The long-serving CNN presenter had recently been admitted to a Los Angeles hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. No official cause of death was given, but he had suffered several health problems in recent years.
During his long career, Larry King hosted shows for CNN, Hulu and RT, Russia's state-controlled broadcaster Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/A. Pullano/Invision for the Television Academy
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Larry King: A life in interviews
With more than 30,000 interviews under his belt, Larry King was one of the biggest names in US journalism and showbiz. These are some of the career highlights of the TV host who has died at the age of 87.
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Presidents, politicians, people
From former US President Bill Clinton to former President George H.W. Bush (seen here in 1992), Larry King managed to show the human faces behind the names that made the headlines. His interviewees respected his balanced, tactful approach. After being hospitalized for complications related to COVID-19, he died in Los Angeles on January 23, 2021 at the age of 87.
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Hugh Grant's 'divine' pardon
At the height of his career, King interviewed Hugh Grant at a pivotal moment in the actor's life. In 1995, Grant was caught in a sex act with a sex worker known as Divine Brown. His arrest attracted global attention. Grant did what Brits do best to avert attention: he simply apologized. Within a few minutes of airtime, Grant's career was restored and the whole affair practically forgotten.
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An affair to remember
Gennifer Flowers, former mistress of ex-President Bill Clinton, flirted heavily with King during an interview in 1998. The tell-all interview became one of the better-known episodes of the show. With his signature composure, King asked Flowers questions and listened to what she had to say. And the former nightclub singer certainly had lots to say as Clinton's impeachment hearings intensified.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Nelson
Making California great again
Despite his stage name, Larry King did not consider himself a kingmaker. However, his non-combative interview style helped many celebrities recalibrate their careers. When Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger decided to run as governor of California in 2003, an interview with King helped him shed some of his "Terminator" reputation.
Image: Prouser/CNN/dpa/picture-alliance
Scenes from a marriage
Larry King managed to create intimate moments with politicians and celebrities alike. In 2003, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne opened up to the TV host about their marriage and its challenges over the years. Sharon Osbourne shared her experience with colon cancer, while also talking openly about some of the cosmetic surgery she had undergone. Even for a woman known for such candor, King broke new ground.
Image: ROSE M. PROUSER/AFPI/CNN/dpa/picture-alliance
There's no business like show business
King allowed his guests to speak for themselves. Before it was customary to televise every last primary in the US, King would speak with various candidates running for the presidential candidate nomination. In 2004, he interviewed John Kerry (right), who would go on to clinch the Democratic nomination, alongside his challengers (from left) Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton and Senator John Edwards.
Image: Los Angeles Times/dpa/picture-alliance
Bad romance?
King finished his show on CNN at the end of 2010, but explored broadcasting opportunities on other networks and digital platforms. One of his last interviewees on CNN was with Lady Gaga, whose career was skyrocketing at the time. The young pop star opened up about all kinds of issues to King, from her feminist views to her journey of quitting cocaine.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/L. Hahn
'She looks like your daughter'
Not many people can claim to have met the Dalai Lama. King, however, spoke to the spiritual leader on numerous occasions. To say that the pair had a good rapport would be an understatement. The Dalai Lama even made fun of King once during an interview in 2014, saying that King's wife, Shawn — then in her mid 50s — looked too young for him. “She looks like your daughter," the Dalai Lama quipped.
Image: Jae C. Hong/AP/picture alliance
In love with love
King was married eight times, averaging one marriage per decade of his life. But in the end, he seems to never have found true love. He married his last wife, Shawn, in 1997, but the pair separated in 2019. King had five children from all his marriages; in this image, his sons Chance (left) and Cannon can be seen alongside Shawn at the set of the Larry King Show in 2010.
Image: MATHIEU YOUNG/CNN/Epa/dpa/picture alliance
A lasting role model
King revolutionized the art of conducting an interview. Many journalists to this day continue to follow his style, asking intimate questions with an open mind and reserving judgment for the audience. He always stressed the importance of relating to his guests. "You realize, they all put their pants on one leg at a time," King said about the people who have been on his show over the decades.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/A. Pullano/Invision for the Television Academy
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Veteran broadcaster Larry King, who made his name at CNN, has died at the age 87, the US network reported on Saturday.
No cause of death was given, but King had been in hospital in Los Angeles after testing positive for coronavirus.
The talk show host became a global household name with CNN, interviewing world leaders, politicians and celebrities between 1985 and 2010. In a career that spanned over 60 years, he won multiple accolades, including two Peabody Awards and an Emmy.
King had faced several health problems in recent years, including diabetes and heart attacks.
The journalist first rose to fame in the 1970s with his radio program The Larry King Show. He also appeared as a columnist for the USA Today newspaper.
Tributes for broadcasting giant
King's TV show was canceled in 2010 and he was replaced by British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who on Saturday hailed King as a "hero" on social media.
Former US President Bill Clinton wrote on Twitter: "I enjoyed my 20+ interviews with Larry King over the years. He had a great sense of humor and a genuine interest in people. He gave a direct line to the American people and worked hard to get the truth for them, with questions that were direct but fair. Farewell, my friend."
Bette Midler described King as "a great interviewer and a great listener," adding that "He always made me feel as though I were the only person in the room."
"He was one of a kind! May he Rest In Peace. #LarryKing," singer Barbra Streisand told her followers.
"It was always a treat to sit at your table. And hear your stories. Thank you Larry King," Oprah Winfrey wrote on Twitter.
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'I ask the best questions I can'
After leaving CNN, King fronted shows for the Hulu on-demand service and RT, Russia's state-controlled international broadcaster.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was also one of those who offered his condolences.
"King repeatedly interviewed Putin. The president has always appreciated his great professionalism and unquestioned journalistic authority," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by state RIA Novosti news agency.
But even in his heyday, critics said King did little research before interviews and often tossed softball questions to his guests who were free to give unchallenged self-promoting answers.
"My duty, as I see it, is I'm a conduit," King told the Hartford Courant newspaper in 2007. "I ask the best questions I can. I listen to the answers. I try to follow up."
"I'm not there to make a conclusion. I'm not a soapbox talk-show host. So what I try to do is present someone in the best light."
