Advanced search

Matthew Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan, to Paula and Jeffrey Lillard. He lived with his family in Tustin, California, from first grade to high school graduation. The summer after high school, he was hired as an extra for Ghoulies Go to College (1990). Matthew was the MC of the Nickelodeon program SK8 TV (1990) in 1989. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasedena, California. Along with a friend, Matthew started the Mean Street Ensemble theater company that functioned until 1991, when Matthew moved to New York to attend the theater school Circle in the Square.

Manager Bill Treusch got Matthew auditions for Serial Mom (1994). Matthew was cast as Chip and began another theater company called the Summoners.

Steven Frederic Seagal was born in Lansing, Michigan, to Patricia Anne (Fisher), a medical technician, and Samuel Seagal, a high school math teacher. His paternal grandparents were Russian Jewish immigrants, and his mother had English, German, and distant Irish and Dutch, ancestry. The enigmatic Seagal commenced his martial arts training at the age of seven under the tutelage of well-known karate instructor and author Fumio Demura, and in the 1960s commenced his aikido training in Orange County, CA, under the instruction of Harry Ishisaka. Seagal received his first dan accreditation in 1974, after he had moved to Japan to further his martial arts training. After spending many years there honing his skills, he achieved the ranking of a 7th dan in the Japanese martial art "aikido" and was instructing wealthy clients in Los Angeles when he came to the attention of Hollywood power broker Michael Ovitz.

Ovitz saw star value in the imposing-looking Seagal. The high-octane action movie genre was in full swing in the late 1980s, and Seagal's debut movie, "Above the Law", was wildly received by action fans and actually received some complimentary critical reviews. He followed up "Above the Law" with another slam-bang thriller, Hard to Kill (1990), as a cop shot in an ambush by the mob who revives from a coma to take his revenge. The movie also starred Seagal's wife at the time, leggy Kelly LeBrock, who was married to him from 1987 to 1996 and is the mother of three of his children. His next outing was battling voodoo-using Jamaican drug "posses" in the hyper-violent Marked for Death (1990), before returning to fight psychotic mob gangster William Forsythe in the even more punishing Out for Justice (1991). Seagal was by now enormously popular, and his next movie, the big-budgeted Under Siege (1992), set aboard the battleship USS Missouri and also starring Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey, was arguably his best film to date, impressing both fans and critics alike.

Seagal's fighting style was rather different from that of other on-screen martial arts dynamos such as Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme, who were predominantly fighters from striking arts background such as karate or tang soo do. However, aikido is built around using an opponent's inertia and body weight to employ various locks, chokes and holds that incapacitate him. Seagal carries himself differently, too, and often appears wearing Italian designer clothes and usually favors an all-black outfit, generally with a three-quarter-length coat with an elaborate trim. Additionally, Seagal's on-screen characters were often seemingly benign or timid individuals; however, when the going gets rough they reveal themselves to be deadly ex-CIA operatives, or retired Special Forces soldiers capable of enormous destruction!

As his box-office drawing power grew, Seagal began to infuse his film projects with his personal and spiritual beliefs, especially concerning the abuse of the environment. He appeared as an oil fire expert who turns against his corrupt CEO (played by Michael Caine) in On Deadly Ground (1994) to save the Eskimo population from an oil disaster; in Fire Down Below (1997) he plays an environmental agency troubleshooter investigating the dumping of toxic waste in Kentucky coal mines, and in the slow-moving The Patriot (1998) he plays a medical specialist trying to stop a lethal virus unleashed by an extremist group.

Action fans struggled to come to terms with social messaging being built into bone-crunching fight films; however, Seagal's box-office clout remained fairly strong, and more traditional chopsocky projects followed with the "buddy cop" film The Glimmer Man (1996), then almost a cameo role as a Navy SEAL alongside CIA analyst Kurt Russell before Seagal is sucked out of a jet at 35,000 feet in Executive Decision (1996).

In 1999 Seagal took a different turn in his film projects with the surprising genteel Prince of Central Park (2000), about a child living inside NYC's most famous park. He returned to more familiar territory with further high-voltage, guns-blazing action in Exit Wounds (2001), Half Past Dead (2002), Out for a Kill (2003) and Belly of the Beast (2003).

Unbeknownst to many, in 1997 Seagal publicly announced that one of his Buddhist teachers, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, had accorded Seagal as a tulku, the reincarnation of a Buddhist Lama. This initial announcement was met with some disbelief until Penor Rinpoche himself gave a confirmation statement on Seagal's new title. Seagal has repeatedly discussed his involvement in Buddhism and how he devotes many hours studying and meditating this ancient Eastern religion.

While his box-office appeal has somewhat declined from his halcyon blockbusters of the mid-'90s, Seagal still has a very loyal fan base in the action movie genre and continues to remain a highly bankable star.

Enduring, strong-featured, and genial star of US cinema, Burt Reynolds started off in T.V. westerns in the 1960s and then carved his name into 1970s/1980s popular culture, as a sex symbol (posing nearly naked for "Cosmopolitan" magazine), and on-screen as both a rugged action figure and then as a wisecracking, Southern type of "good ol' boy."

Burton Leon Reynolds was born in Lansing, Michigan. He was the son of Harriette Fernette "Fern" (Miller) and Burton Milo Reynolds, who was in the army. After World War II, his family moved to Riviera Beach, Florida, where his father was chief of police, and where Burt excelled as an athlete and played with Florida State University. He became an All Star Southern Conference halfback (and was earmarked by the Baltimore Colts) before a knee injury and a car accident ended his football career. Midway through college he dropped out and headed to New York with aspirations of becoming an actor. There he worked in restaurants and clubs while pulling the odd TV spot or theatre role.

He was spotted in a New York City production of "Mister Roberts," signed to a TV contract, and eventually had recurring roles in such shows as Gunsmoke (1955), Riverboat (1959) and his own series, Hawk (1966).

Reynolds continued to appear in undemanding western roles, often playing a character of half Native American descent, in films such as Navajo Joe (1966), 100 Rifles (1969) and Sam Whiskey (1969). However, it was his tough-guy performance as macho Lewis Medlock in the John Boorman backwoods nightmare Deliverance (1972) that really stamped him as a bona-fide star. Reynolds' popularity continued to soar with his appearance as a no-nonsense private investigator in Shamus (1973) and in the Woody Allen comedy Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972). Building further on his image as a Southern boy who outsmarts the local lawmen, Reynolds packed fans into theaters to see him in White Lightning (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975) and Gator (1976).

At this time, ex-stuntman and longtime Reynolds buddy Hal Needham came to him with a "road film" script. It turned out to be the incredibly popular Smokey and the Bandit (1977) with Sally Field and Jerry Reed, which took in over $100 million at the box office. That film's success was followed by Smokey and the Bandit II (1980) and Smokey and the Bandit Part 3 (1983). Reynolds also appeared alongside Kris Kristofferson in the hit football film Semi-Tough (1977), with friend Dom DeLuise in the black comedy The End (1978) (which Reynolds directed), in the stunt-laden buddy film Hooper (1978) and then in the self-indulgent, star-packed road race flick The Cannonball Run (1981).

The early 1980s started off well with a strong performance in the violent police film Sharky's Machine (1981), which he also directed, and he starred with Dolly Parton in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) and with fellow macho superstar Clint Eastwood in the coolly received City Heat (1984). However, other projects such as Stroker Ace (1983), Stick (1985) and Paternity (1981) failed to catch fire with fans and Reynolds quickly found himself falling out of popularity with movie audiences. In the late 1980s he appeared in only a handful of films, mostly below average, before television came to the rescue and he shone again in two very popular TV shows, B.L. Stryker (1989) and Evening Shade (1990), for which he won an Emmy. In 1988, Burt and his then-wife, actress Loni Anderson, had a son, Quinton A. Reynolds (aka Quinton Anderson Reynolds), whom they adopted.

He was back on screen, but still the roles weren't grabbing the public's attention, until his terrific performance as a drunken politician in the otherwise woeful Striptease (1996) and then another tremendous showing as a charming, porn director in Boogie Nights (1997), which scored him a Best Supporting Actor nomination. Like the phoenix from the ashes, Reynolds resurrected his popularity and, in the process, gathered a new generation of young fans, many of whom had been unfamiliar with his 1970s film roles. He then put in entertaining work in Pups (1999), Mystery, Alaska (1999), Driven (2001) and Time of the Wolf (2002). Definitely one of Hollywood's most resilient stars, Reynolds continually surprised all with his ability to weather both personal and career hurdles and his almost 60 years in front of the cameras were testament to his staying ability, his acting talent and his appeal to film audiences.

Burt Reynolds died of cardiac arrest on September 6, 2018, in Jupiter, Florida, U.S. He was eighty two.

John Hughes was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter. He was credited for creating some of the most memorable comedy films of the 1980s and the 1990s, when he was at the height of his career. He had a talent for writing coming-of-age stories, and for depicting fairly realistic adolescent characters.

In 1950, Hughes was born in Lansing, Michigan. The city's main employers for much of the 20th century were manufacturing plants for automobiles. Lansing housed the headquarters of companies such as Oldsmobile and the REO Motor Car Company. Hughes' father John Hughes Sr. was a salesman, while Hughes' mother Marion Crawford worked as a volunteer for charity organizations.

Hughes had three sisters and no brothers. His family moved often. For most of his childhood, the Hughes family lived in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a commuter suburb of Metro Detroit. According to an interview of Hughes, he was the only boy in his neighborhood while growing up. He was surrounded by girls and "old people," and there was no boys around for him to befriend. He spend a lot of time alone, and used his active imagination to keep himself entertained.

In 1963, the Hughes family moved to Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Hughes attended first the Grove Middle School, and then the Glenbrook North High School. His high school experiences reportedly provided inspiration for his teen-themed films of his career. According to interviews with Hughes' friends, Hughes had a poor relationship with his parents who often criticized him.

As an adolescent, Hughes felt the need to escape his problems. He became an avid film fan, as he found that films satisfied his need for escapism. He was a fan of both the Rat Pack (an informal group of actors and singers), and the music group The Beatles.

After graduating high school, Hughes enrolled in the University of Arizona. He eventually dropped out of the University, and tried to make a living as a comedy writer. He wrote jokes for professional comedians, such as Rodney Dangerfield (1921 - 2004) and Joan Rivers (1933 - 2014).

In 1970, Hughes was hired by the advertising company Needham Harper & Steers (1925-1986). That same year, Hughes married his former high school classmate Nancy Ludwig. Hughes worked in the advertising industry for several years. In 1974, Hughes was hired by the advertising agency Leo Burnett Worldwide. This company's most notable clients included the Pillsbury Company, StarKist, Heinz, Green Giant, and Philip Morris.

As a marketing agent, Hughes was assigned to handle Virginia Slims, a brand of cigarettes produced by Philip Morris. The assignment required him to regularly travel to New York City, where Philip Morris' headquarters were located. Hughes took the opportunity to visit the offices of the popular humor magazine "National Lampoon" (1970-1998) in New York City. He successfully negotiated a new position as a regular contributor to the magazine.

Hughes reportedly impressed the magazine's editors by producing quality work at a fast pace. Among his first short stories was "Vacation '58," based on his recollections of his family's vacations during his childhood. The story was eventually adapted into the road comedy film "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983).

"National Lampoon" co-produced films written by their staff writers. Hughes provided the script for the black comedy "National Lampoon's Class Reunion" (1982), depicting a serial killer who targets his former classmates. The film was poorly received and under-performed at the box office, but it inspired Hughes to try to make a career as a screenwriter.

Hughes subsequently wrote the scripts for both "National Lampoon's Vacation" (1983) and "Mr. Mom" (1983), comedy films which were box office hits. He then signed a contract for three films with the studio Universal Pictures. He made his directing debut in the coming-of-age comedy film "Sixteen Candles" (1984). The film depicted the misadventures of high school sophomore Samantha "Sam" Baker (played by Molly Ringwald). It performed well at the box office, and was well-received by critics.

Hughes quickly established himself as a leading director of teen films. His films "The Breakfast Club" (1985), "Weird Science" (1985), and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986) are considered classics of the genre. To cover new ground, he then directed "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" (1987), featuring a duo of adult protagonists. The stars of the film were experienced comic actors Steve Martin and John Candy. The film was a hit. More importantly, Hughes and Candy became close friends. They would often work together in subsequent films.

Hughes' next film as a director was "She's Having a Baby" (1988), about the life of a newlywed couple. The film fared poorly financially and was considered rather "blasé" by critics. Hughes made a comeback with "Uncle Buck" (1989), about a lifelong bachelor who has to take care of his two nieces and a nephew. The film was a box office hit, earning about 80 million dollars at the box office.

Hughes' final film as a director was the comedy-drama "Curly Sue" (1991), about homeless con artist Bill Dancer (played by Jim Belushi) who desperately tries to keep the custody of his surrogate daughter. While moderately successful at the box office at the box office, the film was widely ridiculed for being overly sentimental.

In the 1990s, Hughes found success as a screenwriter, scripting several box office hits. Among his most notable films in this period were "Home Alone" (1990) and "Beethoven" (1992), with both films starting lucrative media franchises. Hughes also wrote the scripts of the sequels "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" (1992) and "Home Alone 3" (1997). He also scripted a notable comic strip adaptation, "Dennis the Menace" (1993). It was based on the long-running comic strip "Dennis the Menace" (1951-) by Hank Ketcham (1920-2001).

In 1994, Hughes moved to the Chicago metropolitan area. At about that time, he started actively avoiding publicity. He rarely gave any interviews until the end of his life. In 1995, Hughes co-founded the production company Great Oaks Entertainment, which mainly handled co-production of Disney produced films. Hughes handled the scripting of two of the company's films: "101 Dalmatians" (1996) and "Flubber" (1997). Both were remakes of older films.

In 1997, Hughes severed his partnership with Ricardo Mestres. A year later, their final co-production, "Reach the Rock," was released. The film was scripted by Hughes, though it was uncharacteristically dramatic for a Hughes film. The film depicted the conflict between an alienated young man and a police chief.

In the 2000s, Hughes only scripted three more films. The most notable among them the romantic drama "Maid in Manhattan" (2002), a hit for protagonist Jennifer Lopez. It earned about 164 million dollars.

In August 2009, Hughes visited New York City with his wife. He wanted to visit one of his sons who lived there, and to meet his new grandson. On August 6, Hughes suffered a heart attack while walking in Manhattan. He was transported to Roosevelt Hospital, but died shortly after. He was fifty-nine years old.

Hughes was buried in Lake Forest Cemetery, a rural cemetery located in Lake Forest, Illinois. He was survived by his wife, their two children, and several grandchildren.

Ahney Her was born in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She is known for Gran Torino (2008), Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Night Club (2011).

Timothy Busfield is a producer, director and Emmy Award-winning actor with over 750 professional credits. As an actor he has been a series regular or recurring character in over 20 series including "For Life", "The Loudest Voice", "Almost Family", "Designated Survivor", "One Dollar", "Thirtysomething", "The West Wing", "Entourage", "Sleepy Hollow", Secrets and Lies", "ED", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Trapper John, M.D.", "The Byrds of Paradise", "Champs", "Family Ties", "Without A Trace", "The Paper Chase", "Reggie" and "All My Children", and the hit Marvel Podcast "Wastelanders: Old Man Star-Lord" as the title character Star-Lord (AKA Peter Quill) . Timothy has appeared in over 40 television movies and feature films, including "Field of Dreams", "Stripes", "Revenge of the Nerds", "Nerds in Paradise", "Quiz Show", "Sneakers", "Striking Distance", "Little Big League", "First Kid", "National Security", "23 Blast", "Strays", "Trucks", and "One Smart Fellow" which he co-directed, co-wrote, and acted in. Timothy has directed over 150 episodes of television, including "This Is Us" and multiple episodes of "The Cleaning Lady", "Chicago Med", "FBI", "The Fosters" (also directed the pilot), "thirtysomething", "Sports Night", "Damages", "Lipstick Jungle", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Without A Trace", "Las Vegas", "The Night Shift", "Secrets and Lies", "The Glades", and many more. Timothy has served as a Producing Director on 8 series including "The Cleaning Lady", "Secrets and Lies", "Mind Games", Lipstick Jungle", "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip", "Without A Trace", "ED", and the mini series "Maneater". In theatre, Timothy has appeared on Broadway twice, most recently as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin's "A Few Good Men." Timothy founded two of America's most successful professional theaters, The Fantasy Theatre (AKA the B Street School Tour) and The B Street Theatre, both in Sacramento, California. Now in their 38th season, the theaters perform annually for over 200,000 children and adults throughout northern California. Timothy has an honorary PhD from Michigan State University and East Tennessee State University. He lives with his wife, television icon and fantastic cook, Melissa Gilbert.

Susan May Pratt was born on 8 February 1974 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Drive Me Crazy (1999) and Open Water 2: Adrift (2006). She was previously married to Kenneth Mitchell.

Ryan is an actor, host, and producer, described by his mother as "more handsome than most of those other boys on the TV." Outside of Hollywood, Ryan is a co-founder of This Bar Saves Lives, a social impact company that has helped to save the lives of thousands of children around the world.

Taylor Nichols was born on 3 March 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Metropolitan (1989), Barcelona (1994) and Boiler Room (2000). He has been married to Margarita de Eguilior since 1995.

Ann Barnes was born on 17 June 1945 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for Blondie (1957), Leave It to Beaver (1957) and The Danny Thomas Show (1953). She died on 13 September 2005 in Lansing, Michigan, USA.

Chris Jai Alex is from Lansing, Michigan. Chris was literally born into music. His mother, Gloria Sanford, was an aspiring artist since before his birth. With the exception of minor success and a star search appearance, she remained undiscovered. As the years passed she turned her attention over to her sons in hopes of realizing that ultimate dream nearly two generations old. Chris Jai showed promise, having a knack for creativity he taught himself piano, guitar, and midi music production. Later on, he produced and performed with a series of groups, the last and best being Mirage. Mirage had local success, they performed at local venues, one of which was with Boys II Men's, Wanya Morris. With Gloria's passing shortly before Mirage forming, she unfortunately never got to see or hear this group.

After graduating from high school, he moved to New York for a career in music production under the tutelage of the head director of membership for ASCAP and road manager for Def Jam Recordings artist CASE. It didn't work out. He returned to Michigan, shortly after Chris Jai and brother Seyque started the indie record label Phineqx Entertainment (PE).

Phineqx Entertainment to this day remains the most successful record label in the history of Lansing, Michigan. The 1st release entitled "PE 2003" sold over 4000 copies and various PE mix tapes sold well over 47,000 copies. Along with the other members of Phineqx, he has since relocated to Los Angeles, CA, where they continue making music, being heard underground on a international level, if that makes any sense... Being an avid hobbyist he taught himself Japanese.

After watching X2: X-Men United (2003) he was inspired to move to LA in hopes of "blowuptuating". He and four friends crammed their belongings in two cars and drove 72 hours to Cali where they shared a one-room apartment on Hollywood Blvd for a year. Later, Chris moved out with Sachiko Ishida.

Shortly after his arrival in LA, he began studying martial arts informally at LA Valley College. There, he was introduced to martial art acting and stunts where he found himself training with world class athletes, one of which was Wayne Daglish, a fellow film maker and frequent collaborator. After a while, he picked up tips and made friends with a top Hollywood stuntman. He eventually started training at the world renowned 8711 under Chad Stahelkshi, whose group was responsible for bringing their magic to films such as The Matrix_ series, 300 (2006), _V for Vendetta (2005) , along with many other A+ Hollywood blockbusters.

Later, Chris Jai signed with Osbrink Agency for Voice Over and continues to voice video games and animation, along with animating some characters with his movement via motion capture technology. He continues to perfect his craft and is currently learning three other languages simultaneously and completed two feature length scripts which are being pitched as you read. He continues to act in, make and score his own films as well as many other outside projects.

Akie Kotabe has long been sought after for his compelling presence on screen, and has built an impressive career playing a variety of roles in television and film.

Notable film roles include Dead Man in Joe Lynch's Everly, an action/thriller starring Salma Hayek, appearing on the big screen in Matt Reeves's The Batman & Neill Blomkamp's Gran Turismo, as well as starring in the independent films Clay's Redemption and Decrypted.

TV credits include playing Diego in Silo, Ben Nakamura in The Man in the High Castle, Akira Takahashi on Mad Men, and providing the voice of Kyan in the hit animated series Go Jetters. The versatile actor has also featured in the Emmy award-winning prime-time shows CSI: Miami and Without a Trace, and has enjoyed appearing in series ranging from Marvel Studios' The Falcon and The Winter Soldier to Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

Akie, who is fluent in English and Japanese, was born in Lansing, Michigan, and has lived all around the world - including long spells in Europe, Asia and South America - spent his childhood years growing up in Austin, Texas. His desire to act was sparked at the age of 20, when a spur-of-the-moment whim saw him successfully audition for a student film while he was studying to complete a degree in Computer Science at the University of Texas.

Akie caught the bug and moved to Los Angeles in 2005 after working in theatre in Japan for a year. Within a few months, he landed the main role in a national commercial for Cingular Wireless, directed by Oscar-winner Errol Morris, and hasn't looked back since.

Norman Leavitt was born on 1 December 1913 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Off Limits (1952), Inside Detroit (1956) and Bonanza (1959). He was married to Irene Nelson and Emily A Kipp. He died on 11 December 2005 in Solvang, California, USA.

Chris Hansen was born on 26 March 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Dateline NBC (1992), To Catch a Predator (2004) and 30 Rock (2006). He has been married to Gabrielle Gagnon since 13 November 2021. He was previously married to Mary Joan Gleich.

Aisha Kabia was born in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Bosch: Legacy (2022), The Resident (2018) and How I Met Your Mother (2005).

Magic Johnson was born on 14 August 1959 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Obsessed (2009), Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse (1988) and Dead Tone (2007). He has been married to Cookie Johnson since 14 September 1991. They have two children.

Born and raised in Lansing, Michigan, William Malone was inspired by films during weekly trips to the Lucian Theater to see the latest releases of horror films. By age 14 he was making home movies with an 8mm camera and designing monster masks for himself and friends to wear for Halloween.

Malone moved to Los Angeles at age 19 to become a rock star, but a friend's request drew him back into mask-making, which led him to a job with Don Post Studios in makeup and costume, as well as mask making. It was Malone who designed and sculpted the mask used for the character of Michael Myers for Halloween (1978), which he used from the mold of a previous design used by William Shatner.

Malone also worked as a make up artist for Dan Curtis NBC TV movie The Norliss Tapes (1973) and even acted in a few credited and uncredited parts in films, mostly notably playing Beatle George Harrison in I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), which recreated the Fab Four's 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (1948). Malone also developed a reputation as a collector of old movie props left over from various science-fiction films.

After attending classes at UCLA to study directing under the tutelage of Gilbert Cates--a former DGA president--Malone decided to make a gamble with his first movie. Scraping together around $74,000, he wrote and directed the sci-fi horror shocker Scared to Death (1980), which was clearly inspired by the Ridley Scott movie film Alien (1979), which was a terror tale of a genetic creature haunting the sewers of Los Angeles. Despite being a mild box-office his, Malone was not recognized by major film studios. In 1984, with grant of more than $1 million, Malone went back to the director's chair with Creature (1985) (aka "Titan Find"), which starred Klaus Kinski and was also inspired by "Alien". The film was nominated for a Saturn Award at the 1985 Academy of Science Fiction and Horror films.

Malone spent the next 14 years as a director for episodic TV series, beginning with such projects as the anthology series Freddy's Nightmares (1988) and a few episodes of the HBO series Tales from the Crypt (1989). He also directed a short-lived TV series called Sleepwalkers (1997) as well as the made-for-TV movie W.E.I.R.D. World (1995). In 1999 Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis hired Malone to direct the SFX-studded House on Haunted Hill (1999). a remake of the Vincent Price film House on Haunted Hill (1959), which Malone clearly remembered from repeated viewings from his childhood and was happy to come on board as director.

In 2002 Malone pressed ahead with his own feature Feardotcom (2002), about a police detective's investigation of a website that kills its viewers. Malone's work on that film gave him the opportunity to join the Director's Guild, where in 2005 he was invited by Masters of Horror (2005) creator Mick Garris to direct an episode for the series, "The Fair Haired Child", adapted from a screen play my Matt Greenberg.

He is currently in development of Thallium's Box, a new independent feature film that will shoot in the winter of 2019.

Carl Benton Reid was a drama graduate from Carnegie Tech who had several years of stage experience performing at the Cleveland Playhouse in the 1920s, where he met his future wife, stage actress Hazel Harrison. After moving to New York, he became a noted actor on the Broadway stage with some impressive credits to his name. Between 1929 and 1949, he appeared in such illustrious plays as "Life with Father" (in the title role), Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard" (with Eva Le Gallienne) and Eugene O'Neill's Theatre Guild Production of "The Iceman Cometh". As to Reid's Harry Slade in "Iceman", the noted critic Brooks Atkinson commented for the New York Times (10/10/1946): "as the barroom's (sic) master of cosmic thinking, Carl Benton Reid is vigorously incisive and lends substance to the entire performance". Reid's stern demeanor lent itself to playing all sorts of tough characters, particularly heavy fathers, which he did ably (and often) as in "Strange Bedfellows" (1947). Way back in 1942, Atkinson had remarked on his energetic performance in the title role of the comedy "Papa is All": "Reid plays Papa with a snarl and ferocity that make the wreck at the railroad crossing an occasion of civic betterment" (NY Times, March 21, 1973).

In 1941, Reid left for Hollywood to recreate his stage role of Oscar Hubbard in the outstanding film adaptation of Lillian Hellman's play "The Little Foxes". Shot at RKO Studios, it was brilliantly directed by William Wyler. With his customary scowl and icy delivery, Reid was perfect as one of two avaricious brothers (the other was played by Charles Dingle) of equally venomous turn-of-the century Southern aristocrat Regina Giddens (whose part was played on stage by Tallulah Bankhead and in the film by Bette Davis). Reid's powerful performance ensured many more years of regular employment in films, though none of his subsequent roles ever came close to repeating his earlier success. However, Reid found a new lease of life on the small screen, invariably as senior military brass (Yancy Derringer (1958), 12 O'Clock High (1964)) or elder statesmen (Target: The Corruptors (1961)), even occasionally as murder victims (Perry Mason (1957)) or spy masters (Burke's Law (1963)).

Kelly McCormick was born on 30 June 1977 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She is a producer and production manager, known for Bullet Train (2022), Deadpool 2 (2018) and Atomic Blonde (2017). She has been married to David Leitch since 31 August 2014.

Amanda Bauer was born on 14 February 1991 in Lansing, Michigan, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for The Myth of the American Sleepover (2010), The Common Room (2012) and Forev (2013).

Max Koch (pronounced "Cook") is an actor/writer/cartoonist who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and dogs. He has been the voice of the iconic Cheetos spokes-cheetah, Chester Cheetah, since 2017. Max also voiced Master Mantis (and countless other characters) on Nickelodeon's Emmy award-winning animated series, "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness."

Dr Michele Sharkey died on July 30th 2024. There has been some confusion online about an older veterinarian also named Michele Sharkey who died of cancer in 2022.

The Dr Michele from Dr Pol was dating Dr Emily's brother and when he went to Missouri, Dr Michele went as well, leaving the show. She worked at the Jones Clinic in St Louis, Missouri. She then moved to Littleton CO fulfilling a life long dream of living in the Rocky Mountain State.

Darryl Kurylo was born on 17 November 1965 in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. He is an actor, known for The Punisher (2004), Power Rangers: Super Legends (2007) and The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021). He has been married to Breney Armas since 27 July 1991. They have one child.

Tim Holmes was born in Lansing, Michigan. He grew up working in his family's flower shop. At age 18, immediately after graduating from high school, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in music. He was signed to MCA Records as a solo artist, T.C. Holmes. He parlayed his music contacts into an acting career, appearing in afternoon Soap Operas, B films and various other TV pilot projects. Tim took a 10 year sabbatical from the entertainment business during which time he became a firefighter, started a successful business, moved back to Michigan, got married and had twin boys. With the rise of the film industry in Michigan, Tim delved back into acting in 2009 and has had great success. He has spent a lot of time honing his craft and developing his acting and film making skills since that time. In 2011, Tim can be seen in Real Steel, Machine Gun Preacher, Hostel 3, S.W.A.T.: Firefight, and Street Kings 2: Motor City. In 2013 he will be seen in Oz: The Great and Powerful in the role of The Strongman.

DJ Perry, is an American artist known internationally for his work primarily in motion picture. This Michigan born actor, producer and writer has built a long-standing career in the entertainment industry. As CEO of Collective Development Inc. he's supervised and/or participated in the overall production of several films in all genres and formats.

His many award winning films have been distributed throughout the world market all while keeping a reputation of staying on schedule, budget and bringing together the right creative team to create the best art within their set business models. DJ has often credited his soccer playing and coaching days as well as his study and previous teaching of martial arts. Finally he's credited his time teaching as a camp counselor emphasizing that the journey is as important as the destination. Additionally, he's produced with CDI select commercial projects for companies such as Toyota, Harmon Kardon/JBL, The Non-Ferrous Founders Society and Revell Publishing/Baker Books.

As a screen writer DJ's ability to weave a tight story with complex themes and characters has resulted in several of his scripts being produced into award winning films of unique artistic quality. Some have debuted at #1 on Rentrak Westerns like the Smoky Mountain tale "Dean Teaster's Ghost Town" (Lionsgate) (7 weeks as #1 western rental) and 17 weeks in top ten. Others like "Wild Faith" have brought 'Racial Justice Awards' for tackling serious issues and topics in highly digestible doses that allows real introspection to occur and conversations to be had. Other writers have novelized Mr. Perry's screenplays into books like "Ghost Town" (Bob Terrell) "Wild Michigan" (Dee Freeman) and "Knight Chills" (David Hayes). Additionally DJ has been a contributing author on three national books focusing on animals released by Revell/Baker Books.

As an actor, he's becoming a highly sought out talent moving easily between protagonist and antagonist, supporting and lead, bringing something truly unique to whatever role he tackles. He's truly filling a void in the industry lacking American leading men. His recent roles have included 'Jesus' in parts 1 & 3 of The Quest Trilogy, lovable mountain man 'Ben Lily' in "Wild Faith" and disabled Marine vet 'Paul Landings', in "MBF: Man's Best Friend". He's shared the screen with many legends of the entertainment industry and does so with a humble, appreciative attitude accepting a torch -that makes him a draw in front of and behind the camera.