Craig Kilborn Towering over just about everybody, Craig Kilborn stands six feet five inches. And that’s not the only reason he stands out in a crowd. Kilborn (correctly pronounced Kil-burn rather than Kil-born) has a quirky sense of humor that’s sure to keep him in the spotlight for years to come. Craig Kilborn,often known by the nicknames Craiggers or Kilby, was born August 24, 1962, in Kansas City, Missouri. Kilborn would later move to Minnesota where he grew up. Showing an early interest in sports and the height to back up that interest, Kilborn began playing basketball. It was quickly evident he had talent for the sport. In fact, he had so much talent that he was offered a basketball scholarship to attend Montana State University. While pursuing sports themselves, Kilborn also decided to pursue his second passion—television and media broadcasting.
From 1986 to 1988, Kilborn served as a commentator for the Continental Basketball Association. He bounced around for a few more years until his next major engagement came in 1990. Working at KCBA television based out of California, Kilborn served as sports director. He was there until 1993 when the biggest break of his career to date came along. He was invited to join ESPN’s SportsCenter. Kilborn stayed at this job for the next three years and steadily developed a growing fan base. His popularity earned him an even larger job offer in 1996. The producers at Comedy Central were developing a new show entitled The Daily Show, and they wanted Kilborn at the helm. The show aired on July 22, 1996, and Kilborn was the host for two seasons before yet another job offer came along he couldn’t refuse. When Kilborn left, the show was taken over by current host Jon Stewart, and the format was changed dramatically. Kilborn’s new offer was a CBS talk show to air after The Late Show with David Letterman. Titled The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, it competed with Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Rather than one dominating the other, both shows gradually developed a large following. Kilborn was the host of his show for five years before opting not to renew his contract in 2004.
Kilborn made his feature film debut in 2003 when he played a small part in the college comedy classic Old School starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Piven, Ellen Pompeo, and Juliette Lewis. He also appeared in The Shaggy Dog in 2006 with Tim Allen, Kristin Davis, and Danny Glover. He even took a role in The Benchwarmers in 2006, a comedy starring Rob Schneider, David Spade, and Jon Heder. His newest film is entitled Full of It. In the vein of Kilborn trivia, he is said to be the inspiration for the character of Casey McCall on the Aaron Sorkin comedy Sports Night. Kilborn has never been married. YUDDY | 
