TAKE ACTION HOLLYWOOD! STAFF

Maria Menounos
Maria Menounos is a correspondent for NBC's Access Hollywood, the Today Show, as well as an actress and filmaker.
Executive Director, Take Action Hollywood!

Intelligent, articulate, engaging, and absolutely gorgeous, Maria Menounos is one of Hollywood’s hottest up and coming talents, if not the most diverse and unique as her success as an actress, journalist, entertainment reporter, filmmaker, singer and humanitarian would indicate.

Maria is currently a special correspondent for both the “Today Show” and “Access Hollywood” in part of an overall deal with NBC Universal. As an actress, she stars in the lead role opposite Jaime Kennedy in the comedy feature film, “Kickin’ It Old Skool.” She has had numerous guest roles on TV shows including NBC’s “Scrubs”, HBO’s “Entourage” and “Without a Trace.” She also has a recurring role in the WB drama “One Tree Hill” and played the love interest to Chris Evans aka the Human Torch in the 20th Century FOX SciFi/Action movie blockbuster “Fantastic Four.”  At 22 she became the youngest person to ever host “Entertainment Tonight.”  She also hosted and launched, “ET on MTV” and “ET on VH-1,” two shows that soared to number-one weekend ratings on their respective networks. Maria’s relaxed, conversational and non-traditional style of hosting and reporting had never been seen before. It is now commonplace to see Maria’s style at work not only at Entertainment Tonight but also throughout the entire industry.

Maria is featured in an international television and print campaign as the spokesperson for PANTENE hair care products.  She beat Charlize Theron and Jessica Alba for the “Cyber Vixen of the Year Award” at the Spike Video Game Awards for her role in “James Bond 007: From Russia With Love” which she starred in opposite Sir Sean Connery.  When Connery was bestowed the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award speakers at the event who were selected to honor him were Harrison Ford, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Mike Myers and Maria Menounos. Maria landed in the top five of the askmen.com poll for “the girl men most want to marry” along with the like of Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron.

As a filmmaker, Maria’s films include “Longtime Listener,” starring Wilmer Valderamma and “Fwiends.com” starring Lara Flynn Boyle.  “Longtime Listener” was selected by the Tribecca Film Festival and the South by South West Film Festival.  “Fwiends.com” was ranked as the number one viewed comedy on “ifilms.com” for five weeks. She serves as both Producer and Executive Producer of the 35mm feature length movie, “In the Land of Merry Misfits.”  The film was shot back in 1997 when prodigy Maria, then a college sophomore, was hired as a Production Assistant. When production wrapped the negative for the film was stolen and held hostage. The project was recovered later and then shelved, tragically. With her own success, Maria never forgot the film or the film’s director. Nearly ten years later she is financing its’ completion.

As a journalist, Maria has traveled the globe covering tragedies and interviewing world leaders, including President George W. Bush, one on one. It was her coverage of the devastating AIDS epidemic in South Africa that inspired her to create TAH!

A former Miss Massachusetts Teen USA, Maria attended Boston’s Emerson College, where she double-majored in broadcast journalism and film.  In 1996, Maria became the first freshman in Emerson’s history to win the prestigious Evvy Award for Best Newscaster.  She hosted a Greek-American radio talk show on Boston’s WNRB and was an International correspondent/anchor for Channel One News, a news magazine show that boasts a daily audience of eight-million teenagers.

In what little free time she has, Maria continues to volunteer at various dog shelters in the Los Angeles area, where she resides with her four adopted dogs.

Keven Undergaro
Founder

Maria Menounos had just returned from covering the devastating AIDS epidemic in South Africa. Maria was in the process of editing her documentary on the crisis and reviewing footage of the many, beautiful babies in the orphanage that were stricken with the disease. During an edit session, it was revealed to her that all of the babies – babies she had played with just six months ago - were now dead. She was heartbroken yet fully determined to do something beyond her previous annual toy and food drives. But the task was daunting. At the time, Maria, was relatively unknown. Moreover, she was barely able to make ends meet on her meager reporter’s salary. Undeterred, however, she turned to her partner and best idea man, Keven Undergaro, and simply said: “I don’t know what we can do to help yet but I know we have to do something. The question is what?”

One day later, “Take Action Hollywood!” was formed – a charity dedicated to using the power of Hollywood to affect for positive social change. A group dedicated to raising awareness for not only causes such as the AIDS epidemic but also social causes of all kinds. Keven Undergaro was a former MTV head writer who made his first animated film at seven. His films have played at Tribecca and South by Southwest and he has micro-managed Maria’s prodigious and groundbreaking career since she was 18. Along with their work on the charity, Maria and he continue to partner in writing, producing and directing.

Jennifer Divencenzo

Ms. Divencenzo has dedicated much of her life to volunteer work, social welfare and charitable causes in genera. Besides donating time to Take Action Hollywood!, she is an active member of the Andona Society, an charitable organization dedicated to raising funds and organizing events for local youth and a volunteer at the Lazarus House, a shelter for homeless families. In addition, she is the co-leader of a bi-weekly intergenerational sing-a-ling at a local senior center. Holding an MA in counseling psychology, she has worked as a school counselor as well as on psychiatric research studies in numerous hospitals.

Stephen Delamere

Stephen J. Delamere, is an attorney and activist who is deeply involved in fighting for the rights of families and victims of those stricken with AIDS.

Brian Flynn

Brian Flynn is a successful businessman who donates much of his time and money to various causes.