Rhonda Shear

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 of the USA Network's weekend B-movie show, USA Up All Night, in the 1990s. In 2001, she started an intimate apparel business that was marketed on Home Shopping Network, 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.[1][2]

Rhonda Shear
Born (1954-11-12) November 12, 1954
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma materLoyola University New Orleans
OccupationTelevision host, actress, model, entrepreneur
Years active1970–present
TelevisionUSA Up All Night
Spouse(s)Van Fagen (m. 2001)
Websitewww.rhondashear.com
Rhonda Shear
TitleMiss Louisiana USA 1975,
Beauty pageant titleholder
Major
competition(s)		Miss USA 1975

Early life

Shear was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. She attended Loyola University, earning a bachelor of arts in communications.[3] In 1977, after graduating from Loyola, Shear moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a career in Hollywood.

Career

Modeling, hosting, and acting

Shear earned titles in several beauty contests, including holding the titles of Miss Louisiana USA 1975 for Miss USA and that of Miss Louisiana for both the Miss World and the Miss International pageants.[4] Among her other titles was Queen of the Floral Trail Society. While she sported the latter title, she posed for a picture in Playboy magazine; though she was fully clothed in the photo, the organizers were opposed to her appearance and rescinded her title. She appeared as a contestant in The Gong Show in 1979. She also appeared as grown up Kimmy Gibbler in the 1987 sitcom, Full House.

Shear is best known for her role as a host of the USA Network's 1980s and '90s weekend B-movie show, USA Up All Night. 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, 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 in Secaucus, New Jersey, hosted previously by comic Judy Tenuta.

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.[5]

Shear also co-starred in numerous sitcoms from playing the Fonz's girlfriend on Happy Days 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.[6]

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. Her products were picked up on shopping networks around the world, including The Shopping Channel (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.[5] As of 2013, she has added cosmetics, swim wear, fragrances, and Boomer Hottie.[7]

In 2014, a line of "intimates, athleisure, and loungewear" was announced that was co-designed with Crystal Hefner, 2009 Playboy Playmate and wife of Hugh Hefner, to be sold through Hefner's website.[8]

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.[9]

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.[5]

Personal life

Shear married her childhood sweetheart Van Fagen, who works as her business partner in the Shear Enterprises.[10] They live in St. Petersburg, Florida.[11]

Credits

Filmography
  • Quadroon (1971)[12]
  • J.D.'s Revenge (1976)
  • Galaxina (1980)
  • Party Games for Adults Only (1984)
  • Doin' Time (1985)
  • Basic Training (1985)
  • Spaceballs (1987)
  • The Roller Blade Seven (1991)
  • Legend of the Roller Blade Seven (1992)
  • Return to Frogtown (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

Bibliography
  • Up All Night: From Hollywood Bombshell to Lingerie Mogul, Life Lessons from an Accidental Feminist (Mascot Books, 2017) ISBN 978-1684015016

References
  1. Davis, Brad (September 12, 2013). "Rhonda Shear Intimates of St. Pete featured as Tampa Bay Fashion Week kicks off on Friday". abcactionnews.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  2. "Tampa Bay Fashion Week is here and I stopped by last night". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  3. "Rhonda Shear Biography". Retrieved February 19, 2008.
  4. "The Rhonda Shear Site - About Rhonda - Rhonda Trivia". Archived from the original on February 7, 2007. Retrieved February 8, 2007.
  5. Schawbel, Dan (June 14, 2012). "Rhonda Shear: From Playboy Model to Millionaire Entrepreneur". Forbes.
  6. Lawsen, Sandy "Rhonda Shear: Artist Biography". Allmusic.
  7. (dead link). The Wall Street Journal.
  8. "Playmate News, Girl Talk". Playboy. 61 (December): 156. December 2014.
  9. TEGNA. "You Wear the Bra's, Now Read the Book!". wtsp.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  10. "About Us". www.rhondashear.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  11. "Only on 8: HSN entrepreneur weighs in on home shopping merger". wfla.com. July 7, 2017. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  12. Bozung, Justin (July 25, 2013). "Rhonda Shear, host of USA Network's UP ALL NIGHT and actress in films like SPACEBALLS, GALAXINA, ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS talks with TV Store Online.". TVStoreOnline.com.
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