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- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
One of the British theatre's most famous faces, Daniel Craig, who waited tables as a struggling teenage actor with the National Youth Theatre, has gone on to star as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021).
He was born Daniel Wroughton Craig on March 2, 1968, at 41 Liverpool Road, Chester, Cheshire, England. His father, Timothy John Wroughton Craig, was a merchant seaman turned steel erector, and then became landlord of the "Ring O'Bells" pub in Frodsham, Cheshire. His mother, Carol Olivia (Williams), was an art teacher. Craig has English, as well as Irish, Scottish and Welsh, ancestry. His parents split up in 1972, and young Daniel was raised with his older sister, Lea, in Liverpool, then in Hoylake, Wirral, in the home of his mother. His interest in acting was encouraged by visits to the Liverpool Everyman Theatre arranged by his mother. From the age of six, Craig started acting in school plays, making his debut in the Frodsham Primary School production of "Oliver!", and his mother was the driving force behind his artistic aspirations. The first Bond movie he ever saw at the cinema was Roger Moore's Live and Let Die (1973); young Daniel Craig saw it with his father, so it took a special place in his heart. He was also a good athlete and was a rugby player at Hoylake Rugby Club.
At age 14, Craig played roles in "Oliver", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella" at Hilbre High School in West Kirby, Wirral. He left Hilbre High School at age 16 to audition at the National Youth Theatre's (NYT) troupe on their tour in Manchester in 1984. He was accepted and moved down to London. There, his mother and father watched his stage debut as Agamemnon in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida". As a struggling actor with the NYT, he was toiling in restaurant kitchens and as a waiter. Craig performed with NYT on tours to Valencia, Spain, and to Moscow, Russia, under the leadership of director Edward Wilson. He failed at repeated auditions at the Guildhall, but eventually his persistence paid off, and in 1988, he entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican. There, he studied alongside Ewan McGregor and Alistair McGowan, then later Damian Lewis and Joseph Fiennes, among others. He graduated in 1991, after a three-year course under the tutelage of Colin McCormack, the actor from the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1992-1994, he was married to Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, their daughter, named Ella Craig (born 1992).
Craig made his film debut in The Power of One (1992). His film career continued on television, notably the BBC2 serial Our Friends in the North (1996). He shot to international fame after playing supporting roles in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Road to Perdition (2002). He was nominated for his performances in the leading role in Layer Cake (2004), and received other awards and nominations. Craig was named as the sixth actor to portray James Bond, in October 2005, weeks after he finished his work in Munich (2005), where he co-starred with Eric Bana under the directorship of Steven Spielberg. Craig's reserved demeanor and his avoidance of the showbiz-party-red-carpet milieu makes him a cool 007. He is the first blond actor to play Bond, and also the first to be born after the start of the film series, and also the first to be born after the death of author Ian Fleming in 1964. Four of the past Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan have indicated that Craig is a good choice as Bond.
He was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) by Queen Elizabeth II at the 2022 Queen's New Years Honours for his services to Film and Theatre.- Originally a student of pre-law at Widener University, and later majoring in Criminal Justice at West Chester University, Matthew started his career by making appearances on The Howard Stern Show (1990), The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), and music videos of Iron Maiden, Marilyn Manson, and Blondie. Matthew would later amass a cult following for memorable roles such as "Tiny" in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses (2003), and Karl the giant in Tim Burton's Big Fish (2003). In the midst of working on a biopic about André René Roussimoff, Matthew died on August 9, 2005 from natural causes. The Devil's Rejects (2005) (House of 1000 Corpses (2003)'s sequel) was dedicated to him.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Kyle Gallner was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He started his career by following his sister along to one of her auditions.
Perhaps best know for his role as Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas on the CW's lone hit series, Veronica Mars (2004), actor Kyle Gallner had been appearing in films and on television since his early adolescence. Born on Oct. 22, 1986 and originally from Philadelphia, PA, Gallner made his first screen appearance on an episode of Third Watch (1999). After making his feature debut with a small role in Michael Showalter's bizarre comedy Wet Hot American Summer (2001) (2001), he returned to television with episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Touched by an Angel (1994). He next appeared in the series finale of The District (2000) before playing his first recognizable role - that of Bart Allen (a.k.a. "The Flash") on Smallville (2001) during the 2004-05 season.
In 2005, Gallner joined the cast of Veronica Mars (2004) for the last three episodes of the first season, giving him the opportunity to carry over his role of Beaver into the next season. During his run on "Veronica Mars," Gallner continued making guest spots, appearing in episodes of Jack & Bobby (2004), Cold Case (2003), CSI: NY (2004) and Bones (2005). Gallner began a recurring role as a devout Mormon in the controversial HBO series Big Love (2006). Meanwhile, Gallner revived his "Smallville" role in early 2007, returning as Impulse rather than The Flash - due to a feature film with the same character being developed by Warner Bros.
Made acting debut in an episode of NBC's Third Watch (1999).
Made his film debut in the comedy cult film Wet Hot American Summer (2001).
Had a recurring role as superhero Bart Allen in Smallville (2001) (The WB, 2001-2006; The CW, 2006-2009).
Appeared in two episodes of The WB's Jack & Bobby (2004).
Joined the cast of UPN s Veronica Mars as Cassidy Casablancas; became a regular during the show s second season.
Had a recurring role as Reed Garrett, the son of Detective Taylor's (Gary Sinise) late wife on CSI: NY (CBS)
Played Jason Embry, best friend of Ben Henrickson, on the critically-acclaimed HBO drama Big Love.
Featured in the independent film Sublime.
Appeared in three episodes of The Shield (FX).
Had a supporting role in the Diablo Cody penned dark comedy Jennifer's Body.
Played the lead role in the horror film The Haunting in Connecticut.
Cast as the lead male, Quentin, in the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
Gallner has in his filmography acclaimed Independents films as Gardens of the Night (2008), Beautiful Boy (2010), Red State (2011), Little Birds (2011), Magic Valley (2011) and Smashed (2011).
In 2013, Gallner appeared in the film Beautiful Creatures (2013)_, directed by Richard LaGravenese.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Charlie McDermott was born on 6 April 1990 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Frozen River (2008), Unbelievable (2019) and Instant Family (2018). He has been married to Sara Rejaie since 2017.- Diana became involved in show business at a very early age, tap dancing at seven and winning a beauty contest three years later. This led to modeling sun suits for Sears Department Stores, and, eventually, to becoming a Conover model for the John Robert Powers Agency in New York. She also acquired plenty of acting practice during seven seasons of summer stock, playing assorted leads in classic plays like The Little Foxes, The Seven Year Itch (the role immortalized by Marilyn Monroe on screen!), Tobacco Road and Life With Father. From the mid-50s, she appeared on numerous live TV shows in New York and even enjoyed a second-billed leading role in a 1955 episode of Star Tonight (1955). This did not lead anywhere career-wise, so the blonde, comely-looking Diana took on further acting studies and got herself noticed with covers in popular contemporary magazines. Alas, it took a move to Hollywood for her career to really gain some traction, then, before long, she became a much-in-demand guest actress for prime-time TV shows. So much so, where by 1962, she was given the sobriquet 'Miss Emmy'.
Diana also appeared thrice on Broadway, culminating in a leading role in the comedy play Boeing-Boeing in 1962. That same year, she toured the U.S. and Canada in a National Theatre Company Production of The Seven Year Itch, opposite Eddie Bracken.
During her prolific TV appearances in the 60s, Diana accumulated screen credits on some of the most popular shows of the day, including Maverick (1957), Gunsmoke (1955), Route 66 (1960), Rawhide (1959), Perry Mason (1957), 77 Sunset Strip (1958), The Virginian (1962) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964).
However, her undoubted career highlight came near the end of her life as an actress when producer/creator Dan Curtis offered her the juicy role of Laura Collins (an immortal Phoenix-like entity) in his cult supernatural day time series Dark Shadows (1966). Between 1966 and 1969, Diana lived and breathed this character in 62 episodes and a subsequent spin-off movie release, Night of Dark Shadows (1971). After that, her acting career ended somewhat inconspicuously.
In later years, she moved back to New York where she reinvented herself as an author of several books, including "The Power of Halloween" (dealing with supernatural themes, such as witchcraft), "How to Create Good Luck" and "I'd Rather Eat Than Act".
Between 1966 and 1968, Diana Claire Millay was married to Geoffrey Montgomery Talbot Jones, a Broadway producer, Princeton alumnus and former wartime OSS officer. Sometime during the 1990s, she worked as a promoter for Microhydrin, an antioxidant and nutritional supplement.
Diana passed away in New York on 8 January 2021 at the age of 86. - Morgan Turner was born on 29 April 1999 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress, known for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Invincible (2006) and Mildred Pierce (2011).
- Graham Rogers was born on 17 December 1990 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor, known for Love & Mercy (2014), Revolution (2012) and Atypical (2017).
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Josh Whitehouse was born on 27 February 1990 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Knight Before Christmas (2019), Daisy Jones & The Six (2023) and Valley Girl (2020).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Ronald Alfred Pickup was a highly respected, incisive, classically trained character actor who specialized in the portrayal of prominent historical authority figures or crusty academics. He was born in Chester, England, to English and French language lecturer Eric Pickup and his wife Daisy (née Williams). Ronald received his education at Leeds University and then studied at RADA on a scholarship before making his theatrical debut in 1964 at the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester. He spent two years at the Royal Court Theatre before joining the ensemble of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre Company at the Old Vic in London for seven years, from 1966 to 1973. His extensive list of theatrical credits included title roles in Oedipus and Macbeth, as well as highly acclaimed performances in Long Day's Journey into Night (1971) and Waiting for Godot (2009).
Ronald's first screen appearance was in a 1964 episode of Doctor Who (1963), for which he was paid £30. It took another decade before he eventually made his first TV breakthrough as Lord Randolph Churchill in the miniseries Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill (1974), co-starring alongside the excellent American actress Lee Remick. His subsequent roles encompassed a truly impressive gallery of historical personae: William Pitt, the Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer, Giuseppe Verdi, Friedrich Nietzsche, George Orwell (his own personal favorite role from the telemovie Crystal Spirit: Orwell on Jura (1983)) and Albert Einstein.
For the big screen he essayed Igor Stravinsky in Nijinsky (1980) and Neville Chamberlain in the Churchill biopic Darkest Hour (2017). In between were frequent guest appearances in popular dramatic fare like Silent Witness (1996), Dalziel and Pascoe (1996), Foyle's War (2002), Hustle (2004) and Midsomer Murders (1997), for which his stock-in-trade characters usually tended to be stately, eloquent and possessed of a mordant wit. Ronald reached perhaps the apex of his career on screen by way of his likeable performance in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) (and its sequel) as the ageing womanizer Norman Cousins (for which the entire leading cast shared a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination) and he was also latterly praised for his role as the Archbishop of Canterbury in The Crown (2016). He lent his distinctive voice to BBC radio recordings and to the talking lion Aslan of Narnia in Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1989) and The Silver Chair (1990).
The urbane, invariably gentlemanly Ronald Pickup received an honorary Doctor of Letters award from the University of Chester in 2011. He passed away at the age of 80 on February 24 2021 after a long illness.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Adrian Bower was born on 20 August 1970 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK. He is an actor and producer, known for The Last Kingdom (2015), Gangs of London (2020) and Dirty Filthy Love (2004).- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Brandon Cole Margera, better known as Bam Margera, was born on September 28, 1979 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to April Margera (née Cole) and Phil Margera. He was given the name Bam at age three, by his grandfather, after his habit of running into walls. He is of Italian (from his paternal grandfather), German, English, and Welsh descent.
In high school, he'd often appear in articles in Jeff Tremaine's Big Brother magazine and made CKY videos with his older brother Jess and his friends Chris Raab, Ryan Dunn, and Brandon DiCamillo. He only attended high school because Chris Raab went. Bam dropped out of high school after Chris Raab got suspended for smearing feces on lockers, but his parents persuaded him to get his GED which he got.
In 2000, Jeff Tremaine made a deal with MTV to make a show called Jackass and Bam got a spot on the show. Even though Jackass lasted two years, Margera would go on to star in the Jackass movies and even have his own reality television series, Viva La Bam featuring his family and CKY members including Jackass star and close friend Ryan Dunn.
Over the years, he starred in other Jackass films and other skateboarding projects. In 2011, he lost his best friend Ryan Dunn from a drunk-driving accident.
He now has his own game show, Bam's Badass Gameshow.- Emma Cunniffe was born on 3 July 1973 in Chester, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Poirot (1989), Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996) and Southcliffe (2013). She has been married to Rufus Jones since 2008.
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Sasha Stallone was born on 17 July 1950 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Long Lost Love (1996), Love of Life (1951) and Vic (2006).- Writer
- Director
- Producer
George Gallo moved from Mamaroneck, New York and relocated in Los Angeles in 1982. After 4 years, he got the film "Wise Guys" produced with Danny Devito and Joe Piscopo. The classic buddy/cops and robbers picture "Midnight Run" came next with Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin. Then in 1990, he wrote and directed "29th Street" which Danny Aiello and Anthony LaPaglia. It got critical raves. Other credits include 1995's, "Bad Boys" starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Gallo will soon direct the film "Friend Again."- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Hugh Lloyd was born on 22 April 1923 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for You Rang, M'Lord? (1988), Doctor Who (1963) and Alice in Wonderland (1999). He was married to Shän Davies, Carole Wilkinson, Anne Rodgers and José Stewart. He died on 14 July 2008 in Worthing, Sussex, England, UK.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Emily has appeared extensively in UK television/film for decades, starting young as a presenter on popular video game review show 'Bitz' in 1999. This strong start to a career in presenting led on to landmark shows such as 'The Big Breakfast' before find her home more recently on The Horror Channel where she has been established as an important part of their brand, in addition to becoming a horror-culture aficionado.
In addition to a highly successful career as a presenter, Emily has appeared extensively in film and TV in various roles. Most recently appearing as one of the leading roles in Shed of the Dead, due for release in 2018.- Writer
- Actress
- Producer
Mitra Jouhari was born in West Chester, Ohio, USA. She is a writer and actress, known for The Big Sick (2017), Three Busy Debras (2020) and Human Resources (2022).- Actress
- Soundtrack
The child of a teenage rape victim, Ethel Waters grew up in the slums of Philadelphia and neighboring cities, seldom living anywhere for more than a few weeks at a time. "No one raised me, " she recollected, "I just ran wild." She excelled not only at looking after herself, but also at singing and dancing; she began performing at church functions, and as a teenager was locally renowned for her "hip shimmy shake". In 1917 she made her debut on the black vaudeville circuit; billed as "Sweet Mama Stringbean" for her tall, lithe build, she broke through with her rendition of "St. Louis Blues", which Waters performed in a softer and subtler style than her rivals, Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith. Beginning with her appearances in Harlem nightclubs in the late 1920s, then on the lucrative "white time" vaudeville circuit, she became one of America's most celebrated and highest-paid entertainers. At the Cotton Club, she introduced "Stormy Weather", composed for her by Harold Arlen: she wrote of her performance, "I was singing the story of my misery and confusion, the story of the wrongs and outrages done to me by people I had loved and trusted". Impressed by this performance, Irving Berlin wrote "Supper Time", a song about a lyncing, for Waters to perform in a Broadway revue. She later became the first African-American star of a national radio show. In middle age, first on Broadway and then in the movies, she successfully recast herself as a dramatic actress. Devoutly religious but famously difficult to get along with, Waters found few roles worthy of her talents in her later years.- Actress
- Director
Julia is a Television/ Film Director and Actor. She most recently directed Until I Kill You by Nick Stevens, a 4 part mini-series starring Anna Maxwell Martin, Shaun Evans and Kevin Doyle for World Productions; Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton for Working Title/ BBC starring Emma Appleton, Bel Powley, Marli Siu and Aliyah Odoffin & Grace starring John Simm for Tallstory Pictures/ITV. She lives in Brighton with playwright Mike Packer and sons Frank and Jake.- Actor
- Soundtrack
While he was at school he had ambitions of being a pop star drummer. While he was good at his school lessons he failed his 'O' levels resulting in his father locking his drums away and telling him he would only get them back if he passed his exams when he re sat them. Fortunately for Russ his mother had a spare key to the lock. Inspired by the Beatles and swept along by the Merseybeat era he formed the group The Black Abbots in his home town of Chester where they soon became a big name. Being on a raised platform behind his drums he had a good view of the girls which is where he spotted the one that would become his wife. It was fortunate that after the show she went round to the stage door for autographs. Once established the group got a recording contract but when they broke up in 1980 Russ formed a new group 'The New Black Abbotts' then later launched himself as a solo comedian to great success being voted 3 years running as 'The Funniest Man on Television' by the readers of TV Times. To his surprise when he made a record in the early 80's singing 'Atmosphere' it shot into the Top 10 earning him a Silver Disc. He has 4 children, Gary, the eldest, who had his own band, Alterrnative Colours, Richard, Christopher and Erica.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Raymond Coulthard was born on 3 September 1968 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), The English Patient (1996) and The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells (2001).- A veteran of the musical stage, Natalie Distler learned what all young children do through song - including her phone number, and how to spell her name! At age four, she performed in her first musical theater production, and landed her first starring role at age seven.
You can currently see her starring in the FX network's TV dramedy, Rescue Me (2004), playing the role of Tommy Gavin's (Denis Leary) troubled teenage daughter, "Colleen Gavin". - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Fran Brill was born on 30 September 1946 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress, known for Sesame Street (1969), What About Bob? (1991) and Midnight Run (1988). She has been married to Robert Kelly since 1988. She was previously married to Clinton Edward Ramsden Jr.- Klecko earned NFL All-Pro honors at an unprecedented three posistions - Defensive End, Defensive Tackle and Nose Guard. Was always considered one of the strongest men in the NFL during his playing days. Now operates a health club/gym in northern New Jersey
- Robert Harland was born on 28 February 1935 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Target: The Corruptors (1961), The Rookies (1972) and As Young as We Are (1958).
- Elaine was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, to the engineer Allen B. Riley (owner of the local Riley Electrical Company) and his wife Pearl, on January 15 1917. Like other aspiring starlets, she took the route to Hollywood via beauty contests. She was elected 'Miss Chic' at the Cleveland exposition and was runner-up to the 'Miss Ohio' title in 1937. For a while Elaine performed as a vocalist with a dance band in and around Pittsburgh, billed as 'Elaine Gray'. Aged eighteen, she made her way to New York and started as a model for fashion designer G.W. Cohen, appearing for the first time on the cover of Glamour magazine. During the six years which followed, Elaine completed studies in dress design at the prestigious Traphagen School of Fashion, modelled for John Robert Powers and Hattie Carnegie and worked her way up from secretary to personnel manager of New York radio station WINS.
Hollywood inevitably beckoned. In 1943, Elaine was spotted by a talent scout and signed by RKO. Her first year in pictures proved relatively unremarkable, consisting mainly of uncredited bits as hat check girls, secretaries and chorines - a far cry from her stated ambition to star in musical comedy, to become a second Carole Lombard! Paramount picked her up next. By the mid-40's, Elaine had found her niche as leading lady in Hopelong Cassidy westerns like The Devil's Playground (1946). On rarer occasions were supporting roles in A-grade features, such as the superior thriller The Big Clock (1948), starring Ray Milland. Being on the cover of Yank magazine as a popular wartime pinup certainly did Elaine's career no harm and she maintained a high profile by appearances at Hollywood Canteen, visits to army camps and by entertaining wounded servicemen at the Birmingham hospital in Van Nuys. From the early 50's, she remained comfortably ensconced in horse operas -- albeit on the small screen -- guesting frequently on series like The Gene Autry Show (1950), The Range Rider (1951) and, of course, Hopalong Cassidy (1952).
When not in front of the cameras, Elaine enjoyed horse riding, swimming and golf. Until his death in 1994, she was married to the actor Richard Martin, best remembered as comic sidekick to actor Tim Holt in a long-running western series at RKO. She was a recipient in 2004 of the Golden Boot Award for distinguished contributions to the western genre. Elaine died in December 2015 at the great age of 98. - Actor
- Additional Crew
This tall, blond, thin British character actor portrayed some of the most memorable villains of Italian cinema during the 1970s and 1980s. Born in Cheshire, England in 1941, Steiner got his start in films after school with small parts in British productions. Among them was 'The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade' (1966), Bedazzled (1967), and Work is a 4-Letter Word (1968).
His big break came in portraying the sly-eyed, manipulative property tycoon Beauty Smith in Lucio Fulci's White Fang in 1973, a role he reprised in the sequel, Challenge to White Fang (1974) in 1974. Steiner worked for Fulci again in playing the comical vampire Count Dragalescu in Dracula in the Provinces (1975), in which he was both horrifying and hilarious as a homosexual Count Dracula vamp.
Steiner continued working in Italy through the 1970s, dabbling in some of the country's most controversial entertainment. He demonstrated an entirely un-British willingness to embrace the wild side of acting life by accepting a role as a Nazi officer in Rino Di Silvestro's Deported Women of the SS Special Section (1976). This set the sage for a series of roles as Nazi prison camp officers filmed in West Germany. Steiner made a similar themed role in Tinto Brass's Madam Kitty (1976) and later signed up for a role in Caligula (1979), in which he was a standout, playing the balding, gauntly hideous-looking treasurer and financial advisor, Longinus, to the mad Roman Emperor Caligula (Malcom McDowell). After a commendable performance in Paolo Cavara's 1976 thriller 'Plot of Fear', came Shock (1977), the last theatrical film directed by Mario Bava. Steiner's rare starring role in Shock was a nice change of pace for him as he played a sympathetic airline pilot and family man appearing alongside Daria Nicolodi. After that, he went back to tall and menacing looking villainous roles one of which occurred when Dario Argento hired him to appear as the eccentric Italian film journalist Cristiano Berti in Tenebrae (1982) which remains Steiner's most celebrated film credit in which he meets with a most memorable end with an ax to his head midway through.
As the business of Italian cinema diminished during the 1980s, Steiner's roles in Italian and West German productions were nothing more than brief cameos. One notable role was playing Simon the Magnes in the TV mini-series A.D. (1985). By the early 1990s Steiner had quit the acting industry and moved to Los Angeles, California, USA with his wife and teenage son where he became a successful real estate agent working out of Beverly Hills.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Fred Draper was born on 2 September 1923 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Faces (1968) and Opening Night (1977). He was married to Marilyn Marie Fair and Ruth Marie Ronberg. He died on 26 December 1999 in San Bernardino, California, USA.- Actor
- Sound Department
- Additional Crew
James Babson is a graduate of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama with a B.F.A. in Acting.
After graduation , James worked in the downtown theatre scene in NYC, working on devised theatre pieces at NADA, Ensemble Studio Theatre and Circle Rep East before making a move Uptown in the North American Premiere of "After the Rain" Off Broadway.
Then James made to leap to Europe where he lived in Prague for several years, getting his legs working in film. Notable credits from that time were "Hellboy", "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" Polanski's "Oliver Twist" and playing Rudolf Hess in the CBS mini series "The Rise of Evil".
Having spent the past 16 years in LA, James has worked in film , TV and voiceover . Recent credits include guest spots on "Criminal Minds", "9-11", Timeless, I Think You Should Leave and a recurring role as Michael on "Transparent" .
James currently resides in Los Angeles.- Actor
- Producer
Christopher Mann was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. Christopher is an actor and producer, known for The Calling (2022), The Right Stuff (2020) and Creed II (2018). Christopher has been married to Marcia Mann since 30 December 2000. They have four children.- Actor
- Composer
- Writer
Matisyahu was born on 30 June 1979 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Possession (2012), Knocked Up (2007) and King Without a Crown.- Actor
- Writer
Veddy, veddy British stage and film actor Basil Radford (once dubbed "The Eternal Englishman") would actually become best remembered for his droll work in a couple of US films. Specializing in playing stuffy, mustachioed, well bred gents, he was a delightful presence in light, sophisticated comedies and breezy whodunnits.
He was born Arthur Basil Radford in Chester, England on June 25, 1897. He entered military service in 1915 and would serve as a commissioned officer for the British Army during World War I. He suffered a facial wound in the trenches that would later be obscured by clever camerawork and makeup over the years. Following military duty in 1918, he pursued an acting career and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Making his stage debut in 1924 with "Collusion." he subsequently appeared in such shows as "The Ghost Train," "The Love Pirate," "Night Must Fall," "Spring Tide," "Blind Goddess," "The White Falcon" and "A Man's House." By 1929, Radford was adding film work to his acting resume with his debut in Ain't It the Truth (1929). He subsequently found upper-class support parts in both comedies and dramas -- Seven Days Leave (1930) starring a young Gary Cooper, Leave It to Smith (1933) Foreign Affaires (1935), Broken Blossoms (1936), Dishonour Bright (1936), When Thief Meets Thief (1937) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Alfred Hitchcock's murder mystery Young and Innocent (1937).
Films became an even stronger focus when Hitchcock rehired Radford and memorably teamed him with actor Naunton Wayne. In one of his early cinematic masterpieces The Lady Vanishes (1938), the dry twosome hilariously portrayed a pair of cricket enthusiasts (Charters and Caldicott) who seem much more interested in reading and commenting on their favorite sport than they are concerned with the alarming number of bodies piling up aboard their train. They clicked so well with audiences in this classic whodunnit that they were asked to successfully reprise their roles in two more films: Night Train to Munich (1940) and Crook's Tour (1940) (in the latter the pair were top billed). Radford and Wayne would pair up again in seven more film outings: Millions Like Us (1943), Dead of Night (1945), Quartet (1948), Passport to Pimlico (1949), It's Not Cricket (1949) and Stop Press Girl (1949). They also showed up together in wartime shorts and radio programs.
Appearances sans Mr. Wayne include the films Dead of Night (1945), Johnny in the Clouds (1945), The Captive Heart (1946), The Winslow Boy (1948) and the comedy Whisky Galore! (1949), the last finding himself top billed. Following two top-billed character parts as a pompous boss in the working class comedy Chance of a Lifetime (1950) and the major in the racehorse yarn The Galloping Major (1951), the latter which he also co-wrote, Radford's health went into a severe decline and, by the summer of 1951, was forced to leave the screen. On the verge of a modest return in 1952, he suddenly collapsed from a heart attack on the set of the radio adventure "Rogues' Gallery" (which happened to pair him again with Naunton Wayne. He was taken to a London hospital where he died on October 20, 1952.
Only 55, a marvelous character career was lost much too soon. Long married (from 1926) to Shirley Deuchars, the couple had one son.- Ian Thompson was born on 11 August 1939 in Chester, Cheshire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Big Spender (1965), Poirot (1989) and Kidnapped (1956). He died on 16 July 2022 in England.
- Producer
- Actress
- Director
Courtney Baxter is an award winning filmmaker with 20 years experience in the film industry. She began acting professionally at age 11 working in the commercial space, acting in over a dozen national campaigns before entering high school. After realizing her interest in the filmmaking process, Courtney began producing independent films at the age of 16. Several of the films won many film festival awards and two were later sold and distributed. After winning Best Actress at 30 Under 30 Film Festival in 2015 for one of the films, she went on to become the President of the festival. Courtney also graduated early from Pace University in 2015 after earning degrees in Film & Screen Studies, and Economics in three years.
Courtney also cultivated her experiences as an actress in films such as "Sharknado 2" and "Night Has Settled" to grow as a filmmaker. In 2017, Courtney directed a short documentary for the United Nations and partnered with UN Women on a short film festival during CSW Week at the UN Headquarters in New York. In 2018, Courtney co-wrote and co-directed the Ecuadorian short film, Ruta Viva. Her debut garnered the win at the HBO Latino Film Festival and was later purchased by HBO. The short comedy also gained international recognition when it won The Guayaquil International Film Festival in the same year. Additionally, Courtney worked as the in-house director and producer for Brewer Media, an entertainment company founded and partnered with NFL players. Courtney elevated the company performance by directing short films, commercials, music videos, short documentaries, and event production for the company.
In 2019 Courtney was hired by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas to work with her at Nuyorican in producing projects with Jennifer Lopez. Her first project with the Company wrapped just before COVID began and the industry had to adapt to working during a pandemic. Courtney has produced projects in many different cities, states and countries; she has been a leader in navigating complex working strategies developed during the complicated era. Throughout all of the unusual film conditions for much of the last 5 years, Courtney has continued to work with amazing, multi talented teams producing incredible films, documentaries and musical features. The career Courtney has pursued alongside industry leading producers, writers, artists, professional cast and crew and studios has elevated Courtney's skills as a Producer in the industry she has embraced for two decades.- Actor
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In his youth, Brandon DiCamillo worked in the Neiman Marcus department store, and later co-authored the video series CKY and Haggard. Brandon said he did not like Hollywood work. DiCamillo has an outstanding comedic talent. He is also well known for his prank calls. Brandon got the nickname "Dico", by which he is often called in the show Viva la Bam!. DiCamillo is the vocalist of the band Gnarkill.- Writer
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Michael went to school in New York before taking a creative writing course. The professor for this course told everyone, "There are enough bad writers out there. There needn't be anymore". Michael recalls that the professor would rip up his writing and he would be so broken-hearted. This professor eventually chased him into journalism, where Michael won two Emmys for his work as a news producer. Michael went back to New York for a few years before seeing a "Chorus Line" show and deciding to pursue his writing career. He originally came back to Los Angeles as a censor for CBS in the late seventies. He eventually started writing spec scripts for such TV series as Simon & Simon (1981) and Cagney & Lacey (1981) before landing a role as a producer on Simon & Simon (1981). He worked his way through the producer ranks and jumped from series to series before being called in by long-time friend, Maurice Hurley, who was, at the time, writing and producing episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987). Michael wrote a few episodes for season three (1989-90) before becoming a full-fledged Executive Producer. In 1992, Piller and Rick Berman (who was also Executive Producer) decided to create a new series based in the "Star Trek Universe". Thus, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) was created. Piller oversaw the writing, casting, budget, etc. for two season before Paramount called him in again to create a new series after Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) ended in 1994. Star Trek: Voyager (1995), created by Jeri Taylor, Pillar and Rick Berman, was born into the television universe, as the flagship for the new United Paramount Network (UPN), running until 2001. Piller left Star Trek: Voyager (1995) in 1996, after nine years of working in the Star Trek franchise. He created the ill-fated, but critically-acclaimed, western for UPN called Legend (1995), starring Richard Dean Anderson and John de Lancie. Also in 1996, Piller successfully sold his first feature film script entitled, "Oversight" (1998). It has yet to be produced. In 1997, he co-wrote Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), with Rick Berman, which was released in 1998. His most successful post-Trek outing was developing the Stephen King property, "The Dead Zone", along with his son Shawn Piller, for television. Piller died from cancer on November 2, 2005.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
- Producer
Christopher Porter was born in Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is known for The Dare, The Pledge (2001) and The Man in the Iron Mask (1998). He has been married to Oona Menges since 11 September 1999. They have one child. He was previously married to Megan Follows.- Actress
Karen Machon was born on 2 September 1944 in Port Chester, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for Blade (1973), The Rockford Files (1974) and Columbo (1971).- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Alex North studied music at the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia, then won a scholarship to Juilliard in New York (1929) and the Moscow Conservatoire (1933), making him the first-ever American to become a member of the Union of Soviet Composers. In Europe, he worked as music director for the Latvian State Theatre, before returning to the U.S. in 1935 to perfect his craft under the auspices of Aaron Copland. At the same time, he produced his first compositions, including two symphonies, chamber music and dance scores for Martha Graham and Agnes de Mille. After a spell in Mexico as conductor/composer, he served as a captain with the U.S. Army, in charge of 'self-entertainment programs' for hospitalised psychiatric patients. He also did his first film work, scoring documentaries for the Office of War Information.
Profoundly influenced by, above all, Duke Ellington, North began to write several innovative compositions in jazz. His 'Revue for Clarinet and Orchestra' was originally commissioned by Benny Goodman and first performed in 1946 under the direction of Goodman and Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Joining ASCAP in 1947, North went on to compose theatrical scores, including 'Death of a Salesman' for Elia Kazan and this opened the door to Hollywood. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) was the first all-jazz score ever written for a motion picture. His next assignment was the film version of Death of a Salesman (1951), followed by Viva Zapata! (1952), for which he used traditional instruments, including marimbas and timbales.
Much of his subsequent work was characterised by sparse instrumentation (as, for example, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and the Oscar-nominated Under the Volcano (1984)). He used jazz again, evocatively, to score The Long, Hot Summer (1958) and The Sound and the Fury (1959), but was rather less successful on more conventional themes, such as The Misfits (1961). One of his most beautiful and lyrical works was the love theme from Spartacus (1960). For the small screen, he composed the music for the two instalments of the popular miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man (1976). Alex North was Oscar-nominated fifteen times but only received the coveted statuette as a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986.- Actress
- Writer
- Location Management
Laura Lynn Cottrel was an only child born and raised in West Chester, Pennsylvania. She was dubbed a "social butterfly" by her teachers and began performing in school theater productions by the age of nine. After her graduation from college (BA/Theater), she spent two seasons as an NFL cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles. After the second season with the Eagles came to a close, she began to pursue her acting career. She is a member of SAG and continues to successfully pursue this endeavor.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Payson Lewis was born on 8 March 1985 in Chesterbrook, Chester County, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor, known for The Rookie (2018), American Crime Story (2016) and S.W.A.T. (2017).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Dr. Monroe Mann, PhD, Esq, MBA, LLM, ME is the definition of a modern renaissance man(n). He is not only a professional actor and filmmaker, but he is also the author of 9 published books; a NY entertainment attorney; a rock musician and singer; a motivational speaker; an improv and standup comedian; and the recipient of a PhD in psychology, an MBA in finance, a masters in entrepreneurship, a masters in law, and a BA from Franklin University in Switzerland. He is also a proud Iraq war veteran, nominated for a bronze star for his work in Iraq as an intelligence officer, a combat patrol leader, a combat patrol navigator, and a trainer of the 4th Iraqi army. He speaks French, Chinese, Italian, and English, and is the founder of the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Break Diving, Inc., through which he helps others find their calling, study languages, pursue showbiz, and make new friends from around the world. He has lived in many places worldwide, including a year in China, two years in Switzerland, half a year in France, a year in the middle east, and many months in various states around the USA.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Nora Bennett Schilling was born in Chester, Illinois. She grew up and went to school near St. Louis. After modeling for a time, she went to visit a friend in California and was noticed by someone in the film industry. She successfully passed her screen test and began playing small parts in silent films in 1927, taking on the name Lane. In her 17 year career she played in over 80 films. Her notable works include her role as Zerelda in Jesse James (1927), her role as Sally in The Cisco Kid (1931), the villainous role of Goldie in Western Frontier (1935), as well as her supporting part in Jimmy the Gent (1934) which starred James Cagney and Bette Davis. She played in four Hopalong Cassidy films, two of which she was cast as the widowed ranch owner, Nora Blake. In her personal life, she was noted as an excellent swimmer and won many awards. On August 5, 1931, she and fellow actors Warner Baxter and Edmund Lowe were involved in a Southern Pacific train crash 20 miles east of Yuma, Arizona, but managed to escape uninjured. In 1941 she married Burdette Henney and retired from movies in 1944. The two lived a happy marriage until tragedy struck in 1948 when they went on a fishing trip in Bishop, California, during which Nora's husband died suddenly of a heart attack. On October 16, exactly one month after Burdette's death, the grief stricken widow shot herself dead after leaving a note to her step-son, simply saying she could not go on without him.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Steve Gordon was born on 10 October 1938 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer and director, known for Arthur (1981), Arthur (2011) and Good Time Harry (1980). He died on 27 November 1982 in New York City, New York, USA.- Vincent Margera was born on 3 July 1956 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for CKY 3 (2001), CKY Trilogy: Round 1 (2003) and CKY Trilogy: Round 2 (2003). He died on 15 November 2015 in West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Vince Papale was born on 9 February 1946 in Chester, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Invincible (2006), The Ride (2009) and Bazaar of All Nations (2010). He has been married to Janet Cantwell since 14 August 1993. They have two children. He was previously married to Sandy Bianchini and Sharon.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
In retrospect, it was a crazy decision for Richard Burgin to make movies. Richard's awareness of his own mental health problems helped him tap into that for his work, creating characters with autism, paranoia, depression, schizophrenia, OCD, and other conditions. In 2022, Richard hosted the premiere of his first feature film, Fang (2022), at the Davis Theater in Chicago. Fang (2022) stunned audiences and critics with the intense body horror of a man turning into a rat (Dylan LaRay) and the tragic decline of his mother with Parkinson's dementia, played by Lynn Lowry.
Richard is a prolific painter, video artist, soundtrack composer, and podcaster, having done over 50 interviews since 2020. Richard's experimental videos include Hi (2011), Box (2013), Dark Texture (2020), Blood Waters (2023), Garden Sequence (2023), Scartography (2023), and Painting with Isa (2023). Since September 2023, Richard has hosted a podcast, The Cinesin Show (2023), with his girlfriend Isabela Rangel.
Richard has contributed as a producer to feature films including Project Skyquake (2022), starring Laura Ellen Wilson, Tom Sizemore, and Robert LaSardo; The Forest Hills (2023), starring Shelley Duvall, Chiko Mendez, and Edward Furlong; and Crust, starring Sean Whalen, Alan Ruck, and Felissa Rose. Richard has acted in Tears of the Damned, directed by his frequent collaborator John Joseph Dunn, and had a brief masked appearance as Dr. Rat in Fang (2022). Richard is executive producer of the upcoming psychological horror drama Operation EX-I-33 (2025), directed by Robby Garber and Janet Tracy Keijser.
Richard's advertising work includes Fiverr: Help Is a Few Clicks Away (2023), Fiverr: Lost in a World (2023), and the short PSA Autism Awareness: Think Before You Label (2023). Wildlife Nightmare (2023) and Boynya (2023) were made to help support the fight against animal cruelty and Ukraine's victory against the Russian invasion. Richard has also worked as a marketing coordinator for the documentary Best Served Cold: How a Revenge Film was Buried for Decades, featuring interviews with Paul Schrader, Steve Railsback, and Gary Conway. In 2024, Richard served as the Co-Festival Director of the Mental Health Warrior Film Festival in Madison, Wisconsin.
Richard has over a decade of filmmaking experience, starting with the video editing class he took in middle school. Working with his father, Richard W. Burgin, Richard made two short films based on his short stories, All Ears (2016) and The Identity Club (2018). After his father's death in 2020, Richard dedicated Fang (2022) to him and pushed himself harder than ever before to be the best filmmaker he could be, like his dad would have wanted. Richard is a passionate, dedicated filmmaker with an obsessive work ethic and a wild imagination.- Michael Owen is a former England footballer who played for Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City. He claimed the Premier League Golden Boot twice and was the last English player to win the Ballon d'Or. Over the course of an impressive career, he won the FA Cup, Football League Cup (three times), UEFA Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Premier League title and appeared in three World Cups for England, amassing 89 caps. Michael is a co-owner of Manor House Stables racing yard near Chester and since retiring in 2013, he has been working as a pundit and co-commentator, an Ambassador for Bet Victor and Liverpool FC and alongside other commercial obligations, he has set up a football management company to help guide young players through their careers.
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Jon Alpert was born on 13 December 1948 in Port Chester, New York, USA. He is a producer and director, known for Baghdad ER (2006), Cuba and the Cameraman (2017) and Independent Lens (1999).- TANISHA LAVERNE GRANT a 2018 distinguished BLACK WOMEN IN MEDIA honoree single-handedly gets the exclusive! A widely respected entertainment journalist known as a "Hollywood Insider" Tanisha is one of the industry's leading go to personalities for all things pop culture! The multi award winning journalist covers everything from exclusive red carpet award shows, award show press rooms, film festivals, private screenings, press junkets, and film premieres, all which have set the stage for her to interview some of the most prolific icons, game changers, disruptors, and thought leaders in film, fashion, music and politics, with a roster of luminaries including but not limited to Oprah Winfrey, Cathy Hughes, Debra Lee, Debra Martin Chase, Sherry Lansing, Van Jones, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Raoul Peck, Yann Arthus Bertrand, Melvin Van Peebles, Whoopi Goldberg, Forest Whitaker, KD Lang, Cicely Tyson, Patti LaBelle, Lupita Nyongo, Kevin Hart, Misty Copeland, Issa Rae, Kathleen Cleaver, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Tamron Hall, Gayle King, Kofi Siriboe,Spike Lee, Mary J.Blige, Mara Brock Akil, Yara Shahidi, Laurence Fishburne, Aja Naomi, Swizz Beatz,Teyona Taylor, Luke James, John Singleton, Malcolm D. Lee, Tiffany Haddish, John David Washington, Jimmy Fallon, Robert DeNiro, Omari Hardwick, Issa Rae and many more.
Tanisha's intellect, drive, vision, ambition, stamina; and ability to ask well crafted questions while connecting with her guests on a personal level has made her a stand out in the competitive space of entertainment journalism. She reports from glamorous red carpets having covered large scale awards like the Naacp Image Awards, The Tony Awards, The NY Emmy Awards, The AAFCA Awards and the prestigious Academy Awards (The Oscars). Her in depth coverage of the 90th Oscars resulted in her being a guest at the Associated Press to give her post Oscar recap on the entertainment news television and online platform Arise 360. A self made broadcast entrepreneur who distributes content across various traditional and new media platforms Tanisha is well on her way to becoming one the most intriguing women of our time. Dividing her time between New York City and Los Angeles the determined multi-talented fashionista serves up her own red carpet style with her iconoclastic bald head and is blazing the trail to have bald women represented in mainstream media particularly in the capacity of on air talent. She has been the subject of profile pieces, features, and interviews and has been spotted on the pages and websites of Getty Images, Celebrity Chef Marcus Samuelsson's "The Cookbook", Rolling Out, The Giant, Glamour Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Urban Wall Street, Essence online, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Exposure Magazine and publications in Paris, Italy and Sweden as well as gracing the cover of the Winter 2017 issue of the national publication "Size Overrated" magazine.
A former pageant winner who has won titles as Miss Black Pennsylvania USA and Miss Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Tanisha believes in customs and traditions and like her father is a graduate from the nation's oldest HBCU, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania founded in 1837 where she focused on radio, television and film studies and was inducted into the national theatrical honor society Alpha Psi Omega. It was during her time as a student at Cheyney that Tanisha turned her internship at WCAU NBC 10 in Philadelphia into a full time job as an assignment editor. This experience catapulted Tanisha into having a viable career in television and film, giving her the opportunity to have visibility in both traditional and new media platforms. Armed with a B.A. degree in Communication Arts, Tanisha set her sights on Hollywood, CA where she worked as an extra for major film companies like Warner Brothers, Sunset Gower Studios, and CBS Ratford Studios in an effort to build an acting career. With her experience in television news, a love of entertainment, a sharp eye for great stories, a background in acting, and her SAG/AFTRA card, Tanisha developed the skills necessary for television news reporting making her a sought after entertainment correspondent .
Tanisha serves as a contributing on camera correspondent and content provider for the syndicated site blackinamerica.com which is a part of one of the largest digital media companies serving African-Americans with more than 15 million members and reaches millions of African-Americans each month. With approximately 3 billion views on its suite site the company has become the definitive lifestyle and information resource for African-Americans.
A journalist dedicated to maintaining a standard of excellence to deliver content that is carefully researched and curated, Tanisha has been a guest sharing Hollywood intel and has appeared on nationally syndicated television shows and online platforms including but not limited to FRP TV, TMZ, TMZ Live , Bravo's Blood, Sweat and Heels, and Oxygens Live Out Loud Series. She has been a brand ambassador for major cosmetic giants like NARS and has been called upon to speak about "unconventional beauty".
Tanisha has participated in the "Expressions in Beauty" exhibition at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, delivered the 144th Commencement Address to the graduating class of Chester High School, has been honored with the "Lifetime Achievement Award" by People Building People for setting a positive image of African American Women in Media, and in 2016 she was awarded with the honor of "Entertainment Correspondent of the Year " by Brown Women in Media! Tanisha also serves as a guest lecturer sharing her experience as an entertainment journalist. She has been a guest speaker at Columbia University and in 2018 partnered with Widener University, The Pew Arts Center, The Pennsylvania Humanities Council, and Chester Made to deliver a workshop and lecture for the first "Chester Made Correspondents Workshop." Tanisha continues to work as an independent and freelance entertainment correspondent while raising awareness of the HBCU initiative to save Historical Black Colleges and Universities. Her interviews can be found both on television and online.