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A broadcast journalist and respected television personality, Barbara Walters is considered to be one of the most influential women of the 20th century.

She has worked as a host on numerous high-profile television shows, including The View, and has conducted interviews with many of the biggest names in entertainment. Walters has influenced generations of female journalists, encouraging many young girls to aim high and pursue their dreams.

Walters has lived a fascinating life, full of drama, tragedy, and humor — and although she remains behind the scenes these days, fans are no less enamored with her, and with her life story. 

How did Barbara Walters become famous?

Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters | Laura Cavanaugh/Getty Images

Barbara Walters was born in Boston in 1929. Her father worked in the entertainment business, and from a very young age, Walters was surrounded by celebrities, forming the basis for her later career. Walters went on to study English in college, graduating in 1951. Intent on pursuing a career in journalism and broadcast television, Walters moved to New York and began working for NBC.

In the sixties, Walters started working for The Today Show, writing and producing stories that focused on women’s issues. In 1974, she was promoted to co-host, and people all around the world began to learn more about Walters and her own unique style and personality.

All throughout the seventies and eighties, Walters continued to write, produce, and appear in news stories that spotlighted news of the day. She became as famous as many of the subjects that she interviewed, recognizable for her speech pattern and bravery in tackling tough stories.

Walters has interviewed world leaders, celebrities, and controversial people from all over the world, including Michael Jackson, Katharine Hepburn, Hugo Chavez, Sir Laurence Olivier, and the Shah of Iran. She is known for her tough, journalistic style, and her habit of always landing the “scoop” — the hard questions that viewers want to know the answers to. 

How tall is Barbara Walters?

In 1997, Barbara Walters launched one of her most ambitious projects, The View. The daytime talk show was produced and co-hosted by Walters and quickly made waves with viewers around the United States. Fans loved how the show spotlighted powerful women discussing issues of the day, and over the years, continued to grow and evolve, welcoming new co-hosts and guests. 

Walters continued to work well into her later years and acted as a host on The View until 2014, all while managing a host of other projects. Walters’ work ethic has impressed many, and her accomplishments can’t be denied.

In spite of Walters’ power and poise, she is actually a very petite woman, and according to IMDb, is only about 5’5” tall. 

What is Barbara Walters doing these days?

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After years of work in entertainment and broadcast journalism, Barbara Walters retired in 2015. Throughout the course of her career, Walters has been honored with numerous awards, including being inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1989 and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.

She has also won Daytime and Prime Time Emmy Awards, and in 2009, she was honored with a special Lifetime Achievement Award. Walters’ final on-air interview was in 2015 when she conducted an interview with the then-presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Walters is no longer active in the entertainment industry and is enjoying a peaceful retirement. At the age of 91, Walters has more than earned her retirement – and there’s no doubt that she will go down in history as one of the all-time great women in journalism.