The Lion King 2:Simba's Pride 1998 premiere
Tuesday October 20th, Wadsworth Theatre 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073
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- Actress
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Suzanne Pleshette achieved television immortality in her role as Bob Newhart's wife in the 1970s classic situation comedy, The Bob Newhart Show (1972). For her role as "Emily Hartley," wife of psychologist "Bob Hartley" (played by Bob Newhart), Pleshette was nominated for the Emmy Award twice, in 1977 and 1978. She was also nominated for an Emmy in 1962 for a guest appearance on the TV series, Dr. Kildare (1961) and, in 1991, for playing the title role in Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean (1990) in a 1990 TV movie. Her acting career lasted almost 50 years.
Suzanne Pleshette was born on January 31, 1937, in New York, New York, to Gene Pleshette, a TV network executive who had managed the Paramount Theaters in Manhattan and Brooklyn during the Big Band era, and the former Geraldine Kaplan, a dancer who performed under the pseudonym Geraldine Rivers. Pleshette claims that she was not an acting natural, but just "found" herself attending New York City's High School of the Performing Arts. After graduating high school, she attended Syracuse University for a semester before returning to NYC to go to Finch College, an elite finishing school for well-to-do young ladies. After a semester at Finch, Pleshette dropped out of college to take lessons from famed acting teacher Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.
She made her Broadway debut in 1957 as part of the supporting cast for the play Compulsion (1959). Initially cast as "The Fourth Girl," she eventually took over the ingénue role during the play's run.
Blessed with beauty, a fine figure, and a husky voice that made her seem older than her years, she quickly achieved success on both the small and big screens. She made her TV debut, at age 20, in Harbourmaster (1957), then was chosen as the female lead opposite superstar Jerry Lewis in his 1958 comedy, The Geisha Boy (1958). On Broadway, she replaced Anne Bancroft in the Broadway hit The Miracle Worker (1962).
Once Pleshette started acting, her career never lagged until she was afflicted with cancer.
Her most famous cinematic role was in Alfred Hitchcock's classic, The Birds (1963), as the brunette schoolteacher jilted by the hero of the film, "Mitch Brenner" (played by Rod Taylor). Pleshette's warm, earthy character was a perfect contrast to the icy blonde beauty, "Melanie Daniels" (Tippi Hedren).
Frankly, it is hard to understand how Taylor's Mitch would jilt Pleshette's Annie, other than to work out Hitchcock's dark vision of society and psychosexual relations between the sexes, in which amoral blondes triumph for aesthetic rather than moral reasons.
Still, it is for Emily Hartley she will always be remembered, for both the original show and her part in another show that had the most clever sign-off episode in TV series history. Bob Newhart had enjoyed a second success during the 1980s with his TV sitcom Newhart (1982), and when he decided to end that series, he asked Suzanne Pleshette to come back. She did, reprising her tole of Emily in a final episode of Newhart, where Newhart woke up as Bob Hartley from "The Bob Newhart Show" in the bedroom of the Hartley's Chicago apartment, Pleshette's Emily at his side. Bob Hartley then told his wife Emily of a crazy dream he'd just had, where he was the proprietor of a Vermont inn overrun with eccentrics, the premise of the second show.
After "The Bob Newhart Show" ceased production, Suzanne Pleshette worked regularly on television, mostly in TV movies. Although she was a talented dramatic actress, she had a flair for comedy and, in 1984, she headlined her own series at CBS. She helped develop the half-hour sitcom, and even had the rare honor of having her name in the title. Suzanne Pleshette Is Maggie Briggs (1984), however, was not a success. She co-starred with Hal Linden in another short-lived CBS TV series, The Boys Are Back (1994), in the 1994-95 season, then had recurring roles in the TV series Good Morning, Miami (2002) and 8 Simple Rules (2002).
Pleshette was married three times: In 1964, she wed teen idol Troy Donahue, her co-star in the 1962 film Rome Adventure (1962) and in 1964's A Distant Trumpet (1964), but the marriage lasted less than a year. She was far more successful in her 1968 nuptials to Texas oil millionaire Tommy Gallagher, whom she remained married to until his death in 2000. After becoming a widow, she and widower Tom Poston (a Newhart regular) rekindled an old romance they had enjoyed when appearing together in "The Golden Fleecing," a 1959 Broadway comedy. They were married from 2001 until Poston's death, in April 2007.
Pleshette was diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent chemotherapy in the summer of 2006; she rallied, but in late 2007, she barely survived a bout of pneumonia. She died of respiratory failure on January 19, 2008, a few days shy of her 71st birthday.
Suzanne Pleshette was remembered as a gregarious, down-to-earth person who loved to talk and often would regale her co-stars with a naughty story. Newhart and his producers had picked her for the role of Emily in "The Bob Newhart Show" after watching her appearances with Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), where she showed herself to be a first-rate raconteuse. Because she could hold her own with Newhart's friend Carson, it was felt she would be a perfect foil as Newhart's TV wife.
She accepted the part, and TV history was made.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Antonio Banderas, one of Spain's most famous faces, was a soccer player until breaking his foot at the age of fourteen; he is now an international movie star known for playing Zorro in the eponymous movie series.
He was born José Antonio Domínguez Banderas on August 10, 1960, in Málaga, Andalusia, Spain. His father, Jose Dominguez, was a policeman in the Spanish civil guards. His mother, Doña Ana Banderas Gallego, was a school teacher. Young Banderas was brought up a Roman Catholic. He wanted to play soccer professionally and made much success playing for his school team until the age of 14, albeit his dream ended when he broke his foot. At that time, he developed a passion for theatre after seeing the stage production of "Hair". Banderas began his acting studies at the School of Dramatic Arts in Málaga, and made his acting debut at a small theatre in Málaga. He was arrested by the Spanish police for performance in a play by Bertolt Brecht, because of political censorship under the rule of General Francisco Franco. Banderas spent a whole night at the police station, he had three or four such arrests while he was working with a small theatre troupe that toured all over Spain and was giving performances in small town theatres and on the street.
In 1979, at age 19, he moved to Madrid in pursuit of an acting career. Being a struggling young actor, he also worked as a waiter and took small modeling jobs. At that time, he joined the troupe at the National Theatre of Spain, becoming the youngest member of the company. Banderas' stage performances caught the attention of movie director Pedro Almodóvar, who cast the young actor in his movie debut Labyrinth of Passion (1982). Banderas and Almodovar joined forces in making innovative and sexually provocative movies during the 1980s. In 1984, Banderas made headlines in Spain with his performance as a gay man, making his first male-to-male on-screen kiss in Almodovar's Law of Desire (1987). Banderas' long and fruitful collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar eventually prepared him for international recognition that came with his work in the Academy Award-nominated film Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988). In 1991, he appeared as an object of Madonna's affection in Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991).
In 1992, Banderas made his Hollywood debut with The Mambo Kings (1992). Because he did not speak English at that time, his dialogue for the movie was taught to him phonetically. Banderas shot to international fame with his sensitive performance as a lover of Tom Hanks' AIDS-infected lawyer in Philadelphia (1993), then played opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994). Banderas further established himself as one of Hollywood's leading men after co-starring in Evita (1996) opposite Madonna in the title role. In 1998, he won acclaim for his portrayal of Zorro, opposite Anthony Hopkins and Catherine Zeta-Jones, in The Mask of Zorro (1998). For the role as Zorro, Banderas took training with the Olympic national fencing team in Spain, and practiced his moves with real steel swords, then he used the lighter aluminum swords in the movie. He also took a month-long course of horse-riding before the filming. He later returned to the role in The Legend of Zorro (2005). In 1999, Banderas made his directorial debut in Crazy in Alabama (1999), starring his wife, Melanie Griffith. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros opposite Salma Hayek in Frida (2002). He voiced Puss in Boots in the Shrek franchise.
Banderas established himself as internationally known Latin heartthrob with charismatic looks, and was chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine in 1996. He won numerous awards and nominations for his works in film, including three ALMA awards and three Golden Globe nominations, among many other. From 1996 to 2014, Banderas was married to American actress Melanie Griffith and the couple have one daughter, Stella (born 1996). Outside of his acting profession, Banderas has been a passionate soccer fan and a staunch supporter of the Real Madrid Football Club. He shares time between his two residencies, one in the United States, and one in the South of Spain.- Actress
- Producer
Melanie Griffith was born on August 9, 1957 in New York City, to then model/future actress Tippi Hedren and former child actor turned advertising executive Peter Griffith. Her parents' marriage ended when she was four years old and Tippi brought Melanie to Los Angeles to get a new start. Tippi caught the eye of the great director Alfred Hitchcock, who gave her starring roles in The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964). She married her then-agent, Noel Marshall, in 1964 (they divorced in 1982), and Melanie grew up with three stepbrothers. Meanwhile, her father married Nanita Greene and had two more children: Tracy Griffith and Clay A. Griffith.
Melanie also grew up with tigers and lions, as Tippi and Noel were raising them for the movie Roar (1981), in which the family later starred. Melanie's acting career, however, began as a model at just nine months old in a commercial and she later appeared as an extra in Smith! (1969) and The Harrad Experiment (1973), where she fell in love with her mother's co-star, Don Johnson. She was only 14 years old, while he was a 22-year-old with two annulled marriages. Tippi took a very liberal approach and allowed Melanie to move in with Don at a tender age. Even though Melanie didn't like modeling, she continued to do it to pay the bills. One day she went to meet with director Arthur Penn for what she thought was a modeling assignment. It was actually an audition for his film Night Moves (1975), and Penn gave her the role of a runaway nymphet. She was hesitant, but Johnson encouraged her to take the role. She agreed but was terrified of performing in front of the camera. Penn took a paternal interest in her, and she felt confident and gave a riveting performance, doing racy nude scenes. It immediately typecast her and led to more nymphet roles, with her beautiful nude body a permanent fixture in movies like Ha-Gan (1977) and Joyride (1977). She also married Johnson, eloping in 1976, but the union ended within six months.
Unfortunately, as her career progressed, she became increasingly dependent on drugs and alcohol, a fact well-known to studio executives, who stopped considering her for feature film roles. Melanie started doing television work, where she met her second husband, Steven Bauer, on the set of the TV movie She's in the Army Now (1981). He helped her to overcome her drug and alcohol problems and got her to take acting classes with Stella Adler in New York. The classes paid off, as director Brian De Palma cast her as a porno actress in his murder mystery Body Double (1984) and her sexy, funny performance won her rave reviews and the Best Supporting Actress Award by the National Society of Film Critics and a Golden Globe nomination. Jonathan Demme was so impressed with her performance that he gave her the female lead in Something Wild (1986) without even auditioning her. The film was a commercial failure but quickly became a cult favorite on video and cable, with Melanie again getting critical plaudits and a Golden Globe nomination.
The birth of her first child, Alexander, in 1985, didn't help to save her struggling marriage, and she and Bauer separated shortly thereafter. Melanie was given starring roles in Cherry 2000 (1987) and Stormy Monday (1988), but the films were barely released. Soon writers were asking when the public at large was going to take notice of this unique and talented actress. Melanie's career skyrocketed when Mike Nichols cast her as spunky secretary Tess McGill in Working Girl (1988), a box-office hit for which she received an Oscar nomination as Best Actress and won the Golden Globe Award as Best Actress in a Comedy. However, her ongoing substance abuse had almost destroyed her career yet again, and Nichols pushed her into a rehabilitation clinic. En route to the clinic she called ex-husband Johnson for support, and they reconciled after her release from the clinic. She got pregnant, divorced Bauer and remarried Johnson in 1989, and later that year their daughter Dakota Johnson was born. A sober Melanie now concentrated on her film career: her follow-up to "Working Girl" was John Schlesinger's Hitchcockian urban thriller Pacific Heights (1990). It was a moderate success, but most of the films she chose flopped badly, especially The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), which reunited her with director Brian De Palma. Even though she gave heartfelt performances in all her films, she was often miscast, with her breathy little-girl voice not helping matters in her role as a spy in Shining Through (1992) and as a homicide detective going undercover in the Hassidic Jewish community in New York City in A Stranger Among Us (1992).
Melanie was charming as a street hooker who befriends a group of elementary students in Milk Money (1994), but the film received negative reviews and performed dismally at the box office. She made a minor comeback with the critics for her supporting role as a desperate housewife in Nobody's Fool (1994), which reunited her with Bruce Willis, her co-star in "Bonfire", and Paul Newman, her co-star from The Drowning Pool (1975). She also earned a Golden Globe nomination for her work in the well-received TV miniseries Buffalo Girls (1995), followed by another hit film, the ensemble Now and Then (1995). Her personal life was making headlines again, though, as she left Johnson because of his own substance-abuse problems, reconciled with him briefly when he became sober, only to leave him again, this time for Antonio Banderas, her married co-star from Two Much (1995). Both she and Banderas created a scandal in 1995 with their torrid romance, and the tabloids followed their every move, including her divorce from Johnson and his divorce from wife Ana Leza. Melanie became pregnant with her third child, and she and Banderas married in 1996. Their daughter Stella Banderas was born, and the notorious couple were forgiven by the public and the media.
Melanie won strong reviews in independent films like Another Day in Paradise (1998), where she played a heroin-using criminal accomplice on the run, and the made-for-cable movie RKO 281 (1999), in which she portrayed actress Marion Davies, a part that garnered her Golden Globe and Emmy nominations as Best Supporting Actress. Melanie became dependent to pain killers, however, returning to rehab in 2000. She wrote about her struggle and recovery in her journal on her official website. Greenmoon Productions, the production company that she formed with Banderas, produced several flops, such as her starring vehicle Crazy in Alabama (1999), directed by Banderas. Her career took another blow when her TV series, Me & George (1998), never even aired. After making Cecil B. Demented (2000) and Forever Lulu (2000), Melanie did a voice-over role in Stuart Little 2 (2002) and played supporting roles in minor films Tempo (2003), as Sylvester Stallone's girlfriend in Shade (2003), and as Barbara Sinatra in All the Way (2003) with Dennis Hopper playing Frank Sinatra, but none of these films made a ripple at the box office. As a result, film and television offers dried up.
In 2003, a resourceful Melanie turned to the Broadway stage, and packed houses with her turn as the murderess "Roxie Hart" in the musical "Chicago," for which she received a rave review from the New York Times theater critic. It renewed her confidence, as she had never sang, danced or been on the Broadway stage before. In 2005 she surprised viewers by playing a mom to two grown women in the TV series Twins (2005), which was canceled after one season. She tried to resurrect her career with another attempt at a TV series, Viva Laughlin (2007), but it was canceled after just two episodes. Melanie didn't act again for the remainder of the decade, because, by self-admission, she couldn't obtain any worthwhile roles. In 2009, she was back in rehab after yet another relapse, emerging after a three-month stay. Professionally, she was faced with more disappointment in 2012 when This American Housewife (2012), a Lifetime series that Banderas produced for her to star in, never aired. She went back to the stage in 2012 and played Scott Caan's mother in a play that he wrote titled "No Way Around but Through." She impressed Caan enough to recommend her to producers of his television show Hawaii Five-0 (2010). Since 2014, she started playing a recurring role as his mother on the show.
Also in 2014, Melanie filed for divorce from Banderas citing "irreconcilable differences" after nearly twenty years together. She never publicly discussed her reasons for the divorce, and she didn't promote her feature film Automata (2014), the final time that she acted with Banderas. It took a year for the divorce to be finalized, during which time, she and Banderas made one important appearance together at their daughter Stella's high school graduation. She also made another public appearance with another ex-husband, Don Johnson, on Saturday Night Live (1975) to support their daughter Dakota, who was the host for that week. Dakota was promoting her star-making turn in Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), thus carrying on the family tradition of being a film actress. Melanie maintains close ties with her three children and her mother Tippi Hedren. She is involved in various charities, including raising funds for Tippi's Shambala preserve, a refuge for wild animals. Melanie also runs a non-profit organization for benefiting burned children. Melanie is single and her children are living on their own, so she has devoted most of her time to seeking out acting roles.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Denise Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, the older of two daughters of Joni Lee, who owned a coffee shop, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer. She has German, French-Canadian, Irish, English, and Welsh ancestry. She grew up in the Chicago area, until the family relocated to Oceanside, CA when Denise was 15. She began working as a model, and moved to L.A. after she graduated from high school. She landed parts in both TV and movies, and gave breakthrough performances in Starship Troopers (1997) with Casper Van Dien, Wild Things (1998) and The World Is Not Enough (1999), in which she plays a Bond Girl. She also was in Undercover Brother (2002) with Eddie Griffin and appeared in Scary Movie 3 (2003) with her now ex-husband, Charlie Sheen.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
With features chiseled in stone, and renowned for playing a long list of historical figures, particularly in Biblical epics, the tall, well-built and ruggedly handsome Charlton Heston was one of Hollywood's top leading men of his prime and remained active in front of movie cameras for over sixty years. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film, The Ten Commandments (1956) , for which he received his first Golden Globe Award nomination. He also starred in Touch of Evil (1958) with Orson Welles; Ben-Hur, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor (1959); El Cid (1961); and Planet of the Apes (1968). He also starred in the films The Greatest Show on Earth (1952); Secret of the Incas (1954); The Big Country (1958); and The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965). A supporter of Democratic politicians and civil rights in the 1960s, Heston later became a Republican, founding a conservative political action committee and supporting Ronald Reagan. Heston's most famous role in politics came as the five-term president of the National Rifle Association, from 1998 to 2003.
Heston was born John Charles Carter on October 4, 1923, in No Man's Land, Illinois, to Lila (Charlton) and Russell Whitford Carter, who operated a sawmill. He had English and Scottish ancestry, with recent Canadianforebears.
Heston made his feature film debut as the lead character in a 16mm production of Peer Gynt (1941), based on the Henrik Ibsen play. In 1944, Heston enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. He served for two years as a radio operator and aerial gunner aboard a B-25 Mitchell stationed in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands with the 77th Bombardment Squadron of the Eleventh Air Force. He reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. Heston married Northwestern University student Lydia Marie Clarke, who was six months his senior. That same year he joined the military.
Heston played 'Marc Antony' in Julius Caesar (1950), and firmly stamped himself as genuine leading man material with his performance as circus manager 'Brad Braden' in the Cecil B. DeMille spectacular The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), also starring James Stewart and Cornel Wilde. The now very popular actor remained perpetually busy during the 1950s, both on TV and on the silver screen with audience pleasing performances in the steamy thriller The Naked Jungle (1954), as a treasure hunter in Secret of the Incas (1954) and another barn storming performance for Cecil B. DeMille as "Moses" in the blockbuster The Ten Commandments (1956).
Heston delivered further dynamic performances in the oily film noir thriller Touch of Evil (1958), and then alongside Gregory Peck in the western The Big Country (1958) before scoring the role for which he is arguably best known, that of the wronged Jewish prince who seeks his freedom and revenge in the William Wyler directed Ben-Hur (1959). This mammoth Biblical epic running in excess of three and a half hours became the standard by which other large scale productions would be judged, and its superb cast also including Stephen Boyd as the villainous "Massala", English actor Jack Hawkins as the Roman officer "Quintus Arrius", and Australian actor Frank Thring as "Pontius Pilate", all contributed wonderful performances. Never one to rest on his laurels, steely Heston remained the preferred choice of directors to lead the cast in major historical productions and during the 1960s he starred as Spanish legend "Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar" in El Cid (1961), as a US soldier battling hostile Chinese boxers during 55 Days at Peking (1963),played the ill-fated "John the Baptist" in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), the masterful painter "Michelangelo" battling Pope Julius II in The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965), and an English general in Khartoum (1966). In 1968, Heston filmed the unusual western Will Penny (1967) about an aging and lonely cowboy befriending a lost woman and her son, which Heston has often referred to as his favorite piece of work on screen. Interestingly, Heston was on the verge of acquiring an entirely new league of fans due to his appearance in four very topical science fiction films (all based on popular novels) painting bleak futures for mankind.
In 1968, Heston starred as time-traveling astronaut "George Taylor", in the terrific Planet of the Apes (1968) with its now legendary conclusion as Heston realizes the true horror of his destination. He returned to reprise the role, albeit primarily as a cameo, alongside fellow astronaut James Franciscus in the slightly inferior sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). Next up, Heston again found himself facing the apocalypse in The Omega Man (1971) as the survivor of a germ plague that has wiped out humanity leaving only bands of psychotic lunatics roaming the cities who seek to kill the uninfected Heston. And fourthly, taking its inspiration from the Harry Harrison novel "Make Room!, Make Room!", Heston starred alongside screen legend Edward G. Robinson and Chuck Connors in Soylent Green (1973). During the remainder of the 1970s, Heston appeared in two very popular "disaster movies" contributing lead roles in the far-fetched Airport 1975 (1974), plus in the star-laden Earthquake (1974), filmed in "Sensoround" (low-bass speakers were installed in selected theaters to simulate the earthquake rumblings on screen to movie audiences). He played an evil Cardinal in the lively The Four Musketeers: Milady's Revenge (1974), a mythical US naval officer in the recreation of Midway (1976), also filmed in "Sensoround", an LA cop trying to stop a sniper in Two-Minute Warning (1976) and another US naval officer in the submarine thriller Gray Lady Down (1978). Heston appeared in numerous episodes of the high-rating TV series Dynasty (1981) and The Colbys (1985), before moving onto a mixed bag of projects including TV adaptations of Treasure Island (1990) and A Man for All Seasons (1988), hosting two episodes of the comedy show, Saturday Night Live (1975), starring as the "Good Actor" bringing love struck Mike Myers to tears in Wayne's World 2 (1993), and as the eye patch-wearing boss of intelligence agent Arnold Schwarzenegger in True Lies (1994). He also narrated numerous TV specials and lent his vocal talents to the animated movie Hercules (1997), the family comedy Cats & Dogs (2001) and an animated version of Ben Hur (2003). Heston made an uncredited appearance in the inferior remake of Planet of the Apes (2001), and his last film appearance to date was in the Holocaust-themed drama of My Father (2003).
Heston narrated for highly classified military and Department of Energy instructional films, particularly relating to nuclear weapons, and "for six years Heston [held] the nation's highest security clearance" or Q clearance. The Q clearance is similar to a DoD or Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) clearance of Top Secret.
Heston was married to Lydia Marie Clark Heston since March 1944, and they have two children. His highly entertaining autobiography was released in 1995, titled appropriately enough "Into The Arena". Although often criticized for his strong conservative beliefs and involvement with the NRA, Heston was a strong advocate for civil right many years before it became fashionable, and was a recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, plus the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2002, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and did appear in a film or TV production after 2003. He died in April 2008, a memorable figure in the history of US cinema.- 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.- 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.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Bennett "Ben" Joseph Savage was born on September 13th, 1980, in Chicago, Illinois. Ben got his start in acting when he appeared in his first commercial at the tender age of 5. From there, his first major speaking role was in the comedy series, Dear John (1988), opposite Judd Hirsch and fellow Chicago-native, Isabella Hofmann. He starred in a handful of made-for-TV movies and other films, most significantly Wild Palms (1993), until being cast in the lead role in the series Boy Meets World (1993), which catapulted him into stardom. Ben didn't put aside his studies in the course of his acting career, graduating in 2004 from the famed Stanford University with a degree in Political Science. In the summer of 2003, he got an internship with the office of US Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) and seems to be well on his way to another chapter in his life.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
- Writer
Alexander Bauer is known for Kazoo's on First? (2013), This Loneliness (2015) and Orange Vests and Cigarettes (2024).- Stella Banderas was born on 24 September 1996 in Marbella, Spain. She is an actress, known for Crazy in Alabama (1999), Festival de cine de San Sebastián 2021 - Gala de inauguración (2021) and The Oscars (2020).
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Dakota Mayi Johnson is an American actress and fashion model. She was born in Austin, Texas, and is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Her maternal grandmother is actress Tippi Hedren.
In 1999, she made her film debut in Crazy in Alabama (1999), where she and her half-sister, Stella Banderas, played the daughters to their real-life mother, Melanie Griffith. The film was directed by her stepfather, Antonio Banderas, but it wasn't a hit. Dakota resumed her schooling and waited several years before she decided to become a professional actress and model. In 2006, she was voted Miss Golden Globe, a launching pad bestowed on off-spring of famous parents. She served as the first second-generation Miss Golden Globe in the Globes' history, since her mother was Miss Golden Globe in 1975. She also signed with IMG Models. In 2009, she modeled for MANGO brand's jeans line. Dakota traveled to Sydney, Australia, where she shot the "Rising Star" campaign for fashion label, "Wish". Once she graduated from high school, she signed with the William Morris Agency and started her acting career. She had her first box office hit in 2010 with David Fincher's film, The Social Network (2010), in which she had a scene with Justin Timberlake. The film received eight Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. She also appeared in three additional films: Beastly (2011), alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen; Ezna Sands' film, Chloe and Theo (2015); and So Yong Kim's film, For Ellen (2012); She had roles in several 2012 films: Christopher Neil's film, Goats (2012), with David Duchovny; Nicholas Stoller's film, The Five-Year Engagement (2012), for producer Judd Apatow, and the hit feature film version of the 1987 television show, 21 Jump Street (1987) that made Johnny Depp a star. She also won the female lead in Chris Nelson's, film Date and Switch (2014), written by Alan Yang. Her first television show, Ben and Kate (2012), where she played "Kate", aired on Fox during the Fall 2012 season. It was canceled in 2013, and she quickly resumed her feature film career with three high-profile films: Need for Speed (2014), Cymbeline (2014), the modern-day adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, "Cymbeline", and the starring role of "Anastasia Steele" in Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), the adaptation of the best-selling erotic novel, "Fifty Shades of Grey". She beat out many young actresses for the coveted role of Anastasia, and the film became a worldwide hit, making her a star. She won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress for "Fifty Shades of Grey". She also starred in the two sequels to the hit film. She has continued to seek challenging roles, such as of a young mother who loses her son in Black Mass (2015) opposite her "21 Jump Street" castmate Johnny Depp, and of a temptress in A Bigger Splash (2015). She has balanced her dramatic career by doing comedies as well, such as How to Be Single (2016). She acted in the hit independent film The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019). She co-produced some of the films that she acted in: Am I OK? (2022) (where she played a lesbian); Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) (where she played mother to an autistic daughter); and Daddio (2023) (where she and Sean Penn are the only two principal actors in the entire film). She won good notices for playing a mother looking for her lost daughter in The Lost Daughter (2021), a film that received several Oscar nominations. She played the title role in the Marvel-adventure Madame Web (2024) and in the period film adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Persuasion (2022), both films directed by first time women film directors. She also became the first female member of her family when she turned director by co-directing the music video to the song "Cry Cry Cry" by the band Coldplay- Actor
- Producer
- Director
David James Elliott was born on 21 September 1960 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Trumbo (2015), JAG (1995) and Exploding Sun (2013). He has been married to Nanci Chambers since 8 October 1992. They have two children.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Carrie Frances Fisher was born on October 21, 1956 in Burbank, California, to singers/actors Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. She was an actress and writer known for Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Fisher is also known for her book, "Postcards from the Edge", and she wrote the screenplay for the movie based on her novel. Carrie Fisher and talent agent Bryan Lourd have a daughter, Billie Lourd (Billie Catherine Lourd), born on July 17, 1992.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Billie Lourd is an American actress. She is known for starring as Chanel #3 in the Fox horror comedy series Scream Queens (2015-2016) and for her roles in the FX horror anthology series American Horror Story (2017-present). She also appears as Lieutenant Connix in the Star Wars sequel trilogy (2015-2019).- Actress
- Script and Continuity Department
- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Kenny Lattimore was born on 10 April 1970 in Washington, DC, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Best Man (1999), Love Jones (1997) and Charlie Jade (2005). He has been married to Faith Jenkins since 8 March 2020. They have one child. He was previously married to Chanté Moore.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Born and raised in Southern California, where she still lives with her family, Michelle asked to go to acting classes at age 6 after having seen Free Willy (1993). She's had awarded actresses Kathleen Quinlan ("Family Law") and Patricia Richardson ("Strong Medicine") as her TV moms, and she intensively studies the techniques of the acknowledged actors with whom she works, another great education.
Michelle Horn has been a star of TV and film for over a decade. She remains so with her role of _Patricia Richardson (I)_'s daughter on Lifetime's Strong Medicine (2000)
Michelle's award winning performance in The Ruby Princess Runs Away (2001) led the Hollywood Reporter to name her as its "One to Watch" in the category for young actresses. She was also an important presence on such series as CBS's Family Law (1999), ABC's The Practice (1997) and the film Return to the Secret Garden (2000). Her feature film career started at age eight with Harold Ramis' Stuart Saves His Family (1995).
Michelle has teamed with some of the industry's leading up and coming young Indie actors, working with Jonathan Tucker and Ben Foster in Hostage (2005) and with Shawn Hatosy, DJ Qualls, Rachel Miner and Michael Peña in Little Athens (2005). That film finished production in Los Angeles, which is being described as a cross between Go (1999) and Short Cuts (1993), centers on a single day in the lives of four groups of restless Gen Yer's living in a small rural town.
Michelle is one of Hollywood's most enthusiastically employed young voice-over actors. She voiced Kiara in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), and she can mimic most voices almost without concerted effort.
Michelle Horn co-stars with Bruce Willis in Miramax's anticipated drama Hostage (2005) based on the best-selling novel by Robert Crais. In the film, Michelle, who portrays the daughter of a man with a sordid history with the mob, is held hostage by three young thugs, with Willis playing a former LAPD hostage negotiator responsible for keeping her alive.
She's one of Hollywood's top new actresses, but she also stays in touch with her audience. She enjoys staying a kid. She likes Rock music, "hanging out with my friends" and "the mall thing." And soon she'll be up on those wall marquees in a thriller which has been testing over the top and which should be one of the early box-office hits of 2005.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Producer
Myles Jeffrey was born on 5 October 1990 in Riverside County, California, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Early Edition (1996), Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire (2000) and Babe: Pig in the City (1998).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Together with her younger sister, Crystal McKellar, she began acting at a young age in her mother's dance studio. In 1982 the family moved to Los Angeles and a few years later she appeared in her first commercial. A few guest appearances in The Twilight Zone (1985) was followed by her breakthrough in The Wonder Years (1988). She has had good grades in math and French. In her spare time she likes to go skiing, swimming and surfing.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Alexandra Romano is known for Ice Age: Continental Drift (2012), Everybody Loves Raymond (1996) and The Rules of Lacrosse... and the Men Who Break Them.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Ray Romano grew up in Forest Hills, Queens. He performed in the NYC comedy club circuit before landing a guest spot on The Letterman Show. It was here that he propelled his TV show Everybody Loves Raymond.
He was also the voice of the Mammoth in the extremely successful Ice Age Series Movies.
He is also the inspiration for the character 'Paul', written by his brother Rich in the film "The Investigator".- Cinematographer
- Actress
Anna Romano was born on 24 February 1963 in the USA. She is a cinematographer and actress, known for Quand s'approfondit l'hiver (2010), Because She's Worth It (2012) and Class (2015). She has been married to Ray Romano since 11 October 1987. They have four children.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Matt Romano is known for Up in the Air (2009), Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) and Made for Love (2021).- Gregory Romano is known for Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Somewhere in Queens (2022) and Grande Soiree des Parodies TV (2015).
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Cassandra Peterson was born in Manhattan, Kansas, and grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She began her career at age 17 as the youngest showgirl in Las Vegas history in the show "Vive Les Girls" at the Dunes Hotel. After receiving advice from "The King" himself, Elvis Presley, she traveled to Europe where she pursued a career as a singer and actor. She worked in several Italian films, including Federico Fellini's Roma (1972) and performed throughout Europe as lead singer of an Italian rock band.
Upon returning to the United States, she toured the country as star of her own musical-comedy show, "Mama's Boys". She eventually settled in Hollywood, where she spent four and a half years with L.A.'s foremost improvisational comedy group, The Groundlings. In 1981, she auditioned for the role of horror hostess on a local Los Angeles television station. Her show, Elvira's Movie Macabre (1981), and her newly created character, Elvira, became an overnight sensation.
Cassandra has used Elvira's celebrity status to bring attention to many worthy causes and organizations over the years, including her well-known work for animal welfare and raising money and awareness for the prevention of HIV/AIDS. In addition to co-writing and performing in both the local L.A. and nationally syndicated television versions of "Movie Macabre", she co-wrote, produced and starred in two feature films, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and Elvira's Haunted Hills (2001). In 2010, she returned to syndicated television in a reboot of her original series, Elvira's Movie Macabre (2010). She returned in 2014 in a similar show format for Hulu's 13 Nights of Elvira. Her latest endeavors include producing, writing and starring in Elvira's 40th Anniversary, Very Scary, Very Special, Special - a 2021 four-hour special streaming on Shudder, and Dr. Elvira, a Halloween promotional mini-series for Netflix.
Cassandra Peterson has spent over four decades solidifying the Elvira brand that has become synonymous with Halloween and the horror genre.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches whether he's performing stand up, acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30 years in the business, he has made an indelible mark in Hollywood with an extensive list of credits. Robert's genius first revealed itself in elementary school. As a kid Robert was always fascinated with television, watching and studying it tirelessly, he began to practice acting out scenes and impersonating famous characters. At his school during a reading of Shakespeare's Oedipus Rex he dazzled the class with his ability to transform effortlessly into character, as a result Robert's remarkable versatile talent as a young actor was born and caught the attention of Chicago's Experimental Bag Theatre. Robert made an unforgettable mark in his hometown of Chicago, where he went onto New York's renowned comedy club the Improvisation that initiated his career as a stand-up comedian. Then for Robert it was on to Hollywood, where he dabbled in a mixture of industries and found that with his versatile talent, he was able to adapt easily from being a comedian to a full-screen actor. Robert's first film appearance was (uncredited) in popular urban classic, Cooley High (1975). His break came while performing on various television comedy specials including Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (1986) and Uptown Comedy Express (1987). Although comedy had been his forte during the early part of his career, he knew he was destined to be on the big screen. He landed the role of a lifetime co-starring opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier's Story (1984), and appeared with Diane Lane in Streets of Fire (1984) and Kevin Costner in American Flyers (1985).
Once in Hollywood, seeing the difficulty Black Actors had and the lack of good work available in the film industry, left a burning desire for Robert to step behind the camera. With his acting career in high gear, Robert's career took a turn for the best when Robert Townsend the "independent filmmaker" was born. He wanted to do something to fill this void and without formal film education or outside funding (he used his own credit cards to finance), Robert wrote, directed, produced and starred in his own first film. The result was the critically acclaimed Hollywood Shuffle (1987), a satire, depicting the trials and tribulations of Black Actors in Hollywood. The success of this film forced "Hollywood" to recognize and appreciate the visionary versatile talent of "Robert Townsend", Tinseltown's newest, talented actor and filmmaker.
Following the success of "Hollywood Shuffle," film projects continued to pour in. He was soon directing Eddie Murphy in Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). His next film endeavor was the popular tearjerker classic The Five Heartbeats (1991)," a semi-autobiographical piece; reminiscent of the 60s R & B male groups and the ups and downs of the music industry. This classic continues to be a favorite amongst audiences and one of the most talked about films in the industry. The Meteor Man (1993) that he also wrote, directed and starred in included a stellar cast: James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby and Eddie Griffin.
In between features, Robert created and produced his ground breaking Cable Ace award-winning Partners in Crime (2005) variety specials for HBO and highly praised Townsend Television (1993) for FOX television. He also created and starred in the WB Network hit series The Parent 'Hood (1995).
Townsend has made history by being nominated for over 30 NAACP Image Awards for film and television. At the 2001 NAACP Image Awards he directed three performers nominated in the best actor/actress category in three different films: Leon, for his role in NBC's Little Richard (2000); Alfre Woodard in the Showtime Movie Holiday Heart (2000) (which also garnered her a Golden Globe nomination) and Natalie Cole for her gripping self-portrayal in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000) (for which she won the coveted Image Award for best actress). Townsend continued to helm films for the small screen: Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) for MTV Films, starring Beyoncé (one of the highest rated shows for MTV) and Image Award winner, 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002) for Showtime, a highly acclaimed period piece about the Pullman porter strike, starring Andre Braugher and Charles S. Dutton.
Robert has worked with some of the top talent in Hollywood including: Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Louis Gossett Jr., Keenen Ivory Wayans and Chris Tucker, just to name a few and is responsible for discovering many of Hollywood's A-List talent before they became household names. He is the mastermind behind many of Hollywood's favorite and best-remembered movies and hit series. Robert's body of work has been seen on MGM, Disney, Fox, NBC, HBO, WB and MTV.
While busy as a performer and filmmaker, Robert always makes time to participate in humanitarian efforts and speak to various organizations. As a longtime speaker for the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP, his concern for inner city youth takes him through out the country to inspire young people to follow their dreams. In addition, Robert shares his business expertise with various Fortune 500 companies. Townsend is also a spokesman for the Milken Family Fund an organization created to recognize outstanding educators in the country, and stress to children the importance of education and respect for teachers. He has traveled with The Milken Family Fund to Chicago, Boston, Sacramento, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Los Angeles to recognize deserving teachers and inspire and motive students around the country.
Although he has many accolades, but none are more important than his family. His four children are the center of his heart. Following in his footsteps, his 3 daughters; Grace, Sierra and Skylar aka "The T Unit". They have received their first TV credit for the "B5 Christmas Special" aired on the BFC, a concept they came up with and pitched to their father. Despite his demanding schedule, Robert makes sure he spends quality time with his son, Max and his three daughters.
Always a pioneer, Townsend took the helm as President and CEO of Production for The Black Family Channel (BFC) creating and spearheading production for BFC's top rated shows. Where he ran the cable network for four years before it was sold to the Gospel Music Channel in the Spring of 2007. During his reign, he created unprecedented original programming for the network. Showing his unstoppable genius, in his short time as a television executive Townsend reached several milestones; he created over 15 new shows for the network with limited financing; of which two shows were nominated for a prestigious NAIMC Vision Award (National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications), The Thou$and Dollar Bee and Lisa Knight and the Round Table), and he was voted one of the Most Influential Minorities in Cable by Cable World Magazine.
Townsend has recently returned in front of the camera to star opposite Angela Bassett in the faith based film Of Boys and Men (2008). He has also directed Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames in a biopic about the troubled boxing legend Sonny Liston entitled Phantom Punch (2008). Townsend also directed Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009), a comedy documentary on the history of African America Comedians from slavery to present, with interviews including such legends as Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Chris Rock and the Wayans. As a Hollywood Icon and humanitarian, Townsend's mission is to create quality programming for everyone to enjoy and to create a classic body of work that would be timeless.- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sheri Jones is known for Dawn of a New Day (2014).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Julie Moran was born on 10 January 1962 in Thomasville, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for Independence Day (1996), All Good Things (2010) and Criminal Minds (2005). She has been married to Rob Moran since 12 April 1987. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Richard Karn was born on February 17, 1956, in Seattle, Washington, the son of Gene and Louise Wilson. He has a sister named Sue. His birth name was Richard Karn Wilson, but he shortened it to Richard Karn because there was already a Richard Wilson registered with the Screen Actors Guild. He did his first acting in the fifth grade and was very active in drama in high school. He spent six months in England and attended the University of Washington, graduating in 1979 with a degree in drama. During his career, Richard has performed in many off-Broadway productions. His filmography includes 11 feature films and several made-for-TV movies and television series, including 8 years as Al Borland on Home Improvement with Tim Allen.- Actress
- Director
Tudi Roche was born on 19 July 1955 in Lubbock County, Texas, USA. She is an actress and director, known for City of Angels (1998), Pursuit of Happiness (2001) and Home Improvement (1991). She has been married to Richard Karn since 19 October 1985. They have one child. She was previously married to John Neubeck.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Charles was born into a show business family. His father, Alfred Shaughnessy, was the principal writer for the popular London Weekend Television/ITV series Upstairs, Downstairs (1971) and his mother, Jean Lodge, was an actress. He started appearing in plays during school. He attended Eton College and read law at Magdalene College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he joined Footlights, a comedy revue. After graduating, he decided to return to acting and enrolled in a London drama school, which led to him to touring in a repertory company. Eventually moving to America to follow the actress he later married, he got his break on The Nanny (1993).- Susan Fallender is known for Trading Places (1983), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Space Rangers (1993). She has been married to Charles Shaughnessy since 21 May 1983. They have two children.
- Additional Crew
Jenny Shaughnessy is known for Masters of Sex (2013), Bella and the Bulldogs (2015) and SpongeBob SquarePants (1999).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
A Martinez was born in Glendale, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Longmire (2012), Dark Winds (2022) and Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024). He has been married to Leslie Bryans since 17 July 1982. They have three children. He was previously married to Mare Winningham.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Robert Peter Williams Guillaume was an actor from St. Louis, Missouri who was known for playing Rafiki from The Lion King, Benson DuBois from Soap and Benson, and Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls. He had five children from two marriages. He passed away in October 24, 2017 due to prostate cancer complications.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
You've seen him. You've heard him. Appearing across platforms such as television, feature film, animation, video games, commercials, talking toys, promotion, narration, and internet; as a result, Mars is affectionately referred to as "That Guy From That Show".
Originally from Warwick, RI, Marsden and his family relocated to Los Angeles and soon he was thrust into the entertainment business. Quickly landing commercials, on-camera and radio. Marsden's first recurring role was on "General Hospital" as Alan Quartermaine Jr.. Soon after, Mars was cast as Eddie Munster on the 80's revamp, "The Munsters Today" with John Schuck and Lee Meriwether, in an 86 episode, three season run! Marsden's career continued to blossom when he joined the cast of the critically respected "Eerie Indiana" (now on Amazon). From there, Marsden continued to work on pilots and series, guest staring and recurring roles, and appearances in feature films through the mid 90s! To name a few, "Blossom","Baywatch" "Tales from the Crypt", "Ally McBeal", "Will & Grace", "Just Shoot Me", and most notably his recurring appearances in "Full House", "Boy Meets World", and ultimately joined the cast of "Step by Step".
In feature films; Jason played a young Billy Crystal in Crystal's directorial debut "Mr. Saturday Night". You might have spotted Jason in "Fun With Dick and Jane", as a Convenience Clerk who botches Jim Carrey's shoplifting attempt. At age 20, Jason landed the job of a lifetime when Sir Ridley Scott cast him in "White Squall", opposite Jeff Bridges along with an ensemble of talent. The film shot in 8 countries around the world in 4 months. Marsden also appeared in Steve Taylor's indie hit, "Blue Like Jazz" and will appear in the upcoming indie horror "The Other People".
During his 35-plus-years as an actor, Jason built an outstanding legacy in Voice Over. Performing in hundreds of animated cartoon series, feature films, video games, toys, and counting! Amongst the most popular, Mars is the voice of Goofy's son, Max, in "A Goofy Movie" and the follow up "Extremely Goofy Movie", Thackery Binx in "Hocus Pocus", "Kovu" the rogue lion in "Lion King 2", Chester McBadbat in "Fairly Odd Parents", Nermal in "The Garfield Show", Conrad 'Duke' Hauser in "GI JOE: Renegades", and appearing in episodes of "Ultimate Spiderman","Batman: Brave and Bold", "Avatar: Legend of Korra" to name a few more. A fan fave is Jason's performance in Hayao Miyazaki's Academy Award winning "Spirited Away", as Haku the mysterious boy/dragon. Jason absolutely loves working in animation! Getting to working with the talented voice over artists that he used to listen to while watching Saturday morning cartoons as a kid is a dream come true! Notable projects include: futuristic speedster, Impulse/Kid Flash in DC's "Young Justice", "Transformers - Rescue Bots", "Monsters U", "Secret Life of Pets", "DuckTales", and the popular video game, "Skyrim".
Marsden lives in Nashville, TN and produces The Mars Variety Show now on YouTube.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Teri Garr can claim a career in show business by birthright. She was the daughter of Eddie Garr, a Broadway stage and film actor, and Phyllis Garr, a dancer. While she was still an infant, her family moved from Hollywood to New Jersey but, after the death of her father when she was 11, the family returned to Hollywood, where her mother became a wardrobe mistress for movies and television. While Garr's dancing can be seen in five Elvis Presley movies, her first speaking role in motion pictures was in the 1968 feature Head (1968), starring The Monkees. In the 1970s she became well established in television with appearances on shows such as Star Trek (1966), It Takes a Thief (1968) and McCloud (1970), and became a semi-regular on The Sonny and Cher Show (1976) as Cher's friend, Olivia. Garr has since risen to become one of Hollywood's most versatile, energetic and well-recognized actresses. She has starred in many memorable films, including Young Frankenstein (1974), Oh, God! (1977), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Mr. Mom (1983), After Hours (1985) and her Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Supporting Actress in Tootsie (1982). Other film roles include The Black Stallion (1979), One from the Heart (1981), The Escape Artist (1982), Firstborn (1984), Let It Ride (1989), Full Moon in Blue Water (1988), Out Cold (1989), Short Time (1990), Waiting for the Light (1990), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), Perfect Alibi (1995), Ready to Wear (1994) and A Simple Wish (1997).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Andrew Dick is an American actor, producer and comedian. He is known for playing Boingo from Hoodwinked, Kramer from Inspector Gadget, Mr. Sheepman from Clone High, Mambo from Happily N'Ever After, Dylan from The Reef, Barry from Old School and Nuka from The Lion King II. He was married to Ivone Kowalczyk and had 3 children.- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Editor
- 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.
- 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". - Producer
- Actress
Leeza Gibbons was born on 26 March 1957 in Hartsville, South Carolina, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for The Apprentice (2004), Leeza (1994) and Entertainment Tonight (1981). She has been married to Steve Fenton since 20 April 2011. She was previously married to Stephen Meadows, Chris Quinten and John Hicks.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Brooklyn-born Buddy Hackett was known mainly as a nightclub comic, especially in Las Vegas, where he first performed in 1952 and wound up being one of the biggest headliners in that city's history. Hackett always referred to himself as a "saloon comic" and preferred the intimacy of his stage act--where he would often bring members of the audience up on stage with him--to films and television. He, along with Lenny Bruce, pioneered "blue" comedy, although Hackett's career did not suffer nearly as much as Bruce's did because of it. Hackett's act was noted for its, at the time, "adult" content, and at one point he was sued by a woman who attended one of his shows and said she was "shocked and offended" at the language (she lost the suit). However, contrary to his nightclub image, Hackett's appearances in films were mostly of the family type, such as his roles in the "Herbie" series of comedies for Disney about a Volkswagen Bug with a mind of its own and as Robert Preston's sidekick in The Music Man (1962). In 1954, Hackett was paired by Universal Pictures with Hugh O'Brian as a potential comedy team to replace the studio's reigning team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, They actually did replace the famous team in the film Fireman Save My Child (1954), due to Costello's illness (Bud and Lou can still be glimpsed in long shots). Hackett took the part that Costello was playing (an eerie coincidence considering that more than 20 years later he would actually play Costello in the movie Bud and Lou (1978)) and O'Brian took Abbott's place, but the film was not successful and Universal dropped its plans to make a team out of the two. Hackett also had a showy part in the ensemble comedy It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963), partnered with Mickey Rooney. However, despite his success in movies, he still preferred his nightclub work and played Las Vegas and clubs in other cities whenever possible. He had a reputation among his fellow comics as a brilliant ad-libber and someone who knew exactly how far to take a joke before it ran its course, something not all comedians managed to do.
Buddy Hackett died at age 78 of natural causes at his beach house in Malibu, CA, on June 30, 2003.- 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).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond was born December 9, 1957 in Ogden, Utah, to Olive Osmond (née Davis) and George Osmond on . He was the seventh of eight brothers and has one sister. When Donny was young, his family went to see Lawrence Welk in California. They were unable to meet with him so they decided to take a vacation to Disneyland. This is where Donny's older brothers Wayne Osmond, Alan Osmond, Merrill Osmond and Jay Osmond were discovered by Walt Disney. They performed at Disneyland and were soon asked to perform on The Andy Williams Show (1962). They performed on the show for nine years, with Donny joining the show at age six. After their run on the show was up, the brothers spent two years trying to make it big before Mike Curb and Rick Hall found "One Bad Apple," the song originally chosen for The Jacksons (then known as The Jackson Five), but was instead recorded by the Osmonds and made them famous. For the next several years, Donny traveled all over the world with his brothers, performing for fans such songs as "Puppy Love", "Crazy Horses", "Go Away Lttle Girl", "Down By the Lazy River" and "Twelfth of Never."
In 1974, Donny's sister, Marie Osmond, started performing with the brothers and Donny recorded duets with her. That led to their co-hosting The Mike Douglas Show (1961). An executive at ABC saw the show and offered them their own TV variety show. The pair took it under one condition--that the whole family be involved. Donny and Marie (1975) was a huge success and lasted four years. During the run of the show, Donny married Debra Glenn in 1978 and started a family. In 1979, the show was canceled and the family was faced with a huge debt that they repaid. The early 1980s were not easy for Donny. He tried many different avenues, including starring in "Little Johnny Jones" on Broadway, but without much success. Donny had a break in the late 1980s, though, when he teamed up with Peter Gabriel and recorded "Soldier of Love", which went to #2 on the US charts. In the 1990s, he toured as Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". This lasted to the late 1990s. After that, he teamed up with Marie again for Donny & Marie (1997), this time a TV talk show. This was highly successful as well, but only lasted a few years. After the end of the show, Donny once again returned to music. He has since released "This is The Moment" a collection of Broadway tunes, and "Somewhere in Time", a collection of love songs. Shortly afterward, Donny was offered the opportunity to host the syndicated game show Pyramid (2002), a revival of the popular The $10,000 Pyramid (1973) game show, and it ran from 2002-2004. Donny has released a new single "Breeze on By", which reached #8 on the UK charts. He has an upcoming CD "What I Meant to Say" due out in November in the UK and January 2005 in the US.- Actress
- Director
Born March 6, 1968 in Queens, New York, she is the third of six kids. Her father, Peter, was trained as a concert violinist. Her mother, Anne, is a nurse. Both are Irish immigrants. Moira was raised in Ronkonkoma, NY. She attended Connetquot Senior High School and graduated in the class of 1986. Later Moira attended Marymount Manhattan College. In 1984 Moira was cast in a small role in Connetquot Senior High School's production of Annie. Due to illness, the young woman playing Miss Hannigan was replaced, causing a series of cast changes. Director Eric Martinsen chose to recast Moira as Grace Farrell. She was a great success, and so began her career.- Animation Department
- Art Department
- Production Designer
- Editorial Department
- Production Manager
- Producer
Jeannine Roussel is known for Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (2001), Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990) and Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996).- Art Department
- Producer
- Director
Rob LaDuca was born on 6 November 1956. He is a producer and director, known for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), Poltergeist (1982) and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001).- Production Designer
- Writer
- Actor
Flip Kobler began his performing career as an actor before morphing into a writer. With his wife and writing partner, Cindy Marcus, they have been penning away ever since selling their first screenplay to Paramount Studios in 1988. Together they have over 50 published plays and musicals performed worldwide.
Flip and Cindy spent five years on staff at Disney where they wrote many animated films, including The Lion King II, Beauty and the Beast The Enchanted Christmas, Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World, Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure and many, many others. Their live action family film, Jack and the Beanstalk, starring James Earl Jones, Christopher Lloyd, Katey Sagal, Wallace Shawn and Chevy Chase. They've written for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, penned many family films, and have recently shifted into unknown territory with horror. Flip both wrote and co-starred in The Mean One and Bury Me Twice.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Along with husband Flip Kobler co-wrote an animated movie version of "Pirates of the Caribbean", but was abandoned during pre-production in favor of the live-action film. She is also a co-founder of the Showdown Stage Company in N. Hollywood, California where she co-writes and directs teen-themed plays based on classic works of literature.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
He was born Richard Bartlett Schroder, Jr., in Staten Island, New York on April 13th, 1970. His mother, Diane Schroder was an employee at AT&T, which is also the same company that employed his father, Richard Bartlett Schroder, Sr.
Eventually working his way up to management from being a telephone repairmen, Rick's father had known his mother since they attended junior high together. After his older sister and he were born, Rick's mother quit her job to raise the children. A good-looking child, Rick's mother began taking him to photo shoots when he was only three months old. In his own words, he must have been a natural, because he started working right away, never having taken an acting lesson in his life.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Matt LeBlanc was born on 25 July 1967 in Newton, Massachussetts. His mother, Patricia, is of Italian origin, and worked as an office manager, and his father, Paul LeBlanc, who was from a French-Canadian family, was a mechanic. After graduating from high school, he spent some time as a photo model in Florida before moving to New York where he took drama classes. After a few small roles on stage and on TV, he became famous for his role as Joey in Friends (1994), and in a less successful spin-off, Joey (2004), which only aired for two seasons. After the show got canceled he took a break and didn't return until 2011 where he stars as a fictional version of himself on Episodes (2011).
From 2003 to 2006, he was married to Missy McKnight, with whom he had one child, Marina Pearl (born 2004).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Hailing from the Windy City, Fredericka performed in the pre-Broadway workshop of Car Wash the Musical: The Norman Whitfield Story where she played Bunny, Norman's niece and a hopeless romantic. She also toured the USA and Canada as one of two "Coquettes" performing with Conan O'Brien in his "Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television" Tour. Recipient of an NAACP Theatre Award for Best Supporting Blactress, this rising star is one of the founders of the uniquely funny all female sketch comedy group, "Illuminaughty By Nature." IBN is making waves in LA as a female comedy force and is in production on their web-series, "Melanin, Boobs and Periods-Season 1." No stranger to the comedy scene, Fredericka has headlined Comedy Festivals, and through her production company HeyGurrrrrrl Productions, won Best Ensemble Cast and Best Comedy Series at LAWeb Fest for her first webseries, and was nominated for Best Comedy Short at the Trail Dance Film Festival. She also completed 2 seasons of "Paradise Drive." a semi-scripted webseries developed for Comedy Central. Additional TV/film credits include the TV pilots Dak Tandy and Willing and Able, guest spots on ABC's Work It, TBS's Conan, TNT's Franklin & Bash, NBC's Tonight Show, Fox TV's Head Cases, NBC's Passions and ABC's General Hospital, as well as the festival-winning films Nothing Doing, Massage Therapy and El Mariachi Negro, where she portrayed Heidi, a feisty bilingual Bolivian. Fredericka recently starred as "Destiny" in the critically acclaimed musical "Love in All The Wrong Faces", produced by Laval Belle and directed by Taja V. Simpson. Other theatre includes The Starmaker, Little Shop of Horrors, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Body Language: The Musical, Sheba and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She recently was a featured vocalist in an HIV/AIDS Awareness benefit near to her heart- "The Silence Is Broken," produced and directed by Patrick Gandy and starring Loretta Devine and T.C. Carson. Performing in such exotic locales as India, Chile, Hawaii and Japan, she has shared the stage vocally with such music legends as Stevie Wonder, Barry Manilow, Cheryl Lynn, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Ollie Woodson (former Temptation), rock/metal sensation Marilyn Manson, European pop star Bosson, and R&B great Dave Hollister. Her story continues..."El que la sigue, la consigue."- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Lebo M. was born on 11 July 1964 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He is an actor and composer, known for Congo (1995), The Lion King (1994) and Tears of the Sun (2003).- Camera and Electrical Department
Leslie Bryan is known for Caveman (1981).