Celebrity Full Names: Actresses - J
A list containing celebrity full names with their last name beginning with J. Click on a name to learn more. This list will also include the initials. Enjoy!
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- Actress
- Producer
Anne Jackson was born on 3 September 1925 in Millvale, Pennsylvania, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for The Shining (1980), Dirty Dingus Magee (1970) and CBS Playhouse (1967). She was married to Eli Wallach. She died on 12 April 2016 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.Anna Jane Jackson
AJJ- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Janet Damita Jo Jackson was born on May 16, 1966 in Gary, Indiana, to Katherine Jackson (née Katherine Esther Scruse) and Joe Jackson, a musician. She is the youngest of ten children. Before her birth, her brothers formed a band later called The Jackson 5. She lived at home with her sisters, while her brothers and father lived an extravagant life in Los Angeles. She later moved in with them while her brothers were making a name for themselves, and signed a deal with Motown. Janet was in the shadow but later also made a name for herself.
As she was touring, and making appearances with her brothers, and the rest of the family, she co-starred with the rest of them in "The Jacksons". In 1977, she got the part of Penny Gordon on "Good Times". That showed her acting abilities early on. She also made a few memorable appearances on the hit TV show "Diff'rent Strokes" as Charlene Dupree. Soon afterwards came her role on "Fame".
She married boyfriend James Debarge, but they divorced just months later. She signed with A&M Records, and recorded her first solo album titled "Janet Jackson". The album did poorly on the music charts. Two years later she recorded "Dream Street" which turned out to be another disaster. A year later she signed on Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis to record a third album, this time called "Control". It was a hit, selling 5 million copies in the U.S. alone, spawning six hits, and the #1 "When I Think of You". Afterwards, she fired her father, her manager to truly gain control.
Janet was determined to make this happen again. She then recorded "Rhythm Nation 1814". This time it sold 9 million copies in the U.S. - a bigger hit than "Control"! She happened to fall in love with a dancer named René Elizondo, Jr. from one of her sister's, LaToya Jackson's music video and later secretly married him in March of 1991. The year before she got a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. Janet went to work on her fifth album simply called "Janet.". It was her biggest hit to date selling over 10 million copies in the U.S. alone and includes her biggest hit single to date, "That's The Way Love Goes". Two years later she released a Greatest Hits album "Design of a Decade" which included two new hits "Runaway", and "Twenty-Foreplay". Her sixth album "The Velvet Rope" clarified her pop culture status.
In the midst of the release of "Nutty Professor II", René Elizondo filed for divorce, which is when it emerged they had been secretly married. Janet recorded her seventh album "All For You". Another hit. She was honored by MTV as an MTV Icon. In 2003, Janet went to work on her next album "Damita Jo" - it was another hit.Janet Damita Jo Jackson
JDJJ- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Lucy Kate Jackson was born in Birmingham, AL on October 29.1948. She attended the University of Mississippi but left during her sophomore year to begin studying at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was a supporting cast member on Dark Shadows (1966) (Daphne, 1970-1971) and on The Rookies (1972) (Jill Danko, 1972-1976). She starred as one of the original Angels (Sabrina Duncan, 1976-1979) on the mega-hit show Charlie's Angels (1976). She delighted fans as the dauntless Amanda King in the television show Scarecrow and Mrs. King (1983) which was partially owned by her production company, Shoot the Moon Enterprises. She appeared in numerous other film and television productions. She is an actor, director and producer.Lucy Kate Jackson
LKJ- Katherine Jackson is known for Them and Her (2013) and Bullying Revealed (2013).Katherine Esther Jackson
KEJ - Actress
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Leeah, born as Leeah D. Jackson. She is an actress, known for _A Mother's Choice (2012)_ (gv), _The Shield (2006)_ and Boston Public (2000). Leeah first debut was for HBO Jam on ABC Family, by simply asking for it at the age of 3 years old. Some people are made to have talent; Leeah was born with "It".Leeah Deneen Jackson
LDJ- Although her younger sister Mary Ann is more famous, having been a popular early member of the Our Gang (1922) comedy shorts, that might not have been true in Hawaii. In the mid-1930s, Peaches met and married Hawaiian-born "Tony Guerrero." It is unclear whether Peaches went to Honolulu as a showgirl with a revue and there met local "beach boy" Guerrero, or if he moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1930s and met her there. However they met, they married and settled down in Los Angeles and opened a restaurant called "The Hawaiian Hut." It became very successful, but by the end of the decade, her life changed in a big way. She had left show business after her marriage to work in the restaurant, and although even Tony had managed a few bit parts in films in his spare time, most notably in an uncredited minor role in the Spencer Tracy film Northwest Passage (1940), by the time that movie was released, the pair moved to Honolulu and opened a restaurant there in the heart of Waikiki Beach. They called it "The Tropics" and it became an Hawaiian institution over the years, very popular with many Hollywood movie stars. It was eventually renamed The World Famous Tropics at Waikiki and in 1952, the couple went to Paris to study at the Cordon Bleu, opening a second restaurant upon their return to Hawaii, the Tropics Ala Moana. This restaurant was as successful as the Tropics and the special house dressing became so much in demand that it was eventually bottled and to this day, Tropics Salad Dressings are popular on the West Coast and of course, in Hawaii, where they are made. They are also available online. Tony died in 1985 and Peaches in 2002, having lived a long and happy life together outside of show business.Peaches Jackson Guererro
PJG - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Rebbie Jackson was born on 29 May 1950 in Gary, Indiana, USA. She is an actress, known for Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995), Rebbie Jackson: Plaything (1988) and Rebbie Jackson & Robin Zander: You Send the Rain Away (1986). She was previously married to Nathaniel Brown.Maureen Reillette Jackson
MRJ- Rose Jackson is known for Dead Presidents (1995), The Crew (1995) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). She has been married to Michael G. Moye since 1996. They have one child.Rosemarie Alicia Jackson-Moye
RAJ-M - Actress
- Producer
- Director
Sharisse Jackson was born on August 31, 1976 in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Costa Mesa, California. Jackson is of African American and Cherokee descent on her mother's side and Puerto Rican and Mexican descent on her father's. Shar has been acting since she was three and enrolled in the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble. While she attended private school, Jackson began modeling with the Ubiquitous, John Robert Powers, and Barbizon agencies and studied acting with Bob Feldman; at 11 she decided to focus solely on acting. Through the Al Fann Theatrical Ensemble, she was quickly cast in several national commercials and landed guest-starring roles on such series as Roc (1991), My So-Called Life (1994), Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992), and The Steve Harvey Show (1996). On the big screen, she has been featured in Good Burger (1997), Boom Box (1990), Grand Avenue (1996), and CB4 (1993). However, she is best known for playing "Niecy Jackson" on Moesha (1996).Sharisse Jackson
SJ- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Victoria was raised in a Bible-believing, piano-playing, gymnastic home with no TV. Her dad was a gym coach so she competed in gymnastics from age 5 to 18. Was a cheerleader and a homecoming queen. Attended Florida Bible College; received a gymnastic scholarship to Furman University, attended Auburn University one year and ended up in Hollywood, California via summer-stock in Birmingham, where she met Johnny Crawford (The Rifleman). Crawford sent her a one-way ticket to the show-biz capital and put her in his night club act. Supporting herself as a cigarette girl and as a typist at the American Cancer Society, and waitress at The Kipling Retirement Hotel, she performed stand-up comedy for two years until Johnny Carson put her act (which consisted of her doing a handstand while reciting poetry) on national TV. Following 7 appearances with Johnny, she starred in many movies and TV shows, most notably, Saturday Night Live (1986-1992).
In 1991, she re-united with her high school sweetheart, married him, and moved to Florida where he was a police helicopter pilot. She raised a family and recorded two children's album, "Ukulele Lady," and "Ukulele Ditties for Itty Bitty Kiddies," by Choo Choo Records, and produced a collection of her original songs, "Use Me," by Birdie Singer Publishing. In 2012, Jackson's husband retired and they followed their grown daughters and grandchildren to Nashville where Jackson continues to perform her songs and stand up onstage. She still does an occasional movie or TV show, most recently she appeared in "Matchbreaker" on Netflix, played the wife of Eric Estrada in the Pureflix sitcom, "Malibu Dan (2018), and played Alma in "Lost Heart" (2020).
Jackson authored "Is My Bow Too Big?" in 2012, about how she got on TV, published by White Hall, and she authored "Lavender Hair," published by Broadstreet, about her breast cancer journey and recovery in 2017. Jackson got her Master's Degree in Film from Lipscomb University in 2021.
She is in pre-production for a reality show about her singing at the Grand Ol' Opry, and is producing a feature film that she wrote, Jane Blond Saves the World (One Mistake at a Time).Victoria Lynn Jackson-Wessel
VLJ-W- Actress
- Producer
- Composer
La Toya Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana, USA as La Toya Yvonne Jackson. As a member of the famous Jackson family, though she was the most outspoken, she has lived in her sister Janet's and brother Michael's shadow. She is a producer, known for Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: La Toya Jackson (1994), The Apprentice (2004) and Michael Jackson and Bubbles: The Untold Story (2010). She was previously married to Jack Gordon.La Toya Yvonne Jackson
LTYJ- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Gillian Jacobs was born on October 19, 1982 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US. Her father, William F. Jacobs Jr., was an investment banker and her mother, Martina Magenau Jacobs, was an alumni relations officer at Carnegie Mellon University.
Gillian is an alumnus of Mt. Lebanon High School, Pennsylvania, and Juilliard School, New York. She holds a bachelor's degree in fine arts and began acting at a young age by attending acting classes at the Pittsburgh Playhouse on weekends.
Jacobs made her acting debut portraying the role of Titania in Pittsburgh Public Theater's stage adaptation of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the age of 16. Years later, she made her debut in a feature film with the Building Girl (2005) then, made her television debut with the role of Adele Congreve in three episodes of The Book of Daniel (2006).
In 2006, Gillian appeared in "Cagelove", an off-Broadway production. The play received negative reviews from all quarters yet, all reviews appreciated Gillian's acting talent.
Jacobs' performance as CJ in the Nonames (2010) remains the most memorable role in the pre-breakout of her career, which brought huge laurels for her acting as well as the Special Jury Award and Copper Wing Award in Phoenix Film Festival.
Her big break came in the form of Community (2009), wherein she played the role of Britta Perry for six seasons until curtains came down on the show. In 2015, she also appeared in the HBO series Girls (2012) with a recurring role as Mimi-Rose Howard.
In 2016, she joined the Love (2016) to play the role of Mickey Dobbs for three consecutive seasons on Netflix. Her other streaming platform collaboration for a TV series came in 2021 with Invincible (2021) on Amazon Prime where she plays the role of Atom Eve. She will feature as Chris Riley, wife of legendary basketball coach Pat Riley, in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (2022) and Maggie in Minx (2022) for a recurring role. Both shows will debut on HBO and HBO Max respectively in 2022.
Gillian's other prominent film appearances include Choke (2008), Gardens of the Night (2008), The Box (2009), Life Partners (2014), Walk of Shame (2014), Don't Think Twice (2016), Life of the Party (2018) and I Used to Go Here (2020) while her future projects are The Contractor (2022) and Any Other Night.
She also appeared on the back of the camera as well. In 2015, Gillian directed a short documentary titled The Queen of Code (2015) about Grace Hopper, a rear admiral in the US Navy and a computer scientist, who ushered in the digital era.
Later, she directed a short film Curated (2018) in the form of Shatterbox, a film series from TNT and Refinery29. Her latest as a director came with Higher, Further, Faster (2020) for Marvel 616 (2020).
In 2022, she will have her directing and acting credit together on a feature film with The Seven Faces of Jane (2022) for the first time.
In-person Jacobs is a teetotaler. She says she made a choice while young to never have an alcoholic beverage or do drugs. She says her father is an addict, and together with reading the cautionary tale in the young adult novel "Go Ask Alice", about a 15-year-old drug addict, made an impact on her life in this regard.
Another book that shaped Gillian's perspective of life is "No Turn Unstoned" by Diana Rigg, a collection of terrible reviews that undeniably great actors received over the years. It was given to her by an acting teacher after she received a very bad review in a local paper for her initial performance in "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Thanks to this experience, she started to see these performances as an opportunity, a chance to improve instead of a burden.Gillian MacLaren Jacobs
GMJ- Jadagrace is known for Terminator Salvation (2009), The Jadagrace Show (2012) and Three Verses (2008).Jadagrace Michiko Gordy-Nash
JMG-N - Marielle Jaffe was born on 23 June 1989 in Valencia, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Scream 4 (2011), Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and Higher Power (2018).Jaclyn Marielle Jaffe
JMJ - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Kelley Jakle is an actress and singer/songwriter from Sacramento, CA.
As the only girl in a family with two older brothers, Kelley held her own playing competitive soccer, basketball and swimming. However, it was acting and singing that eventually consumed her interest, beginning with The Sacramento Children's Chorus. She soon started giving impromptu performances of the National Anthem at swim meets and local parades, which turned into solo performances for the Sacramento River Cats and the NBA's Sacramento Kings. After competing against hundreds of contestants from around the country, Kelley was also selected to sing in front of thousands of fans and a national television audience for the SF 49ers.
In high school, Kelley starred in stage productions that varied from satirical comedies such as Urinetown (as Hope Cladwell) and The Princess Bride (as Princess Buttercup), to poignant and thought-provoking works like The Laramie Project (as Catherine Connolly). Her music development flourished, as she wrote songs inspired by the likes of Andrew McMahon, Michelle Branch and Sheryl Crow, while accompanying herself on the piano. By her junior year Kelley produced her first self-titled CD, Spare Change, containing five original songs. This was followed by a self-titled album with her band, By the Way.
As the founder of her high school a cappella group, it was no surprise when Kelley chose to attend the University of Southern California and become a member of the SoCal VoCals - USC's premiere a cappella group. The VoCals won the coveted International Competition of collegiate Acappella in New York City twice during her time in the group.
The national television spotlight soon found Kelley when the SoCals were chosen to appear on the first season of the NBC vocal competition series, "The Sing-Off". Kelley was back again for season two, this time making it to the finals a member of the Backbeats, a group comprised of vocal performers from USC, UCLA and BYU.
After graduating with honors, Kelley remains in Los Angeles pursuing a career in music as well as in television and film. In addition to her debut role as a member of the Barden Bellas in the 2012 mega-hit 'Pitch Perfect,' she appeared in Warner Brothers/Legendary Pictures '42', the Jackie Robinson biopic helmed by Oscar winner Brian Helgeland. She has appeared on Comedy Central's "Workaholics" and "Adam Devine's House Party."Kelley Alice Jakle
KAJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
Dorothy Janis' short film career began when she was visiting a cousin, who was working on a film at Fox in 1927. Her beauty was noticed at once and she was asked to test for a role. She made several films, silents and talkies. She is best known for her performance opposite Ramon Novarro in The Pagan (MGM, 1929). She retired at the age of twenty and married bandleader Wayne King in 1932.Dorothy Penelope Jones
DPJ- Actress
- Producer
- Music Department
Allison Janney is an award-winning actress who has earned a solid reputation in stage productions and in many supporting roles on screen, and who more recently has become prominent by portraying one of the major characters in the popular TV series The West Wing (1999).
Entertainment Weekly magazine describes Janney's screen presence as "uncommonly beautiful and infinitely expressive." As an actor, the magazine deems her to be "one to watch."
Janney was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Macy Brooks (Putnam), a former actress, and Jervis Spencer Janney, Jr., a real estate developer and jazz musician. While studying at Kenyon College, Janney answered a casting call for an on-campus play that was to be directed by Kenyon's most famous alumnus, the legendary actor Paul Newman. During her audition/interview, Janney played upon Newman's known passion for race car driving - she explained how she cut thirty minutes off of the 130 mile journey from her home town to the college. She got chosen for the play's cast.
After earning her degree in drama, Janney took Joanne Woodward's suggestion to do further study at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse. She also studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London.
Early in her career Janney got comedic roles in the soap operas As the World Turns (1956) and Guiding Light (1952). Later, she gave memorable movie performances in supporting roles in Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), American Beauty (1999) and Nurse Betty (2000), and in the made-for-TV movie ...First Do No Harm (1997), among others.
Among her stage work, Janney has played in a revival of Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge" on Broadway opposite Anthony LaPaglia, which earned her a Tony Award nomination, and a Drama League Award for outstanding artist for the 1997-98 season. She played in Noel Coward's "Present Laughter" opposite Frank Langella, which earned her the Outer Critics Circle Award and an Actors' Equity award. Janney also appeared in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "The Taming of the Shrew."
In 1999 Janney became part of the original cast of the acclaimed TV series The West Wing (1999) where she played the President's press secretary who eventually gets promoted to the White House Chief of Staff. Her impressive work during the seven seasons of that renowned series earned her four Emmys and two SAG Awards.
With her reputation becoming more broadly established during her work on "The West Wing" Janney won more substantive roles in feature films, in the acclaimed The Hours (2002) where she was Meryl Streep's lesbian lover, and in How to Deal (2003) where she played Mandy Moore's mother.Allison Brooks Janney
ABJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
Born in McAllen, Texas, Lois January trained as a dancer almost from infancy. Her mother believed that Lois and her younger brother were talented enough as dancers to make it in the movies, and she took the two children to Los Angeles for a short period to check out employment opportunities for child dancers and performers. Though she returned to Texas, the family eventually moved to California, settling in Los Angeles, and Lois not only continued her dancing but began taking acting lessons in school. After graduating high school Lois joined a touring dance troupe, and when the group broke up in 1931, she focused most of her efforts toward acting rather than dancing. She began appearing in plays at the famed Pasadena Playhouse, where she was spotted by a Universal Pictures executive, who offered her a contract. She got some small parts in several Universal "B" pictures, then the studio loaned her out to Columbia Pictures, where she made several appearances in that studio's comedy shorts, and she also made a string of ultra-cheap "B" westerns for such independent producers as Willis Kent and Sam Katzman. After her contract at Universal was up, she signed with Republic Pictures and made more westerns, appearing with such staples of the genre as Johnny Mack Brown and Bob Steele. She had a small part in the classic The Wizard of Oz (1939) as a manicurist doing Dorothy's nails in the city of Oz. After completing that film she journeyed to New York and appeared on Broadway in "Yokel Boy". When that play's run was completed, she got an engagement singing at the world-famous Rainbow Room. Throughout the 1940s she alternated between nightclub engagements and stage work. Eventually she was offered her own radio show, and took it. She appeared in her last film in 1961, but in the late 1960s and early 1970s she made a spate of TV guest-starring roles. She died in Los Angeles in August of 2006 of Alzheimer's Disease.Laura Lois January
LLJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
Betty Jaynes was born on 12 February 1921 in Greeneville, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress, known for Babes in Arms (1939), Swing Shift Maisie (1943) and Sweethearts (1938). She was married to William Roberts and Douglas McPhail. She died on 22 November 2018 in Santa Monica, California, USA.Elizabeth Jayne Schultz
EJS- Actor
- Make-Up Department
- Additional Crew
Originally from San Diego, California, Jazzmun made her first national television appearance on the 1980s talent variety show Puttin' on the Hits (1984), in which she split her body half in male drag and half in female drag, lip-syncing as a "duet". Finding work immediately after that appearance for her theatrical and modeling talents, she moved to Los Angeles and secured agent Ralph Lliteras to represent her. Since then Jazzmun has performed all over the world performing as either her stage character "Jazzmun", her trademark "Whitney Houston" of which she performed as in the female stage review Le Cage, "Grace Jones" or any number of other characters. Drag icon RuPaul even hired Jazzmun to perform in his music video "A Little Bit Of Love", which spoofed drag queens as aliens out to conquer the world. Jazzmun has proven to be a consummate performer and, when not appearing on television or stage, can be seen in a variety of Los Angeles nightclubs promoting her talents in a variety of ways.Nichcalo Dion Crayton
NDC- Actress
- Soundtrack
Gloria Jean Schoonover was born on April 14, 1926 in Buffalo, New York and she and her family moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania shortly afterward. Her father owned a music store; her mother, who had been a circus bareback rider, took care of Gloria and her three siblings.
Gloria's singing ability was discovered when she was little; by 5 she was singing in the Scranton area. At 12 she was taken to an audition by Universal director Joe Pasternak, who was looking for a new child singer to replace studio icon Deanna Durbin, who was being steered into ingenue and young-adult roles. Although hundreds of Shirley-Temple-perfect girls competed, natural-looking Gloria was chosen and she and her mother headed to Hollywood.
In 1939 Gloria made her first film, "The Under-Pup", which made her an instant hit with moviegoers. Happy with their young coloratura soprano, Universal cast her in "If I Had My Way," which co-starred Bing Crosby. Next came "A Little Bit of Heaven," which many consider her best film; then a co-starring role with W.C. Fields in "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break," her most-seen film.
At this point in 1941, Gloria was at the pinnacle of her career, yet her star wasn't soaring. She had outgrown her Little Miss Fixit roles, as Durbin had a few years earlier, but Durbin was in command of the older-girl roles for the better pictures. Unsure what to do with Jean, Universal moved her to the "Hepcat" movies, which appealed to the teenagers of that day. "What's Cooking", "Get Hep to Love", "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", and "It Comes Up Love," were all shot in 1942 and "Mr. Big," and "Moonlight in Vermont" followed in 1943; all were stock B-films. Like many Universal stars, Gloria had a few seconds onscreen in the war-effort picture "Follow the Boys" in 1944. After that came the rather good "Pardon My Rhythm" with Mel Torme, who became a close friend. Then in "Ghost Catchers" she was teamed with popular comedians Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson. The forgettable "Reckless Age" was next; its main distinction was as the first in which Gloria played a more mature role.
Gloria was to star in one of four episodes of Julien Duvivier's "Flesh and Fantasy," alongside such stars as Edward G. Robinson, Charles Boyer, and Barbara Stanwyck. But the movie was found to be too long and Gloria's segment was cut out. Some additional footage was added and the result was "Destiny." Gloria's performance won rave reviews, but the actual movie met with only modest success. Gloria followed this with three more Universal films: "I'll Remember April," "River Gang," and "Easy to Look At."
At this point, on bad advice from her agent, Gloria decided to go on tour instead of renewing her Universal contract. The tour underperformed and she returned to Hollywood in 1947, but she found herself in negligible demand. Groucho Marx gave her a minor role in his film "Copacabana"; this appearance ultimately landed her four more: in "I Surrender, Dear," "Manhattan Angel," "An Old-Fashioned Girl," and "There's a Girl in My Heart."
As the 1950s began, Gloria made several singing shorts that aired during television's early days. Other than that and a few guest appearances on TV series, her acting career was virtually finished. She appeared in 1955's forgettable "Air Strike" and worked in a couple of film that were never released. Jerry Lewis found her working as a restaurant hostess and gave her a part in his movie "The Ladies' Man," which was meant to relaunch her career, but her scenes didn't make the final cut. Shortly after, she was briefly married and had a son; at that point she virtually retired from the screen and went to work for the cosmetics firm Redken until 1993, when she retired.
Gloria was reintroduced to a limelight of sorts by the magic of eBay, where her movies, some of which are in the public domain, were being sold. With her sister Bonnie's help (she handled the computer end of things, as Gloria didn't do "Windows") she got onto eBay and sold copies of the movies she appeared in, as well as signed photographs of herself (old publicity shots). Spurred by the popularity of these, she published her autobiography, "Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven" in 2005.
After her sister Bonnie's death in 2007, Gloria moved to Hawaii to live with her son and his family.Gloria Jean Schoonover
GJS- Actress
- Additional Crew
Sylvia Jefferies is a Charleston, SC native and had her first role, and first Jäegermeister shot, with director and star Dennis Hopper, in "Chasers"(1993). She later worked with him again as a stand-in for Elizabeth Shue in "Leo"(2002), where she met Sam Shepard and followed up making two more films with him, "The Notebook"(2004), and "Walker Payne"(2006). Known for her fearlessness, Sylvia is a character actor who is best known as Tracy in "Eastbound and Down"(HBO) with Danny McBride, as Jolene in "Nashville"(ABC) as Hayden Panettiere's mother, and as a propositioning addict in "Shaft"(2019). Joining the horror community in Rob Zombie's "Halloween 2"(2009) as Misty Dawn, a.k.a. the girl who rips Michael Myers' mask off, she has also been in John Gulager's "Piranha 3DD"(2012), and, her favorite role, Heather Starship Galen in "Three From Hell" (2019), the sequel to Rob Zombie's cult classic, "The Devil's Rejects". When she's not on set, Sylvia is an active knife thrower/collector and archer, volunteers her time with many charities, and, along with her son, is learning to fly.Sylvia Webster Jeffries
SWJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
The ever-lovely, poised and vivacious blonde Anne Jeffreys was born Annie Jeffreys Carmichael in 1923 in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Firmly managed by her mother, she trained in voice at a fairly early age and received her first break in the entertainment field after signing with the John Robert Powers agency in New York as a junior model. In the interim, she prepared herself for an operatic career and made her debut in a production of "La Boheme" in 1940. The following year, however, Anne won a role in the musical review, "Fun for the Money", that was to be staged in Hollywood. This, in turn, led to her first movie role in the tuneful Rodgers & Hart adaptation of I Married an Angel (1942), starring her singing idols, Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald, in their last cinematic pairing.
Put under contract respectively by Republic then RKO studios, Anne was utilized as a plucky heroine in a flux of 40s "B" westerns and crimers, opposite such stalwarts as Robert Mitchum and Randolph Scott. Also among her roles was the part of "Tess Trueheart" in the "Dick Tracy" series with Morgan Conway as the steel-jawed hero, and a co-star role opposite Frank Sinatra in the war-era musical, Step Lively (1944). None of these, however, were able to propel her into the "A" ranks and her film career quickly dissipated by the end of the 40s. In the meantime, Anne continued to prod her vocal skills with symphonic and stage appearances, including "Tosca" at the Brooklyn Opera House, Kurt Weill's "Street Scene" and the Broadway musical, "My Romance".
After her first marriage was annulled in 1949, Anne met handsome actor Robert Sterling during an extended run (887 performances) of "Kiss Me Kate" on Broadway. She and Sterling married in 1951 and had three sons. In an attempt to revive their flagging careers, the singing couple toured nighteries and hotels in the early 1950s with a highly successful club act. This led to them being cast as sly, engagingly cavalier spirits in the classic Topper (1953) sitcom. Anne played "Marion Kirby" ("the ghostess with the mostest"), alongside Sterling's dapper husband, George Kirby. Successfully, undertaking the ectoplasmic roles originated on film by Constance Bennett and Cary Grant, the two were an absolute hit as the party-hearty ghosts who reclaim their home, to the dismay of current owner Leo G. Carroll.
Anne and Robert weren't able to recreate that same kind of magic when they subsequently co-starred in the short-lived series, Love That Jill (1958). In the 1960s, Anne semi-retired to raise her family, but occasionally took on musical leads ("Camelot", "The King and I") both on Broadway and in regional productions. She later returned full-time to TV and became known for her chic, gregarious, sometimes double-dealing matrons on soap operas (Bright Promise (1969) and General Hospital (1972)). She was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her supporting work in The Delphi Bureau (1972) adventure series, and appeared, occasionally, as the mother of David Hasselhoff on Baywatch (1989). Unlike her husband, who retired decades ago (he died in 2006), Anne remained a tireless performer past age 80. She was recognized over the years for her civic and humanitarian efforts and remained a vibrant presence of "Golden Age" Hollywood society until her death at age 94 on September 27, 2017 in Los Angeles.Anne Carmichael
AC- Actress
- Soundtrack
Fran Jeffries was born on 18 May 1937 in Mayfield, California, USA. She was an actress, known for The Pink Panther (1963), Sex and the Single Girl (1964) and Harum Scarum (1965). She was married to Steven Schaeffer, Richard Quine, Dick Haymes and Edward Emile Belasco, Jr.. She died on 15 December 2016 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Frances Ann Makris
FAM- Rita Jenrette was born on 25 November 1949 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for End of the Line (1987), Dream On (1990) and The Edge of Night (1956). She was previously married to Nicolò Boncompagni Ludovisi and John W. Jenrette Jr..Rita Carpenter
RC - Tully Jensen was born on 2 December 1963 in the USA. She is an actress, known for The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), Inside the Goldmine (1994) and Sex and the City (1998). She was previously married to Antonio Sabato Jr..Alicia Tully Jensen
ATJ - Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Geri Jewell was born on 13 September 1956 in Buffalo, New York, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Deadwood (2004), 21 Jump Street (1987) and The Facts of Life (1979). She was previously married to Richard Pimentel.Geraldine Ann Jewell
GAJ- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ann Jillian was born on January 29, 1950 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA as Ann Jura Nauseda to Lithuanian immigrant parents. Her career began as a child actress in the 1960s. She is possibly best known for her role as Cassie Cranston on the 1980s sitcom It's a Living (1980). She is also known for her work on Mae West (1982), Babes in Toyland (1961), and Gypsy (1962). She has been married to Andy Murcia since March 27, 1977. They have one child.Ann Jura Nauseda
AJN- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Courtney Elizabeth Jines was born on May 4, 1992 in Fairfax, Virginia. She is a "lifelong actress" who has been acting professionally since the age of 6. Courtney made her first television appearance in 2000 in the episode "Demolition Derby" of the television series Third Watch as Lisa Hagonon. Her first role in film was as Harriet Deal in Drop Back Ten (2000) and Hannah Miller in the Law & Order episode "Pixies" in 2001. She played Delilah in Gaudi Afternoon (2001) and Jessica Trent in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode called "Cats in the Cradle" in 2002. In 2002, she played Julie Morgan in Anna's Dream. In 2003 she played Kristen Farrell in the television series That Was Then, and Rachel in the ER episode "A Saint in the city." She was in Red Betsy as Jane Rounds, and played Demetra in Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, which was when the then-long-blonde-haired Courtney cut her hair and dyed it brown; she has left it that way ever since. Spy Kids 3 is also the role that Courtney is most famous for, and she was known as "the deceiver". In 2004, she guest starred on Jack and Bobby is Deena Greenberg in the episode "Today I A a Man." In 2005, she starred as Bridget Byrne in Silver Bells and "pinched face" Amanda Wilkinson in Because of Winn-Dixie.
She also has two dogs, and fish. In addition to acting she enjoys singing, dancing, and playing the piano and guitar. She also loves to dance, horseback riding, biking and shop. She is very passionate about animals and has plans to be an "acting veterinarian" as an adult. Courtney is very proud of her association with Special Olympics, where she serves as a coach.Courtney Elizabeth Jines
CEJ- Actress
- Writer
- Director
A veteran actress, Jody has become known for her complex character roles. Having played everything from the darkest depths of insanity, to a grounded psychiatrist, a creepy nanny, a tormented nurturing mother, to a ditsy wife. Casting directors seek her out for roles needing multi-layers.
Jody began her entertainment career more than 40 years ago in Michigan. Her ancestors arrived in New York from German and Wales in the1800's and migrated to Southern Illinois where they became teachers, nurses, lawyers, farmers, pastors, lawmen, with a couple of rogues among them. Jody was born in Ottawa, Illinois just prior to her dad joining the Navy Seabees in WWII. Once the war ended the family moved to Ferndale, Michigan just outside of Detroit for many years and then moved out to horse country in Rochester, Michigan. Jody divided her time between competing in Western horse shows, singing, and beginning studies in theatre acting, stage makeup, lighting, sound, set design and directing at the Will-O-Way Apprentice Theatre and Repertory Company in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It became her home away from home. During a two year run in summer stock at Will-O-Way, she had the privilege of performing with the great stage and screen legend, George C. Scott. She received acclaim for her Command Performance requested by Sir Basil Rathbone as "Kate" in Taming Of The Shrew performed at the famed Will-O-Way Playhouse and Apprentice Theatre in Michigan.
After graduating from RHS (Rochester High School) at age seventeen, winning the Miss Rochester Pageant, the Miss Romeo Peach Queen title, and then placing in the Miss Michigan Pageant, Jody went to NYC to make "the rounds" and meet up with Lee Strasberg who welcomed her into his home for lunch and to meet his family. He requested that she come back the following year when she would be old enough to join the Actor's Studio. She moved to California instead after meeting the iconic horror film director, William Castle at a premier back in Detroit. Now in California, her very first film with dialog was The Bigot aka The Hunting Season and recently remastered and distributed by Troma Pictures as Deadly Daphne's Revenge (1987). A side note: thirty some odd years later, Jody was interviewed Answering the Call: An Interview with Jody Jaress (2018) regarding this film directed by Richard Gardner. Her next film was Patrick Swayze's first film, Skatetown U.S.A. (1979).
Over the years, her theatre work awarded her Best Actress and Supporting Actress Awards from the Desert Theatre League in Palm Springs, CA for roles in Veronica's Room (by Ira Levin), Equus (directed by actress Judith Chapman) and Neil Simon's The Gingerbread Lady; Jody was selected to perform as Mrs. Popov in Chekhov's, The Brute, to honor the Russian Dignitaries visiting Palm Springs.
She since has made a plethora of appearances on stage, film, television and radio. Variety reviewer, Robert Koehler wrote "Jody Jaress - excellent" referring to her supporting lead role as Rhea, in the gritty award winning Indie feature, Chain Link (2008), directed/written/produced by Dylan Reynolds starring Mark Irvingsen, Jim Storm and Lelia Goldoni.
Jody has garnered many wins and nominations in other Independent films: as a wife with Alzheimers in both of these award winning films: Fragile Storm (2015) sharing the lead with Lance Henriksen, directed by Dawn Fields and portraying Bill Hoversten's real life mother using her actual dialog in Mother's Day Memories (2019), directed and edited by Mother's Day Memories (2019); feisty and strong-willed in the award winning two character short written by Jody and Jack Donner (Stigmata, as Tal in Starship Excelsior), So This Is Love (2016) starring both Jack and Jody directed by Gloria Morrison; and also as the dying mother in a small ensemble cast in Duke (2016) with Spice Williams-Crosby directed by Anthony De Longis and produced by Gregory Crosby co-producer and screenwriter of Hacksaw Ridge (2016) directed by Mel Gibson starring Andrew Garfield.
Jody's notoriety as a character actress claims even more diverse roles: creepy mid-wife in the horror film, 2 Bedroom 1 Bath (2014) with Dee Wallace, Michele Hicks written and directed by Stanley Yung; sternly protective maid in Hollywoodland (2006) starring Ben Affleck and Adrien Brody, directed by Allen Coulter; a grandmother turned flesh-eater and evil in the comedy Little Fish, Strange Pond (2009) with Matthew Modine, Zach Galifianakis, directed by Gregory Dark; and a bible toting Christian in Jody's first period film, Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves (2008) starring Ernest Borgnine, Timothy Bottoms and Reggie Lee, directed by Aki Aleong. Jody had previously played a religious fanatic in Why Is The Dog Howlin' Momma, a play loosely based on the poet, Charles Bukowski.
Some of her television guest star and co-star roles include, Days of Our Lives (1965) and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (2008) as well as series regulars/leads on a variety of Anime' and Manga projects such as; I My Me! Strawberry Eggs (2001). She has an abundance of television commercials to her name.
As a first time Film Director and Screenwriter, Jody's psychological drama, Traces of Memory (2014) starring Maray Ayres and Sara Ballantine, was chosen to screen at fifteen (15) international film festivals winning eleven (11) awards. Ulli Lommel acquired Jody as script consultant on Absolute Evil - Final Exit (2009) starring David Carradine, David Carradine. Return Of the Sacred is a feature film Jody is writing, partnering with the creator of the concept, private investigator Roger Tolces.
Jody has held many different titles throughout the years especially that of Mother and Grandmother and vegetarian. Add to her hats: psychiatric aide, crisis counselor, spa director, group home counselor, Director of John Robert Powers Models, emcee, lecturer, solderer of computer boards, law secretary, and for a few years, was the primary acting coach of film, television and stage performance at South Coast Actors Studio.
She was awarded the Key to the City of Orange in California in honor of her thirteen (13) years of organizing, emceeing and booking the main stage entertainment at the Orange International Street Fair. She also did the same for the May Festival in Santa Ana, CA. She lends her talents and support toward the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention, Aids Healthcare Foundation, One Billion Rising Against Violence, and for Save The Children events.
Jody was awarded the prestigious USO pin for her dedication and years of service performing for the armed forces at various military camp sites and on US Naval ships.
More recently, for her years as a jazz and blues vocalist, inspiring others to follow their passions, she was Honored as a "Jazz and Blues Living Legend" and Inducted into the Living Legend Foundation by the Duke Ellington Society of L.A., NAACP Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and by the City of Los Angeles. Some of the Icons Jody has opened for in Las Vegas, or headlined with in California are, Harry Belafonte, Linda Hopkins, Bili Redd Thedford, Janet Blair, the Ink Spots, Louis Armstrong, Hank Williams, Jr, Sheb Wooley, Freda Payne, Mary Wilson, Herb Jeffries and with major musicians/composers/music producers; HB Barnum, Nolan Shaheed, Bradley Young, pianist (Chet Baker), Jon Stuart, percussionist (Lainie Kazan, Tamir Hendelman), Tony Dumas, bass (Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock), Quentin Dennard, drums (The Temptations, Freda Payne), Ralph Penland, drummer (Santana, Marvin Gaye, Frank Sinatra), Dori Amarilio, jazz guitarist (Mike Stoller, Charles Jarot) Alan Walker, sax (Temptations, Sugar Ray) and many others. Some California music venues Jody has headlined: Catalina's Jazz Bar & Grill, Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill, Tom Rolla's Gardenia, Upstairs at Vitello's, Jax, and House of Music & Entertainment, Beverly Hills, CA.
Jody has recorded a smooth jazz CD, Whisper Low. She recorded various voices on Jack Donner's spoken word CD, Hearts On Fire, a Jack Donner original dramatic-humoresque script about the human psyches.Jody JoEllen Schafer
JJS- Tsianina Joelson was born on 16 January 1975 in Coquille, Oregon, USA. She is an actress, known for Bring It On (2000), American Pie 2 (2001) and According to Greta (2009). She has been married to Michael Lohmann since 2004. She was previously married to Gregory Joelson.Tsianina Marie Means
TMM - Actress
- Producer
- Director
Scarlett Ingrid Johansson was born on November 22, 1984 in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Her mother, Melanie Sloan is from a Jewish family from the Bronx and her father, Karsten Johansson is a Danish-born architect from Copenhagen. She has a sister, Vanessa Johansson, who is also an actress, a brother, Adrian, a twin brother, Hunter Johansson, born three minutes after her, and a paternal half-brother, Christian. Her grandfather was writer Ejner Johansson.
Johansson began acting during childhood, after her mother started taking her to auditions. She made her professional acting debut at the age of eight in the off-Broadway production of "Sophistry" with Ethan Hawke, at New York's Playwrights Horizons. She would audition for commercials but took rejection so hard her mother began limiting her to film tryouts. She made her film debut at the age of nine, as John Ritter's character's daughter in the fantasy comedy North (1994). Following minor roles in Just Cause (1995), as the daughter of Sean Connery and Kate Capshaw's character, and If Lucy Fell (1996), she played the role of Amanda in Manny & Lo (1996). Her performance in Manny & Lo garnered a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female, and positive reviews, one noting, "[the film] grows on you, largely because of the charm of ... Scarlett Johansson", while San Francisco Chronicle critic Mick LaSalle commentated on her "peaceful aura", and wrote, "If she can get through puberty with that aura undisturbed, she could become an important actress."
After appearing in minor roles in Fall (1997) and Home Alone 3 (1997), Johansson garnered widely spread attention for her performance in The Horse Whisperer (1998), directed by Robert Redford, where she played Grace MacLean, a teenager traumatized by a riding accident. She received a nomination for the Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress for the film. In 1999, she appeared in My Brother the Pig (1999) and in the music video for Mandy Moore's single, "Candy". Although the film was not a box office success, she received praise for her breakout role in Ghost World (2001), credited with "sensitivity and talent [that] belie her age". She was also featured in the Coen Brothers' dark drama The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), opposite Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand. She appeared in the horror comedy Eight Legged Freaks (2002) with David Arquette and Kari Wuhrer.
In 2003, she was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, one for drama (Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)) and one for comedy (Lost in Translation (2003)), her breakout role, starring opposite Bill Murray, and receiving rave reviews and a Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival. Her film roles include the critically acclaimed Weitz brothers' film In Good Company (2004), as well as starring opposite John Travolta in A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004), which garnered her a third Golden Globe Award nomination.
She dropped out of Mission: Impossible III (2006) due to scheduling conflicts. Her next film role was in The Island (2005) alongside Ewan McGregor which earned weak reviews from U.S. critics. After this, she appeared in Woody Allen's Match Point (2005) and was nominated again for a Golden Globe Award. In May 2008, she released her album "Anywhere I Lay My Head", a collection of Tom Waits covers featuring one original song. Also that year, she starred in Frank Miller's The Spirit (2008), the Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), and played Mary Boleyn opposite Natalie Portman in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).
Since then, she has appeared as part of an ensemble cast in the romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You (2009), the action superhero film Iron Man 2 (2010), the comedy-drama We Bought a Zoo (2011) and starred as the original scream queen, Janet Leigh, in Hitchcock (2012). She then played her character, Black Widow, in the blockbuster action films The Avengers (2012), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Black Widow (2021), and also headlined the sci-fi action thriller Lucy (2014), a box office success. With more than a decade of work already under her belt, Scarlett has proven to be one of Hollywood's most talented young actresses. Her other starring roles are in the sci-fi action thriller Ghost in the Shell (2017) and the dark comedy Rough Night (2017).
Scarlett and Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds were engaged in May 2008 and married in September of that year. In 2010, the couple announced their separation, and subsequently divorced a year later. In 2013, she became engaged to French journalist Romain Dauriac, the couple married a year later. In January 2017, the couple announced their separation, and subsequently divorced in March of that year. They have a daughter, Rose Dorothy Dauriac (born 2014). The couple divorced in September 2017.
She married Colin Jost in October 2020. They have one child, a son.Scarlett Melanie Johansson
SMJ- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes was born and raised in San Jose, California where she grew up with four siblings in a large extended family to which she remains close. She embarked upon her career as a professional cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders at the age of 20 and performed at Super Bowl XXXVII where she was named the "Rookie of the Year." After one year with the team, she decided to move to Hollywood to pursue acting. She began her stand-up career after taking a class on a whim at a local church and realized that she loved it. Just a few months later, Anjelah found herself an internet sensation and pioneer in viral YouTube videos when her notorious "Nail Salon" bit from a local comedy show was posted and received over 100 million views! Shortly thereafter she was added to the cast on the original MADtv where she trademarked her legendary character, Bon Qui Qui. Similar to the nail salon video, the Bon Qui Qui sketch caught on and have been viewed by over 75 million people.
The multi-hyphenate's popularity has translated into six successful comedy specials: "That's How We Do It", "The Homecoming Show", "Not Fancy" and "Mahalo & Good Night", "Technically Not Stalking", and "Say I Won't." She has displayed her acting prowess both on TV and film. Some of her credits include: "Life & Beth", "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Superstore," "Moms' Night Out," and "Alvin & the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel."
The past 18 months have been busy for Anjelah. She published her first book, "Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams" (Worthy Books), a hilarious and touching memoir full of memorable anecdotes on how a Latina dynamo was able to forge ahead and become successful. She also was front and center competing on Fox's dance competition show "The Real Dirty Dancing" and performed at the "Netflix is a Joke - Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin: Live Gala" which is currently streaming on Netflix. In addition, Anjelah launched her wildly successful and sold out "Who Do I Think I Am?" standup comedy tour across the U.S. encompassed over 75+ cities across North America.
Anjelah's book "Who Do I Think I Am: Stories of Chola Wishes and Caviar Dreams" will be published in paperback on March 15th and she plans on releasing her 6th comedy special, "Anjelah Johnson-Reyes: Say I Won't" on YouTube on Sunday, May 14th. Anjelah and her husband are expecting their first child summer of 2023 and when not on the road, split their time between Los Angeles and Nashville with their dog, Banzo.Anjelah Nicole Johnson
ANJ- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Los Angeles-based Ashley Suzanne Johnson was born in Camarillo, California on August 9, 1983, to Clifford and Nancy Johnson. She is of Danish, Irish, Native American, Norwegian, Scottish, and Swedish descent. When she was 9 days old, her family packed up and moved to Michigan where her father (the captain of an exploration ship) was transferred. They finally ended up moving to Franklin, Michigan, which Johnson has dubbed "The Town That Time Forgot", and where she lived for much of her life. She is a former Miss Jr. Michigan.
Ashley has an older brother, Chris, who works on The District (2000) and an older sister, Haylie Johnson, an actress and musician who is married to musician Jonny Lang. Their mother, Nancy Spruiell Johnson, is an independent film producer. Their father, Clifford Johnson, died in 2000 from cancer & Hepatitis C. Ashley and her siblings' paternal grandmother was famous concert pianist Evelyn Taft, also known as Evelyn Johnson.Ashley Suzanne Johnson
ASJ- Besedka Johnson was born on 5 October 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She was an actress, known for Starlet (2012). She died on 4 April 2013 in Glendale, California, USA.Beatrice Vivian Divic
BVD - Casey Johnson is known for Smosh (2005).Sale Trotter Case Johnson
STCJ - Actress
- Producer
- Director
Chane't Johnson was born A'Drewana Chane't Johnson in Dallas, Texas. Graduating with honors from Duncanville High School, Chane't was awarded a talent scholarship to Southern Methodist University in Dallas where she earned her BFA in Theatre Arts, and worked multiple seasons with the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas. She went on to achieve an MFA in Theatre Arts from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in 2001 (awarded San Diego Fellow), the same year she was chosen for the role of Lena in the play "Boesman and Lena" written and directed by Athol Fugard. To date, it is her most cherished role. Chane't lists among her creative influences, Whoopi Goldberg, Anna Deavere Smith, Carole Burnett, Nell Carter, Morgan Freeman, Louis Gossett Jr., and her favorite comedian, Jonathan Winters. She has expanded her work into directing and producing with "Nurses Who Kill..." and "Trailerate" two web shows she launched in 2010. Chane't has two short films Texas Toast and Pony Man arriving in 2011, and is in development to direct and produce two fantasy/horror feature films, The Dark Sisters and Anomoly slated for 2012.A'Drewana Chane't Johnson
ACJ- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Dakota Mayi Johnson is an American actress and fashion model. She was born in Austin, Texas, and is the daughter of actors Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Her maternal grandmother is actress Tippi Hedren.
In 1999, she made her film debut in Crazy in Alabama (1999), where she and her half-sister, Stella Banderas, played the daughters to their real-life mother, Melanie Griffith. The film was directed by her stepfather, Antonio Banderas, but it wasn't a hit. Dakota resumed her schooling and waited several years before she decided to become a professional actress and model. In 2006, she was voted Miss Golden Globe, a launching pad bestowed on off-spring of famous parents. She served as the first second-generation Miss Golden Globe in the Globes' history, since her mother was Miss Golden Globe in 1975. She also signed with IMG Models. In 2009, she modeled for MANGO brand's jeans line. Dakota traveled to Sydney, Australia, where she shot the "Rising Star" campaign for fashion label, "Wish". Once she graduated from high school, she signed with the William Morris Agency and started her acting career. She had her first box office hit in 2010 with David Fincher's film, The Social Network (2010), in which she had a scene with Justin Timberlake. The film received eight Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture. She also appeared in three additional films: Beastly (2011), alongside Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen; Ezna Sands' film, Chloe and Theo (2015); and So Yong Kim's film, For Ellen (2012); She had roles in several 2012 films: Christopher Neil's film, Goats (2012), with David Duchovny; Nicholas Stoller's film, The Five-Year Engagement (2012), for producer Judd Apatow, and the hit feature film version of the 1987 television show, 21 Jump Street (1987) that made Johnny Depp a star. She also won the female lead in Chris Nelson's, film Date and Switch (2014), written by Alan Yang. Her first television show, Ben and Kate (2012), where she played "Kate", aired on Fox during the Fall 2012 season. It was canceled in 2013, and she quickly resumed her feature film career with three high-profile films: Need for Speed (2014), Cymbeline (2014), the modern-day adaptation of the William Shakespeare play, "Cymbeline", and the starring role of "Anastasia Steele" in Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), the adaptation of the best-selling erotic novel, "Fifty Shades of Grey". She beat out many young actresses for the coveted role of Anastasia, and the film became a worldwide hit, making her a star. She won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Dramatic Movie Actress for "Fifty Shades of Grey". She also starred in the two sequels to the hit film. She has continued to seek challenging roles, such as of a young mother who loses her son in Black Mass (2015) opposite her "21 Jump Street" castmate Johnny Depp, and of a temptress in A Bigger Splash (2015). She has balanced her dramatic career by doing comedies as well, such as How to Be Single (2016). She acted in the hit independent film The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019). She co-produced some of the films that she acted in: Am I OK? (2022) (where she played a lesbian); Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) (where she played mother to an autistic daughter); and Daddio (2023) (where she and Sean Penn are the only two principal actors in the entire film). She won good notices for playing a mother looking for her lost daughter in The Lost Daughter (2021), a film that received several Oscar nominations. She played the title role in the Marvel-adventure Madame Web (2024) and in the period film adaptation of the Jane Austen novel Persuasion (2022), both films directed by first time women film directors. She also became the first female member of her family when she turned director by co-directing the music video to the song "Cry Cry Cry" by the band ColdplayDakota Mayi Johnson
DMJ- British character actress, on stage from 1894. Her many notable theatrical appearances include "Little Lord Fauntleroy" at the Prince's Theatre in Bristol, and, as Lady McClean, in "Escape Me Never" at the Apollo in London (1933) - a part she subsequently took to Broadway two years later. Until well into her seventies, Katie's screen career consisted almost exclusively of smallish parts, until she was cast as sweet, frail Mrs. Wilberforce in the classic Ealing comedy The Ladykillers (1955). A most quintessentially British role, it finds her in a crumbling boarding house with dodgy plumbing, surrounded by Victorian memorabilia, a parrot named General Gordon, and an assortment of genteel, but pixillated, old friends. Her innocence and moral fortitude ultimately precipitate the downfall of a gang of bank robbers, posing as a string quartet.
This was the defining role of Katie's career and it won her the 1955 BAFTA Award as Best Actress. She had another juicy role, as eavesdropping would-be sleuth Aunt Alice, in How to Murder a Rich Uncle (1957). Sadly, there was to be no more from this delightful scene stealer, as she passed away shortly after, at the age of 78.Katherine Evangeline Johnson
KEJ - Katrina Johnson was born on 27 April 1982 in San Diego, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Black Creek, Shane on You and She's a Fox (2009).Katrina Ann Johnson
KAJ - Actress
- Soundtrack
The personification of class and cultivation on the movie screen, comely actress Kay Johnson forsook a prominent stage and film career in order to play wife to actor John Cromwell and mother to their two children. Still and all, the elegant actress, reminiscent in looks and style to that of Irene Dunne and Judith Anderson, contributed to a number of important '30s and early '40s films and is deserving of a richer place in Hollywood history than has been acknowledged thus far.
Born Catherine Townsend Johnson, the daughter of a Michigan architect (Thomas R. Johnson--who worked in the firm of Cass Gilbert the architect of the impressive Woolworth Building in NYC), Kay received her early education at the Drew Seminary for Young Women and later, intent on becoming an actress, studied at Sargent's Dramatic School of the American Academy of Dramatic Art (AADA). Her first professional role came with the Theatre Guild's Chicago production of "R.U.R." in the role of Helena, a robot. From there she appeared on Broadway in "Go West, Young Man" and continued on with stage roles in "The Morning After," "One of the Family," "No Trespassing" and "Crime".
Kay met actor/producer/director Cromwell while she was appearing in the play "A Free Soul" in 1928 and he was involved in another play. They married later that year (October) and moved to California, where he directed her in a stage production of "The Silver Cord". Her showy role as Christine earned the attention of none other than Cecil B. DeMille, who cast her in his film Dynamite (1929) opposite Charles Bickford and Conrad Nagel. While the movie received lukewarm reviews, Kay, who suffered from appendicitis and had surgery during filming, was instantly noticed. She continued on with The Ship from Shanghai (1930), This Mad World (1930) (directed by William C. de Mille, the brother of C.B.), The Spoilers (1930) (opposite Gary Cooper), the title role as Madam Satan (1930) (again for C.B. DeMille), and Billy the Kid (1930) starring Johnny Mack Brown as the legendary gunslinger.
Kay alternated between stage and film parts in the following years. She toured with another production of "The Silver Cord" and appeared as Roxanne opposite Richard Bennett's lead in "Cyrano de Bergerac". Later she was on stage in "When Ladies Meet" and "Living Dangerously". On screen Kay appeared in the mediocre films The Single Sin (1931) and The Spy (1931) before glowing onscreen in such fare as American Madness (1932) and This Man Is Mine (1934), the latter directed by husband Cromwell.
Kay's most noteworthy career assignment came with the screen role of Nora in W. Somerset Maugham's classic Of Human Bondage (1934)--again, directed by her husband Cromwell--with Leslie Howard and Bette Davis completing the romantic triangle. Cromwell went on to direct Kay on screen again in Village Tale (1935), Jalna (1935) and Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake (1942). Other notable Kay Johnson films included White Banners (1938), Mr. Lucky (1943) and her last, The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944). Her final acting appearance was in a prime role opposite Ralph Bellamy in a stage production of "State of the Union" in 1945.
Kay never aggressively pursued her career, instead focusing on her marriage to Cromwell and the raising of their two children. The couple's first child was adopted in 1938; their second son, born in January of 1940, became the noted character actor James Cromwell. Following her divorce from Cromwell in the late '40s, Kay decided to remain out of the limelight. She died just short of her 71st birthday at her Waterford, CT., home on November 17, 1975, long forgotten.Catherine Townsend Johnson
CTJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
Rita Johnson was born on 8/13/13 in Worcester Ma. She attended the New England Conservatory of Music, did summer stock, then moved on to Broadway in 1935. She was an extremely versatile actress, who played virtually every type of role. Unfortunately, her career came to a halt in 1948 when a hair dryer fell on her head causing brain damage. Brain surgery was performed, but thereafter her screen time was very limited . She died in Los Angeles County General Hospital on Oct. 31, 1965. Miss Johnson was only 52 years old.Rita Ann Johnson
RAJ- Sunny Johnson was born on 21 September 1953 in San Bernardino County, California, USA. She was an actress, known for Flashdance (1983), The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981) and Where the Buffalo Roam (1980). She died on 19 June 1984 in Los Angeles, California, USA.Sunny Sue Johnson
SSJ - Susan Johnson is known for Different Strokes (1998).Marilyn Jeanne Johnson
MJJ - Actress
- Producer
- Director
Angelina Jolie is an Academy Award-winning actress who rose to fame after her role in Girl, Interrupted (1999), playing the title role in the "Lara Croft" blockbuster movies, as well as Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Wanted (2008), Salt (2010) and Maleficent (2014). Off-screen, Jolie has become prominently involved in international charity projects, especially those involving refugees. She often appears on many "most beautiful women" lists, and she has a personal life that is avidly covered by the tabloid press.
Jolie was born Angelina Jolie Voight in Los Angeles, California. In her earliest years, Angelina began absorbing the acting craft from her actor parents, Jon Voight, an Oscar-winner, and Marcheline Bertrand, who had studied with Lee Strasberg. Her good looks may derive from her ancestry, which is German and Slovak on her father's side, and French-Canadian, Dutch, Polish, and remote Huron, on her mother's side. At age eleven, Angelina began studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, where she was seen in several stage productions. She undertook some film studies at New York University and later joined the renowned Met Theatre Group in Los Angeles. At age 16, she took up a career in modeling and appeared in some music videos.
In the mid-1990s, Jolie appeared in various small films where she got good notices, including Hackers (1995) and Foxfire (1996). Her critical acclaim increased when she played strong roles in the made-for-TV movies True Women (1997), and in George Wallace (1997) which won her a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy nomination. Jolie's acclaim increased even further when she played the lead role in the HBO production Gia (1998). This was the true life story of supermodel Gia Carangi, a sensitive wild child who was both brazen and needy and who had a difficult time handling professional success and the deaths of people who were close to her. Carangi became involved with drugs and because of her needle-using habits she became, at the tender age of 26, one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS. Jolie's performance in Gia (1998) again garnered a Golden Globe Award and another Emmy nomination, and she additionally earned a SAG Award.
Angelina got a major break in 1999 when she won a leading role in the successful feature The Bone Collector (1999), starring alongside Denzel Washington. In that same year, Jolie gave a tour de force performance in Girl, Interrupted (1999) playing opposite Winona Ryder. The movie was a true story of women who spent time in a psychiatric hospital. Jolie's role was reminiscent of Jack Nicholson's character in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), the role which won Nicholson his first Oscar. Unlike "Cuckoo", "Girl" was a small film that received mixed reviews and barely made money at the box office. But when it came time to give out awards, Jolie won the triple crown -- "Girl" propelled her to win the Golden Globe Award, the SAG Award and the Academy Award for best leading actress in a supporting role.
With her newfound prominence, Jolie began to get in-depth attention from the press. Numerous aspects of her controversial personal life became news. At her wedding to her Hackers (1995) co-star Jonny Lee Miller, she had displayed her husband's name on the back of her shirt painted in her own blood. Jolie and Miller divorced, and in 2000, she married her Pushing Tin (1999) co-star Billy Bob Thornton. Jolie had become the fifth wife of a man twenty years her senior. During her marriage to Thornton, the spouses each wore a vial of the other's blood around their necks. That marriage came apart in 2002 and ended in divorce. In addition, Jolie was estranged from her famous father, Jon Voight.
In 2000, Jolie was asked to star in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). At first, she expressed disinterest, but then decided that the required training for the athletic role was intriguing. The eponymous character was drawn from a popular video game. Lara Croft was a female cross between Indiana Jones and James Bond. When the movie was released, critics were unimpressed with the final product, but critical acclaim wasn't the point of the movie. The public paid $275 million for theater tickets to see a buffed up Jolie portray the adventuresome Lara Croft. Jolie's father Jon Voight appeared in the movie, and during filming there was a brief rapprochement between father and daughter.
One of the Lara Croft movie's filming locations was Cambodia. While there, Jolie witnessed the natural beauty, culture and poverty of that country. She considered this an eye opening experience, and so began the humanitarian chapter of her life. Jolie began visiting refugee camps around the world and came to be formally appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some of her experiences were written and published in her popular book "Notes from My Travels" whose profits go to UNHCR.
Jolie has stated that she now plans to spend most of her time in humanitarian efforts, to be financed by her actress salary. She devotes one third of her income to savings, one third to living expenses and one third to charity. In 2002, Angelina adopted a Cambodian refugee boy named Maddox, and in 2005, adopted an Ethiopian refugee girl named Zahara. Jolie's dramatic feature film Beyond Borders (2003) parallels some of her real life humanitarian experiences although, despite the inclusion of a romance between two westerners, many of the movie's images were too depressingly realistic -- the movie was not popular among critics or at the box office.
In 2004, Jolie began filming Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) with co-star Brad Pitt. The movie became a major box office success. There were rumors that Pitt and Jolie had an affair while filming Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Jolie insisted that because her mother had been hurt by adultery, she herself could never participate in an affair with a married man, therefore there had been no affair with Pitt at that time. Nonetheless, Pitt separated from his wife Jennifer Aniston in January 2005 and, in the months that followed, he was frequently seen in public with Jolie, apparently as a couple. Pitt's divorce was finalized later in 2005.
Jolie and Pitt announced in early 2006 that they would have a child together, and Jolie gave birth to daughter Shiloh that May. They also adopted a three-year-old Vietnamese boy named Pax. The couple, who married in 2014 and divorced in 2019, continue to pursue movie and humanitarian projects, and now have a total of six children. She was appointed Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George at the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours for her services to United Kingdom foreign policy and the campaign to end warzone sexual violence.Angelina Jolie Voight
AJV- Anissa Jones was an American child actress of Lebanese descent. She is primarily remembered for the role of the orphan girl Buffy Davis in the hit sitcom "Family Affair" (1966-1971). The series lasted for 5 seasons and 138 episodes. Jones' career rapidly declined following the end of the sitcom. She died due to "combined drug intoxication" when only 18-years-old.
In 1958, Jones was born in West Lafayette, Indiana. West Lafayette is a college town, primarily known as the home of Purdue University. Jones' father was the engineer John Paul Jones, who was at that time a faculty board member at Purdue University. Jones' mother was Mary Paula Tweel, a Lebanese-American zoology student.
Jones spend the first few years of her life in Charleston, West Virginia, where her family had settled. Around 1963, the Jones family moved to Playa Del Rey, California. Her father had accepted a job in aerospace engineering in California, and was eager to relocate to the West Coast. The marriage of Jones's parents soon deteriorated, and they were already divorced by 1965.
In 1964, Jones made her debut at television commercials. She was only 6-years-old at the time. She begun pursuing acting roles in 1965. She had her big break in 1966, when cast in a co-starring role in the new sitcom "Family Affair". She was 8-years-old at the time, but she was cast in the role of a 6-year-old. Jones was unusually short for her age, and she reportedly looked younger than her actual age.
Jones soon became a popular child actress, and she made several guest appearances in other television series. She served as a guest host in the variety show "The Hollywood Palace",. She was also interviewed in the talk shows "The Mike Douglas Show" and "The Merv Griffin Show". She made her film debut in 1969, with a small part in the drama film "The Trouble with Girls". The film's main star was Elvis Presley, in one of his last acting roles. The film depicted the murder of a pharmacist in Iowa, and the efforts of a band manager to profit from the crime.
"Family Affair" ended in 1971, leaving Jones without a regular role for the first time in her acting career. Despite auditioning for various roles over the following years, she was nearly always rejected. Her acting career ended at the age of 12. In 1976, Jones was still living in California and had a regular boyfriend.
On August 27, 1976, Jones went partying with her friends in the beach town of Oceanside, California. The following day, Jones was found dead at the home of Helen Hennessy, a close friend. An autopsy revealed that she had consumed a combination of cocaine, PCP, Quaalude, and Seconal. A small vial of blue liquid was found next to her corpse, but the police could not determine what it was. Jones was given a small, private funeral service. Her remains were cremated, and her ashes were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.
Following Jones' death, Dr. Don Carlos Moshos was arrested for illegally prescribing Seconal to Jones. Moshos died in late December 1976, while still awaiting his trial. In 1979, a court decision forced Moshos' estate to make compensations payments to Jones' surviving relatives. Jones' last surviving relative (her mother) died in January 2012. Jones is long gone, but is still fondly remembered for her sitcom role.Mary Anissa Jones
MAJ - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Dot-Marie Jones was born on 4 January 1964 in Turlock, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Glee (2009), Bros (2022) and Greener Grass (2019). She has been married to Bridgett Casteen since 21 December 2013.Dorothy Marie Jones
DMJ- Actress
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Make-Up Department
Janet Jones was born on 10 January 1961 in Bridgeton, Missouri, USA. She is an actress, known for Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988), A League of Their Own (1992) and Alpha Dog (2006). She has been married to Wayne Gretzky since 16 July 1988. They have five children.Janet Marie Gretzky
JMG- Actress
- Soundtrack
January Jones was born on January 5, 1978 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is the daughter of Karen Sue (née Cox), a sporting goods store manager, and Marvin Roger Jones, a gym teacher and fitness director. She is of Czech, Danish, English, Welsh, and German ancestry. She was named after the character January Wayne in Jacqueline Susann's potboiler novel turned film, Once Is Not Enough (1975). She has two sisters, Jacey Jones and Jina Jones].
Her family moved to the small town of Hecla, South Dakota, with a population of just some 400 souls in 1979, when she was one year old; they moved back to Sioux Falls in 1986. After graduating from Roosevelt High School, she moved to New York City to become a model. Despite her stature (5'6", which is short for a fashion model), she got modeling gigs, including Abercrombie & Fitch ads. However, modeling was just a means to an end, to get out of South Dakota and avoid going to college.
She got her first taste of acting from TV commercials and found that she had flair for it, even though she did not act in high school and had no training. January appeared in a couple of television pilots and a cable television series before making her big screen debut in All the Rage (1999), an indie that never got a real release. She followed it up with a small role in the teen thriller The Glass House (2001). Her actual debut in the sense of attracting attention was in the near silent role of the beauty who entices Jane Fonda's son, Troy Garity, in the Bruce Willis-Cate Blanchett-Billy Bob Thornton comedy Bandits (2001). It was not a career-making part. At the time the movie was released, she was ending a three-year relationship with Ashton Kutcher.
Small roles followed, including a "don't blink or you won't see me" part in the Adam Sandler-Jack Nicholson comedy Anger Management (2003). She gained some career traction with a good role in another comedy, American Wedding (2003), a sequel to American Pie (1999). Until she landed the part on Mad Men (2007), which made its debut on AMC in 2007, her career was steady but undistinguished. "I choose roles that are not me", January has said. The role of Betty Draper has garnered her two Golden Globe nominations and an Emmy nomination as Best Actress. Her cool, Grace Kelly-ish blonde ice queen looks -- counterpointed by her soul burning in her bright blue eyes -- have established her as a retro icon of the 21st Century.January Kristen Jones
JKJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
One of the world's most underrated Academy Award-winning actresses, Jennifer Jones was born Phylis Lee Isley on 2 March 1919 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Flora Mae (Suber) and Phillip Ross Isley, who ran a travelling stage show. As a young aspiring actress, she met and fell for young, handsome, aspiring actor Robert Walker. They soon married, and moved to Chicago in order to fulfill their dreams of becoming film stars. Though their plans (initially) fell through, Phyllis began working as a model; sporting mainly hats, gloves and jewelry, and also occasionally found some work on local radio stations, where she provided the voice for various characters in radio programmes, along with her husband.
In a last-ditch attempt to pursue her dream, Phyllis traveled to Selznick studios for a reading which would ultimately change her life. It was that day where she met David O. Selznick, and after that, her career began to take shape. Initially, Phyllis thought the audition went terribly and stormed out of the studios in tears, only to be chased by Selznick, who assured her she had been fine. Although she didn't get that particular part (which was for the iconic character, Scarlett O'Hara, which would ultimately go to Vivien Leigh, in one of the most famous castings in Hollywood's history), Phyllis was given a contract with Selznick studios. In short order, Phyllis was 'renamed' to the alliterative Jennifer Jones, and was cast over thousands of other hopefuls in the role of Bernadette Soubirous in The Song of Bernadette (1943).
For her moving portrayal of the sickly teenager who sees a vision of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes and devotes her life to her by becoming a nun, Jones won the Academy Award for best actress in a leading role on 2 March 1944 (coincidentally her 25th birthday) beating out stiff competition such as Ingrid Bergman (who later became a close friend of hers), Greer Garson, Joan Fontaine and Jean Arthur.
Now, considered a 'true' star, Jones' career was marked out and moulded for her by Selznick, who would become the love of her life. They began an affair and eventually she left her husband and two sons for the producer, which ultimately led Walker to an untimely death, attributed to alcohol and drug abuse instigated due to their separation. As for her career, Jones took on the supporting role of Jane Hilton, a headstrong teenage girl who grows up fast when her fiance is killed in action during WWII, in Since You Went Away (1944). For her performance Jones received a best supporting actress Oscar nomination, but lost out to Ethel Barrymore for None But the Lonely Heart (1944). Jennifer continued to deliver strong performances, receiving further best actress Oscar nominations for Love Letters (1945) (she lost to Joan Crawford for Mildred Pierce (1945)) and Duel in the Sun (1946), (she lost to Olivia de Havilland for To Each His Own (1946)) which saw her cast against type as the seductive biracial beauty Pearl Chavez.
Jones continued to produce memorable performances throughout the 1940s , including Portrait of Jennie (1948). In the 1950s she received her fifth and final Oscar nomination for Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), losing out to Anna Magnani for The Rose Tattoo (1955).
Despite her success within the film industry, Jones was a very private person and managed to stay out of the spotlight that dominated so many other performers' lives. But a lack of publicity led to a lack of roles, a trend that amplified when Selznick died in 1965. She appeared in fewer and fewer films, and after a moderately successful supporting performance in The Towering Inferno (1974) Jones decided to make that role her swan song, bowing out of the film industry. She did, however, try to revive her film career in later years by campaigning for the role of Aurora Greenway in Terms of Endearment (1983), but Shirley MacLaine was cast instead and as a result, won the Oscar for best actress.
Jennifer Jones died 17 December, 2009, in Malibu, California. In the 21st century, Jones may not be as well known as other actresses of her time such as Ingrid Bergman, Katharine Hepburn, Greer Garson, Bette Davis etc. But for those who know of her and her extraordinary talent, she is alluring to watch and her acting abilities extended far greater than most of her contemporaries.Phylis Lee Isley
PLI- Actress
- Producer
Kidada Jones was raised in Bel Air, where her home was often frequented by celebrities like Michael Jackson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At an early age, Kidada battled an identity crisis. Her father is African-American and her mother was Ashkenazi Jewish. By the time she was 15 she had been expelled from 11 schools, for acting up, due to not fitting in. Later on, Kidada dated Tupac Shakur who, incidentally, was on his way to pick her up when he was gunned down. Three days later, she had his face tattooed on her arm. Now, Kidada has made a name for herself. She made her film debut in The Faculty (1998), playing Venus, Usher's on-screen girlfriend. Off-screen, she is close friends with Usher, and also with singer Aaliyah. Although her scenes were deleted in The Faculty (1998), Kidada appeared in Black & White (1999) with Brooke Shields, and also in Thicker Than Water (1999).
Along with a rising movie career, Kidada is also a Tommy Hilfiger model and has appeared in several adds and commercials.
The star admits to loving practical jokes, however states she is a drama queen when acting.Kidada Ann Jones
KAJ- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Norah Jones (born Geetali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She is a daughter of sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar and Sue Jones. She is Anoushka Shankar's half-sister.
In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away with Me, a fusion of country music and pop with elements of jazz which was certified diamond album, selling over 26 million copies. The record earned Jones five Grammy Awards, including the Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. Her subsequent studio albums Feels Like Home, released in 2004; Not Too Late, released in 2007, the same year she made her film debut in My Blueberry Nights; and 2009's The Fall all gained Platinum status, selling over a million copies each and were generally well received by critics. Jones' fifth studio album, Little Broken Hearts, was released on April 27, 2012.
Jones has won nine Grammy Awards and was 60th on Billboard magazine's artists of the 2000-2009 decade chart. Throughout her career, Jones has won numerous awards and has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide. Billboard named her the top jazz artist of the 2000-2009 decade.
After her parents' separation in 1986, Jones spent her childhood with her mother in Grapevine, Texas. She attended Colleyville Middle School and Grapevine High School before transferring to Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. While in high school, Jones sang in the school choir, participated in band and played the alto saxophone. At the age of sixteen, with her parents' consent, she officially changed her name to Norah Jones.
Jones began singing in church and also took piano and voice lessons as a child. She still attends church. She considers herself spiritual and appreciates the rituals of her church but does not consider herself deeply religious.
She attended Interlochen Center for the Arts during the summers. While at high school, she won the DownBeat Student Music Awards for Best Jazz Vocalist (twice, in 1996 and 1997) and Best Original Composition (1996).
Jones attended the University of North Texas (UNT), where she majored in jazz piano and sang with the UNT Jazz Singers. During this time, she had a chance meeting with future collaborator Jesse Harris. She gave a ride to a band playing at the university whose members happened to be friends of Harris. He was on a cross-country road-trip with friend and future Little Willies member, Richard Julian, and stopped to see the band play. After meeting Jones, Harris started sending her lead sheets of his songs. In 1999, she left for New York City. Less than a year later, she founded a band with Harris which would prove to be the starting gun to her career.
With a successful solo career in full swing, Jones formed The Little Willies in 2003 alongside Richard Julian on vocals, Jim Campilongo on guitar, Lee Alexander on bass, and Dan Rieser on drums. The alternative country band released its eponymous first album in 2006 and For the Good Times in 2012.
In 2008 Jones formed another alternative country band with fellow friends and Brooklynites, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. Their debut full-length album, No Fools, No Fun, was released on July 15, 2014, by Blue Note Records.
Jones' solo albums include Come Away with Me (2002), Stay With Me (2003), Feels Like Home (2004), NotToo Late (2007), The Fall (2009), Little Broken Hearts (2012), and Foreverly with Billie Joe Armstrong (2013).
As of 2015, Norah Jones remains well-grounded in spite of her extraordinary success, and her humble, down-to-earth nature, combined with her brilliant musicianship continue to endear her to millions of fans around the world.Geetali Norah Shankar
GMS- Actress
- Soundtrack
Named after child star Shirley Temple, Shirley Jones started singing at the age of six. She started formal training at the age of 12 and would dream of singing with her idol, Gordon MacRae. Upon graduating from high school, Shirley went to New York to audition for the casting director of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Taken by Shirley's beautifully trained voice, Shirley was signed as a nurse in the Broadway production of "South Pacific". Within a year, she would be in Hollywood to appear in her first film Oklahoma! (1955) as Laurey, the farm girl in love with cowboy Gordon MacRae. Oklahoma! (1955) would be filmed in CinemaScope and Todd-AO wide-screen and would take a year to shoot. After that, Shirley returned to Broadway for the stage production of "Oklahoma!" before returning to Hollywood for Carousel (1956). But by this time, musicals were a dying art and she would have a few lean years. She would work on television in programs like Playhouse 90 (1956). With a screen image comparable to peaches-n-cream, Shirley wanted a darker role to change her image. In 1960, she would be cast as the vengeful prostitute in the Richard Brooks dramatic film Elmer Gantry (1960). With a brilliant performance against an equally brilliant Burt Lancaster, Shirley would win the Oscar for Supporting Actress. But the public wanted the good Shirley so she was cast as "Marion", the librarian, in the successful musical The Music Man (1962). Robert Preston had played the role on Broadway and his performance along with Shirley was magic. Shirley would again work with little Ron Howard in The Courtship of Eddie's Father (1963). But the movies changed in the 60's and Shirley's image did not fit so she would see her movie career stop in 1965. There were always nightclubs, but Shirley would be remembered by another generation as "Shirley Partridge" in the television series The Partridge Family (1970). While the success of the show would do more for her stepson, teen idol David Cassidy, it would keep her name and face in the public view for the four years that the series ran. The show still plays in reruns. After the show ended, Shirley would spend the rest of the 70's in the land of television movies. The television movie The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975) would be made as a pilot for a series that was not picked up. In 1979, Shirley appeared in a comedy show called Shirley (1979), but the show lasted only one season. Shirley would appear infrequently in the 80's and in video's extolling fitness and beauty at the end of the decade.Shirley Mae Jones
SMJ- Actress
- Soundtrack
Betsy Jones-Moreland once said that she never decided to be an actress, it just happened, one step after the other, and that she resisted all the way. She started out doing office work in New York, working for the organization that owned TV shows like Gabby Hayes and Howdy Doody. To overcome shyness, she took an acting class, and to prove to herself that the strategy had worked, she got a job as a showgirl. This in turn led to a role in road company of the Broadway hit The Solid Gold Cadillac, which took her to California. There, she began appearing in movies, first in small parts at Columbia, followed by leads in Roger Corman movies. She ended her career playing a judge in the 1990s series of Perry Mason movies with Raymond Burr. A lifelong animal lover, Betsy concentrated on animal rescue work.Mary Elizabeth Jones
MEJ- Kathryn is best known for her portrayals of "Karen McCluskey" on Desperate Housewives (2004) on ABC and of "Mrs. Landingham", secretary to the President (Martin Sheen), on the critically-acclaimed NBC drama, The West Wing (1999). She has also recurred on Dharma & Greg (1997), and guest-starred on many hit television series, such as Becker (1998), Arli$$ (1996), Ally McBeal (1997), Providence (1999), Scrubs (2001) and over twenty other prime-time shows. Kathryn will also be seen later this year on ABC's daytime drama, General Hospital (1963). Her credits are impressive for any actor, let alone one that only began the craft at age 42.
Although only put into action well into her middle years, Kathryn's dream began in her twenties, when her mother died of cancer in 1963. While dying in the hospital, her mother shared that her biggest regret was not following her dreams. Kathryn vowed, at that moment, that she would someday pursue her own dream of acting.
At the time, she was entering into a new career as a psychiatric nurse in a medium security wing for disturbed teenagers. Through that job, she met and married a psychiatrist, gave birth to two boys and settled down as a suburban housewife in Lake Forest, Illinois, a well-to-do suburb of Chicago. But Kathryn never forgot her dream of acting, something that she never had time to pursue in-between caring for her children and husband. In 1980, her husband's alcoholism led Kathryn to a divorce and a difficult situation; a single mother with two young sons. Rather than lose hope, she took the opportunity to change her life forever and follow her lost dream.
Kathryn took classes at Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago and performed at community theaters all over Northern Illinois. By day, she supported her family hanging wallpaper and painting the mansions of Lake Forest, working as a sales person for a Welcome Wagon company and using her contacts to book film and print locations in the houses she was painting. By night, Kathryn was improving her skills and moving from community theater to semi-professional theater. Her first break was in 1991. Disney held a cattle call for street performers for Disney World. After standing in line for five hours, Kathryn got the part and moved shop to Orlando, Florida. Though she was living behind an adult arcade in the "tourist unfriendly" part of Buena Vista, Kathryn was finally earning her living through performance and loving it. The part only lasted for a year and, once again, Kathryn was forced to supplement her acting income with other work -- bar-tending and catering during the day, theater at night. Though the acting gig was over, the move to Florida proved one thing to Kathryn...she had the talent to make it as an actor. She did it once and she could do it again. Unfortunately, it took her two and half years to realize it wouldn't happen in central Florida.
In December 1995, Kathryn again packed a truck and drove to Hollywood. Although she didn't have an agent and had no contacts, Kathryn never hesitated following her dream. In only five months, she landed her first part...two lines in Family Matters (1989). In the six years since then, she has appeared in over a dozen plays, six movies, eleven national television commercials, two pilots, ten drama series and over twenty sitcoms. From her many roles, Kathryn is recognized as one of Murphy Brown (1988)'s secretaries, Frasier (1993)'s agent's mother and the bingo buddy to Drew Carey's girlfriend, on The Drew Carey Show (1995). But it is her portrayal of "Mrs. Landingham", the foil, friend and secretary to Martin Sheen's "President Bartlet" on The West Wing (1999) that propelled her into the spotlight she truly deserves. She followed that up with her last huge roll as Karen McCluskey for 8 seasons on ABC's Desperate Housewives (2004), which won her two Emmy awards. Joosten made a guest appearance on CBS daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful as part of the show's 6000th episode, which featured several other real-life lung cancer survivors discussing their experiences. She was named the national spokesperson for the Lung Cancer Profiles campaign on behalf of Pfizer. Joosten died of lung cancer on the morning of June 2, 2012. Her death happened 20 days after the onscreen death of her character Karen McCluskey on the final episode of Desperate Housewives. The hit show ended its eight-year run on ABC last month with a series finale in which Joosten's character passed away. Her character's battle with brain cancer was a story line in the show.Kathryn Rausch
KR - Bobbi Jordan was born on 11 July 1937 in Hardensburg, Kentucky, USA. She was an actress, known for Joe and Sons (1975), Mame (1974) and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964). She was married to William Jacobson. She died on 9 November 2012 in Encinitas, California, USA.Roberta Carol Bartlett
RCB - Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Claudia's parents met when her father was in the Air Force, stationed at Brindisi, Italy where he met her mother, an Italian native. She was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island where as an East Providence High School student, she was selected for the All State Track and Field team. She participated in three Junior Olympics and finished third in the long jump at the East Coast Invitational.
After high school, she attended Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio where she majored in broadcasting and journalism. She had her own campus radio program, worked at the Providence American Newspaper and at the Boston television station WHDH-TV.
She represented Rhode Island as Miss Teen USA in 1991 and Miss USA in 1997. In addition, she has done many commercials for such companies as Coor's Light, Sears, Denny's and Pepsi.Claudia Angela Jordan
CAJ- Actress
- Producer
Lydia Jordan is a native New Yorker of Cuban and Irish descent. She fell in love with acting from an early age, working on her first film, Gods and Generals, at just 5 years old. Her parents met while acting in an NYU student film and have always encouraged her desire to tell stories. She earned a B.A. in Theater from Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a minor in Religion Studies.Lydia Grace Jordan
LGJ- Actress
- Writer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Jackie Joseph was born on 7 November 1933 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Gremlins (1984), Small Soldiers (1998) and The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). She has been married to David Lawrence since 2 December 2003. She was previously married to Ken Berry.Sammie Jacqueline Joseph
SJJ- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Milla Jovovich is a Ukrainian-American actress, supermodel, fashion designer, singer and public figure, who was on the cover of more than a hundred magazines, and starred in such films as The Fifth Element (1997), Ultraviolet (2006), and the Resident Evil (2002) franchise.
Milica Bogdanovna Jovovich was born on December 17, 1975 in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now in Ukraine). Her Serbian father, Bogdan Jovovich, was a medical doctor in Kyiv. There, he met her mother, Galina Jovovich (née Loginova), a Russian actress. At the age of 5, in 1981, Milla emigrated with her parents from the Soviet Union, moving first to London, UK, then to Sacramento, California, and eventually settled in Los Angeles. There her parents worked as house cleaners for the household of director Brian De Palma. Her parents separated, and eventually divorced, because her father was arrested and spent several years in prison.
Young Milla Jovovich was brought up by her single mother in Los Angeles. In addition to her native Ukrainian, she also speaks Russian and English. However, in spite of her cosmopolitan background, Milla was ostracized by some of her classmates, as a kid who emigrated from the Soviet Union amidst the paranoia of the Cold War. Many emotional scars had affected her behavior, but she eventually emerged as a resilient, multi-talented, albeit rebellious and risk-taking girl. She was coached by her actress mother since her childhood, first at home, then studied music, ballet, and acting in Los Angeles.
She shot to international fame after she was spotted by the photographer Richard Avedon at the age of 11, and was featured in Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" advertisements, and on the cover of the Italian fashion magazine 'Lei' which was her first cover shoot. She made her first professional model contract at the age of 12, and soon made it to the cover of 'The Face', 'Vogue', 'Cosmopolitan' and many other magazines. In 1994, she appeared on the cover of 'High Times' in the UK, at the age of 18. The total number of her magazine covers worldwide was over one hundred by 2004, and keeps counting. In 2004, she made $10.4 million, becoming the highest paid supermodel in the world.
Milla appeared in ad campaigns for Chanel, Versace, Emporio Armani, Donna Karen, DKNY, Celine, P&K, H&H, and continues her role as the worldwide spokesperson and model for L'Oreal. Thanks to their continued success with Milla, Giorgio Armani chose her to be the face of his fragrance, Night. In addition to Armani's fragrance, Milla was the face for Calvin Klein's Obsession and Christian Dior's Poison for over 10 years and has most recently become the new face for Donna Karan's Cashmere Mist fragrance, which debuts in August 2009. Milla continues to shoot with the fashion industry's most sought after photographers, including Peter Lindbergh, Mario Sorrenti, Craig McDean and Inez & Vinoodh.
Milla made her acting debut in the Disney Channel movie The Night Train to Kathmandu (1988) and she made guest appearances on television series including Married... with Children (1987) (in 1989 as a French exchange student), Paradise (1988) and Parker Lewis Can't Lose (1990). In 1988, at age 12, she made her film debut credited as Milla in a supporting role in Two Moon Junction (1988) by writer/director Zalman King. During the 1980s and early 1990s, she played several supporting roles as a teenage actress in film and on television, then starred in Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991). In 1997, she co-starred opposite Bruce Willis in the sci-fi blockbuster The Fifth Element (1997), then she starred as the title character of The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999).
In the early 2000s, Milla had a few years of uncertainty in her acting career due to the uneven quality of her films, as well as some hectic events in her private life. She appeared with Mel Gibson in Wim Wenders' The Million Dollar Hotel (2000) which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. She went on to co-star with Wes Bentley and Sarah Polley in The Claim (2000) and in Ben Stiller's spoof of the world of models and high-fashion, Zoolander (2001).
Milla achieved box office success in the U.S. and around the world with the action-packed thriller, Resident Evil (2002), based on the wildly popular video game, Resident Evil. It was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Milla reprised her role as the zombie slaying heroine, Alice, in Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004), Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012), and again in Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016) A seventh resident Evil movie is in pre-production.
She received glowing reviews opposite Oscar-winner Adrien Brody and Illeana Douglas in Dummy (2002) which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. In the spring of 2006, Milla returned to the big screen as action heroine, Violet, in the futuristic film Ultraviolet (2006) directed by Kurt Wimmer.
Focusing on her personal sense of style, her love of fashion led Milla and her friend and business partner, Carmen Hawk, to launch their Jovovich-Hawk clothing line, which achieved instant acclaim in the domestic and international fashion world. The fresh, unique line garnered the attention of red carpet watchers and fashion magazines, including American Vogue, who featured Jovovich-Hawk on their coveted list of "10 Things to Watch Out for in 2005." A student of voice and guitar since she was very young, Milla began writing songs for her first record at the age of 15.
Her first album, "The Divine Comedy", was released by EMI Records in 1994. Informed by her experiences as a child growing up as a Russian emigrant in the Red-bashing Reagan era, the introspective European-folkish debut drew favorable reviews for Milla's songwriting and performing. She continues to write music, and has had songs featured on several film soundtracks. She has been writing music and lyrics to her song-demos, playing her guitar and sampling other sounds from her computer, and allowing free download and remix of her songs from her website.
Charitable work also plays a major part in Milla's life. She has served as Master of Ceremonies and co-chaired with Elizabeth Taylor for the amfAR and Cinema Against AIDS event at the Venice Film Festival, and has been heavily involved with The Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, as well as The Wildlands Project.
For many years Milla Jovovich has been maintaining a healthier lifestyle, practicing yoga and meditation, trying to avoid junk food, and cooking for herself. Since she was a little girl, Milla has been writing a private diary, a habit she learned from her mother. She has been keeping a record of many good and bad facts of her life, her travels, her relationships, and all important ideas and events in her career, planning eventually to publish an autobiography. After dissolution of her two previous marriages, Milla Jovovich became engaged to film director Paul W.S. Anderson; their daughter, Ever Anderson, was born on November 3, 2007. They got married on August 22, 2009. Their second daughter, Dashiel Edan, was born on April 1, 2015.Milica Bogdanovna Jovovich
MBJ- Actress
- Director
- Composer
Malese Jow, originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has developed into an actress, songstress, and entertainer.
Malese began her acting career in 1999 with McDonald's commercials when the head of advertising heard her sing and booked her in several spots and jingles. Then in 2002, at the ripe age of 11, Malese competed on Ed McMahon's "Next Big Star" (PAX) where she won 4 rounds in the kids vocalist category. To take a break from music, Malese then began to focus on her acting career. In the fall of 2003, she booked the starring role of "Geena Fabiano" opposite Emma Roberts for Nickelodeon's hit show "Unfabulous," which aired worldwide on Nickelodeon for three seasons. She continued to build her teen fan base by guest-starring on Disney's "Hannah Montana" and "Wizards of Waverly Place", Nickelodeon's "iCarly", CBS's "The Young and the Restless", and Lionsgate's feature film adaptation of "Bratz-the Movie".
Since then, Malese has made a seamless transition from successful teen star to a maturing actress with more serious roles such as the major recurring character of "Anna" on season 1 of CW's "Vampire Diaries". Anna re-appeared as a shocker in the season 2 finale in May, and all "Team Anna" fans are anxiously anticipating season 3 to see what happens to her endearing/resurrected character. She also guest starred on TNT's "Leverage" and ABC's "Desperate Housewives" in 2011. On the big screen, Malese was the supporting lead "Alice" in the Academy Award nominated feature "The Social Network", written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher.
As for upcoming releases, Malese filmed her second series regular role for the Nickelodeon network as bad girl "Cadence Nash" in "The Troop", and recurred on several episodes of their hit show "Big Time Rush" as the new edgy, rocker girl "Lucy Stone" for the second season, all airing in mid to late 2011.Elizabeth Malese Jow
EMJ- Making her film debut as an extra in 1917, Leatrice Joy soon graduated to playing opposite comics Billy West and Oliver Hardy. Director Cecil B. DeMille took her under his wing and starred her in several of his films. Often playing career girls dressed in mannish suits, or sophisticated society girls, she is generally credited with starting the bobbed-hair craze in the 1920s. She retired shortly after the advent of sound, but made occasional appearances in small supporting roles over the years.Leatrice Johanna Zeidler
LJZ - Best remembered as the second talking-era "Jane" (following Maureen O'Sullivan) of the durable Tarzan jungle film series and the only one in the sound era to play the role opposite two different Tarzan's (Johnny Weissmuller and Lex Barker, lovely Brenda was born Betty Leabo in Missouri, raised in Los Angeles, and nicknamed "Graftina" by her father when she was a girl. Attending UCLA for four years, the lovely blonde became a photographer's model to help pay her tuition. A 20th Century-Fox talent scout noticed a fashion layout of her and immediately signed her on.
The studio changed her name to "Brenda Joyce" after silent star Alice Joyce and immediately gave her an impressive movie debut with The Rains Came (1939) starring Tyrone Power and Myrna Loy in which she received fine reviews. Building her up to the public as a sexy single girl, she was subsequently showcased in Here I Am a Stranger (1939) opposite Richard Greene and partnered with John Payne in Maryland (1940).
The studio didn't take kindly to her impulsive 1941 marriage to army husband Owen Ward and supposedly punished her by relegating her to "B" films. Three children were the result of this first marriage -- Pam, Timothy and Beth. Brenda eventually lost interest in her career, but was coaxed back to the film set when brunette Maureen O'Sullivan left the Tarzan series and Johnny Weissmuller approved the athletic beauty as his new blonde swinging mate. Beginning a four-year excursion with the film Tarzan and the Amazons (1945), Brenda continued on as Jane after Weissmuller left (actor Lex Barker took over), but finally decided enough was enough. Brenda left after her fifth movie, Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949), and just walked away -- never to return.
Following her movie career, Brenda moved to the Washington D.C. area and worked with the Refugee Services for nearly 10 years in which she helped displaced persons find employment and places to live. This line of work eventually had her relocate to the Carmel, California area and she worked with Catholic Resettlement in Seaside, California (near Monterey). Besieged by personal and health problems in later years, she endured a painful divorce from Ward in 1960 after 19 years of marriage. She was then married and divorced twice more. Suffering from dementia in her twilight years, she stayed with her children at various stages until she was forced to be institutionalized in a nursing home in Santa Monica, California. Brenda died there of complications from pneumonia on Independence Day in 2009.Elizabeth Graftina Leabo
EGL - Actress
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Elaine Joyce was the lead in the Broadway musical "Sugar" from 1972 to closing with Tony Roberts and Robert Morse. A mainstay on TV game shows in the early 1970s, often appearing with her first husband, Bobby Van.
The marriage of Bobby and Elaine ran a difficult course - an announcement was made On October 30, 1967 (Daily News, Oct. 30, 1967) that they had wed, but they had not. Then in November, a blurb in a Hollywood column (The El Dorado Times, Nov 29, 1967) stated that Bobby said he and Joyce planned to marry on December 2, 1967, but her brother, Frank Pinchot had chosen that date to marry his wife, so they would choose another date). In February of 1968, it was announced they would marry in Los Angeles on March 21. Bobby and Elaine were married in Las Vegas on May 1, 1968 (Clark County marriage license and New Castle News, Pennsylvania, May 13, 1968).
One week later, Van filed for an annulment (Los Angeles Times, May 7, 1968 and Independent Long Beach, May 7, 1968) stating "fraud, non-consummation and that the "24 year old actress told him she wanted to have children but this was only to induce him into marriage". An article states that Bobby said that Elaine felt "so unhappy and insecure (about marrying), that it's the only way." (New Castle News, Pennsylvania, May 13, 1968) (She would later state on Tattletales that she "tried to run away"). There is a preliminary divorce filed in 1968 for Elaine Joyce and Bobby Van in the CA Divorce index. Elaine is listed as Elaine J Pinchot, year of birth 1943. It appears that it was never finalized, and they went on to have a 12 year marriage.
Married John Levoff in 1985. They divorced in 1992.
In 1999, she married playwright Neil Simon until his death in 2018.
Has two children: Taylor Joyce Van (with Bobby Van, 1967) and Michael Francis Levoff (with John Levoff) in 1986.Elaine Joyce Pinchot
EJP- Actress
- Producer
Ella Joyce was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Set It Off (1996), Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (2013) and Bubba Ho-Tep (2002). She has been married to Dan Martin since 22 June 1989.Cherron Hoye
CH- Actress
- Producer
- Director
American actress and political activist Ashley Judd was born Ashley Tyler Ciminella on April 19, 1968, in Granada Hills, California. She grew up in a family of successful performing artists as the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the sister of Wynonna Judd. While she is best known for an ongoing acting career spanning more than two decades, she has increasingly become involved in global humanitarian efforts and political activism.Ashley Tyler Ciminella
ATC- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Naomi Judd was born on 11 January 1946 in Ashland, Kentucky, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Someone Like You (2001), An Evergreen Christmas (2014) and Route 65 Nashville. She was married to Larry Strickland and Michael Charles Ciminella. She died on 30 April 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.Diana Ellen Judd
DEJ- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Wynonna Judd was raised in various places across the country, beginning in her birth state of Kentucky. As her mother Naomi Judd continued pursuing her nursing career, the Judd family settled twice in California and later full-time in Kentucky. In 1979, Wynonna, Naomi and younger half-sister Ashley Judd settled in Franklin, Tennessee and began searching for a record deal in nearby Nashville. In 1983, an unprecedented sit-down audition with RCA Nashville was successful, and indicated great things to come for country's newest duo The Judds. Several years and awards later, Naomi announced that she had contracted Hepatitis C during her nursing career from a needle stick. Their final concert on December 4, 1991 indicated an end to country music's most influential duo, and a beginning for someone who would break new records within the industry. Wynonna's first solo album, 'Wynonna', sold over 5 million copies, a first in the industry. Today, Wynonna continues her successful recording career along with raising children Elijah Judd and Grace Pauline from her first marriage to Nashville's Arch Kelley.Christina Claire Ciminella
CCC- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Heather Juergensen was raised in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. After graduating from Stuyvesant High School in 1987, she began writing and performing for the stage in both New York and Los Angeles. While at an acting and writing workshop sponsored by New York's Ensemble Studio Theater, she noticed that she was writing material similar to another actress-writer in attendance named 'Jennifer Westfeldt'. They began to collaborate and wrote a series of scenes produced off-Broadway under the name 'Lipschtick'. The response to one of the scenes inspired them to write a film script about two straight women who fall into a romantic relationship. The film was developed by a studio but not produced. They held script readings and sold shares to buy back the script rights and pay for the film's production. The result was the award-winning film, Kissing Jessica Stein (2001). Since the successful release of that project, Heather has either written or rewritten several stage, film and television properties, including a play about Brooklyn.Heather Julia Juergensen
HJJ- Actress
- Additional Crew
Janet Louise Johnson grew up in North Hollywood, California. After attending UCLA for a year, she moved to New York to become a model. She appeared in television commercials and made a guest appearance on The Mike Douglas Show (1961) modeling clothes. She got her big acting break when she auditioned and won the part of Nancy Drew, replacing Pamela Sue Martin. She has two older sisters and a younger sister.Janet Louise Johnson
JLJ- Claire Julien was born on 11 January 1995 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for The Bling Ring (2013), The Dark Knight Rises (2012) and Phoenix: Chloroform (2013).Claire Alys Pfister
CAP - Writer
- Actress
- Director
Filmmaker Magazine rated her #1 in their "25 New Faces of Indie Film" in 2004!
She is a performance artist and published short story writer. Since becoming a filmmaker, her debut feature, Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) has won several film awards.
Daughter of Lindy Hough and Richard Grossinger, writers and publishers who founded North Atlantic Books.Miranda Jennifer July
MJJ- Katy Jurado was born María Cristina Estela Jurado García into a wealthy family on January 16, 1924. Her early years were spent amid luxury until her family's lands were confiscated by the federal government for redistribution to the landless peasantry. Despite the loss of property, the matriarch of the family, her grandmother, continued to live by her aristocratic ideals. When movie star Emilio Fernandez discovered Katy at the age of 16 and wanted to cast her in one of his films, Jurado's grandmother objected to her wish to become a movie actress. To get around the ban, Katy slipped from the grasp of her family's control by marrying actor Víctor Velázquez.
Jurado eventually made her debut in No matarás (1943) during the what has been called "The Golden Age of Mexican Cinema". Blessed with stunning beauty and an assertive personality, Jurado specialized in playing determined women in a wide variety of films in Mexico and the United States. Her looks were evocative of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, and she used what she called her "distinguished and sensuous look" to carve a niche for herself in Mexican cinema. Indian features were unusual for a film star in Mexico--despite the success of Fernandez, the fabled "El Indio"--and her ethnic look meant she typically was cast as a dangerous seductress, a popular type in Mexican movies. The Mexican media reported that an American movie director at one of her first Hollywood auditions laughed at her derisively because she spoke English so poorly, and an outraged Jurado promptly stormed out of the audition room, cursing in Spanish. As it turned out, that kind of brazen behavior was exactly the type of personality that the director was looking for.
In addition to acting, Jurado worked as a movie columnist and radio reporter to support her family. She also worked as a bullfight critic, and it was at a bullfight that Jurado was spotted by John Wayne and director Budd Boetticher. Boetticher, who was also a professional bullfighter, cast Jurado in his autobiographical film Bullfighter and the Lady (1951), which he shot in Mexico. She was cast in her part despite having very limited English-language skills and had to speak her lines phonetically. Luis Buñuel cast her in his Mexican melodrama The Brute (1953), and then she made her big breakthrough in American films in the role of Gary Cooper's former mistress, saloon owner Helen Ramirez, in High Noon (1952). The role necessitated her moving to Hollywood. She received two Golden Globe nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for that part, for Most Promising Newcomer and Best Supporting Actress, winning the latter. "She planted the Mexican flag in the U.S. film industry, and made her country proud", said National Actors Association official Mauricio Hernandez. Her "High Noon" performance historically proved to be an important acting watershed for Latino women in American movies. Jurado's portrayal undermined the Hollywood stereotype of the flaming, passionate Mexican "spitfire." Previously, Mexican and Latino women in Hollywood films were characterized by an unbridled sexuality, as exemplified by such diverse actresses as Lupe Velez, Dolores Del Río (who came to loathe Hollywood and returned to Mexico in the 1940s), and Rita Hayworth, nee Margarita Cansino. Although Jurado's character was forced to kow-tow to the stereotype in "High Noon", delivering such lines as, "It takes more than big, broad shoulders to make a man," the actress' great dignity in her role as a moral arbiter among the competing factions of the marshal and his fiancée, the townspeople and the gunmen out to kill the marshal showed her Helen Ramirez to be in control and controlled by nothing, not even her former love for the marshal. Her restrained performance, delivered with a great deal of conviction, emphasized the shortcomings of the rest of the other characters. Her moral integrity is the reason she, like the marshal, must abandon the town.
With her superb performance, Jurado proved that Latino women could be more than just sexpots in the American cinema. Importantly, working against the tropes of a racist cinema, she used her talent to introduce into the American cinema the model of the un-stereotyped Mexican woman who is identifiably Mexican. One of the best examples of this can be seen at the end of the middle of her career, when Jurado played sheriff Slim Pickens' wife and partner in Sam Peckinpah's elegiac Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973). Determined and tough as nails, Jurado's character was clearly her screen husband's equal, and she had a very moving scene with Pickens as his character faced death. Jurado was blessed with extraordinary eyes, which were both beautiful and expressive, their beauty and strength never fading with age. Two years after "High Noon", Jurado received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Spencer Tracy's Indian wife in Edward Dmytryk's Broken Lance (1954), making her the first Mexican actress thus honored.
She refused to sign a contract with a major Hollywood studio in order to be able to return to Mexico between her American roles to star in Mexican films. She +remained in Los Angeles for 10 years, marrying Ernest Borgnine, her co-star in The Badlanders (1958), in 1959. During their tempestuous relationship, Jurado and Borgnine separated and reconciled before finally separating for good in 1961. The tabloids reported that Borgnine had abused her, and their separation proved rocky as well, as they fought over alimony. Their divorce became final in 1964. Borgnine summed up his ex-wife as "beautiful, but a tiger", a bon mot that described her on-screen persona as well (she had two children with former husband Victor Velasquez, a daughter and a son, who tragically was killed in an automobile accident in 1981).
Jurado played the wife of Marlon Brando's nemesis Dad Longworth (Karl Malden) in One-Eyed Jacks (1961), Brando's sole directorial effort. In her role she also was the mother of a young woman who was Brando's love interest, thus marking a career transition point as she assumed the role of a mature woman. As Jurado aged, she appeared in fewer films, but notable among them included Arrowhead (1953) with Charlton Heston, Trapeze (1956) in support of Burt Lancaster and Man from Del Rio (1956) with her fellow Mexican national Anthony Quinn who, unlike Jurado, had become an American citizen. She also appeared with Quinn in _Barabbas (1962)_and The Children of Sanchez (1978).
She appeared on the Western-themed American TV shows Death Valley Days (1952), The Rifleman (1958), The Westerner (1960) and The Virginian (1962). Her career in the US began to wind down, and she was reduced to appearing in "B" pictures like Smoky (1966) with Fess Parker and the Elvis Presley movie Stay Away, Joe (1968). She attempted to commit suicide in 1968, and then moved back home to Mexico permanently, though she continued to appear in American films as a character actress. Her last American film appearance was in Stephen Frears' The Hi-Lo Country (1998), capping a half-century-long American movie career that continued due to her talent and remarkable presence, long after her extraordinary good looks had faded.
Aside from acting in films in the US and Europe, she continued to act in Mexican films. Her most memorable role in Mexican movies was in Nosotros los pobres (1948) (aka "We the Poor") opposite superstar Pedro Infante. Though in the latter part of her career she appeared occasionally in American films shot in Mexico (including an appearance with her former mentor, Emilio Fernandez, in "Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid" and John Huston's Under the Volcano (1984)), she appeared mostly in Mexican movies in the last decades of her career, becoming a prominent and highly respected character actress. She played the leader of a religious cult in the Bunuel-like satire Divine (1998). Jurado won three Ariel awards, the Mexican equivalent of the Oscar, a Best Supporting Actress award in 1954 for Bunuel's The Brute (1953) a Best Actress Award in 1974 for Fe, esperanza y caridad (1974) and a Best Supporting Actress award in 1999 for "El evangelio de las Maravillas". She also was awarded a Special Golden Ariel for Lifetime Achievment in 1997. In the north, she was honored with a Golden Boot Award by the Motion Picture & Television Fund in 1992 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Jurado was an avid promoter of her home state of Morelos as a location for filmmakers.
Towards the end of her life, she suffered from heart and lung ailments. Katy Jurado died on July 5, 2002, at the age of 78 at her home in Cuernavaca, Mexico. She was survived by her daughter.Maria Cristina Estela Marcela Jurado Garcia
MCEMJG - Actress
- Composer
- Additional Crew
Victoria Justice is an American actress and singer. She was born on February 19, 1993 in Hollywood, Florida, USA. She is the daughter of Serene Reed and Zack Justice. Her mother has Puerto Rican ancestry, while her father is of English, German, and Irish descent. She has a younger half-sister, Madison Reed.
She rose to fame on Nickelodeon, starring as Lola Martinez in the television series, Zoey 101 (2005), and Tori Vega in the sitcom, Victorious (2010).
She starred in the films, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (2010), The First Time (2012) and Fun Size (2012).
She released her debut single "Gold" on June 18, 2013.
She starred in the film, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List (2015) in the MTV television series, Eye Candy (2015).Victoria Dawn Justice
VDJ