Anthony Bourdain Biography: Celebrity Chef, Author, Travel Shows, Net Worth, Death, Wife, Daughter, Height, Parents

Anthony Michael Bourdain was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian. He gained widespread recognition for his television shows, which focused on exploring and celebrating diverse cultures, cuisines, and the human experience.

Through his work, Bourdain promoted cultural understanding and appreciation and inspired many to try new foods and travel to new places. His impact on the culinary and travel industries will continue to be felt for years.

Profile

• Full Name: Anthony Michael Bourdain
• Stage Name: Anthony Bourdain
• Born: 25 June 1956
• Died: 8 June 2018 (age 61 years), Le Chambard · Hôtel Restaurants Spa Alsace, Kaysersberg-Vignoble, France
• Birthplace: New York City
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian
• Height: 1.93 m
• Parent: Gladys Bourdain and Pierre Bourdain
• Siblings: 1, Christopher Bourdain
• Spouse: Ottavia Busia (m. 2007–2016), Nancy Putkoski (m. 1985–2005)
• Children: 1, Ariane Bourdain
• Relationship: married
• Net Worth: $8 million

Early Life And Education

Anthony Bourdain was born on 25 June 1956 in New York City, where he was raised by his parents, Gladys Bourdain and Pierre Bourdain. His father, Pierre, was a classical music recording industry executive, while his mother, Gladys, was a New York Times editor.

He had a younger brother, Christopher, and was of American descent, following the Christian faith.

Bourdain attended Vassar College and Dwight-Englewood School before pursuing his passion for food and attending the Culinary Institute of America, where he graduated in 1978. He then went on to work in various restaurant kitchens in New York City, including the Supper Club, One Fifth Avenue, and Sullivan’s.

Bourdain’s early experiences and education in the culinary world would later shape his successful career as a chef, author, and television personality.

Career

Anthony Bourdain was a multifaceted individual who excelled in various industries including the culinary world, literature, and television. Despite his success in these fields, he struggled with mental health issues and addiction throughout his life.

His professional journey began in the culinary world, where he started as a dishwasher and eventually worked his way up to various kitchen roles. He graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in 1978 and spent over 20 years working in New York City restaurants such as the Rainbow Room, The Supper Club, and Coco Pazzo Teatro.

He eventually became the executive chef at Brasserie Les Halles in Manhattan.

Anthony Bourdain’s writing career took off with the publication of his article “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” in The New Yorker in 1999. This led to the release of his best-selling memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (2000), which gained him widespread recognition.

Bourdain continued to write and publish several other books, including A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines (2001), The Nasty Bits: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones (2006), Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook (2010), Appetites: A Cookbook (2016), and the posthumously released World Travel: An Irreverent Guide (2021).

He also explored his talents in fiction, writing novels such as Bone in the Throat (1995) and Gone Bamboo (1997), and co-authoring graphic novels like Get Jiro! Despite his success in the writing world, Bourdain will always be remembered for his passion and expertise in the culinary industry.

Anthony Bourdain was a renowned chef, author, and television personality who had a successful career in the food and travel industry. He started his television career hosting a cooking show on the Food Network and went on to host several other travel and food shows such as No Reservations, The Layover, and Parts Unknown.

These shows were known for their exploration of different cultures, cuisines, and the human experience in various locations around the world. In addition to his television career, Bourdain also appeared as a guest judge on the popular cooking show Top Chef and hosted his show The Taste.

He also took on other roles such as serving as an executive producer for the show The Mind of a Chef and being an editor-at-large for the travel journalism site Roads & Kingdoms. Bourdain was also known for his writing career, having his publishing line with Ecco Press and being inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America in 2008.

Award and Nomination

Emmy Awards

Anthony Bourdain accumulated a total of 6 Primetime Emmy Awards and 4 Daytime Emmy Awards from 37 Primetime Emmy Award nominations and 4 Daytime Emmy Award nominations. Most of these were for his work on the acclaimed CNN travel and food show, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.

Primetime Emmy Awards (Wins):

• 2013: Outstanding Informational Series or Special (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown)
• 2014: Outstanding Informational Series or Special (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown)
• 2015: Outstanding Informational Series or Special (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown)
• 2018: Outstanding Informational Series or Special (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown) (posthumous)
• 2018: Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown for the “Southern Italy” episode) (posthumous)
• 2019: Outstanding Informational Series or Special (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown) (posthumous)
• 2019: Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown for the “Kenya” episode) (posthumous)

Daytime Emmy Award (Win):

• 2014: Outstanding Culinary Program (The Mind of a Chef)

He also received numerous other Primetime and Daytime Emmy nominations for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, and The Mind of a Chef in various categories, including Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program and Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming.

James Beard Foundation Awards

Despite his sometimes critical views of the James Beard Foundation Awards, Anthony Bourdain was recognized with several of these prestigious culinary honors:

• 2008: Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America
• 2013: Best Television Program, On Location (The Mind of a Chef)
• 2014: Best Television Program, On Location (The Mind of a Chef)
• 2015: Best Television Program, On Location (The Mind of a Chef)

Other Notable Awards and Nominations

• Peabody Award: 2013 (Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown)
• Producers Guild of America (PGA) Awards: Won the Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television award in 2019 for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (posthumous) and received several other nominations
• Critics’ Choice Television Awards: Won Best Reality Show Host in 2016 for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and was nominated in 2015 for Best Reality Host. His show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations also won Best Reality Series in 2012
• Cinema Eye Honors Awards: Won “The Unforgettables” award in 2022 for the documentary Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
• International Documentary Association (IDA) Awards: Received several nominations for Best Episodic Series for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
• New York Festivals: Won a Gold World Medal in 2014 for Best Nonfiction Series for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
• News & Documentary Emmy Awards: Nominated for Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form in 2007 for the “Beirut” episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
• Goodreads Choice Awards: Won Best Nonfiction in 2016 for his cookbook Appetites
• Audie Award: Won for Multi-voiced Performance for World Travel: An Irreverent Guide in 2022 (posthumous)

Social Media

• Instagram handle: @anthonybourdain
• Facebook handle: Anthony Bourdain
• Twitter Handle: @Bourdain

Personal Life

Anthony Bourdain was a well-known American chef, author, and television personality who was married twice during his lifetime. His first marriage was to Nancy Putkoski in 1985, whom he had known since high school.

However, after two decades of marriage, they divorced in 2005 due in part to the strain of his extensive travel for work. Despite their divorce, Bourdain still described Putkoski as the “love of his life” and his “partner in crime.”

In 2007, he married Ottavia Busia, a mixed martial artist, and they had one daughter together. However, their marriage also faced challenges due to Bourdain’s constant travel for his television shows, and they separated in 2016. Despite their separation, they remained close.

Following his separation from Busia, Bourdain entered into a relationship with Italian actress Asia Argento. They were together from 2016 until he died in 2018. Bourdain publicly supported Argento, particularly when she spoke out about her experiences with sexual assault.

Tragically, on June 8, 2018, Bourdain died by suicide while filming his show Parts Unknown in Kaysersberg Vignoble, France.

Filmography

Television Shows as Host and Writer:

• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2013-2018): This critically acclaimed CNN series is perhaps his most well-known work, where he explored global cultures, politics, and social issues through the lens of food. He served as host, writer, and executive producer.
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005-2012): This Travel Channel show followed Bourdain’s culinary adventures around the world, known for its raw and unflinching portrayal of food and culture. He was the host and writer for many episodes, also serving as executive producer later in the series.
• Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour (2002-2003): His first foray into food travel television, this Food Network show saw him exploring various cuisines and cultures. He hosted and co-wrote the series.
• The Layover (2011-2013): In this Travel Channel series, Bourdain showcased how to make the most of a short layover in various cities. He was the host and writer.

Television Shows as Executive Producer:

• The Mind of a Chef (2012-2015): A PBS series that delves into the philosophies and creative processes of renowned chefs.
• The Taste (2013-2015): An ABC cooking competition series where Bourdain served as a judge and executive producer.
• Wasted! The Story of Food Waste (2017): A documentary exploring the issue of food waste, for which he was a producer.
• Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent (2016): A documentary about the influential chef Jeremiah Tower.
• Christiane Amanpour: Sex & Love Around the World (2018): A CNN series where he served as executive producer.
• Anthony Bourdain Presents: RAD Stories (2017): A TV movie where he was an executive producer.
• The Getaway (2014): A series where chefs and personalities explore different cities.
• Bone in the Throat (2015): A film based on his novel, where he served as an executive producer.

Appearances in Other Films and Television:

Bourdain made numerous appearances as himself in various shows and documentaries, including:

• Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)
• Jacques Pépin: The Art of Craft (2017)
• The Big Short (2015)
• Top Chef
• Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern
• No Passport Required
• Various talk shows and news programs

He also had voice acting roles in animated series like Archer and The Simpsons.

Screenwriting Credits:

• Bone in the Throat (2015) – Based on his book
• Several episodes of his hosted series

Net Worth

Anthony Michael Bourdain was a renowned American chef, author, and TV personality. He was known for his love of travel and exploration and had an estimated net worth of $8 million at the time of his death in 2018.

Unfortunately, he passed away at the age of 61 by committing suicide on June 8th, 2018, while staying at Le Chambard Hotel in Kaysersberg-Vignoble, France. His death was a tragic loss for the culinary and entertainment world.