Vanna White - from Wheel of Fortune

By: Dominick A. Miserandino

For 25 years, Vanna White has been showing up television sets across America as the letter-turning diva on Wheel of Fortune.

During that time she has developed the ideal working relationship with host Pat Sajak, continues to respect the late Merv Griffin's legacy on the show, and raises two children as a full-time mom. After a quarter of a decade on one of America's most popular television game shows, Vanna is still counting her blessings at having landed what many consider the "greatest job ever" and leading a normal life outside of television.

DM) Why is Wheel of Fortune still popular after 25 years?

VW) I don’t know. I think if we knew the answer we would be running a lot more shows on TV, just copying the formula. I do know that it is a half hour of family fun that everybody, people of all ages, enjoys. It’s 30 minutes of escape. On TV there’s war, crime, miserable things on the news. Wheel of Fortune is that breath of fresh of air.

DM) Do you still enjoy coming to work every day?

VW) We only tape four days a month, so it gives me lots of time to have a normal life. I have time to be a mom, to go to the grocery story, bake cookies. I can do the things that every mom gets to do. When you see the people that you work with you every couple of weeks it's refreshing. It’s not the same people every day so it’s even more exciting to see them. You’ve had your own life for two weeks so now it’s catch up.

DM) Are those four days of taping manic?

VW) Yes, six shows in a day is a long, intense day. It’s okay, though. I show up at 9 a.m. and I work until 6 p.m. I know there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

DM) How have they changed the show over the past 25 years? VW) They don’t change the show, but they try to keep it fresh. They change little things with me, with the wardrobe, the style of the show, the wheel. They’ll change whatever as they’re doing focus groups all the time. What would make the show better, they’ll do. Harry Friedman, our producer, is always trying to make it better without touching the game. The game is the gem, it’s the star. We’ve not changed the format of the show for 25 years. All we’ve changed are the cosmetics around it. I used to turn the letters, now I just touch them. Even little things like how I wear my hair. I don’t wear my hair up because Merv didn’t like my hair up. That doesn’t have anything to do with the show, but Harry respected that and I don’t wear my hair up very often. If certain things come up and people don’t like them in our focus groups, you might not see it again.

DM) And how do people react to you when they see you doing those "normal things" the other 26 days?

VW) I hear all the time, "my child learned the alphabet from your show... we sit around at dinnertime… I can’t call my mother for 30 minutes."

DM) Is it possible to live a normal life though?

VW) It's different on television than being a movie star where you pay to see the show. We are in your living room just like your next door neighbor. The viewers watch everything, even my pregnancy. They watched my children grow up. They know about Pat’s life. They remember everyhing. I’ll hear things like “I didn’t like that blue dress you had last night.” It’s all part of the show. I like it. I listen to what people say. If there’s something we hear, we’ll change it.

DM) And can you see yourself doing this quite a bit longer?

VW) I’m signed on for three more years. I know we’re not going anywhere for at least three years.

DM) Could you see yourself doing it longer than that?

VW) I probably couldn’t see myself retired. Its great. It’s like Bob Barker never leaving his job until so much later. There’s nothing else I would rather be doing.

DM) Does everybody still get along well on the cast? VW) There’s not been one argument with Pat.

DM) This sounds like the job of your dreams

VW) I always wanted to be on television, but never realized when I got it that I had the greatest job ever. I can have a regular life and still work on TV. It might be different in that people ask for me for autograph but my kids think it’s normal. Gigi said, “It’s a job and you're on television.”

DM) I hate asking this, but do you ever say to yourself, “I’ve made a job touching letters and working four days a month. This is too good to be true.”

VW) I can’t believe I’ve made a job touching letters. They don’t need me. Don’t tell anybody that. I count my blessings all the time.

DM) Why do they need Vanna? Surely they’re not paying you for fun.

VW) I think people enjoy seeing what I’m wearing and what I’m doing. It’s been this way for so long. I think it’s part of the show. I think people like to see the relationship that Pat and I have. We look like brother and sister. They see us as having been around for 25 years. Could you imagine Pat with me and vice versa? It would take away from the show. I’m always there. It would be like turning on "I Love Lucy" without Lucy being there. I have been sick as a dog and I did it through my whole pregnancy, but I’ve always been there.

Vanna's Bio

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