Alan Kalter
| Alan Kalter | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Alan Kalter March 21, 1943 New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Announcer |
| Years active | 1974–present |
Alan Kalter (born March 21, 1943) is an American television announcer from New York City. He is best known as the announcer for the Late Show with David Letterman, a role he held from September 5, 1995 until Letterman's retirement on May 20, 2015.
Biography
Career
Kalter, nicknamed "Big Red" and "TV's Uncle Jerry", began his stint as the "voice" of the Late Show with David Letterman on September 5, 1995. He announced the guests at the top of each show and the one-liner during the Worldwide Pants title card after the credits and regularly acted in comedic sketches.
Kalter has done hundreds of voiceovers for national radio and television commercials and was also the lead continuity voice for the USA Network throughout much of the 1980s (his voice can still be heard on USA when the disclaimer before infomercials is read). He voiced promos for SportsChannel America in the early 1990s.
Previously, he was the announcer for many New York-based television shows, including To Tell the Truth, The $20,000 Pyramid, The Money Maze, and The $128,000 Question. All of those series (except The Money Maze) were taped at some point in the Ed Sullivan Theater, where the Late Show is now produced. Additionally, episodes of Truth announced by Kalter were taped in NBC Studio 6A, where Letterman later originated Late Night. Kalter also replaced Bill Wendell as announcer on both Truth and the Late Show. Kalter was also the announcer for the 45th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony held in New York in 2003.
Late Show
On the Late Show, Kalter regularly performed in scripted comedy bits in addition to his announcing duties. He was often portrayed alternately as a sexual deviant (often while grinning mischievously) or as a powerless sap who was beaten to within an inch of his life and left rolling on the ground writhing in pain. He was also often compelled to arbitrarily sing, rant in hysteria, or disrobe as he walked offstage. In many of the sketches, Kalter's antics left host David Letterman in a state of amusement, disgust, or total confusion.
Personal life
Kalter is a native New Yorker born in 1943 in Brooklyn and raised in Little Neck and Cedarhurst. He was an English teacher at Baldwin High School on Long Island in the late 1960s and was also the voice of the Michelin Man. He attended Hobart College in Geneva, New York, and began his broadcasting career on local radio stations.
Kalter resides in Stamford, Connecticut. After his longtime marriage to Carol Cepler ended in divorce, he married Peggy Masterson in 2003 (his second marriage). As of 2010, he has five grandchildren.
Kalter was also the guest speaker at the Order of the Arrow Owaneco Lodge's Winter Banquet on January 4, 2015. He became an honorary member of the Order of the Arrow that night.
Filmography
- Ed (2000)
- Get Well Soon (2001) as "Announcer"
- $128,000 Question (1976) TV Series (uncredited) as "Announcer"
- The Money Maze (1974) TV Series as "Announcer"
| Media offices | ||
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| Preceded by Bill Wendell |
The Late Show announcer September 4, 1995 – May 20, 2015 |
Succeeded by Stephen Colbert Host and announcer |