Larry King Dies at 87

Iconic television host Larry King has died at 87 years old. King was known for more than six [...]

Iconic television host Larry King has died at 87 years old. King was known for more than six decades of interviews with celebrities and politicians. His family confirmed King's death using the host's official social media accounts. King became iconic through decades of interviews on CNN's Larry King Live, which made him one of the world's most recognizable media personalities. In more recent years, King has hosted Larry King Now, continuing to have discussions with famous figures from the worlds of entertainment and politics. Some of those figures have taken to social media to share their remembrances of Larry King.

Larry King's Official Twitter Account posted the tragic news, stating that the 87-year-old television host had passed while laying out the long history of this tv giant who became a staple on CNN and beyond thanks to his style of interviewing celebrities:

"For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry's many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster. Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows' titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programs, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience. Whether he was interviewing a U.S. president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage, or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct, and uncomplicated questions. He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief."

King made the jump to the internet with his latest show, Larry King Now, which launched on July 17th, 2012 and was broadcast on outlets such as Hulu. Much like his previous television show on CNN, King interviewed a number of guests in a similar vein with a unique style that only he could provide.

The television host also made several appearances in media, playing himself in movies such as the original Ghostbusters, Exorcist 3, Contact, Bulworth, The Contender, The Stepford Wives, and countless others. He also starred as himself in a number of television series including Arliss, Law & Order, Murphy Brown, Coach, The Larry Sanders Show, and others.

King was born in Brooklyn New York in 1933, under his original name of Lawrence Harvey Zeiger. Over the course of his career, he has conducted over 50,000 interviews and was one of the main hosts to help push for the success of Cable News Network.

Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

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