"Be yourself. Don't try to be Larry King. Don't be someone else. Be curious. Listen. Listening is more important than what you ask. Because you learn a lot by listening. My motto: I never learned a thing when I was talking." 

    About This Interview

    Larry King (1933-2021) says of his approach, "an interview is an interview. It's basically who, what, where, when and why. And while it is certainly kind of an exalted place to sit with the Prime Minister of Great Britain or the president of a country, it's still… 'why do you do what you do? How do you feel about what you do? What do you think about what's happening in the world?' It comes down to an interviewer is an interviewer. I never sat down with a President of the United States or a world leader or head of a country and thought, 'whew, this is the head of a country -- I have to be different!' I'm still every man. What would a guy in the street say to Chirac of France if you had a chance to talk to him?" 

    In his three and a half-hour interview, Larry King talks about his early broadcasting career in radio and television from such stations as WPST-TV [WPLG-TV] and WIOD-Radio in Miami and his break into national television with The Larry King Show on radio and his long-running interview show Larry King Live on CNN, beginning in 1985. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview in three sessions on October 29, 2009, December 2, 2009, and February 16, 2010 in North Hollywood, CA.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Larry King

    Larry King on being parodied

    01:15
    Thumbnail of Larry King

    Larry King on how he'd like to be remembered

    02:01
    Thumbnail of Larry King

    Larry King on the future of the television medium

    00:40
    Thumbnail of Larry King

    Larry King on playing himself in movies, television shows

    01:25
    Thumbnail of Larry King

    Larry King on Larry King Live's legacy

    01:15
    Thumbnail of Larry King

    Larry King on his trademark suspenders

    02:11
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his early years growing up in Brooklyn

    05:42

    On the beginning of his radio career

    27:18

    On his start in television (on Miami Undercover); on his association with Jackie Gleason and Frank Sinatra

    13:43

    On hosting his syndicated radio show

    08:43

    Chapter 2

    On his approach to interviewing

    07:20

    On his legal troubles involving conspiracy in a later investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy

    11:46

    On his transition from radio to television; on being considered for a CNN show at the network's 1980 launch

    03:35

    Chapter 3

    On the genesis and production aspects of his show Larry King Live

    28:41

    On his trademark suspenders; on his interview style on Larry King Live

    13:46

    On some of the personalities he's interviewed over the years including Marlon Brando, Bette Davis, George Burns, Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, Bill Cosby, Paul McCartney, Tammy Faye Bakker, Liz Taylor, Dan Rather, and Sharon Stone

    11:00

    On interviewing every U.S. President since Richard Nixon

    06:32

    Chapter 4

    On his interviews with world leaders

    17:57

    On covering news and political events on Larry King Live

    40:23

    Chapter 5

    On the tabloid nature of news; on how guests are chosen on Larry King Live

    08:52

    On the legacy of Larry King Live; on his advice to aspiring hosts; on his family; on how he'd like to be remembered

    10:53

    Larry King Live

    Larry King on interviewing world leaders

    17:57

    Larry King on covering major news stories on Larry King Live

    34:33

    Larry King on hosting the November 9, 1993 debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot

    05:50

    Larry King on his approach to interviewing

    07:20

    Larry King the production aspects hosting Larry King Live 

    28:41

    Larry King on some of his memorable interviewees

    17:32

    Larry King on the advent of tabloid and sensationalist news

    05:05

    Larry King on how long he forsees doing Larry King Live

    03:46

    Larry King on the legacy of Larry King Live, "we wrote our page in television" history. It is the longest-running show hosted by one person

    01:16

    Miami Undercover

    Larry King on hosting his first TV show, Miami Undercover

    02:59

    Simpsons, The

    Larry King on his guest-appearances on The Simpsons as himself

    01:14

    9/11

    Larry King on his experiences during 9/11

    02:16

    Barack Obama

    Larry King on the election of President Barack Obama

    02:22

    Bill Clinton

    Larry King on the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky story

    03:29

    Characters & Catchphrases

    Larry King on his trademark suspenders

    02:11

    Creative Influences and Inspiration

    Larry King on his advice to anyone who wants to become an interviewer "you never learn a thing when you're talking"; on being interviewed

    01:24

    Fame and Celebrity

    Larry King on playing himself in movies, television shows

    01:25

    George W. Bush

    Larry King on President George W. Bush

    01:19

    JFK Assassination and Funeral

    Larry King on his legal troubles involving conspiracy in a later investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy

    11:46

    Pop Culture

    Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney and on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles

    02:36

    Larry King on his trademark suspenders

    02:11

    Larry King on his distaste for tabloid news

    02:01

    Larry King on the public's fascination with tabloid news; he prefers sports

    02:10

    Rock 'n' Roll on TV (1950s & '60s)

    Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney and on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles

    02:36

    Technological Innovation

    Larry King on the future of the television medium

    00:40

    Television and the Presidency

    Larry King on interviewing U.S. Presidents

    06:32

    Talk Shows

    Larry King on his advice to anyone who wants to become an interviewer "you never learn a thing when you're talking"; on being interviewed

    01:24

    Yasser Arafat

    Larry King on interviewing Yassir Arafat

    00:53

    Tammy Faye Bakker Messner

    Larry King on Tammy Faye Bakker

    00:56

    Red Barber

    Larry King on meeting his childhood idol, Red Barber

    01:54

    Marlon Brando

    Larry King on Marlon Brando (and the kiss on Larry King Live )

    00:50

    George Burns

    Larry King on George Burns

    00:23

    George W. Bush

    Larry King on President George W. Bush

    01:19

    Bill Clinton

    Larry King on the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky story

    03:29

    Larry King on interviewing U.S. Presidents

    06:32

    Bill Cosby

    Larry King on Bill Cosby

    01:03

    Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)

    Larry King on interviewing the 14th Dalai Lama

    01:03

    Bette Davis

    Larry King on Bette Davis

    00:55

    Arthur Fiedler

    Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney; on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles

    02:36

    Jackie Gleason

    Larry King on his relationship with Jackie Gleason

    10:50

    Mikhail Gorbachev

    Larry King on interviewing Mikhail Gorbachev

    03:30

    Al Gore

    Larry King on hosting the November 9, 1993 debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot

    05:50

    Bob Hope

    Larry King on Bob Hope

    00:37

    Jerry Lewis

    Larry King on Jerry Lewis

    00:01

    Nelson Mandela

    Larry King on interviewing Nelson Mandela

    01:38

    Paul McCartney

    Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney; on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles

    02:36

    Richard M. Nixon

    Larry King on interviewing U.S. Presidents

    06:32

    Barack Obama

    Larry King on the election of President Barack Obama

    02:22

    Sean Penn

    Larry King on Bette Davis

    00:55

    Ross Perot

    Larry King on hosting the November 9, 1993 debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot

    05:50

    Dan Rather

    Larry King on Dan Rather

    01:03

    Frank Sinatra

    Larry King on his relationship with Jackie Gleason

    10:50

    Sharon Stone

    Larry King on Sharon Stone

    01:04

    Elizabeth Taylor

    Larry King on Elizabeth Taylor

    00:44

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