Jimmy Hodson
Encyclopedia
American actor, narrator, and television host Jimmy Hodson was born in Orange, California
, April 16, 1962. He has been the announcer on the long running syndicated TV show Divorce Court
since 1999. Hodson narrates many movie trailers, commercials, shows and TV promos and has been the signature voice of Fox Soccer Channel
since its inception in 2005.
In the past, Hodson was the announcer and comedy cast member on basketball legend Magic Johnson
's short-lived late night talk show on Fox
called The Magic Hour. Hodson's height of 6'-8" was instrumental in securing the job with Magic Johnson who liked the idea of a similarly tall announcer. Hodson appeared in a number of motion pictures and television shows, most notably Touched by an Angel
on CBS
, and many TV pilots.
Hodson began acting on stage and directing 8 mm films in 6th grade and longed to work in film and broadcasting. He would sneak onto studio lots and observe shows in production, as well as attend legitimate tapings of shows. His dreams began to come true when he was hired for his first TV and radio jobs while still a sophomore in college.
As a voice over actor Hodson has narrated thousands of commercials, promos, videos, shows in a career that began in 1980 while he was still in college and started working as a disc jockey at now defunct KYMS-FM in Orange County, California
. Hodson has narrated many long form shows for National Geographic Channel
, ESPN
, Fine Living
, Animal Planet
, Travel Channel
, Discovery Channel
, PBS and more. He has been the voice of a few campaigns for Fox Sports
, including Major League Baseball
and College Football Saturday on FSN
.
In 1984, Hodson co-created and co-hosted the groundbreaking half hour music video show Real Videos which continues to air to this day, although he left the show after the first two years. In 1990, Hodson co-created and hosted an hour long music video series on the Family Channel
entitled Videosyncrasy. Both series were vehicles for Hodson's man-on-the-street style of found humor and combined songs with interviews of scores of musical artists and fun locations and stunts. He was featured sky diving, being set on fire, hang gliding, wrestling alligators, jumping off waterfalls, and traveling extensively. The Family Channel also commissioned Hodson to host prime time music specials with Harry Connick, Jr.
, Michael Bolton
, Natalie Cole
, Nelson
, and Amy Grant
. Videosyncrasy was cancelled in the autumn of 1991.
Behind the scenes, Hodson also worked as a cameraman, producer, writer, director, editor and motion graphic designer, directing music videos, commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries. The latter took him to some 32 countries around the world. In 1989, Hodson was selected by the late Rich Snyder, then owner of In-N-Out Burger
, to be the corporate voice of the company. Hodson edited and hosted training videos for In-N-Out for 13 years, and has narrated them for the last 20. Hodson traveled with rock band Guns 'n' Roses in 1991 to Rio de Janeiro
to document their Rock in Rio
performance there and shoot behind the scenes footage, including a side trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil with guitarist Slash
to visit the Butantan Institute of Snakes.
Today, Hodson still acts in front of the camera, but is mostly known as a voice over actor. Most recording is done in his home studio in Westlake Village, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles
. Hodson is married to former television producer Sonya Dunn Hodson and has two children with her, Hayley and Jonathan.
Orange, California
Southern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, April 16, 1962. He has been the announcer on the long running syndicated TV show Divorce Court
Divorce Court
Divorce Court is a judge show about cases which only involve divorcing couples. Out of the shows currently airing in the court-themed genre, Divorce Court is the oldest...
since 1999. Hodson narrates many movie trailers, commercials, shows and TV promos and has been the signature voice of Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer Channel
Fox Soccer is an American television specialty channel, owned by News Corporation's Fox Entertainment Group, that specializes in soccer. It formerly broadcast rugby and Australian rules football, but is now dedicated strictly to soccer...
since its inception in 2005.
In the past, Hodson was the announcer and comedy cast member on basketball legend Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA Draft by the Lakers...
's short-lived late night talk show on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
called The Magic Hour. Hodson's height of 6'-8" was instrumental in securing the job with Magic Johnson who liked the idea of a similarly tall announcer. Hodson appeared in a number of motion pictures and television shows, most notably Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel
Touched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and many TV pilots.
Hodson began acting on stage and directing 8 mm films in 6th grade and longed to work in film and broadcasting. He would sneak onto studio lots and observe shows in production, as well as attend legitimate tapings of shows. His dreams began to come true when he was hired for his first TV and radio jobs while still a sophomore in college.
As a voice over actor Hodson has narrated thousands of commercials, promos, videos, shows in a career that began in 1980 while he was still in college and started working as a disc jockey at now defunct KYMS-FM in Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. Hodson has narrated many long form shows for National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel
National Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated and trademarked as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society. Like History and the Discovery Channel, the channel features documentaries with factual...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, Fine Living
Fine Living
Fine Living Network was an American specialty television network owned by Scripps Networks Interactive...
, Animal Planet
Animal Planet
Animal Planet is an American cable tv specialty channel that launched on October 1, 1996. It is distributed by Discovery Communications. A high-definition simulcast of the channel launched on September 1, 2007.-History:...
, Travel Channel
Travel Channel
The Travel Channel is a satellite and cable television channel that is headquartered in Chevy Chase, Maryland, US. It features documentaries and how-to shows related to travel and leisure around the United States and throughout the world. Programming has included shows in African animal safaris,...
, Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, PBS and more. He has been the voice of a few campaigns for Fox Sports
Fox Sports (USA)
Fox Sports is a division of the Fox Broadcasting Company . It was formed in 1994 with Fox's acquisition of broadcast rights to National Football League games...
, including Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
and College Football Saturday on FSN
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
.
In 1984, Hodson co-created and co-hosted the groundbreaking half hour music video show Real Videos which continues to air to this day, although he left the show after the first two years. In 1990, Hodson co-created and hosted an hour long music video series on the Family Channel
Television networks preceding ABC Family
The cable television network ABC Family has gone through several different owners during its history. Stipulations in sales terms for the network require that the network maintain the word "Family" in its name.-CBN Cable :...
entitled Videosyncrasy. Both series were vehicles for Hodson's man-on-the-street style of found humor and combined songs with interviews of scores of musical artists and fun locations and stunts. He was featured sky diving, being set on fire, hang gliding, wrestling alligators, jumping off waterfalls, and traveling extensively. The Family Channel also commissioned Hodson to host prime time music specials with Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
, Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton
Michael Bolton is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton originally performed in the hard rock and heavy metal genres from the mid 1970s to the mid 1980s, both on his early solo albums and those recorded as the frontman of the band Blackjack...
, Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, Nelson
Nelson (band)
NELSON is a American hard rock band founded by singer/songwriters Matthew and Gunnar Nelson . NELSON featuring the twin lead front men had a No. 1 hit in the United States with " Love and Affection" during the week of September 29, 1990...
, and Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
. Videosyncrasy was cancelled in the autumn of 1991.
Behind the scenes, Hodson also worked as a cameraman, producer, writer, director, editor and motion graphic designer, directing music videos, commercials, corporate videos, and documentaries. The latter took him to some 32 countries around the world. In 1989, Hodson was selected by the late Rich Snyder, then owner of In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the western United States. Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside...
, to be the corporate voice of the company. Hodson edited and hosted training videos for In-N-Out for 13 years, and has narrated them for the last 20. Hodson traveled with rock band Guns 'n' Roses in 1991 to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
to document their Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
performance there and shoot behind the scenes footage, including a side trip to Sao Paulo, Brazil with guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
to visit the Butantan Institute of Snakes.
Today, Hodson still acts in front of the camera, but is mostly known as a voice over actor. Most recording is done in his home studio in Westlake Village, CA, a suburb of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Hodson is married to former television producer Sonya Dunn Hodson and has two children with her, Hayley and Jonathan.
External links
- http://www.JimmyHodson.com