James Douglas Muir Jay Leno (ˈlɛnoʊ; born April 28, 1950) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, voice actor and television host. Leno was the .\rbr\rbr\rbr\rbr\rbr\rbrThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed .\rbr\rbrLeno made his first appearance on The Tonight Show on March 2, 1977, performing a comedy routine.[9][10] During the 1970s, Leno appeared in minor roles in .