Star Dictionary

Paula Abdul was raised in San Fernando Valley. At age eight, she began taking dance classes. Van Nuys High School was her high school. She was also the top cheerleader as well as the class president. Following her graduation in 1980 she enrolled in college at Cal State-Northridge, studying radio and TV. After joining the L.A. Lakers cheerleaders, she became head cheerleader/choreographer after only a few months, eventually dropping out of college to dance and choreograph full-time. The Jacksons hired her to choreograph their 1984 video "Torture" which was the first in a lengthy series of movies and video she would choreograph. She branched out into singing through her first album, "Forever Your Girl" which was not a huge success until the hit song "Straight Up" exploded onto the charts in December 1988 . she has been a popular dancer ever since, aided by her role as a judge on the hit show American Idol (2002). Her father, Harry Abdul, is Sephardic Jewish ...

Mary McDonnell, a two-time Oscar(r),-nominated actress, is best known for her portrayals on screen in historical and modern roles. She also has a long history of roles on stage and screen. Mary Eileen McDonnell was the daughter of John McDonnell (a computer consultant) and Eileen (Mundy) is who is a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania native. She was raised in Ithaca and then graduated from Fredonia State University of New York. Later, she attended the drama school and was accepted to the Long Wharf Theatre Company in East Coast. Her breakthrough film role was in Dances with Wolves (1990) by Kevin Costner. She played the role of "Stands with a Fist" who was a Sioux Indian raised white woman. Her first Academy Award nomination for the character. McDonnell's film credits include the Lawrence Kasdan films Grand Canyon (1991) and Mumford (1999) (opposite to such veteran actors such as Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, and Ben Kingsley); Roland Emmerich's Independence Day (1996) (sta...

Paula Faris, an American journalist, worked previously as a TV correspondent for ABC News. She is most famous for her time as cohost of Good Morning America Weekend, between 2014 and 2018, as well as hosting of The View, 2015-2018. Before this, she co-anchored World News Now and America This Morning. After graduating, she worked in several communications-related jobs including an operations position at Mills/James Productions in Columbus, Ohio. She held a job in radio sales, because of the limited opportunities for television. She was hired as a WKEF/WRGT production assistant and then was promoted to reporter and anchor. From 2002 until 2005, she was the sports anchor for weekends and the weekday sports anchor for the WCPO-TV station in Cincinnati. Her contract was terminated , and she became a reporter as well as an anchor for NBC affiliate WMAQ-TV, Chicago, from November 2005 until December 2011. In December 2011 it was announced that she has been hired by ABC's news division, AB...

Markie Post grew up in Walnut Creek, California and began her career with films and TV shows, including Card Sharks (1978) and "The New Card Sharks" (1986) and went on to even create projects such as Double Dare (1976) and appeared on such programs on television as 1st to Die (2003), E! True Hollywood Story (1996) and Electra Woman (2000). One of her most memorable TV role was "Christine Sullivan" on Night Court (1984). From 1984 until 1992 she appeared in 156 episodes. Daughter of Marylee (Armstrong) Post, poet and noted nuclear physicist Richard Freeman Post (November 14 1918 - April 7 15th, 2015). Two daughters, Katie Ross (born June 26 1987), and Daisy Ross (born on March 30, 1990) was her second marriage to Michael A. Ross. Her birthplace was Palo alto, California and grew up in the vicinity of Walnut Creek in California. As an athlete, she was a part of Las Lomas High school in Walnut Creek. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree at Lewis & Clark College...

Sarah Chalke was conceived in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 27 August 1976. Angie Chalke, and Doug Chalke are her parents. She is the middle child having an older sister, Natasha Chalke, and one younger, Piper Chalke. Sarah's first acting role was in City Boy (1992), which was a TV-produced movie. After her first film, Sarah auditioned for the role as Becky on Roseanne (1988) in 1993. The show was in search of the replacement for Alicia Goranson, who left the show to pursue university. Sarah graduated high school in 1995, while filming the 1994-95 Roseanne (1988) season. Sarah was also in the film with Jim Varney (1994) in Ernest Goes to School (1994). She was in Robin of Locksley (1996) and Stand against Fear(1996). In these films she played the part of Krista Wilson and was an athlete. In 1998, just a year after Roseanne (1988) ended, Sarah was asked to act in a show called Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy (1998). It was based on the show the show Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy (2000), Sa...

Lauren Ash is a recent alumni of the Second City Chicago Mainstage. She is also an Second City Toronto Mainstage alumna and one half the comedy sketch duo "Cory!". She's a two-time Canadian Comedy Award winner for Best Female Improviser. She has also won awards for the Best Comedic Performance in 2008 as well as Best Sketch Troupe in 2006. She has appeared in a variety of roles on "Scare Tactics" and the Canadian television series, "Almost Heroes." She was a regular on "The Ron James Show" and also appeared as a guest in "Call Me Fitz,""Cracked,"""Bomb Girls" as well as "Lost Girl." Her television and film credits also include "Video on Trial,"" Hotbox and the Academy Award-nominated "Lars and the Real Girl." She also voiced Sam in animated Canadian series "The Dating Guy." Her net worth has been growing significant in 2019 and 2020. What is Lauren Ash's net w...

Paula Patton is the daughter of Joyce (Vanraden), Patton, and Charles Patton. Her father is African-American , and her mother who is caucasian is of German, English, and Dutch ancestry. Her family lived on the same street as the 20th Century Fox lot when she was growing old and she was a big fan of movies in her early age. Her mother was a teacher , and her father was an attorney. Paula says that she would hide from her mother by pretending to be a different person as an infant. It's not too surprising that she participated in Hamilton Magnet Arts High School's high school productions. Her most loved role was that of "Abigail" in "The Crucible". She continued her studies at the University of Southern California, where she completed a summer program in film. It was during this time that she was awarded a three-month project to create documentaries for PBS. Then she was employed as a production assistant for television documentaries as well as Howie Mandel...

Amy Carlson was raised in Glen Ellyn (Illinois) and was a part of her early years living in Chicago. Amy resided in GlenEllyn, Illinois, until she was in junior college. The family also resided in Middle East, where her parents, Bob (and Barb) taught at American School. Amy is the older sister of Betsy, Lori, and brother Joe. Amy has traveled throughout Europe on her own as well as with her family. Since her parents worked as teachers who taught, they could spend every summer together traveling and camping all across the United States. They have camped in every state, with the exception of Alaska. Amy has also traveled to Rwanda after the war in 1994 to help in relief efforts. Early on, Amy showed artistic talent acting in school productions as well as winning contests for writing. In high school, she excelled in athletics and was the first to participate in the ever 3200-meter relay to be held for girls in the Illinois track. After sustaining an injury, she returned to college and per...

Penelope Cruz Sanchez is the daughter of Eduardo Cruz, a Madrid hairdresser, as well as Encarna Sanchez. She was a performer with a passion in her youth and often reenacted TV commercials for family amusement. However, she decided to focus her attention on dancing. After nine years of classical ballet instruction at Spain's National Conservatory she was able to further her education under the tutelage of a number of famous dancers. At the age of 15 she discovered her true destiny when she outclassed more than 300 other girls at an audition for a talent agency. The contract she received landed her roles in Spanish television shows , and music videos. The contract opened the way to a promising career in the world of film. Cruz made her movie debut with The Greek Labyrinth (1993). (The Greek Labyrinth). After that, she appeared briefly in Framed (1992) by Timothy Dalton. The Oscar-winning Belle Epoque (1992) was her third film. In it, she played one of the four sisters who were seekin...

Milena Govich is a writer, director actress, musician, and actor who has helmed many episodes of TV which include The Equalizer (2021), Chicago Med (2015), FBI: Most Wanted (2020), Chicago Fire (2012) and Chicago Fire (2012), among others. She also served as the Co-EP/Producing Director on Dick Wolf's CBS series FBI (2018), and is currently directing two pilots that are in development. Milena was among eight filmmakers chosen by AFI's prestigious Directing Workshop for Women, in addition to the exclusive Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program. The short film she made and the TV series proof of concept called Unspeakable which starred Laura Vandervoort and Jeff Kober It saw its World premiere at SXSW and won the Best Episodic Award at the Seattle International Film Festival and Best Pilot at SoHo International Film Festival. The film, Temporary, she produced (2017) was screened across the United States. She was awarded Best Narrative Short at Anthem Film Festival. Be...

Piper Perabo was nominated for the Golden Globes in the category of stage, TV, and film actress. She was born in Dallas, Texas and raised in New Jersey. In 2000, she was chosen in the role of a breakout character in Coyote Ugly. Since then, she's been featured in films such as Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" with Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, "Because I Said So" with Diane Keaton and "First Snow" with Guy Pearce, "Cheaper by the Dozen" films with Steve Martin, "Imagine Me and You" with Lena Heady and Matthew Goode and the crime thriller "10th Wolf" with an ensemble cast including James Marsden and Dennis Hopper. Perabo was in the film alongside Bruce Willis (with Joseph Gordon Levitt), Emily Blunt as well as Jeff Daniels in Rian John's sci-fi action film "Looper". Perabo was Annie Walker's television character in five seasons of the spy drama on USA Network "Covert Affairs." After that...

Ayelet Zuer, an Israeli actress, has been praised for her performance. Her birthplace is in Tel Aviv and was first recognized by Hollywood when Steven Spielberg cast her in her first English-speaking role as Eric Bana’s wife in Munich (2005). Zurer has been in a variety of Studio films since arriving in America, such as Sony Pictures' Vantage Point featuring William Hurt and Dennis Quaid Samuel Goldwyn's Fugitive Parts with Stephen Dillane, Paul Schrader’s Adam Resurrected opposite Jeff Goldblum, and Willem Dafoe. Ron Howard's Angeles and Demons, opposite Tom Hanks, Darling Companion an ensemble Lawrence Kasdan cast featuring Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline and Warner Bros. Man Of Steel in the role of Russell Crow. Ewan McGregor directed Rodrigo Garcia, Last Days in the Desert, and she eagerly awaited the release of The Last Knights, a film written by Kazuaki Kiriya that stars Clive Owen. Recently, she received the Gold Nymph Award as Outstanding actress in an Drama Series at the...

Pollyanna McIntosh is from Scotland. She was born in Portugal, Colombia and then returned to Scotland. This is where she began performing on stage in The Edinburgh Festival. When she was 16, she moved to London where she quickly began to get involved in independent filmmaking. (Her first gig as a paid actor on The Acid House was as an actor with Irvine Welsh (1998)). She has also participated in theater, both as an actress as well as a director. After moving to Los Angeles in 2004 led to more theatre. She directed Anne Dudek (a regular star on Mad Men/Big Love (2006)) as along with David Dayan Fisher (a regular character on 24 (2001/NCIS 2003)) to acclaim. In Headspace (2005) she was offered her first US film role as "Stacy" an manipulative person who was a newly-baptized Christian. Her first film role was in the film Headspace (2005) as the manipulative born-again Christian "Thumper Wint". This comedy was written by Heathers (1988). Working in both LA and London, E...

Paget Valerie Brewster is an American actor, voice actress, and singer. Her role as Kathy the character who appeared in recurring roles on Friends' fourth season, was her first public recognition. Her breakthrough role was Emily Prentiss, a Supervisory Special Agent on Criminal Minds. From the year 2006 until 2012 she was on Criminal Minds frequently. The actress has returned with guest appearances ever since and has returned to Criminal Minds regularly in the year 2016. Other roles she has appeared in includes Mr. Mumbles, Elise and Mr. Mumbles in Dan Vs. Frankie Dart, Birdgirl in Harvey Birdman Attorney at Lawyer, Sara Kingsley, on Fox sitcom Grandfathered and playing Donald Duck's twin sister, Della on the show DuckTales 2017. This was the first time that she appeared in animation as the character. Brewster was born on the 10th of March 1969 in Concord, Massachusetts. Her mother, Hathaway Brewster. (nee Tew), worked in government. Her father, Galen Brewster worked as school ...

Pom Klementieff is an actress from France, French actress, was born 3 May 1986. She was trained at the Cours Florent drama school in Paris and has been featured in films like Loup (2009), Sleepless Night (2011) and Hacker's Game (2015). She portrays the role of Mantis, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. (2017). Avengers: Infinity War (2018). Avengers: Endgame (2019). Pom Klementieff was the daughter of the Korean mother, and a father who was French-Russian. Her father was a consul of Quebec City, Canada. Her father was a painter Eugene Klementieff. Pom was her nickname because it sounds similar to the Korean words "spring" and 'tiger" in Korean. Klementieff lived in Canada for one year before her family was able to travel extensively because of her father's job. They resided in Japan and the Ivory Coast, before settling in France. Klementieff's father, who died in the age of five from cancer was her mother. Additionally...