Comedian Joan Rivers rose to fame after her appearance on The Tonight Show. She released a comedy album that earned a Grammy nomination and launched a syndicated daytime talk show. Her breakthrough came in 1965 when she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Instantly becoming a household name, she later gained even more recognition through her first daytime talk show, That Show with Joan Rivers, and her appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show. More details about the Brooklyn-born star can be found on brooklynski.info.
Early Life and Education
Born Joan Alexandra Molinsky on June 8, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, Joan Rivers was the daughter of Russian immigrant parents. She was the younger of two daughters, and her father, a doctor, had a keen sense of humor. The Molinsky family later moved to Larchmont, a suburb of New York City.
Rivers attended Barnard College, where she first attempted stage performances. During her college years, she participated in numerous student productions. However, after graduation, she initially abandoned her dream of becoming a performer in favor of a more practical career. She worked as a saleswoman for a department store and even had a brief romance with the son of the store’s owner. However, the marriage lasted only six months before they divorced.
At that point, Rivers returned to her passion—performing on stage. Determined to succeed at any cost, she took roles in small theatrical productions, including one where she played a lesbian alongside a then-unknown Barbra Streisand. Realizing that acting wasn’t her strongest suit, she transitioned to stand-up comedy and spent the next seven years performing in New York’s comedy clubs.
The Tonight Show Breakthrough
During those years, she honed her craft in Greenwich Village coffeehouses, gaining valuable experience. In 1965, she finally got her big break when she appeared on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. The performance made her an overnight success and launched her into stardom.
By the late 1960s, Joan Rivers had her own television program, That Show with Joan Rivers, which featured guests such as Florence Henderson, Soupy Sales, and Jerry Lewis. At the same time, she continued appearing on Carson’s show and The Ed Sullivan Show. Before long, she had cemented her status as a leading comedian.
Around this time, Rivers ventured into film, landing a small role in the 1968 movie The Swimmer starring Burt Lancaster. Behind the camera, she co-wrote the script for the 1973 TV movie The Girl Most Likely To… and later directed her first feature film, Rabbit Test, starring Billy Crystal.
By 1983, Rivers was headlining in Las Vegas, had released a Grammy-nominated comedy album, and had written two bestselling books. That same year, she became a permanent guest host on Carson’s show. However, her relationship with Carson soured a few years later when FOX offered her a competing late-night talk show. She accepted the offer, and The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers premiered in October 1986. Unexpectedly, it was canceled the following year. According to Rivers, Carson was so furious that she had left The Tonight Show without consulting him that he never spoke to her again. She later clarified that she left due to conflicts with NBC rather than with Carson himself. She often referred to him as a mentor and the person who had given her a career.
Personal and Professional Challenges
After the cancellation of her talk show, Rivers faced some of the darkest moments of her life. The entertainment industry turned its back on her. To make matters worse, she lost her husband and producer, Edgar Rosenberg, when he died by suicide in 1987.
However, Rivers was resilient. She returned to New York and rebuilt her career from scratch. In 1989, she launched her own syndicated daytime talk show. It earned her a Daytime Emmy Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1994, she co-wrote and starred in Sally Marr… and Her Escorts, a film that earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress.
Rivers also became a prominent entertainment commentator, hosting Live from the Red Carpet from 1996 to 2004. No celebrity was safe from her sharp wit during her time on the show.
In August 2014, Rivers underwent vocal cord surgery at a New York medical clinic. Complications arose from the procedure, and on September 4, 2014, she passed away at the age of 81, surrounded by family and close friends, as announced by her daughter, Melissa Rivers.
Her funeral took place on September 7, 2014. The star-studded memorial service was attended by Barbara Walters, Michael Kors, Donald Trump, Howard Stern, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kathie Lee Gifford.