Rhonda Honey Shear (born November 12, 1954) is an American television personality, comedian, actress, and entrepreneur. She is known for her role as a host in the 1990s
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
's weekend
B-movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...
show, ''
USA Up All Night
''USA Up All Night'' (also known as ''Up All Night'' and ''Up All Night with Rhonda Shear'') was an American cable television series that aired weekly on Friday and Saturday nights on the USA Network. The show aired from 1989 to 1998.
Synopsis
...
''. In 2001, she started an intimate apparel business that was marketed on
Home Shopping Network
HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flor ...
, with one of her most successful products being the Ahh Bra in 2010. She is a regular participant in Tampa Bay's annual Fashion Week events.
Early life
Shear was born in
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. She attended
Loyola University, earning a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree in
communications
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
. After graduating from Loyola in 1977, she moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in Hollywood.
Career
Modeling, hosting, and acting
Shear earned titles in several
beauty contest
A beauty pageant is a competition that has traditionally focused on judging and ranking the physical attributes of the contestants. Pageants have now evolved to include inner beauty, with criteria covering judging of personality, intelligence, ...
s, including holding the titles of
Miss Louisiana USA
The Miss Louisiana USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Louisiana in the Miss USA pageant.
Miss Louisiana USA is produced by RPM Productions since 1990, which also produces the Miss USA and Miss Teen ...
1975 for
Miss USA
Miss USA is an American beauty pageant that has been held annually since 1952 to select the entrant from United States in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operated both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA, until 2020, ...
and that of Miss Louisiana for both the
Miss World
Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss Int ...
and the
Miss International
Miss International (''Miss International Beauty'' or ''The International Beauty Pageant'') is a Japan-based international beauty pageant organized by the International Culture Association. First held in 1960, it is the fourth largest pageant i ...
pageants. She appeared as a contestant in ''
The Gong Show
''The Gong Show'' is an American amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976 to 1 ...
'' in 1979. She also appeared as grown up Kimmy Gibbler in the 1987 sitcom,
Full House
''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three dau ...
.
Shear is best known for her role as a host of the
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...
's 1980s and '90s weekend
B-movie
A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double featur ...
show, ''
USA Up All Night
''USA Up All Night'' (also known as ''Up All Night'' and ''Up All Night with Rhonda Shear'') was an American cable television series that aired weekly on Friday and Saturday nights on the USA Network. The show aired from 1989 to 1998.
Synopsis
...
''. From 1991 to 1998, she hosted in-studio and on-location segments that typically aired on Friday nights, replacing comedian Caroline Schlitt (the Friday night host for the show's first few years). She also occasionally hosted the show with her Saturday counterpart,
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous ro ...
, in addition to making cameos on his edition. Her trademark manner of speaking the show's title, by raising her voice an octave when saying the word "''Up''", became a catch phrase. Shear also briefly hosted a comedy program called ''Spotlight Cafe'' on
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV (channel 9) is a television station licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area as the Flagship (broadcasting), flagship of MyNetworkTV. It is owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by Fox Te ...
in
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus ( ) is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 16,264,[Judy Tenuta
Judy Lynn Tenuta (November 7, 1949 – October 6, 2022) was an American comedian, actress, and comedy musician. She was known for her whimsical and brash persona of "The Love Goddess", mixing insult comedy, observational humor, self-promotion, ...]
.
Shear made two subsequent nude appearances in ''Playboy'': First, in their "Funny Girls" pictorial in June 1991, then in her own pictorial titled "Rhonda Is Up All Night" in October 1993.
[Schawbel, Dan (June 14, 2012)]
"Rhonda Shear: From Playboy Model to Millionaire Entrepreneur"
''Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
''.
Shear also co-starred in numerous sitcoms from playing the Fonz's girlfriend on ''
Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'' to the sexy neighbor on ''
Married... with Children'', before making her mark as a comedian. She then made her way into stand-up comedy, headlining as a successful comedian in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York, and eventually touring across the country with ''Comedy PJ Party'', an on-stage slumber party featuring a number of comedians.
[Lawsen, Sand]
"Rhonda Shear: Artist Biography"
''Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
''.
Entrepreneur career
In 2001, Shear, with her husband Van Fagan, started Shear Enterprises. She began designing from her home office in 2003 with three employees, and launched the Rhonda Shear Intimates line at
Home Shopping Network
HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flor ...
. Her products were picked up on shopping networks around the world, including
The Shopping Channel
TSC (formerly The Shopping Channel) is a Canadian discretionary service channel owned by the Rogers Sports & Media subsidiary of Rogers Communications. The channel showcases various products which viewers can purchase either by telephone or intern ...
(Canada) and Ideal World Shopping (U.K.). Rhonda Shear Intimates has continued to grow and is now represented in over 40 countries with over 25 employees in her St. Petersburg, Florida offices.
In 2010, Shear designed the Ahh Bra, and the product was an overnight success. The Ahh Bra was the number-one selling bra worldwide with over 25 million sold internationally. In 2011, the company had $72 million in sales.
[ As of 2013, she has added cosmetics, swim wear, fragrances, and Boomer Hottie.
In 2014, a line of "intimates, athleisure, and loungewear" was announced that was co-designed with Crystal Hefner, 2009 ''Playboy'' ]Playmate
A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...
and wife of Hugh Hefner
Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles which provoked charges of obsc ...
, to be sold through Hefner's website.
Shear has written a book titled ''Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Mogul, Life Lessons from an Accidental Feminist'', released in October 2017.
Charity work
In 2011, Shear was the event chair and a sponsor for American Cancer Society's Making Strides: Put on Your Pink Bra Event. Between speaking engagements, creating a giant flying bra for the RedBull Flugtag, and helping with fundraising events, Shear got the chance to meet with women struggling in treatment or following surgery who needed bras that were affordable, feminine, and comfortable. She was struck by their stories, strength, and sense of community. Shear stays connected by donating product every month to women's shelters around the country and continuing her work nationwide with various charitable organizations that fund research and empower women.[
]
Personal life
Shear married her childhood sweetheart Van Fagen, who works as her business partner in Shear Enterprises. They live in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Credits
Filmography
* ''Quadroon'' (1971)
* '' J.D.'s Revenge'' (1976)
* ''Galaxina
''Galaxina'' is a low-budget 1980 American science fantasy-comedy film written and directed by William Sachs. The film stars 1980 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten, who was murdered by her husband shortly after the film's rele ...
'' (1980)
* ''Party Games for Adults Only'' (1984)
* ''Doin' Time
"Doin' Time" is a song by the American band Sublime for their self-titled third album. The lyrics tell of a cheating girlfriend, whose infidelities and poor treatment of her lover makes him feel like he is in prison. It was released as a singl ...
'' (1985)
* ''Basic Training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
'' (1985)
* ''Spaceballs
''Spaceballs'' is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including ...
'' (1987)
* ''The Roller Blade Seven
''The Roller Blade Seven'' is a 1991 cult martial arts film directed by Donald G. Jackson, written by Jackson and Scott Shaw, produced by Jackson and Shaw, and starring Shaw, Frank Stallone, Karen Black, Joe Estevez, Don Stroud, and William Smi ...
'' (1991)
* ''Legend of the Roller Blade Seven'' (1992)
* ''Return to Frogtown
''Return to Frogtown'' (also known as ''Frogtown II'') is a 1993 B movie directed by Donald G. Jackson. It is the sequel to the 1988 cult film ''Hell Comes to Frogtown''. Like its predecessor, the film is set in a post-apocalyptic future where mu ...
'' (1993)
* ''Tender Loving Care'' (1995)
* ''Assault of the Party Nerds 2: The Heavy Petting Detective'' (1995)
* ''Earth Minus Zero'' (1996)
* ''Don't Quit Your Day Job'' (1996 video game)
* ''The Fanatics'' (1997)
* ''Desperation Boulevard'' (1998)
* ''Prison-A-Go-Go!'' (2003)
* ''You Are All Going to Die'' (2013)
Discography
* ''Your Bedtime Buddy'' (1996)
Television
* ''The John Pela Show'' (dancer, 1970)
* ''New Orleans Saints Vs. Atlanta Falcons Match'' (dancer, 1970)
* ''Shape Spa Commercial'' (herself, 1977)
* ''The $1.98 Beauty Show
''The $1.98 Beauty Show'' is an American game show that aired in Broadcast syndication, syndication from September 1978 to September 1980.
Hosted by Rip Taylor, the series is a parody of beauty contests, and featured six female contestants (inc ...
'' (contestant, 1978)
* ''The Love Experts
''The Love Experts'' is an American television show that was part talk show and part game show that ran from September 18, 1978, to September 7, 1979. It was hosted by Bill Cullen and Jack Clark was the announcer. The show was created by Bob St ...
'' (contestant, 1978)
* ''The Gong Show
''The Gong Show'' is an American amateur talent contest franchised by Sony Pictures Television to many countries. It was broadcast on NBC's daytime schedule from June 14, 1976, through July 21, 1978, and in first-run syndication from 1976 to 1 ...
'' (contestant, 1979)
* ''Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'' (1 episode, 1979)
* ''The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo
''The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo'' is an American action comedy television series that ran on NBC from September 18, 1979, to May 5, 1981. For its second season the show was renamed ''Lobo''. The program aired Tuesday nights, at 8:00p.m. Easte ...
'' (1980)
* ''The Bob Hope Special'' (1980)
* ''Dance Fever
''Dance Fever'' is an American musical variety television series that aired weekly in syndication from January 1979 to September 1987. The series was technically created by Merv Griffin but his agent Murray Schwartz actually conceived the idea o ...
'' (1981)
* ''The Young and the Restless
''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, Wi ...
'' (1982)
* ''Two Top Bananas'' (1982)
* ''Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'' (3 episodes, 1982–1985)
* ''CHiPs
''CHiPs'' is an American crime drama television series created by Rick Rosner and originally aired on NBC from September 15, 1977, to May 1, 1983. It follows the lives of two motorcycle officers of the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The serie ...
'' (1 episode, 1982)
* ''Hart to Hart
''Hart to Hart'' is an American mystery television series that premiered on August 25, 1979, on ABC. The show stars Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, respectively, a wealthy couple who lead a glamorous jetset lifes ...
'' (1 episode, 1983)
* ''The Fall Guy
''The Fall Guy'' is an American action/adventure television series produced for ABC and originally broadcast from November 4, 1981, to May 2, 1986. It starred Lee Majors, Douglas Barr, and Heather Thomas as Hollywood stunt performers who moonli ...
'' (1 episode, 1983)
* ''The A-Team
''The A-Team'' is an American action-adventure television series that ran on NBC from January 1983 to March 1987 about former members of a fictitious United States Army Special Forces unit. The four members of the team were tried by court marti ...
'' (1 episode, 1983)
* ''Three's Company
''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom ''Man About the House''.
The story revolves around three single roomma ...
'' (1 episode, 1983)
* ''Hour Magazine'' (1984)
* ''Eye on L.A.'' (1984)
* ''The Dukes of Hazzard
''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy TV series that was aired on CBS from January 26, 1979 to February 8, 1985. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. It was consistently among the top-rated television series ...
'' (1 episode, 1984)
* ''The New Mike Hammer
''Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer'' (later titled ''The New Mike Hammer''), with Stacy Keach in the title role, is an American crime drama television series that originally aired on CBS from January 28, 1984, to May 13, 1987. The series consisted ...
'' (2 episodes, 1984)
* ''Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'' (1 episode, 1985)
* ''The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson
''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, 1 ...
'' (1985)
* ''The New Love American Style'' (1986-1987)
* '' Hot Seat with Wally George'' (4 episodes, 1986–1987)
* ''Me and Mrs. C'' (1987)
* ''Hard Knocks'' (1989)
* ''The Alan Thicke Show'' (1990)
* ''Full House
''Full House'' is an American television sitcom created by Jeff Franklin for ABC. The show is about widowed father Danny Tanner who enlists his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis and childhood best friend Joey Gladstone to help raise his three dau ...
'' (1 episode, 1990)
* '' Married... with Children'' (episode "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" 1990)
* ''USA Up All Night
''USA Up All Night'' (also known as ''Up All Night'' and ''Up All Night with Rhonda Shear'') was an American cable television series that aired weekly on Friday and Saturday nights on the USA Network. The show aired from 1989 to 1998.
Synopsis
...
'' (Host, 1991–1998)
* ''Circus of the Stars'' (1991)
* '' Doctor Doctor'' (1 episode, 1991)
* ''Into The Night'' (1992)
* ''A & E's Comedy on the Road'' (1992)
* ''Larry King Live'' (guest, 1993)
* ''Maury Povich Show'' (guest, 1993–1994)
* ''Entertainment Tonight'' (1993 and 1995)
* ''Joan Rivers Show'' (1994)
* ''Sally Jessy Raphael
Sally Lowenthal (born February 25, 1935), better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American former tabloid talk show host known for her program '' Sally'' (originally called ''The Sally Jessy Raphael Show'').
Early life and education
Lowent ...
'' (1994)
* ''VH1 Top 21 Countdown'' (1994)
* ''Rick Dees Show'' (1994)
* ''Christina Show'' (1994)
* ''Bertice Barry Show'' (1994)
* ''Silk Stalkings
''Silk Stalkings'' is an American crime drama television series that premiered on CBS on November 7, 1991, as part of the network's late-night ''Crimetime After Primetime'' programming package. Broadcast for two seasons until CBS ended the ''Crim ...
'' (1 episode, 1994)
* ''WWF'' ''WrestleMania X
WrestleMania X was the 10th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 20, 1994, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The central ...
'' (guest timekeeper, 1994)
* ''Battle of the Sexes'' (1995)
* ''Evening at the Improv'' (1995-1996)
* ''The Richard Bey Show
''The Richard Bey Show'' is a syndicated American talk show hosted by Richard Bey which aired from September 28, 1992 to December 27, 1996. The program was originally produced from and aired on WWOR-TV in Secaucus, New Jersey, from 1992 to late ...
'' (1995)
* ''Geraldo'' (1995-1998)
* ''Clint Homes Show'' (1995)
* ''Mike and Maty Show'' (1995)
* ''Good Morning Television'' (1995)
* ''Women Aloud'' (1995)
* ''The Howard Stern Show
''The Howard Stern Show'' is an American radio show hosted by Howard Stern that gained wide recognition when it was nationally syndicated on terrestrial radio from WXRK in New York City, between 1986 and 2005. The show has aired on Howard 100 a ...
'' (guest, 1995)
* ''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher'' (guest, 1995)
* ''Duckman
''Duckman: Private Dick/Family Man'' is an American adult animated sitcom that aired on the USA Network from March 5, 1994, through September 6, 1997. It was created and developed by Everett Peck, and is based on characters he created in his 1 ...
'' (1 episode, 1996)
* ''Live form Queens'' (1996)
* ''Runaway with The Rich and Famous'' (1996)
* ''Judge Judy'' (1996)
* ''Pictionary
''Pictionary'' (, ) is a charades-inspired word-guessing game invented by Robert Angel with graphic design by Gary Everson and first published in 1985 by Angel Games Inc. Angel Games licensed Pictionary to Western Publishing. Hasbro purchas ...
'' (guest, 1997)
* ''Oddville, MTV'' (1 episode, 1997)
* ''Hard Copy'' (1998)
* ''Unhappily Ever After
''Unhappily Ever After'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for 100 episodes on The WB from January 11, 1995, to May 23, 1999, for a total of five seasons. The series was produced by Touchstone Television.
Synopsis
The series fo ...
'' (1 episode, 1998)
* ''Access Hollywood
''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
'' (1998)
* ''Bloomberg Report'' (1998)
* ''The X Show'' (2000-2001)
* ''Love Bytes'' (1 episode, 2001)
* Home Shopping Network
HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flor ...
(correspondent, 2003–Present)
* ''The Peter Austin Noto Show'' (9 episodes, 2013)
Bibliography
* ''Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Mogul, Life Lessons from an Accidental Feminist'' (Mascot Books, 2017)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shear, Rhonda
1954 births
American film actresses
American stand-up comedians
American television actresses
American television hosts
Contestants on American game shows
Living people
Loyola University New Orleans alumni
Miss USA 1970s delegates
Actresses from New Orleans
American women comedians
GMTV presenters and reporters
People from St. Petersburg, Florida
Actors from St. Petersburg, Florida
Actresses from Los Angeles
Businesspeople from Tampa, Florida
American women television presenters