Category: Actors

Actor Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him As: That one guy from that thing from way back. Did you know?:  Paul Sorensen (February 16, 1926 – July 17, 2008) was an American film, theater and television actor who appeared in literally hundreds roles during his career, including “The Brady Bunch” and “Dallas.” He was frequently cast in westerns or as a police officer. Sorensen was born in 1926 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He moved to Hollywood, California, in 1945 and enrolled in the Pasadena Playhouse, from which he graduated two years later. Later in life, he was honored by the Pasadena Playhouse with a lifetime achievement award. Sorenson served with the United States military during the Korean War. He returned to California after the war and resumed acting. A talent agent signed Sorenson after watching him perform in a theater production of “Born Yesterday.” He was cast in his first television... More

Actor Raised In: Waukegan, Il You Know Him As: Janitor on the hit sitcom “Scrubs” Did you know?:  Neil Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian, known for his role as Janitor in the medical comedy-drama “Scrubs.” He currently portrays Mike Heck in the ABC sitcom “The Middle” and has also been featured in the films “Mean Girls” (2004) and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008). After being born on the south side of Chicago, his family moved to Waukegan, Illinois at an early age. As a student at Waukegan East High School in 1978, he and partner Mike Shklair won an Illinois Individual Events state championship for “Humorous Duet Acting.” Source: wikipedia More

Birthplace: Zion, IL You Know Him As: Arnold Jackson of Diff’rent Strokes. Made famous the phrase, “Whatchu talkin’ bout Willis?” You Know Him As: Arnold on the classic sitcom, “Diff’rent Strokes.” Gary was born in Zion, Ill., on February 8, 1968. As an infant, he was put up for adoption and was adopted by Willie and Sue Coleman. His adoptive father worked for a pharmaceutical firm, and his adoptive mother worked as a nurse. He was born with a congenital kidney defect known as Nephritis, which caused him to need three operations before he was five years old. This autoimmune destruction of the kidney halted his growth at an early age, leading to his small stature- 4’8”- which is his most distinguishing feature. He has gone through two kidney transplants since then, one in 1973 and one in 1984, and still requires constant dialysis. Coleman’s small stature, however, served as... More

Birthplace: Racine, WI You Know Her As: The woman with “man hands” in episode #137, “The Bizarro Jerry” on NBC’s Seinfeld. Did You Know?: Growing up in with a family of hunting enthusiasts, Kristin’s childhood basement also housed a rifle range. On November 26, 1973, Kristin Bauer was born in Racine. She grew up playing sports, riding horses and shooting guns. Her father was an avid horseman and gun collector, and her mother was a housewife who was involved in several charities. “Growing up in Wisconsin was a lot like ‘That ’70s Show,’” Bauer reminisced to Maxim magazine. “Actually, my dad had a shooting range down in the basement and an intercom system so that my mom wouldn’t be walking down with laundry and get shot.” “After an idyllic childhood in Wisconsin, it’s only natural to seek out chaos, insanity and instability,” describes KristinBauer.com. “So after high school I went... More

Birthplace: Kenosha, WI You Know Him From: The Bickersons, The Story of Alexander Graham Bell (1938), & Academy Award-winning performance in Cocoon (1986). Did You Know?: Ameche’s father, Felix, was a volatile man who even carried a revolver to bed. Felix would witness many murders and knife fights as co-owner of his Kenosha saloon, Amichi & Rinelli’s. In the 1988 film “Things Change,” an 80-year old Don Ameche played the role of Italian-American shoe smith from Chicago. “I knew my accent was authentic,” Ameche told the Boston Globe in an October ’88 interview regarding his role. “It was my Papa’s.” Ameche made his film debut in 1935, and by the late thirties, had established himself as a leading actor in Hollywood. A spot in “Things Change” was one of many Don took in a well-received eighties comeback. “ I feel I had a big advantage in that role because my father... More

Actor Birthplace: Waukegan, Il You Know Him As: Bobby Cobb on ABC’s “Cougar Town” Did you know?:  Brian Van Holt (born July 6, 1969 in Waukegan) is an American actor and advertising model. He is most commonly known for playing Bobby Cobb on the ABC sitcom “Cougar Town,” the ex-husband of main character Jules Cobb, played by Courtney Cox. Often being cast as hard-headed miltary men or police, he is also a former model, an avid surfer, and a golfer. He has  been cast in the films “House of Wax” (2005), “Black Hawk Down” (2001), and “S.W.A.T.” (2003). Sources: wikipedia, imdb.com More

Actress Birthplace: Waukegan, Il You Know Her As: Nurse Conni Oligario on NBC’s hit medical drama “ER” Did you know?:  Conni Marie Brazelton (born June 28, 1955) is an American film and television actress. She’s perhaps best known for her recurring role as Nurse Conni Oligario on the hit NBC medical drama ER. Brazelton was born and grew up in Waukegan, Illinois, attended Waukegan High School and studied drama at Southern Illinois University. She has been featured on the TV series’ “Vanished”, “Raising the Bar,” and most recently on the “Grey’s Anatomy” spin-off “Private Practice” as Judge Hansen. Sources: wikipedia, imdb.com More