Joseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. (last name pronounced
fuh-tone; born January 28, 1977) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer, dancer,
actorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and television personality. He is best known as a member of the
boybandA boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
,
'N SyncN Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, in which he sang
baritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show
Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
. He was also the host of the
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n versions of
The Singing BeeThe Singing Bee may refer to the game show franchise:* The Singing Bee , the original US version* The Singing Bee , the Australian version* The Singing Bee , Philippines version...
and aired on National Broadcasting Company in the United States of America. Currently Fatone is the announcer on
Family FeudFamily Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
.
Early life and career
Fatone, an
Italian AmericanAn Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
, was born in the Bensonhurst section of
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the son of Phyllis and Joseph Anthony Fatone, Sr., the latter of whom is an actor and musician. He has two older siblings, Janine and Steven. At age 13, Fatone and his family moved to
OrlandoOrlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
,
FloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. There, Fatone attended and graduated from
Dr. Phillips High SchoolDr. Phillips High School is a high school located in Orlando, Florida, United States.The area of Dr. Phillips, Florida is named after Dr. Philip Phillips, a physician who later became a Central Florida citrus magnate. He was responsible for several key innovations in the processing and packaging of...
. Reportedly, at his graduation, Fatone sang a rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner", celebrated as a precursor to his future success.
Before becoming famous, Fatone appeared as a contestant on the classic
NickelodeonNickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
game show
Nick Arcade. However, Fatone and his partner on that episode did not proceed to the bonus round because of buzzing in and answering a question about
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
incorrectly.
After high school, Fatone worked as a performer at
Universal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in Orlando, where he played "Wolfie" in
Beetlejuice's GraveYard RevueBeetlejuice is a 1988 American comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton, produced by The Geffen Film Company and distributed by Warner Bros...
. In 2001, Fatone co-starred with *NSYNC bandmate
Lance BassJames Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
in the Miramax film
On the LineOn the Line is a 2001 American romantic comedy film starring Lance Bass and Emmanuelle Chriqui. The film was directed by Eric Bross and was written by Eric Aronson and Paul Stanton, based upon their short film of the same name.-Plot:...
, He guest starred with N Sync on a 2001 episode of
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode
New Kids on the Blecch"New Kids on the Blecch" is the fourteenth episode from the twelfth season of The Simpsons. In the episode, a music producer selects Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph to be members of the next hit boyband, who record subliminal songs about joining the Navy....
and also did voice work with Bass on the same episodes of Disney's
Kim PossibleKim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
and
Adult SwimAdult Swim is an adult-oriented Cable network that shares channel space with Cartoon Network from 9:00 pm until 6:00 am ET/PT in the United States, and broadcasts in countries such as Australia and New Zealand...
's
Robot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
. He also performed in the
2002The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
dramatic comedy motion picture
My Big Fat Greek WeddingMy Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 Canadian and American romantic comedy film written by and starring Nia Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick. The film is centered on Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos , a middle class Greek American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek upper middle class "White...
as Toula's cousin Angelo and also appears in
My Big Fat Greek LifeMy Big Fat Greek Life is a situation comedy series that ran on CBS in 2003. The series is a continuation on the 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding and was produced by HBO Television and Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions for Sony Pictures Television....
The TV Sitcom., and acted in the critically acclaimed movie
The CoolerThe Cooler is a 2003 romantic drama film directed by Wayne Kramer. The original screenplay was written by Kramer and Frank Hannah. In gambling parlance, a "cooler" is an unlucky individual whose presence at the tables results in a streak of bad luck for the other players.- Plot :Unlucky Bernie...
. He has had minor roles in the
experimental filmExperimental film or experimental cinema is a type of cinema. Experimental film is an artistic practice relieving both of visual arts and cinema. Its origins can be found in European avant-garde movements of the twenties. Experimental cinema has built its history through the texts of theoreticians...
,
Red Riding Hood, and in
Homie Spumoni, alongside
Jamie-Lynn SiglerJamie-Lynn Sigler is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Meadow Soprano on the HBO television series The Sopranos.-Early life:...
. Fatone has also been on Broadway performing leads in
RentRent is a rock musical with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohème...
and in a revival of
Little Shop Of HorrorsLittle Shop of Horrors is a rock musical, by composer Alan Menken and writer Howard Ashman, about a hapless florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on human blood. The musical is based on the low-budget 1960 black comedy film The Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Roger Corman...
.
Fatone hosted
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's
The Singing Bee as well as the
Australian version of the showThe Singing Bee is an Australian game show which is based on the original American version of the same name. By combining karaoke singing with a spelling bee-style competition, contestants have to sing lyrics to songs without making a mistake or risk being eliminated immediately.The show premiered...
on
Nine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
. On August 21, 2007, it was announced that Fatone, along with
Lisa RinnaLisa Deanna Rinna is an American television host and actress. She is known for her roles as Billie Reed on Days of our Lives, Taylor McBride on Melrose Place, and most recently as the host of SoapNet's Soap Talk.-Acting:...
, will be replacing
Joan RiversJoan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
and
Melissa RiversMelissa Joan Rivers is an American television host, producer and the daughter of Joan Rivers.-Early life:Rivers was born Melissa Warburg Rosenberg in Manhattan on January 20, 1968; the only child of Joan Rivers and Edgar Rosenberg...
as hosts of
TV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
's red carpet pre-shows for the 2007-2008 season. His hosting duties with
TV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
continued for the 2008-2009 season.
Fatone was also in an episode of
Hannah MontanaHannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
as a restaurant owner who used to be a baseball player and forces Hannah to sing in order to get a replacement signed ball for her brother. He is also the "ringmaster" for the new NBC celebrity reality series
Celebrity CircusCelebrity Circus is an American version of the Celebrity Circus reality television show based on the Australian television series of the same name originally aired in 2005...
(which is based on the Australian version).
On November 30, 2007, he participated in the taping of the 2007
Walt Disney World Christmas Day ParadeThe Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is an American television special that airs on Christmas Day on the ABC, taped primarily inside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, approximately one month prior to Christmas Day...
inside the
Magic KingdomMagic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...
at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
On May 22, 2010, Fatone starred as a baseball player in an episode of
Imagination MoversImagination Movers is a child-centered rock band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2003. The lineup includes Rich Collins, Scott Durbin, Dave Poche, and Scott "Smitty" Smith. Members of the group were longtime friends and neighbors....
on the Disney Channel.
From July 6–18, 2010, Fatone played Franz Liebkind, the comedic German soldier, in the musical "The Producers" at the Pittsburgh Benedum Center.
He has appeared as a voice actor in several episodes of
Robot ChickenRobot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
, starring as himself in a kung fu skit called "Enter The Fat One" and then in the show's
Star Wars episode.
Dancing with the Stars
On February 1, 2007, the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network announced that Fatone would participate in season 4 of the American version of
Dancing with the StarsDancing with the Stars is a reality show airing on ABC in the United States, and CTV in Canada in 2011. The show is the American version of the British BBC television series Strictly Come Dancing...
, which debuted March 19, 2007. He ended up placing second, losing the mirror ball to Apolo Anton Ohno and Julianne Hough. He competed with professional partner
Kym JohnsonKym Johnson is an Australian former professional ballroom dancer, model, and television celebrity. She lives in Sydney NSW, Australia but is currently based in America for Dancing with the Stars.-Dance biography:...
.
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
On October 18, 2009, Fatone showed up at TNA Wrestling's biggest annual pay-per-view event
TNA Bound for GloryBound for Glory is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced every October by the American Total Nonstop Action Wrestling promotion. The event was created in 2005 to be their premier event of the year, similar to the company's main rival World Wrestling Entertainment and its...
and co-hosted the live pre-show alongside
Jeremy BorashJeremy Borash , is an American professional wrestling play-by-play commentator, announcer, ring announcer, booker, interviewer, producer and website designer...
. This was not the first time Fatone has been linked to TNA as he has been spotted at Universal Orlando where TNA tapes their weekly television program.
Personal life
On September 9, 2004, Fatone married his on-and-off girlfriend of 10 years, Kelly Baldwin. The ceremony took place in
Oheka CastleOheka Castle, also known as the Otto Kahn Estate, is located on the Gold Coast of Long Island, in Huntington, New York. It was the country home of financier and philanthropist Otto Kahn. Built by Kahn between 1914 and 1919, it was and remains the second largest private home in the United States,...
in Long Island, New York and was attended by all of Fatone's bandmates. Fatone and his wife have two daughters together, Brianna Joely, born on March 21, 2001, and Kloey Alexandra, born on January 11, 2010. Fatone's best friend,
Lance BassJames Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
is Brianna's
godfatherA godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
.
According to a recent appearance on
MTV CribsMTV Cribs and CMT Cribs, depending on which channel it airs, is a franchise reality television program that originated on the MTV Networks' MTV. It later aired on its CMT channel that features tours of the houses and mansions of celebrities. The first show aired September 2000...
, Fatone owns one of the actual
KITTKITT is the short name of two fictional characters from the adventure TV series Knight Rider. While having the same acronym, the KITTs are two different entities: one known as the Knight Industries Two Thousand, which appeared in the original TV series Knight Rider, and the other as the Knight...
cars used on the series
Knight Rider, although it may be a replica, created by
George BarrisGeorge Barris is a designer of custom cars.-Early history:George and his brother Sam were born in Chicago in the 1920s. After the deaths of their parents, they moved to Roseville, California as children to live with relatives. Both were good students, interested in drama, music, and design...
.
Stage Work
- Rent - Mark Cohen (2002)
- Little Shop of Horrors - Seymour Krelborn (2004)
- The Producers - Franz Liebkind (2010)
The Wiggles-It's Always Christmas With You (2011)
External links
Official
Biographical