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- Actor
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John Joseph Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey, one of six children of Helen Travolta (née Helen Cecilia Burke) and Salvatore/Samuel J. Travolta. His father was of Italian descent and his mother was of Irish ancestry. His father owned a tire repair shop called Travolta Tires in Hillsdale, NJ. Travolta started acting appearing in a local production of "Who'll Save the Plowboy?". His mother, herself an actress and dancer, enrolled him in a drama school in New York, where he studied voice, dancing and acting. He decided to combine all three of these skills and become a musical comedy performer. At 16 he landed his first professional job in a summer stock production of the musical "Bye Bye Birdie". He quit school at 16 and moved to New York, and worked regularly in summer stock and on television commercials. When work became scarce in New York, he went to Hollywood and appeared in minor roles in several series. A role in the national touring company of the hit 1950s musical "Grease" brought him back to New York. An opening in the New York production of "Grease" gave him his first Broadway role at age 18. After "Grease", he became a member of the company of the Broadway show "Over Here", which starred The Andrews Sisters. After ten months in "Over Here", he decided to try Hollywood once again. Once back in Hollywood, he had little trouble getting roles in numerous television shows. He was seen on The Rookies (1972), Emergency! (1972) and Medical Center (1969) and also made a movie, The Devil's Rain (1975), which was shot in New Mexico. The day he returned to Hollywood from New Mexico, he was called to an audition for a new situation comedy series ABC was planning to produce called Welcome Back, Kotter (1975). He got the part of Vinnie Barbarino and the series went on the air during the 1975 fall season.
He starred in a number of monumental films, earning his first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his role in the blockbuster Saturday Night Fever (1977), which launched the disco phenomenon in the 1970s. He went on to star in the big-screen version of the long-running musical Grease (1978) and the wildly successful Urban Cowboy (1980), which also influenced trends in popular culture. Additional film credits include the Brian De Palma thrillers Carrie (1976) and Blow Out (1981), as well as Amy Heckerling's hit comedy Look Who's Talking (1989) and Nora Ephron's comic hit Michael (1996). Travolta starred in Phenomenon (1996) and took an equally distinctive turn as an action star in John Woo's top-grossing Broken Arrow (1996). He also starred in the classic Face/Off (1997) opposite Nicolas Cage, and The General's Daughter (1999), co-starring Madeleine Stowe. In 2005, Travolta reprised the role of ultra cool Chili Palmer in the Get Shorty (1995) sequel Be Cool (2005). In addition, he starred opposite Scarlett Johansson in the critically-acclaimed independent feature film A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004), which was screened at the Venice Film Festival, where both Travolta and the films won rave reviews. In February 2011, John was honored by Europe's leading weekly program magazine HORZU, with the prestigious Golden Camera Award for "Best Actor International" in Berlin, Germany. Other recent feature film credits include box-office hit-comedy "Wild Hogs", the action-thriller Ladder 49 (2004), the movie version of the successful comic book The Punisher (2004), the drama Basic (2003), the psychological thriller Domestic Disturbance (2001), the hit action picture Swordfish (2001), the infamous sci-fi movie Battlefield Earth (2000), based upon the best-selling novel by L. Ron Hubbard, and Lonely Hearts (2006).
Travolta has been honored twice with Academy Award nominations, the latest for his riveting portrayal of a philosophical hit-man in Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994). He also received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for this highly-acclaimed role and was named Best Actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, among other distinguished awards. Travolta garnered further praise as a Mafioso-turned-movie producer in the comedy sensation Get Shorty (1995), winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy. In 1998, Travolta was honored by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts with the Britanna Award: and in that same year he received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chicago Film Festival. Travolta also won the prestigious Alan J. Pakula Award from the US Broadcast Critics Association for his performance in A Civil Action (1998), based on the best-selling book and directed by Steven Zaillian. He was nominated again for a Golden Globe for his performance in Primary Colors (1998), directed by Mike Nichols and co-starring Emma Thompson and Billy Bob Thornton, and in 2008, he received his sixth Golden Globe nomination for his role as "Edna Turnblad" in the big-screen, box-office hit, Hairspray (2007). As a result of this performance, the Chicago Film Critics and the Santa Barbara Film Festival decided to recognize Travolta with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his role.
In addition, Travolta starred opposite Denzel Washington in Tony Scott's remake The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), and he provided the voice of the lead character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated hit Bolt (2008), which was nominated for a 2009 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and a Golden Globe for Best Animated Film, in addition to Best Song for John and Miley Cyrus' duet titled, "I Thought I Lost You".
Next, Travolta starred in Walt Disney Pictures' Old Dogs (2009), along with Robin Williams, Kelly Preston and Ella Bleu Travolta, followed by the action thriller From Paris with Love (2010), starring opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers. In 2012, John starred alongside Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch and Demián Bichir in Oliver Stone's, Savages (2012). The film was based on Don Winslow's best-selling crime novel that was named one of The New York Times' Top 10 Books of 2010. John was most recently seen in Killing Season (2013), co-starring Robert De Niro, and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. John recently completed production on the Boston-based film, The Forger (2014), alongside Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer and Critic's Choice nominee Tye Sheridan. John plays a second-generation petty thief who arranges to get out of prison to spend time with his ailing son (Sheridan) by taking on a job with his father (Plummer) to pay back the syndicate that arranged his release. John has received 2 prestigious aviation awards: in 2003, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation Award for Excellence for his efforts to promote commercial flying, and, in 2007, The Living Legends Ambassador of Aviation award.
John holds 11 jet licenses: 747, 707, Gulfstream II, Lear 24, Hawker 1251A, Eclipse Jet, Vampire Jet, Canadair CL-141 Jet, Soko Jet, Citation ISP and Challenger. Travolta is the Qantas Airways Global Goodwill "Ambassador-at-Large" and piloted the original Qantas 707 during "Spirit of Friendship" global tour in July/August 2002. John is also a business aircraft brand ambassador for Learjet, Challenger and Global jets for the world's leading business aircraft manufacturer, Bombardier. John flew the 707 to New Orleans after the 2005 hurricane disaster bringing food and medical supplies, and in 2010, again flew the 707, this time to Haiti after the earthquake, carrying supplies, doctors and volunteers.
John, along with his late wife, actress Kelly Preston (1962-2020), were very involved in their charity, The Jett Travolta Foundation, which raises money for children with educational needs.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Davis, second of three children, was born in Englewood, New Jersey, the daughter of Joan, a librarian (at one time, for the elementary section of Elisabeth Morrow School), and William Davis, an engineer. Davis has described her mother as a "great storyteller" who would take Davis and her siblings to museums or to "something cultural" every Sunday after church. Davis was raised in Tenafly, New Jersey and graduated in 1982 from Tenafly High School. She was a childhood friend of Mira Sorvino, with whom she wrote and acted in backyard plays. She is married to actor Jon Patrick Walker. They have two daughters, Georgia (born August 31, 2002) and Mae (born December 30, 2004).- In the early 1980s, this ruggedly handsome young American actor of Norwegian parentage was seen as the "next big thing", and then suddenly he was dead from an accident via a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The son of Thorleif Hexum (born in Norway) and Gretha Paulsen (born in Minnesota), Jon-Erik Hexum was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, where he was a musically gifted student at school playing both the horn and the violin in the school orchestra, and even the piano at home. He then attended Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, before transferring across to Michigan State University studying bio-medical engineering and then switching over to philosophy. At MSU, Hexum played football, and DJ'd at several local radio stations under the name of "Yukon Jack", before being discovered by John Travolta's manager, Bob LeMond.
He reportedly turned down opportunities to appear in such shows as The Dukes of Hazzard (1979) and CHiPs (1977) and many day time soap operas before finally making his debut in the TV series Voyagers! (1982) as time traveler Phineas Bogg. He was then cast as hunk Tyler Burnett alongside Joan Collins in Making of a Male Model (1983), and then as ex-Green Beret Mac Harper in Cover Up (1984).
However, on October 12, 1984 after a long and draining day's shooting on the set of Golden Opportunity (1984), Hexum became bored with the extensive delays and jokingly put a prop .44 magnum revolver to his temple and pulled the trigger. The gun fired, and the wadding from the blank cartridge shattered his skull, whereupon the mortally injured Hexum was rushed via ambulance to Beverly Hills Medical Center to undergo extensive surgery. Despite five hours of work, the chief surgeon, Dr. David Ditsworth, described the damage to Hexum's brain as life-ending. One week later, on October 18th, he was taken off life support and pronounced dead. However, Hexum's commitment to organ donation meant five other lives were assisted or saved with organs harvested from him. He was 26 years old. - Genie Francis was born on May 26, 1962 in Englewood, New Jersey to actors Ivor Francis and Rosemary Daley. She grew up in Long Island, New York and California. She has an older brother, Ivor Francis, and a younger brother, Kenneth Francis, and a half-sister, Shelley Francis. The attractive, blonde Ms. Francis got her start in television on General Hospital (1963), as a teenager (following a guest appearance on ABC's prime-time series, Family (1976)) and literally grew up in the enormously popular role of "Laura". As portrayed by Genie Francis, Laura has become one of the most beloved characters in daytime television. In 1981, after five years on General Hospital (1963), Ms. Francis left the show and returned, briefly, two years later and again in 1984 and, finally, on October 29, 1993. The wedding of Laura to "Luke Spencer" (played by Anthony Geary) in November 1981, remains the most-watched daytime drama event in the history of television. The fictional couple's romance even garnered a cover story in Newsweek magazine. Genie's extensive television work also included recurring appearances on Murder, She Wrote (1984). She starred in the prime-time series, "Bare Essence" (1982), and the television miniseries, "North and South", both with actor Jonathan Frakes, who went on to become her husband. She successfully battled substance abuse problems. Francis created the role of "Diana Colville" on NBC's daytime serial, Days of Our Lives (1965), in 1987 and played the role for two years, but she didn't like it and she left. Soon she originated the role of "Ceara Connor" on ABC's daytime drama, All My Children (1970), in 1990. Her portrayal of an adult incest survivor earned her critical and viewer plaudits. On the stage she has appeared in "Crimes of the Heart" and "See How They Run". In 1991 Ms. Francis appeared in the Williamstown Festival Theater Production of "Defying Gravity". That same year Genie made her New York City debut in "The Baby Dance" at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Greenwich Village. She also appeared in a Comedic Curtain Raiser at Manhattan Class Company for their festival of One Acts, called "The Group". In 1988, Genie married actor/director Jonathan Frakes, who starred in the popular syndicated television series, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). They maintain residences in both Los Angeles and Manhattan. Their first child, Jameson Ivor Frakes, was born on August 20, 1994. Their second child, Elizabeth Francis, was born on May 30, 1997. Ms. Francis has been with "General Hospital" on-and-off over the years, winning the much-coveted Emmy award as Best Supporting Actress for her role as "Laura" in 2007. But she stated she didn't want to play a wounded dove like Laura anymore and wanted to play stronger characters. In 2011 she got her wish when she started playing the role of the manipulative "Genevieve Atkinson" on another daytime drama, The Young and the Restless (1973). Although she earned an Emmy nomination for the role, she was let go in 2012 for economic reasons. Soon after she closed her store called "The Cherished Home" in Belfast, Maine, where had she sold cottage furnishings and home accessories. In 2013 she returned to her role as "Laura" on General Hospital (1963).
- Ellen Travolta was born on October 6, 1939 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress, known for Grease (1978), Joanie Loves Chachi (1982), and Charles in Charge (1984). She was previously married to Jack Bannon and James Thomas Fridley. She is one of John Travolta's siblings and has had her own respectable career. She played Scott Baio's mother in three different shows (Happy Days (1974), Joanie Loves Chachi, and Charles In Charge).
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Logan Miller was born on 18 February 1992 in Englewood, Colorado, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (2015), Escape Room (2019) and Escape Room: Tournament of Champions (2021).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Charlie Schlatter was born on May 1, 1966, in Englewood, New Jersey. It was in junior high school that he fell in love with acting. He liked a girl and auditioned for the school play "Oliver" to impress her. The audition was a success, and he got the leading role. Later, Charlie attended Ithaca College, where he earned a BFA in musical theater. He starred in numerous plays there and became a skilled musician, playing guitar, drums, and piano. He spent his summers appearing in summer stock. During a performance of George Bernard Shaw's 'Misalliance', he was spotted by a casting director, who asked him to audition for Bright Lights, Big City (1988), playing the younger brother of Michael J. Fox's character. It was his first professional audition. Success! In 1994, Charlie married his current wife, Colleen, who works as a publicist and life coach. They have three children and live in southern California.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Vincent Curatola is an American actor and writer. Curatola's best-known role is of the New York gangster Johnny Sack from the HBO series The Sopranos (1999). He is also a singer and has appeared onstage several times with the band Chicago. Curatola was born in and grew up in Englewood, New Jersey, where his boyhood paper route allowed him to meet many performers. By 2007, he had moved to Saddle River, New Jersey.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Zach Grenier was born in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. Zach is an actor, known for Devs (2020), Fight Club (1999) and Ray Donovan (2013).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Alexander Wraith grew up in New Jersey. He's an actor, known for DC Naomi, Star Wars The Mandalorian, Orange Is the New Black and Westworld Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013), Orange Is the New Black (2013) , Taken 3 (2014). Alex trained at NIDA, the Australia's National Institute of Dramatic Art. Studied at the Columbia University Dramatic Arts program and Carnegie Hall in New York.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Tom Wright was born on 29 November 1952 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Daisy Jones & The Six (2023), Barbershop (2002) and Seinfeld (1989). He has been married to Leigh Johnson since 13 June 1988. They have two children.- Wil Horneff was born on June 12, 1979, in Englewood, New Jersey. He grew up in Saddle River, and has two sisters named Samantha and Vanessa Horneff (who is also an actress) and a brother named John. After finishing high school at Bergen Catholic in Oradell, he attended both UPenn and Columbia University in New York City where he received his degree in English. After taking several years off to get his degree and travel abroad, Wil returned to acting.
- Actor
- Producer
John Aprea was born on 4 March 1941 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Godfather Part II (1974), The Manchurian Candidate (2004) and Bullitt (1968). He was married to Betsey Graci, Ninon Aprea and Cherie Latimer. He died on 5 August 2024 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actress
- Producer
Shakira Barrera is an actress, dancer and producer from Englewood, New Jersey. She is best known for her role as "Yolanda" aka "Yo-Yo" on Netflix's Emmy-nominated "Glow" (2018), for which she and the rest of the cast received a Screen Actors Guild nomination. Shakira graduated from Rutgers University with a B.F.A in Dance from the Mason Gross School of Arts in New Brunswick, New Jersey.- Stephen Lee was born in Englewood New Jersey in 1955. Having lived in Europe the first 15 years of his life, Stephen comes from a "casino" background with his father selling and making slot machines. Stephen started acting when he came to the U.S in 1970 and eventually getting a partial scholarship to Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri.
He has appeared in over 200 TV shows, 5 TV series and over 20 pilots. He has also played in 39 movies including: La Bamba (1987), WarGames (1983), Purple Hearts (1984), RoboCop 2 (1990), The Negotiator (1998), Dolls (1986) and many others. He speaks English, German, French and Spanish. His interests include golf, tennis, horseback riding (when time permits) and biking around his Sherman Oaks, CA neighborhood.
His recent guest stars are NCIS (2003), Fear Itself (2008), Boston Legal (2004) (for which he received critical acclaim), Bones (2005) and 'Til Death (2006). He is grateful everyday for a roof over his head and hopes for a more prosperous future for himself and everyone who has experienced such hard times. - Actor
- Producer
- Director
Joey Travolta was born on 14 October 1950 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Beverly Hills Cop III (1994), To the Limit (1995) and Carol of the Bells (2019). He has been married to Wendy Shawn since 3 May 1980. They have one child.- Jackie began training for the classic ballet at age 5. She was accepted into the New Jersey Dance Company at age 15, and accepted a scholarship from New York University at age 15 to pursue a major in dance. The dark-haired beauty decided to try acting, and has become a staple of daytime drama (aka soap operas).
- Margaret Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. She is known for Enchanted (2007), Wild Hogs (2007) and High Fidelity (2000). She has been married to James David Rau since September 1970. They have two children.
- Actor
- Producer
- Location Management
EJ SNYDER is highly decorated Army combat veteran with 25 years military service under his belt, serving Ranger positions in Infantry and Airborne units. Snyder grew up in New Jersey and joined the armed forces at 19. He moved up the ranks quickly, seeing combat in both the Gulf War in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2004. During his time in the Army, EJ stepped up as a Ranger Instructor, Survival & Tracking Instructor, and Drill Sergeant, earning the name "Skullcrusher".
EJ learned many outdoor skills and love for the wilderness with his late kid brother Jeff, when their dad took them camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, and trapping. They furthered those skills by canoeing, rafting, rock climbing, and long extended hikes.
When EJ was in US Army Ranger School he received his first formal Survival Training and fell in love with the idea, so he started a self-study on the skill. Once he was assigned as a Ranger Instructor, he attended US Army Survival School (SERE-C) and Tracking Course and became the Primary Survival and Tracking Instructor for the course. Upon retirement EJ worked as a Government Contractor teaching Survival Skills to future Green Berets and other Soldiers at the US Army SERE School. EJ says that whether in the wild or on the field of combat he will always live by his motto: Tua Sponte Superstes, which means to "Survive By Your Own Will." EJ has been formally teaching survival skills to Soldiers and civilians ever since for well over 20 years.
EJ is an extreme survivalist and employs a "Train as you Fight" approach to survival, and believes in pushing not only the limits of your environment but yourself as well. He is constantly pushing these limits and trying to continually break through the "Laws of 3 of Survival". He has thrust himself into many extreme survival situations and environments to grow as a survivalist and pass these lesson onto others. EJ believes that his brand of survival can be dropped into any environment, with no notice and little supplies, making it out where no man should walk.
EJ still teaches survival skills, serves as a motivational speaker, and volunteers for many veteran and charity causes. EJ has previously appeared on Discovery Channel's Naked and Afraid three times, TNT's 72 Hours, and History Channel's Patton 360, among other TV & Film projects.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Ann Burke Travolta was born in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. She is a film, television and stage actress. Her most recognizable film roles include Saturday Night Fever (1977), Swordfish (2001) and the Taking of Pellam 123 (2009). She has made regular appearances in the popular television series General Hospital. Recent stage work includes Wizard of Oz (2015) with Henegar Center for the Arts and Cinderella (2010) with Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Marshall Reed was born on 28 May 1917 in Englewood, Colorado, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Madmen of Mandoras (1963), Shirley Temple's Storybook (1958) and They Saved Hitler's Brain (1968). He was married to Carlyn Miller. He died on 15 April 1980 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Ralph Lewis was born on 28 October 1872 in Englewood, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for The Birth of a Nation (1915), Casey Jones (1927) and The Wolf Man (1915). He was married to Vera Lewis. He died on 4 December 1937 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Cohen is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley; he studied theoretical computer science. His real name is David 'S.' Cohen. He used that name when he worked on The Simpsons (1989), but when he starting working on Futurama (1999), he joined the Writer's Guild (the TV writer's union). When he registered, there was already a David S. Cohen, and the union does not allow members to register with the same name. Cohen chose the letter X for his middle initial because he felt it was more 'sci-fi-ish.'- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Larry Mitchell is an award-winning American television and film actor known for his roles as Detective Scott Kilpatrick in the critically acclaimed HBO MAX limited series, WE OWN THIS CITY, and as Joe Paterno's (Al Pacino) son, Jay Paterno, in the Emmy-nominated (Outstanding TV Movie/Best Director) HBO Film: PATERNO, directed by Barry Levinson. Other highlights include The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Departed, and his work on-stage at the The Barrow Group Theatre Company (winner: Drama Desk Award). He lives in New York with his wife and their dog Monkey.- Actress
- Additional Crew
Caitlin Sanchez is a former actress, known for voicing the preschool character kids know and love, "Dora the Explorer". She was nominated for two NAACP Image Awards for "Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children's Program" and two Imagen Awards for "Best Television Actress". One of her first roles as a child actress was a guest-star appearance on "Law & Order: SVU" playing Catholic school-girl Lupe Rojas opposite Jerry Lewis and Christopher Meloni.
Among her other guest-starring roles include appearing on "Lipstick Jungle", playing uptight bookworm Celia Vega, the daughter of soap-star Carlos Ponce's character. Caitlin has also appeared in film, playing the comically-depressive Monica in "Phoebe in Wonderland" alongside Elle Fanning and Patricia Clarkson.
She is also a jazz pianist, two-time winner of the Tito Puente Scholarship Award as well as the Yamaha Corporation's Young Composer's Award, performing notably at NJPAC, Bennett Studios and the Meadowlands Arena.
Caitlin was born and raised in Bergen County, New Jersey. She is a third-generation Cuban-American.