Thanks to creating and subsequently hosting the hit TV show "Bizarre Foods" for 13 years, Andrew Zimmern, a man who has eaten and enjoyed a huge range of foods, is one of the most well-known celebrities in all of food media. Since the show went off air, his star has continued to rise. Zimmern has created and starred in various other TV shows, including "What's Eating America," and has authored several books. He's known for being a philanthropist and regularly works with charities and organizations to address global hunger, addiction, and homelessness. By these metrics, he is an incredibly successful person.
The problem with listing a person's achievements is that it removes all context. Read the above and you'd assume that Zimmern's life consisted of him skipping happily from one major milestone to the next. Of course, the reality is far different; Zimmern's life and route to stardom have been anything but straightforward, with his tragic story encompassing addiction, homelessness, and the collapse of a burgeoning restaurant concept.