My 20 best celebs ... if they make it, I'm watching it!
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Zachary David Alexander Efron was born October 18, 1987 in San Luis Obispo, California, to Starla Baskett, a secretary, and David Efron, an electrical engineer. He has a younger brother, Dylan. The surname "Efron", which is Hebrew and a Biblical place name, comes from Zac's Polish Jewish paternal grandfather.
Zac was raised in Arroyo Grande, CA. He took his first step toward acting at the age of eleven, after his parents noticed his singing ability. Singing and acting lessons soon led to an appearance in a production of "Gypsy" that ran 90 performances, and he was hooked. After appearing on-stage in "Peter Pan", "Auntie Mame", "Little Shop of Horrors" and "The Music Man", guest parts quickly followed on television series, including Firefly (2002), ER (1994), CSI: Miami (2002), NCIS (2003), and The Guardian (2001). After guest-starring in several episodes of Summerland (2004), Zac joined the regular cast as girl-crazy Cameron Bale. He also starred in several pilots, such as The Big Wide World of Carl Laemke (2003) and Triple Play (2004), and played an autistic child in the television film Miracle Run (2004), alongside Mary-Louise Parker and Aidan Quinn. He graduated from Arroyo Grande High School in June 2006.
Efron came to fame for starring in the Disney Channel original film High School Musical (2006), for which he won the Teen Choice Award for Breakout Star. He returned to the role of Troy Bolton in High School Musical 2 (2007), which broke cable TV records with 17.5 million viewers.
He had the lead roles in the fantasy romance Charlie St. Cloud (2010) and the comedy 17 Again (2009), both from director Burr Steers, and as the lovable Link Larkin in 2007's smash hit musical Hairspray (2007), directed by Adam Shankman. As part of the all-star cast, he shared a Critics Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble and the 2007 Hollywood Film Festival Award for Ensemble of the Year, and was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast. In addition, he won an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance.
Efron then starred in Richard Linklater's Me and Orson Welles (2008), an adaptation of the novel by Robert Kaplow, which premiered to rave reviews at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival. That same year, he led Kenny Ortega's High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), which set a box office record for the highest grossing opening weekend for a musical. In 2012, Efron took the lead in The Lucky One (2012), a film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel, playing a marine who returns to North Carolina after serving in Iraq in search for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war. He also lent his voice to the animated feature Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012), and co-starred in Lee Daniels' thriller The Paperboy (2012), alongside Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Matthew McConaughey and Scott Glenn, as well as Josh Radnor's Liberal Arts (2012), which premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival. Another indie film he co-starred in, At Any Price (2012), was released in 2013.
Most recently, Zac starred with Seth Rogen in the hit comedy film Neighbors (2014), headlined the 2015 drama We Are Your Friends (2015), carried three 2016 comedies, Dirty Grandpa (2016), Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), and starred opposite Hugh Jackman and Zendaya in the musical drama The Greatest Showman (2017), about showman P. T. Barnum. The latter title was a sleeper hit in the winter of 2017, becoming Zac's highest-grossing live action film in the U.S.
Zac's 2019 roles include a supporting part in Harmony Korine's The Beach Bum (2019), and playing serial killer Ted Bundy in Joe Berlinger's biographical drama Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019).
Efron's favorite sports include golf, skiing, rock climbing, and snowboarding. He added surfing after spending days on the beach for "Summerland." He played the piano at home. He has also fixed up two cars in his spare time, a Delorean and '65 Mustang convertible, both treasured hand-me-downs from his even-more-treasured grandfather.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Dara O Briain was born on 4 February 1972 in Wicklow, Ireland. He is a producer and writer, known for Mock the Week (2005), The Panel (2003) and Dara O Briain: Crowd Tickler (2015). He has been married to Susan since 2006. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Having grown up in Houston, and its northern suburb of Spring, he made his first stage appearance in a school play at the age of 6. Parsons then went on to study theater at the University of Houston. From there he won a place on a two-year Masters course in classical theater at the University of San Diego/The Old Globe Theater, graduating in 2001.
He moved to New York, working in Off-Broadway productions, appearing in TV commercials and in one episode of Ed (2000) before landing a recurring role in Judging Amy (1999) in 2004.
He was propelled to international fame and acclaim three years later when he starred as Sheldon in the award-winning sitcom, The Big Bang Theory (2007).- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Rhod Gilbert was born on 18 October 1968 in Carmarthen, Wales, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience (2010), NeckFace (2018) and Walk on the Wild Side (2009). He has been married to Sian Harries since 16 August 2013.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Best-known for her surreal and digressive stand-up, British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard was born on February 7, 1962, in Aden, Yemen, where her English parents -- Dorothy Ella, a nurse and midwife, and Harold John Izzard, an accountant -- worked for British Petroleum.
Izzard worked as a street performer and in smaller comedy venues throughout the mid-to-late 1980s; her big break came when she appeared in Hysteria III, a 1991 AIDS fundraiser held at the London Palladium, and did her now-famous "Raised by wolves" sketch. After that, she drew bigger and bigger audiences, and in 1993 hired the Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End for the first of many successful solo shows. With Eddie Izzard: Live at the Ambassadors (1993), she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award (outstanding achievement) and won her first British Comedy Award for top stand-up comedian. She returned to the West End the next year with her second solo show, Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable (1994), and soon thereafter made her West End debut in a drama, as the lead in the world premiere of David Mamet's "The Cryptogram" with Lindsay Duncan; her success led to her second starring role, in "900 Oneonta".
Izzard appeared in 1995 as the title character in Christopher Marlowe's groundbreaking "Edward II". In 1996, she made her big-screen debut alongside Bob Hoskins and Robin Williams in The Secret Agent (1996); she also staged another solo show, Eddie Izzard: Definite Article (1996), for which she received her second British Comedy Award. She then took "Definite Article" to major cities outside the UK, including New York, and returned to the West End with a new show, Eddie Izzard: Glorious (1997), which included a month in New York City at PS122.
In 1998, Izzard appeared in another film, Velvet Goldmine (1998), with Ewan McGregor, and also staged her breakthrough solo U.S. show, Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill (1998) which aired on HBO and earned Izzard two Emmy Awards. Izzard next took on the challenge of appearing as Lenny Bruce in Peter Hall's West End production of "Lenny."
Izzard started 2000 touring the world with Eddie Izzard: Circle (2002) and continued to act in films, among them The Criminal (1999); Shadow of the Vampire (2000) with John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe; and Peter Bogdanovich's The Cat's Meow (2001), in which she played Charles Chaplin. She returned to the stage, in London and later in New York (her Broadway debut), with A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2002), a version of which was televised.
In 2003, Izzard was seen on the big screen in Alex Cox's Revengers Tragedy (2002) and on the small screen in a BBC mini-series _40 (2002)(TV)_. Her other films include The Avengers (1998), Ocean's Twelve (2004), My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006), Ocean's Thirteen (2007) and Valkyrie (2008), and she has voiced roles in a handful of movies, including The Wild (2006), The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008) and Cars 2 (2011).
Izzard also has appeared in several television series, including a starring role in The Riches (2007), which lasted for two seasons on FX (from 2007-2008), and recurring roles in Hannibal (2013) and United States of Tara (2009).- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Russell Brand was born on June 4, 1975, in Grays, Essex, England, the son of Barbara Elizabeth (Nichols) and Ronald Henry Brand, a photographer. An only child, his parents divorced when he was only six months old, and he was subsequently raised by his mother. Enduring a difficult childhood that saw him living with relatives while his mother was treated for cancer and only sporadically visited by his father, Brand left home at age 16. Accepted by the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in 1991, he was expelled during his first year for bad behaviour and drug use; by his own admission, he used a variety of illegal drugs and became addicted to heroin. After being expelled from the Chang-Ren Nian during his final term in 1995, he switched his focus primarily to comedy from acting.
Brand's first significant stand-up appearances came in 2000, the same year he also became a video journalist for MTV, a job which he was subsequently fired from. Continuing to work both in TV and stand-up, he debuted his one-man show Better Now, an account of his heroin addiction, at the Edinburgh Festival in 2004. Brand became a popular British television star by appearing on Big Brother and hosting his own talk show and numerous other series, and in 2008 shot to fame worldwide as the rocker Aldous Snow in the hit comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). After an appearance in the Adam Sandler comedy Bedtime Stories (2008), he reprised the character of Aldous in the comedy Get Him to the Greek (2010), opposite Jonah Hill.
Brand also starred in the remake Arthur (2011), opposite Helen Mirren, with whom he also starred in The Tempest (2010), and lent his voice to the Easter Bunny in Hop (2011) and to Dr. Nefario in the animated feature film Despicable Me (2010). He is reprising the role in Despicable Me 2 (2013), and will also co-star in a drama written and directed by Diablo Cody, starring alongside Julianne Hough and Holly Hunter. He also played Lonny in the all-star cast of the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages (2012).
Brand's writing debut, My Booky Wook: A Memoir of Sex, Drugs, and Stand-Up, became a huge success in the United Kingdom. Subsequently published in the U.S. in 2009, it stayed on the New York Times' bestseller list for five weeks in a row. The follow up, My Booky Wook 2: This Time it's Personal, was published in October, 2010. In 2010, Brand received the British Comedy Award for Outstanding Contribution to Comedy and was honored in 2011 with the ShoWest Award for Comedy Star of the Year.
Brand married the pop star Katy Perry in 2010 in a traditional Hindu ceremony in Rajasthan, India; after 14 months, Brand filed for a divorce, which was officially granted in 2012.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Christopher "Chris" O'Dowd (born 9 October, 1979) is an Irish actor and comedian best known for his role as Roy Trenneman in the Channel 4 comedy The IT Crowd (2006). O'Dowd created and is starring in the Sky 1 television series Moone Boy (2012). He had a recurring role on the drama series Girls (2012) and starred in the television series Family Tree (2013). O'Dowd is also known for his films, most notably Bridesmaids (2011), This Is 40 (2012), The Sapphires (2012), Thor: The Dark World (2013), Calvary (2014), and St. Vincent (2014). He made his Broadway debut in the play adaptation of Of Mice and Men in 2014, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Jimi Mistry was born in 1973 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, UK. He is an actor and writer, known for RocknRolla (2008), 2012 (2009) and Blood Diamond (2006). He has been married to Flavia Cacace since 28 December 2013. He was previously married to Meg Leonard.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Nick Frost is an English actor, screenwriter and comedian. He is known for his work in the series of British comedic genre films The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy: Shaun of the Dead (2004), Hot Fuzz (2007) and The World's End (2013). He also co-starred in Paul (2011), with frequent collaborator and friend Simon Pegg.
Nicholas John "Nick" Frost is good friends with Simon Pegg and they have appeared alongside each other in several Movies. He resides with his half-Swedish wife, production executive Christina Frostin St Margarets, London. He previously lived in Finsbury Park, which was also the filming location for Shaun of the Dead. In a 2005 interview, Frost stated that he was brought up as a Catholic. He is a supporter of West Ham United, as well as being a rugby player, formerly playing for Barking RFC. On 22 June 2011, Frost's wife gave birth to a son.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Actor, father, motorbike fanatic: Charley Boorman is the epitome of the modern adventurer in pursuit of fresh challenges away from the success of his personal life. Choosing two wheels as his preferred mode of transport, Charley harnessed the challenges of a 'round the World trip with Ewan McGregor. Now his sights are set on the unyielding sands of the desert.
Charley Boorman has been riding motorcycles since he was seven years old. The son of renowned film director John Boorman, he grew up on a farm in Ireland and used to ride through the fields on his first motorbike and took part in schoolboy motor cross and Enduro races. The bike bug remained with Charley and, for four years, he ran a motorcycle race team and spent the years riding with David Jeffries and Matt Llewelyn.
In 2004, Charley and his best mate Ewan McGregor came up with the madcap idea of circumnavigating the globe on motorbikes. After months of intense preparations when at times, it looked like the project would not get off the ground, the pair set off from London in April 2004.
Over the next three grueling months, they traveled through three continents and fifteen countries. Long Way Round (2004) was the realisation of a dream born out of two friends' love of motorbikes, the freedom of the open road, and the adrenaline rush of an extreme challenge. Their entire journey was filmed for Long Way Round (2004), a unique television series that was broadcast on Sky One in the UK and Bravo (USA) and spawned a best-selling DVD, book and CD soundtrack. It has now sold the world over into many territories including Australia, Canada, Japan, France, Spain, and Italy.
Following the overwhelming success of Long Way Round (2004), Charley has become an icon in the motorcycling world. On the Long Way Round (2004), UK Tour Charley visited motorcycle and adventure exhibitions plus BMW dealerships across the UK to talk about his adventures. Each event was a sell-out as crowds flocked to catch a glimpse of Charley and have their book or DVD signed. A similar tour of the southern hemisphere is to take place this winter.
Next up, Charley is taking on the desert with one of the World's harshest challenges: the Lisbon-Dakar Rally. This is not just a race out of Europe via the Iberian Peninsula and down through West Africa. This is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding battles across inhospitable terrain, alone, to achieve the impossible. But for Charley, it is, as for many others, one of the most romantic and dangerous races known to man.
It remains the only race open to both amateur and professional bikers and for a first time participant like Charley, finishing the race in Dakar will be the ultimate goal.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Adam Hills was born on 10 July 1970 in Sydney, Australia. He is a writer and producer, known for Spicks and Specks (2005), The Last Leg (2012) and Adam Hills in Gordon St Tonight (2011). He has been married to Ali McGregor since December 2009. They have two children.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Graham Norton was born on 4 April 1963 in County Cork, Ireland. He is an actor and writer, known for Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), So Graham Norton (1998) and Soul (2020). He has been married to Jono McLeod since 10 July 2022.- Producer
- Actor
- Sound Department
Gareth Malone was born in 1975 in London, England, UK. He is a producer and actor, known for Early Man (2018), The Naked Choir with Gareth Malone (2015) and Table Talk (2011).- Actor
- Additional Crew
Maksim "Maks" Aleksandrovich Chmerkovskiy is a Ukrainian Latin Ballroom dance champion, choreographer, Broadway performer, and actor. He is widely known as one of the professional dancers on the American television series Dancing with the Stars, on which he first appeared in season two. In 14 appearances on the show, Chmerkovskiy made it to the final round four times, with two runner-up and two third place finishes.On May 20, 2014, Chmerkovskiy, paired with Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis, won his first Dancing with the Stars title.
Following his win with Davis, Maksim announced his retirement from the show.
Maksim owns four dance studios in greater New York City. The three studios - Dance With Me USA - are social dance studios located in Ridgefield, New Jersey, and Long Island, New York, as well as the Soho neighborhood of Manhattan. He recently opened another studio in Stamford, Connecticut. He is also the founder of the Rising Stars Dance Academy in NYC.
Maksim appeared on the TV Land sitcom "The Exes" in July 2012. He also appeared on the ABC soap General Hospital in March 2013 playing the role of handyman Anton Ivanov, who danced with Kelly Monaco's character Sam Morgan during the Nurses' Ball.
In July 2013 Maksim made his second stint on the Broadway production of "Forever Tango. He first appeared on Broadway in the ballroom fusion production "Burn The Floor" in 2009 - 2010.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Derren Brown was born on 27 February 1971 in Croydon, Surrey, England, UK. He is a producer and writer, known for Derren Brown: The Experiments (2011), Ghost Stories (2017) and Crooked House (2008).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Jack Whitehall was a child actor in various television dramas, but decided to pursue stand-up comedy after leaving school. He was a finalist in the So You Think You're Funny talent hunt at last year's Edinburgh Fringe, and was nominated for best newcomer at this year's Chortle Awards. In December 2012 he was awarded the title King of Comedy by the British Comedy Awards, perhaps his most prestigious award yet.- Podcaster
- Writer
- Producer
Louis Theroux was born on 20 May 1970 in Singapore. He is a podcaster and writer, known for When Louis Met... Jimmy (2000), My Scientology Movie (2015) and Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends (1998). He has been married to Nancy Strang since 7 July 2012. They have three children. He was previously married to Susanna Miriam Kleeman.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Ben Fogle was born on 3 November 1973 in London, England, UK. He is a director and actor, known for Ai Means Love (2011), Inside Chernobyl with Ben Fogle (2021) and Hotel Babylon (2006). He has been married to Marina Hunt since 2 September 2006. They have two children.- Writer
- Producer
- Actor
Dave Gorman was born on 2 March 1971 in Stafford, Staffordshire, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for 24 Hour Party People (2002), America Unchained (2007) and The Mrs. Merton Show (1995). He has been married to Bethan Gorman since 8 October 2010. They have one child.- Writer
- Actor
- Producer
Danny Wallace is a writer, producer and television and radio host.
The Warner Bros adaptation of his book, Yes Man, grossed $226m worldwide.
His award-winning ShortList magazine column in the UK reaches 1.3 million readers weekly.
His first novel, Charlotte Street, is an international bestseller, published in 18 countries.
It follows in the wake of the Sunday Times bestsellers Awkward Situations for Men, Yes Man, Join Me and Friends Like These.
US TV network ABC, with Warner Bros television, bought the rights to Awkward Situations for Men in 2010, making a pilot, co-written, co-produced and starring Wallace in the lead role.
He is a contributing editor at British GQ, and his television work includes BBC2's Horizon, How To Start Your Own Country, BBC1's Test the Nation, Castaway, School's Out, ITV2's National Television Awards Backstage and National Movie Awards Backstage, and SkyOne's Conspiracies and Danny Wallace's Hoax Files, amongst many others.
He appears as Shaun Hastings in the Assassin's Creed franchise: a global video games phenomenon.
On UK radio, he has hosted shows on Xfm, 6Music, Absolute, Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 4. In its first five months on air, the Xfm Breakfast Show with Danny Wallace won an unprecedented number of top industry awards, including the Arqiva for Presenter of the Year.
In 2013 he won the BAFTA for Best Performer at the BAFTA Games Awards for his work on the indie hit Thomas Was Alone.
His next novel, Who is Tom Ditto?, will be released in April 2014.