Emmy award winning TV host of hit shows like Access Hollywood and American Ninja Warrior, Zuri Hall dishes on the key to longevity in the competitive and ever-changing entertainment industry, keeping up with the new wave of trends, what dreams she’s trying to tackle next and so much more!
The proud Ohio native and Ohio State University graduate has been on an upward spiral to career success since graduating in 2010. You may recognize her from NBC’s “Access Hollywood” where she delivers the hottest celebrity news and the biggest entertainment news stories in Hollywood alongside Mario Lopez, Kit Hoover and Scott Evans as well as correspondent Sibley Scoles. Hall is also a familiar face on some of the most exclusive red carpets including the Oscars.
The multifaceted host is also well known as a sideline reporter for the 14-season hit show, American Ninja Warrior. While Hall has recently wrapped up her 4th season co-hosting the show alongside Matt Iseman and Akbar Gbajabiamila, she plans on sticking with the NBC show for as long as she can. It may have come as a surprise to fans and even to Hall herself to have joined the show of memorable competitors however Hall was very clear on what qualities she would bring to the show. The pop culture pro revealed that she is a storyteller foremost, figuring out the “why” is crucial in understanding anyone she interviews but particularly the ninjas that appear on the show. “I’m telling their stories – we have some tearjerkers, I shed a lot of tears on that court with some of these ninjas because they go through a lot just to get there and when you watch the show you realize it’s so much more than a sport, you really walk away more motivated and inspired to face your own challenges in life,” Hall shares.
It is apparent this “alpha babe” is up for any challenges thrown her way including tackling the ever-changing trends of the entertainment industry. Hall started her career back in 2011 where hard work and talent was all that was needed, fast forward to today where social media has taken over and TikTok, IG reels, podcasting and dabbling in as much as you can is the new norm. “It’s such a weird time because now you don’t have to wait for the gatekeepers, you don’t have to hope for some random executive in a suit at the top of the Ivory tower chooses,” Hall shared. The entertainment vet admits she needs to start taking more advantage of the TikTok craze, yet she has excelled in creating her own content including her YouTube show, “Hey Zuri Hall” which accumulated over 100,000 subscribers and over 5 million views. In 2019 she launched her podcast, Zuri Hall’s Hot Happy Mess in collaboration with iHeartRadio and Charlamagne Tha God‘s Black Effect Podcast Network. The Prime-Time TV host feels blessed to be able to consistently work in the field of her dreams but wouldn’t mind adding in her other love of acting to the resume. It is safe to say fans need to be on the lookout for Hall’s big break onto the big screen as she shared, “you just get to a point in your career where you want more challenges, you just want to see what’s possible, that’s what makes life fun.”
