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The 43rd President of the United States of America, George Walker Bush (known colloquially as "W" to distinguish himself from his father, George Bush, the 41st president of the U.S.), was born two days after the national holiday of the Fourth of July, 1946 in New Haven, Connecticut. There, his father was attending Yale College in the Class of 1949. His mother was Barbara Bush (the former Barbara Pierce), whom his father had married on January 6, 1945. "W" was their first child. Bush disliked being called "Junior" or Bush II, or even having the term "Jr." abbreviated next to his name.
Initially, W's prospects of living up to his illustrious pedigree were dim. Possibly hobbled by dyslexia (a condition little understood and seldom treated during his childhood), Bush proved an uninspired student in high school. He did maintain a gentlemanly "C+" average at Yale and acquired a Masters of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School, but until he turned 40, he seemed to be floundering. He admittedly had a drinking problem in his youth, but a late marriage to Laura Welch helped stabilize him. His rebirth as a believing Christian (he is a Methodist whereas his parents were Episcopalian) in 1986 helped put him on the straight and narrow path that led him to the Presidency.
Bush has been discounted many times in his life and career for being wooden and unintelligent due to his fractured speaking style, but in fact, his academic performance was on par if not slightly better than that of his better-spoken, fellow Yalie John Kerry. As Bush's test scores and subsequent achievements suggest an above average intelligence, it is appropriate to believe that he likely has benefited from other's underestimation of his gifts. This was apparent in the first televised debate with Al Gore in 2000, when Bush held his own against the condescending vice president, and in doing so, triumphed in the eyes of the political handicappers.
After W. turned his life around in the late 1980s, he began achieving success on his own, though that success inevitably was indebted to his social position and his father's business and political connections, particularly after he himself ascended to the Presidency after the expiration of Ronald Reagan's second term. The first President Bush (Bush 41, as he is colloquially known) had great connections in the Middle East, particularly with the Saudi royal family and the powerful Bin Laden clan. Using his father's Saudi connections, Bush Jr. became a millionaire twice over through Middle Eastern oil projects. His most notable achievement in private life was in becoming president and chief operating partner of the Texas Rangers professional baseball team, which was financially invigorated by the building of a new stadium with taxpayers' funds. For a man whose greatest ambition was not the presidency but to be baseball commissioner, the "job" of Rangers owner suited him just fine, and his stint as the amiable owner of the team helped generate good publicity that wiped out his past image as a playboy. When he cashed out his ownership stake, Bush had a $14 million profit. More importantly, ownership of the Rangers positioned him financially and in the public eye for a successful run for the governorship of Texas, which proved to be his springboard to the presidency.
Under the quirky Texas constitution, the governor of Texas is primarily a ceremonial position, somewhat akin to that of the president in a Parliamentary system. The true political power in Texas lies with the lieutenant governor, who acts as a prime minister (or provincial premier in Canada) in that that he/she runs the legislature. In a life characterized by luck, the capricious Bush was luckier still in that he was told by the lieutenant governor, a Democrat, that he would make Bush a great governor if he would let him. Bush did and established an enviable reputation, one that crossed both party lines in Texas, where it would have been futile for the governor to act in a partisan fashion.
With his father's Eastern Establishment credentials that linked him to the "Rockefeller Republicans" (conservative on financial matters, liberal on social issues) and his mother's own noted social liberalism, Bush was seen as being a moderate with a difference. That difference was his connections to the powerful evangelical Christian wing of the Republican Party, due to his own rebirth as a believing Christian and his immersion in day-to-day Texas politics. In the Sun Belt, fundamentalists and evangelicals were considered ordinary, run-of-the-day folk, not the exotics that Washington and the Eastern Establishment looked at them as.
With a foot in both wings of the party, Bush was seen as a natural candidate for president after Bob Dole's dolorous 1996 candidacy. That he was a "straight shooter" with no scandal attached to him since his misbegotten youth (which he had confessed to and had put behind him) made him attractive to the Republicans, who had tried to terminate William Jefferson Clinton's presidency through impeachment due to his lies linked to his "bimbo eruptions." Bush seemed like a "Man for All Seasons" that would be the GOP's best shot of unseating the Clintonistas as represented by Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election.
With the Republican Establishment firmly behind him as a kind of "Great White Hope" of the Grand Old Party, Bush managed to wrap up the nomination easily, after stumbling initially when confronted with the candidacy of the renegade Republican senator from Arizona, John McCain. Although viewed by most Republicans as a RINO (Republican in name only), McCain dominated the early primaries in states that allowed cross over voting by attracting middle-of-the-road independents and conservative Democrats, but stumbled himself when the primary season headed South. He was badly defeated by Bush in South Carolina, a deeply conservative state that had voted for favorite son (and segregationist) Strom Thurmond in 1948, uber-conservative Barry Goldwater in 1964, and segregationist George Wallace in 1968. McCain also was victimized by smear tactics, such as the whispering campaign started by Mississippi Senator Trent Lott that claimed the renegade McCain had been mentally discombobulated by his seven years as a POW in Vietnam. The dirty tricks used against McCain by Bush campaign manager/major domo Karl Rove would prove to be harbingers of the paranoid style of politics that would come to fruition during Bush's first term.
McCain, a maverick senator with the support of many moderate Republicans and Independents as well as a following among conservative Democrats, was not only smeared, but his attempts to get on the ballot in such states as New York were stymied until the federal courts stepped in. (In 2004, even though he endorsed Bush against Kerry, McCain found himself smeared again by elements connected with Karl Rove when he defended Kerry's war record and patriotism.) The Republican Establishment were determined to give the nomination to a true blue Republican who could win (the color red was not associated with the GOP until Election Night 2000, when it was used as the map color for the Party after a century wherein the Republicans were blue and the Democrats red). After his defeat of McCain in South Carolina, Bush had as easy a time wrapping up the nomination as if he had been an incumbent.
At the beginning of the fall campaign, what with the U.S. still enjoying the tail end of almost eight years of prosperity under President Bill Clinton, his vice president, Al Gore, started out as a prohibitive favorite to win the presidency. Gore, whoever, turned out to be unable to shed his past reputation as an uninspiring campaigner, and failed to fire up the uncommitted. Bush, on the other hand, a relative unknown commodity who had enjoyed good press for the past decade as a baseball owner and governor, did not make many errors after appearing at Bob Jones University several weeks after it had banned interracial dating during the early Republican primaries (for which he apologized). He capitalized on the low expectations others had for him, and won respect - and votes - for going the distance without stumbling or embarrassing himself, while Gore had to live down the bimbo eruptions of his past running mate and his own faux pas, such as his claim to have invented the "Information Superhighway" (Internet). His stiff, "Wooden Indian" style came off as pompous on the campaign trail, giving Bush's persona a boost as it could have been portrayed as bumbling if he had been up against a natural born campaigner such as Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan.
In the game of politics as played in the US, Gore had everything to lose and Bush had everything to gain. Gore had to rise and exceed expectations while Bush merely had to live up to lowered expectations to rise above them and gain credence, and he did, beginning with the first debate. Going into the first debate, pundits expected the better-spoken Gore to eviscerate the syntactically challenged Bush (whose intelligence they disparaged), but it did not happen. Gore was haughty, and since Bush held his own, the governor of Texas was adjudged the winner. From there to the end of the campaign, Gore could never consolidate his early lead, which slipped away.
On election day, Bush and Gore were locked in a dead heat. In the closest election in a century, it all came down to a matter of 537 votes in Florida. Out of the nearly six million votes cast in the Sunshine State (5,861,785 total, with 36,742 won by third party candidates), Bush was certified as the winner, with a margin representing 0.0087%, less than nine one-thousandths of a percentage point.
After a long drawn-out process involving recounts and court challenges, Bush took the oath of office on January 20, 2001 and won re-election in November 2004 to become the first son of a president to win two terms in office.- Actor
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His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama (born Lhamo Döndrub, also known by his religious name, Tenzin Gyatso, shortened from Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso), is Tibet's head of state as well as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was recognized at age 2 as the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. In November 1950, His Holiness assumed full power of Tibet. He completed his Doctorate of Buddhist Philosophy in 1959, the same year that China attacked Tibet; after which he escaped to Dharamsala, India, where he has since led the Tibetan government in exile. On December 10th, 1989, His Holiness accepted the Nobel Peace Prize "on behalf of the oppressed everywhere and all those who struggle for freedom and work for world peace and the people of Tibet." In his acceptance statement, he declared, "This prize reaffirms our conviction that with truth, courage, and determination as our weapons, Tibet will be liberated. Our struggle must remain nonviolent and free of hatred."- Actor
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Sylvester Stallone is an athletically built, dark-haired American actor/screenwriter/director/producer, the movie fans worldwide have been flocking to see Stallone's films for over 40 years, making "Sly" one of Hollywood's biggest-ever box office draws.
Sylvester Stallone was born on July 6, 1946, in New York's gritty Hell's Kitchen, to Jackie Stallone (née Labofish), an astrologer, and Frank Stallone, a beautician and hairdresser. His father was an Italian immigrant, and his mother's heritage is half French (from Brittany) and half German. The young Stallone attended the American College of Switzerland and The University of Miami, eventually obtaining a B.A. degree. Initially, he struggled in small parts in films such as the soft-core The Party at Kitty and Stud's (1970), the thriller Klute (1971) and the comedy Bananas (1971). He got a crucial career break alongside fellow young actor Henry Winkler, sharing lead billing in the effectively written teen gang film The Lords of Flatbush (1974). Further film and television roles followed, most of them in uninspiring productions except for the opportunity to play a megalomaniac, bloodthirsty race driver named "Machine Gun Joe Viterbo" in the Roger Corman-produced Death Race 2000 (1975). However, Stallone was also keen to be recognized as a screenwriter, not just an actor, and, inspired by the 1975 Muhammad Ali-Chuck Wepner fight in Cleveland, Stallone wrote a film script about a nobody fighter given the "million to one opportunity" to challenge for the heavyweight title. Rocky (1976) became the stuff of cinematic legends, scoring ten Academy Award nominations, winning the Best Picture Award of 1976 and triggering one of the most financially successful movie series in history! Whilst full credit is wholly deserved by Stallone, he was duly supported by tremendous acting from fellow cast members Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith and Burt Young, and director John G. Avildsen gave the film an emotive, earthy appeal from start to finish. Stallone had truly arrived on his terms, and offers poured in from various studios eager to secure Hollywood's hottest new star.
Stallone followed Rocky (1976) with F.I.S.T. (1978), loosely based on the life of Teamsters boss "Jimmy Hoffa", and Paradise Alley (1978) before pulling on the boxing gloves again to resurrect Rocky Balboa in the sequel Rocky II (1979). The second outing for the "Italian Stallion" wasn't as powerful or successful as the first "Rocky", however, it still produced strong box office. Subsequent films Nighthawks (1981) and Victory (1981) failed to ignite with audiences, so Stallone was once again lured back to familiar territory with Rocky III (1982) and a fearsome opponent in "Clubber Lang" played by muscular ex-bodyguard Mr. T. The third "Rocky" installment far outperformed the first sequel in box office takings, but Stallone retired his prizefighter for a couple of years as another series was about to commence for the busy actor.
The character of Green Beret "John Rambo" was the creation of Canadian-born writer David Morrell, and his novel was adapted to the screen with Stallone in the lead role in First Blood (1982), also starring Richard Crenna and Brian Dennehy. The movie was a surprise hit that polarized audiences because of its commentary about the Vietnam war, which was still relatively fresh in the American public's psyche. Political viewpoints aside, the film was a worldwide smash, and a sequel soon followed with Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), which drew even stronger criticism from several quarters owing to the film's plot line about American MIAs allegedly being held in Vietnam. But they say there is no such thing as bad publicity, and "John Rambo's" second adventure was a major money spinner for Stallone and cemented him as one of the top male stars of the 1980s. Riding a wave of amazing popularity, Stallone called on old sparring partner Rocky Balboa to climb back into the ring to defend American pride against a Soviet threat in the form of a towering Russian boxer named "Ivan Drago" played by curt Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV (1985). The fourth outing was somewhat controversial with "Rocky" fans, as violence levels seemed excessive compared to previous "Rocky" films, especially with the savage beating suffered by Apollo Creed, played by Carl Weathers, at the hands of the unstoppable "Siberian Express".
Stallone continued forward with a slew of macho character-themed films that met with a mixed reception from his fans. Cobra (1986) was a clumsy mess, Over the Top (1987) was equally mediocre, Rambo III (1988) saw Rambo take on the Russians in Afghanistan, and cop buddy film Tango & Cash (1989) just did not quite hit the mark, although it did feature a top-notch cast and there was chemistry between Stallone and co-star Kurt Russell.
Philadelphia's favorite mythical boxer moved out of the shadows for his fifth screen outing in Rocky V (1990) tackling Tommy "Machine" Gunn played by real-life heavyweight fighter Tommy Morrison, the great-nephew of screen legend John Wayne. Sly quickly followed with the lukewarm comedy Oscar (1991), the painfully unfunny Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992), the futuristic action film Demolition Man (1993), and the comic book-inspired Judge Dredd (1995). Interestingly, Stallone then took a departure from the gung-ho steely characters he had been portraying to stack on a few extra pounds and tackle a more dramatically challenging role in the intriguing Cop Land (1997), also starring Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta. It isn't a classic of the genre, but Cop Land (1997) certainly surprised many critics with Stallone's understated performance. Stallone then lent his vocal talents to the animated adventure story Antz (1998), reprised the role made famous by Michael Caine in a terrible remake of Get Carter (2000), climbed back into a race car for Driven (2001), and guest-starred as the "Toymaker" in the third chapter of the immensely popular "Spy Kids" film series, Spy Kids 3: Game Over (2003). Showing that age had not wearied his two most popular series, Stallone has most recently brought back never-say-die boxer Rocky Balboa to star in, well, what else but Rocky Balboa (2006), and Vietnam veteran Rambo (2008) will reappear after a 20-year hiatus to once again right wrongs in the jungles of Thailand.
Love him or loathe him, Sylvester Stallone has built an enviable and highly respected career in Hollywood, plus, he has considerably influenced modern popular culture through several of his iconic film characters.- Music Artist
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50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson) is an American rapper, actor, producer, and entrepreneur.
He began a musical career and in 2000 he produced Power of the Dollar for Columbia Records, but days before the planned release he was shot and the album was never released. In 2002, after Jackson released the compilation album Guess Who's Back?, he was discovered by Eminem and signed to Shady Records, under the aegis of Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
With the help of Eminem and Dr. Dre (who produced his first major-label album, Get Rich or Die Tryin'), Jackson became one of the world's best selling rappers and rose to prominence with East Coast hip hop group G-Unit (which he leads de facto). In 2003, he founded G-Unit Records, signing his G-Unit associates Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. Jackson had similar commercial and critical success with his second album, The Massacre, which was released in 2005. He released his fifth studio album, Animal Ambition, in 2014 and as of 2019 is working on his sixth studio album, Street King Immortal.
During his career Jackson has sold over 30 million albums worldwide and won several awards, including a Grammy Award, thirteen Billboard Music Awards, six World Music Awards, three American Music Awards and four BET Awards. He has pursued an acting career, appearing in the semi-autobiographical film Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005), the Iraq War film Home of the Brave (2006) and Righteous Kill (2008).- Actress
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Nancy Reagan was born on 6 July 1921 in New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Hellcats of the Navy (1957), Night Into Morning (1951) and Donovan's Brain (1953). She was married to Ronald Reagan. She died on 6 March 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Geoffrey Roy Rush was born on July 6, 1951, in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, to Merle (Bischof), a department store sales assistant, and Roy Baden Rush, an accountant for the Royal Australian Air Force. His mother was of German descent and his father had English, Irish, and Scottish ancestry. He was raised in Brisbane, Queensland, after his parents split up.
Rush attended Everton Park State High School during his formative years. His early interest in the theatre led to his 1971 stage debut at age 20 in "Wrong Side of the Moon" with the Queensland Theatre Company.
Known for his classical repertory work over the years, he scored an unexpected hit with his Queensland role as Snoopy in the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". A few years later he moved to France to study but subsequently returned to his homeland within a short time and continued work as both actor and director with the Queensland company ("June and the Paycock," "Aladdin," "Godspell," "Present Laughter," "The Rivals"). In the 1980s Rush became a vital member of the State Theatre Company of South Australia and showed an equally strong range there in such productions as "Revenger's Tragedy," "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Mother Courage...and Her Children," "Blood Wedding," "Pal Joey," "Twelfth Night" and as The Fool in "King Lear".
Rush made an inauspicious debut in films with the feature Hoodwink (1981), having little more than a bit part, and didn't carry off his first major role until playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek in a movie production of Twelfth Night (1986). Yet, he remained a durable presence on stage with acclaimed productions in "The Diary of a Madman" in 1989 and "The Government Inspector" in 1991.
Rush suffered a temporary nervous breakdown in 1992 due to overwork and anguish over his lack of career advancement. Resting for a time, he eventually returned to the stage. Within a few years film-goers finally began taking notice of Geoffrey after his performance in Children of the Revolution (1996). This led to THE role of a lifetime as the highly dysfunctional piano prodigy David Helfgott in Shine (1996). Rush's astonishing tour-de-force performance won him every conceivable award imaginable, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, British Film Award and Australian Film Institute Award.
"Shine" not only put Rush on the international film map, but atypically on the Hollywood "A" list as well. His rather homely mug was made fascinating by a completely charming, confident and captivating demeanor; better yet, it allowed him to more easily dissolve into a number of transfixing historical portrayals, notably his Walsingham in Elizabeth (1998) and Leon Trotsky in Frida (2002). He's also allowed himself to have a bit of hammy fun in such box office escapism as Mystery Men (1999), House on Haunted Hill (1999), The Banger Sisters (2002), Finding Nemo (2003) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). More than validating his early film success, two more Oscar nominations came his way in the same year for Quills (2000) (best actor) and Shakespeare in Love (1998) (support actor) in 2000. Geoffrey's amazing versatility continued into the millennium with his portrayal of the manic, volatile comedy genius Peter Sellers in the biopic The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004). He also merited attention as Lionel Logue in The King's Speech (2010), Basil Hunter in The Eye of the Storm (2011), Hans Hubermann in The Book Thief (2013), artist/sculptor Alberto Giocometti in Final Portrait (2017) and Michael Kingley Storm Boy (2019).
Rush's intermittent returns to the stage have included productions of "Marat-Sade," "Uncle Vanya," "Oleanna," "Hamlet" and "The Small Poppies". In 2009 he made his Broadway debut in "Exit the King" co-starring Susan Sarandon. His marriage (since 1988) to Aussie classical actress Jane Menelaus produced daughter Angelica (1992) and son James (1995). Menelaus, who has also performed with the State Theatre of South Australia, has co-starred on stage with Rush in "The Winter's Tale" (1987), "Troilus and Cressida" (1989) and "The Importance of Being Earnest" (as Gwendolyn to his Jack Worthing). She also had featured roles in a few of his films, including Quills (2000) and The Eye of the Storm (2011).- Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderon was born on July 6, 1907 in Mexico City, Mexico. She was the seventh daughter of Guillermo Kahlo (born Carl Wilhelm Kahlo), a successful German photographer who emigrated to Mexico from Pforzheim, and of a mestiza mother, Matilde Calderón y González. Her father encouraged her interest in art, photography and archaeology; her mother was not so well educated, and also very religious.
At the age of 6, Frida suffered an attack of poliomyelitis, which left her with a deformed leg, although exercise and determination helped her to make a good recovery. At 14, she enrolled into one of Mexico's best schools hoping to forge a career in medicine; however, on September 17, 1925, she suffered serious injury in a traffic accident in Mexico City, breaking her spinal column and pelvis in three places, as well as her collar bone and two ribs. Her right leg, already deformed by polio, was shattered and fractured in 11 places and her right foot was dislocated. Frida spent the next month in hospital, and another 2 months at home recuperating, followed by 32 operations during her life-time. Her first prolonged hospitalization gave her the opportunity to rethink her life and become a painter, in spite of constant pain and discomfort.
She met her future husband, painter Diego Rivera, when he painted a mural at her school in 1923; they re-met in 1927 and began an affair. Although her mother objected to Frida dating Diego mostly because of their age differences (he was exactly 20 years older) and their awkward appearance together (she was 5' 3" tall and weighed only 100 lbs, he was 6' and weighed nearly 300 lbs), they were married in a traditional Catholic civil ceremony in 1929.
Melancholia, illness, separation, divorce, and re-marriage marked their relationship; Diego Rivera was a womanizer and their marriage was stormy. Frustrated by his philandering, Frida (a closet lesbian/bisexual) had affairs with both men and women, including a fling with exiled Russian revolutionary Lev Trotskiy in 1938. Her career as an artist was highly successful and took her around Mexico, New York and Europe.
Frida and Diego divorced early in 1940, and soon after, Frida's health deteriorated. Her moderate to heavy drinking, chain-smoking, and a steady diet of candy exacerbated her infirmity. In the early 1930s, she developed an atrophic ulcer on her right foot, from which several gangrenous toes were amputated in 1934.
Frida and Diego Rivera reconciled and were re-married on his 54th birthday, in December 1940, in San Francisco, California. Following the amputation of her right leg in 1953, Frida became a recluse and more deeply depressed, finally losing the will to live. She was found dead at home in Mexico City on July 13, 1954, allegedly from kidney, liver and heart failure, although some believe she committed suicide by taking an overdose of pills. - Actress
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Janet Leigh was the only child of a couple who often moved from town to town. Living in apartments, Janet was a bright child who skipped several grades and finished high school when she was 15. A lonely child, she would spend much of her time at movie theaters. She was a student, studying music and psychology, at the University of the Pacific until she was "discovered" while visiting her parents in Northern California. Her father was working the desk at a ski resort where her mother worked as a maid. Retired MGM actress Norma Shearer saw a picture of Janet on the front desk and asked if she could borrow it. This led to a screen test at MGM and a starring role in The Romance of Rosy Ridge (1947). MGM was looking for a young naive country girl and Janet filled the bill perfectly. She would play the young ingénue in a number of films and work with such stars as Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Orson Welles and Judy Garland. She appeared in a number of successful films, including Little Women (1949), Angels in the Outfield (1951), Scaramouche (1952), Houdini (1953) and The Black Shield of Falworth (1954), among others. Janet would appear in a variety of films, from comedies to westerns to musicals to dramas. Of her more than 50 movies, she would be remembered for the 45 minutes that she was on the screen in the small-budget thriller Psycho (1960). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this 1960 classic would include the shower scene that would become a film landmark. Even though her character is killed off early in the picture, she would be nominated for an Academy Award and receive a Golden Globe. Her next film would be The Manchurian Candidate (1962), in which she starred with Frank Sinatra. For the rest of the decade, her appearances in films would be rare, but she worked with Paul Newman in Harper (1966). In the 1970s she appeared on the small screen in a number of made-for-TV movies. In 1980, she appeared alongside her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis in The Fog (1980), and later, in Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998). Janet Leigh died at age 77 in her home in Beverly Hills, California on October 3, 2004.- Producer
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Merv Griffin was a singer and band leader, movie actor, television personality and media mogul who in his time hosting The Merv Griffin Show (1962) was second in fame and influence as a talk show host only to Johnny Carson. Griffin was best known for creating the two most popular game shows in television syndication history, Wheel of Fortune (1983) and Jeopardy! (1984), which are watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. In the business world, he was identified as the visionary chairman of The Griffin Group.
Born in the San Francisco, California suburb of San Mateo, Griffin "came up through the ranks" in the classic sense, entering talent contests, writing songs, singing on local radio station KFRC-San Francisco, and later touring with Freddy Martin Orchestra. He became increasingly popular with nightclub audiences and his fame soared among the general public when he struck gold in 1950 with "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts", which reached the number one spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.
Continuing to record hits, including "Wilhelmina" and "Never Been Kissed", Griffin made a foray into motion pictures after Doris Day saw his nightclub performance and arranged a screen test for him at Warner Bros. Studios. While under contract at Warner Bros., he appeared in a number of hit movies, including So This Is Love (1953) with Kathryn Grayson and The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) with Will Rogers Jr., and Lon Chaney Jr..
Television then discovered him. As a regular performer on The Arthur Murray Party (1950), The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and others, he was offered the opportunity to host his own television series, Play Your Hunch (1958). It was during this period that he conceived the idea for what was to become one of the most successful game shows in television history, Jeopardy! (1964). But it was in 1962 that his career took its most dramatic turn. He became a substitute host for Jack Paar on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and scored some of the highest ratings in the show's history. As a result, NBC gave him his own hour-long daytime talk show program, The Merv Griffin Show (1962).
Griffin's name and talk show career will always be seen in the light of that of Johnny Carson, the "King of late night TV", with whom Griffin directly competed on CBS from 1969 to 1972. Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). While Carson's style was indebted to his long apprenticeship in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Griffin was based in New York, where he socialized with New York's theater and café crowds. Griffin's approach to television talk was influenced by two New York shows, David Susskind's The David Susskind Show (1958) and Mike Wallace's Probe and Night Beat (1956), and like Susskind and Wallace, he openly embraced controversial subjects. In 1965, Griffin was criticized as a "traitor" when he aired a special from London in which Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Bertrand Russell denounced the Vietnam War.
Despite his success on daytime television, it was late night that was The Holy Grail for talk show hosts. In 1969, CBS hired Griffin to directly compete with Carson in the 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM time slot that had proven a grave yard for other personalities. Not one to shy away from controversy, Griffin began to be harassed by CBS censors who objected to the antiwar statements of his guests and ordered him to feature pro-war guests for balance. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. "In 1965, I'm called a traitor by the press for presenting Bertrand Russell, and, four years later, we are hard-pressed to find anybody to speak in favor of the Vietnam War".
In March 1970, CBS censors pixilated antiwar activist Abbie Hoffman because he was wearing a shirt that resembled an American flag. The resulting blurred image meant that Hoffman's voice emanated from a "jumble of lines". CBS also pressured Griffin into sacking his long-term sidekick Arthur Treacher, who had been his television mentor, because he was too old. The censorship did not boost the ratings for Griffin, who was facing stiff competition from the genial Carson, who himself was criticized during the era for shying away from controversial subjects.
In 1972, a fed-up Griffin negotiated a syndication deal with Metromedia to move his talk show back to the daytime, and in the event he was terminated by CBS. The deal was signed in secret as a penalty clause in his CBS contract gave him $1 million in the event of his being fired. Later that year, CBS terminated Griffin's late-night talk show and Griffin immediately made the transition to Metromedia's syndicated network.
While Griffin may have been a washout in late night television (and he had LOTS of company - EVERYONE who went up against Carson lost the ratings race, and Johnny always came out the victor), Griffin's impact on daytime was immense, specifically through his production of game shows. An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! (1964) for NBC. After 13 seasons as a daytime talk show host, Griffin retired from his talk show in 1986 to devote himself to producing his highly profitable game shows.
Jeopardy! (2002) remains the second highest rated game show in television syndication while Wheel of Fortune (1983) continues to be the longest running game show to hold the number one spot in television syndication history. Other Griffin successes in the game show field included "One in a Million" and Joe Garagiola's Memory Game (1971), both airing on ABC, Let's Play Post Office on NBC, and Reach for the Stars (1967).
In 1986, Griffin sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Coca-Cola's Columbia Pictures Television unit for $250 million as well as a continuing share of the profits of the shows. At that time, the transaction represented the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual. Subsequently, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased Columbia and he retains the title of executive producer of both "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) He served as Executive Producer of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" (2000).
After his retirement from daytime chat, Merv became a real estate baron, acquiring the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, which is now the venue of choice for virtually all of the Tinseltown's most high profile events such as The Golden Globe Awards, The Soap Opera Digest Awards, and The American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Awards. He also owns the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas in Arizona, and St. Clerans Manor, an 18th century estate once owned by director John Huston which is located near Galway, the premier resort destination in Ireland.
In January 1998, Griffin opened The Coconut Club, one of the country's hottest swing/dance clubs, at his Beverly Hilton Hotel. This weekend venue, fashioned after Hollywood's famed Coconut Grove (where Griffin headlined as a boy singer with The Freddy Martin Orchestra) features live Big Bands, Swing Orchestras, and Rock Bands amidst a glamorous nightclub setting.
He was honored with the prestigious 1994 Broadcasting and Cable "Hall of Fame" Award, alongside such figures as Diane Sawyer and Dan Rather. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! (1984) He had also been the recipient of the coveted Scopus Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University, "The Duke Award" presented by the John Wayne Cancer Institute, and he had been honored by the American Ireland Fund and the SHARE organization. He was Lifetime Honorary Festival Chairman of La Quinta Arts Festival and recently donated his Wickenburg Inn and Dude Ranch to Childhelp USA.
In March 2001, the Gold Label released his new CD, "It's Like a Dream", for which he composed the title song. Among his private passions are his family, son Tony Griffin, daughter-in-law Tricia, and grandchildren Farah and Donovan Mervyn, his long-haired sharpei dog Charlie Chan, his La Quinta ranch near Carmel, where he raises thoroughbred racing horses, and his 135 foot, four-story high ocean going yacht, Griff. Merv Griffin died at age 82 of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California on August 12, 2007.- Actress
- Producer
- Executive
Shelley was born July 6, 1947 and was a model from age 16. Then in the 1970s she was Charlie's perfume girl in TV commercials, after which she went on to appear in bit parts in TV shows and movies. However, her big break came in 1979 when Charlie's Angels (1976) was casting a replacement for Kate Jackson.
Hack was chosen to play Tiffany Welles, however, she lasted only 1 season before she herself was replaced. Hack has lasted a lot longer than some people would have after leaving Charlie's Angels (1976).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Stocky, genial-looking supporting actor Ned Beatty was once hailed by Daily Variety as the "busiest actor in Hollywood."
Ned Thomas Beatty was born in Louisville, Kentucky, to Margaret (Fortney) and Charles William Beatty. He grew up fishing and working on farms. His hometown of St. Matthews, Kentucky, is hardly the environment to encourage a career in the entertainment industry, though, so when asked, "How did you get into show business?" Beatty responded, "By hanging out with the wrong crowd." That "crowd" includes some of the industry's most prominent names, such as John Huston, Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, Paul Newman, Richard Burton, Charlton Heston, Marlon Brando and Robert Redford.
Beatty garnered praise from both critics and peers as a dedicated actor's actor. He started as a professional performer at age ten, when he earned pocket money singing in gospel quartets and a barber shop. The big city and bright lights did not come easy, though. The first ten years of Beatty's career were spent at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia. He then moved on to the Erie Playhouse in Pennsylvania, the Playhouse Theater in Houston, Texas, and the prestigious Arena Stage Company in Washington, D.C. He was also a member of Shakespeare in Central Park, Louisville, Kentucky. Later, he appeared in the Broadway production of "The Great White Hope". At the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, he won rave reviews when he starred in "The Accidental Death of an Anarchist."
In 1971, Beatty was chosen by director John Boorman for the role of Bobby Trippe in the hit film/backwoods nightmare Deliverance (1972). Co-star Burt Reynolds and Beatty struck up a friendship, and Ned was then cast by Burt in several other films together, including White Lightning (1973), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), and the abysmal Stroker Ace (1983). Ned's talents were also noticed by others in Hollywood and he was cast in many key productions of the 1970s turning in stellar performance, including an Academy Award nomination of Best Supporting Actor for his role in Network (1976). Beatty was also marvelous in Nashville (1975), under fire from a crazed sniper in The Deadly Tower (1975), an undercover FBI man in the action comedy Silver Streak (1976), as Lex Luthor's bumbling assistant, Otis, in the blockbuster Superman (1978) ... and he returned again with Gene Hackman to play Otis and Lex Luthor again in Superman II (1980).
Beatty continued to remain busy throughout the 1980s with appearances in several big budget television productions including The Last Days of Pompeii (1984). However, the overall caliber of the productions in general did not match up to those he had appeared in during the 1970s. Nonetheless, Beatty still shone in films including The Big Easy (1986) and The Fourth Protocol (1987). Into the 1990s, Beatty's work output swung between a mixture of roles in family orientated productions (Gulliver's Travels (1996), Back to Hannibal: The Return of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn (1990), etc.) taking advantage of his "fatherly" type looks, but he could still accentuate a hard edge, and additionally was cast in Radioland Murders (1994) and Just Cause (1995). His many other films include The Toy (1982), All the President's Men (1976), Wise Blood (1979), Rudy (1993), Spring Forward (1999), Hear My Song (1991) -- for which he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor -- Prelude to a Kiss (1992), He Got Game (1998) and Cookie's Fortune (1999). Beatty's numerous television credits include three years on the NBC series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), Streets of Laredo (1995) and The Boys (1993).
Beatty received an Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor for his performance in Friendly Fire (1979) opposite Carol Burnett, and a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Family Channel's Magic Hour: Tom Alone (1989). Other notable credits include The Wool Cap (2004), The Execution of Private Slovik (1974), A Woman Called Golda (1982), Pray TV (1982), the miniseries Robert Kennedy and His Times (1985), Lockerbie: A Night Remembered (1998) and T Bone N Weasel (1992). He also had a recurring role on Roseanne (1988) and performed musically on television specials for Dolly Parton and The Smothers Brothers.
In 2001, Beatty returned to his theatrical roots starring in London's West End revival production of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" with Brendan Fraser. He also appeared in the production on Broadway in 2003/2004 with Jason Patric and Ashley Judd. In 2006, Beatty completed three features to be released next year: The Walker (2007); Paul Schrader's film also starring Woody Harrelson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily Tomlin; Paramount Pictures' Shooter (2007) starring Mark Wahlberg; and Charlie Wilson's War (2007), Mike Nichols's film with Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julia Roberts. Also in the 21st century, Beatty turned out a terrific performance in the popular Where the Red Fern Grows (2003). Blessed with eight children, Ned Beatty enjoyed golf and playing the bass guitar. He gave himself until the age of 70 to become proficient at both. He died at age 83 of natural causes on June 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.- Actress
- Writer
- Music Department
Della began singing in her hometown of Detroit when she was 6 years old. As a teenager, she toured with gospel great Mahalia Jackson and, at the age of 18, she formed the Meditation Singers and became the first performer to take gospel music to the casinos of Las Vegas. She was a vocalist with the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra and began making her own records. She was nominated for a Grammy Award as Best Female Soloist in Gospel music in 1987. She lived in Los Angeles with her husband, producer Franklin Lett.- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Producer
Regarded as one the most highly respected choreographers in the business, Robin Antin has incorporated her innate passion for the art of dance and her deeply rooted drive into a long roster of top-quality projects. Robin's career in dance began when when she was just a child and her knowledge has paved the way for her to build a resume including some of the most innovative and impressive choreography the world has seen. Tapping into her undeniable skills have also been numerous music video producers, who have brought her on board for such versatile productions as Sting, Pink, and No Doubt, among many others. Robin's most recent television and feature film choreography experience includes several episodes of Friends (1994), one of which earned her an ACA nomination, and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003). Robin possesses a constant desire to seek out and define the new and revolutionary and she has become a true catalyst in the evolution of dance as both a connoisseur of classic art form, and a groundbreaking pioneer in the infinitely growing industry of performance.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tia Mowry was born on 6 July 1978 in Gelnhausen, Hesse, Germany. She is an actress and producer, known for Sister, Sister (1994), The Hot Chick (2002) and The Game (2006). She was previously married to Cory Hardrict.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tamera Darvette Mowry was born on July 6, 1978, two minutes before her twin sister, Tia Mowry, in Gelnhausen, Hesse, Germany, to Darlene Mowry and Tim Mowry, who was serving in the U.S. Army at the time of her birth and later became a custody officer/jailer with the City of Glendale Police Department, when the family moved to California. Her mother worked as a security guard and managed Tamera and Tia's acting careers. When the girls were 16, they discovered tremendous success with their hit TV series, Sister, Sister (1994), about twins who are separated at birth who learn of each other and come back together in their teen years which became a huge hit. After "Sister, Sister" ended in 1999, she was in many movies and shows such as Seventeen Again (2000), The Hot Chick (2002), Twitches (2005) and Double Wedding (2010). On May 15, 2011, she married her boyfriend of six years, Adam Housley, in Napa Valley, and the couple has two children.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Becky Rosso was born on 6 July 1994 in England, UK. She is an actress, known for Legally Blondes (2009), The Suite Life on Deck (2008) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Milly Rosso was born on 6 July 1994 in England, UK. She is an actress, known for Legally Blondes (2009), The Suite Life on Deck (2008) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2005).- Jessica Landon was born on 6 July 1982 in Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Drive Thru (2007).
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- Actor
- Director
Brian Ronalds is an American actor turned producer/director/publicist/writer and is the other half of "The Ronalds Brothers". Ronalds produced and co-starred in the horror-comedy Netherbeast Incorporated, directed by his brother Dean and starring Darrell Hammond, Judd Nelson, Dave Foley, Robert Wagner, Jason Mewes, Amy Davidson and Steve "Blue's Clues" Burns.
After having success with his first film he went on to produce and co-star in Brian Pulido's horror film The Graves starring Bill Moseley, Tony Todd, Amanda Wyss, Clare Grant and Jillian Murray. Brian and his brother Dean were brought on as staff writers for Tyler Perry's "Meet the Browns Season 2" and spent a little time in Atlanta, Georgia at Tyler Perry Studios.
Brian later co-starred and produced the crime-thriller "Dirty Little Trick" starring Dean Cain, Michael Madsen and Christie Burson. Ronalds also produced the feature film "Ashley" with Tom Malloy, directed by his brother Dean, and starring America's Next Top Model winner, Nicole Fox, Two and a Half Men's Jennifer Taylor, Tom Malloy and Michael Madsen.- Actor
- Producer
- Sound Department
Matt O'Leary was born on 6 July 1987 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Frailty (2001), Time Lapse (2014) and Live Free or Die Hard (2007).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Paula is a Portuguese American Actress and Producer, whose birth name is Paula Maria Esteves Labaredas. She was born in a small town in Portugal in her Grandmother's home. At the age of two her family migrated to America for a better life. When Paula arrived in America and was going through customs she lost consciousness and stopped breathing. A nurse on site attempted to revive her but failed and she was declared deceased. Miraculously moments later Paula regained consciousness.
Her family resided in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where she attended School. While going to Grammar school she took Catechism and Portuguese classes for six years, where she learned how to read and write Portuguese. She attended Sacred Heart University and studied Social Work. Her internship included working with AIDS Patients, the homeless and people with substance abuse problems. While in College she got involved in the Theatre Program and performed in numerous plays.
Growing up, Paula always enjoyed the arts. She briefly studied dance, was involved with the school choir, painted with acrylics, practiced singing and writing songs by herself, and wrote poems and a children's book in her Creative Writing class. Way before Iphones where invented, Paula and her friends would go around filming scenarios with their VHS Film Camera. In High School, Paula produced her very first project on Teenage Pregnancy that aired on her local news station.
As of now Paula is most known for a parody she created called, Selfie Girl a Barbie Girl Parody. She starred and produced a web series with Richard Hatch, called The Silicon Assassin Project. She co-produced a documentary on Cosplay called, ComicCosplay. As a model, Paula has been featured on numerous blogs such as Sports Illustrated and has appeared in publications regularly. Paula has always been drawn to Spirituality and Healthy Living. She practices, Yoga, Reiki, Crystal healing and is a pescatarian.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Former College Football standout at San Diego State University where he played Defensive End. Was a first round Draft Pick of the New York Giants in 1969 where he played for 3 seasons before finishing his 13 year career with the Los Angeles Rams.
Actor John Frederick Dryer was born in Hawthorne, California, on July 6, 1946, son of Charles F. Dryer and Genevieve Nell Clark. Raised in Lawndale, California, he attended Lawndale High School and El Camino College. Before acting, he played football for 14 years. In college, Dryer played for the Aztecs of San Diego State University, under Head Coach Don Coryell, for the seasons 1967-1968. The 6' 6", 225-pound defensive end # 77 was named First Team All-American in 1968 and played in the College All-Star Game, East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl in 1969. A two-year letterman and starter, Dryer received the Chase Memorial Trophy as the school's top defensive lineman in 1968.
On September 15, 1967, he was among those players who first stepped onto the brand-new San Diego Stadium (Qualcomm Stadium), when the Aztecs defeated Tennessee State 16-8 in front of 45,822 fans. In 1988, Fred was inducted into the Aztec Hall of Fame. On May 28, 1997, he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame. He was considered among the most dominant pass rushers in college football history. The induction ceremony happened on August 16, in South Bend, Indiana. On November 8, he returned to San Diego to be honored during night's Homecoming game against the Spartans of San Jose State University. Dryer started his professional career on the football field in 1969, when he was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round (the 13th pick overall). But as he didn't like New York very much, he left the Giants after three seasons and returned to California to play for the Los Angeles Rams, which he did from 1972 to 1981, when he retired. On October 21, 1973, the defensive end # 89 set an NFL record by registering 2 safeties in a single game, against Green Bay Packers.
With the Rams, Fred made the Pro Bowl in 1970 and 1975 and played in Super Bowl XIV in 1980, when the L.A. team was defeated by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dryer was considered a maverick due to his playing style - and was one in his own life. He loved birds because he heard a song of freedom in the sound of flapping wings. For three years, while playing for the New York Giants, he lived in a Volkswagen van. And he was a joker - on and off the football field. During the drills (and games), Fred played the role of stand-up comic. One of his talents was to do Tommy Prothro's voice, his head coach in 1972. After stopping playing, Fred did sportscasting on CBS, quitting after 10 games because he felt he had no freedom in that job; besides, he was tired of traveling. In the 80s, he started acting. In 1979, he began studying with actress and acting coach Nina Foch. With the movies Gus and Prime Time, he got his Screen Actors Guild card. His first important role was in The Starmaker, where he played Melanie Griffith's stepfather. In 1982, Fred auditioned for Cheers. One of 3 finalists, he lost the male lead to actor Ted Danson. Later, he made several guest appearances on the show as Dave Richards, Sam's former Boston Red Sox teammate turned sportscaster.
In 1984, Fred was chosen to play the leading role of the TV series Hunter: LAPD Homicide Detective Sergeant Richard Hunter, a mobster's son turned cop. Hunter, created by Frank Lupo and produced by Stephen J. Cannell, is TV's version of Clint Eastwood's violent big screen cop Dirty Harry. Hunter's partner is Sergeant DeeDee McCall, a beautiful and tough widow, known around the squad as "The Brass Cupcake", played by Stepfanie Kramer. Hunter ran on NBC from 1984 to 1991. Besides running in the USA, Hunter was sold to many countries: Brazil, Japan, Canada, England, France, Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Philippines, Korea, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Dubai, Brunei, Iceland, Bangladesh, Kuwait, Paraguay, Israel - 88 overall. In many of these places, the show goes on running till today. Fred is the biggest star in China - millions of Chineses watch Hunter every week. But, although being a worldwide hit, Hunter didn't get much recognition by the Hollywood industry and the critics. Fred directed several Hunter episodes: A Child is Born, The Jade Woman, The Girl on the Beach, Ring of Honor, The Incident as well as produced 44 of them (6th and 7th seasons). After Hunter, through his own company (Fred Dryer Productions), Fred returned to his popular role from TV on The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A. (1995). In the same year, he produced and starred on a new TV series: Land's End, shot entirely in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Since Land's End ended, Fred has been making movies and guest appearances on TV shows, as well as returned to play Hunter. Dryer enjoys playing golf and working out. When he was a football player, he used to surf and dive for abalone. Since those times, Fred has neither eaten red meat nor drunk soda; his diet is composed of vegetables and chicken. Another thing he very much likes is construction - he says if he wasn't in acting and producing, he would be in construction. Fred and his brother Charlie helped their father Charles build his house. In 1993, Fred built a 5-million mansion in Los Angeles, which was sold few years ago, because he didn't get used to living in such a luxurious place. His father died on September 14, 1963, and his mother in 1994. Fred got married in May of 1983 to actress and Playboy centerfold Tracy Vaccaro, who worked with him on Hunter and Land's End. Fred still lives in Los Angeles.- Alexis Jones was born on 6 July 1983 in Austin, Texas, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story (2015), ProtectHer (2017) and Survivor (2000). She has been married to Brad Buckman since 12 September 2015. They have two children.
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Brittany Underwood was born on 6 July 1988 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for One Life to Live (1968), Hollywood Heights (2012) and The Goldbergs (2013).- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Gregory Edward Smith was born in Toronto, Ontario, to Terrea Smith (née Oster), an American-born actress, and Maurice Smith, a British-born film producer. His brother is actor Douglas Smith.
Gregory has starred in over 25 feature films, including The Patriot (2000), opposite Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger; Closing the Ring (2007), directed by Richard Attenborough which premiered at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival; Small Soldiers (1998), opposite Kirsten Dunst and produced by 'Steven Spielberg'; Nearing Grace (2005), opposite Jordana Brewster and David Morse which opened the 2005 L.A. Film Festival to critical acclaim; and Book of Love (2004), opposite Frances O'Connor and Bryce Dallas Howard and which premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, he has starred in over 100 episodes of television, most notably as the protagonist in The WB's hit series Everwood (2002) which aired for four seasons. Smith is also an accomplished producer and photographer. In 2008, he developed and produced a comedy for Sony Screen Gems which starred Kenan Thompson, Zachary Levi and Fran Kranz.
As a photographer, he travels all over the world photographing the different people he encounters. As an entrepreneur, Smith co-founded theU.net - an immersive student network that releases high production value, high energy youth oriented video tours of the most popular colleges in the USA. He and his partner raised $1 million to both develop and execute the concept. He also structured a deal co-branding theU.net with AOL Time Warner subsidiary, The WB. He will launch his next technology startup company imminently. In 2009, he starred in Reginald Harkema's Manson, My Name Is Evil (2009) which had its world premiere at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival. 2010 was a busy year for Smith, who starred in four movies. In Jim Sheridan's Dream House (2011), he stars opposite Daniel Craig as the gothic young man who is obsessed with the unsolved murders of Craig's family. In Chaz Thorne's Whirligig (2010), he plays the lead "Nicholas", in a coming of age story about a lost young man whose shameless lies lead him all the way to discovering the truth. He also filmed a segment of Josh Stolberg's anthology film Conception (2011). In the film, Smith stars with Julie Bowen as one of nine couples dealing with sex, love and the almost inevitable consequence: pregnancy. Most recently, he filmed Hobo with a Shotgun (2011) which was directed by Jason Eisener. Eisener's trailer for this film won Quentin Tarantino's Grind House competition. Beginning summer 2010, Greg has played "Dov Epstein" in the new ABC/Global television series Rookie Blue (2010). This series follows a group of recent graduates from the police academy as they try to navigate their ways as rookie officers.
Gregory splits his time between Los Angeles and Toronto. He is mainly of English and Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with small amounts of Dutch, German, Swedish, and Norwegian, ancestry.- Bree Robertson was born on 6 July 1982 in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia. She is an actress, known for Pizza noir (2005), Fragment (2009) and Home and Away (1988).
- Actor
- Visual Effects
- Soundtrack
From Caped Crusader to Canine Crusader
Little did aspiring actor Burt Ward know that learning martial arts in addition to his mental and athletic prowess would change his life forever. As a teen-age, Burt had all the makings of a true boy wonder. As an all around athlete, strong in martial arts, wrestling, track, tennis and golf, combined with a sharp intellect, playing "first board" in chess for Beverly Hills High School, achieving the top 3% in the U.S. in math and science tests at UCLA, and becoming the world's fastest reader - Burt tested before the American Medical Society in Beverly Hills, California and was clocked at 30,000 words per minute with 90% comprehension (the average reader reads 240 words per minute with 40% comprehension). Burt was featured in an article entitled, "Will the Real Boy Wonder Please Stand Up" and subsequently appeared on the national television educational show "Read Right." With the help of his father, a prominent real estate broker in Beverly Hills, CA, Burt became one of the youngest real estate agents in California, and met producer, Saul David, who arranged for him to sign with a Hollywood agent. His first interview was set up at 20th Century Fox Studios, and a few weeks later, Burt was called back for a screen test with Adam West. Holder of a brown belt in karate at the time, Burt showed off his athletic ability for the producers by demonstrating some falls and tumbles, and even broke a one-inch pine board with his hand. Later, Burt attained his black belt from his instructor, All Korean champion, Young Ik Suh. Burt was friends with Bruce Lee. A special piece of movie trivia is that Bruce Lee's first filmed fight scene of his career was fighting Burt Ward. In October 2015, Burt was inducted into the International Karate and Kickboxing Hall of Fame. Executive Producer William Dozier commented about Ward's tall size in comparison to Adam West, and the new Boy Wonder prospect replied, "I promise you, sir, I won't grow anymore." Dozier laughed and told Burt that he would hold him to that. 2 It wasn't until six weeks after the screen test that Burt learned that he had won the coveted role of Robin, the Boy Wonder in the new "Batman" TV series for ABC-TV. He was everything they wanted. All he had to do was just be himself. Batman Was an Overnight Sensation!
Biff, Bam, Boom! The Ratings Soared! Burt and Adam West made hundreds of personal appearances together and were featured in dozens of magazine articles, including the cover of Life magazine. Years later, when accepting Harvard's "Man of the Year" award, Burt brought one of his original Robin costumes, even then valued at six figures. Some students came up to him dressed as security guards and told him they would keep the costume safe. Then, in the middle of Burt's speech, one student stood up and asked, "When is a costume not a costume? When it's stolen." The lights dimmed and the students grabbed the costume and made off. After snapping photos with one another in the cape, they later called Ward and gave the costume back. The ringleader of the gang? Harvard Lampoon editor, Conan O'Brien.
From "Caped Crusader" to "Canine Crusader" In 1994, Burt and his wife, Tracy Posner Ward, philanthropist and daughter of former corporate raider and billionaire, Victor Posner, rescued a Great Dane in distress. From this experience, they learned about dozens of other Great Danes also needing homes. When they called weeks later to see what had happened to the others, they was horrified to hear that they had all been destroyed. Both Burt and Tracy have a huge love for animals. They made a decision, and created a rescue for Great Danes and other giant dog breeds. Located 50 miles east of Los Angeles, Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions is a nonprofit charity created by Burt and Tracy. Gentle Giants has rescued and adopted more than 15,500 giant breed and small breed dogs during their 22 years of operation. All of their dogs are socialized and behaviorally trained, and live communally together in their home. Gentle Giants is now the largest giant breed dog rescue in the world and rescues and finds homes for 45 different dog breeds, ranging from 2 lbs. to 300 lbs.
Traditionally, giant breed dogs usually have short lifespans, living 6-8 years or 7-9 years, depending upon the breed. Spending millions of dollars of their own money and more than a decade of research and testing, and combining their special care and feeding program with their own all natural Gentle Giants dog food, Burt and Tracy have successfully doubled the average lifespan of their rescued giant breed dogs, and significantly lengthened the average lifespan of their rescued small and medium breed dogs as well, with dogs living as long as 27 active, healthy years.
Gentle Giants Products manufacturers all natural Gentle Giants dog food which is sold in more than 1,250 stores in California, and in 339 Walmart Supercenters in Oregon, 3 Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and Florida. Gentle Giants dog food is sold nationally through mail order on Chewy.com, Walmart.com, and Amazon.com. In California, Gentle Giants is sold in Walmart Supercenters, Stater Bros. Ralphs, and Gelson's.
Gentle Giants has a spectacular new line of wet (canned) dog food, with 90% Beef, 90% Chicken, and 90% Salmon. Gentle Giants Products also has a new line of super premium dog supplements and super premium dog treats.
The Caped Crusader has truly evolved into the Canine Crusader.- Actress
- Producer
Linda Bella was born on 6 July 1992 in Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France. She is an actress and producer, known for Dracula: Reborn (2012), First Dog (2010) and The Paper Boat (2015).- Producer
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Nate Barlow was born on 6 July 1975 in Middletown, Connecticut, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Tales from Beyond (2004), A Brief History of Hollywood (2020) and Chance (2002). He has been married to Debra Barlow since 26 August 2006.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Geraldine James, Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) was born on July 6, 1950 in Maidenhead, Berkshire. She was educated at Downe House, a girls' independent school in Newbury, Berkshire, and later, at Drama Centre London. Geraldine has made several film and television appearances, she was nominated four times a BAFTA TV Award for her performances in Dummy (1977), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Band of Gold (1995), and The Sins (2000).- Actor
- Director
Brian Van Holt was born on 6 July 1969 in Waukegan, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Joe vs. Carole (2022), Den of Thieves (2018) and Cougar Town (2009).- William Lee Scott was born on 6 July 1973 in Hudson, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Butterfly Effect (2004), October Sky (1999) and Gone in 60 Seconds (2000). He has been married to Charlene Bloom since 2002. They have two children.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
The son of Edwin Schallert, drama editor of the "Los Angeles Times" and the dean of West Coast critics, William Schallert became interested in an acting career while at UCLA in 1942. After graduation, he became involved with the Circle Theater (eventually becoming one of its owners) and made his film debut in The Foxes of Harrow (1947). He then became ubiquitous in movies and TV ever since, and from 1979 to 1981, he was president of the Screen Actors Guild. He stayed active with SAG projects and said he never gave retirement a thought.- Actor
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Brian Posehn was born on 6 July 1966 in Sacramento, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Run Ronnie Run (2002), The Sarah Silverman Program. (2007) and Knights of Badassdom (2013). He has been married to Melanie Truhett since 4 September 2004. They have one child.- Actor
- Composer
Sebastián Rulli was born on 6 July 1975 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an actor and composer, known for Papá a Toda Madre (2017), Rubí (2004) and Pasión (2007). He was previously married to Cecilia Galiano.- Misty Anne Upham, born in Kallispell, Montana, grew up in south Seattle, the fourth of five children. She began her career at the age of thirteen when she joined a community theater group, Red Eagle Soaring. What began as a summer workshop soon turned into a full-time job. By the age of fourteen she was writing and directing short skits and performing on tours throughout the northwest. In the next four years she would be accepted to several Seattle theater companies, all while attending high school. Her first break came in 2001 when she landed the role of Mrs. Blue Cloud in Chris Eyre's sophmore project Skins (2002), where she portrayed a victim of domestic abuse on the Pine Ridge reservation. She also had a large role in the family drama August: Osage County (2013), playing Johnna Monevata, a live-in housekeeper.
Misty died in 2014, in Auburn, Washington, of blunt-force trauma. - Robb Derringer was born in Palo Alto, California. He studied at the Foothill Theatre Conservatory in Los Altos California before receiving his Bachelor's degree from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television acting program. Upon graduation from UCLA, Robb was invited to become a member of the award-winning dance troupe, Diavolo Dance Theatre. His work with Diavolo included acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe, (Winner Critics Choice Award) and Los Angeles Dance Kaleidoscope. Robb began his career as a professional actor in 1995 and has been a familiar face on television and in feature films for over 25 years. Robb has also continued to work creatively in the professional Theater. He has performed with companies such as Pacific Resident Theatre, The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, The Whitefire Theatre and The New American Theatre, with leading performances in plays such as The Time Of Your Life, Of Mice And Men, Othello, The Trip Back Down, Prelude To A Kiss and The Blue Dahlia. Robb is also a prolific poet and writer, and has been published in various national magazines, blogs and trade publications. In 2012 Robb was the adapter and primary creative force behind a stage adaptation of John Steinbeck's timeless novel Sweet Thursday. He resides in Los Angeles and is an avid bibliophile, pilot, motorcyclist, surfer and outdoors-man.
- Carrie Poyer is a Colorado native; her father is a carpenter and her mother is an artist. She has been involved in theatre since the age of 5 in Colorado and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to attend The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She has a BFA in Theatre, a graduate of the IO West program. In her free time she likes to garden, cook food and more importantly, eat the food. She's really good at Mario Cart and has never lost a game of connect 4.
- Taylor Dew was born on 6 July 1988 in Hawaii, USA. She is an actress, known for Drop Dead Diva (2009) and Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas (2009). She was previously married to Terry Fator.