Quotes from Matt Lauer

I like getting rid of things. I really do.

What makes people successful in this business is to be yourself on camera. Sounds simple. It's not.

Outside of my family and my work, I have two passions, both instilled in me by my father: golf and fishing.

Every night at 6:30, my entire family sits down for dinner together. It's definitely the best part of my day.

When you have somebody in a position of power show interest in you after you've kind of been down and out, that's a big boost.

There's a difference between good chemistry and a bond. Chemistry is something you have with somebody you meet - or you don't. It's an intangible. It may be superficial. It's much harder to put your finger on than a bond.

My dad was Jewish. My mom is not. So I was not raised anything.

Not only is it a great concept and a great idea -- helping people -- it's good pizza too!

America remembers. On this 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the nation honors those who were lost.

There are pockets of liberal, affluent America where parents don't want their kids vaccinated.

Not a lot of conservatives on this list. Are more liberals than conservatives screwing up America?

I read the rumors, and I know there is a cottage industry of meanness out there.

Broadcasting through 9/11 together, like Katie Couric and I did, creates a bond.

I don't think I'm all that interesting. I mean, I'm a guy who does a morning show and goes to bed at 9:00 every night. I mean, I don't have a lot in my life that's really fascinated or fodder for tabloids.

People always say, 'Is it tough getting up at four in the morning?' I'm not terrible with that, but the weird thing for me is that I start to feel like a 3-year-old in need of a nap at about 7:30 at night; and, at 9:30, my head is teetering like that.

People don't want to see me having a bad morning. They have job problems, financial problems, family pressures, kids to get off to school. The last thing they want to wake up to is someone showing them the same problems. So maybe that's the one time I am forced to act.

I've always liked the idea of walking into a cocktail party where there are different people and finding some connection with almost everybody in the room.

I'm not going to whine or get depressed. Who's going to feel sorry for me? Nobody.

I value my privacy a lot.

In my mind, I am extraordinarily handy. But what that means is when I attempt to fix something, there's usually a five-minute period of experimentation, followed by a five-minute period of frustration, followed by a frantic phone call to a professional.

I can't be as open on national television as I can when I'm having dinner with friends. But that doesn't mean the type of person I am is different. My values, my dislikes, my sense of humor are the same.

I knew I wanted to work in television because some friends of mine, when I went to high school - their fathers worked for, as a matter of fact, for NBC Sports at the time.

When people start to write articles about what might be wrong with the 'Today' show you know where you should point the finger, point it at me because I have been there the longest. And it's my responsibility.

Early on, I had five jobs in a row where I was either fired or canceled.