MICHAEL JAI WHITE (Spawn/Al Simmons) first garnered audience and critical
attention with his portrayal of controversial boxing giant Michael Tyson
in the HBO special "Tyson." With more than 18 years of experience
as a martial artist, he holds a black belt in six Karate styles and over
26 titles, including U.S. Open, North American Open and New England Grand
Champion. His well-honed skills have been employed to choreograph complex
stunts in films such as On Deadly Ground.
In addition to "Tyson," his feature credits include City of Industry,
2 Days in the Valley, Ring of Fire, Universal Soldier, True Identity and
Full Contact. White has also made numerous appearances on television, including
recurring roles on "NYPD Blue" and the daytime serial "Loving."
White studied acting at H.B. Studios in New York, Yale University and Howard
University. His off-Broadway performances include "To Kill a Mockingbird,"
"Anything Goes," "Raisin in the Sun" and many others.
JOHN LEGUIZAMO, (Clown) has established a career which defies categorization.
With credits in film, theatre and television, his work spans a variety of
genres, including comedy, classical drama, action adventure and psychological
thriller.
He can currently be seen in Seth Zvi Rosenfeld's Brother's Kiss, a hard-hitting
drama about the conflicts of life in East Harlem's "undercity,"
and will next star in Robert Patton Spruill's Body Count. Most recently,
he starred as Tybalt in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio
and Claire Danes.
Leguizamo also lent his vocal talents to the character of "the rat"
in Betty Thomas' remake of the classic Dr. Doolittle, in which he, Eddie
Murphy, Ving Rhames, Gary Shandling, Jean Stapleton and Paul Reubens round
out an ensemble cast of celebrity voice-overs.
He garnered a Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination for his critically
acclaimed performance as the sensitive drag queen, "Chi Chi Rodriguez"
in To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar.
Other film credits include Paul Miller's The Pest, which he also co-wrote
and co-produced; Tony Scott's Revenge and The Fan, in which he reunited
with Wesley Snipes; and Executive Decision with Kurt Russell, A Pyromanic's
Love Story; Brian de Palma's Carlito's Way and Casualties of War; Super
Mario Bros.; Whispers In The Dark, Mike Nichol's Regarding Henry; and Joseph
P. Vasquez' Hangin' With The Homeboys.
In January, 1995, Leguizamo set a precedent by starring in the first-ever
Latino comedy/variety show for television, the Emmy Award-winning "House
of Buggin'." Other television credits include the role of Calderone
Jr. on "Miami Vice."
He recently premiered his new one-man show "Freak" at San Francisco's
Theatre on the Square. Self-described as "Semi-Demi-Quasi-Pseudo Autobiography
(His Most Dangerous Work Yet)", "Freak" is in the vein of
Leguizamo's previous award-winning shows, "Spic-O-Rama" and "Mambo
Mouth," in which he portrays a number of different ethnic characters,
based on his own observations. Written by Leguizamo and directed by David
Bar Katz, the show is next scheduled to open On-Broadway in the fall.
In 1991, he had his first taste of success when he became an Off-Broadway
sensation as the writer and performer of the one-man show "Mambo Mouth,"
in which he portrayed seven different characters. He received an Obie, Outer
Critics Circle and Vanguardia Award. The show later aired on HBO, which
led to Leguizamo's first television special, Comedy Central's "The
Talent Pool," for which he received a Cable ACE Award.
His second one-man show, "Spic-O-Rama," had an extended sold-out
run in Chicago at the Goodman and Briar Street Theaters before opening to
rave reviews and sold-out houses in New York. The show received numerous
awards, including the Dramatists' Guild Hull-Warriner Award for Best American
Play, the Lucille Lortel Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Broadway
Performance, the Theatre World Award for Outstanding New Talent, and a Drama
Desk Award for Best Solo Performance. "Spic-O-Rama" also aired
on HBO and received four Cable ACE Awards.
Raised in New York City, Leguizamo studied acting with Lee Strasburg and
Wynn Handman at New York University. He currently lives in Los Angeles and
New York.
MARTIN SHEEN, (Jason Wynn) one of the finest American actors of his generation,
began his acting career on the New York stage and gained critical acclaim
for his performance in the 1964 Broadway production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning
drama "The Subject Was Roses," a role he reprised for the 1968
screen adaptation.
He made his screen debut in 1967 in The Incident and went on to star in
such landmark films as Terrence Malick's Badlands (1973) and Francis Ford
Coppola's controversial Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now (1979).
Sheen will next be seen starring in the upcoming HBO original drama "Hostile
Waters" co-starring Rutger Hauer and Max von Sydow. The film premieres
on July 26, 1997.
Among his many film credits are Rob Reiner's The American President, Gettysburg,
Dead Presidents, Hot Shots! Part Deux, Oliver Stone's Wall Street, Siesta,
John Schlesinger's The Believers, Judgment In Berlin, Da, Firestarter, Sir
Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone, The Championship
Season and Mike Nichols' Catch 22. His recent credits are Dorothy Day, The
Elevator, Truth Or Consequences directed by Kiefer Sutherland and The War
at Home directed by Emilio Estevez.
Sheen's television work includes the title role in the acclaimed 1974 docudrama
"The Execution of Private Slovik," as well as several characterizations
of key political figures, including John F. Kennedy in the miniseries "Kennedy,"
Robert Kennedy in the telefilm "The Missiles of October" and Watergate
operative John Dean in "Blind Ambition." Other telefilm credits
include "That Certain Summer," "News at Eleven," "Catholics,"
"Choices Of The Heart," "The Atlanta Child Murders"
and "A Matter Of Justice." He made his directorial debut with
the Emmy Award-winning television film "Babies Having Babies."
He then went on to direct the feature film Cadence for New Line Cinema.
He has also produced the films Da and Judgment In Berlin.
His work for the stage includes productions of "The Crucible,"
"Love Letters," "Death Of A Salesman," "Hamlet,"
"The Normal Heart" and "The Odd Couple."
Sheen's four children, Emilio, Ramon and Renee Estevez and Charlie Sheen,
are all actors.
NICOL WILLIAMSON (Cogliostro) has enjoyed a much-honored career in film
and theater both here and abroad. After receiving critical praise for his
performance in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of "Inadmissible
Evidence," he crossed the Atlantic and garnered a New York Drama Critics
Award for his Broadway debut in the David Merrick version.
Williamson's success on-stage launched his film career, and he went on to
star in the Anthony Page production of Inadmissible Evidence, as well as
Hamlet for Tony Richardson, who had previously directed him in the part
on-stage.
Williamson starred with Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine in The Wilby Conspiracy
directed by Ralph Nelson, Richard Lester's Robin And Marion, and he portrayed
a cocaine-addicted Sherlock Holmes in The Seven-Percent-Solution. He also
appeared in The Reckoning, Excalibur, The Goodbye Girl, Plaza Suite, I'm
Dancing As Fast As I Can and Cheap Detective, among others.
His television credits include starring roles in "The Word," the
miniseries "Christopher Columbus," for which he played King Ferdinand,
as well as "The Last Victory."
He received two Tony Award nominations, the first in 1966 for his performance
in the John Osborne production of "Inadmissible Evidence," and
the second in 1974 for his performance in the title role of "Uncle
Vanya."
Born in Hamilton, Scotland, Williamson began his career with the Dundee
Repertory Theatre, and then joined the Cambridge Arts Theatre. He became
a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962.
THERESA RANDLE (Wanda) first received critical recognition for her role
as a down-on-her-luck actress in Spike Lee's Girl 6 and followed up opposite
Michael Jordan in the hit live-action/animated Space Jam. She also lent
her magnetic energy to performances in Abel Ferrara's The King Of New York
and opposite Wesley Snipes in Sugar Hill.
Randle, who has had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest directors
and actors in the business, lists among her film credits The Guardian directed
by William Freidkin, The Five Heartbeats directed and starring Robert Townsend,
Spike Lee's Jungle Fever and Malcom X and, more recently, Beverly Hills
Cop III directed by John Landis and starring Eddie Murphy.
She was most recently seen in the explosive comedy Bad Boys opposite Martin
Lawrence and Will Smith.
D.B. SWEENEY (Terry) made his professional debut in the 1983 Broadway production
of "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial." Following numerous off-Broadway
and regional appearances, he was selected by Francis Ford Coppola to play
the lead in Gardens Of Stone with James Caan and James Earl Jones. This
was the first in a string of prestigious roles in films such as Memphis
Belle, No Man's Land and Eight Men Out, in which he played the legendary
Shoeless Joe Jackson for John Sayles, and the romantic comedy The Cutting
Edge.
Sweeney also starred in Hear No Evil, a thriller with Marlee Matlin, and
Fire In The Sky with James Garner. He was most recently seen in Roommates
alongside Peter Falk and Ellen Burstyn.
On television, he most recently starred in the Fox series "Strange
Luck," and appeared in the acclaimed "Lonesome Dove" miniseries
as cowboy Dish Boggett and in the Emmy Award-winning "Miss Rose White."
He will star this fall in the ABC series "C-16."
He returned to the stage in 1995 for the Los Angeles production of "Distant
Fires" with Samuel L. Jackson and for the world premiere of "Blue
Light" with Dianne Wiest and Mercedes Ruehl.
Sweeney is a member of The Actor's Studio and lives in New York.
MIKO HUGHES, (Zack) who made his acting debut at the age of two in Pet Semetary,
played the youngest student in Arnold Schwarzenegger's classroom in Kindergarten
Cop and starred in Danny DeVito's Jack The Bear. He has also appeared in
Wes Craven's New Nightmare, Cops and Robbersons, Apollo 13 and, most recently,
Zeus And Roxanne.
He is currently filming Simon with Bruce Willis for director Harold Becker.
Hughes' long list of television credits include "The Parenthood,"
"Touched By An Angel," "Trail Of Tears," "Full
House," "The Nanny," "Dark Reflections," "Circus
Of Stars," "Picket Fences," "Melrose Place," "Doogie
Howser, M.D.," "Beverly Hills 90210," as well as a few visits
to "The Tonight Show" with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno.
Hughes, who is half Chickasaw Indian, is active in Indian ceremonies around
the nation. He dances at powwows and was grand marshall of the 1990 Chickasaw
Festival in Tishominso, Okla., which is the capital of the Chickasaw nation.
MELINDA CLARKE, (Jessica Priest) who broke into the entertainment business
as Faith on the television daytime drama, "Days of Our Lives,"
lists among her film credits Mullholand Falls, Critic, Return To Two Moon
Junction, Return Of The Living Dead III, Young Goodman Brown and Under The
Collar.
Clarke is currently filming the syndicated television series "Soldier
Of Fortune, Inc." She has also appeared on television as a guest star
on "Jake And The Fat Man," "Likely Suspects," "The
George Carlin Show," "Strangeluck," and as a series regular
on "Heaven Help Us."
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