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Frances Fisher began by apprenticing at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia. She spent 14 years based in New York City, playing leads in over 30 productions of plays by such noted writers as John Arden, Noël Coward, Emily Mann, Joe Orton, Sam Shepard, William Shakespeare, Jean-Claude van Itallie, Eudora Welty and Tennessee Williams. She won a Drama Logue Award - Best Ensemble for the American Premier of Caryl Churchill's "Three More Sleepless Nights", played in the American premier of Judith Thompson's "The Crackwalker" and originated roles in Elia Kazan's "The Chain" and Arthur Miller's last play "Finishing the Picture". Besides working with Kazan and Miller, some of Ms. Fisher's more interesting theater experiences were creating roles from two great works of literature: George Orwell's "1984" and Victor Hugo's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". Ms. Fisher worked at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles alongside Annette Bening and Alfred Molina in Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard". Fisher starred in "Sexy Laundry" with Paul Ben-Victor at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles. She studied with Stella Adler and became a lifetime member of the Actors Studio by actually "walking up the stairs" and auditioning for legendary acting teacher Lee Strasberg. Ms. Fisher recently completed The Host (2013), Love on the Run (2016), Red Wing (2013) and will work with Catherine Hardwicke in her new film Plush (2013) in August 2012. Ms. Fisher was honored for a Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 in her old hometown of the Pacific Palisades, California.

Dax Randall Shepard was born in 1975 in Milford, a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, to Laura (LaBo), who worked at GM, and Dave Robert Shepard, Sr., a car salesman. His mother is of French-Canadian and Belgian descent. With both his parents working in the automotive industry, Dax's first love was cars.

Shepard graduated from Walled Lake Central High School in 1993, and moved to California in 1995. He graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a B.A. in Anthropology. While attending UCLA he trained at The Groundlings Theater for improv and sketch comedy. After eight years of auditioning, Dax booked Punk'd, his first paid acting role.

Shepard is married to actress Kristen Bell, with whom he has two children.

Emmy-nominated actress, podcast network owner, content creator, host, and Millenial Disney icon Christy Carlson Romano has made an undeniable name for herself through her various entertainment projects and activism championing high-performing youth. Most recently, Christy, alongside husband and CEO Brendan Rooney, successfully launched the PodCo network. Through her recent venture and career overall, Christy continues to leave a positive and long-lasting legacy in media.

Best known for her roles in Disney's "Kim Possible," "Even Stevens," and "Cadet Kelly," Christy became the first person to star in three Disney Channel projects simultaneously*. Along with her vast career in television, animation, and film, she made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical Parade, originating the role of 'Mary Phagan' at 14. Christy is also known for bringing Disney princess Belle' to life in the highly acclaimed Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and 'Kate Monster' in Avenue Q on Broadway. In recent years, Christy found herself ahead of the nostalgia wave with her popular YouTube series formats, Christy's Kitchen Throwback, and her intimate "Walk & Talk" videos, which amassed a significant social following while sharing authentic insight into her life.

Christy's highly publicized YouTube channel now boasts 50M views and counting. After five years of successful content production with husband and partner Brendan Rooney, the pair launched PodCo in 2023, which Business Insider quickly profiled as a company to watch. PodCo believes the future of podcasting lies in both the visual and audio mediums and incorporates a unique hybrid format via its Los Angeles studio. Current titles under the PodCo umbrella include chart-topping series' Ned's Declassified Podcast Survival Guide, Wizards of Waverly Pod, Vulnerable, Fuller House with Dave Coulier, and Big Name B*tches.

Romano has actively participated in countless charities, including the American Cancer Society, St. Jude's Hospital, The Center for Child Protection, and UNICEF. She designed and dedicated the proceeds of her 'Ready for Action' Mickey statue to the Children's Miracle Network and has fulfilled several wishes for the Make-a-Wish Foundation. In 2023, She was asked to join the SAG affiliate "Looking Ahead Program" advisory board benefiting young artists.

When Christy is not busy filming, hosting, creating content, or building out PodCo, she can be found spending quality time with her husband and daughters in their Austin, Texas home.

Not only is Ellen an actress but she is a Mensa member and a student at the Lee Strasberg School; she also drives and races a 6-speed SS and collects Burmese cats. Her awards include Best Actress at the AFI for The Young Girl and the Monsoon (1999) and Best Supporting Actress at the Japanese Film Festival for Dolores Claiborne (1995).

Her father, Dr. Erich Muth, was national optician of the year, has an entire museum named after him, and has written several books on optics, the profits from which he donates to The Erich Muth Scholarship; he donated a section of the Smithsonian.

Her mother, Rachel Muth, helped make it possible for Ellen to be an actress by taking her to all her auditions until she was 18.

Dylan Bruno was born on 6 September 1972 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Thumb Runner (2020), Where the Heart Is (2000) and Taken 3 (2014). He has been married to Emmeli Hultquist since 24 June 2006. They have two children.

As a child, Brian Steele knew only two speeds: full throttle and off. Perpetually hyperactive and adventurous, young Brian constantly pushed boundaries and tested the patience of his parents and teachers.

But Brian's boundless energy and ambition had no direction, growing up in small-town Highland, Michigan. But soon a few local Detroit television programs changed all that. Brian discovered "Monster Week," The Ghoul, and Sir Graves Ghastly - fright fest-y shows whose creature-characters he found fascinating.

Towering over classmates at an astounding 6'7", Brian again found himself turning to onscreen icons for inspiration; watching over-the-top physical comedy by the Three Stooges and Laurel and Hardy helped him embrace his physical awkwardness.

But lacking an outlet for his energy or any focus on a career, Brian had no direction.

In 1985 he moved to the Florida Keys, hoping to discover his dreams there. But after two years working odd jobs like bagging groceries, working at a go-cart track, and on the docks at the local marina, Brian decided to move one more time. With only $700, a duffel bag full of clothes and a 10-speed bicycle, he bought a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.

Brian's gamble paid off. L.A. loved him. Universal Studios Theme Park took one look at the awkward 24 year-old and knew exactly what to do with him; they hired him to perform as Frankenstein's monster.

When Universal was searching for a man to don the suit for the television version of Harry and the Henderson's, they didn't have to look far. Brian was thrilled to be surrounded with cast mates who helped nurture his talents as an actor. Always patient and supportive with him as he became familiar with his new job responsibilities, the cast of HATH gave Brian the confidence to cultivate his craft.

48 episodes as Harry led to a role on NBC's sci-fi series, Earth 2. Brian learned quickly about the niche in Hollywood for "creature actors." Glued, painted, Velcro-ed, snapped and harnessed into bodysuits and masks, Brian made a name for himself as the man who could bring monsters to life.

Since 1997, he has played characters tailor made to scare audiences. That year, The Relic opened the door for Brian to work with Hollywood heavy-hitters. He breathed life into villains in the Underworld Trilogy and Blade: Trinity. He's worked with acclaimed directors Guillermo Del Toro (both Hellboy films) and M. Night Shayamalan (Lady in the Water). He's taken on creatures alongside Adrian Brody, Christian Bale and Tom Sizemore. The menacing bear Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin battle in The Edge? That's Brian Steele.

After over 20 years breathing life into characters onscreen, keeping each character fresh and new is easier said than done. But Brian "enjoy(s) the challenge." In 2009, he got the opportunity to portray the T-600, Terminator Salvation's latest incarnation of the Terminator.

One of those strikingly familiar matrons you just can't place, character actress Mary Jackson is probably best known for her recurring role as one of the delightfully eccentric bootlegging sisters, "Miss Emily" Baldwin, on the series The Waltons (1972) that ran for nine seasons. She was born November 22, 1910 in rural Milford, Michigan, and earned a bachelor's degree from West Michigan University in 1932. A Depression-era school teacher for one year before pursuing her interest in theater, she returned to college (this time Michigan State University) in a fine arts program. She started out on the Chicago stage and in summer stock before migrating to the larger stages in New York and Los Angeles.

Film and TV roles did not come her way until well into middle age. Guesting on such TV shows as "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Twilight Zone," "My Three Sons," "Hazel," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Barnaby Jones" and "Highway to Heaven," she usually appeared as ladylike small-town citizens. She was also part of the ensemble in Peter Bogdanovich's first lowbudget film thriller Targets (1968), which was Boris Karloff's last feature. In the 70s she started gathering up character bits here and there, such as her nuns in the all-star epic Airport (1970) and the horror Audrey Rose (1977). A variety of pleasant, maternal parts came her way, including Lynn Carlin's mother in the Blake Edwards' western Wild Rovers (1971) and Jane Fonda's in the comedy caper Fun with Dick and Jane (1977). She supported Fonda again in the Vietnam-era drama Coming Home (1978), was among the cast in the cultish Big Top Pee-wee (1988) and had a noticeable role in Steve Martin's Leap of Faith (1992).

As for "The Waltons" success, character actress Dorothy Stickney played the part of Emily in the initial TV pilot along with Josephine Hutchinson as older sister Mamie. When the series came to fruition, Mary and actress Helen Kleeb, another one of those "I've seen her before" character faces, took over the spinster roles. Both she and Kleeb continued their sister act periodically in several Walton "reunion" TV-movies, which included assorted weddings and holiday gatherings. Both ladies made their final TV appearances in A Walton Easter (1997). Kleeb died of natural causes in 2003 at age 96. Mary passed away two years later at age 95 of complications from Parkinson's disease.

Allyn Joslyn, the son of a Pennsylvania mining engineer, made his stage debut at 17. He was soon appearing regularly in Broadway productions, and headed for Hollywood in 1936, making his debut in They Won't Forget (1937). His nervous, at times dyspeptic demeanor and somewhat aristocratic looks fit in with the pompous, wealthy snobs he specialized in playing. Joslyn was also an extremely busy radio actor, performing on over 3,000 shows.

Vanessa Carlton was born on August 16, 1980, the first of two children (she has a sister and a brother) born to Ed and Heidi Carlton. Raised in Milford, Pennsylvania, her mother was a piano teacher, and exposed Vanessa to classical music from a young age. By age two, she began playing the piano, and at age 9 became obsessed with ballet. She joined the School of American Ballet at age 14, living in a dorm at Lincoln Center and enrolling in the Professional Children's School. During her time at the academy, she continued playing the piano and writing songs, nurturing her blossoming songwriting skills. Upon graduation, she moved to Hell's Kitchen, where she waitressed five nights a week and performed at local clubs on open mic nights, honing her craft and developing a stage presence. At home, she would often stay up until 4 a.m. recording demos on a four-track machine, and was signed to A&M Records in 2001. Her first video, for the song "A Thousand Miles," was released even as she continued recording her debut album, and it became an instant smash on MTV, as well as cracking the American Top Ten. This lead Rolling Stone magazine to name her as one of the 'Top Ten Artists to Watch in 2002.' Her debut album, titled 'Be Not Nobody,' was released in April of 2002, and her second single, "Ordinary Day," was both a hit on the charts and with MTV viewers, via the video she made for the song. She'll spend the rest of 2002 and early 2003 on tour, and then plans to enroll in Columbia University full-time in the fall of 2003. Carlton maintains she'll have no problem juggling a music career with a full plate of school studies.

Dan Griffin was born in Connecticut of Irish decent, the oldest of five children. He quickly learned to juggle his responsibilities and his very creative/artistic side. Back in the first grade he used to create and draw stories for many of the children on the playground, and probably during class, too, a bit! He grew up very involved in the arts, having first sung on stage when he was six years old.

By the time Griffin was 12 he was singing with the Golden Chordsmen, a renowned barbershop singing chorus, and had competed in both state and western New England competitions. Griffin excelled at many things, including various sports (soccer, gymnastics and Irish step-dancing) and academia. By the time he was in seventh grade there was not a lot of competition in gymnastics, and he left Connecticut to begin school in New York. He continually wrote and illustrated while pursuing his schooling and gymnastics. After having won many awards in local competitions, Griffin went to the gymnastic finals at the national level and was accepted to the United States Military Academy at West Point.

In 1992 he was hit by a car and was in a coma for over a month, but miraculously he pulled through. After studying Justice and Law at Western Connecticut for awhile, he switched to the Theatre Arts with a minor in writing. It was at this time he was hired by Quest Comics as a writer. Realizing that he was not going to receive what he needed in CT, he left before graduating and began performing in New York City. He landed a small part on the TV series C.P.W. (1995), but the series was short lived. Griffin left both the comic-book store he began while at college and the gymnastics program that he helped to forge in Brookfield, and journeyed to Hollywood. Not long after he arrived he was signed by THE AGENCY. He had bit parts in films, and had several close calls for various commercials. On the set of Gattaca (1997), Andrew Niccol spoke with him during lunch one day and suggested that he write, too. Griffin was done with school at this point, but Niccol said that he didn't need school, he had the will to learn and needed to get some screen writing books.

It was at this point that Griffin's brother Sean contacted him, saying that he had hooked up with an amazing Irish traditional player and was forming a new Irish rock band. Sean said that people really liked the songs that Dan had written and if he ever came back, he should look him up. As luck would have it, an emergency brought Dan back to the East Coast, and The Ruffians were formed (but not before one more acting job on Beth Sullivan USMA West Point (1998)).

While Griffin learned the bass guitar and aided his singer/songwriter brother with songs, he honed his writing craft. He wrote two TV series with Cheryl Quell, a feature with Les Wicker and a TV series with David Dwinell. He also began getting back to his love, animation. Based on a nationwide excursion taken with his pocket mouse Merlin on the way to Hollywood, Griffin (under the pen name ST. Bernard) forged the first of his 44 children's books ("The Adventures of Merlin the Mouse"). The band began to grow in reputation (having played at the Joe Strummer tribute and the Good Friday Agreement) and fan base and off they went, traveling and playing. Griffin never missed the opportunity to network, make a friend or share a story.

After a couple of years, and some new family obligations for the Griffin brothers, Dan began to focus on his film work a bit more. He had a film optioned by Skylar Entertainment, and fell into a couple of more bit parts. It was around this time that filmmaker Jamie Lazarus approached Griffin at a Ruffians gig with a fantastic video idea. They sat and bounced ideas off one another before deciding to form a production company of their own. They worked on a couple of short films, a music video for a big group's website, and laid the groundwork for several new projects. Lazarus realized Griffin's natural talent as a producer and, along with Lazarus' directing savvy, it seemed like a relationship made to last. The union began having differences, however, and the two amiably went their separate ways (but not before putting out a shirt for the soldiers of the Gulf War to raise money for the USO).

It was the winter of 2005, right around the time that his book was delayed a bit, that Griffin fell into a lot of work with new media. He had engineered a benefit at the Laugh Factory for the victims of Hurricane Katrina (with PM Dawn, David Marks of The Beach Boys and Dennis Diken of The Smithereens, the Ruffians and friend Chris Vaughn), and began assisting with a film. While on the film, he met actress/R&B artist Janet Miranda, and a new direction unfolded.

Griffin had helped Miranda, and a couple of weeks later this favor would be repaid. Miranda was on the set of a feature film and they lost their funding. She told the producer about Griffin, and shortly thereafter a new skill would be added to his repertoire: securing film financing. Miranda introduced Griffin to Ms. Davis (a long-time expert and someone to whom many producers looked). Davis opened the doors to Griffin, and they have developed a very strong bond.

During the last year Griffin has been applying his networking abilities to foster and grow his skill as a producer. Griffin was on the governance board which brought in the new Film Tax Incentives (one of the highest in the country) for the state of Connecticut, and helped open the doors for the building of Utopia (which will be the largest film studio in the US at its completion). He has quadrupled his already large Rolodex with new investors, talent, filmmakers, producers, and crew, and can't wait to see what happens this year.

Nathan Barnatt was born on February 2, 1981 in Milford, Massachusetts, USA as Nathan James Barnatt. He is the second of three sons. Joshua, Nathan & Seth. He is an actor, writer, director and physical comedian. Known for his physical comedy, stunts, and his wide array of characters. His short film Neutral won "Best Short Film" at the 2018 Cinegear Film Festival.

Carl Faruolo was born on 12 August 1982 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Gravity Falls (2012), Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (2010) and Pig Goat Banana Cricket (2015).

Rob McClure was born on 15 June 1982 in New Milford, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for Recursion (2014), Person of Interest (2011) and CyYu ft. Ironmouse: Beetlejuice Musical - Say My Name! (2023).

Puppet Artist Tim Lagasse, who most recently performed "Scatter" on Sesame Workshop's new AppleTV+ show "Helpsters", has been entertaining audiences with his unusual skill set for over 29 years.

A "Sesame Street" alumnus, Lagasse designs, builds, and performs all forms of puppets. A series of short puppet films he created for the PBS children's series "Between the Lions" garnered him three Daytime Emmy nominations. Additionally, Tim has designed and fabricated puppets for "Blue's Room," and "Chappelle's Show", among many others. He may be best known for playing the title role on Nick Jr's "Oobi".

A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a BFA in Puppet Arts, Lagasse was the first student to receive the Jim Henson Memorial Prize in Puppetry. He also received a Broadcast Design Silver Award and the coveted Union International de la Marionette Citation of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry.

Tim also designs and builds puppets for The Jim Henson Company, regularly performs his Cabaret Hand Shadow Act, and is a Magician Member of the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle. He married the love of his life and lives with her and their cats in Hollywood, CA.

Charles August "Nick" Nichols was an American animator and film director. He was born in Milford, Utah, a small ranching town.

Nichols started his career at the Dsney studio. His first film credit was for the film "Pinocchio" (1940), where he animated the villainous Coachman. He served as a film director for several short films, introducing characters such as Morris the Midget Moose. He also worked in then popular Pluto series.

Nichols found a new career when working with the animation studio Hanna-Barbera. He co-directed the popular film "Charlotte's Web" (1973), and helped create such series as "Hong Kong Phooey" and "Goober and the Ghost Chasers".

He returned to the Disney studio in the 1980s, where his most notable work were his contributions to the final season of the television series "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1988-1991). He died in 1992, at the age of 82.

Mike Majlak was born on 13 January 1985 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Night Shift with Mike Majlak (2017), Flat Earth: To the Edge and Back (2019) and Sidemen Tinder (2019).

Dick DeBenedictis was born on 23 January 1935 in New Milford, New Jersey, USA. He is a composer and actor, known for Matlock (1986), Police Story (1973) and Diagnosis Murder (1993).

Mags Chernock was born on 24 May 1975 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. She is an actress, known for Law & Order (1990). She has been married to Gregory Wayne DePetris since 6 October 2001. They have four children.

Jacob Hair was born in Milford, Delaware due to the Three Mile Island evacuation of his parents' home in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. His early interest in storytelling was inspired by comic book art, fantasy illustration, and "Night of the Living Dead". Jacob majored in Sequential Art at SCAD in Savannah, Georgia before moving to Los Angeles in 2001.

Shawn has had a multi-faceted career as a composer in a variety of genres. As a songwriter, producer, performer and engineer, Shawn has written over 36,000 pieces of music; earning him more than 300 credits on TV series, films, video games and records. Clement has been nominated for, as well as won many awards over the years. A notable piece of work: Quantum Quest (performed by the San Francisco Philharmonic and recorded at Skywalker Ranch), was nominated for Hollywood Music in Media Awards' Best Score. It also won a Global Music Award. Shawn has worked for every major studio, television network and cable network.

In 2011 Clement was commissioned by The Wounded Warriors' Project to write the orchestral piece entitled The Warrior's Hymn for The Tribute for Wounded Warriors. It was premiered at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC by a 106-member orchestra with 247-member choir fronted by the legendary Jon Anderson of Yes.

That same piece was later recorded with Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, produced by Jack Douglas (John Lennon, Aerosmith, The Who, Cheap Trick, George Harrison, Alice Cooper, etc.). Mixing was done by Warren Huart (The Frey, Aerosmith, Korn, Ace Frehley) and mastering by Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Nine Inch Nails, etc.).

The record release of Warrior's Hymn and another Jazz/fusion record called Raw Fungus (which also featured an All-Star lineup) both received multiple award nominations and wins.

One of Clement's latest projects has been a recording of various works he has written over the last 2 years. This project also features an impressive lineup, including the late Keith Emerson (Emerson Lake & Palmer), Vinnie Colaiuta (Frank Zappa, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Jeff Beck, Chick Corea, Faith Hill, Megadeath), Ike Willis (Frank Zappa), Don Adey (Moody Blues), Geoff Downs (Yes, Asia), Tony Franklin (The Firm with Jimmy Page, Kenny Wayne Shepperd, White Snake, Quiet Riot), Chaka Khan, and many more.

In addition to working as a composer, Shawn also ran his own successful production company housed inside Paramount Pictures developing and producing feature films and television shows. A personal highlight, while at Paramount, was when Ray Bradbury personally asked him not only to score the only documentary Ray approved about his life, but also to co-produce, along with Joe Mantegna. Unfortunately, Ray passed away before the film was completed. A panel was held at Comic Con with Joe and Edward James Olmos among others - a befitting place as Ray was one of the co-creators of Comic con.

As a side note, Clement has instructed a multitude of people in diverse environments. He has conducted music theory and composition seminars at UMass Lowell, instructed for the Musician's Institute, professionally taught guitar techniques for 7 years, and spearheaded many masterclasses and panels around the world for NAMM, ASCAP, BMI, CCC, GDC, Berklee College of Music and Comic Con. These master classes and panels encompassed many aspects of the business including composition techniques, publishing, contractual issues, copyright issues, artist rights and career trajectory theories. This experience has kept him on the vanguard of leading industry companies giving him even more insight into modern technology and music.

Most recently, Shawn completed a project with Jack Douglas for The Special Olympics.

Brad Lockerman was born on 9 March 1955 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Dumb and Dumber (1994), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) and The John Searl Story (2009).

Ryan Koh was born on 10 September 1977 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. Ryan is a producer and writer, known for The Simpsons (1989), The Office (2005) and New Girl (2011).

Anne Griffin was born on 10 November 1979 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. She is an actress and editor, known for Nowhere Fast (2013), Rex (2008) and The Ascent (2010).

T.J. Sullivan was born on 10 May 1973 in Milford, Connecticut, USA. He is a director, known for Beware the Batman (2013), Back at the Barnyard (2007) and Dragons: Race to the Edge (2015).

Niki Scalera was born on 26 August 1976 in New Milford, Connecticut, USA. She is an actress, known for ABC Afterschool Specials (1972), White Devils and African Gothic (2013).