Lester Don Holt Jr. (born March 8, 1959) is an American journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, he was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News following the demotion of Brian Williams. He followed in the career footsteps of Max Robinson, an ABC News evening co-anchor, and Holt became the first African-American to solo anchor a weekday network nightly newscast.

Filmography

• 20092012 Startling New Secrets
• Warehouse 13 — Lester Holt
• 30 Rock — Lester Holt
• 1996Primal Fear — WBBM Anchor
• Chicago Hope — Anchorman (uncredited)
• 1994Miracle on 34th Street — Newscaster
• 1993The Fugitive — Newscaster
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Appearances as themselves (25)

• 2026Dolly: An NBC News Special — Self - Host
• 2026Instadocs: Alex Murdaugh, Unconvicted — Self (archive footage)
• 2024Atrocity Inc. — Self (archive footage)
• 2024The Choice 2024: Harris vs. Trump — Self (archive footage)
• 2021Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All — Self (archive footage)
• Obama — Self
• 2020One World: Together at Home — Self
• Whose Vote Counts, Explained — Self (archive footage)
• The Kelly Clarkson Show — Self - Guest
• 2018Hope & Fury: MLK, the Movement and the Media — Self - Narrator (voice)
• Dateline: Secrets Uncovered — Self - Correspondent
• 2017Get Me Roger Stone — Self (archive footage)
• Steve — Self
• 2016Business of Disaster — Self - NBC Reporter
• Late Night with Seth Meyers — Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon — Self, Self - Guest
• Hollywood Game Night — Self
• Steve Harvey — Self
• 2008Mystery of the Crystal Skulls — Himself - Host
• 2008Witness to Jonestown — Himself
• 2007The 9/11 Conspiracies: Fact or Fiction — Self - Host
• Miley's New Year's Eve Party — Self - Guest
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Guest
• Dateline — Self - Host, Self - Correspondent
• NBC Nightly News — Self