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1-18 of 18
- Patti Hansen was born on 17 March 1956 in Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress, known for They All Laughed (1981), Rich Kids (1979) and Hard to Hold (1984). She has been married to Keith Richards since 18 December 1983. They have two children.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Eric was born in Staten Island, New York, May 24. His father is an orthopedic surgeon and his mother is an artist. Eric is the eldest of three brothers. He graduated with a B.A. in communications from the University of Southern California in 1989. He married Keri Moyers in 1995 and they have two daughters, Katie and Ella.
Eric Close is an actor, director, and writer. He has starred opposite Tommy Flanagan in the Amazon film Legal Action (2018) as an attorney who must defend his brother-in-law on a murder charge. He can also be seen as Ltc. Jacobsen in the war drama Indivisible (2018), based on the true story about a family's real-life events during the 2007 Iraq War.
Close starred opposite Connie Britton in the hit series Nashville (2012), created by Oscar-winning writer Callie Khouri for the ABC network. Before this, Close starred for almost a decade in the critically acclaimed CBS series Without a Trace (2002), nominated for a Golden Globe for best ensemble cast. Close then teamed up again with the network as the lead of their dramedy series Chaos (2011), opposite Tim Blake Nelson. Close also starred as crafty lawyer Travis Tanner in the critically acclaimed USA series Suits (2011). On the feature side, Close joined Bradley Cooper in Clint Eastwood's American Sniper (2014) for Warner Bros., playing DIA Agent Snead.
Past credits also include the series The Magnificent Seven (1998), Now and Again (1999), Dark Skies (1996), and McKenna (1994), while taking on a number of long-form features such as American Me (1992), Seven Deadly Sins (2010), NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 (2004), Christmas Crime Story (2016), Hercules: The Legendary Journeys - Hercules and the Lost Kingdom (1994), Follow the Stars Home (2001), The Stranger Beside Me (1995), Long Island Fever (1995), Without Consent (1994), and Unanswered Prayers (2010), which was produced by Garth Brooks. Not to mention the Golden Globe-nominated miniseries Taken (2002), which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
Behind the camera, Close is also an accomplished director. In addition to directing episodes of Nashville (2012) and Without a Trace (2002), Eric finished directing and acting in his fourth feature for the Hallmark channel, which included the network's highest-rated Christmas film, Christmas at Graceland (2018), and Hallmark Hall of Fame's film A Christmas Love Story (2019), starring Kristin Chenoweth, Scott Wolf, and Close himself.- Actor
- Animation Department
- Soundtrack
He had one of Hollywood's most distinctive faces and a stentorian baritone voice to match. Character actor John Dehner, was born John Forkum in Staten Island, New York, the son of a globe-trotting artist. He attended school in France and Norway, in the process learning to speak four languages fluently. Back in the U.S., he graduated from high school in New York and proceeded to study for a diploma in art at the University of California. Any plans he might have had of following in his father's footsteps were derailed, however, when the acting bug suddenly took hold. In short order, the cash-strapped Dehner relocated to sunny California in search of a job. He worked for a while as a professional pianist and band leader but was then able to finagle a position as an assistant animator with Disney Studios for a salary of $18 a week. Dehner had a hand in several classic feature sequences, including Fantasia (1940) and Bambi (1942), as well as a few Donald Duck and Pluto cartoons. He returned to Disney in later years as a narrator and also played the part of Viceroy Don Esteban in an episode of the TV series Zorro (1957).
After leaving the Disney art department, Dehner did a stint as a public relations officer in the army during World War II and then returned to California as a radio announcer and news editor for stations KMBC and KFWB. In the course of many years, Dehner amassed a remarkable series of radio acting credits, most notably starring as Paladin in "Have Gun - Will Travel" and in similarly popular action programs like "Gunsmoke" and "Fort Laramie" (this, in spite of turning down several offers to play Marshall Matt Dillon on TV because he did not want to be typecast in westerns!). In films from the mid-40s, Dehner served a lengthy apprenticeship in assorted bit parts before graduating as one of Hollywood's most reliable villains, be they suave gamblers, crooked bankers, grifters or gunslingers. Just as often, his authoritarian demeanor proved perfect casting for stern fathers, military brass or cops. In The Left Handed Gun (1958), Dehner received second billing as Pat Garrett, co-starring opposite Paul Newman's Billy the Kid. On the small screen, he invariably made an impact as guest star in myriad classic TV shows, including Yancy Derringer (1958), Tales of Wells Fargo (1957), The Roaring 20's (1960), Maverick (1957), Bronco (1958), 77 Sunset Strip (1958), Rawhide (1959) and The Doris Day Show (1968) (a regular part during seasons four and five, as Doris's editor Cy Bennett). Dehner appeared in three episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959), reserving one of his best performances (displaying a wonderfully dry comic talent) as the titular huckster in late 1800s Arizona, in the episode "Mr. Garrity and the Graves" (1963).
One of Hollywood's most hard-working character actors, John Dehner died in Santa Barbara, California, on February 4 at the age of 76.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Forever and fondly remembered as Don Adams' foil on the popular Mel Brooks/Buck Henry spy series Get Smart (1965), character actor Ed Platt (also billed as Edward C. Platt) had been around for two decades prior to copping that rare comedy role. Born in Staten Island, New York, on Valentine's Day, 1916, he inherited an appreciation of music on his mother's side. He spent a part of his childhood in Kentucky and in upstate New York where he attended Northwood, a private school in Lake Placid, and was a member of the ski jump team. He majored in romantic languages at Princeton University but left a year later to study at the Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati after his thoughts turned to a possible operatic career. He later was accepted into Juilliard.
Instead of opera, however, Ed first became a band vocalist with Paul Whiteman and Orchestra. He then sang bass as part of the Mozart Opera Company in New York. With the Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company in 1942, he appeared in the operettas "The Mikado," "The Gondoliers" and "The Pirates of Penzance".
WWII interrupted his early career. Ed served as a radio operator with the army and would find himself on radio again in the post-war years where his deep, resonant voice proved ideal. A number of musical comedy roles also came his way again. In 1947, he made it to Broadway with the musical "Allegro." Star José Ferrer took an interest in Ed while they both were appearing in "The Shrike" on Broadway in 1952.
Around 1953, Edward moved to Texas to be near his brother and began anchoring the local news and kiddie birthday party show called "Uncle Eddie's Kiddie Party." Ferrer remembered Platt and invited him to Hollywood where Ferrer was starring in the film version of The Shrike (1955). Ed recreated his stage role. He also earned fine notices as James Dean's understanding juvenile officer in the classic film Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
This led to a plethora of film and TV support offers where the balding actor made fine use of his dark, rich voice, stern intensity and pragmatic air, portraying a slew of professional and shady types in crime yarns, soap dramas and war pictures -- everything from principals and prosecutors to mobsters and murderers.
After years of playing it serious, which included stints on the daytime drama General Hospital (1963), Ed finally was able to focus on comedy as "The Chief" to Don Adams klutzy secret agent on Get Smart (1965), a show that inevitably found a cult audience. Picking up a few occasional guest spots in its aftermath, he later tried producing.
Twice married and the father of four, Platt died on March 19, 1974. Death was attributed to a massive heart attack at the time. Years later his son revealed that his father, suffering from acute depression and undergoing severe financial pressures, committed suicide at his Santa Monica, California apartment.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
New York City born David Johansen sang in Rock & Roll dance bands as a teenager, joining Charles Ludlum's Ridiculous Theater and starting the New York Dolls.
The highly influential Dolls made two iconic Rock & Roll records before disbanding in the mid seventies. At this time he created the David Johansen Group which recorded six highly acclaimed albums and toured hits such as "Funky but Chic" for the next ten years. Simultaneously he began performing Jump Blues, Calypso, and "Pre-Hayes code Rock & Roll" under the name Buster Poindexter The success of these shows led to Buster Poindexter's touring four swinging internationally acclaimed CD's.
During this time, in addition to his musical career, Johansen started appearing in various movies , including Let It Ride (1989) and Scrooged (1988), as well as making various television appearances, including a season on Saturday Night Live (1975).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Both of Allen Jenkins' parents were musical comedy performers, and he entered the theater as a stage mechanic after World War I, after having spent time working in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Although his screen persona was that of a not-too-bright Brooklyn tough guy, Jenkins attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and appeared in many Broadway plays before making his film debut in 1931. He found his niche at Warner Brothers, where he perfected his slow-witted but good-natured gangster/taxi driver/cop/etc. character. In the latter part of his career he appeared frequently on TV, and was a regular on the TV series Hey, Jeannie! (1956). He is probably best remembered by "baby boomers" as the voice of the put-upon cop Officer Dibble in the popular cartoon series Top Cat (1961).
He died in Santa Monica, CA, in 1974 after undergoing surgery.- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
Joan Baez is the middle daughter of Albert Baez and Joan Baez Sr.. At age 10, her father took a job (and the family) to Baghdad, Iraq. A year later they moved to Palo Alto, CA, home of Stanford University. In 1956, she bought her first guitar and heard Martin Luther King, Jr.'s lecture on nonviolence; the following year, she heard Ira Sandperl, a Gandhian scholar, who also influenced her strongly. She graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1958, failed with a demo album, and move the next year to Massachusetts where her father had taken a teaching position at MIT. She performed at Club 47, a folk music club in Cambridge, and participated in the album "Folksingers 'Round Harvard Square". The same year, she met Odetta and Bob Gibson while she was performing at Chicago's "Gate of Horn". Bob invited her to perform July 11 at the Newport Folk Festival, which launched her fame as a folksinger. Her first album for Vanguard, "Joan Baez" (1960), was a huge success. The following year, she met Bob Dylan and released her second very successful album, followed the year later by many southern civil-rights performances and Grammy nominated "Joan Baez in Concert". She launched a tax revolt as part of her protest of the Vietnam war, protested Pete Seeger's exclusion by ABC-TV, and joined in the Free Speech Movement at Berkeley and the civil rights march in Selma AL. In 1967, she spent two brief periods in jail for anti-war protests. In 1969, she gave birth to Gabriel Harris while his father, David Harris, was serving 20 months of a three year sentence for draft resistance. In 1971, her songs were featured in the films Sacco & Vanzetti (1971) and Celebration at Big Sur (1971). A 1974 world tour included Japan, Australia, Israel, Lebanon, Tunisia and Argentina. The 1978 film Renaldo and Clara (1978) featured her performances in Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder tours. In 1980, Antioch University and Rutgers University awarded her the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters for her music and her activism. Next year, PBS aired the documentary "There But For Fortune: Joan Baez in Latin America". The albums, causes and concerts continue, far too numerous to list here.- Don Stewart was born to George and Marian Stewart on November 14, 1935. He spent his youth in Nebraska with his older brother, George, and his younger brother and sister, Jack and Marilyn. He then moved to New York and began studying opera. He worked on and off Broadway, and even understudied for Robert Goulet in Camelot at a young age. He was in the Air Force as one of the youngest commanders, and then in the Navy and Naval Reserves. He flew fighter jets off of aircraft carriers, etc. He started working on television, and also began singing in night clubs. He has a wonderful and powerful voice. He spent many years as "Michael Bauer" on "The Guiding Light,' before branching out to do more movies, stage, commercials, voice-overs, etc. During all this he married Susan Tremble in 1970-something, and they had two daughters, Heather-Michelle and Genevra. They lived in Oakland, NJ while Don was filming the Guiding Light, then moved to Santa Barbara, CA in 1985. Don enjoyed playing tennis with friends, flying his airplane, working on his tractor at his house, and riding horses with his daughters. Don and Sue divorced in 1993 or so. He remained an eligible bachelor for basically the rest of his life, partly because his children didn't believe anyone was good enough for him. In 2002, Don was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. He was doing OK with that, undergoing medical treatment but still basically healthy, until June 2005. At that point he was diagnosed with lung cancer, despite having lived a very clean and healthy life as a non-smoker. He died from the disease only a few months later.
- Michael Lowry was born in Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA. Michael is an actor, known for Aftermath (2017), Powers (2015) and The Longest Ride (2015).
- Actor
- Producer
- Sound Department
Jason earned his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Education/Child Development at Wagner College. Originally, a New York actor, he was seen in over 100 commercials and various recurring roles on television shows such as Kate & Allie, As the World turns and One Life to Live as a youth and teen. After his college graduation, Jason moved to Los Angeles in 1998.
While in Los Angeles, Jason continued his on camera success while also becoming one of the leading voice over artists & voice directors for film and television. In 2001, UPN decided to branch out to a larger demographic viewing audience and cast Jason to help expand their network. Jason had the good fortune of being cast as a lead actor on the hit UPN sitcom "Girlfriends." He was cast as the quick-witted, handsome, plastic surgeon, Dr. Todd Garrett. He played the love interest and later husband of actress Jill Marie Jones' character. From 2001-2006, the comedy/drama of this bi-racial, bi-religious and child bearing couple brought the highest ratings to this popular show. During his time on the show, "Girlfriends" was the #1 show watched by all women age 18-42, and was seen by over 9 million viewers per episode.
As a way to give back to the community, Jason founded Children's Playhouse Theater, A Performing Arts School & Camp for Children in the summer of 2001. There he has had the enjoyment of co-writing and directing over 60 productions. CPT's curriculum has benefited thousands of students in the Los Angeles community. It's goal is to help support the voice of children, while ensuring that all children of the LA community experience the benefits of the performing arts.
In 2008, Jason began incorporating his passion for Psychology & Acting to create "The Psychology of Acting" workshop series. The workshops are based in Jungian & Depth Psychology. He has been asked to teach these workshops throughout Los Angeles and New York and has most recently taught them at Disney as part of their Diversity Program as well as at Yale University in their Summer Film Institute.
In 2004, Jason married and soon became a father of three beautiful children. After his time on "Girlfriends", Jason decided to focus on what is most important to him in his life, his young family. With his children now grown out of those active toddler years, he has recently returned to the industry after a hiatus raising his family.
Jason's success continued with his leading portrayal of the down on his luck character Shawn Stone in, filmmaker Shane Stanleys', (Disneys "Gridiron Gang","A Sight for Sore Eyes"), serio-comedy "My Trip to the Darkside" . Both Jason and the film won high honors at the Worldfest Houston International Film Festival bringing home the Gold Jury Prize for Best Picture. The director & actor tandem teamed up again to film the sequel "My Trip Back to the Darkside".
Jason was then cast in Writer/Producer Dana Klein's show "My Friends With Better Lives" for CBS Network. There he played Jimmy Bennina, friend to James Van Der Beeks character Will Stokes & opposite Kevin Connolly, Brooklyn Decker, Majandra Delfino & Zoe Lister Jones, and was directed by television legend James Burrows.
Jason continues to be one of the leading voice over artists and voice directors in Los Angeles. Commercial spots for "7-11", "Kmart" and his several year run for "Robbins Brothers" highlight his radio career. His voice directing work can be heard in various television & film productions such as "Scorpion," "Under the Dome," "CSI:Cyber," "The Blacklist," "Black Panther","Guardians of the Galaxy 1 & 2", and others. Jason's many voices can be heard as several different characters with roles in the animated films "Sing", "Rock Dog", "Happy Feet One & Two", "Duck Duck Goose",and "Finding Dory", to name a few. Jason also has the honor of being known for his role as Faregame, a loud, brash, New York Cab in Disney Pixars "Cars 3." The role was received so well, that Pixar decided to feature Jason's character in their short film "Miss Fritter's Racing Skool" as part of their DVD release for the feature film.- Born into show business in New York City, Jennifer Youngs grew up on movie sets. She spent the 1990s working as an actress. After three years of playing Ingrid on "Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman", her character was killed off. Youngs decided to put all her energy into her music. She made a CD recording of her band "What's the Bob" with musician and producer Ronnie Champagne. They produced "MOBIUS", a reincarnation-themed CD, which was performed with actors and props at Masquers Club in Hollywood. To follow was a rock album, "Jennifer Savage", for the film "Karma Chameleon". In 1999, Youngs and Champagne were invited to Portugal for a six month concert tour. After a few years in Europe Youngs headed back to the U.S. and her native East Coast and made two additional CD's, "Only Human" and "I Like to Watch TV". In 2007, Youngs headed to Seattle to put a band together and recorded, "Let Me Go There". Her most recent album, "Lovevolution", was released under the name Jennifer Freedom.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
Born and raised in the heart of Staten Island, New York, Ghostface Killah, born Dennis Coles, is a very well-known member of Wu-Tang Clan, the celebrated hip-hop group. Emerging from a childhood filled with poverty, he puts his all into his projects and everything he rhymes about basically stems from what he's seen and what he's been through in his life. He is the father of four children (one daughter and three sons), and one of his sons made his debut in the video for "All I Got Is You," where he played Ghostface as a child.- Stunts
- Actor
- Producer
Vince Cupone was born on 30 December 1972 in Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989), I Am Legend (2007) and Big (1988).- Stunts
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Jay Spadaro was born in Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for Limitless (2011), One for the Money (2012) and Salt (2010).- Actor
- Additional Crew
P.J. Brown was born on 5 November 1956 in Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Rounders (1998), Romance & Cigarettes (2005) and Cop Land (1997). He died on 28 May 2018 in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA.- Jeff Burrell is an American actor born in Staten Island, New York. After graduating from New York's High School Performing Arts he went on to get a B.A. in German Studies from Oberlin College. A Fulbright Scholarship brought him to East Berlin's "Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch" in 1990. In 1994 he received an MfA in acting. From1994 - 2000 he was part of the ensemble in the Staatstheater in Halle / Saale, performing, among other roles, the iconic Karl Moor in Friedrich Schiller's "The Robbers." Jeff has been based in Berlin and free-lancing since 2000. In addition to acting in numerous German and international films, Jeff works regularly as a voice-over artist, lending his voice to copious animated films and television series, speaking news for Deutsche Welle TV, as well as working from time to time with orchestras; eg. Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker.
- Paul Zindel was born on 15 May 1936 in Richmond [now Staten Island], New York City, New York, USA. He was a writer, known for Runaway Train (1985), Mame (1974) and Up the Sandbox (1972). He was married to Bonnie Hildebrand. He died on 27 March 2003 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Joe Montanti was born in Staten Island, New York. He relocated to Wilmington North Carolina in 2007 to live his dream to be an actor and be a part of the film industry. Joe began working as a background actor and working crew positions moving quickly to acting positions on many features and television programs, 'One Tree Hill, Hart of Dixie, Eastbound and Down and Revenge' to name a few. In that time he has taken on many different roles, from period films as a '1820 well dressed gentleman, a preacher, to playing a dead man'. Joe's passion is recognized by many in the film industry and it is that passion that continues to serve him well on productions now filming, to future projects. He's recently appeared in 'Arthur Newman, Golf Pro' starring 'Best Actor, Colin Firth'.