Birthdays: December 4

Dena Dietrich was born on 4 December 1928 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress, known for History of the World: Part I (1981), Philly (2001) and The Golden Girls (1985). She died on 21 November 2020 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Adamski was born on 4 December 1967 in New Forest, Hampshire, England, UK. He is a composer and actor, known for Ricochet (1991), Adamski & Seal: Killer (1990) and Gladiator (1992).

Alec Secareanu was born on 4 December 1984 in Bucharest, Romania. He is an actor and producer, known for God's Own Country (2017), Amulet (2020) and The Bike Thief (2020).

Álex de la Iglesia is one of the most popular and respected European filmmakers of his generation. Considered a genre of his own, based on his skill and originality in a range of cinematographic art styles, he has currently finished shooting the second season of "30 Coins", the successful HBO Max series. 2022 saw the release of two feature films directed by de la Iglesia: the slasher "Veneciafrenia" (part of The Fear Collection) and the romantic road movie "Four's a Crowd", alongside "Venus" by Jaume Balagueró, which was produced by Álex de la Iglesia, in association with Sony Pictures and Amazon Prime Video.

Born in Bilbao, Álex de la Iglesia started out in the world of comics and he has never lost this side to him throughout his career in film. He began as a director in "Mutant Action" and "The Day of the Beast", movies that changed the face of Spanish fantastique genre forever. Among his most renowned works are "The Last Circus" - praised by The New York Times the same day it was released in the US -"Ferpect Crime", "Witching and Bitching", "My Big Night" and "The Bar".

With Pokeepsie Films, the production company De la Iglesia created with his wife, prestigious producer Carolina Bang, he has contributed as a producer to nurturing a new generation of filmmakers, such as Paul Urkijo, Eduardo Casanova, Zoe Berriatúa, Juanfer Andrés and Esteban Roel.

With Bang and De La Iglesia as producers, Pokeepsie Films had great success with movies such as "70 Big Ones" by Koldo Serra and "Perfect Strangers" and "Veneciafrenia", both directed by Álex de la Iglesia himself. "Four's a crowd" is his latest release as a feature director, while as a producer he has also been part of "La Pietà", by Eduardo Casanova, and the aforementioned "Venus", directed by Jaume Balagueró.

In 2023, Pokeepsie Films has released the HBO Max series, "Headless chickens", starring Hugo Silva, the Prime Video original feature film "My fault" (the most watched non-English language movie in the history of the platform), and has started shooting "1992", a Netflix series directed by Álex de la Iglesia.

Alex North studied music at the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia, then won a scholarship to Juilliard in New York (1929) and the Moscow Conservatoire (1933), making him the first-ever American to become a member of the Union of Soviet Composers. In Europe, he worked as music director for the Latvian State Theatre, before returning to the U.S. in 1935 to perfect his craft under the auspices of Aaron Copland. At the same time, he produced his first compositions, including two symphonies, chamber music and dance scores for Martha Graham and Agnes de Mille. After a spell in Mexico as conductor/composer, he served as a captain with the U.S. Army, in charge of 'self-entertainment programs' for hospitalised psychiatric patients. He also did his first film work, scoring documentaries for the Office of War Information.

Profoundly influenced by, above all, Duke Ellington, North began to write several innovative compositions in jazz. His 'Revue for Clarinet and Orchestra' was originally commissioned by Benny Goodman and first performed in 1946 under the direction of Goodman and Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Joining ASCAP in 1947, North went on to compose theatrical scores, including 'Death of a Salesman' for Elia Kazan and this opened the door to Hollywood. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) was the first all-jazz score ever written for a motion picture. His next assignment was the film version of Death of a Salesman (1951), followed by Viva Zapata! (1952), for which he used traditional instruments, including marimbas and timbales.

Much of his subsequent work was characterised by sparse instrumentation (as, for example, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and the Oscar-nominated Under the Volcano (1984)). He used jazz again, evocatively, to score The Long, Hot Summer (1958) and The Sound and the Fury (1959), but was rather less successful on more conventional themes, such as The Misfits (1961). One of his most beautiful and lyrical works was the love theme from Spartacus (1960). For the small screen, he composed the music for the two instalments of the popular miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (1976). Alex North was Oscar-nominated fifteen times but only received the coveted statuette as a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986.

Alfonso Pícaro was born on 4 December 1928 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was an actor, known for Pimienta (1966), La venganza (1999) and ¡Qué noche de casamiento! (1969). He died on 15 October 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Anthony DeSando was born on 4 December 1965 in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), Out for Justice (1991) and Money Monster (2016).

Barbara Knudson was born on 4 December 1927 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. She was an actress, known for The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950), The Cry Baby Killer (1958) and Meet Danny Wilson (1952). She was married to William Henry. She died on 11 May 2014 in Nevada, USA.

Bernie McInerney was born on 4 December 1936 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. He is an actor, known for Dan in Real Life (2007), The Natural (1984) and See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989). He has been married to Leilani Ann Johnson since 1972. They have one child. He was previously married to Susan Margaret Patz.

Beverly Swanson was born on 4 December 1977 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Aleta: Vampire Mistress (2019), Mad TV (1995) and The Brides of Sodom (2013).

Bill Collins was born on 4 December 1934 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Prisoner (1979), Howling III (1987) and Plugg (1975). He was married to Joan Margaret Thrupp. He died on 20 June 2019 in Berry, New South Wales, Australia.

Carey Means has been the voice of Frylock on the Adult Swim TV show Aqua Teen Hunger Force (aka "Aqua TV Show Show"). His career also includes having been in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Atlanta Opera Chorus. He has also performed on stage at the Georgia Renaissance festival as Sir Richard Do Good. Carey is also a classically trained Shakespearean actor who hails originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He has performed with Theatre of the Stars in such productions as South Pacific and with Actors Express in It's a Wonderful Town. His many talents include acting, voice overs, singing, and dancing. He is married to Leah Levin Means since 1/18/2019.

Cassandra Wilson was born on 4 December 1955 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Junior (1994), The Score (2001) and My Blueberry Nights (2007). She was previously married to Isaach De Bankolé.

Charity Shea was born on 4 December 1983 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She is an actress, known for Alpha Dog (2006), After Sex (2007) and Single Ladies (2011).

Charlotte Wynters was born on 4 December 1899 in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for Sunset Trail (1938), The Falcon's Brother (1942) and Clarence (1937). She was married to Barton MacLane and Charles Edward Schall. She died on 7 January 1991 in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Charly Hübner was born on 4 December 1972 in Neustrelitz, East Germany [now Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany]. He is an actor and writer, known for Police Call 110 (1971), The Lives of Others (2006) and Magical Mystery or: The Return of Karl Schmidt (2017). He is married to Lina Beckmann. They have one child.

Chelsea Noble was born on 4 December 1964 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Left Behind: The Movie (2000), Left Behind II: Tribulation Force (2002) and Growing Pains (1985). She has been married to Kirk Cameron since 20 July 1991. They have six children.

A New Jersey native, Chris von Hoffmann studied at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and performed in several Off-Broadway plays before moving to Los Angeles to focus full-time on filmmaking and screenwriting.

Starting small to hone his skills, Chris wrote, produced, and directed several short films before making his feature debut in 2016, Drifter. On a minuscule budget, Chris demonstrated a unique style and confidence behind the camera, resulting in immediate attention from industry leaders. Drifter was quickly picked up for distribution by Alameda Entertainment and then licensed to Netflix and other platforms for well above its original budget.

Following the debut success of Drifter, Chris was signed by Creative Artists Agency and Grandview Management. The team set their sights on Chris' follow-up film, Monster Party, a horror/thriller/comedy with star power like Erin Moriarty, Robin Tunney, and Lance Reddick. The film secured worldwide distribution by RLJE Entertainment in 2018 and then became a Shudder Exclusive in 2019. It garnered critical praise from respected critics. The Hollywood Reporter quoted, "Gleefully gory and darkly funny, Monster Party is the sort of extreme genre exercise that separates real fans from mere dilettantes."

Yahoo referred to his recent 2022 film, Devil's Workshop, as "unpredictable from the jump." Starring Emile Hirsch, Radha Mitchell, and Timothy Granaderos, the film was released via Lionsgate in select theaters and worldwide digital platforms.

Chris resides in Manhattan and is developing three new feature films.

Christine Meltzer was born on 4 December 1974 in Järfälla, Stockholms län, Sweden. She is an actress and writer, known for Partaj (2011), Sommaren med släkten (2017) and I Love You (2016).

Cole was born and raised in the Los Angeles area where he lives with his parents, older sister Katelin, and two dogs. After watching his sister on TV, Cole decided that he wanted to try his hand at performing as well. With determination and a great personality, he embarked on an acting career of his own. In 2001, Cole appeared in his first feature film, American Pie 2 (2001). Soon after he co-starred in the hit drama Alias (2001). with Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan. One of Cole's favorite roles was that of "Jojo," a series regular on "St. Georges", which filmed on location in South Africa. The set was isolated within an animal reserve where camp was set up in an empty lions' cage for safety, and guards were posted in case dangerous animals came too close. Throughout filming, Cole was able to work with many native animals including lions both big and small, elephants, monkeys, giraffes, and mongoose. Then, in mid-2003, Cole played a supporting role in the movie Paris (2003), as a younger version of the main character.

Over the past year Cole has been seen in many widely popular television shows including Summerland (2004), Malcolm in the Middle (2000), Oliver Beene (2003) and Mad TV (1995). Most recently, he appeared as "Timmy" in the Halloween episode of Oliver Beene (2003), and he also completed filming on a holiday episode of ER (1994) entitled "Twas the Night". Look for this episode, in which Cole plays the character "Harry Price", when it airs this December, and be sure to check out his Photos page for pictures from the set!

Outside of acting Cole remains quite busy. He's an avid rock climber and has scaled formations in Alaska, Oregon, Utah, and California. He is also very active in baseball. His team took 2nd place last season, and they are seeking to come in 1st next season. You will often find him swimming, skateboarding, playing chess, and looking forward to frequent trips to visit with his grandparents in Alaska. Cole loves listening to music, and he plays the drums regularly. Whenever he has free time, he enjoys just being a kid with his friends. Cole's main goals are to survive school, to work with Matt Damon, and when he is finally old enough -- to be the proud owner of a Mini Cooper.

Blonde Corrine Marchand began her career as a vocalist, singing in nightclubs, operettas and revues. In addition, she was a successful photographic model who eventually made her motion picture debut as an oriental dancer in Cadet Rousselle (1954). After several years playing minor parts, she hit the big time as the sad, pensive titular protagonist of Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962). In the role of the beautiful, vain and superstitious Parisian pop singer Cléo Victoire who confronts her mortality, Marchand was spot-on casting and gave a performance which is still regarded as iconic in the French New Wave cinema of the sixties. 'Cleo' was further enhanced by Marchand's charming rendition of Michel Legrand's "Sans Toi", "La Joyeuse" and "La Menteuse". The actress never had another role to match this, despite significant leads in several international and French productions like Nunca pasa nada (1963), The Hour of Truth (1965), Les Sultans (1966), the Italo western Man from Nowhere (1966), the dour Charles Bronson thriller Rider on the Rain (1970) and the rollicking gangland crime drama Borsalino (1970).

Aside from her work as an actress, Marchand developed a lucrative side project as an apiarist, following her graduation from the Charenton School of Beekeeping

Prolific mystery writer Cornell Woolrich was born in New York City, but his parents separated when he was young and he spent much of his childhood in Latin America with his father. Then he was sent back to New York to live with his rich, domineering mother, Claire. He attended Columbia University where he wrote his first novel, a Jazz Age piece published in 1926 titled "Cover Charge". Another book, "Children of the Ritz", followed in 1927. Hollywood beckoned but his time there as an (uncredited) screenwriter proved to be unhappy. A disastrous marriage to a producer's daughter failed quickly and he headed back to New York -- and Claire. He found his niche writing suspense stories for magazines such as "Argosy", "Black Mask" and "Thrilling Mystery". Sales were made to Hollywood, his reputation grew, and his bank account increased. Some called him "the Poe of the 20th century". Then his mother sank into a lengthy illness and his output fell as he devoted more and more of his time to her care. By the time she died in 1957, he was "burned out". From then until his death in 1968, he lived a lonely life marked by alcoholism and poor health (he delayed visiting a doctor when his leg started bothering him; he eventually lost it to gangrene). When he died his funeral went unattended.

He bequeathed money to Columbia to set up a creative writing course which was not named after him but after who else?-Claire.

Dan Bongino was born on 4 December 1974 in Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Police State (2023), Secret Service Secrets (2012) and Fox Files (1998).