Paula Anne DeMonico (born February 16, 1967), better known by her stage name Apollo Smile, is an American pop music singer-songwriter, voice actress and media personality. In the 1990s, Smile billed herself as the "Live Action

Anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

Girl" and was invited to several science fiction conventions as a guest. She is best known for her portrayal as reporter Ulala from the ''

Space Channel 5 ''Space Channel 5'' is a music video game developed by Sega AM9 and published by parent company Sega. Originally released for the Dreamcast (1999 in Japan, 2000 worldwide), it was later ported to the PlayStation 2 (2002 in Europe, 2003 in Japan ...

'' series. Smile's notable works include ''

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is a Kart racing game, kart racing video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It was released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii U in November 2012, for PlayStation Vita in December 2012, for Windows in January 2013, for ...

'', '' Iria: Zeiram the Animation'', '' Space Channel 5: Part 2'', ''

Monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

,'' ''

Wild Cardz ''Wild Cardz'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese manga series written by Noritaka Suzuki. It was adapted into a two-episode original video animation (OVA) anime in 1997, directed by Yasuchika Nagaoka. It was released in Japan by Studio OX, Mov ...

'', ''

Sega Superstars Tennis ''Sega Superstars Tennis'' is a mascot sports video game developed by Sumo Digital and published by Sega. It is the second title in the ''Sega All-Stars'' series, preceded by ''Sega Superstars'' (2005), and crosses over characters, locations, a ...

'', ''

Battle Arena Toshinden is a weapons-based fighting game developed by Tamsoft and published by Takara and Sony Computer Entertainment in 1995 for the PlayStation, followed by 1996 ports for the Sega Saturn, Game Boy and MS-DOS. It was one of the first fighting games to ...

'', ''

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a 2010 kart racing video game, produced for Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS (February 23, 2010), and Microsoft Windows (March 3, 2010), featuring characters from multiple List of Sega video game franchises, Sega franchises. The game ...

'', ''

Sega Superstars ''Sega Superstars'' is a party video game developed by Sonic Team for the PlayStation 2. It was published by Sega and released in Europe on October 22, 2004; in North America in November 3, 2004; and in Japan in November 11, 2004. The game featur ...

'', and '' Voltage Fighters: Gowcaizer the Movie''.

Biography

Paula Scharf was born with a twisted hip tendon, leading her mother to enroll her in physical activity at the age of three to treat it. Thus from early childhood a trained dancer and gymnast, once she graduated Guilford High School in 1985, she went to study at the

University of the Arts (Philadelphia) The University of the Arts (UArts) is a private art university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its campus makes up part of the Avenue of the Arts in Center City, Philadelphia. Dating back to the 1870s, it is one of the oldest schools of art o ...

and then the

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is a modern dance company based in New York City. It was founded in 1958 by choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey. It is made up of 32 dancers, led by artistic director Robert Battle and associate a ...

in New York City. While introducing herself to a college student in New York he misheard Paula as "Apollo", and went on to say that it fit her despite being a male name as the Greek god

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

"represents music, dance, light, and poetry", so she went with it. The latter part of her name came as a producer suggested an equally different surname, exploiting Scharf's oft-complimented smile. She legally changed her name to Apollo Smile in 1991. An injury made Scharf opt to seek a singing career, working with producer Freddie "Groove Commander" Richmond. After contributing the song "Let's Rock" for

A&M Records A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...

' soundtrack for the 1989 film ''

Lost Angels ''Lost Angels'' (also known as ''The Road Home'') is a 1989 independent film directed by Hugh Hudson and written by Michael Weller. It stars Donald Sutherland and Adam Horovitz. It was filmed in and around San Antonio, Texas. The film was entere ...

'', once a Los Angeles friend of Richmond visited his studio, she was impressed with the songs he was working with Smile, and smuggled a tape of theirs to a

Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...

executive. Soon the A&R man went to New York to court Smile, and four months later she had signed with

DGC Records DGC Records (an initialism for the David Geffen Company) was an American record label that operated as a division of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, which is owned by the Universal Music Group. History DGC Records was launched in 1990 as a subsi ...

. In 1990, Smile's song "Thunderbox" was featured on

the soundtrack album ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

for the

Tom Cruise Thomas Cruise Mapother IV (born July 3, 1962), known professionally as Tom Cruise, is an American actor and producer. One of the world's highest-paid actors, he has received various accolades, including an Honorary Palme d'Or and three Gol ...

film ''

Days of Thunder ''Days of Thunder'' is a 1990 American sports action drama film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, C ...

'', and the following year she released a self-titled album, from which came the track . However, afterwards Smile was dropped along with most of DGC's signees. By the mid-1990s, Smile was attending conventions of

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

, a lifelong fandom of hers. This led to her 1996 reinvention herself as the "Live Action

Girl", wearing skin-tight

spandex Spandex, Lycra, or elastane is a synthetic fiber known for its exceptional elasticity. It is a polyether-polyurea copolymer that was invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers at DuPont's Benger Laboratory in Waynesboro, Virginia, US. The ge ...

clothing, with her blonde hair in pigtails tied off with pink bows. Her appearances usually showcased music concerts featuring her original upbeat music and demonstrations of her

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

abilities. Soon she got to work as an anime voice actress, and was called by the

Sci-Fi Channel Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Launc ...

to host Anime Week in the summer of 1998. Other projects included a self-published comic book featuring herself as the central character, and the voice of Ulala in the ''

'' video game series. In 2001, Smile was doing

stunt work A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spe ...

and voice acting and wished to return to music, and joined

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

-based "

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

rock" band Rockbot. Smile recorded one EP with Rockbot before leaving in 2003, while continuing her stunt and acting work. As Smile's mother became ill in 2006, she returned to her hometown to tend for her. The move brought Smile's career in dance and choreography back into focus. She got a job as a dance teacher at

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

Ballet, as well as dancing schools in

Killingworth Killingworth, formerly Killingworth Township, is a town in North Tyneside, England. Killingworth was built as a planned town in the 1960s, next to Killingworth Village, which existed for centuries before the Township. Other nearby towns and ...

and Guilford, and choreographed various high school dances ever since. Smile was also inspired by her father with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

to develop a routine of dancing exercises for elders with movement-impairing illnesses such as Parkinson's and

arthritis Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...

. In 2019, she formed the music duo Wingbeat with husband Paul DeMonico.

Filmography

Film and television

;Acting * "Alana Payne" in ''

Drop Dead Rock Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to: * Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid ** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes * Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume * Falling (physics), allowi ...

'' (film) * "Apollo Smile" in '' Sidesplitters: The Burt & Dick Story'' (Short film) * "Eva" in '' Division-Trade'' (Short film) * "Skater No. 2" in ''

'' (Episode: Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan) (uncredited) ;Stunts *''

Uptown Girls ''Uptown Girls'' is a 2003 American comedy-drama film directed by Boaz Yakin, from a screenplay by Julia Dahl, Mo Ogrodnik and Lisa Davidowitz adapted from the story by Allison Jacobs. It stars Brittany Murphy as a 22-year-old living a charmed li ...

'' (film: doubling for

Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...

) *''

Hope and Faith ''Hope & Faith'' is an American television sitcom, starring Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa as Hope Shanowski and Faith Fairfield. Hope is a homemaker and mother of three and Faith is her sister, a soap opera star whose character is killed off, leadi ...

'' (TV: doubling for

Kelly Ripa Kelly Ripa (; born October 2, 1970) is an American actress and talk show host. Since 2001, she has been the co-host of the syndicated morning talk show '' Live! with Kelly and Ryan'' in various formats. As an actress, Ripa's best known roles ...

) *'' 24'' (TV: doubling for

Elisha Cuthbert Elisha Ann Cuthbert Phaneuf (; born 30 November 1982) is a Canadian actress and model. As a Child actor, child actress, she made her first televised appearance as an extra in the Canadian horror-themed series for children ''Are You Afraid of the ...

) *''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based American Mafia, Italian-American mobster, portraying h ...

'' (TV)

Voice roles

* "Additional Voices' in '' Iria: Zeiram the Animation'' (

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...

) * "Coco Hearts" in ''

'' (

) * "Karin Son" in '' Voltage Fighters: Gowcaizer the Movie'' (

) * "Tracy" in ''

'' (

) * "Nova" in ''

Megas XLR ''Megas XLR'' is an American animated television series created by Jody Schaeffer and George Krstic for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around two teenage slackers: mechanic Coop and his best friend Jamie, who find a mecha robot from the fut ...

'' *" Ulala" in ''

Dreamcast Collection ''Dreamcast Collection'' is a video game compilation developed and published by Sega for the Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. A PlayStation 3 version was planned but was scrapped for unknown reasons. The original compilation included four of the ...

'' (

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...

, PC) * "Ulala" and "

Pudding Pudding is a type of food. It can be either a dessert or a savoury (salty or spicy) dish served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, ins ...

" in ''

'' * "Ulala" and "Pudding" in ''

'' * "Ulala" in ''

'' (

Dreamcast The is a home video game console released by Sega on November 27, 1998, in Japan; September 9, 1999, in North America; and October 14, 1999, in Europe. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, preceding Sony's PlayStation 2, N ...

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

) * "Ulala" in '' Space Channel 5: Part 2'' (

) * "Ulala" in '' Space Channel 5: Special Edition'' (

)

Discography

''Apollo Smile'' (1991)

*"Thunderbox" *"Dune Buggy" *"I Want You To Love Me" *"Love Comes Your Way" *"Theme For All Nations" *"Friends" *"Hymn To The Sun" *"Temple Of Love" *"Peace" *"Theme (Reprise)" *"Dune Buggy (Bonus Remix)"

''Dune Buggy'' (promo CD single) (1991)

*"Dune Buggy (Remix/Edit)" *"Dune Buggy (Remix/Edit without Vocal Breakdown)" *"Dune Buggy (LP Version)" *"Dune Buggy (Full Drivin' Mix)" * Remixes by Shep Pettibone

''Wrecking Ball'' (1997)

*"Smile" *"Sunshine Slayer" *"Superball" *"TF2000" *"Love Comes Your Way" *"Aim High Get Down" *"Love Slave" *"Tired Wings" *"Shorty's Theme" *"Girl's Got Rhythm" *"Humble" *"Thanks From Apollo"

''Love Kisses And Grenades'' (1999)

*"Battle Cry" *"Hikigane" *"Feelin' Groovy" *"Purrr..." *"Last Stand in Discoland" *"Tite Pants" *"Rainbow Rider" *"T.S.T." *"Trigger Finger" *"Call Me" *"Going Back" *"Live Wire" *"Hikigane – Joe 90 Mix" *"Lets Rock"

References

External links

* * *
Coast-Con 1999 Interview
*
Ask John: "What Ever Happened to Apollo Smile?"
at AnimeNation {{DEFAULTSORT:Smile, Apollo 1967 births Living people American voice actresses American women pop singers American video game actresses Singers from New York City People from Guilford, Connecticut 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers