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- Actor
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It seems the second generation of acting Carradines -- David, Keith and Robert -- are proudly continuing the family tradition and begetting a third generation of talent. The dynasty began with veteran Hollywood patriarch John Carradine, the son of a surgeon and a correspondent for the Associated Press. Keith was a child, born of John's second marriage to actress Sonia Sorel.
Lanky, laid-back and highly likable, Keith Ian Carradine was born in San Mateo, California, on August 8, 1949. His parents divorced when Keith was six. Following in the footsteps of older half-brother and mentor David Carradine, Keith studied theater arts at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, but dropped out after only one semester to pursue his career. Soon after, he auditioned for "Hair" in Los Angeles and made his Broadway debut in the 1969 rock musical, playing the role of Claude for an extended period of time. Keith next appeared with his father in a stage production of "Tobacco Road" (1970) in Florida.
The following year Keith broke into films with a part in the Kirk Douglas/Johnny Cash western A Gunfight (1971). Legendary director Robert Altman was quite taken by Keith's work in the film and gave him a part in his own movie McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), which sparked the first of many endeavors together. Keith also made a strong showing on TV, making his mini-movie debut with Man on a String (1972), and appearing with brother David in the TV movie pilot and various episodes of the cult series Kung Fu (1972) as the teenage version (seen in flashbacks) of David's character Kwai Chang Caine.
Keith continued to impress in Altman's films. He played one of three convicts in the critically-acclaimed movie Thieves Like Us (1974), but scored Oscar gold with his next Altman film, Nashville (1975) -- not with his acting but with his songwriting. His composition "I'm Easy" won both the Oscar and Golden Globe for "Best Song". Keith also earned a Grammy nomination in 1976 for his contribution to "Nashville" in the "Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special" category.
Keith first association with Altman's protégé, Alan Rudolph, occurred filming Welcome to L.A. (1976), to which he again contributed his music talent. Keith's rangy handsomeness and low-keyed acting style were on full display as he increased his popularity with appearances in such films as Ridley Scott's The Duellists (1977); Louis Malle's first American film, the visually-striking Pretty Baby (1978), that made a controversial star out of young Brooke Shields; and the comedy/romance An Almost Perfect Affair (1979). One acting trick that worked was pairing all three Carradine brothers in The Long Riders (1980), which recalled the infamous lives of brothers Cole, Jim and Bob Younger, and boasted three other sets of acting brothers (Keach, Quaid and Guest) as various other outlaw siblings.
Keith's acting reviews throughout much of his career would be decidedly mixed -- some would find his unassuming, introspective acting too listless while others found it beautifully realized and understated. Many of his best notices came from the Altman and Rudolph films, appearing in two of Rudolph acclaimed 80s works -- Choose Me (1984) and The Moderns (1988). He also persevered on TV with award-worthy work. His role in the mini-series Chiefs (1983) netted an Emmy nomination, while his recurring role as Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood (2004) earned a Golden Satellite nomination and his work in the made-for-TV-film Half a Lifetime (1986) scored a CableACE nomination. Regular series work came late in his career, starring in Fast Track (1997), Outreach (1999) and Complete Savages (2004), all of which were short-lived.
Keith's career was revitalized on the 80s and 90s stage. In addition to strong roles in "Another Part of the Forest" (1982) and "Detective Story" (1984), he won the Outer Critics Circle Award for his excellent work in 1982's "Foxfire" opposite Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn_ and then roped a Tony and Drama Desk nomination as humorist Will Rogers in the Broadway musical "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991). Most recently (2005) he starred in the American premiere of David Hare's satire "Stuff Happens" as none other than George W. Bush while expounding on the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Keith continues to write and compose. Hosting The History Channel's Wild West Tech (2003) and appeared on a season of the hit cable series Dexter (2006) and had a recurring role on the hit sitcom Charity, Dr. Finlay (1965). More recently he played the role of President Conrad Dalton in Madam Secretary (2014) starring Téa Leoni's Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord.
Millennium films include Wooly Boys (2001), a top-billed role in Falcons (2002), The Adventures of Ociee Nash (2002), Our Very Own (2005), Bobby Z (2007), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Family Tree (2011), After the Fall (2014), Dakota's Summer (2014), Bereave (2015), A Quiet Passion (2016) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018).
Keith has been married twice. Of his two children born from his first union to actress Sandra Ann Will Carradine, who played opposite him in the film Choose Me (1984), son Cade Carradine recently portrayed Lord Oxford in the film Richard III (2007) and daughter Sorel Carradine has been seen on TV. Keith and Sandra eventually divorced and he married actress Hayley DuMond in 2006; they met while appearing in the film The Hunter's Moon (1999). Keith's daughter Martha Plimpton, a highly gifted actress on her own, was a child from his relationship to actress Shelley Plimpton, whom he met when both were cast members in "Hair" back in 1969.- Actor
- Director
Born and raised in San Mateo, California, he graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Theatre Arts and was quickly headed to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of a career in Film and Television. He didn't have to wait long. A recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990) brought Michael the recognition he sought and he followed that with a starring role on the CBS Series Pensacola: Wings of Gold (1997) opposite James Brolin for two seasons. After that, he landed notable recurring roles on shows such as Arli$$ (1996), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996), One Tree Hill (2003), Castle (2009), How I Met Your Mother (2005), Revenge (2011), and the animated series Young Justice (2010) as Adam Strange. Some of his most memorable guest appearances include The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis (2008), Smut (2008), Angels (2014), John May (2010), Dead Man's Curveball (2011), and Baby Made a Mess (2014). He can be seen recurring on Grandfathered (2015) on the FOX network. But he is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Samuel T. Anders on the critically acclaimed Sci-Fi series Battlestar Galactica (2004) and for Justin Patrick on the USA Network series Fairly Legal (2011). He can be seen in the thriller/horror films Hush (2016), The Bye Bye Man (2017), and Hunter Killer (2018). He is currently starring in Rutherford B. Haze (2017) as Tae Kwon Doug. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Sandra Hess and their two dogs and two cats.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Tall (6' 4"), agile, energetic, and ever-so-confident as both actor and singer, especially on the award-winning Broadway stage, Barry Bostwick possesses that certain narcissistic poise, charm and élan that reminds one instantly (and humorously) of a Kevin Kline -- both were quite brilliant in their respective interpretations of The Pirate King in "The Pirates of Penzance". Yet, for all his diverse talents (he is a Golden Globe winner and was nominated for the Tony Award three times, winning once), Barry is indelibly caught in a time warp. Even today, 35 years after the fact, he is indelibly associated with the role of nerdy hero Brad Majors in the midnight movie phenomena The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). While it is extremely flattering to be a part of such a cult institution, Barry's acting legacy deserves much more than this.
He was born Barry Knapp Bostwick on February 24, 1945, in San Mateo, California, one of two sons of Elizabeth "Betty" (Defendorf) and Bud Bostwick (Henry Bostwick), a city planner and actor. A student at San Mateo High School, he and his elder brother Peter use to put on musicals and puppet shows for the neighborhood kids. Barry attended San Diego's United States International University's School for the Performing Arts in 1967, and switched from music to drama during the course of his studies. He also worked occasionally as a circus performer, which would come in handy on the musical stage down the line. He subsequently moved to New York and attended the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at New York University.
Making his stage debut at age 22 in a production of "Take Her, She's Mine," Barry performed in a number of non-musical roles in such productions of "War and Peace" (1968) and "The Misanthrope (1968). Making his 1969 Broadway debut in "Cock-a-Doodle Dandy", which ran in tandem with "Hamlet" in which he was featured as Osric, it was his portrayal of the swaggering, leather jacket-wearing 50s "bad boy" Danny Zuko in the 1972 Broadway high-school musical smash "Grease" that put Barry's name prominently and permanently on the marquee signs. Originating the role, he was nominated for a Tony but lost out that year to the older generation (Phil Silvers for "A Funny Thing Happened...").
In the midst of all this star-making hoopla, Barry was also breaking into films with a minor role in Jennifer on My Mind (1971) and leading parts in the comedy spoofs Road Movie (1973) and The Wrong Damn Film (1975). It all paled after winning the role as Susan Sarandon's simp of a boyfriend in the The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), which featured a delicious Tim Curry camping it up as a transvestite monster-maker. The movie, based on the macabre 1973 British stage musical "The Rocky Horror Show," packed the midnight movie houses with costumed fans replicating every move and, word and offering puns and props aplenty in recapturing the insanity of the show.
While the "Rocky" association hit like a tornado, Barry ventured on and tried to distance himself. He created sparks again on Broadway, garnering a second Tony nomination for the comedy revival "They Knew What They Wanted" in 1976. He finally took home the trophy the following year for the musical "The Robber Bridegroom" (1977), which relied again on his patented bluff and bravado as a Robin Hood-like hero. Following top roles in the musicals "She Loves Me" and "The Pirates of Penzance", Barry turned rewardingly to film and TV.
The two-part feature Movie Movie (1978), which played like an old-style double feature, was a great success, performing alongside esteemed actor George C. Scott. Barry excelled in both features, but especially the musical parody. He fared just as well on the smaller screen in TV movies, playing everything from historical icons (George Washington) to preening matinée idols (John Gilbert), and winning a Golden Globe for his role as a military officer in the epic miniseries War and Remembrance (1988). A variety of interesting roles followed in glossy, soap-styled fare, farcical comedies and period drama.
A welcomed return to Broadway musicals in the form of "Nick & Nora" (he as sleuth Nick "The Thin Man" Charles) was marred when the glitzy production folded after only nine perfs. Instead, the prematurely grey-haired actor found steadier success in sitcoms as a smug comedy foil to Michael J. Fox playing Mayor Randall Winston for six seasons in Spin City (1996). He later enjoyed a recurring role as a dauntless attorney on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999). Then again, Barry could be spotted pitching items in commercials or hamming it up in family-oriented Disneyesque entertainment in the "Parent Trap" and "101 Dalmatian" mold.
In 1997, Bostwick was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 10 days later had his prostate removed. The operation was successful and in 2004, he won the Gilda Radner Courage Award from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Just a year earlier he appeared on an episode of "Scrubs" as a patient also having prostate cancer. Barry married somewhat late in life. For a brief time he was wed to actress Stacey Nelkin (1987-1991), but has since become a father of two, Brian and Chelsea, with second wife Sherri Jensen Bostwick, an actress who appeared with Barry in the TV movie Praying Mantis (1993).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Dennis Haysbert was born on 2 June 1954 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Far from Heaven (2002), 24 (2001) and Heat (1995). He was previously married to Lynn Griffith and Elena Simms.- Marc McClure was born on 31 March 1957 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Back to the Future (1985), Superman (1978) and Apollo 13 (1995). He has been married to Carol Courson Cowley since 16 August 1985. They have one child.
- Producer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Tom Brady was born on August 3, 1977 in San Mateo, California, to Galynn Patricia (Johnson) and Thomas Edward Brady, who owns a financial planning business. His father is of Irish descent and his mother is of Norwegian-Swedish and Polish ancestry. He attended Junipero Serra High School, the same high school which produced Barry Bonds of the SF Giants. He attended the University of Michigan from 1995 to 1999. He was a backup to Brian Griese when the Wolverines went 12-0 and won the national championship in 1997. Brady shared the starting quarterback job with Drew Henson in 1998 and 1999, but managed to compile a 20-5 record over those two years, including a 2-0 record in bowl games. The New England Patriots made him a sixth round draft choice in 2000, the 199th player selected overall in the draft. He spent 2000 as a fourth string quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz and Michael Bishop. In 2001, Brady was elevated to second string quarterback behind Bledsoe as training camp broke. The fortunes for both Brady and the Patriots changed forever on September 23, 2001, as Bledsoe was hit hard by New York Jet linebacker "Mo Lewis", suffering a near life-threatening injury. Brady replaced Bledsoe in the contest, and has started every Patriot game at quarterback since. Bledsoe was never able to regain his starting job, as Brady led the Patriots on an 11-3 run to close the 2001 regular season, then led the Patriots through the playoffs and an improbable 20-17 win over the St. Louis Rams, a 14-point favorite, in Super Bowl XXXVI. After an ordinary 2002 season, Brady skippered the Patriots to one of the greatest seasons in NFL history in 2003. The Patriots began the season 2-2, then won every remaining regular season and playoff game, capped off by a 32-29 win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Brady followed that up with a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance in 2004, as the Patriots once again went 14-2 in the regular season and defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. Brady is 9-0 all-time in the playoffs in his career following Super Bowl XXXIX. In the first two Super Bowls he has played in, Brady was named the Super Bowl MVP, becoming one of only four players in NFL history to win this award more than once. Brady is 48-14 as a starting Patriot quarterback going into the 2005 season. His poise as well as his penchant for playing with incredible cool and precision in big games is drawing comparisons with the great Joe Montana, former SF 49ers quarterback.
Brady is married to model Gisele Bündchen, and the couple has two children. His brother-in-law is baseball player Kevin Youkilis, who is married to Tom's sister, Julie.- Will Brill was born on 11 July 1986 in Menlo Park, San Mateo, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Test Pattern (2019), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017) and The OA (2016).
- Producer
- Writer
- Animation Department
Raphael Bob-Waksberg was born on 17 August 1984 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for BoJack Horseman (2014), Undone (2019) and Tuca & Bertie (2019).- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Greg Gutfeld is not an actor, rather he is a political satirist, humorist, magazine editor, blogger and news opinion show host. Originally a staff writer at Prevention magazine, Gutfeld later became the editor-in- chief of Men's Health magazine. After heading up Maxim magazine in the UK and a stint as a contributor to the Huffington Post, Gutfeld began hosting opinion programming for Fox News.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Elizabeth is known for her role as Jenny in Netflix's ensemble comedy series Disjointed alongside Kathy Bates (Ruth). and Joy in Netflix's comedy Merry Happy Whatever with Dennis Quaid and Ashley Tisdale. Guest starring roles include ABC's Grey's Anatomy, CBS's All Rise, ABC's Castle, Fox's Bones, CBS' NCIS and CBS' 2 Broke Girls and a recurring arc on Freeform's Melissa & Joey and more. Starring roles in feature films include Lovesick opposite Ali Larter and Matt LeBlanc and in the spoof parody 50 Shades of Black opposite Marlon Wayans- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Emily Goss got her BA in Theatre from the USC's School of Dramatic Art and Masters in Classical Acting from LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). She works in film, television, voice over, and theatre. Her work in the psychological horror indie hit "The House On Pine Street" earned her 3 awards, and she has now won 4 awards for her portrayal of the bold, charismatic Louise in the period romance "Snapshots." A California native, Emily grew up playing soccer and dreamed of being a member of the USWNT.- Actress
- Casting Director
- Producer
Renée Humphrey was born on 27 January 1975 in San Mateo, California, USA. She is an actress and casting director, known for Mallrats (1995), Fun (1994) and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001).- Actor
- Producer
Nathan Owens, who is from the San Francisco Bay area of California, was born on March 9, 1984. He began his career with modeling. He has appeared in several issues of GQ and in many commercial/print campaigns for the Gap, Polo, Izod and Sperry. He has the distinction of being the second African-American ever to be featured in a fragrance campaign for Polo Ralph Lauren Big Pony.
After making the switch to acting, Owens began appeared in Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Esmee Denters video. Soon after, he landed a spot opposite Nicki Minaj in her music video "Va Va Voom," directed by Hype Williams. Additionally, he served as a host of NBC's "First Look LA."
His life changed when he won the role of "Dr Cameron Davis" on the long running soap opera "Days of our Lives" in December 2012. He is on contract since then.- Judy was born in San Mateo, California, and began her professional acting career in Los Angeles in 1978. She has been in over 400 commercials, and 150 TV and film projects. She has won numerous awards for coaching and teaching at her own studio Keep it Real Acting Studios in addition to awards for her performance in MAD MEN gleaning the SAG AWARD for the Show. She travels all over the country teaching and inspiring actors with her vast knowledge and experience. Judy is also a published author of the Commercial Handbook called "I Booked It!" She also has a new book and online course entitled THE BUSINESS OF ACTING. She has done numerous seminars sharing her vast experience. Also, Judy hosts the Podcast HOLLYWOOD GAME CHANGERS @keepitrealacting/HGC. Being an avid Hiker, she wrote a book about her hikes all over the world called LIFE IS LIKE A HIKE...the best view comes after the Hardest climb. Her son Frankie Manes is also an actor.
- This lovely, long-haired, fresh-faced and most promising product of the late 1950s was born Diane Marie Antonia Varsi in San Mateo, California, on February 23, 1938, the elder of two daughters of Russell Varsi, a florist, and wife Beatrice DeMerchant. A troubling childhood led to her dropping out of high school, toiling instead in a number of nowhere jobs -- waitress, dress shop model, fruit picker, candle dipper, etc.
An intended spiritual sojourn in the mid-1950s from San Francisco to Mexico ended when she got as far as Los Angeles. A sensitive soul, Diane settled there and became interested in the fine arts, including folk singing, dancing, acting, writing poetry and music. She enrolled in actor Jeff Corey's acting classes and debuted in a community theater production of "Gigi." After a brief marriage that was annulled, Diane met and married producer James Dickson, who became her manager. A son Shawn Michael was born.
Through her contact with actor Corey, Diane was given the chance to audition for director Mark Robson for a part in the film version of the best-selling novel Peyton Place (1957). Despite the studio's objections, she was chosen by Robson over hundreds of others, despite her lack of experience, and made an auspicious debut in the coveted role of Allison MacKenzie. A critical hit as well as a box-office smash, Diane was nominated for an Academy Award ("Supporting Actress") along with fellow Peyton performers Lana Turner, Arthur Kennedy, Hope Lange and Russ Tamblyn, not to mention director Robson. Included in its nine nominations total was a "Best Picture" nod. She also shared a Golden Globe for "Most Promising Newcomer" with actresses Sandra Dee and Carolyn Jones. Despite the movie's shut-out at the Academy Awards ceremony, Diane was deemed a new and exciting star while columnist Louella Parsons went on to call her "Hollywood's Female Brando." A rebel and non-conformist by nature who had a difficult time with celebrity, she was compared to the late James Dean in her tendency to withdraw and avoid publicity.
After Peyton Place, Diane appeared in three more high-profile Twentieth Century-Fox productions -- From Hell to Texas (1958), a western directed by Henry Hathaway and co-starring Don Murray; Ten North Frederick (1958), featuring her as Gary Cooper daughter; and the lead female role in Compulsion (1959) based on the Leopold-Loeb murder case. All of these placed Diane in the top ranks of young new actresses, but she found it harder and harder to cope with the pressures of the studio system. She eventually suffered a nervous collapse. Unable to readjust to the pressures, she started to habitually turn down roles in important movie scripts. Eventually Fox suspended her.
In March of 1959, Diane abandoned Hollywood, divorcing her husband in the process, and moved with her son to Vermont, away from the limelight. Returning to her Bohemian lifestyle of poetry and solitude, she was still recognized. Within a couple of years Diane moved back to California. Marrying producer named Michael Hausman, she had with him a second child, daughter Willo, who later had a minor acting career under the name Willo Hausman.
Still barred from working at any studio by Fox, her contract finally expired in late 1964, and she became available again. The work was hardly in the same caliber as her earlier feats. Former co-star Don Murray helped her get a role in his low-budget film entitled Sweet Love, Bitter (1967), and a role in a Swedish film entitled Roseanna (1967), but it all led to nowhere.
In 1968 Diane Varsi began an association with American International Pictures and filmed the cult flick Wild in the Streets (1968) with the equally rebellious Christopher Jones playing a drugged-out politico. She also co-starred in a third-rate Bonnie and Clyde tale called Killers Three (1968). In 1969, she was featured with Robert De Niro and Bruce Dern in Roger Corman's Bloody Mama (1970) with Diane playing a hooker and a deranged Shelley Winters reenacting murderous Ma Barker. She also played roles that spoke to her, such as the nurse in the anti-war film Johnny Got His Gun (1971) and her part in the TV-movie The People (1972), about peaceful aliens invading the earth. A sprinkling of other TV assignments also came her way.
The writing was on the wall, however, for Diane. The dust had settled on what was the remnants of a once glorious career. After turning in a small role as an overweight mental patient in the excellent film I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (1977), Diane again dropped out of sight--this time for good. Little was heard although it was said she had returned to her poetry and took up photography. The newspapers reported her death on November 19, 1992, in Los Angeles at age 54, from respiratory problems due to complications from Lyme disease, which she had contracted back in 1977. - Taylor Fry was born on 1 August 1981 in San Mateo, California, USA. She is an actress, known for A Little Princess (1995), Die Hard (1988) and Death Dreams (1991).
- Producer
- Writer
- Music Department
Merv Griffin was a singer and band leader, movie actor, television personality and media mogul who in his time hosting The Merv Griffin Show (1962) was second in fame and influence as a talk show host only to Johnny Carson. Griffin was best known for creating the two most popular game shows in television syndication history, Wheel of Fortune (1983) and Jeopardy! (1984), which are watched by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. In the business world, he was identified as the visionary chairman of The Griffin Group.
Born in the San Francisco, California suburb of San Mateo, Griffin "came up through the ranks" in the classic sense, entering talent contests, writing songs, singing on local radio station KFRC-San Francisco, and later touring with Freddy Martin Orchestra. He became increasingly popular with nightclub audiences and his fame soared among the general public when he struck gold in 1950 with "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts", which reached the number one spot on the Hit Parade and sold three million copies.
Continuing to record hits, including "Wilhelmina" and "Never Been Kissed", Griffin made a foray into motion pictures after Doris Day saw his nightclub performance and arranged a screen test for him at Warner Bros. Studios. While under contract at Warner Bros., he appeared in a number of hit movies, including So This Is Love (1953) with Kathryn Grayson and The Boy from Oklahoma (1954) with Will Rogers Jr., and Lon Chaney Jr..
Television then discovered him. As a regular performer on The Arthur Murray Party (1950), The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and others, he was offered the opportunity to host his own television series, Play Your Hunch (1958). It was during this period that he conceived the idea for what was to become one of the most successful game shows in television history, Jeopardy! (1964). But it was in 1962 that his career took its most dramatic turn. He became a substitute host for Jack Paar on The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar (1957) and scored some of the highest ratings in the show's history. As a result, NBC gave him his own hour-long daytime talk show program, The Merv Griffin Show (1962).
Griffin's name and talk show career will always be seen in the light of that of Johnny Carson, the "King of late night TV", with whom Griffin directly competed on CBS from 1969 to 1972. Griffin's first daytime talk show began on the same day Carson first hosted The Tonight Show (1962). While Carson's style was indebted to his long apprenticeship in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Griffin was based in New York, where he socialized with New York's theater and café crowds. Griffin's approach to television talk was influenced by two New York shows, David Susskind's The David Susskind Show (1958) and Mike Wallace's Probe and Night Beat (1956), and like Susskind and Wallace, he openly embraced controversial subjects. In 1965, Griffin was criticized as a "traitor" when he aired a special from London in which Nobel Prize-winning philosopher Bertrand Russell denounced the Vietnam War.
Despite his success on daytime television, it was late night that was The Holy Grail for talk show hosts. In 1969, CBS hired Griffin to directly compete with Carson in the 11:30 PM to 1:00 AM time slot that had proven a grave yard for other personalities. Not one to shy away from controversy, Griffin began to be harassed by CBS censors who objected to the antiwar statements of his guests and ordered him to feature pro-war guests for balance. "The irony of the situation wasn't wasted on me", Griffin recalls in his autobiography. "In 1965, I'm called a traitor by the press for presenting Bertrand Russell, and, four years later, we are hard-pressed to find anybody to speak in favor of the Vietnam War".
In March 1970, CBS censors pixilated antiwar activist Abbie Hoffman because he was wearing a shirt that resembled an American flag. The resulting blurred image meant that Hoffman's voice emanated from a "jumble of lines". CBS also pressured Griffin into sacking his long-term sidekick Arthur Treacher, who had been his television mentor, because he was too old. The censorship did not boost the ratings for Griffin, who was facing stiff competition from the genial Carson, who himself was criticized during the era for shying away from controversial subjects.
In 1972, a fed-up Griffin negotiated a syndication deal with Metromedia to move his talk show back to the daytime, and in the event he was terminated by CBS. The deal was signed in secret as a penalty clause in his CBS contract gave him $1 million in the event of his being fired. Later that year, CBS terminated Griffin's late-night talk show and Griffin immediately made the transition to Metromedia's syndicated network.
While Griffin may have been a washout in late night television (and he had LOTS of company - EVERYONE who went up against Carson lost the ratings race, and Johnny always came out the victor), Griffin's impact on daytime was immense, specifically through his production of game shows. An avid fan of puzzles since childhood, Griffin first produced a successful game show in 1964, Jeopardy! (1964) for NBC. After 13 seasons as a daytime talk show host, Griffin retired from his talk show in 1986 to devote himself to producing his highly profitable game shows.
Jeopardy! (2002) remains the second highest rated game show in television syndication while Wheel of Fortune (1983) continues to be the longest running game show to hold the number one spot in television syndication history. Other Griffin successes in the game show field included "One in a Million" and Joe Garagiola's Memory Game (1971), both airing on ABC, Let's Play Post Office on NBC, and Reach for the Stars (1967).
In 1986, Griffin sold his production company, Merv Griffin Enterprises, to Coca-Cola's Columbia Pictures Television unit for $250 million as well as a continuing share of the profits of the shows. At that time, the transaction represented the largest acquisition of an entertainment company owned by a single individual. Subsequently, Sony Pictures Entertainment purchased Columbia and he retains the title of executive producer of both "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" (for which he still creates puzzles and questions.) He served as Executive Producer of "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" (2000).
After his retirement from daytime chat, Merv became a real estate baron, acquiring the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, which is now the venue of choice for virtually all of the Tinseltown's most high profile events such as The Golden Globe Awards, The Soap Opera Digest Awards, and The American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Awards. He also owns the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas in Arizona, and St. Clerans Manor, an 18th century estate once owned by director John Huston which is located near Galway, the premier resort destination in Ireland.
In January 1998, Griffin opened The Coconut Club, one of the country's hottest swing/dance clubs, at his Beverly Hilton Hotel. This weekend venue, fashioned after Hollywood's famed Coconut Grove (where Griffin headlined as a boy singer with The Freddy Martin Orchestra) features live Big Bands, Swing Orchestras, and Rock Bands amidst a glamorous nightclub setting.
He was honored with the prestigious 1994 Broadcasting and Cable "Hall of Fame" Award, alongside such figures as Diane Sawyer and Dan Rather. Winner of 15 Emmy Awards, Griffin was presented an Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show Emmy for 1993-1994 as executive producer of Jeopardy! (1984) He had also been the recipient of the coveted Scopus Award from the American Friends of Hebrew University, "The Duke Award" presented by the John Wayne Cancer Institute, and he had been honored by the American Ireland Fund and the SHARE organization. He was Lifetime Honorary Festival Chairman of La Quinta Arts Festival and recently donated his Wickenburg Inn and Dude Ranch to Childhelp USA.
In March 2001, the Gold Label released his new CD, "It's Like a Dream", for which he composed the title song. Among his private passions are his family, son Tony Griffin, daughter-in-law Tricia, and grandchildren Farah and Donovan Mervyn, his long-haired sharpei dog Charlie Chan, his La Quinta ranch near Carmel, where he raises thoroughbred racing horses, and his 135 foot, four-story high ocean going yacht, Griff. Merv Griffin died at age 82 of prostate cancer in Los Angeles, California on August 12, 2007.- Emma Chamberlain was born on 22 May 2001 in San Mateo, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken (2023), Dave (2020) and Untitled Creator Show with Emma Chamberlain.
- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Jonah Blechman was born in San Mateo County, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for This Boy's Life (1993), Flytrap (2015) and Treasure Island (1999).- Madeleine Byrne was born in San Mateo, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Twenties (2020).
- Producer
- Director
Bo Youngblood was born in San Mateo County, California, USA. She is a producer and director, known for Safer at Home (2021), NCIS (2003) and Good Girls (2018).- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Ryan Caltagirone was born on 8 July 1981 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is an actor and director, known for The Big Year (2011), Teachers (2016) and Married by Christmas (2016).- Director
- Producer
- Actress
Marta Cunningham is an international award winning director, writer and executive producer. Marta's versatility in storytelling has garnered her two News and Documentary Emmy Award nominations. She is just at home telling important stories for HBO like her award winning documentary Valentine Road to HBO's beloved dramedy Insecure to Amazon's hit drama series Modern Love.
Marta began her professional career in the arts at fourteen as a ballet dancer for corp de ballet with Peninsula Ballet Theatre in the Bay Area. When she landed in LA her first film, Valentine Road earned her numerous awards and played over 200 festivals world wide. She has been nominated three times for NAACP awards for her work on Amazon's award winning series Transparent and AMC's thriller 61st street.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Martin Rabbett was born on 14 May 1953 in San Mateo, California, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Finite Water (2019), Island Son (1989) and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986).- Actress
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Shelby Wulfert is an American actress born in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a trained singer and discovered her passion for acting through musical theater. Her work includes a recurring role in Disney's popular show, "Liv and Maddie", Andy Fickman's family comedy, "Playing with Fire", and Awesomeness's "Betch: A Sketch Show". At the Ground and Field Theatre Festival, Shelby performed in the original musical "Ranked" and is featured as "Alexis" in the Original Cast Recording. Other credits include "Swiped", "Major Crimes", and "Blue Call".