Chris Wallace: The Broadcast Journalist Who Built His Own Legacy Beyond His Famous Father
Chris Wallace has spent more than six decades in journalism, anchoring programs at four major U.S. networks and moderating two presidential debates along the way. Often compared to his father, legendary “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace, Chris Wallace built a reputation of his own for tough, direct interviewing that followed him from NBC to ABC, Fox News, and eventually CNN.
Here’s a closer look at his career, his family history, and where he stands today.
Who Is Chris Wallace?
Christopher Wallace was born on October 12, 1947, in Chicago, Illinois. He is an American broadcast journalist known for wide-ranging, tough interviews and for being the only person to have hosted or moderated more than one of the major American Sunday morning political talk shows. Over his career, he has served as a correspondent, moderator, or anchor at CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox News, and CNN, and in 2018 was ranked among America’s most trusted television news anchors.
He has won three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, a George Polk Award, and the duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Award and was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2025.
Family Background and Early Life
Wallace was born to CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace and Norma Kaphan. He was named Christopher because he was born on Columbus Day. His parents divorced when he was one year old, and he was raised primarily by his mother and stepfather, Bill Leonard, who later became president of CBS News. Wallace has said Leonard, not his biological father, had the greatest impact on his life, and it was Leonard who gave him his first taste of political journalism, hiring him as an assistant to Walter Cronkite at the 1964 Republican National Convention.
Wallace did not develop a close relationship with his father until his teens, following the death of his older brother, Peter, who died in a mountain-climbing accident in Greece in 1962 at age 19.
Education and Early Career
Wallace attended the Hotchkiss School before enrolling at Harvard College, where he first reported news on-air for the student radio station WHRB. As a Harvard student in 1969, he covered the student occupation of University Hall and was briefly detained by police, memorably signing off his radio report from inside a county jail cell.
Though accepted to Yale Law School, Wallace chose journalism instead, working as a national reporter for The Boston Globe, where he covered Boston City Hall before becoming a roving national reporter. He also worked briefly for Chicago’s WBBM-TV.
Career Timeline
NBC News (1975–1988)
Wallace joined NBC in 1975, spending 14 years with the network, including as a reporter with WNBC-TV in New York. He later transferred to NBC’s Washington bureau, serving as chief White House correspondent from 1982 to 1989, alongside contemporaries Lesley Stahl of CBS and Sam Donaldson of ABC. During this period, he also anchored the Sunday edition of “NBC Nightly News” and, from 1987 to 1988, moderated “Meet the Press.” In 1985, he conducted a joint interview with President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan at Camp David.
ABC News (1989–2003)
Wallace joined ABC in 1989, serving as senior correspondent for “Primetime Live” and occasionally hosting “Nightline.” During the 1991 Gulf War, he reported from Tel Aviv on Iraqi Scud missile attacks.
Fox News Sunday (2003–2021)
In 2003, after 14 years at ABC, Wallace joined Fox News to host “Fox News Sunday,” succeeding Tony Snow. Over his 18 years there, he covered nearly every major political event and landed high-profile interviews, including Fox’s first interview with President Barack Obama in 2009 and an interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 in which he pressed Putin on the deaths of his political opponents.
In 2016, Wallace became the first Fox News anchor to moderate a general election presidential debate, serving as moderator of the third and final debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. He received praise from commentators across the political spectrum for his handling of that debate. He returned to moderate the first 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden, a widely criticized, contentious event during which Wallace repeatedly tried to restore order.
In July 2020, Wallace’s sit-down interview with President Trump drew wide attention for his real-time fact-checking on topics including COVID-19 and mail-in voting.
Wallace announced his departure from Fox News in December 2021, later saying the environment had grown “unsustainable” for him following the 2020 election, citing concerns about colleagues promoting falsehoods about the January 6 Capitol attack and the election’s outcome.
CNN (2022–2024)
Wallace joined CNN to host the interview series “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?” which debuted on the short-lived streaming service CNN+ before moving to CNN and HBO Max after CNN+ shut down. Guests over its run included Stephen Breyer, George Clooney, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Harrison Ford, and Bernie Sanders, among many others. In 2023, he added a second program, the Saturday morning panel show “The Chris Wallace Show.” Both programs ended in November 2024 when Wallace’s three-year contract with CNN expired and he chose not to renew it, citing a desire to pursue independent opportunities in streaming or podcasting.
Books
Wallace is the author of several nonfiction books, including “First Lady: A Portrait of Nancy Reagan” (1986), “Character: Profiles in Presidential Courage” (2004), and, co-written with Mitch Weiss, two New York Times bestsellers: “Countdown 1945: The Extraordinary Story of the Atomic Bomb and the 116 Days That Changed the World” (2020) and “Countdown 1960: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of the 312 Days that Changed America’s Politics Forever” (2024).
Personal Life
Wallace has been married twice. In 1973, he married Elizabeth Farrell, with whom he has four children. In 1997, he married Lorraine Smothers, the former wife of comedian Dick Smothers; Lorraine is also a New York Times bestselling cookbook author. The couple primarily resides in Annapolis, Maryland.
Where Is Chris Wallace Now?
Following his departure from CNN in late 2024, Wallace has focused on public speaking, writing, and exploring independent media opportunities. He has donated the papers and videotapes from his 55-year journalism career to the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, and continues to appear on the speaking circuit discussing his career and the state of American journalism.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chris Wallace related to Mike Wallace? Yes, Chris Wallace is the son of longtime CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent Mike Wallace.
Which presidential debates did Chris Wallace moderate? He moderated the third 2016 presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and the first 2020 presidential debate between Trump and Joe Biden.
Why did Chris Wallace leave Fox News? He left in December 2021, later saying he had grown uncomfortable with colleagues promoting falsehoods about the 2020 election and the January 6 Capitol attack.
Why did Chris Wallace leave CNN? His three-year contract expired in November 2024, and he chose not to renew it, citing interest in independent streaming or podcasting projects.
What awards has Chris Wallace won? He has won three Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, a George Polk Award, and the duPont-Columbia University Silver Baton Award, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2025.
