Steve Burns | |
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Born | Steven Michael Burns October 9, 1973 Boyertown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Education | DeSales University |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1994–present |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments | |
Labels | PIAS Recordings |
Steven Michael Burns (born October 9, 1973) [1] is an American actor, musician and television host. He is best known as a fictional version of himself as the host of the children's television series Blue's Clues from 1996 until 2002, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 2001. Burns has also done extensive voice-over work for advertising, including the "Snickers satisfies" advertising campaign. [2] [3]
Burns was born in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, to Joseph Burns Jr. (1938–2015) and Janet Burns (née Petaccio). He has two sisters. His father served in the U.S. Navy and later became the human resources director of Safeguard Business Systems. [4] He attended Boyertown Area Senior High School in Berks County, graduating in 1992. [5]
During his high school and college years, Burns played in several bands: Sudden Impact US, Nine Pound Truck, and the Ivys, the latter of which he called a "Morrissey rip-off band". [6] He studied theatre under an acting scholarship at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley, where he was discovered by an agent. [7] He dropped out of school and moved to New York City to become a professional actor. [6] He lived in a basement apartment near Times Square, finding his first success as a voice-over artist for ads and making appearances on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order .
In 1994, Burns auditioned for Blue's Clues , thinking it was a voice-over role for a game show. He modeled his audition performance after Christopher Walken. [8] He had long hair and an earring. "I was a bit of a skate rat," he said. [7] Initially, the Nickelodeon executives were not supportive of Burns hosting their new show; in subsequent auditions, the show's creators requested that he dress more conservatively. (Burns reported that the creators, in a call-back phone conversation, asked him, "Could you not look like yourself tomorrow morning?") [9] It became apparent, however, that he was the favorite with preschool test audiences. Executive producer and co-creator Traci Paige Johnson reported that of the 100 people they auditioned, Burns was "the realest". [6] As Alice Wilder, Nickelodeon's Director of Research and Development, said: "There was just something about this kid, who was fresh out of Pennsylvania, who just knew where to look in the camera to really talk to kids. He was just right." [9]
Blue's Clues premiered on September 8, 1996, on Nick Jr. and was an instant hit due to Burns's performances as much as the show's format. He became "a superstar" among his audience and their parents, but unknown to everyone else, [6] and enjoyed what he called being a "micro-celebrity, about as small a celebrity as you can be". [7] As The New York Times reported, he "developed an avid following among both preteen girls and mothers. The former send torrents of e-mail; the latter scrutinize the show with an intensity that might make even Elmo, the red Muppet, blush." [7] In 2000, People included Burns in their annual list of America's most eligible bachelors. [10] According to writer Diane Tracy, Burns was "destined for the part". [11] Also, according to Tracy, Burns was not the typical children's television host: "There is nothing syrupy about him—his humor is sometimes borderline offbeat, but never inappropriate for preschoolers." [11]
The show was filmed in a studio in Tribeca, Manhattan. [12] Burns became "very involved" with the production of Blue's Clues from the beginning. [10] One of the most challenging aspects of hosting the show was performing on the "blue screen" before the animation was added. [13] Burns called it "maddening" [10] and likened it to "acting at the bottom of a swimming pool". [14]
After nearly six years and nearly 100 episodes, Burns announced he was leaving Blue's Clues in January 2001 [15] [16] [5] [17] [18] [19] [9] and in his final episodes, which aired as a three-part special on April 29, 2002, "Steve" introduced new host Donovan Patton as his younger brother, Joe. [20]
According to Johnson, Burns never wanted to become a "children's host". He loved kids, but stated, "he could not make a life-long career out of it." [6] Burns went on by saying, "I knew I wasn't going to be doing children's television all my life, mostly because I refused to lose my hair on a kid's TV show, and it was happening, fast." [9] The day following the filming of his final episode for the show, he shaved his head – something that he wanted to do for several years, but the show's producers would not allow. [21] He explained in a 2016 interview that "a lot of the original people on the show, like the people who created it, were all moving on to other careers. It just felt like time." [22] In a 2022 Variety interview, Burns revealed that he suffered from clinical depression while on the show. [23]
Burns's departure led to the resurfacing of rumors that had circulated about him since 1998, including death from a heroin overdose, being killed in a car accident, and (similar to rumors about Paul McCartney in 1966) being replaced with a look-alike. Burns made an appearance on The Rosie O'Donnell Show to dispel these rumors, [9] and he and co-creator Angela Santomero appeared on The Today Show to help concerned parents extinguish the fears of kids who may have heard these rumors. [20]
Burns consulted on the casting for the revival of Blue's Clues, titled Blue's Clues & You! and hosted by Josh Dela Cruz. [24] He and Patton reprised their roles in the premiere episode to welcome their "cousin" Josh, as well as on a recurring basis for the rest of the series. Burns and Patton also made prominent appearances in the Paramount+ movie Blue's Big City Adventure in 2022. [25] [26] In addition, Burns has written and directed several episodes of the revival. [27]
Burns appeared in videos for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the premiere of Blue's Clues in 2021, including a widely watched Twitter video on Nick Jr.'s Twitter account in which he – in character as the host of the show – explained reassuringly that he had never forgotten the viewers after leaving to go to college, and marveling at how much each of them had experienced since then. [28] [29] [30] [31] [32]
Burns worked on material for his first album, Songs for Dustmites , for two and a half years at a small studio in his home in Brooklyn before it was produced by PIAS Records in late 2002. He started work on the album after he left Blue's Clues in 2002, and it was released in 2003. [6] He posted eleven songs on his webpage and then realizing he needed help with drums and arrangements went to Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips for advice. Drozd assisted Burns with six tracks, Lips bassist Michael Ivins engineered the album, and longtime Lips producer Dave Fridmann produced it. One of the songs from the album, "Mighty Little Man", is used as the opening theme for the CBS series Young Sheldon . [33] Burns made several appearances on the series beginning in January 2022, playing a Star Trek enthusiast whom the title character meets. [34]
Burns started a band, Steve Burns and the Struggle, and completed his second album, Deep Sea Recovery Efforts, which was released in 2009. Members of the Struggle include Drozd and Ryan Smith of A Million Billion.
Burns acted in the 2007 horror-comedy film Netherbeast Incorporated with Darrell Hammond and Dave Foley, playing the part of a vampire. [35] In 2008, he played an astronaut in Christmas on Mars , a science fiction film from the Flaming Lips. [21] In March 2012, he appeared in the YouTube comedy series The Professionals. [36]
He appeared in DeSales University's production of Amadeus as the title character in 2007 and also appeared in The Comedy of Errors. [37]
In late 2016, Burns released a children's album with Drozd, titled Foreverywhere under the name "STEVENSTEVEN". They released a video of the album's first song, "The Unicorn and Princess Rainbow". [22]
Burns made a guest appearance on Tim Kubart's 2018 children's album Building Blocks. [38]
After residing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, for much of his adult life, Burns told the New York Post in 2020 that he had been living mostly near the Catskill Mountains for the past four years. [39]
The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne, Steven Drozd, Derek Brown, Matt Duckworth Kirksey and Tommy McKenzie (bass). Coyne and Drozd have remained the band's only consistent members since 1991, with Coyne being the only remaining founding member following the departure of bassist and keyboardist Michael Ivins in 2021.
Stephen Glenn Martin is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for his work in comedy films, television, and recording, he has received many accolades, including five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and an Honorary Academy Award, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards. He also received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2005, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007, and an AFI Life Achievement Award in 2015. In 2004, Comedy Central ranked Martin at sixth place in a list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics. The Guardian named him one of the best actors never to have received an Academy Award nomination.
Marcel Theo Hall, known professionally as Biz Markie, was an American rapper and singer. Markie's 1989 single "Just a Friend", became a Top 40 hit in several countries and was named No. 100 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest hip-hop songs of all time in 2008. Markie was sometimes referred to as the "Clown Prince of Hip Hop".
Christmas on Mars is a 2008 independent psychological science fiction film from the alternative rock band the Flaming Lips, written and directed by the band's frontman, Wayne Coyne, and featuring the entire band in the cast, as well as many of their associates, including Steve Burns, Adam Goldberg, and Fred Armisen.
Blue's Clues is an American interactive educational children's television series created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler, and Angela C. Santomero. It premiered on Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. block on September 8, 1996, and concluded its run on August 6, 2006, with a total of six seasons and 143 episodes. The original host of the show was Steve Burns, who left in 2002 and was replaced by Donovan Patton for the fifth and sixth seasons. The show follows an animated blue-spotted dog named Blue as she leaves a trail of clues/paw prints for the host and the viewers to figure out her plans for the day.
Adam Goldberg is an American actor. Known for his supporting roles in film and television, Goldberg has appeared in films such as Dazed and Confused, Saving Private Ryan, A Beautiful Mind and Zodiac. He has also played leading roles in independent films such as The Hebrew Hammer and 2 Days in Paris. His TV appearances include the shows Law & Order: Criminal Intent, My Name Is Earl, Friends, Entourage, The Jim Gaffigan Show, The Unusuals and his role as hitman Grady Numbers in the first season of Fargo. Since 2021 he has starred opposite Queen Latifah on CBS' The Equalizer.
Figure It Out is an American children's panel game show that aired on Nickelodeon. The original series, hosted by Summer Sanders, ran for four seasons from July 7, 1997, to December 12, 1999. The show was revived in 2012, with Jeff Sutphen as host, with the revival airing from June 11, 2012, to July 16, 2013. The series was originally recorded at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The revival episodes were filmed on stage 19 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.
Steven Gregory Drozd is an American musician. He is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter for the Flaming Lips, Electric Würms, and other projects.
Songs for Dustmites is the debut album by American musician, actor, and television host Steve Burns. It was released on August 12, 2003, by PIAS America. The album was produced by Dave Fridmann and Ed Buller.
Dylan Thomas Sprouse is an American actor. He is known for his role as Zack Martin on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck, where he starred alongside his twin brother Cole Sprouse. He is an owner of the All-Wise Meadery in Brooklyn, New York.
Donovan Patton is an American actor and television host. Patton graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy and acted in Shakespeare plays such as Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet before replacing Steve Burns as the host of the television program, Blue's Clues in 2002. Series co-creator Angela Santomero stated that Patton brought Joe, his character, closer to the preschool viewer, as Joe was more willing to "jump into a problem rather than figuring it out first like Steve". After Blue's Clues ended in 2006, Patton then voiced Bot on Nickelodeon's Team Umizoomi (2010–2015), and in 2021, he began voicing CatRat on the Netflix original DreamWorks series Gabby's Dollhouse.
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known for having hosted late-night talk shows, beginning with Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993–2009) and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien (2009–2010) on the NBC television network, and Conan (2010–2021) on the cable channel TBS. Before his hosting career, O'Brien was a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 1988 to 1991, and the Fox animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1991 to 1993. He has also been host of the podcast series Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend since 2018 and starred in the 2024 travel show Conan O'Brien Must Go on Max.
"I Lost on Jeopardy" is a song by American musician "Weird Al" Yankovic from his second album, "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D, released in 1984. The song is a parody of "Jeopardy" by The Greg Kihn Band, released in 1983, and its refrain "Our love's in jeopardy". The parody's lyrics center on the game show Jeopardy!, and features a guest vocal from Don Pardo, who announced for Jeopardy! from 1964 to 1975. The music video uses a set inspired by the 1964-75 version of the game show, and in addition to Pardo, features cameos from the show's host Art Fleming as well as Dr. Demento and Greg Kihn. The song was released just prior to the revival of Jeopardy! in 1984, though contrary to popular theory, the revival was already in the works and was not inspired by Yankovic's song.
Jeopardy! is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given general knowledge clues in the form of answers and they must identify the person, place, thing, or idea that the clue describes, phrasing each response in the form of a question.
Foreverywhere is an album of children's music by American musician and actor Steve Burns and collaborator Steven Drozd under the band name STEVENSTEVEN. The duo worked previously on Burns's solo albums.
Blue's Clues & You! is an interactive educational children's television series developed by Traci Paige Johnson and Angela C. Santomero for Nickelodeon. Combining live-action and animation, it is a revival of the 1996–2006 Blue's Clues television series, which was created by Johnson, Santomero, and Todd Kessler. The revival features a new host, Josh Dela Cruz, and is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, 9 Story Media Group, and Brown Bag Films Toronto. It premiered on Nickelodeon on November 11, 2019.
Joshua Dela Cruz is an American actor. He plays a fictional version of himself as the host in Blue's Clues & You!. He is the third main host of the franchise, after Steve Burns and Donovan Patton.
Blue's Big City Adventure, previously titled Blue's Broadway Dreams, is a 2022 live-action/animated musical comedy film. It is the second installment of the Blue's Clues film series, and a standalone sequel to Blue's Big Musical Movie, based on the revival Nick Jr. Channel television series, Blue's Clues & You!. Directed by Matt Stawski, the film stars Traci Paige Johnson as the voice of Blue, alongside Josh Dela Cruz, Donovan Patton, and Steve Burns. As the events of the film take place after the original series and during the fourth season of Blue's Clues & You!, the film follows Josh and Blue as they travel to New York City to audition for a Broadway musical.