Advanced search
- TITLES
- NAMES
- COLLABORATIONS
Search filters
Enter full date
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
Only includes names with the selected topics
to
or just enter yyyy, or yyyy-mm below
to
1-50 of 1,461
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Austin Stowell was born and raised in Kensington, Connecticut, by his father, Robert, a retired steelworker, and his mother, Elizabeth, a schoolteacher. He graduated from Berlin High School in 2003. Upon acceptance at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, he studied with the Department of Dramatic Arts, a division of the School of Fine Arts. He performed in several productions with the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, including Julius Caesar, It Can't Happen Here, and As You Like It. Stowell graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ricky initiated his singing career in the Latin all boy-band group Menudo. After leaving the group, he moved to New York to study acting. After finishing his studies, he relocated to Mexico where he performed as actor in "Mama ama el Rock", "Alcanzar una Estrella II". In 1991, he began to focus his career as a soloist singer, eventually becoming an international superstar with the release of his self-titled English language album in 1996.- With his dynamic and versatile acting ability, Taylor Zakhar Perez has quickly emerged as one of Hollywood's most notable talents.
He most recently starred in Red, White & Royal Blue, Amazon's film adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, opposite Nicholas Galitzine and Uma Thurman. In his portrayal of Alex Claremont-Diaz, Zakhar Perez delivered a compelling performance that not only captured the essence of the character but also received widespread acclaim, further solidifying his reputation as a powerhouse performer.
Zakhar Perez garnered the attention of many when he joined the sequel of the international phenomenon "The Kissing Booth," playing fan favorite Marco in both the second and third installments of the franchise. Taylor also appeared in the first season of HBO Max's acclaimed series, "Minx," opposite Ophelia Lovibond as well as in the Buzzfeed Studios' "1Up" available on Amazon Prime Video.
A Chicago native, Zakhar Perez began his career at an early age performing musical theater in opera houses, which led him to film and TV projects. A proud UCLA alumnus, Zakhar Perez was also distinguished as a nationally ranked swimmer. - Actor
- Director
- Producer
Michael Raymond-James is an American actor. He is best known for playing René Lenier in the first season of the HBO series True Blood, Britt Pollack on the FX series Terriers, Neal Cassidy/Baelfire on the ABC series Once Upon a Time, and Mitch Longo on the CBS All Access series Tell Me a Story.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Diedrich Bader was born in Alexandria, Virginia, but moved to Paris, France, with his family at age two. While in the "City of Light" he developed an appreciation for movie legends like Fred Astaire and Charles Chaplin. So, when a fragile "Chaplin" movie reel burned in the theater's projector, four-year-old Bader hopped on stage and entertained the crowd with an imitation of the "Little Tramp." The standing ovation he received set the course for the rest of his life--he knew he wanted to perform.
He returned to the United States for high school and attended North Carolina School of the Arts. During spring break he was discovered by a casting director in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That meeting led to an audition for a small role in a TV pilot. Bader landed a starring role instead. Although the pilot wasn't picked up, Bader moved to Los Angeles and began auditioning for other roles. He landed guest spots on several series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Cheers (1982) and Quantum Leap (1989). Filmmaker Penelope Spheeris liked his tongue-in-cheek delivery when he read for her action-adventure spoof series, Danger Theatre (1993). She hired him in that role and for the feature film The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), which she directed. Bader played the dual roles of twins Jethro and Jethrine Beaudine. He also filmed the political thriller The Assassination File (1996) for the Encore Entertainment Group. Bader was excited to work on the project, as it allowed him to be shot in the head -- a first for the actor. Bader's father, William, was Chief of Staff for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is president of the Eurasia Foundation on Capitol Hill. His mother, Gretta, is a sculptor whose portrait of the late Sen. J. William Fulbright sits in the National Gallery in Washington, DC. Bader's wife is actress Dulcy Rogers; they reside in Los Angeles, CA.- Actress
- Stunts
- Soundtrack
Ava Lavina Gardner was born on December 24, 1922 in Grabtown, North Carolina, to Mary Elizabeth (née Baker) and Jonas Bailey Gardner. Born on a tobacco farm, where she got her lifelong love of earthy language and going barefoot, Ava grew up in the rural South. At age 18, her picture in the window of her brother-in- law's New York photo studio brought her to the attention of MGM, leading quickly to Hollywood and a film contract based strictly on her beauty. With zero acting experience, her first 17 film roles, 1942-1945, were one-line bits or little better. After her first starring role in B-grade Whistle Stop (1946), MGM loaned her to Universal for her first outstanding film The Killers (1946). Few of her best films were made at MGM which, keeping her under contract for 17 years, used her popularity to sell many mediocre films. Perhaps as a result, she never believed in her own acting ability, but her latent talent shone brightly when brought out by a superior director, as with John Ford in Mogambo (1953) and George Cukor in Bhowani Junction (1956).
After three failed marriages, dissatisfaction with Hollywood life prompted Ava to move to Spain in 1955; most of her subsequent films were made abroad. By this time, stardom had made the country girl a cosmopolitan, but she never overcame a deep insecurity about acting and life in the spotlight. Her last quality starring film role was in The Night of the Iguana (1964), her later work being (as she said) strictly "for the loot". In 1968, tax trouble in Spain prompted a move to London, where she spent her last 22 years in reasonable comfort. Her film career did not bring her great fulfillment, but her looks may have made it inevitable; many fans still consider her the most beautiful actress in Hollywood history. Ava Gardner died at age 67 of bronchial pneumonia on January 25, 1990 in Westminister, London, England.- Millie Brady is a British actress, born in London, England. She known for her roles in 'The Last Kingdom' and 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'. She began her career in 2014, playing the daughter of Selfridge's tycoon, Harry Gordon Selfridge in ITV's 'Mr Selfridge'. Since then, she has appeared in Guy Ritchie's 'King Arthur: Legend of the Sword' amongst other film and television roles.
- Sofia Black-D'Elia grew up in northern New Jersey with her parents and older brother, Kyle. Her mother is of Russian Jewish descent and her father is of Italian ancestry. Prior to graduating Clifton High School, Sofia booked her first role in All My Children and discovered an affinity for acting. Soon after, she began her study of the craft at The William Esper Studio under the wonderful instruction of Mr. Bill Esper. Now a dedicated graduate of his two year Meisner program, Sofia happily lives in New York City.
- Actress
- Producer
Edwige Fenech was born Edwige Sfenek on December 24, 1948, in Bone, Constantine, France, to a Maltese father and an Italian mother. She began her show-business career as a participant in beauty contests (she won the title of "Miss Mannequin de la Cote d'Azur" at age 16 and even won a Miss France beauty contest) and worked as a photo model prior to making her film debut in the comedy Toutes folles de lui (1967). She appeared in such saucy West German sex farces as Alle Kätzchen naschen gern (1969) and Sexy Susan Sins Again (1968).
With her lustrous and long black hair, lovely and sensuous face, full shapely figure and smoldering screen presence, Edwige soon became a very popular and much sought-after actress in a diverse array of European productions made in Italy, France, Spain and West Germany. She achieved her greatest enduring cult cinema popularity by starring in several superior Italian giallos for director Sergio Martino: The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh (1971), They're Coming to Get You! (1972) and Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972) (she was the onetime girlfriend of Martino's producer brother, Luciano Martino).
Edwige also acted for Martino in a handful of racy Italian sex comedies and the Italian mini-series Delitti privati (1993). Other noted Italian film directors Fenech has worked for are Mario Bava (Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970)), Giuliano Carnimeo (The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972)), Andrea Bianchi (Strip Nude for Your Killer (1975)), Umberto Lenzi (The Biggest Battle (1978)), Steno (Dr. Jekyll Likes Them Hot (1979)), Dino Risi (Sono fotogenico (1980)) and Ruggero Deodato (Phantom of Death (1987)).
She demonstrated her exceptional range and skill as an actress with enjoyably uninhibited performances in such amusingly bawdy Italian comedic romps as Quel gran pezzo della Ubalda tutta nuda e tutta calda (1972) and The School Teacher (1975). Edwige became a television personality in the 1980s and made frequent appearances on an Italian chat show along with fellow giallo goddess Barbara Bouchet. Moreover, Fenech launched her own fashion line and founded her own film production company, Immagine e Cinema S.r.l., with her son Edwin Fenech (she co-produced the 2004 film The Merchant of Venice (2004) as well as various Italian TV mini-series and made-for-TV features).
In the mid-1990s Edwige was engaged to famous Italian industrialist Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. She made a welcome return to acting with a small but funny part as an alluring art class professor in Eli Roth's Hostel: Part II (2007).- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sharon Farrell was born on 24 December 1940 in Sioux City, Iowa, USA. She was an actress, known for Can't Buy Me Love (1987), Night of the Comet (1984) and Lone Wolf McQuade (1983). She was married to Dale Trevillion, Steve Salkin, John Boyer, Ron De Blasio and Andrew Prine. She died on 15 May 2023 in Orange County, California, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Clarence Gilyard Jr. was born on 24 December 1955 in Moses Lake, Washington, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Die Hard (1988), Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) and Top Gun (1986). He was married to Elena Castillo and Catherine Dutko. He died on 28 November 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Laura Aikman was born on 24 December 1985. She is an actress and producer, known for Archie (2023), Gavin & Stacey (2007) and The Job Lot (2013).- Actor
- Producer
Amaury Nolasco was born in Puerto Rico. He is an actor and producer, known for Prison Break (2005), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013) and Transformers (2007).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Mark Valley was born in Ogdensburg, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Stolen (2012), Boston Legal (2004) and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2 (2013). He was previously married to Anna Torv.- Director
- Producer
- Actor
Robert Schwartzman was born on 24th December 1982 to parents, actress Talia Shire and producer Jack Schwartzman, in Los Angeles California. He was born into one of the film industry's most famous families, including uncle Francis Ford Coppola, cousin Nicolas Cage, cousin Sofia Coppola, (former) cousin-in-law Spike Jonze and brother Jason Schwartzman. His father was of Polish Jewish descent and his mother is of Italian ancestry.
Robert was featured in his cousin Sofia Coppola's first short film Lick the Star (1998), and played Paul Baldino in her directorial debut The Virgin Suicides (1999). His breakthrough performance, however, came from playing the role of Michael Moscovitz in Disney's The Princess Diaries (2001), winning the role due to his musical ability. The movie also featured a scene with a section from the song "Blueside" that Robert wrote and is a real song for his band Rooney, and is set to be Rooney's first single. During post-production of The Princess Diaries (2001), he decided to changed his name to Robert Cage in honor of his talented actor cousin Nicolas Cage, but the change could not take effect as promotional material had already been finalized, so the name Robert Schwartzman remained. Since 2002, Robert has taken time out from acting, and has focused on his music with his band Rooney, where he is the lead singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has also taken another name change to Robert Carmine, in honor of his grandfather Carmine Coppola who was a music composer, and also to divide himself from his acting career and musical career. Rooney are set to release their debut self-titled album in May 2003.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Wade Williams was born on 24 December 1961 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. He is an actor, known for Ken Park (2002), Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012) and Gangster Squad (2013). He is married to Emma. They have one child.- Blond, blue-eyed character actor who has worked on stage, film, and TV for the past 30 years. Born in Washington D.C., Carhart had a globetrotting childhood in Turkey and France before returning to the U.S. and studying theater. Carhart had some success on and off-Broadway and then moved on to small roles in such major films as Ghostbusters (1984), Witness (1985) and Working Girl (1988). He played Harlen who attempted to rape Geena Davis's character in Thelma & Louise (1991), and also had roles in the The Hunt for Red October (1990), Red Rock West (1993) and Air Force One (1997). Carhart has had many guest spots on television shows including a memorable guest turn as a police officer whose testimony against a murderer may reveal the sexuality he has tried to keep secret on The Practice (1997), and as a fat-sucking vampire on The X-Files (1993). He played Eddie Willows in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000), the ex-husband of star Marg Helgenberger. He is, (...as of 2017) a recurring character on The Paramount Network series, Yellowstone, playing the Attorney General Stewart and starring Kevin Costner
- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Gavin O'Connor was born on 24 December 1963 in Huntington, Long Island, New York, USA. He is a producer and director, known for The Accountant (2016), Pride and Glory (2008) and Warrior (2011). He has been married to Brooke Burns since 22 June 2013. They have one child. He was previously married to Angela Shelton.- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Matt Passmore was born on 24 December 1973 in Wynnum-Manly, Queensland, Australia. He is an actor and producer, known for The Glades (2010), Satisfaction (2014) and Jigsaw (2017). He has been married to Natalia Cigliuti since 3 January 2016. He was previously married to Jacqui Passmore.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jeremy Davidson was born on 24 December 1971 in Vestal, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Salt (2010), Windtalkers (2002) and Tickling Leo (2009). He has been married to Mary Stuart Masterson since 17 February 2007. They have four children. He was previously married to Shari Berkowitz.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Carmen has had an extensive career in film and television for over 25 years, with prominent roles in many fan favorite shows.
With a start in local theatre in Vancouver she quickly gained recognition with a couple of Jesse nominations. Auditions for film started a slew of guest starring and recurring roles on many popular TV series. From 2004-2005 Carmen played one of the leads, "Simone", in Vancouver's "Godiva's" and was nominated for her first Leo (BC Film/Television Awards) for her performance as the mysterious, sexy bartender. After Godiva's Carmen played the leading role of "Rebecca" in the Canadian Independent Feature Film "Unnatural & Accidental" and was honored for her performance with the Women in Film & Video Artistic Merit Award at the Vancouver Film Festival in 2006. She played the leading role of "Leona Stoney" for 5 seasons in APTN's multi-award winning Blackstone for which she won the 2011 Leo award and was nominated for a Gemini award; was nominated for another Leo in 2012 and 2015, and won the 2014 Leo Award and the 2016 Leo Award. She was nominated for a 2017 Canadian Screen Award for her performance in Blackstone's Series Finale. Carmen played "Loreen Cassway" for the 3 seasons of CBC's "Arctic Air" with Adam Beach, for which she was nominated for a Leo Award in 2012. The past few years have had her recurring on "Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce", "Arrow", "iZombie", "Chesapeake Shores" and the Fox series "Second Chance" in which she played "Special Agent in Charge Sue Adair". 2018 proved to be an exciting year. She found herself overseas in Scotland running through the forest with Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe aka "Jamie and Claire" as the fierce warrior "Wahkatiiosta" in Starz hit TV series "Outlander" Season 4. Once home, she jetted off to Quebec to shoot the leading role of "Susan Russel" in the Indy feature "Rustic Oracle", the story of a Mohawk woman desperately searching for her missing teenage daughter; meeting racism, ignorance, and indifference in the years following the Oka crises. Told through the lens of her 8-year-old daughter "Ivy" played by the brilliant "Lake Delisle". With several awards from film festivals (including two for Carmen so far for her heart wrenching performance) , Rustic is set for limited theatrical release across Canada soon. She was then off again near the end of 2018...and found herself in Ireland as a recurring guest star on another hit series...which she unfortunately is under strict gag orders about...more on that to come later ;) 2020 has Carmen guest starring in CTV's 4th Season of "Cardinal" as "Shiela Gagne", MLA and mysterious wife to district attorney Robert Quillen, as well as recurring as "Hannah Gruen" on The CW's "Nancy Drew".
Carmen was honored at the 2013 UBCP/ACTRA Awards with the "Lorena Gale Woman of Distinction Award", for her contribution to the empowerment of women in the Vancouver Film Industry. She has producing credits on two Feature Films, "Two Indians Talking" and "White Indians Walking", as well as a short film "Not Indian Enough". Carmen made her directorial debut on the short film "Ariel Unraveling", a BravoFact award winner, in 2015. Ariel premiered in February 2016 at the Victoria Film Festival.
Her biggest and most important production to date is her son Jaden.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Thure Frank Lindhardt was born 24 December 1974 in Copenhagen, Denmark. At 12, he was cast as the role of the mailman in Negerkys og labre larver (1987), and later that year, he acted as a classmate in Bille August's film Pelle the Conqueror (1987), which, in 1988, won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 1989, he played the lead role in the "The Neverending Story" by Michael Ende in Roskilde, Denmark. But it was a children's play. After the few small roles Thure had played, he realized that he wanted to become a real actor.
Lindhardt graduated from Odense Theatre School in 1998. In 1999, Thure was named recipient of the Reumert Award for Best New Talent. He had roles in two TV productions showing the year 2000, Denmarks Radios Edderkoppen (2000) a TV series where he played the poor boy Billy and in the Lars von Trier-produced family saga Morten Korch - Ved stillebækken (1999).
His first notable role was that of Brian in Her i nærheden (2000), directed by Kaspar Rostrup, written by the novel of the same name of 'Martha Christensen' and produced by Tina Dalhoff. The film featured in the official selection at the 50th Berlin Film Festival. He played the lead as an autistic boy who is suspected of murder, and he received rave reviews for his performance and was named Shooting Star at the festival. This was followed by Shaky González's film One Hell of a Christmas (2002) where he played the part as the young cool criminal Mike. Later in the year 2002, he got the offer to play Slim in the Ballerin brothers' very special modern film Slim Slam Slum (2002). But the film really tested very poorly with the young audiences, and it became a Danish, bottom-10 comedy film. But in 2004, he did an outstanding job in the role of Hans in the German movie Love in Thoughts (2004)--the latter of which brought him to the public's attention.
He is now one of the most critically acclaimed actors of his generation and portrays the weird junkie boy Steso in Ole Christian Madsen's fantastic film Angels in Fast Motion (2005).- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Living in a Chawl in Tilak Nagar, Punjabi-speaking Anil was born in 1959 to Surinder and Nirmal aka Suchitra Kapoor. He has an elder brother, Boney, a sister, Reena, and a younger brother, Sanjay. His dad used to be Shammi Kapoor's Secretary.
A loner, without many friends, he studied in the nearby O.L.P.S. (Our Lady of Perpetual Succor) School, and was an ardent fan of Bollywood flicks that were telecast during the Ganesh Maha Utsav every year. He was a fan of Raj Kapoor, and it was this that influenced his acting, and people saw him as a mimic of the legendary showman. He landed a role as a child artiste with Shashi Kapoor in the lead, but the movie (Tu Payal Main Geet) was never released.
After school, he went to study in St. Xaviers College. He commuted by bus and train from Chembur to Bombay V.T., and the walked the rest of the way. It was here that he met Mazhar Khan. A distracted Anil was kicked out of College in the second year due to his lack of presence. His attempts to join the Pune Film Institute were in vain, as he failed in the written examination. He then decided to join Roshan Taneja's Acting school.
He first appeared on the silver screen in Hamhare Tumhare in a character role. His first lead role was in 'Woh 7 Din' and from thence on there has been no looking back. He has acted in close to a 100 movies, and has 5 in production. He has produced two movies (Gandhi My Father & Badhaai Ho Badhaai), as well as been a Casting Director/Outdoor In charge for 'Hum Paanch'.
Kapoor's first role in an international film was in Danny Boyle's 2008 Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire, for which he shared the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. His performance in the eighth season of the action series 24 generated rave reviews from the American press Globally, Anil Kapoor is one of the most recognized Indian actors.
Anil met wealthy and chic model, Sindhi-speaking Sunita Bhambhani, and married her in 1984. Since then they have given birth to 3 children, kapoor has two daughters and a son Harshwardhan Kapoor.Kapoor's elder daughter is actress Sonam Kapoor. Rhea Kapoor attended school in New York and is now a producer in Mumbai.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Lee Daniels gave his parents an early Christmas present when he entered the world on December 24, 1959; unfortunately, the Philadelphia native was to have a difficult relationship with his police officer father who later reacted violently to his son's sexuality. Despite the brutality of his childhood, Lee completed high school and attended Lindenwood University in St.Charles, Missouri for two years.
Daniels's career took an interesting and profitable turn. He moved to Los Angeles and started a nursing agency of his own. He later sold the agency for a substantial sum then began his career in entertainment, first as a casting director and later as a manager. By his mid-twenties, he was working with Prince on Purple Rain (1984) and Under the Cherry Moon (1986). Despite being involved in film production, Lee continued to manage talent and grew a roster of clients that included several Academy Award nominees and winners.
He created his own production company, Lee Daniels Entertainment, and its first film was the acclaimed Monster's Ball (2001), which starred Billy Bob Thornton, the late Heath Ledger and Halle Berry, who went on to win the Best Actress Oscar. Monster's Ball was a critical and financial success and as its producer, Daniels became a force to be reckoned with.
In 2004, Lee used skills honed as a filmmaker to produce a series of public service announcements aimed at inspiring young people of color to vote. He worked with former President, Bill Clinton and was able to enlist actor/rap artist LL Cool J and actor/singer Alicia Keys. Lee's next production, The Woodsman (2004), was another edgy tale about a pedophile trying to reform after being released from prison and starred Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Yasiin Bey. While The Woodsman (2004) was not the critical success that Monster's Ball (2001) was, it attracted a great deal of critical attention and earned its star, Kevin Bacon, raves for his performance.
Daniels made his directorial debut with his next project, Shadowboxer (2005), a provocative drama with an intriguing cast that included Helen Mirren, Cuba Gooding Jr., Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephen Dorff. Shadowboxer (2005) was also the first time Lee worked with Mo'Nique; unfortunately, despite an interesting cast, Shadowboxer (2005) received mixed reviews and failed at the box office. Lee's next production, Tennessee (2008) was not a critical or financial success but allowed Lee to help singer 'Mariah Carey' gain acting credentials after the failure of her first film, Glitter (2001).
Daniels hit the mother lode with his next effort, Precious (2009), which he directed and produced. The film won at the Sundance Film Festival and has garnered every imaginable accolade under the sun. The film stars newcomer Gabourey Sidibe in the title role as a Harlem teen who is the victim of unimaginable abuse from her father, mother and society. The film allowed Daniels to re-team with both Mariah Carey and Mo'Nique, who has been a revelation to both critics and audiences as Precious's abusive mother. Daniels has said that he felt compelled to bring this story of child abuse to the screen to help heal the scars from his relationship with his abusive father.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Born and raised in Atlanta, Seacrest has been the heart and soul of television and in radio for many years, beginning as the host of such kids shows as, Gladiators 2000 (1994), Fox Family Channel's Wild Animal Games (1995), and Click (1997), which ultimately led him to his afternoon gig at Los Angeles's Radio Station, 98.7 FM, on which he hosts and produces the #1 daily afternoon talk show, "Ryan Seacrest for The Ride Home." In the summer of 2002, he began to find fame as the host of American Idol (2002), a Star Search (1983) clone in which contestants try their best at auditioning a song before going on stage and to find out, who's really, the American Idol. He hosted the first two seasons of the show and after finishing the popular series, Ryan serves in the same capacity for American Juniors (2003). As in Idol, he will interact with the talent and judges, in order to keep track of viewers through the weekly show that will make it a successful hit.- Producer
- Additional Crew
- Director
Billionaire businessman, film producer, film director, and aviator, born in Humble, Texas just north of Houston. He studied at two prestigious institutions of higher learning: Rice University in Houston and California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. Inherited his father's machine tool company in 1923. In 1926 he ventured into films, producing Hell's Angels (1930), Scarface (1932) and The Outlaw (1943). He also founded his own aircraft company, designed, built and flew his own aircraft, and broke several world air speed records (1935-1938). His most famous aircraft, the Hercules (nicknamed "The Spruce Goose"), which was as he discovered, an under-powered wooden seaplane designed to carry 750 passengers. That plane was completed in 1947, but flew only once over a distance of one mile despite having eight Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major engines, among the most powerful radial piston engines of the day. Throughout his life he shunned publicity, eventually becoming a recluse but still controlling his vast business interests from sealed-off hotel suites, and giving rise to endless rumors and speculation. In 1971 an "authorized" biography was announced, but the authors wound up in prison for fraud, and the mystery surrounding him continued until his death in Houston. He is buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Houston- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Superbly talented vocal artist and character actor supreme Robert Ridgely was born on December 24, 1931 under the name of Robert Ritterbush in New Jersey. Ridgely started out as a cabaret entertainer. In the late 1950s, he recorded 45 RPM singles for Decca Records under the name of Bob Ritterbush and as Bob Ritterbusch and Robert Ridgley after changing his name to the latter. He began his television acting career in the early 60s with guest appearances on such TV shows as Surfside 6 (1960), Sea Hunt (1958), and Maverick (1957). Ridgely had a recurring role as Lt. Frank Kimbro on the short-lived World War II TV series The Gallant Men (1962). Robert made his film debut in the 1963 feature FBI Code 98 (1963). Ridgely was occasionally cast as sleazy charmers such as unctuous emcees and announcers. Robert popped up in four comedies for Mel Brooks: Blazing Saddles (1974), High Anxiety (1977), Life Stinks (1991), and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). Moreover, Ridgely was in several pictures for director Jonathan Demme; he's especially memorable (and delightful) as smarmy game show host Wally "Mr. Love" Williams in the wonderful Melvin and Howard (1980). Other noteworthy movie roles are boozy, moonshine-running airplane pilot Lester Boggs in the rowdy redneck romp The Great Lester Boggs (1974), radio talk show host Bob Morton in Heart Like a Wheel (1983), and Los Angeles Mayor Ted Egan in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). Robert lent his strong, smooth, booming voice to countless animated TV programs and cartoon features; the characters he voiced include Tarzan in Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1976), Flash Gordon in Flash Gordon (1979), the Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak in the The World of Strawberry Shortcake (1980) and TV specials, and Thundarr in Thundarr the Barbarian (1980). Among the TV shows Ridgely had guest spots on are Designing Women (1986), Newhart (1982), Night Court (1984), Hunter (1984), The Incredible Hulk (1978), WKRP in Cincinnati (1978), Kung Fu (1972), _Bonanza_, and Get Smart (1965). In addition, he did voice-over work for numerous TV commercials. Robert gave a terrifically robust and engaging performance as jolly porno producer the Colonel James in the fantastic Boogie Nights (1997), which alas turned out to be his last movie and a worthy closer to his long and distinguished career. Robert Ridgely died at age 65 from cancer on February 8, 1997 in Toluca Lake, California.- Actress
- Composer
- Writer
Jehnny Beth was born on 24 December 1984 in Poitiers, Vienne, France. She is an actress and composer, known for Anatomy of a Fall (2023), Ex Machina (2014) and Stranger (2023).- Born in 1986, Satomi began acting professionally in 2003 at age 17 and has not looked back since. Satomi began her acting career in 2003 when she starred in the drama Kimi wa petto (2003), starring Jun Matsumoto and Koyuki. She has devoted equal time to television serials and the world of movies and in the process won several awards such as Best Actress at both the 27th Japan Academy Prize and 46th Blue Ribbon Awards for My Grandpa.
She is known to Japanese television drama audiences for her portrayal as Saeko Takahashi in the Shitsuren Chocolatier (2014). she gained popularity by appearing in a Shitsuren Chocolatier (2014) with Jun Matsumoto in 2014. She was the most searched for actress on Yahoo Japan in 2014 following roles like Shitsuren Chocolatier. - Actress
- Soundtrack
Annika Noelle was born on 24 December 1986 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), Jersey Boys (2014) and Love's Christmas Journey (2011).- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Curtiz began acting in and then directing films in his native Hungary in 1912. After WWI, he continued his filmmaking career in Austria and Germany and into the early 1920s when he directed films in other countries in Europe. Moving to the US in 1926, he started making films in Hollywood for Warner Bros. and became thoroughly entrenched in the studio system. His films during the 1930s and '40s encompassed nearly every genre imaginable and some, including Casablanca (1942) and Mildred Pierce (1945), are considered to be film classics. His brilliance waned in the 1950s when he made a number of mediocre films for studios other than Warner. He directed his last film in 1961, a year before his death at 74.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
J. Alex Brinson is an American Canadian actor/writer/producer.
Originally from Philadelphia, J. Alex was born to a social worker mother, Cheryl V. Foreman, and businessman/entrepreneur father, John W. Brinson.
Brinson's talent was discovered by a small group of caring elementary school teachers. Struggling to learn how to read at his local inner-city public school, in the 2nd grade J. Alex started at a special school for students with learning differences and dyslexia. The Benchmark School in Media, PA. offered J. Alex his first opportunities to light up the stage in a variety of roles in the school's musicals. These first opportunities lead to small appearances in regional commercials, industrials, and then at twelve years of age, J. Alex landed a lead role in the PBS kids series "Maple Ave."
During the summers J. Alex spent his days studying at the Philadelphia Freedom Theatre. His first summer jobs were playing masked children's characters with a children's party clown company, and acting as a costumed tour guide with the Philadelphia Zoo.
After attending high school at the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts, Brinson was accepted into the Juilliard School of Drama at 18 years of age. He moved to New York City, studied, and graduated from the prestigious institution with a Bachelors of Fine Arts.
Brinson finished school just as the industry went dark during the 2008 writers strike. With no credits to ride on, or acting opportunities presenting themselves, he opted to move to Vancouver, BC and work with a colleague on developing a waste management & recycling start up called Recycle- Now!. After successfully growing the business for five years, differences in management styles lead Brinson to leave the company and head back into entertainment.
Vancouver Film School accepted him on full scholarship, based on his merit and what they called his "likelihood of future success." He attended the school and studied cinematography, post-production, and producing. J. Alex loved his time at the institution, but left weeks shy of graduating because of what he describes as "discrimination issues."
But soon after, he returned to his first love of acting, and got his first big break, landing a role alongside Eric McCormick and Nesta Cooper, in the Netflix Sci-fi Series 'Travelers.' After three seasons on the series, with the help of his castmates and new friends, he transitioned to Los Angeles to pursue larger roles and continue building his career.
Artistic praise for his work on 'Travelers,' and profound luck landed Brinson in the sights of Warner Bros. Television, where he tested for two new series' in the same few weeks...one of which would become the life-changing role of the bailiff-turned talented attorney "Luke Watkins" on the hit CBS series "All Rise." The show is now in it's 4th season, and beloved by audiences around the world.
Outside of storytelling, J. Alex's second love is real estate, which he inherited from his father. So when not filming, he can be found working on a community development project, or helping his friends and private clients with Real Estate investments.
Brinson resides between New York City and Montreal with his partner, actor/singer/producer Lindsay Mendez, and his step-daughter Lucille.- Actor
- Sound Department
- Additional Crew
Keith Silverstein is an American voice actor who primarily works on English dubs of Japanese anime and video games. He is best known for voicing Kimimaro Kaguya in the Naruto franchise, Hisoka in the 2011 version of Hunter × Hunter, and Vector the Crocodile in the Sonic the Hedgehog series since 2010. His other roles include Gabriel Agreste/Hawk Moth in Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Torbjörn Lindholm in Overwatch, Zhongli in Genshin Impact, and Johan Liebert in Monster, among others.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Ben Geurens was born on 24 December 1979 in Australia. He is an actor and director, known for Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023), Locusts (2019) and The Jesters (2009).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Joseph Castillo-Midyett was born on 24 December 1981 in the USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Endgame (2022), The Equalizer (2021) and Death Saved My Life (2021).- Actor
- Producer
Julius Tennon is an accomplished film, television, and theatre producer and actor with over thirty years of experience. A native of Austin, Texas, he began as both a thespian and a star linebacker. Julius was offered a full football scholarship to the University of Tulsa, where he became the very first African American to graduate from the theatre department. His notable screen credits include: The Simone Biles Story, Batman v. Superman, Get On Up, Fame, Friday Night Lights, and Dazed and Confused, and popular television shows such as Criminal Minds and Lonesome Dove, among many others. In 1999, Julius was blessed to meet the love of his life, Viola Davis, on the set of the CBS series City of Angels. They were married four years later. A couple in every sense of the word, their greatest joy comes from sharing both their life and art together. Julius and Viola have shared both the stage and screen, appearing in such notable projects as How to Get Away With Murder and Lila and Eve, the first film they also produced together.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
J.D. Walsh was born on 24 December 1973 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Tremors (2003), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and Bad Boys II (2003).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Cristina Umana was born on the 24th of December in Colombia. Today she is doing what she dreamed of as a child: acting. Known by the public for her performances as Robin, Paquita Gallego and Lorenza, she has achieved a decade of professional acting experience. Cristina has performed in theater, television and film.
Her first steps as an actress began with childhood games in her birthplace, Ibagué, Colombia. At age nine, Cristina moved to Bogotá, where she took part in short literature and theater workshops as well as dramatizing some of her pieces of homework at school. Her evident talent led her to become part of the school's ("Las esclavas del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus") theater group.
When she was 18 years old, Cristina decided to travel to Mexico to study acting. In Mexico, Cristina was granted a scholarship by the production company "Televisa", and during a three year period she studied and learned the acting profession at the company's Center for Artistic Education - CEA. There, she demonstrated her great talent and was involved in several end of term stage productions.
Nostalgia for family and friends motivated Cristina to move back to Colombia, where she was chosen to star in the youth series "Cartas a Harrison" by the then production company "Punch". Therafter, she was selected out of 40 actresses for the part of Robin in "La mujer del presidente", a Caracol TV production. These performances won her critical acclaim and as a result Cristina won the "Shock" and "Tv Novelas" awards that year.
Shortly after, production company RTI spotted Cristina's talent and gave her the starring role in the soap opera "Yo amo a Paquita Gallego". This production achieved great success and public acceptance, and as a result both the magazines "Tv y Novelas" and "Semana" voted Cristina as personality of the year.
During this period Cristina was also asked to star in Jorge Echevery's feature film: "Malamor". In this production Cristina plays the role of a confused teenager who develops destructive behaviors. The film won national public acceptance and was also featured at the Moscow film festival.
In addition to all this, Cristina continued training in order to reinforce her acting technique; she took short courses on dramaturgy, clown and physical training.
Having finished her work commitments in Colombia, Cristina soon left the country again for a few months; this time she visited Spain, France, Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic.
A proposal from production company Caracol to star in soap opera "Traga Maluca" forced Cristina to stop her travels and return to Colombia. During that time she also starred in the theater play "Como aprendi a manejar" and the short film "Quien paga el pato?". At the end of this period, Cristina packed her bags again and moved to New York, where she took part in a workshop with John Stransberg.
Cristina came back to Colombia and again signed a contract with Caracol to act in soap opera "Siete veces amada". That same year Cristina got married to musician Cesar Lopez, and got divorced two years later.
Around that same time, Cristina played as "Blanca" in the film "El Rey"; thereafter working in two productions by RCN: "Punto de Giro" and "Todos quieren con Marilyn". In the latter she performed the character of Lorenza, which earned Cristina the "Tv y Novelas" award for best villain.
Cristina went back to theater to star, alongside Fabio Rubiano, Fanny Mickey's "Hombres en Escabeche", which played for a period of five months. This play, which was comprised of various monologues, allowed Cristina to demonstrate her comedy skills and her ability to memorize long texts.
Together with a theater director and four other actresses, Cristina has recently developed her own independent theatrical project. So far they have performed the play "Carta a una desconocida". This is a current project with an independent and novel approach that looks for new and private spaces for public performance.
Currently Cristina is working on a Caracol television series, which will portray the experiences of a group of people that survive an air accident.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Versatile character actor Sean Cameron Michael is one of South Africa's most prolific and successful exports to Hollywood. Having consistently worked during the past four decades on over 130 TV, film and theater productions, he recently received a 2022 SAFTA (South African Oscars) nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film for his work on the multi-award winning Fried Barry (2020).
Michael's breakout performance was back in 2008 as controversial French UN worker Charles Solenz in Fox's multi-Emmy and Golden Globe nominated 24 feature 24: Redemption (2008). Over 12 million viewers tuned in for the premiere.
The actor has continually held his own opposite industry heavyweights including the late Oscar-winner William Hurt in BBC Films' award-winning The Challenger Disaster (2013) and Mads Mikkelsen in Universal's western The Salvation (2014). The film premiered at Cannes to a ten minute standing ovation.
Michael is perhaps best known for playing series regular Richard Guthrie in two season's of Michael Bay's hit pirate series Black Sails (2014). He was considered for an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a SAG-Aftra award, two years in a row for his portrayal.
After being awarded an extraordinary ability green card in 2015, Michael relocated to Los Angeles and became a permanent US resident. Since then he has guest starred opposite Gary Sinise in Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (2016) (CBS), Of Kings and Prophets (2016) (ABC), as well as the lead villain in CBS' Scorpion (2014) opposite Robert Patrick.
Michael won Best Performance by an Actor at the Boston Sci-fi Film Festival as the lead in Broken Darkness (2017). He recurred on the Mark Wahlberg produced Shooter (2016), Blood Drive (2017) and MacGyver (2016), whilst on the big screen he starred in Universal's reboot of The Mummy (2017) (opposite Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe) grossing over $450M worldwide. Michael also narrated Nicholas Sparks ' ( The Notebook (2004), Message in a Bottle (1999) ) #1 New York Times bestselling audio-book Every Breath.
In 2019 he played the lead in the multi award-winning political thriller The Last Victims (2019) which premiered at PAFF in Los Angeles. He went on to win Best Actor at the South Film and Arts Festival in Chile. Michael then recurred on Deep State (2018), Vagrant Queen (2020) and played a supporting role in the Netflix Original The Last Days of American Crime (2020) opposite Michael Pitt and Edgar Ramirez.
In 2020 he starred in Triggered (2020) (Samuel Goldwyn Films) and recurred on History's The Cars That Made the World (2020).
Recent work includes Catch Me a Killer (2024), Bradley Cooper's FDR (2023) and Leonardo DiCaprio's Theodore Roosevelt (2022). He was a series regular on Die Byl (2016) and Ludik (2022), recurred opposite David Tennant on Around the World in 80 Days (2021) and won Best Supporting Actor for Stay Safe (2021) .
The actor will next be seen in "Masinga: The Calling", "BoogieHeads", Spiral and the 80s remake of Street Trash . Michael is also attached as a lead in Broken Brothers, the A.S.T. film franchise and Bloody Proposal. He serves as a screenwriter and exec producer on the Netflix Original feature Collision (2022).
Michael has been a proud SAG-Aftra member and judge for the Television Academy of Arts & Sciences (Emmys) and the International Emmy Awards for the past ten years.- Moose was the youngest of a litter of four, yet was also the biggest, hence his name. Hyper and destructive as a pup, he eventually found his way to Birds & Animals Unlimited, where he got his job playing Eddie on 'Frasier', before going on to act in the film My Dog Skip (2000), along with his son, Enzo.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Daniel was born in Detroit, Michigan and grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. He attended mainstream schools in Duluth before transferring to the Minnesota State School for the Deaf in 8th grade. Daniel graduated from MSAD in 2008 and attended RIT in Rochester, NY and Gallaudet in Washington, DC. Daniel moved to Los Angeles, CA in 2012 to join the Deaf West Theatre production of Cyrano. Shortly after Cyrano, Daniel landed a job as guest actor at Oakland University in Michigan working with Terp Theater. Daniel played, "Stinger," the lead role in their production of Police: Deaf: Near: Far. Daniel joined the cast of Switched at Birth (ABC Family Channel) in 2013 and continued in his co-starring role as the character of "Matthew" through the finale of the series aired in 2017. In the Fall of 2013, Daniel teamed up once again with Deaf West, playing the lead role of "Charlie" in their production of Flowers for Algernon. Daniel played the co-lead role of "Moritz" in the critically acclaimed 2014 Deaf West production of Spring Awakening, which opened in the Rosenthal Theatre and moved to the Wallis Annenberg Theatre (Beverly Hills) in 2015. In the Fall of 2015, Daniel made his Broadway debut as "Mortiz" at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. The show opened to rave reviews and ran until January 2016. In 2017, Daniel joined the Norwegian company of Teater Manu for the lead role of "Jonas" in Jonas and the Body, traveling for performances in Norway and France over a seven-month period. In 2019, Daniel was involved in movies, television and theatre, filming Coda, Silent Notes and You (Netflix), as well as performing in Canada and France in the production of Black Drum. His ongoing work includes co-leading acting workshops for Deaf students in area schools, serving as an acting teacher and coach for Deaf film camps as well as national speaking engagements for colleges and universities. Daniel has received numerous awards and recognition, including the 2016 Theatre Award (Outstanding 2016 Broadway Debut Performance), Broadway.com's "Top 10 Show-Stopping Performances of the 2015-2016 Broadway Season," Huffington Post's "Top 10 Best Theatrical Performances of 2015," Theatremania.com's "12 Best Broadway Debuts of 2015" and a 2014 Robby Award nomination for Excellence in Theatre. Daniel was also the 2014 Deaf Awareness Month Honoree for the City of Los Angeles, honoring his outstanding contributions to the arts and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Communities of Los Angeles. Daniel is passionate about acting and supporting the Deaf community and spends his free time connecting with and meeting new friends all over the world through his ASL videos on YouTube, Deaf Gamers Network and his Facebook & Twitter accounts. "ASL makes our world a more beautiful place." ~ Daniel N. Durant- Abigail Klein was born on 24 December 1988 in Dallas, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014), Butterfly Caught (2017) and That's My Boy (2012).
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
At the age of five, Lynn Chen began singing on the stage of The Metropolitan Opera House. She has been performing ever since. Her feature film debut was in Sony Pictures Classics' Saving Face, a role that won her the title of "Outstanding Newcomer" at the 2006 AXAwards. She has been a fixture on the film festival circuit -- including Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, and SXSW. In 2017, she won "Best Actor" at the NBC Shorts Fest and a talent holding deal with the network.
Lynn was featured in Variety's 2020 "Power of Women" Issue for her directorial debut I WIll Make You Mine, which she also wrote, produced, and starred in. The movie has a 100% Rotten Tomato Rating and was an Official Selection of the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.
Lynn has produced, directed, and hosted non-scripted content for outlets like BuzzFeed, Tastemade, Hello Giggles, and ISATV that have seen over 40 million views. She founded the blogs/podcasts "The Actor's Diet" and "Thick Dumpling Skin" (the first site dedicated to Asian-Americans and eating disorders). She has been featured on NPR, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire Magazine and has been a speaker at various colleges (Stanford, Dartmouth, Wellesley), conferences (WonderCon), and festivals (Disneyland California Adventure Food & Wine) for her acting work and body image activism. Lynn has been an Ambassador for The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and Miry's List. She has also written for LA Weekly, Filmmaker Magazine, and cupcakes & cashmere.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Burak Ozcivit was born in Istanbul on December 24, 1984. He has a BA degree and he is graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts. In 2003, he was elected the Top Model of Turkey and he began working with Model Agencies. In 2005, he was chosen the second best model of the world and he took part in the most important fashion shows throughout the world. Then, he began his life of actor especially in Musallat (Impossible love).- Production Designer
- Director
- Art Director
Bo Welch was born on 24 December 1951 in Yardley, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a production designer and director, known for Edward Scissorhands (1990), Men in Black (1997) and A Little Princess (1995). He has been married to Catherine O'Hara since 25 April 1992. They have two children.- Fiery, dark-haired, exotic-looking Donna Martell was born of Italian ancestry Irene Palma de Maria, the daughter of a master tailor for a major clothing manufacturing company. She attended L.A. City College where she excelled at athletics, especially baseball. During this time, Donna was persuaded by a classmate to audition for a theatrical agent from the Donaldson-Middleton Agency. At just 17 years of age, she was "signed on the spot" by Republic Studios to appear in as an ingénue alongside Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in the western Apache Rose (1947).
Initially billed as Donna DeMario, she went on to receive steady offers to work in westerns, due in no small part to her equestrian skills (she owned a Palomino named Pal, stabled at the San Bernardino Orange Ranch). Though wooed by three of the majors (MGM, 20th Century Fox and Warner Brothers), Donna opted to sign with Universal-International. However, after two years, she became dissatisfied with the meager roles offered her and she decided to go freelance, in due course establishing herself as a prolific and capable television actress. Often cast as south-of-the-border senoritas, she played leads opposite most of the famous western leading men of the era, including Gene Autry, Randolph Scott, Dale Robertson (Tales of Wells Fargo (1957)), Gene Barry (Bat Masterson (1958)) and Clint Walker (Cheyenne (1955)). In 2002, Donna won the Golden Boot Award for her contribution to the western genre.
In addition to her sagebrush heroines, Donna also played an Indian princess in Last Train from Bombay (1952) and Jennifer Jones's sister in the lavishly produced romantic A-grader Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). In retrospect, she may wish to forget her role as the commander of a spacecraft in the rare sci-fi feature Project Moon Base (1953), filmed in ten days (!) on a shoestring budget at the old Hal Roach studio in Culver City. Her character in this dreadful (and, indeed, misogynistic) picture was called Colonel Briteis (pronounced 'Bright Eyes'). Its sole saving grace was brevity (63 minutes).
In a later interview, Donna asserted that she had never socialized with her male co-stars, "unless it was for publicity". From 1953, she was married to the baseball player Gene Corso (of the Pittsburgh Pirates) who died in 1996.
Donna's acting career came to an end in 1963, though she continued to appear in some TV commercials. For several years, she ran her own business, selling floor coverings. Later still, she became a frequent attendee at film festivals and conventions. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Grand L. Bush was born on 24 December 1955 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Licence to Kill (1989), Die Hard (1988) and Street Fighter: The Movie (1995). He has been married to Sharon Dahlonega since 7 December 1994. They have four children. He was previously married to Romona Jean Bynum.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Beginning as a chorus girl at age 14, Ruth Chatterton became a Broadway star with "Daddy Long Legs" in 1914. She appeared in such shows as "Mary Rose" and "Come Out of the Kitchen" before moving to Hollywood in 1925. As her film career faded in the late 1930s, she returned to the stage in revivals, and radio and TV performances, including "Hamlet." In the 1950s, she began a successful writing career. She had no children.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Nicholas Meyer was born in New York City, the son of a psychoanalyst and a concert pianist. He attended the University of Iowa, home of the famous Writers Workshop.
Meyer's award-winning teleplays for ABC's JUDGE DEE & MONASTERY MURDERS and CBS's NIGHT THAT PANICKED AMERICA launched his screenwriting career, though the WGA strike of 1973 caused him to set aside screenwriting and try his hand at novels. TARGET PRACTICE was published in March 1974 and won an Edgar nomination. It was followed four months later by his Sherlock Holmes pastiche, THE SEVEN-PER-CENT SOLUTION, which remained on the NY Times Bestseller list for 40 weeks and won the British Gold Dagger award for crime fiction.
Meyer's screenplay for The Seven-Per-Cent Solution was nominated for an Academy Award in 1976. The film starred Nicole Williamson, Robert Duvall, Alan Arkin, Laurence Olivier and Vanessa Redgrave.
In 2015 IDW published the graphic novel version of the book in five installments.
Meyer's directing debut - from his own screenplay - occurred in 1979 with TIME AFTER TIME, starring Malcolm MacDowell and David Warner. The film introduced Mary Steenburgen.
This was followed by STAR TREK II - THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982) and THE DAY AFTER, (1983) ABC's nuclear-themed movie, which remains the single most watched television film ever made, nominated for fourteen Emmys. Its controversial telecast drew over one hundred million viewers.
Subsequent Meyer novels include two other Holmes pastiches, THE WEST END HORROR, (1976) and THE CANARY TRAINER (1993); also BLACK ORCHID (co-authored with Barry Jay Kaplan) (1977) and CONFESSIONS OF A HOMING PIGEON (1981).
Other directing credits include VOLUNTEERS, starring Tom Hanks and John Candy (1986), THE DECEIVERS, starring Pierce Brosnan (1988), COMPANY BUSINESS, starring Gene Hackman and Mikhail Baryishnikov (1991), STAR TREK VI, THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, starring Christopher Plummer (1992) and the HBO film, VENDETTA, (1999), starring Christopher Walken.
Other screenplays include SOMMERSBY, starring Richard Gere and Jody Foster (1993) and contributions to the Dreamworks animated feature, PRINCE OF EGYPT.
His screenplay, THE INFORMANT, based on Gerald Seymour's novel, FIELD OF BLOOD, won the PEN award for Best Teleplay, 1999.
His screenplay for the novel THE HUMAN STAIN by Philip Roth, starring Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, was released October 31, 2003. His screenplay, ELEGY, (based on Roth's novella, THE DYING ANIMAL), was released in August of 2008. The film stars Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz, Dennis Hopper, Patricia Clarkson and Peter Saarsgard.
His Hollywood memoir, THE VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE - Memories of Star Trek and a Life in Hollywood, was published by Viking in 2009.
His two part miniseries, HOUDINI, starring Adrien Brody, aired over Labor Day 2014. Meyer's script was nominated for a WGA award and the series was nominated for seven Emmys.
In 2016, He co-created and wrote the first two episodes of the Netflix series, MEDICI - Masters of Florence, starring Dustin Hoffman.
He also worked on the forthcoming Star Trek television series, DISCOVERY, for CBS Access.
Forthcoming projects include a feature adaptation Dan Simmons' novel, THE CROOK FACTORY, for Johnny Depp, and FREUD - THE SECRET CASEBOOK as well as the limited series, RAT LINE - Nazis on the Run.- Paul Bates was born on 24 December 1958 in the USA. He is an actor, known for Coming to America (1988), True Romance (1993) and 8 Mile (2002).