James Lipton, the host of the Bravo television series "Inside the Actors Studio", died on Monday at his Manhattan residence. Lipton, who was battling cancer, said to have passed away peacefully, his wife Kedakai Mercedes Lipton told TMZ.
"There are so many James Lipton stories but I'm sure he would like to be remembered as someone who loved what he did and had tremendous respect for all the people he worked with," Kedakai said.
Lipton, globally known for his incredible celebrity interviews free from gossip, was suffering from bladder cancer.
James Lipton - A decorated host
James Lipton is a decorated host for his quality interviews with celebs, who opened up on the show "Inside the Actors Studio" to share their secrets with fans and viewers from across the world. The show's success can be determined by its 23 successful seasons after its inception in 1994.
The intimate and in-depth interviews in a one-hour program hosted several known celebs, starting from Paul Newman, Alec Baldwin, Neil Simon, Sally Field, Dennis Hopper and Sidney Lumet to Bradley Cooper and Johnny Depp among others. The show was started as a televised craft seminar for students of the Actors Studio Drama School and went on to become Bravo's flagship program. Bradley Cooper was the first guest to have attended the show as a student.
In the 23rd season, the show moved from Bravo to Ovation, which is when Lipton also left as the show's host.
James Lipton: Family, career, net worth
Lipton was a writer, lyricist, actor and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School. Lipton was first married to Nina Foch between 1954 and 1959 and was then married to Kedakai since 1970. Lipton was also a certified pilot and had logged more than 1,000 hours of flight time.
Lipton is seen less in films than in TV series, but he also served as a producer and writer for many shows and soap operas. Lipton's net worth is estimated at $6 million, but he earned a name in the industry very few live to see.
