Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon is a comedian, actor and television personality who has worked in the entertainment industry for over 50 years. McMahon co-hosted The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, from 1962 to 1992, and was the host of the talent show competition Star Search.
In 2008, it was reported that McMahon had defaulted on $4.8 million mortgage and was being sued by a company founded by Merv Griffin over an unpaid loan.1 2
Fast Facts
- Full name: Edward Peter Leo McMahon, Jr.
- Birth date: March 6, 1923
- Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan
- Best known as Johnny Carson's co-host on The Tonight Show
- Catchphrase: "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny!"
- Had neck surgery in 2005 after a broken neck
- Home facing foreclosure in 2008
- Served as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Marines in World War II
Financial Woes
In 2008, McMahon felt the crunch of the mortgage crisis. Unable to work, he fell behind in his mortgage payments, resulting in McMahon defaulting in $4.8 million in mortgage payments.1 In a separate story, it was reported that McMahon was being sued by The Griffin Group Inc. over a $100,000 loan the company claimed had gone unpaid.2
Hey-o!
Ed McMahon made television history on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and amazingly, he did it by sitting still and commenting infrequently. McMahon provided a constant and giddy audience for Johnny Carson's comedy, often adding a boisterous "Hey-o!" after many of Carson's punchlines.
The format of a host and sidekick ushered in other talk show sidekicks, most notably Andy Richter, who did essentially the same job for the first several seasons on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Jeffrey Tambor even played a character much like McMahon on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show, quipping occasionally at the hosts jokes like McMahon did.
Other Projects
McMahon has also been a product spokesman for a number of different companies, including Budweiser, Kellogg's and Uncle Ben's Rice; for a time McMahon was even the face of Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.
Related Pages on Mahalo
Ed McMahon Neck Surgery | Donald Trump Ed McMahon | Johnny Carson | Budweiser | Kellogg's | Uncle Ben's Rice
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