This person died in 2020 at age 93. He was the only child of a noted Beat poet. He won his first professional acting job in the 1940s, when he was cast in the live radio program “The Lone Ranger”. On several occasions he recounted a period of months he spent in Paris in the 1950s working as a “mec” – or pimp – for a legal prostitute. His association with the Actors Studio began in 1992. He was a knowledgeable interviewer who focused on craft while avoiding gossip. Beyond his globally successful Bravo TV program, he was as well known for being relentlessly lampooned by Will Ferrell on “Saturday Night Live”. Today’s dead celebrity is James Lipton.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 43 “Poetic Justice” (Maya Angelou) and Episode 18 “Darling’s Critic” (Roger Ebert). 

Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Megan Palmer.

LINKS:

Transcript of this episode

New York Times Obituary for James Lipton

Will Ferrell impersonates James Lipton on SNL

James Lipton shotguns a beer on Conan

Lipton as Warden Gentles on “Arrested Development”

Why Bradley Cooper was James Lipton’s most memorable interview

Dead or Alive quiz game

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