From Bronx-native to beloved media personality: the life and career of Regis Philbin, the man who defined an era of American television

In an interview with Television Academy, Philbin said that one of his early influences of the entertainment industry was his uncle, who worked in publicity for the CBS radio show "Arthur Godfrey and His Friends."

"I was kind of connected to the business through him, not that I ever told him I wanted to be a part of it, but I was always anxious to hear the stories he could tell me about the family that Godfrey created around him for that radio show," Philbin said. "But I never thought in a million years I would ever be able to do anything in front of a camera or a microphone. I didn't know what, frankly, I was going to do with my life."

In 1955, Philbin landed a position as an NBC Page, a competitive paid internship at the network, and a program that is still around today. He worked on "The Eddie Fisher Show," which aired from 1957 until 1959.

After leaving his NBC Page position, Philbin worked behind-the-scenes on network channels in Hollywood and around San Diego. He worked from 5 a.m. until 2 a.m. reporting on news, and in 1961, a competitor station noticed his work, and eventually was offered a shot at his own talk show.

The show was aired live on Saturday night, which Philbin said gave him a week's worth of stories to discuss.

"I had a whole week of experiences I could tell the audience about, so that's how I would open the show. The response was extraordinary," Philbin told the Television Academy in an interview.

"I tried to make it different because that's what I learned . . . be different if you want to be noticed," Philbin said of his news reporting and hosting style.

This was Philbin's first appearance on a network show, and it got him noticed, he told the Television Academy.

He starred in "Cowboy in Africa," "The Danny Thomas Hour," "The Big Valley," and "Get Smart," all of which aired in 1968.

But Philbin said his heart lied in the world of live TV.

"If it's taped and they say, 'Stop, tape,'... I just can't live with that. If I can be live, then I can make a joke out of the 'stop, tape' thing. It just works better for me," Philbin said in an interview with the Television Academy.

Philbin is survived by four children, Joanna, Jennifer, Daniel, and Amy, and his wife of 50 years, Joy.

Philbin was first married to Catherine "Kay" Faylen, an actress, from 1955 until 1968.

Here, he's pictured in 1993 with his daughter, Jennifer, flying to visit Notre Dame's campus.

The TV host was called a "die-hard" Notre Dame fan and often went back to watch sporting events.

In 1983, Philbin co-hosted "The Morning Show" with Cyndy Garvey, and when Garvey left the show, Kathie Lee Johnson (now Kathie Lee Gifford), took her place.

The two worked well together, which led to their own nationally syndicated show, "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee."

The morning program started as a locally aired show in New York and became nationally syndicated in 1988.

Gifford gave Regis the nickname "Reeg," which stuck with audiences.

The show aired from 1985 until 2000, and Philbin and Gifford saw a plethora of guests that defined culture of the time.

Their talk show was also portrayed widely in pop culture and fictional shows; Philbin and Gifford starred in a "Seinfeld" episode, where character Cosmo Kramer came on air to promote his book, "The Coffee Table Book of Coffee Tables."

Philbin said that he thought his talk shows, including "Live" with Gifford, were successful because of the opening segment style that he became known for — which was dedicated to casual talk about the morning news.

"It's become a staple of the show... No writers. It's what's in the paper, what I've seen, maybe what she's seen, what's going on in the world, and just having fun with that," Philbin said.

Gifford shared a statement in honor of her former co-host.

"There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift," Gifford said. "We spent 15 years together bantering and bickering and laughing ourselves silly — a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day."

Gifford continued: "I send all the love in my heart to Joy, to his children, to the rest of his family and to the innumerable people he touched over his legendary life. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be."

The show's current host, Kelly Ripa, co-hosted the show starting in 2001 and hosted with Philbin until he left in 2011.

Ripa and Seacrest, who continue the "Live" legacy today, shared a joint statement in memory of Philbin.

"We are beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis Philbin," their statement said. "He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes every day on Live for more than 23 years. We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire every day to fill his shoes on the show. We send our deepest love and condolences to his family and hope they can find some comfort in knowing he left the world a better place."

Hosting "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" was a nod to Philbin's past jobs on game shows in the 1970s, when he hosted "Almost Anything Goes" and "The Neighbors."

Philbin died on July 24 of natural causes. He was 88 years old.

"His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss," the Philbin family said in a statement to People.

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