host in 1985, and in 1988 their series, renamed Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, went into national syndication and turned them into superstars. Over the years, Philbin was tapped to host a number of other shows (Walt Disney specials, prime-time game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) and appeared as himself in countless movies and television shows. He also weathered Gifford's 2000 departure and found great chemistry with her replacement, Kelly Ripa. In 2004, after over 15,000 hours on national television, Philbin entered the record books as the most filmed personality ever. All of those TV hours eventuallyA beloved TV personality known for his emotional outbursts and uniquely inflected speech, Philbin first came to national prominence as Joey Bishop's sidekick on the comedian's eponymous late-1960s talk show. It took another decade of various on-air gigs before Philbin hit it big as the host of WABC's local Manhattan morning show in 1983. Kathie Lee Gifford joined him as co-host in 1985, and in 1988 their series, renamed Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, went into national syndication and turned them into superstars. Over the years, Philbin was tapped to host a number of other shows (Walt Disney specials, prime-time game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire) and appeared as himself in countless movies and television shows. He also weathered Gifford's 2000 departure and found great chemistry with her replacement, Kelly Ripa. In 2004, after over 15,000 hours on national television, Philbin entered the record books as the most filmed personality ever. All of those TV hours eventually took a toll on the energetic host, as he had to undergo hip-replacement surgery in 2009---though Philbin was back at work on Live just a few weeks later.… Expand