Leta Powell Drake

In 2020, Drake found herself becoming an internet sensation when her numerous interviews of older celebrities started to go viral. A twitter user named John Frankensteiner posted a compilation clip with the description reading "Currently obsessed with Leta Powell Drake, the greatest interviewer of all time." Many have noted that Drake's style of interviewing tended to be very matter-of-fact and blunt. Notable examples being telling Tim Curry that he "looks evil in many ways", prefacing Lee Remick with "You got to work with Richard Burton in The Tempest, and now he's dead" and telling Gene Hackman, "You've done some brilliant pictures, you've done some stinkers" with a bemused Hackman responding "Really?" Drake believed that the reason her interviews were popular was because she interviewed older celebrities. When she realized that it was because of her approach to interviewing, she stated "I'm not matter-of-fact; I do my homework... If I'm going to do an interview, I come in and look like I know what I'm talking about... And maybe that was it. Confidence will take you a long way, you know, it really will."

In 1967, Drake created the character of Kalamity Kate on Cartoon Corral.

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Drake began her broadcasting career at KDAL-TV (now KDLH-TV) there. In 1956, the VFW sponsored the "Voice of Democracy" essay contest for high school students. Leta's voice was recorded for the first time, and she won the city championship. The TV station offered her a part-time job. She began as talent on commercials and was on a live Bingo program.

Leta Powell Drake (March 10, 1938 – September 15, 2021) was an American broadcaster, television producer, screenwriter and television personality on local stations in Nebraska. Drake hosted Live & Learn, a program for seniors on 5 City TV in Lincoln, Nebraska, and has been inducted into the Nebraska Broadcasters Hall of Fame and the Nebraska Press Women's Hall of Fame.