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James Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey, to Santa (Penna), a high school lunchlady, and James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr., a bricklayer and head school janitor. His parents were both of Italian origin. Gandolfini began acting in the New York theater. His Broadway debut was in the 1992 revival of "A Streetcar Named Desire" with Jessica Lange and Alec Baldwin. James' breakthrough role was his portrayal of Virgil the hitman in Tony Scott's True Romance (1993), but the role that brought him worldwide fame and accolades was as complex Mafia boss Tony Soprano in the HBO series The Sopranos (1999). He died unexpectedly of a heart attack in 2013 while vacationing in Italy.

One actor who has deserved much acknowledgment and fame and has had to do without it on a number of occasions is Robert Sean Leonard, known by most as Dr. James Wilson on House (2004). But his career has spanned a number of classic films, alongside such greats as Daniel Day-Lewis, Christian Bale, Paul Newman, and Denzel Washington.

Born Robert Lawrence Leonard in Westland, New Jersey, he attended first Fordham University and then Columbia University. Afterwards he was accepted into the Screen Actor's Guild, changing his middle name to 'Sean'. Leonard's first acting role was My Two Loves (1986) where he was cast in a small role. That same year he was also in The Manhattan Project (1986). The film is a suspense thriller starring John Lithgow and is about a science experiment taken too far.

Leonard continued on from these firsts and landed a role in Bluffing It (1987) and then acted in another teen comedy: My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987). His next role is easily one of his most memorable. He took the second billing in Dead Poets Society (1989) opposite Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke. His character of Neil Perry is a young student whose passion for acting is smothered in fear of his father's wrath and his parents' domination of his life. While Robin Williams earned himself an Oscar nomination, Leonard gave a truly Oscar-worthy performance.

The 20-year old actor was well on his way now, and he proceeded to act in another Oscar-nominated film: Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990) starring Paul Newman. Leonard resumed the rebellious youth act from "Dead Poets" as he played one of the children caught between their father's conservative ways and their own ideas. Leonard followed up with the not-so successful Married to It (1991). Two years after that Leonard found massive success in three different films.

Firstly, he acted in Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing (1993). Pulling in 60 million on an 8 million dollar budget, it remains one of the most successful films based off of a play by Shakespeare. Leonard was surrounded by other talents apart in addition to Branagh, such as Brian Blessed, Kate Beckinsale, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, and Emma Thompson. Leonard played the character of Claudio and was sadly criticized by several critics for his acting. However others such as Roger Ebert defended the young lead whose character is deceived into thinking his betrothed is unfaithful.

In the same year, Leonard took the lead in Swing Kids (1993), which also starred Christian Bale, Frank Whaley, Barbara Hershey and Kenneth Branagh who, rather than upstage Leonard, Bale and Whaley, refused any credit in the film. The film, another success for Leonard, told the story of a group of friends in the Hitler Youth attempting to hold onto something they love-- the Lindy hop. Reviews were mixed, but the film has a faithful following to this day.

Also that year Leonard took a smaller role in Martin Scorsese's elaborate and artistic film The Age of Innocence (1993) starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film is about the aristocrat who must choose between two women and risk scandal. The film earned Ryder an Oscar nomination and a win for Best Costume. Leonard himself played the young son of Danny Archer and plays a crucial role at the end of the film.

After these three great films Leonard's career slowed down. Despite acting in three different films in 1996 (the Oliver Stone-produced Killer: A Journal of Murder (1995) starring James Woods, the light-hearted The Boys Next Door (1996), and the romantic I Love You, I Love You Not (1996)) none were as successful as those he made in 1993. Leonard moved onwards to act in (among other things) The Last Days of Disco (1998) and the thriller Ground Control (1998) opposite Kiefer Sutherland, Henry Winkler, and Bruce McGill.

Leonard's work changed as the new millennium began. He turned to television as well as continuing film. He acted in the series The Outer Limits (1995) and Wasteland (1999) as well as making movies such as the dramatic film Tape (2001) by Richard Linklater, A Glimpse of Hell (2001) opposite James Caan, and the box office bomb Driven (2001) starring Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds. After a few more films Leonard was cast in the series that gave him much fame.

House (2004) is a drama series about a cynical, antisocial, crippled doctor who is almost always correct in his solutions to medical problems. Leonard, the first actor to be cast in the series, plays the character of Dr. Wilson, the only person that House considers a friend. Wilson is a much more humane person than House, which leads to many debates between himself and House, though he is plagued by his own problems. It is the best known face that Leonard has ever portrayed in his career, and hopefully he will take on other fantastic roles and obtain the honors he so richly deserves.

Heather Locklear was born on 25 September 1961 in Westwood, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Melrose Place (1992), The Perfect Man (2005) and The Return of Swamp Thing (1989). She was previously married to Richie Sambora and Tommy Lee.

Carla Jimenez was born on 14 May 1974 in Westwood, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Mick (2017), Desperate Housewives (2004) and Last Man Standing (2011).

Livvy Dunne was born on 1 October 2002 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA.

Katie Sagona was born on 26 November 1989 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress, known for You've Got Mail (1998), Grumpier Old Men (1995) and Donnie Brasco (1997).

'Jeff Phillips' was the second of three children. He was raised in Hillsdale, New Jersey and attended Pascack Valley High School. He attended Ramapo College for a year as a criminal justice major, then decided to turn his attention to acting.

Tanner Scott Richards was born on 8 November 1992 in Westwood, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Girlfriends (2000), Mr. Show with Bob and David (1995) and ER (1994).

Scott Levy has starred in film, television, video games and music videos following his service as a Stinger missile gunner in the United States Marine Corps. On film, Scott played the lead role alongside Vanilla Ice in The Helix... Loaded, a parody of The Matrix. He has also acted in Kecksburg, The Serpent, The Dentros with Mariette Hartley, Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? and as a Marine in Afghanistan in The Submarine Kid. On television, Scott has had roles in, The Agency, 24: Legacy, Sniper: Inside the Crosshairs, The Eric André Show, Crisis: New York Under Water and many others. Scott has also lent his motion capture and vocal talents to video games including, Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel, Battlefield 4, Battlefield Hardline, Devil's Third and Medal of Honor: Warfighter which led to starring in Linkin Park's Castle of Glass music video.

Caroleen Feeney was born on 30 December 1962 in Westwood, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Escape from L.A. (1996), Cemetery of Splendor (2015) and Denise Calls Up (1995).

Kenny Florian was born on 26 May 1976 in Westwood, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor, known for The Son of No One (2011), BattleBots (2015) and The Roots of Fight (2012).

Brooke Morales was born on 23 March 1965 in Westwood, California, USA. She is an actress, known for BASEketball (1998), Nudity Required (1989) and Feelin' Screwy (1990). She is married to Thomas Cortesi.

Bekka Bramlett was born on 19 April 1968 in Westwood, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Vertical Limit (2000), Blown Away (1994) and America's Sweethearts (2001).

Ronald W. Browne was born on 6 July 1927 in Westwood, California, USA. He was a cinematographer, known for Three Amigos! (1986), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996) and Mission: Impossible (1966). He died on 7 March 2011 in Thousand Oaks, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Gregory Poe was born on 17 October 1956 in Westwood, California, USA. He was a costume designer, known for Can't Buy Me Love (1987), Susan Tyrrell: My Rotten Life, a Bitter Operetta (1992) and L.A. Fashion Day (1980). He died on 1 September 2008 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Deborah Pastor was born in 1963 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. She is a production designer and actress, known for Dazed and Confused (1993), Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1994) and Slacker (1990).

Nick Deeg was born on 10 December 1980 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. He is a cinematographer, known for Cloud Atlas (2012), Blood Father (2016) and The Wrestler (2008).

Nina Wadekar was born on 9 June 1995 in Westwood, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman (2006).

A.J. Calomay, a film and television assistant editor, has credits that include Dave, Reservation Dogs, You, Kung Fu, Mr. Robot, Hunters, Invasion, New Amsterdam, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

AJ has also produced and edited music videos for the Black Eyed Peas and Filipino-American artists like Bambu, Rocky Rivera, and Ella Jay Basco, and directed documentaries for indie Los Angeles label Stones Throw Records. A key figure in the Los Angeles Filipino American and Asian American arts scene, A.J. contributed to groundbreaking independent films like The Debut and The Flip Side. He produced and edited Lumpia and its sequel, Lumpia with a Vengeance, winning the audience award at the 2020 Hawaii International Film Festival and screening to packed audiences at San Diego ComicCon in 2022 and 2023.

A.J. discovered his passion for filmmaking at the University of California, Los Angeles, graduating with a B.A. in Psychobiology and Cognitive Science. His involvement as a peer counselor in the Filipino community on campus led him to pursue a career in film. A mentor for aspiring filmmakers and a community leader, A.J. is dedicated to both his craft and cultural heritage.

Leonard Hill is an American television producer who was born on October 11, 1947 in Westwood, California, USA. After graduating from both high school and college, he will soon to become a television veteran.

He first wrote two scripts for Jack Webb's "Adam-12". He switched its focus to be an associate producer, working freelance at Universal TV, Paramount Television and MTM. He quietly joined NBC as an executive in drama series. He later joined ABC as vice president of movies.

Both Hill and Phillip Mandelker first met in the mid 1970s. In 1980, following the success of "Amber Waves", Leonard Hill left ABC to join forces with former Time-Life Television producer Phillip Mandelker to start his own production company Hill/Mandelker Films with a non-exclusive distribution pact with Novacom, Inc. (later King Features Entertainment). The first project was "Freedom", starring Mare Winningham and Jennifer Warren. The next project was "Dream House" which Phillip Mandelker wrote the story, starring Victor Argo, produced for Time-Life Television, who was Mandelker's old home.

The production company briefly made its foray into television series with the establishment of subsidiary Hill/Mandelker Television. He is producing hour-long dramas and half-hour sitcoms. The division produced the television series "Tucker's Witch" and the unsold pilot "High School U.S.A,", which is based on the 1983 television movie of the same name.

In 1984, following Phillip Mandelker's death, the company was renamed to Leonard Hill Films. The first project under the new banner was "Mirrors", a television movie produced for NBC, starring Tim Daly. This followed it up with the miniseries "The Long Hot Sunmer", starring Don Johnson. The company went on to be the most successful television movie producers of all time. In 1986, Robert O'Connor joined the company, and then he left in 1988. They briefly renamed it to Hill O'Connor Television, and its most ambitious project was the miniseries "Jack the Ripper" for Thames Television and Lorimar-Telepictures. The company produced its television series "Rags to Riches" in partnership with New World Television.

In 1989, Leonard Hill Films, along with fellow television movie producers The Steve Tisch Company, Robert Greenwald Productions, Von Zerneck/Sertner Films, Michael Jaffe/Spectator Films, The Konigsberg/Sanitsky Company, The Avnet/Kerner Company and Steve White Productions teamed up to form a consortium called Allied Communications, Inc., which is short for ACI. This put an end to Leonard Hill's relationship with King Features. In 1995, the company was sold to Pearson plc, integrating it into the Pearson Television division.

In 1993, both Leonard Hill Films and Joel Fields Productions who were separate companies merged together to form Hill/Fields Entertainment, with Joel Fields becoming its partner. The first project Hill/Fields received was "A Matter of Justice", starring Patty Duke for NBC. This followed in 1994 was "Justice in a Small Town". The partnership then produced "Welcome to Paradise", "Falling from the Sky: Flight 714", "Deadly Whispers", "Stolen Innocence", "Hijacked: Flight 285", "Shaughnessy" and "Detention: The Siege at Johnson High".

In 1998, Joel Fields left the company, and reverted back to using its old name Leonard Hill Films. There the company produced one more television movie "Stolen from the Heart", before he could retire. The popularity of television films declined. In 2001, Leonard Hill switched to real estate development and partnered with Yuval Bar-Zemer to start Linear City Developmemt. They transformed existing buildings, and started the Toy Factory Lofts, the Biscuit Company Lofts and the Elysian. In addition to constructing their own. buildings, Leonard Hill briefly resumed its production through its Leonard Hill Films banner, producing only one more film before his death, "Dorfman His Love".

In 2016, Hill donated $1.9 million to create a new public park under the newly constructed Sixth Street Bridge. Shortly after, he died in his home on Hancock Park on June 7, 2016 due to brain tumor.

Keith D. Fisher was born on 16 May 1974 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. Keith D. is an executive, known for Battleship (2012), Oblivion (2013) and Jurassic World (2015).

Rachel Kordell was born on 5 June 1995 in Westwood, New Jersey. She is an actress and production designer, known for Dear David (2024), Mori and Titans of Tomorrow: (DC Comics Fan Film 2025).

David Mei was born on 3 January 1962 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. David is known for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Alien Resurrection (1997) and Spies in Disguise (2019).

Barbara Jo Ewing was born on 24 August 1968 in Westwood, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Frosty's Winter Wonderland (1976). She has been married to Frank Meyer since 25 October 1997.

Alyson Pemoulie was born on 12 September 1976 in Westwood, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress, known for Vandalism Sucks (1996). She has been married to Frank Halter since 13 September 2008.