James Lipton, Inside the Actors Studio Host and Creator, Dies at 93

James Lipton, an impressive and friendly host known best for his work on Inside the Actors Studio, has passed away at the age of 93. Lipton spent his years trying to pass knowledge and skills along to students, often bringing perspective from accomplished talent to a live audience which was often shared for millions of viewers. Lipton’s wife, Kedakai, informed TMZ of his passing on Monday. Lipton was born in Detroit, Michigan on September 19, 1926 and was raised by his mother, going on to create the Bravo series Inside the Actors Studio in 1994, often having disarming and genuine conversations with top talent from Hollywood, after having an accomplished acting career of his own.

Inside the Actors Studio pulled in more than 300 guests in its years running, becoming one of cable’s longest-running series. Lipton’s passion for the craft and desire to share knowledge prompted him to do all of his own research for each interview, spawning his own questions and conveying that passion during each conversation. The well-known style became so popular that it spawned parodies, such as Will Ferrell’s imitation seen on Saturday Night Live and Zach Galifianakas’ Between Two Ferns YouTube series which became an entire film on Netflix.

Lipton was married twice throughout his life, first to actress Nina Foch in 1954. Five years in, the two would split, before Lipton met his now widowed wife Kedakai Turner.

Lipton’s run with Inside the Actors Studio concluded in 2018 and it moved from Bravo to Ovation. Prior to the series, Lipton’s career sprawled across radio and television, having worked as an actor, writer, author, producer, and professor. He landed his first role, voicing the radio character of Dan Reid, on WXYZ’s audio show telling a Lone Ranger story, in 1944. He would go on to enlist in the Air Force during World War II and return to creative work by 1951, when he was acting on television. Some of Lipton’s best known roles came in the form of vocing The Director in Bolt and portraying Warden Stefan Gentles in Arrested Development, as well as a role in 1972’s The Doctors.

A creative career would bring Lipton around the world, with stops in Greece, France, and several other countries . before he found work on Broadway. He would ultimately receive three PhD.s, be honored with the French Republic’s Chevalier de l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmys and a Critics’ Choice Award.