Vanna White is an American actress and television personality who gained fame by being the host of NBC’s game show “Wheel of Fortune”.
She’s also appeared in several films and television shows which gained her a lot of popularity in her career in the TV industry.
When she first arrived as a letter turner for the game show, she was able to capture the audience’s attention with the charm and energy that she brings with her.
Her popularity reached a point where everyone became obsessed with her. Everyone even Started naming their babies after her.
With her popularity, she even became a fashion icon and released a few products like dolls and perfumes which are mainly catered to her fans. She even has an endorsement with crochet yarns due to her love with the love crocheting.
If you want to know more about this amazing woman then keep reading as we’ll talk about her career, personal life, net worth, and more.
Early Life and Childhood of Vanna White
Vanna Marie Rosich or most commonly known as Vanna White was born on February 18, 1957, in Conway, South Carolina. Her parents were Miguel Angel and Joan Marie Rosich.
His father abandoned them when Vanna was still an infant which left her mother to be the only one to raise her.
While growing up, Vanna’s mother remarried to Herbert Stackley White. They later moved to Myrtle Beach where her stepfather worked as a Real Estate Agent. Vanna acquired his father’s name and eventually became Vanna White.
By the age of 11, Vanna had an appendectomy and she only had the TV as a means of entertainment while she was recovering.
It became one of her favorite pastimes and also inspired her to become a TV personality when she saw her uncle, Christopher George, in the series “The Rat Patrol”.
She moved to Atlanta, Georgia right after graduating in high school to join the “Atlanta School of Fashion”. Vanna also worked as a model in order to support herself while she was studying.
Becoming a Television Celebrity
Vanna then proceeded to Los Angeles to try and pursue a career in acting while also working in different jobs in order to sustain herself.
This was cut short as she had to go home and take care of her mother until she died in 1980. After her mother passed away, the aspiring actress went back to Los Angeles so she can still follow her dreams of becoming an actress.
She was able to get a few small-time roles in films such as “Graduation Day”(2981) and “Looker”(1981). In 1982, Vanna was able to appear in the TV show “Star of the Family”.
In the same year, she was able to become one the co-host and letter turner for the TV show “Wheel of Fortune”. She became the show’s full-time host and her popularity exponentially increased after a syndicated version of the show was aired. By 1999, the show had more than 40 million viewers making Vanna White a Household name in America.
She then proceeded to star in the 1988 NBC TV film “Goddess of love” as “Venus”. This was then followed up by Vanna becoming a voice actor in cartoon shows. One of these shows was the TV animated series “Captain Planet and the Planeteers” which ran from 1990 to 1996.
Vanna was also able to make cameo appearances like in the 1994 fil “Naked Gun 33 ½” and other recent shows like “L.A. Law”, “Kings and Queens”, and “Full House”.
Endorsement Deals
While Vanna was still working as a host for “Wheel of Fortune” she often made crochets to pass the time on the set.
She was taught by her grandmother on how to crochet and was retaught to her by her hairdresser who was also doing it during downtimes on set.
Due to this, she was able to get an endorsement deal from Lion Brand Yarns. She was able to have her own line of knitting books and yarn which was called “Vanna’s Choice”.
Vanna White’s Total Net Worth
The actress currently has a total net worth of over $70 million. Most of her income came from her time in “Wheel of Fortune”.
Her annual salary during her time as a TV show host was $8 million. Some of her income also came from her acting roles and crochet products.
Philanthropic Works
White has also done a few philanthropic works throughout her career. She previously donated a substantial amount to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for their research on treating diseases that are deadly to children.
She also said that she will continue to do her philanthropic works even after she retires.
Guinness Book of World Records
Vanna’s time in “Wheel of Fortune” also gave her a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.
She became “Television’s Most Frequent Clapper” as she’s able to make 600 claps per show. It was also estimated in 2014 that she made an approximate 3,480,864 number of claps during her 30 season runtime in the show.
Vanna White Personal Life and Marriage
In 1980, Vanna started dating the actor John Gibson who unfortunately died in a plane crash in 1986. She had to take some time off the show in order to mourn the loss of her soon to be husband.
She later got married to George Santo Pietro in 1990 but eventually had a divorce after 12 years. The couple had two children named Nicholas, who was the eldest, and Giovanna, being the youngest.
Vanna then got engaged again in 2004 to Michael Kaye, a South California businessman, though this engagement went through as the couple decided to split in 2006.
Vanna White’s Height and Weight
The actress currently stands at an average height of 5’4ft. She also works out a lot to keep her body healthy and fit. This makes her current weight at 52kg and her three measurements are 36-23-33.
