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Matt Smith is an English actor who shot to fame in the UK aged 26 when he was cast by producer Steven Moffat as the Eleventh Doctor in the BBC's iconic science-fiction adventure series Doctor Who (2005).
Matthew Robert Smith was born and raised in Northampton, the son of Lynne (Fidler) and David Smith. He was educated at Northampton School For Boys. He studied Drama and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. He got into acting through the National Youth Theatre and performed with the Royal Court and the National Theatre.
Smith made his television debut in The Ruby in the Smoke (2006) and won several further roles on television but was largely unknown when he was announced as the surprise choice for the role of the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who. He was younger than any other actor to have taken the role (Peter Davison was previously the youngest, aged 29 when he was cast in 1981). Smith starred in 49 episodes of Doctor Who (three short of his predecessor, David Tennant). He left in the momentous 50th anniversary year of the Doctor Who legend in 2013, which included starring in the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor (2013), which found him acting with Tennant, guest star John Hurt and the oldest living and longest-serving actor to play the Doctor, Tom Baker.
Since leaving Doctor Who, Smith has launched himself into a film career.- Sophie Belinda Jonas (née Turner; born February 21, 1996) is an English actress. Turner made her professional acting debut as Sansa Stark on the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones (2011) (2011-2019), which brought her international recognition and critical praise. For her performance, she has received four nominations for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, as well as a Young Artist Award nomination for Best Supporting Young Actress in a TV Series.
Turner has also starred in the television film The Thirteenth Tale (2013) and she made her feature film debut in Another Me (2013). She has also starred in the action comedy Barely Lethal (2015) and played Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).
Turner was born in Northampton, the daughter of Sally, a nursery school teacher, and a father who works for a pallet distribution company. She moved to Chesterton, Warwickshire when she was two years old. She attended Warwick Prep School until she was eleven, and later attended The King's High School for Girls. Turner has been a member of the theatre company Playbox Theatre Company since she was three years old. Turner has two older brothers, and stated in an interview with The Telegraph that "My childhood was pretty fun. We had pigsties, barns and a paddock, and used to muck around in the mud." Turner had a tutor on the set of Game of Thrones (2011) until the age of 16, sending homework back to her teachers at school. She achieved five A and four B grades at GCSE, including a B grade in drama.
Since 2011, Turner has portrayed Sansa Stark, a young noblewoman, in the HBO fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (2011). Sansa is her first television role. Turner's drama teacher encouraged her to audition for the part, and she dyed her blonde hair auburn for the role. In 2012, she was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Series - Supporting Young Actress for her performance as Sansa. To date, Turner has appeared in all six broadcast seasons. In 2013, she had her first big screen role as the lead character in the independent thriller film Another Me (2013), based on the novel of the same name by Catherine MacPhail. She also starred as Adeline March in the 2013 television film The Thirteenth Tale (2013).
In 2013, she was cast in the comedy film Barely Lethal (2015), alongside American actress Hailee Steinfeld, which was released on 29 May 2015 in a limited release and through video on demand. Turner also narrated the audio-book version of the Lev Grossman short story The Girl in the Mirror, which was included in the short fiction anthology Dangerous Women, and was edited by George R.R. Martin. Turner played mutant Jean Grey in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016), which was released on 27 May 2016. On 9 May 2016, it was reported that she would appear in a segment of the anthology film Berlin, I Love You, itself the fourth installment of the Cities of Love franchise. She will also reprise the role of Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix in the film, X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019). - Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Marc Warren is an English actor, known for his British television roles. His roles have included Albert Blithe in Band of Brothers, Danny Blue in Hustle, Dougie Raymond in The Vice, Dominic Foy in State of Play, Rick in Mad Dogs, the Comte DE Rochefort in The Musketeers and the Gentleman in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and Piet Van Der Valk in TV series Van Der Valk.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Louise Brealey, also credited as Loo Brealey, is an English actress, writer and journalist. Born in Bozeat, Northamptonshire, England. She attended Kimbolton School, proceeding to read History at Cambridge. She then trained at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York City and with clown teacher Philippe Gaulier. She has written on cinema, art and music since her teens, contributing reviews and features for magazines including Premiere UK, Empire, Radio Times, SKY, The Face, Neon, AnOther and Total Film. In March 2012 Brealey produced, co-wrote and co-starred in The Charles Dickens Show, a children's comedy drama for BBC 2.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Trained in music and dance, tiny-framed, pixie-like Judy Carne was born Joyce Botterill in Northampton, England on April 27, 1939, the daughter of a grocer. Trained in dance, she appeared in music revues as a teenager and changed her name at the advice of a dance teacher.
Slowly building up a career on British TV, she arrived in America in 1962, the eve of the mid-60s "British invasion," and appeared to good advantage on the TV series Fair Exchange (1962). Beginning unobtrusively in film, she developed enough as a light comedienne to score well on the smaller screen and won a regular role on the sitcom The Baileys of Balboa (1964). Stardom came with her own romantic comedy series Love on a Rooftop (1966) opposite the late Pete Duel. The latter series, though short-lived, was quite popular and showcased Carne's appeal to maximum advantage. She found herself embraced by America as a cute, pert-nosed Cockney lass with a Peter Pan-like effervescence.
It was no surprise when a couple of years later she soared to "flower power" stardom on the hip and highly irreverent TV cult variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In (1967), where she introduced the phrase "Sock it to me!" to the American vernacular. As the plucky brunette, she always seemed to be on the receiving end of a slapstick prank, but the audiences loved her for it. The show also made instant household names out of fellow Laugh-In comrades Arte Johnson, Ruth Buzzi, Henry Gibson, Jo Anne Worley, Lily Tomlin, and, notably, Goldie Hawn, who managed to out-perk even Judy and grab the lion's share of attention. Judy proved herself a game sport for a while, but made the decision to leave the series after only two seasons-- tired of the grind, the typecast, and the disappointment of having her singing/dancing skills undermined.
In the long run it probably was a major career mistake. With the exception of her role as Polly (the Julie Andrews roles) in a Broadway revival of "The Boy Friend" that also featured Sandy Duncan, Judy's post "Laugh-In" professional life was unexceptional with a surprising quick descent. There were a couple of mini-movies, a failed TV idea for a sitcom called "Poor Judy", a failed Las Vegas music act, and the TV talk show circuit. Nothing panned out. Despite an innocent, bubbly, cheery exterior, her private life was anything but. Her 1963 marriage to rising star Burt Reynolds was over within a couple of years. The divorce was acrimonious, to say the least, with nasty, below-the-belt accusations being flung from both sides and feeding the tabloid sheets. A second marriage to TV producer Robert Bergman in 1970 lasted even less than that. More problematic, however, was Judy's escalating financial problems and a drug problem which started with marijuana and hallucinogens and developed into a full-fledged heroin addiction.
In the late 60s and 70s she tried to maintain somewhat with scattered appearances on the musical and comedy stage with roles in "Cabaret" (as Sally Bowles), "Absurd Person Singular," "There's a Girl in My Soup", "The Owl and the Pussycat" and "Blithe Spirit". Her career pretty much in shambles, she fell quickly into the lifestyle of a junkie and began living in squalor. For the next decade, she literally dropped out of sight. The only time she was heard from was when she was busted for a drug arrest or when she made unhappy headlines for a near-fatal 1978 car crash (her ex-husband Robert was driving) that left her with a broken neck.
Judy's tell-all 1985 autobiography, "Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside", was a harrowing and heart-wrenching read with explicit detailing of her descent into degradation. Despite the book, the adorable English girl who captured America's heart in the late 1960s failed to win back a now-disinterested audience. She remains a prime example of what the flip side of a glamorous Hollywood can turn out to be.
In later years, Judy lived and was not heard of much since the publishing of the book. She has allegedly been married twice more since then. She was also in attendance for the televised 25th anniversary of "Laugh-In" and a televised "Laugh-In" Christmas show both in 1993. Out of the picture since the early 1980's, she was a 1990 guest for talk show hosts Geraldo Rivera and Howard Stern and made an isolated appearance as a homeless person in the downbeat urban movie drama What About Me (1993), written and directed by the film's star Rachel Amodeo.
Living quietly in the village of Pitsford for two decades, she died from pneumonia on September 3, 2015, at a hospital in Northampton.- Actress
- Director
Liza Snyder was born on 20 March 1968 in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress and director, known for Yes, Dear (2000), Pay It Forward (2000) and Sirens (1993).- Joan Hickson was born in 1906 at Kingsthorpe, Northampton. Her stage career began with provincial theater in 1927, going on to a long series of West End comedies, usually playing the part of a confused or eccentric middle-age woman. She performed at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, at the time London was subject to World War II bombing. Her work gradually included screen roles: The Outsider (1948), The Promoter (1952), The 39 Steps (1959) - over 80 movies in all - but her stage career continued, with parts in three Peter Nichols plays, Noël Coward's "Blithe Spirit" (1976) and and a Tony award supporting actress performance in Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce" (1977). Her first Agatha Christie role was "Miss Pryce" in the play, "Appointment With Death" (1946), which prompted Christie, herself, to write "I hope you will play my dear Miss Marple". She began playing this, her best known part, in her late 70s, in a BBC television series which ran from 1984 to 1992. A Miss Marple fan, Queen Elizabeth II, awarded her the Order of the British Empire in 1987. After the series closed, Joan recorded audio books of the Christie mysteries. She died, aged 92, in a hospital at Colchester, Essex, survived by a son and daughter (her physician husband Eric Butler died in 1967).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Tim Minchin was born on October, 1975, as Timothy David Minchin, and was brought up in Perth, Western Australia. He is an actor, comedian, musician, writer, and director known for Californication (2007), Larrikins (2018), and Tim Minchin and the Heritage Orchestra (2011). He is the composer lyricist of the Broadway musicals, Matilda and Groundhog Day. He has been married to Sarah since 2001. They have two children.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Higgins was born May 9, 1947 in East Northamptonshire, England to parents who had emigrated from Ireland just before World War II in search of economic opportunity. His parents lived in London during the Blitz. Eventually, they left London for Northamptonshire so that his father could obtain work as a builder for American army bases. Young Anthony completed his studies at a state school and then intended to be a journalist. He worked as a butcher in Bedford and then as a "navvy," a builder's helper, in the small town of Grendon, near Northampton. At the age of 16, he obtained a job on a local paper but, by law, he had to be over 17 before he could work so he spent the time learning shorthand and typing. Then, a friend took him to a weekend drama course run by the distinguished Shavian actress, Margaretta Scott. She encouraged him to consider a career as an actor. He said, "It felt right so I decided to pursue it." Higgins won a scholarship to the Birmingham School of Speech and Dramatic Arts in 1964 and studied there for three years. He made his first professional appearance at the Birmingham Repertory Theater Company in Shakespeare's "A Winter's Tale" as a walk-on while still at school. He then joined the company full time and was assigned principal roles nearly at once. His portrayal of Romeo, opposite Anna Calder-Marshall as Juliet, received rave reviews throughout England. He also played Cassio in "Othello," and Louis Debedat in "The Doctor's Dilemma." He then worked onstage in classics and contemporary plays in Chichester and London. However, it was a theatrical portrayal of Edmund Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's, "A Long Day's Journey Into Night" in Birmingham that led to Higgins' cinema debut for director John Huston under the name, Anthony Corlan, (his mother's maiden name), in "A Walk with Love and Death" (1969). The film takes place during Europe's 100 Years War and was shot in Vienna and the Vienna Woods. The film is notable for the debut of Huston's daughter, Angelica. Corlan plays Robert, a nobleman, wearing authentic looking armor. It was Huston who taught him how to ride horses. Higgins rides with style in many subsequent films. Later, he would own a racehorse in Ireland.
After appearing in "A Walk with Love and Death," the actor was in several television plays for the BBC, including an original drama, "The Blood of the Lamb," for "The Wednesday Play" and "Mary, Queen of Scots" for "Play of the Month." He then made two films for television, one an episode of "Journey to the Unknown" with Janice Rule, and the other, a segment of "Strange Report," with Anthony Quayle. His next feature film role was in "Something for Everyone," also known as "The Cook," (1970), after auditioning for director Hal Prince and producer John Flaxman in London. This was stage director Prince's first flirtation with film, with a script by Hugh Wheeler, author of "Sweeney Todd." Higgins plays a quiet, sheltered young German royal, Helmuth, with Angela Lansbury as his mother. Helmut is forced into an arranged marriage with Annaliese, played by German actress, Heidelinde Weis. He discovers the darker motives that lurk beneath Michael York's gleaming blonde appearance against brilliant cinematography in the shadow of King Ludwig's Castle, in Neuschwanstein, Germany. In 1972, Higgins acted in "Vampire Circus" as a circus performer who changes into a panther-vampire. The film has become a cult classic. It was banned in Britain (because of its bestiality). The actor has said that it is the last of the great vampire films produced under the Hammer banner. There is a badly edited version for sale in the United States; an uncut edition has been seen in Europe that is much clearer. "Flavia, the Moslem Nun," (1974), with Brazilian born Florinda Bolkan, gave Higgins an opportunity to work in Italy. The DVD is a great piece of cinema history rescued by high technology and enhanced by a recent interview with Ms. Bolkan, who became an international screen legend in her own time. The story is derived from actual events in the 1400s that culminated in "The Martyrdom of the 800" in Otranto. The exotic soundtrack is by Academy Award winning composer, Nicola Piovani ("Life is Beautiful"). If one can get past the explicit physical mutilation of animals and humans and the insults to the Catholic Church, the script can be seen as supportive of feminism. Director Gianfranco Mingozzi's vision is representative of the wild cinema of the sexual revolution of the 70s in which auteurs were bursting to break free from the establishment. "Flavia" has haunting performances by Bolkan, Maria Casares, (the princess in Cocteau's "Orpheus") and Higgins. He is dazzling as the Moslem commander with no name who initiates Flavia as a sexual being, encourages her to carry out a bloody revenge and then disillusions her. That Higgins does not speak much is of no consequence. He communicates some of his best acting with movements and facial expressions, particularly, with his eyes. He can say volumes with one mesmerizing gaze.
The actor flourished on stage, television and screen throughout the 70s. Notably, he starred as a Roman soldier looking for his vanished father in Caledonia, in BBC Scotland's miniseries, "Eagle of the Ninth" with Patrick Malahide in 1977. However, Higgins has said that he is most proud to have been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company's original London cast of "Piaf," a biography of the French singer, Edith Piaf, written by Pam Gems, which starred Jane Lapotaire in 1979. The play was resurrected to rave reviews in London in 1994 but without any of the original players. Higgins won Best Actor of 1979 from Time Out magazine for his work with The Royal Shakespeare Company that year. He acted in mainly new work with the RSC but he also played Lucentio in "The Taming of the Shrew" opposite Zoe Wanamaker as his sweet Bianca. Older London stage audiences may discern that among his many stage to television appearances in the 80s was the role of Camille in "Danton's Death." The play by George Buechner ran at the National Theater in London for a year and was then produced for television by the BBC. Zoe Wanamaker played opposite him once more. As the actor matured in his thirties, his persona grew more interesting with more unusual works. Higgins' face is often recognized for his having played the artist in "The Draughtsman's Contract," (1982), opposite the brilliant Shakespearean actress, Janet Suzman. The film is suggestive of classical restoration drama with a mysterious plot, elegant landscape shots of England's County Kent and a Purcell-like soundtrack by Michael Nyman. Director Peter Greenaway has said that he cast Higgins in the lead because he best expressed a combination of arrogance and innocence. Higgins gives a subtle depiction of the outcast, the son of a tenant farmer, who turns out to be too trusting and is tragically deceived. After Draughtsman's initial release, many viewers wondered what the lead actor would do next but Higgins does not generally pursue publicity. Although he appeared at the Edinburgh Festival with the cast, he did not do many interviews. "Draughtsman" experienced resurgence in 1994 and the actor's face was plastered on larger than life posters across the high walls of London's underground tube stops. His face has often been well utilized to represent a variety of ethnic origins. It is an oval face with a long thin nose and high, almost oriental cheekbones. It is usually framed by dark, wavy hair, sometimes ending at his collar. His balanced brows can look calm but lying dormant behind his deeply inset, hazel eyes is a prospective fire. Behind the face lies great inventiveness that has not always been allowed to surface but when it does, the effect can be striking. Higgins seems to have unlocked a storeroom of intensity by taking on the role of Stephan, a hard-luck Polish immigrant to 1920s Paris in the Merchant-Ivory film, "Quartet" (1981). The film, based on the novel by Jean Rhys, is sharply directed by James Ivory and has a heart-felt script by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala ("Le Divorce"). Isabelle Adjani garnered a Cannes Film Festival award for Best Actress for her gut-wrenching performance as Stephan's defenseless wife. Stephan is an impetuous man, who takes the dishonest road to acquiring wealth, with a small amount of shiftiness and a large amount of charm. Higgins infuses the role with detailed mannerisms such as holding his cigarette by cupping the end with his fingers, as many Slavic men do.
Higgins' height (6' 2"), dark looks and air of moral strength have frequently rendered him romantic roles. He sometimes appears to be aloof but a warmth sneaks out. The tough guy who softens for a vulnerable female might be what he is all about. Thus, it seems only natural that an actor whom he greatly admires is Robert Mitchum. Indeed, in another era, Higgins himself might have fit nicely into film noir. Higgins stars in a dark mystery film, "Sweet Killing," (1993), which was filmed in Montreal and also features F. Murray Abraham. Female admiration of Higgins became universal with his winsome portrayal of Abdullah, in "Lace," (1984-5), a cleverly written television miniseries by Elliot Baker, based on the popular English novel by Shirley Conran. Angela Lansbury, Brooke Adams and Arielle Dombasle are outstanding. Most critics condemned Phoebe Cates for her unconvincing acting but unanimously praised Higgins' persuasive performance as an Arabian prince, who is the lynch pin of the plot. The film also captures glamorous scenery of the French Alps, Chamonix and other jet-set locales; it has wonderful women's fashions, particularly hats, by Barbara Lane; it is the ultimate "chick flick." Higgins, astonished to hear that it is frequently repeated on cable in the U.S., has reacted, "It was great fun to do, actually. It has no pretense to be Strindberg. It is glamorous trash. Still, we had great character actors in it like Anthony Quayle, an old friend, who is now dead; and the director, Billy Hale, and I hit it off in a big way." Far from charming in "Reilly, Ace of Spies," (1983), the actor plays a cold Communist assassin in the British miniseries with Sam Neill in the title role; Higgins' innocence seen in previous roles is totally obscured here. In 1986, he acted with Jeanne Moreau in Agatha Christie's mystery, "The Last Séance," for Granada TV. "Max, Mon Amour," a feature film for the daring director Nagisa Oshima ("Realm of the Senses") followed in 1986. It has an outrageous plot about a bored wife (Charlotte Rampling) with a chimpanzee as her lover. Higgins plays her British diplomat husband who invites the ape to live with them in Paris.
Higgins continued to work in France to play Napoleon's elder brother in "Napoleon and Josephine," with Armand Assante and Jacqueline Bisset in the title roles in 1987. It gave Higgins the opportunity to work again with Jane Lapotaire as mother Bonaparte. After Napoleon cuts up Europe for his family, Joseph satirically delivers a memorable aside, "Louis gets Holland and all I get is disease-ridden Naples." Lavishly photographed in Europe and North Africa, the television miniseries has subtle humor; it airs occasionally on cable in the U.S. A tendency of Higgins' style has been to hold something back, compelling the viewer to wonder what else he has stored up, adding mystery to his character. In "Darlings of the Gods," an Australian television film, (1991), he may have held back a bit much in the lead as Laurence Olivier, opposite Mel Martin as Vivien Leigh, to the disappointment of some critics. Still, the film aired around the world, received good ratings and repeated several times. In spin offs of the Sherlock Holmes legend, Higgins is the only actor besides Orson Welles to have played both Moriarty ("Young Sherlock Holmes" 1985) and Holmes ("Sherlock Holmes Returns" 1993). Both works display his skills in fencing and oration of long monologues; both versions proved popular in several countries, among them Germany. Higgins is fluent in German. German artist and photographer, Heide Lausen, whom he met while working on "Something for Everyone" in Germany, widows him. He has one daughter, who was born in 1974 and raised in Bavaria. He is often recognized for having played a stereotypical Nazi villain in Stephen Spielberg's, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," (1981). However, of the television film, "One Against the Wind," also known as "Mary Lindell," (1991), starring Judy Davis, Higgins has said that he enjoyed playing a non-typical German SS officer, who had been classically educated in England, because it was not a hackneyed image. "The Bridge," (1992), based on the Whitbread award winning novel by Maggie Hemingway, is an engaging film that takes place in the 19th century with actress Saskia Reeves struggling against sociological constraints. Here, his power simmers rather than explodes, as he plays a husband, who makes a shrewd move to eliminate his wife's lover. In a scene with his daughters at the breakfast table, one can sense that his character might do anything to prevent his family from breaking apart.
A family role that Higgins took on enthusiastically was that of Johann Strauss, Sr. in "The Strauss Dynasty," (1991). The award winning television miniseries, which was filmed in Austria and Hungary over eight months, contains a cast of hundreds. The scope covers the entire Strauss family and the music and politics of their time. The twelve-hour program aired successfully in Europe and Australia in the 90s. The actor shows great range in this role, growing from young adored "Waltz King" conductor of Vienna to world weary, exhausted composer. The series shines with many international stars, enlightening history and music by the Strausses. Higgins grew up in a large musical and creative family of five brothers and one sister in Northamptonshire. Before Higgins was born, his father sang with a band in Cork in the 1930s. His mother was the local church organist and would sometimes accompany him on piano. Later, his father went to New York and studied opera but he returned to Ireland after six years. Anthony plays flugelhorn; he had an instrument especially crafted for him in Germany. He has said that his mother taught him to read even before he went to school. He is a voracious reader; he writes, having used an old manual typewriter prior to the computer era. He also has a penchant for classical music, jazz and fine art; when in New York, he likes to visit the Frick Museum and the Pierpont Morgan Library. He has always had a passion for athletics, having played rugby in his youth, then cricket and now it is golf. The actor's search for cutting-edge productions led him to "Nostradamus" (1994), an eccentric version of the 16th century visionary filmed in Romania. Tcheky Karyo plays the title role and Higgins brings up the ranks as King Henry II of France. Diana Quick (Higgins' mistress in "Max, Mon Amour") plays Diane de Poitier alongside Amanda Plummer as his quirky queen, Catherine de Medici. Higgins plays Henry as extremely effective politically and a great athlete. Higgins' research found that jousting was his other great love as evidenced from the time, effort and money that went into his armor, which is embossed with exquisite scenes from classical history and still exists as an extraordinary artifact.
One of Higgins' best moments onscreen is as Korah, a Hebrew in "Moses" (1996), a television miniseries that aired internationally with Ben Kingsley in the title role. After initial skepticism, Korah silently communicates religious rapture as manna slowly falls from heaven on his ecstatic face, revealing a believer in the end. In the middle 1990s, it seems that there was a chic rush for heterosexual male stars to play roles as HIV-stricken patients, i.e., witness Jeremy Irons in "Stealing Beauty." Higgins brings an understated dignity to the role of a Cuban choreographer in the AIDS-related film, "Alive and Kicking," also known as "Indian Summer" (1996). The film stars Jason Flemyng as his student and has a hopeful conclusion by author Martin Sherman ("Bent"). Higgins returned to the stage in November 1996 with the title role in "Max Klapper - A Life in Pictures." He received excellent notices as a post WWII German film director opposite Emily Lloyd as the actress whom he regards as his creation. The event marked the reopening as a live theater of the Electric Cinema in London, where, curiously, during WWII the theater's manager was suspected of sending messages to German Zeppelins from the roof. Higgins fervently plays Marcel, a Hungarian archaeologist in the Irish feature film, "The Fifth Province," (1997), with Ian Richardson, with whom he previously appeared in "Danton's Death" on British television. Higgins has been particularly commended for the scene where he digs furiously for treasure that was buried by the high kings of Ireland. The script is by the Irish Times-Aer Lingus prize winning, hilarious novelist, Nina Fitzpatrick (Fables of the Irish Intelligentsia). The film sometimes surfaces on Sky TV. In the late 90s, Higgins continued to appear on British television in various roles and slipped into the snakeskins of seriously degenerated criminals in the television crime dramas, "The Governor I," "Supply and Demand I," and "Trial and Retribution III" (now available on DVD in Region 2). All were written by Lynda LaPlante ("Prime Suspect"), who was, coincidentally, an extra in "The Draughtsman's Contract." However, the actor becomes orderly again in 2001, as he plays a talent agent of dubious trust in "The Last Minute," directed by Stephen Norrington ("League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"). The theme is the unworthiness of fame in trendy London. The hero, labeled as "the next big thing," rebels against the agent and descends into hell before finding out how to value his life.
One key to understanding Higgins' personality might be to recognize that his true love is the horn. In 2000, he commissioned British trumpeter Guy Barker, ("Great Expectations" 1998), to write a jazz soundtrack for a short film that Higgins wrote and directed, starring himself and British actress, Frances Barber, "Blood Count." It has been playing at European Film Festivals. In March 2003, Higgins lent his deep, but mellifluous, voice to narrate "Sounds in Black and White," Barker's homage concert to film noir, with the 60 piece London Metropolitan Orchestra at the Barbican Theater in London. In 2004, American television viewers can look forward to seeing him in an "Inspector Lynley Series II" episode on PBS' "Mystery Theater." A large part of Higgins' charisma is due to his voice, mannerisms and unique style that remain unruffled as he ages. He is not on the celebrity A list, the B list or even the Z list but he is high on many viewers' lists of interesting actors to watch because of his magnetism, intensity and unpredictability. The first decade of the new millennium has presented several new interesting British actors on the screen. However, many do not seem to have a strong classical stage training, which is Higgins' rock, and they often throw their lines away. Although not all of his roles have grandeur, people invariably comment about Higgins what he has said of Robert Mitchum, "Even in terrible movies, he is always good." Higgins' light may have reached millions of viewers but he never sold out for money. Some have called him a "career actor" but he has yet to receive the recognition of which his talent is worthy. Where is he? He is building a legacy as a character actor. Film history will show that he is a noteworthy one.- Actress
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Prior to going to RADA she'd had a small part in 'The Rebel' with Tony Hancock but after the first day she went home in tears as she'd been made up with bright green lips and mud in her hair for her part as an extra sensualist. While she liked making the film and working with Tony she didn't enjoy the part. Just before she left RADA she went to see a producer about a part of a brassy blonde in "Wheel of Fate" (1953). He was pleased with her but said that she needed to see the director for approval and that he was doing a night shoot at Marylebone shunting yards. If she went to see him there and if he approved she'd start filming the next week.. She got to the yard and saw a man 'committing suicide' by jumping onto tracks in front of a train. After shooting the scene, he climbed onto the platform and asked who she was and what she was doing there. She'd already found out he was Bryan Forbes and introduced herself saying that she understood that she might be in the film. He replied that this had been the last night of shooting to which she said that she'd come all the way from Streatham. He said he'd take her home to make sure that she'd be safe, and continued to do so for nearly 60 years. He'd done quite a few films by that time, plus a lot of stage work. They did a play together at the Aldwych Theatre and worked separately until he started to produce and direct, casting her in a number of his films.- Actor
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- Director
Ivan Kaye is internationally best known for his role as King Aelle in Vikings (2013). In 2022 he took a leading role in the Irish comedy movie Apocalypse Clown (2023). Notable recent work also includes StudioCanal's action film Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) and the Disney+ series Wedding Season (2022).
A remarkably versatile actor, Ivan Kaye already had a successful stage career in London's West End in dramatic and musical theatre before starting his work in television and film in his early thirties.
Born on 1st July 1961 in Northampton, Ivan Kaye recreated TV adverts at the age of two years and performed TV shows with his friends throughout his childhood. After a key experience at age eight, he joined a youth theatre group and took over organizational responsibility in his early teens. His parents were social workers who insisted that he should earn a university degree to give him additional options if his plans for an acting career didn't develop as anticipated, but during his academic education, he used every opportunity to perform in plays.
Hence Ivan Kaye managed to beat the odds and succeeded as a professional actor without a privileged background, any connections to influential players in the entertainment industry, or formal education at drama school.
Starting with theatre and musical performances, he made his stage debut at Sadler's Wells in 1980 in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' as Willie Wonka, appearing throughout the 1980s with the National Theatre in 'The Changeling', 'Ghetto' and 'The Magic Olympic Games', as well as West End performances in 'The Rocky Horror Show' at the Piccadilly Theatre as Eddie and Dr. Scott, 'Serious Money' at Wyndham's and 'A View From the Bridge' at Bristol Old Vic, transferring to the Strand. His most recent theatre appearance was in the role of Tom Kettle in Jez Butterworth's critically acclaimed West End play 'The Ferryman' in 2017/2018 before its transfer to Broadway.
In 1992 he already had his own TV show at the age of thirty: He played the leading role in the name part of detective drama Sam Saturday (1992) and has since been seen as Reuben Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm (1995), a duplicitous spouse in Bad Girls (1999), an initially questionable doctor in EastEnders (1985) and dim farm-hand Bryan in sitcom The Green Green Grass (2005).
More recently, he has appeared in less than sympathetic mode in productions that have reached an international audience and been dubbed into several languages like Assassination Games (2011) as well as period pieces The Borgias (2011) and Vikings (2013) (on his Twitter page he describes himself as "Villain for Hire"), but also in more lovable parts in crime drama shows like The Coroner (2015) and Sister Boniface Mysteries (2022) and in the mini-series The Woman in White (2018).
Since 2018 he has also put more focus on feature films for the big screen in several genres (comedy, action, and period drama) and has, once again, proven his passion for acting by starring in several comedy short films.
Being a household name at home and having co-starred with Hollywood actors in multiple films, Ivan Kaye's larger-than-life on-screen version of King Aelle of Northumbria has finally earned him worldwide fame. His career received another boost from 2017 onward when he first made a prestigious theatre comeback in 2017-18 and then joined several international film and series projects in 2018-2021 (e.g. Amazon's series pilot for an adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower (2020), the female-led action thriller Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) and Disney+ series Wedding Season (2022)). Since 2022 he has returned to leading parts with a role in the Irish comedy feature Apocalypse Clown (2023).
Due to his enormous versatility, Ivan Kaye has been featured in a wide array of roles encompassing lead and main parts as well as antagonists, outright villains, and comical characters. Another one of his "superpowers" as an actor is to turn even underwritten side parts into memorable characters by infusing them with a vibrancy that leaves a mark in the minds of the audience.
As a founder and director of Comedy Ink Productions together with actor/writer Douglas McFerran (born May 1958) he has produced and acted as a lead in short comedic offerings such as the mini-series Brilliant! (2007) and short film Sherlock Holmes Confidential (2013). The latest release of his company is his solo short film Acter (2020). Two horror shorts produced together with Douglas McFerran are still in post-production.
Ivan Kaye has a reputation for being especially kind and appreciative towards his fans on social media and in person. He is a supporter of the Hounslow Urban Farm (where 'Green Green Grass' was partially filmed) and, with several other actors, the Justice for Andrew campaign, seeking justice for the murder of a young Liverpudlian.
He has two adult daughters and lives in London.- James Cusati-Moyer is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama. In 2020 he received a Tony Nomination for Best Featured Actor In A Play for his performance in Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris. He made his Broadway debut in Six Degrees of Separation. He was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
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Robert Llewellyn was born on 10 March 1956 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for Red Dwarf: Smeg Ups (1994), Red Dwarf (1988) and Red Dwarf (1992). He is married to Judy Pascoe. They have two children.- Actor
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Robert Goodman is an actor who was born in Northampton in the UK. Schooldays were a living hell, from which he escaped aged just 15, when he trained as a chef. "I believe cooking to be a creative art" he says, "and the preparation of food should be carried out with love, which makes a difference to the enjoyment of eating: it is all to do with what intention is injected into the process. The same goes for any creative art.
It was this realisation that prompted Robert to become an actor at the age of 19. "Acting for me is a journey of self discovery: it gives me the chance to visit aspects of myself that in life I perhaps wouldn't normally visit. As a young actor, Robert trained at the prestigious Birmingham school of speech training and Dramatic art. Working mostly in film, He has since trained extensively in Method acting, and still even now keeps up classes to stay in the loop working with the world's foremost acting coaches in London, Paris and New York.
In the early days of his career between acting roles Robert worked as a London tour guide, and as a magician in the world famous Hamleys toy store in London's Regent Street. In his spare time Robert writes and directs his own short films.
He has also written and performed his own 'One Man show', about the 'spirit' of London: A kind of biography of a City.
Other interests include: London and country walking, Writing, psychogeography, the life and work of Dylan Thomas, the natural world and most things that life has to offer.
Robert now lives in London UK- Actor
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Mike Berry was born on 24 September 1942 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Are You Being Served? (1972), Worzel Gummidge (1979) and Love Potion (1987).- Writer
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Alan Moore was born on 18 November 1953 in Northampton, England, UK. He is a writer and actor, known for The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), From Hell (2001) and Watchmen (2019). He has been married to Melinda Gebbie since 12 May 2007. He was previously married to Phyllis B. Dixon.- Jenn Gotzon's career break came playing Pres. Nixon's daughter Tricia in the Oscar-nominated "Frost/Nixon", which launched Gotzon starring in many family films on Amazon winning awards and nominations for The Farmer and The Belle: Saving Santaland, Doonby, God's Country, Forgiven, Unbridled and My Daddy Is In Heaven. Producer, speaker, author, jewelry creator, International model and award-winning actress, Jenn Gotzon brings a natural radiance, emotional depth and transformed ability to the protagonist roles she plays on-screen revealing hope to the human condition.
Gotzon is married to her actor-producer husband Jim E. Chandler sharing their love story in "The Farmer and The Belle: Saving Santaland," a funny Christmas movie for the family. The movie has a message to bring value about inner beauty to girls and women inspired by Gotzon's personal life. Gotzon created the #Beauty Bracelet with five charms (smooth, coin sized with a Tiffany inspired chain) engraved with affirmative sayings to overcome life's lies about your physical appearance. This bracelet is the main story point in the family, Christmas movie, "The Farmer and The Belle: Saving Santaland" and is selling on QVC. Gotzon also co-authored with Michelle Cox (Hallmark's When God Calls the Heart) her first book, a devotional that unlocks revelation to the #Beauty Bracelet called Divine Beauty: Becoming Beautiful based on God's Truth. All products can be purchased at WWW.TheFarmerandTheBelle.net/shop.
With 2 Oscar-nominated films, under her belt, playing historical characters - Tricia Nixon in Ron Howard's "Frost/Nixon" & British captive Lydia in "Alone Yet Not Alone" - Jenn's developed an uplifting brand as an American leading lady in wholesome and redemptive movies. Jenn Gotzon appears as the cover model on several magazines including Valley Social who printed, "Gotzon continuously garners awards for her Meryl Streep chameleon-like transformations" inspired from the Hollywood casting director Bill Dance after he saw Jenn win "Best Actress" for her protagonist role in short film "Stained." He told the press, "I felt like I was watching a young Meryl Streep on screen."
Top film critic in the family market, Ted Baehr with Movieguide, states, "Jenn Gotzon reveals character with an extraordinary emotional range better than almost anyone in Hollywood today!" Ted has influenced Jenn's career as a mentor guiding her to strive for excellence in storytelling.
Jenn has won awards from the Film Advisory Board for her performance as a destructive alcoholic party girl in "Doonby" opposite of John Schneider and Ernie Hudson. Followed by a festival "Best Actress" nod for her role as the Ferrari-driving egocentric firm partner in "God's Country." She received best actress for "Forgiven" playing hostage bound pastor's daughter and good-nature, adulterated wife in "The Good Book." Gotzon received recent success for bringing harmony to the racial divide through her first comedic role in the trending award-winning comedy "Love Different." Jenn's movies sell strong to her loyal following in the faith & family market: USA, Brazil, Europe & Asia.
From a small country town in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Gotzon was raised in the church by supportive parents Ronnie and Jo-Ann who encouraged her to be active in sports and school activities. She became an all-star softball player, avid skier and learned leadership in student council. Her mom taught her how to pray and have faith, while her dad instilled stamina and confidence in her creativity saying, "If it were easy, everyone would do it."
Jenn warmly appreciates Chartreuse Talent Management in Allentown, PA who got her started with acting classes, pageants and public speaking at age 15. Her dedication to personal growth lead her to continue her education at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts two-year program in NYC and Joanne Baron / DW Brown Studio two-year conservatory in LA. In 1998, Gotzon moved to Orlando, FL to be a dancer for Walt Disney World's Entertainment Department as Sassy Buzz in the inaugural parade for the brand new Animal Kingdom. She is proud to say she is now fluent in Bumble Bee. Eventually, Gotzon made her way out west working in human resources for Google acclimating googles. In 2002, she landed her first protagonist role in romantic-drama "Julie and Jack" (directed by James Nguyen best known for his cult-classic "Birdemic") earning her a Best Actress award in the San Francisco independent film market. Finally, she journeyed south of San Francisco to the lights and glamour of Hollywood. She learned about Studio productions by doing stand-in work and made featured appearances on TV shows "Pushing Daisies", "House", "CSI: NY" and films "Yes Man" and "500 Days of Summer".
In 2008, she was blessed to help make cinematic history by starring in the dramatic short film "Stained" which was the first film ever shot on the RED Camera to win multiple awards at a film festival pulling in an astounding 13 accolades including a Best Actress award to Gotzon. A few months later, she received the Rising Star award for her ROM-com short "Chemistry" where festival judges started saying, "Jenn Gotzon has the effervescence of Reese Witherspoon and the emotional depth of Kate Winslet."
Later that year, her career exploded on the red carpet at the world premiere of "Frost/Nixon" in London at the BFI Film Festival. Her attributes were championed and encouraged by her late publicist and dear friend, Scotty Dugan. His red carpet vision came to fruition with Gotzon gracing the covers of magazines, newspapers and even appeared as a guest speaker for the Academy at the Aspen Academy Film Screening for her involvement playing one of the First Family members. Even though her character Tricia was in six scenes and all cut out to a few glimpses, independent filmmakers saw Gotzon's star rising.
In March 2010, Jenn was offered her first major lead role in "Doonby" surrounded by a veteran all-star cast: John Schneider, Ernie Hudson and Robert Davi. Since then, Jenn Gotzon has starred in over 20 film and television productions many of which were directly offered. She is proud to say that every one of these roles have remained in line with her passion: to entertain, to impact, to inspire and ultimately bring hope to audiences everywhere. Gotzon has a motivational speaking program called "Inspiring Audiences" where she travels nationwide and pioneers opportunities to show the movies she stars in, followed by in-depth conversation about moral lessons of the movie and an innovative exercise to help people grasp the passions of their heart to begin living their dreams.
Because of Jenn's brand to impact and inspire audiences, in 2014, China's most famous celebrity makeup artist, Brother Zhen, hired Jenn Gotzon to be the face of his company Jubilee. Her chameleon looks have her appearing on billboards and advertisements across Asia until 2018. Brother Zhen and his extraordinary team transformed Jenn into some of the most fascinating art depicted in photography. Some of those pictures are in the IMDb gallery. - A minor "B" leading man of 1940s and early 1950s films who moved easily to 60s TV when film offers dried up, blue-eyed, brown-haired actor Stephen Dunne was born Francis Michael Dunne and raised in his hometown of Northampton, Massachusetts in 1918. His interest in acting occurred following high school and, after a brief job for an electric company, decided to study drama and journalism at the University of Alabama. He also earned experience at the time as a radio deejay at a nearby station. The radio gig paid off as he moved into full time announcing work for station WOR in New York City.
Dunne's good looks, smooth voice and affable demeanor caught the attention of Hollywood. Signed by Fox in 1945 and billed as "Michael Dunne", the actor started out billed third in his very first film, the congenial comedy Junior Miss (1945) although overshadowed in the film by Peggy Ann Garner, Allyn Joslyn, Mona Freeman and Barbara Whiting. Unfortunately instead of up he moved down the billing line in the musical Doll Face (1945) again showcasing others like Perry Como and Carmen Miranda, as a doctor in the Vincent Price starrer Shock (1946), billed 12th in the charming Charles Coburn comedy Colonel Effingham's Raid (1946) and was fairly nondescript in the Grable musical Mother Wore Tights (1947).
In 1947 a disillusioned Michael was picked up by Columbia, where they changed his name to "Stephen Dunne" and moved him back up again in billing. But, as expected perhaps, his leading roles in such "B" pictures as The Son of Rusty (1947), The Woman from Tangier (1948), Rusty Saves a Life (1949), Kazan (1949), Law of the Barbary Coast (1949) did little to advance his film career. When a more important movie did come out, he was usually in service of the star, such as Glenn Ford, Lucille Ball or William Holden, finding himself down in the credit list once again.
Again, radio saved the day for the smooth-voiced actor during the leaner times with numerous programs including the popular "Danger, Dr. Danfield" (1946) and "Richard Diamond, Private Eye" (1949) to his credit. He replaced Howard Duff at one point in "The New Adventures of Sam Spade" in 1950 but Duff was missed and the show canceled quickly. Throughout the 1950s, Dunne worked for KTSL-TV in Los Angeles. His film roles in independents continued on with such programmer fare as The Crime Doctor's Diary (1949), The Underworld Story (1950), The WAC from Walla Walla (1952) and Above and Beyond (1952) filling his resume.
Focusing on TV acting in the mid 1950s through the early 1970s, guest appearances included roles in "Private Secretary," "The Gale Storm Show," "How to Marry a Millionaire," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Petticoat Junction," "Batman," "Love, American Style," "The Brady Bunch" and "The Bold Ones," among others. He also appeared regularly on the musical program The Bob Crosby Show (1953), as a psychologist on the short-lived sitcom Professional Father (1955), and in the crime drama The Brothers Brannagan (1960). Steve's voice and personality was ideally suited for quiz show duties, and he wound up hosting such game programs as You're on Your Own (1956), The All New Truth or Consequences (1950) (during the 1956-57 season) and Double Exposure (1961).
Despite an avid self-promoter during his film and especially his radio/TV career, he could not muster past his benign, clean-cut personality. Still, he soldiered on and managed to keep busy throughout his over three-decade career. His moneymaker was his voice and his best success remained on radio.
Retired in the early 1970s after a support role in the Disney film Superdad (1973) as a (naturally) TV moderator, Steve died a few years later, relatively young at the age of 59 of undisclosed causes in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife of 37 years, Vivian Bellveau, and their two children, Stephen and Christina. - Actress
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Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Jo Newman moved to New York City at age seventeen determined to pursue an acting career. A graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Jo found inspiration in Sanford Meisner's technique as a primary studio, then immersed herself in the Stonestreet School of Film and Television.
She has since appeared in numerous television shows such as Law and Order: SVU, Gossip Girl, Guiding Light, and The Sopranos.
She made her big screen debut in Love and Other Drugs starring Jake Gyllenhall and Anne Hathaway and is hot off the set after shooting a fantastic role in the upcoming film, Lay The Favorite, starring Bruce Willis and Catherine Zeta Jones
In pursuit of more laughs (and work) Jo wrote and produced a comedy pilot entitled (Greetings From) Sunny Beaches, the behind the scenes of a reality show, which is now in the hands of some pretty fabulous people.
Jo especially enjoys character work, dark (and light) comedy, and making her co-stars laugh. She regularly attends improv class at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York and Los Angeles as well as scene study with Joyce Piven. Offscreen, Jo is a certified yoga instructor, spending much of her free time upside-down.- Additional Crew
Owen Elliot-Kugell was born on 26 April 1967 in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. She is known for The Fabulous Allan Carr (2017), Relatively Speaking (1988) and Intimate Portrait (1990). She has been married to Jack Kugell since 1991. They have two children.- Ruari Cannon was born in 1991 in Northampton and was raised in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has one sister named Kirsty, and his parents are Eleanor and Malcolm Cannon. At Stewarts Melville College in Edinburgh he was involved heavily with sport and drama, and cultivated a love for the stage in productions like "The Merchant of Venice" where he played Shylock, and "A Sreetcar Named Desire" where he played Stanley. At a young age he appeared on the Perth theatre stage in a professional production of "Oliver!" playing the Artful Dodger. After leaving school he decided to study in America at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and upon graduating in 2011, won the Charles Jellingher award for best actor. When strapped for cash Ruari would busk in Central Park come rain or shine, and made Dempseys Pub on 33rd street his 2nd home. Ruari is also a massive United fan and his love for the Manchester reds equals that of his craft.
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Originally trained as a painter, he studied art at Chelsea Art School and London University and taught in his hometown of Northhampton after spending time in the RAF Medical Corps. He was a performer with the Children's Theatre Company and was involved in several productions in London's West End, including two years in "Alibi For a Judge."- Producer
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Leopold Hughes was born in Northampton, England, UK. He is a producer and director, known for Knives Out (2019), Glass Onion (2022) and Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017).- Actor
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Tom Meeten was born on 30 April 1974 in Northampton, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for The Ghoul (2016), Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break (2021) and Intruder (2021).- John Vivyan was born John R. Vukayan on May 31, 1915 in Chicago, Illinois to Serbian immigrant parents. He served in the U.S. Army during the Guadalcanal campaign for the 132nd Infantry Regiment, Company "E" in World War II, where he wounded his leg. After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Art under the GI Bill of Rights, he changed his last name to Vivyan, and he first appeared on stage in the late 1940's before taking film and television roles. His first screen role was in the 1949 episode Two Sharp Knives in the anthology Studio One. Later, he guest-starred in a wide variety of television series, but primarily in westerns, such as Colt .45, Sugarfoot, Yancy Derringer, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Tombstone Territory, Bat Masterson, Maverick, and numerous others, but by far, John Vivyan is best known for his starring role as the honest, debonair gambler in the Blake Edwards series, Mr. Lucky (1959-1960), co-starring Ross Martin as Andamo. He worked very infrequently after 1970; his last two appearances being the sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati (1982) and the detective series Simon & Simon (1983). Vivyan died on December 20, 1983 in Santa Monica, California at the age of 68, and is interred at Westwood Village Memorial Park, in Los Angeles.