Connie and Carla 2004 (FL) premiere
Wednesday April 14th, AMC Rosemary Square 12 545 Hibiscus St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
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- Actress
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Nia Vardalos was born on 24 September 1962 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is an actress and writer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016) and I Hate Valentine's Day (2009). She was previously married to Ian Gomez.- Director
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Michael Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA to Harvey Lembeck and Caroline Lembeck, both in show business. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1966 and his classmates in a drama course included Rob Reiner, Albert Brooks and Richard Dreyfuss.
After continuing his drama studies at Los Angeles City College and Cal State, he added singing and dancing lessons, and performed in summer stock productions. He toured with the original National company of the Broadway hit, "Grease", with John Travolta as his roommate.- Actor
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Ben Gazzara's screen career began with two critically acclaimed roles as heavies in the late 1950s. He turned to television in the 1960s but made a big screen comeback with roles in three John Cassavetes films in the 1970s. The 1980s and 1990s saw Gazzara work more frequently than ever before in character parts. If he never became the leading man his early films and stage work promised, he had a career notable for its longevity. He was born Biagio Anthony Gazzara on August 28, 1930, in New York City. The son of a Sicilian immigrant laborer, he grew up on New York's tough Lower East Side. After seeing Laurette Taylor in "The Glass Menagerie," Gazzara decided he wanted to become an actor. He studied engineering (unhappily) but quit after receiving an acting scholarship (he worked under well-known coach Erwin Piscator).
Gazzara then joined the Actors Studio, where a group of students improvised a play from Calder Willingham's novel End as a Man. The tale of a brutal southern military academy reached Broadway slightly changed in 1953 but with Gazzara still in the principal role. It was a star making part (he won a Theatre World award) and he then played leads in the original productions of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1955) and "A Hatful of Rain" (1955) (he was nominated for a Tony). Bigger names Paul Newman and Don Murray played those last two roles on the big screen but Gazzara made his movie debut in The Strange One (1957) the film version of "End as a Man." The film was a critical but not commercial success. His next role was as the defendant in Anatomy of a Murder (1959) which was a big hit.
Gazzara followed this with an Italian venture co-starring Anna Magnani, The Passionate Thief (1960), two Hollywood films The Young Doctors (1961) and Convicts 4 (1962) and then another Italian film Conquered City (1962). None of these did much for his career, and he turned to television. He appeared in the successful series Arrest and Trial (1963) and Run for Your Life (1965). In between, he made A Rage to Live (1965), a film version of John O'Hara's novel. He returned to films in The Bridge at Remagen (1969) and with a cameo appearance in If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969). His buddy in the cameo was John Cassavetes, who directed and co-starred with him in Husbands (1970), a critical success. Gazzara made two more well-received films with his good friend Cassavetes: The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Opening Night (1977).
Gazzara's other films in the 1970s were undistinguished apart from the sprawling Voyage of the Damned (1976) and a rare leading role in director Peter Bogdanovich's Saint Jack (1979). Bloodline (1979) and They All Laughed (1981) (also directed by Bogdanovich) were only notable because of Gazzara's off-screen relationship with co-star Audrey Hepburn (ironically, Gazzara had declined to make his screen debut in War and Peace (1956) starring Hepburn). Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981) was another lead for Gazzara, but it received a mixed critical reception. Other big-screen roles in the 1980s were scarce apart from Road House (1989), a Patrick Swayze vehicle that Gazzara believed out of all his films had been the most repeated on television. He worked much on the small screen, including the groundbreaking television movie An Early Frost (1985), playing the father of an AIDS victim.
The 1990s saw Gazzara working like never before, appearing in 38 films. Most were for free-to-air television or cable but he also worked on the big screen in The Spanish Prisoner (1997), The Big Lebowski (1998), Happiness (1998) and Summer of Sam (1999). His television work included a guest appearance as an executive assistant attorney in a 2001 episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999)- a nice touch since
Gazzara has often returned to the stage throughout his career-in "The Night Circus" (1958) (where he met second wife Janice Rule), "Strange Interlude" (1963), "Traveller Without Luggage" (1964), Hughie/Duet (1975) (nominated for a Tony), "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1976) (again Tony nominated), and "Shimada" (1992). He has also worked as a director on episodes his series Run for Your Life (1965) and The Name of the Game (1968) and the television movies A Friend in Deed (1974) and Troubled Waters (1975) featuring his friend Peter Falk. The unreleased Beyond the Ocean (1990) (which he also wrote) was his final film as a director.
In 2003 Gazzara appeared in the independent Dogville (2003) adding Lars von Trier to the list of interesting and acclaimed directors with whom he has worked. There can't be many actors who can boast that they have acted in films by Otto Preminger (Anatomy of a Murder (1959)), John Cassavetes, Joel Coen (The Big Lebowski (1998)), Spike Lee (Summer of Sam (1999)), and Lars von Trier, among others. Ben Gazzara died at age 81 of pancreatic cancer on February 3, 2012.- Producer
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- Actress
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Toni Collette is an Academy Award-nominated Australian actress, best known for her roles in The Sixth Sense (1999) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006).
Collette was born Toni Collett (she later added an "e") on November 1, 1972, in Blacktown, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She is the first of three children of Judith (Cook), a customer service representative, and Bob Collett, a truck driver. From age six, she was brought up in suburban Sydney. At the age of eleven, she showed her phenomenal acting skills when she faked appendicitis out of boredom and longing for attention; her act was so convincing that doctors had to remove her appendix, even though the test showed nothing was wrong with it. At 16, she left school and enrolled in the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA). At that time, she was a struggling actress, supporting herself by delivering pizzas. After 18 months of studies, she left NIDA for her feature film debut as "Wendy Robinson", opposite Russell Crowe and Anthony Hopkins, in The Efficiency Expert (1991), and earned herself a nomination for Best Supporting Actress from the Australian Film Institute. Collette made her stage debut with the Sydney Theatre Company, as "Sonya" in Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya", a performance that won her a critic's circle award as Best Newcomer. She also appeared in stage productions at the Belvoir Street Theatre, under directorship of Geoffrey Rush. In 1994, she won the Australian Best Actress in a Lead Role for her work in Muriel's Wedding (1994), for which she had to gain 40 pounds in seven weeks. In 1995, Toni Collette came to Hollywood with a supporting role in The Pallbearer (1996), then had a string of supporting roles. Her first lead as "Diana Spencer", an Australian woman who shares the name and birthday of Princess Diana, in the comedy, Diana & Me (1997), was obscured by the real Diana's death, which practically occurred at the same time when the movie was released. Her breakthrough came with the role as "Lynn Sear" in The Sixth Sense (1999), for which she quite rightly won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Her latest memorable role as "Sheryl", a beaten-down but loving mother, in Little Miss Sunshine (2006), is also a fine ensemble work with Abigail Breslin, Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin. Since 2003, Toni Collette has been married to musician Dave Galafassi, with whom she recorded her singing and songwriting debut album, titled "Beautiful Awkward Pictures", in 2006. She co-owns an independent production company in Australia, and also continues her music career as a singer. Toni resides with her husband in Sydney, Australia, and owns a second home in Ireland.- Actor
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David William Duchovny was born on August 7, 1960, in New York City, New York, USA. His father, Amram Ducovny, was a writer and publicist who was from a family of Jewish immigrants (from Ukraine and Poland), and worked for the American Jewish Committee. His mother, Margaret (Miller), was a Scottish-born school teacher. David has a sister, Laurie, and an older brother, Daniel Ducovny, an award-winning director of commercials, as well as a director of photography.
David earned an undergraduate degree from Princeton University, and also attended Yale University, where he undertook a Master's Degree in English Literature. A keen poet and writer, David's work was well recognized by his peers and teachers while he was in attendance at Yale. He was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets for his outstanding work within the literary field. While at Yale, he began commuting to New York to study acting and was soon appearing in off-Broadway plays. In 1987, he abandoned his doctoral studies at Yale to pursue acting full time.
Like any actor or celebrity, David began his career on the bottom, by acting in numerous commercials in the late-eighties. He crossed over into films with bit parts in low key films such as New Year's Day (1989) and Bad Influence (1990). Although these parts were small and somewhat insignificant, it was a start and David was able to get his foot in the door.
In 1991, David got offered the role of DEA Dennis Bryson on the acclaimed TV series, Twin Peaks (1990). He only appeared in three episodes, but at that early stage, it was his biggest claim to fame yet, as Twin Peaks (1990) was watched by millions of people worldwide. Needless to say, David's talents as an actor would finally be recognized and he would get the acknowledgment that he so richly deserved.
In the early 1990s, he got more bit parts in films, this time, however, the films weren't "low key", but hits, such as Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991) and the family favorite comedy, Beethoven (1992). David's role in Beethoven (1992) was small, but it was hard to forget the poor guy who was dragged across the lawn by the giant St. Bernard!
A year later, in 1993, David got the lead role in the independent film Kalifornia (1993). The film also starred another up-and-coming young actor, Brad Pitt. In Kalifornia (1993), David played a journalist who goes on a cross-country tour of famous murder sites with his girlfriend as research for a book he is writing about serial killers. He takes Pitt's character along to help pay the bills, unaware that Pitt's character is in fact a serial killer himself. Although it did not do much business at the box office, it is still a great film and has become somewhat of a cult favorite among fans.
That same year, David was offered the role of FBI Agent Fox "Spooky" Mulder on the long-running TV series The X-Files (1993). The show was a tremendous international success and propelled David (and his co-star Gillian Anderson) into super-stardom. His character of Mulder has become somewhat of a pop culture legend and is renowned the world over for his satirical wit and dry sense of humor. Fans loved the fact that he could keep a straight face and still crack and joke in the face of extreme danger. David improvised a lot of his own lines of dialogue while on the show and even penned and directed a few episodes. The series ended in 2002 and still has a strong, dedicated following. To date, David has reprised his role of Fox Mulder in two "X Files" feature films: The X Files (1998) and The X Files: I Want to Believe (2008).
During the initial run of The X-Files (1993), David kept busy and made several films, such as: Return to Me (2000), alongside actress Minnie Driver and the comedy favorite Evolution (2001), with Julianne Moore, Seann William Scott and Orlando Jones. He even had a hysterical cameo as a self-obsessed, simple-minded hand model in the comedy-smash Zoolander (2001).
In 2007, after a few years out of the limelight, David struck gold again after landing the plum role of Hank Moody in Californication (2007). The raunchy series follows the life of womanizing writer Hank Moody (Duchovny) as he tries to juggle his career and his relationship with his daughter and his ex-girlfriend. The show has become a hit for its off-the-wall humor and Duchovny's ability to always turn in a brilliant performance.
It may have taken a while, but David has worked his way to the top and notched up an impressive resume along the way. We can expect to see a lot more of him in the future.- Stephen Spinella was born on 11 October 1956 in Naples, Campania, Italy. He is an actor, known for Ravenous (1999), Virtuosity (1995) and Rubber (2010).
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Alejandro Mapa, a Filipino-American, got his professional break as "Alec Mapa" when he was cast to understudy, and then succeeded BD Wong in the Broadway production of 'M. Butterfly'. Mapa later played the role on the national tour. Mapa returned to Broadway in a 1992 adaptation of 'L'Hôtel du libre échange' (by Georges Feydeau and Maurice Desvallières), re-titled, 'A Little Hotel on the Side'.
The next year, Mapa was back on Broadway in a Stratford Festival inspired production of Shakespeare's 'Timon of Athens'. Off-Broadway, he earned a nomination at the 2001 Lucille Lortel Awards for his performance in Jessica Hagedorn's play 'Dogeaters', and was featured in every play in the 'Whitelands' trilogy, a series of plays about gay Asian men written by Chay Yew: 'Porcelain' (1992), 'A Language of Their Own' (1995), and 'Wonderland' (1999).
On television, he has had guest appearances on numerous programs, including "The Jamie Foxx Show" (1996), "Roseanne" (1988), "Seinfeld" (1989), "NYPD Blue" (1993), "Heartland" (2007/I), "Friends" (1994), "Murder One" (1995), "Law & Order" (1990), "Holding the Baby" (1998), and "Dharma & Greg" (1997). He had a recurring role as "Vern" on Desperate Housewives (2004) (2004) and a featured role in the short-lived 2001 comedy, "Some of My Best Friends" (2001). He played "Adam Benet" in the UPN comedy "Half & Half" (2002).
He wrote and performed in a one-man play, 'I Remember Mapa', about his experiences growing up gay in San Francisco. Mapa was a featured performer on the Logo original stand-up comedy series Wisecrack. In 2006, he appeared as "Vern", Gabrielle's personal shopper, on "Desperate Housewives" (2004). He had a recurring role on the 2006-10 series "Ugly Betty" (2006) as "Suzuki St. Pierre", the flamboyant host of a fictional gossip and news show (who, it is revealed, is actually a straight-and married-journalist named Byron Wu) and voiced the character of Rick's flamboyantly gay uncle, "Bakla", on the 2007-09 animated series, "Rick & Steve the Happiest Gay Couple in All the World" (2007).
Mapa's film credits including "Bright Lights, Big City" (1988), "Playing by Heart" (1998), "Connie and Carla" (2004), and "Marley & Me" (2008), among others. He was featured in "Super Sweet 16: The Movie" (2007) (TV) and "True Loved" (2008). He played a hair stylist in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan". In 2008, he hosted Logo's reality dating program "Transamerican Love Story" (2008), in which transgender producer and actress Calpernia Addams selected from eight potential suitors. That same year, he also hosted Dancing with Dogs (2008) (TV) on Animal Planet.
Mapa also performed on the 2009 Atlantis Freedom Caribbean Cruise, headlining in the Arcadia Theater. In 2010, he became a co-host of Logo's "The Gossip Queens" (2010), a daily series in which he helps present celebrity gossip. In his act, he jokes that he is sometimes confused with Rex Lee, who played "Lloyd" on the HBO dramedy Entourage (2004).- Actor
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Actor in films Connie and Carla, Saving Silverman, Tron Legacy, Cold Pursuit and the relaunch of The X-Files, Logan is now writing, producing and directing. Logan won Best Screenplay for his script 'Kiri and The Girl', which premieres at the Vancouver International Film Festival and San Diego International Film Festival this October. His shorts "Moonboy" and "Thoughts and Prayers" have won numerous awards on the festival circuit, and his latest short, 'Never.' has already been nominated twice for Best Director and won Best Experimental Short at the Paris Short Film Awards. He also is the Director of the Sunday Shorts Film Festival in Vancouver BC.- Robert Kaiser is known for The Collector (2004), Connie and Carla (2004) and Shock to the System (2006).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ian Gomez was born on 27 December 1964 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), The Drew Carey Show (1995) and Felicity (1998). He was previously married to Nia Vardalos.- Bobby is a certified and active New York State firefighter, currently captain of an engine. Burke is also active with foundation work including vet-hack, Leary Firefighter Foundation, FDNY Foundation, FDNY Fire Family Transport Foundation, Lt. Joseph DiBernardo Foundation for Fire Fighter Survival. Burke holds a second degree black belt in Matsubayashi, Shorin-ryu Okinawa karate.
- Son of actor John McGiver, Boris McGiver is an American actor born in upstate New York to second-generation Ukrainian and Irish parents (Shmigelsky and McGiver). He is known for Uncle George in SERVANT (Apple TV), Glen Maskins in For Life (ABC), Monsignor Korecki in Evil (CBS), Tom Hammerschmidt in House of Cards (2013), Hersh in Person of Interest (2011), Marimow in The Wire (2002); also for roles in Lincoln (2012), "TURN: Washington's Spies" (2014), Taxi (2004), and John Adams (2008), as well as a slew of others. He came to acting later than most, since his main goal in his youth was to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy. Though accepted to the Academy's class of 1984, he was let go at the last minute due to minor knee problems, which left him less than the perfect physical specimen the Academy demanded of its incoming cadets. That heartbreak, however, led him circuitously back to his nascent attraction to the field of acting. He is a graduate of NYU's Graduate Acting Program, and he credits Ron Van Lieu, the great acting teacher, with helping him begin to understand this beautiful art of acting. Spending a year in Sweden also turned him into a socialist, a label he wears with pride--compassion being its major tenet.
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Nick Sandow is an American actor, writer, producer and director, best known for his role as Joe Caputo in Orange Is the New Black which earned him three SAG Awards. Other director credits include his first feature film and NYTimes Critic pick "Ponies" as well as multiple episodes of "Orange Is The New Black". Nick wrote and directed the crime drama "The Wannabe" which was was executive produced by Martin Scorsese. The NYTimes said, "The Wannabe is Nick Sandow's modest, assured and cautionary gangland character study." Teaming up with Jay-Z, he created Spike Network's "TIME: The Kalief Browder Story" which won the Peabody Award in 2018. Nick went on to produce Paramount Network's "Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story". Other acting credits include "Boardwalk Empire", "Meadowland", "SVU" and "Blue Bloods".- Actor
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Dashiell Raymond Mihok was born on May 24, 1974 in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, to Andrea Mihok (née Cloak) and Raymond Thorne (born Raymond Mihok), both actors, with ties to the New York stage. He is of Czech and British descent. Dash was raised in a trendy artist building. He attended many different schools, including the Bronx High School of Science. During his freshman year in 1988, while going to high school, he participated in City Kids, a foundation in New York City whose purpose is to engage and develop young people through programs dealing with self-esteem, leadership, and communication, which grew into a role on CityKids (1993), a short-lived TV series that starred a group of multi-ethnic teen actors and Jim Henson's Muppets. Dash was part of the group's touring company, which put on productions all over the city.
Much of the New York native's early work was lensed in his hometown. The young actor appeared in guest spots on the NYC-filmed dramas New York Undercover (1994), NYPD Blue (1993), and Law & Order (1990). Mihok made his film debut in the 1994 racially themed independent feature "Black is White" before receiving particularly strong reviews for his role as a mentally unbalanced young man in the CBS-TV movie thriller Murderous Intent (1995), and an appearance in Barry Levinson's hard-hitting Sleepers (1996) followed. While Mihok's performances in these New York-filmed features were strong, he first gained real notice with his featured role in Baz Luhrmann's modern take on Romeo + Juliet (1996).
He was a featured regular on the CBS sitcom Pearl (1996), on which he starred as Rhea Perlman's rebellious son Joey. He also had a recurring role during 1999 on the WB's college drama Felicity (1998) as Lynn, a competitive swimmer attending the fictional University of New York. He has also had a guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000).
To date, he has been in a variety of independent and high-budget films, the most recent of which being Hollywoodland (2006) and Firehouse Dog (2007).- Chelah is most well known for her work as Helen Smith on Amazon's The Man In The High Castle, for which she's been oft nominated and was awarded the Leo in 2017 and 2020. Chelah's earlier life saw her working a variety of jobs from restaurants to interior design to event production, while travelling extensively throughout her twenties. She came to acting later than most, making it her sole focus and career at the age of 28. Under the banner of her company, Phoebe Films, Chelah is currently producing a documentary about her father, Canadian folk legend Valdy, developing both a short and feature that she's penned, and continues to contribute whatever she is able to other budding filmmakers. She also places great importance in mentoring younger female actors to empower them moving forward in a sometimes difficult industry. Chelah works passionately to raise both money and awareness for animal welfare.
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Debbie Reynolds was born Mary Frances Reynolds in El Paso, Texas, the second child of Maxine N. (Harmon) and Raymond Francis Reynolds, a carpenter for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Her film career began at MGM after she won a beauty contest at age 16 impersonating Betty Hutton. Reynolds wasn't a dancer until she was selected to be Gene Kelly's partner in Singin' in the Rain (1952). Not yet twenty, she was a quick study. Twelve years later, it seemed like she had been around forever. Most of her early film work was in MGM musicals, as perky, wholesome young women. She continued to use her dancing skills with stage work.
She was 31 when she gave an Academy Award-nominated performance in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964). She survived losing first husband Eddie Fisher to Elizabeth Taylor following the tragic death of Mike Todd. Her second husband, shoe magnate Harry Karl, gambled away his fortune as well as hers. With her children as well as Karl's, she had to keep working and turned to the stage. She had her own casino in Las Vegas with a home for her collection of Hollywood memorabilia until its closure in 1997. She took the time to personally write a long letter that is on display in the Judy Garland museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and to provide that museum with replicas of Garland's costumes. The originals are in her newly-opened museum in Hollywood.
Nearly all the money she makes is spent toward her goal of creating a Hollywood museum. Her collection numbers more than 3000 costumes and 46,000 square-feet worth of props and equipment.
With musician/actor Eddie Fisher, she was the mother of filmmaker Todd Fisher and actress Carrie Fisher. Debbie died of a stroke on December 28, 2016, one day after the death of her daughter Carrie. She was survived by her son and granddaughter, up-and-coming actress Billie Lourd.- Actor
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Gregory Phillip "Greg" Grunberg is an American television and film actor. He is best known for starring as Matt Parkman in the NBC television series Heroes and "Snap" Wexley in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He has often appeared in works produced and directed by childhood friend J. J. Abrams. He is a recurring cast member in the first two seasons of the Showtime American television drama series Masters of Sex.- Producer
- Executive
Gary Barber was born in 1957 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is a producer and executive, known for The Lookout (2007), G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and Unbreakable (2000).- Producer
- Production Manager
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Roger Birnbaum was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, USA. He is known for The Magnificent Seven (2016), The Vow (2012) and 27 Dresses (2008).- Producer
- Executive
Jonathan Glickman was born on 18 May 1969 in Wichita, Kansas, USA. He is a producer and executive, known for Rush Hour (1998), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002). He is married to Unknown . They have two children.- 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.- Music Department
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Randy Edelman was born on 10 June 1947 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for The Last of the Mohicans (1992), xXx (2002) and Anaconda (1997). He has been married to Jackie DeShannon since 3 June 1976. They have one child.- Cinematographer
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Richard Greatrex was born in 1947 in Swansea, Wales, UK. He is a cinematographer and producer, known for Shakespeare in Love (1998), A Knight's Tale (2001) and Chaos (2005).- Editor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Editorial Department
David Finfer was born in 1942 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an editor and assistant director, known for The Fugitive (1993), Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997). He was married to Cinnia. He died on 3 April 2023 in the USA.