Donovan Patton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Donovan Patton
Patton in 2024
Born	(1978-03-01) March 1, 1978 (age 47) Naval Air Station Agana, Guam, U.S.
Occupation	Actor television host
Years active	1996–present
Spouse(s)	Jackie Patton
Children	2

Donovan Patton was born on March 1, 1978. He is an American actor and television host. Before joining children's TV, he performed in plays by William Shakespeare, like Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet.

In 2002, Donovan became the host of the popular children's show Blue's Clues. He took over from Steve Burns. His character, Joe, was known for being eager to solve problems. After Blue's Clues finished in 2006, Donovan voiced Bot on Nickelodeon's Team Umizoomi from 2010 to 2015. Since 2021, he has voiced CatRat on the Netflix and DreamWorks series Gabby's Dollhouse.

Even though he is famous for children's shows, Donovan has also acted in other projects. These include independent films and TV shows like Blue Bloods and Nurse Jackie. He has also lent his voice to several video games, such as Grand Theft Auto V, Lego Jurassic World, and God of War.

Early Life and Education

Donovan Patton was born on a U.S. military base in Guam. His father, Michael Patton, was an Air Force meteorologist. His mother, Darlene Curtis, worked for a charity. Donovan has an older brother named Casey and a younger half-sister named Annabelle.

When Donovan was three, his parents divorced. He, his brother, and their mother moved to Colorado. Later, when he was 12, they moved to Las Vegas. Donovan went to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He graduated from there in 1996.

Career Highlights

Donovan's first acting jobs were in Shakespeare plays. He performed in Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet. While taking acting classes in New York City, he worked different jobs, like a book clerk.

Becoming Joe on Blue's Clues

Donovan got his big break in late 2000. He was chosen to replace Steve Burns as Joe, the second host of Blue's Clues. At that time, Donovan was a waiter and part-time actor in New York. He called getting the role of Joe "a happy accident."

Donovan became very well-known to young children and their parents. He was chosen from 1,500 people who auditioned for the role. He had never seen the show before his audition. However, like Steve, he was a favorite with young test audiences. Steve Burns helped train Donovan for the role. Steve told him to think of the show as real acting, not just children's TV. Steve left the show in January 2001. Donovan's first episodes aired in April 2002.

One of the show's creators, Angela Santomero, said Donovan's character, Joe, was more like a preschooler. Joe was more willing to "jump into a problem" and figure it out as he went. Donovan enjoyed working on Blue's Clues. He said he got to "be a kid for twelve hours a day." He also said the crew was like "a real fun little family." Donovan stayed on the show for 48 episodes until it ended in 2006. He also appeared in its spin-off, Blue's Room, which started in 2004.

Years later, Donovan said he still didn't fully understand how big it was to replace Steve. This was true even after he became a parent himself. He saw how the show affected his own children. He even admitted he preferred when his daughter watched the Steve episodes.

In 2019, Donovan and Steve Burns returned for the new show Blue's Clues & You!. They played Joe and Steve again to help their cousin Josh learn about Blue. Donovan and Steve have continued to appear in the series. They also starred in the 2022 movie Blue's Big City Adventure.

Other Roles and Voice Acting

In 2012, Donovan appeared in short films like Awake. The director of Awake was impressed by Donovan's acting. He said Donovan was a "complete professional" and a "tremendous actor." Donovan also appeared in the TV show One Life to Live. In 2014, he was in a movie called Lies I Told My Little Sister.

In 2009, Donovan was cast as Bot, a robot superhero, on the children's show Team Umizoomi. He found working on Team Umizoomi comforting. Many of the same people who worked on Blue's Clues were also on this show. It was his first time doing voice-over work. He enjoyed being part of a show from the very beginning. Donovan voiced Bot in all 80 episodes of Team Umizoomi across its four seasons.

In 2021, Donovan began voicing CatRat on the popular animated series Gabby's Dollhouse. This role has further expanded his career in children's entertainment.

Personal Life

Donovan Patton is married to his wife, Jackie. They have two children and live in Los Angeles. He is involved with several charities in the New York City area. These include Literacy Inc., the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, which is a large children's hospital.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

Shorts

Video

• Dr. Ice (1996) – Waiter
• It's Joe Time (2002) – Joe
• Blue's Clues: Meet Joe! (2002) – Joe
• Blue's Big Band (2003) – Joe
• Blue's Biggest Stories (2006) – Joe
• Blue's Jobs (2006) – Joe
• Meet Blue's Baby Brother (2006) – Joe
• Blue Takes You to School (2003) – Joe
• Fred's Birthday (2006) – Joe

See also

In Spanish: Donovan Patton para niños