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Andrea Bocelli

Cast · Known for Solo Mio

Andrea Bocelli was born on September 22, 1958 in Lajatico, a province of Pisa in Italy. Born with glaucoma cong nito, very low vision at the age of twelve suffered an accident playing football, losing completely the sense. He grew up on the farm who had his family in Tuscany, where they have a small vineyard from which her father produced "Chanti Bocelli. Very passionate about everything he had to do with the art, Andrea studied piano, flute and SAX, and after studying law at the University of Pisa, coming to obtain the title of doctor. For a year he was defender of the Court and after contacted the tenor Franco Corelli to become his pupil. The young apprentice spent some time singing in bars and nightclubs to pay for their classes and met Enrica, a beautiful woman who fell in love with. Later the couple decided to marry, and they were parents of Amos and Matteo. In 1992 Zucchero rock star, carries out auditions with tenors to perform tape demo of the song that was composed by Bono from U2 entitled Miserere. I wanted to have this great tenor Pavarotti accompany you to the duo, but in the end, Andrea was elected. When Pavarotti heard the tape it was impressed and also recorded the theme with rocker Italian, achieving a tremendous success. Subsequently Zucchero began his tour all over Europe and invited Andrea to sing the theme. It had also a participation in the concert ben fico annual gala of Pavarotti, which unites with the popular classical music, could sing a Duet with Pavarotti and other stars of the music such as Bryan Adams. In 1993 he could sign a contract with the record label Insieme/Sugar, renowned for representing famous artists of Italy. Some time later participates in the Festival of San Remo from where also emerged victorious. Years after became one of his most important dreams reality, the protagonist of La Boheme by Puccini, in Cagliari, Italy. A few months more tardepublicoo his "Aria" album, with themes of opera and Andrea received a nomination for the Grammy Awards. It would be his new work he titled "Sogno", with the same success that had earlier in March 1999 when comes to light. This production features 3 songs in Spanish and had the support of important composers such as Ennio Morricone, and they accompanied him also n Eros Ramazzotti, Celine Dion and Dulce Pontes. In the new millennium, Bocelli received 2 nominations for Grammy Awards and made the tour "World Tour 2000". His new album "Feeling" is recorded at 220 and for 2006 "Amore" is put on sale. Andrea Bocelli has come to sell more than 70 million records worldwide, became staying in one of the most renowned tenors of the planet. His marriage with Enrica ended in 2002 and after begins a new relationship with Veronica Beri.

Terence Hill

Cast · Known for Father Matteo

Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with his long-time film partner and friend Bud Spencer. During the height of his popularity, Hill was among Italy's highest-paid actors. His most widely seen films include comic and standard spaghetti Westerns, some based on popular novels by German author Karl May about the Wild West. Of these, the most famous are Lo chiamavano Trinità (They Call Me Trinity, 1970); ...continuavano a chiamarlo Trinità (Trinity Is Still My Name, 1971), the highest grossing Italian film at that time; and Il mio nome è Nessuno (My Name Is Nobody, 1973), co-starring Henry Fonda. Hill also went on to a successful television career in Italy, most notably playing the title character in the long-running Rai 1 series Don Matteo from 2000 until 2022. Hill was born on 29 March 1939 in Venice, Italy. Hill's mother, Hildegard Girotti (née Thieme), was from Dresden, Germany; his father, Girolamo Girotti, was Italian from Amelia, Umbria, and a chemist by occupation. During his childhood, Hill lived in the small town of Lommatzsch, Saxony. As a child, he experienced the bombing of Dresden, which was traumatic for him. He was there up to the End of World War II in Europe. He was discovered at the age of 12 by Italian filmmaker Dino Risi at a swimming meet, and he became a child actor, appearing in Risi's Vacation with a Gangster (1951) as Gianni, the orphan gang leader. "They were looking for a boy gang leader and they found me", he later said. He had small roles in Voice of Silence (1953) with Jean Marais, Too Young for Love (1953), and It Happened in the Park (1953). He was in Golden Vein (1954) with Märta Torén and Richard Basehart, The Abandoned (1955) and Folgore Division (1955). Girotti had his first lead in Guaglione (1956). He could also be seen in Mamma sconosciuta (1956), I vagabondi delle stelle (1956), La grande strada azzurra (1956) with Yves Montand and Alida Valli, and Lazzarella (1957). Girotti did Anna of Brooklyn (1958) with Gina Lollobrigida, The Sword and the Cross (1958) with Yvonne de Carlo (playing Lazarus of Bethany), and a TV version of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1958). He had support parts in Il padrone delle ferriere (1959) with Virna Lisi, Juke box - Urli d'amore (1959), and Hannibal (1959) with Victor Mature and Carlo Pedersoli, who would later become known as Bud Spencer. Girotti had the lead roles in Spavaldi e innamorati (1959) and Cerasella (1959), a teen comedy. It was back to support roles with Carthage in Flames (1960), Un militare e mezzo (1960), and The Story of Joseph and His Brethren (1961) with Geoffrey Horne and Robert Morley, directed by Irving Rapper. Girotti had support parts in The Wonders of Aladdin (1961) with Donald O'Connor and directed by Henry Levin and Mario Bava, Pecado de amor (1961), Seven Seas to Calais (1962) with Rod Taylor, and The Shortest Day (1963). ... Source: Article "Terence Hill" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Josef Mattes

Josef Mattes is a television and film actor. He was born in Hamburg, Germany to an Austrian artist father and German actress mother.

Martin Olson

Writer · Known for Phineas and Ferb

Martin Olson is an American comedy writer, television producer, author and composer. He is known for his unusual subject matter, and is an original member of the Boston Comedy Scene. He is the father of actress Olivia Olson. Olson has received seven Emmy nominations, five for television writing and two for song writing. Olson also received an Ace Award for television writing. Description above from the Wikipedia article Martin Olson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Tommy Duggan

Tommy Duggan (22 July 1909 - 2 November 1998), was an Irish actor who contributed to British television and film from the 1940s to the 1990s. Film appearances include supporting roles in Thunder Rock (1942), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Elusive Pimpernel (1950), The Belles of St Trinian’s (1954), Tarzan the Magnificent (1960), The Omen (1976), Superman II (1980) and Omen III: The Final Conflict (1981). His television roles include Armchair Theatre, The Buccaneers, Dixon of Dock Green, The Saint, Doctor Who: The Mind of Evil, and Father Ted.

Alejandro Amenábar

Director · Known for The Others

Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos (born 31 March 1972) is a Spanish film director. Amenábar was born in Santiago, Chile to a Spanish mother and Chilean father, but the family moved to Spain just one year after his birth. He studied cinema at Madrid's Universidad Complutense but eventually dropped out. In addition to writing and directing his own films, Amenábar has maintained a notable career as a composer of film scores, including the Goya Awards-nominated score for José Luis Cuerda's La lengua de las mariposas. Amenábar was awarded the Grand Prix of the Jury at the International Venice Film Festival in 2004 for Mar adentro ("The Sea Inside"), and in February 2005 the same film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In February 2004, Amenábar came out to the Spanish gay magazine Shangay Express. Amenábar shot in 2008 an epic film called Ágora which he wrote with Mateo Gil. The film is set in Roman Egypt and is based on the life of philosopher and mathematician Hypatia of Alexandria.

Louis Cancelmi

Cast · Known for Mayday, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Killers of the Flower Moon

Louis Cancelmi (born 9 June 1978, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American stage and film actor who studied Theater at Yale College. He is a frequent performer with the Public Theater, appearing at both its Astor Library home and the Delacorte Theater in Central Park (including The Tempest in Shakespeare in the Park, 2015). He is best known for playing Mike D'Angelo in HBO's Boardwalk Empire (2014, 6 episodes), Victor Mateo in Showtime's Billions (2016–2023, 45 episodes), Sally Bugs in Martin Scorsese's The Irishman (2019), and Kelsie Morrison in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). He is married to actress Elisabeth Waterston (m. 2006), whose father is actor Sam Waterston. His filmography includes The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014, as the Man in Black Suit), 21 Bridges (2019), The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021, as Richard Fletcher), Pet Shop Days (2023), Sorry, Baby (2025), In the Hand of Dante (2026, dual roles as Lefty / Guido da Polenta), and The Bride! (2026). On television he has also appeared in Blue Bloods (2015–2016, as Thomas Wilder), The Looming Tower (2018, as Vince Stuart, 10 episodes), A Murder at the End of the World (2023, as Todd Andrews, 7 episodes), The Penguin (2024, as Rex Calabrese), and Government Cheese (2025, as Jean-Guy Prevost, 5 episodes).

Justice Leak

Justice Leak was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. His father, George, a former police officer, named his daughter, Liberty and son, Justice after vowing to do so while a young soldier in Vietnam. "My Dad said if he made it back home, he'd give us these names after his love for his country." During his childhood, Justice was anything but fond of his name. "As a kid, you don't want to stick out. And when I was introduced to people, my name was (and still is) a conversation starter, which for me was a nightmare." Leak said. "But as you get older, you realize that it's good to have something that makes you different from everyone else." Leak was a shy kid who "could easily blend into the walls." His quiet nature, however, made him a keen observer of human behavior, a skill that has served him well. "All my life's experiences -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- have been preparing me to do this thing (acting). That's why I'm so thankful that I wasn't a popular kid!" His first stint in the spotlight came during his senior year at Jefferson Davis High School. He was chosen to lead the marching band, and recalls his experience as drum major as the "best of both worlds in terms of performing and music." "For the first time, I was in a leadership position," Leak said. "I couldn't hide behind anybody else, and looking back, that was the beginning point for me coming out of my shell." After graduation, Leak attended college in Texas and later Auburn University. While there, he became involved in the drama department, mainly working behind the scenes. But that all changed when he helped a classmate with an audition. "I told the director that I wasn't auditioning and was only helping," Leak said. "Afterwards, he stepped up and said, 'Why aren't you auditioning? You would be great in one of the leads.'" His first role was the lead in Arthur Miller's, "The Crucible." During his senior year, he starred in every main stage play produced at Auburn and earned two Irene Ryan Award nominations. He was also named "best actor" by the university's faculty and students. After earning a degree in theatre arts, Leak moved to Atlanta and was signed to the agency, People Store. He began doing commercials for companies such as Verizon Wireless, and later, had small roles in TV shows and independent films. His agent felt he could do more and sent his resume to the casting directors for "The Great Debaters," a career changing moment. As the buzz of The Great Debaters crossed the country, so did Justice, making his move from the east to the west coast; capitalizing on the momentum of this success. Once in Los Angeles, he was quickly signed by two leading agencies and booked back to back to back guest starring roles on three major network shows within a month's time - and the momentum shows no signs of slowing anytime soon. Leak plans to remain humble, no matter how successful he becomes. "I want to be known as a good soul with a kind heart, and a great artist who had the chance to make a difference in this world for the better and succeeded."

Richard Steven Horvitz

Cast · Known for Helluva Boss, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Ben 10

Richard Steven Horvitz (born July 29, 1966) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his voice work in animation and video games. His voice credits include the original Alpha 5 on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo, Razputin in Psychonauts, Kaos in Skylanders, Billy and his father Harold in Grim & Evil and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Grey Matter in Ben 10, Rodney in Squirrel Boy, Daggett in The Angry Beavers, Zim in Invader Zim, Orthopox in Destroy All Humans!, the Zoni in Ratchet & Clank, Bumble in Kinectimals, the Space Weaver in Broken Age, Kanchomé in Zatch Bell!, and Moxxie in Helluva Boss.

Barry Jenner

Cast · Known for Family Matters

Barry Jenner (January 14, 1941 – August 9, 2016) was an American actor best known for his television roles, including Captain Jerry Cooper on Dallas, Admiral William Ross on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Lt. Lieu Murtaugh on Family Matters. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as an only child to a factory worker father and part-time waitress mother, he studied political science and American history at West Chester University before moving to New York City to pursue acting, landing early soap opera parts on Somerset and Another World. Jenner's career spanned guest spots on Knots Landing, films like Looker, Popcorn, and Enough Said, theater productions, and commercials, while he also served 21 years as a reserve officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. He was married to actress Susan Harney from 1980 until their divorce, then to Suzanne Hunt from 2001, with whom he had two sons, Ashley and Christian; he passed away from acute myeloid leukemia.

Katharine Towne

Katharine Towne (born Katharine Payne Towne, July 17, 1978, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California) is an American actress, 5′ 7″ (170 cm) tall, the daughter of Academy Award-winning screenwriter Robert Towne and actress Julie Payne, and granddaughter of actors John Payne and Anne Shirley. She initially wanted to be a writer, inspired by her father's legacy, before realizing she was a born actor. She made her screen debut in Girl (1998) and was married to actor Charlie Hunnam from 1999 to 2002. Her most notable film credits include Cynthia Jenzen in Mulholland Drive (2001, directed by David Lynch), Caitlin Spencer in What Lies Beneath (2000, with Halle Berry and Mateo Velasco), Nadine in Evolution (2001, with David Duchovny and Sean William Scott), Sinead in But I'm a Cheerleader (1999), Savannah in She's All That (1999, with Freddie Prinze Jr.), Monique in The Bachelor (1999, with Ben Stiller), Leah Cahan in Something New (2006, with Ginnifer Goodwin and Cameron Diaz), and a role in Blades of Glory (2007, with Will Ferrell and Jonah Hill). On television she is best known as Mason in Tell Me You Love Me (2007, 9 episodes, HBO), with additional credits in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1999), M.Y.O.B. (2000, 4 episodes), Undeclared (2001), and CSI: NY (2011).

Lindsay Greenbush

Cast · Known for Little House on the Prairie

Rachel Lindsay Rene Bush (born May 25, 1970, in Hollywood) is an American actress. She is the identical twin sister of Sidney Greenbush. They rose to fame for their joint portrayal of Carrie Ingalls in the American family series Little House on the Prairie (1974). Their father, Billy Green Bush, and their brother, Clay Greenbush, are also actors. The twins gained their first on-screen experience in commercials, including those for Doublemint Gum and Mattel. In 1973, they appeared in the TV movie Sunshine. A year later, they were cast as Carrie Ingalls in Little House on the Prairie, a role they played together until 1982. In the credits, they were listed as “Lindsay Sidney Greenbush.” In Season 5, they both appeared together in the episode “The Godsister,” in which Carrie invents an invisible friend. After the series ended, both appeared on camera only once more: Lindsay in 1983 in the series Matt Houston, and Sidney in 1984 in the film Hambone & Hillie. After that, they ended their acting careers. In 1998, the twins were inducted into the “Hall of Great Western Performers” at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for their roles in Little House on the Prairie. Both graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1988. Lindsay has a daughter and two stepchildren. Lindsay is now separated from her husband, Frank Dornan.

Benny Emmanuel

Cast · Known for La Leyenda de los Chaneques, La Venganza del Charro Negro, Surviving Hurricane Otis

Benny Emmanuel Mendoza Yirene, known as Benny Emmanuel, was born on December 17, 1996, in Veracruz, by decision of his parents, although they brought him to live in Mexico City when he was almost one year old. Although neither of his parents is professionally engaged in acting, they were always fans of the art: his mother sings and his father acted in some school plays. Benny instead decided to make a career out of this art. Benny tends to work with characters who are real, who have real problems, who are complex, multifaceted human beings. One of Benny's wishes is to participate in a film that will last in the history of Mexican cinema no matter how many generations and new proposals pass over it.

Paul Anka

Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including "Diana", "Lonely Boy", "Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also wrote the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson; one of Tom Jones' biggest hits, "She's a Lady"; and the English lyrics to Claude François and Jacques Revaux's music for Frank Sinatra's signature song "My Way", which has been recorded by many, including Elvis Presley. He co-wrote three songs with Michael Jackson: "This Is It" (originally titled "I Never Heard") "Love Never Felt So Good", and "Don't Matter to Me", which became posthumous hits for Jackson in 2009, 2014, and 2018, respectively. Anka was born in Ottawa, Ontario, to Camelia (née Tannis) and Andrew Emile "Andy" Anka Sr., who owned a restaurant called the Locanda. His parents were both of Lebanese descent. His father came to Canada from Bab Tuma, Damascus, Syria, and his mother was an immigrant from Lebanon. His mother died when he was 18. Anka sang with the St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral choir under the direction of Frederick Karam, with whom he studied music theory. He studied piano with Winnifred Rees. He attended Fisher Park High School, where he was part of a vocal trio called the Bobby Soxers. Paul Anka recorded his first single, "I Confess", when he was 14. In 1956, with $100 given to him by his uncle, he went to New York City where he auditioned for Don Costa at ABC Records, singing what was widely believed to be a lovestruck verse he had written to a former babysitter. In an interview with NPR's Terry Gross in 2005, he stated that it was to a girl at his church whom he hardly knew. The resulting song "Diana" brought Anka stardom as it went to No. 1 on the Canadian and US music charts. "Diana" is one of the best selling singles ever by a Canadian recording artist. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, including "It's Time to Cry", which hit No. 4 and "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings", which reached No. 15, making him (at 17) one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He toured Britain, then Australia with Buddy Holly. Anka also wrote "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" – a song written for Holly, which Holly recorded just before he died in 1959. Anka stated shortly afterward: "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" has a tragic irony about it now, but at least it will help look after Buddy Holly's family. I'm giving my composer's royalty to his widow – it's the least I can do." ... Source: Article "Paul Anka" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Elsa Lunghini

Cast · Known for Ici tout commence

Elsa Lunghini, stage name Elsa (born 20 May 1973), is a French singer and actress. She was a teenage pop-star in the late-1980s. In 1986, she was the youngest singer to reach number one in the French charts, with the single "T'en va pas", and she went on to sell millions of records during the decade. Elsa, her album of 1988, had achieved double-platinum status by 1993. Daughter of George Lunghini (actor, photographer and songwriter) and Christiane Jobert (painter and also sister of actress Marlène Jobert and Charles Jobert, a camera operator and director of photography), she is of Italian origin on her father's side, and of Sephardic Jewish origin on her mother's side. She is a cousin of actresses Eva Green and Josephine Jobert. Lunghini first performed in a movie at age seven, in 1981, in Claude Miller's Garde à vue (also starring Romy Schneider). She was the youngest artist to be in the main program at the Olympia (Paris), at 17, in October 1990 as well as the youngest to have a number 1 hit in the Top 50 in France. At 13, in 1986, she remained number 1 for eight weeks with "T'en va pas" (soundtrack of the movie La Femme de ma vie). The song was composed by the Italian Romano Musumarra, who had worked and helped produce hits for 1980s singer Jeanne Mas. The song was a hit in France and sold elsewhere in Europe with an English recording. With the help of her musician father, she recorded her LP Elsa. It sold more than 600,000 copies with hit singles such as "Quelque chose dans mon cœur" ("Something in my heart"), "Jour de neige" ("Snowing day"), "Jamais nous" (with backing vocals by French singer Laurent Voulzy) ("Never us"), "Un Roman d'amitié" (duet with Glenn Medeiros) ("Friend you give me a Reason"), "À la même heure dans deux ans" ("At the same time in two years"). All were top 10 hits. At that time, Lunghini was the only artist to have her first four singles at number one or two. She became popular in the teen press, often compared with Vanessa Paradis. In 1990, she made her second album, Rien que pour ça ("Only for that"). The songs were produced by her father and Elsa wrote the music for the single of the same name. "Rien que pour ça" was a top 20 hit. Two other excerpts were released: "Pleure doucement" ("Cry softly") and "Qu'est-ce que ça peut lui faire" ("How does she matter"). In 1992, Lunghini recorded "Bouscule-moi" ("Push me on"), a mid-rock single with more adult lyrics. "Bouscule-moi" was a hit single. Her third album was Douce violence ("Sweet violence"). In 1996, aged 23, she wrote and composed her fourth album, Chaque jour est un long chemin (Every day is a long way). It sold 20,000. From 20 to 24 September 2004, she gave shows in Paris at the Européen. A live DVD and a live CD went on sale in 2006. She has starred in two TV movies: 2002's La mort est rousse and 2004's Trois jours en juin and is involved in a television advertising campaign for Danone yoghurt. Source: Article "Elsa Lunghini" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Sarah Rafferty

Cast · Known for Suits

While still in prep school, Sarah was bit by the acting bug at a very young age. When her drama teacher caught her cutting across his lawn in an effort not to be late for field hockey practice, he told her to skip practice and join the cast of "Richard III," and thus began her adoration of acting. Sarah decided to take her love for this craft and educate herself by double majoring in English and Theatre at Hamilton College, studying theatre abroad in London and Oxford during her junior year, and, after graduating magna cum laude from Hamilton, went on to study at Yale Drama school. Her passion for learning about the arts was supported by her parents; her mother, the Chairwoman of the English Department at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich, CT, and her father, an accomplished painter. Her education and natural talent clearly paid off. In addition to starring on USA Network's "Suits" playing the role of Donna, she has appeared in numerous TV series such as "Law and Order," "Six Feet Under," "Brothers & Sisters," "Samantha Who?," "Without A Trace," "CSI: Miami," and "Bones," and feature films including: "Four Single Fathers" and "Falling For Grace," along with countless professional stage productions like "Gemini" and "As You Like It." In addition to her acting roles on television, Sarah is an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Association and consistently speaks on the matter. Sarah has hosted their annual Sardi's event three years in a row and presented at the organization's final Sardi's event in March 2016. Sarah currently resides on both east and west coasts with her husband and two daughters and travels back and forth to Toronto for work.

Daisy Haggard

Daisy Haggard is a British actress and comedian. She is known for Doctor Who (2005) and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) . She is the daughter of film director Piers Haggard and his wife Anna Sklovsky. She was raised in Dulwich, South London, where she attended James Allen's Girls' School. She later attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. In 1996, Haggard made her acting debut in an episode of ITV crime drama, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries. The episode was directed by her father, and during the auditions, the producer stated that he wanted to audition Daisy, despite opposition from her father, who did not want his daughter to become an actor. Haggard later graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. She appeared in the BBC Three sketch show Man Stroke Woman, and in the Channel 4 sitcom Green Wing as Emmy. She also made an appearance in an episode of Peep Show, playing a nurse who examines Mark Corrigan's testicles, and in the BBC Two comedy Psychoville by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. In the 2008 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, Haggard portrayed the role of Miss Steele, the sister of Lucy Steele. In 2009, she played Donna Mitchell in an episode of the BBC crime drama Ashes to Ashes. Haggard was also the voice of the Ministry Lift in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. In 2010, she appeared in the CBC television film Abroad, playing Poppy Young. Haggard played Sophie in the Doctor Who episode "The Lodger", a role she reprised in "Closing Time". In 2010, Haggard starred in the independent British film Honeymooner. In 2012, she starred in the short film Tooty's Wedding, which was later screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. In 2011, she began appearing in the BBC/Showtime comedy Episodes. She portrayed the role of Myra Licht until the series ended in 2017. Haggard also appeared on the stage, including at the National Theatre and as the title character in Gina Gionfriddo's play Becky Shaw at the Almeida Theatre. In July 2012, Sky One began airing the series Parents, in which Haggard played the role of Chrissie. In 2013, she co-starred with Rose Byrne in the British romantic comedy I Give It a Year as Helen. In 2014, she was cast as Sam in the BBC comedy Uncle. In 2016, she appeared in "Nosedive", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror. In 2017, she appeared in the premiere production of Consent at the Royal National Theatre, London. In April 2019, Haggard began playing the lead role of Miri Matteson in BBC Three sitcom Back to Life. The first series, consisting of six episodes, premiered on 15 April 2019 and was followed by a second series in 2021. She also co-wrote and created the series. In 2020 Haggard appeared in the comedy-drama Breeders as Ally. She plays one of the leads in the 2023 series Boat Story alongside Paterson Joseph.

Rochelle Okoye

Cast · Known for X-Men: Apocalypse

Rochelle Okoye is a world-renowned Hollywood stunt woman, actress, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and trauma-informed breath work facilitator certified through SOMA Breath. With a powerful blend of elite athleticism, academic excellence, and deep personal transformation, Rochelle has built a multifaceted career rooted in resilience and empowerment. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Rochelle began her gymnastics training at the age of two. At seven, her family relocated to the UK, where her father completed his PhD at Cambridge and Oxford Universities. By age 10, she was competing internationally for Great Britain, becoming the British National Gymnastics Champion in 1996-a title she held for three consecutive years. She was also twice nominated and awarded as England's Top Sports Person Under 13. At 14, the BBC produced a one-hour documentary titled Going for Gold, chronicling her pursuit of a spot on the 2000 Olympic team. That dream was cut short when the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) raised the age requirement for Olympic competition to 16-leaving Rochelle ineligible by just one year. This pivotal moment redirected the course of her athletic journey. An academic high achiever, Rochelle skipped a grade and graduated from both high school and university a year early. She earned her B.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Northern British Columbia and went on to work with children and youth navigating developmental, cognitive, and behavioral challenges. Driven by a lifelong desire to push physical and mental limits, Rochelle transitioned into martial arts-training and competing in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai-she also embarked on a successful amateur and professional boxing career. In 2008, she made history as the first female boxer to compete in a professional fight in British Columbia. During this time, she also earned her diploma in personal training and later went on to become the co-founder of the acclaimed Tristar Vancouver Martial Arts gym. Rochelle's physical discipline seamlessly translated into a thriving career as a Hollywood stunt performer and actress. Having overcome a life marked by adversity, trauma, and profound personal challenges, she has immersed herself in various healing modalities to rise, reclaim her power, and give back. Today, she uses her platform to empower others through her best-selling book With Every Damn Brick, her powerful TEDx Talk How to Turn Your Pain Into Power, and her work as a motivational speaker and breath work facilitator. Her story is a testament to transformation, and she now dedicates her life to helping others do the same-teaching that no matter how heavy the past, it can be alchemized into strength, purpose, and impact.

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.

Lloyd Nolan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an American film and television actor. Among his many roles, Nolan is remembered for originating the role of private investigator Michael Shayne in a series of 1940s B movies. Nolan was born in San Francisco, California, the son of Margaret and James Nolan, who was a shoe manufacturer of Irish descent. He attended Santa Clara Preparatory School and Stanford University, flunking out of Stanford as a freshman "because I never got around to attending any other class but dramatics." His parents disapproved of his choice of a career in acting, preferring that he join his father's shoe business, "one of the most solvent commercial firms in San Francisco." Nolan served in the United States Merchant Marine before joining the Dennis Players theatrical troupe in Cape Cod. He began his career on stage and was subsequently lured to Hollywood, where he played mainly doctors, private detectives, and policemen in many film roles. Nolan also contributed solid and key character parts in numerous other films. One, The House on 92nd Street, was a startling revelation to audiences in 1945. It was a conflation of several true incidents of attempted sabotage by the Nazi regime (incidents which the FBI was able to thwart during World War II), and many scenes were filmed on location in New York City, unusual at the time. Nolan portrayed FBI Agent Briggs, and actual FBI employees interacted with Nolan throughout the film; he reprised the role in a subsequent 1948 movie, The Street with No Name. Nolan appeared three times on NBC's Laramie Western series, as sheriff Tully Hatch in the episode "The Star Trail (1959), as outlaw Matt Dyer in the episode "Deadly Is the Night" (1961)[5] and then as former Union Army General George Barton in the episode "War Hero" (1962).[6] On December 8, 1960, Nolan was cast as Dr. Elisha Pittman, in "Knife of Hate" on Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. In the story line, Dr. Pittman removed one of the legs of Jack Hoyt (Robert Harland) after Hoyt sustained a gunshot wound from which infection was developing. Hoyt wants to marry Susan Pittman (Susan Oliver), but her father is at first unyielding on the matter. Nolan starred in The Outer Limits episode "Soldier" written by Harlan Ellison. He appeared in the NBC Western Bonanza as LaDuke, a New Orleans detective. In 1967, Strother Martin and he guest-starred in the episode "A Mighty Hunter Before the Lord" of NBC's The Road West series, starring Barry Sullivan. Also in 1967, Nolan was a guest star in the popular Western TV series The Virginian, in the episode "The Masquerade" and in the first episode of Mannix. A long-time cigar and pipe smoker, Nolan died of lung cancer on September 27, 1985, at his home in Brentwood, California; he was 83. He is interred at the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. CLR Description above from the Wikipedia article Lloyd Nolan, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Beverly Tyler

This relatively obscure, sweet-faced "B" level ingénue of the post-war 40s and 50s was born Beverly Jean Saul of modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, on July 5, 1927. Her mother was a secretary who secured piano and music lessons for her young daughter. Her father was employed with a typewriter company. As a teenager Beverly made her singing debut on radio. Moving to Hollywood with her mother, she was groomed by MGM at the ripe old age of 14 and made her first picture with a bit part in The Youngest Profession (1943) using her real name. She was given the more attractive marquee name of "Beverly Tyler" before the ink had barely dried on her contract. Her career showed some signs of improvement after appearing opposite Tom Drake in The Green Years (1946) and Peter Lawford in the lightweight comedy My Brother Talks to Horses (1947), but then she was forced to wait out a lull. Strangely enough, other than for a brief singing bit in Best Foot Forward (1943), Beverly was never promoted in musicals by MGM, or any other studio for that matter -- although she did test once for the Kathryn Grayson part in That Midnight Kiss (1949) starring Mario Lanza. She did, however, appear in the short-lived Kurt Weill musical "The Firebrand of Florence" on Broadway in 1945, and performed in the musical "Miss Liberty" in Los Angeles in 1950. Beverly also sang on TV on such variety shows as "Cavalcade of Stars" and "Shower of Stars." She returned to the camera after a three-year absence in 1950 with Mickey Rooney in The Fireball (1950), and in another horse film, Hills of the Brave (1950). Most of the roles offered had her playing an altruistic love interest amid rugged surroundings in such western adventures as The Battle at Apache Pass (1952) and The Cimarron Kid (1952). She made only a handful of films over the course of her career, which effectively ended once Voodoo Island (1957) and Hong Kong Confidential (1958) were in the can. A serviceable co-star, little attempt was made by the Hollywood powers-that-be to effectively challenge her multiple talents. Although she dated the likes of Tom Drake, Peter Lawford, Audie Murphy, Mickey Rooney and Rory Calhoun, this lovely sparrow did not settle down in marriage until 1962 when she wed comedy writer/director Jim Jordan, Jr. ("The Colgate Comedy Hour"), who was the son of the famous "Fibber McGee & Molly" radio couple. Beverly instantly retired from the business and together the couple produced a son. The only performing she has done over the years was to appear in a few local theater productions in Reno, Nevada, having moved there in 1972. Her husband later became a developer. Beverly died at age 78 of a pulmonary embolism on November 23, 2005, and was survived by her son, James W. Jordan, and three step-daughters.

Chyler Leigh

Cast · Known for Supergirl

Chyler Leigh (born April 10, 1982) is an American actress, best known for portraying Dr. Lexie Grey on Grey's Anatomy and Alex Danvers on Supergirl. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina and raised in Virginia Beach and Miami Beach, Chyler began her career in front of the camera at age 12 modeling for magazines and catalogues. Her success in print later led to national commercials for Coca Cola and Wendy's, among others. By age 16, she had already completed several pilots (ABC's Wilder Days (2000) and the WB's Saving Graces (1999)) at the onset. Aaron Spelling confirmed the young actress's talent when he hired her a few years ago as a series regular in the WB series Safe Harbor (1999) after seeing her performance on Saving Graces (1999). She also guest-starred on 7th Heaven (1996) in a powerful three-story arc wherein her character, "Frankie", a young, inept mother had adversely influenced the family. Leigh made her film debut in the Colombia/Tri-Star hit comedy spoof Not Another Teen Movie (2001), which opened nationwide December, 2001. She originally auditioned for a smaller role, but the producers and directors were so impressed with her performance that they invited her to read for the lead. Leigh was stunned by her good fortune. By January of 2002, Leigh had already landed a series role on the Fox comedy That '80s Show (2002) (from the producers of "That '70s Show"). The mid season comedy series portrayed Leigh as a rebellious teenager on the Fox Network. After the short-lived run, the series was canceled, and Leigh was immediately brought to executive producer David E. Kelley for consideration in his new Fox series Girls Club (2002). Three days later, Leigh was flown for the New York up-fronts where she was introduced as one of the new series leads, "Sarah Mickle", a young attorney, on Fox's 2002 Girls Club (2002). After only two episodes of Girls Club (2002) had aired, Leigh received a personal phone call from Kelley informing her of the show's cancellation and his desire to bring her forward to his already established series The Practice (1997). With only a matter of weeks between shows, Leigh was at work on the set of ABC's The Practice (1997) as "Claire Wyatt", a new Series Regular for the 2002-2003 season. In 2004, Leigh was reunited with Fox for their new half hour comedy pilot "Lucky Us". Chyler landed the starring role of the free-wheeling conservative young architect, "Lucy Reed". Weeks later, Leigh made a guest starring appearance as "Kate Spangler", a feisty young ad exec, in Fox's new drama series North Shore (2004)". Later in the season, Leigh took a brief break from Fox to shoot a series lead role opposite Billy Campbell in the WB's drama pilot Rocky Point (2005). The series was centered on a young woman (Leigh) living on Hawaii's North Shore who takes in her estranged father (Campbell).

John Stevenson

Cast · Known for Kung Fu Panda

John Stevenson (born 1958) is a British filmmaker and puppeteer. Stevenson has over 40 years of experience with animation. Stevenson worked as a story artist on the feature films The Great Muppet Caper, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth and Little Shop of Horrors and as a character designer and story artist on shows and films like The Dreamstone, Count Duckula, Back to the Future: The Animated Series, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, two of the Fox Tales specials and FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue. He also worked as an art director on Back to the Future: The Animated Series and a puppeteer on James & the Giant Peach and Motion Capture Performer on The Moxy Pirate Show. In 1991, Stevenson moved to the United States, and in 1998 he was hired as a head of story at DreamWorks Animation. There he worked for many years in the art department on many films such as Shrek, Shrek 2, Madagascar and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, in addition to helming a number of episodes of their animated primetime show Father of the Pride. He worked for four years bringing Kung Fu Panda to the screen. In 2009, Stevenson was nominated for an Academy Award with Mark Osborne for Best Animated Feature for Kung Fu Panda and won the Annie Award with Osborne for Directing in a Feature Production. In 2011-12 Stevenson directed a six-minute animated short film for The Coca-Cola Company produced by Ridley and Tony Scott called The Polar Bears. Since 2012, Stevenson has been directing for Rocket Pictures the sequel of Gnomeo & Juliet, titled Sherlock Gnomes, The film was released on 23 March 2018 to negative reception. Stevenson was originally set to work as director for an upcoming film based on the character created by Mattel, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. He was also attached to various projects like The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, We3, Alien Rock Band and Rotten Island. In August 2014, it was announced that Stevenson will direct for Unified Pictures a CG-animated feature film The Ark and the Aardvark inspired by Noah's Ark. Description above from the Wikipedia article John Stevenson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Johnny Brown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John "Johnny" Brown (born June 11, 1937) was an American actor and singer. Brown was a nightclub and stage performer as well as a comic actor, and a regular cast member of the television series Laugh-in. Brown is mostly remembered for his chubby physique, wide ingratiating smile, mobile facial expressions, and easy pleasant joking style. Brown is most famous, however, for his role as building superintendent Nathan Bookman on the 1970s CBS sitcom, Good Times. Bookman was often the brunt of fat jokes via the show's main character J. J. Evans (Jimmie Walker). Brown portrayed Bookman until the series was cancelled in 1979. Other television shows Brown has appeared on include Flip Wilson Show, The Jeffersons, Family Matters, Sister, Sister, The Jamie Foxx Show and Martin. Brown also used to go to school with Walter Dean Myers when he lived in Harlem as a boy. Brown is also the father of actress Sharon Brown,[citation needed] who was born in 1962, and also the father of John Brown Jr. or J.J Brown Jr. Brown had earlier established himself in the Broadway musical Golden Boy, starring Sammy Davis, Jr.; his supporting role was in the part of Ronnie and was featured as the lead voice on the show stopping rouser, "Don't Forget 127th Street". In the early 1970s, Brown starred in a television commercial for the Write Brothers pen, a short-lived product of the Papermate pen company. The commercial consisted of an elaborate musical number, "Write On, Brothers, Write On", led by Brown as a schoolteacher who encourages his chorus line of students to use this pen for their school assignments. In 1997, Brown contributed his voice to the introduction of the compilation album Comedy Stew: The Best of Redd Foxx. In the introduction, Brown tells of how Norman Lear had considered Brown to play the role of Lamont in Sanford And Son, but was unavailable to do so because of his prior commitment to Laugh-In, leading Lear to give the role to Demond Wilson instead.