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1-50 of 136
- Actress
- Producer
- Casting Director
American leading lady, briefly prominent on screen during the 80s and 90's. Blond, gray-eyed Darlanne (whose not very Hollywood-sounding birth name literally translates to 'wing' in German) began her career in 1974 as a model with the Eileen Ford and Zoli Agencies in New York. Seven year later, though very much a success in this most competitive industry (earning $300 per hour) she decided, that, at 25, she "was washed up as a model". Determined to make a serious go of becoming an actress, Darlanne's early film roles instead suggested inevitable typecasting as high fashion models, accentuating allure factor rather than acting ability. As it turned out, more promising offers did come her way, beginning with a role as the chief love interest in Roger Corman's cultish space opera Battle Beyond the Stars (1980). She was then briefly featured as Robert De Niro's girlfriend Eve, the first person murdered in Nước Mỹ Một Thời (1984), followed by a grittier role as a junkie/police informant in To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). Between 1986 and 1991, Darlanne derived her primary source of income from the small screen where she found an appreciative audience playing Julie Torello, the wife of Dennis Farina's tough 1960s Chicago cop in Crime Story (1986) and Lacey Marseille in season three of Wiseguy (1987). She took over the female lead in season seven of Hunter (1984), but, given 'creative differences' between her and co-star Fred Dryer , she wanted to quit the show and her character was killed off after twelve episodes. Darlanne's career then gradually lost direction and she retired from acting in the mid-90s. Between 2002 and 2007, she held a position as a college professor teaching drama and production at the University of Central Florida film faculty.- Actress
- Soundtrack
This warm and winning, very non-theatrical brunette was born Phyllis St. Felix Thaxter in Portland, Maine, on November 20, 1919. The daughter of Maine Supreme Court Justice Sidney Thaxter, her acting talent came from her mother's side, who was a one-time Shakespearean actress. Phyllis was educated for a time at St. Genevieve School in Montreal and back at Portland's Deering High School.
She apprenticed in summer stock and had joined the Montreal Reperatory Theatre company by the time she made her Broadway debut at age 17 in "What a Life!" in 1939, the "Henry Aldrich" play. She went on to play a maid and to understudy the leading ingénue in "There Shall Be No Night" (1940), which starred America's premiere theatrical couple, Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, then understudied Dorothy McGuire in the hit dramatic play, "Claudia", later that year. She eventually played the title role both on Broadway and on the road, but lost out on the film role to McGuire.
Hollywood films reached her sights a few years later with the MGM war film, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), proving quite convincing as Van Johnson's noble wife. Similar to Margaret Sullavan, June Allyson, Dorothy McGuire and Teresa Wright, Phyllis was depended on as a stabilizing factor in melodramas and war pictures, often the dewy-eyed, altruistic wife, girlfriend or daughter waiting on the home-front.
Other important films included the girl with a split personality in Bewitched (1945), and as a angst-ridden, teary-eyed bride-to-be in Week-End at the Waldorf (1945). She was dutifully wholesome as the daughter who reunites Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in the movie The Sea of Grass (1947) and evoked tears, yet again, as little Margaret O'Brien's mother in Tenth Avenue Angel (1948). So natural and non-glamorous was she that she tended to blend into the woodwork while the flashier actresses often stole the thunder and the notices.
Audiences did not always fully appreciate Phyllis's understated work. She finished out her MGM contract with Act of Violence (1948), ever-faithful to even the bad guy, this time psychotic gangster Robert Ryan. Phyllis moved to Warner Brothers in the 1950s and played more of the same. The ever-patient wife to a slew of top actors including shady boat skipper John Garfield in The Breaking Point (1950), an alcoholic Gig Young in Come Fill the Cup (1951) and law-abiding Gary Cooper in Springfield Rifle (1952), her nascent career at Warners was suddenly curtailed by illness.
While visiting her family in Portland, she contracted a form of infantile paralysis. Fortunately, she recovered quickly but the ailment triggered the termination of her contract. Film roles were few and far between after this. Still displaying her built-in compassion and concern, her best-known part came with the touching but relatively minor role of farm wife "Martha Kent" in the highly popular Siêu Nhân (1978) film series with the late Christopher Reeve as her adopted superhero son and Glenn Ford as her husband. She was also a steady guest star on TV with numerous dramatic appearances including Miền Ảo Ảnh (1959), The F.B.I. (1965), Cannon (1971), Medical Center (1969), Barnaby Jones (1973) and several TV movies.
Married for nearly two decades to James T. Aubrey (1918-1994), who became president of CBS-TV before taking over MGM, they had three children--including Schuyler, who would become the actress Skye Aubrey. Following the couple's divorce in 1962, Phyllis married Gilbert Lea, who owned Tower Publishing Company in Portland. They eventually retired to Cumberland, Maine, where she involved herself in civic/community activities and dedicated herself to hospital volunteer work.
Phyllis died in Florida on August 14, 2012, at age 92.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Bob Saget was an American actor, stand-up comedian, and television host from Philadelphia. His best known role was playing pater familias Danny Tanner on the hit sitcom "Full House" (1987-1995). He played the character again in the sequel series "Fuller House" (2016-2020). Saget served as the original host of the long-running clip show "America's Funniest Home Videos" from 1989 to 1997. Saget voiced the narrator in the hit sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" (2005-2014), depicted as an older version of main character Ted Mosby.
In 1956, Saget was born to a Jewish family in Philadelphia. His parents were supermarket executive Benjamin Saget and hospital administrator Rosalyn "Dolly" Saget. The Saget family eventually moved to Norfolk, Virginia. Bob received his early religious education at Temple Israel, a synagogue of Norfolk which adhered to Conservative Judaism. He was reportedly a rebellious student.
Saget spend part of his high school years in Los Angeles, where he befriended veteran comedian Larry Fine (1902-1975). He attended a Philadelphia high school during his senior year. He was originally interested in a medical career but his English teacher Elaine Zimmerman convinced Saget to aspire to an acting or filmmaking career instead.
Saget received his college education at the "Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts", a college associated with the Temple University of Philadelphia. One of his student films won a merit award at the Student Academy Awards. He graduated college with a Bachelor of Arts in 1978. He had already started performing in comedy clubs during his college years.
In 1978, Saget intended to take graduate courses at the University of Southern California. He dropped out due to health-related problems. He almost died due to a gangrenous appendix, costing him a loss of confidence. He decided afterwards to lose some weight, in the belief that it would improve his health.
Following his graduation, Saget spend about a decade working mostly as a comedian. He appeared in minor acting roles in both films and television. In 1987, Saget was performing comedy bits for the short-lived non-fiction show "The Morning Program". The show offered a mix of "news, entertainment and comedy", but was canceled due to low ratings.
Saget's big break came when he was chosen to portray widowed father Danny Tanner in the sitcom "Full House" (1987-1995). The series depicted Danny's efforts to raise three young daughters, with the assistance of his best friends. The show suffered from poor viewership in its first season, but attracted a family audience due to its portrayal of the struggles associated with parenting. By its third season, it was ranked among Nielsen's Top 30 shows. Saget became a household name, and the series lasted for 8 seasons and 192 episodes. The series was eventually canceled due to its increasing production costs. Its rating had remained high until its final episode.
In 1989, Saget was chosen as the host of the clip show "America's Funniest Home Videos". The show featured humorous homemade videos which were submitted by its viewers, often highlighting physical comedy, pranks, or unusual behavior by children and pets. While the show was popular with viewers, Saget himself was increasingly frustrated with its repetitive format. When his contract for the show expired in 1997, Saget was not interested in negotiating for a renewal.
In 1996, Saget directed the dramatic television film "For Hope". The film depicted the struggles of a woman who is slowly dying due to being afflicted with scleroderma, an autoimmune disease with no known cure. Saget was reportedly inspired by the life and death of his sister Gay Saget, who had died due to scleroderma. The film received high ratings in its debut.
In 1998, Saget directed the comedy film "Dirty Work". It depicted two half-brothers who offer to perform revenge schemes for paying clients, but have a personal grudge against a man who reneged on a deal with them. The film under-performed at the box office, but gained a cult following due to its reputation as a "gag-fest".
From 2001 to 2002, Saget had the starring role of Matt Stewart in the sitcom "Raising Dad". The premise of the series was that widowed father Matt Stewart was trying to raise two daughter, while pursuing a teaching career at his eldest's daughter's high school. Despite the series having a similar concept to "Full House", it failed to find an audience. It lasted for a single season.
In 2005, Saget was cast as the narrator in the sitcom "How I Met Your Mother" (2005-2014). The premise of the series was that middle-aged Ted Mosby narrates his life story (and the life stories of his best friends) to his son and daughter. The series repeatedly implied that Ted was an unreliable narrator, who either embellished or censored aspects of his various stories. The series was quite popular, lasting for 9 seasons and 208 episodes.
In 2007, Saget directed the direct-to-video parody film "Farce of the Penguins". The film was a full-length parody of the documentary film "March of the Penguins" (2005), featuring penguins conversing about their love lives. It featured the voices of several then-popular actors, including several of Saget's former co-stars from "Full House".
In 2009, Saget was cast in the main role of Steve Patterson in the sitcom "Surviving Suburbia". The premise of the series was that the members of a suburban family have problems in interacting both with each other, and with their new neighbors. The series only lasted a single season, and struggled with low ratings.
In 2014, Saget published his memoirs under the title "Dirty Daddy". In 2016, a sequel series to "Full House" was introduced under the title "Fuller House". It featured the lives of two of Danny Tanner's daughters, and Danny's grandchildren. Saget played the recurring role of Danny for 15 episodes. The sequel series lasted for 5 seasons. This was Saget's last major role in a sitcom. He continued, however, to regularly host television events.
In January 2022, Saget was in Florida for a stand-up tour. On January 9, Saget was discovered dead in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, located south of Orlando, Florida. He was 65-years-old. His autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt head trauma from an accidental blow to the back of his head, likely from a fall. He had died in his sleep. He was buried at the Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery, next to the graves of his parents and his sister. Mourners honored Saget by offering donations to the charity "Scleroderma Research Foundation" (SRF), since Saget had long served in its board of directors. Saget is gone, but his popularity endures due to his acting and directing roles in several popular films and television shows.- Yvonne Suhor, visiting assistant professor of theatre, received her MFA from the University of California and has been a professional actress, director and teacher for several years. She was a regular on ABC's The Young Riders (1989), played Cicely in an Emmy award-winning episode of Northern Exposure (1990), played a recurring role in Brooklyn Bridge (1991) and has guest-starred in numerous shows including Murder, She Wrote (1984), Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Dillinger (1991) (with Mark Harmon). Her stage credits include Steppenwolf's award-winning production of Grapes of Wrath. She also toured Australia with Steppenwolf's internationally acclaimed production of Lydie Breeze and won a JEFF nomination for her performance in Vampires. Suhor teaches voice, movement and acting in the theatre department.
- Bob Ross was born on 29 October 1942 in Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. He was married to Lynda Lucille Freeman, Jane Ross and Vicky Ross. He died on 4 July 1995 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Music Department
- Writer
- Director
Christina Grimmie was an American actress, singer, song writer, and YouTube sensation. Grimmie is known as 'zeldaxlove64' on YouTube. Grimmie gained recognition after posting covers of popular songs on YouTube. She also placed 2nd Runner up on The Voice. On June 10, 2016, Grimmie was shot three times by 27-year-old Kevin James Loibl of St. Petersburg, Florida, while she signed autographs following her performance with Before You Exit at The Plaza Live in Orlando. Loibl then fatally shot himself after being tackled by Grimmie's brother Marcus. Grimmie was taken to the Orlando Regional Medical Center in critical condition; she died early the following day.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
"The American Dream" has been one of the most popular and colorful professional wrestlers in history. Rhodes began wrestling in the 1960s and gained a reputation as a fast-talking, hard-rocking wrestler. He teamed early in his career with fellow Texan, the late Dick Murdoch, and, for more than 20 years, they wreaked havoc in on- and off-again tag team appearances. Rhodes, always a tough brawler with a few "scientific" moves, finally won his first NWA World heavyweight championship by beating "Handsome" Harley Race in 1979. Although his first title reign would last less than a week, Rhodes managed to capture the NWA title on two more occasions. Today, Rhodes runs a small promotion called "Turnbuckle Championship Wrestling" and continues to wrestle. His son, Dustin Rhodes, appears as "Golddust" on Spike TV's WWE Monday Night RAW (1993) series.- Captured when he was two years old, Tilikum was a whale who spent over three decades in captivity, trained by SeaWorld to perform tricks and stunts. Controversy began to mount around him after he was involved in the death of a trainer in 2010, with much public outcry as it was revealed that he had been involved in the deaths of two other trainers earlier in his life. This controversy became the subject of the BAFTA nominated documentary _Blackfish (2013)_, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Less than four years after the movie's release, Tilikum passed away from bacterial pneumonia on January 6, 2017.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Philip D. Garcia was an actor, known for Gullah Gullah Island (1994). He died on 3 January 1997 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Byron Mabe was born on 10 April 1932 in Walkertown, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and director. He was married to Jennifer Ann Sharkey, Katherine Landstein and Patricia Joyce Steffey. He died on 13 May 2001 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Brian Bradley was born on 19 October 1954 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor, known for To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Amazing Stories (1985) and Angel (1999). He died on 31 March 2023 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Stunts
- Actor
Tony McFarr was born on 12 October 1976. He was an actor, known for Thế Giới Khủng Long (2015), Người Kiến & Chiến Binh Ong (2018) and Trí Lực Siêu Phàm (2018). He died on 13 May 2024 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Glenn Rinker was born on 10 October 1933 in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, USA. He was married to Barbara and Nancy Hartnett. He died on 17 February 1993 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Rock singer Teddy Randazzo appeared in four major rock films: The Girl Can't Help It (1956), Rock Rock Rock! (1956), Mister Rock and Roll (1957) and Hey, Let's Twist! (1961). He wrote the 1959 Steve Lawrence hit "Pretty Blue Eyes" and the 1963 hit "Have You Looked Into Your Heart?" by Jerry Vale. Beginning his career singing with The Three Chuckles, his first hit was "Runaround" on Boulevard Records, followed by "Foolishly" on the X record label. Teddy's later releases on the Vik label (a subsidiary of RCA) were featured in the films "Rock Rock Rock!" and "Mister Rock and Roll". His biggest solo hit was "The Way Of a Clown", recorded for ABC-Paramount in 1960. He continued to record his own material and also became a producer for Colpix Records in the early 1960s. A number of years later Teddy teamed up with his best friend in the music business, producer Don Costa, to write, produce and arrange music for Costa's DCP label. The results of this relationship were classics like "Goin' Out Of My Head", "Take Me Back", "Hurt So Bad" and "I'm On The Outside Looking In", all performed by Little Anthony and the Imperials. More hits followed and Teddy never stopped writing, arranging and singing. Artists who recorded his songs include Frank Sinatra, The Lettermen and Linda Ronstadt, among many others.- Muriel Sprissler Dafoe was born on 19 November 1921 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She was an actress, known for 4:44: Ngày Tận Thế (2011). She was married to Dr. William Alfred Dafoe. She died on 14 September 2012 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Glenn Tryon was born on 2 August 1898 in Julietta, Idaho, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Lonesome (1928), The Secret Menace (1931) and Hot Heels (1927). He was married to Jane Frazee and Lillian Hall. He died on 18 April 1970 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Dawn Brancheau was born as Dawn Therese LoVerde on April 16, 1969 to Marion LoVerde and Charles LoVerde. She was the youngest of six children and always had a love for animals. During a family vacation to Orlando, she set her heart on becoming an orca trainer. She graduated from the University of South Carolina with degrees in psychology and animal behavior. She spent two years working with dolphins at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey then began her career at SeaWorld Orlando working with otters and sea lions in 1994. She started working with killer whales in 1996. She also married SeaWorld stunt water skier Scott Brancheau the same year. She worked with killer whales for 15 years as a SeaWorld trainer, eventually holding the title of senior animal trainer.
On February 24, 2010, she was performing a show with Tilikum, a large bull orca (the largest in captivity, measuring 22.5 feet long and weighing roughly 12,500 pounds). Near the end of the "Dine with Shamu Show," Tilikum pulled her into the water by either her arm or her ponytail (there are conflicting eyewitness accounts) and brought her to the bottom of the pool. She drowned and suffered many injuries including her scalp being entirely torn off from her head and her left arm completely severed near the shoulder.
Her death was the third fatality associated with Tilikum but many trainers believed this not to be the case, as they were not previously informed of the exact details of the incidents. Tilikum took part in the attacking and drowning of 21-year-old Keltie Byrne on February 20, 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia, Canada along with two other orcas (Haida II and Nootka IV). He was solely responsible for the death of Daniel P. Dukes, a 27-year-old man, in SeaWorld Orlando, Florida on July 6, 1999.
Following her death, a ban on trainers entering a pool with an orca was solidified by an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) intervention. On August 23, 2010, SeaWorld was fined US$75,000 by OSHA for three safety violations, one directly related to her death. SeaWorld filed a series of appeals, seeking to lift the ban and return to water performances but eventually gave up in 2014. Lawmakers in California and the US House of Representatives proposed legislation to phase out orca captivity, and the California Coastal Commission moved in 2015 to ban orca breeding. - Ginger Stanley was born on 19 December 1931 in Sandersville, Georgia, USA. She was an actress, known for Creature Feature: 60 Years of the Gill-Man (2014) and Creature Feature: 50 Years of the Gill-Man (2004). She died on 19 January 2023 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Soundtrack
Rob Grill was born on 30 November 1943 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Rob was married to Nancy Pilski and Ariadna Ruskin. Rob died on 11 July 2011 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
R. John Hugh was born on 24 February 1923 in London, England, UK. He was a director and writer, known for Fall Girl (1961), Yellowneck (1955) and Johnny Tiger (1966). He died on 16 December 1985 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Bob Noble was born on 5 August 1932 in Brunswick, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Câu Cá Cùng Sát Nhân (1997), Dead of Night (1974) and Brenda Starr (1989). He died on 18 July 2023 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Wrestler and weightlifter Henry J. "Milo" Steinborn was born on March 14, 1893 in Siegburg, Germany. Milo grew up near Dusseldorf. At age fifteen Steinborn left home to become a merchant sailor. While living in Australia in 1914 Milo was placed in German internment camps after World War I broke out. It was during his time spent in these internment camps that Steinborn developed in interest in both wrestling and weightlifting. Milo was released from the camps in 1919 and came to America two years later. Steinborn initially made a name for himself with his amazing feats of physical strength at Hermann's Gymnasium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: He not only lifted 375 pounds in the two-arm clean and jerk, 220 in the one-arm snatch, and 240 pounds in the one-arm clean and jerk, but also smashed old marks for the squat (Steinborn played a key role in popularizing the squat in America), the one-arm snatch, and the continental lift.
Milo began his career in professional wrestling in 1922. Steinborn wrestled in over 300 matches in such states as New York, Georgia, and Tennessee. On March 7, 1926 Milo was severely injured while performing his Leg Bridge act in which he held up a bridge with his legs acting as pillars while a car filled with passengers drove over the bridge; he resumed his wrestling career several months later after recovering from these injuries. Moreover, when he was 57 Steinborn lifted an 800-pound elephant at the 1950 Chicago World's Fair. In 1952 Milo moved from Richmond, Virginia to Orlando, Florida and retired from wrestling the following year. Steinborn opened his own gym in Orlando in 1960 and went on to operate said gym for eleven years. Moreover, Milo worked as a wrestling promoter for eleven years at the Orlando Sports Stadium, where his weekly shows drew thousands of people. He retired from the world of wrestling in 1978. In addition, Steinborn was still doing deep knee bends with 400 pounds on his shoulders in his early 70's and continued to lift weights well into his 80's (he was still able to squat 125 pounds at age 90). Milo died at age 95 on February 9, 1989 in Orlando, Florida. He was survived by his sons Henry and Dick Steinborn, sisters Anne S. and Toni Marie, and seven grandchildren. - Omar Mateen was married to Sitora Yusufiy. He died on 12 June 2016 in Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Actress
- Writer
Kathleen Butler was born on 15 October 1890 in Michigan, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for McVeagh of the South Seas (1914), Her Wedding Bell (1913) and The Work Habit (1913). She died on 9 February 1978 in Orlando, Florida, USA.- Irwin C. Watson was born on 6 April 1928 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977) and Good Times (1974). He was married to Edlyne Rosemond. He died on 1 February 1999 in Orlando, Florida, USA.