About Steve Harvey
Beginnings
From a young age Steve Harvey knew that he wanted to be on TV. He held fast to his dream, against all odds for a stuttering African American boy in the 1960s. His unrelenting pursuit formed one of Mr. Harvey’s life philosophies: “You have to dream big and believe that you will succeed.”
Steve Harvey was born January 17, 1957, in Welch, West Virginia, as Broderick Stephen Harvey. He is the son of Jesse Harvey, a coal miner, and his wife, Eloise Vera Harvey, a Sunday school teacher. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and remains a Cleveland man at heart. Steve’s family didn’t have much, but their lives were full with their faith. Before Mr. Harvey achieved his stardom, he made a promise to God that if he made it, he would thank Him and spread the word. Mr. Harvey honors that promise by thanking God at the end of every show and by sharing his gratitude with the audience.
The Leap
Mr. Harvey’s entry into comedy was a leap of faith. He was encouraged to perform at an open mic comedy night in 1985. Harvey brought down the house, and the next day he quit his job to pursue his dream. As Mr. Harvey says, “You have to jump and take a leap of faith in order to soar.”
The road to success was not an easy one. It left Mr. Harvey homeless, living in his car and traveling the country for performances. In 1990, he won a national comedy competition which led to his big break on Showtime at the Apollo. From that moment on, Mr. Harvey’s career took off.
Today Mr. Harvey remains known as the busiest man in Hollywood. But in addition to his work on TV, radio, stage and screen, Harvey is a dedicated mentor and an inspiring motivator to his fans. “My gift is comedy, but my purpose is to inspire people.” The desire to help others led to the establishment of the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation, which helps thousands of underprivileged children receive the tools for success. In addition to their own foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey dedicate time and resources to like-minded charities that further their cause.
Steve and Majorie Harvey are devoted to their family of seven children and five grandchildren, Mr. Harvey’s proudest accomplishment.
Career Highlights
Comedy
Harvey began his career doing stand-up comedy in the mid-1980s.
In 1997, he toured as one of the Kings of Comedy alongside Cedric the Entertainer, the late Bernie Mac and D.L. Hughley. The tour’s immediate success led to the taping of one of the most successful comedy specials in history — The Original Kings of Comedy — directed by Spike Lee.
In 2006, Harvey released the popular DVD Don’t Trip…He Ain’t Through With Me Yet. Due to the overwhelming demand, he released another comedy special on DVD in 2008, entitled Steve Harvey: Still Trippin’, to critical acclaim.
On August 2, 2012, Harvey performed his final stand-up act at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, ending a 27-year career as a stand-up comedian. The two-hour performance was broadcast live on Pay-Per-View.
TV
His stand-up success eventually led to an eight-year stint as host of It’s Showtime at the Apollo, as well as to various entertainment roles including acting, hosting, writing and producing. On TV, he starred in ABC’s Me and the Boys, The WB’s The Steve Harvey Show and Steve Harvey’s Big Time Challenge. Harvey hit the big screen in movies such as Love Don’t Cost a Thing, You Got Served, Johnson Family Vacation and Madea Goes to Jail.
From hosting Showtime at the Apollo, Harvey became a household name, and was one of the first African American men to host shows on TV, opening the door for future African American hosts. In addition to Showtime at the Apollo, his hosting career includes The Steve Harvey Show, Family Feud, Celebrity Family Feud, Steve, Little Big Shots, Little Big Shots: Forever Young, Steve Harvey’s Funderdome, Miss Universe, New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey, NFL Honors and numerous others. Mr. Harvey is one of the only hosts to appear on competing networks at the same time.
Mr. Harvey began hosting Family Feud in 2010. Under Harvey, the show achieved record-high ratings and became the first nationally syndicated TV series ever to increase its ratings for seven consecutive years. Mr. Harvey has surpassed original host Richard Dawson‘s tenure as the longest-serving host in Family Feud history.
In 2015, Harvey began hosting Miss Universe, which propelled his career internationally. In 2017, he also began hosting New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey live on Fox.
In 2019, Steve Harvey announced that he was moving his eponymous daytime talk show to Facebook Watch. The new show, Steve on Watch, will go live January 2020.
In 2019, Harvey also announced taking Family Feud to Africa. The show is filmed in South Africa and welcomes families from South Africa and Ghana to play. The show began airing in 2020 and has held the highest ratings of any show airing in Africa.
Mr. Harvey is one of the most recognizable and sought-after celebrities in the world. 178,000,000 US viewers welcome Steve Harvey into their homes on a yearly basis—that’s over 55% of the total U.S. population.
FM Radio
Harvey began his radio career in 2000. His show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, airs on more than 100 radio stations nationally and reaches over six million weekly listeners. The Steve Harvey Morning Show is the most listened to syndicated morning show in America.
Author
In addition to his wide-ranging accomplishments as an entertainer, Harvey is also a best-selling author.
In 2009, he wrote Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment. A New York Times best-seller, it inspired the 2012 movie Think Like a Man, in which he starred. In 2010, Straight Talk, No Chaser: How to Find, Keep, and Understand a Man was also a New York Times best-seller. Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success: Discovering Your Gift and the Way to Life’s Riches was released in 2014.
During the taping of Family Feud, Mr. Harvey opined about taking risks to realize your dream. His comments were taped and released. To his surprise, the video went viral and led to him penning his New York Times best-seller Jump in 2016.
Harvey is a prolific best-selling author whose books have been translated into 30 languages around the world.
Awards (Partial list)
Harvey has received accolades throughout his career. He received 14 Daytime Emmy nominations resulting in six Daytime Emmy Awards. Harvey was also nominated for one Primetime Emmy as the host of Little Big Shots. In addition to his Emmys, Mr. Harvey has received 10 NAACP Image Awards and a total of 14 nominations.
In 2014 and again in 2017, he received two Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and Outstanding Talk Show Host. He was the first double-winning host ever.
In 2013, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Awards include: (partial list)
- Four-time winner: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
- Three-time winner: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Comedy Series (as executive producer/star of The Steve Harvey Show – 2000, 2001, 2002)
- 2001: NAACP Image Awards Entertainer of the Year
- 2007: Syndicated Personality/Show of the Year – Radio & Records magazine
- 2011: BET Humanitarian Award – 2011 BET Awards
- 2013: Favorite New Talk Show Host – 39th People’s Choice Awards
- 2013: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 2013: Marconi Award winner – Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year
- Three-time winner: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding News/Talk/Info Series (as executive producer/host of Steve Harvey – 2014, 2015, 2017)
- 2014: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host – Family Feud
- 2014: Daytime Emmy Award for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Informative (as host/executive producer of Steve Harvey)
- 2014: NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame inductee (Radio)
- 2015: East 112th Street in Cleveland renamed Steve Harvey Way
- 2015: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Host – Talk/Reality/Variety/News/Information
- 2015: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Informative (as host/executive producer of Steve Harvey)[80]
- 2015: Marconi Award winner – Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year
- 2016: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Host – Talk/Reality/Variety/News/Information
- 2016: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Variety Series/Special (as host of Family Feud)
- 2016: Honorary Doctorate Degree Received at Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama
- 2017: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host – Steve Harvey[81]
- 2017: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host – Family Feud[81]
- 2018: Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host – Steve[82]
- 2019: NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Steve Harvey Global
Harvey’s success has resulted in one of the most prolific brands in Hollywood. In 2017, he launched Steve Harvey Global (SHG), uniting his various businesses under one roof and one vision. Reflective of his personal brand, SHG is focused on creating and delivering entertaining and motivational content, products and experiences to audiences around the world.
Philanthropy
Harvey is an active humanitarian and philanthropist. He and his wife, Marjorie, founded The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation in 2010, in order to provide uplifting and educational opportunities for youth. Through the foundation, they have launched several mentoring programs including The Steve Harvey Mentoring Program for Young Men and Girls Who Rule the World. As a partner with Walt Disney World, Harvey has created the annual Disney Dreamers Academy, a program mentoring teenage boys and girls, exposing them to job skills and career opportunities.
The Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation impacts over 3,000 families yearly through mentoring programs, education and financial assistance.