View source for David Letterman

{{short description|American television host and comedian (born 1947)}}
{{For|his late night talk shows|Late Night with David Letterman|Late Show with David Letterman}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox comedian
 |image        = David Letterman with his Individual Peabody at the 75th Annual Peabody Awards (cropped).jpg
 |caption      = Letterman in 2016
 |birth_name   = David Michael Letterman
 |birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1947|4|12}}
 |birth_place  = [[Indianapolis]], Indiana, U.S.
 |medium       = {{hlist|Stand-up|television|film}}
 |alma_mater   = [[Ball State University]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])
 |active       = 1970–present
 |genre        = {{hlist|[[Observational comedy]]|[[black comedy]]|[[surreal humor]]|[[insult comedy]]|[[deadpan]]|[[satire]]}}
 | subject     = {{hlist|[[Culture of the United States|American culture]]|[[Politics of the United States|American politics]]|[[everyday life]]|[[pop culture]]|[[World news|current events]]|[[human behavior]]}}
 |spouse       = {{ubl|{{marriage|Michelle Cook|1968|1977|reason=divorced}}|{{marriage|Regina Lasko|2009}}}}
 |children     = 1
 |notable_work = {{plainlist|style=text-indent:-1em;margin-left:1em;|
* ''[[The David Letterman Show]]''&nbsp;(1980)
* ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' (1982–1993)
* ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' (1993–2015)
* ''[[My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman]]'' (2018–present)}}
 |signature    = David Letterman Autograph.svg
}}

'''David Michael Letterman''' (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted [[late-night television]] talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' on [[NBC]] and ending with the May 20, 2015, broadcast of ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' on [[CBS]]. In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of ''Late Night'' and ''Late Show'',<ref name=YahooNews>{{cite news|title=David Letterman signs off after 33 years and 6,080 shows |url=https://news.yahoo.com/photos/david-letterman-signs-off-after-33-years-and-6-028-shows-1432171593-slideshow/|access-date=May 20, 2015|publisher=[[Yahoo!]]|agency=Associated Press |date=May 20, 2015}}</ref> surpassing his friend and mentor [[Johnny Carson]] as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history.<ref name=HollywoodReporter>{{cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/cbs-extends-david-letterman-contract-643439/ |title=CBS Extends David Letterman Contract Through 2015 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=October 4, 2013 |access-date=May 30, 2022 |first=Lacey |last=Rose}}</ref>

Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company, [[Worldwide Pants]], produced his shows as well as ''[[The Late Late Show (American talk show)|The Late Late Show]]'' and several primetime comedies, the most successful of which was the CBS [[sitcom]] ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]''. Several late-night hosts have cited Letterman's influence, including [[Conan O'Brien]], [[Jimmy Fallon]], [[Seth Meyers]] (each of whom succeeded Letterman on ''[[Late Night (franchise)|Late Night]]''), [[Stephen Colbert]] (his successor on ''[[The Late Show (franchise)|The Late Show]]''), [[Jimmy Kimmel]], and [[Jon Stewart]]. Since 2018, he has hosted the [[Netflix]] series ''[[My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman]]''.

== Early life and career ==
Letterman was born in [[Indianapolis]], Indiana, on April 12, 1947, and he has two sisters, one older and one younger.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-1023-david-letterman|title=Episode 1023 - David Letterman|website=WTF with Marc Maron Podcast|date=May 30, 2019 |language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-07}}</ref> His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 15, 1915 – February 13, 1973),<ref>Record of Harry Letterman, [[Social Security Death Index]]</ref> was a florist.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://playboysfw.kinja.com/david-lettermans-1984-playboy-interview-a-candid-conv-1557838143|title=David Letterman's 1984 Playboy Interview. A Candid Conversation with the Comedy Genius In His Youth|author=Sam Merrill|work=Playboy|access-date=April 10, 2014|archive-date=May 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150501112140/http://playboysfw.kinja.com/david-lettermans-1984-playboy-interview-a-candid-conv-1557838143}}</ref> His mother, [[Dorothy Mengering|Dorothy Marie Letterman Mengering]] (née Hofert; July 18, 1921 – April 11, 2017),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/obit-dorothy-mengering-dead-795160/|title=Dorothy Mengering, David Letterman's Mom and ''Late Show'' Personality, Dies at 95|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=May 30, 2022|date=April 11, 2017|author=Mike Barnes}}</ref> a church secretary for the [[Second Presbyterian Church (Indianapolis, Indiana)|Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis]], was an occasional figure on Letterman's show, usually at holidays and birthdays.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://carmel-indiana.funcityfinder.com/2010/03/14/dorothy-mengering-daves-mom/|title=Dorothy Mengering, Dave's Mom – FunCityFinder|work=Carmel Indiana}}</ref>

Letterman grew up on the north side of Indianapolis, in the [[Broad Ripple]] area, about {{convert|12|mi}} from the [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]]. He enjoyed collecting model cars, including racers.<ref>Gary Graves. "Letterman Gets Moment in Hot Seat." ''[[USA Today]]'', May 23, 2005, p. 1C.</ref> In 2000, he told an interviewer for ''[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]'' that, while growing up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at the age of 36 when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.esquire.com/features/daveheart-letterman-0500 |title=Dave Letterman Profile&nbsp;— Interview with David Letterman |magazine=Esquire |date=October 2, 2009 |access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> The elder Letterman died of a second heart attack in 1973<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/letterman-reveals-set-undergo-heart-tests-2000-article-1.864842|title=David Letterman reveals he may need heart surgery in 2000|author1=Mitchell Fink|author2=Eric Mink|author3=Leo Standora|author4=Richard Huff|author5=Bill Hutchinson|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York City|date=January 14, 2000|access-date=May 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120730104857/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2000-01-14/news/18138686_1_angioplasty-family-history-high-cholesterol|archive-date=July 30, 2012}}</ref> at the age of 57.

Letterman attended his hometown's [[Broad Ripple High School]] and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas Supermarket.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://lostindiana.net/2004/11/30/atlas-supermarket-broad-ripple/ |title= Atlas Supermarket |date= November 30, 2004 |publisher=Lost Indiana |access-date=April 18, 2014}}</ref> In an interview, he said the first concert he attended was by [[The Beach Boys]] at the [[Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum]], when he was 17.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-bi217P3rI&t=111s |title=David Letterman Takes The Colbert Questionert |website=[[YouTube]] |date=May 17, 2024 |access-date=July 26, 2025}}</ref> According to the ''Ball State Daily News'', he originally wanted to attend [[Indiana University]], but his [[Academic grading in the United States|grades]] were not good enough, so he instead attended [[Ball State University]] in [[Muncie, Indiana]].<ref>Gail Koch. "After Two Decades, Letterman Wit Shows No Signs of Stopping." ''Ball State Daily News'', February 23, 2002.</ref> He is a member of the [[Sigma Chi]] fraternity, and graduated in 1969 from what was then the Department of Radio and Television. A self-described average student, Letterman later endowed a scholarship for what he called "C students" at Ball State.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/average.phtml |title=Scholarships &#124; Scholarships for Average Students |publisher=FinAid |date=January 22, 1999 |access-date=November 7, 2010}}</ref> Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from college, he was not drafted for service in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] because he received a [[draft lottery (1969)|draft lottery]] number of 346 (out of 366).<ref>Revealed on air during January 7, 2011, ''Late Show with David Letterman'' during an interview with Regis Philbin.</ref>

Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—[[WBST]]—a 10-watt campus station that is now part of [[Indiana Public Radio]].<ref name="BSU-PR">{{cite web|url=http://indianapublicradio.org/about/stationhistory/|title=Indiana Public Radio – Station History|work=indianapublicradio.org}}</ref> He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.<ref name="BSU-PR" /> He then became involved with the founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now [[WCRD]], 91.3).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reelradio.com/tc/index.html#dlwago69|title=David Letterman, WAGO Muncie Indiana|date=April 1, 1969|publisher=ReelRadio|quote=Dave Letterman is heard in this segment edited from the 11PM–12 midnight hour on April 1, 1969. WAGO was a carrier-current station at [[Pennsylvania State University]]. The voice of Lyla Whip is Letterman's former wife, Michelle, whom he calls at their apartment.|access-date=January 14, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204010321/http://www.reelradio.com/tc/index.html#dlwago69|archive-date=February 4, 2005}}</ref>

He credits [[Paul Dixon (entertainer)|Paul Dixon]], host of the ''[[Paul Dixon Show]]'', a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown in Indianapolis while he was growing up, for inspiring his choice of career:<ref name="dixon">{{cite news|url=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1997/02/24/loc_letterman.html|title=Local show inspired young Letterman|author=Kiesewetter, John|newspaper=[[The Cincinnati Enquirer]]|date=February 24, 1997|access-date=May 23, 2007|archive-date=April 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230418060024/https://www.cincinnati.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<blockquote>I was just out of college [in 1969], and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And then all of a sudden I saw him doing it [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I want to do!</blockquote>

=== Weatherman ===
Soon after graduating from Ball State in 1969, Letterman began his career as a radio talk show host on [[WNTS]] and on Indianapolis television station WLWI (which changed its call sign to [[WTHR]] in 1976) as an anchor and [[Weather presenter|weatherman]]. He received some attention for his novel on-air delivery, which included congratulating a [[tropical storm]] for being upgraded to a [[Tropical cyclone|hurricane]], as well as for predicting [[hailstones]] "the size of canned hams".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.playboy.com/articles/david-letterman-interview/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415130808/http://www.playboy.com/articles/david-letterman-interview/index.html |title=Playboy Interview – David Letterman – Late Show Host |archive-date=2009-04-15 |work=Playboy |date=1994-01-01 }}</ref>

Letterman also occasionally reported the weather and the day's very high and low temps for fictitious cities ("Eight inches of snow in Bingree and surrounding areas"). On another occasion, he riffed that the state border between Indiana and Ohio had been erased, when a satellite map accidentally omitted it, jokingly attributing it to dirty political dealings: "The higher-ups have removed the border between Indiana and Ohio, making it one giant state. Personally, I'm against it. I don't know what to do about it."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samenow |first1=Jason |title=David Letterman's early career as a weatherman |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/05/20/video-david-lettermans-early-career-as-a-weatherman/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2015-05-20 |access-date=2015-06-03 }}</ref>

Letterman also starred in a local kiddie show, hosted a late-night TV show called "Freeze-Dried Movies" (a show in which he once acted out a scene from ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' (1954) using plastic dinosaurs), and hosted a talk show that aired early on Saturday mornings called ''Clover Power'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bzbq8X8qZE#t32s |title=Letterman morning show clips and & Jon Stewart cancellation -Jun1995 |publisher=YouTube |date=2010-01-22 |access-date=2011-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203052315/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bzbq8X8qZE |archive-date=2013-02-03 }}</ref> in which he interviewed [[4-H]] members about their projects.<ref>{{cite web |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20010620022309/http://www.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/l/letterman_david/letterman.html |archivedate=2001-06-20 |url=http://www.indystar.com/library/factfiles/people/l/letterman_david/letterman.html |title=David Letterman |work=Indianapolis Star |date=2001-06-01 }}</ref>

In 1971, Letterman appeared as a pit road reporter for [[ABC Sports]]' tape-delayed coverage of the [[1971 Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500]], which was his first nationally telecast appearance (WLWI was the local ABC affiliate at the time).<ref name="indy">{{YouTube|8sMnBmHzAg0|Letterman's Network Debut}}</ref> He was initially introduced as [[Chris Economaki]], but this was corrected at the end of the interview ([[Jim McKay]] announced his name as Dave Letterman). Letterman interviewed [[Mario Andretti]], who had just crashed out of the race.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-05-27 |title=Relive the moment David Letterman asked Mario Andretti a weird question at the Indy 500 |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2016/05/indy-500-david-letterman-sideline-reporter-mario-andretti-video |access-date=2024-06-12 |website=For The Win |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Move to Los Angeles ===
[[File:The Comedy Store.jpg|alt=|thumb|Letterman's comedic career took hold in the 1970s at [[The Comedy Store]] in [[Los Angeles]].]]
In 1975, encouraged by his then-wife Michelle and several of his [[Sigma Chi]] fraternity brothers, Letterman moved to [[Los Angeles]], California, with the hope of becoming a comedy writer.<ref>Gail Koch. "Letterman Evolved from Struggling Radio Host to Star", ''Ball State Daily News'', February 1, 2002.</ref> He and Michelle packed their belongings in his pickup truck and headed west.<ref>{{cite news|title=Piers Morgan Tonight: Regis Talks to David Letterman|url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/pmt/date/2012-06-02/segment/01| access-date=August 22, 2012|publisher=CNN}} Airdate June 2, 2012, Regis Philbin, guest host. Letterman: "In 1975 I did that. My wife and I did that, put everything in the truck and went to California."</ref> As of 2012, he still owned the truck.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=August–September 2012|title=Top 10 Things Fans Don't Know About David Letterman|magazine=AARP The Magazine|location=Washington, DC|publisher=AARP|page=13|quote=9. Still has the pickup he drove to Hollywood as a young comedy writer}}</ref> In Los Angeles, he began performing comedy at [[The Comedy Store]].<ref name="walker2012">{{cite web|title=How I Discovered Jay Leno and David Letterman|first1=Jimmie|last1= Walker|author-link1=Jimmie Walker|first2=Sal| last2= Manna|date= July 12, 2012 |url=https://slate.com/culture/2012/07/jimmie-walker-how-i-discovered-jay-leno-and-david-letterman.html | work= [[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]| access-date=May 30, 2022| quote= Sitting on the couch would be David Letterman next to Jay Leno next to Paul Mooney. Snacking on the food might be Robert Schimmel, Richard Jeni, Louie Anderson, and Elayne Boosler. Young Byron Allen would be trying to ignore the fact that his mother was in the kitchen waiting to drive him home. There were others whose names would never be recognizable to the public because they were not star performers, such as Wayne Kline, Marty Nadler, Jeff Stein, Jack Handey, Steve Oedekerk, and Larry Jacobson, but who would soon write for some of the most popular sitcoms and late-night talk shows in television history. All of them—all then unknowns—would gather at my home from one to five times a week because they were on my writing staff, commissioned to pen jokes for my stand-up act.}}</ref> [[Jimmie Walker]] saw him on stage; with an endorsement from [[George Miller (comedian)|George Miller]], Letterman joined a group of comedians whom Walker hired to write jokes for his stand-up act, a group that at various times also included [[Jay Leno]], [[Paul Mooney (comedian)|Paul Mooney]], [[Robert Schimmel]], [[Richard Jeni]], [[Louie Anderson]], [[Elayne Boosler]], [[Byron Allen]], [[Jack Handey]], and [[Steve Oedekerk]].<ref name="walker2012"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2010/03/the-late-night-hosts-before-they-were-big.html|title=The Early David Letterman 1967–1980 Beware the Blog|publisher=wfmu.org|first=Kliph|last=Nesteroff|date=2010-03-07|access-date=November 6, 2011}}</ref>

By the summer of 1977, Letterman was a writer and regular on the six-week summer series ''The [[Starland Vocal Band]] Show'', broadcast on CBS.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUabP1JDCZA|title=1977 'Afternoon Delight' clip from The Starland Vocal Band show|publisher=YouTube|author=mickstadium|date=July 15, 2011|access-date=November 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908113731/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUabP1JDCZA|archive-date=September 8, 2013}}</ref> He hosted a 1977 pilot for a game show called ''The Riddlers''<ref>{{cite web|title=The Riddlers with David Letterman (1977)|url=http://classicshowbiz.blogspot.com/2007/04/riddlers-1977-with-host-david-letterman.html|publisher=classictelevisionshowbiz|date=April 8, 2007|access-date=November 6, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bk6zFrTYMk|title=David Letterman on "PASSWORD PLUS+ 1979"|publisher=YouTube|date=June 29, 2010|access-date=November 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908103557/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bk6zFrTYMk |archive-date=September 8, 2013 }}</ref> (which was never picked up), and co-starred in the [[Barry Levinson]]-produced comedy special ''[[Peeping Times]]'', which aired in January 1978. Later that year, Letterman was a cast member on [[Mary Tyler Moore]]'s variety show, ''[[Mary (1978 TV series)|Mary]]''.<ref>{{YouTube|zoAHLaNMWMo| Mary Open (1978)}}</ref> He made a guest appearance on ''[[Mork & Mindy]]'' (as a parody of [[Erhard Seminars Training|EST]] leader [[Werner Erhard]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFavsfq3wjo |title=Mork & Letterman |publisher=YouTube |date=November 14, 2007 |access-date=November 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203052258/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFavsfq3wjo |archive-date=February 3, 2013 }}</ref> and appearances on game shows such as ''[[The $20,000 Pyramid]]'',<ref>{{YouTube| title=The $20,000 pyramid| id=kSlWxg-WJQo}}</ref> ''[[The Gong Show]]'', ''[[Hollywood Squares]]'', ''[[Password Plus]]'',<ref>{{cite web|title=David Letterman plays Alphabetics 1979 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTkTdZx1haA |publisher=YouTube |date=June 30, 2010 |access-date=November 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130908113619/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTkTdZx1haA |archive-date=September 8, 2013 }}</ref> and ''[[Liar's Club]]'', as well as the Canadian cooking show ''[[Celebrity Cooks]]'' (November 1977), talk shows such as ''[[90 Minutes Live]]'' (February 24<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/archives/entry/david-lettermans-sharp-humour |title=David Letterman's sharp humour – CBC Archives}}</ref> and April 14, 1978),<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2667189809|title=From the archives: David Letterman 1978 |date=May 14, 2015}}</ref> and ''[[The Mike Douglas Show]]'' (April 3, 1979 and February 7, 1980). He was also [[screen test]]ed for the lead role in the 1980 film ''[[Airplane!]]'', a role that eventually went to [[Robert Hays]].<ref>{{cite AV media|people=[[Jon Davison]], [[Jim Abrahams]], [[Jerry Zucker]], [[David Zucker (filmmaker)|David Zucker]]|title=Airplane! audio commentary|medium=DVD|publisher=Paramount Pictures|time=9:50–10:00|isbn=0-7921-6688-4}}</ref>

Letterman's brand of dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'', and he was soon a regular guest on the show. He became a favorite of Carson and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978. Letterman credits Carson as the person who influenced his career the most.<ref name="rose">{{cite AV media|url=http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/6364 |title=An interview with David Letterman |medium=TV-series |publisher=[[Charlie Rose (TV series)|Charlie Rose]], [[WNET]] |date=February 26, 1996 |access-date=November 14, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218144132/http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/6364 |archive-date=February 18, 2009 }}</ref>

== NBC ==
=== Morning show ===
{{Main|The David Letterman Show}}
On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on [[NBC]], ''[[The David Letterman Show]]''. It was originally 90 minutes long but was shortened to 60 minutes in August 1980.<ref>Peter Kerr. "David Letterman's Off-Center Humor Finds a Home." ''The New York Times'', February 19, 1984, p. H27</ref> The show was a critical success, winning two [[Emmy Award]]s, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled, the last show airing October 24, 1980.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a34945/letterman-morning-show/|title=Let's Not Forget David Letterman's Hilarious, Innovative Morning Show|date=May 12, 2015|work=Esquire|access-date=October 13, 2017}}</ref>

=== ''Late Night with David Letterman'' ===
{{Main|Late Night with David Letterman}}
[[File:Jerry Lewis with David Letterman.jpg|thumb|Letterman interviewing comedian [[Jerry Lewis]] in 1982]]
NBC kept Letterman on its payroll to try him in a different time slot. ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'' debuted February 1, 1982; the first guest was [[Bill Murray]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Bill Murray @ David Letterman #1, 1982, 1 of 2 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7US7PU6tidM |publisher=YouTube |year=1982 |access-date=December 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422224920/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7US7PU6tidM |archive-date=April 22, 2012 }}</ref> Murray went on to become one of Letterman's most frequent guests, guesting on his later CBS show's celebration of his 30th anniversary in late-night television, which aired January 31, 2012, and on the final CBS show, which aired May 20, 2015. The show ran Monday through Thursday nights at 12:30&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern time zone|Eastern Time]], immediately following ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]]'' (a Friday night broadcast was added in June 1987). It was seen as edgy and unpredictable, and soon developed a cult following (particularly among college students). Letterman's reputation as an [[wikt:acerbic|acerbic]] interviewer was borne out in verbal sparring matches with [[Cher]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBgDHhmSrAo |publisher=YouTube |title=Cher on Late Night (part 1 of 2) |year=1986 |access-date=December 8, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111023335/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBgDHhmSrAo |archive-date=November 11, 2011 }}</ref> (who even called him an "asshole" on the show),<ref>{{cite news | last=Hunt | first=Stacey Wilson | date=May 14, 2015 | title=Cher Pays Tribute to David Letterman: 'I Called Him an Asshole on the Air' | work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/cher-pays-tribute-david-letterman-795447/ | access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> [[Shirley MacLaine]],<ref>{{YouTube|uh2UVul29CM|Shirley Maclaine on Late Night (1988) (Part 1 of 2)}}</ref> [[Charles Grodin]], and [[Madonna]]. The show also featured comedy segments and running characters, in a style heavily influenced by the 1950s and 1960s programs of [[Steve Allen]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Steve Allen Remembered|url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/steve-allen-remembered-36211/|author=Michael Ausiello|work=TV Guide|date=November 1, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref>

The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Pet Tricks"<ref>{{YouTube|title=Late-Night with David Letterman Stupid Pet Tricks|id=kTPB14ivKUs}}</ref> (which had its origins on Letterman's morning show), Stupid Human Tricks,<ref>{{YouTube|title=Stupid Human Trick on David Letterman 1–1987|id=Oa4Vfn-pjHI}}</ref> dropping various objects off the roof of a five-story building,<ref>{{YouTube|title=Letterman 4th Anniversary Special, Pt. 7|id=bFyRBOx_auM}}</ref> demonstrations of unorthodox clothing (such as suits made of [[Alka-Seltzer]],<ref>{{YouTube|EAu0USchCrI|David Letterman "Alka Seltzer" suit}}</ref> [[Velcro]]<ref>{{YouTube|title=Letterman in a Suit of Velcro|id=N9uxxqKGmYg}}</ref> and [[suet]]), a recurring [[Top 10 list (David Letterman)|Top 10 list]], the Monkey-Cam<ref>{{YouTube|title=Letterman – Monkey Cam|id=RLmiVi9HXK4}}</ref> (and the Audience Cam), a facetious letter-answering segment,<ref>{{YouTube|DzIea4w1F6E|David Letterman answers viewer mail in person}}</ref> several "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrIiLrNq0oI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/BrIiLrNq0oI| archive-date=2021-10-28|title=A film by Bob the dog (from David Letterman)| date=March 25, 2007|publisher=YouTube|access-date=November 20, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> (often with comic results) and Small Town News,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUs5hNVZuCs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/jUs5hNVZuCs| archive-date=2021-10-28|title=Classic Dave = small town news, 1/12/88|publisher=YouTube|date=January 12, 1988|access-date=November 20, 2011}}{{cbignore}}</ref> all of which moved with Letterman to CBS.

Other episodes included Letterman using a bullhorn to interrupt a live interview on ''[[Today (NBC program)|The Today Show]]'' on August 19, 1985, announcing that he was the NBC News president [[Lawrence K. Grossman]] and that he was not wearing any pants;<ref name="todayshow">{{cite magazine|last=Hall|first=Jane|url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-late-night-letterman-vol-26-no-2/|title=Late Night Letterman|magazine=People|date=July 14, 1986|volume=26|issue=2|pages=88–|access-date=May 31, 2022|quote=Bryant Gumbel was not amused when Letterman interrupted an outdoor Today show special in Rockefeller Center, shouting from his own taping session above, "I am Larry Grossman, President of NBC News … and I'm not wearing pants!" ("I don't blame Bryant for being pissed, but we were invited in by the Today show producer," says Letterman. Unfortunately, nobody told Gumbel and Pauley.)|archive-date=July 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726133451/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20094089,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> walking across the hall to Studio 6B, at the time the news studio for [[WNBC-TV]], and interrupting [[Al Roker]]'s weather segments during ''[[Live at Five (WNBC TV series)|Live at Five]]''; and staging "elevator races", complete with commentary by NBC Sports' [[Bob Costas]]. In one appearance, in 1982, [[Andy Kaufman]] (who was wearing a neck brace) appeared with professional wrestler [[Jerry Lawler]], who slapped and knocked the comedian to the ground (Lawler and Kaufman's friend [[Bob Zmuda]] later revealed that the incident was [[work (professional wrestling)|staged]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dailyhaggis.com/2002/12/27/kaufman-fight-was-a-fake/|title=Kaufman Fight Was a Fake|publisher=Daily Haggis|date=March 6, 2010|access-date=November 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512055909/http://www.dailyhaggis.com/2002/12/27/kaufman-fight-was-a-fake/|archive-date=May 12, 2008}}  This scene was re-created in the film "Man in the Moon" starring Jim Carrey</ref>

== CBS ==
=== ''Late Show with David Letterman'' ===
{{Main|Late Show with David Letterman}}
[[File:Ed Sullivan Theater - Late Show With David Letterman (3619184146).jpg|thumb|The [[Ed Sullivan Theater]], where ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'' was recorded]]
In 1992, [[Johnny Carson]] retired, and many fans, and Carson himself, believed that Letterman would become the new host of ''The Tonight Show''. When NBC instead gave the job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host his own late-night show on CBS, opposite ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' at 11:30&nbsp;p.m., called the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. The new show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was taped at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where [[Ed Sullivan]] broadcast his [[The Ed Sullivan Show|eponymous variety series]] from 1948 to 1971. For Letterman's arrival, CBS spent $8 million in renovations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-03-31-9503310282-story.html|title=Letterman's Neighbors Discover Spotlight's Chilly Side|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|author=Mark Albright |date=March 31, 1995|access-date=May 30, 2022}}</ref> CBS also signed Letterman to a three-year, $14 million/year contract,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/1993/01/29/david-lettermans-contract/|title=David Letterman's contract|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|author=Mark Harris|date=January 29, 1993|access-date=May 31, 2022|archive-date=January 13, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113042850/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,305416,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref> doubling his ''Late Night'' salary.

But while the expectation was that Letterman would retain his unique style and sense of humor with the move, ''Late Show'' was not an exact replica of his old NBC program. The monologue was lengthened. [[Paul Shaffer]] and the [[World's Most Dangerous Band]] followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a brass section and were [[rebranded]] the [[CBS Orchestra]] (at Shaffer's request); a small band had been mandated by Carson while Letterman occupied the 12:30 slot. Additionally, because of intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to import many of his ''Late Night'' segments verbatim,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.oocities.org/davidletterman82/TimeAugust1993Article.html|magazine=Time|title=Stupid Talk Show Tricks| author=Richard Corliss |date=August 2, 1993|access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> but he sidestepped this problem by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Top Ten", "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag", etc.). ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine wrote, "Letterman's innovation ... gained power from its rigorous formalism"; as his biographer [[Jason Zinoman]] puts it, he was "a fascinatingly disgruntled eccentric trapped inside a more traditional talk show".<ref>[https://time.com/4728313/david-letterman-jason-zinoman/ "Letterman: A TV Traditionalist With a Weird Streak"] by Daniel D'Addario, ''Time'',  April 17, 2017, p.&nbsp;56</ref>

=== Popularity ===
The ''Late Show''<nowiki/>'s main competitor was NBC's ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', which [[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno|Jay Leno hosted]] for 22 years from 1992 to 2014<!--Letterman started after Leno-->, except from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, when Conan O'Brien hosted. In 1993 and 1994, the ''Late Show'' consistently gained higher ratings than ''The Tonight Show''. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that [[Hugh Grant]] came on Leno's show after Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html|title=Viewers still in Letterman's corner|publisher=CNN|author=Breeanna Hare|date=October 7, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618163831/https://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/07/letterman.show.ratings/index.html|archive-date=June 18, 2021}}</ref>

Leno typically attracted about five million nightly viewers between 1999 and 2009. The ''Late Show'' lost nearly half its audience during its competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in its 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as of Leno's departure in 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.boston.com/ae/media/articles/2009/05/31/conan_obriens_time_has_come__will_the_leno_faithful_follow/|title=11:35pm|author=Joanna Weiss|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=May 31, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> In the final months of his first stint as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Leno beat Letterman in the ratings by a 1.3 million-viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), and ''[[Nightline]]'' and the ''Late Show'' were virtually tied.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/07/jay-leno-and-jimmy-fallon-win-the-late-night-week-of-april-27-may-1/18263|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090509141823/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/07/jay-leno-and-jimmy-fallon-win-the-late-night-week-of-april-27-may-1/18263|archive-date=May 9, 2009|title=Jay Leno And Jimmy Fallon Win the Late-Night Week of April 27&nbsp;– May 1 – Ratings|publisher=TVbytheNumbers|date=May 7, 2009|access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> Once O'Brien took over ''Tonight'', Letterman closed the gap in the ratings.<ref name="Roberts helps">{{cite web|title=David Letterman: Julia Roberts helps him beat Conan O'Brien for first time; Denzel Washington, Jonas Brothers visit Thursday|url=http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/06/david-letterman-julia-roberts-helps-him-beat-conan-obrien-for-first-time-regis-philbin-to-give-top-t.html|work=Orlando Sentinel|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614175758/http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2009/06/david-letterman-julia-roberts-helps-him-beat-conan-obrien-for-first-time-regis-philbin-to-give-top-t.html|archive-date=June 14, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Roberts sides">{{cite web|title=Roberts sides with Letterman|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/roberts-sides-letterman-late-night-wbna31210920|author=Access Hollywood|publisher=Today|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Who's loyal">{{cite web|title=Who's loyal to Leno, O'Brien, and Letterman?|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/Television/story?id=7797222&page=1|last=Fisher|first=Luchina|work=ABC News|date=June 10, 2009|access-date=June 10, 2009}}</ref> O'Brien initially drove the median age of ''Tonight Show'' viewers from 55 to 45, with most older viewers opting to watch the ''Late Show'' instead.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/business/media/06late.html|title='Tonight Show' Audience a Decade Younger|first=Bill |last=Carter|work=The New York Times|date=July 5, 2009|access-date=July 6, 2009}}</ref> After Leno returned to ''The Tonight Show'', Leno regained his lead.<ref name="Ratings 2011">{{cite web|title='Nightline' Up; 'Conan,' 'Late Show' Down; 'Tonight Show,' 'Daily Show' Even|url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/03/late-night-tv-ratings-week-nightline-up-conan-late-show-down-tonight-show-daily-show-even/84538|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307090934/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/03/03/late-night-tv-ratings-week-nightline-up-conan-late-show-down-tonight-show-daily-show-even/84538|archive-date=March 7, 2011| author=Late Night TV Ratings Week|publisher=Zap2it|date=March 3, 2011|access-date=March 5, 2011}}</ref>

Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 [[Emmy Award]] nominations, winning 12 times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993 to 2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]] of ''Nation's Favorite TV Personality'' 12 times.<ref name="harris09"/> For example, in 2003 and 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind only [[Oprah Winfrey]], a year that Leno was ranked fifth.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=530|title= For Third Year in a Row Oprah Retains Her Position as America's Favorite TV Personality|publisher= [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]]|date= December 29, 2004|access-date= July 12, 2006|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090813175930/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=530|archive-date= August 13, 2009}}</ref> Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.<ref name="harris09">{{cite web|url=http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_01_28.pdf|title=America's Favorite Television Personality|publisher= a [[Harris Insights & Analytics|Harris Poll]]|date=January 28, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225170841/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/pubs/Harris_Poll_2009_01_28.pdf|archive-date=February 25, 2009}}</ref>

=== Hosting the Academy Awards ===
On March 27, 1995, Letterman hosted the [[67th Academy Awards]] ceremony. Critics blasted what they deemed his poor performance, noting that his irreverent style undermined the traditional importance and glamor of the event.<ref name="John O'Connor">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/29/movies/critic-s-notebook-the-winner-isn-t-david-letterman.html|title=The Winner Isn't David Letterman|work=The New York Times|author=John O'Connor|date=March 29, 1995|access-date=December 8, 2011}}</ref> In a joke about their unusual names (inspired by a celebrated comic essay in ''The New Yorker'', "Yma Dream" by Thomas Meehan), he started off by introducing [[Uma Thurman]] to Oprah Winfrey, and then both of them to [[Keanu Reeves]]: "Oprah...Uma. Uma...Oprah," "Have you kids met Keanu?" This and many of his other jokes fell flat.<ref name="John O'Connor" /> Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the bad publicity he generated caused a decline in the ''Late Show''{{'s}} ratings.<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine|first=Fred|last=Schruers|title= Dave vs. Dave: Forget Leno & Koppel&nbsp;— Letterman May Be His Own Worst Enemy|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=May 30, 1996|url=http://www.geocities.com/davidletterman82/RollingStone1996Interview.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127145433/http://www.geocities.com/davidletterman82/RollingStone1996Interview.html|archive-date=November 27, 2007}}</ref>

Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." He lampooned his stint two years later, during [[Billy Crystal]]'s opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief nominated film, ''[[The English Patient (film)|The English Patient]]''.

For years afterward, Letterman recounted his hosting the Oscars, although the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] continued to hold Letterman in high regard and invited him to host the Oscars again.<ref name="NF">{{cite news|first=Nikki|last=Finke|title= The 411 about David Letterman & Oscar|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 25, 2008|url=https://deadline.com/2008/02/the-411-about-david-letterman-oscar-4968/|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name=Bruce>{{cite web|last=Keller|first=Joel|work=The A.V. Club|url=https://www.avclub.com/bruce-vilanch-1798224491|title=Interview: Bruce Vilanch|access-date=May 31, 2022|date=February 23, 2011}}</ref> On September 7, 2010, he made an appearance on the premiere of the 14th season of ''[[The View (talk show)|The View]]'', and confirmed that he had been considered for hosting again.

=== Heart surgery hiatus ===
On January 14, 2000, a routine checkup revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. He was rushed to [[New York Presbyterian Hospital]] for emergency [[coronary artery bypass surgery|quintuple bypass]] surgery.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/15/nyregion/artery-blocked-letterman-has-heart-bypass-surgery.html|title = Artery Blocked, Letterman Has Heart Bypass Surgery| work = The New York Times| date = January 15, 2000| access-date = March 23, 2009 | first=Tina | last=Kelley}}</ref> During the first weeks of his recovery, reruns of the ''Late Show'' were shown and introduced by friends of Letterman, including [[Norm Macdonald]], [[Drew Barrymore]],<ref name="Who's loyal" /> [[Ray Romano]], [[Robin Williams]], [[Bonnie Hunt]], [[Megan Mullally]], [[Bill Murray]], [[Regis Philbin]], [[Charles Grodin]], [[Nathan Lane]], [[Julia Roberts]],<ref name="Who's loyal" /> [[Bruce Willis]], [[Jerry Seinfeld]], [[Martin Short]], [[Steven Seagal]], [[Hillary Clinton]], [[Danny DeVito]], [[Steve Martin]], [[Tom Snyder]], and [[Sarah Jessica Parker]].

Later, while still recovering from surgery, Letterman revived the late-night talk show tradition of "guest hosts" that had virtually disappeared on network television during the 1990s, allowing [[Bill Cosby]], [[Kathie Lee Gifford]], [[Dana Carvey]], [[Janeane Garofalo]], and others to host new episodes of the ''Late Show''. Upon his return to the show on February 21, 2000, Letterman brought all but one of the doctors and nurses on stage who had participated in his surgery and recovery (with extra teasing of a nurse who had given him bed baths—"This woman gave me a bath!"),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popstarsplus.com/celebrities_davidletterman.htm |title=David Letterman biography |publisher=Popstarsplus.com |access-date=2021-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061118051312/http://www.popstarsplus.com/celebrities_davidletterman.htm|archive-date=2006-11-18}}</ref> including Drs. O. Wayne Isom and [[Louis Aronne]], who frequently appeared on the show.

For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying: "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get ''The Tonight Show!'' It's a whole different thing." In a later running gag, he lobbied Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis ([[Interstate 465|I-465]]) "The David Letterman Bypass". He also featured a montage of faux news coverage of his bypass surgery, including a clip of Letterman's heart for sale on the [[Home Shopping Network]]. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' wrote: <blockquote>He hosted a doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery that saved his life in 2000. "These are people who were complete strangers when they opened my chest," he says. "And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends."<ref name="rs2008" /></blockquote> Additionally, Letterman invited the band [[Foo Fighters]] to play "[[Everlong]]",<ref name="mtvfoo">{{cite web|title=Foo Fighters To Welcome Letterman Back To ''Late Show''|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1429027/foo-fighters-to-welcome-letterman-back-to-late-show/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019013418/http://www.mtv.com/news/1429027/foo-fighters-to-welcome-letterman-back-to-late-show/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 19, 2014|last=Basham|first=David|publisher=MTV|date=February 16, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song."<ref name="salonfoo">{{cite web|title=The top 10 reasons David Letterman's heart bypass operation was a good thing|url=https://www.salon.com/2000/03/20/letterman_3/|last=Millman|first=Joyce|work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]|date=March 20, 2000|access-date=May 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220313030417/https://www.salon.com/2000/03/20/letterman_3/|archive-date=March 13, 2022}}</ref>

In February 2003, Letterman again handed the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including [[Bill Cosby]], [[Brad Garrett]], [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Elvis Costello]], [[John McEnroe]], [[Vince Vaughn]], [[Will Ferrell]], [[Bonnie Hunt]], [[Luke Wilson]], and bandleader Paul Shaffer) when he was diagnosed with a severe case of [[shingles]].<ref>{{cite news | title=David Letterman suffering from shingles | date=February 28, 2003 | url=https://www.record-courier.com/story/news/2003/03/01/david-letterman-suffering-from-shingles/19919309007/ | work=record-courier.com }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | title=Dave's cure for shingles: duct tape | date=April 2, 2003 | url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/04/02/dave-s-cure-for-shingles-duct-tape/ | work=tampabay.com }}</ref><ref name=EW2003>{{cite magazine | last=Susman | first=Gary | date=March 10, 2003 | title="Late Show" returns, with guest hosts for still-ill Dave | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] | url=https://www.ew.com/article/2003/03/10/late-show-returns-guest-hosts-still-ill-dave | access-date=July 3, 2016}}</ref> Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts—including [[Tom Arnold (actor)|Tom Arnold]] and [[Kelsey Grammer]]—for shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, [[Adam Sandler]], who had been scheduled to be the lead guest, served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/arts/television/20cnd-letterman.html|title = Letterman is Ill, so Guest Takes Over Late Show| work = The New York Times|date = March 20, 2007| access-date = March 29, 2007 | first=Bill | last=Carter}}</ref>

===Second signing with CBS ===
[[File:2012 President Barack Obama with David Letterman.jpg|thumb|Letterman interviewing President [[Barack Obama]] in 2012]]

In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] offered him the time slot for long-running news program ''[[Nightline]]'' with [[Ted Koppel]]. Letterman was interested, as he believed he could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker [[lead-in]]s from CBS's [[11 O'Clock News|late local news]] programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel.<ref name="battle">{{cite news|last = Harris|first = R.|date = 2015-05-15|title = Remembering the Ted Koppel interview when his mask came off|url = https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-letterman-farewell-ted-koppel-2002-interview-1201499511|work = Variety|access-date = 2019-07-04|archive-date = 2019-07-04|df = mdy-all|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190704000022/https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/david-letterman-farewell-ted-koppel-2002-interview-1201499511}}</ref> He addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed a new contract to host ''Late Show with David Letterman'' through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.deseret.com/2006/12/8/19989757/scott-d-pierce-dave-will-outlast-jay| title=Dave will outlast Jay| date= December 8, 2006| first=Scott D.| last= Pierce| newspaper= Deseret News|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said [[Leslie Moonves]], president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ''Late Show'' puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"<ref>{{cite web |title=CBS Signs David Letterman as Host of the "Late Show" Through Fall 2010 |url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=20061204cbs04 |website=The Futon Critic |access-date=May 31, 2022 |date=December 4, 2006}}</ref>

According to a 2007 article in ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/53/07celebrities_David-Letterman_C8CO.html|title = #17 David Letterman|work = Forbes|date = June 14, 2007|access-date = August 26, 2017|archive-date = March 2, 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180302225717/https://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/53/07celebrities_David-Letterman_C8CO.html}}</ref> A 2009 article in ''[[The New York Times]]'', however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million.<ref name="nyt09carter" /> In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached an agreement to continue the ''Late Show'' until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension was shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past.<ref name="nyt09carter">{{cite news| last=Carter |first=Bill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/arts/television/10letterman.html |title=Letterman Reaches a Deal With CBS to Extend 'Late Show' |work= The New York Times |date=June 6, 2009 |access-date=May 15, 2011}}</ref> Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.<ref name="nyt09carter" />

On the February 3, 2011 edition of the ''Late Show'', during an interview with [[Howard Stern]], Letterman said he would continue to do his talk show for "maybe two years, I think."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/is-david-letterman-ready-to-be-done-with-the-late-show/story/25084.html |title=Is David Letterman Ready to be Done with the Late Show? |first=Seth |last=Abramovitch |date=February 4, 2011 |publisher=[[TV.com]] |quote=Dave tried valiantly to change the subject to Stern's new Sirius deal, rumored to be worth even more than the $500 million contract he signed with them in 2005. But once again, Stern (now 57) turned the tables on Dave (now 63), asking the host, "How much longer are you doing this?" To which Letterman replied: "Maybe two years, I think?" |access-date=June 17, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416021903/http://www.tv.com/is-david-letterman-ready-to-be-done-with-the-late-show/story/25084.html |archive-date=April 16, 2011 }}</ref> In April 2012, CBS announced it had extended its contract with Letterman through 2014.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304023504577321670048071482 |title=CBS Extends Letterman Contract Through 2014 | author= Christopher S. Stewart | work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] | date= April 3, 2012 | access-date=September 21, 2012}}</ref> His contract was subsequently extended to 2015.<ref name="New Contract">{{cite press release |url=http://www.cbscorporation.com/news-article.php?id=871 |title= CBS announces new contract extensions with late night stars David Letterman and Craig Ferguson through 2015 |publisher=CBS Corporation | date= April 3, 2012 |access-date= October 19, 2012}}</ref>

=== Retirement from ''Late Show'' ===

During the taping of his show on April 3, 2014, Letterman announced that he had informed CBS president [[Les Moonves]] that he would retire from hosting ''Late Show'' by May 20, 2015.<ref name=retire>{{cite news|title=David Letterman to Retire From CBS' 'Late Show' in 2015 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/david-letterman-retire-cbs-late-693420/ |access-date=May 31, 2022|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 3, 2014 |first=Lesley|last=Goldberg}}</ref> Later in his retirement Letterman occasionally stated, in jest,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sorokach |first1=Josh |title=So Was David Letterman Fired Or What? |url=https://decider.com/2018/01/12/so-was-david-letterman-fired-or-what/ |website=Decider |access-date=May 31, 2022 |date=January 12, 2018}}</ref> that he had been fired.<ref>{{cite web|title=In Conversation:David Letterman|url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/03/david-letterman-in-conversation.html|website=Vulture|date=March 5, 2017 |access-date=2019-04-09}}</ref> It was announced soon after that comedian and political satirist Stephen Colbert would succeed Letterman.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stephen Colbert Next Host of 'The Late Show'|url=http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/news/1002302/|publisher=CBS |access-date=September 9, 2015}}</ref> Letterman's last episode aired on May 20, 2015, and opened with a presidential sendoff featuring four of the five living American presidents, [[George H. W. Bush]], [[Bill Clinton]], [[George W. Bush]], and Barack Obama, each mimicking the late president [[Gerald Ford]]'s statement "Our long national nightmare is over." It also featured cameos from ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and ''[[Wheel of Fortune (American game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]'' (the latter with a puzzle saying "Good riddance to David Letterman"), a Top Ten List of "things I wish I could have said to David Letterman" performed by regular guests including [[Alec Baldwin]], [[Barbara Walters]], [[Steve Martin]], Jerry Seinfeld, [[Jim Carrey]], [[Chris Rock]], [[Julia Louis-Dreyfus]], [[Peyton Manning]], [[Tina Fey]], and [[Bill Murray]], and closed with a montage of scenes from both his CBS and NBC series set to a live performance of "[[Everlong]]" by Foo Fighters.

The final episode of ''Late Show with David Letterman'' was watched by 13.76 million viewers in the United States with an audience share of 9.3/24, earning the show its highest ratings since following the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] on February 25, 1994, and the show's highest demo numbers (4.1 in adults 25–54 and 3.1 in adults 18–49) since Oprah Winfrey's first ''Late Show'' appearance following the ending of her feud with Letterman on December 1, 2005. Bill Murray, who had been his first guest on ''Late Night'', was his final guest on ''Late Show''. In a rarity for a late-night show, it was also the highest-rated program on network television that night, beating out all prime-time shows.<ref>Nededog, Jethro (May 21, 2015).  [http://www.businessinsider.com/david-letterman-late-show-finale-early-ratings-2015-5 "David Letterman's farewell episode nabs biggest audience in over 2 decades"]. ''[[Business Insider]]''.</ref> In total, Letterman hosted 6,080 episodes of ''Late Night'' and ''Late Show'',<ref name=YahooNews/><ref name=TVGuide/> surpassing friend and mentor Johnny Carson as the longest-serving late-night talk show host in American television history.<ref name=HollywoodReporter/>

==Post–''Late Show''==
[[File:David letterman (47966353856).jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|Letterman at the 2019 [[Indianapolis 500]]]]
In the months following the end of ''Late Show'', Letterman was seen occasionally at sports events such as the Indianapolis 500, during which he submitted to an interview with a local publication.<ref>{{cite news |title=Exclusive Post-Retirement Interview with David Letterman |url=https://www.indianapolismonthly.com/arts-and-culture/sports/exclusive-post-retirement-interview-david-letterman|access-date=May 31, 2022 |work=Indianapolis Monthly|date=June 12, 2015}}</ref> He made a surprise appearance on stage in [[San Antonio]], Texas when he was invited up for an extended segment during Steve Martin's and [[Martin Short]]'s ''A Very Stupid Conversation'' show, saying "I retired, and...I have no regrets," Letterman told the crowd after walking on stage. "I was happy. I'll make actual friends. I was complacent. I was satisfied. I was content, and then a couple of days ago [[Donald Trump]] said he was running for president. I have made the biggest mistake of my life, ladies and gentlemen" and then delivering a Top Ten List roasting [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|Trump's presidential campaign]] followed by an onstage conversation with Martin and Short. Cellphone recordings of the appearance were posted on [[YouTube]] by audience members and widely reported in the media.<ref>{{cite news|title=David Letterman briefly unretires to roast Donald Trump |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/david-letterman-briefly-unretires-to-roast-donald-trump/|access-date=July 12, 2015 |work=CBS News |date=July 12, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=David Letterman Goes Top 10 on Donald Trump |url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/12/david-letterman-goes-top-10-on-donald-trump/ |access-date=July 12, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=July 12, 2015}}</ref>

In 2016, Letterman joined the climate change documentary show ''[[Years of Living Dangerously]]'' as one of its celebrity correspondents.<ref>{{cite news|title=Behind David Letterman's New TV Climate Series Gig |url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/09/150918-preview-letterman-joins-years-of-living-dangerously-climate-series/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920004753/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/energy/2015/09/150918-preview-letterman-joins-years-of-living-dangerously-climate-series/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 20, 2015 |access-date=June 16, 2016|work=National Geographic}}</ref> In season two's premiere episode, Letterman traveled to [[India]] to investigate the country's efforts to expand its inadequate energy grid, power its booming economy, and bring electricity to 300 million citizens for the first time. He also interviewed Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] and traveled to rural villages where power is a scarce luxury and explored the United States' role in India's energy future.<ref name=PR>[https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160808006030/en/Season-Two-of-the-Emmy-Award-Winning-and-Critically-Acclaimed-Series-Years-of-Living-Dangerously-Set-to-Premiere-Sunday-Oct.-30-87c-Exclusively-on-National-Geographic-Channel "Season Two of the Emmy Award-Winning and Critically Acclaimed Series Years of Living Dangerously Set to Premiere Sunday, Oct. 30, 8/7c Exclusively on National Geographic Channel"], National Geographic Channel and The Years Project, August 8, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2022</ref>

On April 7, 2017, Letterman gave the induction speech for the band [[Pearl Jam]] into the [[Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame]] at a ceremony held at the [[Barclays Center]] in [[Brooklyn, New York City]].<ref>{{cite news |title=David Letterman's 10 funniest jokes about Pearl Jam at Rock Hall| url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2017/04/07/david-letterman-jokes-pearl-jam-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame/100200646/ |access-date=April 7, 2017|work=USA Today|date=April 7, 2017}}</ref> Also in 2017, Letterman and [[Alec Baldwin]] co-hosted ''[[The Essentials (TCM)|The Essentials]]'' on [[Turner Classic Movies]]. Letterman and Baldwin introduced seven films for the series.<ref>[https://archive.today/20150317004502/http://essentials.tcm.com/hosts Hosts], ''[[The Essentials (TCM)|The Essentials]]''</ref>

===Netflix===
In 2018, Letterman began hosting a six-episode monthly series of hour-long programs on [[Netflix]] consisting of long-form interviews and field segments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Littleton |first=Cynthia |date=2017-08-08 |title=David Letterman to Host Netflix Interview Series |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/david-letterman-netflix-new-show-interview-1202518724/ |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> The show, ''My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman'', premiered January 12, 2018 with [[Barack Obama]] as its first guest.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/david-letterman-netflix-series-barack-obama-1202654327/|title=David Letterman Netflix Series Sets Barack Obama as First Guest|magazine=Variety|last=Otterson|first=Joseph|date=January 5, 2018|access-date=January 5, 2018}}</ref> The second season premiered on May 31, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2019/05/14/letterman-is-back-with-a-second-season-of-my-next-guest-needs-no-introduction-on-may-31-398100/20190514netflix04/|title=Breaking News - Letterman Is Back with a Second Season of "My Next Guest Needs No Introduction" on May 31|website=The Futon Critic|access-date=2019-06-17}}</ref> Season 3 premiered on October 21, 2020, and includes [[Kim Kardashian West]], [[Robert Downey Jr.]], [[Dave Chappelle]] and [[Lizzo]] as guests.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/video/my-next-guest-needs-no-introduction-trailer-david-letterman-robert-downey-jr-dave-chappelle-kim-kardashian-lizzo/|title=''My Next Guest Needs No Introduction'' Season 3 Trailer: David Letterman Vs. Robert Downey Jr, Dave Chappelle & Others|work=Deadline|last=Pedersen|first=Erik|date=October 6, 2020|access-date=October 31, 2020}}</ref> Season 4 premiered on May 20, 2022, with [[Billie Eilish]] as the first guest.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kreps |first1=Daniel |title=David Letterman to Chat With Billie Eilish, Cardi B, (Pre-Oscars) Will Smith for Season 4 of 'My Next Guest' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/david-letterman-my-next-guest-season-4-billie-eilish-cardi-b-will-smith-1347983/ |access-date=18 September 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 5, 2022}}</ref> In October 2022, Letterman traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to film a special standalone episode of ''My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman'', interviewing Ukrainian president [[Volodymyr Zelenskyy]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Richards |first1=Amanda |title=David Letterman Zelensky Interview |url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/david-letterman-zelenskyy-interview |newspaper=Netflix Tudum}}</ref>

== Notable exchanges and incidents ==

=== NBC and Johnny Carson ===
In spite of Johnny Carson's clear intention to hand over to Letterman, NBC selected Jay Leno to host ''The Tonight Show'' after Carson's departure.<ref>{{cite news| work=The Independent|date=January 24, 2005|title=Johnny Carson, king of late-night chat, dies at 79| url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/johnny-carson-king-of-latenight-chat-dies-at-79-488063.html| access-date=July 6, 2009 | location= London}}</ref> Letterman maintained a close relationship with Carson through his break with NBC. Three years after he left for CBS, [[HBO]] produced a made-for-television movie called ''[[The Late Shift (film)|The Late Shift]]'', based on a book by ''The New York Times'' reporter Bill Carter, chronicling the battle between Letterman and Leno for the ''Tonight Show'' hosting spot.

Carson later made a few [[cameo appearance]]s as a guest on Letterman's show. Carson's final television appearance was on May 13, 1994, on a ''Late Show'' episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance during a [[Late Show Top Ten List|Top 10 list]] segment. In early 2005, it was revealed that Carson occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used them in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice president [[Peter Lassally]] (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out of it."<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.deseret.com/2005/1/24/19873404/tv-critics-genuinely-fond-of-carson| title= TV critics genuinely fond of Carson | date = January 24, 2005 | first = Scott D. | last = Pierce | access-date = May 31, 2022|work = Deseret News}}</ref> Letterman would do a characteristic Carson golf swing after delivering one of his jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all the opening monologue jokes during the first show after Carson's death were by Carson.

Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor".<ref>{{cite news| work=Fox News| title=Letterman Gets Jokes From Carson| date=January 20, 2005| url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/2005/01/20/letterman-gets-jokes-from-carson.html| access-date=May 19, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924162747/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2005/01/20/letterman-gets-jokes-from-carson.html| archive-date=September 24, 2015| df=mdy-all}}</ref> During the early years of the ''Late Show''{{'}}s run, Letterman occasionally used some of Carson's trademark bits, including "[[Carnac the Magnificent]]" (with [[Paul Shaffer]] as Carnac), "Stump the Band", and the "Week in Review", sometimes accompanied by a courtesy call to Carson for his permission.

=== Oprah Winfrey ===
Oprah Winfrey appeared on Letterman's show when he was hosting NBC's ''Late Night'' on May 2, 1989. After that appearance, the two had a 16-year feud<ref>{{cite news|last=Bauderap |first= David |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/free-lunch-behind-16-year-letterman-oprah-feud/news-story/30577be0bbc81d0c6d731bd5a39a75b3 |title=Free lunch behind 16-year Letterman, Oprah feud |work=News.com.au |date=October 1, 2010 |access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> that arose, as Winfrey explained to Letterman after it had been resolved, as a result of the acerbic tone of their 1989 interview, of which she said that it "felt so uncomfortable to me that I didn't want to have that experience again". The feud apparently ended on December 2, 2005, when Winfrey appeared on CBS's ''Late Show with David Letterman'' in an event Letterman jokingly called "the [[Super Bowl]] of Love".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://tv.yahoo.com/show/32704/news/urn:newsml:tv.ap.org:20070830:people_winfrey_letterman__ER:1759 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070906075743/http://tv.yahoo.com/show/32704/news/urn%3Anewsml%3Atv.ap.org%3A20070830%3Apeople_winfrey_letterman__ER%3A1759 |archive-date=September 6, 2007 |publisher=[[Yahoo!]] |title=Letterman to appear on 'Oprah' }}</ref>

Winfrey and Letterman also appeared together in a ''Late Show'' promo aired during CBS's coverage of [[Super Bowl XLI]] in February 2007, with the two sitting next to each other on a couch watching the game. Since the game was played between the [[Indianapolis Colts]] and [[Chicago Bears]], the Indianapolis-born Letterman wore a Peyton Manning jersey, while Winfrey, whose show was taped in Chicago, wore a [[Brian Urlacher]] jersey.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_i5we6MB-w| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216011733/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_i5we6MB-w| archive-date=2007-02-16|publisher=YouTube|title=Dave and Oprah's Super Bowl of Love}}</ref> On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance on ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'' at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York City.

Three years later, during CBS's coverage of [[Super Bowl XLIV]] between the Colts and the [[New Orleans Saints]], the two appeared again in a ''Late Show'' promo, this time with Winfrey sitting on a couch between Letterman and Leno. Letterman wore the retired {{Abbr|No.|Number}} 70 jersey of [[Art Donovan]], a member of the Colts' Hall of Fame and a regular Letterman guest. The appearance was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to New York City on an NBC corporate jet, sneaking into the [[Ed Sullivan Theater]] during the ''Late Show''{{'}}s February 4 taping wearing a disguise and meeting Winfrey and Letterman at a living room set created in the theater's balcony, where they taped their promo.<ref>{{cite news| title= How the Letterman-Oprah-Leno Super Bowl Ad Came Together | url= http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/how-the-letterman-oprah-leno-super-bowl-ad-came-together/ | publisher=Media Decoder | date=  February 7, 2010 | access-date=February 8, 2010 | first= Bill |last=Carter}}</ref>

Winfrey interviewed Letterman in January 2013 on ''[[Oprah's Next Chapter]]''. They discussed their feud and Winfrey revealed that she had had a "terrible experience" while appearing on Letterman's show years earlier. Letterman could not recall the incident but apologized.<ref>{{cite news| title=  Letterman On 'Oprah's Next Chapter': 'I'm Sorry' (VIDEO) | url= https://www.huffpost.com/entry/letterman-on-oprah-david-letterman_n_2427870 | work= HuffPost | date=  January 12, 2013 | access-date=May 31, 2022 | first=Joan | last=Podrazik}}</ref>

=== 2007–2008 writers' strike ===
''Late Show'' went off air for eight weeks in 2007 during November and December because of the [[2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike|Writers Guild of America strike]]. Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants, was the first company to make an individual agreement with the WGA,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2692 |publisher=Writers Guild of America West|title=e-mail 12-28-07 "Letter from the Presidents: To Our Fellow Members"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102203501/http://www.wga.org/subpage_member.aspx?id=2692 |archive-date=January 2, 2008 }}</ref> allowing his show to come back on the air on January 2, 2008. In his first episode back, he surprised the audience with a newly grown [[beard]], which signified solidarity with the strike.<ref>{{cite news|url = https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2008-01-02-late-night-strike_N.htm| title = Late-night shows return fully bearded&nbsp;— with and without writers| author = Gary Levin| work = [[USA Today]]| date = January 3, 2008| access-date = January 17, 2010}}</ref> His beard was shaved off during the show on January 7, 2008.

=== Palin joke ===
On June 8 and 9, 2009, Letterman told two sexually themed jokes about a daughter (never named) of [[Sarah Palin]] on his TV show. These included a joke that Palin's daughter had been "knocked up" by MLB player [[Alex Rodriguez]].<ref name="NOW">{{cite news|url  =http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall-of-shame/index.php/television/letterman-palin-daughter| title = Letterman "Jokes" About Palin's Daughter| author = Lisa Bennett| publisher = [[National Organization for Women|NOW]]| date = June 11, 2009| access-date = April 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090615051330/http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall-of-shame/index.php/television/letterman-palin-daughter|archive-date=June 15, 2009}}</ref> Palin was in New York City with her then 14-year-old daughter Willow, and none of her other children were at the game, but her 18-year-old daughter [[Bristol Palin|Bristol]] was the one who was pregnant. It was therefore unclear which daughter the joke referred to.<ref name="NOW"/><ref name="Palin vs. Letterman – ABC News" />

In a statement posted on the Internet, Palin said, "I doubt [Letterman would] ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter" and that "laughter incited by sexually perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is disgusting."<ref name="Palin vs. Letterman – ABC News">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/06/palin-vs-letterman|title=Palin vs. Letterman|author=Caitlin Taylor|work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]|date=June 11, 2009|access-date=April 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120216043242/http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/06/palin-vs-letterman|archive-date=February 16, 2012}}</ref> On his June 10 show, Letterman responded to the controversy, saying the jokes were meant to be about Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, whose pregnancy as an unmarried teenager had caused some controversy during the [[United States presidential election of 2008]]. "These are not jokes made about [Palin's] 14-year-old daughter ... I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl."<ref name="Palin vs. Letterman – ABC News"/>

His remarks did not end public criticism. The [[National Organization for Women]] (NOW) released a statement supporting Palin, noting that Letterman had made "[only] something of an apology."<ref name="NOW"/> When the controversy failed to subside, Letterman addressed the issue again on his June 15 show, faulting himself for the error and apologizing "especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/15/AR2009061503131.html|title=One Pregnant-Teen Joke Too Many? Angry Palin Gets Letterman to Apologize|author=Paul Farhi|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=June 16, 2009|access-date=April 27, 2012}}</ref> Rodriguez demanded an apology for implying that he was a child molester. Letterman never specifically apologized to Rodriguez.<ref>{{cite web|last=Washow |first=Don |url=https://www.adn.com/politics/article/rod-demands-apology-letterman-over-palin-joke/2009/06/16/ |title=A-Rod demands apology from Letterman over Palin joke |work=Anchorage Daily News |date=2009-06-16 |access-date=2022-02-06}}</ref>

=== Al-Qaeda death threat ===
On August 17, 2011, it was reported that an [[Islamic militants|Islamist militant]] had posted a death threat against Letterman on a website frequented by [[Al-Qaeda]] supporters, calling on American Muslims to kill him for making a joke about the death of [[Ilyas Kashmiri]], an Al-Qaeda leader who was killed in a June 2011 drone strike in Pakistan.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-davidletterman-idUSTRE77G6K520110817| title=Militant makes death threat against David Letterman| work=Reuters| date=August 17, 2011| access-date=August 18, 2011| first=Jill| last=Serjeant}}</ref> In his August 22 show, Letterman joked about the threat, saying "State Department authorities are looking into this. They're not taking this lightly. They're looking into it. They're questioning, they're interrogating, there's an electronic trail—but everybody knows it's Leno."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/22/letterman-responds-to-death-threats-in-monologue/| date=August 22, 2011| title=Letterman Responds to Death Threats in Monologue| first=Bill | last=Carter| newspaper= The New York Times| access-date=August 23, 2011}}</ref>

==Appearances in other media==
[[File:David Letterman 2012.jpg|thumb|Letterman receiving the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors Medallion, December 2012]]
Letterman appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived 1986 series ''Coach Toast'', and appears with a bag over his head as a guest on Bonnie Hunt's 1990s sitcom ''[[The Building (TV series)|The Building]]''. He appeared in ''The Simpsons'' as himself in a couch gag when the Simpsons find themselves (and the couch) in ''Late Night with David Letterman''. He had a cameo in the feature film ''[[Cabin Boy]]'', with [[Chris Elliott]], who worked as a writer for Letterman. In this and other appearances, Letterman is listed in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the name of Letterman's maternal grandfather. He also appeared as himself in the [[Howard Stern]] biographical film ''[[Private Parts (1997 film)|Private Parts]]'' and the 1999 [[Andy Kaufman]] biopic ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]'', in a few episodes of [[Garry Shandling]]'s 1990s TV series ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]'', and in "[[The Abstinence]]", a 1996 episode of the sitcom ''[[Seinfeld]]''.

Letterman provided vocals for the [[Warren Zevon]] song "Hit Somebody" from ''[[My Ride's Here]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1107536,00.html |title=Hit Somebody The Hockey Song by Warren Zevon @ARTISTdirect |publisher=Artist Direct |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-date=December 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203024438/http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,1107536,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> and provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the 1996 animated film ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head Do America]]'', again credited as Earl Hofert.

Letterman was the focus of ''The Avengers on "Late Night with David Letterman"'', issue 239 (January 1984) of the [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] comic book series ''[[The Avengers (comic book)|The Avengers]]'', in which the title characters (specifically [[Hawkeye (Clint Barton)|Hawkeye]], [[Wonder Man]], [[Black Widow (Natasha Romanova)|Black Widow]], [[Beast (Marvel Comics)|Beast]], and [[Black Panther (character)|Black Panther]]) are guests on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman|Late Night]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics4.html|title=Stupid Comics |publisher=MisterKitty.org|access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> A parody of Letterman named David Endochrine is gassed to death along with his bandleader, Paul, and their audience in [[Frank Miller]]'s ''[[The Dark Knight Returns]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.batman-on-film.com/comics_thedarkknightreturns_review3_jett.html|title=Batman-In-Comics&nbsp;— Book Review: "The Dark Knight Returns, Part 3" by Bill Ramey|publisher=Batman-on-film.com|date=December 21, 2006|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130824150557/http://www.batman-on-film.com/comics_thedarkknightreturns_review3_jett.html|archive-date=August 24, 2013}}</ref> In ''[[SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron]]'', Letterman was parodied as "David Litterbin". Letterman appears in issues 13–14 and 18 of [[Harvey Pekar]]'s autobiographical comic book ''[[American Splendor]]''. Those issues show Pekar's accounts of appearances on ''Late Night''.

In 2010, a documentary directed by [[Joke Fincioen]] and [[Biagio Messina]], ''[[Dying to do Letterman]]'', was released, featuring [[Steve Mazan]], a standup comic, who has cancer and wants to appear on Letterman's show. The film won best documentary and jury awards at the [[Cinequest Film Festival]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dyingtodoletterman.com/ | title=Dying to Do Letterman |publisher=Dying to Do Letterman | access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref> Mazan published a book of the same name (full title ''Dying to Do Letterman: Turning Someday into Today'') about his own saga.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thebooktree.blogspot.com/2011/10/book-review-dying-to-do-letterman.html|title=The Book Tree: Book Review: Dying to Do Letterman|website=The Book Tree|publisher=Blogspot|date=October 19, 2011|access-date=November 23, 2013}}</ref>

Letterman appeared as a guest on CNN's ''[[Piers Morgan Tonight]]'' on May 29, 2012, when he was interviewed by [[Regis Philbin]], the guest host and Letterman's longtime friend. Philbin again interviewed Letterman (and Shaffer) while guest-hosting CBS's ''[[The Late Late Show (CBS TV series)|The Late Late Show]]'' (between the tenures of [[Craig Ferguson]] and [[James Corden]]) on January 27, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2015/01/22/david-letterman-set-as-regis-philbins-late-late-show-guest/22193293/|title=Letterman set as Philbin's 'Late Late' guest|last=Keveney|first=Bill|date=22 January 2015|website=USA Today|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref> In June 2013, Letterman appeared in the second episode of season two of ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/david-letterman-i-like-kettlecorn|title=David Letterman I Like Kettlecorn|publisher=Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee|access-date=November 23, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202223810/http://comediansincarsgettingcoffee.com/david-letterman-i-like-kettlecorn|archive-date=December 2, 2013}}</ref> On November 5, 2013, he and [[Bruce McCall]] published a fiction satire book, ''This Land Was Made for You and Me (But Mostly Me)'', {{ISBN|0-399-16368-9}}.

In Week 13 of the [[2021 NFL season]], Letterman joined Peyton and [[Eli Manning]] on their ''[[Manningcast]]'' feed of the ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' game between the [[New England Patriots]] and [[Buffalo Bills]]. Letterman mocked [[Bill Belichick]] after he was caught on camera wiping his nose with his shirt, and was in the middle of recalling being with [[Roger Goodell]] when Goodell was booed at the unveiling of [[Peyton Manning]]'s [[Statue of Peyton Manning|statue]] in Indianapolis when ESPN suddenly cut to commercials.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/sports/espn-commercial-david-letterman-roger-goodell-story-video-manningcast/|title=ESPN Abruptly Cut To Commercial During David Letterman's Story About Roger Goodell On The Manningcast|publisher=Uproxx|date=December 6, 2021|access-date=December 8, 2021}}</ref>

On February 1, 2022, Letterman was the guest on ''[[Late Night with Seth Meyers]]'', marking the 40th anniversary of the franchise's debut.<ref>{{cite web |title=Timed to the 40th Anniversary of NBC's "Late Night," David Letterman Will Join Seth Meyers for an Interview on "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on Feb. 1|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news/2022/01/25/timed-to-the-40th-anniversary-of-nbcs-late-night-david-letterman-will-join-seth-meyers-for-an-interview-on-late-night-with-seth-meyers-on-feb-1-299012/20220125nbc02/ |website=The Futon Critic |access-date=January 25, 2022 |date=January 25, 2022}}</ref>

On November 20, 2023, Letterman returned to the Ed Sullivan theater on ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert''.<ref name="return">{{Cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/other/david-letterman-returns-to-the-late-show-talks-show-differences-with-stephen-colbert/ar-AA1kjbLr |first=Taijun |last=Moore |publisher=[[Gannett]] |via=[[MSN.com]] |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |title=David Letterman returns to 'The Late Show,' talks show differences with Stephen Colbert |date=2023-11-21 |access-date=2023-11-21 |issn=0734-7456}}</ref>

== Business ventures ==
Letterman started his production company, [[Worldwide Pants Incorporated]], which produced his show and several others, in 1991. The company also produces feature films and documentaries and founded its own record label, Clear Entertainment.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.crazedhits.com/runner-runner-sign-to-emi |title=Alex Wilhelm, Crazed Hits Blogger, Named Warner Bros. Director Of A&R &#124; Billboard |publisher=Crazed Hits |date=February 2, 2008 |access-date=November 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723050111/http://www.crazedhits.com/runner-runner-sign-to-emi/ |archive-date=July 23, 2012 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> Worldwide Pants received significant attention in December 2007 after it was announced that it had independently negotiated its own contract with the [[Writers Guild of America, East]], thus allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers to return to work, while the union continued its strike against production companies, networks, and studios with whom it had not yet reached agreements.<ref>{{cite web |last=Finke |first=Nikki |date=2007-12-28 |title=Behind The Scenes: WGA Agrees To Allow Dave's Late Night Shows To Return With Writers Jan. 2; Will This Divide The Guild? |url=https://deadline.com/2007/12/letterman-story-upcoming-4557/ |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Bill |last2=Cieply |first2=Michael |date=2007-12-16 |title=Letterman Seeks Deal With Writers' Union |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/business/media/16strike.html |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>

Letterman, [[Bobby Rahal]], and [[Mike Lanigan]] of [[Mi-Jack Products]] co-own [[Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing]], an auto racing team competing in the [[WeatherTech SportsCar Championship]] and [[IndyCar|NTT IndyCar]] series.<ref name="martin">{{cite web |last=Martin |first=Bruce |date=2025-03-23 |title=IndyCar Team Owner Mike Lanigan Returns After Surviving Health Scare |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucemartin/2025/03/23/indycar-team-owner-mike-lanigan-returns-after-surviving-health-scare/ |work=[[Forbes]] |access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref> The team has twice won the [[Indianapolis 500]]: in [[2004 Indianapolis 500|2004]] with driver [[Buddy Rice]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Bonkowski |first=Jerry |date=2023-05-24 |title=Longshot 2004 Indy 500 Winner Buddy Rice Has Unique Place in Racing History |url=https://www.autoweek.com/racing/indycar/a43988643/longshot-2004-indy-500-winner-buddy-rice-history/ |work=Autoweek |access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref> and in [[2020 Indianapolis 500|2020]] with [[Takuma Sato]].<ref name="martin"/>

[[The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming]] is a private foundation through which Letterman has donated millions of dollars to charities and other nonprofit organizations in Indiana and [[Montana]], [[Habitat for Humanity International]], Ball State University, and the [[American Cancer Society]].<ref name="insidep">{{cite web |title=David Letterman |url=https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/major-donors/david-letterman-html |website=Inside Philanthropy |access-date=2025-11-12}}</ref>

== Influences ==
Letterman's biggest influence and mentor was Johnny Carson.<ref name="rose"/> Other comedians who influenced Letterman were [[Paul Dixon (entertainer)|Paul Dixon]],<ref name="dixon"/> [[Steve Allen]], [[Jonathan Winters]], [[Garry Moore]],<ref name="rose"/> [[Jack Paar]], [[Don Rickles]], and [[David Brenner]]. Although [[Ernie Kovacs]] has also been mentioned as an influence,<ref>{{cite news|author=John J. O'Connor|title=TV View: Ernie Kovacs: A comic to the medium born|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/03/08/movies/tv-view-ernie-kovacs-a-comic-to-the-medium-born.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=March 8, 1987|access-date=January 7, 2008}}</ref> Letterman has denied this.<ref name="rose"/>

Comedians influenced by Letterman include [[Conan O'Brien]], [[Jon Stewart]], [[Stephen Colbert]], [[Ray Romano]], [[Jimmy Kimmel]], Jay Leno, [[Arsenio Hall]], [[Larry Wilmore]], [[Seth Meyers]], [[Norm Macdonald]], [[Jimmy Fallon]], [[John Oliver]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/john-oliver-reveals-his-5-696662/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150807025911/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gallery/john-oliver-reveals-his-5-696662/1-armando-iannucci|url-status=live|archive-date=August 7, 2015|title=John Oliver Reveals His 5 Comedic Influences|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=April 16, 2014 |access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> and [[James Corden]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sting-james-corden-sing-so-long-to-david-letterman-50249/|title=Sting, James Corden Sing So Long to David Letterman|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=May 21, 2015|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref>

== Personal life ==

Letterman has [[tinnitus]], sometimes a symptom of [[hearing loss]]. On the ''Late Show'' in 1996, he talked about his experience with tinnitus during an interview with [[William Shatner]], who has severe tinnitus caused by an on-set explosion. Letterman has said that he was initially unable to pinpoint the noise inside his head and that he hears a constant ringing in his ears.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x96y7t_david-letterman-with-william-shatne_shortfilms|title=David Letterman with William Shatner – March, 1996!!|first=Ray |last=Glasser|work=Dailymotion}}</ref>

Letterman no longer drinks alcohol. On more than one occasion, he said that he had once been a "horrible alcoholic" and had begun drinking around the age of 11 or 13 and continued until 1981 when he was 34. He has said that in 1981, "I was drunk 80% of the time ... I loved it. I was one of those guys, I looked around, and everyone else had stopped drinking and I couldn't understand why."<ref>"[https://www.netflix.com/title/81747800 My Next Guest with David Letterman and John Mulaney]". ''Netflix''. April 30, 2024.</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmQcHhV9ChM&t=3m49s| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520022547/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmQcHhV9ChM&t=3m49s| archive-date=2015-05-20|title=Aubrey Plaza Interview with David Letterman|work=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBF8LIr8RG4&t=7m34s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/HBF8LIr8RG4| archive-date=2021-10-28|title=Amanda Seyfried al David Letterman 12-12-2012|date=December 13, 2012|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> When he was shown drinking what appears to be alcohol on the ''Late Show'', it was actually apple juice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/wahoo_gazette/160277/|title=Show #3715|date=21 August 2012|website=Late Show with David Letterman Wahoo Gazette|publisher=CBS|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410145118/http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/wahoo_gazette/160277/|archive-date=10 April 2014}}</ref>

In 2015, Letterman said of his anxiety: "For years and years and years—30, 40 years—I was anxious and [[hypochondriac]]al and an alcoholic, and many, many other things that made me different from other people." He became calmer through a combination of [[Transcendental Meditation]] and low doses of medication.<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite news|title=David Letterman Says Goodbye: Inside Rolling Stone's New Issue|author=Mark Seliger |newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=May 6, 2015|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/david-letterman-says-goodbye-inside-rolling-stones-new-issue-52611/|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> Letterman is a [[Presbyterian]], a religious tradition he was originally brought up in by his mother,<ref>{{Citation|last=Jimmy Kimmel Live|title=Jimmy Kimmel's FULL INTERVIEW with David Letterman|date=October 17, 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YGrrsKs-Xg| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211028/2YGrrsKs-Xg| archive-date=2021-10-28|access-date=October 20, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref> though he once said he was motivated by "[[Lutheran]], Midwestern guilt".<ref name="latimes1">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-oct-03-et-letterman-critic3-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|title=David Letterman comes clean without telling all|first=Mary |last=McNamara |date=October 3, 2009 |access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref>

In August 2021, Letterman was hospitalized in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], after hitting his head on the sidewalk and falling unconscious. He favorably recalled the care he received at [[Rhode Island Hospital]] in a video released by the hospital's owner.<ref name="providence">{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/letterman-thanks-rhode-island-hospital-care-struck-head-fell-unconscio-rcna23691|newspaper=[[NBC News]]|title=Letterman thanks Rhode Island hospital for care after he struck his head, fell unconscious|date=April 8, 2022 |access-date=April 10, 2022}}</ref>

===Marriages, relationships, and family===
[[File:David Letterman Tells Neal Brennan Why He Regrets Having Kids Too Late.webm|thumb|right|Letterman on becoming a father late in life, 2022]]
On July 2, 1968,<ref name="youtube=EJ46v_EDolg">{{cite web |author1=[[Late Night with David Letterman]] |title=Eva Gabor |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ46v_EDolg |website=[[YouTube]] |access-date=15 December 2022 |language=en |date=1986}}</ref> Letterman married his college sweetheart, Michelle Cook, in Muncie, Indiana; they divorced in 1977.<ref>{{cite news|last=Goldman|first=Russell|title=Sex Scandal Sheds Light on David Letterman's Love Life|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/sex-scandal-sheds-light-david-lettermans-love-life/story?id=8737083|work=ABC News|date=October 2, 2009|access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> He also had a long-term cohabiting relationship with the former head writer and producer on ''Late Night'', [[Merrill Markoe]], from 1978 to 1988. Markoe created several ''Late Night'' staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".<ref name="Time">{{cite news |title=Pet Tricks |author=Amelia Weiss |newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=June 1, 1992 |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,975648,00.html|access-date=April 5, 2021}}</ref> ''Time'' magazine wrote that theirs was the defining relationship of Letterman's career, with Markoe also acting as his writing partner. She "put the surrealism in Letterman's comedy."<ref>Daniel D'Addario, "Biography A TV traditionalist with a weird streak," ''Time'', April 17, 2017, p.&nbsp;56.</ref>

Letterman and Regina Lasko started dating in February 1986, while he was still living with Markoe. Lasko gave birth to their son, Harry Joseph Letterman, on November 3, 2003. Harry is named after Letterman's father.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/letterman-its-a-boy/ |title=Letterman: It's A Boy!, 'Late Show' Host, Girlfriend Have 9 Pound, 11 Ounce Son|work=[[CBS News]] |date=November 4, 2003}}</ref> In 2005, police discovered a plot to kidnap Letterman's son and demand a $5 million ransom. Kelly Frank, a house painter who had worked for Letterman, was charged in the conspiracy.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/17/letterman.plot/index.html|title=Montana man charged with Letterman plot|publisher=CNN|date=March 17, 2005 |access-date=May 1, 2010}}</ref>

Letterman and Lasko wed on March 19, 2009, in a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in [[Choteau, Montana]], where he had purchased a ranch in 1999.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://people.com/celebrity/david-letterman-marries-longtime-girlfriend-regina-lasko/|title=David Letterman Weds!|work=People|date=March 23, 2009|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name=letterman2>{{cite web|url=http://www.gadling.com/2009/03/25/choteau-montana-lettermans-hangout-is-a-gem-of-a-town|title=Great American Road Trip: Choteau, Montana, Letterman's Hangout is a Gem of a Town|last=Rhein|first=Jamie|work=Gadling|publisher=AOL Travel|date=March 25, 2009|access-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref><ref name=letterman3>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heartfelt-thanks-from-letterman/|title=Heartfelt Thanks From Letterman|work=CBS News|date=February 11, 2009|access-date=September 3, 2011}}</ref> Letterman announced the marriage during the taping of his show of March 23, shortly after congratulating [[Bruce Willis]] on his marriage the week before. Letterman told the audience he nearly missed the ceremony because his truck became stuck in mud two miles from their house.<ref>{{cite news|last=Snead|first=Elizabeth|title=David Letterman (finally) gets hitched to Regina Lasko|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=March 23, 2009|url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/03/ok-theres-somet.html|access-date=March 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325215551/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/thedishrag/2009/03/ok-theres-somet.html |archive-date=March 25, 2009}}</ref> The family resides in [[North Salem, New York]], on a {{convert|108|acre|hectare|adj=on}} estate.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2010/04/letterman-201004|title=Big Trouble at 11:35|date=March 2, 2010|magazine=Vanity Fair}}</ref>

=== Friendship with Foo Fighters ===
[[File:Foo Fighters - Rock am Ring 2018-5671 (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Dave Grohl]] was a frequent guest on ''The Late Show'' and performed on the program several times with [[Foo Fighters]] between 1995 and 2014, and on its final episode in 2015.]]
Letterman has had a close relationship with the [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Foo Fighters]] since its appearance on his first show upon his return from heart surgery. The band appeared many times on the ''Late Show'', including a week-long stint in October 2014. While introducing the band's performance of "[[Miracle (Foo Fighters song)|Miracle]]" on the October 17, 2014, show, Letterman told the story of how a souvenir video of himself and his four-year-old son learning to ski used the song as background music, unbeknownst to Letterman until he saw it. He said: "This is the second song of theirs that will always have great, great meaning for me for the rest of my life". This was the first time the band had heard this story.<ref>{{cite web |date=October 17, 2014 |title=Foo Fighters – Miracle [Live on David Letterman] |url=https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x284e70 |access-date=December 29, 2017 |website=dailymotion}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Bradley |first1=Laura |date=May 21, 2015 |title=A Brief History of David Letterman's Love for the Foo Fighters |url=https://slate.com/culture/2015/05/a-brief-history-of-david-letterman-s-love-for-the-foo-fighters.html |access-date=May 31, 2022 |website=Slate}}</ref> Worldwide Pants co-produced [[Dave Grohl]]'s ''[[Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways|Sonic Highways]]'' TV series. "Letterman was the first person to get behind this project", Grohl said.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kreps |first1=Daniel |date=May 20, 2015 |title=Foo Fighters to Serve as Letterman's Final Musical Guest |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/foo-fighters-to-serve-as-lettermans-final-musical-guest-65487/ |access-date=May 31, 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>

During Letterman's last show, on which Foo Fighters appeared, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour that they canceled to play on his comeback episode.<ref>{{cite web |date=May 21, 2015 |title=David Letterman says goodbye after 33 hilarious years |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/david-letterman-says-goodbye-after-33-hilarious-years/ |access-date=September 24, 2019 |publisher=CBS News}}</ref>

{{anchor|Extortion attempt and revelation of affairs}}
=== Extortion attempt and revelation of affairs ===
On October 1, 2009, Letterman announced on his show that he had been the victim of a [[blackmail]] attempt by a person threatening to reveal his sexual relationships with several of his female employees—a fact Letterman immediately thereafter confirmed.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/10/david-letterman-on-extortion-attempt-i-felt-menaced-by-this.html| title=David Letterman on extortion attempt: 'I felt menaced by this'| first=Matea| last=Gold| newspaper=Los Angeles Times| date= October 2, 2009}}</ref> He said that someone had left a package in his car with material he said he would write into a screenplay and a book if Letterman did not pay him $2 million. Letterman said that he contacted the [[Manhattan District Attorney]]'s office and partook in a [[sting operation]] that involved the handover of a fake check to the extortionist.<ref name="CBS">{{cite news| url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robert-joe-halderman-48-hours-producer-named-in-david-letterman-sex-extortion-plot/|title=Robert Joe Halderman, 48 Hours Producer, Named in David Letterman Sex Extortion Plot|first=Edecio|last=Martinez|work=CBS News|date=October 2, 2009}}</ref>

[[Joe Halderman]], a producer of the CBS news magazine television series ''[[48 Hours (TV series)|48 Hours]]'', was arrested around noon (EST) on October 1, 2009, after trying to deposit the check. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury following testimony from Letterman and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted [[grand larceny]] on October 2, 2009.<ref name=Reuters1002>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-letterman-extortion/suspect-in-letterman-extortion-pleads-not-guilty-idINTRE5910GR20091002|title=Suspect in Letterman extortion pleads not guilty|date=September 2, 2009| last=Honan|first=Edith|work=Reuters|access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref> Halderman pleaded guilty in March 2010 and was sentenced to six months in prison, followed by probation and community service.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-CBS producer Robert Halderman pleads guilty to blackmailing David Letterman over intern affairs| date=March 9, 2010| access-date=May 31, 2022|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ex-cbs-producer-robert-halderman-pleads-guilty-blackmailing-david-letterman-intern-affairs-article-1.174178|first1=Melissa|last1=Grace|first2=Christina|last2=Boyle|first3=Larry|last3=McShane}}</ref>

A central figure in the case and one of the women with whom Letterman had had a sexual relationship was his longtime personal assistant [[Stephanie Birkitt]], who often appeared on the show. She had also worked for ''48 Hours''.<ref name="huffpo">{{cite news| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/02/stephanie-birkitt-letterm_n_307558.html|title=Stephanie Birkitt|last=Shea|first=Danny|date=October 2, 2009|newspaper=[[The Huffington Post]]|access-date=October 2, 2009}}</ref> Until a month before the revelations, she had shared a residence with Halderman,<ref name="NYT1">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/business/media/03extort.html|title=Letterman Extortion Raises Questions for CBS|first1=Bill| last1=Carter|first2=Brian|last2=Stelter| newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 2, 2009}}</ref> who allegedly had copied her personal diary and used it, along with private emails, in the blackmail package.<ref name="diary">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephanie-birkitt-photo-secret-diary-at-center-of-letterman-sex-extortion-say-cops/|title=Stephanie Birkitt Secret Diary at Center of Letterman Sex Extortion, Say Cops|date=October 5, 2009|newspaper=CBS News|agency=Associated Press|access-date=October 5, 2009}}</ref>

In the days following the initial announcement of the affairs and the arrest, several prominent women, including [[Kathie Lee Gifford]], co-host of NBC's ''[[Today (NBC program)|Today Show]]'', and NBC news anchor [[Ann Curry]], questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created an unfair working environment.<ref name=bauder>{{cite news|title=Will women viewers turn away from Letterman?|agency=Associated Press|date=October 4, 2009|access-date=October 4, 2009| url=http://www.today.com/id/33167148/ns/today-entertainment/t/will-women-viewers-turn-away-letterman| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135310/http://www.today.com/id/33167148/ns/today-entertainment/t/will-women-viewers-turn-away-letterman| archive-date=January 1, 2018}}</ref> A spokesman for Worldwide Pants said that the company's [[sexual harassment]] policy did not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees.<ref name=latimesharassment>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-letterman3-2009oct03-story.html|title=David Letterman affair is no joke|first1=Matea|last1=Gold|first2=Scott|last2=Collins|date=October 3, 2009|access-date=October 4, 2009|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|quote='We have a written policy in our employee manual that covers harassment', the spokesman said in a statement. 'It is circulated to every employee every year. Dave is not in violation of our policy and no one has ever raised a complaint against him.'}}</ref> According to business news reporter Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department".<ref>{{cite web|title=Sleeping with the boss often leads to trouble: Policies on workplace romances aim to limit legal liabilities|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/33146450|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728120211/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33146450|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 28, 2020|first=Eve|last=Tahmincioglu|date=October 4, 2009|access-date=October 4, 2009|work=[[NBC News]]|quote=If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department to ensure that there are no issues of actual or apparent favoritism, [[conflict of interest]], [[sexual harassment]], or any other negative impact on others in the work environment.}}</ref>

On October 3, 2009, [[TMZ]] reported that a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, had had a yearlong secret affair with Letterman in the early 1990s while she was his intern and a student at [[New York University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gothamist.com/news/former-letterman-intern-lover-i-was-madly-in-love-with-him|title=Former Letterman Intern-Lover: "I Was Madly In Love With Him"|date=October 4, 2009|website=Gothamist}}</ref> On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment of his show to a public apology to his wife and staff.<ref name=msnbcapology>{{cite news|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/letterman-apologizes-horribly-hurt-wife-1C9404523|title=Letterman apologizes to 'horribly hurt' wife
|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Today|date=October 5, 2009| access-date=May 31, 2022}}</ref><ref name=cnnapology>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/10/05/david.letterman.apology|title=Letterman makes in-studio apology to wife, staffers|author=Doug Ganley|publisher=CNN|date=October 5, 2009|access-date= October 5, 2009|display-authors=etal}}</ref> Three days later, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the ''Late Show''.<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news|title=David Letterman's former mistress Stephanie Birkitt banned from Late Show set|date=October 8, 2009|access-date=October 12, 2009|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|location=London|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/6271085/David-Lettermans-former-mistress-Stephanie-Birkitt-banned-from-Late-Show-set.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/6271085/David-Lettermans-former-mistress-Stephanie-Birkitt-banned-from-Late-Show-set.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Stalking incidents ===
Beginning in May 1988, Letterman was stalked by [[Margaret Mary Ray]], a woman with [[schizophrenia]]. She stole his [[Porsche]], camped out on his tennis court, and repeatedly broke into his house. Her exploits drew national attention, with Letterman occasionally joking about her on his show, though he never named her. After she died by suicide at age 46 in October 1998, Letterman told ''The New York Times'' that he had great compassion for her.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/22/nyregion/behind-jokes-life-pain-delusion-for-letterman-stalker-mental-illness-was-family.html|title=For Letterman Stalker, Mental Illness Was Family Curse and Scarring Legacy|work=The New York Times|first=Frank|last=Bruni|date=November 22, 1998|access-date=May 1, 2010}}</ref> A spokesperson for Letterman said: "This is a sad ending to a confused life."<ref>Stewart, Babara, [https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/07/nyregion/the-woman-who-stalked-letterman-is-a-suicide.html "The Woman Who Stalked Letterman Is a Suicide"], ''The New York Times'', October 7, 1998; retrieved September 11, 2013.</ref>

In 2005, a woman was able to obtain a [[restraining order]] from a [[New Mexico]] judge, prohibiting Letterman from contacting her. She claimed he had sent her coded messages via his television program, causing her bankruptcy and emotional distress.<ref>[http://volokh.com/files/lettermanapp.pdf Nester's petition], from the [[Volokh Conspiracy]] accessed 15 June 2019</ref><ref>[http://volokh.com/files/lettermantro.pdf Judge Daniel Sanchez's restraining order], from the [[Volokh Conspiracy]] accessed 15 June 2019</ref> Law professor [[Eugene Volokh]] called the case "patently [[frivolous lawsuit|frivolous]]".<ref>Volokh, Eugene. [http://volokh.com/posts/1135193403.shtml Is This Some Solstice Fool's Joke?] The Volokh Conspiracy, 21 December 2005; retrieved 15 June 2019</ref>

=== Interests ===
Letterman is a car enthusiast and owns an extensive collection. In 2012, it was reported that the collection consisted of ten [[Ferrari]]s, eight [[Porsche]]s, four [[Austin-Healey]]s, two [[Honda]] motorcycles, a [[Chevy]] pickup, and one car each from automakers [[Mercedes-Benz]], [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguar]], [[MG Cars|MG]], [[Volvo]], [[Cadillac]] and [[Pontiac (automobile)|Pontiac]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Koonz|first1=Brian|title=David Letterman's 10 Ferraris stored at Danbury warehouse|url=http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/David-Letterman-s-10-Ferraris-stored-at-Danbury-3518591.php|website=Connecticut Post|date=April 29, 2012|access-date=February 22, 2017|archive-date=February 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223041335/http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/David-Letterman-s-10-Ferraris-stored-at-Danbury-3518591.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> He often drives two electric vehicles, a [[Tesla S|Tesla Model S]] and a [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]].

In his 2013 appearance on ''[[Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee]]'', part of [[Jerry Seinfeld]]'s conversation with Letterman was filmed in Letterman's [[Volvo 900 Series#1994–1998|1995 Volvo 960 station wagon]], which is powered by a 380-horsepower racing engine. [[Paul Newman]] had the car built for Letterman.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Locker|first1=Melissa|title=Watch Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman in ''Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee''|url=http://www.ifc.com/2013/06/watch-jerry-seinfeld-and-david-letterman-in-comedians-in-cars-getting-coffee|website=IFC|publisher=AMC Networks|access-date=March 11, 2017}}</ref>

==Filmography==
=== Film ===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Cabin Boy]]''
| Old Salt In Fishing Village
| Credited as Earl Hofert
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Eddie (film)|Eddie]]''
| Himself
| Cameo
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head Do America]]''
| [[Mötley Crüe]] roadie (voice)
| Credited as Earl Hofert
|-
| 1997
| ''[[Private Parts (1997 film)|Private Parts]]''
| Himself
| Cameo
|-
| 1999
| ''[[Man on the Moon (film)|Man on the Moon]]''
| Himself
| Cameo
|-
| 2005
| ''[[Strangers with Candy (film)|Strangers with Candy]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| Executive producer
|-
| 2016
| ''[[Sully (film)|Sully]]''
| Himself
| Cameo
|-
| 2019
| ''[[Between Two Ferns: The Movie]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 2022
| ''[[Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special]]''
| Himself
| Stand-up special<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lowry |first1=Brian |title=Norm Macdonald says goodbye in a Netflix special, with a little help from his friends |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/30/entertainment/norm-macdonald-nothing-special/index.html |website=CNN |access-date=May 30, 2022 |date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

|}

===Documentary feature films===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title
!scope="col" width=65 | Role
!scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
| 2005
|''[[Grizzly Man]]''
| Himself
| Archive footage from a 2001 ''[[The Late Show with David Letterman]]'' episode starring [[Timothy Treadwell]]. Cut for the DVD release.
|-
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"
! Year
! Title
! Role(s)
! Notes
|-
| 1977
| ''The [[Starland Vocal Band]] Show''
| Announcer / Various
| 6 episodes
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Mary (1978 TV series)|Mary]]''
| Announcer / Various
| 3 episodes
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Peeping Times]]''
| Dan Cochran
| Television film
|-
| 1979
| ''Fast Friends''
| Matt Morgan
| Television film
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Mork & Mindy]]''
| Ellsworth
| Episode: "[[Mork Goes Erk]]"
|-
| 1979
| ''[[The Mary Tyler Moore Hour]]''
| Various roles
| 8 episodes
|-
| 1979
| ''[[Password Plus and Super Password|Password Plus]]''
| Himself
| Game Show Participant / Celebrity Guest Star
|-
| 1980
| ''[[The David Letterman Show]]''
| Himself (host)
| 90 episodes; also creator, writer and executive producer
|-
| 1981
| ''[[Open All Night (TV series)|Open All Night]]''
| Man in Suit
| Episode: "Buckaroo Buddies"
|-
| 1982–1993
| ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]''
| Himself (host)
| 1,819 episodes; also creator, writer and executive producer
|-
| 1986
| ''[[38th Primetime Emmy Awards]]''
| Himself (co-host)
| Special
|-
| 1993–2015
| ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]''
| Himself (host)
| 4,263 episodes; also creator, writer and executive producer
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Murphy Brown]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "Bump in the Night"
|-
| 1993
| ''[[The Building (TV series)|The Building]]''
| The Thief
| 5 episodes; also executive producer<br />Also appeared in Episode: "Damned If You Do"
|-
| 1993–1995
| ''[[The Larry Sanders Show]]''
| Himself
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1994
| ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]''
| Himself (voice)
| Episode: "Late Night with Butt-head"
|-
| 1995
| ''[[67th Academy Awards]]''
| Himself (host)
| Television special
|-
| 1995–1999
| ''[[The Late Late Show with Tom Snyder]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 777 episodes; co-creator and executive producer
|-
| 1995–1996
| ''[[Bonnie (TV series)|Bonnie]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 13 episodes; also executive producer
|-
| 1995
| ''[[The Nanny]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "Pen Pal"
|-
| 1995
| ''[[Favorite Deadly Sins]]''
| Himself
| Television film
|-
| 1996
| ''[[The Dana Carvey Show]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "The Diet Mug Root Beer Dana Carvey Show"
|-
| 1996
| ''[[Seinfeld]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "[[The Abstinence]]"
|-
| 1996
| ''[[The High Life (1996 TV series)|The High Life]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 8 episodes; also executive producer
|-
| 1996–2005
| ''[[Everybody Loves Raymond]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 210 episodes; also executive producer
|-
| 1997–1998
| ''[[Spin City]]''
| Himself / Rags
| 2 episodes
|-
| 1998
| ''[[Cosby (TV series)|Cosby]]''
| Himself
| Episode "Fifteen Minutes of Fame"
|-
| 1999–2004
| ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 1,190 episodes; co-creator and executive producer
|-
| 2000–2004
| ''[[Ed (TV series)|ED]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 83 episodes; executive producer
|-
| 2005–2014
| ''[[The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 2,058 episodes; co-creator and executive producer
|-
| 2007
| ''[[The Knights of Prosperity]]''
| {{N/A|none}}
| 13 episodes; also executive producer
|-
| 2012
| ''[[The Simpsons]]''
| Himself (voice)
| Episode: "[[The D'oh-cial Network]]"
|-
| 2018–present
| ''[[My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman]]''
| Himself (host)
| Also creator, writer and executive producer
|-
| 2020
| ''[[The Comedy Store (TV series)|The Comedy Store]]''
| Himself
|
|-
| 2022
| ''That's My Time with David Letterman''
| Himself (host)
|
|-
| rowspan=2|2024
| ''[[Stupid Pet Tricks (TV series)|Stupid Pet Tricks]]''
| Himself
| Episode: "Late Night Memories"; also executive producer
|-
| ''[[John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA]]''
| Himself 
| Episode: "Earthquakes"<ref>{{cite web|url= https://ca.news.yahoo.com/john-mulaney-presents-everybody-la-170000916.html|title= 'John Mulaney Presents: Everybody's in LA' Sets David Letterman, Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld and More Live Guests|website= Yahoo News|date= April 30, 2024|accessdate= May 10, 2024}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Awards, honors and legacy==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by David Letterman}}

===David Letterman Communication and Media Building===
[[File:David Letterman Emmy 1987.jpg|thumb|Letterman at the [[39th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1987]]

In 1996, Letterman was ranked 45th on ''[[TV Guide]]''{{'}}s 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.<ref>{{cite magazine |year=1996 |title=Special Collectors' Issue: 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time |magazine=[[TV Guide]] |issue=December 14–20 }}</ref><ref name=TVGuide>Miller, Gregory E.; Schneider, Michael (December 31, 2015). "2015 by the Numbers", ''TV Guide''. p. 10.</ref> In 2002, ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' was ranked seventh on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cosgrove-Mather|first1=Bootie|title=TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/|website=CBS News|date=April 26, 2002 |access-date=January 20, 2018}}</ref>

On September 7, 2007, Letterman visited his ''alma mater'', Ball State University in [[Muncie, Indiana]], for the dedication of a communications facility named in his honor for his dedication to the university. The $21 million, {{convert|75000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} David Letterman Communication and Media Building opened for the 2007 fall semester. Thousands of Ball State students, faculty, and local residents welcomed Letterman back to Indiana.<ref name="building">{{cite news|url=http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200781121039|title=It's no joke: Ball State dedicates building in Letterman's honor|publisher=Indianapolis Star|first=Christopher|last=Lloyd|date=September 8, 2007}}</ref> Letterman's emotional speech touched on his struggles as a college student and his late father, and also included the "top ten good things about having your name on a building", finishing with "if reasonable people can put my name on a $21 million building, anything is possible."<ref>{{cite AV media|url=http://www.bsu.edu/web/news/letterman|people=Ball State University|title=David Letterman Communication and Media Building|date=September 7, 2007|medium=videos|access-date=August 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713061140/http://www.bsu.edu/web/news/letterman/|archive-date=July 13, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Over many years Letterman "[[The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming#Ball State|has provided substantial assistance]] to [Ball State's] Department of Telecommunications, including an annual scholarship that bears his name."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bsu.edu/news/article/0,1370,311998-18969-54275,00.html|title=World-class facilities, faculty, and students|date=August 28, 2007|publisher=Ball State University|access-date=December 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070813223734/http://bsu.edu/news/article/0%2C1370%2C311998-18969-54275%2C00.html |archive-date=August 13, 2007|quote=The new technologically advanced facility is named after David Letterman, the university's most prominent graduate and host of the ''Late Show with David Letterman'' on the CBS television network. Over the years, Letterman has provided substantial assistance to the Department of Telecommunications, including an annual scholarship that bears his name. Work began on the {{US$|21}} million building in 2005, enclosing about 75,000 square feet of classroom, studio, and faculty office space. The building opened in August. Cutting-edge equipment populates the {{US$|1}} million production complex, which includes two recording studios, two control rooms, two isolation rooms, and five editing suites. The same equipment may be found in most of the top production houses and film studios in Hollywood, New York, and London}}</ref>

At the same time, Indiana Governor [[Mitch Daniels]] gave Letterman a [[Sagamore of the Wabash]] award, which recognizes distinguished service to the state of Indiana.<ref name="building"/>

===Awards and nominations===
In his capacities as a performer, producer, or as part of a writing team, Letterman is among the most nominated people in the history of the Emmy Awards, with 52 nominations, winning two Daytime Emmys and ten Primetime Emmys since 1981. He won four [[American Comedy Awards]] and in 2011 became the first recipient of the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at [[The Comedy Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/comedy-awards-winners-1031683/ |title=David Letterman Receives Top Honor at Inaugural Comedy Awards |work=TV Guide |last=Ross |first=Robyn |date=April 11, 2011 |access-date=August 25, 2021 }}</ref>

Letterman was a recipient of the 2012 [[Kennedy Center Honors]], where he was called "one of the most influential personalities in the history of television, entertaining an entire generation of late-night viewers with his unconventional wit and charm."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman, Natalia Makarova, Buddy Guy, Led Zeppelin Are Kennedy Center Honorees - Playbill.com |url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/169937-Dustin-Hoffman-David-Letterman-Natalia-Makarova-Buddy-Guy-Led-Zeppelin-Are-Kennedy-Center-Honorees |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021201813/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/169937-Dustin-Hoffman-David-Letterman-Natalia-Makarova-Buddy-Guy-Led-Zeppelin-Are-Kennedy-Center-Honorees |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |access-date=2025-07-02 |website=www.playbill.com |url-status=live }}</ref> On May 16, 2017, Letterman was named the next recipient of the [[Mark Twain Prize for American Humor]], the award granted annually by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He received the prize in a ceremony on October 22, 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/XSMTP|title=The 20th Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor: DavidLetterman}}from kennedy-center.org(accessed May 17, 2017)</ref>

===The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming===
'''The Letterman Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming''' (LFCG) was an American private [[Foundation (charity)|foundation]] whose president and primary contributor was David Letterman. Its treasurer was Fred Nigro, who has appeared on ''[[Late Show with David Letterman]]'', where he has been identified as Letterman's accountant. The foundation operated out of Nigro's Los Angeles offices. LFCG was founded in August 1993 as the DL Foundation. Since at least 2001, LFCG was known as the American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming, until it assumed its current name, in 2011.<ref name="2011caci">{{cite web| title= Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF)| url= http://990s.foundationcenter.org/990pf_pdf_archive/223/223250026/223250026_201112_990PF.pdf |work= Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation |pages=25–26 | accessdate= August 30, 2013 | quote= ...That the Certificate of Incorporation was filed by the Secretary of State of New York on the 26th day of August 1993 under the not-for-profit Corporation Law under the original name THE DL FOUNDATION....Paragraph FIRST of the Certificate of Incorporation, relating to the name of the corporation, is hereby amended to read as follows:  FIRST: The name of the corporation shall be: THE LETTERMAN FOUNDATION FOR COURTESY AND GROOMING}}</ref>

According to LFCG's tax returns ([[Form 990]]-PF), made available by the [[Foundation Center]], for the years from 2001 through 2011, LFCG donated a total of over $9.2 million to various foundations and other organizations.<ref name="fdncenter">{{cite web| url=http://dynamodata.fdncenter.org/990s/990search/ffindershow.cgi?id=DLFO001 | title=Entry for the LFCG | publisher=The Foundation Center | accessdate= December 4, 2012| format= PDF |work=[[Form 990]]-PF, Part V, Item 1(b) ("Adjusted Qualifying Distributions")}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="rs2008">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-news/dave-at-peace-187026/|title=Dave at Peace|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 18, 2008 |access-date=May 31, 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407022925/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/22791344/dave_at_peace_the_rolling_stone_interview/print|archive-date=April 7, 2010}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book|first=Jason|last=Zinoman|author-link=Jason Zinoman|title=Letterman – The Last Giant of Late Night|year=2017|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-0-06-237721-0}}, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/10/books/review/letterman-biography-jason-zinoman.html "Book Review: The Legacy of David Letterman, Icon of the Grizzled Generation"] by Tom Carson, ''The New York Times'', April 10, 2017
* {{cite news
|title=Late-night legend David Letterman's ugly personality no laughing matter, former colleagues say
|first=Larry
|last=McShane
|date=March 11, 2017
|newspaper=[[New York Daily News]]
|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/david-letterman-ugly-personality-no-laughing-matter-colleagues-article-1.2995387}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|David Letterman|David&nbsp;Letterman}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{New York Times topic|new_id=person/david-letterman}}
* {{The Interviews about|david-letterman}}

{{David Letterman}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Awards for David Letterman
|list=
{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 1980s}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2010s|state=collapsed}}
{{Mark Twain Prize for American Humor}}
{{TCA Career Achievement Award}}
}}
{{IndyCar Series on ABC}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Letterman, David}}
[[Category:David Letterman| ]]
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American comedians]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American comedians]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Presbyterians]]
[[Category:21st-century Presbyterians]]
[[Category:American comedy writers]]
[[Category:American company founders]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American Presbyterians]]
[[Category:American stand-up comedians]]
[[Category:American television talk show hosts]]
[[Category:American television writers]]
[[Category:Ball State University alumni]]
[[Category:Comedians from Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Former Lutherans]]
[[Category:IndyCar Series team owners]]
[[Category:Late night television talk show hosts]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Mark Twain Prize recipients]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing]]
[[Category:Television news anchors from Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Television producers from Indiana]]
[[Category:American television show creators]]
[[Category:American television weather presenters]]
[[Category:Kennedy Center honorees]]