Carrie Ann Inaba facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carrie Ann Inaba
Carrie Ann Inaba at the 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival
Born	(1968-01-05) January 5, 1968 (age 57) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Education	Punahou School University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	Television judge, talk/game show host, dancer, choreographer, actress, singer
Years active	1986–present
Height	5 ft 6 in (168 cm)
Partner(s)	Artem Chigvintsev (2006–08) Jesse Sloan (2009–2012) Robb Derringer (2016–2017)

Carrie Ann Inaba (born January 5, 1968) is an American television star, dancer, and choreographer. She is most famous for being a judge on ABC's Dancing with the Stars since 2005. She also co-hosted The Talk on CBS Daytime from 2019 to 2021. Carrie Ann started her career as a singer in Japan. Later, she became well-known for her dancing. She first appeared to American audiences as one of the original Fly Girls on the TV show In Living Color from 1990 to 1992.

Early Life and Education

Carrie Ann Inaba was born and grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. She finished high school at Punahou School in 1986. Her family background includes Irish, Japanese, and Chinese heritage.

She started dancing when she was just three years old. Her first dance class was a "creative movement" class. In this class, children danced freely with scarves. As a child, she loved to dance in her backyard, which looked out over the Pacific Ocean.

After high school, she studied at Sophia University and University of California, Irvine. She then graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles. There, she earned a degree in world arts and cultures.

Career Highlights

Singing Career

In 1986, when Carrie Ann was 18, she won a talent show in Hawaii. This led her to become a pop star in Japan. She sang songs in Japanese, reading the words phonetically. Her first song became a Top 50 hit. She lived in Tokyo from 1986 to 1988 and was a popular singer. During this time, she released three singles. She also hosted weekly radio and television shows.

Dancing and Choreography

After returning to America, Carrie Ann became one of the "Fly Girls" on the TV show In Living Color. She danced on the show from 1990 to 1992. She also performed with famous artists like Madonna on her 1993 Girlie Show World Tour. For this tour, she even shaved her head! Her favorite dance style is the rhumba. She finds it very strong and challenging.

Carrie Ann has also worked as a choreographer for many TV shows. These include American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. She also choreographed the Miss America Pageant for five years.

Film and Television Appearances

Carrie Ann has appeared in several movies. She was a background dancer in Monster Mash in 1995. She also played Fook Yu in Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). Her "twin sister" in the movie, Fook Mi, was played by Diane Mizota. The two actresses are not actually related.

On television, she is best known as a judge on Dancing with the Stars. She has been a judge on every season since the show started in 2005. She also hosted the game show 1 vs. 100 on GSN. From 2019 to 2021, she was a co-host and moderator on the talk show The Talk.

Film Production and Theater

Carrie Ann is the founder and president of EnterMediArts, Inc. This is a company that produces videos. She directs, writes, and edits films. She was also a producer for the Broadway show Burn the Floor. In 2008, she received the Visionary Award from East West Players. This award recognized her efforts to help the Asian American community through theater, film, and television.

Personal Life

Carrie Ann Inaba cares a lot about animals. She supports groups like the Humane Society of the United States and PETA. In 2012, she started the Carrie Ann Animal Foundation. She also created a YouTube series about shelter cats because she loves them so much. At one point, she had seven rescue animals as pets!

Health Journey

Carrie Ann has openly shared her experiences with various health conditions. She has dealt with challenges like spinal stenosis and Sjögren syndrome. She has also been diagnosed with Lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. As a child, she also struggled with Tourette Syndrome. In 2020, she recovered after testing positive for COVID-19. In 2023, she had emergency surgery for appendicitis. Through all these challenges, she has shown great strength and resilience.

Giving Back

Carrie Ann is involved in many charitable activities. She has worked with the Entertainment Industry Foundation's iParticipate campaign, which encourages volunteering. She also supports Drea's Dream, a dance therapy program for children with cancer. She is a founding member of the Dizzy Feet Foundation, which promotes dance education. After her mother's battle with cancer, both she and her mother started participating in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Carrie Ann Inaba para niños