What Nationality Is Lester Holt? Learn More About the NBC Nightly News Star

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‘NBC Nightly News’ Anchor Lester Holt Is the Newscaster Hollywood Has on Speed Dial

Veteran TV reporter Lester Holt has the solemn duty of delivering the headlines each weeknight on NBC Nightly News, but the guy has a lighter side, too. He was a recurring guest-star on 30 Rock, for example, portraying a fictionalized version of himself. And he actually has a ton of experience playing newscasters on film and television — scroll down to read more fun facts about Lester!

Lester has Jamaican roots

Lester’s nationality is American, but his maternal grandparents were born and raised in Jamaica, and his maternal grandfather was half-English and half-Indian. He even went back to Jamaica with his mother for a 2007 Today segment.

“It was a rich journey of discovery for both of us, as we visited the 173-year-old church some of our ancestors built and walked across the plantation my triple-great-grandfather owned, even finding his grave in a tiny tree-sheltered cemetery,” he later wrote on MSNBC.com. “But without a doubt the most poignant and emotional moment for both of us was the discovery of the house my grandmother and her seven siblings were raised in. We didn’t know it still existed, but it was just as she had described it to my mom. Standing there taking in the house and the land I could suddenly see my grandmother in this place. And with my mother at my side, I could also now clearly see my connection to Jamaica.”

Lester married a flight attendant

Lester met Carol Hagen in 1980 when he was a student at California State University, Sacramento and she was a flight attendant, and they married two years later. The couple has two kids: Cameron and Stefan, the latter of whom is a news anchor, as well. These days, Carol is a real estate agent in NYC, and Lester has praised her for sticking by his side in spite of his hectic schedule.

Lester and his wife, Carol.

“We laugh a lot, we really do,” he told Extra in 2015. “I can be silly, she can be sillier. We just laugh through things, and we know that tough times will be a story at some point, and boy, have I put her through some tough times with this job… I love her to death. She has been so wonderful. She knows this job is going to bring a lot of late-night phone calls, but she’s there for me, and that means an awful lot.”

Lester’s net worth has reached eight figures

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Lester is rocking a $4 million yearly salary and has a $12 million net worth. After anchoring newscasts around the country, Lester joined MSNBC in 2000 and then NBC News in 2003. These days, he’s hosting both NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC. With Lester’s newscasting gravitas, it’s no wonder Hollywood has come calling. He has played anchors in The Fugitive, Miracle on 34th Street, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and House of Cards. He even popped up in no fewer than five episodes of 30 Rock. This 59-year-old is in high demand, apparently!

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