Helen Margarite Burgess came into the world on April 26, 1916, in Portland, Oregon, a quiet beginning for a girl who would later be pointed out on studio lots as Cecil B. DeMille’s great exception — the unknown he plucked from a stage play and pushed straight into the bright, unforgiving glare of Hollywood. She … Read More “Helen Burgess — The Girl the Camera Loved Too Late” »
Candace Helaine Cameron Bure came into the world on April 6, 1976, in Panorama City, California, a sun-drenched neighborhood that seemed to grow child actors the way other towns grew citrus. Her mother, Barbara, managed her children’s early steps into show business, while her father, Robert, balanced the household as a teacher. Candace was the … Read More “Candace Cameron Bure — America’s Perpetual Big Sister” »
Shelly Burch came into the world under the hot Tucson sun, the kind that bleaches everything except grit and talent. She had both before she knew what to do with either. A teenager belting show tunes in community theaters, she wasn’t angling for fame — she was simply following whatever spark kept lighting up inside … Read More “Shelly Burch — the voice that walked into a room before she did” »
Laura Ashley Bell Bundy-Hinkle came roaring into the world on April 10, 1981, in Euclid, Ohio — too much spirit for a small town, too restless for anything quiet. Her mother put her in pageants the way some parents put kids in swim class, maybe hoping to burn off the voltage. Except Laura wasn’t just … Read More “Laura Bell Bundy — the girl who hit the world like a glitter bomb with a steel spine inside it” »
Joyce Bulifant came into the world on December 16, 1937, in Newport News, Virginia — a place where the air tastes like shipyards and steel, and where a child learns early how fragile and fleeting calm can be. Maybe that’s why she carried cheerfulness like armor. Her smile wasn’t sugarcoated; it had edges, a kind … Read More “Joyce Bulifant — the smile that tried to stay sunny” »
Marilyn Buferd came into the world on January 30, 1925, in Detroit, a city that would later rust itself into mythology, but back then it was all factory smoke and American promise. She was tall — five foot eight — the kind of height that makes a room shuffle when a woman walks into it. … Read More “Marilyn Buferd — the beauty queen who outran the crown” »
Susan Buckner came into the world on January 28, 1952, in Seattle, a city soaked in rain and coffee long before either became a brand. She arrived with the kind of smile pageant judges salivate over — the kind that promises good posture, bright teeth, and an American future polished to a dangerous shine. By … Read More “Susan Buckner — the cheerleader who never quite left the stage” »
Betty Buckley came into this world on July 3, 1947, down in Fort Worth, Texas — a place where the heat sits heavy on your chest and the sky looks big enough to swallow all your dreams whole. She was born with that voice already inside her, coiled like a loaded spring, waiting. Most people … Read More “Betty Buckley — the woman with the hurricane voice” »
Joan Juliet Buck came into the world in 1948 with a passport already half-stamped. Born to a film producer father and an actress-turned-designer mother, she grew up in Cannes, Paris, London — places where children learn early that adults lie for a living and glamour is usually just bad lighting seen from far away. Her … Read More “Joan Juliet Buck — the woman who lived five lives before breakfast” »
Lee Bryant was born in Manhattan, which already tells you something: she came into the world surrounded by sirens, crowds, and the hum of a city that doesn’t stop for anyone. Maybe that’s why she grew up with that restless, electric edge — the kind that slips into her performances, even the small ones. Hollywood … Read More “Lee Bryant — The Woman Who Made Panic Funny” »