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- Tim McGarry was born on 23 June 1964 in Belfast, Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. He is an actor, known for Hacksaw Ridge (2016), Underbelly (2008) and Home and Away (1988).Met him during a comedy show here in Northern Ireland
- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Born in Bangor, North Wales and raised in Brighton, on the South coast of England, Ian Whyte was 7'1" tall by the time he was 17 years old. Ian always stood out from the crowd. Tall, slim and athletic, little did he know of his future career in the limelight. Ian discovered basketball in his teens, and quickly caught the attention of national team scouts who saw his physical attributes and determination as valuable assets. He quickly progressed to the junior national team ranks, but uninspired by school at the time, Ian was keen to escape at the earliest possible opportunity. He spent a year at Henry Hudson High School in New Jersey, where he again attracted the attention of basketball scouts, earning sports scholarships to Iona College in New York and Clarion University in Pennsylvania.
Ian returned to England in 1994 to play for the London Towers, a new franchise owned by the music promoter Barry Marshall. Still eager to find himself Ian only stayed a season with the Towers, transferring to their crosstown rivals, The London Leopards, but again, only for one season.
in 1995, Europe freely opened its doors to sportsmen and women from across the continent. Ian played for teams right across Europe. In France, Belgium, Greece and Portugal, where he won the domestic treble; League, cup and playoff championships with F.C. Porto in 1997 and went to the ¼ finals of the European cup.
Ian returned to England soon after to play for the Newcastle Eagles, a place that would become his home until his retirement from the game in 2003. Throughout his career Ian tirelessly distinguished himself, representing his country 80 times.
In 2003 Ian received a phone call that would change the whole course of his life. By his own admission he was keen to retire from basketball on his terms rather than through injury or old age, so he responded to a casting call for the new film Alien Vs Predator. His success in gaining the role is a matter of history, but personally it was a tremendous victory for him to finally find an outlet for his emotional creativity.
Ian was fortunate to work alongside such luminaries as the Oscar winning special effects duo of Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr as well as Oscar winning VFX supervisor John Bruno. He also met soon to be double Oscar winning makeup effects artist Mark Coulier who encouraged him to get in touch with Nick Dudman, the creature effects supervisor for the Harry Potter franchise. Upon completion of filming on AVP Ian travelled back to England and straight into the world of Harry Potter. Not credited as an actor this time, Ian was hired to help bring to life the character of Madame Maxime played by the sublime Francis De La Tour. Ian worked full time for an entire year on the film, faithfully doubling The character who stood a glorious 8'6" tall.
During this time Ian found himself in great demand, but had to turn down roles on such exciting projects as The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy and a worldwide tour with Cirque du Soleil.
Soon after the release of Harry Potter, the AVP sequel went into production. Shot entirely in Vancouver Canada, Ian had to re-audition for the part of the Predator, (in reality an entirely new character) however, through his own personal discipline and foresight he had been preparing for it ever since the release of the first film. Ian was of course successful in giving the directors exactly what they wanted and AVP Requiem was shot in 2006. Ian's dedicated self imposed preparation involved a great deal of martial arts training and Ian based the characteristics of the Warrior loosely on the Chinese martial art known as Ba Gua. The shooting schedule for requiem was extremely intense. Half the time as AVP with twice the action! During production Ian found time to very quickly travel to New Zealand to meet with the visionary director Neil Blomkamp to discuss the role of the Master Chief in his new film based on the Halo video game franchise. The trip from Vancouver to New Zealand took 4 days and Ian spent less than 18 hours in the country, so a meeting quickly turned into an audition, a costume fitting and negotiations with the producers before returning to Vancouver. Sadly, after being in Pre-production for six months the film never went into full production.
The 2009 remake of Clash of the Titans followed soon after. Directed by Louis Leterrier the character of Sheikh Suliman gave Ian a golden opportunity to perform with a glittering ensemble cast once again.
Ian extended his dramatic credentials alongside Steven Tompkinson in the gritty 1970's Northern police drama, Harrigan.
Prometheus followed soon after when multi Oscar winning director Sir Ridley Scott brought to life the enigmatic myth of the space jockey, last seen in the original Alien film.
In 2010 Ian auditioned for the role of "The Mountain" in the upcoming TV smash Game of thrones. Ian was not cast, but was invited to fill the role of "The White Walker" for season one. Thus began a period of great creativity which saw Ian play roles in every season of the multi award winning show. Different prosthetic make ups allowed Ian to deliver multiple characters including the giant "Wun Wun" who featured in the two top rated, (according to IMDb) battle episodes of the franchise in series 5 and 6.
Never one to shy away from the responsibilities of a global franchise, Ian became involved with Star Wars in 2013 after Disney took over film production. Ian would have been an obvious choice to play the Wookie Chewbacca, but did not audition for the part. The casting brief was so specific and despite his experience and skill, Ian's deep dark brown eyes excluded him from the role. However, he went back to his action creature roots, as he was asked to be Peter Mayhew's stunt double as well as to bring to life other creatures of the Star Wars universe, which he subsequently reprised for Rogue One, Solo and most recently the Disney+ series, Andor.
In 2020, Ian had the honour and pleasure of working with the multi award winning director Robert Eggers in his Hamlet inspired, Viking epic The Northman, starring Alexander Skarsgard.
Ian continues to transform himself for screens big and small.Met him a couple days ago in Belfast at a convention- Additional Crew
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Christopher William Rankin lived with his parents in his native New Zealand until age 6 when they moved back to England.
He found his love for acting at the age of 11, at Northgate High School in Norfolk, as a member of the Youth Theatre Company of Dereham Operatic Society. While in school, Chris appeared in numerous productions. He was ensemble in "Bugsy Malone" and "Little Shop of Horrors" (also on a European tour). Chris has also appeared as Bosun in "Return to the Forbidden Planet", Roger in "Grease", Ralph in "The Lord of the Flies", Joseph in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and in 2003 made a last-minute appearance, stepping in as Thenardier in "Les Miserables", when a cast member had taken ill. With the Youth Theatre, Chris has played Edmund in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe"; chorus roles in "My Fair Lady", "Whistle Down the Wind" and "The King and I" and Harry / Young Ebenezer in "Scrooge".
In August 2000, he auditioned for and landed the role of Percy Weasley in the "Harry Potter: movie series, which was the beginning of his professional on-camera acting career. Chris made his professional stage debut in "Jack and the Beanstalk" at Norwich Theatre Royal. He has since been splitting his time between films, television and stage.
In January 2004, Chris formed Painted Horse Theatre Company with Director Jim Rymer. He played Eilert Loevborg in their premiere production of 'Hedda Gabler' by Ibsen and worked on their production of 'Salome', which toured East Anglia in 2005. He made his first television drama as Waring in "The Rotter's Club", a 3-part drama produced by Company Pictures for the BBC.Along with Ian, met him a couple days ago in Belfast at a convention- Actor
- Producer
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James Cosmo was born on 24 May 1948 in Clydebank, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Braveheart (1995), Troy (2004) and Highlander (1986). He has been married to Annie Harris since 24 May 2000.Same with Ian and Chris, met him a couple days ago in Belfast at a convention- Actor
- Music Department
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Nigel Planer was born in London and educated at the prestigious Westminster School. He then went to Sussex University to study African and Asian Studies. However, he left after a year and decided to pursue his love of theatre. He trained as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
Planer performed at The Comedy Store in a double-act with Peter Richardson, which led to him becoming known to television audiences as Neil in The Young Ones (1982), the dim, unclean but lovable hippie with a fondness for Hawkwind, Marillion and Steve Hillage. The role's popularity even led to Planer releasing a cover of Traffic's 1967 single "Hole In My Shoe" in character as Neil. His cover, released in July 1984, reached number two on the UK singles chart and led to Planer making appearances on Top of the Pops (1964) and Australia's Countdown (1974). Planer also recorded an album called "Neil's Heavy Concept Album", although this failed to chart. In November 1984, Planer even made an appearance as Neil at the recording of Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?", where he was able to perform an impromptu acoustic version of "Rocking All Over The World" with Rick Parfitt and address Phil Collins as "Joan", which was captured by cameras recording behind-the-scenes footage for a documentary.
Since the 1980s, Planer has established himself as one of Britain's most sought-after comedy and character actors. In 1985, he appeared in Terry Gilliam's acclaimed and influential science-fiction film Brazil (1985). His other appearances have included Shine on Harvey Moon (1982), various roles in The Comic Strip Presents (1982), Filthy Rich & Catflap (1987), Blackadder the Third (1987) and starring as the title role of Nicholas Craig, the Naked Actor (1990). Planer has also been a successful theatre actor. He has been nominated for Olivier, Theatrical Management Association, What's On Stage and BAFTA awards.Came to Belfast, Northern Ireland when he was playing Vorgenson in the live arena tour of Doctor Who in 2010. Didn't meet him, but was a joy to watch him perform in person- Actor
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David Walliams was born on 20 August 1971 in Banstead, Surrey, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Little Britain (2003), Dinner for Schmucks (2010) and Run Fatboy Run (2007). He was previously married to Lara Stone.Met him when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. Gave me a yes for my performance :)- Actress
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- Composer
Amanda Holden was born on 16 February 1971 in Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Wild at Heart (2006), Marple (2004) and Jonathan Creek (1997). She has been married to Chris Hughes since 10 December 2008. They have three children. She was previously married to Les Dennis.Met her when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. Gave me a yes for my performance :)- Producer
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Simon Cowell was born in Lambeth, London and brought up in Elstree, Hertfordshire. He is the son of Julie Cowell (née Josie Dalglish), a ballet dancer, and Eric Selig Phillip Cowell, a music industry executive. Simon started his career in the music industry working in the mailroom at EMI Music Publishing. He worked as a record producer, talent scout and consultant within the music industry before becoming a judge on the hit British TV show Pop Idol (2001) and its U.S. counterpart, American Idol (2002). Cowell's scathing comments were famous during his 10 seasons as a judge on American Idol.Met him when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. Gave me a yes for my performance :)- Actress
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Alesha Dixon was born on 7 October 1978 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Catwoman (2004), Alesha Dixon: Drummer Boy (2010) and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (2016). She has been married to Azuka Ononye since 2017. They have two children. She was previously married to MC Harvey.Met her when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. Gave me a yes for my performance :)- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
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Stephen Mulhern was born on 4 April 1977 in Stratford, London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Freaky (2005), In for a Penny (2019) and The All Star Impressions Show (2009).Met him when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. He was a really nice chap to talk to and I sang my song for him- Producer
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Anthony McPartlin was born on 18 November 1975 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, UK. He is a producer and actor, known for Love Actually (2003), Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002) and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2002). He has been married to Anne-Marie Corbett since 7 August 2021. He was previously married to Lisa Armstrong (II).Met him with Dec when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. He ran on the stage and hugged me after I performed- Actor
- Producer
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Declan Donnelly was born on 25 September 1975 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Love Actually (2003), Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2002) and I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here! (2002). He has been married to Ali Astall since 1 August 2015. They have one child.Met him with Ant when I auditioned for Britains Got Talent. We sang Suddenly Seymour together before I went on the stage to perform- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kym Marsh was born on 13 June 1976 in Whiston, Merseyside, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Coronation Street (1960), Downboy Cartoon and The Loss Adjuster (2020). She was previously married to Scott Ratcliff, Jamie Lomas and Jack Ryder.Met her in London while waiting for results for Britain's Got Talent. She was there as her daughter was auditioning- Actor
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John Linehan was born in 1952 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is an actor and writer, known for Divorcing Jack (1998), May's Panto Party (2009) and Screenplay (1986). He has been married to Brenda Linehan since 1975. They have two children.Saw him perform as May McFetridge playing Widow Twankey in a professional panto of Aladdin- Jayne Wisener was born on 19 May 1987 in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, UK. She is an actress, known for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Jane Eyre (2011) and Misfits (2009). She has been married to Wayne Austin since 6 July 2012. They have two children.Saw her perform as Jasmine in a professional panto of Aladdin
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James Elliot Bourne (Born 13 September 1983, Rochford Essex in the UK) first found fame with the English Pop Rock band Busted alongside Matt Willis and future Fightstar front man Charlie Simpson. From 2001 to 2005 the band managed to achieve 4 chart-topping singles, 2 successful albums and uncountable sell-out tours. The success was cut short however, as the band decided to call it quits when Simpson left the band in favor of his own band Fightstar. Whilst Willis embarked on a sole career, Bourne attempted to re-achieve what he did with Busted and founded a new similar band, Son of Dork. However, after the band's debut album 'Welcome to Loserville' was released the group began to disappear from the limelight. Mid-way through writing a second album, Son of Dork disbanded due to lack of interest of band members and possibly the general public itself. Bourne spent most of 2008 to 2010 writing for upcoming American artists such as All-Star and Miranda Cosgrove until finally beginning a solo project. Under the name Future Boy, Bourne dropped his Pop Rock image to pursue a more mature electronic sound and has released his first volume of songs via his website.seen him in concert years ago when he was with Busted- Actor
- Producer
Samuel Anderson was born on 27 April 1982 in England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The History Boys (2006), The Lady in the Van (2015) and Gunpowder Milkshake (2021).Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice bloke. I was able to get a picture with him :)- 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.Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice woman. I was able to get a picture of her :) - Actress
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Nana Visitor was born on 26 July 1957 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Friday the 13th (2009) and Ted 2 (2015).Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice woman. I was able to get a picture of her :)- Actor
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René Murat Auberjonois was born on June 1, 1940 in New York City, to Princess Laure Louise Napoléone Eugénie Caroline (Murat), who was born in Paris, and Fernand Auberjonois, who was Swiss-born. René was born into an already artistic family, which included his grandfather, a well-known Swiss painter, and his father, a Pulitzer-nominated writer and Cold War-era foreign correspondent. The Auberjonois family moved to Paris shortly after World War II, and it was there that René made an important career decision at the age of six. When his school put on a musical performance for the parents, little René was given the honor of conducting his classmates in a rendition of "Do You Know the Muffin Man?". When the performance was over, René took a bow, and, knowing that he was not the real conductor, imagined that he had been acting. He decided then and there that he wanted to be an actor. After leaving Paris, the Auberjonois family moved into an Artist's Colony in upstate New York.
At an early age, René was surrounded by musicians, composers and actors. Among his neighbors were Helen Hayes, Burgess Meredith and John Houseman, who would later become an important mentor. Houseman gave René his first theater job at the age of 16, as an apprentice at a theater in Stratford, Connecticut. René would later teach at Juilliard under Houseman. René attended Carnegie-Mellon University and studied theater completely, not only learning about acting but about the entire process of producing a play. After graduating from CMU, René acted with various theater companies, including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theater and Los Angeles' Mark Taper Forum. In 1969, he won a role in his first Broadway musical, "Coco" (with Katharine Hepburn), for which he won a Tony Award.
Throughout his life, René acted in a variety of theater productions, films and television presentations, including a rather famous stint as Clayton Endicott III on the comedy series Benson (1979), not to mention seven years on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) as Odo. René also performed dramatic readings of a variety of books on tape, and appeared in projects like The Patriot (2000), starring Mel Gibson, Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000), and NBC's Frasier (1993) and ABC's The Practice (1997).Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland and I was able to get a picture of him :)- Actress
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Louise Jameson is a classically trained actress whose first love is the stage, but she also became known to millions of British television viewers through her roles in such hugely popular television series as Doctor Who (1963), Tenko (1981), Bergerac (1981) and EastEnders (1985).
Jameson had formal acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and embarked on a considerable amount of stage work, including two-and-a-half years at the Royal Shakespeare Company. She also achieved several roles in television, including Z Cars (1962) and Emmerdale Farm (1972), and the horror film Disciple of Death (1972). She auditioned for the role of a nurse in Angels (1975) and the role of Purdey in The New Avengers (1976).
In 1976, Jameson got her big break into television when she won the role of Leela, the alien savage companion of Tom Baker's Doctor in the BBC's Saturday evening science-fiction adventure series Doctor Who (1963). Jameson joined the series midway through its 14th season and when it was at the height of its popularity under producer Philip Hinchcliffe; her debut in The Face of Evil: Part One (1977) was seen by 10.7 million viewers. She also attracted much tabloid attention due to her skimpy leather costume, with many people calling her the sexiest companion yet. Despite the series' huge popularity, Doctor Who had been coming under increasing fire from Mary Whitehouse for its violent and horrific content. Hinchcliffe was replaced by Graham Williams at the end of the season and the new producer was told by the BBC to lighten the tone of Doctor Who.
Jameson completed another season of Doctor Who but her relationship with Tom Baker was strained. She decided to leave the series during the production of Image of the Fendahl: Part One (1977), when she was offered another prestigious stage role as Portia in The Merchant of Venice at the Bristol Old Vic, and she left at the end of The Invasion of Time: Part Six (1978).
In 1981, Jameson appeared as a regular in another popular BBC series, Tenko (1981), where she was cast by Pennant Roberts, who had auditioned her for Doctor Who and directed her first story. In 1985, she became a regular in the BBC's Jersey-based detective drama Bergerac (1981) as star John Nettles's love interest.
Between 1998 and 2000, Jameson played Rosa di Marco in the BBC's top soap opera EastEnders (1985), although Jameson later said she found the heavy schedule and lack of rehearsal time left her dissatisfied.
As well as her acting roles, Jameson has been a prison visitor in her spare time. One of her achievements was encouraging Leslie Grantham to become an actor while he was serving a murder sentence. She has directed youth productions of the works of William Shakespeare for local festivals and she has run a Sunday Drama College, based in her home town of Tunbridge Wells.My aunt met Tom Baker, now i've met his companion Leela as i met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really lovely woman. I was able to get a picture with her :)- Actor
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Peter Purves was born in New Longton, Lancashire on 10 February 1939. After leaving school he took a four-year teacher-training course. In 1961, after only one year as a teacher, he turned to acting, initially with the Barrow-in-Furness Repertory Company and later with the Wimbleton Theatre Company.
An early TV role was in the BBC's legendary police series Z Cars (1962) and more TV work followed, including a play called The Girl in the Picture (1964) and an episode of The Villains (1964). In 1965 he auditioned for the part of a Menoptra in the Doctor Who story "The Web Planet", but was turned down. However, the director, Richard Martin, later cast him as Morton Dill in Flight Through Eternity (1965), and this led to him playing regular character Steven Taylor.
After Doctor Who (1963), Purves became a regular presenter on the children's magazine programme Blue Peter (1958). More presenting work followed, primarily on sports-based programmes. He has also been managing director of a video production company.Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice bloke. I was able to get a picture of him :)- Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice bloke. I was able to get a picture of him :)
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Jeff East was born on 27 October 1957 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Superman (1978), Pumpkinhead (1988) and Tom Sawyer (1973). He has been married to Pascale Lambert East since 23 October 2015. He was previously married to Lori East.Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice bloke. I was able to get a picture with him :)- Actor
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Colin Baker was born in 1943 in the Royal Waterloo Lying-In Hospital in London during an air raid. He spent his earliest years in London with his mother, while his father served in the armed forces. He narrowly avoided an early death during the wartime blitz when a piece of flying shrapnel just missed him, embedding itself in the side of his cot. After the war, Baker's father took a job as managing director of an asbestos company in Manchester. The family moved north to live in Rochdale, although Baker attended school in Manchester.
It was during his early schooling that - through the mother of one of his fellow pupils, who was a casting director at Granada TV - he had his first experience of acting. It was 1954 and the series was called My Wife's Sister (1956), starring Eleanor Summerfield, Martin Wyldeck and Helen Christie. Colin Baker went on to attend St. Bede's College in Manchester, where he was invited to take part in their annual productions of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The twelve-years-old Baker appeared in the chorus for a production of "Yeoman of the Guard" and, a year later, landed a more major part - playing the female lead, "Phyllis" - in "Iolanthe".
After completing his schooling, Baker went on to study law. One day during this period, he and his mother went to see an amateur production of "The King and I" at the Palace Theatre, Manchester. Inspired by the performance and encouraged by the president of the company that had staged the Amateur Dramatic Society and quickly became hooked on acting. Baker took a job as a solicitor but, as time went on, became less and less interested in this career. Finally, at the age of twenty-three, he decided to become a full-time actor.
Baker joined the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), where he trained for three years. At the end of this, he was summoned with two of his fellow students to see the head of the drama school, who gave them rather gloomy predictions for their future prospects as actors and suggested that they seek alternative careers. These predictions proved somewhat wide of the mark as not only did Baker go on to great success but so too did his fellow students - David Suchet (who - amongst many other achievements - starred in LWT's award-winning productions of Agatha Christie's "Poirot") and Mel Martin (whose numerous credits include the series Love for Lydia (1977), also for LWT). After leaving LAMDA, Baker took a temporary job driving a taxi in Minehead in order to be near his then-girlfriend. He then received a call to come to London to audition for a part in a BBC2 drama series called The Roads to Freedom (1970), which he won. This led to further TV roles, including two more for BBC2: "Count Wenceslas Steinbock" in "Balzac's Cousin Bette" (1971) and "Prince Anatol Kuragin" in an ambitious twenty-part serialisation of Lev Tolstoy's "War and Peace" (1972-72). He also took on a wide range to theatre work, including several William Shakespeare festivals, appearing in productions of "Macbeth" and "Hamlet".
In the mid-seventies, Baker landed the role that would make him "the man viewers love to hate". This was "Paul Merroney" in the BBC1 series The Brothers (1972). After "The Brothers", Baker married actress Liza Goddard, who had played his on-screen wife in the series, but the marriage eventually ended in divorce. Baker later married actress Marion Wyatt. Theatre work kept Baker almost constantly busy for the next five years including appearances in everything from comedies to thrillers, as well as more Shakespeare. He also had a few further TV roles, including one as "Bayban" in "Blake's 7: City at the Edge of the World" (BBC, 1980) and one opposite Nyree Dawn Porter and Ian Hendry in the drama series, For Maddie with Love (1980) (ATV, 1980).
Baker's next TV role after "For Maddie with Love" was as "Maxil" in the Arc of Infinity: Part One (1983) story, "Arc of Infinity". Shortly before Baker took the role of the Doctor on "Doctor Who", he and his wife suffered the loss of their baby son, Jack, to cot death syndrome. Baker subsequently became a passionate fund raiser for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths, with many of is personal appearance fees being donated to the charity. Baker's time as the sixth Doctor was cut unexpectedly short, initially by BBC One controller Michael Grade's hiatus between the twenty-second and twenty-third seasons and then by the decision of Grade to oust him from the role.
After his departure from "Doctor Who", the actor returned to the theatre, appearing in highly successful runs of "Corpse" and "Deathtrap" and having a four-month stint in the West End farce, "Run for Your Wife", with Terry Scott. TV work included a guest appearance in the BBC's Casualty (1986) and presenting assignments on programmes for the Children's Channel. After directing a play called "Bazaar and Rummage", Baker was asked to play the Doctor once again - this time on stage, taking over from Jon Pertwee in the Mark Furness Ltd production, "The Ultimate Adventure". This tour proved to him that, despite the brevity of his time as the Doctor on TV, he had amassed a loyal following amongst younger viewers.
In the 1990s, Baker had continued to pursue a successful career, mainly in the theatre. He has made regular appearances in pantomime, and his stage work has included roles in the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" and in a comedy entitled "Fear of Flying". He has also starred in the "Stranger" series of videos made by Bill Baggs Video, alongside a number of other actors known for their work on "Doctor Who".My aunt met the fourth Doctor, now i've met the sixth as i met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Extremely nice chap to talk to. I got my picture taken with him in a photo shoot :) Met him again at a comic con in Glasgow in 2016.- Actress
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Alice Maud Krige was born on June 28, 1954 in Upington, South Africa where her father, Dr. Louis Krige, worked as a young physician. The Kriges later moved to Port Elizabeth where Alice grew up in what she describes as a "very happy family", a family that also included two brothers (both of whom became physicians) and her mother, Pat, a clinical psychologist. Interestingly, Alice also grew up without television, something which the actress calls a "huge black hole in my education" (South Africa did not start getting television until 1976, a year after Alice left the country to pursue an acting career in London).
While growing up, she had no dreams or aspirations of pursuing an acting career, in fact as a child she had wanted to become a dancer, but her father disapproved. Instead, she prepared to follow in the footsteps of her mother by attending Rhodes University in Grahamstown where she pursued an undergraduate degree in psychology and literature (graduating in 1975). However, as luck or fate would have it, Alice decided to "take up a bit of timetable" by enrolling in a drama class in order to make use of a free credit. This decision would prove to be a life-altering one, resulting in an honors degree in drama from Rhodes, a move to London and a new career path. As Alice explains, "I really got into it and it took over my life... it became my life-calling, all consuming."
After arriving in England, she began three years of study at London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Her first professional acting performance was a tiny television role in a 1979 BBC Play for Today. In 1980, Alice made her feature film debut as Sybil Gordon in the Academy Award winning Best Picture, Chariots of Fire (1981). She then appeared in the television adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (1980), which was followed by her memorable, dual role as the avenging spirit in Ghost Story (1981). Also in 1981, she debuted in a West End theatre production of Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man, for which she received the honors of both a Plays and Players Award and a Laurence Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer. It was this early success in theatre that she decided to focus her career on next by spending some time working with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company.
During her two seasons with the RSC (1982-83), Alice performed in such productions as "King Lear", "The Tempest", "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Cyrano de Bergerac". After her stint with the Royal Shakespeare Company, she returned to work in film and television. Her career could best be described as an eclectic mix of both mediums. She appeared in a diverse range of films, such as King David (1985), Barfly (1987), Haunted Summer (1988), Spies Inc. (1992) and See You in the Morning (1989). Her work in television included critically acclaimed miniseries, such as Ellis Island (1984) and Wallenberg: A Hero's Story (1985), as well as a healthy dose of what Alice herself calls, "kitchen sink dramas".
This eclectic trend continued into the 1990s. In addition to numerous roles in television (including appearances on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) and Becker (1998), Alice also appeared in the films Sleepwalkers (1992), Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life (1995), Donor Unknown (1995), Amanda (1996), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997), Habitat (1997), The Commissioner (1998) and Molokai (1999). However, one notable standout was the film Star Trek: First Contact (1996) for which she won a 1997 Saturn Award for her portrayal of the Borg Queen. This is without a doubt the most commercial, mainstream film with which she has been involved. However, due to the amount of make-up and prosthetics that the role required, Alice claims that even today she is still most recognized from her role in Ghost Story (1981).
One obvious and lasting impact of her experience with Star Trek: First Contact has been her initiation into the world of Star Trek/sci-fi conventions. These weekend-long conventions take place all over the United States and Europe (primarily in the United Kingdom and Germany). They feature "guests", such as Alice, who give presentations, sign autographs, etc. The new millennium finds her with several new projects to her credit, which include such works as The Little Vampire (2000), the Star Trek: Voyager (1995) series finale "Endgame", Attila (2001), Dinotopia (2002), Reign of Fire (2002), Children of Dune (2003), The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004) and a recurring guest role in the HBO series Deadwood (2004). Current projects include a film about the life of Julius Caesar, the horror film Silent Hill (2006), Lonely Hearts (2006) and The Contract (2006). In addition, she continues to make sporadic convention appearances and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate in literature from Rhodes University.
Alice Krige is married to writer/director Paul Schoolman, and lives what she describes as an "itinerant" lifestyle. Although she and her husband maintain a permanent home in the United States, they spend much of their time living and working abroad.Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice woman. I was able to get a picture of her :)- Nicki Clyne was born on 11 February 1983 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress, known for Battlestar Galactica (2004), John Tucker Must Die (2006) and Saved! (2004). She has been married to Allison Mack since February 2017.Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really sweet woman. I was able to get a picture of her with Leah Cairns :)
- Leah Cairns was born on 2 June 1974 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She is an actress, known for Interstellar (2014), 88 Minutes (2007) and Battlestar Galactica (2004). She has been married to Kevin Hawryluk since 24 July 2004.Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really sweet woman. I was able to get a picture of her with Nicki Clyne :)
- Jeremy Bulloch was born on February 16, 1945 in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England, the son of Aziz Diane (Meade) and McGregor Bulloch, an aeronautical engineer. He was the middle of three siblings, along with three older half-brothers from his mother's earlier marriage. Even at the age of five he was on stage in his school show, acting and singing. After failing a school exam at the age of eleven, Jeremy seemed destined for the acting profession and was soon attending Corona Academy Drama School, making his first professional appearance at the age of twelve when he appeared in a commercial for a breakfast cereal.
Following many appearances on children's television, Jeremy's big break came at the age of 17 when he landed a major role in the musical film Summer Holiday (1963) which starred the pop idol Cliff Richard (now Sir Cliff). Shortly after, he went into a BBC soap opera called The Newcomers (1965) which ran for three years and made him a household name in the United Kingdom. In 1969, Jeremy was off to Madrid in Spain to play the leading role in a musical film called Las Leandras (1969). This was followed by two major films: The Virgin and the Gypsy (1970) and Mary, Queen of Scots (1971).
During the 1970s, he made many other screen appearances, including the James Bond films, in which he portrayed the character 'Smithers' (Q's assistant). In 1977, Jeremy spent six months in the Far East, where he was based in Singapore and travelled to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia filming a BBC drama documentary called 'The Sadrina Project'. This documentary was designed to teach the English language to people in the Far East, mainly the Chinese. On a trip to China some 15 years later, where Jeremy was performing in a stage play, he was instantly recognised by hundreds of people who stated they had learnt their English from the Sadrina Project.
In 1978, he was starring in the television comedy series Agony (1979), which was co-written by an American called Len Richmond. It was during this series that Jeremy was asked to play a small part in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The part, of course, was Boba Fett - proving the old theatrical saying that "there is no such thing as a small part"! Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) soon followed and Jeremy was invited to reprise the role of Boba.
Since the early 1980s, Jeremy played many roles on television and on the stage in London's West End. He also had two worldwide theatre tours covering the Middle and Far East. Jeremy appeared regularly in the favourite television series Robin Hood (1984), in which he played the part of Edward of Wickham. Jeremy's son Robbie was asked to play Matthew in the series. 'Robin of Sherwood' has a great following all around the world, and Jeremy attends the convention 'Spirit of Sherwood' in Novi, Michigan every year, work permitting. Another popular series he has appeared in is Doctor Who (1963) where he played Hal the Archer in 'The Time Warrior' with Jon Pertwee, and also Tor in the 'Space Museum' with William Hartnell as the Doctor.
Since the re-release of Star Wars in 1997, the interest in the character of Boba Fett has meant that Jeremy was invited to many sci-fi conventions and events all around the world. His fan mail has increased five-fold, and he managed somehow to reply to everyone that writes to him. In his little leisure time, he loved nothing more than a game of cricket with his friends. Jeremy also enjoyed travelling; in his last decades, he spent more time abroad than at home. He collected an awesome amount of Boba Fett memorabilia, some given to him by dedicated fans, and some he could not resist buying at toy fairs. His office at home resembles a Boba Fett museum.
Jeremy had three grown-up sons, and lived in London with his wife Maureen, and lucky black cat 'Percy.'Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice bloke. I was able to get a picture of him :) - Actress
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Miracle Laurie was born in Huntington Beach, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Dollhouse (2009), Any Day Now (2012) and Insane Jane: Taco Tuesday (2018). She has been married to Christopher May since November 2010.Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really nice woman. I was able to get a picture with her :)- Actor
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David "Dave" Prowse was born into a working class family on 1 July, 1935 in Bristol, England, UK. He was raised by his mother and never knew his father. As a child, David was disadvantaged and a poor student, he found a passion for bodybuilding and weight training in his early teens, as a young adult, David often entered weightlifting competitions and contested in the famous Mr. Universe contest. Eventually, David won the British heavyweight weightlifting title and gained status as a highly regarded and respected member of the fitness community. Over this period of competitive weightlifting, David became lifelong friends with actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno, who at the time were not professional actors but rival competitors. After appearing on various broadcast sporting events, David was offered a role in the feature film Casino Royale (1967) as "Frankenstein's Monster". Although the casting was based on David's stature, David developed a strong interest in acting and decided to pursue it further.
From 1967 to 1977, David enjoyed a quiet, but very successful career within film and television starring in such films as A Clockwork Orange (1971), Up Pompeii (1971) and numerous Hammer House of Horror films, gaining a vast and bulky CV. In 1975, David's popularity as a respected fitness guru landed him with the role and duty of the Green Cross Code Man, a superhero designed by the British road safety committee to teach road safety to children. The persona saw David traveling the world to give talks, demonstrations and shoot short television spots based on the hero's message. Proving successful the Green Cross Code Man continued to be a side project throughout David's busy career until the 1990s. He considers this role to be of great importance, and has stated many times that it is possibly the most rewarding job he has held.
It was not until 1977 when David attended an audition for a film entitled Star Wars. The film was not considered to be a big thing at the time and the audition was held by director George Lucas. At the meeting, George offered David either the part of Chewbacca or Darth Vader. Instantly turning away the role of Chewbacca, David insisted he play the lead villain Darth Vader. George asked David why he wanted to play Vader and he replied "Everyone remembers the villain, George." David also had a wealth of experience playing villains in previous films, and was the obvious choice. David played the role of Darth Vader for the entirety of the original Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Although David does not voice the character, he is the physical body. Star Wars was perhaps David's most important role and a role that has enlisted him as one of the most memorable character villains of all time.
There have been many rumors, disputes and discussions about David's relationship with Star Wars and its staff. Regarding the apparent misled information David received about Vader's voice, promotional neglect and general mistreatment from Lucasfilm. This feud resulted in David being banned from all official Star Wars events. A statement from George Lucas read "He has burnt too many bridges." David stated that a majority of the rumors in circulation regarding the topic are fabricated and false including those of respectable actors involved, and has openly admitted his support of James Earl Jones as the voice of Vader and claims Lucas film were too concerned with keeping Vader a character than letting David receive deserved credit. The topic is covered in detail, in David's autobiography "Straight from the Force's Mouth". After Star Wars, David continued to work in television and film, making numerous appearances with the legendary Benny Hill. He continued to tour as the Green Cross Code Man and became the personal fitness trainer of many celebrities including Daniel Day-Lewis and Vanessa Redgrave.
David was loyal to Star Wars fans and participated in a number of fan-films as various characters spoofing Star Wars. Towards the end of David's busy acting period, his health declined due to a serious inflammation of arthritis, leaving him unable to stand for long periods of time and inflicting agonizing pain on his knees and hips. Undergoing treatment with hip replacement operations, it was discovered that David had prostate cancer in 2009. After a series of radiotherapy treatments at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London, David made a full recovery in a remarkably short period of time. David was awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2000 Queen's Millennium Honours List for his contributions to charity and spokesmanship for road safety, the disabled and other various charities. From 2004, David began writing his autobiography entitled "Straight from the Force's Mouth," which covers his career in showbiz and documents an unedited diary account of the Star Wars production. The book was published officially in hardback by Apex Publishing in 2011, and David toured Europe to attend book signings and personal appearances.
Over the course of his career, between acting and touring the world both as the Green Cross Code Man and David Prowse, David trained actors for films including Christopher Reeve for Superman (1978), wrote fitness books "Fitness is Fun", supported charity and even became the head of fitness for superstore Harrods. In the 2000s, David spent his time attending unofficial Star Wars events, conventions and film events where he signed photos, spoke to the fans and was in high demand as a public speaker all over the world.Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Honest bloke as he told me he doesn't allow personal pictures unless you bought something from his stall- Actress
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Margot Kidder was born Margaret Ruth Kidder in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, to Jocelyn Mary "Jill" (Wilson), a history teacher from British Columbia, and Kendall Kidder, a New Mexico-born mining engineer and explosives expert. Margot was a delightful child who took pride in everything she did. At an early age, she became aware of the great emotions she felt towards expressing herself, and caught the acting bug. As a child, she wrote in a diary that she wanted to become a movie star, and that one day it would happen, but she had to overcome something else first. She was aware that she was constantly facing mood swings, but didn't know why. At odd times, she would try to kill herself - the first time was at age 14 - but the next day she would be just fine. Her father's hectic schedule and moving around so much didn't help matters, either, causing her to attend 11 schools in 12 years. Finally, in an attempt to help Margot with her troubles, her parents sent" her to a boarding school, where she took part in school plays, such as Romeo and Juliet", in which she played the lead.
After graduation, Margot moved to Los Angeles to start a film career. She found herself dealing with a lot of prejudice, and hotheads, but later found solace with a Canadian agent. This was when she got her first acting job, in the Norman Jewison film Gaily, Gaily (1969). This led to another starring role in Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970), in which she co-starred with Gene Wilder. After some harsh words from the film's director, Margot temporarily left films to study acting in New York, doing television work to pay her bills, but when the money ran out, she decided it was time to make a second try at acting. When she arrived in Hollywood she met up at a screen test with actress Jennifer Salt, resulting in a friendship that still stands strong today. Margot and Jennifer moved into a lofty beach house and befriended other, then unknown, struggling filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Steven Spielberg and Susan Sarandon, among others. Late nights would see the hot, happening youngsters up until all hours talking around a fire about how they were all going to change the film industry. It was crazy living and within the Christmas season, Margot had become involved with De Palma, and as a Christmas present he gave her the script to his upcoming film Sisters (1972). Margot and Salt both had the leads in the film, and it was a huge critical success.
The film made branded Margot as a major talent, and in the following years she starred in a string of critically acclaimed pictures, such as Black Christmas (1974), The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), 92 in the Shade (1975) - directed by Thomas McGuane, who was also her husband for a brief period - and a somewhat prophetic tale of self-resurrection, The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975).
After three years of being a housewife, looking after her daughter Maggie and not working, Margot decided it was time to let her emotions take control and get back into acting. Once her marriage to McGuane was over, she eyed a script that would change her life forever. Her new agent referred her to a little-known director named Richard Donner. He was going to be directing a film called Superman (1978), and she auditioned for and secured the leading female role of Lois Lane. That film and Superman II (1980) filmed simultaneously. After the success of "Superman" she took on more intense roles, such as The Amityville Horror (1979) and Willie & Phil (1980). After that, Margot starred in numerous films, television and theater work throughout the 1980s, including Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). When the 1990s erupted with the Gulf War, Margot found herself becoming involved in politics. She made a stir in the biz when she spoke out against the military for their actions in Kuwait. She also appeared in a cameo in Donner's Maverick (1994).
In 1996, as she was preparing to write her autobiography, she began to become more and more paranoid. When her computer became infected with a virus, this gave her paranoia full rein, and she sank into bipolar disorder. She panicked, and the resulting psychological problems she created for herself resulted in her fantasizing that her first husband was going to kill her, so she left her home and faked her death, physically altering her appearance in the process. After an intervention took place, she got back on her feet and started the mental wellness campaign. Since then, she resumed her career in film, television, and theatre, including appearing in a Canadian stage production of "The Vagina Monologues", and in films like The Clown at Midnight (1998).
Margot died on May 13, 2018, in Livingston, Montana.Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Really lovely woman. I couldn't get a picture of/with her as she didn't allow personal pictures- Actor
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Carl Weathers was born on January 14, 1948, in New Orleans, Louisiana. A famous and successful football star at San Diego State, he played with the Oakland Raiders and retired from the sport in 1974, in order to give full attention to his goal: to be a real actor.
Weathers first played small parts in two blaxploitation flicks, Friday Foster (1975) (in which he played "Yarbro") and Bucktown (1975) (playing "Hambone"), both made in 1975 and directed by Arthur Marks. However, his big break came the following year when producers Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff chose him to play "Apollo Creed" in the blockbuster "sleeper" Rocky (1976) (real-life boxing legend Ken Norton was originally signed for the part, but it eventually went to Weathers). He went on to play "Creed" in three other "Rocky" movies, and the characters' adversarial relationship eventually evolved into a warm friendship. After Creed's death in Rocky IV (1985), Weathers met with producer Joel Silver and agreed to play an important supporting role in Predator (1987), an action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The following year, Silver produced Action Jackson (1988), a first starring role for Weathers, but it performed poorly at the box office and was panned by the critics.
During the 1990s, Weathers starred in four In the Heat of the Night (1988) two-hour TV specials that were much better received by critics and viewers alike. In 1996, he played the part of "Chubbs Peterson" in the blockbuster Adam Sandler comedy Happy Gilmore (1996). He returned to his "action roots" in two TV-movies with Hulk Hogan: Assault on Devil's Island (1997) and Assault on Death Mountain (1999).
In addition to his acting career, Weathers is also a member of the Big Brothers Association and the U.S. Olympic Committee, handling the career of athletes of various sports such as gymnastics, wrestling, swimming and judo.Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. I couldn't get a picture with/of him as he didn't allow personal pictures. He did speak to us but my wife thought he spoke in a rude manner- Actor
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Norman Pace was born on 17 February 1953 in Dudley, Worcestershire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for A Pinch of Snuff (1994), The Young Ones (1982) and Three of a Kind (1981). He has been married to Beverley since 27 December 1976. They have three children.Famously known best for his comedy duo Hale & Pace. Seen him perform as the Narrator in a performance of The Rocky Horror Show and was really hilarious- Actor
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Paul was born 7 March 1977 in St Albans, England. His first big break was when Paul landed a part in a local performance of West Side Story. He then enrolled on a performing arts course, joined the National Youth Music Theatre's production of Pendragon and then took an acting and musical theatre course at Mountview Drama School. In the evenings he sung with a rock band. Then when he was 22 he joined the pop group S Club 7.Famously known for his membership in S Club 7. Seen him perform as Eddie and Dr. Scott in a performance of The Rocky Horror Show and was brilliant- Actress
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Diana Vickers was born on 30 July 1991 in Lancashire, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for The Inbetweeners (2011), Awaiting (2015) and Give Out Girls (2013).From X Factor fame. Saw her perform as Janet in a performance of The Rocky Horror Show and was brilliant- Actor
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Ben Freeman was born on 8 April 1980. He is an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), The Dark Channel and The Three Musketeers (2023). He was previously married to Jennifer Biddall.From Emmerdale fame as Scott. Seen him perform as Brad in a performance of The Rocky Horror Show and was brilliant.- Actor
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Veteran character actor Robert Englund was born in Glendale, California, to Janis (MacDonald) and John Kent Englund, an aeronautics engineer. Since 1973, Robert has appeared in over 75 feature films and starred in four TV series. He has starred alongside Oscar-winners Henry Fonda, Susan Sarandon and Jeff Bridges. Since 1984 he's achieved international fame as the iconic boogeyman Freddy Krueger in the hit franchise A Nightmare on Elm Street and its seven sequels. Englund has guest starred in hundreds of hours of TV most recently Bones, Criminal Minds and Hawaii 5-0. He will soon be seen starring in the horror film Fear Clinic, and the English thriller The Last Showing, he can be heard as the voice of the Evil Beaver in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon show.Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland and a really nice man at that. I couldn't get a picture with him as there were so many fans there to see him. Luckily my wife has a picture with him- Actor
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Sylvester McCoy was born Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith on 20 August 1943, the only child of Molly Sheridan and Percy James Kent-Smith, a couple living in Dunoon, Scotland. His mother was Irish. Percy James Kent-Smith was killed in the Second World War a couple of months before his son was born, and he was brought up by his mother, his grandmother (Mary Sheridan), and his aunts. He attended St Muns Primary School in Dunoon. The headmistress, Rosie O'Grady, was keen that her young charges obtain decent jobs upon leaving the school and so organized regular talks from people in all manner of professions.
McCoy expressed an interest in every job, and as a result eventually found himself given an afternoon off school to go to see a local priest about entering the priesthood. He left school, joined Blairs College, a Catholic seminary in Aberdeen, and between the ages of twelve and sixteen trained to be a priest. At Blairs College, he realized that there was more to life than could be found in Dunoon and discovered classical music and history, which fascinated him. He eventually decided to become a monk and applied to join a Dominican order, but his application was rejected as he was too young. He returned to school and soon discovered the delights of the opposite sex in the form of fellow students and determined he didn't want to be a priest or a monk after all.
On finishing his education he took a holiday down to London, from which he never returned. McCoy approached a youth employment center looking for a job and impressed by the fact that he had attended a grammar school, they instantly found him a job in the City working for an insurance company. He trained in this job and stayed there until he was 27 before deciding that it wasn't really for him. With the help of a cook at London's Roundhouse Theatre, McCoy gained a job there selling tickets and keeping the books in the box office.
McCoy joined the Ken Campbell Roadshow. Along with Bob Hoskins, Jane Wood, and Dave Hill, he would start performing a range of plays with the umbrella theme of "modern myths". McCoy found himself in a double-act with Hoskins. After Hoskins left, and being booked at a circus, director Ken Campbell improvised a circus-based act about a fictitious stuntman called Sylvester McCoy and thought it would be amusing if the program stated that this character was played by "Sylvester McCoy". While at the Royal Court Theatre, one of the critics missed the joke and assumed that Sylvester McCoy was a real person. McCoy liked the irony of this and adopted the name of his stage identity. During one of their UK engagements, the Roadshow team was invited up by Joan Littlewood, who was directing a production of "The Hostage", before the performance of her play. This led McCoy to bona fide theater, and he was subsequently invited to appear in numerous plays and musicals.
McCoy was starring at the National Theatre in "The Pied Piper", a play written especially for him, when he learned that the BBC was looking for a new lead actor to replace Colin Baker, who had been unceremoniously dumped from Doctor Who (1963) on the orders of Michael Grade. McCoy won the role as the Seventh Doctor despite reservations from Grade and Head of Drama Jonathan Powell, who were by this time monitoring producer John Nathan-Turner's decision-making very closely. McCoy's first season took the slightly pantomimic style of Baker's final season, Trial of a Time Lord, even further and received a very dubious reception from the press and fans. Nathan-Turner put McCoy in a pullover covered in question marks, which McCoy later admitted he didn't like.
By the time of McCoy's second season, the new script editor, Andrew Cartmel, was trying to make the series darker and more complex. In the third season, his costume was changed from a fawn jacket and paisley scarf to a dark brown jacket and an altogether more muted and subdued image, but the pullover remained. Despite forming a close bond with co-star Sophie Aldred and the general standard of the stories rising again towards the end, the series was obviously starved of funds and ratings were fairly poor throughout the McCoy era, with the series being trounced by ITV's Coronation Street (1960). The BBC's opinion of Doctor Who (1963) was that it was an embarrassment. In 1989, the new series head, Peter Cregeen, pulled the plug.
After Doctor Who (1963) McCoy worked extensively in theater and on television. In theater he appeared in "The Government Inspector" twice in tours during 1993 and 1994, and in between these he starred as the Narrator, Thomas Marvel, in the stage version of H.G. Wells's "The Invisible Man". In 1995, he starred in Zorro: The Musical".
On television, his credits include Frank Stubbs Promotes (1993) and Rab C. Nesbitt (1988). He also created the character of Crud in the cult television series Ghoul Lashed for Sky TV. In 1996, he was contracted to reprise his role as the Doctor, handing over to an eighth incarnation of the Time Lord in the earthly form of his friend Paul McGann. Also in 1996, McCoy devised and presented Reeltime Pictures' I Was a 'Doctor Who' Monster (1996), a special video tribute to the men and women who had played the monsters of Doctor Who (1963).My aunt met the fourth Doctor, now i've met the sixth and seventh as i met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. Extremely nice chap to talk to but didnt get proper time as he had many fans as well. I got my picture taken with him in a photo shoot :)- Actress
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Sophie Aldred was born in Greenwich, London, and brought up in nearby Blackheath. After leaving school, she attended Manchester University, where she took a degree in drama. From university she sang in working men's clubs to obtain her Equity Card, then worked in a children's theatre, appearing in a fringe show, "Underground Men," at a pub theatre in London to get an agent, followed by more children theatre. She was appearing in "Fiddler on the Roof" with Topol in Manchester when she landed the part of Ace. At the same time as appearing in "Doctor Who," she presented a series for young children called "Corners" and later "Melvin and Maureen's Music-a-grams," which combined her acting and music skills. She has appeared in a number of theatre productions including a tour of "Daisy Pulls it Off" in which she played the lead, and she played Marjorie Pinchwite in the 1993 West End production of "Lust," a version of "The Country Wife." In 1995 she worked for the Children's Channel on satellite and also Love Call Live for Anglia television with David 'Kid' Jensen. In 1996, she co-authored with effects designer Mike Tucker a book looking at her time in Doctor Who called "Ace!"Met her at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. She was a really lovely woman and I got a photo taken with her :D- Ken Kirzinger was born on 4 November 1959 in Saskatchewan, Canada. He is an actor, known for Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Watchmen (2009) and Paycheck (2003).Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. An excellent chap to talk to. Really amazing dude. Got my picture taken with him :D My wife has her picture with Freddy and I have a picture with Jason :D
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Jimmy Vee was born on 3 February 1959 in Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and Rocketman (2019).Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. A really nice man to talk to and I was allowed to take a picture of him :)- Kai Owen was born on 4 September 1975 in Conwy, Wales, UK. He is an actor, known for Torchwood (2006), Hollyoaks (1995) and Rocket Man (2005).Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. A really excellent man to talk to and I was allowed to take a picture of him (Y).
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Stephen Calcutt was born on 6 May 1952 in England. He is an actor, known for Flash Gordon (1980), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Rentaghost (1976).Met him at a film and comic con here in Northern Ireland. A really nice man to talk to and I was allowed to take a picture of him :)- Liam Tamne is known for The Prince of Egypt: Live from the West End (2023), Doctors (2000) and The Voice UK (2012).From The Voice fame Seen him perform as Frank N Furter in a performance of The Rocky Horror Show and was hilariously brilliant.
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James graduated from Davis High School and attended Juilliard, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the American Conservatory Theatre. After spending ten years doing stage work he finally moved to L.A. to pursue a career in film and television. After appearing in several guest roles he finally got his big break as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Originally, the character was suppose to be killed after a few episodes but Spike became so popular that he was promoted to a regular on the show. After the show ended, he appeared as Spike in the spin-off Angel (1999) and in several movies. James is also a talented musician; his band Ghost of the Robot released their first album, Mad Brilliant, in 2003.Saw him at a film and comic con in Glasgow. Didn't get a chance to talk to him though as he was one of the busiest people there. Got to meet him properly at Comic Con Northern Ireland on the 17th September 2022. Really nice man :)- Actor
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After leaving school, John Leeson worked in a bookshop, and then as a porter in the Leicester Royal Infirmary Hospital. He joined the Leicester Dramatic Society and ultimately applied for and won a place at RADA. On leaving the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he worked in repertory and pantomimes, including "Toad of Toad Hall," in which he met his future wife. His first work in television was as a walk-on in a BBC play, "The Wedding Feast." "The Spanish Farm" (1968), "Dad's Army" and numerous situation comedies followed. He played the original Bungle the bear in the children's series "Rainbow" (1972), set questions for "Mastermind" and did a lot of freelance voice work for the BBC. The part of K-9's voice came his way after he bumped into the director, with whom he had worked previously, in a pub. Since his time in "Doctor Who," Leeson has continued to act and provide voiceover services for the BBC and many other companies. In 1995 he appeared in the "Doctor Who" spin-off video drama "Downtime," playing a disc jockey.My aunt met the forth doctor, now i met his companion leela and his trusty dog companion, K9. Met him at a film and comic con in Glasgow and got a picture taken with him. An extremely nice chap :)- Steve has been involved in the martial arts for 28 years (1986) since the age of 12. Steve is a 5th degree black belt in tae kwon do (as of 2014), and is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Steve owns his own jiu Jitsu studio in Burbank Ca called Force Balance BJJ.Met him at a film and comic con in Glasgow and was able to get a picture of him. He was an amazing bloke just like Azim. Got to ask him and Azim a question during a Q&A :)
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Azim Rizk was born on 4 September 1990 in Tucson, Arizona, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (2016).Met him at a film and comic con in Glasgow and was able to get a picture of him. Guys, he is an amazing bloke :) Got to ask him and Steve a question during a Q&A- Daniel Logan, born in New Zealand, started acting when he was 10 years old. He got his break when Auckland children's rugby teams were being scouted to find a boy for a TV commercial. After auditioning with hundreds of other young rugby players, Daniel got the part, his first acting role, playing a little boy who gets knocked into the mud by Auckland rugby star Michael Jones. He was noticed by other casting agents and that break led to more commercials and TV appearances, including a recurring role in episodes of the New Zealand medical series "Shortland Street" and a guest appearance in international hit "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys."
Daniel also starred in the short film, "Falling Sparrows" and provided the lead & supporting voices in 2 animated series' "Tamota" and "Takapu." He also had a part in "The Legend of Johnny Lingo." At the top of this young actors growing resume sits "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," with the coveted role of Boba Fett.
Playing Boba Fett required more then a love of action, it also required patience. Daniel recalls being next to blue and green screen back drops through seemingly endless special effects takes. At one point, a series of 82 different shots of Daniel were done for a special effects sequence of clones that would only last a few seconds on-screen. He knows all the work was worth it, and is very proud and honored to be a part of the Star Wars legacy.Met him at a film and comic con in Glasgow and was able to get a picture with him. Excellent person to talk to - Actor
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Ke Huy Quan, also known as Jonathan Ke Quan, is a Vietnamese-born Chinese-American actor and stunt choreographer. Quan played Short Round in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) and Data in "The Goonies" (1985). In 1990 and 1991, he co-starred as Jasper Kwong in the sitcom "Head of the Class" over two seasons. Quan stopped acting due to a lack of opportunity in the late 1990s, when he received his film degree from USC School of Cinematic Arts. He went on to work as a stunt coordinator and assistant director. He returned to acting as Waymond Wang in the film "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (2022), a role for which he received critical acclaim, and which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.Met him at a film and comic con in Glasgow and was able to get a picture of him. One of the friendliest people to talk to- Actress
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Rakie Ayola was born on 11 May 1968 in Cardiff, Wales, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Been So Long (2018), Twelfth Night (2018) and No Offence (2015). She is married to Adam Smethurst. They have two children.Met her at Belfast Film and Comic Con 2017. She is such a lovely woman to talk too :) Had got my picture taken with her :D- Actor
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Andrew Rothenberg was born on 26 January 1969 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Fargo (2014), The Walking Dead (2010) and Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022).Met him at Belfast Film and Comic Con 2017. He is such a nice chap to talk to :) Got a picture taken of him :D He thought I hurt my hand due to the hand wraps that were part of my costume LOL- John Levene (real name John Anthony Woods) left home at the age of 21 and travelled to London. He was working in a men's clothing store when he met Telly Savalas (who was making the film "The Dirty Dozen") and he was inspired to become an actor. He joined an agency which provided walk-on actors. He had to change his name because every variation on it was being used by a member of the British actor's union, Equity.
His physical stature at 6' 2" earned him the non-speaking role of a Cyberman in The Invasion: Episode One (1968), but director Douglas Camfield gave him the role of Corporal Benton when the actor originally cast in the part was sacked. This was to become his best-known role and he played the part of Benton regularly in the series until 1975, when he was written out. In 1977, Levene quit acting and in the 1980s he moved to the USA.Met him at Belfast Film and Comic Con 2017. He is such an amazing bloke to talk to :) I had my picture taken with him and he made my Aunt's day and she gave him a kiss on the cheek :D He also thought i hurt my hand due to the hand wraps that were part of my costume LOL - Actress
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Bai Ling is recognized for unbridled freedom and creativity, Bai Ling has become undoubtedly one of the world's most diverse and captivating actresses! Born in the city of Cheng Du in southern China, Bai Ling began her career at age of 14. She enlisted In the Chinese People's Liberation Army, where she spent three years in a performance troupe entertaining soldiers stationed in Tibet. She first gained the attention of audiences and critics alike when she won the coveted lead role opposite Richard Gere in Jon Avnet's Red Corner (1997). She received numerous accolades including the prestigious Breakthrough Performance Award from the National Board of Review. She also garnered the Discovery Star awarded by the Hollywood Women's Press Club for their Golden Apple Awards. While developing her remarkable facility with the English language, she has worked with such prestigious filmmakers as Oliver Stone in Nixon (1995), George Lucas in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), Barry Sonnenfeld in Wild Wild West (1999), Spike Lee in She Hate Me (2004), Andy Tennant in Anna and the King (1999), Ang Lee in The Wedding Banquet (1993), Alex Proyas in The Crow (1994) and Luc Besson' in )Taxi 3 (2003)_, in which she spoke French. She also starred in Terrence Malick's Broadway production of "Sansho the Bailiff". She dazzled audiences with her portrayal of the sexy, mysterious Achara in the hit TV series Lost (2004), and intrigued viewers with her seductive yet exhilarating role in HBO's Entourage (2004).
Bai Ling was awarded the Asian Oscar for her brilliant performance in her first Hong Kong film Three... Extremes (2004). It also earned her an additional three major awards in the Far East. She received the Spirit Diversity Award by The Hollywood Motion Picture Association. Her film Southland Tales (2006), directed by Richard Kelly was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival.
Bai starred in and executive-produced Shanghai Baby (2007). She has worked with Taylor Hackford in Love Ranch (2010), co-starring with Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci, and had a leading role in the Jason Statham action comedy Crank: High Voltage (2009) with costar with Jason Statham.Met her at Belfast Film and Comic Con 2017. Oh my gosh, she is such a sweetheart. I had a picture taken with her and i got to give a hug and couple of kisses <3. Met her again at Comic Con Northern Ireland on 17th September 2022, and she autographed our picture together <3. This time she gave ME a kiss :D <3- Actor
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Actor Sam J. Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois but grew up in Sacramento, California. He was educated at Mira Loma High School in Sacramento and went on to serve as a United States Marine. Jones made his screen debut in Blake Edwards' comedy film 10 (1979). In 1980, he was cast in the iconic role of Flash Gordon in the cult classic of the same name, Flash Gordon (1980). A solid acting career in mostly television roles followed. Jones came back to moviegoers attention, making a cameo as a version of himself in the comedy film Ted (2012).Met him at MCM Comic-Con Northern Ireland and welcomed him to ther country. Guys, he was an absolute brilliant chap to talk to. I promised him that I'll be watching Flash Gordon and I'm keeping that promise, knowing now I've met the man himself :D- Actor
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"Shall We Begin!", the battlecry of The undefeated Gaul Crixus first bought Manu Bennett's voice & acting career to international attention. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) spoke a universal language that slowly but surely captured a massive audience. The the show lost lead actor Andy Whitfield to cancer, Bennett's pivotal role, transitioning from Spartacus' nemesis to a slave rebel leader, he was credited for maintaining throughout, the heart & strength of the series. Producer/Director Peter Jackson then employed Bennett to portray Orc Leader "Azog - The Defiler". At the World Premiere of The Hobbit, Peter Jackson told press that Bennett's was the "The Breakout Performance". Although many Tolkein fans failed to recognize him beneath the CGI veneer, Bennett's looming presence, hunting down Thorin Oakenshield & culminating in the ultimate face-off, where both characters die, Bennett entered the catalogue of the great cinematic Villain Performances. DC Comic soldier of fortune, Slade Wildon aka Deathstroke had slumbered for two decades until Bennett reprised the role on the CW series Arrow. Many DC fans declared Bennett as the best villain on the hit series when he established a heartfelt dominant core relationship with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell). The two befriended upon the Island of Lian Yu before an incident with a super-drug called Mirakuru transformed Slade into the archetypal good guy/bad guy Deathstroke. Originally penned by Marv Wolfman & illustrated by George Perez, Deathstroke has now become a hot property for the DC Universe with Tony Daniels illustrating the new series of Deathstroke comic books & a Warner Bros Deathstroke feature film pending. When MTV shifted their focus toward producing original series they selected Bennett to portray the Dark Druid Allanon in the newly acquired Shannara Chronicles Series. Bennett had just the right mix of stoicism, angst & dramatic suave sought by the Shannara producers & author Terry Brooks. Manu Bennett is of Maori, Scottish, English, French & Finish ancestry. Bennett was born in Auckland, New Zealand. Bennett's great grandfather Frederick Augustus Bennett was the first Maori Bishop of the Anglican Church in New Zealand. Bennett's namesake Manuhuia Bennett (grandfather) was also ordained an Anglican Bishop. The Bennett name has roots dating back to a French Benedictine Monastery established in Northumbria in Northern England circa 500AD. The monastery was subsequently turned into a defensive fort named Chillingham Castle. With the advent of surnames circa 1000AD, the name Bennett was derived from Benedictine.
Manu Bennett's father Charles Edward Tiwha (Ted) Bennett was a popular New Zealand singer who recorded a No.1 hit "Clap Your Hands" & several other hits in the early 1960's. Bennett's mother Jean Clark was a bikini model from Australia who paraded the very first two piece bikini for designer Paula Stafford. Bennett's parents met during the Spring Blossom Festival in Hastings New Zealand. Bennett has two older siblings, Stephen & Rachel. The Bennett family moved to Australia in 1970. Jean Bennett nee Clark, was the winner of the Miss Paradise Beach, a swimsuit title held on the Gold Coast of Australia. Bennett's first acting job was on a series titled Paradise Beach, where he played stud, surf lifesaver, iron man Kirk Barsby. Bennett's mother, Jean, died in a car accident in 1985. His brother Stephen suffered injuries in a separate car accident & died only two weeks later.
During his schooling Manu Bennett trained as a dancer & musician & well as playing Rugby Union. Bennett was selected for the First XV for Te Aute College a Maori Boy school know for their strong rugby union history. On return to Australia Bennett was selected for the NSW Schoolboys Rugby Union Team & to trial for the Australian National Team. Bennett was prevented from attending the National trial outs due to a prior commitment to a ballet production of Swan Lake in which he had to perform the male lead. In the the 90's Bennett had to choose between a ballet scholarship in New York or an acting scholarship at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. Bennett decided to pursue his acting career & attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in Los Angeles.
Manu has appeared on various TV dramas & feature films, including multiple award winning "Lantana," opposite Anthony La Paglia. His first physical role was with appearing opposite Jon Cena on "The Marine". WWE was impressed with Bennett so gave him a role in their second feature film The Condemned starring opposite "Stone Cold" Steve Austin & Vinnie Jones. Rob Tapert cast Bennett as Marc Antony in Xena Warrior Princess, then opposite Josh Hartnett in the Vampire Horror 30 Days Of Night, then was pivotal in Bennett getting the role of Crixus in the series Spartacus.
Previous TV credits include starring roles in successful New Zealand productions "Shortland Street," "Street Legal," "Mataku," "Creature Of Quest," "Going Straight," and as Marc Antony opposite his "Spartacus" co-star Lucy Lawless in Tapert and Raimi's hit series "Xena: Warrior Princess."Saw him at MCM Comic-Con Northern Ireland. Didn't get a chance to meet him as he was the biggest name down there and was very busy- Actor
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David Fielding played the character of "Zordon" and provided the voice for the character for the first season of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993) for Saban Entertainment. David holds two degrees in acting - a BFA from Texas State and an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh. In addition to his stage and film work, David has provided voice work for a number of popular PC video games, including Empire Earth and Dungeon Siege: Legends of Aranna. David resides in Texas and is using his skills to help other actors perfect their craft.Met him at MCM Comic-Con Northern Ireland and it was an honour to meet Zordon himself. Got my picture taken with him, Austin St. John (Jason) and Karen Ashley (Aisha) in a group picture along with my brother and dad and asked them a question.- Actor
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Austin St. John was born on September 17, 1974, in Roswell, New Mexico, to his parents Steve and Sharon Geiger, becoming brother to Stephen. Austin has been practicing martial arts since he was five and now holds a second-degree black belt in Tae-Kwon Do, a first-degree black belt in Judo, and he also practices Shenkito and Kenpo. He has spent a lot of time moving from town to town with his dad, a Marine, and has also dreamed of playing professional baseball for the Boston Red Sox. His best school subject was political science and his worst was mathematics. His dream vehicle is a Harley Davidson Softtail. Austin's favorite food is sushi, and his favorite style of music is rock-and-roll with an ever-growing interest in hip-hop. His favorite super hero is Superman. Besides baseball, his favorite sports are football, soccer, and hiking. His favorite colors are black for cars and black and white for clothes. He also worked on "Austin St. John's Martial Arts Video."Met him at MCM Comic-Con Northern Ireland and it was an honour to meet the original Red Ranger himself. I've met his successor, Steve Cardenas back in Glasgow 2016, now i've met the very first :D Got my picture taken with him, David J Fielding (Zordon) and Karen Ashley (Aisha) in a group picture along with my brother and dad and asked them a question.- Actress
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Karan Ashley has had a career that has span over 20 years.. She was born in Odessa, Texas and raised in Dallas, Texas. She began her entertainment career as a child singer in the girl group KRUSH. They were signed to Perspective, A&M Records and had their first single, "Let's Get Together" on the Mo Money soundtrack. They worked under the world famous Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as their exclusive artists. She has an extensive background in dancing and was able to choreograph KRUSH's dance routines alongside the world famous Tina Landon. With the group they earned a platinum record and had a hit dance song, Let's Get Together (So Groovy Now) and worked with such artists as Janet Jackson, Johnny Gill, Karen White, Lo-Key and Mint Condition.
After 5 years in KRUSH, Karan decided to dive head first and begin an acting career. She did several national commercials for such companies as Southwest Airlines, TGI Fridays, Chevrolet and AT&T.
Her big break came when she went to an open call audition and beat out over 10 thousand hopefuls and landed the role of Aisha the Yellow Power Rangers on the #1 kids show in America, Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. She was able to do over 80 episodes and star in the hit movie "Power Rangers the Movie" that was released by 20th Century Fox.
Not stopping there she has beat the pavement for years and has been on many different TV shows and films such as, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, The Steve Harvey Show, One on One, The Parkers, Kenan & Kel, Chat Room, The Opposite Sex, Taylor's Wall, Wicked Weekend, Jazz Scene, The Encounter and many other projects. She has worked with many successful companies such as MTV, BET, ABC, Nickelodeon, Disney, The WB, 20th Century Fox, Asiatic Productions and formed the production company GAG Order films.
Although acting is her passion, while with GAG Order Films, she ventured into producing, writing and has starred in two feature films, Unto Thee and Devon's Ghost. In both films she served as lead actress, writer and producer. Both films did well in film festivals and sold in over 17 countries in DVD sales. She worked as a producer for BET and did exclusive work with their BET on Jazz channel.
Last year she branched out on her own to form her very own production company and produced two television pilots. Her production company, KASH Pictures and Entertainment produced, created and wrote, A Day in the Life. A Day, paired Karan and Kel Mitchell as co-hosts to a reality based talk show. She also produced, created and wrote a show called Turning Point which she submitted to the OWN network and received over 14 thousand votes in one week.
Even though Karan Ashley has worn many hats she still has the desire to take her career to an all new level and studies with BANG Improv. She is first and foremost an actress and never wants to stop honing her craft. She also makes several personal appearances at conventions who host thousands who still want to meet their childhood hero from Power Rangers. She never forgets the original audience that supported her. With a hit show under her belt and a platinum album, she still considers herself a beginner in this business and is excited at the possibilities to come.Met her at MCM Comic-Con Northern Ireland and she was a real sweetheart. Got my picture taken with her, Austin St. John (Jason) and David J Fielding (Zordon) in a group picture along with my brother and dad and asked them a question. Not only that, I got to give her a couple of hugs and kisses xxxxx- Ore Oduba was born on 17 November 1985 in London. He is an actor, known for Curtains (2020), Comedy Playhouse (1961) and Noughts + Crosses (2020). He has been married to Portia Oduba since 1 November 2015. They have one child.On the 25th March 2022, I saw him perform as Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Show at the Grand Opera House in Belfast.
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Andrew Secombe is a Welsh actor and author from Mumbles, South Wales who is widely known for providing the voice of Watto from the Star Wars franchise. He voiced Watto in the first two prequel trilogy films, cartoons and video games since 1999. He also acted in The Legend of Robin Hood, Killing Eve and Star Cops.Met him at Comic Con Northern Ireland with my brother and aunt. Real nice man. Got along with my aunt cause they're both Star Trek fans.- Actor
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Jason grew up just outside of Chicago. A talented athlete, Jason almost became a professional baseball player. Instead, he came out to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Jason makes his professional debut in Power Rangers Time Force.The first of the Time Force Rangers I've met. I met him at Comic Con Northern Ireland, his first appearance in the country, and he is a REALLY friendly bloke :D He loved the picture of me and Bai Ling. Got my photo taken with him too :D- Actor
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Jorge Vargas was born on 29 September 1977 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He is an actor, known for Falling Skies (2011), Excess Baggage (1997) and Stargate SG-1 (1997).His booth was placed beside Jason Faunt. His appearance was a bonus for me and my brother and he too is a REALLY friendly bloke. This too was his first appearance in Northern Ireland. Whenever we pass by another, he happily stops for a wee chat and got plenty of hugs from him :D Got a picture taken with him as well :D- Actor
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Michael Cudlitz was born on 29 December 1964 in Queens, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), The Walking Dead (2010) and Sex Drive (2008). He is married to Rachael Cudlitz. They have two children.Of The Walking Dead fame. Met him at Comic Con Northern Ireland. Only had a short conversation with him, but even then, he was a very nice man indeed.- Actor
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Chandler Riggs was born on 27 June 1999 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Chandler is an actor and producer, known for The Walking Dead (2010), A Million Little Things (2018) and Only (2019).His booth was a couple away from Michael Cudlitz'. Welcomed him to Northern Ireland as it was his first time in the country. Also had a short conversation with him, but once again, he was a real nice fellow to chat with.- David (pronounced "Dah-Veed") Albert Mazouz is an actor, writer, and producer who graduated from Stanford University in 2023, where he studied Economics and Psychology. He is best known for his role as Bruce Wayne on FOX's Gotham and since the show's end, he has continued to act in theater and film, as well as produce.
David was born to a Tunisian father and a Greek mother. He has American and Spanish citizenship. His maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors.
David began his acting career in commercials at the age of 7 after attending acting classes with his older sister. Spotted there by an agent, he began auditioning and fell in love with entertaining. He was born and raised in Los Angeles.
He landed his first film shortly after in a film directed by Edoardo Ponti. He began booking guest star roles for television, working with James Burrows and Randall Einhorn at the age of 9. He landed the role of Jake Bohm on FOX's Touch alongside Kiefer Sutherland, the only other cast member to appear in all 26 episodes. Kiefer was a kind and generous mentor for him, teaching him not only about the craft of acting but about the industry, as well. At the age of 13, he booked FOX's Gotham, where he played a young Bruce Wayne from the time of his parent's murder to becoming Batman. Alongside Bruce, David grew up on screen as he was 18 when the show ended. Living in New York as a teenager to shoot Gotham was trying at times as he was away from his school friends and the other half of his family, but since David is most passionate about work, he was ready to do school remotely. He managed juggling two completely different worlds effortlessly, and traveled back and forth to each coast regularly.
At Stanford, David performed in five plays and musicals, including an adaptation of Henry IV. He produced and acted in a production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot. He also acted in and produced short films in his time at Stanford.First met him at the photoshoot along with Sean Pertwee, Robin Lord Taylor and Cameron Monaghan at Comic Con Northern Ireland. I welcomed him to the country as it was his first time. This makes him the first Bruce Wayne actor I've had the pleasure of chatting to, and he is very friendly. Gave him a hug too :D - Actor
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Sean Pertwee was born into a famous British theatrical family. He is the son of Jon Pertwee, who was mainly a comedy actor and was known for his starring roles in Doctor Who (1963), Worzel Gummidge (1979), the radio comedy series "The Navy Lark" and appearances in several "Carry On" films. His uncle, Michael Pertwee, and grandfather, Roland Pertwee, were prolific screenwriters and playwrights, and his father's cousin, Bill Pertwee, was a regular cast member of one of Britain's most popular sitcoms, Dad's Army (1968). His sister, Dariel Pertwee, is an actress with several screen roles.
After training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Pertwee began his acting career with the Royal Shakespeare Company, most notably starring in Titus Andronicus directed by Deborah Warner. After touring for three years, Pertwee continued his classical training by playing Julius Caesar for the BBC and Macbeth for Michael Bogdanov's production for C4 films. Since then, he has become instantly recognizable for both his film and television work.
On film, Pertwee began on the Joe Orton biopic Prick Up Your Ears (1987), then went on to appear in Paul W.S. Anderson's Shopping (1994), playing opposite Jude Law, followed by performances in Event Horizon (1997), Soldier (1998), Doomsday (2008), Love, Honor and Obey (2000) and the lead role in Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers (2002). Other notable film credits include Deadly Voyage (1996); Wild Bill (2011); Blue Juice (1995), in which Pertwee played opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Ewan McGregor; and Formula 51 (2001) with Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Carlyle. Pertwee played opposite Steve Coogan in Alan Partridge (2013).
Pertwee's extensive TV work saw him play the iconic role of Lestrade in the CBS show Elementary (2012) with Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes. He has also starred in The Musketeers (2014), Poirot (1989), the award-winning Luther (2010), and had a recurring role in the hugely popular Cold Feet (1997) with James Nesbitt. His other TV credits include Skins (2007), Bodyguards (1996), Jo (2013) with Jean Reno, Chancer (1990), The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992), Clarissa (1991) with Sean Bean, and Camelot (2011) with Joseph Fiennes and Eva Green.
Pertwee appeared as Alfred Pennyworth, the unflappable butler, in the Warner Bros. series Gotham (2014), which follows the story behind Commissioner James Gordon's rise to prominence in Gotham City in the years before Batman's arrival. He is a popular voiceover artist and can frequently be heard voicing documentaries, animated films, commercials, TV series, and video games, including Fable, Killzone and Assassin's Creed.First met him at the photoshoot along with David Masouz, Robin Lord Taylor and Cameron Monaghan. When I heard he was going to be at the Comic Con, I was overjoyed :D. He made my aunt's day as she used to have a crush on his father, Jon. Gave him a hug as well :D Very friendly man indeed.- A native of Shueyville, Iowa, Taylor is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Speech.
Robin Lord Taylor has appeared in several acclaimed television series, such as The Walking Dead (2010), Law & Order (1990), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) The Good Wife (2009) and Person of Interest (2011) He also had a recurring role as "Darrell, the 'Late Show' page with the fake British accent" on "The Late Show with David Letterman."
Taylor is perhaps best known for his roles as Abernathy Darwin Dunlap in the cult comedy Accepted (2006) (starring opposite Jonah Hill and Justin Long) and Oswald "The Penguin" Cobblepot in Gotham (2014). He also appeared in the hit independent horror film Would You Rather (2012) and starred opposite Bryan Cranston and Alice Eve in the independent film Cold Comes the Night (2013). He has also appeared in several other films that have been prominently featured on the festival circuit, most notably Another Earth (2011) which won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. He was featured in Spike Lee (Venice Film Festival), The House Is Burning (2006) (produced by Wim Wenders, Cannes Film Festival), Pitch (2006) (Cannes Film Festival) and Assassination of a High School President (2008) (Sundance).
Taylor co-created and co-starred in "Creation Nation," a live talk show with Billy Eichner, which they performed at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as at the HBO Aspen Comedy Festival and in many venues throughout New York City and Los Angeles. He has also appeared onstage in "Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom," "The Shooting Stage," "Henry IV" and "No. 11 Blue and White," as well as numerous productions in Stephen Sondheim's Young Playwrights Festival at the Cherry Lane Theater.
He resides in New York City.First met him at the photoshoot along with David Masouz, Sean Pertwee and Cameron Monaghan. I welcomed him to the country as it was his first time and he told me he would certainly visit again. This makes him the first actor to play The Penguin I've had the pleasure of having a conversation with, and he is a REALLY friendly fellow. Just like the rest of his Gotham co-stars, I gave him a hug and I think I made his day as I told him, that although Burgess Merideth, Danny Devito and Colin Farrell have all played the role of The Penguin, Robin is my favourite portrayal of the character. Because he is :D - Actor
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Cameron Monaghan was born in Santa Monica, California. Cameron's debut TV role as "Winthrop Paroo" in The Music Man (2003) was originally played by Ron Howard in The Music Man (1962). Cameron began his acting career at 5 years old in commercials. At age 7, he began appearing on stage as Stuart Little in "Stuart Little" and as Piglet in "Winnie the Pooh" at Little Palm Family Theatre in Boca. His most famous rolls include Ian Gallagher in "Shameless US" and Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska in "Gotham".First met him at the photoshoot along with David Masouz, Robin Lord Taylor and Sean Pertwee. I welcomed him to the country as it was his first time. This makes him the first Joker actor I've had the pleasure of chatting to, and is very friendly fellow. Gave him a hug also :D- Actor
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Kim's film career began in 1991 with The Last Boy Scout. Two Warner Brothers' hits followed: Innocent Blood and The Client. Since that time he has starred in over forty films, including Academy Award winners Black Hawk Down directed by Ridley Scott, and Pearl Harbor directed by Michael Bay. Other films include Waterworld and Open Range with Kevin Costner, Grilled with Ray Romano, Silent Hill opposite Sean Bean, Hostage with Bruce Willis, Assault on Precinct 13, Unforgettable, Skinwalkers, and Hero Wanted.
Kim returned to Entourage for it's final season as Carl Ertz, the sleazy movie Producer. His performance garnered so much attention in previous seasons that Ertz's return was a direct request. He appeared in a recurring role on CSI Miami. Other prominent guest starring television roles include CSI, CSI NY, Cold Case, and Prison Break. He has had roles in more than 20 MOW's including the NBC miniseries Hercules, and Disney's Scream Team. These dramatic turns on television have earned him Gemini nominations for Best Actor in a Featured Supporting Role for HBO's Dead Silence and Best Performance in a Guest Role Dramatic Series for The Outer Limits.
In 2008 Kim starred in and executive produced the film The Poet. Before its wide release it won best picture and best director (Damian Lee) at the New York Staten Island Film festival.
At the AOF International Film Festival in Pasadena, Kim received the Half Life Achievement Award for acting in 2009. Kim also won best actor for playing Steve Sorrano in King of Sorrow.
Kim starred on Broadway as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire, as the title role in Macbeth at the legendary Stratford Theatre, and has appeared in over fifty plays in North America.
In the fall of 2010 Kim starred in the blockbuster 3D movie Resident Evil Afterlife, with Mila Jovovich.
In 2011, Kim starred in Sacrifice, with Cuba Gooding Jr., A Little Help, with Jenna Fisher, Sinners and Saints and Robosapien.
In 2012, Kim starred in the sports comedy Goon along side Seann William Scott, Liev Schreiber and Jay Baruchel, for which Kim is nominated for Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role at the 2013 Canadian Screen Awards. Goon was much lauded by international audiences and critics alike.
The FX hit series Sons of Anarchy is going into its 6th season. Kim Coates is Tig Trager, the motorcycle club's sergeant at arms. Tig fears nothing, much like Kim throughout his career.
Kim has 3 feature films opening in 2013; Rufus, Ferocious, The Dark Truth which Kim co-produced and starred in along side Forrest Whitaker and Andy Garcia,
Kim is currently filming Crossing Lines in Prague with William Fichtner and Donald Sutherland.
Kim currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and their two children.Saw him at his booth at Comic Con Northern Ireland, but never got the opportunity to meet him.- Actor
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Mark Boone Junior was born on 17 March 1955 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Memento (2000), 30 Days of Night (2007) and Batman Begins (2005).Saw him sitting at his booth, which was right next to Kim Coates'. Just like Kim, I never got the opportunity to meet him either.- Actor
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Born in Glasgow, Scotland, and raised in Joliet, Illinois. He returned to the UK, for a 6 month Shakespeare semester with the United States International University of San Diego, but left to star in the musical production of "Anything Goes," with Elaine Paige. He went on to star in "Miss Saigon," "Matador," "Rope," and "Hair" at London's West End. Barrowman has homes in London and Cardiff, Wales.The first guest my brother and I, along with our aunt, met at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023. Amazing bloke, really friendly. He even complimented on me and brother's Power Rangers costumes :D Even got our picture taken with him too- Actor
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Actor and model Kellan Lutz was born in Dickinson, North Dakota, to Karla (Theesfeld) and Bradley Lutz. He has six brothers and a sister, and is of German, as well as smaller amounts of English, Swedish, and Dutch, descent. As a child, his family moved around, and he grew up in North Dakota, the Midwest and Arizona. Upon high school graduation, Lutz relocated to California to attend Chapman University and study Chemical Engineering, but left in order to pursue a career in acting.
Lutz had picked up a few modeling jobs as a teenager, but got his first TV break with a small role in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) in 2004. More television success followed, including parts in The Comeback (2005) and Generation Kill (2008). He was also cast in some film roles, including Accepted (2006) and Prom Night (2008), but his major break came in 2008 when he won the role of vampire Emmett Cullen in the smash hit Twilight (2008), and its subsequent sequels.The second guest my brother and I, along with our aunt, met at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023. Fantastic bloke, happy to chat to his fans. He even complimented on me and brother's Power Rangers costumes the moment we approached his booth :D Even got our picture taken with him as well.- Actor
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Sean Gunn is an American actor who is known for his collaborations with his brother James Gunn. He famously played Kraglin and did the physical portrayal of Rocket before being dubbed over by Bradley Cooper in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. He also portrayed Weasel and Calendar Man in The Suicide Squad. He was also in Tromeo & Juliet, Super, Lollipop Chainsaw, The Specials and Gilmore Girls.The third guest my brother and I met at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023. Even though our meeting was short, he was a very nice chap to talk to.- Actress
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Mara Elizabeth Wilson was born on Friday, July 24th, 1987 in Los Angeles, California. She is the oldest daughter of Michael and Suzie Wilson, with three elder brothers - Danny (b. 1979), Jon (b. 1981) and Joel (b. 1983) - and a younger sister Anna (b. 1993). When Mara was 5 years old, her eldest brother Daniel Ben Wilson (Danny) started acting in television commercials and she wanted to follow in his footsteps. Her parents refused to let her act at first. After continuous persistence from Mara Elizabeth, her parents reluctantly agreed to let her give acting a try. She went on to appear in a number of commercials, including those advertising Texaco and the Bank of America. She also appeared in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), starring Robin Williams and Sally Field, as the divorced parents. In her role, Mara proved herself to be a talented young actress, who was mature for her tender years, and her acting career went from strength-to-strength as she quickly became a favorite among cinema-goers. The following year, Mara played a small girl whose mother had suffered a major stroke in A Time to Heal (1994). But her big break came with the remake of Miracle on 34th Street (1994), as the little, intelligent, cynical girl who learned the magic of Santa Claus. Ironically, Mara was not raised to believe in Santa Claus but this was a bonus in some ways since she was able to empathize with her character's stance that there was no Santa. At the age of nine, Mara was cast in the lead role in the film adaptation of Roald Dahls book, Matilda (1996). Sadly, during filming, Mara lost her beloved mother to breast cancer but she bravely pushed ahead with the film, much to the amazement and admiration of her adult co-stars. Mara starred in three films over the following three years, the last of which was in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000). Unfortunately, the film did not do well in the theaters of American box office, but it did very well in the UK box office. This signaled an end to Mara's film career, as she wanted to focus on school and to enjoy her teenage years. In June 2005, Mara graduated from Idyllwild School of Music & Arts and went on to attend New York University. In a March 2012 blog post, she revealed she has no desire to return to acting in films. Today, Mara Wilson is a stage actress, a voice actress, a writer, and a playwright. Mara now lives a quiet life in "The Big Apple", a nickname of New York City, New York.The only female guest my brother and I met at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023. OMG, she's an absolutely lovely woman. I asked her if I could give her a kiss on the hand like a gentleman along with a hug, and she happily gave me permission :D- Actor
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Michael Rooker was born on April 6, 1955 in Jasper, Alabama. When he was thirteen, his parents divorced and he went with his mother to live in Chicago. He caught the acting bug while attending college, and began appearing in local stage productions. On first breaking into film, his intensity and "don't-mess-with-me" good looks were highlighted to chilling effect as he title character in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), filmed in 1986 but, due to its controversial nature, not released until 1990. Since that widely noticed and highly praised performance, much of his career has been spent playing brutes, villains and psychopaths. However, his occasional turns as a "good guy" are always well-acted and a welcome change for a talented actor too often typecast.
2017 marks an exciting time for Rooker, as he starred in two films premiering just two months of each other. On March 17, audiences saw Rooker in Blumhouse Tilt's indie horror thriller The Belko Experiment (2016). The film is the terrifying yet humorous look at a group of employees that become guinea pigs in a company-wide experiment that leads them to either kill their fellow employees or be killed themselves. Returning to his indie roots, Rooker starred as maintenance worker, Bud Melks, one of the employees trapped in the office building, who may or may not be able to kill his fellow staff member. On May 5, Rooker reprised his role as Yondu in the highly anticipated sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). The film follows the same group of galactic underdogs saving the universe to a stellar soundtrack. Rooker's breakout performance earned him critical acclaim, as audiences were introduced to a more dramatic Yondu. The film went on to earn over $145 million domestically its opening weekend and has surpassed its predecessor by grossing over $850 million worldwide.
Rooker made his film debut, playing the title role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), a film based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. It was here that audiences were first introduced to Rooker's impeccable ability to channel a character's idiosyncrasies and subtleties. He has also starred in some of the most iconic films, such as Mississippi Burning (1988), Sea of Love (1989), JFK (1991), Tombstone (1993) and Jumper (2008) to name a few. In August 2014, Rooker starred in one of the most memorable franchises in the Marvel Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), as Yondu, the blue-skinned renegade space pirate and surrogate father to Peter Quill. The film went on to gross over $700 million at the worldwide box office and spent five weekends atop the box office, more than any other film in the Marvel Universe.
On the television front, Rooker is best known for his series regular role as Merle Dixon on AMC's hit series The Walking Dead (2010). Audiences loved to hate the ill-tempered redneck hunter and were sad to see him killed off the series in season three. Rooker has completed a variety of stints on some of the most prominent series on television: Criminal Minds (2005), CSI: Miami (2002), Las Vegas (2003), Law & Order (1990) and Archer (2009), among others. Additionally, Rooker's talents go beyond both film and television. He adds his voice to various video games, including The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and Lollipop Chainsaw.Brilliant fellow when my brother and I met him at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023. The first encounter had to be quick as he was due for photoshoots but the second encounter, he happily took time to chat. He also complimented on our Power Rangers costumes. :D- Actor
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Elijah Wood is an American actor best known for portraying Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's blockbuster Lord of the Rings film trilogy. In addition to reprising the role in The Hobbit series, Wood also played Ryan in the FX television comedy Wilfred (2011) and voiced Beck in the Disney XD animated television series Tron: Uprising (2012).
Born Elijah Jordan Wood on 28 January, 1981, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Wood is the son of Debbie (Krause) and Warren Wood, who ran a delicatessen. He has an older brother, Zach, and a younger sister, Hannah Wood. He is of English, German, Austrian, and Danish descent. Demonstrating a gift for performing at a young age, Wood's natural talent inspired his mother to take him to an International Modeling and Talent Association annual convention in Los Angeles. Soon after, he began to get bookings for small parts on television.
Although his first credit was a small part in Back to the Future Part II (1989), Wood's first major film role was in the 'Barry Levinson' historical family drama Avalon (1990). Following that, Wood became an in-demand child actor, appearing in a number of major films such as Paradise (1991), Radio Flyer (1992) and The Good Son (1993), in which he co-starred with Macaulay Culkin. This was followed by the first role for which he received top-billing, North (1994). Although the film was widely condemned and a disaster at the box office, Elijah was praised as the only good thing to come out of it.
In 1996 Elijah starred in a movie remake of an old TV show, Flipper (1996). Many critics wondered if his ability as a child actor to capture an audience was wearing thin, as had many child actors', but Wood deftly transitioned into a versatile performer with roles such as the endlessly curious Mikey Carver in Ang Lee' ensemble film The Ice Storm (1997), as well as parts in popcorn flicks like Deep Impact (1998) and The Faculty (1998). In 1999, Elijah was in three movies that never made it into wide release: The Bumblebee Flies Anyway (1999) (released on satellite TV), Black & White (1999) (released on home video) and Chain of Fools (2000).
Wood's work in Peter Jackson's film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), provided a major boost to his career. The actor followed his work in the astronomically successful trilogy with a broad range of interesting screen roles and voice work, including a supporting role in Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), as well as the part of a sinister mute sociopath in Sin City (2005). His voice work has been featured in such animated films as Happy Feet (2006) and 9 (2009), as well as on television series including American Dad! (2005) and Robot Chicken (2001). Wood also played Ad-Rock in the Beastie Boys' comedic video for Beastie Boys: Fight for Your Right Revisited (2011).
An avid music fan, Wood founded Simian records and released its first album, New Magnetic Wonder by The Apples in Stereo, in 2007.Saw him at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023 but didn't get the chance to meet him as he was one of the busiest guests there.- Actor
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Sean Patrick Astin (né Duke; February 25, 1971) is an American actor, voice actor, screenwriter, director, producer, family man, author, marathon runner, political activist and philanthropist who is well known for his film debut portraying Mikey in Steven Spielberg's The Goonies (1985), for playing the title role in the critically acclaimed Rudy (1993), and for his role as the beloved Sam Gamgee in the Academy Award winning trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
Astin was born Sean Patrick Duke on February 25, 1971 in Santa Monica, California. His mother was actress Patty Duke. At the time of his birth, his biological father was believed to be entertainer Desi Arnaz Jr., but Astin discovered through a DNA test in the 1990s that his biological father is music promoter Michael Tell, who was married to Patty Duke in 1970. Sean was raised by his stepfather, actor John Astin, who married Patty Duke in 1972 and whose surname Sean took. Sean's mother was of Irish and more distant German ancestry, and Sean's biological father is of Austrian Jewish and Polish Jewish descent.
At age nine, Sean starred with his mother in the after-school special Please Don't Hit Me, Mom (1981). Followed by Sean's feature debut The Goonies (1985) and since then, he has had a steady stream of roles. Starring in Toy Soldiers (1991), Where the Day Takes You (1992), Rudy (1993) and Harrison Bergeron (1995). He directed and co-produced the short film Kangaroo Court (1994), which was nominated in the best short film category at The 67th Annual Academy Awards (1995). Sean's adoptive father John Astin was nominated for the same award in 1969.
Sean experienced another career breakthrough with his role as the epitome of loyal sidekicks, Samwise Gamgee, in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, released in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Along with the many awards bestowed upon the trilogy (particularly its final installment The Return of the King), Sean received nominations for his own performance. He took home the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor, and awards from the Las Vegas Film Critics Society, the Seattle Film Critics, the Utah Film Critics Association, and the Phoenix Film Critics Society. As an ensemble, the Return of the King cast received awards from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and the Screen Actors Guild. In 2004, Sean authored the NY Times best seller "There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale," chronicling his acting career with emphasis on his experiences filming the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Sean has been a long-distance runner since his teens. His marathons include the 2014 Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC, where he had the honor of officially starting the race, the 2015 Boston Marathon as a member of charity fund-raising team MR8, and the New York City Marathon in 2016. He has done numerous half marathons and countless 5Ks, 10Ks, and races of other distances. He successfully completed the Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, in October 2015; the grueling event consisted of a 2.4 mile open ocean swim, a 112 mile bike race and a 26.2 mile marathon.
In 2012, while training for the LA Marathon, he began a Twitter campaign using #Run3rd, a way to dedicate his runs to causes and ideas that mattered not just to him, but to others. The principle of #Run3rd is that Sean runs first for himself, since running is ultimately a solitary act, second for his ever-patient and supportive family, and third for others. #Run3rd has grown to include a team of runners, walkers, and others who dedicate their activities to the causes of others. A $25,000 grant from the Ironman Foundation will allow the charity to fund after school running programs for children in under-served school districts. More information on #Run3rd, including sponsored 5Ks, is available at run3rd.com.
Sean has served as a philanthropist on the board of several non-profit organizations, including the Creative Coalition, National Center for Family Literacy, and Los Angeles Valley College's Patrons Association and Arts Council. He is a vocal advocate on many issues including literacy, mental health awareness and civic engagement. After the passing of his mother in late March 2016, Sean began fund-raising to create a foundation to carry on her life's work as an advocate for mental health
Politically, Sean has been very active having served in two non-partisan Presidential appointments. Sean also hosts a live weekly 2 hour in-studio bi-partisan political radio talk show, 'Vox Populi Radio' which was made possible by a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2013. In 2004, Sean broke into the publishing world and authored the NY Times Best Selling release of There and Back Again a memoir of his film career (co-written with Joe Layden).
In addition to acting in live action films and television, Sean is also an accomplished voice actor. He has voiced several different characters in animated series, cartoons, animated movies, anime dubs and video games. His voice is also familiar to many. He narrated the Animal Planet series "Meerkat Manor" (2006-2007), and voiced the title characters in the animated Disney Channel series "Special Agent Oso" (2009-2012) and the animated feature film "Ribbit" (2014). He was the voice of Raphael in Nickelodeon's popular "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" (2012-2017) as well as it's video games. He voiced the paranoid Siamese cat Chester in "Bunnicula" (2016-2018), a Warner Brothers produced series based on children's books by James Howe and narrates "The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants" (2018-2019) a series on Netflix, based on the Dav Pilkey's children's books. He can be heard in a plethora of other animated shows, anime dubs, video games, audio dramas and narrations. More recently, Sean was the Narrator of the Documentary called Remember the Sultana, which released on March 1st, 2018.
After four decades in front of camera or microphone, Sean has ventured in front of a theater audience, first as Joseph Stalin in a multimedia stage production of "Shostakovich and the Black Monk: A Fantasy," (2018-2019) and then as Dr. Moricet in "Bang Bang!" (2018), John Cleese's adaptation of a 19th century French farce.
Sean is also comfortable behind the camera, directing episodic TV and serving as producer on several films. He directed and co-produced with his wife Christine the short film "Kangaroo Court," nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 1995. While working on "The Lord of the Rings," Sean made "The Long and Short of It." The film premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and appears on the DVD for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," along with a making-of video. He is currently working to bring "Number the Stars," based on Lois Lowry's Newbery Award winning children's classic, to the big screen.
While maintaining a career as a professional actor (in live action films and television) and a voice actor for characters in animated series, cartoons, animated movies, anime dubs and video games, Sean is also a political activist. Sean has been actively engaged in the political world since early in his life. He served in two non-partisan Presidential appointments. In 1995, under President Bill Clinton, he became a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, serving for 10 years under six secretaries in two administrations. He was appointed by President George W. Bush to his Council on Service and Civic Participation, whose mission was to promote a culture of volunteerism and civic engagement. He campaigned for presidential candidates John Kerry in 2004, and Hillary Clinton in 2008 and 2016. He also served as campaign manager for his friend, Dan Adler, in a special election for California's 36th congressional district race in 2011.
Sean attended Crossroads High School for the Arts and studied with the famous Stella Adler. He graduated with honors from UCLA; B.A. in History & B.A. in English American Literature and Culture. Sean is married to Christine Astin, his co-producer on Kangaroo Court (1994). He resides in Los Angeles, CA with his wife Christine Louise and daughters Alexandra (Ali) Louise, Elizabeth Louise, and Isabella (Bella) Louise. All of his daughters attend Harvard University.Like Elijah Wood, I saw him at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023 but didn't get the chance to meet him as he too was one of the busiest guests there.- Actor
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Peter Facinelli was born in Queens, New York, the youngest child of Bruna (Reich) and Pierino Facinelli, a waiter. His parents are Italian immigrants, originally from Trentino, Northern Italy. He has three sisters. Peter was educated at St. Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, New York, and went on to attend St. John's University, but left after a year to follow his interest in acting at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School, also in New York. There Facinelli was taught by such distinguished actors as Academy Award nominees William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman.
He made his screen debut in 1995, appearing in Rebecca Miller's Angela (1995) and has worked consistently ever since. Notable projects include The Price of Love (1995), An Unfinished Affair (1996) (where he met his future wife, Jennie Garth), Touch Me (1997) and The Scorpion King (2002). Facinelli has also had re-occurring roles in such TV shows such as Fastlane (2002), Six Feet Under (2001), Damages (2007) and Nurse Jackie (2009). In 2008, he won the role of Dr. Carlisle Cullen in the wildly popular Twilight (2008) and its sequels.He was sitting next to Kellen Lutz at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023, but didn't get the chance to meet him.- Actor
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Paul was raised in the Marlboro, New Jersey. His parents immigrated from Poland, where he spent a large portion of his childhood. Many of his relatives still reside there.
During his high school years, Paul was actively involved in theater studies, primarily in New York City. He attended Christian Brothers Academy, Marlboro High School, and Lakewood Prep.
He studied theatre in both New Jersey and New York City and whilst in his junior year he landed the role of Max in Guiding Light (1952). Due to his acting schedule, he transferred to several schools. He ultimately graduated in 2000 and went on to Rutgers University but, because he was being offered roles, decided to quit after one semester.
In 2009 he was cast in The Vampire Diaries (2009).
He has performed in numerous off Broadway productions as well as starred in dozens of films and television series throughout his career.
Wesley is co-founder of Citizen Media, a production company based at Kapital Entertainment, which has sold numerous television shows to various networks and studios.
He resides in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles.Only saw a quick glimpse of him at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023 but didn't get the chance to meet him as he was one of the very busiest guests there.- Actress
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Kristy Swanson is an American actress from California. She has had an active acting career since the 1980s. Her most memorable role was playing the original version of Buffy Summers in the horror comedy "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992).
Swanson was born in Mission Viejo, California, a planned community in Orange County. It is located in a hilly region, 49 miles (79 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles. Swanson developed an interest in acting in early childhood. She started pursuing roles in television commercials at the age of 9, and first appeared in a commercial for doll houses. She continued to regularly appear in commercials for a few years.
Swanson received acting lessons from "The Actors Workshop", an acting school developed by Canadian actor R. J. Adams (1942 -2015). In 1984, Swanson started appearing in one-shot roles in television. She gained attention for playing Stephanie Brandon in the episode "On the Street" (1985) of the police procedural "Cagney & Lacey". Her character was a teenage prostitute who was considered a key witness in a murder trial. For this role Swanson was nominated for a Young performer award, the "Best Young Actress - Guest in a Television Series". The award was instead won by rival actress Jaclyn Bernstein.
In 1986, Swanson had the supporting role of Jennifer Davis in the television film "Mr. Boogedy", a ghost story about a haunted house in New England. She had a minor role in the teen comedy-drama film "Pretty in Pink" (1986). as the new love interest of the character Duckie Dale (played by Jon Cryer). She had her first speaking role in a film in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off", as a girl who announces a convoluted excuse to explain the main character's absence. Swanson had her co-starring role in a film in "Deadly Friend" (1986), a science fiction horror film by famed director Wes Craven. It gained a cult following over the following decades.
Swanson's next starring role was in the psychological horror film "Flowers in the Attic" (1987), concerning children held captive by their abusive family. She played Cathy Dollanganger, the elder sister among the captives. The film earned about 15,2 million dollars at the domestic box office. There were plans for a sequel film, but it ended in development hell. In 1987, Swanson joined the cast of the soap opera Knots Landing (1979-1993), in the recurring role of Jody Campbell. She appeared in a total of 8 episodes, leaving the series in 1988.
Swanson had her first main role in a television series in the short-lived medical drama "Nightingales" (1989), where she played student nurse Rebecca "Becky" Granger. The series was controversial at the time for its overly sexualized depiction of nurses. It inspired a protest campaign by the American Nurses Association, causing several sponsors to withdraw their support from their series. The series was canceled after a single season and 13 episodes, plus a television film. There was later a revival of the series' concept under the title "University Hospital" (1995), but Swanson was not involved with the revival series.
Swanson had her first film role in years in the romantic comedy "Dream Trap" (1990). The film depicted the romantic fantasies two teenagers have about each other. Her co-star for this film was Sasha Jenson (1964-). Swanson's next notable film role was in the fantasy comedy "Mannequin Two: On the Move" (1991). She played Jessie, a 14th-century peasant girl who was turned into a statue by a sorcerer. She is revived in the late 20th century, and falls in love with a descendant of her original lover. The film only earned 4 million dollars at the box office, failing to recover its production costs. It was marketed as a sequel to the hit film "Mannequin" (1987), while featuring none of its main characters.
Swanson had a supporting role in the comedy film "Hot Shots!" (1991). She played Kowalski, a female pilot of the United States Navy who is regarded as male by her peers and superiors. The film earned 180 million dollars worldwide, the highest earning film in Swanson's career at that time. Swanson had the co-starring role of Rachel Clark in the horror comedy "Highway to Hell" (1991). In the film, Rachel is kidnapped by a demon and taken to hell. She is about to be married to Satan, but her boyfriend Charlie Sykes (played by Chad Lowe) attempts to rescue her. The film only had a limited theatrical release, but was relatively popular in the home video market.
In 1992, Swanson had the leading role of Buffy in the horror comedy film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992). In the film, Buffy is a high school cheerleader with an ordinary life, who discovers that she is the latest in a long line of female vampire slayers. She has to stop a vampire army from taking over Los Angeles, at the cost of alienating her friends and losing her boyfriend. The film was modestly successful at the box office, earning about 17 million dollars. It was more successful in the home video market, and inspired the spin-off television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003). Swanson had no involvement with this series, replaced in the title role by Sarah Michelle Gellar (1977-).
Swanson had a supporting role in the sports drama film "The Program" (1993), as tennis player Camille Shafer. The character was the love interest of one of the main characters, American football player Joe Kane (played Craig Sheffer). Swanson shared the female lead status in this film with Halle Berry (1966-). The film highlighted the use of steroids in college football. The film earned about 23 million dollars at the box office, a modest hit for its time.
Swanson played the role of heiress Natalie Voss in the action comedy "The Chase" (1994). In the film, Natalie is kidnapped by escaped convict Jack Hammond (played by Charlie Sheen), because he wanted a hostage. It was commended for its satirical look at tabloid journalism, and at the obsession of television news shows with car chases. Swanson had a supporting role in the black comedy "Getting In" (1994). In the film, there are serial murders of students who are on the top of the list for admission to medical school. A student is trying to eliminate his competitors to get ahead on the list. It is remembered as the directorial debut for Doug Liman.
In 1995, Swanson had a co-starring role in the university-themed drama film "Higher Learning". She played Kristen Connor, an initially shy student who proceeds to explore her bisexual tendencies by pursuing two different romantic relationships at the same time. The film earned about 38 million dollars at the domestic box office, becoming the 44th highest-grossing film of its year. It was also successful at the home video market. From Swanson's perspective, it was the highest-grossing film of her career since 1991.
In 1996, Swanson appeared in the superhero adaptation "The Phantom". It was based on the character Phantom/Kit Walker, created by Lee Falk (1911 - 1999) in 1936. Swanson played Diana Palmer, the Phantom's love interest. The film earned about 23.5 million dollars at the domestic box office, but was a major hit in the home video market.
In 1997, Swanson had a co-starring role in the Mafia-themed black comedy "8 Heads in a Duffel Bag". In the film, mobster Tommy Spinelli (played by Joe Pesci) has to deliver a cargo of severed heads to a crime boss, as proof for recent deaths. His duffel bag is mixed up with the luggage of an American tourist, causing much trouble for everyone involved in the case. The film under-performed at the box office, only earning 4 million dollars.
In 1998, Swanson was part of the cast in the disaster film "Ground Control". The film concerned the efforts of air traffic controller to perform their duties during a severe storm and a power outage. Swanson was reduced to a supporting role in the comedy film "Big Daddy" (1999), playing an ex-girlfriend of the film's main character, slacker Sonny Koufax (played by Adam Sandler). In 2000, Swanson had a supporting role in the stoner comedy "Dude, Where's My Car?". She played one of several eccentric characters which the film's protagonists encounter in their search for a missing automobile. The film was a surprise box office hit, earning 73.2 million dollars at the worldwide box office. It was Swanson's highest grossing film in nearly a decade.
In 2001, Swanson played Interpol agent Tessa Jansen in the thriller film "Soul Assassin". The film depicted assassinations connected to a multinational banking firm. It was one of Swanson'ts last appearances in a feature film during the 2000s. Her career declined considerably during this decade. She was reduced to playing infrequent guest-star roles in then-popular television series, such as "Just Shoot Me!", "CSI: Miami", and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent".
In 2009, Swanson married her boyfriend Lloyd Eisler (1963-), a Canadian pairs skater who had won two Olympic medals. They have a son. In 2010, Swanson appeared in the Christian film "What If...", making her first appearance in a theatrical film in several years. She played Wendy Walker, the original girlfriend of businessman Ben Walker (played by Kevin Sorbo).
During the 2010s, Swanson appeared frequently in television films and direct-to-video films. She was part of the main cast in "Beethoven's Treasure Tail" (2014), the 8th and (so far) last film in the long-running film series "Beethoven" (1992-2014). In the early 2020s, Swanson continues to regularly appear in films. By 2021, Swanson was 52-years-old. She he has no intention to retire yet. Several of her older films remain popular, and she still has a fan following.Saw her sitting at her booth at Comic Con Northern Ireland 2023 but didn't get the chance to meet her.- Lisa Burns was born in 1968. She is an actress, known for The Shining (1980), Kids (1979) and From Borehamwood to Hollywood: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Elstree (2014).Saw her with her sister Louise at their booth at Comic Con Northern Ireland but didn't get the chance to talk to them.
- Louise Burns was born in 1968. She is an actress, known for The Shining (1980), Kids (1979) and From Borehamwood to Hollywood: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Elstree (2014).Saw her with her sister Lisa at their booth at Comic Con Northern Ireland but didn't get the chance to talk to them.
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- Producer
- Director
Thomas Ian Nicholas joined the Producers Guild of America while producing and acting in his most recent film, ADVERSE, a drama/thriller with a large ensemble cast that includes Mickey Rourke, Sean Astin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Penelope Ann Miller, Matt Ryan and more. In 2018, he produced and starred in, LIVING AMONG US opposite William Saddler and the late John Heard which was released by Vision Films, Sony Pictures (US) and FOX (Asia).
Thomas began his acting career on Who's the Boss? playing a young Tony Danza. At age 12, Nicholas embarked on a series of feature films that would shape his young adult career, including Rookie of the Year, A Kid in King Arthur's Court. By 18 he had recurring roles on hit TV shows like Party of Five and the role of "Kevin Myers" in the extremely successful "American Pie" franchise.
Nicholas began to focus on dramatic roles including the Roger Avary-directed The Rules of Attraction with Faye Dunaway, Jessica Biel and Stealing Sinatra, opposite William H. Macy.
In 2009, he landed other exciting roles as a rookie cop in the drama Life is Hot in Cracktown with Lara Flynn Boyle. He portrayed Abbie Hoffman in the film entitled The Chicago 8. And as the role of Eugene in Nicole Holofcener's Please Give, opposite Rebecca Hall and Catherine Keener, in which he and the cast won the 2011 Indie Spirit Robert Altman Award.
Recent releases include Walt Before Mickey, where Nicholas portrays a young Walt Disney during the struggles of his early life and career. He was also a series regular on Steven Spielberg's TV drama series entitled, Red Band Society.Met him on Thursday 2nd May 2024 when he was DJing at a club in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Got a picture with him and an autograph :D