Vanna White

Vanna White worked as a professional model before joining the game show Wheel of Fortune in 1982 as co-host. She's responsible for uncovering the letters on the show's large puzzle board and modeling an ever-changing line of designs. White is the mother of two and, as an avid crocheter, has her own yarn line called Vanna's Choice.

After graduating from high school, White moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where she attended the Atlanta School of Fashion and worked as a model. She headed to Los Angeles in 1979 to pursue an acting career, but in the summer of 1980, she returned briefly to South Carolina to see her mother, who was dying of ovarian cancer.

White returned to Hollywood with renewed resolve and earned a series of minor acting jobs in largely forgettable films, including the role of Mickey in "Gypsy Angels," a bit part in "Looker," starring alongside Albert Finney, and the small role of Doris in the high school thriller "Graduation Day."

Later in 1982, however, White got the job that would make her career. She was chosen out of 200 applicants to join new host and former weatherman, Pat Sajak, on the NBC game show, "Wheel of Fortune," created by entertainment giant Merv Griffin. The show met with tremendous success over the next several years, and by 1986 a syndicated evening version attracted 30 million viewers, twice as many as the No. 2 syndicated program, MAS*H, and grossed $100 million a year. In 1999, its 16th year in syndication, Wheel of Fortune was seen by approximately 40 million people.

White's position as hostess and chief letter-turner and model of an ever-changing line of designs on Wheel of Fortune quickly made her a huge star. Suddenly, "Vannamania" was sweeping the nation, and White soon earned a number of lucrative endorsement contracts and even starred in the NBC movie "Venus: The Goddess of Love."

In 1992, White was recognized in The Guinness Book of World Records as TV's most frequent clapper, with an average of 720 claps per show and over 28,000 per season. A ghostwritten autobiography of the game show star, entitled "Vanna Speaks," was published in 1987.

An avid crocheter, White has her own yarn line called Vanna's Choice.