James Lipton is leaving “Inside the Actors Studio” as its host and executive producer, Ovation TV announced Monday.
The 92-year-old Lipton created the show in 1994 that features his one-on-one interviews with A-list film and television stars about the evolution of their careers. It will be moving from its long-time home on Bravo to Ovation TV in the Fall of 2019, where a rotating list of guest hosts will conduct the interviews.
“It’s very gratifying to see the legacy of ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ being carried forward for a new generation to appreciate and enjoy,” Lipton said in a statement.
“I made a vow early on that we would not deal in gossip — only in craft, and Ovation, as a network to the arts, will continue that tradition with the next seasons of the series,” he added. “I’m excited to see the new hosts engage with the guests and students and continue to entertain viewers in the U.S. and around the world.”
The show began as a craft seminar for students at New York’s Actors Studio Masters program at Pace University, and was a joint venture between the Actors Studio and New School University. Paul Newman was the first of Lipton’s more than 200 guest interviews that included everyone from Brad Pitt to Barbra Streisand, and from Clint Eastwood to Martin Scorsese.