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If "born to the theater" has meaning in determining a person's life path, then John Lithgow is a prime example of this truth. He was born in Rochester, New York, to Sarah Jane (Price), an actress, and Arthur Washington Lithgow III, who was both a theatrical producer and director. John's father was born in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, where the Anglo-American Lithgow family had lived for several generations.

John moved frequently as a child, while his father founded and managed local and college theaters and Shakespeare festivals throughout the Midwest of the United States. Not until he was 16, and his father became head of the McCarter Theater in Princeton New Jersey, did the family settle down. But for John, the theater was still not a career. He won a scholarship to Harvard University, where he finally caught the acting bug (as well as found a wife). Harvard was followed by a Fulbright scholarship to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Returning from London, his rigorous dramatic training stood him in good stead, and a distinguished career on Broadway gave him one Tony Award for "The Changing Room", a second nomination in 1985 for "Requiem For a Heavyweight", and a third in 1988 for "M. Butterfly". But with critical acclaim came personal confusion, and in the mid 1970s, he and his wife divorced. He entered therapy, and in 1982, his life started in a new direction, the movies - he received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Roberta Muldoon in The World According to Garp (1982). A second Oscar nomination followed for Terms of Endearment (1983), and he met a UCLA economics professor who became his second wife. As the decade of the 1990s came around, he found that he was spending too much time on location, and another career move brought him to television in the hugely successful series 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996).

This production also played a role in bringing him back together with the son from his first marriage, Ian Lithgow, who has a regular role in the series as a dimwitted student.

Lea Katherine Thompson was born May 31, 1961 in Rochester, Minnesota. She is the youngest of five children. Her parents are Barbara and Cliff Thompson. Since all her siblings were much older than her, Lea says it seemed like she had more than two parents. The family lived in the Starlight motel, all the kids sharing a room. Things began to look up for the family when Lea's father got a job in Minneapolis, where the family moved.

Lea's parents divorced when she was six, and her mother decided to maintain the family. This wasn't the easiest job, considering her mother was alcohol-addicted at the time. When she found the strength to quit drinking, she took a job playing the piano and singing in a bar to support Lea and her siblings. When Lea was seven, her mother remarried. Ever since Lea was little, she loved to dance -- ballet to be exact. She would practice three to four hours every day. Her first role was as a mouse in "The Nutcracker". After Lea turned fourteen, she had performed in more than 45 ballets on stages, such as The Minnesota Dance Theatre, The Pennsylvania Ballet Company, and The Ballet Repertory. She won scholarships to The American Ballet Theatre and The San Francisco Ballet. At age nineteen, she auditioned for Mikhail Baryshnikov, who later told her that she was "a beautiful dancer... but too stocky." Lea knew her dreams had been crushed. At that point, she decided to turn to acting. She began working as a waitress, also making 22 Burger King commercials and a few Twix commercials. She was perfect for these parts simply because she was the average girl-down-the-street, from the Midwest. Everyone who knows her can't believe she was and still is so completely different...trying to be independent and fight against the system. In 1982, Lea made some type of a computer game or interactive movie known as "Murder, Anyone."

Her first role was in the movie, Jaws 3-D (1983), as a water ski bunny, although she couldn't swim or ski, which she still can't! There, she met Dennis Quaid, who became her fiancée and acting coach. Her next role was in All the Right Moves (1983), where she acted opposite Tom Cruise. Director Michael Chapman was so disappointed with her performance, that he almost fired her. Between 1983 and 1984, Lea appeared in other "teen" movies, such as Red Dawn (1984), The Wild Life (1984), and Going Undercover (aka Going Undercover (1985)), and believes it was lucky that, in these movies, they were able to use anyone who could walk and talk! Lea's biggest known accomplishment, and her big break, came from the first Back to the Future (1985). It was the biggest hit of 1985, and Lea was suddenly the most wanted actress. She could have her pick of any role she wanted to take on. She chose Howard the Duck (1986). Although it was a George Lucas production, the critics turned the movie, and Lea, down. Afterwards, director Howard Deutch offered Lea a part in his movie, Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), but she refused. After he urged her to do it, she reconsidered. She won the Young Artist Award for best young actress. During filming, Howard and Lea fell in love, and she called it off with Dennis. She then went on to film The Wizard of Loneliness (1988), which was her first movie as a woman, rather than a youngster. Lea went on to film Back to the Future Part II (1989) and an episode of Tales from the Crypt (1989). She then married Howard Deutch. She continued filming Back to the Future Part III (1990), Montana (1990), and Article 99 (1992). Lea then took a break to stay home with her first born, Madelyn Deutch.

She jumped back into acting in Dennis the Menace (1993), where she says she just played herself. Then it was on to The Beverly Hillbillies (1993), Stolen Babies (1993), The Little Rascals (1994), and The Substitute Wife (1994). In 1994, she had her second child, Zoey Deutch. Lea then went into filming The Unspoken Truth (1995). It was then that she was first given the script of a new NBC sitcom, Caroline in the City (1995). It was probably the best decision Lea ever made. She won a People's choice Award for best actress in a new sitcom. Unfortunately, with all of NBC's problems, Caroline in the City (1995) kept being moved to a worse and worse time slot, giving it horrible ratings. The show ended after only four seasons. Bad ideas from the creators (Julia, etc.) didn't help, either.

Lea quickly went onto The Right to Remain Silent (1996), The Unknown Cyclist (1998), and A Will of Their Own (1998). She also guest-starred in the Friends (1994) episode, The One with the Baby on the Bus (1995), as "Caroline Duffy," and on The Larry Sanders Show (1992). Lea also did some stage work, including starring as "Sally Bowles" in "Cabaret." The show toured and also appeared on Broadway. She then did "The Vagina Monologues" in L.A. She had a stint in a dramatic role as a Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney, "Camille Paris," on For the People (2002).

Thompson has starred in more than 30 films, 25 television movies, 4 television series, more than 20 ballets, and starred on Broadway in "Cabaret." Lea can currently be seen on ABC Family's Peabody Award winning hit show "Switched at Birth," where she acts and directs. Lea's movie credits include: "All the Right Moves," "Red Dawn," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Howard The Duck," (star and vocals) Clint Eastwood's "J. Edgar," the 2014 Sundance favorite Ping Pong Summer (2014), Fliegen (2005) starring Nicolas Cage, and The Year of Spectacular Men (2017), a film written by her daughter Madelyn Deutch. Thompson partnered with international Mirrorball Trophy holder Artem Chigvintsev on the 19th season of Dancing with the Stars (2005), placing sixth.

Lea lives in Los Angeles with her husband of over thirty years, film/television director Howard Deutch, and their two talented daughters, Madelyn and Zoey Deutch, along with many dogs, fish, horses, chickens, a cat, tortoise, and parrot. She supports and often performs for breast cancer, mental health, and Alzheimer's charities. Lea is currently writing her first book of essays.

Stephanie Koenig was born on 1 September 1987 in Rochester Hills, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Lessons in Chemistry (2023), The Flight Attendant (2020) and The Offer (2022). She has been married to Chris Riggi since 10 June 2022.

From the age of 13,she attended the Italia Conte stage school where she studied dance, drama, and singing for three years. At 16, she began her modeling career gracing the covers of numerous magazines including GQ, FHM, Maxim, Sky, Cosmopolitan, Hello, Tatler, The Face, and Company, becoming one of the most recognisable in Britain, It wasn't long before Madison Avenue started calling, and in 1995, she got her first advertising campaign for Lee Jeans. Since then, she's been featured in campaigns for Renault Megane Walkers and Piz Buin. In 1998, she launched the biggest bra campaign ever for Triumph's Flaunt range and was featured on billboards nation wide, Her UK television credits are extensive and include co-hosting Britain's most popular morning programme magazine Channel 4's The Big Breakfast and MTV's live two-hour show Select. She also hosted VPL, a magazine lifestyle programme for Granada Television, the final concert at Wembley Stadium for Sky Premiers Oasis Live at Wembley. Her US credits include a four-episode arc on the WB's Smallville portraying Lex Luthor's girlfriend. She made her feature film debut in the thriller Ripper, released in October 2001, and also starred in the play "Eye Contact" at the Riverside Studios in Lonon. In her first stage role, her character Anya explores the world of adult dance clubs from an honest and funny point of view,

Chris Perfetti was born in Rochester, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for The Night Of (2016), Looking (2016) and Crossbones (2014).

Gracie, OBIE, and Drama Desk winner Donna Lynne Champlin is best known for her role as the beloved "Paula Proctor" on the CW's Emmy award winning TV show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and as "Detective Nikki Henry" on the NETFLIX mini-series The Perfect Couple where critics hailed Champlin as "impeccable", "first rate" and a "dead pan scene-stealer".

Champlin graduated with a High Honors BFA from Carnegie Mellon University. A Princess Grace Foundation award winner and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, she also received intensive training in Shakespeare and Chekhov at Oxford University on the Advanced Acting Scholarship and The Vira I. Heinz Grant to study abroad.

Her Broadway debut in 2000 as "Mary Jane" in James Joyce's The Dead was quickly followed by another Broadway turn as "Honoria Glossop" in the Alan Ayckbourn/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical By Jeeves in 2001. In 2002, came the opportunity to work with Carol Burnett and Hal Prince in Broadway's Hollywood Arms - the dramatization of Carol's biography One More Time, in which Champlin played the iconic comedienne. Critics across the country proclaimed Champlin a "show-stopping star in the making" and described her performance as "brilliant", "a triumph", and "a tour de force." Next on Broadway, Champlin played "Pirelli" (and the accordion, flute, and piano) in the groundbreaking 2005 revival of Sweeney Todd where the press called her both "hilarious" and "superb". She then joined the Broadway company of Billy Elliot as "Lesley" in 2009 and simultaneously self-produced her solo debut CD "Old Friends" which was voted "One of the Best Ten Albums of 2009" and was hailed by critics as "brilliant", "a masterpiece" and "breath taking".

She can also be heard as the voice of many animated characters on shows like Batman: Caped Crusader, Centaurworld, Star Vs the Forces of Evil and Baby Shark's Big Show! and on numerous cast albums and including See Rock City, Sweeney Todd, By Jeeves, 3hree and My Life with Albertine . Her film credits include Birdman, Downsizing, Yes God Yes, A Secret Promise, The Audition, The Dark Half, By Jeeves, and Five Questions. Her TV credits include Feel the Beat, The First Lady, Another Period, The Good Doctor, The Good Fight, The Good Wife, Submissions Only, Law and Order, Mother's Day, The (54th and 60th) Annual Tony Awards on CBS, The View, Poetry of America, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Regis and Kelly and Emily Dickinson of the PBS Voices and Visions series.

Off Broadway, her performance as "Cora Flood" in the 2009 production of The Dark at The Top of the Stairs at The Transport Group (hailed by the NY press as "perfection", "brilliant" and "a privilege to watch"), earned her the prestigious OBIE award. DL went on to win the 2013 Drama Desk Award for her performance in Working, The Musical at the Prospect Theatre and the NYMF Award for "Outstanding Performance" for not one but three separate productions including as "Jane Austen" in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Other favorite Off-Broadway credits include "Hortensio" opposite Janet McTeer's "Petruchio" in the all-female Taming of the Shrew and "Audrey" opposite Oliver Platt's "Touchstone" in As You Like It (both at The Public Theatre's prestigious Shakespeare in the Park) and "Sophie" in Master Class opposite Edie Falco at the Broadhurst produced by the Metropolitan Opera.

Champlin also continues to perform her critically acclaimed one-woman show Finishing the Hat in NYC across the country while teaching master classes in acting at many prestigious colleges such as CMU, USC, and NYU. Also, of particular importance to Champlin is her fund raising for three of her favorite charitable organizations, Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), BC-EFA and The Actors' Fund via her Cameo page (cameo.com/dlchamplin).

In addition to being an actress, Donna Lynne also works as a director, writer, producer, stand-up comedienne, pianist, composer, musical director, and choreographer. A free-lance writer for Comedy Central, she is currently working on a solo symphony concert, a play and two books; a humorous non-fiction book inspired by her (mis)adventures in the theatre and the other a 'how-to of comedy'.

Donna Lynne lives in New York City with her husband, actor Andrew Arrow and her son, Charlie.

Robert Forster was born Robert Wallace Foster, Jr. in Rochester, New York, to Grace Dorothy (Montanarella) and Robert Wallace Foster, Sr., who worked as an elephant trainer and baking supply company executive. He was of English, Irish, and Italian descent. Forster first became interested in acting while attending Rochester's Madison High School, where he performed as a song-and-dance man in musical revues. After graduating in 1959, Forster attended Heidelberg College, Alfred University and the University of Rochester on football scholarships and continued to perform in student theatrical revues.

After earning a BA in Psychology from Rochester in 1963, Forster took an apprenticeship at an East Rochester theater where he performed in such plays as "West Side Story". He moved to New York City in 1965, where his first big break came when he landed the lead in the two-character play "Mrs. Dally Has a Lover", opposite Arlene Francis. However, after the play ran its course work was hard to find in the theater. Forster returned to Rochester, where he worked as a substitute teacher and construction worker until an agent from 20th Century-Fox offered him a five-picture deal. His movie debut was a small part in the drama Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando. Forster went on to appear in small and minor roles alongside some top Hollywood actors in films like The Stalking Moon (1968) and Medium Cool (1969), and a large part in Justine (1969). Although he continued to act in feature films, he took the part of a hard-boiled detective in the short-lived TV series Banyon (1971).

Forster also appeared in notable parts in The Black Hole (1979), Avalanche (1978) and as the lead in the cult horror flick Alligator (1980), and played the part of a factory worker-turned-vigilante in the thriller Vigilante (1982). Forster also took the lead as a taxi driver in Walking the Edge (1985) by director Norbert Meisel. A series of action flicks followed, the most notable being The Delta Force (1986), starring Chuck Norris. By the late 1980s Forster's acting career had begun to slide, and he was getting less and less work; if there was any, he would be cast in small parts playing villains. Forster then began to work as a motivational speaker and an acting coach in Hollywood film schools.

However, in the mid-1990s, his career was resurrected by writer-director Quentin Tarantino, a big fan of Forster's early work, who offered him an audition for a part in his latest movie. After a seven-hour audition, Tarantino cast Forster as the tough but sympathetic bail bondsman Max Cherry in Jackie Brown (1997), which netted him an Academy Award nomination and a measure of recognition, both nationwide and within his own profession, landing him more high-profile roles in such films as All the Rage (1999), Gus Van Sant's Psycho (1998)--a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film--and Supernova (2000). Forster continued to act in many big-budget Hollywood productions for the next two decades.

Forster died on October 11, 2019, in Los Angeles, California, aged 78. His last film, El Camino (2019), was released on the day of his death. He is survived by four children (Bobby, Elizabeth, Kate and Maeghen), four grandchildren (Tess, Liam, Jack and Olivia), and his long-time partner, Denise Grayson. Denise has been Robert's long-time partner and they had been together for 16 years till Robert passed away at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family.

Suzanne Rossell Cryer, an American actress has made a name for herself in acting with lots of different parts, ranging from Ashley in the ABC sitcom "Two Guys and a Girl" to Laurie Bream in HBO's "Silicon Valley." Cryer's career also spans theater, with notable performances as Tracy Lord in "The Philadelphia Story" at Hartford Stage and in Chris Shin's play "What Didn't Happen" at Playwright's Horizon. Her television appearances include roles in "Dexter," "Bones," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Silicon Valley."

In the Disney+ series "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," Cryer brings a new dimension to the character of Echidna, the ultimate monster mom, differentiating from the book's portrayal. While the changes in her character are not as extensive as those made to Medusa in Episode 3, they are significant.

In the show, Cryer's Echidna breaks into Percy, Grover, and Annabeth's train cabin, marking a departure from their first encounter at the top of the St. Louis Arch in the book. This adaptation significantly changes up the dynamics of their interaction, showcasing Cryer's ability to adapt and bring new life to a well-known mythical figure. Her portrayal adds a new and intriguing layer to the character, blending the essence of the original myth with the contemporary narrative of the series.

Sheree J. Wilson has gained worldwide recognition starring in two enormously popular long running television series. Appearing in the hit series Dallas for five seasons playing opposite Patrick Duffy, and then for the entire eight year run of Walker, Texas Ranger opposite Chuck Norris. Currently, Ms. Wilson has starred and produced two feature films, Easy Rider: The Ride Back, a prequel to the cult favorite movie Easy Rider, and The Gundown. She also co-produced a zombie/comedy called Dug Up.

Sheree began her film and television career in a starring role, opposite Louise Lasser, Brian James and Reed Burney, in "Crimewave", a 1984 black comedy directed by Sam Raimi. Three days after that film wrapped, she was cast in "Velvet," an ABC/Aaron Spelling MOW/series pilot, in which she played a female "James Bond" character opposite Shari Belafonte. Within the next year, she had a lead with Tim Robbins in "Fraternity Vacation", a summer comedy in which she played an intellectual beauty who was the object of everyone's desire.

Producers began to take notice of this dynamic newcomer to Hollywood, and soon she starred in the 1985 CBS television miniseries "Kane & Abel," with Peter Strauss. This immediately led to "Our Family Honor," a CBS drama about Irish cops vs. the Mafia, in which she starred with Ray Liotta, Michael Madsen and Eli Wallach. Her career continued to grow including "News at Eleven" with Martin Sheen. And then, in 1986, television producer Leonard Katzman called Sheree to talk about a part he thought was tailor-made for someone with her classic beauty and sassy, fun-loving, energetic nature.

The role was that of 'April Stevens' on the CBS mega-hit series "Dallas." For five seasons she played a brainy, wealthy femme fatale. Her character went from being one of the most powerful women in Dallas and J.R. Ewing's nemesis, to being one of the warmest characters in town, eventually marrying Bobby Ewing, the show's ultimate good guy. Ultimately, April Stevens was gunned down during her honeymoon in Paris. Bowing out with a bang, Sheree's performance earned her the "Soap Opera Digest Award" for Best Death Scene.

In fact, Sheree was pregnant and wanted to leave in order to fully devote herself to motherhood.

At the end of 1992, she signed to do the lead female role of 'Alex Cahill' in "Walker, Texas Ranger," opposite Chuck Norris, which ran for eight seasons.

The daughter of two IBM executives, Sheree was born in Minnesota and moved to Colorado at the age of seven, where she learned to ride horses. Her superb equestrian skills won her first place riding cutting horses in the 1995 National Multiple Sclerosis Rodeo.

Currently, Sheree resides in Dallas, TX

Hugh O'Brian had the term "beefcake" written about him during his nascent film years in the early 1950s, but he chose to avoid the obvious typecast as he set up his career.

O'Brian was born Hugh Charles Krampe on April 19, 1925, in Rochester, New York, to Ohio-born parents Edith Lillian (Marks) and Hugh John Krampe, a United States Marine Corps officer. His paternal grandparents were German immigrants, while his mother was of half German Jewish and half English/Scottish descent. O'Brian first attended school at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, then Kemper Military School in Booneville, Missouri. Moving from place to place growing up, he managed to show off his athletic prowess quite early. By the time he graduated from high school, he had lettered in football, basketball, wrestling and track. Originally pursuing law, he dropped out of the University of Cincinnati in 1942 (age 19) and enlisted in the Marine Corps. Upon his discharge he ended up in Los Angeles. Hugh joined a little theater group and a Santa Barbara stock company, where he developed his acting chops and slowly built up his résumé. He was discovered for TV by director/actress Ida Lupino, which opened the door to his signing with Universal Studios for films.

Hugh's gentlemanly ruggedness, similar to a James Garner or a Gene Barry, was ideal for pictures, and his lean physique and exceptionally photographic mug had the modest, brown-eyed, curly-haired looker plastered all over the movie magazines. He rebelled against the image for the most part and, as a result, his years with Universal were not as fruitful as they could have been. For the duration, he was pretty much confined as a secondary player to standard action pictures such as The Return of Jesse James (1950), The Cimarron Kid (1952), The Battle at Apache Pass (1952), Red Ball Express (1952), Son of Ali Baba (1952), The Lawless Breed (1952), Seminole (1953), Saskatchewan (1954) and Drums Across the River (1954). It was Rock Hudson who earned all of the Universal glamour guy roles and the out-and-out stardom that could easily have been Hugh's. In 1954, he left Universal to freelance but did not fare any better with more serviceable roles in White Feather (1955) and The Twinkle in God's Eye (1955).

Hugh finally earned top status in the "B" action adventure The Brass Legend (1956) but it did little to advance his film career. Offered the starring role in The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955) on TV, a year later, it became a mainstay hit and Hugh an "overnight" star. During his six-year run on the western classic, he managed to show off his singing talents on variety shows and appeared on Broadway, replacing Andy Griffith for a week in the musical "Destry Rides Again" in January of 1960.

The hirsutely handsome bachelor remained a durable talent throughout the 60s and 70s with plentiful work on the big screen, including Come Fly with Me (1963), Love Has Many Faces (1965), Ten Little Indians (1965), Ambush Bay (1966), Africa: Texas Style (1967), Strategy of Terror (1969), John Wayne's last film The Shootist (1976), and Bruce Lee's last film Game of Death (1978), as well as with the TV-movies Wild Women (1970), Harpy (1971), Murder on Flight 502 (1975), Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover (1977), Murder at the World Series (1977), Cruise Into Terror (1978). He also starred in the crime adventure series Search (1972), but never got the one role to earn the critical attention he merited. In addition, he kept busy on the summer stock circuit.

In later years, he appeared in the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Danny DeVito comedy "Twins"; returned as "Wyatt Earp" in the TV movies The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw (1991) and Wyatt Earp: Return to Tombstone (1994); and made guest appearances on such TV shows as "Fantasy Island," "The Love Boat," "Matt Houston," "Murder, She Wrote," "L.A. Law" and made his last on-camera appearance on the series "Call of the Wild" in 2000.

A sports enthusiast, his hobbies included sailing, tennis, swimming and long-distance bicycling, and his many philanthropic efforts did not go unrecognized. His proudest achievement was the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), which he founded in 1958 after spending considerable time with Dr. Albert Schweitzer and his clinic in Africa. Struck by the impassioned work being done by Schweitzer, O'Brian set up his own program to help develop young people into future leaders. O'Brian was awarded honorary degrees by several prestigious institutions of higher learning. The perennial bachelor finally "settled down" and tied the knot at age 81 with longtime companion Virginia Barber, who was close to three decades his junior. They lived in his Benedict Canyon home.

Hugh died on September 5, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California, of natural causes.

Johnny Pemberton was born on 1 June 1981 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Fallout (2024), 21 Jump Street (2012) and Superstore (2015).

Vincent Michael Martella was born in Rochester, New York, to Donna and Michael Martella, who owns a pizza chain. He was raised in Florida, and is of Italian descent.

Martella, responsible for breathing life into the animated character Phineas in the hit Disney Channel television show Phineas and Ferb, is no stranger to the entertainment industry. Jumpstarting his passion for performing and entertaining others through dance at age three, Vincent delivered his first live performance in The Nutcracker. Soon after, Martella was performing in school plays, appearing in local and National commercial spots, and training in acting, piano, and vocals. By age seven, Martella was already a big commodity in the Central Florida commercial market, working both print and national commercials.

During Martella's first trip to Los Angeles, he landed a guest spot on Fox's Cracking Up and Stacked, as well as a recurring role on Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified, where he developed his own character for the role of "Scoop." The following summer, Vincent was cast in his first film role, acting opposite Rob Schneider in Deuce Bigelow: European Gigolo. In 2005, Martella landed one of his most notable roles as "Greg Wuliger" in the People's Choice and Golden Globe nominated comedy sitcom, Everybody Hates Chris, based loosely on comedian Chris Rock's childhood. During his four-year time with the show, Martella also had a role in the hit Universal Pictures film, Role Models, opposite Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd. Despite being a lead on Everybody Hates Chris, Martella was able to land another huge opportunity, being cast as "Phineas" in the hit animated Disney series, Phineas and Ferb. During his seven years voicing the main character, Martella also lent his vocals to all related Phineas and Ferb projects, Final Fantasy XIII, Batman video games and appeared in the television shows, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour and The Mentalist.

Martella can most recently be found in the recurring role of "Patrick" in AMC's critically acclaimed series, The Walking Dead. He also can be found in the films McFarland, opposite Kevin Costner and Maria Bello and Clinger, in post-production. With impressive roles and extremely popular credits on his resume, it is clear that Martella's past, present, and future in the entertainment business is bright. Martella splits his time between residing in both Los Angeles and Florida.

Dita Von Teese was born on 28 September 1972 in Rochester, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Death of Salvador Dali (2005) and Don't Worry Darling (2022). She was previously married to Marilyn Manson.

Chyna had been called "The First Lady of Sports Entertainment". Her accomplishments went far beyond the wrestling ring and anyone's guess. Before exchanging body slams, modeling for top magazines and guest-starring on hundreds of shows,

Chyna was a shy girl who was born Joan Marie Laurer in Rochester, New York, to Janet Carol (Wahl) and Joseph "Joe" Von Laurer, Jr. She spent most of her childhood in a home filled with alcoholism and domestic problems. She found her escape through working out, and began doing aerobics and lifting weights at a gym near her home. This is where she found her true niche: the world of fitness.

As the only female in the gym, Chyna always stood out but developed bonds and friendships with the gym members, who gave her the encouragement to keep going. She broke all gender barriers everywhere she went, and continued her love of fitness throughout her college days. Chyna graduated from the University of Tampa with a 3.9 GPA, and a double major in Spanish Literature, in under two years. She also studied foreign languages, and could speak English, Spanish, German and French. Chyna was a true humanitarian, and served in the U.S. Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and the Peace Corps, helping to teach illiterate third-world children to read. She was a strong supporter of the National Animal Rescue charity, which helps domesticated animals find good, loving homes.

Throughout her life, Chyna dreamed of being an entertainer. She began that career in the early 1990s, as a belly dancer, and soon moved on to fitness competitions, but the star found her real calling in the entertainment world: professional wrestling. She began training to be a professional under the guidance of the wrestling legend Walter 'Killer' Kowalski, in a professional wrestling school in which all other students were men. She soon took the world of women's wrestling by storm and began competing in the PGWA, where she was given the 1996 Rookie of the Year award for the Women's Championship.

After dominating the world of women's wrestling, Chyna was discovered by Paul Levesque (aka "Triple H") and Shawn Michaels (HBK), two WWF (World Wrestling Federation) superstars who helped Chyna break into the big-time. She made her worldwide television debut in February 1997 as a bodyguard for Triple H, but soon went on to break all gender stereotypes by competing with some of the toughest men in the WWF, under the name "Chyna". Years later, she was the only woman to qualify for the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring tournaments, and became the only female Intercontinental Champion and the only undefeated Women's Champion in WWF history.

Five years after she debuted as a professional wrestler in the WWF, Chyna parted ways with the company. She then toured Japan, taking the country by storm and battling in the ring with the likes of such champions as Keiji Mutô, The Great Kabuki, and most notably, Masahiro Chôno. Her 2002 Tokyo Dome match against Chono earned her the title of Nikkian Sport's 2002 Women's Wrestler of the Year.

Meanwhile, back in the US, Chyna appeared in several films, hosted a variety of shows, and showed that women can combine strength and beauty in two top-selling issues of "Playboy" magazine, which proved to the world that women can be beautiful without having the anorexic "Twiggy" look. She also appeared in the first-ever Playboy documentary, which conducted in-depth interviews with Chyna, her former manager Rich Minzer, her friend Joe Gold, and Hugh Hefner himself.

Her strong will to the best and "survival of the fittest" attitude made her one of the top wrestlers in history. She served as a role model to millions of men and women by proving anything is possible, through hard work and determination. In her best-selling autobiography "If They Only Knew", she discussed what it took to make it to the top, and showed the world what she had to overcome to make her one of the most well-known pop culture icons in the world. Shortly after her first appearance in "Playboy", she released her own fitness video, Chyna Fitness: More Than Meets the Eye (2000), which won awards from fitness and lifestyle magazines. The video is still popular with both Chyna's fans and fitness fans alike.

Unlike most former pro wrestlers, Chyna had success on her own two feet. She was on nearly every talk show, and was featured on hundreds of magazine covers, from "Playboy" and "Newsweek" to "TV Guide" and "People". She was featured on Reggie Benjamin's CD "2X-Centrix", performing drums and back up vocals. She was on the top of the "dance music" billboard charts for five weeks with the CD single "Ride", and also sang with her own rock band, "The Chynna Dolls", for a short time, playing venues like The Roxy, Elrey Theater, Hollywood Athletic Center, and two performances on Howard Stern (1994). She starred in the comedies Cougar Club (2007) and Illegal Aliens (2007), and also hosted a variety of shows, from Robot Wars: Extreme Warriors (2001) to FYE and AMC's "Tough Guys series. She had many guest-starring roles on TV series, such as Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998), 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996), Pacific Blue (1996), The Nick Cannon Show (2002), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), Mad TV (1995), MTV's "Diary" and many others. She was also featured on season four of The Surreal Life (2003) and VH1's spin off, The Surreal Life: Fame Games (2007), as well as in films, including Alien Tracker (2003), Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion (2000), Frank McKlusky, C.I. (2002), Hunter: Back in Force (2003). In 2008, she appeared on VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew (2008) TV series to conquer personal demons and depression caused from an abusive relationship and childhood trauma.

In 2009, she released a fashion book, "Paper Doll", which became a best-seller. In May 2011, she returned to the world of wrestling with TNA, debuting on the May 12 edition of TNA iMPACT! Wrestling (2004), and followed it up with one last match at the TNA TNA: Sacrifice (2011) Pay-per-view, where she and Kurt Angle took on Jeff Jarrett and Karen Jarrett. The episode was one of the highest-rated for the company in many years. Although her match with TNA was a one-time-only deal, Chyna showed the world she had turned her life around - she had overcome depression, emotional trauma and was finally where she wanted to be in life.

In June 2011, Chyna released her first adult video with Vivid Entertainment, Backdoor to Chyna (2011), which sold over a million copies. She said the movie allowed her to regain control of her life, gave her a newfound confidence and got her back on her feet. She embarked on a huge media tour, appearing all over the US. She began feature dancing at high-end nightclubs, appeared on dozens of radio shows, including Howard Stern on Demand (2005) and ABC radio, and in November 2011 won a Fleshbot Award for her "Backdoor to Chyna" video. In 2012, she appeared in A Night at the Silent Movie Theater (2012) and appeared in the music video "Gonna Make You Love Me" for the band Lovechild. She also appeared in a tell-all interview with KayFabe Commentaries, in which she discussed everything from her childhood to drugs, porn and everything in between.

Chyna died on April 20, 2016, in Redondo Beach, California. She was 46.

Best known to television viewers as a series regular on two Chuck Lorre hit comedies: "Dharma & Greg" (5 seasons) and "Mom" (8 seasons). She garnered a Critics Choice Award nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Marjorie in Season 1 of "Mom" before becoming a series regular in Season 2.

Born in Rochester, N.Y., Kennedy ignited her acting career on stage opposite TV legend Sid Caesar in Neil Simon's "Last Of The Red Hot Lovers," along with Doris Roberts, who became a friend and mentor. As one of the principal stars of "3 Girls 3," a musical-variety mini-series co-starring Debbie Allen and Ellen Foley, she played opposite Bob Hope, Carl Reiner, Tony Curtis, Flip Wilson, and Steve Martin (in his prime-time TV debut). Regular TV series roles followed including, as Stockard Channing's sister In "Just Friends" and co-starring with Peter Cook in "The Two of Us." As Queen-B Ruth Sloan on "Homefront," Kennedy netted another American Television Critics nomination, this time as Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. She recurred as CIA Director and House Minority Leader in HBO's "The Brink" and "Veep," respectively.

Her most notable films include "In the Loop," "Midnight in Paris," "Pump Up the Volume," "Erin Brockovich," "Man in the Chair," and "The Five-Year Engagement." 2021 releases include the Tony Hale comedy "Eat Wheaties!" and the feel-good film "Saving Paradise."

Her memoir "Taken To The Stage" was praised for addressing the moral and psychological challenges of an acting career. She is updating it for paperback and Audible release.

Mary LaRoche was born on 20 July 1920 in Rochester, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Gidget (1959) and Run Silent Run Deep (1958). She was married to Sherwood Price and John Hudson. She died on 9 February 1999 in Rochester, New York, USA.

Dan Bakkedahl was born on 18 November 1969 in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. He is an actor, known for Veep (2012), The Heat (2013) and Life in Pieces (2015). He is married to Irene. They have two children.

Nadine Nicole moved the hearts of many in her award-winning role as Julia in Lonely Planet shot in Barcelona. Her performance earned her Best Actress from LIFF Awards (Laughlin International Film Festival), alongside Best Film Awards and honorable mentions from Soho, Newport Beach, and Palm Springs International Festivals.

Nadine's television resume has included memorable roles as Amy on NBC's The Village, Clarissa Mao on Amazon's The Expanse, Casey on Hulu's comedy Casual, and Gwen Randall on CBS's long-running series The Young & Restless. She appears in prime time series Scorpion, CSI: NY, CSI: Las Vegas, CSI: Cyber, 90210, The Protector and Romantically Challenged. She also starred in poignant indie features, including her persuasive performance as Misha in Paradise Broken and as Angie in So Long, Lonesome.

Nadine was born (September 15, 1982) and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, where she graduated from a National Exemplary High School (Rochester Adams High) as an Honor Student and Executive Board President. She was a leader for multiple Varsity sports teams, including Basketball, Volleyball and Softball. As a young athlete she wrestled in Middle School, winning Second Place in City, and excelled in Tae Kwon Do and Kickboxing.

She studied Liberal Arts at Fordham University Lincoln Center and Audio Engineering at SAE Institute of Design in New York City. She also played bass and sang in a progressive rock band there before moving to Los Angeles.

Nadine serves as the Founder and Executive Director of True Connection Nonprofit 501C3, helping youth tap into their empathy, creativity, and purpose through SEL (Social Emotional Learning). You can learn more about their mission at true-connection.org.

Mary Grace Canfield was born on 3 September 1924 in Rochester, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for Green Acres (1965), Pollyanna (1960) and The Best of Broadway (1954). She was married to John Theodore Bischof and Charles Orlebar Carey Jr.. She died on 15 February 2014 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Filipino-American actress Nicole Gale Anderson who is popular for her role in Beauty and the Beast (2012) was born in Rochester, Indiana, U.S. on August 29, 1990. Her father is an American born Commander in the United States Navy while her mother is from the Philippines. She was a national gymnast when she was a child but left this due to an injury. She studied in Georgia's Barbizon Modeling and Acting School with a scholarship. She studied acting in Georgia's Barbizon Modeling and Acting School and side by side she started auditioning. She was cast in various print ads and television commercial like Mary-Kate & Ashley Online Clothing, Every Girl, Stand Up, and Bratz Pretty 'n' Punk & Treasures. She was Cheerleader #3 in the episode The Grey Area (2006) of Unfabulous (2004) in 2005. In 2007, she had worked in four television series Nobody (2007), Zoey 101 (2005), Hannah Montana (2006) and iCarly (2007). She was Dana on Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! (2008) and was Jitterbug/Princess Calliope in telefilm Princess (2008) in 2008. She appeared in 29 episodes of Jonas (2009) as Macy Misa and 17 episodes of Make It or Break It (2009) as Kelly Parker in between 2009 to 2012. She acts as Cinderella in A Fairy Tale Ending (2009) episode of Imagination Movers (2007). In telefilm Accused at 17 (2009), her character was Bianca Miller, also appeared in television film Mean Girls 2 (2011) as Hope Plotkin. In the episode Baby Steps (2011) of Happy Endings (2011), she was Madison 1. In episode Oh Gawd, There's Two of Them? (2011) of Ringer (2011), she was Monica Reynolds. She was Heather Chandler in Beauty and the Beast (2012) in its 2 seasons from 2012 to 2016.She acts as Miranda Collins in Pretty Little Liars (2010) and Ravenswood (2013) from 2013 to 2014. In 2018 in The Wedding Do Over (2018) appeared as Abby Anderson.

She had also worked in films like Mulawin: "The Movie" as Langay in 2005. In 2012, she was seen in Lukewarm (2012) as Jessie. Her character was of Tori in 2013 in Red Line (2013). In 2014, she worked in Red Line (2013) as Meghan.

Dan Finnerty was born in Rochester, New York, USA. Dan is an actor and producer, known for The Hangover (2009), Family Switch (2023) and Drake: Falling Back (2022). Dan has been married to Kathy Najimy since 8 August 1995. They have one child.

Bandleader, songwriter ("Minnie the Moocher", "Are You Hep to That Jive?"), composer, singer, actor and author, educated at Crane College. While studying law, he sang with the band The Alabamians, and took over the group in 1928. He led The Missourians orchestra, then organized and led his own orchestra, playing at hotels, theaters and nightclubs throughout the US, and making many records. He joined the cast of the touring company of "Porgy and Bess", which performed across the USA and Europe between 1952 and 1954. When that ended, he founded a quartet. Joining ASCAP in 1942, he collaborated musically with Jack Palmer, Buck Ram, Andy Gibson, Clarence Gaskill, Irving Mills and Paul Mills . His other popular song compositions include "Lady With the Fan", "Zaz Zuh Zaz", "Chinese Rhythm", "Are You In Love With Me Again?", "That Man's Here Again", "Peck-A-Doodle-Doo", "I Like Music", "Rustle of Swing", "Three Swings and Out", "The Jumpin' Jive", "Boog It", "Come on with the Come-on", "Silly Old Moon", "Sunset", "Rhapsody in Rhumba", "Are You All Reet?", "Hi-De-Ho Man", "Levee Lullaby", "Let's Go, Joe", "Geechy Joe", and "Hot Air".

Born on 24 February 1940 in Rochester, New York, Pete Duel moved to West Hollywood in 1963 following a tour with the National Road Company's "Take Her, She's Mine". After landing small guest spots on various TV series, Pete was cast in a recurring role alongside Sally Field on Gidget (1965) in 1965. The series only lasted one season but Pete was immediately cast in another Columbia Screen Gems comedy series Love on a Rooftop (1966) with Judy Carne. The series gained good reviews but was once again canceled after one season. Pete then signed a seven-year contract with Universal Studios in July 1967. Guest spots and movie roles followed and, in 1970, he was offered the part of Hannibal Heyes on a comedy Western pilot Alias Smith and Jones (1971), loosely based on the 1969 hit movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). The pilot was sold to the ABC network and a series was commissioned. The series was a big hit with the youth audience and Duel became subject matter for teen magazines, gaining a loyal following. When news of his sudden death by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound was reported on TV and radio on December 31st 1971, it came as a shock to his family and friends. Early suspicion of foul play soon gave way to evidence pointing to death by suicide with depression and serious alcohol problems seen as contributing factors. Following a memorial service at the Self-Realization Temple in California on January 2nd 1972, Pete's body was flown to Penfield, New York. He was buried in Oakwood Cemetery following a memorial service at Penfield Baptist Church.

Joy Tanner was born on March 7, in Buffalo, New York. She spent four months there when her dad was transferred to Rochester, New York, where she and her brother were raised. She attended SUNY Potsdam, where she graduated a year early, with a double honours degree in English and Theatre. Joy went to London, U.K., to study at the British American Drama Academy. She received her diploma in Oxford, from BADA. She also studied with Tony Award winning director, Warren Enters, at SUNY Buffalo. In the early 1990's, she moved to Canada, where she began her acting career. She is best known for DeGrassi The Next Generation (2010-2013) Life With Derek (2005-2009), House At The End Of The Street (2012) and Cold Squad (1998). Joy writes and is also active in the indie theatre scene in Toronto, Canada.

Jim Piddock is an actor, writer, and producer, who co-wrote, produced, and co-stars in the current Netflix original film "Mascots". He also co-created and co-starred in the 2013 HBO and BBC 2 series Family Tree with Christopher Guest.

He was born in Rochester, Kent, England, to Celia Mary (O'Callaghan) and Charles Frederick Piddock. He began his career on the stage in England, before emigrating to the U.S. in his early twenties. He was educated at Worth Abbey, a Benedictine boarding school, in the south of England. He gained an Honors degree in English literature at London University.

He made his theatrical debut in the U.S. in The Boy's Own Story, a one-man show about a soccer goalkeeper, at the Julian Theatre in San Francisco. The show was an instant success with critics and audiences, winning Piddock the Bay Area Critics' Best Actor Award. The show was then produced Off-Broadway and he quickly gained the attention of the New York theatre scene. That same year (1982), he was cast in Noel Coward's Present Laughter by George C. Scott, who directed/starred in the revival, which also featured Nathan Lane, Christine Lahti, Dana Ivey, and Kate Burton. The show was a big hit on Broadway and Piddock soon found himself appearing in a string of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, including the original US production of Noises Off, The Knack at the Roundabout Theatre, and Make and Break with Peter Falk at the Kennedy Center. After replacing Frank Langella in Design For Living at the Circle-In-The-Square theatre, he moved to Los Angeles and has since appeared in a long succession of tv shows, such as The Tracey Ullman Show, Coach, Max Headroom, The Twilight Zone, Murder She Wrote, Mad About You, Angel, ER, Friends, Crossing Jordan, The Drew Carey Show, Lost, Monk, Without A Trace, Dollhouse, Chuck, Law And Order:LA, Castle, Party Down, Two and a Half Men, Up All Night, Touch, and Children's Hospital. He has also starred in several notable tv movies and mini-series, like From The Earth To The Moon, A Mom For Christmas, She Creature on HBO, and The Women Of Windsor.

He appeared in his first movie in the top-grossing film of 1989, Lethal Weapon 2, in which one of his lines, "But...you're black" in answer to Danny Glover's request to emigrate to South Africa, became a catchphrase for the film. Other feature film roles soon followed, including notable appearances in Independence Day, Traces Of Red, Multiplicity, Burn Hollywood Burn, Austin Powers 3, A Different Loyalty, Love For Rent, See This Movie, The Prestige, Epic Movie, Who's Your Caddy?, The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising, Meet The Spartans, Falling Up, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Get Him To The Greek, The Cold Light Of Day, and The Five Year Engagement. But it is probably his memorable performances in the improvised Christopher Guest comedies Best In Show (as the Dog Show commentator with Fred Willard), A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration that he has gained the most attention as an impeccable, chameleon character actor, who is barely recognizable from role to role.

In November, 2007, Jim's reputation as one of the UK's most notable exports was cemented at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Hollywood, when he co-starred with Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Eric Idle, Eddie Izzard, Jane Leeves, Emily Mortimer, and Tracey Ullman in What About Dick?. The show was revived in April, 2012, at the Orpheum Theatre with the addition of Russell Brand and Sophie Winkleman, for a limited-run and was also filmed for a DVD release. Jim also starred on Broadway and in L.A. in 2009 in An Evening Without Monty Python, a limited-run celebration of the 40th anniversary of Monty Python's Flying Circus, directed by Eric Idle.

As a voice actor, he is most notable for providing the voice of Major Zero in the English version of the video game Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Bolero the Bull in the movie Garfield 2, and the fictional artistic director of Forever Young Films, Kenneth Loring, doing the hilarious commentary in the directors' cut of the Coen Brothers' Blood Simple.

In 1990, he also began another career as a screenplay writer, selling his first spec script, co-written with Margaret Oberman, for a mid six-figure sum. Since then, he has pursued multiple careers as an actor, writer, and producer, having had a diverse collection of films made, crossing all genres, such as Traces Of Red (Samuel Goldwyn Company), One Good Turn, A Different Loyalty (starring Rupert Everett and Sharon Stone), New Line's The Man (starring Samuel Jackson and Eugene Levy), and The Tooth Fairy (which he also executive produced) for Fox, starring Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Judd, Billy Crystal, Steven Merchant, and Julie Andrews. He also created, wrote and produced the BBC series Too Much Sun, starring Mark Addy, Alex Jennings, and Lee Majors.