These next 2 Disney movies were science fiction films released in 2002. And yet, both were made on different budgets and went into very different directions. The origins of Lilo & Stitch date as early as 1985 when new CalArts graduate Chris Sanders created the character of Stitch for an unsuccessful children’s book pitch. He claimed, “I wanted to do a children’s book about this little creature that lived in a forest. It was a bit of a monster with no real explanation as to where it came from.” Finding condensing the story difficult, Sanders abandoned the project. That is, until 1997 while he was working at Walt Disney Feature Animation. At that time, Disney CEO Michael Eisner invited several executives to a retreat at his Vermont farm to discuss the future animation state beyond adapting pre-existing legends, folklore, and classic novels. Then Disney Feature Animation executive vice president Thomas Schumacher suggested they produce a film that would be “the Dumbo for our generation” compared to the big-budget Disney animated features they’ve already done. Schumacher approached Sanders about producing the film, telling him: “Everybody wants this next film to be you.” During a karaoke party at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort, Schumacher asked Sanders, “Is there anything you would like to develop?” Sanders then remembered the children’s book project he initially developed. At their next meeting, Sanders pitched a remote, nonurban location, with Stitch crash-landing into a forest and entirely interacting with woodland animals, being ostracized by them, and living on his own farm in Kansas. But Schumacher suggested that Stitch needed to interact with people instead. For 3 days straight in a hotel room in Palm Springs, Florida, Sanders created a 29-page book drawing conceptual sketches and outlining the film’s general story. He initially revised it by adding a boy character. But as the character of Stitch evolved, he decided to change the boy into a girl. He then glanced at a map of Hawaii on his wall and recalling his recent vacation there, he relocated the story there and used the names of a couple of streets for Lilo and Nani. After finishing the booklet, Sanders shipped it to Burbank and Schumacher approved the pitch with one condition: it has to look like you drew it.” Originally Stitch was supposed to be a leader of an intergalactic gang and Jumba was one of his former cronies. But this was changed to that of creation and creator. Since the budget was too small, Sanders and the animation team used water-colored backgrounds and animated the characters in Sanders’ drawing style. Extraterrestrial elements were designed to resemble marine life such as whales and crabs. One scene had Stitch, Nani, Jumba, and Pleakley hijacking a Boeing 747 from Lihue Airport that scrapes against buildings through downtown Honolulu. But that was changed due to the 9/11 Attacks. While the climax was reworked to use Jumba’s spacecraft instead. Upon its release in 2002, Lilo & Stitch grossed $273 at the box office and positive reviews.

              Based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novel Treasure Island, the concept of Treasure Planet was pitched in 1985. But it wasn’t given the green light until a decade later. Filmmaker Ron Clements wanted to create a space world that was “warm and had more life to it than you would normally think of in a science fiction film”, as opposed to the “stainless steel, blue, smoke coming from the bowels of heavily pipe laden” treatment of science fiction. In order to make the film “fun” by creating more exciting action sequences because they believed that having characters wear space suits and helmets “would take all the romance out of it,” the crew created the concept of “Etherium” an “outer space filled with atmosphere” and the characters wear 18^th century clothing much like in the original Treasure Island with some sci-fi technology thrown in. Not to mention, create more of a storybook look as well as a “blended-in” finish between the 2D traditional and 3D CGI animation. With a budget of $140 million, Treasure Planet is the most expensive traditionally animated film to date. Yet, when it was released in 2002, it only made $109 million at the box office, rendering it a flop despite positive reviews with a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 69%. But it has since gained a cult following. In this post, we’ll meet the filmmaker Pete Docter as well as the voices behind Lilo, Nani, David, Pleakley, Cobra Bubbles, Captain Gantu, The Grand Councilwoman, Mrs. Hasagawa, and John Silver.

281. Pete Docter

Dates: 1968-present

Early Life and Career: Born Peter Hans Docter in Bloomington, Minnesota. Mother was a music teacher. Father was a choral director at Normandale Community College. Grew up introverted and socially isolated, preferring to work alone and having to remind himself to connect with others. Often played in the creek beside his house, pretending to be Indiana Jones and acting out scenes. He and his sisters took music lessons in the violin and viola at the McPhail Center for Music but wasn’t particularly interest in music. Well, at least as much as the rest of his family. Although he learned to play double bass. Attended Nine Mile Elementary School, Oak Grove Junior High, and John F. Kennedy High School in Bloomington. Taught himself cartooning, making flip books and homemade animated shorts with a family movie camera. Credited Chuck Jones, Walt Disney, and Jack Davis as major inspirations. Spent about a year at the University of Minnesota where he studied both philosophy and art before transferring to California Institute of the Arts where he won a Student Academy Award for his production of “Next Door” and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Although Docter initially planned to work for Walt Disney Animation Studios, his best offers came from Pixar and the producers of The Simpsons. Since Joe Ranft was one of his teachers who recommended him to accept a job at Pixar, Docter decided to work there right after his graduation as its third animator. At the time, it was a strange and unusual decision since Pixar was a relatively obscure animation studio with a few shorts to its name. But he liked the tight-knit community atmosphere, saying “Growing up … a lot of us felt we were the only person in the world who had this weird obsession with animation. Coming to Pixar you feel like, ‘Oh! There are others!’” At first, he had limited responsibilities but John Lasseter quickly assigned him larger roles in writing, animation, sound recording, and orchestra scoring.

Movies and Cartoons: Monsters, Inc. (2001), The Incredibles (2004), WALL-E (2008), Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Inside Out 2 (2024)

Characters: CDA Agent, Strauch, Kevin, and Dad’s Anger

Also Known For: Filmmaker and animator who’s served as Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer (CCO) since 2018. Has worked behind the scenes in almost every Pixar feature film and has played an integral role in some of its most seminal works including Toy Story (1995), A Bug’s Life (1998), Toy Story 2 (1999), Monsters, Inc. (2001), Finding Nemo (2003), The Incredibles (2004), 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) as well as various series and shorts.

Personal Life: Sister Kristen became a violist and founding member of Cavani String Quartet. Sister Kari became a cellist with the Metropolitan Opera. Married to Amanda Jean Schmit since 1992. Has a son named Nicholas and a daughter named Elie who voiced the young Ellie in Up and served as the inspiration for Riley in Inside Out.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: Played the double bass with orchestras for the Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Up (2009) soundtracks. Has won 3 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature with Up (2009), Inside Out (2015), and Soul (2020), 6 Annie Awards, a BAFTA Children’s Film Award, and a Hochi Film Award. Received the Winsor McCay Award in 2023.

282. Daveigh Chase

Dates: 1990-present

Early Life and Career: Born Daveigh Elizabeth Chase-Schwallier in Las Vegas, Nevada. Name was changed to Daveigh Elizabeth Chase when her parents divorced. Raised in Albany, Oregon. Career kicked off when she won the role of Lilo Pelekai in Lilo and Stitch (2002).

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as a couple of direct-to-video sequels, the Lilo & Stitch animated series, and a few video games.

Characters: Lilo Pelekai

Also Known For: Actress best known as Samantha Darko in Donnie Darko, Chihiro Ogino in Spirited Away, Samara Morgan in The Ring, and Rhonda Volmer in Big Love. Film appearances include A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Carolina, Yellow, Little Red Wagon, Jack Goes Home, and American Romance. TV appearances include Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, ER, The Practice, Touched by an Angel, Oliver Beene, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Cold Case, Betsy’s Kindergarten Adventures, Without a Trace, and Mercy. Appeared in Let It Die video game.

Personal Life: I couldn’t find anything on her personal life.

Later Life: Hasn’t acted in anything since 2017.

Trivia: Won the Annie Award and a Young Artist Award for her performance on the Lilo & Stitch animated series.

283.  Tia Carrere

Dates: 1967-present

Early Life and Career: Born Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo in Honolulu, Hawaii. Mother was a computer supervisor. Father was a banker. Attended the all-girls Sacred Hearts Academy. Aspired to be a singer as a child. Although eliminated in the first round of her 1985 Star Search appearance at 18, she’d be spotted by a local producer while shopping at a Waikiki grocery store and was cast in the film Aloha Summer. Around this time, she adopted her stage name by using her sister’s nickname for her “Tia” and a variation of “Carrera” in tribute to actress Barbara Carrera. Following this success, Carrere moved to Los Angeles where she worked as a model before landing her first television in 1985.

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as a few direct-to-video installments and various series.

Characters: Nani Pelekai

Also Known For: Actress and singer best known as Cassandra Wong in Wayne’s World, Juno Skinner in True Lies, Queen Tyr’ahnee in Duck Dodgers, Cha Cha in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sydney Fox in Relic Hunter, and Lady Danger in AJ and the Queen. Was also a contestant on Dancing with the Stars and The Celebrity Apprentice. Film appearances include Aloha Summer, Zombie Nightmare, Fine Gold, Showdown in Little Tokyo, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man, Little Sister, Rising Sun, Jury Duty, Hollow Point, High School High, Kull the Conqueror, Top of the World, Scar City, My Teacher’s Wife, Five Aces, Merlin: The Return, Wild Cherry, Hard Breakers, You May Not Kiss the Bride, Showdown in Manila, and Easter Sunday. TV appearances include General Hospital, Airwolf, The A-Team, MacGyver, Quantum Leap, Married…with Children, Tales from the Crypt, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Veronica’s Closet, Johnny Bravo, Supernova, The O. C., Back to You, Nip/Tuck, CSI: Miami, Veronica Mars, Warehouse 13, In Plain Sight, Family Guy, Blue Bloods, NCIS, and Never Have I Ever. Video game appearances include The Daedalus Encounter and Saints Row.

Personal Life: Married twice. First husband was producer Elie Samaha from 1992 until their divorce in 2000. Second husband was photojournalist Simon Wakelin from 2002 until their divorce in 2010 due to irreconcilable differences and sought full custody of their daughter.

Later Life: Is stated to appear in the upcoming live action Lilo & Stitch but as a different character than in the original. Lives in Los Angeles as of 2010.

Trivia: Has won 2 Grammys for her music. Album Dream went platinum in the Philippines.

284.  Jason Scott Lee

Dates: 1966-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Los Angeles but raised in Hawaii. Attended Pearl City High School. Acting career began in 1987.

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as a direct-to-video sequel, the 1994 live action version of The Jungle Book, and the live action Mulan.

Characters: David Kawena

Also Known For: Actor and martial artist best known as Mowgli in Disney’s 1994 live action version of The Jungle Book and Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Film appearances include Born in East L.A., Back to the Future Part II, Map of the Human Heart, Rapa-Nui, Murder in Mind, Soldier, Tale of the Mummy, Nomad, Only the Brave, Balls of Fury, The Slanted Screen, Seventh Son, and The Wind and the Reckoning. TV appearances include Matlock, Wolf, CBS Schoolbreak Special, The Lookalike, The Hunger, Arabian Nights, Hawaii-Five-O, and Doogie Kamealoha M. D.

Personal Life: Married to Diana Chan since 2008.

Later Life: Stated to appear in the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch later in 2025.

Trivia: Was listed at #7 by Goldsea magazine’s compilation of “The 130 Most Inspiring Asian Americans of All Time.”

285. Kevin McDonald

Dates: 1961-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. Father was a dental equipment salesman. Moved to Los Angeles, California at 7 after his dad was transferred there. Family later moved to Toronto as well. According to an interview on WTF with Mark Maron, his father was an alcoholic while his mother was a “wonderful woman” who was reluctant to leave him until McDonald turned 19 and his dad’s drinking escalated to 2 vodka bottles a day. McDonald, his mother, and his younger sister rented an apartment where they moved their belongings “every night [after his father would] collapse on the stairs.” Once the 3 completely moved, his parents divorced. While his dad lost his job, declared bankruptcy, and lived in a homeless shelter for a year which prompted him to get sober. McDonald later studied acting at a community college where he claimed was kicked out for being a “one-legged actor” (in that he excelled in comedy but flunked drama). However, one of his professors named William B. Davis saw McDonald’s potential and encouraged him to pursue improv by giving him the number to Toronto’s Second City. While at Toronto’s Second City Training Center, McDonald met Dave Foley and they founded The Kids in the Hall where they wrote and performed sketches together more than anyone in the group. This collaboration would result in a 5-season TV show and a movie called Brain Candy.

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as various direct-to-video installments several video games, various series, and the Stitch’s Great Escape! theme park ride.

Characters: Agent Wendy Pleakley

Also Known For: Canadian actor and comedian who’s a member of The Kids in the Hall who’ve appeared in a number of stage, television, and film productions most notably the 1990s TV series The Kids in the Hall and their movie Brain Candy. Best known roles include Pastor Dave in That ‘70s Show, Waffle in Catscratch, and Almighty Tallest Purple in Invader Zim. Film appearances include National Lampoon’s Senior Trip, The Wrong Guy, Boy Meets Girl, The Godson, Galaxy Quest, The Ladies Man, Sky High, Thru the Moebius Strip, Unaccompanied Minors, Epic Movie, Year of the Carnivore, Keyhole, Dead Before Dawn, Sorry for Your Loss, Mouth Congress, and Deaner ’89. TV appearances include MADtv, Friends, NewsRadio, Seinfeld, Ellen, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, The Angry Beavers, The Drew Carey Show, The True Meaning of Christmas Specials, Corner Gas, Grounded for Life, Arrested Development, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Bratz, Sketch with Kevin McDonald, Casper’s Scare School, According to Jim, WordGirl, Back at the Barnyard, The Penguins of Madagascar, The Soup, Dino Dan, Papillon, Fish Hooks, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Odd Squad, Moonbeam City, The Plateaus, The Bagel and Becky Show, Delmer & Marta, Walk the Plank, Amphibia, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

Personal Life: Married to Tiffany Lacey from 1993 until their divorce in 1995.

Later Life: Still actively working as of 2025.

Trivia: None.

286.  Ving Rhames

Dates: 1959-present

Early Life and Career: Born Irving Rameses Rhames in Harlem within New York City. Named after NBC journalist Irving R. Levine. Attended High School of the Performing Arts where he developed his love of acting. After graduation, he studied drama at SUNY Purchase where fellow acting student Stanley Tucci gave him the nickname “Ving.” Later transferred to the Julliard School’s Drama Division where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1983. First appeared on Broadway in 1984 and in film in 1986.

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as various direct-to-video installments and series such as The Proud Family and Lilo & Stitch: The Series.

Characters: Cobra Bubbles

Also Known For: Actor best known as IMF agent Luther Stickwell in the Mission: Impossible film series and Marsellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction. Film appearances include Native Son, Patty Hearst, Casualties of War, The Long Walk Home, Jacob’s Ladder, The People Under the Stairs, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Dave, The Saint of Fort Washington, Drop Squad, Kiss of Death (1995), Striptease, Rosewood, Con Air, Out of Sight, Bringing Out the Dead, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Dark Blue, Sin, Dawn of the Dead, Animal, Idlewild, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry,  Day of the Dead, Phantom Punch, Savin g  God, The Bridge to Nowhere, Surrogates, Evil Angel, Piranha 3D, King of the Avenue, Red Canvas, The River Murders, Julia X, Seven Below, Soldiers of Fortune, Won’t Back Down, Force of Execution, Jamesy Boy, Operator, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, The Star (2017), Father Figures,  Con  Man,  Wendell & Wild, The Locksmith, The Garfield Movie, The Instigators, and The Wild Robot. TV appearances include Go Tell It on the Mountain, Miami Vice, Another World, Tour of Duty, The Equalizer, ScreenPlay, ER, Don King: Only in America, American Tragedy, Sins of the Father, RFK, Kojak, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Aquaman, Football Wives, Monday Mornings, and Dope Thief. Video game appearances include Driver 3 and Call of Duty: WWII.

Personal Life: Married twice. First wife was Valerie Scott from 1994 to their divorce in 1999. Second an current wife is Deborah Reed since 2000. Reportedly has 3 children.

Later Life: Lives in Santa Monica, California as of 2018. Filmed a series of ADT commercials in 2015. Is currently one of the narrators for UFC.

Trivia: Has provided the narration for Arby’s commercials since 2014. Has won a Golden Globe in 1998 for Don King: Only in America. Has been the only actor aside from Tom Cruise to be in all of the Mission: Impossible movies. Was once considered for the role of John Coffey.

287. Kevin Michael Richardson

Dates: 1964-present

Early Life and Career: Born in the Bronx, New York City. Attended Syracuse University where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater in 1988.

Movies and Cartoons: Recess: School’s Out (2001), Lilo & Stitch (2002), The Princess and the Frog (2009), and Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014) as well as the live action The Country Bears, various direct-to-video installments, series, and video games.

Characters: Cop #2, Captain Gantu, Ian the Gator, and Ryker

Also Known For: Actor known for his distinctively deep voice that he’s mostly voiced villains in animation and video games. Best known roles include Goro in Mortal Kombat, Bulkhead in Transformers: Prime, Joker in The Batman (cartoon series), Deus Ex Machina in The Matrix Revolutions, Trigon, Mammoth, and See-More in Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, Oroku Saki/the Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stump Smash and Tree Rex in the Skylanders video game series, Barney Rubble in The Flintstones: On the Rocks, the Mauler Twins and Monster Girl in Invincible, and Chairman Drek in the Ratchet & Clark video game. Film appearances include Fatal Instinct, Past Tense, A Boy Called Hate, Spy Hard, Bound, Comic Book: The Movie, Clerks II, Benji, All Dogs Go to Heaven 2, Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists, Rugrats in Paris: The Movie, The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Teacher’s Pet, Porco Rosso, Pom Poko, Hoodwinked!, The Wild, Tales from Earthsea, Happily N’Ever After, TMNT, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek Into Darkness, John Dies at the End, Strange Magic, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie: Sponge Out of Water, Transformers: The Last Knight, Extinct, Minions: The Rise of Gru, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. TV appearances include Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, American Dad!, The Simpsons, Futurama, F Is for Family, Herman’s Head, Dream On, Mad About You, ER, Weird Science, Teen Angel, Working, Odd Man Out, Phil of the Future, Malcolm in the Middle, The Knights of Prosperity, The Cleaner, How I Met Your Mother, Skeleton Warriors, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Earthworm Jim, Adventures from the Book of Virtues, Superman: The Animated Series, The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest, What a Cartoon!, Hey Arnold!, Rugrats,  Dexter’s Laboratory, Animaniacs, Voltron: The Third Dimension, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, The New Batman Adventures, The Powder Puff Girls, The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries, Batman Beyond, The New Woody Woodpecker Show, Johnny Bravo, The Wild Thornberrys, Samurai Jack, Static Shock, Time Squad, Invader Zim, Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Fairly OddParents, Justice League, The Mummy, SpongeBob SquarePants, As Told by Ginger, The Zeta Project, Duck Dodgers, The Grim Adventures of Bill & Mandy, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Dave the Barbarian, Danny Phantom, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Higglytown Heroes, Xiaolin Showdown, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Foster’s Home of Imaginary Friends, Catscratch, Loonatics Unleashed, The Boondocks, Chowder, The Land Before Time, Back at the Barnyard, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ben 10: Alien Force, The Penguins of Madagascar, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Wolverine and the X-Men, The Super Hero Squad Show, Black Panther, Adventure Time, Pound Puppies, Young Justice, Generation Rex, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, The Looney Tunes Show, ThunderCats, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Green Lantern: The Animated Series, The Legend of Korra, Ultimate Spider-Man, Mad, Avengers Assemble, Hulk and the Agents of S. M. A. S. H., All Hail King Julien, Steven Universe, Rick and Morty, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, TripTank, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, Guardians of the Galaxy, DC Super Hero Girls, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, The Boss Baby: Back in Business, Summer Camp Island, Victor and Valentino, Robot Chicken, Aquaman: King of Atlantis, Big Nate, Frog and Toad, and Krapopolis. Video game appearances include Leisure Suit Larry: Set Sail!, Fallout 2, Kings Quest: Mask of Eternity, Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Trek: Starfleet Command, Revenant, Star Wars: Force Commander, Star Trek: Klingon Academy, Sacrifice, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen, Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter, Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat, EOE: Eve of Extinction, Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon, Superman: Shadow of Apokolips, Law and Order: Dead on the Money, Run Like Hell, Indiana Jones and the Emperor’s Tomb, Freelancer, Enter the Matrix, Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader, True Crime: Streets of LA, Crash Nitro Kart, Spawn: Armageddon, Champions of Norrath, Galleon, Halo 2, The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning, Emergency Heroes, The Elder Scrolls Online, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Heroes of the Storm, and Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time.

Personal Life: Has been married to a woman named Monica since 2006. He has 2 stepsons from her previous marriage.

Later Life: Currently lives in Los Angeles.

Trivia: Received 2 Daytime Emmy nominations.

288. Zoe Caldwell

Dates:1933-2020

Early Life and Career: Born in Melbourne, Australia. Raised in the suburb of Balwyn. Father was a plumber. Mother often took some of the neighborhood kids to the Elizabethan Theatre in Richmond where they’d go backstage and watch rehearsals and performances. Graduated from Methodist Ladies’ College in Kew. Began her career in Melbourne during the 1950s and early 1960s, where she performed with the newly formed Union Theatre Repertory Company. Emigrated to England upon being invited to join the Royal Shakespear Company at the time Charles Laughton was attempting to revive Lear while Vanessa Redgrave, Eileen Atkins, and Albert Finney were among the company’s newcomers. Later went to the United States where she was one of the original of actors under Guthrie’s direction at the Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. Soon became a life member of the Actors Studio.

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as several direct-to-video sequels, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, the short Stitch’s Great Escape!, and a couple of video games.

Characters: The Grand Councilwoman

Also Known For: Australian actress and 4-time Tony Award winner. Film appearances include The Purple Rose of Cairo, Birth, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. TV appearances include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, BBC Sunday Night Play, Theatre 70, Festival, Playdate, Dear Liar, Great Performances, Play of the Month, American Masters, Lantern Hill, and Road to Avonlea. Stage appearances include The Devils, Slapstick Tragedy, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Creation of the World and Other Business, Dance of Death, Medea, Macbeth, Master Class, The Play What I Wrote, and The Visit.

Personal Life: Married to Canadian-born Broadway producer Robert Whitehead (who’s Hume Cronyn’s cousin) from 1968 until his death in 2002. Had 2 sons.

Later Life: Died from complications of Parkinson’s disease in 2020 in Port Ridge, New York at  86.

Trivia: Was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 1970. Was a 4-time Tony Award winner. Received an honorary degree from the University of Melbourne. Although she made it a rule not to get romantically involved with a co-star due to privacy constraints, she was named as a correspondent by Albert Finney’s then-wife Jane Wenham in their divorce.

289. Amy Hill

Dates: 1953-present

Early Life and Career: Born in Deadwood, South Dakota. Mother was a Japanese national. Father died in a car accident when she was 26. Became an acclaimed actress working for the famed Asian American Theater Company in San Francisco, California. Is also known in the theatre world as a respected performance artist, having written and performed many one-woman shows, including the trilogy of Tokyo Bound, Reunion, and Beside Myself.

Movies and Cartoons: Lilo & Stitch (2002) as well as various series. Was first noticed in the industry for her involvement in Margaret Cho’s short-lived sitcom All-American Girl in the role of grandmother Yung-hee, better known as Grandma or Grandma Kim.

Characters: Mrs. Hasagawa

Also Known For: Actress and stand-up comedian who’s best known as Yung-Hee “Grandma” Kim in All-American Girl, Mrs. De Paulo in That’s So Raven, Mama Tohru in Jackie Chan Adventures, Ah-Mah Jasmine Lee in The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Judy Harvey in Enlightened, Mah Mah Ling in American Dad!, Dr. Wagerstein in Unreal, Beverly Tarantino in Mom, Ms. Mannering in Preacher, Mama P in Just Add Magic, Lourdes Chan in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Teuila “Kemu” Tuileta in Magnum P.I., Mrs. Kwan in The Cat in the Hat, Sue in 50 First Dates, and Mrs. Ho-Kym in Next Friday. Film appearances include Dim Sun: A Little Bit of Heart, Judgement, Rising Sun, Yellow, Auggie Rose, Pavilion of Women, Max Keeble’s Big Move, Big Fat Liar, Cheaper by the Dozen, Herbie: Fully Loaded, Let’s Go to Prison, Finishing the Game, South of Pico, White Frog, Big Gay Love, Man Up, Catfight, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Mack & Rita. TV appearances include Partners in Crime, The Real Ghostbusters, Growing Pains, Night Court, Perfect Strangers, Seinfeld, The Puzzle Place, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Pauly, The Hughleys, Friends, 3^rd Rock from the Sun, Andy Richter Controls the Universe, King of the Hill, Still Standing, Fraiser, Six Feet Under, Without a Trace, The Closer, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Desperate Housewives, The Sarah Silverman Project, Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal, Ghost Whisperer, General Hospital, Glee, Castle, Two and a Half Men, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, The Office, Arrested Development, The Legend of Korra, Hawaii Five-O, Life in Pieces, The Great Indoors, Black-ish, Santa Clarita Diet, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, Doogie Kamealoha M. D., and Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight. Stage appearances include Twelfth Night, Peace, and Our Town.

Personal Life: Has an adopted daughter named Penelope who was born in 2000.

Later Life: Is stated to appear in the upcoming live-action Lilo & Stitch that’s set to be released later in 2025.

Trivia: Nominated for a regional Emmy as a writer/host of Get Real, an Asian American teen talk show in Los Angeles.

290. Brian Murray

Dates: 1937-2018

Early Life and Career: Born Brian Bell in Johannesburg, South Africa. Father was a professional golfer. Made his Broadway debut in 1965.

Movies and Cartoons: Treasure Planet (2002) as well as a couple video games.

Characters: John Silver

Also Known For: South African actor and theater director whose career spanned around 60 years. Film appearances include The Angry Silence, The League of Gentlemen, Bob Roberts, City Hall, My Dog Tulip, Dream House, In the Family, and A Bread Factory. TV appearances include ITV Play of the Week, Saturday Playhouse, No Hiding Place, Drama 61-67, Another World, Great Performances, Kojak, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, 30 Rock, American Experience, and The Good Wife. Radio appearances include A Tale of Two Cities, The Man of Destiny, The Killer, Medea, The Tempest, The Imaginary Invalid, The Lady of the Camellias, An Enemy of the People, Arms and the Man, and Uncle Vanya.

Personal Life: I couldn’t find anything on his personal life.

Later Life: Died in 2018 from natural causes in New York City at 80.

Trivia: Has won 2 Drama Desk Awards. Has been nominated for 3 Tony Awards, 4 Drama Desk Awards, and an Annie. Inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 2004.