Bob Vila Biography

The pen may be mightier than the sword, but, for Bob Vila, the hammer proved to be far mightier than the pen. Having earned a BS in journalism from the University of Florida, the Miami native born into a Cuban family took a different career path and became one of the leading authorities on home improvement and a beloved TV personality. Vila traveled for two years after graduating and spent time in the Peace Corps before returning to America to study at the Boston Architectural Center and eventually open his own residential remodeling business. It was his restoration of a Victorian Italianate home in Massachusetts, featured in a Boston Globe article, that led to Vila being chosen for a pilot for a home-renovation series, which became the landmark Emmy-winning series, This Old House. Vila left in 1989 and went on to host Bob Vila's Home Again (renamed Bob Vila), which further established his reputation. Having become a trusted expert on home renovation and restoration, Vila made appearances on "Tool Time," the fictional show within the '90s sitcom Home Improvement and a cameo in the 1993 comedy Hot Shots! Part Deux. Vila is also the author of several books and is involved in charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity. ~ Bill Ecklund, Rovi