It’s highly likely that Regis Philbin has spent more time on camera than you have breathing.
But all things must pass and today marks the 80-year-old TV legend’s final day atop his morning talk show perch on Live.
So what better way to honour an awards-laden career spanning decades than with a few impressions of varying quality?
1. Brian Williams
Buttoned-down NBC news anchor Brian Williams regularly kills on the late night talk show circuit — his appearances on The Daily Show alone make a perfect audition tape to score an invite to the most exclusive of dinner parties. Taking his circus act to Letterman, he details the deep love Regis feels for surprise snacking opportunities.
2. Dana Carvey
Dana Carvey is the man to study if you ever want to do your own impressions because he boils them down to their purest essence. Here, he lets slip the key to a devastating Regis shtick: Close off your nose as if you’re fighting a cold, then be sure to SHOUT the last word of every sentence you SAY. Preferably end that sentence on a monosyllabic note.
3. Geoff The Robot
Craig Ferguson’s show is the most delightful thing on late night. Madcap skits, puppet shows and a freewheeling interview offering a sense of salon that transcends the usual “I just swung by to plug my movie” stain that plagues most of these appearances. Plus, there’s Geoff the robot sidekick who happens to do a pretty good Regis himself. Not that the man himself would agree.
4. PepsiCo’s Jim Flaherty
Ah, the feel-good corporate event, where bosses are often forced to knock themselves down a few pegs by performing skits to delight the masses. Here, the victim is Jim Flaherty at a PepsiCo sales training event.
5. This Guy
Well done, YouTube user Vincentvuoto.
Bonus: Ben Affleck
If you dare give the Red Sox devotee some Yankees garb for his beloved child to wear, expect an evisceration.
