Brian Linehan

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:Infobox person Brian Richard Linehan (September 3, 1944 – June 4, 2004) was a Canadian television host from Hamilton, Ontario,<ref name=canenc>Brian Linehan at The Canadian Encyclopedia.</ref> best known for his celebrity interviews on the longrunning talk show City Lights.<ref name=rrj>"Life of Brian". Ryerson Review of Journalism, March 16, 2007.</ref>

Background

Linehan was born in Hamilton, Ontario in 1944, one of seven children.<ref name=rrj/> His estranged Irish father, Les, worked at one of the local steel mills, Dofasco; and his Serbian mother, Sava (née Kotur), was later remarried to a post-World War II Serbian immigrant, Jovan Rodic Sr. He too, was a steel worker.<ref name=rrj/>

At age 19, Linehan moved to Toronto, taking an entry-level job with Odeon Cinemas.<ref name=xtra>"BOOKS: Starring Brian Linehan by George Anthony". Daily Xtra, October 14, 2007.</ref> The following year, he began working in public relations as an organizer of celebrity promotional visits to Toronto.<ref name=xtra/> By 1968, he was the general manager of Janus Films, a film distribution company.<ref name=canenc/>

Career

He joined Citytv in 1973 as the host of City Lights, a program which would eventually become syndicated throughout Canada and the United States.<ref name=xtra/> Linehan was renowned for his composure, interview skills and meticulous research, often leading to in-depth questions that could last for minutes. His guests often responded to his questions with astonishment at his depth of knowledge;<ref name=xtra/> actress Shirley MacLaine once commented that the stars flocked to Toronto "so Brian could tell us about our lives".<ref name=xtra/> His interviewing style was parodied on SCTV by Martin Short as "Brock Linahan",<ref name=rrj/> a character whose seemingly meticulous interview research—unlike Brian Linehan's—almost always turned out to be totally, utterly wrong.<ref name=gala>"A gala send-off for Brian Linehan: Notables salute long-time friend of the festival". National Post, September 17, 2004.</ref>

In 1988, City Lights was rebooted as MovieTelevision, an expanded magazine series on film which Linehan cohosted with Jeanne Beker.<ref>"Linehan, Beker to team up for new weekly movie show". Toronto Star, July 24, 1988.</ref> Linehan was not happy with the new format, however, as it left him with far less time to conduct in-depth interviews,<ref name=rrj/> and left the show in 1989 after its first season.<ref>"Brian Linehan will no longer light up CITY". Toronto Star, September 1, 1989.</ref> He took some time off, and then spent the early 1990s as a freelance publicity interviewer.<ref name=backontrail>"Linehan back on the trail of the rich and celebrated". Windsor Star, November 16, 1996.</ref>

From 1996 to 1998, he hosted a second show entitled Linehan, which was produced for CHCH-TV in Hamilton.<ref name=backontrail/> In 1999, Linehan won a Gemini Award as Best Host in a Lifestyle or Performing Arts Program for his work on the show.<ref name=gala/> After that show ended, he taught a television production course at Toronto's Humber College.<ref name=canenc/>

Beginning in 2000, the original City Lights shows were reaired on the new Canadian cable channel Talk TV.<ref>"Brian Linehan shares significant video archive". Toronto Star, December 22, 2000.</ref>

Linehan was also a longtime entertainment reporter on CFRB radio,<ref>"Brian's back: Renowned for his meticulous research, Linehan is ready to get up close and personal". Toronto Star, December 16, 1996.</ref> and a frequent host of awards ceremonies such as the Genie Awards and the Geminis.<ref name=backontrail/>

Personal life

Linehan, who was gay, met Zane Wagman, a dentist, in the late 1960s.<ref name=xtra/> Through the 1970s, the couple also had a sideline business renovating and reselling houses.<ref name=xtra/> They remained together until Wagman's death by suicide in 2002;<ref name=xtra/> however, Linehan was very guarded about his personal life, acknowledging only to his closest friends and never publicly that Wagman was anything more than a platonic roommate.<ref name=xtra/>

Linehan was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2001 and died in 2004.<ref name=xtra/> His ashes were scattered outside the Toronto home he had shared with Wagman, although Joan Rivers kept a small portion of them as a memento of him.<ref name=rrj/>

Legacy

He left his estate to The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, which attempts to raise the profile of Canadian talent and supports the creation of a Canadian star system.<ref>"Brian Linehan charity to fund film training". Toronto Star, March 14, 2006.</ref> The foundation's noted donations have included $1 million toward the creation of an actors' training program at the Canadian Film Centre,<ref>"A Canadian first: actors' training program launched". The Globe and Mail, September 8, 2008.</ref> and $1 million to the Toronto International Film Festival toward the construction of the TIFF Bell Lightbox.<ref>"Planned TIFF complex gets $1-million Linehan gift". The Globe and Mail, April 11, 2007.</ref>

The public reading room at TIFF's Film Reference Library is named in honour of Linehan. The library also holds many of his personal archives and research collections.<ref name=canenc/>

George Anthony, a longtime friend of Linehan's, published the biography Starring Brian Linehan: A Life Behind the Scenes in 2008.<ref name=canenc/>

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

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• Brian Linehan archive from Film Reference Library