Robert Joseph Vila was born in 1946 in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents. He is TV show host best known for This Old House from 1979 to 1989, Home Again with Bob Vila from 1990 to 2005, and Bob Vila from 2005 to 2007.

Vila graduated from Miami Jackson High School in 1962 and attended the University of Florida, where he earned a BA in journalism. Leaving Florida behind after graduation, Vila embarked on two years of travel, including a stint in the Peace Corps.