‘Good Bones’: What to Know About Cory Miller on the HGTV Series

HGTV fans can’t get enough of the Good Bones crew! Following the family-owned business Two Chicks and a Hammer, founded by Mina Starsiak Hawk and her mom, Karen Laine, the home improvement show follows the crew as they take on the challenging project of revitalizing their Indianapolis neighborhood, one house at a time.

While Starsiak Hawk and Laine have stepped into the spotlight as HGTV fan favorites, their crew has also become a beloved part of the network family — including project manager Cory Miller. But what do we know about Miller and his life on and off screen? Keep reading to find out.

Is He Related?

While many of the Good Bones stars are related in one way or another, Miller is one of the Two Chicks and a Hammer team members who wouldn’t be seen at a family reunion. Working most closely with Starsiak Hawk’s brother, property specialist Tad Starsiak, Miller has become like an honorary family member, but still isn’t in the family by blood. Starsiak Hawk and Laine even made a video breaking down their complicated family tree, explaining how everyone is interconnected, but Miller was one of the few employees not to be included. 

Family Life

Miller’s own family is from the Indiana area, and he reportedly lives in the Bates-Hendricks neighborhood of Indianapolis, according to The Cinemaholic. The 32-year-old is son to parents Dennis and Cheryl Miller, who are no longer together, as the his mother, a registered nurse, remarried a man named Karl Vacenovsky in 2015. Miller has two siblings, sister Molly and brother Brandon, and is a proud uncle. 

He Loves Animals…

When he’s not working, Miller spends time with his many animals, which include a pet pig named Christopher Wallace Miller — Topher for short. Topher not only has his own pajamas and Instagram account, he also seems to have dog and cat siblings, as well as at least four chickens to complete the pack.

…And Girlfriend Shelby

Adding to the love in the house is Miller’s girlfriend, Shelby Lynn Wade, a fellow animal lover and pig enthusiast who works as a nurse. From their social media, it appears the two are pretty serious, with the Good Bones star calling her a “loving and caring babe” on Valentine’s Day. “Never would’ve thought I’d meet someone that could put up with me,” he wrote with a silly emoji. “Love you, Shelby!!”

He Posts Plenty From Behind the Scenes

If you’re looking for behind-the-scenes info on Good Bones production, you might want to give Miller a follow on social media. The project manager shares plenty of photos and videos of the antics going on during filming, including a hilarious selfie with a chicken he captioned in May, “Pretty much sums up filming sometimes.”

Where Does ‘Toey’ Come From?

You’ve heard some of the Good Bones crew call Miller “Toey,” you’re not mistaken! On a November 2019 Instagram post from behind the scenes, the crew member revealed that some of his fellow Good Bones stars do call him that as a nickname, responding to a questioning commenter, “They call me Toey because Mina’s niece Julie couldn’t pronounce my name so we just rolled with it.”

He’s Got Jokes!

Miller bring a lot of fun to the set of Good Bones as well. His most recent posts on Instagram are footage of a prank he pulled on Starsiak Hawk during which he startled her with a cardboard cutout, prompting her to react with some well-placed smacks to the “attacker.” Miller shared two angles of the prank to social media, writing on the first, “Sharing this as a post because it’s too good! #scaredthebejeezus,” and on the second, “Had to get a different angle on this beautiful footage.”