Tuesday, October 11, 2011

birthdays: october 11

Joan Cusack, 49, though her brother seems to get the attention, this two-time Oscar nominee (Working Girl, In & Out) is one gifted comedic talent.  From her incredible timing to her goofy expressions, she's kept fairly busy since her stint on SNL in the '80s, namely a vindictive black widow in Addams Family Values, a yodeling cowgirl in Toy Story 2 & 3, a wild child principal in School of Rock, and a few stabs at television glory in the underappreciated What About Joan and Shameless.  Oh, and has anyone else seen and loved Toys?
Jane Krakowski, 43, she got her start on daytime television and has become a belle of broadway thanks to Tony-recognized performances in Grand Hotel and Nine, but she's perhaps best known these days for her television work.  Whether inventing the face bra as quirky assistant Elaine on Ally McBeal or stealing away attention as the self-absorbed actress Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock, it's become her wheelhouse, and she's got eight SAG nominations to prove it.
Stephen Moyer, 42, he fell from relative obscurity on the English television scene to become one of the stars of the fan favorite True Blood, but before he was vampire Bill Compton, his notable roles included parts in The Starter Wife, Midsomer Murders, and A Touch of Frost.  Oh, and he's married to Oscar winner and co-star Anna Paquin.
Jerome Robbins, (1918-1998), perhaps his biggest contribution to film was 1961's Oscar-winning West Side Story, but his real corner of the arts was theater, choreographing On the Town, The King and I, Gypsy, and Fiddler on the Roof.
Luke Perry, 45, he rose to fame playing it young as a high schooler for about 10 years in Beverly Hills 90210, and has since stuck mostly to guest spots and TV movies, including a recurring role as a pastor on Oz, parts in the short-lived Jeremiah and John from Cincinnati,  and some stage work in a revival of Rocky Horror and the title role in When Harry Met Sally alongside Allyson Hannigan.
Michelle Trachtenberg, 26, parts on Clarissa Explains it All and The Adventures of Pete & Pete landed her the title role in Nickelodeon's Harriet the Spy, which led to a teen acting career that included the roles of Dawn Summer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a figure skater in Ice Princess, a mouthy nurse in Mercy, and one of the teenage debutantes in Gossip Girl.
Emily Deschanel, 35, though she may find herself in the shadow of her quirky, goofy (and total opposite) sister Zooey, she's eked out a place of her own on the television landscape as Bones Brennan on, you guessed it, Bones.  She hasn't ventured much from that starmaking role, outside of small parts in Cold Mountain, Spider-Man 2, and My Sister's Keeper.
Matt Bomer, 34, he's hit it big as the star of USA Network's White Collar, but he got his start on the Guiding Light, before a stint on Chuck and an upcoming role as part of the Stephen Soderbergh stripper movie Magic Mike.

1 comment:

Dhiraj said...

My kinda place