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Rue McClanahan

Cast · Known for The Golden Girls, Intimate Portrait, Starship Troopers

A veteran television actress and Broadway star of the 50s, Rue McClanahan was an actress noticed by television executive, Norman Lear. Lear cast her in a number of television shows, including "All in the Family" (1971) with 'Carroll OConnor' and "Maude" (1972) with Bea Arthur. McClanahan next co-starred with Vicki Lawrence, Ken Berry, Betty White and Carol Burnett in "Mama's Family" (1983) for three years, and after it was canceled by NBC, McClanahan was probably best known for her role as the saucy, sharp southern belle, Blanche, in "The Golden Girls" (1985). She once again worked with Bea Arthur and Betty White, and with relative newcomer Estelle Getty. All four of the women won Emmy Awards for their roles. After Bea Arthur left the show after eight seasons, McClanahan, White and Getty returned for a brief spin-off in "The Golden Palace" (1992). In the mid-nineties, McClanahan was diagnosed with cancer, but was able to fight it successfully. In addition to lending her talents to a number of made for TV films, McClanahan has also appeared on the big screen in recent years co-starring with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in the comedy Out to Sea (1997) and with Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers (1997). McClanahan also spends her time joining and helping organizations against cancer, AIDS, and cruelty against animals.

Matt McCoy

Cast · Known for L.A. Confidential, The Closer

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Matt McCoy (born May 20, 1958) is an American actor. McCoy was born in Washington, D.C.. Since starring as Sgt. Nick Lassard in two Police Academy films, his motion picture credits have included the Curtis Hanson films The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) and L.A. Confidential (1997), as well as the action comedy National Security (2003) alongside Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn. McCoy has also worked regularly on television; his credits include starring in the NBC sitcom We Got It Made, and some guest appearances on Murder, She Wrote, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Golden Girls, The Nanny, L.A. Law, Melrose Place, NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Six Feet Under, The West Wing, Carnivàle, CSI: NY and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. McCoy also played Lloyd Braun in two episodes of Seinfeld (the character was played in a previous episode by Peter Keleghan). Description above from the Wikipedia article Matt McCoy, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Peggy Pope

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Peggy Pope (May 15, 1929 – May 27, 2020) was an American actress of stage, television and film. Pope made many acting appearances, including in such television series as Bewitched, Hart to Hart, Eight Is Enough, Barney Miller (in six episodes), Soap, The Golden Girls, Hope & Faith, and Law & Order. She is likely best remembered, if not by name, as "the office lush", and later, recovering alcoholic, Margaret Foster, in the 1980 movie 9 to 5. She also had a small role as Elvira in the 1984 science fiction movie The Last Starfighter. A year later, she appeared in Once Bitten as Mark Kendall's mother. In 2008, she appeared as Sister Angela in Clark Gregg's Choke. Pope's Broadway credits include Doctor Jazz (1975), The School for Wives (1971), Harvey (1970), The Rose Tattoo (1966), Viva Madison Avenue! (1960), The Long Dream (1960), and Moonbirds (1959). Pope won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1968 for her performance in Muzeeka.

Terry Hughes

Director · Known for 3rd Rock from the Sun, That '70s Show, The Golden Girls

Terry Hughes is a British Emmy Award-winning television director. Hughes has directed or written for The Two Ronnies, The Golden Girls, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Friends, and series such as Ripping Yarns amongst other shows. In 1972 he was producer for the 1972 Eurovision Song Contest. Other than television Hughes has also directed films such as Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl (which he co-directed with Ian MacNaughton) and The Butcher's Wife. Hughes now lives in Texas. Description above from the Wikipedia article Terry Hughes (director), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Tony Perez

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Tony Perez (born 1935) is a film and television actor. Perez was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. He is best known for portraying Officer Mike Perez on Hill Street Blues from 1981 to 1985. He also appeared in Lou Grant, CHiPs, The Golden Girls, L.A. Law, General Hospital, The Larry Sanders Show, NYPD Blue, Six Feet Under, Sons of Anarchy, and 24. Description above from the Wikipedia article Tony Perez, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

David Leisure

Cast · Known for 10 Things I Hate About You

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia David Russell Leisure (born November 16, 1950) is an American actor best known for his role as Charley Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest from 1988 to 1995 and fictional (and "lying") automotive "pitch man" Joe Isuzu in a series of North American television commercials for Isuzu from 1986 to 1990, and again from 1999 to 2001. Additional television credits include Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, One on One, V.I.P., Diagnosis: Murder, The Parent 'Hood, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, For Your Love, Caroline in the City, The Wayans Bros., Touched by an Angel, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Renegade, The Golden Girls, Married... with Children, ALF, 227, T. J. Hooker, The Equalizer, Falcon Crest, Sledge Hammer, and Nurses. Leisure was born in San Diego and attended Grossmont High School in El Cajon, California. He went on to attend Grossmont College also in El Cajon and then to San Diego State University. Among his smaller roles, Leisure appeared as the "First Krishna" in the 1980 film Airplane! In 1999, he made a brief but memorable appearance in 10 Things I Hate About You as a high school soccer coach and detention monitor. More recently, falling back on his "Joe Isuzu" shtick, Leisure has been acting as a fictional and disreputable insurance lawyer in a series of commercials for various American personal-injury law firms. In different markets, different firms have licensed the footage and add in their own spokespeople and names. For much of the first quarter of 2009, Leisure appeared as Roger Wilkes on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless. As of July 2010, he is in a recurring role as Salem District Attorney Woods on Days of Our Lives. Leisure also provided the voice of Metus on the animated feature BIONICLE: The Legend Reborn. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Leisure, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Jim Drake

Director · Known for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Night Court, The Golden Girls

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jim Drake is an American film and television director. Drake's career began in 1974, working as an associate director for the Norman Lear sitcoms All in the Family and Good Times, he made is solo directorial debut in the series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman which was executive produced by Lear. His other television works include Sanford, Gimme a Break!, We Got It Made, The Facts of Life, Newhart, Night Court, The Golden Girls, Dave's World, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, its spin-off, The Suite Life on Deck and among other series. His film credits include Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol and Speed Zone! starring John Candy. He is an alumnus of Columbia and Stanford University. Description above from the Wikipedia article Jim Drake (director), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Inga Swenson

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Inga Swenson (December 29, 1932 - July 23, 2023) was an American actress. Inga Swenson was a graduate of Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska, Class of 1950. Swenson was a member of Alpha Phi sorority at Northwestern University where she studied in their famed Drama Department. Swenson is best known to American audiences for her portrayal of Gretchen Kraus, the autocratic and acerbic German cook (later Head Housekeeper and Budget Director) on the TV sitcom "Benson." She got the part by appearing in a multi-episode stint as Ingrid Svenson, birth mother of Corinne Tate (Diana Canova), on the tv sitcom "Soap." Both series were created by Susan Harris and produced by Witt-Thomas-Harris Productions (who later created "The Golden Girls" and "Empty Nest.") She also appeared as northern matriarch Maude Hazard in the acclaimed mini-series "North and South" in 1985 and again in 1986. Earlier in her career, Swenson had a notable turn on the TV western series "Bonanza" in two episodes: "Inger, My Love" (1962) and "Journey Remembered" (1963). Swenson took a brief leave of absence from her starring role in "110 in the Shade" on Broadway to appear in "Journey Remembered." The appearances were significant in that she played Lorne Greene's character's second wife, the mother of Hoss Cartwright, played by Dan Blocker. She was actually four years younger than Blocker. After "Bonanza" ended its 14-year run, Swenson guest starred in an episode of Lorne Greene's short-lived crime drama "Griff." Also early in her career, Swenson had supporting roles in the films "Advise and Consent" (1962) and "The Miracle Worker" (1962) in which she played Helen Keller's mother. She was a trained lyric soprano and starred on Broadway in "New Faces" (circa 1956) and "The First Gentleman" (1959), and received Tony Award nominations for Best Actress in a Musical for her performances in "110 in the Shade" (1964) and "Baker Street" (1965). Swenson was married to actor-singer Lowell Harris, with whom she had two sons, James (deceased) and Mark. Though her Swedish-sounding name and trademark accent on "Benson" suggest otherwise, she was born and raised in the U.S., and normally spoke with an American accent. Description above from the Wikipedia article Inga Swenson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

David A. Goodman

Writer · Known for South Park, The Orville

David A. Goodman is an American writer and producer. Goodman was a writer for several television series, such as The Golden Girls (his first job), Futurama (where he was also a co-executive producer, and writer of the famous Futurama Star Trek parody episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before") and Star Trek: Enterprise.David Goodman also produced Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story. He is also the writer for Fred: The Movie, a 2010 film based on the Fred Figglehorn YouTube series and the sequel Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred. Description above from the Wikipedia article David A. Goodman, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Casey Sander

Cast · Known for 16 Blocks, Home Improvement

Clinton O. "Casey" Sander (born July 6, 1956) is an American actor known as the character "Captain" Jimmy Wennick on the short-lived TV series Tucker. His television credits also include Criminal Minds, The Golden Girls, Grace Under Fire, Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Rules of Engagement, Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men, Silicon Valley, The Newsroom, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Hunter, NCIS,NCIS: Los Angeles and Marvin Marvin, among other shows. He more recently had a recurring role on the TV sitcom The Big Bang Theory as Bernadette's father, Mike, and also appeared in four episodes of The Ranch as Roger Hollister.

Lee Garlington

Cast · Known for Everwood

Ann Leslie "Lee" Garlington (born July 20, 1953) is an American actress. She's known for her roles as Kirsten, Rose Nylund's (Betty White) daughter in the final season of The Golden Girls, Ronnie - the mistress of Joey Tribbiani's father on Friends, and a recurring role as Brenda Baxworth on Everwood. She was one of the stars of the series Lenny. She has guest starred in a number of notable television series, including The West Wing, 7th Heaven, 8 Simple Rules, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy, Will & Grace, Matlock, L.A. Law, The Practice, Quantum Leap, Home Improvement, Boston Legal, Roseanne, Get a Life, Profiler, Medium, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Two and a Half Men, Lie to Me and among other series. She also appeared in the sequels to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Psycho II (1983) and Psycho III (1986). She starred alongside Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen in the action/thriller Cobra (1986). In Sneakers (1992), she appeared as Dr. Elena Rhyzkov, a Czechoslovakian mathematics scientist, in a scene with Robert Redford. She was originally intended to play the lead female role in Seinfeld. She was the female regular in the pilot episode, "The Seinfeld Chronicles", playing the waitress Claire at Pete's Luncheonette. When the series was picked up, however, it was decided that having the female lead be from such a different social status compared to the rest of the cast would be unworkable, so the character of Claire was dropped and replaced by Elaine Benes. In 2018, she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for her role as Darlene in Broken.

Judith Roberts

Cast · Known for Dead Silence

Judith Anna Roberts (born December 1, 1934) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Mary Shaw in James Wan's horror film Dead Silence (2007), and as Taslitz, one of "The Golden Girls", in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Her first film role was 1977 in Eraserhead. In the following years she appeared in a few other small roles in films and TV series, including Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Her most notable role was Mary Shaw in James Wan's horror film Dead Silence in 2007. That same year, Roberts collaborated with Wan again in his film Death Sentence, playing Judge Shaw. In 2014, she had the recurring role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Along with the cast, Roberts received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Gerry Cohen

Director · Known for Married... with Children, The Drew Carey Show

Gerry Cohen is an American television director. He began his career as a stage manager and associate director on the television series Fridays, The Golden Girls, Who's the Boss? and Married... with Children, making his network directorial debut on the latter series. He eventually directed 156 of the show's 262 episodes. His other television credits include The Drew Carey Show, Unhappily Ever After, Nikki, The Norm Show, George Lopez, Still Standing, Freddie, Anger Management, The Carmichael Show, and a number of other series.

Kristopher Kent Hill

Kristopher Kent Hill was an actor known for his roles in Roseanne, as Lonnie Anderson, Webster, The Wonder Years, the Golden Girls, Full House and films including Defending Your Life and The Gifted One. He passed away in 2019 in Santa Barbara County, California at the age of 42.

Tony Swartz

Tony Swartz (born September 24, 1943 in Iowa as Russell Anthony Swartz; died September 27, 2016 in Missouri) was an American actor whose roles include Flight Sergeant Jolly on the original Battlestar Galactica television series. Swartz appeared in episodes of The Golden Girls, Kojak and The Invisible Man television series, as well as in a number of television movies. In 1978, he was cast in Battlestar Galactica, as Flight Sergeant Jolly, the loyal Colonial Warrior and pilot, who was a close friend to Lieutenant Boomer.

Joe Seneca

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Joe Seneca (January 14, 1919 – August 15, 1996) was an American film and television actor who had a lengthy Hollywood career, portraying bit parts in many major films and television sitcoms spanning from the 1970s to the 1990s. Seneca was born Joel McGhee in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his Hollywood career, Seneca belonged to the R&B singing group "The Three Riffs", performing at upscale supper clubs in New York City. He was also a songwriter and had big hits with "Talk to Me" which was sung by Little Willie John and "Break It to Me Gently", which was a smash twice, once by Brenda Lee in 1962, and once by Juice Newton in 1982. His song "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" was recorded by Ike & Tina Turner, Manfred Mann and The Spencer Davis Group. Arguably his most well-known roles are that of bluesman Willie Brown in Crossroads and Dr. Meddows in The Blob, the evil head of a government team sent to contain the title creature. Seneca also made multiple appearances on The Cosby Show as Hillman President Dr. Zachariah J. Hanes. He also played Alvin Newcastle [1]on an episode of The Golden Girls entitled "Old Friends." Joe appeared in Spike Lee's "School Daze" as the Mission College President McPherson in 1988. Joe appeared on Matlock: The Blues Singer Episode May 9, 1989. Joe also appeared in Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" Music Video In the late 80's. He died from asthma at the age of 77. Description above from the Wikipedia article Joe Seneca, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Monte Markham

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Monte Markham (born June 21, 1935) is an American actor. During his career, Markham has appeared in film, in television, and on Broadway. Markham was born in Manatee County, Florida, the son of Millie Content (née Willbur) and Jesse Edward Markham, Sr., who was a merchant. Markham's many television credits include Cold Case, Mission: Impossible, Here Come the Brides, The Mod Squad, The Virginian, Ellery Queen, Hogan's Heroes, The High Chaparral, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Alias Smith and Jones, Barnaby Jones, Hawaii Five-O, The Six Million Dollar Man, Quincy, Police Woman, Trapper John M.D., The Incredible Hulk, Hart to Hart, The Fall Guy, Dallas, Matt Houston, Simon and Simon, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The A-Team, Finder of Lost Loves, Hotel, Murder She Wrote, The Golden Girls, Baywatch, Melrose Place, Grace Under Fire and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He played the title character in the ill-fated 1973 revival of Perry Mason, and the dual role of Luke and Ken Carpenter in the 1967-68 ABC sitcom The Second Hundred Years. Of these television roles, Markham is perhaps most famous for playing the role of Barney Hiller in two episodes of the Six Million Dollar Man. These episodes are titled: The Seven Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Criminal. Markham made his Broadway debut in 1973 in Irene, for which he won the Theatre World Award. He also appeared on stage in Same Time, Next Year. Markham's film work includes Hour of the Gun Guns of the Magnificent Seven, Midway, and Airport 77. He has served as a consultant, director, producer, and narrator for A & E's "Classroom" series. Description above from the Wikipedia article Monte Markham, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.​

Ellen Albertini Dow

Cast · Known for The Golden Girls

Ellen Rose Albertini Dow (November 16, 1913 – May 4, 2015) was an American film and television character actress and drama coach. She portrayed feisty old ladies and may be best known as the rapping grandmother Rosie in The Wedding Singer (1998), performing "Rappers Delight". Dow's other film roles include elderly lady Mary Cleary who "outs" her grandson in Wedding Crashers, Disco Dottie in 54, the recipient of Christopher Lloyd's character's slapstick in Radioland Murders and a choir nun in Sister Act. She was best known to small screen audiences for her guest appearances on sitcom The Golden Girls. Description above from the Wikipedia article Ellen Albertini Dow,licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Betty White

Cast · Known for The Golden Girls, Hot in Cleveland, Intimate Portrait

Betty Marion White Ludden (January 17, 1922 – December 31, 2021) was an American actress and comedian, with the longest television career of any entertainer, spanning 80 years. Regarded as a pioneer of television, she was one of the first women to have control both in front of and behind the camera and is recognized as the first woman to produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth), which contributed to her receiving the honorary title Mayor of Hollywood in 1955. White was known for her award-winning roles as Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973–77) and Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (1985–92) – the Writers Guild of America has included both sitcoms in its list of the 101 Best Written TV Series of All Time – and Elka Ostrovsky on Hot in Cleveland (2010–15). A staple guest of many American game shows such as Password, Match Game, Hollywood Squares and The $25,000 Pyramid, White was dubbed the 'First Lady of Game Shows' and became the first woman to receive an Emmy Award for Outstanding Game Show Host in 1983 for the show Just Men! She was also known for her appearances on Boston Legal, Mama's Family, and Saturday Night Live. White received eight Emmy Awards in various categories, three American Comedy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award. She also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is a Television Hall of Fame inductee.

Nicholas Kepros

Nicholas Kepros (November 8, 1932 – January 26, 2023) was an American film, television and theatre actor. He was known for playing the role of Joseph II in the Broadway play Amadeus, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play. Kepros was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. He attended medical school at the University of Utah. Kepros began his career in 1958, appearing in the stage play The Golden Six. He appeared in such other plays as Saint Joan, Peer Gynt, The White Rose and the Red, The Plough and the Stars, Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part II, Hamlet and Execution of Justice. Kepros appeared in television programs including The Golden Girls, Equal Justice, You Are There, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, and also in films such as The Associate, Amadeus, Identity Crisis and Quiz Show. Kepros died on January 26, 2023, in New York City, at the age of 90.

Phil Leeds

Cast · Known for Ghost, Barney Miller

Phil Leeds (April 6, 1916 – August 16, 1998) was an American character actor. He appeared in many movies and television series, including guest appearances on The Dick Van Dyke Show, Maude, The Monkees, Friends, Barney Miller, The Golden Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond, Boy Meets World and more. Description above from the Wikipedia article Phil Leeds, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Harold Gould

Cast · Known for The Golden Girls, The Sting

Harold V. Goldstein (December 10, 1923 – September 11, 2010), best known by his stage name Harold Gould, was an American actor best known for playing Martin Morgenstern in the 1970s sitcoms Rhoda and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and as Miles Webber & also as Arnie Peterson on The Golden Girls. Gould acted in film and television for nearly 50 years, appearing in more than 300 television shows, 20 major motion pictures, and over 100 stage plays, and received Emmy Award nominations five times. He is known for playing elegant, well-dressed men, and he regularly played Jewish characters and grandfather-type figures on television and film.

Wesley Mann

Wesley Mann (born September 6, 1963) is an American character actor, best known for his role as the caterpillar on Adventures in Wonderland and for playing the spluttering teacher-turned-principal Mr. Lawler on That's So Raven. Many of Mann's roles are minor and he frequently delivers only a handful of lines, but he has a somewhat distinctive appearance, that of a long-suffering, vaguely glib demeanor that makes him easily recognizable whenever he shows up in a film or on television. He is, by definition, a character actor, and thus he has never performed a lead role. His acting career began in the early 1980s, landing guest roles on mainstay sitcoms The Golden Girls and Night Court, and appearances in Who's Harry Crumb? and My Stepmother Is An Alien. His distinctive face and demeanor were featured prominently in 1989's Back to the Future Part II, as the high school student who thinks that Marty has just robbed Biff of his wallet. As Biff regains consciousness after having been knocked out by George, Mann (credited as "CPR Kid," but later labeled by fans as the Wallet Guy) shouts "I think he took your wallet!" after Biff, then turns back to the other onlookers and repeats "I think he took his wallet." Mann has also appeared in the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival in Garrison, New York, for nine seasons.

Lynn Hamilton

Cast · Known for The Waltons

Lynn Hamilton began her career in Chicago's community theater scene. At 29, she made her Broadway debut in 1959's Only in America and went on to appear in numerous Broadway and Off Broadway productions, while also taking her talents to the small screen with roles on the television series Gunsmoke and Room 222. One of her most memorable roles was as Donna Harris on NBC's Sanford and Son. She also starred as Miss Verdie on The Waltons, Vivian Potter on the daytime drama Generations, ex-con Cissie Johnson on the 1991 nighttime soap Dangerous Women, and Georgia Anderson in Roots: The Next Generation. Her additional TV credits include roles on 227, The Golden Girls, NYPD Blue, Cold Case, and Judging Amy.