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- Producer
- Actress
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Firebrand Roseanne Barr has long been one of America's funniest and most controversial comedians.
She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Helen (Davis), a cashier and bookkeeper, and Jerome Hershel "Jerry" Barr, a salesman. Her family was Jewish, and had moved to the U.S. from Russia, Lithuania, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She dropped out of high school when she was seventeen, and, after a car accident, was admitted to a mental institution, claiming she was having nightmares and memory loss. She left the institute less than a year later. At seventeen, she gave birth to her first daughter, Brandi Brown, and gave her up for adoption. She began working at a restaurant as a dishwasher and waitress. Her hilarious comments to the customers she waited on led her to doing stand-up comedy at the restaurant. She married Bill Pentland and they had three children together, Jessica, Jennifer, and Jacob Pentland.
Roseanne worked doing stand-up comedy until her August 23, 1985 appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) thrust her into the limelight. In 1987, HBO offered her a show of her own, On Location: The Roseanne Barr Show (1987). It was canceled after a short time. In 1989, Roseanne starred opposite Meryl Streep and Ed Begley Jr. in She-Devil (1989). Though her first picture wasn't as successful as she might have hoped, her sitcom, Roseanne (1988), debuted in 1988 and ran for 9 seasons on ABC, co-starring John Goodman. It dealt with real-life issues in a lower middle-class working family. During its first season on ABC, it leaped to #2 in the ratings. After the sitcom's first season, Roseanne gained notoriety when she gave a screeching, crotch-grabbing performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" at a baseball game.
When Roseanne divorced her first husband, Bill Pentland, after 16 years of marriage in 1990 and married Roseanne (1988) co-star Tom Arnold only four days later, her sitcom was already beginning its downward spiral. In 1991, she started to be billed as Roseanne Arnold. Around this time, she began to claim that she, as well as her siblings, had been physically and sexually abused as a child. Both her siblings and parents denied the charges, and lie detector tests used on Roseanne's parents came back negative. The court battles led to ten years of estrangement with her parents and siblings. Her marriage with Arnold lasted four years before she filed for divorce from him for physical abuse and domestic violence. It is still not known if the accusations were true. Although she insisted that he hit her, she admits that he never abused her three children from her previous marriage:
In 1996, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won, but she was not there to accept it. Luckily, Tom Arnold's exit from "Roseanne" happened towards the end of the sixth season, allowing the show to have an almost smooth ending. However, after the sixth season of Roseanne (1988), the plots started to run dry and ratings began to drop. During the season following her divorce, she insisted on being billed as simply "Roseanne." After Roseanne (1988) was canceled, she went on Broadway to play "The Wicked Witch of the West" in "The Wizard of Oz" to rave reviews.
On Valentine's Day 1995, Roseanne married former bodyguard Ben Thomas. With Thomas, she had her tubal ligation surgery reversed in order to become pregnant with her fifth child, Buck Thomas. In 1997, she slowly began being billed as "Roseanne Thomas", as in the last 11 episodes of Roseanne, as executive producer (she was still "Roseanne" in the cast credits). She guest-starred in The Nanny (1993) as Roseanne Thomas in late 1997. In 2002, she filed for divorce against Thomas for the second time (the first time, in 1998, she dropped the suit), accusing him of being disturbed and claiming that he threatened to run off with their son.
After the divorce, she began to study the Kabballah, a form of Jewish mysticism, and those around her said she became amazingly centered and stable. In the 2000s, she ended the feud with her parents and siblings and went back to being billed as Roseanne Barr. Today, Roseanne Barr Pentland Arnold Thomas spends her time with her family in her home in El Segundo, California.
Always outspoken, Roseanne began commenting on politics in earnest in the 2000s, and unsuccessfully ran for the Green Party's presidential nomination in 2012. She was subsequently chosen as the Peace and Freedom Party's candidate for President of the United States in '12, receiving 61,971 votes in the general election, and placing sixth. Her run is depicted in the documentary Roseanne for President! (2015).
Initially a left-leaning liberal, she became considerably more right-wing throughout the 2010s. Her show Roseanne returned for a tenth season in 2018, to blockbuster ratings, but was canceled after Roseanne sent a racially-offensive tweet that capped off a longer run of incendiary comments.- Actor
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Patrick Fugit was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Jan Clark-Fugit, a dance teacher, and Bruce Fugit, an electrical engineer. He has two siblings. He began acting in a summer Theater program through the University of Utah at eleven. He continued on through high school and regional productions. He enjoys biking and skating. In 2002, he was featured in Seventeen magazine, along with Alison Lohman, his co-star from White Oleander (2002).- Matthew W. Davis (born May 8, 1978), also professionally known as Matt Davis, is an American actor who is known for his roles as Adam Hillman on the ABC comedy-drama What About Brian from 2006 to 2007 and Alaric Saltzman on The CW fantasy drama The Vampire Diaries from 2009 to 2012. In 2014, he returned as a series regular for the sixth season, he starred on the short-lived CW mystery and horror drama Cult as Jeff Sefton, and had a recurring role on the CBS police drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Sean Yeager.
Davis was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He attended Woods Cross High School, and the University of Utah. He was briefly married to actress Leelee Sobieski in 2008.
Davis co-starred with Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair in the comedy Legally Blonde (2001), as Warner Huntington III, who breaks up with Elle Woods (Witherspoon).
His notable film credits include Blue Crush (2002) with Kate Bosworth and Michelle Rodriguez, Tigerland (2000) with Colin Farrell and BloodRayne (2005) with Kristanna Loken.
Davis starred in The CW fantasy drama The Vampire Diaries, as Alaric Saltzman since 2009 and starred in the short-lived CW mystery and horror drama Cult, as Jeff Sefton that same year.
Davis had a recurring role in the CBS police drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation from 2013 to 2014 in the 14th season, as swing shift CSI Sean Yeager. He appeared in the sixth episode titled "Passed Pawns", the eighth episode titled "Helpless", and the 13th episode titled "Boston Brakes".
He later returned to the hit The CW show The Vampire Diaries as Alaric Saltzman once again as a series regular. - Producer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Emmy Award-winner Julianne Hough is a true triple-threat-an internationally beloved dancer, actress, singer, and entrepreneur whose career spans film, television, stage, and music. A born entertainer, Julianne first captured hearts as a two-time champion on ABC's Dancing With the Stars, becoming the youngest pro to win the competition twice. She later returned as a fan-favorite judge (2014-2017) and now co-hosts the ratings hit alongside Alfonso Ribeiro, with her third season kicking off in fall 2025.
Julianne quickly made a seamless leap from ballroom to big screen, starring in Burlesque opposite Cher, the Footloose remake, Rock of Ages, Safe Haven, and Diablo Cody's Paradise. She dazzled live audiences as Sandy in FOX's Emmy-winning Grease Live! and took to Broadway in 2022 in Selina Fillinger's sharp political comedy POTUS. In 2026, Julianne will return to film in Maggie Gyllenhaal's highly anticipated The Bride.
Dance remains at the heart of everything Julianne creates. In 2020, she launched KINRGY, a movement and wellness platform designed to unlock self-expression through dance, energy work, and choreography. After building a passionate global digital community, KINRGY opened its flagship studio in West Hollywood in 2024. Julianne additionally co-founded Ovation with her brother Derek Hough and DanceOne, an innovative dance convention and competition that will tour major U.S. cities and formally launch in 2026. Mentoring young performers has long been a personal mission for Julianne, and Ovation brings that vision to life.
Julianne is also a national best-selling author. Her debut novel Everything We Never Knew, co-written with Ellen Goodlett (Rule), was released in 2024 in partnership with Temple Hill Entertainment. The story - centered on a woman embracing her power against all odds - draws inspiration from Julianne's own life and emotional journey.
A powerhouse in the music world as well, Julianne's 2008 self-titled country album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country chart and #3 on the Billboard 200, earning her two Academy of Country Music Awards for Top New Female Vocalist and Top New Artist. She plans to return to music with new releases in 2026.
Whether she's on stage, on screen, or building new platforms for self-expression, Julianne Hough continues to lead with heart, movement, and the unshakable belief in the power of transformation.- Ian Alexander was born on 20 April 2001 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Last of Us: Part II (2020), The OA (2016) and Daughter (2022).
- Actor
- Stunts
Wilford Brimley was born on 27 September 1934 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for The Natural (1984), In & Out (1997) and The Firm (1993). He was married to Beverly Berry and Lynne Brimley. He died on 1 August 2020 in St. George, Utah, USA.- A tall, photogenic brunette, Dee was born in Salt Lake City as Donna Lee Higgins to Edgar Higgins and Beatrice Thomas. She started out in the late 1940s as a model for Vogue magazine in New York. Her sister Eden Hartford (Eden Marie Higgins) (Groucho Marx's wife from 1954 to 1969) followed a similar career path. Dee's film career was rather stillborn following a small part in A Girl in Every Port (1952), but she did feature in a few well-remembered guest spots on the small screen in the 60s.
In addition to being Groucho's sister-in-law, Dee was the third wife of director Howard Hawks (who was almost thirty years her senior). Still more consequential career-wise was her acquaintance with film maker Irwin Allen who was also a close friend of Groucho. During the 60s, Dee was prone to pop up in several of Allen's TV projects: as the android Verda and as Nancy Pi Squared in Lost in Space (1965) (along with Groucho, she had invested money in the series); as Helen of Troy in The Time Tunnel (1966) and as a scientist's wife in Land of the Giants (1968). Sci-fi aficionados will also recall her as a fetching Miss Iceland opposite Otto Preminger's Mr. Freeze in Batman (1966), her classy Jackie Kennedy-lookalike politician's wife in an episode of The Outer Limits (1963) and as fashion model Chu-Chu in The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (1966). Following her marriage to wealthy Stuart Warren Cramer III in 1972 (ex-husband of Jean Peters and Terry Moore, Dee settled down to family life in California and dropped out of the limelight. - Madison Riley is a young, talented American actress. Madison Riley was born on March 16, 1990 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Born to a motivational speaking father and a stay at home mother. After competing in the Best New Talent competition at the age of 14 in Los Angeles, she decided to leave school early and get started in pursuing her dreams.
- Nicole Muirbrook was born on 19 March 1983 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. She is an actress, known for Dark Blue (2009), How I Met Your Mother (2005) and I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009). She has been married to Taylor Sheridan since 18 September 2013. They have one child. She was previously married to Christian Wagner.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Robbie Fairchild was born on 9 June 1988 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Cats (2019), In This Life (2019) and Nostalgia Critic (2007). He was previously married to Tiler Peck.- Jaime Bergman was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 23, 1975. If people don't recognize Bergman as the 1999 St. Pauli Girl, representing St. Pauli beer, they are sure to recall that she was the January 1999 Playboy Playmate of the Month; the 45th Anniversary Playmate. Bergman, putting her talent and assets to good use, has also appeared in several Playboy videos, including Playboy: Playmate Pajama Party (1999), as well as her own video centerfold. Bergman's film credits do not only include Playboy videos, since she has appeared in several big-time feature films such as Oliver Stone's football themed drama Any Given Sunday (1999); and Daybreak (2000), a less known film. Before being cast as lifeguard/sketch artist/model B.J. Cummings in the comedy series Son of the Beach (2000), an FX Production (Howard Stern's production company), Bergman appeared in several television shows including: Brutally Normal (2000), Shasta McNasty (1999), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), and Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998). She received the part on the show after being sent by her agency and auditioning three or four times. Bergman describes her character as "...a California girl who is very sweet and extremely naïve". When she's not working for Howard Stern Productions, Bergman is still very busy. She has recently appeared on The X Show (1999), will soon appear on the cover of Incite and would like to go on some more auditions.
- Actress
Lala Kent rose to fame on Bravo's "Vanderpump Rules," and has since become a wildly-popular media personality, and ultimately coined the phrase "Give Them Lala." This phrase paved the way for her beauty empire, Give Them Lala Beauty, and her ambitious, fun, talented personality has led her to a massive following worldwide.
As an actress, Lala recently played the lead role in the Lionsgate horror film "The Row" and is set to appear in a new heist film, "Vault." She has also played major parts in past film like "Dudes & Dragons," "Pitching Love and Catching Faith," "One Shot," and "The Mentor." Lala's hit single "Boy" reached #1 in the Electronic genre on iTunes in 2018.- Actor
- Sound Department
- Producer
Charles Halford was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is an actor, known for his work as the unsettling red herring Reggie Ledoux in season one of the HBO's award winning crime drama True Detective (2014), as Chas the hard-to-keep-down cabby, and wing-man to John Constantine (2014) on NBC's short-lived horror series, and for his diverse yet crucial supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky (2017) and [link+tt14128670]. He is also known to many as Big John, the catalyst, and father to protagonist John B, of Netflix's popular sun-soaked, multi-generational, treasure-hunting adventure Outer Banks (2020), among many other outstanding roles in much beloved projects, from network shows, to streamers, to cinemas. As a voice actor he is known for Reign of the Supermen (2019), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (2017), and Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015) among many other video game and animation titles. He has lived and worked in between Los Angeles and the Southeast markets since 2009. He began working professionally in film and television in 1999.
Charles credits working as a local (stock) cast member for The Sundance Institute Directing Lab over the course of about five years in the early 2000s as his most profound and relevant professional training. It was at these labs where Charles would meet and work with some of the most established industry creative professionals as mentors, as well as hottest up-and-coming directors of the 21st century, some of whom have collaborated with Charles professionally since working together at the labs. One of these instances culminated in the small but outstanding, and deeply unsettling, role of Reggie Ledoux, in Season One of True Detective (2014) the gas-mask wearing, machete carrying boogeyman of "black stars, "flat circles," and "Carcosa,' dialogue and infamy. This character and Halford's embodiment of him, received instant industry attention, and would help establish Charles as a bold and noteworthy character actor at the forefront of "The Golden Age of Television." Charles was subsequently cast as a series regular on network television, in the straight role, the right-hand-man-and-muscle to the titular character of NBC's Constantine, a short-lived but well-received adaptation of the cult-classic DC/Vertigo horror comic "John Constantine: Hellblazer." He has also brought to life, and very often died for, pivotal and dynamic characters within some of the most buzzed-about, beloved, and iconic shows of the 21st century such as NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Sundance/AMC's critically-acclaimed original series Rectify (2013), and AMC's behemoth The Walking Dead (2010).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kiara Barnes was born on 20 June 1995 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), Stuck with You (2020) and Accused (2023).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Sweet, sweeter, sweetest. No combination of terms better describes the screen persona of lovely Loretta Young. A&E's Biography (1987) has stated that Young "remains a symbol of beauty, serenity, and grace. But behind the glamour and stardom is a woman of substance whose true beauty lies in her dedication to her family, her faith, and her quest to live life with a purpose."
Loretta Young was born Gretchen Young in Salt Lake City, Utah on January 6, 1913, to Gladys (Royal) and John Earle Young. Her parents separated when Loretta was three years old. Her mother moved Loretta and her two older sisters to Southern California, where Mrs. Young ran a boarding house. When Loretta was 10, her mother married one of her boarders, George Belzer. They had a daughter, Georgianna, two years later.
Loretta was appearing on screen as a child extra by the time she was four, joining her elder sisters, Polly Ann Young and Elizabeth Jane Young (later better known as Sally Blane), as child players. Mrs. Young's brother-in-law was an assistant director and got young Loretta a small role in the film The Only Way (1914). The role consisted of nothing more than a small, weeping child lying on an operating table. Later that year, she appeared in another small role, in The Primrose Ring (1917). The film starred Mae Murray, who was so taken with little Loretta that she offered to adopt her. Loretta lived with the Murrays for about a year and a half. In 1921, she had a brief scene in The Sheik (1921).
Loretta and her sisters attended parochial schools, after which they helped their mother run the boarding house. In 1927, Loretta returned to films in a small part in Naughty But Nice (1927). Even at the age of fourteen, she was an ambitious actress. Changing her name to Loretta Young, letting her blond hair revert to its natural brown and with her green eyes, satin complexion and exquisite face, she quickly graduated from ingenue to leading lady. Beginning with her role as Denise Laverne in The Magnificent Flirt (1928), she shaped any character she took on with total dedication. In 1928, she received second billing in The Head Man (1928) and continued to toil in many roles throughout the '20s and '30s, making anywhere from six to nine films a year. Her two sisters were also actresses but were not as successful as Loretta, whose natural beauty was her distinct advantage.
The 17-year-old Young made headlines in 1930 when she and Grant Withers, who was previously married and nine years her senior, eloped to Yuma, Arizona. They had both appeared in Warner Bros.' The Second Floor Mystery (1930). The marriage was annulled in 1931, the same year in which the pair would again co-star on screen in a film ironically titled Too Young to Marry (1931). By the mid-'30s, Loretta left First National Studios for rival Fox, where she had previously worked on a loan-out basis, and became one of the premier leading ladies of Hollywood.
In 1935, she made Call of the Wild (1935) with Clark Gable and it was thought they had an affair where Loretta got pregnant thereafter. Because of the strict morality clauses in their contracts - and the fact that Clark Gable was married - they could not tell anybody except Loretta's mother. Loretta and her mother left for Europe after filming on The Crusades finished. They returned in August 1935 to the United States, at which time Gladys Belzer announced Loretta's 'illness' to the press. Filming on Loretta's next film, Ramona, was also cancelled. During this time, Loretta was living in a small house in Venice, California, her mother rented. On November 6, 1935, Loretta delivered a healthy baby girl whom she named Judith. It wasn't until the 1990s when she was watching Larry King Live where she first heard the word 'date rape' and upon finding out exactly what it was, professed to her friend and biographer Edward Funk and her daughter-in-law Linda Lewis, that she had gone through the same with Clark Gable. "That's what happened between me and Clark."
In 1938, Loretta starred as Sally Goodwin in Kentucky (1938), an outstanding success. Her co-star Walter Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Peter Goodwin.
In 1940, Loretta married businessman Tom Lewis, and from then on her child was called Judy Lewis, although Tom Lewis never adopted her. Judy was brought up thinking that both parents had adopted her and did not know, until years later, that she was actually the biological daughter of Loretta and Clark Gable. Four years after her marriage to Tom Lewis, Loretta had a son, Christopher Lewis, and later another son, Peter Charles.
In the 1940s, Loretta was still one of the most beautiful ladies in Hollywood. She reached the pinnacle of her career when she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in The Farmer's Daughter (1947), the tale of a farm girl who rises through the ranks and becomes a congresswoman. It was a smash and today is her best remembered film. The same year, she starred in the delightful fantasy The Bishop's Wife (1947) with David Niven and Cary Grant. It was another box office success and continues to be a TV staple during the holiday season. In 1949, Loretta starred in the well-received film, Mother Is a Freshman (1949) with Van Johnson and Rudy Vallee and Come to the Stable (1949). The latter garnered Loretta her second Oscar nomination, but she lost to Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949). In 1953, Loretta made It Happens Every Thursday (1953), which was to be her final big screen role.
She retired from films in 1953 and began a second, equally successful career as hostess of The Loretta Young Show (1953), a half-hour television drama anthology series which ran on NBC from September 1953 to September 1961. In addition to hosting the series, she frequently starred in episodes. Although she is most remembered for her stunning gowns and swirling entrances, over the broadcast's eight-year run she also showed again that she could act. She won Emmy awards for best actress in a dramatic series in 1954, 1956 and 1958.
After the show ended, she took some time off before returning in 1962 with The New Loretta Young Show (1962), which was not so successful, lasting only one season. For the next 24 years, Loretta did not appear in any entertainment medium. Her final performance was in a made for TV film Lady in the Corner (1989).
By 1960, Loretta was a grandmother. Her daughter Judy Lewis had married about three years before and had a daughter in 1959, whom they named Maria. Loretta and Tom Lewis divorced in the early 1960s. Loretta enjoyed retirement, sleeping late, visiting her son Chris and daughter-in-law Linda, and traveling. She and her friend Josephine Alicia Saenz, ex-wife of John Wayne, traveled to India and saw the Taj Mahal. In 1990, she became a great-grandmother when granddaughter Maria, daughter of Judy Lewis, gave birth to a boy.
Loretta lived a quiet retirement in Palm Springs, California until her death on August 12, 2000 from ovarian cancer at the home of her sister Georgiana and Georgiana's husband, Ricardo Montalban.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lindsay Pulsipher is an American actress. She has had several roles in film and television, she is best known for HBO's True Blood, and Hatfields & McCoys (2012).
She was born and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, with five siblings, and was inspired to be an actor by her mother, a theater actress. After appearing in several roles from 2000 to 2003 in the television series, Touched by an Angel, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a lifelong dream of a career in acting.
She also starred in the TV Series The Beast starring Patrick Swayze.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Robert Adamson was born on 11 July 1985 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He is an actor and director, known for It's Complicated (2009), Hollywood Heights (2012) and Jimmy (2015).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Joi Lansing was born Joyce Renee Brown on April 6, 1929 in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a teen she developed early, and because of her striking good looks, she began to model and was extremely successful throughout the 1940s.
It was only natural that her physical assets eventually landed her on the silver screen. Her first go at films occurred in 1948 with roles as--what else?--models in The Counterfeiters (1948), Julia Misbehaves (1948), and Easter Parade (1948). She was 20 years old and her acting wasn't exactly polished in the beginning, but producers cared not--she was hired for her looks and her body.
The following year brought more of the same; she got mostly uncredited roles in films as nothing more than a showpiece. She took a hiatus in 1950 to concentrate on her modeling career. She returned to the big screen in 1951 to play minor roles, though this time went a little better. She played Susan Matthews in F.B.I. Girl (1951) and Marilyn Turner in On the Riviera (1951); at least she played characters with names. Then it was back to being a showpiece. In 1952, she had an uncredited role in one of the most popular movies of all time, Singin' in the Rain (1952). Another minor role as the Maxim Girl in The Merry Widow (1952) followed. She began appearing on television in 1955 when she played in an episode of Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok (1951) and one of I Love Lucy (1951) the following year.
In 1955, Joi landed a recurring role as Shirley Swanson in the television series The Bob Cummings Show (1955). It was this series that proved to all that she actually could act well. Because of this series, she began to get more-substantial parts in films such as The Brave One (1956), Hot Cars (1956), and So You Think the Grass Is Greener (1956), all in 1956. Then it was back to bit roles. For the balance of the 1950s, she continued to appear in B-movies with less-than-quality roles. After appearing in the comedy film Who Was That Lady? (1960), Joi landed the role of Goldie in the television series Klondike (1960). However, most viewers remember her as the wife of Lester Flatt on the situation comedy The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), in which she appeared from 1965 to 1968. As Gladys Flatt, her beauty even surpassed Donna Douglas' as Elly May Clampett.
Her film career was now winding down and she appeared as Boots Malone in the B-movie Hillbillys in a Haunted House (1967), which went nowhere.
Joi Lansing died of breast cancer at age 43 on August 7, 1972 in Santa Monica, California.- Actor
- Soundtrack
He possessed the same special brand of rebel/misfit sensitivity and charm that made superstars out of John Garfield and (later) James Dean and Montgomery Clift. In the war-torn 1940s, Robert Walker represented MGM's fresh, instinctive breed of up-and-coming talent. His boyish good looks combined with an attractive vulnerability came across the screen with such beauty, power and naturalness. He went quite far in his short life; however, the many tortured souls he played so brilliantly closely mirrored the actor himself and the demons that haunted his own being wasted no time in taking him down a self-destructive path for which there was no return.
Walker was born Robert Hudson Walker in 1918 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the youngest of four sons of Zella (McQuarrie) and Horace Hudson Walker, a news editor for the local paper. He was of English and Scottish descent. His maternal aunt, Hortense (McQuarrie) Odlum, was the first female president of Bonwit Teller. His parents separated while he was quite young and the anxiety and depression built up over this loss marred his early school years, which were marked by acts of belligerent aggression and temper tantrums, resulting in his being expelled from school several times. To control his behavioral problems, a positive activity was sought that could help him develop confidence and on which he could focus his energies. It came in the form of acting. Following a lead in a school play at the San Diego Army and Navy Academy at Carlsbad-by-the-Sea, California, Walker entered an acting contest at the Pasadena Playhouse and won a top performance prize. A well-to-do aunt paid for his tuition at the American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA) in 1938, and he was on his way.
Things started off quite promisingly. While there he met fellow student Phyllis Isley who went on to play Elizabeth Barrett Browning to his Robert Browning in a production of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" (Phyllis was later renamed Jennifer Jones). The couple fell in love and both quit the academy in order to save money and marry, but they found little work other than some small parts at a Greenwich Village theater. They eventually found a radio job together in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and married on January 2, 1939, honeymooning in Hollywood in order to secure more acting parts. Other than some radio jobs and bit parts in films, the move didn't pan out. The couple returned to New York and started a family. Sons Robert Walker Jr. (born 1940) and Michael Walker (born 1941) would both become actors in their own right. Following their births Jennifer returned to auditioning and caught the eye of producer David O. Selznick, who took an immediate interest in her and signed her to a contract. Selznick was also instrumental in securing a contract for Robert over at MGM. Stardom would be theirs as a result of this Selznick association, but at quite a cost to Robert.
Robert gained immediate attention in his first important MGM role as a shy, ill-fated sailor in Bataan (1943), but was miscast as a scientist in the Greer Garson biopic Madame Curie (1943). Hollywood notice would come in the form of his sweet, sad-sack title role in the service comedy See Here, Private Hargrove (1944), the story of a cub reporter who is drafted into the army. The role brought out all the touching, fascinating qualities of Robert. In the meantime, Jennifer became so caught up in her obsessive relationship with mentor Selznick that she broke off with Robert. The actor was devastated and abruptly turned to heavy drinking. He would never completely recover from this loss. The first of many skirmishes with the law came about when he was arrested on a hit-and-run charge. In another self-destructive act, he agreed to appear with his estranged wife in the Selznick film Since You Went Away (1944). Although he suffered great anguish during the filming, the movie was praised by critics. He played a young soldier who dies before the end of the last reel, and audiences identified with him in both his troubled on- and off-screen roles. Another vivid part that showed off Walker's star quality came opposite the equally troubled Judy Garland in The Clock (1945), a simple romantic story of two lost souls, a soldier and a girl, who accidentally meet while he is on furlough.
The tumultuous state of Walker's not-so-private life began to seriously affect his screen career in the late 1940s. In the musical Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) he played composer Jerome Kern but was eclipsed by the musical numbers and flurry of special guests. He was third billed behind Katharine Hepburn and Paul Henreid, who portrayed pianist Clara Schumann and mentally unstable composer Robert Schumann, in Song of Love (1947). Robert played famed composer and friend Johannes Brahms. Following a lead part as a love-struck window dresser in One Touch of Venus (1948), which focused more on Ava Gardner's creative vision of loveliness, he impulsively married Barbara Ford, the daughter of famed director John Ford. The marriage ended in divorce after just five months, following more erratic outbursts, including arrests for drunkenness. By this time Jennifer had married Selznick, and this pushed Robert over the brink. He was committed to a sanatorium and not released until the middle of 1949.
After his recovery and release, he was back to work with top roles in the comedy Please Believe Me (1950) opposite Deborah Kerr and the western Vengeance Valley (1951) starring Burt Lancaster. Robert happened to be loaned out to Warner Bros. when he was handed the most memorable film role of his career, that of the charming psychopath who attempts to trade murder favors with Farley Granger in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Strangers on a Train (1951). Hailed by the critics, Robert was mesmerizing in the part and part of the Hollywood elite once again. He had begun filming Paramount's My Son John (1952), which included Helen Hayes, Van Heflin and Dean Jagger in the cast, when tragedy occurred.
Robert had just finished principal photography and was making himself available for re-shoots for director Leo McCarey when, on the night of August 28, 1951, his housekeeper found him in an extremely agitated state. Failing to calm him down, she panicked and called his psychiatrist, who, upon arrival, administered a dose of sodium amytal, a sedative, which Walker had taken in the past. Unfortunately, he had been drinking as well and suffered an acute allergic reaction to the drug. Robert stopped breathing, and all efforts to resuscitate him failed. His death cut short the career of a man destined to become one of the most charismatic actors in film. As for life imitating art, perhaps Robert's agonies are what brought out the magnificence of his acting.- Producer
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Rafe Judkins was born on 8 January 1983 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Wheel of Time (2021), Uncharted (2022) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).- Actress
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Fetching, glossy-lipped, blue-eyed, white-hot blonde Jean Hale showed major promise playing superficial glamour girls, a la Carroll Baker and Virna Lisi, throughout the 1960s. Born on December 27, 1938, to Mormon parents in Salt Lake City, Utah, she was raised in Darien, Connecticut and expressed an early interest in acting. As a promise to her parents, however, she attended college first to test her ambitions.
After attending the University of Utah (for one semester, majoring in ballet) and then Skidmore College for Women (three additional semesters), Jean went directly to New York, where she was accepted as a student at the Neighborhood Playhouse. There, she studied under Sydney Pollack and met (and later married) fellow acting student, Dabney Coleman. To supplement her income, Jean's incredible beauty served her well as a model for both the Conover and Huntington Hartford agencies. Upon her graduation from the Playhouse, she set out to find work -- her first professional job being a Hudnut commercial.
More TV work came her way as a dancer on the 1960 Sing Along with Mitch (1961) series and she also appeared, on stage, in the plays, "The Male Animal" and "Everybody Loves Opal". Agent Len Luskin (Sandra Dee's agent) took an interest and signed her up in 1960. Turning down a part in BUtterfield 8 (1960) in order to stay put in New York with Coleman, the couple eventually married on December 11, 1961, and Coleman wound up accompanying her to Puerto Rico to shoot what should have been her debut film Felicia (1964). The movie was never released.
Her second film, however, Violent Midnight (1963) [aka Psychomania], a gruesome low-budget horror film, was released. She plays the potential victim of a knifing stalker and she received decent reviews. It led to a Universal contract in 1963 and co-starring/featured parts in a modicum of films, including Taggart (1964) and McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force (1965). For the latter film as a man-hungry lieutenant, she dyed her hair platinum blonde and kept it). She also found TV guest parts in such shows as McHale's Navy (1962), The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962), The Wild Wild West (1965) and The Virginian (1962).
It was the role of a spoiled movie diva in the overly melodramatic, poorly-received flick, The Oscar (1966), that gave Jean an unexpected career boost. This led to her sexy villainous cohort role to "The Mad Hatter" (David Wayne) on TV's Batman (1966). She also capitalized on her sensuality, with a key role opposite James Coburn, in the James Bond spoof, In Like Flint (1967), a move that earned her a Fox contract -- one picture a year for seven years. Jean followed this immediately with her co-star role in The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967), directed by Roger Corman, in which she looked period perfect as George Segal's moll. And then, her career hit a major decline.
Soon after her third child was born, Jean and Dabney Coleman separated and the actress lost complete focus of her career. The studio was promoting Jean as a sex goddess but, much to its consternation, she was unwilling to fulfill the requirements of such an image -- wearing skimpy costumes; turning down film roles that required semi-nudity; turning down publicity tours in Europe for the sake of her family. Jean even refused a Playboy Magazine spread having her model men's pajama tops, while promoting the "In Like Flint" film. The frustrated heads at Fox released her.
Turning back to the small screen once again (Tarzan (1966), Perry Mason (1957), Hawaii Five-O (1968), Mod Squad (1968), Cannon (1971)), Jean then filmed Something Big (1971) with Dean Martin but all her scenes were excised from the final print. After guest appearances on such shows as "Bonanza," "The Virginian," "The Mod Squad" and "Cannon," she was little seen, but did return briefly to be featured in two TV movies -- Thanksgiving Day (1990) and Lies Before Kisses (1991).
Long separated, Jean's marriage to Coleman was finally dissolved on December 4, 1984. Her three children, daughters Kelly Johns and Mary (later aka singer-songwriter Quincy Coleman) and middle son Randy Coleman all pursued the music/acting careers at one time or another. In later years, Jean co-founded her own production company ("Coleman/Tanasescu Entertainment") with partner Gino Tanasescu and continues to reside in Southern California.- Actress
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Samantha Cope was born on 5 May 1987 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Frankie Meets Jack (2023), A Deadly Deed (2021) and Insecure (2016). She has been married to Joey Lawrence since 1 May 2022. They have one child.- Actor
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Parley Baer was born on 5 August 1914 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for License to Drive (1988), A Fever in the Blood (1961) and Gypsy (1962). He was married to Ernestine Clark. He died on 22 November 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Bryan Dechart was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised outside Detroit, Michigan. Graduated with honors from New York University with a BFA in Acting. He studied at the Meisner Extension, the Experimental Theater Wing, the Viewpoints Studio, Stonestreet Studios for Film and Television and trained in Commedia dell'arte in Florence, Italy.- Actor
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Born May 25, 1979, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Corbin is the second of four children.
Corbin's acting career began when he was just 12 years old after attending an open casting call in his home town. The casting director he met that day believed in him and helped him get to Hollywood, where he began his career in entertainment.
He met his wife, McKenzie, and they were married in 2005.
He left Hollywood in 2008 and relocated to Utah to pursue his education. In 2013 he took a formal educational hiatus from the film industry to pursue his passion for medicine in Portland, Oregon.
He returned to the film industry in 2018 and now continues to work as an actor, director, producer, and writer. He balances this work with his work as an emergency medicine PA and pediatric mental health speaker, educator, and advocate.
Now the father of four, Corbin lives with his wife and children in St George, Utah.