AccessHollywood.com

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD
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"Access Hollywood," currently in its 12th season in national syndication, is an entertainment newsmagazine that provides viewers with the latest showbiz news, in-depth celebrity interviews, and behind-the-scenes accounts of the most important events in Hollywood. The newsmagazine's continuous efforts to break new ground by giving viewers the inside stories they want to see have helped it gain substantial growth in popularity and ratings.

The weekday half-hour edition of "Access Hollywood" is dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of the most important entertainment stories of the day in a sophisticated-yet-fun-to-watch style. From delivering exclusive breaking news and revealing discussions with the biggest stars in Hollywood to previews and access to the latest motion pictures, television and music projects, the daily edition provides one-stop shopping for viewers hungry for the latest in entertainment news and the hottest fashions. The expanded one-hour weekend edition of "Access Hollywood" allows for in-depth feature stories and theme shows, including annual previews of major award shows (the Oscars®, the Emmys®), the summer rock tours, the new fall television season, countdowns of top actors, top models, top movie blockbusters, greatest bands of all time and behind-the-scenes looks at hotspots in New York and Los Angeles, to name a few.

The on-air team at "Access Hollywood" is led by Nancy O'Dell and Billy Bush, who, as co-anchors, offer an engaging and fresh take on the world of entertainment news. Joining O'Dell and Bush are weekend co-anchors and daily show correspondents Shaun Robinson and Tony Potts, New York correspondent Tim Vincent and special correspondent Maria Menounos. O'Dell was promoted to the co-anchor chair in April 1999, after serving as weekend co-anchor and correspondent since the show's launch in 1996. Bush was named co-anchor in June 2004, after serving as the show's east coast correspondent since December 2001. Robinson joined the show in May 1999 from WSVN-TV in Miami, and Potts arrived in April 1999 after serving as a freelance reporter for ABC's "Good Morning America." Vincent joined the show in February 2005 after serving as co-host of "Access Hollywood UK," NBC's British version of "Access Hollywood," and Menounos arrived in August 2005 after reporting on film, television, music and fashion for "Entertainment Tonight."

"Access Hollywood" is taped on Stage 1 at the NBC Studios in Burbank, California, where the show is headquartered. The senior production team responsible for "Access Hollywood" consists of executive producer Rob K. Silverstein, senior producer Claudia Eaton and supervising producers Adam Jordan, Mike Marson and Ryan Patterson. In addition to the Burbank newsroom of more than 100 dynamic producers, researchers and writers, "Access Hollywood" also maintains a fully staffed New York bureau and has producers and correspondents around the world contributing to its half-hour weekday and hour-long weekend editions. Seen in over 90% of the country, "Access Hollywood" airs on major market affiliates, including the NBC Universal Television owned stations.

"Access Hollywood" is produced by NBC and distributed by NBC Universal Television Distribution.

Nancy O'Dell

Named as one of Television Week’s 10 Most Bankable Stars in Syndication, Nancy O’Dell serves as the co-anchor of Access Hollywood, the daily entertainment newsmagazine currently in its 12th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news and personalities on television. She was part of Access Hollywood’s on-air team when the show launched in 1996, serving as weekend co-anchor and weekday correspondent. In January 1999, O’Dell was promoted to co-anchor and has since earned a reputation as one of Hollywood’s leading entertainment journalists.

In addition to her on-air duties at Access Hollywood, O’Dell has contributed reports to both NBC News’s “Today” show and “Dateline.” Beyond covering events such as The Oscars, The Emmys, The Grammys and The Golden Globe Awards, O’Dell has also hosted the national Golden Globes Arrivals Special for NBC since 2000 and The Emmys Pre-Show for Fox (1999), ABC (2000) and NBC (2006). A member of the Academy of Country Music, she was the original host and consulting producer of USA Network’s “Nashville Star,” a nationwide search for the next great country music artist. In addition, O’Dell has been a co-host for NBC’s network coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade since 2000. In 2003 and 2004 she co-hosted ESPN’s ESPY Awards Red Carpet Show. In 2004 she also co-hosted NBC’s broadcast of Christmas in Rockefeller Center. Since 2004, O’Dell has co-hosted the Miss USA Pageant for NBC and co-hosted Miss Universe for the network in 2005 and 2006. Additionally, O’Dell co-hosted the Hollywood Christmas Parade in 1999, 2000 and 2002.

An award-winning journalist, O’Dell has been honored with three Associated Press Awards, two Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Awards, and is a seven-time Emmy Award nominee. In addition, she was nominated two years in a row (1999 and 2000) for the ICG Publicists Guild Press Award, recognizing excellence in entertainment reporting.

O’Dell began her broadcast career as a reporter and anchor at WPDE-TV in Myrtle Beach, S.C. She later worked as morning news anchor and crime reporter at WCBD-TV in Charleston, S.C. Before joining Access Hollywood, she served as co-anchor and investigative reporter for NBC’s Miami station, WTVJ-TV.

Although O’Dell maintains a busy work schedule, she regularly makes time for philanthropic endeavors. In February 2002, she was inducted into the American Red Cross’s National Celebrity Cabinet, and she also serves as a national spokesperson for the March of Dimes. In addition, she acts as an international board member for Best Buddies, a non-profit organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. In June 2002, Best Buddies honored O’Dell with the organization’s Spirit of Leadership Award. This honor has previously been bestowed upon Muhammad Ali, Maria Shriver and Olympian Carl Lewis. O’Dell also serves as a Celebrity Ambassador for Childhelp, an organization committed to meeting the needs of abused and neglected children.

A native of South Carolina, O’Dell received a great honor when that state’s governor declared Feb. 1, 2006 Nancy O’Dell Day in the entire state. Additionally, she was inducted into South Carolina’s Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1998 as the youngest member ever in recognition of her journalistic success. O’Dell is a summa cum laude honors graduate of Clemson University.

She resides in the Los Angeles area with her husband, Keith Zubchevich, vice president of business development for Riverbed Technology, their daughter, Ashby, and two stepsons from Keith’s first marriage, Tyler and Carson.

For more, visit Nancy’s official Web Site at www.nancyodell.com.

Billy Bush

Named as one of Esquire magazine's "10 Men," Billy Bush is the co-anchor of Access Hollywood, the daily entertainment newsmagazine currently in its 12th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news and personalities on television. Bush joined the program as East Coast correspondent in December 2001, and was promoted to co-anchor in June 2004. In 2007, Bush hosted the popular NBC talent competition show "Grease – You’re the One That I Want."

Through his role at Access Hollywood, countless high-profile red carpet events including the Golden Globes, Grammys, and Academy Awards as well as hosted ABC's live pre-show for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Academy Awards and "2006 Emmy Red Carpet Special." In addition, he reported for NBC at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Greece and hosted Access Hollywood's coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, and will also cover the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Bush began his career hosting the afternoon drive show on WLKZ-FM in New Hampshire, later moving to Washington, D.C., where he hosted the midday show on WARW-FM. In March of 1997, Bush brought his award-winning talent for entertainment and humor to WWZZ-FM (Z104) in D.C. as host of "Billy Bush and the Bush League Morning Show," which aired until January 2001. Before joining Access Hollywood, Bush was a correspondent for WNBC-TV's "Today in New York" morning show.

This April, Bush returns to his roots in radio as he launches "The Billy Bush Show," an evening talk and music radio show with Westwood One, which he and Access Hollywood Executive Producer, Rob Silverstein, will produce. The show, which will air evenings Monday-Friday, will focus on the top entertainment stories and personalities in the news and will feature celebrity guests and listener calls.

Although Bush maintains a busy work schedule, he regularly makes time for philanthropic endeavors. He has served on Operation Smile's Board of Governors for over four years, a non-profit organization whose mission is to repair childhood facial deformities while building public and private partnerships that advocate for sustainable healthcare systems for children and families. In addition, Bush also proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the Lollipop Theater Network, a non-profit organization that arranges private screenings of newly released movies for children suffering from debilitating illnesses. These children are usually confined to hospitals or other secluded environments preventing them from going to movie theaters.

Bush earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies and government at Colby College in Maine where he was a two-time captain of the men’s lacrosse team. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Sydney, and three daughters.

Tony Potts

Tony Potts is the weekend co-anchor and correspondent for Access Hollywood, the daily entertainment newsmagazine show currently in its 12th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news and personalities on television. Potts joined Access Hollywood in April 1999, coming to the show after 12 years in television news and sports. In addition to his duties at Access Hollywood, Potts also contributes to the “Today” show, MSNBC and CNBC. He is also a frequent guest on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” as well as CNN’s “Showbiz Tonight.”

During his tenure at Access Hollywood, Potts has covered many high profile events, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, the Emmys, and the Grammys. He has also covered some of the top breaking entertainment news stories, including the tragic and complex Anna Nicole Smith story on location from Florida as well as the Bahamas. He’s also traveled across the globe to interview the biggest stars in film, music and television including an exclusive interview with Julia Roberts when she made her Broadway debut.

Potts has covered Italy’s Venice Film Festival, France’s Cannes Film Festival and Deauxville Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and the Park City’s Sundance Film Festival.

Potts also traveled to the jungles of Borneo for the first taping of “Survivor,” and to the Australian outback for the second season of the popular television series. Potts met up with the “Today” show’s Matt Lauer in Paris and then again in the South of France for the morning show’s “Where in the World is Matt Lauer” series.

Prior to joining Access Hollywood, Potts co-hosted Fox’s “Good Day New York” and anchored the “Fox News at Noon” where he covered New York City’s biggest news stories. This included hosting Fox’s live broadcast of the Pope’s historic mass in Central Park. In addition, Potts broke a story regarding corrupt cab drivers and owners, which resulted in the overhaul of New York’s Taxi and Limousine Commission’s procedures.

Potts has a couple of film and television credits to his name, including appearances in the Mel Gibson film, “Ransom,” the 2002-2003 season finale of the CBS hit show “CSI: Miami,” plus a number of episodes of Courtney Cox’s show, “Dirt.”

Potts has won an Emmy Award for feature reporting, two Associated Press Awards and one Society of Professional Journalists Award. The Seattle-native also won the 2006 MVP award at the NBA’s Celebrity All-Star Game in Las Vegas, NV.

Shaun Robinson

Emmy Award winning journalist and recently named, “Sexiest Female TV Personality” by Victoria’s Secret, Shaun Robinson is the weekend co-host and correspondent for “Access Hollywood” - the daily entertainment newsmagazine show in its tenth season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news and personalities on television.

Shaun has covered the red carpet for the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Emmy’s, and Grammy’s. She has served as a presenter for the “Latin Grammy Awards“, “Soul Train Music Awards“, “Lady of Soul Awards“, and the “Stellar Gospel Awards” and has represented Access Hollywood as co-host for NBC’s coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade (2004), the Hollywood segment of the UNICEF Telethon, and the ShoWest Awards (2005). In addition, Shaun has co-hosted the official Pre-Shows for the Academy Awards ( 2006, 2005, 2003) and the Golden Globe Awards (2006, 2002). Shaun’s live coverage of “A Grand Night in Harlem” for the Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame garnered her an Emmy award.

Shaun can be seen contributing to reports on MSNBC. She is also the proud host of “TV One Access“, a show produced by Access Hollywood that takes viewers behind the velvet rope for an inside look at Who’s Who in Black Hollywood.

Shaun’s television and film credits include, “Bruce Almighty“, “America’s Sweethearts“, “Dr. Dolittle 2“, “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip“, “Charmed“, “She Spies“, “The Parkers“, “The Proud Family“, “Half & Half“, “Days of our Lives“, and “Any Day Now“. She has also been featured in the magazine pages of “In Style“, “Cosmopolitan“, “US Weekly“, “People“, “Life & Style“, “Essence“, “Ok!“, “Ebony“, and “Vibe” among others.

Before joining Access Hollywood, Shaun was an anchor and reporter for WSVN-TV in Miami, Florida where she anchored coverage of the Clinton Impeachment hearings and Hurricane Georges which devastated the Florida Keys. One of her most memorable and heart wrenching experiences during her tenure there was traveling to Oklahoma to profile survivors of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Prior to moving to Miami, Shaun was an anchor and reporter for KEYE-TV in Austin, Texas. While there, she earned an “American Women in Radio and Television” award for her series on “Profiles in Power“, focusing on women who made an impact in Central Texas. She also earned critical praise for her reporting from the notorious Huntsville Prison where she interviewed inmates on death row and examined the medical costs involved in the treatment of elderly prisoners.

Earlier, Shaun’s professional television career took her to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and WISN-TV where she worked as the weekend anchor and medical reporter and earned an Associated Press Award for her series, “Women and Cancer“. She also served as host of the daily talk show, “Milwaukee’s Talking” where she covered topics ranging from fashion and beauty tips to the infamous Jeffrey Dahmer murder trial.

Off the red carpet, Shaun devotes her time to many charitable organizations including, fulfilling her role as official spokesperson for the Los Angeles County, “Share Your Heart, Share Your Home” program which helps find permanent homes for minority children waiting for adoption.

Shaun is a native of Detroit, Michigan and a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta.

For more information about Shaun, visit her Web site at ShaunRobinson.com.

And for more information on TV One, visit TVOneonline.com.

Maria Menounos

Maria Menounos is the special correspondent for "Access Hollywood," the daily entertainment newsmagazine show currently in its 12th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news and personalities on television. Menounos joined both NBC Universal's "Access Hollywood" and NBC News' "Today," in the fall of 2005.

In addition to her role at "Access Hollywood," Menounos is also a "West Coast" contributor for "Today."

"We've always been huge fans of Maria and believe she has the skills, attitude and style that fits 'Access Hollywood' perfectly," says "Access Hollywood" executive producer Rob K. Silverstein. "She's current, a unique talent, someone that cuts through, and definitely stands out in a crowd. We could not be more pleased with Maria joining the most credible entertainment news magazine in the world."

"Maria's wide-ranging experience is a tremendous asset for "Today," said "Today" show executive producer Jim Bell. "Her enthusiasm and energy for her work will be invaluable to our coverage - she's a welcome addition to our roster of strong contributors."

"I'm so thrilled to be part of the NBC family," said Menounos. "To be working at such a cutting-edge show like 'Access,' and have the opportunity to be a part of the #1 morning news program on television is so exciting. My thanks to Jeff Zucker, Rob Silverstein and Jim Bell for all of their support and encouragement."

Menounos has served as a correspondent for syndicated newsmagazine "Entertainment Tonight" since the fall of 2001, reporting on film, TV, music and fashion. She also hosted ET on MTV and ET on VH1. In addition, Menounos currently serves as the spokesperson for PANTENE hair products and continues to pursue outside projects in both television and film.

In addition to being named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful" for 2004, Menounos has also appeared in a number of high-profile television shows, which includes a recurring role on "One Tree Hill" (WB), and a guest-starring role on "Without A Trace" (CBS). Her feature film work includes playing Chris Evan's love interest in the current 20th Century Fox sci/fi action film, "Fantastic Four" and her upcoming starring role opposite Jamie Kennedy in "Kickin' It Old Skool." Recently, Menounos starred opposite Sean Connery in "From Russia With Love," an Electronic Arts video game due out this holiday season.

As a filmmaker, Menounos recently formed her own production company, "Omega Girl Inc.," and has several projects in development. She serves as both executive producer and producer of the film, 'In the Land of Merry Misfits,' a 35mm feature length movie to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, and as director and producer of 35 mm feature length dark comedies, "Longtime Listener," and "Fwiends.com," both having played the festival circuit starring Wilmer Valderrama and Lara Flynn Boyle, respectively. In addition, her company is currently in pre-production on a sitcom starring Kevin and John Farley.

Menounos made her television debut as an international correspondent for Channel One News, the #1 source of news for America's teen students. During her tenure, she interviewed President George W. Bush, numerous celebrities, and traveled the world to cover such tragedies as the 2001 earthquake in El Salvador and the AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

Her experiences as a journalist have compelled Menounos to spend time off-camera on philanthropic and social issues close to her heart. After witnessing the devastating effects of AIDS in South Africa as a Channel One reporter, she formed Take Action Hollywood! (TAH!), a charity whose mission is to utilize the power of the entertainment industry and the production medium to educate, empower and raise social awareness. Menounos and TAH! worked with Miramax Films on a joint venture to promote 'Paper Clips,' a holocaust documentary and has also produced a television commercial on AIDS awareness and pet adoption.

In addition, TAH! has teamed up with Cosmo Girl Magazine in awarding the 3rd annual Cosmo Girl Cup. A nationwide competition, the Cup is awarded to the group of teens who do the most to affect for positive social change in their communities and/or the world. A panel of celebrities assembled by Menounos, judge the competition.

Jamal Munnerlyn

Jamal Munnerlyn is the co-host for "TV One Access," the monthly hour-long entertainment newsmagazine show that takes viewers inside Black Hollywood with a unique and comprehensive perspective. Munnerlyn joined "TV One Access" at its inception in 2004 as a producer and was named co-host in 2006. In addition to his duties at “TV One Access,” Munnerlyn is also a segment producer for "Access Hollywood," the daily entertainment newsmagazine show currently in its eleventh season.

During his tenure at “Access Hollywood,” Munnerlyn has covered many high profile events, including the American Music Awards, Grammys, and the NAACP Image Awards. He has also traveled across the globe to interview some of the biggest stars in film, music and television.

Prior to joining “TV One Access" and "Access Hollywood" Munnerlyn worked on a wide array of entertainment projects including several international film and commercial projects. From production to prop making to stuntman, Munnerlyn has a broad range of first-hand experience throughout the industry.

Munnerlyn is also an official spokesperson of The Tiziano Project, a charity that aims to solve the problem of inadequate journalistic coverage in East Africa by launching a program in Rwanda to improve the quality and quantity of East African journalists. The goal of The Tiziano Project is to extend the program into the Democratic Republic of Congo and to Darfur to help chronicle the ongoing genocide there. Munnerlyn hosted an event to kick off the fundraising efforts of the organization and continues to do work for their cause on a daily basis.

The multi-talented host and producer spent most of his life in Long Beach, CA, but was born in Newark, New Jersey and also spent years growing up in Puerto Rico and St. Croix U.S.V.I. Munnerlyn, who is African American and Puerto Rican speaks fluent Spanish.

Rob Silverstein

Rob Silverstein is the executive producer of Access Hollywood, the daily entertainment newsmagazine currently in its 12th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news and personalities on television.

Silverstein joined the program in 1996 as a weekend producer, rose up to senior broadcast producer in 1997, and was named executive producer in 1999.

A three-time sports Emmy Award winner, Silverstein started his career as an executive sports producer at KMOX-AM in St. Louis. He went on to join CBS Sports in New York as chief researcher, then as a producer in 1990. In 1993, Silverstein moved to Los Angeles to serve as broadcast producer of Fox News’ “Front Page.” In addition, he also worked for CBS as a producer for both the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France and the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. Before joining Access Hollywood, Silverstein served as senior producer of “American Gladiators.”

A native of New York, Silverstein is a graduate of the University of Maryland. He resides with his wife and four children in Los Angeles.

Laura Saltman

Laura Saltman is a correspondent for AccessHollywood.com and a senior field producer for "Access Hollywood," the daily entertainment newsmagazine currently in its 12th season of providing the most comprehensive coverage of entertainment news.

Saltman joined "Access Hollywood" in it's first season in 1996 as one of the youngest field producers on the team, writing scripts and producing day-of-air and feature stories for news, fashion, music, film and television departments. Saltman left in 2002 to work as a producer for NBC's "Today" show (Producer), "The Sharon Osbourne Show" (Talent Producer) and "On-Air With Ryan Seacrest"(Special Projects Producer). She returned to "Access Hollywood" in 2004 as a senior field producer and her love for "American Idol" and behind-the-scenes knowledge in television has allowed her to expand her duties at the show to working with AccessHollywood.com hosting video segments on-camera and writing a popular daily blog called "Dish of Salt."

Saltman is also a regular contributor to MSNBC and CNN's "Showbiz Tonight" where she shares the latest inside information on breaking entertainment news stories. In addition, Saltman is a frequent guest on E!'s "Chelsea Lately," the late-night comedy talk show that talks about celebrities and pop culture.

Saltman, who has always had a passion for television, was working in production even before her first job with a major television show. She got a crash course in editing, writing, storytelling and budgeting working on infomercials, which helped her prepare for success in the television industry at the national level.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Saltman attended Ohio State University for two years as a communication major and transferred to Temple University where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication.