Paul DiMeo (born February 12, 1958) is an American
television personality
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...
,
philanthropist,
building designer, and
carpenter who was a regular cast member of the
reality television series
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
''
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition''.
Early life and education
Paul DiMeo was born and raised in Media, Pennsylvania.
He is the youngest of five children, and at 5 years old his house burned down.
His father Jack worked to reconstruct it, sparking his love of home renovations.
DiMeo graduated from
Penncrest High School, class of 1976, where he was quite active in student activities such as play production and the student council.
Career
New York City
DiMeo was the organizer of a renovating project entitled "Loft Living." The organization renovated lofts and
brownstones in and around New York City.
DiMeo later moved to
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
where he continued the "Loft Living" project.
Los Angeles, California
In 2003, DiMeo was cast in
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (138 episodes/2003–2012).
According to DiMeo, he landed the job because the casting department was amused by his "grumpy" demeanor on the day of his audition.
In the first season, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program.
At the show’s peak, it was spoofed on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' on Dec. 14, 2019 on NBC.
DiMeo was highlighted due to his propensity to cry frequently during many episodes of ''Extreme Makeover.''
DiMeo worked with master carpenter Rob Hickman on the restoration of the Landmark Brownstone of
Aaron Burr.
Has renovated celebrity homes, including those of Madonna, George Hamilton and Glenn Close.
In 2011, he was asked by
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
to design the MLB Fan Cave, where Mike O'Hara and Ryan Wagner watched every baseball game of the 2011 season. He hosts an
infomercial for the WORX Trivac.
DiMeo starred in the reality TV show ''
Building Wild'', which was cancelled by the
National Geographic Channel after two seasons.
Personal life
Currently, DiMeo lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Kelly Lynn.
References
External links
Official Website of Paul DiMeo
on ''Sidewalks Entertainment
''Sidewalks Entertainment'' (1988–present) is a weekly American television series that is a combination of a talk show, magazine show and variety show featuring celebrity interviews, music, artistic and novelty acts, and rising performers. The ...
''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimeo, Paul
Living people
American television personalities
American interior designers
1958 births
People from Media, Pennsylvania