Steve Harvey

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Lore & Background

Steve Harvey began his career as a stand-up comedian in the early 1980s, first performing on October 8, 1985, at the Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio. In the late 1980s, he was homeless for three years, sleeping in his car and showering at gas stations and swimming pools. He gained national attention as a finalist in the Second Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search on April 16, 1990, leading to a long stint as host of It's Showtime at the Apollo. Harvey later starred in the television sitcom The Steve Harvey Show on The WB from 1996 to 2002 and was featured in the 2000 film The Original Kings of Comedy after starring in the Kings of Comedy Tour, which grossed $18 million its first year and $19 million its second. His last standup show was in 2012 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Harvey has hosted Family Feud since September 2010, becoming the longest-tenured host of the show. He also hosts Celebrity Family Feud, Family Feud Africa, and the arbitration-based court comedy Judge Steve Harvey. In December 2015, he hosted the Miss Universe 2015 pageant and mistakenly announced the first runner-up, Miss Colombia, as the winner before correcting himself and crowning Miss Philippines. He later hosted the Miss Universe 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 pageants. Harvey has written four books, including the 2009 bestseller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, which spent 64 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list, 23 of those weeks at No. 1. He founded Steve Harvey Global in 2017 and, with his wife Marjorie, the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, focused on youth education.

Reader's Guide

Steve Harvey's significance lies in his long-running success as a television host and comedian, particularly his revival of Family Feud, which saw improved ratings under his tenure. He has hosted multiple game shows and the Miss Universe pageant, and his radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, has been syndicated nationally since 2000. Harvey's career includes overcoming early homelessness and a stutter, and he has used his platform to author relationship advice books and launch a foundation for youth education. His legacy includes seven Daytime Emmy Awards, two Marconi Awards, fourteen NAACP Image Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, though his 2015 Miss Universe announcement error remains a notable public moment. Harvey's work spans comedy, television, radio, and philanthropy, making him a prominent figure in American entertainment.

Did You Know?

• Harvey's first name is Broderick, named after actor Broderick Crawford of the TV series Highway Patrol.
• He was homeless for three years in the late 1980s, sleeping in his car and showering at gas stations and swimming pools.
• His 2009 book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man spent 64 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list, 23 of those weeks at No. 1.
• In 2013, Harvey became the first double host nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award, receiving nominations for both Outstanding Talk Show Host and Outstanding Game Show Host.
• After achieving his childhood dream of being on TV, Harvey sent his sixth-grade teacher a TV every year for Christmas for the rest of her life.

From the Coal Fields to the National Stage

Broderick Stephen Harvey entered the world on January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, the youngest of five children born to coal miner Jesse Harvey and Eloise Vera. His first name honored actor Broderick Crawford of the TV series Highway Patrol. As a child, Harvey struggled with a severe stutter he eventually overcame. In sixth grade, when a teacher asked the class to record their personal dreams, Harvey wrote that he wanted to be on TV. His teacher told his father the boy was being a 'smart aleck,' but Jesse Harvey believed in his son. After Harvey achieved that dream, he sent the teacher a TV every year for Christmas for the rest of her life. The family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, living on East 112th Street, which was renamed Steve Harvey Way in 2015. Harvey graduated from Glenville High School in 1974 and enrolled at Kent State University, joining the Omega Psi Phi fraternity and majoring in advertising. He readily admits to 'flunking out' after two years, a gap he has expressed deep regret over, describing it as a moment that threw his life into a downward spiral.

The Long Road to Comedy

Harvey worked as a boxer, an autoworker, an insurance salesman, a carpet cleaner, and a mailman before his first stand-up set on October 8, 1985, at the Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland. The late 1980s brought a brutal stretch: he was homeless for three years, sleeping in his car between shows and showering at gas stations and swimming pools. Friends Rich and Becky Liss extended a lifeline with a carpet-cleaning contract and travel-agency credit. His breakthrough arrived on April 16, 1990, as a finalist in the Second Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search, leading to a long stint as host of It's Showtime at the Apollo, succeeding Mark Curry. That exposure led to a starring role on the short-lived ABC series Me and the Boys in 1994, then the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, running 1996 to 2002. In 1997, Harvey joined Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac for the Kings of Comedy tour, the highest-grossing comedy tour in history, grossing $18 million its first year and $19 million the second. Spike Lee later adapted the act into the film The Original Kings of Comedy. Harvey has anchored The Steve Harvey Morning Show since 2000 and has held the Family Feud hosting chair since September 2010. He has earned seven Daytime Emmy Awards, two Marconi Awards, and fourteen NAACP Image Awards.

The Author, the Actor, the Voice

Beyond the stage and the game show, Harvey built a substantial presence in film and publishing. He appeared in the 2003 musical The Fighting Temptations alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé Knowles, and played Clarence Johnson in Love Don't Cost a Thing that same year. In 2004 he took roles in Johnson Family Vacation and You Got Served, and in 2005 he voiced Buzz in Racing Stripes. His 2006 stand-up special, Steve Harvey: Don't Trip... He Ain't Through with Me Yet, directed by Leslie Small, was filmed at MegaFest; Harvey performed the entire set without using profanity. In 2008 he hosted the Disney Dreamers Academy, a teen-focused personal and professional enrichment event at Walt Disney World Resort. As an author, Harvey has written four books, headlined by his 2009 bestseller Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, which explored how men think about women and relationships. The hardcover spent 64 weeks on The New York Times best-seller list, including 23 weeks at number one. The book was adapted into the 2012 ensemble romantic comedy Think Like a Man. He also hosted Little Big Shots, Little Big Shots Forever Young, and Steve Harvey's Funderdome, and formerly served as host of the Miss Universe competition.

Building Beyond the Microphone

Harvey's influence extends well past the entertainment industry into business, philanthropy, and cultural representation. In 2017 he founded Steve Harvey Global, an entertainment company that houses his production arm East 112 alongside various other ventures. He launched an African version of Family Feud, bringing the beloved game show to a new continent, and invested in the HDNet takeover alongside Anthem Sports and Entertainment. His production footprint also includes the arbitration-based court comedy Judge Steve Harvey, adding a legal-drama flavor to his already diverse portfolio. On the philanthropy front, Harvey and his wife Marjorie are the founders of The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth education. The community impact of his legacy is visible in Cleveland, where East 112th Street was officially renamed Steve Harvey Way in 2015, a permanent marker of his roots. His work on Celebrity Family Feud, where competing celebrities raise up to $25,000 for their favorite charities, further underscores a pattern: Harvey consistently channels his platform toward giving back, whether through direct charitable competition, educational investment, or simply by keeping a show on the air that brings families together around a table.