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- Actor
- Producer
- Director
American actor John Krasinski is known for his role as sardonic nice guy Jim Halpert on NBC's popular TV sitcom, The Office (2005), for which he won a 2007 and 2008 Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series.
Born John Burke Krasinski on October 20, 1979, in Newton, Massachusetts, USA, he is the youngest of three brothers. His mother, Mary Claire (Doyle), is a nurse, and his father, Ronald Krasinski, is an internist. His father is of Polish descent and his mother is of Irish ancestry.
His first stage experience was starring in a satirical high school play, written and cast by his classmate B.J. Novak. Also good at sports, he played on the same Little League baseball team as Novak, later a writer and co-star on The Office (2005). After graduating from Newton South High School in 1997, Krasinski planned to be an English major and deferred his first semester of college to teach English in Costa Rica. He attended Brown University, graduating in English in 2001 with honors, then studied at the Eugene O'Neill National Theatre Institute in Waterford, Connecticut.
During the summer of 2000, he worked as a script intern on Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993). Krasinski made his big screen debut in 2002, then played several small roles like "Ben" in Kinsey (2004), and "Bob Flynn" in Duane Hopwood (2005). He appeared as "Corporal Harrigan" in Jarhead (2005), by director Sam Mendes, then played a supporting role as "Ben" in The Holiday (2006), a romantic comedy by director Nancy Meyers. He is billed as the voice of "Lancelot" in Shrek the Third (2007). Krasinski co-starred opposite Robin Williams and Mandy Moore in the romantic comedy License to Wed (2007), as well as with George Clooney and Renée Zellweger in the football screwball comedy, Leatherheads (2008). He is also director and writer of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009), a big screen adaptation of the eponymous collection of short stories by David Foster Wallace. He followed that film up with The Hollars (2016), a family drama, and A Quiet Place (2018), a well-received horror film that had one of the biggest opening weekends for the genre.
Krasinski is married to English actress Emily Blunt, with whom he has two children. He claims Los Angeles as his home but travels to New York City and his hometown of Newton, MA, frequently.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Since his screen debut as a young Amish farmer in Peter Weir's Witness (1985), Viggo Mortensen's career has been marked by a steady string of well-rounded performances.
Mortensen was born in New York City, to Grace Gamble (Atkinson) and Viggo Peter Mortensen, Sr. His father was Danish, his mother was American, and his maternal grandfather was Canadian. His parents met in Norway. They wed and moved to New York, where Viggo, Jr. was born, before moving to South America, where Viggo, Sr. managed chicken farms and ranches in Venezuela and Argentina. Two more sons were born, Charles and Walter, before the marriage grew increasingly unhappy. When Viggo was seven, his parents sent him to the St. Paul's boarding school, in the Córdoba Sierras, in Argentina. Then, at age eleven, his parents divorced. His mother moved herself and the children back to her home state of New York.
Viggo attended Watertown High School, and became a very good student and athlete. He graduated in 1976 and went on to St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. After graduation, he moved to Denmark - driven by the need for a defining purpose in life. He began writing poetry and short stories while working many odd jobs, from dock worker to flower seller. In 1982, he fell in love and followed his girlfriend back to New York City, hoping for a long romance and a writing career. He got neither. In New York, Viggo found work waiting tables and tending bar and began taking acting classes, studying with Warren Robertson. He appeared in several plays and movies, and eventually moved to Los Angeles, where his performance in "Bent" at the Coast Playhouse earned him a Drama-logue Critic's Award.
He made his film debut with a small part in Witness (1985). He appeared in Salvation! (1987) and married his co-star, Exene Cervenka. The two had a son, Henry Mortensen. But after nearly eleven years of marriage, the couple divorced.
In 1999, Viggo got a phone call about a movie he did not know anything about: "The Lord of the Rings." At first, he didn't want to do it, because it would mean time away from his son. But Henry, a big fan of the books, told his father he shouldn't turn down the role. Viggo accepted the part and immediately began work on the project, which was already underway. Eventually, the success of "The Lord of the Rings" made him a household name - a difficult consequence for the ever private and introspective Viggo.
Critics have continually recognized his work in over thirty movies, including such diverse projects as Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Sean Penn's The Indian Runner (1991), Brian De Palma's Carlito's Way (1993), Ridley Scott's G.I. Jane (1997), Tony Scott's Crimson Tide (1995), Andrew Davis's A Perfect Murder (1998), Ray Loriga's My Brother's Gun (1997), Tony Goldwyn's A Walk on the Moon (1999), and Peter Farrelly's Green Book (2018).
Mortensen is also an accomplished poet, photographer and painter.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Director
Rachel House (Kai Tahu, Te Atiawa, Ngati Mutunga) is an acclaimed New Zealand actor, writer and director.
Rachel's directorial debut feature film 'The Mountain' will premiere in Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand in 2024. As a student at Prague Film School, Rachel was awarded Best Director and the audience award for her two short films. She continued to garner awards as a director, notably for the Te Reo Maori version of Troilus and Cressida performed at the Globe Theatre in London.
Rachel's acting career spans film, television and theatre. She has recently appeared in 'Our Flag Means Death 2' for HBO Max, Netflix's Heartbreak High and Apple TV+ series 'Foundation' and soon-to-released 'Time Bandits'. Her other acting credits include 'Moana', 'Soul', 'Thor: Ragnarok', 'Boy', 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople', 'Penguin Bloom', 'Cousins', 'Millie Lies Low', 'The Moon is Upside Down', 'Next Goal Wins' and 'The Portable Door'. She is also a celebrated voice artist for television having starred in 'Sherwood', 'The Lion Guard', 'Underground Uglies', 'Amphibia', 'Princess and Pony', '100% Wolf' and 'Koala Man'. As an acting coach she has worked alongside Jane Campion for 'Top of the Lake' and 'The Power of the Dog'; and with Taika Waititi on 'Boy', 'Hunt for the Wilderpeople', 'Jojo Rabbit' and 'Next Goal Wins'.
In recognition of her significant contributions to the theatre, film and television industry, Rachel has been awarded an Arts Laureate, NZ Order of Merit, 'Mana Wahine' from WIFT NZ and Te Waipuna a Rangi (Matariki Awards) as an actor and director.- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Daniel Francis Boyle is a British filmmaker, producer and writer from Radcliffe, Greater Manchester. He is known for directing 28 Days Later, 127 Hours, Trainspotting, T2 Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, Millions, Shallow Grave, The Beach, Yesterday, and Steve Jobs. He won many awards for Slumdog Millionaire. He was in a relationship with Gail Stevens and had three children.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Stunts
Sam Witwer headlines the SyFy series, Being Human, the U.S. adaptation of the popular British television series. The darkly humorous, provocative drama stars Sam as the heroic, "Aidan", a sensual and brooding vampire. His excellent work was noticed soon after the show's premiere, as Sam received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing, Leading Dramatic Role in 2011.
Feature film fans remember Sam as the sacrificed "Wayne Jessup" in The Mist, Frank Darabont's adaptation of the Stephen King novella. Two independent features in which Sam stars await release: The Return of Joe Rich, starring opposite Armand Assante and Talia Shire and No God, No Master starring with David Strathairn and Edoardo Ballerini.
A favorite in the science-fiction world, Sam began his career in the memorable role of "Lt. Crashdown" in SyFy's Battlestar Galactica and played "Davis Bloom/ Doomsday", the character fated to kill Superman, on CW's Smallville. Star Wars fans and the gaming community will also recognize Sam as Darth Vader's vengeful apprentice, "StarKiller" in the LucasArts' video game sensation Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (Parts One and Two). Through high-tech digital referencing and motion capture, Sam has become the voice and face of this LucasArts' creation in which the first title grossed over 500 million dollars. Sam has also done extensive voice work for the fan-favorite Clone Wars, the animated series airing on the Cartoon Network. Working opposite Jon Favreau and Clancy Brown as the voice of "Darth Maul" on Clone Wars, Sam received recognition with an Annie Award nomination for Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television/ Broadcast Production in 2012. Outside of sci-fi, audiences remember Sam in his recurring role of "Neil Perry" on the Emmy winning Showtime series Dexter. Sam's edge was a perfect compliment to the ground-breaking series in its first season.
A Chicago native and a Juilliard-trained actor, Sam is also an accomplished musician who performed in the LA music scene with his band, The Crashtones.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Alona Tal, an Israeli-American singer and actress, was born in Herzliya, Israel. She began her career after serving in the Israeli Defense Forces. Her big break came in 2003 starring in an Israeli film. At the time she also starred in two television series in the country, and also dabbled in music, recording several songs with the Israeli rapper Subliminal. Tal moved in with her sister in New York to take a break from her career. There, she collaborated with Haitian artist Wyclef Jean in the song "Party to Damascus". She also managed to establish herself on American television, beginning with a recurring role in the series Veronica Mars: She originally auditioned for the lead role, but creator Rob Thomas wrote a new character just for her. Tal later snagged a regular role in the short-lived CBS series.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Galadriel Stineman is an American actress, producer, writer, and highly sought after acting coach. Best known for her wide-range of notable characters in projects such as Ben 10, Until Dawn, The Middle, This is Us, and Shameless, Galadriel has been a familiar face to audiences for over a decade.
As a writer, Galadriel has several treatments and screenplays in development, as well as two successful novels published under the pen name Willa Frederic. In addition, Galadriel has quickly become a go-to "script doctor," helping several successful screenwriters troubleshoot plots and character development, as well as utilizing her education in copy editing to fine tune a polished product.
In 2013, Galadriel began teaching and coaching actors at a professional level under master teacher Michael Woolson, a protege of Larry Moss. Over the years, Galadriel coached countess notable actors to series regular roles, multi-picture film deals, and first breaks. In 2017, Galadriel began career consulting, and is now highly in demand by creatives looking to make progress in their fields, with proven plans for everything from building a new team of representatives to re-branding within the industry after coming off a genre specific role or project.
Eventually, Galadriel partnered with fellow teacher and actor (and husband) Kevin Joy to found their own studio, where they currently accept new clients by referral only. Industry hopefuls who would like to work with Galadriel will find her master technique course on Udemy, a course which is the highest rated acting course available.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Choi dreamed of becoming an actor. Against his family's wishes, Choi left college to pursue that dream. He literally ran away from home, cutting all ties with his family for 5 years to train and study before moving to Los Angeles. His dream became a reality as he landed guest appearances in 6 television series during his first year including "The West Wing" and "Roswell". Choi gained recognition as both a comedic and dramatic actor with memorable guest turns on hit sitcoms "The King of Queens", "Reba", "According to Jim" and recurring roles in critically successful dramas such as "House" and "24". In 2008, Choi landed a starring role in the ABC Family series "Samurai Girl" opposite Jamie Chung, as well as recurring arcs in 2009 with Starz's "Crash" and Fox's "Glee", and in 2010 with TNT's "Hawthorne" and FX's critically-acclaimed "Sons Of Anarchy" playing Henry Lin.
In 2004, Choi was cast in Steven Spielberg's "The Terminal". This sparked a surge in Choi's film career as he completed more than a dozen films through 2012 working with acclaimed writer/director David Ayer in "Street Kings" and "Harsh Times", and high profile roles in Lionsgate's "War" opposite Jason Statham, "Red Dawn" opposite Chris Hemsworth and Jeffrey Dean Morgan and his supporting lead role in the Marvel blockbuster, "Captain America: The First Avenger" playing Howling Commando Jim Morita.
Choi gained 25 pounds to play the tough but hilarious Chester Ming alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated, "The Wolf Of Wall Street".
Along with his many film achievements, Choi has starred in several television shows including "Ironside" and "Allegiance" both for NBC Universal. Most notably, Choi inhabited the role of Judge Lance Ito for FX's highly-acclaimed Emmy-winning, Golden Globe-winning "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story" for Ryan Murphy. Choi has several feature films coming out in 2017 including, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" with Tom Holland, "Bright" with Will Smith, and "American Express" with Joel Edgerton. Also in 2017, he recurs on the television shows, "The Last Man On Earth" for FOX, "Counterpart" for Starz, and a leading role on NBC's "Untitled Kourtney Kang Project". Author: Fifteen Minutes- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Dan Fogler made his Broadway debut when he originated the role of William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, for which he won the Theatre World Award for the original off-Broadway production and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in 2005 for the original Broadway production.
Fogler's first television appearance was in 2002 on FOX's 30 Seconds to Fame as a contestant impersonating Al Pacino. Other television credits include guest starring roles on AMC's The Walking Dead, ABC's The Goldbergs, NBC's Hannibal, CBS' The Good Wife and voice work for FOX's American Dad. Fogler also has had starring roles in ABC's Man Up! and Secrets & Lies.
In film, Fogler is most known for his role of Jacob Kolwalski in J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald. Fogler also starred as Randy Daytona in 2007's Balls Of Fury for Focus Features and had roles in Good Luck Chuck, Fanboys, Take Me Home Tonight, Love Happens, Scenic Route, Europa Report and In Like Flynn.
Fogler has also done a variety of voiceover acting in films such as; Horton Hears A Who! along with Steve Carell and Jim Carrey, Disney's Mars Needs Moms, Free Birds and 2008's Kung Fu Panda, with Jack Black and Jackie Chan.
Some of Fogler's other projects include starring in the music video for the Type O Negative song "I Don't Wanna Be Me", in which he played a man recording himself on video as he cross-dresses as celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears.
Fogler also wrote and directed the play Elephant in the Room, inspired by Ionesco's Rhinoceros, which was produced by the New York International Fringe Festival in 2007. Fogler has also written and directed Hysterical Psycho (2009) which premiered at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival, featuring actors from his theater company Stage 13 where Dan serves as one of the company's Artistic Directors, and Don Peyote (2014) which also saw Fogler in the lead role as Warren Allman, with supporting roles from Josh Duhamel, Anne Hathaway, Topher Grace. Hysterical Psycho was Fogler's first graphic novel. In 2010, Archaia Entertainment published the horror anthology Moon Lake. This collection of stories chronicles the past, present, and future of the most haunted town on Earth: Moon Lake. Fogler is also hard at work on another graphic novel, Brooklyn Gladiator.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Jerry Orbach was born in the Bronx, New York, the only child of Leon Orbach, a former vaudevillian actor, was a German Jewish immigrant, who was born in Hamburg, Germany, and Emily (nee Olexy), a radio singer, was born in Pennsylvania to immigrant Polish-Lithuanian Roman Catholic parents, Alexander Olexy and Susanna (nee Klauba). The family moved frequently. He spent part of his childhood in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania and eventually settled in Waukegan, Illinois, where he went to high school.
The constant moving made him the new kid on the block and forced him to become "a chameleon" to blend in his new settings. He studied drama at the University of Illinois and at Northwestern University. He then went to study acting in New York and got constant work in musicals. He slowly pushed to get acting roles in television and films after being overlooked due to his musical roots.
Orbach died at age 69 on December 28, 2004, after a decade-long battle with prostate cancer. His widow, Elaine Cancilla Orbach died on April 1, 2009, from pneumonia. Orbach and Cancilla both predeceased Orbach's mother, Emily Orbach, who died on July 28, 2012, at the age of 101.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
William Zabka was born on 20 October 1965 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Karate Kid (1984), Back to School (1986) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). He has been married to Stacie Lynn Doss since 2008. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Niall Matter was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He is an actor and producer, known for The Predator (2018), Watchmen (2009) and Primeval: New World (2012). He has been married to Sara Bradley Matter since June 2016. They have two children.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
Snoop Dogg is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, producer, media personality, entrepreneur, and actor.
His music career began in 1992 when he was discovered by Dr. Dre and featured on Dre's solo debut, "Deep Cover", and then on Dre's solo debut album, The Chronic. He has since sold over 23 million albums in the United States and 35 million albums worldwide.
Snoop's debut album, Doggystyle, produced by Dr. Dre, was released in 1993 by Death Row Records. Bolstered by excitement driven by Snoop's featuring on The Chronic, the album debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle became certified quadruple platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name?" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994 Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was the Case, starring himself. His second album, Tha Doggfather (1996), also debuted at number one on both charts, with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album was certified double platinum in 1997.
After leaving Death Row Records, Snoop signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums, Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998), No Limit Top Dogg (1999), and Tha Last Meal (2000). Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. He then signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin'. Malice 'n Wonderland (2009), and Doggumentary (2011) were released on Priority. Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team.
Snoop has 17 Grammy nominations without a win. In March 2016, the night before WrestleMania 32 in Arlington, Texas, he was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame, having made several appearances for the company, including as Master of Ceremonies during a match at WrestleMania XXIV. On November 19, 2018, Snoop Dogg was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He released his seventeenth solo album, I Wanna Thank Me in 2019.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Earl Hindman was an American actor from Arizona. His most famous role was that of helpful neighbor Wilson W. Wilson, Jr. in the popular sitcom "Home Improvement" (1991-1999). The series lasted for 8 seasons, and a total of 204 episodes.
In 1942, Hindman was born in Bisbee, Arizona, which at the time was a mining city. Bisbee was established in 1880, as a settlement for copper, gold, and silver miners. The city became the county seat of Cochise County in 1929. Hindman's parents were Burl Latney Hindman and his wife Eula. His father worked in the oil pipeline business.
Hindman studied acting at the University of Arizona. He made his film debut in the exploitation film "Teenage Mother" (1967), at the age of 25. His early films included the mystery film "Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name?" (1971), and the political assassination-themed thriller "The Parallax View" (1974). He played the hijacker code-named "Mr. Brown" in the action thriller "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974).
Hindman next found a regular role in television, playing police lieutenant Bob Reid in the soap opera "Ryan's Hope" (1975-1989). He was a regular in the series from 1975 to 1984, and then was written out. He returned to the series in 1988 and remained until its end in 1989. The series was canceled due to its steady decline in Nielsen numbers. In total, it lasted for 13 seasons and 3,515 episodes.
Hindman was featured as race-car driver Beau Welles in the biographical film "Greased Lightning" (1977), depicted as the main rival to protagonist Wendell Scott (played by Richard Pryor). The film was loosely based on the life of Wendell Scott (1921-1990), the first African-American to win a race in the Grand National Series, NASCAR's highest level.
Hindman was reduced to minor roles in film for the duration of the 1980s, with the exception of playing gunfighter J.T. Hollis in the Western film "Silverado" (1985). In television, he played Lt. Commander Wade McClusky in the miniseries "War and Remembrance" (1988-1989). His career experienced a revival when cast as a regular character in "Home Improvement". In the series, his character Wilson W. Wilson, Jr. would regularly offer advice to protagonist Timothy "Tim" Taylor (played by Tim Allen), As a running gag, Wilson's face remained hidden from the audience.
Following the series' cancellation, Hindman mostly appeared in guest star roles in television series, such as "Law & Order" and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent". Meanwhile his health declined. Hindman was a longtime smoker, and was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died due to the disease in December 2003, at the age of 61.
Hindman died in Stamford, Connecticut, and was buried there in Roxbury Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, actress Molly McGreevey. McGreevey died in 2015.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Director
William Russ was born on 20 October 1950 in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Boy Meets World (1993), Wiseguy (1987) and Cruising (1980). He is married to Clare Wren. They have two children.- The daughter of actors Cyril Cusack and Maureen Cusack, she along with her two brothers and two sisters were raised in Dalkey, a seaside village south of Dublin, Ireland. She is an actress known for Hereafter (2010), In Love with Alma Cogan (2012) and Paris by Night (1988). She won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London where she studied the flute and performed professionally with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra in Ireland before taking up acting and joining the Royal Shakespeare Company at 23. She came to more public prominence when she was cast in the popular television series Heartbeat (1992) as Dr Kate Rowan, leaving in 1995. She is married to the actor Finbar Lynch and have one son, Calam Lynch, who is also an actor.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
A native of Boston and graduate of Syracuse University, George has worked extensively in TV and film since 1972. Notable film work includes the Coen Brothers' best-picture nominee A Serious Man (2009) as Rabbi Nachtner, Mel Brooks' Spaceballs (1987) as Colonel Sandurz, and his To Be or Not to Be (1983). Among other dozens of film credits are the classic Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989), The Devil's Advocate (1997), and Trouble with the Curve (2012). George has guest starred on over 150 TV shows, and has been a series regular on nine. He is perhaps best known for his six seasons as Deputy D.A. Irwin Bernstein on Hill Street Blues (1981).- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Soundtrack
A tall, sinewy, austere-looking character actor with silver hair, rugged features and a distinctive voice, John Robert Anderson appeared in hundreds of films and television episodes. Immensely versatile, he was at his best submerging himself in the role of historical figures (he impersonated Abraham Lincoln three times and twice baseball commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, men whom he strongly resembled). He was a familiar presence in westerns and science-fiction serials, usually as upstanding, dignified and generally benign citizens (a rare exception was his Ebonite interrogator in The Outer Limits (1963) episode "Nightmare"). He had a high opinion of Rod Serling and was proud to be featured in four episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), most memorably as the tuxedo-clad angel Gabriel in "A Passage for Trumpet" (doing for Jack Klugman what Henry Travers did for James Stewart in It's a Wonderful Life (1946)).
Known to other youths as 'J.R.', Anderson had a happy childhood, growing up first on a small farm near Clayton, Illinois, and then in the mid-sized town of Quincy where his mother operated a cigar stand. A rangy, outdoorsy type, he excelled at various sports, was a drum major, a member of the track team and the Boy Scouts. During World War II, he served in the Coast Guard, mainly involved in helping protect convoys from U-boat attacks. In 1946, he commenced studies at the University of Iowa, eventually graduating with a Master's degree in Drama. His acting career began on the riverboat 'Goldenrod' (now the oldest surviving Mississippi River Basin showboat in America) and proceeded from there to the Cleveland Playhouse for a year, then the New York stage and summer stock with parts in prestigious plays like "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Home of the Brave". He also occasionally doubled up as a singer on Broadway ("Paint Your Wagon" (1951), "The Emperor's Clothes" (1953)).
Anderson began as a regular television actor during that medium's formative years. In the course of the next four decades, his appearance barely changing, he was consistently excellent wherever he popped up, be it as western lawmen (including a recurring role as Virgil Earp in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)), as cops, governors, judges and army officers; hard-nosed oil executive Herbert Styles in Dallas (1978), or as kindly patriarch of the Hazard clan in North & South: Book 1, North & South (1985). Though less traveled on the big screen, Anderson was particularly impressive as the furtive second-hand car dealer, 'California Charlie', in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the ruthless leader of the renegades, Addis, in Day of the Evil Gun (1968) and, reprising his role as Lincoln, in The Lincoln Conspiracy (1977). One of the best all-rounders in the business, Anderson died of a heart attack at his home in Sherman Oaks in August 1992, aged 69.- Actress
- Producer
Jennifer Freeman was born on 20 October 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for You Got Served (2004), My Wife and Kids (2000) and Johnson Family Vacation (2004). She was previously married to Earl Watson.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Barrie Chase was born on 20 October 1933 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Cape Fear (1962), It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) and Mardi Gras (1958). She is married to Richard Kaufman. They have one child. She was previously married to Jan Malmsjö and Gene Shacove.- John Bell was born on 20 October 1997 in Paisley, Scotland, UK. He is an actor, known for Wrath of the Titans (2012), The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and A Shine of Rainbows (2009).
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Dame Anna Neagle, the endearingly popular British star during WWII, was born Florence Marjorie Robertson and began dancing as a professional in chorus lines at age 14. She starred with actor Jack Buchanan in the musical "Stand Up and Sing" in the West End and earned her big break when producer/director Herbert Wilcox, who had caught the show purposely to consider Buchanan for an upcoming film, was also taken (and smitten) by Anna, casting her as well in the process. Thus began one of the most exclusive and successful partnerships in the British cinema.
Under Wilcox's guidance (they married in 1943), Anna became one of the biggest and brightest celebrities of her time. Always considered an actress of limited abilities, the lovely Anna nevertheless would prove to be a sensational box-office commodity for nearly two decades. She added glamour and sophistication for war-torn London audiences and her lightweight musicals, comedies and even costumed historical dramas provided a nicely balanced escape route. The tasteful, ladylike heroines she portrayed included nurses Edith Cavell and Florence Nightingale, flyer Amy Johnson and undercover spy Odette; Nell Gwyn and Queen Victoria also fell within her grasp. She appeared in a number of frothy post-war retreads co-starring Michael Wilding that the critics turned their noses on but the audiences ate up - including They Met at Midnight (1946), Katy's Love Affair (1947), Spring in Park Lane (1948) and The Lady with a Lamp (1951). She tried to extend her fame to Hollywood and briefly appeared there in three musicals in the early 40s, but failed to make a dent. Anna's appeal faded somewhat in the late 50s and, after producing a few film efforts, retired altogether from the screen.
She returned to her theatre roots, which culminated in the long-running "Charlie Girl", a 1965 production that ran with Anna for nearly six years. She was bestowed with the honor of Dame of the British Empire in 1969 for her contributions to the theatre. Anna continued to perform after her husband's death in 1977, later developing Parkinson's disease in her final years. She died in 1986 of complications.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Jennifer Hall was born on 20 October 1977 in the USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Up All Night (2011), Unscripted (2005) and Nip/Tuck (2003).- Actress
Nargis was born to multi-cultural parents in Queens, New York City. In 2011, she made her Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar alongside Ranbir Kapoor. She gained further success for her roles in Madras Cafe (2013) and Main Tera Hero (2014). 2015 will see her make her Hollywood debut in Paul Feig's 'Spy' alongside names such as Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham and Jude Law amongst others.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
A versatile British actor noted for his great power and command on the classical stage and in several other mediums including radio, film and television, Timothy West was born on October 20, 1934 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, the son of actors (Harry) Lockwood West and his wife Olive (Carleton-Crowe). Educated at John Lyon School and the Polytechnic, he first appeared on the stage in 1956 at the Wimbledon Theatre in a production of "Summertime". He then spent several seasons in repertory at such venues as Wimbledon, Newquay, Hull, Northampton, Worthing and Salisbury. He made his London debut at the Piccadilly Theatre in the comical farce "Caught Napping" in 1959.
For the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Aldwych (in 1964), he appeared in "Afore Night Come" and "The Marat-Sade", in addition to building up his Shakespeare repertoire with roles in "The Merry Wives of Windsor", "Love's Labour's Lost", "The Merchant of Venice", "The Comedy of Errors" and "Timon of Athens". For the Prospect Theatre Company, he appeared he took on the Shakespearean roles of Prospero ("The Tempest"), Claudius ("Hamlet"), Bolingbroke ("Richard II") and Mortimer ("Edward II"), among others. He also played the noted historical figure Samuel Johnson in two plays.
Along with definitive portrayals of Lear, Macbeth, Falstaff and Shylock, he became well-respected as a stage director. More recently, he directed a touring production of "H.M.S. Pinafore" while delightfully grandstanding in the role of Sir Joseph Porter. Other recent performances at age 70+ include "National Hero" and the title role in "The Life of Galileo".
Cutting a grand and imposing Wellesian figure, his acclaimed work on television has included recreating a number of his classical characters. He has played kingly roles, such as his superb Edward VII in the epic miniseries Edward the King (1975), and essayed a number of notable historical figures such as Cardinal Wolsey in Henry VIII (1979), Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbechev in Breakthrough at Reykjavik (1987) and Martin Luther (2002). He has portrayed Winston Churchill a number of times in such master productions as Churchill and the Generals (1979), The Last Bastion (1984) and Hiroshima (1995), while his extended gallery of greats have gone on to include Sir Thomas Beecham and Joseph Stalin.
Although his star shines less bright on film, he has nevertheless contributed greatly over the years with marvelously stern and scowling character roles in such prestigious/box office fare as Nicholas and Alexandra (1971), The Day of the Jackal (1973), Hedda (1975) (as Judge Brack), Agatha (1979), Cry Freedom (1987), Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998), 102 Dalmatians (2000), Iris (2001), Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones (1990), Endgame (2009), Run for Your Wife (2012) and Delirium (2017).
Long married to second wife actress/comedienne Prunella Scales, the couple have appeared together on stage over the years in such productions as "When We Are Married", "A Long Day's Journey Into Night", "The Birthday Party" and "The External". They have two sons, Joseph West (Joe) and Samuel West, the latter also an actor of note. Timothy's daughter Juliet is from his first marriage. A gifted raconteur, he is the author of several books, including "I'm Here I Think, Where are You?", a collection of letters written while on tour, his autobiography "A Moment Towards the End of the Play," and, his most recent, "So You Want to Be an Actor?" co-written with wife Prunella. In 1984, he was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his services to the profession and has received honorary doctorates from six different universities.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Robert Costanzo is an American actor from Brooklyn, New York who is known for voicing Harvey Bullock in various Batman cartoons and Arkham Origins. He also voiced Philoctetes in the Hercules animated series and Kingdom Hearts. He also acted in Saturday Night Fever, Friends, The 4th Floor, The Golden Girls, Lois and Clark, Hannah Montana and Die Hard 2.- Actor
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Additional Crew
Bela Lugosi was born Béla Ferenc Dezsö Blaskó on October 20, 1882, Lugos, Hungary, Austria-Hungary (now Lugoj, Romania), to Paula de Vojnich and István Blaskó, a banker. He was the youngest of four children. During WWI, he volunteered and was commissioned as an infantry lieutenant, and was wounded three times.
A distinguished stage actor in his native Hungary, Austria-Hungary, he began his stage career in 1901 and started appearing in films during World War I, fleeing to Germany in 1919 as a result of his left-wing political activity (he organized an actors' union). In 1920 he emigrated to the US and made a living as a character actor, shooting to fame when he played Count Dracula in the legendary 1927 Broadway stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel. It ran for three years, and was subsequently, and memorably, filmed by Tod Browning in 1931, establishing Lugosi as one of the screen's greatest personifications of pure evil. Also in 1931, he became a U.S. citizen. Sadly, his reputation rapidly declined, mainly because he had been blacklisted by the main studios and had no choice but to accept any part (and script) handed to him, and ended up playing parodies of his greatest role, in low-grade poverty row films. Due to shady blacklisting among the top Hollywood studio executives, he refused to sell out or to compromise his integrity, and therefore ended his career working for the legendary Worst Director of All Time, Edward D. Wood Jr..
Lugosi was married to Ilona Szmik (1917 - 1920), Ilona von Montagh (? - ?), and Lillian Arch (1933 - 1951). He is the father of Bela Lugosi Jr. (1938). Lugosi helped organize the Screen Actors Guild in the mid-'30s, joining as member number 28.
Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack August 16, 1956. He was buried in a Dracula costume, including a cape, but not the ones used in the 1931 film, contrary to popular--but unfounded--rumors.- Actor
- Soundtrack
William Christopher was born on 20 October 1932 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for M*A*S*H (1972), The Fortune Cookie (1966) and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993). He was married to Barbara Christopher. He died on 31 December 2016 in Pasadena, California, USA.- Kristian Ventura is a classically trained actor and graduate from the University of Southern California with a B.F.A. in Acting. In a Deadline exclusive, after completing his program, Ventura sparked a signing war amongst some of the biggest agencies in the industry, competing to sign the star on the rise. Kristian's leading role as Simon Elroy in School Spirits (2023) on Netflix positioned him as one of the industry's most sought-out young actors today.
Ventura excelled in his conservatory. His theatre credits include transforming as Richard III and various plays by Tennessee Williams and Russian playwrights. Within one year of graduating, Ventura landed five roles. He recurred in Reboot (2022) (Hulu) as Connor in the series created by Steven Levitan. Kristian's scene with Nicolas Cage was cut from The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), but he still made critics laugh with his part on The Rookie: Feds (2022). Darkening his trajectory, Ventura accepted a supporting part in the Hulu's horror Grimcutty (2022) and played a British deviant in HBO Max's science-fiction thriller Gray Matter (2023). While he had yet to prove himself as a leading actor, it was evident to Hollywood that Ventura was quickly climbing the ranks. After a competitive signing, Innovative Artists eventually inked the actor. He then had his breakout role in School Spirits (2023) on Paramount+. Ventura's intensely emotional performance as Simon Elroy had endeared the hearts of audiences worldwide, as he grieves and investigates the death of his best friend, portrayed by Peyton List.
Kristian's skill for character work makes him nearly unrecognizable in the roles he takes. Director/AFI Alum Oran Zegman says, "He is a dream for any director," and EP/Showrunner Oliver Goldstick said: "His first audition blew us away. He inspired us." Director Brian Dannelly wrote: "He's such an exciting actor. Ventura's choices are bold and thoughtful and he has that rare ability to access emotions in the moment while interacting with another actor. I mean, it's just a gift that a lot of actors don't have."
Kristian's skillset continues to advance with each role that demands it, so far: piano, guitar, foreign languages, ballet, motorcycling, skateboarding, and fight combat. His father named him 'Karl Flores III,' but Ventura never knew his father. After his dad committed suicide later in life, the actor embraced the middle name that his mother gave him, Kristian, and her family's last name, Ventura.
He is represented by Jennifer Patredis at Innovative Artists and managed by Vision Entertainment. - Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
In 2009, Alberto Ammann went from being an unknown drama student to becoming one of Spain's best known actors with just one movie. The previous year, Ammann joined the ranks of Penelope Cruz, Jordi Molla and Elena Anaya when he won a coveted spot on the list of Caras Nuevas, a discovery initiative of Spanish talent agency, Kuranda. On the jury that year were the casting directors of Cell 211. Despite their search for a name actor to star in the film, they could find no one to compete with the completely unknown Ammann who went on to win a Goya (Spanish Academy Award) and a Spanish SAG Award for his riveting performance in Cell 211, which became the year's most successful film.
Alberto Ammann was born in Córdoba (Argentina) the son of the journalist, politician and writer Luis Alberto Ammann and Nelida Rey. Between 1978-1982 his parents moved to Spain to escape Argentina's military dictatorship. Years later Ammann returned to Spain to continue the acting studies he had initiated in Argentina with Guillermo Iani and Jolie Lobois at the prestigious Juan Carlos Corazza Acting Studio.
After Ammann's breakthrough performance in "Cell 211", he went on to star in "Lope" (2010), a film in which he embodied the XVI century playwright Lope de Vega.
In 2011, he costarred with Daniel Bruhl in "Eva" an intriguing science fiction film directed by Kike Maillo. This was followed by Daniel Calpasoro's thriller "Invader" in which Alberto starred as a Spanish military doctor stationed in Iraq as a peacemaker during the war. Then Calpasoro called on Ammann again for his next film, "Combustion".
In 2012, Alberto returned to his native Argentina to costar with Ricardo Darin in Hernán A. Godfrid's thriller "Tesis Sobre Un Homicidio". Alberto's next project was to guest star in his first English speaking role in the sci-fi thriller "Mindscape" directed by Jorge Dorado. Again returning to Argentina in 2013, Alberto also starred in Miguel Cohan's "Betibú".
In 2014 Ammann traveled to Peru to costar with Stephen Dorff in Barney Elliott's "Oliver's Deal". Next Alberto heads up the cast of Antena 3's new mini series based on Miguel Sáez Carral's best selling novel, "Apaches".
In Netflix's series, "Narcos", Ammann plays Pacho Herrera, leader of the Cali cartel. Alberto will soon be seen in the second season of "Mars" in which he plays scientist Javier Delgado on man's first mission to the red planet.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Katie Featherston is perhaps best known for playing the lead role in Paramount's 2009 smash hit Paranormal Activity, which earned her the Best Actress award at the 2009 Screamfest Film Festival. Made on a budget of approximately $15,000, the movie earned over $100 million dollars at the US box office, making it one of the most profitable movies ever made. Featherston has also appeared in the subsequent sequels, and was brought on to appear in multiple episodes of ABC's The River produced by Steven Spielberg.
Katie received her BFA from Southern Methodist University and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and family.- Director
- Actress
- Producer
Melanie Mayron was born on 20 October 1952 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is a director and actress, known for Thirtysomething (1987), Girlfriends (1978) and Snapshots (2018).- Writer
- Director
- Actor
The name "Melville" is not immediately associated with film. It conjures up images of white whales and crackbrained captains, of naysaying notaries and soup-spilling sailors. It is the countersign to a realm of men and their deeds, both heroic and villainous. It is the American novel, with its Ishmaels and its Claggarts a challenge to the European canon. It is Herman Melville. And yet, for over three decades, it was also worn by one of the French cinema's brightest lights, Jean-Pierre Melville, whose art was as revolutionary as that of the eponymous author.
Jean-Pierre Grumbach was born on October 20, 1917, to a family of Alsatian Jews. In his youth he studied in Paris, where he was first exposed to great films, among them Robert J. Flaherty's and W.S. Van Dyke's silent documentary White Shadows in the South Seas (1928). It left so deep a mark upon the pubescent Grumbach that he became a regular at the cinema, an obsession that would benefit him in adulthood. His own earliest efforts, 16mm home movies, were made with a camera given to him by his father in this period. In 1937, however, his career was forestalled when he began obligatory service in the French army. He was still in uniform when the Nazis invaded in 1940; under the nom de guerre of Melville, he aided the Resistance and was eventually forced to flee to England. There he joined the Free French forces and took part in the Allies' liberation of continental Europe. After the war, despite a desire to revert to Grumbach, he found that pseudonym had stuck.
Eager to earn his place in the movie industry, Melville applied to the French Technicians' Union but was denied membership. Undaunted by what he regarded as party politics, he set up his own production company in 1946 and started releasing films outside the system. The first, a low-budget short titled 24 Hours in the Life of a Clown (1946), was a success, inspired by his boyhood love for the circus. His feature-length debut, The Silence of the Sea (1949), was highly innovative. An intimate piece on the horrors of World War II, it starred unknown actors and was filmed by a skeleton crew. Its schedule was unusual: It was shot over 27 days in the course of a year. Its production was unusual: it incorporated "on-location" scenes--rarities in that era--done without vital permits. Its provenance was unusual: it was adapted from a book before the author's consent was obtained. Above all, its style was unusual. Its dark, claustrophobic sets and bottom-lit close-ups signaled a departure from the highly cultured cinema of René Clair, Marcel Pagnol, Abel Gance and Jacques Feyder. It was neither comedietta nor costume drama nor avant-garde "cinéma pur." Where its roots may have been in Jean Renoir's The Grand Illusion (1937), it was clearly something new.
Over the following 12 years Melville continued to create films that would influence the auteurs of La Nouvelle Vague (i.e., the French New Wave.) In 1950 he collaborated with Jean Cocteau on an unsatisfying version of The Terrible Children (1950), the tale of a strange, incestuous relationship between siblings. When You Read This Letter (1953), with French and Italian backing, was his first commercial project. While it was unprofitable, the fee he received allowed him to establish a studio outside of Paris. His next work, Bob the Gambler (1956), featured Roger Duchesne, a popular leading man of the 1930s who had drifted into the underworld during the war. As such, he was a uniquely apt choice for the role of the fashionable, self-immolating Bob. His supporting cast included Daniel Cauchy as toadying sidekick Paolo and newcomer Isabelle Corey as the temptress Anne. Although the picture was not a hit, it was a favorite of the aficionados that frequented Henri Langlois' Cinémathèque Français. Among them were the young savants Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, the latter of whom used Guy Decomble of "Bob le flambeur" in his The 400 Blows (1959) that ushered in the "New Wave" era. They adored the hip, new rendering of a tired scenario, much of it shot in the streets with hidden cameras. They viewed it as fresh and daring, a "freeing up" through the rejection of high-minded literary adaptations and the embracing of pop culture. Simply put, Melville refused to play by the rules, and they followed suit.
In retrospect, "Bob le flambeur" seems straightforward: A reformed mobster turned high-stakes gambler comes out of retirement to pull one last job. Its genius lies in its simplicity. Melville admired American culture, as his alias indicated. He drove around Paris in an enormous Cadillac, sporting a Stetson hat and aviator sunglasses. He drank Coca-Cola and listened to American radio. The works of American directors John Ford and Howard Hawks were appealing to him, as they were ageless sagas of heroes and villains. Melville strove to build his own pantheon by blending the American ethos with his postwar sensibilities. As he perceived it, it was America that had valiantly rescued France from German occupation. Still, for a young man with Alsatian roots, the line separating good guys and bad guys had been breached, and one can see this disillusionment from The Silence of the Sea (1949) onward. Thus, while he borrowed from the American noir's revolt against the dichotomous Hollywood creations of the 1930s, the artist was forging his own apocryphal brand of dark tragedy. In his paradigm, a criminal could be a kind of hero within his milieu, so long as he stuck by his word and his allegiances. It was his personal style and his adherence to the code of honor that defined a "good guy"; obversely, it was his faith in others that was his downfall. It is a universe without the possibility for salvation, in which love and friendship are brief interludes in the cat-and-mouse games that lead to certain destruction. In that sense, Bob is a crucial link between Julien Duvivier's Pépé le Moko (1937) and Godard's Breathless (1960), in which Melville gave a brilliant cameo performance.
Jean-Pierre Melville is often regarded as the godfather of the Nouvelle Vague. Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that had it not been for his aforementioned passion for American film, he might have shown us a very different "Bob le flambeur". Originally conceived as a hard-boiled gangster flick about the step-by-step plotting of a heist, Melville was forced to rethink its narrative after watching John Huston's remarkably similar The Asphalt Jungle (1950). It was only then that he had the idea to turn Bob into the comedy of manners that so delighted the cinephiles of the day. For this and other debts of gratitude, his next picture, Two Men in Manhattan (1959), was "a love letter to New York" and the America he revered. It was also his third straight box-office flop, however, and it caused Melville to break away from a New Wave movement that he felt catered to the cognoscenti. He later said, "If . . . I have consented to pass for their adopted father for a while, I do not wish it anymore, and I have put some distance in between us."
The first step in this split came with Léon Morin, Priest (1961), a wartime piece about a priest's endeavors to bring redemption to the inhabitants of a small town. Produced by Carlo Ponti, it was a big-budget affair with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Emmanuelle Riva, both household names by then. On the strength of its favorable reception, Melville released four consecutive cops-and-robbers movies, the most notable of which were The Informer (1962) and The Samurai (1967). Belmondo again headlined in "Le Doulous", not as a clergyman but as the fingerman Silien, whose loyalty to his old mob cronies entangles him in a web of intrigue and disaster. During the making of "Le Samouraï", a hauntingly minimalist film about a doomed assassin, Melville's studio burned to the ground and the project was completed in rented facilities. Regardless, it was a critical and commercial success. Presenting Alain Delon as ultra-cool assassin Jef Costello, it was considered one of the most meticulously-crafted pictures in the history of the cinema. Delon would later star in a second masterpiece, The Red Circle (1970), featuring the ultimate onscreen jewel heist. His Charles Bronson-cum-Jack Lord sang-froid toughness served as a counterpoint in Melville's oeuvre to the lighter and less predictable Belmondo. Another memorable production was Army of Shadows (1969), an austere portrait of perfidy within the ranks of the French Resistance.
It is trite to say that a particular artist is "not for everyone." In Melville's case, this statement could not be more fitting. Despite a round belly and an unattractive face, he was a notorious womanizer, and his chauvinism is painfully obvious in his movies. They are cynical, male-driven works in which women are devoid of nobility, merely functioning as beautiful chess pieces. His men also lack spiritual depth, diligently playing out their roles toward the final showdown. A "profound moment" inevitably occurs before a mirror, a cliché for which many critics do not share the creator's enthusiasm. As a result of these peccadilloes, as well as its lack of back-stories and character motivations, Melville's later output has been accused of stiffness, with its wooden troupe of cops, crooks and general mauvais sujets. Further, well-structured plots notwithstanding, Melville films are methodically paced with tremendous attention paid to time and place. Hollywoodphiles often find them slow, with an overemphasis on tone and style.
Some have gone as far as to claim that the réalizateur's genius was outstripped by his importance to the development of the medium. They look to him as a sort of Moses figure, helping to guide the Nouvelle Vague to the promised land without partaking in its fruits. At his death by heart attack in 1973, the 55-year-old had directed just 14 projects, at least six of which are acknowledged classics. Aside from Godard and Truffaut, luminaries such as John Woo, Quentin Tarantino, Michael Mann, Volker Schlöndorff, Johnnie To and Martin Scorsese have pointed to him as an key influence. If a man's legacy is best measured not only by its quality but by the respect of his colleagues, Jean-Pierre Melville's contribution to cinema surely ranks with the greatest.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Commanding performer Bill Nunn made his feature debut in fellow Morehouse College graduate Spike Lee's School Daze (1988), but really etched himself into moviegoers' minds as a formidable screen presence in his second film with Lee, Do the Right Thing (1989), playing Radio Raheem, whose ever-present boom box is at the center of a fight that leads to his death at the hands of an overzealous police officer, the prelude to the all-out riot that follows (Nunn also acted in Mo' Better Blues (1990) and He Got Game (1998) for Lee). Though he made his initial mark playing young street toughs on screen, this veteran of the Atlanta stage showed he could use his impressive size for something other than menace with a critically acclaimed performance as Harrison Ford's sympathetic, high-spirited physical therapist in Regarding Henry (1991). Nunn subsequently played pretty much every type there is, all the way up to nice, huggable teddy bear guys like Whoopi Goldberg's protector Eddie Souther in Sister Act (1992).
His professionalism made him a favorite of other directors besides Lee. He portrayed a Southern police chief in Bill Condon's White Lie (1991) (USA Network), later reteaming with Condon for Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh (1995), and has also acted twice for Michael Apted (Extreme Measures (1996), HBO's Always Outnumbered (1998)) and Gary Fleder (Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), Kiss the Girls (1997)). Nunn also turned in a fine performance as Tim Roth's adoptive father in The Legend of 1900 (1998), Giuseppe Tornatore's first English-language feature, released initially in Italy and then in the United States in 1999. He can also be seen in Spider-Man (2002), People I Know (2002) with Al Pacino and the prison thriller Lockdown (2000).
Nunn has also found time to do numerous television pilots and three series. He was in the CBS series Traps (1994) with George C. Scott, sitcom Local Heroes (1995) for NBC and the critically acclaimed The Job (2001) with Denis Leary on ABC. He appeared on episodes of Chicago Hope (1994), Touched by an Angel (1994) (both CBS), New York Undercover (1994) and Millennium (1996) (both Fox), among others.
Nunn lived in Georgia with his wife Donna and daughters Jessica and Cydney.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Sandra Dickinson was born on 20 October 1948 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She is an actress, known for Balto (1995), The Batman (2022) and Supergirl (1984). She has been married to Mark Osmond since 16 August 2009. She was previously married to Peter Davison and Hugh Dickinson.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dionne Quan is an Asian-American voice actress from Lexington, Massachusetts. She voiced Kimi from the Rugrats franchise starting with the 2000 film Rugrats in Paris and Trixie Tang from Butch Hartman's The Fairly OddParents franchise, both long running Nicktoons. She also voiced in other cartoons such as Curious George. She is legally blind and her scripts are written in braille.- James began his acting career in Australia starring on 'Twenty Something', 'Offspring' and 'Never Tear us Apart' the INXS. In 2014 he moved to the US, Winning the first ever Nation wide search for a Male model on 'The Price is Right' hosted by Drew Carey. James plays lead roles in feature films 'Cynthia' and 'Deadly Crush'. He starred in 'The Late Late Show' segment 'Take a Break' with James Corden. He has also Guest starred on 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Talk' with Sharon Osborne. And most recently, ABC's 'Notorious', 'The Catch' and CBS's 'Criminal Minds: Beyond Boarders'.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Katharina Schüttler started acting for film and television when she was 11 years old. Her breakthrough in Germany was the International Emmy Award winning Mini-Series "Generation War" ("Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter") in which she portrayed singer Greta del Torres. She appeared in many films for cinema and television, such as Golden Globe winning production "Carlos" by Olivier Assayas, the youngest version of Hans Fallada's "Alone in Berlin" acting alongside Emma Thompson and Swedish Production "Simon and the Oaks" by Lisa Ohlin. She was in German Indie-hits "Oh Boy", "Zeit der Kannibalen" and recently portrayed Fräulein Rottenmeier in the remake of "Heidi" by Alain Gsponer. In "13 Minutes" ("Elser") by Oliver Hirschbiegel ("Der Untergang"), which premiered in the Berlinale Film Festival (out of competition), she performed Hitler assassin Georg Elser's lover Elsa and recently worked with German director Dani Levy in "Die Welt der Wunderlichs".She is best known to English-language audiences for her lead performances in the Channel 4 drama Mini-Series "The Promise" by Peter Kosminsky, alongside Claire Foy and "Run", by Jonathan Pearson, starring Olivia Colman and Katie Leung. In 2009 she received the Bavarian Film Award, the "Guenter Strack Nachwuchspreis" in 2006 and Best Actress at the Munich Film Festival in 2002. For her performance in "Generation War", which won the International Emmy Award, she received the German Television Award as well as the Bavarian TV Award with her co-actors Tom Schilling, Miriam Stein, Ludwig Trepte and Volker Bruch in 2013. In 2014 she was given the Günter-Rohrbach-Filmpreis for her performance in "Zeit der Kannibalen" together with Devid Striesow and Sebastian Blomberg. Besides her film works she is one of the leading young theatre actresses in Germany. In 2006 she received the German Theatre Award "Der Faust" as Best Actress and was voted "Actress of the Year" by the German Theatre Critics. She was the youngest actress ever to receive this honour. In 2010 she was awarded with the renowned "Ulrich Wildgruber Prize" for outstanding artistic performances.
In 2009 she won the "Bavarian Film Prize" as Best Young Actress for her performance in the terrorist-drama "The Day Will Come" ("Es kommt der Tag").
Besides her film works she is one of the leading young theatre actresses in Germany. Her works include "Hedda Gabler", "Penthesilea", "Blasted", "Joan of Arc", "Lolita" and many more.
She was awarded with the renowned "Ulrich Wildgruber Prize 2010".- Actor
- Stunts
- Additional Crew
Zhenwei Wang is a Chinese born movie actor, known for The Karate Kid (2010) and Movie Martial Arts vs. Reality (2012) and a black belt martial arts expert who made his film debut as Cheng in the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid.
Born on October 20, 1995 in Handan, Hebei, China, an industrial city in southern Hebei province in eastern China, a communications and transportation hub on the Fuyang River north of Anyang; population 1,221,900 (est. 2006) to a middle class family, Zhenwei had never acted before 2010. He started training in Wushu at the Beijing Shichahai Amateur Sports School at age four.
At the age of just 4 and a half, his father Wang Chaoguo sent him away to the Beijing Shenshahai/Beijing Shichahai Amateur Sports School as he was "weak and sickly" described by his father. Zhenwei was highly focused and energetic during practice sessions. At his young age, he did not complain of being tired even after hours of practice. After years of hard work and effort, Zhenwei gained high praise from the wushu industry with his determination and firm martial arts foundation. After training for three and a half years, his father sent him to the Haidian Gymnasium when Zhenwei was about eight years old and he began learning the national wushu routines. His father sent him away from the family to live and study in Beijing, China so that he cold have a better education in the capital city of the People's Republic of China. Despite training, working and studying for long hours and at such a young age, Zhenwei did not complain that he was tired. Not even a bit.
Instead, Zhenwei received many awards in national competitions at a young age. He was awarded two gold medals in the Beijing Youth Wushu Competition. Two years later, when Zhenwei was 10, he came in first out of 57 excellent competitors when the national wushu team was searching for new members, and he successfully entered the national wushu B-Mannschaft. He was a two-time Beijing Youth Wushu gold medalist before being discovered and auditioning for his debut role as Cheng in the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid. In the movie, he associated himself with Jaden Smith who played Dre Parker. He played one of Jaden Smith's on-screen rivals in The Karate Kid, a rebellious, sadistic and ruthless kung fu prodigy. But in real life, Zhenwei is good friends with Jaden Smith and he even taught Jaden some Mandarin Chinese.
In July 2009, The Karate Kid began looking for cast members. The filming dictated that a teenage martial artist be selected. The vice-director of the filming team and Jackie Chan's assistant started the auditions within China's martial arts schools. At the Beijing Film Academy, approximately ten thousand selected contestants participated in the audition. The selection was extremely strict: English and Mandarin Chinese fluency, wushu skills, physical appearance, acting facial expressions, and even control over eye expressions were tested. After 3 months of auditions, Zhenwei overcame all difficulties and successfully became the actor who would portray Cheng in The Karate Kid. When filming The Karate Kid (2010), Zhenwei suffered a head injury requiring four stitches. He received it while chasing Jaden Smith (who played Dre Parker) after being splashed by the dirty water; Zhenwei hit his head on an oil pail. In addition, he received other minor injuries but fortunately, they were minor and everything healed up, so there was no major delay. The director stood by his side when he got injured and gave him days off to rest so he could heal his wounds.
Following this, Zhenwei returned to the big screen two years later at age 17 and starred as "Boss" in the comedy TV Series Movie Martial Arts vs. Reality. He resides in Beijing Xicheng District, Beijing, China. His brilliant on-screen performance and his fluency in Mandarin Chinese and English proves that he has amazing talents, both on-screen and off screen.- Asante Blackk was born and raised in Maryland to Ayize and Aiyana Ma'at, both clinical social workers and couples therapists. His father's family is from Alexandria, Virginia and his mother's family is from North Carolina, London, England and Trinidad.
Coming from a long line of preachers, social activists and counselors Asante grew up in a spiritually grounded and socially conscious family. Asante hails from a family of artists as well. His mother has a love for singing and his father is a master of words and a poet in his own right. His grandfather, Dennis Wiley, is an accomplished songwriter and musician. He is also the nephew of Rashar Morton, a graphic design artist and the nephew of acclaimed Emmy-award winning actress, Samira Wiley.
Asante started acting at only 6 years old. He was cast as Mowgli in The Jungle Book in 2008, which ignited his passion. Once Asante began high school he joined the Theater Department in his school and had the ability to take several theater and acting classes as he continued to hone his skills. During his freshman year he was cast as Bud in 'Father knows best' and Charlie in 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. Asante signed with a talent agency that same year and then went on to take roles later on in high school such as Harry the Horse in 'Guys and Dolls', and Montgomery in 'Fame'. Asante was also awarded Most Promising Actor at the state-wide Maryland Thespian Festival and was the 2018-2019 President of the North Point High School Theater Club. - Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Thomas Newman is an American film score composer. He was born in Los Angeles. His father was notable film score composer Alfred Newman (1900-1970). The Newman family is of Russian-Jewish descent, and includes several other well-known musicians. Thomas' mother Martha Louis Montgomery (1920-2005) wanted her sons to have a musical education. Thomas attended regular lessons in violin as a child. An older Thomas received his musical education while attending the University of Southern California and Yale University. Thomas Newman graduated as Bachelor of Arts in 1977, and a Master of Music in 1978.
Thomas originally composed music for theatrical productions in Broadway, working with his mentor Stephen Sondheim. His uncle Lionel Newman asked him to compose music for the television series "The Paper Chase" (1978-1979, 1986), which was Thomas' first credit in a television production.
In the 1980s, Thomas first worked in film. Composer John Williams, a close family friend, hired Thomas to work in the music department for space opera film "Return of the Jedi" (1983). Thomas' main work in the film was orchestrating the music in a scene where character Darth Vader dies. Afterwards, Thomas was approached by film producer Scott Rudin and hired to work as a film score composer in his own right. His first work in the field was the film score of romantic drama "Reckless" (1984).
While he worked regularly as a film score composer during the 1980s, Thomas reportedly felt he had to retrain himself for a hard and demanding job. It reportedly took him 8 years to not feel fraudulent in his efforts. In 1994, Thomas received his first Academy Award nominations, for the film scores of "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994) and "Little Women" (1994). He lost the Award to rival composer Hans Zimmer, who had been nominated for the film score of the animated film "The Lion King" (1994).
Newman was an established and increasingly famous composer in the 1990s. He received further Academy Award nominations, although he never actually won. Among his more notable works was the film score of the drama film "American Beauty" (1999), which earned Thomas both a Grammy and a BAFTA award. Newman had a good working relationship with the film's director Sam Mendes. Mendes has kept hiring Thomas as the composer for most of his films. The main exception being the comedy-drama film "Away We Go" (2009), which did not have a film score.
In the 2000s, Thomas continued working in high-profile films, such as "Road to Perdition" (2002), "Finding Nemo" (2003), and "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events". By 2006, he had been nominated eight times for an Academy Award, while never winning it. He started joking about his lack of victories in public.
In 2008, Thomas was nominated for two Academy Awards, for both the film score and an original song for the animated film "WALL-E" (2008). He won neither, though the hit song "Down to Earth" earned him a Grammy Award. He continues to work regularly in the 2010s. Among his more acclaimed works were the film scores for spy film "Skyfall" (2012) and period drama "Saving Mr. Banks" (2013). He has continued being nominated for Academy Awards. As of 2020, he has been nominated 15 times for the Academy Award. He is the most nominated living composer to have never actually won an Academy Award, tied with Alex North. He has won a total of 5 Grammy awards.- Actress
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Yvette was born in Los Angeles, California. She began modeling shortly after graduating from Huntington Beach High School, then started doing commercials. Television was a natural progression. She is also a writer. Yvette hopes everyone will "adopt don't shop" rescue animals and hopes everyone will join her in protecting the environment. Her proudest achievement is her son.- Julika Jenkins was born on 20 October 1971 in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. She is an actress, known for Vitus (2006), Dark (2017) and Berlin Station (2016).
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Rappaport lived with her parents Edna and Jospeh in Dallas, Texas, until she was 9. She then moved to outside New York City to test her acting. She started acting classes at age 5 and got her first agent at age 6. She got a role on Nickelodeon's "Clarissa Explains It All". She then moved to Los Angeles and landed several guest starring roles. This led to her new role on "NYPD Blue".- Actor
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George Harris was born on 20 October 1949 in Grenada, British West Indies [now Grenada]. He is an actor and producer, known for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Layer Cake (2004) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007).- Actor
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Michael Dunn was born Gary Neil Miller in Oklahoma. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Miller. They moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1938. Dunn was 5 years old when he knew he'd be a dwarf but was determined not to let it stop him or make him dependent. He graduated from Detroit's Redford High School in 1951, where he had been active in many school activities, including the student council, and was captain of the cheer-leading team. At 18 he enrolled as a student at the University of Michigan, but a leg injury incurred when he was accidentally knocked down a flight of stairs forced him to leave. Later he transferred to the University of Miami, where he acted, was a cheer leader and editor of the college newspaper, and he received his degree in 1956. He'd supported himself during school by singing at local bars, and knew by graduation that he wanted to be an actor. "Frankly", he told a reporter, "I knew there wouldn't be too much competition for roles. There are a great many professional midgets, but there aren't too many dwarfs who can act". Waiting for his big break, he found employment as a sports reporter, a hotel detective and a missionary. When he hit New York he finally got some acting parts in off-Broadway plays--and when he was nominated for a Tony Award in 1963 (for his role in Edward Albee's "Ballad of A Sad Cafe"--his luck changed for the better. He even landed an Oscar nomination for his role as narrator in Ship of Fools (1965). Still, Dunn was frustrated by the lack of variety in the parts he was offered. While filming The Abdication (1974) on location in England in 1973, the 3'11" actor died. He was 38.- Actress
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Elizabeth Carling was born on 20 October 1967 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Casualty (1986), Goodnight Sweetheart (1993) and The Damned United (2009).- Actress
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Natalie Gregory was born on 20 October 1975. She is an actress, known for Alice in Wonderland (1985), Oliver & Company (1988) and Magnum, P.I. (1980). She has been married to Marc Mitchell since 1997. They have two children.- Actor
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Adam was born October 20, 1988 in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Adam's big sister Mandy Butcher is also an actor. Adam started acting at the age of 9 when his Aunt (a talent agent) and Uncle, Randy Butcher (a stuntman/coordinator), suggested that Adam and his sister Mandy get their head-shots taken. Thanks to them, the hardest part of getting into showbiz, was "all in the family."
Adam is represented in Hollywood by CAA, one of the largest talent agencies in LA.