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- Actor
- Producer
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Walton Goggins is an actor of considerable versatility and acclaim who has delivered provocative performances in a multitude of feature films and television series. He won a Critics' Choice Award for his performance in the HBO comedy series "Vice Principals" and landed an Emmy nomination for his role of 'Boyd Crowder' on FX's "Justified," among numerous accolades.
Goggins is the producer/star of the hit new CBS single-camera comedy "The Unicorn," which debuted as TV's #1 New Show and has been picked up for a full season. The series is about a tight-knit group of best friends and family who help 'Wade' (Goggins) embrace his "new normal" in the wake of the loss of his wife one year ago. As a sometimes ill-equipped but always devoted single parent to his two adolescent daughters, he is taking the major step of dating again. To Wade's amazement, he's a hot commodity with women, and his friends explain that he's the perfect single guy - a "unicorn": employed, attractive, and with a proven track record of commitment.
He has also re-teamed with his former "Vice Principals" co-star Danny McBride on HBO's comedy series "The Righteous Gemstones," which has been renewed for a second season. Written, directed and EP'ed by McBride, it tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. Goggins plays 'Baby Billy,' a former child star who clogged and sang for Jesus. As an aging man, he's fallen on hard times and comes to the Gemstones for salvation.
On the feature front, Goggins plays the role of 'Christ' in THREE CHRISTS, which IFC Films will release in theaters, VOD and Digital on January 10, 2020. The story follows a doctor (Richard Gere) who is treating paranoid schizophrenic patients at the Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan, each of whom believe they are Jesus Christ. The film made its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Goggins recently starred opposite Oscar winner Olivia Colman in the Appalachian thriller THEM THAT FOLLOW, which made its World Premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was released in August 2019. The film followed members of an isolated community of Pentecostal snake handlers led by 'Pastor Lemuel' (Goggins). In the can is the indie feature WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS.
In 2018, Goggins appeared in three major studio features: He starred opposite Alicia Vikander in Warner Bros./MGM's TOMB RAIDER reboot, in the role of villain 'Mathias Vogel.' The film opened as the #1 film globally. In its review, Variety proclaimed, "Goggins, a magnetic actor who projects the lean, hungry anger of vintage-period Jack Nicholson, never hits you over the head with evil; he lets Vogel's sleazy cruelty seep through his pores."
In Disney/Marvel's ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, the sequel to the superhero feature starring Paul Rudd, Goggins played 'Sonny Burch,' a character deep in the Marvel mythos. Additionally, he appeared in Twentieth Century Fox's MAZERUNNER: THE DEATH CURE, the third installment of the highly successful franchise that also opened at #1.
In recent years, Goggins has had pivotal roles in films by two of Hollywood's most important auteurs: Quentin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg. His integral role as 'Chris Mannix,' a southern renegade who claims to be the new sheriff of Red Rock in Tarantino's THE HATEFUL EIGHT, marked his second collaboration with the Academy Award-winning writer/director. He previously played slave fight trainer 'Billy Crash' in Tarantino's 2012 DJANGO UNCHAINED. That same year, Goggins also appeared in Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN, where he portrayed Congressman 'Wells A. Hutchins.'
For television, Goggins headlined and executive-produced season two of the contemporary espionage thriller "Deep State." He starred as 'Nathan Miller,' a former CIA operative who now works in the private sector as a fixer for the deep state and is at the heart of the new season. The series aired in the U.S. on EPIX, and Fox Networks Group Europe & Africa aired it globally in 50 markets in the summer of 2019.
Goggins won a Critics Choice Award for his role opposite Danny McBride in the HBO series "Vice Principals," which aired for two seasons. Created by McBride and Jody Hill, who also created "Eastbound & Down," "Vice Principals" is a dark comedy about a high school and the two people who almost run it, the vice principals (McBride and Goggins).
He starred in the first season of HISTORY's "Six," a military action drama from A+E Studios and The Weinstein Co that was the top new cable series of 2017 in total viewers. Inspired by current events, it followed an elite team of Navy SEALs whose mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan went awry when they uncovered a U.S. citizen working with the terrorists. Goggins played 'Rip Taggart,' the one-time leader of the SEAL team SIX squad.
For over a decade, Goggins has been one of the most magnetic and intense actors on television. He received an Emmy® nomination and four Critics Choice Award nominations for his mesmerizing portrayal of 'Boyd Crowder' on FX's Peabody Award-winning Drama series "Justified," which ran for six seasons. Goggins' 'Boyd' was the long-time friend, yet ultimate nemesis to U.S. Marshal 'Raylan Givens' (Timothy Olyphant). Elmore Leonard, EP and writer of the short story "Fire in the Hole" on which the show is based, says of 'Boyd,' "There has never been a more poetic bad guy on television in the way that he sees the world."
Goggins' critical turn as the complex transgender prostitute 'Venus Van Dam' on the FX drama series "Sons of Anarchy" earned him two Critics Choice Award nominations and helped shed a fresh light on the transgender community.
For seven years Walton garnered much acclaim for his complex and edgy portrayal of 'Detective Shane Vendrell' on FX's gritty, award-winning drama series "The Shield." He was nominated for a Television Critics Association (TCA) Award in the category of "Individual Achievement in Drama."
He has also taken his turn behind the camera. Goggins' collaborations with his partners at Ginny Mule Pictures include winning an Academy Award® for their 2001 short film, THE ACCOUNTANT, which he produced and starred in. The team produced, directed and starred in their first feature, CHRYSTAL, starring Billy Bob Thornton, which was accepted into the 2005 Sundance Film Festival's Dramatic Competition. For their third collaboration, Goggins produced and starred in the feature RANDY AND THE MOB, which won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2007 Nashville Film Festival.
Goggins and his Ginny Mule partners completed their fourth feature, THAT EVENING SUN, starring Hal Holbrook and Goggins. The film made its world premiere at the South By Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival in Austin, TX in 2009, where it won the Narrative Feature Audience Award and received the Special Jury Award for "Best Ensemble Cast." It went on to win awards at over 14 film festivals, culminating with the honor of the "Wyatt Award" from the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and two Independent Spirit Award nominations.
Goggins is co-owner of Mulholland Distilling, a portfolio of premium spirits reflecting the vibrant, rich culture of Los Angeles and one of the first spirits companies from the city of Los Angeles since prohibition. Its namesake William Mulholland was the visionary who expanded the boundaries and possibilities of L.A. by bringing water to the desert town. Now, Mulholland Distilling is bringing a different kind of water to the city, the water of life. American Whiskey. Vodka. Gin. "The Spirit of Los Angeles." With a mission to create artisanal spirits inspired by the diversity and verve of Los Angeles, the brand has worked with top distillers, blenders and mixologists across the nation to bring only the best to the City of Angels (www.mulhollanddistilling.com).
Goggins enjoys traveling the world and has spent time in Namibia, Mozambique, South Africa, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Central America, Morocco and India. He is an avid photographer and has captured many of his journeys on film.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Debby Ryan was born in Huntsville, Alabama on May 13, 1993, but she and her family moved to Texas when she was a small child and lived there for five years before moving to Wiesbaden, Germany. In Germany Debby became fascinated with acting in local plays and musicals. By age 9, she knew she wanted to be an actress. After three years in Germany, the family moved to Keller, Texas, where they lived until they moved to Los Angeles so Debby could pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Debby got her start in film with roles in Barney: Let's Go to the Firehouse (2007) and the MGM feature film The Longshots (2008) alongside Keke Palmer and Ice Cube. She also appeared in a handful of national television commercials. From there, her career took off when she secured one of the series-regular roles on Disney Channel's The Suite Life on Deck (2008), which debuted in 2008. In 2010, she starred in the smash hit Disney Channel film 16 Wishes (2010), one of the first of many Disney co-productions. She took an active role employing online and guerrilla-marketing techniques to the film that had a tiny marketing budget. The movie premiered to 5.6 million viewers and made it as second on the list of cable's top 25 most popular shows of that week, twice. Since then, 16 Wishes (2010) has been successful in over 30 countries worldwide and continues to draw in strong viewership numbers.
In addition to her work with The Disney Channel, Debby appeared on ABC's Private Practice (2007), showcasing some of her dramatic acting chops playing Hailey, a recovering cocaine addict. She also appeared as a murder suspect on A&E's hit series The Glades (2010), in 2012. Debby has appeared in over 8 live-action Disney Channel series and countless interstitials. Her current hit series Jessie (2011) was the first live-action series in Disney history to be picked up with only her cast, the Show Runner, and the script. Debby starred in the Disney Channel original movie, Radio Rebel (2012), which premiered on February 17, 2012 to over 6 million viewers. It was based on Danielle Joseph's novel "Shrinking Violet," and Debby appeared as Tara Adams, a shy high-school senior who leads an alternate life as an anonymous DJ [called Radio Rebel]. In addition to starring in the movie, Debby produced the music video and contributed to three tracks on the soundtrack, including "We Got The Beat," "A Wish Comes True Every Day" and "We Ended Right." Aside from Radio Rebel (2012) and Jessie (2011), Debby is also widely recognized for her role as popular season regular Bailey Pickett on the Disney Channel series The Suite Life on Deck (2008), a role she held from 2008-2011. She flexed her voiceover skills in Secret of the Wings (2012) and Ultimate Spider-Man (2012).
When she isn't working, Debby is passionate about volunteering and is a Disney Friends for Change Ambassador. Her recent work with Friends for Change took her to India, where in partnership with Free the Children, Debby helped to build a new school for a local village. The documentary on her work was nominated for a daytime Emmy in 2013. Debby is also heavily involved in music and loves to collaborate with her brother, Chase Ryan, and her friends. Her self-written single debuted in 2010 on Disney Channel as a music video about her character in 16 Wishes (2010). It was featured on the 16 Wishes (2010) soundtrack. In July 2011, she released the single, "We Ended Right," which debuted on iTunes and was also picked up to be featured on the "Radio Rebel" soundtrack. Debby wrote her first EP entitled "One." This indie rock, self funded/produced record premiered in the Top 5 on the rock charts and was featured on Billboard. Debby directed plays and skits while she was younger and after years of shadowing successful directors, she was allowed to take the reins as a director for her live action hit series Jessie (2011). She will direct 3 more episodes before the season ends in February. On the business side, Debby is an active producer on Jessie (2011). She was there from the inception of the story, attends production meetings, and makes meaningful and significant contributions to Jessie (2011).
She launched a production company called Shadowborn Productions, where she produced the official music video for "Radio Rebel" and another one for Atlantic's "Fueled by Ramen." In 2016, Debby played the part of "Holli" on the YouTube Red series, Sing It! (2016). She is costarring in the upcoming films Rip Tide (2017), playing the role of Cora; and the comedy Life of the Party (2018), alongside Gillian Jacobs, Melissa McCarthy, and Maya Rudolph. Debby was also cast in the lead role of Patty in a pilot ordered by the CW, Insatiable (2018).- Actor
- Producer
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Channing Tatum was born in a small town, Cullman, Alabama, 50 miles north of Birmingham. He is the son of Kay (Faust), an airline worker, and Glenn Matthew Tatum, who worked in construction. Growing up, he was full of energy and somewhat troublesome, so his parents decided to enroll him in different sports such as track and field, baseball, soccer, and football to keep him out of trouble. In the ninth grade he was sent to Catholic school. It was there that he discovered his passion for football and his hopes became centered on earning an athletic college scholarship. Channing's goal was finally met, and in his senior year in high school, he was recruited and earned a full athletic college scholarship to a school in West Virginia.
Tatum is also skilled in Kung Fu and in Gor-Chor Kung Fu, a form of martial arts, in which he has earned belts. Channing later left college and, in the meantime, worked as a construction worker, a stripper, a mortgage broker and salesman. He has modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch, Nautica, Gap, Aeropostale, Emporio Armani, and has been featured in television commercials for American Eagle, Pepsi, and some very popular Mountain Dew commercials.
Channing can be seen on the big screen as a featured actor in Coach Carter (2005), in which he plays a high school basketball player. He was also in the very popular TV series CSI: Miami (2002) where he played the role of Bob Davenport.- Actor
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Michael Connell Biehn was born on July 31, 1956 in Anniston, Alabama, to Marcia (Connell) and Don Biehn, a lawyer. He grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and at age 14 moved with his family to Lake Havasu, Arizona, where he won a drama scholarship to the University of Arizona. He left prematurely two years later to pursue an acting career in Hollywood. His first big role was as a psychotic fan stalking Lauren Bacall in The Fan (1981) and later appeared in The Lords of Discipline (1983). He hit the big-time when he was cast as Kyle Reese, the man sent back through time to stop Arnold Schwarzenegger in James Cameron's The Terminator (1984). This established a good working relationship with Cameron, a relationship that should have catapulted Biehn to international stardom. He starred in Cameron's subsequent films, Aliens (1986) and The Abyss (1989), the latter a standout performance as unstable Navy SEAL officer Lt. Hiram Coffey. In the 1990s he starred in films like Navy Seals (1990), K2 (1991) and was particularly memorable as Johnny Ringo in Tombstone (1993). Biehn is married and the father of five sons.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Brittany Howard was born on 2 October 1988 in Athens, Alabama, USA. She is an actress, known for Silver Linings Playbook (2012), Joy (2015) and Everything, Everything (2017).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Sonequa Martin-Green (born March 21, 1985) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her television role as Sasha Williams on The Walking Dead, a role she played from 2012 to 2017. Before that, she had starred in several independent films before gaining her first recurring role as Courtney Wells on The Good Wife. Later, she had recurring roles as Tamara in Once Upon a Time and Rhonda in New Girl. She plays the lead role as Michael Burnham in the television series Star Trek: Discovery.
Martin-Green was born in Russellville, Alabama. She has one sister and three older half-sisters. She had initially planned to become a psychologist before deciding to pursue a career in acting when she was in the tenth grade. On her decision to become an actor, she said, "I didn't know I was going to be an actor until I was 16. I thought I was going to be a psychologist, which is interesting because it's very similar to acting. I was fascinated with human behaviour and why people do what they do. I was in the middle of rehearsal in 10th grade when I had this epiphany. And so I got my theatre degree from the University of Alabama."
After graduating from the University of Alabama in 2007 with a degree in theatre, she relocated to New York City where she and her husband, Kenric, lived for five years before moving to California.
While known primarily for her television roles, Sonequa Martin-Green made her debut in film with various film roles since 2005. In 2009, she played the lead role of Tosha Spinner in Toe to Toe opposite Louisa Krause, the fiercely determined scholarship student who seeks to build a brighter future outside of Anacostia and away from one of Washington's poorest neighborhoods. The film focuses on her friendship and rivalry with Jessie (Louisa Krause), a privileged girl from Bethesda whose promiscuous tendencies threaten to become her undoing. They both strive to gain a better understanding of one another's plight as society threatens to drive them ever farther apart. The film received generally positive reviews, with Martin-Green's performance receiving critical acclaim, even from the film's detractors.
Martin-Green has had various guest and recurring roles in TV shows. She made her television debut in 2008, appearing on NBC's Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Kiana Richmond. She then gained her first recurring role on Army Wives as Kanessa Jones the following year. In 2009, she received the role of Courtney Wells on The Good Wife, her first recurring role playing an adult character as opposed to playing a teenager with her previous roles in both film and television. She appeared on the show for two years before making two more appearances in Gossip Girl and NYC 22 in 2011.
In 2012, Sonequa Martin-Green was cast in a recurring role on The Walking Dead as Sasha, the sister of Tyreese (Chad Coleman), an original character, exclusive to the television series. Martin-Green auditioned for the role of Michonne albeit with a pseudonym due to the secrecy of the auditioning process. When Danai Gurira, whom Martin-Green said was "the perfect choice", was cast, former showrunner Glen Mazzara still wanted Martin-Green to be a part of the show and decided to create a role specifically for her instead. Martin-Green explained: "[Sasha] was supposed to be a recurring character and as we kept going forward, they picked up my option to be a regular. It's very rare and I'm still quite dumbfounded about it but Glen and I hit it off and I still appreciate him. He wanted to work with me and wrote Sasha for me." She was promoted to a series regular for season 4 with Emily Kinney and Coleman.
After auditioning for the role of Michonne, she read the first three volumes of the graphic novels in preparation for the television series. Knowing they were different, she chose not to continue reading the comic book series to avoid being aware of future storylines that may occur on the television series. Martin-Green's performance as Sasha, particularly in the fifth season and seventh season, has received favorable reviews.
After filming for the third season of The Walking Dead ended, Martin-Green was cast in the second season of Once Upon a Time playing the recurring role of Tamara, a woman determined to rid the world of magic. She returned briefly in the third season before returning to her regular role as Sasha on The Walking Dead. As of the first episode of sixth season, Martin-Green's name appears in the opening credits.
In December 2016, her role as the lead actor of Star Trek: Discovery as a lieutenant commander of the USS Discovery was made public. She debuted as First Officer Michael Burnham in "The Vulcan Hello" on September 24, 2017.
Martin-Green has been married to fellow actor Kenric Green since December 4, 2010. They met while acting together in the play, Fetch Clay, Make Man, at the McCarter Theater in Princeton, New Jersey. In 2015, in Los Angeles, Martin-Green gave birth to a boy named Kenric Justin Green II after his father. Martin-Green was pregnant during filming of the fifth season of The Walking Dead, which she covered up using thick layers and using larger guns. She and her husband are vegans.
Since April 2016, she has been an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer, encouraging clinical trials, having a three-time cancer surviving mother and a sister with breast cancer.- Lucas York Black was born on November 29, 1982 in Decatur, Alabama to Jan (Keenum), an office worker, and Larry Black, a museum worker. With no formal acting lessons, Lucas made his film debut with a small part in the Kevin Costner film The War (1994) at age 11. This small role helped him land his next job in the series American Gothic (1995). When the series went to North Carolina to cast its primary roles, the casting people in Wilmington remembered Lucas, and suggested him for the role of "Caleb Temple." Although the series didn't last long, Lucas's film career did. He was next seen in the sleeper hit Sling Blade (1996), then in another dark film, Ghosts of Mississippi (1996).
A bit of Calvin Klein modeling and mainly school and sports occupied the rest of his spare time. He scored another summer hit with The X Files (1998) and finally got a lead role in the independent film Crazy in Alabama (1999). Selective about his film roles, Lucas turned down an opportunity to star in the movie adaptation of The Horse Whisperer (1998) due to the request of having his accent altered. In 2000 he was seen with Matt Damon in All the Pretty Horses (2000).
Lucas graduated from Speake High School in 2001; he had been a good student and also played football, basketball, and a little bit of golf. An avid bass fisherman, he plans to study fish biology. After a small break, he will next be seen alongside Hollywood stars Jude Law and Natalie Portman in the drama Cold Mountain (2003). - Actress
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Courteney Cox was born on June 15th, 1964 in Birmingham, Alabama, into an affluent Southern family. She is the daughter of Courteney (Bass) and Richard Lewis Cox (1930-2001), a businessman. She was the baby of the family with two older sisters (Virginia and Dottie) and an older brother, Richard, Jr. She was raised in an exclusive society town, Mountain Brook, Alabama. Courteney was the archetypal daddy's girl, and therefore was understandably devastated when, in 1974, her parents divorced, and her father moved to Florida.
She became a rebellious teen, and did not make things easy for her mother, and new stepfather, New York businessman Hunter Copeland. Now, she is great friends with both. She attended Mountain Brook High School, where she was a cheerleader, tennis player and swimmer. In her final year, she received her first taste of modeling. She appeared in an advert for the store, Parisians. Upon graduation, she left Alabama to study architecture and interior design at Mount Vernon College. After one year she dropped out to a pursue a modeling career in New York, after being signed by the prestigious Ford Modelling Agency. She appeared on the covers of teen magazines such as Tiger Beat and Little Miss, plus numerous romance novels. She then moved on to commercials for Maybeline, Noxema, New York Telephone Company and Tampax.
While modeling, she attended acting classes, as her real dream and ambition was to be an actress. In 1984, she landed herself a small part in one episode of As the World Turns (1956) as a young débutante named Bunny. Her first big break, however, was being cast by Brian De Palma in the Bruce Springsteen video "Dancing in The Dark". In 1985, she moved to LA to star alongside Dean Paul Martin in Misfits of Science (1985). It was a flop, but a few years later, she was chosen out of thousands of hopefuls to play Michael J. Fox's girlfriend, psychology major Lauren Miller in Family Ties (1982).
In 1989, Family Ties (1982) ended, and Cox went through a lean spell in her career, featuring in unmemorable movies such as Mr. Destiny (1990) with Michael Caine. Fortunes changed dramatically for Cox, when in 1994, she starred alongside Jim Carrey in the unexpected hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and a year later she was cast as Monica Geller on the hugely successful sitcom Friends (1994). It was this part that turned her into an international superstar and led to an American Comedy Award nomination. In 1996 Cox starred in Wes Craven's horror/comedy Scream (1996) . This movie grossed over $100 million at the box office, and won Cox rave reviews for her standout performance as the wickedly bitchy and smug TV reporter Gale Weathers. She went on to play this character again in each of the three sequels. Not only did her involvement in this movie lead to critical acclaim, but it also led to her meeting actor husband David Arquette. He played her on-screen love interest Dewey, and life imitated art as the two fell in love for real. Their wedding took place in San Francisco, at the historic Grace Cathedral atop Nob Hill, on June 12th, 1999. Joined by 200 guests, including Cox's film star friends Liam Neeson and Kevin Spacey, the happy couple finally became Mr. and Mrs. Arquette.- Actor
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Michael Rooker was born on April 6, 1955 in Jasper, Alabama. When he was thirteen, his parents divorced and he went with his mother to live in Chicago. He caught the acting bug while attending college, and began appearing in local stage productions. On first breaking into film, his intensity and "don't-mess-with-me" good looks were highlighted to chilling effect as he title character in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), filmed in 1986 but, due to its controversial nature, not released until 1990. Since that widely noticed and highly praised performance, much of his career has been spent playing brutes, villains and psychopaths. However, his occasional turns as a "good guy" are always well-acted and a welcome change for a talented actor too often typecast.
2017 marks an exciting time for Rooker, as he starred in two films premiering just two months of each other. On March 17, audiences saw Rooker in Blumhouse Tilt's indie horror thriller The Belko Experiment (2016). The film is the terrifying yet humorous look at a group of employees that become guinea pigs in a company-wide experiment that leads them to either kill their fellow employees or be killed themselves. Returning to his indie roots, Rooker starred as maintenance worker, Bud Melks, one of the employees trapped in the office building, who may or may not be able to kill his fellow staff member. On May 5, Rooker reprised his role as Yondu in the highly anticipated sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). The film follows the same group of galactic underdogs saving the universe to a stellar soundtrack. Rooker's breakout performance earned him critical acclaim, as audiences were introduced to a more dramatic Yondu. The film went on to earn over $145 million domestically its opening weekend and has surpassed its predecessor by grossing over $850 million worldwide.
Rooker made his film debut, playing the title role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), a film based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. It was here that audiences were first introduced to Rooker's impeccable ability to channel a character's idiosyncrasies and subtleties. He has also starred in some of the most iconic films, such as Mississippi Burning (1988), Sea of Love (1989), JFK (1991), Tombstone (1993) and Jumper (2008) to name a few. In August 2014, Rooker starred in one of the most memorable franchises in the Marvel Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), as Yondu, the blue-skinned renegade space pirate and surrogate father to Peter Quill. The film went on to gross over $700 million at the worldwide box office and spent five weekends atop the box office, more than any other film in the Marvel Universe.
On the television front, Rooker is best known for his series regular role as Merle Dixon on AMC's hit series The Walking Dead (2010). Audiences loved to hate the ill-tempered redneck hunter and were sad to see him killed off the series in season three. Rooker has completed a variety of stints on some of the most prominent series on television: Criminal Minds (2005), CSI: Miami (2002), Las Vegas (2003), Law & Order (1990) and Archer (2009), among others. Additionally, Rooker's talents go beyond both film and television. He adds his voice to various video games, including The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, and Lollipop Chainsaw.- Kimberly Jan Dickens is an American actress. Her film debut was in the 1995 comedy film Palookaville. Dickens played lead roles in the films Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997), Zero Effect (1998) and Mercury Rising (1998). Her other films include Great Expectations (1998), Hollow Man (2000), House of Sand and Fog (2003), Thank You for Smoking (2005), The Blind Side (2009), Gone Girl (2014), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Lizzie (2018), and Land (2021).
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Clayne Crawford was born on 20 April 1978 in Clay, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for A Walk to Remember (2002), Lethal Weapon (2016) and The Perfect Host (2010). He has been married to Sunshine Kiki Brown since 2004. They have three children.- Mitch Holleman was born in Auburn, Alabama, USA on Tuesday, September 13th, 1994. He began begging to be on television at the tender age of two. His family moved to Naples, Florida, USA and he signed with a Miami, Florida, based talent agency. By four, he had booked two national commercials for Nickelodeon and Burger King. A trip with his mother to New York resulted in numerous commercials and a guest-starring role on The Sopranos (1999). His big break came at age five when he landed a series regular role on Daddio (2000). Since then, he has also appeared in the feature film comedy The Animal (2001) starring Rob Schneider & the big screen comedy program of Bubble Boy. Then he earned the character role of "Jake Hart", on Reba (2001)'s weekly series starring Reba McEntire's third and youngest child & only son. His two elder sibling sister character first names were "Cheyenne" & "Kyra".
- Julia Campbell is an American film and television actress. Her most noted role to date was Christie Masters in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. Campbell had a starring role in the feature film, Tillamook Treasure (2006), in which she plays Kathryn Kimbell, the mother of the story's lead character. She has appeared on such television shows as Still Standing, Martial Law, Herman's Head, Ally McBeal, Malcolm in the Middle, Seinfeld ("The Frogger" episode), Friends, House, The Mentalist, The Practice, The Pretender, and Dexter. Some of her earliest notable roles were on the daytime soap operas Ryan's Hope (in which she played Ryan granddaughter Maura "Katie" Thompson) and Santa Barbara (in which she played Courtney Capwell) and the comedy film Livin' Large. In 2009, she guest starred on the NBC drama Heroes as Mary Campbell, mother of a new recurring character, Luke, in the episode "Trust and Blood". She appeared on the last episode of the series The Shield, on which her husband Jay Karnes played the character of Dutch Wagenbach.
- Felicia Day was born on June 28, 1979 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA as Kathryn Felicia Day. She is an actress and producer, known for her work on TV and the web video world. She has appeared in mainstream television shows and films, including Supernatural (2005) and a two-season arc on the SyFy series Eureka (2006). However, Felicia may be best known for her work in the web video world. She co-starred in Joss Whedon's Internet musical Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) and created and starred in the hit web series, The Guild (2007). Felicia is creative chief officer of her production company Knights of Good, which produced the web series Dragon Age: Redemption (2011) and the YouTube channel Geek & Sundry.
- Malcolm McRae was "discovered" at the AMTC (talent competition) among 1100 hopeful actors at age twelve, where he won Over All Young Actor, 2006. Since then, he has starred in an award winning short film called "Brotherly" and was recognized by the critics for his "outstanding performance by a minor." Currently testing for pilots, he is also investigating university options for the future, as he is an outstanding academic achiever and athlete. He is fast becoming a favorite in the casting world. Malcolm is a triple threat with his own brand of charm, gusto and sarcasm. With star looks, and an abundance of personality, this talented teen is making his mark on stage and screen. He starred in the musical "13" as "Evan" for the SouthEastern premiere. Malcolm plays guitar and piano, and sings pop, folk, rockabilly, rock and musical theatre.
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Spencer is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, which she claims is the proverbial buckle of the Bible belt. She's the sixth of seven siblings and holds a BS in Liberal Arts from Auburn University. A "closet" lover of acting, this practical Alabamian knew that she'd someday work in the film industry, but never dreamed it would be in front of the camera. In 1995, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher changed all that by giving her a small part opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit film A Time to Kill, and Spencer was on her way. In 1996, she teamed up with Bullock again in Bullock's directorial debut of Making Sandwiches, a short film that premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Spencer made her stage debut in Los Angeles and originated the role of "LaSonia" (pronounced lasagna) in famed writer/director Del Shore's, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, starring opposite veteran actors Beth Grant, Dale Dickey and David Steen (2003). The play garnered Spencer and her fellow cast mates critical acclaim and a bevy of awards. Since then, Spencer has continued to see success as an actor in both film and television, working alongside Hollywood's elite. In February 2009, she was lauded by Los Angeles Times publication: The Envelope, for her brief but memorable performance in the Will Smith drama Seven Pounds.- Mary Badham was born on 7 October 1952 in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. She is an actress, known for To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Let's Kill Uncle (1966) and The Twilight Zone (1959). She has been married to Richard Wilt since 1975. They have two children.
- Born in Birmingham, Alabama, to Episcopal minister Robert Fletcher and his wife Estelle, both of whom were deaf, Louise Fletcher was introduced to performing at a young age by the aunt who taught her to speak. After graduating from the University of North Carolina, she took a trip out west with her roommates, finding herself in Los Angeles without enough money to return home. She took a temporary job as a receptionist and signed up for acting classes at night. Soon she was working regularly in television and film, but after marrying producer Jerry Bick and having two sons, the actress took a long hiatus to raise her children.
Returning to work in 1974 in Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us (1974), Fletcher came to the attention of director Milos Forman, who was casting the difficult role of the nurse in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975). She won the role -- and then the Academy Award -- portraying deadly, inflexible Nurse Ratched, who has since become a cultural icon. Numerous film roles followed, including co-starring turns with Peter Falk in The Cheap Detective (1978) and with Richard Burton in Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977). Fletcher has appeared in a number of science fiction and horror classics such as Firestarter (1984), Brainstorm (1983), and Flowers in the Attic (1987).
Though she earned an Emmy Award nomination for her recurring role on Picket Fences (1992), Fletcher is perhaps best known to recent television audiences as Kai Winn from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and as Nora Bloom from the cult classic VR.5 (1995). - Actress
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Gail Strickland attended acting courses at Florida State University, then studied with Sanford Meisner. She made her debut on television in the series 'As the World Turns' and she landed her first theatrical role (as the schoolteacher who has all the answers) in Donald Driver's 'Status Quo Vadis' (1971-1972). Going out to California, she appeared as guest star in the series "Barnaby Jones", 'Hawaii Five-O', 'Police Story' and in other productions, before signing as Maureen Stapleton's partner in the television picture, 'The Gathering', and playing opposite Beau Bridges in 'The President's Mistress' Her first theatrical movie was 'The Drowning Pool', starring Paul Newman.- Actress
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Laverne Cox is a three time Emmy-nominated actress, Emmy winning documentary film producer and a prominent equal rights advocate. Laverne's role of Sophia Burset in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series "Orange is The New Black" brought her to the attention of diverse audiences all over the world. This role lead to Laverne becoming the first openly transgender actress to be nominated for a Primetime acting Emmy.
An artist and an advocate with an empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically, Laverne is the first openly transgender person to appear on the covers of TIME Magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine and Essence magazines among others. She was named one of Glamour magazine's 2014 Women of the Year. Laverne also proudly holds two SAG Awards winning them with her Orange Is The New Black cast mates.
Laverne has been one of the faces of Beyonce's athleisure line, Ivy Park. She also collaborated with Orly to create "Celebrate Yourself" a Limited Edition collection of nail colors and teamed up with Ted Danson for Smirnoff's "Welcome To The Fun" campaign.
Laverne's Emmy winning documentary "Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word" helped lead her to Executive Producing two powerful documentaries. The upcoming "Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen" is an unprecedented, groundbreaking look at the depiction of transgender characters throughout the history of film and TV and "Free CeCe" which tells the story of CeCe McDonald, a transgender woman who was controversially sentenced to 41 months in a men's prison for second degree manslaughter after defending herself against a racist and transphobic attack. The documentary focuses on McDonald's case, her experiences while incarcerated and the larger implications of her case for the transgender community and for communities of color at large.- Actor
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Orlando Jones was born on 10 April 1968 in Mobile, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Evolution (2001), The Time Machine (2002) and Drumline (2002). He has been married to Jacqueline Staph since 2 January 2009. They have two children.- Actress
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Sunny Mabrey is an actress, writer, and comedian who hails from Rainbow City, Alabama. After traveling the world on the modeling circuit for a year following high school, Sunny went on to graduate with a B.A. in Theatre from University of Mobile, a small liberal arts school where she discovered her passion for acting and entertainment. She relocated to New York upon graduation. Soon after, a Sony film brought Sunny to the West Coast. Since then, she has gone on to achieve recurring roles on ABC's Once Upon a Time (2011), CBS's MacGyver (2021), Lifetime's The Client List (2011), AMC's Mad Men (2007), TNT's Memphis Beat (2010), and CMT's Still the King (2016). She has starred in many studio and independent films, playing a young Glenn Close in Hillbilly Elegy (2020), co-starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the feature film, xXx: State of the Union (2005) and again in the cult comedy-thriller, Snakes on a Plane (2006). Her independent film One Last Thing... (2005) premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Taking the world of Vine, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook by storm with her quirky brand of comedy, she quickly amassed a following of over 2 million. By relating to her audience through many different mediums, Sunny uses these platforms to release her creativity, express her ideas, promote and share news on film and television projects, help charitable organizations, and display branded content. In addition to acting, Sunny writes, directs, and produces films and music videos. She also spends much of her time creating music and fronting a band she formed with her husband and fellow actor, Ethan Embry and musician, Ashley Mendel. Sunny splits her time between Los Angeles and Atlanta.- Actress
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Beth Grant has the unique honor of having co-starred in three Academy Award winning Best Pictures - Barry Levinson's Rain Man, the Coen Brothers's No Country For Old Men and Michel Hazanavicius's The Artist. Furthering her reputation as an Oscar lucky charm was her work with Johnny Depp in Gore Verbinski's Rango, the Academy's Best Animated Feature. Grant received the Screen Actors Best Ensemble Award for No Country For Old Men and Dayton-Faris's Little Miss Sunshine.
Grant co-starred in David O. Russell's Amsterdam, playing Robert De Niro's wife, opposite Margot Robbie, Christian Bale and John David Washington. As a Southerner she is particularly proud of her critically acclaimed role as "Addy Bundren" in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying directed by James Franco, premiering at Cannes. Grant enjoys cult status with hits Donnie Darko, To Wong Foo and Sordid Lives.
Grant had a blast in a five-episode arc on the final season of Amazon's Goliath where she gave hell to Billy Bob Thornton, Nina Arianda, Bruce Dern, Jena Malone, and J.K. Simmons. Grant stars as Carlotta Mayfair on Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches on AMC, AMC+, two seasons as "Cat Lady" in Dollface with Kat Dennings on Hulu, and 6 seasons as fan favorite "Beverly" on The Mindy Project now on Fox, Hulu and Netflix.
Her 140+ films include Lucky with Harry Dean Stanton and David Lynch, Pablo Larrain's Jackie, starring Natalie Portman, Words On Bathroom Walls with Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell, Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men starring Nic Cage, and her four movies with Sandra Bullock - Speed, A Time To Kill, All About Steve and Bullock directed Making Sandwiches.
Grant delights in having created so many well known and popular, if often wacky, characters who she remembers as dear friends. Among her favorites are characters in Friends, Child's Play 2, Flatliners, CSI, Criminal Minds, The X-Files, Coach and recurring roles on Elmore Leonard's Maximum Bob, and Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events both directed by Barry Sonnenfeld.
She adored working with writer/director Todd Holland on The Wizard, Malcolm In The Middle, and Wonderfalls, co-created with Bryan Fuller who also wrote roles for her on Pushing Daisies, Mockingbird Lane and American Gods.
Beth Grant loves doing theatre! She received the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, LA Stage Alliance Ovation, LA Weekly Award, Backstage West Award for Lead Actress in Del Shores's The Trials And Tribulations Of Trailer Trash Housewife. Grant starred Off Broadway in Tony George's Tricks The Devil Taught Me at The Minetta Lane Theater. Grant has won three Ovation Awards, including Lead Actress for Grace And Glorie at The Colony Theatre directed by Cameron Watson who also directed her in his beloved feature Our Very Own opposite Allison Janney, Robert Carradine and Jason Ritter.
Theatre credits also include world premieres by Maya Angelou, Romulus Linney, Horton Foote and Mark V. Olsen. Grant had two stints at The Ahmanson in Picnic with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Gregory Harrison and Summer And Smoke, directed by renowned Broadway director Marshall Mason, starring Christopher Reeve.
Grant enjoys claiming several hometowns in the South from Ft. Payne, Alabama to Atlanta, Georgia to Wilmington, North Carolina. She was a Page in the North Carolina Senate, attended the NC Governor's School for Gifted And Talented, was a two term president of the College Democrats at her Alma Mater, East Carolina University, and was Governor Robert Scott's appointee to Arts and Recreation Commission at age 19. Early on she studied film acting with Clu Gulager. In later year years she found an acting home as student of Milton Katselas's Master Class.
Grant is a co-executive producer on upcoming release of Flannery O'Connor's Wildcat directed by Ethan Hawke. She produced and plays the title role in Del Shores' film Blues For Willadean, co-starring with Octavia Spencer and Dale Dickey.
Grant directed a multi-award winning short, The Perfect Fit, also starring Spencer along with Lauren Miller Rogen, Ahna O'Reilly, Frances Fisher, Jennifer Zaborowski and Grant's daughter, Mary Chieffo.
Chieffo graduated with honors from The Juilliard School and is the first female Chancellor of The Klingon Empire on Star Trek: Discovery. Grant and her daughter produced Operation Othello with Julius Tennon and Viola Davis's JuVee Productions and Oculus Story Studio, wherein Chieffo re-imagined Shakespeare's Othello, playing his nemesis "Iago" as a woman.
Beth Grant has been married to Mary's father, actor Michael Chieffo, for 37 years. She attributes much of her success to them and to her family of origin, brother Bubba Grant, his wife Dr. Mary Grant, and Beth's always beloved and remembered parents, activist Southern Belle Libba and mild-mannered Southern Gentleman William Grant, all of whom supported her wild and crazy dreams. Beth Grant says she is the luckiest woman in Hollywood.- Actress
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Lucy Kate Jackson was born in Birmingham, AL on October 29.1948. She attended the University of Mississippi but left during her sophomore year to begin studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was a supporting cast member on Dark Shadows (1966) (Daphne, 1970-1971) and on The Rookies (1972) (Jill Danko, 1972-1976). She starred as one of the original Angels (Sabrina Duncan, 1976-1979) on the mega-hit show Charlie's Angels (1976). She delighted fans as the dauntless Amanda King in the television show Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983) which was partially owned by her production company, Shoot the Moon Enterprises. She appeared in numerous other film and television productions. She is an actor, director and producer.- Actress
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Amber Benson was born on January 8, 1977 in Birmingham, Alabama. As a young girl, she studied singing, dancing as well as acting. While still in her teens, she was involved in productions at the local community theatre. Her family moved to Los Angeles soon afterwards in 1992 so she could pursue a career in acting.
Her first movie role was a minor part in King of the Hill (1993), where she played a good-natured, epileptic teenager and hotel resident which was set in 1930s Depression-era Indiana, which was immediately followed by another supporting part of Cheyenne, the best friend of Alicia Silverstone in The Crush (1993). A string of roles followed with her acting in three made-for-TV "Jack Reed" detective movies playing the daughter of the title detective as well as other minor and bit parts in Imaginary Crimes (1994), S.F.W. (1994) and Bye Bye Love (1995).
She's also acted in a number of independent film productions and film shorts including Take It Easy (1999), Deadtime (1999), Don's Plum (2001), Hollywood, Pennsylvania (2001). But Amber is probably best known for playing Tara, the shy, withdrawn witch and love interest of Willow for three seasons on the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) from early 2000 to 2002.
Amber has also tried her talent at writing and directing, starting in 2001 with the little-seen independent comedy-drama Chance (2002), where she played the title character. She has also wrote various stage plays as well as the scripts for other independent movie productions like The Theory of the Leisure Class (2001) and Ghosts of Albion: Legacy (2003).- Actor
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Richard Tyson was born in Mobile, Alabama but eventually pursued his love of acting and moved to Hollywood, California. Landing one of his first roles on the hit TV show, 'Moonlighting' (with Bruce Willis and Cybil Shepherd), Richard's career took off from there and hasn't shown any sign of slowing down since. Best known for his roles as Buddy Revell in 'Three O'Clock High', Cullen Crisp in 'Kindergarten Cop' (opposite Arnold Schwartzenegger) and Perry in 'Two Moon Junction', Richard has time and time again proven his versatility as an actor in not only the different characters he plays, but also in his ability to go from feature film star to television actor to theater performer (he regularly takes to the stage to perform Shakespeare).
Richard was the star of his own television series called Hardball which ran for a year in 1989. He has also appeared on various other TV shows throughout his career including his most recent appearance on CSI:New York.
With a long list of film credits including 'Black Hawk Down', 'There's Something About Mary', 'Kingpin', 'Genghis Khan' and many others, Richard has shared the screen with a wide array of actors including Charleton Heston, Orlando Bloom, Ben Stiller and John Travolta. In addition to his extensive film and television career, Richard holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts from Cornell University and once taught acting there. Richard's most recent films include 'Naked Run', 'Richard III', 'Plane Dead', 'The Visitation' and the horror film, 'Big Bad Wolf' in which Richard plays a stepfather accused by his stepson of being a vicious werewolf. 'Big Bad Wolf' is set for release this year.
In the fall of 2006 Richard returned home to Alabama for the premiere of the film, 'When I Find The Ocean' - the first film he has been in to be shot in his home state - and soon after visited Russia where he accepted the Peacemaker Award. Richard is currently shooting the film 'Jake's Corner' and will be returning to Russia later this year to begin filming for another movie. He is also looking to direct and produce his own films and continues to seek interesting and challenging roles to play.- Actress
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Born and raised in Alabama as Ann Steely, O'Donnell attended high school and college in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, then worked as a stenographer to finance a trip to Hollywood, where she was spotted by a talent scout, leading to her being signed to a contract by producer Samuel Goldwyn.
Recognizing her talent and appeal through a thick Southern accent, Goldwyn arranged rigorous voice & theatrical training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and elsewhere, bestowed on her a winsome Irish stage name, and cast her in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). This film's success boded well for Cathy's career, and soon she was starring in the now-classic They Live by Night (1948). However, her rise in films was checked when, on Sunday, April 11th, 1948, at age 24, she married 48-year-old producer Robert Wyler, older brother of one of Hollywood's most accomplished directors, William Wyler, whose own long-term contract with Goldwyn had recently ended acrimoniously. The irate Goldwyn abruptly canceled her contract; thereafter she had no lasting association with any studio or producer. Her most memorable roles of the 1950s were in classic films noir, such as Detective Story (1951), where her sincere, sweet girl-next-door persona was at odds with those films' dark, gritty milieu. Her last and most famous film was Ben-Hur (1959), after whose enormous success she worked on TV until 1961. Belying Goldwyn's opinion, her marriage to Wyler proved happy, though childless. Her death on their 22nd wedding anniversary, Saturday, April 11th, 1970, followed a long struggle with cancer.- Actor
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Tough around the edges and with a handsome durability, Alabama-bred Wayne Rogers was born in Birmingham on April 7, 1933. He graduated from Princeton with a history degree in 1954 and joined the Navy before giving acting a thought. During his military service, however, he became associated with theater by happenstance and decided to give it a try after his discharge.
Studying with renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner and dancer Martha Graham at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Rogers toiled for years in off-Broadway and regional plays ("Bus Stop", "No Time for Sergeants") and had a short stint on the daytime soap The Edge of Night (1956) before making a minor dent in films, including small roles in Odds Against Tomorrow (1959), The Glory Guys (1965) and Cool Hand Luke (1967). Rogers finally hit co-star status opposite Robert Bray in the short-lived TV western series Stagecoach West (1960) and co-produced and wrote the script for the cult sci-fi cheapie The Astro-Zombies (1968) in-between.
It wasn't until 1972, when the 39-year-old actor nabbed the role of "Trapper John," a Korean War surgeon, in the classic comedy series M*A*S*H (1972), that he found elusive stardom. Alongside Alan Alda's "Hawkeye Pierce", the TV show was a huge hit and the two enjoyed equal success at the beginning. Slowly, however, Wayne's character started getting the short end of the stick as the wry, sardonic, highly appealing Alda became a resounding audience favorite. Frustrated at turning second-banana to Alda, he quit the series (his character was discharged) after three seasons amid a contractual dispute. Mike Farrell replaced him in the cohort role of "B.J. Hunnicut" and the show enjoyed several more award-winning seasons
TV movies came Wayne's way throughout the late '70s and a couple more comedy series, including House Calls (1979), in which Wayne received a Golden Globe nomination, but nothing would equal the success he found during the M*A*S*H (1972) years. Sporadic filming in Once in Paris... (1978), The Hot Touch (1981), The Gig (1985) and The Killing Time (1987) also failed to raise his standard, nor did his starring work in the TV movies He's Fired, She's Hired (1984), The Lady from Yesterday (1985), One Terrific Guy (1986), American Harvest (1987), Drop-Out Mother (1988), Miracle Landing (1990).
Broaching the millennium, Rogers was lesser seen, but found some featured roles in such films as Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Love Lies Bleeding (1999), Frozen with Fear (2001) and Three Days of Rain (2002). He would be last glimpsed in the Hollywood-themed comedy Nobody Knows Anything! (2003) in which he also served as producer. Wayne found renewed respect as a businessman and investor in later years, managing the affairs of such stars as Peter Falk and James Caan, among others. He died on New Year's Eve of 2015 of complications from pneumonia. He was 82.- Actress
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Jasika Nicole grew up in Birmingham, AL and studied musical theatre, dance and studio art at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC before moving to NYC to work in theatre. There she performed in Off and Off-Off Broadway musicals and plays before starting her career in TV and film. Identifying as a queer, biracial and black woman, Nicole has been with her wife, Claire Savage, since 2006 and has most recently voiced the role of the queer, WOC narrator, Keisha Taylor, in the cult favorite Night Vale Presents podcast 'Alice Isn't Dead'. Outside of TV and film, Nicole is an avid craftsperson, penning essays and blog posts about intersectional feminism in the crafting world. She sews her own clothes, makes shoes, builds and reupholsters furniture, and draws and writes her own web comics.- David Howard Thornton was born on November 30th, 1979 in Huntsville, Alabama. He is an actor known for work in stage, film, and voice over. He is best known for his roles as Grandpa Who in the 1st- 5th national tours of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical", the voice of Shizoku and others in the video game "Invizimals: The Lost Kingdom", The Joker in the YouTube series "Nightwing Escalation", and Art the Clown in the film "Terrifier".
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Lex Medlin was born on 30 March 1969 in Auburn, Lee County, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Hot Sand (2005), Supernatural (2005) and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000). He has been married to Lori Bell Medlin since 2004. They have two children.- Michael O'Neill was born on 29 May 1951 in Montgomery, Alabama. He is an actor, known for Dallas Buyers Club (2013), Transformers (2007) and Seabiscuit (2003). He is married to Mary O'Keefe. They have three children.
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Jordan William Fisher is an American actor, singer, dancer, gamer, and musician. He began his career with recurring roles on several television series, including The Secret Life of the American Teenager in 2012 and Liv and Maddie from 2015 to 2017. He also had supporting roles in the television films Teen Beach Movie (2013), Teen Beach 2 (2015) and Grease Live (2016), and starred in Rent: Live (2019).- Actress
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Donna D'Errico was born on 30 March 1968 in Dothan, Alabama, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Frank and Penelope (2022), Survive the Game (2021) and 9-1-1 (2018). She was previously married to Nikki Sixx.- Actor
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André Holland was born on 28 December 1979 in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Moonlight (2016), Selma (2014) and 42 (2013).- Jonathan James Simmons was born November 28, 1986 in Montgomery, Alabama, to Cindy and Ben Simmons. He was raised in Dallas, Texas.
His first film in Los Angeles was entitled "My Ambition". When casting notices went out, there was a misprint stating that the production was looking for a lead female to play Julie Walters. He contacted the production office in hopes they would have a part for a male and was asked to audition for the lead. Producers cast him on the spot and never bothered to rerun the correct casting notice, which in turn, got him his first manager.
His big break came on only his second feature film audition, Evan Almighty (2007), in which he played Dylan Baxter, opposite Steve Carell and Lauren Graham. Since then, he has had major roles in many Hollywood films, including Hotel for Dogs (2009), Jennifer's Body (2009), 21 Jump Street (2012), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and The To Do List (2013). - Actor
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The son of a circuit-riding Methodist preacher in rural Alabama, Pat Buttram became one of America's best-known comic entertainers. He left Alabama a month before his 18th birthday to attend the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. An announcer from radio station WLS was on hand to interview members of the crowd and settled on Pat as a typical visitor from the South. The interview that followed was anything but typical. Pat made a hit with his hilarious observations on the fair and was immediately offered a job with the station. This led to a long and happy association with the popular "National Barn Dance" radio program. During those years Pat met Gene Autry, who took a liking to the young comic and later brought him to Hollywood to replace Smiley Burnette, who had found other work while Gene served in WWII. Together Pat and Gene made many western films and a television series, The Gene Autry Show (1950), which aired from 1950 until 1956. They remained close friends until Pat's death in 1994.
In 1952 Pat married actress Sheila Ryan, whom he had met on the set of Mule Train (1950). Over the next 40 years Pat prospered in radio, films and television, making stand-up appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) (aka "The Ed Sullivan Show") and lending his vocal talents to many animated television shows and films, including several Walt Disney features. In the early 1960s he revealed a flair for dramatic acting when Alfred Hitchcock tapped him for roles in two The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962) episodes. His big television break came in 1965 with the role of "Mr. Haney" in the long-running CBS comedy Green Acres (1965). Throughout his career Pat was in constant demand as a toastmaster and after-dinner speaker, where his agile and sophisticated wit belied his "countrified" appearance. In 1982 Pat founded the Golden Boot Awards to honor actors, directors, stunt people and other industry professionals who have made significant contributions to the western film genre. Proceeds from the annual event are donated to the Motion Picture Health and Welfare Fund.- Actor
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William G. Scott was born in 1952 in Bessemer, Alabama. He attended Birmingham-Southern College for two years. He lived in New York City prior to moving to Hollywood in the late 1970s.
Changing his name to Glenn Shadix, he made his film debut in the poorly received The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981), later winning a breakthrough role in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice (1988) as Otho, the pretentious and treacherous interior designer who dangerously dabbles in the paranormal. Tim Burton went on to cast Shadix as the voice of the Mayor of Halloween Town in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), and Senator Nado in Planet of the Apes (2001).
Notable television credits include NBC's Seinfeld (1989), and HBO's Carnivàle (2003). On September 7, 2010, Shadix accidentally fell at his condominium in Birmingham, Alabama, and died of blunt trauma to his head. He had already had mobility problems and was wheelchair-bound. Shadix was survived by his mother, sister and brother-in-law.- Music Artist
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Michael Wayne Atha (born December 30, 1979), better known as Yelawolf, is an American rapper from Gadsden, Alabama. In his early years, Yelawolf released his first independent album Creek Water, which was released in 2005. During 2005 to 2010, he released one extended play and four mix-tapes. One extended play (EP), titled Trunk Muzik, amassed a strong attention that would follow the rapper's signing a record deal to Interscope Records, which re-released the mix-tape as Trunk Muzik 0-60 later that year.
In January 2011, Yelawolf signed a recording contract to Eminem's record label, Shady Records, and released his major-label debut album, Radioactive on November 21, 2011. The album debuted at number 27 on the Billboard 200. Yelawolf released a sequel to his breakthrough mix-tape Trunk Muzik, titled Trunk Muzik Returns on March 14, 2013. His second album, Love Story, was released on April 21, 2015. His third album, Trial by Fire, was released on October 27, 2017.
Michael Wayne Atha was born on December 30, 1979, in Gadsden, Alabama, and is of Cherokee (on his father's side) and White American descent. His mother Sheila, whom he claims was a "rockstar", gave birth to him when she was just fifteen years old. Throughout his childhood, Atha moved often. He spent much of his time in Antioch, Tennessee, and attended Carter Lawrence Elementary School in Nashville, which was located near housing projects and where he says "hip hop started making sense to me. That's where hip hop made sense culturally."
Regarding his stage name, Yelawolf has said, "Yelawolf is Native American. My father is Cherokee and I'm from Cherokee county - Gadsden, Alabama. Yela represents light, the sun, power, fire, hunger and Wolf represents my ability to survive... my fierceness."
In 2005, Yelawolf appeared on UPN Network reality series The Road to Stardom with Missy Elliott, which made him gaining attention as a contract artist (mural painting) from Rainbow City, Alabama. After his elimination from the show, he released his independent debut album Creek Water in 2005, later the same year he released his debut mix-tape Pissn' in a Barrel of Beez. Two years later, Yelawolf signed to Columbia Records and released the single "Kickin'" from his unreleased first studio album, Fearin' and Loathin' in Smalltown, U.S.A.. The album was never released, after Yelawolf was dropped from the label later that year. Yelawolf released two mix-tapes following his release from Columbia, titled Ball of Flames: The Ballad of Slick Rick E. Bobby and Stereo: A Hip Hop Tribute to Classic Rock, the two of which went mainly unnoticed. In 2009, he signed with Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and released his debut extended play Arena Rap.
In 2009, he began to work with Ghet-O-Vision producer, WLPWR, on his breakthrough mix-tape titled Trunk Muzik. Released in January 2010, the mix-tape created an enormous online following for Yelawolf. Later that year, Yelawolf signed a major record deal with Interscope Records, and began to work on a re-release of the mix-tape, titled Trunk Muzik 0-60. It was released on November 22, 2010, under Ghet-O-Vision Entertainment and Interscope Records, which became his most acclaimed work to date. For the rest of 2010, he made guest appearance on Bizarre's Friday Night at St. Andrews, as well appeared on albums by rappers Big Boi and Paul Wall.
In March 2011, after speculation of a joint record deal with Eminem, Yelawolf was featured on the cover of XXL's March 2011 issue, with Eminem and fellow new Shady Records signees Slaughterhouse, with the issue confirming his record deal with Shady Records. Yelawolf was also featured among the XXL's Top 11 Freshmen of 2011, releasing several songs on the magazine's yearly Freshman mix-tape, along with Kendrick Lamar, Cyhi Da Prynce and Big K.R.I.T., among others. On April 14, 2011, Yelawolf announced the title of his debut Shady release "Radioactive" with a release date that aimed for September. On May 18, Yelawolf announced his album's first single, titled "Gangsta of Love", produced by Jim Jonsin and featuring Cyhi Da Prynce. The song was leaked in early July, although it only featured unfinished vocals by Cyhi da Prynce at the end of the song. The song was later scrapped and no longer appeared on the album. Yelawolf partnered up with the video game Driver: San Francisco to release a music video for the song "No Hands" which was supposed to be included in Radioactive, but was later scrapped. On August 8, 2011, Yelawolf released the first official single from his album, titled "Hard White (Up in the Club)", which features guest vocals from a southern hip hop producer Lil Jon. The album's release date was moved down to October 2011, and later had a final release date to November 21, 2011. On October 30, 2011, Yelawolf released the second single off Radioactive, titled "Let's Roll", featuring guest vocals from Kid Rock.
Anticipation for the album increased when hip hop magazine The Source gave the album a rare 4.5 out of 5 mics, meaning the album was "near classic". Radioactive, was released November 21, 2011 under Interscope Records and Shady Records, debuting the following week at #27 on Billboard 200. The album featured production from Eminem (who is also the executive producer for the album), Jim Jonsin, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Diplo, The Audibles, Pooh Bear and WLPWR of SupaHotBeats, and features from Eminem, Kid Rock, Lil Jon, Fefe Dobson, Mystikal, Shawty Fatt, Rittz, Killer Mike, and Gangsta Boo among others.
On January 24, 2012, Yelawolf released a promotional track with British singer Ed Sheeran titled "You Don't Know (For Fuck's Sake)". The track was for an upcoming collaborative extended play (EP), titled The Slumdon Bridge. On January 31, 2012, a trailer for the EP was released, it featured both artists in a studio recording the EP. In the video Yelawolf revealed the EP was recorded in 10 hours, and included 4 tracks.The Slumdon Bridge, which was released as a free download on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012, marking Yelawolf's second EP, and his first collaborative project. On June 16, 2012, in order to commemorate Father's Day, Yelawolf released a song titled "Happy Father's Day". The song was produced by Alabama producer M16. With the track, Yelawolf announced his fifth official mix-tape Heart of Dixie.
In August 2012, Yelawolf announced the long-awaited joint EP with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, titled Psycho White. The first single to the EP, titled "Push 'Em" features background vocals by Transplants members Skinhead Rob and Tim Armstrong, and was released as a free download on September 12. After several push-backs, the EP was finally released on November 13, 2012. Debuting at #49 on Billboard 200 with first week sales of 11,000. Yelawolf stated that all the tracks on the album will have a music video and during an article with Rolling Stone, both he and Barker hinted at a sequel to the EP.
On March 20, 2012, Yelawolf announced that his recording sessions for his second album under Shady Records will beginning to take place in June 2012, titled Love Story. Due to a stage diving incident which caused a ruptured spleen, Yelawolf decided to delay the album's recording process. During an interview with DJ Skee, he revealed that a sequel to his 2010's mix-tape Trunk Muzik, titled Trunk Muzik Returns, would be released in August after "the dust settles on the Heart of Dixie" but since then has been delayed. He also shed light on his often delayed collaborative mix-tape Country Cousins with fellow rapper Big K.R.I.T., during the interview DJ Skee offered to host the project. In December 2012, Yelawolf addressed the status of all of his projects in an interview. He also spoke on his upcoming second release, Love Story, and how it would be different compared to his debut effort Radioactive. "With Radioactive, I gave up a lot of creative space, and like I predicted would happen, there were some records that didn't translate to my audience." He stated he would record the album in Nashville and go to Detroit so he and Eminem could finish the album. Yelawolf also said that Trunk Muzik Returns would hopefully released in February 2013, with the date later confirmed.
On February 5, 2013, Yelawolf released the first song from Trunk Muzik Returns, "Way Out" and announced a release date of March 14, 2013 for the mix-tape. In February 2013 Shady Records president Paul Rosenberg confirmed Yelawolf was recording the album in Nashville and it would be released in 2013. On February 26 Yelawolf released a second song from Trunk Muzik Returns titled "F.A.S.T. Ride". On March 12 a third song from Trunk Muzik Returns was released titled "Gangster" featuring fellow rappers ASAP Rocky and Big Henry. The mix-tape contains ten original tracks and features guest appearances from Raekwon, Paul Wall, Killer Mike, ASAP Rocky, and is entirely produced by his go-to producer WLPWR. On October 18, 2013, Yelawolf revealed that he would be releasing a mix-tape titled Black Fall on October 31, 2013. The mix-tape was entirely produced by DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia. The first song from Black Fall, "Light Switch" was released on October 21.
On January 28, 2014, Yelawolf premiered his debut single from Love Story titled "Box Chevy V" on Shade 45. On the interview Yelawolf stated Love Story would be released in May 2014. Later on, Yelawolf would go on to delay "Love Story" into the year 2015. Yelawolf released the single "Whiskey in a Bottle" and revealed the cover art and release date for "Love Story" as April 21, 2015. Eminem is the only featured guest on "Love Story" and is the executive producer along with Yelawolf. This album also marks the debut of Yelawolf as a record producer.
On September 22, 2015, Yelawolf announced his third studio album, "Trial By Fire," which dropped on October 27th, 2017. On July 18, 2016, he announced the Trial By Fire Tour to promote his new album. The tour ran from October 13 to December 4. On October 10, 2016, he released an EP called Hotel.
Yelawolf has cited Detroit-based recording artist Kid Rock as a major influence in his mixing of country music, rock music, and hip hop. In July 2013, Yelawolf got engaged to his girlfriend and a recording artist Fefe Dobson. He has three children from a previous marriage to Sonora Rosario.- Actor
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Born into a military family in Huntsville, Alabama -- his father was an army vet who had served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, while his mother held a somewhat mysterious job in the Department of Defence -- Reg E. Cathey spent much of his early childhood living on a rural farmhouse in Germany. There, he watched American TV shows dubbed into German and first became theatre-struck at the age of nine after attending a USO performance of "Guys and Dolls". That same year, he also took up playing the saxophone. That he became an actor and not a jazz musician was happenstance, but, as he once admitted "he was no Lester Young". An incisive and eloquent personality with a uniquely expressive baritone voice, Cathey was to bring a soulful dignity and often unexpected sense of humour to a wide variety of roles on both stage and screen.
Cathey attended the University of Michigan and later studied acting at the Yale School of Drama. The theatre remained his lifelong passion and New York his preferred place of residence. As he later explained: "I learned how to act at Yale but learned how to be an actor in NYC. I escaped wandering lost in the desert that is Los Angeles after a decade (which I'll never get back) and being psychically traumatized, I didn't audition for film and television, immersing myself in the 'Classics.'" And so, Cathey went on to tackle diverse (non-stereotypical) roles, ranging from Prospero in a musical version of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest' to 'Red' Redding in a British production of 'The Shawshank Redemption' (a part made famous by Morgan Freeman in the film version).
Though performing more often than not in New York, Cathey did ultimately return to Hollywood. His formidable screen characters have often been marked by a uniquely erudite fierceness. They have included powerful authority figures, scientists and occasional villains in films (The Mask (1994), Tank Girl (1995), Se7en (1995), Fantastic Four (2015)) and shows like The Wire (2002), Outcast (2016) and House of Cards (2013) (his recurring role as Freddy Hayes, owner of Frank Underwood's favourite BBQ joint and secret hangout, which won him an Emmy Award in 2015 as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series). In keeping with his credo that "the dark stuff is fun", he also proved excellent value as a shadowy keeper of secrets ('The Caretaker') in an episode of The Blacklist (2013) and as the top-hatted zombie master Baron Samedi, in an episode of Grimm (2011). One of his most poignant roles came near the end as the estranged father of Luke Cage (2016). Not long after, Reg E. Cathey passed away as a result of lung cancer in February 2018 at the untimely age of just 59, never having had the chance of fulfilling his longstanding ambition to play a baritone saxophonist.- Ashley Crow holds an MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and a BFA from Auburn University. In addition to playing the title role of Rita in Prelude To a Kiss on Broadway, she also performed in New York Shakespeare Festival's productions of Coriolanus with Christopher Walken and Irene Worth and in Twelfth Night with F. Murray Abraham at the Delacourte Theatre in Central Park. Additional theatre credits include work at Naked Angels Theatre Company, Playwright's Horizons, Manhattan Class Company, and Circle Repertory.
- Fred Thompson was born on 19 August 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for The Hunt for Red October (1990), No Way Out (1987) and Baby's Day Out (1994). He was married to Jeri Kehn Thompson and Sarah Elizabeth Lindsey. He died on 1 November 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
- Caitlin Carver was born on 31 March 1992 in Monrovia, Alabama, USA. She is an actress, known for Chicago Fire (2012), I, Tonya (2017) and Dear White People (2017).
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Brandon Scott was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Dead to Me (2019), This Is Us (2016) and 13 Reasons Why (2017).- Actor
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Born in Decatur, Alabama and christened Dean Carroll Jones, the actor's father worked for a railroad company and the family moved often, living in Washington, DC, Nashville, and New Orleans. "It was in New Orleans I really learned how to sing", Jones told the Pittsburgh Press in 1969. Dropping out of school at 15, he worked for a short time singing in a club in that city, but when the club closed, he returned to Decatur and got his degree but Jones had gotten the show business bug.
After serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War, Jones got a job acting in a melodrama at Knott's Berry Farm. He was spotted by veteran composer Vernon Duke, who was planning a musical. The musical project fell through, but Duke enabled Jones an audition with Arthur Freed, the famous producer of MGM feature film musicals such as "Singin' In the Rain". It did not go as planned. "He's an actor, not singer!", Freed exclaimed as related by Jones in a 1966 L.A. Times interview.
Still, the studio signed Jones, and in his first credited role, he found himself acting opposite James Cagney in the 1956 drama "These Wilder Years." The veteran actor helped him through their scene. "There I was, just out of the U.S. Navy without an acting lesson to my name," Jones told the Christianity Today. "In walks Cagney and says, 'Walk to your mark and remember your lines.' That's all I've been doing for 50 years."
Jones had mostly small roles of a far grittier nature than his later Disney fare. "I played drug addicts, pimps, hard-cased killers, ex-cons and angry young men," he told The Times in 1995. And he reveled in the movie life. In a 2007 interview with the Pantagraph newspaper in Bloomington, Illinois, he recalled being on the MGM Culver City studio back-lot, with "Liz Taylor yelling, 'Hey Dean-O, let's go down to Stage 22 and watch Bing and Frank sing!'" Jones would appear with Elvis Presley in 1957 in "Jailhouse Rock".
He made his debut on Broadway in 1960 opposite Jane Fonda in "There Was a Little Girl", which flopped. Jones went on to the more successful "Under the Yum-Yum Tree" later that same year. He appeared in the title role of the Disney television series "Ensign O'Toole", a military comedy, which debuted in 1962 on NBC on Sunday evenings. The show was followed by Disney's anthology television show, so Disney caught the end of some episodes of Jones series, and liked what he saw.
Beginning in 1965 with "That Darn Cat!", Jones became closely identified with Disney family fare. In addition to the "Love Bug" and "The Ugly Dachshund", he was the leading man in "Monkeys, Go Home", "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit", "The Million Dollar Duck", "The Shaggy D.A.", "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo", and other Disney feature films.
But in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he was leading an off-screen life contrary to his wholesome image. He had numerous affairs and was drinking heavily. "I had thought if I became a star I'd be happy," he said in a 1976 L.A. Times interview. "I had thought if I had a fairly large amount of money I'd be happy. I thought if I had a house on a hill I'd be happy. I thought if I had a Ferrari I'd be happy. One goal after another was accomplished. And with no fulfillment." Jones was able to keep his torment largely separated from his work life. Even the head of the studio was fooled. "I remember having lunch with Walt one day, and he told me, 'Dean, you're a perfect fit for these pictures. You're such a good family man!'" Jones told the Pantagraph. "I wasn't a good family man", Jones acknowledged. "I was showing up at home smelling of perfume that wasn't my wife's".
Jones' first marriage to Mae Inez Entwisle ended in divorce in 1970. They had two daughters. He was married to actress Lory Patrick from 1973 until his death in 2015. Lory had a son, Michael Patrick, whom Jones adopted.- Actress
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Her trademark sass complemented by a distinctively adenoidal voice that could out-snarl Eartha Kitt and Fran Drescher put together, short (4'11"), round, and robust Nell Carter was one indomitable, in-your-face firecracker...and it made her a star. She was born Nell Ruth Hardy in 1948 in Birmingham, Alabama and raised there, one of nine children born to Horace and Edna Hardy. She grew up listening to the sounds of Dinah Washington and Elvis Presley and developed an early interest in singing that led to performances in various youth groups, her church choir, on local radio and even the gospel circuit. This was a positive distraction from the major traumas suffered during her early life which included the tragic death of her father, who was electrocuted when he accidentally stepped on a live power line, and a rape at gunpoint when she was a young teenager.
By age 19, Carter had relocated to New York where she found work singing in assorted niteries (Rainbow Room, Sweeney's), cafés, and musical revues to her liking. Studying at Bill Russell's School of Drama from 1970 to 1973, she made her Broadway debut in "Soon", a two-act musical show that lasted two days, and included such up-and-comers as Richard Gere, Peter Allen and Barry Bostwick. Other musical roles came with "Dude" (1972), "Be Kind to People Week" (1975) and "Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" (1976). Receiving further training in London, Carter, who continued to gain both in girth and talent, made a star-making leap when she was cast alongside Armelia McQueen, Charlayne Woodard, André De Shields and Ken Page in the 1978 ensemble revue, "Ain't Misbehavin'", a musical catalogue of Fats Waller songs. The stellar quintet ran for nearly four years and the scene-stealing Carter, with such show-stopping songs as "Mean to Me" and "Cash for Your Trash", received a multitude of awards, including the Theatre World, Drama Desk, Obie and Tony. The show was taped for TV in 1982 for which Carter also nabbed the Emmy, and a Broadway revival with all five performers reunited was restaged in 1988. Later musical vehicles included her own feisty version of "Dolly Levi" in a 1991 African-American revival.
Tough and temperamental with a larger-than-life presence, Carter was invariably drawn toward the small screen and was initially featured in the daytime soap Ryan's Hope (1975) and The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979), the latter perfectly cast as a police sergeant. Audiences took to her immediately and, eventually, she was handed her own vehicle as the loving but no-nonsense housekeeper of a white family in the NBC sitcom Gimme a Break! (1981). That show, which ran for six seasons, earned her two additional Emmy nominations for "Best Actress in a Comedy". Following this, she co-starred on You Take the Kids (1990), which fizzled, and the already established Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992) as Mark Curry's boss. Other spunky guest shots over time included such popular programs as Amen (1986), 227 (1985), Touched by an Angel (1994), Ally McBeal (1997) and Reba (2001), as well as quiz show participations on Match Game (1990) and To Tell the Truth (1990). Her work in films, which included a standout musical song ("White Boys") in Milos Forman's film adaptation of Hair (1979) and a touching role as Piper Laurie's housekeeper in The Grass Harp (1995), was never fully engaged. Carter was notoriously opinionated and audaciously candid as a person, a true survivor in her off-stage life, which was riddled with misfortune. She endured constant weight problems and severe alcohol/cocaine habits (recovered) as well as two divorces, a suicide attempt, several miscarriages, bankruptcy, the death of a brother from AIDS and multiple surgeries after suffering a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1992. She battled diabetes for much of her adult life and once collapsed on stage during a 1997 performance of "Annie", in which she played the boisterous "Miss Hannigan". To comfort and complete herself, she studied and adopted Judaism as her religion. In 1989 and 1990, she adopted two infant sons, Joshua and Daniel, to her family, which included daughter Tracey.
After a history of ups and downs, the 54-year-old singer/actress collapsed and died alone on January 23, 2003, in her Beverly Hills home, subsequently found by her 13-year-old adopted son, Joshua. The cause of death was not immediately established at the time but it was later established that she had suffered a fatal heart attack, complicated by her diabetes and obesity. She was interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California. At the time of her death, she was in rehearsals for another musical stage lead, this time in the Long Beach, California revival of the hit musical "Raisin". The musical opened a few days later as scheduled with Carter's understudy taking over the role.- Actress
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The normally erudite, soft-spoken and well-mannered Alabama-born (July 2, 1937) actress Polly Dean Holliday, daughter of a truck driver, accumulated quite an extensive theater background by the time she hit sassy, blue-collar stardom on 70s TV as gum-cracking waitress Florence Jean Castleberry on the highly popular sitcom Alice (1976).
Following her studies at Alabama College for Women, where she appeared in such productions as "Medea" and "The Lady's Not for Burning" and at Florida State University, Polly began her professional stage career in outdoor drama in North Carolina before joining the Asolo Repertory Company in Sarasota, Florida, and becoming a long, respected company member. During her initial residency (1962-1972), she appeared in such classic and contemporary productions as "The Way of the World" (1962), "Major Barbara" (1967), "As You Like It" (1967), "Look Back in Anger" (1968), "Joe Egg" (1970), "Candida" (title role, 1971), "The Subject Was Roses" (1971) and "House of Blue Leaves" (1971). Later roles with the company included "Hay Fever" (1974) and "Free and Clear" (2004). Polly worked long and hard to disguise her Alabama drawl while building up a sturdy classical reputation. At the same time, she supplemented her income teaching piano and also music in elementary schools.
Making her off-Broadway debut in "Orphee" back in 1964, she moved to the East Coast in 1972 and appeared in New York productions of "Wedding Bond," and "The Girl Most Likely to Succeed" before taking her first Broadway bow in "All Over Town" directed by Dustin Hoffman in 1974. She then began appearing in small parts in such movies as The Catamount Killing (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and All the President's Men (1976)
Polly won the flashy TV role of Flo in 1976. As the Southern-baked hash slinger who delightfully redefined trailer park trash, the actress gave a no-holds barred performance that earned her two Golden Globes awards and an Emmy nomination. She hit it so big with fans (her character introduced the catch phrase "Kiss mah grits!") that she was given her own spin-off, aptly titled Flo (1980). Surprisingly, the show lasted only one season despite another Emmy-nomination.
To avoid severe typecasting, Polly veered away from the television limelight and returned to her first love, the theatre. She won renewed respect and critical notice on Broadway and in regional theatre for her performances in "A Sense of Humor" (1983), "Black Coffee" (1985), her eccentric Martha Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1986), as Amanda Wingfield in "The Glass Menagerie" (1988), her Tony-nominated turn as Big Mama in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1990), "A Quarrel of Sparrows" (1993), her Veta in "Harvey" (1993), as spinster schoolteacher Flo Owens in "Picnic" (1994) and again off-Broadway in "Marco Polo Sings a Solo" (1998).
From time to time, Polly has taken on feisty roles in both comic and dramatic films, such as the old crank who meets a freakish end in the box-office critter hit Gremlins (1984), and on TV wherein she briefly replaced Eileen Brennan as Captain Amanda Allen in the series Private Benjamin (1981) after Ms. Brennan's near-fatal car accident in 1982.
Though Polly never recaptured the brash success of her Alice (1976) years, she has continued at a healthy pace primarily in guest spots. She nominally played wise and opinionated mothers and grandmothers on such shows as "Stir Crazy," "The Golden Girls," "Amazing Stories," "The Equalizer" and "Homicide: Life on the Streets." She also had recurring roles as Momma Love on the short-lived crime series The Client (1995) and as Patricia Richardson's mom on the hit sitcom Home Improvement (1991).
Broaching the millennium she continued sporadically with featured parts in such films as Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Mr. Wrong (1996), The Parent Trap (1998), Stick It (2006), The Heartbreak Kid (2007) and Fair Game (2010). She has also been featured on stage in such plays as "The Time of the Cuckoo" (2000), "Dividing the Estate" (2007), "A Christmas Carol" (2013) and "The Old Friends" (2014).- Tyner Rushing is an American television and film actor. Tyner was raised on the Gulfcoast in Semmes, Alabama by plant farm owners, Ralph and Patti Tyner Rushing. She studied opera and musical theatre at the liberal arts school, Birmingham-Southern College and later toured the west coast with California Theater Center. Landing in San Francisco, she performed in Babes In Arms (42nd Street Moon), Swing! (Cabrillo Stage), and La Cage Aux Folles (Broadway By the Bay). On screen, she can be seen in the Fx series Under the Banner of Heaven, The Last Thing He Told Me, Lovecraft Country, Stranger Things, and For All Mankind.
- Born in Alabama, Darren trained at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts and graduated in 1996. Since then, he has worked extensively on the New York stage. He lives in New York City. He achieved his first nationwide notoriety with the recurring role of slick, bisexual tobacco heir Lee Garner, Jr. in the Hit TV series "Mad Men".
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A golden career was reflected in his name. Robert Golden Armstrong ("Bob" to his friends) was born in Birmingham, Alabama on April 7, 1917. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While there, he was frequently performing on stage with the Carolina Playmakers. After graduating, R.G. headed to New York, where his acting career really took off. In 1953, along with many of his Actors Studio buddies, he was part of the cast of "End As a Man" -- this became the first play to go from off-Broadway to Broadway. The following year, R.G. got his first taste of movies, appearing in Garden of Eden (1954). However, he returned to New York and the live stage. He received great reviews for his portrayal of Big Daddy in the Broadway production of "Cat On a Hot Tin Roof" in 1955.
In 1958, R.G. took the plunge to Hollywood -- he appeared in two movies, a television series, and did numerous guest appearances on television series that year, usually in Westerns such as The Rifleman (1958), Have Gun - Will Travel (1957) and Zane Grey Theatre (1956), among others. He would go on to appear in 80 movies and three television series in his career, and guest-starred in 90 television series, many of them Westerns, often as a tough sheriff or a rugged land baron. R.G. was a regular cast member in the television series T.H.E. Cat (1966), playing tough, one-handed Captain MacAllister. During the filming of Steel (1979) in Kentucky, watching the mammoth Kincaid Tower being built, he made some good friends in the cast: "You become a family on the set," he said in an interview at the time.
Even though he had a long, versatile career, the younger generation knows him as the demonic Lewis Vandredi (pronounced VON-drah-dee), who just would not let the main characters have a good night's sleep on the television series Friday the 13th: The Series (1987). Finally retiring after six successful decades in show business -- his last film appearance was Purgatory (1999) -- R.G. and his lovely wife Mary Craven were mostly just enjoying life in California, and still traveled and vacationed in Europe occasionally. His upbeat, fun-loving personality made him a delight for all who came in contact with him. R.G. Armstrong died at age 95 of natural causes in Studio City, California on July 27, 2012.