06/09 SPENCER GARRETT, NBC, AQUARIUS

SPENCER GARRETT – ACTOR, NBC’S AQUARIUS

Spencer Garrett has been a perennial favorite among industry execs and fans on both the small and big screen.  HE IS CURRENTLY RECURRING IN FOUR TELEVISION SHOWS: STARZ’ COMPELLING SURVIVOR’S REMORSE, TNT’S MURDER IN THE FIRST, USA’S NEWEST DRAMA SERIES, SATISFACTION AND NBC’S AQUARIUS OPPOSITE DAVID DUCHOVNY AND CLAIRE HOLT.  There are very few actors working in television with such a variety of roles as Spencer Garrett.

On the big screen, Garrett will be seen in the following up-coming films: John Erick Dowdle’s thriller, THE COUP (September 2015), Chris Cordone’s STEVIE D and Stan Harrington’s BELLA.  And earlier this year, he appeared in Michael Mann’s BLACKHAT opposite Viola Davis and Chris Hemsworth.
In addition, Garrett has procured guest starring roles on many of television’s most critically acclaimed shows such as Netflix hit series HOUSE OF CARDS, ANATOMY OF VIOLENCE, Showtime’s MASTERS OF SEX, AMC’s MAD MEN and, CBS’s SCORPION, Nickelodeon’s THE LEGEND OR KORRA , TNT’s MAJOR CRIMES and Michael Mann’s LUCK for HBO.

Third-generation actor, Garrett was born to actress Kathleen Nolan and Richard Heckenkamp, former head of Film Artists Associates.  Raised as a bicoastal resident of both New York and Los Angeles, Garrett grew up in an artist’s environment opportune for cultivating his passion for acting.  Armed with a degree in Theatrical Studies from both Duke and Fordham, along with his lifelong admiration of arts and entertainment, Garrett immerged as an urbane-artist on the Hollywood scene.

Garrett first made his name as a guest star in such television classics as DALLAS, COLUMBO and 21 JUMP STREET, before being cast in lead-roles on countless television shows including: X-FILES, CSI, THE WEST WING, and THE PRACTICE.

In addition to becoming a household TV name, Garrett made his way to the silver screen with features in including Shane Black’s IRON MAN 3 and HITCHCOCK.  Additionally, he starred in CASINO JACK opposite Kevin Spacey, THE WAY opposite Martin Sheen, Michael Mann's PUBLIC ENEMIES, TRANSFORMERS 2, YES MAN, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, BOBBY, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and the classic AIR FORCE ONE.

Off screen, Garrett is an amazing golfer and enjoys spending time with his Hollywood peers and political elites.

06/02 JAMES DARREN, THE MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL, TOM SELLECK, MAGNUM P.I., BLUE BLOODS

JAMES DARREN – ACTOR, DIRECTOR & SINGER

James Darren has enjoyed a successful, multi-faceted career, spanning six 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.

UPCOMING SHOWS:

June 11-13, 2015
A Gathering of Guns at the Memphis Film Festival
Memphis, TN

WWW.JAMESDARREN.COM


Then...It's a Magnum P.I. Reunion! Tom Selleck Joins the Show!

Thomas William "Tom" Selleck (born January 29, 1945) is an American actor and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as the private investigator Thomas Magnum in the television series Magnum, P.I. (1980 to 1988), based in Hawaii. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker novels. Since 2010, he has appeared as NYPD Police Commissioner Frank Reagan in the drama Blue Bloods on CBS-TV.

Selleck has appeared in more than fifty film and television roles since his initial success with Magnum, P.I., including a co-starring role in the highest-grossing movie of 1987, Three Men and a Baby; Quigley Down Under; Mr. Baseball; and Lassiter, to name a few. Selleck has also appeared as Dr. Richard Burke on Friends, where he played the on-again, off-again love-interest of Monica Geller (Courteney Cox), and A.J. Cooper on Las Vegas.

Career

Early work and Magnum P.I.

Selleck's first TV appearance was as a college senior on The Dating Game in 1965, and again in 1967. Soon after, he appeared in commercials for products such as Pepsi-Cola.

He began his career with bit parts in smaller movies, including Myra Breckinridge and The Seven Minutes. He also appeared in number of TV series, mini-series and TV movies. Selleck also had a recurring role in the 1970s as "too good to be true" private investigator Lance White in The Rockford Files. Lance was very trusting and always lucky, much to the annoyance of Jim Rockford, the show's star private eye played by James Garner. White would frequently say to Rockford, "Don't worry Jim, clues will turn up" and then a clue would just turn up, much to Rockford's consternation, for whom obtaining clues required hard work and hard knocks. Selleck's character was based on one played in Garner's earlier TV series Maverick (1957) by Wayde Preston in the episode "The Saga of Waco Williams".

Selleck, an accessible but relatively untested actor, spent years receiving little interest from the entertainment industry. His big break came when he was cast in the lead role as Thomas Magnum in Magnum, P.I.. The producers would not release the actor for other projects, so Selleck had to pass on the equally enticing film project for the role of Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark", which then went to rising star Harrison Ford. The choice between the roles of Indiana Jones and Magnum actually haunted Selleck so much that before making the decision, he consulted his best friend on what to do. Together they came to the conclusion taking the high road and honoring the first contract with Universal Studios was the career-savvy direction. It turned out shooting of the pilot for Magnum was delayed for over six months by a writers' strike, which would have enabled him to complete "Raiders".

Film

Selleck starred in the 1979 TV movie Concrete Cowboys with Jerry Reed. He starred in a number of film roles during and after Magnum; among the most notable were as an acrophobic police detective in Runaway; as a stand-in father in Three Men and a Baby; and as an American 19th century sharpshooter in the Australian western Quigley Down Under – a role and film that he considers one of his best. His other films include Three Men and a Little Lady; High Road to China; Lassiter; Coma; Her Alibi; An Innocent Man; Folks!; Christopher Columbus: The Discovery; Mr. Baseball; In & Out and The Love Letter.

Selleck is an avid outdoorsman, and a marksman and knowledgeable firearms collector. These interests led him to leading-man cowboy roles in Western films, starting with his role as cowboy and frontier marshal Orrin Sackett in the 1979 film The Sacketts, opposite Sam Elliott, Jeff Osterhage, and Western legendsGlenn Ford and Ben Johnson. He followed The Sacketts with The Shadow Riders in 1982, then portraying a cat burglar in 1930s London in Lassiter in 1984.Quigley Down Under is probably one of his best known Western films, however he also won a "Western Heritage Award" for his 1997 role in Last Stand at Sabre River. His last two cowboy roles to date were in the 2001 TNT movie Crossfire Trail (based on a Louis L'Amour novel of the same name), and the 2003 motion picture Monte Walsh.

He most recently appeared in the film Killers, along with Katherine Heigl and Ashton Kutcher.

Television

Magnum P.I.

Selleck played the role of Thomas Magnum in 1980 after six failed TV pilots. Magnum was a former U.S. Navy Officer, a veteran of a special operations unit in the Vietnam War, who had resigned his commission with the Office of Naval Intelligence and become a private investigator living in Hawaii. The show would go on for eight seasons and 162 episodes until 1988, winning him an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1984. Selleck was famous for his mustache, a Hawaiian-style aloha shirt, a Detroit Tigers baseball cap, and the Colt Model 1911A1 .45 ACP Caliber pistol his character carried. Magnum drove a Ferrari 308GTSi in the series. The model became so identified with the role that Ferrari fans now refer to the red-painted model as a "Magnum" Ferrari.
Selleck has confirmed that he is the most popular choice by fans to play the role of Magnum in the rumoured upcoming Magnum P.I. movie.
Friends

In the late nineties, Selleck played the role of Richard Burke, Monica's boyfriend, at the end of the second season of the hugely successful TV series Friends. Richard was a divorced ophthalmologist who was a friend of Monica's parents, and at first the relationship was hidden from her parents. The relationship eventually ended over Richard's reluctance to commit to raising a family, though Selleck did make a few extra appearances in later shows.

The Closer

In February 1998, Selleck accepted the lead role in a sitcom for CBS called The Closer. In it he played Jack McLaren, a legendary publicist heading up a brand new marketing firm. His costars included Ed Asner, David Krumholtz, and Penelope Ann Miller. Despite the high pedigree, and the expectations for his first series since Magnum, P. I., low ratings caused the show to be canceled after ten episodes.

Jesse Stone series

Since 2005, Selleck has starred in the role of transplanted lawman Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on Robert B. Parker's novels. To date, the series comprises eight films, with the most recent released on May 20, 2012. In addition to his portrayal of the films' protagonist, Selleck now also acts as producer for the series. The fifth film, Jesse Stone: Thin Ice, was not adapted from Parker's novels, but rather an original story by Selleck.

Las Vegas

He joined the cast of the NBC drama Las Vegas in the season-five premiere on September 28, 2007. He played A.J. Cooper, the new owner of the Montecito Casino. He replaced James Caanwho left the cast in the same episode. This was Selleck's first regular role on a drama show since he played Thomas Magnum on Magnum, P.I..

Blue Bloods

Blue Bloods is an American police procedural/drama series on CBS, filmed on location in New York City. Frank Reagan (Selleck) is the Police Commissioner; the series follows the Reagan family of police officers with the New York City Police Department. The show premiered on September 24, 2010.

Other work

Selleck has also appeared in a number of made-for-TV movies in recent years. In particular, he has sought to help bring back to popularity the western, often playing one of that genre's typical characters but thrust into a modern context.

Selleck was offered the lead role of Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch, but turned down the role because he did not want to be seen as a sex symbol. The role eventually went to David Hasselhoff.

Surprising many of his fans, Selleck unexpectedly played the role of General Dwight D. Eisenhower in A&E's 2004 made-for-TV movie Ike: Countdown to D-Day. The movie showed the planning, politics, and preparation for the 1944 Invasion of Normandy, and Selleck was critically lauded for playing a cool, calm Eisenhower.

Selleck appeared in a recurring role on the acclaimed ABC drama Boston Legal as Ivan Tiggs—the troubled ex-husband of Shirley Schmidt (Candice Bergen)—and as novelist Robert B. Parker's character Jesse Stone in several CBS made-for-TV movies, earning a 2007 Emmy nomination for Jesse Stone: Sea Change.

Broadway

In 2001, Selleck played the lead role of Murray in a Broadway revival of Herb Gardner's comedic play A Thousand Clowns. It ran for only two months. Critics, though far from uniformly negative about Selleck's performance, generally compared it unfavorably to that of Jason Robards, Jr., who won awards in the 1960s for playing the character on the stage and in a movie version. (It remains the role with which Robards is most identified.) Playwright Gardner, however, actually preferred Selleck to Robards in the part, and even said that Selleck was the way he had always envisioned Murray.

05/26 SUSAN LUCCI, LIFETIME'S DEVIOUS MAIDS

SUSAN LUCCI - LIFETIME'S DEVIOUS MAIDS PREMIERES ON MONDAY JUNE 1ST 

As the most famous face in daytime television history, Susan Lucci has held audiences spellbound for years as the sexy, sassy, beautiful "woman you love to hate," Erica Kane on ABC-TV's "All My Children." In May 1999 she won the Emmy Award for "Best Actress," which was a historic moment not only for Lucci, but for all of television. Lucci currently stars in the hit Lifetime series, "Devious Maids" as the wealthy and effervescent socialite, Genevieve Delatour. She is also the host and narrator of Investigation Discovery's highly rated series, "Deadly Affairs." She received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 28, 2005 and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2006. She is the second woman in the history of the Columbus Day parade to serve as Grand Marshal – the first was Sophia Loren. Lucci was named one of E! Entertainment's "Top Entertainers of the Year" as well as one of Barbara Walters' "Ten Most Fascinating People." VH-1 has also named Lucci one of its"200 Top Icons of all Time."

In 2011, Lucci appeared in the highly rated season finale of TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland" and returned for another episode in February 2012 entitled, "I Love Lucci." She also guest starred in a recurring role on Lifetime's "Army Wives" in 2012. Lucci competed on ABC's primetime reality show, "Dancing with the Stars," hosted "Saturday Night Live," and guest-starred in many successful television series and numerous movies for television throughout her career. In March 2011 Lucci released her New York Times bestselling autobiography, "All My Life" with Harper Collins. The paperback edition of All My Life was released on September 13th.

Lucci's artistic excellence afforded her the opportunity to expand to luminous careers in theater and cabaret with solo concerts across the country and nightclub performances opening for Regis Philbin. In her 1999 Broadway debut, Lucci starred as Annie Oakley in the revival of Irving Berlin's "Annie Get Your Gun," to amazing review. Michael Logan of TV Guide said, "Susan Lucci didn't just take Great White Way by storm: she took it by tornado, hurricane and tsunami, too."

Acting and singing are only two of Lucci's many passions. Within the past 10 years she became a successful entrepreneur launching a Susan Lucci Collection of hair care products, two fragrances, jewelry, shoes, and accessory lines, and a lingerie line for "beauty of all ages." Her head-to-toe collection was a constant sell-out on the Home Shopping Network (HSN). In 2002, Lucci introduced a personal microdermabrasion system with Guthy-Renker, Youthful Essence® by Susan Lucci that has sold over 8 million kits worldwide since its debut. Lucci expanded her expertise with Guthy-Renker by also presenting "Malibu Pilates," the widely popular Pilates chair fitness program.

Lucci's commitment to her work with children has taken her to Africa in support of Feed The Children, appearing in an Emmy-award winning documentary. She and her husband have been ongoing champions of Littler Flower Children and Family Services of New York and have been the spokespersons for the National AFib Campaign. She currently hosts United Cerebral Palsy of NYC Women Who Care Luncheon. She has served as the March of Dimes' National Ambassador in 2000 and as a celebrity spokesperson for AMDeC (Academic Medicine Development Company) and The New York Cancer Project. She has also been involved with Broadway Cares Equity Fights Aids and is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the prestigious New York City Gracie Award and the Muse Award for Women in Film & Television. She was inducted into the American Academy of Achievement Awards and presented with the Italian Board of Guardians Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lucci's accomplishments and contributions to the world of television and the performing arts have truly made her an icon to millions.

About Devious Maids

Lifetime’s critically-acclaimed hit series "Devious Maids" (#DeviousMaids, #DeviousArmy), returns for a third season on a new night, Mondays at 9PM ET/PT, beginning June 1st leading into the series premiere of "UnREAL" at 10PM ET/PT. Executive produced by Marc Cherry and Eva Longoria, Devious Maids follows five maids with ambition and dreams of their own while working for the rich and famous in Beverly Hills.

"Devious Maids" is set in a world where murder and mayhem collide in the mansions of Beverly Hills’ wealthiest and most powerful families. Class warfare has never been as fun and dirty as it is in the tony enclave where the staff is as clever, witty and downright as devilish as their employers. The series has centered on a close-knit group of maids, Marisol (Ana Ortiz), Rosie (Dania Ramírez), Carmen (Roselyn Sánchez), Valentina (Edy Ganem) and Zoila (Judy Reyes), who are bonded together by their jobs, life struggles and the melodramatic universe that engulfs their employers. "Devious Maids" also stars Susan Lucci ("All My Children"), Grant Show ("Melrose Place"),
Rebecca Wisocky ("The Mentalist"), Tom Irwin ("Grey’s Anatomy") and Drew Van Acker ("Pretty Little Liars"). Brianna Brown ("Graceland") and Brett Cullen ("The Dark Knight Rises") make a return to the series this season, joining new cast members Naya Rivera ("Glee"), Gilles Marini ("Sex and the City"), Cristián de la Fuente ("Valiant Love"), John O’Hurley ("General Hospital"), Justina Machado ("Six Feet Under"), Nathan Owens ("Days of Our Lives") and Julie Claire ("Web Therapy").

Season three picks up at the height of last year’s shocking cliffhanger where a deranged gunman takes aim at the maids during Rosie and Spence’s wedding, leaving everyone to wonder who will survive. In the wake of this tragedy, the women lean on each other like never before, even as they face complex problems in their own lives. Zoila ponders her next steps after discovering that she is pregnant and uncertain who the father may be. Carmen realizes there is more than meets the eye to the charming Sebastien (Gilles Marini). Meanwhile, Valentina and Remi struggle to connect in the aftermath of the shooting; Marisol’s aspirations lead her to a surprising career change; and Blanca (Naya Rivera), a new maid in the neighborhood, lands a job with a seemingly picture-perfect family, but soon discovers a terrible secret that could change her life forever.

Inspired by the hit telenovela, "Ellas son... la alegría del hogar," "Devious Maids" is produced by ABC Studios. The series was created by Marc Cherry ("Desperate Housewives") and is executive produced by Cherry, Sabrina Wind ("Desperate Housewives"), Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"), Brian Tanen ("Desperate Housewives"), Larry Shuman ("Kissing Miranda"), David Lonner, John Mass, Ric Swartzlander and Televisa USA’s Paul Presburger and Michael Garcia.

WWW.SUSANLUCCI.COM

05/19 MIKE CONNORS, MANNIX

Connors was born Krekor Ohanian in Fresno, California, of Armenian descent. He was an avid basketball player in high school who was nicknamed "Touch" by his teammates. During World War II he served in the United States Army Air Forces.

After the war he attended the University of California at Los Angeles on a basketball scholarship, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. William A. Wellman got him into acting after noticing his expressive face while Connors was playing basketball. He appeared on the Los Angeles CBS station as "Touch" Connors in an episode of Jukebox Jury before the program went national via ABC in 1953. Connors is credited in his early films, such as Island in the Sky (1953), Swamp Women, a.k.a. Swamp Diamonds, Five Guns West (1955), and Flesh and the Spur (1957) as "Touch Connors".

He played basketball for Coach John Wooden at UCLA.

Connors recalled in an interview that he was renamed by Henry Willson saying that "Ohanian" was too close to the actor George O'Hanlonand came up with "Touch Connors".

In 1956, still billed as Touch Connors, he played an Amalekite herder in Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston.

He appeared in numerous television series, including the co-starring role in the 1955 episode "Tomas and the Widow" of the NBC westernanthology series Frontier. He guest starred on Jeannie Carson's unsuccessful 1956-1957 situation comedy Hey, Jeannie!. He appeared in two Rod Cameron syndicated crime dramas, City Detective and the western-themed State Trooper, and played the villain in the first episode filmed (but second one aired) of ABC-TV's smash hit Maverick opposite James Garner in 1957. He also appeared on two other syndicated series, The Silent Service, based on true stories of the submarine section of the United States Navy, and Sheriff of Cochise, set aboutBisbee, Arizona.

In 1965, he co-starred in one of Robert Redford's earliest film roles, a WWII black comedy, Situation Hopeless... But Not Serious alongside Sir Alec Guinness. Connors thereafter launched his own series: CBS's Tightrope (September 8, 1959–September 13, 1960), CBS's Mannix (September 16, 1967–August 27, 1975) and ABC's Today's F.B.I. (October 25, 1981–August 14, 1982).

His Tightrope series was very popular in Mexico during the early 1960s, so the local recording company Discos Orfeon released a 45 rpm single of Connors singing in Spanish. Conners also appeared in the episode of the TV Series Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond called "The Aerialist."

Connors' long history of police and military roles very possibly was the reason he was chosen to play Air Force Colonel Harrison "Hack" Peters in Herman Wouk's 1988 World War II-based miniseries War and Remembrance.

Connors lives in Encino, California.

05/12 JOE MANTEGNA, NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT

THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT LIVE FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL – SUNDAY, MAY 24TH, 2015 AT 8PM EASTERN TIME

Joe has been involved in the National Memorial Day Concert since 2002. Initially as a performer, but after the great Ossie Davis passed away in 2005 he was asked to take over the hosting duties. He now gladly shares that honor with fellow Chicago actor and dear friend Gary Sinise.

BIOGRAPHY:
During his career Joe has portrayed several real people, such as George Raft in Bugsy, Fidel Castro in My Little Assassin, and most notably, as Dean Martin in The Rat Pack. His role as Josh Waitzkin’s father in Searching for Bobby Fischer was based on Fred Waitzkin, who wrote the book upon which the film was based. Joe’s TV-movie debut was as Joe Esposito, Elvis’ road manager and close friend in the 1979 miniseries Elvis starring Kurt Russell.

In 2000, Joe completed production on his feature film directorial debut, Lakeboat, written for the screen by David Mamet from his original play. Starring Charles Durning, Peter Falk, Robert Forster, Andy Garcia, Denis Leary and George Wendt. The film opened the L.A. Film Festival to critical acclaim last fall and made its theatrical release in June 2001.

Joe spent the summer of 2000 in Spain and France filming the feature Off Key with Danny Aiello and George Hamilton. The comedy is about a trio of famed opera singers who unwittingly find themselves reunited at a wedding ten years after their tempestuous breakup.  Joe headlined a series of original films for the A&E Network, based on Robert Parker's popular Spenser detective novels. The first, Small Vices, premiered in summer of 1999 with the second, Thin Air, following in fall 2000.  His last entry to the Spenser series, Walking Shadow, continues to play on A&E. Due to budget cuts A&E has no future plans for more in this series.

Spring of 2001 found Joe in Venice, Italy for several weeks filming the feature, LAGOON.  2001 was a busy year for Joe. He finished production on the SHOWTIME film, Men Vs. Women! that co-starred Paul Reiser, Christine Lahti and Glenn Headly, directed by Chazz Palmenteri.

He also starred as Justice Joseph Novelli in the CBS series First Monday.The series co-starred James Garner and Charles Durning.

Summer 2002 found Joe and his daughter Gina in his home town of Chicago, filming the wonderful slice of life film, Uncle Nino with Anne Archer. Released in 2003, this gem played at selected theaters, including a record breaking run of 43 weeks in Grand Rapids Michigan.

In 2002, Joe starred in the Italian film Pontormo, playing the role of Jacopo Pontormo, an Italian Renaissance painter (b. 1494, d. 1557, Firenze).  Joe also co-starred in Stateside, a drama based on a true story starring Johnathan Tucker and co-starring Val Kilmer, Carrie Fisher, Penny Marshall and Diane Venora.

Joe starred as police chief Will Girardi in the popular and critically acclaimed CBS series, Joan of Arcadia.  Joan received several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations during its two season run from 2003-2005.

In 2005 Joe co-starred in Nine Lives, a film by Rodrigo Garcia that made both Ebert’s and Roeper’s Top 10 List for that year. Captives of the very relationships that define and sustain them, nine women resiliently meet the travails and disappointments of life. Accepted at Sundance, the film also stars Glenn Close, Amy Brenneman, Holly Hunter, Dakota Fanning, Sissy Spacek and Kathy Baker.
In 2006 Joe was involved in several independent film projects including Elvis and Annabelle, West of Brooklyn and Lonely Street. He also costarred with Debora Messing in The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie Grazer for the USA network.  For this, Joe was nominated for an Emmy in the category of Best  Supporting Actor.  Since 2007 Joe has been back on CBS  as the star of Criminal Minds. On April the 29th 2011 Joe received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, next to his boyhood hero Errol Flynn.  Looking ahead, Joe 's company has it's eyes set on producing. With several  projects in the works including, Memories are Made of This, Tis it the Season, a web-series called Quick Bites and an original  family feature called, The King and Me Joe is a busy guy. 2011 Joe lent his voice to the character of GREM in DisneyPixar's CARS2.  In 2012 Joe completed the feature films The Bronx Bull, Ten Cent Pistol and Compulsion. He also is co-producing a documentary on the late Science Fiction Icon Ray Bradbury that’s due out in 2013.

He currently stars as David Rossi in Criminal Minds as well as hosting and producing duties on “Gun Stories” for the Outdoor Channel.

WWW.JOEMANTEGNA.COM

05/05 BOBBY HART, PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLE GUM: BOYCE & HART, THE MONKEES, AND TURNING MAYHEM INTO MIRACLES

BOBBY HART – SONGWRITER/PRODUCER AND AUTHOR CHATS ABOUT HIS CAREER AND BOOK: PSYCHEDELIC BUBBLE GUM: BOYCE & HART, THE MONKEES, AND TURNING MAYHEM INTO MIRACLES 

BIOGRAPHY:
Bobby Hart was one-half of the prolific '60s songwriting duo Boyce & Hart, best known for their heavy involvement with the Monkees' early records. Hart was born in Phoenix, AZ, on February 18, 1939, to a minister father, and served a stint in the Army after high school. After his discharge, he went to Los Angeles to try and make it as a singer; when he failed to pique anyone's interest, he moved into songwriting. In the early '60s, he met Tommy Boyce, who was already on his way to being a successful songwriter. Hart placed an original composition, "Dr. Heartache," with teen idol Tommy Sands. Not long after, he and Boyce were involved in a near-fatal car crash returning home from aBobby Vee concert. Boyce soon moved to New York, and Hart followed when he had fully recovered. Their partnership had its first success with "Lazy Elsie Molly," recorded by Chubby Checker in 1964; that same year, Jay & the Americans took "Come a Little Bit Closer" into the Top Five, giving the duo a breakout success. Hart broke away from Boyce briefly to co-write Little Anthony & the Imperials' 1965 smash "Hurt So Bad" with Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Whiting, but the two then signed an exclusive deal with the Screen Gems publishing firm together, and returned to Los Angeles. Early efforts like "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" and "Words" were recorded by Paul Revere & the Raiders and the Leaves, respectively, but the duo initially found it difficult to duplicate its hitmaking success; they did, however, team up with Charles Albertine to write the theme song for the long-running TV soap opera Days of Our Lives.

In 1966, Hart and Boyce were tapped to write songs for the Monkees television series, and with such an immediate demand for a large quantity of material, the duo managed to place quite a few compositions with the group (they were even originally considered for membership). Their "Last Train to Clarksville" became the Monkees' first hit, going all the way to number one later in 1966. In addition to the show's classic theme song, Boyce & Hart songs in the Monkees' repertoire included "I Wanna Be Free," "She," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Words" (these latter two both hits the second time around), and "Valleri." Boyce & Hart also produced most of the group's early work, and sometimes played or sang backup on the recordings. With the Monkees demanding more control over their music,Boyce & Hart explored a recording career of their own, in much the same vein as their work with the Monkees -- sweet, hooky bubblegum pop. In 1968, they scored a Top Ten hit with "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite," but their recording partnership proved short-lived. They returned to production work for the Monkees over 1969-1970, then went their separate ways.

Hart composed music for the 1972 film Unholy Rollers, but with bubblegum pop on the way out, he was largely inactive in the musical arena. In 1975, he and Boyce reunited with their supporters in the Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones, for an international tour as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart(billed as "The Guys Who Sang 'Em and the Guys Who Wrote 'Em"). The foursome recorded an album for Capitol in 1976, but broke up the following year. Boyce & Hart reteamed for a while to work on music for the cartoon shows Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and Josie and the Pussycats; meanwhile,the Sex Pistols turned "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" into an unlikely punk anthem. Separated fromBoyce again, Hart worked on the soundtrack of the 1983 film Tender Mercies, earning a Best Song Oscar nomination for "Over You" (co-written with Austin Roberts). He subsequently worked as a producer and/or writer with New Edition, LaToya Jackson, and Robbie Nevil, among others.

BOOK INFO:
Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, The Monkees, and Turning Mayhem into Miracles
From the man who wrote the songs that outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in 1967-1968, comes the story of the first decades of his life in Hollywood and New York.

Immerse yourself in Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Award nominated songwriter Bobby Hart’s world as he shares the story behind his success; from humble beginnings comes a musical goliath.

Psychedelic Bubble Gum is an exclusive glimpse into Hart’s personal journey as he moves on the fast track to fame. This vivid narrative follows Hart’s gradual rise in the music industry as half of the duo Boyce and Hart, as he and his friend and partner Tommy Boyce wrote the songs that launched the Monkees to stardom, and eventually reaching over a hundred million in sales. Along the way is all the heartbreak and drama that accompanies fame and fortune—an uprooted life, conflicted morals, and the sacrifice of his wholesome high school sweetheart Becky.

With unbending sincerity, Hart details a life of extravagance, betrayal, loss, disillusionment, and an unstoppable personal struggle to find spiritual balance, peace, and love. Psychedelic Bubble Gum is a rollercoaster ride through the 1960s and 1970s during America’s whirlwind era of free speech, mysticism, and psychedelic pop culture, and, of course, rock ‘n’ roll. Packed with intimate behind-the-scenes encounters with pop star royalty,Psychedelic Bubble Gum is tempered by humor, honesty, and a singular understanding of the industry.

04/28 DEANA MARTIN, HERB ALPERT'S VIBRATO

DEANA MARTIN – UPCOMING PERFORMANCE AT HERB ALPERT’S VIBRATO 5/3 AT 8:00PM

Deana Martin is a world-class entertainer equally comfortable with a celebrated symphony at a legendary concert hall or on an intimate cabaret stage with a swinging jazz quintet. She’s a New York Times best-selling author, a gifted actor, a vocalist of incredible depth and passion and a licensed pilot. When talent is part of the family pedigree it can sometimes be difficult for an artist to forge an individual path, but Deana Martin has successfully navigated that tricky terrain.

Deana’s latest album, Destination Moon, is a loving homage to the Great American Songbook that features her distinctive take on such classics as “I Love Being Here With You” and “Beyond the Sea” as well as four new gems written for Deana, nestled among her longtime favorites. “Where Did You Learn to Love Like That,” “Stuck in a Dream With Me,” “Read Between the Lines” and “Paradise” are finely crafted new tunes that fit perfectly alongside the timeless hits on Destination Moon. The album closes with “True Love,” a duet with her father Dean Martin that demonstrates where Deana gets that talent for bringing a song to life.

“There is just something so timeless about these songs and they can be interpreted in many different ways. The words have meaning and the music can be a little complicated,” Deana says. “We have such a mix on this album. We have “G. I. Jive” by Johnny Mercer and “Stuck in a Dream with Me” that was written by my friends John Proulx and K.L. Dunham, and “Break It To Me Gently,” which I loved the minute I heard Brenda Lee sing it years ago. We’ve put all these different songs on this one album and they fit beautifully.”

Destination Moon is Deana’s fourth album, following her 2006 top ten hit CDMemories Are Made Of This, her acclaimed holiday collection, White Christmas, and Volare, which entered Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums chart at No. 22 and Billboard’s Heatseeker chart at No. 7.  Deana brings her recorded repertoire to life with an engaging stage show that keeps the busy entertainer on the road 280 days a year performing in a variety of venues from major Las Vegas showrooms to intimate jazz clubs to symphony halls accompanied by some of the country’s most prestigious orchestras.

“The most important part is to feel the song and to connect with the audience,” Deana says of her approach to performing.  “There are a lot of incredible singers out there with beautiful voices, but you have to be able to grab the audience and make them feel it. Hopefully that’s something that I have. There’s that feeling you get on stage. It’s just so great when you are up there and the music is just right and the audience is just right and you are singing a great song with a fabulous arrangement. There’s nothing better.”

It’s easy to see where Deana gets her passion for performing. Her father is among the world’s most iconic entertainers and has left a lasting legacy treasured by his family, friends and fans. As chronicled in her best-selling book, Memories Are Made of This-Dean Martin Through His Daughters Eyes, her father grew up in Steubenville, Ohio and worked hard to parlay his God-given talent into a multi-faceted career. His daughter has done the same.  In addition to her acting and recording, Deana is a savvy businesswoman whose interest in health and fitness grew into the successful Bodies By Deana company, which spawned the top-selling workout video “The Deana Martin Total Body Workout.” She’s also a licensed pilot, radio show host, noted philanthropist and respected entrepreneur. Among the projects she’s most passionate about these days is seeing her book become a movie. Joe Mantegna is slated to direct the film with Jennifer Love Hewitt set to star as Deana. Actress/writer Bonnie Hunt is writing the screenplay. “My dad would always say ‘Deana, when you dream, dream big, because dreams do come true. There’s nothing you can’t do honey if you really set your mind to it and work hard.’ And that’s exactly what I do, because knowing that he believed in me has always given me the strength and determination to shoot for the moon … Destination Moon.”

Armed with an abundance of talent, a dedicated work ethic and a buoyant personality, Deana was determined to step out from her famous father’s shadow and launch her own successful entertainment career. Though she grew up learning from her dad’s legendary pals like Uncles Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Jerry Lewis (who penned the foreword to her book), Deana also received a formal education from Dartington College of Arts in the United Kingdom.  She’s amassed a wealth of stage experience including roles in Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Six Rms Riv Vu and The Tunnel of Love. Her first major break was in the Neil Simon play The Star Spangled Girl.  “I was staring in the National Touring Company with Jimmy Boyd and George Hamilton,” Deana recalls. “The play was a great success and it was a wonderful experience to work with such talented actors. I knew I was on my way.”

Deana’s acting career expanded into film with the 1968 western Young Billy Young co-starring Robert Mitchum and Angie Dickinson.  Her movie career continued with staring roles in Strangers at Sunrise with George Montgomery and A Voice in the Night with Vitto Scotti.  In addition to her work as an actress, Deana also signed a contract with Reprise Records and scored hits singles with the “Girl of the Month Club” and “When He Remembers Me” produced by Lee Hazelwood.

For many years, Deana’s recording career took a backseat to raising her son Mickey, but she continued keeping in contact with her devoted fans through live concerts around the globe. And they were thrilled when she returned to the recording studio with Memories Are Made of This in 2006. Deana has a beautiful, evocative voice that brings out the best in a song and she puts that amazing set of pipes to good use on Destination Moon. “We record the music at the Hit Factory in Miami because my arranger/conductor Charlie Calello and a lot of my favorite musicians live there. Then we go to Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA to lay down the vocals, do the mixing and mastering. It’s my favorite place to record because I get to work with my dear friend and brilliant engineer Al Schmitt. He’s the man with the golden ears and I believe he’s the greatest engineer on the planet.”

Destination Moon was produced by Deana’s husband John Griffeth, and they recorded the vocals in Studio A at the legendary Capitol Records in Los Angeles where her father recorded many of his best-loved hits.  “You can feel the electricity in the air the moment you walk in,” Deana says. “I just feel cloaked with the energy of the great artists that recorded there before me. You can hear their voices as you walk down the hallways lined with huge black & white photographs. It gives me goose bumps walking by my dad, Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin and Uncle Frank [Sinatra]. They’re all there. The first studio you come to is Studio A and that’s where everyone loves to record. When I was a very young girl, I remember sitting in Studio A with my mom, watching my dad record “Memories Are Made of This,” which became his first very #1 hit. Those are memories indeed that I will never forget.”

Returning to the famed Studio A as an artist in her own right was special to Deana. “It was an amazing feeling,” Deana says. “I was using my dad’s microphone, recording in the same studio and using his same chart. John found the original hand written Nelson Riddle arrangement of Cole Porter’s ‘True Love’. I was standing in the studio with my headphones on, listening to all the beautiful strings and then … my dad’s voice. I could barely sing it was so overwhelming. For me to record a song with my dad was an incredible highlight in my life and another dream come true.  It was just perfect. A few minutes later we listened to the playback I was thrilled to hear how beautifully our voices blended together and how we sounded so much alike. It’s an unbelievable memory that I will carry with me forever.”

It’s the perfect close to an album by an artist who lovingly brings a contemporary freshness to a collection of songs that will forever stand the test of time, and it’s just the latest in an impressive discography that continues to grow. Martin has a passion for keeping alive the Great American Songbook and her smooth, silky voice combined with her passion for those classic lyrics and melodies make her the perfect torchbearer to keep these songs alive for today’s generation. Whether reviving “Mack the Knife” on her inimitable Volare album with verve and sass or sweetly crooning “Love Me Tender” on that same great album, Martin brings fresh life to popular music’s best-loved gems.  On her holiday collection, White Christmas, Martin delivers a lively, elegant take on such timeless fare as “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” and “Let It Snow! Let It Snow” Let It Snow!” Whether she’s serving up Christmas favorites or bringing her own distinctive style to her dad’s signature “Everybody Loves Somebody” on Memories Are Made of This, Martin is a superb stylist whose skill and charm bring out the best in every song she sings.

Like her esteemed father, Deana Martin loves to entertain people and she knows the power of a great song. She wields that power on stage as someone who has a true and abiding love for the music and respect for the legacy she carries on. Whether writing a best selling memoir, touring the world or working on a new record, Deana Martin approaches every endeavor with the same commitment to excellence and passion. She could easily rest on her laurels, but that’s not something she ever plans to do. “I love entertaining people,” she says. “It’s what I was born to do.”

Deana and her husband John Griffeth divide their time between Beverly Hills, CA and Branson, MO.

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