James Douglas Muir Leno was born April 28, 1950, in New Rochelle, New York, to parents Angelo, an insurance salesman, and Cathryn, a homemaker.

While growing up in Andover, Massachusetts, Leno was a born comedian. Never the academic but always the class clown, even his teachers knew that he would someday go into show business -- and be good at it.

But alas, Leno went on to study speech therapy at Emerson College in Boston, and graduated in 1973. He may not have pursued a career in therapy, but his passion certainly involved speech -- Leno headed to Los Angeles to find work as a stand-up comedian.

He started out as an opening act for Johnny Mathis and Tom Jones (he already had stand-up experience, as he did the circuit of nightclubs and talent shows while in University), and got a job as a writer for the series Good Times, incidentally, just like late-night rival David Letterman.

Leno made his Tonight Show debut in 1977, as a comedian, while appearing on The Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. Show. He was gaining experience in acting -- he was cast in 1978's American Hot Wax; in comedy, with numerous appearances on Late Night with David Letterman, which followed The Tonight Show on NBC; while guest hosting for Johnny Carson several times since 1985, and hosting his television comedy special, Jay Leno and the American Dream.

In 1987, Leno became the exclusive Tonight Show guest host, warming up the chair for himself. When Johnny Carson -- the king of late night -- announced his surprise retirement, the media and apparently David Letterman thought that The Tonight Show torch would be passed on to the gap-toothed host, whose show followed in the 12:35 timeslot on NBC. But to Letterman's chagrin, Leno was named Carson's successor, and the next to follow in the line of Tonight Show talents such as Steve Allen and Jack Paar.

When Letterman was dissed by NBC, he made the move to CBS to host The Late Show with David Letterman, and thus began the battle of the late-night ratings. Although Letterman's snarky sarcasm was beating out Leno's more clean-cut shtick in terms of ratings (that changed after Hugh Grantmade his first national television appearance after his encounter with a certain Miss Divine), Leno was honored with the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy, Variety or Music series in 1995, and Outstanding Technical Direction in 1996.

Leno's comedy routine includes "Headlines", featuring actual funny newspaper headlines, which Leno compiled into a series of books and desk calendars by the same name, as well as Police Blotter, which features funny newspaper clippings of police stories. The proceeds of both go to various charities. Leno also wrote an autobiography, entitled Leading With My Chin (not hard to see why).

Leno and his chin can still be seen on the peacock network at least until 2005, as his contract was renewed. In the meantime, Leno continues to take his act around the States, from Las Vegas to college campuses, and travels overseas to entertain the troops working for the peace-keeping efforts in Bosnia.

Leno and his wife, Mavis Nicholson (a scriptwriter and children's books author), reside in Los Angeles, where Leno spends his spare time tending to his antique car and motorcycle collection. At this rate, he'll only be adding to that collection.