Craig Ferguson

At 62 years old, Craig Ferguson has this physical status:

Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-American television host, comedian, writer, and actor.

He hosted the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game (2014–17), for which he received two Daytime Emmy Awards and Join or Die with Craig Ferguson (2016) on History.

Craig Ferguson, also the host of the CBS late-night talk show The Late Late Show (2005–14).

Couple Thinkers, he and his wife Megan, hosted a web show in 2017 together.

It aired for six episodes beginning on September 9, 2017 and is now on YouTube. Ferguson began his career in the United Kingdom with music, comedy, and theatre, then he migrated to the United States, where he appeared on the ABC sitcom The Drew Carey Show (1996–2004).

He has written and appeared in three films, including one in directing one of them, as well as several others, including several voice-over roles for animations.

Ferguson has also written three books: Between the Bridge and the River, a book; American on Purpose, a memoir; and Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliation, Hallucinations & Observations.

He holds both British and American citizenship.

Early life and education

Ferguson was born in Glasgow's Springburn district, to Robert and Janet Ferguson on May 17, 1962. When he was 6 months old, he and his family moved from Springburn to a Development Corporation home in Cumbernauld, where they grew up "chubby and bullied." Many Glaswegians were relocated from the city's poor housing conditions and World War II destruction. Ferguson attended Muirfield Primary School and Cumbernauld High School. Ferguson began attending high school and trained to be an electronics technician at Burroughs Corporation, a local factory.

In 1975, his first trip to the United States was to visit an uncle who lived on Long Island, just north of New York City. When he moved to New York City in 1983, he spent time in Harlem, a building contractor. Ferguson stayed bouncing at Save the Robots nightclub before heading to Scotland.

Personal life

Ferguson is a fan of Scottish football team Partick Thistle F.C. Doctor Who, a British television show, as well as the British television show Doctor Who. He holds an FAA private pilot license, which was issued in 2009. He has five tattoos, including the Join, Or Die political cartoon on his right forearm; a Ferguson family crest with the Latin word Dulcius ex asperis ("Sweeter out of [or from] danger] on his upper right arm; and a Celtic cross with the Ingram clan motto Magnanimus esto ("Behold his mother") on his upper left arm; His Join, or Die tattoo, has been used to indicate his American patriotism, according to him. Ferguson came back to live in Scotland in 2019.

Ferguson is a vegan (having stated in 2016 that he had been vegan for almost three years). He is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober since 1992.

Ferguson also plays the harp in episode 7 of his television series Join or Die, (but not well, and was kicked out of the band as a result).

Monty Python, Marx Brothers, The Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy, and David Letterman have all been among Ferguson's comedy influences, according to Ferguson.

Ferguson eulogised his father Robert Ferguson on an episode of The Late Late Show in January 2006. He discussed Janet's death on television (31 August 1933 – 1 December 2008), ending the program by performing her favorite song, "Rivers of Babylon," by Boney M.

Ferguson has two sisters (one older and one younger) and one older brother. Lynn Ferguson Tweddle, his younger sister, is also a comedian, host, and actress who appeared in the 2000 stop-motion animation film Chicken Run. She appeared on The Late Late Show from September 2011 until she died in July 2011.

Ferguson was in a five-year relationship with actress Helen Atkinson-Wood. He has been married three times and divorced twice. His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth from 1983 to 1986, when the pair lived in New York. Sascha Corwin, the founder and owner of Los Angeles' SpySchool, had one child when he married in 2001. He and Corwin shared custody of their children and lived in the Hollywood Hills near each other. Megan Wallace-Cunningham married Ferguson in a private ceremony on her family's farm in Chester, Vermont, in 2008. They have a son, Liam, who was born in 2011.

During 2007, Ferguson, who at the time held sole British citizenship, used The Late Show as a platform for applying for honorary citizenship from every state in the United States. He earned honorary citizenship in Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming, and Wyoming, and Wyoming, and Nebraska. Governors Jon Corzine (New Jersey), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Mark Sanford (South Dakota), Rick Perry (Texas), Sarah Palin (Alaska), and Jim Gibbons (Nevada) sent letters to him, making him an honorary citizen of their respective states. Several towns and cities have awarded him such prestigious honors, including Ozark, Arkansas; Hazard, Kentucky; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

Ferguson became an American citizen on February 1st, 2008, and was broadcasting the taking of his citizenship exam as well as his swearing in on The Late Late Show.

Ferguson returned to Scotland in 2019 and has been trying to sell his Los Angeles home.

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Career

Ferguson's involvement in entertainment began as a youth as a drummer for Glasgow punk bands such as the Night Creatures and Exposure. He appeared as a drummer for Ana Hausen, a post-punk band that came out with a single for Human Records in 1981. He then joined The Bastards from Hell, a punk band from Hell. The band, later renamed Dreamboys, and fronted by singer Peter Capaldi, appeared regularly in Glasgow from 1980 to 1982. Ferguson thanks Capaldi for urging him to try comedy. He performed as a session guitarist and appeared as a drummer for Nico during a few gigs when she toured Scotland aged 18.

After a nerve-wracking debut in comedy, he decided to create a "parody of all the over-patriotic native folk singers who appeared to infect every public performance in Scotland." Capaldi's character was dubbed "Bing Hitler." Ferguson debuted in Glasgow as the character, and he became a hit at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Ferguson, on the other hand, was already discussing his decision to leave Bing by the end of the year. "You can't write for one character forever," he said at the press preview for an alternative pantomime of Sleeping Beauty (which he had co-written with Capaldi). On the compilation cassette Honey at the Core, a recording of Bing Hitler's stage appearance as Bing Hitler was made at Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s; a Bing Hitler monologue ("A Lecture for Burns Night") appears.

Ferguson appeared on television in Red Dwarf as 'Confidence' on STV's Hogmanay Shows and on the 1993 One Foot in the Algarve after enjoying success at the Edinburgh Festival, as 'Confidence' in the Edinburgh Festival. In 1990, a Craig Ferguson Show, a one-off comedy pilot for Granada Television, was broadcast. Paul Whitehouse and Helen Atkinson-Wood costarred in the film. Channel 4 asked him to host the Dome, a 75-minute live music show, on Friday. He was born in 1992 and appeared on BBC Scotland's "2000 Not Out" show.

He produced The Dirt Detective, a six-part archaeology television series that debuted in 1993. He was also on BBC One in 1993 and was given a six-part TV series. The Ferguson Theory was a collection of stand-up and sketches from the day before transmission. It was revealed in 2017 that he would return to UK television for the first time in 25 years as a guest star in BBC Scotland's comedy Still Game, which will be broadcast in 2018.

Ferguson has also enjoyed success in the musical theatre. Brad Majors appeared on stage in the London production of The Rocky Horror Show beginning in 1991. Ferguson performed Father MacLean in the production of Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom at the Union Chapel in London in 1994. He appeared in The Odd Couple for the second year in Edinburgh.

Ferguson's film Saving Grace (2000) was announced in 2022 to be turned into a West End stage musical aimed at a 2023 run. In the version, Ferguson will portray a "villainous banker." The musical was adapted by April De Angelis from Ferguson and Mark Crowdy's screenplay with music by KT Tunstall.

Ferguson migrated to Los Angeles in November 1994 after his soon-to-be agent Rick Siegel visited Ferguson during the Edinburgh Festival and told him to America. Logan McDonough, a baker from the short-lived 1995 ABC comedy Maybe This Time, which starred Betty White and Marie Osmond, was his first appearance in the United States.

Mr. Wick, the title character's boss, appeared on The Drew Carey Show in the United States, his breakthrough in the United States came when he was cast as the character's boss on The Drew Carey Show from 1996 to 2003, a role he played from 1996 to 2003. He played the part of an over-the-top posh English accent "to make up for generations of English actors doing crap Scottish accents." James Doohan's portrayal of Montgomery Scott on Star Trek as the foundation of his "revenge" in his comedy special "A Wee Bit o' Revolution. Ferguson did not break the fourth wall and began speaking to the audience at home in his normal Scottish accent at one episode.) His character was known for his unique ways of laying employees off, but it was almost always "firing Johnson," the most common last name of the to-be-fired employees. And after leaving the show in 2003, he remained a recurring character on the series for the next two seasons and was part of the two-part series finale in 2004.

Ferguson devoted his off-time as a cast member to writing while filming his scenes on set. He wrote and starred in three films, including The Big Tease, Saving Grace, and I'll Be There; he also produced the latter, for which he received the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas, and Valencia film festivals. At the Napa Valley Film Festival, he was named Best New Director. These were among other scripts that "in the great tradition of the film industry"; about half a dozen that I paid a fortune for but never got to make."

He has appeared in films including Niagara Motel, Lenny the Wonder Dog, Born Romantic, Kick-Ass, and As a voice-over actor, How to Train Your Dragon, Brave, and Winnie the Pooh.

Ferguson has been touring the United States and Canada with a comedy show since the late 2000s, including a performance at Carnegie Hall on October 23 and a performance at Radio City Music Hall on October 6, 2012. On Comedy Central, he has appeared in two stand-up television specials: A Wee Bit o' Revolution in 2009 and Does This Have to Be Said? In 2011, the first wave of the internet caught the harbinger of a hurricane. I'm Here to Help was Netflix's third comedy special, earning positive feedback from 4 out of 5 actors on Netflix and peaking at number six on Billboard top comedy albums. It also received a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album in 2014.

On June 11, 2013, Ferguson was named by the Banf World Media Festival with the Peter Ustinov Comedy Award.

Ferguson will replace Craig Kilborn on CBS's The Late Late Show in December 2004. On January 3, 2005, his first appearance as the regular host aired on January 3. On The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or Conan O'Brien's Andy Richter, the show was unusual in that it had no "human" sidekicks such as Ed McMahon. Geoff Peterson, a remotely operated robot skeleton, and two silent performers in a pantomime horse costume that were debuting in 2010. Compared to Johnny Carson's long distance monologues, his monologues were conducted within a few feet of the camera rather than the long distance.

In 2007, the Late Late Show had an average of 2.0 million viewers, up from 2.5 million for Late Night with Conan O'Brien. For the first time since the two shows went head-to-head with their respective hosts, Craig Ferguson defeated Late Night with Conan O'Brien on weekly ratings (1.88 million to 1.77 million).

Craig Ferguson topped Jimmy Fallon in the charts in March 2009, with Ferguson receiving a 1.8 rating/6 share and Fallon receiving a 1.6 rating/6 share. Ferguson's ratings fell by 2014, trailing those of Late Night with Seth Meyers with an average of 1.35 million viewers compared to 2.02 million.

Ferguson announced on April 28th that he would leave The Late Late Show at the end of 2014, with the final episode airing on December 19th. His deal was due to end in June 2014, but a six-month extension was agreed on to ensure a more lenient departure and allow CBS more time to find a new host. He was later awarded US$5 million as part of his deal, according to reports, he was not chosen as the replacement for David Letterman's Late Show. Ferguson made the call prior to Letterman's resignation but decided not to make his own decision public until Letterman's reaction to Letterman's decision had been published. Following the announcement, CBS Entertainment Chair Nina Tassler said, "infused the show with a lot of humor, unique comedy, insightful interviews, and some of the most heartfelt monologues seen on television." With James Corden as the new host, CBS carried on the franchise.

Craig Ferguson has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Show with David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Rachael Ray, The Soup, The Price Is Right, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show, The Howard Stern Show, The Benjamin Miller Show, The Robert Miller Show, Kevin Pollak's Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Late Show, The View, The Price Is Right, The Howard Stern Show, The Howard Stern Show, The Price Is Right, Late Night with Keith Ferguson, Late Show with Keith Ferguson on The Show With Conan O's Late Show with David Letterman, Late Show with Conan Keith Ferguson, Late Show with Keith Ferguson, The Howard Stern, The Howard Miller Show, The Keith Pollman, The Keith Show, The Howard Show, The Late Show, The Howard Show, The David Letterman's Late Show, The Prices Is Late Show, The View, The Keith Ferguson Show, He co-hosted Live with Regis & Kelly with Kelly Ripa and was guest host on the price Is Right episode on April Fools' Day in 2014.

Ferguson made a cameo live action appearance in the Family Guy episode "We Love You, Conrad." On January 10, 2006, Ferguson hosted the 32nd annual People's Choice Awards. For appearing on his own program the same evening, TV Guide magazine published a "Cheers" (Cheers and Jeers section). Ferguson hosted the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular from 2007 to 2010, which was broadcast nationally by CBS. Ferguson was the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents' Union dinner in Washington, DC, on April 26, 2008.

In a 2008 drama starring Brooke Shields, Ferguson co-presented the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. He has done voice work in cartoons, including being the voice of Barry's nefarious alter-ego in the "With Friends Like Steve" episode of American Dad.

; in Freakazoid!

Roddy MacStew, Freakazoid's mentor, and Star Command's Buzz Lightyear as the robot vampire NOS-4-A2. Susan on Futurama, a parody of Scottish singer Susan Boyle, was the voice of Susan the boil. In Las Vegas and New York City, he appears on stand-up comedy. He appeared in the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, and in October 2008, Ferguson taped his stand up performance in Boston for a Comedy Central special called A Wee Bit o' Revolution, which aired on March 22, 2009.

Doc Martin, a British television comedy drama, was based on a character from Ferguson's film Saving Grace, with Ferguson receiving writing credits for 12 episodes. Ferguson appeared in a SpongeBob SquarePants special titled SpongeBob's Truth or Square on Sunday, September 6, 2009. In 2010, he appeared on Discovery Channel's 23rd season of Shark Week. Ferguson appeared in Toby Keith's "Red Solo Cup" music video on October 10, 2011.

Ferguson appeared on the season finale of Hot in Cleveland in September 2013 as a priest/tabloid journalist who turns out to be Joy's (Jane Leeves) father. Betty White, a former co-star and frequent Late Late Show guest, was reunited with the show. When the show returned in March 2014, Ferguson reprised the role for several episodes.

Ferguson was announced in October 2013 that it would host the syndicated game show Celebrity Name Game, produced by Coquette Productions, beginning in late 2014. Ferguson's involvement in the scheme dates back to 2011, when it was first pitched and piloted as a CBS primetime show. The series had a debut order of 180 episodes as of April 2014. On September 22, 2014, the syndicated series premiered. Ferguson received the Outstanding Game Show Host for Celebrity Name Game in 2015 and 2016. The series would come to an end after three seasons on December 2, 2016.

Ferguson co-starred Prentiss Porter in The King of 7B, ABC's comedy pilot. However, the programme was not picked up by the time.

Ferguson launched Join or Die, a historical talk show on History, on February 18, 2016. Craig Ferguson was the host. The name refers to a Benjamin Franklin political cartoon that appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754, which Ferguson had tattooed on his forearm after becoming an American citizen. Ferguson and a three-guest panel of comedians and historians host a satisfaction with each episode's controversial topics, including the most doomed presidential race, the best Founding Father, and the most popular invention, with viewers encouraged to post their opinions on Twitter.

Ferguson has been host of The Hustler, an American game show, which airs on ABC. Five contestants compete to win a cash reward by answering a series of trivia questions posed by Ferguson, while one of the contestants is anonymously designated as the Hustler and given the opportunity to all questions.

Two of the honest contestants have been disqualified by the time the game has concluded; the remaining two must correctly choose the Hustler in order to prevent the Hustler from winning the entire purse. The series premiered on January 4, 2021, before settling to its regular timeslot on January 7, 2021, airing on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on Thursdays. The series was cancelled in April 2022, having aired 19 episodes in two seasons.

Ferguson introduced The Craig Ferguson Show, a two-hour talk radio show on the Comedy Greats channel and Faction Talk on SiriusXM Satellite Radio on February 27, 2017. His last new show, which aired on May 11, 2018.

On April 10, 2006, Ferguson's book Between the Bridge and the River was released. He appeared at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, as well as other author literary readings. "This book might intimidate them," he said. "The sex, the brutality, the dream sequences, and the iconoclasm were all present." A lot of people are concerned about it, I believe. I'm sure of that. Writing some of it was difficult." Milo, his elder son, and Adam's grandfather are honoured in the book. In an interview, he revealed that he is writing a sequel to the novel titled The Sphynx of the Mississippi. In a 2006 interview with David Letterman, he said he intends the book to be the first in a trilogy. Ferguson hasn't published any more books as of February 2019, although he has published non-fiction.

Ferguson also signed a HarperCollins contract to release his memoirs. The book, "American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unexpected Patriot," focuses on "how and why [he] became an American" and chronicles his time as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer, and construction worker, as well as the rise of his career as an actor and comedian in Hollywood. In the United States, it was on sale from September 22nd. The audiobook version of the Best Spoken Word Album Grammy was nominated on December 1, 2010.

Jackie Collins appeared on The Late Late Show in July 2009 to promote her latest book Married Lovers. Don Verona, Collins' book, was based on Ferguson because she was such a fan of him and his work.

Ferguson wrote a short story about In Sunlight or in Shadow (2017, Pegasus Crime), an anthology edited by Lawrence Block and featuring works inspired by Edward Hopper's paintings (1882-1967). Block is a favorite writer of Ferguson's and appeared on The Late Late Show several times.

Ferguson unveiled Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Changes, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations on October 10, 2018.

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