Joel Godard
Encyclopedia
Joel Clinton Godard, Jr. (born March 31, 1938 in Milledgeville, Georgia
) is an American
television presenter, best known as the announcer
for Late Night with Conan O'Brien
during its entire 16-year run from 1993 to 2009.
, and earned his A.B.
in 1960 with a double major in chemistry
and pre-med. He was accepted into the school's medical program, but instead chose to try a career in the entertainment industry. Around 1968, Godard worked three jobs at the same time while living in Macon, Georgia
: analyzing electroplating solutions at Maxson Electronics; acting as a news anchor and "stand-up weatherman" for WMAZ-TV
; and as a licensed pilot for Lowe Aviation. He served as a production assistant at WMAZ radio in 1970.
and the TBS
soap opera
The Caitlins. In the 1980s and 1990s, Godard made voiceover appearances on Saturday Night Live
, NBC Nightly News
, and Issues and Answers
. Around 1986, he became an NBC
staff announcer. Godard has been the voice of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
since 2000.
He is currently starring in a series of online comedy shorts by Turtle with Lemonade Productions, entitled "Little Known Moments in American History."
, substance abuse
, and "young Asian
men (preferably wearing Speedo
s)". He would also often refer to the "small, windowless booth" from which he announced. Through the years, Late Nights writers gave Godard a number of bizarre backstories; for example, one typical skit involved the announcer referring to having had multiple "loveless" marriage
s and "a botched mid-life circumcision
," as well as his "ultimate sexual fantasty": a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln
wearing BDSM
leathers and a ball gag. Godard would almost always deliver all of his lines — no matter how bizarre or disturbing the content — in a cheerful announcer's voice along with a wide smile plastered on his face.
When Conan O'Brien left Late Night to take over The Tonight Show
, Godard did not follow him to Los Angeles. Godard wrote on his Facebook
fan page that "Reports of my retirement were exaggerated. Conan just didn't take me to California with him. I remain in New York City with no LA lease to be stuck with!!!" Instead, former Late Night sidekick Andy Richter
was hired as announcer on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
, and Saturday Night Live producer Steve Higgins
became the announcer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
.
and composer Paul Dresser. Godard is a member of Mensa International
.
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television presenter, best known as the announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
for Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
during its entire 16-year run from 1993 to 2009.
Early life
Godard attended Emory UniversityEmory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
, and earned his A.B.
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1960 with a double major in chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and pre-med. He was accepted into the school's medical program, but instead chose to try a career in the entertainment industry. Around 1968, Godard worked three jobs at the same time while living in Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
: analyzing electroplating solutions at Maxson Electronics; acting as a news anchor and "stand-up weatherman" for WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV
WMAZ-TV, channel 13, is the CBS affiliate television station in Macon, Georgia, United States. It is owned by Gannett.-History:The station signed on for the first time on September 27, 1953, owned by Southeastern Broadcasting Company along with WMAZ radio...
; and as a licensed pilot for Lowe Aviation. He served as a production assistant at WMAZ radio in 1970.
Career
During the early 1980s, Godard had roles in the made-for-TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim JonesGuyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones
Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, also called The Mad Messiah, is a 1980 television miniseries about the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones, and their 1978 mass suicide at Jonestown. Based on the book by Charles A...
and the TBS
TBS (TV channel)
TBS , stylized in the logo as tbs, is an American cable television channel owned by Time Warner that shows a variety of programming, with a focus on comedy. TBS was originally known as WTCG, a UHF terrestrial television station that broadcast from Atlanta, Georgia, during the late 1970s...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
The Caitlins. In the 1980s and 1990s, Godard made voiceover appearances on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News
NBC Nightly News is the flagship daily evening television news program for NBC News and broadcasts. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is located in the center...
, and Issues and Answers
Issues and Answers
Issues and Answers was a once-weekly TV news program that was telecast by the American Broadcasting Company network from 1960 to 1981. It was distributed to the ABC affiliate stations early on Sunday afternoons for either live broadcast or video taped for later broadcast.Issues and Answers was...
. Around 1986, he became an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
staff announcer. Godard has been the voice of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
since 2000.
He is currently starring in a series of online comedy shorts by Turtle with Lemonade Productions, entitled "Little Known Moments in American History."
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Godard joined Late Night with Conan O'Brien when it was launched in 1993. He frequently appeared in sketches, often pretending to be a suicidal homosexual filled with self loathing, and with a penchant for bizarre sex actsBDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
, substance abuse
Substance abuse
A substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
, and "young Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
men (preferably wearing Speedo
Speedo
Speedo International Ltd. is a manufacturer and distributor of swimwear and swim-related accessories. Founded in Australia in 1914, the industry leading company is now a subsidiary of Pentland Group Plc. Today, the Speedo brand can be found on products ranging from swimsuits and goggles to wrist...
s)". He would also often refer to the "small, windowless booth" from which he announced. Through the years, Late Nights writers gave Godard a number of bizarre backstories; for example, one typical skit involved the announcer referring to having had multiple "loveless" marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
s and "a botched mid-life circumcision
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
," as well as his "ultimate sexual fantasty": a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
wearing BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
leathers and a ball gag. Godard would almost always deliver all of his lines — no matter how bizarre or disturbing the content — in a cheerful announcer's voice along with a wide smile plastered on his face.
When Conan O'Brien left Late Night to take over The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, Godard did not follow him to Los Angeles. Godard wrote on his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fan page that "Reports of my retirement were exaggerated. Conan just didn't take me to California with him. I remain in New York City with no LA lease to be stuck with!!!" Instead, former Late Night sidekick Andy Richter
Andy Richter
Paul Andrew "Andy" Richter is an American actor, writer, comedian, and late night talk show announcer. He is best known for his role as the sidekick of Conan O'Brien on each of the host's programs: Late Night and The Tonight Show on NBC, and Conan on TBS...
was hired as announcer on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
, and Saturday Night Live producer Steve Higgins
Steve Higgins
Steve Higgins is the announcer for NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. He was previously a cast member, writer, and producer for the show The Higgins Boys and Gruber, and he has a long-time association with Saturday Night Live in mostly behind-the-scenes roles as writer and producer. Higgins was...
became the announcer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon on NBC. The show premiered on March 2, 2009, as the third incarnation of the Late Night franchise originated by David Letterman....
.
Personal life
Godard has been married to actress/singer Tedi Dreiser Godard since 1983 and has one child from a previous marriage. Tedi is the grandniece of novelist Theodore DreiserTheodore Dreiser
Theodore Herman Albert Dreiser was an American novelist and journalist of the naturalist school. His novels often featured main characters who succeeded at their objectives despite a lack of a firm moral code, and literary situations that more closely resemble studies of nature than tales of...
and composer Paul Dresser. Godard is a member of Mensa International
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
.
External links
- Official website of Joel Godard
- Joel Godard's official page at VimeoVimeoVimeo is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos. It was founded by Zach Klein and Jake Lodwick in November 2004...
- Recent Joel Godard Interview