Gibbons, Leeza 1957–

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GIBBONS, Leeza 1957–

PERSONAL

Born March 26, 1957, in Hartsville, SC; daughter of Carols (a former state superintendent of education and antique shop owner) and Jean Gibbons; married John Hicks, 1980 (divorced); married Christopher Quentin, 1988 (divorced, 1990); married Stephen Meadows (an architect and actor), February 14, 1991; children: (second marriage) Alexandra (Lexi); (third marriage) Troy, Nathan Daniel. Education: University of South Carolina, B.A. (magna cum laude), journalism, 1978.

Addresses: Agent—William Morris Agency, 151 El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212; Celebrity Consultants, Inc., 3340 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 3080, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Office—Leeza Gibbons Enterprises, 3500 West Olive, Suite 980, Burbank, CA 91505.

Career: Television talk show host, producer, and entertainment reporter. Served as news anchor for WSPA–TV, Spartanburg, SC, and WLTR (national public radio), Columbia, SC; former cohost of PM Magazine, WFAA–TV, Dallas, TX, and KFDM–TV, Beaumont, TX, and Two on the Town, WCBS–TV, New York City; Leeza Gibbons Enterprises (entertainment production company), chief executive officer and radio producer. Mommy and Me, codeveloper of a handbook on interacting with children; KidsPeace, national spokesperson; Muscular Dystrophy Association, national chairperson of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Division. Involved with Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), Caring for Babies with AIDS, the American Red Cross infant/toddler safety program, and AIDS Project, Los Angeles.

Member: American Women in Radio and Television, Sigma Delta Chi.

Awards, Honors: Named outstanding alumnus, University of South Carolina, 1992; five Emmy Award nominations, including outstanding talk show and outstanding talk show host, 1995–96, and Genesis Award, Ark Trust, Inc., 1995, Daytime Emmy Award nomination, outstanding talk show host, and Daytime Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding talk show, both 1999, all for Leeza; Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, 1998; inducted into South Carolina Hall of Fame; awarded South Carolina Order of the Palmetto.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

Cohost, Entertainment Tonight (also known as E.T., ET Weekend, This Week in Entertainment, and Entertainment This Week), syndicated, 1984–1995.

Contributor, Good Morning, Australia, c. 1987.

Cohost, George Schlatter's Funny People, NBC, 1988.

Host, Growing Up Together, Lifetime, 1991–1992.

Host, John and Leeza (also known as John and Leeza from Hollywood), NBC, 1993–1994.

Host, Leeza, NBC, 1994–2000.

Special contributor, Entertainment Tonight, syndicated, 1995—.

Herself, Sunset Beach, 1997.

Host, The Teen Files, 1998.

Herself/Anchor, Extra (also known as Extra: The Entertainment Magazine), syndicated, 2000–2003.

Herself, Secrets of Superstar Fitness, 2002.

Substitute host, Extra (also known as Extra: The Entertainment Magazine), syndicated, 2003—.

Host, What Should You Do?, Lifetime, 2003.

Also appeared in Entertainment This Week; PM Magazine.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Cohost, The 58th Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, syndicated, 1989.

Host, Golden Globe Awards Preview Show, TBS, 1989.

Host from Hollywood, MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon, syndicated, 1990.

Host, The 1990 Miss Teen USA Pageant, CBS, 1990.

Host, The 1990 Miss USA Pageant, CBS, 1990.

Host, The 1990 Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1990.

Host, The Hollywood Christmas Parade, syndicated, 1990.

Host, CBS Tournament of Roses Parade (also known as The 102nd Tournament of Roses Parade), CBS, 1991.

Host, Hollywood's Welcome Home Desert Storm Parade, syndicated, 1991.

Cohost, Miss Teen USA, CBS, 1991.

Host, The 1991 Miss Universe Pageant (also known as The 40th Annual Miss USA Pageant), CBS, 1991.

Cohost, The Hollywood Christmas Parade, syndicated, 1991.

Cohost, The 1992 Miss Teen USA Pageant, CBS, 1992.

Host, The 1992 Miss Universe Pageant, CBS, 1992.

Host, The 61st Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade, syndicated, 1992.

Cohost, Hollywood Gets MADD, TBS, 1993.

Host, The 1993 Miss USA Pageant, CBS, 1993.

Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 3, HBO, 1993.

Host, Countdown to Christmas (also known as Santa's Journey), NBC, 1994.

Host, Shattered Glory: The Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan Story, NBC, 1994.

Interviewee, Spotlight with Phyllis George, TNN, 1995.

Host, Where Are They Now?, CBS, 1995.

Host, Candid Camera's 50th Anniversary, CBS, 1996.

Host, Exclusively Leeza: Straight from the Heart, TNN, 1996.

Plugged In: A Parent's Guide to TV, The Family Channel, 1997.

Host, Chicken Soup for the Soul, PAX, 1998.

Host, Assignment E! with Leeza Gibbons: Celebrity Charity Connections, E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Host, Assignment E! with Leeza Gibbons: Hollywood's Youth Obsession, E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Host, Assignment E! with Leeza Gibbons: The Thinning of Hollywood, E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Interviewee, Intimate Portrait: Leeza Gibbons, Lifetime, 1999.

Host, Teen Files: Smoking—Truth or Dare? (documentary), UPN, 1999.

Host, Teen Files: The Truth about Drinking (documentary), UPN, 1999.

Host, Teen Files: The Truth about Hate (documentary), UPN, 1999.

Host, Teen Files: The Truth about Sex (documentary), UPN, 1999.

Host, Teen Files: The Truth about Violence (documentary), UPN, 1999.

Host, Teen Files: The Truth about Drugs (documentary), UPN, 2000.

Host, Teen Files: Surviving High School (documentary), UPN, 2000.

Host, IWON.com Annual $10 Million Giveaway, CBS, 2000.

The Great American History Quiz: Pursuit of Happiness, History Channel, 2000.

The Great American History Quiz: Heroes and Villains, History Channel, 2000.

Host, Assignment E! with Leeza Gibbons: The Hollywood Pressure, E! Entertainment Television, 2000.

Host, Assignment E! with Leeza Gibbons: Television Taboos, E! Entertainment Television, 2000.

Host, Assignment E! with Leeza Gibbons: Gay Hollywood, E! Entertainment Television, 2000.

The Great American History Quiz: 50 States, History Channel, 2001.

Host, Divas and Kings 2000 and Beyond: The Soul Train 30th Anniversary, The WB, 2001.

Host, On the Red Carpet: Oscars 2002, ABC, 2002.

Host, Test the Nation, Fox, 2003.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 25th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, NBC, 1990.

Presenter, Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Awards, ABC, 1992.

Presenter, The 27th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, NBC, 1992.

Presenter, The Ninth Annual Soap Opera Awards, NBC, 1993.

Presenter, The 14th Annual CableACE Awards, Lifetime, 1993.

Presenter, The 30th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, NBC, 1995.

Host, The 22nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, NBC, 1995.

Presenter, The Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, UPN, 1996.

Presenter, The 31st Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, NBC, 1996.

Host, The 13th Annual Soap Opera Awards, NBC, 1997.

Host, The 25th Daytime Emmy Awards, NBC, 1998.

Host, The 14th Annual Soap Opera Awards, NBC, 1998.

Prism Awards 2000, syndicated, 2000.

Host, The 7th Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, syndicated, 2001.

Presenter, The 36th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, CBS, 2001.

The 15th Annual Soul Train Music Awards, syndicated, 2001.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Herself, "The Wedding Bell Blues," Riptide, 1986.

Herself, "Goin' to the Chapel: Part 2," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1990.

"Springtime for Tupper," Dream On, HBO, 1990.

Herself, "The Player," The Jackie Thomas Show, 1993.

Herself, The Howard Stern Show, 1994.

Herself, "Reality Bites," The Fresh Prince of Bel–Air, NBC, 1994.

Woman at Salem Place, Days of Our Lives, 1994.

Herself, "Cybill's Fifteen Minutes," Cybill, CBS, 1995.

Herself, "If You're Going to Talk the Talk," Murphy Brown, CBS, 1996.

Interviewer, "Lord of the Flys," Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, ABC, 1996.

Leeza, "Something about Leeza," Something So Right, 1997.

Voice of herself, "My Feral Lady," Duckman (animated), 1997.

Herself, "Veronica's Husband Won't Leave," Veronica's Closet, NBC, 1997.

Herself, "Home Alone," Home Improvement, ABC, 1998.

Herself, "Hype," Tracey Takes On ... , HBO, 1999.

Guest host, Larry King Live, CNN, 2000.

Herself, "Motherly Advice," The Geena Davis Show, ABC, 2000.

Voice of herself, "Lisa the Tree Hugger," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 2000.

Herself, "Someone Else's Eyes," Six Feet Under, HBO, 2002.

Herself, "The Boys in the Band," Just Shoot Me, NBC, 2002.

Herself, Ask Rita, 2003.

Herself, Good Day L.A., Fox, 2003.

Herself, Larry King Live, CNN, 2003.

Herself, The Wayne Brady Show, syndicated, 2003, 2004.

Host, "Simple Life Reunion," The Simple Life, Fox, 2004.

On Air with Ryan Seacrest, syndicated, 2004.

Also appeared as herself, Sunset Beach; guest, Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, PBS; herself, In Living Color, Fox; in Home.

Television Work; Series:

Creative consultant, Growing Up Together, Lifetime, 1991.

Executive producer, Leeza, NBC, 1998–1999.

Executive consulting editor, Extra (also known as Extra: The Entertainment Magazine), syndicated, 2000—.

Executive producer, The Michael Essany Show, E! Entertainment Television, 2003.

Television Work; Specials:

Executive producer, Intimate Portrait: John F. Kennedy, Jr., Lifetime, 1996.

Executive producer, Exclusively Leeza: Straight from the Heart, TNN, 1996.

Executive producer, Assignment E! With Leeza Gibbons: The Thinning of Hollywood (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Executive producer, Assignment E! With Leeza Gibbons: Hollywood's Youth (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Executive producer, Assignment E! With Leeza Gibbons: Celebrity Charity Connections (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Executive producer, Assignment E! With Leeza Gibbons: Television Taboos (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Executive producer, Assignment E! With Leeza Gibbons: Gay Hollywood (documentary), E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

Television Appearances; Pilots:

Producer, Teen Court, MTV, c. 2001.

Film Appearances:

Entertainment Tonight reporter, Maxie (also known as Free Spirit), Orion, 1985.

Jess Perkins, Robocop, Orion, 1987.

Jess Perkins, Robocop 2, Orion, 1990.

Herself, He Said, She Said, Paramount, 1991.

Herself, Soapdish, Paramount, 1991.

Herself, The Player, Fine Line, 1992.

Herself, Last Action Hero, Columbia, 1993.

Herself, Bless the Child (also known as Die Prophezeiung), 2000.

The reporter, Man of the Year, Media Financial Inc., 2002.

Radio Work:

Executive producer of syndicated radio series, including Blockbuster's Top 25 Countdown with Leeza Gibbons, The Entertainment Report, and Entertainment Tonight on the Radio, as well as The Leeza Gibbons Superstar Music Special.