Phil Donahue's net worth, age, children, wife, show, retirement
Did you know Phil Donahue made history as the first talk show host whose programme format included audience participation? The media personality, writer, film producer, and show host paved the way for other show hosts like Oprah Winfrey, Conan O'Brien, Ellen DeGeneres, and Tyra Banks.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Phil Donahue started his talk show in 1967. The show had a 29-year run on national television. He is respected as one of the most influential talk show hosts ever. Some people have called him the "king of daytime talk".
Profile summary
| Full name | Phillip John Donahue |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 21st December 1935 |
| Age | 87 years (as of 2023) |
| Place of birth | Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America |
| Current residence | Manhattan, New York City, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White (Irish) |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 6 ft (183cm) |
| Weight | 165lb (75kg) |
| Hair colour | Grey |
| Eye colour | Blue |
| Marital status | Married |
| Wife | Marlo Thomas |
| Ex-wife | Margaret Cooney |
| Children | 5 |
| Father | Phillip Donahue |
| Mother | Catherine Donahue (née McClory) |
| Sisters | 1 |
| Alma mater | Our Lady of Angels Elementary School, St. Edward High School, University of Notre Dame |
| Profession | Media personality, writer, film producer, and show host |
Who is Phil Donahue?
Phillip John Donahue is a celebrated media personality, writer, film producer, and show host. He revolutionised talk shows by allowing live audience participation. Many contemporary talk show hosts now allow participation from the audience.
How old is Phil Donahue?
Phil Donahue's age is 87 years as of 2023. He was born on 21st December 1935, and his Zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
Is Phil Donahue still alive?
Yes, the talk show host is still alive. Due to his advanced age, he seldom makes media appearances. He is now retired and living a quiet life.
Source: Getty Images
Where is Phil Donahue from?
The show host was born in Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America. He resides in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America. His nationality is American, and his ethnicity is White (Irish).
Who are Phil Donahue's parents?
Phil's father is Phillip Donahue, and his mother is Catherine Donahue (née McClory). His dad was a furniture sales clerk, while his mom was a department store shoe clerk.
He has a sister, Elinor Donahue, renowned for her roles in movies like Father Knows Best. Elinor and her brother were raised in a Catholic home.
Educational background
The film producer went to Our Lady of Angels Elementary School and graduated in 1949. He then proceeded to St. Edward High School, an all-boys private high school. He was in the institution's first graduating class in 1953.
He then joined the University of Notre Dame for higher studies and graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.
Career
The media personality started his career in 1957. He was a production assistant at KYW radio and television in Cleveland, Ohio. One day, an announcer skipped work, so he got the opportunity to stand in for them.
He then served as a bank check sorter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before becoming a programme director for WABJ radio. He later became a stringer for the CBS Evening News before being appointed the anchor of the morning newscast at WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio.
From 1963 to 1967, he hosted Conversation Piece on WHIO radio. Some of the people he interviewed are John F. Kennedy, Johnny Carson, Malcolm X, and Jerry Rubin, among others.
In late 1967, he started hosting The Phil Donahue Show on WLWD (now WDTN). In January 1970, the show entered nationwide syndication.
The show focused on issues that divide liberals and conservatives in the United States of America. These included war issues, termination of pregnancies, consumer protection, and civil rights.
The show moved from Dayton to Chicago in 1974 and to New York City in 1984. His show ran for 29 years before ending on 13th September 1996.
The show was cancelled after its ratings went down. It lost viewers when stations either started dropping it or moving it to late-night and early-morning time slots.
As he hosted the show, Phil also contributed to The Today Show on NBC from 1979 to 1988. In the 1980s, he and Soviet journalist Vladimir Posner co-hosted the U.S.–Soviet Space Bridge.
Donahue on MSNBC
In July 2002, the talk show host returned on air to host Donahue on MSNBC. The show was cancelled on 25th February 2003.
Why did Donahue go off the air?
Donahue was cancelled because the host opposed the imminent American invasion of Iraq. MSNBC felt that he would be a problematic public face for NBC in a time of war.
Acting
The media personality has seven acting credits, as shown in the table below.
| Production | Role | Year |
| Danny Thomas: Young & Foolish | 1978 | |
| L.A. Law | Self | 1991 |
| Blossom | Self | 1991 |
| The Bold and the Beautiful | TV host | 1991 |
| Who's the Boss? | Self | 1992 |
| Frasier | Larry (voice) | 1999 |
| Watching the Detectives | Santa Killer | 2008 |
In 2007, Phil was the writer, executive producer and director of Body of War.
Phil Donahue's net worth
The talk show host and author has a net worth of $150 million. His annual earnings were about $20 million at his peak in the mid-1990s.
Source: Getty Images
Marriage
The talk show host has married twice. His first marriage was to Margaret Cooney, commonly known as Marge Cooney. The two married in 1958 and divorced in 1975. He married his second wife, Marlo Thomas, in 1980.
What happened to Phil Donahue's first wife?
After the divorce, Margaret Cooney went back to New Mexico, her native home. She allegedly remarried. She disappeared from public view.
How old were Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue when they got married?
Phil and Marlo got married on 21st May 1980. At the time, the talk show host was 44 years old, and she was 42.
The two first met in 1977 when Marlo was Thomas was a guest on his talk show. He fell in love with her at first sight.
Phil Donahue's children
The talk show host is a father of five. He was blessed with all five in his first marriage with Margaret.
He has four sons and a daughter. Their names are Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose, and James Patrick. His youngest, James Patrick, passed away in 2014 from internal bleeding caused by a burst aorta.
The five kids and their parents lived in Centerville, Ohio, for a while. After their parents divorced and the talk show host remarried, the family moved to New York City. He got custody of his four boys, while Marge got custody of Mary Rose.
Did Marlo Thomas have children? Marlo does not have biological children but has step-kids. She developed a good bond and friendship with her step-kids. They are friends to date.
Where is Phil Donahue today?
The talk show host is based in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America, where he spends his retirement days with his wife. Phil Donahue's health is quite stable. Once in a while, he makes media appearances.
How tall is Phil Donahue?
The talk show host is 6' or 183 centimetres tall, and he weighs about 165 pounds or 75 kilograms. He has grey hair and blue eyes.
Trivia
- Phil has won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards, one Golden Apple Award, and one Peabody Award.
- In June 2013, he appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning.
- In 1988, he was widely criticised for his discussion of child molestation by Catholic priests.
- In 1999, he turned down an offer by Fox to be the host of Greed.
- His spouse, Marlo, is the recipient of multiple Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Jefferson Award, and the Peabody Award.
Phil Donahue is a respected American media personality, writer, film producer, and show host. He is now retired and is based in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America.
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