If you were a celebrity of some sort during the last 60 years, eventually you would have crossed paths with Regis Philbin. Naturally, many had warm memories of the Live! and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host.
As we noted yesterday when we learned of his passing at age 88, the quintessential American television host held the Guinness Book of World Records title for “most hours on camera.” When those cameras were on, he delighted audiences with a friendly, agreeable, and unrehearsed likability that simply can’t be taught. Regis was a household name simply for being Regis, an upbeat projection of all of us, interacting with actors, sports heroes and general morning show wackiness in a way that went down easy before our second cup of coffee.
On the off chance that you need a quick reminder why the world loved the man, there’s this.
His first substantial co-host, Kathie Lee Gifford was quick and to the point.
His second co-host, Kelly Ripa commented on his passing in a joint statement with her current co-host Ryan Seacrest.
Then there was the other talk show host with whom Regis was most associated, David Letterman. Regis was almost a mascot for Dave, making appearances countless times just for the hell of it, sometimes with the word REGIS! blinking on the screen. In a way, the pre-ironic, mild, and mainstream Regis was everything Dave stood against, but how could anyone dislike the guy? It was soon obvious that while Dave enjoyed giving Regis a good zing, he loved him.
Others who weighed in (and this is just tip of the iceberg) include William Shatner, Bernadette Peters, Billy Crystal, Larry King, Jason Alexander, Michael Strahan, Jimmy Kimmel, Pee-Wee Herman, and Bob Saget (be sure to read the little story he shared.)
Speaking to Regis’s universal appeal was this reminiscence from Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan.
(Someone in the replies dug up this chestnut.)
President Donald Trump took the moment of his passing to suggest he had the late host’s endorsement.
Then, of course, there were the fans eager to remember some of Regis’s finer moments. Here are a trio that do the job well.
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