Montreal’s Just for Laughs has finally landed the guest it has been coveting since the festival’s English-language inception in 1985: David Letterman.

JFL execs and programmers had been pursuing the much-heralded late-night TV host, comedian, actor and producer for decades, to no avail. But Letterman has finally been lured here to make his first-ever Montreal paid appearance, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts. (He has been known to show up in a non-performing capacity at the Canadian Grand Prix over the years.)

Letterman will be sharing the stage with Toronto-born TV, film and podcast star Will Arnett. The show is being billed as An Evening With David Letterman and Special Guest Will Arnett.

The Montreal event will come five months after Letterman made his first Canadian concert appearance since 1978 with a sold-out show at Just for Laughs Vancouver, in which he was joined on stage by the irrepressible Zach Galifianakis.

Letterman was a staple of late-night TV for 33 years, from 1982 to 2015, beginning with Late Night With David Letterman on NBC and culminating with Late Show With David Letterman on CBS. He hosted nearly 6,100 episodes in total and remains the longest-serving late-night talk show host in U.S. television history, surpassing his hero Johnny Carson.

Ever dry and piquant, Letterman set the standard for those who followed him behind the late-night desk. Audiences adored his freestyle approach and celebs yearned to take a seat........

© Montreal Gazette