Inspiration for Finding Nemo came from multiple experiences regarding Andrew Stanton. During his childhood, he loved going to the dentist to see the fish tank, assuming that the fish were from the ocean and wanted to go home. In 1992, shortly after his son was born, he took the family to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (then Marine World). There, after seeing the shark tube at various exhibits, he felt that the underwater world could be beautifully done in computer animation. In 1997, he took his son for a walk in the park but realize he was overprotecting him and lost an opportunity to have a father-son experience that day. The idea of Marlin and Nemo came from a photo of 2 clownfish out of an anemone. Since they’re colorful and don’t come out of the anemone often, Stanton felt clownfish was a perfect character who has to go on a dangerous journey. He began writing the screenplay for Finding Nemo during the post-production of A Bug’s Life in 1997. As a result, the film began production with a complete screenplay. The artists took scuba diving lessons to study a coral reef. To ensure the fish movements in the movie were believable, the animators took a crash course in fish biology and oceanography. They visited aquariums, went diving in Hawaii, and received in-house lectures from an ichthyologist. As a result, they according to animator Gini Gruz Santos, integrated “the fish movement, human movement, and facial expressions to make them look and feel like real characters.” At its 2003, release Finding Nemo earned $871 at the worldwide box office and rave reviews. Was even nominated for 4 Academy Awards and became the first Pixar film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. It’s also the best-selling DVD title of all time with 40 million copies sold. In this post we’ll meet the voices behind 2 more Treasure Planet characters, Marlin, Nemo, Peach, Bubbles, Gurgle, Deb and Flo, Coral, and Bruce.

291. Michael Wincott

Dates: 1958-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Toronto, Ontario in Canada and grew up in an east-end suburb. Father was English. Mother was from Italy. Fell in love with cinema as a child and took drama classes in high school. Attended Victoria University, a college of the University of Toronto. Enrolled in the Julliard School in 1982, where he graduated in 1986. Starred in first film in 1976.

Movies and Cartoons: Treasure Planet (2002) as well as The Treasure Planet Read-Along DVD video short, and the Treasure Planet video game.

Characters: Scroop

Also Known For: Canadian actor with a deep raspy voice, which often landed him in villainous roles. Best known as Guy of Gisbourne in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Top Dollar in The Crow, Philo Gant in Strange Days, Frank Elgyn in Alien Resurrection, Adrian Cross in 24: Live Another Day, and Antlers Holst in Nope. Film appearances include Nothing Personal, Wild Horse Hank, Ticket to Heaven, Circle of Two, Curtains, The Sicilian, Talk Radio, Bloodhounds of Broadway, Born on the Fourth of July, The Doors, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, Romeo Is Bleeding, The Three Musketeers (1993), Dead Man, Panther, Basquiat, Dead Girl, Metro, Gunshy, Before Night Falls, Along Came a Spider, The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), The Assassination of Richard Nixon, Seraphim Falls, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, What Just Happened, A Lonely Place for Dying, Hitchcock, The Girl from Nagasaki, Knight of Cups, Forsaken, and Ghost in the Shell. TV appearances include An American Christmas Carol, The Littlest Hobo, Night Heat, Crime Story, The Equalizer, Miami Vice, The Tragedy of Flight 103: The Inside Story, Westworld, and Veni Vidi Vici. Video game appearances include Halo 2, Narc, Syndicate, and Darksiders II. Stage appearances include Talk Radio, Serious Money, and The Secret Rapture.

Personal Life: Brother of actor and martial artist Jeff Wincott. Other than that, I couldn’t  find   much about his personal life.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

292. Patrick McGoohan

Dates:1928-2009

Early Life and Career: Born in Astoria in Queens, New York City to Irish Catholic immigrant parents. Soon after he was born, his family moved back to Ireland where they settled in the Mullaghmore area of Carrigallen, County Leitrim. Moved to England 7 years later, settling in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Attended St. Marie’s School, St. Vincent’s School, and De La Salle College in Sheffield. During World War II, he was evacuated to Loughborough where he attended Ratcliffe College around the same time as actor Ian Bannen. Excelled in mathematics and boxing. Left school at 16 to return to Sheffield where he worked as a chicken farmer, bank clerk, and truck driver before landing a stage manager job for Sheffield Repertory Theatre. When an actor got sick, McGoohan filled in, which began his career.

Movies and Cartoons: Treasure Planet (2002) as well as Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Characters: Billy Bones

Also Known For: Anglo-Irish American actor who’s best known as John Drake in Danger Man, Number Six in The Prisoner, David Jones in Ice Station Zebra, James Stewart, 1^st Earl of Moray in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971), the Warden in Escape from Alcatraz, Dr. Paul Ruth in Scanners, Edward I of England in Braveheart, and Judge Omar Noose in A Time to Kill. Was the highest-paid actor on British television during the 1960s. Film appearances include The Passage Home, The Dark Avenger, The Dam Busters, I Am a Camera, High Tide at Noon, Hell Drivers, The Gypsy and the Gentleman, Nor the Moon by Night, All Night Long, Life for Ruth, The Quare Fellow, The Three Lives of Thomasina, Silver Streak, The Moonshiner, The Man in the Iron Mask (1977), Brass Target, Kings and Desperate Men, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, The Phantom, and Hysteria. TV appearances include You Are There, The Vise, The Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Assignment Foreign Legion, Armchair Theatre, ITV Television Playhouse, Columbo, The Hard Way, American Playhouse, Murder, She Wrote, and The Simpsons. Stage appearances include Pride and Prejudice, The Rivals, The Little Foxes, Man and Superman, Hobson’s Choice, Henry V, The Taming of the Shrew, Cupid and Psyche, The Cherry Orchard, Antony and Cleopatra, Moby Dick, Brand, Danton’s Death, and Pack of Lies.

Personal Life: Married to actress Joan Drummond from 1951 until his death. Had 3 children including actress Catherine McGoohan. Lived in a secluded detached house in Ridgeway, Mill Hill in London. Later resided in the Pacific Palisades district in Los Angeles during the mid-1960s.

Later Life: Died of a short illness in 2018 at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California at 80.

Trivia: Has won a BAFTA Award and 2 Primetime Emmys. Was the first choice to play both Gandalf and Dumbledore but turned both roles down.

293. Albert Brooks

Dates: 1947-present

Early Life and Career: Born Albert Lawrence Einstein in Beverly Hills, California. Despite having the name of a famous scientist, he’s from a Jewish show business family. Mother was actress Thelma Leeds. Father was a radio comedian Harry Einstein known to perform on Eddie Cantor’s radio show as “Parkyakarkus.” Grew up among show business families in Southern California. Attended Beverly Hills High School with Richard Dreyfuss and Rob Reiner. Attended what is now Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where his classmates were Mike McKean and David L. Lander. But he dropped out after a year to focus on his comedy career. Had changed his professional name to Albert Brooks by 19 claiming “the real Albert Einstein changed his name to sound more intelligent.” Quickly became a regular on variety and talk shows during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1970-1971, Brooks worked with college friends McKean and Lander (alongside Harry Shearer) as a writer/guest performer on some early material by radio and LP comedy group The Credibility Gap. Led a new generation of self-reflective baby-boomer comics appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. His on-stage persona was that of an egotistical, narcissistic, nervous comic, and an ironic showbiz insider who punched himself before an audience by disassembling his mastery of comedic stagecraft, influenced other post-modern comedians of the 1970s such as Steve Martin, Martin Mull, and Andy Kaufman all of which became much more famous than he did. After 2 successful comedy albums, Brooks left stand-up comedy to try his hand in film.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as the short Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau.

Characters: Marlin

Also Known For: Actor, director, and screenwriter best known for his performances in Broadcast News and Drive. Best known roles include Tiberius in The Secret Life of Pets, Hank Scorpio in The Simpsons, and Russ Cargill in The Simpsons Movie. Film appearances include Taxi Driver, Private Benjamin, Unfaithfully Yours, Out of Sight, My First Mister, Modern Romance, Lost in America, Defending Your Life, I’ll Do Anything, The Scout, Mother (1996), Critical Care, Dr. Doolittle (1998), Out of Sight, The Muse, The In-Laws (2004), Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, This Is 40, A Most Violent Year, The Little Prince (2015), Concussion, and Albert Brooks: Defending My Life. TV appearances include Hot Wheels, The Odd Couple, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, Saturday Night Live, Weeds, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Author of 2030: The Real Story of What Happens in America.

Personal Life: Younger brother of comedian Bob Einstein and advertising executive Clifford Einstein. Younger half-brother of screenwriter Charles Einstein. Son-in-law of surgeon and writer Charles Shlain. Married to artist and author Kimberly Shlain since 1997. Has 2 children named Jacob and Claire.

Later Life: Lives in Santa Monica, California.

Trivia: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Broadcast News. Nominated for a Grammy for A Star Is Bought in 1975.

294. Alexander Gould

Dates: 1994-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles, California. Was active in the Conservative Jewish youth group United Synagogue Youth.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as the short Exploring the Reef with Jean-Michel Cousteau, the series Even Stevens, and the direct-to-video Bambi II.

Characters: Nemo and Passenger Carl

Also Known For: Acting agent and former child actor best known as Shane Botwin in Weeds. Film appearances include City of Angels, Mexico City, They, Curious George, and How to Eat Fried Worms. TV appearances include Freaks and Geeks, Malcolm in the Middle, Ally McBeal, 7^th Heaven, Dark Shadows, Oliver Beene, Duck Dodgers, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Supernatural.

Personal Life: Older brother of actress Kelly Gould. Has been married to Lieba Hall since 2018.

Later Life: Stepped away from acting in 2012 to participate in Nativ, a gap year program and lived in Israel for almost a year. Went to college in Clark University in 2013 but later transferred to Brandeis University where he graduated in 2017 on a dual major in philosophy and politics. Joined the Abrams Acting Agency in 2018 and is now a Hollywood acting agent.

Trivia: Has won 3 Young Artist Awards. Was nominated for 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

295. Allison Janney

Dates: 1959-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Boston, Massachusetts but raised in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. Mother was a former actress. Father was a real estate developer and jazz musician. Attended the Miami Valley School in Dayton and the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. Although she initially aspired to be a figure skater, her 6ft height and a freak accident during her teens put an end to that dream. Attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio as a theatre major. During her freshman year, Janney met actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward at a play for the inaugural event of the college’s newly built Bolton Theater, which Newman was directing. The couple encouraged her to continue acting and offered her guidance during her early career. Went on to train at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York and received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in mid-1984. After a decade of small and uncredited parts, Janney had her breakthrough when cast as White House Press Secretary C. J. Cregg in The West Wing.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as the series Phineas and Ferb and Duck Tales and Star Tours – The Adventure Continues at Disneyland.

Characters: Peach

Also Known For: Actress known for her performances across the stage and screen as well as received various accolades. Best known as C. J. Cregg in The West Wing, Margaret Scully in Masters of Sex, Bonnie Plunkett in Mom, and LaVona Golden in I, Tonya. Film appearances include Primary Colors, American Beauty, The Hours, Juno, Hairspray (2007), The Help, Spy, Bad Education, Bombshell, Miracle on 34^th Street (1994), Big Night, The Associate, Private Parts, The Ice Storm, The Object of My Affection, 10 Things I Hate About You, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Nurse Betty, Strangers with Candy, Our Very Own, Over the Hedge, Away We Go, Life During Wartime, A Thousand Words, Struck by Lightning, The Way, Way Back, Days and Nights, Bad Words, Trust Me, Brightest Star, Tammy, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Get On Up, Minions, Tallulah, Mrs. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Girl on the Train, Troop Zero, The Addams Family, Lazy Susan, To Leslie, Lou, The People We Hate at a Wedding, The Creator, and Another Simple Favor. TV appearances include Law & Order, Guiding Light, Cosby, LateLine, Fraiser, King of the Hill, Weeds, Two and a Half Men, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, Family Guy, Lost, In Plain Sight, Mr. Sunshine, The Big C, Robot Chicken, Veep, Key & Peele, F Is for Family, American Dad!, The Kominsky Method, Palm Royale, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Diplomat. Stage appearances include Present Laughter, A View from the Bridge, 9 to 5: The Musical, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, The Autumn Garden, The Taming of the Shrew, and Six Degrees of Separation.

Personal Life: Had a brother named Hal who committed suicide in 2011 after struggling with addiction and depression for many years. Was in a relationship with computer programmer Dennis Gagomiros from 1994 to 2001. Was engaged to actor Richard Jenik from 2004 to 2006. Dated production manager Philip Joncas from 2012 until 2017.

Later Life: Was honored at the White House at a “Champions for Change” event in 2016 for her activism regarding addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery. Also participated in a panel discussion with then Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to talk about portrayal of addiction and recovery in the media. Was part of Michelle Obama’s When We All Vote initiative with her West Wing co-stars.

Trivia: Descendant of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins through his daughter Constance. Named distinguished alumna at the Miami Valley School in 2005 and Alumna of the Year at the Hotchkiss School in 2016. Has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, 6 Critics’ Choice Awards, 7 Screen Actors Guild Awards, 7 Primetime Emmy Awards, and 2 Drama Desk Awards. Has been nominated for 2 Tony Awards. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2016 at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard.

296. Stephen Root

Dates: 1951-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Sarasota, Florida. Father was a project superintendent and site manager on major civil engineering projects throughout the United States and Mexico. That Root has likened his childhood to that of an Army brat since his family frequently moved when his dad finished each construction project. Graduated from Vero Beach High School in Vero Beach, Florida. Received an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Florida and studied in the Bachelor of Fine Arts acting program. Left college to pursue Broadway theater during his final semester. Began his career on stage in 1980 when he made his Broadway debut.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as the Finding Nemo video game, the live-action The Country Bears, various series, the direct-to-video The Fox and the Hound 2, and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage theme park attraction.

Characters: Bubbles

Also Known For: Actor best known as Jimmy James on NewsRadio, Milton Waddams in Office Space, Bill Dauterive and Buck Strickland in King of the Hill, Captain K’Vada in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Hawthorne Abendsen in The Man in the High Castle, and Monroe Fuches in Barry. Film appearances include O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Ladykillers (2004), No Country for Old Men, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Dave, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Idiocracy, Cedar Rapids, Selma, Trumbo, Get Out, On the Basis of Sex, Ghost, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, RoboCop 3, Bye Bye Love, Night of the Scarecrow, Bicentennial Man, White Oleander, Jersey Girl, Surviving Christmas, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Mad Money, Drillbit Taylor, The Soloist, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Rango, Red State, J. Edgar, Big Miracle, The Company You Keep, Superman: Unbound, The Lone Ranger, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Hello, My Name Is Doris, Life of the Party, Uncle Frank, Home (2020), To Leslie, Paint, and Dog Man. TV appearances include Boardwalk Empire, True Blood, Perry Mason, Succession, Cross of Fire, Head  of the Class, Roseanne, Jake and the Fatman, Night Court, L.A. Law, Home Improvement, Murphy Brown, Northern Exposure, Quantum Leap, Blossom, Harts of the West, NYPD Blue, Party of Five, Diagnosis: Murder, Chicago Hope, Seinfeld, Johnny Bravo, From the Earth to the Moon, Superman: The Animated Series, Ladies Man, The Norm Show, Ed, Just Shoot Me!, Malcolm in the Middle, Justice League, Grounded for Life, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Frasier, Teen Titans, The West Wing, American Dad!, The Path to 9/11, WordGirl, Boston Legal, Chowder, The Sarah Silverman Program, Pushing Daisies, Californication, 24, Louie, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Childrens Hospital, Fringe, Raising Hope, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Adventure Time, The Legend of Korra, The Good Wife, Young Justice, The Cleveland Show, Out There, The Newsroom, Fargo, The Big Bang Theory, Hot in Cleveland, Turn: Washington’s Spies, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Idiotsitter, Workaholics, Masters of Sex, Guardians of the Galaxy, All the Way, Veep, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, BoJack Horseman, The Midnight Gospel, Robot Chicken, The Simpsons, Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, The Legend of Vox Machina, The Book of Boba Fett, We Baby Bears, Solar Opposites, Velma, Beavis and Butt-Head, Fired on Mars, Invincible, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Video game appearances include Blade Runner and Deus Ex. Stage appearances include Journey’s End, All My Sons, and Marjorie Prime.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Laura Joan Hase from 1984 to their divorce in 1997. They have a son named Cody. Second and current wife is actress Romy Rosemont since 2008 with whom he has co-starred in several TV series.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Recognized as a distinguished alumni by the University of Florida in 2008 and was granted his BFA after completion of his final semester based on the quality and character of his acting career. Has been a favorite hire of the Coen brothers. Has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 2019.

297. Austin Pendleton

Dates: 1940-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Warren, Ohio. Father ran a tool company. Mother was a professional actress and acting teacher. Graduated from the private all-boys University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio in 1957. Became interested in the theater through his mother, whose performances he watched as a boy. In junior high school, he’d put on his own performances in the basement of his family home. Participated in theater while attending Yale University, from which he graduated in 1961. Was a member of the Yale Dramatic Association and in 1958, he collaborated with lyricist Peter Bergman on 2 musical plays that starred Philip Proctor: Tom Jones and Booth Is Back in Town. After Yale, Pendleton moved to New York City and studied at HB Studio. Broke into theater off-Broadway in 1962. 2 years later, he’d play the role of Motel the tailor during the original Broadway run of Fiddler on the Roof.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016)

Characters: Gurgle

Also Known For: Actor, playwright, theater director, and instructor. Best known as a prolific character actor on stage and screen in a career of over 6 decades. Film appearances include Catch-22, What’s Up Doc?, The Front Page (1974), The Muppet Movie, Short Circuit, Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, My Cousin Vinny, Mr. Nanny, Guarding Tess, Amistad, A Beautiful Mind, Skidoo, Diary of the Dead, Every Crook and Nanny, The Thief Who Came to Dinner, Starting Over, Simon, First Family, Talk to Me (1984), My Man Adam, Off Beat, Hello Again, The Ballad of the Sad Café, Rain Without Thunder, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Home for the Holidays, Sgt. Bilko, The Proprietor, The Associate, The Mirror Has Two Faces, Trial and Error, The Fanatics, Joe the King, The 4^th Floor, The Acting Class, Manna from Heaven, Uptown Girls, Christmas with the Cranks, Piccadilly Jim, The Civilization of Maxwell Bright, The Notorious Bettie Page, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, She’s Funny That Way, Black Box, Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, The Sound of Silence, The Mimic, and Our Father. TV appearances include Good Times, Great Performances, St. Elsewhere, Miami Vice, The Equalizer, The Cosby Show, One Life to Live, 21 Jump Street, Murder, She Wrote, Tales from the Crypt, Fraiser, The Practice, Liberty!, Tracey Takes On…, Homicide: Life on the Street, Oz, The West Wing, Touched by an Angel, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Joan of Arcadia, Life on Mars, Person of Interest, Game Change, Billions, A President Show Documentary: The Fall of Donald Trump, New Amsterdam, and The Good Fight. Stage appearances include The Little Foxes, The Last Sweet Days of Isaac, Three Sisters, Choir Boy, The Minutes, Between Riverside and Crazy, Fiddler on the Roof, Goodtime Charley, John Gabriel Borkman, Up from Paradise, Educating Rita, Uncle Vanya, Grand Hotel, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Exonerated, Mother Courage and Her Children, The Sunset Limited, Romeo and Juliet, Vieux Carre, Romersholm, In Masks Outrageous and Austere, Detroit, Ivanov, Straight White Men, Workshop, Henry VI, and Richard III.

Personal Life: Married to actress Katina Commings since 1970. They have one child.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Was a childhood acquaintance of Roger Ailes who attended his mom’s acting classes. Won a Screen Actors Guild Award as part of the cast for A Beautiful Mind. Received a Special Drama Desk Award for being a “Renaissance Man of the American Theatre” in 2007.

298. Vicki Lewis

Dates: 1960-present

Early Life and Career: Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Father was an air traffic supervisor and veteran in the US Air Force. Mother was a nursing administrator. After graduating from Cincinnati’s Anderson High School in 1978, she studied musical theater at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music. After graduating from there, she moved to New York City where she proceeded to work in various on- and off- Broadway shows.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) and Finding Dory (2016) as well as various series, the Finding Nemo video game, and the direct-to-video An Extremely Goofy Movie.

Characters: Deb and Flo

Also Known For: Actress and singer best known as Beth in NewsRadio, April Smuntz in Mouse Hunt, Dr. Elsie Chapman in Godzilla (1998), and Headmistress Knightslinger in Upside-Down Magic. Film appearances include Breakfast of Champions, Pushing Tin, Roadside Romeo, The Ugly Truth, and Alpha and Omega. TV appearances include CBS Schoolbreak Special, Home Improvement, Murphy Brown, Grace Under Fire, Seinfeld, Caroline in the City, Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, The Norm Show, King of the Hill, Mission Hill, Three Sisters, Betsy’s Kindergarten Adventures, Grey’s Anatomy, Dirt, Ben 10: Alien Force, ‘Til Death, Bones, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Middle, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, How I Met Your Mother, Doll & Em, Austin & Ally, Turbo Fast, Modern Family, Making History, The Blacklist, and The Goldbergs.

Personal Life: Was in a relationship with Nick Nolte from 1994 to 2003. Currently married to sound designer Philip G. Allen.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

299. Elizabeth Perkins

Dates: 1960-present

Early Life and Career: Born and raised in Colrain, Massachusetts. Parents were Greek immigrants from Salonika who anglicized their surname from Pisperikos to Perkins when they moved to the United States. Parents divorced in 1963. Began working in theatre with the Arena Civic Theatre, a non-profit community theatre group based in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Attended an elite preparatory school called the Northfield Mount Hermon School before spending 1978-1981 in Chicago attaining her certificate in acting from the Goldman School of Drama at DePaul University. Made her theatrical debut on Broadway in 1984 and worked in a number of ensemble companies afterwards, including The New York Shakespeare Festival and the Steppenwolf Theater. Made her film debut in 1986.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003) as well as the Hercules series.

Characters: Coral

Also Known For: Actress best known as Celia Hodes in Weeds. Film appearances include About Last Night, From the Hip, Big, Enid Is Sleeping, The Flintstones, Moonlight and Valentino, The Ring Two, Hop, Sweet Hearts Dance, Love at Large, Avalon, The Doctor, Indian Summer, Miracle on 34^th Street (1994), I’m Losing You, Crazy in Alabama, 28 Days, Cats & Dogs, All I Want, Speak, The Thing About My Folks, Must Love Dogs, Fierce People, Kids in America, Ghostbusters (2016), My Little Pony: A New Generation, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Another Simple Favor. TV appearances include From the Earth to The Moon, Battery Park, King of the Hill, Monk, The Closer, Hell’s Kitchen, How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life), How to Get Away with Murder, This Is Us, GLOW, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sharp Objects, Corporate, The Moodys, Truth Be Told, Barry, The Afterparty, Minx, and The Morning Show.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was actor and theater director Terry Kinney from 1984 to their divorce in 1988. Has a daughter with Maurice Philips. Second and current husband is Argentine-born cinematographer Julio Macat since 2000 and has 3 stepsons: Maximilian, Alexander, and Andreas.

Later Life: In 2005 at 44, Perkins learned that she had latent autoimmune diabetes, a form of type 1 diabetes that’s most often diagnosed in middle age. In 2017, she held a sign naming James Woods above the hashtag #MeToo during a rally against sexual harassment in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Has been nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys and 2 Golden Globes.

300. Barry Humphries

Dates: 1934-2023

Early Life and Career: Born John Barry Humphries in Kew, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Father was a well-to-do construction manager from England. In his early childhood, Humphries often spent hours playing dress-up in the back garden. Was nicknamed “Sunny Sam” during this time because his early childhood was happy and uneventful. However, like many children, Humphries began to rebel against the strictures of conventional suburban life by becoming “artistic” much to his parents’ dismay. After his mom donated his books to the Salvation Army, he became a voracious reader, a collector of rare books, a painter, a theatre fan, and a surrealist. He then dressed in a black cloak, black homburg hat and mascaraed eyes, inventing his first character “Dr. Aaron Azimuth,” agent, provocateur, dandy, and Dadaist. Educated at the Camberwell Grammar School where he was awarded a place in the school’s gallery of achievement. When his dad’s business prospered, he was sent to the Melbourne Grammar School. Although he excelled in English and art, Humphries spurned sport, detested mathematics, and shirked cadets “on the basis of conscientious objection.” Spent 2 years at the University of Melbourne where he studied law, philosophy, and fine arts. He also served as a private in the Melbourne University Regiment during his period of national service in the Citizens Military Force of the Australian Army. He didn’t graduate from the university and became a follower of the Dada movement and his early performances in Melbourne were experiments in anarchy and visual satire that have become part of Australian folklore. After dropping out, Humphries joined the newly formed Melbourne Theatre Company where he created the first incarnation of what would become his best-known character Dame Edna Everage. Moved to Sydney in 1957 and joined its Philip Street Theatre which became Australia’s leading venue for revue and satirical comedy within the next decade and created his character of Sandy Stone during this time. Moved to London in 1959 where he wrote for the satirical magazine Private Eye, appeared in numerous West End productions, and contributed to BBC Television’s The Late Show. Made his film debut in the late 1960s and returned to Australia in 1970.

Movies and Cartoons: Finding Nemo (2003)

Characters: Bruce

Also Known For: Comedian, actor, author, and satirist best known for writing and playing his stage and television characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. Appeared in numerous stage productions, films, and television shows. Other characters include the grandfatherly Sandy Stone, iconoclastic avant garde filmmaker Martin Agrippa, socialist academic Neil Singleton, sleazy trade union official Lance Boyle, high pressure art salesman Morrie O’Connor, failed tycoon Owen Steele, and archetypical Australian bloke Barry McKenzie. Film appearances include Bedazzled, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own, Percy’s Progress, Side by Side, The Great Macarthy, Shock Treatment, Les Patterson Saves the World, Immortal Beloved, Napoleon (1995), Pterodactyl Woman of Beverly Hills, Welcome to Woop Woop, Mary and Max, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Justin and the Knights of Valour, Blinky Bill the Movie, and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Personal Life: Married 4 times. First wife was Brenda Wright from the time he was 21 in 1955 until their divorce in 1957. Second wife was Rosiland Tong from 1959 until their divorce in 1970. Third wife was Diane Milstead from 1979 until their divorce in 1989. Had 4 children from his second and third marriages including soap opera actress Tessa and art and design dealer and journalist Oscar who was once editor of Apollo magazine. Fourth wife was actress Elizabeth Spender from 1990 until his death. Spender was also the daughter of poet Sir Stephen Spender and concert pianist Natasha Spender. They lived in a terraced town house in London’s South Hampstead, his home for 40 years. Struggled with alcoholism during the 1960s that reached a crisis point during a visit home in Australia in the early 1970s. Parents had him admitted to a private hospital to ‘dry out’ when he was found battered and unconscious in a gutter after a particularly heavy binge. Completely abstained from alcohol after the incident and attended the occasional AA meeting. Was also one of many friends who tried in vain to help Peter Cook whom himself eventually died from alcohol-related illnesses. Was also a great patron of the arts. Was also said to have Asperger’s Syndrome according to Imdb.

Later Life: Following a fall that February, Humphries died of complications from hip surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Darlinghurst, Sydney in 2023 at 89. Was cremated at the Northern Suburb Memorial Gardens and Crematorium and his ashes were scattered in an undisclosed location. Received tributes by the British Royal family, the Australian prime minister, and celebrities like Eric Idle and Ricky Gervais.

Trivia: Received an honorary doctorate from the University of Melbourne in 2016 and was made an honorary fellow at King’s College in London. His London Library was said to have contained 25,000 books, many of them first editions from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Was a prominent landscape painter whose pictures are in public and private collections both in his native Australia and abroad. Was also a prominent art collector who bought many of his paintings 4 times as a result of his 3 divorces. Authored numerous books including 2 autobiographies, 2 novels, and a treatise on Chinese drama in the goldfields. Also wrote several plays and made dozens of recordings. Was nominated for 4 BAFTA Awards. Made Officer of the Order of Australia in 1982 and was granted a coat of arms by the College of Arms with a shield bearing a crossed gladioli and the Sydney Opera House supported by a shark and a possum both wearing butterfly glasses, along with other symbolism containing a funnel-web spider and a blowfly. His motto is “I share and I care.” Received a Special Tony Award in 2000. Received a Centenary Medal through his services to Australian society through acting and writing in 2001. Named Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2007. Appointed as a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2023.

              The 2000s would prove to be a decades of ups and downs for Disney Feature Animation and a watershed for Pixar. Development of Atlantis: The Lost Empire began in the late 1990s with inspiration from Jules Verne stories, directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise along with producer Don Hahn and screenwriter Tab Murphy set out to make a film that would fully explore Atlantis (compared to the brief visit in Verne’s novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea). While primarily utilizing the Internet to research Atlantis mythology, the filmmakers became interested in the clairvoyant readings of Edward Cayce and decided to incorporate some of his ideas into the story such as the mother-crystal that provides the Atlanteans power, healing, and longevity. They also visited museums and old army installations to study early 20^th century technology (which is the film’s time period). They also traveled underground in New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns to view subterranean trails that would serve as a model for the film’s approach to Atlantis. Although the legend of Atlantis is based on the writings of the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato, the filmmakers wanted to avoid the common depiction of Atlantis as what Wise called, “crumbled Greek columns.” Art director David Goetz stated, “We looked at Mayan architecture, styles of ancient, unusual architecture from around the world, and the directors really liked the look of Southeast Asian architecture.” The team later took ideas from other architectural forms including Cambodian, Indian, and Tibetan works. For the Atlantean language, the team recruited Klingon language developer linguist Marc Okrand, employing an Indo-European word stock with its own grammatical structure. While John Emerson developed the written component with its own alphabet that could be read left to right on the first line, right to left on the second line, continuing in a zigzag pattern to stimulate water flow. Adopting the distinctive visual style of comic book artist and production designer Mike Mignola, the film made greater use of CGI than any of Disney’s previous animated traditionally animated features and one of the few to have been shot in an anamorphic format. Due to competition amongst the older kid and teenage demographic during the summer of 2001 with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Fast and the Furious, Dr. Dolittle 2, and Shrek, Atlantis: The Lost Empire earned $186 million at the worldwide box office against a budget of $90-120 million, writing it as a box office failure. Reviews were very mixed with a 48% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Although it did get nominated for seven Annie Awards. Yet, despite its initial performance and perception, the film has garnered a cult following and has been reappraised by critics as a mistreated classic.

              Although not the best animated film in 2001, Monsters, Inc. would the first of several movies during the 2000s that would define Pixar as more than a studio that made Toy Story. Although the idea was conceived at a lunch in 1994, work on the film began in 1996. The story took many forms during production. Pete Docter’s original idea featured a 30-year-old man dealing with monsters that he drew in a book as a child coming back to bother him as an adult. Each monster represented a fear he had, and conquering his fear eventually leads the monsters disappearing. However, he scrapped the idea and decide on a buddy movie between a monster whose name would eventually be Sulley was an up-and-comer at his workplace where the company’s purpose was to scare children. From 1996 to 2000, the lead monster and the child went through radical changes as the story evolved with the child varying in age and gender. Until they determined that she be a 3-year-old girl. While the monster’s occupation went from janitor or refinery worker to scarer who fears losing his job and feels envious of another scarer who later became Randall to the company’s top scarer. Mike Wazowski was added later. During this time, Pixar had packed up and moved to their current headquarters to Emeryville while every main character had its own lead animator. Sulley was animated like he was a football player to show his athleticism and appropriately voiced by John Goodman. Yet, animating his blue fur in an efficient and realistic way tend to be the biggest challenge, which they set with a program called Fizt. Another was animating cloth, such as Boo’s clothes. In addition, the complexity of the shots in the film required more computer power to render than any of Pixar’s earlier films combined. They also had to change a scene shortly before its premiere because of the September 11 Attacks where Harryhausen’s Restaurant was decontaminated instead of blown up. Upon its 2001 release, Monsters, Inc. raked in $528 million at the global box office, received critical acclaim, and received the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “If I Didn’t Have You.” Yet, it lost the Best Animated Feature Oscar to Shrek for obvious reasons. Today, it’s one of the most memorable Pixar films. In this post, we’ll meet filmmaker Bob Peterson as well as the voices behind Chici, Kida, Vinny, Dr. Sweet, Audrey, Lieutenant Helga Sinclair, Boo, Celia Mae, Needleman, and Smitty.

271. Wendie Malick

Dates: 1950-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Buffalo, New York. Mother was a model. Father worked in sales. Graduated from Williamsville South High School in 1968. Graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1972. Is an alumna of William Esper Studio for the Performing Arts in Manhattan, New York City. Went to model for the Wilhemina Modeling Agency before leaving to work for Republican Congressman Jack Kemp. Soon left Washington D.C. to pursue a career on stage and screen. Made her first film in 1982.

Movies and Cartoons: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) as well as various TV series and the direct-to-video Kronk’s New Groove and Brother Bear 2.

Characters: Chicha

Also Known For: Actress and former model best known as Judith Tupper Stone in Dream On, Nina Van Horn in Just Shoot Me!, Victoria Chase in Hot in Cleveland, Gayle Buchannon in Baywatch, Ronee Lawrence in Fraiser, Burdine Maxwell in Bratz, Beatrice Horseman in BoJack Horseman, and Eda Clawthorne in The Owl House. Film appearances include Scrooged, The American President, Racing Stripes, Confessions of a Shopaholic, A Little Sex, Funny About Love, Apollo 11, Trojan War, Jerome, Mana from Heaven, Waiting…, Raising Genius, Adventureland, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, Knucklehead, Jewtopia, Mack & Rita, About Fate, A Little White Lie, The Re-Education of Molly Singer, Mother of All Shows, and Skincare. TV appearances include Saturday Night Live, Trauma Center, Paper Dolls, Mike Hammer, Kate & Allie, Another World, MacGyver, NYPD Blue, L.A. Law, Mad About You, Tales from the Crypt, Seinfeld, Cybill, Champs, Good Company, Goode Behavior, The X-Files, Batman Beyond, Fillmore!, Oliver Beene, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Reba, Static Shock, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order, ‘Til Death, The Ex List, Pushing Daisies, All My Children, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Bubble Guppies, Ultimate Spider-Man, TripTank, Rush Hour, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, NCIS: New Orleans, Mom, Grace and Frankie, The Ranch, The Boss Baby: Back in Business, Bob Hearts Abishola, Billions, Young Sheldon, Physical, Dear White People, Family Guy, Acapulco, Shrinking, How I Met Your Father, Rugrats, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Night Court, Not Dead Yet, and The Chicken Sisters. Appeared in the SpongeBob SquarePants featuring Nicktoons: Globs of Doom video game.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was actor and screenwriter Mitch Glazer from 1982 to their divorce in 1989. Second and current husband is Richard Erickson since 1995.

Later Life: Lives in Topanga, California in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Trivia: Has been nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys and a Golden Globe. Auditioned for the role of Dianne Chambers in Cheers but lost the part.

272. Cree Summer

Dates: 1969-present

Early Life and Career: Born Cree Summer Francks in Los Angeles but grew up in Saskatchewan and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Father was Canadian actor Don Francks. Family traveled around and lived around British Columbia during her childhood. Started public school in Toronto at 9. Began her career in 1983 as the voice of Penny in cartoon series Inspector Gadget.

Movies and Cartoons: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Toy Story 4 (2019) as well as various direct-to-video installments, series, and a few video games.

Characters: Kidagakash “Kida” Nedakh

Also Known For: Canadian-American actress and singer best known for her extensive work in animation. Best known roles are Elmyra Duff in Tiny Toon Adventures, Susie Carmichael in Rugrats, Lizard in Spirit Rangers, and Winfred “Freddie” Brooks in A Different World. Film appearances include The Care Bears Movie, Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation, The Rugrats Movie, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Rugrats Go Wild, Blizzard, Clifford’s Really Big Movie, Strange Frame: Love & Sex, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Wild Thing, and Hearts of Fire. TV appearances include Inspector Gadget, Batman Beyond, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Codename: Kids Next Door, Danny Phantom, My Life as a Teenage Robot, Transformers: Animated, Drawn Together, W. I. T. C. H., Star Wars: Droids & Ewoks, The Care Bears Family, Hello Kitty’s Furry Tale Theater, Garbage Pail Kids, The New Yogi Bear Show, Peter Pan and the Pirates, Camp Candy, Captain Planet and the Planeteers, The Plucky Duck Show, Bonkers, Sonic the Hedgehog, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child,  Freakazoid!, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm, Adventures from the Book of Virtues, The Wacky World of Tex Avery, The New Batman Adventures, Superman: The Animated Series, Men in Black: The Series,  The  Incredible Hulk, Oh Yea! Cartoons, Pinky and the Brain, Histeria!, The Wild Thornberrys, Sabrina: The Animated Series, As Told by Ginger, The Zeta Project, Johnny Bravo, Horrible Histories, All Grown Up!, Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, ChalkZone, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Static Shock, The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy, Justice League Unlimited, Bratz, Ben 10, Robot Chicken, The Land Before Time, Curious George, WordGirl, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, The Cleveland Show, Pound Puppies, Young Justice, Xiaolin Chronicles, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Rick and Morty, The Tom and Jerry Show, The Boondocks, Moonbeam City, Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of the Croods, The Powderpuff Girls, The Loud House, DC Super Hero Girls, Muppet Babies, Saturday Morning All-Star Hits!, The Patrick Star Show, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, The Legend of Vox Machina, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Atlanta, Queen Sugar, What We Do in the Shadows, and Abbott Elementary. Video game appearances include Fallout, M&M’s The Lost Formulas, Final Fantasy X, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Run Like Hell, Freelancer, Arc of the Land: Twilight of the Spirits, Lords of EverQuest, Pitfall: The Lost Expedition, X-Men Legends, Fantastic Four, Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, Black, Driver: Parallel Lives, Scarface: The World Is Yours, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, Superman Returns, Bratz Forever Diamondz, Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, InFamous, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Brutal Legend, Marvel Super Hero Squad, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Unit 13, Knights Contract, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, Skylanders: Swap Force, Young Justice: Legacy, Lichdom: Battlemage, Broken Age, WildStar, Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire, Heroes of the Storm, Destiny 2, and Lego DC Super-Villains.

Personal Life: Older sister of actor, songwriter, and former Much Music VJ Rainbow Sun Francks. Has duel American and Canadian citizenship. Married to producer Angelo Pullen from 2013 until their divorce in 2022. They have 2 daughters born in 2011 and 2013 respectively.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Received an NAACP Image Award as well as 2 Children’s and Family Emmy nominations. Auditioned for Friends and Family Guy.

273. Don Novello

Dates: 1943-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Ashtabula, Ohio. Father was a physician. Mother was a nurse. Family moved to Lorain, Ohio during his childhood. Graduated from Lorain High School in 1961. Went to the University of Dayton where he graduated in 1964. In 1965, he graduated with a Bachelor of Foreign Trade degree from what is now the Thunderbird School of Global Management of Arizona State University. During the late 1960s, Novello worked as a copywriter for Leo Burnett in Chicago. Created the character of Father Guido Sarducci in 1973 after finding a monsignor’s outfit for $7.50 at a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. Adding sunglasses, a broom mustache, cigarette, and a thick Italian accent, Sarducci became popular in a San Francisco nightclub. He appeared on San Francisco Channel 20’s Chicken Little Comedy Show with comic Dan Steinberg in the audience. Although Steinberg initially hired Novello as a writer for a TV show that never aired, he introduced him to the Smothers Brothers who hired him, too. Thus, in 1975, Novello performed on The Smothers Brothers Show, appearing as Sarducci. Also in the 1970s, Novello began writing letters to famous people under the name of Lazlo Toth (after the deranged man who vandalized Michelangelo’s Pieta, not Adrien Brody’s Oscar-winning role in The Brutalist). These letters, written to suggest a serious but misinformed and obtuse correspondent (akin to that of Borat or Philomena Cunk), were designed to tweak the noses of politicians and corporations. Many of them received serious responses. While Novello continued the charade correspondence at length, with humorous results. These letters and responses were published in a series of books called The Lazlo Letters, Citizen Lazlo!, and From Bush to Bush: The Lazlo Toth Letters. It was the first of these books that caught the attention of producer Lorne Michaels who hired him as a writer for Saturday Night Live in 1977.

Movies and Cartoons: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and a direct-to-video sequel.

Characters: Vincenzo “Vinny” Santorini

Also Known For: Actor, comedian, writer, singer, director, and producer best known for his character of L’Observatore Romano gossip columnist and rock critic Father Guido Sarducci who’s appeared on shows like Saturday Night Live, Married…with Children, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, Unhappily Ever After, Square Pegs, Blossom, and The Colbert Report as well as the film Gilda Live. Film appearances include Mr. Mike’s Mondo Video, Head Office, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, New York Stories, The Spirit of ’76, The Godfather Part III, Teenage Bonnie and Klepto Clyde, Casper, Jack, Just the Ticket, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Just One Night, Factory Girl, Twixt, and Palo Alto. TV appearances include Histeria!, Rent Control, SCTV, The Smothers Brothers Show, and Blondes vs. Brunettes.

Personal Life: Former brother-in-law of former US Surgeon General Antonia Novello. Married to Kathleen Marie Dieterich from 1975 until their divorce.

Later Life: Currently lives in San Anselmo, California.

Trivia: While dressed as Father Guido Sarducci, Novello and his photographer were arrested by Swiss Guards at the Vatican for impersonating a priest in 1981. Charges were later dropped though. Novello considered it an honor and hoped that he next get arrested in Utah for impersonating an Osmond. In 2010, he gave the benediction at the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear hosted by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.

274. Phil Morris

Dates: 1959-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Ohio. Father was actor Greg Morris. First acting role was in 1966 as a child when he appeared in the Star Trek episode “Miri,” which was shot at the same Desilu studio where his father worked on Mission: Impossible. Made his film debut in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock in 1984.

Movies and Cartoons: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) as well as a direct-to-video sequel, various series, and the Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Trial by Fire video game.

Characters: Dr. Joshua Strongbear Sweet

Also Known For: Actor best known as Jackie Chiles in Seinfeld, Martian Manhunter in Smallville, Silas Stone in Doom Patrol, and Doc Saturday in The Secret Saturdays. Film appearances include Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, P. I. Private Investigations, Jingle All the Way, Wag the Dog, Devil in the Flesh, Clay Pigeons, 3 Strikes, Comic Book: The Movie, Frostbite, Underdog, Meet the Spartans, Black Dynamite, and Officer Downe. TV appearances include Star Trek: The Original Series, Knight Rider, The Young and the Restless, Marblehead Manor, Cheers, Mission: Impossible, Murder, She Wrote, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Diagnosis: Murder, Babylon 5, The Wayans Bros., Melrose Place, Martin, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, JAG, Moesha, Beverly Hills 90210, Star Trek: Voyager, Men in Black: The Series, Girlfriends, Justice League, Static Shock, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Tracy Morgan Show, Still Standing, Danny Phantom, Dave the Barbarian, Will & Grace, NCIS, Loonatics Unleashed,  CSI: Miami, Wolverine and the X-Men, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Black Panther, Hot in  Cleveland, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, The Boondocks, Girl Meets World, Lego Scooby-Doo! Knight Time Terror, Black-ish, Fuller House, NCIS: Los Angeles, Young Sheldon, and Young Justice. Video game appearances include Command & Conquer: Yuri’s Revenge, Freelancer, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Law & Order: Justice Is Served, Ratchet: Deadlocked, True Crime: New York City, Reservoir Dogs, Saints Row, The Sopranos: Road to Respect, Spider-Man 3, Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed, Kung Fu Panda, Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Undead Knights, The Secret Saturdays: Beasts of the 5^th Sun, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Spider-Man, Days Gone, Star Wars: Squadrons, and Deadlock.

Personal Life: Younger brother of actress Iona Morris. Married to interior designer Carla Gittelson since 1983. They have 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Is a practitioner of Wing Chun under Shifu Hawkins Cheung. Took great pleasure in playing Jackie Chiles in “The Abstinence” episode of Seinfeld where he sued a tobacco company since he was often teased for having the same name as the tobacco brand Philip Morris. Was friends with Peter Graves whom he saw as an acting mentor and knew his real-life children.

275. Claudia Christian

Dates: 1965-present

Early Life and Career: Born Claudia Ann Coghlan in Glendale, California. Mother was from Germany and worked as director of Giorgio Beverly Hills. Was raised in Connecticut with her 3 older brothers. Her oldest brother Patrick was killed by a drunk driver while her family lived in Houston, Texas in 1974. Family later moved back to California when she was 14. Later changed her name by deed poll to Christian and moved to Hollywood to begin her acting career. First screen appearance was on Dallas.

Movies and Cartoons: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Characters: Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair

Also Known For: Actress best known for her roles as Commander Susan Ivanova in Babylon 5, Captain Maynard in Reno 9-1-1!, and Hera in Blood of Zeus. Film appearances include Houston: The Legend of Texas, Police Story: Monster Manor, Clean and Sober, Never on Tuesday, Shannon’s Deal, Tale of Two Sisters, Maniac Cop 2, Think Big, A Gnome Named Gnorm, Lies of the Twins, The Women Who Sinned, The Dark Backward, Arena, Hexed, The Chase, Snide and Prejudice, Final Voyage, Love & Sex, Half Past Dead, The Failures, The Garden, Meteor Apocalypse, Watercolor Postcards, California Scheming, The Winter with No Hands, and One Little Pill. TV appearances include Dallas, Falcon Crest, Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, The A-Team, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, Quantum Leap, Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law, Columbo, Space Rangers, Freaks and Geeks, NYPD Blue, Everwood, Nip/Tuck, Grimm, Criminal Minds, Castle, The Mentalist, and NCIS. Video game appearances include Solar Eclipse, Summoner 2, Shrek 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Guild Wars 2, Darksiders II, Halo 4, Heroes of the Storm, Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void, Fallout 4, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, World of Warcraft: Legion, Fallout 76, and Legends of Runeterra. Wrote a number of non-fiction books like My Life with Geeks and Freaks, Babylon Confidential: A Memoir of Love, Sex, and Addiction, Journeys: Inspirational Stories of Recovery from Alcohol Addiction Using a Breakthrough Scientific Method, Snack Hacks (with Mark Michel), and the introduction for the second edition of The Cure for Alcoholism: The Medically Proven Way to Eliminate Alcohol Addiction. Also wrote fiction including The Misadventures of Miss Emma Bradford (aka Emma Bradford and the Mystery of Queen Tut), Wolf’s Empire: Gladiator, The Original: The Trials of Sara Larkin, and a science fiction universe named Dark Legacies with Chris McAuley.

Personal Life: Married to screenwriter Gary DeVore from 1988 until their divorce in 1992. Struggled with alcoholism.

Later Life: Has become an advocate for The Sinclair Methods (TSM), a medication-based treatment for alcoholism, that she has credited with saving her life in 2009. In 2013, she founded the C Three Foundation to educate medical professionals and alcoholics about TSM’s success. She’s spread the word through her TEDx talk on the subject, podcast appearances, contributions to magazine articles, as well as in TV, newspaper, and magazine interviews.

Trivia: Has been nominated for 2 Saturn Awards for Babylon 5. Once auditioned for the role of Seven of Nine for Star Trek: Voyager. Once posed nude for Playboy.

276. Jacqueline Obradors

Dates: 1966-present

Early Life and Career: Born in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. Parents were Argentine immigrants. Mother worked at a church. Father owned a cleaning business. Was a cashier at Hughes Market before she became an actress. Began her career by starring in action movies.

Movies and Cartoons: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) as well as a direct-to-video sequel.

Characters: Audrey Rocio Ramirez

Also Known For: Actress best known as Detective Rita Ortiz in NYPD Blue. Film appearances include Six Days, Seven Nights, Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Tortilla Soup, A Man Apart, Unstoppable, Soldier Boyz, Crossing Over, Bad Asses, Windows on the World, and Palm Springs. TV appearances include Parker Lewis, Diagnosis: Murder, Murder, She Wrote, Sliders, Renegade, L.A. Doctors, George Lopez, Freddie, Cold Case, NCIS, Curious George, Young Justice, Castle, Lopez, Mayans M. C., Bosch, Daisy Jones & the Six, Fraiser, and Grey’s Anatomy. Appeared in Rain of Ghosts video game.

Personal Life: Married to Juan Garcia and has 2 children.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

277. Mary Gibbs

Dates: 1996-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Pasadena, California. Daughter of Pixar director and story artist Robert Gibbs. Was a toddler when she was recorded as Boo’s voice for Monsters, Inc. (2001). Her parents helped the crew simulate scenarios that would elicit the needed audio reactions that would be Gibbs’ lines. But naturally, recording would be difficult because Gibbs would run all over the Pixar office. As toddlers naturally would.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters, Inc. (2001), Monsters University (2013), and Inside Out (2015) as well as direct-to-video The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.

Characters: Boo, Girl in Cabin, and Baby Riley

Also Known For: Voice actress best known as Janessa Jensen in the audio drama series Heroes of Extinction for Adventurous Ideas, LLC.

Personal Life: I couldn’t find anything about her personal life except that her father died in 2020.

Later Life: Had scoliosis as a teenager before she had surgery in 2012 to fix it. Returned to voice acting in 2022. Has also appeared at conventions as well as documented her life and time as Boo on her YouTube channel Boo Grown Up.

Trivia: None.

278. Jennifer Tilly

Dates: 1958-present

Early Life and Career: Born Jennifer Ellen Chan in Los Angeles, California. Father was a used car salesman of Chinese descent. He was also a gambler and poker player who gave Tilly a video game World Series of Poker. Mother was a former stage actress and a schoolteacher from Canada. Parents divorced when she was 5 and she was raised by her mother and stepfather in rural Texada Island, British Columbia. According to her sister Meg, Tilly’s stepfather was a sadistic pedophile. Mother and stepfather divorced when Tilly was 16. Family then moved to Langford, a suburb in Victoria, British Columbia where Tilly attended Belmont Secondary School. During her high school years, Tilly developed an interest in theater, which prompted her to participate in plays as an extra with her mother’s assistance. Later received a bachelor’s degree in theater from Stephens College in Missouri.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Home on the Range (2004) as well as the series Monsters at Work. First Hollywood gig was in 1983.

Characters: Celia Mae and Grace

Also Known For: Canadian-American actress and professional poker player who’s known for her breathy voice and comic timing. Best known as Olive Neal in Bullets Over Broadway, Violet in Bound, Tiffany Valentine in Bride of Chucky and Chucky series, and Bonnie Swanson in Family Guy. Film appearances include The Fabulous Baker Boys, Made in America, Liar Liar, Music from Another Room, Stuart Little, The Cat’s Meow, The Haunted Mansion, Tideland, No Small Affair, Moving Violations, Johnny Be Good, Far from Home, The Doors, Scorchers, Shadow of the Wolf, The Getaway, Embrace the Vampire, Man with a Gun, The Pompatus of Love, American Strays, House Arrest, The Wrong Guy, The Muse, Do Not Disturb, Play It to the Bone, Cord, Bruno (2000), The Crew, Dancing at the Blue Iguana, Fast Sofa, Hollywood North, Jericho Mansions, Happy End, Second Best, El Padrino, Saint Ralph, Love on the Side, The Civilization of Maxwell Bright, Deal, Inconceivable, An American Girl: Clarissa Stands Strong, Empire of Silver, Made in Romania, The Making of Plus One, Return to Babylon, Unity, Ray Meets Helen, and 7 Days in Vegas. TV appearances include Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele, Cheers, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show, Moonlighting, Dream On, Key West, Hey Arnold!, Frasier, The Cleveland Show, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Drop Dead Diva, Modern Family, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Simpsons, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and SpongeBob SquarePants.

Personal Life: Older sister of actress Meg Tilly. Married to Simpsons developer and producer Sam Simon from 1984 until their divorce in 1991. As of 2018, Tilly receives 30% of net proceeds that Simon’s estate receives from the show. Has been in a relationship with professional poker player Philip Laak since 2004.

Later Life: Was a champion poker player from the 2000s where she won the 2005 World Series Poker bracelet and a prize around $158,000 in the Ladies’ No-Limit Texas hold ‘em event, beating 600 other players. That same year, she won the World Poker Tour Ladies’ Invitational Tournament. Played in the Celebrity Poker Showdown in 2006 and finished third. Has appeared in the GSN Poker Royale and Poker After Dark. As of 2025, Tilly’s live tournament winnings have exceeded $1 million.

Trivia: Has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Bullets Over Broadway as well as won 2 Saturn Awards as well as a GLAAD Media Award.

279. Bob Peterson

Dates: 1961-present

Early Life and Career: Born Robert Peterson in Wooster, Ohio. Attended Ohio Northern University where he received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1983. Went to Purdue University where he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1986. Hired at Pixar by Roger Gould in 1994, starting in commercials and shorts before moving to feature films.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), Cars (2006), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Monsters University (2013), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), and Toy Story 4 (2019) as well as various shorts, series, and video games.

Characters: Roz, Mr. Ray, Pelican, Dolphin, Dug, Alpha, Janitor, Chick Hicks, and Dr. Damage.

Also Known For: Animator, director, screenwriter, storyboard supervisor, and voice actor at Pixar since 1994. Has worked behind the scenes of Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), Cars (2006), Ratatouille (2007), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Brave (2012), Monsters University (2013), Inside Out (2015), The Good Dinosaur (2015), Finding Dory (2016), Cars 3 (2017), Coco (2017), Incredibles 2 (2018), Toy Story 4 (2019), Onward (2020), Soul (2020), Luca (2021), Turning Red (2022), Lightyear (2022), Elemental (2023), and Inside Out 2 (2024). Has also voiced a dog named Derby for an E:60 profile on ESPN that chronicled the Trenton Thunder’s minor league baseball team’s tradition of using bat dogs.

Personal Life: I can’t find anything on this guy’s personal life.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Finding Nemo. Has also won a Primetime Emmy for the Forky Asks a Question short series.

280. Daniel Gerson

Dates: 1966-2016

Early Life and Career: Born in New York City and grew up in the Upper West Side. Attended the Ethical Culture Fieldston School before studying at Cornell University where he was a member of the Mu chapter of the Sigma Pi fraternity. Studied for an MFA at NYU and wrote for NBC before joining Pixar in 1999.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters, Inc. (2001), Monsters University (2013), and Big Hero 6 (2014)

Characters: Needleman and Smitty, and Desk Sergeant Gerson

Also Known For: Screenwriter and voice actor best known for his work at Pixar and Walt Disney Animated Studios. Contributed material for Monsters, Inc. (2001), Chicken Little (2005), Cars (2006), Meet the Robinsons (2007), Monsters University (2013), and Big Hero 6 (2014), and Cars 3 (2017). Also wrote on shows like Big Wolf on Campus and Something So Right.

Personal Life: Married to Beau Stacom from 1995 until his death with whom he had 2 children. Also, according to Imdb, I have to clarify that despite the name, Stacom’s a woman in order to avoid confusion. Mainly because she has a name that’s mainly used for boys.

Later Life: Died in 2016 in Los Angeles from heart failure and brain cancer-related complications at 49.

Trivia: Has won a BAFTA Award.

              Since I have actors from several different things on this post, I plan to devote my intros to the movies Toy Story 2, Dinosaur, and The Emperor’s New Groove. When it comes to sequels, a good one can enhance the previous movie’s characters’ world and turn a major hit into a major franchise. While a bad one could doom the potential of a franchise into oblivion. In many respects, Toy Story 2 did for Toy Story like The Empire Strikes Back did for Star Wars. Yet, even though everything turned out well in the end regarding this installment, it was almost not the case. Talks about a sequel to Toy Story began about a month after its 1995 release. A few days after the iconic film came out, John Lasseter was traveling with his family and he found a young boy clutching a Sheriff Woody doll at an airport. He later described how the boy’s excitement to show it to his dad touched him deeply. Since it led him to realize that his character no longer belonged to just him. Rather, it belonged to others as well. This memory was a defining factor in the production of Toy Story 2, with Lasseter moving to create a great film for a child and for everyone else who loved the characters. The story behind the film originated with Lasseter wondering what a toy would find upsetting, how a toy would feel if not played with a child, or worse, a child growing out of a toy. Newly-minted director Ash Brannon suggested an idea of a yard sale where the collector recognizes Woody as a rare artifact and the concept of Woody as a collectible came from a draft story of a Christmas special pitched in 1990. An avid toy collector, Lasseter based Al McWhiggan on himself. while his wife Nancy pressed him to include a strong female character in the sequel with more substance than Bo Peep at the time. Since the first film’s original opening sequence featured a Buzz Lightyear cartoon playing on TV, this evolved into the Buzz Lightyear video game opening sequence for Toy Story 2. Nonetheless, after nearly a year in production in 1998, a routine file clearing accidentally deleted the root folder of the Toy Story 2 assets on Pixar’s internal servers, losing 90% of the work from the last 2 years. While backups hadn’t been functioning for about a month. Fortunately technical director Galyn Susman had a backup copy of the film on her home computer since she was working remotely for her maternity leave. And Pixar was able to recover nearly all the lost assets save for a few days of work, allowing work to proceed. Still, tight deadlines meant long hours which resulted in some animators getting carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injuries. Upon its 1999 release, Toy Story 2 earned $511 million at the box office against a $90 million budget and rave reviews from critics. Like its predecessor, it also has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It later swept the Annie Awards and won the Golden Globe for Best Picture that year. Today it’s perhaps seen as the best movie in the entire Toy Story franchise.

              While Toy Story 2 may be The Empire Strikes Back in its franchise, Dinosaur’s basically the Disney equivalent to movies like Avatar and The Jazz Singer. In that, it’s main draw has more to do with its groundbreaking contributions to computer animation and special effects than anything else. The idea for the film came during a delay with the production of a RoboCop movie in the late 1980s when special effects artist Phil Tippett suggested to filmmaker Paul Verhoeven that they should produce a “dinosaur picture.” That way, according to Tippett, [w]e wouldn’t have to be held up by actors in robot outfits.” Verhoeven was excited and suggested an approach inspired by Shane in which, “you follow a lead character through a number of situations and moving from a devastated landscape into a promised land.” Originally Dinosaur was to be a much darker story that seemed like it was straight out of a nature documentary. It was also originally planned to use stop motion animation techniques such as puppets, scale models, and miniatures. In 1996 and after the project being passed to different hands multiple times, the filmmakers decided to take the unprecedented route of combining live-action scenery with computer-generated character animation. With animation done at Disney’s newly-acquired Dream Quest Images and using 3D workbooks from Softimage 3D software, 48 animators worked on the film using 300 computer processors to animate it. While live-action photography units shot 800,000 feet of jungle, beach, and desert footage in California, Florida, Australia, Jordan, Venezuela, and Samoa. A 1998 accident during filming in Poison Canyon at Trona, California where a crew member was killed and another one injured. At a budget of $127.5 million, it was the most expensive computer-animated film ever made and the first Disney Feature Animation film to be computer-animated. Its 2000 release saw mixed reviews and grossed $349 worldwide. Today it’s widely forgotten but its impact on the entertainment industry has been enormous. Although nowhere near a masterpiece, Dinosaur at least deserves recognition in the National Film Registry.

              Third, is the movie The Emperor’s New Groove was originally conceived as a musical epic called Kingdom of the Sun with Sting composing songs for the film. With the original story basically being a rom-com version of The Prince and the Pauper set in Pre-Columbian South America. It still had Yzma turn a spoiled teenage emperor into a llama though. Yet, Pacha was originally supposed to be the protagonist, not him. However, because of underwhelming box-office performances of Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, executives felt the project was becoming too ambitious and serious for audiences following test screenings. Due to falling behind schedule, Disney filmmakers halted development for 6 months to retool the script as a lighthearted comedy. With Pacha being rewritten from a teenage peasant to a older family man. The emperor’s name was changed from Manco to Kuzco because someone discovered that “manko” was a Japanese slang for a woman’s nether region. While Kronk was added as Yzma’s scene stealing sidekick. Although some of Sting’s songs were kept in, he only performed one listed on the soundtrack listing. Although pre-Columbian Andean iconography exists in the film, it lacks depth in its cultural representation. Upon its 2000 release, The Emperor’s New Groove barely made back its budget at the box office despite receiving good reviews and the song “My Funny Friend and Me” got nominated for an Oscar. Yet, it found larger success the next year with its home video release and gained a cult following among fans. In this post, we’ll meet 3 more actors from Tarzan along with the voices behind Mrs. Potatohead, Rabbit, Eeyore, Aladar, Zini, Emperor Kuzco, and Kronk.

261. Alex D. Linz

Dates: 1989-present

Early Life and Career: Born Alexander David Linz in Santa Barbara, California. Mother was an attorney. Father was a communications professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Parents later divorced and he lived with his mother. Made his acting debut on an episode of Cybill in 1995. Attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, during which he was a lead singer in a garage band called The Fez Armada.

Movies and Cartoons: Tarzan (1999)

Characters: Young Tarzan

Also Known For: Former child actor who starred in several late 1990s and early 2000s films and TV series. Film appearances include The Cable Guy, One Fine Day, My Brother the Pig, Bruno, Titan A. E., Max Keeble’s Big Move, Race to Space, Red Dragon, and The Amateurs. TV appearances include The Young and the Restless, Cybill, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Step by Step, Touched by an Angel, ER, Providence, Hey Arnold!, Jack & Bobby, and Crossballs: The Debate Show.

Personal Life: I can’t find anything about his personal life.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 2007. Attended University of California, Berkeley, where he became involved in a campus improve group called Jericho!. Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2011. Earned a master’s degree in urban and regional planning at University of California, Los Angeles in 2017. As of 2023, Linz is working as a legal researcher in Los Angeles, California as well as a lead science instructor.

Trivia: None.

262. Minnie Driver

Dates: 1970-present

Early Life and Career: Born Amelia Fiona Jessica Driver in London, England and raised in Barbados. “Minnie” was a childhood nickname given by her sister Kate. Mother was a fabric designer and former couture model. Father was a decorated World War II veteran and director of London United Investments. Parents never married. Mainly because her dad was married to another woman throughout his relationship with her mother. They later broke up when she was 6. Attended Bedales School in Hampshire as a boarder soon after. Later attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and Collingham College in Kensington, Central London. Was involved in music since boarding school and received her first recording contract at 19. TV debut was in a 1991 commercial for Right Guard deodorant. Made her stage debut the same year.

Movies and Cartoons: Tarzan (1999)

Characters: Jane Porter

Also Known For: British-American actress and singer. Film appearances include Circle of Friends, Grosse Point Blank, Good Will Hunting, The Phantom of the Opera, Owning Mahowny, Princess Mononoke, GoldenEye, Big Night, Sleepers, Hard Rain, The Governess, An Ideal Husband, Return to Me, High Heels and Low Lifes, Hope Springs, Ella Enchanted, Portrait, The Simpsons Movie, Barney’s Version, I Give It a Year, Stage Fright (2014), Beyond the Lights, Unity, The Crash, The Wilde Wedding, Spinning Man, Cinderella (2021), Rosaline, Chevalier, Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, The Beekeeper, The Assessment, and Millers in Marriage. TV appearances include The Riches, Speechless, About a Boy, Will & Grace, The Deep, SuperMansion, The House of Elliot, Casualty, Lovejoy, Kinsey, Maigret, Screen One, Peak Practice, My Good Friend, Cruel Train, Murder Most Horrid, The X-Files, Absolutely Fabulous, Modern Family, Web Therapy, Hollywood Game Night, Hell’s Kitchen, The Red Tent, Peter Pan Live!, Undateable, Modern Love, Starstruck, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Our Flag Means Death, The Serpent Queen, Arcane, and Kraptopolis.

Personal Life: Once dated Matt Damon during in 1997 but they split in early 1998. Was once engaged to Josh Brolin in 2001. Was in a brief relationship with writer and producer Timothy J. Lea which resulted in her son Henry in 2008. Has been in a relationship with filmmaker Addison O’Dea since 2019. In 2016, Driver revealed that she was sexually assaulted at 17 while on vacation in Greece.

Later Life: Became a US citizen in 2017. But after living in California for a number of years, Driver moved back to London. Was a long-time supporter and ambassador of Oxfam before withdrawing her support in 2018 over a sexual abuse scandal in the organization. Began a podcast in 2021 called Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver, in which she asks seven questions inspired by the Proust Questionnaire. Guests have included Chelsea Clinton, Nick Jonas, and Cindy Crawford.

Trivia: Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Good Will Hunting. Has also been nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe. Has released 3 solo albums during her singing career.

263. Lance Henriksen

Dates: 1940-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Manhattan, New York City. Father was a Norwegian sailor and boxer named “Icewater” who spent most of his life at sea. Mother struggled to find work as a dance instructor, waitress, and model. Parents divorced when he was 2. Mother struggled to raise him and his brother Walter, leading him to spend part of his childhood in foster care. At 7, his mother handed him his birth certificate and said, “You’ll always know who you are,” before pushing him out of his home. However, Henrickson didn’t actually leave home until he was 12, claiming he “had enough” of his home life, and that multiple family members had physically assaulted him. He later recalled, “I got bludgeoned a lot. Different people, relatives. I remember every single face from my childhood. My alcoholic uncles, whoever. I’m not having a pity party here; I’m not Quasimodo. That’s just how it was.” On another occasion, 2 of his uncles encouraged him to take Methadrine and then take part in a staged car accident for the insurance money. Growing up, Henrickson had a reputation for getting in trouble at the various schools he attended, even spending time in a children’s home. Left school after completing the first grade and was said to be illiterate until he was 30. Later served in the US Navy, attaining the rank of Petty Officer Third Class. Later served with the US Merchant Marine. Soon he found work as a muralist and laborer on ships. For a time, he worked in Europe. At 30, he found work as a set designer and received his first acting role because he built the set for production. Also taught himself to read at this time as well. Yet, for his first role, he put the entire script on tape with a friend’s help and learned his part as well as all the others. Soon afterward, Henrickson graduated from the Actors Studio and began acting in New York City. Made his first film in 1961. But didn’t receive credit until his second film in 1972.

Movies and Cartoons: Tarzan (1999) as well as a direct-to-video follow-up and series The Legend of Tarzan and Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.

Characters: Kerchak

Also Known For: Actor known for his roles in various science fiction, action, and horror productions. Best known roles include Bishop in the Alien franchise and Frank Black in the TV series Millennium and The X-Files. Film appearances include The Right Stuff, The Terminator, Hard Target, Color of Night, The Quick and the Dead, Powder, Scream 3, Appaloosa, Falling, The Outsider, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Damien – Omen II, The Visitor, The Dark End on Elm Street, Prince of the City, On Dangerous Ground, Pumpkinhead, Survival Quest, Hit List, The Pit and the Pendulum (1991), Stone Cold, Jennifer 8, Super Mario Bros. (1993), Man’s Best Friend, Hard Target, Knights, Boulevard, Aurora: Operation Intercept, Dead Man, The Nature of the Beast, The Untold, Unspeakable, Madhouse, Alien vs. Predator, Hellraiser: Hellworld, When a Stranger Calls, Superman: Braniac Attacks, Dark Reel, Jennifer’s Body, Cyrus, Godkiller: Walk Among Us, Monster Brawl, Gemini Rising, Phantom, Road to Paloma, Mom and Dad, West of Hell, Cliffs of Freedom, Eminence Hill, The Unhealer, The Artifice Girl, and Altered Reality. TV appearances include Ryan’s Hope, Cagney & Lacey, The A-Team, Hardcastle and McCormick, Beauty and the Beast, Tales from the Crypt, The Day Lincoln Was Shot, Static Shot, Evel Knievel, Into the West, Supernova, In the Spider’s Web, DEA, Ladies of the House, NCIS, Transformers: Animated, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Castle, The Witches of Oz, Memphis Beat, Tron: Uprising, The Legend of Korra, All Hail King Julien, The Blacklist, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Grey’s Anatomy, Criminal Minds, The Night Shift, Legends of Tomorrow, New Looney Tunes, Better Things, Rabbit Hole, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Video game appearances include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Mass Effect trilogy, Run Like Hell, Red Falcon II, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Aliens vs. Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Detroit: Become Human, and The Quarry.

Personal Life: Paternal grandmother was a Sami reindeer herder. Has a daughter to a woman named Joan Bottinelli born in 1964. Married 3 times. First wife was Mary Jane Evans from 1985 until their divorce in 1989. Second wife was Jane Pollack from 1995 until their divorce in 2006. They have 3 children. Third and current wife is Louise Lunde since 2006. They also have a kid together.

Later Life: Autobiography Not Bad for a Human – The Life and Films of Lance Henriksen in which he wrote with Joseph Maddrey was published in 2011. The pair also wrote a 5-issue comic book called The Hell You Ride. A lifelong artist and potter before he became an actor, Henrickson has set up a website in 2017 to showcase and sell some of his most recent clay works. Currently lives in Tumwater, Washington.

Trivia: Has won a Saturn Award and been nominated for 3 Golden Globes.

264. Estelle Harris

Dates: 1928-2022

Early Life and Career: Born Estelle Nussbaum in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in New York City. Parents were Polish Jewish immigrants who owned a candy store and a soda shop. Family moved to Tarentum, Pennsylvania when she was 7. Graduated from Tarentum High School. Moved back to New York in 1952. Once her kids started school, she began her career in amateur productions and in dinner theater before moving on to regional theaters and summer stock productions across the country. When her kids had grown, Harris found success on Madison Avenue, appearing in 25 national commercials. Made her first film in 1977.

Movies and Cartoons: Toy Story 2 (1999), Brother Bear (2003), Home on the Range (2004), Toy Story 3 (2010), and Toy Story 4 (2019) as well as the direct-to-video Tarzan II, 3 Toy Story Toon shorts, various live action and animated series, and the Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue video game.

Characters: Mrs. Potato Head, Old Lady Bear, and Audrey

Also Known For: Actress and comedian known for her exaggeratedly shrill, grating voice. Best known as Estelle Costanza in Seinfeld and Muriel in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Has also starred in numerous commercials. Film appearances include Once Upon a Time in America, Stand and Deliver, This Is My Life, Perfect Alibi, The West Side Waltz, Out to Sea, Chairman of the Board, The Odd Couple II, My Giant, Lost & Found, What’s Cooking?, Dancing in September, Playing Mona Lisa, Good Advice, Teacher’s Pet, Queer Duck: The Movie, The Grand, Movin’ In, CBGB, and Promoted. TV appearances include Night Court, Married…with Children, Law & Order, Mad About You, Good Advice, The Tick, Star Trek: Voyager, Moesha, The Wild Thornberrys, The Parkers, Queer Duck, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Kids from Room 402, Providence, Weakest  Link,  Test the Nation, As Told by Ginger, Dave the Barbarian, Mind of Mencia, ER, American Dad!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Made in Hollywood, Fanboy & Chum Chum, The Looney Tunes Show, Futurama, The Exes, and Jake and the Never Land Pirates. Stage appearances include Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof, The Desert Song, and Annie Warbucks.

Personal Life: Married to window treatment salesman Sy Harris since 1952, whom she met at a dance and remained with him until his death in 2021. Had 3 children including Eric who was born in 1957 and became a social worker, Glen who was born in 1962 and became a music promoter and her unofficial manager, and Taryn who was born in 1962 and became a Nassau County police officer retired on disability. Also had 3 grandsons and one great-grandson by the time of her death.

Later Life: In 2001, Harris and her husband’s car blew out a tire and flipped twice but they escaped serious injuries. Died of natural causes in 2022 at her home in Palm Desert, California at 93.

Trivia: None.

265. Ken Sansom

Dates: 1927-2012

Early Life and Career: Born Frank Kenneth Sansom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Enlisted in the US Navy soon after graduating from Salt Lake City’s East High School in 1944. Enrolled in the University of Utah after World War II but later transferred to Brigham Young University where he received a bachelor’s degree in radio broadcasting in 1949. Was recalled by the US Navy for service during the Korean War. Served as a member of the USO, providing entertainment for the troops during his time in Korea. Began his career in 1957 with a Los Angeles radio show called Sansom and Then Some. Began acting in early 1968.

Movies and Cartoons: The Tigger Movie (2000), Piglet’s Big Movie (2003), and Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005) as well as various direct-to-video installments, TV series and specials, and video games.

Characters: Rabbit

Also Known For: Actor best known as the voice of Rabbit from 1988 to 2010. Film appearances include The Long Goodbye, Herbie Rides Again, The Sting, Airport 1975, Funny Lady, Nutcracker Fantasy, Banjo the Woodpile Cat, Starchaser: The Legend of Orin, and The Chipmunk Adventure. TV appearances include Mayberry R.F.D., The Brady Bunch, Charlie’s Angels, Days of Our Lives, The Transformers, and Murder, She Wrote.

Personal Life: Married to his wife Clara from 1961 until his death. They had 3 children.

Later Life: Retired from acting in 2010. Resided in Sandy, Utah. Died in 2012 due to complications from a stroke in Halladay, Utah at 85. Buried in Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park in Millcreek, Utah alongside his widow, Clara.

Trivia: None.

266. Peter Cullen

Dates: 1941-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Montreal, Quebec in Canada to American parents. Was a member of the first graduating class of the National Theatre School of Canada in 1963. Brother was a retired captain in the US Marine Corps and helped inspire his voice for Optimus Prime. During the 1960s, he mostly worked in Canadian radio and television, notably as an announcer in his hometown of Montreal where he worked on overnight and weekend swing shifts at his local radio station. He’d later become the announcer in The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and a series regular in The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour along with The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show.

Movies and Cartoons: The Tigger Movie (2000), Treasure Planet (2002), Piglet’s Big Movie (2003), and Pooh’s Heffalump Movie (2005) as well as various direct-to-video installments, TV series and specials, and video games.

Characters: Eeyore and Captain Nathaniel Flint

Also Known For: Canadian actor best known as Optimus Prime in the Transformers franchise throughout much of its duration. Other roles include KARR in Knight Rider and The Predator in Predator. Also done voice work in numerous commercials and promos. Film appearances include Tiki Tiki, King Kong (1976), Heidi’s Song, Gremlins, Robotix, Gallavants, Voyage of the Rock Aliens, Bigfoot and the Muscle Machines, Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, Voltron: Fleet of Doom, My Little Pony: The Movie, King Kong Lives, G. I. Joe: The Movie, and The Little Engine That Could. TV appearances include The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show, Mighty Man and Yukk, The Kwicky Koala Show, The Smurfs, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, The Scooby & Scrappy-Doo/Puppy Hour, Meatballs & Spaghetti, Pac-Man, Saturday Supercade, The Dukes, Mister T, Dungeons & Dragons, Heathcliff and the Cadillac Cats, Rainbow Brite, Alvin and the Chipmunks, G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Challenge of the GoBots, Voltron: Defender of the Universe, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, The Jetsons, MoonDreamers, Muppet Babies, Pound Puppies, The New Adventures of Johnny Quest, Foofur, My Little Pony, The Real Ghostbusters, The New Yogi Bear Show, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Tom & Jerry Kids, Tiny Toon Adventures, Bonkers, Hardball, Invincible, and The Masked Singer.

Personal Life: Has 4 children: Clay, Angus, Claire, and Pilar and 3 grandchildren. Father-in-law of actress Molly Culver.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Good friends with Frank Welker. Named to the Transformers Hall of Fame in 2010. Received a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television Arts in Sciences in 2023 as part of the Children’s and Family Emmy Awards. Devoted and supporter of NASA.

267. D. B. Sweeney

Dates: 1961-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Shoreham, New York. Attended Tulane and New York University.  Starred with Laura Linney in an Off-Broadway production of The Seagull in 1990 and in New York’s Alphabet City neighborhood. Later guest starred in TV series and films.

Movies and Cartoons: Dinosaur (2000) and Brother Bear (2003) as well as the series Phineas and Ferb and Disney’s Dinosaur video game.

Characters: Aladar and Sitka

Also Known For: Actor best known as Jackie Willow in Gardens of Stone, Lt. Phil Lowenthal in Memphis Belle, Travis Walton in Fire in the Sky, Shoeless Joe Jackson in Eight Men Out, and FBI Special Agent Morris in Major Crimes and The Closer. Film appearances include The Cutting Edge, No Man’s Land, Blue Desert, Leather Jackets, Hear No Evil, Roommates, Three Wishes, Spawn, After Sex, Hardball, Speak, The Darwin Awards, Two Tickets to Paradise, Yellow, Stiletto, Miracle at St. Anna, Taken 2, Atlas Shrugged: Part II, K-11, Underdogs, The Boxcar Children, Free Fall, Heist, Chi-Raq, Extraction, The Resurrection of Gavin Stone, Captive State, and Megalopolis. TV appearances include House, Jericho, Castle, Criminal Minds, Crash, The Event, Lonesome Dove, Tales from the Crypt, NYPD Blue, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, The Outer Limits, CSI: Miami, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: NY, 24, Hawaii Five-O, The Legend of  Korra, Two and a Half Men, S.W.A.T., Sharp Objects, Empire, and B Positive.

Personal Life: Married to Ashley Vachon from 2000 to their divorce in 2023. They have a son Cade and a daughter named Cody.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

268. Max Casella

Dates: 1967-present

Early Life and Career: Born Maximilian Deitch in Washington D.C. Father was a newspaper columnist. Mother was a social worker. Grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts and attended the Cambridge Ringe and Latin School with classmates like Traci Bingham, Ben Affleck, and Matt Damon. Has a growth deficiency disorder that accounts for his ability to play characters much younger than his own age. That he didn’t actually go through puberty until he was 27 after medical intervention. His physical changes led naturally led him to gain weight and his agents dropped him. He then had to completely reinvent himself as an actor.

Movies and Cartoons: Dinosaur (2000) as well as the direct-to-video The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.

Characters: Zini

Also Known For: Actor best known as Daxter in the Jak and Daxter video game series. Film appearances include Newsies, Ed Wood, Sgt. Bilko, Trial and Error, Analyze This, The Notorious Bettie Page, Letherheads, Revolutionary Road, Inside Llewyn Davis, Blue Jasmine, Oldboy, Jackie, Wonder Wheel, Late Night, The Rhythm Section, This Is the Night, The Tender Bar, Allswell in New York, and Lake George. TV appearances include Doogie Howser M. D., The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, Vinyl, Cro, Hey Arnold!, Working, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Medium, Hawaii Five-O, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Detour, Ray Donovan, The Blacklist, The Good Fight, Tulsa King, and Kaleidoscope. Appeared in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony video game.

Personal Life: Married to Leona Robbins from 2002 until their separation in 2018. They have 2 daughters Mia and Gioia.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

269.  David Spade

Dates: 1964-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Birmingham, Michigan. Mother was a writer and magazine editor. Father was a sales representative. Family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona when he was 4. Parents soon divorced. Mother raised him and his brothers in relative poverty. Attended Saguaro High School and Scottsdale Community College before transferring to Arizona State University. But later dropped out shortly thereafter because he made a decent living doing stand-up. Was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Also performed standup at the university’s long-running sketch comedy show, Farce Side Comedy Hour on numerous occasions. During the mid-1980s, he did stand-up in the Monday night comedy show at Greasy Tony’s Pizza in Tempe, Arizona. After being spotted by a talent agent while performing at The Improv at Los Angeles, he was cast in Police Academy 4 in 1987. Joined Saturday Night Live as a writer and later cast member in 1990 where he became known for his brand of sarcasm. Was known as among the “Bad Boys” of the show alongside Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Chris Rock, and Rob Schneider. Left the show in 1996.

Movies and Cartoons: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) as well as the direct-to-video Kronk’s New Groove.

Characters: Emperor Kuzco

Also Known For: Actor, stand-up comedian, and podcaster known for a comedic style that relies heavily on sarcasm and self-depreciation. Film appearances include Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Senseless, Joe Dirt, Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star, The Benchwarmers, Grown Ups, The Ridiculous 6, The Do-Over, The Wrong Missy, Hotel Transylvania, Snowflake, the White Gorilla, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, Coneheads, A Very Brady Sequel, The Rugrats Movie, Grandma’s Boy, Jack & Jill, Jungle Master, I Am Chris Farley, Sandy Wexler, Father of the Year, and Warning Shot. TV appearances include Saturday Night Live, Just Shoot Me!, Rules of Engagement, 8 Simple Rules, Lights Out with David Spade, The Facts of Life, Baywatch, ALF, The Larry Sanders Show, Beavis and Butt-Head, Father of the Pride, The Showbiz Show with David Spade, Entourage, Hot in Cleveland, The Goldbergs, Crowded, Inside Amy Schumer, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Fameless, Love, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Mayor, House Broken, and Snake Oil. Appeared in The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning video game.

Personal Life: Younger brother of businessman Andy Spade and brother-in-law of fashion designer Kate Spade. Has dated numerous actresses and celebrities including Heather Locklear, Lara Flynn Boyle, Julie Bowen, Teri Hatcher, and Naya Rivera. E! News once called him “a bachelor-era George Clooney of the comedy world.” Has a daughter with 2005 Playboy Playmate Jullian Grace.

Later Life: In 2000, he was attacked by his assistant David Warren “Skippy” Malloy while sleeping after breaking into his home in the early morning and used a stun gun on him. Told Howard Stern in an interview that he managed get away by running to his bedroom, grabbing his shotgun, and locking himself in his bathroom. Malloy pleaded guilty and avoided jail time on condition that he seek counseling for drug and psychological problems. He received 5 years’ probation, was ordered to stay 100 yards from Spade, and required by court to perform 480 hours of community service. Has donated $100,000 each to the Phoenix Police Department, The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) as well as $200,000 to the Oklahoma tornado relief program. Currently has houses in West Hollywood, the Hollywood Hills, and Beverly Hills.

Trivia: Has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy and 2 Golden Globes. Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. Received a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress for Jack & Jill in 2012.

270. Patrick Warburton

Dates: 1964-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Paterson, New Jersey. Father was an orthopedic surgeon. Mother’s a member of the Parents Television Council. Raised in Huntington Beach, California. Attended Saints Simon and Jude Catholic School. Later went to Servite High School in Anaheim before transferring to Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach. Studied marine biology at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa but dropped out to pursue modeling and acting.

Movies and Cartoons: The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Home on the Range (2004), Chicken Little (2005), and Planes: Fire & Rescue as well as direct-to-video installments, TV series, video games, and theme park attractions like Soarin’ and Star Tours – The Adventure Continues.

Characters: Kronk, Patrick, Alien Cop, and Pulaski.

Also Known For: Actor best known as David Puddy in Seinfeld, The Tick in The Tick (FOX series), Jeb Denton in Less Than Perfect, Jeff Bingham in Rules of Engagement, Lemony Snicket in A Series of Unfortunate Events, Joe Swanson in Family Guy, Sheriff Bronson Stone in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, and Brock Samson in The Venture Bros. Plays a “control enthusiast” in commercials for National Car Rental. Is the current voice of Ranger in a series of radio spots for the Smokey the Bear campaign sponsored by the US Forest Service and the Ad Council. Film appearances include Scorchers, American Strays, Scream 3, Joe Somebody, Run Ronnie Run, Big Trouble, Men in Black II, Hoodwinked!, Sky High, The Civilization of Maxwell Bright, The Wild, Open Season, Happily N’Ever After, Underdog, Bee Movie, Space Chimps, Get Smart, Made for Each Other, Flicka 2, Rock Slyde, The Little Engine That Could, Ted, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, Spotlight, Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser, Animal Crackers, Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs, Inheritance, Seal Team, and Unfrosted. TV appearances include Quantum Leap, Northern Exposure, Murphy Brown, Mad About You, Designing Women, Grace Under Fire, Ellen, NewsRadio, Teacher’s Pet, Malcolm in the Middle, The Twilight Zone, 8 Simple Rules, Happy Family, American Dad!, The Batman, Robot Chicken, Tak  and the Power of the  Juju, Sesame Street, The Fairly OddParents, The Cleveland Show, Archer, The Penguins of Madagascar, The Soup, Lego Star Wars, Moonbeam City, TripTank, Crowded, Skylanders Academy, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Orville, Space Force, The Bachelorette, and Mr. Birchum. Video game appearances include Spider-Man, Metal Arms: Glitch in the System, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure, Poker Night 2, Tales from the Borderlands, and The Outer Worlds.

Personal Life: Married to his college sweetheart Cathy Jennings since 1991. They have 4 children actor Talon, Shane, Gabriel, and Alexandria.

Later Life: Lives in Santa Rosa, California.

Trivia: Although he’s a lifelong fan of the Los Angeles Kings, Warburton has appeared at multiple New Jersey Devils hockey games with his face and chest painted to that of his Devils crazed role in his episode of Seinfeld, exhorting the crowd the same way like that of his David Puddy character. He once dropped the first puck for the Devils’ 1995 season where he slipped and fell. But Warburton regained his balance and ripped off his shirt to reveal the letter “D,” which came to be regarded as an iconic moment in Devils’ history. In 2019, the Devils gave out a Puddy bobblehead doll to fans at a 2019 game.