Brian Williams
photo credit: Getty Images
photo credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Watch or buy on:

Genres

Subgenres

Submit Corrections
Brian Williams

Brian Williams

Active - 2005 - 2019  |   Born - May 5, 1959 in Elmira, New York, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Historical Film, Drama

Share on

Biography by AllMovie

One of the most respected of all contemporary broadcast news pundits, Brian Williams, born May 5th, 1959, launched his career as a White House employee during the Carter administration (working his way up from intern to full-time employee), then worked as assistant administrator on the political action committee of the National Association of Broadcasters. He subsequently obtained a post working for CBS as a correspondent and anchor for several years, but made his most enduring mark when appointed to chief anchor of NBC Nightly News -- a spot that saw him covering hundreds of pivotal events including the deaths of Princess Diana and John F. Kennedy Jr., the 9/11 attacks, and Hurricane Katrina. Williams also contributed articles to periodicals including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Time Magazine, and became one of the most frequent recurring guests on talk programs including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Late Show with David Letterman. In fall 2007, Williams guest-hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Movie Highlights

Sometimes in April
Live From New York!
We Are Columbine
See Full Filmography

Factsheet

  • Wrote press releases while a student at Catholic University.
  • Has worked as a volunteer firefighter.
  • Was an intern at the White House under President Jimmy Carter.
  • After dropping out of college, he got a low-paying reporting job in Kansas.
  • In 1993, he moved from CBS to NBC, where he hosted the News with Brian Williams on MSNBC and then CNBC, became a White House correspondent, and filled in occasionally for Tom Brokaw.
  • Named Father of the Year by the National Father's Day Committee in 1996.
  • Was named Man of the Year by GQ in 2001.
  • Began writing a blog for msnbc.com in 2005.
  • In 2005, he released a personal documentary called In His Own Words: Brian Williams on Hurricane Katrina.
  • Earned an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree from The Ohio State University in 2008.
  • Received the 2009 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University.
  • In 2009, he started a web series called BriTunes where he interviewed and showcased musicians.
  • Has written for The New York Times, Time magazine, Newsweek and The Los Angeles Times.