Travel Channel Hosts Go Back to School

"In undergrad at Emory, I was introduced to the man who would become my mentor, Tim McDonough. Tim changed what my idea of what acting was and could be. Whether it was allowing my imagination to play and experiment, or finding specificity in moments down to how the character handled a pen or wineglass -- I never looked at performing the same way. His passionate approach to the craft, and to the profession itself, is probably the biggest reason I ever gave acting, as a career, a real shot. I AM forever in his debt."

"My high school senior picture from 1999. Good times."

"Perry High was where I discovered that not everyone was good at art. And I seemed to have a particularly good grasp of working in three dimensions, clay was my new love."

"I worked way too much during high school, often pulling shifts at the local grocer before and after school. My senior year I discovered another love -- the stage. I won awards for impromptu speaking and scored a nice roll in <i>Grease</i> despite my inability to sing on key (as evident in the New Zealand show)."

"As for teachers, I don't remember any of them because they bored me and I just did my own thing. School was just easy for me and I did well at it without trying."

"In high school I played sports and was voted most likely to become famous. I got a 3.5 and never studied."

"I especially liked the lunch period my senior year. We would all pile into Smiley's two-toned American Motors 1950-something beat-up sedan, and head to some local drive in for a burger."

"I went to Fresno High ... go Warriors! And I loved being on the track team. The pic is of me, Roger, Howie and Dave. We had just broken the school record for the mile relay."

'In my senior year of high school I ran a coffee house at the local college with my future wife and a few friends. Everyone played guitar in those days and the coffee house was the place to show off your skills. Some of our teachers showed up to play or listen. They were the favorites."

"My 4th grade teacher was my first insane crush. Mrs. Gambino was much younger than my earlier teachers and carried herself with an ambitious, confident energy like she was in the classroom to make something happen. She wore smart suits and nice shoes and her hair had the exact same style as in the Prell commercials, as if at any moment she'd turn her head with a smile and cup her curls with her hand to demonstrate their resilient bounce. Mrs. Gambino was a modern woman and, for a small boy just awakening to the world around him, she was a sweet spoonful of sugar."

"This is from 4th grade (probably) in which I had recently discovered striped pants. Think my mom made those for me. We're next to my house in Pitman. That's Troy and Chris, who regularly kept me from getting beaten up."

"The dancing shot is from freshman year at Pitman High School. Phys Ed class with "Coach Lang," who is dancing in the gym at 9 am, god bless him. Me, I'm in front in jeans smiling, but barely moving, thinking that private school might not be a bad idea after all."

"Miss Coyne, my 3rd grade geography teacher, was my favorite. Geography was my favorite subject, making map illustrations."