Debbie Matenopoulos
Encyclopedia
Thespina "Debbie" Matenopoulos (born December 13, 1974) is an American
television personality
and actress.
, of Greek
ancestry. Her birth name is Despina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother. Despina was later anglicized to Debbie.
Debbie Matenopoulos went to John Randolph Tucker High School
, and then attended Virginia Commonwealth University
for one year before transferring to the Journalism Department at New York University
. She was a member of the women's fraternity Alpha Omicron Pi. While at NYU she also worked at MTV
as an intern. She quickly moved up the ranks, soon becoming story coordinator for UnFiltered
.
, Matenopoulos became a co-host on Walters's new talk show, The View. She was parodied on Saturday Night Live
as being an uninformed ditz and eventually invited on SNL as a guest. In 1999, she was abruptly fired from the show and replaced by Lisa Ling
. Later that same year, she joined the TV Guide Channel
.
Debbie has played Lisa Swayzak in the 2000
film Endsville
, and starred in the claymation show Celebrity Deathmatch
as herself.
In January 2004, Good Day Live
brought in Matenopoulous (along with Arthel Neville
) to co-host the nationally syndicated program. On September 29, 2004, she was hospitalized for an injury that was the result of a stunt she attempted for a segment of Good Day Live. The segment was focused on firefighter training, in which she practiced a fall from a three-story building at a Los Angeles fire station. She landed incorrectly on an airbag and was rushed to the hospital for a possible head injury. It was a closed head wound and she was temporarily blind. Despite massive promotion, including a mall-tour featuring Matenopoulous and Reynolds' replacement, Arthel Neville
, Good Day Live was canceled by its syndicators in March 2005.
In 2004, she was part of the panel of celebrity judges in the TBS Superstation show He's a Lady
.
In January 2006, Matenopoulos joined E!
's coverage of the Golden Globe Awards. In April of that same year, she became one of the three hosts on E!'s weeknight celebrity gossip and pop culture series, The Daily 10
, a position she held until August 2009.
On July 25, 2006, over seven years after her last appearance on The View, she was invited back as a special guest co-host for a day.
Matenopoulos has also been a frequent contributor to VH1
specials, including I Love the 90s and I Love Toys
. She has also been a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race 3
.
, the president of Music at Lions Gate Entertainment
and founder of Mammoth Records
. He filed for divorce on November 12, 2008, in L.A. County Superior Court citing "irreconcilable differences." The pair have been separated since March 22, 2008. They had no children together.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television personality
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
and actress.
Early life
Matenopoulos was born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, of Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
ancestry. Her birth name is Despina Matenopoulos, named after her grandmother. Despina was later anglicized to Debbie.
Debbie Matenopoulos went to John Randolph Tucker High School
John Randolph Tucker High School
John Randolph Tucker High School is a high school in Henrico County, Virginia, United States. It is named after lawyer and Henrico County Judge John Randolph Tucker. Its students and faculty often refer to themselves as "Tucker Tigers"...
, and then attended Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
for one year before transferring to the Journalism Department at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. She was a member of the women's fraternity Alpha Omicron Pi. While at NYU she also worked at MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
as an intern. She quickly moved up the ranks, soon becoming story coordinator for UnFiltered
UnFiltered
MTV NEWS: UnFiltered was a news series in which viewers sent story ideas to MTV News producers about controversial events in the viewers' community that were not being covered by traditional news outlets....
.
TV career
In 1997, after a chance meeting with Barbara WaltersBarbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
, Matenopoulos became a co-host on Walters's new talk show, The View. She was parodied on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
as being an uninformed ditz and eventually invited on SNL as a guest. In 1999, she was abruptly fired from the show and replaced by Lisa Ling
Lisa Ling
Lisa J. Ling is a Chinese American journalist, best known for her role as a co-host of ABC's The View , host of National Geographic Explorer, reporter on Channel One News, and special correspondent for the Oprah Winfrey Show and CNN. She is the older sister of journalist Laura Ling.-Early...
. Later that same year, she joined the TV Guide Channel
TV Guide Channel
TV Guide Network is an American cable network owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation....
.
Debbie has played Lisa Swayzak in the 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
film Endsville
Endsville
Endsville, based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a folk rock / alternative rock band consisting of Canadian singer-songwriter Keith Jolie on vocals and guitar, Minas Hatzigiannatzoglou on drums, Morgan Phillips on bass, Paul Butters on guitar and Matt Bartram on keyboards.-External links:* * ...
, and starred in the claymation show Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries...
as herself.
In January 2004, Good Day Live
Good Day L.A.
Good Day L.A. is a television talk show aired on KTTV , the Fox Broadcasting Company-owned and operated station in Los Angeles, California. The show airs Monday through Friday mornings from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM and is simulcast live on myfoxla.com...
brought in Matenopoulous (along with Arthel Neville
Arthel Neville
Arthel Neville , is an American journalist and television personality.Arthel is the daughter of Art Neville, founder of the New Orleans music groups The Meters and The Neville Brothers.-Biography:...
) to co-host the nationally syndicated program. On September 29, 2004, she was hospitalized for an injury that was the result of a stunt she attempted for a segment of Good Day Live. The segment was focused on firefighter training, in which she practiced a fall from a three-story building at a Los Angeles fire station. She landed incorrectly on an airbag and was rushed to the hospital for a possible head injury. It was a closed head wound and she was temporarily blind. Despite massive promotion, including a mall-tour featuring Matenopoulous and Reynolds' replacement, Arthel Neville
Arthel Neville
Arthel Neville , is an American journalist and television personality.Arthel is the daughter of Art Neville, founder of the New Orleans music groups The Meters and The Neville Brothers.-Biography:...
, Good Day Live was canceled by its syndicators in March 2005.
In 2004, she was part of the panel of celebrity judges in the TBS Superstation show He's a Lady
He's a Lady
He's a Lady is an American reality television show that aired on TBS from October to November 2004. The premise of the show involves eleven men cross-dressing as women in order to win $250,000. The show's name is a reference to Tom Jones's 1971 hit song, "She's a Lady".The show is hosted by Tony...
.
In January 2006, Matenopoulos joined E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
's coverage of the Golden Globe Awards. In April of that same year, she became one of the three hosts on E!'s weeknight celebrity gossip and pop culture series, The Daily 10
Daily 10
The Daily 10 is an American daily television entertainment news show that aired on cable channel E! from March 2006 to October 2010. Hosts count down the top ten entertainment news stories of the day.-Segments:...
, a position she held until August 2009.
On July 25, 2006, over seven years after her last appearance on The View, she was invited back as a special guest co-host for a day.
Matenopoulos has also been a frequent contributor to VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
specials, including I Love the 90s and I Love Toys
I Love Toys
I Love Toys was the eighth in VH1's series of I Love… nostalgia shows. It premiered Monday, March 6, 2006, at 10:00 p.m. EST. It is a countdown of the 100 greatest toys, chosen partially through public voting on vh1.com and also consideration of "sales, historical significance and longevity,"...
. She has also been a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race 3
RuPaul's Drag Race (season 3)
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 is the third season of RuPaul's Drag Race, which began airing on January 24, 2011. Thirteen drag queens compete for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar", a headlining spot on the Absolut Tour, a lifetime supply of Kryolan makeup and a $75,000 cash prize.This...
.
Personal life
On July 5, 2003, Matenopoulos married Jay FairesJay Faires
Jay Faires Faires founded JFE in 2011, a TV oriented production company with a slant toward music and bold faced names. It is building commerce opportunities by mobilizing communities around engaging content. He currently sits on the board of the LA Chapter of the Recording Academy and the...
, the president of Music at Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment
Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation is a North American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1997, and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California...
and founder of Mammoth Records
Mammoth Records
Founded by Jay Faires in 1989 in Carrboro, North Carolina, Mammoth Records was one of the premiere independent record labels of the 1990s. Its roster featured such diverse talent as Antenna, Blake Babies, Chainsaw Kittens, Dash Rip Rock, Dillon Fence, Far Too Jones, Frente!, Fun-Da-Mental, Fu...
. He filed for divorce on November 12, 2008, in L.A. County Superior Court citing "irreconcilable differences." The pair have been separated since March 22, 2008. They had no children together.