Vanna White

Biography

Vanna White is an American TV hostess, Film actress. She is known for hosting the game show Wheel of Fortune. She has been associated with the show for 4 decades now (from 1980-).

Vanna White was born Vanna Marie Rosich, on 18th February 1957 in Conway, South Carolin as the daughter of Joan Marie and Miguel Angel Rosich. Her parents were divorced when she was an infant, and White grew up to take the name of her stepfather, Herbert Stackley White Jr., a former real estate broker.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1979 for her career in acting, her mother died of Ovarian cancer soon after.

Image: Vanna White Children

Education

• Atlanta School of Fashion and Design: After the High School Vanna attended the school of fashion (located at 1627 Ptree St Ne Atlanta, GA 30309-2400), she worked as a model after her course
• High school cheerleader: She was a cheerleader in high school. [2]

Marriage & Relationships

Vanna White & John Gibson

White dated Chippendales star John Gibson in the 1980s and they eventually got engaged. In 1986, Gibson was killed in a plane crash.

Vanna White & George Santo Pietro

White tied knots with restaurant owner George Santo Pietro in December 1990. White first became pregnant in September 1992, (Her pregnancy date was made into an answer to a puzzle in Wheel of Fortune show, through this Vanna let the entire world know that she was pregnant.) She miscarried shortly after however. She later bore a son, Nicholas, born in 1994 and a daughter Giovanna (Gigi), born in 1997 from her marriage to Santo Pietro. The couple filed for divorce in May 2002 and finalized in November [2]

Image: Vanna White & George Santo Pietro

Her son Nik is interested in farming, Vanna calls him "a country boy", while daughter Gigi is interested in Arts & fashion

Vanna White & Michael Kaye

From 2004 to 2006, she was engaged to businessman Michael Kaye but the two never married.

Vanna White & John Donaldson

Vanna & John Donaldson have beem together since 2012, He is the president of JDC Construction &  Development ,they are not married, when asked if they are ever going to try marriage, she said- "We’ve been together for eight years and it seems to be working so we’re both happy, so in my eyes I feel - in both of our eyes - we feel married" [4]

Image: Vanna White Family: Boyfriend John Donaldson; children- Giovanna & Nicholas

In the pop culture

• Comic musician "Weird Al" Yankovic penned an original song, "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White" featured on his hit album Even Worse.
• In 1987, disc jockey David Kolin, credited as Dr. Dave, released a 12-inch single of a parody called "Vanna, Pick Me a Letter" to the song "The Letter" by The Box Tops.
• Paper Mario: Nintendo 64 video game has a small character named Vanna T, which is most likely named after her
• Golden Girls: A character parody of Vanna's episode with Playboy republishing her lingerie pics was made in the episode "Grab That Dough" of the TV series.

Wheel of Fortune

Susan Stafford, the hostess of Wheel of Fortune show left the show in October 1982. She was picked as one of the temporary substitutes along with Summer Bartholomew & Vicki McCarty. She was one of the 200 other contestants. Two months later she became a regular host.

• She was 25 when she started shooting for Wheel of Fortune.
• A Unique record: She’s worn over seven thousand gowns for the show over the last 40 years. She has never worn the same one twice on the show(Wheel of Fortune).
• She doesn’t get to keep the costumes she wears on Wheel of Fortune.
• Craziest wheel of fortune guest: White says that in one show a girl won and she literally picked Pat up and carried him around jumping up and down.
• Funniest moment: It was a Christmas show and a package of Christmas gift got caught on her dress and she was carrying it back and forth and she didn't even know she was carrying it attached to her dress.
• She completed 7000 episodes on the show in May 2019
• World record: She has the world record for most claps, on average she is estimated to clap about 606 times per episode, by now she has appeared in about 7000 episodes of the show. That is more than 4 Million claps in her entire career. A unique world record she still holds.
• A walking record: She is estimated to have walked 2000 miles on the show while walking to reveal the letters.

Wheel of Fortune is at the center of her career, even in most of the TV series/ Movies she has appeared, she appears as the hostess of Wheel of Fortune.

Facts and Trivia

• Vanna's Choice: She has a line of yarns called ‘Vanna's Choice’ through Lion Brand Yarns.
• Hobbies: White is a crochet and knitting enthusiast. She had learned art of Crochet from her grandmother. 
• Ancestry: She is of German, Italian, Puerto Rican ancestry.
• Designers sent the clothes to the studio about 50 gowns and White and team would try them on and pick the top 12 because they do 6 shows a day two days in a row and that’s 12 shows in two days for Wheel of Fortune.
• She was at a taping of a Merv Griffin Show and Janet Gretzky introduced her to Merv's.
• She attended the audition to Merv Griffin Show among 200 other girls and she was the last one. She got the part.
• Lingerie Model: When she had moved to Hollywood she was too embarrassed to ask her dad for money for rent so she did some lingerie shots for money.
• Miss Georgia pageant: Before she hit the small screen Vanna White was a beauty pageant contestant who competed in the 1978 Miss Georgia pageant although her original career path was in modeling and professional acting. She was also no stranger to game shows having appeared on an episode of The Price is Right in 1980.
• Craziest fan experience: Someone came up to her to ask her to sign a yardstick.
• Hollywood Walk of Fame: Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was one of her proudest movement. She received it in April 2006 (7018, Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California)
• Lunch with one person from history: Benjamin Franklin or Einstein
• Several skin care product companies falsely made public that she endorsed their brand.
• Vanna Speaks!: In 1987 Vanna wrote an autobiography of her life (co-written by Patricia Romanowski). The book covered stories from her life and her advice to people on how to be beautiful in mind-body-spirit, it was published by Warner Books.
• Playboy pictorial: She featured in a Playboy pictorial in 1987, those pictures of her in lingerie were taken before she became a popular face on TV through "Wheel of Fortune". She begged Hugh Hefner to not publish those pictures fearing it would damage her image as a family show host. It didn't damage her career, but she never talked to Hugh Hefner again.
• First Car: Her first car was a "BUG".
• Learjets: She once owned 2 learjets
• She has appeared in commercials / promoted brands:
  • Choice Hotels
  • Cybersonic2 power flosser
  • Krispy Kreme
  • SpringAir mattresses (as spokesperson)
  • Stove Top Stuffing
• Magazine covers: She has appeared in the covers of
  • Celebrity Sleuth (1998)
  • TV Guide(1991)
  • Playboy (1987)
  • High Society(1986)
• Charity:
  • St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital: she has donated about $2 Million to the research hospital through the earnings she made with her yarn line "Vanna's Choice"
• Beverly Hills home: She listed her Mansion in the Beverly hills for $47.5 Million. She is known to invest in real estate, she often changes her places for profit. [1]
• Real Estate: If she had not become a TV host she would have become a real estate broker, like her mother and stepfather [2]
• She takes her computer wherever she goes [2]
• Letter Turner: She used to call herself "Letter Turner" previously, now she identifies as "TV Performer" [2]
• Blood group: Her blood group is AB+, about 3% of Americans have that blood group, coincidentally her co-host Pat Sajak also has the same blood group.
• Merv Griffin: She considers talk show host Merv Griffin to be her mentor and role model. She was 25 when they met, he tutored her in the skills of the industry over the years, their friendship lasted for 25 years (until his death)
• Pets: She has a pet cat named Stella [6]

Law suits

In 1993, White sued the Samsung Electronics corporation on account of its humorous ad featuring a robot turning letters on a game show where she alleged a violation of her personality rights.

Initially the lower court ruled in Samsung’s favor. United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the hearing. The Ninth Circuit denied a rehearing; Judge Kozinski issued a dissent and The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari. White was compensated with $403,000 in damages.

Career

1980-1990

The Price is Right: Vanna made her appearance on TV for the first time in June 1980 in an episode of 'The Price is Right', she was one of the first four contestants, but she didn't make it on stage. However her presence at the event was featured in August 1996, during the 25th anniversary of the show.

She played a small part in the 1981 movie Looker, starring Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey, Leigh Taylor-Young.

Vanna had a decent role in "Graduation Day", a slasher thriller directed by Herb Freed, starring Christopher George, Patch Mackenzie, E. Danny Murphy and others.

She played Devona in the 1981 TV Movie "Midnight Offerings". She had a small role in the "Star of the Family" Episode "The Boy Next Door". Appeared as herself in the comedy series "Gimme a Break!" in the episode "The Big Apple: Part 1"

She appeared in the crime action series "The A-Team" as herself (hostess of the show) in the episode "Wheel of Fortune". Appeared in the comedy series "227" as herself in the episode "The Wheel of Misfortune". Appeared as herself in the mystery drama "Simon & Simon" in the episode "Walking Point". 

Goddess of Love- She appears as Venus(Goddess of Love) in this 1988 TV fantasy film. It was a remake of the 1957 film of same name, the movie starred David Naughton, David Leisure, Amanda Bearse and others

Appeared in couple of episodes of the comedy drama "Santa Barbara". She played Roxanne in the "The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!" episode "Raiders of the Lost Mushroom"

1990-2000

Gypsy Angels- An incompletely shot move which was shelfed after the first shooting in 1980 was released in 1990 after Vanna White rose in fame, she had played Mickey- a stripper who falls in love with a stunt pilot. She was paid $12,000 for her role in the movie. Gene Bicknell, Tige Andrews, Richard Roundtree were among other actors in the movie.

She voiced the character "Laurie Saunders" in "The Guinea Pigs" episode of "Captain Planet and the Planeteers". Appeared in "Married... with Children" in the episode "The Proposition" as "Helen Granowinner", it was a parody of the popular movie "Indecent Proposal", Vanna played Robert Redford's role (gender fluid role). Has appeared in the action comedy movies- Double Dragon, Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult

Santa's Last Ride- She was the singer and narrator in the Audio CD 'Santa's Last Ride' of 1996, It was composed by the British composer Leslie Bricusse.

2000-2010

Appeared in the comedy series "Just Shoot Me!" in the episode "A&E Biography: Nina Van Horn" as herself. Plays a role as herself in the comedy series "The King of Queens" in the episode "Inner Tube"

2010s

Played herself in the series- "Fresh Off the Boat" in the episode "B as in Best Friends"

Filmography

Movies List

TV Series List

Video Games

• Wheel of Fortune (2010)

TV Shows she has appeared in as guest/ host are:

• Access Daily
• American Idol
• Bob Hope with His Beautiful Easter Bunnies & Other Friends
• CBS This Morning
• Celebrity Page
• Contact: Talking to the Dead
• E! True Hollywood Story
• Entertainment Tonight
• Game Changers
• Good Morning America
• Home & Family
• Howard Stern
• Intimate Portrait
• Inside Edition
• It's Garry Shandling's Show
• Katie
• Larry King Now
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien
• Late Night with David Letterman
• Late Show with David Letterman
• Live! with Kelly
• Marie
• Maury
• One Question Interviews
• Open Access
• Rachael Ray
• Sally Jessy Raphael
• The Chew
• The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
• The Howard Stern Show
• The Interviews: An Oral History of Television
• The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
• The Pat Sajak Show
• The Price Is Right
• The Reichen Show
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
• The Wayne Brady Show
• The Wendy Williams Show
• This Is Your Life
• Woman to Woman
• WrestleMania IV: Has served as guest timekeeper

Quotes

• I want to travel all over the world I want to go everywhere see everything.
• Never do anything you don't want to do. Listen To your instincts and follow it. [2]
• I enjoy getting dressed as a Barbie doll. [2]
• We are faced with a lot of positives & negatives, we have to accept them & do whatever we can to get through it. If you break an arm - it takes time, but it does heal. Life is not perfect - just try to make the best of it. Be strong, be kind to people, be happy. [4]

Sources

1. Vanna White Wiki
2. IMDB Bio
3. Family picture- instagram
4. Cheat Sheet interview
5. Vanna White with Father
6. Vanna White & her cat Stella
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