birthdays: december 20

Jonah Hill, 27, part of the onslaught of the Apatow crew following the success of Knocked Up (in which he played one of Seth Rogen's wisecracking friends), though his big funny guy shtick never changes, he's been awfully entertaining in Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Cyrus (that last one was probably his biggest stretch and best performance)
Kathryn Joosten, 71, the hilarious and immensely talented actress who's most recognized in the past couple decades as presidential secretary Delores Landingham on The West Wing and the nosy neighbor Karen McCluskey on Desperate Housewives (for which she won two Emmys), she didn't start acting until age 42, before which she worked as a psychiatric nurse
Iqbal Theba, 47, though he's instantly recognizable for the younger crowd thanks to his role as Principal Figgins on Glee, he's had a two-decade career as a funny guest bit go-to on countless TV shows including Roseanne, Ellen, Everybody Loves Raymond, The West Wing, ER, Arrested Development, Weeds, and Nip/Tuck
Dick Wolf, 63, major TV bigwig whose work has earned him 14 Emmy nominations, he was responsible for creating and/or producing Miami Vice, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and the recent incarnation Law & Order: Los Angeles
George Roy Hill, (1921-2002), one-time Academy Award-winning director for 1973's The Sting, he also helmed the films Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Slaughterhouse-Five, and The World According to Garp
Irene Dunne, (1898-1990), premier actress in the '30s and '40s, she got her start on Broadway before transitioning to films and garnering five Oscar nominations, for Cimarron, Theodora Goes Wild, The Awful Truth, Love Affair, and I Remember Mama; she also headlined Penny Serenade alongside Cary Grant and 1936's incarnation of Show Boat
John Spencer, (1946-2005), though his first big break (after several film and television roles in the 70s and 80s) came with a four-season arc on the hit legal drama L.A. Law, his critical accolades came later in the decade as part of the cast of The West Wing, garnering him five Emmy nominations and one win
JoJo, 20, known for being the teensy pre-teen with the big soulful pipes, she hit it big at age 14 with "Leave (Get Out)" before starring alongside Robin Williams in the hit family comedy  RV and releasing a second album at age 16, most notably the single "Too Little Too Late"