Who Is Jon Stewart?

By 1989, comedian Jon Stewart was hosting the Comedy Central series Short Attention Span Theater. In 1993, he launched MTV's first talk show, The Jon Stewart Show. Throughout the 1990s, Stewart appeared on several television programs. In 1999, he became anchorman of The Daily Show (later renamed The Daily Show with Jon Stewart), announcing his departure in 2015 after a highly esteemed run. He is also a film and TV actor, appearing in the comic films Half Baked (1998) and Big Daddy (1999), among a variety of other productions.

Early Years

Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz on November 28, 1962, in New York City. (He later legally changed his last name to Stewart.) His family later relocated to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where Stewart spent most of his youth.

In 1984, Stewart graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he studied psychology and played on the men's soccer team.

TV Host: 'Short Attention Span Theater' and 'The John Stewart Show'

After bouncing among a number of jobs, Stewart moved to New York City in 1986 to break into the comedy club circuit. Three years later, he was hosting Comedy Central's Short Attention Span Theater. In 1993, he launched MTV's first talk show, The Jon Stewart Show.