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Rip Torn was born Elmore Rual Torn Jr. on February 6, 1931 in Temple, Texas, the son of Thelma Mary (Spacek) and Elmore Rudolph Torn, who was an agriculturalist and economist, credited with popularizing the custom of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day. "Rip" is a family name, taken by generations of Torn men and bestowed on Elmore by his father, who was also called "Rip." He was of German, Austrian, Bohemian, and Moravian descent. His mother was an elder sister of actress Sissy Spacek's father, Edwin Spacek.

Torn attended Texas A&M and the University of Texas, where he joined Sigma Chi Fraternity. He majored in animal husbandry. Extremely naïve when he was young, Torn hitchhiked to Hollywood with the idea of becoming a movie star; he wanted to make enough money in order to buy a ranch. Success did not come overnight, as he had hoped, and Torn had to work many odd jobs while occasionally being cast in television roles. He made his feature film debut in Elia Kazan's Baby Doll (1956) in a small part.

Serious about learning his craft, he moved to New York City where he studied under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Torn also studied dance with Martha Graham. His serious acting career began on the small screen, where he made a name for himself in the Golden Age of Television; between 1957 and 1960, he appeared regularly on such prestigious live shows as Omnibus (1952) and Playhouse 90 (1956).

Torn made his Broadway debut in Kazan's staging of Tennessee Williams' "Sweet Bird of Youth" on March 10, 1959, in support of Paul Newman, Sidney Blackmer and Geraldine Page, who would become his second wife. The play was a hit, closing on January 30, 1960 after 375 performances. He won a 1960 Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor in a Play and a Theater World award for his role as "Tom, Jr.", a role he recreated in the 1962 film. (Torn also starred as "Boss Finley" in a later television adaptation of the play).

Torn earned a reputation as an actor's actor on stage, both Broadway and off-Broadway, as well as on screen. He continued to work in the New York theater despite his demanding TV and movie schedule as both an actor and director. He won two Obie awards for his work off-Broadway, for Distinguished Performance in Norman Mailer's "The Deer Park" (for the 1966-67 season), and for Distinguished Direction for "The Beard" (1967-68). He had his own stage company, and directed his daughter Angelica Page (by Geraldine Page) in John Paul Alexander's "Strangers in the Land of Canaan" at the Actors Studio. Torn made his feature film directorial debut with The Telephone (1988).

He was constantly in demand as a character actor, in supporting, second lead and occasional lead roles. Arguably his best performance on film came in Payday (1973), and he was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for Cross Creek (1983). Most of Torn's roles were in drama, though he was adept at comedy. His role in Albert Brooks' comedy Defending Your Life (1991) led to his being cast in The Larry Sanders Show (1992), on which he played talk show producer "Artie." Torn won six consecutive Emmy nominations for the role, winning once for Best Supporting Actor in a comedy series in 1996.

Torn was married to actress Ann Wedgeworth from 1956-61, whom he divorced to marry Geraldine Page. They remained married until her death in 1987. He was married to Amy Wright until his death. Torn helped his first cousin, Oscar-winner Sissy Spacek, to make her way as an actress, seeing to it that she was accepted by the Lee Strasberg's Actors Studio and then the Lee Strasberg Institute.

Rip Torn died in on July 9, 2019 in Lakeville, Connecticut, aged 88.

Michael Bowman was born on 5 December 1973 in Temple, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for Me, Myself & Irene (2000), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) and City Guys (1997).

Originally from Texas, Joshua Logan Moore began performing at an early age in student film projects with the University of Texas as well as Austin Film School.

Known for his stand-up comedy performances, in 2005 Moore won Austin's Funniest Kid at Cap City Comedy Club for ages 9-12, and was first runner up for all age groups. Following a move to LA in 2007, he performed at the Hollywood Improv with a teen comedy group, and also starred in Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine" at the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena. But the highlight for Moore as an actor was the opportunity he had to work with legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood in the film "Changeling."

Moore enjoys sports, video games, music and movies, as well as reading, writing and art. The honors student is dedicated to a number of charitable causes, and hopes to be even more involved as he becomes more successful.

Pretty Noel Francis came to Hollywood after attracting the attention of Fox talent scouts and was signed to a contract in 1929. Born in Temple, Texas, she grew up in Dallas and had studied at Southern Methodist University and Columbia. Like so many other hopefuls who had little theatrical background, she thought to get by on good looks alone. As it turned out, Noel had quite a bit of talent, but perhaps not quite enough to propel her to stardom. She did have a stint back in 1925 in the Ziegfeld Follies and made a minor splash with Wheeler and Woolsey in "Rio Rita". Alas, musicals were briefly out of vogue in the early 30s and Noel was dropped by Fox. Luckily for her, she was contracted by Warner Brothers in 1932 for an entirely different genre and ended up as a street-wise gangsters moll in the company of James Cagney (Blonde Crazy (1931)), Edward G. Robinson (Smart Money (1931)), Humphrey Bogart (Up the River (1930)), Edmund Lowe (Guilty as Hell (1932)), George Raft (Under-Cover Man (1932)) and Paul Muni (I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)). Though Noel turned out to be very much at home as a minor wisecracking blonde in supporting roles, her tenure at Warners was sadly short-lived and she was eventually dumped by the studio and relegated to (what at least amounted to starring) in low-budget Poverty Row productions like Reform Girl (1933) and What's Your Racket? (1934). She made one final attempt to resuscitate her stage career on Broadway with a lead in "Satellite", a farce which closed miserably after a solitary showing in November 1935. Thereafter, it was all downhill for poor Noel. Her looks now fading, her last three films were all second feature westerns at Universal -- courtesy of her close friend, Buck Jones, -- and she left the movie business for good in 1937.

Alyssa Gainer was born on 19 November 1992 in Temple, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Cast Away (2000), The Shipping News (2001) and The Practice (1997).

Kaitlyn Gainer was born on 19 November 1992 in Temple, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Cast Away (2000), The Shipping News (2001) and The King of Queens (1998).

Joe Greene was born on 24 September 1946 in Temple, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Black 6 (1973) and ...All the Marbles (1981). He has been married to Agnes Craft since 28 January 1968. They have three children.

Laura A. Garcia was born on 3 March 1983 in Temple, Texas, USA. She is a producer and production manager, known for Laundry Man (2024), Chicago P.D. (2014) and Bad Karma.

Lauren Gainer was born on 19 November 1992 in Temple, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for The Shipping News (2001), Cast Away (2000) and Triple Play (2004).

Forrest Fenn was born on 22 August 1930 in Temple, Texas, USA. He died on 7 September 2020 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.

Mark Reeb was born on 7 November 1975 in Temple, Texas, USA. He was a producer and actor, known for The Overbrook Brothers (2009), Wiggle (2020) and America the Beautiful (2010). He was married to Jennifer Harlow. He died on 3 August 2023 in Crested Butte, Colorado, USA.

Roy Clark was born on 2 December 1925 in Temple, Texas, USA. He was an actor. He died on 16 March 2008 in Burbank, California, USA.

Tony Allen was born on 24 February 1952 in Mount Temple, Moate, County Westmeath, Ireland. He was an actor, known for Play for Today (1970), Bridget & Eamon (2016) and Africa Live! (2005). He died on 1 December 2023 in Ireland.

Football-player-turned-actor "Slinging" Sammy Baugh was born in Texas in 1914 to a father who worked for the Santa Fe Railroad, which meant that the family moved around a lot. Sammy attended Texas Christian University on a baseball scholarship, but he also played football and basketball at the college (although he is most famous for his football prowess, his nickname, "Slinging Sammy", was bestowed upon him at TCU because of his baseball skills). Upon graduation in 1937 Sammy signed up with the Washington Redskins of the NFL. He played minor-league baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals farm team the next year, but stayed with the Redskins.

It was inevitable that a big, strong, good-looking athlete would attract attention in Hollywood, and in 1941 Republic Pictures approached him about starring in a serial for them. He liked the idea and signed up for King of the Texas Rangers (1941), directed by ace serial specialists John English and William Witney, with a cast that included such serial veterans as Roy Barcroft, Duncan Renaldo, Stanley Blystone and Bud Geary and backed by Republic's top-notch team of stuntmen, such as Tom Steele and David Sharpe. The serial is considered by many western and serial aficionados to be one of the best ever made by Republic.

The picture was a rousing success and Republic wanted Sammy to make more of them, but although he said that he had fun doing it, acting was not something he was particularly interested in and he turned down the offer. He wanted to go back to playing football.

In 1952 he retired from professional football after 16 seasons with the Redskins. He was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1963. Although he didn't play football again, he did coach college and pro teams before retiring from the sport in 1968.

Erik Anderson is an actor in Austin, TX. A native to the state, originally from Georgetown and later Killeen, his first feature film role came in 2001 with the indie comedy "Jobbers", and that same year he appeared in the short film "PSA: Is Aaron There". He is also an accomplished voice actor performing a wide range of characters and accents.

Jordan Shipley was born on 23 December 1985 in Temple, Texas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for My All-American (2015), Light It Up: The Legend of Freddie Steinmark and NFL Monday Night Football (1970).

Lovely and voluptuous brunette knockout Katy Rowe was born on December 9 in Temple, Texas. The youngest of three siblings, Rowe attended Crawford High School in Crawford, Texas and began her professional acting career in theater. Katy made her film debut as slutty cheerleader Amber in the enjoyable tongue-in-cheek slasher romp "Spirit Camp." Moreover, Rowe has also acted in TV commercials, television shows, and webisodes (she had a recurring role as Bunny on the Internet series "Pink"). In addition, Katy is featured in the music video for "Dear to the One" by Clairmont. She enjoys baking and painting. Rowe lives in Los Angeles, California.

Sidd Sinha was born on 30 August 1986 in Temple, Texas, USA. He is a producer, known for College GameDay (1986), The Alternate (2008) and Good Day New York (1988).

Sean Townsend was born on 20 January 1979 in Temple, Texas, USA.

Katoria "Toots" Mitchell aka "The Godmother of Hip Hop.......

"Envision a woman who embodies the lyrical force of Lauryn Hill and the entrepreneurial skills of Queen Latifah - that would be the fiery combo of Katoria "Toots" Mitchell"* Writer, producer and performance artist, Toots rules the arts scene in Atlanta, Georgia. With her passion for community, education and music, she is now expanding beyond The Big Peach. "Whatever a man sow, he shall also reap," is a life philosophy that Toots approaches in every journey, whether it's as a published poet, hosting her own radio show or speaking to youth at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Toots had her first taste of fame in a Snickers commercial at only five years old. However, she found her creative outlet through poetry. "I just felt free whenever my pen touched the paper" explained Toots. Her freedom resonated when at only eight years old she was published in The Anthology Book of Poetry by Young Americans. By the time she was 14, Toots transformed poetry into rap, teaming with then Universal Records artist Jason "Camoflauge" Johnson, who passed away in 2003. Her song Cool which she appeared under the group name KVII hit #10 on the Urban charts for 5 weeks beating out Future and Tinashe. Building a name for herself in the Atlanta arts scene, Toots participated in a 2003 charity basketball game at Morris Brown College with Champ Bailey of the Washington Redskins and Michael Vick who was then part of the Atlanta Falcons. But it was conquering BET's 106 & Park at Savannah State University in 2005 that gave Toots her big break. With the memory of Camoflauge in her spirit, Toots knew the moment was hers, "I just remembered seeing my challenger and I remembered I had only one chance to shine- I put my soul into it." Toots was crowned the Homecoming Freestyle Champion.

Toots brought her talents on the road for the two-year run of the Addicted 2 Hip-Hop tour which featured artsit such as Sevyn Streeter, Dee-One, Spodee, Tez McClain, and Shad Da God. She opened for 2 Chainz, Rick Ross, and Young Dro. By 2011, the female MC reinvented her stage act as an online radio show, also titled Addicted 2 Hip-Hop, under N8tion. In addition, she hosted a series of open mic showcases and promoted industry events for rappers like Trina. Toots has never forgotten her community. She founded her own pro-literacy non profit organization Toots for Books where she encourages literacy through summer camps, essay contest and scholarship programs. She is currently a member of the Women's Veteran's Affairs, an advocacy organization for women who served their country. In other ways of giving back to her community, Toots spoke at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Tenth Annual Savannah Business Awards, stressing the importance of authenticity via art. "Charity is the only reason we are here ," she stresses. "I have been so blessed and I want to pass that onto others."

Toots cannot be boxed into one label as a rapper, producer or servant of her community. She rolls all of her passions into one. She is an artist to watch, a hip-hop intellectual, future mogul, rooted in her community as a leader and role model. Truly a prolific artist, Toots is undoubtedly fearless and unapologetically bold.

Steven Fromholz was born on 8 June 1945 in Temple, Texas, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Past Hondo, Cloak & Dagger (1984) and Outlaw Blues (1977). He was married to Jenny Louise Wilmeth and Janey B. Jones. He died on 19 January 2014 in Eldorado, Texas, USA.

Prosper Buranelli was born on 5 June 1891 in Temple, Texas, USA. He was a writer, known for United We Stand (1942), Seven Wonders of the World (1956) and Search for Paradise (1957). He died on 19 June 1960 in Pawling, New York, USA.

Jadis Hernandez was born on 7 April 2008 in Temple, Texas, USA.

Hubert Woodward was born on 11 May 1883 in Temple Balsall, Warwickshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Adventures of Mr. Pickwick (1921), Not Negotiable (1918) and Horror Maniacs (1948). He was married to Dorothea Helen Mary Arbuthnot. He died on 26 May 1977 in Kensington, London, England, UK.

Luke Dillon was born on 18 December 2008 in Temple, Texas. He is an actor, known for The Seed (2019).