For many, a brain tumor could mean the end of the world, but for Maria Menounos, there is always a better future if you can fight your way through it. Maria is a popular television presenter, actress, journalist and occasionally a professional wrestler. Born in Medford, Massachusetts, she is best known as a TV correspondent for The Today Show, Extra, and Access Hollywood. She also hosted the 51st edition of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, which was held in Athens, Greece.
The hardworking, self-described “superhero” had fought her way to fame and even after brain surgery, Maria came back to take her place in the entertainment industry. To this day she is one of the leading faces in various fields.
Maria Menounos Biography
Maria was born on June 28, 1978, to her Greek parents Costas and Litsa Menounos, and grew up in Medford, Massachusetts. She attended the city’s high school before enrolling at Boston’s Emerson College and graduating in 2000. Maria has American nationality but belongs to the white ethnic group. She has a brother named Peter Menounos
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Usually described by her colleagues as a workaholic, she has always been a busy person. In her early years she participated in various beauty contests and in 1996 she won the title of Miss Massachusetts Teen USA. She then participated in Miss Teen USA and was placed in the top fifteen.
Maria Menounos began her career as a reporter for Channel One News, where she interviewed such notable personalities as former American President George W. Bush. After a short time, she was hired by Entertainment Tonight to cover music films and fashion, but in 2005 she left the job to start a career as an actress.
As an actress, Maria appeared in movies and television series such as One on One, My Extra Miles, Without a Trace, Kickin’ It Old Skool, and Fantastic Four, to name a few. Her voice and her image were also used as Eva Adara in the 2005 released Electronic Arts video game James Bond 007: From Russia with Love.
In 2014, Maria signed a multi-year contract with the cable and satellite TV station E! Entertainment, but after about two years of service, she announced that she would resign because of a brain tumor she was struggling with.
Apart from being an actress and TV presenter, Maria is a professional wrestler. She made her debut in a match with Canadian-American professional wrestler Gail Kim and American model and wrestler Kelly Kelly against other well-known wrestlers such as Beth Phoenix, Alicia Fox, and Rosa Mendes. She even hosted the WWE Hall of Fame Pre-Show 2014-2017 on the red carpet. Maria is also interested in humanitarian projects such as Take Action Hollywood, which she founded after traveling to South Africa to report on the impact of the AIDS crisis. The project aims to raise social awareness and improve human conditions through films.
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Maria married her long-time friend and business partner Keven Undergaro on 31 December 2017. The two of them met in April 1998 and started dating, but Maria’s parents, who could not accept her relationship with a non-Greek, denied her in return.
Keven Undergaro was also born in Massachusetts and was born on November 16, 1967. He was raised by his working-class parents who lived in Massachusetts. In his youth, he developed a strong interest in comics, movies, and video games. He attended Saint Anselm College, where he majored in history. Undergaro created an online broadcasting network called AfterBuzz TV. He is also known as a writer and film producer.
On March 9, 2016, during the Howard Stern Show, Undergaro asked Maria to marry him and she happily said yes. The two decided to exchange their marriage vows after she underwent meningioma surgery in June 2017.
Height and Body Measurement
Maria is one of the many entertainment stars with perfect body measurements. With a body height of 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in), Maria weighs 52 kg. She also gets her slim figure from a high-quality training program and a good diet. Her breasts, waist, and hips measure 32, 24 and 36 inches. Despite praise for her attractive body, she considers her smile to be the most captivating aspect of her appearance.
