Celebrity Birthdays - September

Chase Stokes went from small television roles and worrying about the rent to leading the Pogues on increasingly improbable treasure hunts in Outer Banks. As John B. Routledge, he found gold, romance, danger and an astonishing number of reasons not to stay safely at home. Fortunately for Netflix viewers, sensible risk assessment was never John B.'s strongest subject.

September 16, 1992, in Annapolis, Maryland

Trivia

• Stokes once hoped to pursue ice hockey.
• He had a tiny role in Stranger Things.
• He initially passed on Outer Banks.
• Stokes first auditioned for Topper.
• John B became his breakthrough role.
• He co-executive produced Valiant One.

Moon Bloodgood has enjoyed the sort of screen career in which an ordinary day might involve battling killer machines, treating survivors of an alien invasion or simply trying to keep Dwayne Johnson from killing everybody in sight. Best known for playing resistance pilot Blair Williams in Terminator Salvation and Dr. Anne Glass in Falling Skies, Bloodgood brought intelligence and toughness to science-fiction roles without becoming the standard action heroine who apparently keeps a flamethrower beside the toaster.

September 20, 1975, in Alliance, Nebraska

Trivia

• She played Blair Williams in Terminator Salvation.
• She voiced Uriel in Darksiders.
• She spent five seasons on Falling Skies.
• She shared a Sundance ensemble acting prize for The Sessions.

Corbin Bernsen celebrates his birthday on September 7, and the L.A. Law and Psych actor has spent decades proving that a good television career can survive courtroom battles, dysfunctional detectives and even the Cleveland Indians. From Arnie Becker to Henry Spencer, Bernsen has become one of those familiar faces who seems to have been visiting our televisions forever.

September 7, 1954, in North Hollywood, California

Trivia

• He earned two degrees from UCLA.
• Arnie Becker made him an L.A. Law star.
• He played Roger Dorn in Major League.
• He played Henry Spencer on Psych.
• He has written and directed several films.
• He has collected thousands of snow globes.

Adam Sandler is the American comedian and actor who turned silly voices, questionable fashion choices, and a remarkable talent for shouting into a Hollywood empire. From Saturday Night Live and Happy Gilmore to The Wedding Singer and Uncut Gems, he has made audiences laugh, occasionally made them cry, and proved that a man wearing basketball shorts can still be one of the most successful performers in the business. His career is a reminder that comedy does not have to wear a suit—although, in Sandler’s case, it probably wouldn’t want to.

September 9, 1966, in Brooklyn, New York

Trivia

• His brother encouraged his first stand-up performance.
• Graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.
• Joined Saturday Night Live as a writer in 1990.
• Happy Madison is named after two of his films.
• Received the Mark Twain Prize in 2023.
• Voiced Dracula in Hotel Transylvania.
• His daughters Sadie and Sunny are also actresses.

Virginia Madsen has that rare ability to make you believe she’s just as comfortable battling a horror-movie villain as she is delivering a heartfelt monologue about Pinot Noir. From Candyman chills to Sideways sophistication, she’s the actress who can scare you, charm you, and then convince you to order a better bottle of wine — all in the same scene.

September 11, 1961, in Chicago, Illinois

Trivia

• Her mother, Elaine Madsen, became an Emmy-winning filmmaker.
• She played Princess Irulan in 1984's Dune.
• She was hypnotized during filming of Candyman.
• Her eyes display different coloring, a form of heterochromia.
• Sideways earned her an Academy Award nomination.

Randy Bachman helped give Canadian rock music some of its most recognizable guitar riffs, first with The Guess Who and then with Bachman-Turner Overdrive. From “American Woman” to “Takin' Care of Business” and “You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet,” Bachman discovered that a sturdy guitar, a memorable riff and several million watts of amplification can solve a surprising number of life's problems.

September 27, 1943, in Winnipeg, Canada

Trivia

• He originally studied violin before embracing guitar.
• He co-wrote The Guess Who's “These Eyes.”
• He created the opening riff of “American Woman.”
• BTO formed from Bachman's earlier band Brave Belt.
• “You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet” reached No. 1.
• He hosted CBC Radio's Vinyl Tap.

Steve Schirripa went from booking entertainers in Las Vegas to playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos, which proves that sometimes the fellow standing behind the scenes eventually decides he could do this himself — and turns out to be right.

September 3, 1957, in Brooklyn, New York

Trivia

• He graduated from Brooklyn College.
• He worked at Las Vegas' Riviera Hotel.
• He initially auditioned for an FBI role on The Sopranos.
• Bobby wore a fat suit during early seasons.
• He voices Roberto in Open Season.
• He co-hosted Talking Sopranos with Michael Imperioli.

Paul Walker wasn’t just the guy behind the wheel — he was the guy with a big grin, a bigger heart, and a knack for making high-speed chases feel like family reunions. He made street racing cool, brotherhood emotional, and blue eyes practically a co-star. Whether he was outrunning helicopters on screen, surfing a perfect wave, or quietly funding disaster relief, Paul lived like every day mattered — and made the rest of us want to live that way too.

September 12, 1973, in Glendale, California

November 30, 2013, in Valencia, Santa Clarita, California

Trivia

• He began acting and modeling as a child.
• He studied marine biology.
• Walker was an enthusiastic surfer.
• He participated in research involving great white sharks.
• He described himself as a serious "gearhead."
• He founded Reach Out WorldWide after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Andrew Lincoln is the British actor who went from playing an amiable young lawyer called Egg and a hopelessly imperfect teacher to spending years covered in dirt, blood, sweat, and assorted zombie unpleasantness as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead. Born Andrew James Clutterbuck in London, he wisely decided that “Andrew Lincoln” might fit rather more comfortably on a theater poster. The decision worked out rather well

September 14, 1973, in London, England

Trivia

• He graduated from Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1994.
• His first major TV role was Egg in This Life.
• He researched Teachers by spending time at his brother's school.
• He directed episodes of Teachers.
• His wife is Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson's daughter.
• He has provided numerous British commercial and documentary voice-overs.

James Marsden celebrates his birthday today, giving us the perfect excuse to salute an actor who has been a mutant superhero, a fairy-tale prince, a romantic rival, a singing television host, a doomed cowboy, a small-town sheriff, and, perhaps most dangerously of all, an exaggerated version of James Marsden. From X-Men and Enchanted to Westworld and Jury Duty, Marsden has built a remarkably varied career while somehow maintaining the appearance of a man who has never once been defeated by a bad haircut.

September 18, 1973, in Stillwater, Oklahoma

Trivia

• He studied broadcast journalism at Oklahoma State University.
• Marsden is an accomplished singer.
• He played Cyclops in the X-Men film series.
• He sang on screen in both Hairspray and Enchanted.
• He played identical twins Steve and Ben in Dead to Me.
• Jury Duty earned him his first Primetime Emmy nomination.

Cheryl Tiegs became a supermodel before the word required its own television programs, celebrity entourages and several million social-media followers. With magazine covers, lucrative cosmetics contracts and a pink swimsuit poster that decorated an impressive percentage of 1970s America, Tiegs helped transform modeling from anonymous fashion work into genuine celebrity—and did so when "going viral" still required somebody to sneeze.

September 25, 1947, in Breckenridge, Minnesota

Trivia

• She began modeling while still a teenager.
• She appeared on multiple Sports Illustrated swimsuit covers.
• Time featured her on its cover in 1978.
• Her pink swimsuit poster became a 1970s icon.
• She signed a landmark contract with CoverGirl.
• Tiegs created a successful clothing line for Sears.

Naomie Harris is the Oscar-nominated British actress who has survived a zombie apocalypse, tangled with Caribbean pirates, worked alongside James Bond and delivered a heartbreaking performance in Moonlight. Apparently deciding that ordinary office work lacked sufficient danger, Harris built a remarkable career by taking on characters who are frequently having a considerably worse day than she is.

September 6, 1976, in London, England

Trivia

• She studied at the University of Cambridge.
• She trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
• Her breakthrough film was 28 Days Later.
• She played Tia Dalma in two Pirates films.
• Harris became Eve Moneypenny in Skyfall.
• She filmed her Moonlight role in only a few days.
• Harris was appointed an OBE for services to drama.

Danielle Brooks has the sort of presence that makes it difficult to imagine her ever being overlooked. From the funny, fiercely loyal Taystee in Orange Is the New Black to the formidable Sofia in The Color Purple, Brooks has moved between television, Broadway and film with enough awards and nominations following behind to require additional luggage. She even played Sofia twice — apparently one acclaimed performance simply wasn't enough.

September 17, 1989, in Augusta, Georgia

Trivia

• Taystee was her breakthrough role in Orange Is the New Black.
• Sofia marked her Broadway debut.
• Her Broadway Sofia earned a Tony nomination.
• Her film Sofia earned an Oscar nomination.
• She portrayed gospel legend Mahalia Jackson.
• She co-founded Black Women on Broadway.

Bam Margera turned skateboarding, homemade videos, unfortunate ideas and the tormenting of his remarkably tolerant parents into an entertainment career. From CKY and Jackass to Viva La Bam, he became one of MTV's defining personalities—proving that a skateboard, a video camera and very little concern for household furniture could take you surprisingly far.

September 28, 1979, in West Chester, Pennsylvania

Trivia

• “Bam” began as a childhood nickname.
• He started skateboarding as a child.
• He created the CKY video series.
• His brother Jess plays drums for CKY.
• He directed the film Haggard.
• Castle Bam featured heavily in Viva La Bam.

William Thomas Medley possesses the sort of voice that sounds as though it should arrive wearing a dinner jacket and carrying its own bottle of bourbon. As one half of the Righteous Brothers, his deep baritone helped define “blue-eyed soul,” while his later duet “(I've Had) The Time of My Life” ensured that nobody could watch the end of Dirty Dancing without at least briefly considering an extremely ill-advised attempt at that lift.

September 19, 1940, in Santa Ana, California

Trivia

• His father was a saxophonist and bandleader.
• Bobby Hatfield was not actually his brother.
• Medley produced “(You're My) Soul and Inspiration.”
• He sang “(I've Had) The Time of My Life” with Jennifer Warnes.
• The Dirty Dancing duet earned him a Grammy.
• The Righteous Brothers entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.

Peter Cetera possesses one of those voices that requires very little introduction. A few notes into a classic Chicago ballad and there he is: soaring tenor, unmistakable phrasing, and enough romantic yearning to make an entire 1980s high-school dance suddenly reappear in the memory. As Chicago's longtime bassist and one of its defining lead singers, Cetera helped take the band from adventurous horn-driven rock into enormous pop success before beginning a solo career that produced a fresh collection of hits—including one that taught an entire generation that karate training apparently works much better when accompanied by a power ballad.

September 13, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois

Trivia

• He began his musical life playing accordion.
• He was a member of Chicago-area band The Exceptions.
• Cetera joined Chicago in 1967.
• He sang lead on “25 or 6 to 4.”
• He wrote “If You Leave Me Now.”
• “Glory of Love” earned an Oscar nomination.

Karen Fairchild helped build Little Big Town on four voices, close harmonies and the apparently radical idea that everybody in the band should occasionally get the microphone. From “Boondocks” and “Pontoon” to her unforgettable lead on “Girl Crush,” Fairchild has helped turn a patient Nashville beginning into one of country music's most enduring group careers.

September 28, 1969, in Gary, Indiana

Trivia

• Fairchild attended Samford University.
• She previously sang with the group Truth.
• She married bandmate Jimi Westbrook.
• She sings lead on “Girl Crush.”
• Little Big Town joined the Opry in 2014.
• She launched the Fair Child clothing line.

Scott Baio was already a movie star before Chachi Arcola rode into Happy Days and turned him into a teenage heartthrob. Decades later, after sitcoms, movies, directing and even playing an attorney named Bob Loblaw, it is fair to say the fellow has been around the television block a few times.

September 22, 1960, in Brooklyn, New York

Trivia

• He starred in Bugsy Malone before Happy Days.
• Chachi Arcola was Fonzie's cousin.
• He and Erin Moran sang the Joanie Loves Chachi theme.
• He directed numerous Charles in Charge episodes.
• He played Dr. Jack Stewart in Diagnosis: Murder.

Ray Charles could sit down at a piano, strike a few notes, let loose that unmistakable voice and make musical boundaries seem like somebody else's problem. Blues, gospel, jazz, R&B, pop and country all found their way into his music, often during the same evening. Nicknamed “The Genius,” Charles did not merely master several musical styles; he stirred them together until American popular music sounded different.

September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia

June 10, 2004, in Beverly Hills, California

Trivia

• He lost his sight during childhood.
• He read and wrote music in Braille.
• Quincy Jones became a lifelong friend.
• “Georgia on My Mind” became Georgia's state song.
• He was an inaugural Rock Hall inductee.
• Charles was also an enthusiastic chess player.

National Crossword Puzzle Day celebrates the wonderfully addictive little grid that can make you feel like a genius at 9:00 a.m. and question your entire education by 9:15. Every December 21, crossword lovers sharpen their pencils, summon their vocabulary, and prepare to battle Across, Down, and that infuriating three-letter answer everybody except them apparently knows.

Celebrated: Annually, on December 21^st

Evan Rachel Wood celebrates her birthday on September 7, and the Thirteen and Westworld actress has spent much of her career choosing characters for whom an ordinary day would be a welcome novelty. From troubled teenagers and Wild West androids to queens, wrestlers and Beatles-inspired musicals, Wood has rarely taken the uncomplicated route.

September 7, 1987, in Raleigh, North Carolina

Trivia

• She began acting professionally as a child.
• Thirteen earned her a Golden Globe nomination.
• She performed her own vocals in Across the Universe.
• She played a vampire queen in True Blood.
• Dolores made her a Westworld star.
• She voiced Queen Iduna in Frozen II.
• She has testified before the U.S. Congress.