Tory Belleci
Tory Belleci | |
---|---|
Born | Salvatore Paul Belleci October 30, 1970 Monterey, California, US |
Occupation(s) | Model maker, television host |
Spouse |
Erin Bothamley (m. 2020) |
Children | 1 |
Website | torybelleci |
Salvatore Paul Belleci (born October 30, 1970) is an American television personality and model maker, best known for his work on the
Early life
Belleci has a long history of working with fire and explosives. At an early age, his father showed him how to make a Molotov cocktail. Later, he accidentally set part of his house on fire with a homemade flamethrower.[1] When he was 19, he was nearly arrested for setting off a homemade pipe bomb near his parents' home in Seaside, California. The officer encouraged the young Belleci to find a way of expressing his love for explosions and special effects that did not involve getting arrested.[2]
Belleci is a devout Christian.[2]
Career
Early work
In 1994, after graduating from
Belleci worked on:
One of his short films, SandTrooper, has appeared on Syfy and in the Slamdance Film Festival.[7]
MythBusters
Belleci is often considered by fellow MythBusters
During the "Hollywood Hang" sequence, of the 2010 episode "Soda Cup Killer", Belleci fell off a roof, and despite being strapped into a safety harness system, landed in an open window frame below the drop point, and injured his leg, causing substantial bleeding.[8]
He and Byron 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.
On August 21, 2014, it was announced that Belleci, along with his co-stars Byron and Imahara, would be leaving MythBusters.[9]
In 2021, Belleci returned to host Motor MythBusters and was joined by engineer Bisi Ezerioha and mechanic Faye Hadley. The show focuses on tall tales about automobiles and last aired in March 2022.
Other work
From 2011 to 2013, he co-hosted
In 2013, Belleci created a YouTube channel, Blow It Up, where he and various guests use explosives to blow up everyday items.[11]
In 2015, Byron and Belleci hosted Thrill Factor, a new show for the Travel Channel. In this show they visit and showcase thrill rides around the world and explore a little bit of science such as the effect of G forces on breathing, heart rate and other factors.[12]
Belleci stars alongside Imahara and Byron in the
Belleci starred alongside
Beginning in 2020, Belleci co-hosted The Explosion Show on the Science Channel.[15]
Belleci also appeared in Jackass Forever (2022).[16]
Personal life
From June 5–11, 2014, Belleci competed with electronic dance music producer
, Spain, and won top honors, taking the "Spirit of the Gumball" award.Belleci proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Erin Bothamley,[18] in 2018. They married in a private ceremony in 2020.[19] They had a daughter on August 22, 2021 (named Gemma).
During MythBusters' 2010 break, Belleci volunteered time to visit Haiti. He visited orphanages and installed clean-water systems with "Life Giving Force," a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing clean water to communities in need. He communicated that the trip has had a profound effect on him and that he admires the resilience of the Haitian people.[20]
References
- ^ Sullivan, Jeff (April 25, 2008). "Busted: Discovery show hosts reveal truth behind myths". ramcigar.com. The Good 5 Cent Cigar. Archived from the original on December 14, 2013. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
- ^ Monterey County Herald. Northern California Network. Archived from the originalon October 6, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
- ^ "Department of Cinema notable Alumni". San Francisco State University. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Biography". Tory Belleci Official Website. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ "Tory: Bio: MythBusters". MythBusters Official Site. Discovery Communications. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ISBN 978-1-921203-10-7.
- ^ "MythBusters in Pop Culture". MythBusters Official Site. Discovery Communications. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
- ^ Snyder, Steven James (March 25, 2010). "MythBusters: An Appreciation. You Can Bust My Myth Anytime". Techland.Time.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved 2010-10-07.
- ^ Harnick, Chris (22 August 2014). "MythBusters Stars Kari Byron, Tory Belleci and Grant Imahara Are Leaving the Show". eonline.com. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ^ "Ex-'Mythbusters' Kari Byron, Tory Belleci returning to Discovery". EW.com. September 25, 2014. Archived from the original on August 4, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ "Blow It Up! New Show with Tory Belleci". 2013 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Find the 'Thrill Factor' with former 'MythBusters' cast". cnet.com. CNET. August 10, 2015. Archived from the original on June 7, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (December 8, 2016). "Ex-"MythBuster" Attempt Mind Control in Netflix 'White Rabbit' Clip". ScreenCrush. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ White, Peter (August 21, 2019). "'The Grand Tour's Richard Hammond & 'Mythbusters' Tory Belleci Take On Adventure Format For Amazon – Edinburgh". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
- ^ ""The Explosion Show" - New Science Channel Series Featuring MythBuster Tory Belleci and Nitro Circus's Streetbike Tommy Premieres New Years Day 2020". The Futon Critic. November 19, 2019.
- ^ "What do you do when your wildest dreams surpass your questionable intellect? Easy, you bring in a pyrotechnical expert like Tory Belleci. #JackassForever". Instagram. July 11, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ "Gumball3000 - deadmau5". Gumball3000.com. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
- ^ heynicepants. "Instagram page of heynicepants". Instagram.com.
- ^ "Erin and Tory". erin-tory.com.
- ^ "MythBusters- Tory Belleci in Haiti Pt1". September 28, 2010. Archived from the original on June 2, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2012 – via YouTube.
External links
- Official website
- Tory Belleci at IMDb