What Is Kathie Lee Gifford Doing After She Leaves the ‘Today’ Show? Her Next Chapter Involves Movies!

Time for a new chapter. Kathie Lee Gifford has officially left Today after 11 years. That fact doesn’t mean the TV personality doesn’t have another plan up her sleeve as she will next be pursuing a film career.

The 65-year-old appeared on the April 2 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and discussed what she will do next after saying goodbye to NBC and her pals on the news program. “I’m in a state that I never dreamed I would be — I’m a widow, I’m an orphan and I am an empty nester,” Kathie Lee said. “For the first time in my life, I have the time and the means to go and do anything I want to do.”

Kathie Lee told Jimmy Fallon and the audience how an interest in films growing up resulted in her writing Walt Disney a letter when she was young in the hopes of being in one of the legend’s movies.

“That’s always been that dream in me to do movies,” the Live With Regis and Kathie Lee alum revealed. “So I wrote a movie last year — we’re looking for the right distributor right now. Wrote it with my friend Craig Ferguson, who’s one of the most brilliant people in the world.”

Kathie Lee has already been working behind the camera, too. “I just directed my first short film in Israel two weeks ago,” the mom-of-two said. “I’m just having the time of my life. I thought about it — I don’t want to be the one using my senior discount to go see a movie. I want to make the movie that the seniors are using their discount to come and see.”

Back in December, Kathie Lee revealed the shocking news that she would be leaving Hoda Kotb‘s side on Today. As for her replacement, Jenna Bush Hager is set to become Hoda’s new cohost.

We wish Kathie Lee nothing but the best moving forward!