Big Slick 2023
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Paul Stephen Rudd was born in Passaic, New Jersey. His parents, Michael and Gloria, both from Jewish families, were born in the London area, U.K. He has one sister, who is three years younger than he is. Paul traveled with his family during his early years, because of his father's airline job at TWA. His family eventually settled in Overland Park, Kansas, where his mother worked as a sales manager for TV station KSMO-TV. Paul attended Broadmoor Junior High and Shawnee Mission West High School, from which he graduated in 1987, and where he was Student Body President. He then enrolled at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, majoring in theater. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-West in Los Angeles and participated in a three-month intensive workshop under the guidance of Michael Kahn at the British Drama Academy at Oxford University in Britain. Rudd helped to produce the Globe Theater's production of Howard Brenton's "Bloody Poetry," which starred Rudd as Percy Bysshe Shelley.- Actress
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Heidi Gardner is an American actress, comedian, and writer. She has been a cast member on Saturday Night Live since 2017, beginning in season 43. Gardner was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. She grew up with an older brother, Justin. Growing up, Gardner worked part-time at the Tivoli Theater, where she did everything "from selling tickets to making popcorn." She later credited the theater as "setting the tone in her life." Gardner was not interested in acting as a child, only performing on stage as a flutist for the school band and doing comedy sketches in school talent shows. Gardner graduated from the all-girls Catholic high school Notre Dame DE Sion in 2001.- Actor
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Jason Sudeikis was born on September 18, 1975 in Fairfax, Virginia as Daniel Jason Sudeikis. His father is Daniel Joseph Sudeikis, a Vice President of a business development and his mother is Kathryn (née Wendt), a travel agent at Brennco and President of the American Society of Travel Agents. He is of Lithuanian, Irish and German ancestry. He has two younger sisters, Lindsay, a high school teacher and basketball coach, and, Kristen Sudeikis, an actress and dancer in New York City. His maternal uncle is actor George Wendt.
Sudeikis grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, where he attended Brookridge Elementary School, before transferring to Holy Cross Catholic School. In 1990, he attended Jesuit Rockhurst High School, later transferring to Shawnee Mission West High School. He attended Fort Scott Community College on a basketball scholarship, but left before finishing. He began performing improvisational comedy at ComedySportz (now called Comedy City) in Kansas City.
Sudeikis moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he studied at the Annoyance Theatre and ImprovOlympic, and was one of the founding members of the long-form team, J.T.S. Brown (1998). He performed with Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was later cast in The Second City's National Touring Company. In the early 2000s, he became a founding member of The Second City Las Vegas.
In 2003, Sudeikis was hired as a sketch writer for Saturday Night Live (1975) and would occasionally make bit appearances as audience members or extras. In May 2005, he became a featured player and was upgraded to repertory status in 2006. In July 2013, Sudeikis announced that he was leaving SNL, but still occasionally makes appearances.
Sudeikis is known for starring in the films, Horrible Bosses (2011), Hall Pass (2011), We're the Millers (2013), Horrible Bosses 2 (2014), Sleeping with Other People (2015), Mother's Day (2016), Masterminds (2015), The Book of Love (2016), Colossal (2016) and voicing the character of Red in the animated-comedy, The Angry Birds Movie (2016).
From November 2011 until November 2020, Sudeikis was in a relationship with Olivia Wilde. They have two children, Otis Alexander Sudeikis (born April 20, 2014) and Daisy Josephine Sudeikis (born October 11, 2016).
Recently, Sudeikis has starred in the films, Downsizing (2017), Kodachrome (2017), Driven (2018) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019).- Actor
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Comedian, actor and United States Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Robert Allen Riggle, Jr. was born April 21, 1970 in Louisville, Kentucky, to Sandra (Shrout) and Robert Allen Riggle, who worked in insurance. Riggle has amassed notable television credits and has also earned roles in many feature films, including The Lorax (2012) and 21 Jump Street (2012). After graduating from the University of Kansas with a B.A. in Theater and Film, Riggle joined the Marines and earned a Master's degree from Webster University in Public Administration. Riggle had intentions of becoming a Marine Corps pilot, but eventually left the military to pursue a career in comedy. A featured cast member on Saturday Night Live (1975) during the 2004/2005 season, Riggle then joined Comedy Central's The Daily Show (1996) in 2006 as a correspondent. Riggle's numerous television appearances, including credits on Arrested Development (2003), Chappelle's Show (2003), 30 Rock (2006) and The Office (2005) would lead to big-screen roles in Step Brothers (2008), The Hangover (2009) and The Other Guys (2010). When he is not on set or traveling across the United States performing stand-up comedy, Rob Riggle lives in Los Angeles.- Actor
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Eric Stonestreet was born on 9 September 1971 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Loft (2014), Almost Famous (2000) and Modern Family (2009).- Actor
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Actor, writer and producer David Michael Koechner was born in Tipton, Missouri, to Margaret Ann (Downey) and Cecil Stephen Koechner, who ran a turkey coop manufacturing business. He is of German, Irish, and English ancestry. An alumnus of Chicago's Second City Theater, Koechner got his first break as a cast member on "Saturday Night Live" and since has become an instantly recognizable face appearing in more than 120 films and television shows. He is best known for his roles as Todd Packer on "The Office" and Champ Kind from "Anchorman" and "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues." Koechner received rave reviews for his role in the dark, twisted and film festival award-winning thriller "Cheap Thrills." He is also writing and producing a variety show pilot for NBC. Additional notable film credits include "Waiting," "Out Cold," "Talladega Nights," "Get Smart," "Extract," "Thank You for Smoking" and "A Haunted House." When not filming, Koechner performs live stand-up comedy across the country and creates original content videos for his YouTube channel, Full On Koechner. He resides in Los Angeles, Calif. with his wife and five children.- Producer
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Al Roker was born on 20 August 1954 in Queens, New York, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Robots (2005), Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and The Big Year (2011). He has been married to Deborah Roberts since 16 September 1995. They have two children. He was previously married to Alice Bell.- Anthony Hill was born in Springfield, Missouri, and raised in Kansas City, Kansas. He is an actor, who has appeared in Scream: The TV Series, Silicon Valley, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, N.C.I.S. Los Angeles, Looking, and Fuller House among others. He attended Oklahoma State University and played football there for the Cowboys.
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Aisling Bea is an actor, stand-up comedian, and writer from Ireland. In 2020 she won a BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for her television series This Way Up, in which she also starred. In 2014 she won the British Comedy Award for Best Female TV Comedian. She trained at LAMDA (The London Academy for Music and Dramatic Art). In 2012 she won the Gilded Balloon So You Think You're Funny? stand-up competition; she was the first woman to win it in 20 years.- Music Artist
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Few would have guessed that "Weird Al" Yankovic - who as a shy, accordion-playing teenager got his start sending in homemade tapes to the Dr. Demento Radio Show - would go on to become a pop culture icon and the biggest-selling comedy recording artist of all time, with classic song and music video parodies such as "Eat It," "Like a Surgeon," "Smells Like Nirvana," "Amish Paradise," "White & Nerdy" and "Word Crimes." Now in his fourth decade as America's foremost song parodist, he has been honored with four Grammy® Awards and fifteen nominations, including a 2015 win for his 14th studio album Mandatory Fun.
Alfred Matthew Yankovic was born on October 23, 1959, in the Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood, to Mary Elizabeth (Vivalda) and Nick Louis Yankovic. His father was of Yugoslavian descent and his mother was of Italian and English ancestry. He first took up the accordion when a salesman came around to solicit business for a music school. His parents decided on the accordion because of polka king Frankie Yankovic (no relation). As a child and young teen, Al watched a lot of television, which gave him much inspiration for his later work. He also became a fan of such musician/comedians as Allan Sherman and Spike Jones. He became especially acquainted with these musicians through the radio show of Barry Hansen, aka "Dr. Demento", which would later become a great source of publicity for his talents. After an extraordinary career at Lynwood High School, where Al graduated as valedictorian, he attended the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo to study architecture, a field he is said to have chosen because it was listed first in the catalog (although he has said that he really chose it on the advice of a guidance counselor). It was at Cal Poly that Al had a radio show and earned the nickname "Weird Al". Although he had sent tapes to Dr. Demento in the past, it was at Cal Poly where he recorded his first real published piece, a parody of the popular "My Sharona" by The Knack, called "My Bologna". After the astounding success of that song, forever to be known as the "bathroom recording" as it was recorded in the acoustically perfect mens' room, Al began his phenomenal career, which has spanned twelve albums, numerous compilations, a box set, movies, videos and edible underwear. He has also done a great deal to advance the cause of accordion-wielding weirdos, for which we can all be thankful.
In addition to his 1989 cult hit feature film UHF, his late 1990s CBS Saturday morning series The Weird Al Show and numerous AL-TV specials he has made for MTV and VH1 over the years, Yankovic has remained a staple of film and television, from appearances on The Simpsons and 30 Rock to performing on the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards. More recently he guested on ABC's Galavant (as a singing monk) and The Goldbergs (as the '80s version of himself). In the spring of 2015 Yankovic joined the fifth and final season of IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! as its co-host and bandleader. Al can be heard as the voice of the title character in Disney XD's animated series Milo Murphy's Law. Additional voiceover work includes Gravity Falls, Wander Over Yonder, Adventure Time, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The 7D, Teen Titans Go!, We Bare Bears, Pig Goat Banana Cricket, Uncle Grandpa, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Bojack Horseman, and the DC animated feature Batman vs. Robin. Other notable past projects include the 2009 themed attraction Al's Brain: A 3-D Journey through the Human Brain, featuring cameos by everybody from his mother-in-law to Paul McCartney. Two years later, Comedy Central broadcast and released the concert special "Weird Al" Yankovic Live: The Alpocalypse Tour, filmed at Toronto's venerable Massey Hall. Yankovic added "New York Times bestselling author" to his resumé in 2011 with the release of his children's book, When I Grow Up (HarperCollins), followed two years later by My New Teacher and Me! An animated series based on his children's books is being developed in partnership with the Jim Henson Company. 2012 saw the release of Weird Al: The Book (Abrams), an illustrated hardcover on Al's life and career, and in 2015 Yankovic became not only MAD Magazine's cover boy, but the first Guest Editor in their 63-year history. 2016 saw the release of George Fest: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison, featuring Al's live performance of "What is Life?" The past year has seen the June premiere of the Dreamworks animated film Captain Underpants, for which Al co-wrote and performed the film's theme song, and the release by NECA Toys of the second in its line of retro-clothed Weird Al action figures. In August, Al wrote and performed "The North Korea Polka (Please Don't Nuke Us)" on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
In May 2017, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that Weird Al would be receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In November of this year, Legacy Recordings will release Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic, a career-spanning box set of all 14 of Al's studio albums remastered for 150-gram vinyl and CD formats, plus an exclusive rarities album and 120-page book of archival photos, all housed in a replica of Weird Al's trademark accordion. Released in July 2014, Mandatory Fun became the first comedy album in history to debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and the first to reach the top of the chart since 1963. Yankovic set the U.S. record on Spotify for having the most tracks from one album in the viral top 10 at one time, taking the first four spots. Internationally, the album debuted in the Top 10 in both Canada and Australia (#3 and #9 respectively). In addition, "Word Crimes" debuted in the Billboard Top 40, making Al one of only four artists to have had Top 40 singles in each of the last four decades - the other three are Michael Jackson, Madonna and U2. For Mandatory Fun, Al blew up the internet by releasing eight music videos in eight days, including "Tacky" (the star-studded parody of Pharrell Willliams' "Happy") and "Word Crimes" (an animated grammar lesson to the tune of Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines"). Combined, the videos accrued more than 46 million views in their first week. In 2015 and 2016, Weird Al's Mandatory World Tour encompassed 200 shows throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia, including two nights with a full orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl and a tour-ending sold-out show at New York's Radio City Music Hall. Among his many other past music and video milestones, Yankovic's 2006 album Straight Outta Lynwood spawned the Platinum Billboard Top 10 anthem "White & Nerdy," while the video spent two straight months at #1 on iTunes.
Weird Al has launched The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour, playing stripped-down shows in smaller, more intimate theatres across North America with his band of over three decades.- Actress
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Becky Ann Baker was born on 17 February 1953 in Fort Knox, Kentucky, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for A Simple Plan (1998), Men in Black (1997) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). She has been married to Dylan Baker since 6 September 1987. They have one child.- Additional Crew
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Blake Vogt is known for Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), America's Got Talent (2006) and Now You See Me 2 (2016).- British-American actor, Bradley James, won his first role on the BBC pilot Dis/Connected. Show creators were so impressed with his work that they would go on to cast him as the young King Arthur in the hit show Merlin (2008) which aired on BBC & NBC. Of the eventual cast, James was the only cast member who the creators originally had in mind for the role to land the part. Merlin (2008) would go on to have huge global success and air in over 180 countries giving James a worldwide following.
James would fit in a role on the first season of CW show iZombie. His portrayal proved incredibly popular with fans, who voiced massive disappointment when he left the show. Show creator Rob Thomas later admitted that they had cast someone 'too good' for the role, citing a William Goldman story in which a young Susan Surandan is killed off midway through the 'Robert Redford' film 'The Great Waldo Pepper'_ leading to the audience never forgiving them. James however had already signed on for his next role so couldn't have continued on the series anyway.
It was in the A&E Omen-based series Damien (2016) that James would really shine in the title role. Producers had been struggling to find their leading man but said that the decision was made the second they saw Bradley. Show creator Glen Mazzara stated that Damien (2016) was the hardest role he ever created, given the complex nature of his journey and the history that came with the role, yet James brought the character to life in a way that nobody expected. "Hollywood legend has it that you never name a show after your lead character because very often those actors end up becoming difficult as time goes on. Bradley is not that guy. He is one of the kindest, most talented, hard-working actors I've ever had the pleasure of working with."
Although born in Devon, England, he moved to his father's homeland America at an early age. He would later return to England in his teenage years shortly before beginning his classical training at the Drama Centre London, stating that he had 'three of the most enjoyable years of his life' there. He became the next in line of the Drama Centre leading man conveyor belt that trained the likes of Colin Firth, Michael Fassbender, and Tom Hardy. It is said that he was signed by his agent when still in his first year at the school after showing her to her seat. He has suggested that 'there was a little more too it than that.'
He is a keen sportsman and it is said that he could have been a professional football player had he not chosen the acting route although he has played that down. He has had chance to show off his skills though by playing in many charity football and cricket matches.
Underworld co-star Theo James has hinted in interviews that Bradley is set to become the new lead of the Underworld film franchise following his own departure in the latest installment Underworld: Blood Wars (2016).
In 2017 James was cast as Giuliano de' Medici in Medici: The Magnificent (2018) alongside Daniel Sharman as Lorenzo de' Medici. In 2018 James was cast in the lead roll of American War hero Felix Sparks in the The Liberator (2020) Netflix's four-part World War II drama series based on the book by Alex Kershaw. This is the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. - Charissa Thompson was born on May 4, 1982 in Seattle, Washington. She is currently co-hostess of Fox Sports Live (2013) on Fox Sports 1. Previously, Thompson was the co-hostess of ABC's series, Splash (2013). Prior to joining Fox, she co-hosted ESPN2's SportsNation (2009), along with Marcellus Wiley. Prior to joining ESPN, Thompson covered the NHL, for Versus, from 2010-11, including the 2010 All-Star Game and Stanley Cup Finals. In 2010, Thompson reported on the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games, FIFA World Cup, BCS National Championship Game, Super Bowl and NBA All-Star Game for Yahoo! Sports. She has also appeared on NFL Network and co-hosted programming on the Speed Network.
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Darius Rucker was born on 13 May 1966 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Message in a Bottle (1999), Monte Carlo (2011) and Ted (2012). He has been married to Beth Leonard since 9 December 2000. They have two children.- Actor
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David Cook grew up in Blue Springs, Missouri where he graduated high school then went to Central Missouri State for Graphic Design. He formed a band, Axium, with friends Bobby Kerr and Jeff Shrout, and recorded 3 albums, plus a live album. His band Axium created a great fan base in Kansas City area as well as Tulsa, OK and smaller towns around the country. He plays a white left-handed Gibson guitar that was specially made for him. He had become friends with Andy Skib and Neal Tiemann, lead singer and lead guitarist, respectively of Tulsa-based band, MidWest Kings. After moving to Tulsa after graduating college, he joined MidWest Kings. He released his own album in 2006, Analog Heart which won an UrbanTulsa Weekly award for Indie Album in 2006.- Actor
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David Dastmalchian is originally from Kansas. He moved to Chicago, IL, to study acting at The Theatre School, DePaul University. After college, David worked as a professional fisherman in Alaska, a circus performer, movie theatre usher and playwright. He is an ensemble member of Shattered Globe Theatre Company and Caffeine Theatre in Chicago.- Dustin Colquitt was born on 6 May 1982 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.
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Dylan Baker was born on 7 October 1959 in Syracuse, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Happiness (1998), Trick 'r Treat (2007) and Revolutionary Road (2008). He has been married to Becky Ann Baker since 6 September 1987. They have one child.- Actor
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A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, actor Finn Wolfhard stars as Mike Wheeler in the critically acclaimed Netflix Original Series Stranger Things (2016). The hit series has received various accolades, including a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series; two MTV Movie & TV Awards for Show of the Year; an AFI award for TV Program of the Year; and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Drama Television Series. To date, the world-famous series has received 30 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including two for Outstanding Drama Series.
His first role was in the 2013 independent film Aftermath. After appearing in more independent films such as The Resurrection, Wolfhard moved into roles on television shows The 100 (2014) and Supernatural.
In September 2017, Wolfhard moved to the silver screen, playing the lead role of Ritchie Tozier in the film adaptation of the Stephen King acclaimed novel It (2017). Fans of the novel will remember Wolfhard's role as Trashmouth, part of the Losers Club. The film premiered to critical acclaim, breaking opening weekend box office records in its debut and going on to become the highest grossing horror movie ever. Wolfhard, along with his cast, received the Best On-Screen Team award for "IT" at the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. Wolfhard also starred in Dog Days (2018) alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Nina Dobrev. He can also be heard in the Netflix animated series "Carmen Sandiego," which released its second season in October 2019. Wolfhard reprises his role of Richie Tozier in New Line's blockbuster sequel It Chapter Two (2019).
In May 2019, Wolfhard became the new face of Yves Saint Laurent's Fall/Winter 2019 Campaign. Wolfhard starred as Miles in Amblin's haunted house horror film The Turning (2020) opposite Mackenzie Davis and Brooklynn Prince. Wolfhard will star alongside Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon and McKenna Grace in Sony Pictures' highly anticipated Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), a new chapter in the "Ghostbusters" universe, from director Jason Reitman. Wolfhard stars alongside Oscar winning actress Julianne Moore in the comedy-drama feature When You Finish Saving the World (2022), written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg and produced by Emma Stone. The mother-son story is inspired by Eisenberg's upcoming Audible Original of the same name, which is debuting in 2020. Wolfhard is also set to star as a lead voice over in the upcoming animated series, "NEW-GEN," based on the comic series distributed by Marvel and created by Chris Matonti, J.D. Matonti, and Julia Coppola.
He co-starred in Warner Bros & Amazon Studios' "The Goldfinch," an adaptation of Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize winning & New York Times best-selling novel. Wolfhard played the role of Young Boris alongside an all-star cast including Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson and Jeffrey Wright. Lastly, he voiced the character Pugsley Addams in MGM's The Addams Family (2019) animated film. He can also be heard in Netflix's animated series "Carmen Sandiego," which released its second season in October 2019.
In addition to acting, Wolfhard has a passion for music and formed a garage-rock band called Calpurnia. Calpurnia recorded their debut EP which was released in June 2018. The band's first single "City Boy" debuted at No. 23 on Billboard's Alternative Digital Song Chart and hit No. 1 on Spotify's Global Viral 50 playlist. During the bands three-year run, Calpurnia toured across North America and Europe.
In the Fall of 2019, Wolfhard and drummer Malcolm Craig formed The Aubreys. In March 2020, The Aubreys released their first official EP entitled "Soda & Pie." Wolfhard also used his growing platform to host an event and raise funds for Sweet Relief, an organization that helps musicians in need.- Actress
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Ginger Gonzaga is an actor, writer, improviser and director. She is best known for her memorable performances on The Duplass Brothers series 'Togetherness,' (as the millennial antagonist Christie opposite Amanda Peete) and their musical for 'Room 104' (as the singing love interest opposite Bryan Tyree Henry) both on HBO. After playing Maggie, the impressionable free spirit on Showtime's 'I'm Dying Up Here' (Opposite Melissa Leo and Clark Duke) she joined their Michel Gondry directed series Kidding as Vivian, a sardonic but soulful cancer patient. For Hulu's 'Chance,' she played the bilingual coyote Lorena (opposite Hugh Laurie and Ethan Suplee) and for Netflix's 'Spaceforce,' a satirical version of AOC dubbed "AYC" (opposite Steve Carrel and John Malkovich). Ginger was also a regular on ABC's Mixology, and TBS's Wrecked, as well as the host of Hulu's comedic daily pop culture recap show 'The Morning After,' for which she also wrote. Other television credits include her recurring roles on Tad Quill's Jane Lynch comedy Angel from Hell, Fx's Legit and Netflix's 'Grace and Frankie,' and 'Blindspotting' for Starz. She starred as Helen in True Lies opposite Steve Howey and Nikki in Marvel's She Hulk for Disney+ opposite Tatiana Maslany
Ginger's film debut was in Seth MacFarlane's popular 2012 comedy Ted, followed by Demetri Martin's dramedy and Tribeca Film Festival Winner Dean (opposite Demetri Martin and Gillian Jacobs), and Henry Phillips's And Punching the Clown, (opposite J.K Simmons and Jim Jefferies).
As a writer she has sold shows to Warner Brothers and HBO, and made her directorial debut with the short film 'Your Day' starring herself and Jason Ritter, which she also wrote.
Ginger also sings and composes. She received B.A in Political Science/International Relations and a minor in Chinese from UC Santa Barbara before training at The Groundings and Second City Theaters.- Writer
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Jake Tapper was born on 12 March 1969 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for The Outpost (2019), Late Night (2019) and Pitch Perfect 2 (2015). He has been married to Jennifer Marie Brown since 3 September 2006. They have two children.- Actor
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Joe Lo Truglio was born in Ozone Park, Queens and was raised in Margate, Florida. He is the son of Helen (Lynch) and Joseph Lo Truglio, and is of Italian and Irish descent. His childhood revolved around collecting Mad magazines, shooting horror movies on a Super 8, fishing in his backyard canal, and drawing homemade comics. He graduated Coconut Creek High School in 1988, where he was a member of Thespian troupe 2617, and there, along with classmate Russell Scherker, in category Duo Scene at Thespian VII district competition at Santaluces High School, snagged the coveted "Critic's Choice". The scene performed: the screwball, banter-laden opening scene of "Say Goodnight, Gracie".
He attended NYU Film school where he met his future colleagues and co-founded the cult sketch group, "The State". Also during this time, he indulged in "Jagger-Induced, Midnight Sidewalk-Stencil Missions". After a short run on MTV, he and his cohorts were pistol-whipped by the realities of network television.
After The State's hiatus in 1996, he hunkered down in Hell's Kitchen and immersed himself in commercial, video-game, and TV episodic work. He found a local watering hole, played poker, and trash-talked LA, where, ironically, he would move to 10 years later.
Around the millennium, with "Wet Hot American Summer" and "The Station Agent", independent film work came back into the fray. It was all coming full-circle, the only missing element being a Super 8 camera. Now, he balances writing and producing web series and firebranding its originality over mainstream media with bike rides and matinées. He relishes jumping back and forth between studio and indie flicks. Guinness and Jameson is still his favorite buddy-comedy.- Writer
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Jonathan Fernandez was born in 1967. He is known for Rob the Mob (2014), Breakdown (1997) and Y2K (1999). He has been married to Hilary MacGregor since 21 April 2002.- Actress
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Katherine McNamara, named one of Vanity Fair's "Breakout Bunch," is a sought after accomplished actor, dancer, singer/songwriter. She is most recently known as the titular lead role of "Abby Walker" in Walker: Independence (2022), the prequel to CW's Walker (2021). In 2023, Katherine was nominated for the Critics Choice Association's Super Award for Best Actress in an Action Series. Before she went West, she was cast as "MIa Smoak Queen" as the beloved badass daughter of "Felicity Smoak" and "Oliver Queen" (a true amalgamation of her parents - tough, smart, and takes no shit) and was to follow in her father's footsteps to become the next "Green Arrow" in "Green Arrow and the Canaries." Kat masterfully created the daughter, Mia, a tough street fighter, in the CW series Arrow (2012) with Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards.
Katherine has amassed a large audience from her leading roles of Abby, Mia, and "Clary Fray" in the Freeform series, Shadowhunters (2016) ; a book-to-screen adaptation of the bestselling "The Mortal Instruments." Katherine received many nominations and awards for her portrayal of Clary including winning the The E! People's Choice Awards (2018) for Top Female Television Actress as well as two Teen Choice Award wins for Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/ Sci-fi and Choice Ship with Dominic Sherwood Kat was nominated twice for other Teen Choice Awards and won the The E! People's Choice Awards (2018) with Shadowhunters (2016) for Favorite Sci-fi/Fantasy Show. The series premiered to stellar ratings, being the #1 series debut in more than two years, and helped launch the re-brand of the channel alongside fan favorite Pretty Little Liars (2010). In 2015, McNamara closed out a lightning year, portraying another fierce female role as 'Sonya' in the second installment of Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) trilogy, Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) alongside Dylan O'Brien and Kaya Scodelario.
McNamara began her professional career on Broadway, at the age of 13, as the principle character "Fredrika Armfeldt" in Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music", starring opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury. She was fortunate to continue on as "Fredrika" with the second ALNM Broadway cast of Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. Her other theater roles include "Esther Jane" in the per-Broadway world premiere of "A Christmas Story, the Musical!", as well as "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Crucible", "Inherit the Wind", "Annie", "The Secret Garden" and "Galileo". She has also been cast in a number of Equity workshops/readings, including "Little Dancer" and "Pan" (aka "Fly") with Laura Osnes, which was created by the "In the Heights" creative team - Jeffrey Seller, Alex Lacamoire, and Andy Blankenbuehler.
McNamara's love for acting stretches beyond the stage, with credits in television and film productions. Television credits include Katherine's portrayal of Julie Lawry, the erratic Tinkerbell of the apocalypse in Stephen King 's newest adaptation of The Stand (2020) directed by Josh Boone starring Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, and James Marsden. Additional television credits include 30 Rock (2006), Glee (2009), Happy Together (2018), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Drop Dead Diva (2009), Love, Classified (2022) , Late Show with David Letterman (1993), Good Morning America (1975) and PBS's Sondheim! The Birthday Concert (2010) . McNamara starred in Disney Channel's Girl Vs. Monster (2012) with Olivia Holt which attracted more than 5 million viewers and had recurring roles on Jessie (2011) as "Bryn Breitbart" and on Kickin' It (2011) as the mean girl from Swathmore Academy, "Claire". She filmed the much anticipated Disney pilot, Madison High (2012), where she portrayed "Cherri O'Keefe", resident fashionista and creator of Madison High's popular gossip blog. She can also be seen in the highly acclaimed Freeform series, The Fosters (2013).
McNamara made her big screen debut film in Warner Brothers picture New Year's Eve (2011), where she portrays "Lily Bowman". Besides the Maze Runner series, Kat also starred in Universal's R.L.Stein's film R.L. Stine's Monsterville: Cabinet of Souls (2015) opposite Dove Cameron as well as the independent bullying film, Contest (2013) with Kenton Duty . The film dives into the dark world of high school bullying and found a home on Cartoon Network as part of their anti-bullying initiative. Other film projects include Katherine starring as "Becky Thatcher" in the re-make of Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014), alongside Joel Courtney and Jake T. Austin, which was released in 2013, Disney's family-friendly Little Savages (2016), A Sort of Homecoming (2015) opposite Laura Marano, Is That a Gun in Your Pocket? (2016) with Cloris Leachman, Natural Selection (2016) with Anthony Michael Hall, A Wife's Nightmare (2014) with Jennifer Beals and Indiscretion (2016) with Mira Sorvino, Christopher Backus and Cary Elwes. She recently finished filming a cameo in the new Charlie Day comedy, Fool's Paradise (2023).
Besides working on music, McNamara wants to expand her creative repertoire to include producing and directing. Katherine is also an advocate for education. At the age of 14, McNamara graduated with top honors from high school and then quickly graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Business (emphasis in Finance) from Drexel University's Le Bow School of Business at the age of 17. She is now pursuing a Master of Science in Literature at Johns Hopkins University as part of their Advanced Academics Graduate Degree program.
McNamara is an award winning dancer and has a passion for all forms including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, waltz and even hula. She was a member of the Actors Equity Young Performers Committee and is a reader for the Blank Theater's New Play Development Reading Committee and recurring performer in their Living Room Series. Katherine is committed to giving back to the community as well. She is an ambassador for Girl Up, the United Nation's girl empowerment organization, a spokesperson for Stomp Out Bullying, an avid supporter of the MS Society, a member of the Lollipop Theater Network, a lifetime Girl Scout and a volunteer for the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. She also supports Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis, Rob Riggle, Eric Stonestreet, David Koechner and Heidi Gardner 's Big Slick charity benefiting Kansas City Children's Hospital, and Michelle Obama 's Global Girls' Alliance, an organization that helps young women around the world achieved their potential. She currently resides in Los Angeles and her hometown is Kansas City, Missouri.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Kevin (Elliott) Pollak was born in San Francisco, California, on October 30, 1957, to Robert and Elaine (Harlow) Pollak, of Jewish descent. A stand-up comedy performer at age 10, he attended Pioneer High School in nearby San Jose, before turning professional comedian at 20. He rose through the ranks to the top of the San Francisco comedy scene by age 25, then moved to Los Angeles to decided to focus on acting.
With his early 1980's comic reputation preceding him, Kevin earned a regular role in the short-lived National Lampoon comedy series Hot Flashes (1984) and also participated in the series Comedy Break (1985). A series of TV guest parts included "Amen," "Thirtysomething," "Who's the Boss," and a regular role as the head of a senior retirement facility in the comedy series Coming of Age (1988).
Landing a part in George Lucas' Willow (1988), directed by Ron Howard, the opportunity became the wind beneath his wings, and Kevin sailed from then on. Critically noticed for his featured role as Izzy in the acclaimed Polish-Jewish family drama Avalon (1990) written and directed by Barry Levinson, he moved ahead with support parts in L.A. Story (1991) and Another You (1991), but it was dry-humored lieutenant in Rob Reiner's powerful drama A Few Good Men (1992) that shot him up the film credit's list. In addition to starring in his own HBO stand-up comedy special, Kevin Pollak: Stop with the Kicking (1991), he co-starred in the short-lived comedy series Morton & Hayes (1991) which co-starred Kevin with Bob Amaral and featured "lost clips" of them as an old time comedy team.
A strong support player in the films Indian Summer (1993), Wayne's World 2 (1993), Grumpy Old Men (1993), Clean Slate (1994) and Miami Rhapsody (1995), Pollak often played the best pal of the lead to amusing effect, but took a major departure from his comic instincts to play pungent dramatics in two crime dramas: as Todd Hockney, one of the criminals/suspects in the ultimate whodunnit The Usual Suspects (1995); as real estate hustler Philip Green in Martin Scorsese's mafioso drama Casino (1995)
Pollak returned to lighter material uplifting John Candy's last movie comedy Canadian Bacon (1995), and appearing in the Lemmon/Matthau sequel Grumpier Old Men (1995), co-starring with Jamie Lee Curtis in the fun family film House Arrest (1996); the fictional pop band musical That Thing You Do! (1996); the zany farce The Sex Monster (1999); and the romantic comedies She's All That (1999) and Deal of a Lifetime (1999).
Pollak would return to the live stand-up stage in 2001, headlining a sold out 20 city tour. Comedy Central named him on their Top 100 Comedians Of All Time list. He went on to star in his own comedy special Kevin Pollak: The Littlest Suspect (2010). He has also hosted his own talk show, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show (2009) and, as an avid poker player, participated in both Celebrity Poker Showdown (2003) and Poker Night Live (2018).
Quite busy into the millennium, Pollak's movie work has included primarily comedies, including his over-the-top crimesters in the farcical The Whole Nine Yards (2000) and its sequel The Whole Ten Yards (2004), as well as 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001), Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), The Santa Clause 2 (2002), The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006), Cop Out (2010), 3 Geezers! (2013), Compadres (2016), Lez Bomb (2018) and Benjamin (2019). On the TV front, he has enjoyed recurring roles in the mystery series Shark (2006); the horror comedy Sleeper (2010) (in which he made his directorial debut); the family comedy Mom (2013); the comedy fantasy Angel from Hell (2016); and the award-winning period comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017).- Actor
- Writer
Kevin Rahm is an American actor known for his television roles as Kyle McCarty on Judging Amy, Lee McDermott on Desperate Housewives, and Ted Chaough on Mad Men. Kevin Rahm was born on January 7, 1971, in Mineral Wells, Texas. He attended and graduated from Atlanta High School in Atlanta, Texas in May 1989. Following high school, Rahm, then a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attended one the church's Missionary Training Centers before serving as a missionary in France, Switzerland, and on the islands of Mauritius and Réunion between 1990 and 1992.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
- Producer
Patrick Mahomes is an American professional football player who was a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). He is the son of former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Pat Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes played college football and college baseball at Texas Tech University. Following his sophomore year, he quit baseball to focus solely on football. Mahomes' junior year, he led all NCAA Division 1 players in multiple categories including passing yards (5,052 yards) and passing touchdowns (53 touchdowns). He then entered the 2017 NFL Draft where he was the tenth overall selection by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes spent his rookie season as the backup to Alex Smith. After the Chiefs traded Smith to Washington Redskins the following season, Mahomes was named the starter. That season, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He became the only quarterback in history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season in both college and the NFL. He also joined Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history to throw at least 50 touchdown passes in a single season. For his performance in his first season as starter, he was named to the Pro Bowl, First Team All-Pro and won NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player.- Actor
- Producer
Peter Schrager was born on 20 April 1982 in the USA. He is an actor and producer, known for 10 Takes with Kyle Brandt (2023), NFL Network Special (2017) and 2022 NFL Draft (2022). He has been married to Erica Hirshfeld since 22 June 2013. They have one child.- Philip Bowen was born in 1949 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Selling Hitler (1991), Midsomer Murders (1997) and The Wars of the Roses (1989).
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Punkie Johnson was born on 29 April 1985 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for ZombieCON (2018), Bottoms (2023) and Yes We Cannabis (2023).- Writer
- Actress
- Writer
- Actor
- Director
Richard Christy was born on 1 April 1974 in Fort Scott, Kansas, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008) and Supertwink (2006).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Samm Levine's first breakout role was as a member of the "geek" half of the short lived cult hit, Freaks and Geeks (1999).
The following year, he rejoined "Freaks and Geeks" producer, Judd Apatow, for another widely praised coming of age series, Undeclared (2001). That same year, Samm made his feature debut in the raucous teen spoof, Not Another Teen Movie (2001).
Since then, he has appeared in over 60 films and television shows, including the Oscar winning Quentin Tarantino epic, Inglourious Basterds (2009), and in many memorable roles on beloved programs such as Entourage (2004), Modern Family (2009), NCIS (2003) and How I Met Your Mother (2005). In addition to his growing catalog of television appearances, Samm is also known for roles in many cult features, including the Broken Lizard comedy, Club Dread (2004), the sci-fi thriller, Pulse (2006), and acclaimed indie comedies, Drones (2010) and IFC's Made for Each Other (2009)
Samm has also served as co-host and producer to Kevin Pollak's renowned celebrity talk show, Kevin Pollak's Chat Show (2009), since its inception in 2009 - a role he came into after his interview as a guest on the first episode.- Writer
- Actress
- Producer
Sarah Tiana was born on 17 February 1978 in Hayward, California, USA. She is a writer and actress, known for The Roast of Tom Brady (2024), Idol (2006) and First Time Female Director (2023).- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Sean Evans was born on 26 April 1986 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Hot Ones (2015), Beyond the Loop (2014) and Hot Ones: The Game Show (2020).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Taylor Williamson is a comedian best known for being runner up on America's Got Talent. He started performing stand-up while he was a senior in high school in Del Mar, California. Soon after, he moved to LA and became the youngest comic to perform on The Late Late Show. He's also appeared on shows like AGT: All Stars, Comedy Central's Live at Gotham, Last Call With Carson Daly, The Nick Cannon Show, and he was a semi finalist on Last Comic Standing.
Taylor's been interviewed on podcasts like "WTF with Marc Maron" and "Bad Friends with Bobby Lee & Andrew Santino." His comedy can be heard in his debut album titled "Laughter? I Hardly Know Her!" His brand new special, "Live At The Comedy Store", is now streaming free on YouTube.
Taylor is most proud of performing on two USO tours for our troops around the world.- Music Department
- Composer
- Producer
Labeled by NPR as the "Twin Horns of Joy", Adeev and Ezra Potash are musicians, entertainers and the hosts of Travel Channel's "Southern Road Trip with The Potash Twins" (from Executive Producer Andrew Zimmern). Their recently released album entitled "The Potash Twins" reached #9 on the iTunes Jazz Charts in 2015 (produced by Steven Greenberg, writer/producer of "Funkytown").
Guided at an early age by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, the twins were inspired to pursue a career in the performance and education of jazz. Upon graduating high school, the twins moved to New York City to develop their skills. Adeev studied under the Dizzy Gillespie protégé Jon Faddis at SUNY Purchase, while Ezra received a full ride scholarship to Manhattan School of Music on Bass Trombone.
The twins have performed around the world at notable venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Ginny's Supper Club (at Red Rooster NYC), The Grandstand of the Minnesota State Fair, First Avenue, The Dakota, The Fillmore (Silver Spring, MD) and The Field Museum (Chicago). They have performed at several festivals including Lollapalooza, South By Southwest (SXSW) and Summerfest Milwaukee where they opened for music legend Joe Jackson. They have also performed on several occasions for Warren Buffet's Annual Shareholder's Meeting. Ezra and Adeev have garnered a large following in Asia, due to their participation on a nationally televised competition show in China, where they received 2nd place. Their music can even be heard at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.
The twins have performed live or in-studio with:
Jon Batiste (bandleader for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert) Daniel Powter Jack and Jack Cousin Stizz (feat. with-Gucci Mane/Migos/KYLE/G-Eazy) Nate Fox (prod.-Chance The Rapper) Skate Maloley Cody Johns Sammy Wilk Tor Miller DJ Lord of Public Enemy Ana Golja (Canadian TV Star) Michael Christmas (feat. with-Mac Miller/Lil' Dicky/Logic/G-Eazy/Lupe Fiasco/Asher Roth) Jonah Marais Senri Oe (J-Pop legend) John Fields (prod.-Pink/Nick Jonas/Miley Cyrus/Demi Lovato/Selena Gomez, etc.) Hudson Thames Terrace Martin (on Curly Martin record) Ezra and Adeev were named one of the "15 Most Stylish Twins on Instagram" by the Huffington Post. The twins also delivered a TEDtalk, and have been featured/appeared in NPR, Town & Country Magazine, VH1, Food & Wine Magazine, Vanity Fair, WGN TV, The Miami Herald, Barstool Sports, Tunecore, Sirius XM Radio (The Dave Koz Lounge), Menswear Style Magazine, The Current, Omaha Magazine and many more. The Potash Twins were featured on American Express' social platforms to help launch their 2016 "Shop Small Offer." In 2015, Governor Pete Ricketts bestowed Ezra and Adeev with Nebraska's highest Honor, the title of "Admirals of the State of Nebraska."
Named the "Musicians of the Food World" by the Miami Herald, with a passion for food and the culinary community, the twins have become well known in the food scene by chefs and foodies alike. They have performed around the country at events including: Food Network and Cooking Channel's South Beach Food and Wine Festival, the James Beard Leadership Awards, Aspen Food & Wine Festival, Toronto Food and Wine Festival, Palm Beach Food and Wine (including Chef Daniel Boulud's infamous Sunday brunch at Cafe Boulud), Cochon 555, the opening of Chef Gavin Kaysen's Spoon and Stable, the opening of Chef Mike Isabella's Kapnos Taverna, and at legendary Chef Rick Bayless' James Beard Awards after-party.
Ezra and Adeev hope to use their relationships to spread jazz to a wider audience. As a part of their ongoing efforts to increase the awareness of jazz and live performance, the Potash Twins served as Artistic Directors at the Love's Jazz and Arts Center in the historic jazz district of North Omaha.- Music Department
- Composer
- Producer
Labeled by NPR as the "Twin Horns of Joy", Adeev and Ezra Potash are musicians, entertainers and the hosts of Travel Channel's "Southern Road Trip with The Potash Twins" (from Executive Producer Andrew Zimmern). Their recently released album entitled "The Potash Twins" reached #9 on the iTunes Jazz Charts in 2015 (produced by Steven Greenberg, writer/producer of "Funkytown").
Guided at an early age by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, the twins were inspired to pursue a career in the performance and education of jazz. Upon graduating high school, the twins moved to New York City to develop their skills. Adeev studied under the Dizzy Gillespie protégé Jon Faddis at SUNY Purchase, while Ezra received a full ride scholarship to Manhattan School of Music on Bass Trombone.
The twins have performed around the world at notable venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, Ginny's Supper Club (at Red Rooster NYC), The Grandstand of the Minnesota State Fair, First Avenue, The Dakota, The Fillmore (Silver Spring, MD) and The Field Museum (Chicago). They have performed at several festivals including Lollapalooza, South By Southwest (SXSW) and Summerfest Milwaukee where they opened for music legend Joe Jackson. They have also performed on several occasions for Warren Buffet's Annual Shareholder's Meeting. Ezra and Adeev have garnered a large following in Asia, due to their participation on a nationally televised competition show in China, where they received 2nd place. Their music can even be heard at the Loews Hotel in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.
The twins have performed live or in-studio with:
Jon Batiste (bandleader for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert) Daniel Powter Jack and Jack Cousin Stizz (feat. with-Gucci Mane/Migos/KYLE/G-Eazy) Nate Fox (prod.-Chance The Rapper) Skate Maloley Cody Johns Sammy Wilk Tor Miller DJ Lord of Public Enemy Ana Golja (Canadian TV Star) Michael Christmas (feat. with-Mac Miller/Lil' Dicky/Logic/G-Eazy/Lupe Fiasco/Asher Roth) Jonah Marais Senri Oe (J-Pop legend) John Fields (prod.-Pink/Nick Jonas/Miley Cyrus/Demi Lovato/Selena Gomez, etc.) Hudson Thames Terrace Martin (on Curly Martin record) Ezra and Adeev were named one of the "15 Most Stylish Twins on Instagram" by the Huffington Post. The twins also delivered a TEDtalk, and have been featured/appeared in NPR, Town & Country Magazine, VH1, Food & Wine Magazine, Vanity Fair, WGN TV, The Miami Herald, Barstool Sports, Tunecore, Sirius XM Radio (The Dave Koz Lounge), Menswear Style Magazine, The Current, Omaha Magazine and many more. The Potash Twins were featured on American Express' social platforms to help launch their 2016 "Shop Small Offer." In 2015, Governor Pete Ricketts bestowed Ezra and Adeev with Nebraska's highest Honor, the title of "Admirals of the State of Nebraska."
Named the "Musicians of the Food World" by the Miami Herald, with a passion for food and the culinary community, the twins have become well known in the food scene by chefs and foodies alike. They have performed around the country at events including: Food Network and Cooking Channel's South Beach Food and Wine Festival, the James Beard Leadership Awards, Aspen Food & Wine Festival, Toronto Food and Wine Festival, Palm Beach Food and Wine (including Chef Daniel Boulud's infamous Sunday brunch at Cafe Boulud), Cochon 555, the opening of Chef Gavin Kaysen's Spoon and Stable, the opening of Chef Mike Isabella's Kapnos Taverna, and at legendary Chef Rick Bayless' James Beard Awards after-party.
Ezra and Adeev hope to use their relationships to spread jazz to a wider audience. As a part of their ongoing efforts to increase the awareness of jazz and live performance, the Potash Twins served as Artistic Directors at the Love's Jazz and Arts Center in the historic jazz district of North Omaha.- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
Tim Heidecker was born on 3 February 1976 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories (2013), Us (2019) and Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007). He has been married to Marilyn Porayko since 2 June 2007. They have two children.- Producer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actor
Majored in exploratory studies. Three-year letter winner at quarterback at Cleveland Heights High School. Recognized with All-Lake Erie League honors after totaling 2,539 yards of total offense as a senior and collected 1,016 yards rushing, including 10 touchdowns and 1,523 passing yards on 103-of-198 attempts, with 21 scores and eight interceptions in 2007. Played in 35 games (12 starts) at Cincinnati. Spent the bulk of his 11-game freshman campaign being utilized as a quarterback. In 21 games as a tight end, he snared 59-of-71 passes targeted to him, as his success rate (83.10 pct.) was the best for any active player in the collegiate ranks. Originally entered the NFL as the first of two Kansas City third-round draft picks (63rd overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
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)