Phillip Calvin "Phil" McGraw, Ph.D. (born September 1,
1950), best known as Dr. Phil, is a three-time Emmy Award-nominated
television personality who is the host of the popular American psychology
TV show Dr. Phil, who gained celebrity status following appearances
on The Oprah Winfrey Show. McGraw is noted for his Texas accent
and for his one-finger wave to his wife Robin, in the audiences
at the beginning of every show.
Born in Vinita, Oklahoma, to Jo and Jerry McGraw, McGraw grew up
in the oilfields of North Texas, where his father was an equipment
supplier. During McGraw's childhood, his family moved so his father
could pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a psychologist. McGraw
attended Shawnee Mission North High School in Mission, Kansas. He
was awarded a football scholarship to attend the University of Tulsa,
but was injured and transferred to Midwestern State University in
Wichita Falls, Texas. McGraw graduated from the Midwestern State
University in 1975 with a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in psychology,
and went on to get a Masters in experimental psychology and a Doctorate
in clinical psychology at the University of North Texas. He also
participated in the swimming programs at the two schools.
McGraw owned a construction business with his brother-in-law while
completing his residency. He did one-on-one sessions in private
practice in Wichita Falls, Texas and conducted life skills seminars
with his father and Thelma Box, before getting out of private practice
and founding Courtroom Sciences, Inc., a trial consulting firm,
in 1989 with neighbor Gary Dobbs. As president of CSI, he advised
Fortune 500 companies and injured plaintiffs alike in achieving
settlements.
In 1995, Oprah Winfrey hired Phil McGraw to prepare her for the
Amarillo Texas beef trial. Winfrey was so impressed with McGraw
that she credited him for her victory in that case, which ended
in 1998. Soon after, she invited him to appear on her show. His
appearance proved so successful that he began appearing weekly as
a "Relationship and Life Strategy Expert" on Tuesdays
starting in April 1998. In 2002, he launched his own syndicated
daily TV show, Dr. Phil, produced by Winfrey's Harpo Studios. The
format is an advice show, where he tackles a different topic on
each show, offering advice for his guests' troubles. McGraw has
authored a number of self-help books on topics such as relationships
and weight loss.
In 2005, he signed a five-year extension of his syndication deal
with his show's distributors, King World Productions, Inc. The deal
will pay McGraw a reported USD$15 million and keep him on the airwaves
through the 2013–2014 TV season. McGraw currently lives in
Beverly Hills.
McGraw announced the formation of the Dr. Phil Foundation, which
raises funds to fight childhood obesity, on October 22, 2003. The
Foundation also supports charitable organizations that help address
the emotional, spiritual and monetary needs of many children and
families.
McGraw was married to Debbie Higgins McCall, his high school sweetheart,
from 1970 to 1973. He married Robin Jameson, a college sweetheart,
in 1976, and they have two sons, Jay (1979) and Jordan (1986). Jay
McGraw has partially followed in his father's footsteps, publishing
books aimed at teenagers based on Dr. Phil's books and working for
his father's production company, Stage 29. Jordan is currently a
sophomore at the University of Southern California and is pursuing
his interests in music.
