Hollywood is mourning the passing of true television titan.
Deadline reports that Peter Lassally, who for decades helmed some of the biggest shows in late-night television, passed away at the age of 93 on Sunday, July 19.
Worked with Carson and Letterman
GettyLassally is described by the outlet as “a pivotal figure in the entertainment business,” an apt depiction of a showbiz icon who defined late-night television for decades.
Even though his role was a behind the scenes one, it’s arguable that no single person left more of mark on late-night TV, having worked with Johnny Carson as producer of “The Tonight Show,” then with David Letterman (on both NBC’s “Late Night” and then “The Late Show” on CBS) and then with Craig Ferguson on “The Late Late Show.”
When Ferguson decided not to continue “The Late Late Show,” Lassally likewise made his exit, retiring at age 82 when Ferguson left and James Corden took on hosting duties.
A Long Career at NBC
Lassally’s career began humbly, hired as an NBC page in Rockefeller Center and an usher at the nearby Radio City Music Hall, working alongside fellow usher and lifelong friend Regis Philbin.
In 1972, Lassally was hired by “The Tonight Show,” eventually rising in the ranks to the top spot as executive producer. After Carson’s retirement in 1992, he jumped over to take on that same role with David Letterman’s “Late Night,” then following Letterman out the door when he famously left NBC to launch “The Late Show” on network rival CBS.
A Comedy Icon
As Deadline points out, Lassally was a kingmaker in late-night television. Well connected within the comedy community, he had an impeccable eye for spotting talent.
“I’ve always been drawn to comics,” he told told NPR in a 2012 interview. “I love finding fresh comics, which is harder and harder every year.”
In fact, Lassally was instrumental in Craig Kilborn taking over the “Late Late Show” from Tom Snyder, which led Jon Stewart to take Kilborn’s previous gig on “The Daily Show,” making TV history in the process.
He Preferred to Stay Out of the Spotlight
Lassally may not have been a household name, but his influence can be seen in generations of late-night television.
Interviewed by NPR — which described him as a “host whisperer” — Lassally had an innate skill at molding standup comics into talk show hosts, transforming them from entertainers who talk to entertainers who listen.
“One of Peter’s real strengths is getting the host to understand how to listen, how to ask the questions that an audience might want to hear, and to listen to the answer and to not be thinking ahead with the joke,” beloved comedian Garry Shandling, Lassally’s close friend, told NPR.
“Being a comedian does not make you a talk show host by any means,” Lassally told NPR. “It takes a lot more than that. It helps, possibly, in that you think funny; but doing a standup routine and hosting an interview program are two completely different things.”
He added: “The gift that I keep looking for in people, whether they’re hosts or guests, is likeability. I don’t care if you have the No. 1 record or the No. 1 movie; if you’re not likeable, I’d rather not put you on because I don’t think the audience will stay up.”
