One of the most extraordinary figures in the arts in the twentieth century, Orson Welles was being hailed as a genius before he was even a teenager. He began his career as a professional actor at age 16 (in Ireland), published his first book at 18, was a Broadway name at 19, and one of the most familiar voices on radio by 20. His first stage directing credit in New York came at age 21 (he had... More »

Academy Award winning actor who began his career on the Yiddish stage in New York City. Nominated for five Best Actor Oscars he won once in 1939 for The Story of Louis Pasteur. Poor health forced him to slow down his acting career in the 1940's but Muni was still able to win a Tony in 1955 and receive a final Oscar nomination in 1959 after which he retired for good. More »

Benicio Del Toro emerged in the mid-90s as one of the most watchable and charismatic character actors to surface in years. A favorite of film buffs for years, Del Toro gained mainstream public attention as the conflicted, "one good cop" in Steven Soderbergh's Traffic (2000). Born in Puerto Rico on February 19, 1967, Benicio was the son of lawyer parents Gustavo and Fausta Sanchez Del... More »

She was branded "box-office poison" by the nation's exhibitors in 1938, but Katharine Hepburn has come to be regarded as a national treasure. One of the most frequently honored screen actresses (with eight Academy nominations and four Oscars to her credit), Hepburn came to films in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), as John Barrymore's daughter, following a sometimes tempestuous career on stage in... More »

Son of a quaker family, this English filmmaker started his filming career en 1928 when hew got a job in Gaumont studios. Between 1944 and 1955 he adapted several works from dramatist Noël Coward, between them Brief Encounter (1945). Later he directed Oliver Twist (1948)... More »