Alton Brown

Although Alton Brown is now known mostly for his work in food media, his first career was as a filmmaker. His big break came when he shot the music video for R.E.M.’s 1987 song “The One I Love,” which allowed him to transition to directing commercials before deciding to head to culinary school to get the background for Good Eats, the Peabody Award–winning Food Network show he created and hosted for fourteen years.

Biography via Criterion.