Personal details
- Birth Date: 1962-08-24
- Height: 6′ 5″ (1.96 m)
- Birth Location: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- Parents: Hiram Kilborn
- Professions: Writer, Producer, Actor
Craig Kilborn’s TV career seriously reads like a sports highlight reel, except with more dry wit and much better hair. Dude started out in some tiny Monterey, CA station, then somehow leveled up to ESPN’s SportsCenter, tossing out zingers on “The Feel Good Edition” and making catchphrases like “Oh Precious” and “Spank Me” weirdly iconic. He bounced over to Comedy Central as the OG host of The Daily Show (yeah, way before Jon Stewart took the wheel). That “5 Questions” bit? All Kilborn. Same with “Dance, Dance, Dance.” CableAce nomination? Check. TV Guide gave The Daily Show “Best Late Night Comedy” while he was steering that ship. Then CBS hands him The Late, Late Show. He gets no band, a slim writing crew, but somehow beats both Kimmel and Conan in the ratings—at least where Letterman outgunned Leno. His segments? Straight-up bonkers: “Yambo,” “Sebastian: The Asexual Icon,” “Talking To The Moon,” and yeah, he kept the “5 Questions” rolling. On the acting side, you might remember him as the smarmy boyfriend in Old School (“Good talk, see you out there,” is still gold), and he’s popped up in a few flicks since. Now? He’s got a podcast, The Life Gorgeous, because apparently Instagram wasn’t enough for his “magical life.” Born in Kansas City, bounced through Jersey, then Minnesota from kindergarten on. Obsessed with the Timberwolves and Vikings—Minnesota sports pain is real, folks. Nicknames? Kilby, or if he’s feeling fancy, Lord Kilby.
Casey McCall in Sports Night (1998) wasn’t just some random creation—he’s actually got roots in real life. The dude was inspired by a prominent sports broadcaster, which, if you ask me, totally explains his quick wit and that slightly neurotic charm. You watch the show and it’s obvious Casey’s juggling a million things—live TV, office politics, personal drama, the whole circus. There’s this underlying intensity to him, like he’s always five seconds away from either nailing a punchline or snapping at a producer. It’s not some cookie-cutter protagonist; you can feel the layers. His banter with Dan Rydell? Classic, and honestly, it’s the heartbeat of the whole series. That real-world influence sneaks in, making Casey’s reactions and quirks way more believable than your average sitcom lead. Sports Night nails that inside-baseball newsroom vibe, and having Casey modeled after a real guy is a big part of why the show still feels fresh—dude’s basically a love letter to sports TV legends.
So, here’s the thing: the ink in my issue is gonna glow in the dark. Like, legit, you flick the lights off and—bam—the words just pop. Kinda wild, right? It’s not just a gimmick, though. Imagine every boy band sneaking into the closet (don’t ask, just go with it) and trying to read the secrets printed in there. Now they actually can. Suddenly, the magazine isn’t just a read; it’s a whole experience, like some secret code only the cool kids can see. I got to guest-edit the September 2001 issue of Gear magazine—talk about pressure, but also, kinda epic. I wanted it to stand out, not just another glossy pile of ads and interviews. The glow-in-the-dark thing was my way of flipping the script, doing something nobody else even thought about. Because why not make reading a little more fun, right? Honestly, if you’re not pushing boundaries, what’s even the point?
August 24, 1962
6′ 5″ (1.96 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Yes, Jonathan Kilborn
Hiram Kilborn and Surekha
62 years old