Joseph Motiki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joseph Motiki
Born	Joseph Frederick Motiki (1972-07-31) July 31, 1972 (age 52) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Other names	Joe Motiki
Education	Ryerson University
Occupation	Television host actor performer
Years active	1994–present

Joseph Motiki is a Canadian actor and TV host. He was born on July 31, 1972. Many people know him as the host of The TVOKids Crawlspace. This was a popular children's show on TVOntario. He also hosted Ice Cold Cash, a fun game show on the Food Network.

Early Life and Education

Joseph Motiki was born in Toronto, Ontario. His parents moved to Canada from South Africa. He grew up in East York, a part of Toronto. Joseph went to East York Collegiate Institute for high school. He was a great student and loved sports. He was even the president of his school's student government. After high school, Joseph studied at Ryerson University. He graduated from their Radio and Television Arts program.

A Career in Television

Starting Out in TV

While still in school, Joseph got his first TV job. He beat out 350 other people to host What. This was a late-night call-in show for young people on TVOntario. The first episode aired on May 30, 1994. The show talked about current events and pop culture. What was even nominated for a Gemini Award in 1995. This award is for the best youth program in Canada.

Hosting The TVOKids Crawlspace

In March 1995, Joseph became a co-host of The TVOKids Crawlspace. This was a popular after-school block of children's shows on TVOntario. He worked alongside Patty Sullivan and Kevin Brauch. Later, Joseph officially replaced Kevin Brauch. Patty and Joe would appear live between shows. They would read letters from viewers and talk about upcoming programs. They also created many funny characters. Joseph spent four years on TVOKids. He helped the show get its highest ratings ever. He left The Crawlspace on May 30, 1999.

Voice Acting and Other Shows

After TVOKids, Joseph started new projects. He continued to host different shows and live events. He also began voice acting for animated TV series. His first voice role was Professor Rocket on Crashbox for HBO. He also voiced Rocky Canyon for the TV series Rescue Heroes. He even voiced Rocky for the action figures and the 2003 movie Rescue Heroes: The Movie. Another voice role was Metabee in the TV series Medabots.

In 2002, Joseph hosted the quiz show Reach for the Top. This show was a high school competition for trivia. That same year, he hosted POV Sports on CBC. This show featured both professional and amateur athletes. Joseph traveled across North America for POV Sports. He covered events like the Gravity Games and the X Games. He even interviewed Usain Bolt, a famous runner, at a championship.

Joseph hosted a documentary called Sports From The Edge in 2004. It followed an athlete named Steve Amarualik. The documentary won an award at a film festival. He also hosted Get Outta Town with Barbara Mamabolo. This travel show explored how young people live around the world. Joseph also hosted the Spelling Bee of Canada championships several times. From 2007 to 2008, he hosted the YTV game show Game Gurus.

Acting Roles

Joseph played Trevor Jones in the comedy series She's the Mayor. This show was about a retired school principal who becomes a mayor. He also appeared in other TV shows. These include Degrassi: The Next Generation and Wingin' It. He was in movies like Blindness. He also voiced characters for animated shows like Life's a Zoo.tv. This show won a Gemini Award in 2009.

Joseph has appeared on many different platforms. He played himself on the Canadian web series The Casting Room. He was also a guest on the online podcast Deekast. There, he talked about how his career started at TVOntario.

In 2012, Joseph hosted Ice Cold Cash on the Food Network. He pretended to be an ice cream seller. He would surprise customers with food questions. If they answered correctly, they won cash prizes! He was also the in-stadium host for athletics at the 2015 Pan American Games and 2015 Parapan American Games.

In 2016, he hosted CSP Live. This was a live show from the creators of Canada's Smartest Person. Viewers could play interactive challenges based on different types of intelligence. The show was streamed live on Facebook.

Filmography

Film

Television