First noticed by many viewers as Tim -- the Klingon-spouting "knight in training" involved with the mother of Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) in Zach Braff's gently observed comedy drama Garden State (2004) -- American actor Jim Parsons moved from this memorable debut into a sequence of periodic roles in U.S. features. These included Chris Terrio's urban ensemble drama Heights (2004), opposite Glenn Close and Elizab ...

Canadian actor Jonathan Frid received his master's degree in drama from Yale University. Frid spent the first 20 years of his professional life as a Shakespearean actor in both Ontario and the United States, and as a daytime-drama performer on such American series as Look Up and Live and As the World Turns. Work was seldom steady, and Frid was often as not in the unemployment line instead of the dressing ro ...

The longtime drummer for the Band, Levon Helm wore many musical hats throughout his long career, including multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, impresario, studio owner, studio engineer, and producer. He grew up working on a farm in Arkansas; his first instrument was guitar, which he began playing at age eight, but after seeing the F.S. Walcott Rabbits Foot Minstrels, he decided to switch to drums. As ...

Throughout his lengthy career, guitar wildman Ted Nugent has reveled in the controversy and criticism that always seems to follow in his path. While there's no denying his exceptional talent on the six-string, his knack for penning arena rock anthems, or his standing as one of rock's top live acts, it's his non-musical endeavors that have caused the most condemnation from his detractors (his pro-right wing ...

U.S. television interviewer and reporter. After graduating from the University of Michigan (1939), he worked as an announcer and newscaster on radio, delving into various programs, including talk shows, quiz shows, serials, and the news. He served as a naval communications officer during World War II and was subsequently hired as a radio reporter in Chicago. He began to work on television in the 1950s, host ...

Andy Serkis always wanted a future in entertainment. Growing up in Ruslip Manor, England, he visualized himself working behind the scenes in production. Today, he is an impressive British character actor with over 50 stage, television, and film credits, distinguished performances on both Masterpiece Theatre and Mystery!, and a highly coveted role in Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's ...

At the end of the 20th century, it looked like Christopher Guest was only starting to get his just rewards. Most famous for his rendition of one Nigel Tufnel ("my amp goes all the way to 11") from This Is Spinal Tap, the faux rockumentary, Guest's brilliance seems to have gone overlooked for much of his career. Only after emerging as a true auteur -- writer, director, actor, and master of the genre of the m ...

New Zealand-born vocalist, guitarist, and comedic actor Bret McKenzie shot to fame in the early-mid 2000s -- alongside his ever-present co-star, Jemaine Clement -- as one half of the "digifolk" music act Flight of the Conchords. The duo achieved recognition at comedy festivals in their native Australasian country, with touring schtick that involved singing and playing tongue-in-cheek compositions with goofy ...

The son of a jazz concert producer, Billy Crystal grew up in the company of such music legends as Billie Holiday, Pee Wee Russell, and Eddy Condon. His mind made up by age five, Crystal knew he wanted to become a performer -- not in music but in baseball or comedy. As he later explained to TV Guide, he chose comedy "because God made me short" -- though from all reports he is one of the best ball players in ...

Yilmaz Erdoğan spent his childhood in Ankara until he moved to Istanbul along with his family. In 1987, he dropped out of his civil engineering studies at Istanbul Technical University and joined the On Duty Theater Staff (Turkish: Nöbetçi Tiyatrosu) managed by Ferhan Şensoy. He also became chief writer at Levent Kırca’s long-running television sketch show, Olacak O Kadar. In 1988, he founded his own theatr ...