Facts

Name : Maria Menounos
Birthday : June 8, 1978
Birthplace : Medford, Massachusetts
Occupation : Actress , Journalist

A well-known international reporter for Channel One News, which broadcasts to schools across America.

Celebrity Movie Archive

Journalism

Channel One News

Entertainment Tonight - 2002

Access Hollywood

Today Show 2006, 2007.

Filmography

2005 Fantastic Four

CBS' Without a Trace

One Tree Hill as Jules

Screensaver

Biography

Making her grand entrance on June 8th, 1978 in Medford, Massachusetts, Maria Menounos was a shining star at birth. By the time she was a student (and a good one at that), her sights were set on a career in journalism. Some days, she would even arrive late to school after watching the morning news on CNN for too long.

Maria Menounos Crowned Miss Massachusetts

In 1995, thanks to the encouragement of her friends and family, Menounos began to enroll in beauty pageants. The following year, she won the title of Miss Massachusetts Teen USA. Though she did not win the Miss Teen USA crown, her involvement in such a big production helped her gain a lot of experience, not to mention pave the way for her career. In fact, she boldly told pageant host and Entertainment Tonight reporter Bob Goen that she would love to work with him at ET. Her six years of foresight seem quite prophetic today.

Maria Menounos on Channel One News

Her string of success on the pageant circuit ended in 1999, when Menounos finished a very respectable second place to Miss Massachusetts USA. By this time, she was on to bigger and better things as a student at Boston's Emerson College. During her senior year, she was hired as a reporter for Channel One News, known as the top news source for American students. Her work for Channel One's 10-minute segments included traveling to El Salvador to report on the devastating earthquake of 2001 and interviewing President George W. Bush.

She also lent her broadcasting skills to two radio stations; she produced, hosted and wrote news segments for both a local and a college channel. Menounos even made an independent film in 1999 called George's Auto, proving that she is truly an all-around talent.

Entertainment Tonight Hires Maria Menounos

These achievements translated into a wave of high-profile TV offers. The best and most lucrative by far came from the most popular news show in syndication, Entertainment Tonight. The famed celebrity news show convinced Menounos to join its team as a correspondent in 2002. She excelled immediately, interviewing everyone from the Osbournes to Robin Williams, and reporting on movies, music and fashion.

Menounos did so well that ET executives offered her a hosting gig for ET on MTV & VH1, a crossover program that brings the latest celeb news to the two popular networks. She remains a correspondent on ET but, to many, her most important contributions involve charities. Menounos formed Take Action Hollywood!, a foundation that raises social awareness and enlists the help of the entertainment industry.

Maria Menounos News

Of late, Maria Menounos has created her own news by appearing in FHM magazine and being the subject of a rumored romance with Hollywood star Vin Diesel. The praise for this beautiful host should continue with few obstacles, proving that beauty pageant babes are more than just a big smile and bikini body. And if Maria continues to give us glimpses of that body, like she did at the 2004 Oscars by wearing a diamond-studded dress worth more than $2.5 million, she'll always be priceless to us.

Maria Menounos got Punk'd

In 2003, Menounos appeared on the November 30 episode of Punk'd where she was one of many celebrities caught in the awkward and embarrassing "Red Carpet Interviews".

Maria Menounos in Fantastic Four

In the summer of 2005, she appeared in the comic book film Fantastic Four, where she played a nurse who is romanced by the "Human Torch", played by Chris Evans. Her likeness and voice was featured in the 2005 Electronic Arts video game, From Russia with Love as Eva Adara, Red Grant's henchwoman, which stars Sean Connery as James Bond. She is also the spokesperson for Pantene hair products.

Maria Menounos presented the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest (along with Greek singer Sakis Rouvas) that took place in Athens.

Menounos is a correspondent for The Today Show as well as Access Hollywood in an overall deal with NBC Universal to act in films and television shows. She also has recurring roles on CBS' Without a Trace and as Jules in the second season of The CW's One Tree Hill (during its run on The WB).

Menounos also appeared on the Scrubs episode "My Extra Mile", which aired in May 2006 where John Dorian attracts her because of his hair style. Later, in the episode, he agrees to shave his head in solidarity with a chemotherapy patient and consequently lose her.

In 2006, Menounos appeared in the music video for "A Public Affair" by Jessica Simpson.