B I O G R A P H Y

This page is in the process of being updated. We would ordinarily wait until a page was completed before uploading it, but leaving up inaccurate or outdated information didn't seem right. Consider this a page in perpetual progress (say that ten times really fast). Last updated January 22, 2002.

P E R S O N A L     I N F O R M A T I O N

Occupation: Comedian, Writer, Actor. Host, producer, and writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart since January 11, 1999
Born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz
Jon filed a petition for a legal name change to Jon Stewart on June 19, 2001.
Born in November 28, 1962 in New York City, New York
Grew up in Lawrence Township, New Jersey
Height: 5' 7"

Family:
Mother: Marian Leibowitz, teacher; divorced from Stewart's father 1971.
Father: Donald Leibowitz, physicist; divorced from Stewart's mother 1971; remarried.
Brother: Larry Leibowitz, older.
Half-sibling: From father's second marriage. (Name?)

Wife:
Tracey Lynn Stewart, formerly Tracey Lynn McShane.
Marriage date: Unknown, but at least before 2000.
Tracey is a veterinary assistant and veterinary student who also works at the Bronx Zoo. She used to be a graphic designer.
The couple dated at least five years and share(d?) a Greenwich Village apartment. They met on a blind date and did not click until later in the evening when they started drinking. They lived together for quite a while. Jon proposed through a crossword.

Education:
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.
Played on the soccer team.
Initially majored in chemistry but eventually changed his major to psychology.
B.S. in psychology, 1984.

Pets:
Shamsky: Extremely shy pit-bull who had been caged most of his life. Apparently saved from an animal shelter where Tracey may have worked.
Stan: Neutered male cat featured prominently in Jon's standup special, Unleavened.
A recently obtained puppy of unknown breed about whom we know very little. This may be the puppy whose appearance Edward Burns ridiculed in November, 2001 on TDS. It might also be the puppy Jon held up on this return to the air on September 20, 2001. No confirmation.
Jon had or has a female cat who would go into heat regularly. No more information is known about this cat, whether she's still around, or if she ever got spayed.

P R O F E S S I O N A L     I N F O R M A T I O N

Overview:

Jon started out as a stand-up comedian working the circuit. He formed a good relationship with MTV and eventually got his own MTV show, The Jon Stewart Show. That show was purchased by Paramount and went into syndication where it did poorly and got cancelled. Jon appeared on HBO's Young Comedians Special and started appearing on Late Night with David Letterman. Jon then frequently guest-hosted the Late Late Show and was rumored to be the next host. Jon apparently did not want to go to LA, and instead accepted the job to host The Daily Show starting January 11, 1999. He has appeared in numerous movies, written a best selling book, and has become a favorite guest on various talk shows both comedic and political.

First Stand Up Gig:
The Bitter End (NYC) in 1987. According to Jon, despite bombing big time, he still knew that comedy was what he wanted to do.

Production Company:
Busboy Productions (no longer in existence?). Some years ago, Miramax Films signed Busboy Productions to an overall production deal. Jon had committed to star in two movies per year, and had a chance to write and produce as well as star in some of the films. We have not yet confirmed whether this deal is still in effect, whether it was fully satisfied, etc.

Heroes and Mentors:
Jon has frequently mentioned both Lenny Bruce and George Carlin as inspirations.

Television: (This section is currently being merged into the Television page. Merging is not complete, so refer to both pages for complete info.)

Short Attention Span Theater: 1991-1992 (Comedy Central/Comedy Channel)
   co-hosted with Patty Rosborough

Remote Control (MTV)

You Wrote It, You Watch It: 1993 (MTV)

The Jon Stewart Show: 1993-1995 (MTV/Paramount)
   Talk show hosted by Jon with Howard Feller as co-host. Began as a half-hour nighttime talk show on MTV, and was quickly enlarged by Paramount to a one-hour format for national syndication. The critically acclaimed talk show featured a variety of celebrity guests from the world of music, entertainment, sports and fashion. The show aired from September, 1994 through June, 1995

First Annual Comics Come Home: 1995 (Comedy Central)
   stand-up showcase

HBO comedy special, Jon Stewart: Unleavened: 1996 (HBO)
   stand up special

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist: 1996 (Comedy Central)
   guest starred as himself in episode entitles "guess who"
*available on home video

3rd Annual Comics Come Home Special: 1997 (Comedy Central)
   stand up showcase

Mr. Show: 1997 (HBO)
   guest starred as himself on episode #19

Space Ghost: Coast to Coast: 1997 (Cartoon Network)
   guest starred as himself in episode entitled "Mayonnaise"

Elmopalooza!: 1997 (CTW)
   guest starred as himself
*available on home video

Since You've Been Gone: 1998 (ABC made for TV movie)
   *available on home video

[Originally written and complied by Allison. Continuously updated starting Dec. 1, 2001 by Annie-Wan.]

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