TheFamousPeople

Vanna White Biography

(Televion Personality)

Birthday: February 18, 1957 (Aquarius)

Born In: Conway, South Carolina, United States

Advanced Search

Vanna White is an American television personality, best known for hosting ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ a popular game show on ‘NBC.’ Although she has appeared in a number of TV series and films, it is her role as the ‘letter turner’ on the show that brought her fame and fortune. Since the very first day of hosting the show, she has been able to enthrall the audience with her beauty, charm, and energy. For some years, the nation was swept by ‘Vannamania,’ so much so that people started naming their babies after her. Although the obsession has receded to some extent, she is still very popular and has become a fashion icon in her own right. Today, ‘Vanna’ perfumes and ‘Vanna’ dolls are extremely popular among her fans. Apart from being a popular television personality, she is a proud mother of two, who loves crocheting and knitting. Crocheting, an art which she learnt from her grandmother, is her favorite pastime. Many of her crochet works are given away as gifts. She also has her own yarn line called ‘Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Yarn.’ She has even authored an autobiography called ‘Vanna Speaks.’

Birthday: February 18, 1957 (Aquarius)

Born In: Conway, South Carolina, United States

37
Actresses #278
Film & Theater Personalities #618
Actresses #278
Film & Theater Personalities #618
37

Recommended For You

George Santo Pi... Biography George Santo Pi...
Sabrina Carpenter Biography Sabrina Carpenter
Blake Lively Biography Blake Lively
Jennifer Lopez Biography Jennifer Lopez
DID WE MISS SOMEONE?
CLICK HERE AND TELL US
WE'LL MAKE SURE
THEY'RE HERE A.S.A.P
Quick Facts

Also Known As: Vanna Marie Rosich

Age: 67 Years, 67 Year Old Females

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: George Santo Pietro

father: Miguel Angel Rosich

mother: Joan Marie Rosich

children: Gigi Santo Pietro, Niko Santo Pietro

Partner: John Donaldson

Born Country: United States

Actresses American Women

Height: 5'6" (168 cm), 5'6" Females

U.S. State: South Carolina

Recommended For You

George Santo Pi... Biography George Santo Pi...
Sabrina Carpenter Biography Sabrina Carpenter
Blake Lively Biography Blake Lively
Jennifer Lopez Biography Jennifer Lopez

You wanted to know

  • 1

    What is Vanna White's role on Wheel of Fortune?

    Vanna White is the co-host and letter-turner on the game show Wheel of Fortune.
  • 2

    How long has Vanna White been on Wheel of Fortune?

    Vanna White has been on Wheel of Fortune as a hostess since 1982.
  • 3

    What is Vanna White known for wearing on Wheel of Fortune?

    Vanna White is known for wearing elegant and glamorous gowns while turning letters on Wheel of Fortune.
  • 4

    Has Vanna White ever made a mistake on Wheel of Fortune?

    Vanna White has made a few mistakes on Wheel of Fortune, such as accidentally revealing the wrong letter or turning letters out of order.
  • 5

    What is Vanna White's signature move on Wheel of Fortune?

    Vanna White's signature move on Wheel of Fortune is gracefully revealing letters by touching them and turning them over.

Recommended Lists:

American People
Aquarius Actresses
American Actresses
Actresses Who Are In Their 60s
Women Film & Theater Personalities
Childhood & Early Life
Vanna White was born Vanna Marie Rosich on 18 February 1957, in Conway, South Carolina, USA, to Miguel Angel Rosich and Joan Marie. Miguel was of Puerto Rican descent. He abandoned the family when Vanna was just few months old. Hence, she was brought up by her mother.
Later, her mother married Herbert Stackley White. The family then moved to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where Herbert worked as a real estate agent. Subsequently, Vanna was adopted by her stepfather and became Vanna White.
As a child, Vanna did not intend to become a television star nor did she watch television shows that often. Things changed when she had to undergo appendectomy at the age of 11. While recuperating, watching television shows became her favorite pastime.
While watching ‘The Rat Patrol,’ she realized that the part of ‘Sgt Sam Troy’ was being played by her uncle Christopher George. She was elated to know that her uncle was on TV and decided to follow in his footsteps.
After graduating high school, Vanna Joined ‘Atlanta School of Fashion’ in Atlanta, Georgia. During that period, she supported herself by taking up modeling assignments.
In 1979, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. She took up a number of jobs to sustain herself. However, she returned home for a brief period and stayed back to take care of her ailing mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer, until her death in 1980.
Continue Reading Below
Recommended Lists:
American Film & Theater Personalities
Career
After her mother’s death, Vanna White returned to Los Angeles and continued working as a waitress. Meanwhile, she managed to land small roles in films, such as ‘Looker’ (1981) and ‘Graduation Day’ (1981).
In 1982, Vanna appeared in an episode of TV series ‘Star of the Family.’ Later in November, she auditioned for ‘Wheel of Fortune,’ and was chosen out of 200 applicants to join the game show as a co-host and letter turner.
Vanna first joined ‘Wheel of Fortune’ on 13 December 1982. Since then, she has been acting as the show’s day time hostess. She also co-hosts the show with Pat Sajak in its evening version.
On September 1983, a syndicated version of ‘Wheel of Fortune’ was aired, post which Vanna White’s popularity began to increase. By 1986, the show had garnered 30 million viewers and grossed $100 million. By 1999, the number of viewers had reached 40 million.
On May 1987, Vanna published her biography ‘Vanna Speaks.’ Thanks to her huge popularity, the book became a best seller.
In 1988, Vanna appeared in ‘Goddess of Love,’ playing the role of ‘Venus.’ ‘Goddess of Love’ was a television film which aired on ‘NBC.’ Unfortunately, her performance could not attract positive reviews. The same year, she also appeared on ‘WrestleMania IV’ as a guest time keeper.
During 1990s, Vanna voiced prominent characters in two animated TV series. One was a Canadian animated television special called ‘The Real Story of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ (1992) and the other was ‘Captain Planet and the Planeteers,’ an American animated TV series, which ran from 1990 to 1996.
In 1994, she made a cameo appearance in ‘Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult,’ the final installment in the ‘Naked Gun’ film series. In 1996, she was cast as the main narrator and singer in the CD release of ‘Santa's Last Ride.’
She went on to make cameo appearances in several shows, such as ‘L.A. Law,’ ‘227,’ ‘Super Mario Bros. Super Show,’ ‘Simon and Simon,’ ‘The King of Queens,’ and ‘Full House.’ She also appeared as a guest-star on ‘Married...With Children.’ In 2017, she made a guest appearance in ‘Fresh Off the Boat.’
Continue Reading Below
Major Works
Vanna White first appeared on ‘Wheel of Fortune’ on 13 December 1982. Since then, she has been hosting the show regularly. ‘Wheel of Fortune’ increased her popularity, and made her a household name in the United States.
Philanthropic Works
Each year, Vanna donates a percentage of proceeds from the sale of her ‘Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Yarn’ to ‘St. Jude’s Research Hospital.’
Personal Life & Legacy
In 1980, Vanna White started dating a dancer-turned-actor named John Gibson. Unfortunately, John died in an air crash in 1986. It was such a huge blow to Vanna that she had to take some time off from the show.
Vanna married George Santo Pietro, a restaurant owner, on 31 December 1990. The couple divorced 12 years later. She has two children named Nicholas (born in 1994) and Giovanna (born in 1997) from this marriage.
In 2004, Vanna got engaged to Michael Kaye, an important business person in southern California. However, they never married and the engagement was broken off in 2006.
At a point in time, Vanna was so popular that the word ‘Vannamania’ was coined to express the admiration she received from her millions of fans.
She received a star on ‘Hollywood Walk of Fame’ on April 2006.
Facts About Vanna White
Vanna White is an avid crocheter and has even published a book on the subject.
She holds a Guinness World Record for clapping the most times on a TV show.
Vanna White is a licensed pilot and enjoys flying in her spare time.
Vanna White is a philanthropist who has supported various charities over the years, including those focused on animal welfare and cancer research.

Vanna White Movies

1. Looker (1981)

  (Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller)

2. Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)

  (Comedy, Crime)

3. Graduation Day (1981)

  (Mystery, Horror)

4. Gypsy Angels (1980)

 

5. Double Dragon (1994)

  (Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi)

See the events in life of Vanna White in Chronological Order

How To Cite

Article Title
- Vanna White Biography
Author
- Editors, TheFamousPeople.com
Website
- TheFamousPeople.com
URL
- https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/vanna-white-6748.php

People Also Viewed

George Santo Pietro Biography
George Santo Pietro
(American)
 
Sabrina Carpenter Biography
Sabrina Carpenter
(American)
 
Blake Lively Biography
Blake Lively
(American)
 
Jennifer Lopez Biography
Jennifer Lopez
(American)
 
Jenna Ortega Biography
Jenna Ortega
(American)
 
Kristen Bell Biography
Kristen Bell
(American)
 
Winona Ryder Biography
Winona Ryder
(American)
 
Sydney Sweeney Biography
Sydney Sweeney
(American)
 

Also Listed In

20th Century | 21st Century | Celebrity Names With Letter V | 20th Century Actresses | 21st Century Actresses | 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities | 21st Century Film & Theater Personalities