birthdays: march 5

Jake Lloyd, 25 – The infamous kid who nabbed worst-of recognition for his portrayal of young Anakin Skywalker in Phantom Menace, he’s all but disappeared since

Riki Lindholme, 35 – Comedian and character actress best known for best-friend and sidekick roles, including The Big Bang Theory, Happy Endings and Enlightened – she’s also a musician

Eva Mendes, 40 – No, your eyes aren’t fooling you, she’s 40… Best known for parts in romantic comedies and gritty crime dramas, her best work to date is easily last year’s HBO TV movie Clear History

Matt Lucas, 40 – You’d know him as Rebel Wilson’s eccentric brother in Bridesmaids, but he’s also starred in the across-the-pond sitcom Little Britain and played the Tweedles in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland

Aasif Mandvi, 48 – A Daily Show stalwart, this comedian also had equal parts eccentric and domineering roles in The Proposal, Spider-Man 2 and Analyze This

David Fury, 55 – A lauded television writer, his work includes Buffy, Lost, 24, and, most recently Hannibal

Talia Balsam, 55 – She’s lately known as on-screen and real-life wife of Roger Sterling, a.k.a. John Slattery, on Mad Men, but she’s Hollywood royalty, the daughter of Academy Award winner Martin Balsam

Adriana Barraza, 58 – She rose to international fame as an unlucky nanny in her Oscar-nominated performance in Babel, but I personally will always cherish her for transferring a demon’s presence into a goat to great effect in Drag Me To Hell

Elaine Paige, 66 – Grizabella, Eva Peron and Norma Desmond are among her most noted roles – this West End diva is one of the all-time great stage singers

birthdays: march 4

Jenna Boyd, 21 – She accompanied frontierswoman Cate Blanchett in The Missing and hung out with streak-haired Amber Tamblyn in Traveling Pants

Andrea Bowen, 24 – Susan Mayer’s little girl is all grown up – Desperate Housewives’ doting daughter Julie is celebrating her bday

Josh Bowman, 26 – One-time millionaire schmuck and now millionaire villain, poor Daniel Grayson can’t catch a break on Revenge

Margo Harshman, 28 – She lived in a pre-bizarro Shia LaBeouf world as best buddy Tawny on the delightful Even Stevens

Shavar Ross, 43 – TGIF, y’all! He was big brother Eddie’s buddy Weasel on Family Matters

Daniel Roebuck, 51 – Character actor best known for his stint on Lost and his role as one of the marshals in The Fugitive

Steven Weber, 53 – The goofy half of the Hackett brothers on Wings

Patricia Heaton, 56 – Speaking of ’90s sitcoms, she was the wife who could put up with pretty much the mother-in-law from hell on Everybody Loves Raymond

Mykelti Williamson, 54 – There about a million ways to eat shrimp. Take it from Bubba Buford Blue from Forrest Gump

Catherine O’Hara, 60 – One of the all-time greats, she screamed “Kevin!” into history, danced the Day-O for Tim Burton and has been attached at the hip to Christopher Guest for the past couple decades – can we all agree to make sure she wins an Oscar sometime soon?

Brian Cummings, 66 – Voice actor extraordinaire (and Sioux Falls native!), he took on the stove in Beauty and the Beast, Papa Bear in the Berenstain Bears and Doofus Drake in DuckTales

Adrian Lyne, 73 – Saucy movies are his game – think Fatal Attraction, Unfaithful, 9 1/2 Weeks and Flashdance

birthdays: march 3

Stacie Orrico, 28 – Sometimes contemporary Christian artist, sometimes touter of the notion that “There’s Gotta Be More to Life”

Toby Turner, 29 – Three billion views ain’t too shabby – “Tobuscus” is the reigning king of YouTube shenanigans

Jessica Biel, 32 – From 7th Heaven to confusing tabloid ubiquity, though she’s known for her marriage now, her career highlight for me has to be The Illusionist

Patrick Renna, 35 – A 90s fixture for anyone born in the 80s, he could really throw shade, as evidenced by The Sandlot, but largely disappeared after manning the goal in The Big Green

David Faustino, 40 – He’s been pretty much MIA since Married… with Children ended, but he rejoined on-screen dad Ed O’Neill in a recent Modern Family

Julie Bowen, 44 – She may’ve been arm candy in movies and television of the 90s, but the skilled comic actress has gotten to stretch her legs in this new decade on Modern Family, as the show’s enduring highlight

Mary Page Keller, 53 – Character actress who got her start in the soaps and has since frequented the small screen in Mad Men, Nip/Tuck and Scandal, she also romanced her gay husband Christopher Plummer in Beginners

Ira Glass, 55 – The go-to voice of NPR, he’s been telling stories in This American Life for the past nearly 20 years

Miranda Richardson, 56 – A supremely under-appreciated actress, she’s wowed in all genres, from costume drama (Enchanted April, Tom & Viv, The Lost Prince) to thrillers (The Crying Game, Sleepy Hollow) to just plain fun (Chicken Run)

Jennifer Warnes, 67 – ’80s soundtrack staple, she’s lifted us “Up Where We Belong” and has had the “Time of (Her) Life” – cheesy ballads require cheesy commentary

George Miller, 69 – He’s directed dancing penguins, some sneaky witches of Eastwick and a road warrior – oh, and he gave some dialogue to a pig who thinks he’s a dog

Patricia MacLachlan, 76 – She’ll always be aces in my book for bringing the wonderful Sarah, Plain and Tall to children’s literature and to Glenn Close’s filmography

birthdays: july 4

Eva Marie Saint, 88, hasn’t been an Oscar nominee in ages.  In fact, her first and only nomination was in 1954 for On the Waterfront, but the iconic actress has stayed active through the decades, most notably North by Northwest in the ’50s, Exodus in the ’60s, Moonlighting in the ’80s and, most recently, Superman Returns in 2006, playing Superman mother figure Martha Kent.  Heck she even voiced a couple of episodes of Nickelodeon’s Legend of Korra earlier this year.  Who’s feeling a career-capping nod soon?  Let’s get her in back in theaters!
Neil Simon, 85, one of theaters’ most noted playwrights, has racked up Tonys, Emmys, Globes and, most recently, the Mark Twain Prize for Humor, and he still keeps busy with work.  Amongst his 17 Tony-nominated plays, Lost in Yonkers nabbed the Pulitzer, and countless ones were adapted into films.  In fact, he wrote one-time muse and wife Marsha Mason to three of her four Oscar nominations, landing four nods himself.
Becki Newton, 34, rose to fame, though not nearly enough, by playing self-centered but lovable Amanda Tanner on Ugly Betty, and has been a pilot season darling ever since. Though she’s yet to find another role as memorable as Mode assistant Amanda, she headlined the short-lived Love Bites and is currently recurring on How I Met Your Mother as stripper Quinn.
Gloria Stuart, (1910-2010), became well-known to the world thanks to playing “Old Rose” in the mega-hit Titanic. And the Oscar nomination certainly didn’t hurt. But Stuart eked out a lengthy (clearly) career in her 100 years on earth.  Perhaps most notably starring in the 1933 flick The Invisible Man, Stuart additionally headlined Gold Diggers of 1935, The Three Musketeers and My Favorite Year, among nearly 100 credits.
Bill Withers, 74, though many have tried to recreate the magic and heartbreak of his most noted hit, has cornered the market on expressing the torture of loneliness in the all-time great “Ain’t No Sunshine.” He got his recording start later than the norm, nabbing a Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 1972 at the age of 33, and his work has been featured on many a soundtrack ever since.
Tahar Rahim, 31, dazzled critics (though unfortunately not many awards bodies) with his work in foreign fave A Prophet, and has enjoyed a heightened profile ever since.  Those his most notable credit since was playing a prince in the historical action movie The Eagle, he’s got a drama opposite Marion Cotillard in the works.
Tracy Letts, 47, got his start on stage acting, but has since become a well-regarded playwright, penning the eerie paranoia drama Bug and the sensational dark comedy August: Osage County. His film credits now include adapting both, as well as his play Killer Joe, with August poised for a much-buzzed-about 2013 premiere.
David Kross, 22, had some credits to his name before the showy 2008 role that made him recognizable, but the German actor’s role as Kate Winslet’s much-younger paramour in The Reader gave him an international audience.  Since, he’s had a small role in War Horse and has a few German films coming up in the next few years.

birthdays: october 15

Penny Marshall, 69, she skyrocketed to fame as one half of the long-running comedic twosome Laverne & Shirley – although let’s be honest, she spent a decade on television prior, which included a stint on The Odd Couple – but the latter part of her career has been devoted to production, sitting in the director’s chair for Big, Awakenings, A League of Their Own, The Preacher’s Wife, and a few episodes of United States of Tara.
Emeril Lagasse, 52, king of “BAM!” he spent six years on Emeril Live, cooking up a storm to climb to the top ranks of celebrity chefs.  Though he devotes much more time to his cookware and food lines now, he still makes regular appearances on cooking shows, including Iron Chef, Next Food Network Star, and Top Chef.
Larry Miller, 58, comedic character actor who’s oft-collaborated with director Garry Marshall (the store clerk in Pretty Woman, a car buyer in Raising Helen, a flamboyant hairdresser in The Princess Diaries), he’s also been part of the Christopher Guest troupe, appearing in Waiting for Guffman and For Your Consideration and played a snarky administrator in The Nutty Professor and a goofy doting father in 10 Things I Hate About You.
Mario Puzo, (1920-1999), two-time Academy Award winner for his work on adapting his original novel The Godfather, his other screenwriting work includes the 70s disaster drama Earthquake and the first couple Superman movies.  He also penned The Dark Arena and The Last Don.
Jane Darwell, (1879-1967), highly prolific actress whose original goal of becoming an opera singer was delayed in favor of an acting career, for which she won an Oscar in 1940 (The Grapes of Wrath).  She also had parts in The Ox-Bow Incident, Gone with the Wind, and, in her final role, Mary Poppins.
Paige Davis, 42, television host whose biggest accomplishment was hosting and producing the hugely successful TLC show Trading Spaces for seven years (and she nabbed two Emmy nods for it).  She’s additionally played the Hollywood Squares and appeared on countless talk shows.
Todd Solondz, 52, Globe-nominated director/screenwriter who’s eccentric work includes writing/directing Sunshine, Welcome to the Dollhouse, and Life During Wartime.  His next book is no departure, Dark Horse, about a toy collector who falls in love with a family black sheep.

birthdays: october 12

Hugh Jackman, 43, he’s kept very busy over the past few years, from hosting the Oscars on a recession, to taking Broadway by storm in The Boy from Oz, to co-starring in Australia with fellow Aussie Nicole Kidman, his real wheelhouse is action.  His signature role is Wolverine in the X-Men movies, he starred in Swordfish and Van Helsing, and he just took the box office throne in Real Steel.  Next up?  A leading role in the movie musical Les Miserables.
Luciano Pavarotti, (1935-2007), the multi-Grammy and multi-platinum artist had a legendary career as one of Italy’s “Three Tenors.”  He became one of the foremost operatic singers of the 20th Century, and kept working through to his death at 71 from pancreatic cancer.
Tom Guiry, 30, though for newer generations he’s probably known as the shady character in Mystic River, he will always and forever be the duck-bill-hat-donning, black-eyed Scotty Smalls in The Sandlot.  He’s made an attempt at an adult career since, with roles in U-571, Black Hawk Down, and the short-lived TV drama The Black Donnellys.
Josh Hutcherson, 19, though he got his start as a kid star in such family films as The Polar Express, Bridge to Terabithia, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, but since hitting adulthood, he’s gone for high-profile and serious roles in The Kids Are All Right and the upcoming The Hunger Games.
Kirk Cameron, 41, the two-time Globe nominee is mostly famous for his ’80s stint as teen heartthrob in Growing Pains, but his more recent calling card is as uber-Christian book and movie mogul, headlining Christian-skewing movies Left Behind and Fireproof.

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.

birthdays: october 10

Jodi Benson, 50, she endeared herself to the world as the voice of the little mermaid that saved Disney, Ariel, but since she’s kept busy in the voice acting world, including a revisit to the Disney studio to play Barbie in the Toy Story sequels, as well as a cameo as a secretary in Enchanted.  She also managed a Tony nomination for Crazy for You in 1992.
Michael Giacchino, 44, he recently picked up an Oscar for penning the magnificent Up score, but he’s dabbled in several arenas.  Of course he also scored Pixar’s Incredibles, Ratatouille, and the upcoming John Carter, while penning the music for the legendary Lost and various thrillers like Let Me In, Super 8, and Star Trek.
Helen Hayes, (1900-1993), thanks to some incredible career longevity, she had one of the biggest gaps between Oscars (1931’s The Sin of Madelon Claudet and 1970’s Airport), won multiple Tony Awards, and happens to be one of the few actors to EGOT.
Edward D. Wood Jr., (1924-1978), being known as the worst director of all time should surely give you a complex, but his posthumous attention and cult status hopefully makes up for it a little.  From Plan 9 to Glen or Glenda to Tim Burton’s incredible biopic Ed Wood, he eventually became a legend, for better or worse.
Tanya Tucker, 53, she rose to fame as a teen country star thanks to “Delta Dawn,” and kept up a successful singing career throughout the ’70s and ’80s.  She’s largely disappeared from the country spotlight outside of some guest stints here and there.
Bradley Whitford, 52, before he was wisecracking Josh Lyman on The West Wing and the goofy Dan Stark in the short-lived The Good Guys, he screwed over Elisabeth Shue in Adventures in Babysitting, played it villainous again in Revenge of the Nerds II, and headlined (ahem) Robocop 3.  Oh, how far he’s come, and he’s got the Emmy to prove it!
Aimee Teegarden, 22, best-known as the bookish but rebellious daughter Julie Taylor on Friday Night Lights, now that the show’s ended she’s tried the big screen.  Though Prom was a little bit of a mess, Scream 4 was actually quite fun.
Wendi McLendon-Covey, 42, she’s popped up off and on in films and television over the past 10 years, and she even had a starring role in Comedy Central’s cult comedy Reno 911!, but her star has certainly risen since the summer, thanks to playing the boisterous spitfire soccer mom in Bridesmaids.

birthdays: october 9

John Lennon, (1940-1980), sure, he just so happened to be a major cog in the greatest band of all time, but aside from his lasting Beatles legacy, his astonishingly successful solo career (just how many former bandmates go on to achieve success solo, other than Beatles?), and his peace and love philosophies, he’s still an icon for today’s music.  I mean, every inspiration and hero amongst today’s artists, it seems, is still boasting a Beatle.
Sharon Osbourne, 59, it’s hard to imagine that her claim to fame was once simply as Ozzy Osbourne’s wife, but since then she’s eked out a career co-hosting talk shows, providing judging feedback, and making MTV viewers laugh as part of the reality scene.  It doesn’t hurt that she’s a charmer and a true family gal.
Brandon Routh, 32, his stardom rests almost solely on the fact that he played the title role in the not-so-successful reboot Superman Returns – which I’m from the small camp of folks that thought it was a pretty good movie outside of the wretched Lois Lane potrayal – but other than that, he’s stuck mostly to bit parts, most notably in Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.  Of course, there was also Dylan Dog earlier this year – did anyone see that?
Tony Shalhoub, 58, though he’s become known as the OCD detective who wouldn’t stop winning Emmys away from any new kids that came along, I like to remember him as Antonio, the harmless, hopeless-in-love Italian taxi driver in Wings.  And of course there was that whole head-exploding incident in Men in Black…
Pete Docter, 43, a part of the Pixar Animation family, he helped write the first two Toy Stories, Monsters Inc. and its upcoming follow-up, WALL-E, and Up, winning an Oscar for the last one.  Along with these accomplishments, he also sat in the director’s chair for both Up and Monsters Inc., and provided the voice of the scoutmaster in his own Up.
Guillermo del Toro, 47, the new school director has made a name for himself among eerie, fantasy thrillers with the likes of Pan’s Labyrinth and The Orphanage, sidestepping into superhero movies occasionally with the Hellboy movies and Blade II.  Sure, he had a supposed misstep this year with Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, but he’s already got the high-profile Pacific Rim coming up the pipeline.
Zachery Ty Bryan, 30, well, it seems the second Taylor boy has turned 30 – playing the eldest, troublemaking son of Patricia Richardson and Tim Allen on Home Improvement for eight seasons, he’s since stuck mostly to guest spots and direct-to-video horror types.
Lorna Raver, 68, little-mentioned character actress who’s had a guest role in virtually every TV series over the last 20 years, she rose to minimal fame thanks to a grotesque role as the villainous gypsy in Drag Me To Hell, for which she received little fanfare, outside of an LCT Award nomination (yeah, that’s me).
Chris O’Dowd, 32, thanks to charmingly wooing Kristen Wiig this year in Bridesmaids, he’s risen to some degree of fame, but before that Irish-born actor frequented other goofy comedies (Dinner for Schmucks, Gulliver’s Travels) and starred in the hit British comedy The IT Crowd.
Fyvush Finkel, 89, beloved Jewish actor who rose to fame later in life as part of the critically acclaimed cast of Picket Fences, for which he won an Emmy in 1994.  Aside from the that, he taught at Boston Public for a few years and had small roles in A Serious Man and Nixon.

birthdays: october 8

Sigourney Weaver, 62, can we talk about how impossible it seems that this woman is 62?  The ’80s action babe has aged like fine wine, moving from heroine roles in Ghostbusters and to a greater extent Alien/Aliens, into serious dramatic roles (A Map of the World, The Ice Storm) – not to mention she’s hilarious… see Heartbreakers, Dave, Working Girl, and The TV Set for proof.  Plus, she was the backbone of the glorious WALL-E and, it so happens, Avatar.  Bravo, Sig.
Matt Damon, 41, he got off to a nice start, nabbing an Oscar with fellow bro Ben Affleck for writing Good Will Hunting, but since he’s more than proven himself as a future legend of the movies.  Thanks to high-profile roles in Saving Private Ryan, the Ocean’s trilogy, and The Departed; an incredibly bankable turn in the thinking-person’s action series Bourne; and fearless choices such as The Talented Mr. Ripley, Damon’s legit and here to stay.
Chevy Chase, 68, though he’s currently annoying the hell out of the crew on Community, he’s had a long career in sketch comedy (thanks, SNL) and a host of popular films – most notably, perhaps, Caddyshack, the Vacation movies, and Three Amigos.  Sure, the talk show didn’t pan out and the ’90s weren’t exactly kind to him, but a return to television was just what the doctor ordered.
Angus T. Jones, 18, I like to remember him as the precocious son to Dennis Quaid’s Jimmy Morris in the better-than-you-remember The Rookie, he’s probably most known for his role in the unfortunate Two and a Half Men.
Paul Hogan, 72, this Oscar-nominated screenwriter (yeah, I’m not even kidding you) is almost entirely known for his one-and-only big role, the Crocodile Dundee.  Nobody can really be surprised that he never really lived down the role, as his miniscule filmography includes only one major departure, Lightning Jack, an Australian outlaw in the wild west.  Hmmm… they didn’t even bother changing the wardrobe?
Darrell Hammond, 56, considering it’s about a 50/50 shot for an SNL star to go on to movie glory, is anyone else surprised that this slam-dunk of an impressionist, who happens to have great timing, never really made it outside of the late-night comedy show?  He’s had some small parts here and there, but it’s kind of shame the longest-running SNL cast member can’t get work.
R.L. Stine, 68, a great contributor to kid lit in the ’90s and beyond (kids still read Goosebumps right?), it was a rite of passage to move on from the more juvenile series to Fear Street – what a status symbol!  Once you read the comparably scarier series, you were officially a teenager (at least in spirit).  He still keeps busy as a highly prolific author, but beyond a Saturday morning TV series, his books haven’t really gotten their due in film, despite the wealth of source material.
Emily Procter, 43, another person who’s become most well-known for an underwhelming CBS show (CSI:Miami), I like to remember her as the plucky Republican Ainsley on The West Wing.  The drawly North Carolinan has stuck mostly to CSI, so the story kind of ends there.
Soon-Yi Previn, 41, though she might not make sense entirely on this blog (though she did play one of several adopted children in Hannah and Her Sisters… yeesh), she’s simply too famous amongst Hollywood types to avoid noting that the most awkward courtship of all time now includes no one 40 and under.