About
"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."
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.
Highlights

Larry King on being parodied

Larry King on how he'd like to be remembered

Larry King on the future of the television medium

Larry King on playing himself in movies, television shows

Larry King on Larry King Live's legacy

Larry King on his trademark suspenders
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early years growing up in Brooklyn
On the beginning of his radio career
On his start in television (on Miami Undercover); on his association with Jackie Gleason and Frank Sinatra
On hosting his syndicated radio show
Chapter 2
On his approach to interviewing
On his legal troubles involving conspiracy in a later investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
On his transition from radio to television; on being considered for a CNN show at the network's 1980 launch
Chapter 3
On the genesis and production aspects of his show Larry King Live
On his trademark suspenders; on his interview style on Larry King Live
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
On interviewing every U.S. President since Richard Nixon
Chapter 4
On his interviews with world leaders
On covering news and political events on Larry King Live
Chapter 5
On the tabloid nature of news; on how guests are chosen on Larry King Live
On the legacy of Larry King Live; on his advice to aspiring hosts; on his family; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Larry King Live
Larry King on interviewing world leaders
Larry King on covering major news stories on Larry King Live
Larry King on hosting the November 9, 1993 debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot
Larry King on his approach to interviewing
Larry King the production aspects hosting Larry King Live
Larry King on some of his memorable interviewees
Larry King on the advent of tabloid and sensationalist news
Larry King on how long he forsees doing Larry King Live
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
Miami Undercover
Larry King on hosting his first TV show, Miami Undercover
Simpsons, The
Larry King on his guest-appearances on The Simpsons as himself
Topics
9/11
Larry King on his experiences during 9/11
Barack Obama
Larry King on the election of President Barack Obama
Bill Clinton
Larry King on the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky story
Characters & Catchphrases
Larry King on his trademark suspenders
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
Fame and Celebrity
Larry King on playing himself in movies, television shows
George W. Bush
Larry King on President George W. Bush
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Larry King on his legal troubles involving conspiracy in a later investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy
Pop Culture
Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney and on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles
Larry King on his trademark suspenders
Larry King on his distaste for tabloid news
Larry King on the public's fascination with tabloid news; he prefers sports
Rock 'n' Roll on TV (1950s & '60s)
Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney and on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles
Technological Innovation
Larry King on the future of the television medium
Television and the Presidency
Larry King on interviewing U.S. Presidents
Genres
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
People
Yasser Arafat
Larry King on interviewing Yassir Arafat
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner
Larry King on Tammy Faye Bakker
Red Barber
Larry King on meeting his childhood idol, Red Barber
Marlon Brando
Larry King on Marlon Brando (and the kiss on Larry King Live )
George Burns
Larry King on George Burns
George W. Bush
Larry King on President George W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Larry King on the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky story
Larry King on interviewing U.S. Presidents
Bill Cosby
Larry King on Bill Cosby
Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso)
Larry King on interviewing the 14th Dalai Lama
Bette Davis
Larry King on Bette Davis
Arthur Fiedler
Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney; on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles
Jackie Gleason
Larry King on his relationship with Jackie Gleason
Mikhail Gorbachev
Larry King on interviewing Mikhail Gorbachev
Al Gore
Larry King on hosting the November 9, 1993 debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot
Bob Hope
Larry King on Bob Hope
Jerry Lewis
Larry King on Jerry Lewis
Nelson Mandela
Larry King on interviewing Nelson Mandela
Paul McCartney
Larry King on meeting Paul McCartney; on Arthur Fiedler's remarks about The Beatles
Richard M. Nixon
Larry King on interviewing U.S. Presidents
Barack Obama
Larry King on the election of President Barack Obama
Sean Penn
Larry King on Bette Davis
Ross Perot
Larry King on hosting the November 9, 1993 debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot
Dan Rather
Larry King on Dan Rather
Frank Sinatra
Larry King on his relationship with Jackie Gleason
Sharon Stone
Larry King on Sharon Stone
Elizabeth Taylor
Larry King on Elizabeth Taylor