Rupert Jee
{{short description|American businessman (born 1956)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Rupert Jee
| image = Ruppertjee101404.jpg
| caption = Jee in October 2004
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|7|16}}
| death_date =
| known_for = Hello Deli
| alma_mater = City University of New York
| occupation = Businessman
}}
Rupert Jee (born July 16, 1956) is an American entrepreneur, former deli owner, and television personality who gained fame from his frequent appearances on Late Show with David Letterman, on which he sometimes used the alter ego Kenny.{{Cite web |date=2007-09-30 |title=CBS, Late Show with David Letterman |website=CBS |url=http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/bios/cast15.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930235347/http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/show_info/bios/cast15.php |archive-date=2007-09-30 |access-date=2022-03-14 }} He first appeared on the Late Show during a "Meet the Neighbors" segment on September 20, 1993,{{cite news |title=Joy And Tears As David Letterman Presents Last 'Late Show' |url=https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2015/05/20/david-letterman-last-late-show/ |accessdate=28 March 2019 |work=CBS |date=20 May 2015 |language=en}}{{cite book |last1=Hauser |first1=Tom |title=Inside the Ropes with Jesse Ventura |date=2002 |publisher=U of Minnesota Press |isbn=9780816641871 |page=[https://archive.org/details/insideropeswithj00haus/page/113 113] |url=https://archive.org/details/insideropeswithj00haus |url-access=registration |quote=Rupert Jee. |accessdate=28 March 2019 |language=en}} and was a frequent accomplice of host David Letterman during the show's many comedic segments.{{cite news |last1=Brunner |first1=Jeryl |title=Rupert Jee Picks His Favorite Late Show with David Letterman Moments |url=https://parade.com/398628/jerylbrunner/rupert-jee-picks-his-favorite-late-show-with-david-letterman-moments/ |accessdate=28 March 2019 |work=Parade |date=20 May 2015 |language=en}} He appeared on the show over 400 times.
Jee holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the City University of New York.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}
He made an appearance on the January 7, 2016, episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,{{cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/stephen-colbert-brings-back-letterman-gag_n_568fb6b5e4b0a2b6fb6f9d99|title=Stephen Colbert Brings Back Old Letterman Gag On 'The Late Show'|work=The Huffington Post|date=January 8, 2016|access-date=March 13, 2024|language=en}} marking his first and (as of 2024) only appearance on The Late Show following the retirement of David Letterman in 2015.
Hello Deli
With business partner May Chin, Jee co-owned the Hello Deli in New York City, which is located at 213 W 53rd St, adjacent to the Ed Sullivan Theater where the Late Show is taped. His deli is one of the neighborhood's last remaining small businesses.{{Cite news |last=Kilgannon |first=Corey |date=2015-05-15 |title=Jokes Aside, David Letterman Leaves Behind a Costlier Neighborhood |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/nyregion/jokes-aside-david-letterman-leaves-behind-a-costlier-neighborhood.html |access-date=2022-03-14 |issn=0362-4331}} On the day Colbert's team moved into the theatre, he renamed one of the deli's sandwiches in Colbert's honor,{{Cite news |date=2015-08-06 |title='Late Show'-Famous Deli Replaces the "Letterman" Sandwich With the "Colbert" |language=en-US |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/colbert-sandwich-replaces-letterman-at-813506/ |access-date=2022-03-14}}{{Cite news |last=Levy |first=Nicole |date=2016-01-08 |title=Colbert Clashes With Letterman's BFF Sandwich Maker Over Missing Tomatoes |url=https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160108/midtown/colbert-clashes-with-lettermans-bff-sandwich-maker-over-missing-tomatoes |access-date=2022-03-14}} but as of 2022 the sandwich returned to its former name.{{Cite web |title=Rupert Jee's Hello Deli Sandwich Menu |url=https://www.hello-deli.com/deli_menu.php |access-date=2022-03-31 |website=www.hello-deli.com}}
Hello Deli marked thirty years in business on January 31, 2022.{{Cite news |date=2022-02-14 |title=City Life Org - Hello Deli, Made Famous by The Late Show, Celebrates 30 Years in Business |language=en-US |url=https://thecitylife.org/2022/02/14/hello-deli-made-famous-by-the-late-show-celebrates-30-years-in-business/ |access-date=2023-05-08}} On March 18, 2023, Jee and Chin announced their desire to retire and sell.{{Cite news |last=Haring |first=Bruce |date=2023-04-08 |title='Hello Deli' Owner, Made Famous By 'Late Show With David Letterman,' Is Retiring And Seeking A Buyer |language=en-US |url=https://deadline.com/2023/04/hello-deli-made-famous-by-late-show-with-david-letterman-closing-after-31-years-1235320632/ |access-date=2023-05-08}} The deli closed for over a year and has since reopened under new owners and management.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.hello-deli.com/ Official Hello Deli website]
- {{IMDb name|id=0420081|name=Rupert Jee}}
{{David Letterman}}{{DEFAULTSORT:Jee, Rupert}}
Category:Businesspeople from New York City
Category:Television personalities from New York City
Category:American people of Chinese descent
Category:Baruch College alumni
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