• Phil Donahue is a film producer, writer and media personality, best known for his talk show "The Phil Donahue Show"
• His net worth is estimated at $25 million, mainly through his success in television
• He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and attended St. Edward High School and University of Notre Dame
• He won 20 Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award and is an inductee to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
• He is married to actress Marlo Thomas, and was previously married to Margaret Cooney from 1958 to 1975
Known for movies
Short Info
Net Worth | $23.5 Million |
Date Of Birth | December 21, 1935 |
Spouse | Marlo Thomas, Marge Cooney |
Mark | Often discusses issues that divide liberals and conservatives |
Fact | Son-in-law of actor/producer Danny Thomas and Rose Marie Mantell Thomas. |
Contents
Who is Phil Donahue?
Phillip John Donahue was born on 21 December 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio USA, and is a film producer, writer and media personality, but perhaps still best known for creating and hosting his own “The Phil Donahue Show”, which was the first talk show to include audience participation.
The Net Worth of Phil Donahue
How rich is Phil Donahue? As of late-2018, sources estimate a net worth that is at $25 million, earned through success on television. He was known to focus on issues which divided political groups, tackling topics such as abortion and civil rights. All of his achievements have ensured the position of his wealth.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Phil was born into a middle class Catholic family, and he grew up in Centerville, Ohio, where he attended St. Edward High School, and was one its first graduating class members. After matriculating, he enrolled into the University of Notre Dame which is run by the Congregation of Holy Cross, which also ran his high school. He completed a degree in Business Administration in 1957.
Phil then started his career at KYW radio and television station located in Cleveland, which he served as a production assistant. One day, when one of the regular announcers failed to show up for work, he had his first opportunity to be an on-air announcer. He then briefly tried his hand at a banking career, but soon moved to the Michigan-based station WABJ to be a program director. Afterwards, he served as a stringer for “CBS Evening News”, and an anchor in the Ohio-based station WHIO-TV.
The Phil Donahue Show
Donahue’s next project would be an afternoon talk show for WHIO radio, which ran from 1963 to 1967, talking to various callers, including interviewing numerous high profile personalities, including John F. Kennedy, Johnny Carson and Malcolm X on his show. He then left WHIO and moved his program to television on WDTN (then WLWD) and called the program “The Phil Donahue Show”, which was initially aired through Crosley Broadcasting Corporation stations, but would later earn nationwide syndication. In 1974, he moved the show to Dayton, Ohio, and a decade later to New York City, so that he could be nearer to his wife.
The show would run for a total of 29 years, 26 of which were in syndication. The one hour daily show aired 7,000 times, the final in 1996 making it the longest continuous run of any syndicated talk show in the history of US broadcasting, meantime also serving as a contributor to “The Today Show”. His show aired throughout the Cold War and was responsible for the US-Soviet Space Bridge, the name for two television shows, one from the US and another from a Soviet city airing simultaneously, while audience members asked each other questions.
TV legend Phil Donahue will give his 'surprising' POV about Trump and the media today on CNN, 11am w/ @brianstelter pic.twitter.com/7gIsqze7xT
— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) June 25, 2017
Later Career
Seven years after the end of his show and his announced retirement, Phil returned to television in 2002 to host the MSNBC show entitled “Donahue” which ran for a year before its cancellation. A memo from MSNBC was subsequently leaked which stated that he was fired because he opposed the imminent invasion of Iraq by the US; because of his opposition, he would become more of a difficulty during a time of war according to the memo.
However, he moved on to other projects, including serving as a co-director of the documentary film entitled “Body of War”, which tells the story of a disabled Iraq War veteran named Tomas Young and his struggle to make adjustments after the war.
Over the course of his career, Phil has been rewarded with 20 Emmy Awards, including 10 for Outstanding Talk Show Host, with his other 10 being for his work with “The Phil Donahue Show”. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Peabody Award, and is an inductee to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
For his personal life, it is known that Donahue married actress Marlo Thomas in 1980, best known for being the star of the sitcom entitled “That Girl”. Prior to their marriage, he was married to Margaret Cooney which lasted from 1958 to 1975, ending in divorce after they had five children. Despite being raised Roman Catholic, he was the first among television programs to reveal widespread child molestation perpetrated by Catholic priests, which caused a lot of controversy. While his television appearances have decreased since his ‘retirement’, he has appeared in several interviews. He was also a featured speaker in the Ralph Nader Breaking Through Power conference held in 2016 at the DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.
General Info
Full Name | Phil Donahue |
Net Worth | $23.5 Million |
Date Of Birth | December 21, 1935 |
Profession | Journalist, Presenter, Film producer, Voice Actor |
Education | St. Edward High School, University of Notre Dame |
Nationality | American |
Family
Spouse | Marlo Thomas, Marge Cooney |
Children | Mary Rose Donahue, Michael Donahue, Jim Donahue, Kevin Donahue, Daniel Donahue |
Parents | Catherine Donahue, Phillip Donahue |
Accomplishments
Awards | Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, Peabody Award, GLAAD Media Award for Special Recognition, Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series |
Nominations | People's Choice Award for Favorite Talk Show Host, PGA Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures |
Movies | Body of War, An Unreasonable Man |
Social profile links
Marks
# | Marks / Signs |
---|---|
1 | Often discusses issues that divide liberals and conservatives |
2 | Mostly wears glasses with his white hair. |
3 | His deep smooth authorize voice. |
Quotes
# | Quote |
---|---|
1 | [on the death of father-in-law Danny Thomas in 1991] He hit the long ball for such a long time. He would hold an audience for an unprecedented length of time in the imagery of the story he was telling, and suddenly would come the punch line, and the ceiling would crack with laughter. He wove an illusion on the stage with no props, all by himself. |
2 | While being interviewed on Today (1952) by Katie Couric in July 2002: "Don't be afraid of liberals. Some of them are my best friends. You can call us names, you can picket us but you cannot take our flag. We are as proud of America as anyone else". |
Facts
# | Fact |
---|---|
1 | Release of his book, "Donahue, My Own Story". [1979] |
2 | Release of the book, "That Girl and Phil: An Insider Tells What Life is Really Like in the Marlo Thomas/Phil Donahue Household" by Desmond Atholl and Michael Cherkinian. [1990] |
3 | Supporting anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and is protesting the Iraq war. [September 2005] |
4 | Release of his DVD: Body of War" by Phil with Ellen Spiro. [2008] |
5 | Grandfather of Connor Donahue. |
6 | Brother-in-law of producer Tony Thomas and Terre Thomas. |
7 | Son-in-law of actor/producer Danny Thomas and Rose Marie Mantell Thomas. |
8 | His talk show on MSNBC, Donahue (2002), has been canceled [March 2003]. |
9 | Graduate of the University of Notre Dame. |
10 | 1953 graduate of St. Edward High School, located in Lakewood, Ohio. |
11 | In 1994 he succeeded in getting permission from a convicted murderer to film the murderer's legal execution in the gas chamber. The courts, however, refused to give the FCC permission to air the event. |
12 | First met Marlo Thomas when she was a guest on his show during the seventies. Children with his first wife: Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Jim and Mary Rose. |
Pictures
Movies
Actor
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Watching the Detectives | 2008 | TV Series | Santa killer |
Frasier | 1999 | TV Series | Larry |
Danny Thomas: Young & Foolish | 1978 | TV Movie |
Producer
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Body of War | 2007 | Documentary executive producer / producer |
Director
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Body of War | 2007 | Documentary |
Writer
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Body of War | 2007 | Documentary |
Soundtrack
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
Sesame Street, Special | 1988 | TV Movie performer: "Put Down the Duckie Reprise" |
Self
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Eighties | 2016 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself - The Phil Donahue Show |
Traficant: The Congressman of Crimetown | 2015 | Documentary | Himself |
Unity | 2015 | Documentary | Narrator (voice) |
Skum Rocks! | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
Finding Vivian Maier | 2013 | Documentary | Himself - Talk Show Host |
Moyers & Company | 2013 | TV Series | Himself - Host |
Project Censored the Movie | 2013 | Documentary short | Himself - Talk Show Host |
Democracy Now! | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
Talk Stoop with Cat Greenleaf | 2013 | TV Series | Himself |
Save KLSD: Media Consolidation and Local Radio | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
Tavis Smiley | 2008-2012 | TV Series | Himself |
Piers Morgan Tonight | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
Bob Ross: The Happy Painter | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Anderson Live | 2011 | TV Series | Himself |
Gloria: In Her Own Words | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Good Riddance | 2011 | Documentary | Himself - Former Talk Show Host |
Hibakusha, Our Life to Live | 2010 | Documentary | Narrator (voice) |
Ellen: The Ellen DeGeneres Show | 2010 | TV Series | Himself - Guest |
The Oprah Winfrey Show | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
Hannity | 2009 | TV Series | Himself |
William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
Broadcast Blues | 2009 | Documentary | Himself |
Entertainment Tonight | 2009 | TV Series | Himself |
E! True Hollywood Story | 2004-2008 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
Sex: The Revolution | 2008 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
Real Time with Bill Maher | 2008 | TV Series | Himself |
Independent Lens | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
The 34th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards | 2007 | TV Special | Himself |
Godless in America | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
An Unreasonable Man | 2006 | Documentary | Himself |
Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith | 2005 | TV Series | Himself |
The O'Reilly Factor | 2004-2005 | TV Series | Himself |
The Evolution Will Be Televised | 2005 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The Fifth Estate | 2005 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
Hannity & Colmes | 2004 | TV Series | Himself |
Preventive Warriors | 2004 | Documentary | Himself |
Helen's War | 2004 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Tinseltown TV | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
Last Call with Carson Daly | 2003 | TV Series | Himself |
Donahue | 2002 | TV Series | Host |
The Rosie O'Donnell Show | 2001 | TV Series | Himself |
The 12th Annual Golden Laurel Awards | 2001 | TV Special | Himself |
The Daily Show | 2000 | TV Series | Himself |
The 70s: The Decade That Changed Television | 2000 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Ellen | 1998 | TV Series | Himself |
Talked to Death | 1997 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The 48th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards | 1996 | TV Special | Himself |
The 1996 Annual Lucy Awards | 1996 | TV Special | Himself |
Late Night with Conan O'Brien | 1993-1995 | TV Series | Himself |
Donahue | 1967-1995 | TV Series | Himself - Host / Himself |
The 5th Annual GLAAD Media Awards | 1994 | TV Special | Himself |
Intimate Portrait | 1993 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
Late Show with David Letterman | 1993 | TV Series | Himself |
The 20th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards | 1993 | TV Special | Himself |
The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom | 1993 | TV Movie | Himself - Talk show host |
Donahue/Pozner | 1992 | TV Series | Host |
Late Night with David Letterman | 1986-1992 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest |
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | 1992 | TV Series | Himself |
In a New Light: A Call to Action in the War Against AIDS | 1992 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
Who's the Boss? | 1992 | TV Series | Himself |
Blossom | 1991 | TV Series | Himself |
L.A. Law | 1991 | TV Series | Himself - Talk Show Host |
Happy Birthday, Bugs!: 50 Looney Years | 1990 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The Howard Stern Show | 1990 | TV Series | Himself |
Sing! Sesame Street Remembers Joe Raposo and His Music | 1990 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The 16th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards | 1989 | TV Special | Himself |
The Pat Sajak Show | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
Sesame Street, Special | 1988 | TV Movie | Himself |
NBC Investigates Bob Hope | 1987 | TV Special | Himself |
The Annual ACLU Honors: A Salute to Michael Douglas | 1987 | TV Movie | Himself |
Sesame Street | 1985 | TV Series | Himself |
Bob Hope Buys NBC? | 1985 | TV Special | Himself |
First Steps | 1985 | TV Movie | Himself |
Salute! | 1983 | TV Series | Himself |
Today | 1978-1982 | TV Series | Himself / Himself - Guest |
Donahue and Kids | 1981 | TV Special | Himself - Host |
Bozo's Circus | 1978 | TV Series | Himself |
The Mike Douglas Show | 1978 | TV Series | Himself - TV Talk Host |
The 5th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards | 1978 | TV Special | Himself |
The 1978 Annual Iris Awards | 1978 | TV Special | Himself - Presenter |
Archive Footage
Title | Year | Status | Character |
---|---|---|---|
The Making of Trump | 2015 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
The O'Reilly Factor | 2005-2015 | TV Series | Himself |
Sunshine Superman | 2014 | Documentary | Himself |
Killer Legends | 2014 | Documentary | Himself |
Our Nixon | 2013 | Documentary | Himself |
Lovelace | 2013 | Himself (uncredited) | |
American Masters | 2012 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
GLOW: The Story of the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling | 2012 | Documentary | Himself |
Ayn Rand: In Her Own Words | 2011 | Video documentary | Himself |
Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks | 2007 | Video documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
Manufacturing Dissent | 2007 | Documentary | Himself |
The Barbara Walters Summer Special | 2006 | TV Series | Himself |
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself (uncredited) |
Inside Deep Throat | 2005 | Documentary Himself - Talk Show Host uncredited | |
Princess Diana: The Uncrowned Queen | 2001 | Video documentary | Himself |
Biography | 1997 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
Ayn Rand: A Sense of Life | 1997 | Documentary | Himself - Interviews Ayn Rand (uncredited) |
Man of the Year | 1995 | Himself (uncredited) | |
One Nation Under God | 1993 | Documentary | Himself |
Sex Violence & Values: Changing Images | 1986 | TV Movie | Himself |
Cathode Fuck | 1986 | Video documentary | Himself - Talk Show Host |
Captain Kangaroo and His Friends | 1985 | Video | Himself |
Awards
Won Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | Audience Award | Hamptons International Film Festival | Best Documentary | Body of War (2007) |
1996 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Daytime Emmy Awards | ||
1993 | Special Recognition Award | Daytime Emmy Awards | ||
1988 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1986 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk or Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1985 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host in a Talk or Service Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1983 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk or Service Show | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1982 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk or Service Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1982 | Golden Apple | Golden Apple Awards | Daytime Star of the Year | |
1981 | Personal Award | Peabody Awards | ||
1980 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1979 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1978 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1977 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk, Service or Variety Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
Nominated Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | PGA Award | PGA Awards | Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures | Body of War (2007) |
1996 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1995 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1994 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1993 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1992 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1991 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1990 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1989 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk/Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1987 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Talk or Service Show Host | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1984 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk or Service Series | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
1981 | Daytime Emmy | Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Talk or Service Show | The Phil Donahue Show (1967) |
3rd Place Awards
Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | People's Choice Award | Toronto International Film Festival | Body of War (2007) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia