Spader
appeared alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal in the critically-acclaimed
film, Secretary, which won the 2002 Sundance Film Festival Grand
Jury Prize for Originality. Spader also starred in Speaking of Sex,
Supernova, Slow Burn, Critical Care and Crash.
Spader's
additional film credits include 2 Days in the Valley, Star Gate,
Wolf, White Palace, The Music of Chance, Bob Roberts, True Colors,
Bad Influence, Sex, Lies, and Videotape, Jack's Back, Mannequin,
Less than Zero, Wall Street, Pretty in Pink and Endless Love
William
Shatner
Denny Crane
William Shatner has cultivated a career that has spanned 50 years
as a professional actor, director, producer, screenwriter and author.
He is one of pop culture's most recognizable figures, and has also
established himself as a major Hollywood philanthropist.
Born
in Montreal, Shatner developed an early interest in acting and started
working professionally at the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC)
even before he reached his teens. He found himself drawn to the
theater and eventually joined the Stratford Shakespeare Festival
under Sir Tyrone Guthrie. Tamburlaine, one of the festival's productions,
moved to Broadway, and Shatner was immediately noticed by the New
York critics. He later returned to Canada, winning the Tyrone Guthrie
Award soon thereafter.
Also
while at Stratford, Shatner found time to write plays for the CBC.
He moved to New York and was a part of television's Golden Age,
working on programs such as Playhouse 90 and Studio One. He made
his film debut in the 1957 film, The Brothers Karamazov, followed
by Judgment at Nuremburg and The Intruder. During the same period,
he starred on Broadway in The World of Suzie Wong and A Shot in
the Dark.
He
has since guest starred in several hundred television programs,
including classics such as The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents
and Mission: Impossible. He also recurred on other staples, including
77 Sunset Strip and Dr. Kildare, before garnering an Emmy nomination
for his appearances in 3rd Rock from the Sun.
In
1966 Shatner originated the role of Captain James T. Kirk in the
television series Star Trek, which rocketed into fame only after
the show was cancelled and re-launched in syndication. The series
spawned a feature film franchise, and Shatner reprised the role
of Captain Kirk in seven of the Star Trek motion pictures. He has
since appeared in other movies such as Airplane II: The Sequel,
Loaded Weapon 1 and Miss Congeniality. Miss Congeniality was successful
enough to warrant a sequel, and Miss Congeniality 2 is currently
in production.
Shatner
played the title role in the network television series hit, T.J.
Hooker, before hosting the CBS series Rescue 911 for six seasons.
Since that show first aired, over 300 lives have been saved by people
who learned a life-saving technique from watching it.
He
made his feature film directorial debut in 1989 with Star Trek V:
The Final Frontier (in which he also starred, as well as helped
conceive the story). Since then he has directed several others features,
television movies and episodics. Most recently he directed (as well
as produced and starred in) Love Lake, a picture about the mysterious
area surrounding Roswell, New Mexico.
Since
April 1998, Shatner has served as the spokesman for Priceline.com.
He was one of the first celebrities in Hollywood to recognize the
importance of the Internet, and his enduring appeal has proven to
be an integral part of the company's ad campaigns and brand marketing
program. As the celebrity spokesperson for Priceline.com, he contributes
his trademark sense of humor and entertaining style to the groundbreaking
and humorous series of television and radio commercials.
Off
the screen and broadcast waves, Shatner has authored over a 20 bestselling
books in both the fiction and non-fiction genres. His novel series,
TekWar, was turned into a television series for The Sci-Fi Network
(in which he starred and directed). Some of his other popular novels
include Man O' War, Star Trek Avenger and Ashes of Eden. He wrote
two books on his Star Trek career in the titles "Star Trek
Memories" and "Star Trek Movie Memories," before
penning "Get a Life!," a hilarious but endearing look
at the cult of "StarTrek" conventions.
Shatner
has also become a success at another career — horse breeding.
A longtime dedicated breeder of American Quarter horses, he has
had smashing success with the beautiful American Saddlebred, developing
and owning the world champion "Sultan's Great Day." In
August 1997, he won the World Harness Championship at Louisville,
Kentucky, with his Saddlebred, "Revival."
This
love for horses led him to his involvement with AHEAD With Horses,
a charity organization that gives physically and mentally challenged
children the thrill of riding a horse, and boosts their confidence
and self-esteem. For the past 14 years, Shatner has hosted the Hollywood
Charity Horse Show at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center. The event,
held every spring, benefits AHEAD With Horses and other child-oriented
charities in the Los Angeles area. He has also worked with the American
Tinnitus Association, and has raised awareness of this debilitating
illness through numerous television appearances and interviews.
Shatner
continues to act, write, produce and direct while still managing
to find time to work with charities and further his passion in the
equestrian sports. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Los Angeles.
Rhona
Mitra
Tara Wilson
U.K. only a short time ago, Rhona Mitra is fast becoming one of
today's most sought-after young actresses. Mitra, who sizzled on
the big screen opposite Kevin Spacey in The Life of David Gale,
recently starred opposite Goran Visnjic in Spartacus.
Mitra's
previous film credits include Highwaymen, Sweet Home Alabama, Ali
G Indahouse, Hollow Man and Get Carter.
Mitra,
along with Andre Braugher and Ruben Blades, starred in the critically
acclaimed ABC series Gideon's Crossing. She was a series regular
on Party of Five, and starred in the BBC miniseries The Man Who
Made Husbands Jealous.
Lake
Bell
Sally Heep
A native of New York City, Bell graduated in 2002 from London's
esteemed conservatory Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama,
where her extensive training included dance and stage combat. Among
her London theatre credits are The Seagull, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire,
The Children's Hour and The Pentecost.
She
most recently co-starred opposite in Miss Match. She also previously
starred in the telefilm War Stories, and in back-to-back episodes
of ER.
For
the big screen, Bell appears in The Hillside Strangler, which is
currently making the film festival circuit. Additional feature credits
include Speakeasy, I Love Your Work, Fresh Out of Tears and Slammed.
Bell's
interests include writing, painting and studying foreign languages
and dialects — a skill she honed during her four years in
London and after a lifetime of extensive international travel. She
currently resides in Los Angeles with her blue-nosed pit bull, Margaret.
Mark
Valley
Brad Chase
Mark Valley first became interested in acting during high school,
but put his aspirations on hold when he decided to attend West Point.
He graduated with a degree in math and was then stationed in Germany,
where he stayed for five years — except for the time he spent
participating in Operation Desert Storm.
His
acting career began when he was discovered by an agent in Berlin.
His first role was working in John Schlesinger's The Innocent, which
starred Anthony Hopkins and was filmed in Germany. He continued
working abroad and appeared in several more productions before returning
to the United States to pursue his career further.
Valley
made an impact on television viewers with his lead role in Pasadena,
as well as in recurring roles on ER and Once and Again. Additional
television work includes guest spots on CSI, The Lone Gunmen and
Gideon's Crossing, as well as a stint on the long-running daytime
drama, Days of Our Lives. He also appeared in several telefilms,
including Running Mates and Breast Men, and portrayed Senator Robert
Kennedy in George Wallace.
In
feature films, Valley appeared in The Seige and The Next Best Thing.