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- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Lauren Ash is a recent alumnus of the Second City Chicago Mainstage.
She is also an alumna of the Second City Toronto Mainstage and is one
half of sketch comedy duo "Cory!". She is a two-time Canadian Comedy
Award winner for Best Female Improviser and has also won for Best
Comedic Play in 2008 and Best Sketch Troupe in 2006.
She's played various roles in "Scare Tactics" as well as the Canadian TV
series, "Almost Heroes." She had a recurring role in "The Ron James
Show" and made guest appearances in "Lost Girl," "Cracked," "Bomb
Girls" and "Call Me Fitz." Other film and television credits include
"Video on Trial," "Hotbox" and the Academy Award-nominated film "Lars
and the Real Girl." She is also the voice of Sam in the animated
Canadian series "The Dating Guy."- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Her father is Tariq Anwar and her mother is
Shireen Anwar. Anwar attended Laleham Church of England Primary and
Middle School from 1975 to 1982. Trinian's sketch in the school concert
of 1982 gave an early indication of her theatrical leanings. She
studied at the London drama and dance school, "Italia Conti". She
appeared in many British television productions before making her film
debut in Manifesto (1988).
Her first American movie was
If Looks Could Kill (1991),
in which she played the daughter of a murdered British Agent (played by
Roger Daltrey). In 1992, she made a guest
appearance on
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990)
as "Tricia Kinney". She followed that with the films,
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken (1991)
(inspired by "A Girl and Five Brave Horses"),
Scent of a Woman (1992),
Body Snatchers (1993),
For Love or Money (1993) and
The Three Musketeers (1993).
In 1994, People magazine named her one of the 50 most beautiful people
in the world. One of her most memorable moments on screen came in
1992's Scent of a Woman (1992),
when she danced a tango with Al Pacino, whose
character was blind.- Edvin Ryding was born on 4 February 2003 in Östermalm, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden. He is an actor, known for Fröken Frimans krig (2013), Young Royals (2021) and Gåsmamman (2015).
- Charlie Barnett was born on 4 February 1988 in Sarasota, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for Men in Black³ (2012), Private Romeo (2011) and Russian Doll (2019).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Rob Corddry was born on 4 February 1971 in Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Warm Bodies (2013), Childrens Hospital (2008) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). He has been married to Sandra Beth Leftowits since 2002. They have two children.- Actress
- Producer
Brandy Ledford is an American/Canadian actress, dancer and former model. She was born on February 4th to Sandra and Ken Ledford. Her mother is from Canada, with New Zealand roots and her father is part Cherokee Indian from North Carolina. Brandy was raised in Redondo Beach, CA with her mother and her younger sister and brothers. She discovered her love for dancing at an early age and began competing in local and national drill team competitions, winning the World Drill Team championships in 1980.
After graduating from Redondo Union High School, Brandy started her modeling career. She lived in Japan, New York and Canada and traveled all over the globe as a model and dancer.
From 1993-96, Brandy attended the Baron Brown Studio in Los Angeles, CA, where she studied acting with DW Brown. She continued her training with Margie Haber at the Margie Haber Studio for a number of years. She made her film debut in a small, but memorable role in the blockbuster movie, Demolition Man (1993), starring Sylvester Stallone. Her next role was as Bud's love interest on Married... with Children (1987), which landed her the lead role of Alex Davies in the ABC production of Aaron Spelling's, Pier 66 (1996).
Since then, she has starred as a series regular on several TV series' and guest-starred in popular sitcoms like, Modern Family (2009) and movies such as Rat Race (2001) and the HBO hit, Zebra Lounge (2001). She has a large sci-fi following due to her role as Doyle in Andromeda (2000), which she counts as her favorite character to play. In 2006, Brandy was cast in the critically acclaimed television show, Whistler (2006), for which she was nominated both the Leo Award and the Gemini Award for her performance.
Brandy continues to study dance and spends her time between Los Angeles, Vancouver and Kauai where she enjoys being a mom and a wife and spends quality time on fitness, health and helping others.- Jenette Goldstein is a true chameleon. She is so effective as an
actress, it is nearly impossible to recognize her from role to role.
Jenette spent most of her childhood in Los Angeles. Born to
theater-loving parents, she attended fine arts-oriented schools, and
was the young star of the drama classes. She often competed in citywide
drama competitions with soon-to-be famous peers
Val Kilmer,
Gina Gershon,
Kevin Spacey and
Mare Winningham. To hone her craft after
high school, Jenette studied at London's Webber Douglas Academy of
Dramatic Art, and at Circle in the Square Theater in New York City,
mastering drama theory, physicality, dialects and the classics. It was
in London, while performing in local theater productions, where Jenette
answered an audition request for American actors with British Equity
cards. Thinking it was another play or a small film, she read for a
tough, macho Latina character, named 'Vasquez' And shot to fame in
James Cameron's iconic film
Aliens (1986). Cameron was so pleased with
Jenette's creativity and strong work ethic, he recast her as 'Janelle'
in
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
and a cameo role as the loving 'Irish Mother' in the epic
Titanic (1997).
Her resume is testament to her range and versatility: Vampy killer
Diamondback in Near Dark (1987), good
cop Meagan Shapiro in
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Patti
Jean Lynch in The Presidio (1988),
Alice the Maid in a one-scene role in
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998),
etc.
In addition to film, Jenette has made several appearances on the small
screen. She guest-starred on such award-winning shows as
Six Feet Under (2001),
L.A. Law (1986),
Strong Medicine (2000) and
ER (1994) - where she guest-starred on the
100th anniversary show as a grieving mother, and in a separate episode
opposite Anthony Edwards, as a
heroic flight nurse. It was only after Jenette was hired for the second
role that the show's producers realized she had done the show before.
Jenette has continued working in theater throughout her career,
appearing in plays in New York, London and Los Angeles. She has performed
the classics, William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night," to more contemporary pieces,
such as Arthur Miller's "After The
Fall," which won the 2002 Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Production.
Currently, Jenette is excited about her latest creation: a one-woman
show she is writing herself. - Rosalind Eleazar is an actor, known for Slow Horses (2022), The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) and Uncle Vanya (2020).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
John Gordon Sinclair was born on 4 February 1962 in Glasgow, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Gregory's Girl (1980), Erik the Viking (1989) and World War Z (2013). He has been married to Shauna McKeon since 2004. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Bug Hall was born on 4 February 1985 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Little Rascals (1994), Baby Driver (2017) and The Stupids (1996). He has been married to Jill DeGroff since 11 February 2017. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Clara McGregor was born on 4 February 1996 in England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Christopher Robin (2018), The Birthday Cake (2021) and Reefa (2021).- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Patrick Bergin has done more than 80 films and TV movies and is best known internationally for playing the menacing husband of Julia Roberts’ character in the thriller Sleeping With the Enemy, or for his role as an Irish terrorist alongside Harrison Ford in the film adaption of Patriot Games. He starred opposite Uma Thurman in the 1991 TV movie “Robin Hood,” playing the title role, and was a psychotic Provisional Irish Republican Army gunman in Johnny Was, with Vinnie Jones and Roger Daltrey. More recently Bergin appeared in Age of Kill, We Still Steal the Old Way, Free Fire, Black Bird and The Last Days of American Crime.
Bergin’s recent TV credits include guest leads on ITVs “Wild Bill” and Channel 4’s “No Offence,” as well as playing series regular Jim Tierney in the fourth series of “Red Rock” for TV3/ BBC One and Aidan Maguire in “EastEnders” for BBC One.- Michael Beck was born on 4 February 1949 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor, known for The Warriors (1979), Xanadu (1980) and Megaforce (1982). He has been married to Carolyn Louise Brendel since September 1980. They have two children.
- Actor
- Director
- Stunts
Lewis Tan is a half Chinese half English, film, television and theatre actor. He played as the series regular Gaius Chau on season three of AMC's "Into The Badlands" ; Lu Xin Lee on Netflix's first Asian American original series "Wu Assassins" and many films including the record breaking Marvel film "Deadpool 2" and most recently the lead role in James Wans Warner Bros reboot of "Mortal Kombat"
Born in Manchester, England to a fashion model Joanne Cassidy and national champion martial artists Philip Tan. Lewis moved to Los Angeles at a young age as his father was making a mark on action cinema as a stuntman and fight choreographer working on legendary films like "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "Batman" and "Tango and Cash". Lewis began learning martial arts from his father while at the same time attending theatre school. Lewis had multiple honors in school as well as winning many amateur fights in kickboxing and Muay Thai.
After graduating Lewis began his professional career guest starring in TV shows from "CSI:NY", "CSI:Miami", "Hawaii 5-0" to his first major films including "Pirates of the Caribbean 3", and "Den of Thieves".
At the same time Lewis gained notable fame as a fashion model. He signed with Wilhelmina modeling agency and secured a contract as the face of Nivea in Asia for a few years doing numerous campaigns and commercials. He did many editorial ads including Diesel, Dolce and Gabanna, Puma and Levi's.
Lewis was then picked by Forest Whitaker to play the lead in the indie drama "Sacrifice", this was the start of his film career. The film won awards at many film festivals, it was then that Lewis received world wide attention for his guest role in Marvel's "Iron Fist" where he played the drunken master "Zhou Cheng", the scene was top ten most paused Netflix moments of the year and the scene received a viral campaign with fans asking for a more prominent role.
Lewis is known for performing his own action scenes and got the attention of the show runners Al Gough and Miles Milar of AMC's "Into the Badlands", securing him a lead role in season 3 of the show, led by famous choreographer from "Kill Bill" and "The Matrix" Master Dee Dee. His role on the show and his action ability gained him more critical acclaim.
In 2018 Lewis began filming a lead role in Netflix's Asian American action series "Wu Assassins" along side Kathryn Winnick and Iko Uwais. He plays the flamboyant gangster Lu Xin Lee, the show premiered to great reviews both with fans and critics.
Lewis continues to be a strong voice in the Asian American media as an advocate for diversity and original story telling.
In 2019 Lewis was cast as the lead role in James Wan's reboot of "Mortal Kombat" for Warner Brothers and New Line.
The film was released April 23, 2021 in theaters and HBO Max on the same day.
The film's trailer broke the record for most watched R rated film of all time and is the most watched WB film.
In 2021 Lewis will star in the Netflix action film "Fistful of Vengeance" and alongside Emma Roberts in the romance comedy "About Fate". He is also producing and starring in the spy series "Quantum Spy" with partner Tony Krantz and is in development for his first feature film as a director.- Ben was born in Newcastle, England. He went to school at Newlands Preparatory in Newcastle, before then attending Stowe, located in Buckinghamshire. Ben attended the University of West of England and graduated with business honours, before moving to Los Angeles to study at the Stella Adler Academy. In Los Angeles, he began his acting career on stage with "The Goldilocks Effect" in 2010, and then performed in more stage roles in 2011. Ben has performed with Janet Montgomery, Matthew Rhys and then Jon Voight.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Mari Yamamoto was born in Japan and grew up in London and Tokyo. She is completely bilingual in Japanese and English. She has a BA in International Relations from ICU(Tokyo) and studied acting at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York for two years. She was a member of The Bats at The Flea Theatre in Tribeca NY for several years, performing in various off-off Broadway shows. She works internationally, appearing in films made in the US, Greece, Singapore, Japan and Czech Republic.- Actress
Ella Rumpf was born on 4 February 1995 in Paris, France. She is an actress, known for Raw (2016), Tiger Girl (2017) and Marguerite's Theorem (2023).- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Ida was born in London to a show business family. In 1932, her mother
took Ida with her to an audition and Ida got the part her mother
wanted. The picture was
Her First Affaire (1932). Ida,
a bleached blonde, went to Hollywood in 1934 playing small,
insignificant parts.
Peter Ibbetson (1935) was one of
her few noteworthy movies and it was not until
The Light That Failed (1939)
that she got a chance to get better parts. In most of her movies, she
was cast as the hard, but sympathetic woman from the wrong side of the
tracks. In The Sea Wolf (1941) and
High Sierra (1940), she played the
part magnificently. It has been said that no one could do hard-luck
dames the way Lupino could do them. She played tough, knowing
characters who held their own against some of the biggest leading men
of the day - Humphrey Bogart,
Ronald Colman,
John Garfield and
Edward G. Robinson. She made
a handful of films during the forties playing different characters
ranging from
Pillow to Post (1945), where she
played a traveling saleswoman to the tough nightclub singer in
The Man I Love (1946). But good
roles for women were hard to get and there were many young actresses
and established stars competing for those roles. She left Warner
Brothers in 1947 and became a freelance actress. When better roles did
not materialize, Ida stepped behind the camera as a director, writer
and producer. Her first directing job came when director
Elmer Clifton fell ill on a script that
she co-wrote Not Wanted (1949). Ida
had joked that as an actress, she was the poor man's
Bette Davis. Now, she said that as a
director, she became the poor man's
Don Siegel. The films that she wrote, or
directed, or appeared in during the fifties were mostly inexpensive
melodramas. She later turned to television where she directed episodes
in shows such as
The Untouchables (1959) and
The Fugitive (1963). In the
seventies, she made guest appearances on various television show and
appeared in small parts in a few movies.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Linda Bassett was born in the Kentish village of Pluckley - location
for the television series
The Darling Buds of May (1991).
She was brought up in Pimlico, South London, by her typist mother and
police officer father. She became interested in acting as a child when
she was frequently taken to see plays in London, most notably at the
Old Vic, the famous classical theater. On leaving school, Linda went to
work at the Old Vic as an usherette and catering manager, before going
to read English at Leeds University. However, she dropped out after a
year and became involved in a local drama group which put on plays in
community-based locations, such as schools. She regards this as her
theatrical schooling, having had no formal training. She made her
London stage debut at the age of thirty-two in 1982 and, in 1991, she
joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Although she was a well-regarded
stage performer, it was the 1999 film version of the play
East Is East (1999) (in which she
had been an original stage cast member) which brought her to a larger
audience and, throughout the 2000s, she has been a familiar face in a
variety of films and television series. In the late 1980s, she returned
to live in Pluckley.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jim O'Heir was born on 4 February 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor, known for Smothered by Mothers (2019), Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) and Bad Times at the El Royale (2018).- A rising talent with a knack for both comedy and drama, Kyla Kenedy is quickly becoming one of the most sought after young actresses in the industry.
Kenedy can currently be seen starring opposite Minnie Driver in ABC's Television Critics Association Award-winning sitcom, "Speechless." The show follows a family with a special-needs child as they navigate everyday life. Kenedy plays the family's daughter, 'Dylan.' The show returned for its sophomore season on September 27th.
This year, Kenedy also starred as 'Briana', a patient with Cystic Fibrosis, on NBC's medical drama, "The Night Shift." She will star in multiple roles on the Nickelodeon sketch program, "Mackand Beef."
Kenedy is arguably most recognizable from her breakout role on AMC's international hit, "The Walking Dead," in which she starred as 'Mika' throughout seasons four and five opposite Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus. Throughout her time on the show, she hosted "The Walking Dead" fan interview YouTube series, "Down n' Dirty," in association with Walker Stalker.
Her other television credits include, "Rizzoli & Isles," "CSI," and "The New Normal," for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the category of Best Actress in a Guest Starring Role.
On the big screen, Kenedy was last seen in Love Is All You Need? opposite Jeremy Sisto and Briana Evigan, for which she won the Best Actress Audience Award at the 2016 Napa Film Festival. Kenedy began her career at the age of eight in Charleston, South Carolina, booking print and local jobs before moving to Atlanta where she quickly expanded to commercials and films. It was there that she landed a small role in the Farrelly brothers feature film, Three Stooges. Shortly thereafter, Kenedy was cast in her first leading role as the titular character in the award-winning made-for-TV movie "Raising Izzie," for which she won the Grace Award at the 21st Movieguide Awards and a Young Artist Award for Best Actress. Shortly thereafter, Kenedy relocated to Los Angeles and continues to endear audiences and gain critical acclaim for her performances.
In addition to her work on screen, Kenedy is also passionate about giving back through her charitable efforts with Meals on Wheels and The Children's Hospital of Atlanta. She currently lives in Los Angeles, and loves reading, traveling, animals, and all outdoor activities. - Producer
- Writer
- Director
George A. Romero never set out to become a Hollywood figure; by all indications, though, he was very successful. The director of the groundbreaking "Living Dead" films was born February 4, 1940 ,in New York City to Ann (Dvorsky) and Jorge Romero. His father was born in Spain and raised in Cuba, and his mother was Lithuanian. He grew up in New York until attending the renowned Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.
After graduation he began shooting mostly short films and commercials. He and his friends formed Image Ten Productions in the late 1960s and they all chipped in roughly $10,000 apiece to produce what became one of the most celebrated American horror films of all time: Night of the Living Dead (1968). Shot in black-and-white on a budget of just over $100,000, Romero's vision, combined with a solid script written by him and his "Image" co-founder John A. Russo (along with what was then considered an excess of gore), enabled the film to earn back far more than what it cost; it became a cult classic by the early 1970s and was inducted into the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress of the United States in 1999. Romero's next films were a little more low-key but less successful, including The Affair (1971), The Crazies (1973), Season of the Witch (1972) (where he met future wife Christine Forrest) and Martin (1977). Though not as acclaimed as "Night of the Living Dead" or some of his later work, these films had his signature social commentary while dealing with issues--usually horror-related--at the microscopic level. Like almost all of his films, they were shot in, or around, Romero's favorite city of Pittsburgh.
In 1978 he returned to the zombie genre with the one film of his that would top the success of "Night of the Living Dead"--Dawn of the Dead (1978). He managed to divorce the franchise from Image Ten, which screwed up the copyright on the original and allowed the film to enter into public domain, with the result that Romero and his original investors were not entitled to any profits from the film's video releases. Shot in the Monroeville (PA) Mall during late-night hours, the film told the tale of four people who escape a zombie outbreak and lock themselves up inside what they think is paradise before the solitude makes them victims of their own, and a biker gang's, greed. Made on a budget of just $1.5 million, the film earned over $40 million worldwide and was named one of the top cult films by Entertainment Weekly magazine in 2003. It also marked Romero's first work with brilliant make-up and effects artist Tom Savini. After 1978, Romero and Savini teamed up many times. The success of "Dawn of the Dead" led to bigger budgets and better casts for the filmmaker. First was Knightriders (1981), where he first worked with an up-and-coming Ed Harris. Then came perhaps his most Hollywood-like film, Creepshow (1982), which marked the first--but not the last--time Romero adapted a work by famed horror novelist Stephen King. With many major stars and big-studio distribution, it was a moderate success and spawned a sequel, which was also written by Romero.
The decline of Romero's career came in the late 1980s. His last widely-released film was the next "Dead" film, Day of the Dead (1985). Derided by critics, it did not take in much at the box office, either. His latest two efforts were The Dark Half (1993) (another Stephen King adaptation) and Bruiser (2000). Even the Romero-penned/Tom Savini-directed remake of Romero's first film, Night of the Living Dead (1990), was a box-office failure. Pigeon-holed solely as a horror director and with his latest films no longer achieving the success of his earlier "Dead" films, Romero has not worked much since, much to the chagrin of his following. In 2005, 19 years after "Day of the Dead", with major-studio distribution he returned to his most famous series and horror sub-genre it created with Land of the Dead (2005), a further exploration of the destruction of modern society by the undead, that received generally positive reviews. He directed two more "Dead" films, Diary of the Dead (2007) and Survival of the Dead (2009).
George died on July 16, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was 77.- Of English and German heritage, lumbering, oval-faced John Schuck was born Conrad John Schuck, Jr. in Boston, Massachusetts on February 4, 1940, the son of an English professor who taught at, among others, both Princeton College and SUNY Buffalo while John was growing up. Following graduation from Denison University, where he appeared in a number of plays, John turned to regional theatre work ("Marat/Sade," etc.), including the Cleveland Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, and American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.
Discovered at ACT for film by Robert Altman, the director featured him as Captain Walter "Painless Pole" Waldowski, the virginal army camp dentist, in the classic Korean War film M*A*S*H (1970), giving him a memorable "deflowering" scene with sexy Jo Ann Pflug. Altman continued to use John in Brewster McCloud (1970), McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and, most assuredly, in Thieves Like Us (1974), arguably his best movie role as a bank robber on the lam.
On 70's television, in addition to guest spots on such programs as "Gunsmoke," "Mission: Impossible," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Room 222," "Bonanza," "Ironside" and "Love, American Style," "Schuck won a regular part as an inept but altruistic sergeant alongside Rock Hudson's police commissioner for six seasons on McMillan & Wife (1971). Following this, however, he found himself somewhat stereotyped as simple-minded, lovable lugs such as the robot on the silly short-lived comedy Holmes and Yoyo (1976), as buddy Murray in the revamped series The New Odd Couple (1982) and as Herman Munster on The Munsters Today (1987), a revisit to the ghoulish 1960s television family. He also kept his name alive on such popular games shows as "The $25,000 Pyramid," "Hollywood Squares" and "Password."
More challenging guest role work has come to him on occasion with television series such as NYPD Blue (1993), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Babylon 5 (1993) and in the historically acclaimed TV movie Roots (1977). In the popular films Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), John appeared in various roles and earned himself a place in the hearts of Trekkie fans all over the nation. Other film roles over time have included Blade (1973), Just You and Me, Kid (1979), Earthbound (1981), Finders Keepers (1984), Outrageous Fortune (1987), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988), My Mom's a Werewolf (1989) and Dick Tracy (1990).
The musical stage also took a shine to him. An accomplished singer, John appeared semi-regularly (from 1979 until 2006) as the bald-domed, gruff-speaking Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks in the hit musical "Annie," not only on Broadway but on tours and in smaller theater venues. He also garnered success playing Frank Butler in "Annie Get Your Gun" with Bernadette Peters on tour. Other roles over time have included the musicals "The Sound of Music", "Peter Pan", "The Most Happy Fella" and "She Loves Me." He co-starred in the original premiere of "Grumpy Old Men" in 2011 and then returned to Broadway in 2013 as a replacement in the Gershwin musical "Nice Work If You Can Get It."
Into the millennium, on TV John played a police captain on an episode of "Diagnosis Murder," had a recurring role as a Chief of Detectives in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), and had another recurring role as shop keeper Carl in the skateboarding adventure series Zeke and Luther (2009). He also appeared in the films Closer to God (2014) and All Light Will End (2018).
A sailor on the sly, John Schuck is father to son Aaron via his first marriage (1978-1983) to former actress Susan Bay Nimoy. He married his current wife, painter Harrison Houlé, in 1990. - Actor
- Writer
William Talman is best known for his role as Hamilton Burger, the
district attorney who perpetually lost to Perry Mason in the
long-running series
Perry Mason (1957). Talman was an
accomplished screenwriter and stage and screen actor, and appeared in
numerous roles on television as a character actor from the mid-'50s
until his death from lung cancer in August of 1968.
He was born William Whitney Talman Jr. on February 4, 1915, in Detroit,
Michigan, the first son of William Talman Sr. and Ada B. Talman. His
father was vice-president of an electrical company that manufactured
industrial heat-measuring recording devices and yachts. During an
interview with "TV Guide" in April of 1963, Talman told writer Richard
Gehman that his father made a good deal of money, "enough to send me to
school in a limousine each day. Public school. That meant I had to
fight my way in and out." In school Talman developed an avid interest
in athletics, especially boxing and baseball. He furthered his interest
in boxing early in life by fighting on the local parish boxing team of
the Episcopal Church. At one point in his life he played
semi-professional baseball. He was educated at Cranbrook School and
later attended Dartmouth College, where his interest in acting first
took hold. He left Dartmouth in his sophomore year after an incident in
which a freshman he knew "loaned" him a car so that he could go visit a
girlfriend at Smith College. A bus forced the car off of the road and
it hit a tree. A boy who was with them was killed and it later turned
out that the car was stolen. Talman was asked to resign from Dartmouth,
which he did. Although invited back the next year, he never returned.
Talman began his acting career on Broadway in the early 1940s. His
first roles were in "Beverly Hills", "Yokel Boy" and "Of Mice and Men."
He was appearing in "Spring Again" at Henry Miller's Theatre in January
of 1942 when he received his draft notice for induction into the US
army. Prior to leaving for active duty he married actress
Lynne Carter. He entered the
army as a private and saw 30 months of service in the Pacific, where he
won a commission and eventually was promoted to the rank of major.
During the war his assignments included the managing of a school that
trained soldiers to put on shows. At one point he was in charge of
training boxing and baseball teams. He was proud of the fact that his
teams won both the boxing and baseball championships of the Western
Pacific. Talman returned to Broadway after the war. Two of his more
notable postwar roles were in Joseph M. Hyman's and
Bernard Hart's production of "Dear Ruth" in
1946 and Henry Adrian's production of "A Young Man's Fancy" in 1947. In
1949 the actor moved to Hollywood and began making films. His first
picture was
Red, Hot and Blue (1949), in
which he played gangster Bunny Harris. Other movie and television roles
soon followed. In 1951 his wife sued him for divorce, citing extreme
cruelty. She claimed that Talman had criticized her publicly in front
of their friends. The divorce was granted in September of 1952 with
custody of the couple's three-year-old daughter, Lynda, and 24% of
Talman's income awarded to his former spouse. He went on to perform in
over 17 films, several of which he starred in. Some of his more notable
films include The Racket (1951),
Armored Car Robbery (1950),
Smoke Signal (1955),
Big House, U.S.A. (1955),
One Minute to Zero (1952) and
Two-Gun Lady (1955). His best known
role was as escaped killer and kidnapper Emmett Myers in the classic
film noir The Hitch-Hiker (1953),
directed by Ida Lupino. He also co-wrote two
feature films,
I've Lived Before (1956) and
Joe Dakota (1957).
Talman married actress Barbara Read in
1952. The couple had two children, Barbie and Billy, but they separated
in September of 1959. In a tragic turn of events, his former wife took
her own life in December of 1963 by closing up her house and turning on
the gas jets. Notes she left behind blamed ill health for her action.
In March of 1960 Talman made headlines when he was arrested during a
police raid of an alleged "wild nude party" being held at the home of
an acquaintance, Richard Reibold. The incident caused CBS to invoke a
morals clause in his contract that cost him his job on "Perry Mason."
The charges were eventually dropped after a trial that was closely
followed by the newspapers and sensationalized by the tabloids. Talman
always maintained his innocence, and following the trial the judge in
the case criticized the police for arresting him. He remained off the
show until December of 1960, when CBS reinstated him after a flood of
fan mail from supporters. He married Margaret (Peggy) Flanigan and
adopted her two children from a previous marriage, Steve and Debbie.
After the "Perry Mason" show ended in 1966, Talman went on a six-week
tour of Vietnam to entertain the troops. Upon his return home, it was
discovered that he had lung cancer. His last film was
The Ballad of Josie (1967),
with Doris Day.
Near the end of his life, Talman did something that, while common
nowadays, was an extraordinarily courageous thing for an actor to do at
that time. A heavy smoker for most of his life, he was angered by a
newspaper article he read about actors being afraid to make
anti-smoking messages for fear of losing opportunities to make
lucrative cigarette commercials. He decided to do something about it.
Talman volunteered to make a short film for the American Cancer
Society, part of which was shown in late 1968 and 1969 as a television
anti-smoking commercial. He was the first actor to ever make such a
commercial. When the message was being filmed, Talman knew he was
dying, was in a great deal of pain and was in fact under heavy sedation
for it. The short film begins, "Before I die I want to do what I can to
leave a world free of cancer for my six children . . . ",
William Talman died of cardiac arrest due to complications from lung
cancer at West Valley Community Hospital in Encino, California, on
August 30, 1968, at the age of 53. Although his life was short, he left
an enduring legacy through his writing, his acting, his heroism and his
never-ending championing of the underdog.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Pamelyn Ferdin was born on 4 February 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Beguiled (1971), Charlotte's Web (1973) and A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969). She was previously married to Jerry Vlasak.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Lisa Eichhorn was born on 4 February 1952 in Glens Falls, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Vanishing (1993), Cutter's Way (1981) and The Europeans (1979). She has been married to Richard Moxon since 31 August 2005. She was previously married to Ben Nye III and John Curless.- Saul Nanni was born on 4 February 1999 in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He is an actor, known for Brado (2022), Under the Riccione Sun (2020) and Love & Gelato (2022).
- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Director
Jerry Adler was born on 4 February 1929 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), In Her Shoes (2005) and Prime (2005). He has been married to Joan Laxman since 3 July 1994. He was previously married to Cathy Rice and Dolores Parker.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Young Canadian film and TV actor and model.
Verchere was born in Vancouver to Cynthia, a pediatric plastic surgeon at BC Children's Hospital, and Bruce, a diabetes researcher at the University of British Columbia. He has a twin brother and an older brother. Verchere and his twin brother became involved in acting because of their cousin. In 2014, Verchere landed his first voice role in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic as Pip Squeak.
In 2017, Verchere appeared as the recurring character Nathan Burgle in Fargo, Tommy Walters in the film Woody Woodpecker, and the role of young Shaun Murphy in The Good Doctor. In 2018, Verchere appeared in the horror mystery film Summer of 84.
On 21 August 2018, it was announced that Verchere would be starring as Leo Borlock in Disney's movie adaptation of Jerry Spinelli's young adult novel Stargirl.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Make-Up Department
Having been bitten by the acting bug when she was just 11 years old, Christine Nguyen now makes her home in Los Angeles, California, where she works as an actress and model. Her first roles were in local school and theatre plays in her hometown of Houston, Texas. From there, Christine went on to train at the Los Angeles branch of the Australian Institute of Dramatic Arts. Christine has appeared in dozens of promos, infomercials, shorts, webisodes, episodics, commercials and features which have aired on CBS, NBC, FOX, Comedy Central, SPIKE, HBO, G4, Discovery, Showtime and theaters worldwide. Beyond acting, Christine is also a voiceover artist, host, spokesmodel, model and master of improv. Her full resume and any work-related questions may be obtained by sending an inquiry on the CONTACT page of her personal website and her representative will get back to you.- Andrew Terraciano was born on 4 February 2003 in Pelham, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Blue Bloods (2010) and Rogue Assistant (2014).
- Actress
- Producer
Born and raised in small town Saskatchewan, Natalie's desire for the
arts was evident from a very early age and encouraged by her mother
Rose. While performing dances and plays in the family living room was
Natalie's first foray into the performing arts, it wasn't long before
she started to shine on other stages as well. After signing herself up
for dance lessons at the age of 6, her path was set. Excelling in
various forms of dance, she was met with opportunities that led her to
Toronto and into the professional world of performing.
Stage being her first love, she has had the pleasure of performing in
various dance and Musical Theatre productions such as 42nd St (Moscow)
and Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage (The Royal Alexandra
Theatre, Toronto).
This led her to the silver screen. Natalie has been seen in a variety
of television shows such as: Rookie Blue, Saving Hope, Flashpoint,
Suits, Covert Affairs. As well as the films: Casino Jack and
Hollywoodland. Most recently Natalie completed the Canadian Film
Centre's Actor Conservatory.- Katy earned her BFA in acting at the prestigious Carnegie Mellon
University. She began her career on stage in regional theaters and New
York's Off-Broadway where she was privileged to be part of the
development and premiere of Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning playwright
Doug Wright's "Quills" at New York Theatre Workshop and Tony Award
winner Steven Sater's "Asylum" at Naked Angels. Katy won a Fany award
for Outstanding Broadway Debut in
Arthur Miller's "The Ride Down Mt.
Morgan" with Patrick Stewart and
Frances Conroy. She has also been honored
in Los Angeles with awards including two Garlands, the LA Weekly, two
Dramalogues, and multiple nominations for the LA Drama Critics Circle
and Ovation Awards for her work in "Breaking the Code", "Golden Boy",
"Scotland Road", "Indiscretions", and "Big Love". While film fans may
recognize Katy as the young
Maggie Smith in
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002),
she is a huge fan of independent film and was the Grand Jury's
unanimous choice for Best Actress in a Feature at Outfest as "Una" in
Laura Nix's "The Politics of Fur". From TV Katy is most known for her
roles as "Sienna" in
Seinfeld (1989), Drew's girlfriend
"Lisa" on
The Drew Carey Show (1995),
and "Darlene" in MCI's "Grammercy Press" commercials, which she credits
with putting her on the LA casting radar. She recently got to work with
the amazing director Domenica Cameron-Scorcese on the short film "Roots
in Water" which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2010
and was shown in the 2010 Chicago International Film Festival. - Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Alice Cooper was born Vincent Damon Furnier, in Detroit, Michigan, the
son of a minister. He moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at a young age and
still lives in the state today. At age 17, he formed a rock band called
the Earwigs, who changed their name to The Spiders and then The Nazz,
before finally settling on Alice Cooper. The line-up included himself,
Dennis Dunaway,
Michael Bruce,
Glen Buxton and
Neal Smith. Rumors (which the
band did not necessarily make efforts to deny) to the contrary, the
name was not chosen from a Ouija board reading nor was it named after a
woman once burned at the stake for witchcraft -- it was picked because
the random name had a twisted sense of originality and misleading
innocence, complementing the band's bizarre and macabre stage theatrics
and lyric themes.
The band got their first big break playing at the Whisky a Go Go in Los
Angeles one night in 1969 when Frank Zappa
discovered them and signed them to his record label. After two
albums-and relocating to Detroit -- they were signed by Warner Bros.,
hooked up with famous producer Robert Ezrin
and came out with their third album, the breakthrough "Love It to
Death" in 1971. Several albums followed, including "Killer", the highly
successful "School's Out", "Billion Dollar Babies" and "Muscle of
Love". The band made an appearance in the movie
Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)
and their own theatrically released documentary
Good to See You Again, Alice Cooper (1974).
Alice himself also starred in an episode of
The Female Instinct (1972).
The original Alice Cooper band broke up in 1975, with the lead singer
getting his name legally changed to Alice Cooper -- and performing
under the name ever since -- while some of the other members formed a
band called the Billion Dollar Babies. That same year saw the release
of a Greatest Hits album, while Alice as a solo artist completed the
album "Welcome to My Nightmare" and his incredibly theatrical tour. It
was on this tour that he met his future wife
Sheryl Cooper, who had been hired as a
dancer.
Along with the album and tour came a television special,
Alice Cooper: The Nightmare (1975),
and both included dialog from horror movie legend
Vincent Price. Alice made a number
of other television and movie appearances in the second half of the
decade, including
The Muppet Show (1976),
Mae West's final film
Sextette (1977),
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978)
and several appearances on
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962).
However, by the late 1970s, Alice's problems with alcohol became
life-threatening, and he was checked into a clinic for rehabilitation.
He told of his experiences on the semi-fictional album "From the
Inside" (there was also a comic book of the same title), and explored
different sounds in the early 1980s with four albums ("Flush the
Fashion", "Special Forces", "Zipper Catches Skin", "DaDa"). After
having a severe "falling off the wagon" to the point of almost dying,
he sobered up once more -- this time for good -- and returned with the
albums "Constrictor", "Raise Your Fist and Yell" and the 1989 album
"Trash", which featured the hit song "Poison". The 1980s also saw Alice
starring in the horror films
Monster Dog (1984) and
Prince of Darkness (1987), as
well as having mostly new songs for the soundtracks to
Roadie (1980),
Class of 1984 (1982),
Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988)
and Shocker (1989).
However, it was the 1990s that brought Alice's most memorable movie
appearance: playing himself in
Wayne's World (1992). The phrase
uttered by characters Wayne and Garth in his presence, "We're not
worthy!", became one of the most popular movie catchphrases of the
decade. Alice also played the father of Freddy Krueger in
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991),
and himself on
That '70s Show (1998) and
Something Wilder (1994). The
decade also saw the release of his "Hey Stoopid" and "The Last
Temptation". Alice toured occasionally but took a break from releasing
albums until 2000, when he released "Brutal Planet". He followed this
up with "Dragon Town", "The Eyes of Alice Cooper" and "Dirty Diamonds",
and continues to tour regularly, performing shows with the bizarrely
dark and horror-themed theatrics that he's best known for.- Soundtrack
Chris Ivery was born on 4 February 1968 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. He has been married to Ellen Pompeo since 9 November 2007. They have three children.- Actress
- Writer
Actress Collin Wilcox extended her given name twice over the duration
of her professional acting career -- billing herself as Collin
Wilcox-Horne and Collin Wilcox Paxton, to be exact. She was born in
Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Highlands, North Carolina, and her
interest in theater was sparked by her parents, Jack H. and Virginia
Wilcox, who founded the Highlands Community Theatre (now known as the
Highlands Playhouse) in 1939. She made her acting debut there as a
young girl and appeared in various productions, including "Our Town".
In later years, Collin would dutifully return from time to time and
perform at her theater alma mater in appreciation.
She attended high school in Knoxville, Tennessee and became the
resident ingénue at the regional Carousel Theatre. She majored in drama
at the University of Tennessee and studied performing at the Goodman
School of Drama in Chicago, Illinois, as well as improv at The Compass
(a forerunner of the Second City troupe) where
Paul Sills was the director. There, she
worked alongside up-and-coming talents
Mike Nichols,
Elaine May,
Barbara Harris,
Severn Darden and
Shelley Berman. She eventually migrated
to New York in 1957 and earned membership with
Lee Strasberg's Actor's Studio, who saw
great potential in her. She worked there for eight years.
Collins' Broadway debut came a year later with "The Day the Money
Stopped", starring Richard Basehart and
Mildred Natwick, which earned her the
Clarence Derwent Award for "Best
Supporting Actress". Slowly garnering notice for her growing quirks and
interesting, edgy performances, Collin went on to work with the crème
de la crème of Broadway eccentrics including
Tallulah Bankhead in "Crazy October",
Geraldine Page in "Strange Interlude" and
Ruth Gordon in "La Bonne Soup".
Neurotic Southern plays such as
Tennessee Williams off-Broadway
productions of "Camino Real" and "Suddenly, Last Summer" fit her like a
glove. In Los Angeles, she appeared in "The Sea Gull" under the
direction of John Houseman,
"Period of Adjustment" with
William Windom and "Getting Out" with
Susan Clark. Williams, himself,
chose Collin to repeat her leading role as "Isabel" in "Period of
Adjustment", when the play went to London.
Collin's film debut came with her brilliant, award-worthy role as young
"Mayella", whose Southern white trash teenager, under the duress of her
racist father, falsely accuses black man
Brock Peters of rape in
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
Her cross-examination courtroom sequence with Peters' hired attorney,
Gregory Peck, is unforgettable. No other
film role would have the same impact as that once-in-a-lifetime part.
Prior to this, "Mockingbird" director
Robert Mulligan personally selected the
classically-trained Collin as his TV "Frankie" in a strong presentation
of
The Member of the Wedding (1958).
It was her first television role. For such a strong start, her later
film career would prove strangely erratic, with a number of offbeat
roles in The Baby Maker (1970),
arguably her best post-Mockingbird part, opposite
Barbara Hershey and
Sam Groom,
Catch-22 (1970),
September 30, 1955 (1977),
Jaws 2 (1978),
Marie (1985),
The Journey of August King (1995)
and
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997),
among them.
While Collin graced a number of quality TV programs, such as the
mini-movies
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974),
Foxfire (1987) and
Wildflower (1991) along with
such established series as
Gunsmoke (1955),
The Twilight Zone (1959),
The Fugitive (1963) and
The Waltons (1972), it was the
live stage that kept her fiery passion for acting alive. In the late
seventies, she returned to her hometown, met and married third husband
Scott Paxton, and founded the multi-arts
center, "The Highlands Studio for the Arts", in 1981. She served as its
artistic director for nine years as well as its resident playwright and
improv teacher. She and her husband (who has been president of the
Board of Directors) formed a troupe called "The Instant Theatre
Company" (ITC) which reaffirmed her family's name in the commitment to
its town's local theater. The company lasted for close to a decade
before resurrecting again in 2003 with Collin and
Rex Reed performing in a presentation of "Love
Letters".
Married three times, she has two children, Kimberley and William, from
her former husband, British actor
Geoffrey Horne, and one child, Michael,
from the marriage to Scott Paxton. She died
of brain cancer at her North Carolina home in Highlands on October 14,
2009. She was 74.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Patty Guggenheim was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Patty is an actor and producer, known for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022), Florida Girls (2019) and Mr. Mayor (2021).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Hannibal Buress was born on 4 February 1983 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Tag (2018), Neighbors (2014) and Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Michael Goorjian, born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an
American actor, filmmaker, and writer. As an actor, Michael won the
Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a
Special for
David's Mother (1994)
with Kirstie Alley. He is also well known
for his role as Justin, Neve Campbell's
love interest on the Golden Globe winning series
Party of Five (1994), as well
as Heroin Bob in SLC Punk! (1998). As a
director, Michael achieved widespread recognition for his first major
independent film, Illusion (2004), a
film he wrote, directed and starred in alongside Hollywood-legend
Kirk Douglas
Michael's acting career began at the early age of 14 when he decided to
audition for a local theatre company thinking it was a 'cool way' to
skip class. After landing the lead role in a 'not-so-cool play called
Computer Crazy, Michael soon found out that the rest of the cast were
all senior citizens and that he would have to perform the play at his
own junior high. Despite this rather humiliating experience, Michael
stuck with acting and eventually trained at UCLA School of Theatre,
Film and Television.
Michael's first big Hollywood break came as a dancer when in 1992 he
was cast as Skittery in the Disney film,
Newsies (1992), starring
Christian Bale and
Robert Duvall. What followed was starring
roles in numerous films including
Chaplin (1992) with
Robert Downey Jr.,
Forever Young (1992) with
Mel Gibson, Oscar-winning
Leaving Las Vegas (1995),
Hard Rain (1998) with
Morgan Freeman and
Christian Slater,
SLC Punk! (1998),
The Invisibles (1999) with
Portia de Rossi,
Broken (2006) with
Heather Graham and
Conversations with God (2006).
Michael also guest starred in countless television series including
Lie to Me (2009),
House (2004),
Alias (2001),
Monk (2002),
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000),
CSI: Miami (2002),
Without a Trace (2002),
Chicago Hope (1994) as well as a
recurring role on
Life Goes On (1989) as Ray
Nelson.
Never straying far from the stage, Michael is a founding member of the
Los Angeles based theater group, Buffalo Nights and starred in the West
Coast premiere of Dennis McIntyre's powerful drama, Modigliani, which
won him a L.A. Weekly Theater Award nomination for Best Lead Actor.
With the 'Nights', Michael also received tremendous critical acclaim
for playing title roles in both productions of, The Apollo of Bellac by
Jean Giraudoux, and J.B. by Archibald MacLeish. Michael also won a LA
Critics Choice and a Garland Backstage West awards for his original
choreography for the L.A. production of the musical Refer Madness.- Actress
- Music Department
- Director
Natalie Jane Imbruglia was born on Tuesday, February 4, 1975, in
Sydney, Australia, to Maxene (Anderson) and Elliot Imbruglia. Her
father is Sicilain (from Lipari) and her mother has English, Scottish,
Welsh, and Irish ancestry. She grew up in a small beach town on the New
South Wales coast called Berkeley Vale. At the age of two, she began
dancing, and then moved into a special academy to dance six days a
week. She got her first job as a TV extra on Japanese bubble gun
commercial as a 'Pinnacle Princess'. She didn't have much to do in
Berkleyvale and was a 'surfer girl'. At the age of 17 she was offered a
two week trial to play Beth Brennan in the Aussie soap opera
Neighbours (1985). She and her
character became so popular that Natalie stayed on the show for two
more years. After she quit the show she went to the nearest hairdresser
and cut her once long hair into the shorter style that we see today.
She then moved to London and the party and night-club scene. During
this time Natalie decided to pursue a singing career and wrote many
songs. Then she secured a recording contact and released her first
album, 'Left of the Middle'. Since then she has had a lot of media
exposure with her album released across the world. Her TV appearances
have included
Saturday Night Live (1975),
The David Letterman Show (1980),
etc.- Jacob Lohmann was born on 4 February 1974 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He is an actor, known for Godland (2022), Enforcement (2020) and Riders of Justice (2020). He has been married to Louise Hauberg since 2012. They have one child.
- Ashley Thomas is a British actor and rapper. As an actor he has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, Royal Television Society Award and selected as one of Screen International's Stars of Tomorrow. He attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts. As a rapper he is also known by his stage name, Bashy.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Gary Conway was born on 4 February 1936 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Over the Top (1987), American Ninja 2: The Confrontation (1987) and Burke's Law (1963). He has been married to Marian McKnight since 21 December 1958. They have two children.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Jim Jefferies was born on 4 February 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He is a writer and producer, known for Legit (2013), Jim Jefferies: Freedumb (2016) and The Librarians (2014). He has been married to Tasie Lawrence since September 2020. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Augie Duke was born on 4 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for 6 Years, 4 Months & 23 Days (2013), Spring (2014) and Bad Kids Go to Hell (2012).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Shane Coffey was born on 4 February 1987 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Good Girls (2018), Pretty Little Liars (2010) and McCrorey Rd. (2022).- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
In the early days of 1950s science-fiction, one of the first people to
become identified with the genre was actor William Phipps. Aside from
furnishing the voice of Prince Charming in Disney's cartoon classic
Cinderella (1950), Phipps also hid his
boyish face beneath a beard as the star of
Arch Oboler's end-of-the-world melodrama
Five (1951); made a token appearance in
Oboler's The Twonky (1953);
encountered Martians in both
Invaders from Mars (1953) and
The War of the Worlds (1953);
and took on the Abominable Snowman as one of the leads in
The Snow Creature (1954). Most
notoriously, he even grappled with Moon maidens set on world conquest
in the almost indescribable
Cat-Women of the Moon (1953).
Phipps was born in Vincennes, Indiana, and grew up in St. Francisville,
Illinois; he knew from boyhood that he was destined to be an actor and
appeared in several plays in grade school and at Eastern Illinois
University. Hitchhiking to Hollywood in 1941, he worked on the stage
and later in films, beginning with RKO's
Crossfire (1947). Over the next 60
years he amassed a long list of film and TV credits; he also did
commercials and voiceover work, including the narration for the special
190-minute TV version of
David Lynch's
Dune (1984).- Actor
- Stunts
Richard Lineback was born on 4 February 1952 in Frankfurt, Germany. He is an actor, known for Speed (1994), Natural Born Killers (1994) and The Ring (2002).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Usually sized up as an erudite gent, advice-spouting father or uptight,
pompous neighbor, the acting talents of Conrad Bain were best utilized
on stage and on TV. Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, on February 4, 1923,
Conrad Stafford Bain was a twin son (the other was named Bonar) born to
Stafford Harrison Bain, a wholesaler, and Jean Agnes (née Young). He
enjoyed Canadian sports growing up (ice hockey, speed skating), but
picked up an interest in acting while in high school.
Electing to train at Alberta's Banff School of Fine Arts after
graduating, he met Monica Marjorie Sloan, an artist, while there. His
acting pursuit was interrupted by WWII when he subsequently joined the
Canadian army. Picking up here he left off following his discharge, he
studied at New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He also
married Ms. Sloan in 1945 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen the
following year. The couple went on to have three children -- Jennifer,
Mark and Kent.
Making his stage debut in a Connecticut production of "Dear Ruth" in
1947, Bain also appeared in "Jack and the Beanstalk" and a tour of "The
Barretts of Wimpole Street" before making his off-Broadway debut in a
1956 Circle-in-the-Square revival of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman
Cometh," a production that made a star out of
Jason Robards. Following an inauspicious
Broadway bow in "Sixth Finger in a Five Finger Glove", which closed
after only one day, he joined the Stratford (Ontario) Shakespeare
Festival for their 1958 season, appearing in "A Winter's Tale," "Much
Ado About Nothing" and "Henry IV, Part I."
Fair in complexion and exceedingly genial in demeanor, the wry and
witty blond actor graduated into other Broadway work, particularly
drama, with strong roles in "Candide," "Advise and Consent," "An Enemy
of the People," "Twigs" and "Uncle Vanya." He also built up his
regional and repertory credits during the early 1960s with parts in
"King Lear," "The Firebugs," "Death of a Salesman" and "The Shadow of
Heroes" at Seattle Rep. Later in the decade he began to focus more
intently on TV, usually playing cerebral, white-collar types (district
attorneys, stock brokers, doctors, politicos).
Bain eventually found an "in" with daytime drama, which included a
recurring role on
Dark Shadows (1966) (as an
innkeeper), and a part on
The Edge of Night (1956) in
1970. He broke completely away, however, from his trademark dramatics
when the 49-year-old actor was "discovered" for prime-time TV by
Norman Lear and offered a supporting role
opposite Bea Arthur and
Bill Macy in
Norman Lear's landmark, liberally-sliced
comedy series Maude (1972), a spin-off
of Lear's equally landmark
All in the Family (1971)
sitcom. Conrad was cast as
Rue McClanahan's stuffy, conservative
doctor/husband, Arthur Harmon, who usually was at political odds with
free-wheeling feminist Maude Finlay.
The role moved Bain into the prime TV comedy character ranks. Following
the show's lengthy run (1972-1978), he was given the green light by
Lear to move into his own comedy series with
Diff'rent Strokes (1978) as
the wealthy father of a girl and adoptive father of two
African-American children. While young
Gary Coleman, the compact,
precocious, mouthy dynamo, may have stolen the show, the good-humored
Bain remained a strong center and voice of reason until the show's
demise in 1986. Three was not a charm when Bain went into a third new
comedy series,
Mr. President (1987), with
Conrad as a loyal aide-de-camp to "President"
George C. Scott. The show, created not
by Lear but by Johnny Carson,
lasted only 24 episodes.
During and after his lengthy 70s and 80s TV success, Conrad would
continue to return to his first love, the stage, in such productions as
"Uncle Vanya," "The Owl and the Pussycat," "On Golden Pond," "The
Dining Room" and "On Borrowed Time", the last being a 1992 return to
Broadway after nearly two decades. Films, on the other hand, were a
non-issue at this point. Earlier minor turns included
Clint Eastwood's
Coogan's Bluff (1968),
Gene Hackman's
I Never Sang for My Father (1970),
Woody Allen's
Bananas (1971),
Sean Connery's
The Anderson Tapes (1971) and
Barbra Streisand's
Up the Sandbox (1972). His last
stop in films was an engaging part as a befuddled grandpa opposite the
perennially crusty Mary Wickes in
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
starring Meryl Streep and
Shirley MacLaine. One of Bain's last
on-camera appearances was recreating his Phillip Drummond role from
Diff'rent Strokes (1978) on
a 1996 episode of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air".
Other than a stage role in "Ancestral Voices" in 2000, Conrad turned
for a time to screen-writing but later comfortably retired to the
Brentwood area of Los Angeles. Moving to a Livermore California
retirement home in 2008, wife Monica died a year later. Bain passed
away there quietly of natural causes on January 14, 2013, less than a
month short of his 90th birthday. His twin brother Bonar died in 2005.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Michael Riley was born on 4 February 1962 in London, Ontario, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for Cube Zero (2004), French Kiss (1995) and Power Play (1998).