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- The big, brawny, and imposing Steve Sandor was born on October 27, 1937 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and grew up in that city's Greenfield neighborhood. He sold copy machines and trained sentry dogs while serving as an Air Policeman in the US Air Force prior to pursuing an acting career in the late 1960s.
With his large, muscular build, ruggedly handsome looks, and often intense, aggressive, and intimidating screen presence, Steve was usually cast as mean and frightening villains in both movies and TV shows. His most noteworthy film roles include scruffy biker Apache in Hell's Angels '69 (1969); unstable drifter Billy Joe in The Only Way Home (1972); traumatized Vietnam veteran Ollie Hand in The No Mercy Man (1973); wishy-washy private eye Larry Evans in the gritty crime drama gem Bonnie's Kids (1972); arrogant heavyweight wrestling champion Jack "The White Knight" Braden in the offbeat made-for-TV movie Mad Bull (1977); Stanley, the hostile, scary biker who antagonizes Stacy Keach in a bar in the terrific cult favorite The Ninth Configuration (1980); the titular scrappy anti-hero in the low-rent post-nuke sci-fi/action dud Stryker (1983); and legendary frontiersman Jim Bowie in Alamo: The Price of Freedom (1988).
In addition, he was the voice of mysterious heroic warrior Dark Wolf in Ralph Bakshi's animated fantasy adventure treat Fire and Ice (1983). Also, he did guest spots on such TV series as Star Trek (1966), Gunsmoke (1955), Ironside (1967), The Streets of San Francisco (1972), Baretta (1975), Starsky and Hutch (1975), Charlie's Angels (1976), Fantasy Island (1977), CHiPs (1977), Three's Company (1976), Vega$ (1978), T.J. Hooker (1982), The A-Team (1983), The Fall Guy (1981), Knight Rider (1982) and Hunter (1984). He retired from acting in the late 1990s and settled down in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he died at age 79 in 2017. - Actor
- Stunts
Taylor Lacher was born on 2 April 1942 in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Mr. Majestyk (1974), Cade's County (1971) and Ruckus (1980). He was married to Mary Lou Back. He died on 21 June 2005 in Killen, Alabama, USA.- George Sperdakos was born on 6 August 1931 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was an actor, known for Dirty Work (1998), Murder at 1600 (1997) and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998). He died on 21 July 2000 in Bridgehampton, New York, USA.
- Actor
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- Location Management
Robert Pine is an American actor who is best known as Sgt. Joseph Getraer on the television series CHiPs (1977-1983). Including CHiPs, Pine has appeared in over 400 episodes of television. Pine was born in New York City on July 10, 1941, the son of Virginia (née Whitelaw) and Granville Martin Pine, a patent attorney. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1963. He is married to Gwynne Gilford, who appeared in several episodes of CHiPs as Betty Getraer, the wife of Pine's character. They have two children, actors Chris and Katie.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Sound Department
Michael Bell is an American voice actor who is known for voicing Gleeman Vox from Ratchet: Deadlocked, Raziel from The Legacy of Kain video game series, Chas Finster and Dru Pickles from Rugrats and several Smurfs from The Smurfs cartoon. He also voiced in The Transformers: The Movie, Challenge of the Super Friends, and did live-action acting for several episodes of Star Trek and Dallas.- Edward Power was born on 25 September 1936 in Medford, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for The Way We Were (1973), Disclosure (1994) and Cannon (1971). He was married to Barbara Weber and Sally Jane Allen. He died on 24 December 2021.
- Actor
- Producer
Sandy-haired American actor Bo Hopkins was born William Mauldin Hopkins in Greenville, South Carolina, and was raised by his mother and grandmother after his father died when Bo was only nine years old. He joined the US Army at the age of 16. After serving his hitch he decided on acting as a career and gained experience in summer stock productions and guest spots in several TV episodes.
Hopkins broke into feature films as the ill-fated "Crazy Lee" in the Sam Peckinpah landmark western The Wild Bunch (1969), and was subsequently hired by Peckinpah for another none-too-bright role as a bank robber in The Getaway (1972) and then as a hired killer pairing up with CIA agent James Caan in The Killer Elite (1975). He was busy on television during the 1980s and 1990s, guest-starring on The Rockford Files (1974), Charlie's Angels (1976), The A-Team (1983), Hotel (1983) and Matt Houston (1982), and was featured on Dynasty (1981). In addition, he starred in dozens of feature films, such as Midnight Express (1978), American Graffiti (1973), The Bounty Hunter (1989), U Turn (1997) and Shade (2003). With his "good old boy" persona and Southern drawl, Hopkins often played lawmen, psychos, or oily villains.
He makes his home in Los Angeles with his wife Sian and son Matthew, and is a keen fisherman, fan of the Anaheim Angels baseball team, and enjoys raising koi fish.- Actor
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Distinctive American actor, screenwriter, and producer of Lebanese ancestry, born Richard Joseph Romanos to Dr. Raymond Daniel Romanos and his wife Eileen Dorothy ((née Maloof). His younger brother, Robert, is also an actor. Richard attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, graduating with a degree in philosophy in 1964. He initially set out to pursue a career in law. After studying for a year at the University of Connecticut Law School, he dropped out, moved to New York and enrolled in drama classes with Lee Strasberg at the renowned Actor's Studio. He made his screen debut in 1968 and quickly established himself as a versatile character player in high profile TV shows, commencing with Mission: Impossible (1966). Often cast as Latinos or Italians, he was reputedly considered for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972). In fact, he did play a gangster named Michael (Longo) in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (1973).
In episodic television, Richard came to be equally adept at portraying good guys (Detective Sam Carlucci in Kojak (1973)) and black Hats (Johnny Noah in Hawaii Five-O (1968)). He had recurring roles in the short-lived, underrated detective series Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980) as the aptly named Crazy Tommy Tedesco, and, conversely, as tough police captains in Foul Play (1981). He was also a regular in the cast of Strike Force (1981) as the wry ladies' man Charlie Gunzer. In The Sopranos (1999), Richard played the ex-husband of psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) who strongly disapproved of her treating Mafia don Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini).
Richard's first wife was the actress Tina Romanus (aka Bohlman, aka Bowman). Their marriage produced a son but ended in divorce in 1980. In 1985, he married the Oscar-nominated costume designer Anthea Sylbert. Together, they wrote the TV comedy Giving Up the Ghost (1998) and the Christmas fantasy If You Believe (1999), the latter receiving a nomination for a Best Original Screenplay Award from the Writers Guild of America in 1999. In 2004, the couple sold their home in Los Angeles and resettled on the Greek island of Skiathos. Henceforth, Richard concentrated on writing novels on Greek historical themes, an interest he had developed during his college years. He published 'Chrysalis' in 2011 and 'Matoula's Echo' in 2014, as well as a memoir, 'Act III', in 2012. A 2013 book, 'Sketches of Skiathos', was a homage to his new home and its inhabitants.
A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Writers Guild of America, and a fellow of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Richard Romanus died on December 26 2023 on Skiathos at the age of 80.- John Calvin was born on 29 November 1947 in Staten Island, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Tales of the Gold Monkey (1982), The Cheap Detective (1978) and Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All (1989).
- Alan Feinstein has appeared in over 100 television productions, co-starring on "Nip Tuck," "Crossing Jordan," and "N.Y.P.D. Blue." Series leads in "The Runaways," "Jigsaw John," "Berrengers," Second Family Tree," and more than 800 episodes of daytime drama. He co-starred opposite Peter Strauss and Peter O'Toole in "Masada," Lindsay Wagner in "The Two Worlds of Jenny Logan," Vanessa Redgrave in "Second Serve," as well as opposite Diane Keaton in the feature film "Looking For Mr. Goodbar."
Winner of the New York Drama Desk Award for his portrayal of "Marco" in Arthur Miller's 'A View From the Bridge'.
3 Los Angeles Drama-logue awards for his performances in 'Cold Storage', 'Dancing in the End Zone', and as "Jamie" in 'Long Days Journey Into Night'.
Alan's roles on Broadway include his debut in Edward Albee's 'Malcolm,' and was picked by Tennessee Williams for the role of "Stanley Kowalski" in the 25th anniversary Broadway revival of 'A Streecar Named Desire'. He starred on stage at the Guthrie Theatre in 'The Price' after having auditioned for playwright Arthur Miller.
He also starred in productions of Herb Gardner's 'Conversations With My Father' at Philidelphia's Walnut Street Theatre and the Pioneer Theatre Company of Salt Lake City.
Other performances include productions at The Old Globe, The Long Wharf Theatre, The Williamstown Summer Festival, The Alley Theatre, The Philidelphia Theatre Company, and was a member of New York's famed Circle Repertory Company.
Los Angeles stage appearances include 'Talley's Folly' at the Grove Theatre Center, David Mamet's 'Lakeboat', directed by Joe Montegna at the Tiffany Theatre, Tina Howe's 'One Shoe Off', the world premiere of 'The Sisters' at the historic Pasadena Playhouse, and 'Ghetto' at the Mark Taper Forum. - Actor
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Born in Philadelphia to a Jewish family, Michael Callan sang and danced as a teenager and by the age of fifteen was dancing in local night clubs.
He started life out as Martin Harris Calinieff on November 22, 1935. A dark-haired charmer, he was taking voice and dance lessons by age 11, with the intentions of becoming the next Gene Kelly.
He had the dark, smirking, surly good looks and confident swagger which fit in with the James Dean 50s rebel-like era. He began his professional career as a comic and dancer in Philly night clubs while billing himself as "Mickey Calin". Eventually, he entertained at such hot spots as the Copacabana and in Las Vegas showrooms.
His move to New York was a wise choice. Given a dancing part in his first Broadway show, "The Boyfriend" (1954), starring Julie Andrews, he followed it with another musical, "Catch a Star" (1955). This, in turn, led to his biggest break of all, the role of "Riff" in the original New York production of "West Side Story" (1957). While the show made virtual theater stars out of its leads Carol Lawrence and Larry Kert, Michael, on the other hand, attracted the interest of Columbia Pictures.
His film career began engagingly enough -- not as a singer or dancer, but as a dramatic leading man. Columbia placed him in two fairly strong films in the hopes of promoting and developing his obvious teen-idol promise. The first film was a western soap opera in support of Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth. In They Came to Cordura (1959), Michael co-starred in this film alongside another male dreamboat, Tab Hunter. His second film was a "B"-level starring role in The Flying Fontaines (1959), in which he played a circus Romeo whose caddish cavortings under the "big top" accelerate the melodramatic story line. This role pretty much set the tone for what, more or less, would become his screen image -- a notorious womanizer and charming, though sometimes, spineless opportunist. His lovely co-star in the movie, Evy Norlund, was a formerly-crowned Miss Denmark (1958). This movie was her only one, since she abruptly gave up her young aspirations when she married singer James Darren and raise a big family.
One of Michael's biggest disappointments, during this time, was losing the role of "Riff" in the film version of West Side Story (1961), due to contractual restrictions with Columbia. Russ Tamblyn received the honors and the glory. However, he did continue to rack up callow, trouble-making co-leads in youth-oriented films, paired up with Hollywood's loveliest of newcomers, including Tuesday Weld in Because They're Young (1960), Dolores Dorn in 13 West Street (1962) and Deborah Walley in both Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961) and Bon Voyage! (1962). In The Interns (1962), he continued to perpetuate his slick image as a roving medical resident who juggles gorgeous Anne Helm and Katharine Bard for his own selfish purposes. In the sequel of sorts, The New Interns (1964), he made his customary moves on Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie (1965)) and Dawn Wells ("Mary Ann" on Gilligan's Island (1964)).
Although he managed to show off his dancing skills in Pepe (1960) and in the previously mentioned "Gidget" film, Michael never capitalized on it. The era of the movie musicals was in a backslide at the time and he focused completely on acting. He was among the international cast of the war epic, The Victors (1963), and was the best-looking marooned member in the British-made Jules Verne fantasy-adventure, Mysterious Island (1961). Interestingly, his last films of real note were in comedies -- opposite Jane Fonda, in the freewheeling cult western, Cat Ballou (1965), and a scene-stealing Lionel Jeffries in the British satire, You Must Be Joking! (1965). Perhaps his characters were too unsympathetic for their own good; for whatever reason, Michael never managed to hit the cinematic "bad boy" stardom he seemed geared up for.
In the late 60s, he found a venue better-suited for his talents -- TV sitcoms. His skirt-chasing characters seemed to have more appeal when played lightly for laughs. His best chance came in the form of Occasional Wife (1966). An ideal showcase, Michael played the lead role of "Peter Christopher", an up-and-coming executive of a company that strongly pushes the husband/father image. Perennial playboy Callan decides to take on an "occasional wife" (Patricia Harty) for appearances' sake while trying to conceal his wily ways from the workplace. The show fit Callan like a glove and he and Harty displayed great chemistry, so much so that they married in real-life two years after the series' run. Perhaps the true-life romance ruined the show's illusion, as the series limped away after only one season. Patricia, the second of Michael's three wives, divorced him in 1970.
Surprisingly, Michael never starred in another sitcom that got off the ground. He ventured on finding guest appearances on such sitcoms as That Girl (1966), Hazel (1961) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) and became a favorite player in the extremely popular Love, American Style (1969) sketches, playing (what else?) guys with girl troubles. His TV career eventually took the Fantasy Island (1977), The Love Boat (1977) and Murder, She Wrote (1984) route and, in an effort to jump-start things, both produced and starred in his own film, Double Exposure (1982), but to little notice. He also returned, occasionally, to the stage in both legit plays and musicals to keep his name alive, including "Absurd Person Singular" and "The Music Man".
The father of two daughters (from his first marriage), he has been glimpsed only here and there, since the mid-90s. Recent movie credits include Stuck on You (2003) and The Still Life (2006). He has also been spotted, occasionally, at various signings and conventions. While perhaps not climbing the height of heights expected, Michael reached an enviable plateau and merits strong attention for his fine contributions to 60s and 70s film and TV.- A virile, beefcake blond of the late 1960s and 1970s small screen, Dennis Cole certainly had it all going for him, but tragic circumstances prevented an all-out successful career. A rugged TV version of Robert Redford, his tan, chiseled, surfer-fit looks were ideally suited for crime action and adventure stories and he gained ground by appearing everywhere -- daytime soaps, prime-time series, mini-movies -- you name it.
The Detroit-born and -raised stunner was the son of Joseph C. Cole, a musician during the 1940s and 1950s. His parents, both alcoholics, divorced when he was young (his father later committed suicide). Dennis was first noticed on the pages of physique magazines serving the likes of Robert Henry Mizer (aka Bob Mizer) and his Athletic Models Guild as well as other photographers. Paying his dues as a motion picture and television stuntman, Cole also appeared in an occasional bit part and in the background of a few movie musicals. His photogenic appeal could not be denied for long and eventually he took a front-and-center position, launching his acting career on the short-lived daytime soap Paradise Bay (1965) as a spoiled rich boy who causes tongues to wag after falling for a Mexican girl. However, it was the subsequent nighttime police series The Felony Squad (1966) alongside veterans Howard Duff and Ben Alexander (of Dragnet (1951) fame) that set Cole's TV career in high gear. As hunky rookie detective Jim Briggs, Dennis was able to ride high on the fame his two-and-a-half season series offered.
With this success came two very short-lived series: the glossy ensemble drama Bracken's World (1969) and opposite Rod Taylor as a trouble-prone stud in the more adventurous Bearcats! (1971). Females couldn't get enough of Cole and his athletic skills had males idolizing from afar. Guest appearances on Medical Center (1969), Barnaby Jones (1973), Police Story (1973), Love, American Style (1969), The Love Boat (1977), The Streets of San Francisco (1972) and Police Woman (1974) kept him highly visible in between series runs. During this career peak, he made his Broadway debut in "All the Girls Came Out to Play" in 1972. He also decided to tap into his musical side and dabbled in his own musical revue, which showcased on the Sunset Strip and in Las Vegas. A guest TV appearance on Charlie's Angels (1976) led to his meeting and, in 1978, marrying "Angel" Jaclyn Smith. As one of Hollywood's more beautiful couples, they kept cameras flashing for a number of years until their breakup and divorce in 1981.
The early 1980s started off well for Cole as replacement "Lance Prentiss" in the soap-opera The Young and the Restless (1973) in 1981. Very much a product of TV, he was unable to permanently transition into films; he appeared occasionally in dismissible low-budget action fare such as Amateur Night (1986), Death House (1988), Pretty Smart (1987), Dead End City (1988) and Fatal Encounter (1990). He continued showing up on all the popular series of the day, including Silk Stalkings (1991), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Pacific Blue (1996) and Baywatch Nights (1995), among others, while appearing in such legit stage plays as "The Tender Trap", "Lovers and Other Strangers", "The Boys in the Band", and the British farces "Run for You Life" and "Out of Order". Very much involved with charity work, his endeavors over the years have included an over-two-decade involvement with the Cancer Society (Honorary Chairman), as well as the Arthritis and Cystic Fibrosis foundations.
Dennis' later personal and professional lives suffered as a result of a chronic alcohol problem, but an even greater setback occurred when his only child, Joey (whom he named after his father), was murdered during a 1991 robbery attempt in Venice, California. He continued to perform on TV and stage (as the "Narrator" in a production of "Blood Brothers" and the James Garner "King Marchan" role in the first national tour of the musical "Victor/Victoria"). Severe injuries suffered while performing in the latter show led to multiple surgeries, a three-year convalescence and a new direction.
Dennis returned to school and started up his own real estate company, setting up an office in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Married for several years to his third wife Marjorie ("Ree"), Dennis filed for divorce in May of 2007, which became final on April 21, 2008. He died at age 69 on November 15, 2009, in a Fort Lauderdale hospital of liver failure. - Actor
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Dirk Benedict was born in Montana on March 1st, 1945. He was raised in the country, far away from anything connected with movies or acting. He gathered his first experiences in acting (on a dare) in a college production of "Showboat" where he got the main part. His father, a lawyer, died when Dirk was 18, which was hard for him to take. While working on Georgia, Georgia (1972) in Sweden, he made the first contact with a macrobiotic diet and changed his eating habits drastically. He was 26 at that time. A few years later, doctors found that he had cancer of the prostate. He refused to accept the usual treatment and moved away to a secluded cottage. Dirk managed to cure himself from cancer by following the rules of his macrobiotic diet. When he got his part as "Starbuck" in Battlestar Galactica (1978), the doctors stated that he was in good health. Dirk's main successes were "Battlestar Galactica" and The A-Team (1983) in which he played "Templeton - The Face - Peck". He was formerly married to actress Toni Hudson and has two sons (George and Roland).- Edward Matthew Lauter II was born on October 30, 1938 in Long Beach, New York. In a film career that extended for over four decades, Lauter starred in a plethora of film and television productions since making his big screen debut in the western Dirty Little Billy (1972). He portrayed an eclectic array of characters over the years, including (but not limited to), authority/military figures, edgy villains, and good-hearted heavies. Many will remember him for his appearance as the stern Captain Wilhelm Knauer in The Longest Yard (1974) (Lauter also made a cameo in the 2005 remake). Lauter also worked with Alfred Hitchcock, Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Jim Carrey and Liam Neeson. With a face that seemed to appear without warning everywhere, Lauter remained in demand for roles on both films and television. Ed Lauter died of mesothelioma in his home in Los Angeles, California on October 16, 2013, less than two weeks before his 75th birthday.
- Actor
- Stunts
Born in Palo Alto, California, Tim was a physically imposing and well-known character actor from the 80's. Tim and Tom Selleck were college roommates while both attended the University of Southern California. First drafted into the NFL in 1968, his career there included playing professional football for the Philadelphia Eagles, then San Diego Chargers, and the Houston Oilers. After his football career ended in the mid 70's, Tim began acting and remained active through 1998. Tim lived another 20 years after his final appearance, passing away in his native California in December 2018.- Actor
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Gary Bisig was born on 19 December 1943 in Ohio, USA. He is an actor, known for WarGames (1983), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) and 9 to 5 (1980).- Actor
- Additional Crew
Paul Cavonis was born on 4 December 1937 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for M*A*S*H (1972), Tales of the Unexpected (1977) and The Six Million Dollar Man (1974).- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Sound Department
Popular stage, film and TV actor Harvey Jason was born on Leap Year's Day, 1940 in London, England. From childhood he aspired to a career as an actor. His efforts, and his substantial talent, paid off. At 19 he was in New York, ready to go. A year later, he was appearing in Joseph Papp's prestigious Shakespeare in the Park.
Other shows followed: off-Broadway, national tours, Broadway: A Taste of Honey, Hostile Witness with Ray Milland, Marat/Sade and others, his reviews always excellent. With the late Peter Cook and the fames satirical revue, The Establishment, he toured the U.S and Canada. Jason's incredible facility with dialects, his ability to do with total authenticity, any accent imaginable, made him a truly sought after actor. Soon he was film and TV.
Oscar-winning director Robert Wise brought him out to California for the Julie Andrews film, Star. Then it was non-stop work. Guest star roles on TV, one after the other; a season with James Whitmore in My friend Tony: a season on the famed Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, co-starring with Bruce Boxleitner on the series run of Bring 'Em Back Alive - show after show. Jason became a national favorite as Harry Zeff in the hugely successful all-star NBC mini-series Captains and the Kings. Movies to: With Michael Caine in Robert Aldrich's in Too Late the Hero, Lost in the Stars, Save the Tiger with Jack Lemmon, Stanley Kramer's Oklahoma Crude with George C. Scott, the zany Lapchik in Gumball Rally, Air America, then as Ajay Sidhu, one of the stars in Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Yet it was in Necromancy, starring Orson Wells and Pamela Franklin, that he met Pamela, the woman who would become his wife. They have been married since 1970 and have two sons, Joshua and Louis.
Jason retired for acting in 1997 to open, with his son Louis, the famed exclusively First Edition collectible literature bookshop, Mystery Pier Books, called One of the Most Important First Edition Bookshops in the U.S.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The son of a Georgia minister, Edward Andrews debuted on stage in 1926 at age 12. By 1935, he had landed on Broadway. A solid character actor, his amiable demeanor made him a natural for the jovial, grandfatherly types and genial, small-town businessmen he often played, but his very large physique and peering eyes, partially hidden behind ever-present large-framed eyeglasses, served him well when cast as a heavy, i.e. a sinister character like a corrupt businessman or official, or worse. He was memorable as the glad-handing, charming but murderous leader of a corrupt political machine in The Phenix City Story (1955) and, later in his career, as Molly Ringwald's solicitous grandfather in Sixteen Candles (1984).- Rugged-looking James Gammon first broke into the entertainment industry not as an actor but as a TV cameraman. From there, his weatherbeaten features, somewhat menacing attitude and a tough-as-nails voice--the kind that used to be described in detective novels as "whiskey-soaked"--reminiscent of '40s noir icon Charles McGraw got him work in front of the cameras in TV westerns (though he sounds as if he's from Texas or Oklahoma, he was actually born and raised in Illinois) and he made his film debut in 1967. Not the kind of guy you'd see in a tuxedo in a Noël Coward drawing-room comedy--unless he was one of a gang holding them up--Gammon could play lighter parts also, as evidenced by his work as the manager in the baseball comedy Major League (1989) and in his regular role as Don Johnson's rambunctious father in Johnson's Nash Bridges (1996) series.
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Timothy Carey had one of the most unusual careers of all Hollywood character actors, obtaining full cult status for his portrayals of the doomed, the psychotic and the plain crazy. Carey's career was an "only in America" type of story, and he retains his status as a great American original many years after his death.
As a 22-year-old acting school graduate, Carey made his film debut in 1951, as a corpse in a Clark Gable western, but it was his brief, uncredited part as Chino's Boy #1, a member of Lee Marvin's motorcycle gang The Beetles in The Wild One (1953) which made an impression, and was a harbinger of the unsavory characters to come.
Prone to improvising, it was the fearless Carey who came up with the idea of squirting beer in Marlon Brando's face, even though the great methods actor himself had expressed reservations about what Carey was up to.
Carey registered the same year as the bordello bouncer who threatens James Dean in East of Eden (1955), making his face, if not his name (he was uncredited in both parts), known to the mass audience.
Carey followed this up with superb acting jobs in 2 Stanley Kubrick films; The Killing (1956) and Paths of Glory (1957).
In the former he played the sociopath, Nikki Arane, who 's contracted to shoot a race horse, which he does with great glee. In Paths of Glory (1957), Carey had an atypically sympathetic role as French soldier, Pvt. Ferol, unjustly condemned to be shot to atone for the stupidities of his generals during World War I. However, it was in Bayou (1957) in which Carey reached what must be considered good apex as an actor: as the psychotic Cajun Ulysses, he crafted an indelible performance that went beyond the acceptable limits of cinema scenery-chewing. He became Ulysses, on-screen, the mad Cajun who epitomized evil, his insanity perfectly encapsulated in the psychotic jig Carey danced to more fully limn his character's madness. This classic exploitation film was re-cut and re-released as "Poor White Trash" (1961), and became a grind house Gone with the Wind (1939), playing to crowds throughout the decade.
With these performances, Carey's career as a Hollywod heavy was established, though many directors saw the talent lurking within his physically forbidding, 6'4" frame. His former co-star Brando directed him in One-Eyed Jacks (1961) (Brando's sole directorial effort), gunning down the shotgun-wielding heavy in the process. Francis Ford Coppola tried to hire him for The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), but Carey was working on his own project during the shooting of the first classic, and turned down the opportunity to appear in the second. He did agree to appear in Coppola's The Conversation (1974), yet another classic, but walked off the set during filming. John Cassavetes gave him a prominent role in Minnie and Moskowitz (1971) and cast him as the second lead in The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976).
Carey's penchant for improvising (in the execution scene for Paths of Glory (1957), his character was supposed to remain silent, but Carey began moaning, I don't what to die,', and Kubrick kept it in the film) coupled with his eccentric behavior gave him a reputation as difficult to work with in the 1960s.
During that tumultuous decade, Carey spoofed his psycho screen image in Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), playing South Dakota Slim, who - like villains of old flickers - straps the second female lead to a buzz saw. As the heavy Lord High-and-Low, he menaced The Monkees in the Jack Nicholson-penned Head (1968). Nicholson was one of his biggest fans.
Carey's greatest role was in a film he produced, wrote and directed himself, The World's Greatest Sinner (1962), in which he played a rock 'n roll-singing evangelist who, in a burst of hubris, names himself "God," runs for President and is struck down by God himself at the film's climax.
As Clarence Hilliard, the insurance salesman who drops out of straight society, starts his own evangelical religion (using rock 'n roll music played by himself and a band featuring a woman saxophone player to whip up the crowds and manipulate the masses) and eventually runs for president, Carey fully realised his talent, a grind house, exploitation circuit John Gielgud assaying his Hamlet.
Filmed fitfully between 1958- 61 for a total cost of approximately $100-thousand (the shooting was sporadic, as the production kept running out of money), it remains one of the most notorious works in grind house cinema--even Elvis Presley himself asked Carey for a copy! (Carey, always in character as the Jester, refused The King's request).
Carey's last film was Echo Park (1985). A favorite actor of cineaste/video store clerk Quentin Tarantino, he tested for the role of crime boss Joe Cabot in Tarantino's debut film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), but the tyro director didn't think he was right for the role. Instead, he cast Lawrence Tierney (equally great in the movie heavy and eccentricity departments) and dedicated the film to Carey.
Timothy Carey taught acting in his later years. This true American original died of a stroke on May 11, 1994, age of 65. He's sorely missed, as his like will not be seen again.- Actor
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Jim Backus was born James Gilmore Backus on February 25, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was one of the few actors to do it all: radio, Broadway, movies, television and cartoons. After attending preparatory school in his hometown Cleveland, Backus enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Art, to ply his trade. While waiting for parts, he did radio and became friends with such future notables as Garson Kanin and Keenan Wynn. Backus stuck it out and soon was doing motion pictures in addition to radio. He was typecast in roles as "rich types" but broke the mold when he portrayed James Dean's father in the classic Rebel Without a Cause (1955). With his career in full swing, Backus also tackled two roles that he would be best known for, Mr. Magoo in cartoons and Thurston Howell III in Gilligan's Island (1964). After the series' run ended, he continued doing guest spots on television and movies, before passing away on July 3, 1989.- Actor
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Phil Silvers was a comedic actor of Russian-Jewish descent, nicknamed as "The King of Chutzpah." He was best known for his starring role as United States Army Master Sergeant Ernest "Ernie" Bilko in the very popular hit sitcom "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955-1959). He later had important roles in the comedy films "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963), and "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" (1967), playing respectively the characters Otto Meyer and Marcus Lycus.
Silvers was a compulsive gambler, and suffered from chronic depression.
He was the 8th and youngest child to Russian-Jewish immigrants Saul Silver (alias Saul Silversmith) and Sarah Handler. Saul was a sheet metal worker who was employed in the building industry. He had helped build a number of New York City's major skyscrapers.
Silver started his career as an entertainer in 1922, at the age of 11.
A frequent accident at New York City's movie theaters was for their film projector to break down. Someone had to keep the audience entertained during repairs, so Silver was hired to sing to them. Part of his reward was to attend the movie theater free of charge.
By 1924, Silvers performed as a professional singer in the Gus Edwards Revue. His employer was theater company owner Gus Edwards (1878-1945). He then took to working in vaudeville and as a burlesque comic.
In the 1930s, Silvers started appearing in Vitaphone short films. In 1939, Silvers made his Broadway debut in "Yokel Boy." The show was considered mediocre by critics, but Silvers gained acclaim in the press. He made his feature film debut in "Hit Parade of 1941." Silvers worked primarily as a character actor over the following decades, appearing in films produced by 20th Century Fox, Columbia Pictures, and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. When the studio system declined, Silvers initially returned to the theater.
He had a hit as a songwriter when he composed the lyrics of "Nancy (with the Laughing Face)" (1942) for singer Frank Sinatra (1915-1998). The song was apparently named after Frank's young daughter Nancy Sinatra (1940-).
Silvers did not become a household name until his starring role in the sitcom "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955-1959). It was a military comedy, starring Ernest "Ernie" Bilko as a United States Army Master Sergeant. The character of Bilko was depicted as a con-artist and inveterate gambler who could fast-talk people into complying with his schemes. The show lasted for 4 seasons, and 144 episodes. It found further success in syndication to this very day, and often ranks high in lists of popular sitcoms.
Silvers returned to television stardom with "The New Phil Silvers Show" (1963-1964), where he played factory foreman Harry Grafton. Like Bilko, Grafton was depicted as a con-artist who owned his own company and ran many and various schemes on the side. Not as successful as its predecessor, the series lasted for a single season and 30 episodes.
Silvers enjoyed film stardom in the 1960s, though mostly playing supporting roles. He appeared mainly in American productions, although guest-starred in the British comedy film "On Follow That Came." (1967). It was the 14th film in the popular long-running "Carry On" film series (1958-1992). The film was a parody depicting life in the French Foreign Legion, and Silvers played the Bilko-like character of Sergeant Ernie Nocker. He earned a salary of 30,000 pounds, making him the highest-paid actor of the "Carry On" film series up to that point.
Silvers appeared frequently as a guest-star in then-popular sitcoms, such as "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Gilligan's Island." In 1972, Silvers survived a stroke, although was left with permanently slurred speech. This effectively ended his theatrical career, although did not prevent him from appearing in further film and television roles.
Silvers made his last television appearance in an 1983 episode of the crime drama "CHiPs." He then went into retirement.
He died in his sleep in 1985, while in Century City, California. His family attributed the death to unspecified natural causes. He was interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Silvers is still well-remembered as a great comic actor.
In 1996, TV Guide ranked him number 31 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list.
The Hanna-Barbera characters Hokey Wolf and Top Cat were loosely based on his screen persona.- Actor
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Jack Knight was born on 26 February 1938 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for L.A. Confidential (1997), The Long Goodbye (1973) and Catch Me If You Can (2002).- Actor
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Although he geared himself up for major film stardom throughout the 1950s, it took a leading role on a 1960s TV series opposite a lion and chimpanzee to make Marshall Thompson a genuine household name.
Born on November 27, 1925, and named James Marshall Thompson after an ancestor, a famed Supreme Court justice, he moved at age 5 with his parents from his Peoria, Illinois, hometown to the Los Angeles area. There his father set up a successful Westwood practice in dentistry that continued for over three decades. His mother once took to the stage as a concert singer and musician. Marshall was their only child.
He caught the acting bug while in high school when he appeared in a number of school productions and was spotted by a local talent agent. This did not pan out, but he also acted upon his early skills as a writer. The Westwood Village Players produced the young high school student's ambitious three-act play "Faith," the story of two young aviators in a Nazi prison. He enrolled at Occidental College, where he switched from pre-med to drama. He was also a member of the college's cross-country team.
The athletic, lanky-framed, good-looking collegiate was rediscovered while performing as one of the Occidental Players in 1944. This time, he made good and was signed to a Universal contract. He began in minor war-era films with Reckless Age (1944) starring Gloria Jean and was quickly brought over to MGM on the strength of this film.
With most big stars off to war, Marshall was given the chance to work quite steadily in perfunctory nice-guy assignments such as Blonde Fever (1944), The Clock (1945), They Were Expendable (1945) and Bad Bascomb (1946) opposite Frances Rafferty. His first association with animals came with the lead in the horse-friendly yarn Gallant Bess (1946), MGM's first film produced in CineColor.
The handsome Marshall went on to provide yeoman work in the war dramas Homecoming (1948), Command Decision (1948) and Battleground (1949), becoming an instant idol to film fans. A genial player on screen, he managed to show potential outside his benign typecast in Dial 1119 (1950) as a cold-hearted, baby-faced killer, and finished his MGM contract out with The Tall Target (1951) playing a potential assassin of Abraham Lincoln.
Freelancing for the next several years after losing his contract to MGM owing to a change of management, Marshall assisted a few serious-minded dramas but a noticeable pall soon took over his career with "B" thrillers taking up the bulk of his time. He achieved a bit of cult infamy with the films Cult of the Cobra (1955) Fiend Without a Face (1958), It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) and First Man Into Space (1959). A couple of notable exceptions were his strong roles in the Audie Murphy starter To Hell and Back (1955) and East of Kilimanjaro (1957), in which he performed his own dangerous stunts and developed a lifelong passion for Africa and wildlife.
It was this aforementioned wildlife association, combined with TV, that made the biggest dramatic impact on his career. Throughout the 1950s Marshall appeared faithfully in small-screen presentations, but in 1966 he was cast as a series lead, that of game warden Dr. Marsh Tracy in the African adventure Daktari (1966) developed by Ivan Tors and filmed at Africa, U.S.A., a wild-animal theme park near Los Angeles. Although overshadowed sometimes by those inveterate scene-stealers Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion and Judy the Chimpanzee, Marshall provided a strong, honest, authoritative yet friendly persona and earned the most attention yet in his nearly two-decade-long career. He was also involved in nearly every aspect of the show and was afforded the opportunity to direct a few episodes.
The series lasted four seasons, and following his departure, Marshall continued in the same animal vein. His association with Tors continued by his hosting of the live action daytime series Jambo (1969), starring in the feature film Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965) (which he co-wrote), and directing some episodes of Flipper (1964).
Lying low after his final feature film, Around the World Under the Sea (1966), which starred assorted TV adventure alumni including Flipper (1964) star Brian Kelly and Sea Hunt (1958) lead Lloyd Bridges, he spent much of his later time providing footage for wildlife documentaries.
An avid photographer, horseman, and guitarist, among many other talents, he died at age 66 in 1992 of congestive heart failure and was survived by his wife Barbara Long, daughter Janet, and grandson Jackson.- Actor
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Robert Gentry was born on 29 September 1940 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for All My Children (1970), The Wide World of Mystery (1973) and Guiding Light (1952). He died on 17 September 2022.- Actor
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Tall, good-looking James Darren was a student of acting coach Stella Adler and made his name in the 1950s in a series of teenage-themed films. A better actor than most of his contemporary teenage heartthrobs, he nevertheless found it difficult to escape the teen-idol image he got in pictures like Gidget (1959) and Gidget Goes Hawaiian (1961). He also gained fame in the early and mid-1960s as a singer, with several hits to his credit, including "Goodbye Cruel World" and "Her Royal Majesty". His film work tapered off in the 1960s, but he did much TV work and had two hit series, The Time Tunnel (1966) in the 1960s and T.J. Hooker (1982) in the 1980s.- Denny Miller was born in Bloomington, Indiana, where his father, Ben Miller, was a physical=education instructor at Indiana University. He and his brother Kent began playing basketball almost from the days they were born. The Miller family left Bloomington when Denny was in fourth grade. He and Kent played basketball in Silver Spring, Maryland and Baldwin, New York before the family moved to Los Angeles where, at University High School, Denny and Kent came to the attention of coach John Wooden. They were given full-ride scholarships to UCLA. The Miller brothers played together at UCLA for one year, and their father joined the faculty of UCLA. In his senior year, while working as a furniture mover to pay for school, Denny was discovered on Sunset Boulevard by a talent agent, who signed him with MGM. His first role was a bit part in Some Came Running (1958), which was filmed in Madison, Indiana. Denny said, "I was the only one who came running. I came running to tell Dean Martin that somebody was in town to shoot him!" He became the first blond Tarzan in Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959)), a low-budget quickie that lifted most of its footage from earlier Johnny Weissmuller movies. MGM had him under contract for 20 months; in that time he worked 8 weeks as "Tarzan". After that he did guest spots on a number of TV series, finally becoming a regular on Wagon Train (1957) as Duke Shannon (his name was then Scott Miller). In 1965-66 he starred (as Denny again) with Juliet Prowse in Mona McCluskey (1965).
- Imposing American character actor whose typical screen personae tended to be gruff westerners, irate cops, and hard-boiled gangsters. A decorated Korean War veteran, Bieri appeared on stage from 1954, both on ('Death of a Salesman', 1975) and off-Broadway. He latterly acted with the ensemble of San Diego's Old Globe Theatre (notably, as the tough captain in 'Mr. Roberts', 1995).
On screen from 1962 as a bit part player, he went on to have a prolific career as guest star of 1970s and 1980s TV shows. He was in good form as your average cantankerous police chief in both Cannon (1971) and in Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), and further distinguished himself in weightier roles, including that of local banker Elija Crow in Bret Maverick (1981) , General Philip Sheridan in How the West Was Won (1976) and as Mafia chieftain Guido Quintana in The Sicilian (1987).
However, a little of the very large heavyset actor, whose screen persona was more malevolent than merry, went a long way, thus when he starred in his own (albeit non-eponymous) NBC sitcom, Joe's World (1979), as a Detroit house painter with five kids and assorted problems, it was fairly short-lived.
In private life, he was said to have been a keen fisherman and sailor. Bieri died in May 2001 in Woodland Hills from cancer at the age of 71. - Peter Haskell was born on 15 October 1934 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor, known for Child's Play 3 (1991), Child's Play 2 (1990) and Bracken's World (1969). He was married to Dianne Tolmich and Annie Compton. He died on 12 April 2010 in Northridge, California, USA.
- Tom Simcox was born on 17 June 1937 in Medford, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for Shenandoah (1965), Columbo (1971) and Piranha (1972). He was previously married to Christina Kenney, Kathleen J Rogers and Catherine Mitchell Smythe.
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Taylor Lacher was born on 2 April 1942 in Pittsburg, Kansas, USA. He was an actor, known for Mr. Majestyk (1974), Cade's County (1971) and Ruckus (1980). He was married to Mary Lou Back. He died on 21 June 2005 in Killen, Alabama, USA.- Actor
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Nicolas Coster, a veteran actor or "Actor's Actor', his training began back in his teens at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, RADA. Nicolas learned his craft doing theatre, studying with Strasberg and Milton Katselas(He was later picked by Milton to substitute for him). Nicolas Coster has performed in many Broadway plays. "Happy Birthday Wanda June", "Twigs", "SeeSaw", "Harold Pinter's "Otherwise Engaged" and "The Little Foxes" with Elizabeth Taylor (with runs in the US and in London at the Victoria Palace Theatre)}. Nicolas was the only actor picked to substitute for Sir Laurence Olivier in "Beckett". These are just a few of his theatre credits. In the 70's and all through the 1980's there wasn't a channel you could not find Nicolas Coster appearing as a guest star on a popular TV series. He chased Jaclyn Smith around a football field in the series "Charlie's Angels", Nicolas wrestled in a fight with Sammy Davis Jr. in Tom Selleck's "Magnum PI", he had a stint in the series "Wonder Woman", "Incredible Hulk", Nicolas had a recurring role playing Blair's dad on the popular show "Facts of Life", He enjoyed playing opposite Bonnie Franklin in "One Day at a Time'. Earlier in his career, He even was in the "Green Hornet" with the legendary Bruce Lee and so many more guest starring roles ... Nicolas had a role on the series "Sheriff Lobo" with Nell Carter. Nicolas has a fan club called "Nick's Chicks" they are loyal fans of his time spent doing Soap Operas. "Secret Storm" was one of his first, his role later as Robert Delaney on "Another World" was hugely popular. He had stints on "All My Children"playing along side Susan Lucci and the patriarch Lionel Lockridge of "Santa Barbara" the soap which later aired in Europe as a night time series. In Russia, "Santa Barbara" was the first soap to be aired in that country it was a huge success and played as a night time series as well. His body of film includes many famous father roles, "How I got into College", "Betsey's Wedding", "Risky Business", "Just You and Me Kid". Playing different roles in film, Nicolas has been privileged to work with Robert Redford in "All The President's Men", with Gregory Peck in "MacArthur", "Reds" with Warren Beaty. Most recently, He has been on acclaimed shows like "The Young Pope" with Jude Law and popular Showtime and HBO projects. Nicolas has won a few Daytime Emmys with the drama "The Bay". Nicolas showed his comedy talents playing the lead in a Super Bowl Coke commercial and later the reprisal of his lead role but a new spin they made him British, in "Zero Sugar Coke" commercial which played internationally and highlighted his ability for a British accent. Nicolas Coster is continually working and is a true artist.- Bruce Fairbairn was born on 19 February 1947 in New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Rookies (1972), Remington Steele (1982) and Cyclone (1987). He was previously married to Joy Keller and Jeryl DeVale.
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Martin Kove was born on March 6, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Strong-featured, narrow-eyed actor who has portrayed a mixed bag of both good guys and bad guys. He first turned up on screen in several minor roles, and was noticed as the villainous Nero the Hero in the low-budget road race Death Race 2000 (1975), and then as Clem the sadistic rigger, breaking Jan-Michael Vincent's ribs in White Line Fever (1975). He cropped up on the television series Cagney & Lacey (1981) portraying honest Police Detective Isbecki, and then ended up on the wrong side of a rampaging Sylvester Stallone in Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985).
Kove probably scored his greatest visibility to the public in the hugely successful The Karate Kid (1984) in which he played John Kreese, the head instructor of the Cobra Kai karate school. He reprised the role in the two sequels, The Karate Kid Part II (1986) and The Karate Kid Part III (1989). Kove has since kept consistently busy, primarily in the action-thriller film genre, and has notched up over 80 film appearances to date, as well as numerous television guest roles.- Actor
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Hari Rhodes was born on 10 April 1932 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972), Shock Corridor (1963) and Coma (1978). He was married to Mlmi Christie Segura . He died on 15 January 1992 in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Stanley Kamel was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey on January 1, 1943 and was raised in South River, New Jersey. He attended high school at Rutgers Prepatory School (graduated 1961) in Somerset, New Jersey and received his college degree from the Boston University School of Fine Arts in 1965. Kamel got his start in acting with bit parts off-Broadway before his big break into television (as a regular cast member) portraying Eric Peters #2 on Days of Our Lives (1965) from 1972 to 1976.
He played a lot of different characters over the years, and his face was well known to most. He had a recurring role as the unscrupulous psychiatrist, Dr. Graham Lester on Murder One (1995). He also had recurring roles on the hits Melrose Place (1992) and Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990). Late in his career, Kamel was probably best known for playing Dr. Charles Kroger on Monk (2002) starring Tony Shalhoub.
On April 8, 2008, Kamel was found dead in his Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles) home by his long time agents, Donna Massetti and Marilyn Szatmary, having died of a heart attack. Kamel was only 65 years old.- Actor
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Character actor John Quade was born John William Saunders III on April 1, 1938 in Kansas City, Kansas. Quade transferred from Perry Rural High School in Perry, Kansas to Highland Park High School in Topeka, Kansas in 1954. John was a football tackle and participated in both track and basketball at Highland Park High School. Moreover, he was a member of the Stamp, Radio, and Chess/Checkers clubs. Quade graduated from high school in 1956 and attended Washburn University. John worked for the Santa Fe Railway repair shop in Topeka, Kansas.
Quade moved to California in 1964 and met an engineer building missile silos in Kansas, which led to a job in California working at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as an aerospace engineer. Some of the parts Quade constructed are still on the Moon.
After meeting a movie industry talent scout he made his television acting debut in 1968 on an episode of "Bonanza." He acted in his first movie in 1972. With his strong, stocky build, distinctive rough face, drawling accent, squinty eyes, and often aggressive and intimidating screen presence, John was frequently cast as either mean, nasty heavies or hostile redneck law enforcers. Quade was probably best known as Cholla, the bumbling leader of the inept biker gang the Black Widows in the Clint Eastwood comedy vehicles "Every Which Way But Loose"" and "Any Which Way You Can." He had previously acted alongside Eastwood as despicable villains in the Westerns "High Plains Drifter" and "The Outlaw Josey Wales." John was likewise memorable as Sheriff Biggs in the epic TV mini-series "Roots." Quade had regular roles on the short-lived TV shows "Flatbush" and "Lucky Luke." Among the many television programs John made guest appearances on are "Gunsmoke," "Ironside," "Kung Fu," "Kojak," "Starsky and Hutch," "The Bionic Woman," "Charlie's Angels," "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," "Vega$," "The Dukes of Hazzard," "CHiPs," "Hill Street Blues," "The A-Team," "Hunter," "Werewolf," and "Baywatch." After he stopped acting in the 1990s, Quade became a devout Christian activist and outspoken opponent of the American government and its New World Order. John was opposed to the 14th Ammendment, Social Security numbers, and drivers' licenses. He supported the Alledial Title belief in common law. Quade was married to his wife Gwen for thirty-eight years and was the father of six children.
John Quade died sleeping as the result of a heart attack at age 71 at his home in Rosamond, California, on August 9, 2009.- Actor
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Although best known for his role as "Detective Sgt. Neal Washington" on the long-running and critically acclaimed police drama Hill Street Blues (1981), Taurean Blacque was one of the best stage actors of his time. A long-time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, he performed in several productions at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta. Among his notable roles were the James Baldwin play "The Amen Corner" opposite Carol Mitchell-Leon, Elizabeth Omilami and Crystal Fox; and as "Shealy" in the August Wilson play "Jitney" opposite such notables as John Lawhorn, John Beasley, Anthony Chisholm and Charles Canada. Both productions were directed by then-Alliance Artistic Director Kenny Leon. Noted for his involvement in the community as well, Blacque, who had two adult biological sons, adopted nine children in the late 1980s. A deeply spiritual man, he adopted the name "Taurean" from his astrological sign of "Taurus" and the name "Blacque" from his race.- Actor
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Tall (6' 4"), agile, energetic, and ever-so-confident as both actor and singer, especially on the award-winning Broadway stage, Barry Bostwick possesses that certain narcissistic poise, charm and élan that reminds one instantly (and humorously) of a Kevin Kline -- both were quite brilliant in their respective interpretations of The Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance". Yet, for all his diverse talents (he is a Golden Globe winner and was nominated for the Tony Award three times, winning once), Barry is indelibly caught in a time warp. Even today, 35 years after the fact, he is indelibly associated with the role of nerdy hero Brad Majors in the midnight movie phenomena The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). While it is extremely flattering to be a part of such a cult institution, Barry's acting legacy deserves much more than this.
He was born Barry Knapp Bostwick on February 24, 1945, in San Mateo, California, one of two sons of Elizabeth "Betty" (Defendorf) and Bud Bostwick (Henry Bostwick), a city planner and actor. A student at San Mateo High School, he and his elder brother Peter use to put on musicals and puppet shows for the neighborhood kids. Barry attended San Diego's United States International University's School for the Performing Arts in 1967, and switched from music to drama during the course of his studies. He also worked occasionally as a circus performer, which would come in handy on the musical stage down the line. He subsequently moved to New York and attended the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at New York University.
Making his stage debut at age 22 in a production of "Take Her, She's Mine," Barry performed in a number of non-musical roles in such productions of "War and Peace" (1968) and "The Misanthrope (1968). Making his 1969 Broadway debut in "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy", which ran in tandem with "Hamlet" in which he was featured as Osric, it was his portrayal of the swaggering, leather jacket-wearing 50s "bad boy" Danny Zuko in the 1972 Broadway high-school musical smash "Grease" that put Barry's name prominently and permanently on the marquee signs. Originating the role, he was nominated for a Tony but lost out that year to the older generation (Phil Silvers for "A Funny Thing Happened...").
In the midst of all this star-making hoopla, Barry was also breaking into films with a minor role in Jennifer on My Mind (1971) and leading parts in the comedy spoofs Road Movie (1973) and The Wrong Damn Film (1975). It all paled after winning the role as Susan Sarandon's simp of a boyfriend in the The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), which featured a delicious Tim Curry camping it up as a transvestite monster-maker. The movie, based on the macabre 1973 British stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show," packed the midnight movie houses with costumed fans replicating every move and, word and offering puns and props aplenty in recapturing the insanity of the show.
While the "Rocky" association hit like a tornado, Barry ventured on and tried to distance himself. He created sparks again on Broadway, garnering a second Tony nomination for the comedy revival "They Knew What They Wanted" in 1976. He finally took home the trophy the following year for the musical "The Robber Bridegroom" (1977), which relied again on his patented bluff and bravado as a Robin Hood-like hero. Following top roles in the musicals "She Loves Me" and "The Pirates of Penzance", Barry turned rewardingly to film and TV.
The two-part feature Movie Movie (1978), which played like an old-style double feature, was a great success, performing alongside esteemed actor George C. Scott. Barry excelled in both features, but especially the musical parody. He fared just as well on the smaller screen in TV movies, playing everything from historical icons (George Washington) to preening matinée idols (John Gilbert), and winning a Golden Globe for his role as a military officer in the epic miniseries War and Remembrance (1988). A variety of interesting roles followed in glossy, soap-styled fare, farcical comedies and period drama.
A welcomed return to Broadway musicals in the form of "Nick & Nora" (he as sleuth Nick "The Thin Man" Charles) was marred when the glitzy production folded after only nine perfs. Instead, the prematurely grey-haired actor found steadier success in sitcoms as a smug comedy foil to Michael J. Fox playing Mayor Randall Winston for six seasons in Spin City (1996). He later enjoyed a recurring role as a dauntless attorney on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). Then again, Barry could be spotted pitching items in commercials or hamming it up in family-oriented Disneyesque entertainment in the "Parent Trap" and "101 Dalmatian" mold.
In 1997, Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10 days later had his prostate removed. The operation was successful and in 2004, he won the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Just a year earlier he appeared on an episode of "Scrubs" as a patient also having prostate cancer. Barry married somewhat late in life. For a brief time he was wed to actress Stacey Nelkin (1987-1991), but has since become a father of two, Brian and Chelsea, with second wife Sherri Jensen Bostwick, an actress who appeared with Barry in the TV movie Praying Mantis (1993).- Don Reid is known for Police Woman (1974), Mission: Impossible (1966) and The Incredible Hulk (1978).
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Duke Media Entertainment, led by actor, director, producer, writer and humanitarian, Bill Duke, is dedicated to bringing quality Edutainment to audiences around the globe. Formerly Yagya Productions, Duke Media has successfully produced critically acclaimed film and television content for more than 30 years. Additionally, Duke Media is in process of expanding the brand to involve itself in the development of new media technologies, i.e. cellphone apps, games, and virtual world experiences. Since the early 70s, Bill Duke along with industry veterans Michael Shultz and Gordon Parks, have long paved the way for African Americans in the industry.
Mr. Duke excels in front of and behind the camera. His acting and directing credits are extensive and include stints on such ground breaking television series as Falcon Crest, Fame, Hill Street Blues, Knotts Landing, Dallas, and New York Undercover. His feature credits include Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Get Rich or Die Trying, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, Predator, Menace II Society and Not Easily Broken, to name a few. He has recently completed production on, Blexicans, a new television pilot that takes a comedic look at a mixed race family. His documentaries, Dark Girls and Light Girls, both NAACP Image Award nominees, aired on OWN and were two of the most successful documentaries on the network.
Bill Duke's invaluable contributions to the industry have been recognized by both his peers and the entertainment community. Appointed by former President Bill Clinton to the National Endowment of Humanities, he was appointed to the Board of the California State Film Commission by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he has been honored by the Directors Guild of America with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute.- Actor
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Stephen Collins was born on 1 October 1947 in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. He is an actor and director, known for 7th Heaven (1996), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and The First Wives Club (1996). He has been married to Jenny Nagel since 22 July 2019. He was previously married to Faye Grant and Marjorie Weinman.- Actor
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On the cast list of The Magnificent Seven (1960), you will find several names that doubtless you know well: Charles Bronson, Steve McQueen, and Yul Brynner. But there is one name that you will have difficulty pronouncing, let alone identifying as an actor you have seen before. That man is Horst Buchholz, and he was one of the few German actors to have a considerable success in both Hollywood and in Europe. One would hardly guess that he was sought out to act in one of the most famous films of all time, only to have to turn it down.
Horst Buchholz was born in Berlin, Germany, in the year 1933. His father was a German shoemaker, while his mother was born to Danish parents. Buccholz was put in a foster home in Czechoslovakia when World War II broke out in Europe, but he returned to Berlin the moment he had the chance. Realizing his talent in acting, Buchholz dropped out of school to perfect his acting skills. After moving from East Berlin to West Berlin, he became well-known for his work in theatre and on the radio. In 1952 he turned to film, and after a series of small roles, he found a larger one in the Julien Duvivier film Marianne of My Youth (1955). He was praised for his role in the romantic/drama film Sky Without Stars (1955) by Helmut Käutner, but it was the lead role in the comedic Confessions of Felix Krull (1957) that made him an established German actor.
He followed this breakthrough role with the romantic film Two Worlds (1958) and the thriller Wet Asphalt (1958), where the handsome young actor plays a former criminal who associates himself with a journalist. Now a familiar face in his country, Buchholz pursued making foreign films. His first non-German film was the British film Tiger Bay (1959). The film is about a girl who witnesses a seaman named Korchinsky (Buchholz) murder his girlfriend. The film won praise in both Germany and Britain, but it was Buchholz' next foreign film that secured his name in the history of classic films. This film was the epic western The Magnificent Seven (1960) directed by John Sturges. Buchholz played Chico, the inexperienced Mexican youth that wants to be a gunman and abandon his past. Buchholz starred alongside such legends as Charles Bronson and Yul Brynner. both of whom had strong European roots. The film was a hit, first in Europe, then was re-distributed in the States to a much higher profit. The film gained massive popularity, and even now is treasured as a classic.
Buchholz could now find good and steady work nationally and internationally, which is something few actors could do at the time. He worked on the romantic film Fanny (1961), which is based on a trilogy of plays written by legendary writer Marcel Pagnol. Buchholz plays the role of Marius, a passionate but unsure youth who must choose between the girl he loves, and the life at sea he has always wanted. The film was a fine success, nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Charles Boyer (who plays Buchholz' onscreen father).
It was at this point in his film career where he was sought as the first choice to play the role of Sherif Ali in David Lean's legendary film Lawrence of Arabia (1962). However, Buchholz had to turn it down, as he had already signed up for another film, which turned out to be the Oscar-nominated comedy One, Two, Three (1961) (directed by Billy Wilder). The film was once again a fine success to add to Buchholz' career, but ultimately gained nowhere near as much of a status as David Lean's film. Buchholz also made the Italian film The Empty Canvas (1963) in which he plays an untalented artist who begins a love affair with a young model. Throughout his in the early 60s, Buchholz had made a name for himself, acting in one Oscar-nominated film after another and showing off his talent as an actor. However, the success he had reached was not to last.
Buchholz continued with film, including the James Bond spoof That Man in Istanbul (1965) and the crime film Johnny Banco (1967). He starred in the B-movie failure that was The Young Rebel (1967). Buchholz rebounded with the fiery film The Saviour (1971) in which he plays a man who claims to be organizing resistance against the Nazis. He also played Johann Strauss in the Golden Globe-nominated musical The Great Waltz (1972). which was sadly another failure.
The rest of the 1970s and the early 1980s were spent mostly on television and movies released for television, whether it be foreign (Dead of Night (1977), Return to Fantasy Island (1978)) or German (Derrick). Buchholz found mild success again when he returned to the big screen with the WW II espionage film Code Name: Emerald (1985) in which he plays alongside such stars as Ed Harris and Max von Sydow. After this film, Buchholz returned to European movies, such as And the Violins Stopped Playing (1988) in which a group of gypsies flee Nazi persecutors. After taking a supporting role in the fantasy film Faraway, So Close! (1993), Buchholz acted in one of his most well known films: the Oscar-winning Italian film Life Is Beautiful (1997) which was directed by and starred Roberto Benigni. Buchholz played the role of a doctor who befriends Benigni's character and frequently duels with him in riddles. This choice of role proved to be an echo of Buchholz' taste in choosing his projects in earlier years; the film won best foreign film that year, and was also nominated for Best Picture. Thanks to his gift for languages, Buchholz was able to dub himself in the foreign releases of the film.
Buchholz continued making films and television appearances until 2002, by which time he was sixty-eight years old. He died the next year, in Berlin, of pneumonia. Berlin had been the city of his heart, and was buried there in honour of that fact. Horst Buchholz had been a renowned German actor, and had gained credibility in the United States and other countries. He was a varied performer, acting all kinds of roles in his life, but was always a proud German to the last.- Actor
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During the '50s and '60s it seemed like every time you turned around, there was Bert Freed as a detective, gangster, sheriff or greedy small-town businessman, and sci-fi fans will remember him as the police chief taken over by the Martians in the classic Invaders from Mars (1953). He played a lot of tough cops--sometimes crooked ones, sometimes racist ones, sometimes violent ones, sometimes a combination of all three--and a lot of tough soldiers, but he could also play a jovial family patriarch when called upon. Born and raised in New York, Freed began acting while attending Penn State University, and made his Broadway debut in 1942. His film debut occurred, oddly enough, in a musical--Carnegie Hall (1947)--and he went on to play everything from a gangster in a Ma and Pa Kettle movie (Ma and Pa Kettle Go to Town (1950)) to a French army sergeant--a first-rate job, too--in the classic Paths of Glory (1957). It seems as if he appeared in just about every cop and detective series on TV at one time or another. He retired from acting in 1981, and died of a heart attack in Canada in 1994 while on a fishing trip with his son.- Actor
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Prolific American character actor Johnny Seven was born John Anthony Fetto in the Italian section of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York, to Marie and John Fetto. He was the only boy in a family of six children, with sisters Lillian, Terry, Connie, Dolores, and Jean. Considering that much of his future acting work consisted of playing tough gangsters and criminals, it may come as a surprise to discover that, until the age of 14, he was a boy soprano. He served 2-1/2 years in the US Army, with the 187th Field Artillery Battalion, and was bitten by the acting bug when he appeared in several USO shows during his military hitch. He married Edith Piselli on October 8, 1949, and they had two children, John Jr. and Laura. Seven worked in the New York theater community and did much live television until he was brought to Hollywood in 1958 by Universal Pictures to work in their many television series. He has since appeared in more than 600 TV shows, over 25 films, and numerous Broadway and off-Broadway productions. In addition to acting, he has also written and directed for the stage (his first play, "Salvage", was written in 1958), television and movies (he produced, directed and starred in a 1964 western, Navajo Run (1964), and has directed several TV shows and shorts since then). He enjoys gardening, golf and all kinds of fishing, ocean, lake and especially fly fishing.- Michael Goodwin was born in Virginia, Minnesota, USA. He is known for The Dead Pool (1988), Lolita (1997) and Fair Game (2010).
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Raymond Herbert "Ray" Wise (born August 20, 1947) is an American actor. Some of his best-known roles include Leland Palmer in Twin Peaks (1990), henchman Leon C. Nash in RoboCop (1987), Jack Taggart Sr. in Jeepers Creepers 2 (2003), the Devil in the CW television series Reaper (2007), Donald Wadsworth in Suburban Gothic (2014).
Wise was born in Akron, Ohio, graduated from Garfield High School in 1964 and attended Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. He is of Romanian descent on his mother's side.- Linden Chiles was born on 22 March 1933 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. He was an actor, known for The Green Hornet (1966), Old Friends (2010) and The Mystic Tales of Nikolas Winter (2012). He was married to Cynthia Jean Coles, Mona Lee Schussman and Rosemary Kelly. He died on 15 May 2013 in Topanga, California, USA.
- Joseph Hacker was born on 2 September 1944 in Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA. He is an actor, known for The Winds of War (1983), Knots Landing (1979) and Call to Glory (1984). He has been married to Maurine Louise Saari since 1988. They have two children.
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The Canadian-American actor Peter Donat had a 50-year-long career in TV, motion pictures and theater. So respected was Donat, that Francis Ford Coppola considered casting him in the role of Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972) that went to Robert Duvall.
The nephew of Oscar-winning actor Robert Donat, Peter was born Pierre Collingwood Donat on January 20, 1928 in Kentville, Nova Scotia. His father, landscape gardener Philip Donat, was Anglo-Canadian while his Marie (née Bardet) was French-Canadian.
In 1950, the 22-year-old Donat moved to the United States to study drama at Yale. A naturalized U.S. citizen, Donat frequently returned to Canada for acting work, appearing in the lead in a 1961 production of Donald Jack's play "The Canvas Barricade" at the Stratford Festival. He was also in the Canadian TV serial Moment of Truth (1964), which was broadcast on commercial TV in the States.
Peter Donat was married for 16 years to Emmy-winning actor Michael Learned. The couple, who divorced in 1972, had three children: Caleb, Christopher, and Lucas.- Utilitarian actor Lonny Chapman remains one of those highly familiar character faces to which you can't quite place the name. While he appeared in over 30 films and well over 300 TV programs over a five-decade career, the theater remained his first and foremost passion and for which he is best remembered. From 1973 until his death 34 years later, he was artistic director of the Group Repertory Theatre (GRT), a North Hollywood non-profit acting organization for which he also served as producer, writer, director and actor. It was a place to which scores and scores of L.A.-based actors would, and did, call "home". The facility, which is still running today, was renamed the Lonny Chapman Group Repertory Theatre (LCGRT) in 1999 in loving tribute.
He was born Lon Leonard Chapman on October 1, 1920, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but grew up in the city of Joplin, Missouri. His interest in acting started while fairly young. Following his graduations from Joplin High School (1938) and Joplin Junior College (1940), the athletically-inclined Lonny attended the University of Oklahoma on a track scholarship. The bombing of Pearl Harbor, however, interrupted his college studies, joining the Marines the very next day. He saw major action in the South Pacific, including Guadalcanal. During his 5-year tour of duty, he contracted malaria; frequent recurrences would plague him the rest of his life. The track star returned to his Oklahoma college following war duty and graduated with a BFA in Drama in 1947.
While at college Lonny became best friends with actor Dennis Weaver, who was also a talented track-and-field athlete and fellow drama student. The two young hopefuls hitchhiked together to New York City where they began their respective careers. Within a year (1948) Lonny was appearing as "Wiley" in the Chicago company of "Mister Roberts", directed by Joshua Logan. The year after that, he made his Broadway debut in "The Closing Door", directed by Lee Strasberg. During this time, he also established strong ties with the prestigious Group Theatre and Actors Studio. It was at the Actors Studio that he forged lifelong friendships with director Mark Rydell, and character actors Martin Landau, R.G. Armstrong, Pat Hingle and Logan Ramsey, among others.
Arguably, the peak of Lonny's early stage career occurred in 1950, when he co-starred in the award-winning drama "Come Back, Little Sheba", William Inge's first play to be produced on Broadway. Art imitated life in this case as Lonny portrayed the second lead role of "Turk", a college student and star athlete. Coincidentally, friend Dennis Weaver became his understudy and eventually took over the role. Starring Tony winners Shirley Booth and Sidney Blackmer, only Ms. Booth went on to recreate her role in the film version for which she won the Oscar. Lonny, who had yet to make a movie, was replaced by the already-established Richard Jaeckel as "Turk" in the film version.
Lonny continued to solidify his reputation on Broadway with "The Chase" (1952), produced and directed by José Ferrer and starring Actors Studio exponents Kim Stanley and Kim Hunter; "Whistler's Grandmother" (1952), co-starring Josephine Hull; "The Ladies of the Corridor" (1953), directed by renowned "Group Theatre" member Harold Clurman; and the Horton Foote-penned "The Traveling Lady" (1954), again starring Ms. Stanley. Elsewhere, he earned excellent notices as "Tom" opposite Franchot Tone's "Joe" in a revival of William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life" and as the "Gentleman Caller" in the first national tour of "The Glass Menagerie" starring Helen Hayes. By this time, Lonny had begun appearing on early TV, making his debut in an episode of Captain Video and His Cartoon Rangers (1956). His first film was a featured role in the tuneful Doris Day/Frank Sinatra drama Young at Heart (1954) in which he shared secondary scenes with Elisabeth Fraser. Actor Studio preeminent Elia Kazan took a strong liking to Lonny as an actor and looked for no one else to play the role of "Roy", the auto mechanic, in the classic John Steinbeck film East of Eden (1955), which catapulted James Dean to cult status. Kazan then gave Lonny a plum role in his film Baby Doll (1956).
In the late 1950s, Chapman began to show promise as a mover and shaker in the theater. In 1959, and for eight seasons following, he and co-founder Curt Conway devoted their summer seasons to the Cecilwood Theatre in Fishkill, New York, where he directed over 80 productions and performed in nearly thirty. Those up-and-comers who received their Equity union card under his guidance included Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Duvall. As a playwright, Lonny saw two of his own works produced off-Broadway -- "The Buffalo Skinner" and "Cry of the Raindrop".
Lonny migrated to Los Angeles in the 1960s in order to pursue film and TV roles and, along with Martin Landau, helped form the West branch of the Actors Studio out there. His gritty look, trademark dusky voice, earnest demeanor and solid Midwest upbringing was his meal ticket for getting Hollywood work. Tailor-made for earthy, blue-collar roles, he was most at home playing unpretentious folk. One would be hard-pressed to see him donning tie and tails in highly elegant settings when he obviously appeared more at home in a plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves or, at the most, a tweed sport coat with loose tie. He provided stark authenticity to a number of westerns, crimers and small-town dramas. In Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963), he portrayed the concerned diner operator who tends to Tippi Hedren's head wound after her first gull attack. He subsequently played a secondary but pivotal role in director/friend Mark Rydell's picture The Reivers (1969) set in Mississippi with Steve McQueen, and also one of Sally Field's chauvinistic bosses in the down-home drama Norma Rae (1979). He showed remarkable versatility with a top, change-of-pace supporting part in the early Woody Allen comedy classic Take the Money and Run (1969).
In 1973, he formed the Group Repertory Theatre and served as its first and only artistic director (until his death). Under his strong leadership, the non-profit organization staged over 350 productions, 45 of which were world premieres of original works. Sean Penn and Jennifer Tilly are former members of the company.
Quite visible on TV, he appeared to good advantage in prime-time programming. Headlining one TV series that never got firmly off the ground, The Investigator (1958), in which he played a private detective, he also co-starred with William Shatner and Jessica Walter in the "Law and Order" precursor For the People (1965). During the 60s, 70s and 80s, the gruff, bushy-browed actor could always be spotted somewhere on a topnotch crime show (Perry Mason (1957), The Defenders (1961) (recurring role), Judd for the Defense (1967), Mission: Impossible (1966), Mannix (1967), Ironside (1967), Quincy M.E. (1976), Matlock (1986)). He was given just as much footage sitting tall in the saddle in various western series (Laredo (1965), The Rifleman (1958), The Virginian (1962), Bonanza (1959)). He also appeared more than a few times on Gunsmoke (1955) and McCloud (1970), which starred his good friend Dennis Weaver. One particular highlight was his patriarchal role in an above-par TV-movie adaptation of The Rainmaker (1982) co-starring Tommy Lee Jones and Tuesday Weld.
A modest, down-to-earth kind of guy with a generous heart and spirit who preferred not to call attention to himself, Chapman was a sturdy film and TV presence over the years playing a hefty number of heroes, villains, boss types and confidantes. Although he worked consistently throughout the years, he never found the one role that might have moved him up the pecking order and propel him to the very top of the character echelon. In the twilight of his film career, he showed eerie countenance in his elderly watchman role in Nightwatch (1997), and last graced the screen as an octogenarian in Reindeer Games (2000), directed by John Frankenheimer and The Hunted (2003), directed by William Friedkin.
The last few years of his life were marred by failing health and the increasingly frail actor had to eventually be placed in a Sherman Oaks (California) care facility. He died there of complications from pneumonia and heart disease a little more than a week after his 87th birthday, on October 12, 2007. He was survived by his steadfast wife (of nearly 65 years), the former Erma Dean Gibbons, and their son Wyley Dean. - Actor
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Peter Brown got into acting when he was in the army by organizing a theater group on base to occupy his spare time while stationed in Alaska. After his discharge he enrolled in the acting program at UCLA, and starting in the mid-1950s found employment in many of the western films and series being turned out at the time (he is especially remembered for his work as eager young deputy Johnny McKay in the classic western series Lawman (1958) and as one of a trio of Texas Rangers in the western action/comedy series Laredo (1965)). Following the end of a contract with Universal Pictures (1965-1972), he switched to soap operas and made-for-TV films, and has been steadily employed ever since.- Jack Murdock during the 1960's and 1970's played in commercials for "Grandpas" discount stores in the Midwest. He was well known and played a "Grandpa" type character complete with overalls, bald head, glasses and a country accent to complete his character. Very successful and well received by the viewing public his longevity was unparalleled.
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Doug Sheehan was born on 27 April 1949 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Knots Landing (1979), 10 (1979) and Day by Day (1988). He has been married to Cate Abert since 25 July 1981.- Actor
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Parley Baer was born on 5 August 1914 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. He was an actor, known for License to Drive (1988), A Fever in the Blood (1961) and Dave (1993). He was married to Ernestine Clark. He died on 22 November 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Actor
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Born July 27, 1937 in Brooksville, Kentucky. He was married to Linda Galloway [divorced], the former Linda Robinson, and had two daughters. Their names are Tracy and Jennifer. Married the second time to Linda Marie, he has two stepchildren: Sheila and Robert. He also has one brother. Education, University of Kentucky-Fine arts. He was well known as Sergeant Ed Brown in the TV series Ironside (1967). Now, he is on a Corporate training team, as a consultant special - specializing in public speaking, and also presents acting seminars.- Actor
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Born on April 30, 1938 in Venice, California, Gary Collins was one of the most versatile actors in the entertainment industry. Gary attended Santa Monica City College and then enlisted in the United States Army for two years. While in uniform, Gary discovered acting and performed as a radio and television personality for the Armed Forces Network. A talented and diverse actor, he portrayed a variety of characters in films, television movies, miniseries, television series and on stage. In addition to these roles, Gary was also well known for his easygoing style and warmth as a Host. Gary was married to actress, television personality and former Miss America Mary Ann Mobley. He and his wife were involved with the March of Dimes for more than 20 years and they were active volunteers in relief organizations to end world hunger. They were also involved with the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis. Gary Collins died at age 74 of natural causes on October 13, 2012 in Biloxi, Mississippi.- John Franklin Carson was born and raised in Hollywood, California. His father was actor Kit Carson (born Eldridge Franklin Carson), who appeared in many Western films, most notably working with Dale Robertson. His mother, the former Rosemonde James, also had some acting experience, albeit primarily as a fashion model, and was elected president of the Mannequins Association of Los Angeles in 1968. Young Johnny started his career doing commercials, including one at age 5 or 6 portraying a circus ringmaster for a local department store. He later did cartoon voices for Hanna-Barbara. While attending Valley College, he played a lead role in "Taming of the Shrew", staged by the drama department in November 1969.
After his feature film debut, there was a dispute with Johnny Carson regarding use of the name John Carson. As a result, he began to use the name John David Carson professionally. He was romantically linked with Kim Darby at the time of her ex-husband (James Stacy)'s motorcycle accident, in which Stacy lost an arm and a leg, becoming a paraplegic. Carson and Darby met while the two were filming Joie (1973). - Actor
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Richard Bakalyan was born on 29 January 1931 in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Chinatown (1974), The Fox and the Hound (1981) and Von Ryan's Express (1965). He was married to Elizabeth Lena (Betty Lee) Baumann. He died on 27 February 2015 in Elmira, New York, USA.- Actor
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Sidney Clute was born on 21 April 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for And Justice for All (1979), McCloud (1970) and Battlestar Galactica (1978). He died on 2 October 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Albert David Hedison Jr. was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the elder son of Albert and Rose Hedison, naturalized United States citizens from Armenia. His father owned a jewelry enameling business and his son was expected to follow in his footsteps. Young Al had other ideas, having put his sights on an acting career after seeing Tyrone Power on the screen in Blood and Sand (1941).
Following the completion of military service in the navy (as a Seaman 2nd Class, working on mothballing decommissioned warships), he enrolled at Brown University. Three years later, he joined the Neighborhood Playhouse School in Manhattan and studied acting under Sanford Meisner. He then underwent further training at the Actor's Studio with the legendary Lee Strasberg.
When he finally made his theatrical debut he was billed as 'Al Hedison'. Voted most promising newcomer for his performance in the off-Broadway play "A Month in the Country", he received a Theatre World Award. More importantly, this opened the doors to work in the film business, albeit slowly. One of a myriad of struggling actors, Hedison had taken a temporary job as a radio announcer for a local station in North Carolina to make ends meet. Upon his return to New York, the offers began to come in and he made his screen bow in 1954.
His first significant role was as the unfortunate scientist André Delambre whose matter transmitter experiments end up with him being turned into The Fly (1958). It did not end well for the poor man. For the actor, however, it set the tone for other forays into the genres of fantasy and science fiction, notably as Ed Malone in The Lost World (1960) and as Captain Lee Crane in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964) (arguably his most famous role), both Irwin Allen productions. He later recalled really 'hitting it off' with co-star Richard Basehart, saying "Richard and I had real chemistry. He taught me so much about being camera ready when I needed to be. Television filming is so very fast, we always had to keep moving on."
Under contract to 20th Century Fox from 1958, Hedison next starred in the Cold War spy series Five Fingers (1959) portraying the part of an American counterintelligence officer (the accompanying change of his stage moniker to 'David Hedison' came about at the insistence of NBC and Fox). By the early 60s, Hedison had become a much sought-after, robust lead for made-for-TV films and TV series. He had befriended the actor Roger Moore while filming an episode of The Saint (1962) and this paved the way for him to appear in two James Bond films -- Live and Let Die (1973) and Licence to Kill (1989) -- on both occasions as CIA operative Felix Leiter. Over the years followed numerous guest spots on crime dramas like The F.B.I. (1965), Cannon (1971), Ellery Queen (1975), Barnaby Jones (1973) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). In 2004, he joined the regular cast of the TV soap The Young and the Restless (1973) for some fifty episodes. Ultimately, however, he came to regard the stage as his favorite medium, saying "When I go back to the theater, I feel good about myself. When I do films or TV, it's to make a little bread to pay my mortgage..." - Norman Palmer was born in England and served in the Royal Navy from 1939 to 1945. During his time in the service, he was twice decorated for bravery. Like most people in the service, Palmer didn't want to make a career out of it so he left the service and when to school to become a dental technician.
Eventually Palmer found himself in Florida where he owned a dental laboratory. That's when the acting bug bit him and he started doing local theatre productions at night. He felt like he needed to give it a try as an actor so Palmer moved to California in the early 1960s leaving his practice behind.
His older appearance enabled him to get a few roles as an actor but the work was not steady enough to support his family. This lead him into appearing in more background roles in the late 1960s where he was able to use his eloquent appearance to start appearing in socialite scenes and occasionally in talking roles as lawyers or reporters.
Norman Palmer worked until his death of cancer in 1986 leaving behind countless socialite appearances in television and movies and a story of a man who was able to achieve his dream.