LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) James Lipton, creator, executive producer and kitschy host of “Inside The Actors Studio,” has abdicated his position after 23 years at the helm.
The interview program, which has had guests like Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Meryl Streep and Barbra Streisand, is moving from Bravo to Ovation TV next year with a rotating panel of guest hosts, according to Hollywood Reporter.
“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 Monday in a statement. “I made a vow early on that we would not deal in gossip — only in craft, and Ovation, as a network dedicated to the arts, will continue that tradition with the next seasons of the series. 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.”
“James Lipton’s future involvement will be determined based on his availability,” Scott Woodward, executive VP programming and production at Ovation, told THR. “But we’d love to have him involved.”
Lipton and the show has earned 20 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning outstanding informational series or special in 2013. Over the years, Lipton’s unique and sometimes fawning personality quirks also earned him some flattering imitations by comedians like Will Ferrell and. David Cross
