08/20 Bruce Boxleitner

Bruce William Boxleitner (born May 12, 1950) is an American actor, and science fiction and suspense writer. He is known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King (with Kate Jackson), and Babylon 5 (as John Sheridan in seasons 2–5, 1994–1998). He is also known for his dual role as the characters Alan Bradley and Tron in the 1982 Walt Disney Pictures film Tron, a role which he reprised in the 2010 sequel, Tron: Legacy and the animated series Tron: Uprising.

Early life

Boxleitner was born in Elgin, Illinois, the son of a certified public accountant. He attended Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, Illinois, and the Goodman Theater School of Drama of the Art Institute of Chicago (later renamed The Theatre School at DePaul University).

Television

Boxleitner is best known for his leading roles in the television series How the West Was Won, Bring 'Em Back Alive, Scarecrow and Mrs. King (with Kate Jackson), and Babylon 5 (as John Sheridan in seasons 2–5, 1994–1998). He also starred in The Gambler TV film series (as Billy Montana, alongside Kenny Rogers: 1980, 1983 and 1987). In 2005, he co-starred as Captain Martin Duvall in Young Blades. He has also starred in several films within the Babylon 5 universe, including Babylon 5: In the Beginning (TV, 1998), Babylon 5: Thirdspace (TV, 1998), Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (TV, 1999) and the direct-to-DVD Babylon 5: The Lost Tales (2007) and on CHAOS (Glory Days episode).

He has made appearances in many other TV shows, such as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Gunsmoke, Judith Krantz's Till We Meet Again, Tales from the Crypt, Touched by an Angel, The Outer Limits and She Spies, and in 1982, he played Chase Marshall in the TV film Bare Essence, with Genie Francis. He also was a member of the cast of Heroes for seasons three and four, playing New York Governor Robert Malden in three episodes. He also appears on the television series Chuck as the father of Devon Woodcomb.

He has also been in the made-for-television films The Secret, Hope Ranch, Falling in Love with the Girl Next Door, Pandemic, The Bone Eater, Sharpshooter and Aces 'n Eights.

Boxleitner was a guest-star on NCIS in the fall of 2010. He played Vice Admiral C. Clifford Chase, a high-ranking Navy official. Boxleitner also lends his voice to the animated version of his iconic character Tron in the animated series Tron: Uprising. The series premiered on Disney XD on June 7, 2012. He also reprises the character Alan Bradley/Tron from the films Tron and Tron: Legacy. In 2012 he had a recurring role on the ABC series GCB as Burl Lourd, Gigi's, Annie Potts, love interest.

Film

He has also appeared in several films, including Tron (in which he played the title role) and The Baltimore Bullet (1980) with James Coburn. He reprised his role in the Tron sequel Tron: Legacy and in the video game Tron: Evolution which was released alongside the film Tron: Legacy, as he did for sequel video game named Tron 2.0, and Disney/Square Enix crossover video game Kingdom Hearts II. Boxleitner also voice as Col. John Konrad in video game Spec Ops: The Line. He also starred as Confederate General James Longstreet in the 2003 film Gods and Generals. He provides the voice of Colin Barrow in the animated science fiction horror film Dead Space: Downfall, based on the video game Dead Space. Other films he has been in include Kuffs, The Babe, Brilliant, Snakehead Terror, Legion of the Dead, King of the Lost World, Shadows in Paradise and Transmorphers: Fall of Man. In 2011 he officially announced that he will reprise his role as Alan Bradley/Tron in Tron 3 in 2013.

Novels

Boxleitner has written two science fiction novels with a Western setting: Frontier Earth (1999) and Searcher (2001).

Audio books

Boxleitner played a major role in the audio dramatization of The Great Secret, part of the Golden Age of Fiction series by L. Ron Hubbard.

What he’s up to now

Bruce Boxleitner is costarring with Andie McDowell in Hallmark Channel’s new TV series “CEDAR COVE” which debuted July 20. He’s the Executive Producer of the highly buzzed about BRUCE BOXLEITNER’S LANTERN CITY; the first one–of-a-kind Steampunk TV series. Bruce just got inducted into the “historic” Cowboy Hall of Fame honoring him for his illustrious career starring in westerns.

en.wikipedia.org

Will Link is your weekly "Link to the Movies" on "The PM Show with Larry Manetti." He is a screenwriter who has received accolades from various film festivals most recently the Shriekfest Horror Festival. Will is also a regular contributor to the film blog "You Won Cannes." You can hear his thoughts on the world of popular culture as co-host of "Will Sean Podcast?" downloadable at the iTunes store. Follow him on twitter @TheRealWillLink

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08/13 Robert Davi

Robert Davi, one of the most recognizable entertainers in the world, was singing long before Frank Sinatra hand-picked him to play Mickey Sinardos in the 1977 NBC television drama "Contract on Cherry Street." As a teenager, Davi already had an insatiable desire to not just distinguish himself as a singer, but to follow his idol's lead and become a singer who really could act. Davi studied opera as a young man, and always intended to make singing his career. As fate would have it, however, his screen career took flight and there was no looking back.

An iconic screen presence, Davi worked with the biggest names in Hollywood, from Marlon Brando, Clint Eastwood, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Josh Brolin, Bruce Willis and James Franco, appeared in such iconic pop cultural movies as "Die Hard," "Showgirls," "The Goonies," and considered one of the top three Bond villains, Franz Sanchez, of all time in "License to Kill". His television credits are just as vast, starting with the hit NBC television series "Profiler" and continuing with "Stargate: Atlantis" and most recently "Criminal Minds". Now after 100 movies with remarkable diversity, hit television credits and his award winning directorial film debut ("The Dukes"), Davi is returning to his first love.

While Davi may portray characters in drama, comedy and action that define "the tough guy persona," it's nothing more than an artist working his craft. The real Robert Davi is the man we hear on this album: a sensitive romantic; a gentle soul who brings a masculine edge to these songs; a great mixture of sensitivity and toughness. For the recording, Davi chose two music legends, producer Phil Ramone and mixing engineer Al Schmitt, which speaks volumes about his intentions to make this a meaningful career endeavor.

Frank Sinatra encouraged young singers to "Pick up the torch" and perpetuate this amazing music. With Davi Sings Sinatra, On The Road To Romance (available Oct 24), Davi has heeded the rally cry of "ole blue eyes".

davisingssinatra.com

08/06 James Darren

James Darren has enjoyed a successful, multi-faceted career, spanning five decades of motion picture, television, recording and live concert performances. With a notable career in films (“Gidget,” “The Guns of Navarone”) as well as television (“The Time Tunnel,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Darren has re-emerged on the recording scene with his latest CD, Because of You (Concord Records), an impressive collection of standards and big band swing. The album, a follow-up to his acclaimed 1999 release, This One’s From the Heart (Concord Records), reaffirms Darren’s incomparable talents as a singer.

Born in South Philly as James Ercolani, a second-generation American of Italian descent, Darren cites his beloved grandmother as the greatest guiding light of his life and his career. By the age of 14, Darren knew he wanted a show business career, and he embarked on the road to stardom by singing in nightclubs in Philadelphia and South Jersey. By age 18, he was in New York, studying acting for several years with the legendary drama teacher Stella Adler.It was a chance introduction to Hollywood movie producer Joyce Selznick (niece of the legendary David O. Selznick) that led to Darren’s seven-year contract with Columbia Pictures and his first big break: starring as the college student-surfer Moondoggie opposite Sandra Dee in the 1959 classic comedy hit, “Gidget.” Two sequels would follow, and Darren was soon on Hollywood’s short list of most sought-after young dramatic actors. He would make 20 films in all, including “The Guns of Navarone,” “The Lively Set,” “The Gene Krupa Story,” “The Brothers Rico,” “Gunman’s Walk,” “Let No Man Write My Epitaph,” and “Diamond Head.”

Darren’s singing career encompasses an impressive roster of musical credits including 14 albums and five Top 10 singles, including the 1961 Grammy- nominated “Goodbye Cruel World,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks. Throughout the early 60s, his recording career continued to skyrocket with subsequent Top 10 hits including “Her Royal Majesty,” “Conscience,” and “All.” In 1976, he landed still another hit with “You Take My Heart Away” from the Oscar-winning film “Rocky.”

Darren would also make his mark on the small screen, starring in several hit television series, including “The Time Tunnel,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Melrose Place.” In 1987, the versatile entertainer began another phase of his career, this time as a highly in-demand director for television whose credits include several “movies of the week,” and more than 50 television shows ranging from “Melrose Place” and “Beverly Hills 90210” to “Hunter” and “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

But it is James Darren’s love of music that finds him back in the spotlight. In 1999, he returned to the recording industry in a big way, releasing This One’s From the Heart, a collection of some of the greatest classics ever penned, including “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Come Fly With Me,” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” which re-introduced the world to Darren’s lush vocals.

In his recordings, his concert appearances in Atlantic City and Las Vegas, as well as his concerts with world-renowned symphonies across the U.S., including the San Diego Symphony, the Dallas Symphony and the Iowa Symphony, the media has also taken notice of James Darren the singer. The San Diego Union-Tribune called him a “compendium of coolness, a wizard of with-it-ness.” The Chicago Sun-Times said “Darren is as smooth as silk.”

Actor, director, recording artist – James Darren has made an indelible mark in the entertainment industry. And as the song says, the best is yet to come.

jamesdarren.com