Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-American actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for having hosted the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

late-night talk show A late-night talk show is a genre of talk show, originating in the American Media, United States. It is generally structured around humorous monologues about the day's news, guest interviews, comedy sketches and music performances. It is charact ...

The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Scottish actor and comedian Craig Ferguson. This was the third iteration of the The Late Late Show (American talk show), ''Late Late Show'' franchise, airi ...

'' (2005–2014). He is the winner of a

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Foster Peabody, George Peabody, honor what are described as the most powerful, enlightening, and in ...

for his interview with

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

Desmond Tutu Desmond Mpilo Tutu (7 October 193126 December 2021) was a South African Anglican bishop and theologian, known for his work as an anti-apartheid and human rights activist. He was Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then Archbishop ...

in 2009. After leaving ''The Late Late Show'' in December 2014, he hosted the syndicated game show '' Celebrity Name Game'' (2014–2017), for which he won two

Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NA ...

s, and '' Join or Die with Craig Ferguson'' (2016) on

History History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

. In 2017, he released a six-episode web show with his wife, Megan Wallace Cunningham, titled ''Couple Thinkers''. In 2021, he hosted ''

The Hustler ''The Hustler'' is a 1961 American sports drama film, directed by Robert Rossen. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson, who challenges legendary pool player " Minnesota Fats". The film, which was based on the 195 ...

'', television game show that aired on ABC from 4 January to 23 September 2021. After starting his career in the United Kingdom with music, comedy, and theatre, Ferguson moved to the United States, where he appeared in the role of Nigel Wick on the ABC sitcom ''

The Drew Carey Show ''The Drew Carey Show'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 13, 1995, to September 8, 2004. Set in Cleveland, Ohio, the series revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionaliz ...

'' (1996–2004). Ferguson has written three books: '' Between the Bridge and the River'', a novel; '' American on Purpose'' (2009), a memoir; and ''Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations & Observations'' (2019). He holds both British and American citizenship. He has written and starred in three films, directing one of them, and has appeared in several others. In animated film, Ferguson voiced Gobber in the ''

How to Train Your Dragon ''How to Train Your Dragon'' is a media franchise from DreamWorks Animation and loosely based on the book series How to Train Your Dragon (novel series), of the same name by British author Cressida Cowell. It consists of three feature films: '' ...

'' film series (2010–2019),

Owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

in ''

Winnie the Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh (also known as Edward Bear, Pooh Bear or simply Pooh) is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by ...

'' (2011), and Lord Macintosh in '' Brave'' (2012).

Early life and education

Ferguson was born on 17 May 1962 in Stobhill Hospital in the

Springburn Springburn () is an inner-city district in the north of the Scottish city of Glasgow, made up of generally working-class households. Springburn developed from a rural hamlet at the beginning of the 19th century. Its industrial expansion began ...

district of

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, to Robert (1930–2006), a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

worker and

Scottish Nationalist Scottish nationalism promotes the idea that the Scottish people form a cohesive nation and national identity. Scottish nationalism began to shape from 1853 with the National Association for the Vindication of Scottish Rights, progressing into ...

, and Janet Ferguson (1933–2008), a primary school teacher. When he was six months old, he and his family moved from their Springburn flat to a Development Corporation house in the nearby New Town of

Cumbernauld Cumbernauld (; ) is a large town in the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Dunbartonshire and council area of North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It is the tenth List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, most-populous locality in Scotl ...

, where he grew up "chubby and bullied". They lived there as Cumbernauld was rehousing many Glaswegians away from the poor housing conditions and damage to the city from World War II. Ferguson attended Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School. At age 16, Ferguson left high school and began an apprenticeship to be an electronics technician at a local factory of American company

Burroughs Corporation The Burroughs Corporation was a major American manufacturer of business equipment. The company was founded in 1886 as the American Arithmometer Company by William Seward Burroughs I, William Seward Burroughs. The company's history paralleled many ...

. Ferguson has two sisters (one older and one younger) and one older brother. His younger sister, Lynn Ferguson Tweddle, is also a comedian, presenter and actress, who voiced Mac in the 2000

stop-motion animation Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...

film ''

Chicken Run ''Chicken Run'' is a 2000 animated adventure comedy film directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park and written by Karey Kirkpatrick from an original story by Lord and Park. Produced by Pathé and Aardman Features in partnership with DreamWork ...

''. She was a writer on ''The Late Late Show'' until July 2011. His first visit to the United States was in 1975, when he was 13, to visit an uncle who lived on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

, near New York City. When he moved to New York City in 1983, he worked in construction in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

. He was later a bouncer at the nightclub Save the Robots before returning to the United Kingdom.

Career

British career

Ferguson's entertainment career began as a teenager, drumming for Glasgow

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

bands such as the Night Creatures and Exposure. He then had a brief stint as a drummer for the post-punk band Ana Hausen, which released a single for Human Records in 1981. Following that, he joined punk band The Bastards from Hell, later renamed the Dreamboys, and fronted by vocalist and future actor

Peter Capaldi Peter Dougan Capaldi (; born 14 April 1958) is a Scottish actor, director, singer and guitarist. He portrayed the Twelfth Doctor, twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Doctor Who'' (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker i ...

. They performed regularly in Glasgow from 1980 to 1982. Ferguson credits Capaldi for inspiring him to try comedy. When Ferguson was 18, he worked as a session musician and performed as a drummer for

Nico Christa Päffgen (; 16 October 1938 – 18 July 1988), known by her stage name Nico, was a German singer, songwriter, actress, and model. Nico had roles in several films, including Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' (1960) and Andy Warhol's ...

during a few gigs when she toured Scotland. After a nerve-wracking first comedy appearance, he decided to create a character he described as a "parody of all the über-patriotic native folk singers who seemed to infect every public performance in Scotland," using the name "Bing Hitler" borrowed from Peter Capaldi. Ferguson first performed as the character in Glasgow, and was subsequently a hit at the 1986

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

. However, by the end of the year, Ferguson was already discussing his intention to retire Bing. At the press launch for an alternative

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

of "

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

" (which he co-wrote with Capaldi), he said, "You can't write for just one character forever." A recording of his act as Bing Hitler was made at Glasgow's Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s; a Bing Hitler monologue ("A Lecture for

Burns Night A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), the author of many Scots poems. The suppers are usually held on or near the poet's birthday, 25 January, known as Burns Night (; ) ...

") appears on the compilation cassette ''Honey at the Core.'' After enjoying success at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

, Ferguson appeared on television as 'Confidence' in ''

Red Dwarf A red dwarf is the smallest kind of star on the main sequence. Red dwarfs are by far the most common type of fusing star in the Milky Way, at least in the neighborhood of the Sun. However, due to their low luminosity, individual red dwarfs are ...

'', on STV's ''Hogmanay Shows'', and on the 1993 ''

One Foot in the Grave ''One Foot in the Grave'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom written by David Renwick. There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour episodes) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late ...

'' Christmas special ''One Foot in the Algarve.'' In 1990, a pilot of ''The Craig Ferguson Show'', a one-off comedy pilot for

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

, was broadcast, co-starring

Paul Whitehouse Paul Julian Whitehouse (born 17 May 1958) is a Welsh actor, writer, presenter and comedian. He was one of the main stars of the BBC sketch comedy series ''The Fast Show'' and has starred with Harry Enfield in the shows ''Harry & Paul'' and ''Ha ...

and Helen Atkinson-Wood. In 1991,

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

asked him to host ''Friday at the Dome'', a 75-minute live music show. In 1992, he was given his own

BBC Scotland BBC Scotland is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Scotland. Its headquarters are in Glasgow, employing approximately 1,250 staff as of 2017, to produce 15,000 hours of television and radio programming per year. BBC Scotla ...

show, ''2000 Not Out''. In 1993, he presented a six-part archaeology TV series, ''The Dirt Detective'', for STV, and was given a six-part TV series on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

, ''The Ferguson Theory,'' a mix of stand-up and sketches recorded the day before transmission. Ferguson also found success in musical theatre. Beginning in 1991, he appeared on stage as Brad Majors in the London production of ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...

''. In 1994, he played Father MacLean in production of '' Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom'' at the Union Chapel in London. That year he appeared again at the Edinburgh Fringe, as Oscar Madison in '' The Odd Couple''. After living and working in the United States for many years, in 2017, it was announced that he would return to UK television for the first time in 25 years in a guest role in

's comedy ''

Still Game ''Still Game'' is a Scotland, Scottish sitcom produced by Effingee Productions, The Comedy Unit and BBC Scotland. It was created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, who played the lead characters, Jack Jarvis (Still Game character), Jack Jarvis, ...

,'' to be shown in 2018. In 2022, an adaptation of Ferguson's film '' Saving Grace'' (2000) was announced as a stage musical aimed for a 2023 run in West End, in which Ferguson will portray a "villainous banker". It was adapted by

April De Angelis April De Angelis is an acclaimed British playwright known for her powerful exploration of feminist themes and women's lives. Her work spans theatre, radio, and television, blending sharp wit with deep emotional insight. De Angelis began her car ...

from Ferguson's and Mark Crowdy's screenplay, with music by

KT Tunstall Kate Victoria "KT" Tunstall (born 23 June 1975) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained attention with a 2004 live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on ''Later... with Jools Holland'', and h ...

American career

Ferguson moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in November 1994, after his soon-to-be agent Rick Siegel had seen Ferguson during the

and suggested that he come to America. His first American role was as baker Logan McDonough on the short-lived 1995 ABC comedy '' Maybe This Time'', which starred

Betty White Betty Marion Ludden ( White; January 17, 1922December 31, 2021), known professionally as Betty White, was an American actress and comedian. A pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades, she was noted for her vas ...

and

Marie Osmond Olive Marie Osmond (born October 13, 1959) is an American singer, actress, television personality, author, and businesswoman. She is known for her girl next door, girl-next-door image and her decades-long career in many different areas. Her musi ...

. His breakthrough in the United States came when he was cast on ''

'' as the title character's boss, Mr. Wick, a role he played from 1996 to 2003. He played the role with an over-the-top posh English accent, explaining it was "to make up for generations of English actors doing crap Scottish accents." In his comedy special "A Wee Bit o' Revolution", he specifically identified

James Doohan James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series ''Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottish chief engineer of t ...

's portrayal of Montgomery Scott on ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' as the foundation of his "revenge". (At the end of one episode, though, Ferguson broke the

fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance dramatic convention, convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. ...

and began talking to the audience at home in his normal Scottish accent.) His character was memorable for his unique methods of laying employees off, almost always "firing Johnson", the most common last name of the to-be-fired workers. Even after leaving the show in 2003, he remained a recurring character on the series for the last two seasons, and was part of the two-part series finale in 2004. During the production of ''The Drew Carey Show'', Ferguson devoted his off-time as a cast member to writing, working in his trailer on set in between shooting his scenes. He wrote and starred in three films: '' The Big Tease'', '' Saving Grace'', and '' I'll Be There''; he also directed the latter, for which he won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas, and Valencia film festivals. He was named Best New Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. These were among other scripts that, "in the great tradition of the movie business, about half a dozen that I got paid a fortune for but never got made." His other acting credits in films include '' Niagara Motel'', '' Lenny the Wonder Dog'', '' Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', ''

Chain of Fools A chain is a serial assembly of connected pieces, called links, typically made of metal, with an overall character similar to that of a rope in that it is flexible and curved in compression but linear, rigid, and load-bearing in tension. ...

'', '' Born Romantic'', '' The Ugly Truth'', '' Kick-Ass'', and, as a

voice-over Voice-over (also known as off-camera or off-stage commentary) is a production technique used in radio, television, filmmaking, theatre, and other media in which a descriptive or expository voice that is not part of the narrative (i.e., non- ...

actor, ''

'', ''

How to Train Your Dragon 2 ''How to Train Your Dragon 2'' is a 2014 American animated fantasy film loosely based on the How to Train Your Dragon (novel series), book series by Cressida Cowell. Produced by DreamWorks Animation and written and directed by Dean DeBlois, it i ...

'', '' Brave'', and ''

''. Ferguson has been touring the United States and Canada with a comedy show since the late 2000s, including a performance at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

on 23 October 2010 and a performance at

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall (also known as Radio City) is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York C ...

on 6 October 2012. He has performed two stand-up television specials on

Comedy Central Comedy Central is an American Cable television in the United States, cable television channel, channel owned by Paramount Global through its Paramount Media Networks, network division's Paramount Media Networks#MTV Entertainment Group, MTV Ente ...

, both released on DVD: ''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'' in 2009 and ''Does This Need to Be Said?'' in 2011. His third comedy special, ''

I'm Here to Help ''I'm Here to Help'' is the fifth comedy album and third DVD-comedy album by Scottish-American comedian Craig Ferguson. This Sound recording and reproduction, live audio recording is from the film ''Craig Ferguson: I'm Here to Help'', released on ...

'', was released on

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in 2013, garnering positive reviews of 4 out of 5 stars on Netflix and peaking at number 6 on

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

top comedy albums. It also received a 2014 Grammy Award nomination for Best Comedy Album. Ferguson was awarded the

Peter Ustinov Sir Peter Alexander Ustinov (16 April 192128 March 2004) was a British actor, director and writer. An internationally known raconteur, he was a fixture on television talk shows and lecture circuits for much of his career. Ustinov received #Awa ...

Comedy Award by the

Banff World Media Festival Founded in 1979, the Banff World Media Festival (formerly known as the Banff World Television Festival) is an international media event held in the Canadian Rockies at the Banff Springs Hotel, Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canad ...

on 11 June 2013.

''The Late Late Show''

In December 2004, it was announced that Ferguson would succeed

Craig Kilborn Craig Lawrence Kilborn (born August 24, 1962) is an American television host, actor, comedian, and sports commentator. Kilborn began a career in sports broadcasting in the late 1980s, leading to an anchoring position at ESPN's '' SportsCenter'' f ...

's ''The Late Late Show''. His first show as the regular host aired on 3 January 2005. The show was unique in that it had no "human" sidekicks such as

Ed McMahon Edward Leo Peter McMahon Jr. (March 6, 1923 – June 23, 2009) was an American announcer, game show host, comedian, actor, singer, and combat aviator. McMahon and Johnny Carson began their association in their first TV series, the American Bro ...

on '' The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson'' or

Conan O'Brien Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...

Andy Richter Paul Andrew Richter (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and talk show announcer. He is best known as the sidekick for Conan O'Brien on O'Brien's talk shows: '' Late Night'' and ''The Tonight Show'' on NBC and '' Cona ...

. Beginning in 2010, a robotic skeleton named Geoff Peterson and two silent performers in a pantomime horse costume were added to the show. His monologues were conducted within a few feet of the camera versus the long distance Johnny Carson kept from the camera and audience. ''The Late Late Show'' averaged 2.0 million viewers in its 2007 season, compared with 2.5 million for ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

''. In April 2008, ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' beat ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for weekly ratings (1.88 million to 1.77 million) for the first time since the two shows went head-to-head with their respective hosts. In March 2009, Craig Ferguson topped

Jimmy Fallon James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an Americans, American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer. Best known for his work in television, Fallon's breakthrough came during his tenure as a cast member on the ...

in the ratings with Ferguson getting a 1.8 rating and Fallon receiving a 1.6 rating. By 2014, Ferguson's ratings had faltered, trailing those of ''

Late Night with Seth Meyers ''Late Night with Seth Meyers'' is an American late-night news and political satire variety talk show hosted by Seth Meyers on NBC. The show premiered on February 24, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. Airing w ...

'' with an average of 1.35 million viewers versus 2.02 million. On 28 April 2014, Ferguson announced he would leave ''The Late Late Show'' at the end of 2014, with the final episode airing on 19 December. His contract was set to expire in June 2014, but a six-month extension was agreed on to provide a more graceful exit and give CBS more time to find a replacement host. He reportedly received as part of his contract because he was not selected as the replacement for

David Letterman 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 N ...

's ''Late Show''. Ferguson made the decision prior to Letterman's announcement but agreed to delay making his own decision public until the reaction to Letterman's decision (announced 3 April) had died down. CBS entertainment chair

Nina Tassler Nina Tassler is an American film and television executive and producer. She was most recently the chairwoman of CBS Entertainment until 2015. Life and career Tassler was born in New York City to a Jewish father and a Puerto Rican mother who conve ...

said, following the announcement, that in his decade as host Ferguson had "infused the broadcast with tremendous energy, unique comedy, insightful interviews and some of the most heartfelt monologues seen on television." CBS continued the franchise with

James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...

as the new host.

Post–''Late Late Show''

In October 2013, it was announced that Ferguson would host the syndicated game show ''Celebrity Name Game'', produced by Coquette Productions, beginning in late 2014. Ferguson's involvement in the project dates back to 2011, when it was originally pitched and piloted as a CBS primetime series. , the series had an initial order of 180 episodes. The syndicated series began airing on 22 September 2014. Ferguson won

s for Outstanding Game Show Host for ''Celebrity Name Game'' in 2015 and 2016. On 2 December 2016, it was announced that the series would end after three seasons. Ferguson signed in 2015 to play Prentiss Porter in ''The King of 7B'', a comedy pilot for ABC. The show was not picked up. On 18 February 2016, Ferguson began to host a historical talk show on

titled '' Join or Die with Craig Ferguson''. The title is a reference to a

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

political cartoon A political cartoon, also known as an editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically co ...

published in the ''

Pennsylvania Gazette ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'' was one of the United States' most prominent newspapers from 1728 until 1800. In the years leading up to the American Revolution, the newspaper served as a voice for colonial opposition to Kingdom of Great Britain, ...

'' on 9 May 1754, which Ferguson had tattooed on his forearm after becoming an American citizen. Ferguson and a three-guest panel of comedians and historians conduct a humorous discussion of a different topic on each episode, such as the most doomed presidential campaign, greatest Founding Father and greatest invention, with viewers invited to share their opinions via Twitter. Between January 2021 and April 2022, Ferguson hosted the American game show ''

'', which aired on ABC. The show followed five contestants who collaborate to build up a cash prize by answering a series of trivia questions presented by Ferguson, while one of the contestants is secretly designated as the Hustler beforehand and given the answers to all the questions. By the end of the game, two of the honest contestants have been eliminated; the other two must correctly choose the Hustler in order to stop the Hustler from winning the entire prize. The series premiered on 4 January 2021, before moving to its regular timeslot on 7 January 2021, airing on Thursdays at 10 p.m. In April 2022, it was reported that the series was cancelled, having aired 19 episodes across two seasons.

Other television work

Craig Ferguson has made guest appearances on ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...

'', ''

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

'', ''

Rachael Ray Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American cook, television personality, businesswoman, and author. She hosted the syndicated daily talk and lifestyle program '' Rachael Ray''. Other programs to her credit include ''30 Minut ...

'', ''

Countdown with Keith Olbermann ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann'' is a weekday podcast that originated as an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program hosted by Keith Olbermann that aired on MSNBC from 2003 to 2011 and on Current TV from 2011 to 2012. The show ...

'', ''

The Howard Stern Show ''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was radio syndication, nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WINS-FM, WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The sho ...

'', ''

The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...

'', '' The View'', ''

Loveline ''Loveline'' is a radio syndication, syndicated radio Talk show, call-in program in North America that features medical and relationship advice, often with guest appearances by actors and musicians. For most of its original run until ending in ...

'', ''

Real Time with Bill Maher ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' is an American television talk show that airs weekly on HBO, hosted by stand-up comedy, comedian and political satire, political satirist Bill Maher. Much like his previous series ''Politically Incorrect'' on Comedy ...

'', '' The Soup'', '' The Talk'', ''

The Price Is Right ''The Price Is Right'' is an American television game show where contestants compete by guessing the prices of merchandise to win cash and prizes. A 1972 revival by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman of their The Price Is Right (1956 American game ...

'', '' Kevin Pollak's Chat Show'', '' The Dennis Miller Show'' and ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

''. He also co-hosted '' Live with Regis & Kelly'' with

Kelly Ripa Kelly Maria Ripa (; born October 2, 1970) is an American actress and talk show host. Since 2001, she has been the co-host of the syndicated morning talk show '' Live! with Kelly and Mark'' in various formats. Her co-hosts have included Regis ...

and was guest host on the April Fools' Day episode of ''The Price Is Right'' in 2014. In 2009, Ferguson made a cameo live-action appearance in the episode " We Love You, Conrad" on ''

Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on January 31, 1999, following Super Bowl XXXIII, with the rest of the first season airing from April 11, 1999. Th ...

''. Ferguson hosted the 32nd annual

People's Choice Awards The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the fans and general public. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls un ...

on 10 January 2006. ''

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...

'' magazine printed a "Cheers" (Cheers and Jeers section) for appearing on his own show that same evening. From 2007 to 2010, Ferguson hosted the

Boston Pops The Boston Pops is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symphony Orc ...

Fireworks Spectacular on 4 July, broadcast nationally by

. Ferguson was the featured entertainer at 26 April 2008

White House Correspondents' Association The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor ...

dinner in Washington, DC. Ferguson co-presented the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama with

Brooke Shields Brooke Christa Shields (born May 31, 1965) is an American actress. A child model starting at the age of 11 months, Shields gained widespread notoriety at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle's film ''Pretty Baby (1978 film), Pretty Baby ...

in 2008. He has done voice work in cartoons, including being the voice of Barry's evil alter-ego in the " With Friends Like Steve's" episode of ''

American Dad! ''American Dad!'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Mike Barker (producer), Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series premiered on February 6, 2005, following Super Bowl XXXIX, with the r ...

''; in '' Freakazoid!'' as Roddy MacStew, Freakazoid's mentor; and on ''

Buzz Lightyear of Star Command ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' is an American animated science fiction comedy television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and co-produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It is a spin-off of Pixar's ''Toy Story'' franchise a ...

'' as the robot vampire NOS-4-A2. He was the voice of Susan the boil on ''

Futurama ''Futurama'' is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company and later revived by Comedy Central, and then Hulu. The series follows Philip J. Fry, who is cryogenically preserved for 1 ...

'', which was a parody of Scottish singer

Susan Boyle Susan Magdalane Boyle (born 1 April 1961) is a Scottish singer who rose to fame in 2009 after appearing as a contestant on the third series of '' Britain's Got Talent'', singing " I Dreamed a Dream" from '. As of 2021, Boyle has sold 25 ...

. He makes stand-up appearances in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

and New York City. He headlined in the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and in October 2008 Ferguson taped his stand-up show in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

for a

special entitled ''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'', which aired on 22 March 2009.

British television Television broadcasts in the United Kingdom began in 1932, however, regular broadcasts would only begin four years later. Television began as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transm ...

comedy drama ''

Doc Martin ''Doc Martin'' is a British medical comedy-drama television series starring Martin Clunes as Doctor Martin Ellingham. It was created by Dominic Minghella developing the character of Dr Martin Bamford from the Nigel Cole comedy film '' Saving ...

'' was based on a character from Ferguson's film '' Saving Grace'' – with Ferguson getting writing credits for 12 episodes. On 6 November 2009, Ferguson appeared as himself in a ''

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' is an American animated television series, animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It first aired as a sneak peek after the 1999 Kids' C ...

'' special titled '' SpongeBob's Truth or Square''. He hosted

Discovery Channel Discovery Channel, known as The Discovery Channel from 1985 to 1995, and often referred to as simply Discovery, is an American cable channel that is best known for its ongoing reality television shows and promotion of pseudoscience. It init ...

's 23rd season of Shark Week in 2010. Ferguson briefly appeared in

Toby Keith Toby Keith Covel (July 8, 1961 – February 5, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and businessman. Keith released his chart-topping debut single, "Should've Been a Cowboy", in 1993. During the 1990s ...

's " Red Solo Cup" music video, released on 10 October 2011. In September 2013, Ferguson guest-starred on the season finale of ''

Hot in Cleveland ''Hot in Cleveland'' is an American television sitcom aired on TV Land and starring Valerie Bertinelli, Jane Leeves, Wendie Malick, and Betty White. The series, which was TV Land's first original series, premiered on June 16, 2010, and was ...

'' as a priest/tabloid journalist who turns out to be the father of Joy's ( Jane Leeves) son. The show reunited him with former co-star and frequent ''Late Late Show'' guest

. Ferguson reprised the role for several episodes when the show returned in March 2014. In January 2023, Sony Pictures Television (SPT) announced a new, half-hour syndicated late night talk show with Craig Ferguson as host. Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson will be produced by Whisper North and will be distributed by SPT. A pilot for Channel Surf with Craig Ferguson was shot in the UK this month at Dock10 studios, and SPT will take the show out to potential buyers in Los Angeles.

Radio

On 27 February 2017, Ferguson launched ''The Craig Ferguson Show'', a two-hour talk radio show on the Comedy Greats channel and Faction Talk on

SiriusXM Satellite Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merge ...

. His last new show aired 11 May 2018.

Literature

Ferguson's novel '' Between the Bridge and the River'' was published on 10 April 2006. He appeared at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, as well as other author literary events. "This book could scare them", he said, referring to audiences familiar with his television work. "The sex, the violence, the dream sequences and the

iconoclasm Iconoclasm ()From . ''Iconoclasm'' may also be considered as a back-formation from ''iconoclast'' (Greek: εἰκοκλάστης). The corresponding Greek word for iconoclasm is εἰκονοκλασία, ''eikonoklasia''. is the social belie ...

. I think a lot of people are uncomfortable with that. I understand that. It was very uncomfortable to write some of it." The novel is dedicated to his elder son, Milo, and to his grandfather, Adam. He revealed in an interview that he is writing a sequel to the book, to be titled ''The Sphynx of the Mississippi''. He also stated in a 2006 interview with

that he intends the book to be the first in a trilogy. As of February 2019, Ferguson has produced no further novels, although he has published non-fiction. Ferguson signed a deal with

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

to publish his memoirs. The book, entitled '' American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot'', focuses on "how and why ebecame an American" and covers his years as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer and construction worker as well as the rise of his career in Hollywood as an actor and comic. It went on sale 22 September 2009 in the United States. On 1 December 2010 the

audiobook An audiobook (or a talking book) is a recording of a book or other work being read out loud. A reading of the complete text is described as "unabridged", while readings of shorter versions are abridgements. Spoken audio has been available in sch ...

version was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album

Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

. In July 2009,

Jackie Collins Jacqueline Jill Collins (4 October 1937 – 19 September 2015) was an English romance novelist and actress. She moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and spent most of her career there. She wrote 32 novels, all of which appeared on The New York Times B ...

was a guest on '' The Late Late Show'' to promote her new book ''Married Lovers''. Collins said a character in her book, Don Verona, was based on Ferguson because she was such a fan of him and his show. Ferguson wrote a short story for ''In Sunlight or in Shadow'' (2017, Pegasus Crime), an anthology edited by Lawrence Block and featuring works inspired by the paintings of

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realism painter and printmaker. He is one of America's most renowned artists and known for his skill in depicting modern American life and landscapes. Born in Nyack, New York, to a ...

(1882–1967). Block is a favorite writer of Ferguson's and appeared multiple times on ''The Late Late Show''. His third book, ''Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations'' which released 7 May 2019.

Personal life

He holds an FAA private pilot certificate, issued in 2009. Ferguson has been a

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

since 2013. A recovering

alcoholic Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records. The World Hea ...

, he has been sober since 1992. During his early career, Ferguson resided in

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the London Borough of Camden, London Boroughs of Camden and the City of Westminster, London, England, about 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Historically the northern part of the Civil Parish#An ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Ferguson has been married three times and divorced twice. His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth from 1983 to 1986, during which time they lived in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. His second marriage was to Sascha Corwin (founder and proprietor of Los Angeles' SpySchool), with whom he has one child, born in 2001. He and Corwin shared custody of their child, and lived near each other in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...

. Ferguson married art dealer Megan Wallace-Cunningham in a private ceremony on her family's farm in Chester, Vermont in 2008. They have a son together, who was born in 2011. Ferguson wrote in his book '' American on Purpose'' that he and actress Helen Atkinson-Wood were in a romantic relationship prior to his going sober in 1992. The relationship lasted five years. He acknowledges that she changed his life "beyond recognition" by improving his health and his career. Ferguson has stated that his comedy influences include

Monty Python Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

The Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short-subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical, farce, and slapstick comedy. Six total ...

Laurel and Hardy Laurel and Hardy were a British-American double act, comedy duo during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–1957) ...

, and

. Ferguson has five tattoos which include the

Join, or Die ''Join, or Die.'' is a political cartoon showing the disunity in the American colonies, originally in the context of the French and Indian War in 1754. Attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the original publication by ''The Pennsylvania Gazette'' ...

political cartoon on his right forearm; a Ferguson family crest with the Latin motto ''Dulcius ex asperis'' ("Sweeter out of r fromdifficulty") on his upper right arm in honour of his father; and a

Celtic cross upright 0.75 , A Celtic cross symbol The Celtic cross is a form of ringed cross, a Christian cross featuring a nimbus or ring, that emerged in the British Isles and Western Europe in the Early Middle Ages. It became widespread through its u ...

with the Ingram clan motto ''Magnanimus esto'' (''Be great of mind'') on his upper left arm in honour of his mother. He has often said that his ''Join, or Die'' tattoo is intended to signal his American patriotism. Ferguson became an American citizen on 1 February 2008 and broadcast the taking of his citizenship test as well as his swearing in on ''The Late Late Show''. In 2011, Ferguson bought Bargany House.

Filmography

Film

Television

Podcasts

Radio

Web

Video games

Awards and nominations

Discography

* ''Live at the Tron'' (as Bing Hitler). Jammy Records. 1986. Catalogue number JRLP 861. * ''Mental; Bing Hitler Is Dead?''

Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

. 1988. * ''A Big Stoatir''.

. 1990. * ''I'm Here to Help''. New Wave Dynamics. 2013. * ''Tickle Fight'' - 2018 * ''Hobo Fabulous'' - 2020

References

Bibliography

* * *Ferguson, Craig (2019). ''Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations.''

Penguin Group Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media company, media Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a Mergers and acquisitions, mer ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Craig 1962 births Living people American game show hosts American male comedians American male film actors American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male screenwriters American male television actors American male television writers American television writers American male video game actors American male voice actors American stand-up comedians American television talk show hosts Audiobook narrators Aviators from California Burroughs Corporation people Comedians from Glasgow Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host winners Film people from Glasgow Talk show hosts Late night television talk show hosts Male actors from Glasgow Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from New York City Male actors from North Lanarkshire Naturalized citizens of the United States Novelists from New York City Peabody Award winners People educated at Cumbernauld Academy People from Cumbernauld People with multiple citizenship Scottish emigrants to the United States Scottish expatriate male actors in the United States Scottish game show hosts Scottish male comedians Scottish male film actors Scottish male screenwriters Scottish male short story writers Scottish male television actors Scottish male television writers Scottish male video game actors Scottish male voice actors Scottish stand-up comedians Scottish television producers Scottish television talk show hosts Screenwriters from Los Angeles Screenwriters from New York City Television producers from New York City Television talk show hosts The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson Writers from Glasgow 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American memoirists 21st-century American novelists 20th-century Scottish comedians 21st-century Scottish comedians 20th-century Scottish male actors 21st-century Scottish male actors 21st-century Scottish memoirists 21st-century Scottish novelists 20th-century Scottish screenwriters 21st-century Scottish screenwriters 21st-century Scottish short story writers

Early life and education

Career

British career

American career

''The Late Late Show''

Post–''Late Late Show''

Other television work

Radio

Literature

Personal life

Filmography

Film

Television

Podcasts

Radio

Web

Video games

Awards and nominations

Discography

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links