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- Actor
- Producer
Jon Bernthal was born and raised in Washington D.C., the son of Joan (Marx) and Eric Bernthal, a lawyer. His grandfather was musician Murray Bernthal. Jon went to study at The Moscow Art Theatre School, in Moscow, Russia, where he also played professional baseball in the European professional baseball federation. While in Moscow, he was noticed by the director of Harvard University's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at the American Repertory Theatre and was invited to obtain his M.F.A there. After graduating in 2002 he has performed in over 30 plays regionally and off-Broadway including many with his own award-winning theatre company Fovea Floods. He now lives in Venice, California with his dog, Boss.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Gary Michael Cole is an American television, film and voice actor. Cole began his professional acting career on stage at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1985. On television, he has had starring roles in the TV series Midnight Caller, American Gothic, The West Wing, Crusade, The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Veep, Chicago Fire, and Mixed. In film, he has appeared in The Brady Bunch Movie, One Hour Photo, Office Space, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Breach, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. He is also known for voicing the title character on the Adult Swim series Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, Principal Shepherd on Family Guy, and James Timothy Possible on Kim Possible. As of season 19, Cole joined NCIS, taking over from Mark Harmon, who left the show, as FBI Special Agent, and new head of Gibbs' team, Alden Parker.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sophia Loren was born as Sofia Scicolone at the Clinica Regina Margherita in Rome on September 20, 1934. Her father Riccardo was married to another woman and refused to marry her mother Romilda Villani, despite the fact that she was the mother of his two children (Sophia and her younger sister Maria Scicolone). Growing up in the slums of Pozzuoli during the second World War without any support from her father, she experienced great sadness in her childhood. Her life took an unexpected turn for the best when, at age 14, she entered into a beauty contest and placed as one of the finalists. It was here that Sophia caught the attention of film producer Carlo Ponti, some 22 years her senior, whom she later married. Perhaps he was the father figure she never experienced as a child. Under his guidance, Sophia was put under contract and appeared as an extra in ten films beginning with Le sei mogli di Barbablù (1950), before working her way up to supporting roles. In these early films, she was credited as "Sofia Lazzaro" because people joked her beauty could raise Lazzarus from the dead.
By her late teens, Sophia was playing lead roles in many Italian features such as La favorita (1952) and Aida (1953). In 1957, she embarked on a successful acting career in the United States, starring in Boy on a Dolphin (1957), Legend of the Lost (1957), and The Pride and the Passion (1957) that year. She had a short-lived but much-publicized fling with co-star Cary Grant, who was nearly 31 years her senior. She was only 22 while he was 53, and she rejected a marriage proposal from him. They were paired together a second time in the family-friendly romantic comedy Houseboat (1958). While under contract to Paramount, Sophia starred in Desire Under the Elms (1958), The Key (1958), The Black Orchid (1958), It Started in Naples (1960), Heller in Pink Tights (1960), A Breath of Scandal (1960), and The Millionairess (1960) before returning to Italy to star in Two Women (1960). The film was a period piece about a woman living in war-torn Italy who is raped while trying to protect her young daughter. Originally cast as the more glamorous child, Sophia fought against type and was re-cast as the mother, displaying a lack of vanity and proving herself as a genuine actress. This performance received international acclaim and was honored with an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Sophia remained a bona fide international movie star throughout the sixties and seventies, making films on both sides of the Atlantic, and starring opposite such leading men as Paul Newman, Marlon Brando, Gregory Peck, and Charlton Heston. Her English-language films included El Cid (1961), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Arabesque (1966), Man of La Mancha (1972), and The Cassandra Crossing (1976). She gained wider respect with her Italian films, especially Marriage Italian Style (1964) and A Special Day (1977), both of which co-starred Marcello Mastroianni. During these years she received a second Oscar nomination and won five Golden Globe Awards.
From the eighties onward, Sophia's appearances on the big screen came few and far between. She preferred to spend the majority of her time raising sons Carlo Ponti Jr. (b. 1968) and Edoardo Ponti (b. 1973). Her only acting credits during the decade were five television films, beginning with Sophia Loren: Her Own Story (1980), a biopic in which she portrayed herself and her mother. She ventured into other areas of business and became the first actress to launch her own fragrance and design of eyewear. In 1982 she voluntarily spent nineteen days in jail for tax evasion.
In 1991 Sophia received an Honorary Academy Award for her body of work, and was declared "one of world cinema's greatest treasures." That same year, she experienced a terrible loss when her mother died of cancer. Her return to mainstream films in Ready to Wear (1994) was well-received, although the film as a whole was not. She followed this up with her biggest U.S. hit in years, the comedy Grumpier Old Men (1995), in which she played a sexy divorcée who seduces Walter Matthau. Over the next decade Sophia had plum roles in a few independent films like Soleil (1997), Between Strangers (2002) (directed by Edoardo), and Lives of the Saints (2004). Still beautiful at 72, she posed scantily-clad for the 2007 Pirelli Calendar. Sadly, that same year she mourned the death of her 94-year-old spouse, Carlo Ponti. In 2009, after far too much time away from film, she appeared in the musical Nine (2009) opposite Daniel Day-Lewis. These days Sophia is based in Switzerland but frequently travels to the states to spend time with her sons and their families (Eduardo is married to actress Sasha Alexander). Sophia Loren remains one of the most beloved and recognizable figures in the international film world.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Sammi Hanratty has been acting for more than half her life. She's had the pleasure of working with some of Hollywood's biggest names including Academy Award winning director Robert Zemeckis, Simon West, Barry Sonnenfeld, Jim Carrey, Robin Wright, Gary Oldman, Cary Elwes, Ray Liotta, Cuba Gooding Jr, Jon Hamm, and Tim Allen.
2013 was a busy year form Sammi. She wrapped principal production on three feature films, playing Patricia Heaton's daughter in the Sony film Mom's Night Out, the main character in the indie film Zoe Gone, and most recently, she starred alongside Olympia Dukakis and Nicolette Sheridan in The Christmas Spirit.
In addition to the big screen, Sammi's extensive television credits include guest starring on AMC's award-winning series Mad Men, David E. Kelley's series Monday Mornings, working with director Simon West on The Saint, and starring in three concurrent recurring roles on CBS's The Unit, ABC's Pushing Daisies, and Disney's The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Kristen Johnston studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in New York City.
She won two Emmys for her role on 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996). She has appeared on many other television shows, including Ugly Betty (2006), ER (1994), Bored to Death (2009) and, perhaps most memorably, as the party girl whose famous final words were "I'm so bored I could die" on Sex and the City (1998). She's currently, on television, on TV Land's hit series, The Exes (2011), which is now in its fourth season. Just a few of Johnston's many stage credits are "So Help Me God!" (Drama desk nomination), "The Women", "Aunt Dan & Lemon", "Love Song" on the West End, as well as starring in three "Shakespeare in Central Park" productions, "Much Ado About Nothing", "12th Night", and "The Skin of our Teeth". She is a long-time member of The Atlantic Theater Company, and her roles over the years have included "The Lights" (Drama Desk Nomination) and "Scarcity". Kristen's film credits include Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), the 2nd Austin Powers film (as "Ivana Humpalot"), Finding Bliss (2009), Bad Parents (2012), Bride Wars (2009), Life Happens (2011), Vamps (2012), Strangers with Candy (2005), and the upcoming independent film, Lovesick (2014), with Matt LeBlanc. Johnston teaches acting at The Atlantic Theater Company's Acting School at NYU. She founded an organization called SLAM, whose goal is the creation of a desperately needed sober high school in New York City. Johnston's first book was a New York Times Bestselling memoir, entitled "GUTS: the endless follies and tiny triumphs of a giant disaster".- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Aldis Hodge is a SAG Award-winning actor, who has built a dynamic career as a versatile performer shining in roles in both film and television. Hodge is perhaps best known for his role as Noah in the WGN hit series Underground (2016), starring alongside Jurnee Smollett and Christopher Meloni. Underground (2016) centers on a group of runaway slaves, aided by a secretly abolitionist couple running a station on the Underground Railroad, as they attempt to evade the people charged with bringing them back.
Hodge was in the Paramount Pictures film What Men Want (2019) starring Taraji P. Henson and Tracy Morgan. The film was produced by Will Packer, directed by Adam Shankman and was released in February 2019. Hodge recently wrapped production on a Showtime pilot produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck entitled City on a Hill (2019), in which he played the co-lead opposite Kevin Bacon. Additionally, he finished work as the title character of the film Brian Banks (2018) alongside Greg Kinnear.
In 2017, Hodge was seen in the critically acclaimed film "Hidden Figures" alongside Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe. The film received three Oscar nominations including Best Picture, two Golden Globe nominations, and, in addition, won a SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture as well as an NAACP Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. Hodge also earned a National Board of Review Award and Palm Springs Film Festival Best Ensemble Award for his role in the film. Also in 2017, Hodge was seen in the third season of the Emmy-winning series Black Mirror (2011). In 2016, Hodge was seen in the Edward Zwick film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (2016) with Tom Cruise.
In 2015, Hodge starred in Straight Outta Compton (2015) portraying MC Ren, a member of the pioneering rap group N.W.A. The film captivated audiences all over the world. It was nominated for an Oscar and a SAG Award, and won the NAACP Award for Outstanding Motion Picture.
Hodge became a fan favorite in his role as Alec Hardison in TNT's highly rated television series Leverage (2008), which nabbed a People's Choice Award in 2013. Also in 2013, Hodge was seen in the Fox Searchlight eco-terrorism thriller The East (2013), alongside Alexander Skarsgård, Elliot Page, Patricia Clarkson, and Brit Marling. Directed by Zal Batmanglij, the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Hodge also appeared in Twentieth Century Fox's A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), an installment of the Die Hard (1988) franchise.
Hodge's other television roles include the critically acclaimed series TURN: Washington's Spies (2014), Friday Night Lights (2006), Supernatural (2005), The Walking Dead (2010), Girlfriends (2000), The Blacklist (2013), City of Angels (2000), Bones (2005), CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), CSI: Miami (2002), ER (1994), Cold Case (2003), Charmed (1998), and Boston Public (2000).
At the age of three, Hodge began his career when he booked a print job for Essence magazine with his brother Edwin Hodge. He continued to work as a model for print ads and commercials until he made the transition to the screen, when he and his brother were cast on Sesame Street (1969) and later on stage when they joined the Tony-winning revival of "Showboat" on Broadway. During that period, he also appeared in several movies including Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Bed of Roses (1996), Edmond (2005), The Ladykillers (2004), and Big Momma's House (2000).
Hodge was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and raised in New York, New York. In addition to acting, Hodge writes scripts for film and television, designs luxury timepieces, and is an avid artist and painter. He resides in Los Angeles. 9/18- Actor
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Jonas Nay was born in Lübeck, Germany on September 20th, 1990. He is an actor as well as a composer, known for his roles in projects such as 4 Against Z (2005), Line of Separation (2015), Homevideo (2011), Deutschland 83 (2015), Deutschland 86 (2018) and Deutschland 89 (2020). He has won German Television Awards and Grimme Awards for his role in Home Video (2011).- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Asia Argento was born in Rome, Italy, into a family of actors and filmmakers, both occupations which she has herself pursued. She made her debut when she was only nine years old in Sergio Citti's Sogni e bisogni (1985). In 1988 she had the leading role in Cristina Comencini's first film, Zoo (1988), and was part of the cast of The Church (1989), directed by Michele Soavi. The following year she played Nanni Moretti's daughter in Red Wood Pigeon (1989) (also directed by Moretti).
It was with Close Friends (1992), written and directed by Michele Placido, that Asia's career really took off and she was able to move on from playing very young girls to more mature, complex roles. The movie was well-received at the Cannes International Film Festival. In Trauma (1993), she worked for the first time with her father, famed Italian horror director Dario Argento (her mother is one of Argento's favorite actresses, Daria Nicolodi, playing an anorexic girl in search of her parents' killer. The Phantom of the Opera (1998) is the third film she has made with her father, the others being Trauma (1993) (filmed in the US) and The Stendhal Syndrome (1996).
Asia's absorbed, intense style of acting was well-used in Giuseppe Piccioni's Condannato a nozze (1993). In 1993 she co-starred in Carlo Verdone's Perdiamoci di vista (1994) in which she played Arianna, a physically disabled girl--an intricate, difficult role that won her the David di Donatello for best actress (1993-1994). She also had a featured role in the international cast of Queen Margot (1994), directed by Patrice Chéreau. In 1995 she worked with Michel Piccoli in Peter Del Monte's Traveling Companion (1996), which again won her a David di Donatello and a Grolla d'oro.
In 1994 Asia turned her hand to directing and turned out two short films: "Prospettive" (an episode of the film DeGeneration (1994)) and "A ritroso". In 1996 she directed a documentary on her father and, in 1998, one on cult director Abel Ferrara, Abel/Asia (1998), which won an award at the Rome Film Festival. In 1999 Asia made her feature-directing debut with Scarlet Diva (2000), in which she was the leading actress and author of the screenplay. The film was released in May 2000 in Italy and the rest of the world. It won an award at the Williamsburg Film Festival in Brooklyn, New York. In 2001, after directing a number of music videos, she gave birth to her first daughter, Anna Lou. In 2002 she starred in The Red Siren (2002) by Olivier Megaton with Jean-Marc Barr and the action thriller xXx (2002), directed by Rob Cohen, with Vin Diesel.
Asia is also the author of a number of short stories published in many prestigious magazines such as "Dynamo," "L'Espresso," "Sette," and "Village," Her first novel, "I Love You, Kirk," was published in Italy by Frassinelli Editrice in October 1999 and in France by Florent Massot in 2001.- Charles weber is an American actor and former model. In 2014, Weber began starring as Frank Delfino in the ABC legal drama series, How to Get Away with Murder. Weber was born in Jefferson City, Missouri. He dropped out of college after a year and moved to New York City when he was 19 years old to study at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. As a model, Weber appeared in the Christmas 1998 Abercrombie & Fitch catalog when photographer Bruce Weber revitalized the publication.
- Actress
- Music Department
Moon Bloodgood was born on 20 September 1975 in Alliance, Nebraska, USA. She is an actress, known for Terminator Salvation (2009), Faster (2010) and Eight Below (2006). She was previously married to Grady Hall.- Stunts
- Producer
- Actor
He came from a kick-boxing background; he entered the film field as a stunt performer at the age of 24. Before that, he worked as an instructor at the Inosanto Martial Arts Academy in California, teaching Jeet Kune Do/Jun Fan. After doing numerous roles in low budget martial art movies like Mission of Justice (1992) and Bloodsport III (1996) his first start as a stunt double came from the movie The Crow (1994) for doubling late Brandon Lee whom he trained with at the Inosanto Academy. After Brandon Lee's lethal accident Chad was picked for his stunt/photo double because he knew Lee, how he moved, and looked more like him than any other stuntman.
His greatest break as a stunt man came when he hooked up with Keanu Reeves on The Matrix (1999). He worked as martial arts stunt coordinator in its following sequels and doubled Keanu Reeves for extreme shots. He also formed a company called Smashcut with his stunt colleagues which was responsible for cool stunts in some of the greatest movies and series.
After a ten year in the film world he continued to give his best as a stunt coordinator and stunt performer.- Melissanthi Mahut was born on 20 September 1988 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (2018), Meg 2: The Trench (2023) and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
David Haig was born on 20 September 1955 in Aldershot, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for My Boy Jack (2007), Two Weeks Notice (2002) and Florence Foster Jenkins (2016). He has been married to Jane Galloway since 2010. They have five children.- Gabriel LaBelle plays the lead role of Sammy Fabelman, an aspiring 16-year-old filmmaker based on young Steven Spielberg in The Fabelmans (2022) alongside Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogen. The film, loosely based on Spielberg's childhood, will be widely released by Universal in November. LaBelle also stars in the upcoming Showtime series American Gigolo opposite Jon Bernthal, Gretchen Mol, and Leland Orser. The series premiered on Showtime on September 9. He also starred in the horror feature Dead Shack, which premiered at the Vancouver International Film Festival to rave reviews. Other credits include The Predator with Boyd Holbrook and Sterling Brown, Motive, and iZombie (2015).
- Born in 1991 in Winter Park, Florida, Spencer began to show an interest in the arts at a young age. When asked in school to draw what she would be when she got older, 6 year old Spencer drew herself on-stage with a star over her head. Two years later, she had enrolled in acting classes and immediately started booking numerous television commercials in the Orlando, Florida area.
With sights set high, 11 year-old Spencer and family set off to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. Within a year's time, she booked a guest starring role on CBS's Without a Trace (2002) and a role in Sony Pictures' feature film Spanglish (2004). Shortly thereafter, Spencer began recurring as "Bitsy" on the Nickelodeon series Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004).
In 2004, Spencer stole the hearts of producers Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and director Gil Kenan and won the lead role of "Jenny" in Sony Pictures / Imagemovers' feature film, Monster House (2006). This was one of the first "Motion Capture" films of the time. She was nominated for an Annie Award for her role role as "Jenny". At 14 years of age, Spencer booked the lead role of "K-Mart" in Resident Evil: Extinction (2007). Her character lived to see the 4th installment, Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), which was released in 2010. Spencer has guest starred in numerous television shows throughout this time such as Cougar Town (2009), In Plain Sight (2008), The Vampire Diaries (2009), Cold Case (2003), and Love Bites (2011). She most recently filmed a movie for Lifetime called The Bling Ring (2011), which airs this summer. In 2008, Spencer filmed an independent mini-series called Twentysixmiles (2010) which is looking for distribution. Spencer has also had the opportunity to be a part of a couple of independent films such as Karaoke Man (2012), and has a lead role in Joseph Kahn's Detention (2011), which has recently been acquired by Sony Films for worldwide distribution. Spencer lives in Los Angeles with her family and looks forward to a bright future. - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Betsy Brantley was born on 20 September 1955 in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress, known for The Princess Bride (1987), Double Jeopardy (1999) and Deep Impact (1998).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Robert LaSardo was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began his career studying at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City, before going on to the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He spent four years in the U.S. Navy. For two of those years, he handled Navy attack dogs in the Aleutian Islands. He is best known for his portrayal of Escobar Gallardo on the FX hit series Nip/Tuck. He has also appeared in the Warner Brothers film The Mule, playing opposite Clint Eastwood. LaSardo has extensive chest, neck, and arm tattoos. He is an Italian American and Native American.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Maggie Cheung was born on September 20, 1964, in Hong Kong, and moved at the age of eight with her family to England. After finishing secondary school, she returned to Hong Kong, where she began modeling and appearing in commercials. In 1983 she participated in the Ms. Hong Kong pageant, winning first runner-up, which proved not to be a detriment since she went on to become a star of both Hong Kong television and film.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
The incredibly gifted comedienne-actress Anne Meara is known for her comedic efforts alongside husband-comedian, Jerry Stiller; together, they were 'Stiller and Meara'; they were original members of the improvisational company, the Compass Players, which later evolved as the Second City Theater. They gained popularity with their skits on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948), but the act dissolved following the demise of variety television. Meara went on to offer her talents to a variety of television roles, notably the Golden Globe-winning Sally Gallagher in Rhoda (1974), and Veronica Rooney, an outspoken Irish cook in the hit sitcom Archie Bunker's Place (1979). In later years, Meara played reoccurring characters in Sex and the City (1998) and The King of Queens (1998).- Actress
- Writer
Born in Palestine before the inception of the Israeli state in the city of Haifa, she first distinguished herself by winning one of the first beauty contests in the nascent Israel. Haya Harareet (also spelled Hararit) made her debut in Thorold Dickinson's film Hill 24 Doesn't Answer (1955) ("Hill 24 Doesn't Answer"). The landmark Israeli film, mostly in English, is also the first feature-length production to be shot and processed entirely in Israel, and made for international distribution. The film was an official selection at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival and Harareet won an award for her role in the film. She plays Miriam Mizrahi, a fourth generation, dark-eyed and beautiful Sabra, working for the underground.
Best-known for her role as Esther, opposite Charlton Heston in William Wyler's film classic Ben-Hur (1959), she also played in Francesco Maselli's The Doll That Took the Town (1957) ("The Doll that Took the Town") with Virna Lisi, _Edgar G. Ulmer''s Journey Beneath the Desert (1961) ("Journey Beneath The Desert", AKA "The Lost Kingdom")with Jean-Louis Trintignant, and Basil Dearden's The Secret Partner (1961) with Stewart Granger. She cowrote the screenplay for Our Mother's House (1967) which starred Dirk Bogarde.
Ms. Harareet was also credited as a presenter for 'Best Special Effects' at the 32nd Annual Academy Awards in 1960.
She was married to the British film director Jack Clayton until his death in 1995.- Lucy Paez is a rising star, who can be seen as the young lead opposite Jennifer Lopez in Niki Caro's THE MOTHER, which was the largest opening for a Netflix original movie in 2023. Despite being only 14 years old, Lucy had already appeared on screen in Lorena Villarreal's SILENCIO and Rodrigo Fiallega's THE EXORCISM OF CARMEN FARIAS. She was born in Mexico and has since moved to Texas. Speaking fluent Spanish and splitting time between Mexico and Texas, Lucy incorporates this multicultural background into her performances. With an impressive slate under her belt already, Lucy Paez is a superstar in the making.
- Brad Beyer was born on 20 September 1973 in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. He is an actor, known for 42 (2013), Ford v Ferrari (2019) and The General's Daughter (1999). He has been married to Cora Ray since 20 September 2010. They have one child.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Robert Rusler - actor, athlete, writer, and natural performer - was born on September 20, 1965, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He soon moved to Hawaii, where he lived on Waikiki Beach and started surfing and skateboarding on a semi-professional level. At a young age his family moved to Los Angeles, where he began his martial arts career and entered many competitions. Then the bug struck to become an actor and Robert, right out of high school, met his manager and began taking acting classes at the Loft Studio with Peggy Feury and William Traylor. Soon thereafter he landed his first starring role, opposite Anthony Michael Hall and Robert Downey Jr. in John Hughes Weird Science (1985). He then starred opposite Marshall Bell and Robert Englund in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985) . Later projects included Thrashin' (1986) opposite Josh Brolin (and all of his top professional skateboarding idols) and _Vamp (1986/I)_ opposite Grace Jones and Chris Makepeace, for which he received the award for Best Actor in a Science Fiction or Horror Film. Robert then starred opposite Bridget Fonda and Phoebe Cates in the cult classic feature film Shag (1988), which landed him numerous Teen Magazine interviews and features. Soon thereafter, he landed his first television series, Fox's The Outsiders (1990), which was Executive Producer Francis Ford Coppola's first television venture. His next project was starring opposite Tim Matheson and Brooke Adams in Stephen King's Emmy award-winning movie of the week, Sometimes They Come Back (1991). He then took another turn at the world of episodics as a series regular in Babylon 5 (1993), where he gained a huge international following and fan club. Robert's most recent industry accomplishments were in Warner Bros.' _Underworld, The (1997/II) (TV)_ by Academy Award-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie, followed by the controversial drama Wasted in Babylon (1999), where Robert again received critical acclaim for his innovative performance. When he is not gracing the screen, Robert enjoys surfing, snowboarding, motocross, golfing, traveling, and his new found love; creating and writing projects which he would like to produce and direct in the future.- Actress
- Writer
British actress, Wallis Day continues to thrill audiences with her roles on both the big and small screen.
Wallis can be seen as Batwoman superhero; Kate Kane in CW's Batwoman TV series and as the villain in Antoine Fuqua's Thriller film Infinite for Paramount starring Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Currently she's playing series regular, Gigi, in the Hit Netflix Show Sex Life, and is the lead in Paramount movie, Sheroes, set for release in 2023. Wallis is well known for her breakthrough role as the villainess Nyssa-Vex, (Superman's Grandmother) in Syfy's acclaimed series Krypton and also held a series regular role as Angie in the hugely successful series The Royals for E!. Other credits include Amazon Prime's Casanova, APL Film's Between Two Worlds, and Jekyll and Hyde in ITV's Jekyll and Hyde. Following her passion of performance, Wallis attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School and went on to study full time at the prestigious Arts Educational Drama School In Chiswick, London. As well as being a Chanel ambassador, Wallis has featured on numerous front covers and designer campaigns since her former modelling career. She is currently filming another Netflix show and resides in both Los Angeles and London.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Kenneth Gilbert More C.B.E. (20 September 1914 - 12 July 1982) was one of Britain's most successful and highest paid actors of his generation, with a multi award-winning career in theatre, film and television spanning over 4 decades.
At the height of his fame during the 1950's More appeared in some of the most memorable feature films of the decade including Genevieve (1953), Doctor in the House (1954), The Deep Blue Sea (1955), Reach for the Sky (1956), Paradise Lagoon (1957), A Night to Remember (1958), The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958), North West Frontier (1959) and The 39 Steps (1959).
Starting out as the lovable, happy-go-lucky gentleman with boyhood charm and cheerful optimism, he would later refine his acting style into a leading man who could articulate a whole range of emotions in serious dramatic performances. More managed to embody courage and a sense of moral certitude with a relaxed, informal manner that made audiences warm to him immediately.
From very early on in his career More was very conscious of his talents, what parts suited him as an actor and what did not. More would have been the first to admit there were other actors that could better perform the works of Shakespeare than he. More was probably being self-deprecating. He had more range than he sometimes gave himself credit for, but he knew how best to appeal to an audience.
Born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, Kenneth More was the son of a civil engineer, a profession he initially pursued but with little success. More was not a trained actor and had not gone into show business to tread the boards. He was merely looking for work and happened to walk past the Windmill Theatre in London's West End one day and saw a sign above the door 'General Manager - Vivian Van Damm'. More had remembered that a man called Van Damm had known his father and so he asked for a job. More was soon a stagehand earning two pounds and ten shillings a week, shifting scenery and helping to get the nude female performers off the stage during their risqué performances. One day he was called upon to help comic Ken Douglas on stage with a sketch, More playing the small part of a Policeman. It was this experience and the subsequent taste of the audience's laughter which made him want to pursue a career in acting. He was soon an actor in his own right appearing on stage as Ken More in comedy sketches. Following 2 years at the Windmill he moved into repertory theatre with seasons at Byker's, Grand Theatre in Newcastle, and the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton.
With the outbreak of war, and following a stint with the Merchant Navy, More joined Royal Navy cruiser HMS Aurora (R12) . It would end up having the greatest impact on his character and his acting style during wartime. As ship's Action Commentator he found an opportunity to hone his craft as an actor, keeping steady nerves when reporting action during conflict to the crew below decks. He also got on well with his shipmates by helping them to write wonderfully romantic love letters home to their ladies. Aurora would journey across the Atlantic and Mediterranean seeing its fair share of action. Wartime missions aboard Aurora, and later with aircraft carrier HMS Victorious (R38) would lead him to receive medals, including campaign stars for Africa, Italy, the Atlantic and Pacific.
After being demobbed from the Navy More returned to England and signed with agent Harry Dubens, who was seeking actors who had served in the forces. More went into 'The Crimson Harvest' (1946) at the Gateway Theatre in Notting Hill, and it was there that BBC producer Michael Barry saw him and offered him a contract to play in small television roles at the Alexandra Palace to help restart the BBC.
Jenny Laird and John Fernald's 'And No Birds Can Sing' (1946) marked More's West End debut at the Aldwych Theatre, playing the part of the Reverend Arthur Platt. Within a year he was back on stage in 'Power Without Glory' (1947) by Michael Clayton Hutton at the New Lindsey, Notting Hill Gate. It was so well received that it led to a live version being broadcast on the BBC. That same year Noël Coward cast More as a British Resistance Leader in 'Peace in Our Time' at the Lyric Theatre; a story of what might have happened if Britain had lost the Second World War. More and Coward got on well and stayed friends throughout their lives. 1950 saw More in 'The Way Things Go' by Frederick Lonsdale at the Phoenix Theatre, alongside a cast which included Michael Gough, Glynis Johns, Ronald Squire and Janet Burnell.
His first breakthrough came on stage at The Duchess Theatre in 1952 playing the role of Freddie Page alongside Peggy Ashcroft in Terence Rattigan's 'The Deep Blue Sea'. It was noted actor Roland Culver who had put More forward for the part having known Rattigan. The production was an enormous success and Kenneth More received great critical acclaim. He would often cite it as his favourite stage performance.
It was whilst More was performing in 'The Deep Blue Sea' that filmmaker Henry Cornelius came back stage to offer him a part which would change his career forever, the role of Ambrose Claverhouse in a film called Genevieve (1953). Cornelius had remembered More from a screen test he had directed him in for the part of Lt. E.G.R. (Teddy) Evans in Scott of the Antarctic (1948). This had been More's first attempt to break into cinema which had not come to fruition although plenty of film work followed. Cornelius was sure More was the Claverhouse he needed for 'Genevieve' and he was not disappointed. More's perfect comic timing was made for the part and he won the audience immediately making him a rising star overnight. 'Genevieve' was the second most popular movie that year and went onto become a British comedy classic, winning Best British Film at the British Film Academy Awards.
More channelled the same energy and zest for life he had shown as Claverhouse in his next performance as student Doctor Richard Grimsdake in the first of the much-loved Doctor in the House (1954) film series. It was a winning formula becoming the most popular film at the box office in 1954 securing More Best Actor at the British Film Academy Awards.
1955 saw More returning to the role of Freddie Page in a big screen version of Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea, playing alongside Vivien Leigh. Incidentally, he had brought the role back to life the previous year for BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950) series. The screen adaptation was produced by Alexander Korda and directed by Anatole Litvak. More's performance was once again praised by audiences and critics alike, leading to being awarded the prestigious Volpi cup for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival, as well as nominations for Best Actor at the British Film Academy Awards. Further honours were bestowed by the Variety Club of Great Britain as Most Promising International Star of 1955. He had finally made his mark.
It was a serious leading role initially turned down by Richard Burton which would make More a major star. Playing the legless, real-life fighter pilot Douglas Bader in Reach for the Sky (1956) was the role of a lifetime. He felt the part of Bader was one he was born to play as he mentioned in his autobiography, 'More or Less': "Bader's philosophy was my philosophy. His whole attitude to life was mine." More had met Bader at Gleneagles where they played a round of golf together, Bader winning each time. They got on well which was somewhat surprising in that Bader was not that keen on actors. Not wanting to caricature him More kept his distance whilst preparing for the role, only meeting him on a handful of occasions for dinner with his friend, actor Ronald Squire. 'Reach for the Sky' became a smash hit upon release and the most popular British film of 1956, winning a British Film Academy award for Best Film. Playing Bader also garnered a Best Actor award for More from popular cinema publication, Picturegoer magazine.
'Reach for the Sky' did something much greater for his career, it showed British audiences that Kenneth More was not just suited to comic roles, he had range as a leading man in dramatic performances. In later years More called several of his films 'favourites' in the press, but it is the belief that 'Reach for the Sky' remained his preferred choice and greatest accomplishment on screen.
Hugely popular films The Admirable Crichton (1957), A Night to Remember (1958), The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw (1958), North West Frontier (1959) and The 39 Steps (1959) galvanized his status as one of Britain's most sought-after actors of the decade. Once he was a £5 a week actor in rep, now he was commanding £50,000 a film.
At the height of his fame More was offered several opportunities to go to Hollywood but with the success he was enjoying at home he did not see the point, or even what he had to offer Tinseltown at this juncture.
The 1960s saw More continue as a leading man in Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Loss of Innocence (1961) and We Joined the Navy (1962). He would cite The Comedy Man (1964) as one of his most favourite roles playing down and out middle-aged actor Chick Byrd. This character resonated with him on two levels. The first was how it represented the experiences he had as a struggling young actor, the second was how he was coming to terms with the present, his own age and the shifting trends of the industry. It would be More's last leading role on the silver screen. Further successes on film came but in cameo or supporting roles, including The Longest Day (1962), Oh! What a Lovely War (1969), Battle of Britain (1969), Scrooge (1970) and The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976).
More finally achieved worldwide fame as leading man on the small screen in a BBC adaptation of John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga (1967). He had been working steadily on television throughout the 1960's in starring roles, but The Forsyte Saga caught the world's imagination and was a huge, phenomenal success. The series managed to achieve that rare cult-like status and helped introduce Kenneth More to a whole new audience, many who had not seen his earlier work. Several years late More took on another famous literary character playing the part of a Catholic priest who was adept at solving mysteries in G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown (1974). The TV Times awarded him Best Actor for his performance.
Kenneth More had returned to the theatre as early as 1963, playing the part of Peter Pounce alongside Celia Johnson in Giles Cooper's 'Out of the Crocodile' at the Phoenix Theatre. A year later he appeared in a musical version of 'The Admirable Crichton' co-starring with Millicent Martin in 'Our Man Crichton' at the Shaftesbury Theatre. By the end of the 1960s he had received great critical praise as Hugh in a production of 'The Secretary Bird' (1968) by William Douglas-Home at the Savoy Theatre. It turned out to be the biggest stage success of his career. Terence Rattigan's 'The Winslow Boy' (1970), Alan Bennett's award-winning 'Getting On' (1971), Jeremy Kingston's 'Sign of the Times' (1973) and Frederick Lonsdale's 'On Approval' (1977) followed, all of which reinforced More's popularity in his later years.
He was made a CBE (Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) in the Queen's New Year's Honours list of 1970. The Kenneth More Theatre, a regional playhouse named in his honour opened in Redbridge in 1974. The Variety Club of Great Britain bestowed More with a special silver heart in 1975 for 40 years in show business. He had been a great supporter of the club over the years taking part in a great deal of charitable events. A special, televised ceremony was held in the Lancaster ballroom of the Savoy Hotel and was attended by many of the industry's best-known names, including Sir. Douglas Bader who More had remained friends with throughout the years.
1978 saw the release of his autobiography 'More or Less', reported to have sold 100,000 copies almost immediately upon release. It received widespread critical and public praise and showed that his appeal had not diminished after 4 decades in the business, despite how times had changed. More was considered an 'institution in British entertainment' according to presenter Michael Parkinson whilst introducing him on his chat show in 1978.
More announced his retirement in 1980 due to illness, at the time he was diagnosed with Parkinson's. It is now very likely that he was suffering from Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), due in part to the age of onset and the speed at which the condition progressed. Kenneth More passed away on July 12th, 1982. His wife Angela Douglas was by his side having nursed him in his final years.
Kenneth More's memorial service was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields on 20 September 1982, which also marked his birthday. The service was packed with family and friends alike, including Lauren Bacall, Dame Anna Neagle and Lady Joan Bader, widow of Sir Douglas Bader who had passed away the same year. A plaque was erected at St. Paul's Church Covent Garden, known more commonly as the Actor's Church.
It is almost 40 years since his passing, yet Kenneth More's performances have endured, continuing to screen worldwide on television and home entertainment. What greater legacy can there be for an actor than to be able to continue to thrill audiences long after one has taken their final bow.