Category: Actors

Actor/Director Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him From: Radio broadcast of War of the Worlds (1938) and Academy Award-winning screenplay, Citizen Kane (1949). Did Your Know?: As Orson once noted of his hometown, “I never blamed my folks for Kenosha — Kenosha has always blamed my folks for me.” “Hitler managed to scare all of Europe to its knees… but at least had an army and an air force to back up his shrieking words. But Mr. Welles scared thousands into demoralization with nothing at all,” wrote Dorothy Thompson in an article in the New York Tribune regarding the disastrous effects of Orson Welles’ theatrical radio broadcast of “The War of the Worlds.” It all happened the day before Halloween on October 30, 1938. Millions of Americans had tuned in to the station that featured plays directed by and often starring Orson Welles -except this night was different-Orson had made... More

Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Her As: Major Lila Gureau on China Beach; Ellen McGrath on Picket Fences. Mom from Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead (1991), Lynda Hansen on NBC’s Providence. Did you Know?: Tomei is a non-smoker in real life, and for her role on “Providence,” she used herbal cigarettes. Concetta Tomei was born on December 30, 1945 and grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin as an only child. Since being an only child was quite lonely, Concetta recounts that “animals were my friends and probably my surrogate brothers and sisters.” Likewise, her father was a police officer who enjoyed doing animal rescue work and he often brought the animals home because he didn’t want them ending up in a shelter. Concetta explains saying that “there would be a litter of kittens and they would want to put them to sleep and my day would bring them home to... More

Hometown: Kenosha, WI; Virginia Beach, VA; San Diego, CA You Know Him From: The Avengers , Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and 13 Going on 30 . Did You Know?: Richard Anderson, managing partner of Kenosha’s Chops On The Lake restaurant, lived with Ruffalo in Los Angeles in the 1980s while they both attended Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting and, like true starving actors, ate “batches of tuna with noodles for weeks straight.” Mark Alan Ruffalo was born November 22, 1967 in Kenosha, WI to Marie Rose (a hairdresser/stylist) and Frank Lawrence (a construction painter). He has two sisters, Tania and Nicole, and a brother, Scott. Mark lived in Kenosha until his teen years, when his family relocated to Virginia Beach, VA. After his high school graduation from First Colonial High School, Mark followed his family to San Diego, CA., but eventually migrated north and settled in Los Angeles.... More

Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him As: Al on Happy Days, Murray the cop on The Odd Couple. Did You Know?: While the band actually formed in Los Angeles, California, most people continue to assume that rock band, Weezer, hails from Kenosha. Credit for this misconception goes to Molinaro who, when given the option of using the city name of his own choosing for the intro to the ‘Buddy Holly’ video, snuck in a plug for his own hometown: “Arnold’s is proud to present Kenosha, Wisconsin’s own… Weezer!”. People familiar with the sitcom “Happy Days” and the TV commercials for On-Cor frozen dinners are of course familiar with charismatic Al Molinaro. Al was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin on June 24, 1919. He grew up there with his parents Rafaele and Teresa and his ten brothers and sisters at his boyhood home at 2417 53rd Street in Kenosha’s “Old West Side”... More

Actor Birthplace: Racine, WI You Know Him As: An actor most active during the ‘20s-’40s for such movies as “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946), “Inherit the Wind” (1960), “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” (1931), “The Iceman Cometh” (1973) and “A Star is Born” (1937). Did you know? In 1924 March met and married Ellis Baker, a dancer in one of the local shows. However, their marriage lasted only three years. On Aug. 31, 1897 Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel was born in Racine to parents John Frederick Bickel and Cora Brown Marcher Bickel. He was the youngest of four children. His siblings were Harold Leroy (1887), Jack M. (1892) and Rosina Elizabeth (1889). John Bickel was president and treasurer of Racine Hardware Manufacturing Company, which manufactured both wagon hardware and office supplies. Little Ernest Bickel had a happy middle-class childhood. He attended Winslow Grammar School (established in 1855) and... More

Hometown: Kenosha, WI You Know Him As: Captain Frank Furillo on Hill Street Blues. Daniel J. Travanti was originally born Danielo Giovanni Travanty on March 7, 1940 in Kenosha to Italian immigrant parents. He was raised in Iowa for some of his childhood, but eventually returned back to his home state and attended Bradford High School, where he received All American Honorable Mention. During his school years, Daniel displayed both athletic and academic talents while on the football and debate teams. Travanti continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his college years and finished his undergraduate work in only three years! At this same time, Daniel first developed an interest in drama, appearing in every single play production at the university. He even turned down top football scholarships in order to try and pursue a career in acting. To continue on with his goal, Daniel trained at the... More

Birthplace: Waukegan , IL You Know Him As: Garrett Wells on ABC’s Boston Legal. Did you know?: Mentell likes to travel and has visited 25 (mostly European) countries. On December, 16, 1982, Justin Mentell was born in Austin, Texas. He made his stage debut when he was only three years old as an orphan in “Miss Liberty.” He would appear in several local theater productions, including “Peter Pan,” where he was a Lost Boy. His family moved to Waukegan, Ill., while Mentell was still a child. He had the opportunity to continue performing on stage with the Northbrook Children’s Theater. Another hobby he took up was speed skating. Mentell was dedicated enough and talented enough to rise in his competitions. He would go on to be a member of the U.S. Speedskating’s Junior National long track team and even placed third at the Junior Olympics. However, he retired from the... More

Birthplace: Gurnee, IL You Know Him As: The trusty drama professor in the Julia Roberts flick, Sleeping With The Enemy (1991). Did You Know?: Anderson received his training at the Goodman Theatre School of Drama in Chicago, where he appeared in “Hey, Stay Awhile” and “Pal Joey”. Kevin was born on January 13,1960 in Gurnee, Illinois. Growing up with three older brothers and one older sister, he seemed to crave the spotlight as he was interested in acting from childhood. He began pursuing acting while he attended Viking Junior High where he became the founding member and President of the drama club. Thereafter, while attending Warren Township High School, he joined the forensics team and specialized in Oral Interpretation. After high school graduation, Kevin went on to major in acting at the Goodman School of Drama (which is now part of DePaul University in Chicago) and graduated in 1981. Three... More

Birthplace: Racine, WI You Know Her As: Grandma Walton on the TV series, “The Waltons.” Did you know?: Ellen Corby was the only adult actor appearing in “The Homecoming” who carried her role over to “The Waltons” series. All of the children stayed the same from the original “The Homecoming” movie, which became “The Waltons” series. On June 3, 1911, Ellen Hansen was born to two Danish immigrants in Racine. Though born in the Midwest, she spent her childhood and adolescence in Philadelphia. She stayed there until 1932, when she left to join the entertainment industry at the age of 21. After a brief stint as a chorus girl in Atlantic City, Hansen left for Hollywood. She was hired first at RKO and then at Hal Roach studios as a Script Assistant (one who looks after the continuity of the script). Hansen had grown close to her mother, Dagmar, after... More

Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him As: Phillip Chancellor, III on The Young & the Restless, and “rowdy undergrad” in the film St. Elmo’s Fire(1985). Did You Know?: Though most people have lives that pale in comparison to those of the eventful and often outrageous characters on soap operas, Thom Bierdz, a well-known daytime television hunk of the 1980’s portraying Phillip Chancellor III on “The Young and the Restless” certainly lives a life in opposition to that assumption. Unfortunately, his real life has unfolded with far more turmoil then his wealthy but deeply confused, alcoholic character on the popular daytime soap; the Kenosha, Wisconsin native has dealt with tremendous personal tragedy while coping with career obstacles being an openly gay actor, writer and artist. As a child Thom (born March 25, 1965) grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, longing for fame and wealth, as he stated in a 2002 interview for In... More