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Bitter Christmas
2026
During a long December holiday weekend, a woman, whose mother has recently died, throws herself into work as a form of escape. Her relentless pace is interrupted when a panic attack forces her to take a break.
René Lavan
Rene Lavan is a Cuban-American actor born in Artemisa, Cuba. He first gained widespread recognition starring in the hit Spanish-language telenovela Morelia, followed by leading roles in María Belén and Enamorada, becoming a familiar face to audiences across Latin America and beyond. American audiences came to know Lavan through his role as Javier on One Life to Live. He later earned critical acclaim as the lead in Bitter Sugar (1996), directed by Leon Ichaso, portraying a young Cuban student confronting political repression in Cuba. Lavan's film credits include Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, Christmas with the Kranks, Che: Part One and Che: Part Two, while his television work includes guest appearances on CSI: Miami and Las Vegas. In 2005, he made his Broadway debut in Latinologues. Educated at the New World School of the Arts and trained with Uta Hagen, Lavan has worked extensively in both English and Spanish-language productions. In addition to acting, he has hosted television specials and award shows and has produced Latino-focused film and television projects through his own production company.
Trudy Vachon
American-Canadian professional wrestler, better known as Luna Vachon. Over the course of her 22-year career, she wrestled for promotions such as the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), Extreme Championship Wrestling, the American Wrestling Association, and World Championship Wrestling. She was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2019. Luna was honored in April 2009 at the 44th annual Cauliflower Alley Club reunion, given the "Ladies Wrestling Award" in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of her fondest memories about the wrestling business was being able to visit children as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. After her retirement, Luna took an interest in fellow Canadian wrestlers and especially monitored the career of Nattie Neidhart, the daughter of fellow wrestler and friend Jim Neidhart. Around Christmas 2009, Vachon's house was destroyed by a fire in which she lost her wrestling-related memorabilia and other possessions. After the fire, she stayed at her mother's home and joined her father and his third wife Dee on a cruise in February 2010. The fire prompted a call from fellow wrestler and friend Mick Foley (and others) to fans to send Luna-related memorabilia to Vachon's post office box. Foley also suggested that TNA bring her in to manage Tommy Dreamer at the Hardcore Justice pay-per-view in August 2010, but Vachon turned down the offer, stating that she had retired. On the morning of August 27, 2010, she was found dead by her mother at her home in Pasco County, Florida. She was 48 years old. According to the District Six Medical Examiner's Office in Florida, she died from an "overdose of oxycodone and benzodiazepine". Investigators previously found crushed pill residue and snorting straws at multiple locations inside Vachon's house. Vachon became addicted to medication at some point and underwent rehabilitation, paid for by WWE, which she completed in June 2009. She was cremated after her death and her ashes were scattered at the ranch formerly owned by her close friend André the Giant in Ellerbe, North Carolina
Brian Limond
Brian Limond, better known as Limmy, is a Scottish comedian, writer, director, and performer who gained prominence through his unique, surreal approach to sketch comedy. He first built a cult online following in the mid-2000s with Limmy’s World of Glasgow, a darkly funny audio podcast paired with Flash animations on his website. This early digital success showcased his offbeat humour and distinct narrative voice, leading to his breakthrough into television. In 2010, Limmy’s vision found a broader audience with the launch of Limmy’s Show! on BBC Scotland. The sketch series, created, written, directed, and performed almost entirely by Limmy himself, ran for three acclaimed series and a Christmas special. It blended absurd characters, Glasgow-specific satire, and self-aware monologues, earning two BAFTA Scotland Awards and becoming a cult favourite. His television follow-ups included Limmy’s Homemade Show! (a one-off pilot in 2018 and a full series in 2020), which embraced a DIY, lo-fi aesthetic and marked his final foray into traditional broadcasting. After stepping away from TV, Limmy transitioned fully to live-streaming, where he has continued to cultivate a large and loyal audience. On Twitch, he performs improvised sketches, plays games, and interacts with viewers in real time, maintaining the same surreal humour that defined his screen work. This move has allowed him to retain creative control and direct engagement with fans, reinforcing his place as a distinctly modern comic voice operating outside mainstream formats.
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American jazz saxophonist. His 1986 album, Duotones, brought him commercial success. Kenny G is one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records. Kenny G's career started with a job as a sideman for Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra in 1973; he was 17 and still in high school. He continued to play professionally while studying for a major in accounting at the University of Washington in Seattle, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude. He played with the funk band Cold, Bold and Together before becoming a credited member of The Jeff Lorber Fusion. He began his solo career after his period with Lorber. Kenny G has worked on several film soundtracks, including Dying Young and The Bodyguard. The song "Theme for Dying Young", written for that movie, was nominated for a Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Kenny G co-wrote the soundtrack of The Bodyguard, starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, and performed his own song "Waiting for You" as well as his single "Even If My Heart Would Break". His music was also included in The Shadow and Miracle on 34th Street. His sixth studio album, Breathless, was released in 1992, and went on to become the best-selling instrumental album ever, with over 15 million copies sold worldwide, selling 12 million copies in the United States alone. The album included many hits such as "Forever in Love", the recipient of the Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Composition and which charted in the Billboard Year-End Hot 100. "Sentimental" charted at No. 27 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, and "By the Time This Night Is Over", a collaboration with Peabo Bryson, peaked at No. 25 on the Hot 100. His first holiday album, Miracles, sold over 13 million copies, making it the most successful Christmas album to date. He also performed the "National Anthem of the United States" at the 1994 FIFA World Cup closing ceremony at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on July 17, 1994. Kenny G earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1997 for playing the longest note ever recorded on a saxophone. Using circular breathing, Kenny G held an E-flat for 45 minutes and 47 seconds at J&R Music World in New York City. The same year, his song "Havana", from the album The Moment, was remixed by Todd Terry and Tony Moran and released to dance clubs in the U.S. The mixes went to No.1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart in April 1997. Kenny G's second holiday album, Faith, is the best selling holiday album of 1999 in the United States selling 2 million units according to Nielsen/SoundScan. The singles taken from the album, the traditional "Auld Lang Syne", reached No. 7 on the Hot 100. His rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" was, at the time of charting, popularized by the then-upcoming New Year celebration for 2000. At the time of its peak, it was also the oldest-written song to make the Hot 100 charts
Steve Speirs
Cast · Known for Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
Steven Roberts, better known as Steve Speirs, is a Welsh actor. Since graduating from university, Speirs has played Sloan in Eragon, Andy Fellows in Making Waves and the "pathetic loser" Dullard alongside Ricky Gervais in Extras, as well as having small parts in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Captain Tarpals) and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. He appears in Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, a comedy fantasy series in which he plays Loquasto, an oafish servant, "who belongs to a race of pig-like creatures known as Grobble". Speirs often goes by the name of "Dullard" in honour of his role in Extras, as he considers the character a mirror of himself. Speirs also appeared in the Gervais and Stephen Merchant film Cemetery Junction, released in 2010, a part which was written particularly for Speirs. Speirs also starred as the bouncer at Mother McOakley's Tavern in Burke and Hare, a British black comedy directed by John Landis and released (in the United Kingdom) in October 2010. Other roles which Spiers is known for include his portrayal of Bernard Bresslaw in Cor, Blimey!, Big Alan Williams in Stellaand Colour Sergeant Wormwood in Sharpe's Peril. Speirs played depressed geography teacher and caretaker Mr Gareth Barber in the BBC One sitcom Big School for two series in 2013 and 2014. In 2013, Steve played PC McClintock in the Christmas TV film Gangsta Granny, an adaptation of the book written by David Walliams. He played the role of Dad in the 2014 TV film The Boy in the Dress, also written by Walliams.
Urbanus
Urbain Servranckx (born 7 June 1949), better known as Urbanus, is a Belgian comedian, actor, singer and comic book writer. Although he is most famous as comedian, some of his songs became hits, such as Bakske vol met stro (1979), Madammen met een bontjas (1980) and Hittentit (1982). In Flanders and the Netherlands Urbanus is one of the most popular and famous entertainers of all time. Urbanus, artist's name of Urbain Joseph Servranckx (Dilbeek, 7 June 1949) is a Belgian comedian, singer, guitarist, author of comic books and actor. Originally he used the artist name: Urbanus van Anus. Anus was the name of his former backing group. In 1973 he began performing cabaret and comedy. He became popular in Flanders and managed to duplicate his success in the Netherlands, building a steady career since. He has appeared in TV shows, some which he wrote himself. Urbanus released several musical singles, some of which entered the hit parade. His Christmas song Bakske Vol Met Stro (1979) was controversial for lampooning the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, but also became his signature song and best-selling record for the very same reasons. Urbanus considers himself an atheist, although he wed in the Roman Catholic Church and had his children baptized. In 2008, he was awarded the Prize for Liberty by the Flemish think tank Nova Civitas. Urbanus starred in three films: Hector (1987), Koko Flanel (1990) and Seventh Heaven (1993). The two first films were the leaders in the Flemish box offices for many years. His first movie, Hector, directed by Stijn Coninx, won the 1988 international comedy film festival in Chamrousse, France. He also was named best actor by Radio France and Dauphiné Libéré. Seventh Heaven was a box office bomb. In Flanders and the Netherlands Urbanus is well-known and very popular since 1974. Although he is most famous as a comedian, some of his songs became hits, such as Bakske vol met stro (1979), Madammen met een bontjas (1980) and Hittentit (1982).Urbanus lend his voice to the Flemish versions of the Pixar movies, Cars and Cars 2, where he was the voice of the character Mater. Urbanus is script writer of a comics series about a childlike version of himself, Urbanus, which debuted in 1982. The series is drawn by Willy Linthout and from the third story on, Urbanus started providing the scenarios.The comic strip managed to become the longest-running series in the celebrity-inspired genre and new albums are still published to this day.The comics also sell well in the Netherlands. Urbanus also writes the gags for the satirical comic De Geverniste Vernepelingskes (1998), which pokes fun at several Flemish celebrities. It was first drawn by Jan Bosschaert, then Dirk Stallaert and finally Steven Dupré. Urbanus also writes gags for the children's comics Plankgas en Plastronneke (2004–2008) and Mieleke Melleke Mol (since 2003), both drawn by Dirk Stallaert. Urbanus has also drawn some gag comics himself. He also illustrated many of his own album covers. Source: Article "Urbanus" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Kiki Dee
Pauline Matthews (born 6 March 1947), better known by her stage name Kiki Dee, is an English pop singer. Known for her blue-eyed soul vocals, she was the first female singer from the UK to sign with Motown's Tamla Records. Dee is best known for her 1973 hit "Amoureuse", her 1974 hit "I've Got the Music in Me" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", her 1976 duet with Elton John, which went to number 1 on both the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Her 1981 single "Star" became the theme song for the talent show Opportunity Knocks when it was revived by the BBC in 1987. In 1993, she performed another duet with John for his Duets album, a cover version of Cole Porter's "True Love", which reached number 2 in the UK. During her career, she has released 40 singles, three EPs and 12 albums. Dee was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the age of 10 she won a local talent contest, and at 16 she had her first paid job in show business. "I realised when I sang at family parties and Christmases I'd suddenly get everyone's attention and, being the youngest of three, I thought what a brilliant attention-seeking ploy it was," stated Dee in a 2013 interview. She went on to say: "My older brother had a lot of Elvis on vinyl and really that was my first introduction to music during the Fifties." Aged 16, Dee worked at Boots in Bradford during the day, whilst in the evenings she sang songs with a dance band in Leeds. A record scout liked her singing and invited her to London to do an audition. There, in 1963, she signed as a solo artist to Fontana Records. After singing with a local band in Bradford in the early 1960s, Dee began her recording career as a session singer. She sang backing vocals for Dusty Springfield, among others, but did not achieve solo success in the UK for many years. In 1963, Dee released her first single, "Early Night", the first of eleven singles on Fontana, none of which reached the charts. Her 1966 release "Why Don't I Run Away From You" (a cover of Tami Lynn's "I'm Gonna Run Away From You") was a big hit on Radio London and Radio Caroline, and she sang the B-side "Small Town" in her appearance in Dateline Diamonds the same year. Also in 1966, she achieved wider coverage by singing "Take a Look at Me" in the hit comedy, Doctor in Clover. She brought out an EP, Kiki In Clover – which included "Take a Look at Me" – at the same time as the film's release. She recorded her debut album, I'm Kiki Dee, in 1968 which included a series of Phil Spector-style tracks and covers. Her 1968 release "On a Magic Carpet Ride", which was originally a B-side, has remained popular on the Northern soul circuit. Much of her early recorded work for Fontana Records, was released on 24 January 2011, on the CD compilation I'm Kiki Dee. Songwriter Mitch Murray created her stage name, and penned her first single, "Early Night". In the United States she became the first white British artist to be signed by Motown, releasing her first Motown single in 1970. ... Source: Article "Kiki Dee" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (September 14, 1973), better known by his stage name Nas, is an American rapper and businessman. Rooted in East Coast hip hop, he is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time. The son of jazz musician Olu Dara, Jones's musical career began in 1989 as he adopted the moniker of "Nasty Nas" and recorded demos for Large Professor. He was a featured artist on Main Source's "Live at the Barbeque" (1991), also produced by Large Professor. Nas's debut album Illmatic (1994) received universal acclaim upon release, and is considered to be one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time; in 2021, the album was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. His second album It Was Written (1996) debuted atop the Billboard 200 and charted for four consecutive weeks; the album, along with its single "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" (featuring Lauryn Hill), catapulted Nas into international success. Both released in 1999, Nas's albums I Am and Nastradamus were criticized as inconsistent and too commercially oriented, and critics and fans feared that his output was declining in quality. From 2001 to 2005, Nas was involved in a highly publicized feud with Jay-Z, popularized by the diss track "Ether". It was this feud, along with Nas's albums Stillmatic (2001), God's Son (2002), and the double album Street's Disciple (2004), that helped restore his critical standing. After squashing the feud, Nas signed to Jay-Z's Def Jam Recordings in 2006 and went in a more provocative, politicized direction with the albums Hip Hop Is Dead (2006) and his untitled 9th studio album (2008). In 2010, Nas released Distant Relatives, a collaboration album with Damian Marley, donating all royalties to charities active in Africa. His 10th studio album, Life Is Good (2012), was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. After receiving thirteen nominations, his 12th studio album, King's Disease (2020), won him his first Grammy for Best Rap Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards; he then followed it by releasing his 13th studio album, King's Disease II (2021), as the album's sequel. In the same year, his 14th studio album, Magic, was released on Christmas Eve. In 2012, The Source ranked him second on their list of the "Top 50 Lyricists of All Time". In 2013, Nas was ranked 4th on MTV's "Hottest MCs in the Game" list. About.com ranked him first on their list of the "50 Greatest MCs of All Time" in 2014, and a year later, Nas was featured on the "10 Best Rappers of All Time" list by Billboard. He is also an entrepreneur through his own record label; he serves as associate publisher of Mass Appeal magazine and the co-founder of Mass Appeal Records. Nas has released fourteen studio albums since 1994, ten of which are certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum in the U.S. Description above from the Wikipedia article Nas, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Brad James
Cast · Known for Prisoners
Former US Marine Brad James is an American actor, born on July 7th 1981. James is best known for his role as Todd in the sitcom Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse. He has also appeared in Champion Road (2008), Champion Road: Arena (2010), Prisoners (2013), When It Comes Around (2018), His, Hers & the Truth (2019), A Chestnut Family Christmas (2021), Girlfriendship (2022), The Christmas Detective (2023) and Shirley (2024), as well as numerous Television roles in series such as Teen Wolf.
Sam Phillips
Cast · Composer · Known for Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Gilmore Girls
Leslie Ann Phillips (born June 28, 1962), better known by her stage name Sam Phillips, is an American singer and songwriter. She is also an actress, best known for her film acting debut as the mute terrorist Katya in the Bruce Willis blockbuster Die Hard with a Vengeance. Phillips made a cameo appearance in the 1997 Wim Wenders film The End of Violence, singing part of the song "Animals on Wheels" from Omnipop. Phillips also began writing music for and scoring the TV series Gilmore Girls, and appeared in the final episode of season six, performing "Taking Pictures" from her Fan Dance album. She also composed scores for the television shows Bunheads, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. She began her musical career in the early 1980s in the contemporary Christian music industry, where she sang background vocals for Christian artists Mark Heard and Randy Stonehill. Phillips was signed as a solo artist with Myrrh Records under her given name and recorded four Christian pop albums: Beyond Saturday Night, Dancing with Danger, Black and White in a Grey World and, The Turning. The Turning teamed her with producer T Bone Burnett, whom she would later marry. Several of Phillips' songs became Top 10 singles on Christian radio and Myrrh records promoted her as "the Christian Cyndi Lauper". Phillips was never comfortable with this image, and it was a bone of contention between her and her label. She began using the name "Sam" professionally in 1988 when she left Myrrh Records and signed with Virgin Records in order to distance herself from her prior persona. With The Indescribable Wow, Philips moved into mainstream music. Cruel Inventions was released in 1991, and included a guest performance by Elvis Costello. 1994's Martinis and Bikinis was nominated for a Grammy Award, her second nomination. In 1996, she released Omnipop (It's Only a Flesh Wound Lambchop), which featured a song co-written by R.E.M. After releasing a contractually obligated "best of" album in 1999, Virgin Records dropped Phillips from its roster. In 2001, she signed with Nonesuch Records, evolving her musical style to a stripped-down, acoustically based sound on her album called Fan Dance In 2004, she released A Boot and a Shoe, another collection of acoustically based songs, similar in style to Fan Dance. Her album Don't Do Anything was self-produced and released in 2008. In October 2009, she launched The Long Play, a music subscription service offering digital releases without a record label. The first subscription only EP, Hypnotists in Paris, was recorded with the Section Quartet and a Christmas collection Cold Dark Night, Magic for Everyone, Old Tin Pan, and Days of the One Night Stands followed, with the full-length album Cameras in the Sky released in early 2010. In Spring 2011, she issued Solid State, a public CD release. Push Any Button was released on August 13, 2013. In 2013, her first live concert album, Sam Phillips: Live @ Largo at The Coronet, was made available digitally through her website. In 2016, Phillips released a downloadable EP Human Contact is Never Easy, which included four new tracks off her next album World on Sticks. In September 2018, Phillips released World on Sticks.
Boris Karloff
Cast · Known for Thriller
William Henry Pratt (November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969), better known as Boris Karloff, was an English-born actor who emigrated to Canada in 1909. Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939). His popularity following Frankenstein was such that for a brief time he was billed simply as "Karloff" or "Karloff the Uncanny". His best-known non-horror role is as the Grinch in the television special of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Description above from the Wikipedia article Boris Karloff, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Jon Secada
Juan Francisco Secada Ramírez (born October 4, 1961), better known as Jon Secada, is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter and record producer. He has won two Grammy Awards and sold 15 million records, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists. His music fuses funk, soul music, pop, and Latin percussion. Secada has written songs for Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez. He has toured with Luciano Pavarotti and recorded duets with Jim Brickman, Olivia Newton-John, and Frank Sinatra. Secada has performed several times at A Capitol Fourth, an annual Independence Day concert from the United States Capitol televised by PBS. Secada was born in 1961 in Havana, Cuba. Secada's father, José, was incarcerated for 3 years as a political prisoner by the communist Cuban government. In 1971, the Secadas received permission to emigrate and moved to Miami. His parents opened a coffee shop. Secada was raised in Hialeah, Florida. In 1979, Secada graduated from Hialeah Senior High School in Hialeah, Florida. During his performance of A Christmas Carol in 11th grade, he says he realized his musical potential and was encouraged by teachers to pursue music as a career. After graduating from high school, Secada attended the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, where he received a Bachelor of Music in 1983 and a Master of Music in jazz vocal performance in 1986. He graduated cum-laude and was later inducted into the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami. From 1986 to 1991, Secada was a teacher at Miami Dade College. In 1986, Secada's University of Miami acquaintances introduced him to Emilio Estefan, a musician in Miami Sound Machine and husband of Gloria Estefan. Estefan listened to one of Secada's demos and then became Secada's mentor and manager. This led to Secada becoming a backup singer for Miami Sound Machine. In 1991, Secada co-wrote and was a backup singer for "Coming Out of the Dark," a number-one hit song inspired by a tour-bus accident involving Gloria Estefan in 1990, in which her back was broken. In 1992, he released his self-titled debut album, which sold 7 million copies. In 1994, he performed a duet with Frank Sinatra, a re-recording of "The Best Is Yet to Come," released on Sinatra's album Duets II. He also performed at the awards for Miss Venezuela 1994. In 1995, he performed on Broadway in Grease, and he also presented at the 49th Tony Awards. He also recorded "If I Never Knew You", a duet with Shanice for Pocahontas. In 1999, he co-wrote and co-produced "She's All I Ever Had" for Ricky Martin. In 2003, he performed in Cabaret. He also co-wrote "Juramento" for Ricky Martin. From 2006 to 2009 Secada was a judge on Latin American Idol for its entire four-season run. In 2007, he co-wrote three songs, and performed in one, on Lilian Garcia's album ¡Quiero Vivir!. In 2017, he released a tribute album with cover versions of songs by Benny Moré. From 1988 to 1993, Secada was married to Jo Pat Cafro. In May 1995, he started dating Maritere Vilar. They were married in February 1997 and have two children. ... Source: Article "Jon Secada" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Lauren London
Lauren Nicole London (born December 5, 1984) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films and televisions shows including ATL (2006), This Christmas (2007), Madea's Big Happy Family (2011), Baggage Claim (2013), The Game (2013–2015), Games People Play (2019), Without Remorse (2021), and You People (2023). London is also known for dating Ermias Asghedom, better known as American rapper Nipsey Hussle, from 2013 until his murder on March 31, 2019.
Agnieszka Dygant
Cast · Known for Na dobre i na złe
Agnieszka Dygant is a Polish actress. She gained nationwide popularity for her role as Mariola in the TVP2 series Na dobre i na złe (For Better or Worse) (2001–2009). She cemented her position with the roles of "Czarna" in the Polsat crime-action series Fala zbrodni (2003–2008) and Franciszka Maj, the main character of the TVN sitcom Niania (2005–2009). From 2012 to 2015, she played Agata Przybysz, the title character of the TVN series Law of Agata. She is also known for her film roles in the romantic comedy Tylko mnie kochaj (Only Love Me, 2006) and the Christmas series Letters to Santa (2011–2024). She has collaborated several times with Patryk Vega on his films Pitbull: New Order (2016), Botoks (2017), Kobiety mafii (Women of Mafia, 2018), and Kobiety mafii 2 (Women of Mafia, 2019).
Dacre Montgomery
Cast · Known for Stranger Things
Dacre Kayd Montgomery-Harvey (/ˈdeɪkər/; born 22 November 1994) is an Australian actor. Montgomery began acting in short films as a teenager before making his feature film debut in the adventure comedy A Few Less Men (2017). In 2017, Montgomery starred as Jason Scott / Red Ranger in the superhero film Power Rangers and began playing Billy Hargrove in the Netflix science fiction horror series Stranger Things (2017–2022). His performance in the latter earned him critical acclaim and various awards nominations. He has since starred in the Christmas horror film Better Watch Out (2017) and the romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020) and portrayed Steve Binder in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis (2022). Description above from the Wikipedia article Dacre Montgomery, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Bennet Thorpe
Cast · Known for The IT Crowd
Bennet performed in his first play at the age of 11. He played the king in a school production of Rumpelstiltskin. From an early age Bennet realised that acting was a safe way to express and explore emotion. He performed lead roles with a youth theatre in works by Peter Schaffer, Carol Churchill, Philip Ridley, and many other great authors; getting the chance to perform in excellent theatres with excellent directors, both in England and abroad. Continuing his education, Bennet went to the Bristol old Vic Theatre School at the age of 23. There he learnt how to speak Shakespeare, and a great many technical acting skills. Upon graduating he earned his bread and butter in television work, and has been lucky enough to gain his own children’s TV series „Captain Mack‟. He also found time to come to Denmark and regularly perform in the Crazy Christmas Cabaret. By performing in „Wit‟ and „Love and Money‟ Bennet is getting back to what he loves best; performing in smaller intimate spaces with well-written works.
Tony Zhou
Tony Zhou is a New Zealand actor known for portraying coming-of-age, eccentric, boyish, and unhinged characters across drama and comedy. He has appeared in television series such as The Eggplant (2020), Shortland Street (1992), and Camp Be Better (2024), as well as the independent comedy feature The Red Admiral (2025). Tony has also led critically acclaimed short films, including Cherry (2022), Illuminati Castrati (2024), and Baked for Christmas (2024), which have screened at local and international festivals such as LA Shorts, NZ Web Fest, and the South Film and Arts Academy Festival (SFAAF).
Seth Bailey
Real name: Jimmy Lee Gill (pseudonym: Seth Bailey). He has been a performing clown almost his entire life. Early 1950's, as a pre-school child Jimmy's Grandfather, the former world renowned circus clown Seth Walter Bailey also and better known as "Bill Bailey" would make-up and costumed Jimmy as a clown then take the miniature clown along on gigs. Late 1960's, Jimmy began his professional career at the age of 16 with summer employment at the Memphis Zoological Garden as a clown for its daily one-ring circus. Tommy O'Brian, the former world renowned circus animal trainer, directed this two-shows-a-day gig. Jimmy used Grandpa Bailey's make-up kit and costume. He did a bald Whiteface 2-piece clown suit and tie entity. Early 1970's, Jimmy became a member of the Al Chymia Shriners' Clown Unit in Memphis, Tennessee. He continued to use Grandpa Bailey's make-up kit and costume. He did a red mop wigged Whiteface ragged Andy type entity. All of the Clown Unit's gigs were for charitable causes. One May they dressed for 20 events. One Memorial Day weekend, they raised over $6,500 for the "Muscular Dystrophy Association's Telethon" by collecting change from passing motorists at a major Memphis street intersection. Late 1998, Jimmy was asked if he could duplicate John Wayne Gacy's "Pogo the Clown" entity for the feature television film titled Люди в белом (1998). An Internet search provided a color image of Gacy's sinister clown entity which Jimmy did duplicate as requested. Early 2000, Jimmy volunteered to help the "Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles" grant a terminally ill young boy's wish of having a clown host his birthday party. Jimmy worked the party of family and friends as Auguste 03 with: balloon sculptures, comedic stich, face painting, juggling, and magic (both stage and close-up). Efern's face beamed joy and his excitement was contagious! This sadly, turned out to be Efern's last birthday as he succumbed to leukemia. Jimmy's still on-call for Make-A-Wish. Mid 2000, Jimmy's voluntarily worked several fund-raisers for the "Starlight Children's Foundation". Jimmy's also still on-call for Starlight. Jimmy continues working gigs for charitable causes, AFTRA and SAG. He now additionally offers his services for corporate events, i.e. a specially designed iconic entity, spokesman, grand openings, annual parties, etc. He has worked one Hollywood Studio Producer's Christmas Party as Mime 07. He is a professional clown in both appearance and entertainment quality.
Shia LaBeouf
Cast · Known for Eagle Eye, Surf's Up, Fury
Shia Saide LaBeouf (born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and 2002 and won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2003. He made his film debut in The Christmas Path (1998). In 2004, he made his directorial debut with the short film Let's Love Hate and later directed a short film titled Maniac (2011), starring American rappers Cage and Kid Cudi. In 2007, LaBeouf starred in the commercially successful films Disturbia and Surf's Up. The same year he was cast in Michael Bay's science fiction film Transformers as Sam Witwicky, the main protagonist of the series. Transformers was a box office success and one of the highest-grossing films of 2007. LaBeouf later appeared in its sequels Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), both also box office successes. In 2008, he played Henry "Mutt Williams" Jones III in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. His other credits include the films Holes (2003), Constantine (2005), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), Lawless (2012), The Company You Keep (2012), Nymphomaniac (2013), Charlie Countryman (2013), Fury (2014), American Honey (2016), Borg vs McEnroe (2017), Honey Boy (2019), The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019), and Pieces of a Woman (2020). Since 2014, LaBeouf has pursued a variety of public performance art projects with LaBeouf, Rönkkö & Turner.
Zak Ford-Williams
Zak was born near Manchester, England in 1999. Starting out as a member of the Summerseat Players Youth Theatre, Zak then became a member of the Manchester Royal Exchange Young Company for two years, before attending the Manchester School of Theatre, graduating in 2020. Zak's professional theatre work includes playing Joseph Merrick in the critically acclaimed touring production of The Real and Imaginary History of the Elephant Man (2023) and various roles in Mark Gatiss' adaptation of A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story (2022) at the Nottingham Playhouse and Alexandra Palace. Zak's audio work includes the BBC Radio dramas Letter to Louis and Tinsel Girl, and Zak is the voice of the Thimble series of children's audio books. Zak's on-screen work include titles produced for BBC Studios, Paramount, Netflix, ITV, Sky Drama, Channel 4 and Channel 5, including the BAFTA winning short comedy Mobility (2023), Bridgerton (2020), Better (2023) and The Hardacres (2024) (2024). Zak has cerebral palsy and is an ambulant wheelchair user.
John Forbes
Producer/Director/Actor/Writer John was Associate Producer at New York's Ensemble Studio Theatre of Marathon 1997 and also worked on Marathon 1996 and 1998 with Jamie Richards. Additionally, he produced benefits at EST honoring Jerry Zaks, Ted Turner and Walter Bobbie with Richard Dreyfus, Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Lucie Arnaz, Chris Noth, Anne Meara, Mandy Patinkin and playwrights, Wendy Wasserstein, Horton Foote, Frank Gilroy, Craig Lucas, & Joyce Carol Oates to name a few. Elsewhere, John's Theatre experience spans 30 years and multiple continents including Europe, Africa & North America and both On & Off Broadway. On Broadway he worked on Jackie - An American Life, as Assoc. Gen. Mgr., with Brent Peek, Off-Broadway, he was one of the producers of Hedwig & The Angry Inch and helped develop,The Great American Trailer Park Musical. In 2005, He was thrilled to produce, write & direct the opening festivities for the "Center of Hope" in South Africa hosted by His Majesty, King Goodwill Zweletini, the Mayor of Durban, the Minister of Health and 1000 invited guests - for a center serving those infected or affected by HIV/AIDS in the township of Bhekulwandle, South Africa. As an Actor he developed the role of William Booth in the original musical Blood & Fire (alongside Eden Espinosa) for the Disney/ ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in New York City (Stephen Schwartz), other representative roles are Sheriff Deon Gilbeau in August: Osage County at the State Theatre in Olympia, WA, King Herod in Who Do You Say I Am at CCC in Los Alamitos, CA (Director), Jo Bouillon in Billy Wilsons' Josephine The Musical, in Amsterdam, Holland (Ast. Director), Bruno in Christmas on Mars in Hollywood, CA, Tumnus in The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe in San Francisco, CA and Fleance in Macbeth and with the Sherwood Shakespeare Festival (David Hammond Dir.) and the One Man Musical called, Zacchaeus performed at the National Theatre of Uganda, Africa. John is a member of SAG-AFTRA and can be seen in; FILM: The Maggie Moore(s), Infraction, All Those Small Things, A Great Place To Work, Door to Door, Delivery & 5th Grade Boss, TV: "Better Call Saul" (AMC), "The Resident" (FOX), "GRIMM" (NBC), "Homicide Hunter" (Investigation Discovery) & numerous commercials and industrials and also works as a Voice Over Artist and Narrator. As a Writer, John is developing a limited series for television that he hopes to see realized in the days to come. He owns/ operates TAPE IT ABQ, a professional taping studio for actors, serving as a teacher and coach in Albuquerque, NM which he now calls home.
Velile Tshabalala
Velile Tshabalala is an English actress, known for portraying Kareesha Lopez in Kerching! and Rosita in the 2008 Doctor Who special "The Next Doctor". Born in Whitechapel, London, Tshabalala was raised in Ilford. She is of Zimbabwean descent. Her father is a mechanical engineer and her mother is a health visitor. She has one sister and two brothers. She trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she attended weekend classes from the age of 14. For higher education, she attended sixth form and completed her A-levels. Tshabalala made her professional debut at the age of 18, in the CBBC sitcom Kerching!. She played waitress Kareesha Lopez, who did very little work and was a stereotypical teenage girl. She played several roles in all three series of the BBC Three sketch comedy Tittybangbang. She appeared as a prostitute in the 2004 short film Streets. In January 2008, she played a librarian in the ChuckleVision episode "Jumping Jackpot". She played Rosita in that year's Doctor Who Christmas special "The Next Doctor". She made her pantomime debut in the 2008 production of Dick Whittington's Cat at the Compass Theatre in Ickenham. In 2011, Tshabalala very briefly appeared in the penultimate episode of series three of the E4 series Misfits as the gangs' newest probation worker, Laura. However, she only lasted for a matter of seconds after arriving at the community centre, ultimately being killed after being bitten by a zombie. In July 2014, she completed filming on the feature film The Journey. In November 2021, it was announced that Tshabalala had been cast in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks as Viv, the mother of established character DeMarcus Westwood (Tomi Ade). In February 2022, she starred as Gloria in Running with Lions at the Lyric Theatre, London. In 2024, Tshabalala began appearing as recurring character Stella Clayton in Eastenders. Her day job is currently at the St Marylebone Bridge School working as a teaching assistant.
Kelly Curtis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Kelly Lee Curtis (born June 17, 1956) was an American actress. She was known for her roles in Magic Sticks (1987), and The Devil's Daughter (1991). Kelly Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, the eldest child of actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Her sister is actress Jamie Lee Curtis (born 1958). Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian-Jewish immigrants and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish. The rest of her mother’s ancestry is German and Scots-Irish. She has four half-siblings, from her father's remarriages, Alexandra Curtis (born July 19, 1964); Allegra Curtis (born July 11, 1966); Nicholas Curtis (December 21, 1970 – July 2, 1994), who died of a drug overdose; and Benjamin Curtis (born May 2, 1973). Curtis' first appearance on the silver screen was as a young girl in the United Artists action/adventure The Vikings (1958) starring her parents, as well as Kirk Douglas and Ernest Borgnine. Her parents divorced in 1962, after which her mother married Robert Brandt (1927-2009). In 1978, she graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York, with a degree in Business. She worked briefly as a stockbroker. Curtis studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. An article in the Los Angeles Times of July 28, 1982, about the play Say Goodnight, Gracie reads, in part, "Kelly Curtis is Ginny, sadly resigned to not being smart but smartly settled for honest responses. Here, writing and performance transcend one-note designation. Seated quietly, Curtis delivers a touching monologue that would have been the heart of another and better play, rather than a disarming moment of inspired simplicity." She played the role as Shirley in the comedy Magic Sticks (1987) opposite George Kranz, and starred in the leading role as Miriam Kreisl in the horror film The Devil's Daughter (1991). On September 14, 1989, she and playwright/producer Scott Morfee (born 1954) were married. The couple were then working together on his play with music, Shout and Twist, which she was not only appearing in, but producing. Curtis was a regular cast member in the role as Lieutenant Carolyn Plummer during the first season of the crime/action television series The Sentinel (1996) opposite co-stars Richard Burgi, Garett Maggart, and Bruce A. Young. Her guest appearances on TV include roles on The Renegades (1983), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), and Judging Amy (1999). She has worked as an assistant on such films as Freaky Friday (2003), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and You Again (2010). As of 1990, Curtis and her husband have lived in New York on Long Island.