Johnny Carson
Known for: Acting
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.
Filmography
Series
The Simpsons
Johnny Carson (voice)
1989
Series
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self - Host
1962
Series
Cheers
Johnny Carson
1982
Series
What's My Line?
Self
1950
Series
Tony Awards
Self - Presenter
1956
Series
Night Court
Johnny Carson
1984
Series
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Self - Guest Host
1957
Series
The Red Skelton Show
Knight Who Makes Point of Order
1951
Series
The Red Skelton Show
Self
1951
Series
Get Smart
Herald (uncredited)
1965
Series
Get Smart
Special Guest Conductor
1965
Series
Newhart
1982
Series
Newhart
Johnny Carson
1982
Series
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
1948
Series
The Bob Hope Show
Self
1950
Series
The Bob Hope Show
The Masked Killer (uncredited).
1950
Series
The Bob Hope Show
Self - Cameo
1950
Series
Here's Lucy
Johnny Carson
1968
Series
The Jack Benny Program
Johnny Carson
1950
Series
The Steve Allen Show
Self
1956
Series
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Comedian-Quiz Show Host
1956
Series
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Guest
1956
Series
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self
1956
Series
Kraft Music Hall
Self
1958
Series
Kraft Music Hall
Self - Host
1958
Series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self
1968
Series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
The Mystery Person (uncredited)
1968
Series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Dick Martin (uncredited)
1968
Series
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Self (uncredited)
1968
Series
The United States Steel Hour
1953
Series
The Oscars
Self
1953
Series
The Kennedy Center Honors
Self
1978
Series
The Dick Clark Show
Self
1958
Series
The Wonderful World of Disney
Self
1954
Series
Space Ghost and Dino Boy
1966
Series
Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields
Self (archive footage)
2023
Series
The Danny Thomas Hour
Narrator
1967
Series
The Seventies
Self (archive footage)
2015
Series
The Nineties
Self (archive footage)
2017
Series
The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper
Self (archive footage)
2023
Series
The Emmy Awards
Self
1949
Series
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Series
Soccer's American Dream
Self (archive footage)
2026
Series
There's... Johnny!
Self (archive footage)
2017
The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show
Self
1968
Film
Koyaanisqatsi
Self (archive footage)
1983
Film
Behind the Candelabra
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2013
Film
John Candy: I Like Me
Self - Host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (archive footage)
2025
Film
The Front Runner
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2018
Series
Biography: Comedy Icons
Self
2019
Film
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
Self - TV Host (archive footage)
2018
Series
The Sounds of Baseball
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Jim Henson Idea Man
Self (archive footage)
2024
Series
The Johnny Carson Show
Himself
1955
Series
Raise the Flags: 50 Years of Buccaneers Football
Self (archive footage)
2025
Film
Audrey
Self - TV Host (archive footage)
2020
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
(archive footage)
1976
Film
Breakdown: 1975
(archive footage)
2025
Film
Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
Carl Sagan: We Are Made of Star Stuff
Self (archive footage)
2027
Film
Journeys through the Darkzone
Frankie's Dad
1984
Film
Whitney: Can I Be Me
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
2017
Film
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
1985
Film
My Darling Vivian
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Pure Goldie
Self
1971
Film
The World of Jim Henson
Self (archive footage)
1994
Series
You're in the Picture
Himself
1961
Film
Lucy and Desi
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic
Self (archive footage)
2013
Film
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Self
1987
Film
NBC: The First Fifty Years
Self
1976
Film
Luther: Never Too Much
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
Joys
Self
1976
Film
Untold: Caitlyn Jenner
Self (archive footage)
2022
Film
Butterfly in the Sky
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
The Capote Tapes
Self (archive footage)
2021
Film
The Best of Johnny Carson
Self (archive footage)
2010
Film
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
Self (archive footage)
2019
Film
The Battered Bastards of Baseball
Himself (Archive Footage)
2014
Film
50 Years of NBC Late Night
Self (archive footage)
2001
Film
Cancel My Reservation
Himself (uncredited)
1972
Film
Mike Wallace Is Here
Self (archive footage)
2019
Film
The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts
Self - Roastee (archive footage)
1998
Film
Jerry Before Seinfeld
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
Life Itself
Self - TV Host (archive footage)
2014
Film
The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s
Self (archive footage)
2002
Film
Seinfeld: How It Began
Self (archive footage)
2004
Film
It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration
Himself - Guest
1987
Film
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Self (uncredited)
1968
Film
The Many Faces of Jim Carrey
Self (Archive Footage)
2023
Film
Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys
Self
1992
Film
Jimmy Carter Man from Plains
Self (archive footage)
2007
Film
Mickey's 50
Self
1978
Film
The Swingin' A's
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
Three Men on a Horse
Erwin Trowbridge
1957
Film
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
Self (archive footage)
2013
Film
Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story
Self (Archive Footage)
2013
Film
Lucy Moves to NBC
Self
1980
Film
CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years
Self
1976
Film
Game Changers
Self (archive footage)
2018
Film
Life Goes to War: Hollywood and the Home Front
Himself
1977
Film
The Ultimate Collection Starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 60s and 70s
2002
Film
This Is Bob Hope...
Self (archive footage)
2017
Film
Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
1985
Film
Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker
Self (archive footage)
2014
Film
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show
Self (archive footage)
2020
Film
Friars Club Roast of Don Rickles
Self - Host
1970
Film
The Best of Carson, Volume 1
2006
Film
Jeff Dunham: Talking Heads
Self (archive footage)
2019
Murder at N.B.C.
1966
Film
TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines
Self
1986
Film
Jack Benny: Comedy in Bloom
Himself
1992
Film
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2
Self (archive footage)
2001
Film
Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
6 morts dans la nuit : « De sang-froid » – Truman Capote
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business
Self
1983
Film
Looking for Love
Self
1964
Film
Don Rickles: Alive and Kicking
Self
1972
Film
Llyn Foulkes One Man Band
Himself
2013
Film
Johnny Carson: King of Late Night
Self
2012
Film
A Love Letter to Jack Benny
Himself
1981
Film
Carnival Nights
Self
1968
Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents
Self (archive footage)
1996
Film
Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr.
Self (archive footage)
2023
Film
Autopsy the last hours of Johnny Carson
Self (Archive footage)
Film
The Minnie Riperton Story
(archive footage)
2009
Film
Johnny Carson Celebrates Christmas
Self
2008
Film
Frank Sinatra Spectacular
Self - Host
1965
Film
The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain
Self (archive footage)
2023
Film
The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special
Himself
1986
Whales!
Narrator
1987
Film
Lucy's Really Lost Moments
Self
1956
Film
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
Self
1986
Film
Stuart Little
Narrator (voice)
1966
Film
Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour
Self
1987
Film
Sheena Easton: Act One
Self (uncredited)
1983
Film
Johnny Goes Home
Self
1982
Film
The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1
Self (archive footage)
2001
Film
Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - The Final Show: America Says Farewell
Self - Host
1994
Film
Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '80s & '90s: The King of Late Night
Self - Host
1994
The Best of The Tonight Show: Stand - Up Comedians
2007
Film
Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '70s & '80s: The Master of Laughs!
Self - Host
1994
Film
The Great Toilet Paper Scare
Himself
2020
Film
Bad Hostage
Self (archive footage)
2024
Film
Carson Country
2006
Film
Finster
2022
Untitled Joan Rivers Documentary
Self (archive footage)
Film
Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '60s & '70s: Heeere's Johnny!
Self - Host
1994