Regis Philbin Is Dead

ORIGIN
Regis Philbin was an American television personality and former host of the prime-time game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’. His television credits also include America’s Got Talent and Million Dollar Password. Philbin was born to parents Florence and Frank on August 25, 1931, in the Bronx, New York. He had a younger brother named Frank. Philbin attended Cardinal Hayes High School followed by the University of Notre Dame. He graduated in 1953 with a BA degree in sociology.

CAREER
Philbin served as a supply officer in the United States Navy before making his television debut. He started out as a news and sportswriter for the Los Angeles station ‘KCOP’ in 1955. Philbin gained early exposure as a sidekick and announcer on The Joey Bishop Show (1967-69). He became co-host of Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee in 1981. The show was renamed to ‘Live! with Regis and Kelly’ starting in 2001.

Philbin was probably best known for hosting the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The program debuted on ABC in August 1999. The syndicated version of the show started in September 2002. The show’s host over the years include Cedric the Entertainer, Terry Crews and Chris Harrison. Philbin’s other shows include Million Dollar Password and America’s Got Talent. He’s guest hosted a number of programs including The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and The Late Late Show. His film credits include Cheaper by the Dozen (2003) with Steve Martin, and Jack and Jill (2011) with Adam Sandler. He voiced the character “Mabel” from the ‘Shrek’ animated films.

Philbin won several awards and honors over the years for his work in show business. These include Daytime Emmys for ‘outstanding talk show host’ and for ‘outstanding game show host’. He held the Guinness World Record for most time spent in front of a television camera. Philbin’s first memoir, I’m Only One Man!, was published in 1995. A second memoir, How I Got This Way, was released in 2011.

PERSONAL
Philbin did a minor angioplasty procedure back in 1993. He underwent triple bypass surgery in March 2007 and a hip replacement surgery in December 2009. He had a blood clot removed from his calf in 2010.

Regis Philbin died on July 24, 2020, at the age of 88. His reported cause of death was heart attack due to coronary artery disease. A funeral service for Philbin was held at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Notre Dame, Indiana. He was laid to rest in Cedar Grove Cemetary, located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

Regis Philbin was 5ft 6in tall and he was of Irish and Italian ancestry. He had an estimated net worth of $150 million. He reportedly made an annual salary of $20 million for the game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Philbin was married to his first wife ‘Catherine Faylen’ from 1956 to 1968. They had two children, Amy and Daniel. He wed ‘Joy Senese’ in March 1970. They had two daughters, Joanna and Jennifer.

Regis Philbin Bio, Net Worth, Height