Julie M. Benz is an American actress, known for her roles as Darla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel (1997–2004) and Rita Bennett on Dexter (2006–2010), for which she won the 2006 Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress and the 2009 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also starred on the series Roswell (1999–2000), Hi Honey, I’m Home (1991-1992), Desperate Housewives (2010), No Ordinary Family (2010–2011), A Gifted Man (2011–2012), Defiance (2013–2015) and Hawaii Five-0 (2015–present). Her film roles include Jawbreaker (1999), The Brothers (2001), Rambo, Saw V and Punisher: War Zone (all 2008), The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) and Bedrooms (2010).
Remembering Glenn Ford, born May 1, 1916 and passed away on August 30, 2006.
Following military service, Ford’s breakthrough role was in 1946, starring alongside Rita Hayworth in the noir classic Gilda. The New York Times movie reviewer Bosley Crowther praised Ford’s “stamina and poise in a thankless role” despite the movie’s poor direction. He went on to be a leading man opposite Hayworth in a total of five films.
Ford’s film career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s and continued into the 1980s with many television roles. His major roles in thrillers, dramas and action films include A Stolen Life with Bette Davis, The Secret of Convict Lake with Gene Tierney, The Big Heat, Blackboard Jungle, Framed, Interrupted Melody with Eleanor Parker, Experiment in Terror with Lee Remick, Don’t Go Near The Water with Gia Scala, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and westerns such as Jubal, The Fastest Gun Alive, 3:10 to Yuma and Cimarron. Ford’s versatility also allowed him to star in a number of popular comedies, such as The Teahouse of the August Moon, Don’t Go Near the Water, The Gazebo, Cry for Happy and The Courtship of Eddie’s Father.
In 1971, Ford signed with CBS to star in his first television series, a half hour comedy/drama titled The Glenn Ford Show. However, CBS head Fred Silverman noticed that many of the featured films being shown at a Glenn Ford film festival were westerns. He suggested doing a western series instead, which resulted in the “modern day western” series, Cade’s County. Ford played southwestern Sheriff Cade for one season (1971–1972) in a mix of police mystery and western drama. In The Family Holvak (1975–1976), Ford portrayed a depression era preacher in a family drama, reprising the same character he had played in the TV film, The Greatest Gift.
In 1978, Ford had a supporting role in Superman, as Clark Kent’s adoptive father, Jonathan Kent, a role that introduced Ford to a new generation of film audiences. In Ford’s final scene in the film, the theme song from Blackboard Jungle, “Rock Around the Clock”, is heard on a car radio.
In 1981, Ford co-starred with Melissa Sue Anderson in the slasher film Happy Birthday to Me.
In 1991, Ford agreed to star in a cable network series, African Skies. However, prior to the start of the series, he developed blood clots in his legs which required a lengthy stay in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Eventually he recovered, but at one time his situation was so severe that he was listed in critical condition. Ford was forced to drop out of the series and was replaced by Robert Mitchum.
The 2006 movie Superman Returns includes a scene where Ma Kent (played by Eva Marie Saint) stands next to the living room mantel after Superman returns from his quest to find remnants of Krypton. On that mantel is a picture of Glenn Ford as Pa Kent.
Kunal Nayyar is a British Indian actor and writer known for his role as Rajesh Koothrappali in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
After graduating, Nayyar found work doing American television ads and plays on the London stage. He first gained attention in the US for his role in the West Coast production of Rajiv Joseph’s 2006 play Huck & Holden, where he portrayed an Indian exchange student anxious to experience American culture before returning home. In 2006, Nayyar teamed up with Arun Das to write the play Cotton Candy, which premiered in New Delhi to positive reviews.
Nayyar made a guest appearance on the CBS drama NCIS in the episode “Suspicion” (season four, episode 12), in which he played Youssef Zidan, an Iraqi terrorist.
In 2012, Nayyar voiced Gupta in Ice Age: Continental Drift. That same year, he completed the shooting of his first film, Dr. Cabbie, in Toronto.
In September 2015, Nayyar published a book about his career journey, Yes, My Accent is Real. He then voiced Guy Diamond in DreamWorks’ animated movie Trolls (2016).
Gal is an Israeli actress and model. She was born and raised in Israel. At age 18 she was crowned Miss Israel 2004. She then served two years in the Israel Defense Forces as a combat instructor. She began studying at IDC Herzliya college before pursuing modeling and acting.
Gadot’s first film role came as Gisele Yashar in The Fast and the Furious film franchise. She went on to achieve wide recognition for portraying Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe, starting with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), and then the solo film Wonder Woman and the ensemble Justice League (both 2017). In 2018, Gadot was included on Time’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Happy birthday Kirsten Dunst, born April 30, 1982.
Kirsten Caroline Dunst is the actress who played the role of Hedril in the Star Trek: The Next Generation seventh season episode “Dark Page” in 1993 when she was eleven years old.
She is perhaps best known for her role as Mary Jane Watson in the blockbuster Spider-Man films.
Happy birthday Johnny Galecki, born April 30, 1975.
John “Johnny” Mark Galecki is an American actor. He is known for his role as David Healy in the ABC sitcom Roseanne from 1992–97 and as Dr. Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
Galecki also appeared in the films National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), Prancer (1989), Suicide Kings (1997), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), Bookies (2003), and In Time (2011).