Born Today

Born on December 23rd:

Reinhold Weege - Television writer, producer and editor who is best known for creating and producing the sitcom "Night Court", and writing, editing, and producing the sitcom "Barney Miller". He also wrote the "M*A*S*H" episode "Souvenirs". He also created and produced the 1981 series "Park Place", and he produced the short-lived sitcom "Nikki and Alexander". He was nominated for four Emmy Awards during his career, one for "Barney Miller", and three for "Night Court".




Susan Lucci - Actress who is best known for portraying Erica Kane on the ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children". Her character is considered an icon, and she has been called "Daytime's Leading Lady" by TV Guide, with The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times citing her as the highest-paid actor in daytime television. In 1978, she received her first Daytime Emmy nomination. She was nominated again in 1981, and she was nominated almost every year since then. By the late 1980s, she was a household name due to her string of Emmy losses. In 1999, on her 19th Emmy nomination, she won, and she received a four minute standing ovation. With 21 Emmy nominations, she has been honored with more acting nominations than any other performer in the history of television, daytime or primetime. In 1996, TV Guide ranked her number 37 on its 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time list. She was named one of VH1’s 200 Top Icons of All-Time, and one of Barbara Walters’s Ten Most Fascinating People. On January 28, 2005, she received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California. In 2006, she was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.






Harry Shearer - Actor, comedian, writer, voice artist, musician, author, radio host and director who is best known for his long-running roles on "The Simpsons", his work on "Saturday Night Live", the comedy band "Spinal Tap", and his radio program "Le Show". He began his career as a child actor, appearing in "The Jack Benny Program", as well as the 1953 films Abbott and Costello Go to Mars and The Robe. In 1957, he played the precursor to the Eddie Haskell character in the pilot episode for the TV series "Leave It to Beaver", but his parents decided not to let him continue in the role so that he could have a normal childhood. He co-created, co-wrote and co-starred in the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, a satirical rockumentary about a band called Spinal Tap. In 1989, he became a part of the cast of "The Simpsons". At 21 characters, he has the widest range of roles on "The Simpsons", including the maniacal Mr. Burns, local celebrity news anchor Kent Brockman and the Springfield God Squad Reverend Lovejoy and Ned Flanders. He has received several Emmy Award and Grammy Award nominations, and in 2014, he earned his first Primetime Emmy Award for his voice-over work on "The Simpsons". On June 19, 2008, it was announced that he would receive a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the radio category, but the date of the ceremony where his star will be put in place has yet to be announced.






James Gregory - Character actor who was known for his deep, gravelly voice, and for playing brash roles such as the McCarthy-like Senator John Iselin in the 1962 film The Manchurian Candidate, the audacious General Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and loudmouthed Inspector Frank Luger in "Barney Miller". He also played the detective out to get Capone in the 1959 film Al Capone, and Dean Martin's boss, MacDonald, in three of the four "Matt Helm" spy films. "Star Trek" fans will remember him for his role as Dr. Tristan Adams, the villainous director of the Tantalus IV Penal Colony on the "Star Trek" original series episode, "Dagger of the Mind".








Corey Haim - Actor who is best-known for his role alongside Corey Feldman in The Lost Boys. At the peak of their careers in the 1980s, he and Corey Feldman were known as "The Two Coreys". He made his film debut in 1984, playing a young child caught up in a family war in the movie Firstborn. His other movies include Lucas, Silver Bullet, Murphy's Romance, License to Drive, Dream a Little Dream and A Time to Live. He was ranked #26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars.






Ronnie Schell - Actor, stand-up comedian, and cartoon voice actor who is probably best known for his role as Duke Slater in the 1960s TV series "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.". He had a recurring role on "That Girl", playing Marlo Thomas' agent. He had minor supporting roles in the Disney films The Strongest Man in the World, The Shaggy D.A., Gus, The Cat from Outer Space, and The Devil and Max Devlin. He also had numerous guest parts on TV shows including "The Andy Griffith Show", "Love, American Style", "Charlie's Angels", "The Dukes of Hazzard", and "Saved by the Bell".




Gerald S. O'Loughlin - Actor who is probably best known for his role as Lt. Ed Ryker on the TV series "The Rookies". He also appeared in semi-regular roles on the TV series "Our House" and "Automan". His movie credits include Desperate Characters, A Fine Madness, In Cold Blood, Ice Station Zebra, The Valachi Papers, Twilight's Last Gleaming, Crimes of Passion and Frances. He also appeared John Cappelletti Sr. in the 1977 TV movie Something for Joey, and as Sgt. O'Toole in the 1983 made-for-TV miniseries "The Blue and the Gray". The highlight of his stage career was a national tour of "A Streetcar Named Desire" as Stanley Kowalski, opposite Tallulah Bankhead as Blanche DuBois.




Frederic Forrest - Actor who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Huston Dyer in the 1979 musical drama The Rose. He is also known for his portrayal of "Chef Hicks" in the epic war classic Apocalypse Now. In 1973, he earned a Golden Globe nomination as "Most Promising Newcomer - Male" for his performance in When the Legends Die. In 1987, was cast in the series "21 Jump Street" as Captain Richard Jenko.




Jerry Koosman - Former MLB pitcher for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985. He is best known for being a member of the Miracle Mets team that won the 1969 World Series. He was also a member of 1973 National League Champion New York Mets team, and the 1983 American League Western Division Champion Chicago White Sox team. He was a two-time 20-game winner with 21 wins in 1976 with the Mets, and 20 wins in 1979 with the Twins. He was named to the 1968 and 1969 National League All Star Teams. In 1968, he finished second to Johnny Bench for Rookie of the Year honors after leading the Mets in victories with 19 and an earned run average of 2.08. He is regarded as the best left handed pitcher in New York Mets history. In 1989, he was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame.






Dick Weber - Professional bowler, and a founding member of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). He was known not only as a bowling superstar, but also as a bowling pioneer, and one of the sport's most popular players. He won 26 PBA Tour events as well as six Senior Tour events. He was one of bowling's first national stars, when the ABC network broadcast bowling tournaments on Saturday afternoons. In 1961, 1963, and 1965, he was named the National Bowler of the Year. In 1970, he was inducted into the American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. In 1975, he was inducted into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The PBA ranked him 3rd on its 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years". (Only all-time titles leaders Earl Anthony and Walter Ray Williams, Jr. ranked higher.) His son, Pete Weber, is also a top PBA bowler. Both father and son are members of the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame and the PBA Hall of Fame.

This is a great photo! Not because Susan Lucci is pretty which she is...but because the photo itself has a lively charm.

I wanted to find a picture of her after she finally won her Emmy, and when I saw that photo, I knew it was the one.

Born on December 24th:

Michael Curtiz - Hungarian American film director who directed more than 50 films in Europe, and more than 100 in the United States, many of them cinema classics, including The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, Dodge City, The Sea Hawk, The Sea Wolf, Angels with Dirty Faces, Casablanca, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Pierce, and White Christmas. Six of his films were nominated for Best Picture, Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Four Daughters, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Casablanca, and Mildred Pierce. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director five times, (once as a write-in candidate for Captain Blood), and in 1944, he won the Oscar for Best Director for Casablanca. The American Film Institute ranked Casablanca #3 and Yankee Doodle Dandy #98 on their list of the greatest American movies. The Adventures of Robin Hood and Mildred Pierce were nominated for the list. On February 8, 1960, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6640 Hollywood Blvd.










Ava Gardner - Actress who appeared in several high-profile films from the 1950s to 1970s, including The Hucksters, Show Boat, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, The Barefoot Contessa, Bhowani Junction, On the Beach, Seven Days in May, The Night of the Iguana, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Earthquake, and The Cassandra Crossing. In 1954, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in Mogambo. In 1965, she was nominated for a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe Award for her performance as Maxine Faulk in The Night of the Iguana. She was nominated three times for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress, in 1957 for Bhowani Junction, in 1960 for On the Beach, and in 1965 for The Night of the Iguana. She is listed 25th among the American Film Institute's Greatest Female Stars. On February 8, 1960, she received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street. Her three ex-husbands, (Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw, and Frank Sinatra), were eventually married to a total of 20 brides between them.




Nicholas Meyer - Screenwriter, producer, author and director who is best known for his best-selling novel "The Seven-Per-Cent Solution", and for directing the films Time After Time, two of the Star Trek feature film series, and the 1983 television movie The Day After. He is one of two people, along with writer/producer Harve Bennett, who are credited with revitalizing and saving the Star Trek franchise after the problems of the first film almost caused Paramount Pictures to end the series. In addition to directing Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, he also wrote the shooting script for that film (uncredited). He co-wrote the screenplay for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with Bennett. He developed the story for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country with Leonard Nimoy, and he co-wrote the screenplay with Denny Flinn. He also directed Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for adapting a screenplay from his own novel for the 1976 movie The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. He has also been nominated for a Satellite Award, three Emmy Awards, and has won four Saturn Awards.






Mark Millar - Comic book writer who is best known for his work on books such as "The Authority", "The Ultimates", "Marvel Knights Spider-Man", "Ultimate Fantastic Four", "Civil War", "Wanted", and "Kick-Ass". He has revamped the X-Men, broke Spider-Man sales records, brought the Fantastic Four into the 21st Century and made Superman a communist. In 2007, he wrote "Marvel's Civil War", which is the US industry's biggest-selling comic book of the past decade. His "Wanted" comic series was the industry's biggest-selling creator-owned book of the last ten years until he smashed his own record with "Kick-Ass", with an unprecedented five printings every issue. Both properties were sold as movies before the first issue hit the stands. He has been nominated for four Eisner Awards and two Eagle Awards. In 2013, he was recognized by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for services to film and literature.




Lee Daniels - Producer and director who is best known for producing Monster's Ball and directing Precious, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director. The film won two of the awards, (Best Supporting Actress and Best Screenplay). In 2013, he directed The Butler, a historical fiction drama featuring an ensemble cast portraying unique events on the 20th century presidents of the United States at the White House. He began his career in entertainment, first as a casting director and later as a manager. By his mid-twenties, he was working with Prince on the 1984 film Purple Rain and the 1986 film Under the Cherry Moon. Despite being involved in film production, he continued to manage talent, and he grew a roster of clients that included several Academy Award nominees and winners. He was the first African-American to direct a Best Picture Oscar nominee, the second African-American to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Director, and the second African-American to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.




Ryan Seacrest - Radio personality, TV host, and producer who is best known for hosting the talent competition "American Idol", as well as "On Air with Ryan Seacrest", a morning radio show on KIIS-FM. In 2009, he signed a deal with CKX for $45 million to continue to host "American Idol", making him the highest paid reality television host to date. He received eleven Emmy Award nominations for "American Idol", and he won an Emmy Award for producing "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution". In 2004, he became the new host of the radio program "American Top 40", a syndicated weekly countdown show, created and formerly hosted by Casey Kasem. In August 2005, it was announced that he would become the executive producer and co-host of ABC's "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve". On December 31, 2005, he performed much of the show's hosting duties. In 2009, ABC renamed the program "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest", to reflect Seacrest's role. On April 20, 2005, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to Radio at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.




Moose - Jack Russell Terrier who is most famous for his portrayal of Eddie Crane on the TV sitcom "Frasier". He won the role on "Frasier" after only six months of training. He had the ability to fix Kelsey Grammer with a long hard stare, which became a running sight gag on the show. During the height of the show's popularity, he received more fan mail than any of his human counterparts. He has made numerous TV appearances, and he has several magazine covers to his credit. There is an official Moose calendar and an "autobiography", My Life as a Dog. Moose's son Enzo was cast as Skip in the feature film My Dog Skip, and Moose played the older Skip in a few scenes.






Mark Valley - Actor who is best known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama "Boston Legal". He is also known as Oliver Richard on the NBC drama "Harry's Law", as FBI agent John Scott on "Fringe", as Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama "Human Target", as Tommy Sullivan in ABC's "Body of Proof", and as CIA Director Gabe Widener in NBC's "Crisis". He was nominated three times for a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the cast of "Boston Legal" for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.




Ricky Martin - Singer, actor, and author who began his career at age twelve with the all-boy pop group Menudo. After five years with the group, he released several Spanish-language solo albums throughout the 1990s. His song "Livin' la Vida Loca" helped him obtain enormous success worldwide, and is generally seen as the song that began the Latin pop explosion of 1999. It made the transition easier for other Spanish-speaking artists to move into the English-speaking market. Since its release, the song has sold over 8 million copies, making it one of the best selling singles of all time. His first English-language album, titled "Ricky Martin", has sold 22 million copies and is one of the best selling albums of all time. He has sold over 85 million albums, has had 95 platinum records, six #1 Billboard albums, eleven #1 hit songs, two American Music Awards, six Grammy Awards, eight World Music Awards, ten Billboard Music Awards, eight MTV Music Video Awards, and concerts in more than 60 countries across the globe. In 2004, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lo Nuestro Awards in Miami. On October 16, 2007, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Blvd.



Ricky Martin - Livin' La Vida Loca





Mary Higgins Clark - Author of 42 suspense novels that have each been a bestseller in the United States and various European countries, and all of her novels remained in print as of 2007, with her debut suspense novel, "Where Are The Children?", in its seventy-fifth printing. Her books have sold more than 80 million copies in the United States alone. She has won numerous awards for her writing, including the Horatio Alger Award, the Passionists' Ethics in Literature Award, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University Spirit of Achievement Award, and the National Arts Club's Gold Medal in Education. In 1980, she was awarded the Grand Prix de literature of France. In 1987, she was the president of the Mystery Writers of America. In 1988, she was the Chairman of the International Crime Congress. In 2011, she was inducted into Irish America magazine's Irish America Hall of Fame. In 2011, she was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame for her services and contributions in Literature and Charities.

Happy Bday Ava! I'm a fan of Ava's and I've seen most of her movies. She might not be the greatest actresses but she has a lot of onscreen style. My favorite film of hers is The Killers, a great film noir, which was her breakthrough film. A fun rom-com is One Touch of Venus, latter remade by TV's Vanna White.

Sometimes she looks real pretty in photos, but not in the one you posted. I like these better.

I've seen One Touch of Venus, and it's a great movie. I watched it because I like Robert Walker. I think he's an underrated actor. (He's the father of Robert Walker Jr., who played Charlie Evans in the "Star Trek" original series episode "Charlie X".)

Happy Birthday Moose!

I thought One Touch of Venus would be your type of movie mine too.

I agree Robert Walker is underrated and wasn't in that many movies. He has an uneasiness to him that makes him seem a bit edgy in films, where edgy is good. Both in The Clock and Strangers on a Train he seems potential dangerous, in the latter he is.

I haven't seen a lot of Robert Walker's movies, but I really like the ones that I've seen, so I'm always looking for more of his movies. I love Strangers on a Train, and I just saw The Clock about a couple of weeks ago, and I liked it a lot.

I think a lot of people love films like Strangers on a Train that are Film Noir but they don't think of them as Noir. That's why more people should join the Noir Hof, hint, hint.

http://www.movieforums.com/community...t=38165&page=6

I've seen and really liked these Robert Walker films:

Since You Went Away
The Sea of Grass
The Clock...which you've seen.
All 3 of those are strong classics.

One Touch of Venus
Madame Curie
Strangers on a Train
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Bataan
Till the Clouds Roll By...a series of musical number vignettes, it's OK.

Born on December 25th:

Rick Berman - TV producer who is best known for his work as the executive producer of several of the "Star Trek" series, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and "Star Trek: Voyager", and several of the "Star Trek" theatrical productions, and for succeeding Gene Roddenberry as head of the "Star Trek" franchise, until the cancellation of "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2005. He started his career as an independent film producer, director, and writer, making documentaries and industrial films. Among his clients were the United Nations and the United States Information Agency. By 1977, he had traveled to over 90 countries making films for these organizations. From 1977 to 1982, he was the senior producer of the PBS series "The Big Blue Marble", which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Series. Between 1982 and 1984, he was an independent producer, working on projects that included the HBO series "What on Earth", and the PBS series "The Primal Mind". In 1984, he joined Paramount as the director of current programming, overseeing shows such as "Cheers" and "Family Ties". He was also executive director of dramatic programming, overseeing shows such as the mini-series "Space" and the ABC series "MacGyver". In 1987, Roddenberry selected him to help create "Star Trek: The Next Generation". He co-created "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" with Michael Piller, and "Star Trek: Voyager" with Piller and Jeri Taylor. In 2001, he co-created "Enterprise" (retitled "Star Trek: Enterprise" in 2003) with Brannon Braga. He was also lead producer on the four "Star Trek: Next Generation" feature films, Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis. He received both producer and story credit on all four films. He was nominated for an Emmy Award, and five Hugo Awards for the various "Star Trek" TV shows and movies.


Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry on the set of "Star Trek: The Next Generation"




Noel Langley - Novelist, playwright, screenwriter and director who wrote the screenplay which formed the basis for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, and is one of the three credited screenwriters for the film. Some of the changes that he introduced to story are the inclusion of the actors playing the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion characters as farmhands in the sepia tone Kansas sequences, as well as changing the color of Dorothy's shoes from silver to ruby. He also introduced Miss Almira Gulch, the Wicked Witch's Kansas counterpart. He wrote a screenplay for a second Oz film, based on "The Marvelous Land of Oz", which was never produced. He also worked on many British films including the film noir They Made Me a Fugitive, the Alastair Sim Scrooge, The Pickwick Papers, Ivanhoe, and The Prisoner of Zenda. In 1962, he was nominated for a Writers Guild of America (WGA) Award for Best Written American Musical for Snow White and the Three Stooges.




Lew Grade - TV producer whose production company, ITC Entertainment, was responsible for the iconic 1960s British TV series "The Saint" and "The Prisoner". He acquired the independent production company AP Films in 1962, which produced the popular children's marionette adventure series "Thunderbirds" among others. AP Films also produced three feature films, and the live-action sci-fi series "Space: 1999". He was also the force behind the private British TV broadcasting network ATV, which featured extravagant 'quality' productions such as a live broadcast of "Tosca" from La Scala starring Maria Callas, which took up an entire evening's broadcast time. He produced director 'Franco Zefferelli' 's award-winning 1977 TV mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth". As a movie producer, he helped finance the big screen incarnation of "The Muppet Show", for which he was immortalized by Jim Henson, who made a Muppet in his image, Dr Bunsen Honeydew. Henson also used Grade for the character of movie mogul Lew Lord, (played by Orson Welles), in The Muppet Movie. He and his brother Leslie Grade founded a talent agency in 1933, which grew into the largest in the UK. With their partner Joe Collins, (the father of Joan and Jackie Collins), the agency eventually represented some of the biggest and most prestigious stars in British show business, including Sir Ralph Richardson and Lord Laurence Olivier. In 1969, he was Knighted for his services towards promoting international trade, and in 1976, he was made a life peer (a Baron).






Sissy Spacek - Actress and singer who is best known for her BAFTA Award nominated role as Holly Sargis in Terrence Malick's 1973 film Badlands, and as Carrie White in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror film Carrie, which is based on the first novel by Stephen King. She has been nominated for six Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances in the movies Carrie, Coal Miner's Daughter, Missing, The River, Crimes of the Heart, and In the Bedroom. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as country star Loretta Lynn in the 1980 film Coal Miner's Daughter. and she also earned a Grammy Award nomination for the song "Coal Miner's Daughter" from the film's soundtrack. She has been nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards, and she won the award three times for Best Actress for Coal Miner's Daughter, Crimes of the Heart, and In the Bedroom. Her other films include 3 Women, Raggedy Man, JFK, Affliction, The Straight Story, Nine Lives, and The Help. She has also been nominated for three Emmy Awards, and four BAFTA Awards. In 2001, she was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin, Texas. On August 1, 2011, she received a Star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Blvd.




Gary Sandy - Actor who is best known for his role as program director Andy Travis on the TV sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati". On stage, he played The Pirate King in Broadway's "The Pirates of Penzance", Billy Flynn in "Chicago", Harold Hill in "The Music Man", and Will Rogers in "Will Rogers Follies". In the 1980s, he starred in a stage production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" opposite Jean Stapleton and Marion Ross, and in the early 2000s, he starred opposite Ann-Margret in a stage production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". One of his finest hours on stage was in the challenging one-man 1985 production "Billy Bishop Goes to War", in which he enacted 17 roles.




Cab Calloway - Jazz singer and bandleader who was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City. He was a master of energetic scat singing, and he led one of the United States' most popular big bands from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. In 1931, his record "Minnie the Moocher" was the first jazz album to sell a million copies. His other popular song compositions include "Are You Hep to That Jive?", "Lady With the Fan", "Zaz Zuh Zaz", "Chinese Rhythm", "Are You In Love With Me Again?", "That Man's Here Again", "Peck-A-Doodle-Doo", "I Like Music", "Rustle of Swing", "Three Swings and Out", "The Jumpin' Jive", "Boog It", "Come on with the Come-on", "Silly Old Moon", "Sunset", "Rhapsody in Rhumba", "Are You All Reet?", "Hi-De-Ho Man", "Levee Lullaby", "Let's Go, Joe", "Geechy Joe", and "Hot Air". He was the inspiration for the character of Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1993 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, D.C. In 1987, he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame. In 2008, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.



Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher





Jimmy Buffett - Singer, songwriter, author, actor, and businessman who is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle, and the often humorous things he has experienced throughout his life. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, he has recorded hit songs including "Margaritaville" and "Come Monday". He has earned 8 Gold Albums and 9 Platinum or Multi-Platinum Albums. His song "Margaritaville" was ranked 234th on the Recording Industry Association of America's list of "Songs of the Century". In 2003, he partnered in a partial duet with Alan Jackson for the song "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere", a number-one hit on the country charts. This song won the 2003 Country Music Association Award for Vocal Event of the Year. He is also a best-selling writer, and he is involved in two restaurant chains named after two of his best-known songs, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" and "Margaritaville". He owns the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain and co-developed the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant concept with OSI Restaurant Partners, (parent of Outback Steakhouse), which operates the chain under a licensing agreement with Buffett. He has a devoted base of fans known as "Parrotheads".



Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville



Jimmy Buffett - Cheeseburger In Paradise





Annie Lennox - Scottish singer, songwriter who achieved international success in the 1980s with fellow musician Dave Stewart as the Eurythmics. In 1992, she embarked on a solo career with her debut album, "Diva", which produced several hit singles including "Why" and "Walking on Broken Glass". She has released six solo studio albums and a compilation album, "The Annie Lennox Collection". She is the most recognized female artist at the Brit Awards, winning a total of eight awards, including Best British Female Artist six times. She has also been named the "Brits Champion of Champions". She won four Grammy Awards and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2002, she received a Billboard Century Award; the highest accolade from Billboard Magazine. In 2004, she won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Into the West", written for the soundtrack to the feature film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. She has been named "The Greatest White Soul Singer Alive" by VH1, and Rolling Stone named her one of The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. In 2012, she was rated No. 22 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music. She has earned the distinction of "most successful female British artist in UK music history". Including her work with the Eurythmics, she sold over 80 million records worldwide. In 2005, Eurythmics were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding contribution to British music, and being an integral part of British music culture.





Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)





Barbara Mandrell - Country music singer who was the first performer to win the Country Music Association's "Entertainer of the Year" award twice. She also won the Country Music Association's "Female Vocalist of the Year" twice. She is known for a series of Top 10 hits and TV shows in the 1970s and 1980s that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of that period. Her Billboard #1 hits include "Sleeping Single in a Double Bed", "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right", "Years", "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool" (her signature song), "'Till You're Gone" and "One of a Kind, Pair of Fools". She has also received numerous industry awards and accolades, including Grammy Awards in 1982 and 1983 for her gospel recordings. In 1982, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Performance by an Actress in a TV series - Comedy/Musical' for her TV show "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters". In 1999, she was elected into the Country-Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2009, she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In 2014, she was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.



Barbara Mandrell - I Was Country (When Country Wasn't Cool)



Barbara Mandrell - Sleeping Single In A Double Bed





Steve Wariner - Country music singer, songwriter and guitarist who has released eighteen studio albums, and charted more than fifty singles on the Billboard country singles charts, including ten Number One hits: "All Roads Lead to You", "Some Fools Never Learn", "You Can Dream of Me", "Life's Highway", "Small Town Girl", "The Weekend", "Lynda", "Where Did I Go Wrong", and "I Got Dreams", and "What If I Said", a duet with Anita Cochran from her album "Back to You". Three of his studio albums have been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for shipping 500,000 copies in the United States. In addition to writing or co-writing most of his own songs, he has also written songs for other artists, including #1 hits for Clint Black and Garth Brooks, as well as singles for Bryan White and Keith Urban. He won four Grammy Awards: one for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals, and three for Best Country Instrumental. He was one of only four guitar players in the world to be given the "Certified Guitar Player" (CGP) award by Chet Atkins. In 1996, he became a member of the Grand Ole Opry. In 2008, he was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame in Nashville. In 2011, he was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.



Steve Wariner - On Christmas Morning



Steve Wariner - What I Didn't Do



Steve Wariner - I Should Be With You



Steve Wariner - A Woman Loves





Alannah Myles - Canadian singer, songwriter whose 1990 single "Black Velvet", (which is about Elvis Presley), reached #1 for two weeks (with a bullet) on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 Chart, and became a worldwide hit. It also won the 1990 Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Her first record, "Alannah Myles", achieved top 10 hits in several countries around the world including "Love Is", "Still Got This Thing for You", and her #1 hit in Canada, "Lover of Mine". Her first album sold upwards of six million copies internationally, and was awarded the Diamond Award for sales of over one million units. She is the only Canadian debut artist to attain that award. In 1992, she was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance Female for the song "Rockinghorse".



Alannah Myles - Black Velvet





Nellie Fox - Former MLB second baseman for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros from 1947 through 1965. He was the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1959, and he was an AL All-Star for 12 seasons (15 games). From 1952-1961, he led American League second basemen in putouts for 10 consecutive seasons. From 1952-1960, he led American League second basemen in fielding chances accepted for 9 consecutive seasons. He led American League second basemen in fielding percentage six times. In 1957, 1959, and 1960, he won the Gold Glove Award. From August 7, 1955 - September 3, 1960, he played 798 consecutive games at second base. He hit for a .288 career batting average, 2663 hits, 35 home runs and 790 runs batted in. In 9,232 at-bats, he struck out only 216 times. After his playing career was over, Fox coached the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. In 1997, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.






Rickey Henderson - Former MLB left fielder who played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his original team, the Oakland Athletics. He is widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner. He holds the major league records for career stolen bases, runs scored, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs. He was a ten-time American League (AL) All-Star, and he was named the AL's Most Valuable Player in 1990. He was a 12-time stolen base champion who led the league in runs five times. He holds the single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982), and is the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times. His 1,406 career steals is 50% higher than the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock. In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot appearance.

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I always think of Cab Calloway in one of my favorite movies, The Blues Brothers.

Born on December 26th:

Caroll Spinney - Puppeteer and cartoonist, sometimes credited as Carroll Spinney or Ed Spinney, who is best known for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on "Sesame Street". While in the Air Force, using the pseudonym Ed Spinney, he wrote and illustrated "Harvey", a comic strip about military life, and he animated a series of black-and-white cartoons called "Crazy Crayon". He joined "Sesame Street" for the inaugural season in 1969, and his characters Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch have maintained integral roles in the show over the decades. As Big Bird/Oscar, he has conducted orchestras across the US and Canada, including the Boston Pops, as well as visited the White House multiple times. He has provided the characters' voices on dozens of albums. During the 1980s there was discussion about sending Big Bird into space to teach children about the U.S. space program. However, they were unable to figure out how to operate Big Bird in zero gravity, so the decision was made to send a teacher instead, which resulted in Christa McAuliffe being selected instead of him. In the 1970s, he was one of many puppeteers of a Muppet named Baby Monster, who was an "anything monster" Muppet played by various Muppeteers until Brian Muehl took over the character in 1980, and the character was given the name Elmo. He won four Daytime Emmy Awards for his portrayals on the series and two Grammy Awards for his related recordings. On April 24,1994, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. In 2000, he received the Library of Congress' Living Legend Award. In 2006, he received the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmy Awards.




Caroll Spinney in 1969




Richard Widmark - Actor who was typecast in villainous or anti-hero roles in film noirs early in his career, but he later branched out into more heroic leading and support roles in westerns, mainstream dramas and horror films, among others. In 1948, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, Kiss of Death, for which he also won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer. His movies include The Street with No Name, Yellow Sky, Panic in the Streets, Night and the City, The Alamo, Two Rode Together, Cheyenne Autumn, and Murder on the Orient Express. He is possibly best known as the prosecutor in Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg. In 1955, he appeared on TV as himself in an episode of "I Love Lucy". In 2002, he was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. In 1949, his hand and footprints were cast in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theater. On February 8, 1960, he received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6800 Hollywood Boulevard. He was the father-in-law of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax.




Steve Allen - TV personality, musician, composer, actor, comedian, and writer, who although he got his start in radio, he is best known for his TV career. He first gained national attention as a guest host on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts". He later became the first host of "The Tonight Show", where he was instrumental in innovating the concept of the TV talk show. Thereafter, he hosted numerous game and variety shows, including "The Steve Allen Show", "I've Got a Secret", and "The New Steve Allen Show", and he was a regular panel member on the CBS show "What's My Line?". He was nominated for eight Emmy Awards. He was also a pianist and a composer, having written over 14,000 songs, some of which were recorded by Perry Como, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Les Brown, and Gloria Lynne. In 1963, he won a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Composition for his song "The Gravy Waltz". He also wrote more than 50 books. He has a Hollywood theater named in his honor. On February 8, 1960, he received two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for Television at 1720 Vine Street, and another for Radio at 1537 Vine Street.




Elisha Cook Jr. - Character actor who is probably best remembered as the "gunsel" Wilmer, who tries to intimidate Humphrey Bogart's Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, but his acting career spanned more than 60 years, with roles in films such as The Big Sleep, Shane, The Killing, House on Haunted Hill, and Rosemary's Baby. He received his nickname "Hollywood's Lightest Heavy" from playing cowardly villains in his movies. He is best remembered by Star Trek fans as lawyer Samuel T. Cogley in the "Star Trek" original series episode "Court Martial".






Jared Leto - Actor, singer, songwriter, and director who first achieved recognition for his role as Jordan Catalano on the 1994 TV series "My So-Called Life". He made his film debut in How to Make an American Quilt, and he received first notable critical praise for his performance in Prefontaine. His movies include The Thin Red Line, Fight Club, American Psycho, Urban Legend, Panic Room, Alexander, Lord of War, Lonely Hearts, Chapter 27, and Mr. Nobody. In 2000, he earned critical acclaim for portraying heroin addict Harry Goldfarb in Requiem for a Dream. In 2014, he won the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, as well as numerous other awards, for his performance as a transgender woman in Dallas Buyers Club. He is also the lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter for Thirty Seconds to Mars, a band he formed in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, with his older brother Shannon Leto. As of September 2014, the band has sold over 15 million albums worldwide.






Alan King - Actor and comedian who is known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. In the movies, he often portrayed a gangster, as in Casino, Night and the City, I, the Jury, and Cat's Eye. He was a regular guest host for "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", he hosted the Oscars in 1972, and he was the MC for President John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. He was also the long-standing host of the New York Friar's Club celebrity roasts. In 1988, he was the first recipient of the award for American Jewish humor from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture. The award was ultimately renamed in his honor.



Alan King on David Letterman in 1988





John Walsh - TV personality, criminal investigator, human and victim rights advocate, and the host and creator of the TV show "America's Most Wanted". He is known for his anti-crime activism and his extreme hatred of criminals, with which he became involved following the murder of his son, Adam, in 1981. After his son's murder, he and his wife Revé organized a political campaign to help missing and exploited children. Despite bureaucratic and legislative problems, their efforts eventually led to the creation of the Missing Children Act of 1982, and the Missing Children's Assistance Act of 1984. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush on July 27, 2006. Primarily, it focuses on a national sex offender registry, tough penalties for not registering as a sex offender following release into society, and access by citizens to state websites that track sex offenders. By the late 1980s, many malls, department stores, supermarkets, and other such retailers have adopted what is known as a "Code Adam", which means, if a child is lost or missing, all doors are to be locked and a store employee is posted at every exit, while a description of the child is generally broadcast over the intercom system. In 1988, launched the Fox TV show "America's Most Wanted", which was the longest-running crime reality show in Fox's history and had contributed to the capture of more than 1,000 fugitives. In 2008, John Walsh was awarded the Operation Kids 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. for his dedication to protecting children and to raise funds for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which he co-founded with his wife. He is also part owner of the Museum of Crime & Punishment in Washington, D.C.




Chris Daughtry - Singer and musician who is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band Daughtry, and as the fourth-place contestant on the fifth season of "American Idol". He is the third most successful "American Idol" contestant in terms of record sales. Daughtry's self-titled debut album became the fastest selling debut rock album in Nielsen Soundscan history, selling more than one million copies after just five weeks of release. Daughtry has been nominated for four Grammy Awards including Best Rock Album ("Daughtry"), Best Rock Song ("It's Not Over"), Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("It's Not Over"), and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Home").



Daughtry - Home



Daughtry - It's Not Over





Phil Spector - Record producer, songwriter, and the originator of the Wall of Sound production method, who became infamous as the subject of two trials for murder and a second-degree conviction. At the height of his career, he was a pioneer of the 1960s girl-group sound, and he produced more than twenty-five Top 40 hits from 1960 to 1965, writing or co-writing many of them. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer. In 1997, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him #63 on their list of the "Greatest Artists of All Time". In 2009, he was convicted of second-degree murder in the 2003 shooting death of actress Lana Clarkson in his Alhambra, California home. He is serving a prison sentence of 19 years to life.




Carlton Fisk - Retired MLB catcher who played for the Boston Red Sox (1969, 1971–1980) and the Chicago White Sox (1981–1993). In 1972, he was the first player to be unanimously voted American League Rookie of the Year. He is best remembered for "waving fair" his game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. He was voted to the All-Star team 11 times, and he won three Silver Slugger Awards as the best offensive player at his position. In 2000, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1997, he was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was elected to the Chicago White Sox All-Century Team. In 1997, the Chicago White Sox retired his uniform number "72", and in 2000, the Boston Red Sox retired his uniform number "27". He is one of only eight people to have their uniform number retired by at least two teams, and one of only three to have different numbers retired by two teams. He is the only Red Sox player to have his number retired without having finished his career with the Red Sox. In 2004, he was named the greatest New Hampshire Athlete of All Time.



Carlton Fisk: World Series Home Run





Ozzie Smith - Former MLB shortstop, nicknamed "The Wizard" and "The Wizard of Oz" for his defensive brilliance, who played for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996. He is known for his ritual backflip before Opening Days, All-Star Games, and postseason games. He was a 15-time All-Star who accumulated 2,460 hits and 580 stolen bases during his career. In 1987, he won the NL Silver Slugger Award as the best-hitting shortstop. From 1980–1992, he won the NL Gold Glove Award for play at shortstop for 13 consecutive seasons. In 1985, he won the fifth game of the National League Championship Series with a homerun in the ninth-inning, and he was named the National League Championship Series MVP. In 2002, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. He was also elected to the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 2014. His uniform number (No. 1) was retired by the Cardinals. His son is 2005 "American Idol" Top 10 finalist Nikko Smith.



Ozzie Smith Backflip

Born on December 27th:

Marlene Dietrich - German-American actress and singer whose performance as Lola-Lola in the 1930 film The Blue Angel, directed by Josef von Sternberg, brought her international fame and earned her a contract with Paramount Pictures in the U.S. She remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. Hollywood films such as Shanghai Express and Desire capitalized on her glamour and exotic looks, cementing her stardom and making her one of the highest-paid actresses of the era. In 1931, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for Morocco. In 1958, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for Witness for the Prosecution. She was voted the 43rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly. In 1999, the American Film Institute named her the 9th greatest female star of all time. On February 8, 1960, she received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6400 Hollywood Blvd.




Sydney Greenstreet - Actor who is best known for his films with Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre, which include The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. His other movies include Background to Danger, Passage to Marseille, The Mask of Dimitrios, The Conspirators, Hollywood Canteen, Three Strangers, The Verdict (1946), Devotion, Christmas in Connecticut, Flamingo Road, and Malaya. In 1950 and 1951, he played Nero Wolfe on the NBC radio program "The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe". In 1942, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Maltese Falcon. His characters in The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca were the inspiration for the Star Wars character Jabba the Hutt. At one point during the production, a fez was placed on the final Jabba's head, to make him look like Greenstreet.




Gérard Depardieu - French actor who is one of the most prolific character actors in film history, having completed approximately 170 movies since 1967. He won the César Award for Best Actor twice, for The Last Metro and Cyrano de Bergerac, as well as the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in Green Card. After he received huge critical acclaim for the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac, he went on to act in many big budget Hollywood movies. He also received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in Cyrano de Bergerac. With 16 nominations, he has received more César nominations than any other actor. He has played several characters from classic French literature including the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Porthos in The Man in the Iron Mask (1998), Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo (1998), and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables (2000). His other movies include Ridley Scott's 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992), Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996), and Ang Lee's Life of Pi (2012).




John Amos - Actor who is best known for his role as James Evans, Sr. on the 1970s TV series "Good Times". His television work includes roles in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", the miniseries "Roots", for which he received an Emmy nomination, and a recurring role as Admiral Percy Fitzwallace on "The West Wing". He also played the father of Will Smith's character's girlfriend, Lisa Wilkes, in "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". In a career that spans four decades, he has also appeared on Broadway and in numerous movies including Let's Do It Again, The World's Greatest Athlete, Coming to America, Lock Up, American Flyers, The Beastmaster and Die Hard 2. He has received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and NAACP Image Award. He was considered the best role model for black men with families in America. He has the distinction of winning more TV Land Awards than anyone, taking home trophies for his roles on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Good Times", and the TV miniseries "Roots".




Tovah Feldshuh - Actress, singer and playwright who made her Broadway debut in the short-lived 1973 musical "Cyrano" starring Christopher Plummer. She also appeared in the title role in "Yentl" both off-Broadway at the Chelsea Theater Center and later on Broadway. She has been nominated for Broadway's Tony Award four times: as Best Actress (Play) in 1976 for "Yentl", and in 2004 for "Golda's Balcony," her one-woman show about Golda Meir; as Best Actress (Musical) in 1979 for "Sarava"; and as Best Actress (Featured Role - Play) in 1989 for "Lend Me a Tenor". She made her cabaret debut at the Algonquin Hotel Oak Room with her act, "Tovah: Crossovah! From Broadway to Cabaret", which was followed by "Tovah: Out of Her Mind!". The Boston Globe selected her as "Best Cabaret Artist of 2000". She penned the one-woman play "Tallulah Hallelujah!", about actress Tallulah Bankhead, in which she also starred. In 1973, she appeared on TV in a supporting role in "Scream, Pretty Peggy". In 1976, she also had a supporting role in "Ryan's Hope", and she later portrayed Katharine Hepburn in "The Amazing Howard Hughes". She came to international prominence as Helena Slomova in the 1978 mini-series "Holocaust", for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series'. She also had a recurring role as defense attorney Danielle Melnick on "Law & Order", for which she was nominated for an Emmy Award for 'Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series'. Her film appearances include Lady in the Water, Happy Accidents, Brewster's Millions, The Idolmaker, The Blue Iguana, The Believer, and Kissing Jessica Stein.




Aaron Stanford - Actor who is best known for his roles as Pyro in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand, as Doug in the 2006 remake of The Hills Have Eyes, and as Birkhoff in the TV series "Nikita". His first major film role was in the low-budget indie film Tadpole (2002), in which he plays Oscar Grubman, a precocious 15-year-old with a crush on his stepmother, played by Sigourney Weaver. In 2001 and 2002, he appeared multiple times on the TV series "Third Watch" as Russian teen Sergei. In 2002, he was named as one of Daily Variety's "Top Ten Actors to Watch", and he was included on Entertainment Weekly's "It List". In 2006, he won the "One To Watch" award at the Young Hollywood Awards. In 2007, he played the title role of Will Traveler in the short-lived TV series "Traveler".






Emilie de Ravin - Actress who is best known for her roles as Tess Harding on "Roswell", as Claire Littleton on the ABC drama "Lost", and as Belle on the ABC drama "Once Upon a Time". She starred as Brendan Frye's heroin-addicted ex-girlfriend Emily in the neo-noir film Brick. Her other film credits include Santa's Slay, The Hills Have Eyes, Ball Don't Lie, and Remember Me. She also had a small cameo appearance in Public Enemies.




Eva LaRue - Actress who is best known for her roles as Dr. Maria Santos on "All My Children", and as Detective Natalia Boa Vista in "CSI: Miami". She was half of "All My Children" supercouple Edmund and Maria. In 1997, she earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for 'Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series' for "All My Children". In 2004, she earned a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for 'Outstanding Original Song' for composing the song "Dance Again with You". From 1994-2003, she was nominated fro four Soap Opera Digest Awards for her work on "All My Children". In 2005, she had a recurring role on the TV sitcom "George Lopez" as Linda Lorenzo, George Lopez's "Long Lost" sister.




Heather O'Rourke - Child actress who is best known for her role as Carol Anne Freeling in the 1982 horror film Poltergeist and two of its sequels. From 1982 to 1983, she had a recurring role on the TV sitcom "Happy Days". From 1983-1987, she was nominated for five Young Artist Awards, winning the award in 1985 for 'Best Young Actress - Guest in a Television Series' for "Webster". She was ranked #65 on VH1's '100 Greatest Kid Actors' special. Her line, "They're here", ranked #69 on the 'AFI'S TOP 100 Movie Quotes' special. She also holds the distinction of being the youngest (age 5 at the time) actor/actress to utter the line that made the list. In 1980, she appeared on the doll box for Mattel's "My First Barbie".






Masi Oka - Japanese-American actor and digital effects artist who is best known for his role as Hiro Nakamura on NBC's "Heroes", and as coroner Max Bergman in CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" reboot. In 1987, at 12 years old, he was featured on the cover of Time titled "Those Asian-American Whiz Kids". His IQ has been reported at over 180. His first job after his college graduation was at Industrial Light & Magic, George Lucas's motion picture visual special effects company. He worked on the Star Wars prequel trilogy. In 2006, he earned a Golden Globe Award nomination, and an Emmy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for "Heroes". He was the only actor on "Heroes" to be nominated for both awards.




Bill Goldberg - Actor, former football player and former professional wrestler who is best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) between 1997 and 2001, and in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) between 2003 and 2004. He is notable for his lengthy undefeated streak in singles competition. The official count is listed as 173–0, though the legitimacy of this figure has been questioned. He is recognized by WWE as the only undefeated world champion in the history of sports entertainment. He is a WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and a World Heavyweight Champion in WWE. He is also a two-time WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, and a WCW World Tag Team Champion (with Bret Hart). He played pro football with the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Rams, and then he signed with the Carolina Panthers before his football career was ended by an abdominal injury. As an actor, he is known for the movies The Longest Yard, Ready to Rumble, and Looney Tunes: Back in Action. In 2010, he was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

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Happy Birthday to the great John Walsh and Carlton Fisk!

I like that Ava chick too based on that pic.

Elisha Cook Jr....Wow, I never knew that the same actor who was in The Maltese Falcon, was also in Star Trek, Court Martial. I've only seen The Maltese Falcon once I need to see it again.

Sydney Greenstreet...one of my favorite character actors...and if I watch The Maltese Falcon again I can see him.

Richard Widmark...GBG do you remember years ago when I had Widmark as my avatar?

She played Kate in Friends. She's the actress that Joey falls in love with when they're doing a terrible play together. She's the first woman he's wanted that didn't want him, leading to one of my favourite exchanges from that season. It goes something like this.

Chandler - So your saying that this is the first woman you've wanted that didn't want you back?

Joey - Yeah. Oh my God! Is this what it's like to be you?!

I bought Birds Of Prey on the strength that she was in it.

__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.

"Court Martial" is one of the my favorite "Star Trek" episodes. I'm surprised that you didn't know that Elisha Cook Jr. was in both "Star Trek" and The Maltese Falcon.

I don't remember you ever having a Richard Widmark avatar. I always remember you having Orson Welles. (I know that because I've always pictured you looking like Orson Welles in my mind. ) I loved Richard Widmark when he was on "I Love Lucy", and he played himself.

I remember Kate in "Friends". I didn't know that she was the same actress that was in "Birds of Prey". She was great in "Birds of Prey". I loved that show. I was so upset when it was cancelled.

Born on December 28th:

Maggie Smith - Actress who has received two Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, three Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, three Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Tony Award. In addition, she has also received several honororary awards, including two more BAFTAs, the Special Award in 1993 and the BAFTA Fellowship in 1996. Her best known films include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, California Suite, Travels with My Aunt, A Room with a View, Gosford Park, Tea with Mussolini, Death on the Nile, Clash of the Titans, Hook, Sister Act, The First Wives Club, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and the Harry Potter film series. She currently stars as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, on "Downton Abbey", for which she has won a Golden Globe, two Screen Actors Guild awards and two consecutive Emmy awards.




Denzel Washington - Actor who has received two Golden Globe awards, a Tony Award, and two Academy Awards. He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for the 1989 film Glory, and for Best Actor for the 2001 film Training Day. His best known films include A Soldier's Story, Cry Freedom, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, Philadelphia, The Pelican Brief, Crimson Tide, The Hurricane, The Manchurian Candidate, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, Flight, and The Equalizer.




Nichelle Nichols - Actress who is best known for her role of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura aboard the USS Enterprise in the TV series "Star Trek", as well as the succeeding motion pictures, where her character was eventually promoted in Starfleet to the rank of Commander. Her "Star Trek" character was one of the first African American female characters on American television who was not portrayed as a servant. It was a groundbreaking role in U.S society at the time. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. personally praised her work on the show and asked her to remain when she was considering leaving the series.




Lew Ayres - Actor who is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the 1930 film classic All Quiet on the Western Front, and for playing Dr. Kildare in nine movies.




Martin Milner - Actor who is best known for his roles as Tod Stiles in the TV series "Route 66", and as Officer Peter Joseph "Pete" Malloy in the TV series "Adam-12".





F.W. Murnau - German film director of the silent era whose best known work is his 1922 film Nosferatu, an adaptation of Bram Stoker's "Dracula".




Woodrow Wilson - The 28th President of the United States, from March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1921, who came up with the famous term "The Great Melting Pot" referring to the United States of America.




Richard Clayderman - French pianist who has released numerous albums including instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.



Richard Clayderman - Beautiful Melodies





John Legend - Singer, songwriter who has won nine Grammy Awards, and in 2007, he received the special Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame.



John Legend - All of Me





David Archuleta - Singer who in 2007, at only 16 years old, was one of the youngest contestants on the 7th season of "American Idol", finishing in 2nd place.



David Archuleta - Imagine (American Idol Performance)





Joe Diffie - Country music singer known for his ballads and novelty songs.



Joe Diffie - A Night To Remember



Joe Diffie - Third Rock From The Sun




Ray Knight - Former MLB Third Baseman/First Baseman who was the 1986 World Series MVP.






Bill "The Spaceman" Lee - Former left handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos who was one of the most colorful players in major league baseball history.