| Maria Menounos, a journalist by trade but hottie by | | | | everywhere. ? A lot of people criticized me at a young |
| nature, possesses great looks and the poise of a TV | | | | age because I wanted to do a lot of different things, |
| veteran. As a Hollywood correspondent, she often | | | | she says. "And that’s just how I am. I’m |
| draws more attention than her famous interviewees | | | | happiest when I’m doing a million things. I don’t |
| do. We might have to "sign off" to go and find this | | | | see my career going in any one direction. I see myself |
| former beauty queen... | | | | doing a potpourri of things." |
| Before Menounos established herself as an | | | | When Maria quit her job as a correspondent for |
| Entertainment Tonight correspondent, she was a | | | | entertainment tonight to focus on her acting career in |
| well-known international reporter for Channel One | | | | 2005, many of her fans were disappointed that they |
| News, which broadcasts to schools across America. | | | | would no longer get to feast their eyes upon her on a |
| Things are really looking up for one of the most | | | | daily basis. Fortunately, later that year, Maria had a |
| beautiful hosts on TV. | | | | change of heart and became a correspondent for |
| Maria Menounos Fast Facts: | | | | both The Today Show and Access Hollywood. But |
| * Speaks Greek fluently. | | | | that hasn’t distracted Maria from her acting goals. |
| * Avid sports fan and have her own tennis and | | | | She has landed several roles in popular TV series and |
| basketball courts. | | | | movies since her departure from ET, including one in |
| * While at Emerson wrote, produced and broadcast | | | | Fantastic Four (2005) alongside Jessica Alba. |
| news segments for WERS-FM, one of the largest | | | | Making her grand entrance on June 8th, 1978 in |
| college radio stations in the country. | | | | Medford, Massachusetts, Maria Menounos was a |
| * As a Channel One correspondent, Menounos | | | | shining star at birth. By the time she was a student |
| interviewed President George W. Bush, numerous | | | | (and a good one at that), her sights were set on a |
| celebrities, and traveled the world to cover such | | | | career in journalism. Some days, she would even |
| tragedies as the 2001 earthquake in El Salvador and | | | | arrive late to school after watching the morning news |
| the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. | | | | on CNN for too long. |
| * Co-founder of Take Action Hollywood, an | | | | In 1995, thanks to the encouragement of her friends |
| organization that raises social awareness and enlists | | | | and family, Menounos began to enroll in beauty |
| the help of the entertainment industry. | | | | pageants. The following year, she won the title of Miss |
| * Attended the 2004 Oscars wearing a | | | | Massachusetts Teen USA. Though she did not win the |
| diamond-studded Randi Rahm dress worth more than | | | | Miss Teen USA crown, her involvement in such a big |
| $2 million. | | | | production helped her gain a lot of experience, not to |
| Although Maria can still be seen as a correspondent on | | | | mention pave the way for her career. In fact, she |
| NBC, she will continue to pursue her acting career. She | | | | boldly told pageant host and Entertainment Tonight |
| already has a role in the feature-length comedy kickin | | | | reporter Bob Goen that she would love to work with |
| It Old Skool (2007) with Jamie Kennedy and Vivica A. | | | | him at ET. Her six years of foresight seem quite |
| Fox. And since Maria is quite happy with diversity in | | | | prophetic today. |
| her career, you can expect to see more of her | | | | |