April 24 Birthdays Trivia Quiz

Answer: Djimon Hounsou

Djimon Hounsou's first film appearance was as "Ex-Boyfriend" in 1990's "Without You I'm Nothing." In 2003 and 2006 he received nominations for Best Supporting Actor in "In America" and "Blood Diamond." Another of his memorable roles was as the Nubian gladiator Juba, who became Maximus' ally and friend in 2000's "Gladiator."

Answer: Shirley MacLaine

Born Shirley MacLean Beaty, her parents named her after Shirley Temple. Her distinguished career as a actress began in 1955 when she was named New Star of the Year--Actress by the Golden Globes for her role in Hitchcock's "The Trouble with Harry." Nominated for six Oscars in her career, she won Best Actress in 1983's "Terms of Endearment." She has also won or been nominated for Best Actress awards more than 40 times for more than 20 films.

Her belief in reincarnation and New Age spiritually has also resulted in her authorship of several best-selling books, like "Out on a Limb."

Answer: Kelly Clarkson

After winning "American Idol" in 2002, Kelly Clarkson got her singing career off to a golden start as her first single, "A Moment Like This," became America's best-selling single that same year. Two years later, her second album, "Breakaway," won her two Grammys. Since then her star has continued to rise and by 2017 she'd had over 100 "Billboard" chart number 1's. "The Hollywood Reporter" has called her "the perfect pop star."

Answer: Willem de Kooning

After moving to the USA in 1926, de Kooning married fellow artist Elaine Fried. In 1962 he became an American citizen. The New York School of the 50s and 60s included a large eclectic group of painters like de Kooning, as well as dancers, poets, and musicians.

Among de Kooning's best-known works is his "Woman" series from "Woman I" to "Woman VI," which show the influence of Picasso. In 2006 "Woman III" sold for over 135 million dollars. The record at that time was a work by fellow New York School artist Jackson Pollock, whose "No. 5, 1948" sold for $140.

Answer: Cedric the Entertainer

Cedric was named Cedric Antonio Kyles. He began "It's Showtime at the Apollo" in its debut in 1987, then joined Steve Harvey in "The Steve Harvey Show" beginning in 1996. In 2000 he joined Harvey, D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac as a co-star of the film "The Original Kings of Comedy." Throughout his career he was always portrayed wearing a hat, due to a severe rash on the top of his head that developed while he was in high school.

Answer: Aidan Gillen

Aidan was named Aidan Murphy at birth. After starting his acting career in the early 80s, he received Best Actor award nominations in the television series "Queer As Folk," beginning in 1999. By 2018 he made over 40 films, appeared in more than 30 TV series, made three music videos, and appeared in more than 20 stage productions, as well as recording six audiobooks. Among his awards are Best British Newcomer at the 2000 Edinburgh International Film Festival, and the 2009, 2012, and 2015 Best Actor in Irish Film and Television awards.

Answer: Sue Grafton

Sue Grafton her "Alphabet Mystery Series," featuring detective Kinsey Millhone, in 1982 with "A is for Alibi." Beginning with "B is for Burglar," she published a novel each year, following the alphabet, until "M is for Malice," in 1996. Beginning in 1998 with "N is for Noose," Grafton's alphabet series missed only 2000 and 2003, and then the even-numbered years until her final novel, "Y is for Yesterday" in 2017. The novel "X" in 2015 is unique in not following the pattern, being only the letter itself.

Unfortunately, Sue Grafton passed away from cancer in 2017 in her beloved Santa Barbara, the city which served as a model for Kinsey Millhone's fictional Santa Teresa. Her novels won three Anthony Awards and three Shamus Awards, both for mystery writing, and several Lifetime Achievement awards.

Answer: Robert Penn Warren

Robert Penn Warren was the first writer to win Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry. In addition to his 1947 Pulitzer for "All the King's Men," he also won Pulitzers for poetry in 1958 and 1979. In 2005 the US Postal Service issued a stamp to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of his birth.

In 1988 Vanderbilt University established the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities.

Answer: Barbra Streisand

In addition to her acting, which won her five Golden Globe Awards in addition to her Oscar, Barbra Streisand won eight competitive Grammy Awards among 43 nominations, plus two lifetime Grammys, the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. She became the first woman composer to win an Oscar for Best Original Song for "Evergreen" from "A Star is Born," in addition to the Golden Globe for Best Actress in the same film.

Answer: Richard Donner

In addition to both directing and producing "The Goonies," Richard Donner also filled both roles for the first four "Lethal Weapon" films, as well as for "Ladyhawke", "Scrooged", "Maverick", and "Conspiracy Theory." Among his awards are a Hugo Award, a Nicola Tesla Award, and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Horror Film's President's Award.

He also produced or directed over 125 episodes of over 50 TV series between 1960 and 1999.