Maria Menounos
A multimedia dynamo who climbed from Greek diners to hosting global red carpets while building her own digital media empire.
Born 1978 (age 48)·American-Greek television host·Birthday: June 8·Generation X
Biography
Maria Menounos is a story of hustle personified. The daughter of Greek immigrants, she worked in her family's diner in Massachusetts before setting her sights on entertainment journalism. Her big break came not from a journalism school, but from winning a nationwide search for an on-air correspondent for Channel One News while still a student. From there, Menounos became a ubiquitous presence on television, bringing relentless energy to entertainment news on 'Extra,' 'E! News,' and 'Today.' Never content to just be on camera, she co-founded AfterBuzz TV, a pioneering network for post-show audio commentary that grew into a major digital platform. Her career is a mosaic of hosting gigs—from the Eurovision Song Contest to the Miss Universe pageant—and surprising forays into professional wrestling with WWE, reflecting a fearless and entrepreneurial spirit that built a brand far beyond a single microphone.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Maria was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maria Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Maria's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and serves as CEO of AfterBuzz TV, a leading digital broadcast network for post-show podcasting.
- Served as a special correspondent for 'Today' and 'Access Hollywood' and was a main host for 'Extra' from 2011 to 2022.
- Co-hosted the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest from Athens, introducing the massive European event to American audiences.
- Signed with WWE as a host and ambassador, and competed in a tag team match at WrestleMania 28.
- Hosted the 2023 Miss Universe pageant alongside Jeannie Mai.
Did You Know?
She is a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Menounos and her husband, Keven Undergaro, founded the nonprofit 'Take Action Hollywood!' to connect celebrities with charitable causes.
She was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor in 2017, which was successfully removed, and later with a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in 2023.
She worked as a professional wrestler for WWE, managing the team of AJ Lee and Big E.
She wrote, directed, and starred in the independent film 'In the Land of Merry Misfits.'
“I’m a big believer in that you create what you want. You don’t wait for it to happen.”
