Hannah Herzsprung Biography (1981-)

Hannah Herzsprung is the daughter of actor Bernd Herzsprung and fashion designer Barbara Engel. She debuted as an actress in 1997 in the BR series Aus heiterem Himmel, where she played the role of Miriam “Mimi” Pauly in the beginning of the fourth and last seasons. She has taken private acting lessons since 1999. She took over the…

Marianna Palka Biography (1981-)

Actress turned writer/director Marianna Palka rose to prominence out of the indie film community; a veteran of the Atlantic Theater Company in Manhattan, Palka participated on-screen in such low-profile projects as Bryce Dallas Howard’s debut directorial short Orchids (2006), the online short Betty File 43, and conceptual artist Brock Enright’s experimental film Came. Palka emerged as a quadruple…

Susan Blakely Biography (1948-)

Actress/model Susan Blakely, the daughter of a U.S. Army colonel, was born in Germany and raised in ports of call ranging from Korea to Hawaii to Texas. After a year at the University of Texas, Blakely struck out for New York, where she studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse while pursuing a modeling career. By 1972, she was…

Diane Farr Biography (1969-)

Forget “ingenue” — by the time the glamorous Diane Farr arrived on set for her first major filmed assignment, with her sun-drenched brunette hair and photogenic Mediterranean complexion, she already qualified as an old pro in the talent realm, as a veteran model from her preteen years. Though her official acting resumé dates back to 1992, Manhattan-born Farr…

Macy Gray Biography (1967-)

Macy Gray parlayed an utterly unique voice and an outlandish sense of style into R&B stardom at the turn of the millennium, appealing to audiences of all colors in search of a fresh alternative to mainstream soul. Gray was actually born Natalie McIntyre in Canton, OH, and grew up a shy, awkward youngster who was frequently teased about…

Blaze Berdahl Biography (1980-)

Blaze and twin sister Beau were born in Manhattan, into a showbiz family. Her dad was a Broadway actor and her older brother was in the middle of his run as Tiny Tim in Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular. Though a lack of hair by age 4 proved an initial impediment to the twins ability to get commercial roles…

Sarah Strange Biography (1974-)

A brave actress with a memorable name, Sarah Strange grew up in Canada, the child of two screenwriters, and began her professional acting career as soon as she left high school. She became well known for playing the role of Helen on the Canadian drama Da Vinci’s Inquest, before becoming more acquainted with American audiences when she joined…

Justina Machado Biography (1972-)

A performer whose onscreen activity peaked in the 2000s, Puerto Rican-American actress Justina Machado specialized in portrayals of mature and professional Latina types, often with a pronounced maternal quality and a sexy edge. Early assignments consisted of bit roles in the Nick Cassavetes-directed drama She’s So Lovely and the Steven Spielberg epic fantasy A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, as well…

Betsy Russell Biography (1963-)

Gen-X aficionados of B-cinema will invariably associate Betsy Russell with a number of memorable low-budget leads that she tackled in the 1980s. These included a turn as Jordan in the sex farce Private School (1983), the lead character of Tommy Boyd — a mechanic-turned-racecar driver — in Herb Freed’s sexploitationer Tomboy (1985), and “honor student by day, Hollywood…

Jane Curtin Biography (1947-)

Famed for (and lucky enough to be) one of Saturday Night Live’s original Not Ready for Primetime Players, Jane Curtin made her debut in 1975 among such heavies as John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner. Together they formed the sketch comedy troupe that wrote a new chapter in American comedy.

Curtin is different from many of her famous…

Anika Noni Rose Biography (1972-)

A slight actress with a big voice, Anika Noni Rose studied at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater. After learning all she could to prepare herself, she moved to New York to pursue a career on the stage, getting her first break with a role in the Broadway production of Footloose. Rose’s voice, acting, and unmistakable stage presence…