GMT
Gary Cogill Thanks for visiting our "Good Morning Texas" web site. GMT is in my blood, so to speak in fact, I have worked in numerous roles on the show since it premiered back in September 1994. Today I continue to cover movies as well as a variety of local entertainment and other fun stuff in an area where life is fast, often furious and fun. There's never a dull moment in front of or behind the camera! I have seen Steve McQueen drive backward in "The Blob," more than 50 times, and I sat through "Lawrence Of Arabia" by myself four nights in a row as a 10-year-old. That should tell you a lot about me. I've worked at WFAA for nearly 20 years now, and produced "The Big Movie Show" that aired on Channel 8 and Texas Cable News (TXCN) for several years. My reviews have been syndicated in television markets around the United States, as well as on the cable movie channel, American Movie Classics. Each year I cover the red carpet at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles to connect with the biggest names in show business and those with D-FW connections. You'd be shocked at how many of Tinseltown's brightest stars are well connected to north Texas, and it comes up all the time. In the midst of a GMT cooking segment mega-celebrity chief Bobby Flay told us his wife was from Dallas! Who knew? I've been interviewing actors, writers and directors since the mid-1980s, and in that time I have learned a lot. For instance, when you sit in a room with Robin Williams, you better be ready. He always makes fun of what I wear, and if you push the right button, he'll fly around the room. I ask you: how many people can say that? In 1996 I co-hosted a popular morning show on KIRO-TV (our sister-station in those days) in Seattle called "7 Live." What an adventure; I flew with The Blue Angels (and didn't throw-up once), and even appeared on stage as an extra with Stacy Keach in "An Inspector Calls." Is this a great country, or what? In the 1990s I co-hosted popular syndicated morning radio show "Daybreak USA," heard in more than 200 markets in the United States and Canada and could be heard on a daily basis on the nationally syndicated radio show USA Overnight. Locally I spent two years hosting a live radio call-in talk show on KLIF-AM discussing everything from politics to religion to movies. Our "Story Time" program on KLIF became a north Texas favorite, and gave me an opportunity to do something I really love: read stories to children while their parents tucked them into bed. It was an unforgettable experience! I have done voice over work providing hundreds of voices for radio and television commercials. Listen carefully next time one comes on and you might hear my voice on spots ranging McDonalds to Coca-Cola and American Airlines. I do a mean Kermit The Frog. Over the years I have written, produced and directed hundreds of television commercials while writing advertising copy, short films and documentaries. For a couple years I even wrote a film column in The Fort Worth Press, and was a feature writer and columnist for Best Choice video magazine, with a monthly circulation of 250,000. I was born in Portland, Oregon and would characterize myself as a child of the 1950s and 1960s. I went to college on a wrestling scholarship and am a lover of all things outdoors. I am a devoted trout fisherman, a regular White Rock Lake jogger, a theatergoer, concertgoer, and am passionate about baseball and (of all things) cooking. My love for life, food and film (baseball and cooking) is surpassed only by my love for my two teenage daughters. Each year I donate a good deal of my time to charitable causes in the area. It's way to make a positive contribution to the community and it is something I look forward to. One of my favorite auction items is what I call: "dinner and a movie." I've been known to cook Italian food and play the soundtrack to "Big Night" as loud as I can. Bella Luna! Thank you for taking time to visit GMT's little corner of the world, wide web!
Amy Vanderoef People ask me if this job is as fun as it looks, and I always have the same answer: yes! Over the past two years GMT assignments have taken me everywhere: live from Los Angeles on the set of Dancing with the Stars, to New York City where I was a guest correspondent on ABC's Good Morning America. I was even featured in two network Daytime dramas: All My Children and One Life to Live. I'm not a native Texan but like the bumper sticker says, my husband and I got here as fast as we could. My last name is of Dutch origin and is pronounced "Van-der-off" (I'm not sure why there's an extra "e" in it!). I'm a proud graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York City and actually began performing with the New York USO, entertaining US military forces and veterans at bases and hospitals. This was such a special time for me, and I work to feature American military people on GMT whenever possible. I also worked as a performer for the US Department of Defense entertaining American Armed Forces stationed overseas in countries such as Bosnia, Macedonia, Iceland, Germany and Croatia. There is no greater audience than our troupes! We traveled the war torn countries performing patriotic shows, bringing a bit of "home" with us and spent a number of holidays overseas, including the Fourth of July and Christmas. So many of the men and women hadn't seen their families for a year or more, and they were so appreciative. My time as a USO performer was unforgettable, and will always be remembered as some of the best years of my life. If you're a fan of children's books, you've probably heard this famous phrase: "Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!" I said that a lot when touring America as "Ms. Frizzle," the irrepressible science teacher from "The Magic School Bus." It was a blast: my costume featured bright red hair and some pretty way-out looks. Working on "The Magic School Bus" was an adventure, and a terrific program that continues to help children learn and love science. In 2001 I took on a much different challenge when I was crowned Miss Connecticut USA, and became the state's representative at the Miss USA Pageant. I must say, although I didn't win the national title (not even close!) I loved the experience. It was a bit intense, however I have an incredible scrapbook of memories and remain great friends with several of my fellow contestants. Performance remains a big part of my life. I am signed with the Campbell Agency here in Dallas, and continue to do voiceovers and other commercial work. I also coach those who are in pursuit of an acting career! In Connecticut, I operated The Actors Academy, an acting school for children and adults. I also worked in casting for Mazzarella Productions, a children's production company. In 2004, my husband Grant -- a television journalist -- and I relocated to the Dallas area. Thanks for checking in -- and keep on watching Good Morning Texas to see where it might take me next!
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