Birthdays: February 26

Ed Quinn originally pursued a path in music before considering a career in acting. He was born in Berkeley, California and attended the St. Mary's College High School. After high school, Ed attended the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and lettering in Rugby and embarked on modeling throughout Europe, including Paris, Milan and Barcelona. Upon his return to the United States, Ed began his acting career. His first big break was the series regular role of FINN in 2000 on the WB television series "Young Americans". (A Dawson's Creek spinoff). Ed then found lots of work on television during the early 2000s, including Jack & Jill (1999) and Crossing Jordan (2001) and several network pilots. He also appeared in movies like BEEPER with Harvey Keitel and starred in the Sequel Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation (2004). (Directed by STAR WARS Special Effects Legend Phil Tippett) Other television appearances included numerous episodes on JAG (1995), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), CSI: NY (2004) and most notably on vampire series True Blood (2008) and the series regular role of NATHAN STARK on the Sci-Fi comedy/drama series Eureka (2006). In recent years he has joined the casts of hit shows such as 2 Broke Girls, One Day At A Time, and Mistresses. He is currently the Lead of TYLER PERRY's THE OVAL on BET playing President Hunter Franklin. He will also be seen in the feature films SHADOW FORCE and GUNS AND MOSES in late 2024. During his time as a musician, Ed studied with instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani. After playing in the Los Angeles-based bands Mad Theory and Scattergood, Ed went on to cut his first solo demo CD, entitled "Quinn". He currently releases music and music videos with his band ED QUINN and THE SWAMP METAL ALLSTARS and his solo title SuperEQ

Aaron B. Koontz was born in Indiana, USA. Aaron B. is a producer and director, known for Revival, Shelby Oaks (2024) and Scare Package (2019).

Adrián Lastra was born on 26 February 1984 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain. He is an actor, known for Velvet (2013), Lalola (2008) and Cousinhood (2011).

Aidan Gould was born on 26 February 1997 in Columbus, Georgia, USA. He is an actor, known for The Rainbow Tribe (2008), Julia (2008) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000).

American character actor, a fixture both in Westerns and in the comedies of Preston Sturges. Although frequently billed as "Alan" Bridge, he was born Alfred Morton Bridge in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1891 (not as "Alford" Bridge in 1890, as his tombstone erroneously states), he and his sister, future actress Loie Bridge, were raised by their mother Loie and her second husband, butcher Wilmer Shinn. Following service as a corporal in the U.S. Army infantry in the first World War, Bridge joined a theatrical troupe which also included several of his relatives. The 1920 census showed him on tour in Kansas City, Missouri. He dabbled in writing and in 1930 sold a script to a short film, Her Hired Husband (1930). He followed this with a B-Western script, God's Country and the Man (1931), in which he made his film debut as an actor. For the next quarter century, he managed the atypical achievement of maintaining a career in both B-Westerns and in bigger dramatic and comedy features. Ten films for director Preston Sturges represent probably his most familiar contribution to Hollywood history. Bridge also appeared frequently on television until his death in 1957 at 66.

Alejandra Meyer was born on 26 February 1937 in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. She was an actress, known for Cándido Pérez, Dr. (1987), Marisol (1996) and Por un beso (2000). She was married to Pepe Arévalo. She died on 7 November 2007 in Mexico City, Mexico.

Alexander P. Heartman was born on 26 February 1990 in Sacramento, California, USA. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Power Rangers Samurai (2011), Police Guys (2013) and Power Rangers Samurai: Clash of the Red Rangers - The Movie (2013).

Alicia Agneson was born and raised in a small town of Eskilstuna, Södermanland County, Sweden. She began acting, singing and dancing as a child in minor stage productions in Sweden and moved to London at the age of fifteen to pursue her career. She is currently starring as a series regular in the History Channel TV-drama, Vikings.

Ravishing brunette beauty Alison Armitage was born on February 26, 1965 in High Wycombe, London, England. She's of mixed French, English, and German descent. Alison has two brothers and grew up in Hong Kong, where she lived for twenty years. Armitage became a competitive swimmer at age four and qualified for the Olympic team representing Hong Kong. Alison studied computer science at the University of San Diego in California. Following graduation from college she moved to Denver, Colorado. Armitage then moved a second time to Los Angeles, California. Using the alias Brittany York, Alison was the Playmate of the Month in the October, 1990 issue of "Playboy." She subsequently appeared in many "Playboy" videos. Among the other publications Armitage has done pictorials for and/or graced the covers of are "Maxim," "Razor," "DT," and "Bikini." Alison has not only been featured in TV commercials for such clients as Reebok Sportswear, West Cigarettes, Budweiser Beer, and Trac Cell Phones, but also has done print ads for Anhueser Beer, Miller Beer, Carrabelle Swimwear, Vital Hair Care, and Michael Beaudry Jewelry. She has small roles in the movies "Secret Games," "Miracle Beach," "Jerry Maguire," and "Driven." Moreover, Armitage had regular featured parts in the TV series "Acapulco H.E.A.T.," "The New Adventures of Robin Hood," "True Survivors," and "The Bold and the Beautiful." Among the TV shows Alison has made guest appearances on are "Full House," "Seinfeld," "Silk Stockings," and "L.A. Heat." Armitage speaks fluent French.

Amalia Granata was born on 26 February 1981 in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina. She is an actress, known for Teatro en CHV (2003), Casado con Hijos (2006) and Laten corazones (2015).

Amanda Hillwood was born on 26 February 1957 in Lambeth, London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Die Hard 2 (1990), A Very Peculiar Practice (1986) and Inspector Morse (1987). She has been married to Matt Frewer since 10 November 1984. They have one child.

Born February 26, 1982. She is a Northern California native, born in Humboldt County (Arcata, California.) Attended High School in Sacramento, California. Her father is a surgeon and her mother is a nurse. She has a younger brother named Zack and a younger sister named Lily. Moved to New York City at the age of 18 to study with Mike Nichols, George Morrison and Paul Sills at the The New Actors Workshop.

Ariel Sharon was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.

Sharon was a commander in the Israeli Army from its creation in 1948. As a soldier and then an officer, he participated prominently in the 1948 Palestine war, becoming a platoon commander in the Alexandroni Brigade and taking part in many battles, including Operation Bin Nun Alef. He was an instrumental figure in the creation of Unit 101 and the reprisal operations, as well as in the 1956 Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War of 1967, the War of Attrition, and the Yom-Kippur War of 1973. Yitzhak Rabin called Sharon "the greatest field commander in our history".

Upon retirement from the military, Sharon entered politics, joining the Likud party, and served in a number of ministerial posts in Likud-led governments in 1977-92 and 1996-99. As Minister of Defense, he directed the 1982 Lebanon War. An official enquirer found that he bore "personal responsibility" for the Sabra and Shatila massacre and recommended that he be removed as Defense Minister. His role in the massacre led to him being known as the "Butcher of Beirut" among Arabs.

From the 1970s through to the 1990s, Sharon championed construction of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He became the leader of the Likud in 2000, and was elected Prime Minister of Israel after defeating Ehud Barak in the 2001 prime ministerial election. He served as Israel's prime minister from 2001 to 2006, during the Al-Aqsa Intifada. As Prime Minister, Sharon orchestrated Israel's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip in 2004-05. Facing stiff opposition to this policy within the Likud, in November 2005 he left Likud to form a new party, Kadima. He had been expected to win the next election and was widely interpreted as planning on "clearing Israel out of most of the West Bank", in a series of unilateral withdrawals. After suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006, Sharon remained in a permanent vegetative state until his death in January 2014.

Sharon remains a highly polarizing figure in Middle East history. Israelis almost universally revere Sharon as a war hero and statesman who played a vital role in defining the country's borders. Palestinians revile Sharon as a war criminal, who suppressed their aspirations for statehood.

The English actor Arthur Brough, who achieved fame as senior clothing salesman Mr. Grainger on the BBC-TV comedy series Are You Being Served? (1972) in the 1970s, after almost half-a-century on the stage, was born Frederick Arthur Baker on February 26, 1905 in Petersfield, Hampshire, England. After indulging in amateur theatrics with future star Alistair Sim, Brough attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in the early 1920s. After graduating, he joined a Shakespearean theatrical troupe where he met his wife-to-be, actress Elizabeth Addeyman. After they married, they used their wedding dowry as collateral to rent the Leas Pavilion, a repertory theater in Folkestone.

Arthur both ran the company and acted in the shows, and once the new Folkestone rep was established, he began establishing new repertory companies in Bradford, Bristol, Blackpool, Keighley, Leeds, Lincoln, Oxford and Southampton, as well as other acting companies throughout the country. With the advent of World War II, he enlisted in the Royal Navy, where he served for the duration. Upon being demobilized, he resumed his acting career by reopening the Folkestone rep.

Arthur Brough dedicated his life to the theater, and "Are You Being Served?" co-star Mollie Sugden credits him with helping train a generation of actors. In the 1950s, he established repertory theaters at Southend and Eastbourne. However, with the rise of television, he predicted the eclipse of repertory theater as a viable entertainment venue. In the 50s, he began seeking roles in the mass media, appearing in small roles in movies and television. His daughter, Joanna Hutton, said about his forecast of the decline of repertory theater, "He was very astute and unsentimental about it. He realized the era was over and that he must diversify. One of the first jobs he did away from the stage was the film The Green Man (1956) with Alastair Sim."

According to his daughter, he found it hard adjusting from stage to screen at first. "He realized how hammy he was. He used to take the mickey out of himself; he'd always acted in a Shakespearean manner and suddenly realized he had to tone down his performance for film."

Brough appeared in a wide variety of small and bit parts, including a small role opposite Jayne Mansfield in It Takes a Thief (1960), and made guest appearances in TV shows such as Upstairs, Downstairs (1971), Dad's Army (1968), and Z Cars (1962). He also continued to appear in theatrical productions, including Half a Sixpence (1967), playing a shopkeeper. The Folkestone Rep continued until 1969 before closing.

Throughout his time on the hit show, Brough's personal life was beset with sadness, as his beloved wife was seriously ill.

A crisis hit "Are You Being Served?" after it completed its fifth season (1977). All was going well: Producer David Croft had hired Bob Spiers, a BBC director who'd recently directed Fawlty Towers (1975) and who later helmed the Emmy-winning Absolutely Fabulous (1992), to direct the sixth season. However, on Easter Sunday 1978, Arthur Brough's wife of 50 years, Elizabeth, passed away, and the emotionally devastated Brough announced he was quitting acting.

According to his daughter, he stayed with her for a few weeks, during which time David Croft] and Jeremy Lloyd made contact to say they were writing him into the next series. But unfortunately he died before filming commenced.

Brough died six weeks after his wife, on May 28, 1978, in Folkestone. Croft decided not to have another actor take over the part of Mr. Grainger, so his character in "Are You Being Served"? was replaced by Mr. Tebbs, played by James Hayter.

His co-workers have fond memories of working with Arthur, who - as his daughter noted - "was a highly respected actor who'd spent forty years in the profession." At the time of Arthur's death, David Croft said: "Arthur created a living character who was the inspiration for much of the humour His personality made him a pivot round which a whole lot of laughter and affection revolved."

Azzedine Alaïa was born on 26 February 1940 in Tunis, Tunisia. He was a costume designer, known for A View to a Kill (1985), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) and Du mouron pour les petits oiseaux (1963). He died on 18 November 2017 in Paris, France.

Barbara Niven was born in Portland, Oregon, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Chesapeake Shores (2016), A Perfect Ending (2012) and The Rat Pack (1998).

Beren Saat (born on 26 February 1984) is a Turkish actress, best known for her leading roles as Yasemin Unsal in the ATV series Hatirla Sevgili (2006-2008), as Bihter Yöreoglu Ziyagil in the Kanal D series Ask-i Memnu (2008-2010), as Fatmagül Ketenci Ilgaz in Fatmagül'ün Suçu Ne? (2010-2012), and as Derin Çelik/Yagmur Özden in the drama series Intikam (2013-2014), a spin-off from the television series Revenge.

Bert Stevens was born on 26 February 1905 in Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Perry Mason (1957), Trackdown (1957) and Drachenlanze (2011). He was married to Caryl Lincoln and Elizabeth Zilker. He died on 14 December 1964 in Hollywood, California, USA.

Betty Hutton was born Elizabeth June Thornburg on February 26, 1921, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Two years later, Betty's father decided that the family way of life wasn't for him, so he left (he committed suicide 16 years later). Having to fend for themselves, Mrs. Thornburg moved the family to Detroit to find work in the numerous auto factories there, but times were hard and she decided to take advantage of Prohibition and opened a small tavern, at the time called a speakeasy. The police were always looking for those types of operation, both big and small, and when they detected one, they swooped in and closed it down. Mrs. Thornburg was no different from the other owners, they simply moved elsewhere. Poverty was a constant companion. In addition to that, Mrs. Thornburg was an alcoholic.

At nine years old, Betty began singing publicly for the first time in a school production. Realizing the voice Betty had, her mother took her around Detroit to have her sing to any group that would listen. This was a small way of getting some money for the poor family. When she was 13, Betty got a few singing jobs with local bands in the area. Thinking she was good enough to make the big time, she left for New York two years later to try a professional career. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and Betty headed back to Detroit.

In 1937, Betty was hired by Vincent Lopez who had a popular band that appeared on the local radio. Later, she would return to New York and it was here that her career took off. Betty found herself on Broadway in 1940, and it was only a matter of time before her career took off to bigger heights. The following year, she left New York for Hollywood, where she was to find new life in films. She was signed by Paramount Pictures and made her debut, at 21, in The Fleet's In (1942), along with Eddie Bracken, William Holden and Dorothy Lamour. Reviews were better than expected, with critics looking favorably upon her work. She had previously appeared in a few musical shorts, which no doubt helped her in her first feature film. She made one more musical in 1942 and two more in 1943.

In 1944, she tried to break away from musicals and try her hand in a screwball comedy, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1943). She proved - to herself, the public and the critics - that she was marketable outside musicals. In subsequent films, Betty was able to show her comedic side as well as her singing. In 1948, she appeared in her first big box-office bomb, Dream Girl (1948), which was ripped to shreds by critics, as was Betty's acting, and the movie flopped at the box office. It wasn't long before Betty became unhappy with her career. In truth, she had the acting talent, but the parts she got weren't the types to showcase that. Though she did appear in three well-received films later, Red, Hot and Blue (1949), Annie Get Your Gun (1950) and The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), her career was winding down.

Later, after filming Somebody Loves Me (1952), Betty was all but finished. She had married Charles O'Curran that year and he wanted to direct her in an upcoming film. Paramount didn't like the idea and the temper tantrum-prone Betty walked out of her contract and movies. She did concentrate on the relatively new medium of television and the stage, but she never recovered her previous form. Her final film was a minor one, Spring Reunion (1956). Her TV series, The Betty Hutton Show (1959), didn't fare too well at all. Betty lived in quiet retirement in Palm Springs, California until her death on March 11, 2007. She was 86 years old.

Beverly Bentley, originally of Atlanta, Georgia, began her career in 1951 in New York appearing on live television. She is a member of AEA, AFTRA, and SAG. She made her theatrical debut Off-Off Broadway in 1955 where she appeared as Connie Bliss in Clifford Odets' "The Big Knife", directed by her mentor Nola Chilton.

In 1957, she made her Broadway debut at the Plymouth Theater in Peter Ustinov's "Romanoff and Juliet", directed by George S. Kaufman. She also appeared in "The Heroine" in 1963 at the Lyceum Theater, where she exhibited rare gifts as a comedienne and received rave reviews. Off-Off Broadway saw her in "Tennessee" by Romulus Linney and "When I Was Your Age", directed by Pamela Berlin, both at The Ensemble Studio Theatre. She also appeared in "Transatlantic Bridge" at Playwright's Horizon and "The Ballad Of The Sad Cafe" at Image Theatre. Off-Broadway she appeared in "Deer Park" by her husband Norman Mailer.

Some of her film credits include "A Face In The Crowd" (1957) by Elia Kazan, "Scent Of Mystery" (1966), co-starring Peter Lorre, and Denholm Elliott; "Religion, Inc." (1989; produced by Michael Mailer, with Sandra Bullock); and "Painted Sun" by Gary Wortzel. Television credits include "Naked City", "The Defenders", Norman Mailer's "Omnibus", "Eurydice" aka "Point of Departure" (opposite William Shatner as Orpheus), "Tiger At The Gate" as Helen Of Troy, and "The Woman Rebel" on PBS with Piper Laurie.

Married in 1963, she had two sons, Michael Mailer, a film producer, and Stephen Mailer, an actor; two of the most important productions she will ever be involved in In 1966, she was one of four producers who founded Act IV. She brought in the first play through her friend and fellow student Joe Chaikin, founder of Open Theater and collaborator with Sam Shepard. The play was Sharon Thie's Soon Jack November.

She won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Alice in Mens Lives for the Provincetown Repertory Theater at Town Hall in July 1996. She is a member of the Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference where she performed in five plays and went on to play the lead in Lloyd Richards' world premiere of Shay by Anne Commire at the Carolina Playmakers in North Carolina. Recently she performed Love Letters by A.R. Gurney, co-starring with Guy Strauss, at the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, The Lion in Winter for the Provincetown Theatre Company, as Eleanor of Aquitaine, Suppressed Desires, Tickless Time, Change Your Style by Susan Glaspell and George Cram Cook. She appeared in he production of A Celebration of Mary Heton Vorse at the Provincetown Library.

Duke Media Entertainment, led by actor, director, producer, writer and humanitarian, Bill Duke, is dedicated to bringing quality Edutainment to audiences around the globe. Formerly Yagya Productions, Duke Media has successfully produced critically acclaimed film and television content for more than 30 years. Additionally, Duke Media is in process of expanding the brand to involve itself in the development of new media technologies, i.e. cellphone apps, games, and virtual world experiences. Since the early 70s, Bill Duke along with industry veterans Michael Shultz and Gordon Parks, have long paved the way for African Americans in the industry.

Mr. Duke excels in front of and behind the camera. His acting and directing credits are extensive and include stints on such ground breaking television series as Falcon Crest, Fame, Hill Street Blues, Knotts Landing, Dallas, and New York Undercover. His feature credits include Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Get Rich or Die Trying, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, Predator, Menace II Society and Not Easily Broken, to name a few. He has recently completed production on, Blexicans, a new television pilot that takes a comedic look at a mixed race family. His documentaries, Dark Girls and Light Girls, both NAACP Image Award nominees, aired on OWN and were two of the most successful documentaries on the network.

Bill Duke's invaluable contributions to the industry have been recognized by both his peers and the entertainment community. Appointed by former President Bill Clinton to the National Endowment of Humanities, he was appointed to the Board of the California State Film Commission by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he has been honored by the Directors Guild of America with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute.

Bill Overton was born on 26 February 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Lord Shango (1975), The Astral Factor (1978) and The Quest (1976). He has been married to Jayne Kennedy since 26 May 1985. They have three children. He was previously married to Kathleen Bradley.

A native of Oceanside, California, Brandon began appearing in television commercials at the age of four after a talent scout noticed him entertaining party guests with impressions of popular singers. In 1984 he began working in episodic television, and is probably best remembered as "Doug Porter" on "The Wonder Years." After High School, Brandon started taking singing lessons and is now pursuing a career in Musical Theater, having performed extensively on stages throughout Southern California.

Brendon Boone was born in Meridian, MS, to the Reverend Dr. Norman Boone Sr. and Leola (Speed) Boone. Brendon spent his early years moving from town to town every time his father was transferred by the Methodist Church to a new congregation, which included several years in San Diego while Rev. Boone served as a Navy Chaplain during WWII. As a child, Brendon excelled at basketball and football, and was the Mississippi state Soap Box Derby champion in 1952. When he eventually was disappointed by coming in second at the World Soap Box Derby competition in Ohio, he was encouraged by an attending celebrity, Jimmy Stewart, to return to Mississippi with his head held high, because he was still a champion in his home state. After studying architecture, English, and theology, first at Georgia Tech and then at Emory University, Brendon transferred to the prestigious theater program at Rollins College in Florida, where his portrayal of Sakini in the Annie Russell Theater production of "Teahouse of the August Moon" won widespread acclaim and attracted the attention of Hollywood producers. After a brief stint studying in New York, Brendon moved to Hollywood, where he began his career writing, producing and starring in "The Tormented Years" with Jane Russell's brother Jamie directing. Early guest starring roles on TV, in such shows as "Bonanza", "Rawhide" and "The Virginian" and the TV movie "Assault!" led to his starring in the WWII action series, "Garrison's Gorillas" in 1967-68, as the enigmatic, knife wielding half-breed Indian, Chief, a role he'd created originally for "Assault!", and which earned him a Golden Globe nomination from the International Hollywood Foreign Press Association for Most Popular TV Star - Male. Additional TV guest starring credits include "Gunsmoke" (where his portrayal of Hawk in the episode of the same named earned that series one of its highest ratings), "Quincy, ME", "Emergency", "Falcon Crest", "Fantasy Island", and "Jake and the Fat Man", and the TV movies "The Hanged Man", "Death Race", "Hanging by a Thread" and "The Hostage Heart". He also starred with Stephen Boyd, Cameron Mitchell, France Nuyen and Ray Milland in the 1973 feature film, "The Big Game".

Brendon's strong and abiding Christian faith and a lifetime of experiences, from his southern upbringing during the turbulent Civil Rights era, to his experiences as a single father raising his son, Norman Brendon Boone, III, have culminated in his 'swan song', his novel and screenplay, "Preacher and Co", a story of love, brotherhood, loyalty and redemption.

In January, 1999, Brendon married actress Karen Jensen.