Stewart, Jon (1962-…), is a popular American actor, comedian, television personality, and writer. He is known for his sharp, sarcastic sense of humor. Stewart’s work includes contributions to many television programs—in front of and behind the camera—as a host, performer, producer, and writer. Stewart has won dozens of awards, including Emmy and Grammy awards, for his work. In 2022, he won the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz was born on Nov. 28, 1962, in New York City. He grew up in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. Stewart received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William and Mary in 1984. He performed as a stand-up comedian before he began working in television.
Stewart hosted “The Jon Stewart Show,” a television talk show, from 1993 to 1995. From 1996 to 1998, he was a regular performer on “The Larry Sanders Show,” a sitcom (situation comedy) about a fictional talk show. From 1999 to 2015, Stewart hosted “The Daily Show.” This late-night program became known for its mock news reports and its satiric approach to political and world events. Stewart won many Emmy Awards for his work on the show. He also helped create a successful spin-off of “The Daily Show” called “The Colbert Report” (2005-2014). It was hosted by the American comedian Stephen Colbert, who had been a regular on “The Daily Show.” From 2021 to 2023, Stewart hosted “The Problem with Jon Stewart,” a talk show on which he discussed current affairs with guests. Stewart returned as a host of “The Daily Show” in 2024.
In addition, Stewart heads Busboy Productions, a television production company. He also directed and co-wrote the motion picture Rosewater (2014). The movie is based on a true story about an Iranian-Canadian journalist who was detained by Iranian forces under suspicion that he was a spy.
Stewart wrote the bestselling book Naked Pictures of Famous People (1998), a collection of humorous short stories and essays. With other writers from “The Daily Show,” Stewart co-wrote the bestselling books America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction (2004) and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race (2010).
