Nev Schulman

A charismatic artist, Nev Schulman became a popular media personality and the face of an Internet-age dating phenomenon for his work on "Catfish." Born Sept. 26, 1984 in New York City, Yaniv "Nev" Schulman spent much of his childhood studying dance before his interest turned towards photography and filmmaking. He found fame in an unlikely manner, however, when his brother, Ariel Schulman, co-directed a documentary featuring Nev's budding Internet romance with a mysterious young woman. Rather than a straightforward love story, however, the film "Catfish" (2010) told a much more complicated tale, since the object of Schulman's affections turned out to be a middle-aged, married woman faking a younger, more alluring online identity. Although many critics and viewers questioned the authenticity of the project, it caught on so completely that its title became a pop culture catchphrase for the increasingly common trend of people creating false online identities to attract would-be romantic partners. Accordingly, the film spawned the successful reality series "Catfish: The TV Show" (MTV, 2012- ), where Schulman attempted to help other long-distance lovers finally meet in person and uncover any deception. This incarnation also proved popular and was spoofed by "Saturday Night Live" (NBC, 1975- ) with Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine parodying Schulman.