Sheree Wylds, Augusta, Ga.
Even at age 12, the youngster has had quite a career, with guest spots on House and CSI: NY, a recurring role on The Wizards of Waverly Place and a major part in the horror flick Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. This year, she joins some rodeo riders in Cowgirls n’ Angels, and she plays Marisa Tomei’s daughter and the granddaughter of Bette Midler and Billy Crystal in the fall comedy Parental Guidance.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Cumberbatch, left, and Freeman
Lindsey Howard, Las Cruces, N.M.
It’s quite elementary: Beginning May 6, PBS’ Masterpiece Mystery! will air the second series of the popular British show Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a modern version of the quirky detective and Martin Freeman as his trusty confidant, Watson. Like the first series, there will be three movie-length episodes, and the second go-round will feature Lara Pulver as the enigmatic Irene Adler and Andrew Scott as the returning villain, Jim Moriarty. And Sherlockians can rejoice — the show has been tapped for a third series.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Lea Michele and Darren Criss
Helen Cheever, Mesa, Ariz.
Yes, cast members of the hit Fox series do all of their own singing and have taken their voices on the road for Glee concert tours. The actors come from a variety of musical experiences — Kevin McHale (who plays Artie) was in a boy band — and Glee creator Ryan Murphy found three of his actors singing on Broadway: Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schuester), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina) and Lea Michele (Rachel).
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Carol St. John, Addison, Ill.
Brothers & Sisters was canceled in May, so chances are slim you’ll ever see it again other than on DVD. But if you’re a fan of Field, the one-time Gidget and Flying Nun is heading back to the big screen in 2012 for a pair of roles: The two-time Oscar winner plays the beloved Aunt May of Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker in July’s The Amazing Spider-Man, and she stars as Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Daniel Day-Lewis’ Honest Abe, in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln come December.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Zombies keep Reedus busy for now.
Kelly James, Union, N.J.
Right now, the actor is busy trying to survive a zombie apocalypse as redneck-with-an-attitude Daryl Dixon in the hit AMC series based on the comic book. The show films in Atlanta and returns with new episodes tonight. However, the actor will be starring opposite Naomi Watts in the upcoming drama Sunlight Jr. In the meantime, you can catch up with the fledgling filmmaker and photographer’s other screen roles: Reedus starred in the cult crime movie The Boondock Saints and its sequel, played an assassin in Robert Redford’s The Conspirator, and appeared as a biker in Lady Gaga’s music video for her song Judas.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Andrew Patrick, Cincinnati
After nine years at CNBC covering Wall Street and financial affairs, Francis moved to rival Fox Business Network and made her debut on the channel last month as a reporter and anchor. Long before becoming “The Empress of Energy,” the cable-news fixture and Harvard graduate was a child actor who starred in the horror film Bad Dreams, assorted made-for TV movies and on the long-running family series Little House on the Prairie.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Hannah Selleck
Bob Coram, Indianapolis
The Blue Bloods star’s 22-year-old daughter, Hannah Selleck, is entertaining, but in a way much different from her father. She’s a star in the horse-riding arena, and in December, she represented the USA at the Gucci Masters, an international equestrian competition in Paris. Hannah Selleck began riding at her parents’ ranch at 3, and her father was a pretty talented sportsman back in his day, too. A rider himself, Tom Selleck played college basketball and volleyball at USC.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Judith Constantino, Amsterdam, N.Y.
After playing a not-so-good guy in 2009’s Watchmen and the object of Amy Adams’ affections in 2010’s Leap Year, Goode has focused on smaller indie roles. He co-starred with Ricky Gervais in Gervais’ English drama Cemetery Junction and had a part in the Australian drama Burning Man, which played at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. Next up for Goode, who has a 2-year-old daughter with his wife, Sophie Dymoke: the big-screen drama Stoker, which was written by former Prison Break star Wentworth Miller.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Shue
Jacki Bork, Phoenix
Yes, Helgenberger, who has been on the show since its premiere, has left the show. (She had wanted to depart after last season, but producers talked her into sticking around.) This past week’s episode was the actress’s last as Catherine Willows, but her spot is being filled quickly: New series regular Elisabeth Shue makes her debut as Julie Finlay, an investigator fresh out of anger-management classes, in an episode Feb. 15 also featuring pop star Jesse McCartney.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Larry Arbogast, Orange, Va.
Great memory! Garrett Morris was one of the original cast members of the long-running late-night sketch show with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner; he starred on SNL from 1975 to 1980. Recently seen in commercials and a small role on Showtime’s Shameless, the New Orleans native, 74, is still hard at work doing comedy in 2 Broke Girls as the cashier at the Brooklyn diner where Max (Kat Dennings) and Caroline (Beth Behrs) work.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Renner
Tom Pientka, Antioch, Ill.
Based on Robert Ludlum’s popular spy novels, the movie series is still going strong, although without Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. The Bourne Legacy, directed by Tony Gilroy, is slated for release Aug. 3 and stars Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner as a new secret agent operating in the same world as Damon’s three Bourne flicks. Renner co-starred with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, and he puts on superhero garb as ace archer Hawkeye in The Avengers, out May 4.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Britain’s Sophie Winkleman has gained an American following.
Gabe Renzo, Dearborn Heights, Mich.
The Londoner has been in mostly British TV and movie projects since 2002 until she starred in the short-lived NBC sitcom 100 Questions and recently guested on Two and a Half Men as a love interest for Ashton Kutcher’s character. The 31-year-old actress, who’s filming a new Titanic miniseries, also is part of English royalty: In 2009, she married Lord Frederick Windsor, son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Marrianna Getten, Whittier, Calif.
You and the rest of the actor’s fan base are in for a bunch of treats from D’Onofrio this year. First is his feature-film debut as a writer and director, Don’t Go in the Woods, a horror/musical hybrid in theaters now. D’Onofrio also is teaming with Ethan Hawke, with whom he co-stars in the horror film Sinister, for an upcoming TV cop drama for NBC called Blue Tilt.
Who’s News Column Contributor: Brian Truitt
Crawford
Laurie Lee, Winneconne, Wis.
Crawford found a lot of success as a youngster, starting out as one of Walt Disney’s Mousekeeters in the 1950s and starring as the son of Luke McCain (played by Chuck Connors) on the ABC Western The Rifleman, which ran from 1958 to 1963. He was nominated for an Emmy at age 13, but also found the time to have five top 40 hits in the 1960s as a pop singer. Music continues to be a passion for Crawford, 65, who leads the Johnny Crawford Orchestra.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Nancy Mills, Brian Truit
McGrath is happy to have U.S. viewers.
Becky Murphy, Dallas, Ga.
The British show’s fourth season is now airing on Syfy, and it’s the most cinematic yet, says Katie McGrath, who plays the witch Morgana. She’s just glad that you and so many other viewers have found Merlin. “I don’t think any of us can quite believe how much America has taken us to their hearts and get it, because it’s a very English show. It means a lot to us,” says the Irish actress, 28, who also co-stars in W.E., Madonna’s new movie. The Merlin series is darker than ever this season, McGrath says, which means Morgana will be involved in more sinister doings. “I like to think of her as the original Angelina Jolie of the medieval world,” the actress says. “Who wouldn’t love to play that?”
Who’s News Column Contributor: Gayle Jo Carter, Nancy Mills, Brian Truit
Martha Harris, Lafayette, Ind.
Patterson is picky when it comes to his book adaptations. “I just want them to be done well,” says the admitted “movieaholic.” The best-selling writer says the movies featuring Morgan Freeman as detective Alex Cross — Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider— could have been better, so he hopes to break some ground with a new one. I, Alex Cross, due later this year, stars Tyler Perry, with Matthew Fox as his villain. “I was very happy with Tyler and Matthew, and they couldn’t have cast them without my saying yes. If we screw up, I have to allow myself to be flogged.”
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Nancy Mills, Brian Truit
Abby Matheny, Denton, Texas
Rossum, 25, has been mostly focused more on acting in recent years than showing off her impressive soprano voice. The New York City native starred in the action movie Dragonball: Evolution and the indie drama Dare but has found a home on the Showtime series Shameless. The drama, which just began its second season, features Rossum as Fiona, the de facto parent in a dysfunctional household.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Young is at home in horror and sci-fi.
Jan Suchomel, Necedah, Wis.
Playing the part-human, part-vampire Nicola Tesla on the Syfy series Sanctuary has been right up Young’s alley: The Canadian actor has been a favorite in the sci-fi and horror world for a while, with appearances in the movie The Fog and regular roles on Eureka and Stargate Atlantis. What you might not know, though, is he has some serious acting cred. His father ran a British Columbia community theater when Young was a kid, and Young is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Electric Company Theatre in Vancouver. He also starred as Tesla — the real-life, non-bloodsucking one — in a play based on the scientist called Brilliant!
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Catch Patrick Wilson in the movie Young Adult.
Jane Anderson, Fort Myers Beach, Fla.
Patrick Wilson, the star of the new CBS medical drama, isn’t the son of Newman — although his actual father does get his fair share of screen time. His father, John Wilson, is the award-winning co-anchor of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. news for WTVT, a Fox affiliate in Tampa. The station also features another Wilson: Patrick’s brother John, who also is an anchor and reporter. You can check out the acting Wilson, who was raised in Norfolk, Va., on the big screen in the new comedy Young Adult.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter, Brian Truitt
Anthony Suriano, Goodyear, Ariz.
That’s Abigail Hawk who plays Detective Melissa Baker, the primary aide to Tom Selleck’s police commissioner on the CBS series Blue Bloods. It has been Hawk’s biggest role, after one-off appearances on Body of Proof and Law & Order: SVU. The blue-eyed actress, who also had a role in the movie Across the Universe and writes music and poetry, recently stepped out of the screen world to star in The Tragedy of Maria Macabre in New York City.
Who’s News Column Contributors: Gayle Jo Carter and Brian Truitt