Beloved late night icon Johnny Carson is getting another chance at the biopic treatment. Deadline reports that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star as Carson in an upcoming high-profile series written by David Milch and directed by Jay Roach. Titled King of Late Night, no studio is currently attached for distribution.
King of Late Night will detail Carson’s life and career as host of The Tonight Show, his ability to connect with audiences and guests, and how his public persona often clashed with his more personal private life. Raised in Nebraska, Carson briefly served in the United States Navy towards the end of WWII. Following his discharge, he earned a degree in Radio and Speech, and pursued a career as a radio host, working his way up the ranks and eventually moving to Los Angeles. Carson landed several hosting gigs ranging from game shows like Earn your Vacation and Who Do You Trust? to his own short-lived variety show, before being approached by NBC to take the late-night gig. Carson hosted The Tonight Show for thirty years.
Gordon-Levitt is no stranger to portraying historical figures new and old. His extensive biographical credits include The Trial of the Chicago 7, Snowden, The Walk, and Lincoln. Gordon-Levitt currently stars as Uber co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick in Super Pumped. He has been the recipient of numerous awards and nomination over the years, earning two Primetime Emmys, a Satellite Award, and a Critics Choice Award.
This isn’t the first attempt at capturing the life of the enigmatic on-screen host. Two separate projects based on the Bill Zehme book Carson the Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait were planned but never came to fruition. HBO’s 1996 television film The Late Shift saw Rich Little portray Carson, but the project focused on the conflict between Carson’s successor Jay Leno and competing host David Letterman. A comedy series, titled There’s…Johnny! premiered on Hulu in 2017 and followed fictional staff members working behind-the-scenes at The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson during the 1970s. The show however, never featured Carson as an onscreen character. Milch was tapped to develop King of Late Night back in 2017, with Roach and Gordon-Levitt signing on shortly after. The trio also serve as executive producers alongside Paul Lee, David Flynn, Paul Green, and Salmira Productions.
King of Late Night is the latest project for Milch who has recently worked on HBO’s True Detective. Milch has earned four Emmy Awards during his career for his work on Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue. Roach has also earned four Emmys as director and executive producer on Recount and Game Change, both being projects for HBO.
With plenty of star power behind and in front of the camera already, King of Late Night is shaping up to be a project finally worth portraying Carson’s iconic on-camera wit. As the production hits the market, only time will tell if this is Carson’s time to shine once more.