Jay Leno's career in nightclubs spanned an impressive 300 nights per year, laying the groundwork for his eventual success in 1992 with the launch of his own late-night talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Before hitting the big time, Leno had already made appearances on television and acted in a few films, including American Hot Wax in 1978. However, it was his late-night television appearances that truly catapulted him to fame, with a record-breaking number of visits to a certain location.
For several years, Leno served as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, a position that allowed him to hone his comedy skills and build a loyal fan base. As Carson's retirement loomed in 1992, Leno and David Letterman engaged in a high-stakes battle to inherit the legendary host's seat.
Leno's victory was well-publicized, but ultimately proved to be empty, as he struggled to find his footing in the role. However, he did manage to exact a measure of revenge when his show took home the Emmy award in 1995, beating out Letterman's competing program.
Despite consistently losing in the ratings to Letterman, Leno's show experienced a surge in popularity in 1996, as CBS's ratings continued to decline.
