Regis Philbin

Regis Francis Xavier Philbin (pronounced /ˈriːdʒɨs ˈfɪlbɨn/; born August 25, 1931) is an American media personality, occasional actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows from the 1950s to the present. Philbin is often called (somewhat tongue-in-cheek and alternately attributed to James Brown) "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera. With each TV appearance, he adds to his record for most hours logged (16,100, as certified by Guinness World Records in 2008). His trademarks include his excited manner, his New York Bronx accent, his wit, and irreverent ad-libs. He is most widely known for Live with Regis and Kelly (which rose to fame as Live with Regis and Kathie Lee), Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Million Dollar Password, and for hosting the first season of America's Got Talent. On January 18, 2011 Philbin announced plans to retire from Live With Regis and Kelly in the late summer or fall of 2011. Philbin was born in 1931. His father, Francis "Frank" Philbin, a U.S. Marine who served in the Pacific, was of Irish heritage. His mother, Filomena "Florence" (née Boscia), was of Arbëreshë heritage. They lived at 1990 Cruger Avenue in the Van Nest section of The Bronx. Philbin was raised Roman Catholic. It was long believed that Philbin grew up an only child, but on the February 1, 2007, broadcast of Live with Regis and Kelly, Philbin announced that he did have a brother, Frank M. Philbin, who had died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma several days earlier. He said that his brother, 20 years younger than he, had asked him to not speak of him on television or in the press.