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- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
For Joely, the theatre must be in her genes. Born in Marylebone, London, England, she is the daughter of director Tony Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave, granddaughter of Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson, niece of Lynn Redgrave, and sister of Natasha Richardson, all actors. Former husband Tim Bevan is a producer. However the genes were slow - as a child she saw her older sister Natasha interested in acting but she was imagining a career in tennis. Her father put his foot down, and tennis was out. British by birth, she considers herself a sort of honorary American, having attended boarding school at Thacher in Ojai, California. Beginning in the '80s film became her life, from small parts in Wetherby (1985) to BBC dramas such as Lady Chatterley (1993) to today's Disney studio going to the dogs in 101 Dalmatians (1996).- Actress
- Writer
Nicola hails from Galway, in the west of Ireland where she has been acting since childhood. She trained at both The Oxford School of Drama and Birmingham School of Acting.
She made her on screen debut in the controversial short The Phantom Cnut directed by Tom Collins; director of the Oscar nominated Kings. As a teenager she appeared in animated series such as The Fairytaler, and the title role in France 3's The Little Vampire.
In 2008 she was awarded the 'Outstanding Individual Performance Award' in 'Acting Up' the National Improvisation Competition; judges were former head of the Irish Film Board Leila Doolin and eminent actor/director Alan Stanford.
At Drama School she worked with Dana Andersen of The Second City and was directed by the Royal Shakespeare Company's Vik Sivalingam and Gemma Fairlie.
In Mill on the Floss at Birmingham Hippodrome, one reviewer commented: "Coughlan has the rare advantage of being able to play a vast age span of character...largely due to her small stature and dainty features (she) was able to play Maggie at aged nine years so convincingly well"
The Stage Newspaper nominated her as 'One to Watch' following her graduation showcase, Susan Elkin commented; "Coughlan is very small in stature but uses her diminutiveness to striking effect. Her stage presence shone through in the monologue using her native Irish accent."
Nicola then went on to appear in BBC's Doctors (2011).
Following this Nicola played Kirsty in Luke Barnes' (Game of Thrones) Chapel Street directed by Bryony Shanahan, to rave reviews:
"Nicola Coughlan gave sensational a performance full of energy, verve and humour. Her characterisation was detailed and her delivery was unfaltering." THE ARGUS -FIVE STARS *****
"An on-point, breathless roller coaster (played) by the excellent Nicola Coughlan...she is superb in detail" WHAT'S ON STAGE-FIVE STARS *****
"Nicola Coughlan is outstanding as Kirsty" The Scotsman Four Stars ****
She has appeared in rehearsed readings for The National Theatre (New Playwright's Workshop 2011), Duck directed by Stella Feehily and Max Stafford-Clark for Out of Joint at The St James' Theatre. and Nadya by Chris Jury at The Park Theatre, which featured Phyllis Logan, Stephen Thompkinson, Michelle Terry, Shaun Prendergast & Dominic Mafham.
Most recently Nicola was chosen from 1,150 hopefuls to be one of seven emerging actors featured in the 'Old Vic New Voices Festival' last Summer at The Old Vic. She appeared as Jess in the two-hander Jess and Joe Forever by Zoe Cooper which received huge acclaim and a standing ovation on its first performance.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Nina Dobrev is a Bulgarian-born Canadian actress. Her best-known television roles are Mia Jones in Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001) and Elena Gilbert and Katherine Pierce on The Vampire Diaries (2009). Her film work includes The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), Let's Be Cops (2014), The Final Girls (2015), xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017), and Dog Days (2018).
From a very young age, she showed great enthusiasm and talent for the arts: dance, gymnastics, theater, music, visual arts, and acting. Modeling jobs led to commercials, which turned into film auditions; she booked roles in the feature films Fugitive Pieces (2007), Away from Her (2006), and the popular CTV television series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001), which led to The Vampire Diaries (2009), where she played the lead role for 6 seasons.
Nina loves to travel and has often visited Europe for pleasure, as well as to compete internationally, representing Canada in Aesthetic
gymnastics. She enjoys playing volleyball and soccer, swimming, rock climbing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, and horseback riding.
Above all, acting is her passion, and she sees it as an adventure that has just begun; she believes that the journey and the characters we create
along the way will help us understand ourselves.- Actor
- Soundtrack
J.K. Simmons is an American actor.
He was born Jonathan Kimble Simmons in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, to Patricia (Kimble), an administrator, and Donald William Simmons, a music teacher. He attended the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; University of Montana, Missoula, MT (BA in Music).
He had originally planned to be a singer and studied at the University of Montana to become a composer.
He starred as Captain Hook and Mr. Darling opposite gymnastics champ Cathy Rigby in the Broadway and touring revivals of Peter Pan.
He played Benny South-street in the 1992 Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls and can be heard on the cast recording.
He did a commercial voice-over work, including the voice of the yellow M&M in the candy's TV ads.
He appeared as police psychiatrist Emil Skoda on Law & Order (1990), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2001).
As of 2011, has made five films with director Sam Raimi: For Love of the Game (1999); The Gift (2000); Spider-Man (2002); Spider-Man 2 (2004); and Spider-Man 3 (2007).
He won many awards from 2005 to 2007 in Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In 2014 won Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
2015 won a Golden Globe for his Best Performance as an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, BAFTA Film Awards Best Supporting Actor, Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Male.- Kerry Condon is an Irish television and film actress, best known for her role as Octavia of the Julii in the HBO/BBC series Rome, as Stacey Ehrmantraut in AMC's Better Call Saul, and as the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y. in various films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She is also the youngest actress ever to play Ophelia in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet. She appeared in AMC's The Walking Dead in "30 Days Without an Accident".
In 2001, at the age of 19, Condon originated the role of Mairead in The Lieutenant of Inishmore by Martin McDonagh which she performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company and in 2006 at the Lyceum Theatre in New York. For this production she recorded the song "The Patriot Game" with The Pogues. That same year, Condon played the role of Ophelia in Hamlet, making her the youngest actress to ever play that role for the RSC. In 2009, she appeared in another play by Martin McDonagh, The Cripple of Inishmaan, for which she won a Lucille Lortel award and a Drama Desk Award.
Condon's movie roles include Kate Kelly, Ned Kelly's outlaw sister, in 2003's Ned Kelly and an appearance in the 2003 Irish independent film Intermission with Cillian Murphy, Kelly Macdonald, and Colin Farrell. She was in the 2005 Jet Li action-thriller Unleashed. She then appeared as Masha, a Tolstoian, in The Last Station, a film about the last months of Tolstoy's life with Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer before playing jockey Rosie Shanahan in 2012's Luck. She voices the artificial intelligence F.R.I.D.A.Y., Tony Stark's replacement for J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Marvel Studios films Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame.
In 2005 Condon co-starred as Octavia of the Julii, sister of the Roman Emperor Augustus, in the HBO/BBC series Rome. Condon appeared in the Season Four premiere of the post-apocalyptic zombie drama The Walking Dead playing the role of the character Clara, which aired 13 October 2013. - Actress
- Director
- Writer
Nicola Peltz is emerging as a force to be reckoned with, on both the big and small screen. Her most prominent roles include the series Bates Motel (2013), and the films The Last Airbender (2010) and Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014).
Nicola was born in Westchester County, New York, to Claudia (Heffner), who has worked as a model, and Nelson Peltz, a billionaire businessman whose assets include the Snapple brand of drinks. Nicola is of Ashkenazi Jewish (from her father) and Italian and German-British (from her mother) heritage. She made her stage debut in 2007, opposite Jeff Daniels and Alison Pill, in the Laurence Olivier Award-winning production of "Blackbird", at the Manhattan Theatre Club, directed by Joe Mantello. In 2012, she starred,alongside Melanie Lynskey and Campbell Scott, in Eye of the Hurricane (2012), a compelling family adventure about a small Everglades community struggling to put their lives back together in the wake of a devastating hurricane. In 2010, Peltz starred in M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender (2010), opposite Dev Patel and Jackson Rathbone. The film was written, directed and produced by Shyamalan and was based on the first season of Nickelodeon's animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005). Peltz made her feature film debut in 2006 in Deck the Halls (2006), with Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick and Kristin Chenoweth.
In Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Peltz stars alongside Mark Wahlberg and Jack Reynor. She plays Tessa Yeager, the daughter of a mechanic (Wahlberg) who makes a major discovery that catches the attention of the Autobots, Decepticons, and the U.S. government. The film is the fourth in the blockbuster series of live-action films, and is scheduled for release by Paramount on June 27th.
Later in the summer, Peltz also starred in Kevin Asch's Affluenza (2014), which received a limited release in July. Also featuring Ben Rosenfield and Gregg Sulkin, the film is a coming-of-age story, inspired by "The Great Gatsby," and set among the upper-class in the Long Island suburb of Great Neck during the weeks leading up to the financial meltdown of 2008.
On the small screen, Peltz reprised her role as "Bradley Martin," a troubled high school student, in the second season of A&E's critically-acclaimed series, Bates Motel (2013). The series is a modern re-imagining and prequel to the 1960 Alfred Hitchcock cult classic, Psycho (1960), which focuses on the life of "Norman Bates" and his mother, "Norma Bates," portrayed by Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga.- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
James Acaster was born on 9 January 1985 in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England, UK. He is a writer and actor, known for Cinderella (2021), The Island (2022) and We the Jury (2016).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Imelda Staunton is an English actress and singer from Archway, London. Her ancestry is primarily Irish. She has worked extensively in theater, and has won 4 Laurence Olivier Awards; 3 for leading roles and one for a supporting role. Her best known role in films has been the recurring villain Dolores Umbridge in the fantasy films "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007) and "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1" (2010). Her character was depicted as an authoritarian bureaucrat from the Ministry of Magic who was appointed as the new professor of "Defence Against the Dark Arts". The character was driven by both her political agendas and her own prejudice. In television, Staunton's best-known role was portraying Queen Elizabeth II in the 5th season of the historical drama series "The Crown" (2016-). The season fictionalized the events of Elizabeth's reign from 1991 to 1997.
In 1956, Staunton was born in Archway, an area in the London Borough of Islington. Archway has had a large Irish community since the 1830s, when Irish workers from this area were employed in the construction of railways and roads. Staunton's parents were the laborer Joseph Staunton and his wife, the hairdresser and musician Bridie McNicholas. Both parents were first-generation immigrants from County Mayo, Ireland. Bridie played both the accordion and the fiddle in Irish show-bands.
Staunton received her secondary education at the La Sainte Union Catholic School, a girls' school operated by the Holy Union Sisters. She was trained in drama and elocution, and practiced her new skills by starring in school plays. Encouraged by one of her teachers, Staunton applied to several drama schools. In 1974, Staunton was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She was reportedly rejected by both the "Central School of Speech and Drama" and the "Guildhall School of Music and Drama", so her options were rather limited.
Staunton graduated from RADA in 1976. For the next 6 years, Staunton primarily acted in English repertory theater. She portrayed the French military leader Joan of Arc (c. 1412-1431) in a 1979 revival of the play "Saint Joan" (1923) by George Bernard Shaw. In 1982, she started acting for the Royal National Theatre in London. In her first year there, Staunton was nominated for both the "Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical" and the "Laurence Olivier Award for Best Newcomer in a Play". Staunton lost the Best Actress Award to Julia McKenzie, and the Newcomer Award to Kenneth Branagh.
Staunton made her film debut in the historical drama "Comrades" (1986). The film dramatized the lives of the Tolpuddle Martyrs, a group of British labor activists who were convicted in 1834 under an obscure act and sentenced to penal transportation to Australia. The group members were pardoned in 1836 after mass protests in their favor, and they became heroes for the early union and workers' rights movements.
Among Staunton's most notable theatrical roles in the 1980s was portraying Dorothy Gale in a British version of the musical "The Wizard of Oz" (1987) by John Kane. It was a theatrical adaptation of the novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900) by L. Frank Baum. The theatrical production was by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Staunton was nominated for the 1988 "Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical" for this role, but lost to Patricia Routledge.
Staunton had a co-staring role in the comedy film "Peter's Friends" (1992), her first film role since 1986. In the film, Peter (played by Stephen Fry) is the new owner of his family's country house, and invites the former members of his student comedy troupe to a reunion there. Each of the members has had a dysfunctional life, but Peter eventually informs them that he has a worse fate than his friends. He reveals that he is HIV-positive, and that the real reasons for the reunion were the fears for his mortality. The film was nominated for the 1993 "Goya Award for Best European Film", but lost to "Three Colors: Blue".
Staunton portrayed the waiting gentlewoman Margaret in thee romantic comedy "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993), a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play of the same name. In the film, Margaret is mistaken for her charge, Hero (played by Kate Beckinsale). Staunton had her first notable animated roles in the fantasy film "The Snow Queen" (1995), an adaptation of the 1844 fairy tale Hans Christian Andersen. She portrayed both the sentient bird Ivy and Angorra, the self-centered daughter of the Robber King.
Staunton portrayed the witty servant Maria in the romantic comedy "Twelfth Night" (1996), an adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. Maria was one of several characters who humiliated the pompous steward Malvolio (played by Nigel Hawthorne), and orchestrated his downfall. Staunton had two new roles in the sequel animated film "The Snow Queen's Revenge" (1996). She voiced both the optimistic servant Elsbeth and the ambitious bounty hunter Rowena.
Staunton voiced the group cynic Bunty in the stop-motion animated comedy film "Chicken Run" (2000). It was the first feature-length film by the animation studio Aardman Animations, and grossed about 224.8 million dollars at the worldwide box office. The film broke a record as the highest-grossing stop-motion film in film history. It has retained this record into the 2020s. This was one of Staunton's most commercially successful films.
Staunton portrayed the malevolent wife Conchita Flynn in the comedy film "Rat" (2000), loosely based on the novella "The Metamorphosis" (1915) by Franz Kafka. In the film, a normal working-class man inexplicably shape-shifts into a rat. His family both turns against him, and tries to profit from his condition. Staunton portrayed the supporting character of police superintendent Janine in the romantic comedy film "Crush" (2001). In the film, middle-aged schoolmistress Kate Scales (played by Andie MacDowell) starts dating a man in his twenties, who was once her student. Janine and another of Kate's friends try to figure out whether the man genuinely loves Kate, or is simply manipulating her. When the man is killed in a traffic accident, the two friends try to help a pregnant Kate with some serious life decisions.
Staunton portrayed the main character Vera Drake in the period drama "Vera Drake" (2004). In the film, Vera is a middle-aged house cleaner who provides illegal abortions for young women during the early 1950s. She provides her services free of charge, and is unaware that her partner is getting payments for arranging meetings with Vera. When Vera is arrested following the near-death of one of her patients, people who previously depended on her kindness are left distraught. Staunton won the "BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role" for this role, and was nominated for the "Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama". The film was met with general critical praise, despite some criticism for its inaccurate portrayal of real-life abortion methods.
Staunton portrayed Ambassador Cochran in the thriller film "Shadow Man" (2006), one of the few genuine allies of the protagonist Jack Foster (played by Steven Seagal). In the film, Jack is a retired CIA agent. Following the disappearance and suspected death of his father-in-law, Jack is mistakenly thought to have the formula for a biological weapon which his father-in-law had stolen. Jack finds himself targeted by multiple intelligent agents and organizations, including several of his former friends and allies. The film was set entirely in Bucharest, Romania, though it was based on a script intended for a period film about post-World War II Japan.
Staunton next portrayed Dolores Umbridge in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007). Staunton's performance was praised by critics, and she was nominated in the "British Actress in a Supporting Role" category at the London Film Critics Circle Awards. Dolores as a character has been praised as one of the better villains from the "Harry Potter" series, because her brand of "authoritarian evil" was reportedly more relatable than Lord Voldemort and his abstract plans. Staunton herself claimed that her performance as Dolores was inspired primarily by her views on the behavior of the controversial Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013, term 1979-1990).
Staunton portrayed motel owner Sonia Teichberg in the comedy-drama film "Taking Woodstock" (2009). In the film, the motel of the Teichberg family is about to be foreclosed by their bank, and their young son is desperate to raise enough money to save the family business. Following a series of the son's money-making schemes, he learns that Sonia had hid nearly 100,000 dollars in her closet and could single-handedly save the motel if she was willing to spend it. Motivating him to strike out on his own. The film was an adaptation of the memoir "Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life" (2007) by Elliot Tiber, one of the people involved in organizing the Woodstock music festival (1969).
Staunton portrayed the housekeeper Maud Hill in the supernatural drama "The Awakening". In the film, a skeptic writer investigates ghost sightings at a boarding school in Cumbria during the early 1920s. She realized belatedly that the boarding house's building used to be her family's residence during her childhood, that the ghost in question was her murdered half-brother, and that Maud used to be her father's mistress. Maud had invited her there in order to kill her and to turn her into the building's newest ghost. The film was praised by critics as an atmospheric, ghost story, though its resolution was thought to be predictable.
Staunton voiced Margaret Claus in the Christmas animated film "Arthur Christmas" (2011). In the film, a family has used the hereditary title of "Santa Claus" for many generations, and the current Santa (Malcolm) is the 20th one. When a child's present is accidentally lost, Malcolm is indifferent to the situation, and Steven (his cynical eldest son and business-manager) considers this to be an acceptable error. But his idealistic younger son Arthur sets out to personally deliver the present, using an outdated wooden sleigh that had been out of use for nearly a century. As the inexperienced gift-bringer tries to complete his mission, Malcolm tries to hide the situation from his wife Margaret while starting to realize that he was never suited for a leadership position. The film earned 147,4 million at the worldwide box office. It was nominated for an Annie Award for the Best Animated Feature.
Staunton voiced Queen Victoria in the animated swashbuckler film "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!" (2012). In the film, the new queen regnant is in conflict with a group of unorthodox pirates, while trying to secure ownership of the last-living dodo bird. Assisting Victoria in her efforts is the young scientist Charles Darwin (voiced by David Tennant). The film earned about 123,1 million dollars at the worldwide box office. It was nominated for an "Academy Award for Best Animated Feature", but lost to the fantasy film "Brave".
Staunton portrayed the Welsh activist Hefina Headon (1930-2013) in the period film "Pride" (2014). The film dramatized the UK miners' strike (1984-1985) and the formation of the activist organization "Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners". The activists organized fund-raising efforts to help the impoverished miners and their families. Staunton was nominated for the "BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role" for this role, but lost to Patricia Arquette.
Staunton portrayed the protective pixie Knotgrass in the fantasy film "Maleficent" (2014). Her character was based on the fairy Flora from the animated film "Sleeping Beauty" (1959), but Knotgrass was intentionally depicted as an inept counterpart to the original character. Knotgrass is one of the legal guardians of the human girl Aurora (played by Elle Fanning), but turns out to be a neglectful parent figure. The film grossed over 758 million dollars at the worldwide box-office, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2014. It was also one of the highest-grossing film's in Staunton's career.
Staunton voiced Aunt Lucy in the comedy film "Paddington" (2014). Her character was portrayed as the aunt and surrogate mother of Paddington Bear. After being widowed in an earthquake, Lucy encourages Paddington to migrate to London, where her only human friend once lived. The film earned 282.8 million dollars at the worldwide box office, and was nominated for a "Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film".
Staunton portrayed the leading role of the aristocrat Sandra Abbott, Lady Abbott in the romantic comedy film "Finding Your Feet" (2017). In the film, Sandra finds out that her husband is cheating on her, and then decides to move in with her estranged, free-spirited older sister Bif (played by Celia Imrie). They bond for a while, just before Bif dies from lung cancer. When Sandra's husband tries to reconcile with her, Sandra is no longer interested in leading a conventional life by his side. The film won the won the "Audience Award for Best Film" at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Staunton portrayed the aristocrat Lady Maud Bagshaw in the historical drama "Downton Abbey" (2019). Her character was depicted as a lady-in-waiting to Mary of Teck, Queen consort of the United Kingdom (1867-1953, term 1910-1936). Maud was portrayed as an estranged cousin to Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham (played by Hugh Bonneville). Maud schemed to allow her property to be inherited by her own illegitimate daughter, rather than by her cousin and his heirs. The Crawley family starts scheming an advantageous marriage of their widowed son-in-law Tom Branson to Maud's heiress. The film was a continuation of the historical drama series "Downton Abbey" (2010-2015), which followed the lives of an aristocratic family of Yorkshire and their efforts to maintain or to increase their wealth. The film earned 194.7 million at the worldwide box office.
Staunton returned to the role of Lady Maud Bagshaw in the sequel film "Downton Abbey: A New Era" (2022). The film opens with Maud marrying her illegitimate daughter Lucy Smith to Tom Branson. The film subsequently deals with the last days in the life of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (played by Maggie Smith), and with her son's increasing doubts about his own paternity. The film earned 92.3 million dollars at the worldwide box office. The film was nominated for the "Golden Rooster Award for Best Foreign Language Film" in China.
By 2022, Staunton was 66-years-old. She is no longer the up-and-coming stage star of the 1980s. She is considered a respected veteran of the theater and the film industry. She maintains a cult following among fans of fantasy films, animated films, and period films set primarily in the 19th century or the 20th century. She has had an ever-increasing number of well-received roles in films of these types, and she seems likely to continue her film career.- Actress
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Laura-Leigh was born on 9 January 1991. She is an actress and assistant director, known for Under the Silver Lake (2018), Blue Bloods (2010) and We're the Millers (2013).- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Joey Lauren Adams is an American actress and director. Adams appeared in several Kevin Smith View Askewniverse films, including Chasing Amy, for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. Adams was born in North Little Rock, Arkansas, the youngest of three children. Her father was a lumber yard owner. Adams grew up in the Overbrook neighborhood of North Little Rock and graduated from North Little Rock Northeast High School in 1986. She announced her intention to pursue acting after one year as an exchange student in Australia.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
David Costabile was born on 9 January 1967 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Lincoln (2012), Billions (2016) and Breaking Bad (2008). He has been married to Eliza Baldi since 25 June 2012. They have two children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
One of the great movie villains, Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. was born in Somerville, New Jersey, to Marion Lavinia (Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. His parents were of Dutch ancestry. Van Cleef started out as an accountant. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and sub chasers during World War II. After the war he worked as an office administrator, becoming involved in amateur theatrics in his spare time. An audition for a professional role led to a touring company job in "Mr. Roberts". His performance was seen by Stanley Kramer, who cast him as henchman Jack Colby in High Noon (1952), a role that brought him great
recognition despite the fact that he had no dialogue. For the next decade, he played a string of memorably villainous characters, primarily in westerns but also in crime dramas such as The Big Combo (1955). His hawk nose and steely, slit eyes seemed destined to keep him always in the realm of heavies, but in the mid 1960s Sergio Leone cast him as the tough but decent Col. Mortimer opposite Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More (1965). A new career as a western hero (or at least anti-hero) opened up, and Van Cleef became an
international star, though in films of decreasing quality. In the 1980s, he moved easily into action and martial-arts movies and starred in The Master (1984), a TV series featuring almost non-stop martial arts action. He died of a heart attack in December 1989 and was buried at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Kerris Lilla Dorsey (born January 9, 1998) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Paige Whedon in the television series Brothers & Sisters, Casey Beane, Billy Beane's (Brad Pitt) daughter, in the 2011 film Moneyball, and as Emily Cooper in the 2014 film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Dorsey plays Bridget Donovan, the daughter of the title character, in the television series Ray Donovan.
In Moneyball she performs a cover of Lenka's song "The Show", which is included on the soundtrack to the film.
In 2012, Dorsey guest starred on the Disney Channel series Shake it Up as Kat, a girl who elaborates a plan to get on Shake It Up Chicago by befriending Cece Jones. Kat pressures them to tell Gary to hire her as an intern on the show. Kat is successful in getting on the show but at the end of the episode, she moves to New York to join Shake It Up New York, although the email she had received was a fake email sent by CeCe in the episode "Copy Kat It Up!"
Dorsey has also appeared in the films Walk the Line and Just Like Heaven. She played a supporting role in the American Girl film McKenna Shoots For the Stars as McKenna Brooks's reading tutor, Josie.
Dorsey guest starred as Molly in one episode in Don't Trust the B- in Apartment 23, and had a small role in Sons of Anarchy as Ellie Winston. In 2012, she gained a supporting role as Sadie in the Disney Channel Original Movie Girl vs. Monster. Dorsey stars as Bridget Donovan on the Showtime crime drama series Ray Donovan.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
The lovely Susannah York, a gamine, blue-eyed, cropped-blonde British actress, displayed a certain crossover star quality when she dared upon the Hollywood scene in the early 1960s. A purposefully intriguing, enigmatic and noticeably uninhibited talent, she was born Susannah Yolande Fletcher on January 9, 1939 in Chelsea, London, but raised in a remote village in Scotland. Her parents divorced when she was around 6. Attending Marr College, she trained for acting at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, winning the Ronson Award for most promising student. She then performed classical repertory and pantomime in her early professional career.
Making an impression on television in 1959 opposite Sean Connery in a production of "The Crucible" as Abigail Williams to his John Proctor, the moon-faced beauty progressed immediately to ingénue film roles, making her debut as the daughter of Alec Guinness in the classic war drama Tunes of Glory (1960). She emerged quickly as a worthy co-star with the sensitively handled coming-of age drama Loss of Innocence (1961), the more complex psychodrama Freud (1962), as a patient to Montgomery Clift's famed psychoanalyst, and the bawdy and robust 18th century tale Tom Jones (1963), with Susannah portraying the brazenly seductive Sophie, one of many damsels lusting after the bed-hopping title rogue Albert Finney.
Susannah continued famously both here and in England in both contemporary and period drama opposite the likes of Warren Beatty, William Holden, Paul Scofield and Dirk Bogarde. Susannah was a new breed. Free-spirited and unreserved, she had no trouble at all courting controversy in some of the film roles she went on to play. She gained special notoriety as the child-like Alice in her stark, nude clinches with severe-looking executive Coral Browne in the lesbian drama
The Killing of Sister George (1968). A few years later, she and Elizabeth Taylor traveled similar territory with X, Y and Zee (1972).
Award committees also began favoring her; she won the BAFTA film award as well as Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for her delusional Jean Harlow-like dance marathon participant in the grueling Depression-era film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). Her crazy scene in the shower with Oscar-winner Gig Young was particularly gripping and just one of many highlights in the acclaimed film. She also copped a Cannes Film Festival award for her performance in Images (1972) playing another troubled character barely coping with reality. On television, she was Emmy-nominated for her beautifully nuanced Jane Eyre (1970) opposite George C. Scott's Rochester.
Susannah's film career started to lose ground into the 1970s as she continued her pursuit of challengingly offbeat roles as opposed to popular mainstream work. The film adaptations of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s Happy Birthday, Wanda June (1971) opposite Rod Steiger and Jean Genet's The Maids (1975) with Glenda Jackson were not well-received. Her performances in such films as
Gold (1974), Conduct Unbecoming (1975) which starred another famous York (Michael York), That Lucky Touch (1975), Sky Riders (1976) and The Shout (1978) were overlooked, as were the films themselves. In the one highly popular movie series she appeared in, the box-office smashes Superman (1978) and its sequel Superman II (1980), she had literally nothing to do as Lara, the wife of Marlon Brando's Jor-El and birth mother of the superhero. While the actress continued to pour out a number of quality work assignments in films and television, she failed to recapture her earlier star glow.
Wisely, Susannah began extending her talents outside the realm of film acting. Marrying writer Michael Wells in 1960, she focused on her personal life, raising their two children for a time. The couple divorced in 1980. In the 1970s, she wrote the children's books "In Search of Unicorns" and "Lark's Castle". She also found time to direct on stage and wrote the screenplay to one of her film vehicles Falling in Love Again (1980). On stage Susannah performed in such one-woman shows as "Independent State", 'Picasso's Women", "The Human Voice" and "The Loves of Shakespeare's Women", while entertaining such wide and varied theatre challenges as "Peter Pan" (title role), "Hamlet" (as Gertrude), "Camino Real", "The Merry Wives of Windsor", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "Private Lives", "Agnes of God" and the title role in "Amy's View".
At the age of 67, Susannah showed up once again on film with a delightful cameo role in The Gigolos (2006), and seemed ripe for a major comeback, perhaps in a similar vein to the legendary Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Helen Mirren. Sadly, it was not to be. Diagnosed with bone marrow cancer, the actress died on January 15, 2011, six days after her 72nd birthday. Her final films, Franklyn (2008) and The Calling (2009), proved that she still possessed the magnetism of her earlier years.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Omari Latif Hardwick was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Joyce (Johnson) and Clifford Hardwick III, and grew up in Decatur, GA. His parents gave him a name to set a precedent, "Omari" meaning "most high," and "Latif" meaning "gentle." He shares, "I in no way believe that I am the highest or most high, but I feel like my name gives me something to strive for." Growing up, sports were Hardwick's world, but early on he knew he had a passion for the arts. By the age of fourteen, Hardwick was writing poetry on a regular basis, a passion he would carry with him into adulthood. In high school, he excelled at basketball, baseball, and football, and went on to play football at the University of Georgia. Although a star on the field, Hardwick never gave up his passion for acting, and minored in theatre in college. He shares, "I hugely attribute sports to my success in entertainment business. Being on the field taught me dedication and discipline - I already came from a strict household when I was growing up, sports just took that to another level. Whenever I approach a set, I always feel as though the cast, crew, director, are all part of a team. I have always married athletics and art, two huge parts of my life."
After graduation, Hardwick relocated to San Diego for a spot on the San Diego Chargers (NFL) however a knee injury cut his football career short. He decided to revisit his original passion for acting, and moved to New York to study his craft more extensively. In New York, Hardwick studied off Broadway until 2000, when he made the move to Los Angeles. As a struggling actor, he worked odd jobs to pay for acting classes, however the security gigs and substitute teaching at times were not enough to make ends meet, and at one point he lived out of his car. Hardwick shares, "what is so crazy, is that where I presently shoot my series 'Dark Blue,' is where I lived in my car when I first moved to Los Angeles. It is surreal at times."
Hardwick's first big break came in 2003, when he was cast in his first major role as a series regular in Spike Lee's Sucker Free City. Two years later, he landed the feature The Guardian and TNT's Saved - both of which he booked within a three-week span in 2005. He notes, "I felt like I had arrived when I went back to one of my odd jobs that had let me go several years prior, and I looked out over Sunset Boulevard right next to the Chateau Marmont, and saw myself plastered on a billboard overlooking the city. I had to break down a little at that point, it was a big moment for me." Throughout 2007 - 2009 Hardwick worked on various projects, including guest starring on several television series, and filming several movies including Summit Entertainment's Next Day Air and Touchstone Picture's Miracle at St. Anna. In 2008 he landed the role of "Ty Curtis" on the TNT series Dark Blue. Season 1 aired throughout 2009.
His continued success came when he was cast as the lead of the Starz series Power. Omari's performance is critically lauded, and the show went on to produce multiple spinoffs for the network. Having reached a new level of stardom, Omari can most recently be seen in Boots Riley's critically acclaimed Sorry to Bother You, Nobody's Fool opposite Tiffany Haddish, Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead for Netflix, and opposite Toni Collette in Pieces of Her, also for Netflix. He'll next be seen in Netflix projects The Mothership, opposite Halle Berry, and The Mother, opposite Jennifer Lopez.
In addition to acting, Hardwick is a founding member of Plan B Inc. Theater Group, and a co-founder of Los Angeles Actor's Lounge. He has big plans for his production company, Bravelife, in 2010 as well, and plans on expanding the company. Hardwick also continues to work on his poetry, and has written over 4,000 poems.- Megan West was born on 9 January 1991 in Houston, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for This Is Us (2016), How to Get Away with Murder (2014) and Person of Interest (2011).
- Born January 9th, 1988, American actress and model Caitlin McGee always had an interest for acting. But it was only in her later years that she started. Prior to pursuing her career in acting, Caitlin McGee attended College. She enrolled in two programs at Wagner College, which included Theater Performance and Speech. She completed all of the requirements and she graduated from the institution with her Bachelor's Degree. McGee is best known for her role as Sydney Strait. She has played many roles. She will also be appearing along side Topher Grace and Jimmy Tatro in the upcoming ABC comedy pilot, Home Economics.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Steve is an actor born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
He attended the Vancouver Film School acting program, before moving to Toronto where he was cast in TV shows like Blue Mountain State (2010), Hemlock Grove (2013) and Haven (2010).
He is known for his role as Nick Sorrentino in the TV series "Bitten" (2014).- Actor
- Producer
Sope Dirisu was born on 9 January 1991 in Edgware, London, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for Slow Horses (2022), His House (2020) and Gangs of London (2020).- John Doman was born on 9 January 1945 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor, known for The Wire (2002), The Affair (2014) and Borgia (2011). He has been married to Elizabeth Donnelly since 12 July 2019. He was previously married to Linda Lee Rudloff.
- Actress
- Producer
Born in Dallas, Texas, K Callan's first professional job was at the
Margo Jones Theatre. She first gained national attention as Peter Boyle's
mousy wife in the legendary Joe (1970). Her career includes film,
television and theater. Other memorable films include American Gigolo (1980) and
A Touch of Class (1973). A regular guest star in countless television movies and
series, her favorite television roles include the lesbian Veronica in
the Emmy-winning "Cousin Liz" episode of All in the Family (1971), Superman's mom on
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993) and the wife of an Alzheimer's patient on Nip/Tuck (2003).
Callan is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences,
the Television Academy and is a past Board Member of the Screen Actors
Guild. In addition to her work as an actor, she has also authored a
string of showbiz reference books: "How to Sell Yourself as an Actor",
"The Script is Finished, Now What do I Do?", "Directing Your Directing
Career", "The Los Angeles Agent Book" and "The New York Agent
Book".- Actor
- Soundtrack
Bob Denver was attending college at Loyola-Marymount University, in Los
Angeles, when he got into acting. At first, Denver wasn't sure he
wanted to be an actor, but gradually gave in, deciding that's what he
was going to do for a career. Before he became established, he worked
as a mailman and teacher. He then got a screen test for the part of
Maynard G. Krebs and to his surprise won the part. After four years on
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959), Denver got his most famous part of Gilligan, in Gilligan's Island (1964). After
Gilligan's three-year run ended he did a few other television shows
(including the Gilligan wannabe Dusty's Trail (1973)) and Broadway plays. On
September 2, 2005, he died of complications related to cancer treatment
at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina. He had
most recently lived in Princeton, West Virgina. He is survived by his
wife Dreama Perry Denver, and four children.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Kimberly Beck became familiar to American audiences in 1965 as Kim, the deaf-mute daughter of David (William Smithers) and Doris Shuster (Gail Kobe) in the TV hit series "Peyton Place"; she is the sole witness to the accidental death of Joe Chernak (Don Quine) which soon becomes a murder trial that sends Rodney Harrington (Ryan O'Neal) to jail.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Angela Bettis is an American film and stage actress, film producer, and director best known for her lead roles in the 2002 TV adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie, the title character in May (2002), and in Girl, Interrupted.
In addition to her work in film, Bettis also starred in two Broadway productions: The Father in 1996 with Frank Langella, and as Abigail Williams in a 2002 revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible alongside Liam Neeson and Laura Linney.
Her debut role was a lead in the romantic tragedy, Sparrow, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, at the age of 18. She later went on to star in a film called The Last Best Sunday, before supporting Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted and Kim Basinger in Bless the Child.
In 2002, she starred as Abigail Williams in a production of The Crucible on Broadway alongside Laura Linney and Liam Neeson. Bettis is most famous for her work in independent horror films, and especially her working relationship with writer/director Lucky McKee. Her title role in McKee's 2002 film May won her something of a cult following. Since then, she has appeared in McKee's Masters of Horror episode, "Sick Girl", and provided a voice-over for his film The Woods. In 2006, their May roles reversed, when McKee acted for Bettis in her directorial debut, Roman, based on a McKee script. In 2011, she played a major role in McKee's adaptation of Jack Ketchum's The Woman.
Bettis starred as Carrie White in Carrie, a made-for-TV remake of Brian De Palma's 1976 classic, and headlined Tobe Hooper's Toolbox Murders, an in-name-only remake of an obscure 1970s horror film. She also starred in the crime thriller Scar.[2] She had a guest role on the TV show Dexter's fifth season as Emily Birch, the first victim of Jordan Chase.- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital
in Reading, United Kingdom. She is the oldest of three children with a
younger sister, Philippa ("Pippa") Charlotte and a younger brother,
James William. Her mother Carole worked as a flight attendant while her father Michael worked as a flight dispatcher, both for the British Airways. They married on June 21, 1980 and founded Party Pieces, a successful mail order company that sells party supplies and decorations in 1987. Catherine and her family moved to Amman in Jordan in 1984 where her father worked for the British Airways for two and a half years. Catherine and her sister, Philippa, attended a nursery school in Jordan. In 1986, Catherine and her family returned to their home in West Berkshire, United Kingdom, where she started St. Andrew's School in Pangbourne and remained there until 1995. Catherine went on to Marlborough College Wiltshire, where she studied Chemistry, Biology and Art at A-level. She also took part in sporty activities such as tennis, hockey, netball and athletics.
At the age of 18, Catherine undertook a gap year, where she studied at
the British Institute in Florence, Italy and participated in a Raleigh
International programme in Chile. She also joined as a crew member on
Round the World Challenge Boats in the Solent. In 2001, Catherine enrolled at the University of Saint Andrews in Fife, Scotland and graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 in History of Art. During her time at university, she continued her interest in sport by playing hockey for the university team. It was also at university where Catherine met her future husband, Prince William of Wales. Since she completed her university degree, Catherine worked for her parents' company, Party Pieces, as well as a part-time buyer in Jigsaw Junior in London.
In October 2010, during a private holiday in Kenya, her long term boyfriend, Prince William of Wales of Wales, proposed with his mother's engagement ring. The engagement was publicly announced on November 16, 2010 at a press conference and photo call in the State Rooms of St. James Palace in London. A pre-recorded TV interview with the couple followed. They married on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London and Catherine was formally titled The Duchess of Cambridge, Countess of Strathearn, and Baroness Carrickfergus. The Duchess of Cambridge has been branded a style icon with many of her outfits selling out. Ranked #8 on Tatler's list of best dressed women in 2007. Vanity Fair named her #1 Best Dressed in 2010, 2011, and 2012, while UK Harper's Bazaar named her #1 Best Dressed in 2011. The Duchess of Cambridge is patron of Action on Addiction and the National Portrait Gallery, and royal patron of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and The Art Room. She is also a volunteer with the Scout Association.
With the Death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8 2022, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge has become Catherine, Princess of Wales.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Deon Cole was born on 9 January 1972 in Roseland, Cook County, Chicago, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Black-ish (2014), The Harder They Fall (2021) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016).- Rona-Lee Shim'on (Ramat Gan, Israel, January 9, 1983), is an Israeli actress, known primarily for her leading role in Fauda. Her character in Fauda, Nurit, is the only woman in an elite unit formed almost exclusively by men. To perform that role she had to learn Krav maga. In 2020, she appeared in the cast of Messiah.
- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
David John Matthews is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record label owner. He is best known as the lead vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist for the Dave Matthews Band (DMB). Matthews was born in Johannesburg, and moved frequently among South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States while growing up. Matthews started playing acoustic guitar at the age of nine.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Jade Eshete was born on 9 January 1985 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Really Love (2020), Billions (2016) and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016).- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Bob Peterson was born in Wooster, Ohio, USA, in 1961. He studied
mechanical engineering at Ohio Northern University, where he took
computer graphics courses and graduated in 1983. He continued his
studies in mechanical engineering at Purdue University where he earned
a master's degree in 1986. While a student, he wrote and drew a cartoon
strip called "Loco Motives". Before joining Pixar in 1994, he worked at
Wavefront Technologies, Inc. and Rez-n-8 Productions.- Born on January 9, 1931, in Los Angeles, California, Patrick (Pat)
Douglas Conway was the son of Hollywood "royalty"-film
actor/director/producer Hugh ("Jack") Ryan Conway and his second wife,
Virginia C. Bushman Conway, daughter of famous silent screen star
Francis X. Bushman. Pat was a real cowboy, growing up on his father's
125-acre Pacific Palisades ranch where he learned to ride and rope
before he was 10, and helping with his father's cattle herd. After
graduating from Menlo Junior College at San Francisco, he studied
acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, then traveled to London to study
Shakespearean theater for six months at the famous Old Vic. He served a
hitch in the U. S. Marine Corps before returning to Hollywood and a
contract with MGM.
Pat played a number of roles in several movies and television shows in
the early 1950s. Then at the age of 26, the handsome 6'3", blue-eyed,
dark-haired, 175-pound actor landed the role for which he is best
known, that of Sheriff Clay Hollister, the young, tough but fair
sheriff of Tombstone in pre-statehood Arizona in the weekly TV series
"Tombstone Territory." He was originally cast to play the deputy in the
series but was promoted to the starring role when the director saw his
potential; they had to reshoot the first episode as a result. The
series ran from Oct. 16, 1957, through July 1960; Conway starred in all
92 episodes. Published interviews from the era describe the young actor
as "nice", "shy", and "serious" about his acting. His hobbies included
reading, cooking, music, sailing and skin diving; he admitted to being
a solitary individual. When "Tombstone Territory" ended, he was busy
making guest appearances in many of the western series then populating
the airwaves, including "Gunsmoke", "Rawhide" and "Bonanza." He also
appeared in two movies ("Geronimo" in 1962 and "Brighty of the Grand
Canyon" in 1967). His final appearances were in 1975 in "The Streets of
San Francisco" and the television movie "The Abduction of Saint Anne."
He died on April 24, 1981, in Santa Barbara County, California, at the
age of 50. - Julia Dietze was born on 9 January 1981 in Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, France. She is an actress, known for Iron Sky (2012), Iron Sky: The Coming Race (2019) and 1 1/2 Ritter - Auf der Suche nach der hinreißenden Herzelinde (2008).
- Savannah is a 5ft 10 inch Australian Actress, Model, and Dancer that has dual AUS/USA Citizenship. She recently worked her first job is USA as "Kate," the newcomer to the Sirens High School Basketball team on Big Shot Season 2. She is lead cast "Bodhi Mercer" in Netflix Australian Surfing Series 'Surviving Summer' and supporting lead role "Ash-Ash" in the Australian Feature Film 'Bosch & Rockit.' Receiving 5 International Awards for Best Performance for her role in 2018 as 'Elke' in Short Horror 'Here There Be Monsters.' She received hundreds of reviews including "Savannah Foran-McDaniel produced a performance worthy of an Oscar." 2014 she Graced our screens as Young Mermaid 'Niai' on Season 3 of the Children's TV show 'Mako Secret Island' and as a 'Bad as Ballerina' on 'Nickelodeon Slime Cup' in 2017. She has worked on 6 Episodes of 'Totally Wild' as a guest presenter, many short films, TVC's Music Videos and Feature Films.
- Producer
- Writer
- Art Director
An accomplished and award-winning producer-director-writer-actor-singer, Farhan Akhtar is the ultimate Bollywood multi-hyphenate.
Born in 1974 to prolific Indian film writer and poet, Javed Akhtar and writer-director, Honey Irani , Farhan was raised in an environment where creativity and originality of thought were encouraged. This has made him a maverick whose films reflect refreshingly new content that easily strikes a chord with filmgoers.
In 1999, Farhan collaborated with Ritesh Sidhwani, a friend who shared his passion for good cinema, to form Excel Entertainment, a production banner that has become synonymous with excellence in film-making.
Debuting at the age of 26, as a writer, director, and producer with Dil Chahta Hai (2001) a coming-of-age film that has gained cult status, Farhan came to be lauded for his honest, path-breaking writing and his ability to extract mature performances from his cast. The film won Farhan his first National Award for 'Best Hindi Feature Film' along with Filmfare awards for 'Best Feature Film - Critics Choice' and 'Best Screenplay'.
Almost two decades later, this film continues to influence a generation of filmmakers.
Seven years after his dream debut as a writer-director, Farhan debuted as an actor-singer in Rock On!! (2008) Yet another runaway success, the film secured him a second National Award for 'Best Hindi Feature Film' and a Filmfare award for 'Best Debut Performance'.
The dream run continued with Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) which released in 2011 to much popular and critical acclaim, winning him three Filmfare awards for 'Best Film', 'Best Actor in a supporting role' and 'Best Dialogue'.
His next, a biopic on Indian athlete Milkha Singh, popularly known as 'the Flying Sikh', was entitled Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013).
He essayed the role with such integrity that it set the standard for other actors considering to play titular protagonists in biopics. Deservingly, Farhan swept all awards that year for 'Best Actor' as did the film for 'Best Film'. It also claimed the National award for 'Best Popular Film providing Wholesome Entertainment.'
His most recent release The Sky Is Pink (2019) premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and received a 15-minute standing ovation from the audience at the Roy Thomson Hall.
In addition to his contribution to Indian cinema, Farhan has initiated and supported a plethora of social causes. In 2012, he founded MARD (Men against Rape & Discrimination), an initiative that raises awareness about gender-related issues amongst the youth of India. Recognizing his sustained efforts, Farhan was made the first male UNwomen goodwill ambassador (South Asia) in 2014.
Additionally, Farhan feeds his passion for music by writing, composing and performing live with his band FarhanLive.
His English language debut album 'Echoes' released in March 2019 to critical acclaim.
He has 2 daughters and lives in Mumbai, India.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
New York City born David Johansen sang in Rock & Roll dance bands as a
teenager, joining Charles Ludlum's Ridiculous Theater and starting the
New York Dolls.
The highly influential Dolls made two iconic Rock & Roll records before
disbanding in the mid seventies. At this time he created the David
Johansen Group which recorded six highly acclaimed albums and toured
hits such as "Funky but Chic" for the next ten years. Simultaneously he
began performing Jump Blues, Calypso, and "Pre-Hayes code Rock & Roll"
under the name Buster Poindexter The success of these shows led to
Buster Poindexter's touring four swinging internationally acclaimed
CD's.
During this time, in addition to his musical career, Johansen started
appearing in various movies , including Let It Ride (1989) and Scrooged (1988), as
well as making various television appearances, including a season on
Saturday Night Live (1975).- Actor
- Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Patrick Sabongui was born in Montreal, Quebec, on January 9, 1975, to a psychologist and a French teacher/librarian. Patrick has three older brothers and a younger sister and grew up in a trilingual household, speaking French, English and Arabic. On television, you've seen him regularly as Captain David Singh on CW's The Flash (2014), in film you'd recognize him as Master Sargeant Marcus Waltz in Godzilla (2014) and The Persian General from 300 (2006).
In the theatre, on regional stages he is known for the Canadian premiere of Ayad Akhtar's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Disgraced" (2015) and for originating the role of Foster Bryant in the World Premiere production of "Inside the Seed" (2013).
His background as a competitive athlete, martial-artist, and mountaineer has added a dimension of action to many of his roles. His most recent project is series regular, Hassan Al Afshar, on Sony/Crackle's first original drama, The Art of More (2015) starring Dennis Quaid, Kate Bosworth, Cary Elwes and Christian Cooke.
Sabongui earned a BFA in Drama for Human Development from Concordia University, Montreal (2000); a collegiate degree in Drama from Vanier College, Montreal (1997); a Certificate from the National Theatre Conservatory Intensive, Colorado (2002); and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting from the University of California (2005). Throughout his training, he continued to work professionally on stage and on screen: playing the title role in Hamlet in 1993 in an award-winning production at Vanier College and continuing to accumulate roles in films and on TV.
He appeared in a landmark episode of E-Ring (2005) (opposite Benjamin Bratt), then later that year he landed a role in 300 (2006), and guest-starred on 24 (2001) (opposite Kiefer Sutherland).
Since then, he has worked with such influential directors as Steven Spielberg, Zack Snyder (3 times), Gareth Edwards, Tarsem Singh, David Nutter, John Cassar, Richard Donner, Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard, Roland Emmerich, Gary Fleder, as well as various directors who cycled through seasons of Stargate: Atlantis (2004), The Flash (2014), and The Art of More (2015).
Sabongui is also the writer, producer, and director of several award-winning short films and plays and continues to develop new works as a filmmaker and theatre artist.- Actress
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
Rhoda Griffis has acted in more than 150 Film and Television projects, such as WALK THE LINE, ROAD TRIP, THE BLIND SIDE, RUNAWAY JURY, JUST MERCY and THE BANKER.
Television credits include series ARMY WIVES, DROP DEAD DIVA, FEAR THE WALKING DEAD, MINDHUNTER and recently THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES and OZARK.
Her extensive list of Regional Theatre credits include leading roles in MACBETH, RICHARD III, ANGELS IN AMERICA, PROOF, INTIMATE APPAREL, COLLECTED STORIES and DINNER WITH FRIENDS.
Rhoda had the honor of playing friend of the Iconic Dolly Parton in A DOLLY PARTON MAGICAL MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS.
Ms Griffis holds a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where she serves on the Board of Directors. Rhoda loves being a working actor.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Handsome, dapper Argentine-born actor who came to Hollywood as a
romantic lead in several colourful MGM extravaganzas and then succeeded
in living up to his Latin Lover image in real life. Lamas studied drama
at school in his native country and later enrolled in a law course at
college. His strong leaning towards athletic pursuits prevailed and he
abandoned his studies to take up horse riding, winning trophies fencing
and boxing (middleweight amateur title) and becoming the South American
Freestyle Swimming Champion of 1937. While still in his teens he
appeared on stage, then on radio, and by the age of 24 in his first
motion picture.
All this sporting publicity aroused interest in Hollywood and, in 1951,
Lamas was signed by MGM to charm the likes of
Lana Turner and
Esther Williams in A-grade
productions like
The Merry Widow (1952) and
Dangerous When Wet (1953). He
also spent time 'on loan' to Paramount who featured him in several
Pine-Thomas B-movies, such as the 3-D Technicolour
Sangaree (1953) and
Jivaro (1954). His sole appearance on
Broadway was in the 1957 play
'Happy Hunting'. There was
considerable friction between him and co-star Ethel Merman,
both on and off-stage. Lamas was nonetheless nominated for a Tony Award
as Best Actor, but had the misfortune of coming up against Rex
Harrison's Professor Higgins in 'My Fair Lady'.
In real life, Lamas proudly lived up to his reputation as a ladies man.
With two ex-wives back in Argentina, he conducted well-publicised
affairs with most of his female co-stars, including one with Lana
Turner which began while filming
'The Merry Widow'. Actress Arlene Dahl,
who appeared with him in 'Sangaree' and
The Diamond Queen (1953),
became his third wife, and fellow swimming champion Esther Williams his
fourth.
In 1963, Lamas directed the Spanish film Magic Fountain (1963), with
himself and wife Esther Williams playing the lead roles. From then on,
he began to concentrate on television, alternating between acting
(notable in a recurring role as playboy Ramon de Vega in
Run for Your Life (1965)
and directing episodes of shows like
Mannix (1967),
Alias Smith and Jones (1971),
The Rookies (1972) and
House Calls (1979).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Jody Latham was born on 9 January 1983 in Burnley, Lancashire, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The Silence (2010), EastEnders (1985) and Ruby Blue (2007).- Music Department
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lauryn Alisa McClain was born on 9 January 1997. She is an actress, known for Haunt (2019), 9-1-1: Lone Star (2020) and A.N.T. Farm (2011).- Kai Bradbury was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is of mixed Japanese and Scottish descent.
He grew up speaking Japanese with his mother and spent his 13 years of elementary and high school in a french immersion bilingual program. He discovered acting when he was 14 years old performing in improv shows and later over two dozen plays and musicals around Vancouver.
He has performed in the Vancouver and Edinburgh International Fringe Festivals and went on to graduate from Capilano University's Musical Theater Program in North Vancouver, BC where he trained in acting, singing and dancing.
Kai kicked off his career in Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle" and went on to play in the hit series "Supernatural," "Altered Carbon," "The Boys," "The Terror: Infamy" and Freeform's witch drama "Motherland: Fort Salem." He starred in The CW/CBC Gem action fantasy mini-series "Warigami" as 'Vincent Ohata.'
Kai plays 'Denny Cutler' in the popular romantic drama and Netflix Original series "Virgin River." - Writer
- Actress
- Producer
Amber Ruffin is a writer, executive producer, and host of the Emmy and WGA Award-nominated series The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. She is also an Emmy and WGA Award-nominated writer and performer for NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Ruffin was the first African American female to write for a late-night network talk show in the U.S. She wrote and performed on Comedy Central's "Detroiters" and was a regular narrator on the cabler's "Drunk History." Ruffin was previously a performer at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the iO Theater, and the Second City in Chicago. In addition, she was a writer/performer for the 2018 and 2019 Golden Globe Awards and has written for the series "A Black Lady Sketch Show." Ruffin is a New York Times bestselling author, along with her sister Lacey Lamar, of "You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories of Racism," published by Grand Central Publishing. She is also co-writing the Broadway musical "Some Like it Hot," which will begin performances in 2022. In 2021, Ruffin was named to the 2021 TIME100 Next List, TIME's list of the next 100 most influential people in the world.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Ashley Spencer Taylor Villegas Argota-Torres (or as she refers to as "the longest name ever") started acting at five years old. She appeared in multiple television shows including "The Division", "MAD TV", "The Wayne Brady Show", and "The Shield". At only 10 years old, she became the youngest performer ever to win five times in a row at "Amateur Night at the Apollo", which led to her becoming a Star of Tomorrow at "Showtime At The Apollo". At 11 years old, she toured in Disney's hit Broadway musical, "The Lion King", as Young Nala. She was also a semi-finalist on the Arsenio Hall hosted "Star Search" in 2003, where Ben Stein commented, "This girl has the best stage presence out of any young performer I've ever seen."
Shortly after guest starring on Nickelodeon's "iCarly", Ashley starred as the loyal, quirky, fun-loving assistant, Lulu, on the hit Nickelodeon show "True Jackson, VP". The show ran for three seasons. Directly after filming that show, she booked her second starring role in another Nickelodeon show where she played Kelly in "Bucket and Skinner's Epic Adventures". After filming, she briefly attended her dream school, New York University, before returning to Los Angeles for work. As soon as she came home, Ashley worked on her debut album with songwriter Rebekah White. Her debut single, Limitless, is available on all digital platforms.
Ashley was also fortunate enough to return to her first love, musical theater, in the Lythgoe Family musical production of "Aladdin and His Winter Wish" as Princess Jasmine alongside Ben Vereen and Bruce Vilanch. After that, she filmed a recurring role on Disney XD's number one show, "Lab Rats", where she played the evil bionic soldier, S-1. Her Disney Channel Original Movie, "How To Build A Better Boy", premiered shortly after that to 4.6 million viewers, and became the number one event on the Watch Disney Channel App, with one million people tuning in before the premiere.
After shooting small spots on Freeform's "Chasing Life" and NBC's pilot "Cabot College", produced by Tina Fey, Ashley recurred on Freeform's "The Fosters" as Lou, the lead singer of the band Someone's Little Sister. Due to the amount of fans asking for the music they heard Ashley performing in multiple episodes, Freeform surprised fans (and Ashley!) by releasing a "Someone's Little Sister EP", which included the four songs she sang on the show in her first season. The EP shot to number 18 on the iTunes Alternative chart and broke the Top 100 on the iTunes overall chart.
In between filming more television shows (such as Disney's "Girl Meets World", a series regular role as Abigail on "Liberty Crossing") and films (Sony Pictures "The Cover Versions" as Amber), Ashley has starred in many live stage productions in Los Angeles. For four years, she originated and played the role of Juliet in the Bradley Bredeweg/Rockwell Table and Stage production of "Romeo & Juliet: Love Is A Battlefield" (now known as "Invincible"), a modern take on the classic story of Romeo & Juliet, set to the epic anthems of Pat Benatar. She has also starred in multiple productions at Rockwell Table and Stage in their "Unauthorized Musical Parody" series, playing Regina George in "UMPO: Mean Girls", Allison in "UMPO: Hocus Pocus", Becca in "UMPO: Bridesmaids", Biana Stratford in "UMPO: 10 Things I Hate About You", and Cher Horowitz in "UMPO: Clueless".
In 2019, Ashley and her husband, Mick, started Mismo Productions and released their podcast, also named "Mismo". They interview creatives about their day to day lives in the business to show everyone that no matter where someone is in their careers, we are all uniquely the same-- we're all Mismo. The podcast is has more than 16,000 listens. Mismo Productions also released their first short film, "The Last Flight", a parody of the Michael Jordan documentary, "The Last Dance". It was directed, produced, and edited by Ashley and written by, produced by, and starring Mick. More information about Mismo can be found here.
Ashley often teaches acting classes at Actors Giving Back in Los Angeles, CA and is on the Advisory Committee for The Actor's Fund's "Looking Ahead Program". She is also Taco Bell's number one fan.- Scott Klace was born on 9 January 1961 in Ohio, USA. He is an actor, known for The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), Deja Vu (2006) and The Onion Movie (2008).
- Actress
- Producer
Weronika Rosati is an international actress. Born in 1984 in Warsaw, her Polish-American-Hungarian mother is a famous fashion designer and her Italian father is a respected politician/economist now a deputy at the European Parliament. She has been working in films since she was a teenager. She became a Polish sensation after appearing in numerous popular TV series and achieved both stardom and recognition at the age of 19 with her first silver screen appearance in the lead female role of Gemma in 'Pitbull' - a cop thriller classic.
She attended the prestigious Lodz Film School, and then moved to New York where for two years she studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute. In the meantime, she continued her career in Polish film working with such renowned filmmakers as Krzysztof Zanussi in 'Foreign Body' (which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival), Agnieszka Holland in 'In Darkness' (nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film), and in many other feature films and TV shows. In 2013, Weronika played Pestka, a young Jewish woman trying to save her sister from death, in the World War II-drama 'Manhunt', which received international critical acclaim. The role earned Weronika her first Polish Film Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and won her the Pola Negri Award. Rosati works often in France, where she lived as a child, and also speaks fluent French. She played a lead in a TV film for France 2 television in 'La Dame de Pique' and in Jerome Salle's 'Burma Conspiracy' opposite Tomer Sisley and Sharon Stone.
Her first big break-through in the US came in 2011 when she was cast by Michael Mann in 'Luck', the HBO original TV series starring Dustin Hoffman. She played a poker dealer Naomi , the love interest of Jason Gedrick's character and appeared in four episodes. From then she worked constantly on other TV shows and films including season 2 of 'True Detective', 'NCIS', 'The Iceman' with Michael Shannon, 'Bullet to the Head' opposite Sylvester Stallone, directed by Walter Hill, 'Last Vegas' with Michael Douglas and 'Rosemary's Baby' for NBC.
In 2015, Weronika completed 'USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage', a highly anticipated World War II-drama directed by Mario Van Peebles, where she played the wife of Nicolas Cage's character. She also appeared as a guest star on TBS comedy show 'The Detour', as a French agent in a lead guest role on the popular show 'Supernatural' directed by John Badham, and in a historical epic international co-production 'I'll Find You' directed by Martha Coolidge where she stars opposite Stellan Skarsgaard. In 2020, she co-starred in the critically acclaimed drama 'Never Gonna Snow Again' directed by Malgoska Szumowska and Michal Englert, which premiered in Main competition of the Venice Film Festival.
Rosati is a household name in Europe where she was also a spokesperson for Avon Cosmetics and Pantene, among others. She splits time between Warsaw and Los Angeles.- Prolific character actress born in Secunderabad, British India. A RADA graduate of 1954, Ann Firbank (sometimes credited as 'Annie') made her acting debut at Her Majesty's Theatre in Carlisle that same year. She has performed in numerous classic plays on most of England's great stages, including the Royal Court Theatre, the National Theatre under the direction of Laurence Olivier, the London Old Vic, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. As late as 2012, she was lauded for her ageless stage presence in a production of The Golden Dragon in Bangalore, India.
On the screen, Firbank is best known as Staff Nurse Helen Lloyd in the classic farce Carry on Nurse (1959) and for her starring role as Anne Elliot in Granada TV's 1971 adaptation of Jane Austen's novel Persuasion (1971). She has made a number of notable appearances in other period dramas, including as Amy Robsart, the wife of Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, in Kenilworth (1957); as Mary Quartermaine, whose affections two lovers compete for in an archery contest, in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955); Danish-born Princess/Queen Alexandra in Lillie (1978); the Comtess de Tournay, a refugee from Robespierre's reign of terror, in The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982); as the wife of the callous, intolerant Major Callendar in A Passage to India (1984) and as Lady Anne Boleyn, the maternal great-great grandmother of Elizabeth I (2005) (superbly played by Helen Mirren). More recently, she has portrayed a Tatooine elder in Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) and the elven oracle Ithlinne in The Witcher (2019). She has acted in dozens of TV shows as a guest star, frequently in crime/mystery programs like Danger Man (1960), Maigret (1959), Poirot (1989), Midsomer Murders (1997) and New Tricks (2003). Firbank has also been acclaimed for her 2014 performance as Rebecca Nurse, a woman falsely accused and executed at the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, in Arthur Miller 's The Crucible (2014) at the Old Vic. - Actor
- Director
- Writer
Tim Kelleher was born on 9 January 1956 in Bronx, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Thirteen Days (2000) and Inception (2010). He has been married to Billie Livingston since 16 August 2008.- Born in San Francisco, Paul Mantee started "pretending" when he was
very young, playing at being people like
Humphrey Bogart,
James Cagney. He toiled anonymously in the Hollywood vineyards for several
years; it was this initial lack of success that worked in his favor
when "an unfamiliar face" was sought for
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964).
Most famous for his role in this 1964 sci-fi adventure, Mantee has in
more recent years begun writing magazine articles and novels. - Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Candi Milo is an American actress who is known for her voice acting work on cartoons and video games. She is most well-known for voicing Dr. Nora Wakeman from My Life as a Teenage Robot, Snap from ChalkZone, Nick Dean from Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Dexter from Dexter's Laboratory, Cheese and Coco from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Sweetie Pie from Tiny Toon Adventures and Granny from Looney Tunes.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Conrad Goode, is an American actor, screenwriter, film producer,
musician. An artist who has worked with eleven Academy Award winners. Best known for his
roles in Don't Say a Word (2001), Con Air (1997), Anger Management (2003), Me, Myself & Irene (2000) and The Longest Yard (2005). Conrad got his start in a Miller Lite
commercial with Joe Piscopo, which ironically has led to a career of
working with numerous SNL alums, including Adam Sandler, Chris Rock,
Tracy Morgan, Chris Farley and notably a skit on Saturday Night Live (1975) with Kevin Nealon and the late Jan Hooks.
Conrad wrote, produced and starred along with Laura Bell Bundy and Bailee Madison in the film
Watercolor Postcards (2013) in 2014. The film that was loosely base on his exit from professional football and becoming an artist.
Conrad has appeared in 40 national commercials, one being the famous
Nike Bugs Bunny/Michael Jordan commercial where he was the first human
to touch the animated Bugs.
Conrad is a singer/songwriter/guitarist, a published poet, and a painter. A former professional football
player for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Conrad was an
UPI, Football News 1st team All American, offensive lineman in 1983 out
of the University of Missouri. He was inducted into the University of
Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.