Steve Michael Burns was born on October 9, 1973, in rural Boyertown, Pennsylvania. He is the third of three children (he has two older sisters, Karen and Jennifer). His father made him a toy guitar when he was young, and he grew up writing songs and jamming to David Bowie in a friend's cow pasture. After receiving an acting scholarship to a nearby college (The Allentown College of Saint Francis Desales University), he joined a band called Nine Pound Truck, but soon quit that, along with school. He then moved to New York City to pursue an acting career. Steve managed to land a few voiceover gigs (1-800-Collect, Rubbermaid, Dunkin Donuts and McDonald's), as well as a small role in 1995 as an autistic teenager on the television crime drama, "Law & Order." And then one day he showed up for an audition at Nickelodeon for a show known as "Blue Prints", unshaven and sporting long hair, Army fatigue pants, and an earring. Steve recalls: "I thought it was a voice-over audition, and it was not. So I figured I'd better start jumping around." 3

Initially, the creators of the show were impressed by Steve and asked him to return for a second round of auditions. However, the network suits weren't psyched about the grungy 22-year-old who looked more like a skateboarder than a role model for youngsters: "The story was that they were, like, 'No way. We're not putting skate-rock boy on Nickelodeon.'" 4 So, on the eve of his second audition, the creators of the show secretly made a call to Steve to tell him to wear a button down shirt and cut his hair. Freshly made over, Steve had no problems impressing the producers. In addition, preschool test audiences were vocal in their support. "Apparently, it was really obvious that I was the one the kids spoke to. They didn't just laugh. They were talking [to the screen]." 5 Traci Paige Johnson, executive producer and cocreator of "Blue's Clues", says that what made Steve a great children's host was that "he didn't want to be a children's host. Of the 100 people we auditioned, he was, by far, the realest. He loved kids, but he didn't want to make a career out of it." 6 And, she adds that Steve was "like a cool babysitter that parents feel comfortable with." 7

The truth was that Steve never intended to become a megastar in children's entertainment, and some friends even cautioned him about accepting the job. He recalls: "There were definitely people in my corner saying, 'Don’t do this. It’s brilliant, it’s going to be huge, and you’re going to be a kids’ show host forever.' But I ignored them." 8 But getting used to acting in front a blue screen and getting comfortable with his television persona had its challenges. "My first two seasons on that show were the hardest," Steve recalls. "I was really struggling with 'The Pleats' [the khaki pants he was required to wear for the show]. I was like, 'Oh man, am I dancing and capering like that in front of millions of people? Look at my hair! What have I done?'" 9 He also admitted that the affable Steve character was emotionally a departure for him, considering that in his early 20s, he was somewhat "dark" and "serious." 10

Despite his initial misgivings, however, Steve gradually grew into his television persona, and the rest became history. Steve based some of his acting style for "Blue's Clues" from Mr. Rogers, who never pandered or condescended toward children, as well as Grover, from "Sesame Street" ("his early work"): "Grover was my childhood hero--he was a nerd. I often think, 'What would Grover do?'... Mister Rogers is the guru of all time. I'm like the young, hyper version of him." 11 In interviews about the show, Steve often joked that his performance was mainly a result of drinking several cups of coffee to stay energized during the early morning shoots: "I've developed an entire acting technique based on seven cups of coffee. It's tough to be that ridiculously happy at 8 o'clock in the morning." 12 Whatever his secret, Steve's wide-eyed, easy-going approach -- which was really more natural instinct -- worked, so much so, that shortly after its 1996 debut, "Blue's Clues" outpaced "Sesame Street" and "Barney & Friends" in the ratings. At the height of the show's popularity, it was followed by more than eight million viewers a week and eventually, children were watching in six languages and 60 countries. Steve also began receiving loads of letters and e-mails from children, preteens and parents alike. And, in spite of himself, Steve became a weird, Clark Kent-ish public figure, a superstar to toddlers and parents, but unknown to everyone else.

But after five years, Steve had enough of acting in front of a blue screen and found himself somewhat disillusioned by the commercial angle that the show's producers took. "Acting on a blue screen is awful. Ask Ewan McGregor -- and he had dwarves and whatnot to act with... I was at a place where I do this forever and make this who I am, or I do a whole bunch of other exciting stuff." 13 But, having become a creative consultant and later a co-producer of the show, Steve cared about the show and the decision to quit was"very, very, very, very, very, very, very tough." 14 He adds: "The show was very important to me. It was nerve-wracking." 15 However, he also recalls: "I thought I should quit right at my peak. I could be like Mister Rogers. The show is extraordinarily popular in several countries. But I thought, is this really what I came to New York to do? I just don't think it's true that people can't do something else after they've done something that seems so permanent. I hope I'll be remembered for that show for the rest of my life. That will always be a part of my identity, and I'm totally cool with that." 16

After his decision was announced, his fellow cast members were stunned, and parents and children were in uproar. The show's producers carefully planned Steve's departure, and set out to prepare young audiences for the traumatic goodbye, by writing a three-part story in which Steve left for college. The producers also hired Donovan Patton, who Steve told reporters was much funnier and better than himself, to play Steve's younger brother Joe. Steve took Donovan under his wing, and the two continue to be friends today. In interviews, Steve always spoke enthusiastically about Donovan's performance as Joe, and joked that he was envious of him: "He gets cargo pants! And cool shirts! He’s all hip and cool! It’s not fair." 17

In addition, Steve was careful not to allow the press to mischaracterize his decision to leave the show. After Time published an article about Steve's forthcoming departure from "Blue's Clues," Steve personally wrote in to the magazine to set the record straight about his decision. The magazine published his letter in its January 29, 2001 edition: "Your item about my forthcoming departure from 'Blue's Clues' described me as bitter. This is anything but true. For six years, with the help of an animated puppy named Blue, I have had the honor of serving as friend and teacher to millions of preschoolers. In this role, I speak frankly with a salt-and-pepper shaker, dress up as Elvis and search for cookies. I have been supported by an outstanding team, all of whom have the single goal of empowering children and teaching them to think, think, think. I am proud that 'Blue's Clues' will go on without me; it will always be the best show on television for young children. Yes, I will be sad to hang up my rugby shirt; I have worn the green stripes with pride. I hope that the show's fans -- those still in strollers, parents, grandparents -- know that I am grateful for their unfailing support and will miss them greatly." 18

After his departure from "Blue's Clues", Steve returned to anonymous real life and found himself confused with the direction of his life. His departure was so surprising to viewers, too, that it prompted rumors that he'd died in a car wreck or of a heroin overdose. His own mother telephoned him to make sure he was still alive, and he appeared on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" just to dispel the rumors. He returned to the blue screen only once -- for the "Blue's Clues" 100th Episode Celebration (he wore a top hat to cover his receding hairline), as well as phoned in as Steve calling from college, in the "Blue's First Holiday" episode. And, after choosing a few of his favorite letters to keep, Steve told his personal assistant to destroy his piles of fan mail without letting him know the particulars; Steve thinks of that day as one of his saddest.

Then one night, Steve walked into a New York party and heard a record for the first time -- the Flaming Lips' 1999 album, "The Soft Bulletin." Steve recalls: "It rearranged my head completely. I mean, I haven't had a response like that to a record since, oh, I don't know." 19 That night was pivotal for Steve. He returned home and started writing songs. "It was, 'Whoa...' I had literally been doing nothing but talking to objects made of felt. For six years! There was this weird creative constipation going on... I had done one huge and great and positive thing and didn't know where I was going next. I was very confused." 20

A few months after his unexpected creative spurt, Steve cold-called his favorite producer, Dave Fridmann. The producer's chilly response thawed when he recognized Steve's name. Steve recalls: "He had a 'Blue's Clues' birthday party the night before I called him. How fortuitous is that? So I guilted him into listening to my CD, and he was pretty surprised. There is tremendous precedent for projects like this to completely suck. That is a mountain that is always in front of me with this. People bring to the table this expectation of horrible music. But the good news is, my record has been very credible and able to stand up on its own. Once people hear it, it turns around in their mind really quickly and they like it." 21

Nowadays, when he performs in concerts, Steve always expects a mixed crowd of fans. Although most of his fans are in their 20s, "there are always four or five really confused-looking soccer moms from the suburbs, who might not have been to a rock show in a very long time and are kind of huddled together for protection in the corner... I tell people right up front that I am the guy from 'Blue's Clues', and I am making this crazy music for you right now. I think there is an interesting tension between those two ideas. On one hand, you have got this silly giant kids' show, and on the other hand you have this incredible rock record. And it does make you think. And in the same way, it's been a real polarizing experience for me as well." 22

Even though his image today now seems eons away from his past television persona, the remnants of his green-striped life have never disappeared completely. In a corner of his bedroom, sits the red, plush Thinking Chair, which was given to him as a gift from the show's producers for his 25th birthday. Steve currently uses it mainly to hold laundry, although it often figures in his publicity photos even years later: "It's an enormous piece of furniture, it looks like a cartoon, and it's extremely useful in times of thought. It is also extremely useful in times of overflowing dirty laundry. It is equally useful as a drum, a place for thought, and a receptacle for dirty laundry..." 23 Steve also kept a few of his green-striped rugby shirts, and keeps them mostly to wear at charity events: "I stole two of them when I left, and they had seven of them. They were all carefully handmade to be as uncomfortable as possible. Right now I just keep one around to do Make a Wish [children's charity] stuff. Again, it's the Clark Kent thing. You've got to keep it in the bag at all times." 24

Additionally, Steve has never really left his roots in children's television altogether, and appreciates the positive influence "Blue's Clues" had on his own life: "I learned really valuable lessons from 'Blue's Clues'. I'd repeat them every day. 'You can do things. You are smart.'" 25 A few years ago, Steve and his best friend, Paul Ford (a commentator on NPR), collaborated on a rock opera for children, and Steve also wrote and illustrated a children's book (which has not been published). So it turns out that, in the end, Steve still cares about children's entertainment: "Kids deserve an alternate aesthetic, and frankly I think it's foolish that there's only one model out there that is interesting on many levels, and that's 'Sesame Street.' It was a huge struggle for me to get adult humor onto 'Blue's Clues.' I snuck it in while everyone else was checking their e-mail." 26 Finally, Steve even returned in early 2007 to Nickelodeon for a guest music video entitled "I Hog the Ground" (with Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd) in another preschool show, "Jack's Big Music Show." The song sparked Steve and Steven to collaborate on a children's music album, which should be available soon.

After his departure from "Blue's Clues," Steve occasionally dons the green-striped shirt and reinhabits his television persona. One spring afternoon in 1999, Steve Burns was on his way to a date. He was driving through New Jersey, when something on the side of the road caught his eye: a mailbox with blue cartoon pawprints on it and a message, "You just figured out Jonathan's Birthday"! Steve knew that it was obviously a Blue's Clues party, glanced at the toys and props left in his car after a recent charity appearance, and told himself, "I gotta do it." He met his date, changed clothes, and drove back to the party. Steve recalls: "We just showed up with the toys and knocked on the door. I was like, 'Hey! Who's Jonathan?' The kids were, like, 'Cool! Steve's here!'"27 Steve stuck around, clowned with the youngsters, dispensed toys, and refused cash from the bewildered dad.

Most of the time now, however, without the green-striped shirt, Steve rarely gets recognized on the street anymore. "I've grown some facial hair and lost some regular hair. I'm also about eight inches shorter than people assume I'm going to be." 28 With "an awful lot of burritos behind me and a lot less hair", Steve adds: "I keep my head shaved and wear dark glasses. And if someone is able to make that connection, well, so be it." 36

When he does get recognized, people often expect him to act like green-striped Steve. "People expect you to inhabit the same kind of moral construct off camera that you do on-screen. Which really doesn't make any sense. On the show, I couldn't tell the difference between shapes and colors. I don't know why people would expect me to be that yokey-dopey in real life." 29 Sometimes, Steve admits, it gets annoying when people ask him where Blue is. "If there were a guy following you around saying, 'Hey, man, how do I get to Main Street?' all day long, you'd get tired of that, too. But I'm not turning my back on 'Blue's Clues.' I loved that show, and it's a wonderful show." 30

So does Steve miss his days hanging out with talking condiments and a confident blue puppy? Yes and no, it turns out. "I don't ever miss working on a blue screen, but sometimes it crops up in weird ways. Like I was trying to show my friends the 'Blue's Clues' music section at Tower Records recently, and there wasn't one. And I got briefly really insulted and hurt and angry. I'm really protective of the show and the new guy [Donovan Patton]. But the nice thing is now I get to bust that character out whenever I want to. It's kind of like being Clark Kent." 31

As for the continued popularity of the show, Steve has mixed feelings. "I went to see 'Blue’s Clues Live,'" Steve recalls, referring to the traveling stage show. "The guy who plays Mr. Salt on the show, Nick Balaban —- he also wrote all the music —- was sitting in front of me. The curtain goes up and 15,000 kids go 'Steve! Steve! Steve!' Screaming like the wind. Then this dude comes out, performing like me in this extremely theatrical version of me. He's doing these incredibly strange dances, singing this big Broadway score and dancing with a six-foot-tall bar of soap. And Nick turns around to me and says, 'You’re in therapy, right?'" 32

And what does the real life Steve Burns think about how green-striped Steve might have fared in college? Steve jokes: "It's almost impossible not to instantly think of Steve at a keg party underneath a beer bong, just terribly confused. You can picture him going up to these really hot girls saying, 'Hi, um, which way to the varsity hopscotch field?' He had a lot of trouble with shapes and colors. And imagine Steve in biology class: 'I have a couple questions, will you help me?'" 33

At the end of the day, then, Steve Burns really is a plurality of sorts. He admits, "I'm that guy -- the one on TV. That's me. But I'm this guy, too." 34 And for those who can't understand, he adds: "I am the guy who was formerly the freaky little man-child on that Nickelodeon show, and I’m proud of it. If they are not comfortable with that, then I’m not comfortable with them." 35


Footnotes: 1. Official MySpace Page for Steve Burns (and The Struggle) (at http://www.myspace.com/steveburnsofficialmyspace). 2. Norris, Chris. "Me And You And A Dog Named Blue," in Spin, February 2004 (Vol. 20, No. 2). 3. Norris, supra. 4. Norris, supra. 5. Norris, supra. 6. Norris, supra. 7. Handelman, David. "Paw Prince," in TV Guide, October 31 - November 6, 1998 (Vol. 46, No. 44, Issue 2379). 8. Gay, Jason. "Wild Man Blue's Clues," in New York Observer, July 15, 2002. 9. Gay, supra. 10. Gay, supra. 11. "Get a Clue: TV's Coolest Kids' Show Stars a Homicide Maniac and a Dog Named Blue," in Entertainment Weekly, June 12, 1998 (No. 436) (hereafter "Get a Clue"). 12. "Get a Clue," supra. 13. Norris, supra. 14. Gay, supra. 15. Gay, supra. 16. "Hey Kids! Where's Steve?" in XY Magazine, Holiday 2003 (Issue No. 41). 17. Gay, supra. 18. Burns, Steve. "Proud of Blue's Clues," in Time, January 29, 2001. 19. Norris, supra. 20. Norris, supra. 21. Carone, Patrick. "Steve Burns Get A Clue," in Abercrombie & Fitch Catalogue, Christmas 2003. 22. Mallon, Tom. "In My Room," in CMJ New Music Monthly, October 2003 (Issue No. 117). 23. Carone, supra. 24. Bonin, Liane. "Singing the 'Blue's'," in Entertainment Weekly, August 19, 2003. 25. Norris, supra. 26. Bonin, supra. 27. Norris, supra. 28. Gordon, Devin. "Do You Know This Man? Need a Clue?" in Newsweek, July 28, 2003. 29. Carone, supra. 30. Bonin, supra. 31. Bonin, supra. 32. Gay, supra. 33. Bonin, supra. 34. Gordon, supra. 35. Gay, supra. 36. Hatza, George, "Burning Up the Stage," in ReadingEagle.com, June 24, 2007.