Hollywood Role Model: Todd Newton

Daytime Emmy Award-winning TV host Todd Newton is The Host with the Most®.  Add to that, voice-over artist, podcaster, motivational speaker and a larger than life live performer, Todd is an expert on how to have a successful career in show business.

From his days as an entertainment reporter at E! Entertainment Television where he shared the red carpet with Joan and Melissa Rivers to hosting the epic gameshow Wammy and now The Price Is Right Live, Todd is a true inspiration.

Todd speaks to us here at #IheartHollywood about his new book "Life In The Bonus Round," which is an autobiographical story born from his personal journals, life lessons, and about what it takes to make it in Hollywood….and it comes down to ONE word.  HUSTLE!!!

Todd Newton.  Congrats on the new book.  How did you get started on your hustle?
Todd:  Some people are born to become doctors or architects, being on a stage, or a set with a microphone in my hand just seemed to be in my DNA. Growing up in St. Louis I would listen to the DJ's on our local Top 40 radio station and be mesmerized by the energy they brought to the medium.  Those personalities had what I refer to as "razzle dazzle."  It was infectious energy, and I wanted to be that voice on the radio that people tuned in to listen to.  I needed it then, and I need it now.  Today it's kept alive via digital streaming, and my Talk Is Cheap podcast.

What happened next?
I eventually landed a gig on the radio station I grew up listening to, and that led to entertainment reporting at a local TV station.  Soon the station sent me to Los Angeles to conduct some interviews, and I used my meal money to taxi from one agent to the next trying to get signed.

As fate would have it, I connected with an ambitious young agent who saw something in me and sent me to meet with the great Dan Gibson at E! Entertainment Television.  Dan took me under his wing and brought me out to Hollywood and changed my life forever.

Todd and co-worker Talika back in the 90's at the E! offices

When you joined E! in 1996 it was a relatively new network that produced all of its programming in-house.  There were only a handful of hosts there at the time: Steve Kmetko, John Henson, "Downtown" Julie Brown, Art Mann.  
Everyone was young and hungry, and we were unstoppable!  I think viewers tapped into our passion and realized that we were everyday people in an extraordinary environment.  We were the friends that brought them closer to the glamour and glitz.

I can't imagine being in your young 20's, fresh out of the Midwest and suddenly standing on the red carpets of Hollywood's most star-studded events.  What was that like?
I met the greatest of the great and coolest of the cool.  I got starstruck then, and I get starstruck today.  I learned so much from the great Joan Rivers.  Much like my idols Johnny Carson and Bob Barker, Joan had the ability to set her own fame aside and allow other stars to shine.  My standing alongside her I learned the importance of listening during an interview and letting the guest drive the boat.  It's more natural that way.  A true discussion is not a question and answer session, it's two people talking and allowing the conversation to go where it will.  She was the master at that and audiences loved her for it.  I honestly believe we did the red carpet better than anyone did and has since.

Who else did you learn from?
Bob Barker, was my unofficial mentor and whom I spent countless hours talking and sharing.  He once told me that every contestant has a story.  They have lives, jobs, and families.  He told me to invest the time to learn about them so I can present them to the audience as a person rather than just another contestant.  Once the people at home see them as a human being, they will invest the time and energy to root for them.  I keep those words with me in every game show I host, including the live stage version of TPIR which I've been fortunate enough to host for sixteen years and counting.

What is it about hosting that drives you?
Hosting is an art form...it's my art form, and I am passionate about it.  It's never been about money or fame.  My focus has always been on doing the best job I could do on any project I was fortunate to be a part of.  Then and now I am always able to find something of value to take away from it.  Sometimes it will be a fat paycheck, other times it will be a new friendship or solid working relationship.  It's all about doing what you love and continuing to develop as a performer.  YouTube and social media are incredible tools in that they give us an outlet for our goods and provide immediate feedback on what is working and what isn't.  But as my father always says, success boils down to "Hustle, Homework, and a solid Handshake."

Well, you are known as the Host with The Most® what are you the most of?
As I mention in the book of the same name, I am the host with the most drive, the most passion, and the most appreciation.  No one can touch me when it comes to those qualities.

What is the key to being successful in Hollywood?
Success is not about finding greatness overnight or seeing your name in the credits.  Success comes from the fulfillment achieved from the little wins.  I believe the key to success in any field is to be good to people and work hard to be someone others want to work with.  I believe in trying my best to exceed expectations.  When you're seen as someone who delivers quality work with integrity that bumps you to the front of the line and keeps you in mind for future projects.  That's the legacy I hope to leave behind.  I would encourage young talent to jump on any opportunity that comes along in the early years.  There are certainly plenty of ways to get noticed! Offer to appear on podcasts, voice a web series, narrate a book,...do anything that will get your voice heard and if the goods are there, things will start to happen. Breaking into the world of show business has never been easy, and there is no back door to success. Anyone looking to come to Hollywood must accept that.  There are thousands of people who will look like you, sound like you, and be up for the same gigs.  What will separate you from the pack is your drive and your ambition.  You can never stop hustling...ever!  That means you must always be creating opportunities for yourself (and others), always be searching for ways to improve your skill set, and always studying the trends of your business. You can make all the calls you want and send emails until your fingers are raw, but if you want someone to effectively market the magic that is within you, then they first need to experience the magic for themselves.  Do the work and HUSTLE!

But what about failure?
I don't believe in failure, I believe in feedback.  And I've had plenty of it!  I've auditioned for some of the biggest and most successful shows in network television and have been passed over.  Some may consider that failure, but I do not.  With each passing, I discovered something about my hosting style that I could do better.  These discoveries eventually led to my working on other projects that I loved being a part of.  Fearing failure is a crutch that only holds you back.  I prefer to keep the pedal to the metal and going forward.

Are you in your bonus round?

Life In The Bonus Round came very close to being called Confessions Of The Most Famous Man You've Never Heard Of, but there are no confessions in the book.  I'm not ashamed of anything I've ever done or said.  Sure, I'd enjoy a do-over or two...who wouldn't?  But what I want readers to take away from my stories are nuggets or goodness and a touch of wisdom that have helped me achieve some of my dreams with the hope that they will do the same for you.  We're all in this together.  We need to help each other.  That, to me, is the bonus, and the real definition of success.  Learn to appreciate the good things in your life, and you've truly found your way into the Bonus Round.

Todd's books are available on Amazon.com, iTunes, and on the merchandise page of toddnewtononline.com and you can follow him on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, or at his site.

TODD NEWTON....we ❤️ you!!!