Jay Leno is the host of the Emmy Award-winning and top-rated “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Now approaching 15 years at the helm, Jay follows in the footsteps of legendary NBC late-night hosts Steve Allen, Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, while at the same time creating his own unique late-night style with a combination of humor, talk and entertainment each night at 11:35 p.m. ET - the wee hours when viewers want to wind down with a few laughs before drifting off to dreamland. Jay’s outstanding and engaging combination has enabled “The Tonight Show” to capture its timeslot for a remarkable 11 consecutive years, while making the show one of the most valuable properties, not just for NBC, but in all of television.

Indeed, Jay’s “everyman” style and personality have helped him earn millions of fans worldwide, people who relate to his personable style and work ethic. He has been touted as one of the nicest people in show business and the hardest-working -- a winning tandem for the man who says “Anyone can have a life - careers are hard to come by!”

In addition to the 15-year milestone, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” has experienced numerous highlights during its reign, including winning two Emmy Awards -- the first in 1995 for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music Series, and the second in 1996 for Outstanding Technical Direction. In 1999 and 2000, “The Tonight Show” took home the trophy for Favorite Late Night Show in the annual TV Guide Awards determined by voting viewers. Jay’s personal highlights include receiving a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, being the first person to drive the pace car at all major NASCAR events, and setting several land speed records.

Prior to becoming host of “Tonight,” Jay had been the exclusive guest host on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” since September 1987. He first appeared as a guest on the show March 2, 1977, and he made numerous additional appearances on “Tonight” as well as on NBC’s former program “Late Night with David Letterman.”

One of the country’s premier comedians, Jay has performed hundreds of comedy shows around the United States for the past 20 years. In 2001, he traveled to Bosnia, where he performed for military troops serving in Afghanistan. Leno also traveled to Aviano, Italy, in 1995 to entertain military troops involved with the peacekeeping efforts in Bosnia. He remains passionate about performing in front of live audiences and appears regularly in Las Vegas, on college campuses around the United States, and in other venues.

Jay has authored two New York Times best-selling children’s books, “How to be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (Or Just In Your Class)” and “If Roast Beef Could Fly” (both from Simon & Schuster). His other book, “Leading with My Chin” (from HarperCollins), hit the bookstores in 1998. He also has published four versions of “Headlines,” the compilation of books and desk calendars featuring his favorite funny newspaper headlines, and “Police Blotter,” a book with more humorous newspaper clips involving police stories (book proceeds go to various charities).

Jay was born in New Rochelle, New York, and raised in Andover, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Mavis, live in Los Angeles. In his spare time, he enjoys working on his collection of classic cars and motorcycles.