Brooke Burns, host of FOX’s hilarious new game show “Hole in the Wall,” was born in Dallas, TX. The middle child of three siblings, her mother encouraged her from a young age to pursue her dream, which, since kindergarten, was to become a ballerina. As a teenager, she showed great promise as a professional ballet dancer, but her career was abruptly ended at age 14 after a ski accident. She is a natural athlete and a talented swimmer, having been trained by her father, a former national champion swimmer at Southern Methodist University.
Burns got into acting in 1996, when she played Peg in the TV series “Out of the Blue.” She went on to guest star in three episodes of “Ally McBeal” and then moved on to play Jessie Owens in “Baywatch.” Burns broke onto the silver screen when she acted opposite Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow in “Shallow Hal.” She also played Jan Lambert in “Single White Female 2: The Psycho” alongside Allison Lange and Todd Babcock. Burns also played Kathy Dinkle in “Pepper Dennis” and stars in the upcoming movie “Urban Decay.” For two summer seasons in 2002 and 2003, Burns hosted the American version of the “Dog Eat Dog” game show, for which she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award.
Burns recently starred in the ABC’s comedy “Miss/Guided,” opposite Chris Parnell (“Saturday Night Live”) and Judy Greer. The series was created by Caroline Williams (“The Office”), produced by Ashton Kutcher and helmed by Emmy® Award-winning director Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle”). Burns also recently shot “Mistresses,” a pilot for Lifetime.
In 2005, Burns suffered a life-threatening accident while diving into a swimming pool in Los Angeles, breaking her neck and injuring her body from her chin to her chest. The incident almost left her paralyzed, but through the help and support of her friends and family she returned to acting. In her spare time, she is a mentor for Penny Lane, a residential home for abused children.
Burns was once married to Julian McMahon, with whom she has a daughter, Madison, in 2000, and was engaged to Bruce Willis, who remains her close friend.
