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Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, a great-great-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin (née Janin), was a former model from Mississippi, and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford Motor Company executive from Indiana. Williams had English, German, French, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.
Robin briefly studied political science at Claremont Men's College and theater at College of Marin before enrolling at The Juilliard School to focus on theater. After leaving Juilliard, he performed in nightclubs where he was discovered for the role of "Mork, from Ork", in an episode of Happy Days (1974). The episode, My Favorite Orkan (1978), led to his famous spin-off weekly TV series, Mork & Mindy (1978). He made his feature starring debut playing the title role in Popeye (1980), directed by Robert Altman.
Williams' continuous comedies and wild comic talents involved a great deal of improvisation, following in the footsteps of his idol Jonathan Winters. Williams also proved to be an effective dramatic actor, receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Fisher King (1991), before winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Good Will Hunting (1997).
During the 1990s, Williams became a beloved hero to children the world over for his roles in a string of hit family-oriented films, including Hook (1991), FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), Flubber (1997), and Bicentennial Man (1999). He continued entertaining children and families into the 21st century with his work in Robots (2005), Happy Feet (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Happy Feet Two (2011), and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014). Other more adult-oriented films for which Williams received acclaim include The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Awakenings (1990), The Birdcage (1996), Insomnia (2002), One Hour Photo (2002), World's Greatest Dad (2009), and Boulevard (2014).
On Monday, August 11th, 2014, Robin Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California USA, the victim of an apparent suicide, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. A 911 call was received at 11:55 a.m. PDT, firefighters and paramedics arrived at his home at 12:00 p.m. PDT, and he was pronounced dead at 12:02 p.m. PDT.Tiburon, Larkspur, Woodacre, San Francisco- Producer
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Thomas Jeffrey Hanks was born in Concord, California, to Janet Marylyn (Frager), a hospital worker, and Amos Mefford Hanks, an itinerant cook. His mother's family, originally surnamed "Fraga", was entirely Portuguese, while his father was of mostly English ancestry. Tom grew up in what he has called a "fractured" family. He moved around a great deal after his parents' divorce, living with a succession of step-families. No problems, no alcoholism - just a confused childhood. He has no acting experience in college and credits the fact that he could not get cast in a college play with actually starting his career. He went downtown, and auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started.
Ron Howard was working on Splash (1983), a fantasy-comedy about a mermaid who falls in love with a business executive. Howard considered Hanks for the role of the main character's wisecracking brother, which eventually went to John Candy. Instead, Hanks landed the lead role and the film went on to become a surprise box office success, grossing more than $69 million. After several flops and a moderate success with the comedy Dragnet (1987), Hanks' stature in the film industry rose. The broad success with the fantasy-comedy Big (1988) established him as a major Hollywood talent, both as a box office draw and within the film industry as an actor. For his performance in the film, Hanks earned his first Academy Award nomination as Best Actor.
Hanks climbed back to the top again with his portrayal of a washed-up baseball legend turned manager in A League of Their Own (1992). Hanks has stated that his acting in earlier roles was not great, but that he subsequently improved. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Hanks noted his "modern era of movie making ... because enough self-discovery has gone on ... My work has become less pretentiously fake and over the top". This "modern era" began for Hanks, first with Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and then with Philadelphia (1993). The former was a blockbuster success about a widower who finds true love over the radio airwaves. Richard Schickel of Time magazine called his performance "charming", and most critics agreed that Hanks' portrayal ensured him a place among the premier romantic-comedy stars of his generation.
In Philadelphia, he played a gay lawyer with AIDS who sues his firm for discrimination. Hanks lost 35 pounds and thinned his hair in order to appear sickly for the role. In a review for People, Leah Rozen stated, "Above all, credit for Philadelphia's success belongs to Hanks, who makes sure that he plays a character, not a saint. He is flat-out terrific, giving a deeply felt, carefully nuanced performance that deserves an Oscar." Hanks won the 1993 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Philadelphia. During his acceptance speech, he revealed that his high school drama teacher Rawley Farnsworth and former classmate John Gilkerson, two people with whom he was close, were gay.
Hanks followed Philadelphia with the blockbuster Forrest Gump (1994) which grossed a worldwide total of over $600 million at the box office. Hanks remarked: "When I read the script for Gump, I saw it as one of those kind of grand, hopeful movies that the audience can go to and feel ... some hope for their lot and their position in life ... I got that from the movies a hundred million times when I was a kid. I still do." Hanks won his second Best Actor Academy Award for his role in Forrest Gump, becoming only the second actor to have accomplished the feat of winning consecutive Best Actor Oscars.
Hanks' next role - astronaut and commander Jim Lovell, in the docudrama Apollo 13 (1995) - reunited him with Ron Howard. Critics generally applauded the film and the performances of the entire cast, which included actors Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan. The movie also earned nine Academy Award nominations, winning two. Later that year, Hanks starred in Disney/Pixar's computer-animated film Toy Story (1995), as the voice of Sheriff Woody. A year later, he made his directing debut with the musical comedy That Thing You Do! (1996) about the rise and fall of a 1960s pop group, also playing the role of a music producer.
As of 2022, Hanks is 66-years-old. He has never retired from acting, and has remained active in the film industry for more than four decades.Concord, San Mateo, Oakland- Actor
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David Russell Strathairn was born on January 26, 1949 in San Francisco, California. He is the son of Mary Frances (Frazier), a nurse, and Thomas Scott Strathairn, Jr., a physician. He has two siblings, Tom and Anne. His ancestry includes English, Scottish, Irish, Portuguese, Hawaiian, and one sixteenth Chinese (the latter three from his paternal grandmother).
Strathairn attended Williams College, where he demonstrated great interest in the theatre, and first befriended John Sayles, with whom he would later frequently collaborate. Strathairn graduated college and traveled to Florida to visit with his grandfather, but the grandfather died while Strathairn was en route. Strathairn, finding himself freshly arrived and without friends in Florida, decided instead to join the Ringling Brothers Clown College and subsequently worked as a clown for six months in a traveling circus.
Relocating to New York State, he spent several years hitch-hiking across America to work in local theaters during the summers. During one of these summers Strathairn reunited with Sayles, and this eventually resulted in his role in the highly regarded Return of the Secaucus Seven (1980), Sayles' directorial debut. Thereafter Strathairn developed an extensive resume of supporting roles, which became increasingly substantial as his stature in the industry grew; notable films include Lovesick (1983), Silkwood (1983), L.A. Confidential (1997), and A Map of the World (1999). Sayles frequently casts Strathairn, whose performances can be seen in Sayles' The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), City of Hope (1991), and Passion Fish (1992). Perhaps most notable of his collaborations with Sayles is his superb performance co-starring with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio in Limbo (1999).
After a string of successful supporting roles in the early 2000s, Strathairn found himself thrust into the role of leading man with his performance as Edward R. Murrow in George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) Taking on the role of the iconic newsman in the black-and-white drama, Strathairn garnered numerous award mentions including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Following the success of that film, Strathairn traveled easily between low-budget independent films - The Notorious Bettie Page (2005), The Sensation of Sight (2006), My Blueberry Nights (2007), and Howl (2010) among them - and big-budget Hollywood productions, including We Are Marshall (2006), The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008), both The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) and The Bourne Legacy (2012), and Steven Spielberg's biopic Lincoln (2012), in which he plays Secretary of State William Seward.
Strathairn has also worked extensively in television, and first became familiar to television viewers as the title character's boss in the series The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (1987). In addition to narration work for many PBS shows, Strathairn has appeared in the TV series Big Apple (2001), The Sopranos (1999), Monk (2002), and headed the cast of the science-fiction series Alphas (2011). His work in television films has brought him an Emmy Award for Temple Grandin (2010) and an Emmy nominations for Hemingway & Gellhorn (2012).
Strathairn married nurse Logan Goodman in 1980, and the couple have two children.San Francisco, Larkspur- Actor
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Sam Rockwell was born on November 5, 1968, in San Mateo, California, the only child of two actors, Pete Rockwell and Penny Hess. The family moved to New York when he was two years old, living first in the Bronx and later in Manhattan. When Sam was five years old, his parents separated, at which point he and his father moved to San Francisco, where he subsequently grew up, while summers and other times were spent with his mother in New York.
He made his acting debut when he was ten years old, alongside his mother, and later attended J Eugene McAteer High School in a program called SOTA. While still in high school, he got his first big break when he appeared in the independent film Clownhouse (1989). The plot revolved around three escaped mental patients who dressed up as clowns and terrorized three brothers home alone--Sam played the eldest of the brothers. His next big break was supposed to have come when he was slated to star in a short-lived NBC TV-series called Dream Street (1989), but he was soon fired.
After graduating from high school, Sam returned to New York for good and for two years he had private training at the William Esper Acting Studio. During this period he appeared in a variety of roles, such as the ABC Afterschool Specials (1972): Over the Limit (1990) (TV) and HBO's Lifestories: Families in Crisis (1992): Dead Drunk: The Kevin Tunell Story (Season 1 Episode 7: 15 March 1993); the head thug in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990); and a guest-star turn in an Emmy Award-winning episode of Law & Order (1990), while working a string of regular day jobs and performing in plays.
In 1994, a Miller Ice beer commercial finally enabled him to quit his other jobs to concentrate on his acting career, which culminated in him having five movies out by 1996: Basquiat (1996); The Search for One-eye Jimmy (1994); Glory Daze (1995); Mercy (1995); and Box of Moonlight (1996). It was the latter film that would prove to be his real break-out in the industry. In Tom DiCillo's film, he found himself playing an eccentric named the Kid, a man-child living in a half-built mobile home in the middle of nowhere with a penchant for dressing like Davy Crockett, who manages to bring some much-needed chaos into the life of an electrical engineer played by John Turturro. The movie was not a box-office success, but it managed to generate a great deal of critical acclaim for itself and Sam.
In 1997, he found himself the star of another critically lauded film, Lawn Dogs (1997). Once again, he portrayed a societal outcast as Trent, a working-class man living in a trailer, earning a living mowing lawns inside a wealthy, gated Kentucky community. Trent soon finds himself befriended by 10-year-old Devon (Mischa Barton), and the movie deals with the difficulties in their friendship and the outside world. He also gave strong performances in the quirky independent comedy Safe Men (1998), in which he plays one half of a pretty awful singing duo (the other half being played by Steve Zahn) that gets mistaken for two safecrackers by Jewish gangsters; and the offbeat hitman trainee in Jerry and Tom (1998) against Joe Mantegna.
After a few smaller appearances in films such as Woody Allen's Celebrity (1998) and the modern version of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), in which he played Francis Flute, he had larger roles in two of the bigger hit movies to emerge: The Green Mile (1999) and Galaxy Quest (1999), wowing audiences and critics alike with his chameleon-like performances as a crazed killer in the former and a goofy actor in the latter.
More recently, he appeared in another string of mainstream films, most notably as Eric Knox in Charlie's Angels (2000) and as Zaphod Beeblebrox in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), while continuing to perform in smaller independent movies. After more than ten years in the business, Sam has earned his success. In 2018, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as a troubled police deputy in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017).San Francisco, San Mateo, Daly City- Actor
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Aaron Edward Eckhart is an American actor. Born in Cupertino, California, Eckhart moved to the United Kingdom at an early age, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Australia for his high school senior year. He left high school without graduating, but earned a diploma through a professional education course, and graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1994 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in film. For much of the mid-1990s, he lived in New York City as a struggling, unemployed actor.Cupertino- Actor
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Known for his breakthrough starring role on Freaks and Geeks (1999), James Franco was born April 19, 1978 in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Franco, a writer, artist, and actress, and Douglas Eugene "Doug" Franco, who ran a Silicon Valley business. His mother is Jewish and his father was of Portuguese and Swedish descent.
Growing up with his two younger brothers, Dave Franco, also an actor, and Tom Franco, James graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996 and went on to attend UCLA, majoring in English. To overcome his shyness, he got into acting while studying there, which, much to his parents' dismay, he left after only one year. After fifteen months of intensive study at Robert Carnegie's Playhouse West, James began actively pursuing his dream of finding work as an actor in Hollywood. In that short time, he landed himself a starring role on Freaks and Geeks (1999). The show, however, was not a hit to its viewers at the time, and was canceled after its first year. Now, it has become a cult-hit. Prior to joining Freaks and Geeks (1999), Franco starred in the TV miniseries To Serve and Protect (1999). After that, he had a starring role in Whatever It Takes (2000).
Although he'd been working steadily, it wasn't until the TNT made-for-television movie, James Dean (2001) that James rose to fan-magazine fame and got to show off his talent. Since then, he has been working non-stop. After losing the lead role to Tobey Maguire, James settled for the part of "Harry Osborne", Spider-Man's best friend in the summer 2002 major hit Spider-Man (2002). He returned to the Osborne role for the next two films in the trilogy.
Next was Deuces Wild (2002) and City by the Sea (2002), in which Robert De Niro personally had him cast, after viewing his performance in James Dean (2001). He was seen in David Gordon Green's Pineapple Express (2008) opposite Seth Rogen, in George C. Wolfe's Nights in Rodanthe (2008), starring Richard Gere and Diane Lane and in Paul Haggis' In the Valley of Elah (2007), starring Tommy Lee Jones. Also starring opposite Sean Penn in Gus Van Sant's Milk (2008) in which his performance earned him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor. Definitely growing out of his shyness, James Franco is turning into a legend of his own.Palo Alto- Actor
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David John Franco was born in Palo Alto, California, to Betsy Franco, an author, and Douglas Eugene "Doug" Franco, who ran a Silicon Valley business. He has two older brothers, actors James Franco and Tom Franco. His father was of Portuguese and Swedish descent, and his mother is Jewish. Dave made his first television appearance at age 21, in 2006, in an episode of 7th Heaven (1996). A string of high-profile TV work followed, interspersed with roles in some moderately successful movies, including Charlie St. Cloud (2010) and Fright Night (2011), and he came to bigger prominence when he played Eric Molson in the hit movie version of the cult TV series 21 Jump Street (2012). He subsequently co-starred in the zombie romance Warm Bodies (2013) and the thriller Now You See Me (2013), and provided a voice role for The Lego Movie (2014). Some of his other films include Neighbors (2014), 22 Jump Street (2014), and Unfinished Business (2015).Palo Alto- Actress
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Dianna Elise Agron was born in Savannah, Georgia to Mary and Ronald Agron and grew up in a middle-class family in Savannah before moving to Texas and, later, San Francisco, California, because her father was a general manager for Hyatt. Dianna and her brother Jason were raised Jewish and she graduated from Burlingame High School with honors.
While Dianna was growing up, she spent much of her time performing. She began dancing at age three, focusing mainly on jazz and ballet; she later began hip-hop dancing. She also appeared in many local musical-theater productions.
After graduating from high school, Dianna decided to pursue acting as a career and began appearing in commercials and television shows including CSI: NY (2004), Numb3rs (2005), Veronica Mars (2004), and Heroes (2006). In 2009, she won the role of high-school cheerleader Quinn Fabray on the FOX television series Glee (2009). Since the hit television show's premiere on May 19th, 2009, she and her castmates have received critical praise for well as her fellow cast mates, have received critical praise for their incredible work. In addition to her work on, Glee (2009), Dianna has ventured into films, such as Burlesque (2010), where she had the opportunity to star alongside Christina Aguilera, Cher, and Stanley Tucci, and the action thriller I Am Number Four (2011). There is no doubt that her beautiful talent will shine for years to come.San Francisco, Burlingame- Actor
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Darren Criss was born on 5 February 1987 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Little White Lie (2009), Glee (2009) and A Very Potter Musical (2009). He has been married to Mia Swier since 16 February 2019. They have one child.San Francisco- Actor
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Harry Shum Jr. (born April 28, 1982) is a Costa Rican-born Chinese American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He is best known for his roles as Mike Chang on the Fox television series Glee (2009-15) and as Magnus Bane on the Freeform television series Shadowhunters (2016-19). He was nominated for four Screen Actors Guild Awards for his performance in Glee, winning once. He won the award for The Male TV Star of 2018 in the E! People's Choice Awards for Shadowhunters.San Francisco- Actress
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Jamie Chung was born and raised in California, the daughter of Korean parents. She studied Economics at the University of California, Riverside. Chung's break came in 2004, when she was working in a sports bar. MTV held auditions for The Real World (1992) there, she tried out, and was successful, appearing in the San Diego based fourteenth season.
Chung went on to successfully launched an acting career, making her debut with a small part in Veronica Mars (2004). Roles in other TV series followed, including Days of Our Lives (1965) and Greek (2007). She also transitioned into feature films with such projects as Sorority Row (2009), Sucker Punch (2011) and The Hangover Part II (2011).San Francisco- Actress
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Lyndsy Marie Fonseca was born in Oakland, California, and was raised first in Alameda and then Moraga, California. Lyndsy competed in the International Modeling & Talent Association, where she was recognized as the second runner-up for "Young Miss Dancer of the Year" and was the first runner-up for "Miss Barbizon Young Miss Talent of the Year".
There, she was discovered by a manager and agent, then she immediately moved to Los Angeles for her first pilot season at the age of 13. "Colleen Carlton" became her breakthrough role on the CBS soap opera, The Young and the Restless (1973), on which she starred for three years.
After leaving Y&R to broaden her horizon, Lyndsy landed guest appearances on shows such as Boston Public (2000), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) and House (2004), just to name a few. Fonseca had a recurring role on the hit series, Desperate Housewives (2004), opposite [error] and Nathan Fillion. She has also had recurring arcs on the critically-acclaimed series, Big Love (2006), and the hit comedy, How I Met Your Mother (2005).
Fonseca has recently had success on the big screen, her film credits include: The Ward (2010), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), Fort McCoy (2011) and the smash hit, Kick-Ass (2010), in which she starred opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Lyndsy recently completed filming the two-hour Lifetime movie, Five (2011), which consists of five short films about breast cancer, directed by Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore and Penelope Spheeris.
Lyndsy is now starring as "Alex", in The CW's Nikita (2010). Alex, Nikita's (Maggie Q) former partner who plans to take down her old ally while also seeking revenge on the man who killed her family, Friday nights 8p.m. Eastern.
Lyndsy is also the older sister of Hannah Leigh, who is following in her footsteps.Oakland, Alameda, Moraga- Brett Patrick Dalton (born January 7, 1983) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Grant Ward in ABC's series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013). Dalton graduated in 2001 from Westmont High School in Campbell, California, where he became interested in acting after auditioning for a production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and where he was California Scholarship Federation President and Associated Student Body President. He played the lead in My Favorite Year. After studying at University of California, Berkeley for his undergraduate degree, Dalton received a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University in 2011. One of his Yale classmates was Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.San Jose, Campbell
- Daniella Pineda is a Mexican-American actress, writer, and comedian from Oakland, California.
In January 2013 it was announced that she was cast as the witch Sophie for season 4 episode 20 of The CW's hit series The Vampire Diaries. This episode serves as a backdoor pilot for a possible spin-off series, revolving around The Originals and taking place in the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Season one of The Originals was set to premiere on Tuesday, October 15. However, on July 29, 2013, The CW announced that the series premiere would instead air on October 3, 2013, following the fifth-season premiere of The Vampire Diaries in order to attract fans of the series. On October 10, 2013, the CW ordered three additional scripts for the series.
Pineda graduated from Mills College. She resides in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.Oakland - Actress
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This stunning and resourceful actress has been primarily a film player thus far. Only recently has she been opening herself up more to doing television (the series Gemini Division (2008), which she executive-produced), and animated voice-overs. Dawson's powerhouse talent stands out the most in edgy, urban filming that dates back to 1995 when she was only sixteen.
A rags-to-riches article entitled "Rosario Dawson: From Tenement to Tinseltown" probably says it all. Rosario was born on May 9, 1979 in New York City. Her mother, Isabel Celeste, of Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent, is a singer, and her stepfather, who raised her, Greg Dawson, of Irish descent, is a construction laborer. Her parents, who married when both were teenagers, eventually divorced. Rosario and her younger brother, Clay Dawson, had it hard while growing up, and were cared for by family members, most of whom were poverty-stricken, and some of whom were HIV-positive.
Her career actually started as a child when she made a minor showing on the children's show, Sesame Street (1969). As the story goes, she was "discovered" as an adolescent on her front porch step by two photographers. One of them, Harmony Korine, was an aspiring screenwriter who thought the inexperienced sixteen-year-old was ideal for the controversial cult film Kids (1995), in which she would portray a sexually active adolescent. It took time for Rosario's film career to kick in after that, but by the late 1990s, she had nabbed several independent films. Since then, she has moved into main-stream hits (and misses) and has surprised viewers with her earthy, provocative, uninhibited approach to her roles.
Reflecting New York's tougher, tawdrier side as assorted streetwalkers, homeless mothers, drug addicts, etc., her film highlights have included Light It Up (1999), Edward Burns' Sidewalks of New York (2001), Spike Lee's 25th Hour (2002) and Shattered Glass (2003). For Oliver Stone, she portrayed the duped bride of Colin Farrell's famed B.C. Macedonian warrior, Alexander (2004) (as in "...the Great"), which featured a notoriously violent-tinged nude/sex scene.
Expanding her horizons beyond film, she has always expressed interest in singing. She hooked up with Prince for the re-release of his 1980s hit "1999" and appeared in The Chemical Brothers' video for the song "Out of Control" from the album "Surrender". She is also featured on the Outkast track, "She Lives in My Lap". On stage, she co-starred as Julia in a revival of "Two Gentlemen of Verona" at the Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" and appeared in "The Vagina Monologues".
She lucked into and got to show off her singing chops in the film adaptation of the hit New York musical Rent (2005), when Daphne Rubin-Vega, the original Mimi, became pregnant and was unable to reprise her exotic dancer role. Rosario also appeared as a prostitute in the adaptation of the graphic novel Sin City (2005). Of late, she has turned to producing. One of those, Descent (2007), had her playing a college coed who is brutally attacked and raped by a fellow student. Her more popular ventures have thus far included the role of Valerie Brown in the live-action version of the comic strip Josie and the Pussycats (2001), the Will Smith starrer Men in Black II (2002), Eagle Eye (2008) with Shia LaBeouf and Seven Pounds (2008), again with Smith, in which she offered one of her more tender-hearted performances as a woman with a potentially fatal heart condition.
More recent millennium films opposite some of Hollywood's top leading movie men include the tense actioneer Unstoppable (2010) with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine; the comedy/fantasy Zookeeper (2011) opposite Dalekmania (1995); romantic dramedy 10 Years (2011) with Channing Tatum; crime drama Fire with Fire (2012) with Bruce Willis; romantic comedy Top Five (2014) with Chris Rock; and action adventure Zombieland: Double Tap (2019) with Woody Harrelson. She has also top-lined independent films with her own feisty characters such as the thriller Unforgettable (2017) and the title role in the dramedy Krystal (2017).
Focusing also on TV projects, Rosario has graced such action series/mini-series as Daredevil (2015), Iron Fist (2017) and The Defenders (2017), as well as the comedy Jane the Virgin (2014) and animated cartoon series The Last Kids on Earth (2019).
Off-camera, the still-single Dawson is highly active in political, social and environmental causes and has been involved with such organizations/charities/campaigns as the Lower East Side Girls Club, Global Cool, the O.N.E. Campaign, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Control Arms, International Rescue Committee, Voto Latino (which she founded), Conservation International, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy and Save the Children. In October 2008, she lent her voice to the RESPECT! Campaign, a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence.San Francisco- Actor
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Adam Scott was born in Santa Cruz, California, the son of Anne and Dougald Scott. He has two older siblings, Shannon and David. Scott has said that his brother David "looks like me but is far more cerebral and inherited the intellect of our parents," both of whom are retired teachers. He graduated from Harbor High School and he is an alumnus of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, California, class of 1993.Santa Cruz- Actress
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Alexandra Erinn Hayes (née Carter; born May 25, 1976) is an American actress and comedian. She is known for her role as Dr. Lola Spratt on the Adult Swim sitcom Childrens Hospital. She has played roles in a number of network sitcoms, including Alison on The Winner (2007), Melanie Clayton on Worst Week (2008-2009), and Sheila on Guys with Kids (2012-2013). In 2012, she had her first feature film role in the black comedy It's a Disaster. She also starred in the Amazon series The Dangerous Book for Boys and the first season of the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait.
In 2005, Hayes appeared as a chef Becky Sharp on FOX's short-lived Kitchen Confidential. Also, in that same year, she played the role of Pam Dawber in the TV movie Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Mork & Mindy alongside costar Chris Diamantopoulos. Hayes played Alison on the television show The Winner in 2007.
Hayes played the role of Dr. Lola Spratt in the satirical comedy series Childrens Hospital on Adult Swim. She was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series in 2016.
She played the role of Melanie Clayton on the CBS comedy series Worst Week. The series was an Americanized version of the British comedy The Worst Week of My Life. She then later starred on the NBC comedy series Guys with Kids. She starred in films such as It's a Disaster, The Watch, and They Came Together. Hayes co-starred in the second season of Hulu's reality TV parody series The Hotwives of Las Vegas in 2015.
In 2015, she performed as an inmate on the band Dengue Fever's video for the song "No Sudden Moves."
In 2016, Hayes began co-starring in the CBS series Kevin Can Wait, portraying the role of Kevin Gable's wife Donna. Following its renewal after the first season, Hayes was fired from the series for unspecified creative reasons. The series would be canceled after one more season.
Hayes attended University of Colorado at Boulder and graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance. Hayes and her high school sweetheart husband, construction supervisor Jack Hayes, have two daughters named Maggie Mae (born June 10, 2007) and Lilah Grace (born April 29, 2009).Mill Valley, Larkspur, San Anselmo, San Francisco- Actress
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Janet Varney is a comedian, actor, writer and producer. In the animation world, she is lucky enough to be the voice of "Korra" on Nickelodeon's hit series, The Legend of Korra (2012), and she can currently be seen as "Becca" on the live action FX series, You're the Worst (2014). She also spent seven wonderful years hosting TBS's Dinner & a Movie (1996), recurred on HBO's Entourage (2004), was a series regular on the beloved E! and Yahoo series, Burning Love (2012) - seasons 1 and 3, and has made guest appearances on hit shows, including How I Met Your Mother (2005), Key and Peele (2012), Psych (2006), Bones (2005), on the panel of Chelsea Lately (2007) and @midnight (2013), as a regular producer and co-host on Huffpost Live (2012), and has appeared in films, such as Still Waiting... (2009), Drillbit Taylor (2008), and Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (2011). Janet is the host of the popular Nerdist podcast, "The JV Club", and the co-founder, creative director, and producer of one of the largest and most acclaimed comedy festivals in North America, "SF Sketchfest: the San Francisco Comedy Festival", now in its 15th year.San Francisco'- Actress
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Beth Behrs was born on December 26, 1985 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA as Elizabeth Ann Behrs. Beth spent her early years on the East Coast, first in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, then in Lynchburg, Virginia, before moving with her family at the age of 15 to Marin County, just outside San Francisco. She studied drama both at high school and at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, appearing in a number of plays before enrolling to study drama at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in Los Angeles. A few one-off parts on high profile US TV shows led to her breakthrough role as Caroline Channing in 2 Broke Girls (2011).San Francisco, Mill Valley- Actress
- Location Management
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Chloe Fineman returns to "Saturday Night Live," for her fifth season as a cast member.
Fineman has been entertaining viewers with her standout impressions of Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears, Nicole Kidman, Timothée Chalamet and more. Glamour raved "Chloe Fineman Can Impersonate Anyone" and the Washington Post called Fineman "The Comedian We Need Right Now". She was also honored in Hollywood Reporter's Next Gen List and Variety's New York Impact Report. Her Instagram @Chloeiscrazy has been a fan favorite for many years.
Chloe made her film debut in the "Father of the Bride" remake for HBO, followed by Paramount's "Babylon" and Netflix's "White Noise" from Noah Baumbach. She will co-star Francis Ford Coppola's upcoming drama, "Megalopolis" as well as Sony's "Ex Friends Wedding".
Her TV credits include "Big Mouth," (Netflix) "Search Party," (HBOMax) "Dickinson," (Apple TV) "Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens," (Comedy Central) "High Fidelity" (Hulu) and the new "Twisted Metal" (Peacock).
Fineman graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with Honors and is from Berkeley, Calif.Piedmont- Actress
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Kat Foster is a profoundly versatile, classically-trained actor known for her leading roles in a wide range of film, television, and theater productions. Equally adept in both comedic and dramatic genres, Foster broke into mainstream television in 2006 as Steph Woodcock on FOX rom-com series Til Death, starring opposite Brad Garrett, Joely Fisher, and Eddie Kaye Thomas. She next starred in TBS sitcom Your Family Or Mine, and has earned recurring roles in many major-network series, including Barry, Bad Teacher, The Goodwin Games, The Unusuals, Royal Pains, and Weeds, and appeared regularly in a range of procedural dramas, including The Good Wife, Law & Order, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2016, Foster starred opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Amazon's action-comedy mini-series Jean Claude Van Johnson. In 2022, she took on recurring roles as Casey Fox in Primetime Emmy-winning action-drama series The Rookie, Nora Cross in CSI: Vegas, and a young Barbara Walters in popular STARZ series Gaslit, where she appeared opposite Julia Roberts in pivotal dramatic scenes directed by Matt Ross. A natural chameleon, Foster's film career is also wide-ranging: She's played leading ladies in indie thrillers, idiosyncratic characters in oddball comedies, and everything in-between. Since her early roles in subversive indie romances like The Dramatics (which she also co-wrote) and The Love Inside, Foster has become a sought-after lead for feature films. After appearing in Netflix feature Rebirth, she starred in both indie comedy Accommodations, and sports comedy First One In. In 2022 she will appear in three films, including action-mystery Gasoline Alley, indie drama Continue, and thriller Susie Searches. In 2023, she'll appear in leading roles in indie horror feature Fear The Night, directed by Neil Labute, a AMC Shudder's Spoonful of Sugar, and indie drama, Desperation Road.Oakland- Actress
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Camille Guaty, raised in Northern California and New Jersey, studied at Boston University and continued her education at R.A.D.A, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. There she learned the great works of William Shakespeare.
After a ten day trip to meet her new Los Angeles reps, they immediately signed her and sent her out on her first pilot season. Camille was offered a holding deal with WB and booked her first role, on Bob Saget's "Raising Dad," as a feisty best friend to Kat Dennings and Brie Larson. She next landed the lead role in Disney Channel's "Gotta Kick It Up" and hasn't stopped working since.Cupertino- Ahna O'Reilly is an American actress who is best known for her role in Tate Taylor's "The Help." She was recently seen in the Snoy film adaption of "Where The Crawdads Sing." Additional film credits include "Bombshell", "The Friend", "Jobs", "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", and "Marshall." Her television credits include "The Morning Show", "Kingdom", "How I Met Your Mother", and "Reverie."
On the New York stage, Ahna starred opposite Steven Pasquale in The Roundabout Theater Company's production of "The Robber Bridegroom," directed by Alex Timbers The show received outstanding reviews and was nominated for a Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival.Atherton - Actor
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Max Thieriot was born in 1988 in Los Altos Hills, California, and has two siblings. He was raised in Occidental, CA, and graduated from Sonoma Country Day School in 2002 and El Molino High School in 2006. He started acting when he took an improvisation class and modeled for GAP. He was also in two short films before making his big-screen debut in Catch That Kid (2004), opposite Kristen Stewart and Corbin Bleu.
Max had a big role as one of the children protected by Vin Diesel's character in the hit comedy The Pacifier (2005), and played the son of the title character in The Astronaut Farmer (2006). In the summer of 2007, he co-starred opposite Emma Roberts in Nancy Drew (2007), as Nancy's friend Ned Nickerson, and in 2008 played the younger version of Hayden Christensen's lead in Jumper (2008), as well as a 1930s hobo, Will Shepherd, in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008).
Max's early 2010s roles included Michael Stewart, the son of Julianne Moore's character, in the dramatic thriller Chloe (2009), and the lead role in Wes Craven's horror thriller My Soul to Take (2010). He also co-starred as the male lead, opposite Jennifer Lawrence, in another horror film, House at the End of the Street (2012).
Max made his television series debut playing Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore)'s brother, Dylan Massett, on the A&E show Bates Motel (2013), which began its run in 2013. Max also plays Jack Hays in the History Channel mini-series Texas Rising (2015).
In 2013, Max married Lexi Murphy, his long-time girlfriend.
Max is the great-great grandson of Michael Henry de Young, who co-founded the San Francisco Chronicle in 1865. His father is from California and his mother is from Minnesota. Max is of German, English, Norwegian, Danish, Irish, Dutch Jewish, French Jewish, Scottish, and Northern Irish ancestry.Forestville, Occidental, Santa Rosa, Los Altos Hills- Actress
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Jane Levy was born in California, USA. Jane attended Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California. While in school, she was on the hip hop dancing team and was captain of the soccer team. During that time, she also appeared in Community Theater productions of Annie and The Wizard of Oz. She attended Goucher College for a semester. After that, she attended the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York City.
Levy's parents and siblings supported her in her career. She moved back to Los Angeles after two years of living in New York City. Levy was cast as "Mandy Milkovich" in a five-episode role on the Showtime series Shameless (2011) within a few weeks of returning to the West Coast. In March 2011, she landed the first lead role of her career on the sitcom Suburgatory (2011), with Jeremy Sisto and Cheryl Hines. On May 9, 2014, Suburgatory (2011) was canceled by ABC after three seasons.
Levy was named by both TV Guide and TheInsider.com as one of the breakout stars of 2011, and was included on the top eleven list of funniest women compiled by AOL. Forbes named her as one of the handful of entertainment stars on their list of 30 under 30 who are "reinventing the world" (a list of the brightest stars of the future). She appeared in two films in 2012, Fun Size (2012) and Nobody Walks (2012). Released before Halloween, Fun Size (2012) co-starred Victoria Justice and comedian Chelsea Handler. While filming it, Levy was disappointed that she failed to meet co-star Johnny Knoxville, as he was on set for the one week of shooting that she was not.
Levy later starred in the 2013 remake of the horror classic Evil Dead (2013), as the drug-dependent Mia, replacing Lily Collins, who had originally been cast. The following year, she starred in two independent films, About Alex (2014) and Bang Bang Baby (2014). In 2015, Levy co-starred opposite Rene Russo in Frank and Cindy (2015). In 2016, she starred in her Evil Dead director Fede Alvarez's horror film Don't Breathe (2016), the story of friends who break into the house of a wealthy blind man. That same year, she co-starred with Lucas Till in Monster Trucks (2016), Paramount Animation's first live-action/CGI film, directed by Chris Wedge.
In 2017, Levy appeared in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) directed by Macon Blair, and will star in zombie comedy Office Uprising (2018). She played the female lead in the The Pretenders (2018), a romantic drama directed by James Franco. Also in 2017, Levy appeared in the Showtime series Twin Peaks (2017).San Anselmo, Novato- Kayla Cromer, star of "Everything's Gonna Be Okay," is the first person with autism spectrum disorder to play a lead character with autism on American television. She hit the PR trail for both Freeform and Disney, like a breakout star. She is voicing Generation 3 Twyla for Nickelodeon's new animated TV series, "Monster High," which has propelled her and the character to build a global fan base. Kayla has an internationally acclaimed production company working on a movie with her as the lead. Also, a horror movie in the works that will push the elements/levels of horror.San Jose
- Monica Barbaro was born in San Francisco and raised in Mill Valley, Calif. She is classically trained in ballet and has studied modern dance, salsa, flamenco and West African dance. She attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where she took her first acting classes while getting her bachelor of fine arts degree in dance. After university, Barbaro studied at various acting schools in San Francisco and Los Angeles, including the Beverly Hills Playhouse.San Francisco, Mill Valley
- Brigette Lundy-Paine is an American actor and Fashion Icon. They consider their acting career to be a side show to their career as a pop star in the Improvisational Voice Band, "Subtle Pride" (ft. Mina Walker, Zach Donovan and Misha Brooks). Brigette's parents, Laura Lundy and Robert Paine, are both performers in the Bay Area. As often is the case with family businesses, Brigette found themselves swept into a career as an actor despite their greatest efforts to pursue a life as a scientist. They hope instead to one day portray a scientist, a la Jody Foster in Contact.Alameda, Oakland, Berkeley
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Lilan Bowden was born in Alameda County, CA. At Castro Valley High School, she got her start in theater and improv comedy and continued to pursue those interests at University of California, Irvine. After she graduated from college, she moved to Los Angeles and started taking classes and performing at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. She still performs improv and live sketch comedy, and has a comedy duo with her best friend called "Lilan and Wilder." The correct pronunciation of her name is "LEE-lon."Castro Valley- Actress
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Aya Rachel Cash is an American actress, was born in San Francisco, California, to poet and novelist Kim Addonizio and Buddhist teacher Eugene Cash. On her mother's side, she is the granddaughter of tennis champion Pauline Betz and sports writer Bob Addie. Her father's upstairs neighbor, Margarita Landazuri, was one of the first employees for Turner Classic Movies and avidly supported Cash's love for acting and film. Her father's family is Jewish, whereas her mother is Catholic and of Italian descent. Cash has described herself as Jewish, and explained that their surname "was originally something like 'CH-irsch'.
She is best known for starring as Gretchen Cutler in the FX/FXX dark comedy series You're the Worst (2014-2019), as Stormfront in the Amazon Prime Video superhero drama series The Boys (2020-2022), and most recently as Cheryl Peterson in the Fox sitcom Welcome to Flatch. She was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series and the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy for You're the Worst. Cash also appeared in numerous films, including The Oranges (2011), Sleepwalk with Me (2012), Begin Again (2013), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Mary Goes Round (2017), Game Over, Man! (2018), and Scare Me (2020).San Francisco- Actor
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Max and his twin brother, Charlie, were first discovered by a talent agent while shopping together in Los Angeles. Within weeks of being spotted, the two made their professional acting debuts as series regulars on the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives. Max has since appeared in multiple series and films including The Leftovers, Teen Wolf and The Office.San Francisco, Calistoga- Actor
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Charlie Carver was born in San Francisco, California.
At a young age, Charlie moved up to a small town in the Napa Valley. It was there in school that Charlie had his first exposure to acting. He went on to study at the Interlochen Arts Academy, ACT San Francisco, and the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Art History.
Carver's acting debut came in 2008 when he won the role of Porter Scavo in ABC's Desperate Housewives. Other roles followed in Teen Wolf and The Leftovers.San Francisco, Calistoga- Actress
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Alessandra Torresani was born Alessandra Olivia Toreson in Palo Alto, California. Before becoming an actress, Alessandra studied dancing and singing from the age of two and achieved a Black Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do by the age of nine. Torresani's television debut was at age nine when she hosted the WB Kids' Club for San Francisco's KBWB.
Her television credits include guest appearances on The Big Bang Theory (2007), Batwoman (2019), Lucifer (2016), Two and a Half Men (2003), The Fosters (2013), Workaholics (2011), American Horror Story (2011), Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), Warehouse 13 (2009), Arrested Development (2003), Malcolm in the Middle (2000), and ER (1994), among others. Torresani was cast as Zoe Graystone in Syfy's critically-acclaimed Caprica (2009), a prequel spin-off of Battlestar Galactica (2004), which debuted in January 2010.
Torresani was featured as a Top 100 Girl of Maxim.Palo Alto- Actress
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Zendaya (which means "to give thanks" in the language of Shona) is an American actress and singer born in Oakland, California. She began her career appearing as a child model working for Macy's, Mervyns and Old Navy. She was a backup dancer before gaining prominence for her role as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up (2010) which also includes Bella Thorne, Kenton Duty and Roshon Fegan. Zendaya was a contestant on the sixteenth season of the competition series Dancing with the Stars. She went on to produce and star as K.C. Cooper in the Disney Channel sitcom K.C. Undercover (2015) She made her film breakthrough in 2017, starring as Michelle "MJ" Jones in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero film Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and as Anne Wheeler in the musical drama film The Greatest Showman (2017) alongside actors such as Tom Holland, Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron. Besides acting, singing and dancing she is an ambassador for Convoy of Hope. She has written a book, launched her own clothing line (Daya by Zendaya) and proved herself to be a great role model for young girls all around the world.Oakland, Orinda, San Francisco- Actress
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Bridgit Claire Mendler was born in Washington DC, and lived there until she was eight years old. Her family moved to the west coast, just outside of San Francisco, California. This is when she first expressed an interest in acting and began booking local jobs. In 2004, she landed her first role in the animated film, The Legend of Buddha (2004), as "Lucy". When she was 13, she landed her first acting role, as a guest star on General Hospital (1963). In 2008, she landed a role, as "Kristen Gregory", in the film, The Clique (2008). In 2009, Mendler became a recurring character on the Disney channel sitcom, Wizards of Waverly Place (2007), as "Juliet Van Heusen", until the series finale in 2012. Also in 2009, Mendler auditioned for the role of "Sonny Monroe" in Sonny with a Chance (2009). But the part was won by Demi Lovato. In 2010, Mendler won the role of "Teddy Duncan" on Good Luck Charlie (2010). In 2011, she starred as "Olivia White", the lead role in the Disney Channel original movie, Lemonade Mouth (2011). Also in 2011, Mendler had the role of "Appoline" in the film, Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011). Mendler later co-wrote and sang the Disney's "Friends for Change Games" anthem, called "We Can Change the World". In 2012, she guest-starred on the television series, House (2004), as "Callie Rogers". She later voiced the lead role of "Arrietty" in The Secret World of Arrietty (2010). Mendler's debut album, "Hello, My Name Is...", was released on October 22, 2012, by Hollywood Records. On February 12, 2013, her second single, "Hurricane", was released for radio airplay. The song peaked at number 1 Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, in United States, and sold over 300,000 digital copies.Mill Valley- Actress
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Her youthful ambition and undeniable talent have taken Jasmine into other creative arenas. She has been featured in print advertisements for Target National, Mary Kate and Ashley, American Girl, Levi's, Hilary Duff, Robinsons May, Macys, Mervyns, Girl Scouts, Sparklets Drinking Water, Kohls as well as principal roles in television commercials for Chevrolet, The Dog, Kellogs, Zellers, Marshalls, and McDonald's. Jasmine has also made guest starring appearances on Disney's "That's So Raven," Touchstone Pictures' "My Wife and Kids" starring Damon Wayans, and she has also gone on to become Ms. Hawaiian Tropic and Ms. Royal Essence. She has recently finished shooting a pilot for a Disney sitcom "House Broken", a spin-off of Disney's The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, starring Brian Stepanek. She also has a reoccurring role on the ABC's prime time show "The Nine", and a guest role on the television series "Threat Matrix". She has also been featured in Kanye West's music video "Jesus Walks" and Frankie J.'s "How To Deal".San Jose- Actress
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Zelda Williams was born on 31 July 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Were the World Mine (2008), The Legend of Korra (2012) and Never (2014).San Francisco- Actress
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As a child, Bree spent her time traveling the country with her family and her pro-football player father. During her teens, Turner's parents settled in Northern California where Bree first discovered a love for dance. In high school, she honed her talents in everything from ballet to jazz. When she moved to Los Angeles to study dance at UCLA, she was discovered by a dance agent and immediately landed roles as a dancer in countless high profile films such as My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), She's All That (1999) and The Big Lebowski (1998), among others. She danced her way into high profile nationally televised award shows and commercials, as well as major music videos with everyone from Brian Setzer to Sugar Ray. She appeared in spots for Hyundai, Gap, Dr. Pepper and the 2003 Budweiser spot "Top 10 of All-Time", which aired during the Super Bowl. Before she knew it, her passion had turned into a full fledged dancing career.
This career exposed her to countless hours on television and movie sets, where she truly felt right at home. She caught the acting bug and decided to turn her focus to this newfound passion. Turner credits her dancing for the focus she put forth towards acting. She immersed herself in the new art, studying theater at King's College in London and enrolling in a series of acting classes with some of the best teachers in the business.
She immediately made her mark in Hollywood as Rob Schneider's love interest, "Allison the Fish Girl", in the ever popular movie Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999), and as the snobby bouffant haired Tri-Pi "Tiffany" in Sorority Boys (2002). She opened the mega-hit The Wedding Planner (2001) as a nervous bride, alongside Jennifer Lopez and captivated audiences as head cheerleader "Tina Hammersmith" in the hit film Bring It on: Again (2004). In addition, she starred in the critically acclaimed Carsey/Werner Oxygen Network comedy Good Girls Don't... (2004) as "Marjorie".
Bree has also made her mark within the independent film world including the Sundance award-winning piece The Quest for Length (2002), a critically acclaimed mockumentary in which Bree played the supportive girlfriend of a man who was on a comical quest to enlarge his penis. Not only do critics love her performance on the big screen, but they praise her for the work she does on stage as well.
Recently, Bree wrapped the indie comedy The Year of Getting to Know Us (2008), starring Jimmy Fallon and The TV Set (2006), starring Sigourney Weaver. She can be seen in Firehouse Dog (2007), a story that follows "Rexxx", Hollywood's most in-demand canine star. Turner plays "Liz Knowles", a Hollywood film producer who is the force behind the famous celebrity dog. Also, you can catch her in Just My Luck (2006), a comedy starring Lindsay Lohan about the luckiest girl in the world who somehow loses it. Bree plays Lohan's best friend "Dana" who helps her troubled friend try and reclaim the luck she once had through a whirlwind of events. Bree also starred opposite Ethan Embry in an episode of Showtime's Masters of Horror (2005), an anthology series directed and co-written by famed filmmaker Don Coscarelli.
When she is not working on a film or a television show, Bree spends her time honing her craft as an actress, working with charities and spending time with her family and friends.Palo Alto, Danville- Making her television debut as Kris Furillo, Genevieve is an experienced stage actress. She has performed in regional productions of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," "Crimes of the Heart" and "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." Genevieve holds a bachelor of fine arts degree in drama and a bachelor of arts in English from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.San Francisco
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Alicia Silverstone was born on October 4, 1976 in San Francisco, California, the youngest of three children. She is the daughter of Didi (Radford), a former flight attendant, and Monty Silverstone, a real estate investor. Her English-born father is from a Jewish family, while her Scottish-born mother converted to Judaism. Alicia's career began at the tender age of six, when her father took some photos of his young daughter, which eventually led to her getting several television commercials. After a guest spot on The Wonder Years (1988) as a literal "dream girl", she moved on to movies. She landed a role in The Crush (1993), a sort of Fatal Attraction (1987) for teenagers in which she portrayed a disturbed young girl obsessed with an older man. The nasty little role did not impress the critical establishment but it wowed its target audience: teenagers. In fact, the role won her the 1994 MTV Movie Award for "Best Villain" and "Breakthrough Performance". It is interesting to note that during the filming of the movie, Alicia became an emancipated minor in order to get around child labor laws which would have interfered with her working hours. She was a dedicated actress from early on.
The film also caught the attention of Aerosmith, who hired her to appear in a string of their music videos. The first of them, "Cryin'", was voted the #1 video of all time on MTV. Silverstone was definitely a hit with the MTV crowd, but larger commercial success still eluded her. That all changed when she landed the role of Cher in Amy Heckerling's Clueless (1995). Cher was the antithesis of Alicia's role in The Crush; this time around, she was a rich, naive yet endearing girl from Beverly Hills in search of love in the 1990s. The film was a huge box-office hit and wowed both audiences and critics alike and demonstrated Alicia's strength and bankability. She was hailed as the woman of the hour, and branded the spokeswoman for an emerging young generation. She signed a deal with Columbia TriStar worth $10 million and got the coveted role of Batgirl in the Batman franchise. Also, as part of the package, she received a three-year first-look deal for her own production company, First Kiss Productions. The first film released by First Kiss was Excess Baggage (1997).Hillsborough, San Francisco, San Mateo- Actress
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Linda Edna Cardellini was born in Redwood City, California, to Lorraine (Hernan) and Wayne David Cardellini, a businessman. She is of Italian (from her paternal grandfather), Irish (from her mother), German, English, and Scottish descent. Linda grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, California, the youngest of four children. She became interested in acting at age ten, when she performed a singing role in a school Christmas play. She continued to do school productions and community theater.
Linda attended Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. After graduating, she had to decide whether to go to New York to pursue theater or Los Angeles to pursue film and television. She chose LA. Linda was cast in her first role, on the series Bone Chillers (1996). Her breakthrough part came when she was cast in Freaks and Geeks (1999). She played academic decathlete Lindsay Weir on the celebrated series, which won an Emmy Award in the Category of "Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series".
Cardellini captured the hearts of young girls, boys and teenagers, worldwide, for her portrayal of Velma in Warner Bros.'s Scooby-Doo (2002). She also co-starred in 'Brian Robbins'' Good Burger (1997), Legally Blonde (2001), with Reese Witherspoon, and Tom McLoughlin's The Unsaid (2001) with Andy Garcia, as well as in the Adam Sandler-produced comedy, Grandma's Boy (2006).
In 2005, Cardellini starred in the ensemble film, American Gun (2005), for IFC Films, alongside Donald Sutherland, Forest Whitaker and Marcia Gay Harden. "American Gun" was the debut feature of director/co-writer Aric Avelino, which has earned a Best Picture nomination at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2007. In the same year, Cardellini delivered a heartfelt performance as a jilted lover in Ang Lee's highly-acclaimed drama, Brokeback Mountain (2005), which garnered major accolades from critics, including an Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe win for Best Picture and Outstanding Ensemble in a Motion Picture Drama by the Screen Actor's Guild.
It was upon working with Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana on this film, that they later cast her in CBS's Hallmark Hall of Fame mini-series Comanche Moon (2008), a testament to their trust in Cardellini's talent and presence on screen. Cardellini starred alongside Val Kilmer and Steve Zahn in the six-hour, epic mini-series in 2008, written by McMurtry (based on McMurtry's novel of the same name), directed by Simon Wincer and executive-produced by Ossana. This western, which was the prequel to "Lonesome Dove," (the television series created in 1989 by McMurtry) aired on three consecutive evenings for two hours each night.
In 2008, Cardellini portrayed the lead role of 'Julie Ingram' in the feature film "The Lazarus Project" starring alongside 'Paul Walker'. Directed by John Glenn, this thriller tells the story of a former criminal who is drawn into an illicit endeavor and subsequently finds himself living an inexplicable new life working at a psychiatric facility.
In 2011, Cardellini co-starred in Jonathan Hensleigh's independent feature film "Kill the Irishman," alongside Christopher Walken, Ray Stevenson and Val Kilmer. The film was based on the true story of Danny Greene, a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland during the 1970s. In February 2012, Cardellini starred as 'Kelli' in the independent film "Return," opposite Michael Shannon and John Slattery which earned Cardellini an Independent Spirit Award nomination for "Best Female Lead." "Return" was featured in the Director's Fortnight section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and was an official entry at The Deauville, London and Palm Springs International Film Festivals. "Return" follows 'Kelli' as she returns home from war and learns how to adjust to a slower, normal life.
In 2013, Cardellini was almost unrecognizable, but turned heads, for her provocative portrayal of 'Sylvia Rosen,' 'Don Draper's' married mistress, in a guest arc in the sixth season of the critically acclaimed AMC series, "Mad Men." She received her first Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Guest Actress in A Drama Series" for her portrayal.
Working in both film and television, Linda is well-known for her portrayal of 'Nurse Samantha Taggart' on NBC's highly-rated, critically acclaimed series, "ER". She will next be seen as 'Meg Rayburn' in Netflix's new untitled family drama series created by Glenn Kessler, Daniel Zelman and Todd Kessler. Cardellini also has a co-starring role in the indie comedy Welcome to Me (2014), opposite an all-star cast that includes Kristen Wiig, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, James Marsden and Wes Bentley. The film is directed by Shira Piven. "Welcome to Me" was produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
On the small screen, Cardellini was a guest star, playing 'Dr. Megan Tillman', in CBS' Person of Interest (2011). The crime drama show was created by Jonathan Nolan and stars Jim Caviezel, Taraji P. Henson and Michael Emerson. Cardellini also lends her voice to a diverse group of animated series including Nickelodeon's "Sanjay & Craig" wherein she plays 'Megan,' IFC's "Out There" wherein she voices 'Starla,' and Disney's "Gravity Falls," in which she is 'Wendy.' Cardellini's past voiceover work includes the role of 'Bliss,' the family daughter in the ABC animated television program, The Goode Family (2009).
Linda has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Loyola Marymount University, and completed a summer study program at the National Theatre in London. She resides in Los Angeles.Redwood City, San Francisco, Mountain View- Actress
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Linda Park was born in Seoul, South Korea. Immediately after graduating Boston University's BFA Acting program, she landed her first series regular role on Star Trek: Enterprise. She continued on to series regular roles on Raines, Women's Murder Club, and Starz' Crash. She has recurred on TNT's Legends, Amazon's Bosch, Amazon's Fairfax and Apple TV's For All Mankind. Films include Face of Love starring Annette Bening and Ed Harris, Jurassic Park 3, and a leading role in Lifetime's Black Girl Missing. She is a member of Antaeus Theater Company and has also performed at the Kirk Douglas Theater, the Getty Center, and various repertory theaters. A lifelong dancer, she has primarily studied ballet but is also proficient in lyrical jazz, ballroom, and hip-hop. She speaks conversational French and Korean.San Jose- Actor
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Daniel Wu, is a renowned Hong Kong- American actor, director, and producer. With a career spanning over twenty five years, Wu has made significant contributions to the Asian film industry, and gained recognition for his roles in martial arts and action films as well as drama, showcasing both his broad acting range and physical agility.
Wu's journey in the entertainment world began when he moved to Hong Kong in the late 1990s and was discovered by auteur director Yonfan who cast him in the lead role of gay art house film, "Bishonen". He then quickly rose to fame, starring in films like Benny Chan's "Gen-X Cops", "Purple Storm", and most notably in "City of Glass" for which he earned the first of five Hong Kong Film Award nominations, as Best New Performer.
He received two more Hong Kong Film Award nominations in 2005, for Best Actor in "One Night in Mongkok", Best Supporting Actor in Jackie Chan's "New Police Story", an iconic role that also brought him Taiwan's Golden Horse Award as Best Supporting Actor. The following year Daniel made his directorial debut with "The Heavenly Kings" , a humorous glimpse into the Hong Kong music industry, which won him the prestigious Hong Kong prize as Best New Director for his 2006 feature. Daniel was again nominated for Best Actor in 2015 for his role in Dante Lam's psychological thriller "That Demon Within".
His string of international film hits includes Frank Coraci's 2004 remake of "Around the World in 80 Days", "Blood Brothers" (2007), "Overheard" (2009), Quentin Tarantino's presentation of "The Man with the Iron Fists" (2012), "Europa Report" (2013), China's submission to the 88th Academy Awards "Go Away Mr. Tumor," Duncan Jones' adaptation of the renowned video game, "Warcraft" (2016), "Geostorm" (2017), as well as the remake of "Tomb Raider" (2018). He also starred and executive produced the AMC TV show "Into the Badlands" (2015-2019). Most recently, Wu starred in the box office hit "Caught in Time" (2020), as well as appearing in Lisa Joy's feature directorial debut, romantic sci-fi noir thriller "Reminiscence" (2021), and the HBO series, "Westworld" (2022).
He can also be seen in the Disney+ limited series, "American Born Chinese" (2023) based on the award-winning graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. Wu appears as Sun Wukong, better known as The Monkey King, a mythological and all-powerful god who journeys into our world in a pursuit to find his son.
Beyond his cinematic accomplishments, Daniel Wu is recognized for his advocacy work, supporting the Asian American community as well as other charitable causes. Daniel was also the 2022 recipient of The Bruce Lee Award, in honor of the legendary actor, presented each year by AWFF and the Bruce Lee Foundation to an individual in the film industry whose efforts in the field of martial arts has created a legacy of excellence. Daniel is also an accomplished race car driver currently racing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series. Daniel Wu's multifaceted career, marked by talent and versatility, has solidified his status as a prominent figure in the global entertainment landscape and making him a household name throughout the global Chinese community.Berkeley, Orinda, Oakland- Actress
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Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska, to Theresa (Glass), who managed a phone company, and Sylvester E. Union, a military sergeant and business executive. When she was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California, where she grew up and attended high school. There, Union was an all-star point guard and a year-round athlete participating in soccer, basketball, and track. She graduated from Foothill High School (Class of 1991).
After high school, Gabrielle attended college at University of Nebraska, where she played on the soccer team; and then later transferred to Cuesta College. Eventually, she ended up at UCLA. On her way to law school, just planning on being a working stiff, things started to happen during her senior year. Gabrielle had a college internship at a L.A. modeling agency, she thought it would be an easy way to pick up some extra credits. Little did she know that clients were eyeing the help. Upon the completion of the internship, she was asked to become a client with the agency. Gabby thought of it as a great way to pay off a stack of college loans, and modeled until her agent found that she could actually act. Her first audition/job was landed without any headshots, on Saved by the Bell (1989). Since then, she has gone on to have many small but substantial film roles and has guest-starred on several hit TV shows, all before landing the role of "Dr. Courtney Ellis", on CBS' short-lived medical drama City of Angels (2000).
Although she plays parts that are opinionated and strong, Gabrielle believes that, "Hollywood needs to recognize all shades of African-American beauty." Gabrielle is a 1996 graduate of UCLA with honors in sociology.Pleasanton- Alex Breckenridge was born on May 15 1982 in Darien, Connecticut before moving to California when she was 12. Breckenridge first got an interest in acting at 13 when she performed in local theater productions and soon moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. Her first film was the independent comedy picture Locust Valley (1999). She followed up this performance with guest spots on several successful series, including Dawson's Creek (1998) and Freaks and Geeks (1999), and supporting roles in the films Big Fat Liar (2002), Orange County (2002) and the short film D.E.B.S. (2003), which won the award for Best Short at the 2003 New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. After appearing on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Alex was offered her own series, the UPN drama pilot Mystery Girl. Sadly, UPN chose to have only one female-led detective series in the 2004-2005 season and Mystery Girl was not picked up. In 2005, Alex appeared in the ABC Family movie Romy and Michele: In the Beginning (2005) and took on the role of Michele Weinberger, played by Lisa Kudrow in the original 1997 film. She also began work on the animated sitcom Family Guy (1999), voicing celebrities such as Cybill Shepherd and Christina Aguilera. In 2006, Alex is breaking into the mainstream with a lead role in the comedy movie She's the Man (2006). She currently lives in Hollywood.Mill Valley
- Teri is a Northern California native, has lived in Houston, Texas, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and now resides in Los Angeles, California. She is a certified personal trainer and sucker for black coffee and early morning weight lifting. Teri is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Professor Romulo Barral.
She studied to be an actress in the BFA theater program at UC Santa Barbara and the MFA theater program at UC San Diego.
Teri recurs as Marlena in Ssn 2 of Netflix's The Punisher, as Dorothy in ABC's Once Upon a Time, was series regular Dr. Hallie Casey opposite Jesse Spencer in the NBC's Chicago Fire, and starred as KJ Jameson in Hulu's first original scripted show Battleground. She has numerous recurring and guest star credits and has also appeared in several independent films.
Teri is a producing member of Ovation Award winning Chalk Repertory Theatre where she frequently appears in stage productions.Castro Valley - Actress
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Cheryl Burke was born on 3 May 1984 in San Francisco, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Dancing with the Stars (2005), Toy Story 3 (2010) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005). She was previously married to Matthew Lawrence.Atherton- Actress
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Myha'la was born on 6 April 1996 in California, USA. She is an actress, known for Industry (2020), Modern Love (2019) and Premature (2019).San Jose- Kyle Allen was born on 10 October 1994 in Livermore, California, USA. He is an actor, known for West Side Story (2021), The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021) and All My Life (2020).Livermore
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Mekenna Melvin is an Actress/ Writer/ Director/ Producer. Born and raised in Saratoga CA, she spent most of her childhood in her mother's drama classes and rehearsals. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, NY and The British American Drama Academy, Midsummer in Oxford England. She is best know for her role as Alex McHugh on NBC's "Chuck"Saratoga, San Jose- Actress
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Jacqueline Toboni was born the youngest of five children. She is a native San Franciscan. Before graduating from Saint Ignatius College Preparatory, Jacqueline performed in the Young Conservatory at the American Conservatory Theatre (A.C.T.). Jacqueline graduated from the University of Michigan with a BFA Theatre class. In addition, she studied at many theatre programs including the Williamstown Theatre Festival as an apprentice, the Movement Theatre Studio in New York, and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Before graduating, she left U of M to accept a recurring role on NBC's Grimm (2011).San Francisco- Actress
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Shoshana Bush was born on 18 September 1988 in Santa Clara, California, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Dance Flick (2009), Fired Up! (2009) and CSI: Miami (2002).Tiburon, Larkspur- Actor
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Devon Graye was born on 8 March 1987 in Mountain View, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Nope (2022), I See You (2019) and 13 Sins (2014).Mountain View- Haley Pullos was born in Palo Alto, California, U.S.. She made her acting debut as a child in the movie Carney Tales. Her next role came five years later in the films 'Til Death and Moonlight. In 2008, she made her television debut in an episode of Ghost Whisperer. She went on to have guest appearances on multiple TV shows.Palo Alto
- William Lipton is known for General Hospital (1963).San Mateo
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Kandis Fay was born on 16 February 1985 in Redwood City, California, USA. She is a director and actress, known for I Am Not a Hipster (2012), Masters of Sex (2013) and Farah Goes Bang (2013). She has been married to Cameron Fay since 4 September 2015. They have one child.Redwood City- Actor
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Nick Thurston was born in Oakland, California. He has been acting since his childhood, and has trained at several schools. These include the American Conservatory Theater, and the British American Drama Academy in London. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in acting. He lives in Los Angeles.San Francisco- Born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Rita Volk moved to San Francisco with her family when she 6 years old. Approached by a modeling scout, Volk was given the opportunity to audition for commercials and instantly fell in love with acting.
Through high school, Volk acted in school plays and further explored her burgeoning love for film which she claims, also, helped her and her family acclimatise to the American language and culture. After high school, Volk attended Duke University, where she graduated with a degree in psychology/premed. But she never lost sight of her passion for acting as she acted in student films and was a member of Inside Joke, Duke's sketch comedy troupe.San Francisco - Actress
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D'Arcy Carden was born on 4 January 1980 in Danville, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Good Place (2016), Barry (2018) and Broad City (2014). She has been married to Jason Carden since 31 July 2010.Danville, San Ramon- Actress
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Prior to booking her films "Model Minority" and "Project X," Nichole has done commercial work and modeled for American Apparel. Although she cannot pinpoint the exact moment she realized she wanted to start acting, Nichole recalls that she loved recreating characters and doing funny voices from a very young age. As a kid, she begged her parents to help her get an agent, and then at the age of 14, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting as a career. Nichole went on to attend USC as a Theater major and graduated early, after only three years. She says it was a challenge for her to get cast in the university's own plays because she dedicated so much of her spare time to professional auditions outside of school.Fremont, Livermore- Kelcie Leigh Stranahan was born on November 18, 1992 in Walnut Creek, California, USA. She trained as a ballet, jazz and lyrical dancer from a young age. She is an actress known for Without A Trace (2008) Last Hours In Suburbia (2012) Dirty Teacher (2013) and Stalked By My Neighbor (2015).Walnut Creek, Lafayette
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Sarah Stouffer was born on 26 July 1986 in Contra Costa County, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Bloomington (2010), Switched at Birth (2011) and A Cinderella Christmas (2016).Oakland- Actress
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Jesse Draper is a multimedia talent. She began her career as an actress on the hit Nickelodeon series "The Naked Brother's Band", a family show created by her aunt Polly Draper that she starred in with her cousins Nat and Alex Wolff. She quickly became known as Jesse, the hot nanny.
Draper's career progressed with small movie roles in "The Mighty Macs" starring Carla Gugino and "Ticket Out" starring Ray Liotta. When she was knee deep in the Hollywood scene, she decided to create her own show using the internet as a medium.
Draper grew up in Silicon Valley in the midst of the dot com boom. Having a father (well known venture capitalist Tim Draper) in business, she created a talk show celebrating the 'movers and the shakers' of the business world.
Labelled as "must see startup TV" by USA today, "The Valley Girl Show" took off on Valleygirl.tv and she has since interviewed such guest as Ted Turner, MC Hammer, Eric Schmidt and Elon Musk: A fun interview by 'the Valley Girl' has become a coveted moment in a CEO's career.
Draper claims to be 'the Ellen Degeneres of business'. Valley Girl, Inc. is now a multi-platform media company that runs a series of blogs, "The Valley Girl Show" and Draper is a discoverer helping pave the way in the new world of social media. Valley Girl, Inc. recently acquired the LA technology culture blog Lalawag.
Draper is a blogger for Virgin.com, Business Insider, Pop17 in addition to Valley Girl, Inc.'s blog network.Atherton- Actress
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Jeannie Mai is an American makeup artist, fashion expert, actress, and TV personality. She is most known for her work as the host of How Do I Look? (2004) on the Style Network and Character Fantasy (2006) on the USA Network. As a fashion expert, she is frequently featured on numerous television programs, such as The Today (1952) Show, NBC's Extra (1994) TV and E!'s The Daily 10 (2006).
Mai grew up in San Jose, CA, the daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant father and Chinese mother. Taking after her mother, a local celebrity, Jeannie began entertaining at an early age, using her mother's makeup to glitter herself up before leaping out to "interview" one of the 16 family members living in her three-bedroom home.
Mai started out on Disney's "Suite Life of Zach and Cody". At 18, Mai launched her career as a makeup artist for MAC Cosmetics, while still living in San Jose. As a trainer, she worked her way from face to face until she was eventually traveling the world to dress the face of celebrities, such as Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and Rosario Dawson. She has served as a celebrity makeup stylist for MTV's TRL, KCL-Los Angeles and Good Morning Sacramento.
In 2003, Mai began auditioning for local television networks with self-written scripts to demonstrate her unique hosting talents. She landed a gig co-hosting the Emmy-nominated Asian American Magazine-Style show, Stir TV (2004), on International Channel Networks. Soon after, the San Francisco local music channel, CMC, invited her to become the first female VJ to host her own music countdown. After gaining attention for her spunky personality and knack for style, Mai became an entertainment reporter and producer of the WB's "Daily Mixx".
In 2005, Mai landed her first primetime hosting role on Character Fantasy (2006) on the USA Network, where she inspired guests each week to live their fantasies. Following this, she appeared on MTV's "Granted", alongside Frankie Muniz, and hosted various segments related to fashion and entertainment news on networks such as E!, Lifetime, TLC and NBC.
In 2008, Mai took part in TV history's first-ever attempt to revamp Miss America's 52 hopefuls on TLC's Miss America: Reality Check (2008). She also starred in "Dude, Where's Your Style", a Style-special turning men from cute to couture, and toured the world as the official spokesperson of "Never Accept Ordinary", a line of cosmetics that promotes individuality through color.
In 2009, Mai took over as the host of the Style Network's popular and Emmy-nominated show, How Do I Look? (2004). More than just a "makeover show", Jeannie empowers women to discover their true beauty, overcome their insecurities, and employ fashion to achieve their career goals. She also serves as a correspondent and weekend host on NBC's Extra (1994), with Mario Lopez.
Mai frequently takes annual mission trips to Africa, Thailand and Vietnam. While abroad, she works with "Heartbeat Vietnam", a nonprofit devoted to improving health care for impoverished children, and "NightLight International", an organization committed to rescuing women and children from sex trafficking and prostitution rings by providing employment and vocational opportunities.
Mai is also deeply committed to supporting females who face obstacles in their careers. She is a supporter of "Seven Bar", "Dress for Success", "Sister To Sister", "P.A.T.H", "Respect RX" and "The Good Shepherd". As a popular stylist and fashionista, Jeannie also uses her recognition as a platform to promote fledgling female designers and entrepreneurs from around the world by wearing their designs on the red carpet and How Do I Look? (2004).
On August 11, 2007, Mai married Freddy Harteis, host of The Hollywood Hunter (2011), airing on The Sportsman Channel.
In 2010 Jeannie created a Prayer Box that she placed on Runyon Canyon, a popular hiking spot in Los Angees. Hikers are asked to leave a personal prayer and take another that has been left in the box. Using the term "pray it forward", the box encourages visitors to open their eyes to the prayers of others and share their own, displaying the power of faith in action. The box has received much attention and has become a popular destination for residents of the city as well as tourists.
Mai currently live in Los Angeles.San Jose, Milpitas- Actress
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Kari Byron was born on 18 December 1974 in Santa Clara County, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for MythBusters (2003), Creature Features (2016) and White Rabbit Project (2016). She was previously married to Paul Urich.Los Gatos- Actress
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April Michelle Bowlby was born on 30 July 1980 in Vallejo, California, USA. She and her family moved to Manteca, California, when she was a small child. She studied ballet, French, and marine biology at Moorpark College, before deciding to pursue an acting career. She studied drama with Ivana Chubbuck before landing her first role in a major television series, "Kandi" in series Two and a Half Men (2003)), within weeks of her first Hollywood audition.Vallejo, Vacaville- Sandra McCoy was born and raised in San Jose, California. Her mother, Madeline McCoy, was a high school P.E. teacher, tennis coach, and aerobics instructor. Her father, Gary McCoy, was the director of database management at the county Sherrif's Department and a private pilot. Her brother, who was two years her junior, enjoyed playing basketball and wrestling. All three passed away in the fall of 1993 in a tragic airplane accident that left Sandra as the sole survivor. Thanks to the values, aspirations, and love for life that her family had instilled in her, Sandra managed to endure with flying colors. She had trained in dance and gymnastics since she was eight years old, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in show business after attaining a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University. Though her first attempt at Hollywood success, a four-girl pop group, fell through, Sandra has continued to to enjoy several other successes in the film industry as both an actress and a dancer. Her first real break into the business was booking the lead role in the NSYNC "Pop" music video, from which she will forever be known as the "Dirty Pop" Girl. In addition, she also cheered for the Los Angeles Lakers in the season of 2002-2003, and appeared in Music Video Beauties of 2004, her calendar debut. She currently resides in Los Angeles pursuing an acting career. In her spare time, Sandra enjoys hanging out with her girlfriends, jogging, watching movies, doing volunteer work, and eating chocolate!San Jose
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Elizabeth Chambers was born on 18 August 1982 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Game Plan (2007), Criminal Minds (2005) and Shark (2006). She was previously married to Armie Hammer.Half Moon Bay, San Mateo, Belmont- Writer
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Karen Chee is known for Yearly Departed (2020), Yearly Departed (2021) and Late Night with Seth Meyers (2014).San Mateo- Actress
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Tawny Newsome is know for playing Angela Ali in Netflix's Space Force, Ensign Beckett Mariner in Star Trek: Lower Decks, Gabby in IFC's Brockmire, and Chelsea Leight-Leigh in Pluto's Bajillion Dollar Properties. You may have also caught her in fun comedies like NBC's Superstore, IFC's Sherman's Showcase, and NBC's Perfect Harmony. She also hosts the Official Star Trek Podcast, Star Trek: The Pod Directive along with Paul F. Tompkins.
Before LA, she had mainly been writing and performing her work on the Second City Mainstage in Chicago, or touring around with her bands (Four Lost Souls, Jon Langford). As a longtime collaborator of Langford's, for years they've made quirky, outsider country music with a shifting lineup of performers. Recently they had the pleasure of recording an album in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with some of the original Muscle Shoals Sound session players.
Her most recent project is a completely DIY rock record, made with fellow singer and longtime friend, Chicago indie darling Bethany Thomas. 'Material Flats' is a debut-for-the-two-of-them, 8 track, garage, punk, pop (with some alt-country splashes) fully independent album. She and Bethany co-wrote all of the tracks in June of 2020, whilst sheltering in place together in Tawny's home and studio in the Mojave desert. Tawny even engineered the record herself. It's a windy, weird, desert-punk album with a sweet side and an undercurrent of anxiety. Out everywhere October 9th 2020.Vacaville- Actress
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Anjelah Johnson-Reyes was born and raised in San Jose, California where she grew up with four siblings in a large extended family to which she remains close. She embarked upon her career as a professional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders at the age of 20 and performed at Super Bowl XXXVII where she was named the "Rookie of the Year." After one year with the team, she decided to move to Hollywood to pursue acting. She began her stand-up career after taking a class on a whim at a local church and realized that she loved it. Just a few months later, Anjelah found herself an internet sensation and pioneer in viral YouTube videos when her notorious "Nail Salon" bit from a local comedy show was posted and received over 100 million views! Shortly thereafter she was added to the cast on the original MADtv where she trademarked her legendary character, Bon Qui Qui. Similar to the nail salon video, the Bon Qui Qui sketch caught on and have been viewed by over 75 million people.
The multi-hyphenate's popularity has translated into six successful comedy specials: "That's How We Do It", "The Homecoming Show", "Not Fancy" and "Mahalo & Good Night", "Technically Not Stalking", and "Say I Won't." She has displayed her acting prowess both on TV and film. Some of her credits include: "Life & Beth", "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Superstore," "Moms' Night Out," and "Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel."
The past 18 months have been busy for Anjelah. She published her first book, "Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams" (Worthy Books), a hilarious and touching memoir full of memorable anecdotes on how a Latina dynamo was able to forge ahead and become successful. She also was front and center competing on Fox's dance competition show "The Real Dirty Dancing" and performed at the "Netflix is a Joke - Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: Live Gala" which is currently streaming on Netflix. In addition, Anjelah launched her wildly successful and sold out "Who Do I Think I Am?" standup comedy tour across the U.S. encompassed over 75+ cities across North America.
Anjelah's book "Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams" will be published in paperback on March 15th and she plans on releasing her 6th comedy special, "Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Say I Won't" on YouTube on Sunday, May 14th. Anjelah and her husband are expecting their first child summer of 2023 and when not on the road, split their time between Los Angeles and Nashville with their dog, Banzo.San Jose- Actor
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Blake Anderson is a comedian and one of the stars and creators of the Comedy Central show Workaholics. Originally from Concord, California, Anderson studied with The Groundlings and with Upright Citizens Brigade. He formed the sketch-comedy group Mail Order Comedy along with Workaholics costars and co-creators Anders Holm, Adam DeVine and Kyle Newacheck. Anderson appeared on several episodes of the Fox show Traffic Light and has had small cameos in an episode of HBO's Entourage and an episode of the Fox show House. Anderson is also a big supporter of the Hyphy hip-hop music scene in the East Bay, California area, noting Lil B as one of his favorite performers. Anderson says he is "Based 4 Life" and "Lil B is the true based God." On December 17, 2011, Anderson required surgery after fracturing his spine during a house party by jumping from his roof onto a beer pong table. Blake also recently played an extra in the music video "We are young" by FUN. In 2011, Blake had a cameo in One Direction's "One Thing" music video.Concord- Producer
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Kyle Newacheck was born on 23 January 1984 in Walnut Creek, California, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Game Over, Man! (2018), Stranger in the Woods (2024) and Workaholics (2011).Walnut Creek, Concord- Actress
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Chelsea Vanessa Peretti is a stand-up comedian, actress and writer who appeared in FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013). The show won two Golden Globe Awards in 2014 including one for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy.
Peretti starred alongside Andy Samberg, Terry Crews and Joe Lo Truglio as 'Gina Linetti,' the 99th precinct's administrator. Entertainment Weekly called Peretti one of the "buzziest breakouts" and the New York Post called her a "comedic gem, whose dry wit is unparalleled." Chelsea was nominated for Favorite Comedy Supporting Actress - Television for the 2014 American Comedy Awards and "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" also received a nomination for Favorite Comedy Series. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" was nominated for a 2014 People's Choice Award for Favorite New TV Comedy and received a Satellite Award nomination for Best Television Series, Comedy or Musical. The hit series was just picked up for a eighth season.
Peretti had a recurring role as 'Farley' on the popular sketch comedy series for Comedy Central, Kroll Show (2013) and has appeared on Louie (2010) and Tosh.0 (2009) and she also plays multiple characters on Adult Swim's China, IL (2008). Peretti has been praised as one of Variety's "Top 10 Comics to Watch," Comedy Central's "Hotlist" comedians, and in Vanity Fair's 2013 "Comedy" issue. She was also recognized by TIME magazine as having one of the "140 Best Twitter Feeds" of 2013.
Peretti is also an accomplished writer, having written for Parks and Recreation (2009), Saturday Night Live (1975), The Sarah Silverman Program. (2007), Portlandia (2011) and Kroll Show (2013).
Peretti tours her stand-up at comedy clubs, theaters and festivals across the world.Oakland- Actor
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Andy Samberg was born in Berkeley, California, to Marjorie (Marrow), a teacher, and Joe Samberg, a photographer. With Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer, Samberg is one of three Los Angeles, California-based writer-performer-filmmakers--all childhood friends--dubbed The Lonely Island, whose short films were showcased on the popular untelevised television network show and website. Some of their popular shorts included The O.C. (2003) parody "The 'Bu" and their full-length pilot, "Awesometown." They met Jimmy Fallon while writing for 2004 MTV Video Music Awards (2004), who then suggested that they audition for Saturday Night Live (1975). Andy was then cast as a featured performer, and Samberg's Lonely Island cohorts Jorma and Akiva were hired as writers for the show. The group's most notable contributions include The Lonely Island: Lazy Sunday (2005), The Lonely Island feat. Justin Timberlake: Dick in a Box (2006), and The Lonely Island Feat. T-Pain: I'm on a Boat (2009).
Near the end of his first season of SNL, Andy started filming the lead role in the film Hot Rod (2007), the first major motion picture by the Lonely Island team, with the production support of Lorne Michaels.
In 2012, after seven years of working on SNL, Samberg resigned from the show. He was originally not looking to join a television series as a regular cast member, but after seeing the script for Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013), he couldn't pass it up. Andy plays Jake Peralta, the best detective in Brooklyn's 99th police precinct, who also happens to be the most immature. In 2013 Samberg received the Golden Globe for Best Actor - Television Series Musical or Comedy for his performance.
In 2016, Andy starred in the pop music mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016). Taccone and Schaffer co-starred in and co-directed the film.
Samberg married singer-songwriter Joanna Newsom on 21 September, 2013, in Big Sur, California. In August 2017, they announced the birth of their baby daughter.Mill Valley, Berkeley- Writer
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Akiva Schaffer was born on 1 December 1977 in Berkeley, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Saturday Night Live (1975) and The Lego Movie (2014). He has been married to Liz Cackowski since 2010. They have two children.Berkeley- Writer
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Jorma Taccone's theatrical debut took place at Saint Mary's College-High School in Berkeley, California in 1993. He played one of the townspeople in The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt. His father, Berkeley Repertory Theatre Artistic Director Tony Taccone, attended his son's performance in spite of a recent surgery that had left him partially immobile with his leg in a cast.Berkeley- Actress
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Marielle Heller is a writer, director and actor. She was selected as a 2012 Sundance Screenwriting Fellow and 2012 Sundance Directing Fellow, and was honored with the Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship, and The Maryland Film Festival Fellowship. Her writing credits include pilots for ABC and 20th Century Fox, and multiple screenplays and theatrical plays. She has performed at theaters all over the world, from New York to the West End.Alameda- Actor
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Forte was age 32 before he came to the public's attention on Saturday Night Live (1975), but had been working in comedy since 1997.
Will Forte was born in Alameda County, California, and is the son of artist Patricia (Stivers) and financial broker Orville Willis Forte III (divorced). He has an older sister, Michelle. A creative and artistic child, he was an athlete (football and swimming) in high school and voted Best Personality at Acalanes High School. After graduating from UCLA with a degree in History, Forte had a brief career at a brokerage house before deciding to try comedy. Although he rarely performed stand-up, he joined the world-famous "Groundlings" and was hired as a writer for the series The Jenny McCarthy Show (1997), The Army Show, and The David Letterman Show. He eventually caught the attention of Carsey-Werner executive Tom Werner when he wrote a pilot about two childlike idiot brothers (eventually turned into the film, The Brothers Solomon (2007)) and was hired for the shows 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996) and That '70s Show (1998). In 2002, Forte moved from his home state of California to New York City to join Saturday Night Live (1975) as a writer and cast member. Although known as shy and reserved in his personal life, Forte was one of the individuals responsible for the shows move to absurd, surrealist comedy. Along with voice-over acting, guest appearances on television and small roles in films, Forte had his biggest opportunities to be a movie star with films he wrote. Forte wrote the screenplay for The Brothers Solomon (2007) (and had the leading role of childlike "Dean Solomon") and played the title role and co-wrote the SNL film MacGruber (2010). Both films were given small budgets ($10,000,000 each) and they were both considered box-office and critical failures, although they do have a cult following.
After MacGruber's theatrical release, Forte left SNL for personal and professional reasons, although he has returned as a guest performer. Forte has had a recurring role on the series 30 Rock and made numerous other guest appearances on other TV comedies. After leaving SNL, he increased his work as a voice artist and appeared in many films, including A Good Old Fashioned Orgy (2011), Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012), Rock of Ages (2012), That's My Boy (2012), and The Watch (2012).
Since 2012, he has moved into dramatic and straight roles on a television pilot titled Rebounding by the producers of Modern Family and Irish film Run and Jump. In August 2012, he was cast in the Alexander Payne film Nebraska (2013), beating out higher-profile actors such as Casey Affleck and Paul Rudd.
From 2015 to 2018, he starred on, and as The Last Man on Earth (2015), a television sitcom. In 2018, he headlined as National Lampoon co-creator Douglas Kenney in the biographical film A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018). The next year, he co-starred in more comedies, Booksmart (2019) and Good Boys (2019)Lafayette, Moraga- Actress
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Necar Zadegan is a versatile actress known for a career on stage and screen. She made her Broadway debut when she originated the role of the Leper in Rajiv Joseph's Pulitzer Prize nominated and multi Tony award accoladed play " The Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo" opposite Robin Williams. She stars as Special Agent Hannah Khoury in the CBS global franchise series, "NCIS: New Orleans" and has joined the cast of the much anticipated and newest installation of the Star Trek franchise, "Picard".
Ms. Zadegan first garnered critical acclaim for her portrayal of First Lady turned president Dalia Hassan on Fox's hit series "24", and most recently for her hilarious leading role in the absurdist docu-spoof film for IFC on Netflix called "Documentary: Now" written by Seth Meyers and alongside an all-star cast. The show has been nominated for multiple Emmys and has begun streaming in the UK. For HBO in the drama "Here and Now" from Oscar winning screenwriter, creator Alan Ball, she takes the lead in the delicate portrayal of Layla Shokrani.
In the much beloved Bravo comedy streaming on Netflix, "Girlfriends Guide to Divorce", Ms. Zadegan plays the character written for her by show creator Marti Noxon, of fashionable, high powered attorney and fan favorite, Delia Banai. The show recently began streaming its fifth and final season. The year also saw Ms. Zadegan join the cast of the ABC hit "The Good Doctor". Other series regular roles include her portrayal of Dr. Gina Bandari on "Emily Owens MD" and in the lead opposite Greg Kinnear in the FOX comedy "Rake".
Some highlights from her many other credits include roles for Steven Spielberg company produced series "Extant", opposite Sean Bean in spy series "Legends" and a very memorable turn as the Queen of Iran in Showtime's critical success "Masters of Sex" opposite Michael Sheen, with whom she also starred opposite in the Columbia Tri Star film, psychological thriller "Unthinkable" alongside Samuel L. Jackson. She appeared with Adam Sandler in Judd Apatow's "You Don't Mess With the Zohan" and played the title role in "Elena Undone" which enjoyed success at independent festivals worldwide.
Ms. Zadegan has worked at some of the world's most prestigious theaters including The Mark Taper Forum, the Royal Dramatic Theater of Stockholm, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco and many more, and toured internationally in the Persian language production of "Satellite with Love".
Necar Zadegan was born in Heidelberg, Germany and raised in Northern California. She studied theater and dance on a performance scholarship at the University of California, Santa Barbara and graduated with honors and a BA degree in English Literature. She also studied at the Sorbonne University in Paris. She speaks Persian, French and German and has learned Spanish, Arabic and Hebrew while working in those languages. She works with USAID in supporting opportunities for education across the globe and is an ambassador for BuildOn.org and travels with them around the world building schools for children.San Francisco, Hayward- Actor
- Producer
Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970) is an American actor and former fashion model. His notable roles are that of Malcolm Winters on The Young and the Restless from 1994 to 2005, Derek Morgan on CBS's Criminal Minds from 2005 to 2016, and as the third permanent host of Soul Train from 1999 to 2003.Oakland, Palo Alto, Santa Clara- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Paul Balthazar Getty is an American actor and musician. A member of the Getty family, his acting debut was in Lord of the Flies (1990) as Ralph. He went on to appear in Lost Highway (1997) and had a recurring role as Richard Montana in Charmed (2003-04), Thomas Grace on the American action drama Alias (2005-06), and Tommy Walker on the American drama Brothers & Sisters (2006-11), the latter two of which have aired on ABC.San Francisco- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Eric Dane was born on November 9, 1972, in San Francisco, California, the older of two brothers. His father is an architect and interior designer based in San Francisco. His mother, Leah (Cohn), was a homemaker. His ancestry includes English, German, Finnish, Russian Jewish, and Austrian Jewish, and he had a Bar Mitzvah ceremony.
He was a good athlete in high school. There, he started amateur stage work by playing Joe Keller in Arthur Miller's "All My Sons", and realized that this was all he wanted to do.
He moved to Los Angeles and made his television debut in 1993 on The Wonder Years (1988). In his early career, he also played bit parts on the TV series Married... with Children (1987) (1995), Silk Stalkings (1991) (1996) and Roseanne (1988) (1996). He played medical doctors more than once, first appearing as a Dr. Cooper in Gideon's Crossing (2000). He was also recurring as Jason Dean in the hit show Charmed (1998). From 2006 until 2012, he appeared as handsome Dr. Mark Sloan, the plastic surgeon on the show Grey's Anatomy (2005). He is also starring as Tom Chandler on The Last Ship (2014).
He landed his first leading role on the big screen in the German-made feature, Open Water 2: Adrift (2006). He was also a co-star in Marley & Me (2008) and Valentine's Day (2010). In X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) he played the character of Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man.
On October 29, 2004, in Las Vegas, Eric Dane married actress Rebecca Gayheart. They have two daughters.San Francisco, Redwood City, San Mateo- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
David Michael Bautista, Jr. was born on January 18, 1969 in Washington, D.C., to Donna Raye (Mullins) and David Michael Bautista, a hairdresser. He has Filipino and Greek ancestry.
When WCW officials told him he'd never make it in sports entertainment, Bautista pushed himself to achieve his dream of being a Superstar. In May 2002, he made his debut on SmackDown using the ring name Batista, but it wasn't until a move to Raw and two victories over Kane that "The Animal" began to make noise in the WWE Universe. The wins impressed Ric Flair and Triple H, who were looking to align themselves with the industry's brightest new stars. After a lengthy search, they identified Randy Orton and Batista. Collectively the four Superstars became known as Evolution.
Batista earned his first championship alongside "The Nature Boy" when the duo captured the WWE Tag Team Championships in December 2003. As Evolution dominated WWE, Batista started to emerge from the shadows of Triple H and Ric Flair. By the time Batista won the 2005 Royal Rumble Match, World Heavyweight Champion Triple H viewed him as a serious threat to his title.
After a triceps injury at the hands of Mark Henry forced Batista to relinquish the title in January 2006, he vowed to return. Batista successfully regained the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series in 2006. Four months into his second reign, Batista faced the Undertaker at WrestleMania 23. "The Animal" took Undertaker to the limit, but was unable to stop the streak of "The Deadman" at WrestleMania. Though disappointed, Batista stayed hungry and always managed to keep himself in the championship hunt for the rest of his career.
At Bragging Rights in 2009, Batista shocked the world when he blamed Rey Mysterio for a loss to Undertaker, then attacked his former tag team partner. "The Animal" then became locked in a tense rivalry with another former friend, John Cena, over the WWE Championship. The grueling match at Over the Limit led to a wheelchair-bound Batista declaring "I quit!" the following night on Raw before fading from the WWE Universe in May 2010. Following his departure from WWE, Bautista appeared opposite Vin Diesel in the Universal film Riddick (2013) and RZA's feature directorial debut The Man with the Iron Fists (2012), in which he played the villainous Brass Body and starred opposite Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu. His other film credits include The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption (2012), where he played Argomael; the action film House of the Rising Sun (2011); and Wrong Side of Town (2010) opposite rapper Ja Rule.
Two years later, he joined MMA and won his first professional MMA fight. In January 2014, he made his long awaited return to the WWE, before quitting a second time in June of that same year. He did this in order to promote Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), which was released on August 1, 2014, and starred Chris Pratt, Benicio Del Toro, Zoe Saldana, and Djimon Hounsou, alongside Bautista.
He will shoot Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), directed by John Stockwell, and co-starring martial artist Alain Moussi and UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre. The remake of the 1989 Jean-Claude Van Damme film, Kickboxer (1989) is about two brothers David and Kurt Sloan; When David wins the Karate World Championship, a promoter lures him to Hong Kong, despite his brother's protestations that the man is a crook. When Kurt travels to Thailand to meet his brother, he discovers he has died and seeks his revenge.
After starring in films such as, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Blade Runner 2049 (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Hotel Artemis (2018), Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018), and Final Score (2018), he made a special guest appearance on WWE Smackdown! (1999) for it's 1000 episode reuniting with his former Evolution members Triple H, Randy Orton, and Ric Flair on October 16, 2018. The following year on February 25, 2019, he made his return to WWE Raw (1993) when he attacked Ric Flair on his 70th birthday at the end of the episode sending a message to Triple H that would ultimately lead to a No Holds Barred match for WrestleMania 35 (2019). Batista added the stipulation that if he wins the match, Triple H will have to retire from in-ring competition. As a result, Triple H was finally able to beat Batista for the first time and won the match, which ultimately led to Batista announcing his official retirement from wrestling in the WWE. Following his retirement, he will continue with his career as an actor in Hollywood.
His next films scheduled for release will be; Stuber (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Escape Plan: The Extractors (2019), and My Spy (2020). He is one of many professional wrestlers to make the smooth transition from wrestling into the entertainment world.San Francisco- Actor
- Producer
Mahershala Ali is fast becoming one of the freshest and most in-demand faces in Hollywood with his extraordinarily diverse skill set and wide-ranging background in film, television, and theater.
He can be seen in the independent feature film, Moonlight, as well as reprising his role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Gary Ross's civil war era drama The Free State of Jones, and Netflix's award-winning series House of Cards as well as Marvel's Luke Cage.
Ali's previous feature film credits include Derek Cianfrance's The Place Beyond the Pines, Wayne Kramer's Crossing Over, John Sayles' Go For Sisters, and David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Again on television, he appeared opposite Julia Ormond in Lifetime's The Wronged Man for which he subsequently received an NAACP Nomination for Best Actor. Ali also had a recurring role on Syfy's Alphas, as well as the role of Richard Tyler, a Korean War pilot, on the critically acclaimed drama The 4400 for three seasons.
On the stage, Ali appeared in productions of Blues for an Alabama Sky, The School for Scandal, A Lie of the Mind, A Doll's House, Monkey in the Middle, The Merchant of Venice, The New Place and Secret Injury, Secret Revenge. His additional stage credits include appearing in Washington, D.C. at the Arena Stage in the title role of The Great White Hope, and in The Long Walk and Jack and Jill. In February 2016, Ali made his New York Broadway debut in Kenny Leon's Smart People.
Born in Oakland, California and raised in Hayward, Ali received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications at St. Mary's College. He made his professional debut performing with the California Shakespeare Festival in Orinda, California. Soon after, he earned his Master's degree in acting from New York University's prestigious graduate program.Oakland, Hayward, Moraga- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Will Yun Lee was born in Arlington, Virginia, to Jung Ja Lee and Soo Won Lee, who had recently emigrated from Korea. He was raised by both immediate and extended family and moved often, exposed to life on the tough Bronx streets and idyllic Hawaiian beaches. By his teens he was living in the San Francisco area with his father, a Korean Tae Kwon Do Grandmaster. Lee also became an accomplished martial artist and won an athletic scholarship to the University of California at Berkeley.
While in school, Lee worked at the East Bay Asian Youth Centre teaching high-risk teens from ghetto neighborhoods not unlike those he had known as a child in the Bronx. It was there that his ongoing commitment to young people began, a commitment that continues to play an important role in his life.
It was also at this time that he became seriously interested in acting, and after landing a role in Nash Bridges he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. Guest star roles in series such as "Profiler" and "Brimstone" led to a role in the TV movie The Disciples for UPN, and soon after to "What's Cooking" and TNT's "Witchblade".
In 2002 he was named by People as one of their "50 Most Beautiful People" which quickly lead to high profile roles in "Die Another Day", "Torque" and "Elektra". He has also acted on FX Network's television series "Thief", ABC Family's "Fallen" and was one of the main characters of NBC's science fiction television drama "Bionic Woman".
In November 2007, he was again recognized by People, this time as one of the members of their list of the 15 "Sexiest Men Alive". Most recently he appeared as Sang Min in the pilot of the hit CBS series "Hawaii Five O".
In August 2010, Will Yun Lee starred alongside Miguel Ferrer in the indie thriller "Far Away Eyes", which was shot entirely on location in Hong Kong.Berkeley- Actor
- Producer
Yila Timothy Kang is an American actor. He is known for his role as Kimball Cho in the television series The Mentalist and Gordon Katsumoto in the CBS/NBC reboot series Magnum P.I. Kang was born in San Francisco, California, and is the eldest of three brothers. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Fine Arts from Harvard's Institute for Advanced Theater Training at the American Repertory Theater and the Moscow Art TheatreSan Francisco, Walnut Creek, Danville- Actor
- Director
Russell Hornsby was born on 15 May 1974 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Hate U Give (2018), Fences (2016) and Meet the Parents (2000). He has been married to Denise Walker since 1 August 2008.Oakland, Berkeley- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Daveed Daniele Diggs is an actor, singer, producer, writer and rapper. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping. Diggs originated the role of, and won a Grammy and Tony for, the Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the 2015 musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda.Oakland, Berkeley- Actress
- Soundtrack
- Music Artist
Lena Hall (Celina Consuela Gabriella Carvajal) is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. Hall is a Tony Award winner and Grammy nominee who appears opposite Jennifer Connelly in TNT's science-fiction epic Snowpiercer (2020). Following her Tony-winning Broadway run in 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch,' Hall toured North America alongside Josh Groban on his "Stages" tour and portrayed the dual starring roles of Hedwig and Yitzhak in 'Hedwig' in Los Angeles (LA Drama Critics Circle nomination) and San Francisco. She originated the role of Nicola in the Tony-winning musical 'Kinky Boots,' and can be seen on HBO's Girls (2012) and Amazon Prime's Good Girls Revolt (2015), and heard voicing the role of Countess Coloratura in an episode of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic (2010) (The Mane Attraction (2015)). Hall's most recent stage appearance was starring with Marisa Tomei in Lincoln Center Theater's 'How to Transcend a Happy Marriage.' In February 2018, Hall received widespread critical acclaim for her performance of the title role in the feature film Becks (2017), which won the U.S. Fiction Award at the LA Film Festival.San Francisco- Sheila Vand was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Sheila is an actor, known for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014), Argo (2012) and We the Animals (2018).
Palo Alto - Actress
- Director
- Writer
Erika Henningsen was born on 13 August 1992 in Moraga, California, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Girls5eva (2021), Harlem (2021) and Blue Bloods (2010). She has been married to Kyle Selig since 22 May 2023.Moraga- Actress
- Executive
Anna is a Pakistani and Indian American actress and writer.
She is best known for her recurring roles as 'Manisha' on NBC's The Good Place, 'Indira' on AMC's The Walking Dead World Beyond, and as 'Rachel' on Silicon Valley.
In 2022, Anna starred as 'Jaya' in the NETFLIX feature film 'Definition Please,' written and directed by Sujata Day and produced by Ava DuVernay.
In 2015, she booked the role of Sita Parrish on Quantico. She recurs on The Good Place, For the People, Madam Secretary & Lethal Weapon.
Theatre: Anna is also an award-winning playwright and solo performer. Her play 'Shaheed: The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto' had an extended Off-Broadway run in NYC. ... Time Out called her performance "a wonder", the NY Times praised her as a "gifted actress," and Backstage said the play was "heart-stopping, engrossing, funny, and profound theatre." Edge Magazine said Shaheed was "a one-woman triumph, and a testament to Khaja's talent, capacity and gifts, of which Hollywood must take full notice."
In Los Angeles, Anna is the winner of the Ovation Award for Lead Actress in a play, and a 5 time Ovation nominee. She also won the LA Weekly Award for Best Solo Performance.
Anna is the recipient of the Google x Black List Storytelling Fellowship, a Sundance Lab alum, and was selected for the Mentorship Matters TV Writers program. In 2023, she became the winner of Screencraft's Pilot writing contest, when her pilot What Doesn't Kill Me was selected out of 3,500 pilot submissions.
She also starred in the John Legend music video "Surefire" which won an MTV Music Award for 'Best Music Video with a Message.'
Anna lives in Los Angeles with her husband, screenwriter Chris Rossi .Castro Valley- Kristin Carey grew up in Santa Rosa, California with aspirations of working in the movie and television business. At a young age Kristin demonstrated a propensity for acting on the stage. She quickly became involved in her school productions. After graduating from the B.F.A Theatre Program at The University of Southern California, she has appeared in numerous national commercials, films and television shows such as "The West Wing," "Without A Trace" and "Bones." She had a 'recurring role' as Dr. Dottie Prewitt on the soap opera "Passions."
Kristin was chosen by the Farrelly Brothers to play a supporting role in their New Line Cinema produced film "Hall Pass." She has played the lead role in a number of independent feature films. Her Sprint commercial, where she plays a studio executive, was produced and directed by the Farrelly Brothers. It has appeared in film theatres across the country.
Kristin has earned rave reviews performing on stage in the plays "It's Just Sex," "Embraceable You," "Agency," "Evita" and the highly acclaimed original play "The War Room" which honored and raised money for the VFW. She gave a stunning portrayal of the complex personality traits associated with criminal behavior for the Los Angeles Police department. She has trained with acting teachers Ivana Chubbuck, Harvey Lembeck, Stephen Book and H. Richard Greene to name a few. She possesses an excellent singing voice developed through her musical theatre work on stage.Santa Rosa - Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Ed Quinn originally pursued a path in music before considering a career in acting. He was born in Berkeley, California and attended the St. Mary's College High School. After high school, Ed attended the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and lettering in Rugby and embarked on modeling throughout Europe, including Paris, Milan and Barcelona. Upon his return to the United States, Ed began his acting career. His first big break was the series regular role of FINN in 2000 on the WB television series "Young Americans". (A Dawson's Creek spinoff). Ed then found lots of work on television during the early 2000s, including Jack & Jill (1999) and Crossing Jordan (2001) and several network pilots. He also appeared in movies like BEEPER with Harvey Keitel and starred in the Sequel Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004). (Directed by STAR WARS Special Effects Legend Phil Tippett) Other television appearances included numerous episodes on JAG (1995), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), CSI: NY (2004) and most notably on vampire series True Blood (2008) and the series regular role of NATHAN STARK on the Sci-Fi comedy/drama series Eureka (2006). In recent years he has joined the casts of hit shows such as 2 Broke Girls, One Day At A Time, and Mistresses. He is currently the Lead of TYLER PERRY's THE OVAL on BET playing President Hunter Franklin. He will also be seen in the feature films SHADOW FORCE and MAN IN THE LONG BLACK COAT in late 2024. During his time as a musician, Ed studied with instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani. After playing in the Los Angeles-based bands Mad Theory and Scattergood, Ed went on to cut his first solo demo CD, entitled "Quinn". He currently releases music and music videos with his band ED QUINN and THE SWAMP METAL ALLSTARSBerkeley, Albany- Actor
- Director
Born and raised in San Mateo, California, he graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Theatre Arts and was quickly headed to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of a career in Film and Television. He didn't have to wait long. A recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) brought Michael the recognition he sought and he followed that with a starring role on the CBS Series Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1997) opposite James Brolin for two seasons. After that, he landed notable recurring roles on shows such as Arli$$ (1996), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), One Tree Hill (2003), Castle (2009), How I Met Your Mother (2005), Revenge (2011), and the animated series Young Justice (2010) as Adam Strange. Some of his most memorable guest appearances include The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (2008), Smut (2008), Angels (2014), John May (2010), Dead Man's Curveball (2011), and Baby Made a Mess (2014). He can be seen recurring on Grandfathered (2015) on the FOX network. But he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Samuel T. Anders on the critically acclaimed Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica (2004) and for Justin Patrick on the USA Network series Fairly Legal (2011). He can be seen in the thriller/horror films Hush (2016), The Bye Bye Man (2017), and Hunter Killer (2018). He is currently starring in Rutherford B. Haze (2017) as Tae Kwon Doug. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Sandra Hess and their two dogs and two cats.San Mateo, Santa Clara- Actress
- Soundtrack
Vanessa Ray Liptak is an American actress. She is known for her role on Pretty Little Liars as Charlotte Drake; and also for her roles as Jenny on the legal drama series Suits, Teri Ciccone on the soap opera As the World Turns, Officer Eddie Janko-Reagan on long-running family-police drama Blue Bloods, and Maggie "Rocker" Sheldon on White Collar.Livermore- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Leland Orser was born on 6 August 1960 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Taken (2008), Se7en (1995) and Alien: Resurrection (1997). He has been married to Jeanne Tripplehorn since 14 October 2000. They have one child. He was previously married to Roma Downey.San Francisco- Actor
- Producer
LaMonica Garrett was born on 23 May 1975 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for 1883 (2021), The Terminal List (2022) and Designated Survivor (2016). He has been married to Mina Ivanova since 27 April 2017.San Francisco- Actor
- Producer
David Lim is an Asian-American actor, raised in San Ramon, California. After receiving a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California San Diego, David worked as a loan officer. He decided he wanted to do something different, and soon after, signed a contract with Ford Models and moved to Los Angeles to pursue modeling and acting.
After appearing in numerous commercials for companies such as Gillette, Bud Light, McDonald's, Dave and Buster's and Apple, Lim was cast in the ABC thriller series Quantico as Sebastian Chen, a CIA recruit. He now stars as a series regular in the new CBS drama S.W.A.T. alongside Shemar Moore of Criminal Minds. David plays Victor Tan, a relatively new S.W.A.T. officer who made his name in the Hollywood Division before advancing to the heights of LAPD and Metro S.W.A.T.
David enjoys playing basketball, photography, traveling and spending time in the gym. He is passionate about nutrition and health, and uses various ways to stay active including kickboxing, hiking, lifting weights and yoga.Oakland, Concord, San Ramon