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James graduated from Davis High School and attended Juilliard, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the American Conservatory Theatre. After spending ten years doing stage work he finally moved to L.A. to pursue a career in film and television. After appearing in several guest roles he finally got his big break as Spike in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997). Originally, the character was suppose to be killed after a few episodes but Spike became so popular that he was promoted to a regular on the show. After the show ended, he appeared as Spike in the spin-off Angel (1999) and in several movies. James is also a talented musician; his band Ghost of the Robot released their first album, Mad Brilliant, in 2003.

Finn Carter was born on March 9, 1960 in the Mississippi Delta. Her mother, Margaret W. Carter, and her father, Hodding Carter III (best known for his position as the spokesperson for the State Department in President Carter's administration), were attending a play at the Greenville Little Theatre when her mother went into labor. The newspaper announcement of her birth foresaw stage-lights for the second child of Hodding and Peggy. Finn attended Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts for high school and then went on to Skidmore College followed by Tulane University. In 1983, Finn moved to New York City and was soon after offered a three-year contract on the soap opera, As the World Turns (1956). She kept her first love alive, the theatre, by becoming a member of the, now defunct, Circle Repertory Company. Finn met her first husband, Steven Weber, on the set of As the World Turns (1956). When Steven was cast on the sit-com Wings (1990) in 1990, the couple split their time between N.Y.C. and L.A. until their divorce. Finn remarried in 1997 and has two beautiful girls (born in 1997 and 2000) and one step-daughter as the result of that union. Finn also has two sisters who both live in Mississippi and one brother who lives in Maine.

Lee Norris was born on 25 September 1981 in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. He is an actor, known for Zodiac (2007), Gone Girl (2014) and One Tree Hill (2003). He has been married to Andrea Norris since 10 September 2011.

Jim Henson never thought that he would make a name of himself in puppetry; it was merely a way of getting himself on television. The vehicle that achieved it was Sam and Friends (1955), a late-night puppet show that was on after the 11:00 news in Washington DC. It proved to be very popular and inspired Jim to continue using puppets for his work. He made many commercials, developing the signature humor that Henson Productions is known for. A key reason for the success of his puppets is that Jim realized he didn't need to hide puppeteers behind a structure when they were in front of a camera. All he had to do was instruct the camera operators to focus on the puppets and keep the puppeteers out of the frame. This allowed the puppets to dominate the image and make them more lifelike. This work on puppets and television would lead to separate projects that had different goals. The first one was his work on the The Jimmy Dean Show (1963) with the character Rowlf the Dog, the oldest clearly identified character that Henson Productions still uses. This show provided an income that allowed Jim to work on a pet project. That project was Time Piece (1965), a surrealistic short about time which was nominated for best live-action short Oscar. Henson shot to prominence when he was approached to use his muppets for the revolutionary educational show Sesame Street (1969). The show was a smash hit and his characters have become staples on public television. Unforetunately, this also led to Henson being typecast as only an entertainer for children. He sought to disprove that by being part of the initial crew of Saturday Night Live (1975), but his style and that of the creative staff simply didn't jibe. It was this circumstance that encouraged him to develop a variety show format that had the kind of sophisticated humor that "Sesame Street (1969)" didn't work with. No American broadcaster was interested, but British producer Lew Grade was. This led to The Muppet Show (1976). It initially struggled both in the ratings and in the search for guest stars, but in the second season it became a smash hit and would eventually become the most widely watched series in television history. Hungry for a new challenge, Henson made The Muppet Movie (1979), defying the popular industry opinion that his characters would never work in a movie. The film became a hit and spawned a series of features which included the moody fantasy The Dark Crystal (1982), which was a drastic and bold departure from the amiable tone of his previous work. The most successful TV work in the 1980s was Fraggle Rock (1983), a fantasy series specifically designed to appeal to as many cultural groups as possible. During this time he also established the Creature Shop, a puppet studio that became renowned for being as brilliant with puppetry as ILM was at special effects. When he died all too soon in 1990, he was indisputably one of the geniuses of puppetry. More importantly, he was a man who achieved his phenomenal success while still retaining his social conscience and artistic integrity as his work in promoting environmentalism and his brilliant The Storyteller (1987) series respectively attest to.

Sandy-haired American actor Bo Hopkins was born William Mauldin Hopkins in Greenville, South Carolina, and was raised by his mother and grandmother after his father died when Bo was only nine years old. He joined the US Army at the age of 16. After serving his hitch he decided on acting as a career and gained experience in summer stock productions and guest spots in several TV episodes.

Hopkins broke into feature films as the ill-fated "Crazy Lee" in the Sam Peckinpah landmark western The Wild Bunch (1969), and was subsequently hired by Peckinpah for another none-too-bright role as a bank robber in The Getaway (1972) and then as a hired killer pairing up with CIA agent James Caan in The Killer Elite (1975). He was busy on television during the 1980s and 1990s, guest-starring on The Rockford Files (1974), Charlie's Angels (1976), The A-Team (1983), Hotel (1983) and Matt Houston (1982), and was featured on Dynasty (1981). In addition, he starred in dozens of feature films, such as Midnight Express (1978), American Graffiti (1973), The Bounty Hunter (1989), U Turn (1997) and Shade (2003). With his "good old boy" persona and Southern drawl, Hopkins often played lawmen, psychos, or oily villains.

He makes his home in Los Angeles with his wife Sian and son Matthew, and is a keen fisherman, fan of the Anaheim Angels baseball team, and enjoys raising koi fish.

Miles Heizer was born on 16 May 1994 in Greenville, Kentucky, USA. He is an actor, known for Nerve (2016), Rails & Ties (2007) and Rudderless (2014).

Judith Chapman was born on 15 November 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress, known for The Young and the Restless (1973), The Sweetest Thing (2002) and 28 Days (2000). She has been married to Neilan Maxwell Tyree since 8 December 1984.

John Boles was an American actor who worked prolifically in both leading and supporting roles for 28 years. He was born in Greenville, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas, where he had studied medicine, in 1917. Boles' parents wanted their son to continue with a career in the medical field, but after being selected to perform in an opera, he discovered his real love for acting and singing. In the meantime, he taught French and singing in a New York high school and worked as an interpreter for a group of students touring Europe. He's also notable for acting as a U.S. spy during World War I, in Bulgaria, Germany, and Turkey.

Boles moved to Hollywood in the 1920s to continue acting in stage musicals and operettas, which eventually led to MGM hiring him to appear in The Sixth Commandment (1924). After a three-year hiatus from Hollywood to focus on stage work, Boles returned to star opposite Gloria Swanson in the hit The Love of Sunya (1927). He wasn't able to show off his singing skills until the arrival of sound pictures not long after. He starred in a few lavish musicals in the early days of sound movies, notably The Desert Song (1929), Rio Rita (1929), and Song of the West (1930). In 1930, Boles signed a contract with Universal Pictures and starred in such musicals as King of Jazz (1930) and One Heavenly Night (1930) for the studio.

Boles continued to work in a number of both musical and non-musical parts throughout the 1930s. Notable roles include Victor Moritz in Frankenstein (1931); an engaged attorney who falls in love with Irene Dunne in The Age of Innocence (1934); another leading part opposite Swanson, this time as her bickering beau in Music in the Air (1934); a wealthy bachelor who adopts Shirley Temple in Curly Top (1935); Temple's Confederate officer father in The Littlest Rebel (1935); manipulator Rosalind Russell's husband in Craig's Wife (1936); and Barbara Stanwyck's husband in Stella Dallas (1937).

In 1943, Boles played the role of a colonel in the star-studded Thousands Cheer (1943). By this point, his acting career had declined. Boles' final part was in 1952, starring opposite Paulette Goddard in Babes in Bagdad (1952). He retired from the film industry shortly thereafter, and found a new career in the oil business.

Boles married Marcelite Dobbs in 1917, and the couple had two daughters: Frances and Janet. They remained married until he died of a heart attack on February 27, 1969 at the age of 73.

J.D. was born in the delta town of Greenville, Mississippi (also the birthplace of Muppets creator Jim Henson) on the same day Richard Nixon was elected president. He is of Irish-French-German-Cherokee-Choctaw decent, the oldest of 7 siblings, and attended 17 different schools (public and private) while moving back and forth between his mother and father. His great-great-great-great uncle was Horace Mann, the founder of the American Public School system. His father (Puddin - yep, that's what they call him) is a welder/artist/amateur archaeologist and inventor. His mother (Sally) has had many professions, including concert promoter and owner of a country/western nightclub called The Headless Horseman, where as a young child, J.D. spent many school nights until the wee hours of the morning hanging out backstage and on stage with the likes of Hank Williams, Jr., Juice Newton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Paycheck, David Allen Coe, Ray Price, and many others.

After a short stint in college and a 15 month stint in the Marine Corps stationed at 29 Palms, California and after hanging out with some actors in L.A., J.D. thought he would give acting a shot. His only experience with acting had been playing the Prince in his pre-school production of The Nutcracker, and getting kicked out of his senior play, Oklahoma, after his second rehearsal because he and a friend drank a beer before hand. After the Marine Corps, he returned to Mississippi and worked as a debt collector for his mother's collection agency. After a year of hating his job, he decided to return to college and get a degree in theatre at The University of Southern Mississippi. Once on stage at college, he knew acting was what he had to do. His second year in theatre, he was one of 20 finalists in the state selected to attend SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference). In 1995, a friend offered J.D. a $1,000 to come to Los Angeles and perform a lead role in his play "Dylan's Ghost" at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. J.D. took him up on the offer and left college a semester before graduating and since then has lived back and forth between Hollywood, California, Austin, Texas, and Oxford, Mississippi, where he just completed writing and directing his first independent feature _Glorious Mail(2005)_.

Even though he appeared on the short-lived game show, Hollywood Showdown with Todd Newton and won nearly $12,000, his friends like to tell him that he's almost one lucky son of a gun. Mainly because he's come so close to landing lead roles in major films so many times, usually being the director's second choice. In 2004 his luck proved true once again when he purchased a $100 raffle ticket and was 1st Runner Up (2nd Choice) for a $250,000 house in United Way's New Home Giveaway, where instead he won an artist's print worth $80.

Mary Faber was born in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Parks and Recreation (2009), Kidding (2018) and The Brink (2015).

Ruth Attaway was born on 28 June 1910 in Greenville, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for Being There (1979), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) and Porgy and Bess (1959). She died on 21 September 1987 in New York City, New York, USA.

Nicholas James was born on 1 December 1983 in Greenville, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Haves and the Have Nots (2013), Prom Night (2008) and NCIS: New Orleans (2014). He has been married to Tika Sumpter since 14 May 2022. They have one child.

Strikingly comely brunette Patty Shepard was born in 1945 in Greenville, South Carolina. The daughter of a U.S. Air Force official, Patty moved to Spain when she was only 18 years old. After becoming popular as a model in a series of TV commercials, the lovely Ms. Shepard embarked on an acting career, making her film debut in a small part in La ciudad no es para mí (1966) (aka "The City is Not for Me"). She initially acted in paella westerns and thrillers before appearing in a handful of horror movies which include Assignment Terror (1970) (aka "Dracula vs. Frankenstein"), The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman (1971) (aka "The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman"), Crypt of the Living Dead (1973) (aka "Crypt of the Living Dead") and The Witches Mountain (1973) (aka "The Witches' Mountain") and Special Killers (1973) (aka "La Ragazza di Via Condotti"). Patty often acted alongside Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy in these films and projects a certain eerie otherworldly aura that's stunningly similar to Barbara Steele. Other films include the end-of-the-world science fiction feature Creation of the Damned (1974) (aka "Refuge of Fear") and the tongue-in-cheek spaghetti Western oddity The Stranger and the Gunfighter (1974) (aka "The Stranger and the Gunfighter"). After appearing in the horror movies Rest in Pieces (1987) (aka "Rest in Pieces") and Slugs (1988) (aka "Slugs"), Shepard retired from acting in the late 1980's. She died of a heart attack at her home in Madrid, Spain on January 3, 2013.

Mason Gillett is an award winning actor, born in Greenville SC. Mason got his start in acting at age 7 while living in Munich Germany where he booked an international commercial for Schleich Toys which aired on Nickelodeon Jr.

Most notably Mason is known for his recurring role as young Ace Spade on the Emmy Nominated Starz network hit, HEELS.

Mason Gillett also stars in a supporting lead role in "The Hill" which is a true story about baseball legend, Rickey Hill. Directed by Jeff Celentano and written by Angelo Pizzo, who also wrote "Rudy" and " Hoosiers". Mason has also recent been cast in the crime drama " Scoring Oceanside" where he will play Trey Kingston in the Series Kill Devil Hills. Mason will also play Alex Walker in "A Creative Mind" , written and directed by Jace Dakota of Hidden Lodge Films.

Mason has over 40 film credits and climbing. Mason won best lead actor at the Tich film festival for his role in the coming of age-film called "Elliot 2009". His other films include " Oh Christmas Tree" " Shenanigan's ", " Isolation the Series", "Beyond the White Veil" in which he portrays King Arthur, and many more.

When Mason isn't acting he is on a dirt bike. Mason trains and competes in Hare-scrambles across the southeast. And if you can believe it Mason helps his younger sister, Poppy Gillett design and sew clothing for her fashion line called Poppy's Garden Designs.

James Harvey Ward was born in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. He is an actor, known for True Blood (2008), Low Winter Sun (2013) and Criminal Minds (2005). He has been married to Lorraine Ward since 2013. They have two children.

Jess Barker was born on 4 June 1912 in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for Reign of Terror (1949), Scarlet Street (1945) and Cover Girl (1944). He was married to Susan Hayward. He died on 8 August 2000 in North Hollywood, California, USA.

Sarah Cunningham was born on 8 September 1918 in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. She was an actress, known for The Cowboys (1972), Jagged Edge (1985) and Black Like Me (1964). She was married to John Randolph. She died on 24 March 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Trey Gowdy was born on 22 August 1964 in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Weekend Night in America with Trey Gowdy (2021), The True Face of the Democratic Party (2021) and Forensic Files (1996). He has been married to Terri Dillard since 2 August 1989. They have two children.

Stephanie Denise Griffin was born in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. She is known for Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007) and Romeo & Juliet Revisited (2002). She was previously married to Robert Calvert.

Jim Van Bebber was born on 24 November 1964 in Greenville, Ohio, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Deadbeat at Dawn (1988), The Manson Family (1997) and My Sweet Satan (1994).

Jesse Jackson was born on 8 October 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Burning, S.O.S. - Saving Our Schools (2015) and Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (1995). He has been married to Jacqueline L. Jackson since 31 December 1962. They have five children.

Matt William Knowles is an actor, model, singer, and host known for his work in a number of Chinese films and TV series such as Love Me If You Dare, Deng Xiao Ping at History's Crossroad, Red Sorghum, Eastern Battlefield and Red Star Over China.

Knowles began working as a model during his second year in China. In 2012, he transitioned into acting. His first roles were small parts in the Chinese TV series Big Sister's Store and the short film There Will Be Blood. Knowles signed with Phantom Talent and was shortly thereafter cast in the role of a Viking Warrior in the 2013 film Vikingdom starring Dominic Purcell. He later signed a commercial modeling contract with Reco Talent Agency in Manila, Philippines and secured advertising campaigns with HTC and Pepsi.

Following Vikingdom, Knowles began hosting a travel TV show in the Philippines and was cast in a number of different Chinese productions, including the TV series Upright Men and Women, the series Red Sorghum (the largest TV series produced in China), and the TV series Deng Xiaoping at History's Crossroads.

In addition to acting, Knowles served as the host of a weekly travel and news show, This is Chengdu, during his time living in the city. While hosting, he also continued to film a number of other television series, commercials, and movies, including a series of advertisements for tourism in China. Knowles also hosted the 2014 "Oscars Live" broadcast for Youku to China. In 2014, Knowles was offered a full government scholarship to study at the Beijing Film Academy. Upon enrollment, he became the first non-Asian / Caucasian at the academy.

In 2015 he joined the cast of Love Me If You Dare in the recurring role of Dr. Barnes. That same year, in August of 2016, he played a lead role in the TV series Eastern Battlefield. Knowles portrayed US General Evans Carlson in Red Star Over China. Knowles portrays a lead role as Jet in the upcoming film Bond: Kizuna and is also starring as Rawa in the film Asura.

Mary Wilson, co-founder of The Supremes, helped garner an unequaled record of number 1 hits by a female group. Recording for Motown, Mary guided The Supremes into rock 'n roll history, turning her group into one of the three icons of the 1960's, alongside Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Mary never stopped developing new projects and toured the world entertaining her fans. She excelled in theatrical endeavors, such as the year-long Canadian tour of "Beehive", a play centered on a female musical group. Other theatrical experiences included her off-Broadway debut in "Grandma Sylvia's Funeral" in New York City, and "Mother Hubbard". Mary did a great deal of charity work, raising millions for AIDS through the People with AIDS Coalition of Tucson (PACT). She also raised funds for homeless people, cancer research and victims of child abuse, and was a Cultural Ambassador for the United States. Mary performed continually with orchestras, symphonies, and her own touring band. She wrote three books: "Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme" (1986), "Supreme Faith: Someday We'll be Together" (1990) and "Supreme Glamour" (2019). "Dreamgirl" remains the best-selling rock and roll autobiography ever published. She released several albums and in 2021 Motown released a compilation of her work as a solo performer.

Ken Christy was born on 23 November 1894 in Greenville, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for The Werewolf (1956), I Love Lucy (1951) and Utah Blaine (1957). He died on 23 July 1962 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.

She was dubbed "The Songbird of the South" and would be forever etched in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans as a true American symbol of World War II, especially after giving voice to Irving Berlin's classic song "God Bless America." Her inspiring rendition went on to sell millions of war bonds and even helped a hockey team in the 1970s win the Stanley Cup.

Singing patriot Kate Smith was born Kathryn Elizabeth Smith on May 1, 1907. As a child she showed a devoted interest toward singing and dancing, initially appearing in jazz nightclubs before opting for a standard music career. Discovered by the famed singer/dancer Eddie Dowling, Kate made her Broadway debut in his musical comedy "Honeymoon Lane" in 1926. Double-chinned and exceedingly heavyset, she served as the plump, singing slapstick foil to the star, and continued in that same predictable vein with the subsequent tour of "Hit the Deck" and in "Flying High" the 1930 Broadway show headlining Bert Lahr.

Unhappy at being made fun of in burlesque comedy and preferring to focus on her natural singing ability, Kate quickly joined forces with Columbia Records vice president Ted Collins who subsequently became her partner, protector and manager. Pointing her in the direction of radio, Kate made her debut in 1931 and her stardom was secured by year's end. She went on to break the record for longevity at the renown Palace Theatre. Her radio celebrity prompted a guest cameo role in the Paramount musical film The Big Broadcast (1932) singing what would become her signature piece "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain" (she had co-written the lyrics).

This, in turn, led to her first and only film vehicle. In Hello, Everybody! (1933), Kate Smith literally played Kate Smith, a meek, plus-sized radio singer who unabashedly tends to her farm in between jobs while losing the man of her dreams (Randolph Scott) to her svelte-looking sister, played by Sally Blane. As expected, Kate's character finds true happiness not in the arms of a man but in the helping and caring of others. True to form, Kate never married. Realizing she was not at all film material, Kate wisely stuck with radio and recordings, appearing in a film only one other time--as a guest singing "God Bless America" in the Warner Bros. star-studded variety show This Is the Army (1943).

She began making records in 1926 and over the years her best-selling hits would include "River, Stay 'Way From My Door" (1931), "The Woodpecker Song" (1940), "The White Cliffs of Dover" (1941), "I Don't Want to Walk Without You" (1942), "There Goes That Song Again" (1944), "Seems Like Old Times" (1946), "Now Is the Hour" (1947) and "How Great Thou Art (1965).

Kate had one of the most popular radio variety shows with "The Kate Smith Hour", which aired weekly from 1937-1945. At the same time she fronted the top daytime radio show with the midday "Kate Smith Speaks," a news and commentary program. She made a grand and memorable entrance at Carnegie Hall in 1963 and performed for Arthur Fiedler and his Boston Pops in 1967.

Television was also a successful medium for the singing star with a Monday-Friday afternoon variety show The Kate Smith Hour (1950) which ran four years. The show proved so popular that NBC handed her the prime time The Kate Smith Evening Hour (1951) to host as well. A variety show favorite, she appeared for Ed Sullivan, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Jack Paar, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Tony Orlando, and Carol Burnett.

During her last productive decade, she gave live concerts and performed in clubs all over the country. Illness would intervene in the 1970s and diabetes forced her to retire, eventually crippling her and confining her to a wheelchair. 79-year-old Kate died of major complications in Raleigh, North Carolina, on June 17, 1986.