Unquotable Quotations: TV and Movie Stars Quiz

Answer: Betty White

Betty White earned the Guinness World Record for "Longest TV career for a female entertainer" in 2014 and 2018.

Betty White began her career in entertainment by appearing on various radio shows in the 1940s. Her first break on television started in 1949 on the "Hollywood on Television" show. She became the host of the show after Al Jarvis left.

Her work with comedy and sitcoms started with "Life with Elizabeth" in 1952. In 1957, she starred in "Date with the Angels", a short-lived show with a humorous view on domestic life.

White became a frequent guest on game shows, where she met her husband, Allen Ludden. They married in 1963 and were together until Ludden passed away in 1981. White never married another.

White played Rose Nylund on the "Golden Girls" television show for eight years (between 1985 and 1992). Rose is often a naive, but comical character, that enjoys sharing stories about her childhood. She was happily married until her husband's passing and has five children. White jumped at the opportunity to play the character because it was similar to another role she played in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". It became one of her most loved acting parts.

Betty White was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1995. She had the honor of having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame placed beside the star of her late husband Allen Ludden. She passed away on New Year's Eve in 2021 at the age of 99.

(Info from "The Scarlet: Betty White", "Biography: Betty White", "New York Times: A Television Golden Girl From the Start")

Answer: Nicolas Cage

This quote came from one of Nicolas Cage's Twitter posts to his fans.

Cage is known for his intense personality on and off-screen. He started his acting career in teenage-based films. By the 1990s he had shifted his career to action and adventure-based thrillers.

Cage has been nominated twice for Academy Awards and was ranked No. 40 in the 1997 edition of "Empire" magazine's "Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time". In 1994, he was valued at $4 million per acting role. Cage has taken on many roles that have influence or strength. He agreed to star in "Leaving Las Vegas" for $240,000, because of the strength of the role; his predictions paid off and the movie earned him his first Golden Globe for "Best Actor".

Hollywood caused Cage to have multiple rocky relationships and divorces. His five marriages included Patricia Arquette (1995-2001), Lisa Marie Presley (2002-2004), Alice Kim (2004-2016), Erika Koike (married in 2019 and divorced in June 2019), and Riko Shibata. He fathered two children Kal-El and Weston.

(Information from "Biography: Nicolas Cage", "IMDb", "Twitter: Nicolas Cage", "ET News: Nicolas Cage Talks Being Married Five Times" )

Answer: Rodney Dangerfield

Rodney Dangerfield was a well-known comedian who made many audiences laugh with his "I don't get no respect" routine.

He had a difficult childhood and used jokes to cope. His father abandoned his mother to join the circus, leaving Roy's mother shortly after his birth. Roy was bullied at school by teachers and other students. At 17, he performed comedy in nightclubs as "Jack Roy" which he later changed to his legal name.

Rodney had to put his comedy dream aside when his comedy routine didn't pay the bills. He worked as a salesman in the 1950s until he got an opportunity to enter show business in the 1960s. in the 1970s he opened a comedy club and started producing comedy films. His first major hit was "Caddyshack".

"Caddyshack" led to starring roles for Dangerfield in movies and on Broadway. His 1981 comedy album "No Respect" won a Grammy.

Dangerfield suffered from heart problems for many years and underwent heart surgery in 2000. He also underwent brain surgery in 2003. Despite his poor health, he did not slow down. His career continued to rise and he continued to perform. He died of surgical complications from a stroke on October 5, 2004.

(Information from "Biography: Rodney Dangerfield", "IMDb", "The Famous People: Rodney Dangerfield", "Quote Park: Rodney Dangerfield")

Answer: Graham Chapman

Graham Chapman was raised by a father who was a policeman in Melton Mowbray. He loved science as a young man and studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Medical College. Although he was very bright, he turned down a career as a doctor to pursue comedy.

Chapman teamed up with his medical schoolmate, John Cleese, and began writing comedy. They wrote several skits for the BBC, various TV shows, and various radio shows, before branching out on their own. In the 1970s the pair started the comedy troupe "Monty Python's Flying Circus".

Chapman was the group's main star in the many skits that featured absurd bumbling characters. One of his roles, "The Colonel", was a police officer that popped up in random scenes, demanding the skit be canceled for being too silly.

In 1988, Chapman discovered he had tonsil cancer after a routine dental checkup. Cancer spread to his throat and spine. Chapman passed away one day before the 20th anniversary of the "Monty Python Flying Circus" broadcast, at the age of 48, on October 4, 1989.

(Information from "The Famous People: Graham Chapman", "New York Times: Graham Chapman dies 48", "The Oregonian: Monty Python's 'dead one,' Graham Chapman, honored in an animated film" )

Answer: Jean-Claude Van Damme

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg was born on October 18, 1960 in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Brussels, Belgium. He was the son of an accountant and a florist.

His father paid for Van Damme to have martial arts lessons from the age of 10. He trained in kickboxing and karate, earning a black belt in karate at the age of 18. To strengthen his flexibility, Jean Claude added ballet lessons when he was 16 and studied ballet for five years. During his teenage years, he competed in the European Professional Karate Association competitions and was named "Mr. Belgium" in the bodybuilding competition.

Van Damme moved to Hollywood in the 1980s to pursue his dream of becoming an action film star. His first martial arts film role was featured in the 1986 movie "No Retreat, No Surrender". His first major big break came in "Bloodsport" in 1988 when he demonstrated his ability to do helicopter kick stunts for producer Menahem Golan.

Van Damme had to take a break from acting in the 1990s due to his addiction to cocaine and sleeping pills. He got his life in order after being placed on medication for bipolar disorder.

Brussels erected a bronze statue to honor Van Damme in 2012. The statute featured the actor in an action-fighting pose.

(Information from "Biography: Jean-Claude Van Damme", "Jean Claude Van Damme World: Biography")

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn Monroe was known in the 1950s and the 1960s for her pin-ups, modeling, and "blonde bombshell" movie characters.

Monroe's mother spent many years confined to an asylum. Most of Monroe's childhood was spent in foster homes and orphanages. She married a World War 2 factory worker at age 16 to escape, but the marriage was short-lived.

She was working in a World War 2 airplane factory when she was discovered by a photographer who found her beauty captivating. He helped her launch a successful pin-up modeling career and she soon was offered contracts with 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures.

By 1953, Monroe was one of the most recognized Hollywood stars. She became a major pop culture icon of the 1950s and the 1960s in movies and modeling. In 1999 The American Film Institute ranked her sixth on the list of "Greatest Female Screen Legends From the Golden Age of Hollywood".

(Information from "The Flight Blog: Marilyn Monroe Discovered", "Biography: Marilyn Monroe's Childhood Disrupted")

Answer: Bill Murray

Bill Murray was the fifth of nine children. His mother was a mail-room clerk and his dad was a lumberjack. During his childhood, Murray frequently got into trouble and caused mayhem. His shenanigans continued into his 20s. He was saved by his older brother who influenced him to start a career in comedy.

Bill Murray's brother started his comedy career by inviting him to join the improv comedy troupe "Second City" in Chicago. Bill eventually took his talents to New York City and joined the radio show, "The National Lampoon Hour". In 1975, Bill and his brother participated in a Broadway spinoff of the show. Bill's Broadway performance as an announcer led to an offer for him to work with the cast on "Saturday Night Live with Howard Cosell".

Bill Murray's career took off with "Saturday Day Night Live" and he won an Emmy Award for his writing on the show. His comedy routines led to several movie roles offers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His role in "Ghostbusters" influenced action figures, comic series, cartoon animations, and a chart-topping theme song.

Murray had two sons from his first marriage with Margret Kelly and four sons from his second marriage with Jennifer Butler. Although both of his marriages failed, Murray had a strong connection with his kids and reflected his love for family entertainment with family films.

Murray never graduated from college because he dropped out to pursue his stage career. In 2007 his alma mater, Regis University, honored Bill Murray for his work in family entertainment, giving him a doctorate in humanities. Michael Shereen, Regis University President, commented on the honor by saying, "Humor is a vehicle to introduce viewers to deeper questions of life." ("Denver Post", "Murray Earns Stripes With Honorary Degree")

(Information from "The Denver Post: Regis University Dropout Bill Murray Earns Stripes With Honorary Degree", "The Famous People: Bill Murray", and "Biography: Bill Murray")

Answer: Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields was surrounded by TV, photo ops, and Hollywood, almost her entire life. When she was eleven months, she was featured in soap commercials and TV advertisements. At age 11, she was used as a child actor in the film "Pretty Baby". By the time she was a teenager, she was in high demand for modeling companies and acting roles.

Brooke Shields grew up in a home with heavy smoking, where she contracted a secondhand lung disease as a child. Both her grandparents died of smoking-related diseases and her father was a chronic smoker. The Department of Health and Human Services recruited the Hollywood Actress to share her childhood testimony in TV ads to deter others from smoking habits. Shields was inspired to speak out against the addiction on her own.

Brooke Shields has continued to perform as an actress in Hollywood and on Broadway. She has been nominated for the Golden Globes twice for her role in "Suddenly Susan" in 1997. She also won the People's Choice Award for "Favorite Young Motion Picture Performer" from the years 1981 to 1984.

(Information from "Washington Post: Brooke Shields Interview on Smoke Screening", "Brooke Shields Facebook: Brooke Shields Smoke Testimony", "The Guardian: Brooke Shields Interview", "Broadway World News: Brooke Shields")

Answer: Ellen DeGeneres

Ellen DeGeneres originally wanted to be a veterinarian when she was growing up. She passed on the career as an adult because she was not book smart. She took many odd jobs including waitressing, door-to-door vacuum sales, house painting, and secretarial work.

DeGeneres' older brother was an actor and comedian for "The Daily Show" and influenced his sister to participate in speaking events. During a public speaking routine, she was frightened by the crowd and used jokes to get through her speech. Shortly after the experience, Ellen received many offers for stand-up comedy routines. She began doing stand-up comedy in 1981 with her mother and brother's support.

In 1989, Ellen started her first TV show "These Friends of Mine", which was eventually renamed "Ellen". The sitcom show featured Ellen as the main title character, operating a bookstore. Episodes featured Ellen, with her quirky friends, facing daily life problems in Los Angeles. The show was one of the first shows of the ABC network to feature a gay character.

Ellen DeGeneres later started her own talk show in 2003, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" which hosted many Hollywood celebrities, world leaders, authors, and music stars. The show would play live games with its audience and talk about current events. During its run of 19 seasons, the show won over 171 Daytime Emmy Award nominations and 61 Daytime Emmy Awards.

(Information from "Biography: Ellen DeGeneres", "The Famous People: Ellen DeGeneres", "Today News: Ellen Sets End Date for Her Show")

Answer: Lucille Ball

Lucille Ball's childhood suffered many hardships. She lost her father at the age of 3 due to typhoid fever. Her mother moved the family to New York and married a man who had a dislike for Ball and her siblings. Ball was forced to live with her step-grandmother who was very strict and lacked the funding for basic needs. Despite many difficult circumstances, Ball dreamed of going to drama school and becoming an actress.

Lucille Ball began her career as a model in 1929. She started her acting career on Broadway using the stage name Diane Belmont. In 1930, she moved to Hollywood and dyed her hair blonde to gain more acting opportunities.

Ball appeared in more than 72 movies in her acting career. One of her earliest films "Dance Girl Dance" introduced her to her first husband, Desi Arnaz. The two fell in love starring in films together and Arnaz became a huge supporter of Ball's career. He pushed Ball to start radio broadcasting a series known as "My Favorite Husband", which prompted producers to ask Ball for a TV series of similar nature.

Ball and Arnaz started "I Love Lucy" in 1951. It was ranked as the No. 1 sitcom in the country for four of its six seasons. Lucille Ball rarely ad-libbed any of her lines and practiced for hours to have the perfect reaction to scenes. Although the show was a comedy, it featured topics that were new to many families, such as marital issues, women in the workplace, and suburban living.

Lucille Ball paved the way for many Hollywood actresses to become leaders in comedy, radio, and television. She was one of the first to become a TV producer and executive. For her television shows, she received thirteen Emmy Award nominations and four wins. She was honored for her acting with the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1979, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986, and the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1989. For her career, she was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960; one for her role in Motion Pictures and one for her work in Television.

(Information from "National Women's History Museum: Lucille Ball", "Brainy Quote: Lucille Ball", "Biography: Lucille Ball", "Hollywood Walk of Fame: Lucille Ball")