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1-50 of 223
- Actress
- Soundtrack
At sixteen years old, Melanie Lynskey dazzled the film world with an audacious debut in Peter Jackson's revered psychological crime picture, Heavenly Creatures (1994). Her electrifying portrait of Pauline Parker - high school misfit whose fierce rapport with her only friend (a pre-fame Kate Winslet) spirals dangerously out of control - was deemed "perfect" (Richard Corliss, TIME) and secured the humble New Zealander a Best Actress trophy in her motherland. Following a three-year interval spent studying at university and relocating to Los Angeles, Lynskey made a welcome return to the silver screen when she was cast as Drew Barrymore's sweet-natured stepsister in Andy Tennant's 'girl power' twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998). Parts in But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Coyote Ugly (2000), Snakeskin (2001), Sweet Home Alabama (2002), Shattered Glass (2003), and Clint Eastwood's Oscar-nominated war epic Flags of Our Fathers (2006) came next.
In the consequent years, Lynskey emerged as one of the industry's most celebrated character actors, picking up plaudits for a host of appearances in prestige vehicles such as Sam Mendes's Away We Go (2009), Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (2009), Steven Soderbergh's The Informant! (2009), Tom McCarthy's Win Win (2011), Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and Adam McKay's Don't Look Up (2021). Prolific supporting roles - opposite the calibre of George Clooney, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio - aside, spotlight turns in Hello I Must Be Going (2012), Happy Christmas (2014), The Intervention (2016) - for which she scored a Special Jury Prize at Sundance - and the genre-bending I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017) have equally proved her mettle as a dynamite leading lady.
Since entering the annals of 21st century popular culture with her riotous embodiment of Rose - on the toweringly successful Two and a Half Men (2003), where she appeared for over a decade as Charlie Sheen's duplicitous admirer - Lynskey has injected her scene-stealing prowess into a multitude of small-screen gigs: among them, HBO's exalted tragicomedy Togetherness (2015), which showcased her "sublime" (Vanity Fair) depiction of a dissatisfied stay-at-home mom; macabre Stephen King spookfest Castle Rock (2018), where she headlined as pill-popping psychic Molly Strand; and all-star political period piece Mrs. America (2020), in which she joined forces with Cate Blanchett. For her spellbinding work on Showtime's Yellowjackets (2021) - where she's front-and-centre as Shauna, a suburban housewife consumed by horrific secrets - Lynskey collected the coveted Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series (2022), with Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall describing her turn in the runaway cult smash as the "dark, messy, charismatic part she's been waiting her whole career to play".- Actress
- Producer
Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley is best known for her work as a Victoria's Secrets lingerie model and as a movie actress. She has appeared in five Victoria's Secret Fashion shows from 2006 through 2010 and became a Victoria's Secret Angel in November 2009. She has appeared on the cover of international fashion magazines including Vogue, GQ, Elle, Harper's Bazaar among others. Huntington-Whiteley has been modeling since 2003 for a variety of clothiers: Abercrombie & Fitch, Burberry, Karen Miller, Bloomingdale's, Ralph Lauren, DKNY to name a few. She has honored by being named 2009 Model of the Year by Elle, received Elle's 2012 Top Style Icon Award and Maxim voted her #1 on its 2011 Maxim's Hot 100 list.
She made her film debut as Carly Spencer, Sam Witwicky's new love interest in the third installment of the Transformers series:Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011). She followed up her debut with another great role in the 2015 blockbuster, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) as The Splendid Angharad.
Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley was born on April 18, 1987 in Plymouth, Devon, England to Fiona ( née Jackson), a fitness instructor, and Charles Andrew Huntington-Whiteley, a chartered surveyor. Her great-great grandfather was the 1st Baronet of Grimley, Sir Herbert Hunington-Whiteley. She has been in a relationship since 2010 and became engaged in January 2016 to fellow actor, Jason Statham.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Eliza grew up in Plymouth, New Hampshire and graduated from Plymouth Regional High School.
Coupe first garnered industry attention in 2006 when her hilarious and irreverent one-woman show, The Patriots, performed at UCB/NYC, was selected for HBO's prestigious US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. Coupe won the festival's jury award for Breakout Actor of 2006 for her performance, an award designated by a panel of TV and film industry executives. That same year Coupe was featured in Variety as one of their, "10 Comics to Watch."
Eliza is well-known for her starring role in David Caspe created Happy Endings, and for Futureman, produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Emma Pierson was born on 30 April 1981 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is an actress and director, known for Absolutely Anything (2015), Guest House Paradiso (1999) and The Last King (2003).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jerry Angelo Brooks is an American comic actor and writer who acted in various works including Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home, Curb Your Enthusiasm, High on Life, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Mr. Deeds, Harley Quinn, Def Comedy Jam and Saturday Night Live. He's been married to his wife since 2007.- Mecia Simson, the accomplished English actress renowned for portraying Francesca Findabair in the Netflix series The Witcher, spent her formative years in Plymouth and attended Plymstock School. After winning Britain's Next Top Model in 2009, she enjoyed a successful modeling career before transitioning to acting. In 2019, Simson completed her acting degree at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Shortly after graduating, she secured her debut role in Brave New World and subsequently landed a series regular role in Season 2 of The Witcher on Netflix, continuing to film Season 3.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Douglas Hodge is a Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle award winning actor, composer, director and writer. Recent films include Alfred in Joker, Gemini man The Report and Red Sparrow. Recent TV includes The Great, Black Mirror, Lost In Space, Catastrophe and Penny Dreadful. Tony and Olivier awards on Broadway and the West End for La Cage Aux Folles and originated the role of Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Drury Lane in London's West End. Ten years working as an actor and director with Harold Pinter. Major Shakespearean and classical roles at the Royal National Theatre and R.S.C. and The Globe. New plays by Pinter, Barker, Penhall, Johnson and more at the RoyalCourt, Almeida, Classic Stage and Donmar Associate Director at Donmar Theatre and director of many plays on West End and on Broadway Stiles and Drewe Best Song Award and composer and lyricist of 101 Dalmatians, Meantime and Wigmaker on the West End. Trained at RADA and a council member alumni of the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain for many years.- The cinema took a while to discover him. Born in England, the son of an insurance agent, RADA-trained Donald Moffat first appeared on the Shakespearean stage with the Old Vic. In 1954, he stage managed the popular revue "Salad Days". Then, 'discontentment' (which, he later explained, had much to do with the class system in Britain) prompted a permanent relocation to the United States. Accompanying his American actress wife to her home state in Oregon, Moffat initially tried his hand at bartending and as a lumberjack. After six months, he concluded that he was not cut out for outdoorsy pursuits and decided to return to his original muse. A "motivating stimulus", as he would later explain, was that "America seemed much more theatrically vibrant than things were at home".
Modest beginnings with an amateur theatre group in Princeton provided a meagre income of $25 a week which necessitated temporarily making ends meet as a carpenter. That situation improved in the wake of Moffat's 1957 debut on Broadway in "Under Milkwood". From then on, he managed to keep himself exceedingly busy for some three decades -- both on and off-Broadway -- in roles ranging from O'Neill and Chekhov to Ibsen and Miller. Stops along the way included the Ohio Shakespeare Festival in Akron, as well as theatres in New York (where he made a memorable Falstaff in 1987), Cincinnati, Chicago and Los Angeles. In the early 60s, Moffat enjoyed a lengthy tenure as a member of the ensemble of the Association of Producing Artists (APA) Phoenix Repertory Company.
Having lost his British accent early on, Moffat excelled at slotting into diverse roles as totally believable Americans, be they dignified, self-effacing, doleful, tough or acerbic. This was very much in keeping with his working credo: "respect the text - you fit the part, not the other way around". Instantly recognisable in appearance -- lean, long-faced and bushy-browed -- he was a subtle actor who made good use of a mellow but resonant voice which combined with a strong stage presence. On the screen, Moffat began as a TV supporting player with numerous guest roles in hit shows, including Hawaii Five-O (1968), Bonanza (1959), Mission: Impossible (1966), Mannix (1967) and The West Wing (1999), playing an assortment of judges, doctors, reverends, politicians and army officers, even a quirky android named Rem in the short-lived CBS series Logan's Run (1977). His cinematic debut did not eventuate until 1968 as the (deceased) father of Joanne Woodward's titular protagonist in Rachel, Rachel (1968). Other memorable roles include the shady president in Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger (1994), the ill-fated station commander Garry in John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) and Lyndon B. Johnson in The Right Stuff (1983).
Described as a consummate professional, Obie award-winning actor Donald Moffat retired in 2005 and passed away on 20 December 2018 at the age of 87. - Actor
- Producer
David Chokachi was born on 16 January 1968 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Emerald Run (2020), Baywatch (1989) and Soul Surfer (2011).- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born Margaret Baker in Plymouth, Devon, in 1946, Maggie Steed studied drama with the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, graduating in the late 1960s. However, her first professional engagements were as an assistant stage manager, working behind the scenes in a somewhat lowly capacity, because, she says, she was not considered conventionally pretty enough to be an actress. She does, however, recall that the eccentric English puppeteer Harry Corbett praised her for assisting him with his creation Sooty the Bear. Maggie left theatrical life after only a few months and for several years worked as a secretary. An interest in Theatre in Education lured her back to the stage, this time as an actress, with Sue Johnston and Clive Russell at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. Since then she has worked on stage with both the Royal Shakespeare and National Theatre Companies, and in 2002 was a commanding Lady Bracknell in a revival of 'The Importance of Being Earnest'. A lady of political awareness, she was a founder member of the Campaign Against Racism in the Media, and in the early 1980s visited Nicaragua with actor Andy de la Tour to view the plight of its citizens, and in 1983, helped stage the televised Concert for Nigaragua. She is, however, best remembered for her television roles, chiefly comical ones, beginning in the early 1980s with 'Shine On Harvey Moon', through 'A Bit of a Do' and 'Pie In the Sky' as the wife of cop-turned-chef Richard Griffiths to, in the mid-2000s. 'Jam and Jerusalem' as the dim but well-meaning Women's Institute leader, a sitcom filmed in her native Devon and reuniting her with her early stage co-star Sue Johnston.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Freddy Carter was born on 27 January 1993 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Shadow and Bone (2021), Pennyworth (2019) and Wonder Woman (2017).- Widely known for his work on 'Wheeler Dealers', Ant Anstead has built a career as a television presenter, motor specialist and designer. In 2014 Anstead started production of his own show, 'The World's Most Expensive Cars' before being approached to co-host 'Building Cars live' and eventually 'Wheeler Dealers'. Anstead was born on the 28th of March, 1979 in Plymouth, Devon. United Kindom.
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Tracy Ifeachor was born and raised in the sea-side city of Plymouth in Devonshire, England. After being crowned Senior Verse Speaking Champion of the South-West at the age of 15, Tracy was keen to go to drama school to study acting but her father, a Professor of Electronic engineering, an accomplished lecturer and published author in his field, was keen for Tracy to finish her education.
Tracy later won a scholarship to a top acting school in London, England and graduated with honors from The Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Even before graduating, Tracy was already attracting attention from the world renowned "Royal Shakespeare Company" and landed her first acting job with them. Tracy quickly went on to star in a Revolver Entertainment and Magma Pictures feature film called "Blooded" as the Co-lead, Eve. Tracy then attracted the BBC's attention and landed her first television role as Leila, in the 27 year running medical drama, "Casualty". It didn't stop there, Tracy was nominated for the nationally recognized Ian Charleson Award, for her outstanding performance of Shakespeare's largest lead female role, Rosalind in As You Like It.
After appearing in David Tennant's final "Dr Who" all star cast episodes and season climax, as the daughter of "Homeland" star David Harewood, Tracy came to transatlantic recognition and made her Stateside debut, in the HBO & Cinemax's third season of "Strike Back: Vengeance" as Lilian Lutulu, opposite Charles Dance & Eamonn Walker. In her spare time Tracy is a youth worker and enjoys high board diving.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Emily Barclay was born on 24 October 1984 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is an actress, known for In My Father's Den (2004), Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010) and Suburban Mayhem (2006).- Actor
- Script and Continuity Department
Kadiff Kirwan is a British actor of stage and screen.
Kadiff Paterson Kirwan was born in Plymouth, Montserrat, to parents Matilda and Peter Kirwan. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and buried the island's capital, Plymouth, destroying its airport and docking facilities, and rendered part of the island, uninhabitable and not safe. With Montserrat being an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom in 1998 Kadiff and his family moved and settled in Preston, Lancashire.
At the age of 18 Kadiff moved to London to pursue a career in acting. He graduated from the Central School of Speech and Drama in 2011 after studying a 3 year degree in Acting.
He starred in the National Theatre's Production of HOME alongside Michaela Coel and Antonia Thomas in 2013/14. He has starred in various productions at theatres including the Donmar Warehouse and The Old Vic.
On Screen Kadiff is best known for playing Aaron in BAFTA award winning show Chewing Gum, and Chester in BLACK MIRROR (Netflix). Other credits include Strike (BBC/HBO), Timewasters (ITV), QUEERS (BBC) Crims (BBC) and Call the Midwife (BBC).- Cindy Kaza was born on 22 November 1980 in Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Jared Turner was born in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand on April 12, 1978. His family moved to Sydney, Australia, in 1980. Jared grew up living in the western suburbs of Sydney.
Jared graduated from Theatre Nepean, University of Western Sydney in 2000 at the age of 22.
He went on to act in numerous theatre productions, both in Australia and abroad, as well as local TV drama, All Saints (1998), before landing a lead role on the award-winning New Zealand feature film, Fracture (2004).
Upon returning to New Zealand, Jared was guest cast in acclaimed NZ comedy-drama, Outrageous Fortune (2005), followed by regular appearances in the TV series, Go Girls (2009). Shortly after, Jared was cast in one of the lead roles for the international hit show, The Almighty Johnsons (2011), playing "Ty Johnson", the human incarnation of Hod, the Nordic God of all things dark and cold. Jared has since become a well-known figure in New Zealand, appearing on numerous local film and television productions over the last several years.
Most recently, Jared was a member of the lead cast in the new Australian drama, Secret Daughter (2016), which also stars Australian Pop music sensation, Jessica Mauboy.
Jared has also appeared in numerous international productions including "30 Days of Night" (2007)", "Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" (2009), Spartacus (2010), and as Slanter, the leader of the Gnome rebellion in MTV's hit fantasy series, The Shannara Chronicles (2016)- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Before achieving his greatest fame in the 1950s as television's "Robin Hood", handsome Richard Greene had a significant if largely unremarkable film career, turning in several skillful leading man performances in the late 1930s before becoming type-cast in routine costume adventures. Like his friendly rival, Tyrone Power, Greene's good looks aided his entry into films but ultimately proved detrimental to his development as a film actor.
A descendant of four generations of actors, Richard Marius Joseph Greene seemed destined for a career as a movie actor. Born August 25, 1918 (Some sources list his birth-date as 1914) in the port city of Plymouth, Devonshire, England, Greene was educated at the Cardinal Vaughn School in Kensington. At an early age, he became determined to pursue the acting profession, making his stage debut in 1933 at the Old Vic as a spear carrier in a production of William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". By this time, the formerly gawky teenager was rapidly maturing into an exceedingly good-looking young man with an athletic build, dark wavy hair, and a pleasant speaking voice. So handsome was he that in between acting gigs, he supplanted his income as a shirt and hat model.
After a small role in a 1934 revival of "Journey's End and a bit part in the British musical film, Sing As We Go! (1934), Greene joined the Brandon Thomas Repertory Company in 1936, travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles in a variety of productions. His first major break came in 1936 when he won accolades on the London stage as the juvenile lead in Terence Rattigan's "French Without Tears", which brought him to the attention of Alexander Korda and then Darryl F. Zanuck. Fox signed the youngster in January, 1938, brought him to America, and immediately cast him in his first film: as the youngest of four brothers in John Ford's Four Men and a Prayer (1938). His excellent reviews and camera-friendly physical appearance (which inspired mountains of fan mail from adoring feminine moviegoers) convinced Zanuck to rush Greene into a series of top-notch films which showed him to advantage, and might have been the springboard to more substantive roles and super-stardom had fate and World War II not intervened.
Greene gave several notable performances as a Fox contractor. He was a banker's son-turned-horse trainer in the popular horse-breeding epic, Kentucky (1938), a murdered baronet's son in the eerie "Sherlock Holmes" mystery, The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), a college student estranged from his alcoholic father in Here I Am a Stranger (1939), and steamboat inventor Robert Fulton in the fanciful historical drama, Little Old New York (1940). At the peak of his popularity, with a growing resume of critically acclaimed film work, and fan mail rivaling Fox's number one heartthrob, Tyrone Power, Greene abandoned his studio contract in 1940 and returned to his homeland to aid in the war effort: an admirable personal decision which would have negative professional consequences. Enlisting in the Royal Armoured Corps of the Twenty-Seventh Lancers, he distinguished himself throughout World War II, eventually becoming a captain. He was discharged in December, 1944. During the war, he was given three furloughs to appear in British propaganda features. After the conflict ended, Greene and his young bride, beautiful British actress, Patricia Medina (whom he married in 1941) remained in England for a time, where both appeared on stage and in British movies. Richard's films included the charming comedy, Don't Take It to Heart! (1944), and the disappointing biopic, Showtime (1946).
In 1946, the ambitious Greene (accompanied by his wife who'd been offered a Fox contract) returned to Hollywood hoping to take up where he'd left off. After his dreams of regaining his lost momentum did not materialize, he opted to take whatever film work he could find. After landing a solid supporting role in the wildly popular costumer, Forever Amber (1947), he found himself cast as a swashbuckling hero in a long series of films, the most memorable of which was The Black Castle (1952), in which the heroic Greene battled an evil one-eyed Bavarian count. By the 1950s, the increasingly restless actor turned away from filmmaking in favor of the stage and television. His TV credits of the period included memorable performances on several live drama series including Studio One (1948) and The United States Steel Hour (1953). In 1955, Yeoman Films of Great Britain approached the still-youthful-looking middle-aged star to play the legendary "Robin of Locksley" in a proposed series, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955), aimed at the American market. The disillusioned, newly divorced (in 1951), financially strapped actor eagerly signed on. The result was one of the most memorable and successful series of the decade, lasting five years, consisting of 143 half-hour episodes which made Greene a major television star and a rich man.
After the series ended, the veteran actor purchased an Irish country estate and settled into a life of leisure with his new wife, Brazilian heiress, Beatriz Summers. Together, they pursued many of his hobbies including travelling, sailing, and breeding champion horses. By the 1960s and 1970s, Greene appeared less and less interested in his profession, only occasionally accepting acting work. His latter films were mostly forgettable action adventures and horrors. His second marriage ended in divorce in 1980. Two years later, he suffered serious injuries in a fall followed by a diagnosis of a brain tumor. In the autumn of 1982, he underwent brain surgery from which he never fully recovered. Richard Greene died in Norfolk, England on June 1, 1985, from cardiac arrest following a fall. He was survived by a daughter by his second marriage.
Although his movie career was ultimately a disappointment to him, he eventually came to accept, and even embrace his cinematic fate as a swashbuckling hero. "This swashbuckler stuff is a bit rough on the anatomy", he revealed in a 1950s interview, "but I find it more exhilarating than whispering mishmash into some ingénue's pink little ear". Of his most famous swashbuckling role, "Robin Hood", Greene expressed a special fondness and pride. "Kids love pageantry and costume plays. But the most important thing is: Robin can be identified with any American hero. He's the British Hopalong!".- Judi Trott was born on 11 November 1962 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Robin Hood (1984), Circles in a Forest (1989) and Heaven's Gate (1980). She is married to Gary Spratling. They have three children.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
The son of a country chemist, the British actor Donald Sinden intended to pursue a career in architecture but was spotted in an amateur theatrical production and asked to join a company that entertained the troops during World War II (Sinden was rejected for naval service because of asthma). Following a brief training at drama school, he established himself in theater, particularly as a Shakespearean actor. Having made his film debut in The Cruel Sea (1953), Sinden became a leading man in British films during the 1950s and then moved onto character roles later in his career. While his film appearances became less frequent, he worked steadily in theater (with the Royal Shakespeare Company, primarily) and in television, notably as the unperturbable butler in Two's Company (1975) and as a miserable in-law in Never the Twain (1981).- Thom Fell was born on 8 November 1976 in Plymouth, England, UK. He is an actor, known for An American Haunting (2005), Highlander: The Source (2007) and Nova (1974).
- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Laith Nakli was born on 1 December 1969 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for 12 Strong (2018), The Long Road Home (2017) and The Wall (2017).- David Gwillim was a leading man on British Television in the 1970s to the mid 1980s. Best known for playing Prince Hal in Henry IV Part I (1979), Henry IV Part II (1979) opposite Sir Anthony Quayle and later the title role in Henry V (1979) in the 'BBC Shakespeare Television series'. Other leading roles included the Television mini series Anna Karenina (1977), Lillie (1978), Peter and Paul (1981) opposite Anthony Hopkins, The Barchester Chronicles (1982) opposite Donald Pleasence, The Citadel (1983) with Daniel Day-Lewis and Hanlon (1985) in which he won the New Zealand Televison/Film award for best lead actor. He made his feature film debut in the Walt Disney film'The Island at the Top of the World (1974). Later television and film appearances include Nostradamus (1994), Trial & Retribution I - Part One (1997), Trial & Retribution II - Part One (1998), Do Not Disturb (1999) starring William Hurt and Henry VIII (2003).
- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Anthony McCarten was born on 28 April 1961 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. He is a writer and producer, known for The Theory of Everything (2014), Darkest Hour (2017) and The Two Popes (2019). He is married to Eva Maiwald. They have three children.- Amanda George was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for Jane the Virgin (2014), Chasing Life (2014) and Don McKay (2009).
- Stunts
- Actor
Antal Kalik was born in Plymouth, Michigan, USA. He is an actor, known for Wonder Woman (2017), Logan (2017) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Stalwart character Raymond Walburn is one of those actors whose name may have slipped through the memory cracks over time, but whose valued contribution to 30s and 40s comedy films certainly warrants a reminder. Somewhat reminiscent of the "Mr. Monopoly" character, Walburn was the archetypal bombastic bumbler or supercilious stuffed shirt with the trademark bulgy eyes, snub nose, arched brows and trimmed mustache. He provided his patented brand of cheeky humor in nearly 100 "A" and "B" films during his career span. Walburn was born in Plymouth, Indiana on September 9, 1887, then moved to Oakland, California following high school with his actress mother. There he was placed in an acting school associated with the Liberty Theatre, the principal stock company in Oakland, and made his professional stage debut at age 18 playing the Second Witch in "MacBeth." Following extensive touring in stock shows, he took his first Broadway bow with the opening of "The Greyhound" in 1912.
After a long period of struggle and a number of theater misfires, his career was interrupted by military service. This was shortly after his being cast as a replacement in the juvenile lead role in "Come Out of the Kitchen" starring Ruth Chatterton. Following his discharge from the artillery corps where he served in France, he resumed his Broadway and stock show career and grew in stature throughout the 1920s. In 1924 he made his London debut as Aubrey Piper in "The Show-Off," a role that keenly established his pompous image and brash, phony-baloney facade on stage and in later film. Over the decades Walburn's plus-sized comic vanity would become a repetitive scene-stealing tactic.
Outside of a couple of nondescript roles in silent films, Walburn did not take a serious stab at films until 1929, when he was cast supporting a Ruth Chatterton vehicle (again), this time playing her unfaithful husband in The Laughing Lady (1929). He did not return to films again, however, until five years later following a stage success in "The Pursuit of Happiness" (1933). From 1934 on he continued to be seen in film and was a main character staple for Columbia. For Frank Capra his highlights included Colonel Pettigrew, the race track tout, in Broadway Bill (1934); Gary Cooper's ostentatious valet in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936); and the opportunistic Judge Alexander in the Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn starrer State of the Union (1948). He also performed in Capra's pallid musical remake of Broadway Bill entitled Riding High (1950) with Bing Crosby, in which he recreated his Colonel Pettigrew shyster. As a Preston Sturges favorite, Walburn shined as the sarcastic and pompous Dr. Maxford in Christmas in July (1940); the windbag Mayor Noble in the classic Hail the Conquering Hero (1944); and as the boss who fires Harold Lloyd in The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (1947) [aka Mad Wednesday].
In post-war years, the by-now chunky-framed Walburn was given a great chance to show off by headlining his own "Henry" series of light comedy films. Playing patriarch Henry Latham in its debut Henry, the Rainmaker (1949), he was able to bounce off the droll antics of Walter Catlett's Mayor Colton character. Barbara Brown as his wife and young Gary Gray as son David were around for the entire series. He cavorted in five features ending with Father Takes the Air (1951). Walburn's last film was the rather uneventful western The Spoilers (1955). Following the death of his first wife Gertrude (affectionately known as Trudy), he more or less retired, but found happiness again when he married a family friend, Jane Davis.
In 1962, at the age of 74, he came out of his self-imposed retirement at the urging of Harold Prince to join Zero Mostel and company in the burlesque musical farce "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" playing a senile Roman citizen. He played the show for 18 months, then went on to appear with Ruth Gordon in "A Very Rich Woman" in 1965. Walburn died in New York City at the age of 81 in 1969 following an extended illness.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Tom Daley is an English diver, specialising in the 10 metre platform event.
Thomas Robert Daley was born in Plymouth, Devon, England, to Debra (Selvester) and Robert Daley. In July 2007, he was ranked 6th in the FINA Diving World Rankings men's 10-metre platform category. By July, he was ranked equal 17th, due to not participating in recent FINA Grand Prix meetings. Daley represented Great Britain in the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 10m platform and 10m platform synchro competitions.- Actor
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Derges was born on 24 February 1987 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He is an actor and assistant director, known for The Protégé (2021), Humans (2015) and Freak of Nurture (2015).- Lewis Peek was born on 18 September 1993 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Endeavour (2012), Poldark (2015) and A Confession (2019).
- Amy Lynn Baxter was born on 6 September 1967 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for Karate Warrior 2 (1988), Cyber Vengeance (1995) and Absolute Aggression (1996).
- Writer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
Rebecca Lenkiewicz was born in 1968 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is a writer and actress, known for Ida (2013), She Said (2022) and Disobedience (2017).- Daphne Heard was born on 1 August 1904 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She was an actress, known for To the Manor Born (1979), Lorna Doone (1963) and Jude the Obscure (1971). She died on 22 June 1983 in Bristol, England, UK.
- Dave Atkins was born on 11 October 1940 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Hellraiser (1987), The Little World of Don Camillo (1981) and Prick Up Your Ears (1987). He died on 23 April 2008 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK.
- Jason Fox was born on 31 August 1976 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He is a producer, known for The Filthy Fifteen: Censorship & the War on Dirty Lyrics, Theresa Caputo: Raising Spirits (2023) and Special Forces: World's Toughest Test (2023).
- Actress
- Additional Crew
The daughter of an entertainer, Ann was educated at Covents in Chelsea and Hertford and Mater Dei College in Welwyn Garden City. She started her career as a dancer before switching to acting. As an actress, she appeared on the London stage in plays such as "Spring Awakening" and "The Knack". Ann married the actor Michael MacKenzie. In her free time, she enjoys reading modern literature and poetry.- Sharron Davies was born on 1 November 1962 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Optimist (1983), 3-2-1 (1978) and Olympic Games (1936). She has been married to Tony Kingston since 2002. They have one child. She was previously married to Derek Redmond and John Crisp.
- Michael Shepley was born on 29 September 1907 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Housemaster (1938), Squibs (1935) and Henry V (1944). He was married to Isobel Pringle. He died on 28 September 1961 in London, England, UK.
- Actor
- Animation Department
- Executive
Ryan Walker was born on January 27, 1993 in Plymouth, Minnesota, USA as Ryan Nicholas Walker.
At a young age, Ryan began taking courses at the Minneapolis Children's Theater. He was soon cast in a TV film shooting nearby titled Faculty (2011) as "Anthony", a student at Plattsmouth High. This, along with local commercials and theater, sparked his interest in entertainment.
Upon graduation, Ryan spent two months in Shanghai and then relocated to Los Angeles. He has since built multiple successful entertainment businesses, the most notable being TSMA Consulting, a nationally recognized entertainment and technology social media management firm.
His work has been noted as a "proactive force" in entertainment, including educating nationally with SAG-AFTRA, the Television Academy, and with the Apple FCPX team.- Elizabeth Maclellan was born on 11 January 1958 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for Puppet Master II (1990), Friday the 13th: The Series (1987) and Santa Barbara (1984). She was previously married to Mark La Mura.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Ron Goodwin was born on 17th February 1925 in Plymouth. He was the son of a London policeman who was detached to the harbour-town. His mother felt that piano lessons would be a good pastime, so in his fifth year, the little Ron was hoisted onto a piano-stool and his education on this instrument began. Ron himself was at that time not really convinced about that parental ambition.
In 1934 his father's detachment ended and the family moved back to London. Ron went for his elementary education to the Willesden County Grammar school, situated in the North-West of London. In the school an orchestra was set-up and Ron got slowly attracted by music. It fascinated him, that all these young people were playing different instruments but that the result was very harmonious.
When he was 11, he went to his teacher and asked for a place in the orchestra. His teacher replied: "We don't have enough trumpet players. Learn how to play the trumpet and we'll see". That's what they call "Hobson's Choice". And so he learned to play the trumpet. Ready after just a few lessons, Ron joined the school orchestra. He kept continuing with his trumpet lessons because he felt that there was more prosperity in a career as a trumpet player than as a pianist. Moreover he had more fun in playing the trumpet. Nevertheless he also continued his piano lessons. The piano has always been a very useful instrument for him, when writing music. But frankly, he never became a virtuoso pianist. He was a much better trumpet player.
The end of the '30s was the era of swing with the great big bands of Glen Miller, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey and Woody Herman. In 1939, at the age of just 14, he formed his own dance band called "The Woodchoppers". Very soon the orchestra got some engagements here and there. The signature tune for their performances was "At the Woodchoppers Ball", a swinging Woody Herman composition. That explains the name "The Woodchoppers". The band was very soon semi-professional and very regularly entered competitions for dance bands.
After he had studied harmony and counterpoint, he left school in 1942. In deference to his mother's doubts about the security status and prospects of music as a career, he took a job as junior clerk in an insurance office. He held the job for three months. After repeatedly catching him fixing gigs for "The Woodchoppers" over the office 'phone, Ron's boss advised him to forget insurance and take his chances in music. He still thinks that this is the best advice ever given to him.
He started as a copyist for the music publisher Campbell Connelly. There he got the opportunity to work with and learn from Harry G. Stafford. This was an elderly thoroughly experienced arranger, who had arranged the music of Hubert Bath for Hitchcock's first English sound film Blackmail (1929) in 1929. Stafford taught him all the methods for producing arrangements and how to lay out a score. In that period he also studied a private course on how to conduct an orchestra with Siegfried de Chabot, a teacher at the Royal Music College.
After a few months working for Campbell Connelly, he applied for a job as an arranger for Norrie Paramor and Harry Gold. They were joint-proprietors of "The Paramor-Gold Orchestral Services" and they also had a jazz orchestra called "The Pieces of Eight". He was hired, although he thinks that it was not only because of his skills as an arranger. In that jazz orchestra there used to be an excellent trumpet player called Cyril Ellis. He was drafted for the Navy and so Paramor and Gold lacked a musician. Goodwin, being a trumpet player, replaced Cyril in the orchestra and was also the arranger of the "Paramor-Gold Orchestral Services".
As an arranger he was particularly working for a BBC program called "Composers Cavalcade". Every week a different well-known composer of light music, like Albert Ketelby, Noël Coward or Ivor Novello was chosen. Goodwin provided all the arrangements for these weekly broadcasts and he got a lot of experience through it. In the meantime his band, "The Woodchoppers", won several Dance Band competitions and in 1945 came fifth in the All Britain Dance Band Championship.
After the contract with Norrie Paramor ended, he started working for the music-publisher Edward Kassner. Here he arranged the music for various types of orchestras. One day a pub or dance orchestra, the other day for BBC radio orchestras. In the meantime he also did the orchestrations for well-know orchestra leaders like Stanley Black, Ted Heath, Geraldo, Peter Yorke and Ambrose.
In 1949 he started working for Polygon. In those days the record market was dominated by two giants: Decca and EMI. Polygon was the brainchild of Alan Freeman (not to be confused with the D.J. of the same name). He also continued working or the Kassner Music Company as a manager/publisher and he was determined to fulfil his greatest wish - making records. He already had some contacts in Australia who wanted pop records and he decided to have these sung by Petula Clark. Petula was born on 15 November 1932 as Sally Clark. From her seventh year she had been singing regularly and had become a popular child-star through her radio performances during World War II. In 1944, when she was 11, she signed a film contract for the Rank Organisation. Despite her popularity neither Decca nor EMI were willing to give her a contract. Alan Freeman approached Leslie Clark, Petula's father who was also her manager. Leslie Clark took up the opportunity, invested also some money and Polygon was born.
At the end of 1949 the first recording session took place. That day four titles were recorded: "You go to My Head", "Out of a Clear Blue Sky", "Music! Music! Music!" ("Put Another Nickel in...") and "Blossoms on the Bough", featuring Petula Clark and the Stargazers with accompaniment conducted by Ron Goodwin. He was then just 24 years old. The 2 records were released in Australia and became a big success there. In 1950 "Too Young" was recorded, a cover version of Nat King Cole's USA no. 1 hit, sung by the then completely unknown singer/pianist, Jimmy Young, with accompaniment conducted by Ron Goodwin. The record became a big hit and gave a huge impulse to the careers of both Jimmy Young and Ron Goodwin. After that, Ron also recorded his first two instrumental records.
Polygon was not able to handle the enormous success of Jimmy Young and by the end of 1952 he moved to Decca. Ron Goodwin already had his contract with Parlophone, but on the Decca label he conducted fifteen Jimmy Young records. Ron Goodwin was still very young and the producer Dickie Rowe called him Ronnie Goodwin on the first of those Decca records. It did not go so well with Polygon after that. The company was not able to make up for the loss of Jimmy Young. Petula proved to be their only continuing asset and in 1955 Polygon was amalgamated with (Pye) Nixa.
In the slipstream of the success of "Too Young" Ron Goodwin was from then on an established name in the British musical world, performing under the name: "Ron Goodwin and his Orchestra" or depending on the mood of the person in charge of the marketing: "Ron Goodwin and his Concert Orchestra". The orchestra he formed consisted at first of 36 persons but later it grew to 42. All of them were session musicians personally selected by him. These musicians worked for him only during the record sessions. A day later they could be working for, for instance, Mantovani or Geraldo. Indeed, the Mantovani orchestra was also comprised entirely of session musicians.
In 1951 Ron Goodwin met George Martin, who was at that time a young assistant recording manager at Parlophone. George offered him a contract of backings for 12 vocal singles and 6 singles with his own orchestra every year. His first instrumental record on Parlophone was released in 1953. In that same year he recorded his version of Charles Chaplin's "Limelight" and reached third place in the English hit parade with it.
In the following years he made numerous records with his orchestra and did the vocal backings of, amongst others: Eamonn Andrews, Joan Baxter, Christine Campbell, Petula Clark, Jim Dale, Bruce Forsyth, Nadia Gray, The Headliners, Edmund Hockridge, Dick James, Cynthia Lanagan, Zack Laurence, Lorne Lesley, Larry Marschall, Glen Mason, Spike Milligan, Morecambe & Wise, Parlophone Pops Orchestra, Rostal & Schaefer, Edna Savage, Peter Sellers, Joan Small, Ian Wallace, Alma Warren and Jimmy Young.
Nowadays, many of those names are not familiar any more to us, but in those days you could find them regularly in the hit parades. Jim Dale started as a rock-singer, but became later a comedian and a member of the cast of the "Carry on..." films. Dick James started his own publishing company and became later the publisher of all the Beatles hits. And Edmund Hockridge? He still has his own fan club.
In 1954 Ron Goodwin recorded his first album in his own right: "Film Favourites". After that followed many more LPs, also 2 oriental: "Music for an Arabian Night" and "Holiday in Beirut". Long before he recorded "Sergeant Pepper ....." with The Beatles, George Martin was the producer of many concept-albums. A perfect example is the Goodwin album "Out of this World". On this LP the galaxy is traversed in an orchestral way (without the use of synthesisers!). Released in 1958, a few months after the first satellite "Sputnik" was put into orbit. Photos of launched rockets were not available yet, so the rocket on the front cover is a drawn one.
In 1958 the skiffle-rhythm was a rage and Goodwin wrote "Skiffling Strings". The song entered the hit parade and the American label "Capitol" was interested to release it in the USA. But the Americans were wondering what "Skiffling" really meant. In America the skiffle-rage was completely unknown. So, the song was re-titled "Swingin' Sweethearts". Ron Goodwin and George Martin went to the States to promote the single in several television-broadcasts. Within 14 days the song entered the American hit parades and was later followed by "Lingering Lovers". Quite a number of his albums were released after that in the USA. In that year he received the Ivor Novello Award" for "Lingering Lovers" as the year's best English song.
Peter Sellers was already a well-known actor in Britain, especially because of his performances in the BBC broadcasting series "The Goon Show". In 1958, 1959 and 1960 he recorded three LPs. These albums are still considered as the standard for British comedy. The production of those albums was again in the hands of George Martin. Ron Goodwin did all the conducting of the accompanying music. The third album in the series was called: "Peter and Sophia". In 1960, Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren had just finished the shooting of the film The Millionairess (1960). In this film Sellers played an Indian doctor, who was waylaid by an enamoured Sophia Loren. The co-operation of both led to this album, on which they both did the song "Goodness Gracious Me!". The song became a massive hit and remained in the top 5 for weeks. For the recording of the album Sophia Loren was flown to London with her husband Carlo Ponti, where he met Ron Goodwin. In 1965 they renewed their acquaintance when Carlo Ponti produced the film Operation Crossbow (1965) and Ron Goodwin wrote the music.
Back in 1955, Ron Goodwin was involved for the first time in composing film music. Malcolm Arnold (of "Bridge on the River Kwai" fame) had written the score for the film The Night My Number Came Up (1955). The producer wanted several sequences with dance music in night club style. Arnold refused to write this music and so Ron Goodwin was asked to write these sequences. In the following years he wrote the music for several documentaries. 1956: "The Corrington Achievement" and in 1957 "Atlantic Line". They appear to be the exercises for the larger jobs.
In 1958 he met Lawrence P. Bachmann, at that time manager for Columbia Pictures in London. Bachmann had written a book and this was going to be filmed with the title Whirlpool (1959). He commissioned Ron Goodwin to write the music for this film. That was Goodwin's first contact with a feature film. A year later Bachmann became head of production of MGM-Europe. He liked the music Goodwin wrote for his film "Whirlpool" very much and he asked him to write the music for 4 or 5 films every year. The first of those was Village of the Damned (1960), still one of the best British science fiction films. This was followed by the very successful Miss Marple film-series featuring Margaret Rutherford.
Because he was so busy writing film music, there was no more time left for vocal backings and his contract as musical-director for Parlophone was not prolonged. For the time being, the last album he recorded was "Serenade", which contained his well-known version of "Elizabethan Serenade".
Films he scored in the early sixties included: Invasion Quartet (1961), Postman's Knock (1962) (with a hilarious vocal from Spike Milligan), The Day of the Triffids (1963), Kill or Cure (1962), Follow the Boys (1963) (featuring Connie Francis) and Sword of Lancelot (1963). These were followed in 1964 by the United Artists/Mirisch Corporation film 633 Squadron (1964). This score established Ron Goodwin on the international stage as a composer of film music. The main theme became one of his most well-known and for the past several years has been used as a sort of signature tune at the start of the Rotterdam Marathon to accompany and encourage the athletes. After that film there followed even more film scores of which the most well-known are: Of Human Bondage (1964), Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965), Operation Crossbow (1965), The Trap (1966) (the theme from which was adopted by the BBC for their coverage of The London Marathon), Where Eagles Dare (1968), Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies (1969), Battle of Britain (1969), Frenzy (1972) - when he replaced a score by Henry Mancini - and Force 10 from Navarone (1978).
In 1969, a very awkward situation existed with Battle of Britain (1969). Originally Sir William Walton wrote the music for this film. The producers were not really satisfied with the music and they gave the assignment to Goodwin. Sir William Walton is a kind of an institution and there was a lot of commotion about it. But Ron Goodwin was not to blame that he was signed to do the score. That Goodwin's score was apparently better, is simply proved by the fact that it was accepted by the producers. Apart, that is, from the fact that they liked Walton's "Battle in the Air" sequence more than Goodwin's and this is used in the film. These things can happen if one can choose. And so, nobody was happy with the situation, not Walton and not Goodwin.
In "Battle of Britain" it was very important that the audience could constantly identify the combatants. Ron Goodwin therefore wrote a march for the German Luftwaffe which he called, yes indeed, "Luftwaffe March". A few years later, one of the Bands of the Royal Airforce was going to record an album with marches, including "Luftwaffe March". A march with that name, recorded by an RAF Band already existed, therefore the march was re-titled "Aces High". The first editions of the soundtrack album mention the title "Luftwaffe march". On the later re-issues the new title "Aces High" was used.
In 1966 he resumed recording again for EMI, of both his own compositions and those of others. Now in the famous "Studio 2" stereo series, first came "Adventure", followed by "Gypsy Fire", "Christmas Wonderland", "Legend of the Glass Mountain", "Excitement", "Spellbound" and many others. By 1975, over a million of these albums with "Ron Goodwin and his (Concert) orchestra" had been sold and he received a gold record from EMI.
In 1979 Goodwin recorded "The Beatles Concerto". For collectors of Beatles and related records this is a very interesting LP. It was not the umpteenth album with a medley of tunes by Lennon-McCartney-Harrison, but contains a number of Beatle songs, arranged in a classical form and performed by England's most talented concert-pianists: Peter Rostal and Paul Schaefer. These were accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The record was produced by Beatles producer George Martin. Anyone who loves the great piano concertos of Rachmaninov or Tchaikovsky will be impressed by "The Beatles Concerto". The sleeve with a fantastic full-colour inner sleeve with photos of the recording sessions is a gem. There were over 100,000 copies of the album sold. And still is there a demand for it.
The last film he scored, was the Danish animated feature Valhalla (1986). The soundtrack album was only released in Scandinavia and that is really a pity. The released soundtracks of Goodwin's animation-scores were more or less fairytale records for children: narration with background music and songs. But that is not the case with "Valhalla". This is a fantastic symphonic score, without the many songs which seems to be obligatory in all animation films. This music would perfectly fit a live-motion film, it is full of fresh and new elements. Maybe this is also a result of synergy, because he wrote this score in collaboration with the Dane, Bent Hesselmann.
In 1979 the City Fathers of his native town Plymouth invited him to compose a Suite for the commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the Globe. The vicinity of the Atlantic and the atmosphere of a harbour-town in his childhood years, probably had their influence on this Suite.
The influence of his lengthy stay in hit parade environments and his accompaniments of various pop artistes are audible in several scores. For instance That Riviera Touch (1966) and Kill or Cure (1962) are really swinging numbers. A problem for Goodwin was that his best scores were made in a period when film producers were not particularly interested in releasing a soundtrack, so many of them failed to get a release.
In 1970 Ron Goodwin was invited by the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct a programme of his film music. To ease the tension between items, he improvised and told the audience some remarks and anecdotes about the performed pieces. They started to laugh. It turned out to be the turning point in his career. The idea was born to bring in concert a mixture of film and light music and the items melt together with a touch of humour. Within a few months a tour was organized and he toured constantly with different well-known Symphony orchestras all over the world, always playing to a full house. The orchestras he toured with included: The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, The Odense Symphony Orchestra, The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, The Denver Symphony Orchestra and The Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Ron Goodwin has scored approximately 70 films, there are between 70 and 80 albums released of his music and he recorded and accompanied on 250-350 singles. Films of the type like "Where Eagles Dare", "Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines" and "Monte Carlo or Bust", to which the music of Ron Goodwin makes a great contribution, are not being made anymore. And that is unfortunate in two ways: firstly, because we will not see those kind of films anymore and secondly, because we will not hear that kind of music anymore!- Actress
- Producer
Therese Plaehn was born on 19 December 1979 in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Don't Look Up (2021), Boston Strangler (2023) and Proud Mary (2018).- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Script and Continuity Department
John Kazlauskas was born on 30 May 1979 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA. John is a writer, known for Superstore (2015), Happily Divorced (2011) and Brothers & Sisters (2006).- Editorial Department
- Production Manager
- Actress
Aisha Bicknell was born in 1971 in Plymouth, England, UK. She is a production manager and actress, known for Hot Fuzz (2007), Doom (2005) and Flyboys (2006).- Actress
Maisie Sly was born on 19 March 2011 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Listen (2020), The Silent Child (2017) and See Hear (1981).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Millen Baird was born on 24 March 1973 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. He is an actor and writer, known for Housebound (2014), M3GAN (2022) and End of Daze (2013). He has been married to Siobhan Marshall since 27 September 2016. They have two children.- Director
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Gareth Carrivick was born on 16 November 1957 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was a director and production manager, known for Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009), Big Impression (1999) and Little Miss Jocelyn (2006). He died on 16 March 2010 in Runnymede, Surrey, England, UK.- Norman Palmer was born in England and served in the Royal Navy from 1939 to 1945. During his time in the service, he was twice decorated for bravery. Like most people in the service, Palmer didn't want to make a career out of it so he left the service and when to school to become a dental technician.
Eventually Palmer found himself in Florida where he owned a dental laboratory. That's when the acting bug bit him and he started doing local theatre productions at night. He felt like he needed to give it a try as an actor so Palmer moved to California in the early 1960s leaving his practice behind.
His older appearance enabled him to get a few roles as an actor but the work was not steady enough to support his family. This lead him into appearing in more background roles in the late 1960s where he was able to use his eloquent appearance to start appearing in socialite scenes and occasionally in talking roles as lawyers or reporters.
Norman Palmer worked until his death of cancer in 1986 leaving behind countless socialite appearances in television and movies and a story of a man who was able to achieve his dream. - Though three U.S. Presidents have died on the Fourth of July, John Calvin Coolidge was the first and only one to have been born on that date, in 1874. He is also the only President to have had the oath of office administered by his father, a justice of the peace, who swore him in when the Coolidges received word of President Warren G. Harding's death. Coolidge's reputation is that of an unfeeling and lazy man, unaware of what was going on in the country and who dawdled while the United States drifted toward the Great Depression. Yet history doesn't really support this caricature of a man who actually was a highly intelligent and complex individual.
Though self-contained and terse, Coolidge was an extremely intelligent man and a fine scholar (his wedding gift to his wife, Grace Goodhue, was his own translation of Dante Alighieri's "Inferno". A week after the wedding, Coolidge, ever the practical New Englander, also presented his wife with 52 pairs of his socks that needed mending). Some have argued that Coolidge was the best-prepared candidate ever to become President, having worked his way through a succession of elective political offices until he wound up as the Vice President under Harding, attaining the presidency when Harding died in office in August of 1923. Coolidge was a laissez-faire proponent, believing, like Jefferson, that the government governs best which governs least. In July of 1924 his son, Calvin Jr., died of blood poisoning. The younger Coolidge, like his mother, was an outgoing and gregarious boy, and his death affected his father deeply. Although some historians have characterized Coolidge's behavior in office as marked by laziness or indolence, it seems now that it was almost certainly a deep depression brought about by the death of his son. Coolidge chose not to run in 1928. Privately, his wife remarked to a friend that "Daddy thinks there is going to be a Depression." On January 5, 1933, he died of heart failure at his home in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Though Coolidge was dismissed for years as a presidential lightweight, his reputation has grown in recent years. President Ronald Reagan retrieved Coolidge's portrait from storage and displayed it in the White House during his tenure in office, and a recent biography has provided a much more favorable view of Coolidge and his presidency than had previously been available. - Kenneth Gilbert was born on 24 June 1931 in Plymouth, Devon, England, UK. He was an actor, known for Wolfshead: The Legend of Robin Hood (1973), Doctor Who (1963) and Testament of Youth (1979). He was married to Beth Harris. He died on 29 October 2015 in Stradbroke, Suffolk, England, UK.