FAST FACTS: Ed McMahon's Life and Career
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Ed McMahon was born in Detroit and raised in Lowell, MA
(Source: bio on Baseline - Filmtracker)
1938 Began his career as a bingo caller in Maine when he was 15
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
First broadcasting job was at WLLH-AM in Lowell, MA
Served in the US Marines during WWII; earned wings at Pensacola Naval base and became a fighter pilot instructor
1949 Began his television career as on-air personality in Philadelphia, PA at WCAU-TV
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1950 Performed as a clown on "The Big Top" (CBS)
1957 -1962 First worked with Johnny Carson, as announcer and host on the daytime gameshow "Who Do You Trust?" (ABC)
1962 -1992 Worked alongside Johnny Carson as the announcer and sidekick on NBC's "The Tonight Show"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1963 -1964 Hosted the game show "Missing Links" (NBC)
1967 First notable acting role, "The Incident"
1967 -1969 Hosted the NBC game show, "Snap Judgment"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1972 Headlined the NBC comedy special "Ed McMahon and His Friends ... Discover Cypress Gardens"
1973 Returned to films after a six-year absence in "Slaughter's Big Rip-Off"
1977 Co-starred with Jane Fonda and George Segal in "Fun With Dick and Jane"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1979 Hosted the short-lived NBC game show "Whodunit?"
1979 Acted in the TV-movie "The Kid From Left Field"
1980 Featured in the NBC TV-movies "The Great American Traffic Jam" and "The Golden Momemt - An Olympic Love Story"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1981 Co-starred in the NBC miniseries "The Star Maker"
1981 Had supporting role in the instant camp classic "Butterfly" featuring Pia Zadora
1982 Co-hosted a series of NBC specials, "Television's Greatest Commercials"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1983 -1995 Hosted the syndicated TV talent show, "Ed McMahon's Star Search"
1982 -1998 Co-hosted with Dick Clark NBC's "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes"
With Clark, became a commercial spokesperson for American Family Publishers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1991 Hosted a number of ABC specials "Super Bloopers & New Practical Jokes" alongside Clark
1994 Played himself in the feature film "Love Affair"
1997 -1998 Had regular role on the sitcom "The Tom Show" (WB) playing the host of a morning talk show
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
1998 Played a grandfather in the ABC TV-movie "Safety Patrol"
1998 Published his autobiography For Laughing Out Loud: My Life and Good Times
2000 Was the subject of the A&E's Biography segment "Ed McMahon: America's Sidekick"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
2001 -2002 Returned to weekly TV as host of "Ed McMahon's Next Big Star" (PAX-TV); also produced
2004 Was the announcer and co-host of "Alf's Hit Talk Show" (TV Land)
2005 Penned second book Here's Johnny!: My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show, and 46 Years of Friendship
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
=========================================================================================
Notes
McMahon has lent his talents as announcer each year to Jerry Lewis' Labor Day Telethon to fight Muscular Dystrophy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
McMahon received the Man of the Year humanitarian award from the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation (1981)
"He had a great gift," says friend Don Rickles. "He was a magnificent straight man. People like him don't exist anymore." - Don Rickles on McMahon, quoted in Entertainment Weekly, April 8, 2005
"My attitude was: Be in when needed and out of the way when not needed. That's an art form." - McMahon on working with Johnny Carson to Emmy magazine, Issue No. 2, 2005
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
In March 2008, it was announced McMahon was recovering from a broken neck and two subsequent surgeries. He was injured in 2007 in a fall.
In June 2008, it was announced that McMahon is $644,000 behind on payments on $4.8 million in mortgage loans and is fighting to avoid foreclosure on his multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills home. McMahon has also been sued by Citibank for $180,000. McMahon appeared on "Larry King Live" (CNN) on June 5, 2008 with his wife to talk about this situation.
[source: StudioSystem]
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
=========================================================================================
McMahon broke his neck in a fall in 2007.
McMahon faced foreclosure on his home last year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
a deal was announced last Dec. that would allow him to stay in the house.
[source: AP, Source: Ed McMahon hospitalized with bone cancer, February 27, 2009]