Adam Savage Biography

Son of an animator-filmmaker, Whitney Lee Savage, and a psychotherapist mother, Adam Savage was born in New York City on July 15, 1967. He also has a sister by the name of Kate. Both the siblings followed in their father’s footsteps and went on to make a career in the field of art.

He completed his primary education at ‘Sleepy Hollow High School’ in 1985. Since his childhood days, Adam was keen on acting, and even lent his voice to his father’s creation in the animated show ‘Sesame Street’. Some other works of his, during this period include a toilet paper commercial and a small part in the music video ‘You’re Only Human’.

He also enrolled in the prestigious ‘Tisch School of the Arts’ where he spent five years learning the nuances of acting, but by the time he was nineteen, he abandoned acting and moved on to graphic designing.

Adam embarked on his graphic designing career as an assistant animator in New York. He then moved to San Francisco, where he was associated with theatre, and eventually graduated with special effects for movies.

This designer has also essayed small roles in various movies. One of the roles he played was that of a helpful engineer in the 2001 movie, ‘Ever Since the World Ended’.

Adam, during his stay in San Francisco, worked as a faculty at the ‘Academy of Art University’, and taught advanced model-making to students. He was also involved in the special effects team of the 2003 movie ‘The Matrix Revolutions’ around the same time.

Touted as the original myth buster, he has been a regular figure in the Discovery channel show ‘MythBusters’, since its inception in 2003. The show takes on rumors, movie scenes, and news stories, and uses scientific methods to validate them.

In 2006, he began his stint as a host for the ‘Amaz!ng Meeting’, the annual conference organized by magician James Randi, a role he has donned regularly since then. The same year he appeared in the movie ‘The Darwin Role’, as an armed supplies store owner.

He has been a guest speaker on many shows including the 2008 annual event, ‘Maker Faire’, organized by ‘Make’ magazine, and the maiden ‘Amaz!ng Meeting London’ event held at Blackfriars the next year.

Adam along with Wil Wheaton and the comedy rock duo Paul Sabourin and Greg ‘Storm’ DiCostanzo conceived the touring variety show ‘w00tstock’ in 2009. The special-effects designer was also a performer on the show.

‘Night of the Little Dead’ is a short horror film, by Frank Ippolito, about how a rife between local fishermen and tourists leads the diner to be besieged by a zombie, and the aftermath. Adam was seen in the role of Dan in this 2011 film.

‘MythBusters’ partners, Savage and Special effects expert Jamie Hyneman, appeared together in the 2012 science and engineering game show, ‘Unchained Reaction’. These two men were the judges of this reality show.

He continues to don the hat of an educator, occasionally hosting lecture events organized by the ‘City Arts & Lectures’, a non-profit institution located in San Francisco. At the ‘South by Southwest Interactive Festival’, 2014, he presented a lecture.

In 2017, he made an appearance in the science fiction television series ‘The Expanse.’ He also played a minor role as a merchant in the 2017 American neo-noir science fiction short film ‘2048: Nowhere to Run’ directed by Luke Scott. In 2018, he starred in another short film ‘A Farewell To Arms’ which he created in collaboration with Weta Workshop.

In 2019, he hosted the science entertainment series ‘MythBusters Jr.’ In February 2020, he became the Creative Director for SiliCon.

Adam’s model work in Hollywood movies such as ‘Matrix’ and ‘Star Wars’ franchisee is well known, but his most appreciated work is the Discovery Channel project ‘MythBusters’. It was the perfect blend of acting and technology which inspired him to take up the show.

In 2011, this animator was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the ‘University of Twente’.

Adam had an affair before he married Julia Ward in 2002. The couple looks after the twin kids which Adam had from the previous relationship.

Adam suffers from a hearing disorder and had to employ a hearing aid for his left ear.

This special-effects designer has also been very fond of superhero costumes such as that of Batman, since childhood.