Easy Celebrities Trivia: Short and Sweet | 10 Questions

Answer: Robin Williams

The tallest of the short actors in this quiz, Robin Williams was just five foot, seven inches in height. This extremely talented man was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1951 and, sorrowfully, took his own life in 2014. Robin gave the gift of laughter to the world in his many films, and in the TV series "Mork and Mindy" (1978-1982), but he was more than just an actor of comedy. He had the ability to produce some startlingly realistic dramatic roles as well, and could even send a chill up the spine in the odd thriller or two. I loved the laughter, however, and my favourite Williams' film was the 1993 "Mrs Doubtfire" in which he plays an out-of-work character actor, separated from his wife, and with access to his most loved children stringently restricted. Not to be beaten, however, he disguises himself as an elderly woman, and, because of his acting skills, manages to fool even his lovely ex-wife (Sally Field) when she hires him as a nanny/housekeeper for the family while she's at work. Thanks for the laughter, Robin.

The photo clue for this question is of a sweet little robin red-breast, who appears to be more of a robin orange-breast. It combines ROBIN the bird, with ROBIN, the actor.

Answer: Jerry Stiller

Father of the famous actor Ben, Jerry Stiller is five foot, five inches tall. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1927 this comedian and actor performed with his wife, Anne Meara, in a comedy sketch duo for over twenty years in various venues. You'd also recognise him as George Costanza's irritable father, Frank, in the long running series "Seinfeld" (1989-1998), and as Carrie's father, Arthur, in the equally long running series "The King of Queens" (1998-2007). In all, this versatile actor's career spanned appearances in almost forty movies and sixty television shows, after which he theoretically retired to spend time with his long time love, Anne. Do great old actors ever really retire? Not likely. Following Anne's death in 2015, he was soon coaxed back onto the silver screen for a cameo appearance in son Ben's 2016 film, "Zoolander 2".

The photo clue for this question is of a chamber pot, otherwise known as a JERRY, the first name of this feisty little comedian.

Answer: Don Knotts

The hilarious Don Knotts was five foot, six inches in height. Born in Morgantown, West Virginia, he lived from 1924 until 2006, and was just so funny, one only had to look at his scrawny figure and bulging eyes, especially when he was trying to be romantic or play a tough guy, and laughter was the result. Both an accomplished film and television actor, Don appeared in almost sixty television shows and thirty movies during his career. His television accolades included five Emmy Awards for his role as the self-important scrawny deputy sheriff, Barney Five in "The Andy Griffith Show" which ran from 1960 until 1968 - during which he frequently accidentally fired his pistol and scared himself witless. Of his thirty or so film roles, "The Ghost and Mr Chicken" (1966) sees Don at his comedic best. Longing to be a reporter, and trying to impress a girl, he decides to spend the night in a haunted house where a murder took place many years ago, in order to write a series about it. Obviously he is terrified, and nervous as a cat at even the slightest sound, especially when an old organ begins to play mysteriously with no visible organist. The film grows more and more complicated from this point, but is eventually resolved, with Don's bulging eyeballs restored to their normal size, the murder solved, and with the girl of his dreams on his arm.

Don served in the U.S. Army during World War II, earning himself six medals along the way. He was a good marksman, but mostly his work centered around entertaining the troops, as he was an accomplished ventriloquist during this part of his life - that is until he got tired of taking back seat to a piece of wood. He subsequently tossed his dummy overboard in the Pacific Ocean (swearing he could hear it calling for help as the ship sailed away), and on his return to the States, became a qualified teacher, until his entertainment career took off. The sorrowful thing about Don's perpetually nervous stage persona was that it was an essential part of his true nature. His alcoholic father, who also had schizophrenia, periodically threatened to kill him with a knife when he was a child. Art imitating life, indeed.

The photo clue for this question is of a set of KNOTS. It combines that image with the similar sounding surname of actor, Don KNOTTS.

Answer: Seth Green

Seth Green is just over five foot, four inches in height. This multi-talented man, who was born in Philadelphia, PA, in 1974 is not only a film, television and voice actor, but also a writer, producer and director as well. Although he has been acting since the age of seven, Seth probably first became familiar to most viewers as the character, Oz, in the long running series "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" (1997-2003), where, over time, it is revealed that he is a werewolf. Just your average latent talent emerging. It's to be wondered if Seth isn't a workaholic, as, by the age of 45, he had appeared in a staggering 62 films, and many multiple episodes of 89 television shows. This is in addition to his work on web productions and video games as well!

One of Seth's many movies is the truly hilarious "Rat Race"(2001), in which, as the character Duane, and accompanied by his less than intelligent brother, they race five other teams from Las Vegas to Silver City, New Mexico, to locate a prize of two million dollars. The two funniest scenes featuring the con-men siblings involve one where their car is accidentally hooked to an airport radar and is inexorably winched up to the top as they helplessly scream their heads off; and one where a stray cow is accidentally swooped up in an untethered rope dangling from a hot air balloon. You simply have to view this movie if you're ever in need of a huge dose of laughter.

The photo clue for this question is of the Green on Cantigny Golf Course at Wheaton, Illinois. It combines the GREEN on the golf course, with GREEN as in Seth's surname.

Answer: Nathan Lane

Nathan Lane is five foot, four inches tall in his stocking feet. Born in New Jersey in 1956, he moved to New York as a young man, but struggled to find acting work for quite some time until his career slowly took off, initially as a stand up comedian, and then as an actor on Broadway. One of his successes in that arena was playing the irrepressible Mr Toad in a 1985 production of Kenneth Grahame's "Wind in the Willows". By 2019, his career credits included more than fifty stage productions, most of which were on Broadway, multi appearances in more than thirty television shows, and over forty film roles.

Over and above the rest in that regard is his hilarious portrayal of Albert Goldman, the openly gay star of nightclub owner Armand Goldman's nightclub, "The Birdcage" (also the name of the film). Armand is played by the always brilliant Robin Williams. Things come to a head when Armand's son (from his brief experiment as a heterosexual) comes home to announce he is engaged to be married to the daughter of an extremely conservative Republican Senator (played by Gene Hackman), and the three men decide they must play the part of a straight family for his benefit. Watching the very gay Albert initially trying to play the role of a straight man (in pink socks because "One must have a hint of colour") is funny enough, but when that obviously isn't going to work, and he then decides to play the part of Armand's wife, it is completely hilarious. Even funnier is the fact that the Republican Senator rather takes a shine to him/her/him. Nathan Lane is just so very lovable and funny in this role. Every family should have an Albert.

The photo clue for this question is of a country LANE, also the surname of actor Nathan LANE, one of the brilliant stars of this movie.

Answer: Kevin Hart

Born in Philadelphia, USA, in 1979, Kevin Hart is just over five foot, one inch in height. On graduating from high school, he worked initially as a shoe salesman for a short time before using his natural talents as a comedian to try branching out into stand up comic routines in various venues. He wasn't terribly successful at first, but persisted. His first appearances in the movies actually included his performances of several of his routines - a long way from the days when he was booed off stage on several occasions.

By 2019, and with just over fifty films, assorted television appearances, five music videos and a book to his credit, one of Kevin Hart's funniest movie roles sees him appearing alongside Dwayne Johnson in the 2016 comedy "Central Intelligence", during which he is accidentally drawn into a spy action thriller, and where he spends most of the film squealing in terror, as he finds himself in one life-threatening situation after another. That squealing and the look of horror on his face as he does so is truly very, very funny. Do watch this film if you can. He and Dwayne Johnson bounce off each other perfectly - and physically.

The photo clue for this question is of a HEART, which sounds like HART, the surname of this very amusing actor.

Answer: Michael J. Fox

Born in Alberta, Canada, in 1961, the multi-talented - and completely inspirational - Michael J. Fox is five foot, four inches tall. This actor, comedian, producer, and author has had a long and successful career in both film television, and fought a long, long battle against Parkinson's disease for the majority of that. This illness first struck Michael when he was only aged twenty-nine. The severity of its symptoms saw him retiring from visible acting in 1991 to move into voice acting, and devoting much of his spare time in advocating for research towards a cure for this illness. So young to have been given such a terrible burden to carry - yet so extraordinarily courageous in dealing with the challenge. It's heartbreaking, yet so uplifting, both at the same time.

Of Michael's numerous films and television roles, the most well known has to be his series of "Back to the Future" movies, in which he plays a teenager drawn back and forward through time in a series of adventures and comical mishaps. The first "Back to the Future" for example, sees him back in time to 1955, where he meets his teenaged future parents, and where his future mother develops a crush on him! Fortunately he is the means by which her affections are switched to his future father.

The photo clue for this question is of a FOX, which is also, of course, the surname of the very talented Michael.

Answer: Daniel Radcliffe

None other than the bespectacled Harry Potter himself, actor Daniel Radcliffe, at five foot, four inches tall, seems taller in his films about the famous boy wizard. Daniel was born in London, England, in 1989, and began acting from the age of ten. His first role was in a made for television film, "David Copperfield". By the time he turned eleven, he had landed the role of the famous Harry Potter, and played that role in a total of eight films until 2011.

Since that time, he has appeared in several other movies and in television shows, and has also branched out into acting in live theatre as well. This multi talented actor, with the world as his oyster, has no doubt a long and fulfilling career yet to come. Daniel in 2019 looks so difference from the little boy wizard we all came to love that it's almost comical. In real life, he suffers from a mild form of muscular co-ordination issues known as dyspraxia, spends his time between New York and London, and dabbles now and then in political issues. How intriguing would it be if Daniel/Harry eventual became British Prime Minister one day. He could banish all opponents with one of his spells.

The photo clue for this question is of the famous Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland. It combines the image of a seaside CLIFF with part of Daniel's surname, RadCLIFFe.

Answer: Dudley Moore

Dudley Moore was born in London in 1935. He was a famous actor, comic, composer and musician. Born with both feet twisted, and never growing more than five foot, two inches in height, Dudley's childhood was not particularly happy as he was constantly tormented at school. While one foot was straightened after years of treatment, his left foot never did, a fact which made him terribly self-conscious throughout his life. Dudley, however, was exceptionally talented on several instruments, singing and composition from a young age, and this was the direction his career would take him - initially into various music groups, then into comedy, television productions and comedy shows, and finally into movies. By 1999, Dudley learned he was suffering from a degenerative brain disorder and had been for some time. This disease's symptoms are identical to those of intoxication, and, rightly or wrongly, Dudley, who did indeed enjoy a drink or two, had earned himself an unfair reputation of an inveterate alcoholic. His heart was also affected by this illness, and that, coupled with four strokes and pneumonia, saw the death of this immensely talented man in 2002.

One of Dudley's most successful movies was the 1979 "10" in which he starred with Julie Andrews and Bo Derek. In it he plays a well known composer having trouble dealing with middle age. On seeing a beautiful woman (Bo Derek) entering a church on her way to her wedding, he forgets all about his long term, long-suffering girlfriend (Julia Andrews), and a merry chase follows as he becomes obsessed with the girl, but suffers one hilarious accident after another trying to track her down. This is one VERY funny movie and will leave you in stitches if you watch it. One of the most comical sections occurs when, trying to find out where Bo has gone on her honeymoon, he visits her dentist father, and has several fillings. Heavily dosed up with novocaine, he then consumes way too much alcohol and becomes completely intoxicated. Totally incoherent, he subsequently staggers his way through several more scenes, and more or less remains in that condition for much of the remainder of the film.

The photo clue for this question is of Thornton-Le-Moor in North Yorkshire, England. It combines the word MOOR with part of Dudley's surname, MOORe.

Answer: Gary Coleman

Gary Coleman lived from 1968 until 2010. At four foot, eight inches tall, Gary Coleman is the shortest actor used in this quiz. He was very successful as a child actor, and in particular as the wise-cracking Arnold Jackson in the television series "Diff'rent Strokes" (1978-1986) in which he and his brother Willis (played by Todd Bridges) are taken into the home of a rich, white businessman (Conrad Bain) and his daughter, Kimberly (Dana Plato). This series successfully combined pure comedy with dealing with the social issues of the day.

Gary appeared in 26 movies, 39 television shows, two video games, and six music videos during his tragically short life. He also attempted to enter politics in 2003 when he ran for the position of governor of California, but was up against Arnold Schwarzenegger in that regard and didn't really stand a chance. He struggled with life after his early successes, with bankruptcy, other legal issues, a divorce and various health issues related to his congenital kidney disease and died from an epidural hematoma in 2010 at the age of 42. But he gave the gift of laughter to hundreds of thousands of people during his life, so thanks for those laughs, Gary.

The photo clue for this question is of COAL, which sound like COLE - the first part of Gary Coleman's surname.