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1-50 of 356
- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Southern-bred Mary-Louise Parker was born on August 2, 1964 in Fort Jackson, South Carolina, the youngest of four children of Judge John Morgan Parker, and the former Caroline Louise Morell. She is of mostly Swedish, English, and Scottish descent. Her father's occupation took the family both around the country and abroad while growing up.
Parker showed potential in her teens and majored in acting in her college years, graduating from the North Carolina School of the Arts. Beginning her acting career with a part on the daytime soap Ryan's Hope (1975), Mary decided to test the waters in New York, and after work on the off-Broadway stage in the late 1980s, made her Broadway debut with "Prelude to a Kiss" in 1990, where she won the Theatre World Award, the Clarence Derwent Award and a Tony nomination.
Films and TV quickly followed and she quickly gained attention. She provided both poignant and amusing as the token femme friend to a group of gay men in the AIDS drama Longtime Companion (1989), but really caught fire with her feisty, standout performance in Fried Green Tomatoes (1991), holding her own against such female powerhouses as Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates and Mary Stuart Masterson. Dubbed by some as the "long-suffering girl next door," she played such noble offbeat miserables and cast-asides in Grand Canyon (1991), Naked in New York (1993), Bullets Over Broadway (1994), The Client (1994) Boys on the Side (1995), in which she was the AIDS victim this time, The Portrait of a Lady (1996), The Maker (1997), Let the Devil Wear Black (1999), Red Dragon (2002) and Pipe Dream (2001).
Preferring quality over quantity, she perfected her craft with offbeat roles in independent features and did not abandon her theater roots. She copped a slew of acting prizes for her stage work in "How I Learned to Drive" (1996) and, most notably, "Proof" in 2000, wherein she won nearly every award there is to attain, including the prestigious Tony. Her marquee name still does not command what it should, but a picture or production with Mary-Louise Parker in it usually guarantees a strong critical reception. Unmarried, she did enter into a longtime companionship with actor Billy Crudup after the twosome appeared opposite each other in the 1996 play, "Bus Stop". They went their separate ways in 2003, amid major controversy (she was pregnant at the time).
Mary Louise continues to divide her time equally and skillfully on TV, film and the stage. The powerful TV miniseries adaptation of Tony Kushner heralded award-winning Broadway play Angels in America (2003), directed by Mike Nichols, earned the actress supporting performance Golden Globe and Emmy awards. She also earned a Tony nomination for the Broadway show, "Reckless", a year later but truly turned heads and wowed audiences the year after that in the highly acclaimed 7-season Showtime series Weeds (2005), earning another Golden Globe and several Emmy nominations for her amazing performance as Nancy Botwin, a relatively naïve suburban housewife and mother who courts serious trouble with the law and drug cartels when she turns into a neighborhood drug dealer for sustenance after her husband dies suddenly.
Into the millennium, Mary has continued with compelling work in such films as RED 2 (2013), R.I.P.D. (2013), Jamesy Boy (2014), Behaving Badly (2014), Chronically Metropolitan (2016), Golden Exits (2017) and Red Sparrow (2018). TV roles have included recurring roles on The Blacklist (2013) and the sci-fi thriller Mr. Mercedes (2017).
Her first child is eighteen-year-old William Atticus Parker -- a director, writer and actor. Adopting a second child from Ethiopia, Mary Louise was acknowledged in 2013 for her significant contributions to Hope North, an organization that works in the educating and healing of young victims caught in Uganda's civil war. Her memoir-in-letters, Dear Mr. You, came out in 2015.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Tig Notaro is an American stand-up comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actress. Her acclaimed album Live was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. The special Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted was nominated in 2016 at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special. In 2017, the album Boyish Girl Interrupted was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards.- Actress
- Director
Theater, film and television actress, Geneva Carr, was born in Jackson, Mississippi and lived in Michigan and the Carolinas before moving to Atlanta, where she graduated high school. Following graduation from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in French, she moved to Paris. There, she earned an MBA from the prestigious ESCP Europe Paris campus.
While working for a French bank on Wall Street, Geneva turned in her resignation after seeing an off Broadway play that awakened her true calling. She spent the next few years bartending and playing hostess in Manhattan hot spots, such as Pastis and The Waverly Inn, working full-time while booking voice overs, commercials, short films and doing lots and lots of innovative off and off-off Broadway theater productions.
Just before landing the role of Marissa Morgan on CBS's hit series, Bull (2016), she was nominated for the Tony Award for "Best Actress in a Play" for her headlining role as Margery in the critically acclaimed Broadway production of "Hand to God." Carr lives in New York City with her Burmese cat, Eartha Kitty, and Eartha's half brother, Hoffman. Geneva is fluent in French and speaks conversational American Sign Language. She loves entertaining friends at home, very dry champagne and very dark chocolate.- Music Artist
- Producer
- Actress
Audrey Faith McGraw known professionally as Faith Hill, is an American singer, actress and record producer. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Hill's first two albums, Take Me as I Am (1993) and It Matters to Me (1995), were major successes and placed a combined three number ones on Billboard's country charts. She then achieved mainstream and crossover success with her next two albums, Faith (1998) and Breathe (1999). Faith spawned her first international success in early 1998, "This Kiss", while Breathe became one of the best-selling country albums of all time, led by the huge crossover success of the songs "Breathe" and "The Way You Love Me". It had massive sales worldwide and earned Hill three Grammy Awards.- Actor
- Producer
M.C. Gainey was born on 18 January 1948 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Club Dread (2004), Wild Hogs (2007) and The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). He has been married to Kim since 2 May 2002.- Raised in Plano, Texas, Candice continued her childhood dream of becoming an actress by attending Southern Methodist University in Dallas where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.F.A in Theatre. It was here that she was scouted by The Young and the Restless for a CBS Soap Star Contest and flew out to Los Angeles to briefly join the cast. Candice finished her college education at SMU and moved to Los Angeles shortly after.
- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Cynthia Geary was born on 21 March 1965 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Northern Exposure (1990), 8 Seconds (1994) and The Awakening (1995). She was previously married to Robert Coron.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Donald Jay Rickles was born May 8, 1926 in New York. Following the Golden Era of Hollywood, he remained active until early 2017. He got his start in night clubs, toiling for over 20 years, until 1958, when he made his film debut in Run Silent Run Deep (1958). The movie was a big hit. Afterward, Rickles continued acting, starring in films like X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), Bikini Beach (1964), Enter Laughing (1967), and Kelly's Heroes (1970). In 1973, Don became a regular on Dean Martin's Celebrity Roasts.
From 1973-84, he appeared frequently on Dean's show, paying tribute to some of his friends, like Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and was even the roast master on the roast for Dean Martin himself. In 1976, he had his own TV series CPO Sharkey (1976), which enjoyed a two year run. After 1984, he slowed down, appearing in a few minor film roles. In 1995, he made a comeback, appearing with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in Toy Story (1995) in the role of the grouchy Mr. Potato Head. In 1999, he returned as Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story 2 (1999). He died on April 6, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, aged 90. He is interred at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California, in the Courts of Tanach.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Anna Grace Barlow was born in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. Anna Grace is an actor and producer, known for The Big Leap (2021), Grey's Anatomy (2005) and Big Sky (2020). Anna Grace has been married to Andrew Colicchio since 9 February 2024. Anna Grace was previously married to Taylor Boldt.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Writer
Sturgill Simpson was born on 8 June 1978 in Jackson, Kentucky, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for The Hunt (2020), Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) and The Dead Don't Die (2019).- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
LeAnn started singing at age 3, and has sold over 20 million records since. She was born August 28, 1982 in Jackson, Mississippi. By age 7, LeAnn made her stage debut in a Dallas musical production of "A Christmas Carol". Later, she would sing "The Star Spangled Banner" to open Dallas Cowboys football games. By age 11, LeAnn recorded her first album on an independent label only available in local stores in Dallas: "All That" which featured her signature song "Blue". This got the attention of Curb Records. In 1996, 14-year-old LeAnn recorded a major-label album. In 1997, LeAnn released "You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs" which debuted on 3 Billboard Magazine charts at the same time: Pop, Country, and Contemporary Christian (that had never been achieved before by a country singer). That year, LeAnn released "How Do I Live" which would set a record by staying #1 on Billboard Magazine's "Hot 100" chart for 69 weeks. LeAnn starred in the TV-movie Holiday in Your Heart (1997), based on a book which she had co-authored. Capping a great year for the 15-year-old LeAnn, she won an American Music Award, 2 Grammy awards, 3 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 4 Billboard Music Awards. In 1998, LeAnn won a Lone Star Film & Television Special Award for Rising Star Actress. In 1999, LeAnn released a namesake CD, offering her interpretations of 11 Country standards, including "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces" (originally recorded by Patsy Cline in 1960). LeAnn made a cameo in Coyote Ugly (2000) (the low budget movie that raked in big bucks) and she also recorded 4 Diane Warren songs, including "Can't Fight the Moonlight", for the movie soundtrack. An amazing career and, since she is only 18, I am sure there will have to be mini-bio updates in the future.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Simbi Kali was born in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. Simbi is an actress, known for playing Nina on the hit TV show 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996), We Were Soldiers (2002) and Detroit: Become Human (2018). Simbi was married to Cress Williams, but the couple have since been divorced having 2 children.- Producer
- Director
- Actor
Tate Taylor was born on 3 June 1969 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Get on Up (2014), The Help (2011) and The Girl on the Train (2016).- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Randall Wallace was born on 28 July 1949 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for We Were Soldiers (2002), Pearl Harbor (2001) and Braveheart (1995).- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Howard Allan Stern was born on January 12, 1954, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, to Rae (Schiffman), an inhalation therapist, and Bernard Stern, who co-owned a cartoon/commercial production studio. His grandparents were Jewish emigrants from Poland and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Stern's first radio experience was at Boston University, where he volunteered at the college radio station. Along with several other students, he created an on-air show called the King Schmaltz Bagel Hour, a takeoff on the popular King Biscuit Flour Hour. Predicting his penchant for controversy, the show was canceled after its first broadcast, which included the comedy sketch "Name That Sin," a game show where contestants confessed their worst sins. Stern graduated in 1976 with a 3.8 grade-point average and a bachelor's degree in communications. During his first paying radio gig, at an understaffed 3,000-watt station in Briarcliff Manor, New York, "It dawned on me that I would never make it as a straight deejay," Stern told James S. Kunen in an interview for People (10/22/84), "so I started to mess around. It was unheard-of to mix talking on the phone with playing music. It was outrageous, It was blasphemy."- Christopher Jones was a brief cult star of the late '60s counterculture era and a would-be rebel successor to James Dean had he wanted it. Born William Franklin Jones amid rather impoverished surroundings to a grocery clerk in Jackson, Tennessee, in 1941, his artist mother had to be institutionalized when Chris was 4. She died in a mental facility in 1960, and this was always to haunt him. He shifted back and forth between homes and orphanages and was placed in Boys Town at one point to straighten out his life.
Chris joined the service as a young adult but went AWOL just two days later. After serving out his time on Governor's Island for this infraction, he moved to New York and studied painting, meeting a motley crew of actors and artists. Friends were startled by his moody nature and uncanny resemblance to the troubled Dean and he was encouraged to audition for the Actors Studio. He was accepted and eventually won the Broadway role of Pancho in "The Night of the Iguana" in 1961. Chris wound up marrying acting coach Lee Strasberg's daughter, Susan Strasberg, in 1965, but his erratic behavior would send her packing after three years and two children.
Chris's brooding good looks and undeniable charisma led him straight to Hollywood and, following a few TV episodic parts, earned the title film role of Chubasco (1968) co-starring then-wife Susan. He then earned cult stardom in Wild in the Streets (1968) as Max Frost, a rock star who becomes president. This popular satire, in turn, led another movie satire as the college boy Lothario in the interracial sex triangle Three in the Attic (1968) and such distinguished international projects as The Looking Glass War (1970), Jardines de España (1957) and Ryan's Daughter (1970). But the trappings of success quickly got to him.
Numerous entanglements with the Hollywood "in crowd" eventually took their toll, including those with Pamela Courson (Jim Morrison's girlfriend at the time), the ill-fated Sharon Tate, one-time co-star Pia Degermark, and Olivia Hussey. Not only did his volatile relationships with directors also leave him depressed, but his personal life remained in constant turmoil. Morrison's early drug-related death and Tate's particularly brutal murder hit him particularly hard and led to a breakdown.
Chris split the Hollywood scene altogether to regain himself but instead ended up a victim of the Sunset Strip drug culture for a time. He eventually cleaned up his act and two subsequent relationships led to five more children. He also turned to painting and sculpting as creative outlets and lived the Southern California beach scene. Little was heard until decades later when Quentin Tarantino offered him a part in Pulp Fiction (1994). The now reclusive and eccentric Jones turned down a role in that, but later decided to take on a cameo part in friend Larry Bishop's crime comedy-drama Mad Dog Time (1996) a couple of years later. This proved to be his only return to acting. Chris died of gall bladder cancer in 2014 at age 72. - Actor
- Editor
- Additional Crew
Byron Thames moved to Los Angeles from New Orleans with his mother when he was 8 years old. At age 11, he began acting classes and was hired to do his first television series, Father Murphy (1981). He worked with Michael Landon on this show for 2 seasons and then went on to do other films and TV guest appearances. At age 15, he moved back to Mississippi, where he was born, to live with his father and go to high school. There, he remained for 2 years before returning to L.A. to resume acting. At 17, he got his own apartment and went back to work in TV and film. His first job upon his return was, coincidentally, Highway to Heaven (1984), again with Michael Landon. By age 19, he was doing another series, with Barbara Eden, called A Brand New Life (1989), created by Chris Carter (The X-Files (1993)) and also starring Jennie Garth (90210 (2008)). At age 20, Byron married and had a son by age 24. Throughout his 20s, Byron worked on and off and appeared in Don's Plum (2001), with Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, before breaking once again from acting to write and persue his goals with his band, "Duke Daniels", in which he played piano and organ. After recording an album, touring the U.S., and educating himself in the production of TV and film, Byron is acting, writing, directing and making music.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Christopher Showerman was born on 24 June 1971 in Jackson, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for George of the Jungle 2 (2003), Big Game (2008) and Radio America (2015).- Actor
- Soundtrack
James was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York. Started out doing impressions at stand up comedy clubs at 16. He eventually got an interest in acting classes in small spaces in small venues in Manhattan. First dramatic role was as John Proctor In Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" at Forest Hills High School. After high school, he attended the Juilliard School for Dramatic Arts. Since then, he has performed on various off-Broadway stages, and is seen going back and forth between stage and screen.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Todd Babcock was born on 12 October 1969 in Jackson, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Planet of the Apes (2001), Gods and Monsters (1998) and Star Trek: Voyager (1995).- Thom Christopher was born on 5 October 1940 in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for One Life to Live (1968), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) and Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell (1988). He was previously married to Judith Leverone.
- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, 50 miles southeast of Houston, to Abraham Quintanilla Jr. and Marcella Quintanilla. Abraham opened a Mexican restaurant, Papagayo, in Lake Jackson. Selena was 9 years old when her father discovered her talent for singing. He formed a band consisting of Selena on vocals, her brother A.B. Quintanilla on bass, and her sister Suzette Quintanilla on drums. The group, called Los Dinos after a band Abraham was a member of in the 1950s and 1960s, frequently performed at the restaurant. In 1981, the family moved to Corpus Christi where Abraham started booking his band for weddings and parties. This became their way of life. Selena and Los Dinos' big break came in 1987, when 15-year-old Selena won the Tejano Music Award for Female Entertainer of the Year. That award led Selena to a major record-label contract with Capitol Records and six very successful albums. By 1992, Selena had branched out and launched her clothing line and married her guitarist, Chris Pérez. In 1994, she was nominated and won her first Grammy for Best Mexican-American album, "Selena Live!" That year, she opened her first boutique in Corpus Christi, Texas. On March 31, 1995, Selena was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar, her friend and president of her fan club.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Daniel Curtis Lee, also known as Dan Curtis Lee, started his acting career at the age of seven in his hometown of Clinton, Mississippi. However, it was not until three years later in Long Beach, California, that he got his first principal role in a Hollywood feature film, Friday After Next Friday After Next (2002), in which he played the role of Bad Boy #2 that he became really serious about acting. Since then, he has played principal/guest-starring roles in several TV series. But he is best known for his series regular role as Simon Nelson "Cookie" Cook on the hit Nickelodeon show, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004), and as" Kojo" on the hit Disney XD series, Zeke and Luther Zeke and Luther (2009). He is also a singer, rapper, songwriter with over 300 songs to his credit.
Daniel Curtis Lee is a college graduate with a degree in linguistics from California State University Long Beach. He speaks several different languages. To go along with his acting talent, Daniel is now writing, directing, editing and producing video, film and T.V. projects.- Actor
- Writer
Theo Germaine was born on 28 March 1992 in Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois, USA. Theo is an actor and writer, known for Spark (2024), The Politician (2019) and Steam.- John Reynolds was born on 15 September 1941 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966). He died on 16 October 1966 in El Paso, Texas, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Trinitee Stokes is an actress best known from starring on Disney Channel's live-action series "K.C. Undercover," for 3 seasons. Stokes starred as Judy, a no-nonsense tween, and youngest child in the Cooper family who was actually a sophisticated humanoid robot. She brought sass, attitude and energy to screens every week. As a quadruple threat with exceptional talents in singing, dancing, acting and fashion design, Stokes is one of young Hollywood's most heralded stars as she is constantly sought after for international commercials and guest star opportunities.
Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Stokes discovered her calling very early in the arts. She joined her mother's stage production at church and in the local community. At just the age of 3, she was already taking direction, citing lines and understanding the technicalities of production. Trinitee is a quadruple threat with exceptional talents in singing, dancing, acting and fashion design.
Stokes' additional on-screen roles include TBS' "Teachers, FX Snowfall produced by John Singleton, Austin & Ally, as well as a voiceover role on the iconic Dr. McStuffins. Most recently, Stokes released her a new single, "Miss Me," which is a pop song that encourages listeners, to find peace be in embracing individuality, positivity and self-care. Raised with a strong faith, her ultimate goal is to use her platform to inspire her peers to embrace her mantra: "Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you."
As if that is not enough, this tween recently landed a book deal with Zondervan Publishing. Trinitee's book, Bold & Blessed: How to Stay True to Yourself and Stand Out from the Crowd will be released in Dec 2018. Angela Bassett penned the foreword.
At just the age of twelve, Trinitee has become a tastemaker and role model for others in her generation and beyond. The young star is committed to empowering her peers on the beauty in self-confidence, education and community service. The mega star resides in Los Angeles with her parents and dog Ginger France. When she is not in front of the camera she enjoys volunteering, reading, traveling, and shopping.- Thomas Harris was born in 1940 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He was raised in the town of Rich where his father worked as a farmer. He earned his bachelor's degree in English from Baylor University in Texas in 1964. While attending school, he also worked for the local newspaper.
After graduating, Harris traveled Europe for a time. Back in the USA, he worked for the Associated Press out of New York. Not coincidentally, his duties for the press included covering murders and other crimes. This helped fuel his imagination in the fictional world, and he began to write macabre stories for magazines that began to show his attention for detail that would make his subsequent novels so popular.
In 1975, he wrote his first novel, Black Sunday, about a diabolical plot to kill thousands with a blimp during the Superbowl. Perhaps ahead of his time, the terrorism of 11 September, 2001, led to many stadiums being turned into no-fly zones due to fears of a similar attack. The book was turned into a film -- Black Sunday (1977) -- a very short two years after being published. Following its success, he devoted his career entirely to fictional novelization.
In 1981, Harris wrote his first book in the Hannibal Lecter trilogy, Red Dragon. Though the character of Lecter did not become famous (or infamous, as the case may be) for another decade, the book did spark a loosely-based movie, Manhunter (1986), which was quickly dismissed at first, grossing back only about half its cost. Then, in 1988, Harris wrote another novel about the character Lecter, The Silence of the Lambs. This time, he gave the character more of a presence, although he still did not dominate the book. When this was turned into a film three years later as The Silence of the Lambs (1991), it became an instant hit and swept the "Big 5" at the Academy Awards, becoming only the third movie to do so.
After the success of The Silence of the Lambs in both movie and book form, there became a growing demand among fans - and film producer Dino De Laurentiis -- for there to be another chapter in the Hannibal Lector series. It took 11 years between novels, but Harris finally delivered again in 1999 with the best-selling novel Hannibal. It was made into a film two years later in Hannibal (2001) and, although dismissed by some critics and fans for straying from the book in parts (as well as Jodie Foster's non-appearance as Agent Clarisse Starling), it set opening records in box office sales for an R-rated film.
Because of the large box office take and the fact that Anthony Hopkins, who won an Oscar for his role in the second Lecter film, did not play Lecter in Manhunter (1986), De Laurentis and Harris came to terms to make a second version of the first book, this time properly titled Red Dragon (2002). This film version was more in keeping with the book than the first film was.
Unable to escape from being known as the man who created Lecter, Harris again agreed to make not only another novel on the character, but to write the material for the film adaption as well. The current working title is Behind the Mask. As of 2005, Harris resides in Miami, Florida, and Sag Harbor, New York, USA. - Otto Sanchez is a native New Yorker. Growing up in Jackson Heights, Queens, he was raised by his mother, Violeta Carbajal. He is the youngest of four (an older brother and two older sisters). Otto's passion for painting was his first connection into the arts. After pursuing Advertising Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City from 1987-1989, and then at the Columbus College of Art and Design, in Columbus, Ohio, on a fine arts scholarship, his passion shifted and he dove into acting. Returning to New York in 1991, he studied acting under Jeanne Kaplan and Austin Pendleton at HB Studio. In 1996, He landed the role of Chico Guerra on the acclaimed HBO series Oz (1997). Chico Guerra put him on the map, landing him roles in film and television. His film credits range from Indies to commercially successful studio features: Carlos in Bad Boys II (2003), Negrito in Kill the Poor (2003)." Others include, Ping Pong in "Double Whammy" by Tom Dicillo, and Paul Diaz in "Push" by David Rodriguez.
Otto is no stranger to the stage. In 2004 he co-starred opposite John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos (1999)) in the critically acclaimed three man Off-Broadway play "Ponies", produced by Michael Imperioli at the Studio Dante in New York City. He played the role of Wallace. - Sheilah Wells was born on 23 August 1941 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress, known for The Blues Brothers (1980), Island of the Lost (1967) and The Green Hornet (1966). She was previously married to Phil Proctor, Fred Beir and Dr. Carl Herman Almond.
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Kit Williamson is an actor, filmmaker and internet person, best known for playing Ed Gifford on the final two seasons of AMC's Mad Men. He is the creator and star of the Emmy-nominated web series EastSiders, which is now streaming worldwide on Netflix, translated into more than two dozen languages. The series is also distributed on DVD and VOD through Wolfe Video, and has brokered additional distribution deals with Amazon, Hulu, Fullscreen, Logo and Canal 22 in Mexico.
He is the recipient of numerous scholarships, fellowships and awards for his work, including 6 Daytime Emmy Nominations (for outstanding digital daytime drama series, outstanding writing and outstanding directing), The Vanguard Award from OutSHINE Film Fest, The LA Weekly Award for Best Web Drama (EastSiders) and Best Web Comedy (Hipsterhood), a Satellite Award Nomination and The Playwrights First Award.
Kit is an alumnus of the Sundance Lab and has written projects for CBS, Legendary Entertainment, A&E Studios and MTV Studios. His work has screened at numerous festivals including Outfest, Newfest, Inside Out Toronto, SeriesFest, Reeling Chicago and Palm Springs Cinema Diverse.
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Kit left home to study acting and creative writing at Interlochen Arts Academy when he was sixteen. Kit began his career on Broadway in the Tony-nominated revival of Talk Radio while a Junior at Fordham University and went on to receive his MFA in playwriting from UCLA. As an actor, he has appeared in episodes of The Good Wife, Odd Mom Out, Public Morals, Numb3rs, Bosch, the Lifetime movies Anatomy of Deception and The Sinister Surrogate, the NBC Universal movie Ana Maria in Novela Land and the independent features Retake (Frameline), Kiss Me, Kill Me (Reeling Chicago) and Best Friends Forever (Slamdance). He also produced and starred in two seasons of the LA Weekly Award winning web series Hipsterhood. Most recently he can be seen in the indie feature 12 Hour Shift, which premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Jeffrey Reddick is best known for creating the Final Destination (2000) film franchise. He also co-wrote the story for, and executive produced, Final Destination 2 (2003). Jeffrey lives in Los Angeles. He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and attended Berea College. Jeffrey made his first connection to the film industry at age 14, when he wrote a prequel to A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and mailed it Bob Shaye, the President of New Line Cinema. Bob returned the material for being unsolicited. But the young man wrote Bob an aggressive reply, which won him over. Bob read the treatment and got back to Jeffrey. Bob, and his assistant, Joy Mann, stayed in contact with Jeffrey for over five years. When he went to The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York at age 19, Bob offered him an internship at New Line Cinema. This internship turned into an 11-year stint at the studio.
Aside from Final Destination (2000), which spawned four successful sequels, Jeffrey's other credits include Lions Gate's thriller, Tamara (2005) and the remake of George Romero's classic, Day of the Dead (2008).
Jeffrey has several feature and TV projects in development and he directed his first short, Good Samaritan (2014) in 2014.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Vivacious blue-eyed blonde Penny Edwards was born in New York City in 1928 and displayed signs of musical talent as a youth. She began studying dance by age six and, as a teen, appeared on Broadway in "The Ziegfeld Follies of 1943". After a couple of other musicals and a stint with the St. Louis Municipal Opera, she was signed by Warner Brothers in 1947. She showed great perk and promise as a second lead, singing and dancing opposite the likes of Dennis Morgan and Ben Blue in her film debut, My Wild Irish Rose (1947). She continued on winningly in the Shirley Temple vehicle That Hagen Girl (1947); then alongside Morgan again in Two Guys from Texas (1948); with Donald O'Connor and Marjorie Main in the rube musical Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin' (1948); and in another musical, Tucson (1949).
After a successful vaudeville tour, Penny was signed by Republic Pictures and started off in a series of "prairie flower" ingénue roles while temporarily replacing a pregnant Dale Evans in a number of Roy Rogers oaters. In 1951, she wed agent Ralph Winters and had two daughters: Deborah Winters (born 1954), who would go on to become an actress in her own right, and Rebecca (born 1956). After a succession of "B" movies, Penny left Hollywood to focus on religious work. She later reappeared on the more popular TV shows of the day, including the westerns Tales of Wells Fargo (1957), Wagon Train (1957) and Bonanza (1959), and in light-hearted entertainment alongside Robert Cummings and Red Skelton in their respective shows. Penny's lovely, ladylike features also made a significant dent in the commercial market, appearing as "The Lux Girl", "The Palmolive Girl" and "The Tiparillo Girl".
Following her divorce in 1958, Penny married Jerry Friedman and they had a son, David. That 1964 union would end up in the divorce courts as well. Penny retired from show biz completely by the mid-1960s and died, in 1998, of lung cancer, just two days after her 70th birthday.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Charly McClain was born on 26 March 1956 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. She is an actress, known for Hart to Hart (1979), CHiPs (1977) and This Week in Country Music (1985). She has been married to Wayne Massey since July 1984.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Wink Martindale was born on 4 December 1933 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Second Honeymoon (1987), Bumper Stumpers (1987) and The Lively Set (1964). He has been married to Sandy Ferra since 2 August 1975. They have four children. He was previously married to Madelyn Leech.- Actor
- Stunts
Stuntman and actor Troy Melton was born on March 2, 1921 in Jackson, Tennessee. Melton migrated with his family to Los Angeles, California during the Great Depression. Following service in the Army Air Corps during World War II, Troy returned to Los Angeles and found sporadic work as an actor before his career as a stuntman took off in the late 1940's. One of the founding members of the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures, Melton's career as an actor and stuntman spanned a little over forty years. Among the notable actors that Troy doubled for are Roy Rogers, Kent Taylor, Gregory Walcott, Richard Webb, and Duncan Renaldo. Moreover, Melton was also an avid golfer and owner of the Playboy Restaurant on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood (he eventually sold said restaurant in 1988). Troy died at age 74 from cancer on November 15, 1995 in Los Angeles, California.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Lively childish leading lady on stage and films during the transition to sound. She began on stage at seventeen and went on to films in 1929. She made several early talkies at Paramount but her popularity soon waned.- Lauren Jones was born on 27 August 1982 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. She is an actress, known for The Expendables (2010), Guiding Light (1952) and Wonder Showzen (2005).
- Proud to hail from the Mississippi Delta having grown up in Hollandale, Mississippi (the town name was derived from her family name of "Holland"). She has two children (a son and a daughter), known by "Honey " to her grandchildren, and two older sisters. At 51, she decided to add actor to her resume.
- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Actor Todd Cook is a US Army Veteran who was born in Jackson, Mississippi to Lance and Merry Cook. Todd has appeared in many TV shows and movies as an uncredited extra, which facilitated him falling in love with the industry. In 2019 his character Abaddon Apollyon received world wide acclaim. In this time he performed many live feeds as Abaddon promoting positive thinking and self worth ideology on social media outlets. He has helped host many horror conventions and traveled all over the world helping others in finding their passion for film and performing. He has helped with set design, stunts, and production.- Director
- Producer
- Special Effects
John Fortenberry was born in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He is known for Arrested Development (2003), A Night at the Roxbury (1998) and Galavant (2015). He has been married to Danelle Black since 5 January 1999.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Legendary rock'n'roll session guitarist par excellence Robert "Waddy" Wachtel was born on May 24, 1947 to Harry and Rhoda Wachtel in the Jackson Heights section of Queens, New York City. He acquired his unusual nickname "Waddy" when he was a teenager and took guitar lessons from teacher Gene Dell from ages nine to fourteen. Wachtel started out performing in local bands around the New York area. In 1970 Waddy moved to Los Angeles, California to work as a composer and producer for the Cowsills. He got his first big break in the music business when he was hired by singer/songwriter Warren Zevon to be a guitarist in the backing band for the Everly Brothers. Wachtel got his first major album credit on the 1972 Everly Brothers album "Stories We Could Tell" and subsequently went on tour with the famous duo. Waddy soon amassed a huge list of credits as a session guitarist, composer and producer who's contributed to hundreds of albums and singles; among the many folks he's worked with are Bob Dylan, Randy Newman, Bonnie Raitt, Kim Carnes, Maria Muldaur, the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards, Carly Simon, Bryan Ferry, Tom Waits, Jackson Browne (he does the fiery guitar solo on Browne's big hit song "Running On Empty"), Bog Seger, Iggy Pop, James Taylor, Don Henley, Cher, John Prine, J.D. Souther, Melissa Etheridge, Rosanne Cash, Joe Walsh, Adam Sandler, and Linda Ronstadt (he appears on stage with Ronstadt performing the Warren Zevon song "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" in the comedy film "FM"). Wachtel is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Zevon; he co-produced Zevon's first two albums and even co-wrote Zevon's hit song "Werewolves of London." In 1980 Waddy formed the band Ronin; the group's self-titled debut album alas turned out to be a commercial flop. Among the artists he has toured with are Stevie Nicks (he has often worked with Nicks as a guitarist, band leader, and musical director, plus has been featured on all of her solo albums), Cher, James Taylor, the Everly Brothers, and Adam Sandler. He appears as the guitarist in the rock band in the classic 1972 disaster picture "The Poseidon Adventure." Wachtel has composed the scores for the movies "The House Bunny," "Strange Wilderness," "The Last Request," "The Bench Warmers," "Grandma's Boy," "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," "Joe Dirt," and "Up in Smoke." Waddy Wachtel regularly performs every Monday night with his group the Waddy Wachtel Band at the Joint in Los Angeles.- Jo Helton was born on 7 June 1933 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress, known for Dumb and Dumber To (2014), Father Figures (2017) and The Twilight Zone (1959). She was married to John Wintker. She died on 26 March 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dwan Smith was born on 22 January 1944 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. She is an actress, known for Sparkle (1976), Emergency! (1972) and Room 222 (1969). She has been married to Nathanel Fortier since 1988. They have three children.- Writer
- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Gene Markey was born on 11 December 1895 in Jackson, Michigan, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for You're the One (1941), On the Avenue (1937) and The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939). He was married to Lucille Parker Wright, Myrna Loy, Hedy Lamarr and Joan Bennett. He died on 1 May 1980 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA.- Producer
- Actress
Suzette Quintanilla was born on 29 June 1967 in Lake Jackson, Texas, USA. She is a producer and actress, known for Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, Selena: La carcacha (1992) and Selena: No me queda más (1994). She has been married to Bill Arriaga since 12 September 1993. They have one child.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
John William Galt was born on 4 April 1940 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for JFK (1991), Problem Child (1990) and Forrest Gump (1994). He died on 29 January 2022.- Actor
- Composer
- Music Department
American professional wrestling manager, booker, composer and promoter from Memphis, Tennessee. He was a member of the 1960s band The Gentrys, best known for their hit "Keep On Dancing." He started his career in 1974 after being brought into the business by Jerry Lawler, Memphis' top star. He became a top heel manager with his stable the First Family, which had an ever-rotating cast of characters, including Kevin Sullivan, Randy Savage, the Iron Sheik (Khosrow Vaziri), Kamala (Jim Harris), King Kong Bundy, Rick Rude, Eddie Gilbert, Jim Neidhart and MANY others. In 1985 he went to WWE (then the WWF). There he managed Greg Valentine, Bundy, the Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart), the Honky Tonk Man (Wayne Farris, who he had managed under his own name in Memphis) and many others. He turned face in 1993 after Ted DiBiase) tried to hit Brutus Beefcake (Ed Leslie) in his surgically-repaired face with a briefcase. He left WWE with the departing Hulk Hogan, and followed him to WCW in 1994. Turned heel on Hogan at "WCW Halloween Havoc 95" in the match with the Giant (Paul Wight), thus siding with Kevin Sullivan's stable the Dungeon of Doom (as Sullivan had turned on Lawler to join the First Family.) It was revealed that Hart had put a special stipulation in the contract that said that Hogan's WCW World Heavyweight Title could change hands on a disqualification, making the Giant the Champion. Hart stayed in the Dungeon of Doom all the way through the group's collapse at "WCW Bash at the Beach 1997" via Jacqueline (Jacqueline Moore) turning on Sullivan, costing him his Career vs. Career match against Chris Benoit). Hart carried on as the manager of the Faces of Fear (Meng (Tonga Fifita) and the Barbarian (Sione Vailahi)) and Hugh Morrus (Bill DeMott), until the Barbarian turned on Meng, turning Meng face as a result. In early 1999, Hart reunited the Faces of Fear and Morrus as the First Family. Meng was randomly kicked out of the group again, and Hart added Brian Knobbs (Brian Yandrisovitz, who Hart had managed to the WWE World Tag Team Titles with Jerry Sags (Jerry Sags) as the Nasty Boys in 1991) and Jerry Flynn (Jerry Brenneman). After this group fell apart, Hart drifted, sometimes managing Hulk Hogan or challenging radio DJs to matches. He also worked behind the scenes writing theme songs for wrestlers. After WCW died, he and Hogan formed the short-lived XWF. Has since worked for TNA and many other promotions. Among his achievements, he is a 1x Southern (Memphis) Heavyweight Champion, won Dave Meltzer's "The Wrestling Observer Newsletter"'s "Manager of the Year" Award in 1983 and its "Best on Interviews" Award in 1984 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. (He inducted Greg Valentine into the Hall a year earlier). He published his autobiography, "The Mouth of the South: The Jimmy Hart Story" in 2004.- Douglass Watson was born on 24 February 1921 in Jackson, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Another World (1964), Julius Caesar (1953) and The Money Pit (1986). He was married to Eugenia Laring-Clark. He died on 1 May 1989 in Arizona, USA.
- Amanda Ward is a model/actress born January 20, 1983 in Brandon, Mississippi. She moved to Hollywood, California at the age of 19 to pursue a career. Voted ScreamQueen of the Year at the Modesto Film Festival in 2009, she has had success in the SCI-FI and Indie horror film world with films like King of the Lost World, Halloween Night, Alien Abduction and The Telling. Aside from her SCI-FI characters she is also known for Chasing The White Dragon (2008), Jedi Camp (2012) and Celebrity Sex Tape (2012).
- Actress
Cat Cora was raised in a small Greek community in Jackson, Mississippi, by a family who held strongly to their Greek and Southern heritage. Both her grandfather, father, and godfather were restaurateurs and, by the time she was fifteen, she had already presented a business plan to them for her very own restaurant. During college, she cooked at an Italian bistro and a private dining club, preparing classical French cuisine. After graduating from college, Cat backpacked through Europe for four months, in search of good food and wine.
Leaving Mississippi for New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in exercise physiology and biology under her belt, Cat got the education of her dreams at The Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park. While in New York, she apprenticed with and then worked for Chef Anne Rozenweig at Arcadia and worked at the Beekman tavern under Chef Larry Forgione, (father of Marc Forgione and Bryan Forgione), of "An American Place". Her culinary education continued in Europe with apprenticeships with two of France's three-star Michelin chefs: Georges Blanc and Roger Verge.
After returning to New York, Cat worked as a sous chef at The Old Chatham Shepherding Company, under Chef Melissa Kelly, before heading west to Northern California. She was offered the position of Chef de Cuisine in Napa Valley's Bistro Don Giovanni.