My favorites: working actors (who might not have the name recognition they deserve)
This is a list of actors who I generally have to describe as "the person from the thing" before people know who I am talking about. They all have impressive, usually steady careers, if not name recognition. I love seeing these actors "pop up" in movies and TV shows, as random and "obscure" as they may be.
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- Deirdre Lovejoy was born in Abilene, Texas, USA. Deirdre is an actor, known for Raising Dion (2019), The Blacklist (2013) and The Wire (2002).
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Carla Gallo is an American actress from Brooklyn, New York City. Her ancestry includes primarily Germans and Italians. She has had several recurring roles in television series. Her most notable role so far was that of supporting character Daisy Wick in the police procedural "Bones". Her character was an impulsive intern with a habit of non-stop talking. Gallo played this role for nearly a decade, from 2008 to 2017.
Gallo received her college education at Cornell University, a research university located in Ithaca, New York. She graduated with a degree in theater. She made her film debut in the black comedy film "Spanking the Monkey" (1994). She portrayed Toni Peck, the adolescent girlfriend of protagonist Ray Aibelli (played by Jeremy Davies). Toni is unaware that her boyfriend has a sexual relationship with his own mother Susan Aibelli (played by Alberta Watson). Toni is surprised when a jealous Susan attacks and injures her, in retaliation for sleeping with Ray. The film was a minor box office hit, earning 1,4 million dollars at the box office. That was about 7 times the size of the film's budget.
By 1999, Gallo started appearing in guest roles in various television series. Her earliest appearances in television series included episodes of the police procedural "Law & Order" and the medical drama "ER". She gained her first recurring role in the sitcom "Undeclared" (2001-2002), which focused on the lives of college freshmen. Gallo portrayed Lizzie Exley, a neurotic psychology student. Lizzie served as the main love interest of protagonist Steven Karp (Jay Baruchel), despite the fact that she was already dating an older man. The questionable nature of Steven and Lizzie's relationship was one of the series' main subplots. The series received critical acclaim, but suffered from low ratings throughout its first and only season. It was ranked as the 93rd most viewed show of American television at the time.
In 2003, Gallo joined the cast of the dark fantasy television series "Carnivàle" (2003-2005). The series was set in the 1930s, and mainly depicted traveling performers at a carnival. Gallo played the dancer Libby Dreifuss, the elder of the two surviving daughters of striptease artist Rita Sue Dreifuss (played by Cynthia Ettinger) and her manager Felix "Stumpy" Dreifuss (played by Toby Huss). During the first season, Libby's role focused on her lesbian relationship with her only friend, the fortune-teller Sofie Bojakshiya (played by Clea DuVall). After Sofie discovers that Libby was keeping secrets from her, she berates Libby and ends their relationship. In the second season, Libby's role focused on her ill-fated marriage to roustabout Clayton "Jonesy" Jones (played by Tim DeKay). She married him against the objections of both her parents, despite knowing that Jonesy was both a former lover of her mother and a former love interest of Sophie. The series only lasted for two seasons and 24 episodes, though the writers had planned the plot developments of a third season.
In 2008, Gallo joined the cast of police procedural "Bones" in its 4th season. Her character of intern Daisy Wick was developed as a knowledgeable and astute assistant to the protagonist Temperance "Bones" Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel), but her impulsiveness and motormouth nature were her main character flaws. Ongoing subplots about Daisy involved her on-and-off romantic relationship with FBI psychologist Lance Sweets (played by John Francis Daley), her treatment of Temperance as both a role model and as a surrogate family member, and getting used to the role of a single mother following the death of Sweets. Daisy ended the series as the lead anthropologist of the National Forensic Lab.
Also in 2008, Gallo joined the cast of the comedy-drama series "Californication" during its second season. She played the role of porn star and aspiring Hollywood actress Daisy, both a client and a lover for publicity agent Charlie Runkle (played by Evan Handler). Their relationship caused the end of Charlie's marriage to Marcy Runkle (played by Pamela Adlon). Gallo left the series following its 3rd season, having played Daisy for 11 episodes.
In 2009, Gallo joined the cast of the comedy-drama series "Men of a Certain Age" (2009-2011), which dealt with the experiences of three middle-aged men. Gallo played Annie, the young girlfriend of retired actor Terry Elliot (played by Scott Bakula). Annie was frequently annoyed at his immature behavior and his tardiness in their dates. The series lasted for 2 seasons and 22 episodes.
In 2014, Gallo had the supporting role of Paula Faldt-Blevins in the comedy film "Neighbors". Paula had a sexual relationship with frat boy Scoonie Schofield (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse). This relationship motivated Paula's jealous ex-husband Jimmy Blevins (played by Ike Barinholtz) to scheme against the entire fraternity. The film earned 270.7 million dollars at the worldwide box office. In the summer of 2014, Gallo gave birth to her first daughter. In May 2017, Gallo gave birth to her second daughter. She eventually married her long-term partner Mark Satterthwaite. Her husband is a professional screenwriter.
Gallo returned to the role of Paula in the sequel film "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising" (2016). Paula had resumed her relationship with Jimmy, and was expecting her first baby. But she eagerly joined in an escalating conflict between her friends and a new sorority. The conflict was motivated by the incompatible money-making schemes of the two groups. It was eventually resolved through a mutually beneficial deal. The film earned 108.8 million at the worldwide box office, and decent reviews about several of its subplots.
In 2018, Paula portrayed film producer Lucy Fisher (1949-) in the biographical film "A Futile and Stupid Gesture ". The film covered the life of comedy writer Douglas Kenney (1946-1980), and portrayed several of Kenney's associates throughout his career. The real Kenney was killed in an accidental fall from a cliff, leaving behind notes for various unfinished projects. The film was released in the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, to lukewarm reviews.
Gallo has continued her career to the early 2020s. In May 2022, she was hired as part of the main cast of the upcoming series "Platonic". Filming started within the same month. By 2022, Gallo was 46-years-old. She has no plans to retire yet, and she has managed to keep her audience entertained for nearly 30 years.- Actress
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Nicholson was born and raised in Medford, Massachusetts (outside Boston), and is the eldest of four siblings. She is the daughter of Kate (Gilday) and James O. Nicholson, Jr., and is of Irish heritage. Nicholson moved to New York which led to a modeling career in Paris. She attended Hunter College as a General Studies Major. She is married to British actor Jonathan Cake. The couple met playing a couple in an HBO pilot "Marriage" directed by Michael Apted.- Actress
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Kim Rhodes grew up in Portland, Oregon. She attended Southern Oregon State College and earned her B.F.A. in Acting and graduated summa cum laude. Kim graduated from Temple University with her Masters in Fine Arts (M.F.A.). She is certified in four kinds of stage combat: hand-to-hand, quarterstaff, rapier and dagger. Kim has an insatiable appetite for reading. For Kim's first AW Fan Club Luncheon, she rewrote the lyrics for "All for the Best" from "Godspell". She enjoys reading comic books and playing pool and dancing. Kim debuted in her first soap opera, Another World (1964), as "Cindy Brooke" on August 8, 1996. She has appeared in various plays including several written by William Shakespeare. Kim has spent three years as a veterinarian technician's assistant.- Actor
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Adam Arkin was born on 19 August 1956 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Get Shorty (2017), A Serious Man (2009) and Sons of Anarchy (2008).- Actress
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Jayne Brook was born in Northbrook, Illinois, USA. Jayne is an actor and director, known for Star Trek: Discovery (2017), Boston Legal (2004) and Chicago Hope (1994). Jayne has been married to John Terlesky since 11 May 1996. They have two children.- Actress
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Leigh-Allyn Baker is an American actress from Kentucky. Her better known roles include the supporting character Ellen in the sitcom "Will & Grace" (1998-2006, 2017-2020), the recurring antagonist Hannah Webster in the first season of the fantasy series "Charmed" (1998-1999), and co-protagonist Amy Duncan in the sitcom "Good Luck Charlie" (2010-2014).
Baker made her film debut in the comedy horror film "Shrunken Heads" (1994). The film's plot involved the murder of three adolescent boys by local hoodlums. A voodoo priest resurrected the trio, and allowed them to seek revenge. Baker's first significant voice role was that of recurring character Alisa Silver/Alisa Silvermane in "Spider-Man: The Animated Series". She voiced the character from 1995 to 1997. Alisa was both a love interest and a foe for Spider-Man. She was depicted as the college-aged daughter of the aged crime lord Silvermane. Alisa took over her father's criminal empire after he was incapacitated. Silvermane was one of Spider-Man's recurring foes in Marvel's comic books, but Alisa was an original character created for this series.
In 1996, Baker was cast in the regular role of bar co-owner Joy Garfield in the short-lived sitcom "The Last Frontier". The series only lasted for 6 episodes. In 1998, Baker gained a more important role as Ellen in "Will & Grace". Her character was a close friend of protagonist Grace Adler (played by Debra Messing) since their college years, and they regularly played party games together in their adult years. Grace and Ellen had a history of arguments. Grace always managed to reconcile with her friend, through cooking for Ellen and convincing her to discuss their differences. Ellen had provided Grace with emotional support during some difficult times. Baker appeared in 20 episodes of the series, appearing in nearly every season of the long-running sitcom.
Also in 1998, Baker was cast in the role of antagonist Hannah Webster in "Charmed". Hannah was initially introduced as a new co-worker for the young witch Prue Halliwell (played by Shannen Doherty). They both worked at an auction house, but Hannah was always hostile to Prue. Hannah was soon revealed to be a magic user in her own right. Her main powers were thermokinesis (the ability to create heat) and shape-shifting into a black panther. Hannah was working for the Underworld, and aimed to kill Prue and her sisters. She was eventually defeated by the sisters, manipulated into killing her own lover, and then killed by an unseen foe. Hannah was the first female enemy introduced in the series, and among the earliest recurring villains which the protagonists faced.
In the video game "Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force" (2000), Baker voiced the Betazoid field medic Juliet Jurot. The character was a member of Voyager's hazard team, an elite force used for high-risk missions. Juliet was also depicted as a love interest to the human hybrid Austin Chang. Juliet proved able to suppress mental attacks by the Vohrsoth, a powerful telepath. Baker returned to the role of Juliet in the sequel "Star Trek: Elite Force II" (2003). In this game, Juliet served in the USS Enterprise-E under Jean-Luc Picard. Juliet was depicted as having reactivated her Starfleet commission, after completing further studies at the Vulcan Science Academy.
In the video game "Command & Conquer: Renegade" (2002), Baker voiced Dr. Sydney Mobius. She was one of three skilled scientists captured by the terrorist organization Brotherhood of Nod, and forced to work on a human augmentation project. When rescued by the protagonist Nick "Havoc" Parker, Sydney started accompanying him in missions. She wore a combat armor exoskeleton, which she had co-designed with her father.
In 2003, Baker guest-starred in an episode of the sitcom "That '70s Show" as Officer Debbie. Debbie was depicted as a police officer who looked young and attractive when in uniform, while looking old and plain in her civilian clothing. Regular character Michael Kelso (played by Ashton Kutcher) figured than a police uniform would enhance his own fading looks, and started aspiring to a career as a police officer. This became a major subplot for the character throughout the series.
Baker voiced the vengeful ghost of Miyako Sudo in the English dub of the video game "Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly" (2003). Miyako was depicted as a young woman who bravely searched for her missing boyfriend, only to be strangulated by his ghost. In death, she became a hostile ghost in her own right. But she had not fully figured out what happened to her, and questioned the reasons for her fate. Miyako's notebooks represented another subplot in the game, offering clues about the past.
Baker voiced the mutant superheroine Jean Grey in the video game "X-Men Legends" (2004). Jean had to rescue fellow mutant Magik/Illyana Rasputina from the psychic influence of the Shadow King. Baker also voiced Jean in the sequel game "X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse" (2005). In the game, the rival teams X-Men and Brotherhood of Mutants have to join forces against a common foe, Apocalypse.
In the video game "Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express" (2006), Baker voiced two of the murder suspects. She voiced both the young aristocrat Countess Andrenyi and the experienced governess Mary Debenham. The game depicted Mary as a 32-year-old woman, while she was in her mid-20s in the source novel. The game was loosely based on the mystery novel "Murder on the Orient Express" (1934) by Agatha Christie. It featured a number of additional characters, and introduced a further plot twist concerning the fate of the supposedly long dead Daisy Armstrong.
In the video game "God of War II" (2007), Baker voiced Lakhesis, one of the three goddesses of Fate. Lakhesis and her sisters , Atropos (voiced by voiced by Debi Mae West) and Clotho (voiced by Susan Silo), attempted to prevent the protagonist Kratos from traveling back in time and altering events according to his wishes. They were killed for their efforts. The game was loosely based on Greek mythology, and all three sisters were based on the three goddesses of Fate in the Greek legends.
Baker was cast as the main character Abby in the animated series "Back at the Barnyard" (2007-2011). Abby was an anthropomorphic cow, with a tough and rebellious attitude. She and her friend Otis (voiced by Chris Hardwick) were attracted to each other, but were never able to act on their feelings. Abby was still jealous when other females expressed an interest in Otis. The series lasted for 2 seasons and 52 episodes.
In the video game "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" (2009), Baker voiced the heroine Scarlett/Shana M. O'Hara. Scarlett is one of the main members of the G.I. Joe team in most of its incarnations. She is typically depicted as a young redhead from Atlanta, Georgia. Her code-name is based on her perceived resemblance to Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind".
Baker was cast in the main role of Amy Duncan in the popular sitcom "Good Luck Charlie" (2010-2014). Her character was depicted as a married mother of four, and a professional nurse. But Amy also had ambitions to start a career in show business, and took advantage of any opportunity to act or sing in front of an audience. Amy had a particularly close relationship with her eldest daughter Teddy Duncan (played by Bridgit Mendler)), in part because Teddy was a fellow overachiever with both an interest and actual skills in singing. The series lasted for 4 seasons and 97 episodes.
Baker voiced the recurring character of Queen Coralie in the animated series "Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates", a spin-off of Peter Pan. She voiced the character from 2013 to 2016. Coralie was depicted as the queen of the mermaids of Neverland. She was a snobbish and self-centered ruler, but not villainous. She was a recurring foe for Captain Hook, but also a close friend of his mother, the veteran pirate Mama Hook. The female pirate was depicted as Coralie's former teacher, but they became friends when Coralie became an adult.
Baker had two supporting roles in the animated series "The 7D" (2014-2016), which featured the adventures of the Seven Dwarfs. She voiced the regular character Queen Delightful, who typically assigned missions to the Dwarves. The Queen was depicted as a naive and goofy ruler, but had an aggressive side and above-average survival skills. The Queen was also a love interest for the dwarf Bashful, though he had problems in expressing his affection for her. Baker also voiced the recurring character of Snazzy Shazam, a young witch who served as a rival to Hildy Gloom (the main villain of the series). Snazzy and Hildy were both skilled witches, but Snazzy's main goal in life was to outperform Hildy at any opportunity. The series lasted for 2 seasons and 44 episodes.
Baker co-starred in the television film "Bad Hair Day" (2015). It featured a developing friendship between the suspended police officer Liz (played by Baker) and the adolescent tech whiz Monica Reeves (played by Laura Marano). They allied themselves in search of a stolen diamond, whose whereabouts were unknown even to the thief who had originally taken it from a museum. Baker was also the film's executive producer. The film delivered 4.0 million viewers for its television premiere.
Baker has not had any major voice roles in several years. She voiced relatively minor recurring characters in both "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" (2015-2019) and "Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures" (2017-2021). As of 2022, Baker was 50-years-old. She has gained a fan following for several of her past roles. She has no known plans to retire, but it is unclear whether she will return to the spotlight.- Actress
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Anne Ramsay was born on 11 September 1960 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for A League of Their Own (1992), Planet of the Apes (2001) and The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014).- Actress
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Best known to television viewers as a series regular on two Chuck Lorre hit comedies: "Dharma & Greg" (5 seasons) and "Mom" (8 seasons). She garnered a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Marjorie in Season 1 of "Mom" before becoming a series regular in Season 2.
Born in Rochester, N.Y., Kennedy ignited her acting career on stage opposite TV legend Sid Caesar in Neil Simon's "Last Of The Red Hot Lovers," along with Doris Roberts, who became a friend and mentor. As one of the principal stars of "3 Girls 3," a musical-variety mini-series co-starring Debbie Allen and Ellen Foley, she played opposite Bob Hope, Carl Reiner, Tony Curtis, Flip Wilson, and Steve Martin (in his prime-time TV debut). Regular TV series roles followed including, as Stockard Channing's sister In "Just Friends" and co-starring with Peter Cook in "The Two of Us." As Queen-B Ruth Sloan on "Homefront," Kennedy netted another American Television Critics nomination, this time as Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. She recurred as CIA Director and House Minority Leader in HBO's "The Brink" and "Veep," respectively.
Her most notable films include "In the Loop," "Midnight in Paris," "Pump Up the Volume," "Erin Brockovich," "Man in the Chair," and "The Five-Year Engagement." 2021 releases include the Tony Hale comedy "Eat Wheaties!" and the feel-good film "Saving Paradise."
Her memoir "Taken To The Stage" was praised for addressing the moral and psychological challenges of an acting career. She is updating it for paperback and Audible release.- Actress
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For someone who has made an award-winning impact in all three mediums (stage, film and TV), actress Kathy Baker has been strangely denied all-out stardom, yet continues to demonstrate her versatility in whatever material comes her way.
The comely blonde was born Katherine Whitton Baker in Midland, Texas, to Helene Andree Baker (nee Whitton) and John Seawand Baker, a geologist and educator who taught at both Princeton and the University of Paris. Raised in New Mexico, she first took to the stage at age 10. Influenced by her French-born mother, Kathy attended the University of California at Berkeley and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in French in 1977, then went to Paris to study haute cuisine at the famed Cordon Bleu. She returned to the States to work as a pastry chef, but discovered that she still wanted to act and eventually joined San Francisco's Magic Theatre, where she appeared in the play "The Man Who Killed the Buddha." Her performance drew the immediate attention of playwright Sam Shepard.
1983 was a banner year for Kathy. At the Magic Theatre, wherein she used the stage name of Kathy Whitton Baker, Shepard cast her in a leading role in one of his new plays, "Fool for Love." The premiere garnered exceptional notices and the play (and Kathy) went to New York. She and co-star Ed Harris, won 1984 Obie Awards for their rich performances, as did playwright Shepard for directing. The production itself won the Obie for "Best New American Play." That same year Kathy made a strong movie debut co-starring in The Right Stuff (1983) as the wife of astronaut Alan Shepard (played by Scott Glenn).
Displaying an attractive intelligence in her performances, Kathy continued to make strides on the New York stage both in 1984's "Desire Under the Elms" and as a replacement for the Lemon character in the Obie-winning "Aunt Dan and Lemon" at Joseph Papp's Shakespeare Festival in 1986. Later in the decade, both Kathy and Morgan Freeman stole the thunder right from under star Christopher Reeve in the tense film drama Street Smart (1987) with Kathy delivering a grim, heartfelt performance as an ill-fated hooker to Freeman's feral pimp. Both performances delivered a one-two punch and were applauded for their shocking realism. Each received their share of awards and plaudits; Kathy nabbed both the National Society of Critics and Boston Society of Critics awards, but was shamefully snubbed when it came to the Oscar race (Freeman was nominated, but lost).
Throughout the rest of the decade Kathy continued to give spot-on performances in such quality films as Clean and Sober (1988), as a recovering addict; Permanent Record (1988), as a wife whose son commits suicide; Jacknife (1989), in which she was reunited with Ed Harris as the put-upon, plain-Jane sister of an alcoholic Vietnam vet; and Edward Scissorhands (1990) as a seemingly model housewife who has an uncontrollably flirtatious nature. Top-flight stardom seemed to be almost a given.
With the new decade, however, the movie roles tendered out to her became less frequent or noteworthy so Kathy decided to focus outside her medium of choice and actively search for TV roles. The results were customarily expert. In the slightly quirky Picket Fences (1992), Kathy found a perfect fit taking on the role of small town mother and doctor Jill Brock. Running for four seasons, she was nominated for an Emmy each year and took home the trophy three of those four times for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series".
Into the millennium Kathy has maintained consistency with quality roles in such releases as The Glass House (2001), Assassination Tango (2002), Cold Mountain (2003), Nine Lives (2005), All the King's Men (2006), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), Miss Nobody (2010), Seven Days in Utopia (2011), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). On TV she and Helen Mirren picked up supporting Emmy nods in the bittersweet Door to Door (2002), with Emmy-winning William H. Macy starring as a man with cerebral palsy.
In 2001 she joined the cast of Boston Public (2000) as a manipulative mom (another Emmy nomination). Some of those episodes were directed by Steven Robman, whom she married in June of 2003. Kathy has two children from a previous marriage.
In addition to guest spots on such TV series as "Fathers and Son," "Nip/Tuck," "Gilmore Girls, "Grey's Anatomy," "Saving Grace," "Medium" (recurring), and "Criminal Minds," she had series roles in Against the Wall (2011), I'm Sorry (2017) and The Ranch (2016).