Cast: Home Improvement Guest Stars
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- Actor
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Rider Strong is an American actor from San Francisco. He has often worked as a voice actor in animated series. His best known roles were those of rebellious teenager Shawn Hunter in the sitcom "Boy Meets World" (1993-2000), football quarterback Brick Flagg in the action comedy series "Kim Possible" (2002-2007), and demon prince Tom Lucitor in the magical girl series "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" (2015-2019).
In 1979, Strong was born in the city of San Francisco, a financial center in California. The city has been an important port city since the mid-19th century, and used to be the city with the highest population in the West Coast of the United States. Rider's father was the firefighter King Arthur Strong, while his mother was teacher and nutritionist Lin Warner. Both of his parents were from Pennsylvania, but had moved to California during their working lives. Rider has primarily English and Irish ancestry.
Rider started his career as a child actor c. 1988. He took part in a theatrical adaptation of "Les Misérables", playing the street child and revolutionary Gavroche Thénardier. In the original novel, Gavroche is abandoned by his abusive parents, joins the anti-monarchist June Rebellion (1832), and gets killed while participating in a street fight.
Strong started appearing in minor television roles in the early 1990s, guest-starring in then-popular series such as "Going Places", "Bobby's World", and "Home Improvement". He gained his first regular television role in the short-lived sitcom "Julie" (1992). He played Adam McGuire, stepson of the protagonist Julie Carlisle (played by Julie Andrews). The series was canceled due to low ratings, and only 7 episodes were ever produced.
Strong made his film debut in the thriller film "Benefit of the Doubt" (1993). He played Pete Braswell, son of the protagonist Karen Braswell (played by Amy Irving). In the film, Karen gets reacquainted with her estranged father Frank (played by Donald Sutherland) who was incarcerated for 20 years as the main suspect in a murder. Frank tries to convince his family that he was innocent, but there are circumstantial evidence that he was a serial killer. The film was produced by the German film production company CineVox (1983-1999), and its distribution rights were acquired by Miramax.
Strong received his big break when cast as Shawn Hunter in the then-new sitcom "Boy Meets World" (1993). In contrast to the neurotic main character Cory Matthews, Shawn was depicted as rebellious and prone to risk-taking. Shawn was depicted as the son of a troubled family, having an alcoholic father and a mother who run away for extended periods. The sitcom turned out to be a ratings hit, ranking in the top 50 shows for its first 4 seasons. It lasted for 7 seasons and 158 episodes, covering the lives of the main characters from middle school to their college years. Strong became a household name and was among the most prominent members of the cast.
During, the last few seasons of "Boy Meets World", Strong attended morning classes at Occidental College, a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles. He later attended Columbia University as an English major, graduating in 2004. In 2009, he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction and literature at Bennington College. During his college years, Strong starred in the horror comedy film "Cabin Fever" (2002). It depicted vacationing college students becoming infected with a flesh-eating virus. The film took inspiration from real-life skin infections. It was filmed on a small budget and earned 30.6 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
Strong had a recurring role in the animated series "Kim Possible" (2002-2007), voicing football quarterback Brick Flagg. Brick was depicted as the slow-witted and kind boyfriend of Bonnie Rockwaller, one of the series' main supporting characters. The character of Brick was written out of the series in 2004, having graduated high school.
Strong was cast in a regular role in the short-lived comedy-drama series "Pepper Dennis" (2006). He played professional cameraman Chick Dirka, who regularly worked with television reporter Pepper Dennis (played by Rebecca Romijn). Chick's unrequited love for Pepper was a plot point. The series lasted for a single season and 13 episodes. It was one of the last shows broadcast on the network "The WB", which shut down in 2006.
Strong co-directed the short film "Irish Twins" (2008), which debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film won a number of film awards at film festivals. He returned to acting with a starring role in the science fiction horror film "Darkening Sky" (2010), which focused on the topics of alien abductions and unreliable memories.
In October 2013, Strong married his long-term girlfriend, the actress Alexandra Barreto. They were involved in a romantic relationship since 2006. In 2014, Strong joined the cast of the sitcom "Girl Meets World" (2014-2017). The series was a sequel to "Boy Meets World", and focused on a daughter of Cory Matthews. Strong returned to the role of Shawn Hunter, depicted as a professional writer and a photographer. During the series, Shawn served as a father figure, to troubled teenage girl Maya Hart (played by Sabrina Carpenter). Shawn officially adopted Maya during the series finale. The series lasted for 3 seasons and 72 episodes. There were reportedly plans for a 4th season, but no network was interested in financing it.
In 2015, Strong joined the cast of the animated series "Star vs. the Forces of Evil" (2015-2019), voicing the demon prince Tom Lucitor. He was depicted as the ex-boyfriend of extra-dimensional princess Star Butterfly (played by Eden Sher) who sets out to regain her love. The character's flaws included lifelong anger-management issues and recurring jealousy towards Star's other love interest. The series lasted for 4 seasons and 77 episodes.
Strong has not been particularly active during the 2020s, having no prominent roles. By 2022, he was 42-years-old and it is unclear whether he has further career plans. He remains popular due to his past roles in television, and his involvement with several popular series over the decades.S2. E6- Actor
- Producer
Patrick was born in Boston, and though he moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting at a young age, his accent still comes through when he gets excited. Patrick is most remembered for his break out lead role in the 20th Century Fox Feature Film, THE SANDLOT Directed by David M. Evans. He went on to star in Disney's THE BIG GREEN Directed by Holly Goldberg Sloan. His long list of credits include such films as 'Son In Law', 'PUNKS', 'Ricky 6', 'Very Mean Men', 'Life Blood', 'Dark Ride', 'Dorm Daze' and countless others. He also has done several Movies of the Week and has guest starred or recurred on dozens of hit TV shows such shows as 'ER', 'Bones', 'Over There', 'CSI', 'The Closer', 'The X-Files' & 'Boston Legal' (where he didn't have a Boston accent... #irony).
One of his more recent projects, 'Bad Roomies', is Patrick's first film as a producer and his return to the big screen as an actor. BAD ROOMIES, Directed by Jason Schnell, Written by Justin Mooney and also starring Tommy Savas, is a dark comedy about two guys who decide to get a female roommate for all the wrong reasons, forever turning their lives upside-down.
Even more recently, Patrick guest-starred and recurred in the Netflix hit GLOW.
Also be sure to check out the 'You're Killing Me' podcast featuring Patrick who is joined by friend and co-host Justin Mooney (The Ranch). They bring the feel of talk radio to the podcast world with their comedic take on current events and pop culture, Patrick's travel adventures, his mis-adventures of being a new father and the quirks of living in Los Angeles.- Talent Agent
- Actress
- Casting Department
Courtney Peldon was born on 13 April 1981 in New York City, New York, USA. She is a talent agent and actress. She has been married to Brian Calicchia since 2015. They have one child. She was previously married to Bradley Lieberman.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Born and raised in San Francisco, Marla Sokoloff moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and enrolled in the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts, where she studied theater and music. She won numerous awards and accolades for her singing, performing the national anthem at such high profile events as the Oakland A's baseball games and for the USO. Soon after moving to Los Angeles, Marla began landing roles on several popular television series including Home Improvement (1991), Party of Five (1994), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996), and 7th Heaven (1996). On the big screen, she has appeared in the films The Baby-Sitters Club (1995), True Crime (1995), and Whatever It Takes (2000).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Adam Wylie was born on 23 May 1984 in San Dimas, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Picket Fences (1992), The Swan Princess (1994) and Under Wraps (1997).- Cody Burger was born on 4 August 1983 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Heavyweights (1995), Forever Young (1992) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).
- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Blake Ewing is an American composer for visual media.
He believes in music - and in its wonderful power to be cohesive, moving, influential, emotive, subdued, deferential, caustic, achingly beautiful, full of character, simplistic, complex and/or virtually any other adjective one can think of.
His other interests include indie music, architecture, college basketball, and old school EPCOT Center.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Anndi McAfee was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992), Baywatch (1989) and Recess (1997). She has been married to Robert Griffith since 28 September 2014.S3. E19- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Drake Bell was born on June 27, 1986, in Santa Ana, California, USA as Jared Drake Bell. He is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and musician. He is also known as Drake Campana, under which name he records Spanish-language songs. In December 2005, Bell was driving a vehicle that was stopped at a red light when it was struck by an oncoming vehicle. Bell's injuries were severe, including a fractured neck and vertebra, a broken jaw, the loss of seven teeth, and deep lacerations to his face. In June 2021, in Cuyahoga County Court in Ohio, he entered a guilty plea to charges of attempted child endangerment and disseminating matters harmful to juveniles.S3. E21- Actor
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Kyle grew up in Loveland, Colorado. Kyle's first job was in a dinner theater in nearby Fort Collins; where he worked during the ages of 13-14 years old. During the summer, Kyle acted in many plays at the Carousel Dinner Theatre. He has appeared in "The Sound of Music", "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever", "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory", and many more. In the fall, Kyle worked in the theater as a busboy. He discovered his ambition to act during the time period of his first and second plays. He also worked for the Reporter-Herald and ran a paper route to earn money so that he could buy a car to drive out to LA.
Kyle guest-starred on the television series Chicago Hope (1994) on December 6, 1996. He then went on to star in his first feature film House Arrest (1996). He immediately followed up with starring roles in three more upcoming features: The Paper Brigade (1996), Address Unknown (1997) and Robo Warriors (1996). Since then, Kyle has completed a leading role in the feature film Skeletons (1997), starring Ron Silver.
In 1998, Kyle acted on the Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998), the TV remake of The Love Boat (1977). In 2000, he co-starred on the acclaimed series Grosse Pointe (2000), a clever satire based on behind-the-scenes actions on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). Incidently, Darren Star was executive producer of both of these shows. It ran for 17 episodes.Orange County (2002)- Actress
- Soundtrack
Morgan Nagler was born on 24 March 1978 in Oregon, USA. She is an actress, known for Domino (2005), American Pie 2 (2001) and Evolution (2001).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Maggie Lawson was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. When she was eight, she began appearing in local community and dinner theater productions, and at 10, she earned an on-air commercial gig at a Louisville TV station, which soon led to a steady six-year role as a TV personality who filed news reports targeted for her fellow kids. At 17, she moved to Los Angeles for her first professional TV appearance in a recurring role on the sitcom Unhappily Ever After (1995). She finished her senior year in high school with a correspondence course. In 2000, she starred in twin roles as a model and a nerdy student in the movie Model Behavior (2000). In her free time, she enjoys singing and songwriting.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Kaj-Erik Eriksen (pronounced "kai-erik") began his acting career in Vancouver, British Columbia at the age of six. After only a few jobs as an extra and a couple of small speaking roles, He got his first big break when he landed a part in the independent film "Quarantine." Shortly after, Kaj had his first of two guest stars on the TV show "MacGyver," which was his favorite show as a child.
In 1991, after working on a number of movies, and guest starring on various television series, Kaj-Erik booked the role of David Scali, the son of Michael Chiklis' character on the long-running ABC drama "The Commish". The well-respected show catapulted Eriksen into the mainstream American TV world, earning him nominations for a Hollywood Reporter Youth Star Award, a Youth in Film Award, and two YTV Achievement awards.
During The Commish's five year run, Eriksen worked on numerous other projects including the re-make of the classic film "Captains Courageous", and television shows Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Goosebumps (1995).
At seventeen, when "The Commish" had ended, Eriksen moved to Los Angeles and continued his career and school there. Appearing in such shows as "Home improvement" and "Walker Texas Ranger." Kaj-Erik was happy to return to Vancouver in 1999 to shoot two seasons of "Beggars and Choosers", a short-lived series that received critical praise as well as a wonderful cult following.
In 2001 after returning to Los Angeles, Kaj-Erik landed the role of Jeremy Peters on David E. Kelley's "Boston Public". What was supposed to be a four episode arc turned into a recurring role that lasted 2 seasons. It also ended up being one of Eriksen's most recognizable roles to date.
Eriksen returned to Vancouver once again in 2004 to shoot the hit USA Network television series "The 4400", one of his favorite projects to work on to date due the the close "family atmosphere" of the cast and crew.
During Eriksen's 25 years in the business, he has guest starred on many popular TV shows including "Tru Calling", "Stephen King's Dead Zone", "Star Trek: Enterprise", "NCIS", Criminal Minds" and "The Closer."
In 2010, Kaj-Erik starred alongside Richard Thomas in the Hallmark movie "Time After Time."
He resides in Los Angeles.Are You Afraid of the Dark- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Robert Picardo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, where he spent his whole childhood. He graduated from the William Penn Charter School and attended Yale University. At Yale, he landed a role in Leonard Bernstein's "Mass" and at age 19, he played a leading role in the European premiere of "Mass". Later, he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Drama from Yale University. He appeared in the David Mamet play "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" and, with Diane Keaton, in "The Primary English Class". In 1977, he made his Broadway debut in the comedy hit, "Gemini", with Danny Aiello, and also appeared in Bernard Slade's "Tribute", "Beyond Therapy" as well as "Geniuses" and "The Normal Heart", for which he won a Drama-Logue Award.
Then, he became involved in television, where he soon was nominated for an Emmy Award for his role as Coach Cutlip on the series, The Wonder Years (1988). Robert appeared in several other series: China Beach (1988), Frasier (1993), Ally McBeal (1997), Home Improvement (1991), The Outer Limits (1995) and Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996).
In 1995, he got the role of the holographic doctor on Star Trek: Voyager (1995), where he also directed two episodes. He also got roles in The Howling (1981), Star 80 (1983), Get Crazy (1983), Oh, God! You Devil (1984), Innerspace (1987), Munchies (1987), Samantha (1991), White Mile (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Small Soldiers (1998), Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (2010), and so on.
He resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife Linda, and their two daughters.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Mark L. Taylor was born on 25 October 1950 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Innerspace (1987), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) and Arachnophobia (1990). He is married to Judy Taylor. They have two children.He has the same name as the youngest son! Ha!- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Dave Chappelle's career started while he was in high school at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC where he studied theatre arts. At the age of 14, he began performing stand-up comedy in nightclubs. Shortly after graduation, he moved to New York City where he quickly established himself as a major young talent. At the age of 19, Chappelle made his film debut in Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). Chappelle then starred in the short-lived sitcom, Buddies (1996) and had a featured role in The Nutty Professor (1996).S4. E20 ...audience member- Actor
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Jim Breuer was born on 21 June 1967 in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Half Baked (1998), Titan A.E. (2000) and Zookeeper (2011). He has been married to Dee Breuer since 28 August 1993. They have three children.S4. E20 ...audience member- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Jay Leno began his career in night clubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big in 1992 with his own late-night talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). By that time he had appeared on television, acted in a few films (American Hot Wax (1978)) but hit paydirt with his late-night television appearances (he made a record number of visits to [error]); for several years, he served as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). A big, sweet guy with a very good comedy routine, he vied with David Letterman to inherit Carson's seat when Johnny retired in 1992. His victory was well-publicized, but empty, though he did gain a measure of revenge when his show beat Letterman's for the Emmy in 1995. Though he consistently lost in the ratings to Letterman except on special occasions, like Hugh Grant's first TV appearance after his encounter with Divine Brown, he surged ahead in 1996, as CBS plunged further into oblivion.- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
Daniel Edward Aykroyd was born on July 1, 1952 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Lorraine Hélène (Gougeon), a secretary from a French-Canadian family, and Samuel Cuthbert Peter Hugh Aykroyd, a civil engineer who advised prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Aykroyd attended Carleton University in 1969, where he majored in Criminology and Sociology, but he dropped out before completing his degree. He worked as a comedian in various Canadian nightclubs and managed an after-hours speakeasy, Club 505, in Toronto for several years. He worked with Second City Stage Troupe in Toronto and started his acting career at Carleton University with Sock'n'Buskin, the campus theater/drama club. Married to Donna Dixon since 1983, they have three daughters. His parents are named Peter and Lorraine and his brother Peter Aykroyd is a psychic researcher. Dan received an honorary Doctorate from Carleton University in 1994 and was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 1998.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Troy Evans was born on 16 February 1948 in Missoula, Montana, USA. He is an actor, known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Under Siege (1992) and Demolition Man (1993). He is married to Heather McLarty.- Actor
- Director
- Casting Director
Miguel Sandoval was born on 16 November 1951 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sharp Objects (2018), Clear and Present Danger (1994) and Jurassic Park (1993). He is married to Linda Sandoval. They have one child.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Drew Carey was born on 23 May 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for The Drew Carey Show (1995), Robots (2005) and Jack and Jill (2011).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Megan Cavanagh is a Chicago native, most recognized as Marla Hooch, from the Penny Marshall movie A League of Their Own. Other film credits include: Mel Brooks' Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It. She starred with Tim Allen and Kirstie Ally in For Richer or Poorer (Levinia Yoder). Megan voiced Judy Neutron, Jimmy Neutron's Mom, in The Academy Award Nominated Animated Feature Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, and also did the Nickelodeon TV series. Megan was a recurring character on Home Improvement and her character, Trudy married Al on the last episode. Guest star roles include: Friends, Will & Grace, Just Shoot Me, West Wing, ER, Roseanne and many others. Megan has been performing in Menopause The Musical since 2004. She is a passionate fan of baseball, and has been honored on the field at Major and Minor League ballparks across the country but calls the Chicago Cubs "her team".- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
One of four sisters, Jenny McCarthy was born in Evergreen Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, the second oldest daughter of Linda (Loheit), a courtroom custodian, and Daniel McCarthy, a steel mill foreman. She has Irish (father) and Croatian, German, and Polish (mother) ancestry. She was educated at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, before going on to Southern Illinois University to study nursing and psychology. However, a lack of funds meant she had to drop out. To earn some money, McCarthy landed a chance to model for Playboy magazine and was Miss October 1993. She was eventually named 1994 Playmate of the Year. Following a relocation to Los Angeles, California, McCarthy landed some television host roles and also began picking up acting parts. Roles followed in various projects, including BASEketball (1998), Scream 3 (2000), Scary Movie 3 (2003), The Drew Carey Show (1995) and her own sitcom, Jenny (1997). She also continued modeling.
McCarthy has one son, Evan Joseph, from her marriage to John Asher. In 2005, Evan was diagnosed with autism. She is also an author, writing successful books on pregnancy, motherhood and more.
After one year as co-host of The View (1997), McCarthy can now be found hosting her own daily talk radio show, on Sirius XM, called "Dirty, Sexy, Funny" and can be found touring the country with her entourage of female comediennes, with a show by the same name. A 1-hour special, with her comediennes and comedy vignettes, can be found on Netflix by searching Jenny McCarthy's Dirty Sexy Funny (2014).- Actor
- Producer
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Sam McMurray was born on 15 April 1952 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Raising Arizona (1987), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and L.A. Story (1991). He is married to Elizabeth Collins. They have two children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Stephen Root, one of today's most prolific character actors, is currently starring in HBO's hit series Barry, for which he received a Best Supporting Actor Emmy Nomination. Barry has been nominated for multiple Emmy's and Golden Globes, and has been renewed through season four. Stephen recently starred in Amazon's drama Uncle Frank (2020) and plays a role in the Michael Morris feature directorial debut To Leslie (2020).
Stephen starred opposite of Nicole Kidman in the Roger Ailes, Fox News sexual harassment scandal, Bombshell (2019). Stephen a pivotal role in the AFI Film Festival winner On the Basis Sex (2018), the Ruth Bader Ginsberg biopic and starred opposite Melissa McCarthy in the New Line hit comedy Life of the Party (2018). Stephen was also part of the talented ensemble in Netflix's The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), reuniting with directors Joel & Ethan Coen. Stephen was part of Jordan Peele's box office hit Get Out (2017). Aside from his feature films, Stephen can be seen in his recurring role on HBO's drama Perry Mason (2020), also renewed for a second season, and Amazon's hit drama series The Man in the High Castle (2015).
Root has earned rave reviews for bringing a variety of characters to life in such films as O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), Selma (2014), No Country for Old Men (2007), Leatherheads (2008), J. Edgar (2011), Cedar Rapids (2011), and Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004). He was catapulted into the realm of cult hero when he starred as the put-upon Milton Waddams in Mike Judge's Office Space (1999). His animated features include Rango (2011), Finding Nemo (2003), Finding Dory (2016), Ice Age (2002) & Ice Age: The Melt Down (2006), and The Country Bears (2002).
Root starred as the eccentric station owner, Jimmy James, for five seasons on NBC's NewsRadio (1995-99). Stephen has also recurred on FX's Justified (2010), Boardwalk Empire (2010), Turn: Washington's Spies (2014), Idiotsitter (2016), True Blood (2008), 24 (2001), West Wing (1999) and Pushing Daisies (2007). His many memorable guest appearances include Veep (2012), Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2017), Big Bang Theory (2018), Angie Tribeca (2016), Fringe (2008), Raising Hope (2010), Children's Hospital (2010), CSI (2000), and Louie (2010).
Root was the voice of Bill Dauterieve and Mr. Strickland on FOX's Emmy-winning hit animated series King of the Hill (1997) for an impressive 13 seasons. He has also lent his voice to several animated series including Kevin Smith's revival of Masters of the Universe (2021), Amphibia (2019), BoJack Horseman (2019), Adventure Time (2010), Gravity Falls (2012), American Dad (2005), The Cleveland Show (2009), DreamWorks' Dragons: Riders of Berk (2012), Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011), The X's (2005), and SyFy's Tripping the Rift (2004).
Born in Sarasota, Root received his initial training in the BFA program at the University of Florida and remains a die-hard Gators fan. After three years of touring the U.S. and Canada with the National Shakespeare Company, Root settled in New York, honing his craft in many regional theaters and starring off-Broadway in Journey's End and The Au Pair Man. His Broadway debut came in So Long on Lonely Street, which was followed by the Tony award-winning production of All My Sons, with Richard Kiley. A starring role as Boolie in the Broadway national touring company of Driving Miss Daisy with Julie Harris, brought Root to Los Angeles where he currently resides.- Actor
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Character actor Art LaFleur was born on September 9, 1943 in Gary, Indiana. LaFleur worked extensively in sales as well as in both the saloon and restaurant business prior to deciding at age 31 in 1975 to move from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California in order to pursue a career in film. Art initially planned on being a screenwriter, but was ultimately persuaded to try his hand at acting instead by fellow actor and friend Jonathan Banks. LaFleur started landing acting gigs in plays in 1977 and acted in his first TV movie a year later. Often cast in tough guy roles, Art continued to act in a steady succession of both films and television shows alike with pleasing regularity up until 2017. LaFleur died at age 78 following a ten year battle with Parkinson's disease on November 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.- Noble Willingham appeared in more than 30 feature films, including Up Close & Personal (1996), Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), Chinatown (1974), City Slickers (1991), and The Distinguished Gentleman (1992).
He was born in the small town of Mineola, Texas, east of Dallas. After graduating from North Texas State College in 1953, he earned a master's degree in educational psychology from Baylor University. Willingham was a teacher before following his long-time dream of becoming an actor. Willingham auditioned for a part in the Academy Award-winning film The Last Picture Show (1971), which was filmed in Texas. He won the role, which led to another, in the Academy Award-winning comedy Paper Moon (1973).
On television, he had recurring roles on Home Improvement (1991) and Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), and appeared as a guest star on other television series, including Matlock (1986), L.A. Law (1986), Quantum Leap (1989), Murder, She Wrote (1984), and Northern Exposure (1990), as well as such films and made-for-television movies as Men Don't Tell (1993), Woman with a Past (1992), The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987), and Unconquered (1989). - Actress
- Producer
The CCH stands for Carol Christine Hilaria, her birth name. Most of her characters are enriched with positive attributes -- strength, confidence, integrity, strong-mindedness -- and it is a testament to the abilities of this four-time Emmy nominated actress that she continues on such a high plane in a five-decade career.
Born on Christmas Day 1952 in Guyana, she was raised on a sugar cane plantation. Her parents, Betsy Enid Arnella (James) and Ronald Urlington Pounder, moved the family to the States while she was still a young girl, but she and her sister were subsequently sent to a convent boarding school in Britain where they were introduced to art and the classics. Following high school graduation, she arrived in New York and studied at Ithaca College, where her acting talents were strongly tapped into. Regional and classical repertory theater followed, earning roles in such productions as "The Mighty Gents" (1979) with Morgan Freeman at the New York Shakespeare Festival and "Open Admissions" (1984), her Broadway debut. Other stage work includes "Coriolanus," "Antony and Cleopatra," "The Frog," "The Lodger" and "Mumbo Jumbo."
After bit/featured roles in All That Jazz (1979), I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982) and Prizzi's Honor (1985), CCH earned cult status in the art-house film Bagdad Cafe (1987) (aka "Bagdad Café" in the US) as the offbeat owner of a roadside café. She continued to impress with support roles in Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Importance of Being Earnest (1992), an all-black version: as Miss Prism), Benny & Joon (1993), RoboCop 3 (1993), Sliver (1993), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995),Face/Off (1997), Funny Valentines (1999), The Devil in Miss Jones 6 (1999), Baby of the Family (2002), Rain (2008), Orphan (2009), Avatar (2009) (as the voice of Mo'at, and its sequels), My Girlfriend's Back (2010). Home Again (2012) (as a Jamaican) and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013).
Pounder's prominence came, however, with television. Often cast as succinct, professional types (doctors, policewoman, judges) or characters with a variety of accents, she is known for her understated intensity and earned an Emmy nomination for her stint on the hospital drama ER (1994). She has also performed in a number of highly acclaimed topical mini-movie dramas, including Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985), Common Ground (1990), Murder in Mississippi (1990), Little Girl Fly Away (1998), A Touch of Hope (1999), Boycott (2001), Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (2004) (as Winnie Mandela) for which a number of kudos have come her way.
Millennium TV output includes regular/recurring roles on the series The Shield (2002) in which she earned an NAACP Award and Emmy nomination as Detective Claudette Wym; the social drama Ciencias del espacio (2008) as matriarch Mrs. Trainor, and NCIS: New Orleans (2014) as medical examiner Loretta Wade. She later found voice work in animated projects and video games.- Actor
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George Foreman was boxing's most feared fighter from 1973-1974. Undefeated in 40 straight fights, 37 by knockout, he was on a 24 consecutive knockout run when he faced Muhammad Ali on October 30, 1974 in defense of his world heavyweight title in Zaire, Africa. A product of a poor family, Foreman was in constant trouble with the law. He credits the Job Corp with turning his life around. Started boxing as an amateur and, in less than three years, captured a gold medal in the 1968 Olympic Games. Lost only 2 out of 24 amateur fights. Turned pro under the guidance of veteran trainer Dick Saddler. Foreman was a stablemate of former heavyweight king Charles "Sonny" Liston and Charlie Snips. Foreman idolized Liston and copied his ring style and mannerisms. Foreman used a piercing stare to intimated his opponents ala Liston. He was criticized for beating second rate opponents, yet had scored victories over credible fighters like George Chuvallo, Boone Kirkman and Gregorio Peralta. Destroyed undefeated Joe Frazier in two brutal rounds to capture the world title in 1973; Frazier was knocked down six times. Destroyed Jose "King" Roman in one round and Ken Norton in two rounds to retain his title. Foreman was knocked out by 3-1 underdog Muhammad Ali in 8 rounds. Foreman fought 5 men in one night in a 1975 exhibition. Won five straight knockouts on the comeback trail before being decked and decision-ed by Jimmy Young in Puerto Rico in 1977. Foreman claimed to have seen God in his dressing room following the defeat and announced he was going to become a preacher and retire from boxing. Preached for 10 years and blew up to 300 pounds. Decided to return to the ring to raise money for his church; experts laughed, but Foreman racked up 18 straight knockout victories. He was defeated in a title bid by Evander Holyfield but, a few years later, shocked the world by knocking out undefeated World Heavyweight Champion Michael Moorer (36-0) to become champion again at 45. Made a few successful defenses before losing his title by a controversial decision to Shannon Briggs.- Actor
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Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Anna (Boselli), who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), Italy, and Camillo Borgnino, who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), Italy. As an only child, Ernest enjoyed most sports, especially boxing, but took no real interest in acting. At age 18, after graduating from high school in New Haven, and undecided about his future career, he joined the United States Navy, where he stayed for ten years until leaving in 1945. After a few factory jobs, his mother suggested that his forceful personality could make him suitable for a career in acting, and Borgnine promptly enrolled at the Randall School of Drama in Hartford. After completing the course, he joined Robert Porterfield's famous Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, staying there for four years, undertaking odd jobs and playing every type of role imaginable. His big break came in 1949, when he made his acting debut on Broadway playing a male nurse in "Harvey".
In 1951, Borgnine moved to Los Angeles to pursue a movie career, and made his film debut as Bill Street in The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951). His career took off in 1953 when he was cast in the role of Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in From Here to Eternity (1953). This memorable performance led to numerous supporting roles as "heavies" in a steady string of dramas and westerns. He played against type in 1955 by securing the lead role of Marty Piletti, a shy and sensitive butcher, in Marty (1955). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, despite strong competition from Spencer Tracy, Frank Sinatra, James Dean and James Cagney. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Borgnine performed memorably in such films as The Catered Affair (1956), Ice Station Zebra (1968) and Emperor of the North (1973). Between 1962 and 1966, he played Lt. Commander Quinton McHale in the popular television series McHale's Navy (1962). In early 1984, he returned to television as Dominic Santini in the action series Airwolf (1984) co-starring Jan-Michael Vincent, and in 1995, he was cast in the comedy series The Single Guy (1995) as doorman Manny Cordoba. He also appeared in several made-for-TV movies.
Ernest Borgnine has often stated that acting was his greatest passion. His amazing 61-year career (1951 - 2012) included appearances in well over 100 feature films and as a regular in three television series, as well as voice-overs in animated films such as All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996), Small Soldiers (1998), and a continued role in the series SpongeBob SquarePants (1999). Between 1973 until his death, Ernest was married to Tova Traesnaes, who heads her own cosmetics company. They lived in Beverly Hills, California, where Ernest assisted his wife between film projects. When not acting, Ernest actively supported numerous charities and spoke tirelessly at benefits throughout the country. He has been awarded several honorary doctorates from colleges across the United States as well as numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 1996, Ernest purchased a bus and traveled across the United States to see the country and meet his many fans. On December 17, 1999, he presented the University of North Alabama with a collection of scripts from his film and television career, due to his long friendship with North Alabama alumnus and actor George Lindsey (died May 6, 2012), who was an artist in residence at North Alabama.
Ernest Borgnine passed away aged 95 on July 8, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, of renal failure. He is survived by his wife Tova, their children and his younger sister Evelyn (1926-2013)- Actress
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Amy Ryan was born on May 3, 1968 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA as Amy Beth Dziewiontkowski. She is an actress, known for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014), Gone Baby Gone (2007) and Escape Plan (2013). She has been married to Eric Slovin since August 23, 2011. They have one child.- Actress
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Jennifer Nash was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. After attending Interlochen Arts Academy, the National Theater of Great Britian's Drama Program and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, Ms Nash went on to do Broadway, regional theater, television and film. She has lived in Austin, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles and the UK. Jennifer's younger brother Marcus Nash has also appeared on Star Trek, The Next Generation. Ms. Nash is currently acting, writing and working on her upcoming globally inspired cookbook.- Actor
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Mickey Jones was born on 10 June 1941 in Houston, Texas, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Total Recall (1990), Starman (1984) and Sling Blade (1996). He was married to Phyllis Jean Starr and Sandra Joel Davis. He died on 7 February 2018 in Simi Valley, California, USA.- Actor
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Born in raised in Southern California, Mike's training began at UCLA...Go Bruins! where he graduated in with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theater and won the Natalie Wood Acting Award.
Mike is one of the busiest working actors in Film and TV for over 40 years booking 100+ TV credits, including guest starring in 18 episodes of the Starz show Hightown as Ed Murphy, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Madam Secretary, NCIS: New Orleans, The Good Fight and The Resident, to name a few.
130 + Film credits include Reptile opposite Benicio Del Toro and Justin Timberlake on Netflix, The Founder opposite Michael Keaton and Million Dollar Arm opposite Jon Hamm. Mike is also an award winning filmmaker having written two popular short films - Mend, and Bound with Michael O'Neill.
Mike has also performed in hundreds of commercials and voice-overs. Credits include Chevrolet, CNN, Ford, Gold Bond, Miller Lite, Publix, Sprite, Sudafed, Sun Trust Bank, UPS, Wal-Mart and Xerox.
In addition to his acting, Mike is a sought after Career Coach and the author of his book, "When Life Gives You Lemons, Throw 'em Back!"- Actor
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Collins played linebacker and guard at Brother Rice High School (Bloomfield Township, Michigan). He was a Football Writers Association first-team All-American (second-team Associated Press) at Notre Dame in 1974. He was the leading tackler on Notre Dame's national championship team in 1973, garnering 18 solo stops in a showdown victory over the defending national champions, Southern California, and 16 in the Sugar Bowl victory vs. Alabama that secured the national title for Notre Dame. Collins was taken in the second round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the 49ers, the 35th overall selection. He later played for the Seattle Seahawks in 1976 and for the Buffalo Bills in 1977.- Actress
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The normally erudite, soft-spoken and well-mannered Alabama-born (July 2, 1937) actress Polly Dean Holliday, daughter of a truck driver, accumulated quite an extensive theater background by the time she hit sassy, blue-collar stardom on 70s TV as gum-cracking waitress Florence Jean Castleberry on the highly popular sitcom Alice (1976).
Following her studies at Alabama College for Women, where she appeared in such productions as "Medea" and "The Lady's Not for Burning" and at Florida State University, Polly began her professional stage career in outdoor drama in North Carolina before joining the Asolo Repertory Company in Sarasota, Florida, and becoming a long, respected company member. During her initial residency (1962-1972), she appeared in such classic and contemporary productions as "The Way of the World" (1962), "Major Barbara" (1967), "As You Like It" (1967), "Look Back in Anger" (1968), "Joe Egg" (1970), "Candida" (title role, 1971), "The Subject Was Roses" (1971) and "House of Blue Leaves" (1971). Later roles with the company included "Hay Fever" (1974) and "Free and Clear" (2004). Polly worked long and hard to disguise her Alabama drawl while building up a sturdy classical reputation. At the same time, she supplemented her income teaching piano and also music in elementary schools.
Making her off-Broadway debut in "Orphee" back in 1964, she moved to the East Coast in 1972 and appeared in New York productions of "Wedding Bond," and "The Girl Most Likely to Succeed" before taking her first Broadway bow in "All Over Town" directed by Dustin Hoffman in 1974. She then began appearing in small parts in such movies as The Catamount Killing (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and All the President's Men (1976)
Polly won the flashy TV role of Flo in 1976. As the Southern-baked hash slinger who delightfully redefined trailer park trash, the actress gave a no-holds barred performance that earned her two Golden Globes awards and an Emmy nomination. She hit it so big with fans (her character introduced the catch phrase "Kiss mah grits!") that she was given her own spin-off, aptly titled Flo (1980). Surprisingly, the show lasted only one season despite another Emmy-nomination.
To avoid severe typecasting, Polly veered away from the television limelight and returned to her first love, the theatre. She won renewed respect and critical notice on Broadway and in regional theatre for her performances in "A Sense of Humor" (1983), "Black Coffee" (1985), her eccentric Martha Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1986), as Amanda Wingfield in "The Glass Menagerie" (1988), her Tony-nominated turn as Big Mama in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1990), "A Quarrel of Sparrows" (1993), her Veta in "Harvey" (1993), as spinster schoolteacher Flo Owens in "Picnic" (1994) and again off-Broadway in "Marco Polo Sings a Solo" (1998).
From time to time, Polly has taken on feisty roles in both comic and dramatic films, such as the old crank who meets a freakish end in the box-office critter hit Gremlins (1984), and on TV wherein she briefly replaced Eileen Brennan as Captain Amanda Allen in the series Private Benjamin (1981) after Ms. Brennan's near-fatal car accident in 1982.
Though Polly never recaptured the brash success of her Alice (1976) years, she has continued at a healthy pace primarily in guest spots. She nominally played wise and opinionated mothers and grandmothers on such shows as "Stir Crazy," "The Golden Girls," "Amazing Stories," "The Equalizer" and "Homicide: Life on the Streets." She also had recurring roles as Momma Love on the short-lived crime series The Client (1995) and as Patricia Richardson's mom on the hit sitcom Home Improvement (1991).
Broaching the millennium she continued sporadically with featured parts in such films as Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Mr. Wrong (1996), The Parent Trap (1998), Stick It (2006), The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and Fair Game (2010). She has also been featured on stage in such plays as "The Time of the Cuckoo" (2000), "Dividing the Estate" (2007), "A Christmas Carol" (2013) and "The Old Friends" (2014).- 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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Isiah Thomas is an American former basketball player who played professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, the 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas has also been a professional and collegiate head coach, a basketball executive, and a broadcaster.
Isiah Thomas played collegiately for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA championship as a sophomore and declaring for the NBA draft. He was taken as the second overall pick by the Pistons in the 1981 NBA draft, and played for them his entire career, while leading the "Bad Boys" to the 1988-89 and 1989-90 NBA championships.
After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men's basketball coach for the Florida International University Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012. In early May 2015, amidst controversy, Thomas was named president and part owner of the Knicks' WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty, subsequent to the re-hiring of Thomas's former Pistons teammate, Bill Laimbeer, as the team's coach.- Mariangela Pino was born on 15 August 1953 in Chama, New Mexico, USA. She is an actress, known for Richie Rich (1994), Millennium (1996) and Murder One (1995).
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The American actress was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, and grew up in Delaware, Illinois, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. Garlington was recently nominated for a 2018 Primetime Emmy Award / Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her role as 'Darlene' in Broken. Garlington was a series regular on several series Lenny, Townies, and Blame it on Ernie as well as eleven other pilots that did not go to series. She had recurring roles in several notable television series, including The West Wing, The Killing, Flashforward, Everwood, The Riches, The Bridge, Will & Grace, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Mistresses, and Roseanne. She also played Kirsten, Rose Nylund's (Betty White) daughter in the final season of The Golden Girls, Ronni, the mistress of Joey Tribbiani's father on Friends, and the waitress Claire at Pete's Luncheonette in the pilot episode, The Seinfeld Chronicles. Her first professional acting job was "Myrna the Mean Waitress" in the sequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Psycho II in 1983 and its successor, Psycho III in 1986. The same year she starred alongside Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen in the action/thriller Cobra. Garlington feels she was blessed that writer/director Phil Alden Robinson decided she was his "good luck charm" and cast her in almost all of his movies: In The Mood, Field of Dreams, Sneakers, Sum of All Fears, and The Angriest Man in Brooklyn. Garlington was also nominated for a 2015 (ISA) Indie Series Award / Best Guest Actress- Comedy for Mentor. Having appeared in over 25 plays in Los Angeles and winning numerous Dramalogue Awards, she won the 1999 Ovation Award (L.A.'s answer to the Tony's) for a Featured Role in the play Risk Everything.- Actress
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Sherry Hursey was born on 22 November 1956 in the USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Bring It On (2000), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and The Island (2005).- Actor
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Wonderfully talented, heavyset character actor (from New York, but regularly playing Southerners) M. Emmet Walsh has made a solid career of playing corrupt cops, deadly crooks, and zany comedic roles since the early 1970s.
Michael Emmet Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, to Agnes Katharine (Sullivan) and Harry Maurice Walsh, a customs agent. He is of Irish descent. Walsh first appeared in a few fairly forgettable roles both on TV and onscreen before cropping up in several well remembered films, including a courtroom police officer in What's Up, Doc? (1972), as the weird Dickie Dunn in Slap Shot (1977), and as a loony sniper hunting Steve Martin in The Jerk (1979). On-screen demand heated up for him in the early 1980s with attention-grabbing work in key hits, including Brubaker (1980), Reds (1981), and as Harrison Ford's police chief in the futuristic thriller Blade Runner (1982). Walsh then turned in a stellar performance as the sleazy, double-crossing private detective in the Joel Coen and Ethan Coen film noir Blood Simple (1984), and showed up again for the Coens as a loud-mouthed sheet-metal worker bugging Nicolas Cage in the hilarious Raising Arizona (1987). As Walsh moved into his fifties and beyond, Hollywood continued to offer him plenty of work, and he has appeared in over 50 movies since passing the half-century mark. His consistent ability to turn out highly entertaining portrayals led film critic Roger Ebert to coin the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which states that any film starring Walsh or Harry Dean Stanton has to have some merit. And the "M" stands for Michael!- Actor
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John Elway is an American former professional football quarterback who is general manager and president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL).
John Elway played college football at Stanford and his entire 16-year professional career with the Denver Broncos. At the time of his retirement in early 1999, Elway had recorded the most victories by a starting quarterback and statistically was the second most prolific passer in NFL history. He was also a prolific rusher of the ball, being one of only two players ever to score a rushing touchdown in four different Super Bowls (the other being Thurman Thomas) and the only quarterback to do so.
John Elway set several career records for passing attempts and completions while at Stanford and also received All-American honors. He was the first selection in the 1983 NFL Draft, famously known as the quarterback class of 1983, where he was taken by the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos. In January 1987, Elway embarked on one of the most notable performances in sports and in NFL history, helping engineer a 98-yard, game-tying touchdown drive in the AFC Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns. Following that game in Cleveland, Elway and the Broncos lost in Super Bowl XXI to the New York Giants Football Team.
After two more Super Bowl losses, the Broncos entered a period of decline; however, that ended during the 1997 season, as Elway and Denver won their first Super Bowl title by defeating the Green Bay Packers 31-24 in Super Bowl XXXII. The Broncos repeated as champions the following season in Super Bowl XXXIII by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-19. Elway was voted MVP of that Super Bowl, which was the last game of his career, and in doing so Elway set a then-record five Super Bowl starts which was broken in February 2015 when Tom Brady of New England Patriots started Super Bowl XLIX. As Denver's quarterback, Elway led his teams to six AFC Championship Games and five Super Bowls, winning two. After his retirement as a player, he served as general manager and executive vice president of football operations of the Broncos, which won four division titles, two AFC Championships, and Super Bowl 50 during his tenure. Elway has been a member of the Broncos organization for all three of their Super Bowl victories, two as a player and one as an executive.
Elway was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in his first year of eligibility and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.- Actor
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Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiser-weight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and remains the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the three belt era. Nicknamed "the Real Deal", Holyfield is the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified WBA, WBC, and IBF titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.- Actor
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James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American former politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975 and as a Georgia state senator from 1963 to 1967. Since leaving office, Carter has remained engaged in political and social projects, receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work.S3. E18- Actress
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Amy Steel's acting career began in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1973 when she attended Westtown school of dramatic arts. After two summers of dramatic training, Amy joined Barley-Sheaf Players and starred in two productions. She temporarily left the theatre to further pursue her academic career at the prestigious Kent school in Kent, Conneticut. After three years at Kent, Amy left to attend a small college in Palm Beach, Florida where she majored in communications and broadcasting. It was there that John Casablancas, President of the renowned Elite model Agency discovered her.
Amy left Florida for New York in June 1979. Career opportunities in modelling, television and film soon followed. Amy has appeared in many television commercials, several soap operas and many hit movies. Today her film and TV career continues to shine.S3. E20- Actress
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Principal is the elder daughter of Ree (née Veal) and Victor Rocco Principal. Her paternal grandparents were Italian, while her mother's family was from Gordon, Georgia, and South Carolina. Her father, a United States Air Force sergeant, was often transferred to different duty stations, so the family constantly moved, and Victoria grew up in London, Florida, Puerto Rico, Massachusetts, and Georgia, among other places. She and her sister attended 17 different schools. Victoria's acting career began when she made a commercial at age five, and she began modeling in high school. She enrolled at Miami-Dade Community College, and wanted to study chiropractic medicine. However, being seriously injured in a car crash at age 18 made her refocus her energy on her love of acting. She moved to New York City, where she worked as a model and actress. She then studied at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and moved to Los Angeles, California in 1971.
Her first film was as a Mexican mistress in The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972), starring Paul Newman. Four years later, she became so disappointed with her career that she quit acting and spent the next three years working as an agent. In 1978, she planned on going to law school and later become a studio executive, but Aaron Spelling offered her a year's tuition to accept a role in the pilot of Fantasy Island (1977). She agreed, and soon after that, she landed the role of Pamela Barnes Ewing on CBS' long-running soap opera Dallas (1978). She left the series after nine years, and began her own production company, Victoria Principal Productions. She continues to work as an actress and producer, and has also created a line of skin care products and written three books about beauty and skin-care.- Actor
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For the last 20 or so years, Clark has been doing stand-up comedy on the club circuit, on "The Tonight Show", on HBO comedy specials, on [error] and Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993). In addition, he has been in over 50 feature motion pictures and hundreds of episodic TV shows. A decorated Infantry Platoon Leader in Vietnam, Clark brought the plight of the Vietnam Veteran to the people of America in a humorous way in the 1980s and was "adopted" by numerous Veteran Organizations throughout the United States. Having moved from his home state of Georgia to Hollywood, Clark soon landed his first The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) and soon, thereafter, was cast in his first of many recurring roles on television as "Fred the Chauffeur" on Remington Steele (1982). Since then, he has been "Harry" on Home Improvement (1991), "Jules Lambermont" on The Drew Carey Show (1995), "Chet Hunter" on Boy Meets World (1993) and "Bob Nelson" on The Jamie Foxx Show (1996). But Clark is perhaps best known as "Farmer Fran" in The Waterboy (1998). And he recently received critical acclaim as "Marlin Whitmore" in 50 First Dates (2004). He has traveled the world doing comedy and recently went to Iraq for an extended USO Tour with Drew Carey. Clark is a warm, smart, funny and innovative social commentator and a man of all seasons with a quiet patriotism that he lives as well as portrays. His comedy runs the gamut from observation on the current military conflict to his Southern root in Georgia.- William O'Leary was born on 19 October 1957 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for Bull Durham (1988) and Hot Shots! (1991).
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Born in Los Angeles but raised in Manhattan and educated at Middlebury College and Carnegie-Mellon University, James Cromwell is the son of film director John Cromwell and actress Kay Johnson. He studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon, and went into the theatre (like his parents) doing everything from Shakespeare to experimental plays. He started appearing on television in 1974, gaining some notice in a recurring role as Archie Bunker's friend Stretch Cunningham on All in the Family (1971), made his film debut in 1976, and goes back to the stage periodically. Some of his more noted film roles have been in Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Star Trek: First Contact (1996) and the surprise classic about a charming pig, Babe (1995). He garnered some of the best reviews of his career (many of which said he should have received an Oscar) for his role as a corrupt, conniving police captain in L.A. Confidential (1997).- Actor
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Bruce McGill grew up in San Antonio, Texas. His mother, Adriel Rose (Jacobs) is an artist, and his father, Woodrow Wilson McGill, is a real estate and insurance agent. He graduated from Douglas MacArthur High School San Antonio, where he acted in the department of theatre, and from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in drama. His love for acting stems back to elementary school. He is related to former Texas State Senator A.R. Schwartz. McGill has starred in many films. His role as "D-Day" in National Lampoon's Animal House (1978), taken out of desperation as a young unemployed actor, ended up being his most well known. His long acting career also includes films, Wildcats, The Last Boy Scout, My Cousin Vinny, Cliffhanger, Timecop, The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Sum of All Fears, along with many others. McGill starred in many television roles, including portraying the Boston Police Homicide Detective Vince Korsak on the TNT television crime drama, Rizzoli & Isles. The character of Korsak is the mentor and friend of Detective Jane Rizzoli, portrayed by Angie Harmon. Director Michael Mann,considers McGill a favorite, having worked with him on The Insider, Ali and Collateral. He has also appeared in four HBO TV films, CIA Director George Tenet in Oliver Stone's film W and, also, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln. McGill has been married to his wife Gloria since 1994.F.I.S.T. (1978)
Animal House (1978)
Silkwood (1983)
My Cousin Vinny (1992)
Cliffhanger (1993)
A Perfect World (1993)
Courage Under Fire (1996)
The Insider (1999)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
Shallow Hal (2001)
Ali (2001)
Collateral (2004)
Cinderella Man (2005)
W. (2008)
Lincoln (2012)- Actor
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Jim Jansen was born on 27 July 1945 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Water for Elephants (2011), Gilmore Girls (2000) and Death Becomes Her (1992).- Patrick Cronin was born in 1941 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor, known for Splash (1983), Rocky V (1990) and The Oldest Rookie (1987). He has been married to Dr. Amber Kinser Ph.D. since August 2004. He was previously married to Beatrice Colen.
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Leslie Louise Bibb was born in Bismarck, North Dakota, on November 17, 1973, and raised in Nelson County, Virginia. Later she and her mother, along with her three older sisters, moved to Richmond, where Leslie attended an all-girls Catholic high school, St. Gertrude.
In 1990 The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) and the Elite Agency held a nationwide modeling search; Leslie's mother took photos of her then 16-year-old daughter and sent them in. Although Leslie wasn't impressed with the photos, the judges--John Casablancas, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Iman--were, and they picked her as the winner.
After finishing her junior year, Leslie flew to New York City and signed a contract with Elite. She modeled over the summer, and went on a trip to Japan. She returned home for her senior year and graduated in 1992, then decided to forgo a full-time modeling career to attend the University of Virginia. After a single semester, however, she dropped out and moved to New York City. She attended the William Esper acting studio for three years and took nine months off in which she did more modeling in Europe. Her photographs have appeared in such magazine as Maxim and FHM.
Leslie had her first film role in the comedy Private Parts (1997), which was followed by her first television series (where she replaced the departed Susan Walters as the female lead) in the second season of The Big Easy (1996) on USA. Unfortunately, the show was canceled just months later.
In 1999 she appeared as the lead character on the WB Network television series Popular (1999). The show was a success among teenagers, and led Leslie to more recognizable film roles, such as The Skulls (2000) and See Spot Run (2001). Most recently she has appeared as intern Erin Harkins in ER (1994).- Actor
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Mike Starr was born on 29 July 1950 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Ed Wood (1994), Dumb and Dumber (1994) and Uncle Buck (1989). He has been married to Joanne since 1975. They have three children.- Actor
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David DeLuise is an actor, director, producer and son of legendary actor and comedian Dom DeLuise and actress Carol Arthur. His godparents are Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft.
DeLuise is now perhaps the most popular dad on TV. He's won the admiration of millions of children and parents alike for his portrayal of family patriarch Jerry Russo on the hit Emmy award-winning Disney Channel series, "Wizards of Waverly Place." He also starred in "Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie," which aired on the Disney Channel to over 25 million viewers.
DeLuise has been a familiar face to television audiences for years in the hit series "Stargate SG-1" and "3rd Rock from the Sun." and guest starred in "Shameless", "NCIS", "Hawaii Five-0", "Real Rob", "Rizzoli and Isles", "Baby Daddy", "Bones", "Without a Trace", "ER", "Monk", "Gilmore Girls", "CSI", "CSI: New York" and "CSI: Miami".
On the big screen, DeLuise has appeared in "Pup Star", " Unbroken: Path To Redemption", "Vampires suck," and "Robin Hood: Men In Tights".
He has directed episodes of "How to Rock", "See Dad Run", "Lab Rats and The Thundermans".
David began his career at the age of 8 when he starred as Dom's son in the movie "Hot Stuff."
DeLuise is married to German actress, director and voiceover artist Julia Stoepel.- Actor
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Tom Wopat will forever be remembered as strapping, good ol' boy Luke Duke, the virile, blue-eyed, dark-haired, plaid-shirted rascal opposite equally good-looking John Schneider as Bo Duke, his strapping, plaid-shirted blond cousin on the bucolic 80s action series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). Where others may have fallen by the TV wayside after the cancellation of such a popular series, both Tom and John moved on successfully. As for Tom, he reverted back to his first true love - music - successfully refocusing as a recording artist and musical leading man of Broadway, cabaret and regional shows.
The highly engaging Wisconsin native was born Thomas Steven Wopat on September 9, 1951, in Lodi, Wisconsin, the son of Ruth Arlene (Skarda) and Albin Carl Wopat, a dairy farmer. One of six brothers and sisters, Tom's father and maternal grandfather were of Czech descent. By age 12, he was singing and dancing in school musicals and, following high school graduation, decided to avidly pursue music as a viable profession. Studying at the University of Wisconsin, Tom dropped out to front a rock band as both guitarist and lead singer, and later found on-stage work in such musicals as "South Pacific", "West Side Story" and "Jesus Christ Superstar."
Appearing off-Broadway in 1978, Tom made his Broadway debut that same year as a replacement actor in the musical "I Love My Wife." Other musical shows around that time included "The Robber Bridegroom" (title role) and "Oklahoma!" (as Curly).
With solid, down-home good looks and appeal, it didn't take long for Hollywood to check Tom out. With relatively little TV exposure, Tom found sudden teen heartthrob stardom on the rollicking, down-home comedy series The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). During that period, he appeared elsewhere on an episode of "Fantasy Island," co-starred with singer Barbara Mandrell in the dramatic TV movie" Burning Rage (1984), and voiced the role of Luke Duke on the related animated version The Dukes (1983). During the 1981-82 season, stars Wopat and Schneider walked away from the hugely popular series after contractual disputes involving deserved pay raises and merchandise royalties. The producers tried to replace the popular duo with the similar good-looking pals Vance (played by Christopher Mayer) and Coy (played by Byron Cherry) for the following season, but the ratings dived alarmingly. The dispute with Wopat and Schneider was immediately settled, and the boys returned to the show in the next season and stayed until its 1985 cancellation.
During the show's run, Tom kick-started a recording career with his first (and self-titled) country album release in 1983. His output went on to include six other country albums before finally releasing a 2000 album of standard love songs.
In later years, Wopat made do with a few mini-movie efforts, reuniting with Schneider in the yuletide drama Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987); co-starring opposite Jean Smart as a famous rock singer in the romantic musical comedy movie Just My Imagination (1992); and appearing opposite Roxanne Hart in the action adventure Meteorites! (1998). He also showed up as a guest on a few TV series such as "Blue Skies," "Murder, She Wrote," "Crisis Center," "Home Improvement," and was seen in a recurring role on the sitcom Cybill (1995) as a stuntman and former husband of the Cybill Shepherd character.
Tom also re-sharpened his musical theater skills, finding commanding baritone leads as Billy Bigelow in "Carousel" (1986), Detective Stone in "City of Angels" (1990) and Sky Masterson in "Guys and Dolls" (1992). In 1999, he played the sharp-shooting Frank Butler opposite Bernadette Peters in the popular Broadway revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" and earned a Tony nomination in the process.
Guesting for the Cincinnati Symphony and Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestras in programs featuring Broadway's finest music, Tom more than held his own in 2005 with his first straight-acting Broadway part as part of the excellent ensemble in the Tony-winning (for "Best Revival of a Play") production of "Glengarry Glen Ross" starring acting heavyweights Alan Alda and Liev Schreiber. That same year Wopat embarked on a 33-date national "Over The Rainbow" tour with Faith Prince featuring the gorgeous songs of Harold Arlen, a tour that included Carnegie Hall. Briefly playing slick lawyer Billy Flynn in "Chicago" in 2007, other Broadway musicals followed with "A Catered Affair," "Side by Side by Sondheim" and "Catch Me If You Can," as well as the 2013 legit play "The Trip to Bountiful."
As for on-camera work into the millennium, Tom returned for a few "Dukes of Hazzard" TV-reunions and video games. He also made a late, mid-career film debut in a featured role with the comedy drama Bonneville (2006) starring Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates and Joan Allen, and went on to appear in a number of others: The Understudy (2008), Jonah Hex (2010), Main Street (2010), Mariachi Gringo (2012), Django Unchained (2012), All in Time (2015). In addition, Tom was given a starring role in the gay-themed drama Fair Haven (2016) and appeared in the action western County Line (2017) with Jeff Fahey and Patricia Richardson. Among the ensemble of stars in the comedy Lost Cat Corona (2017), his more recent features include New Money (2017) and Delight in the Mountain (2019). On TV, Tom graced such popular programs as "Medium," "Smallville," "Blue Bloods," "The Blacklist," "Madam Secretary" and had a recurring sheriff role in the series Longmire (2012).
Divorced from his first wife of 15 years and the father of five, Tom is married to documentary producer and archivist Kirsten Larvick.- Tough, gruff, thick-browed, volatile-looking character actor Alex Rocco was born Alessandro Federico Petricone, Jr. on February 29, 1936, to Italian immigrants in Cambridge, Mass. He grew up a member of Boston's Winter Hill gang (his nickname was "Bobo") and was briefly detained regarding a murder at one point after an alleged personal incident triggered the Boston Irish Gang War (1961-1967). Rocco decided to straighten his life and relocated to Hollywood in 1962 following his detainment and release.
Developing an interest in acting, Alex initially trained with such notable teachers as Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Corey in order to curb his thick Boston accent. Working as a bartender during the lean years, his film and TV career finally kick-started in 1965, immediately relying on his sly, lethal menace, toothy toughness, and prior gangland past to realistically portray gritty anti-heroes and villains. He made an effective movie debut, co-starring as a vengeful veterinarian and Vietnam vet who goes after motorcycle "bad boys" following his wife's beating and rape in the exploitation flick Motorpsycho! (1965) directed by Russ Meyer. Despite this bold beginning, it was followed by a disappointing gangster bit in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967) and a nothing role as a police Lieutenant in The Boston Strangler (1968). On TV, he found sporadic work playing thugs and other unsavory types on such TV shows as "Run for Your Life," "Batman" and "Get Smart."
Rocco came into his own in the early 1970s. After featured roles in such violent exploitation like Blood Mania (1970) and Brute Corps (1971), he received a huge boost in an Oscar-winning "A" film. He made a brief but potent impact essaying the role of Las Vegas syndicate boss Moe Green who gets a bullet in the eye during the violently explosive "christening sequence" of Mario Puzo's The Godfather (1972). From there he found a comfortable supporting niche playing various swarthy-looking cronies, hoods and cops in such crime films as The Outside Man (1972), Slither (1973), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) (in which he made good use of his Boston criminal past), Freebie and the Bean (1974), Three the Hard Way (1974) and A Woman for All Men (1975). Similar urban roles followed him on TV with yeoman work on such 1970s cop shows as "The Rookies", "Get Christie Love", "Kojak", "Cannon", "The Blue Knight", "Police Story", "The Rockford Files", "Barnaby Jones", "Dog and Cat", "Baretta", "Starsky and Hutch", "Delvecchio", "CHiPs", "Matt Houston", "Hardcastle and McCormick", and "Simon & Simon", along with the TV movies or miniseries A Question of Guilt (1978), The Gangster Chronicles (1981) and Badge of the Assassin (1985).
In the midst of all this, Alex was handed the starring role of his own series Three for the Road (1975) in which he played a new widower photographer with two teenage sons (played by Vincent Van Patten and Leif Garrett) who assuage their grief by leaving town and "discovering America" together. Although well-received, it was short-lived (13 episodes) as a result of poor scheduling. The actor returned to series TV in the late 1980s and was much more successful as a slick Hollywood agent in The Famous Teddy Z (1989) for which he won a "Supporting Actor" Emmy Award. Other regular comedy series work, such as Sibs (1991), The George Carlin Show (1994), The Division (2001) and Magic City (2012), added to his healthy resume over the years, with over 400 TV appearances racked up in all. Recurring roles on such programs as The Simpsons (1989) and The Facts of Life (1979) (as Nancy McKeon's father) also kept his career going at a steady pace. Other memorably flashy film roles include Freebie and the Bean (1974), The Stunt Man (1980), Lady in White (1988), Get Shorty (1995) and Just Write (1997).
Twice married, Rocco's first wife, Sandra Garrett, a nightclub performer and screenwriter, died of cancer in 2002. He married actress Shannon Wilcox in 2005 and together they appeared in the film Scammerhead (2014). Rocco appeared in two films helmed by his adopted son, screenwriter and director Marc Rocco: Scenes from the Goldmine (1987) and Dream a Little Dream (1989), who died in 2009. Two other children by his first wife were Lucian, a poet, and Jennifer, an attorney. Alex Rocco died of pancreatic cancer on July 18, 2015 at age 79.S7. E9 - Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Liz Vassey began acting at the age of nine, performing in over fifty musicals and plays. She moved to New York at the age of sixteen to join the cast of All My Children. For her work on that show, she was nominated for her first Daytime Emmy. Since then, Liz has appeared as a regular or recurring character on twelve television shows including ER, Maximum Bob, Necessary Roughness, Brotherly Love, Push Nevada, Two and a Half Men, FOX's live action version of The Tick, and, most recently, Season Two of The Tick reboot on Amazon. But she is probably best known for her five year run on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as DNA technician "Wendy Simms." Liz has also guest starred on many TV shows, starred in many pilots, and appeared in several films. In addition to acting, Liz is an accomplished writer. She co-wrote an episode of CSI during her last season, and has since sold six television pilots and a TV movie, developing for such networks and studios as NBC, Freeform, Universal, Netflix, and CW. An avid runner, Liz recently made her directorial debut with the newly released documentary feature, The Human Race, which focuses on runners over the age of fifty. Liz lives in Hollywood with her husband, David Emmerichs, and their combined brood of way too many pets.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Steven Alan Monroe is a veteran actor, known from over 150 film, television, and commercial roles. Additionally, he is a practicing psychotherapist, specializing in treating entertainment professionals and others in recovery from addiction. He also performed stand-up in clubs in and around Los Angeles.
Monroe was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has lived and worked all over North America and New Zealand. His father is a well-known pathologist, and his mother raised him and his three siblings. He attended Duke University for three years. In 1993, he transferred to Occidental College, where he earned a joint baccalaureate degree in Russian Language and Theatre Arts. In 2010, he completed his Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. He has worked with such directors as Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis, Tom Shadyac, Jay Roach, Todd Phillips, Donald Petrie and Daniel Petrie.
Offscreen, Monroe continues his practice as a psychotherapist, is an avid tennis player, recording artist, guitar player, and achieved advanced level studies with the celebrated improvisation troupe, the Groundlings.- Actor
- Producer
Grant Hill is a retired American professional basketball player who was a co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks. After playing college basketball for Duke University, Hill played for four teams in his professional career in the National Basketball Association (NBA): The Detroit Pistons, the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns, and the Los Angeles Clippers. For most of his career, he played the small forward position. Hill also co-hosts NBA Inside Stuff on NBA TV.
Grant Hill averaged 13.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. On June 1, 2013, Hill announced his retirement from the NBA. He is a seven-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection, and a three-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award. In 2018, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.- Actress
- Writer
Joan Lunden was born on 19 September 1950 in Sacramento, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Thank You for Smoking (2005), Conspiracy Theory (1997) and What About Bob? (1991). She has been married to Jeff Konigsberg since 18 April 2000. They have four children. She was previously married to Michael Krauss.- Actor
- Art Department
- Director
Michael Cudlitz was born on 29 December 1964 in Queens, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), The Walking Dead (2010) and Sex Drive (2008). He is married to Rachael Cudlitz. They have two children.S8. E1- Actor
- Producer
Richard Riehle was born in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, to Mary Margaret (Walsh), a nurse, and Herbert John Riehle, an assistant postmaster. He is of German and Irish descent. Richard attended the University of Notre Dame, where he became heavily involved with the University Theatre. Appearing in such productions as "Luther", "Antigone", "Rhinoceros", "Romeo and Juliet", and "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying", he also took on the task of stage manager on many of these productions, and it was not unusual to find him helping to build the sets or manage the costumes during this period. Graduating with a B.A. (cum laude) in 1970, Richard traveled to Salzburg and Innsbruck to study German, a language in which he is fluent. Progressing to Academy of Dramatic Art in Rochester, Michigan, Richard has had extensive experience as a stage actor, as well as teaching acting, and made his Broadway debut in 1986 with "Execution of Justice". One of his major triumphs in the theatre has been alongside Kevin Spacey in the acclaimed 1999 revival of O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh", in which he played the drunken, corrupt ex-cop Pat McGloin. Brief appearances in Rooster Cogburn, The Duchess and Dirtwater Fox, Joy Ride, and Twice in a Lifetime, as well as in such TV fare as Escape From Hell (1977), Joe Kennedy: The Forgotten Kennedy (1977), and the NBC series "Hot Pursuit" (1984) have disguised an expanding repertory theatre portfolio. Richard has also contributed to such diverse undertakings as Bay Area Radio's Eugene O'Neill Project (playing Smithers to Joe Morton's Brutis Jones in "The Emperor Jones") and the Adams-Jefferson Project of Carleton College, participating in a series of recordings of the correspondence between the two US Presidents. To this day, Richard has maintained his involvement in theatre workshops and encouraging the dramatic arts under the auspices of the Mark Taper Forum and A.S.K. However, since his scene-stealing cameo as the Quartermaster in 1989's Glory, with his trademark bushy mustache and heavyset frame, Richard has acquitted himself as one of the best, and busiest, character players on TV and in the movies.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Dennis Burkley was born on 10 September 1945 in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Hollywood Homicide (2003), Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) and Tin Cup (1996). He was married to Laura Burkley. He died on 14 July 2013 in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
This elegant lady has defined the television version of the rich, sophisticated businesswoman who knows what she wants, and will do whatever it takes to get it. She was born Patsy Ann McClenny on February 3, 1950 in Dallas, Texas. She began acting as a child, when her mother enrolled her in drama lessons after she was too shy to give a book report in class. From the age of 10, she performed in children's plays. Later, she would do dinner theater and stock productions in Dallas. She chose Morgan as a stage name. In 1973, Morgan decided to pursue a career in television; just 6 weeks after moving to New York, she landed the key role of Jennifer in the daytime soap opera Search for Tomorrow (1951); she stayed on until 1977.
Morgan moved to Los Angeles, where she originated the role of Jenna Wade on the wildly popular nighttime soap opera Dallas (1978) (Jenna was later portrayed by Priscilla Presley). Morgan made numerous guest appearances on television series. She played Constance (Weldon) Carlyle in Flamingo Road (1980), and she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress; that was her breakout series that propelled her to stardom.
Morgan continued to perform in live theater, her acclaimed portrayal of Skye in the off-Broadway comedy "Geniuses" helped make it one of the "Top Ten Plays" of the year according to Time Magazine and the New York Times. Other stage appearances have included productions of "Goodbye Charlie" and "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." On television, she played the naughty Racine in the soap opera Paper Dolls (1984) in 1984. Later, she starred in the soap opera Falcon Crest (1981) from 1985-86, having made a niche for herself playing ambitious beauties. Morgan received an Emmy nomination for a special episode of Murphy Brown (1988).
Morgan has shared some of her beauty secrets by authoring the book "Super Looks" which is a complete guide that includes makeup, exercise, and diet tips. Morgan is a member of the Entertainment Industry AIDS Task Force. She is an active speaker on environmental issues and helped found the Environmental Communications Office, which encourages entertainment industry professionals to become better educated and more active on environmental issues. Morgan is a collector of movie memorabilia (particularly anything about Marilyn Monroe) and antique clothing. She is a ballet fan and is also interested in anthropology and paleontology; Morgan is truly a brainy beauty.- Brent Hinkley was born on 12 April 1962 in East Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor, known for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Ed Wood (1994) and Falling Down (1993).21 Jump Street (1990)
Jacob's Ladder (1990)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Falling Down (1993)
Ed Wood (1994)
Switchback (1997)
Almost Heroes (1998)
Say It Isn't So (2001)
Blood Work (2002) - Actor
- Director
- Soundtrack
Gedde Watanabe was born on 26 June 1955 in Ogden, Utah, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sixteen Candles (1984), UHF (1989) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Penn Jillette was born on 5 March 1955 in Greenfield, Massachusetts, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989), Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (2003) and Hackers (1995). He has been married to Emily Zolten Jillette since 23 November 2004. They have two children.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Teller was born on 14 February 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Penn & Teller: Bullshit! (2003), Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989) and Tim's Vermeer (2013).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Christopher McDonald was born and raised in New York City, New York, to Patricia, a real estate agent, and James R. McDonald, an educator. His breakout role was in Ridley Scott's Thelma & Louise (1991), followed shortly by his role as Jack Barry in Robert Redford's Quiz Show (1994). Other notable performances include Into Thin Air: Death on Everest (1997) as Jon Krakauer and Requiem for a Dream (2000) as Tappy Tibbons (opposite Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn). He co-starred in Happy Gilmore (1996), American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006), American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007), Flubber (1997), and Leave It to Beaver (1997). His television credits include Harry's Law (2011), Boardwalk Empire (2010), and Family Law (1999).
Trained by legendary acting teacher Stella Adler and at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, McDonald was singled out by the New York Times as one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood. He has performed in over 100 films over more than four decades. His roughly 40 stage credits include Billy Flynn in the long-running Broadway reboot of Chicago and the 2013 hit Lucky Guy (opposite Oscar winner Tom Hanks).
Since the loss of two siblings and a parent to cancer, he has been an active supporter of the Make a Wish foundation along with charities which help cancer research. He participates in celebrity fund-raising events throughout the world. A graduate of Hobart and William Smith college in 1977, he is the principal donor for the building of the school's new Performing Arts Center.S1. E14- Actress
- Soundtrack
Betsy Randle was born on 24 June 1955 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress, known for Boy Meets World (1993), The Nightmare Room (2001) and Urban Mythology (2000). She is married to John Randle. They have two children.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Born to immigrants in New York City, Lucy Liu has always tried to balance an interest in her cultural heritage with a desire to move beyond a strictly Asian-American experience. Her mother, Cecilia, a biochemist, is from Beijing & her father, Tom Liu, a civil engineer, is from Shanghai. Once relegated to "ethnic" parts, the energetic actress is finally earning her stripes as an across-the-board leading lady.
She graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1986 & enrolled in NYU. However, she was discouraged by the dark and sarcastic atmosphere, so she transferred to the University of Michigan after her freshman year. She graduated w/ a degree in Asian Languages & Cultures, managing to squeeze in some additional training in dance, voice, fine arts & acting. During her senior year, she auditioned for a small part in a production of Alice in Wonderland and walked away with the lead. Encouraged by the experience, she decided to take the plunge into professional acting. She moved to L.A., splitting her time between auditions & food service day jobs. She eventually scored a guest appearance as a waitress on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). That performance led to more walk-on parts in shows like NYPD Blue (1993), ER (1994) & The X-Files (1993). In 1996, she was cast as an ambitious college student on Rhea Perlman's ephemeral sitcom Pearl (1996).
She first appeared on the big screen as an ex-girlfriend in Jerry Maguire (1996) (she had previously filmed a scene in the indie Bang (1995), but it was shelved for 2 years). She then waded through a series of supporting parts in small films before landing her big break on Ally McBeal (1997). She initially auditioned for the role of Nelle Porter, which went to Portia de Rossi. However, writer-producer David E. Kelley was so impressed w/ her that he promised to write a part for her in an upcoming episode. The part turned out to be that of growling, ill-tempered lawyer Ling Woo, which she filled w/ such aplomb that she was signed on as a regular cast member.
The "Ally" win gave her film career a much-needed boost-in 1999, she was cast as a dominatrix in the Mel Gibson action flick Payback (1999) & as a hitchhiker in the ill-received boxing saga Play It to the Bone (1999). The following year brought even larger roles: first as the kidnapped Princess Pei Pei in Jackie Chan's western Shanghai Noon (2000), then as one-third of the comely crime-fighting trio in Charlie's Angels (2000).
When she's not hissing at clients or throwing well-coiffed punches, she keeps busy w/ an eclectic mix of off-screen hobbies. She practices the martial art of Kali-Eskrima-Silat (knife-and-stick fighting), skis, rock climbs, rides horses &plays the accordion. In 1993, she exhibited a collection of multimedia art pieces at the Cast Iron Gallery in SoHo (New York), after which she won a grant to study & create art in China. Her hectic schedule doesn't leave much time for romantic intrigue, but she says she prefers to keep that side of her life uncluttered.S4. E16 ...audience member- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Born in New York, Larry Hankin took an industrial design degree from the University of Syracuse; multifaceted artist, in addition to being an actor, he is also a screenwriter, producer, director and singer. He began his career as an illustrator in the entertainment world, and studied acting at Syracuse University. He was in the same class with Frank Langella and Carl Gottlieb. He was also a member of two comedy improvisation groups, Second City (Chicago) and The Committee (San Francisco). Hankin continues today his work in Hollywood.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Rodney Dangerfield was born Jacob Cohen on November 22, 1921 in Deer Park, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. He was the son of Dorothy "Dotty" (Teitelbaum) and Phillip Cohen, who performed in vaudeville under the name Phil Roy. His father was born in New York, to Russian Jewish parents, and his mother was a Hungarian Jewish immigrant. Rodney began writing jokes at the age of fifteen, and started performing before he was 20. He took his act to the road for ten years, his stage name was "Jack Roy". While working as a struggling comedian, Rodney Dangerfield worked as a singing waiter. His first run at comedy was to no avail.
Rodney Dangerfield married Joyce Indig, in 1949 and had two children: Brian and Melanie. During the 1950s, Rodney was an aluminum siding salesman, living in New Jersey. The comedian made another attempt at stand-up comedy, this time as Rodney Dangerfield. In 1961, Rodney divorced from his wife.
When he appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)), Rodney Dangerfield made Ed Sullivan laugh. Few people ever provoked any kind of reaction out of the legendary Ed Sullivan. Dangerfield had the image of a lovable disgruntled every-man type that became a hit all across nightclubs in the 1960s. Dangerfield also made many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) and The Dean Martin Show (1965) in the 1970s.
Rodney Dangerfield snatched a minor supporting part in the movie, The Projectionist (1970), in 1971. By the mid 1970s, he had cemented his image as a comedian constantly tugging at his red tie, always proclaiming he gets no respect. His big break came with many appearances on Saturday Night Live (1975), bringing himself to a much wider audience and proving hysterical on many occasions. In 1980, Dangerfield became a cornerstone of American comedy with the classic Caddyshack (1980).
Here, he played "Al Czervik", a rich golfer who was a basically nice guy who was extremely outspoken and very obnoxious. His character was often unhappy with the rich snobbery he was around, and he takes on the rich people that are so snobby to him.
The average guy that his character portrayed was an instant hit, and a formula that Dangerfield often stuck with. Also, in 1980, Rodney came out with a popular comedy album, "Rappin Rodney".
The album earned Dangerfield a Grammy for best comedy album. The next movie on Rodney's agenda was Easy Money (1983), a comedy that showed him as an insulting working class person who suddenly becomes a millionaire. The movie was also a big hit. Dangerfield became very sparse in his roles on TV and film about this time. The year 1986 saw the comedy, Back to School (1986), his biggest film to date. The comedy was one of the first to gross over 100 million. In 1994, Dangerfield starred in his first dramatic role in the successful Oliver Stone film, Natural Born Killers (1994).
He played an abusive father who drove one of the killers crazy. His part was critically-acclaimed. In 1995, Dangerfield entered the world of cyberspace, becoming the first entertainer to have a website on the world-wide web. In 1997, he starred in Meet Wally Sparks (1997), a political and talk show satire which was poorly received. In 2000, Dangerfield starred as "the Devil" in Little Nicky (2000). The movie was potentially a huge hit, but was a failure by most accounts. Dangerfield took a very small part, but was top-billed in the direct-to-video The Godson (1998), and starred in the direct-to-video link=tt0216930]. But it has not been all smooth sailing for this comedian. In 1997, he admitted to a lifelong bout with depression and, on his 80th birthday, had a mild heart attack. He has major fans from all kinds of people from all different backgrounds. Dangerfield had made a record 70 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), and had discovered many struggling comedians, including Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Carrey, Roseanne Barr, Robert Townsend, Sam Kinison and Tim Allen.
The comedian owned a legendary nightclub in Manhattan called "Dangerfield's". In the 1990s, he made highly-publicized appearances on The Simpsons (1989), In Living Color (1990), Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995), Home Improvement (1991), Suddenly Susan (1996), among others.
In 1993, he married Joan Dangerfield (aka Joan Child), a woman thirty years younger than him, and a Mormon.
He died on October 5, 2004, after falling into a coma following heart surgery.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Colorful American character actor equally adept at vicious killers or grizzled sidekicks. As a child he worked in the cotton fields. He attended Santa Monica Junior College in California and subsequently became an accountant and, at one time, manager of the Bel Air Hotel. Elam got his first movie job by trading his accounting services for a role. In short time he became one of the most memorable supporting players in Hollywood, thanks not only to his near-demented screen persona but also to an out-of-kilter left eye, sightless from a childhood fight. He appeared with great aplomb in Westerns and gangster films alike, and in later years played to wonderful effect in comedic roles.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Veteran comedic actor Tom Poston, he with the bugged-out eyes that commonly accentuated a vague look of bewilderment, was born in Columbus, Ohio, on October 17, 1921. By age nine, the young boy was appearing with an acrobatic troupe.
Poston later attended Bethany College in West Virginia when World War II broke out and he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He won medals for his courage under fire, and rose to the rank of captain. While he never returned to Bethany College, he would later receive an honorary doctorate from the institution. Following his military service, Poston went to New York and studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA), training with acting guru Sanford Meisner, among others. Making his Broadway debut in 1947 in José Ferrer's production of "Cyrano de Bergerac", Poston had the makings of a serious dramatic actor, appearing in such classics as "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" and "King Lear".
Although he also appeared seriously in TV drama in the early stages, comedy would become his forte. Hosting the amusing daily TV show "Entertainment" led to his biggest break on The Steve Allen Plymouth Show (1956). He, Louis Nye, Don Knotts, and other members of Allen's stock company became famous for their hilarious characters in Allen's famed sketch sequences. Poston himself would be best remembered as the "Man on the Street" interviewee who could never remember his own name. Winning an Emmy during those four seasons (1956-60), Poston went on to host another program, this time a game show, entitled Split Personality (1959).
He developed an affinity for parlor games and appeared as a panelist on other quiz shows as well, notably To Tell the Truth (1956). Given a chance to star in his own comedy films by the early 1960s, Poston went completely unnoticed in such blah vehicles as Zotz! (1962) and The Old Dark House (1963), which failed to capitalize on his delightfully bungling, eccentric humor, although he did turn in a very funny supporting performance as a perpetually soused playboy in the Dick Van Dyke comedy Cold Turkey (1971).
After his movie career dried up, television again became the object of his affection, usually in service to other stars. Alongside such top comedians as Bob Newhart (Newhart (1982)) and Robin Williams (Mork & Mindy (1978)), Poston's absent-minded "second banana" foils found their engaging niche. The comedic actor also continued with light comedy theater vehicles such as "Forty Carats", "Come Blow Your Horn", "Plaza Suite", and "Mary, Mary", and even managed a few musicals ("A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" and "Fiddler on the Roof").
Poston had a pre-fame first marriage that ended in divorce. His second wife was film actress Jean Sullivan. Their daughter, Francesca Poston, also became an actress. He had two other children by third wife Kay, who was 22 years his junior: son Jason and daughter Hudson. They divorced in 1975, but remarried in 1980 and remained together until her death at age 54 in 1998 from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). He and Kay appeared on many telethons to discuss the crippling disease. Three years later, Poston found happiness again when he married Suzanne Pleshette (they originally met while appearing in the 1959 Broadway comedy "Golden Fleecing", then worked again together on the old The Bob Newhart Show (1972)). He continued to provide glum, baggy-eyed comedy relief on TV as an octogenarian up until the end. Sadly, while wife Suzanne was battling cancer, Poston passed away unexpectedly of respiratory failure at his Los Angeles home on April 30, 2007, after a brief illness. Pleshette died on January 19, 2008.
The stalwart actor may not have nabbed top comic superstardom in his heyday, but he certainly enjoyed a long, durable career doing what he did best -- acting goofy and giving audiences a reason to smile.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Character actor Carmen Filpi was born on March 22, 1923 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The son of Remigio and Rosa Gatto Filpi, Carmen graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1942. Moreover, Filpi served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific during World War II. Carmen began his acting career as part of a comedy team with fellow Pittsfield resident George Morell; the duo performed in minstrels and floor show troupes in touring shows as well as in the Washington area. Filpi moved to Hollywood, California in the late 1960's in order to further pursue his acting career. Outside of his substantial film and television credits, Carmen also appeared in numerous TV commercials. Filpi was often cast as drunken bums and mangy drifters in a career that spanned over forty years. Carmen died at age 80 on May 9, 2003 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He was survived at the time of his death by his sister Carmena and brothers John and Peter.