P. Redeckis's definitions
Jack Wild (30 September, 1952 – 2 March, 2006) was a British actor, born in Royton, Lancashire, England, who achieved fame for his roles in both stage and screen productions of the Lionel Bart musical Oliver!. For the latter performance (playing the Artful Dodger), he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16, but the Oscar went to Jack Albertson for his performance in The Subject was Roses.
It was at the premiere of the 1968 film version of Oliver! that he met brothers Sid and Marty Krofft, who thought Wild would make a good lead for a show they were developing called H.R. Pufnstuf. Wild starred in this American family TV series that launched in 1969, and also in the spin-off movie. He also embarked on a recording career, cutting one album for Capitol Records and two for Buddah Records in the early 1970s.
Excessive drinking at an early age derailed Wild's career. Sobering up in 1988, he returned to the big screen in a few minor roles, such as in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He was also reported to be developing a TV situation comedy with Suzi Quatro around the same time, but those plans never materialised in an actual series. For the most part, though, Wild spent the remainder of his career working in theatre.
Wild died in Tebworth, age 53, after a long battle with oral cancer. Diagnosed with the disease in 2000, he underwent surgery in July 2004 and had part of his tongue and both vocal cords removed. Because of this surgery, he had lost his speech1 and had to communicate through his wife.
It was at the premiere of the 1968 film version of Oliver! that he met brothers Sid and Marty Krofft, who thought Wild would make a good lead for a show they were developing called H.R. Pufnstuf. Wild starred in this American family TV series that launched in 1969, and also in the spin-off movie. He also embarked on a recording career, cutting one album for Capitol Records and two for Buddah Records in the early 1970s.
Excessive drinking at an early age derailed Wild's career. Sobering up in 1988, he returned to the big screen in a few minor roles, such as in the 1991 Kevin Costner film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He was also reported to be developing a TV situation comedy with Suzi Quatro around the same time, but those plans never materialised in an actual series. For the most part, though, Wild spent the remainder of his career working in theatre.
Wild died in Tebworth, age 53, after a long battle with oral cancer. Diagnosed with the disease in 2000, he underwent surgery in July 2004 and had part of his tongue and both vocal cords removed. Because of this surgery, he had lost his speech1 and had to communicate through his wife.
by P. redeckis June 11, 2006
Get the Jack Wildmug. A Brilliant TV Series Cancelled by UPN in the USA in 2002, Network Ten in Australia bought rights to Haunted and broadcast the program in 2005. Starred Matthew Fox as Private Eye Frank Taylor.
by P. redeckis June 11, 2006
Get the Hauntedmug. John Edward Thaw CBE (3 January 1942 – 21 February 2002) was a British actor who achieved his first starring role in the military police television drama Redcap (1964 – 1966), and subsequently appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles.
Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Longsight, Manchester to parents John and Dorothy. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he was a contemporary of Tom Courtenay.
On leaving RADA, Thaw was awarded a contract with the Liverpool Playhouse. His first film role was a bit part in the 1962 adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner starring Tom Courtenay; and he also guested in an early episode of The Avengers.
Thaw will perhaps be best remembered for two roles: the hard-bitten Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in the television series (and two films) The Sweeney (1975 – 1978), which established him as a major star in the United Kingdom, and as the quietly-spoken, introspective and bitter detective Inspector Morse (1987 – 2001), with specials in 1995 – 1998 and 2000.
He won two BAFTA awards for Inspector Morse.
He subsequently played liberal barrister James Kavanagh in Kavanagh QC (1995 – 1999), with a special in 2001. Thaw also tried his hand at comedy with his own sitcom called Home to Roost (1985 – 1988).
His only screen projects not considered a popular success were the BBC series A Year in Provence and the LWT series Mitch, in which he played a journalist..
Thaw appeared in a number of films, including Cry Freedom, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Chaplin for director Richard Attenborough.
In 1964 Thaw married Sally Alexander, but they divorced four years later. He married actress Sheila Hancock in 1973 and remained with her until his death from cancer in 2002, aged 60.
Thaw had two daughters: Abigail Thaw from his first marriage, and Joanna Thaw from his second.
In her 2004 autobiography Sheila Hancock revealed the extent of Thaw's alcoholism that had started in the late 1970s and caused problems in their marriage and the gaps in Thaw's career in the early 1980s and later 1990s. Thaw was eventually able to get his alcoholism under control a year before his death.
Thaw was awarded the CBE in 1994.
Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Longsight, Manchester to parents John and Dorothy. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he was a contemporary of Tom Courtenay.
On leaving RADA, Thaw was awarded a contract with the Liverpool Playhouse. His first film role was a bit part in the 1962 adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner starring Tom Courtenay; and he also guested in an early episode of The Avengers.
Thaw will perhaps be best remembered for two roles: the hard-bitten Flying Squad detective Jack Regan in the television series (and two films) The Sweeney (1975 – 1978), which established him as a major star in the United Kingdom, and as the quietly-spoken, introspective and bitter detective Inspector Morse (1987 – 2001), with specials in 1995 – 1998 and 2000.
He won two BAFTA awards for Inspector Morse.
He subsequently played liberal barrister James Kavanagh in Kavanagh QC (1995 – 1999), with a special in 2001. Thaw also tried his hand at comedy with his own sitcom called Home to Roost (1985 – 1988).
His only screen projects not considered a popular success were the BBC series A Year in Provence and the LWT series Mitch, in which he played a journalist..
Thaw appeared in a number of films, including Cry Freedom, for which he received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and Chaplin for director Richard Attenborough.
In 1964 Thaw married Sally Alexander, but they divorced four years later. He married actress Sheila Hancock in 1973 and remained with her until his death from cancer in 2002, aged 60.
Thaw had two daughters: Abigail Thaw from his first marriage, and Joanna Thaw from his second.
In her 2004 autobiography Sheila Hancock revealed the extent of Thaw's alcoholism that had started in the late 1970s and caused problems in their marriage and the gaps in Thaw's career in the early 1980s and later 1990s. Thaw was eventually able to get his alcoholism under control a year before his death.
Thaw was awarded the CBE in 1994.
by P. redeckis June 3, 2006
Get the John Thawmug. Lisa McCune (b. February 19, 1971) is an Australian actress well-known for her television roles.
McCune shot to fame in January 1994 when, at just 22 she was cast as Constable Maggie Doyle in Blue Heelers. She played the role until the seventh season, during which time she won the Gold Logie Award For Most Popular Television Personality four times. When her character was killed in 2000, the "Who Shot Maggie Doyle?" story arc was the most watched in the series history, and her departure is attributed as one of the major factors in the ratings slump that followed.
McCune followed up her television stint playing Mary Abacus in a telemovie adaptation of Bryce Courtenay's The Potato Factory (2000). Her next project, a "comeback" role in 2002, was the television series Marshall Law with Alison Whyte and former Blue Heelers cast member William McInnes. The series was critically panned, and ratings dropped significantly to ensure that it was cancelled after one season.
In 2004, McCune slowly began to return to television - first becoming the advertising face of Coles supermarkets, then hosting Seven Network shows such as The World Around Us and Forensic Investigators. McCune also starred alongside Matt Day in the ABC telemovie Hell Has Harbour Views.
In September 2005, McCune guest starred in a four-episode storyline on MDA alongside her former Blue Heelers co-star Paul Bishop. Also In 2005 she has narrated a second season of Forensic Investigators and was the Australian film Little Fish starring alongside Cate Blanchett and Sam Neill
McCune studied musical theatre at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University, and has appeared in a number of musicals and other stage productions around Australia, notably as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Maria in The Sound of Music.
She is married to Tim Disney, once part of the Blue Heelers crew, and has three young children, Archer, Oliver and Remy.
McCune shot to fame in January 1994 when, at just 22 she was cast as Constable Maggie Doyle in Blue Heelers. She played the role until the seventh season, during which time she won the Gold Logie Award For Most Popular Television Personality four times. When her character was killed in 2000, the "Who Shot Maggie Doyle?" story arc was the most watched in the series history, and her departure is attributed as one of the major factors in the ratings slump that followed.
McCune followed up her television stint playing Mary Abacus in a telemovie adaptation of Bryce Courtenay's The Potato Factory (2000). Her next project, a "comeback" role in 2002, was the television series Marshall Law with Alison Whyte and former Blue Heelers cast member William McInnes. The series was critically panned, and ratings dropped significantly to ensure that it was cancelled after one season.
In 2004, McCune slowly began to return to television - first becoming the advertising face of Coles supermarkets, then hosting Seven Network shows such as The World Around Us and Forensic Investigators. McCune also starred alongside Matt Day in the ABC telemovie Hell Has Harbour Views.
In September 2005, McCune guest starred in a four-episode storyline on MDA alongside her former Blue Heelers co-star Paul Bishop. Also In 2005 she has narrated a second season of Forensic Investigators and was the Australian film Little Fish starring alongside Cate Blanchett and Sam Neill
McCune studied musical theatre at the West Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University, and has appeared in a number of musicals and other stage productions around Australia, notably as Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Maria in The Sound of Music.
She is married to Tim Disney, once part of the Blue Heelers crew, and has three young children, Archer, Oliver and Remy.
by P. redeckis June 11, 2006
Get the Lisa McCunemug. Born: 20 February 1967
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Washington
Died: 5 April 1994 (suicide)
Best Known As: Lead singer of the group Nirvana
Kurt Cobain was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Nirvana, whose melodic rock songs bridged punk with pop and sold millions of records in the early 1990s. The stripped-down, amped-up anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it to the top of the charts in 1991 and helped "grunge" rock unseat Michael Jackson-style pop. (It also helped put Seattle on the musical map -- Cobain was from the sort-of nearby logging town of Aberdeen, Washington.) The band's albums included Bleach (1989), Nevermind (1991) and In Utero (1993). Nirvana was briefly the hottest band in the world, but Cobain's discomfort with fame, personal demons and battles with drugs quickly caused problems. His status as rock legend was cemented when he committed suicide in 1994, apparently by shooting himself in the mouth with a shotgun.
Cobain married rocker/actress Courtney Love in 1992... The couple had one daughter, Frances Bean, born in 1992... Some fans continue to believe that Cobain was murdered. Though a suicide note was found near Cobain's body, and though the coroner ruled that Cobain's wounds were self-inflicted, these fans feel the suicide was staged, and some also accuse Courtney Love of being involved. This theory has been widely publicized but has never been proved... A 1998 documentary film, Kurt and Courtney, examined their relationship and Cobain's death.
Birthplace: Aberdeen, Washington
Died: 5 April 1994 (suicide)
Best Known As: Lead singer of the group Nirvana
Kurt Cobain was the lead singer and guitarist for the band Nirvana, whose melodic rock songs bridged punk with pop and sold millions of records in the early 1990s. The stripped-down, amped-up anthem "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it to the top of the charts in 1991 and helped "grunge" rock unseat Michael Jackson-style pop. (It also helped put Seattle on the musical map -- Cobain was from the sort-of nearby logging town of Aberdeen, Washington.) The band's albums included Bleach (1989), Nevermind (1991) and In Utero (1993). Nirvana was briefly the hottest band in the world, but Cobain's discomfort with fame, personal demons and battles with drugs quickly caused problems. His status as rock legend was cemented when he committed suicide in 1994, apparently by shooting himself in the mouth with a shotgun.
Cobain married rocker/actress Courtney Love in 1992... The couple had one daughter, Frances Bean, born in 1992... Some fans continue to believe that Cobain was murdered. Though a suicide note was found near Cobain's body, and though the coroner ruled that Cobain's wounds were self-inflicted, these fans feel the suicide was staged, and some also accuse Courtney Love of being involved. This theory has been widely publicized but has never been proved... A 1998 documentary film, Kurt and Courtney, examined their relationship and Cobain's death.
by P. redeckis June 11, 2006
Get the Kurt Cobainmug. EastEnders is a popular BBC television soap opera, first broadcast on 19 February 1985. It has been running ever since, generating strong viewing figures for much of that time, and has been the UK's highest rating programme on numerous occasions.
Despite the strong criticism of the show by critics in 2004 and 2005, EastEnders won the prestigious National Television Award for "most popular Serial Drama" (an award it has won several times in the past ten years) in October 2005, was inducted into the Rose d'Or Hall of Fame in April 2006, and in May 2006 won the BAFTA for "Best Continuing Drama". It also won seven British Soap Awards in May 2006, including the award for "Best British Soap".
Despite the strong criticism of the show by critics in 2004 and 2005, EastEnders won the prestigious National Television Award for "most popular Serial Drama" (an award it has won several times in the past ten years) in October 2005, was inducted into the Rose d'Or Hall of Fame in April 2006, and in May 2006 won the BAFTA for "Best Continuing Drama". It also won seven British Soap Awards in May 2006, including the award for "Best British Soap".
by P. redeckis June 11, 2006
Get the EastEndersmug. Lee Van Cleef (January 9, 1925 - December 16, 1989) was a movie actor, who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes made him an ideal "bad guy," though he was occasionally cast in a hero's role.
Born in Somerville, New Jersey, Van Cleef served in the United States Navy during World War II and became an actor after a brief career as an accountant. His first film was the classic Western High Noon, in which he played a villain. He also had a bit part as the sharpshooter in the climax of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms around the same time.
Van Cleef played one of Lee Marvin's villainous henchmen in the 1962 John Ford classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, with James Stewart and John Wayne.
He lost the tip of his middle finger on his right hand at some point: this can be seen in the close-up shots of his hand during the gunfights in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
He appeared in several Spaghetti westerns, including in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (both co-starring Clint Eastwood), as well as The Big Gundown and The Sabata Trilogy. Van Cleef also had a supporting role in John Carpenter's cult hit Escape from New York. He also appeared as a villainous swindler in the Bonanza episode, The Bloodline (December 31, 1960), along with 90 movie roles and 109 other television appearances over a 38-year span.
In the early 1980s he played John Peter McCallister, the "first Occidental to become a ninja" in NBC's The Master. The show was later featured on two episodes of the cult hit Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Lee Van Cleef died in Oxnard, California and was interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His gravestone says "Lee Van Cleef Jan 9, 1925 - Dec 16, 1989 'Best of the Bad' Love and Light".
Van Cleef was listed as one of the dedicatees at the end of Quentin Tarantino's 2004 film Kill Bill Vol. 2.
Born in Somerville, New Jersey, Van Cleef served in the United States Navy during World War II and became an actor after a brief career as an accountant. His first film was the classic Western High Noon, in which he played a villain. He also had a bit part as the sharpshooter in the climax of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms around the same time.
Van Cleef played one of Lee Marvin's villainous henchmen in the 1962 John Ford classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, with James Stewart and John Wayne.
He lost the tip of his middle finger on his right hand at some point: this can be seen in the close-up shots of his hand during the gunfights in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
He appeared in several Spaghetti westerns, including in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (both co-starring Clint Eastwood), as well as The Big Gundown and The Sabata Trilogy. Van Cleef also had a supporting role in John Carpenter's cult hit Escape from New York. He also appeared as a villainous swindler in the Bonanza episode, The Bloodline (December 31, 1960), along with 90 movie roles and 109 other television appearances over a 38-year span.
In the early 1980s he played John Peter McCallister, the "first Occidental to become a ninja" in NBC's The Master. The show was later featured on two episodes of the cult hit Mystery Science Theater 3000.
Lee Van Cleef died in Oxnard, California and was interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His gravestone says "Lee Van Cleef Jan 9, 1925 - Dec 16, 1989 'Best of the Bad' Love and Light".
Van Cleef was listed as one of the dedicatees at the end of Quentin Tarantino's 2004 film Kill Bill Vol. 2.
by P. redeckis June 11, 2006
Get the Lee Van Cleefmug.