Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 1,446
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Regé-Jean Page is a British actor mostly known for his work in television. He gained recognition for his portrayal of Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, in the first season of Netflix drama series Bridgerton (2020).
Before his breakout role in Bridgerton (2020), Page appeared in the miniseries Roots (2016) and the television series For The People (2018-2019).
Page's performance in Bridgerton (2020) captured the attention of audiences worldwide. He received nominations for awards, including the Emmy Awards (2021), and won prizes at the NAACP Image Awards (2021) and the MTV Movie & TV Awards (2021).
In addition to his work in Bridgerton (2020), Page has been involved in other projects. He appeared in the Netflix original movie The Gray Man (2022) and lent his voice to two podcast episodes of The Sandman: Act II (2022), an audio book adaptation by Neil Gaiman. Page also appeared in Paramount Pictures' Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023).
Reports in 2021 suggested that Page would star in and executive produce Paramount's reboot of The Saint, as well as feature in an untitled heist film by Noah Hawley. There was also an announcement that he would executive produce and appear alongside Glen Powell in the AGBO and Russo Brothers' television series, Butch and Sundance. However, specific production dates and release dates for these projects have not been announced.- Actress
- Producer
- Visual Effects
Originally from Copley, OH, Carrie Coon is a Chicago-based theatre, television and film actress. She received a BA in English and Spanish from the University of Mount Union, followed by her MFA in Acting at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Coon was nominated for a Tony Award in the Best Featured Actress category for her Broadway debut as Honey in the transfer of Steppenwolf Theatre's production of "Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", directed by Pam MacKinnon. Although Coon did not win in 2013, the production was awarded Best Revival, Best Director (MacKinnon) and Best Actor (Tracy Letts).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Justin Baldoni is an actor, director, producer, speaker, and entrepreneur who is focused creating impactful media and entertainment.
After creating and directing the award-winning documentary series, My Last Days, Baldoni made his feature film directorial debut this year with FIVE FEET APART. He also produced the film which went on to crush box office predictions and has grossed over $80 million worldwide. Baldoni will next direct CLOUDS for Warner Bros.
On the acting front, Baldoni is best known for playing "Rafael" on The CW's award-winning phenomenon, Jane the Virgin. The fifth and final season is currently airing.
As an entrepreneur, Baldoni co-founded Wayfarer Entertainment-a cause-driven media studio focused on creating content that highlights inspiration, unity, and the power of human connection. Through this platform, he created the dinner conversation series, Man Enough, which dives into traditional masculinity while focusing on topics like body image, relationships, and fatherhood. He has spoken about his own journey with masculinity in a viral TED talk as well as across college campuses in America.
Baldoni founded and is a chairman of The Wayfarer Foundation, a non-profit organization that puts on one of Los Angeles' largest volunteer events-The Carnival of Love-which provides connection, services, and resources to people who are experiencing homelessness in LA's Skid Row community and will expand nationally in 2020.
Baldoni currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.- Actress
- Writer
Mischa Barton is a versatile actress with a passion for storytelling and an impressive career spanning over two decades. Working with such acclaimed directors and writers as M. Night Shyamalan, James Lapine and Naomi Wallace, she is known for her magnetic on-screen presence and natural acting abilities that have captivated audiences worldwide. She has earned her reputation as one of the most talented performers of her generation.
Born in London, England, Barton quickly made her mark in the entertainment industry with her debut film role in "Lawn Dogs" (1997). From there, she continued to showcase her versatility in a variety of film and television projects, including the hit supernatural thriller "The Sixth Sense" (1999) and the critically acclaimed drama series "Once and Again" (2002-2003).
However, it was her iconic role as Marissa Cooper in the hit television series "The O.C." (2003-2006) that truly launched Barton to superstardom. Her portrayal of the troubled, yet lovable character resonated with audiences worldwide, cementing her place as a pop culture icon and earning her widespread critical acclaim with critics praising her nuanced portrayal of a complex character.
She has appeared in several stage productions throughout her career, including the acclaimed Off-Broadway productions of "Where the Truth Lies," "Twelve Dreams," and "One Flea Spare." Her performances were praised for their depth, nuance, and emotional range, demonstrating her versatility as an actress.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Matthew Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, to Paula and Jeffrey Lillard. He lived with his family in Tustin, California, from first grade to high school graduation. The summer after high school, he was hired as an extra for Ghoulies Go to College (1990). Matthew was the MC of the Nickelodeon program SK8 TV (1990) in 1989. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasedena, California. Along with a friend, Matthew started the Mean Street Ensemble theater company that functioned until 1991, when Matthew moved to New York to attend the theater school Circle in the Square.
Manager Bill Treusch got Matthew auditions for Serial Mom (1994). Matthew was cast as Chip and began another theater company called the Summoners.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Kristen Schaal is an American actress, voice artist, writer, and comedian. She is best known for her roles as Mel on the HBO series Flight of the Conchords, Louise Belcher on FOX animated comedy Bob's Burgers, and Mabel Pines on Gravity Falls. Other notable roles include her appearances as a commentator on The Daily Show, Amanda Simmons on The Hotwives of Orlando, Hazel Wassername on 30 Rock, Victoria Best on WordGirl, Trixie from the Toy Story franchise, and Anne on Wilfred. Since 2015, she has co-starred alongside Will Forte in the Fox comedy The Last Man on Earth, playing the role of Carol.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sharon's early life was one of constant moving as her father served in the military. When she lived in Italy, she was voted "Homecoming Queen" of her high school. After being an extra in a few Italian films, Sharon headed to Hollywood where she would again start as an extra. Her first big break came when she was cast as the shapely bank secretary, "Janet Trego", in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) (1963-1965). In 1967, she would meet her future husband, director Roman Polanski, on the set of the English film The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967). Sharon's big role would be that same year when she was the starlet in Valley of the Dolls (1967). With her marriage to Roman, her life became one of parties, travel and meeting influential movie people. She would appear as a red-haired beauty in the spy spoof The Wrecking Crew (1968) working with Dean Martin and the equally beautiful Elke Sommer. Sharon was 2 months pregnant of her first child while filming in Italy and France a funny Italian comedy movie 12 + 1 (1969) in February 1969. On August 9, 1969 Sharon Tate, Abigail Folger, Jay Sebring, Steve Parent, and Voytek Frykowski were murdered by 3 of Charles Manson's followers: Charles 'Tex' Watson, Susan Atkins (died in prison in 2009), and Patricia Krenwinkel. Manson died in prison in 2017. Watson and Krenwinkel are still in prison.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Nastassja Kinski was born Nastassja Aglaia Nakszynski on January 24, 1961 in Berlin, Germany, the daughter of German actor Klaus Kinski. In 1976, she met director Roman Polanski, who urged her to study method acting with Lee Strasberg in the United States. Kinski starred in the Italian romantic drama Stay as You Are (1978) with Marcello Mastroianni, gaining her recognition in the United States after the film's release on December 21, 1979. She played the title character in Polanski's romantic drama Tess (1979), an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" (1891).
Kinski starred in Francis Ford Coppola's romantic musical One from the Heart (1981), her first film made in the United States. The film became a box office bomb and was a major loss for Coppola's production company Zoetrope Studios. She also starred in the erotic horror movie Cat People (1982) with Malcolm McDowell, a remake of the 1942 classic of the same name. She appeared in Wim Wenders' drama movie Paris, Texas (1984) with Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell. One of her most acclaimed films, the film won the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival.
During the 1990s, Kinski appeared in a number of American films, including the action movie Terminal Velocity (1994) opposite Charlie Sheen, One Night Stand (1997), Your Friends and Neighbors (1998), John Landis' Susan's Plan (1998), and The Lost Son (1999). She has appeared in more than 60 films in Europe and the United States.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Edward Parker Helms is an American actor, comedian, writer and singer from Atlanta, Georgia who is known for playing the preppy Cornell alumni Andy "Nard Dog" Bernard from The Office and Stuart Price from The Hangover trilogy. He also acted in Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, The Lorax, Vacation, Ron's Gone Wrong and Monsters vs. Aliens.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tatyana Marisol Ali was born on January 24, 1979, in North Bellmore, New York, to Sonia, a nurse from Panama, and Sheriff Ali, a retired police officer from Trinidad. At the age of four, she started singing and got a taste of fame when she begged her mother to take her to an audition for Sesame Street (1969).
She went on to perform in many productions in her native New York, including the Broadway show "Fences"--with James Earl Jones and, later, Billy Dee Williams--and the off-Broadway show "Orfeo del Campo". When she was seven, she appeared on Star Search (1983) and won twice, receiving a four-star rating when she appeared for a second time. At age 11, Tatyana moved from New York to Los Angeles to establish her career and, not long afterwards, got her breakthrough role:Will Smith's cousin, "Ashley Banks," from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
While filming "The Fresh Prince," she also had exciting side projects, including guest roles in television shows such as The Cosby Show (1984), The All New Mickey Mouse Club (1989) (aka "The Mickey Mouse Club"), Kyno's Storytime (1992), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990) and Foster's Field Trip (1994).
The public saw her grow on "Fresh Prince" from an adorable little girl to a stunning young woman, and she sang in several episodes of the show, most notably her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and an original song, "Make Up Your Mind." Smith was so impressed with her singing that he asked if she would consider doing it professionally. Tatyana began preparing for her singing career during the last year of the show as she began training her vocal cords, recording demos and publicly performing on television and in various informal live concerts. Her performances on "The Fresh Prince" actually helped her build a fan base that anxiously waited for her first album launch. On August 25, she released her album "Kiss the Sky" (MJJ Music/Work/SME) and her single "Daydreamin'." The single was certified gold within weeks of its release, and it quickly rose on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles, where it reached #6 and stayed there for two weeks. She also contributed to major movies such as Crocodile Dundee II (1988) and Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987). Since then, she has had significant roles in two films, Fall Into Darkness (1996) and Fakin' Da Funk (1997). She has also guest-starred in several sitcoms, including In the House (1995), and had a cameo role in the film Kiss the Girls (1997). She also went to Harvard and graduated with a degree in Anthropology in June 2002. She is now working on a new album and starring in more movies.- Actor
- Producer
Stephen Huszar is a Canadian film and television actor from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Huszar attended high school at Aden Bowman Collegiate and later studied at the University of Saskatchewan. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the 6' 1" Huszar began his screen career in 2004 with a role in The Cradle Will Fall (2004). Quickly he built a list of supporting roles in made-for-television films during the mid-2000s. During the late 2000s, Huszar found recurring work on the series Paradise Falls (2001) and Corner Gas (2004). He also had the good fortune to appear in one of CW's longest-running series Smallville (2001). During the 2010s Huszar appeared in the direct-to-video horror sequel 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010), followed by work in Time after Time (2011), Faces in the Crowd (2011), InSayshable (2012) and continued television work on series including Cashing In (2009), Fringe (2008), Continuum (2012), Supernatural (2005). Huszar also brought one of DC Comics' supervillians to the screen with his performance as Plunder in the series The Flash (2014). During 2016-2017, Huszar worked on the series Letterkenny (2016). Huszar closed out a very productive year in 2017 with holiday work in Magical Christmas Ornaments (2017) and Christmas Wedding Planner (2017).- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Ernest Borgnine was born Ermes Effron Borgnino on January 24, 1917 in Hamden, Connecticut. His parents were Anna (Boselli), who had emigrated from Carpi (MO), Italy, and Camillo Borgnino, who had emigrated from Ottiglio (AL), Italy. As an only child, Ernest enjoyed most sports, especially boxing, but took no real interest in acting. At age 18, after graduating from high school in New Haven, and undecided about his future career, he joined the United States Navy, where he stayed for ten years until leaving in 1945. After a few factory jobs, his mother suggested that his forceful personality could make him suitable for a career in acting, and Borgnine promptly enrolled at the Randall School of Drama in Hartford. After completing the course, he joined Robert Porterfield's famous Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, staying there for four years, undertaking odd jobs and playing every type of role imaginable. His big break came in 1949, when he made his acting debut on Broadway playing a male nurse in "Harvey".
In 1951, Borgnine moved to Los Angeles to pursue a movie career, and made his film debut as Bill Street in The Whistle at Eaton Falls (1951). His career took off in 1953 when he was cast in the role of Sergeant "Fatso" Judson in From Here to Eternity (1953). This memorable performance led to numerous supporting roles as "heavies" in a steady string of dramas and westerns. He played against type in 1955 by securing the lead role of Marty Piletti, a shy and sensitive butcher, in Marty (1955). He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, despite strong competition from Spencer Tracy, Frank Sinatra, James Dean and James Cagney. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, Borgnine performed memorably in such films as The Catered Affair (1956), Ice Station Zebra (1968) and Emperor of the North (1973). Between 1962 and 1966, he played Lt. Commander Quinton McHale in the popular television series McHale's Navy (1962). In early 1984, he returned to television as Dominic Santini in the action series Airwolf (1984) co-starring Jan-Michael Vincent, and in 1995, he was cast in the comedy series The Single Guy (1995) as doorman Manny Cordoba. He also appeared in several made-for-TV movies.
Ernest Borgnine has often stated that acting was his greatest passion. His amazing 61-year career (1951 - 2012) included appearances in well over 100 feature films and as a regular in three television series, as well as voice-overs in animated films such as All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996), Small Soldiers (1998), and a continued role in the series SpongeBob SquarePants (1999). Between 1973 until his death, Ernest was married to Tova Traesnaes, who heads her own cosmetics company. They lived in Beverly Hills, California, where Ernest assisted his wife between film projects. When not acting, Ernest actively supported numerous charities and spoke tirelessly at benefits throughout the country. He has been awarded several honorary doctorates from colleges across the United States as well as numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 1996, Ernest purchased a bus and traveled across the United States to see the country and meet his many fans. On December 17, 1999, he presented the University of North Alabama with a collection of scripts from his film and television career, due to his long friendship with North Alabama alumnus and actor George Lindsey (died May 6, 2012), who was an artist in residence at North Alabama.
Ernest Borgnine passed away aged 95 on July 8, 2012, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, of renal failure. He is survived by his wife Tova, their children and his younger sister Evelyn (1926-2013)- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ruth Bradley was born on 24 January 1987 in Dublin, Ireland. She is an actress, known for Grabbers (2012), Flyboys (2006) and Pursuit (2015).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Daveed Daniele Diggs is an actor, singer, producer, writer and rapper. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping. Diggs originated the role of, and won a Grammy and Tony for, the Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson in the 2015 musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda.- Jonathan Aris is the son of the late British character actor Ben Aris but, despite having a thespian as a father, acting was not his first choice. He studied painting at Camberwell School of Art and read Russian and Italian at Cambridge University before training as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Like his father, Jonathan has chiefly been seen in character roles, notably on television as the private secretary to the (female) Prime Minister in The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006). He also does a great number of voice-overs for television commercials and narration for documentaries. He has made numerous stage appearances and was in the original London cast of "Fame - the Musical".
- Actress
- Casting Department
Julie Dreyfus was born in Paris, France. After studying interior design, she moved to Japan as a young adult and made her debut on Japanese T.V. She became fluent in Japanese and English and appeared in several American movies as well. She is very well known in Japan but is also known internationally for her roles in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) and Inglourious Basterds (2009).- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
John Belushi was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, on January 24, 1949, to Agnes Demetri (Samaras) and Adam Anastos Belushi, a restaurant owner. His father was an Albanian immigrant, from Qytezë, and his mother was also of Albanian descent. He grew up in Wheaton, where the family moved when he was six. Though a young hellion in grade school, John became the perfect all-American boy during his high school years where he was co-captain of the Wheaton Central High School football team and was elected homecoming king his senior year. He also developed an interest in acting and appeared in the high school variety show. Encouraged by his drama teacher, John decided to put aside his plans to become a football coach to pursue a career in acting.
After graduation in 1967, John performed in summer stock in rural Indiana in a variety of roles from "Cardinal Wolsey" in "Anne of a Thousand Days" to a comic detective in "Ten Little Indians". In the fall of his freshman year at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, John changed his image into a bad-boy appearance by growing his hair long and began to have problems with discipline and structure of attending classes.
Dropping out of Wisconsin, John spent the next two years at the College of DuPage, a junior college a few miles from his parents' Wheaton home, where his father began persuading him to become a partner in his restaurant, but John still preferred acting. While attending DuPage, John helped found the "West Compass Players", an improv comedy troupe patterned after Chicago's famous "Second City" ensemble.
In 1971, John made the leap to "Second City" itself where he performed in various on-stage comic performances with others, who included Harold Ramis and Joe Flaherty. John loved his life at "Second City" where he performed six nights a week, perfecting the physical "gonzo" style of comedy he later made famous.
A year later, John and his live-in girlfriend from his high school years, Judith Belushi-Pisano, moved to New York because John had joined the cast of National Lampoon's Lemmings, an off-Broadway rock musical revue that was originally booked for a six-week run but played to full crowds for nearly 10 months.
In 1973, John was hired as a writer for the syndicated National Lampoon's Radio Hour which became the National Lampoon Show in 1975. John's big break came that same year when he joined the ground-breaking TV variety series Saturday Night Live (1975) which made him a star. The unpredictable, aggressively physical style of humor that he began on "Second City" flowered on SNL.
In 1978, while still working on Saturday Night Live (1975), John appeared in the movie Goin' South (1978) which starred and was directed by Jack Nicholson. It was here that director John Landis noticed John and decided to cast him in his movie National Lampoon's National Lampoon's Animal House (1978). John's minor role as the notorious, beer-swilling "Bluto" made it a box-office smash and the year's top grossing comedy. Despite appearing in only a dozen scenes, John's performance stole the movie, which portrays college fraternity shenanigans at a small college set in the year 1962.
In 1979, John along with fellow SNL regular Dan Aykroyd quit the series to pursue movie projects. John and Dan Aykroyd appeared in minor roles in Steven Spielberg's financially unsuccessful 1941 (1979) and, the following year, in John Landis' The Blues Brothers (1980). Around this time, John's drug use began escalating. Cocaine, which was ubiquitous in show-business circles in the 1970's, became his drug of choice. After he first experimented with cocaine in the mid 1970s, John almost immediately became addicted to it. His frequent cocaine sniffing binges became a source of friction between him and Judy, whom he married in 1976.
John's love for blues and soul music inspired the "Blues Brothers". He and Aykroyd first appeared as Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues, a pair of white soul men dressed in black suits, skinny ties, fedora hats and Rayban sunglasses, as a warm-up act before the telecasts of Saturday Night Live (1975). Building on the success of their acts and the release of their album "A Briefcase Full of Blues", John and Dan Aykroyd starred in the movie, which gave John a chance to act with his favorite musical heroes including Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin.
Although John's reputation for being an off-screen party animal is legendary, his generous side is less well known. Using some of his money, he bought his father a ranch outside San Diego for him to live. John helped set up some of his Chicago friends with their own businesses and even financially helped his younger brother, Jim Belushi, who followed his older brother's path to both "Second City" and Saturday Night Live (1975).
In 1981, John appeared in the movie Continental Divide (1981), playing a hard-nosed Chicago newspaperman who finds romance in Colorado with eagle expert Blair Brown. That same year, John and Dan Aykroyd appeared again in the movie Neighbors (1981), which gave them a chance to reverse roles, with John playing a straight-arrow family man whose life is turned upside down when a wild family man (Aykroyd) moves in next door.
In January 1982, John began work on the screenplay for another movie to be titled "Noble Rot". Also, John had checked into a bungalow at the Chateau Marmont, a popular celebrity hotel in Los Angeles. John's drug use had been steadily increasing for over a year now, which alarmed his wife and friends, but he continued to promise Judy that he would quit someday. On March 5, 1982, John Belushi was found dead in his hotel room at the age of 33. The local coroner gave the cause of death as a lethal injection of cocaine and heroin. Several years later, John's drug dealing/drug user companion during his final weeks, Cathy Evelyn Smith, was tried and sentenced to three years in prison for supplying John with the drugs. Close friend James Taylor sang "That Lonesome Road" at a memorial service at Martha's Vineyard cemetery where John was buried.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
A Los Angeles native, Phil is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake School, Yale University and The Groundlings Theater and is perhaps best known as one of the original cast members of Mad TV (1995) and as Marvin in Pulp Fiction (1994).
In addition to numerous appearances on stages across the country, in films and on TV, he also starred in and produced the comedy web series Inside the Legend (2012). He has also been profiled for his extensive voice-over work, which includes regular roles on animated series as well as parts in video games like Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) for which he won the NAVGTR Award for Best Supporting Actor.- Actress
- Writer
Rose Reid is an American actress, writer and producer, born and raised in southern Nashville, Tennessee. At age 14, she wrote her first script and later helped produce the short film when she was 16. She was hooked from there.
Rose is best known for her leading role in Roadside Attractions' feature film, Finding You, opposite Vanessa Redgrave, Katherine McNamara and Judith Hoag. She previously starred in the films Surprised by Oxford; The World We Make; The Futurist; A Thousand Tomorrows; and Lifetime's A Welcome Home Christmas, opposite Jana Kramer.
In her free time, Rose is obsessed with reading and writing and is a "secret nerd." She loves horses and has been training and riding them her whole life. In addition, Rose is a passionate supporter of several charities, including Horse and Man Foundation, The Hands and Feet Project, Good Samaritan Project, and My Lovely Horse Rescue in Ireland.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Callan McAuliffe Callan Mcauliffe (28) is an Australian actor (based in New York and Sydney) most recently seen as series regular 'Alden' on the cult favourite 'The Walking Dead'. In 2024 Callan will be seen playing the lead role of 'Woody' in the feature film 'The Duel' co-starring with Dylan Sprouse/distributed by Lionsgate. In 2023 Callan played the lead role in Amazon's romantic period drama 'Him and Her' - based on a true story.
Callan was launched into the USA at age 14 as Rob Reiner's lead 'Bryce' in the coming-of-age award winning "Flipped". In the years following he played a the lead role of 'Sam' in Steven Spielberg and Michael Bay's "I Am Number Four" and Young Gatsby to Leonardo Di Caprio's lead role for Baz Luhrmann in "The Great Gatsby." His lead role of 'Oburi' with Samuel Jackson in "Kite" based on the Japanese Anime, was followed by his first UK lead role as the young British hero 'Sean Flynn' in "Robot Overlords," alongside Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson. Callan's training and success in the arts began early. He topped the Drama Scholarships in Australia at The SCOTS College, as well as The Australian Institute of Performing Arts, securing an opportunity to study Drama at UCLA at age 13. Callan also topped the London Trinity College Musical Theatre Exams. His studies continued via Mr Alan Flower (Sydney Theatre Company) and Screenwise. He has been nominated and won many awards including 'Top Young Actor' in the USA for "The Great Gatsby." While working on "The Walking Dead," Callan continued to play lead and supporting roles in feature films including "Summer Night" (Dir James Cross) released in 2019. He is also known for his original TIFF Breakout role in "Beneath the Harvest Sky" (Dir Aaron and Gita Pullapilly), "Hacker" (Award winning Kazakhstan Dir Akan Satayev), and Sundance favourite "The Stanford Prison Experiment" (Dir Kyle Patrick Alvarez). In Australia he has filmed the much loved TV series "Packed to the Rafters", as well as iconic roles for "Cloudstreet" (Dir Matt Saville) and "Underground - The Julian Assange Story" (Dir Robert Connelly). His first short "Franswa Sharl" (Dir Hannah Hilliard) where he played a cross dressing teenager, received nine international awards, including a win at The Berlin Film Festival. More recently he played Australian bushranger 'Daniel Ryan' in the International Award Winning "The Legend of Ben Hall" (Dir Matthew Holmes). Callan's unique 'calling card' voice and ability to change accents are used widely via feature films and television as well as international documentary series including "Code Red" and the "Rise and Fall of Hitler." His ability to jump to a more light-hearted animated voices has been used for the new book "The Jar of Dreams" by Alan Riva (releasing 2020) and Callan's own first fictional novel, "The Hill Ghost" released to 5-star reviews in 2019. With a tenor vibrato singing voice as well as topping Musical Theatre Exams as a youngster, Callan now enjoys singing mostly for his own enjoyment away from the camera. However, he did sing for the Season 9 Premiere of "The Walking Dead," using his own acapella version of the Irish Ballad "The Last Rose of Summer." Callan has made great achievements on many personal levels. These include securing the 'Duke Of Edinburgh Award' for Outdoor Survival (achieved in the Australian outback). He has been studying Mandarin for five years and plays, in his own words, "an obscure number of instruments." He is currently learning the mandolin, fiddle and banjo. Callan also plays the electric and acoustic guitar, keyboard, and Chinese Erhu. Callan has always been a natural athlete. Prior to leaving Australia he was known as 'The Flying Scotsman' (fastest runner) and Champion athlete at The SCOTS College, Bellevue Hill, Australia. He was also the 'striker' in the top soccer team. A sports injury created a pause on the athletic field but opened the door to Musical Theatre as he secured the lead role in "Oliver" while mending a torn ligament. From this point, Callan turned his focus onto the performing arts and was rewarded with his first USA role via iconic Director, Rob Reiner in 2009. Callan's philanthropic work is global and ongoing as the International Australian Ambassador for UNICEF. He also maintains his link to "The Wolf Connection" in California. An organisation focused on helping at risk teens, using rescued wolf dogs and counselling with their unique programmes. Callan has supported "The Wolf Connection" since the age of 15. Callan is also a Tourism Australia Ambassador working with Australians including Chris Hemsworth, Baz Luhrmann and artist Ken Done.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Christina Moses was born and raised in Los Angeles California. She lived in NYC for 9 years where she taught black history through art and performed in various community and off-Broadway theatre after graduating from Eugene Lang of The New School University. She moved back to LA in 2010 after starting a professional acting career in 2008 in NYC. Christina is an artist, writer and producer.- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Adrian Edmondson was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. He went to Manchester University to study drama. Whilst he was there he met Rik Mayall, and the pair began performing as 20th Century Coyote. The act continued after university when Adrian & Rik moved to London, and they became two of the leading lights in the new 'alternative comedy' scene, performing at the newly established Comedy Store, and setting up their own club, The Comic Strip, with Peter Richardson, Nigel Planer, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and Alexei Sayle. This spawned two 1980s TV series: The Young Ones (1982), and The Comic Strip Presents (1982) In the 1990's Ade & Rik continued their partnership with a new series called Bottom (1991), which ran for three seasons and became a major success on the live circuit. It was basically a live sitcom, liberally sprinkled with slapstick humour, and the pair did 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003. Simultaneously, Adrian established himself as an actor, doing to improvised TV films under the Screen One and Screen Two umbrella, with director Les Blair: Honest, Decent and True (1986), and News Hounds (1990) (winner of the BAFTA for best single drama). He was a regular in the hospital drama Holby City (1999) from 2005 - 2008. He took the lead in a drama documentary about the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in the series Surviving Disaster (2006), and appeared as Henry Austen in the TV movie Miss Austen Regrets (2007), the film Blood (2012), and the drama series Prey (2014). But his most notable dramatic role to date is that of Count Rostov in the BBC series War & Peace (2016). He has been married to Jennifer Saunders since 1985, and they have three children together.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Belén Cuesta was born on 24 January 1984 in Seville, Seville, Andalucía, Spain. She is an actress, known for Holy Camp! (2017), Paquita Salas (2016) and The Endless Trench (2019).- Actor
- Composer
Jonah Bobo was born on 24 January 1997 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) and Disconnect (2012).- Michael Ontkean, best known for playing the minor league hockey player Ned Braden in the cult classic Slap Shot (1977), was born on January 24, 1946 in Vancouver, British Columbia. His parents, Leonard and Muriel (née Cooper) Ontkean, were actors. Michael was raised Catholic and attended Catholic elementary and high schools. Like many young Canadian men, he grew up playing hockey. He was good enough to earn a hockey scholarship to the University of New Hampshire, a Division I program. He was a standout player at UNH in his three seasons as a varsity player from 1966-69. (Division I hockey teams did not allow freshmen to play on the varsity team in those days.) After graduating from UNH in 1969, he did not pursue a professional hockey career but appeared on the Canadian series Hudson's Bay (1959), which ran for one season in 1959-60, but did not appear again professionally as an actor until an episode of Ironside (1967) was broadcast in 1970. He moved to Los Angeles to become an actor.
After taking roles on episodic TV shows and appearing in TV movies from 1970-72, he had his breakthrough with a lead in the TV series The Rookies (1972), which debuted in September 1972. He played policeman Willie Gillis on the series, but left after the 1973-74 season and was replaced by Chris Owens (Bruce Fairbairn). His co-star, Kate Jackson, would later appear as his wife in the then-controversial 1982 film Making Love (1982), in which Ontkean played a married man who leaves his wife after coming out after an affair with his gay lover.
Earlier, Ontkean's skill as a hockey player enabled him to beat out Peter Straus and other actors for the role as the disaffected Ned Braden in Slap Shot (1977). In the film, he performed all of his on-ice shots himself. Subsequently, he had a major role in Paul Mazursky's Willie & Phil (1980), but neither that movie or "Making Love" was a hit. (Peter Strauss -- who lost the role in "Slap Shot" to Ontkean but became a bigger star after the success of Rich Man, Poor Man (1976) -- turned down the role of the closeted gay husband played by Ontkean in "Making Love".)
Ontkean's most memorable role since the early 1980s was Sheriff Harry S. Truman) in David Lynch's cult classic TV series Twin Peaks (1990). He lives in Hawaii with his wife, Jamie Smith Jackson. - Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Michael Provost was born in Bridgeport Connecticut and is the middle child of five boys. He got his start as Asa Butterfields acting double on the set of Enders Game, working opposite Viola Davis and Harrison Ford. Now he is an actor, know for Insatiable (2018), Plan B (2021), and The Holdovers (2023).- Actor
- Composer
- Writer
Michael Des Barres is a European Marquis, raised in England and living in Los Angeles. As the host of Little Steven's Underground Garage on SiriusXM Radio Channel 21, he is heard by more than six million listeners, five days a week (5am-8am and 9pm-midnight PT). He has appeared in over 150 hours of American television and more than 40 feature films, and has sold over 7 million albums as both a recording artist and songwriter.
Over the past five decades, Michael has appeared in numerous feature films such as "To Sir With Love" with Sidney Poitier, "Pink Cadillac" with Clint Eastwood, "The Man From Elysian Fields" with Mick Jagger and "Diary of a Sex Addict" with Rosanna Arquette as well as countless television shows such as NCIS, Bones, CSI, Seinfeld, Frasier, Roseanne and Melrose Place, and as Nicolas Helman, former mentor to infamous assassin Murdoch, on MacGyver.
Michael Des Barres was also the touring singer for the Duran Duran spin-off group, The Power Station, performing at Live Aid with one of the most iconic live acts of the mid-1980s. From 1982 to 1984, Michael was a member of Chequered Past, which included Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols, and Clem Burke and Nigel Harrison of Blondie. In 1983, Michael penned the song "Obsession," a number one hit in 27 countries for LA new wave group Animotion.
Recently, Michael narrated the one-night only performance of Frank Zappa's legendary 200 Motels with the LA Philharmonic, released a live follow up to his 2012 album Carnaby Street called Hot 'n Sticky, and co-starred alongside Gene Simmons of KISS on an episode of CSI: Las Vegas. His latest album, "The Key to the Universe" was released in 2015 on FOD Records and was produced by Bob Rose.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Born in 1986 in Coventry, England as Ghulam Dustgir Khan he is a British comedian, impressionist, and actor, best known for his comedy-drama series Man Like Mobeen (2017). He is of Pakistani descent and grew up in Coventry; he has two older sisters. After graduation from Coventry University he worked as a teacher. His career in comedy took off when he started publishing YouTube videos in 2014 and the following year he performed his stand-up for the first time. In the same year, a video of Khan performing as his character Mobeen and feigning an outrage at a scene from Jurassic World (2015) went viral and he gained popularity and recognition, prompting Khan to quit his job as a teacher and focus on his comedy career full-time. In 2017, Man Like Mobeen debuted on BBC iPlayer to much critical acclaim. Since then, he's appeared on game shows such as Taskmaster (2015), Would I Lie to You? (2007) and QI (2003), scripted shows such as Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019) and Our Flag Means Death (2022) and movies such as Army of Thieves (2021) and The Bubble (2022). He lives in the West Midlands with his wife and their four children.- After a youthful career in the New York City Ballet under the guidance of the famed dance-master George Balanchine, Elaine Giftos starred on Broadway, before moving to Hollywood to act in movies and on TV. She has co-starred with Barbra Streisand and Jack Nicholson, with Woody Allen and Gene Wilder, and with Burt Reynolds, among other major stars, in motion pictures. She has starred in over fifty TV series, such as Emmy-winners Ally McBeal (1997), Magnum, P.I. (1980), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Three's Company (1976), and the sci-fi cult hit War of the Worlds (1988), as well as starring in many award-winning movies for television. She stars with Edward Asner and Majel Barrett in the first original made-for-the-Net Science Fiction cyberseries, Mars and Beyond (2000), on the Cyber Sci-Fi Network.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Johann Urb was born in Tallinn, Estonia, on 24 January 1977 into the family of Tarmo and Maris. When Johann was 10, he moved to Finland with his mother and her new husband. They lived in several small towns until they finally settled in Tampere. At the age of 17 Johann moved to his father's in New York, where he soon started a modeling career. In 2001, he landed a small part in the movie Zoolander (2001). After that, he did a role in the short movie Fear of Feathers (2003) and appeared in one episode of CSI: Miami (2002). In 2004, he got a part in the short-running TV-show The Mountain (2004). After that, he appeared as a guest on several TV shows and appeared in more minor film roles. In 2008, Johann got his first big film role in the much-hated The Hottie & the Nottie (2008). In 2009, things seemed to go up when he made a short but memorable appearance as the sexy, heroic pilot in Roland Emmerich's disaster epic 2012 (2009) and played a journalist in the fantasy TV series Eastwick (2009), which brought him critical recognition. At the moment, Johann has two romantic comedies in work.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Jordan Claire Robbins (born January 24, 1990) is a Bermudian-Canadian actress and model. Robbins is best known for her role in The Umbrella Academy television series.
Robbins was born and raised in Bermuda. After graduating high school in 2008, she moved to Toronto to double major in drama and psychology at the University of Toronto.
She began modeling and soon fell into acting while in Canada. She made her acting debut guest starring in the television series Man Seeking Woman, and thereafter had a recurring role in the series 12 Monkeys (both 2015). She continued appearing in various television series, including Supernatural. She had her breakthrough portraying Grace Hargreeves, a robot, in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy (2019-present), which has brought her widespread recognition.- Raviv Ullman was born in Israel to American parents, Laura Ehrenkranz, a teacher, and Brian Ullman, a psychiatric nurse practitioner. His family is Jewish, and his maternal grandfather, Joseph Ehrenkranz, was an Orthodox rabbi. His first professional stage role as Louis in the national touring company of The King and I (1956). Raviv has worked with New York's most premiere theater companies including Roundabout, Atlantic, Second Stage, and The New Group, and played both musical and dramatic roles in various regional theater productions including "Dead End" at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, California. He received a 1998-1999 Best Actor award nomination from the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards for his portrayal of Stanley in "A Rosen by Any Other Name." He starred in the Disney Channel's television series Phil of the Future (2004), as well as The Walt Disney Company's made-for-TV movie Pixel Perfect (2004/I) (TV), ABC Family's Searching for David's Heart (2004), and NBC's Growing Up Brady (2000). He has guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and That's So Raven (2003). His feature films include The Big Bad Swim (2006); The Boys of Sunset Ridge (2001), starring John Heard, the late Pat Morita, and Burt Young; and the independent film Crossfire (1998).
Raviv's directorial documentary debut Standing Ground, covering the Standing Rock protests, is in post production now. He has a younger sister, Ortal, and a younger brother, Nadav. - Johnny is an actor and musician. He was raised in Batavia, Illinois. Johnny immersed himself in acting and music from a young age. He graduated from Penn State University for his training and relocated to New York, developing a career on stage and screen. Johnny is Hard of Hearing and advocates for accessibility.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
When Estelle saw the girl on a white horse at the circus, she then decided that she wanted to be an actress. And she was from the age of 5, to the disapproval of her father. Her mother had her train with the Liverpool Repertory Company, and Estelle performed in many plays and many roles in the West End. In 1916, she made her debut on Broadway and worked with a number of acclaimed stage actors. Estelle spent the rest of the 'teens and '20s working in plays on both sides of the Atlantic. Being an actor in the theater, Estelle was not about to be one of those who acted in flicks and held out for a very long time. In fact, besides a small role in a few English films in the early 1930s, her real debut was Quality Street (1937), a picture that she undertook when she was in her 50s. Anyway, that was enough as it would be almost two decades before she would return to the big screen. She appeared on the stage in the plays "The Merry Wives of Windsor," "Ten Little Indians," and "The Importance of Being Earnest." But, in 1955, Estelle did return to the movies as Leslie Caron's "fairy godmother" in The Glass Slipper (1955). Estelle would spend the next 10 years appearing in films, often cast as eccentric, frail old ladies, some of whom could be deadly. Not to be left out, Estelle also would work on Television, doing guest spots in a number of shows. At 84, Estelle played a woman who was enamored by crooked Zero Mostel in the comedy The Producers (1967). Her last film would be the detective spoof Murder by Death (1976). When Estelle was asked, on the occasion of her 100th birthday, how she felt to have lived so long, she replied, "How rude of you to remind me!".- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Kenya Moore was born on 24 January 1971 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for I Know Who Killed Me (2007), Dolls of Voodoo (2013) and Life Twirls On (2015). She was previously married to Marc Daly.- Actor
- Producer
Craig Horner was born on 24 January 1983 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is an actor and producer, known for See No Evil (2006), Legend of the Seeker (2008) and Once Upon a Time (2011).- Actress
- Writer
Amelia Gething was born on 24 January 1999 in Redbridge, Essex, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for Emily (2022), Hogwarts Legacy (2023) and Mary & George (2024).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Heather McAdam was born on 24 January 1968. Heather is an actor, known for Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), Sisters (1991) and Touched by an Angel (1994). Heather has been married to Todd Kessler since 4 September 2011. They have three children.- Stephanie Romanov is an accomplished actress with many film and television credits to her name. Stephanie has held her own sharing the screen with Kevin Costner, Robin Williams, Keira Knightley, David Boreanaz, Sam Worthington, Andy Griffith, and Michael Murphy to name but a few. She has a broad range having starred in comedies, dramas, sci-fi, historical dramas and action films. She is very outgoing and her welcoming personality comes through the camera lens. A life long performer, she started dancing as a young girl and in her early teens she performed ballet, tap jazz and ballroom dancing on stage and stadiums. She has studied acting with the best. Starting in New York with Caroline Thomas and continuing in LA. She has studied with Roy London luminaries Ivana Chubic and Cameron Thor, Scene study with legendary Nina Foch, Meisner technique with Janet Alhante and Iris Klein. At fifteen she moved to NYC joining the Elite Modeling agency. She landed her first major spread for Italian and french bazaar. During her modeling career she was the face for L'Oréal, Gucci, Armani, Maybelline, Ann Taylor and many more. Appearing in Vogue, French Vogue with the legendary photographer, Horst. By the time she was twenty-one she had traveled the world and headed to LA where she accomplished her life long dream and entered the acting world. Stephanie lives on a persimmon farm in Malibu with her husband, film producer Nick Wechsler, and their daughter Lily. Her favorite role in life is as a wife, mother, daughter, friend, philanthropist and performer. After taking time out to raise her daughter, Stephanie is back in the game ready to attack any roles that come her way.
- Felicity Dean was born in London, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Wedding Video (2012) and Elizabeth I (2017). She has been married to Paul Vigrass since 21 November 2021. They have one child.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Daniel Auteuil was born on 24 January 1950 in Algiers, Alger, France [now Algeria]. He is an actor and director, known for Caché (2005), Jean de Florette (1986) and The Well-Digger's Daughter (2011). He has been married to Aude Ambroggi since 22 July 2006. They have one child. He was previously married to Emmanuelle Béart and Anne Jousset.- William Hudson was born on 24 January 1919 in Gilroy, California, USA. He was an actor, known for The Amazing Colossal Man (1957), Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958) and Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (1954). He was married to Lorene Ruth Peterson . He died on 5 April 1974 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Edward Atterton was born on 24 January 1962 in Birmingham, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Relative Values (2000) and Children of Dune (2003).
- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Producer
Dylan Everett is a Canadian TV actor who both appeared in the role of Campbell Saunders in the series, Degrassi and voiced the character of Wolly in the PBS animated series, Super Why!. He is best known for his roles in How To Be Indie, Wingin' It, Degrassi and Open Heart.
Dylan was born on January 24, 1995 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Before fame, He began acting at 10 years old and had early parts in commercials and short films. In an amazing trivia, He played a Streeter in several episodes of the children's television series, The Doodlebops. He starred on the show Wingin' It along with Demetrius Joyette. Dylan played soccer and hockey before Degrassi. As for his family life, He has an older brother, Zach, and an older sister, Chantal and is middle name is Philip, after his grandfather, who was born on the same day. He has cited Johnny Depp as one of his favorite actors.
Dylan's interest in film-making began at an early age. At 10 years old, he began acting and was soon landing parts in commercials and short-films which led to larger roles in full-length films and TV series. His breakout role(s) came in 2009, when he landed leads in 2 television series, the role of Marlon Parks in "How to be Indie" and the role of Carl Montclaire in "Wingin' It". Both series began production of their second seasons in 2010 and 2011.
He portrayed Campbell Saunders in Season 12 of Degrassi. Dylan attended Balaclava Public School and Waterdown District High School. His first role was playing Streeter in the Canadian children's series The Doodlebops for two episodes at the age of 10. He then played roles in movies such as The Devil's Mercy, Booky & the Secret Santa, Everything Is Connected, Breakfast with Scot, For All the Marbles and made a guest appearance in The Dresden Files as Scott Sharpe and Life with Boys as Hunter.
At the age of 13 he played 'Big Ben' in the Family Channel series The Latest Buzz. He also voiced 'Wolfy' in the series Super Why! Everett played Streeter in the Canadian children's series The Doodlebops for two episodes. He then played roles in the movies The Devil's Mercy, Booky & the Secret Santa, Everything Is Connected, Breakfast with Scot, For All the Marbles, and made a guest appearance in The Dresden Files as Scott Sharpe. He played 'Big Ben' in the Family Channel series The Latest Buzz. He also voiced 'Wolfy' in the series Super Why!.
Everett then appeared in other roles until his big break in 2009 with How To Be Indie as Marlon Parks; he then went on in 2010 to play the lead character in the Family Channel series Wingin' It.
In 2010, he reprised his role in Wingin' It as Carl Montclaire for another thirteen episodes. He reprised his character as Marlon Parks to film a second series of YTV's How To Be Indie, which premiered in Canada's fall 2010 and he reprised his role as Carl Montclaire for another season in the Family Channel series, Wingin' It that premiered in January 2011. Wingin' It started airing in the United States in April of 2013. He also appeared in the Disney Channel DCOM, Frenemies as Lance Lancaster. In November of 2013, he played young Dean Winchester on Supernatural. In September 2014, He starred in the Lifetime special, The Unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story, playing Mark-Paul Gosselaar. He also portrays Teddy Ralston on Open Heart. In 2014, Dylan played the role of Zack Morris in Lifetime TV's Saved By The Bell. He also appeared in three episodes of Supernatural as a teenage Dean Winchester.
In his spare time, Dylan enjoys playing the guitar, learning to play the keyboard, watching movies and playing XBOX or PlayStation. His favorite music is Classic Rock, Alternative Rock and old school Hip Hop. His favorite food is his mom's spaghetti. and His favorite hockey team is the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dylan does not watch any of his work. As a result, he technically hasn't "seen" any Degrassi episodes that he's been in. However, Dylan was part of the panel for MUCH TALKS: Degrassi. The special was a discussion on suicide. As a result, Dylan did see clips of himself as Cam.- Actor
- Writer
- Stunts
Peter Woodward was born into a family of actors. His father, Edward Woodward, brother Tim Woodward and sister Sarah Woodward, are all well-known British actors. Peter graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company, starring in many of their productions including "Winter's Tale", "Comedy of Errors" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Peter has also played a wide range of major character roles in films and television including the role of the German "Captain Stossel" in the feature film The Brylcreem Boys (1998). As a member of the British Academy of Dramatic Combat, Peter is known in the film industry for his work as a Fight Arranger and also as a post production supervisor, writing the ADR dialogue for films including: 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997), The Scarlet Tunic (1998), Les Misérables (1998) and Ossessione fatale (1992). Branching out, Peter recently formed a production company, "TRIPAL PRODUCTIONS", with his father Edward Woodward, and, for this company, Peter wrote and produced his first feature film The House of Angelo (1997), with his father, Edward, in the starring role as "Angleo".- Actress
- Soundtrack
Julie Gregg was born on 24 January 1937 in Niagara Falls, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Saga (1977) and Man of La Mancha (1972). She died on 7 November 2016 in Van Nuys, California, USA.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Neil Leslie Diamond was born in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York City, on January 24, 1941. His father, Akeeba "Kieve" Diamond, was a dry-goods merchant. Both he and wife Rose were Jewish immigrants from Poland. The Diamond family temporarily relocated to Cheyenne, Wyoming, because of Kieve Diamond's military service during World War II. During their time in Wyoming, Neil fell in love with "singing cowboy" movies on matinée showings at the local cinema. After the end of World War II, Neil and his parents returned to Brooklyn. He was given a $9 acoustic guitar for a birthday gift, which began his interest in music. At age 15 Neil wrote his first song, which he titled "Here Them Bells".
At Brooklyn's Erasmus Hall High School, Neil sang in the 100-member fixed chorus, with classmate Barbra Streisand, although the two would not formally meet until over 20 years later. Neil and a friend, Jack Packer, formed a duo singing group called Neil & Jack, and they sang at Long Island's Little Neck Country Club and recorded a single for Shell Records. The record failed to sell, however, and the duo soon broke up.
In 1958 Neil entered New York University's pre-med program to become a doctor, on a fencing scholarship. Medicine did not catch his interest as much as music did, though, and he dropped out at the end of his junior year, only 10 credits shy of graduation. He Diamond went to work for Sunbeam Music on Manhattan's famous Tin Pan Alley. Making $50 a week, he worked at tailoring songs to the needs and abilities of the company's B-grade performers. Finding the work unrewarding, Neil soon quit. Renting a storage room in a printer's shop located above the famed Birdland nightclub on Broadway, Neil began to live there and installed a $30 piano and a pay telephone, and set about writing his songs his own way.
A chance encounter with the songwriting/record producing team of Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich led to a contract with Bang Records. In 1966 he recorded his first album, featuring hit singles such as "Solitary Man" and "Cherry, Cherry". That same year Diamond appeared twice on Dick Clark's American Bandstand (1952) TV musical variety show. Also, The Monkees recorded several songs to which he wrote the music, including "I'm a Believer" which was a hit in 1967. A number of TV appearances followed, including singing gigs on The Mike Douglas Show (1961), The Merv Griffin Show (1962) and een a dramatic part as a rock singer on an episode of Mannix (1967). Filling a musical void that existed between Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, Diamond found wide acceptance among the young and old with his songs, but endured criticism that his music was too middle-of-the-road.
Diamond split with Bang Records in 1969, and signed a contract with California's Uni label, for which he recorded his first gold records. In 1970 he introduced British rock star Elton John in his first Stateside appearance at Hollywood's Troubador nightclub. In December 1971 Diamond signed a $5-million contract with Columbia Records, which led to more recording contracts and live concert appearances. In 1972 Diamond took a 40-month break from touring, during which he agreed to score the film Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1973). Although Diamond's soundtrack for that film earned him a Grammy Award, it was a box-office failure. Despite having worked with an acting coach since 1968, and talk of a five-picture acting contract with Universal Studios, Diamond remained inhibited by shyness of being in front of a camera. He turned down acting roles in every movie contract he was offered (among them was Bob Fosse's Lenny (1974) and Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976)). However, he did appear as himself with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young in the 1978 documentary The Last Waltz (1978). He appeared at the 1977 Academy Awards where he presented Barbra Streisand the Oscar for Best Song.
In the summer of 1976, on the eve of three Las Vegas shows, Diamond's house in Bel Air was raided by the police because they received an anonymous tip that there were drugs and weapons stored there. The police found less than an ounce of marijuana. To have the arrest expunged from his recored, Diamond agreed to a six-month drug aversion program. In 1977 he starred in two TV specials for NBC. He had a cancer scare in 1979, when a tumor was found on his spine and had to be surgically removed, which confined him to a wheelchair for three months. During his recuperation he was given the script for the lead role in a planned remake of the early sound film The Jazz Singer (1927). Signing a $1-million contract to appear as the son of a Jewish cantor trying to succeed in the music industry, Diamond was cast opposite the legendary Laurence Olivier and Broadway actress Lucie Arnaz. Despite the almost universally negative reviews of the film, it grossed three times its budget when released late in 1980. In 1981 Diamond's hit single, "America", which was part of the film's soundtrack, was used on news broadcasts to underscore the return of the American hostages from Iran.
Aware of his lack of acting talent, Diamond never acted in movie roles again, aside from making appearances as himself. A movie fan, he collaborated on writing the scores of many different soundtracks, which can be heard in such films as Cactus Flower (1969), Pulp Fiction (1994), Beautiful Girls (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), Bringing Out the Dead (1999) and many more. He continues to occasionally perform in concerts and write a vast catalog of music which is recored by both him and other artists.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Winter Williams (formally known as Ashley C. Williams) is an American actress known for playing leads in the cult horror film The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009), the award winning revenge thriller Julia (2014) and Albanian Gangster (2018). She grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia, and began acting on stage professionally at the age of ten.
Winter was unschooled during her high school years while pursuing acting full time. She then moved to New York City to attend The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (where she received the Charles Jehlenger Award for Excellence in Acting). Winter has "trod the boards" at New York's Off Broadway stages including The Ellen Stewart Theater, the Cherry Lane Theaters, 59E59 Theaters and Center Stage NY.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
While at Cambridge University, Montgomery was a member of Footlights, an amateur theatrical club. Subsequently, she studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama. She built her career as one-third of Comedy Theatre Company Population 3, with James Bachman and Barunka O'Shaughnessy, and she appeared as a roving reporter for the comic television programme The Friday Night Project (2005). Her other television work includes Bo'Selecta!, The Mighty Boosh (2003), and The IT Crowd (2006).
Montgomery has been heard in several BBC Radio 4 programmes, including the radio phone-in spoof Down the Line, Robin and Wendy's Wet Weekends, The Way We Live Right Now, The Museum of Everything, The Department, Another Case of Milton Jones, The Party Line, Harry Hill's Ghost of a Christmas Present, The Pits, the Torchwood story "Lost Souls" and Lucy Montgomery's Variety Pack (2010). In 2005, she began writing for and performing in the comedy-sketch show Tittybangbang (2005) on BBC Three; it also stars Debbie Chazen and has had three series, from 2005 to late 2007. She was in [link-tt1130073] on BBC One, and Bellamy's People (2010) on BBC Two. She has also been on The Law of the Playground (2006) and The Wall (2008) on BBC Three, and produced a pilot for her own BBC sketch show, The Full Montgomery, which was not commissioned. She provided the voice of Destiny in Mongrels (2010). She voiced for the series Badly Dubbed Porn (2005) on Comedy Central. She also stars as Suzi in the Jennifer Saunders penned musical Viva Forever!, based on the music of the Spice Girls.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
John McLiam was born on 24 January 1918 in Hayter, Alberta, Canada. He was an actor and writer, known for First Blood (1982), In Cold Blood (1967) and Sleeper (1973). He was married to Roberta Claire Robinson. He died on 16 April 1994 in Los Angeles, California, USA.