Steven Burns
| Steve Burns | |
|---|---|
Burns in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven Michael Burns |
| Born |
October 9, 1973 Boyertown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie rock, alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, keyboards |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | PIAS Recordings, Columbia |
| Associated acts | Blue's Clues, The Flaming Lips, Steve Burns & The Struggle, STEVENSTEVEN |
Steven Michael "Steve" Burns (born October 9, 1973) is an American entertainer, actor, guitarist, musician and singer. He is known as the original host of the long-running children's television program Blue's Clues from 1996 to 2002 and was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his performance on the show in 2001.
Burns was born in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. He attended Boyertown Area Senior High School in Berks County and graduated from there in 1991.
Burns played in bands called Sudden Impact US, Nine Pound Truck, and the Ivys (which he has called a "Morrissey rip-off band") while in high school and college. He studied theatre under an acting scholarship at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley. He quit school and moved to New York City to then become a professional actor. He lived in a basement apartment near Times Square, finding his first success as a voice-over artist for ads and making appearances on Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order.
In 1995, Burns auditioned for Blue's Clues, thinking it was another voice-over role. He had long hair and an earring. "I was a bit of a skate rat," he said. Initially, the Nickelodeon executives were not supportive of Burns hosting their new show; in subsequent auditions the show's creators requested that he dress more conservatively. (Burns reported that the creators, in a call-back phone conversation, asked him, "Could you not look like yourself tomorrow morning?") It became apparent, however, that he was the favorite with preschool test audiences. Executive producer and co-creator Traci Paige Johnson reported that of the 100 people they auditioned, Burns was "the realest". As Dr. Alice Wilder, Nickelodeon's Director of Research and Development said, "[T]here was just something about this kid, who was fresh out of Pennsylvania, who just knew where to look in the camera to really talk to kids. He was just right."
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