Steve Burns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Burns
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Burns in 2024
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Steven Michael Burns
October 9, 1973 Boyertown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Education | DeSales University |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
| Musical career | |
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| Labels | PIAS Recordings |
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Steven Michael Burns (born October 9, 1973) is an American actor, musician, and television host. He is best known for playing "Steve" on the popular children's TV show Blue's Clues. He hosted the show from 1996 to 2002. For his work, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2001. Steve has also done many voice-overs for commercials, like the "Snickers satisfies" campaign.
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Early Life and Start in Acting
Steven Burns was born in Boyertown, Pennsylvania. His parents were Joseph and Janet Burns. He has two sisters. His father worked in human resources.
Steve went to Boyertown Area Senior High School. He graduated in 1992. During high school and college, he played in several bands. Some of these bands were Sudden Impact US and the Ivys.
He studied acting at DeSales University on a scholarship. There, an agent discovered him. He then left college and moved to New York City. He wanted to become a professional actor. He lived in a small apartment near Times Square. He first found success doing voice-overs for ads. He also appeared on TV shows like Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order.
Blue's Clues Role
In 1994, Steve Burns tried out for Blue's Clues. He thought it was a voice-over job for a game show. He even acted like Christopher Walken during his audition. He had long hair and an earring at the time.
Nickelodeon executives were not sure about him at first. They asked him to dress more formally for later auditions. But young kids who watched the test shows loved him. The show's co-creator, Traci Paige Johnson, said Steve was "the realest" out of 100 people.
Blue's Clues first aired on September 8, 1996. It was an instant hit. Steve's performance was a big reason for its success. He became a "superstar" to his young audience. He called himself a "micro-celebrity." The New York Times reported that he had many fans. These included preteen girls and mothers. In 2000, People magazine listed him as one of America's most eligible bachelors.
Filming for the show happened in Tribeca, Manhattan. Steve was very involved in making Blue's Clues. One difficult part was acting in front of a "blue screen." The animation was added later. Steve said it was like "acting at the bottom of a swimming pool."
Leaving the Show
After almost six years, Steve decided to leave Blue's Clues. He announced his departure in January 2001. His last episodes aired on April 29, 2002. In these episodes, "Steve" introduced a new host. This was Donovan Patton, who played Steve's younger brother, Joe.
Steve never wanted to be a children's host forever. He loved kids, but he knew it wasn't a lifelong career. He also joked that he didn't want to lose his hair on a kids' TV show. The day after filming his last episode, he shaved his head. He had wanted to do this for years. Many of the original creators were also moving on.
Steve has returned to the Blue's Clues world. He helped with casting for the new show, Blue's Clues & You!. This show is hosted by Josh Dela Cruz. Steve and Donovan Patton appeared in the first episode. They welcomed their "cousin" Josh. They also appear often in the series. Steve and Donovan were in the 2022 movie Blue's Big City Adventure. Steve has also written and directed some episodes of the new show.
In 2021, Steve appeared in videos for the 25th anniversary of Blue's Clues. One video on Twitter became very popular. In it, he spoke as his character, Steve. He told viewers he never forgot them after going to college. He also said he was amazed by how much they had grown.
Music and Other Acting Roles
After leaving Blue's Clues in 2002, Steve worked on his first album. It was called Songs for Dustmites. He worked on it for two and a half years. The album was released in 2003. He got help from Steven Drozd of the Flaming Lips. One song from the album, "Mighty Little Man," is the theme song for the CBS show Young Sheldon. Steve has also appeared on Young Sheldon since 2022. He plays a Star Trek fan.
Steve started a band called Steve Burns and the Struggle. They released their second album, Deep Sea Recovery Efforts, in 2009.
Steve has also acted in movies. He was in the 2007 horror-comedy film Netherbeast Incorporated. He played a vampire. In 2008, he played an astronaut in Christmas on Mars. This was a science fiction film by the Flaming Lips. In 2012, he appeared in a YouTube comedy series called The Professionals.
In 2016, Steve released a children's album with Steven Drozd. It was called Foreverywhere. They used the name "STEVENSTEVEN." They also made a video for their first song, "The Unicorn and Princess Rainbow."
Steve Burns also made a guest appearance on Tim Kubart's 2018 children's album, Building Blocks.
Personal Life
For many years, Steve Burns lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In 2020, he shared that he had been living mostly near the Catskill Mountains for the past four years.
Filmography
TV series
- Blue's Clues – himself (also producer and consulting producer)
- Blue's Clues & You! – himself, Mapbook (voice) (also directed and wrote episodes)
- Figure It Out – himself, panelist (1999)
- Homicide: Life on the Street – David Tarnofski
- Jack's Big Music Show – himself/performer
- Law & Order – Kevin Jeffries
- Little Bear – Mr. Skunk (voice)
- The Bedtime Business Song – himself
- The Early Show – himself
- The Panel – himself
- The Professionals – Investor X
- The Rosie O'Donnell Show – himself
- Today – himself
- Yes, Dear – himself
- Young Sheldon – theme song performer, Nathan
TV specials
- The 42nd Annual New York Emmy Awards – himself/Presenter
- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade – himself
Video games
- Blue's 123 Time Activities – himself
- Blue's ABC Time Activities – himself
- Blue's Alphabet Book - himself
- Blue's Art Time Activities – himself
- Blue's Big Musical – himself
- Blue's Birthday Adventure – himself
- Blue's Reading Time Activities – himself
- Blue's Treasure Hunt – himself
Shorts
- Blue's Birthday – himself
- La lecon – Arthur Knudson
- The Bill (2001) – Bill
- Hot Pants – Ben
Stage
- Amadeus – Mozart
- The Comedy of Errors – Dromio
Movies
- Blue's Big Musical Movie – himself
- Christmas on Mars – Major Lowell
- Marie and Bruce – Fred
- Netherbeast Incorporated – Otto Granberry
- Who Framed Jesus – The Narrator
- Blue's Big City Adventure – himself
Documentaries
- The Fearless Freaks – himself
- I Love You, You Hate Me – himself
Discography
- Songs for Dustmites (2003)
- Deep Sea Recovery Efforts (2009) (as Steve Burns and the Struggle)
- Foreverywhere (2017) (with Steven Drozd, as STEVENSTEVEN)
See also
In Spanish: Steven Burns para niños
