Theater Personalities

Regarded as one of the first American movie stars, Yul Brynner became known for his performance as King Mongkut in the musical The King and I. He became identified with the role, so much so that he continued shaving his head after having shaved it for the role. A statue of Brynner was unveiled at Yul Brynner Park in 2012.

Fran Drescher is an American actress and comedian. Characterized by her thick New York accent and nasal voice, Fran Drescher serves as an inspiration to many cancer patients as she successfully fought off the disease after suffering from uterine cancer. She is also an outspoken LGBT rights activist and healthcare advocate.

Matthew Goode is an English actor who played an important role in the success of the TV show A Discovery of Witches, which is an adaptation of Deborah Harkness' All Souls trilogy. During its initial run, the series performed consistently as Sky One network's most-watched show, thanks to Goode's portrayal of a molecular biologist and vampire named Matthew Clairmont.

Active in Hollywood for over two decades, actress Sasha Alexander began her career in theater. Soon, she moved on to TV and appeared in a few shows before gaining popularity. She has also acted in many short films and feature films and is the winner of one People's Choice Award. One interesting fact about her is that she is multilingual.

Alice Eve is best known as Molly McCleish from She's Out of My League and as Sophia from the series Entourage. She has also been seen in the series Black Mirror and The Raven. Due to a rare condition, her right eye is green and her left eye is blue.

Skylar Astin Lipstein is a sort of ‘pitch-perfect’ combination of acting and singing skills. He caught the attention of movie lovers with his success in the comedy film Pitch Perfect and its sequel Pitch Perfect 2, followed by 21 and Over. He also acted in a number of television series and featured in panel game show Match Game.

Anna Friel is a British actress who gained international recognition after portraying Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on the popular American fantasy mystery TV series Pushing Daisies. After starting her professional acting career at the age of 13, Friel went on to establish herself as a successful adult actress. Friel also serves as an ambassador for The World Wide Fund for Nature.

Richard Crispin Armitage is an English actor whose portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit film series earned him international recognition and a Saturn Award. Well-known for his baritone voice, Richard Armitage has also recorded many audiobooks; in 2014, he won an Audiobook of the Year award for his work on Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: A Novel.

Alan Cumming is a Scottish-American actor, filmmaker, comedian, and singer. A Tony Award winner, Cumming has contributed immensely to the development of the Scottish Youth Theatre, of which he is a patron. An openly bisexual actor, Cumming's work as an LGBT rights activist has earned him several awards, including the Vito Russo Award and HRC's Humanitarian Award.

Vanessa Marcil is an American actress. Over the years, Vanessa Marcil has contributed to the success of TV series, such as Beverly Hills, 90210, Las Vegas, and General Hospital. Also known for her good looks, Vanessa Marcil has been honored with awards, such as the Hottest Female Star award at Soap Opera Digest Awards.

British actress and narrator Indira Varma became a sensation with her debut film, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. An alumnus of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, she is a trained method actress. Besides films and TV shows, she has acted in many theater productions and is the winner of an Olivier Award.

Albert Finney was an English actor known for his contribution across all the three major acting mediums: films, television and theatre. A recipient of Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Emmy awards, Albert Finney also received nominations for prestigious awards, such as the Academy Award and Tony Award. 

Five-time Emmy Award-winning actor Doris Roberts is best remembered as Marie Barone from the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond and as Mildred Krebs from Remington Steele. She also appeared on various talk/game shows and in films such as The Honeymoon Killers. She was a prominent animal rights activist, too.

Montgomery Clift was an American actor whose decision not to sign a contract in Hollywood for the first couple of films went on to help establish the structure of the star-studio relationship from the 1950s to the '80s. One of the original American method actors, Clift was the subject of a documentary named Making Montgomery Clift, which released in 2018.

Emily Mortimer is an English-American screenwriter and actress. Mortimer, who started her acting career in stage productions, went on to establish herself as a bankable actress in the British film and TV industry. In 2010, she became an American citizen and has since been playing important roles in American films.

Stockard Channing is an American actress best known for playing Abbey Bartlet on the political drama TV series The West Wing. Over the years, Channing has been contributing to the success of many TV series as an actress, for which she has received 13 Primetime Emmy Award nominations. A seven-time Tony Award nominee, Channing is also an important stage actress.

Actor, Michael Ealy, is best known for his role in the drama film, For Colored Girls. An alumnus of the University of Maryland, he began his acting career in the late 1990s. Initially, he appeared in many off-Broadway stage productions. He transitioned to films soon and didn’t take long to establish himself as a sought-out actor.

Actor David Hyde Pierce is best known for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane in the NBC sitcom Frasier, for which he received four Primetime Emmy Awards. Active in the entertainment industry for almost four decades, he has acted in many stage productions, TV shows, and films. He is openly gay and is married to producer Brian Hargrove.

A Tony Award recipient, Ralph Fiennes is one of the most respected English actors of the current generation. He is known for playing important roles in notable films, such as the Harry Potter and James Bond film series. A Stanislavsky Award recipient, he is also known for his work behind the camera.

From being a stage and B movie actor, Jack Nicholson went on to become one of Hollywood’s most versatile actors and a huge star. The three time Academy award winning legendary actor has, in his six decades career, delivered performances that have become iconic. His notable performances include One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and As Good as It Gets.

American actress, Marisa Tomei, gained fame when she starred in the 1992 film My Cousin Vinny. She received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the film. She was also appreciated for in the movies In the Bedroom and The Wrestler. What Women Want, Anger Management, The Ides of March, Cyrus, The Big Short and Avengers: Endgame are some of her other notable films.

Considered a British cultural icon, Ian McKellen is one of the most respected and decorated actors of all time. An openly gay actor, his work as an LGBT activist has been as impressive as his illustrious acting career. At the 1991 New Year Honours, he was knighted for services to performing arts.

Actor Morris Chestnut is best known for his role in the film Boyz n the Hood. Beginning his career as a young man, he appeared in a few TV shows before venturing into films. He steadily evolved as an actor and went on to co-star alongside major actors in big-budget films. He has co-authored a book on health and fitness.

Gary Burghoff is an American actor who is credited with originating the popular role of Charlie Brown in the 1967 Broadway musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He is also known for originating the role of Walter Eugene O'Reilly in the 1970 black comedy war movie MASH and the popular TV series of the same name.

Lupita Nyong'o is one of the most popular black actresses of all time. The first Kenyan-Mexican actress to receive the prestigious Academy Award, Lupita Nyong'o has often been named in lists, such as the world's most beautiful woman. In 2020, she was named by Forbes magazine as one of Africa's 50 Most Powerful Women.

Maggie Siff is best known as Tara Knowles from Sons of Anarchy and Rachel Katz from Mad Men. She was also part of the film The 5th Wave and the series Billions. She has promoted Betterment, a robo-advising service, and was part of the podcast You Must Remember This.

Jeffrey Jones is an American actor known for his deadpan portrayal of film characters, often to comic effect. For an actor who claims to value anonymity, Jeffrey Jones has attracted unnecessary public attention as a sex offender. In 2002, he was arrested for possessing child pornography and was subsequently accused by an underage boy of solicitation to pose nude.

Loretta Swit is a veteran American stage and small screen actress who became a household name with her award-winning portrayal of Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan in M*A*S*H, a comedy-drama series on CBS television. Apart from playing a wide range of character roles on television and stage, she also appeared in movies and hosted a documentary on the Korean war.

Dean-Charles Chapman has delivered stellar performances as Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical, as Tom Blake in 1917, and as Tommen Baratheon in Game of Thrones. He also played the titular character in the sitcom The Revolting World of Stanley Brown, and Castor in Into the Badlands.