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- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Robert Downey Jr. has evolved into one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. With an amazing list of credits to his name, he has managed to stay new and fresh even after over four decades in the business.
Downey was born April 4, 1965 in Manhattan, New York, the son of writer, director and filmographer Robert Downey Sr. and actress Elsie Downey (née Elsie Ann Ford). Robert's father is of half Lithuanian Jewish, one quarter Hungarian Jewish, and one quarter Irish, descent, while Robert's mother was of English, Scottish, German, and Swiss-German ancestry. Robert and his sister, Allyson Downey, were immersed in film and the performing arts from a very young age, leading Downey Jr. to study at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center in upstate New York, before moving to California with his father following his parents' 1978 divorce. In 1982, he dropped out of Santa Monica High School to pursue acting full time. Downey Sr., himself a drug addict, exposed his son to drugs at a very early age, and Downey Jr. would go on to struggle with abuse for decades.
Downey Jr. made his debut as an actor at the age of five in the film Pound (1970), written and directed by his father, Robert Downey Sr.. He built his film repertoire throughout the 1980s and 1990s with roles in Tuff Turf (1985), Weird Science (1985), True Believer (1989), and Wonder Boys (2000) among many others. In 1992, Downey received an Academy Award nomination and won the BAFTA (British Academy Award) for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of Chaplin (1992).
In Robert Altman's Short Cuts (1993), he appeared as an aspiring film make-up artist whose best friend commits murder. In Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers (1994), with Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis, Downey starred as a tabloid TV journalist who exploits a murderous couple's killing spree to boost his ratings. For the comedy Heart and Souls (1993), Downey starred as a young man with a special relationship with four ghosts. In 1995, Downey starred in Restoration (1995), with Hugh Grant, Meg Ryan and Ian McKellen, directed by Michael Hoffman. Also that year, he starred in Richard III (1995), in which he appears opposite his Restoration (1995) co-star McKellen.
In 1997, Downey was seen in Robert Altman's The Gingerbread Man (1998), alongside Kenneth Branagh, Daryl Hannah and Embeth Davidtz; in One Night Stand (1997), directed by Mike Figgis and starring Wesley Snipes and Nastassja Kinski; and in Hugo Pool (1997), directed by his father, Robert Downey Sr. and starring Sean Penn and Patrick Dempsey. In September of 1999, Downey appeared in Black & White (1999), written and directed by James Toback, along with Ben Stiller, Elijah Wood, Gaby Hoffmann, Brooke Shields and Claudia Schiffer. In January of 1999, he starred with Annette Bening and Aidan Quinn in In Dreams (1999), directed by Neil Jordan.
In 2000, Downey co-starred with Michael Douglas and Tobey Maguire in Wonder Boys (2000), directed by Curtis Hanson. In this dramatic comedy, Downey played the role of a bisexual literary agent. In 2001, Downey made his prime-time television debut when he joined the cast of the Fox-TV series Ally McBeal (1997) as attorney "Larry Paul". For this role, he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, as well as the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Comedy Series. In addition, Downey was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
The actor's drug-related problems escalated from 1996 to 2001, leading to arrests, rehab visits and incarcerations, and he was eventually fired from Ally McBeal (1997). Emerging clean and sober in 2003, Downey Jr. began to rebuild his career.
He marked his debut into music with his debut album, titled "The Futurist", on the Sony Classics Label on November 23rd, 2004. The album's eight original songs, that Downey wrote, and his two musical numbers debuting as cover songs revealed his sultry singing voice and his musical talents. Downey displayed his versatility in two different films in October 2003: the musical/drama The Singing Detective (2003), a remake of the BBC hit of the same name, and the thriller Gothika (2003) starring Halle Berry and Penélope Cruz. Downey starred in powerful yet humbling roles inspired by real-life accounts of some of history's most precious kept secrets, including Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly (2006) in 2006 co-starring Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson, and Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006) co-starring Nicole Kidman, a film inspired by the life of Diane Arbus, the revered photographer whose images captured attention in the early 1960s. These roles exhibited Downey's momentum from the previous year of 2005, in which he starred in the Academy Award®-nominated feature film Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005), directed by George Clooney and in Shane Black's action comedy Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) co-starring Val Kilmer. In 2007, he co-starred in David Fincher's suspenseful Zodiac (2007), alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Ruffalo, about the notorious serial killer who haunted San Francisco during the 1970s.
In May 2008, Downey achieved critical acclaim and worldwide box office success for his starring role in Iron Man (2008), Jon Favreau's big-screen rendering of the Marvel comic book superhero. The film co-starred Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard. In August of 2008, Downey starred with Ben Stiller and Jack Black in the comedy Tropic Thunder (2008), and went on to receive an Academy Award®-nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his, Kirk Lazarus.
In December 2009, Downey starred in the action-adventure Sherlock Holmes (2009). The film, directed by Guy Ritchie, co-starred Jude Law and Rachel McAdams and earned Downey a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical in January of 2010. In early Summer 2010, Downey re-teamed with director Jon Favreau and reprised his role as "Tony Stark/Iron Man" in the hugely successful sequel to the original film, Iron Man 2 (2010), starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Mickey Rourke.
Downey next starred in Due Date (2010), a comedy directed by Todd Phillips, in which he plays the role of an expectant father on a road trip racing to get back in time for the birth of his first child. Due Date (2010), starring The Hangover (2009)'s Zach Galifianakis, was released in November 2010.
Downey was honored by Time Magazine's "Time 100" in 2008, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. His laurels include two Academy Award nominations, three Golden Globe wins, numerous other award nominations and wins, and tremendous popular and commercial success, particularly in his roles as Sherlock Holmes and Tony Stark (the latter of which he has so far played in Iron Man (2008), Iron Man 2 (2010), The Avengers (2012), Iron Man 3 (2013), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). For three consecutive years, from 2012 to 2015, Downey has topped the Forbes list of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, making an estimated $80 million in earnings between June 2014 and June 2015.
In 2005, Downey Jr. married Susan Downey, with whom he has two children. Downey also has another son, Indio Falconer Downey, born 1993, from his first marriage to Deborah Falconer, from whom he was officially divorced in 2004.
Robert has jump-started the Team Downey Production Company with wife Susan Downey.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
James David Rodríguez was born on April 4, 1976. He is the son of Jim Rodríguez and Deborah Collins. Roday was born in San Antonio. He attended Taft High School. He studied theater at New York University's Experimental Theatre Wing, where he earned a bachelor's degree in fine arts. He has acted in several theatrical productions, which include "The Three Sisters," "Twelfth Night," "A Respectable Wedding," and "Severity's Mistress." He starred in the film Rolling Kansas (2003) and appeared in the 2005 film The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) as Billy Prickett, and in the 2006 film Beerfest (2006). Roday and writing partners Todd Harthan and James DeMonaco wrote the screenplay for the film Skinwalkers (2006). Roday's portrayal of Shawn Spencer on the television series Psych (2006) launched him into the public spotlight, and gave rise to numerous fan clubs.- Actor
- Director
- Cinematographer
When hunky, twenty-year-old heart-throb Heath Ledger first came to the attention of the public in 1999, it was all too easy to tag him as a "pretty boy" and an actor of little depth. He spent several years trying desperately to sway this image, but this was a double-edged sword. His work comprised nineteen films, including 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), The Patriot (2000), A Knight's Tale (2001), Monster's Ball (2001), Ned Kelly (2003), The Brothers Grimm (2005), Lords of Dogtown (2005), Brokeback Mountain (2005), Casanova (2005), Candy (2006), I'm Not There (2007), The Dark Knight (2008) and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009). He also produced and directed music videos and aspired to be a film director.
Heath Ledger was born on the fourth of April 1979, in Perth, Western Australia, to Sally (Ramshaw), a teacher of French, and Kim Ledger, a mining engineer who also raced cars. His ancestry was Scottish, English, Irish, and Sephardi Jewish. As the story goes, in junior high school it was compulsory to take one of two electives, either cooking or drama. As Heath could not see himself in a cooking class he tried his hand at drama. Heath was talented, however the rest of the class did not acknowledge his talent. When he was seventeen he and a friend decided to pack up, leave school, take a car and rough it to Sydney. Heath believed Sydney to be the place where dreams were made or, at least, where actors could possibly get their big break. Upon arriving in Sydney with a purported sixty-nine cents to his name, Heath tried everything to get a break.
His first real acting job came in a low-budget movie called Blackrock (1997), a largely unimpressive cliché; an adolescent angst film about one boy's struggle when he learns his best mate raped a girl. He only had a very small role in the film. After that small role Heath auditioned for a role in a T.V. show called Sweat (1996) about a group of young Olympic hopefuls. He was offered one of two roles, one as a swimmer, another as a gay cyclist. Heath accepted the latter because he felt to really stand out as an actor one had to accept unique roles that stood out from the bunch. It got him small notice, but unfortunately the show was quickly axed, forcing him to look for other roles. He was in Home and Away (1988) for a very short period, in which he played a surfer who falls in love with one of the girls of Summer Bay. Then came his very brief role in Paws (1997), a film which existed solely to cash in on guitar prodigy Nathan Cavaleri's brief moment of fame, where he was the hottest thing in Australia. Heath played a student in the film, involved in a stage production of a Shakespeare play, in which he played "Oberon". A very brief role, this offered him a small paycheck but did nothing to advance his career. Then came Two Hands (1999). He went to the U.S. trying to audition for film roles, showcasing his brief role in Roar (1997) opposite then unknown Vera Farmiga.
Then Australian director Gregor Jordan auditioned him for the lead in Two Hands (1999), which he got. An in your face Aussie crime thriller, Two Hands (1999) was outstanding and helped him secure a role in 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). After that, it seemed Heath was being typecast as a young hunk, which he did not like, so he accepted a role in a very serious war drama The Patriot (2000).
What followed was a stark inconsistency of roles, Ledger accepting virtually every single character role, anything to avoid being typecast. Some met with praise, like his short role in Monster's Ball (2001), but his version of Ned Kelly (2003) was an absolute flop, which led distributors hesitant to even release it outside Australia. Heath finally had deserved success with his role in Brokeback Mountain (2005). For his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in in the film, Ledger won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and Best International Actor from the Australian Film Institute, and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role and for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Ledger was found dead on January 22, 2008 in his apartment in the Manhattan neighborhood of SoHo, with a bottle of prescription sleeping pills near-by. It was concluded weeks later that he died of an accidental overdose of prescription drugs that included pain-killers, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. His death occurred during editing of The Dark Knight (2008) and in the midst of filming his last role as Tony in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009).
Posthumously, he shared the 2007 Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award with the rest of the ensemble cast, the director, and the casting director for the film I'm Not There (2007), which was inspired by the life and songs of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. In the film, Ledger portrayed a fictional actor named Robbie Clark, one of six characters embodying aspects of Dylan's life and persona.
A few months before his death, Ledger had finished filming his performance as the Joker in 'The Dark Knight (2008). His untimely death cast a somber shadow over the subsequent promotion of the $185 million Batman production. Ledger received more than thirty posthumous accolades for his critically acclaimed performance as the Joker, the psychopathic clown prince of crime, in the film, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a Best Actor International Award at the 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards (for which he is the second actor to win an acting award posthumously after Peter Finch who won an Oscar for Network (Best Actor 1977)), the 2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor, the 2009 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, and the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Sarah Gadon was born in a quiet residential area in Toronto, Ontario, to a teacher mother and a psychologist father. She grew up with the support and encouragement of her parents and older brother, James, and with this was inspired to go headlong into acting and dance alike. Sarah spent much of her adolescence training as a performer as a Junior Associate at the National Ballet School of Canada and as a student at the Claude Watson School for the Performing Arts. She also studied cinema at the prestigious University of Toronto.
She is known for her roles in the films A Dangerous Method (2011), Antiviral (2012), Enemy (2013), and Indignation (2016), and the mini-series 11.22.63 (2016).- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Christine Lahti was born April 4, 1950 in Birmingham, Michigan, to Elizabeth Margaret (Tabar), a painter and nurse, and Paul Theodore Lahti, a surgeon. She is of half Finnish and half Austro-Hungarian descent. She studied fine arts at Florida State University and received a bachelors degree in drama from the University of Michigan. In New York, Christine worked as a waitress and did commercials before she found her breakthrough role in And Justice for All (1979) with Al Pacino. She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Swing Shift (1984) and won an Academy Award for Best Short Film, Live Action for Lieberman in Love (1995) in which she starred and directed. Throughout her acting career, Christine primarily focused on television, with performances in Chicago Hope (1994), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Natasha Lyonne is an Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated producer, actor, writer, and director.
Lyonne co-created Netflix series Russian Doll (2019), which received three Emmy awards, a total of 13 Emmy nominations including Comedy Series and Lead Actress for Lyonne, a Gotham Award nomination, and a Golden Globe acting nomination for Lyonne after premiering in 2019. She is showrunner and writes and directs for the series, in which she stars alongside Greta Lee, Charlie Barnett, and Chloë Sevigny.
Lyonne directed the October 2020 Netflix comedy special, Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine (2020), a variety special dealing with issues of politics, race, gender, and class and featured Helen Mirren, Fred Armisen, Whoopi Goldberg, Jon Hamm, Aubrey Plaza, Ben Stiller, Winona Ryder, and Marisa Tomei, among others. In addition to directing, Lyonne executive-produced the special through Animal Pictures, her production company with Maya Rudolph and Danielle Renfrew Behrens. Animal Pictures is developing and producing a slate of original content, including the half-hour series Desert People, which Lyonne co-created with Alia Shawkat and Apple TV+'s upcoming comedy series starring Rudolph, created by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard.
Lyonne portrayed Tallulah Bankhead opposite Andra Day in her Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning turn as legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in Academy Award nominee Lee Daniels's The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021). The biopic was released by Hulu in February 2021.
In 2019, Lyonne returned as Nicky Nichols in the seventh and final season of the Netflix original drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013), for which she also directed an episode. Lyonne directed and appeared in an episode of Comedy Central's Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (2020). She also directed an episode of Shrill (2019), starring Aidy Bryant, and an episode of Hulu series High Fidelity (2020), starring Zoë Kravitz.
Lyonne made her directorial debut with Kenzo short film Cabiria, Charity, Chastity (2017), featuring the Fall/Winter 2017 collection. She wrote the screenplay for the film, which stars Rudolph, Armisen, and Leslie Odom Jr., among others. In 2017, she produced and starred in IFC Midnight's Antibirth (2016), directed by Danny Perez, co-starring Sevigny. This independent farce horror hybrid, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016, was released wide in the US in 2016, and released in the UK in 2017.
In 2014, Lyonne earned an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Orange Is the New Black (2013). Recent television credits include guest stints on Portlandia (2011), Girls (2012), Inside Amy Schumer (2013), The Simpsons (1989), and IFC's Documentary Now! (2015).
As a young child, Lyonne was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency and at the age of six, and she was cast as Opal on Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986). She is well-known for her acclaimed performances in Slums of Beverly Hills (1998), the beloved comedy directed by Tamara Jenkins and co-starring Alan Arkin and Tomei; the coming-of age comedy But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), with Clea DuVall and RuPaul; and Everyone Says I Love You (1996). Additional film credits include The Grey Zone (2001), Sleeping with Other People (2015), Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015), Blade: Trinity (2004), Party Monster (2003), James Mangold's Kate & Leopold (2001), American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001), Detroit Rock City (1999), A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018), and Irresistible (2020).
On stage, Lyonne starred alongside Ethan Hawke in The New Group's darkly comic Off-Broadway production of Blood From a Stone, written by Tommy Nohilly and directed by Scott Elliott. Lyonne earned critical acclaim for her adept portrayal of the couch-ridden, heartbroken Grace in the Roundabout Theatre Company s production of Tigers Be Still, written by Kim Rosenstock and directed by Sam Gold. In 2019, Lyonne co-presented Jacqueline Novak: Get On Your Knees with executive producer Mike Birbiglia. The comedy showed at the Cherry Lane Theatre and received rave reviews. Lyonne's other stage credits include roles in Love, Loss, and What I Wore, an intimate collection of monologues and stories by Delia Ephron and Nora Ephron, and the familial drama Two Thousand Years, directed by Scott Elliot and written by the legendary Mike Leigh.- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
Barry Robert Pepper was born on April 4, 1970, in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada. He has two older brothers named Alex and Doug Pepper. The Peppers didn't stick around Campbell River for too long. They had been building a ship in their backyard for years. When Barry was five years old, the ship was done and the family set sail. The ship, named "The Moonlighter," was a 50-foot craft that would be their home for the next five years. They navigated through the South Pacific islands, using only a sextant and the stars as guides. While visiting such exotic locales as Fiji and Tahiti, Barry was educated through correspondence courses and sometimes enrolled in public schools. He grew up around Polynesian children and credits them for his love of dance, music and other expressive arts. Barry had plenty of time to practice his newfound loves, too. Without television as entertainment on the ship, the family relied on games and sketch acting for fun. When the five-year cruise was over, the Peppers returned to their native Canada, where they set up shop on a small island off the West Coast near Vancouver. They built a farm on the outskirts of a small artists' town, which was populated mainly by hippies, poets, musicians and other craftsmen. While in high school, Barry was enthusiastic about art and excelled in sports. In addition to playing volleyball, he was an excellent rugby player. He graduated in 1988 from George P. Vanier High School in Courtenay and then enrolled in college and majored in marketing and graphic design, but after getting involved with the Vancouver Actors Studio, he changed his course. Once again, he was using "the stars" to navigate. Barry landed his first role on Madison (1993) (a sort of Canadian 90210) and other prominent television series before moving on to more prestigious roles in the US. Television movies followed, most notably the mini-series Titanic (1996), which costarred George C. Scott. Still, Barry's career really wasn't taking off. He was a hard-working actor, but not a star. That all changed in 1998. After a string of big screen duds, Pepper obtained his breakthrough role as a Bible-quoting sniper in Steven Spielberg's WW II drama Saving Private Ryan (1998). With the success of the film came sudden stardom for its cast--complete with photo spreads, interviews and even some Oscar buzz. Barry followed the film with a small but noteworthy role in the blockbuster, Enemy of the State (1998) opposite Will Smith and Gene Hackman. Next he co-starred in an Oscar-worthy film starring Tom Hanks: Stephen King's The Green Mile (1999). Barry received much critical acclaim in 2001 for his portrayal of Roger Maris in the made-for-cable drama about the 1961 home run race between Maris and Mickey Mantle called 61* (2001).- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Amanda Elizabeth Righetti is a Utah-born, Nevada-raised actor/producer and Best Actress Award winner by the New York International Independent Film & Video Festival. Righetti began her career at 14, as a young model, but made waves as the trust-fund squandering, world-traveling black sheep, "Hailey Nichol", on Fox's The O.C. (2003).
So impressed by her talent and determination, Fox executives cast her as the lead role of "Tessa Lewis" in 2004's North Shore (2004). In 2005, Righetti ranked among FHM's 100 Sexiest Women while portraying "Jenna Moretti" in the popular drama, Reunion (2005). She has since appeared in several major motion pictures, and has guest-starred in popular television shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000) and HBO's Entourage (2004).
In 2008, Righetti was cast in the leading role of Michael Bay's remake, Friday the 13th (2009), while filming her series, The Mentalist (2008), for CBS. In 2009, "Friday the 13th" opened to the best 3-day weekend opening for any horror film, and "The Mentalist" won a People's Choice Award for Best New Television Drama.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Hugo Wallace Weaving was born on April 4, 1960 in Nigeria, to English parents Anne (Lennard), a tour guide and teacher, and Wallace Weaving, a seismologist. Hugo has an older brother, Simon, and a younger sister, Anna, who both also live and work in Australia. During his early childhood, the Weaving family spent most of their time traveling between Nigeria, Great Britain, and Australia. This was due to the cross-country demands of his father's job in the computer industry. Later, during his teens, Hugo spent three years in England in the seventies attending Queen Elizabeth's Hospital School in Bristol. There, he showed early promise in theater productions and also excelled at history, achieving an A in his O-level examination. He arrived permanently in Australia in 1976 and finished his education at Knox Grammar School, Sydney. He graduated from NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), a college well-known for other alumni such as Mel Gibson and Geoffrey Rush, in 1981. Since then, Hugo has had a steadily successful career in the film, television, and theater industries. However, he has illustrated that, as renowned as he is known for his film work, he feels most at home on stage and continually performs in Australian theater productions, usually with the Sydney Theater Company. With his success has also come extensive recognition. He has won numerous awards, including two Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI) for Best Actor in a Leading Role and three total nominations. The AFI is the Australian equivalent of an Academy Award, and Hugo won for his performances in Proof (1991) and The Interview (1998). He was also nominated for his performance in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994). He garnered the Best Acting prize for The Interview (1998) at the Montreal Film Festival in 1998 in addition to his AFI Award and, that same year, won the Australian Star of the Year. More recently, roles in films such as The Matrix trilogy as Agent Smith and The Lord of the Rings trilogy as Lord Elrond have considerably raised his international profile. His famous and irreplaceable role in The Matrix movies have made him one of the greatest sci-fi villains of the Twenty-first Century. With each new film, television, or theatrical role, Hugo continues to surpass his audience's expectations and remains one of the most versatile performers working today. He resides in Australia and has two children with partner Katrina Greenwood. Though Hugo and Katrina have never married, they've been a committed couple for over 25 years; while Hugo was quoted as saying marriage "petrified" him in the 1990s, by middle of the following decade he said he no longer felt that way, and that he and Katrina have toyed with the idea of marrying "when we're really old".- Actress
- Producer
Jessica Serfaty was born on 4 April 1991 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Ride (2018), FML (2016) and Ryde (2017). She was previously married to Ididia Serfaty.- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
David Kelley might be described as living the American Dream, 1990s' style: write a screenplay, move to Hollywood, make millions and marry a movie star. A former Boston lawyer, in the last decade, he switched careers to become a successful television producer whose shows are recognized for their quality as well as receiving top ratings. David Kelley was born in 1956 and is originally from Maine. He attended Princeton University and Boston University Law School. He married actress Michelle Pfeiffer in November 1993. They have two children: Claudia Rose Kelley, born in March 1993, who was adopted by Ms. Pfeiffer eight months before their marriage, and John Henry, born in August 1994. Claudia Rose Kelley was christened and given Mr. Kelley's name at the couple's wedding ceremony. Mr. Kelley was an associate at Fine & Ambrogne in 1983 when he wrote a film script based on some of his legal experiences. Through a family friend, he got the script optioned and acquired an agent in 1986. It was produced in 1987, as a film titled From the Hip (1987), starring Judd Nelson, Elizabeth Perkins, and John Hurt. At the same time, producers Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher (creators of the successful police drama Hill Street Blues (1981)) were planning a new series set in a law firm, and looking for writers with legal backgrounds. They saw Mr. Kelley's script and invited him to Los Angeles to discuss writing a single script for L.A. Law (1986). The meeting was so successful that Mr. Kelley joined the show's staff as a story editor. The next year, he became executive story editor, and after Terry Fisher left the show, he became the supervising producer. Steven Bochco left L.A. Law (1986) after the third season, and Mr. Kelley took over as executive producer, while continuing to write many of the scripts himself. Mr. Kelley has since produced more critically acclaimed and successful shows. He served as creative consultant on Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989), which was produced by Steven Bochco, and as executive producer and writer for Picket Fences (1992). He is the executive producer of Chicago Hope (1994). He is part of the television production division of Twentieth Century Fox, which has been owned by Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate, The News Corporation Ltd., since 1985.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
David Cross is an American actor, writer and comedian who is known for playing Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development, Minion from Megamind, Crane from Kung Fu Panda, Ian Hawke from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Yivo from Futurama and Happy Time Harry from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He also acted in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Men in Black, Curious George and Halo 2.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Craig T. Nelson was born on 4 April 1944 in Spokane, Washington, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Coach (1989), The Incredibles (2004) and The Family Stone (2005). He has been married to Doria Cook-Nelson since 1987. He was previously married to Robin McCarthy.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Derek Thompson was born on 4 April 1948 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK. He is an actor, known for The Long Good Friday (1980), Casualty (1986) and The Gentle Touch (1980). He is married to Dee Sadler. They have one child. He was previously married to Christine.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Anthony Perkins was born April 4, 1932 in New York City, to Janet Esselstyn (Rane) and Osgood Perkins, an actor of both stage and film. His father died when he was five. Anthony's paternal great-grandfather was engraver Andrew Varick Stout Anthony. Perkins attended the Brooks School, the Browne & Nichols School, Columbia University and Rollins College. He made his screen debut in The Actress (1953), and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar Friendly Persuasion (1956). Four years later, he appeared in what would be his most noted role, Norman Bates in Psycho (1960), memorializing him into film history forever.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Nancy McKeon was born in Westbury, New York, on Monday, April 4th, 1966, to Don & Barbara McKeon, began modeling baby clothes for the Sears & Roebuck catalog at the age of two and she and her brother did over sixty-five commercials in seven years. When her brother, Philip McKeon, won a role on the TV series, Alice (1976), the family then moved to Los Angeles.
Her first real acting break came when she did the short-lived TV series, Stone (1979), and occasionally guested on Starsky and Hutch (1975). The producers of The Facts of Life (1979) were so impressed by Nancy's personality & acting performances as the street-wise girl in a pilot called "Dusty", they decided to sign her & add her, as a new character to play "Jo" on "The Facts of Life". Nancy has starred in the television movies, High School U.S.A. (1983), Poison Ivy (1985), This Child Is Mine (1985) and Firefighter (1986). She provided the off-screen voices for animated shows like The Puppy's Great Adventure (1979).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Damian Hurley was born on 4 April 2002 in Westminster, London, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Strictly Confidential (2024), The Boy on the Beach (2022) and The Royals (2015).- Actress
- Producer
SAG Award and Critics Choice Award winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Lorraine Toussaint shocked audiences on the smash hit Netflix original series "Orange is the New Black" as the viciously seductive inmate Vee. Toussaint's thrilling performance has won her glowing reviews from the likes of TV Guide and Vanity Fair, stirring the Emmy buzz for her outstanding performance. Toussaint also received praise for her performance in the Academy Award-nominated feature film "Selma." Up next, Toussaint will star in the new Fox series "Rosewood", alongside Morris Chestnut, which premieres this fall.
Born in Trinidad, Toussaint and her mother moved to Brooklyn, NY, where she was raised, when she was ten years old. Growing up, she watched a lot of television while she waited for her mother to return from work, and this sparked her interest in acting. Toussaint begged her mother to enroll her in acting school, and her search led to her studying theater at New York's renowned High School of Performing Arts. After graduation, she enrolled in the Juilliard School's drama division, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. On her graduation day, she landed her first paying job as Lady Macbeth with "Shakespeare & Company."
Toussaint spent the first 12 years of her career acting on stage in New York City before moving to Los Angeles. Her first television appearance was in 1983 in "The Face of Rage." Toussaint's biggest career boost has come from her co-starring role opposite Annie Potts in the TV series "Any Day Now," which earned Toussaint an NAACP Image Award nomination for best actress in a drama series, a TV Guide Award nomination for Best Actress in a Drama Series, and the Wiley A. Branton Award from the National Bar Association.
Among Toussaint's TV credits were recurring roles on several popular television shows, such as NBC's drama series "Friday Night Lights," TNT's "Saving Grace," "Law & Order," and ABC's hit "Ugly Betty." She has also had several guest appearances on the hit television shows "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Grey's Anatomy," and the drama thriller "Scandal" opposite Kerry Washington.
No stranger to the silver screen, Touissant's first film role was opposite Burt Reynolds in the crime comedy "Breaking In." Touissant has also appeared in "Dangerous Minds," "The Soloist," and Ava DuVernay's "Middle of Nowhere," in which her performance was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female. Up next, Toussaint stars as Salome Whitmore in the upcoming period drama "Sophie and the Rising Sun," written and directed by Maggie Greenwald. Toussaint will also play Anthony Mackie's mother in the upcoming Seth Rogen comedy "X-Mas," scheduled for theaters this November.
Toussaint and her daughter split their time between New York and Los Angeles.- Additional Crew
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The most famous Soviet film-maker since Sergei Eisenstein, Andrei Tarkovsky (the son of noted poet Arseniy Tarkovsky) studied music and Arabic in Moscow before enrolling in the Soviet film school VGIK. He shot to international attention with his first feature, Ivan's Childhood (1962), which won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. This resulted in high expectations for his second feature Andrei Rublev (1966), which was banned by the Soviet authorities for two years. It was shown at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival at four o'clock in the morning on the last day, in order to prevent it from winning a prize - but it won one nonetheless, and was eventually distributed abroad partly to enable the authorities to save face. Solaris (1972), had an easier ride, being acclaimed by many in Europe and North America as the Soviet answer to Kubrick's '2001' (though Tarkovsky himself was never too fond of his own film nor Kubrick's), but he ran into official trouble again with Mirror (1975), a dense, personal web of autobiographical memories with a radically innovative plot structure. Stalker (1979) had to be completely reshot on a dramatically reduced budget after an accident in the laboratory destroyed the first version, and after Nostalghia (1983), shot in Italy (with official approval), Tarkovsky defected to Europe. His last film, The Sacrifice (1986) was shot in Sweden with many of Ingmar Bergman's regular collaborators, and won an almost unprecedented four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. He died of lung cancer at the end of the year. Two years later link=Sergei Parajanov dedicated his film Ashik Kerib to Tarkovsky.- Collette Wolfe was born on 4 April 1980 in King George, Virginia, USA. She is an actress, known for Interstellar (2014), Observe and Report (2009) and Young Adult (2011).
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Kenneth Mars was an American actor and comedian. He appeared in two Mel Brooks films: as the deranged Nazi playwright Franz Liebkind in The Producers (1967) and Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friedrich Kemp in Young Frankenstein (1974). He also appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up Doc? (1972), and Woody Allen's Radio Days (1987), and Shadows and Fog (1991).- Daisy Jelley was born on 4 April 2000. Daisy is an actor, known for How to Have Sex (2023), Geek Girl (2024) and How to Date Billy Walsh (2024).
- Phillip Morris is an African-American actor from Ohio who is known for playing Jackie Chiles from Seinfeld. He is also known for playing Dr. Joshua Sweet from Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Merc from Ratchet: Deadlocked, Martian Manhunter from Smallville, Silas Stone from Doom Patrol, Vandal Savage from Justice League Doom and Doc Saturday from The Secret Saturdays. He is married to Carla Gittelson and has two children.
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Rachel Korine was born on 4 April 1986 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. She is an actress, known for Spring Breakers (2012), Mister Lonely (2007) and Men Go to Battle (2015). She has been married to Harmony Korine since 2007. They have one child.- Actor
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Eric Samuel André is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, television host and writer. He is best known as the creator, host, and co-writer of the Adult Swim comedy series The Eric Andre Show (2012-present). He also played Mike on the FXX series Man Seeking Woman (2015-2017) and voiced Azizi in the remake of The Lion King (2019). He performs music under the name Blarf.- Actress
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Jeanne Goursaud was born on 4 April 1996 in Pinneberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. She is an actress, known for Blood Coast (2023), Barbarians (2020) and Para - We Are King (2021).- Cherie Lunghi was born on 4 April 1952 in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Excalibur (1981), Frankenstein (1994) and The Mission (1986). She was previously married to Ralph Lawson.
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Aki Kaurismäki did a wide variety of jobs including postman, dish-washer and film critic, before forming a production and distribution company, Villealfa (in homage to Jean-Luc Godard's Alphaville (1965)) with his older brother Mika Kaurismäki, also a film-maker. Both Aki and Mika are prolific film-makers, and together have been responsible for one-fifth of the total output of the Finnish film industry since the early 1980s, though Aki's work has found more favour abroad. His films are very short (he says a film should never run longer than 90 minutes, and many of his films are nearer 70), eccentric parodies of various genres (road movies, film noir, rock musicals), populated by lugubrious hard-drinking Finns and set to eclectic soundtracks, typically based around '50s rock'n'roll.
In the 1990s he has made films in Britain (I Hired a Contract Killer (1990)) and France (The Bohemian Life (1992)).- Daniela Bobadilla is most renowned for her role as Sam Goodson in the FX series "Anger Management" where she starred opposite Charlie Sheen as his high octane daughter. She also portrayed the role of Emma in the NBC series "Awake" alongside Jason Isaacs. Most recently she played Riley Taft "Perfect High" opposite Bella Thorne. Daniela has three feature films premiering in 2016. She can be currently seen as Lexie Brooks in ABC's award winning show "The Middle"
- Alexa Nikolas is an American actress born on April 4, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois, known for portraying as Nicole Bristow on the American comedy-drama television series, Zoey 101 (2005) aired on Nickelodeon Cable. She also appeared in the several popular television series including, That's Life (2000), Hidden Hills (2002), Revelations (2005), and The Walking Dead (2010). Alexa Nikolas started her acting vocation in 1999 in P.U.N.K.S. (1999) depicting Jenna Bygayly. After a year in 2001, she handled a little part by showing up in Zoolander (2001). In 2002 she had another little part in Ted Bundy (2002) around the same time, she showed up on Hidden Hills (2002) routinely as repeating character Emily Barber and showed up in a sum of 17 scenes. Soon after that, she started depicting the part of Nicole Bristow on the Nickelodeon arrangement Zoey 101 (2005), she depicted the part from 2005 - 2006 and showed up in the initial two periods of the appear and made an aggregate of 26 scenes and showed up in. She co-featured in the system close to Jamie Lynn Spears and Kristin Herrera who were in the primary season, and additionally Victoria Justice, who joined the cast in the second season. She won two honors for her part as Nicole Bristow in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, Nikolas was included in steady off-screen battles with Jamie Lynn Spears amid taping of the second season. In 2007 she showed up in the Vanessa Hudgens music video, "Return to Me." She additionally visitor featured in a few more appears, most remarkably The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005), Happy Borthday (2005), and Heroes (2006). Alexa Nikolas was offered a part on the Disney Channel where she could star as Alex Russo in the sitcom Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). Alexa turned down the offer, which was later given to Selena Gomez.
- Mary-Margaret Humes was born on 4 April 1954 in Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Dawson's Creek (1998), History of the World: Part I (1981) and Motocrossed (2001). She has been married to Raul A. Bruce since 27 December 1992.
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A true character actor in the best sense of the word, offbeat British thespian Peter Vaughan's hefty frame could appear intimidating or benevolent; his mere presence menacing or avuncular. Adept at playing both sides of the law, his characters usually possessed a strange, somewhat wary countenance that seemed to keep his audience slightly off balance. This veteran actor has been a stalwart presence for nearly fifty years. Born Peter Ohm in 1923, he began on the stage and didn't enter films until 1959, well into his thirties.
Married in 1952 to rising actress Billie Whitelaw, Peter was primarily in the background at first, offering a cheapjack gallery of thugs, unsmiling cops, and foreign agents in movies. An easily unsympathetic bloke, he played unbilled policemen in his first two films, then slowly gravitated up the credits list. He appeared as the chief of police in the spy drama The Devil's Agent (1962), which also featured his wife, and then gained a bit more attention in a prime part as an offbeat insurance investigator in the B movie Smokescreen (1964), a role that propelled him into the higher ranks. Noticeably shady roles came with playing Tallulah Bankhead's seedy handyman who meets a fatal end in the Gothic horror Die! Die! My Darling! (1965) [aka Die! Die! My Darling!]; his villainous roles in the spy thrillers The Naked Runner (1967) opposite Frank Sinatra and The Man Outside (1967); a German thug in A Twist of Sand (1968); and Sgt. Walker in The Bofors Gun (1968).
Divorced from Whitelaw in 1966, he later married actress Lillias Walker, who had roles in a couple of his pictures: Malachi's Cove (1973) and Intimate Reflections (1975). TV became a large source of income for Vaughan in the 1970s, particularly in his role of Grouty in Porridge (1974) on both the large and small screen, and his quirky demeanor fitted like a glove for bizarre director Terry Gilliam, who cast him as the Ogre in Time Bandits (1981) and then as Mr. Helpman in Brazil (1985). For the past few decades he has maintained a healthy balance between film (including standout roles in Zulu Dawn (1979), The Remains of the Day (1993) and The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)) and TV mini-movies, both contemporary and period. He was still performing into his 90s: his final role was Maester Aemon Targaryen in HBO's Game of Thrones (2011).
He died at age 93 on December 6, 2016, in Sussex, England.- Actress
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Jamie Lynn Spears was born on April 4, 1991 in McComb, Mississippi and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana to Lynne Spears & Jamie Spears. Her family also includes her older brother, Bryan Spears, and her older sister, Britney Spears. Jamie Lynn has always been a performer, like her sister Britney. She loved gymnastics, dance, acting, and singing growing up. Jamie Lynn's first on-screen role was in her sister's movie, Crossroads (2002). She is the proud mother of Maddie Briann Aldridge, who was born on June 19, 2008. Her daughter's father, Casey Aldridge is her ex-fiancé. Jamie Lynn Spears now resides in Louisiana, with her husband Jamie Watson and her daughter, where she is pursuing a country music singing career.- Actress
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Lynnette Mettey was born on 4 April 1943 in Tarrytown, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Favorite Son (1988), Simon & Simon (1981) and M*A*S*H (1972).- Actress
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Caroline McWilliams was born on 4 April 1945 in Seattle, Washington, USA. She was an actress and director, known for Mermaids (1990), Benson (1979) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). She was married to Michael Keaton. She died on 11 February 2010 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Known for his versatility and ability to disappear into his roles Matt has built himself an impressive resume over his varied career. He was awarded top acting honors from the Leo Awards for his portrayal of Noel Winter in the acclaimed psychological thriller Black Fly, he loves to write both music and fiction and is always keeping an eye on future creative prospects. He also loves to surf.
In 2024 Matt co-stars in the much anticipated "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" from Apple TV+, the NBC drama The Irrational, and will star alongside Paloma Kwiatkowski, Camille Sullivan, David Mazouz, Adam Beach and Donal Logue in the atmospheric ghost story "The Island Between Tides," which is set to open the Cinequest Film Festival.- Chris was born and raised in the tiny Western town of Silver City, New Mexico. He moved to Houston, Texas at 16 and attended The Kinkaid School. He has been seen on Stage, TV and Film ever since graduating with a degree in Acting from Carnegie-Mellon University. Working opposite of multiple Oscar winners, he's been described as an "old-school character actor" and is often unrecognizable on screen. His work has varied from Netflix's Emmy nominated Sci-fi series "Altered Carbon'" where he played the fan and critic's favorite Poe to the upcoming Western saga Horizon directed and starring Kevin Costner. He also produces and stars in the award-winning serial podcast, Agent Stoker where he plays the title character. Chris splits his time between Los Angeles and Portland with his wife actress Erin Way, their son, and their incredible dog, Maude.
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Xenia Seeberg was born on 4 April 1968 in Geldern, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. She is an actress, known for Lexx (1996), Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997) and Verbotene Liebe (1995). She was previously married to Sven Martinek.- Actor
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Luke Austin Halpin was born in Astoria, Queens, New York, the youngest of three children of Helen Joan (Szczepanski) and Eugene A. Halpin. His father was of Irish and German descent, and his maternal grandparents were Polish.
Luke's acting career started when a music teacher encouraged him to try out acting. Luke turned out to be a natural; his film debut was in the Studio One (1948) episode, entitled "Miracle at Potter's Farm", starring Natalie Wood. His performance was well-received, and when he was in his mid-teens, he had already appeared in many TV series and in films.
His big break when he was cast in Flipper (1963), which co-starred Chuck Connors. The film was a major success and spawned a sequel, Flipper's New Adventure (1964), which subsequently led to a highly successful TV series. But when the series was canceled, he was unable to maintain his career momentum, and he eventually faded from the public eye. He subsequently retired from acting. However, he remains well-known around the world, where the "Flipper" series continues to run in syndication.
After battling cancer, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016. He lives in Florida.- Actor
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Graham Norton was born on 4 April 1963 in County Cork, Ireland. He is an actor and writer, known for Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), So Graham Norton (1998) and Soul (2020). He has been married to Jono McLeod since 10 July 2022.- Actress
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Bea Benaderet had a remarkable career in radio and television. In the earlier days of radio, before television, she provided the voice for numerous names of characters on the radio, on shows like "Fibber McGee and Molly," "My Favorite Husband" with Lucille Ball & "The Jack Benny Show. She was born in New York City but raised in San Francisco and made her radio debut when she was 12 years young. After doing voice-overs and various roles, Orson Welles gave her a regular role on "Campbell Playhouse." Bea made a smooth move from radio to television as she was cast in the role as Blanche Morton in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950). It was because of her role as Blanche that she could not accept the part of Ethel Mertz in I Love Lucy (1951), which was offered to her by Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. She also provided the voice for several Warner Brothers cartoons, usually for females (those Mel Blanc could not do), like Tweety's owner, "Granny". Later, she worked with Blanc again on one of the most famous cartoons, Tweetie Pie (1947). It was 1947's Academy Award winning animation short of the year, featuring "Tweety", (the yellow Canary) & "Sylvester, the Siamese Cat".- Actress
Lisa Ray was finishing high school in Canada with aspirations of majoring in Journalism at University when a celebrated fashion magazine approached her to model for them, and she ended up on the cover. This catapulted her into a state of instant celebrity. Her high-profile career got her noticed by Indian filmmakers, but she refused many offers until the offbeat _Kasoor (2000)_, which received a considerable amount of attention. Indian-Canadian director Deepa Mehta then cast her as the lead in the lighthearted romantic comedy Bollywood/Hollywood (2002), which went on to be a huge success in Canada. She subsequently moved to London to study acting and concentrate on a serious career in the performing arts. After graduating from drama school she was reunited with Deepa Mehta in the critically lauded Water (2005). She has since carved out a challenging variety of characterizations- everything from a farm girl to a femme fatale- which is a testament to her adaptability and desire for challenge.- Actor
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Robbie Rist was born on 4 April 1964 in La Mirada, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990).- Actress
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Born and trained in New York City, Julie Carmen began her acting career off-off-Broadway, dancing on Broadway in 'Zoot Suit,' but her film career was launched playing the Puerto Rican mother in John Cassavetes' 'Gloria' opposite Gena Rowlands. Julie studied extensively with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse, with Uta Hagen at HB Studio and more recently with Patsy Rodenburg and Sara Mornell. Julie joined the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences in the class of 2016. She was inducted into the New Mexico Film and Television Hall of Fame in 2018 for her iconic Southwestern roles in 'Milagro Beanfield War' and Gore Vidal's 'Billy the Kid.' Julie sat on the Board of Directors of IFP/West Film Independent for six years during which time Julie suggested the creation of the John Cassavetes Award, since she just finished acting in Cassavetes' film 'Gloria' and wanted to encourage filmmakers who embraced Cassavetes' experiential style of story telling. Carmen Zapata invited Julie to sit on the Board of Directors of Women in Film for four years as a way to ensure there would always be at least one Latina on the Board.
Julie is extremely grateful to have co-starred in films for John Cassavetes, Michael Mann (I), Robert Redford (I), John Carpenter (I), Nicolas Roeg, William A. Graham, Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, Franc Reyes, Tommy Lee Wallace, Carl Schultz, Dan Petrie, Jr., Michael Olmos, Tom Dolby, Tom Williams and on television for Karen Arthur (I), Betty Thomas (I), David Milch, Paris Barclay, Debbie Allen, Deborah Kampmeier and Quentin Tarantino.
Julie is known for her ageless chameleon qualities, effortlessly shape shifting into extremely diverse roles. She played Angelina Jolie's elegant plantation owner mother, fighting to free their enslaved workers; she's often remembered as sexually-insatiable environmental revolutionary Nina in the HBO series Dream On; John Leguizamo's lesbian freedom-fighting mother; the existential book editor opposite Sam Neill in John Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness; but her favorite incarnation was Regine Dandridge in the horror cult classic Fright Night Part Two.
Julie holds a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and worked for 20 years part-time as a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified yoga therapist. Her great-grandfather, Jose Manuel (Lico) Jiménez, (1851-1917) was a child protege Afro Cuban classical pianist from Trinidad, Cuba who emigrated to Europe to perform in the Jiménez Trio in 200 concerts along with his father and brother. Lico Jiménez is credited for bringing German Lied music back to his home country, Cuba. Julie is executive producing a documentary film called Lico Jiménez the Ebony Liszt.
Julie grew up with her great aunt who played Titania in Max Reinhard's Midsummer Night's Dream in Berlin and her twin sister, Julie's grandmother, an obstetric nurse. Julie's mom is a retired high school Spanish and German teacher and her dad was a prolific poet who worked as a paper salesman. Julie's only brother is a public health physician, epidemiologist and occupational medicine doctor in Manhattan. Her godmother, blacklisted character actress Lily Valenty, introduced Julie to her first agent, Walter Kohner who immediately booked her as female lead in two European films for Filmverlaug in Berlin. Julie stayed in Europe to star in Basque director, Alfonso Ungria's film Africa.
As a teenager, Julie worked as the resident choreographer at INTAR Theater in Manhattan when it was under the artistic direction of Cuban-American Max Ferra, choreographing the plays, 'Yoruba', 'Espetaculo Valle Inclan' and 'The Shoemaker's Prodigious Wife' by Lorca. At age 15 she danced with a friend's transvestite theater company in Sheyla Baykal's Palm Casino Review at the Bouwerie Lane Theater in New York and Gossamer Wings at Theater for a New City on Jane Street in Greenwich Village.
Her most recent films--'Windows on the World' (2017) opposite Edward James Olmos and Ryan Guzman; 'You Can't Say No' (2018), opposite Peter Fonda (I), and 'Dawn Patrol' (2014/III) opposite Scott Eastwood (I)--mark her return to the big screen after taking some family time.
"Because the world is too troubled for any of us to rest, " Julie recently acquired the film rights to produce four films based on books and she directed her third short film, "The Unnecessary Salvation of Mary McDaniel", written by Herman Johansen with music composed by Maria Newman and Scott Hosfeld.- Director
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Admirers have always had difficulty explaining Éric Rohmer's "Je ne sais quoi." Part of the challenge stems from the fact that, despite his place in French Nouvelle Vague (i.e., New Wave), his work is unlike that of his colleagues. While this may be due to the auteur's unwillingness to conform, some have argued convincingly that, in truth, he has remained more faithful to the original ideals of the movement than have his peers. Additionally, plot is not his foremost concern. It is the thoughts and emotions of his characters that are essential to Rohmer, and, just as one's own states of being are hard to define, so is the internal life of his art. Thus, rather than speaking of it in specific terms, fans often use such modifiers as "subtle," "witty," "delicious" and "enigmatic." In an interview with Dennis Hopper, Quentin Tarantino echoed what nearly every aficionado has uttered: "You have to see one of [his movies], and if you kind of like that one, then you should see his other ones, but you need to see one to see if you like it."
Detractors have no problem in expressing their displeasure. They use such phrases as "tedious like a classroom play," "arty and tiresome" and "donnishly talky." Gene Hackman, as jaded detective Harry Moseby in Night Moves (1975), delivered a now famous line that sums up these feelings: "I saw a Rohmer film once. It was kind of like watching paint dry." Undeniably, his excruciatingly slow pace and apathetic, self-absorbed characters are hallmarks, and, at times, even his greatest supporters have made trenchant remarks in this regard. Said critic Pauline Kael, "Seriocomic triviality has become Rohmer's specialty. His sensibility would be easier to take if he'd stop directing to a metronome." In that his proponents will quote attacks on him, indeed Rohmer may be alone among directors. They revel in the fact that "nothing of consequence" happens in his pictures. They are mesmerized by the dense blocks of high-brow chatter. They delight in the predictability of his aesthetic. Above all, however, they are touched by the honesty of a man who, uncompromisingly, lays bear the human soul and "life as such."
Who is Eric Rohmer? Born Jean-Marie Maurice Scherer on December 1, 1920 in Nancy, a small city in Lorraine, he relocated to Paris and became a literature teacher and newspaper reporter. In 1946, under the pen name Gilbert Cordier, he published his only novel, "Elizabeth". Soon after, his interest began to shift toward criticism, and he began frequenting Cinémathèque Français (founded by archivist Henri Langlois) along with soon-to-be New Wavers Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, Claude Chabrol and François Truffaut. It was at this time that he adopted his pseudonym, an amalgam of the names of actor/director Erich von Stroheim and novelist Sax Rohmer (author of the Fu Manchu series.) His first film, Journal d'un scélérat (1950), was shot the same year that he founded "Gazette du Cinema" along with Godard and Rivette. The next year, Rohmer joined seminal critic André Bazin at "Cahiers du Cinema", where he served as editor-in-chief from 1956 to 1963. As Cahiers was an influential publication, it not only gave him a platform from which to preach New Wave philosophy, but it enabled him to propose revisionist ideas on Hollywood. An example of the latter was "Hitchcock, The First Forty-Four Films", a book on which he collaborated with Chabrol that spoke of Alfred Hitchcock in highly favorable terms.
Rohmer's early forays into direction met with limited success. By 1958, he had completed five shorts, but his sole attempt at feature length, a version of La Comtesse de Ségur's "Les Petites filles modèles", was left unfinished. With Sign of the Lion (1962), he made his feature debut, although it was a decade before he achieved recognition. In the interim, he turned out eleven projects, including three of his "Six contes moraux" (i.e., moral tales), films devoted to examining the inner states of people in the throes of temptation. The Bakery Girl of Monceau (1963) and Suzanne's Career (1963) are unremarkable black-and-white pictures that best function as blueprints for his later output. They also mark the beginning of a business partnership with Barbet Schroeder, who starred in the former of the two. The Collector (1967), his first major effort in color, has been mistaken for a Lolita movie; on a deeper plane, it questions the manner in which one collects or rejects experience. Rohmer's first "hit" was My Night at Maud's (1969), which was nominated for two Oscars and won several international awards. It continues to be his best-known work. In it, on the eve of a proclaiming his love to Francoise, his future wife, the narrator spends a night with a pretty divorcée named Maud. Along with a friend, the two have a discussion on life, religion and Pascal's wager (i.e., the necessity of risking all on the only bet that can win.) Left alone with the sensual Maud, the narrator is forced to test his principles. The final parts in the series, Claire's Knee (1970) and Love in the Afternoon (1972) are mid-life crisis tales that cleverly reiterate the notion of self-restraint as the path to salvation.
"Comedies et Proverbs," Rohmer's second cycle, deals with deception. The Aviator's Wife (1981) is the story a naïve student who suspects his girlfriend of infidelity. In stalking her ex-lover and ultimately confronting her, we discover the levels on which he is deceiving himself. Another masterpiece is Pauline at the Beach (1983), a seaside film about adolescents' coming-of-age and the childish antics of their adult chaperones. Of the remaining installments, The Green Ray (1986) and Boyfriends and Girlfriends (1987) are the most appealing. The director's last series is known as "Contes des quatre saisons" (i.e., Tales of the Four Seasons), which too presents the dysfunctional relationships of eccentrics. In place of the social games of "Comedies et Proverbs", though, this cycle explores the lives of the emotionally isolated. A Tale of Springtime (1990) and A Tale of Winter (1992) are the more inventive pieces, the latter revisiting Ma Nuit chez Maud's "wager." Just as his oeuvre retraces itself thematically, Rohmer populates it with actors who appear and reappear in unusual ways. The final tale, Autumn Tale (1998), brings together his favorite actresses, Marie Rivière and Béatrice Romand. Like "hiver," it hearkens back to a prior project, A Good Marriage (1982), in examining Romand's quest to find a husband.
Since 1976, Rohmer has made various non-serial releases. Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle (1987) and Rendez-vous in Paris (1995), both composed of vignettes, are tongue-in-cheek morality plays that merit little attention. The lush costume drama The Marquise of O (1976), in contrast, is an excellent study of the absurd formalities of 18th century aristocracy and was recognized with the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes. His other period pieces, regrettably, have not been as successful. Perceval le Gallois (1978), while original, is a failed experiment in stagy Arthurian storytelling, and the beautifully dull The Lady and the Duke (2001) is equally unsatisfying for most fans of his oeuvre. Nonetheless, the director has demonstrated incredible consistency, and that he was able to deliver a picture of this caliber so late in his career is astounding. The legacy that this man has bestowed upon us rivals that of any auteur, with arguably as many as ten tours de force over the last four decades. Why, then, is he the least honored among the ranks of the Nouvelle Vague and among all cinematic geniuses?
Stories of Rohmer's idiosyncrasies abound. An ardent environmentalist, he has never driven a car and refuses to ride in taxis. There is no telephone in his home. He delayed the production of Ma Nuit chez Maud for a year, insisting that certain scenes could only be shot on Christmas night. Once, he requested a musical score that could be played at levels inaudible to viewers. He refers to himself as "commercial," yet his movies turn slim profits playing the art house circuit. Normally, these are kinds of anecdotes that would endear a one with the cognoscenti. His most revealing quirk, however, is that he declines interviews and shuns the spotlight. Where Hitchcock, for instance, was always ready to talk shop, Rohmer has let his films speak for themselves. He is not worried about WHAT people think of them but THAT, indeed, they think.
It would be dangerous to supplant the aforementioned "je ne sais quoi" with words. Without demystifying Rohmer's cinema, still there are broad qualities to which one may point. First, it is marked by philosophical and artistic integrity. Long before Krzysztof Kieslowski, Rohmer came up with the concept of the film cycle, and this has permitted him to build on his own work in a unique manner. A devout Catholic, he is interested in the resisting of temptation, and what does not occur in his pieces is just as intriguing as what occurs. Apropos to the mention of his spirituality is his fascination with the interplay between destiny and free will. Some choice is always central to his stories. Yet, while his narrative is devoid of conventionally dramatic events, he shows a fondness for coincidence bordering on the supernatural. In order to maintain verisimilitude, then, he employs more "long shots" and a simpler, more natural editing process than his contemporaries. He makes infrequent use of music and foley, focusing instead on the sounds of voices. Of these voices, where his narrators are male (and it is ostensibly their subjective experience to which we are privy), his women are more intelligent and complex than his men. Finally, albeit deeply contemplative, Rohmer's work is rarely conclusive. Refreshingly un-Hollywood, rather than providing an escape from reality, it compels us to face the world in which we live.- A former model, the luminously beautiful Dorothy Hart was signed to a contract by Universal Pictures after having made only one film, Columbia's Gunfighters (1947). After that she did westerns, costume dramas, prison sagas, Tarzan movies, and the cult classic I Was a Communist for the F.B.I. (1951). However, she soon left the film business in 1952, moved to New York and did occasional guest spots on TV dramas and game shows. She was very active in working through the United Nations for the world's children.
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British actor James Hazeldine was a well-known face both on British television and on the stage. Best known for his role as Mike "Bayleaf" Wilson in the ITV drama, London's Burning (1988), many real-life firefighters thought Bayleaf was the character who closely and accurately portrayed your average real-life firefighter, a credit to his acting abilities. A meticulous performer, he was well-known for researching every part he played, and firmly believed that by accurately portraying a character the audience would feel much more involved in and enveloped by the performance. He played the role continuously for seven years from the serial's inception in 1988. (The character's sobriquet stemmed from a culinary bent for complex recipes).
In a career spanning three decades, he also guested in such series as 'Boon' and 'Miss Marple', and, in the late 1980s, played the manager of the electrics company in Central's early-evening situation comedy, Young, Gifted and Broke (1989). In 1995, Hazeldine's character was written out of London's Burning of the actor's own volition, but he remained with the programme as a director. In years to come, he expanded his directing talents to encompass other UK drama serials, among them TV's The Knock (1994) and Heartbeat (1992). His acting CV also included sporadic film appearances, such as Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982). Although renowned as a television performer, he was also a respected stage actor, having trained with the Royal Shakespeare Company and, at one time, acted on Broadway alongside Glenda Jackson. He was rehearsing for his role as Sigmund Freud in a new stage play, 'The Talking Cure', when he became ill. In 2002 he appeared in the controversial drama, Shipman, which re-enacted events surrounding the murderous killing spree of Dr Harold Shipman, Britain's most prolific serial killer. Hazeldine assumed the role of Detective Inspector Stan Egerton, the man charged with leading the investigation into the deranged doctor's crimes.
Determined that the dramatization should be as authentic as possible, Hazeldine even met with the retired policeman to ensure a realistic portrayal of the diligent law enforcer. Ironically, while the Shipman drama was in production, the real-life Mr. Egerton died suddenly and prematurely of a coronary disorder. James Hazeldine died on 17 December 2002, aged 55. There will never be anyone quite like him again, British Television mourned the loss of a truly great actor, director and personality.
His son is actor Sam Hazeldine.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Trevor Moore was born on 4 April 1980 in Montclair, New Jersey, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for The Whitest Kids U'Know (2007), Just Roll with It (2019) and Walk the Prank (2016). He was married to Aimee Carlson. He died on 6 August 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Constance Shulman was born on 4 April 1958 in Johnson City, Tennessee, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Orange Is the New Black (2013), Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) and Sweet and Lowdown (1999). She has been married to Reed Birney since 3 July 1999. They have two children.- Actress
- Producer
- Composer
Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best-selling poet, and critically acclaimed actor are only a few titles held by Jill Scott. Before having the #1 album in the country with "The Light of The Sun", performing at The White House, being named People Magazine's Top TV Breakout Star of 2010 and appearing on VH1 Divas alongside Aretha Franklin, the triple threat began her career collaborating with musical icons, The Roots, Will Smith, and Common in the late 90s. In 2000, she released her much anticipated debut record, Who is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1, a double platinum album that earned Scott several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Two more critically acclaimed albums followed, Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds, Vol. 2 and The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3 which garnered two more Grammy Awards and spawned multiple worldwide tours.
Never limited to music, Jill Scott is a true multimedia brand across books, clothing, TV and film. Most recently, Jill starred in Get On Up: A James Brown Biopic, as DeeDee, the wife of James Brown. She also starred alongside Tyler Perry & Janet Jackson in the #1 national movie series Why Did I Get Married? (Pt. 1 and 2), Baggage Claim, Steel Magnolias and Sins of the Mother which aired on Lifetime and became the second-most watched premiere in the network's history. Jill was also casted as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini-series filmed on location in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, a Peabody Award-winning show directed by the late Oscar Award-winning director Anthony Minghella. In 2017, Jill Scott was casted as "Nayyirah Shariff" in the original Lifetime film Flint, a drama based on the Flint water crisis in Flint, Michigan - also starring Betsy Brandy, Marin Ireland and Queen Latifah.
A consummate writer at heart, she penned The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, a compilation of poems that instantly became a New York Times bestseller. Scott also developed an intimates line for Ashley Stewart and founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation that has raised over hundreds of thousands dollars to support minority students pursuing college degrees.
Jill released her highly anticipated 5th studio album Woman on July 24, 2015 which opened on the music charts at #1 giving Jill her 2nd consecutive number one album. In January of 2017, Jill Scott marked her brand's expansion into stationary, releasing an exclusive "Jill Scott" greeting card collection in partnership with Hallmark Mahogany. Jill Scott received a 2017 Grammy nomination in the "Best Traditional R&B Performance" category for her single, "Can't Wait." Jill's most recent endeavor - find her taking on the role of "Hazel" in the BET + remake of the 1996 romantic comedy, The First Wives Club.