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Kari Byron

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Kari Byron
Byron in 2010
Born
Kari Elizabeth Byron

(1974-12-18) December 18, 1974 (age 50)
Santa Clara County, California, U.S.
Alma materSan Francisco State University
Occupation(s)Television host and co-founder EXPLR Media
Years active2003–present
Television
Spouse
Paul Urich
​
​
(m. 2006; div. 2020)​
Children1
Websitekaribyron.com

Kari Elizabeth Byron[1] (born December 18, 1974) is an American television host, best known for her role on the MythBusters and White Rabbit Project series.

Byron was born in the Bay Area, California and graduated from San Francisco State University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in film and sculpture. Byron was a cast member of MythBusters from 2004 to 2014 where she was part of "The Build Team". From 2010 to 2011, Byron hosted Head Rush, aimed at science education and teens, and Large, Dangerous Rocket Ships. From 2011 to 2014, she presented Punkin Chunkin on the Science Channel. She co-hosted Netflix's White Rabbit Project in 2016 and Crash Test World in 2019. Byron is also the co-founder of EXPLR Media, an education streaming service. Outside of television, Byron is an artist and author. She wrote a memoir titled Crash Test Girl in 2018.

Early life

Byron was born in the Bay Area, California. She graduated from Los Gatos High School in Los Gatos, California, and studied at San Francisco State University, graduating in May 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in film and sculpture.[2] She spent the following year backpacking, primarily in South Asia, and was involved in a number of art projects.[3]

Career

MythBusters

See also: List of MythBusters cast members
MythBusters Tory Belleci, Byron, Jamie Hyneman, Grant Imahara, and Adam Savage in 2012.

Byron was a cast member on MythBusters from 2004 to 2014. Along with fellow cast members Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara she was part of what is commonly referred to as "The Build Team" or B Team. This Build Team worked with Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman to test the plausibility of various myths throughout their tenure with the show.[4] She and the others also hosted their own segments. She became involved in the show after persistently showing up at Hyneman's M5 Industries workshop in a desire to get hired by his company. She and the other Build Team members were given a more prominent role beginning with the show's second season. Not having had a long history in show business, Byron at first found it difficult to act naturally with this more visible position but gradually became more accustomed to it.[5]

During the second half of the 2009 season, Byron was on maternity leave and was temporarily replaced by Jessi Combs.[6] From 2010–2011, Byron had her own show, Head Rush, on the Science Channel, geared toward science education and teens.[7][8]

Byron has also hosted the 2010 and 2011 editions of Large, Dangerous Rocket Ships for the Science Channel. She and Belleci made a guest appearance on the October 3, 2012, episode of the Discovery series Sons of Guns. They test-fired some of the weapons in the Red Jacket shop and watched as the staff re-tested a myth previously busted by the Build Team: that a propane tank could explode if struck by a bullet. She left the show in 2014.

Byron and Belleci hosted coverage of Punkin Chunkin on the Science Channel from 2011 to 2014.[9] In 2015, Byron and Belleci hosted Thrill Factor, a new show for the Travel Channel.[10]

Looking back on her time on MythBusters, she says that she made lifelong connections with the cast and crew. Specifically, she said, "I made family with these people, I take them everywhere I go."[11]

White Rabbit Project

Byron, along with Imahara and Belleci, hosted the Netflix production White Rabbit Project,[12] released on Netflix on December 9, 2016. The series focused on unusual aspects from history and pop culture.[13]

Crash Test World

Byron during filming for Crash Test World in Hudson Yards, Manhattan

Byron is currently host of the series Crash Test World.[14] The first season of six episodes aired on Science Channel starting January 8, 2021.[15][16][17]

EXPLR Media

Byron is currently the co-founder of EXPLR Media, an education streaming service.[18][19][20] "I want our audience to be able to look at every show that we do and find somebody that looks like them." (Byron)[21]

Shell

Byron started doing informational videos for Shell plc in 2023.[22]

Personal life

Byron married artist Paul Urich in March 2006. They have a daughter.[23] On June 26, 2019, Byron petitioned for separation from Urich and their marriage was dissolved on March 20, 2020.[24]

She was previously a vegetarian, but now describes herself as pescetarian.[25]

Byron continues to create art, including paintings created by igniting gunpowder.[26] In 2018 she published a memoir Crash Test Girl, with HarperOne.[27] Byron is credited with creating the original cover art, and providing interior art, for canvas: poems (Viewless Wings Press, 2021), using the black powder technique.[28]

In Crash Test Girl, Byron states she has "contended with severe bouts of depression" since she was twelve. She states she has depressive episodes "a few times a year"; in addition, she had postpartum depression, more severe than her normal depression, for six months after her daughter was born.[29]

References

  1. ^ "California Births 1905–1995". Family Tree Legends Records Collection. Pearl Street Software. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  2. ^ "Kari Byron". Archived from the original on May 12, 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  3. ^ "SBS: MythBusters: Kari Byron". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  4. ^ "MythBusters". Discovery Channel. March 23, 2010. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  5. ^ Mammy, Joe. "The Joe-Mammy.com interview with Kari Byron". Joe-Mammy.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  6. ^ "Discovery Channel tweet announcing Jessi's addition to the show". July 31, 2009. Retrieved May 13, 2010 – via Twitter.[non-primary source needed]
  7. ^ "'MythBusters' Beauty Kari Byron Talks New Series 'Head Rush'". Tvsquad.com. August 23, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  8. ^ "Kari Byron of 'MythBusters' Hosts 'Head Rush' on Science Channel Beginning August 23". Tvbythenumbers.com. June 29, 2010. Archived from the original on July 3, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  9. ^ "Ex-'Mythbusters' Kari Byron, Tory Belleci returning to Discovery". Entertainment Weekly. September 25, 2014. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Find the 'Thrill Factor' with former 'MythBusters' cast". CNET. August 10, 2015. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  11. ^ Pereira, Alyssa. "'MythBusters' gang toasts end of greatest nerd series ever". SFGATE. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  12. ^ "Netflix Orders White Rabbit Project Starring Mythbusters Build Team". Screen Rant. September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  13. ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (December 8, 2016). "Ex-'MythBusters' Attempt Mind Control in Netflix 'White Rabbit' Clip". ScreenCrush. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  14. ^ "Kari Byron Brings West Coast Premiere of 'Crash Test World' to San Francisco". OneDubin.org. February 5, 2020.
  15. ^ "Discovery picks up 'Crash Test World' for North America". Television Business International. February 20, 2020.
  16. ^ "Crash Test World". Science Channel. December 22, 2020.
  17. ^ "'MythBusters' Alum Kari Byron Stars in New Series 'Crash Test World' on Science Channel (Exclusive)". popculture. December 22, 2020.
  18. ^ "EXPLR Media Aims To Grow Young People Into Empathetic Global Citizens — Co-Founder Kari Byron Joins RTM". RightThisMinute. September 22, 2021.
  19. ^ "PureCycle Teaches Teens About Recycling on 'Everyday Science Stuff' Series". Plastics Today. January 24, 2022.
  20. ^ "MythBusters' Kari Byron discusses future of education". The Daily Illini. October 21, 2021.
  21. ^ "FETC: How STEM can save the world through storytelling". District Administration. January 22, 2022.
  22. ^ "Kari Byron of Myth Buster's fame, drills a hole for herself". September 29, 2023.[user-generated source?]
  23. ^ Discovery Channel US (June 29, 2009). "How about some GREAT NEWS?". Retrieved May 13, 2010 – via Twitter.[non-primary source needed]
  24. ^ "KARI BYRON VS. PAUL URICH". The Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  25. ^ "Interviews > Kari Byron". Suicide Girls. March 28, 2011. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  26. ^ "Even after MythBusters, Kari Byron is still explosive". The Verge. December 20, 2016.
  27. ^ "Mythbusters host Kari Byron next guest of Artist-Lecture Series". Times Record News. October 26, 2019.
  28. ^ "Kari Byron on Creating Black Powder Art for "canvas" and EXPLR for Students". Viewless Wings. August 9, 2021.
  29. ^ Byron, Kari (2018). Crash test girl : an unlikely experiment in using the scientific method to answer life's toughest questions (1st ed.). New York, NY. pp. 156–174. ISBN 978-0-06-274978-9. OCLC 1035306430.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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