Part of The View’s charter, when it debuted in 1997, was to be “a show with women of different generations, backgrounds and views.” Indeed, its original hosts – Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Barbara Walters and Debbie Matenopoulos – fit the bill.

But when Matenopoulos’ contract wasn’t renewed in 1999, The View needed a new view from a member of Generation X, most of whom were then in their mid- to late-20s.

The show found its new host in Lisa Ling.

Ling was born in Sacramento, Calif., to Doug and Mei-yan Ling. Doug was a Chinese immigrant and Mei-yan (Mary) was from Taiwan. The two divorced with Ling was 7 years old. Her sister, Laura, was 4 years old. They were raised by their father after the divorce.

She attended Del Campo High School and, after graduation, studied journalism at the University of Southern California. A journalism pro almost from the get-go, Ling hosted Scratch, a nationally syndicated teen magazine show, leaving to become a broadcast journalist with Channel One News when she was 18. Ling was one of the channels youngest reporters – and a war correspondent. She covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Joining – and departing – The View
Matenopoulos was released from The View after two years on the show, her contract lapsing and going unrenewed. Rumor and gossip suggested that she and Walters came into some kind of personal conflict. Matenopoulos was only 22 years old at the time.

Perhaps because of her age and experience, she was often parodied on shows like Saturday Night Live.

(“Did I say and do some crazy things?” she told Oprah Winfrey on Winfrey’s show, Where are They Now? “Yeah, I look back at that girl and I say, ‘You poor thing.’ I mean that poor, poor thing.  It was difficult to read stuff about myself that's for sure, in the press, and to hear things about myself and -- oh my gosh, the press could be brutal. Brutal.”)

When Matenopoulos was let go, the search was on for a replacement. Ling was one of 12,000 potential hosts who applied for the position. She quickly rose to the top and was chosen join the other three hosts and Joy Behar, who became a series regular after the first season.

Ling brought something new and fresh to the program. She is often credited for coming up with successful show segments, such as investing for women. She also reportedly did her best to inject thoughtful and reflective moments into the program. Ling drew on her journalism skill to ensure each story was presented from different viewpoints, as well.

She departed The View in 2002 to return to journalism. Ling was replaced by Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

Journalism and Oprah
After The View, Ling took on hard-hitting news stories, such as drug wars and gang violence. She was also part of a film crew that documented a rare visit to North Korea.

Ling hosted National Geographic Explorer before joining The Oprah Winfrey Show as a special investigative reporter. She would continue to work with Winfrey, eventually debuting her own show, Our America with Lisa Ling on the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011.

Fast Facts

• Ling is marred to Paul Song, a radiation oncologist. The two have a daughter, Jett Ling Song.
• Ling’s sister, Laura, along with Laura’s companion, Euna Lee, were famously detained by North Korea in 2009 after being accused of illegally entering the country. They were eventually sentenced to 12 years in a labor prison for their actions. They were released after former president Bill Clinton negotiated their release.