Man of the House: Brian Williams

MSNBC
By Kate Coyne
As the anchor of NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams, 49, is in millions of homes every evening. But it turns out the journalist is happiest in his own living room.

"I'm really such a homebody," he says of life in New Canaan, CT, where he lives with his wife of 22 years, Jane, and their kids Allison, 19, and Douglas, 16. "On any given Saturday night, I'll be eating takeout with my family," he says. "We don't go out."

But as much as Williams loves staying put, covering the election has kept him moving. "I've gone from being in Hillary Clinton's motorcade at 8 a.m. to anchoring the newscast to moderating a debate, in the same day. It's a world of bad food, bad hotels, bad flights," he says. "But it makes you appreciate what's waiting back at home."

Q: Your youngest child is a high school junior; are you ready for an empty nest?
I'm bracing myself for it. We've gotten a taste of it with my daughter having left, but now, every night I'm away from my son, I'm aware that these days are finite and they're going fast.

Q: What has been the secret to keeping your marriage strong for 22 years?
I met my wife when she was a new executive producer on a news program where I worked at the time. I actually heard her, in my earpiece, before I ever saw her face; it was very sexy. That very day, I walked over to my buddy the sportscaster, and I said, "I just met the woman I'm going to marry." All these years later, I am positive that I could not do what I do, or stay even remotely sane, without her. There's this old quote from Lyndon Johnson, that he wanted to have "the truth with the bark off." That's what my wife gives me. She knows me better than anyone, and she gives it to me straight.

Q: You were a hilarious Saturday Night Live host recently. Do you like surprising people with your humorous side?
While I don't exactly look for opportunities to be funny, I don't turn them down either. But when they approached me about hosting Saturday Night Live, I debated it. I asked everyone from Chevy Chase to Tom Brokaw for advice — I really wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be jeopardizing my credibility. In the end, I'm so glad I did it, because I really had a blast.

Q: Are you handy around the house?
To be honest, I'm the sort of guy who feels I deserve a victory lap after I change a lightbulb. The removal of the Christmas tree wreath from the back door, in my opinion, requires gloves and eye protection. However, I am helpful. I am the guy who cleans the kitchen every single night, and I do the grocery shopping. I actually enjoy spending 90 minutes every weekend at the Super Stop & Shop.

Q: Do fellow shoppers recognize you?
Definitely not. When I'm in my usual Saturday outfit — jeans, a sweatshirt, and a baseball cap — instead of a suit and tie, no one knows who I am. I wear my iPod while I shop; good music really propels me through the aisles. I now have a near-photographic memory of the shelves, so I know that spices lead to oils, which lead to dressings. There's a reason why campaigning politicians are always told the price of gas and the price of milk — because those two prices hit home the most. And in that case, I'm really no different than anyone else. I fill my own tank, and my own fridge.