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- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Kate Mara is an American actress. She starred in the Netflix political drama House of Cards (2013) as Zoe Barnes and appeared in the Fox TV series 24 (2001) as computer analyst Shari Rothenberg. She appeared in Brokeback Mountain (2005), We Are Marshall (2006), Shooter (2007), Transsiberian (2008), Stone of Destiny (2008), The Open Road (2009), Transcendence (2014), and Fantastic Four (2015) as the Invisible Woman. She also appeared in the FX horror mini-series American Horror Story (2011) as Hayden McClaine. Mara's film debut was in Random Hearts (1999), with Harrison Ford in 1999, directed by Sydney Pollack. In 2015, she also had a supporting role as astronaut "Beth Johanssen" in director Ridley Scott's film The Martian (2015). In the same year, she also starred as Ashley Smith in the movie Captive (2015).
Mara also starred in Morgan (2016), Megan Leavey (2017) and My Days of Mercy (2017).
Kate was born in Bedford, New York. She is one of four children of Kathleen McNulty (Rooney) and NFL football team New York Giants executive Timothy Christopher Mara. Her younger sister is actress Rooney Mara.
Her grandfathers were Wellington Mara, co-owner of the Giants, and Timothy Rooney, owner of Yonkers Raceway, and her grand-uncle is Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, the former US Ambassador to Ireland. She is the great-granddaughter of Art Rooney Sr., the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise. She often sings the national anthem at Giants home games. Her father has Irish, German, and French-Canadian ancestry, and her mother is of Irish and Italian descent.
Mara graduated from high school a year early. She was accepted at the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts but deferred her admission for three consecutive years.- Actress
- Producer
- Costume Designer
Actress and philanthropist Rooney Mara was born on April 17, 1985 in Bedford, New York. She made her screen debut in the slasher film Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005), went on to have a supporting role in the independent coming-of-age drama Tanner Hall (2009), and has since starred in the horror remake A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), the biographical drama The Social Network (2010), the thriller remake The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), and the romantic drama Carol (2015).
Patricia Rooney Mara is one of four children of Kathleen McNulty (née Rooney) and NFL football team New York Giants executive Timothy Christopher Mara. Her grandfathers were Wellington Mara, co-owner of the Giants, and Timothy Rooney, owner of Yonkers Raceway, and her grand-uncle is Steelers Chairman Dan Rooney, the former Ambassador to Ireland. She is the great-granddaughter of Art Rooney, the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers football franchise. Her father has Irish, German, and French-Canadian ancestry, and her mother is of Irish and Italian descent.
After graduating from Bedford's Fox Lane High School, she went to Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in South America for four months as part of the Traveling School, an open learning environment. She attended George Washington University for a year and then transferred to New York University, where she studied international social policy psychology and nonprofits. She took her degree from New York University in 2010. Her studies focused on non-profit organizations, as her family has a tradition of involvement in philanthropic causes.
She had thought of acting after watching old movies and attending musical theater, but did not think of it as a serious vocation and was afraid she might fail at this. As a result of her reservations, she appeared in only one play while in high school.
She began seriously focusing on acting when she was at New York University, appearing in student films. Inspired by her older sister, actress Kate Mara, she began to pursue the craft, auditioning for acting jobs at age 19. She appeared with her sister Kate in the video horror movie Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (2005), billing herself as "Patricia Mara". As "Tricia Mara", she had guest roles on television and won her first lead in the movie Tanner Hall (2009), which was shot in the fall of 2007.
She originally auditioned for the supporting role of Lucasta in "Tanner Hall", a $3-million independent film, but director Tatiana von Fürstenberg was so impressed by the young actress, she had her return to audition for the lead role of Fernanda, which Mara won. Furstenberg was delighted with her nuanced performance, saying, "Still waters run deep".
Continuing to call herself Tricia Mara, this was during the making of "Tanner Hall" that she considered changing her professional name to Rooney Mara, soliciting the advice of the cast and crew. After premiering at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, her performance in "Tanner Hall" brought the rechristened Rooney Mara a "Rising Star" award at the 2009 Hamptons Film Festival and a "Stargazer Award" at the 2010 Gen Art Film Festival.
She received her first lead role in a major feature, in the $35 million remake A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010). The movie proved disappointing at the box office, grossing only $63 million domestically and racking up a worldwide gross of just under $116 million. However, she was noticed by critics in the small but pivotal role of the Boston University undergrad Erica Albright who dumps Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network (2010). Director David Fincher subsequently cast her as the lead, Lisbeth Salander, in his thriller remake, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), based on Stieg Larsson's Millennium book series. She received critical acclaim for her performance, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama.
She starred in the thriller film Side Effects (2013), the independent drama Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013), and the acclaimed sci-fi romantic drama Her (2013). The following year, she starred in the adventure drama Trash (2014). She garnered further critical acclaim for her performance in Todd Haynes' romantic drama Carol (2015), for which she won the Best Actress Award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama and the SAG, BAFTA, and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In the spirit of her family's philanthropic endeavors, Rooney created Faces of Kibera, a charity that provides food, medical care and housing to orphans in Nairobi, Kenya's Kibra district, a small slum that houses a million people. There are many orphans as AIDS is rampant in the slum.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Sarah Silverman was most recently the host of the two-time Emmy-nominated weekly topical series, I Love You America, which streamed on Hulu and also received a Writers Guild Awards nomination.
Silverman is currently working on a musical adaptation of her 2010 memoir and New York Times Bestseller called The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee. The musical, The Bedwetter, will premiere Off Broadway at the Atlantic Theatre Company in April 2020.
On-stage, Silverman continues to cement her status as a force in stand-up comedy. In May 2017, she released her latest standup special A Speck of Dust on Netflix, which culminated in two Emmy Award nominations and a Grammy Award nomination. In 2013, she debuted her hour-long HBO standup special Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles, which earned her the 2014 Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special." The special received an additional Primetime Emmy Awards nomination that year for "Outstanding Variety Special" in addition to a Writers Guild Awards nomination. In September 2014, Silverman released the special as an audio album through Sub Pop Records, which went on to receive a 2015 Grammy Awards nomination for "Best Comedy Album." Previously, Silverman made an impressive splash with her concert-meets-comedy film Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic, which garnered major attention at the Toronto Film Festival.
In the film world, Silverman was most recently seen opposite Emma Stone and Steve Carell in the critically-acclaimed film Battle of the Sexes, which was based on the true story of the 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs. She also starred in I Smile Back, the film adaptation of the Amy Koppelman novel. The drama premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was later released in theaters by Broad Green Pictures. Silverman received much praise for her role as "Laney Brooks," culminating in a 2016 Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role." Her additional film credits include The Book of Henry, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, Ashby, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Take This Waltz, Gravy, Peep World, I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, The School of Rock, There's Something About Mary, The Way of The Gun. Silverman also lent her voice as "Vanellope" in the Oscar-nominated smash hit Wreck It Ralph and Golden Globe nominated Wreck it Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet.
Silverman was nominated for a 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series" for her portrayal of a fictionalized version of herself in her Comedy Central series The Sarah Silverman Program. This marked Comedy Central's first ever Emmy nomination in a scripted acting category. Silverman also received a Writers Guild Award nomination for her work on the show. In 2008, Silverman won a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics" for her musical collaboration with Matt Damon. Additionally, she was honored with a Webby Award for "Best Actress" for her online video "The Great Schlep," in which she persuaded young kids to encourage their grandparents in Florida to vote for President Obama prior to the 2008 Presidential Election.
Silverman has made memorable guest appearances on a number of acclaimed and notable television shows, including Monk, which earned her a 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards nomination for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series." Silverman also lends her voice to Emmy Award-winning FOX animated series Bob's Burgers. Her additional television work includes buzzed-about roles on HBO's Crashing, Masters of Sex, The Good Wife, The Larry Sanders Show, Seinfeld, and Mr. Show with Bob and David. Silverman has hosted a number of major awards shows, including the 2007 MTV Movie Awards and the Independent Spirit Awards.
Silverman grew up in New Hampshire and attended one year of New York University. In 1993 she joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and feature performer and has not stopped working since.
She currently lives in Los Angeles.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Felicity Huffman was born on 9 December 1962 in Bedford, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Transamerica (2005), Desperate Housewives (2004) and Sports Night (1998). She has been married to William H. Macy since 6 September 1997. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Dynamically entertaining heavyset US actor with piercing eyes, William Forsythe has a superb talent for playing some truly unlikable and downright nasty characters that dominate the films in which he appears! If you're cast as the hero against Forsythe's villain, then you have your work cut out for you, as Forsthye's raw energy and menace on screen is second to none. He started out in a couple of minor film roles and guest appearances in high-rated TV shows including CHiPs (1977), Hill Street Blues (1981) and T.J. Hooker (1982). He quickly moved into high-quality feature films, including playing a small-time hoodlum in Once Upon a Time in America (1984), an hilariously funny performance as a bumbling jail escapee alongside John Goodman in the knockout Raising Arizona (1987) and as a renegade soldier in Extreme Prejudice (1987).
The energetic Forsythe portrayed comic book villain "Flattop" in Dick Tracy (1990), was foolish enough to tangle with vengeful cop Steven Seagal in the hyper-violent Out for Justice (1991) and locked horns with ex-NFL linebacker Brian Bosworth in the biker action film Stone Cold (1991). With his expertise in playing icy villains, Forsythe was perfect to portray Prohibition mobster Al Capone in the short-lived '90s revival of the classic '60s crime show, The Untouchables (1993), and he continued the motif of playing edgy, nefarious individuals in the thought-provoking The Waterdance (1992), the oily film noir piece Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995), as real-life mobster Sammy Gravano, aka "The Bull", in Gotti (1996) and supporting another ex-NFL player's foray into film acting, when L.A. Raider Howie Long debuted in Firestorm (1998).
Forsythe has remained perpetually busy in the new century with a plethora of feature film, telemovie and TV series appearances, and has developed a minor cult following amongst film fans for his attention grabbing dramatic skills - check out his performances in City by the Sea (2002), The Devil's Rejects (2005) and Halloween (2007).- Born in Bedford, Texas, on March 4, 1993, the multi-talented Jenna Boyd has been "on the go" in her life since the age of 2. Her mother, Debbie, entered Jenna into a modeling search when she was two years old. Her enthusiasm and sweet nature captured the hearts of agents who informed her mother to send Jenna to agencies. Soon enough, Jenna was appearing in commercials and print ads, and was cast as one of the young kids in The Barney Show.
A few years later, the family moved to Atlanta, Georgia, because of work commitments involving Jenna's father, Mike, who now flies for Delta Air. Jenna's agent in Atlanta urged Debbie to temporarily move to Los Angeles, California, to audition. It worked, and Jenna was quickly cast in the TV shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), Just Shoot Me! (1997), Titus (1999), and Six Feet Under (2001). Jenna also appeared in the feature TV-movie Mary Christmas (2002) where she played the lead character, Felice. Jenna's first foray into film was a small part in The Exorcist (1973) director William Friedkin's The Hunted (2003) where she played daughter to Benicio Del Toro's character; the film also stars Tommy Lee Jones. She then appeared in Sam Weisman's Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) playing star David Spade's "adopted" daughter Sally. Jenna's biggest breakthrough came in Ron Howard's (Night Shift (1982), Apollo 13 (1995)) 2003 film The Missing (2003), where she received critical acclaim for her haunting portrayal of Dot Gilkenson, daughter of Cate Blanchett's character. (This was Jenna's second time working with Tommy Lee Jones.) Besides acting, Jenna Boyd is also an award-winning skater.
On the ice as early as 5:15 in the morning, Jenna's determination in her skating has already led her to master the double jump move, which is very successful for the 11-year old (her favorite skater is Tara Lipinski). Despite the hectic schedule of juggling skating, school (she's a straight-A student) and acting, Jenna is gifted and strong enough to handle it all.
Jenna's other hobbies include running a spy club with her friends, horseback riding, attending church, making homemade perfumes and spending time with her brother, Cayden, who is also an up-and-coming actor (last seen in Clint Eastwood's 2003 film Mystic River (2003) as the son to the Tim Robbins character). Jenna Boyd currently resides in Los Angeles. - Actress
- Director
- Producer
Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, the star of Precious (2009), was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother, Alice Tan Ridley, is a former special education teacher who gave up her career and became a street performer/singer, while her father, Ibnou Sidibe, is a cab driver. Her mother is African-American and her father is Senegalese. Her parents split when she was a youngster and Gabby grew up in Harlem. Though she was cast in school plays as a child, Sidibe had no interest in acting. She had witnessed her mother's financial struggles as a street singer and wanted the security that an education and a desk job would give her. After attending local colleges, Gabby pursued a degree in psychology at Mercy College. She was in the middle of preparing for an exam when a friend phoned her about an audition for the newest effort from Lee Daniels, Precious (2009).
Instead of attending class, she ended up being cast in the title role as Claireece "Precious" Jones, a taciturn, sixteen year-old who is pregnant for the second time after being raped by her father and is also on the receiving end of constant physical abuse by her mother. As grim as the subject matter is, Precious (2009) has become critical success and a source of inspiration for many. While her co-stars, Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey have both received a great deal of critical attention, it is Gabby who is the revelation as Precious, a character whose personality is quite different from her own. Anyone expecting a damaged young woman with no self-esteem is in for a shock after meeting the charming Sidibe. She hopes that her success in the film will motivate others to chase their dreams.
Precious (2009) has opened other doors for Sidibe. She has also completed shooting Yelling to the Sky (2011), a project from the Sundance Lab that also stars Zoë Kravitz and has other projects in the works.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Vanessa Estelle Williams (Actress, Singer, Writer, Director) born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, is a talented force that came to Hollywood in the 90's with passion purpose and staying power. This highly sought-after creative artist wrapped "A Rich Christmas" a feature film for BET this past December 2020 and most recently completed the film "Christmas Family Reunion" with The Ninth House production company.
Vanessa stars in Sidra Smith's six-part miniseries "A Luv Tale" coming soon to the Essence Magazine digital platform. Off the coast of East Africa in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Vanessa jetted to luscious Mauritius to shoot the indie comedy feature "Singleholic" opposite Erica Ash, Rotimi, Stephen Bishop and Tyson Beckford. Coming soon Vanessa will reprise her role as Anna Marie in the Candyman sequel "Say My Name," directed by Nia DaCosta, written and produced by Jordan Peele.
Williams made her film debut playing as the gun toting head of security "Keisha" in the urban classic film "New Jack City." Other film credits include "Thriller" streaming now on Netflix, "Raising Izzie, Imagine That", "Like Mike," "Punks, Mother," "Candyman."
Williams earned an Emmy Nomination for her work in the Showtime original film "Our America." After six consecutive nominations in the category Vanessa won the 2003 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her brilliant portrayal of Maxine Chadway in the hit Showtime series "Soul Food." Her star turn in "Raising Izzie" earned GMCTV its highest world premiere television rating and received a 2013 NAACP Image Award nomination for best Television Movie or Mini-Series. Television credits include NBC's long running daytime soap "Days of Our Lives," Freeform network's "Famous in Love." "The Flash, Ward of the State, the Bay series, "Sugar Mommas," "Lincoln Heights," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Knight Riders," "Flirting with Forty," "Ice Spiders," "Cold Case," "Soul Food" TV series (5 seasons), "Our America," "The Steve Harvey Show," "Chicago Hope," "Murder One," "Living Single," "NYPD Blue," "Melrose Place," "The Cosby Show" and "Law & Order."
Vanessa debuted on Broadway in Lincoln Center Theatre's production of "Sarafina." In 2012 Ms. Williams garnered rave reviews for her role as Esther in the critically acclaimed production of Lynn Nottage's "Intimate Apparel" at the Pasadena Playhouse. Her other Broadway and theatre credits include "Mule Bone," "Death and the Kings Horseman" and regional productions of "The Vagina Monologues, Issues, Abyssinia" and a European tour of the musical "HAIR."
An excerpt from her book "Shine," published in the June 2004 Essence Magazine became the basis for her solo show "Feet On the Ceiling!" a coming-of-age story. "Feet On the Ceiling" premiered at the "National Black Theatre Festival" in 2011 and plays regular engagements in cities and colleges throughout the US and the Caribbean.
Serving as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of Directors of The Black Aids Institute, Williams is also Chair of BAI's Hollywood Task Force on Aids. Recruiting and directing her colleagues in a series of Celebrity PSAs on HIV Awareness / AIDS Prevention.
An internationally recognized star, Williams' global brand appeal is authentic, energetic, and thoroughly relatable. An artist and mother of two creatively talented boys, Omar and Haile Wiseman, Vanessa blends passion and youthful exuberance with timeless charm and soulfulness that deeply connects with people. She is a talent audiences love, trust and admire.- Cayden Boyd landed his first roles, small television roles and commercials, as young as 6 and 7. He played Tim Robbins' son (Michael Boyle) in Mystic River. In 2004, he was cast in the starring role of Max in the 2005 film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. He played young Warren Worthington III in X-Men: The Last Stand, and he was cast in the lead role in the 2007 film Have Dreams, Will Travel (originally titled A West Texas Children's Story), alongside AnnaSophia Robb He appeared on episodes of such television series as Crossing Jordan, Cold Case, Close to Home and Scrubs. In 2008, he appeared alongside Julia Roberts and Willem Dafoe in Fireflies in the Garden. In 2015 Boyd also had a role on the television series Awkward playing Jenna's Marine boyfriend. He will be playing Ram Sweeney in the upcoming 2018 TV series, Heathers.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Laura Silverman was born on 10 June 1966 in Bedford, New Hampshire, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist (1995), Half Baked (1998) and The Comeback (2005). She has been married to Wesly Varghese since 4 December 2019.- Emmy and Tony Award-winner Barnard Hughes forged a career as one of American's most successful character actors, equally at home and successful on stage, the silver screen, and television. Most of his success came after middle-age. He made his Broadway debut in 1939 in Mary McCarthy's "Please, Mrs. Garibaldi", a flop that lasted only four performances. He appeared in another 22 Broadway shows, his last being Noël Coward's "Waiting in the Wings, which closed in the year 2000. His Broadway career lasted spanned 61 years and eight decades. Along the way, he won the 1978 Tony Award as best Actor in a play for Da (1988), his most famous role, which also brought him the Drama Desk Award as Outstanding Actor in a Play. (He won a lifetime achievement Drama Desk Award in 2000.) He also was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play in 1973 for Much Ado About Nothing (1973), which was fitting, as it was in Shakespeare repertory that he honed his craft. Hughes was born Bernard Aloysius Kiernan Hughes on July 16, 1915, in Bedford Hills, New York, to Irish immigrants Marcella "Madge" (Kiernan) and Owen Hughes. Bedford Hills is a hamlet lying 41 miles north of the heart of Broadway in Times Square (He changed the spelling of his Christian name on the advice of a numerologist; thespians are very superstitious). After graduating from the La Salle Academy and attending Manhattan College, he joined New York City's Shakespeare Fellowship Repertory Co. He was a member of the company for two years. He did not actually appear on Broadway in Shakespeare until 1964, when he played Marcellus to Richard Burton's Hamlet (1964). Off-Broadway, he played Polonius to Stacy Keach's Obie Award-winning Hamlet in 1972. His only other Shakespearean turn on the boards of the Great White Way was as Dogberry in "Much Ado About Nothing" in the 1972-73 season, which brought him his first Tony nomination. Off-Broadway, he also appeared as the Chorus in "Pericles, Prince of Tyre" and Sir John Falstaff in "The Merry Wives of Windsor". Back on Broadway, his most prominent role other than "Da" (which he also played in the roadshow tour) was as the Old Man opposite Alec Baldwin in Prelude to a Kiss (1992). Hughes had a 54 year-long screen career, equally adept in television as in movies. He was a regular on the soap opera Guiding Light (1952) from 1961-66. Though Hughes was a highly effective dramatic actor, he had a flair for comedy and appeared on such sit-coms as _"The Phil Silvers Show" (TV series) and _"Car 54, Where Are You?" (1962)_ before having recurring roles on "All In the Family" (1971) as a priest and on The Bob Newhart Show (1972) as Bob's father in the 1970s. He eventually headlined his own sit-com in the mid '70s, Doc (1975), which had a successful first season but was canceled early into its second after the network demanded changes to boost ratings. Instead, the ratings sank. His break-through performance in the movies arguably was a the messianic doctor who was a victim of malpractice and turned avenger in Paddy Chayefsky's The Hospital (1971) in 1971. It came two years after a small but memorable part in Best Picture Oscar winner Midnight Cowboy (1969), as he middle-aged gay mamma's boy who picks up self-styled "hustler" Joe Buck with disastrous consequences. Hughes married actress Helen Stenborg in 1950 and they remained married until his death on July 11, 2006, five days before what would have been his 91st birthday. The couple had two children, theatrical director Doug Hughes (who was also a Tony-winner) and a daughter, actress Laura Hughes.
- Writer
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- Producer
Seth Meyers was born on 28 December 1973 in Bedford, New Hampshire, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Documentary Now! (2015), Saturday Night Live (1975) and New Year's Eve (2011). He has been married to Alexi Ashe Meyers since 1 September 2013. They have three children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The son of a solicitor, British character actor John Le Mesurier attended public school in Dorset, England, before embarking on a career in law. However, acting was his true calling, and at age 20, with his parents' approval, he began his acting career by studying drama at the Fay Compton School of Acting, where one of his classmates was Alec Guinness.
After acting school he performed in repertory until World War II, when he served as a captain in the Northwest Indian Frontier.
After the war, he returned to the stage and made his film debut in Death in the Hand (1948). By the late 1950s Le Mesurier had made appearances in numerous films, especially those made by the Boulting Brothers, and also on television, particularly on Hancock's Half Hour (1956). In 1968 he landed arguably his most popular role, that of Sgt. Wilson in the long-running television series Dad's Army (1968). Although preferring comedy, Le Mesurier also excelled in drama, winning a BAFTA award for Best Actor of the Year in 1971 for his performance in Dennis Potter's "Traitor (1971) (TV)".
In 1977, during "Dad's Army", he had become very ill, but he recovered and continued acting until his death six years later.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jacqueline Boatswain was born in Bedford on June 22nd and as a child demonstrated a musical talent, attending ballet school in London at age seventeen. For some fifteen years she sang and danced in twelve West End shows such as the RSC's 'Kiss Me, Kate', 'Jesus Christ, Superstar' and the revivals of 'Carousel' and 'Chicago' amongst others.In the early 2000s it was suggested to her that she should turn her hand to acting and in 2001 she landed her first role in the BBC production 'Doctors', returning as a semi regular character. She then took on the role of the headmistress in the long running BBC school drama 'Grange Hill', remaining there for three years. Since then she has appeared in other long running series - 'East Enders', ''Casualty' and as regulars in 'Hollyoaks'( as fan favourite Simone Loveday ) and 'Shameless' as the pretentious Patreesha St Rose as well as a rather sinister scientist in the children's fantasy 'Wolfblood'. She has also played comedic roles in 'Bad Education' and three series of 'Cuckoo'. She can most recently be seen in ITV's 'Bancroft' and season two of 'Carnival Row' for Amazon when it is released.On stage she has appeared in 'Coriolanus', 'One Monkey Don't Stop No Show', James Baldwin's 'The Amen Corner' with Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Sharon D. Clarke and Sarah Rutherford's 'Adult Supervision', the last three being plays dealing with racial concerns.- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Steve Gonsalves was born on 23 October 1975 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for The House in Between 2 (2022), Ghost Hunters (2004) and The House in Between (2020).- Charlie J. Hiscock can be seen as "Will" on the Emmy award winning Apple+ series "Ted Lasso," which was made history with its 20 Emmy nominations for a comedy series. Hiscock is also known for his work on the BAFTA winning and Emmy nominated series "Secret Life of Boys." He began his career at the young age of 9 and made his professional debut on the British TV series "Combat Kids." He then followed that up with the BBC TV movie adaptation of "The Borrowers" opposite Christopher Eccleston, Sharon Horgan and Stephen Fry. Hiscock then took a break to focus on school and then got back into the business in 2018 with "Secret Life of Boys."
- Actor
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- Music Department
Ronnie Barker's remarkable versatility as a performer can be traced back to his time in repertory theatre, where he was able to play a wide range of roles and develop his talent for accents, voices and verbal dexterity. It was during this time that he met Glenn Melvyn, who taught him how to stammer (something he would later use to great effect in the sitcom Open All Hours (1976)). Melvyn also gave Ronnie his break into television by offering him a role in I'm Not Bothered (1956). During the 1960s, Ronnie became well-established in radio, providing multiple voices for "The Navy Lark" and working with comedy great Jon Pertwee. He also became a regular face on television, appearing in The Frost Report (1966) (perhaps most memorably in a sketch about Britain's class system, with John Cleese and Ronnie Corbett) and playing character roles on The Saint (1962) and The Avengers (1961).
In 1971, Ronnie teamed up with Ronnie Corbett again, this time for a BBC sketch series called The Two Ronnies (1971). This series proved enormously popular, continuing until the late 1980s. In addition to "The Two Ronnies", Barker starred on the popular BBC sitcoms Porridge (1974) (as a cockney prisoner) and Open All Hours (1976) (as a stammering Northern shopkeeper). In fact, only Leonard Rossiter could be said to have rivaled him during this time for the crown of British television's most popular comedy star. In 1982, he revived silent comedy in By the Sea (1982). Despite his extrovert performances on television, Barker remained a quiet, retiring individual in his personal life, much preferring to spend time with his family rather than mix with the celebrity crowd. This humility, combined with memories of his extraordinary abilities, meant that he continued to be greatly respected by his fellow professionals. In a BAFTA special shown by the BBC in 2004, stars as diverse as Gene Wilder, Peter Kay and Peter Hall paid tribute to his contribution to comedy and British television in general. Ronnie Barker died on 3 October 2005 after suffering from heart problems.- Actress
- Art Department
- Director
Renee Faia was born and raised in Bedford, Ohio. After receiving a scholarship to Columbus College of Art & Design, Renee began to study painting and clothing design. Soon she headed to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a costume illustrator. While working several years for Castle Rock Entertainment, first in television as costume stylist, then in film as an art coordinator, Renee simultaneously began to study acting. Renee continued to work in various positions behind the scenes and was about to become an art director, when she decided to make a full turn toward acting. Her first film role was, The American President (1995) which Rob Reiner cast Renee in after working with her behind the scenes on, A Few Good Men (1992).
Renee found her real breakthrough and first starring role when she was chosen from a nation-wide search to play "Cher", a role that earned her critical acclaim, in ABC's, And The Beat Goes On - The Sonny & Cher Story (1999). Renee was cast opposite singer, Dave Matthews in Disney's, Where The Red Fern Grows (2003), a feature film based on the popular children's book.
Neil Burger (The Illusionist) (2006), cast Renee in his first film, Interview With The Assassin (2002), which was nominated for three Independent Spirit Awards in 2003. Renee was the female lead, opposite Emmy Nominee, Michael Imperioli (The Soprano's) in, High Roller - (a.k.a - "Stuey") (2003), a film based on the true story of legendary poker champion, Stu "The Kid" Unger. High Roller received a Prism Festival Award as well as the Audience Award at the Nashville Film Festival.- Andrew Harold Rubin was born in the seaport town of New Bedford, Massachusetts. His father, Simon, owned a furniture and bedding factory and his mother, Leona (nee Greenstone) was an artist and international travel writer.
Andy, as he was called then, began performing and acting at the age of 10. He wrote and starred in skits and plays at the Jewish Community Center. Afterward, he continued acting the leads in plays while attending New Bedford High School. He won a college acting scholarship from the high school in his senior year.
School didn't make a lot of sense to him and as a result he only got into one college that he applied to. Wagner College, a Lutheran School, was located on Staten Island and as a concession to his parents Rubin agreed to go there. By the end of the school year Rubin's parents had received 24 letters from the Dean of Men listing various infractions by their son. His college career came rapidly to a close.
With his heart in acting, he auditioned for the famed American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. The Academy was like an embryo for him: an amazing training ground to eat and breathe acting daily for two years. After graduation he got a job as a page at NBC 30 Rock rising rapidly in the ranks to become the youngest full time writer in the history of the NBC Publicity Department. Going on auditions while at NBC landed him his first big time job. He was cast from hundreds of hopefuls to play the character of Cosmo in a guy/girl duo in a national commercial campaign (6 TV and 5 radio) for Sprite soda.
After being flown to California to shoot for two weeks on location, Rubin decided to move to California to seek work. He met with success almost immediately, guest starring in various television dramatic series including "Ironside", "The Streets of San Francisco", "Cannon" and dozens of others. He also scored recurring roles on well known comedies of the day such as "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", "The Jeffersons", and "The Odd Couple".
Rubin's big break came when he was tapped by director Martin Ritt ('Hud','Sounder') to star as Walter Matthau's eldest son, Buddy, in the horse-racing picture "Casey's Shadow". Although the film and he got terrific reviews it was not a box office success because it conflicted with another Matthau film, "House Calls" (with Glenda Jackson) which was released the same day.
He followed "Casey's Shadow" with the iconic film, "Police Academy", playing the character of George Martin, the suave Lothario pretending to be Hispanic so he "could get the girls". Rubin then went on to star in three television series, "Jessica Novak" (with Helen Shaver), "Hometown" (TV version of "The Big Chill") and "Joe Bash", an offbeat comedy starring him and Peter Boyle as two lower Manhattan beat cops created and produced by Danny Arnold ("Barney Miller").
Rubin continued to work in TV doing films and mini-series ("Roughnecks", "Deadline: Madrid") and in movies ("Nuts"- playing Barbra Streisand's ex-husband, "Sunnyside", "Little Miss Marker", "Tell Me That You Love Me"). He also was a regular on the Los Angeles theater scene starring in the Company Theater's "James Joyce Memorial Liquid Theater", Sam Shepard's "The Unseen Hand" at the Odyssey, "Hopscotch" at LAAT and "The Passing Game", produced by Tom Hanks, at the Gene Dynarski.
It was about this time that Rubin went on what he calls a "walkabout" traveling the world. During that time he explored the pyramids of Egypt, the temples of India and the outback of Australia where he and his wife, Lauren, lived with an Aboriginal tribe in a remote region of the country. He would also return to work occasionally, playing Jules Bergman, ABC's Science correspondent in "From the Earth to the Moon", and also writing and starring in "Men and Their Fathers", a well received short film.
He recently completed filming for a documentary, "The CURE Is U", set for release in 2012. No longer on a 'walkabout', he lives with his wife, Dr. Lauren Rubin, two dogs and five cats in Pacific Palisades. His passion for and love of acting has never dimmed. - Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Michael Knowles hosts "The Michael Knowles Show" at the Daily Wire. In 2017, he wrote the #1 national bestselling treatise Reasons To Vote For Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide, which President Donald Trump hailed as "a great book for your reading enjoyment."
Before blank book fame, Michael studied History and Italian Literature at Yale University, graduating with honors. At Yale, Michael rendered the first-ever translation for the English stage of political philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli's play The Girl From Andros, which Machiavelli scholar Angelo Capodivacca hailed as "a watershed event for the English-speaking world."
In 2017, he teamed up with acclaimed novelist and screenwriter Andrew Klavan to perform the narrative podcast and audiobook "Another Kingdom," which rose to become one of the most popular Arts podcasts of the year before being renewed for a second and third season.
Michael appears regularly on Fox News, EWTN, and OANN among other television news networks. He has lectured at research institutes and universities throughout the United States. Vanity Fair has described Michael as "a dapper, lib-triggering troll."- Laura Waterbury was born on 12 March 1947 in Bedford, Ohio, USA. She was an actress, known for Better Off Dead (1985), Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) and Innerspace (1987). She died on 25 September 2013 in North Hollywood, California, USA.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Rebekah Paltrow Neumann is an American actress, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. Born and raised in New York, Rebekah attended The Horace Mann High School and went on to major in Business and Buddhism at Cornell University. Upon graduating, Rebekah was accepted into Solomon Smith Barney's Sales and Trading Program. Soon thereafter, she left to pursue a career in acting and film. Classically trained with Eric Morris and The Old Vic Theatre, Rebekah has starred opposite Rosario Dawson in Awake and appeared opposite Lucy Liu in Nomads. On stage, she most recently starred in an Old Vic production of Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters directed by Eve Best. In 2012, Rebekah Paltrow Neumann co-founded WeWork Studios, the independent film production arm of WeWork. Wework, the first physical social network, was co-founded in 2010 by Rebekah's husband, entrepreneur Adam Neumann.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Carol Vorderman was born on 24 December 1960 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She is an actress and writer, known for W1A (2014), Trollied (2011) and Mr Blobby: Mr Blobby (1993).- With a dedication to his craft, and consummate appetite for the world and people around him, Dave Baez has built a career on character study and cultivated a passion to share his experience with a new generation of theater and film actors.
Born in the old New England fishing town of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Dave grew up in a multi-ethnic family, deeply rooted in Portuguese and Puerto Rican culture. Raised with unwavering support from his parents, Dave developed a passion for the arts, leading him to the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. There, he majored in Theater Studies, performing in several plays as well as establishing a program for students called, "The Experimental Stage," a creative outlet for free speech and the performing arts on campus.
After college, Dave moved to Miami, and was cast in his first professional theater production as King Philip of France, in "A Lion In Winter." A chance encounter with Frances Grill, founder of the CLICK modeling agency led to a meeting with fashion photographer Bruce Weber, who booked Dave for ads for Versace, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Bothers among others. Dave's focus, however, remained on acting as he used his newfound opportunity to move to New York and enroll in the acclaimed Herbert Bergdorf studio, studying under the late, celebrated actor, William Hickey, as well as an acceptance into the "Absolute Theater Company," which produced off Broadway plays. After benefiting from a donation from Al Pacino, the Company was able to produce a showcase in Los Angeles, which in turn, allowed Dave to make his destined move out west.
With experience and a solid resume, Dave quickly booked a role in the final installment of the Crow franchise, The Crow: Wicked Prayer, for Dimension Films in 2005, opposite Danny Trejo and Dennis Hopper. Several parts in film and television followed, including recurring roles in NBC's "Miss Match," alongside Alicia Silverstone and Ryan O'Neil, "Las Vegas," opposite Josh Duhamel and Vanessa Marcil, and a five-episode arc on Showtime's "Dexter," where Dave played Gabriel, the boyfriend to the title character's sister.
Dave can also be seen in the feature Mothers and Daughters, opposite Sharon Stone, Susan Sarandon, Selma Blair, Christina Ricci, and Courteney Cox, playing a doctor who develops a personal relationship with Selma Blair's character, as she struggles to make a tough decision regarding an unexpected pregnancy.
Other credits include the Daytime Episodic, "Days of Our Lives," CBS' "The Mentalist," The CW fantasy-drama, "The Secret Circle," the long-running Paramount comedy, "All of Us," co-created by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and the popular IFC series "Maron" in 2015, along with countless commercials for brands such as, Bud Light, Craftsman, Honda, Toyota, Buick, Caress, Verizon and AT&T, among others.
For Dave, acting is a companion to his natural thirst for life and intense reflection into his own soul. He is keenly aware that an actors journey never ends, the craft never perfected, but only built layer upon layer. This intense passion has led Dave to a new endeavor as he transitions into teaching the craft as well, sharing his experience, trade-craft and unique insights of the industry that has fulfilled him for over a decade. - Additional Crew
- Actress
- Soundtrack
She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts and went to New Bedford High School. Even before graduating in 1942, she had opened a dance studio where she taught dancing. Dancing was in her blood from an early age, and she performed often at high school festivities, the Mexican Hat Dance being one of her favorites. During the WWII years, she came to Hollywood and became the protégé of Gene Kelly, whom she admired a great deal. She had fine timing and was indefatigable. Unfortunately, she was a diabetic, and this may have been the cause of her demise. She married Larry Blyden in Hollywood (purportedly on the stage of a theatre), and had two children. After her death, her husband took the children to Texas, where they had relatives, and was soon, thereafter, killed in an auto accident.- Actor
- Producer
AJ Donnelly is a British actor and voice artist. Born in Bedford, England, AJ has worked in professional TV, film, theatre productions and commercials for more than a decade. In 2021, he was chosen by directors Zhang Yimou and Zhang Mo to play southern US Army officer Captain Williams in the movie 'Ju Ji Shou' (Snipers), which was released in Chinese cinemas on February 1st 2022. Most recently, he has worked with directors Chen Kaige (The Great War) and Li Jun (The Silicon Waves), meaning he has now worked with the three highest acclaimed directors in China.
While commonly seen in dramatic roles, AJ's passion is for comedy. He performed for the first time at the age of 7, and appeared in multiple productions throughout his childhood, both at school and with various drama clubs, continuing into early adulthood when he joined local amateur theatre group the Bedford Marionettes, where he developed his skills in physical comedy.
Having been involved in theatre throughout his entire childhood and teen years, in 1999 AJ took a break from acting, returning to the stage in 2011 with amateur theatre group Beijing Playhouse's production of the comedy 'Love, Sex and the IRS', playing the lead role of Leslie Arthur, and then in the Christmas panto 'Cinderella', playing Cinderella's father, The Baron. After spending several years focusing on theatre in Beijing, in 2013 he landed a small role in the Chinese TV drama 'Rong Hong', which reignited his interest in on-camera acting.
AJ Donnelly returned to the stage in 2016 and 2017, as the first foreigner to star in a Chinese play at the Beijing Capital Theatre, playing Mr. Sattel in the drama 'Paifang', directed by Yang Lixin. Some of his many film and TV roles over the past few years include 'Stride Across the Yalu River' (2020), 'The 13 Hongs of Canton' (2021) and 'Sea of Stars' (2022).
Aside from acting, AJ also works as a voice artist, providing voice work for educational institutes in China, the UK and Singapore and doing movie narration and dubbing in Chinese productions such as The 800, The Foreigner, Defiance, Chasing the Dragon and Karl Marx.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Born August 23, 1969, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Son of Carol and Ken VerCammen with one older sister Colleen who is married and now bears the last name Chiron. He attended Holy Family-Holy Name Elementary School and Bishop Stang High School. He attended AIC for two semesters then moved to South Florida where he attended PBCC. He left college to open, and operate Dream Romm Incorporated while pursuing his acting career.
After landing roles including but not limited to "T's Lounge Show," Harmony Street (1992) and Creep (1995), he took the advice of his friends and peers to head West. At the age of 28, he made the move to Los Angeles. He is employed as a Private Investigator while in between acting jobs. In Los Angeles, he has been booked as Todd on the The Bold and the Beautiful (1987) and Agent Harland on Robbery Homicide Division (2002) is another of his recent credits. He also made his debut on the big screen in the motion picture Shrink Rap (2003). Ken VerCammen has written the screenplays "Runaway Weekend", "Full Circle", and your "Your Time is Up".- Writer
- Actress
- Producer
Phoebe Robinson was born on 28 September 1984 in Bedford Heights, Ohio, USA. She is a writer and actress, known for Everything's Trash (2022), What Men Want (2019) and I Love Dick (2016).- Actress
- Writer
- Music Department
Alana Monteiro is a model, singer, songwriter, writer, actress, and dancer. She is ranked in the top 50 Social on Models.com. She has appeared in 3x Emmy award winning Disney's Hocus Pocus 2. She released her first single "High" at the age of 24. Her single received major recognition with radio play, popular playlists & more. Growing up, she was heavily involved in the performing arts, dancing for 15 years, singing and dabbling in theater.
Alana has taken various acting courses over the years upon moving to NYC. She's studied at prestigious film schools such as Stella Adler and New York Film Academy and many others. She began her film career by landing featured roles on major films. You'll find Alana Monteiro in movies like "Someone Great" featuring Gina Rodriguez, DeWanda Wise and Brittany Snow, "Second Act" starring Jennifer Lopez and Vanessa Hudgens and 3x time Emmy award winning Disney's "Hocus Pocus 2" starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler. She also has landed leading principal roles in national commercials.
Alana has landed covers and editorials in the some of world's top high fashion magazines including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, L'Officiel, Numéro, Glamour, Grazia and many more. She has worked with some of the industry's top leading beauty brands such as CoverGirl, Clinique, L'Oréal Paris, MAC Cosmetics, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, bare Minerals and NARS. She has done countless print advertisement campaigns and worked for some of the worlds most globally-known brands such as Nike, Reebok, Under Armour, Footlocker, Gap, TJ Maxx, Marshals, Macy's, Puma, Target, Reebok, Fila etc. Her campaigns have been featured in over thousands of stores across nation and worldwide.
Alana is ranked in the top 50 Social on Models.com. She is also ranked among the top 100 Black female models who carved a niche for themselves in the fashion industry. The rankings including a list of icons such as Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks.
A multi-talented, creative and well-rounded artist, Monteiro also writes and sings her own music. She has been singing and song-writing since her childhood for fun, but only started to pursue her music career professionally when she released her first single titled "High" on June 30th, 2021. With the popularity and success of her first single, she went on to create many more hits.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
At 17-years-old, Jodie, an east coast gal now living in the LA sunshine, almost became a cardiologist. Thank god NYU's Tisch School of the Arts accepted her early with a pretty substantial scholarship. So... Jodie canceled her 2nd interview at Brown 's Pre-Med Program and moved to NYC. The Village was her new home, Washington Square Park her campus and Stella Adler Conservatory became her training ground.
She worked consistently in the NY theater/musical theater scene for years with many renowned composers and directors. She played leading roles Off-Broadway in new musicals and plays at the York Theatre, New World Stages, Atlantic Stage and The Barrow Group.
Once she landed a recurring role on One Life to Live, her on-camera career in commercials, TV, and film began. Jodie is also an audiobook narrator with 40+ books under her belt and is an Audible Approved Producer. She has worked on TV shows including Modern Family and All My Children. She just completed a film directed by Ali LeRoi, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson. A short film she did with up-and-coming director, Tiffany Kontoyiannis, Non-Disclosure, was an official selection (2018) at Cannes Short Film Corner and the Female Media Festival.
Variety says, Jodie "Shines like a beacon."
As a producer, she tells female-driven stories that raise consciousness and connection through the lens of truth. Her first feature film got distribution by Cinedigm and Random Media. She has a feature in development which will be in pre-production the fall of 2019. She has two TV series on her slate that she is in the process of developing and pitching.
For over 10 years, Jodie's also coached actors and artists to achieve their goals, implement success strategies, become organizational masters and own their brand. With two bicoastal businesses, The Savvy Actor and Accelerated Artist, she brought the concepts of business to the artist. Jodie was an adjunct professor teaching the Business of Acting at Pace University in NYC for 3 years and built and teaches the year-long Business of Acting program at Studio School in LA. She has taught workshops at SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity, The SAG Foundation, Comicon and over 50+ universities and training programs.
In August 2017, Jodie's life came full circle and she married her high school sweetheart, Matt Viera. #firstlovelastlove They live in Valley Village with their three dogs - Sylvia, Nugget and Tater Tot.
.- Rukku Nahar was born on 28 February 1996 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for EastEnders (1985), Hollyoaks (1995) and Casualty (1986).
- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Martin Bayfield was born on 21 December 1966 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Wrath of the Titans (2012), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Taylor Garron was born on 21 May 1992 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for As of Yet (2021), The Things We Do When We're Alone (2017) and Abbott Elementary (2021).- Additional Crew
- Actor
- Stunts
Jeff Watson, owner and trainer of Brody the Bear has been raising and training bears for 19 years. He and Brody have worked together on commercials, television shows and feature films. They have also worked with some of the top professional wildlife photographers in the United States.
Jeff and Brody have appeared in cities all over the U.S. speaking to over a million people about bears and bear safety when spending time hiking, camping and fishing in bear country.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Fab 5 Freddy was born on 31 August 1959 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is a director and actor, known for Wild Style (1982), New Jack City (1991) and The Manchurian Candidate (2004).- Norman Wexler was born in New Bedford Mass and attended Harvard University. In addition to his acclaim as the writer of Saturday Night Fever, he also suffered from manic depression, and in 1972 was arrested by the FBI for saying he was planning to shoot then-president Nixon.
- Naomi Plaskitt was born on 30 November 1913 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Wrath of Jealousy (1936), Highland Fling (1936) and Best of British (1998). She was married to Alastair Sim. She died on 3 August 1999 in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
- Sound Department
Peter Watts was born on 16 January 1946 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He is known for Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972). He was married to Miv Watts and Puddie Watts. He died on 2 August 1976 in London, England, UK.- British bit player Lewis Alexander was born Herbert Alexander Lewis on August 27, 1910 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England. Lewis first began popping up in both films and TV shows alike in uncredited minor parts in the mid-1960's. A distinguished looking gentleman with a noble bearing and a neatly trimmed mustache, Alexander was frequently cast as party guests, government officials, or patrons in either casinos or restaurants. Moreover, Lewis often appeared onscreen alongside his wife and fellow background player Aileen Lewis. Alexander died at age one hundred on October 23, 2010 in Felpham, West Sussex, England.
- Davina Craig was born on 20 April 1914 in Bedford Park, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Ghost Camera (1933), Girl in the Street (1937) and The Black Abbot (1934). She died on 19 July 1983 in Opotiki, New Zealand.
- Director
- Actor
- Producer
An an actor, producer, director, writer, teacher and lecturer who covered all of the important mediums in one way or another during his lifetime, Ezra Stone will still be forever known for introducing quintessential late 30s and 40s teen Henry Aldrich to both radio and the stage. Stone's pitchy, cracking voice would become a familiar sound in living rooms for well over a decade.
He was born Ezra Chaim Feinstone on December 2, 1917, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The son of Solomon Feinstone, a chemist, teacher and philanthropist, and the former Rose Meadow, Stone made his debut at age 6 in a play entitled "Phosphorus and Suppressed Desires" for the YMHA players in Philadelphia. He later went on to tour with the National Junior Theatre of Washington, DC, in 1931-1932 before graduating from the Oak Lane Country Day School of Temple University in 1934.
Stone studied for the stage at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and made his New York debut playing seven roles in the musical revue "Parade" in 1935. Although the ebullient teen built up his young marquee name with such popular comedies as "Room Service," "Three Men on a Horse" and "Brother Rat," he found his pot of gold winning the stage role of Henry Aldrich in "What a Life" in 1938. More riches came his way on Broadway with the role of Dromio in "The Boys from Syracuse" and as Arthur Lee in "See My Lawyer."
Twenty years old at the time he started playing the teenage Henry on radio, Stone enjoyed a healthy 13 years (1939-1953) as the disaster-prone youth who was summoned into millions of homes to the eternal lament of his long-suffering mother: "Hen-reeee! Henry Aldrich!" -- which was invariably followed by Henry's anguished reply: "Coming Mother!" By 1941 "The Aldrich Family" was rated among the "top ten" programs alongside Jack Benny and Bob Hope's popular shows.
As for films, Stone never got it into gear. He can only be witnessed in a support role in the "B" movie Those Were the Days! (1940) as Allie Bang. He also played a cameo as himself, Sgt. Ezra Stone, in This Is the Army (1943), the feature film version of the hit Broadway play he appeared in the year before.
WWII intervened in 1942 but Stone managed to incorporate his life's passion into his military duties by directing and appearing in a number of US Army Special Services productions. On October 5, 1942, Ezra married actress/director/teacher Sara Seegar. They went on to have two children, Josef and Francine.
Following the war Stone focused on writing and directing. During TV's "Golden Age" he not only wrote sketches for the sitcom The Aldrich Family (1949), which ran for four seasons, but also for shows that starred some of TV's funniest: Danny Thomas, Milton Berle, Fred Allen and Martha Raye. At around the same time he directed a number of Broadway productions including "Me and Molly," the farcical "At War with the Army," which also featured wife Sara, and "Wake Up, Darling." In the 1960s Stone started directed TV sitcoms and adventures, making the rounds on such sets as Petticoat Junction (1963), The Munsters (1964), Lost in Space (1965) and The Flying Nun (1967).
Ezra and Sara were married for 48 years until her death in 1990. Four years later, the icon of "old-time" radio was fatally injured in a one-vehicle road accident in New Jersey at age 76.- Alison Fiske was born on 2 August 1943 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Mansfield Park (1983), Performance (1991) and Helen: A Woman of Today (1973). She was married to Stephen Fagan. She died on 26 July 2020 in Lewes, East Sussex, England, UK.
- Writer
- Producer
Laura Wade was born on 16 October 1977 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She is a writer and producer, known for The Riot Club (2014), Rivals (2024) and Connection (2013).- David Firth was born on 15 March 1945 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Sorry I'm a Stranger Here Myself (1981), Drummonds (1985) and Doctors (2000).
- Actor
- Additional Crew
William Xifaras was born in raised in Massachusetts; primarily the city of New Bedford, and later Boston. The son of Beatrice Keshian of Medford, MA and Michael Xifaras of New Bedford, MA.
He began film acting after his release from Massachusetts state prison system in 2005 (after having served 5 years for Intimidation). Bill spent many years learning through a variety of classes including: improv, acting on film, character development and scene study. Simultaneously he volunteered his time to talk to at-risk youth about the importance of education and goals.
Principal roles include: 20th Century Fox's The Heat, Sony Pictures' The Equalizer, Universals' Ted 2, Netflix's Wheelman, Hulu series Castle Rock, Caviar's Sound of Metal, Artina Films' By the Gun, Paramount Picture's Defending Jacob, AMC's Kevin Can F**k Himself, Showtime's Dexter, Thug, and Align's Love, Weddings, and Other Disasters. Director's he's worked with include Morten Tyldum, Dennis Dugan, Ben Affleck, Paul Feig, Antoine Fuqua, Seth MacFarlane, Jeremy Rush, Kevin Hooks, Darius Marder, Hans Petter Moland, James Mottern, Sanford Bookstaver and Richard Duque-Henao.
Actor's he's worked with include: Liam Neeson, Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, Cherry Jones, Annie Murphy, John Hamm, Sandra Bullock, Harvey Keitel, Denzel Washington, Betty Gabriel, Seth MacFarlane, Frank Grillo, Scott Glenn, Julia Jones and Riz Ahmed.
Upon request, Bill donates his time talking to public schools, after-school groups, and social programs aimed at youth's in crisis. Causes such as child welfare, education, homelessness, and children in foster care, have been and continue to be, a priority for him.- Make-Up Department
- Actress
Haley Lyn Fite spent the first 6 years of her life in Bedford, Indiana. At the age of 4 her "great performances" were beginning to be noticed by more people than her older brother Zach. She could fake a French and a Southern accent like any professional actor. Not to mention the famous "Hula Haley" dancing that led her to be enrolled in dance classes. She was quickly promoted and her photo was always chosen as the example for the studio, as it tuned out, she was also very photogenic.
As fate would have it, Haley moved to the Indianapolis area at age 7. She gained a sister named Jordan, and a year later, a baby brother named Van joined the family. Haley's "performances" continued at the hysterics of family and friends, so she was encouraged to take acting classes. With in weeks of enrolling, she found herself competing in NYC at IMTA, in both acting and modeling. She won 7 top ten awards and caught the attention of many agents and managers.
At the age of 11, Haley relocated to Los Angeles. A few of her credits include the lead role as Stacy, in the feature film "Stacy's Mom", playing a young Carrie Underwood for the CMT awards and playing Jennifer in a pilot for FOX television. You may have also seen her in the classic Coca Cola commercial released theatrically across the USA and Europe called "The Greatest Gift". She has appeared in several additional commercials and videos and in dozens of print ads including a cover shot, billboards, posters, catalogs, the Internet, and national publications.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Terrence E. McNally was born on 29 May 1948 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Earth Girls Are Easy (1988), 9 to 5 (1980) and Barnaby Jones (1973). He was previously married to Julie Brown.- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Actress
Esme Young was born in February 1949 in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for 28 Days Later (2002), The Beach (2000) and Black Sea (2014).- Cheryl Araujo was born on 28 March 1961 in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. She died on 14 December 1986 in Miami, Florida, USA.
- Shirley Chisholm was born on 30 November 1924 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She was married to Arthur Hardwick Jr. and Conrad Chisholm. She died on 1 January 2005 in Ormond Beach, Florida, USA.