Celebrity Bio: Craig Ferguson

Writer, comedian, actor, recovering alcoholic, and late night talk show host Craig Ferguson came into the world near Glasgow, Scotland on May 17, 1962, the third child of Robert "Bob" and Janet "Netta" Ferguson. Like many families in Scotland (and elsewhere) during that time, the Ferguson's had little material wealth, but through hard work and perseverance, they got by well enough. Both his parents are now deceased. When each of them died, Craig Ferguson dedicated his show to each of them and then eulogized them on the air. He also has a tattoo on each arm, one in honor of his father and another for his mother.

For Craig, school was a nasty place filled with bullies, who were comprised of almost as many teachers as students. He was also overweight for much of his young life, which did not serve to increase his popularity. However, this isolation led him to a love of reading. Because of this voracious reading habit, even though he left school at the age of 16, his education did not stop, and he has a wealth of knowledge even the college-educated could envy.

His alcoholism began while he was still a teenage boy in school, but except for brief periods, he did not attempt to get sober until February 1992 at the age of 27, at which time he checked himself into rehab with the help of friends and relatives. He has not had a drink of alcohol since.

He first visited the United States around the same time as he began experimenting with alcohol and he fell instantly in love with the country. He told his dad during that first visit that one day he would come back to the U.S. to live. It took a couple of false starts and a trip to rehab, but he did eventually come here to live on a permanent basis and took his citizenship test on February 1, 2008.

In addition to his work on The Late Late Show and The Drew Carey Show, Craig Ferguson has written, directed, produced, and starred in movies. He is the author of a novel and has done stand-up comedy, as well as a short career as a punk rock drummer in his late teens and early twenties.

Ferguson is currently married to his third wife, Megan, with whom he will celebrate his 1^st anniversary on December 21, 2009. He has one child, Milo, who was born May 14, 2001, just 3 days shy of Craig's 39^th birthday.

Sources: Ferguson, Craig. American on purpose. Print.

Ferguson, Craig. The Late Late Show. Television.