Getting To Know Tessie Santiago-The Queen Of Swords

Sword fighting heroes are very much a staple of TV as it is in the movies. However, as in most cases of the action genre, men are typically the sword welding heroes. Women are often relegated as the ones to be save or as assistants to the hero.

Now here's something different, since the girl is the one doing all the hacking and slashing. The aptly titled Queen of Swords follows the adventure of wealthy noble Teresa Alvarado as she dons a Zorro-esque costume and fights to protect the oppressed peasants of her hometown.

While the show had a rather short run, being canceled only after a single season, it ended up becoming a cult favorite and enjoying multiple re-runs in several networks. And perhaps, the most important one that that drove the series to such popularity is the title character, the Queen of Swords herself.

So who is really behind the mask of the Queen? Fans are surely eager to know more about the TV series actress who played the role of Tessa Alvarado. And as it turns out, there are a lot to learn about this sword wielding beauty.

For starters, Tessie Santiago, born as Tessie Marie Santiago, is of Cuban descent. She was born in Miami, Florida on August 10, 1975. Santiago is also quite well educated, having earned her degree from the University of Miami and majoring in both film and theater. She also had the opportunity to study film production in the Faculty of Film and Television of the famed Academy of Performing Arts in Prague in the Czech Republic.

For those not in the know, The Queen of Swords was her first television series acting stint after graduating from college, though she was able to appear in several student made productions during her studies. In an interview, she said that was really a big pressure for her to play the part of the Queen since it was the lead role and that she was a relative newcomer back then. She also said that she had to undergo hard training in preparation for the show since she had no background in fencing. She also said that she later got comfortable with the fight scenes after several and finds it really interesting to wear the mask and immerse herself in the Queen's character.

After her stint in the show, Santiago went on to do several other shows for various networks, such as Good Morning, Miami, Kitchen Confidential and One an One. She made her film debut as Christina Juarez in the made for TV movie The way She Moves in 2000. She also went on to star in several independently produced movies. Currently, she is working on the movie The Cell 2, which is a sequel to the 2000 psychological thriller movie.

So there you have it, all the things that you need to know about Tessie Santiago, the lady behind the mask and sword.

TV Series Actress: Victoria Pratt

Victoria grew up in a small town in northern Ontario, Canada called Chesley. From an early age Victoria decided she was going to change all that and put Chesley on the map. Being a tomboy she dreamt of becoming a star the only way she knew how, through sports.

This fair-haired actress Victoria Pratt was set on quite a different career path before becoming interested in acting. She attended York University in Toronto, where she earned a degree in Kinesiology, and she went on to work in the University's Human Performance Lab, testing athletes from teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and the San Jose Sharks. She was even offered a scholarship for the Physiotherapy master's program at the University of Toronto, but so she turned it down. She co-authored a book on fitness with one of her University professors, and worked as a professional fitness model, which is how she met Robert Kennedy, the publisher of MuscleMag. He suggested that Pratt enroll in acting classes, and soon after taking his advice, the model turned actress scored a role on the sci-fi tv series Cleopatra 2525 as Rose, otherwise known as "Sarge." She stuck with science fiction, later scoring roles on the series Mutant X and Day Break, and the female lead, opposite Rick Schroder, in the TV adaptation Journey to the Center of the Earth in 2008.

Victoria has been in talks with Fireworks Entertainment and Tribune Entertainment about their new Marvel TV series Mutant X. Both co-producing companies are very interested in Victoria for a series lead part called Shalimar Fox. In fact they have written the role with Vicky in mind. The upside is that the show has been green lit for two seasons without a pilot. There are only two catches. There is not a script yet to read and Victoria must test for the part and the testing is scheduled at the very end of pilot season. What to do? It's not really a bird in the hand, its just feathers.

Mutant X has great ratings and consequently more and more magazines are calling to book pictorials and cover shoots with Victoria. She is a woman who was meant to share her life with us, by being in front of the camera.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutant_X_(TV_series)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Pratt

Ron Ely as TARZAN

Native Texan Ronald Pierce “Ron” Ely was born on 1938. In The mid 1950s, he enrolled at the University of Texas, but he soon made his way to California. After signing with 20th Century Fox in the late 1950s, Ely appeared in small roles in several films and television series, including the films South Pacific and The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker and the TV series How to Marry a Millionaire. In 1960 Ely was cast in the CBS series The Aquanauts, but the show was cancelled after just one season. Several more films followed, but his big break did not come until 1966, when the 6'4" actor was cast in the role of Tarzan for the TV series of the same name.

Ely had tried out for the role of Tarzan, but he lost out to football player turned to actor. Mark Henry made three Tarzan films and was originally cast for the series, but he declined it after some bad experiences while shooting his first Tarzan film. Ely was then cast in the role.

After a number of attempts to create a Tarzan TV series had failed, producer Sy Weintraub finally was able to bring Tarzan to the small screen. Tarzan aired on NBC beginning in September 1966 and lasted until September 1968. In the series, there is no Jane in sight. Tarzan is assisted only by Cheetah and Jai, an orphan. Citing sagging ratings and rising production costs, NBC canceled Tarzan in 1968. Throughout the run of the series, several films were released, mostly using footage from the series. In the early 1970s, Ely made a number of films in Germany, where he became very popular in a brief series of adventure films. His next hit would come with the release of Doc Savage.

Ron Ely Today

In the past few years, Ely has cooled his acting career, focusing instead on writing mystery novels focusing on the character, Jake Sands. His novels are titled Night Shadows and East Beach, both published in the mid 1990s. But on occasion, Ely makes appearances on popular TV shows, his most recent being Sheena and Renegade.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Ely
http://www.imdb.com/

Where have the Angels Gone To

Charlie's Angels was one of the most successful action series that was shown on Tv during the 70's. The show had a great mix of action and humor that attracted audiences from both sexes. It was such a huge hit that it spawned two much deserved movies three decades later, as well as several comic books and other spin offs.

This series about female private investigators also turned out to be ground breaking. During those years, all of the action TV series aired have male protagonists and are oriented towards men. Many of the female characters often portrayed as the damsel in distress that the hero must save, or in some cases, reduced to minor roles. Charlie's Angels changed the scene as it was the first show that put women into roles that are originally restricted only to males.

And of course, the show's success also proved to be very rewarding to both the franchise and the cast. Obviously, the initial success of the show allowed for spin offs. On the other hand, the show's success proved to be a good boost to the careers of the cast.

So now, it's time to ask: whatever happened to the original Angels? Luckily, it can be said that all of the main cast went on to have successful careers. They also went on to have rather colorful lives.

John Forsythe, the voice behind Charlie, the enigmatic boss of the Angels, though not seen all throughout the series, proved to be as popular as the three girls themselves. His character and manner of delivering Charlie's lines have been emulated and parodied in the various homages to the show. He himself went on to become a famous celebrity, movie and TV actor, and host. His most famous role aside from Charlie, is Blake Carrington the head of the family in the long running soap Dynasty. He also reprised his role as Charlie and the two film remakes of the series.

On the other hand, though Farrah Fawcett, who played Jill Munroe, didn't make it big in the movies, she went on to become one of the most well known figures in the industry. She also received numerous awards, including three Emmys and a Golden Globe, for her outstanding performance in various dramatic roles. Fawcett died at the age of 62 last June 25 after a long battle with anal cancer.

Kate Jackson (played Sabrina Duncan) also proved to be very successful after her stint as an angel. She went on to star in the very successful action series Scarecrow and Ms. King. She also went on to reap numerous awards for her performance in various shows and movies. Notably, she was the first one to receive an Emmy nomination for her work in Charlie's Angels. Jackson is also a cancer survivor and is now a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

Last but not the least is Jacklyn Smith, who portrayed Kelly Garett, who also proved to be very successful. Notably, she was the last of the original Angels to remain with the series until its end in 1981. She also went on to star in many other TV shows, which proved a success in their own rights. She become more know in the world of fashion, though, as she operated a lucrative clothing line in K-mart, which she is also the designer.

Richard Dean Anderson: Actor, Composer and Producer

Like many screen veterans who headline a hit network television series for multiple seasons, the genial American actor, producer and composer Richard Dean Anderson will forever be associated with one role, the lead actor in the television series MacGyver. This tv show broadcast on ABC Network and premiered on September 1985 and lasted on May 1992. The program's gimmick was revolved with secret agent and scientist expert named Angus MacGyver, a inventive nonviolent hero, crack special forces agent and science expert capable of using common household substances and implements to perform feats of wonder.

Although Anderson's resume packs in a number of key television show and a recurrent starring role on the popular Stargate SG-1, the actor is best known for turning MacGyver into a veritable American icon for Gen-Xers during the mid to late 1980 and early 1990. Anderson nevertheless caught his second wind and returned to television series as Col. Jack O'Neill in the 1997 series Stargate SG-1, which originated on show time and won as Best Genre TV Actor for this tv show. Adapted from the hit 1994 movie Stargate, the program found O'Neill emerging from semi-retirement and continually traveling to interstellar "stargate" portals to protect the universe from hostile alien invasions. Stargate SG-1 bowed to extraordinary reviews and ratings and became a permanent hit. Anderson stayed with the series through its eighth season, and appeared as a guest star occasionally during the rest of its run.

As a composer and producer, Anderson composed a song for a soundtrack for MacGyver. He has served as an executive producer only in the five shows in which he has acted himself, MacGyver: Lost Treasure of Atlantis, MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday, Stargate SG-1, Firehouse and From Stargate to Atlantis: Sci Fi Lowdown. Anderson also composed the song "Eau d'Leo" for the MacGyver episode "The Negotiator". Together with Michael Greenburg, Anderson created the Gekko Film Corporation. The company was involved with Stargate SG-1, producing every episode from 1997-2007 with the exception of 2006. The company itself has served as Anderson backing agency.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.imdb.com/
http://rdanderson.com/

Jerry O'Connell: Child Star Actors TV Series

A veteran of the stage and screen from an early age, actor Jerry O’Connell had his first career breakthrough at 11 years old when he co-starred alongside other soon-to-be stars like River Phoenix and Corey Feldman in the coming of age drama, “Stand By Me (1986)”. In his Junior year, Jerry auditioned for two TV pilots, "Sliders" and "Party of Five." He was offered the role of Quinn Mallory in the TV series "Sliders" which ran for three seasons on Fox and two seasons on the Sci Fi Channel. He served as producer during his fourth and final season with the show, and is credited with writing and directing several episodes.

Sliders series was produced by Tracy Torme and Robert Weiss. It was premiered on March 1995 and lasted on February 2000. For the first three years of Sliders were shown by the FOX Network, the television series was an intelligent, very original and fascinating example of a perfect sci-fi tv series. It has five seasons with eighty-eight episodes. The acting was mostly above the average and the writings were what really made the show.

The main characters are played by:

• Jerry O'Connell
• Sabrina Lloyd
• Cleavant Derricks
• John Rhys-Davies
• Kari Wührer
• Charlie O'Connell
• Robert Floyd
• Tembi Locke

For the latest news on Jerry O'Connell, including his new TV shows, movies, life with wife Rebecca Romijn and fatherhood. Jerry O'Connell joins the cast of “Piranha 3-D” by Weinstein Company. He has joined an eclectic ensemble that includes Elisabeth Shue, Richard Dreyfuss, Adam Scott and Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr.

Summary For Sliders

Quinn Mallory played by Jerry O'Connell, while working on an anti-gravity machine, accidentally creates a portal to a parallel universe. Eventually, his friends and an unwilling participant accidentally get stuck traveling among parallel worlds, trying to survive, and learning that sliding can lead to fatal results. Meanwhile, among many changes in their group, they try to rescue the multiverse from the Kromagg Dynasty.

While trying to develop an anti-gravity device, physics genius Quinn Mallory instead creates a device that opens portals to alternative realities. After an accident leaves them lost, Quinn Mallory and his companions: his physics professor, Professor Maximillian Arturo played by John Rhys-Davies, his work colleague and potential love, Wade Wells played by Sabrina Lloyd , and a washed-up soul singer, Rembrandt Brown played by Cleavant Derricks , "slide" from reality to reality in search of home.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sliders
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005278/bio
http://jerryfan.conforums3.com/

The Fastest Man Alive

John Wesley Shipp starred the action television series “The Flash” created from DC Comics characters by writing team of Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo, premiered on September 1990 and lasted on May 1991. The series has only one season with twenty-one episode.

The tv series was focus with the exploits of Barry Allen played by John Wesly, a police scientist who met an accident and was struck by lighting and chemicals. Allen's electrified body is flung into and shatters a cabinet of chemicals, which are both electrified and forced to interact with each other. After the accident he learned that he gain such ability and he became the fastest man alive. He was helped by Tina McGee, S.T.A.R. Labs scientist for him to control his powers.

John Wesley Shipp is an American actor born on January 22, 1955 in Norfolk, Virginia. He was a popular soap player and well known for his television series work. John always described as a nice guy and easy to work due to his professionalism. This handsome and talented actor was very intelligent and everybody's buddy. Due to hard work and dedication, he won in Daytime Emmy Awards. John was the only actor with consecutive wins from two different daytime dramas. On 1986, he won as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for "As the World Turns (1956)”. Then on the next year, John won as Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for "Santa Barbara(1984)”.

Partial Filmography - TV Series

• Guiding Light (1980-1984)

• As the World Turns (1985-1986)

• Santa Barbara (1987)

• One Life to Live (1989)

• The Flash (1990)

• All My Children (1992)

• Sisters (1994-1995)

• Dawson's Creek (1998-2001)

• The Closer (2007)

Source:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0794128/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0794128/awards
http://listing-index.ebay.com/actors/John_Wesley_Shipp.html
http://www.fandango.com/johnwesleyshipp/filmography/p65365

Francine "Fran" Joy Drescher of “The Nanny”

Fran was born on September 30, 1957 at Flushing, New York, USA. In early life, she became first runner-up for "Miss New York Teenager" in 1973. She attended Hillcrest High School in Jamaica, Queens, where she met her future husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, whom she married in 1978, at age 21. Jacobson was Drescher's constant supporter in her show-business career, and he wrote, directed, and produced her signature television series, The Nanny.

The Nanny

Fran and Jacobson finally created her own television show, The Nanny. This tv series became one of the successful American situation comedies in the 1990's. The show aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999, becoming an instant success, and Fran Drescher became an instant star.

The sitcom is a comedy show and love story. Where Fran Drescher played the role of a charming and bubbly woman as The Nanny named Fran Fine. A Jewish woman who had been fired from her job and left by her boyfriend and ended up by selling cosmetics in Manhattan.

Then, she got a job as a Nanny of Margaret "Maggie", Brighton, and Grace Sheffield. With her wit and her charm, she endeared herself to their widower father Maxwell Sheffield, British gentleman and a Broadway producer.

The show aired in six years and won a Rose d'Or and an Emmy. Fran Drescher also personally got two Golden Globe nominations for her performances.

Personal Subjects

Despite of her success, she encounter many trials in life. A brutal rape, cancer that went undiagnosed for years, divorcing her high school sweetheart and then finding love with a younger man. Although it was a traumatic experience, she found ways to turn it into something positive. She wrote a book of Cancer Schmancer, and the actress writes: "My whole life has been about changing negatives into positives."

In recent years, Drescher has made a return to television show both with leading and guest roles. In 2005, she returned to TV with the sitcom Living with Fran . In 2003, Fran appeared in episodes of the short lived sitcom, Good Morning, Miami. She also guest starred in an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. And in 2007, Fran Drescher appeared in the US version of the Australian improvisational comedy series Thank God You're Here.

Fran Drescher became famous tv series actress because of her big break The Nanny.

Source:
http://www.frandrescher.net/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000376/bio
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0657334/plotsummary