Ray Munns is a former MTV VJ and Trance

Trance music

Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...

 DJ. In 2000, Munns beat out 10,000 other hopefuls to win the third annual Wanna Be a VJ

Wanna Be a VJ

Wanna Be a VJ was a show and contest on MTV. Contestants were selected from the crowd around MTV's Times Square office, and narrowed down via challenges testing the applicants' music knowledge and personality. Once narrowed down to six contestants, viewers were allowed to vote for contestants via...

 contest. During the live show, Munns participated in a series of challenges a VJ would expect to encounter…from introducing videos to interviewing celebrities such as Method Man

Method Man

Clifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...

. At the end of the show, a debate was held between Munns and Shannon Wiseman who was in the lead. In the debate, Munns made a comment about MTV not needing any more Barbie

Barbie

Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....

 Dolls. He was referring to the cookie cutter image of a VJ. The live studio audience went wild and Munns was awarded fifty one percent to Wiseman’s forty nine percent.

Munns started his MTV career as Carson Daly

Carson Daly

Carson Jones Daly is an American television host. He is the host of NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, a late-night talk show that began airing on January 7, 2002. Before his role as host of that program, Daly was a VJ on MTV's TRL, and a DJ for the Southern California based radio station KROQ-FM...

's sidekick on TRL

Total Request Live

Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...

 during the 2000 summer beach house. He also did a Wrigley’s Big Red

Big Red (gum)

Big Red is a cinnamon-flavored chewing gum introduced by the William Wrigley Jr. Company in 1976.Big Red was available in the UK and Ireland in the mid-to-late 1990s, but is no longer available there . It is a popular souvenir for visitors to the US from Ireland or the UK. Big Red was also...

 spot and appeared on Craig Kilborn

Craig Kilborn

Craig Kilborn is an American actor and talk show host. He was the original host of The Daily Show, a former anchor on ESPN's SportsCenter, and Tom Snyder's successor on CBS' The Late Late Show. On June 28, 2010, he launched The Kilborn File after a six-year absence from television...

. Within one week of his victory he was imitated by Chris Kattan

Chris Kattan

Christopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....

 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...

 {1} for having an infectious laugh. Munns second live interview came when Carson Daly had Shannon Elizabeth

Shannon Elizabeth

Shannon Elizabeth is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth is well known for her roles in comedy films such as Scary Movie, American Pie, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. She is also well known for her work in horror films such as Thirteen Ghosts, Cursed, and Night of the Demons...

 say hello to him on TRL. Munns was flattered when Elizabeth said she had voted for him.

After the summer beach house ended, Ray play fought and danced the Britney Spears

Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

 dance for "Oops I Did It Again" with Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...

 on TRL. He was chosen by Time Warner

Time Warner

Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...

 and 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....

 to shoot five vignettes for the 2000 MTV VMA

VMA

VMA may refer to:* MTV Video Music Awards* United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons which use the AV-8B Harrier II aircraft* Vanillylmandelic acid, a metabolite in urine which may be measured to diagnose medical disorders* Vanthali Memon Association...

, and also started work as executive producer on his first mixed CD "Ray's House" for Kinetic Records

Kinetic Records

Kinetic Records was a New York City-based record label founded by Steve Lau , that launched the careers of artists and DJs such as Paul Oakenfold, BT, Deepsky, Kosheen, Tilt, Timo Maas, Grace, Sandra Collins, Billy Thermal, Binary Finary, and Shpongle...

. Munns was spotted out at popular clubs with celebrities including Nsync, Backstreet Boys

Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...

, The Fugees

The Fugees

Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...

, Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

, Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...

 and many more.

On January 1, 2001 MTV debuted its new show "VJ4ADAY.” The live program featured contestants battling for Munns' job…some of the challenges included introducing videos and interacting with celebrities. After winning four times, a contestant would compete with Munns "Head to Head" for his job. After five "Head to Head" matches and hosting VJ for a Day for four months; Munns retained his job and left the show as the “People’s Champion.”

{1} Saturday Night Live 6 May 2000 (Season 25, Episode 18)

Post MTV

After leaving MTV as a full time VJ, Munns was named one of People Magazine’s "50 Most Eligible Bachelors"{1}. He was featured alongside Matt Damon

Matt Damon

Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...

, George Clooney

George Clooney

George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...

, Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck

Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...

, Josh Hartnett

Josh Hartnett

Joshua Daniel "Josh" Hartnett is an American actor and aspiring producer. He first came to audiences' attention in 1997 as "Michael Fitzgerald" in the television series Cracker. He made his feature film debut in 1998, co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later for Miramax...

, and Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe

Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...

. While taking a break from promoting and DJing for his album “Rays House;” he hosted the "Swordfish Movie Special" featuring Paul Oakenfold

Paul Oakenfold

Paul Mark Oakenfold is a British record producer and a trance DJ.-Early Career: 1979–84:Paul Oakenfold's career was set to be a chef, after having hopes of becoming part of a band. He describes his early life as a "bedroom deejay" in a podcasted interview with Vancouver's 24 Hours, stating he grew...

 and Africa Bambaataa. Munns was also brought back as a guest judge on MTV when he was not busy DJing. In 2001, he was a judge at the Miss Teen USA

Miss Teen USA

Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....

 awards.

{1} Source People Magazine July 2, 2001

DJ Ray Munns

During the time he was DJing, Munns became heavily involved into charity work. He MC'd events for the Lilly Claire Foundation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...

. He was also featured in Newsweek

Newsweek

Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...

 with Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....

 while attending a benefit for inner city youth. Munns became heavily involved with dog rescue while executive producing his second album, "Ray Munns Presents A DJ's Night Out" on Funk Wax Records. After touring for the album, he played a minor role in the independent film "Destination Fame."

While on tour for his second album, Munns was involved in a rear end collision and went through physical therapy to regain normal use of his right arm and shoulder. During his recovery, Munns became more and more involved with Adopt a Rescue Pet and is now a senior volunteer with the group.

Current

Munns recently wrote an article for Asians of Mixed Race and was spotted at the 2007 VMA after-parties in Las Vegas partying with Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes is an American hip hop rock band from Geneva, New York. They have collaborated with Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump on numerous occasions, notably for providing backing vocals on the song "Cupid's Chokehold." Stump also produced the majority of their album The Quilt.The group formed...

, Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...

, Travis Barker

Travis Barker

Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...

, John Norris

John Norris

John Norris, sometimes called John Norris of Bemerton, was an English theologian, philosopher and poet associated with the Cambridge Platonists.-Life:...

, and Michael Grant

Michael Grant

Michael Grant may refer to:* Michael Grant, 12th Baron de Longueuil , nobleman possessing the only French colonial title recognized by the King or Queen of Canada* Michael Grant , American football player...

.

According to his My Space page Munns now rescues dogs, writes screenplays, and is pursuing a career in film and TV.