Sir David Paradine Frost, OBE (born 7 April 1939) is an
British journalist,
comedian,
writer and
media personality, best known as a pioneer of political satire on television and for his serious interviews with various political figures, the most notable being
Richard Nixon. Since 2006, he has hosted the weekly programme
Frost Over the World on
Al Jazeera English. He was portrayed by actor
Michael Sheen opposite
Frank Langella's Richard Nixon in the 2006
Peter Morgan stage play
Frost/Nixon, and in
Ron Howard's subsequent
2008 film adaptation.
David Frost was born at Tenterden, Kent, the son of a Methodist minister, the Rev. W.J. Paradine Frost. In his youth he started training as a Methodist Local Preacher, which he did not complete. He attended Barnsole Road Primary School in Gillingham, Kent, then Gillingham Grammar School and finally Wellingborough Grammar School.[1] He subsequently won a place at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a First in English. He had turned down a contract with Nottingham Forest Football Club to attend university.[2]
At Cambridge, he edited a student newspaper, Varsity, and a literary magazine, Granta. He was also secretary of the famous Footlights Drama Society, which included actors such as Peter Cook and John Bird.
After leaving university, he became a trainee at Associated-Rediffusion and worked for Anglia Television.
