AllMovie

Known to thousands as the congenial host who introduces old movies from the cozy confines of a stately looking reading room, TV personality and film historian Robert Osborne began working as a host for Turner Classic Movies at the network's inception in 1994. Born in Washington in 1934, Osborne originally worked as a contract actor for Desilu studios, with minor parts on shows like The Beverly Hillbillies. The young actor also had a strong interest in writing about the industry, having studied journalism in college, and after several years working on set, eventually decided to combine his areas of interest. He became an increasingly active writer, taking on a column for the Hollywood Reporter in 1982, and continued contributing to books, magazines, and newspapers over the coming decades, in addition to his ongoing hosting duties on TCM.