People who have ties to Oklahoma
Born in, Reside(d), family, Died or attended College. Does not include actors who performed in "Oklahoma" unless they have ties to the land.
I am a massage therapist and author who currently resides in Tulsa and originally moved to the area in 2002. I find it impressive to see how many talented people hail from Tulsa and Oklahoma at large.
This is a link to part of my personal story: http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/culture-causes/my-so-called-life-so-far-part-1
I am a massage therapist and author who currently resides in Tulsa and originally moved to the area in 2002. I find it impressive to see how many talented people hail from Tulsa and Oklahoma at large.
This is a link to part of my personal story: http://www.divinecaroline.com/life-etc/culture-causes/my-so-called-life-so-far-part-1
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- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Reba Nell McEntire was born on Monday, March 28th, 1955, in McAlester, Oklahoma. The reigning queen of country music has pursued a musical career since she was 5. In Junior High school, she performed with her musical siblings, aka the Singing McEntires. A fine athlete, Reba McEntire followed in the footsteps of her rodeo champion father in competitive barrel racing. Her performance of the "Star Spangled Banner" at the 1974 National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City caught the attention of songwriter Red Steagall, who suggested she consider a career in country music. She has since earned 7 gold and 5 platinum albums and 2 Grammy Awards. She has also explored other avenues of entertainment, serving as a guest-host on Good Morning America (1975) & earning generally favorable reviews for her acting in the movie titled "Tremors" & TV mini-series, Buffalo Girls (1995). In 1988, she formed Starstruck Entertainment to oversee the very numerous aspects of her musical & acting careers.
She is extremely fortunate, that she was not along with her eight band members (seven band members & her touring manager), when tragedy the airplane they were in, on Saturday, March 16th, 1991. There were eight lives lost that tragic Saturday.I understand her parents live near String Town, OK. Not much there other than a couple businesses and a small casino.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Born July 8, 1961, Toby Keith Covel was the second child of Joan and Hubert Keith ("H. K.") Covel. He was born in Clinton, Oklahoma, and grew up with his brother Tracy and sister Tonnie in Moore, Oklahoma. After graduating from Moore High School, he didn't go on to college, but went to work in the Oklahoma oil fields with his father. He later met and married Tricia Lucas, whose child, Shelley Reeve, he adopted. He later had two children with Tricia -- daughter Krystal (born 1985, married in 2011) and son Stelen (born in 1997).
When Krystal was born, the Oklahoma oil industry had collapsed; leaving Toby, Tricia, and their two daughters in financial troubles. Touring with his band, the Easy Money Band, he got them all out of debt. After signing a deal at Mercury Records, his debut album "Toby Keith", which contained his first chart topper, "Should've Been a Cowboy", finally established him as a professional singer-songwriter. He then left Mercury for a period of three years. Coming back in 1997, he released his final studio album for Mercury, "Dream Walkin".
A year after his first Greatest Hits compilation came out from Mercury, he and producer James Stroud, left the label. He then signed a deal with DreamWorks Records, headed by his producer. Since releasing his fifth album, "How Do You Like Me Now?!", and its title track (written by Toby and Chuck Cannon); the then-DreamWorks, now-Showdog Tunes-signed singer and BMI-affiliated songwriter saw success like never before.
That success can be measured with at least five more studio albums since "How Do You Like Me Now?", more #1 singles, Academy of Country Music Awards (including two "Entertainer of the Year" awards) and other kinds of awards, and another Greatest Hits compilation (including songs from albums "How Do You Like Me Now?", "Pull My Chain", and "Unleashed", and a cover of "Mockingbird" with his daughter Krystal, who released her debut album in December 2011). He opened his own record label, the aforementioned Showdog Tunes.
Tragically, Toby Keith died after a battle with cancer at age 62 on February 5, 2024 in his beloved native Oklahoma.Before the family moved to Moore, he visited his grandmother in Fort Smith during the summers. His grandmother owned Billie Garner's Supper Club in Fort Smith, where Keith became interested in the musicians who came there to play. He did odd jobs around the supper club and started getting up on the bandstand to play with the band. He got his first guitar at the age of eight. After the family moved to Moore, Keith attended Highland West Junior High and Moore High School, where he played defensive end on the football team.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
Troyal Garth Brooks is an American country music singer and songwriter. His integration of pop and rock elements into the country genre has earned him popularity, particularly in the United States with success on the country music single and album charts, multi-platinum recordings and record-breaking live performances, while also crossing over into the mainstream pop arena.Worked for the City of Tulsa.- Music Artist
- Producer
- Actress
Trisha Yearwood was born on 19 September 1964 in Monticello, Georgia, USA. She is a music artist and producer, known for Con Air (1997), For Love of the Game (1999) and Hope Floats (1998). She has been married to Garth Brooks since 10 December 2005. She was previously married to Robert Reynolds and Christopher Latham.Married three times. She married her first husband, musician Chris Latham, in 1987; they divorced in 1991. On May 21, 1994 she married Robert "Bobby" Reynolds, a bass player for the country music group The Mavericks; they divorced in 1999. Yearwood and her current husband Garth Brooks had been close friends since before they both became nationally known in the 1990s; in 2000, after Brooks filed for divorce from estranged wife Sandy Mahl, they began dating and Yearwood took a four-year hiatus from music.
In April 2008, Yearwood released her first cookbook co-written with her mother, Gwen and sister, Beth entitled, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Graduated from the University of Tulsa with a BFA. A successful illustrator, Sartain's artistic credits range from record cover designs such as Leon Russell's "Will O' the Wisp" to illustrations for nationally published magazines. Sartain created and hosted Tulsa's first late night off-the-wall comedy program, "Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi's Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting". Guest stars included Gary Busey and 'Jim "Buck" Millaway'. Following "Dr. Mazeppa Pompazoidi's Uncanny Film Festival and Camp Meeting", Sartain has maintained a successful acting career in television and motion pictures.- Writer
- Actress
- Additional Crew
S.E. Hinton was born on 22 July 1948 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. She is a writer and actress, known for The Outsiders (1983), Rumble Fish (1983) and The Outsiders (1990). She has been married to David E. Inhofe since 26 September 1970. They have one child."Outsiders" Author- Actor
- Producer
Armand Douglas Hammer was born in Los Angeles, California, to Dru Ann (Mobley) and Michael Armand Hammer, a businessman. His great-grandfather, Armand Hammer, was a prominent tycoon and philanthropist who ran the company Occidental Petroleum for many decades. Armie's ancestry includes Russian-Jewish, English, Scots-Irish, and German. He has a younger brother, Viktor Hammer (Armie and Viktor share the same first names as their great-grandfather and his brother). His father is chairman and CEO of the Armand Hammer Foundation, where his mother is a board member. His parents also serve together on the boards of the Los Angeles Dream Center and Knoedler & Hammer Galleries in New York. In addition, his father is a member of the board of trustees for Oral Roberts University, and his mother, a former bank loan officer, teaches Bible study in Los Angeles.
His family moved to Dallas, Texas, when he was approaching school age. They moved to the Cayman Islands in 1993, where they stayed for 5 years. While here, Armie attended the Grace Christian Academy, a school that his father set up. They returned to Los Angeles when Armie was thirteen. He attended L.A. Baptist High School and Calvary Junior High School. He made his stage debut playing "Rooster Hannigan" in a 6th-grade production of "Annie". He left school in the 11th grade so that he could pursue acting. His parents were keen for him to continue his studies, so he took courses at Pasadena City College and UCLA.
He had various small parts, before being cast as Billy Graham in Billy: The Early Years (2008). His breakthrough role came when he played the "Winklevoss Twins" in The Social Network (2010), in a dual role. He has since played "Clyde Tolson" in J. Edgar (2011), "Prince Alcott" in Mirror Mirror (2012), and starred in the title role, John Reid, in the 2013 version of The Lone Ranger (2013), opposite Johnny Depp as Tonto.
In 2015, Hammer starred with Henry Cavill in the spy thriller The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), playing Russian spy Illya Kuryakin and American agent Napoleon Solo, respectively. His 2016 films include the historical drama The Birth of a Nation (2016), the thrillers Nocturnal Animals (2016) and Mine (2016), and the crime drama Free Fire (2016). In 2017, he voiced Jackson Storm in the CGI sequel Cars 3 (2017), and starred as Oliver, an American scholar, in the drama Call Me by Your Name (2017), opposite Timothée Chalamet. For the role, Armie received his first Golden Globe nomination, for Best Supporting Actor.
In 2018, he played David in the drama Hotel Mumbai (2018), and starred as real life taxation law expert Martin D. Ginsburg in On the Basis of Sex (2018), a biopic of Martin's wife, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. More recently, he headlined the unusual horror film Wounds (2019) and was Maxim de Winter in the drama-thriller Rebecca (2020).
Armie was married to actress, model, and television personality Elizabeth Chambers in 2010. They announced their divorce in July 2020. They have two children, a boy and a girl.His paternal grandparents live In Tulsa.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
Blake Shelton was born on 18 June 1976 in Ada, Oklahoma, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for The Ridiculous 6 (2015), The Do-Over (2016) and Footloose (2011). He has been married to Gwen Stefani since 3 July 2021. He was previously married to Miranda Lambert and Kaynette Gern.Special Latte- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Miranda Lambert was born on 10 November 1983 in Longview, Texas, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for The Ice Road (2021), Burlesque (2010) and Hot Pursuit (2015). She has been married to Brendan McLoughlin since 26 January 2019. She was previously married to Blake Shelton.Gained fame as a finalist on the 2003 season of Nashville Star, where she finished in third place and later signed to Epic Records.
In 2011, Lambert married fellow country singer Blake Shelton.- Actor
- Soundtrack
The Tractors is known for The Tractors: Baby Likes to Rock It (1994), Dancing with the Stars (2005) and Late Show with David Letterman (1993).Baby Likes to Rock It- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
Hailing from Tulsa OK, Hanson the band arrived on the radio in 1997 with a #1 hit - "MMMBop" - which helped them sell more than 12 million copies of their debut album. Energizing a new wave of bubblegum pop, by virtue of their youth at the time (Isaac was 16, Taylor 14 & Zac 11), they were blamed for ruining the radio landscape yet were ironically over shadowed by the very acts that stole away the youthful fans they had awakened.
Originally known as The Hanson Brothers (later becoming just "Hanson" to avoid confusion with the hockey players), they began writing and singing as young as six years old, and first performed as a band when they were six, nine and eleven. They produced two independent albums which included originial compositions before signing with Mercury Records in 1996.
Since then they have impressed music critics and industry insiders with their talents including a signature sound with Rock-n-roll influences, a well grounded mature attitude and a wise business savvy. By using the internet, stategic public appearances (including a couple of movie and TV cameos which have landed them on this site), and a recent tour playing acoustic only shows in intimate club venues, they have been chipping away at a public image which has misunderstood them.
Now at ages 18, 21 & 23, their latest endeavors include a live concert which was released to theaters in a one day event, a 2004 CD, starting their own record label (3cG Records) and a documentary on the record industry which may be shown in some film festivals before being released to DVD.I worked with the person they learned to harmonize with.- Alan Berg was born in Chicago in January of 1934, the son of Dr. Joseph Berg and Ruth Berg. Alan had one older sister, Norma. At 17, he attended college at the University of Colorado in Denver. After two years, he transferred to the University of Denver. He graduated in 1957, and became one of the youngest people to pass the bar exam in the history of Illinois (at 22). He first met his wife, Judith Halpern in 1951, and the two were married in 1958. Berg began his career as a law clerk before finally becoming a lawyer. Because he was overworked (and because he was suffering from seizures), he became an alcoholic. The pressure finally became too great, and he left his law practice in Chicago and moved to Denver with his wife. He entered St. Joseph's Hospital to quit drinking, and never took another in his life. He then became a shoe salesman. He later opened his own clothing store, The Shirt Broker. It was there that he met Laurence Gross, a Talk Show host with KGMC. He admired the fact that Berg could talk spontaneously on any subject, and invited him to be on his show several times. After Gross moved to San Diego, Berg was given his show. he soon began to hang up on people, insult them over the air, and generally be outrageous. In 1976, he suffered a seizure that he was unable to come out of. It was discovered that he had a large brain tumor. He had surgery to remove it, and soon recovered and was back on the radio. He left KGMC (now called KWBZ), and got a job at KHOW, where he reached the apex of hanging up. He and Judith were divorced in 1978. While at KHOW, Berg became both the most popular (and most disliked) radio personality in Denver. After refusing to conform to the station, he was fired from KHOW in August of 1979. He returned to KWBZ. After they changed their format to music, Berg was again out of a job. KTOK, an Oklahoma City based station, became interested in Berg. before he accepted the job, he was offered to fill in at Denver's most powerful station, KOA. About half the callers wanted him hired, and the other half did not. He signed a contract with Detroit's WXYZ, but later dropped out of it when KOA offered him a show. He began on February 23, 1981. He than began to change, his rudeness waning. After receiving a flap from former Secretary of State Ellen Kaplan, he invited her on the show and berated her. KOA, fearing a lawsuit, gave Berg a few days vacation. Berg was never blatantly abusive to another guest. After criticizing Roderick Elliot and Frank "Bud" Farell, who wrote "The Death of the White Race" and "Open Letter to the Gentiles," the white supremacist group known as "The Order" began to view him as a threat. After harassing Colonel Jack Mohr, a member of the Christian Patriots Defense League, Berg became a target. While most of his friends and associates said he was mellowing out, sadly we will never know. Alan Berg was shot 12 times in the face and body while exiting his Volkswagen. He was officially pronounced dead at 9:45 p.m. on June 18th, 1984.I remember when he was murdered on front of his home in the Denver area in 1984. He was an outspoken radio personality.
- Producer
- Actor
- Executive
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt was born on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri to Jane Etta Pitt (née Hillhouse), a school counselor & William Alvin "Bill" Pitt, a truck company manager. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government and school musicals. Pitt attended the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism with a focus on advertising. He occasionally acted in fraternity shows. He left college two credits short of graduating to move to California. Before he became successful at acting, Pitt supported himself by driving strippers in limos, moving refrigerators and dressing as a giant chicken while working for El Pollo Loco.
Pitt's earliest credited roles were in television, starting on the daytime soap opera Another World (1964) before appearing in the recurring role of Randy on the legendary prime time soap opera Dallas (1978). Following a string of guest appearances on various television series through the 1980s, Pitt gained widespread attention with a small part in Thelma & Louise (1991), in which he played a sexy criminal who romanced and conned Geena Davis. This led to starring roles in badly received films such as Johnny Suede (1991) & Cool World (1992).
But Pitt's career hit an upswing with his casting in A River Runs Through It (1992), which cemented his status as an multi-layered actor as opposed to just a pretty face. Pitt's subsequent projects were as quirky and varied in tone as his performances, ranging from his unforgettably comic cameo as stoner roommate Floyd in True Romance (1993) to romantic roles in such visually lavish films as Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) and Legends of the Fall (1994), to an emotionally tortured detective in the horror-thriller Se7en (1995). His portrayal of frenetic oddball Jeffrey Goines in 12 Monkeys (1995) won him a Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
Pitt's portrayal of Achilles in the big-budget period drama Troy (2004) helped establish his appeal as an action star and was closely followed by a co-starring role in the stylish spy-versus-spy flick Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005). It was on the set of Mr. & Mrs. Smith that Pitt, who married Jennifer Aniston in a highly publicized ceremony in 2000, met Angelina Jolie. Pitt left Aniston for Jolie in 2005, a break-up that continues to fuel tabloid stories years after its occurrence.
He continues to wildly vary his film choices, appearing in everything from high-concept popcorn flicks such as Megamind (2010) to adventurous critic-bait like Inglourious Basterds (2009) and The Tree of Life (2011). He has received two Best Actor Oscar nominations, for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Moneyball (2011). In 2014, he starred in the war film Fury (2014), opposite Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Jon Bernthal, and Michael Peña.
Pitt and Jolie have 6 children, 3 adopted & 3 biological.- Actor
- Producer
Born in Greenville, N.C., Drew followed in his sister and mother's footsteps, performing in as many musicals as possible. As he grew older and entered high school, he fell in love with tennis. Attending college on a tennis scholarship, Drew put a hold on performing. After graduating from North Carolina State University, Drew became a tennis professional. While teaching a tennis lesson to a T.V. actor, he was encouraged to study acting classically and pursue it for the camera, in addition to the stage. He has been doing so ever since.
Drew is also a TEDx Speaker (How to Be a Successful Liar), as well as a private film and TV coach, a husband, and a father.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard is one of this generation's most popular directors. From the critically acclaimed dramas A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Apollo 13 (1995) to the hit comedies Parenthood (1989) and Splash (1983), he has created some of Hollywood's most memorable films.
Howard made his directorial debut in 1978 with the comedy Grand Theft Auto (1977). He began his career in film as an actor. He first appeared in The Journey (1959) and The Music Man (1962), then as Opie on the long-running television series The Andy Griffith Show (1960). Howard later starred in the popular series Happy Days (1974) and drew favorable reviews for his performances in American Graffiti (1973) and The Shootist (1976).
Howard and long-time producing partner Brian Grazer first collaborated on the hit comedies "Night Shift" and "Splash." The pair co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 to create independently produced feature films.
Howard's portfolio includes some of the most popular films of the past 20 years. In 1991, Howard created the acclaimed drama "Backdraft", starring Robert De Niro, Kurt Russell and William Baldwin. He followed it with the historical epic Far and Away (1992), starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Howard directed Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise and Delroy Lindo in the 1996 suspense thriller Ransom (1996). Howard worked with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise and Kathleen Quinlan on "Apollo 13," which was re-released recently in the IMAX format.
Howard's skill as a director has long been recognized. In 1995, he received his first Best Director of the Year award from the DGA for "Apollo 13." The true-life drama also garnered nine Academy Award nominations, winning Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound. It also received Best Ensemble Cast and Best Supporting Actor awards from the Screen Actor's Guild. Many of Howard's past films have received nods from the Academy, including the popular hits Backdraft (1991), "Parenthood" and Cocoon (1985), the last of which took home two Oscars.
Howard directed and produced Cinderella Man (2005) starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe, with whom he previously collaborated on "A Beautiful Mind," for which Howard earned an Oscar for Best Director and which also won awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. The film garnered four Golden Globes as well, including the award for Best Motion Picture Drama. Additionally, Howard won Best Director of the Year from the Directors Guild of America. Howard and producer Brian Grazer received the first annual Awareness Award from the National Mental Health Awareness Campaign for their work on the film.
Howard was honored by the Museum of Moving Images in December 2005, and by the American Cinema Editors in February 2006. Howard and his creative partner Brian Grazer, were honored by the Producers Guild of America with the Milestone Award in January 2009, NYU's Tisch School of Cinematic Arts with the Big Apple Award in November 2009 and by the Simon Wiesenthal Center with their Humanitarian Award in May 2010. In June 2010, Howard was honored by the Chicago Film Festival with their Gold Hugo - Career Achievement Award. In March 2013, Howard was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame. In December 2015, Howard was honored with a star in the Motion Pictures category, making him one of the very few to have been recognized with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Howard also produced and directed the film adaptation of Peter Morgan's critically acclaimed play Frost/Nixon (2008). The film was nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, and was also nominated for The Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures by the PGA.
Howard has also served as an executive producer on a number of award-winning films and television shows, such as the HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998), Fox's Emmy Award winner for Best Comedy, Arrested Development (2003), a series which he also narrated, Netflix's release of new episodes of "Arrested Development," and NBC's "Parenthood."
Howard's recent films include the critically acclaimed drama Rush (2013), staring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl, written by Peter Morgan; and Made in America (2013), a music documentary he directed staring Jay-Z for Showtime.
Howard's other films include In the Heart of the Sea (2015), based on the true story that inspired Moby Dick; his adaptation of Dan Brown's best-selling novels Angels & Demons (2009), and The Da Vinci Code (2006) staring Oscar winner Tom Hanks; the blockbuster holiday favorite "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)" starring Jim Carrey; "Parenthood" starring Steve Martin; the fantasy epic Willow (1988); Night Shift (1982) starring Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton and Shelley Long; and the suspenseful western, The Missing (2003), staring Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones.
Recently, Howard directed Inferno (2016), the third installment of Dan Brown 's Robert Langdon franchise and The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016), a documentary about the rock legends The Beatles. He also produced the second season of Breakthrough (2015), Mars (2016), and directed the first episode of Genius (2017), based on the life of Albert Einstein, all for NatGeo.One of the few movies I saw in the theater as a child was one of my favorites, "American Graffiti" George Lucas' second film.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Rance Howard was born on 17 November 1928 in Duncan, Oklahoma, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Nebraska (2013), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) and Universal Soldier (1992). He was married to Judy Howard and Jean Speegle Howard. He died on 25 November 2017 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Father to Director Ron Howard and Actor Clint Howard- Jean Speegle Howard was born on 31 January 1927 in Duncan, Oklahoma, USA. She was an actress, known for Apollo 13 (1995), Scrooged (1988) and Cocoon (1985). She was married to Rance Howard. She died on 2 September 2000 in Burbank, California, USA.Mother to Director Ron Howard and Actor Clint Howard
Died on my birthday. - Pam has been acclaimed for her work on the professional stage as Violet Weston in August: Osage County at Oklahoma City Rep and Addison's Water Tower Theatre (winning the 2013 Column Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role). She also received critical praise for her work as bawdy lounge singer Jeannette in The Full Monty and as Big Edie in Grey Gardens, again at WaterTower Theatre. She appeared in Good Ol' Girls at Virginia's Barter Theatre, then at WTT in Hank Williams: Lost Highway. Since then, She's performed the Hannah Pitt track in Angeles in America, Parts One: Millennium Approaches and Two: Perestroika for Uptown Players in Dallas. Most recently, 'Night, Mother and Dolls House 2, again for OKCRep.
Pam also works frequently in film, television and radio. Upcoming (202?) releases include Body Brokers and Dotty and Soul (which had to shut down mid-filming due to Covid concerns). Other recent film roles include a a bank manager in Robert Redford's final film The Old Man and the Gun, and Mrs. McBroom in the award winning The Vast of Night, just released to Amazon Prime. She played a crazy evangelist lady in the remake of The Town That Dreaded Sundown with Ed Hermann and Veronica Cartwright. She was also featured in Finding Normal with Candace Cameron Bure. TV appearances include Judge Cotter in The Lying Game (ABC), Judge Hirsch in Dallas (TNT), a foul mouthed knitting granny in In Plain Sight (USA) and many more.
Pam has voiced numerous political radio spots for gubernatorial, senate and congressional races across the U.S., and frequently voices characters in the anime, animation and video game industry. These days, she's busy with political VO, and narrating audiobooks in her home studio.
She lives in a forest on a creek in Dallas, with her beloved miniature terrier mix Muy Grande, her Siamese mix FooFighter, and three identical black foster kittens. - Monique Prestridge was born Monique La Fuente and was raised by her father Henry La Fuente a Maxillo facial and ocular prosthetist in Edmond, Oklahoma. She has an older brother Brandon La Fuente, three younger brothers Bryan, Andre, and Henry Jr. She also has three younger sisters: Alexsis, Ariel, and Angelina.
Monique is married to Christopher Prestridge as of March 4, 2002. They have three children: daughters Carmen, Zoey, and son Zander.
She is an Actress and has starred in several commercials as well as the romantic comedy film "Home, James" written, directed and starred by Jonathan Rossetti. A Full Feature Film made in Oklahoma by Jack Randall "The Designated Hitters" Featured Role on Keith Urban and Mirand Lambert's "We Were Us" Music video.
Monique has several projects in pre-production including a Web series film called "Forget About It".
Monique is represented by Magna Talent of Oklahoma, Tabb Models of Oklahoma. - Natasha Laws Mick was born in Belleville, IL on April 06, 1981. A small town girl with an enjoyment for city life as well, she spent her youth and early 20s growing up in various small towns in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. She is the only daughter of her parents, but has four older brothers.Natasha was raised by her Mother and Step-Father. Natasha showed an interest in acting at an early age, playing the lead in several school plays. Her love of acting was delayed as she married young at 19,and had her first son, Tristian J.P. Mick, at the age of 20.That marriage dissolved in 2003. She later went on to have another son, Giovanni C.T. Medina. Natasha recently decided to pursue her acting career once again and has starred in Shannon Callsen's Simpatico,Hakeem Hill's Unknown Nation Series, the upcoming Mind Games series (starring Steve Zahn and Christian Slater,) a Budweiser commercial for Anheuser Busch, a music video for 45Phono,and a horror film, The Closet. She will also star in the upcoming television series, Dance With Death, Deacon's Choice, The Ruby Nell Joseph wrongful Cremation Film Project and Nothing
A high school cheerleader, she also has training in Belly Dancing, Salsa, Hip-Hop Dance, softball, and a few other odds and ends.She has a fondness for writing poetry, painting and learning different languages. She has studied acting under D.M. Larson, and also has modeled for various photographers as well as a runway show for a Fashion Bug clothing store. - Actor
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The Gap Band are a funk, soul and rhythm and blues group from Tulsa, Oklahoma. The band is fronted by the three Wilson brothers: Charlie, Robert, and Ronnie. The Wilson brothers are the sons of a Pentecostal minister and began their music careers singing in their father's church. The Wilson brothers first got together as a group in 1967 and initially called themselves the Greenwood Archer and Pine Street Band, named for North Tulsa's former African American business hub (once known as the Black Wall Street, destroyed in 1920) which ran along Greenwood Avenue bordered by Pine Street to the North and Archer Street to the South. The Gap Band started out performing in various venues all over their native Tulsa and recorded an unsuccessful debut album in 1974. The Gap Band hit their stride in the late 70's with such songs as "I'm in Love" and "Shake" (the latter was a Top five R&B radio hit). They scored a huge smash in 1979 with the groundbreaking single "I Don't Believe You Wanna Get Up and Dance (Oops Upside Your Head)." The Gap Band continued their winning streak into the 80's with such hit songs as "Steppin' Out," "Burn Rubber on Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)," "Humpin'," "Yearning for Your Love," "Party Train," "Early in the Morning," "I Found My Baby," "Outstanding," and the especially funky "You Dropped a Bomb on Me." They had a #4 UK radio hit with "Big Fun" in 1987. Charlie left the band in the mid 80's to pursue a hugely successful solo career and Ronnie became a born-again Christian in 1984. The group's songs have been either sampled or covered by such artists as Snoop Dogg, Warren G., Da Brat, Notorious B.I.G., Blackstreet, Nas, Shaquille O'Neal, Mia X, and Mary J. Blige. Songs from the Gap Band have been featured on the soundtracks to the movies "Next Friday," "At First Sight," "Kiss Me, Guido," "Sleepers," "Le Haine," "Working Girl," "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" (they recorded the titular theme song in just a single day!), "Krush Groove," and "Moscow on the Hudson." They appear as themselves in the outrageously campy straight-to-video gut-buster "Death Drug." After reuniting in 1996, the Gap Band record the occasional album and continue to tour all over the world.You Dropped a Bomb on Me- One of seven children of dirt-poor Georgia farmers, Charles Arthur Floyd was born on February 3, 1904. His family moved to Oklahoma shortly after his birth, where they bought a small farm. Their luck was no better in Oklahoma than it was in Georgia, and drought, plagues of insects and devastating dust storms combined to keep them just barely out of the poorhouse. When Floyd was 16 he married, had a son and left the farm looking for work, but was unable to find any. Desperate to keep his family fed, he got hold of a gun and robbed a post office, netting $350 in pennies. He was soon arrested for the crime, but his father managed to get him out of trouble. Charles, however, liked the idea of being able to score such "easy money" and he and his wife headed to St. Louis, Missouri, where he figured the pickings were better than they were in rural Oklahoma. He robbed a grocery store and got more than $16,000. The money didn't last long, however, as he was soon arrested by local police who became suspicious of someone who had no job and no means of support driving a brand-new car and wearing expensive clothes. They searched the car and found money from the grocery store robbery, some of it still wrapped in paper with the store's name on it. He was sentenced to five years in state prison, during which time his wife gave birth to a son and divorced him. Released after having served three years, Floyd vowed that he would die before going back to prison again. He went back home to Oklahoma and discovered that his father had been killed in an argument with a local man, who was tried for the crime but acquitted. Soon afterward the man disappeared and was never seen again. Floyd, who had told several people that he would kill the man the first chance he got, was suspected of murdering him, but there was no evidence and he was never charged. He soon moved to East Liverpool, Ohio, which was a haven for bootleggers and liquor smugglers. He hired himself out as an enforcer for many of the gangs that operated in the area and gained a reputation as a cold, efficient killer. Heading to Kansas City, he hooked up with one of the criminal gangs that infested the area at the time, many of which were under the protection of the corrupt Pendergast political machine. It was there that he picked up the two things that would make him one of the era's most famous criminals: his skill with a machine gun and the nickname "Pretty Boy," given to him by a prostitute who was enamored of him. He hated the name, but it stuck and added to his reputation. Also adding to his reputation was his involvement in more than 30 bank robberies and ten murders.
Floyd robbed so many banks in Oklahoma that bank insurance rates doubled. He was involved in a shootout with police in Bowling Green, Ohio, in which his accomplice and a police officer were killed and his girlfriend was shot and captured, but he managed to escape. His name and that of fellow professional triggerman Adam Richetti surfaced during the investigation into the infamous "Kansas City Massacre" of June 17, 1933, in which five men, including an FBI agent and several local police officers, were killed during an attempt to free a gang leader being transported to prison, although Floyd always denied being involved. One theory, however, was that it wasn't an attempt to free the hood, a small-timer named Frank Nash--who was one of those killed--but an assassination ordered by Nash's associates, who were afraid he'd rat them out in exchange for a release from prison or a reduced sentence. The theory was given credence by the fact that both Floyd and Richetti didn't belong to any particular gang and had no real ties to Kansas City, but were well known as killers for hire.
His spree of murders and robberies continued, and after gangster John Dillinger was shot to death in an FBI ambush in Chicago in 1934, Floyd was named "Public Enemy #1." Although there was a $25,000 reward for his capture, Floyd was considered a hero in his area of Oklahoma, one reason being that whenever he returned there he would use some of the loot from his previous robberies to buy food and clothes for many of the poverty-stricken residents of the Cookson Hills, where he grew up. Also, whenever he robbed banks in the area, the first thing he did was tear up all the mortgages he could find, an act that endeared him to many of the local residents who were on the verge of losing their homes, farms and businesses to the banks.
Floyd's career was coming to a close, though. On October 19, 1934, three men robbed the Tiltonsville (Ohio) Bank. Two of them were positively identified as Floyd and Richetti. The next day the two gunmen were spotted by police in nearby Wellsville, and in the ensuing chase and gun battle Richetti was shot and captured, but Floyd once again escaped. Three days later, acting on a tip, police and FBI agents surrounded him at a farm outside East Liverpool, Ohio. Although armed, he didn't fire at the lawmen but attempted to flee. After ignoring orders to halt, Pretty Boy Floyd was shot dead by an East Liverpool sheriff's deputy.Outlaw - Actress
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She reigned on Search for Tomorrow (1951) for nearly four decades and became one of TV's most popular daytime ladies. As the ever-noble Joanne Gardner Barron Tate Vincente Tourneur, Mary Stuart remained on board for its entire run, and when that four-times-married role was in the can, she was ready for more.
Born Mary Houchins on Independence Day, 1926 in Miami, Florida, actress Mary Stuart grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Demonstrating musical talent at an early age, she sang with local bands at age 12 and performed with the USO at various military bases during her high school years. After she graduated she worked as a photojournalist before gearing up for an acting career in New York.
A hat check girl and table photographer at New York's Hotel Roosevelt Grill, she had started to sing on the club stage when she was discovered by producer Joe Pasternak who put her under contract with MGM. Moving West, she spent years in obscure starlet parts while doubling for the stars in screen tests. Going nowhere and playing everything from a Mexican half-breed in Thunderhoof (1948) to a cigarette girl in The Girl from Jones Beach (1949), a very disappointed Mary called it quits with Hollywood within a few years and returned to Gotham to study.
She happened upon the role of a lifetime after the director of "SFT" caught her in an acting class performance. She married Time-Life executive Richard Krolik a month before the soap's premiere and the couple went on to have two children, Jeffrey and Cynthia. Both Mary and her Joanne character remained survivors despite a long series of hassles which included a battle with writers who tried to kill off her character, and numerous potential cancellations of the show, which finally happened in 1989.
Mary earned the distinction of being the first daytime performer to be nominated for an Emmy Award, competing against prime-time actresses Shirley Booth, Cara Williams, Gertrude Berg and Mary Tyler Moore in 1962. She lost to Booth's "Hazel" character. At age 63, she ventured on with the role of a judge in One Life to Live (1968) in 1988 for a year, and then a longer-running part on Guiding Light (1952) in 1996. This role lasted until her death from cancer in 2002 at age 75. Mary's autobiography entitled "Both of Me" was written in 1980 and also serves as a comprehensive history of "SFT."- Born in Merced, California while her father was stationed at Castle A.F.B., Rene Marye Finkenkeller spent her entire childhood moving to various remote locations across the USA and Europe. She graduated from Incirlik American High School in Turkey and spent a semester at Pensacola Christian College as a vocal performance major with dreams of entering the contemporary Christian music industry. When her vocal performance professor told her she was just as much an actress as she was a vocalist, Rene transferred into the University of Oklahoma's musical theater program in 1995. Her first professional gig was working as an entertainer at Six Flags Over Texas on the now defunct "A Looney Tunes Christmas Show". She is a single mom of one son, stays active in regional live theater, and has worked as a country/folk singer for years, composing music. She has one brother,Shane Finkenkeller, who has spent years serving in the military and shares his sister's passion for acting.
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Johnathan Hart is a Michigan native, although he was born in Midwest City Oklahoma. Johnathan served in the U.S. Army as a Military Police Officer for over 8 years and is a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After struggling through a few semesters of community college, Johnathan discovered his passion for acting after stumbling onto the set of 30 Minutes or Less while taking a stroll around the neighborhood. He has since Graduated from the accelerated 1 year associates degree program at Compass College of Cinematic Arts. He has since worked as Key Grip on "Parents Worst Nightmare" With Dean Cain and Kristy Swanson, a DP on "Andy the talking Hedgehog" with Dean Cain and Tara Reid. He also has produced a feature "The Eden Theory" Starring Larry Hankin, Jeffrey Weissman, and Carl Struyken, and an Award Winning short "Faceless" starring Natasha Russell that is now available on Amazon Prime.- Actor
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Christopher Robert (Rob) Bowen is an American actor and producer. Bowen was born in the small town of Shawnee, Oklahoma to Lorna Mae Rosamond, an order controller, and Robert Larry Bowen, a construction worker. Bowen grew up in Bethel, a remote part of town, on 10 acres of land with his parents and older sister Kimberly. Bowen began his acting career as a child doing musical plays at his hometowns' "Shawnee Little Theater". As a teenager, he left acting behind to pursue sports, but returned to acting after rediscovering his love for the craft while performing in his senior class play at Bethel High School. Bowen attended Shawnee High School in Oklahoma until his Junior year. After poor conduct and poor grades, his parents transferred him to a much smaller Bethel High School where he graduated from in 1991. Religion was a big part of his upbringing and he regularly attended both Baptist and Church of Christ churches.
After graduating high school, Bowen left Oklahoma and headed for Dallas, Texas where he quickly landed an agent and went to work. He booked several small projects before securing a single episode role on "Walker, Texas Ranger" starring Chuck Norris. After several years in Dallas, Bowen headed for Los Angeles to pursue his new founded career. Upon arriving in L.A., Bowen went straight to work on several projects including a role opposite of Melissa Joan Hart on the hit television show "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" in 1999. Shortly afterwards Bowen met his future wife and decided to start a family. He took a 10 year hiatus to raise his family before returning to the stage for the musical production of "Evita" in 2010. As a follow up in 2011, Bowen won the "Outstanding Male in a Supporting Role" for his stage performance as "Capt. Jack Ross" in the hard hitting play "A Few Good Men" at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark, CA.
Bowen's most notable screen time can be seen as the bank manager forced to commit a crime with his family held hostage in the action flick from LionsGate: "Marauders" (2016). Bowen also plays an ex-military wanna-be hero named "Eric" opposite Jeffery Dean Morgan, in the LionsGate movie "Heist/Bus 657" (2015) which also stars Robert De Niro. In some other notable roles, Bowen has acted opposite Adrian Grenier in "Arsenal/Southern Fury" (2017), as well as Bruce Willis in the action/heist movie "Precious Cargo" (2016). Precious Cargo marks Bowen's second film with Bruce Willis, following a supporting role in the movie "Extraction" (2016) where Bowen plays a CIA agent named "Purvis". Behind the camera, Bowen has produced several projects and has several larger ones in development.- Actor
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Brian was third of four children born to Willard and Alice Shoop near the Ohio shoreline of Lake Erie. His two older brothers followed their father into the oil business, but Brian wandered off into construction. He married his childhood sweetheart and moved her and two boys west to find work in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1980. It was in Tulsa, of all places, that he discovered his love for acting. But by then, he felt obligated to win the bread for his family, so the new career had to wait. Finally, the boys left for college, and he began pursuing his craft full time at 47. Ironically, he landed his first major motion picture role in The Rookie (2002), a story of the oldest rookie in professional baseball.- Producer
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Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, her family moved to California when she was 10 years old. Was a Contract Player at Universal Studios from 1977- 1980 working on various television shows before becoming a series regular on The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979). She worked at 20th Century Fox Studios as an Associate Producer on The Fall Guy (1981). Produced various television shows while at Fox.- Amber Lee Duke was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and reared just outside of Wichita Falls, Texas, in the little country town of Holliday. The youngest of 4 children of traveling Christian ministers, gospel music was an important part of her life. Amber feels her musical talent comes from her father who is an accomplished pianist and drummer of 50 years. Moving to Oklahoma for high school Amber worked as a professional choreographer for competitive gymnasts, cheerleading squads and private dance groups. Her cheerleading squad earned the winning title for the AAA varsity division at the National Cheerleaders Association competition (NCA). Active in sports, Amber excelled in track and field and won the Bronze medal in High Jump at the Oklahoma State Track Meet. Soon after graduating she was hired to choreograph two junior Olympic gymnasts with Chris Burdette at the `96 Olympic coach Mary Lee Tracy's training facility. From 1997 to 1999, Amber started singing and dancing seriously with Pastor Alvin Fruga and Fresh Oil, a contemporary Gospel Group out of Tulsa, Oklahoma. After working with the group for over 3 years she decided to further her education in Florida where she did independent study in modern dance. Upon hearing of an opportunity back in Texas, she moved to Dallas where she auditioned for the nationally renowned show band, Vince Vance and the Valiants. From 2002 to present day she has been the lead Valiantette (lead female singer) and choreographer. She has been featured on 4 albums and is now working on her debut solo album which includes her debut song she wrote called, "It's Mardi Gras Time." She recently shot the video on world famous Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Her next release is a country single written by the same composers that penned the number one hit, "All I Want for Christmas is You." Along with dancing, choreography and singing she has recently dabbled her talents into acting and modeling. In her first 6 months of acting she was a feature talent on "The Madame's Family" (CBS movie of the Week). Shortly after, she landed a speaking role in Warner Bros. The Dukes of Hazzard. She has currently graced the cover of Vince Vance and the Valiants' Country Christmas album All I Want For Christmas Is You. Amber presently resides in Mississippi and continues to write, sing and record music. She enjoys spending the remainder of her time working out, cooking healthfully and furthering her spiritually.
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Brenda-Marie Whitehead was born Brenda-Marie Cantrell in Fort Smith, Arkansas. While growing up she was always told she was a descendant of the infamous William Clarke Quantrill.
She went to Hollywood in 2000 to be in a couple of episodes on MADtv. She was featured in a comedy sketch as an Opening Scene Traveler and Passenger with Mo Collins & Christian Duguay. This was her first real exposure of being on a nationally televised TV show. She was a huge fan of this show anyway, so this was a major thrill. She still owns the signed script the cast gave her!
Her latest role was playing one of the lead characters as "Lola" in "High On The Hog", that was filmed in Galena Illinois & surrounding areas. She was thrilled and honored to be cast in this feature grind house film that also stars iconic actors Sid Haig, Joe Estevez & Robert Z'Dar.
She co-wrote Heaven with a Gun with Jack Snyder, and she's staying busy writing other screenplays. Between writing, acting and being one of the creative directors for The Wild Bunch Film Festival (TWBFF) & Sunny Side Up Film Festival (SSUFF), she staying busy.
Brenda has a strange talent that some call a gift. She can actually cure hiccups. She cured actress Cindy Williams hiccups in Dallas while they were having dinner together. Her friend also had fallen victim to hiccups for a week non-stop until she stopped them, as well as numerous other cases.- Jett was born in Tulsa, OK August 13th. His parents are of Cherokee descent. His Grandfather is the first of his family to be born in Oklahoma. His Great-Grand Father was the first to be born in "Indian Territory", and the rest of his descendants are from Cherokee, NC. Because his parents are of mixed ethnicity, Jett loves saying he's part Indian and part Cowboy. He worked the past 15 years in public speaking and graphic design. Jett loves boxing and volunteered at Team Lethal Gym where he helped coach underprivileged kids USA boxing (Golden Gloves) at The Cecil Pettigrew Foundation, a non-profit organization. His parents divorced when Jett was young and he lived with his mother and sister in low-income housing. "Tulsa is part city and country" Jett tells us, "I grew up break-dancing all week and going with my mother to the rodeo on Saturday nights." It is with this diversity that Jett brings a well-rounded outlook and attitude to the film industry. With his slanted grin and green eyes, Jett looks at life as an adventure to be lived to the fullest.
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Cassie was born in Manhattan, Kansas, where she lived until she was 8 years old. Her family then relocated to the town of Claremore, Oklahoma. After graduating from Claremore High School, she went on to attend Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Cassie graduated OSU in 2004 with a degree in Business Pre-Law. It was at this time she and her younger sister moved to Los Angeles.- Composer
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Corey Allen Jackson is a renowned composer for film and television. Originally discovering music through a passion for Hard Rock, Metal, Goth and 80's Synth-wave. Corey continued to develop his craft through classical training as a composer at Paris' distinguished La Schola Cantorum and earning a Master of Music from the University of Oklahoma. As well as, additional training in film scoring from the University of Southern California. Since then, he has gone on to work in some of the most unique and inventive projects in the realms of Hollywood, television, and independent film. Most recently Corey crafted a synth-based retro score for the supernatural-horror- comedy film Portal starring Jamie Tisdale, Ryan Merriman and Heather Langenkamp of Nightmare on Elm Street
Jackson recently had the pleasure of scoring the documentary Fire on the Hill. Fire on the Hill is set on the edge of Compton, California - a place notorious for gang violence - a hidden band of inner-city cowboys has persevered since the 1800's. Fire on the Hill is the story of the Black Cowboys of Compton and South Central LA, and their fight to preserve their culture by resurrecting an inner city horse stable that was mysteriously burnt to the ground. The documentary has been tearing up the festival circuit with several nominations and best documentary wins including, the Santa Barbara Film Festival, Telluride Mountain Festival, DOC NYC and winning the LA Muse Award at the Los Angeles Film Festival where it had several encore performances.
He scored the politically charged and controversial horror-comedy anthology American Nightmares. American Nightmares was written and directed by long-time horror icons Rusty Cundieff (Tales from the Hood, Chappelle Show) and Darin Scott (Tales from the Hood, Menace II Society) and stars Danny Trejo, Nichelle Nichols, Vivica A. Fox, Clarence Williams III, Jay Mohr, Noel Gugliemi and Chris Kattan. The score weaves a diverse musical journey and it was an exciting challenge for the composer to blend a wide range of musical styles including, R&B, 80's Synthwave and Gospel music.
In 2017, he worked on CHUCK, the highly acclaimed Chuck Wepner biopic, starring Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Moss, and Ron Perlman. In order to channel the period piece's hedonistic sensibilities, Corey pulled inspiration from his own rock and roll influences, Jim Morrison in particular combined with the heart and soul of Ray Charles, to create a rocking soundtrack that exudes the same drunken swagger as the movie's protagonist, who was the inspiration for the movie Rocky. Corey's score for CHUCK was awarded Best Original Score - Independent Film and he was named a "Composer to Watch" by Film Music Magazine following the release of CHUCK. He has also scored the experimental, feminist Western, The Painted Woman, directed by James Cotton and featuring a primarily Oklahoma based crew. This gave Corey, an Oklahoma native himself, a unique musical challenge. Painted Woman is very much two different movies blended together as one, with the first have shot very dark and claustrophobic while the second half is outdoors, bright and very open. Corey utilized his diverse musical toolkit to support this dichotomy, enabling the successful and dramatic shift in the narrative.
Corey is also a longtime collaborator of cult animator Bill Plympton, having scored his acclaimed feature length film Idiots and Angels, along with a considerable number of his surreal short films, including Santa, The Fascist Years; The Fan and The Flower and Guide Dog, a part of his Oscar-nominated Dog series. Corey also scored Fox Digital Studios mind-bending science fiction pilot, Parallels, which was nominated for Best Score at the Hollywood Music and Media Awards (HMMA) and stars Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day). and Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians). The pilot is currently in development to become a series made in conjunction with acclaimed writer Neil Gaiman.
Corey has also found a unique fan base through his work on some of the darker horror movies of the past few years, including 20th Century Fox's The Exorcism of Molly Hartley and the 2010 remake of I Spit on Your Grave, as well as several projects for SyFy. Other notable works include: 20th Century Fox's Wayward Pines companion series Gone, I Spit on Your Grave 2, Tribeca Film's Hansel & Gretel Get Baked, MTV's animated series Good Vibes and 20th Century Fox's Wolfpack of Reseda. Wolfpack of Reseda won the Prix de la Meilleure Musique Orginale at the 2013 Marseille Web Fest and his music for Hansel & Gretel Get Baked was nominated for best score by the HMMA in 2013.
Corey also provided additional music for the 2016 summer blockbuster Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. A sought-after collaborator, he has contributed to projects including Teen Wolf, Supernatural, Spider-Man 2 and Cats and Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore.- Producer
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Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma but raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. After high school, she attended DeVry University in Dallas, Texas. Worked as a Freelance Model at the Dallas Apparel Mart while obtaining Bachelors in Electronics Engineering. As a whiz kid, she studied Electronics throughout junior and middle school by attending Foster Estes (Metro Technology Center) Big break came with independent Film production of Lillie (1999).- Additional Crew
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Tobe Sexton (born September 6, 1968) is an American actor, singer, dancer, producer, director.
Sexton was born in Fort Worth, Texas. After graduating from Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City in 1987, he studied acting and directing for theatre as well as film at The California Institute of the Arts, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). About the same time, he began appearing in several television movies, national commercials, and feature films, most notably as Teen Freddy in Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare. Has appeared in over 100 plays, musicals, and experimental dance pieces nationally with his legit directing credits numbering 17.
While remaining active as a performer, Sexton also struck out as a producer in 1995 by co-founding the Bauhaus Film Group, with Aladdin Pojhan, where he seems to have worked almost exclusively with Zalman King. Around the turn of the century he moved underground to the "Indie film" world and created The TCS or The Technological City State Productions. This company's goal has been to work with and explore emerging cinematic technologies from ground zero through its acceptance into the mainstream.- Actress
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Stacia began performing at an early age as a singer. She learned the ropes as a child performer when she was cast in a regional touring company. Her training has been in tap, ballet, jazz, voice, and acting. She appeared in several commercials, industrials, musicals and plays. She landed her first leading role on screen when Apocalypse Now producer Gray Frederickson and other notable filmmakers decided to create the Oklahoma Film Institute. Stacia left Oklahoma City for New York City to experience the stage before settling down in Los Angeles, CA. Since she has been in Los Angeles she become versed in all aspects of film production.- Buddy Jewell was born on 2 April 1961 in Osceola, Arkansas, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Buddy Jewell: Smokey Mountain Memories (2016), Saving Faith (2017) and Music City USA (2015). He is married to Tene. They have three children.American country music singer who was the first winner on the USA Network talent show Nashville Star. Signed to Columbia Records in 2003, Jewell made his debut on the American country music scene with the release of his self-titled album, which produced the singles "Help Pour Out the Rain (Lacey's Song)" and "Sweet Southern Comfort".
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Amiable and handsome James Garner had obtained success in both films and television, often playing variations of the charming anti-hero/con-man persona he first developed in Maverick, the offbeat western TV series that shot him to stardom in the late 1950s.
James Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner in Norman, Oklahoma, to Mildred Scott (Meek) and Weldon Warren Bumgarner, a carpet layer. He dropped out of high school at 16 to join the Merchant Marines. He worked in a variety of jobs and received 2 Purple Hearts when he was wounded twice during the Korean War. He had his first chance to act when a friend got him a non-speaking role in the Broadway stage play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1954)". Part of his work was to read lines to the lead actors and he began to learn the craft of acting. This play led to small television roles, television commercials and eventually a contract with Warner Brothers. Director David Butler saw something in Garner and gave him all the attention he needed when he appeared in The Girl He Left Behind (1956). After co-starring in a handful of films during 1956-57, Warner Brothers gave Garner a co-starring role in the the western series Maverick (1957). Originally planned to alternate between Bart Maverick (Jack Kelly) and Bret Maverick (Garner), the show quickly turned into the Bret Maverick Show. As Maverick, Garner was cool, good-natured, likable and always ready to use his wits to get him in or out of trouble. The series was highly successful, and Garner continued in it into 1960 when he left the series in a dispute over money.
In the early 1960s Garner returned to films, often playing the same type of character he had played on "Maverick". His successful films included The Thrill of It All (1963), Move Over, Darling (1963), The Great Escape (1963) and The Americanization of Emily (1964). After that, his career wandered and when he appeared in the automobile racing movie Grand Prix (1966), he got the bug to race professionally. Soon, this ambition turned to supporting a racing team, not unlike what Paul Newman would do in later years.
Garner found great success in the western comedy Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). He tried to repeat his success with a sequel, Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971), but it wasn't up to the standards of the first one. After 11 years off the small screen, Garner returned to television in a role not unlike that in Support Your Local Sheriff! (1969). The show was Nichols (1971) and he played the sheriff who would try to solve all problems with his wits and without gun play. When the show was canceled, Garner took the news by having Nichols shot dead, never to return in a sequel. In 1974 he got the role for which he will probably be best remembered, as wry private eye Jim Rockford in the classic The Rockford Files (1974). This became his second major television hit, with Noah Beery Jr. and Stuart Margolin, and in 1977 he won an Emmy for his portrayal. However, a combination of injuries and the discovery that Universal Pictures' "creative bookkeeping" would not give him any of the huge profits the show generated soon soured him and the show ended in 1980. In the 1980s Garner appeared in few movies, but the ones he did make were darker than the likable Garner of old. These included Tank (1984) and Murphy's Romance (1985). For the latter, he was nominated for both the Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Returning to the western mode, he co-starred with the young Bruce Willis in Sunset (1988), a mythical story of Wyatt Earp, Tom Mix and 1920s Hollywood.
In the 1990s Garner received rave reviews for his role in the acclaimed television movie about corporate greed, Barbarians at the Gate (1993). After that he appeared in the theatrical remake of his old television series, Maverick (1994), opposite Mel Gibson. Most of his appearances after that were in numerous TV movies based upon The Rockford Files (1974). His most recent films were My Fellow Americans (1996) and Space Cowboys (2000) .Stunt driver/actor. Too cool.- Actor
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James Paul Marsden, or better known as just James Marsden, was born on September 18, 1973, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, to Kathleen (Scholz) and James Luther Marsden. His father, a distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences & Industry at Kansas State University, and his mother, a nutritionist, divorced when he was nine years old. James grew up with his four other siblings, sisters, Jennifer and Elizabeth, and brothers, Jeff and Robert. He has English, German, and Scottish ancestry. During his teen years, he attended Putnam City North High School which was located in Oklahoma City. After graduating in 1991, he attended Oklahoma State University and studied Broadcast Journalism. While in university, he became a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
While vacationing with his family in Hawaii, he met actor Kirk Cameron, and his actress sister, Candace Cameron Bure. They eventually invited James to visit them in Los Angeles. After studying in Oklahoma State for over a year and appearing in his college production, "Bye Bye Birdie", he left school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his interest in acting. James got his first job on the pilot episode of The Nanny (1993) as Eddie, who was Margaret Sheffield's boyfriend. He then became part of the Canadian television series, Boogies Diner (1994), which aired for one season. After that series ended, he got a brief role as the original Griffin on Fox's Party of Five (1994). His first big break came when he became the lead on the short-lived ABC series, Second Noah (1996). Although the show didn't last long, the young actor received enough exposure from the public and even managed to win the hearts of fellow teenage girls. In 1996, he attended an audition for a movie titled Primal Fear (1996) but unfortunately lost that role to Edward Norton. Two years later, he was offered a lead role in 54 (1998), which he turned down. The role later went to another actor, Ryan Phillippe.
James' star power increased when he starred in David Nutter's Disturbing Behavior (1998), alongside Katie Holmes and Nick Stahl, which had mixed reviews, but mostly positive ones. His role in the television series as Glenn Foy in Ally McBeal (1997), is probably one of his biggest achievement to date. He became one of the main cast members during the first half of season 5, where he showcased his singing abilities. It was in that show where he was able to grab the attention of audiences from different backgrounds. The 5' 10" star later played Lon Hammon Jr. in the romantic movie, The Notebook (2004), which was based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks of the same name. His movies, Lies and Alibis (2006) and 10th & Wolf (2006) was also released around the world to audiences in the year 2006. One of his most memorable roles to fans is his role as Cyclops in the X-Men (2000) movie franchise. The movie was well accepted by audiences and critics, which eventually made James one of the hottest stars since it was released. He was among the actors who starred in all three of the X-Men movies. James had the honor of working alongside Patrick Stewart, Famke Janssen and Hugh Jackman in the film. However, not many people know that he actually had to wear lifts for most of his scenes in the X-men movies, because his character Cyclops is supposed to be 6" 3" compared to a 5' 3" Wolverine. In reality, he is actually under 6' 0", shorter than Famke Janssen who plays his love interest, Jean Grey, and even shorter than Hugh Jackman who played Wolverine.
In the year 2006, he played Richard White in the highly anticipated movie, Superman Returns (2006), which coincidentally was directed by Bryan Singer, who also directed previous X-Men installments. Although he appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), the third installment of the X-Men franchise, many would notice that he in fact had more screen time in 'Superman Returns', as Lois Lane's long awaiting fiancé who had to accept the fact that his fiancée is in love with the man of steel. James earned great reviews from that movie, which led to him getting more movie roles. In 2007, James played Corny Collins in the film Hairspray (2007), an adaption of the Broadway musical based on John Waters movie, Hairspray (1988). He joined a star-studded cast, starring alongside top names such as John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfeiffer. James not only acted in that movie, but also sang two of the film's songs, "The Nicest Kids In Town", and "Hairspray". Being part of Hairspray catapulted James to a different level of stardom as audiences got to see another side of him. His next role was in the Disney movie, Enchanted (2007), playing Prince Edward, where he acted alongside Amy Adams, Susan Sarandon and Patrick Dempsey. Once again, James had the opportunity to sing in two songs from the movie, "True Love's Kiss" and "That's Amore". Enchanted (2007) appealed to not only older audiences but also to those who were fans of Disney's network productions. Following his huge success in the years 2006 and 2007, James played the male lead role in the romantic comedy, 27 Dresses (2008), opposite actress Katherine Heigl in 2008. The movie did well at the box office, earning a gross revenue of over $159 million, which exceeded the expectations of crew members especially since it was under a $30 million budget.
Marsden played the male lead in the horror film, The Box (2009), based on the 1970 short story "Button, Button" by author Richard Matheson. He starred opposite Cameron Diaz in the movie.
He co-starred in Accidental Love (2015) (previously Accidental Love (2015), a politically-themed romantic comedy, directed by David O. Russell and filmed in Columbia, South Carolina. Marsden's recent film roles include the sequel comedy Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013), the romantic drama The Best of Me (2014), and the comedy Unfinished Business (2015).
James was married to Lisa Linde, an actress known from her role in Days of Our Lives (1965). Lisa is the daughter of legendary country music songwriter Dennis Linde. The couple wed on July 22, 2000 and have a son, Jack Holden Marsden who was born on February 1, 2001, and a daughter, Mary James, who was born on August 10, 2005. They divorced in 2011. James has another son, born in 2012, with model Rose Costa.
Many would assume that with all this success achieved by James at this age, he would be somewhat high-headed but James mentioned that despite all the attention he's getting from the public eye, he tries to keep himself as grounded as possible. He even admits that he flies coach instead of first class while traveling with his family. In an interview he mentioned that he believes he has a certain responsibility to let his children know that he isn't special because of what he does, but who he is as a person. With a great humble attitude and a bright future ahead of him, there's definitely more to expect from this Oklahoma native.- Actor
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By transforming into his characters and pulling the audience in, Ed Harris has earned a reputation as one of the most talented actors of our time.
Ed Harris was born in Tenafly, New Jersey, to Margaret (Sholl), a travel agent, and Robert Lee Harris, a bookstore worker who also sang professionally. Both of his parents were originally from Oklahoma. Harris grew up as the middle child. After graduating high school, he attended New York's Columbia University, where he played football. After viewing local theater productions, Harris took a sudden interest in acting. He left Columbia, headed to Oklahoma, where his parents were living, and enrolled in the University of Oklahoma's theater department. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles to find work. He started acting in theater and television guest spots. Harris landed his first leading role in a film in cult-favorite George A. Romero's Knightriders (1981). Two years later, he got his first taste of critical acclaim, playing astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff (1983). Also that year, he made his New York stage debut in Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love", a performance that earned him an Obie for Outstanding Actor. Harris' career gathered momentum after that. In 2000, he made his debut as a director in the Oscar-winning film Pollock (2000).- Actor
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Jason London and his twin brother, Jeremy London, were born in San Diego, California, and were raised in Oklahoma and DeSoto, Texas. Jeremy was the first of the two to start auditioning, but it was Jason who nabbed the first role, in the movie The Man in the Moon (1991). Jason also got a role in the dramatic series, I'll Fly Away (1991), starring alongside Sam Waterston, but had to turn it down because of another job. So Jeremy auditioned for the role and got it, instead.
Jason is an actor and producer, known for Dazed and Confused (1993), Jason and the Argonauts (2000), and The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999). He has been married to Sofia Karstens since July 16th, 2011. He was previously married to Charlie Spradling.I was very shook up by "Man in the Moon", one of his early movies with Reece Witherspoon.- Actor
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A blond-haired, fair-complexioned actor with a toothy grin and capable of an unsettling glint in his eyes, Gary Busey was born in Goose Creek, Texas, and was raised in Oklahoma. He is the son of Sadie Virginia (Arnett), a homemaker, and Delmar Lloyd Busey, a construction design manager. He has English, as well as Irish, Scottish, and German, ancestry. He graduated from Nathan Hale High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1962 and for a while was a professional musician. A talented drummer, he played in several bands, including those of country-and-western legends Leon Russell, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson.
Busey's first film appearance was as a biker in the low-budget Angels Hard as They Come (1971) and, over the next few years, he landed several film roles generally as a country hick/redneck or surly, rebellious types. His real breakthrough came in the dynamic film The Buddy Holly Story (1978), with Busey taking the lead role as Buddy Holly, in addition to playing guitar and singing all the vocals! His stellar performance scored him a Best Actor nomination and the attention of Hollywood taking overcasting agents. Next up, he joined fellow young actors William Katt and Jan-Michael Vincent as surfing buddies growing up together in the cult surf film Big Wednesday (1978), directed by John Milius. However, a string of appearances in somewhat mediocre films took him out of the spotlight for several years, until he played the brutal assassin Mr. Joshua trying to kill Los Angeles cops Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in the runaway mega-hit Lethal Weapon (1987). Further strong roles followed, including alongside Danny Glover once again in Predator 2 (1990). He was back on the beaches, this time tracking bank robbers with FBI agent Keanu Reeves, in Point Break (1991) and nearly stole the show as a psychotic Navy officer in league with terrorists led by Tommy Lee Jones taking over the USS Missouri in the highly popular Under Siege (1992).
The entertaining Busey has continued to remain busy in front of the cameras and has certainly developed a minor cult following among many film fans. Plus, he's also the proud father of accomplished young actor Jake Busey, whose looks make him almost a dead ringer for his famous father.was reported to visit a friend of his youth at Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS. This friend is a professor of Special Education.- Actress
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Kristin Chenoweth is an American stage, screen and television actress, though, depending on who you ask, Chenoweth fans may disagree on what her most famous roles are. Since Chenoweth began her career, she has been credited with roles in musicals and plays on and off-Broadway, on various television shows and can be seen in movies on television and the big screen. She has also lent her recognizable voice numerous times to animated features.
Chenoweth was born in the small town of Broken Arrow, OK. Soon after her birth, Chenoweth was adopted by Jerry and Junie Chenoweth. She is very open about her adoption and has been known to support various adoption causes and organizations around the U.S. Although Chenoweth knows the backgrounds of her birth parents, she has commented that she has little interest in meeting them. The Chenoweth family includes older brother Mark. Chenoweth graduated from Broken Arrow High School and went on to study Musical Theater at Oklahoma City University. Under the guidance of Florence Birdwell, Chenoweth flourished in stage and vocal performance. She later received her Master's Degree in Opera Performance at OCU.
An avid fan of all things Oklahoman, Chenoweth was inducted into the 2010 State Hall of Fame. Fans of Kristin Chenoweth, the stage actress, have seen her stealing performances in Steel Pier, Epic Proportions, and The Apple Tree. In 1999, Chenoweth received the Tony Award for her performance as "Sally" in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". Chenoweth is well-known as the originator of "Glinda" in the 2003 mega-hit musical "Wicked". The role, written with Chenoweth in mind, earned her a Tony Award Nomination amongst many other accolades. Chenoweth returned to Broadway in 2010, alongside Sean Hayes in the Broadway revival of "Promises, Promises". In January of 2007, Chenoweth became the third musical theater performer in history to have a solo performance at NYC's Metropolitan Opera. She has also performed with various Symphonies around the world. Chenoweth has recorded 3 studio albums. Those who know Kristin best from her various television performances remember her as the quirky, down on love, "Olive Snook" on Pushing Daisies (2007). The role won Ms. Chenoweth an Emmy Award in 2009 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The show, ultimately canceled shortly after its 2nd season, is still considered by Kristin to be one of her favorite characters to play.
In 2001, Chenoweth starred in the short-lived NBC comedy Kristin (2001). She has also been seen on The West Wing (1999), Ugly Betty (2006) and has a recurring role on Fox's Glee (2009) as the recovering alcoholic has-been, but lovable "April Rhodes" . Her appearances on "Glee" earned her a 3rd Emmy nomination. Most recently, Ms. Chenoweth had a small part in the 2010 comedy, You Again (2010). She has also had roles in Four Christmases (2008), Deck the Halls (2006), Running with Scissors (2006) and link=tt0420223]. In 2009, Chenoweth took on the challenging role as "Linda" in the film, Into Temptation (2009). Ms. Chenoweth is bi-coastal, spending a good amount of time in both New York and Los Angeles.In Tulsa, the name Chenoweth is connected to Real Estate.- Actress
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Alfre Woodard was born on November 8, 1952 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the youngest of three children of Constance, a homemaker, and Marion H. Woodard, an interior designer. She was named by her godmother, who claimed she saw a vision of Alfre's name written out in gold letters. A former high school cheerleader and track star, she got the acting bug after being persuaded to audition for a school play by a nun at her school. She went on to study acting at Boston University and enjoyed a brief stint on Broadway before moving to Los Angeles, California. She got her first break in Remember My Name (1978) which also starred Jeff Goldblum. She lives in Santa Monica, California with her husband, writer Roderick M. Spencer, and their two adopted children: Mavis and Duncan. She was named one of the Most Beautiful People in America by People Magazine.- Actress
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Born in Boise City, Oklahoma, Vera Miles attended school in Pratt, Kansas and Wichita, Kansas. The patrician beauty of Miss Miles won her the title of "Miss Kansas" in 1948, leading soon to small roles in Hollywood films and television series. Fame came to the forthright, spirited Miles when she attracted the attention of two master directors, Alfred Hitchcock and John Ford. Ford cast her in the classic western The Searchers (1956) and Hitchcock, who put her under personal contract and hailed her as his "new Grace Kelly", paired her with the great Henry Fonda in The Wrong Man (1956). Hitchcock cast Miles in the potentially star-making role of Judy Barton in Vertigo (1958), but Miles withdrew from the film when she became pregnant. Hitchcock gave Miles a supporting role in another masterpiece Psycho (1960), as did Ford when he cast her opposite John Wayne and James Stewart in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), She also starred in such films as Beau James (1957) opposite Bob Hope, The FBI Story (1959) opposite Stewart, Back Street (1961) opposite Susan Hayward and John Gavin and Sergeant Ryker (1968) opposite Lee Marvin, as well as showing her consistently remarkable and versatile talent on dozens of popular television movies and series including The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962), The Twilight Zone (1959), The Outer Limits (1963), The Fugitive (1963), My Three Sons (1960), Bonanza (1959), Columbo (1971) and Murder, She Wrote (1984). In 1983, she reprised her role as "Lila Crane" in the film sequel Psycho II (1983), starring Anthony Perkins. Although, too often, the stunningly beautiful Miles' gifts were underutilized, before her retirement in 1995, hers was a most intriguing and enduring Hollywood career.Born in Boise City, Oklahoma. She had three elder siblings. She grew up first in Pratt, Kansas, and later lived in Wichita, Kansas, where she worked nights as a Western Union operator-typist and graduated from Wichita North High School in 1947. She was crowned Miss Kansas in 1948 and was the third runner-up in the Miss America contest.- Actor
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From small-town Oklahoma native to internationally acclaimed actor and musician, Wes Studi credits his passion and multi-faceted background for his powerful character portrayals that forever changed a Hollywood stereotype. Within a few years of his arrival in Hollywood, Studi caught the attention of the public in Dances with Wolves (1990). In 1992, his powerful performance as "Magua" in The Last of the Mohicans (1992) established him as one of the most compelling actors in the business.
Studi has since appeared in more than 80 film and television productions, including Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), Being Flynn (2012), Avatar (2009), Comanche Moon (2008), Streets of Laredo (1995), Mystery Men (1999), Kings (TV Series), The New World (2005), Hell on Wheels (2011), Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) and Seraphim Falls (2006). He also brought Tony Hillerman's "Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn" to life in a series of PBS specials produced by Robert Redford: Skinwalkers (2002), Coyote Waits (2003), and A Thief of Time (2003).
Studi was born in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, the son of Maggie (Nofire), a housekeeper, and Andy Studie, a ranch hand. Studi exclusively spoke his native Cherokee language until beginning school at the age of five. A professional horse trainer, Studi began acting at The American Indian Theatre Company in Tulsa in the mid-80s.
Studi and his wife, Maura Dhu Studi, live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They have a son, Kholan. Studi has a daughter, Leah, and a son, Daniel, from a previous marriage.Award-winning full-blood Cherokee actor and film producer from Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma near Tahlequah, who has won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Native Americans in film. "Dances with Wolves", "The Last of the Mohicans", "Geronimo: An American Legend" and "The New World" More recently Abner in the NBC series "Kings", and Eytukan in "Avatar"- Actor
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Jeremy Michael London and his twin brother Jason London were born in San Diego, California, and were raised in Oklahoma and DeSoto, Texas. Jeremy was the first of the two to start auditioning, but it was Jason who nabbed the first role in the movie The Man in the Moon (1991). Jason also got a role in the dramatic series I'll Fly Away (1991), starring alongside Sam Waterston, but had to turn it down because of another job. So Jeremy auditioned for the role and got it instead. Jeremy has blue-green eyes and brown hair.- Actor
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A rather wanderlust fellow before he latched onto acting, Denver Pyle--who made a career of playing drawling, somewhat slow Southern types--was actually born in Colorado in 1920, to a farming family. He attended a university for a time but dropped out to become a drummer. When that didn't pan out he drifted from job to job, doing everything from working the oil fields in Oklahoma to the shrimp boats in Texas. In 1940 he moseyed off to Los Angeles and briefly found employment as a (somewhat unlikely) NBC page. That particular career was interrupted by World War II, and Pyle enlisted in the navy. Wounded in the battle of Guadalcanal, he received a medical discharge in 1943. Working for an aircraft plant in Los Angeles as a riveter, the rangy actor was introduced to the entertainment field after receiving a role in an amateur theater production and getting spotted by a talent scout. Training with such renowned teachers as Maria Ouspenskaya and Michael Chekhov, he made his film debut in The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947). Pyle went on to roles in hundreds of film and TV parts, bringing a touch of Western authenticity to many of his roles. A minor villain or sidekick in the early 1950s, he often received no billing. Prematurely white-haired (a family trait), he became a familiar face on episodes of Gunsmoke (1955) and Bonanza (1959) and also developed a close association with actor John Wayne, appearing in many of Wayne's later films, including The Horse Soldiers (1959), The Alamo (1960), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973). Pyle's more important movie roles came late in his career. One of his most memorable was in Bonnie and Clyde (1967) as Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, the handcuffed hostage of the duo, who spits in Bonnie's (Faye Dunaway) face after she coyly poses with him for a camera shot. He settled easily into hillbilly/mountain men types in his later years and became a household face for his crotchety presence in The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams (1977) and, especially, The Dukes of Hazzard (1979). He died of lung cancer at age 77.He was a distant cousin of mine on my paternal grandmothers side.- Actress
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Whether portraying a glum, withering wallflower, a drab and dowdy housewife, a klutzy maid or a cynical gossip, eccentric character comedienne Alice Ghostley had the ability to draw laughs from the skimpiest of material with a simple fret or whine. Making a name for herself on the Tony-winning Broadway stage, her eternally forlorn looks later evolved as an amusingly familiar plain-Jane presence on TV sitcoms and in an occasional film or two during the 50s, 60s and 70s.
Alice was born in a whistle-stop railroad station in the tiny town of Eve, Missouri, where her father was employed as a telegraph operator. She grew up in various towns in the Midwest (Arkansas, Oklahoma) and began performing from the age of 5 where she was called upon to recite poetry, sing and tap-dance. Spurred on by a high school teacher, she studied drama at the University of Oklahoma but eventually left in order to pursue a career in New York with her sister Gladys.
Teaming together in an act called "The Ghostley Sisters", Alice eventually went solo and developed her own cabaret show as a singer and comedienne. She also toiled as a secretary to a music teacher in exchange for singing lessons, worked as a theater usherette in order to see free stage shows, paid her dues as a waitress, worked once for a detective agency, and even had a stint as a patch tester for a detergent company. No glamourpuss by any stretch of the imagination, she built her reputation as a singing funny lady.
The short-statured, auburn-haired entertainer received her star-making break singing the satirical ditty "The Boston Beguine" in the Broadway stage revue "New Faces of 1952", which also showcased up-and-coming stars Eartha Kitt, Carol Lawrence, Hogan's Heroes co-star Robert Clary and Paul Lynde to whom she would be invariably compared to what with their similarly comic demeanors. The film version of New Faces (1954)_ featured pretty much the same cast. She and "male counterpart" Lynde would appear together in the same films and/or TV shows over the years.
With this momentum started, she continued on Broadway with the short-lived musicals "Sandhog" (1954) featuring Jack Cassidy, "Trouble in Tahiti" (1955), "Shangri-La" (1956), again starring Jack Cassidy, and the legit comedy "Maybe Tuesday" (1958). A reliable sketch artist, she fared much better on stage in the 1960s playing a number of different characterizations in both "A Thurber Carnival" (1960), and opposite Bert Lahr in "The Beauty Part" (1962), for which she received a Tony nomination. She finally nabbed the Tony trophy as "featured actress" for her wonderful work as Mavis in the comedy play "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" (1965).
By this time Alice had established herself on TV. She and good friend Kaye Ballard stole much of the proceedings as the evil stepsisters in the classic Julie Andrews version of Cinderella (1957), and she also recreated her Broadway role in a small screen adaptation of _Shangri-La (1960) (TV)_. Although it was mighty hard to take away her comedy instincts, she did appear in a TV production of "Twelfth Night" as Maria opposite Maurice Evans' Malvolio, and graced such dramatic programs as "Perry Mason" and "Naked City", as well as the film To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). She kept herself in the TV limelight as a frequent panelist on such game shows as "The Hollywood Squares" and "The Match Game".
Enjoying a number of featured roles in such lightweight comedy fare as My Six Loves (1963) with Debbie Reynolds, With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) starring Doris Day, and the Joan Rivers starrer Rabbit Test (1978), she also had a small teacher role in the popular film version of Grease (1978). Alice primarily situated herself, however, on the sitcom circuit and appeared in a number of recurring 'nervous Nellie" roles, topping it off as the painfully shy, dematerializing and accident-prone witch nanny Esmeralda in Bewitched (1964) from 1969-1972 (replacing the late Marion Lorne, who had played bumbling Aunt Clara), and as the batty friend Bernice in Designing Women (1986).
In 1978 Alice replaced Dorothy Loudon as cruel Miss Hannigan in "Annie", her last Broadway stand. Alice would play the mean-spirited scene-stealer on and off for nearly a decade in various parts of the country. Other musicals during this time included "Take Me Along", "Bye, Bye Birdie" (as the overbearing mother), and the raucous revue "Nunsense".
A series of multiple strokes ended her career come the millennium and she passed away of colon cancer on September 21, 2007. Her long-time husband of fifty years, Italian comedic actor Felice Orlandi died in 2003. The couple had no children.Aunt Stephanie on "To Kill a Mockingbird"- Actor
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Steve Parrish was born in 1962, and was raised in Oklahoma. In the early 80s, he moved to Hawaii to play college football and then on to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. Steve starred in several feature films, including the classic sequel, Scanners III: The Takeover (1991). In the early 2000s, he took some time off to raise his son and, seeing an opportunity in a booming housing industry, he became a licensed general contractor. He returned to the entertainment industry in early 2012 to star in the found footage feature film, Stone Markers (2012), to be released in fall 2012.- Actor
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Robert J. Dutton was born in the Philippines. Soon after, his family moved to the U.S. and he spent the remainder of his childhood in Oklahoma with two younger siblings. With a yearning to see the world, he joined the U.S. Navy after high school where he committed the next 7 years experiencing life in many different countries. After the Navy, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and began work as a Computer Security Consultant for the government in San Diego, California. The job brought him to New Orleans where he began his involvement into the film industry. Working initially as a background actor in many Hollywood films, he landed several featured extra roles and performed stunt work. Auditioning led him to roles in Independent Films. Robert resides between New Orleans and San Diego, and continues to pursue acting at various levels.- Producer
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Primetime Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jones began his career as a broadcast journalist. A graduate of Stanford University (BA in American Studies) with a Master's Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, Jones served as Washington correspondent for KOTV (CBS) in Tulsa, OK; a news and feature reporter for KVUE (ABC) in Austin, TX; a reporter/anchor/weatherman for WSLS (NBC) in Roanoke, VA; and an assignment editor for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. Jones won numerous honors, including several Outstanding Achievement Awards from United Press International and The Associated Press.
In 1987, he formed Peter Jones Productions, originally specializing in documentaries related to the history of the Hollywood film industry. Since then, his Los Angeles-based company has produced more than 120 hours of programming on a variety of subjects.
For several years, he produced, wrote and hosted the short-form series, "Only In Hollywood", which aired on Showtime, The Movie Channel, The Disney Channel, TNT, AMC and Encore. In 1992, the segments premiered in broadcast syndication as a half-hour magazine-style series. From 1990-96, he produced, directed, wrote and hosted the short-form series, "AMC in Hollywood with Peter Jones". The 80 segments produced for the series are available for distribution under the banner "Classic Hollywood with Peter Jones".
In 1994, Peter Jones Productions became a contracted producer for the iconic A&E series, "Biography". During a 10-year association in which his company produced 85 profiles, Jones became well known for securing previously unattainable rights while relinquishing no editorial control. Subjects include rock 'n' roll pioneer Sam Phillips; Beach Boy Brian Wilson; comedic genius Charlie Chaplin; beloved children's author Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel); artist Georgia O'Keeffe and husband/photographer Alfred Stieglitz.
Jones wrote and directed "Beyond the Rainbow", a 2-hour special on Judy Garland that won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Series (1997) - A&E's first-ever Primetime Emmy. His 2-hour special, "Ozzie and Harriet: Adventures of America's Favorite Family" (1998), became the highest-rated documentary in the network's history, earning a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Non-Fiction Series. For his work on "Biography", he was a 2-time recipient of the Producer of the Year Award from the Producers Guild of America. His documentary feature "Goldwyn" (2001), launched the 17th season of the critically acclaimed PBS series, "American Masters".
Jones conceived, produced and directed "Sunset Junction" (2003), a feature-length verite documentary about a Beverly Hills hairdresser who becomes an unlikely father figure to gang members and the children of undocumented immigrants. The film had its world premiere at The Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI FEST).
In 2006, "Stardust: The Bette Davis Story" premiered on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), garnering Jones a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming, and an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Nonfiction Special.
"Inventing LA: The Chandlers and Their Times" (2009), a documentary about the single-family reign of four publishers of the Los Angeles Times newspaper, premiered as a national prime time special on PBS. The film earned Jones and his team the prestigious Peabody Award.
"Johnny Carson: King of Late Night" (2012) remains the highest rated documentary film in the nearly four-decade history of PBS's iconic series, "American Masters". Jones received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For Non-Fiction Programming and a nomination for Television Writing Achievement by the Writers Guild of America.
"Angeleno" (2015) is a 7-part series in which each episode profiles two residents of Los Angeles, linked together by a common theme and told exclusively in their own words. It aired on PBS SoCal and earned a nomination for Independent Programming by the Los Angeles area Emmy Awards.
"Blue Sky Metropolis" (2019), a 4-part series written and directed by Jones, chronicles the emergence of Southern California as the aviation and aerospace capital of the world. Commissioned by KCET and distributed to PBS stations, one episode was recognized as Best TV Documentary by the Radio and Television News Association.
"ALL MAN: The International Male Story" (2022) is a feature-length documentary about the International Male clothing catalog, which had an unlikely but lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and sexuality in America. Written and produced by Jones, it will premiere in summer 2022.
Jones and his team are currently producing "The Reunion" (2024), an 8-part documentary series about a group of graduates from a former military academy turned elite prep school. The class reconnected over Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic. As they prepare for their 50th reunion and attempt to find their former classmates, the members of the class of '74 reflect on the past 50 years, affording them enough perspective on their lives to finally make some sense of them.- Artist and actor Edward Gilbert White was born on March 17, 1947 in Bel Air, Maryland. At age ten he was sent by his parents to a special art school; he was told by his teacher after six months that he knew more about art and was a better artist than she was. White received a degree in engineering and technical drawing. Ed worked for a few years in New York where he helped design factory machines. He moved to Nashville, Tennessee in the 70s. White opened up a nightclub called the Red Dog Saloon. He also owned the Kozmic Ball Room, the Last Chance Saloon, and a club called the Mississippi Whiskers. In 1972 Ed made the local Nashville newspapers after he lost the Kozmic Ball Room to a songwriter in a pool game. Moreover, White owned art galleries and jewelry shops in Nashville, Jackson, Mississippi, Oklahoma City, and Santa Fe, New Mexico in the 80s. Ed eventually gave up the saloon business in the 80s and became an apprentice jeweler in Nashville, Tennessee. White then moved to Costa Rica and spent the rest of his life making and selling hand-crafted jewelry. Ed acted in a few movies and TV commercials; he was especially memorable as the lone cowboy survivor of the opening diner massacre in Oliver Stone's controversial "Natural Born Killers." A much beloved and colorful local figure in Costa Rica, White played Santa Claus for poor children every Christmas. Ed died of cancer on April 5, 2004 in Tijuana, Mexico.
- Jacob Browne is an American stage, and film actor. He was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma to a Liberian father and an American mother. Jacob received his BFA in theatre from The California Institute of the Arts. Jacob is known for Better Call Saul (2015) Fort Bliss (2014) and The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009)
- Nicholas Evan "Nick" Berg was born on April 2nd, 1978 to Michael and Suzanne Berg. He lived in West Chester, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, and attended West Chester Henderson High School. While at Henderson, he achieved a reputation as a likable and energetic individual who was fascinated by inventions and engineering.
After graduating from Henderson, Berg attended Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and University of Oklahoma. He majored in engineering but did not receive a bachelor's degree.
He journeyed to places such as Uganda and Kenya with humanitarian organizations. He taught the people in these countries about the "Bovl Blocks" idea in these trips. Bovl Blocks were blocks made out of clay that people could build houses out of.
In 2003 and 2004, Berg traveled twice to Iraq for similar humanitarian endeavors and also to look for work for his enterprise, Prometheus Towers. On his second trip, Berg was detained by either United States or Iraqi forces. After he was released, he went missing. An Islamic terror group led by Abu al-Zarquawi posted a video on the internet in which they showed his murder. - Actor
- Soundtrack
One of the most versatile actors working in Hollywood today, Lee Pace has established himself as a powerful leading man, consistently delivering compelling performances in film, television, and on stage.
Pace will next be seen in the highly anticipated Apple TV+ series FOUNDATION. Scheduled for a Fall 2021 release, the show is based on the beloved Isaac Asimov novels of the same name. FOUNDATION chronicles the saga of a band of exiles who discover that the only way to save the Galactic Empire from destruction is to defy it. Pace stars as Brother day, the current Emperor of the Galaxy.
He is known for starring as Thranduil the Elvenking in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy and as intergalactic villain Ronan the Accuser in the blockbuster Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy, a role he reprised in Captain Marvel. In 2003, Pace starred in the Sundance hit, Soldier's Girl. His breakthrough performance garnered him nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Independent Spirit Award, and he won a Gotham Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. In 2008 he starred in Tarsem Singh's visually stunning adventure fantasy film, The Fall, which had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Other notable credits include The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Driven, Lincoln, A Single Man, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Infamous and The Good Shepherd.
On the small screen, Pace is most notable for his starring role in Bryan Fuller's award-winning and critically acclaimed series "Pushing Daisies," for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Lead Actor. He has also appeared as Joe MacMillan in four seasons of the AMC period drama television series Halt and Catch Fire.
After graduating with a BFA from Juilliard, Pace starred in the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway play, The Credeaux Canvas, as well as being part of the Vineyard production of The Fourth Sister. In the spring of 2004, he starred a limited engagement of the Off-Broadway production Small Tragedy, winning an Obie Award and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Awards in the category of Outstanding Actor. In 2006, Lee starred in the two-character play Guardians by Peter Morris, which earned him his second nomination for a Lortel Award as Outstanding Actor.
In 2011, Pace made his Broadway debut in Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart, portraying Bruce Niles. In 2018, he starred as Joe Pitt in the Broadway revival of Angels in America.- He was a heavyweight professional boxer who held the WBO heavyweight title in 1993. He made national news Thursday, Feb. 15, 1996, when he announced that he was HIV positive. He then retired from boxing. He was suspended from worldwide boxing when he tested positive prior to a boxing match against Arthur Weathers in Las Vegas. The suspension was lifted in 2006. He died September 1, 2013 of multiple organ failures.
- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Christian Kane was born in Dallas, Texas. Christian and his family moved around a lot throughout the South before settling down in Norman, Oklahoma. Christian attended the University of Oklahoma where he had plans to major in Art History. However, Christian wanted to try out acting, so he took his truck and his life savings of a few hundred dollars and headed to Hollywood. Christian had many jobs, including mail-room clerk for a talent agency. His big break came when he played Ryan "Flyboy" Legget, the male lead, in a new show called Fame L.A. (1997) based on the hit movie and 80s TV show. Christian's next role was on the short-lived Aaron Spelling's Rescue 77 (1999), where he played Wick Lobo a.k.a. "Cowboy" because of his radical application of "gutter" medicine. In 1999 he played the duplicitous role of Lindsey McDonald, in the popular Horror/Fantasy series Angel (1999). Christian was soon cast as a production assistant in Edtv (1999) starring Woody Harrelson as well as a made-for-TV Western called Crossfire Trail (2001) with Tom Selleck.
Kane's TV resume also includes a leading role on Leverage (2008)(2008-2012) as Eliot Spencer. He also appeared in the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced, CBS series Close to Home (2005) (2005-2007) and a featured slot in the Stephen Spielberg/TNT miniseries Into the West (2005). In addition, Kane made his mark in big-screen films that include Life or Something Like It (2002); Secondhand Lions (2003) in which he was honored to play a young Robert Duvall;Just Married (2003) where he starred with Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy ; and Friday Night Lights (2006).
Kane starred in 50 to 1 (2014), along side Skeet Ulrich and William Devane. Kane starred in The Librarians (2014) on TNT, which was produced by Dean Devlin who also produced Leverage (2008). His portrayal of Jake Stone earned him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor on Television with the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Christian collaborated with his friend Clayne Crawford on Tinker' (2017) which won him Best Supporting Actor at the Sutter Creek Intl Film Festival. He's also an avid supporter of the Clayne Crawford Foundation.
Christian is well-known for performing his own stunts on most of his shows! Continuing his collaboration with Dean Devlin, he stars as former DEA agent Alex Walker on Almost Paradise (2020) on WGN America and the Leverage: Redemption (2021) reboot for IMDB TV!- Actor
- Producer
Ryan Earl Merriman was born in Choctaw, Oklahoma, to Nonalyn and Earl Merriman. He began his acting career doing commercials, print work, vocal performances, and local theater in Oklahoma when he was 8 years old, moving into film and television work at the age of 10.
Most recently Ryan wrapped production on the film "42" alongside Harrison Ford and Lucas Black. Warner Brother's has set April 12, 2013 as the theatrical release date for this film.
Having just completed work on an original film for the Sci-Fi Network, entitled Independance Day, Ryan had the chance to portray a fireman called on by the President to save the world from alien invasion.
On occasion, Ryan can still be seen as Ian Thomas, the charming but sinister character that everyone loves to hate, in the hit ABC Family Channel drama, Pretty Little Liars as they continue to unravel some of the back story behind the death of "A".
Ryan recently had the opportunity to step into a film that was a wild and fun ride as he portrayed the role of Kyle, the college science nerd with a few formulas for fun in his bag of tricks. In Attack of the 50 Foot Cheerleader, a film by legendary producer Roger Corman, Ryan is reunited with Treat Williams, his dad from Deep End of the Ocean as they enjoy the chance to work together again. The Epix original movie is set to premiere on the EPIX network August 25th, 2012.
Ryan also completed work on a new project that is sure to catch the interest of fans of his work. It places Ryan in a completely different role than he typically portrays. This psychological thriller, entitled, Dose of Reality, has Ryan in the role of Matt.
Also now available is another independent feature that has Ryan starring opposite these beautiful ladies, Torrey DeVitto, Brit Morgan and Paige Howard, entitled, Cheesecake Casserole.
Ryan starred in the Hallmark original movie 'Elevator Girl' starring alongside Lacey Chabert (Mean girls). Romantic comedy is a new genre (for Ryan) to be added to an already diverse resume, ranging from horror to western, from thrillers to sitcom.
Among his other work is an independent film called "The 5th quarter". Also released was "Home of the Giants" an independent drama/thriller which co-stars Haley Joel Osment and Danielle Panabaker.
Before "The 5th quarter" Ryan filmed the independent teen comedy "Wild Cherry" with Tania Raymonde, Kristin Cavallari, Rumer Willis and Rob Schneider.
Among his television credits is "Comanche moon" a 6-hour mini-series, with an all-star cast including Val Kilmer, Karl Urban, Steve Zahn, Rachel Griffiths, Linda Cardellini and Graham Greene, is written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana.
Merriman has also starred in several television films including Lifetime's "Dangerous Child," "Backwoods" a psychological thriller co-starring with Haylie Duff, "Rocket's Red Glare," "Luck of the Irish," "Smart House," "Ring of Endless Light," Hallmark's "Night Ride Home," "Lansky," "Everything That Rises" and "Taken" on the Sci-Fi Channel produced by Steven Spielberg. In addition Ryan has starred in three feature films. "Deep End of the Ocean" with Michelle Pfeiffer, "Halloween: Resurrection" and "Just Looking," that was directed by Jason Alexander. Merriman also starred in the ABC series "Veritas" and the recurring role of "Young Jarod" on the NBC hit series "The Pretender," which ran for four successful seasons on NBC. He was also a series regular on the NBC television sitcom, "The Mommies."
Ryan was awarded a "One to Watch" award at Movieline's Hollywood Life 7th Annual Young Hollywood Awards. He has also received eight nominations for a Young Artist Award of Hollywood and been a winner six times. In addition Ryan has been nominated five times for a Hollywood Reporter YoungStar Award.
Ryan's charity of choice, which he supports actively, is Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. He is also active in numerous other national and local charity organizations. Merriman enjoys all forms of outdoor sports. He is an avid golfer, enjoys dirt biking, mountain biking, water sports, snowboarding, horseback riding, all team sports and hanging out with his Rottweiler's. In his free time Merriman enjoys being home in Oklahoma with his family and friends, taking in a round of golf, boating, wake boarding, camping, fishing and hunting.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Terrence Malick was born in Ottawa, Illinois. His family subsequently lived in Oklahoma and he went to school in Austin, Texas. He did his undergraduate work at Harvard, graduating summa cum laude with a degree in philosophy in 1965.
A member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, he attended Magdalen College, Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship, but did not finish his thesis on Martin Heidegger, allegedly because of a disagreement with his advisor. Returning to the States, he taught philosophy at M.I.T. and published a translation of Heidegger's "Vom Wesen des Grundes" as "The Essence of Reasons". Malick did not get his PhD in philosophy: Instead, he attended the American Film Institute Conservatory in its inaugural year (1969), taking a Masters of Fine Arts degree in film-making. His masters thesis was the seventeen-minute comedy short Lanton Mills (1969), which starred Warren Oates and Harry Dean Stanton. Malick himself acted in the short.
At A.F.I., Malick made a lasting association with Jack Fisk, who would establish himself as an Oscar-nominated art director and production designer and serve as art director on all of Malick's films. He also picked up Mike Medavoy as an agent, who got Malick work doctoring scripts and marketed his original ones. He wrote the screenplay for the 1972 Alan Arkin trucker movie Deadhead Miles (1972), which was many miles from Harvard let along Oxford, and for the 1972 Paul Newman-Lee Marvin contemporary oater Pocket Money (1972), another departure from fields of academia. "Deadhead Miles" was dumped by Paramount as unreleasable and "Pocket Money", despite being headlined by two Top Ten Box Office stars, flopped. It was an inauspicious start to a legendary career, but it influenced Malick to begin directing his own scripts.
His first two films were the now critically acclaimed Badlands (1973) and Days of Heaven (1978). He then took a self-imposed retirement of nearly two decades from film-making before lensing his 1998 adaptation of James Jones's The Thin Red Line (1998), which was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including nods for Malick for directing and adapted screenplay.
Adopting a Kubrickian pace of movie-making, he directed The New World (2005) and the autobiographical The Tree of Life (2011) with gaps of only seven and six years, respectively, between release. However, he reportedly was working on ideas for "The Tree of Life" since the late 70s, including exposing footage that found its way into his finished film.
In an unprecedented burst of productivity, he shot his next four films, To the Wonder (2012), Knight of Cups (2015), an as-yet unnamed drama and the cosmic documentary Voyage of Time: Life's Journey (2016) back-to-back during and immediately after completing the long editing process of "Tree of Life". Like Stanley Kubrick, Malick usually takes well over a year to edit his films. All three are highly anticipated by cineastes the world over.- Actor
- Composer
- Director
Tyson Ritter is the lead vocalist and bass guitarist of The All-American Rejects, as well as a model and actor.
Growing up, Ritter lived in Stillwater, Oklahoma. His early love for the stage took him to the local Town And Gown theatre where he played everything from Conrad Birdie to The Cowardly Lion. It was a bass guitar and his unique voice that ultimately took him away from home and around the world playing to millions. After over a decade of doing so, he has recently returned to his love for acting.
Tyson made his debut film performance in the Anna Faris comedy, 'the House Bunny' and his debut TV performance guest starring in an episode of "House". Most recently he appeared in the feature film "Love & Mercy" based on the life of reclusive Beach Boys songwriter and musician Brian Wilson starring Elizabeth Banks, Paul Dano, & John Cusack, in addition to doing a 2 season arc on NBC's "Parenthood" and a recurring role in the Amazon series "Betas." Tyson just wrapped shooting Catherine Hardwicke's Miss You Already starring Toni Colette and Drew Barrymore.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jim Beaver is an American character actor, best known for his leading roles on the TV series Deadwood (2004) and Supernatural (2005). Born in Laramie, Wyoming a minister's son, he was raised in and around Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Following high school and a year of college, he joined the Marines and served as a radioman with the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. He attended Oklahoma Christian College (now Oklahoma Christian University), Edmond, OK, where he first became interested in acting as a career. After one year, he transferred to Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma), Edmond, OK, and while a student made his professional debut in a production of "Rain" at the Oklahoma Theatre Center in 1972. He obtained a degree in theatre and returned to the Dallas area where he worked for five seasons with the Dallas Shakespeare Festival. He had written several plays in college and afterward (as well as a biography of actor John Garfield), and in 1979 he was commissioned for the first of three plays at Actors Theatre of Louisville. He also began to make appearances in bit roles in films and television shows shot in the Dallas area, including Semi-Tough (1977) and Dallas (1978). Moving to New York in 1979, he worked in stock and in dinner theatre tours, and also maintained a side career as a critic, columnist, and feature writer for Films in Review, the magazine of the National Board of Review. An assignment for an article on TV Superman George Reeves led him to Los Angeles. During his research there, his play "Verdigris" was produced to solid reviews at Theatre West in Hollywood, and he was signed as a writer by Sam Adams, partner in the prestigious Triad Artists agency. He began a successful period as a television writer, penning episodes for shows such as Vietnam War Story (1987), Tour of Duty (1987), and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985), and was nominated for a CableAce Award for an episode of the latter. He had continued to act on stage and in small film and TV roles, and in 1988 he landed a substantial supporting role as Bruce Willis's best friend, an alcoholic Vietnam veteran, in Norman Jewison's production In Country (1989). He gave up television writing and concentrated on acting. Slowly his roles grew larger (and more varied). He was Mark Harmon's chain-smoking detective partner Earl Gaddis on Reasonable Doubts (1991) and Edward Asner's dim-witted mechanic assistant Leland on Thunder Alley (1994). He was frequently cast in Westerns (Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), Bad Girls (1994), among many others) or as detectives, sheriffs, or police officers (Sister Act (1992), Sliver (1993), Joy Ride (2001)). After two seasons on 3rd Rock from the Sun (1996) as French Stewart's sullen bar-owner boss Happy Doug, Beaver landed his most prominent and critically acclaimed role, that of Ellsworth, the gruff but decent and beloved prospector in the landmark Western series Deadwood (2004). Nominated along with other cast members for a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award, he found his career in high gear following that series. From it he moved to the popular father-figure role of demon hunter Bobby Singer on Supernatural (2005), a part that brought him a worldwide fan base and a secondary career making personal appearances. He was married to and had a daughter with Cecily Adams, the actress-casting director daughter of Get Smart (1965)'s Don Adams. Following her death from lung cancer in 2004, he wrote a best-selling memoir, "Life's That Way." He has continued to write plays and, between acting jobs, to work on the George Reeves project, now planned as a book. He served as biographical consultant on Reeves for the semi-biopic Hollywoodland (2006).- Actress
- Composer
Nicki Aycox lived a full artistic life since the age of nine, when she fell in love with the family piano and began playing music. By the time she had reached her preteens Nicki was performing Beethoven for audiences all around Oklahoma, until her family had a huge financial setback and was forced to sell her piano. Nicki said that this sad circumstance played a major role in her shift to the theater. Like a lot of kids her age she began performing in her high school theater, and also in drama competitions. She won state titles in different categories, and became very comfortable with being in front of an audience. She once said that she was on stage long before she ever actually sat in an audience. After high school graduation she attended the University of Oklahoma and began serious academic study. Soon, however, she found herself driving to California to enroll in the theater department at Long Beach State. While working two jobs and participating in the theater department, Nicki found little time to study and take a full class load. In her second year at Long Beach State Nicki was able to sign with a small agency in Hollywood, and thus began her career as a professional performer - a career which began relatively quickly compared to most. She was working small bit parts on several popular networks and shows within a year of making the move from Oklahoma to Los Angeles. In the beginning of her career Nicki acted opposite actor Stephen Rae in an HBO film called "Double Tap", as well as appearing in shows like "Third Rock from the Sun", NBC's "Providence", David Kelley's "Ally McBeal", and in the X-Files episode "Rush" in 1999. That role from the TV show led to a role in the second "X-Files" film "I Want to Believe" in 2008. In a time when an unspoken difference between "film" actors and "television" actors existed, Aycox did not allow this rule to apply to her.
Her work during these early years included guest spots on "CSI", and "Dark Angel", a recurring role n NBC's "ED" playing the wild and crazy sister of Julie Bowen. At some points Nicki would be pulling double duty playing roles on different shows. She played the sister of Katherine Morris on CBS's "Cold Case", while shooting the series "LAX" with Heather Locklear. By 2005, Aycox was made a series regular on shows such as FX's "Over There" created by Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo. She moved on from there to play a very memorable role as a psychotic serial killer in an episode of "Criminal Minds" titled "The Perfect Storm". The following year Nicki appeared in the Halle Berry film "Perfect Stranger". One of her most widely known roles was that of Meg Masters in "Supernatural".
In the years 2009-2013 Aycox enjoyed success as a series regular as Jamie Allen in the Bruckheimer series "Dark Blue". Next she was cast as Lisa Matthews in the Indie film "Lifted", directed by Oscar nominated director Lexi Alexander. Around this time she also awarded a best actress award by the Buffalo Niagara film festival for her portrayal as a German woman fighting to save her sanity in the World War II film "Christina". Her co-star, Stephen Lang, was also awarded for his role as Inspector Reinheart. Aycox spent her final years reclaiming her love of music, playing the guitar and singing for audiences, as well as continuing her acting career.
Aycox revealed on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with leukemia in March 2021. She passed away on November 16th, 2022.- Christopher Cousins has carved a career by portraying outstanding, diverse characters. This talented, theatrically trained actor has an intriguing, dark and captivating screen presence. The depth and soul that Christopher brings to his characters may have its roots in his birthplace, New York City, or perhaps in the secrets of Oklahoma, where he was raised. Regardless, since his first professional role fresh out of Boston University, Christopher has found within himself the ability to morph into the essence of whatever character he portrays. He perfected his chameleon skills as a contract player on One Life to Live (1968) as Cane Rogan, a con man who pretended to be different people (German film director, Spanish lothario, Irish horse trainer, Arab prince).
Christopher is gaining favorable notices as a quality actor from producers, directors and audiences across the country. In his most recent feature film, Wicker Park (2004), an intense psychological romantic thriller, Christopher is part of an all-star cast including Josh Hartnett, Diane Kruger, Rose Byrne and Matthew Lillard. Christopher stars as Daniel, the provocative and mysterious villain.
Christopher has many diverse roles to his credit: a sophisticated British businessman in For Love of the Game (1999); a dedicated, rural veterinarian in _Long Shot, The (2004)_; an amoral and dangerous hero in Earth vs. the Spider (2001); a clueless father in The Opposite of Sex (1998); a dark, disturbed character in Dead Dog (2001); a loving, grieving father in ER (1994). Recurring credits include Joan of Arcadia (2003); Stargate SG-1 (1997) and American Dreams (2002). Additional starring roles include The O.C. (2003) and The West Wing (1999).
Christopher's dream role is Odysseus, Greek hero of the Trojan War. "I've dreamed of playing Odysseus since I was a boy." His favorite movie is Ran (1985), directed by Akira Kurosawa. Jeff Bridges has inspired him as an actor. Like Bridges, Christopher is selecting quality projects in his own career.
Christopher donates his time to several community organizations, The Carter Center on Hunger Relief and Housing, The Southern Poverty Law Center, Human Rights Watch and Actor's Fund. In his spare time he paints, fences, reads and enjoys doing crosswords. - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Born on January 5, 1962 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Susan Elizabeth "Suzy" Amis first worked as a Ford model before she began acting in the 1980s. She made her film debut in the comedy film Fandango (1985), opposite Kevin Costner. After that, Amis next had roles in Rocket Gibraltar (1988), Where the Heart Is (1990), Rich in Love (1992) and The Ballad of Little Jo (1993). She later appeared in Blown Away (1994), The Usual Suspects (1995) and Titanic (1997) in which she played Rose DeWitt Bukater's granddaughter Lizzy Calvert. That same year, she starred opposite Tom Selleck in the television Western Last Stand at Saber River (1997) and appeared in the horror film Nadja (1994). Amis retired from acting after her last appearance in the science fiction action film Judgment Day (1999).
In 2005, Amis founded Muse Elementary, a Reggio-inspired, independent, non-profit school in the Topanga, California area of Los Angeles.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Kevin Grevioux was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in various other states including Alaska, Oklahoma, Massachusetts (Boston), and New Jersey. He graduated from Howard University in Washington, D.C. with a degree in Microbiology, afterwards attending graduate school and this time working towards a Masters in Genetic Engineering. While studying, he congruently took screenwriting and cinematography classes as well, and by the time his first semester of grad school had finished, Kevin had chosen film as his preferred career and moved to Los Angeles, where he began to work as a writer in earnest. To this end he has written several scripts in various genres and has written and directed two short sci-fi films Indigo and Thanatos.
Kevin met 'Underworld' director Len Wiseman while working on the sci-fi hit Stargate (1994), when Len was a prop assistant and Kevin an extra. The two formed a friendship and later collaborated on a host of other ideas and concepts leading to the completion of two scripts, one of which was Underworld (2003). The idea for the concept was Kevin's; in addition, he wrote the original screenplay and treatment for the film in 2000.
Kevin has also studied acting and has had several small roles in television, film and commercials. Most recently in Planet of the Apes (2001), Charlie's Angels (2000), Marvel Comics' The Hulk and in Underworld (2003), playing the formidable Lycan character Raze. He also serves as an Associate Producer on the film and is working on several other screenplays as well as his first novel, a science fiction thriller.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Saginaw is the Hereditary Chief and a respected member of the Sac and Fox, Iowa and Otoe-Missouria Nations.
In 1936, Saginaw Morgan Grant was born to Sarah and Austin Grant Sr. at Pawnee Indian Hospital in Pawnee, Oklahoma. He was raised on a farm in Cushing, Oklahoma with two brothers and one sister. Having a traditional upbringing by both parents, Saginaw was especially influenced by his grandparents. His grandfather Kirvin was a strong medicine man and his other grandfather Saginaw (whom he is named after) was also a very spiritual man. They taught Saginaw their customs, culture, and traditions and the importance of their way of life. As a result, Saginaw witnessed many special ceremonies and events taught to very few.
As a young adult, Saginaw experienced all situations, both good and bad, which every young person faces in today's society, yet he overcame the obstacles that challenged him, and with that he found the courage to become the man he is today.
During his life in Oklahoma he took on employment in various industries such as dry cleaning, also gaining a better understanding of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other vocations in which he enjoyed interacting with people. This gave him the opportunity to learn about different philosophies, beliefs and religions.
He resides in the Southern California area. Where he is called upon for counseling, lectures, and family events, while also pursuing his acting career.
He adopted Actress and Activist Mariana Tosca to be his daughter and a member of the Sac and Fox, Iowa and Otoe-Missouria tribes.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Adorable and petite 5'2" blonde bombshell Ashlynn Brooke was born on August 14, 1985 in Choctaw, Oklahoma. Brooke was a cheerleader for nine years throughout grade school (she first started cheerleading in third grade). Following graduation from high school, Ashlynn worked at a used car dealership near Oklahoma City for three and a half years. Her first foray into the adult entertainment industry was a photo shoot for an Oklahoma-based adult publication. After a brief stint as a stripper, Ashlynn began performing in explicit hardcore movies at age 21 in 2006. She signed an exclusive contract with the top company New Sensations in February, 2007 and directed her first adult feature in 2009. Brooke was nominated for a handful of AVN Awards that include Best New Starlet in 2008, Female Performer of the Year in both 2009 and 2010, and Best Actress in 2011. Moreover, Ashlynn won AVN Awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Interactive DVD, and Best New Series in 2009. In addition, she won the F.A.M.E. Award for Favorite Breasts in 2008. In 2011 Brooke was named one of the 12 most popular stars in porn by CNBC. However, Ashlynn announced her retirement from the adult film industry in 2010 after giving birth to a daughter. Brooke has six tattoos and piercings in her navel and clitoris. She lives in California and now largely focuses on raising her two children.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Miko started his acting career in a public service announcement when he was 22 months old and followed that up by appearing in his first feature film at 27 months old. Since that early start Miko has consistently been one of the busiest young actors in Hollywood. Miko is best known on film for his dramatic portrayal of an autistic boy opposite Bruce Willis in the blockbuster hit Mercury Rising (1998). In addition, he has also starred on film in Spawn (1997), Zeus and Roxanne (1997), Apollo 13 (1995), Kindergarten Cop (1990) and Pet Sematary (1989).
Miko has also appeared in numerous television movies. He has also been a series regular, recurring character or guest star on many television series including Baywatch (1989), Touched by an Angel (1994) and The Nanny (1993). Miko received an Emmy certificate for his participation as the voice of "Tommy" in the number one rated Fox animated TV series Life with Louie (1994). His other voice-over credits include the voice of "Sly" and "Witt," twin babies in the feature film Baby Geniuses (1999).
Miko is of Native American heritage and his name means "Chief" in Chickasaw. Miko is also a beekeeper and counts his 30,000 bees as pets. He has two older brothers (Mikhael and Mitchel) and one older sister (Molly). He lives in Apple Valley, California when working but considers his permanent address to be Oklahoma.- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Josh Henderson was born in Dallas, Texas. Josh grew up with his mother (Sharon) in Oklahoma & Texas. Graduating from Tulsa Memorial Senior High School in May 2000, he returned to Texas after graduation to auditioned for (2001) Popstars (2002) in Dallas. Remembered for "singing like Justin Timberlake" Josh was chosen as one of the six winners. His band Scene23 recorded an album, but their record label went bankrupt before the album's release. He was on the UPN show One on One (2001) for several seasons, and appeared on the ABC's 8 Simple Rules (2002) where he met future (ex) girlfriend, Kaley Cuoco. Josh appeared on MTV's The Ashlee Simpson Show (2004) and was her boyfriend for two years before they split.
Josh appeared on the critically acclaimed FX show Over There (2005) which focused on the war in Iraq and how it effects soldiers and their families and appeared in The Girl Next Door (2004) and in Yours, Mine & Ours (2005). In Josh's downtime he enjoys his steam room, the gym, reality television, Dr. Pepper, dancing & basketball.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma (1943). Son of Frances Clark (baby photographer) and Lewis Clark. Graduated from Central High school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Attended Layton School of Art in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Studied under Walter Sheffer and Gerard Bakker. Film debut was the movie Kids (1995). He was already well known for his revolutionary photographic body of work, including the books Tulsa (1971), Teenage Lust (1982), and Perfect Childhood (1992).- Actor
- Producer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Walbridge Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the only child of Ina Raleigh (aka Selina Rowley) and Alan Harwood Ladd, a freelance accountant. His mother was English, from County Durham. His father died when he was four. At age five, he burned his apartment playing with matches, and his mother moved them to Oklahoma City. He was malnourished, undersized and nicknamed Tiny. His mother married a house painter who moved them to California--a la "The Grapes of Wrath"--when he was eight. He picked fruit, delivered papers, and swept stores. In high school he discovered track and swimming. By 1931 he was training for the 1932 Olympics, but an injury put an end to those plans. He opened a hamburger stand called Tiny's Patio, and later worked as a grip at Warner Brothers Pictures. He married his friend Midge in 1936, but couldn't afford her, so they lived apart. In 1937, they shared a friend's apartment. They had a son, Alan Ladd Jr., and his destitute alcoholic mother moved in with them, her agonizing suicide from ant poison witnessed a few months later by her son. His size and coloring here regarded as not right for movies, so he worked hard at radio, where talent scout and former actress Sue Carol discovered him early in 1939. After a string of bit parts in "B" pictures--and an unbilled part in Orson Welles' classic Citizen Kane (1941)--he tested for This Gun for Hire (1942) late in 1941. His fourth-billed role as psychotic killer Raven made him a star. He was drafted in January 1943 and discharged in November with an ulcer and double hernia. Throughout the 1940s his tough-guy roles packed audiences into theaters and he was one of the very few males whose cover photos sold movie magazines. In the 1950s he was performing in lucrative but unrewarding films (an exception being what many regard as his greatest role, Shane (1953)). By the end of the 1950s liquor and a string of so-so films had taken their toll. In November 1962 he was found unconscious lying in a pool of blood with a bullet wound near his heart, a probable suicide attempt. In January 1964 he was found dead, apparently due to an accidental combination of alcohol and sedatives.- Actor
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He possessed the same special brand of rebel/misfit sensitivity and charm that made superstars out of John Garfield and (later) James Dean and Montgomery Clift. In the war-torn 1940s, Robert Walker represented MGM's fresh, instinctive breed of up-and-coming talent. His boyish good looks combined with an attractive vulnerability came across the screen with such beauty, power and naturalness. He went quite far in his short life; however, the many tortured souls he played so brilliantly closely mirrored the actor himself and the demons that haunted his own being wasted no time in taking him down a self-destructive path for which there was no return.
Walker was born Robert Hudson Walker in 1918 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the youngest of four sons of Zella (McQuarrie) and Horace Hudson Walker, a news editor for the local paper. He was of English and Scottish descent. His maternal aunt, Hortense (McQuarrie) Odlum, was the first female president of Bonwit Teller. His parents separated while he was quite young and the anxiety and depression built up over this loss marred his early school years, which were marked by acts of belligerent aggression and temper tantrums, resulting in his being expelled from school several times. To control his behavioral problems, a positive activity was sought that could help him develop confidence and on which he could focus his energies. It came in the form of acting. Following a lead in a school play at the San Diego Army and Navy Academy at Carlsbad-by-the-Sea, California, Walker entered an acting contest at the Pasadena Playhouse and won a top performance prize. A well-to-do aunt paid for his tuition at the American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA) in 1938, and he was on his way.
Things started off quite promisingly. While there he met fellow student Phyllis Isley who went on to play Elizabeth Barrett Browning to his Robert Browning in a production of "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" (Phyllis was later renamed Jennifer Jones). The couple fell in love and both quit the academy in order to save money and marry, but they found little work other than some small parts at a Greenwich Village theater. They eventually found a radio job together in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and married on January 2, 1939, honeymooning in Hollywood in order to secure more acting parts. Other than some radio jobs and bit parts in films, the move didn't pan out. The couple returned to New York and started a family. Sons Robert Walker Jr. (born 1940) and Michael Walker (born 1941) would both become actors in their own right. Following their births Jennifer returned to auditioning and caught the eye of producer David O. Selznick, who took an immediate interest in her and signed her to a contract. Selznick was also instrumental in securing a contract for Robert over at MGM. Stardom would be theirs as a result of this Selznick association, but at quite a cost to Robert.
Robert gained immediate attention in his first important MGM role as a shy, ill-fated sailor in Bataan (1943), but was miscast as a scientist in the Greer Garson biopic Madame Curie (1943). Hollywood notice would come in the form of his sweet, sad-sack title role in the service comedy See Here, Private Hargrove (1944), the story of a cub reporter who is drafted into the army. The role brought out all the touching, fascinating qualities of Robert. In the meantime, Jennifer became so caught up in her obsessive relationship with mentor Selznick that she broke off with Robert. The actor was devastated and abruptly turned to heavy drinking. He would never completely recover from this loss. The first of many skirmishes with the law came about when he was arrested on a hit-and-run charge. In another self-destructive act, he agreed to appear with his estranged wife in the Selznick film Since You Went Away (1944). Although he suffered great anguish during the filming, the movie was praised by critics. He played a young soldier who dies before the end of the last reel, and audiences identified with him in both his troubled on- and off-screen roles. Another vivid part that showed off Walker's star quality came opposite the equally troubled Judy Garland in The Clock (1945), a simple romantic story of two lost souls, a soldier and a girl, who accidentally meet while he is on furlough.
The tumultuous state of Walker's not-so-private life began to seriously affect his screen career in the late 1940s. In the musical Till the Clouds Roll By (1946) he played composer Jerome Kern but was eclipsed by the musical numbers and flurry of special guests. He was third billed behind Katharine Hepburn and Paul Henreid, who portrayed pianist Clara Schumann and mentally unstable composer Robert Schumann, in Song of Love (1947). Robert played famed composer and friend Johannes Brahms. Following a lead part as a love-struck window dresser in One Touch of Venus (1948), which focused more on Ava Gardner's creative vision of loveliness, he impulsively married Barbara Ford, the daughter of famed director John Ford. The marriage ended in divorce after just five months, following more erratic outbursts, including arrests for drunkenness. By this time Jennifer had married Selznick, and this pushed Robert over the brink. He was committed to a sanatorium and not released until the middle of 1949.
After his recovery and release, he was back to work with top roles in the comedy Please Believe Me (1950) opposite Deborah Kerr and the western Vengeance Valley (1951) starring Burt Lancaster. Robert happened to be loaned out to Warner Bros. when he was handed the most memorable film role of his career, that of the charming psychopath who attempts to trade murder favors with Farley Granger in Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller Strangers on a Train (1951). Hailed by the critics, Robert was mesmerizing in the part and part of the Hollywood elite once again. He had begun filming Paramount's My Son John (1952), which included Helen Hayes, Van Heflin and Dean Jagger in the cast, when tragedy occurred.
Robert had just finished principal photography and was making himself available for re-shoots for director Leo McCarey when, on the night of August 28, 1951, his housekeeper found him in an extremely agitated state. Failing to calm him down, she panicked and called his psychiatrist, who, upon arrival, administered a dose of sodium amytal, a sedative, which Walker had taken in the past. Unfortunately, he had been drinking as well and suffered an acute allergic reaction to the drug. Robert stopped breathing, and all efforts to resuscitate him failed. His death cut short the career of a man destined to become one of the most charismatic actors in film. As for life imitating art, perhaps Robert's agonies are what brought out the magnificence of his acting.- Actor
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Jay Ellis is a television and film actor, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. Born in Sumter, South Carolina, Ellis spent the majority of his childhood traveling with his military family. His father completed over 15 years of service in the Air Force while his mother was an accomplished finance executive and former board member of the Consumer Advisory Council for the Federal.
Jay graduated Suma Cum Laude at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon where he also played basketball and held the position of student body president. Ellis interned briefly with the Portland Trailblazers and also joined AmeriCorps to provide care and resources to disadvantaged students of Portland.
Ellis made the move to Los Angeles to pursue his passion for acting before landing his first role on the BET series The Game, which ran for 147 episodes. Over the years Ellis has been featured on critically acclaimed series Masters of Sex, Grace and Frankie, How I Met Your Mother, Grey's Anatomy, and NCIS.
Ellis lives in Los Angeles, CA and can be seen on the HBO comedy series Insecure.- Actress
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- Director
Born in Oklahoma and raised in Arizona. Attended both Northern Arizona University and New York University, and studied with Stella Adler and Harold Guskin. She has a daughter, Charlee, from her first marriage. She has two granddaughters, Calypso and Helen. She was the original character of "Erica" in Eric Bogosian's play, SubUrbia (1996).- A tall, imposing character actor with a penetrating stare, Marshall Bell has provided excellent support in a variety of roles and genres. He was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on September 28, 1942, and had been working as a consultant, teaching senior executives how to improve their speaking skills, prior to starting an acting career relatively late in life. His connection was his wife, the veteran costume designer Milena Canonero, herself a winner of three Academy Awards and nominee for five more. He made his motion picture debut in the drama Birdy (1984), which was seen by enough people to effectively jump-start his career. One of his next few roles was one of his most infamous: the creepy Coach Schneider of A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985). But the role that really got him noticed was as resistance leader George / Kuato in Total Recall (1990) (the role re-united him with Arnold Schwarzenegger, as he'd played a hit man in the comedy Twins (1988)). Other substantial film roles include a frightening homeless man terrorizing Bill Paxton in the movie The Vagrant (1992), Gordies' emotionally distant father in Stand by Me (1986), and General Owen in the movie Starship Troopers (1997), re-uniting him with "Total Recall" director Paul Verhoeven. He's done many TV series, including Good vs Evil (1999), Wiseguy (1987), The X-Files (1993), Tales from the Crypt (1989), Hill Street Blues (1981), House (2004), and Deadwood (2004). He's also appeared in commercials and done voice-over work.
A solid, reliable actor with an authoritative presence, Bell is a natural for playing "tough guy" roles, although movies like Airheads (1994) show him to be able to play comedy equally well. He continues to add many credits to his resume, including the critically acclaimed Capote (2005), the prisoner of war drama Rescue Dawn (2006), and the family film Nancy Drew (2007). - Actress
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While TV audiences best remember Regina Taylor for her empathetic portrayal of housekeeper Lilly Harper in the critically lauded series I'll Fly Away (1991), which rewarded her with a Golden Globe for best actress, an NAACP Image Award, and two Emmy nominations, this Dallas-born talent has made even greater strides in recent years as a playwright.
Born on August 22, 1960, Regina was raised in Oklahoma where she became acutely aware of racial bias while attending a newly integrated school in Muskogee. She went on to study at Southern Methodist University and graduated in 1981, subsequently moving to New York. She made her professional acting debut in the CBS made-for-TV movie Crisis at Central High (1981).
On Broadway Taylor became the first Black woman to play William Shakespeare's Juliet thanks to the non-traditional casting efforts of Joseph Papp. She also played Cecilia in "As You Like It" and the First Witch in "Macbeth" during the same season. Other on- and off-Broadway work included "Machinal," "A Map of the World," "The Illusion," and "Jar the Floor." On the West Coast, she won an L.A. Dramalogue award for her work in "The Tempest."
Making her film debut with Lean on Me (1989), she became known for her quiet intensity and human dignity in both social drama and the more popular action-oriented films such as Losing Isaiah (1995), Clockers (1995), Spirit Lost (1996), and The Negotiator (1998).
Taylor furthered her career on TV as well in such series as Law & Order (1990) and earned notice for her portrayal of Anita Hill opposite Delroy Lindo's Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the made-for-TV movie Strange Justice (1999). She was particularly moving in her portrayal of another maid in the superlative period piece Cora Unashamed (2000), co-starring the equally versatile Cherry Jones. After her breakout success in I'll Fly Away (1991), she moved into other series such as Feds (1997), The Education of Max Bickford (2001) starring Rory Robert Knepp and Dig (2015), although they were not as well received. She also appeared as a guest on "Grey's Anatomy," "Elementary," The Blacklist," "The Good Fight," "The Red Line" and "Lovecraft Country."
As a playwright Taylor has won the American Critics' Association new play award for "Oo-Bla-Dee," which detailed the story of Black female jazz musicians of the 1940s. "Drowning Crow" was an adaption of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull," which made it to Broadway in 2004. Others works include "A Night in Tunisia," "Escape from Paradise," "Watermelon Rinds," and "Inside the Belly of the Beast." She conceived and appeared in the 2001 one-woman play "Millennium Mambo," which included selections of works from various African American female writers. She is an esteemed member and Artistic Associate of the Goodman Theater, where many of her plays have come to fruition.- Actress
- Producer
Born in Amarillo Texas, raised in Tulsa Oklahoma, and the youngest of 3 girls, Paula Trickey attended East Central High School in Tulsa. Paula found her love for acting at the tender age of 8. At a time of grief in her family home, Paula performed and wrote plays in hopes to entertain and cheer up her family. This fueling Trickey's love for acting combined with her strong ambition and drive even at this early age led to many plays and theatrical productions from elementary school and throughout high school. While in high school, Paula started doing local commercials and pageants and, in 1985, was crowned Miss Oklahoma in the All-American Teen Pageant (a Miss USA production) only to lose in the finals to an unknown Halle Berry. Following high school, Paula moved to Dallas where she studied acting and enjoyed much success with commercials and local film productions. With a strong sense of confidence and an invaluable array of experience, Paula moved to Los Angeles in 1986. After arriving in Los Angeles, Trickey landed a 5 season run on Pacific Blue (1996), portraying a by-the book Police Sgt. Cory McNamara. She had also been a series regular on NBC's Trade Winds (1993), and has recurred on such shows as The O.C. (2003), Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990), Walker, Texas Ranger (1993) and Renegade (1992). She has done several movies of the week. Past Tense (2006) with the Lifetime Network and, with the Hallmark Network, such as Gone But Not Forgotten (2005), McBride: Murder Past Midnight (2005) and A Carol Christmas (2003) and feature films such as The Base (1999), A Kiss Goodnight (1994) and Mr. Saturday Night (1992).- Chaske Spencer is an award-nominated actor who currently stars in Marvel Studios' new series ECHO as 'Henry "Black Crow" Lopez, Maya's (Alaqua Cox) well-intended uncle with ties to Fisk's (Vincent D'Onofrio) criminal underworld. His recent co-lead opposite Emily Blunt in Hugo Blick's limited series THE ENGLISH Amazon/BBC) garnered him critical acclaim including: BAFTA Awards and Royal Television Society (RTS) Programme Awards with a 2023 Leading Actor nomination and Outstanding Performance in a New Series nomination at the 2023 Gotham Awards. On the feature side, he starred in WILD INDIAN which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival for which Chaske was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for the 2022 Independent Spirit Awards.
Up next, Chaske stars in WIND RIVER: THE NEXT CHAPTER with Jason Clarke as well as the Peacock horror thriller TEACUP (executive produced by lan McCulloch, Atomic Monster's Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett) alongside Yvonne Strahovski and Scott Speedman, inspired by Robert McCammon's novel Stinger.
When Chaske was young, he dreamt of becoming a photographer, but before long, he also found himself in front of the camera. Chaske moved to New York City and in between bartending and waiting tables, he was cast in his first off off-Broadway play, DRACULA, as the title role. He went on to perform at The Public Theater in NYC and The Roundabout, and soon was discovered by casting director Rene Haynes.
Chaske is well known for his portrayal of 'Sam Uley' in the Twilght Saga: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn I and II. He starred in the Susanna White directed feature, WOMAN WALKS AHEAD, opposite Jessica Chastain and Sam Rockwell, which made its World Premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. His most notable television credits include: NatGeo's BARKSKINS, NBC's BLINDSPOT, Netflix's JESSICA JONES, the Emmy award-winning Cinemax series BANSHEE, A&E's LONGMIRE, and the Amazon series SNEAKY PETE with Bryan Cranston.
Chaske Spencer was born of the Lakota Sioux tribe, and raised on Indian Reservations in Montana and Idaho. - Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Tara grew up all over the country, from Arizona to Oklahoma to Michigan to New York City, finally ending up in LA. Following high school, she studied at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.
While studying in London at the London Academy of Theatre, she performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland before moving to New York City. Her debut in New York was in Alan Ball's Five Women Wearing the Same Dress.
In 2004 she started Monkey Kingdom Productions with partner Yuri Lowenthal. She continues to be seen on stage and screen globally and can be heard in voice over in animation - Temari on Naruto (2002) and video games - Wonder Woman in _Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008)_, and is quickly becoming known for "donning costumes or disguises to go into alternate realities" as evidenced by her work in science fiction, period pieces, and comic book worlds or other realms.- Actor
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Born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan, Iqbal Theba came to the US as a college freshman at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. While in college in Oklahoma, Iqbal studied Civil Engineering and eventually obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Engineering Management. After realizing his true passion was acting, Iqbal returned to the University of Oklahoma to study acting. Thoroughly enjoying his time in Oklahoma (he is a true Sooner football fan) and after leaving college, Iqbal decided to move to New York City to pursue his love of acting. After struggling in New York for over two years, Iqbal decided to make the move to Los Angeles in hopes of more acting work. Broke and not knowing anyone in Los Angeles, Iqbal stayed with friends in San Bernardino until he could save up enough money to finally move full-time to Los Angeles.
Once in Los Angeles, things started to turn around for Iqbal. He soon found a niche acting in television commercials. His first big commercial was for the Wherehouse Music Chain, where he sang the Chris Isaak song "Wicked Game". This was followed by commercials for McDonald's, Burger King, Subway, AT&T, Sprint, American Express, Capital One, Holiday Inn, Kellogg's Cereal, Tostitos, Got Milk, and many others. Iqbal was the first South Asian to have appeared in dozens of mainstream national commercials in the '90s. It was through these television commercials that he was able to get his SAG card, which opened the door to more mainstream television and film opportunities.
Iqbal's big television break came after booking a role on the NBC pilot "Death and Taxes" (his second job in Los Angeles as an actor). Although the pilot wasn't picked up, this led to numerous co-starring and guest-starring roles in television and film, including work on TV shows such as "L.A. Law", "Living Single", "Mad About You", and "Seinfeld". Over the next 10 years, Iqbal continued to hone his craft and work guest starring on television shows such as "Ellen", "Caroline in the City", "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Friends", "King of the Hill", "The West Wing", "Judging Amy", "Alias", "Arrested Development", and "Weeds", to name a few, as well as recurring roles on "The George Carlin Show", "Sister, Sister", "Rosanne", "Married With Children", "Family Matters", "ER", "JAG", and "Life With Bonnie". Some of Iqbal's film work includes "Indecent Proposal", "Driven", "BASEketball", "Dancing at the Blue Iguana", "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" and "Playing for Keeps".
After successfully establishing himself as one of the hardest working actors in Hollywood, Iqbal's big break came from his being cast as Principal Figgins in the hugely successful FOX television series "Glee". Although originally written for a Caucasian, Iqbal won the role and has in the process brought his own unique perspective to the character. As the beleaguered principal of William McKinley High School, Principal Figgins tries to walk the tightrope between being fair with teacher Will Schuster (Matthew Morrison) while being constantly blackmailed and harassed by coach Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch). In addition to "Glee", Iqbal is also simultaneously starring in the NBC series "Community" playing Danny's dad.
2010 has proven to be a busy and successful year for Iqbal. He started the year off by winning a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards for his work on "Glee", continues filming new episodes of "Glee" and "Community", and is looking at several feature film offers. In addition to his acting career, Iqbal enjoys spending time with his wife Humera and their two children and traveling. His favorite writer is Anton Chekov, his favorite movie is "2001: A Space Odyssey", and works with his favorite charity, Edhi Foundation.- Olivia Jordan was born on September 28, 1988 in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she spent most of her youth. She attended Bishop Kelley High School where she was active on campus, delegating her time away from the books to Student Council, the tennis team, and her position as varsity cheer captain. After high school graduation, she decided to venture beyond her home in middle America. At Boston University, Olivia majored in Health Science and worked as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer at BU's FITREC facility. Her go-getter personality kept her involved on campus, pioneering a self-defense workshop that would become a continued tradition in her sorority, Alpha Phi. Upon graduating, Olivia moved to Los Angeles to pursue her lifelong passion for acting and modeling. She has been featured on screen, but has yet to have her "big break." She epitomizes the term, "student of life." Her unique and unfaltering optimism and relentless determination sets her apart. A dogged dreamer with a level head held high on her shoulders-a lover of love, life, and pugs-you will be seeing more of her as she continues to make her mark in the acting world.
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Ray William Johnson was born on 14 August 1981 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for Your Favorite Martian (2010), Riley Rewind (2013) and Manson Family Vacation (2015).- Wesam Keesh was born October 3rd, 1987. He was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma and has been working in Hollywood professionally since 2009. When not working on a TV show or a movie, Wesam enjoys podcasting on his show "Wesam's World", practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and serene nature hikes in the mountains.
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Greyson Michael Chance is an American singer, songwriter and pianist whose April 2010 performance of Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi" at a sixth-grade music festival became a hit on YouTube, gaining over 36 million views. Two of his original compositions, "Stars" and "Broken Hearts", gained over 4 and 6 million views respectively on his YouTube channel. His debut single, "Waiting Outside the Lines," was released in October 2010.
Chance was born in Wichita Falls, Texas and now resides in Edmond, Oklahoma. He has English, German, 1/8th Bohemian (Czech), and 1/8th Polish, ancestry.
He is the youngest child of Scott and Lisa Chance; he has an older sister, Alexa, and an older brother, Tanner, both of whom also play music.
Chance began playing the piano at the age of 8 and has had three years of piano lessons, but no formal vocal training. His inspiration comes from Lady Gaga; after seeing her performance of "Paparazzi" at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, he said: "I was awestruck by her performance.
Chance also admires Christina Aguilera, the rock band Augustana, R&B singer John Legend, singer-songwriter Elton John and late Beatle John Lennon.- Actor
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Steven Alan Monroe is a veteran actor, known from over 150 film, television, and commercial roles. Additionally, he is a practicing psychotherapist, specializing in treating entertainment professionals and others in recovery from addiction. He also performed stand-up in clubs in and around Los Angeles.
Monroe was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He has lived and worked all over North America and New Zealand. His father is a well-known pathologist, and his mother raised him and his three siblings. He attended Duke University for three years. In 1993, he transferred to Occidental College, where he earned a joint baccalaureate degree in Russian Language and Theatre Arts. In 2010, he completed his Masters Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. He has worked with such directors as Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis, Tom Shadyac, Jay Roach, Todd Phillips, Donald Petrie and Daniel Petrie.
Offscreen, Monroe continues his practice as a psychotherapist, is an avid tennis player, recording artist, guitar player, and achieved advanced level studies with the celebrated improvisation troupe, the Groundlings.- Actress
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Slender, attractive actress Margaret Avery, spellbinding in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screens for well over three decades.
Born on January 20, 1944, in Mangum, Oklahoma, the daughter of a Navy man, she was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school. Margaret demonstrated a certain passion for acting while in her teens but decided to pursue a more stable career in teaching. Graduating from San Francisco State University, she joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher, but the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her. She auditioned for commercials on the sly and managed to also segued into stage work and singing jobs. Her early 1970s L.A. plays included "Revolution", "Sistuhs", and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Her skills as an actress helped her to move into TV roles, appearing in such established 1970s and 1980s series as The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971), Kojak (1973), Sanford and Son (1972), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), The Rookies (1972), Baby... I'm Back! (1977), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Miami Vice (1984), Spenser: For Hire (1985), a recurring part in Harry O (1973), and a regular role in the short-lived series A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977).
Her film career ignited during the popular "blaxploitation" era. She somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls of many a black actress of that time, however, despite her sexy and revealing roles in her first two films, Cool Breeze (1972) starring Thalmus Rasulala and Lincoln Kilpatrick, and Hell Up in Harlem (1973), in which she found herself in the clutches of brawny former footballer Fred Williamson. Margaret carried on with Magnum Force (1973) (as a hooker) and the comedies Which Way Is Up? (1977) and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979), establishing herself as a solid, reliable actress.
Music was never far away from Margaret as attested by her roles in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976), starring Ben Vereen as "Satchmo", and Scott Joplin (1977), which showcased Billy Dee Williams. However, it was her riveting supporting turn as the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery in The Color Purple (1985) that put her on the map. Stories have long circulated that Spielberg wanted a star singer in the role and that Margaret received the role only after both Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner were approached and turned it down. She had previously worked with Spielberg in her first TV movie Something Evil (1972). He remembered her from this and cast her. Earning an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", it was expected that her career would hit major cinematic heights. Unfortunately, Margaret didn't make another film for three years, when she played a jazz singer in the little-seen Blueberry Hill (1988) with Carrie Snodgress.
On TV she continued to grace episodes of Amen (1986), The Cosby Show (1984), Roc (1991), JAG (1995), MacGyver (1985), Bones (2005), enhanced such commendable made-for-TV movies as Heat Wave (1990) with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, and has been seen sporadically in films. She co-starred in The Return of Superfly (1990) -- a nod to her old blaxploitation days--Lightning in a Bottle (1993), White Man's Burden (1995) with John Travolta, the Mario Van Peebles feature Love Kills (1998)
Into the millennium, Margaret has been seen in Waitin' to Live (2006), directed by Travolta's brother, Joey Travolta; Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008) as well as Meet the Browns (2008) with Martin Lawrence and Angela Bassett, respectively; the crime drama Proud Mary (2018) and the family comedy Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019). She also appearing regularly alongside Gabrielle Union and Richard Roundtree on BET's Being Mary Jane (2013).
Divorced (74-80) from director Robert Gordon Hunt, Margaret has one daughter, Aisha.Color Purple- Actor
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Born in Jackson, Mississippi, Lester was brought up on his grandfather's farm, shucking corn, fishing, hunting, and picking cotton. He graduated from the University of Mississippi, majoring in Chemistry. He taught science and biology at a school in Purcell, Oklahoma, before moving to California. He divided his time between Southern California and Laurel, Mississippi. He spoke to youth groups and at religious gatherings about his faith, and shared the stage three times with Billy Graham. Lester died in 2020, aged 81. He was survived by his wife, his brother, two great-nieces, one great-great niece, and one great-great-nephew.Green Acres and Petticoat Juction- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
After high school Gene Autry worked as a laborer for the St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad in Oklahoma. Next he was a telegrapher. In 1928 he began singing on a local radio station, and three years later he had his own show and was making his first recordings. Three years after that he made his film debut in Ken Maynard's In Old Santa Fe (1934) and starred in a 13-part serial the following year for Mascot Pictures, The Phantom Empire (1935). The next year he signed a contract with Republic Pictures and began making westerns. Autry--for better or worse--pretty much ushered in the era of the "singing cowboy" westerns of the 1930s and 1940s (in spite of the presence in his oaters of automobiles, radios and airplanes). These films often grossed ten times their average $50,000 production costs. During World War II he enlisted in the US Army and was assigned as a flight officer from 1942-46 with the Air Transport Command. After his military service he returned to making movies, this time with Columbia Pictures, and finally with his own company, Flying A Productions, which, during the 1950s, produced his TV series The Gene Autry Show (1950), The Adventures of Champion (1955), and Annie Oakley (1954). He wrote over 200 songs. A savvy businessman, he retired from acting in the early 1960s and became a multi-millionaire from his investments in hotels, real estate, radio stations and the California Angels professional baseball team.- Sam was a member of the Actors Space in New York City under Alan Langdon (Circle in the Square). He has a BFA in Acting / Directing from Simpson College, Iowa and the University of Oklahoma Drama School, USA. His Theatre credits in the USA include The Rimers of Eldritch, Lion in Winter, A Doll's House, Journey of the Fifth Horse, Romeo and Juliet, The National Health, Equus and the world premiere of Lorca's Blood Wedding. Theatre in the United Kingdom includes; In Arabia We'd All Be Kings at the Hampstead Theatre; Desire Under the Elms at Greenwich; A Streetcar Named Desire at Newcastle Playhouse; and David Mamet's Edmund at the Royal Court Theatre,London. At the Royal National Theatre (RNT); Johnny on a Spot, Sweet Bird of Youth, A Raisin in the Sun (platform), The Darker Face of the Earth and Trevor Nunn's production of A Streetcar Named Desire.In London, Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre and Johnny Friendly in Steven Berkhoffs On The Waterfront. TV in the UK includes The Painted Lady, Kavanagh QC, Goodnight Sweetheart, Unnatural Pursuits, Jeeves and Wooster, Dr. Finlay, Armando Ianucci Show, Once in a Lifetime, Adrian Mole: the Capuccino Years, The Quiet Conspiracy. TV in the US: Wolverine, The Tenth Kingdom, The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission, Highlander, Lexx, The Equalizer, Dirty Dozen III. Over 30 films including; Snatch, Fifth Element, Batman, Eyes Wide Shut, Mission Impossible Derailed and Perfume. 2 Academy Award nominations for best short film: The Snatching of Bookie Bob and Tonto Woman. Sam Douglas was King Herod, King of the Jews in the upcoming The Bible TV mini-Series for the History Channel.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born and raised in Alabama as Ann Steely, O'Donnell attended high school and college in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, then worked as a stenographer to finance a trip to Hollywood, where she was spotted by a talent scout, leading to her being signed to a contract by producer Samuel Goldwyn.
Recognizing her talent and appeal through a thick Southern accent, Goldwyn arranged rigorous voice & theatrical training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and elsewhere, bestowed on her a winsome Irish stage name, and cast her in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). This film's success boded well for Cathy's career, and soon she was starring in the now-classic They Live by Night (1948). However, her rise in films was checked when, on Sunday, April 11th, 1948, at age 24, she married 48-year-old producer Robert Wyler, older brother of one of Hollywood's most accomplished directors, William Wyler, whose own long-term contract with Goldwyn had recently ended acrimoniously. The irate Goldwyn abruptly canceled her contract; thereafter she had no lasting association with any studio or producer. Her most memorable roles of the 1950s were in classic films noir, such as Detective Story (1951), where her sincere, sweet girl-next-door persona was at odds with those films' dark, gritty milieu. Her last and most famous film was Ben-Hur (1959), after whose enormous success she worked on TV until 1961. Belying Goldwyn's opinion, her marriage to Wyler proved happy, though childless. Her death on their 22nd wedding anniversary, Saturday, April 11th, 1970, followed a long struggle with cancer.- Sara Rae Foster is an American stage and screen actress. Film/TV credits include "Doubt" (CBS), "Masters of Sex" (Showtime), event series "Mob City" (TNT), and national ad campaigns for Honda, Verizon Wireless, and Call of Duty. Los Angeles theatre credits include the Los Angeles Times Critic's Choice production of Rajiv Joseph's "Gruesome Playground Injuries" at the Hudson Theatre, Babe in "Crimes of the Heart" with the Aquila Morong Studio, and Sue in "Sukie and Sue: Their Story" at The Blank.
- Producer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Oklahoma-bred John Ashley got his start in the movie business while on a vacation in California. A friend from Oklahoma State University got him onto the set of the John Wayne movie The Conqueror (1956), and Wayne in turn steered him toward a job in television in the William Castle series Men of Annapolis (1957). One day, Ashley was at the offices of American International Pictures to pick up his girlfriend, who was auditioning for a part in the company's Dragstrip Girl (1957). AIP house writer Lou Rusoff saw Ashley waiting in the hall and decided the young man was the type AIP was looking for to play the Dragstrip Girl (1957) male lead. Ashley acted in a long line of "kids-in-trouble" melodramas, monster movies and in the Beach Party series before carving a lucrative niche for himself as producer-star of a series of Filipino exploitation pictures. He was also producer of several TV series, including The A-Team (1983) and Werewolf (1987).- Writer
- Actor
Gore Vidal was born Eugene Louis Vidal in 1925 in West Point, New York, to Nina (Gore) and West Point aeronautics instructor and aviation pioneer Eugene Luther Vidal. The Vidals endured a rocky marriage divorcing ten years after Gore's birth. Young Gore spent much of his childhood with his blind grandfather, Senator T.P. Gore of Oklahoma. Vidal would later become the confidant of Jacqueline Kennedy when Jackie's mother married his former stepfather, Hugh D. Auchincloss. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1943, Gore joined the US Army Reserves. Some of his Army experiences inspired his first novel, Williwaw, which was published when he was just 19. He dedicated the novel to J.T., a deceased prep-school friend. Subsequent novels would prominently feature gay male characters, and Gore found soon found his books had staying power on bestseller lists. In 1960, he unsuccessfully ran for Congress, backed by celebrity supporters like Paul Newman & Vidal's ex-fiancé Joanne Woodward. Another unsuccessful foray into politics would occur in 1982 when he ran for governor of California. In addition to being an accomplished writer, he is also a novice actor. His biggest roles to date have been in Gattaca (1997), Bob Roberts (1992), and With Honors (1994).- Cody Deal made his Hollywood debut by starring in the the Syfy Original Movie, Almighty Thor (2011), opposite Richard Grieco and Patricia Velasquez. Cody grew up in Sedan, Kansas (pop. 1,000) and worked on a local ranch every summer bucking hay to help support his family starting in the 6th-grade through his senior year in high school. He graduated Valedictorian of his class, as well as Senior Class President, and 1st-Team All-State shooting Forward averaging 20.4 points per game. He dreamt of playing professional sports, but his aspirations were cut short when he injured his hand and forearm in two different sport-related injuries. His aspirations turned to acting, heading to Las Vegas for a brief stint, and working with acting coach Gerald Gordon (who also coached Oscar-winner Adrien Brody. With a month of acting training, he traveled to Los Angeles to audition for the title role in Marvel's Thor (2011). It was literally his first audition in LA. Three months later, he packed his bags and moved to Los Angeles from Vegas. 18 months later he would book his first starring role as the same character, but in the film Almighty Thor (2011). He has since studied with Ivana Chubbuck, Sharon Chatten, and Janet Alhanti. Cody is also Osage, a historic tribe of Native American people. Today there are as few as 13,000 Osage, Deal and his family being amongst them.
- Actor
- Stunts
- Producer
Matt was born in Waco, Texas and raised in the Oklahoma City area. His reckless teen years culminated with him spending his twentieth birthday in state prison over a series of group brawls. Exactly a year after his release, during the drive home at the end a long day of high rise window washing, he found himself involved in a road rage incident in which his coworker was murdered directly in front of him. Describing himself as having been raised by television and film and with a few bit Shakespeare in the Park roles under his belt, he then made his way to Hollywood where he began attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Shortly after graduating, Matt got his SAG card on the 2007 Walter Koenig penned film, Inalienable, and has been living his dream ever since. He supported his early years bouncing and working as an autism behavioral therapist. Matt rowed a rowboat across the Pacific Ocean in 2014, attaining a world record in the process, and recently proposed to his fiancée whilst adopting a dog during a taping of the show Vanderpump Dogs. The two have gone on to take in every needy animal they've since met with plans to open their own LA based animal rescue. Matt has spent the majority of the pandemic and the industry changes that followed self taping, scratching fur babies, and picking up poop. He will work for kibble.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
From Boston, Rachael attended a Performing Arts School immersing herself in Theatre & Dance, and has since worked in the Entertainment Industry for over 20yrs as an an actress and classically trained dancer. Rachael's 2022 releases include TOP GUN: MAVERICK, TALES OF THE WALKING DEAD opposite Samantha Morton, BANDIT opposite Josh Duhamel and Nestor Carbonell, ON A WING AND A PRAYER with Dennis Quaid, FIRST WIVES CLUB opposite Jill Scott, and in the Emmy Nominated comedy THE MS. PAT SHOW. Rachael's previous work includes recurring roles on ALL AMERICAN, GLEE and TRUE BLOOD, as well as appearances on THE MORNING SHOW, QUEENS, DOLLFACE, LEGION, JOHNSON, MASCOTS, RUSH HOUR 3, BEHIND THE CANDELABRA, NO STRINGS ATTACHED, GILMORE GIRLS REVIVAL, DR. KEN, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, VEGAS, CSI, NIP/TUCK and PARKS & RECREATION. Prior to her acting career, she was a highly-regarded Pro Dancer working for RIHANNA, KATY PERRY, BEYONCE, PINK, CHER, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, KANYE WEST, and PANIC AT THE DISCO to name a few. Her love for the Theatre lead her to play the lead role of Kari in Emmy Nominated writer Craig Wright's play THE PAVILION at the prestigious Malibu Playhouse. Rachael is fortunate to have worked with well respected directors and producers like Jerry Bruckheimer, Ryan Murphy, Joseph Kominski, Steven Soderbergh, Ivan Reitman, Amy Sherman-Polladino, Mary Lou Belli, Michale Satrazemis, Michelle MacLauren, David McWhirter, Tim Mielants, Alan Ball and Mathew Cullen to name a few. She has trained with Stella Adler's protégé, Arthur Mendoza, as well as with John Hindman, Risa Bramon Garcia, Steve Braun, Michael Laskin, Cameron Thor and Alice Carter. Knowing there's an advantage to being a hybrid entertainer, she brings a unique quality to the table as a well-rounded artist, and continues to give back to her young artistic community as a Master Teacher & Mentor.- Robert Terrell Hayes, born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and raised in Arlington, Texas. Growing up, Robert's mother knew her son was destined to become a star, given that the meaning of his name means "bright fame". Robert signed with his first talent agency in 2003 and became a prominent model for fashion brands such as Levi's Jeans, Jordan, and Southpole. A couple of years later, Robert transitioned from modeling to acting and booked his first national G.I Joe commercial. Shortly after, he booked a handful of other commercials with brands such as Nike, Hasbro, and McDonald's to name a few. At the age of 15, Robert was given the opportunity to be a contestant on the popular game show "Family Feud", where host John O'Hurley constantly bragged about Robert's "Hollywood smile". Three years later, Robert booked a supporting role in his first major motion picture, "The Lucky One". The film stars Zac Efron and Robert plays the role of Corporal Victor Miles, Zac Efron's best friend. Robert's most recent work includes a starring role as star cornerback Gary Edwards in the film "Carter High", alongside Charles S. Dutton and Vivica A. Fox. He also plays the role of Bo in the feature film "American Reunion", the latest installment of the "American Pie" film series and guest starred in NBC's hit series "Revolution" as a traitor of the president's militia. His latest project is a feature film titled "It's Time", where he portrays former Ole Miss Rebel defensive back Derrick King.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
The son of a day laborer, William Boyd moved with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was seven. His parents died while he was in his early teens, forcing him to quit school and take such jobs as a grocery clerk, surveyor and oil field worker. He went to Hollywood in 1919, already gray-haired. His first role was as an extra in Cecil B. DeMille's Why Change Your Wife? (1920). He bought some fancy clothes, caught DeMille's eye and got the romantic lead in The Volga Boatman (1926), quickly becoming a matinée idol and earning upwards of $100,000 a year. However, with the end of silent movies, Boyd was without a contract, couldn't find work and was going broke. By mistake his picture was run in a newspaper story about the arrest of another actor with a similar name (William 'Stage' Boyd) on gambling, liquor and morals charges, and that hurt his career even more. In 1935 he was offered the lead role in Hop-a-Long Cassidy (1935) (named because of a limp caused by an earlier bullet wound). He changed the original pulp-fiction character to its opposite, made sure that "Hoppy" didn't smoke, drink, chew tobacco or swear, rarely kissed a girl and let the bad guy draw first. By 1943 he had made 54 "Hoppies" for his original producer, Harry Sherman; after Sherman dropped the series, Boyd produced and starred in 12 more on his own. The series was wildly popular, and all recouped at least double their production costs. In 1948 Boyd, in a savvy and precedent-setting move, bought the rights to all his pictures (he had to sell his ranch to raise the money) just as TV was looking for Saturday morning Western fare. He marketed all sorts of "Hoppy" products (lunch boxes, toy guns, cowboy hats, etc.) and received royalties from comic books, radio and records. He retired to Palm Desert, California, in 1953. In 1968 he had surgery to remove a tumor from a lymph gland and from then on refused all interview and photograph requests.