Dick Cavett – 84

Talk about a guy who can carry a conversation! Like any struggling artist, Dick Cavett started his career living in an apartment with hopes of bagging jobs left and right. He began as an extra on films like the Body and Soul and gradually made his way to a talk show of his own. Inspired by a column made about the show host, Jack Paar, and his search for good opening monologue jokes, Cavett got credit for giving him a handful of witty one-liners. Shortly after, he was hired as a talent coordinator for The Tonight Show.

In 1968, he was sought out by ABC and was given the opportunity to host This Morning, which raked in a big audience. He eventually made it into prime time and had a namesake show of his own, The Dick Cavett Show, which aired at the same time as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He received critical acclaim and massive studio praise for his intellectual interviews, giving him the title of “the thinking man’s talk show host.”