Barbara Walters died

When Barbara Walters was starting her career as a network TV writer in 1961, she received advice from a prominent producer who went on to create “60 Minutes ...

At NBC and later ABC News, she was tireless in her pursuit of “gets” — interviews with the hard-to-corner. 30 at her home in New York, according to ABC, spent the following decades overcoming her mangled r’s and became one of television’s premier interrogators of the newsworthy. When Barbara Walters was starting her career as a network TV writer in 1961, she received advice from a prominent producer who went on to create “60 Minutes.” Learn production, Don Hewitt said, but don’t try for the camera.

Barbara Walters, the pioneering TV journalist whose interviewing skills made her one of the most prominent figures in broadcasting, has died, ...

If it’s a woman it’s too pushy, if it’s a man it’s aggressive in the best sense of the word,” she once observed. Two years later she became, for a time, the best-known person in television when she left “Today” to join ABC as the first woman to co-anchor a network evening newscast, signing for a then-startling $1 million a year. Her shows, some of which she produced, were some of the highest-rated of their type and spawned a number of imitators. Walters began her national broadcast career in 1961 as a reporter, writer and panel member for NBC’s “Today” show before being promoted to co-hdst in 1974. Walters, though, was no slacker in terms of landing major interviews, including presidents, world leaders and almost every imaginable celebrity, with a well-earned reputation for bringing her subjects to tears. She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists but for all women,” Walters’ spokesperson Cindi Berger told CNN in a statement.

Walters, the trailblazing television news broadcaster and longtime ABC News anchor, has died at 93. Barbara ...

With "The View," she created a forum for women of different backgrounds and views to come together and discuss the latest hot topics in the news, a format that has since been widely imitated by other networks. In 2000, Oprah Winfrey echoed Jennings' speech when she presented Walters a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In 1994, she launched the "Most Fascinating People" special, which aired every December and afforded her the opportunity to chat with the year's top newsmakers. Toward the end of the interview, Walters asked Lewinsky, "What will you tell your children when you have them?" In her memoir, Walters wrote that she had dark hair, a sallow complexion and was often told she was skinny. "I told him that what we most profoundly disagreed on was the meaning of freedom." For years, she hosted an annual Oscars special, in which she interviewed Academy Award nominees and was known for making a number of them reveal deeply personal information and even cry. "No one was more surprised than I," she said of her on-air career. She would become the program's first female co-host in 1974, and won her first Emmy award the following year for Outstanding Talk Show Host. She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state to the biggest celebrities and sports icons. "Much of the need I had to prove myself, to achieve, to provide, to protect, can be traced to my feelings about Jackie. She will be missed by all of us at The Walt Disney Company, and we send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline,” Iger said in a statement Friday.

Barbara Walters, a legendary journalist who interviewed world leaders and created "The View," has died at 93.

A video kicked off with old footage of Walters on the news show saying "This is 20/20," acknowledging that "no one says it like Barbara" before cutting to ABC stars' take on the catchphrase. [she told USA TODAY](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/05/05/barbara-walters/8710329/) the decision was not forced upon her. On New Year's 2020, Walters once again became top of mind, thanks to her legendary introductory line: "This is 20/20." Walters’ memoir revealed that in the 1970s she had a “rocky” affair with Massachusetts Sen. Later, Cheri Oteri impersonated the journalist in sketches about "The View" and "20/20." Walters was mercilessly haunted by her question to actress Katherine Hepburn in 1981, what kind of tree she wanted to be. “I could not imagine a less well-suited pair,” Walters said of Warner and Taylor. But she “survived,” as she put it, and enjoyed a long career at ABC interviewing celebrities and politicians, including Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin (together, for the first time, in 1977). Her "Barbara Walters Specials" for years were among the top-rated broadcasts, and included a Who’s Who of entertainers such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. She made her on-air debut in 1956, when as a writer for CBS’ "The Morning Show," she and four other young women modeled modest one-piece bathing suits. "She broke barriers behind the scenes and she broke news on-camera. "She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women."

First female network news anchor in US achieved a celebrity status on par with the rulers, royalty and entertainers she interviewed.

“I always thought I’d be a writer for television. The circumstances of her death were not given. “I never expected this!” Walters said in 2004, taking measure of her success.

Barbara Walters, whose intimate interviews with celebrities and world figures blended show business and journalism and induced many a tear, has died.

Edward Brooke — the first African American popularly elected to the Senate — for several years in the 1970s, and she also dated former Sen. “The only way I could do an interview of great substance was if I got it myself. “If there was an interview from Washington, I could not ask a question until he had asked three,” she recalled. I guess everyone would like to be an oak tree.” Walters was ridiculed for the question — the only time she asked such a thing — and later admitted it was one of her biggest interviewing mistakes. in English and realized she had to help support the family. Walters did the final interviews with [Bing Crosby](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/bing-crosby/) and Wayne (the Duke entered the hospital the next day and died soon afterward). (Her sister, Jackie, was mentally disabled and died in 1985.) She often encountered celebrities as a kid. [Grace Kelly](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/grace-kelly/), Winfrey, [Richard Pryor](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/richard-pryor-0/), Patrick Swayze and [Ellen DeGeneres](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/ellen-degeneres/) — would well up. “I told her that the most important thing is not the money, it’s trying to get your name back,” she recalled. I was raised in television, and I was a woman. For the second half, she chatted with Barbra Streisand and her boyfriend at the time, producer Jon Peters. “I thought it was better to go when people are saying, ‘Why is she leaving?’ than, ‘Thank goodness she’s leaving!’” she said.

Barbara Walters, one of the most visible women on U.S. television as the first female anchor on an American network evening news broadcast and one of TV's ...

In 1997, Walters launched "The View" on ABC, a popular roundtable discussion show for women that was sometimes riven by disputes with her co-hosts Star Jones and Rosie O'Donnell. Being interviewed by Walters on "20/20" or on her numerous specials became a distinction - and guaranteed exposure - for her subjects. After 13 years on "Today," Walters was given an unprecedented $1 million annual salary to move to rival network ABC in 1976 and make history as the first woman co-anchor on a U.S. She also had high-profile boyfriends such as Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve, and John Warner, who would later become a senator from Virginia. Walters became so prominent that her star quality sometimes overshadowed the people she was questioning. "These two men were really quite brutal to me and it was not pleasant," Walters told the San Francisco Examiner. After graduating from Sarah Lawrence College, she worked in public relations before joining NBC's "Today" show as a writer and segment producer in 1961. Her unwilling partner, Harry Reasoner, made his disdain for Walters obvious even when they were on the air. Walters said the spoof bothered her, until her daughter told her to lighten up. Celebrity interviews also were an important part of Walters' repertoire, and for 29 years she hosted a pre-Oscars interview program featuring Academy Award nominees. In a broadcast career spanning five decades, Walters interviewed an array of world leaders, including Cuba's Fidel Castro, Britain's Margaret Thatcher, Libyan ruler Moammar Gadhafi, Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein, Russian presidents Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, and every U.S. WASHINGTON, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Barbara Walters, one of the most visible women on U.S.

Along with her career in news, Walters helped ABC launch "The View" in 1997.

Barbara Walters, the groundbreaking television news broadcaster who became a legendary force in media, has died at the age of 93.

“A lot of people say that destroyed his career, and when I think back on it now I feel it was an inappropriate question.” She sat-down with the “terribly shy” and “modest” Fred Astaire, the controversial boxer Mike Tyson, Lucille Ball, Truman Capote, Diana Ross, Audrey Hepburn, Tom Cruise, Eddie Murphy, George Clooney, and many others. Her first Barbara Walters Special was televised in 1976. Walters’ interviews with world leaders reflected the latter part of the 20th century’s political and social climate and included former Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi; Jean-Claude Duvalier of Haiti; Russia’s Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin; the UK’s Margaret Thatcher; and Fidel Castro in Cuba, with whom she cruised on a patrol boat across the Bay of Pigs. Then in 1955, Walters was brought onto CBS’ The Morning Show as a writer. Walter would become an official co-host on the morning show in 1974 after the death of Frank McGee. “Because my father was in show business and because there were these ups and downs, I always felt that I had to work to take care of myself,” Barbara said in a While many a male colleague grumbled about Walters’ meteoric rise in journalism, her tenacious drive continued to pay off. 25, 1929, to Dena, a homemaker, and Louis “Lou” Walters, who was a prominent nightclub owner in New York and Broadway producer. In 1953, she got her start as a producer, creating a 15-minute children’s program called Ask the Camera. Walters remained an executive producer on The View and continued to conduct interviews and special features for ABC News. “She was a trailblazer not only for female journalists, but for all women.”

During nearly four decades at ABC, and before that at NBC, Walters' exclusive interviews with rulers, royalty and entertainers brought her celebrity status that ...

A perennial favorite was her review of the year’s “10 Most Fascinating People.” But she faced a setback in 1971 with the arrival of a new host, Frank McGee, who insisted she wait for him to ask three questions before she could open her mouth during interviews with “powerful persons.” As she appeared more frequently, she was spared the title of “’Today’ Girl” that had been attached to her predecessors. By 1976, she had been granted the title of “Today” co-host and was earning $700,000 a year. “I hope that I will be remembered as a good and courageous journalist. Walters’ self-disclosure reached another benchmark in May 2010 when she made an announcement on “The View” that, days later, she would undergo heart surgery. But salvation arrived in the form of a new boss: ABC News president Roone Arledge moved her out of the co-anchor slot and into special projects. Her 1963 marriage to theater owner Lee Guber, with whom she adopted a daughter, ended in divorce after 13 years. Walters graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1943 and eventually landed a “temporary,” behind-the-scenes assignment at “Today” in 1961. [gave infotainment a new twist with “The View,”](https://apnews.com/article/michael-douglas-talk-shows-oprah-winfrey-archive-barbara-walters-b2c021c7161c4e659687f323fefd7f38) a live ABC weekday kaffee klatsch with an all-female panel for whom any topic was on the table and who welcomed guests ranging from world leaders to teen idols. During a commercial break, a throng of TV newswomen she had paved the way for — including Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Robin Roberts and Connie Chung — posed for a group portrait. “She lived her life with no regrets.

Journalist who made US television history as the first female co-anchor of a network evening news show.

She was creator of The View, which began in 1997, a popular chat-show covering politics and other issues. “From that time on I was more or less accepted as a member of the old boys’ club,” she wrote in her autobiography, Audition, published in 2009. The third, to a television executive, Merv Adelson, in 1981, ended in divorce in 1984. Later that year, she did the first joint interview with the leaders of Egypt and Israel, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, a hugely symbolic moment in the Middle East. The casual sexism of the time was reflected in the headline: “Nylons in the Newsroom”. She got her start in television as a publicity assistant at an NBC affiliate in New York city, and made her first appearance on screen when she was producing a children’s programme, Ask the Camera. But viewers liked her and television executives, in turn, liked the ratings. Back in the US she became a writer in 1961 for NBC Today and three years later became a regular on screen as a reporter. Through a combination of talent and drive, Walters went on to make television history in 1974 as the first female co-host of NBC’s Today morning news show. It was one of the most watched news interviews in US television history. With that background, she chose theatre as her major at the Sarah Lawrence college in New York state. Her success opened the way for the generations of female television journalists who followed.

Walters became the first woman to anchor a U.S. evening news program, in 1976. She later co-hosted “20/20” on ABC, and in 1997 launched “The View.

"She was a one-of-a-kind reporter who landed many of the most important interviews of our time, from heads of state and leaders of regimes to the biggest celebrities and sports icons." [Walt Disney](/quotes/DIS/), [issued a statement calling Walters "a dear friend." Walters became the first woman to anchor a U.S.

Oprah Winfrey, Robin Roberts, Meghan McCain, Maria Shriver and Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger were among many to honor the life, work and legacy of ...

[Drew Barrymore](https://people.com/tag/drew-barrymore/), who has followed in Walters' footsteps with The Drew Barrymore Show, called her "A true pioneer who was never one to shy away from questions and go after the truth she was seeking. [Tamron Hall](https://people.com/tag/tamron-hall/) called her fellow former [Today](https://people.com/tag/today/) show anchor ["The Legend. ](https://twitter.com/tamronhall/status/1609023300923006976) [Maria Shriver](https://people.com/politics/maria-shriver-getting-family-together-holidays-thanksgiving/) got personal: "[Barbara] was [a mentor to me as well as a friend](https://twitter.com/mariashriver/status/1609026944682819585). [She held them accountable.](https://twitter.com/kaj33/status/1609023916605050886) She cared about the truth and she made us care too." "For decades, she never shied away from asking the tough questions to people in power, and she never tired in her relentless pursuit of truth." 🙏 #thebeststoriesareinheaven" [Michelle Collins](https://people.com/tv/michelle-collins-search-history-phones/) shared a special View tradition: "One of the first rites of passage of becoming a host on [@TheView](https://twitter.com/TheView) was to have lunch with Barbara Walters. [Lynda Carter](https://people.com/tag/lynda-carter/) shared a vintage video clip of herself being interviewed by Walters and the women of The View with the caption: "Barbara Walters was an American institution. She was just as comfortable interviewing world leaders as she was Oscar winners and her body of work is unparalleled." [Dan Rather](https://people.com/tag/dan-rather/) tweeted, "The world of journalism has lost [a pillar of professionalism, courage, and integrity](https://twitter.com/DanRather/status/1609032885872513024). [Elisabeth Hasselbeck](https://people.com/tag/elisabeth-hasselbeck/) shared an Instagram Reel with a caption that read, in part, " [I love ❤️ you Barbara.](https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cm0Xf8qJNJB/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D) GOD is in this story. The media mogul wrote on Instagram that she was "grateful" Walters had been "such a [powerful and gracious role model](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm0SPquuJ7-/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)." [Star Jones](https://people.com/tag/star-jones/), one of The View's first-ever co-hosts, tweeted: "I owe Barbara Walters more than I could ever repay.

Celebrities took to social media Friday to mourn TV trailblazer Barbara Walters, who died at 93, ABC News announced.

[wrote Monica Lewinsky](https://twitter.com/MonicaLewinsky/status/1609037663620968449), who Walters interviewed in 1999. "What a legend and a trailblazer! "I had the pleasure of co-hosting #TheView with her several times and each time she was gracious and welcoming. May she rest in power." "As the first female national news anchor, she opened the door to endless possibilities for so many girls who wanted to work in TV, myself included. "The world of journalism has lost a pillar of professionalism, courage, and integrity. Condolences to her loved ones & the entire @TheView family." Her "Barbara Walters Specials" for years were among the top-rated broadcasts, and included a Who’s Who of entertainers such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. I had the pleasure of calling Barbara a colleague for more than three decades but more importantly I was able to call her a dear friend," She later enjoyed a long career at ABC interviewing celebrities and politicians, including Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin (together, for the first time, in 1977). "Her hard hitting questions & welcoming demeanor made her a household name and leader in American journalism. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to her daughter, Jacqueline, and to those who loved her,"

Walters, a pioneer as TV news' first woman superstar, has died. She was 93.

A perennial favorite was her review of the year’s “10 Most Fascinating People.” But she faced a setback in 1971 with the arrival of a new host, Frank McGee, who insisted she wait for him to ask three questions before she could open her mouth during interviews with “powerful persons.” As she appeared more frequently, she was spared the title of “‘Today’ Girl” that had been attached to her predecessors. By 1976, she had been granted the title of “Today” co-host and was earning $700,000 a year. “I hope that I will be remembered as a good and courageous journalist. Walters’ self-disclosure reached another benchmark in May 2010 when she made an announcement on “The View” that, days later, she would undergo heart surgery. But salvation arrived in the form of a new boss: ABC News president Roone Arledge moved her out of the co-anchor slot and into special projects. Her 1963 marriage to theater owner Lee Guber, with whom she adopted a daughter, ended in divorce after 13 years. In May 2014, she taped her final episode of “The View” amid much ceremony to end a five-decade career in television (although she continued to make occasional TV appearances ). Late in her career, she gave infotainment a new twist with “The View,” a live ABC weekday kaffee klatsch with an all-female panel for whom any topic was on the table and who welcomed guests ranging from world leaders to teen idols. Walters graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1943 and eventually landed a “temporary,” behind-the-scenes assignment at “Today” in 1961. “She lived her life with no regrets.