Firestone, Roy 1953–

views updated

Firestone, Roy 1953–

PERSONAL

Born December 8, 1953, in Miami (some sources cite Miami Beach), FL; son of Bernard and Regina Firestone; married, wife's name Midori, 1987; children: two sons.Education: University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, diploma, 1974.

Addresses: Agent— Harry Walker Agency, Inc., 355 Lexington Ave., 21st Floor, New York, NY 10017. Contact— Magic Turtle Productions, Inc., P.O. Box 56927, Sherman Oaks, CA 90413.

Career: Sports broadcaster and actor. WTVJ–TV, Miami, FL, sports reporter, 1973–75; WPLG–TV, Miami, FL, sports reporter, 1975–77; KCBS–TV, Los Angeles, sports reporter and anchor, 1977–85, color analyst for football broadcasts, 1978–79; Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN), Los Angeles, sports reporter and anchor, beginning 1987, play–by–play football announcer, 1987, halftime commentator, 1988. Performs as a standup comic; lecturer, comedian, impressionist, and multi–media presenter for corporate meetings and special events and at comedy clubs.

Awards, Honors: Several local Emmy Awards, including four awards between 1977 and 1985 for the reports" Billy Martin, Billy Martin,"" Pro Football Rap,"" Jockeys: The Inside Track," and a profile of photographer Ansel Adams, one award for feature reporting for " All the Way with Dr. J," and one award for best sports host forbroadcasts of the Lakers' pre–game shows; " best sportscast" award, Los Angeles Press Club, 1981; Annual CableACE Awards, best sports host and best sports information series, National Cable Television Association, 1986 and 1988, all for Mazda SportsLook; Excellence in Sports Broadcast Journalism Award, Northeastern University, 1990; Annual CableACE Awards, best sports host and best sports information series, both 1991, for Up Close; Annual CableACE Award, best program interviewer, 1996; two Golden Mike Awards.

CREDITS

Television Appearances; Series:

Host, Mazda SportsLook, USA Network, 1980–84, then ESPN, 1984–90.

Host, Life's Most Embarrassing Moments, 1988.

Host, Up Close, ESPN, 1991–95.

Voice of Anaheim Pond rink announcer, Mighty Ducks, ABC, 1996.

Host, Up Close Primetime, ESPN, beginning 1998.

Also color commentator for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, ESPN.

Television Appearances; Specials:

(Uncredited) Audience member, The Richard Lewis "I'm in Pain" Concert, 1985.

SportsWorld Looks at Sports Humor, NBC, 1986.

Mike Tyson—A Portrait of the People's Champion, 1989.

ESPN's 10th Anniversary Special, ESPN, 1989.

Host, The World's Greatest Stunts III, Fox, 1991.

Host, The Al Bundy Sports Spectacular, Fox, 1995.

Presenter, Hollywood Salutes Arnold Schwarzenegger: An American Cinematheque Tribute, TNT, 1998.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

"Billy Price," The Paper Chase, 1984.

Chuck, "To Tell the Truth," Webster, 1984.

Keith, "Twin Engines," Misfits of Science, NBC, 1985.

The New Hollywood Squares, 1987.

"Garry Goes Golfing," It's Garry Shandling's Show, 1989.

Himself, "Peggy Turns 300," Married … with Children, Fox, 1990.

Guest host, Studio 59, ABC, 1991.

Narrator, "The Patriot Bowl," Coach, ABC, 1992.

Himself, "Colors of the Rainbow," Arli$$, HBO, 1996.

Himself, "All Teed Off," Clueless, ABC, 1997.

Himself, "Secrets and Lies," Arsenio, ABC, 1997.

Himself, "Ray's on TV," Everybody Loves Raymond (also known as Raymond), CBS, 1997.

Himself, "Touched by an Angel," Dave's World, 1997.

Voice, "Bart Star," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1997.

(Uncredited) Announcer, "Living with Mr. Savitsky," Yes, Dear, CBS, 2004.

Narrator, "Sex and Sports," Beyond the Glory, Fox Sports Channel, 2005.

Himself, "Who Is the Host?," Baseball Bunch, 2006.

Appeared in episodes of Super Dave, Fox, and Spin City, ABC; guest, In Living Color, Fox; also guest on talk shows, including Late Night with David Letterman, Later with Bob Costas, Larry King Live, and The Tonight Show.

Television Appearances; Awards Presentations:

The 9th Annual ACE Awards, HBO, 1988.

The 10th Annual ACE Awards, multiple networks, 1989.

Presenter, The 11th Annual ACE Awards, multiple networks, 1990.

Television Appearances; Other:

(Uncredited) Himself, The Ratings Game (movie; also known as The Mogul), The Movie Channel, 1984.

Host, Into the Night, ABC, 1992.

Host of Sports Comedy around the World, syndicated.

Television Work; Series:

Voices of various sportscasters, Bugs Bunny's Wild World of Sports (animated), CBS, 1989.

Television Work; Specials:

Producer, Mike Tyson—A Portrait of the People's Champion, 1989.

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) Television reporter, The Greatest, 1977.

Voice, Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (animated), Warner Bros., 1988.

Himself, The Scout, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1994.

Himself, Jerry Maguire, TriStar, 1996.

Himself, Good Luck (also known as Gimps, Guys like Us, and The Ox and the Eye), East West Film Partners, 1997.

Himself, Juwanna Mann, Warner Bros., 2002.

Himself, Class Act (documentary), Morgan Spurlock Presents, 2007.

Film Work:

Additional voices, Mighty Ducks the Movie: The Face–Off, Walt Disney Home Video, 1997.

Voices, Mighty Ducks the Movie: The First Face–off, 1997.

Radio Appearances:

Host of a nationally broadcast program about major league baseball.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Voice, Likely Stories, Volume 3, 1983.

Narrator, Time Out for Hilarious Sports Bloopers, 1988.

Narrator, All Pro Sports (12–part video series), 1996.

Roy Firestone's Greatest Moments in Golf, 1999.

Other videos include Roy Firestone's Greatest Moments in Sports.

WRITINGS

Television Specials:

Mike Tyson—A Portrait of the People's Champion, 1989.

Books:

(With Scott Ostler) Up Close: And in Your Face with the Greats, Near Greats, and Ingrates of Sports, Hyperion, 1993.

(With Linda McCoy–Murray) Quotable Jim Murray: The Literary Wit, Wisdom, and Wonder of a Distinguished American Sports Columnist, TowleHouse Publishing, 2003.

(With Scott Ostler) Don't Make Me Cry, Roy, Magic Turtle Press, 2007.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Newsmakers, Issue Cumulation,Gale, 1988.

Periodicals:

Sport, November, 1998, p. 36.

Electronic:

Roy Firestone Official Site, http://www.royfirestone. com, August 19, 2008.