“Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century.”
-Joan Rivers
Some know her from the hit TV show Fashion Police. Others may remember her from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. After 55 years of comedy, Joan Rivers passed away on September 4, 2014. Her wit and blatant honesty made Rivers a force to reckon with in Hollywood. Even when she had rude yet hysterical words to say about a celebrity’s dress on the red carpet, it was hard not to love Joan Rivers.
Rivers was born Joan Alexandra Molinsky in Brooklyn, New York in 1933. At an early age Rivers realized she had a knack for comedy after entertaining her father’s colleagues. During the late 1950s her agent advised her to change her name to Joan Rivers.
“I now consider it a good day when I don’t step on my boobs.”
-Joan Rivers
It wasn’t until 1965 when Rivers got her big break by making her first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
She made her rounds as a guest on The Ed Sullivan Show before landing her first daytime talk show, That Show with Joan Rivers. In 1968 she gave birth to her daughter Melissa Rivers.
“I succeeded by saying what everyone else is thinking.”
-Joan Rivers
By 1983 Rivers was a permanent guest host on The Tonight Show. She became a trailblazer for all women. That same year Rivers was the first female comedian to perform at Carnegie Hall. She kicked off The Late Show, making her the first women to host a late night network television talk show. After being fired from The Late Show in 1987, Rivers created her own daytime talk show, The Joan Rivers Show. This led to her winning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host.
In 1994 Joan and her daughter Melissa hosted the E! pre-show awards for the Golden Globes. That was the night the infamous “Who are you wearing?” line was born. The pre-show was a hit. A year later the duo co-hosted E!’s red carpet for the Academy Awards season.
“You know you’re getting old when you buy a sexy sheer nightgown and don’t know anyone who can see through it.”
-Joan Rivers
In 2003 Rivers left E! for TV Guide to cover award shows and red carpets. Rivers returned to E! to host Fashion Police in 2010 with Giuliana Rancic, Kelly Osbourne and George Kotsiopoulos. She was always on the move. In 2010 Rivers released her New York Times bestselling book I Hate Everyone…Starting With Me. Last year she launched a YouTube show called In Bed With Joan, during which she talked with different celebrities each week on different topics.
Joan Rivers will forever be remembered. No one can tell it the way she did: the ugly truth masked by elegant style.