Flipper 1996 premiere
Sunday May 5th, Universal Cinema AMC at Citywalk Hollywood 19 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608
List activity
90 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
387 people
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Paul Hogan became a worldwide success with his irresistible comic performance in Crocodile Dundee (1986), which he created and co-wrote. This earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor as well as an Academy Award nomination (for Best Screenplay). The versatile actor got his start in Australian television in a recurring role as comic relief on A Current Affair (1971). An expanded version entitled The Paul Hogan Show (1973) premiered on Australia's Nine Network and quickly propelled him to the top of the ratings chart. His dramatic role on the critically acclaimed television series Anzacs (1985) and his work in promoting Australia worldwide invested him into the Order of Australia and led to his appointment as "Australian of the Year".
Hogan was the executive producer/writer/star of the feature films Almost an Angel (1990) and Lightning Jack (1994) and starred in Flipper (1996) and Floating Away (1998). American audiences also remember Hogan from his now legendary commercials for the Australian Tourist Commission in which he invited us to say "g'day" and come "down under" so he could "slip another shrimp on the barbie". In the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared in commercials for Subaru Outback automobiles. He reprised his famous role as the outback adventurer in the long awaited sequel Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Elijah Wood is an American actor best known for portraying Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's blockbuster Lord of the Rings film trilogy. In addition to reprising the role in The Hobbit series, Wood also played Ryan in the FX television comedy Wilfred (2011) and voiced Beck in the Disney XD animated television series Tron: Uprising (2012).
Born Elijah Jordan Wood on 28 January, 1981, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wood is the son of Debbie (Krause) and Warren Wood, who ran a delicatessen. He has an older brother, Zach, and a younger sister, Hannah Wood. He is of English, German, Austrian, and Danish descent. Demonstrating a gift for performing at a young age, Wood's natural talent inspired his mother to take him to an International Modeling and Talent Association annual convention in Los Angeles. Soon after, he began to get bookings for small parts on television.
Although his first credit was a small part in Back to the Future Part II (1989), Wood's first major film role was in the 'Barry Levinson' historical family drama Avalon (1990). Following that, Wood became an in-demand child actor, appearing in a number of major films such as Paradise (1991), Radio Flyer (1992) and The Good Son (1993), in which he co-starred with Macaulay Culkin. This was followed by the first role for which he received top-billing, North (1994). Although the film was widely condemned and a disaster at the box office, Elijah was praised as the only good thing to come out of it.
In 1996 Elijah starred in a movie remake of an old TV show, Flipper (1996). Many critics wondered if his ability as a child actor to capture an audience was wearing thin, as had many child actors', but Wood deftly transitioned into a versatile performer with roles such as the endlessly curious Mikey Carver in Ang Lee' ensemble film The Ice Storm (1997), as well as parts in popcorn flicks like Deep Impact (1998) and The Faculty (1998). In 1999, Elijah was in three movies that never made it into wide release: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1999) (released on satellite TV), Black & White (1999) (released on home video) and Chain of Fools (2000).
Wood's work in Peter Jackson's film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), provided a major boost to his career. The actor followed his work in the astronomically successful trilogy with a broad range of interesting screen roles and voice work, including a supporting role in Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), as well as the part of a sinister mute sociopath in Sin City (2005). His voice work has been featured in such animated films as Happy Feet (2006) and 9 (2009), as well as on television series including American Dad! (2005) and Robot Chicken (2001). Wood also played Ad-Rock in the Beastie Boys' comedic video for Beastie Boys: Fight for Your Right Revisited (2011).
An avid music fan, Wood founded Simian records and released its first album, New Magnetic Wonder by The Apples in Stereo, in 2007.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Chelsea Field is an American actress from Glendale, California. Her first major role in film was playing the warrior woman Teela in the cult superhero film "Masters of the Universe" (1987). The film was the first live-action adaptation of the " sword and planet" media franchise "Masters of the Universe" by Mattel, though its script reportedly drew inspiration from Jack Kirby's "Fourth World" comic book franchise. Later in her career, Field had the recurring role of assistant district attorney Rita Deveraux in the police procedural series "NCIS: New Orleans" (2014-2021). Her character was introduced in the series' 3rd season and kept appearing until its 7th and last season. Rita was the long-term girlfriend of the protagonist Dwayne Cassius Pride (played by Scott Bakula), and eventually married Dwayne.
Field's early film appearances included the horror films "Prison" (1987) and "Death Spa" (1989). Both films involved vengeful spirits who tormented both those who harmed them in life, and bystanders who happened to be in the vicinity of the intended victims. Field's first major television role was that of student nurse Samantha "Sam" Sullivan in the medical drama "Nightingales" (1989). The series was considered controversial at the time for focusing on the sex lives of student nurses, and caused protests by the American Nurses Association. The series was canceled after only 13 episodes, as the show's sponsors withdrew their funding. The series was later rebooted as "University Hospital" (1995), but Field was not involved in the reboot.
Field's next regular television role was that of the reporter Cassy Swann in "Capital News" (1990). The series focused on the staff of the fictional newspaper Washington Capital (a fictionalized depiction of the Washington Post). The series only lasted for a single season and 12 episodes. The series was broadcast in its entirety in several European countries, but only 3 of its episodes were ever broadcast in the United States.
Field played the motorcycle cop Virginia Slim in the neo-Western film "Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man" (1991). The character was the ex-lover and main love interest for modern-day outlaw Robert Lee "Marlboro Man" Edison (played by Don Johnson). The film focused on bank robbers who targeted the armored cars of a specific bank, only to unwittingly discover that the bank was a front for a criminal organizations which manufactured and distributed experimental drugs. Their attempt to profit from their discovery led to a violent conflict.
Field played Sarah Hallenbeck in the action comedy "The Last Boy Scout" (1991). The character was depicted as the unfaithful wife of private investigator Joseph Cornelius "Joe" Hallenbeck (played by Bruce Willis), though the couple reconciled by the end of the film. In the film, Joe finds himself suspected of involvement in the murders of both his own business partner and the female client which Joe was tasked with protecting. While trying to clear his name, Joe discovers that he is about to be framed for the assassination of a corrupt U.S. senator. The senator happens to be an old personal enemy of Joe, but Joe finds himself obligated to prevent the assassination.
Field played Wendy Robinson, the female lead in the horror film "Dust Devils" (1992). In the film, Wendy travels in the deserts of Namibia, trying to escape her angry husband. She picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who turns out to be a shape-shifting wind demon who was fleeing from the local authorities. After traveling together for a while, the demon turns against Wendy and she kills him. By the end of the film, Wendy is suspected to be the demon's latest host body. The film was shot entirely on location in Namibia, and was based on South African folklore about the supposed supernatural powers of the serial killer Nhadiep.
Field played the detective sergeant Peckham in the psychological thriller "Snapdragon" (1993). In the film, Peckham is trying to solve two recent murders and to determine whether the amnesiac woman Felicity (played by Pamela Anderson) is connected to the case. Felicity is unaware of her own identity, but has recurring nightmares of killing her lovers. The film is primary remembered as Anderson's feature film debut.
Field played the lead character of Rae Dawn Snow in the short-lived drama series "Angel Falls" (1993). In the series, single mother Snow moves back to her hometown with her adolescent son, after inheriting a pool hall from her recently deceased father. She starts an affair with the married rancher Eli Harrison (played by Brian Kerwin) , who was also her past lover. Snow's son starts an ill-advised romantic relationship with the promiscuous girl Brandi Dare (played by Marley Shelton ). The series only lasted for 6 episodes.
Field played Thalice Whitney in the comedy-drama film "Andre" (1994). The film centered on the Whitney family's struggle to protect their seal cub from local fishermen, while also dealing with the feelings of alienation of their adolescent daughter Paula Whitney (played by Aidan Pendleton). The film dramatized the early life of the famed harbor seal Andre the Seal (1961-1986), who had spend his entire life attached to human companions. The film cast a sea lion in the role of the seal.
Field played the role of the murder victim Karen Christianson in the thriller film "Wicked" (1998). In the film, Karen was trapped in an unhappy marriage with a workaholic, and had a difficult relationship with her adolescent daughter Ellie Christianson (played by Julia Stiles). During an intense argument over Ellie's excessive make-up, Ellie killed Karen in a fit of rage. Ellie proceeded to mostly replace Karen and to develop an unhealthy relationship with her own father. Ellie is eventually killed by her own sister Inger Christianson (played by Vanessa Zima) in a copycat murder. The implication being that both sisters had the same murderous tendencies.
Field was reduced to relatively minor supporting roles in the thriller film "The Unsaid" (2001) and the mystery film "Sleeping Dogs Lie" (2005), which were her first film roles after several years. In 2009, Field married her long-time boyfriend Scott Bakula, a fellow actor. The couple had been romantically involved since 1994, and they had two children.
By the early 2020s, Field primarily worked in television roles. Her role in "NCIS: New Orleans" was her only recurring role in recent years. Field remains a well-known face to fans of horror and thriller films, but she has not had any leading roles in the last couple of decades.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Writer/Director Alan Shapiro studied at New York University film school, where his first student production, Briefly...Brian, won NYU best student film in 1978 and was selected to screen at Cannes, New York's Museum of Modern Art, and on PBS, and helped him raise enough grant money to finance a second short, Meeting Halfway, which was bought by Showtime. Warner Brothers provided the balance of a college scholarship and summertime apprenticeship under Ken Russell on Altered States, and his career began.
Over the next few years he wrote Stonybrook for Warner Bros., wrote & directed the award-winning Tiger Town for Disney starring Roy Scheider, produced Disney's The Blue Yonder starring Peter Coyote and Art Carney, and penned the teleplay for NBC'S Crossing the Mob with Jason Bateman. Shapiro wrote, produced and directed Disney's The Christmas Star with Ed Asner and Fred Gwynne, and soon thereafter caught the eye of Francis Coppola, who produced his writing & directing efforts on Fox's pilot of S. E. Hinton's The Outsiders, which debuted with the highest overnight ratings in Fox's history.
Shapiro wrote and directed the Warner Bros. feature The Crush, which marked the film debut of his young discovery, Alicia Silverstone. Then wrote and directed the Universal Pictures feature Flipper starring Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan.
He has published articles in Premiere and Written By magazines, served as a WGA mentor, and teaches directing at USC Cinema Studies.- Producer
- Cinematographer
- Executive
Perry Katz is known for Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001), Flipper (1996) and McHale's Navy (1997).- Lorraine Gary was born on August 16th, 1937 in New York. Lorraine was raised in Los Angeles. At age 16, she won a best actress award in a competition at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. She was offered a scholarship to enroll at the Pasadena Playhouse, but declined said offer and attended Columbia University as a political science major, instead. Lorraine began her acting career in the late 60s doing guest appearances on several popular TV shows. Gary achieved her greatest and most enduring fame with her excellent portrayal of Sheriff Roy Scheider's caring and concerned wife in the first two "Jaws" pictures. Lorraine further demonstrated her considerable versatility with funny performances in the amusing comedies Car Wash (1976), Zero to Sixty (1978) and 1941 (1979). Among the television programs she's done guest spots on are The Rookies (1972), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), Kojak (1973), Ironside (1967), The F.B.I. (1965), The Virginian (1962), McCloud (1970) and Dragnet 1967 (1967). She came out of voluntary retirement to assume a rare substantial starring role in the regrettably dreadful Jaws: The Revenge (1987) but, alas, hasn't acted in anything since that ill-received feature. She's been married to MCA president Sid Sheinberg for 60 years. Her sons, Bill Sheinberg and Jonathan Sheinberg are both film producers. Moreover, Marty McFly's mother in Back to the Future (1985) was named after Lorraine Gary.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955 in Lynwood, California, the third child of Bill Costner, a ditch digger and ultimately an electric line servicer for Southern California Edison, and Sharon Costner (née Tedrick), a welfare worker. His older brother, Dan, was born in 1950. A middle brother died at birth in 1953. His father's job required him to move regularly, which caused Kevin to feel like an Army kid, always the new kid at school, which led to him being a daydreamer. As a teen, he sang in the Baptist church choir, wrote poetry, and took writing classes. At 18, he built his own canoe and paddled his way down the rivers that Lewis & Clark followed to the Pacific. Despite his present height, he was only 5'2" when he graduated high school. Nonetheless, he still managed to be a basketball, football and baseball star. In 1973, he enrolled at California State University at Fullerton, where he majored in business. During that period, Kevin decided to take acting lessons five nights a week. He graduated with a business degree in 1978 and married his college sweetheart, Cindy Costner. He initially took a marketing job in Orange County. Everything changed when he accidentally met Richard Burton on a flight from Mexico. Burton advised him to go completely after acting if that is what he wanted. He quit his job and moved to Hollywood soon after. He drove a truck, worked on a deep sea fishing boat, and gave bus tours to stars' homes before finally making his own way into the films. After making one soft core sex film, he vowed to not work again if that was the only work he could do. He didn't work for nearly six years, while he waited for a proper break. That break came with The Big Chill (1983), even though his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor -- he was remembered by director Lawrence Kasdan when he decided to make Silverado (1985). Costner's career took off after that.- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Christine Lahti was born April 4, 1950 in Birmingham, Michigan, to Elizabeth Margaret (Tabar), a painter and nurse, and Paul Theodore Lahti, a surgeon. She is of half Finnish and half Austro-Hungarian descent. She studied fine arts at Florida State University and received a bachelors degree in drama from the University of Michigan. In New York, Christine worked as a waitress and did commercials before she found her breakthrough role in And Justice for All (1979) with Al Pacino. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Swing Shift (1984) and won an Academy Award for Best Short Film, Live Action for Lieberman in Love (1995) in which she starred and directed. Throughout her acting career, Christine primarily focused on television, with performances in Chicago Hope (1994), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).- Music Artist
- Actor
- Music Department
Graham Nash was born on 2 February 1942 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, UK. He is a music artist and actor, known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), The Limey (1999) and Up in the Air (2009). He has been married to Amy Grantham since 2019. He was previously married to Susan Sennett and Rose Eccles.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. A former high school cheerleader and track star, she got the acting bug after being persuaded to audition for a school play by a nun at her school. She went on to study acting at Boston University and enjoyed a brief stint on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles, California. She got her first break in Remember My Name (1978) which also starred Jeff Goldblum. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband, writer Roderick M. Spencer, and their two adopted children: Mavis and Duncan. She was named one of the Most Beautiful People in America by People Magazine.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Ron Perlman is a classically-trained actor who has appeared in countless stage plays, feature films and television productions.
Ronald N. Perlman was born April 13, 1950 in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York. His mother, Dorothy (Rosen), is retired from the City Clerk's Office. His father, Bertram "Bert" Perlman, now deceased, was a repairman and a drummer. His parents were both from Jewish families (from Hungary, Germany and Poland).
With a career spanning over three decades, Perlman has worked alongside such diverse actors as Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, Dominique Pinon, Brad Dourif, Ed Harris, John Hurt, Jude Law, Christina Ricci, Federico Luppi, Sigourney Weaver, Michael Wincott and Elijah Wood to name a few.
While he has never been a bankable star, Perlman has always had a large fan-base. He started out strong as Amoukar, one of the tribesmen in Jean-Jacques Annaud's Academy Award-winning film Quest for Fire (1981), for which he earned a Genie Award nomination. Perlman teamed up with Annaud again, this time as a hunchback named Salvatore in The Name of the Rose (1986). His first real breakthrough came later when he landed the role of the noble lion-man Vincent, opposite Linda Hamilton on the fantasy series Beauty and the Beast (1987). His work in this role earned him not only a Golden Globe Award but an underground fan following. Sadly the series was canceled in its third season shortly after Hamilton's character's death.
After that, he spent time doing supporting work on television and independent films such as Guillermo del Toro's debut Cronos (1992) (where a lifelong friendship and collaboration between the director and Perlman would blossom) as Angel and his first lead role as One in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's surreal The City of Lost Children (1995). His first real big role in a mainstream film came when Jeunet wanted him for the brutish Johner in his first Hollywood outing Alien: Resurrection (1997). Perlman has also used his distinctive voice to his advantage, appearing in many animated films/series, commercials and he is a video game fan favorite because of his work on such games as the Fallout series.
It was not until much later he received worldwide fame when his good friend Guillermo del Toro helped him land the title role in the big-budget comic book movie Hellboy (2004). Del Toro fought the studio for four years because they wanted a more secure name, but he stood his ground and in 2004, after almost 25 years in and out of obscurity, Perlman became a household name and a sought out actor. Perlman has had one of the most offbeat careers in film, playing everything from a prehistoric ape-man to an aging transsexual and will always be a rarity in Hollywood.
Other notable roles include the cunning Norman Arbuthnot in The Last Supper (1995), sniper expert Koulikov in Enemy at the Gates (2001), vampire leader Reinhardt in Blade II (2002), his reprisal of Hellboy in Hellboy II: The Golden Army (2008) and biker chief Clarence Morrow on the popular series Sons of Anarchy (2008).
He currently resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Opal, and their two children, Blake and Brandon.- Actress
- Producer
Patricia Duff was born on 12 April 1954 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for About Last Night (1986), D.C. Cab (1983) and Moonlighting (1985). She was previously married to Ronald O. Perelman, Michael Medavoy, Daniel Duff and Thomas Zabrodsky.- Fred Rosen is known for America Undercover (1983).
- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Albert Stotland Ruddy is a Canadian-American film and television producer. He is known for producing The Godfather (1972) and Million Dollar Baby (2004), both of which won him the Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as co-creating the CBS sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965 - 1971). Albert was born to Ruth (ne Ruddy) and Hy Stotland, a Jewish family in Montreal, and raised in New York City and in Miami Beach, Florida, by his mother, Ruth Ruddy Hertz. Ruddy attended Brooklyn Technical High School before earning a scholarship to allow him to study chemical engineering at City College of New York. In 1956, he graduated from the School of Architecture at the University of Southern California.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Paula Poundstone was born on 29 December 1959 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Home Movies (1999), Inside Out (2015) and Hyperspace (1984).- Producer
- Writer
- Production Manager
Norman Lear enjoyed a long career in television and film, political and social activism, and philanthropy.
Born in 1922 in New Haven, Connecticut, Lear flew 52 combat missions over Europe in World War II before beginning his television career. His classic shows of the 1970s and '80s - All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Sanford and Son and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, among others - collectively reached as many as 120 million viewers per week and are said to have transformed the American cultural landscape, bringing the social and political issues of the day into American living rooms for the first time. With the rise of the radical religious right, Lear put his career on hold in 1980 to found People For the American Way, the nonprofit organization that remains a relevant and effective force defending all aspects of the First Amendment.
Lear was among the first seven television pioneers inducted in 1984 into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. In 1999, President Clinton presented him with the National Medal of Arts, noting that "Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it." His memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, was published in 2014, and the 2016 documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You received an Emmy nomination as the representative program for the PBS American Masters series. In 2017, Lear received a Peabody Lifetime Achievement Award and was a Kennedy Center Honoree.
He was the father of six, the grandfather of four, and the husband of Lyn Davis Lear.- Producer
- Executive
- Manager
Sid Sheinberg was born on 14 January 1935 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. He was a producer and executive, known for What Lola Wants (2015), For Richer or Poorer (1997) and The Devil's Tomb (2009). He was married to Lorraine Gary. He died on 7 March 2019 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Mark Johnson was born on 27 December 1945 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is a producer and assistant director, known for Rain Man (1988), The Holdovers (2023) and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019). He has been married to Lezlie Brooks Johnson since 26 September 1982. They have two children.- An industry veteran with over 50 years of experience in Hollywood, Ron Meyer's tenure at NBCUniversal included a consistent stream of worldwide box office hits. During his time as President and Chief Operating Officer, nine of the studio's films were nominated at the Oscars for Best Picture, landing three wins for the 2001 film "A Beautiful Mind," "Gladiator" in 2000, and 1998's "Shakespeare in Love." Meyer also oversaw the development of "Erin Brockovich," "8 Mile," "Meet the Parents," "The Fast and the Furious," "Ted," and "Despicable Me 1 and 2." Among Meyer's many accomplishments during his time at NBCUniversal, he spearheaded worldwide operations of the studio's theme parks, making strides by bringing in the world's largest IPs and convincing Warner Bros. to license the "Harry Potter'' franchise with Universal parks, leading to one of its most successful and lucrative attractions, "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter." After being promoted to Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal in 2013, Meyer oversaw the successful evolution of the multi-faceted global media brand where he strategically guided its portfolio of film and television assets and brokered deals with top-tier talent for both roles and production deals. Prior to Meyer's time at NBCUniversal, he co-founded the prestigious Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and acted as President for 20 years where he worked alongside four fellow agents to build one of the most prominent talent representation agencies in the world. Meyer was also a television agent at William Morris Agency for five years in the early 1970s. Currently, Ron Meyer along with Sophie Jordan are CEO and Co-CEO of Wild Bunch AG, the independent film distribution and production services company. Wild Bunch, is the pan-European company known for award-winning films and a growing distribution network. Meyer also serves as an advisor to the Doha Film Institute (DFI) as Qatar continues to grow in the film business.
- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Editorial Department
Former chairman and chief executive officer of Universal Pictures, Casey Silver began his career in the motion picture industry as a screenwriter. After serving as assistant to director Adrian Lyne on Flashdance, he became director of development and production for Simpson-Bruckheimer Productions, where he was instrumental in the development of the original Beverly Hills Cop and Top Gun.
In his role at Universal, Silver was responsible for all divisions of Universal Pictures, including its production, marketing and distribution operations. He supervised all activities worldwide concerning Universal's partnerships with United International and domestic distribution activities through its partnership with October Films. Additionally, Silver oversaw Universal Studios Home Video, Universal Pictures Animation and Visual Effects, and Universal Family & Home Entertainment Production, which included Universal Cartoon Studios.
During his tenure at Universal, the studio developed, produced and released the critically acclaimed films Schindler's List, Shakespeare in Love, Apollo 13, Casino, Jurassic Park, Out of Sight, Field of Dreams, Twelve Monkeys, In the Name of the Father, Do the Right Thing, Scent of a Woman, Born on the Fourth of July, Dazed and Confused, Midnight Run, American Pie and Gladiator.
Prior to joining Universal, Silver served as TriStar Pictures vice president of production, and was then promoted to senior vice president of production.
Silver served as executive producer on Netflix's first original limited series Godless, a seven-part cinematic event from Golden Globe-nominated screenwriter and director Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Get Shorty). Nominated for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, the lauded series won in three categories, including: Supporting Actress for Merritt Wever, and Supporting Actor for Jeff Daniels. Godless aired on Netflix in 2017.
Through his shingle, Casey Silver Productions, Silver produced The Highwaymen, starring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson, Hidalgo starring Viggo Mortensen, Ladder 49 starring Joaquin Phoenix and John Travolta, Leatherheads starring George Clooney and John Krasinski, and The Forbidden Kingdom starring Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
Silver is also a founding member and CEO of the start-up PodOp. The company's first transmedia project, Mosaic, was executive produced by Silver. Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Sharon Stone, Mosaic aired on HBO in 2017.
Silver is also producer on Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move for HBO Max. The all-star lineup includes Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Amy Seimetz, Julia Fox, Bill Duke, Noah Jupe and Frankie Shaw.- Producer
- Actor
- Executive
Hal Lieberman is known for The Jackal (1997), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) and U-571 (2000).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
With an almost unpronounceable surname and a thick Austrian accent, who would have ever believed that a brash, quick talking bodybuilder from a small European village would become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, marry into the prestigious Kennedy family, amass a fortune via shrewd investments and one day be the Governor of California!?
The amazing story of megastar Arnold Schwarzenegger is a true "rags to riches" tale of a penniless immigrant making it in the land of opportunity, the United States of America. Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger was born July 30, 1947, in the town of Thal, Styria, Austria, to Aurelia Schwarzenegger (born Jadrny) and Gustav Schwarzenegger, the local police chief. From a young age, he took a keen interest in physical fitness and bodybuilding, going on to compete in several minor contests in Europe. However, it was when he emigrated to the United States in 1968 at the tender age of 21 that his star began to rise.
Up until the early 1970s, bodybuilding had been viewed as a rather oddball sport, or even a mis-understood "freak show" by the general public, however two entrepreneurial Canadian brothers Ben Weider and Joe Weider set about broadening the appeal of "pumping iron" and getting the sport respect, and what better poster boy could they have to lead the charge, then the incredible "Austrian Oak", Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over roughly the next decade, beginning in 1970, Schwarzenegger dominated the sport of competitive bodybuilding winning five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles and, with it, he made himself a major sports icon, he generated a new international audience for bodybuilding, gym memberships worldwide swelled by the tens of thousands and the Weider sports business empire flourished beyond belief and reached out to all corners of the globe. However, Schwarzenegger's horizons were bigger than just the landscape of bodybuilding and he debuted on screen as "Arnold Strong" in the low budget Hercules in New York (1970), then director Bob Rafelson cast Arnold in Stay Hungry (1976) alongside Jeff Bridges and Sally Field, for which Arnold won a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture". The mesmerizing Pumping Iron (1977) covering the 1975 Mr Olympia contest in South Africa has since gone on to become one of the key sports documentaries of the 20th century, plus Arnold landed other acting roles in the comedy The Villain (1979) opposite Kirk Douglas, and he portrayed Mickey Hargitay in the well- received TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980).
What Arnold really needed was a super hero / warrior style role in a lavish production that utilized his chiseled physique, and gave him room to show off his growing acting talents and quirky humor. Conan the Barbarian (1982) was just that role. Inspired by the Robert E. Howard short stories of the "Hyborean Age" and directed by gung ho director John Milius, and with a largely unknown cast, save Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones, "Conan" was a smash hit worldwide and an inferior, although still enjoyable sequel titled Conan the Destroyer (1984) quickly followed. If "Conan" was the kick start to Arnold's movie career, then his next role was to put the pedal to the floor and accelerate his star status into overdrive. Director James Cameron had until that time only previously directed one earlier feature film titled Piranha II: The Spawning (1982), which stank of rotten fish from start to finish. However, Cameron had penned a fast paced, science fiction themed film script that called for an actor to play an unstoppable, ruthless predator - The Terminator (1984). Made on a relatively modest budget, the high voltage action / science fiction thriller The Terminator (1984) was incredibly successful worldwide, and began one of the most profitable film franchises in history. The dead pan phrase "I'll be back" quickly became part of popular culture across the globe. Schwarzenegger was in vogue with action movie fans, and the next few years were to see Arnold reap box office gold in roles portraying tough, no-nonsense individuals who used their fists, guns and witty one-liners to get the job done. The testosterone laden Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987) and Red Heat (1988) were all box office hits and Arnold could seemingly could no wrong when it came to picking winning scripts. The tongue-in-cheek comedy Twins (1988) with co-star Danny DeVito was a smash and won Arnold new fans who saw a more comedic side to the muscle- bound actor once described by Australian author / TV host Clive James as "a condom stuffed with walnuts". The spectacular Total Recall (1990) and "feel good" Kindergarten Cop (1990) were both solid box office performers for Arnold, plus he was about to return to familiar territory with director James Cameron in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). The second time around for the futuristic robot, the production budget had grown from the initial film's $6.5 million to an alleged $100 million for the sequel, and it clearly showed as the stunning sequel bristled with amazing special effects, bone-crunching chases & stunt sequences, plus state of the art computer-generated imagery. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) was arguably the zenith of Arnold's film career to date and he was voted "International Star of the Decade" by the National Association of Theatre Owners.
Remarkably, his next film Last Action Hero (1993) brought Arnold back to Earth with a hard thud as the self-satirizing, but confusing plot line of a young boy entering into a mythical Hollywood action film confused movie fans even more and they stayed away in droves making the film an initial financial disaster. Arnold turned back to good friend, director James Cameron and the chemistry was definitely still there as the "James Bond" style spy thriller True Lies (1994) co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold was the surprise hit of 1994! Following the broad audience appeal of True Lies (1994), Schwarzenegger decided to lean towards more family-themed entertainment with Junior (1994) and Jingle All the Way (1996), but he still found time to satisfy his hard-core fan base with Eraser (1996), as the chilling "Mr. Freeze" in Batman & Robin (1997) and battling dark forces in the supernatural action of End of Days (1999). The science fiction / conspiracy tale The 6th Day (2000) played to only mediocre fan interest, and Collateral Damage (2002) had its theatrical release held over for nearly a year after the tragic events of Sept 11th 2001, but it still only received a lukewarm reception.
It was time again to resurrect Arnold's most successful franchise and, in 2003, Schwarzenegger pulled on the biker leathers for the third time for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Unfortunately, directorial duties passed from James Cameron to Jonathan Mostow and the deletion of the character of "Sarah Connor" aka Linda Hamilton and a change in the actor playing "John Connor" - Nick Stahl took over from Edward Furlong - making the third entry in the "Terminator" series the weakest to date.
Schwarzenegger married TV journalist Maria Shriver in April, 1986 and the couple have four children.
In October of 2003 Schwarzenegger, running as a Republican, was elected Governor of California in a special recall election of then governor Gray Davis. The "Governator," as Schwarzenegger came to be called, held the office until 2011. Upon leaving the Governor's mansion it was revealed that he had fathered a child with the family's live-in maid and Shriver filed for divorce.
Schwarzenegger contributed cameo roles to The Rundown (2003), Around the World in 80 Days (2004) and The Kid & I (2005). Recently, he starred in The Expendables 2 (2012), The Last Stand (2013), Escape Plan (2013), The Expendables 3 (2014), and Terminator Genisys (2015).- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
George Thorogood was born on 24 February 1950 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Bull Durham (1988) and Megamind (2010). He has been married to Marla Raderman since 16 July 1985. They have one child.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Kevin spent 3 years traveling around the world, modeling for print ads and appearing in over 150 commercials, before landing in his breakout series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995).
Kevin David Sorbo was born in Mound, Minnesota, on September 24, 1958, to Ardis (Thompson), a nurse, and Lynn Nain Sorbo, a high school teacher. His father was of Norwegian descent and his mother's ancestry was English, Scottish, and German. In high school, he excelled at football, baseball and basketball; in college, he played these 3 sports, plus hockey. Kevin was also in a number of plays. After leaving college, Kevin joined an actors theater group, and traveled to Europe, then to Sydney, Australia appearing in commercials. At the end of 1986, he settled in Los Angeles. Kevin began to make guest appearances on such popular shows as Murder, She Wrote (1984). At 6' 3" and very muscular, Kevin was a natural for the title role in what would become his signature series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995). Kevin became internationally famous, and he learned the craft of film-making well enough to direct and co-write some of the episodes. Kevin even studied martial arts in order to do many of his own stunts. In real life, Kevin's heart is as big as Hercules'-- he leads "A World Fit for Kids!" as the chair and spokesperson. Kevin devotes much of his time to "A World Fit For Kids!" which is a successful mentoring model that trains inner-city teens to use school, fitness, sports and positive role models for themselves, and then become the coaches and mentors for younger children. In 1998, Kevin married lovely actress Sam Sorbo, best known for her dual role on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995) as Serena/the Golden Hind ("Hind" is a female red deer).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
New Zealand icon Lucy Lawless is most known for her role as "Xena the Warrior Princess." Lucy is married to producer Rob Tapert (Robert Gerard Tapert) and resides in New Zealand. They have two sons, Julius Robert Bay Tapert and Judah Miro Tapert, who were both born in New Zealand. Lucy also has a daughter, Daisy Lawless, from her first marriage to Garth Lawless.
Lucy was born Lucille Frances Ryan in Mount Albert, Auckland, to Julie, a teacher, and Frank Ryan, a banker and the city's mayor. She was awarded an Order of Merit in the New Zealand Queen's Birthday Honor List in June 2004. Lucy, whose role as Xena in "Xena: Warrior Princess" made her a cult television star, has been involved with the Starship Foundation and has held a role on its board of trustees. She was awarded the Order of Merit for services to entertainment and the community.
In 1995, Lucy landed the role of "Xena: Warrior Princess" in the show, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (1995), in a three-story arc, that led to her own spin-off show, Xena: Warrior Princess (1995), for six seasons.
Whilst she has been primarily known for her role on "Xena: Warrior Princess," Lucy has also appeared in the classic TV series, Battlestar Galactica (2004), in the semi-regular role of "D'anna Biers," among her other many and varied roles, including the hit Adam Sandler movie, Bedtime Stories (2008). Lucy was also in several made-for-TV movies including: Locusts (2005) and Vampire Bats (2005). She also lent her voice to the straight-to-video movies: Justice League: The New Frontier (2008) and Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008). During 2011, Lucy appeared in the "No Ordinary Family" as the mysterious "Mrs. X" and also appeared in the prequel to Spartacus (2010), Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) and "Spartacus Vengeance" as "Lucretia."
She portrayed "Caroline Platt" in Jane Campion's Top of the Lake (2013), a BBC Mini-Series in New Zealand, with Holly Hunter and Elisabeth Moss, the recurring character of "Diane Lewis" on NBC's Parks and Recreation (2009), and "Velma Kelly" in the Auckland Theatre Company's adaptation of "Chicago: The Musical," the latter from November 1-24, 2013.
As of 2019 she can be seen starring as Alexa Crowe in the light, colorful, Auckland-set mystery, "My Life is Murder."- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum was born October 22, 1952 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of four children of Shirley (Temeles), a radio broadcaster who also ran an appliances firm, and Harold L. Goldblum, a doctor. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was of Austrian Jewish ancestry.
Goldblum began his career on the New York stage after moving to the city at age seventeen. Possessing his own unique style of delivery, Goldblum made an impression on moviegoers with little more than a single line in Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977), when he fretted about having forgotten his mantra. Goldblum went on to appear in the remake Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and co-starred with Ben Vereen in the detective series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) before a high-profile turn in the classic ensemble film The Big Chill (1983).
The quirky actor turned up in the suitably quirky film The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), which became a 1980s cult classic, starred in the modern-day film noir Into the Night (1985), then went on to a breakthrough role in the David Cronenberg remake The Fly (1986), which also featured actress Geena Davis, Goldblum's wife from 1987-1990 and co-star in two additional films: Transylvania 6-5000 (1985) and Julien Temple's Earth Girls Are Easy (1988).
Goldblum was the rather unlikely star of some of the biggest blockbusters of the 1990s: Steven Spielberg's dinosaur adventure Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), as well as the alien invasion film Independence Day (1996). These films saw Goldblum playing the type of intellectual characters he has become associated with. More recently, roles have included critically acclaimed turns in Igby Goes Down (2002) and Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). In 2009, he returned to television to star in his second crime series Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001).- Ariana Richards is an American film and television actress, artist, and producer. Her official website is GalleryAriana.
Born on September 11, 1979 in Healdsburg, California, U.S. as Ariana Clarice Richards, she is the older sister of actress Bethany Richards.
Whether she's working on a busy, noisy sound-stage, or quietly painting in her studio, one thing is certain; Ariana Richards is one of the most accomplished young artists of her generation.
As an actress, Ariana has worked in the industry since her television commercial debut (as a ballerina) at the age of seven. In 1991, she won the Young Actors Award as "Best Young Actress Starring in a TV movie", for her memorable role in the season's biggest ratings hit, Switched at Birth (1991). She won the same award in 1992 for her role in the CBS, Locked Up: A Mother's Rage (1991).
Feature film projects include Angus (1995) with George C. Scott (1927-1999) and Kathy Bates, Grand Tour: Disaster in Time (1991) with Jeff Daniels, Tremors (1990) with Kevin Bacon, and Spaced Invaders (1990). Notable TV appearances have included guest starring roles on Empty Nest (1988), My Sister Sam (1986) and The Golden Girls (1985) and starring roles in the tele-films Broken Silence: A Moment of Truth Movie (1998) and The Princess Stallion (1997)
It was her role as Lex Murphy in the Steven Spielberg 1993 blockbuster film Jurassic Park (1993) that catapulted Ariana into international celebrity. "Are you doing anything this summer?" Spielberg had asked her...
Little did she know that while on location in Hawaii, her two worlds of acting and painting would merge. During breaks from shooting, Ariana painted in watercolor a self portrait of herself, and co-star Joseph Mazzello, alongside a Brachiosaurus. She presented the work to Spielberg who had the work framed and placed in his home. And shortly after the filming of Jurassic Park (1993), she rendered a famous watercolor of the chilling "kitchen scene" where her character sees the silhouette of a live raptor very near while the spoon of Jello quivers in her hand.
Since filming Jurassic Park (1993), Ariana completed a BS Degree from Skidmore College, New York, where she graduated with honors in Drama and Art. She has since become one of the most celebrated young portrait artists of our time. Art has long been a tradition in her family. Her own genealogy can be traced back to the early Italian Renaissance with Carlo Crivelli, a contemporary of Botticelli. Ariana's ongoing work shows the classical influence of the Old Masters, along with the dynamics of Impressionist artists.
She divides her time between her art studio locations in the United States, South America, and Western Europe, where she travels with her family. - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Born in Rhinebeck, New York, he got into acting when he was 5 years old, after his sister had appeared in 30-odd commercials. Since then he has acted opposite some of the best actors in Hollywood as a bright, expressive actor with complexity, sensitivity, and emotion. He attended film school at USC and got a degree in cinema and television production. He plans on continuing his acting career while also following his aspirations of becoming a director.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
One of the most influential personalities in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg is Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. He has an extraordinary number of commercially successful and critically acclaimed credits to his name, either as a director, producer or writer since launching the summer blockbuster with Jaws (1975), and he has done more to define popular film-making since the mid-1970s than anyone else.
Steven Allan Spielberg was born in 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Leah Frances (Posner), a concert pianist and restaurateur, and Arnold Spielberg, an electrical engineer who worked in computer development. His parents were both born to Russian Jewish immigrant families. Steven spent his younger years in Haddon Township, New Jersey, Phoenix, Arizona, and later Saratoga, California. He went to California State University Long Beach, but dropped out to pursue his entertainment career. Among his early directing efforts were Battle Squad (1961), which combined World War II footage with footage of an airplane on the ground that he makes you believe is moving. He also directed Escape to Nowhere (1961), which featured children as World War Two soldiers, including his sister Anne Spielberg, and The Last Gun (1959), a western. All of these were short films. The next couple of years, Spielberg directed a couple of movies that would portend his future career in movies. In 1964, he directed Firelight (1964), a movie about aliens invading a small town. In 1967, he directed Slipstream (1967), which was unfinished. However, in 1968, he directed Amblin' (1968), which featured the desert prominently, and not the first of his movies in which the desert would feature. Amblin' also became the name of his production company, which turned out such classics as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg had a unique and classic early directing project, Duel (1971), with Dennis Weaver. In the early 1970s, Spielberg was working on TV, directing among others such series as Rod Serling's Night Gallery (1969), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969) and Murder by the Book (1971). All of his work in television and short films, as well as his directing projects, were just a hint of the wellspring of talent that would dazzle audiences all over the world.
Spielberg's first major directorial effort was The Sugarland Express (1974), with Goldie Hawn, a film that marked him as a rising star. It was his next effort, however, that made him an international superstar among directors: Jaws (1975). This classic shark attack tale started the tradition of the summer blockbuster or, at least, he was credited with starting the tradition. His next film was the classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a unique and original UFO story that remains a classic. In 1978, Spielberg produced his first film, the forgettable I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), and followed that effort with Used Cars (1980), a critically acclaimed, but mostly forgotten, Kurt Russell/Jack Warden comedy about devious used-car dealers. Spielberg hit gold yet one more time with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), with Harrison Ford taking the part of Indiana Jones. Spielberg produced and directed two films in 1982. The first was Poltergeist (1982), but the highest-grossing movie of all time up to that point was the alien story E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg also helped pioneer the practice of product placement. The concept, while not uncommon, was still relatively low-key when Spielberg raised the practice to almost an art form with his famous (or infamous) placement of Reese's Pieces in "E.T." Spielberg was also one of the pioneers of the big-grossing special-effects movies, like "E.T." and "Close Encounters", where a very strong emphasis on special effects was placed for the first time on such a huge scale. In 1984, Spielberg followed up "Raiders" with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), which was a commercial success but did not receive the critical acclaim of its predecessor. As a producer, Spielberg took on many projects in the 1980s, such as The Goonies (1985), and was the brains behind the little monsters in Gremlins (1984). He also produced the cartoon An American Tail (1986), a quaint little animated classic. His biggest effort as producer in 1985, however, was the blockbuster Back to the Future (1985), which made Michael J. Fox an instant superstar. As director, Spielberg took on the book The Color Purple (1985), with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, with great success. In the latter half of the 1980s, he also directed Empire of the Sun (1987), a mixed success for the occasionally erratic Spielberg. Success would not escape him for long, though.
The late 1980s found Spielberg's projects at the center of pop-culture yet again. In 1988, he produced the landmark animation/live-action film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The next year proved to be another big one for Spielberg, as he produced and directed Always (1989) as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Back to the Future Part II (1989). All three of the films were box-office and critical successes. Also, in 1989, he produced the little known comedy-drama Dad (1989), with Jack Lemmon and Ted Danson, which got mostly mixed results. Spielberg has also had an affinity for animation and has been a strong voice in animation in the 1990s. Aside from producing the landmark "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", he produced the animated series Tiny Toon Adventures (1990), Animaniacs (1993), Pinky and the Brain (1995), Freakazoid! (1995), Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain (1998), Family Dog (1993) and Toonsylvania (1998). Spielberg also produced other cartoons such as The Land Before Time (1988), We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Casper (1995) (the live action version) as well as the live-action version of The Flintstones (1994), where he was credited as "Steven Spielrock". Spielberg also produced many Roger Rabbit short cartoons, and many Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs and Tiny Toons specials. Spielberg was very active in the early 1990s, as he directed Hook (1991) and produced such films as the cute fantasy Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991). He also produced the unusual comedy thriller Arachnophobia (1990), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). While these movies were big successes in their own right, they did not quite bring in the kind of box office or critical acclaim as previous efforts. In 1993, Spielberg directed Jurassic Park (1993), which for a short time held the record as the highest grossing movie of all time, but did not have the universal appeal of his previous efforts. Big box-office spectacles were not his only concern, though. He produced and directed Schindler's List (1993), a stirring film about the Holocaust. He won best director at the Oscars, and also got Best Picture. In the mid-90s, he helped found the production company DreamWorks, which was responsible for many box-office successes.
As a producer, he was very active in the late 90s, responsible for such films as The Mask of Zorro (1998), Men in Black (1997) and Deep Impact (1998). However, it was on the directing front that Spielberg was in top form. He directed and produced the epic Amistad (1997), a spectacular film that was shorted at the Oscars and in release due to the fact that its release date was moved around so much in late 1997. The next year, however, produced what many believe was one of the best films of his career: Saving Private Ryan (1998), a film about World War Two that is spectacular in almost every respect. It was stiffed at the Oscars, losing best picture to Shakespeare in Love (1998).
Spielberg produced a series of films, including Evolution (2001), The Haunting (1999) and Shrek (2001). he also produced two sequels to Jurassic Park (1993), which were financially but not particularly critical successes. In 2001, he produced a mini-series about World War Two that definitely *was* a financial and critical success: Band of Brothers (2001), a tale of an infantry company from its parachuting into France during the invasion to the Battle of the Bulge. Also in that year, Spielberg was back in the director's chair for A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), a movie with a message and a huge budget. It did reasonably at the box office and garnered varied reviews from critics.
Spielberg has been extremely active in films there are many other things he has done as well. He produced the short-lived TV series SeaQuest 2032 (1993), an anthology series entitled Amazing Stories (1985), created the video-game series "Medal of Honor" set during World War Two, and was a starting producer of ER (1994). Spielberg, if you haven't noticed, has a great interest in World War Two. He and Tom Hanks collaborated on Shooting War: World War II Combat Cameramen (2000), a documentary about World War II combat photographers, and he produced a documentary about the Holocaust called Eyes of the Holocaust (2000). With all of this to Spielberg's credit, it's no wonder that he's looked at as one of the greatest ever figures in entertainment.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Richard Attenborough, Baron Attenborough of Richmond-upon-Thames, was born in Cambridge, England, the son of Mary (née Clegg), a founding member of the Marriage Guidance Council, and Frederick Levi Attenborough, a scholar and academic administrator who was a don at Emmanuel College and wrote a standard text on Anglo-Saxon law. The family later moved to Leicester where his father was appointed Principal of the university while Richard was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).
His film career began with a role as a deserting sailor in In Which We Serve (1942), a part that contributed to his being typecast for many years as a coward in films like Dulcimer Street (1948), Operation Disaster (1950) and his breakthrough role as a psychopathic young gangster in the film adaptation of Graham Greene's novel, Brighton Rock (1948). During World War II, Attenborough served in the Royal Air Force.
He worked prolifically in British films for the next 30 years, and in the 1950s appeared in several successful comedies for John Boulting and Roy Boulting, including Private's Progress (1956) and I'm All Right Jack (1959). Early in his stage career, Attenborough starred in the London West End production of Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap", which went on to become one of the world's longest-running stage productions. Both he and his wife were among the original cast members of the production, which opened in 1952 and (as of 2007) is still running.
In the 1960s, he expanded his range of character roles in films such as Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) and Guns at Batasi (1964), for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the regimental Sergeant Major. He appeared in the ensemble cast of The Great Escape (1963), as Squadron Leader "Roger Bartlett" ("Big X"), the head of the escape committee.
In 1967 and 1968, he won back-to-back Golden Globe Awards in the category of Best Supporting Actor, the first time for The Sand Pebbles (1966), starring Steve McQueen, and the second time for Doctor Dolittle (1967), starring Rex Harrison. He would win another Golden Globe for Best Director, for Gandhi (1982), in 1983. Six years prior to "Gandhi", he played the ruthless "Gen. Outram" in Indian director Satyajit Ray's period piece, The Chess Players (1977). He has never been nominated for an Academy Award in an acting category.
He took no acting roles following his appearance in Otto Preminger's The Human Factor (1979), until his appearance as the eccentric developer "John Hammond" in Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park (1993). The following year, he starred as "Kris Kringle" in Miracle on 34th Street (1994), a remake of the 1947 classic. Since then, he has made occasional appearances in supporting roles, including the historical drama, Elizabeth (1998), as "Sir William Cecil".
In the late 1950s, Attenborough formed a production company, "Beaver Films", with Bryan Forbes and began to build a profile as a producer on projects, including The League of Gentlemen (1960), The Angry Silence (1960) and Whistle Down the Wind (1961), also appearing in the first two of these as an actor.
His feature film directorial debut was the all-star screen version of the hit musical, Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), and his acting appearances became more sporadic - the most notable being his portrayal of serial killer "John Christie" in 10 Rillington Place (1971). He later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972), based on the early life of Winston Churchill, and A Bridge Too Far (1977), an all-star account of Operation Market Garden in World War II. He won the 1982 Academy Award for Directing for his historical epic, Gandhi (1982), a project he had been attempting to get made for many years. As the film's producer, he also won the Academy Award for Best Picture. His most recent films, as director and producer, include Chaplin (1992), starring Robert Downey Jr. as Charles Chaplin, and Shadowlands (1993), based on the relationship between C.S. Lewis and Joy Gresham. Both films starred Anthony Hopkins, who also appeared in three other films for Attenborough: "Young Winston", "A Bridge Too Far" and the thriller, Magic (1978).
Attenborough also directed the screen version of the hit Broadway musical, "A Chorus Line" (A Chorus Line (1985)), and the apartheid drama, Cry Freedom (1987), based on the experiences of Donald Woods. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for both films. His most recent film as director was another biographical film, Grey Owl (1999), starring Pierce Brosnan.
Attenborough is the President of RADA, Chairman of Capital Radio, President of BAFTA, President of the Gandhi Foundation, and President of the British National Film and Television School. He is also a vice patron of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund.
He is also the patron of the UWC movement (United World Colleges), whereby he continually contributes greatly to the colleges that are part of the organization. He has frequented the United World College of Southern Africa(UWCSA) Waterford Kamhlaba. His wife and he founded the "Richard and Sheila Attenborough Visual Arts Center". He also founded the "Jane Holland Creative Center for Learning" at Waterford Kamhlaba in Swaziland in memory of his daughter, who died in the Tsunami on Boxing Day, 2004. He passionately believes in education, primarily education that does not judge upon color, race, creed or religion. His attachment to Waterford is his passion for non-racial education, which were the grounds on which Waterford Kamhlaba was founded. Waterford was one of his inspirations for directing Cry Freedom (1987), based on the life of Steve Biko.
He was elected to the post of Chancellor of the University of Sussex on 20 March 1998, replacing the Duke of Richmond and Gordon. A lifelong supporter of Chelsea Football Club, Attenborough served as a director of the club from 1969-1982 and, since 1993, has held the honorary position of Life Vice President. He is also the head of the consortium, "Dragon International", which is constructing a film and television studio complex in Llanilid, Wales, often referred to as "Valleywood".
In 1967, he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He was knighted in 1976 and, in 1993, he was made a life peer as Baron Attenborough, of Richmond-upon-Thames in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames.
On 13 July 2006, Attenborough and his brother, David Attenborough, were awarded the titles of Distinguished Honorary Fellows of the University of Leicester "in recognition of a record of continuing distinguished service to the University". Lord Attenborough is also listed as an Honorary Fellow of Bangor University for his continued efforts to film making.
Attenborough has been married to English actress Sheila Sim, since 1945. They had three children. In December 2004, his elder daughter, Jane Holland, as well as her daughter Lucy and her mother-in-law, also named Jane, were killed in the tsunami caused by the Indian Ocean earthquake. A memorial service was held on 8 March 2005, and Attenborough read a lesson at the national memorial service on 11 May 2005. His grandson, Samuel Holland, and granddaughter, Alice Holland, also read in the service.
Attenborough's father was principal of University College, Leicester, now the city's university. This has resulted in a long association with the university, with Lord Attenborough a patron. A commemorative plaque was placed on the floor of Richmond Parish Church. The university's "Richard Attenborough Centre for Disability and the Arts", which opened in 1997, is named in his Honor.
His son, Michael Attenborough, is also a director. He has two younger brothers, the famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough and John Attenborough, who has made a career in the motor trade.
He has collected Pablo Picasso ceramics since the 1950s. More than 100 items went on display at the New Walk Museum and Art Gallery in Leicester in 2007; the exhibition is dedicated to his family members lost in the tsunami.- Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (August 22, 1934 - December 27, 2012) was a United States Army general. While serving as the commander of United States Central Command, he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War.
Born in Trenton, New Jersey, Schwarzkopf grew up in the United States and later in Iran. He was accepted by the United States Military Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army in 1956. After a number of initial training programs, Schwarzkopf interrupted a stint as an academy teacher and served in the Vietnam War, first as an adviser to the South Vietnamese Army and then as a battalion commander. Schwarzkopf was highly decorated in Vietnam and was awarded three Silver Stars, two Purple Hearts, and the Legion of Merit. Rising through the ranks after the Vietnam war, he later commanded the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division and was one of the commanders of the invasion of Grenada in 1983.
Assuming command of United States Central Command in 1988, Schwarzkopf was called on to respond to the invasion of Kuwait in 1990 by the forces of Ba'atheist Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Initially tasked with defending Saudi Arabia from Iraqi aggression, Schwarzkopf's command eventually grew to an international force of over 750,000 troops. After diplomatic relations broke down, he planned and led Operation Desert Storm, an extended air campaign followed by a highly successful 100-hour ground offensive, which defeated the Iraqi Army and removed Iraqi troops from Kuwait in early 1991. Schwarzkopf was presented with military honors.
Schwarzkopf retired shortly after the end of the war and undertook a number of philanthropic ventures, only occasionally stepping into the political spotlight before his death from complications of pneumonia. A hard-driving military commander, easily angered, Schwarzkopf was considered an exceptional leader by many biographers and was noted for his abilities as a military diplomat and in dealing with the press. - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Noah Wyle was born in Hollywood, California, to Marjorie (Speer), an orthopedic head nurse, and Stephen Wyle, an entrepreneur and electrical engineer. He is one of six children. His father's family was Russian Jewish. Noah had early support for his acting ambitions from his stepfather, film restorationist James C. Katz. He had small parts in high school productions (and won an award for a play he wrote).
He participated in a Northwestern University theater program, and was hooked - acting rather than college after high school. After graduation he learned from acting teacher Larry Moss while living in a small apartment on Hollywood Boulevard. His first part was at age 17, in Blind Faith (1990), but after a few good roles he hit a dry spell for two years (no acting, waiting on tables). Then came A Few Good Men (1992) followed by another dry spell in which a return to restaurant work looked like a good option. Television shows seemed possible but Noah steered clear of these because of the 5-year contract commitment. Then came the script for the pilot of ER (1994), and the part of Dr. Carter looked very good. Three auditions later, he had the role.- Make-Up Department
- Producer
Tracy Warbin was born on 8 January 1968 in the USA. She is a producer, known for Sling Blade (1996), Kids (1995) and Balto (1995). She was previously married to Noah Wyle.- Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Steve Tisch is an American film and television producer and sports employee that was born on February 14, 1949 on Lakewood Township, New Jersey.
After he attended Tuffs University, he was a producer for Columbia Pictures. He was production assistant on two 1971 movies Cry Uncle (1971) for Troma and Such Good Friends (1971) for Otto Preminger and Paramount. Although he was associate producer in the 1975 telemovie The Missing Are Deadly (1975), and a producer on the 1977 movie Outlaw Blues (1977), he met up with fellow producer Jon Avnet. Together he started Tisch/Avnet Productions, and eventually produced its first telemovie No Other Love (1979) in 1979. They eventually launched its divisions Tisch/Avnet Pictures, a motion picture division and Tisch/Avnet Television, a television division. They soon followed it up with Homeward Bound (1980). Afterwards, the duo struck a deal with Novacom, Inc. (later King Features Entertainment) to handle syndication of the telemovies.
Through Tisch/Avnet Pictures, the company produced Coast to Coast (1980) and Deal of the Century (1983), which bombed at the box office and Risky Business (1983), which was a box office success, which gave Tom Cruise his first leading role. For Tisch/Avnet Television, the company produced two telemovies for 1982, Prime Suspect (1982) and Something So Right (1982), the latter was a vehicle for former TV star Patty Duke, and in collaboration with writers and producers Shelley List and Jonathan Estrin.
In 1983, the Tisch/Avnet Pictures and Tisch/Avnet Television brands are phased out in favor of the Tisch/Avnet Productions name. Tisch and Avnet continues to produce telemovies like Calendar Girl Murders (1984), which was not a ratings hit, and The Burning Bed (1984), which gave Tisch and Avnet the biggest prolific and household names in television history, and it stared Farrah Fawcett, and spawned 11 Emmy nominations. Later that year, the duo produced another ratings success Silence of the Heart (1984), which gave Charlie Sheen his first acting role. Tisch and Avnet branched out into television series production by producing Call to Glory (1984), which was flopped by airing against competing shows, and fizzled out after one season. Tisch and Avnet would continue to produce two more television movies Triplecross (1986) and In Love and War (1987). Shortly afterwards, Tisch and Avnet broke up their partnership.
In 1985, Tisch launched his own company The Steve Tisch Company to produce feature films, starting with the 1986 film Soul Man (1986) for New World Pictures. Then the company branched out into television movies by producing Evil in Clear River (1988), Whisper Kill (1988) and Out on the Edge (1989), for Phoenix Entertainment Group, Judgment (1990) for HBO and Judgment (1990) for CBS. In 1989, Tisch, along with fellow producers Leonard Hill, Robert Greenwald, Frank von Zerneck, Robert M. Sertner, Michael Jaffe, Frank Konigsberg, Larry Sanitsky, Jon Avnet, Steve White and the film unit of cable company Spectacor launched Allied Communications Incl to syndicate television movies. During the company's run, he produced a few more theatrical movies like Big Business (1988), which was a success at the box office, Hot to Trot (1988), Heart of Dixie (1989), Heart Condition (1990) and Bad Influence (1990) underperformed and the television series Dirty Dancing (1988), which ran with poor ratings after one season.
Tisch was able to recover in the entertainment industry by producing one of the biggest achievements, Forrest Gump (1994), which was directed by Robert Zemeckis and starred Tom Hanks, which was a box office success, and won the most Academy Awards, including Best Picture, which gave Tisch the most successful producer in the entertainment industry. In 1994, he struck a production deal with New Line Cinema. During that time, Tisch also produced Corrina, Corrina (1994), Dear God (1996), Wild America (1997) and The Postman (1997) both of them met negative reviews, and they were bombed at the box office. The company also produced The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), which not only got negative reviews, but it was a minor hit at the box office. In 1998, he was executive producer on American History X (1998), despite the film flopped, it also got positive reception. In 1996, Tisch produced one more telemovie, The People Next Door (1996). As its company shifted its focus on theatrical movies, he produced Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), which was a box office success, and got positive reviews. It was a minority investor in Classic Media when the company started in 2000.
In 2001, Tisch merged his company with Todd Black and Jason Blumenthal's Black & Blu to form the production company Escape Artists. During that time the company produced A Knight's Tale (2001), and it was a box office hit. The next two features Alex & Emma (2003) and The Weather Man (2005) underperformed by the studios Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures, respectively at the box office, both of them got mixed critical reception. The studio produced a long streak of blockbusters hits after that, starting with The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and continued with Seven Pounds (2008), both of them were directed by Gabriele Muccino and starred Will Smith, which Smith himself is also producing for his Overbrook Entertainment production company.
Tisch was named chairman and Executive Vice President of the New York Giants American football team in 2005. Tisch accepted the Vince Lombardi Trophy twice, when the Giants won Super Bowl XLII and again when they won Super Bowl XLVI. On April 30, 2008, Tisch along with the rest of the Giants team and administration were invited by President Bush to the White House to honor the Giants Super Bowl victory. In 2007, Tisch received the P.T. Barnum Award from Tufts University for his exceptional work in the field of media and entertainment
His profiling success at the box office continued via the Escape Artists company, like Knowing (2009) for Summit Entertainment, The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) and Hope Springs (2012) for MGM/Sony/Columbia and The Back-up Plan (2010) for CBS Films. In 2014, Escape Artists and Columbia Pictures produced two films The Equalizer (2014), which spawned a film sequel The Equalizer 2 (2018) and Sex Tape (2014). During 2015 and 2016, Escape Artists produced two films directed by Antoine Fuqua for The Weinstein Company, and The Magnificent Seven (2016) for MGM/Sony/Columbia. His Escape Artists company later branched out into television production in 2019 with Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019) for Epix and Servant (2019). He branched out into documentary by producing Why We Hate (2019).
He was in post production on The Man from Toronto (2022) for Columbia Pictures.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
David Hasselhoff has become one of the most recognizable faces on television and throughout the world. Aside from starring in Knight Rider (1982) and Baywatch (1989), he is also an accomplished singer and popular recording artist.
David Michael Hasselhoff was born on July 17, 1952 in Baltimore, Maryland, to Dolores Therese (Mullinex) and Joe Hasselhoff (Joseph Vincent Hasselhoff), a business executive. He is of German (from his paternal grandfather), English, and Irish descent. The acting bug first hit when David was seven and so he took acting, singing and dancing lessons. He was very shy off stage in front of girls because he was tall and thin, but when he was on stage he was in his element. Due to his father's work, his family (he has four sisters) moved around frequently. He initially thought his career was going to go in the direction of musicals and Broadway.
American audiences first came to know Hasselhoff when he portrayed the popular "Dr. Snapper Foster" for six seasons on CBS's soap opera, The Young and the Restless (1973). Lured by NBC's Brandon Tartikoff to move from daytime to prime time, Hasselhoff went on to star as "Michael Knight" in NBC's hit series Knight Rider (1982). The role garnered him a "People's Choice Award" for most popular actor and the show became a huge success overseas. The success of Knight Rider (1982) resulted in Hasselhoff's first major international following. When the show ended, Hasselhoff launched a successful recording career in Europe. In 1989, "Looking for Freedom" remained in the number one spot on the German charts for eight consecutive weeks. He has continued to perform regularly in concert and has released nine albums to date.
Hasselhoff returned to episodic television as Mitch Buchannon on Baywatch (1989) when the show debuted on NBC in 1989. Though it enjoyed good ratings, the network canceled the series after only one season. Undeterred, Hasselhoff and his partners acquired the rights to the show and, based on Hasselhoff's popularity overseas, they were able to secure financing and revive "Baywatch" in 1991. Now a piece of American pop culture and an international television phenomenon, Baywatch (1989) was at its peak seen in 140 countries by over one billion viewers each week. During his lengthy career, Hasselhoff has flexed his acting muscles in numerous other projects. He starred in the epic miniseries Shaka Zulu (1986), shot on-location in Morocco.
Hasselhoff is an outdoor sports enthusiast whose interests include scuba diving, hiking, white water rafting, tennis, and jogging. In addition, he has parachuted with the US Army Parachute Demonstration Team, The Golden Knights, and flown with the US Navy's Blue Angels. He is an avid sports fan, and has attended the World Cup Soccer Finals, the NBA Finals, the Olympics, the Indy 500, and the Kentucky Derby. Hasselhoff has traveled throughout Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean. He spends many hours visiting children's hospitals throughout the world. His charity, "Race For Life", works with the terminally ill and handicapped children in America.
He was married to the beautiful actress Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff, with whom he has two daughters, Taylor-Ann and Hayley Amber.- Lew Wasserman was born on 22 March 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He was married to Edie Wasserman. He died on 3 June 2002 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.
- Edie Wasserman was born on 4 November 1915 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She was married to Lew Wasserman. She died on 18 August 2011 in Beverly Hills, California, USA.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Multi-talented and unconventional actor/director regarded by many as one of the true "enfant terribles" of Hollywood who led an amazing cinematic career for more than five decades, Dennis Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas. The young Hopper expressed interest in acting from a young age and first appeared in a slew of 1950s television shows, including Medic (1954), Cheyenne (1955) and Sugarfoot (1957). His first film role was in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), quickly followed by Giant (1956) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957). Hopper actually became good friends with James Dean and was shattered when Dean was killed in a car crash in September 1955.
Hopper portrayed a young Napoléon Bonaparte (!) in the star-spangled The Story of Mankind (1957) and regularly appeared on screen throughout the 1960s, often in rather undemanding parts, usually as a villain in westerns such as True Grit (1969) and Hang 'Em High (1968). However, in early 1969, Hopper, fellow actor Peter Fonda and writer Terry Southern, wrote a counterculture road movie script and managed to scrape together $400,000 in financial backing. Hopper directed the low-budget film, titled Easy Rider (1969), starring Fonda, Hopper and a young Jack Nicholson. The film was a phenomenal box-office success, appealing to the anti-establishment youth culture of the times. It changed the Hollywood landscape almost overnight and major studios all jumped onto the anti-establishment bandwagon, pumping out low-budget films about rebellious hippies, bikers, draft dodgers and pot smokers. However, Hopper's next directorial effort, The Last Movie (1971), was a critical and financial failure, and he has admitted that during the 1970s he was seriously abusing various substances, both legal and illegal, which led to a downturn in the quality of his work. He appeared in a sparse collection of European-produced films over the next eight years, before cropping up in a memorable performance as a pot-smoking photographer alongside Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen in Francis Ford Coppola's Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now (1979). He also received acclaim for his work in both acting and direction for Out of the Blue (1980).
With these two notable efforts, the beginning of the 1980s saw a renaissance of interest by Hollywood in the talents of Dennis Hopper and exorcising the demons of drugs and alcohol via a rehabilitation program meant a return to invigorating and provoking performances. He was superb in Rumble Fish (1983), co-starred in the tepid spy thriller The Osterman Weekend (1983), played a groovy school teacher in My Science Project (1985), was a despicable and deranged drug dealer in River's Edge (1986) and, most memorably, electrified audiences as foul-mouthed Frank Booth in the eerie and erotic David Lynch film Blue Velvet (1986). Interestingly, the offbeat Hopper was selected in the early 1980s to provide the voice of "The StoryTeller" in the animated series of "Rabbit Ears" children's films based upon the works of Hans Christian Andersen!
Hopper returned to film direction in the late 1980s and was at the helm of the controversial gang film Colors (1988), which was well received by both critics and audiences. He was back in front of the cameras for roles in Super Mario Bros. (1993), got on the wrong side of gangster Christopher Walken in True Romance (1993), led police officer Keanu Reeves and bus passenger Sandra Bullock on a deadly ride in Speed (1994) and challenged gill-man Kevin Costner for world supremacy in Waterworld (1995). The enigmatic Hopper continued to remain busy through the 1990s and into the new century with performances in All the Way (2003), The Keeper (2004) and Land of the Dead (2005).
As well as his acting/directing talents, Hopper was a skilled photographer and painter, having had his works displayed in galleries in both the United States and overseas. He was additionally a dedicated and knowledgeable collector of modern art and had one of the most extensive collections in the United States. Dennis died of prostate cancer on May 29, 2010, less than two weeks after his 74th birthday.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Forest Steven Whitaker has packaged a king-size talent into his hulking 6' 2", 220 lb. frame. He won an Academy Award for his performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the film The Last King of Scotland (2006), and has also won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. He is the fourth African-American male to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, following in the footsteps of Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Jamie Foxx.
Whitaker was born on July 15, 1961 in Longview, Texas, to Laura Francis (Smith), a special education teacher, and Forest Steven Whitaker, an insurance salesman. His family moved to South Central Los Angeles in 1965. The athletically-inclined Whitaker initially found his way into college via a football scholarship. Later, however, he transferred to USC where he set his concentration on music and earned two more scholarships training as an operatic tenor. This, in turn, led to another scholarship at Berkeley with a renewed focus on acting and the performing stage.
Whitaker made his film debut at the age of 21 in the raucous comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) wherein he played, quite naturally, a footballer. He went on to play another sports-oriented student, a wrestler, in his second film Vision Quest (1985). He gained experience on TV as well with featured spots on such varied shows as Diff'rent Strokes (1978) and Cagney & Lacey (1981), not to mention the TV-movie Civil War epic North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985) and its sequel. The movie that truly put him on the map was The Color of Money (1986). His one big scene as a naive-looking pool player who out-hustles Paul Newman's Fast Eddie Felson was pure electricity. This led to more visible roles in the "A" class films Platoon (1986), Stakeout (1987), and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), which culminated in his breakout lead portrayal of the tortured jazz icon 'Charlie "Bird" Parker' in Clint Eastwood's passion project Bird (1988), for which Whitaker won the Cannes Film Festival award for "best actor" and a Golden Globe nomination. Whitaker continued to work with a number of well-known directors throughout the 1990s.
While his "gentle giant" characters typically display innocence, indecision, and timidity along with a strong underlying humanity, he has certainly not shied away from the edgier, darker corners of life as his occasional hitmen and other menacing streetwise types can attest. Although in only the first section of the film, he was memorable as the IRA-captured British soldier whose bizarre relationship with a mysterious femme fatale serves as the catalyst for the critically-lauded drama The Crying Game (1992). Always a willing participant to push the envelope, he's gone on to enhance a number of lesser films. Among those was his plastic surgeon in Johnny Handsome (1989), gay clothing designer in Robert Altman's Ready to Wear (1994), alien hunter in Species (1995), absentee father confronted by his estranged son in Smoke (1995), and Mafia hitman who models himself after the samurai warrior in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999), among many others. As would be expected, he's also had his share of epic-sized bombs, notoriously the L. Ron Hubbard sci-fi disaster Battlefield Earth (2000). On the TV front, he was the consulting producer and host of a revamped Rod Serling's cult series classic The Twilight Zone (2002), which lasted a disappointing one season.
In the early 1990s, Whitaker widened his horizons to include producing/directing and has since gained respect behind the camera as well. He started things off co-producing the violent gangster film A Rage in Harlem (1991), in which he co-starred with Gregory Hines and Robin Givens, and then made his successful directorial debut with the soulful Waiting to Exhale (1995), showcasing a legion of distaff black stars. He also directed co-star Whitney Houston's music video of the movie's theme song ("Shoop Shoop"). He also helmed the fluffy romantic comedy First Daughter (2004) with Katie Holmes and Michael Keaton. Whitaker also served as an executive producer on First Daughter. He had previously executive produced several made-for-television movies, most notably the 2002 Emmy-award winning Door to Door, starring William H. Macy. He produced these projects through his production company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, which he shut down in 2005 to concentrate on his acting career.
In 2002, he co-starred in Joel Schumacher's thriller, Phone Booth, with Kiefer Sutherland and Colin Farrell. That year, he also co-starred with Jodie Foster in Panic Room.
Whitaker's greatest success to date is the 2006 film, The Last King of Scotland. His performance earned him the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, For that same role, he also received the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild Award, a BAFTA Award, and many critical accolades. He has also received several other honors. In September 2006, the 10th Annual Hollywood Film Festival presented him with its "Hollywood Actor of the Year Award," He was also honored at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2007, receiving the American Riviera Award. Previously, in 2005, the Deauville Festival of American Film paid tribute to him. In 2007, Forest Whitaker won the Cinema for Peace Award 2007.
In 2007, Whitaker co-starred in The Great Debaters with fellow Oscar winner Denzel Washington, and in 2008, Whitaker played opposite Keanu Reeves in Street Kings and Dennis Quaid in Vantage Point.
In 2009, Forest co-starred in the Warner Bros. film "Where the Wild Things Are," directed by Spike Jonze, which was a mix of live-action, animation and puppetry as an adaptation of the Maurice Sendak classic children's book. Around the same time, he also starred n "Repossession Mambo", with Jude Law, "Hurricane Season", "Winged Creatures", and "Powder Blue". He appeared in the Olivier Dahan film "My Own Love Song", opposite Renée Zellweger, and was part of the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009, in Nigeria.
He is married to former model Keisha Whitaker and has three children by her. His younger brothers Kenn Whitaker and Damon Whitaker are both actors as well.
Forest was given a star on the Hollywood Walk in April of 2007. In November 2007, Whitaker was the creative mind behind DEWmocracy.com, a website that let people decide the next flavor of Mountain Dew in a "People's Dew" poll. He directed a short film and created the characters for the video game. Whitaker has done extensive humanitarian work, he has been involved with organizations like, Penny Lane, an organization that provides assistance to abused teenagers. PETA and Farm Sanctuary, organizations that protect animals' rights. Close friends with Neurosurgeon Dr. Keith Black, Forest has helped raise awareness and funds for Dr. Blacks research. During the last couple of years, he has become a spokesperson for Hope North Ugandan orphanage and Human Rights Watch. In the year 2001 Forest received a Humanitas Prize. He was recently honored by The City of Los Angeles with the Hope of Los Angeles Award. And his entire clan received the LA BEST Family Focus Award. Last year he joined forces with "Idol Gives Back" and "Malaria No More"; he has become a GQ Ambassador supporting and fundraising for Hope North. He was a Surrogate for Barack Obama's campaign supporting him across the United States.
Whitaker's multimedia company, Spirit Dance Entertainment, includes film, television and music production. He works closely with a number of charitable organizations, giving back to his community by serving as an Honorary Board Members for Penny Lane, an organization that provides assistance to abused teenagers, the Human Rights Watch and The Hope North organization.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
A true multi-hyphenate, Blair Underwood is enjoying success in film, television and theatre, as an actor, director and producer. Underwood recently returned to Broadway starring opposite David Alan Grier in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama "A Solider's Play" for director Kenny Leon and the Roundabout Theatre Company. He also co-stars in Justin Simien's "Bad Hair" which will premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Also this year, Underwood stars opposite Octavia Spencer & Tiffany Haddish in Netflix's highly anticipated limited series "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker" (March 20).
Underwood recently appeared in the Netflix Emmy-Award winning limited series "When They See Us." He also had a recurring role on the Netflix comedy series, "Dear White People" and can be seen in Clark Johnson's "Juanita," opposite Alfre Woodard, also for Netflix. He spent two years as a series regular on the ABC drama series "Quantico," while also recurring on another hit ABC drama "MARVEL AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. " He also had a co-starring role in "The After Party," from writer/director Ian Edelman, which Netflix released late in 2018.
Past television credits include series regular roles on "Dirty Sexy Money," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "In Treatment," "The Event" and "L.A. Law". Film credits include "Deep Impact," "Set It Off," "Rules of Engagement," "Just Cause," "Madea's Family Reunion" and Steven Soderbergh's "Full Frontal." Underwood co-starred opposite Cicely Tyson in the Lifetime telefilm & theatre production of "A Trip to Bountiful," based on the Tony Award-winning play.
In 2012 he made his acclaimed Broadway debut in the iconic role of Stanley in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," for which he earned a 2012 Drama League Distinguished Performance Award nomination. He also starred in "Paradise Blue" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and "Othello" at the Old Globe Theatre.
Underwood also has several projects in the development pipeline as a director, including "Viral," a feature based on a Joe McClean script. In 2010 he made his feature film directing debut with "The Bridge to Nowhere," which starred Ving Rhames, Danny Masterson, Bijou Phillips and Alex Breckenridge.
Underwood is an Emmy Award-winner (as producer of the philanthropy-centered NBC Saturday morning series "Give"), a two-time Golden Globe Award nominee, and has been nominated for 17 NAACP Image Awards (seven wins). He won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word as co-narrator of Al Gore's audiobook, An Inconvenient Truth. A newly minted member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he is also active in several philanthropic endeavors.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Antonio Sabato Jr. was born on 29 February 1972 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He is an actor and producer, known for The Big Hit (1998), The Three Stooges (2012) and Drifter: Henry Lee Lucas (2009). He was previously married to Cheryl Moana Marie Nunes and Tully Jensen.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Katharine Juliet Ross was born January 29, 1940, in Hollywood, CA, to Katherine (née Mullen) and Dudley Tying Ross. Her father, who had also worked as a reporter for the Associated Press, was a commander in the US Navy when she was born. His navy career shuttled the family around to Virginia, then Palo Alto, and finally to Walnut Creek, outside of San Francisco, where Ross grew up.
Ross graduated from Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek in 1957 and attended Santa Rosa Junior College and Diablo Valley College in the Bay Area, where she took part in her first onscreen work in a student film. Moving to San Francisco, into an apartment on Stockton Street above a grocery store, she began her acting career as an understudy in Actor's Workshop productions, and was soon auditioning for roles. She was also married in 1960 to college sweetheart Joel Fabiani, the first of five husbands.
Work came steadily for Ross, at first mainly in television westerns, and indeed Westerns would make up the majority of her best-known work, her natural beauty being a strong asset in that genre. She made her TV debut in an episode of Sam Benedict (1962), and her first film role was in the Civil War era Shenandoah (1965) starring James Stewart. Ross' career as a leading actress began in earnest in 1967, with her strong turn co-starring with James Caan and Simone Signoret in Games (1967), and with The Graduate (1967). Ross' performance as Elaine earned her a Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
A disappointing, formulaic John Wayne vehicle, Hellfighters (1968), followed but she soon returned to form with two films with Robert Redford. As Etta Place in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Ross was part of the most memorable scene from that hit film, precariously perched barefoot on the bumper of that newfangled contraption, the bicycle, as Paul Newman's Butch Cassidy takes her for a ride. The compelling Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969) was less of a box office success but more highly regarded by the critics, and Ross won a BAFTA Award for her work as Lola, a Paiute Indian who flees with her boyfriend, played by Robert Blake, after he kills her father in self-defense.
Swept up into a whirlwind of fame, widely idealized as the symbol of beauty for the Woodstock generation, Ross had accomplished so much so quickly that it seemed her entire career had happened almost all at once, in that frenzy of activity between 1967 and 1969. Sure enough, there followed a long dry spell in which she was mostly cast in forgettable roles; her next strong film wasn't for another six years. In The Stepford Wives (1975), an intriguing black comedy-cum-horror film, Ross plays a independent, free-spirited wife newly relocated to a suburb where the other wives all seem to be just a little too perfect, too submissive; it was arguably her strongest performance to date, but Stepford Wives would prove to be but a temporary resurgence for Ross, and her work in the decade and a half to follow would include such star-studded duds as The Betsy (1978), and a return to TV, including a part in primetime soap opera The Colbys (1985). Along the way, however, Ross found love. After four failed marriages (the second, third and fourth were to John Marion, Conrad L. Hall and Gaetano Lisi respectively), she met her current husband Sam Elliott, while working on The Legacy (1978). They married in May 1984; that September, just four months short of her 45th birthday, Ross gave birth to a daughter, Cleo Rose.
In 1991, Ross and Elliott adapted the Louis L'Amour novel, Conagher (1991), for television in a remarkably affecting Western tale which showcases both actors' remarkable talents. Ross continues to take roles on occasion and, as usual, her work is strong -- something that was sometimes overlooked in her youth due to her famous beauty. For instance, Ross turned up in Donnie Darko (2001), in a solid performance as Donnie's psychiatrist.
Ross and Elliott live on their ranchito in Malibu.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Tall, thin, wiry Sam Elliott is the classic picture of the American cowboy. Elliott began his acting career on the stage and his film debut was in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Although his future wife, Katharine Ross co-starred in the film, the two did not meet until they filmed The Legacy (1978) together. Over the years there would be few opportunities to act in feature westerns, but it would be television that gave him that opportunity, in The Sacketts (1979), The Shadow Riders (1982) and The Yellow Rose (1983), among others. He would also work in non-westerns, usually as a tough guy, as in Lifeguard (1976) and Road House (1989). In 1985 he played Cher's love interest Gar in the drama Mask (1985), and he was in some cop movies such as Fatal Beauty (1987) and Shakedown (1988). In the 1990s, Elliott was back on the western trail, playing everyone from Brig. Gen. John Buford in the film Gettysburg (1993) to Wild Bill Hickok in the made-for-TV movie Buffalo Girls (1995). In 1991 he wrote the screenplay and co-starred with his wife in the made-for-TV western Conagher (1991), and two years later he played Wyatt Earp's brother Virgil in Tombstone (1993), with Kurt Russell as Wyatt. In 1995 the starred as John Pierce the tense thriller The Final Cut (1995), as a former head of a Bomb Squad who must to stop a dangerous bomber. In 1998 he was the narrator of the hilarious comedy The Big Lebowski (1998), playing him as The Stranger, and returned to the Western in the drama The Hi-Lo Country (1998), closing the 20th century with another western, the TV movie You Know My Name (1999).
Sam Elliott started the 21st century with the Stephen Frears' TV movie Fail Safe (2000) playing Congressman Raskob, and The Contender (2000) as Kermit Newman, at the side of Joan Allen, Jeff Bridges and Gary Oldman, and in We Were Soldiers (2002) as Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley, together Mel Gibson. In 2003 he played Gen. Thunderbolt Ross in the Ang Lee's pre-MCU Hulk (2003), repeating in another Marvel superhero movie as Caretaker in Ghost Rider (2007). After participating in the fantasy movie The Golden Compass (2007) and made a stellar cameo in Up in the Air (2009), Elliott played Clay Wheeler in the box office flop comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? (2009), starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker, and in 2012 he was a supporting character as Mac Macleod in Robert Redford's The Company You Keep (2012). After the playing Coach Moore in the sport drama Draft Day (2014) In 2015 Elliott was hyperactive, appearing in seven different productions including cinema and TV: Digging for Fire (2015), I'll See You in My Dreams (2015), Sam Elliott, the sixth season of Justified (2010) as Avery Markham, and The Good Dinosaur (2015) voicing Butch. Two years later was absolute star in the drama The Hero (2017) as Lee Hayden, and in the sci-fi movie The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot (2018) as Calvin Barr, to shine again as supporting character playing Bradley Cooper's brother Bobby in the multi-nominated Cooper's directorial debut A Star Is Born (2018), sharing scenes with Lady Gaga, coming back again to the western in the TV series 1883 (2021) as Shea Brennan.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kristen Johnston studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in New York City.
She won two Emmys for her role on 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996). She has appeared on many other television shows, including Ugly Betty (2006), ER (1994), Bored to Death (2009) and, perhaps most memorably, as the party girl whose famous final words were "I'm so bored I could die" on Sex and the City (1998). She's currently, on television, on TV Land's hit series, The Exes (2011), which is now in its fourth season. Just a few of Johnston's many stage credits are "So Help Me God!" (Drama desk nomination), "The Women", "Aunt Dan & Lemon", "Love Song" on the West End, as well as starring in three "Shakespeare in Central Park" productions, "Much Ado About Nothing", "12th Night", and "The Skin of our Teeth". She is a long-time member of The Atlantic Theater Company, and her roles over the years have included "The Lights" (Drama Desk Nomination) and "Scarcity". Kristen's film credits include Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), the 2nd Austin Powers film (as "Ivana Humpalot"), Finding Bliss (2009), Bad Parents (2012), Bride Wars (2009), Life Happens (2011), Vamps (2012), Strangers with Candy (2005), and the upcoming independent film, Lovesick (2014), with Matt LeBlanc. Johnston teaches acting at The Atlantic Theater Company's Acting School at NYU. She founded an organization called SLAM, whose goal is the creation of a desperately needed sober high school in New York City. Johnston's first book was a New York Times Bestselling memoir, entitled "GUTS: the endless follies and tiny triumphs of a giant disaster".- Amy Yasbeck was born on 12 September 1962 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is an actress, known for The Mask (1994), Pretty Woman (1990) and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). She was previously married to John Ritter.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Scott Stewart Bakula was born on October 9, 1954 in St. Louis, Missouri, to Sally (Zumwinkel) and J. Stewart Bakula, a lawyer. He is of German, as well as Czech, Austrian, Scottish and English ancestry. He comes from a musical family. In the fourth grade, he started a rock band and wrote songs for them, he later sang with the St. Louis Symphony. He studied Law at the University of Kansas until his sophomore year when he left to pursue acting. In 1976, he was first hired professionally in the role of Sam in "Shenandoah" and went to New York. After several small roles on television, he starred opposite Dean Stockwell in the science fiction series Quantum Leap (1989). Bakula played Dr. Sam Beckett, a physicist who was trapped by a malfunction of his time machine to correct things gone wrong in the past. He won a Golden Globe in 1992 for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV series - Drama for Quantum Leap (1989) and was nominated for a Tony Award in 1988. He also starred in the prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise (2001) as Jonathan Archer, the captain of Earth's first long-range starship. Today, he lives in Los Angeles, California and has a farm in upstate New York.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is an American actress, who also holds German citizenship. She was born on April 30, 1982 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, to parents Inez (née Rupprecht), who owned an art gallery, and Klaus Dunst, a medical services executive. She has a younger brother named Christian Dunst, born in 1987. Her father is German, from Hamburg, and her mother, who is American, is of German and Swedish descent.
Her career began at the age of 3 when she started modeling and appearing in commercials. She made her feature film debut with an uncredited role at age 6 in the 'Oedipus Wrecks' segment of Woody Allen's 1989 film New York Stories (1989). She received her first film credit in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990). Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1993, where her film career took off.
In 1994, she made her breakthrough performance in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), alongside such stars as Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination, the MTV Award for Best Breakthrough Performance and the Saturn Award for Best Young Actress. In 1995, she was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People. Over the next few years, she made a string of hit movies including Little Women (1994), Jumanji (1995) and Small Soldiers (1998).
In 2000, she received rave reviews for her role as "Lux Lisbon" in Sofia Coppola's independent film, The Virgin Suicides (1999) and proved her status as a leading actress in the comedy hit, Bring It On (2000). She also graduated from Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles in June of that year.
In 2002, she landed one of her best known roles as Peter Parker's love interest, Mary Jane Watson, in Spider-Man (2002). She continued her role in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007).
She went on to land roles in such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), the romantic comedy Wimbledon (2004), and in Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown (2005). She also played the title character in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006).
Dunst won the Best Actress Award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival for her performance as Justine in Lars von Trier's Melancholia (2011). In 2012, she appeared in Walter Salles' film adaptation of On the Road (2012) and the independent comedy Bachelorette (2012). She also has several films in production, including The Two Faces of January (2014).
Her charity work includes designing a necklace to raise funds for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation as well as supporting various cancer charities.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Jeremy Jackson At the tender age of six, Jeremy Jackson got his first taste of show business, booking his first successful commercial for Mattel. From this Jeremy exploded onto the commercial scene starring in dozens of national network ad campaigns including television and print. In addition to his commercial work Jeremy dabbled in daytime television with a seven-episode run on the soap opera Santa Barbara, and got his first feature film shot with a small roll in Shout starring John Travolta. With hard work and determination, he accomplished all of this before his tenth birthday. Soon after in 1990, the ten year old Newport Beach native beat 3,000 other child actors, including a young Leonardo DiCaprio, for the role of Hobie Buchanon on the 90's phenomenon Baywatch. His character remained on the show for its entirety running through 1999. In the midst of all this success Jeremy's creativity did not stop at television. In 1992 Jeremy starred alongside Oscar winning actress Sally Kirkland in the short film The Bulkin Trail for which he received a Youth and Film Award nomination for Best Actor. During his successful acting career Jeremy soared into the music industry releasing two full length albums yielding two top ten hits, several singles, and launching him into a full European tour. His creative endeavors were honored when he was invited into the World Music Hall of Fame and in 1996 with his induction into the Young Hollywood Hall of Fame. Right out of the gate, Jackson's success seemed to skyrocket; gaining momentum with no regard to gravity. However, underneath the incredible success story was an all-too-familiar and all-too-unfortunate twist. During his time on Baywatch, the golden boy surfer from Newport Beach developed a serious substance abuse problem. In 2000, following an arrest, Jeremy decided to change his ways, and committed himself into drub rehab. Since then he has remained clean and sober, and, using his kind heart, natural charisma and magnetic personality, has helped countless peers through their struggles with addiction. In 2003, Jeremy established an invaluable business relationship with Christian Audigier marketing his new clothing line Von Dutch. After the success of the line, Audigier employed Jackson's talents to help catapult his newest line, Ed Hardy. In his time as an event coordinator for Audigier, Jackson has produced over 170 fashion events in 35 states and 5 countries. In 2004, Jeremy tried his hand in film production in addition to starring in some independent films. However, his reemergence onto the scene took a major stride when former child stars turned producers, Jason Hervey and Scott Baio contacted him about their new reality show. The show, VH1's Confessions of a Teen Idol, aired in January 2009, and follows several child stars in their journeys to reclaiming the fame they once had. Since then, Jeremy has moved from his roots in Newport Beach and traded the laid back beach lifestyle in for the life of a busy artist in the heart of Los Angeles. Jeremy is committed to attending scene study classes, working with his acting coach, taking meetings and auditions all while staying dedicated to his newly found passion for health and fitness. He most recently landed the role of Federal Bureau investigator Jason Gallion acting opposite James Caan and an all star cast in the true life story, Barry Minkow, set for release on the "big screen" in 2010 In 2012 Jeremy set out to accomplish a lifelong goal, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu training. Committing to the immensely successful Body By Vi 90 Day Challenge,
Jeremy and a few close friends arranged, not only train, but to compete in their very first Jiu Jitsu tournament after only 90 days of training. Jeremy found Master Marcus Vinicius Delucia, close by at Beverly Hills Jiu Jitsu Club, and began instruction. After just three months of intense daily training sessions, Jeremy competed at the 5th American Cup and went home empty handed losing his first match by points. Since that loss Jeremy has been committed to training, inspired by the never ending learning process, the always evolving art, the unattainable perfection, and an absolute love for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Jeremy has since acquired many gold metals as well as silver and bronze.
Jeremy passion for Jiu Jitsu lead him to International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation tournament competing and working with his new found family and friends in the sport he loves so much. Jeremy continues to devote his time to the betterment of himself and others while maintaining a firm commitment to acting classes, fitness and nutrition programs, and preparing himself to grow in the entertainment industry. He is an accomplished Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitor, surfer, snow and wake boarder, musician, D.J., and emcee.- Actress
- Producer
Internationally recognized actress, Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff is the recipient of Germany's Otto Award (in recognition of her status as one of Germany's favorite actresses). Pamela is among just a handful of actresses who have done two television series, concurrently. This multi-talented actress learned how to balance her successful career as well as her personal life. She starred in the motion picture, Castle Rock (2000), with Ernest Borgnine and Alana Austin, Wolf Larson and Frank Gorshin for "TAG Entertainment" (Show Time), under the direction of Craig Clyde. Pamela starred in the comedy, "The Sicilian Bachelor", as "Millian Black" at the American Renegade Theatre in the NoHo Arts District of Los Angeles.
Pamela is best-known for her roles on Baywatch (1989) and Sirens (1993). Pamela managed to create two significant different characters and make them believable on these two series for several seasons (10 years on "Baywatch"). As "Kaye Morgan", she portrayed a cafe owner on "Baywatch" who stays in the mix of things and always lends a helping hand when she feels the necessity. On "Sirens", she portrayed "Ellen Baskin", the top ranking police psychologist, candid and to the point. Up until the final season ago, she was a frequent flyer between the beaches of Los Angeles, to the city of Montreal.
She starred in the motion picture, More Than Puppy Love (2002) (Show Time), that was shot entirely on location in Kansas City, with Diane Ladd, and in a motion picture, Route 66 (1998), in which she starred as the Stepmother, with an all-star cast that includes Diane Ladd, Alana Austin, Richard Moll, Mat McCoy and Bruce Weitz, under the direction of Steve Austin and written and produced by Shauna Leigh Austin.
Pamela made her motion picture debut when legendary director Francis Ford Coppola went to Oklahoma to shoot the hit film, Rumble Fish (1983), co-starring Matt Dillon, Vincent Spano and Mickey Rourke. He auditioned the locals for the other roles and she was hired. Encouraged by professionals about her abilities, she decided to relocate to Los Angeles. To make an income and to continue her education while pursuing her career, Pamela worked as a page on several popular hit series. After a year in California, she moved to New York to pursue her first love, the theatre. Immediately she signed with the Ford Petite Modeling Agency and, shortly thereafter, became one of the top petite models in the Big Apple, and soon adorned the covers of magazines. She co-starred off-Broadway in "Crimes of the Heart" and continued to study and act in various plays for the next two years. Comedy became one of Pamela's foundations, she worked with Joe Piscopo for over two years which included: stage, concert and night club appearances, television specials and guest appearances on the major talk show. She was polishing her craft as Piscopo's side-kick. Then, she landed a special with George Burns, on her own. With Burns, Pamela learned several tricks of the trade and fine-tuned her timing.
Returning to Los Angeles, she accomplished becoming a working actress, guest-starring on several TV shows, specials, MOWs, including George Burns Comedy Week (1985), Cheers (1982), The Young and the Restless (1973), The Fall Guy (1981), Superboy (1988), The Joe Piscopo New Jersey Special (1986), True Confessions (1981), T.J. Hooker (1982), Knight Rider (1982), etc. She starred in several plays, including "Dora", "I Remember Mama" and "Lilion", to name a few. Pamela co-starred in the motion picture, The Appointment (1982) and The Men's Club (1986). Hailing from Tulsa, Oklahoma, she is the middle child of three sisters. Her mother and stepfather were ideal role models and unique parents; they raised 37 foster children throughout the years. Actually, Pamela's performing debut occurred at age nine, when she sang "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and realized that she loved the stage. Pamela completed two years as an engineering major at Northeastern Oklahoma Junior College and she is an accredited lifeguard, an avid diver (certified scuba diver), skier as well as a top marksman.
Pamela is a working actress/producer... also being a mother of two daughters... as well as president of her own production company.- Hayley Hasselhoff can't be pigeon-holed. She is an Actress, Fashion Designer, Marie Claire UK Fashion & Wellbeing Editor, Strahan, Sara and Keke Style Contributor, mental health awareness and body positive advocate and Curve Model. Already she's made impactful strides in the fashion world and has made a commitment to celebrate inclusivity in the fashion industry for all genders, races, shapes and sizes.
At the age of 14, Hayley made her fashion debut by signing with world-renowned modeling agency Ford Models. A decade later and Hayley continues to achieve success after success. Her resume boasts various international fashion magazine covers including Bello, SLiNK and Very UK. Hayley headlined Paris Pulp Fashion Week, Sheego show at Berlin Fashion Week and the UK Plus Size Fashion Week. Hayley also walked for Eder + Berk at New York Fashion Week 2015 and the 2019 S by Serena Williams show. She's been featured in multiple publications such as Glamour, InStyle UK, Marie Claire UK, PEOPLE, Seventeen, Runway and Teen Vogue. Her TV fashion contributions include Access Hollywood, Good Morning America, the TODAY show and many other early morning and talk-back TV shows.
In addition to being one of the world's leading Curve models, Hayley's other passion is acting. She starred in the ABC Family drama series Huge, playing the lead role Amber. From there, she was featured in Disney XD's Pair of Kings and the DCOM musical comedy feature Fearless. She had a cameo role in the sci-fi lm Sharknado 4 and played Hannah in Loosely Exactly Nicole for Facebook Watch in 2018. In 2019 Hayley appeared as 'Patty' in CBS' 'Why Women Kill'. Hayley is highly regarded as a leader and an expert in the fashion field. As a result, she appeared as a judge and mentor on Scandinavia's Next Top Model. The show aired throughout Sweden, Denmark and Norway and received high praise for including the show's first-ever Curve addition. Hayley was also commended for her honest approach to giving feedback and to providing invaluable advice to the budding models on how to leave their own mark in the fashion world.
While helping women look their best, Hayley is also determined they feel their best, and that was one of the reasons she decided to make the leap in her career to fashion designer. After years of struggling to find quality pieces that fit her own enviable curves, Hayley went on to create quality pieces that were tailored to perfection while still achieving that layered, accessible look. Hayley designed her first collection for UK plus size apparel brand Elvi for sizes 14 to 38. She's released two collections so far, which have been sold online through Elvi.co.UK and in-store at Navabi, Next and, Nordstrom and has garnered worldwide praise from fashion editors, bloggers, influencers and enthusiasts alike.
Not satisfied with just designing and showcasing clothing, Hayley also writes as a Curve Columnist for Marie Claire UK. Hayley creative directs everything curve for the magazine, whilst simultaneously styling and modeling in each month's issue featured in the table of contents. She also ensures to keep her finger on the pulse on anything fashion related; especially what's available in the worldwide curve market by constantly trend forecasting and staying in-the-know on runway collections' offerings. If that wasn't already enough, Hayley is also the resident Curve Style Expert for This Morning. Philanthropy and giving back are some of Hayley's most favorite pastimes. Hayley is a passionate advocate, speaking up on issues that relate to women's health, well being and equality. She regularly travels across the globe to mentor and promote positive body image and confidence to young women. In 2015, Hayley spoke in Parliament to petition for a law to protect the health of models working in the fashion industry. Additionally, she's founded Teens Helping Teens, which raises money for the Children's Hospital LA and is also a supporter of Wheels for Humanities and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hayley's exceptional work ethic is undeniably recognized in everything she does. She gives her all and excels in the projects she pursues. Not one to sit back, Hayley is championing change and committed to promoting positive experiences in fashion, walking the path of a truly inspiring role model.
Hayley believes that being different gives you power and a voice. She believes in the importance of educating people not only on issues close to her heart, but also focusing on solutions to empower individuals to create change and be the very best version of themselves. Whether this be around the relationship they have with their body and who they are as a person, or the impact their actions have on others; fostering behavioral change can facilitate improvements, not just physical and mental, but in every aspect of life.
Showing no signs of stopping, Hayley's 2019-20 includes a bevy of new titles and accolades. She was a featured talent on Celebrity Coach Trip and Celebrity X Factor.. She posed for the 2019 November/December cover of Dare Magazine for Superdrug. 2019 also found Hayley being announced as the Stylist Contributor for Good Morning America's Strahan, Sara and Keke. Last but not least, in addition to her Curve column, Hayley's role at Marie Claire UK now also includes Fashion and Wellbeing Editor.
Hayley has shown through effortless grace and strength that through perseverance and willingness to reflect inside one's self that truly anything is possible. 2020 brings about new and exciting endeavors including a brand new mental health awareness incentive "CHECK IN WITH YOU". - Actress
- Soundtrack
Gena Lee Nolin was born on 29 November 1971 in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress, known for Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding (2003), Baywatch (1989) and Sheena (2000). She has been married to Cale Hulse since 3 September 2004. They have two children. She was previously married to Greg Fahlman and David Alan Feiler.- Victoria Duffy was born on 10 October 1967 in the USA. She is an actress, known for Judas Kiss (1998), Chasers (1994) and The Blackout (1997). She was previously married to Dennis Hopper.
- Henry Hopper was born on 11 September 1990 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Restless (2011), The Color of Time (2012) and Kurt (2012).
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
Born in Danbury, Connecticut, USA, to Greg and Mary, Jonathan Brandis began his career at age 5, acting in several television commercials. He also appeared in small parts in several films and TV shows before his first starring role in the 1990 film The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990). He starred in popular films such as Ladybugs (1992) and starred as Lucas Wolenczak in Steven Spielberg's television series SeaQuest 2032 (1993). He doubled up his high school courses so he could finish a year early for his role on SeaQuest. After his career stalled for a bit, he was hoping his role in serious drama film Hart's War (2002) would relaunch it. However, most of his scenes ended up being cut from the finished film. This caused him to fall into a deep depression in which he would drink heavily and tragically end his own life on November 12th, 2003.- Taylor-Ann Hasselhoff was born on 5 May 1990 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Baywatch (1989), Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens (2016) and Sunken City (2014). She has been married to Madison Fiore since 4 February 2023.
- Additional Crew
- Talent Agent
Desiree DaCosta is known for Another 48 Hrs. (1990), Boomerang (1992) and Harlem Nights (1989). She was previously married to Blair Underwood.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Ian Ziering (pronounced 'EYE-an, Zare-ring') was born on March 30, 1964, and was raised in West Orange, New Jersey. By the mid-1970s, young Ian was landing spots in national commercials at the age of 12, which led to roles in various soap operas and stage plays, most notably Guiding Light (1952), the Broadway production of I Remember Mama and, in a national touring production of Peter Pan. In 1981 he made his feature film debut in Endless Love (1981) (as Brooke Shields's little brother) - a film that also marked the big-screen debuts of Tom Cruise and James Spader.
However, in 1990, Ziering landed the role that would change his life - 'Steve Sanders' on the teen drama, Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). The show brought instant, worldwide fame to the cast. Ian was suddenly an international heartthrob and played the role for the show's entire ten-year run. During his years on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) he was also featured in various films and television shows, including Russell Crowe's No Way Back (1995), What I Like About You (2002) and Melrose Place (1992), to name a few.
Since Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), Ziering has appeared on numerous television shows including CSI: NY (2004), JAG (1995) and Fran Drescher's Happily Divorced (2011). In addition, he has continued to be one of the most in-demand actors for various animated films and television shows including Spider-Man (2003), Mighty Ducks: The Animated Series (1996), Batman Beyond (1999) and Biker Mice from Mars (1993). In 2005, in a real change of pace from his normal acting roles, Ziering also appeared in the Tony Scott feature film thriller, Domino (2005), with Keira Knightley. Other film credits include National Lampoon's: The Legend of Awesomest Maximus (2011), That's My Boy (2012) with Adam Sandler, An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars (2012) with Nia Vardalos, Snake & Mongoose (2013), and, Christmas in Palm Springs (2014).
In 2007, Ziering showed the world that he was a true triple threat when he signed on to the fourth season of the hit ABC series, Dancing with the Stars (2005). A fan and judge favorite with his partner, two-time Mirror Ball Champion Cheryl Burke, the pair eventually danced their way into the show's semifinals. In addition to his ongoing acting roles and voice over work, Ian is a much sought-after television host and, was most recently seen hosting HGTV's A-List Pets.
2013 proved to be a pivotal year for Ziering both professionally and personally. At the age of 49, Ian became a Las Vegas headliner when he starred as the celebrity guest host of the award-winning production of Chippendales at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino. Taking on this new role, the actor hit the gym and dropped 30 pounds, transforming himself into a fit and muscled man, thrilling the sold-out audiences. His Chippendales engagement brought him a new wave of fans and international acclaim, thrusting him once again into the limelight. The engagement was such a huge success, establishing Ian as a major Las Vegas box-office draw, he was asked to return to the show in Summer 2014 for another sold-out run at the Rio with the world-famous brand.
However, it was during his final week with the Chippendales in 2013 that Ian's small-budget film Sharknado (2013) aired on the SyFy Channel and instantly became a social media and worldwide phenomenon. Garnering more than 5,000 Tweets per minute during its initial broadcast - more than any other television show to date - Sharknado (2013) became an instant science fiction, cult classic and, even received a theatrical release in movie theatres around the world due to its popularity with fans.
The franchise exploded so much that in July 2014 Ian reprised his role as Fin Shepard in SyFy's Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014), and the film went on to devour the world and become an even bigger pop culture phenomenon than the first. The record-setting sequel had nearly 4 million viewers in its first broadcast and went on to claim the title as the "Most social movie on TV ever" by garnering one billion (that is NOT a typo) Twitter impressions. At one point, Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014) held all top 10 trending topics in the United States with more mentions on Twitter than #MileyCyrus on the day of the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards (2013), and #kimye on Kim Kardashian and Ye's wedding day. Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015) stormed the world in July 2015 and chomped its way to over 2 billion Twitter impressions - doubling those of Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014). Generating more Twitter activity than every episode of the final season of Mad Men (2007), every episode of last Season's The Bachelor (2002) and Hillary Clinton's Presidential announcement, Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! (2015) trended #1 in the United States and #2 worldwide. The latest film in the hit franchise, Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens (2016), debuted on July 31, 2016 on SyFy.
A true philanthropist, Ian used his brains, brawn (and his heart) when he competed on NBC's 7th Season of the hit series, The Celebrity Edition of The Apprentice (2004). Along with his other contestants, Ian endured challenging tasks that tested his ability to work with his colleagues while ultimately raising over $320,000 for the EB Medical Research Foundation (www.ebkids.org). Ian is proud to be the fourth highest celebrity fundraiser in the history of The Celebrity Edition of The Apprentice (2004). Inspired by his entrepreneurial tasks during The Celebrity Edition of The Apprentice (2004), Ian has created a new clothing line, Chainsaw Brands (ChainsawBrands.com), featuring classic American style athletic leisure and apparel. In keeping with his philanthropic nature, a portion of all proceeds from the sale of his signature line will benefit those less fortunate. In addition, in February 2016, Ian launched CelebrityHideaways.com, a luxury destination based website for the discerning traveler looking for unique experiences typically frequented by the rich and famous. His extensive travel over the last 30 years lends itself to revealing the less beaten path for site visitors to browse, get information, and book their perfect vacation.
And, it's not just his professional career that is soaring. Ian's personal life has seen some wonderful changes as well over the last few years. He and his wife, nurse Erin Ziering, welcomed their second daughter, Penna Mae in 2013. Their first daughter, Mia Loren, was born on the same day, two years earlier. The quintessential father and family man, Ian was named DaddyScrubs "Daddy of the Year 2013," an award which recognizes fathers who are extremely proactive in raising their children. In June 2016, Ian and his wife launched the family blog, AtHomeWithTheZierings.com, a creative resource for other families. Ian currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and daughters. Follow Ian on Twitter and Instagram- @IanZiering.- Actress
- Producer
Nikki Ziering was born on 9 August 1971 in Norwalk, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for American Wedding (2003), Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) and Gold Diggers (2003). She was previously married to Ian Ziering.- Jack Sabato was born on 6 August 1994 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Diminished Capacity (2008) and Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan (2004).
- Conni Marie Brazelton was born in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. Conni Marie is an actor, known for Tiny Beautiful Things (2023), ER (1994) and This Is Us (2016). Conni Marie has been married to Michael George since 1991. They have one child.
- Producer
- Actress
- Director
Since melting audiences' hearts at the age of just six in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Drew Barrymore has emerged as one of the most beloved and singularly gifted actresses of her generation. Born in Culver City, California to John Drew Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore, the clutches of fame were near inescapable for young Drew, her father being a member of the esteemed showbiz dynasty fronted by stage star Maurice Barrymore, his thespian wife Georgiana and their three children: Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, and John Barrymore.
Tailgating a turbulent adolescence that saw her grapple with insobriety, substance abuse, and cutthroat media vitriol, a diligent Barrymore threw herself into her career throughout the early-mid nineties, first with a succession of 'bad girl' parts in cultish B-pictures like Poison Ivy (1992), Guncrazy (1992) and - fittingly - Bad Girls (1994); then warmly received turns in prestige vehicles such as Boys on the Side (1995), Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and Wes Craven's game-changing Scream (1996). Equal portions of goofball - The Wedding Singer (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000) - and gravitas - Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), Donnie Darko (2001), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) - came next, with a Golden Globe-grabbing pièce de résistance - her divine incarnation of Edith Bouvier Beale in Grey Gardens (2009) - confirming that her skill set was every bit as forceful and far-reaching as imagined.
Having already set in motion a bunch of lucrative projects via production house Flower Films (co-est. with Nancy Juvonen in '95), Barrymore fastened an additional string to her bow when she spearheaded the sports dramedy Whip It (2009), her glowingly appraised directorial debut. Fresh off a healthy run of movie parts at the launch of the 2010s, her star turn as zombified suburban realtor Sheila Hammond - a tour de force at once dizzy and detailed - on Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet (2017) saw her step with trademark resolve into newer territory still: the flourishing world of small screen entertainment, a metamorphosis she continues to espouse with her role as compère of spirited daytime staple The Drew Barrymore Show (2020).- Actor
- Director
- Music Department
Dennis Weaver first became familiar to television audiences as Matt Dillon's assistant Chester Goode in Gunsmoke (1955). After playing the part for nine years, he moved on to star in his own series, Kentucky Jones (1964). However, the show failed to find mass appeal and was cancelled after just one season. Weaver had to wait another five years before finally emerging as a TV star in his own right. Beginning in 1971, he portrayed the titular Marshal Sam McCloud, a lawman from Taos, New Mexico, working in New York to learn the ways of policing in Manhattan's 27th Precinct under the auspices of a frequently apoplectic Chief of Detectives, Peter Clifford (J.D. Cannon). Accented in a slow Texan drawl (his regular catchphrase was "There you go..") and decked out with cowboy hat, lasso and sheepskin jacket, McCloud went about his tasks pretty much the same way he would have done out in the West -- often to the chagrin of his boss, nevertheless always apprehending the villain in the end (sometimes on horseback). His fractious relationship with Clifford provided much of the enjoyment inherent in the show. Weaver later recalled "McCloud was the kind of role I left Gunsmoke to get... I wanted to be a leading man instead of a second banana." Between 1971 and 1977, McCloud (1970) (based in part on the Clint Eastwood film Coogan's Bluff (1968)) was part of Universal's "Mystery Movie" which filled a slot at NBC with films lasting from 74 to 97 minutes (longer than your average TV episode) and which rotated several productions, the most important being Columbo (1971) (Peter Falk), Banacek (1972) (George Peppard), McMillan & Wife (1971) (Rock Hudson) and Hec Ramsey (1972) (Richard Boone).
Weaver hailed from Joplin, Missouri, where his father (who was of mixed English, Irish, Scottish, Cherokee, and Osage ancestry) worked for the local electric company. Young Dennis proved himself a gifted track and field athlete while studying for a degree in fine arts at the University of Oklahoma. During World War II, he served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. After the war, Weaver forsook sports for a career on the stage, undertaking further drama classes at the Actor's Studio in New York. One of his fellow alumni was actress Shelley Winters who later helped him to get into films. Following his Broadway debut in "Come Back, Little Sheba", Weaver found work in plays by Tennessee Williams off-Broadway and then made his movie debut at Universal in the western Horizons West (1952). He made several more pictures, mostly westerns, but was largely cast in minor roles. He languished in relative obscurity until he landed several guest spots on Jack Webb's Dragnet (1951). His career really took off with McCloud and with the Steven Spielberg-directed Duel (1971), a thriller made for the small screen (essentially a one-man show) in which a lone driver is menaced by a sinister petrol tanker driven by an unseen force. He later found other regular television work (Stone (1979), Emerald Point N.A.S. (1983) and Buck James (1987)), but none of these managed to recapture his earlier successes. In Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994), he was true to his colors, playing western hero Buffalo Bill Cody, a.k.a. Buffalo Bill.
Weaver served as President of the Screen Actors Guild from 1973 to 1975. He was in the forefront of environmental activism, a proponent of alternative energy and recycling (his Colorado home, called "Earthship", was primarily constructed from recycled tires and aluminium cans).- Gerry Weaver is known for Gentle Ben (1967), The Mike Douglas Show (1961) and This Is Your Life (1950). She was previously married to Dennis Weaver.
- Actress
- Producer
Elizabeth Ann Perkins was born on November 18, 1960, in the borough of Queens, New York, and was raised in Vermont. Her mother, Jo Williams, was a concert pianist and drug treatment counselor, and her father, James Perkins, was a businessman, farmer, and writer. She is of Greek and English descent. Perkins studied acting at Chicago's Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University for three years, then launched her professional career with a co-starring gig in the touring company of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986). Seasoned, she returned to New York in the spring of 1984 to make her Broadway debut as a replacement in the Simon play. As a stage actress, she has trod the boards with Playwrights Horizon, the Ensemble Studio, The New York Shakespeare Festival, and, back in Chicago, with the Steppenwolf Theater. Elizabeth Perkins was listed as one of the 12 "Promising New Actors of 1986" in John Willis' Screen World, and has since landed numerous film roles. Perkins made her film debut in 1986 in Edward Zwick's About Last Night... with Rob Lowe, Demi Moore and Jim Belushi, and had a career breakthrough co-starring with Tom Hanks in Big. She received critical acclaim for her performance in Barry Levinson's Avalon,[9] and was a standout opposite William Hurt in The Doctor (1991), receiving critical acclaim for her performance as a terminal cancer patient.[5] .[10] She subsequently starred in the Alan Rudolph film Love at Large and Sweethearts Dance with Susan Sarandon and Jeff Daniels. Since, she has appeared in Miracle on 34th Street with Sir Richard Attenborough, 28 Days opposite Sandra Bullock, the suspense thriller, The Ring Two, opposite Naomi Watts, Indian Summer with Diane Lane and Bill Paxton, Moonlight and Valentino with Gwyneth Paltrow, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathleen Turner and Jon Bon Jovi, the Antonio Banderas directed Crazy in Alabama opposite Melanie Griffith, Jiminy Glick in LaLaWood with Martin Short, Wilma Flintstone opposite John Goodman in the 1994 live-action comedy The Flintstones, The Thing About My Folks with Paul Reiser and Peter Falk, He Said, She Said with Kevin Bacon and Sharon Stone and Must Love Dogs with John Cusack, Diane Lane, Christopher Plummer, Dermot Mulroney and Stockard Channing. From 2005 to 2009, Perkins played Celia Hodes, an alcoholic and image-obsessed parent-teacher association (PTA) mother, alongside Mary-Louise Parker, Kevin Nealon and Justin Kirk on the Showtime series Weeds. Perkins received two Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Series, Miniseries or Made for TV Motion Picture (in 2006 and 2007).[5] and was also nominated three times for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Weeds.[5] At a screening of Weeds at the Museum of TV and Radio on October 25, 2006, Perkins said that she considers Celia Hodes her favorite role in her career.[5] On May 6, 2010, she announced that the fifth season of Weeds was her last despite the cliffhanger her character had in the season finale.[11] Perkins appeared in the television projects My Sisters Keeper with Kathy Bates, If These Walls Could Talk with Vanessa Redgrave and Paul Giamatti and Rescuers: Stories of Courage: Two Women directed by Peter Bogdonavich. Perkins starred in the ABC comedy series How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life).[12] with Brad Garrett, played Birdie in the Netflix original series GLOW with Alison Brie, starred as Marilyn Lovell in HBO's epic From The Earth to the Moon, played opposite Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson in HBO's Sharp Objects directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, starred with Octavia Spencer, Aaron Paul and Lizzie Caplan in AppleTV's Truth Be Told, was featured on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm and is currently starring in Season 2 of the Fox comedy The Moodys opposite Denis Leary and Jay Baruchel. She plays the role of Mandy Moores mother on the hit series This Is Us. (Perkins also had a role in the 2003 film Finding Nemo, voicing Coral, the wife of Marlin and mother of Nemo, and who was killed and eaten by the barracuda in the beginning of the film.)- Actress
- Producer
- Art Director
Kate Capshaw was born Kathleen Sue Nail in Fort Worth, Texas, to Beverley Sue (Simon), a beautician and travel agent, and Edwin Leon Nail, an airline employee. Capshaw worked as a teacher with an MA in Learning Disabilities. Her desire to be an actress led her to New York where she landed a role on the soap The Edge of Night (1956). She met her future husband, Steven Spielberg while beating out 120 actresses for the female lead in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984).- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Maurice Phillips was born on 25 March 1948 in Hackney, London, England, UK. He was a director and actor, known for The American Way (1986), Poirot (1989) and Afterlife (2005). He died on 2 June 2012 in New York City, New York, USA.- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
Henry Jackson Thomas Jr. is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and had a lead role in the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), for which he won a Young Artist Award and received Golden Globe Award, BAFTA Award, and Saturn Award nominations. Thomas also had roles in films like Cloak & Dagger (1984), Fire in the Sky (1993), Legends of the Fall (1994), Suicide Kings (1997), All the Pretty Horses (2000), Gangs of New York (2002), 11:14 (2003), and Dear John (2010). Thomas was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film for his role in the television film Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1997).- Actor
- Soundtrack
When someone told Brad Johnson he'd come a long way, his usual response was, "Well, I had a long way to come." Born on a small ranch in Tucson, Johnson, the son of a horse trainer/used car salesman, did everything from shoeing horses to repossessing cars to serving as a hunting and fishing guide. His humble beginnings nurtured his modesty and quiet strength and had critics comparing him to John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and James Stewart.
Brad's route to stardom was speedy, dramatic and somewhat circuitous. He joined the Pro Rodeo circuit in 1984 and was spotted wrestling steers in Wyoming by a casting director looking for cowboys to use as extras in a beer commercial. After this first break came a three-year run as the Marlboro Man, then numerous Calvin Klein print ads and more commercials. After a serious knee injury sidelined his rodeo career, Johnson headed for Hollywood.
Within five months of his arrival, Roger Corman cast him to star in Nam Angels (1989). Soon after, Steven Spielberg discovered Johnson and offered him the coveted role of Ted Baker, Holly Hunter's love interest in Always (1989). When asked about her co-star, Holly described Brad as "all twisted steel and sex appeal." The Spielberg film led Johnson to Paramount for John Milius's Flight of the Intruder (1991). An exclusive three-picture deal at Paramount followed.
With 60 hours of television, 11 pilots and over 25 films to his credit, there was no slowing down. Johnson's Los Angeles-based High Lonesome Productions and his producing partner Lou Pitt had several projects in different stages of production.
Brad lived with his wife Laurie and their eight children on a ranch in the mountains of Colorado.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
While known mostly as an actor, Shane has also ventured into producing, writing and animation. Given his passion for one particular project, he taught himself how to animate and has since been developing multiple projects. He's also ventured into scripted and reality TV as a writer/creator, striking deals with production companies and navigating the maze. He's married to Keili Lefkovitz. They live in Los Angeles with their 2 sons.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Jon Voight is an American actor of German and Slovak descent. He has won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role as paraplegic Vietnam War veteran Luke Martin in the war film "Coming Home" (1978). He has also been nominated for the same award other two times. He was first nominated for his role as aspiring gigolo Joe Buck in "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), He was last nominated for the award for his role as escaped convict Oscar "Manny" Manheim in "Runaway Train" (1985). He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his role as sports journalist Howard Cosell (1918-1995) in "Ali" (2001).
In 1938, Voight was born in Yonkers, New York. His parents were professional golfer Elmer Samuel Voight (original name Elemír Vojtka) and his wife Barbara Agnes (Kamp). His paternal grandfather was a Slovak immigrant, as were the parents of his paternal grandmother. His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant, as were the parents of his maternal grandmother. His maternal great-uncle was political activist Joseph P. Kamp (1900-1993), a leader of the anti-communist organization "Constitutional Educational League".
Voight has two siblings: volcanologist Barry Voight (1937-) and singer-songwriter James Wesley Voight (pseudonym Chip Taylor, 1940-). Barry is most famous for first predicting and then investigating the eruption of Mount St. Helens (1980). James is most famous for writing the hit songs "Wild Thing" (1965) and "Angel of the Morning" (1967).
Voight was educated at Archbishop Stepinac High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic high school located at White Plains, New York. At the time, the school was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. He took an interest in acting in his high school years, performing a comedic role in the school's annual musical, "The Song of Norway". He graduated in 1956, at the age of 18.
Voight continued his education at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.. He majored in art, and graduated in 1960. He was 22-years-old at the time of graduation. He then moved to New York City, having decided to pursue an acting career.
In the early 1960s, Voight primarily worked as a television actor. He guest starred in episodes of then-popular television series, such as "Naked City", "The Defenders", "NET Playhouse", "12 O'Clock High", and "Gunsmoke". His first notable theatrical role was playing the illegal immigrant Rodolfo in a 1965 Off-Broadway production of the play "A View from the Bridge" (1955) by Arthur Miller (1915-2005). In the play, Rodolfo is the love interest of the American girl Catherine, and disliked by her uncle and guardian Eddie Carbone (who is in love with his niece).
Voight made his film debut in the superhero comedy "Fearless Frank" (1967), playing the role of the eponymous superhero. Frank was depicted as a murder victim who gets resurrected and granted superpowers by a scientist. Voiight's second film role was playing historical gunman and outlaw Curly Bill Brocius (1845-1882) in the Western film "Hour of the Gun" (1967). The historical Brocius was an an enemy of the Esrp family, and was killed by Wyatt Earp (1848-1929).
Voigh't third film appearance was "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), his first great success. He played the role of a naive hustler from Texas who tries to become a gigolo in New York City. The film was critically acclaimed, and became the only X-rated feature to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Voight was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but the award was instead won by rival actor John Wayne (1907-1979).
Voight's first role in the 1970s was playing lieutenant Milo Minderbinder in the black comedy "Catch-22" (1970). The film was based on a 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller (1923-1999), and offered a satirical view on war and bureaucracy. Voight's next role was playing the left-wing student A in the political drama "The Revolutionary" (1970).
Voight found further critical acclaim with the thriller film "Deliverance" (1972), playing Atlanta businessman Ed Gentry. In the film, Gentry and his first are targeted by villainous mountain men in the northern Georgia wilderness. The film earned about 46 million dollars at the domestic box office, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
His subsequent roles included idealistic schoolteacher Pat Conroy in "Conrack" (1974), journalist Peter Miller in "The Odessa File" (1974). His next great success was playing paraplegic war veteran Luke Martin in "Coming Home" (1978), in a role inspired by the life of war veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic (1976-). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this film. His co-star Jane Fonda (1937-) won her second Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in this film.
Voight's early 1980s roles included conman Alex Kovac in "Lookin' to Get Out" (1982) and widowed father J. P. Tannen in "Table for Five" (1983). His next big success was the role of escaped convict Oscar "Manny" Manheim in "Runaway Train" (1985). He was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but the Award was instead won by rival actor William Hurt (1950-).
Voight's next role was that of Jack Chismore in the drama film "Desert Bloom" (1986). Chismore is depicted as a war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who is trying to raise three stepdaughters. He frequently abuses his stepdaughter Rose Chismore (played by Annabeth Gish), but is genuinely concerned for her safety when Rose runs away from home. This film was Voigh's last film role for several years, as he took a hiatus from acting.
Voight returned to acting with the drama film "Eternity" (1990), where he was also the screenwriter. The film deals with reincarnation, as a medieval war within brothers continues in modern American politics. Following his return to acting, Voight started appearing frequently in television films and miniseries. He also guest-starred in a 1994 episode of "Seinfeld", playing himself.
Voight returned to film acting with the crime drama "Heat" (1995), where he had a minor role as a fence. He had a more substantial role in the spy film "Mission: Impossible" (1996), where he played spymaster James Phelps. The film was an adaptation of the popular television series "Mission: Impossible" (1966-1973), about the adventures of a group of secret agents. The role of James Phelps was previously played by actor Peter Graves (1926-2010). The film was a great commercial success, earning about 458 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
Voight appeared in six different films in 1997, one of the busiest years of his career. The most notable among them was the horror film "Anaconda" (1997), where he played obsessive hunter Paul Serone, the film's main antagonist. The film won about 137 million dollars at the box office, despite a mostly negative critical reception. For this role, Voight was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. He lost the award to rival actor Kevin Costner (1955-).
His next notable role was that Thomas Brian Reynolds, agent of the National Security Agency (NSA) in the action thriller "Enemy of the State" (1998). In the film, the NSA conspires to expand the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies over individuals and groups, at the cost of American citizens' right to privacy. The film was another box office success in Voight's career, earning about 251 million dollars at the box office.
In the same year, Voight played inspector Ned Kenny in the crime film "The General" (1998). The film was loosely based on the career of Irish crime boss Martin Cahill (1949-1994), who was nicknamed "the General". The film was critically acclaimed and director John Boorman won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director.
Voight's next notable role was that of domineering coach Bud Kilmer in the sports film "Varsity Blues" (1999). The film dealt with the difficulties in the life of the players of a Texas-based high school football team, and was not expected to attract much attention by audiences. It earned about 54 million dollars at the box office, making it a modest box office hit. It is credited with introducing Voight to a next generation of fans.
Voight's final film in the 1990s was "A Dog of Flanders" (1999), based on a 1872 novel by Ouida (1839-1908). He played the role of artist Michel La Grande, the mentor of Nello (played by Jeremy James Kissner), who is eventually revealed to be Nello's biological father. The film failed at the box office, failing to earn as much as its modest budget.
Voight appeared in no film released in 2000, but had a busy year in 2001. He appeared in several box office hits of the year. He played President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945, term 1933-1945) in the war drama "Pearl Harbor", Lara Croft's father Lord Richard Croft in the action film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", coal-miner and working class father Larry Zoolander in action comedy "Zoolander", and sports journalist Howard Cosell in the biographical film "Ali". For his role in "Ali", Voight was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The award was instead won by rival actor Jim Broadbent (1949-). It was Voight's fourth and (so far) last nomination for an Academy Award.
Voight had a notable role playing Pope John Paul II (1920-2005, term 1978-2005) in the miniseries "Pope John Paul II" (2005). He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, but the award was instead won by rival actor Andre Braugher (1962-).
Voight had a supporting role as John Keller, United States Secretary of Defense in the science fiction film "Transformers" (2007). The film was based on the Transformers toy line by Hasbro.It earned about 710 million dollars at the box office, one of the most commercially successful films in Voight's career.
In 2009, Voight had a notable television role, playing Jonas Hodges, the CEO of a Virginia-based private military company in the then-popular television series "24" (2001-2010, 2014). He was a main antagonist in the seventh season of the series. His role was inspired by the careers of Hessian colonel Johann Rall (c. 1726-1776), German industrialist Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1907-1967), and private military company CEO Erik Prince (1969-).
His 2010s notable film roles include the role of Dracula's enemy Loonardo Van Helsing in the horror film "Dracula: The Dark Prince" (2013), football coach Paul William "Bear" Bryant (1913-1983) in the sports drama "Woodlawn" (2015), and newspaper owner Henry Shaw Sr. in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (2016). "Fantastic Beasts" earned about 814 million dollars at the worldwide box office, being one of the most commercially successful films that Voight ever appeared in.
In 2020, was 82-years-old, and he is still working as an actor.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Los Angeles, California, James Haven, is the son of Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, and his sister is Angelina Jolie. After his parents' separation in 1976, James and Jolie were raised by their mother and she moved them to Palisades, New York, giving up acting. He attended the 1986 Academy Awards with his father, and then the 2000 Academy Awards with his sister. In her acceptance speech, Angelina claimed to be in love with her brother, which resulted in bizarre gossip about incest, which both James and Jolie have dismissed. Since 2006, James has been the executive board director of Artivist, a Los Angeles festival that highlights movies, addressing human rights, animal rights, and environmental issues.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Richard Dreyfuss is an American leading man, who has played his fair share of irritating pests and brash, ambitious hustlers.
He was born Richard Stephen Dreyfus in Brooklyn, New York, to Geraldine (Robbins), an activist, and Norman Dreyfus, a restaurateur and attorney. His paternal grandparents were Austro-Hungarian Jewish immigrants, and his mother's family was Russian Jewish.
Richard worked his way up through bit parts (The Graduate (1967), for one) and TV before gaining attention with his portrayal of Baby Face Nelson in John Milius' Dillinger (1973). He gained prominence as a college-bound young man in American Graffiti (1973) and as a nervy Jewish kid with high hopes in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974). By the latter part of the 1970s Dreyfuss was established as a major star, playing leads (and alter-egos) for Steven Spielberg in two of the top-grossing films of the that decade: Jaws (1975) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). He won a Best Actor Oscar in his first romantic lead as an out-of-work actor in The Goodbye Girl (1977). Dreyfuss also produced and starred in the entertaining private eye movie The Big Fix (1978). After a brief lull in the early 1980s, a well-publicized drug problem and a string of box-office disappointments (The Competition (1980), Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981), The Buddy System (1984)), a clean and sober Dreyfuss re-established himself in the mid-'80s as one of Hollywood's more engaging leads. He co-starred with Bette Midler and Nick Nolte in Paul Mazursky's popular Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986). That same year he provided the narration and appeared in the opening and closing "bookends" of Rob Reiner's nostalgic Stand by Me (1986). He quickly followed that with Nuts (1987) opposite Barbra Streisand, Barry Levinson's Tin Men (1987) in a memorable teaming with Danny DeVito, and Stakeout (1987) with Emilio Estevez. Dreyfuss continued working steadily through the end of the 1980s and into the 1990s, most notably in Mazursky's farce Moon Over Parador (1988), Spielberg's Always (1989), Postcards from the Edge (1990) and Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990). He appeared as a member of an ensemble that included Holly Hunter, Gena Rowlands and Danny Aiello in the romantic comedy Once Around (1991) and as a pop psychiatrist, the author of several successful self-help books, who is driven to the edge by nutcase Bill Murray in the popular comedy What About Bob? (1991). Dreyfuss has also remained active in the theater ("Death and Maiden", 1992) and on TV. In his next project he starred the thriller Silent Fall (1994) with John Lithgow and Linda Hamilton, being the film debut of Liv Tyler, Steven Tyler's daughter (Aerosmith's lead vocals). Just later Dreyfuss made Another Stakeout (1993), sequel of Stakeout (1987) where was team again with Emilio Estevez accompanied of Rosie O'Donnell, the adaptation of Neil Simon's play Lost in Yonkers (1993) and followed with a supporting turn as the querulous political opponent in The American President (1995). Dreyfuss received some of the best notices of his career as a determined, inspiring music teacher coping with a deaf son and the demands of his career in Mr. Holland's Opus (1995). Closing the 20th century he was in Sidney Lumet's Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) with Andy Garcia, the crime comedy Mad Dog Time (1996) as the mob boss Vic, the screwball comedy Krippendorf's Tribe (1998) about an anthropologist who creates a false lost New Guinea tribe for not losing his job in the university, TV movie Lansky (1999) about the infamous mob boss to end, the too TV movie Fail Safe (2000) playing The President, and The Crew (2000), about four older mobsters retired in Miami, partnering with Hollywood legends Burt Reynolds, Dan Hedaya and Seymour Cassel.
His start in the 21st century was with the adaption of Luis Sepúlveda's novel The Old Man Who Read Love Stories (2001), playing an old man to must to hunt a female jaguar turned crazy. It was followed by the supporting apparition in the comedy Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001) and another TV movie about 1981 Ronald Reagan's shooting The Day Reagan Was Shot (2001). After the short-lived TV series The Education of Max Bickford (2001) about a teacher in a women's college where his daughter is student, Dreyfuss returned to cinema in Silver City (2004) and the box-office bomb Poseidon (2006) with Kurt Russell, Emmy Rossum and Josh Lucas. Playing former vice-president Dick Cheney in the Oliver Stone's biopic W. (2008) and Irv, the cunning tourist in Greece turned in assistant of a troubled tour guide in My Life in Ruins (2009), Dreyfuss participated in low-budget productions as Leaves of Grass (2009) and The Lightkeepers (2009), for making a cameo in the wild and crazy Piranha 3D (2010) about prehistoric men-eater piranhas that make a bloodbath in a spring break. Returning to first line playing evil Alexander Dunning in the actioner RED (2010), his further productions included Paranoia (2013) as Liam Hemsworth's father partnering Harrison Ford and Gary Oldman, road movie Cas & Dylan (2013) opposites Tatiana Maslany and the biopic TV mini-series Madoff (2016) about the infamous multi-billion-dollar and hustler Bernie Madoff. Tireless and always implied in new projects, Dreyfuss played George, the funny online date of Candice Bergen in Book Club (2018), the comedy and road movie The Last Laugh (2019) with Chevy Chase, and the set in wilderness thriller Daughter of the Wolf (2019) with Gina Carano and Brendan Fehr. Making his 73rd birthday in 2020, Dreyfuss is an example of talent, diversity and love for his work, touching not only all the genres in cinema but leaving an unforgettable footprint at any of them.- Actress
- Casting Department
- Producer
- Producer
Ovitz co-founded Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 1975 and served as its chairman until 1995. He later served as President of the Walt Disney Company from 1995 to 1997. His "package deals" at CAA coupled actors, directors and screenwriters together, allowing the talent greater negotiating power with the studio, transforming the film industry.
Ovitz served as talent agent to Hollywood actors Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Kevin Costner, John Belushi, Michael Douglas, Bill Murray, Sylvester Stallone, and many others along with directors Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and more. He helped negotiate Matsushita's acquisition of MCA/Universal as well as Sony's acquisition of Columbia Pictures. His signing of Coca Cola to CAA from McCann-Erikson changed the advertising industry by creating greater competition among non-traditional agencies.- Judy Ovitz is known for Back to the Future Part II (1989), Junior (1994) and Ghostbusters II (1989). She has been married to Michael Ovitz since 3 August 1969. They have three children.
- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Charles Fleischer was born on 27 August 1950 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Zodiac (2007), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He has been married to Sheryl Stressman since 1977. They have two children.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Director
Canadian producer and director Ivan Reitman created many of American cinema's most successful and best loved feature film comedies and worked with Hollywood's acting elite. Reitman produced such hits as the ground-breaking sensation National Lampoon's National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), which introduced John Belushi to American filmgoers, and the family features Beethoven (1992) and Beethoven's 2nd (1993). His directing credits include Meatballs (1979), Stripes (1981) and Ghostbusters (1984), films starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis; Dave (1993), which starred Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver, Junior (1994) which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito and Emma Thompson. Reitman also produced the HBO telefilm The Late Shift (1996), based on Bill Carter's non-fiction book about the late-night television wars which received seven Emmy nominations. Other producing endeavors include Commandments (1997), starring Aidan Quinn and Courteney Cox, Private Parts (1997), starring Howard Stern, as well as the animation/live action film Space Jam (1996), starring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes characters. With Twins (1988), Reitman created an entirely new comedic persona for action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger -- and forged a personal and professional relationship that continued with Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Junior (1994). Acclaimed dramatic actors such as Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Sigourney Weaver, and Emma Thompson also revealed untapped comic talents under Reitman's direction. In 1984, Reitman was honored as Director of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners and the next year received a Special Achievement Award at the Canadian Genie awards. In 1979 and again in 1989, for the films National Lampoon's Animal House (1978) and Twins (1988), Reitman was honored with the People's Choice Award. In November of 1994, Reitman became the third director honored by Variety magazine in a special Billion Dollar Director issue.
Reitman was born in Czechoslovakia, to Jewish Holocaust survivors, and left with his family for Canada at the age of four. He attended Canada's McMaster University, where he produced and directed several television shorts. He followed with a live television show, Greed: The Series (1999), with Dan Aykroyd as its announcer. "Spellbound," which Reitman produced for the live stage, evolved into the Broadway hit "The Magic Show," starring Doug Henning. He continued producing for the stage with the Off-Broadway hit "The National Lampoon Show," and returned to Broadway to produce and direct the musical "Merlin," earning a Tony nomination for directing. Reitman headed The Montecito Picture Company, a film and television production company, with partner Tom Pollock. His television credits included the Emmy-nominated children's show The Real Ghostbusters (1986) and the Saturday morning animated series Beethoven (1994) for CBS. His last directing credited was Draft Day (2014), before his death in February 2022 in Montecito, California.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Jason Reitman is a Canadian filmmaker and producer who notably directed Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Juno, Thank You for Smoking, Up in the Air, Young Adult and Tully. He produced Chloe and Jennifer's Body, two films that advanced Amanda Seyfried's career for adult oriented roles. He is the son of Ivan Reitman, who directed the first two Ghostbusters films and Twins.- Caroline Reitman was born on 11 December 1988 in Henderson, Nevada, USA. She is an actress, known for Fathers' Day (1997) and Life and Times (1996).
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Catherine Reitman was born on 28 April 1981 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Workin' Moms (2017), It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005) and Black-ish (2014). She has been married to Philip Sternberg since August 2009. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Henry Franklin Winkler was born on October 30, 1945, in Manhattan, New York. His parents, Ilse Anna Maria (Hadra) and Harry Irving Winkler, were German Jewish immigrants who escaped the Holocaust by moving to the US in 1939. His father was the president of an international lumber company while his mother worked alongside his father. Winkler is a cousin of Richard Belzer.
Winkler grew up with "a high level of low self-esteem." Throughout elementary school and high school, he struggled with academics. This was due to what he would later identify as dyslexia. His parents expected him to eventually work with them at the lumber company. However, he had other plans as he saw roles on stage as the key to his happiness. Winkler's acting debut came in the eighth grade when he played the role of Billy Budd in the school play of the same name. Following his graduation from McBurney High School, Winkler was able to incorporate his learning disability and succeed in higher education. He received a Bachelor's degree from Emerson College in 1967 and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama in 1970. He later received an honorary PhD in Hebrew Literature in 1978 from Emerson College.
Following college, his top priority was to become an actor. However, if this was unsuccessful, he wanted to become a child psychologist because of his deep interest in working with children. Like many other actors, he began his career by appearing in 30 commercials. His first major film role was in The Lords of Flatbush (1974) in which he played a member of a Brooklyn gang. After that, he was cast on a new ABC series which was set in the 1950s, Happy Days (1974). He was given the role of high school dropout and greaser Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli. The character was seldom seen during the first few episodes as ABC initially feared he would be perceived as a hoodlum. However, the character became extremely popular with viewers, and the show's producers decided to give Fonzie a more prominent role in the series.
Following this, the show's ratings began to soar, and Fonzie became a 1970s icon and the epitome of cool. His motorcycle, leather jacket, thumbs-up gesture, and uttering of the phrase "Aayyyy!" became television trademarks. Unlike many other 1970s stars who rose to fame in a short period of time and developed "big heads", Winkler managed to stay well-grounded and avoided falling into this trap. He was said to be more polite and agreeable even after his popularity soared. He remained on the series until its cancellation in 1984.
In the mid-1980s, with his Happy Days (1974) now behind him, Winkler decided to change his focus toward producing and directing. He produced and directed several television shows and movies, most notably MacGyver (1985) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996). In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, he was able to re-establish himself with a younger generation of moviegoers and TV viewers, appearing in the popular films, Scream (1996) and The Waterboy (1998) and on shows such as The Practice (1997) and Arrested Development (2003).
In 2018 after over 45 years in the entertainment industry, he won his first-ever Prime Time Emmy Award: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on the HBO series Barry (2018). In addition to his movie and film credits, Winkler is a well-accomplished author. Between 2003 and 2007, he co-authored 12 children's novels with Lin Oliver. The series is called "Hank Zipzer, the World's Greatest Underachiever." The books are based on his early struggles with dyslexia, and they sold more than two million books in that time.
Winkler has been married since 1978 to Stacey Winkler (nee Weitzman) with whom he has three children. Together, they are actively involved with various children's charities. In 1990, they co-founded the Children's Action Network (CAN), which provides free immunization to over 200,000 children. Winkler is also involved with the Annual Cerebral Palsy Telethon, the Epilepsy Foundation of America, the annual Toys for Tots campaign, the National Committee for Arts for the Handicapped, and the Special Olympics.
In September 2003, Winkler suffered a personal setback when John Ritter unexpectedly passed away. Winkler was on the set of 8 Simple Rules (2002) that day for a guest appearance and was one of the last people to talk to Ritter.- Lupita Jones was born on 6 September 1968 in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico. She is an actress, known for El Señor de los Cielos (2013), Rosario (2012) and La malquerida (2014).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Robin McLaurin Williams was born on Saturday, July 21st, 1951, in Chicago, Illinois, a great-great-grandson of Mississippi Governor and Senator, Anselm J. McLaurin. His mother, Laurie McLaurin (née Janin), was a former model from Mississippi, and his father, Robert Fitzgerald Williams, was a Ford Motor Company executive from Indiana. Williams had English, German, French, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish ancestry.
Robin briefly studied political science at Claremont Men's College and theater at College of Marin before enrolling at The Juilliard School to focus on theater. After leaving Juilliard, he performed in nightclubs where he was discovered for the role of "Mork, from Ork", in an episode of Happy Days (1974). The episode, My Favorite Orkan (1978), led to his famous spin-off weekly TV series, Mork & Mindy (1978). He made his feature starring debut playing the title role in Popeye (1980), directed by Robert Altman.
Williams' continuous comedies and wild comic talents involved a great deal of improvisation, following in the footsteps of his idol Jonathan Winters. Williams also proved to be an effective dramatic actor, receiving Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Leading Role in Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), and The Fisher King (1991), before winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in Good Will Hunting (1997).
During the 1990s, Williams became a beloved hero to children the world over for his roles in a string of hit family-oriented films, including Hook (1991), FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992), Aladdin (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Jumanji (1995), Flubber (1997), and Bicentennial Man (1999). He continued entertaining children and families into the 21st century with his work in Robots (2005), Happy Feet (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Happy Feet Two (2011), and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014). Other more adult-oriented films for which Williams received acclaim include The World According to Garp (1982), Moscow on the Hudson (1984), Awakenings (1990), The Birdcage (1996), Insomnia (2002), One Hour Photo (2002), World's Greatest Dad (2009), and Boulevard (2014).
On Monday, August 11th, 2014, Robin Williams was found dead at his home in Tiburon, California USA, the victim of an apparent suicide, according to the Marin County Sheriff's Office. A 911 call was received at 11:55 a.m. PDT, firefighters and paramedics arrived at his home at 12:00 p.m. PDT, and he was pronounced dead at 12:02 p.m. PDT.- Producer
- Additional Crew
Marsha Garces Williams was born on 18 June 1956 in Shorewood, Wisconsin, USA. She is a producer, known for Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Patch Adams (1998) and Dead Poets Society (1989).- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Zelda Williams was born on 31 July 1989 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Were the World Mine (2008), The Legend of Korra (2012) and Never (2014).- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Director
Frank was born in Glendale, California to musician Jack Marshall. He entered the film world when his parents invited him to a birthday party for the daughter of directing legend John Ford in 1966. There, he met Peter Bogdanovich and soon agreed to work on his first film, Targets (1968), later followed by collaborating on The Last Picture Show (1971) and many other films.
Continuing to branch out into the industry, he served as line producer on Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz (1978) and associate producer on Walter Hill's crime thriller, The Driver (1978). Marshall first worked as executive producer on Hill's cult classic The Warriors (1979). While producing the iconic Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), he met Steven Spielberg and their future wife Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank himself was hired to join the Amblin Productions company in 1980.
He continued producing memorable films with Spielberg including Poltergeist (1982) and Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) (while Kennedy separately produced E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)). He worked as executive producer on Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), Gremlins (1984), The Goonies (1985) and the Back to the Future (1985) trilogy.
He married Kathleen Kennedy in 1987, and after producing numerous films, he made his feature directing debut with Arachnophobia (1990). Reacting to the success of his directorial debut, he left Amblin in 1991. In 1992, The Kennedy/Marshall Company was formed, and the next year they released its first film Alive (1993), directed by Marshall. Both Kennedy and Marshall signed deals with Paramount in 1992, at the same time the company was formed. His productivity has only increased since then, as he took over primary duties of the production company since Kennedy was named president of Lucasfilm in 2012.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Executive
Eight-time Academy Award®-nominated, Kathleen Kennedy is one of the most successful and respected producers and executives in the film industry today. As President of Lucasfilm, she oversees the company's three divisions: Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound. In 1992, she co-founded the production company The Kennedy/Marshall Company with director/producer Frank Marshall, and in 1982 she co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Marshall and Steven Spielberg. Altogether, Kennedy has further produced or executive produced more than 70 feature films, which have collectively garnered 120 Academy Award nominations and 25 wins.
For much of the past 20 years, Kennedy served as a governor and officer of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and serves on the board of the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. She also sits on the boards of numerous educational, arts, and philanthropic organizations.- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Julie McCullough was born on 30 January 1965 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Blob (1988), 2012: Ice Age (2011) and Top of the World (1997). She was previously married to David Sutcliffe.- Actor
- Director
Graduated from Columbia University. His mother, Carol Wolfe Galligan, is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in New York. His late father, Arthur Galligan, was a founding partner in Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky, in Washington. Married Ling H. Ingerick on September 25, 2005 at the Yale Club in New York. They divorced in 2010.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
This attractive, happy go lucky blonde actress, educated at the University of Kansas and a former ballet soloist, first broke into both TV and cinema screens in the mid 1970s and through her appearances in several well remembered horror and sci-fi films, and Dee quickly gained a cult following among the fantasy film fans. Poor Dee always seemed to be on the wrong side of some malevolent person or evil creature....she was pursued by a clan of cannibal killers in The Hills Have Eyes (1977), terrorized by a pack of werewolves in the superb The Howling (1981), got a break from the horror, as a sympathetic mom in the mega sci-fi hit E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and nearly ends up lunch for a rabid St. Bernard in the heart stopping Cujo (1983).
In the early 1980s, Wallace-Stone actually shared the screen several times with her then husband Christopher Stone before his unfortunate, early demise from a heart attack in October, 1995.
However, typecasting Dee Wallace-Stone as a horror heroine does not do her justice, as unlike some other scream queens whose careers quickly faded, Dee has gone on to have a very busy and varied acting career, appearing in over 90 feature films to date! Her All-American looks and easy going demeanor has seen Dee often cast as a typical suburban mother, a sympathetic friend, or a trusted ally. Fans warm to her endearing smile and natural warmth, and Dee continues to find herself in constant demand in front of the camera, plus she has her own much visited website.- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Gabrielle Stone was born on 20 November 1988 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for ZK: Elephant's Graveyard (2015), Speak No Evil (2013) and It Happened Again Last Night (2017). She has been married to Taymour Ghazi since 18 March 2023. They have one child.- Actress
- Director
Geneviève Robert is known for Dave (1993), The Crowd Inside (1971) and Casual Sex? (1988). She was previously married to Ivan Reitman.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Discovered by a talent scout at Northwestern University in 1958, Paula Prentiss was signed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and teamed with Jim Hutton in a string of comedies. She rapidly became one of the best American comediennes of the 1960s. Her funny voice inflections, free acting style and brunette good looks established her as a leading lady in comedies of the screwball type, although she was very good in dramatic roles, too. Not much attracted to the Hollywood scene, she retired from films on several occasions, due also to illness and motherhood, but she was always admired and welcome whenever she made a comeback. She and her husband, the actor and director Richard Benjamin, are the parents of Ross Benjamin and Prentiss Benjamin.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Although his actress wife Paula Prentiss became a star by the early 1960s, it took Richard Benjamin almost fifteen years to establish his screen persona, but the wait was rewarding. After extensive work in theatre as actor and director, and his participation in the cult TV series He & She (1967), in which he co-starred with Prentiss, he won the starring role in the screen adaptation of Philip Roth's best-seller, Goodbye, Columbus (1969). That was followed by roles in Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker (1971) and another Roth adaptation, Portnoy's Complaint (1972), that turned him into a prominent "archetype of East Coast Jewish intellectual agony", as critic Jonathan Romney defines him. But his forte was comedy and he won a Golden Globe when he repeated his stage role in the film version of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys (1975). Although he still performs, Benjamin turned to direction since the 80s with the highly acclaimed comedy My Favorite Year (1982).- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
Ross Benjamin was born on 23 March 1974 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Heels (2021), Harry's Law (2011) and Tracey Takes On... (1996). He has been married to Dr. Elizabeth Robinson since 21 October 2006.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Lydia Cornell, a women & children's advocate whose great-great grandmother was Harriet Beecher Stowe, is also an award-winning director, writer, actor, and recovery speaker (with 29 years of sobriety.)
With 20-34 million viewers Tuesday nights on ABC prime time, and more in worldwide syndication, Best Actress nominee for AFI at Method Fest and People's Choice Award winner Cornell is best known for her starring role on the hit ABC series "Too Close for Comfort" as Emmy legend Ted Knight's daughter 'Sara'. More recently seen on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Variety's Power of Comedy, and the Kelsey Grammer Comedy Hour, she has over 200 shows and films in 27 countries to her credit.
She won Best Director Honors at the Los Angeles Movie Awards and for Best Comedy Film at Paramount Studios UIFF (United International Film Festival) for directing the SAG film "It's My Decision."
In 2024, she was named a finalist in the Catalyst Studios "Empowering Women's Script Competition" for her feature-length screenplay 'Venus Conspiracy.'
In 2023, she costarred in a new film 'Something About Mother,' with Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and Jayne Kennedy, directed by Millena Gay and produced by Noreen McClendon.
Cornell wrote and directed the acclaimed stage show "Relationshop;" wrote "Venus Conspiracy" and is set to direct "The Awesome Adventures of Frankie Stargazer."
Cornell received the Southern California Motion Picture Council's Golden Halo Lifetime Achievement Award, and the first Elizabeth Montgomery Humanitarian Award (2018.) One of TV's most popular sex symbols, she is now a writer, director, mother, comedienne, talk show host, women and children's advocate, teen mentor and inspirational public speaker.
Sober since September 11, 1994, she had a "catastrophic spiritual awakening" that changed her life. An addiction and recovery expert, she sponsors and mentors young women who are suffering from addiction and depression.
With an active following on Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and other social media, she also hosts a mental health podcast called "Godshots® all about synchronicity. (Miracle or mere coincidence?)
Her Beats 'n Eats Stitcher award-winning podcast on iTunes started in 2013. Her articles have appeared in People, US, Herald de Paris; A&E Biography, Huffington Post, Editor & Publisher, Macon Daily, and Lone Star Icon.
She is the author of an upcoming book of hilarious Hollywood stories, and a book series based on her US Trademark "Godshots® as well as two upcoming books. She wrote a book on Stalin.
Cornell is creating a new comedy series for 2024 based on her upcoming book. She is also in development on a reboot of "Too Close for Comfort" with the original producers of the show (D.L. Taffner, LTD.) based on a pilot script written by Cornell and her partner Lawrence H. Levy, an Emmy-nominee and WGA award winner. Lydia is a lecturer at the LMU School of Film and Television, teaching Acting and Directing for Screenwriters. She is also an inventor and has a show ready for Discovery Channel.
Fact Check: Lydia Cornell went through a frightening incident with a stalker, a convicted felon who posed as a disabled war hero and JAC-C military attorney. He sued Kelsey Grammer, falsely using Lydia Cornell's name to get publicity. Cornell never sued Kelsey, though this was falsely reported in the tabloids and various news outlets. "Kelsey and I both knew the truth all along. We ran into each other at Soho House and discussed how we had both been duped by this stalker but the tabloids refused to correct the story."
She has been Invited to contribute her writings to the International Museum of Peace, which houses letters from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Mother Teresa and Maya Angelou.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Christopher Atkins was born on 21 February 1961 in Rye, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Blue Lagoon (1980), The Pirate Movie (1982) and A Night in Heaven (1983). He was previously married to Lyn Barron.