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Helen Hunt began studying acting at the age of eight with her father, respected director and acting coach Gordon Hunt. A year later she made her professional debut and afterwards worked steadily in films, theatre and television.

Since melting filmgoers' hearts at the tender age of six in Steven Spielberg's beloved sci-fi blockbuster, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Drew Barrymore has emerged as one of the most iconic and singularly gifted talents of her generation. Born in Culver City, California to John Drew Barrymore and Jaid Barrymore, the clutches of fame were virtually inescapable for young Drew, her father being a member of the esteemed showbiz dynasty fronted by stage star Maurice Barrymore, his thespian wife Georgiana, and their three children: Lionel Barrymore, Ethel Barrymore, and John Barrymore.

In the wake of a challenging era fuelled by addiction and media vitriol, an industrious Barrymore threw herself into her work during the early-mid nineties, first with an assortment of "bad girl" parts in cultish B-pics like Poison Ivy (1992), Guncrazy (1992), Doppelganger (1993), and - befittingly - Bad Girls (1994); then, warmly received supporting roles in mainstream fare such as Boys on the Side (1995), Batman Forever (1995), Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You (1996), and Wes Craven's game-changing horror megahit, Scream (1996). Equal portions of goofball - The Wedding Singer (1998), Never Been Kissed (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000) - and gravitas - Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), Donnie Darko (2001), Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) - came next, with a Golden Globe-grabbing pièce de résistance - her divine incarnation of Edith Bouvier Beale in Grey Gardens (2009) - confirming that her skill set was every bit as broad and robust as imagined.

Having already birthed an array of projects through Flower Films, the production house she co-formed with Nancy Juvonen in '95, Barrymore fastened an additional string to her bow when she spearheaded the sports dramedy Whip It (2009), her richly appraised directorial debut. Following a steady run of star vehicles at the front end of the 2010s, her tour de force turn as walking-dead suburban realtor Sheila Hammond - on Netflix's Santa Clarita Diet (2017) - saw her step with trademark resolve into newer territory still: the flourishing world of small screen entertainment, a metamorphosis she continues to espouse with her role as compère of spirited daytime staple, The Drew Barrymore Show (2020).

Taran Killam was born on April 1, 1982 in Culver City, California, USA as Taran Hourie Killam. He is an actor, known for Saturday Night Live (1975), The Heat (2013) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). He has been married to Cobie Smulders, since September 8, 2012. They have two children.

Immortalized as Cosmo Kramer on the classic sitcom Seinfeld (1989), West Coast comedy star Michael Richards was born on July 24, 1949, and raised in South Los Angeles, California, to Phyllis (Nardozzi), an Italian-American medical records librarian, and William Richards, an electrical engineer. Michael displayed an early talent for performance as a top Forensic League competitor during grade school. He went on to star in multiple high school and college productions while working as an ambulance attendant and hospital orderly. Michael trained as a medic in the US Army during the Vietnam War, was appointed writer and director of plays on drug abuse and race relations for the Army's V-Corp Training Roadshow. He attended the California Institute of the Arts and was mentored by famed performance art guru Allan Kaprow. He graduated from Evergreen State College in Washington with his BFA in drama.

After first performing with the San Diego Repertory Company, he subsequently returned to L.A. where he was discovered by Budd Friedman, founder of the Improv comedy club and talent manager Charles H. Joffe. Also a trained theater actor under the tutelage of Stella Adler, Michael starred in regional productions, Off-Broadway, and in London's West End. In addition to his comedic roles, Michael performed regularly in comedy clubs during the late 1970s and 1980s while driving a school bus by day.

Inspired by the physical comedy of such legends as Charles Chaplin and Jacques Tati, he paid his dues on the comedy circuit until comedian Billy Crystal noticed him and gave him a break on one of his comedy specials. Michael earned a regular spot on the sketch comedy series Fridays (1980), where he created the character of Battle Boy who liked to blow up army soldiers. He also appeared in such minor slapstick films such as Young Doctors in Love (1982) and Transylvania 6-5000 (1985).

Michael worked regularly as a dramatic "heavy" in television throughout the 1980s in shows such as "Miami Vice," "St. Elsewhere," and "Hill Street Blues." Following a recurring role on the offbeat comedy series Marblehead Manor (1987), everything finally came together for the elastic-faced comedian in 1989, after being cast as Cosmo Kramer, Jerry Seinfeld's wired, convulsive, frizzy-mopped neighbor and pal on Seinfeld (1989). The frenzied character earned him three Emmy awards, SAG awards, and instant cult status. He followed this success with his own short-lived series, the comedy mystery as a private investigator in The Michael Richards Show (2000) and the role of Micawber in a TV version of David Copperfield (2000).

Subsequent film credits include the cult classic UHF (1989), Problem Child (1990), Airheads (1994), Unstrung Heroes (1995) and Trial and Error (1997), a top-billed comedy role. TV work into the millennium has been very sporadic; however, he appeared as himself in several episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), and played a regular role in Kirstie Alley's brief comedy series Kirstie (2013) with fellow TV comedy veteran and Rhea Perlman. He also made an isolated film appearance in the romantic comedy Faith, Hope & Love (2019).

Christopher Lee Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California, to model Hajni Joslyn and actor Kip King. Chris's family moved to Mount Baldy, California, when he turned 5, and resided there until he was the age of 15, when he moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington for high school.

After he graduated from high school, Chris moved to the L.A. area to join up with the improv/sketch comedy group The Groundlings. He became a featured player on Saturday Night Live (1975) in March of 1996, and a cast member in September of the same year. He remained on the show until May 2003. Chris lives in the Los Angeles area.

Gwen Verdon was born to the theater. Her mother, Gertrude, was a vaudevillian and dancer. Her father, Joseph, was an MGM studio electrician. She had to wear corrective boots as a child to straighten out her legs, which were misshapen by childhood illness. Nonetheless, she first appeared as a tapper on stage at age 6. She got her break in Bob Fosse's "Damn Yankees" in 1955. She married Fosse in 1960 and separated from him, although never divorcing him, in the mid-'70s. More stage and screen work quickly followed with highlights in "New Girl In Town", "Redhead", "Sweet Charity", and "Chicago". She and her daughter, Nicole Fosse, created the current stage musical "Fosse". Upon her death, Broadway dimmed all of its marquee lights in tribute.

Camille Winbush was born on 9 February 1990 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bernie Mac Show (2001), Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and Eraser (1996).

Dick Gautier was born on 30 October 1931 in Culver City, California, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Transformers (1984), G.I. Joe (1985) and Get Smart (1965). He was married to Tess Hightower, Barbara Stuart and Beverly Joyce Gerber. He died on 13 January 2017 in Arcadia, California, USA.

Hunter Carson was born on 26 December 1975 in Culver City, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Paris, Texas (1984), Invaders from Mars (1986) and With It (2004). He has been married to Elyse Tyler since 16 May 2011. They have three children.

Charles Herbert was a mildly popular 1950s child actor with a trademark sulky puss and thick, furrowed eyebrows who was known for playing inquisitive kids besieged by alien beings, including a robot, as well as by a human fly and several house-haunting ghosts. He racked up over 20 films, 50 TV shows, and a number of commercials during his youthful reign.

He was born Charles Herbert Saperstein on December 23, 1948, in Culver City, Los Angeles, California, to Pearl Jean (Diamond) and Louis Saperstein. His mother was an Austrian Jewish immigrant, while his paternal grandparents were Russian Jews. Noticed by a Hollywood talent agent while riding a bus with his mother, Charles began his career at age four, on a 1952 TV show titled "Half Pint Panel".

Elsewhere on TV, he showed up regularly on series fronted by such stars as Robert Cummings and Gale Storm. This period was marked by amazingly high-profile performances such as his blind child on the Science Fiction Theatre (1955) episode The Miracle Hour (1956). On the feature film front, Charles made an inauspicious debut in the Lucille Ball/Desi Arnaz comedy The Long, Long Trailer (1954). Although director Vincente Minnelli had handpicked him for the role, his part was completely deleted from the movie. Other tyke roles turned out more positively and in a variety of genres, including the film noir pieces The Night Holds Terror (1955) and The Tattered Dress (1957), the dramas Ransom! (1956) and No Down Payment (1957), and the comedies Houseboat (1958) and Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960). His most recognized genre, however, was sci-fi, and he appeared in a number of films that are now considered classics of that genre. He started off in a bit part as a boy playing tug-of-war with a dead sailor's cap in The Monster That Challenged the World (1957). Up front and center, he came into his own playing the young son of dead scientific genius Ross Martin, whose brilliant brain is transplanted into what becomes the robot-like The Colossus of New York (1958). He loses another dad (David Hedison) to a botched experiment in The Fly (1958), also starring iconic master of macabre Vincent Price. Lastly, Charles headed up the cast in the somewhat eerie but rather dull and tame William Castle spookfest 13 Ghosts (1960). Castle handpicked Charles for the child role and even offered the busy young actor top-billing over the likes of Donald Woods, Rosemary DeCamp, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, and Margaret Hamilton if he would appear in his movie. In this haunted-house setting, Castle's trademark gimmick had audiences using 3-D glasses in order to see the ghostly apparitions.

He had another leading role in the fantasy adventure The Boy and the Pirates (1960), then film offers for Charles completely stopped. Growing into that typically awkward teen period, he was forced to subsist on whatever episodic roles he could muster up, including bits on Wagon Train (1957), Rawhide (1959), The Fugitive (1963), Family Affair (1966), and My Three Sons (1960). By the end of the 1960s, however, Charles was completely finished in Hollywood, having lost the essential adorableness that most tyke stars originally possessed. Unable to transition into adult roles, his personal life went downhill as well. With no formal education or training to do anything else, and with no career earnings saved, he led a reckless, wanderlust life and turned to drugs. Never married, it took him nearly 40 years (clean and sober since October, 2005) to turn his life around. During good times and bad, however, he appeared from time to time at sci-fi film festivals.

Charles Herbert died of a heart attack on October 31, 2015, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mike Cochrane was born in Culver City, California, USA. He is an actor, known for My Name Is Earl (2005), Shameless (2011) and Surviving Jack (2014).

Raj Jawa is an accomplished actor and producer from Los Angeles, recognized for his roles in Free Guy (Disney), My Crazy Ex (Lifetime), and Deep Undercover (Netflix). With a diverse portfolio spanning over 70 principal and supporting roles, Raj has built a reputation as a reliable and versatile performer. His work covers a broad range of genres, showcasing his ability to adapt to various character types and storytelling styles.

In addition to his acting work, Raj has also made significant strides as a producer. He is the executive producer and a key actor in the independent feature The Seductress from Hell (2024), a project that exemplifies his commitment to creating and contributing to unique narratives. His ability to collaborate across different areas of production has made him a sought-after talent in both independent films and mainstream projects.

Raj's journey as an actor has been shaped by a passion for both performance and storytelling. He approaches each project with a dedicated work ethic and a collaborative attitude, making him a valued presence on set. Beyond his notable on-screen credits, Raj continues to hone his craft through continuous training and industry involvement, demonstrating his commitment to growth and excellence in every role he takes on.

Robby was the brainchild of, and designed by industrial designer, Japanese-American engineer Robert Kinoshita. It was built in mid-1955 by the MGM prop department, at a reported cost of $125,000, to 'star' in the epic science fiction classic Forbidden Planet (1956) and its B-movie followup The Invisible Boy (1957) a year later. Robby the Robot has become one of the most popular robot icons in the history of movies and media, as recognizable as George Lucas' erstwhile comedy team of R2-D2 and C-3PO who 'co-starred' in his epic sci-fi fantasy Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).

Dee Dee Davis was born on 17 April 1996 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bernie Mac Show (2001), ER (1994) and Strong Medicine (2000).

Debbie Watson is the ideal perky teenager of the 1960s, who started when she became one of the hopefuls of Ted Mack & the Original Amateur Hour (1948) in 1963 and, the following year, she starred as "Karen Scott" in Karen (1964) on "90 Bristol Court" (1964) and, after that, she's the 3rd and last actress to play "Tammy Tarleton" on Tammy (1965). Both of her TV shows lasted 1 Season, each, by Universal Pictures Television (and now NBC Universal). In 1967, the movies, The Cool Ones (1967) & Tammy and the Millionaire (1967) were flops of the year and continued appearing on television until her retirement in 1972.

Amy Rydell was born on 27 September 1971 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Star Trek Continues (2013) and James Dean (2001).

Brendan Miller was born on 22 November 1981 in Culver City, California, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Deep Water (2022), Ambulance (2022) and Project X (2012).

Patti Chandler was born on 8 December 1943 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), How to Stuff a Wild Bikini (1965) and Bikini Beach (1964).

Ron Mael was born on 12 August 1945 in Culver City, California, USA. He is a composer and writer, known for Annette (2021), The Sparks Brothers (2021) and Black Rain (1989).

Trained at The Lee Strasberg Institute and Playhouse West, Shayla Beesley first made the spotlight as the lead, Daisy Hopper, in the theatrical release of Perkins 14. She later walked the red carpet of the Deauville Film Festival for her lead role in the teen drama, Sex and the USA. She has since taken the indie world by storm with her supporting roles in Steven R. Monroe's "MoniKa"; alongside James Duval and Eric Roberts in "Spreading Darkness"; set to begin filming with Zoe Bell and R.J. Mitte on "The Devils Ink" in 2013; and co-starring with Michael Madsen in 2015's "Death in the Desert." She has guest starred on CSI: New York, episode 914 and was the lead in a national Verizon commercial. Shayla is no stranger to being behind the camera either, having written the psychological thriller, "Body of Work," She is represented by Untitled Entertainment.

Mickie (Maryanne) McGowan is the daughter of Robert A. McGowan, writer/director of the "Our Gang Comedies." She was born in Culver City, Calif. and now resides in Palm Springs, Calif. She continues to work as an animation voice actor, mainly for Disney and Pixar. She has two sons, Anthony and Vincent Capparilli.

Candace is an actor, writer, and improviser. An alum of Groundlings Sunday Company, she has performed stand up and improv all over the country. Candace recently produced and starred in the pilot, SHIT KIDS, produced by Jash, which was chosen to be part of the Sundance Film Festival 2017. Her television credits include IFC's Comedy Bang Bang, and a recurring role on Seeso's original comedy Bajillion Dollar Properties. She has guest starred on Fox's Mindy Project, ABC's Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Suburgatory, NBC's Community, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher and more. She was a series regular on the improvised comedy Head Case as well as the Sci-Fi hit Torchwood: Miracle Day, both on the STARZ network. She also guest recurred on Showtime's Shameless. She was a regular sketch performer on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and has written comedy for HBO's news site, This Just In, as well as Jason Bateman and Will Arnett's production company, DUMB DUMB.

Janet Lennon was born on 14 June 1946 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Love, American Style (1969), Jimmy Durante Presents the Lennon Sisters (1969) and Top Tunes and New Talent (1956). She has been married to John Bahler since 25 September 1976. She was previously married to Lee Bernhardi.

Doug Boyd was born on May 23, 1952 to John D. Boyd and Dorothy E. Boyd (Smith), the youngest of four siblings. He spent his childhood and adolescence in Culver City, CA, where he met some of his closest lifelong friends. From a young age Doug showed talent in singing and acting. In his youth he was a singing waiter at the Great American Food and Beverage Company in Los Angeles, and he won the television competition The Gong Show for his musical performance.

Doug graduated from Sonoma State University in 1975 with a B.A. in English, and subsequently began his 40-year career as a studio actor and vocalist. His vast portfolio included singing radio jingles, on-camera acting, and print modeling. Doug was an accomplished voice-over artist, his work featured in video games such as BioShock and Syphon Filter, national advertisements, TV shows, films, and educational games. Doug married Lori A. Boyd (Owens) in 1983, and they raised two daughters in Richmond, CA. He moved to Oakland in 2002 where he spent the remainder of his life.

Michele Krasnoo was born on 1 July 1974 in Culver City, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor (1994), Full Contact (1993) and Death Match (1994). She is married to Stephen Lax. They have three children.