Joan Rivers (born Joan Sandra Molinsky on June 8, 1933) is an American comedienne, actress, talk show host, businesswoman, and celebrity. She is known for her brash manner and loud, raspy voice with a heavy metropolitan New York accent. Rivers is the National Chairwoman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is a board member of God's Love We Deliver. Like the ground-breaking Phyllis Diller, Rivers' act relied heavily on poking fun at herself. A typical Rivers joke about her unattractiveness: "I used to stand by the side of the road with a sign: 'Last girl before freeway.'"
Johnny Carson was Joan's first guest on this syndicated daytime talk show in 1969.
Mother of Melissa Rivers.
Graduated from Barnard College.
Educated at Connecticut College for Women.
Educated at Barnard College, New York, New York; studied English and anthropology; B.A. (1954).
Worked in the shoe department of Lord & Taylor.
Collects Faberge eggs.
Said the most difficult celebrity she ever interviewed was Tommy Lee Jones, whom she thought was rude.
Is the national spokesperson for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Hosted daily talk show on WOR-AM radio in New York City from 1997 until 2002, syndicated to about 50 stations.
Measurements: 34B-25-36 (post "lift" surgery), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Infuriated Johnny Carson (I) when she signed on to become the hostess of her own talk show, "The Late Show", without consulting him first.
She won an Daytime Emmy in 1990 for best talk show host and was nominated for a Tony Award for the play "Donna Marr and her escorts" in 1994. She was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording in 1985.
Was one of the final guests to appear on "Wayne Brady Show, The" (2002).
Attended Adelphi Academy before going to college.
Was nominated for Broadway's 1994 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for portraying the title character, Sally Marr, in "Sally Marr...and Her Escorts."
Is a vegetarian.
Started performing as a stand-up comedienne using the stage name Pepper January.
She is a Phi Beta Kappa key holder from Barnard College, where she studied anthropology.
She had her first cosmetic surgery procedure (an eye-lift) in 1965 at age 32.
She had her nose thinned in 1983.
The majority of her plastic surgery was performed by Santa Monica surgeon Steven Hoefflin (who also performed plastic surgery on Michael Jackson (I)'s nose). She also receives Botox and collagen injections every four months from New York City dermatologist Patricia Wexler.
She is an advocate of plastic surgery for older women saying that if a woman can afford it, it is worth it for her self-esteem
Early in her career she performed as half of the comedy team of "Joanie and Bill". "Bill" was former actor William Perry (1936-2006) who was the nephew of actress Toby Wing.
