Who is the legendary “Dateline” voice Keith Morrison?
Whether you know the name or not Keith Morrisonor what the Canadian journalist looks like, his distinctive voice is known around the world as the one behind the long-running series Dateline NBC (1992-present). Morrison appeared both on screen and as the narrator of the popular magazine/true crime show.
Who is Keith Morrison?
Keith Morrison began his early broadcasting career in local reporting at various small television stations in his native Canada. In 1973, he joined the national daily newscast Canada AM as a news reporter covering international conflicts. In 1976, Morrison moved to late night reporting as an anchor and national affairs correspondent CTV National News. He later joined the evening Canadian news series The diary.
Morrison’s first big break in American television came in the late 1980s when he joined the NBC network, where he worked both daytime and daytime Today’s show and late night series NBC Nightly News. In 1995, Morrison joined Dateline As a correspondent, he usually reported on the discovery of crimes, often unsolved murder cases. The series is considered Morrison’s signature work and is the most exemplary example of his reporting and investigative style.
Often on dateline, Morrison interviews relatives of the deceased as well as people interested in true crime cases. His flair for dramatic narratives, coupled with his curious nature and his buttery Canadian dialect, quickly made Morrison an international household name. In recent years, Morrison has faded into the background dateline, to act as a narrator off-camera.
His broadcasting style has also been parodied several times, most notably by comedian Bill Hader Saturday Night Live. Hader, a noted true crime series fan, has stated numerous times that he considers Morrison his “idol” and that his impression comes from a place of deep respect and admiration. Morrison later met with Hader and had his biggest fan do an impression of him side by side.
Keith Morrison’s personal life
Since 1981, Keith Morrison has been married to Suzanne Perry (née Langford), a fellow journalist and former press secretary to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The couple has four children together. Through his marriage to Perry, Morrison is the stepfather of actor Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing Friends (1994-2004).
Morrison has been Perry’s stepfather since he was 12, and the couple have been open about their close family bond.
“[Matthew]He is an intense, talented and focused character. He’s very smart,” Morrison said People. “It was always like that when he was growing up.”
In Matthew Perry’s 2022 memoir Friends, lovers and the big, terrible thingPerry described Morrison as a supportive figure from a young age who treated him like one of his own children. Perry also revealed that Morrison had supported him through his long-standing battle with substance abuse and addiction.
