Trivia

Was an actor in army training films.

Bilko's Godson (1959) was his first appearance on TV. During an recent interview he recalled how during a break in the shooting, he approached Phil Silvers and said, "I know there's no way you'd remember, but I saw you in ['the Broadway show] 'Top Banana' and went backstage and you gave me an autographed picture." And without a moment's hesitation Silvers replied "What's the deal, kid, you here to give it back?".

Was a talent coordinator, and later writer, for Jack Paar's TV show. Appeared many times on talk shows as a stand-up comic.

Was a gymnast when he was younger.

Suffered from manic-depressive disorder, since his freshman year at Yale University.

The Dick Cavett Show (1968) aired on five networks for over 35 years: (1) ABC daytime (March 4, 1968-January 24, 1969) (originally titled "This Morning"); (2) ABC prime time (May 26-September 19, 1969); (3) ABC late night (December 29, 1969-January 1, 1975); (4) CBS prime time (August 16-September 6, 1975); (5) PBS (October 10, 1977-October 8, 1982); (6) USA prime time (September 30, 1985-September 23, 1986); (7) ABC late night (September 23-December 30, 1986)' (8) CNBC (April 17, 1989-January 26, 1996).

Jimmy Fallon wrote the foreword to Cavett's book "Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks" which was published in 2014.

Though they graduated one year apart from one another, he and Sandy Dennis attended the same high school in Lincoln, NE, and were in plays together.

Inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 1991.

Insisted that the proper/technical way to pronounce his surname is "CAY-vit"/"cave-it", not "Cav-vet" as it commonly is.

Appeared in the 1964 US Army "Big Picture" film, "Thayer of West Point" as a cadet enumerating the new rules that Superintendent Thayer was implementing, such as no valets or other servants to be employed by cadets.

He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners: Annie Hall (1977) and Forrest Gump (1994).

Early in his career he applied to be a page at NBC's Rockefeller Center studio in New York City but was turned down.

Announced November 9, 2010, on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show with Don Imus, that he had married Martha Rogers "about a week ago in New Orleans".

Grew up in Lincoln, NE.

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 99. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

Is of German, Welsh, English, Scottish, and distant Irish, descent.

Born at 1:24am-CST

Met his first wife, Carrie, when they were both students at Yale.

Before leaving for college, he worked as a caddie at the Lincoln Country Club.

Cavett hosted many pop stars, both in interview and performance, such as David Bowie, Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Several of his Emmy Award nominations and one Emmy Award were for Outstanding Musical or Variety Series, and in 2005 Shout Factory released a selection of performances and interviews on a three-DVD set, The Dick Cavett Show: Rock Icons, showcasing interviews of and performances by rock musicians who appeared on the Dick Cavett show from 1969 to 1974.

Cavett's signature tune has long been a trumpet version of the vocalise "Glitter and Be Gay" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. The tune was first played at the midpoint of his ABC show, and later became the theme of his PBS show. The tune is also played as he walks on stage during guest appearances on other talk shows.

His show often focused on controversial people or subjects, often pairing guests with opposing views on social or political issues, such as Jim Brown and Lester Maddox.

Cavett has been nominated for at least 10 Emmy Awards and has won three.

After doing The Star and the Story, a rejected television pilot with Van Johnson, Cavett hosted a special, Where It's At, for Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear.