Birthdays: April 16
List activity
3.7K views
• 3 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
176 people
- Actress
- Producer
Offbeat, unconventionally pretty, and utterly mesmerizing, Ellen Barkin was born on April 16, 1954 in the Bronx, New York, to Evelyn (Rozin), a hospital administrator, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman. Her parents were both from Russian Jewish families. Raised in the South Bronx and Queens, New York area, she wanted to be an actress as early as her teens and was eventually accepted into Manhattan's High School of the Performing Arts.
Barkin then attended Hunter College and received her degree after double majoring in history and drama. At one point she wanted to teach ancient history, but instead turned her thoughts back to her first love: acting. Barkin then continued her education at New York's Actor's Studio. Fearful of the auditioning process, she studied acting for seven years before finally landing her first audition. While continuing her studies, she worked as a waitress at the avant-garde Ocean Club. Performing off-Broadway in such plays "Shout Across the River" (1979), "Extremities" (1983), "Fool for Love" (1984) and "Eden Court" (1985), she was applauded across the board for her first film lead in Diner (1982) opposite Mickey Rourke and Daniel Stern, and pursued sexy tough-cookie status thereafter with such quirky roles in The Big Easy (1986) starring Dennis Quaid and Siesta (1987) with Irish actor Gabriel Byrne, whom she married in 1987 and separated from in 1993 after producing a son and daughter. She and Byrne divorced in 1999.
With trademark squinting eyes and slightly off-kilter facial features, Barkin continued the fascination of her seamy/steamy girl-from-the-wrong-side-of-the-tracks status most notably opposite Al Pacino in the thriller Sea of Love (1989). In addition, she was well cast as Robert De Niro's abused wife in This Boy's Life (1993), and portrayed "Calamity Jane" in Wild Bill (1995) with earnest. Other impressionable offbeat projects included roles in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) and Mercy (2000). On TV, she was well-cast in the mini-movie Blood Money (1988) and won an Emmy award for her gripping performance in Before Women Had Wings (1997) opposite Oprah Winfrey as another abused wife who, in this case, turns her violent anger on her own daughters.
In 2000, Barkin married billionaire Ronald O. Perelman, eleven years her senior and chairman of the Revlon company, and put her career relatively on hold, appearing sporadically in edgy films like She Hate Me (2004) and Palindromes (2004). Barkin and Perelman went through an acrimonious divorce in 2006.
Just prior to her divorce in late 2005, Barkin ventured into independent film production with Applehead Pictures, a company she set up with her brother George Barkin, who is a scriptwriter and former editor-in-chief of National Lampoon and High Times, and former Independent Film Channel executive Caroline Kaplan. In her first major acting appearance since her divorce from Perelman, Barkin co-starred in Ocean's Thirteen (2007) with George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and former co-star Pacino. She followed up Ocean's with a supporting role in Antoine Fuqua's Brooklyn's Finest (2009), Happy Tears (2009) with Parker Posey and Demi Moore, and Twelve (2010).
Barkin has produced features over time, including Letters to Juliet (2010) and Another Happy Day (2011) (she also starred in the latter project). On the small screen, she appeared in an episode of Modern Family (2009) and her new NBC show, The New Normal (2012), got a sneak peek during the Olympics.
More recent sightings have included the films The Chameleon (2010), Very Good Girls (2013), The Cobbler (2014), Hands of Stone (2016) and Active Adults (2017). She has had regular roles on the TV series The New Normal (2012) and Animal Kingdom (2016).- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Akon, born Aliaune Thiam, grew up in Senegal before he and his family (including his father, jazz percussionist Mor Thiam) eventually settled in the USA, in the state of New Jersey. There he discovered hip-hop and R&B music as well as crime. He was eventually jailed, but he used the time to work on his musical ideas. Upon release, Akon began writing and recording tracks in a home studio. The tapes found their way to SRC/Universal, which eventually released "Trouble," Akon's debut LP, in June 2004. The album was an interesting hybrid of Akon's hip-hop-influenced sung lyrics and silky, West African-styled vocals with East Coast- and Southern-styled beats.- Actor
- Music Department
His striking menacing face and important presence as the deadly Hector The Toad in the classic Scarface (1983) was remarkable enough for movie viewers to never forget him and his role as the Colombian drug dealer who brutally murdered Tony Montana's associate in the infamous chainsaw scene from Brian De Palma's film. With De Palma, he also appeared as a porn film director in Body Double (1984) and as Rolando in Carlito's Way (1993), which reunites him with Al Pacino. Throughout his career, Al Israel has played from good guys and bad guys, from detectives to gunmen and mob bosses. Among his credits include Marked for Death (1990), Drop Zone (1994), Dangerous Minds (1995) and appearances in series like Miami Vice and The Shield; and also returned to his most famous role providing voice work for the video game Scarface: The World Is Yours. He died in 2011, at age 75, and despite of a somewhat limited resume to his credit he gave us plenty of his great talents as a character actor.- Actress
Alek Wek is a fashion model best known for being one of the first mainstream dark-skinned African models to appear on fashion magazine covers and work both campaigns and fashion shows in mid 1990's. Wek appeared on the covers or been featured in many international fashion magazines including Elle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Vogue among others. She has been in campaigns for Victoria Secret, Clinique, Chanel, Calvin Klein Givenchy, Fendi, Armani, Christian Dior and Moschino among others. She also appeared in the high profile 2001 Victoria's Secret Fashion show. She was born In April 16, 1977 in Wau, South Sudan to Akuol and Athian Wek. Wek's Dinka ethnic heritage put her family at risk in the ongoing civil war in Sudan. She fled to Britain at age fourteen with her family in 1991 to escape ethnic genocide in Sudan. Wek was attending London's College of Fashion when was discovered at age eighteen at an outdoor market in Crystal Palace, London, England by as model scout. She made her debut that same year in Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" music video for the theme song for the namesake 1995 James Bond film.- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Alexandria has been featured as a Principal Actress on many popular Canadian and American television shows such as Emmy Nominated "Degrassi: The Next Generation", Carlo Liconti's "Rebels", SyFy/Showcase's "Haven", CBC's "Being Erica" and Discovery Channel's "Karma's a B*tch".
She also has an extensive repertoire in film - Toronto's International Film Festival 2014's "Guidance" won multiple awards nation-wide and Alexandria has enjoyed roles in Ed Gass-Donnelly/Peter Stormare's "Small Town Murder Songs", Triben Entertainment's "A Cry in the Dark", Temple Street Productions' "The Garden", Trophy Life (CFC), The Dance (CFC), Charlie's Bad Break, The Fantastic Plastic Brain (Discovery Health US/The Science Channel), Reel Wolf Productions Q, Red Roses for Albert, He's No Dummy (Julie Mee), A Mid Winters Daydream and many more.
Alexandria was featured in the International McDonalds McCafe campaign for Sochis 2014 Winter Olympics.
Training with Lewis Baumander, Nahanni Johnstone and Marvin Hintz, Alexandria is committed to continuously owning, developing and sharpening her skills.- Mexican character actor who achieved his greatest success in U.S. films. He was born in Mexico city, living in numerous places throughout the country. He received a private education in Houston, Texas as a teenager, but dropped out and roamed about doing an assortment of jobs. His family, however, brought him back to Mexico City, where he subsequently found work in the struggling Mexican film industry. He appeared in many Mexican films before director John Huston offered him the role of Gold Hat in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). Bedoya stole the scenes in which he appeared as the smiling cutthroat and delivered the famous line about not needing any "stinking badges". He made a number of popular films in the U.S. in the next nine years, but a drinking problem destroyed his health. He died of a heart attack at the age of 53.
- Actress
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Director
Alina Foley was born on 16 April 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Spy Next Door (2010), Days of Our Lives (1965) and The League (2009). She was previously married to Rio Caster.- Alina Janowska was born on 16 April 1923 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. She was an actress, known for Niezawodny system (2008), Skarb (1949) and Lalka (1978). She was married to Wojciech Zablocki and Andrzej Borecki. She died on 13 November 2017 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland.
- Andy Romano was born on 16 April 1936 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Under Siege (1992), Major League (1989) and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995). He died on 14 September 2022 in Sequim, Washington, USA.
- Actress
- Producer
Anita Carey was born on 16 April 1948 in Halifax, Yorkshire, England, UK. She was an actress and producer, known for Doctors (2000), The History of Mr. Polly (1980) and First Among Equals (1986). She was married to Mark Wing-Davey. She died on 19 July 2023 in the USA.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (born April 16, 1996) is a British-American actress. She is best known for her roles as Beth Harmon in The Queen's Gambit (2020), Thomasin in the period horror film The Witch (2015), as Casey Cooke in the horror-thriller Split (2016), and as Lily in the black comedy thriller Thoroughbreds (2017). She has been the recipient of the Cannes Film Festival's Trophée Chopard and was nominated for the BAFTA Rising Star Award.
Anya was born in Miami, the youngest of six children. Her father is Scottish who was born in South America, and her mother is Spanish-English who was born in Zambia in Africa, to an English diplomat father and a Spanish mother from Barcelona. Anya lived her childhood between Argentina and England. Her father was a banker and a powerboat racer, and her mother is a psychologist. Anya was raised in Argentina until the age of six, then moved to London, where the family lived in Victoria. She attended Northlands School in Buenos Aires, then preparatory school Hill House and Queen's Gate School in London, and is also a former ballet dancer. Anya's dream of becoming an actress came when she was very young and it finally became possible when she was offered a modeling job. It wasn't long until Taylor-Joy received her first part in the Show Business. When she was fourteen, she used her savings to move to New York, and at 16, she left school to pursue acting.
Anya's outstanding performance as Thomasin in Robert Eggers' period horror film The Witch (2015), and the positive reviews it got at the Sundance festival revealed her incredible potential to the world; it was widely released and viewed in 2016. She then starred as the title character in the thriller Morgan (2016), directed Luke Scott and also starring Kate Mara. She also starred in Vikram Gandhi's film Barry, which focused on a young Barack Obama in 1981 New York City. Taylor-Joy played one of Obama's close friends. In 2017, she headlined M. Night Shyamalan's horror-thriller film Split (2016), playing Casey Cooke, a girl abducted by a mysterious man with split personalities. In 2019, she reprised her role as Casey in the film Glass. Anya was also the lead actress in the music video for Skrillex's remix of GTA's song Red Lips. She was nominated for the 2017 BAFTA Rising Star Award.
Taylor-Joy is attached to star in Nosferatu, a remake of the film of the same name, to be directed by Eggers in her third collaboration with him. She will also star in The Sea Change.- Actress
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Aria Pullman is an American actor, musician, writer, and show creator. Raised in Upstate, NY, she freelanced for years modeling with some of the world's leading agencies. In addition, she has written and produced several award-winning web series. Her career in acting has garnered her roles on television, including Lucifer, Once Upon a Time, Rescue Me, and Jane the Virgin. Her films include Jersey Boys, Birthmother's Betrayal, and Home Invaders. Her work in songwriting for film and television consists of The Jimmy Kimmel Show, Shameless, Animal Kingdom, and Lucy in the Sky.- Actress
- Producer
Barbara Magnolfi was born in France to an Italian father and French mother. Raised in Rome, Italy, she began studying ballet at age four. Falling in love with the art of dance, she rose to the level of lead ballerina by age 10. Making the leap from stage to screen at 13, Barbara was spotted at a restaurant by director Antonio Pietrangeli and cast her on sight for his current film, Come, Quando, Perché. Innately comfortable in front of the camera, this experience with a master Italian lens-man was Barbara's confirmation of her chosen path.
Determined to pursue her dreams, at 15 she was forced to leave an abusive home situation. Out of necessity, she supported herself by working as a couture model at an upscale atelier for elite clients. There, she caught the eye of the fashion photographer and major print ads for Fiorucci and Coca-Cola to name a few soon followed. By the early 70s, it was evident that Barbara's star power was on the rise.
Making her entrance on the Italian silver screen in the mid 70s, Barbara officially debuted as the fetching Floriana in Sergio Martino's 1975 thriller, The Suspicious Death of a Minor. 1976 saw her in Duccio Tessari's "commedia all'italiana" romp La Madama and the romantic drama Ready for Anything, directed by Giorgio Stegani.
But the actress is most beloved for her standout performance in 1977 as the slinky, scene-stealing Olga, the nail-painting gossipy girl who takes great pleasure in harassing Jessica Harper about snakes in Dario Argento's classic film, Suspiria. Bringing a captivating element of electrically feminine power to the role, even Argento noted her beguiling presence, calling her 'La Mia Streghina' (my little witch). With an epic ensemble cast featuring classic Hollywood legends such as Joan Bennett and Alida Valli, and cited often as one of the greatest horror films of all time, Barbara's cinematic legacy was sealed through her indelible contributions to this genre-defying film.
She then starred in Umberto Silva's Difficile Morire, as an intrepid noblewoman living through Italy's social upheavals between 1911 and 1944. Shot at Cinecitta, the iconic Roman film studios, Barbara's workday often began by sharing breakfast and banter in the studio's cafeteria with none other than legendary director Federico Fellini, who was there preparing for his next film. In 1978, she played the main character in Enzo Milioni's The Sister of Ursula, a dark psychological thriller. However, during filming the producers decided to add unscripted scenes without the star's knowledge nor consent. Despite this devious attempt to associate the film with a disreputable genre, Barbara's outstanding lead performance as the complex Ursula was lauded by critics and fans alike. She wrapped up the decade as a sweet 16 year old girl who comes of age in director and scriptwriter Gianni Martucci's 1978's Blazing Flowers, where the set's family-like atmosphere offered Barbara a welcome respite from her recent professional tensions.
By the early 80s, Barbara was a young widow, as her husband, actor Marc Porel, died from meningitis due to complications of drug addiction. Barbara then devoted herself to informing the public about the dangers of drugs. To inspire others on their journey back to life, she spearheaded a series of anti-drug campaigns, opened an information center in Paris, was a celebrity speaker at many events for "Dico No alla Droga" (I say No to Drugs).
She turned to television in 1985-1986 when she co-starred with Fabio Testi in I figli dell'Ispettore, a prestigious television show directed by Aldo Lado, and worked once again with Sergio Martino, in his miniseries Caccia al Ladro d'Autore.
Her next roles took her to Australia, where in 1991 she guest starred in top-rated television series Police Rescue and the short film Gotcha. After focusing on her family for several years, in 1996 she accepted what proved to be a fateful invitation to visit Southern California. A sold out screening of Suspiria at the American Cinematheque at which she was a guest of honor marked her arrival in Hollywood.- Barbara Sarafian was born on April 16, 1968, in Ghent, Belgium. Her father was a half-Armenian painter, and her mother was a painter and teacher at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. She was raised bilingual in French and Flemish/Dutch. She studied at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Antwerp and at Parallax in Brussels.
At first she was known as "Sonja Duplex", her alter ego on the radio show "De Lieve Lust" on 'Studio Brussel'.
Her first appearance in a feature film was in the short film "Pasta!" Very shortly after that, she started an international career with "CQ", directed by Roman Coppola, and "Fortress 2 - Re-Entry", directed by Geoff Murphy. In 1999 she starred in her first big role in Peter Greenaway's "8 ½ Women" as Clothilde.
She took a sabbatical for a few years to raise her son.
In 2008, Sarafian starred in Christophe Van Rompaey's "Moscow, Belgium" as Matty, a 41-year-old mother of three surviving her husband's mid-life crisis and falling in love with Johnny, a much younger truckdriver. Her powerful performance in the role won her awards at numerous festivals, including two awards for best actress. In the USA, newspapers wrote about Barbara Sarafian turning in "an Oscar-caliber performance".
Subsequently, she appeared convincingly in "SM-rechter", "Saint", "Zot van A." and "Marieke, Marieke"; for the latter, she was nominated for best actress in a supporting role.
In 2011 she starred in the role of Eva Forrestier in Michael Roskam's "Rundskop" (Bullhead) along with Matthias Schoenaerts.
Between 2012 and 2015, she played starring and supporting roles in "Allez, Eddy", "Emmenez-Moi", "Hemel", "Billy the Bully" and "Brasserie Romantiek". For her role in "Brasserie Romantiek" she won the Ensor Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Most recently she has starred in Nic Balthazar's "Everybody Happy" as Laura Maris and as Marianne in Christophe Van Rompaey's "Vincent". For the latter film she won the 2016 Boccalino d'Oro Award for Best Actress.
Besides her work on the big screen, she has a comprehensive palmares in television series and shows. She plays main roles in i.a. "Dubbelleven", "Vossenstreken" , "Clan (The Out-Laws)" and "In Vlaamse Velden". For her role in "in Vlaamse velden" she won a TV star for Best Actress. Her main supporting roles were in "Zone Stad", "Kiekens", "Aspe" and "Professor T". She has also starred in sketch and comedy shows such as "achter de feiten", "Tegen de sterren op" and "Wat als?".
Barbara Sarafian has also played some acclaimed roles in theatre. Her remarkable performances were in i.a. 'Uniroyal', 'Alles van Eva (All about Eve)' and 'Closer'. Sarafian will be playing in Gilles Coulier's "Cargo", ..."Wij", and the TV series "Beau Séjour", "De Infiltrant" and "De Dag". - Actor
- Soundtrack
A genial, well-respected, all-around "nice guy", the breezily handsome Barry Nelson was born Haakon Robert Nielsen on April 16, 1917, in San Francisco, California, to Betsy (Christophersen) and Trygve "Ted" Nielsen, both Norwegian immigrants. He was raised in nearby Oakland and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1941. A talent scout from MGM caught Barry in a college production of "Macbeth" and quickly sized up his potential. Cast in earnest secondary roles including Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) and Dr. Kildare's Victory (1942), he was assigned the lead in the war film A Yank on the Burma Road (1942). Serving in WWII, he appeared in the Moss Hart play "Winged Victory", in what would become his Broadway debut, in 1943 and a year later he appeared as "Corporal Barry Nelson" in the 1944 film version of the play. Barry lost major ground in films during the post-war years, but certainly made up for it on the live stage by appearing in a string of New York successes ranging from "The Rat Race" to "The Moon Is Blue."
On TV, in addition to becoming a trivia statistic in the Hollywood annals as being the first to give video life to Ian Fleming's "007" agent James ("Jimmy") Bond in a one-hour production of "Casino Royale" in Climax! (1954), Barry lit up the small screen in such dramatic programs as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) and, in particular, a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone (1959). He also starred in the series The Hunter (1952), a Cold War adventure, and My Favorite Husband (1953), in which he played the level-headed mate and "straight man" to daffy blonde Joan Caulfield. In the 1960s he continued to demonstrate his acting muscle on stage and TV, although he did manage to preserve on film his starring role in Mary, Mary (1963), a huge Broadway hit with Debbie Reynolds co-starring in place of stage partner Barbara Bel Geddes. The lightweight play "Cactus Flower" with Lauren Bacall was another bright vehicle, but star Walter Matthau's clout cost Barry the part when it went to film. Through it all Barry remained a thoroughly solid professional, particularly in the realm of TV-movies. Such standouts include his neighbor/undercover agent to criminals-on-the-run Don Murray and Inger Stevens in The Borgia Stick (1967) and his blind plane crash survivor in Seven in Darkness (1969).
The 1970s proved a very good decade indeed for Barry theater-wise with "Seascape," "The Norman Conquests" and Liza Minnelli's "The Act" among his pleasures, the last-mentioned earning him a Tony nomination. Despite co-starring roles in the blockbuster hit Airport (1970) and comedy Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), the silver screen would not become his strong suit in later years. By the early 1990s he had fully retired.
A popular, clean-cut, down-to-earth "Average Joe" with a charmingly sly side, you just couldn't help but like Barry Nelson. Although he certainly could play the deceptive villain when called upon, he was usually the kind of guy you'd root for having as a neighbor, pal or business partner. Divorced from actress Teresa Celli for quite some time and completely retired now, he and second wife Nansilee (they married in 1992) traveled extensively and enjoyed antique shopping in particular. In 2007, during one of their many excursions, Barry passed away quietly at age 89 at a hotel in Bucks County, Pennesylvania.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Béatrice Romand was born on 16 April 1952 in Birkadem, Alger, Algeria. She is an actress and director, known for Claire's Knee (1970), A Good Marriage (1982) and Graf Yoster gibt sich die Ehre (1967).- Belinda Stewart-Wilson is an English actress, born in London, England, U.K. She is best known for her role in the popular TV sitcom The Inbetweeners as Polly McKenzie. Her father is a British Army officer Sir Blair Stewart-Wilson.During childhood she grew up on various military postings in the UK, Germany, and Austria before her family finally settled in London. She was educated at Hurst Lodge School in Ascot, Berkshire, before training at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, in London.Stewart-Wilson worked on a number of television shows, making mostly one-time appearances. Her most notable credits during this time period were the roles of Victoria Reynholm, the presumed dead wife of Douglas Reynholm in The IT Crowd, and Nikki in the TV series Jekyll alongside James Nesbitt and Gina Bellman. She also made an appearance in the commercially successful mockumentary feature film Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance. Belinda also played a cameo role in Stephen Poliakoff's Joe's Palace in a scene with Michael Gambon.
- Pope Benedict XVI is a retired prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the head of the Catholic Church and the sovereign of the Vatican city state from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict is known by the title "Pope Emeritus" upon his resignation.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Benjamín Rojas was born on 16 April 1985 in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an actor and composer, known for Chiquititas: Rincón de luz (2001), Rebelde Way (2002) and Tu cara me suena - Argentina (2013).- Actor
- Music Department
- Writer
William Richard Werstine is an American actor and radio personality with autism and ADHD. He grew up in both New Jersey and Boston. He became a regular cast member of the Howard Stern show. He became known for The Ren & Stimpy Show, Futurama, Doug, Space Jam and several commercials featuring the red M&M.- Blake Fielder-Civil was born on 16 April 1982 in Northamptonshire, England, UK.
- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Björgvin Helgi Halldórsson was born on 16 April 1951 in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland. He is an actor and composer, known for Devil's Island (1996), Father's Estate (1980) and Golden Sands (1984). He is married to Ragnheiður B. Reynisdottir.Bó Halldórsson- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Bob Goody was born on 16 April 1951 in Brighton, Sussex, England, UK. He was an actor and writer, known for Lifeforce (1985), Flash Gordon (1980) and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989). He was married to Gina Donovan. He died on 5 March 2023 in the United Kingdom.- Actor
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Bobby Vinton was born on 16 April 1935 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Flushed Away (2006), Blue Velvet (1986) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021). He has been married to Dolly Dobbins since 17 December 1962. They have five children.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Boyd Banks started his entertainment career at 17, when he won a contest for Best Stand Up Comedian in Edmonton, Alberta. After spending several years doing comedy in Vancouver, British Columbia, Banks moved to Toronto, where he began acting. Boyd's first roles were in various comedy series such as the cult favourite The Kids in the Hall (1988). His unique character looks and subtle performances on camera caught the eye of Toronto's top casting directors and Banks now works regularly in film and television from comedies to murder mysteries!