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- Even though Sarah Douglas was born and raised in Stratford-Upon-Avon, and knew that she wanted to act, she did try to expand options available to her. She worked in a factory and for a time, also in a sterilizing department of a hospital. She briefly moved to France and also undertook a teacher training course in English and Drama. However, these were all abandoned in favour of acting. Soon after leaving Drama School, she won her first film role in The Final Programme (1973) as well as starring in the television series The Inheritors (1974). Other work began to follow, including the television series Space: 1999 (1975) and the films The Brute (1977) and The People That Time Forgot (1977). During the filming, the casting began for the science fiction blockbuster Superman (1978), and the rest is history.
- Actress
- Writer
- Stunts
Caitlin Thompson was born on 1 July 1987 in Avon Lake, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for This Is Us (2016), Christmas Perfection (2018) and 90210 (2008). She has been married to Dan Fogelman since 13 June 2015. They have one child.- Music Artist
- Composer
- Music Department
James Righton was born on 25 August 1983 in Stratford Upon Avon, England, UK. He is a music artist and composer, known for Benjamin (2018), Chatroom (2010) and Maria. He has been married to Keira Knightley since 4 May 2013. They have two children.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Gethin Anthony was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon to Welsh parents and grew up in the UK and USA. He trained in acting at LAMDA, after graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English Literature and Language.
Soon after completing his training Gethin featured as the ill-fated Renly Baratheon in Game of Thrones and led a company at the RSC.
He has worked on both stage and screen throughout his career.- Daniel Brocklebank grew up in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. He started acting professionally at the age of 14. One of his first projects was playing the lead role of Ralph in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Lord Of The Flies" in 1995. He returned to the RSC in 2003 in productions of "As You Like It", "Titus Andronicus" and "The Tamer Tamed". He also starred in "Cressida" opposite Sir Michael Gambon in Londons west end, directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner. Daniel works extensively in the UK and in the USA in all aspects of the industry. In 1999 he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in the multi award winning "Shakespeare In Love" and in 2010 he won a Best Actor Award at LesGaiCineMad International Film Festival for his role in British indie film "Release." As well as private LAMDA tuition Daniel also trained in musical theatre and is a strong singer and pianist.
- Cyd Hayman originally planned to become a journalist but turned to acting through LAMDA, taking various jobs to pay her fees. She worked in rep at Liverpool, Ipswich, Folkestone and the Mermaid in London before getting her big break on television in the series Manhunt (1970), in which she played the leading role of Nina. Before that, she had appeared in Armchair Theatre (1956), the BBC's The Wednesday Play (1964), and Love Story (1963). Other television roles include Clochemerle (1972), The Lotus Eaters (1972), The Persuaders! (1971), Crime of Passion (1970), The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes (1971), and The Two Ronnies (1971). Her film credits include Percy (1971) and Guns Before Butter (2005).
- Jasmine Hyde was born in 1976 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Amaurosis (2017), Angel Has Fallen (2019) and Wonder Woman 1984 (2020). She has been married to Jonathan Tafler since 14 June 2009. They have one child.
- Actor
- Producer
- Stunts
Tim Dutton (born in 1964 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England) is an English actor. Dutton began as a stage performer in British theatre and made his screen debut in 1991. His television credits include Ally McBeal (1997) as the love interest of series lead Calista Flockhart. Dutton's big screen credits involve high-profile films starring a score of Hollywood stars, including the Harrison Ford action movie Patriot Games (1992), The Bourne Identity (2002) starring Matt Damon, and The Detonator (2006), starring Wesley Snipes. In recent years, Dutton has appeared on various British television series such as Midsomer Murders (1997), New Tricks (2003), Inspector Lewis (2006), Harley Street (2008), and DCI Banks (2010).- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
William Shakespeare's birthdate is assumed from his baptism on April 25. His father John was the son of a farmer who became a successful tradesman; his mother Mary Arden was gentry. He studied Latin works at Stratford Grammar School, leaving at about age 15. About this time his father suffered an unknown financial setback, though the family home remained in his possession. An affair with Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior and a nearby farmer's daughter, led to pregnancy and a hasty marriage late in 1582. Susanna was born in May of 1583, twins Hamnet and Judith in January of 1585. By 1592 he was an established actor and playwright in London though his "career path" afterward (fugitive? butcher? soldier? actor?) is highly debated. When plague closed the London theatres for two years he apparently toured; he also wrote two long poems, "Venus and Adonis" and "The Rape of Lucrece". He may have spent this time at the estate of the Earl of Southampton. By December 1594 he was back in London as a member of the Lord Chamberlain's Men, the company he stayed with the rest of his life. In 1596 he seems to have purchased a coat of arms for his father; the same year Hamnet died at age 11. The following year he purchased the grand Stratford mansion New Place. A 1598 edition of "Love's Labors" was the first to bear his name, though he was already regarded as England's greatest playwright. He is believed to have written his "Sonnets" during the 1590s. In 1599 he became a partner in the new Globe Theatre, the company of which joined the royal household on the accession of James in 1603. That is the last year in which he appeared in a cast list. He seems to have retired to Stratford in 1612, where he continued to be active in real estate investment. The cause of his death is unknown.- Actor
- Writer
- Editorial Department
Best known as the hapless MP Ben Swain in "The Thick Of It", Justin has also appeared in "Father Brown", "Are You Being Served", "The Suspicions of Mr Whicher", "Veep", "The Old Guys", "The Trip", and "Skins". His film work includes "Love and Friendship", "The Death Of Stalin", "Paddington" and "Thor". He is a regular voice on Radio Four as an actor and presenter and is well known to live comedy audiences for his Perrier nominated show as horrific children's entertainer Jeremy Lion.- Jane Booker was born on 9 May 1956 in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Finding Neverland (2004), A Perfect Spy (1987) and Get Back (1992). She has been married to James Fleet since 1984. They have one child.
- Dolly Read was born on 13 September 1944 in Bristol, Avon, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), That Tender Touch (1969) and Charlie's Angels (1976). She was previously married to Dick Martin.
- Lucy Bell was born on 23 December 1968 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Murder Call (1997), Ten Empty (2008) and Mary: The Mary MacKillop Story (1994). She is married to James O'Loghlin. They have two children.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Aptly for a stage performer, Sian was born in Stratford-on-Avon, sister of fellow actress Sara Mair-Thomas, though she spent part of her childhood in Canada. After graduating in acting from the Central School of Speech and Drama, she spent a year in rep before working for two years at the Glasgow Citizens' Theatre, which she describes as one of the happiest times of her life. Shortly after she made her debut as "Katarina" in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "The Taming of the Shrew" and has since worked with several leading stage groups, notably the National Theatre, where she met her partner, the director and writer Tony Harrison. She also co-starred with Madonna in the American performer's West End debut in "Up For Grabs" and it is no secret that several critics thought she rather upstaged the then-Mrs. Ritchie. Sian, however, recalls her time with Madonna as very enjoyable and would be happy to work with her, again. On television, she has, in company with most actors in Britain, done the rounds of mystery thrillers, such as Midsomer Murders (1997), Taggart (1983) and The Bill (1984).- Wendy Padbury trained at the Aida Foster Stage School and made her TV debut on the BBC arts programme "Monitor" soon after starting the course. More TV work followed and, by the age of seventeen, she had landed a regular role in the ATV soap opera Crossroads (1964). Soon after this, she applied for the role of "Zoe" on Doctor Who (1963). After several rounds of auditions and a screen test at Lime Grove, she was given the job. Although the production team tried to persuade her to stay on at the end of season six and she was tempted to do so, she decided to leave at the same time as her co-stars, Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines. She then worked in the theatre and, in the early seventies, appeared in three seasons of the Southern TV children's series Freewheelers (1968). Since the mid-seventies, she has divided her time between raising a family and continuing her acting career.
- Miranda's credits include Inception, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight Rises, Witness for the prosecution, Eastenders, Casualty, and Silent Witness. Theatre work includes the Royal Shakespeare Company and London's Westend. Miranda completed an Art degree at Central Saint Martins College of Art, London, before becoming an actor. She holds a Black belt in Kickboxing and co founded The PinkBelt Kickboxing Empowerment Program for Women and Girls, with her husband.
- Actress
- Producer
- Stunts
Kara Joy Reed was born in Avon Township, Michigan, and was raised in Auburn Hills, Michigan. She graduated from private school with a 4.0 GPA and went to Oakland University on academic scholarships to earn a BA degree in Theatre Performance with a minor in Spanish Language.
After college, Kara got her start in film by taking advantage of the boom in Hollywood films made in Michigan. In "Ides of March", Kara had the privilege of working in close quarters with George Clooney and Ryan Gosling while playing a member of Morris' (Clooney's) campaign staff, and can be seen several times throughout the movie.
Kara lost her mother to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy in August of 2012. She says her mother was her first and biggest fan, and always knew that she would be a performer because the most often uttered phrase of her childhood was, "Watch me, Mommy! Watch me!"- Music Artist
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Michael Ball has enjoyed a very successful and varied career over the last 20 years, both in the West End and on the Concert Stage, working with some of the 20th century's most prolific musical theatre composers.
After graduating from the Guildford School of Acting, his professional debut was in "Godspell," playing the role of John the Baptist/Judas. His big break came when he appeared in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance" in the role of Frederick. In London's West End, he originated the roles of Marius in "Les Miserables" (his West End Debut) and Alex in "Aspects of Love" - a role he later recreated on Broadway. Michael also played Raoul in "Phantom of the Opera," and Giorgio in Stephen Sondheim's "Passion." In 2001 he appeared on the stage at London's Donmar Warehouse in a one-man show titled "Alone Together." The premise of the show was to tell the story of the life of a performer through song. No props, no orchestra, it was simply Michael alone on the stage with only a pianist accompanying him. The performance was recorded and released on DVD in 2002. He followed his Donmar success by originating the role of Caractacus Potts in the stage adaptation of the popular film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
In May 1992 he represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song "One Step Out Of Time." He finished in second place. Following his success in Eurovision, Michael embarked on a recording career, releasing 18 albums in the last 13 years. He also did several tours throughout the United Kingdom. Four of his concerts were released on DVD, "Musicals and More," "Live At the Royal Albert Hall," "This Time It's Personal," and "Live in London."
He returned to "Les Miserables" twice - in 1995 to re-create his role of Marius for the 10th Anniversary Concert Performance at Royal Albert Hall, and again in 2004 when he was asked to play Jean Valjean in a special performance for Queen Elizabeth II and French President Jacques Chirac at Windsor Castle.
In 2004, Michael traveled to Australia, where he did five sold-out concerts. He followed that tour with his first concerts in the U.S., in Salt Lake City Utah. In October of 2004 he reprised his "Alone Together" show in the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, as part of their "Singular Sensations" series.
2005 has been an interesting, active year for him. In February, he unexpectedly returned to the London stage in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical "The Woman in White." He stepped into the role of Count Fosco when Michael Crawford, who originated the role, fell ill. After a month-long concert tour throughout the UK in early summer, Michael went into the recording studio to record his 19th CD, titled Music. In September, he made his New York City Opera Debut in their production of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Patience" at Lincoln Center, playing Reginald Bunthorne. In November, he returned to Broadway after a 15-year absence, playing Count Fosco in the Broadway production of The Woman in White.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jessica Turner was born in 1953 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017), Tess of the D'Urbervilles (2008) and Prime Suspect (1991).- Marc Elliott was born in 1979 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Holby City (1999), Midsomer Murders (1997) and The Invisibles (2008).
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Born in Statford-on-Avon, Mark Strickson was brought up in the small village of Ilmington. His father was a professional musician and Strickson had learned to play several instruments - as well as singing in the Trinity Church choir - by the time he went to grammar school, where he continued his musical training. After finishing school, Strickson went to RADA, where he studied music and acting.
His first acting job was as part of the Mikron Theatre Company, who travelled the canals of Britain on a narrow boat performing up and down the country. Strickson wrote and composed many of the plays performed by the company over the two years he worked with them. Leaving the theatre for a while, Strickson gained his first television roles in "Celebration" and "Strangers", both for Granada television. For the BBC he appeared in "Angels", and "Juliet Bravo" before being auditioned for the role of Turlough in Doctor Who in 1982. Strickson found himself in the enviable position of having to choose between the role of Turlough and the part of an ambulance driver in "Angels", which he had also been offered.
After leaving Doctor Who in 1983, Strickson played the young Scrooge in a remake of Dickins' "A Christmas Carol" (1985). In 1988 he emigrated to Australia with his wife, actress Julie Brennan, where he took a break from acting to study for a degree in zoology. He returned to UK in 1995, and in 1996 he produced a number of wildlife films for television.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Monique Nicole LeClair is an actress, model, TV host, artist, athlete, writer, and humanitarian. An avid jack-of-all-trades, Monique was born on August 19, 1988. She is originally from St. Augustine Beach, Florida and she relocated to Los Angeles in 2014 in the pursuit of making her dreams of working in the entertainment industry a reality. She enjoys the ocean, painting, and fitness during her spare time. Monique began her modeling career at the tender age of 6 months old in regional pageants and catalogs. Her biggest inspiration was her late father, Richard Armand LeClair, who was an actor, model, and businessman. "He always encouraged me to dream and have the best" she recalls, "I remember him taking me to theaters, castings, and photoshoots at a very early age". She was 1st runner up in the bikini tall class at the Europa Show of Champions in 2012 as a fitness model and has modeled for multiple clothing lines and promotional companies in the Los Angeles area. Monique is the TwelveTen Magazine Cover Model for the May/June 2016 issue and has signed with Paradigm, D2 Models and NM Models in Los Angeles. Being an active member in theater, Monique took the lead in her first play, Shakespeare's "The Taming of The Shrew", at age 9. She has played a supporting actress in the theater production 'Wonder Women' as well as 'Silent Serenity'. She was the celebrity TV Host and face of TwelveTen360. Monique has also always had a passion for writing and has written and produced her own web series titled 'To Serve and Protest', an action-packed comedy about two female detectives who struggle with separating their personal life from their job. Monique was also Editor-in-Chief for TwelveTen Magazine.- Sarah-Jane Holm was born on 20 August 1962 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for My Family and Other Animals (1987), A Bit of a Do (1989) and In the Beginning (2000).
- Tabitha Wady was born in 1976 in Bath, Avon, England, UK [now Bath and North East Somerset, England, UK]. She is an actress, known for His House (2020), Sense & Sensibility (2008) and The Last King (2003).
- Actress
- Producer
Kate O'Toole was born on 26 February 1960 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for The Dead (1987), Man on the Train (2011) and Possession (2002).- Slim, sultry, and luscious brunette knockout Carmella Danielle DeCesare was born on July 1, 1982 in Avon Lake, Ohio. She's of mixed Italian and Puerto Rican descent. Carmella graduated from Avon Lake High School in 2000 and studied business administration in college. DeCesare was a finalist in Playboy's "Who Wants to Be a Playmate?" contest search when it came to Cleveland, but decided at the last minute not to appear in the 2002 Fox Network TV special. Fortunately, Carmella changed her mind about posing for "Playboy": She was the Cyber Girl of the Week for the third week of October, 2002 and the Cyber Girl of the Month for February, 2003. DeCesare was the Playmate of the Month in the April, 2003 issue of the famous men's magazine. She was named Playmate of the Year in 2004. Carmella has not only been featured in a bunch of "Playboy" videos, but also has appeared as herself in such reality TV shows as "Street Smarts," "WWF Raw," and "The Girls Next Door." DeCesare was a contestant in the 2004 WWE Diva Search; she was a runner-up in said contest, but ultimately didn't win it. Carmella was Miss March in the 2005 "Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion" swimsuit calendar. She married NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia on April 21, 2007 at the Cordevalle Resort in San Martin, California. Carmella was featured in the 2008 "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit issue. DeCesare is the vice president of her husband's charity organization the Garcia Pass It On Foundation. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California with her husband Jeff Garcia and four children.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Born at Shakespeare's birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon, Halliwell Hobbes could perhaps not aspire to anything else but to be an actor. He made his stage debut in 1898 playing Shakespearean repertory with the famous acting company of Sir Frank Benson throughout England. Among others he played opposite Mrs. Patrick Campbell and Ellen Terry. Hobbes came to the American and Broadway as early as 1906, doing performing and some directing until early 1929 when he came to Hollywood as an elderly actor to launch a long career of memorable character roles. In those first years he seemed to be either a lord or a butler. But by 1931 he was much in demand, lending his distinctive and dignified nasal voice to nearly ten films per year through most of the 1930s. Moving from one studio to another, he was doctors, diplomats, more lords, and some very memorable clerics-especially the staid archbishop reduced to laughter in The Prince and the Pauper (1937). The roles were scarcer through the 1940s, but he was back on Broadway by mid 1940 playing Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet." Still that distinctive voice graced over 100 films by 1949. He turned to the richly diverse American TV playhouse format by 1950 and continued with roles through the decade along with a continued presence on Broadway until late 1955. Although he was sometimes uncredited in films, his roles were no less a recorded legacy of a dedicated acting talent.- RICHARD (SHERIDAN) WILLIS was a successful child actor who did numerous TV series The Feathered Serpent, The Doombolt Chase, A Diary of a Nobody, A Bunch of Fives and Flesh & Blood. He subsequently trained at RADA. Recent work includes Prospero and Caliban in The Tempest (Drayton Hall Theatre Columbia, SC) Ubisoft's Assassins Creed Syndicate; The Cherry Orchard for The Chekhov Collective/Canadian Stage; A Chip in the Sugar -Talking Heads (Campbell House, Toronto) Malvolio in Twelfth Night - Helen Hayes Best Supporting Actor nomination - (Folger Theatre, Washington DC),Vigil, The Clockmaker(STC) Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, (STONC) Father in The Railway Children (Roundhouse Theatre, Toronto). He has performed his solo show Strolling Player in Washington DC, Hastings in the UK and at The Tarragon Theatre in the Toronto Fringe Festival. His TV and Film credits include Dr Who, Law & Order, Flashpoint, Nikita, Lost Girl, and Dreadful Sorry, The Big Bad Swim.
- Born in England, Jacqueline Voltaire has lived in Africa, France, Germany, the United States and Mexico. She was a model, a singer and dancer as well as an accomplished actress. Most recently she also has done work as an image consultant. She is very well known in Mexico, where she has lived for thirty years.
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Director
- Producer
Stephen Woolfenden was born on 25 April 1966 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. He is an assistant director and director, known for Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019), The Legend of Tarzan (2016) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009). He has been married to Chyna Thomson since 1999. They have two children.- Lauretta Feldman was born on 29 September 1935 in Bristol, Avon, England, UK. She was a producer, known for In God We Trust (or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) (1980) and Augenblick mal... Wer ist Marty Feldman? (1974). She was married to Marty Feldman. She died on 12 March 2010 in Studio City, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Ben Tate was born on 21 May 1979 in Avon Lake, Ohio, USA. He is an actor, known for Burning Man (2011), Somersault (2004) and Home and Away (1988).
- Mary Kenton was born in 1923 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She was an actress, known for Swallows and Amazons (1963), Upstairs, Downstairs (1971) and Romeo and Juliet (1976). She was married to Gerard Heinz. She died on 19 August 2010 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK.
- Writer
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Caleb Ranson was born in 1969 in Bristol, Avon, England, UK. He is a writer and producer, known for Around the World in 80 Days (2021), Distant Shores (2005) and Daylight Robbery (1999).- Yvette Dotrice was born in 1960 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Fox (1980), Maybury (1981) and Crossroads (1964). She has been married to John Edward Richard Lumley since September 1985. They have three children.
- Ken Carpenter was born on 21 August 1900 in Avon, Illinois, USA. He was an actor, known for Rhythm on the River (1940), Mystery Broadcast (1943) and Speaking of Animals at the County Fair (1942). He died on 16 October 1984 in Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Susan Macready was born in 1948 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for The Man in the Iron Mask (1968), The Darwin Adventure (1972) and Six Days of Justice (1972).
- George McGovern, one of the leading liberals in U.S. politics, was born in a Republican household in a small South Dakota town. His family had some struggles during the Great Depression, but they were able to make ends meet. The young, idealistic man joined the Air Force during World War II and became a bomber pilot. He served with great bravery, flying missions over North Africa and Italy, bombing German military targets, and won citation for his duty. Upon returning home, he graduated from college and became a college teacher, teaching history. Up to that point, he had been relatively non-political, as had his parents. That changed in 1952, when he heard a speech by the Democratic nominee, Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson, and was so inspired by it that he volunteered for the Stevenson campaign. Stevenson lost to retired General Dwight D. Eisenhower, but McGovern remained active in politics, becoming Chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party. Democrats were very much the minority in the state, but McGovern pursued his duties with great zeal, and in 1956 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in an upset, helped by growing dissatisfaction with the Eisenhower administration in the rural Midwest. He was reelected in 1958 and in 1960, was an enthusiastic backer of Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts. That same year, McGovern took a gamble by running against Republican U.S. Senator Karl Mundt, who had first been elected in 1948. Although he ran well ahead of what Democrats usually did in the state, he fell short, as Mundt won by a 52% to 48% margin. In 1961, Kennedy appointed McGovern Director of the Food For Peace program, and McGovern was greatly affected by his service in this capacity.
In 1962, McGovern ran for the U.S. Senate again (each state has two U.S. Senators), this time in an open race. He was considered the underdog against Republican Governor Joe Bottum, but managed to win by 597 votes, one of the closest U.S. Senate races in state history. He immediately became one of the Senate's most liberal members, enthusiastically supporting the domestic policies of Kennedy and his successor, Lyndon B. Johnson. His major accomplishment was creation of the Food Stamp program, which was to provide Federal food assistance to impoverished people. But he became increasingly focused on overseas and military affairs. He became an opponent of the growing American involvement in Vietnam and opposed maintaining a large military. In 1968, he was a leading supporter of Robert F. Kennedy and was horrified by the latter's assassination. He was also appalled by the Chicago Police Force's rough treatment of anti-war protesters at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago that same year. He was reelected easily that year, winning 57% of the vote. After Richard Nixon took office, McGovern quickly became a proponent of immediate withdraw of all military forces form Vietnam. In 1969, he chaired the commission which instituted reforming the way the Democratic Party nominated its Presidential candidates, dramatically reducing the role of party leaders and political insiders.
In 1972, McGovern launched a campaign for President. He was given little chance of winning his party's nomination, which seemed to be united around U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie of Maine. However, Muskie's campaign foundered and McGovern ran a close second to Muskie in the Presidential primary in New Hampshire. Helped by his campaign manager, Gary Hart (later a Senator and Presidential candidate himself), McGovern won several other primaries and the nomination. His campaign theme was "America, come home." His main platform, aside from withdraw from Vietnam, was a 37% reduction in defense spending and a guaranteed minimal income for all Americans. At the convention in Miami, he initially won praise for nominating U.S. Senator 'Thomas Eagleton' of Missouri as his running mate. But his campaign was rocked when it was revealed that Eagleston had been treated for depression in a psychiatric ward many years before. McGovern initially claimed that he was "1000 percent" behind Eagleston, but later his campaign staff persuaded Eagleston to drop out of contention. This made McGovern look bad to his most idealistic supporters and haunted him throughout the campaign. Ultimately, former Peace Corps Director Sargent Shriver replaced Eagleston as his running mate, but the damage was done. Throughout the campaign, he was perceived by the public as a well-meaning but fuzzy minded radical leftist. Taking advantage of McGovern's support for amnesty for Vietnam draft dodgers, decriminalizing abortion, and ending Federal drug laws (leaving them to the individual states), Vice President Spiro Agnew labeled McGovern the candidate of "amnesty, abortion, and acid," and the label stuck. The Nixon campaign successfully portrayed McGovern as a pacifist and socialist who would endanger national security, wreck the economy, and bankrupt the government. In the election, McGovern lost overwhelmingly. Nixon out-polled him by 61% to 37%, with a plurality of 18 million votes, a record that has yet to be broken. The only state McGovern won was Massachusetts. His only consolation was that a friend and political ally, Congressman James Abourezk, was elected to the South Dakota's other U.S. Senator.
Following the loss, McGovern returned to his Senate duties. Following Nixon's resignation in disgrace in the wake of the Watergate scandal in 1974, he seemed to have been vindicated in his attacks on Nixon's ethics. However, later that year, he had a surprisingly difficult reelection bid, winning by less than expected against a former Vietnam War prisoner, who felt that McGovern had prolonged his captivity. There were many Demcorats elected that year, and McGovern worked closely with them to cut defense spending and reign in intelligence agencies. He also worked to expand government benefits. He was encouraged when Democrats won the White House with the narrow election of former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter. But his friend and ally Abourezk was forced to retire in the face of impending defeat in 1978 and polls indicated that McGovern was losing support there, as well. In 1980, McGovern was challenged for reelection by Republican Congressman James Abdnor. While campaigning that year, McGovern ran into two women who angrily complained about his support for defense cuts, then bought some groceries with food stamps. He later remarked that he knew he wouldn't be reelected at that moment. He was right. On election day, Abdnor defeated McGovern by a landslide.
Following his departure from elective office, he was a professor at the University of New Orleans. In 1984, he made a whimsical, late-entering candidacy for President, and narrowly won the primary in Massachusetts, but as expected, lost the nomination to former Vice President Walter Mondale. Also a candidate, and a more successful one, was his former campaign manager, Gary Hart, who won several primaries, although losing the nomination to Mondale. That year, however, then President Ronald Reagan, whose policies McGovern fervently opposed, was reelected by a landslide, nearly as large as Nixon's 1972 margin. For many years, he largely stayed out for the limelight. He went into the motel business, but the business ultimately foundered and he was forced to fold. McGovern later admitted in late 1990, "I wish I had had a better sense of what it took to [meet a payroll] when I was in Washington." In 1991, he surprised nearly everyone when he supported President George Bush's campaign to drive Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait, which culminated in The Persian Gulf War. McGovern defended this by claiming that Hussein was a great threat to the entire region. In 1994, he was hit with personal tragedy when one of his daughters, Teresa, died of exposure while intoxicated. She had been an alcoholic for many years who had been unable to overcome the addiction. McGovern became involved in helping the relatives of alcoholics. In 1998, President Bill Clinton as United States Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies, a post he held until 2001.
In more recent years, he has become an advocate for the withdraw of U.S. troops from Iraq. - Director
- Production Manager
Ron Jones was born in Bristol in August 1945. Straight after leaving university he joined the BBC as a studio manager in local radio. At the end of October 1968 he transferred to television and became an assistant floor manager, in which capacity he subsequently worked on a wide range of programmes. Next came a two-year stint as a researcher, writer and occasional film insert director on "Blue Peter." His preference was for drama, however, and after gaining promotion to production manager he secured assignments on a number of productions including the popular series "Bergerac" and "Secret Army." He had by this time also completed the BBC's internal director's course, and this led to him gaining his first credits as a bona fide director on the season nineteen DOCTOR WHO stories "Black Orchid" and "Time-Flight." He died in 1995.- Will Carling was born on 12 December 1965 in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Mr Blobby: Mr Blobby (1993), A Question of Sport (1970) and Fair Game (1995). He was previously married to Julia Carling.
- Hugh Scully was born on 5 March 1943 in Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, England, UK. He was a producer, known for The Falklands War (1992), Frontline (1983) and Thatcher: The Downing Street Years (1993). He was married to Barbara Dean. He died on 8 October 2015 in Tresillian, Cornwall, England, UK.
- Actor
- Stunts
Ben Marino was born on 1 October 1925 in Avon, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for Up in Smoke (1978), The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976) and Hart to Hart (1979). He died on 15 June 2013.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Richard Sheridan Willis was born on 6 April 1958 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Big Bad Swim (2006), Watch Dogs: Legion (2020) and Assassin's Creed: Syndicate - Jack the Ripper (2015). He has been married to Heidi Reimer since 28 July 2007.- Writer
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Jon Holmes was born in 1969 in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. He is a writer and actor, known for Horrible Histories with Stephen Fry (2011), TV to Go (2000) and The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson (2009).- Writer
- Additional Crew
Jessica Holm was born in 1960 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is a writer, known for Wild West Country (1994), Gardeners' World (1968) and Crufts Dog Show (1966).- Antony Worrall Thompson was born on 1 May 1951 in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. He is an actor, known for Emmerdale Farm (1972), Footballers' Wives (2002) and Gina's Laughing Gear (2007). He has been married to Jacinta Shiel since 7 September 1996. They have two children. He was previously married to Militza Jane Hamilton and Jill Thompson.
- Peter Tomlinson was born on 4 April 1943 in Bristol, Avon, England, UK. He is an actor, known for The Kids from 47A (1973), The Jensen Code (1973) and Fame, Set and Match (2002).
- Melanie Troxel was born on 31 August 1972 in Avon, Indiana, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
- Executive
Trevor Richardson was born in Avon Park, Florida, USA. He is known for Pandemic (2009), Gimme My Money and Afterward. He has been married to Laura Voss since 15 February 2003.- Madeline Church was born in 1962 in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK. She is an actress, known for Armchair Thriller (1978), Theatre Night (1985) and A Perfect Spy (1987).