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Evgenios Spatharis

Biography

Evgenios Spatharis (Greek: Ευγένιος Σπαθάρης; January 2, 1924 – May 9, 2009) was the most prominent shadow theatre artist in Greece. He is credited with having brought the traditional Karagiozis plays to mass audiences through television, recordings and cinema. Evgenios Spatharis was born in Kifissia in 1924, son of Sotiris Spatharis, himself a famous puppeteer.[6] He progressively got introduced to his father's art, despite his father's reluctance, since his wish was for Evgenios to become an architect. His first public performances were during the German occupation of Greece, when he frequently used heroic themes in order to strengthen the morale of the population. During one of his shows, the Germans arrested him and brought him to the local Kommandantur for interrogation. Using an old connection of his, he managed to perform for them and they were so impressed that they decided to send him to perform to Germany. Besides being the most famous performer of Karagiozis, he was also an accomplished painter, with over 50 exhibitions of his works. He has collaborated with many of the most important Greek artists, like Manos Hadjidakis, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Rallou Manou, Stavros Xarchakos, Melina Merkouri and others. Spatharis was a member of the Chamber of Artists of Greece and the UNESCO International Theatre Institute. He was awarded the Rome Prize in 1962, the Toscanini medal in 1978 and several other awards, while in 2007 the Greek culture ministry awarded him the title of 'Grand Master' in recognition of his great contribution to his art. Especially in his last two decades, Spatharis enjoyed wide acclaim and respect as a towering figure of the Greek shadow theatre and of cultural life in general. His death caused a stream of encomia from critics, journalists and public figures. He created the Spathario Museum in 1991, devoted exclusively to his art.
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Dick Huemer

Biography

While as an artist-illustrator living in The Bronx, New York, Huemer first began his career in animation at the Raoul Barré cartoon studio in 1916. He joined the Fleischer Studio in 1923 where he developed the Koko the Clown character. Later he moved to Hollywood and worked as an animator and director for the Charles Mintz studio. He subsequently moved to the Disney Studio, where he remained for the duration of his career, except for a 3-year hiatus from 1948-51 when he pioneered animated TV commercials and created the The Adventures of Buck O'Rue comic strip.[1] Some of Huemer's most creative work was done in partnership with Joe Grant; examples include Fantasia (story director), Dumbo (screenplay), and several propaganda films to advance the U.S. war effort during World War II. Atypically, Huemer and Grant submitted Dumbo to Walt Disney not as a completed storyboard, but as a series of storyboard "chapters," each ending in a cliffhanger. This was intended to pique Disney's enthusiasm for the project, and it worked. Dick was at the Disney organization from April 16, 1933 to February 28, 1973.
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Sean Connery

Biography

Sir Thomas Sean Connery (August 25, 1930 – October 31, 2020) was a Scottish actor and producer. He won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards (one being a BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award), and three Golden Globes, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award and a Henrietta Award. Connery was the first actor to portray the character James Bond in film, starring in seven Bond films (every film from Dr. No to You Only Live Twice, plus Diamonds Are Forever and Never Say Never Again), between 1962 and 1983. In 1988, Connery won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Untouchables. His films also include Marnie (1964), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Highlander (1986), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), The Hunt for Red October (1990), Dragonheart (1996), The Rock (1996), and Finding Forrester (2000). Connery was polled in a 2004 The Sunday Herald as "The Greatest Living Scot" and in a 2011 EuroMillions survey as "Scotland's Greatest Living National Treasure". He was voted by People magazine as both the “Sexiest Man Alive" in 1989 and the "Sexiest Man of the Century” in 1999. He received a lifetime achievement award in the United States with a Kennedy Center Honor in 1999. Connery was knighted in the 2000 New Year Honours for services to film drama. On October 31, 2020, Connery died at the age of 90.
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Meena Kumari

Biography

Meena Kumari (born Mahjabeen Bano; August 1, 1933 – March 31, 1972) was an Indian actress, as well as an occasional poet, playback singer and model. She was described by critics as a historically incomparable actress of Hindi Cinema. Though best known for her sensitive portrayals of struggling women, earning her the title "The Tragedy Queen", she starred in over 90 films that varied in genres, from traditional melodramas, mythological adventures, comedies, historicals and Muslim socials. At the peak of her career, she was the highest-paid actress, and set fashion trends for women in the 1950s.
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Chip Coffey

Biography

Chip began modeling when he was two years old and acting at age five. He has an extensive theatre resume, consisting of over 150 roles on stage. He has also appeared in numerous local, regional and national commercials. Chip graduated from Elmira College in Elmira, New York, where he studied with noted director Peg Denithorne and was a classmate of Keith MacKechnie, Theresa Valada, Janette Barber, and Merle Ginsberg. Chip was Artistic Director of Golden Apple Children's Theatre (Sarasota, Florida) 1978; Artistic Director of Stage Door Players (Dunwoody, Georgia) 1990-91; Founder and Artistic Director of Abracadabra Children's Theatre at Onstage Atlanta (Atlanta, Georgia) 1992-1997; and Founder and Artistic Director of Kaleidoscope Children's Theatre at the Shakespeare Tavern (Atlanta, Georgia) 1997-2000. Chip lives northeast of the city of Atlanta. He works as a psychic, medium, spiritual counselor and lecturer.
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Abraham Laboriel Jr.

Biography

Abraham "Abe" Laboriel Jr. (born March 23, 1971) is an American session drummer. He is the son of Mexican bass guitarist Abraham Laboriel, nephew of Mexican rocker Johnny Laboriel, and brother of record producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel. He has been the drummer for Paul McCartney as well as for the French singer Mylène Farmer, among others. The son of jazz bass player Abraham Laboriel, Abe grew up playing drums starting at age four. His mother is a classically trained singer. Laboriel was mentored by well-known percussionists and drummers, including Jeff Porcaro, Chester Thompson, along with Bill Maxwell and Alex Acuña, who had formed the band Koinonia with his father in the 1980s. He attended the Dick Grove School of Music, studying with Peter Donald, during his junior year in high school. He also attended the Hamilton High School Academy of Music in Los Angeles in his senior year. Here he first experienced the use of programming and became a member of a marching band. He formed a jazz trio with Vernell Brown and Mike Elizondo. In 1989, he was honored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and Down Beat magazine. He then enrolled at the Berklee College of Music, where he graduated in 1993. (Wikipedia)
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Edwin Freeman

Biography

Edwin Freeman was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in nearby Queens, New York. As a youngster he received numerous awards and commendations for art and had one of his drawings displayed in the Queens Museum of Art in Flushing, Queens, New York. In 1988 Edwin won a citywide art contest for Fire Safety held by the New York Fire Department and was awarded by Mayor Ed Koch on April 13th in a well publicized ceremony. Edwin grew up playing sports and while in Junior High School, had a short stint with the neighborhood youth football team, which was cut short due to an injury. In 1992 Edwin began a rap career under his nickname Billy-D, which was given to him by his friends, because of his smooth laid back demeanor and charming personality. He recorded three independent albums, All About the Money (1999), Take it to the Bank (2001) and Crunk Muzik (2005). In September of 2005 he had a chance to relive his dreams as a football player when he was cast for a role as a football player in Julie Taymor's "Across the Universe."
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Kasino

Biography

Born in Gombong (Central Java). Comedian "intellectual" who has the title Drs. this first appeared with his friends on the Warung Kopi chat program on Prambors radio. The program crew itself is Tommy Lesanpura (programmer), Kasino, Rudy, Badil, Nanu. Then Tommy was replaced by Dono, while the place where Badil (who had resigned) was filled by Indro. Their group's "real" name was Warkop Prambors when it first appeared on the TVRI Terminal of Youth program, then followed by the film Mana Tahaaan (1979). Since from Prambors radio there is a new comedy group, Sersan (Serious But Relaxed) Prambors, so Kasino and friends are asked to "change" their names. Warkop DKI was chosen (Dono, Kasino, Indro). Their formula in wide screen films is a joke that leads to slapstick coupled with a voluptuous actress. It turned out that this recipe continued into the TV series (soap opera) series titled Warkop DKI (1995), when the national films were lethargic.
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Shanaia Gomez

Biography

Shanaia Gomez learned one thing during the pandemic: to never give up. After a stint in Idol Philippines last 2019, she went back to Canada. But Team Rise saw potential in her, and off she went back, repacked her bags and flew to Manila with renewed hope for her career– now as a multiplatform artist. Because of her charming look, Shanaia appeared to the music video of Sam Conception’s newest single “Diwata”. She also did an exposure to DonBelle’s trending series “He’s Into Her” as Dominique. Shanaia is a natural on talk shows– quickly, she gained loyal viewers on her live streams, she is now part of the millionaires’ row on Kumu. She continues to create content on her Tiktok with her following increasing– and fast. As she continues to hone her acting skills under the training program of Rise, she is also being prepped to be a frontliner in the non-narrative array of content for TFC.
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Christopher Landon

Biography

Christopher Beau Landon (born February 27, 1975) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter best known for working in the horror and comedy horror genre. He has worked as a screenwriter on the thriller Disturbia and most films in the Paranormal Activity found-footage horror series. He wrote and directed Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones, as well as the horror comedy films Happy Death Day, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Happy Death Day 2U, Freaky, and We Have a Ghost. He wrote and made his directorial debut on the satirical thriller  Burning Palms (2010). Description above from the Wikipedia article Christopher Landon (filmmaker), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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