John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.

Filmography

• 2025Breakdown: 1975 — Self - Host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (archive footage), Self (archive footage)
• 2025John Candy: I Like Me — Self - Host, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (archive footage)
• 2022Finster
• 2009The Minnie Riperton Story — (archive footage)
• 2007The Best of The Tonight Show: Stand - Up Comedians
• 2006Carson Country — Writer
• 2006The Best of Carson, Volume 1
• 2002The Ultimate Collection Starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 60s and 70s
• E! True Hollywood Story
• The Simpsons — Johnny Carson (voice)
• Mr. President — Creator
• 1987Whales! — Narrator
• 1985The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
• Night Court — Johnny Carson
• Cheers — Johnny Carson
• 1982Johnny Goes Home — Self, Writer
• Newhart
• Lewis & Clark — Creator
• 1976Bob Hope's World of Comedy — (archive footage)
• Here's Lucy — Johnny Carson
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In — Self, The Mystery Person (uncredited), Dick Martin (uncredited), Self (uncredited)
• The Danny Thomas Hour — Narrator
• 1966Murder at N.B.C.
• Space Ghost and Dino Boy
• 1966Stuart Little — Narrator (voice)
• Get Smart — Herald (uncredited), Special Guest Conductor
• 1957Three Men on a Horse — Erwin Trowbridge
• Miss Universe — Host
• The Johnny Carson Show — Himself, Creator
• The United States Steel Hour
• The Red Skelton Show — Knight Who Makes Point of Order, Self
• The Bob Hope Show — Self, The Masked Killer (uncredited)., Self - Cameo
• The Jack Benny Program — Johnny Carson

Appearances as themselves (104)

• Soccer's American Dream — Self (archive footage)
• Raise the Flags: 50 Years of Buccaneers Football — Self (archive footage)
• 20246 morts dans la nuit : « De sang-froid » – Truman Capote — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Bad Hostage — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Butterfly in the Sky — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Jim Henson Idea Man — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Luther: Never Too Much — Self (archive footage)
• 2023Gone Before His Time: Freddie Prinze Sr. — Self (archive footage)
• Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields — Self (archive footage)
• 2023The Man Who Stole Einstein's Brain — Self (archive footage)
• 2023The Many Faces of Jim Carrey — Self (Archive Footage)
• 2022Lucy and Desi — Self (archive footage)
• 2022Untold: Caitlyn Jenner — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street — Self (archive footage)
• 2021The Capote Tapes — Self (archive footage)
• 2020Audrey — Self - TV Host (archive footage)
• 2020My Darling Vivian — Self (archive footage)
• 2020The Great Toilet Paper Scare — Himself
• 2020The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts The Tonight Show — Self (archive footage)
• The Sounds of Baseball — Self (archive footage)
• Biography: Comedy Icons — Self
• 2019Jeff Dunham: Talking Heads — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice — Self (archive footage)
• 2019Mike Wallace Is Here — Self (archive footage)
• 2018Game Changers — Self (archive footage)
• 2018The Front Runner — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2018Won't You Be My Neighbor? — Self - TV Host (archive footage)
• 2017Jerry Before Seinfeld — Self (archive footage)
• The Nineties — Self (archive footage)
• 2017The Swingin' A's — Self (archive footage)
• There's... Johnny! — Self (archive footage)
• 2017This Is Bob Hope... — Self (archive footage)
• 2017Whitney: Can I Be Me — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• The Seventies — Self (archive footage)
• 2014Life Itself — Self - TV Host (archive footage)
• 2014Mr. Baseball, Bob Uecker — Self (archive footage)
• 2014The Battered Bastards of Baseball — Himself (Archive Footage)
• 2013Behind the Candelabra — Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• 2013Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia — Self (archive footage)
• 2013Llyn Foulkes One Man Band — Himself
• 2013Quality Balls: The David Steinberg Story — Self (Archive Footage)
• 2013Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic — Self (archive footage)
• 2012Johnny Carson: King of Late Night — Self
• 2010The Best of Johnny Carson — Self (archive footage)
• 2008Johnny Carson Celebrates Christmas — Self
• 2007Jimmy Carter Man from Plains — Self (archive footage)
• 2004Seinfeld: How It Began — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Biography: Bob Hope: America's Entertainer — Self (archive footage)
• 2003Live and Swingin': The Ultimate Rat Pack Collection — Self (archive footage)
• 2002The Ultimate Collection starring Johnny Carson - The Best of the 70s and 80s — Self (archive footage)
• 200150 Years of NBC Late Night — Self (archive footage)
• 2001The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 1 — Self (archive footage)
• 2001The Best of Bob Hope: 50 Years of Laughter — Volume 2 — Self (archive footage)
• 1998The Best of the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts — Self - Roastee (archive footage)
• 1996Bob Hope: Laughing With the Presidents — Self (archive footage)
• 1994Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '60s & '70s: Heeere's Johnny! — Self - Host
• 1994Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '70s & '80s: The Master of Laughs! — Self - Host
• 1994Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - '80s & '90s: The King of Late Night — Self - Host
• 1994Johnny Carson - His Favorite Moments from 'The Tonight Show' - The Final Show: America Says Farewell — Self - Host
• 1994The World of Jim Henson — Self (archive footage)
• 1992Jack Benny: Comedy in Bloom — Himself
• 1992Laurel and Hardy: A Tribute to the Boys — Self
• 1987It's Howdy Doody Time: A 40-Year Celebration — Himself - Guest
• 1987James Stewart: A Wonderful Life — Self
• 1987Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour — Self
• 1986Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special — Self
• 1986TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines — Self
• 1986The Garry Shandling Show: 25th Anniversary Special — Himself
• 1985Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers — Self (archive footage)
• 1983George Burns Celebrates 80 Years in Show Business — Self
• 1983Koyaanisqatsi — Self (archive footage)
• 1983Sheena Easton: Act One — Self (uncredited)
• 1981A Love Letter to Jack Benny — Himself
• 1980Lucy Moves to NBC — Self
• 1978Mickey's 50 — Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors — Self
• 1977Life Goes to War: Hollywood and the Home Front — Himself
• 1976CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years — Self
• 1976Joys — Self
• 1976NBC: The First Fifty Years — Self
• 1972Cancel My Reservation — Himself (uncredited)
• 1972Don Rickles: Alive and Kicking — Self
• 1971Pure Goldie — Self
• 1970Friars Club Roast of Don Rickles — Self - Host
• 1968Carnival Nights — Self
• The Beautiful Phyllis Diller Show — Self
• 1968The Dean Martin Christmas Show — Self (uncredited)
• 1965Frank Sinatra Spectacular — Self - Host
• 1964Looking for Love — Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson — Self - Host
• You're in the Picture — Himself
• Kraft Music Hall — Self - Host
• The Dick Clark Show — Self
• Tonight Starring Jack Paar — Self - Guest Host
• 1956Lucy's Really Lost Moments — Self
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show — Self
• The Steve Allen Show — Self, Self - Comedian-Quiz Show Host, Self - Guest
• Tony Awards — Self - Presenter
• The Wonderful World of Disney — Self
• The Oscars — Self
• What's My Line? — Self
• The Emmy Awards — Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show — Self
• Untitled Joan Rivers Documentary — Self (archive footage)