Joel Clinton Godard Jr. (born March 31, 1938) is an American television announcer and voiceover artist, best known as the announcer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien during its entire 16-year run from 1993 to 2009.
Early life
Godard attended Emory University, and earned his AB in 1960 with a double major in chemistry and pre-med. He was accepted into the school's medical program, but instead chose to try a career in the entertainment industry.
Career
During the early 1980s, Godard had roles in the made-for-TV movie Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones and the TBS soap opera The Caitlins. In the 1980s and 1990s, Godard made voiceover appearances on Saturday Night Live, NBC Nightly News, and Issues and Answers. Around 1986, he became an NBC staff announcer. Godard was the voice of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from 2000 to 2010.
In 2014, he starred in a series of online comedy shorts by Turtle with Lemonade Productions, entitled "Little Known Moments in American History."
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Godard joined Late Night with Conan O'Brien when it was launched in 1993. He frequently appeared in sketches, often pretending to be a suicidal homosexual filled with self-loathing, and with a penchant for bizarre sex acts, substance abuse, and "young Asian men (preferably wearing Speedos)". Through the years, Late Nights writers gave Godard a number of bizarre backstories; for example, one typical skit involved the announcer referring to having had multiple "loveless" marriages and "a botched mid-life circumcision," as well as his "ultimate sexual fantasy": a man dressed as Abraham Lincoln wearing BDSM leathers and a ball gag. Instead, former Late Night sidekick Andy Richter was hired as announcer on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, and Saturday Night Live producer Steve Higgins became the announcer on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
Personal life
Godard has been married to actress/singer Tedi Dreiser Godard since 1983 and has one child from a previous marriage.