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- Alex Breckenridge was born on May 15 1982 in Darien, Connecticut before moving to California when she was 12. Breckenridge first got an interest in acting at 13 when she performed in local theater productions and soon moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. Her first film was the independent comedy picture Locust Valley (1999). She followed up this performance with guest spots on several successful series, including Dawson's Creek (1998) and Freaks and Geeks (1999), and supporting roles in the films Big Fat Liar (2002), Orange County (2002) and the short film D.E.B.S. (2003), which won the award for Best Short at the 2003 New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. After appearing on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997), Alex was offered her own series, the UPN drama pilot Mystery Girl. Sadly, UPN chose to have only one female-led detective series in the 2004-2005 season and Mystery Girl was not picked up. In 2005, Alex appeared in the ABC Family movie Romy and Michele: In the Beginning (2005) and took on the role of Michele Weinberger, played by Lisa Kudrow in the original 1997 film. She also began work on the animated sitcom Family Guy (1999), voicing celebrities such as Cybill Shepherd and Christina Aguilera. In 2006, Alex is breaking into the mainstream with a lead role in the comedy movie She's the Man (2006). She currently lives in Hollywood.
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Jamie-Lynn Sigler has been acting and singing since the age of 7. She got her start in New York regional theater, and has since starred in over two dozen theatrical productions including "Annie," "The Wizard of Oz," "The Sound of Music," "The Wiz," and "Gypsy." In the summer of 2001, she starred in the touring production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's "Cinderella," playing the lead opposite Eartha Kitt. Jamie made her Broadway debut starring as Belle in Disney's Broadway production of "Beauty and the Beast" from October of 2002 through February 2003.
Beyond her theatrical appearances, she starred as Meadow Soprano in the critically acclaimed HBO original series The Sopranos (1999). For her work on the show, she received the 1999 and 2000 Hollywood Reporter Young Star Awards for Best Young Actress in a Dramatic Television Series and both 2001 and 2002 ALMA nominations. She also has a SAG Award for The Sopranos (1999) Best Ensemble Cast.
Jamie has also starred as former Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in the USA Network's two-hour original movie Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss (2004). She recently completed her first feature film, Extreme Dating (2005), and starred in the music video for Mariah Carey's single, "Through the Rain."
Jamie, who battled an eating disorder in the late 1990s while starring on The Sopranos (1999), is now a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org). In 2002, she published her revealing autobiography, "Wise Girl" (Pocket Books) to rave reviews. A few years ago, she was paralyzed from the waist down for several days with Lyme Disease. Her recovery has given her a fresh outlook on her work and her life.
Jamie is originally from Jericho (Long Island, New York) and currently resides in New York City. She married her manager, A.J. Discala, in July of 2003. However, that marriage has since ended.- Sophie Cookson (born 15 May 1990) is an English film and television actress. She played Grace Mohune in the 2013 TV film of Moonfleet (2013). In 2013, she was cast to play the female lead in Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014) and she also co-starred with Adrien Brody in Lee Tamahori's historical film Emperor (2017). She was raised in Sussex and is a 2013 graduate of the Oxford School of Drama.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
David Krumholtz is an American actor and comedian. He played Mr. Universe in Serenity, Charlie Eppes in the CBS drama series Numb3rs, and starred in the Harold & Kumar and The Santa Clause film franchises. Krumholtz was born in Queens, New York City. He is the son of Michael, a postal worker, and Judy Krumholtz, a dental assistant. He grew up in a "very working-class, almost poor", Jewish family. His paternal grandparents had immigrated from Poland, and his mother moved from Hungary to the U.S. in 1956.- Born in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and raised in Portland, Brenda Bakke moved to Los Angeles to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She began to work in the mid-1980s on episodes of television series and playing minor characters in low budget comedies. She appeared in the Charlie Sheen film Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
During the 1990s, she appeared in such mainstream Hollywood films as Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995) and L.A. Confidential (1997). The latter received nine Academy Award nominations, winning two Oscars. She landed a role on American Gothic (1995). In the 2000s, she appeared in such films as The Quickie (2001) and Moving August (2002). She had guest roles on episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), NYPD Blue (1993), The Mentalist (2008), and Supernatural (2005). In 2015, she began appearing in the recurring role of Virginia on If Loving You Is Wrong (2014). In 2016-17, she appeared in guest star roles on Heartbeat (2016), Grey's Anatomy (2005), and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (2016). - Actress
- Writer
- Director
Inanna Sarkis is a Canadiana actress of Bulgarian and Assyrian descent. Her family immigrated to Canada and struggled to make ends meet. Speaking only Bulgarian and Assyrian at home, Inanna didn't learn English until she started school.
She first found her love for acting in her high school drama class where she performed The Beverly Hillbillies on stage. However, she pursued a Psychology and Criminal Justice degree at Ryerson University to fulfill her parent's expectations. In the meantime, she worked at bars and saved up enough money to move to California and pursue her acting dreams. In California, Inanna lived on top of a gym, while studying at various Acting studios and working as a bartender.
Inanna soon became one of the digital space's preeminent content creators, using her channels to showcase comedy skits and short films in which she writes, directs and stars. She's found success on a variety of platforms, including the TV and film industry. She recently wrapped Nick Cassavette's MARKED MEN feature film and can be seen playing the leading role in the horror film SÉANCE, opposite Suki Waterhouse. She is also known for playing "Molly" film series franchise AFTER, starring opposite Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes. In television, she recurred in the Netflix comedy BREWS BROTHERS and booked a lead role in Jill Soloway and Channing Tatum's pilot for Amazon COLLEGE. Inanna has also lent her voice to QCode for the podcast series THE LEFT RIGHT GAME starring alongside Tessa Thompson. In 2022, she created and starred in her own podcast ZAYA with the intention of showing a Middle Eastern woman as a powerful lead, and it hit #1 on Apple's Fiction Podcast list.
Last but not least, Inanna is the newest global ambassador of the International Medical Corps and has donated financially and helped raise awareness on the Syrian Refugee Crisis over the past several years.- Actress
- Producer
- Sound Department
Caroline Dhavernas commands the attention of filmgoers and television viewers with her beauty, talent and poise. Beginning her career at age 11, the Montreal native is already an acclaimed young actress who has also made her mark in Hollywood. She is the recipient of two Gemeaux Awards, one for "Best Interpretation in a Youth Series" for Zap (1993) and the second for "Best Supporting Role" in Tag.
Her first feature film, Thick as Thieves (1999), was followed by L'île de sable (1999).
She co-starred in English director Peter Greenaway's The Tulse Luper Suitcases, Part 1: The Moab Story (2003), which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2003.
Dhavernas made her American television debut in 2002 in Law & Order (1990). But it's her role as "Jaye Tyler" in the critically acclaimed FOX comedy Wonderfalls (2004) that will make a mark in the minds of viewers.
In 2005, she landed a part in the drama Niagara Motel (2005) and received a Genie Award nomination for "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role".
In 2006, she starred in the Focus Features film Hollywoodland (2006) opposite Adrien Brody, with whom she reunited in 2010 in Wrecked (2010). She also acted alongside Chris Cooper and Ryan Phillippe in Breach (2007).
Dhavernas appeared in the widely acclaimed Canadian feature Passchendaele (2008), which won the 2009 Genie Award for "Best Motion Picture".
She was in the supernatural thriller Devil (2010) produced by M. Night Shyamalan and The Switch (2010) with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman.
She also starred as "Vera Keller" in The Pacific (2010), a mini-series about World War II that debuted on HBO in March 2010.
In 2011, she could be seen in the ABC medical drama Off the Map (2011).
In 2013, she reunited with Wonderfalls (2004) creator Bryan Fuller in NBC's psychological horror thriller hit Hannibal (2013). Her performance as "Dr. Alana Bloom" earned her 4 nominations: a Saturn Award nod for "Best Supporting Actress on Television", an ACTRA Montreal Award nod for "Outstanding Female Performance", a Golden Maple Award nod for "Best Actress in a TV Series Broadcasted in the US" and a Chainsaw Award nod for "Best TV Actress".
2017 will see Dhavernas take on another strong TV leading role in Lifetime's thought-provoking euthanasia drama Mary Kills People (2017).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Ashlynn Yennie was born in the small town of Riverton, Wyoming. She studied acting at the New York Conservatory of Dramatic Arts. Her first feature film credit was when she was cast as Jenny in the cult horror film The Human Centipede. She has starred in numerous feature films and television shows.- Katrin Cartlidge began her career as a doing backstage & front of house work at London's Royal Court Theatre, having appeared with their Young People's Theatre group. She progressed to appearing in play readings and workshops before winning a regular role in Brookside (1982).
She went on to forge an award-winning career in theatre and film.
In the wake of her death, the Katrin Cartlidge Foundation was established to recognize a "new creative voice in cinema" at the Sarjevo Film Festival. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Nicola Jane Walker is an English actress, known for her starring roles in various British television programs from the 1990s onward, including that of Ruth Evershed in the spy drama Spooks from 2003 to 2011 and DCI Cassie Stuart in Unforgotten from 2015 to 2021. She has also worked in theatre, radio and film. She won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for the play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and has twice been nominated for the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for the BBC drama Last Tango in Halifax.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sarah Hadland was born in 1971 in London, England. She is an actress, known for Quantum of Solace (2008), Magicians (2007) and Leap Year (2010). Sarah Hadland began her career in the performing arts at an early age, being trained in dance from the age of three. She was educated at Wimslow High School College and then later on at the Laine Theatre Arts College. She started her professional work with musicals in the West End and theatre before eventually moving on to a series of television roles. From then on, Sarah Hadland also acted in a few feature films, most notably alongside David Mitchell and Robert Webb in the films Confetti (2006) and Magicians (2007). She has also played the part of Queen Victoria in a _Horrible Histories_ episode. Sarah Hadland has notably provided the voice for Ceila Reidley in the English dub of Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
James Mason was born in Huddersfield and had a film career spanning over 50 years during which he appeared in over 100 films in England and America but never won an Oscar. Whatever role he played, from the wounded Belfast gunman in Odd Man Out to Rommel in The Desert Fox, his creamy velvet voice gave him away. Like Charlie Chaplin James left the screen to spend his later life living in Switzerland. His first marriage had been to Pamela Kellino, a Yorkshire mill owner's daughter and his second to Australian actress Clarissa Kaye.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Actress and singer Lainie Kazan first made her mark with her Broadway debut in 1961 with the musical The Happiest Girl in the World. The following year, she appeared in another musical, Bravo Giovanni. She eventually served as Barbra Streisand's understudy for the lead role of Fanny Brice in Funny Girl (1968), and when Streisand was unable to perform, due to a throat condition, Kazan took her place in both a matinee and evening performance for one day of the show's run. Always the tireless entertainer, Kazan has contributed her talents to an endless list of film and television projects roles; perhaps her most talked-about role is of the hilarious mom Maria Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), and its sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Lee Horsley was born on 15 May 1955 in Muleshoe, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), The Hateful Eight (2015) and Paradise (1988). He has been married to Stephanie Downer since 25 December 1980. They have two children.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Bronx-born and raised Chazz Palminteri was a natural choice to continue the Italianate torch in film. In the tradition set forth in the 1970s by such icons as director Martin Scorsese and actors Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, John Cazale and Joe Pesci, Palminteri has brought grit, muscle and an evocative realism to the sidewalks of his New York neighborhood, violent as they are and were.
Chazz was born Calogero Lorenzo Palminteri in 1952 in the Bronx, New York, the son of Rose, a homemaker, and Lorenzo Palminteri, a bus driver. He grew up in a tough area of the Bronx, giving him the life lessons that would later prove very useful to his career. He graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School and started out pursuing his craft in 1973 studying at the Actor's Studio. He appeared off-Broadway in the early 1980s while paying his dues as a bouncer and doorman in nightclubs, among other jobs.
In 1986 he headed west and found that his ethnic qualifications was well-suited for getting tough-talker parts. Slick attorneys, unflinching hoods and hard-nosed cops were all part of his ethnic streetwise persona in such TV shows as Wiseguy (1987), Matlock (1986) and Hill Street Blues (1981). In films he started off playing a 1930s-style gangster in Sylvester Stallone's Oscar (1991). Although his roles were sharp, well-acted and with a distinct edge to them, there was nothing in them to show that he was capable of stronger leading parts.
In 1988 he wrote for himself a play entitled "A Bronx Tale," a powerful one-man stage commentary in which he depicted his bruising childhood in great detail, which included witnessing gangland slayings. Palminteri brought each and every character to life (18 in all) in this autobiographical piece -- his friends, enemies, even his own family. He showcased for years in both Los Angeles and New York, finally sparking the interest of his film idol, Robert De Niro. DeNiro, wanting to direct for the first time, saw the potential of this project and brought both it and the actor/writer to the screen. Palminteri played one of the flashier roles, Sonny, a gangster, in the movie version. An unknown film commodity at the time, Chazz had stubbornly refused to sell his stage property (the offers went into the seven figures) unless he was part of the package as both actor and screenwriter. DeNiro, who became his mentor, backed him up all the way, and the rest is history. A Bronx Tale (1993), which featured his actress/producer/wife Gianna Palminteri, earned strong reviews.
At age 41 Palminteri had become an "overnight" star. Other important projects quickly fell his way. He received a well-deserved Oscar nomination the following year for his portrayal of a Runyonesque hit man in Woody Allen's hilarious jazz-era comedy Bullets Over Broadway (1994). He was on the right side of the law in both The Perez Family (1995), his first romantic lead, and then the classic crimer The Usual Suspects (1995). He played the ill-fated brute in Diabolique (1996) and wrote a second screenplay, Faithful (1996), in which he again plays a hit man, terrorizing both Cher and Ryan O'Neal.
Though Palminteri was invariably drawn into a rather tight-fitting, often violent typecast, it has been a secure and flashy one that continues to run strong into the millennium. Surprisingly, the one obvious show he missed out on was HBO's The Sopranos (1999). True to form his trademark flesh-lipped snarl was spotted in gritty urban settings playing a "Hell's Kitchen" cop in One Eyed King (2001) starring actor/producer Armand Assante; a pool hustler and mentor in Poolhall Junkies (2002); a mob boss in In the Fix (2005); a dirty cop in Running Scared (2006); the titular scam artist as Yonkers Joe (2008); a karaoke-loving Italian psychiatrist in Once More with Feeling (2009); and an abusive husband and father in Mighty Fine (2012).
Other millennium filming includes starring presences in Body Armour (2007), The Dukes (2007), the title conman as Yonkers Joe (2008), Once More with Feeling (2009) and Mighty Fine (2012), as well as prime supports in Running Scared (2006), A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), Push (2006), Jolene (2008), Once Upon a Time in Queens (2013), Legend (2015), Vault (2019), Clover (2020). TV crime continues to occupy his time as well, clocking in such series' credits as Kojak (2005), Rizzoli & Isles (2010) and Godfather of Harlem (2019). Occasionally he will lighten up -- as in his recurring role as Shorty on the popular sitcom Modern Family (2009).- Actress
- Soundtrack
The dark, delicate and demure beauty of an Anna Maria Alberghetti is what one envisions a princess to look like and, indeed, she did have a chance to play a couple in her lifetime. Reminding one instantly of the equally enchanting Pier Angeli, Anna Maria's Cinderella story did not take on a tragic storybook ending as it did for Ms. Angeli. On the contrary, Anna Maria continues to delight audiences today on many levels, particularly on the concert and lecture stages.
She was born in a musical home in Pesaro, Italy, in 1936, the daughter of a concertmaster father and pianist mother. They greatly influenced her obvious talent and by age six she was performing with symphony orchestras with her father as her vocal instructor. World War II had forced the Alberghettis from their homeland and after performing in a European tour, Anna Maria's pure operatic tones reached American ears via her Carnegie Hall debut at age 14. The family decided to settle permanently in the States. The teenager went on to perform with numerous symphony orchestras during this time.
In 1950 Paramount saw a bright future in the making. Within a short time she was capturing hearts on film, making a magical debut in the eerie but hypnotic Gian Carlo Menotti's chamber opera The Medium (1951). Opposite the magnificent Marie Powers in the title role as the fraudulent Madame Flora, Anna Maria was directed by Menotti himself in the independently-produced film. While the movie was appreciated in art house form, Paramount wasted no time in placing the photogenic Anna into mainstream filming. Her budding talent was strangely used, however. She had an extended operatic solo in the breezy Capraesque Bing Crosby/Jane Wyman comedy Here Comes the Groom (1951), and played a Polish émigré befriended by a singer (played by Rosemary Clooney) who discovers the girl has musical talent of her own in the so-so The Stars Are Singing (1953). Anna's songs included the touching "My Kind of Day" and "My Heart Is Home". Thereafter, for some strange reason, her vocals were not utilized. She acted instead in such rugged adventures as The Last Command (1955) and Duel at Apache Wells (1957), and in the fluffy comedy Ten Thousand Bedrooms (1957) opposite Dean Martin. And, in the end, she was lovely but utterly wasted as the Prince Charming equivalent in the gender-bending Jerry Lewis farce Cinderfella (1960). Not only does she arrive late in the film, but Jerry gave her no songs to sing -- he sang them all!
Extremely disillusioned, Anna Maria departed from films in the early 60s and instead sought out work on the Broadway stage. It was here that she found that elusive star. Following a role in the operetta "Rose Marie" in 1960, Anna Maria won the part of a lifetime as the waif-like Lili in the musical "Carnival", based on Leslie Caron's charming title film role. Anna Maria was utterly delightful and quite moving in the role and for her efforts was awarded the Tony Award -- tying in her category with Diahann Carroll for "No Strings". Anna Maria's sister Carla replaced her when she left the show. Throughout the 60s she continued to impress in musical ingénue showcases -- the title role in "Fanny" (1963), Maria in "West Side Story" (1964), Marsinah in "Kismet" (1967) (which was televised), and Luisa in "The Fantasticks" (1968), to name but a few.
As she matured, she made a mark in other facets of entertainment. On TV Ed Sullivan first introduced Anna Maria to millions of households and the public was thoroughly taken by this singing angel. She appeared with Sullivan a near-record 53 times. She also graced a number of popular TV shows with non-singing, damsel-in-distress roles on such shows as "Wagon Train" and "Checkmate". Her recording career has included associations with Capitol, Columbia, Mercury and MGM Records.
In 1964, Anna married TV director/producer Claudio Guzmán who was almost a decade older. The ten-year marriage produced two daughters, Alexandra and Pilar. She began to downplay her career after this in favor of parenting, particularly after her divorce in 1974.
Returning to the theater on occasion, Anna Maria later reintroduced herself back into TV households as the housewife/pitchwoman for "Good Seasons" salad dressing. Her one-woman stage show led to her interest as a cabaret performer. More recent film appearances have included fun roles in the comedies Friends and Family (2001) and The Whole Shebang (2001).- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Madhuri Dixit is one of the most acclaimed actors and Kathak dancers Bollywood have ever witnessed. Born in a Marathi Brahmin Koknastha family to Mr. Shankar and Mrs. Snehlata, Madhuri Dixit has two sisters Rupa, Bharti, and brother Ajit. She performed decently well in her academics and aspired to become a Microbiologist which made her pursue the subject from Mumbai's Sathaye College, formerly known as Parle College; but within six months she opted out from college to pursue her career in Bollywood. Though she debuted with 'Abodh' in 1984, it's with 'Tezaab' (1988), a romantic thriller caste opposite Anil Kapoor, where she started garnering fame and popularity. She earned her first nomination of Filmfare Best Actress with this movie and it was also the highest grossing film in that year. Her performance in 'Ek Do Tin' made every heart groove to the beats of the song. During this time, Madhuri also got featured on Debonair and she was also featured as the cover girl on 1986 Filmfare edition. Since then she has graced more than 72 movies with her stupendous performances.
After 'Tejaab', Madhuri Dixit once again was paired with Anil Kapoor for Subhash Ghai's 'Ram Lakhan'(1989) which went on to be a super hit and the second highest grossing movie of the year. In her next 'Prem Pratigya' she received critical acclamation for her performance and earned her second nomination for Filmfare Best Actress Award. Dixit continued her success with her fourth pairing with Anil Kapoor in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's drama 'Parinda'. In 1990, Madhuri starred in the romantic drama 'Dil' opposite Aamir Khan. The film became the biggest box office hit of the year and made her one of the leading actresses of Bollywood. Her performance in 'Dil' also earned her the first Filmfare Best Actress Award of her career. She was also seen in the dramas 'Sailaab' opposite Aditya Pancholi and 'Kishen Kanhaiya' opposite Anil Kapoor. The following year in 1991, she starred in the super-hit movie 'Saajan' opposite Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt which also earned her the fourth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. In 1992, Dixit featured in the film 'Beta' once again opposite Anil Kapoor which won her the second Filmfare Best Actress Award. Following the film's success, Dixit became famously known as the "Dhak Dhak Girl" for her performance on the song "Dhak Dhak Karne Laga".
In 1993, Dixit starred in the super-hit film 'Khalnayak; opposite Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff. Her portrayal of the police officer Ganga earned her critical acclaim and a sixth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award and became the year's second highest grossing film. In 1994, Dixit starred in 'Anjaam', being paired with Shahrukh Khan for the first time. Dixit's performance of a revenge-seeking wife and mother earned her a seventh nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. She was praised for her performance, even though the film was an average performer at the box office. Her next was 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' opposite Salman Khan. The film became one of the biggest hits & the highest grossing Bollywood film after its theatrical run and held this record for 7 years till the release of 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha' (2001). Madhuri was awarded her third Filmfare Best Actress Award for the film. 1995 witnessed Dixit star in the hit film 'Raja' opposite Sanjay Kapoor. The film became the fourth highest grosser of the year and its success was attributed to her immense popularity. Her next release was David Dhawan's 'Yaraana' opposite Rishi Kapoor, in which she played a dancer on the run from her abusive lover. Both films earned her nominations for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.
After a not so successful year in 1996 with films like 'Prem Granth' and 'Rajkumar'Madhuri Dixit bounced back with Prakash Jha's 'Mrityudand' in 1997 followed by Yash Chopra's 'Dil to Pagal Hai' (1997), opposite Shahrukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor. Her performance in 'Dil toh Pagal Hai' fetched her the fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award. The film also proved to be a success at the box office. However, her career growth slowed down with films like Wajood (1998) and Aarzoo (1999). In 2000, Madhuri starred in Rajkumar Santoshi's 'Pukar' opposite Anil Kapoor which earned her twelfth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award. She then played the title character in 'Gaja Gamini' In 2001, Dixit starred in Deepak Shivdasani's love triangle 'Yeh Raaste Hain Pyaar Ke' opposite Ajay Devgan and Preity Zinta, followed by reuniting with Rajkumar Santoshi in the multi-starer 'Lajja' (2001). Dixit was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Lajja. In 2002, Dixit starred in a lead role in the love triangle film 'Hum Tumhare Hain Sanam' opposite Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan. Madhuri Dixit's next release was Sanjay Leela Bhansali's period romance 'Devdas', co-starring Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Devdas was chosen as India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. Dixit won the Filmfare Best supporting actress award for the film. It turned out to be her last film for a while as she shifted to Denver, U.S.A with her husband Dr. Shriram Madhav Nene, a Cardiovascular Surgeon. She subsequently became a proud mother of two sons (Arin and Ryan) in March 2003 and March 8, 2005, respectively.
In 2006, Dixit returned to India with her family and acted in Anil Mehta's dance film 'Aaja Nachle' (2007). It was her first release in five years and her performance was appreciated by critics and also earned her the nomination for the Filmfare Best Actress Award.
In 2008, she was also awarded the prestigious 'Bharat Ratna' for her contribution to Indian cinema by the Government of India. In 2011, Dixit was felicitated with the Filmfare Special Award for completing 25 years in the film industry.
In 2012, she was seen in the comedy 'Dedh Ishqiya' (2014), a sequel to Ishqiya (2010) opposite Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Huma Qureshi. The film opened to a positive response from critics who called it "one of the year's most important releases". The film also earned her the fourteenth nomination for Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her next release of the year was the debuted director Soumik Sen's 'Gulaab Gang' alongside Juhi Chawla.
Madhuri Dixit made her debut in Marathi cinema both as an actor & Producer in 2018. She played the lead in 'Bucket List' and produced "15th August" which is slated for a Netflix worldwide released in 2019. She has also lent her voice for the Netflix original 'Mowgli'.
In (2019) she was seen reunited with Anil Kapoor after 17years on screen in a comedy, action and adventure movie 'Total Dhamaal' the third sequel of 'Dhamaal' (2007). In the same year, she also a part of Dharma productions 'Kalank' a period drama film directed by Abhishekh Varman starring along with Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Alia Bhatt, and Sonakshi Sinha.
Madhuri Dixit is also associated with various philanthropic activities. She is associated with UNICEF since 2014 to advocate the rights of children, prevent child labor and child trafficking. She was appointed as the brand ambassador for the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign by the Government of India in 2015 that aspires to create awareness and upgrade the efficiency of welfare services intended for girls.
Dixit made her first appearance on television as a host for India's first reality show Kahin Na Kahin Koi Hai on Sony TV followed by Jhalak Dikhla Ja & Dance Deewane.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Nicholas Hammond was born on 15th May, 1950, in Washington DC. His parents, Col. Thomas W. Hammond and actress Eileen Bennett, married since 1945, already had one son, David (born in Paris in 1946).
When Nicholas was 6 years old, the family moved to Europe. In 1959, his mother took him to see the musical "My Fair Lady" (with Julie Andrews) on stage in London. After seeing this show, Nicholas decided he wanted to be an actor. The family returned to the US when Nicholas was 10 years old. He landed his first part (a small role in movie Lord of the Flies (1963) shortly after that. Nicholas appeared on Broadway and on television before he landed the role of Friedrich in the hit movie The Sound of Music (1965).
Nicholas made a visit to Australia in the mid 1980s but also did some acting while he was there. After a year, he realized he liked living in Australia and decided to stay. He lives in Sydney where he works as an actor, screenwriter, and director.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Joseph Cheshire Cotten, Jr. was born in Petersburg, Virginia, into a well-to-do Southern family. He was the eldest of three sons born to Sally Whitworth (Willson) and Joseph Cheshire Cotten, Sr., an assistant postmaster.
Jo (as he was known) and his brothers Whit and Sam spent their summers at their aunt and uncle's home at Virginia Beach. And there and at an early age he discovered a passion for story-telling, reciting, and performing acts for his family. Cotten studied acting at the Hickman School of Expression in Washington, D.C. and worked as an advertising agent afterward. But by 1924 tried to enter acting in New York. His money opportunities were limited to shipping clerk, and after a year of attempting stage work, he left with friends, heading for Miami. There he found a variety of jobs: lifeguard, salesman, a stint as entrepreneur -- making and selling 'Tip Top Potato Salad' - but more significantly, drama critic for the Miami Herald. That evidently led to appearance in plays at the Miami Civic Theater. Through a connection at the Miami Herald he managed to land an assistant stage manager job in New York. In 1929 he was engaged for a season at the Copley Theatre in Boston, and there he was able to expand his acting experience, appearing in 30 plays in a wide variety of parts. By 1930 he made his Broadway debut. In 1931 Cotten married Lenore LaMont (usually known as Kipp), a pianist, divorced with a four-year-old daughter.
To augment his income as an actor in the mid-30s, Cotten took on radio shows in addition to his theatre work. At one audition he met an ambitious, budding actor/writer/director/producer with a mission to make his name-Orson Welles. Cotten was 10 years his senior, but the two found a kindred spirit in one another. For Cotten, Welles association would completely redirect his serious acting life. Their early co-acting attempts boded ill for employment in formal acting vehicles. At a rehearsal for CBS radio the two destroyed a scene taking place on a rubber tree plantation. One or the other was supposed to say the line: "Barrels and barrels of pith...." They could not overcome uncontrolled laughter at each attempt. The director berated them as acting like 'school-children' and 'unprofessional', and thereafter both were considered unreliable. Welles's ambition put that quickly behind them when he formed The Mercury Theatre Players. Coming on board were later Hollywood stalwarts: Everett Sloane, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, and Ray Collins. In 1937, Cotten starred in Welles's Mercury productions of "Julius Caesar" and "Shoemaker's Holiday". And he made his film debut in the Welles-directed short Too Much Johnson (1938), a comedy based on William Gillette's 1890 play. The short was occasionally screened before or after Mercury productions, but never received an official release. Cotten returned to Broadway in 1939, starring as C.K. Dexter Haven in the original production of Philip Barry's "The Philadelphia Story". The uproar over Welles's "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, was rewarded with an impressive contract from RKO Pictures. The two-picture deal promised full creative control for the young director, and Welles brought his Mercury players on-board in feature roles in what he chose to bring to the screen. But after a year, nothing had germinated until Welles met with writer Herman J. Mankiewicz, resulting in the Citizen Kane (1941) idea - early 1940. The story of a slightly veiled William Randolph Hearst with Welles as Kane and Cotten, in his Hollywood debut, as his college friend turned confidant and theater critic, Jed Leland, would become film history, but at the time it caused little more than a ripple. Hearst owned the majority of the country's press outlets and so forbade advertisements for the film. The film was nominated for nine Academy Awards in 1942 but was largely ignored by the Academy, only winning for Best Screenplay for Welles and Mankiewicz.
The following year Cotten and Welles collaborated again in The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), acclaimed but again ignored at Oscar time, and the next year's Nazi thriller Journey Into Fear (1943). Cotten, along with some Welles ideas, wrote the screenplay. Welles with his notorious overrunning of budgeting was duly dropped by RKO thereafter. Later in 1943 Cotten's exposure and acquaintance with young producer David O. Selznick resulted in a movie contract and the launching of his mainstream and very successful movie career as a romantic leading man. Thereafter he appeared with some of the most leading of Hollywood leading ladies - a favorite being Jennifer Jones, Selznick's wife with the two of them being his most intimate friends. Cotten got the opportunity to play a good range of roles through the 1940s - the darkest being the blue beard-like killer in Alfred Hitchcock thriller Shadow of a Doubt (1943) with Teresa Wright. Perhaps the most fun was The Farmer's Daughter (1947) with a vivacious Loretta Young. Cotten starred with Jennifer Jones in four films: the wartime domestic drama Since You Went Away (1944), the romantic drama Love Letters (1945), the western Duel in the Sun (1946), and later in the critically acclaimed Portrait of Jennie (1948), from the haunting Robert Nathan book. Cotten is thoroughly convincing as a second-rate, unmotivated artist who finds inspiration from a chance acquaintance budding into love with an incarnation of a girl who died years before. Welles and Cotten did not work again until The Third Man (1949), directed by Carol Reed. For Cotten, the role as the hapless boyhood friend and second-rate novel writer Holly Martins would be a defining moment in a part both comedic and bittersweet, its range making it one of his best performances. Unfortunately, he was again overlooked for an Oscar.
Cotten was kept in relative demand into his mature acting years. Into the 1950s, he reunited with "Shadow Of A Doubt" co star Thereas Wright, to do the memorable bank caper "The Steel Trap"(1952).He co stared with Jean Peters in "Blueprint For A Murder"(1953). For the most part, the movie roles were becoming more B than A. He had a brief role as a member of the Roman Senate, reuniting with lifelong friend Welles in his Othello (1951). There were a few film-noir outings along with the usual fare of the older actor with fewer roles. However, he was much more successful in returning to theater roles in the new television playhouse format. He also did some episodic TV and some series ventures, as with On Trial, which was later called The Joseph Cotten Show. He had a memorable role in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Breakdown", where he was a man in a lone and isolated car accident, trapped and unable to speak. He voices over and shows his great acting skill simply through facial expressions. His one last stint with Welles was uncredited and sort of Jed Leland-revisited as the hokey coroner early in Welles's over-the-top Touch of Evil (1958). Of his association with Welles, Cotten said: "Exasperating, yes. Sometimes eruptive, unreasonable, ferocious, yes. Eloquent, penetrating, exciting, and always - never failingly even at the sacrifice of accuracy and at times his own vanity - witty. Never, never, never dull."
With the passing of his first wife in 1960 Cotten met and married British actress Patricia Medina. The 1960s found him equally busy in TV and film. He made the circuit of the most popular detective and cowboy series of the period. By 1964 he returned to film with the money making old-Hollywood-dame- horror-movie genre hit Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) with other vintage Hollywood legends Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, and Agnes Moorehead. His other films of that decade were of the quick entertainment variety along with some foreign productions, and TV movies. There were also more TV series and guests appearances, especially The Ed Sullivan Show, a popular stop during its long run. In the 1970s Cotten was still in demand-for even more of the curiosity-appeal of the populace for an older star. Along with the new assortment of TV series, he anchored himself at Universal with small parts in forgettable movies, the sluggish Universal epic dud Tora! Tora! Tora! for instance, and the steady diet of TV series being cranked out there. Though older actors have laughed in public about their descent into cheap horror movies, one can only wonder at the impetus to do them -- by such greats, as Claude Rains -- besides a can't-pass-up alluring salary.
Cotten did the campy The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) with Vincent Price and about that time two second rate Italian horror outings where he was Baron Blood and Baron Frankenstein. Then again there was better exposure in the Universal minor sci-fi classic Soylent Green (1973). And in yet another Universal sequel, where the profit-logic was to gather a cast of veterans from the Hollywood spectrum in any situation spelling disaster and watch the ticket sales skyrocket, Cotten joined the all-star cast of Airport '77 (1977). He rounded out the decade with the ever faddish Fantasy Island and more Universal TV rounds. This contributor met and worked with Joseph Cotten during this latter evolution of one of Hollywood's greats. He wore his own double-breasted blue blazer and tan slacks in several roles - no need for wardrobe. His pride and joy was a blue 1939 Jaguar SS, something of a fixture on the Universal lot.
Cotten was not ready to turn his back on Hollywood until the beginning of the 1980s when he managed to appear in the epic flop Heaven's Gate (1980). After a Love Boat episode (1981), Cotten joined his wife and his love of gardening and entertaining friends in retirement. He also had the time to write an engaging autobiography Vanity Will Get You Somewhere (1987). Cotten's somewhat matter-of-fact and seemingly gruff acting voice served him well. Certainly his command of varied roles deserved more than the snub of never being nominated for an Academy Award. He was not the only actor to suffer being underrated, but that is largely forgotten in those memorable roles that speak for him. And for what it is worth, the Europeans had the very good sense to award him the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Actor for Portrait of Jennie, one of his favorite roles.- Actress
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Coming from a musical family - her mother was a concert soprano - Constance Cummings made her show business debut in 1926 in regional stock theater, and by 1928 had appeared in her first Broadway play. Her success in the theater resulted in an invitation to Hollywood, where she went 1931. Although she played in more than 20 films, she was never really comfortble in Hollywood nor satisfied with the parts she was getting, and in 1934 she left for England, UK. She continued her stage and film career there. but few of those films ever made it back to the U.S.- Actor
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He was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and is the son of distinguished architect Professor Douglass Wise. It was assumed that he would be an architect, so he studied architecture in Edinburgh. He dropped out, though, after a while, and went to Glasgow to study drama.
He did his first professional job on stage, starring in "Good Rockin' Tonight", a musical based on the life of TV producer Jack Good. The first films he made were Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Feast of July (1995).- Actor
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David Charvet, who rose to international fame on the hit shows Baywatch (1989) and Melrose Place (1992), is now moving into the feature front, having completed production on starring roles in two films.
In the sports feature Green Flash (2008), Charvet plays "Cameron Day", a star basketball player with a future in the NBA until he chokes in a key game, with the after-effects causing him to settle into an aimless life. A chance encounter takes him into the professional beach volleyball scene in Southern California, but his old demons begin creeping in again, threatening his chances at success. The film marks the directorial debut of Paul Nihipali Jr. Jr., who was a member of the U.S. National Volleyball team from 1995-1997 as well as a three-time All-American and captain for the UCLA men's championship-winning volleyball team. The film, shot on location in Southern California, is produced by Cameron Dieterich and Joseph John Barmettler, with Bob Smiland executive producing. The theatrical release date was intended to coincide with the Summer 2008 Olympic Games.
Earlier this year, Charvet starred in the action/adventure feature film Prisoners of the Sun (2013), directed by Academy Award-winner Roger Christian (Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), The Dollar Bottom (1981)). He plays "Doug Adler", an archaeologist hired by an eccentric professor to lead his team on a national expedition to excavate a long lost city beneath an Egyptian pyramid. The expedition takes a turn for the worse when the gods of ancient Egypt are awakened from their five thousand year slumber and seek vengeance against the team. John Rhys-Davies, Joss Ackland and Carmen Chaplin co-star in the film, which was budgeted at $10 million.
Charvet launched his acting career on the world's most watched show of its time, Baywatch (1989), in which he developed a strong international following playing lifeguard "Matt Brody" for three seasons. He continued to expand his fan base with his role of "Craig Field" for two seasons on Melrose Place (1992). He also starred in NBC's highly-rated telefilm Seduced and Betrayed (1995) and the ABC movies-of-the week Derby (1995) and Angel Flight Down (1996). He also starred in the independent feature, Meet Prince Charming (1999), with Drea de Matteo.
As a Universal Music recording artist, Charvet spent five years in Europe, where he released three successful pop rock albums, as part of his five album deal with Universal Music Group France. He has sold over 2.5 million albums to date, with three of his singles ("Leap of Faith", "Should I Leave" and "The Tears in My Eyes") charting in the Top 10.
Charvet has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Asia, performing for packed arenas, writing music and experiencing new cultures. He has collaborated with top songwriters such as Ty Lacy (who wrote LeAnn Rimes' single "I Need You"), and he has also worked with Robbie Williams' producer Steve Power. Charvet has recorded a duet with Bryan Adams, and he also worked on a duet with Seal.
Although his music career has taken center stage in recent years, Charvet has always sought new creative challenges. He has now returned to the United States where he is happy to be back to his first love of acting and bringing his new palette of colors to that domain. "Music has helped me to evolve tremendously as an artist and has enriched me personally in so many ways", he offers. "I left America a boy and have come back a man".
Charvet has trained with such renowned acting teachers as Roy London and Larry Moss. He currently resides in Malibu, CA with his fiancée Brooke Burke and their infant daughter, Heaven Rain.- Jack Mulhern is an actor known for his roles as 'Dylan Hinchey' in the HBO Miniseries MARE OF EASTTOWN and as 'Grizz' in THE SOCIETY for Netflix. He will next be seen in the feature film THE BOYS IN THE BOAT, directed by George Clooney and the PET SEMATARY PREQUEL for Paramount Plus. Jack is represented by The Gersh Agency, The Burstein Company, and Rebecca Miller.
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Grant Heslov was born on 15 May 1963 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Argo (2012), Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) and The Ides of March (2011). He is married to Lysa Heslov. They have two children.- Actor
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Russell Hornsby was born on 15 May 1974 in San Francisco, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Hate U Give (2018), Fences (2016) and Meet the Parents (2000). He has been married to Denise Walker since 1 August 2008.- Tom Wu was born on 15 May 1972 in Hong Kong, China. He is an actor, known for Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes (2015), The Gentlemen (2019) and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019).
- Gunilla Hutton was born on 15 May 1944 in Gothenburg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden. She is an actress, known for Petticoat Junction (1963), Fantasy Island (1977) and Burke's Law (1963).
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Brad Rowe was born on 15 May 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Shelter (2007), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) and God Bless America (2011). He has been married to Lisa Fiori since 18 September 1999. They have one child.- Jamie Harris was born on 15 May 1963 in England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Prestige (2006), The New World (2005) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011).
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Three sons: Thomas, Jim D'Andrea & Mick D'Andrea.
Grandchildren include: Tom's - Rick D'Andrea, Elizabeth D'Andrea-Schusterman & Jim's- April , Justin & Allison D'Andrea . Mick D'Andrea passed away in 1996 of cancer. Great Grandchildren: Sarah Hipp and Anabella D'Andrea Great Great Grandchildren: Aria Diane Rayn Hipp Tom is most remembered for his movie roles at Warner Brothers Studio from 1943 to 1948 & regular 7-year role as neighbor & sidekick, "Jim Gillis", in the NBC-TV sitcom The Life of Riley (1953), starring 'William Bendix' (1953-59).- Actor
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Kevin Von Erich was born on 15 May 1957 in Belleville, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Best of the Von Erichs (2004), AEW Rampage (2021) and AEW Dynamite (2019). He has been married to Pam Adkisson since 1 August 1980. They have four children.- Mollee Gray was born as Mollee Shon Gray on May 15, 1991 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA but raised in Orem, Utah, USA. She is an American actress, singer, dancer, and gymnast. Mollee began formal studio dance training at The Dance Club in her hometown. At age 12, after attending an audition with film director Kenny Ortega, Gray booked a job dancing in the popular Disney movie High School Musical. Impressed by her talent, Ortega connected her with an agent. Due to the movie's success, she was given the opportunity to be a part of the two sequels that followed.
Gray returned to her Disney roots in the smash hit Teen Beach Movie, which premiered with over 14 million viewers and is the 2nd highest Disney comedy of all time. She played the fun, quirky, and lovable character named "Giggles," part of the classic beach party movie, Mack (Maia Mitchell) and Brady (Ross Lynch) get sucked into. She reprised her role in Teen Beach 2, which premiered on The Disney Channel. Teen Beach 2 debuted as cable's No.1 movie of 2015 to date, and stands as the No. 1 cable-TV telecast in nearly two years for Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14. According to The Huffington Post, the films have "the potential to rival the wildly successful High School Musical Trilogy."
Gray also played the lead character of Amanda in Double Daddy, a psychological thriller directed by Lee Friedlander. The TV movie tells the story of high school sweethearts Amanda (Gray) and Connor (Cameron Palatas), who are very much in love. When Amanda learns she's pregnant with Connor's child, her anger turns to heartbreak with the revelation that Connor has also impregnated another young girl - the scheming siren Heather who may be out to eliminate her romantic rival altogether, even before Amanda's baby is born. The film premiered on Lifetime. She has also appeared in the comedy series Free Period and #ThisIsCollege, the tv movie A Night to Regret, and The Goldbergs.
Gray starred in the lead in the indie film South 32, playing the role of Courtney, a young and impressionable college student who faces harassment and hazing during sorority. Gray has proven herself to be a triple threat, having further made her mark on the big screen with her memorable role as "Sari" in No Strings Attached, opposite Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. More recently, she had leading roles in the films The Reliant and inspirational true story The Favorite.
In addition to her work in film and tv, the multi-talented actress is a veteran of the popular competition show, So You Think You Can Dance. After accompanying a friend to what she thought would only be a taping, Gray soon found herself as part of the shows' sixth season, where she was a Top 8 finalist and fan-favorite. Her dance background has helped her land spots as a guest performer on The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, Ellen, America's Got Talent, as well as The Kids Choice Awards. She further showcased her talent on popular shows such as Glee, Big Time Rush, Shake It Up, Suburgatory, Victorious, and Drop Dead Diva, and Disney's Austin & Ally. She has become a beloved role model to her fans, earning her two nominations for "Favorite Dance Idol" and "Favorite Dancer on TV/Film" at the KARtv Dance Awards.
When she's not acting or dancing, Gray is a budding musician with a passion for singing and writing her own material. With a style best described as alternative and a raspy, rocker voice she has released two singles, "You Don't Know Anything" and "Wasted." Both tracks are aimed at a tween/young adult audience and can be found on iTunes. Outside of work, Gray loves spending time with her parents and younger siblings Gage, Stone, and Star-Belle. She also enjoys being active outdoors, visiting the beach, and relaxing in the pool or hot tub. - Stunts
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Logan Holladay was born on 15 May 1989 in California, USA. He is an actor, known for CHIPS (2017), Nightcrawler (2014) and Logan (2017).- Actor
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Joseph Wiseman was born on May 15, 1918 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He came to Broadway in the 1930s, where he was critically hailed for performances in Shakespeare's "King Lear", Clifford Odets' "Golden Boy" and Anton Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya". Motion pictures in which Wiseman has been seen include Detective Story (1951), starring Kirk Douglas, Viva Zapata! (1952) with Marlon Brando, The Garment Jungle (1957), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968), The Valachi Papers (1972) and The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) which brought him back to his native Canada for a co-starring role with Richard Dreyfuss.- Nhung Kate (a Vietnamese mononym) was studying Theater and Dance at the Hanoi College of Arts when she entered and won a popular reality competition show Vietnam Superstar." From there she landed her first lead in a television series and won "The National Film and Television Actor" award in Vietnam. These consecutive successes catapulted Nhung Kate into the next stage of her career.
Nhung Kate has since starred in more than 10 Vietnamese TV series as a lead including recent hits "Swapping Fate" (Danh trao so phan) and "The Fire Dossier - Part 3: The Dead Body Speaks" (Ho so Lua phan 3: Tu thi len tieng). Her international TV work includes a role in Australia Drama limited series for Fremantle: "Better Man" and a recurring role in the Korean Drama "Face Me and Smile" for EBS. Her first feature film was in the 2013 martial arts action film "Bui Doi Cho Lon," which was controversial for it's violence and realistic fight sequences from director Charlie Nguyen where she played 'Trang'. In 2014, Nhung Kate gained praise for her breakthrough performance in Ham Tran's supernatural horror "Hollow". In 2016 she collaborated with Ham Tran again with the box office hit "Bitcoin Heist" where she played the police detective "Dada". In 2017, Nhung Kate was awarded by the Special Grand Jury of Film Independent's LA Film Festival "Best Actress" in her performances in Derek Nguyen's supernatural thriller "The Housemaid." The film later got acquired by IFC and released in 2018. In 2021 Nhung Kate joined the John Wick Universe as Yen' in "The Continental" for Starz.
When she is not acting, Nhung Kate is a known Ducatista with over 50,000 clocked racing miles. She travelled all-over South-East Asia on her Ducati motorcycles. Originally Nhung Kate picked up martial arts as a hobby and competed in 2 MMA cage fights earlier in her career. Since Nhung Kate is recognized as a skilled fighter where she trains at Vietnam's first MMA Training Center founded by her partner, renowned martial artist and stunt choreographer: Johnny Tri Nguyen. - One of four children, lovely Detroit-born actress Doris Dowling (born May 15, 1923) would follow older sister Constance Dowling (who died relatively young in 1969) into show business. Raised in New York City, she briefly spent some time with a San Francisco Folies Bergère company before returning to New York and studying at Hunter College.
Following several years as a singing/dancing Broadway chorine in such musicals as Panama Hattie (debut at age 17), Banjo Eyes, Beat the Band and New Faces of 1943, Doris decided to pattern sister Constance's career formula by relocating to Hollywood and pursue films. After a couple of bit parts, she scored with the second femme role of a barfly, prostitute and enabler to fellow alcoholic Ray Milland in the sobering classic film The Lost Weekend (1945). That movie, which won "Best Picture" and "Best Actor" for Milland, was the first to deal with the harrowing effects of alcoholism. This success led to an equally choice victimy part in the Raymond Chandler film noir The Blue Dahlia (1946) starring Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake as Ladd's ill-fated wife. From there she was relegated to "B"-level post-war films. She co-starred with Kent Taylor in the crime mystery The Crimson Key (1947), but then found herself uncredited a year later in the Bing Crosby musical romancer The Emperor Waltz (1948).
Seeing the writing on the wall, Doris (like sister Constance) decided to move and continue her movie career abroad. With her dark, earthy, exotic-eyed beauty, she complemented several dramas, including a starring role in the Italian classic Bitter Rice (1949) that also starred Vittorio Gassman and made an international sex star out of Silvana Mangano. Filmed entirely in Cuba, she then starred in the minor musical drama Sarumba (1950) playing a singer and love interest to handsome sailor Michael Whalen, followed by a second femme role in the Italian drama Alina (1950) starring rising goddess Gina Lollobrigida. Doris' last starring film was in the romantic adventure Cuori sul mare (1950) (Hearts at Sea) with handsome Jacques Sernas. Before departing Italy, she also played Bianca in Orson Welles' troubled European production of Othello (1951), which was filmed in Italy and Morocco.
Returning to the US by 1952, theater and TV would comprised much of Doris' later work. She appeared on several anthology programs, including "Armstrong Circle Theatre," "Goodyear Playhouse" and "Schlitz Playhouse," and guested on the popular dramatic shows of the day such as "Medic," "Cheyenne," "Richard Diamond, Private Detective," Mike Hammer," "Have Gun--Will Travel," "Checkmate," Shirley Temple's Storybook," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Perry Mason," "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Bonanza," "Barnaby Jones," "The Dukes of Hazzard," and the mini-series "Scruples." She also enjoyed a regular role on the Julie Newmar-hyped female robot sitcom My Living Doll (1964).
In 1973, Doris returned to the stage and shared an Outer Critics Circle award for her performance in the all-star stage production of "The Women" on Broadway. Her final film roles were in The Car (1977) and Separate Ways (1981)
Married three times, she was wife #7 to band leader Artie Shaw, her first husband, with whom she had a son, Jonathan Shaw. Doris died June 18, 2004 at age 81, and was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Los Angeles. - Actress
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Brigitte Bako was born on 15 May 1967 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She is an actress and writer, known for Strange Days (1995), G-Spot (2005) and A Man in Uniform (1993).- Gorgeous was too tame a word for this foreigner stunner. Glamorous brunette beauty Ursula Thiess was born Ursula Schmidt in Hamburg, Germany on May 15, 1924, the daughter of Hans Schmidt, who managed a printing company, and Wilhelmine Lange, her turbulent childhood including working as compulsory farm laborer on the orders of the Nazi government when the teen refused to join the paramilitary Hitler Youth Movement. She later began her entertainment career in her native homeland appearing on the stage and dubbing female voices in American films.
Married to director Georg Thieß, the couple's marriage was a relatively unhappy one and they eventually divorced. With two children (Manuela and Michael) in tow, she found work in the late 1940s/early 1950s as a fashion model in Berlin. She left postwar Germany at the urging of Howard Hughes and signed up with his RKO company for film representation.
Billed as "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" during her initial build-up, her debut movie was as a mixed-race English/Indian girl in the outdoor drama Monsoon (1952) opposite the handsome, frequently bare-chested George Nader. While she failed to weave the same kind of foreign magic as that of Marlene Dietrich, she was far more beautiful and was voted "Most Promising Star of 1952" by Modern Screen Magazine and a Golden Globe the next year. This exotic temptation remained a fetching distraction amid the rugged scenery where, percentage-wise, the story and action remained strongly focused on her handsome he-man co-stars: Robert Stack in The Iron Glove (1954); Rock Hudson in Bengal Brigade (1954); and Glenn Ford in The Americano (1955); Robert Mitchum in Bandido! (1956), among others. Her Hollywood career wound up very short but sweet.
During her brief peak, Ursula met and eventually married the exceedingly handsome film star Robert Taylor (in 1954) and she subsequently abandoned her film career. Outside of her two children by her first marriage, Ursula had two more children (Terrance in 1955 and Tessa in 1959), by Taylor. Though she seemed quite content to be out of the limelight, she did appear with some regularity on her husband's TV series The Detectives (1959) during its first season, playing a police reporter who has a brief affair with Taylor's character. While raising her children was her prime job, she also became an active volunteer at a children's hospital.
Following her son Michael's tragic suicide from a drug overdose and husband Taylor's death shortly thereafter from lung cancer, both in 1969, Ursula was glimpsed here and there in a light sprinkling of film and TV appearances before bowing out completely. Her last film was the completely overlooked [error] with Richard Egan and Ian McShane.
Surviving an operation for a benign brain tumor in 1979, the former actress married wealthily for a third time and lived in Hawaii during part of that marriage, but would find herself widowed again in 1987 after 12 years. Known to be an excellent home decorator and gourmet cook, she eventually wrote an autobiography entitled "But I Have Promises to Keep" in 2003. Living in the Los Angeles area for the remainder of her life, she eventually entered an assisted facility in Burbank and died on June 19, 2010, at the age of 86, survived by her three remaining children. - Actress
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Kimie Tsukakoshi was born in Sydney, Australia to a Singapore-Chinese mother and Japanese father. She is an actress, singer and dancer known for The Bureau of Magical Things (2018), The Family Law (2016) and Secret City (2016). She trained in ballet, jazz and contemporary from a young age, eventually turning to musical theatre and then screen acting. She also briefly practiced as a corporate lawyer.- Actor
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Dan Patrick was born on 15 May 1956 in Zanesville, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Just Go with It (2011), The Ridiculous 6 (2015) and BASEketball (1998).- Jeri Weil was born on 15 May 1948 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Leave It to Beaver (1957), Lux Video Theatre (1950) and I Led 3 Lives (1953).
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Tatsuya Fujiwara was born on 15 May 1982 in Chichibu, Japan. He is an actor, known for Battle Royale (2000), Battle Royale II (2003) and Death Note (2006).- Actor
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Cleavant Derricks was born on 15 May 1953 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Sliders (1995), Moscow on the Hudson (1984) and Dreamgirls (2006). He has been married to Portia Derricks since 24 June 1986. They have four children.- Actress
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Autumn Dial is an actress, known for American Reunion (2012), Reminiscence (2021) and Logan Lucky (2017).- Actress
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Anjelika Washington was born on 15 May 1998 in Bakerfield, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Tall Girl (2019), Stargirl (2020) and Young Sheldon (2017).- Actor
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Ahmet Zappa is a true multi-hyphenate. He is an entrepreneur, NY Times Best Selling Author, film & television screenwriter, director, producer, musician, toy & game inventor, and the radio talk show host of Rocktails on SiriusXM. Focusing on the intersection of entertainment and technology, Zappa is often sought after to create new business strategies, marketing plans, and branded content for a variety of businesses spanning emerging marketing technologies to immersive entertainment experiences.
As a music estate manger, Zappa specializes in transforming undervalued and distressed intellectual properties into successful profit centers. He runs all aspects of the extensive Frank Zappa library through a unique partnership with Universal Music Group. He has successfully expanded the legacy of Frank Zappa's catalog into becoming one of their top 50 globally best selling artists.
He is a partner at the Blk-Ops agency. Their team is comprised of Hollywood creative minds and visionaries who use their filmmaking talents to solve marketing challenges through brand strategy, storytelling and design. Working with Fortune 500 companies, they successfully merge the worlds of Hollywood and Madison Avenue.
Under his entertainment shingle, Monsterfoot Productions, he conceived, developed and produced the feature film "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" for Walt Disney Pictures. He also created and wrote the screenplays for "Monster Witness Relocation Program" and "Tiki." For Sony Pictures, he's producing the movies "Dodge & Twist" and "Savage Planet" and he's working on a new animated series which created for Nickelodeon.
Zappa's authored over 20 critically acclaimed and best selling books including the novel "The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty McFearless," "Because I'm Your Dad," the soon to be released "Because I'm Your Mom," "The Hot Rats Book," and the wildly successful franchise "Star Darlings" for Disney with is amazing wife, Shana.
As a musician and composer he's written and produced music for animation, recorded tracks for motion picture soundtracks, scored music for commercials, web series, reality programs, specials and other television projects. As a lead singer, he's toured the globe playing sold-out shows throughout the United States and Europe.- Writer
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L. Frank Baum became a success with his 1883 production of "The Maid of Arran" in 1882. He was a dreamer, had a printing press and an amateur newspaper, "The Rose Lawn Home Journal" and published a coin and stamp collecting guide. He failed at almost everything through poor business sense. He had been an actor, though only successfully in "The Maid of Arran," a newspaper editor ("The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer"), a store owner (Baum's Bazaar, from which he filed for bankruptcy on New Year's Day of 1899), and motion picture producer and director. He met everything with enthusiasm and talent, but things did not work just right and only became successful again as a writer. Diverse in audience and subject matter, he is best remembered for his fourteen Oz books and their subsidiary fantasies. He is said to have singlehandedly created the fantasy genre out of the Andersen-style literary fairy tale. He used a variety of pseudonyms for juvenile series made at the publishers request, the best known and most successful being as Edith Van Dyne, who was once played by an actress at a luncheon with another publisher who wanted to meet her. The name was later used by Emma Speed Sampson, who continued some of his series.
Baum was a kind and gentle family man, who never swore or told dirty jokes, nor was he able to punish his four sons, whom Maud had to handle for him. He was born with a bad heart and suffered several minor attacks, including one induced by The Peekskill Military Academy at age 14. He loved to make fun of the military after that incident, as one can see in his Oz books. He created and headed The Oz Film Manufacturing Company in 1914 and directed one film the year later, after which his son Frank Joslyn Baum took it over, changing the name to Dramatic Feature Films, after the Oz name had been cursed as box-office poison, despite excellent critical reception of J. Farrell MacDonald's The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1914).
He continued writing, sitting up in bed long after his health had failed him, and his final Oz book was published posthumously in 1920. It was only his second attempt at science fiction. Baum's writing attracted legions of fans of all ages, both during and after his lifetime. His work has influenced such writers as Gore Vidal, Ray Bradbury, and Terry Brooks. The Oz series has been continued both officially and unofficially after his death. Frank Joslyn Baum sold the film rights of the first Oz book to MGM in 1934, and Walt Disney soon picked up the rest, unable to secure the original from them, for he, too, had desired to make a film version, as had been done before by Baum himself, Otis Turner, Ray C. Smallwood, Larry Semon, Ethel Meglin, Ted Eshbaugh, and many subsequent to 1939. Ironically, Baum moved to Hollywood at Ozcot to have a quiet place to write, which, of course, resulted in the OFMC. One other notable work by Baum is Tamawaca Folks, a spoof of his vacation town of Macatawa Michigan, taking the name of Michigan author John Esten Cooke and changing it to John Estes Cooke. Baum himself has a supporting role (under a different name) in the novel, which was based on all the vacationers. Baum's health problems limited his life to 63 years, but his literary output was remarkable, though mostly forgotten. An episode of the television series Death Valley Days (1952) features him and Maud as characters.- Actor
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Daniel Giménez-Cacho was born on May 15, 1961, in Madrid, Spain. He is a Mexican actor and director, Ariel award winner, who has starred in several Mexican films such as 'Solo con tu pareja' (1991), 'Cronos' (1993), 'Midaq Alley' (1995) and 'Arráncame la Vida' (2008), among others. He is also known for 'Y tu mamá también' (2001), 'La mala educación' (2004) and 'Blancanieves' (2012).- Director
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Jack Henry Robbins was born on 15 May 1989. He is a director and writer, known for VHYes (2019), Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2003) and Alex (2019).- Stella Maxwell is best known for her work as a Victoria's Secrets lingerie model. She appeared in the Victoria's Secret Fashion shows in 2014 and 2015 and became a Victoria's Secret Angel in April 2015. She was born on May 15, 1990 in Belgium to Northern Irish parents. Maxwell's father was a diplomat, and his postings in Belgium, Australia and New Zealand accounted for being well-traveled before graduating from high school. She studied at and graduated from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.