Phil McGraw

Phil McGraw

Active - 2006 - 2023  |   Born - Sep 1, 1950 in Vinita, Oklahoma, United States  |   Genres - Comedy, Crime, Drama

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Biography by AllMovie

Phil McGraw, better known to most people as the television personality and best-selling author Dr. Phil, started to gain world-wide attention when he became a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey's hugely successful afternoon talk show. McGraw put his degree in psychology to use by forming a company that used their knowledge to help lawyers and clients utilize mock trials in order to help plan strategy. After Winfrey was sued for comments she made about the beef industry, she engaged that company's services. Dr. Phil's straightforward manner impressed Winfrey, and soon he was making regular appearances to discuss human behavior, and offering tips on how people can "get real" and take responsibility for their lives. He eventually became the star and host of his own program, aptly named Dr. Phil, on which he tackled topics such as parenting, female empowerment, and the fallout from Hurricane Katrina.

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Factsheet

  • Went to the University of Tulsa on a football scholarship, but transferred to Midwestern State University after an injury.
  • Spent 10 years working in a private psychology practice with his father.
  • First of many books, Life Strategies: Doing What Works, Doing What Matters, was published in 1999.
  • Sesame Street puppet Dr. Feel is modeled after him.
  • Dr. Phil Foundation helps provide disadvantaged and foster children with education, housing, job training and medical and mental health services.
  • Appeared on a 2010 episode of the Tennis Channel's Celebrity Tennis to discuss his obsession with the game.