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- Bonnie Agan is known for Sunset on the River Styx (2020).
- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Dorothy Arzner, the only woman director during the "Golden Age" of Hollywood's studio system--from the 1920s to the early 1940s and the woman director with the largest oeuvre in Hollywood to this day--was born January 3, 1897 (some sources put the year as 1900), in San Francisco, California, to a German-American father and a Scottish mother. Raised in Los Angeles, her parents ran a café which featured German cuisine and which was frequented by silent film stars including: Charles Chaplin and William S. Hart, and director Erich von Stroheim. She worked as a waitress at the restaurant, and no one could have foreseen at the time that Arzner would be one of the few women to break the glass ceiling of directing and would be the only woman to work during the early sound era.
In her 15-year career as a director (1928-43), Arzner made three silent movies and 14 "talkies". Her path to the director's chair was different than that of women directors in the future (indeed, different than most male directors too). Directors nowadays are typically graduates of film schools or were working actors prior to directing. Like most of the directors of her generation, Arzner gained wide training in most aspects of filmmaking by working her way up from the bottom. It was the best way to become a filmmaker, she later said.
After graduating from high school in 1915, she entered the University of Southern California, where she was in the pre-med program for two years. When the US entered World War I in 1917, Arzner was unable to realize her ambition of serving her country in a military capacity, as there were no women's units in the armed forces at the time, so she served as an ambulance driver during the war.
After the cessation of hostilities, Azner got a job on a newspaper. The director of her ambulance unit introduced her to film director William C. de Mille (the brother of Cecil B. DeMille, one of the co-founders of Famous Players-Lasky, which eventually became known by the title of its distribution unit--Paramount Pictures). She decided to pursue a film career after visiting a movie set and being intrigued by the editing facilities. Arzner decided that she would like to become a director (there was no strict delineation between directors and editors in the immediate postwar period as the movie studios matured into a "factory" industrial production paradigm).
Though she was the sole member of her gender to direct Hollywood pictures during the first generation of sound film, in the silent era a woman behind the camera was not unknown. The first movie in history was directed by a Frenchwoman, and many women were employed in Hollywood during the silent era, most frequently as scenario writers (some research indicates that as many as three-quarters of the scenario writers during the silent era--when there was no requirement for a screenplay as such as there was no dialogue--were women). Indeed, there were women directors in the silent era, such as Frances Marion (though she was more famous as a screenwriter) and Lois Weber, but Arzner was fated to be the only female director to have made a successful transition to "talkies". It wasn't until the 1930s and the verticalization of the industry, as it matured and consolidated, that women were squeezed out of production jobs in Hollywood.
The introduction to William deMille paid off when he hired her for the sum of $20 a week to be a stenographer. Her first job for DeMille was typing up scripts at Famous Players-Lasky. She was reportedly a poor typist. Ambitious and possessed of a strong will, Arzner offered to write synopses of various literary properties, and eventually was hired as a writer. Impressing DeMille and other Paramount powers-that-be, Arzner was assigned to Paramount's subsidiary Realart Films, as a film cutter. She was promoted to script girl after one year, which required her presence on the set to ensure the continuity of the script as shot by the director. She then was given a job editing films. She excelled at cutting: as an editor (she was the first Hollywood editor professionally credited as such on-screen), she labored on 52 films, working her way up from cutting Bebe Daniels comedies to assignments on "A" pictures within a couple of years. She came into her own as a filmmaker editing the Rudolph Valentino headliner Blood and Sand (1922), about a toreador. Her editing of the bullfighting scenes was highly praised, and she later said that she actually helmed the second-unit crew shooting some of the bullfight sequences. Director James Cruze was so impressed by her work on the Valentino picture that he brought her on to his team to edit The Covered Wagon (1923). Arzner eventually edited three other Cruze films: Ruggles of Red Gap (1923), Merton of the Movies (1924) and Old Ironsides (1926). Her work was of such quality that she received official screen credit as an editor, a first for a cutter of either gender.
While collaborating with Cruze she also wrote scenarios, scripting her ideas both solo and in collaboration. She was credited as a screenwriter (as well as an editor) on "Old Ironsides", one of the more spectacular films of the late silent era, being partially shot in Magnascope, one of the earliest widescreen processes. She would always credit Cruze as her mentor and role model. "Old Ironsides" proved to be the last film on which she was credited as an editor, as her ambitions to become a director would finally come to fruition. To indulge her, Paramount gave her a job as an assistant director, for which she was happy--until she realized it was not a stepping stone to the director's chair, and she was determined to sit in that chair.
Arzner pressured Paramount to let her direct, threatening to leave the studio to work for Columbia Pictures on Poverty Row, which had offered her a job as a director. Unwilling to lose such a talented filmmaker, the Paramount brass relented, and she made her debut with Fashions for Women (1927). It was a hit. In the process of directing Paramount's first talkie, Manhattan Cocktail (1928), she made history by becoming the first woman to direct a sound picture. The success of her next sound picture, The Wild Party (1929), starring Paramount's top star, Clara Bow, helped establish Fredric March as a movie star.
Arzner proved adept at handling actresses. As Budd Schulberg related in his autobiography "Moving Pictures", Clara Bow--a favorite of his father, studio boss B.P. Schulberg--had a thick Brooklyn accent that the silence of the pre-talkie era hid nicely from the audience. She was terrified of the transition to sound, and developed a fear of the microphone. Working with her sound crew, Arzner devised and used the first boom mike, attaching the microphone to a fish pole to follow Bow as she moved around the set. Arzner even used Bow's less-than-dulcet speaking tones to underscore the vivaciousness of her character.
Though Arzner made several successful films for Paramount, the studio teetered on the edge of bankruptcy due to the Depression, eventually going into receivership (before being saved by the advent of another iconic woman, Mae West). When the studio mandated a pay cut for all employees, Arzner decided to go freelance. RKO Radio Pictures hired her to direct its new star, headstrong young Katharine Hepburn, in her second starring film, Christopher Strong (1933). It was not a happy collaboration, as both women were strong and unyielding, but Arzner eventually prevailed. She was, after all, the boss on the set: The director. The fiercely independent Hepburn complained to RKO, but the studio backed its director against its star. Eventually the two settled into a working relationship, respecting each other but remaining cold and distant from one another. Ironically, Arzner would display her directorial flair in elucidating the kind of competitive rivalries between women she experienced with Hepburn.
The Directors Guild of America was established in 1933, and Arzner became the first woman member. Indeed, she was the only female member of the DGA for many years.
Arzner's films featured well-developed female characters, and she was known at the time of her work, quite naturally, as a director of "women's pictures". Not only did her movies portray the lives of strong, interesting women, but her pictures are noted for showcasing the ambiguities of life. Since the rise of feminist scholarship in the 1960s, Arzner's movies have been seen as challenging the dominant, phallocentric mores of the times.
Arzner was a lesbian, who cultivated a masculine look in her clothes and appearance (some feel as camouflage to hide the boy's club that was Hollywood). Many gay critics discern a hidden gay subtext in her films, such as "Christopher Strong". Whereas feminist critics see a critique of gender inequality in "Christopher Strong", lesbian critics see a critique of heterosexuality itself as the source of a woman's troubles. The very private Azner, the woman who broke the glass ceiling and had to survive, and indeed thrived, in the all-male world of studio filmmaking, refused to be categorized as a woman or gay director, insisting she was simply a "director." She was right.
Arzner did have less troubled and more productive collaborations with other actresses after her experience with Hepburn. She developed a close friendship with one of her female stars, Joan Crawford, whom she directed in two 1937 MGM vehicles, The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937) and The Bride Wore Red (1937). Arzner later directed Pepsi commercials as a favor to Crawford's husband, Pepsi-Cola Company's Chairman of the Board Alfred Steele.
In 1943 Arzner joined other top Hollywood directors such as John Ford and George Stevens in going to work for the war effort during World War Two. She made training films for the US Army's Women's Army Corps (WACs). That same year her health was compromised after she contracted pneumonia. After the war she did not return to feature film directing, but made documentaries and commercials for the new television industry. She also became a filmmaking teacher, first at the Pasadena Playhouse during the 1950s and 1960s and then at the University of California-Los Angeles campus during the 1960s and 1970s. At UCLA she taught directing and screenwriting, and one of her students was Francis Ford Coppola, the first film school grad to achieve major success as a director. She taught at UCLA until her death in 1979.
She was honored in her own lifetime, becoming a symbol and role model for women filmmakers who desired entry into mainstream cinema. The feminist movement in the 1960s championed her. In 1972 the First International Festival of Women's Films honored her by screening "The Wild Party", and her oeuvre was given a full retrospective at the Second Festival in 1976. In 1975 the DGA honored her with "A Tribute to Dorothy Arzner." During the tribute, a telegram from Katharine Hepburn was read: "Isn't it wonderful that you've had such a great career, when you had no right to have a career at all?"- Actor
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René Murat Auberjonois was born on June 1, 1940 in New York City, to Princess Laure Louise Napoléone Eugénie Caroline (Murat), who was born in Paris, and Fernand Auberjonois, who was Swiss-born. René was born into an already artistic family, which included his grandfather, a well-known Swiss painter, and his father, a Pulitzer-nominated writer and Cold War-era foreign correspondent. The Auberjonois family moved to Paris shortly after World War II, and it was there that René made an important career decision at the age of six. When his school put on a musical performance for the parents, little René was given the honor of conducting his classmates in a rendition of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?". When the performance was over, René took a bow, and, knowing that he was not the real conductor, imagined that he had been acting. He decided then and there that he wanted to be an actor. After leaving Paris, the Auberjonois family moved into an Artist's Colony in upstate New York.
At an early age, René was surrounded by musicians, composers and actors. Among his neighbors were Helen Hayes, Burgess Meredith and John Houseman, who would later become an important mentor. Houseman gave René his first theater job at the age of 16, as an apprentice at a theater in Stratford, Connecticut. René would later teach at Juilliard under Houseman. René attended Carnegie-Mellon University and studied theater completely, not only learning about acting but about the entire process of producing a play. After graduating from CMU, René acted with various theater companies, including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater and Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum. In 1969, he won a role in his first Broadway musical, "Coco" (with Katharine Hepburn), for which he won a Tony Award.
Throughout his life, René acted in a variety of theater productions, films and television presentations, including a rather famous stint as Clayton Endicott III on the comedy series Benson (1979), not to mention seven years on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) as Odo. René also performed dramatic readings of a variety of books on tape, and appeared in projects like The Patriot (2000), starring Mel Gibson, Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000), and NBC's Frasier (1993) and ABC's The Practice (1997).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Parley Baer was born on 5 August 1914 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for License to Drive (1988), A Fever in the Blood (1961) and Dave (1993). He was married to Ernestine Clark. He died on 22 November 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
Fay Baker was born on 31 January 1917 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Notorious (1946), The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) and Deadline - U.S.A. (1952). She was married to Arthur Weiss. She died on 8 December 1987 in Sleepy Hollow, New York, USA.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Respected character actor of the silent and early sound period, specializing in cruel villains. The son of Kansas City policeman Noah Webster Beery and Frances Margaret Fitzgerald Beery, Noah Nicholas Beery and his younger brother Wallace Beery both left home in their teens, each seeking a career as a performer. Noah made his stage debut at the age of 16 and worked steadily in the theatre until his early 30s. Following his brother into films, he quickly established himself as a competent player and a familiar heavy in all sorts of films, particularly westerns. He never achieved the great fame of his younger brother, but succeeded in carving a memorable niche for himself in the history of film. His son Noah Beery Jr. became equally familiar as a character actor, though usually in more genial roles.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Familiar and well-liked character actor of very different persona than either his father, Noah Beery, or his uncle, Wallace Beery. He attended Harvard Military Academy but managed to make a number of appearances on film and on stage with his father before adulthood. At age 19, he began playing amiable second leads and occasional leading roles, primarily in westerns, before settling into what would be the pattern for much of his career: good-natured supporting roles, usually as a pal of the hero. He kept going in such parts into his late 70s, transforming slowly into warm (or, rarely, curmudgeonly) rustic sages. In later years, he achieved great renown as the father of the James Garner character on TV's The Rockford Files (1974). He married the daughter of cowboy star Buck Jones. Their son Bucklind Beery is an actor. They also had two daughters, Muffett and Melissa. Beery died in 1994 at the age of 81.- Actor
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In 1902, 16-year-old Wallace Beery joined the Ringling Brothers Circus as an assistant to the elephant trainer. He left two years later after a leopard clawed his arm. Beery next went to New York, where he found work in musical variety shows. He became a leading man in musicals and appeared on Broadway and in traveling stock companies. In 1913 he headed for Hollywood, where he would get his start as the hulking Swedish maid in the Sweedie comedy series for Essanay. In 1915 he would work with young ingénue Gloria Swanson in Sweedie Goes to College (1915). A year later they would marry and be wildly unhappy together. The marriage dissolved when Beery could not control his drinking and Gloria got tired of his abuse. Beery finished with the Sweedie series and worked as the heavy in a number of films. Starting with Patria (1917), he would play the beastly Hun in a number of films. In the 1920s he would be seen in a number of adventures, including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Sea Hawk (1924) and The Pony Express (1925). He would also play the part of Poole in So Big (1924), which was based on the best-selling book of the same name by Edna Ferber. Paramount began to move Beery back into comedies with Behind the Front (1926). When sound came, Beery was one of the victims of the wholesale studio purge. He had a voice that would record well, but his speech was slow and his tone was a deep, folksy, down home-type. While not the handsome hero image, MGM executive Irving Thalberg saw something in Beery and hired him for the studio. Thalberg cast Beery in The Big House (1930), which was a big hit and got Beery an Academy Award nomination. However, Beery would become almost a household word with the release of the sentimental Min and Bill (1930), which would be one of 1930's top money makers. The next year Beery would win the Oscar for Best Actor in The Champ (1931). He would be forever remembered as Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1934) (who says never work with kids?). Beery became one of the top ten stars in Hollywood, as he was cast as the tough, dim-witted, easy-going type (which, in real life, he was anything but). In Flesh (1932) he would be the dim-witted wrestler who did not figure that his wife was unfaithful. In Dinner at Eight (1933) he played a businessman trying to get into society while having trouble with his wife, link=nm0001318]. After Marie Dressler died in 1934, he would not find another partner in the same vein as his early talkies until he teamed with Marjorie Main in the 1940s. He would appear opposite her in such films as Wyoming (1940) and Barnacle Bill (1941). By that time his career was slowing as he was getting up in age. He continued to work, appearing in only one or two pictures a year, until he died from a heart attack in 1949.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Diana Bentley is a Canadian actress of film, television, and theatre. She has appeared in film such as We're Still Together (2016), An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman (2016), and The Other Half (2016). She played Imogen in the American-Canadian drama series, Frontier (2016). Diana was born in London, Canada as Diana Margaret Susan Bentley. She played Rosalind in As You Like It when she was in grade 12.
Diana Bentley graduated with a BHA in English literature from the University of Toronto before going on to train in classical acting at the London Academy of Musical and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA).
Upon graduation Diana joined the Soulpepper Theatre Company appearing in Our Town and A Month in the Country and co-founded Rogue Theatre, where she recently mounted and starred in Boeing Boeing and Neil LaBute's Reasons to be Pretty.
Television appearances include: Warehouse 13 (2009) and Mayday.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Wes Bentley is an American actor who first became well-known via his role in the Oscar-winning film American Beauty (1999), in which he played the soulful, artistic next-door neighbor Ricky Fitts. He also portrayed game-maker Seneca Crane in The Hunger Games (2012), and co-stars in Lovelace (2013) as photographer Thomas.
Wesley Cook Bentley was born September 4, 1978, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to David and Cherie Bentley, two Methodist ministers. Wes joined older brothers Jamey and Philip, and was later joined by younger brother, Patrick. Wes attended Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood, Arkansas, where he was in the drama club. Interest in acting came from Improv Comedy. He, his brother Patrick, his best friend Damien Bunting, and another close friend Josh Cowdery developed an Improv group called B(3) + C. They regularly dominated competitions in Arkansas. He then placed First in the state of Arkansas in solo acting in 1996, his senior year of high school, Second in Duet, and also regularly won for Poetry and Prose Readings.
Wes appeared on-stage quite a bit in Little Rock. At The Weekend Theater, Wes played the straight son of the gay couple in a production of "La Cage aux Folles". At Murry's Dinner Playhouse, Wes' plays included "Oliver". At his mother's urging, Wes attended Juilliard School in New York after high school graduation. He was there only a short time but appeared in stage work like "Henry IV, Part 1" and "The Weavers". Wes then worked at Blockbuster and was a waiter at TGI Friday's on Long Island. Wes has stated that his most prideful venture in life was starting a soccer team from scratch at his high school and subsequently putting together a full conference, one of Arkansas's first. Wes had no real experience in soccer before doing this.
Bentley made his onscreen debut in Jonathan Demme's Beloved (1998). Following his success in American Beauty, Bentley struggled with substance abuse, which cost him his first marriage to actress Jennifer Quanz. Although he continued to land parts in films, including that of the primary antagonist in Ghost Rider (2007) and another major role in The Game of Their Lives (2005), Bentley has publicly admitted that during most of the 2000s he only took on acting roles to earn enough money to buy drugs. Bentley did not enter a 12-step program until 2009. He has stated that he considers his sobriety to be an ongoing process.
Bentley is one of the main subjects featured in the documentary My Big Break (2009), which followed him and his former roommates Chad Lindberg, Brad Rowe, and Greg Fawcett as they struggle to find success within the film industry. In 2010, Bentley made his professional stage debut with Nina Arianda in David Ives' award-winning play "Venus In Fur."
Bentley has one child with his second wife, producer Jacqui Swedberg.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Robert Buckley was born on May 2, 1981 in Los Angeles, California. The Southern California native earned a degree in Economics from the University of California at San Diego. After earning his degree, he spent a year and a half working as an economic consultant before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment.
He is most known for playing Kirby in Lipstick Jungle, Clay Evans on One Tree Hill, and Major Lilywhite on iZombie. Most recently, Robert co-created and executive produced The Christmas House for Hallmark, based on his real-life Christmas traditions as a child.- Richard Burgi was born on July 30, 1958, in Montclair, New Jersey (a town roughly 15 miles west of New York City), to a musical family: His father was a drummer, his mother was a singer, and one of his three siblings became a drummer. Burgi started participating in community theater during his youth; after graduating from Montclair High School, he traveled throughout Europe for a while.
Burgi began his acting career in the mid-1980s, and from 1986 through 1989 he had recurring roles on two daytime staples, Another World (1964) and As the World Turns (1956); he also appeared in one episode of One Life to Live (1968).
Throughout the 1990s, Burgi continued working steadily in television series, along them Days of Our Lives (1965) and the crime drama The Sentinel (1996), where he was one of the leads, Det. James Ellison. He also had roles (some one-time, some recurring) on 24 (2001), Judging Amy (1999), Point Pleasant (2005), Las Vegas (2003), Chuck (2007), One Tree Hill (2003) and Desperate Housewives (2004).
Burgi's film work includes the sci-fi "alien bugs vs. humans" sequel Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004), Cellular (2004), the Jim Carrey comedy Fun with Dick and Jane (2005), the Cameron Diaz comedy In Her Shoes (2005), Hostel: Part II (2007), and Friday the 13th (2009). In 2013, he landed a recurring role as D.A. Dan Russell on the series Body of Proof (2011).
Burgi is married to Liliana Lopez and is the father of two sons, Jack (b. 1996) and Sam (b. 2000). - Actor
- Director
- Producer
Timothy Busfield is a producer, director and Emmy Award-winning actor with over 700 professional credits. As an actor he has been a series regular or recurring character in over 20 series including "For Life", "The Loudest Voice", "Almost Family", "Designated Survivor", "One Dollar", "Thirtysomething", "The West Wing", "Entourage", "Sleepy Hollow", Secrets and Lies", "ED", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Trapper John, M.D.", "The Byrds of Paradise", "Champs", "Family Ties", "Without A Trace", "The Paper Chase", "Reggie" and "All My Children", and the hit Marvel Podcast "Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord" as the title character Star-Lord (AKA Peter Quill) . Timothy has appeared in over 40 television movies and feature films, including "Field of Dreams", "Stripes", "Revenge of the Nerds", "Nerds in Paradise", "Quiz Show", "Sneakers", "Striking Distance", "Little Big League", "First Kid", "National Security", "23 Blast", "Strays", "Trucks", and "One Smart Fellow" which he co-directed, co-wrote, and acted in. Timothy has directed over 150 episodes of television, including "This Is Us" and multiple episodes of "The Fosters" (also directed the pilot), "thirtysomething", "Sports Night", "Damages", "Lipstick Jungle", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Without A Trace", "Las Vegas", "The Night Shift", "Secrets and Lies", "The Glades", and many more. Timothy has served as a Producing Director on 7 series including "Secrets and Lies", "Mind Games", Lipstick Jungle", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Without A Trace", "ED", and the mini series "Maneater". In theatre, Timothy has appeared on Broadway twice, most recently as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin's "A Few Good Men." Timothy founded two of America's most successful professional theaters, The Fantasy Theatre (AKA the B Street School Tour) and The B Street Theatre, both in Sacramento, California. Now in their 35th season, the theaters perform annually for over 200,000 children and adults throughout northern California. Timothy has an honorary PhD from Michigan State University. He lives with his wife, television icon and fantastic cook, Melissa Gilbert.- Actor
- Producer
James Patrick Caviezel was born on September 26, 1968 in Mount Vernon, Washington. He was one of five children born to Margaret (Lavery), a former stage actress, and James Caviezel, a chiropractor. The Caviezels are a closely knit Catholic family. He is of Irish (mother) and Swiss-Romansh and Slovak (father) descent; the surname, "Caviezel", is Romansh. As a boy, Jim was described as being "very intense." His two main interests growing up were sports and religion. He was athletically gifted on the basketball court and dreamed of someday playing in the N.B.A. He was also instilled with Christianity at a very young age, attending Church regularly with his family. In 1984, he went to Mount Vernon High School but transferred to O'Dea High School after two years. The following spring, he transferred again to Burien Kennedy High School in Burien, Washington where he was a star on the basketball team and graduated in 1987. While at O'Dea and Kennedy, he stayed with family friends. Following high school Jim enrolled at Bellevue Community College where he again played on the basketball team. A foot injury in his sophomore season put an end to Jim's basketball career and his dreams of playing in the N.B.A. Shortly after this, he turned his focus toward acting. In 1990, he auditioned for a part in the independent film My Own Private Idaho (1991). He won a very small role as a foreign airline clerk after he told casting agents that he was a recent Italian immigrant. The following year, Jim moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a waiter between auditions. He landed small roles in Diggstown (1992) and Wyatt Earp (1994) and guest starring roles on The Wonder Years (1988) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). He continued to go relatively unnoticed in small roles and even thought about quitting acting until 1998 when he received critical recognition for his role as idealist Private Witt in The Thin Red Line (1998). The following year, he gained further recognition with roles in Ride with the Devil (1999) and Frequency (2000). In 2001, his role as Jennifer Lopez's love interest in Angel Eyes (2001) helped to establish him as a versatile actor and leading man. It wasn't until 2002 that Jim made his strong religious beliefs known. While filming High Crimes (2002), he refused to do any love scenes with on-screen wife Ashley Judd because it conflicted with his strong Catholic faith. It was also around this time when he was chosen by Mel Gibson to star as Jesus Christ in The Passion of the Christ (2004). The movie made headlines and broke box-office records around the world, becoming one of the highest grossing films of all time. Although the movie dealt with controversial matters, Caviezel's performance was acclaimed by both critics and viewers. Jim's next big role would be on the small screen. In 2011, he landed the lead role in the CBS crime drama Person of Interest (2011). The show instantly clicked with audiences, becoming one of the highest rated shows on television. From an outcast actor to a respected film star to a television star, James Caviezel is continuing to give his best to play challenging roles. Off screen, Jim lives with his wife, Kerri, a school teacher whom he met on a blind date in 1993 and married in 1996, and their adopted children.- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
Joshua Scott Chasez (pronounced 'Shaw-say') was born on August 8, 1976 in Bowie, Maryland. As a child, he was extremely shy, but when a friend bet him $20 to enter a talent show with two girls, he won the contest and soon realized he had a knack for performing and that he really enjoyed singing. In 1988, his mother Karen Chasez noticed a small ad in the local newspaper for a casting call of a new version of The Mickey Mouse Club, The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989). She gave him the choice of going to school or going to the open call audition. He chose to audition, selecting the song, "Right Here Waiting", by Richard Marx. He was cast along with many stars of today such as Keri Russell, Tony Lucca, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake. (Because another cast member was named Josh, Chasez was dubbed JC (his first and last initials), and the stage name has remained.
When MMC was canceled in 1994, JC wanted more. He and cast member Timberlake got together and started writing songs. They were both interested in forming a singing group. Later, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Lance Bass joined them to form 'N Sync in 1995. 'N Sync gained fame in Europe with such hits as "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "I Want You Back." They returned to the US in 1997, where they made their first performance in a Walmart parking lot.
Soon, the group found success on the charts in selling 12 million records of their debut, 'N Sync. In March 21, 2000, 'N Sync released their widely popular sophomore album "No Strings Attached" and shattered record sales in its first weekend, selling 1.4 million copies, making history as the most records sold by a pop act. In 2001, they released their third album, Celebrity, which was a critical and commercial success. By the end of 2002, 'N Sync's members were enjoying solo creative projects. JC had plans to release his solo debut, Schizophrenic, on February 24, 2004, with a hit single that spun on MTV's Total Request Live (1998) "Some Girls (Dance With Women)."- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
For decades, Dabney Coleman has often appeared as a smarmy, selfish, nervous person, often with money, who is mostly out for himself. He did such a good job in this type of part that he's made a career of it in film.
Dabney Wharton Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, to Mary Wharton (Johns) and Melvin Randolph Coleman. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, and studied law in Texas. Coleman has a well deserved reputation as a fine character actor, and a reliable presence for almost any role in TV and movies. Dabney Coleman's early appearances in the cinema were in The Slender Thread (1965) and Downhill Racer (1969). On TV he starred in That Girl (1966). As the 1970s approached he became a well-known character actor in television and movies, appearing in The Towering Inferno (1974), Midway (1976), and Cinderella Liberty (1973). Television seemed Dabney Coleman's forum in the 1970s as Coleman played the role of Merle Jeeter in Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) and Fernwood Tonight (1977). Coleman made appearances in the popular North Dallas Forty (1979) and the Oscar-winning Melvin and Howard (1980). Dabney Coleman also became known for some satirical movies, starring in the comedy How to Beat the High Cost of Living (1980) and snatched a lead role for the TV movie Pray TV (1980). Coleman's reputation for playing world-class jerks became cemented in 1980 as the boss to Dolly Parton , Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5 (1980). The next year, Coleman was in very good company working with legends Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn in On Golden Pond (1981). Coleman's hit streak would not end there.
In 1982 Coleman landed a key role in the classic Tootsie (1982), further cementing his role as an unlikable wealthy boss in some capacity. In 1983 Coleman starred in the Cold War classic WarGames (1983). During this period he also found many parts in lesser known movies like Young Doctors in Love (1982) and Callie & Son (1981). In 1984 he starred in The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) and in 1985 he starred with Tom Hanks in The Man with One Red Shoe (1985). In 1987 the actor won an Emmy for Sworn to Silence (1987). In 1990 Coleman took two lead roles, one in the disastrous Where the Heart Is (1990), and the other in the quirky comedy Short Time (1990). In 1993 Coleman starred in the slapstick comedy Amos & Andrew (1993) (a very funny part) and in a remake of the TV show The Beverly Hillbillies (1993) as Milburn Drysdale. Coleman took an extensive line of TV movies, such films as Texan, In the Line of Duty, among others. Coleman took an unusual part in the ABC cartoon, Recess (1997), and then starred in a couple of big money grossers, the Tom Hanks comedy, You've Got Mail (1998), as Chief Quimby in Inspector Gadget (1999), and in Stuart Little (1999), both 1999.
Coleman is still very active.- Nora Denney was born on 3 September 1927 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. She was an actress, known for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971), Splash (1983) and The Witching Hour (1958). She was married to Alan Denney. She died on 20 November 2005 in Crestline, California, USA.
- Cary Deuber was born on 30 May 1976. She is an actress, known for NotBasicBlonde Podcast (2019), The Real Housewives of Dallas (2016) and Entertainment Tonight (1981). She is married to Mark Deuber. They have one child.
- Actor
- Additional Crew
David Eby is known for 100 Humans: Life's Questions. Answered. (2020), Bitconned (2024) and Tales from the Explorers Club (2022).- Casting Department
- Casting Director
- Actor
Chris Freihofer is an actor, casting director, producer and director, born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, best known for playing the role of Dan Wachsberger on AMC's Breaking Bad. After spending time in Columbus, Ohio and Grand Rapids, Michigan, he moved to Okmulgee, Oklahoma where he attended grade school and high school. He received his BFA in Acting from the University of Oklahoma.
He spent years as a theatre actor, director and producer, and is the former Artistic Director of Stone Soup Theatre. His first film role came in Tim Blake Nelson's debut film Eye of God, which launched his on-camera career. He would appear in two more of Nelson's films (O and Leaves of Grass).
In 2004, he began his casting career and has cast dozens of film and television projects, as well as hundreds of commercials for well-known national brands.- Producer
- Writer
Joan Ganz Cooney was born on 30 November 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Sesame Street (1969), Sesame Street and The Electric Company (2006). She was previously married to Peter G. Peterson and Timothy Jeffries Cooney.Creator of “Sesame Street”- Director
- Editor
- Writer
Dan Glaser was born on 25 January 1989 in Fargo, North Dakota, USA. He is a director and editor, known for Valley of Bones (2017), Oxenfree (2016) and Pinching Penny (2011).- Writer
- Producer
- Actress
Nikki Glaser was born on 1 June 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for Trainwreck (2015), I Feel Pretty (2018) and Punching the Clown (2009).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser March 25, 1943) is an American actor and director best known for his role as Detective Dave Starsky on the 1970s television series, Starsky & Hutch. In between his work writing and directing, Glaser also played Captain Jack Steeper on the NBC series Third Watch from 2004 to 2005, appeared as Al in several episodes of Ray Donovan in the 2010s, and had his first U.S. exhibition of his artwork in 2018.- Actress
- Art Department
Connecticut native Kim Greist spent her late teen years in Europe as a professional model. She returned to the US at age 20 and launched an acting career in the off-Broadway comedy "Second Prize: Two Months in Leningrad"; her later stage credits included appearances in the New York Shakespeare Festival. In 1984, Greist made her movie bow in the scuzzy horror epic C.H.U.D. (1984); the following year, she was cast in what remains her best film role, the elusive blonde fantasy girl of futuristic bureaucrat Jonathan Pryce in director Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985). Greist has continued to appear in films and television into the 1990s, with substantial roles in such productions as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) and Roswell (1994).- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Gary and his wife Glenda moved to Los Angeles in 1977 for Gary to pursue a writing career. He went on an open call as an actor, got the part, and now two hundred parts later Gary is still acting. Gary and Glenda now have a home in Mississippi and an apartment in Los Angeles, and Gary works both the southern and L.A. markets.
In the last few years Gary has devoted much of his time to writing and has successfully sold two pilot scripts to CBS, two screenplays and had his first full length Equity play, "As the Crow Flies", receive its world premier. The production was both a creative and financial success and received many positive reviews. Currently he has a project in development at Warner Horizon.
In 2008 Gary can be seen in "In the Electric Mist" with Tommie Lee Jones, "Deal" with Burt Reynolds, "Good Intentions" with Elaine Hendrix, "Major Movie Star" with Jessica Simpson, and "My Mom's New Boyfriend" with Meg Ryan and Antonio Banderas.
Gary has worked as an actor for some of the most distinguished film directors of our time in a number of motion pictures, including "JFK" (Oliver Stone), "Silkwood" (Mike Nichols), "Nadine" (Robert Benton), "Honkytonk Man" (Clint Eastwood), and "The Border" (Tony Richardson). Other feature credits include "The X-Files," "Doubletake," and "The Astronaut's Wife".
On television, Grubbs made a name for himself by portraying attorneys in two of the highest rated programs in television history, "The Burning Bed" and "Fatal Vision". He has also starred in numerous movies-of-the-week and miniseries, including "Canal Street Brothel", "For One Night", "Foxfire", and many others. Gary's recent series and episodic work includes appearances on "ER", "Angel", "NCIS", "K-ville", "Will & Grace" and "The O.C."
Gary and Glenda have a daughter Molly who is employed at Team One Advertising in Los Angeles, and their son Logan is a grad student at The University of Southern Mississippi.- Actress
- Producer
- Executive
Ageless, blond and beautiful Cindy Guyer is a Stamford, Connecticut native. She resides in New York City and Los Angeles. Known to her fans worldwide as the "Poster Girl for Passion", the actress, producer, host, model, Celebrity Playmate and business woman inspires romance wherever she goes.
Guyer is most recognized for gracing the covers of thousands of romance novels. At last count, she had appeared on at least 2,000 romantic novel covers, an arguably unrivaled and unprecedented figure for a cover model associated with any commercial publication genre (digital or print). Her modeling career and prolific cover work has not only helped sell billions of books to the delight of just as many readers, but she has elevated the profile for print models catering to one of the largest retail consumer demographics on the planet.
Along with Fabio Lanzoni, Guyer has cultivated a niche in book cover modeling, been instrumental in catapulting literary publication sales, and has inspired a growing and sustainable profession for aspiring print professionals. Romance novels continue to support a billion dollar industry, exceeding the economic impact of any other category of retail consumer market for literature (fiction or nonfiction).
More recently, Guyer hosted "Mr. Romance" a TV series on the Oxygen Network, appeared as a celebrity guest and featured participant in the iconic reality hit The Millionaire Matchmaker (Bravo).
Her eclectic filmography, includes credits for the "The Perfect Nanny", "Jack's Back", "Fatal Kiss", "Hit and Runway", "Cool Blue", "Psycho Cop", "Soldier's Fortune" which were primarily costarring roles. She was featured in "The Mirror Has Two Faces", and even appeared in the animated comedy "Space Ghost Coast to Coast".
The bi-coastal restaurateur has owned two dining establishments and in 2016 opened Guyer's as the sole proprietor on Manhattan's Upper West Side. In addition to running the Columbus Ave. establishment, she is the spokesperson for StyleshopUSA.com and a new face for cosmetic giant Elizabeth Arden, Inc., a subsidiary of Revlon, Inc.- Megan Hauserman is best know for staring roles in Reality TV. After modeling for BenchWarmer Trading Cards, she made her TV debut modeling on The Jerry Springer Show. She then went on the star in 5 reality shows in a row, in a 5 year period. She started with Beauty and the Geek then went in to VH1's Rock of Love 2, I Love Money, Rock of Love Charm School and Megan wants a Millionaire.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Composer ("'Batman' Theme), conductor, arrager and trumpeter, educated in high school and through private music study. He was a trumpeter and arranger with dance orchestras including those of Harry James, Woody Herman, and Charlie Spivak between 1941 and 1951. He was a staff arranger and arranger for the "Arthur Godfrey Show" and the "Kate Smith Show" over ABC, and also formed his own orchestra, playing theatres, hotels, clubs and colleges, and made many recordings. Joining ASCAP in 1953, his oher popular song and instrumental compositions include "Coral Reef", "Cute", "Plymouth Rock", "Buttercup", "Two for the Blues", "Oh What a Night for Love", "Cherry Point", "The Kid from Red Bank", "Repetition", "Splanky", "Sunday Morning", "Hot Pink", "Little Pony", "Lake Placid", "Why Not?", "Blowin' Up a Storm", "I'm Shoutin' Again", "Eee Dee", "Jump for Johnny", "The Long Night", "The Good Earth", "Wildroot", "Late Date", "It's Always Nice to Be With You", "I Must Know", and "Girl Talk".- Actor
- Director
- Art Department
Whip Hubley was born on 17 May 1957 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Top Gun (1986), Executive Decision (1996) and Species (1995). He has been married to Dinah Minot since 4 June 1988. They have three children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
In 1983, Andrew was accepted into the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts summer program. He didn't go. And he regretted that decision.
Over the past 35 years, through one lovely marriage, four beautiful children, two picket fences, one long corporate career, two stints in rehab and countless hours of study with great acting teachers such as Mike Lemon, Drucie McDaniel and Kenneth McGregor, Andrew came to learn that the key to acting is the same as the key to life. And that is, as James Cagney said, "Know your lines, show up on time, look them in the eye and tell the truth."
Since late 2013, Andrew has been back gratefully pursuing his dream and has had the pleasure of working on over 100 projects including TV, films (short and feature length), music videos, commercials, and voice over work.- Helen Keller contracted a virulent childhood disease which resulted in complete loss of sight and hearing at nineteen months. Her parents futilely sought help for her, as did family friend Alexander Graham Bell. Finally, when Keller was seven, Annie Sullivan, a young teacher, was hired by the family. Through a system involving a constant physical contact with Sullivan, a touch alphabet "spelled" into Keller's hand, persistence, faith, and love - detailed in The Miracle Worker (1962) - Keller suddenly and amazingly understood; she quickly and efficiently learned language, and the world opened to her. She asked to be taught to speak at the age of ten. With Sullivan's important emotional and intellectual support, Keller's development took off. Keller graduated - cum laude - from Radcliffe College in 1904. Sullivan was her companion until her death in 1936. Helen Keller wrote prolifically, traveled widely, lectured on various personal, political, and academic topics, and was awarded numerous honorary degrees from universities around the world. She died in 1968, one of the most famous and widely-admired women of our time.
- Melissa Keller was born on 4 August 1978 in Long Lake, Minnesota, USA. She is an actress, known for Something's Gotta Give (2003), D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) and Impact Point (2008).
- Tessa Keller was born on 20 March 1989 in Laguna Beach, California, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
- Director
Kate Krieger was born on 15 August 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Workaholics (2011), Celeste & Jesse Forever (2012) and Shangri-La Suite (2016).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Wally Kurth was born on 31 July 1958 in Billings, Montana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for General Hospital (1963), Pom Poko (1994) and Days of Our Lives (1965). He has been married to Debra Yuhasz since 4 July 2003. They have one child. He was previously married to Rena Sofer and Cynthia Ettinger.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Cyndi Lauper was born on 22 June 1953 in Ozone Park, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for Cyndi Lauper: Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1983), Vibes (1988) and Cyndi Lauper: Time After Time (1984). She has been married to David Thornton since 24 November 1991. They have one child.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Peyton List has been an on-screen mainstay in many households and has grown up in front of the camera. She is a leading actor, producer and writer of her generation. Peyton joined Netflix's COBRA KAI, a series that serves as one of the streamer's biggest hits of all time. List portrays tough-as-nails and All Valley champ, Tory Nichols, who made her debut in Season 2, & transformed the role into a central character to the series. List's television series SCHOOL SPIRITS premiered on Paramount+ with an eight-episode season. WSJ called her leading performance "magnetic." List also serves as a producer on series, which was recently green lit for a second season and was also released on Netflix. Within a few days of launching on Netflix, School Spirits skyrocketed to the top 10 list. Peyton also stars in the Voltage Pictures film AMERICAN BOOGEYWOMAN as the lead role of 'Aileen Wournos.' In 2018 she filmed DEPARTURES, opposite Asa Butterfield, Maisie Williams, and Nina Dobrev. She also recently wrapped an intriguing new principal role for the Wonder Worldwide feature, GIRLS HAUNTS BOY opposite Michael Cimino. In Peyton's early career, she made a name for herself on the fan-favorite Disney's JESSIE, the network's longest running series. Following four seasons and due to the amazing response to her wildly popular character, Disney created a spin-off series, titled BUNK'D, which List wrapped production on in 2018. Peyton List is a name well respected in Hollywood. The world has watched her boldly transition to her adult career, and one thing we all know for certain is that Peyton List is only getting started.- Moira Lister was born in South Africa and made her stage debut at age 6 with the University Players of Johannesburg in "The Vikings of Helgeland." She appeared on the London stage at age 14 and started working in films in 1943. She was always popular, and she was usually cast as 'posh' ladies.
- Tom Lister was born on 21 June 1978 in Lancaster, Lancashire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), 42nd Street: The Musical (2019) and The Doll Maker (2020). He has been married to Jennifer Humpage since 2004. They have two children.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Born in Perú, Christian Meier, originally graduated as a graphic designer, first started playing keyboards in a peruvian rock band in the late eighties. Then after six years making music he made the transition into acting to become one of the most successful actors in Latinamerica. In 2007 he landed the lead role of Diego de la Vega (El Zorro) for the Sony International Television/Telemundo production of "El Zorro, la espada y la rosa". Some of his works includes tv. series all over latin america and multi-awarded films like Salvador del Solar's "Magallanes" and Francisco Lombardi's "No se lo digas a nadie". He recently portrayed General Oscar Naranjo in the hit series for FOX "El General Naranjo. After almost twenty five years working as an actor, he wrote, produced and directed the multi awarded shor film "Terminal".- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Additional Crew
Shane began his film career when he was 12, as Clint Eastwood's son in Unforgiven (1992). He got a chance to play his childhood idol on television by portraying a "young MacGyver" for a few of episodes of MacGyver (1985). He was short-listed, and brought to Los Angeles by Steven Spielberg to audition for Hook (1991).
Shane's worked alongside Ed Harris, Chuck Norris, Max von Sydow, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Stockard Channing.
He's the second of 3 boys of parents' John Meier, and Jane Weir. His brothers are Ash and Travis.- Susie Meister was born on 10 August 1979. She has been married to Adam Butler since 26 August 2010.
- Actress
- Producer
Best known as "Lacey Underall" in Caddyshack (1980), and "Yori" in Tron (1982), Cindy Morgan was born Cynthia Ann Cichorski on September 29, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, not far from Wrigley Field. The daughter of a Polish factory worker and a German mother, Cindy attended 12 years of Catholic school and was the first in her family to attend college.
While studying communications at Northern Illinois University, Cindy spun records on the radio. A commercial station in town wanted her to report the news for them as well, so a slight deception was needed. She used the name Cindy Morgan, taken from a story she read about Morgan le Fay when she was 12 years old.
After graduation, Cindy gave all the latest meteorological news on a TV station in Rockford, Ill. She also kept her hand in radio by working the graveyard shift at a local rock station. Then she returned to Chicago and deejayed on WSDM (now WLUP). During a labor dispute at the station, she literally quit on the air and walked out with a record still spinning on the turntable.
Cindy found employment at auto shows for Fiat, which took her to both coasts. She moved to Los Angeles in 1978 and became the Irish Spring girl. While she did TV commercials, she studied acting, and was rewarded with her first screen role in "Caddyshack", playing the role of "Lacey Underall", an over-amorous ingénue.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Bru Muller was born in Akron, Ohio, USA. He is known for The Future (2011), Division III: Football's Finest (2011) and Diwa (2018). He is married to Aina Dumlao.- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Writer
Born and raised in Toronto, Andrew Musselman is an actor, writer and producer. In addition to his numerous television and film credits, Andrew has acted on stages in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Soon after graduating from the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Andrew landed his first professional gig playing a leading role in the Hallmark movie "La Femme Musketeer", starring Gerard Depardieu, Michael York, Nastassja Kinski and John Rhys-Davies.
Some theatre highlights include "Catalpa", which, in addition to touring internationally, earned Andrew a Dora Award nomination in Toronto; the world premiere of "These Paper Bullets!" at Yale Rep Theater, written by Emmy nominated, Pulitzer finalist Rolin Jones, with original music by Billie Joe Armstrong (while at Yale, Andrew was awarded a Beinecke Fellowship from Yale School of Drama); and the world premieres of "Greenland" and "Butcher", written by Governor General Award winning playwright Nicolas Billon.
He has played Romeo on a tour of Ireland, both roles in "Stones in His Pockets", as well as the New York and the London Fringe Festivals, winning the award for Best Solo Performance at the latter.
Andrew resides in Toronto and spends his spare time fleshing out his writing portfolio with original screenplays and series concepts.- Lee Andrew Musselman; was born November 28, 1956, in Ypsilanti, the son of Theil and Jeannette Musselman. Lee was highly regarded as a generous, unique, and gifted person. Lee had the best fireworks and pumpkin parties in history, and always had something interesting going on in his life. He was a fine example of what "living" means and lived seemingly unaffected by his cancer, right up until the last day of his life.
Lee was cast as "Dr. Cyclops" in "The Brides of Johnny in Monsterland", which began production in Provincetown, Massachusetts, in the Summer of 1991.
Lee's work has been published in many magazines including "Art in America", and most recently Lee's passing was the cover story for the newspaper "The Register Star". Lee Musselman passed away at his brother's home in Kalkaska, after a two year battle with Cancer. His sculpture was prized by the people of Hudson, New York, who displayed his work on both sides of their main street as a tribute to him. Lee Musselman was 56. - Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
Blair Peery was born on 16 February 1956 in Vermont, USA. He is an actor, known for Hooch (1977), Burning Darkness (2005) and Seabo (1978). He has been married to Arlene Roman since 12 October 1985.- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Bennett Perry has enjoyed a diverse and successful career that spans over the last few decades. Born in 1941 in Williamstown, Massachusetts, he started a band with his brother Tony and enjoyed local success. His acting roots were firmly planted in New York, where he appeared on Broadway. Dividing his time on both coasts, he appeared in numerous commercials, and became recognizable as the "Old Spice" sailor in the 1970s. He went on to appear in a long list of dramatic and comedic features using both his sarcastic wit and emotional depth to gain fans of moviegoers and critics everywhere.
In 1988, he won a Western Heritage Award for his work on Independence (1987). He had a recurring role as Sheriff Floyd Gilmore on the primetime soap Falcon Crest (1981) and appeared as Frank Arnett in the TV series Air America (1998). He and his real-life son, Matthew Perry, have played father and son on TV in Scrubs (2001) and on the big screen in Fools Rush In (1997). He enjoys touring with his folk/country/comedy band "The Ojai Boys". He lives in Ojai , California, with his wife Debbie, two dogs, a couple of horses and about five chickens.- Jo Ann Pflug was born on 2 May 1940 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress, known for M*A*S*H (1970), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997) and The Fall Guy (1981). She has been married to Charles Stuck Young since 14 May 1988. She was previously married to Chuck Woolery.
- Producer
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Tom Ruegger is the fourteen-time Emmy-winning producer and creative force behind many of the most popular and successful animated television series of all time, including Tiny Toon Adventures (1990), Animaniacs (1993) and Pinky and the Brain (1995) to name only a few.
Over the last decade, Mr. Ruegger served as the executive producer and chief creative executive at Warner Bros. Animation. In 2002, he started his own company, Tom Ruegger Productions, and under its banner, Tom has been involved in the development, writing and production of multiple televisions series and feature films, both animated and live action. These new works include Animalia (2007) for PorchLight and PBS, as well as a new animated series for Disney.
Mr. Ruegger began his career as an animator at Hanna-Barbera Productions, under the mentor-ship of his childhood heroes, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Tom's early animation efforts appeared in such familiar cartoon series as "Scooby Doo", "The New Flintstones," "Casper" and "Godzilla'. Tom honed his writing skills at Filmation Studios under the guidance of Arthur H. Nadel and Lou Scheimer, on such series as Blackstar (1981) and Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1976)," then returned to Hanna-Barbera to serve as a story editor and producer for a variety of shows, including Pound Puppies (1985) and Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979). In 1988, Tom created and produced a new Scooby franchise, A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (1988)," which was the first Scooby Doo series to be nominated for an Emmy Award.
Tom joined Warner Bros. Animation in 1989 to head up production of Tiny Toon Adventures (1990). Thus began a decade-long creative collaboration between Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Ruegger that spanned five enormously successful series resulting in ratings success, a worldwide fan base, and over 30 Emmy Awards victories in numerous categories.
With the success of Tiny Toon Adventures (1990)," Warner Bros. Animation began its second "Golden Age," and Mr. Ruegger became chief creative executive of the company. Along with Jean MacCurdy, Tom executive-produced the studio's next major productions: Taz-Mania (1991) and Batman: The Animated Series (1992), a cartoon-noir take on the dark knight that premiered to rave reviews and strong numbers.
At the same time, Mr. Ruegger continued his collaboration with Mr. Spielberg by creating a cast of breakout characters and a new franchise entitled Animaniacs (1993). This "hellzapoppin'" cartoon show, starring zany siblings Yakko, Wakko and Dot Warner, premiered on "Fox Kids," and it became the comedy template for the animation industry for a number of years - every studio wanted its own Animaniacs (1993). The series went on to win multiple Emmys as well as the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award for Outstanding Achievement in Animation Programming. As the creator of Animaniacs (1993), Mr. Ruegger was the show's senior producer, and served as a story editor, writer and lyricist on the series.
Mr. Ruegger has gone on to create and produce a number of other acclaimed series as well. These include:
Pinky and the Brain (1995) This animated series stars two lab mice, one a dim bulb, the other a megalomaniac bent on global domination. Tom created this odd duo during the development of Animaniacs (1993), and the two mice proved so popular that they were spun off into their own prime time series on the WB. Tom served as the senior producer of this award-winning series, as well as a writer, story editor and lyricist.
Freakazoid! (1995)This animated series follows the adventures of teenage nerd Dexter Douglas, who is swept into cyberspace and transformed into the world's wildest superhero, Freakazoid. Tom co-created this Emmy-winning series for Steven Spielberg, and served as executive producer, story editor and lyricist.
Histeria! (1998) This cartoon comedy follows an eccentric cast, including Father Time, Big Fat Baby, Loud Kiddington and Charity Bazaar, as they travel through time and interact with key historic figures along the way. Tom created, wrote, and executive-produced the series.
Road Rovers (1996) Tom created this animated adventure comedy starring a team of superhero canines.
Animaniacs: Wakko's Wish (1999) Tom co-wrote, produced and directed this animated feature film featuring the "Animaniacs" cast.
"Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)" Tom executive-produced this feature film.
Tom grew up in Metuchen, New Jersey, and attended Metuchen High School, where he served as Student Council President, co-captain of his school's football and track teams, and editorial cartoonist for the high school newspaper. Tom attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in English. At Dartmouth, Tom served as the director of the Dartmouth Film Society, the nation's first and oldest college film society.
In his junior year at Dartmouth, Tom received a grant from the Arthur and Lillie Mayer Foundation to create an animated film. This 10-minute film, "The Premiere of Platypus Duck," was the beginning of Tom's steps toward a film career and, especially, a greater understanding of animation. Before graduation, Tom received the Marcus Heiman Award, Dartmouth College's highest honor for creative achievement.
Currently, Tom serves on the board of directors for the Hopkins Center and Hood Museum, which are the film/theater/arts centers at Dartmouth College. Tom is a member of the Writers Guild and the Screen Cartoonist Guild. He lives in Calabasas, California, with his three sons, Nathan, Luke and Cody.
In 2003 and 2004, Tom co-wrote the pilot and served as a script editor of the Emmy Award-winning animated series Tutenstein (2003) for Porchlight Pictures.
In 2005, Tom began work as producer and story editor of a new CGI animated series entitled Animalia (2007) for PorchLight Entertainment and Burberry Production. The series is scheduled for a fall 2007 premiere on the BBC, PBS and Australia-10.
Tom, along with partners Nicholas Hollander and Mark Seidenberg, is currently developing a new animated series for the Walt Disney Company.- Actress
- Soundtrack
This lively, petite redhead has one of those distinctively kewpie-doll voices that can instantly make you laugh the moment she opens her mouth, and in her TV heyday that's exactly what Barbara Sharma did. At her peak during the 70s she was juggling musical stage assignments in between regular TV comedy appearances, while pitching household items in commercials on the side.
Barbara was born on September 14, 1943 (reference books often erroneously list her birth year as 1942) in Dallas, Texas. As a child she lived everywhere with her parents -- in Florida, New Orleans and even a pre-Castro Havana. A highly energetic youngster, her parents had her take dance classes at age 4 to find a creative use for all that get-up-and-go. She showed a natural ability and, at one point, was studying under famed Cuban prima ballerina Alicia Alonso. The talented youngster even found ways to work underage in hotels and, by her teens, had her own singing, dancing and comedy club act. With the rising Castro movement, the family quickly left Cuba when Barbara was 13 and settled in the Miami area where she continued to hone her craft on stage. Too short to become a ballerina, she refocused and began excelling in jazz and tap. She worked in niteries with (or for) such luminaries as Martha Raye and Joe E. Brown. She also worked with orchestra leader Paul Whiteman during the early years of TV.
New York was the teenager's next destination, moving there in the mid-50s where she gathered valuable experience performing with the Camp Tamiment group which was run by the producers of TV's "Your Show of Shows" and featured such up-and-coming talents as Larry Kert, with whom she worked alongside. She made her Broadway debut as a replacement for the young Dulcy character in the Julie Andrews musical hit "The Boyfriend" (Julie had already left the show by this time) and later went on tour with it. The early 60s also brought a close professional association with Bob Fosse. Barbara first worked with the famed choreographer on Broadway dancing in "Little Me" (1962), and continued with him as a lead dancer in his company for nearly five years in which Fosse created dances designed specifically with her in mind. Other such Fosse shows: "Pleasure Palaces" and, more notably, "Sweet Charity" in 1966. During that time Barbara appeared in the original production of "Hello Dolly!" (1964) starring Carol Channing as understudy to the Minnie Fay character and as an ensemble player. For the rest of the decade Barbara found plentiful work in Broadway musicals including "Hallelujah, Baby!" (1968) starring Leslie Uggams, and the short-lived shows "Her First Roman" (1968) and "Come Summer" (1969). It was off-Broadway, however, that finally connected Barbara's rising name to TV.
Producer George Schlatter, who had hit ratings gold with his popular, irreverent satire Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), caught Barbara starring as Ruby in the tuneful tapper "Dames at Sea" (1970) in which she appeared in both the New York and Los Angeles productions. Looking for replacements at the time for his show, Schlatter took an instant fancy to Barbara's innate talent for comedy, singing and dancing, and immediately signed her up in 1970 for two seasons. A memorable appearance clashing hilariously with Mary Tyler Moore on her classic show led to a recurring role as Myrna Morgenstein on Valerie Harper's sitcom vehicle Rhoda (1974), the spinoff of Ms. Moore's show. Throughout the rest of the 70s and 80s, Barbara continued guesting on various sitcoms including "Tabitha", "Alice", "One Day at a Time", "The Facts of Life" and "Perfect Strangers". She also did scores of commercials, most notably playing the "Glass Plus" girl during the late 70s and early 80s.
The stage was never far away, however, and Barbara returned to her musical roots time and time again in summer stock and regional plays. She amassed a number of singing credits including "Carousel" (as Carrie), "Guys and Dolls" (Adelaide), "Oklahoma!" (Ado Annie), "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Irma La Douce". In 1971, Barbara received great reviews for her work in the comedy "Last of the Red Hot Lovers" opposite James Coco on Broadway and in the late 70s was a replacement in the musical "I Love My Wife". Later L.A. stage shows included "Blame It on the Movies", "Taking a Chance on Love" (Dramalogue Award), the female version of "The Odd Couple" (with both Lee Meriwether and Marcia Wallace) and a promising two-person musical revue entitled "Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride" with musical performer Kay Cole, a show that played both L.A. and New York. Her occasional film work included light comedy parts in Norman... Is That You? (1976), Con Air (1997) and Time Share (2000).
With her chatty comedy voice ideally suited to cartoons and voiceover work, Barbara continues to perform "second banana" guest spots, her more recent sitcoms being "Frasier" and "Becker" (the latter a recurring role). Barbara maintains residence in the Los Angeles area and has a daughter, Amy, who is a school teacher.- Soundtrack
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After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in philosophy and literature, she moved to NewYork to study film and has since made Manhattan her home. She has worked as a coordinator, production manager and line producer on both studio and independent features. She studied film directing with Robert Wise and, prior to making her directorial debut with Clockwatchers (1997), she studied improvisational technique in Manhattan. For five years she served as a judge for cable television ACE Awards. _Clockwatchers(1997)_ debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and went on to screen at over a dozen international festivals. It won a Best Film prize at the Torino International Festival of Young Cinema of 1997.- Actress
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Kelly Michelle Stables was born in St. Louis, Missouri where she performed at The Muny Opera. She graduated cum laude from The University of Missouri, Columbia with a BA in Communications and Theater. Upon moving to Los Angeles she quickly got involved in theater arts, acting and choreographing in over 2 dozen plays and musical productions including The Little Foxes, Brady Bunch: The Musical, Peter Pan at the Thousand Oaks Civic Light Opera and 7 title roles in LA's award winning Storybook Theatre. While continuing to study improvisation at The Groundlings and becoming a company member of Theatre West, Kelly also started landing roles on television and in film. Her unique voice and petite stature has allowed her to take on a wide variety of colorful characters. She is known for her work alongside Naomi Watts, taking over the role as the evil Samara in The Ring 2, but is also more commonly recognized as the bubbly, bright receptionist on Two and a Half Men. From 2011-2015 Kelly played a paralegal at-day/party hopper at-night, as a Series Regular on the TV Land sitcom The Exes. She was also a Regular as the sassy sexpert little sister to Alyssa Milano on ABC's Romantically Challenged, as well as the stressed out suburban mom on the CW's No Tomorrow. She has lent her soprano singing voice to several cartoons including Doc McStuffins, Tom & Jerry and Sofia the First. Most recently she can be seen as the dim but lovable Cloud 9 employee on NBC's hit comedy Superstore. She lives a quiet, private life with her husband and two young children and enjoys sewing, writing and volunteering at school activities.- Actor
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Zak Steiner is known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Jessica Jones (2015) and Difficult People (2015).- Actor
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Todd Susman was born on 17 January 1947 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), Blast from the Past (1999) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).- Actress
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They say big things often come in small packages, and never was that saying more true than when sizing up the talents of that diminutive dynamo Nancy Walker. Born Anna Myrtle Swoyer in Philadelphia on May 10, 1922, she lived a born-in-a-trunk existence as the daughter of vaudevillian Dewey Barto (né Stewart Steven Swoyer). At the time of his run of Broadway's "Hellzapoppin", Barto was part of the comedy team of Barto & Mann (George Mann). Her younger sister, Betty Lou Barto (born 1930), had a less impressive and briefer performing career. Although she had designs on becoming a legit singer, it was hard for others to take Nancy seriously with her naturally aggressive manner backed up by this tiny frame. Comedy became her forte.
Broadway legend George Abbott picked up on her innate comic abilities immediately and set her up as his blind date in the Broadway musical smash "Best Foot Forward" in 1941. The show, starring June Allyson, was a certifiable hit, and when MGM turned Best Foot Forward (1943) into a musical film, Nancy, as well as June, went right along with it. Nancy continued giving top support for MGM in the Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney starrer Girl Crazy (1943) and in Broadway Rhythm (1944). Back on Broadway, Nancy all but stole the proceedings as the hoydenish cabbie Hildy Esterhazy, who pursues a sailor on leave, in "On the Town" (1944). After a brief first marriage, she met vocal coach David Craig during the 1948 run of "Look, Ma, I'm Dancing", when she was plagued by vocal problems. They married a few years later and had a daughter, Miranda. When Nancy left the show, she was replaced by her sister, Betty Lou Barto. Other musical plaudit came her way, including Tony nominations for the revue "Phoenix '55" and for her lead role in "Do Re Mi" with Phil Silvers.
Nancy experienced some tough, lean years in the late 1950s and 1960s until she found TV an accepting medium. She became popular all over again, and a household name to boot, as Rosie the waitress in a series of Bounty paper-towel commercials. At around the same time, she won a regular role as Mildred, the sardonic maid on McMillan & Wife (1971). Her prototypical wisecracking role, however, came as the outlandish Jewish mom Ida Morgenstern, mother of Valerie Harper's "Rhoda" character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970).
When Harper spun off into her own series--Rhoda (1974)--interfering Ida was right alongside her still-unmarried daughter, wreaking havoc. Alas, nominated for eight Emmys and four Golden Globe Awards for her collective work on series TV, she never won. Her renewed popularity, however, led to a couple of TV star vehicles that plainly didn't suit her second-banana talents. Neither lasted very long. She eventually moved into stage and film directing. Nancy made her final regular TV-series appearance on the sitcom True Colors (1990), playing another of her long line of delightfully brash buttinskys. During the run of the show, she was diagnosed with lung cancer and died about six weeks before her 70th birthday in 1992. She was survived by her husband, daughter, and sister.- Art Department
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Doug Wildey was born on 2 May 1922 in Yonkers, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Jonny Quest (1964), Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975) and Exosquad (1993). He died on 5 October 1994 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.Creator of Jonny Quest- Michael Wyle is known for Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Full Blast (1999) and Tuff Turf (1985).
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David Yost was born on 7 January 1969 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (2023), Power Rangers Cosmic Fury (2023) and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993).- Actress
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Renée Kathleen Zellweger was born on April 25, 1969, in Katy, Texas, Her mother, Kjellfrid Irene (Andreassen), is a Norwegian-born former nurse and midwife, of Norwegian, Kven (Finnish), and Swedish descent. Her father, Emil Erich Zellweger, is a Swiss-born engineer. The two married in 1963. Renée has a brother named Drew Zellweger, a marketing executive born on February 15, 1967. Renée got interested in acting in high school while working on the drama club. She also took an acting class at the University of Texas (Austin), where she began looking towards acting as a career. After graduation, she wanted to continue acting, but Hollywood is a tough town to break into, so Renée decided to stay in Texas, and auditioned for roles around Houston, where she managed to grab roles in such films as Reality Bites (1994) and Empire Records (1995).
While on the set for the sequel, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994), she befriended Matthew McConaughey, another Hollywood up-and-comer. He was working on a project at the time that Renée was interested in, auditioned for, and won the role in the film Love and a .45 (1994), which earned her enough critical praise that she decided to move to Los Angeles. Another role in The Whole Wide World (1996) followed which led to her big break. Cameron Crowe was busy casting his next film, Jerry Maguire (1996),starring Tom Cruise. Crowe was considering such actresses as Cameron Diaz, Bridget Fonda, Winona Ryder, and Marisa Tomei, when he heard of Zellweger's performance in The Whole Wide World (1996). He auditioned Zellweger and was sure he'd found his Dorothy Boyd.
Renée followed her huge success with a few small independent films and after receiving further critical praise, she felt confident enough to reenter the world of big-budget Hollywood films. She starred opposite Meryl Streep in the tear-jerker One True Thing (1998). She also took a role in Me, Myself & Irene (2000), opposite Jim Carrey, and soon after began dating Carrey. The two denied their relationship at first, but finally gave in and admitted it; today they are no longer together. Also in 2000, she starred in the title role in Nurse Betty (2000), where she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical. In 2001, she received even more critical and commercial success in the title role in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001). She received her first Academy Award nomination for her role, which was followed by her second Oscar-nominated role in the musical Chicago (2002). She then again wowed audiences with her fierce yet warm portrayal of Ruby Thewes in the film adaptation of Cold Mountain (2003), which won Zellweger an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, which was her first Academy Award. She won her second, for Best Actress, 16 years later, playing Judy Garland in Judy (2019).- Actress
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Anne Celeste Heche was an American actress, director, and screenwriter. She came to recognition portraying Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in the soap opera Another World (1964), which won her a Daytime Emmy Award and two Soap Opera Digest Awards. She came to mainstream prominence in the late 1990s with roles in the crime drama film Donnie Brasco (1997), the disaster film Volcano (1997), the slasher film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), the action comedy film Six Days Seven Nights (1998), and the drama-thriller film Return to Paradise (1998).- Music Department
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Amanda Goodpaster is known for Dreamgirls (2006), The Darkest Minds (2018) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).- Production Manager
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Robert Egger is known for Alert: Missing Persons Unit (2023), The Irrational (2023) and Supernatural (2005).- Contrary to popular belief, Robin was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her East Coast "joie de vivre" often has many people fooled. She got her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Drama from the University of California, Irvine, spending her junior year abroad at Sussex University, Brighton England. She was fortunate enough to appear in countless productions on both sides of the Atlantic throughout her career.
Since graduating, Robin has been studying her craft continuously with Cameron Watson, Gordon Hunt, Darryl Hickman, Groundlings and many others. She belonged for several years to Actors' Alley and later Moving Arts theatre companies where she performed on stage to rave reviews.
Robin now most happily makes her living as a television actor. Her career includes many great award winning sitcoms from "Modern Family" to "Cheers".
She was a recurring character on "According to Jim" as Jim's neighbor Marilyn Crannis. Her voice could be heard throughout "Frasier's" ten years on the air as she was one of the show's regular voice-over artists. - Actor
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John Swasey was born on 18 October 1964 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Where the Heart Is (2000), Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009) and Dark Water (2002). He has been married to Dena Summerfield since 12 April 1996. They have two children.- Jane turned down a full scholarship to study violin at Juilliard, opting to spend four years studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse. She got her acting start in radio, working on Lux Radio Theatre and the Whistler. Her first brief marriage to a Navy pilot ended when he was killed in action during World War II. Shortly after marrying Tom Turnage, she retired from acting, returning briefly to television roles in the early '50s when her husband was sent to Korea.
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Blonde Pamela Austin was born Pamela Joan Akert in Omaha, daughter of Chester William Akert (1918-90) and his wife Virginia May (née Moon). She spent her pre-teens in Europe, where her father was stationed with the Air Force. Pamela studied singing and ballet in Hungary and Germany. Once her family returned to the United States, she continued to attend further dance classes at Sacramento State College. As a 17-year old, Pamela made her stage debut in the Broadway musical revue La Plume de Ma Tante (billed as a 'light soprano'). In 1961, she got her first gig in Hollywood in a nightclub act with Tony Martin. This expanded into a six months-long nationwide tour.
That same year, she began acting in films and is perhaps best remembered in that medium for her two appearances opposite Elvis Presley (both as girls named Selena, in Blue Hawaii (1961) and Kissin' Cousins (1964)). Her career gained momentum thanks to a series of TV and newspaper commercials for the automobile manufacturer Dodge. Dubbed the "Dodge Rebellion Girl", she featured in some twenty ads until her replacement by a 23 year-old in 1967. During the remainder of the 60s and 70s, Pamela made guest appearances in TV shows of diverse genres. She was featured several times in comedy skits, as well as song-and-dance routines on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967). The peak of her career was a starring role as the perennial damsel-in-distress in the zany slapstick comedy The Perils of Pauline (1967). It was based on the classic 1914 cliffhanger serial with Pearl White and inspired by the over-the-top antics of the 1960s Batman (1966) series. Intended as a TV pilot, it failed to gain traction, either commercially or with critics. Pamela had another lead, as amiable schoolmarm Betsy Potter in the cultish comedy western Evil Roy Slade (1972).
Pamela was briefly married (1963-64) to NFL defensive player Charley Britt of the Los Angeles Rams. Her second, also short-lived (1965-67), husband was Hollywood press agent Guy McElwaine. From 1974 until his death in 2019, she was married to the aeronautical engineer, MIT graduate and founder of Tre Corporation Leopold S. Wyler.- Fay Baker was born on 31 January 1917 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Notorious (1946), The House on Telegraph Hill (1951) and Deadline - U.S.A. (1952). She was married to Arthur Weiss. She died on 8 December 1987 in Sleepy Hollow, New York, USA.
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Gore Vidal was born Eugene Louis Vidal in 1925 in West Point, New York, to Nina (Gore) and West Point aeronautics instructor and aviation pioneer Eugene Luther Vidal. The Vidals endured a rocky marriage divorcing ten years after Gore's birth. Young Gore spent much of his childhood with his blind grandfather, Senator T.P. Gore of Oklahoma. Vidal would later become the confidant of Jacqueline Kennedy when Jackie's mother married his former stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1943, Gore joined the US Army Reserves. Some of his Army experiences inspired his first novel, Williwaw, which was published when he was just 19. He dedicated the novel to J.T., a deceased prep-school friend. Subsequent novels would prominently feature gay male characters, and Gore found soon found his books had staying power on bestseller lists. In 1960, he unsuccessfully ran for Congress, backed by celebrity supporters like Paul Newman & Vidal's ex-fiancé Joanne Woodward. Another unsuccessful foray into politics would occur in 1982 when he ran for governor of California. In addition to being an accomplished writer, he is also a novice actor. His biggest roles to date have been in Gattaca (1997), Bob Roberts (1992), and With Honors (1994).- Actress
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June Haver was born on June 10, 1926, in Rock Island, Illinois, with the birth name of Beverly June Stovenour. Her parents divorced at an early age and she was adopted by Bert Haver, her stepfather. Her mother and new father moved to Cincinnati, where she appeared on the stage for the first time at the age of six in a local theater production of "Midnight in a Toyshop". Very soon after, June was winning musical contests around the Queen City. By 1936, little June and her mother had returned to the city of her birth, after a film screen test the year before. It was here that she blossomed even further with her singing, appearing on local radio. Later, while touring with various musical bands, June and her mother found their way to sunny California, in the entertainment mecca of Los Angeles. While in high school, she played in various secondary productions.
In 1942, at the age of 16, June joined Fox Studios as a fringe actress. Dropped because the studio thought she was too young, they signed her the following year to appear in The Gang's All Here (1943). It was an uncredited part, but a start in the film world, nonetheless. Unless one looked hard, she would have been easy to miss in the film. Her next one with Fox was in 1944's Home in Indiana (1944). But it was her next film where she was able to showcase her acting talent in Irish Eyes Are Smiling (1944). In 1945, she appeared in Where Do We Go from Here? (1945) with her future husband, Fred MacMurray, who she wed in 1954.
It was the only film the two of them would be in together. In 1946, at the age of 20, June got top billing for the first time in Three Little Girls in Blue (1946). Her only other film that year was Wake Up and Dream (1946). After only one film in 1947, June resurfaced the next year in the utterly forgettable Scudda Hoo! Scudda Hay! (1948). This was one of the starting vehicle's for a rising talent named Marilyn Monroe. In 1949, June was in two productions. They were Look for the Silver Lining (1949) and Oh, You Beautiful Doll (1949). By now, it was obvious that she was being groomed to take over the Fox throne held by Betty Grable. It was not to be, because June was about to leave films, altogether. The filming of 1953's The Girl Next Door (1953) proved to be her last silver screen appearance. She had announced, the year before, that she would become a nun after her contract ran out. True to her word, she entered the convent but only stayed a few months.
It was after she left the convent that she was seen with Fred MacMurray. After they were wed, the couple adopted twin girls. June's last foray into the glare of the camera lights was when she played herself in the television production of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1957). She died of respiratory failure in Brentwood, California on July 6, 2005.- Writer
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Colin Jost was born on 29 June 1982 in Staten Island, New York City, New York, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), Tom & Jerry (2021) and How to Be Single (2016). He has been married to Scarlett Johansson since October 2020. They have one child.- Actor
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David Janssen was born David Harold Meyer in 1931 in Naponee, Nebraska, to Berniece Mae (Graf) and Harold Edward Meyer, a banker. He was of German, and some Swiss-German and Ulster-Scots, descent. David took the surname of his stepfather, Eugene Janssen. The Janssen family settled in Hollywood when he was a teenager and he attended Fairfax High School, where he developed an interest in acting. His film debut was a bit part in It's a Pleasure (1945), and at the age of 18 signed a contract with 20th Century-Fox. However, the studio dropped him after allegedly becoming disenchanted with his odd hairline and big prominent ears. Janssen had better luck at Universal, where he signed on in the early 1950s and became a supporting player in 32 films before appearing on TV as the star of Richard Diamond, Private Detective (1956). He resumed his movie career in 1961, a year after the series ended. His biggest success came from his lead in the series The Fugitive (1963), playing the haunted, hunted Dr. Richard Kimble, on the run for a murder he didn't commit. After the series ended, Janssen launched himself into a grueling schedule by appearing in lead and supporting roles in movies, but he had better luck with made-for-TV-movie roles and a short-lived series, O'Hara, U.S. Treasury (1971). He had another hit series with the cult favorite Harry O (1973). Janssen continued appearing in lead roles in nearly 20 made-for-TV-movies during the 1970s as well as other TV projects. He died in 1980 from a sudden heart attack at his Malibu home at the age of 48. Unfounded speculation holds that Janssen succumbed to alcoholism, a problem that plagued him most of his adult life. There were even unfounded rumors about drug use. However, a much more reasonable explanation for David Janssen's sudden demise is that this intense, dedicated, determined actor simply worked himself to death.- Actor
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Duane Whitaker, a native of Lubbock Texas, has spent the last 30 years as one of Hollywood's most entertaining hyphenates. As an actor, Whitaker is most recognized as Maynard, the sadistic pawn shop owner, in Pulp Fiction. Of course, you don't walk onto the set of a ground breaking film like Pulp Fiction without paying your dues. From the time he arrived in Hollywood, Duane's face was seen frequently on the stage and small screen. Some of his very early television credits include, Sledge Hammer, Murder She Wrote, Highway to Heaven, L.A. Law, Rosanne and Quantum Leap. More recent appearances include Rush Hour, Instant Mom, Justified, Medical Investigation, I'm With Her, The Ex List, The Bridge and a haunting portrayal of a former child abuse victim on an episode of Cold Case. Duane has appeared in over sixty feature films. Among his favorites are Edge of Town, Natasha Hall, Broke Sky, Lionhead, Dead Letters, Sam Borowski's Night Club and of course, Pulp Fiction. It is in the Horror genre, however, that Whitaker has anchored a large part of his work. He has been a part of no less than eight Horror Franchises, including From Dusk Til Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (which he also co-wrote), Feast, Tales From The Hood, Rob Zombie's Devil's Rejects and Halloween 2, Children of the Corn: Genesis, Puppetmaster 5 and Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3. Other Horror appearances include, American Nightmares, Albino Farm, Trailer Park of Terror, The Haunted Sea and Deadly Dreams. He has written, directed or produced, Together & Alone, Stripteaser, Camp Utopia, Backroad Motel and Eddie Presley. The latter stars Duane in a masterful turn as a despondent Elvis Presley impersonator teetering on the fine line between a triumphant comeback or a nervous breakdown. It was adapted from Whitaker's successful stage play of the same title. He has recently branched out into Faith-Based Films, appearing in Daniel Roebuck's Getting Grace, Lucky Louie, The Hail Mary and My Brother's Crossing. Duane received the honor of the American Cinematheque hosting a screening of his two most personal films, Eddie Presley and Together and Alone at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Together and Alone was screened for a second time by the American Cinematheque along with Garrett Clancy's Dead Letters. Duane Whitaker is also a playwright. His plays have been produced in Los Angeles and New York and he has been teaching a popular Film Acting class in Los Angeles for almost 20 years.- David Graf was a Lancaster, Ohio native. He was a graduate of Lancaster High School in 1968. He went on to attend college at Otterbein University where he graduated in 1972 as a theater major. He attended Ohio State University grad school until 1975 when he dropped out to pursue an acting career in New York City. He broke into the movies with Four Friends (1981). David never forgot his roots. He always returned to Lancaster each year in October for the Fairfield County Fair. It was his way of keeping in touch. In a tragic coincidence, David passed away at the same age and condition that his father did. David is survived by his wife of 17 years, Kathryn Graf, two sons, Daniel and Sean; mother and brother who reside in Zanesville, Ohio.
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David Muller was born on 23 April 1973 in Camden, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Spiral (2007), Consequence (2003) and One Piece (2023).- Additional Crew
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Justin Muller was born on 11 April 1981 in Lafayette, Indiana, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for La ley del silencio (2005), The Significant Other (2012) and The Wandering Earth II (2023).- Al Schmid was born in Burholme, Pennsylvania. He was working for a steel company in Philadelphia when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and he enlisted in the Marine Corps two days later. After training at the Corps' Parris Island (SC) and New River (NC) training facilities, he was assigned to the 11th Machine Gun Squad, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division.
On August 7, 1942, his unit landed on the beaches at Guadalcanal. On August 21 he was assigned a position on the forward lines, manning a Browning .50-cal machine gun with two other Marines. That night a force of 800 Japanese troops attacked the perimeter manned by the 2nd Battalion, aiming to break through the lines and wipe out the Marine airstrip at Henderson Field, which was being used by Marine and Navy planes to bomb Japan. During the attack Schmid's gunner was shot in the head and killed, and the NCO in charge of his position was seriously wounded. Schmid took over, firing the machine gun at the attacking Japanese, killing and wounding many of them. An exploding grenade punched several holes in the water-cooling jacket of the machine gun, rendering it subject to overheating. In addition, a Japanese soldier crawled up to the position and, unseen, threw a grenade into the pit, killing himself and also blinding Schmid. Nevertheless, he kept firing at the attacking Japanese, with his sole remaining gun crew member--although seriously wounded--guiding him as to where and when to fire. The weapon, as Schmid later recalled, got "red-hot", but it didn't overheat or break down and Schmid continued firing it until dawn. By than time the Japanese, having lost many of their attacking troops, withdrew. There were more than 200 dead Japanese in front of Schmid's position. He was subsequently awarded the Navy Cross, as were the other two members of his gun crew (one posthumously).
After a stay in a military hospital during which he received therapy for his injuries and blindness, he was discharged in April of 1943, and married his longtime girlfriend Ruth Hartley. They had a son, Al Jr., the next year. He eventually regained partial sight in one eye, but injuries he received to his leg during the attack continually caused him problems, and in 1957 he retired and moved to Florida.
He died of bone cancer on December 1, 1982, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. - Actor
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Ken Baumann was born on 8 August 1989 in Urbana, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008), Spring Break '83 and Castle (2009). He has been married to Aviva Baumann since 16 June 2012.- Actress
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Born and raised In Independence, Ohio, young Kathrine Baumann was a varsity cheerleader, at Independence High School there. She cheered for eight years in both junior and senior high school. By 1970, Baumann would place first runner-up in the Miss America Pageant, excelling in the Talent and Swimsuit awards segments of the program. Using her Miss America scholarship funds, she then enrolled in filmmaking courses at UCLA and spent a summer studying abroad at Oxford University. Kathrine also studied acting under the auspices of the renowned actor Agnes Moorehead.
During her 15-year acting career, Kathrine guest-starred in a variety of television productions including M*A*S*H, Knight Rider, Simon and Simon, The Fall Guy, Fantasy Island, CHiPS, The Dukes of Hazzard, and several other TV shows and made for TV movies. The "Henry In Love" M*A*S*H episode written for Kathrine by Oscar-winning producer Larry Gelbart is ranked as one of the top three M*A*S*H episodes ever made.
In 1988, "Kathy Lynn" launched ''Kathrine Baumann Beverly Hills'', a jewelry store in Beverly Hills, CA, which eventually led to her becoming celebrated as the "Beverly Hills Bag Lady." The store creates pop-art/pro sports team themed handbags that have established her in the eyes of many around Hollywood as the "Queen of Hollywood's Red Carpet." Baumann has also been touted by CNN as the "female Andy Warhol". Her clients have ranged from Joan Rivers and Suzanne Somers to actress Bai Ling and Dionne Warwick.- Writer
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Emmy and Humanitas winning screenwriter, Dev Ross, has written Film and Television for Disney, Universal Studios, Amazon Studios, Nickelodeon, Mattel, HIT, and Scholastic Entertainment. In her early years, she worked as a story analyst for Fonda Films and then became a staff writer at Disney Studios where she also served as a voice director and "story doctor." In Dev's early career she was the Artistic Director of the Emmy Award winning Twelfth Night Repertory Company, a tri-city educational theatre with an award winning PBS television series where she was a writer, director, and performer.- Producer
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John Altschuler was born in 1963. He is known for Silicon Valley (2014), King of the Hill (1997) and Lopez (2016).- Doug Young was born on 21 December 1919 in Arkansas, USA. He was an actor, known for The Yogi Bear Show (1961), The Huckleberry Hound Show (1958) and The Flintstones (1960). He was married to Eileene Mary McKay. He died on 7 January 2018 in Seattle, Washington, USA.
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
- Helen Kleeb was born on 6 January 1907 in South Bend, Washington, USA. She was an actress, known for The Party (1968), Seven Days in May (1964) and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982). She was married to Elmer Garrison and John Gerald Prendergast. She died on 28 December 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Martin Ashe was born on 2 June 1909 in Bradford, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Sunday Showcase (1959), Bewitched (1964) and Mission: Impossible (1966). He died on 15 April 1991 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Vincent Young, an American actor, was born and raised in Philadelphia and South Jersey. He is known by millions for portraying colorful characters, most notably his breakthrough role, as the troubled Noah Hunter from the original TV series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) (1997-2000). Vincent went on to other intriguing character roles on CSI: NY (2004), JAG (1995) and NCIS (2003) in which he played Mikel Mawher, the crazy and eccentric ex-boyfriend of Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).
Vincent started his career in NYC studying theater and performing on stage, yet found his way as an artist while residing in Paris. He lived in LA for 16 years and has since moved back to the east coast to continue his love of acting, with his recent character portrayal of memorable Bud Lunger in the award-winning independent film, Eagles in the Chicken Coop (2010). As a multi-faceted artist, Vincent is a painter and an accomplished wrestler and baseball player in which he regards as a differing form of artistic expression. He also keeps himself available for various charities. - Producer
- Composer
- Actor
Cactus Moser was born on 3 May 1957 in Montrose, Colorado, USA. He is a producer and composer, known for Back to School (1986), Union Bound (2016) and Wynonna Judd: Between Hell and Hallelujah (2023). He has been married to Wynonna Judd since 10 June 2012.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Seth Musselman was born on 28 August 1967 in Danville, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Open Mic'rs (2006), A Time for the Heart (2009) and This Wretched Life (2010).- Visual Effects
- Sound Department
Jeffery Yost is known for Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Men in Black (1997) and Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999).- Gerry Bamman was born on 18 September 1941 in Independence, Kansas, USA. He is an actor, known for Home Alone (1990), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) and The Secret of My Success (1987).
- Writer
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Lowell Ganz was born on 31 August 1948 in Glen Oaks, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Splash (1983), Robots (2005) and Parenthood (1989). He has been married to Jeanne Russo since 26 December 1976. They have three children.Creator of “Laverne and Shirley”- Austin Lysy was born on 19 April 1977 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for Garden State (2004), Everybody's Fine (2009) and Hitch (2005).
- Producer
- Actress
- Writer
Lisa Maurer was born in New York, New York, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for The Warriors (1979), Jaws 3-D (1983) and Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Jennifer Wenger moved to LA at 19 from Maynardville, Tennessee to pursue a career in entertainment. Within the first year became Wonder Woman on the Hollywood Blvd Walk of Fame, which led to landing the lead in Morgan Spurlock's "Confessions of a Superhero." This led to costars on my name is Earl, Mad TV, Mind of Mencia, and has a reoccurring role on Jimmy Kimmel Live as Wonder Woman. She was on the cover of the Hollywood Reporter with Kimmel and featured in the book, "Weird Hollywood" as a must see attraction for the city. She studied Improv comedy at Groundlings where she graduated from the professional program and booked more shows, such as True Blood, Party Down, Key and Peele, and New Girl. She performs live comedy all around Hollywood. She is the co-host of Bat in the Sun's insanely popular web series Super Power Beat Down. She has multiple roles in films coming out soon.She sings, dances, and does one handed cartwheels.- Actress
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Christina Scherer was born on 28 May 1993 in Beverly Hills, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Intern (2015), CSI: NY (2004) and Two and a Half Men (2003).- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Joe Liss was born on 2 January 1960 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Strangers with Candy (1999), Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000).