birthdays: december 25/26

Humphrey Bogart, (1899-1957), often considered the greatest male actor of all time - well at least by the American Film Institute's standards - his deadpan demeanor and love affair with the much younger Lauren Bacall set screens ablaze; his biggest film credits include his Oscar-nominated roles in Casablanca, The Caine Mutiny, and The African Queen (for which he also won), and his parts in The Maltese Falcon and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, as well as his collaborations with wife Bacall in To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep are legendary
Sissy Spacek, 61, though she rose to fast fame as the misunderstood and deadly title character in her Oscar-nominated turn in the Stephen King adaptation Carrie in 1976, she's gone on to become one of the most pedigreed actresses of her generation; she was nominated for five other Oscars (Missing, The River, Crimes of the Heart, In the Bedroom, and Coal Miner's Daughter - won that one) and has appeared in countless other films, including the upcoming high-profile adaptation of The Help
Rod Serling, (1924-1975), six-time Emmy winner and keeper of the one of the most recognizable faces and voices in television history, he produced, directed, and narrated the classic The Twilight Zone with such teasing deadpan it's become stuff of legend; he also wrote dozens of other teleplays and episodic scripts for television and penned the screenplay for the original 1968 Planet of the Apes
David Sedaris, 54, though his primary role in my camp is as brother to my favorite human being, Amy Sedaris, he's also written quite a few brilliant bestselling mostly-non-fiction books, including Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and When You Are Engulfed in Flames
Annie Lennox, 56, she started off successfully as one-half of The Eurhythmics in the '80s - hits included "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)," "Here Comes the Rain Again," and "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" - but she went on to an even bigger solo career, hitting it big with "Walking on Broken Glass," "Why," and a cover of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and won an Oscar for writing "Into the West" for the final chapter of The Lord of the Rings
Dido, 39, thanks to a bit of sampling of her single "Thank You" on an Eminem record, she hit it big in the early part of the last decade, her debut album No Angel going quadruple platinum and launching "Here With Me" and "White Flag" to the US Top 40
Steve Allen, (1921-2000), though he had a bit of an acting career, his real fame came from being the first host of The Tonight Show in 1954 (and essentially godfathering the concept of a late-night talk show); his game and variety show career hit such high notes as The Steve Allen Show, I've Got a Secret, and What's My Line?
Bill Lawrence, 42, writer, creator, and producer of such hit sitcoms as Spin City, Scrubs, and Cougar Town, he managed two Emmy nods for Scrubs and is married to frequent collaborator and former Drew Carey Show cast member Christa Miller