Trivia: Former pro football player Bernie Casey turned to acting in the early 1970s. He has been steadily employed in theatrical films ever since, playing supporting roles in such films as Boxcar Bertha (1972), Cleopatra Jones (1976), Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), and all three Revenge of the Nerds epics (as "U.N. Jefferson"). Casey's series-TV assignments included the title character (a blue-collar father of five children) in 1979's Harris and Company and the role of baseball coach Ozzie Peoples in Bay City Blues (1983). A ubiquitous TV-movie actor, Bernie Casey was seen in such highly-rated efforts as Brian's Song (1971), Gargoyles (1972) and The Sophisticated Gents (1981).

Trivia: The reigning queen of the 1970s blaxploitation genre, Pam Grier was born May 26, 1949, in Winston-Salem, NC. An Air Force mechanic's daughter, she was raised on military bases in England and Germany. During her teen years the family settled in Denver, CO, where at the age of 18, Grier entered the Miss Colorado Universe pageant. Named first runner-up, she attracted the attention of Hollywood agent David Baumgarten, who signed her to a contract. After relocating to Los Angeles, Grier struggled to mount an acting career, and worked as a switchboard operator at the studios of Roger Corman's American International Pictures. Finally, with Corman's aid, she made her film debut in the 1970 Russ Meyer cult classic Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, followed by an appearance in Jack Hill's 1971 cheapie The Big Doll House. For several years, Grier languished virtually unnoticed in grindhouse fare like 1971's Women in Cages and 1973's Arena (aka Naked Warriors) before winning the title role in Hill's 1973 action outing Coffy. Playing a nurse seeking vengeance against the drug dealers responsible for her sister's descent into heroin addiction, Grier immediately rose to the forefront of the so-called "blaxploitation" genre, a group of action-adventure films aimed squarely at African-American audiences. Portraying the 1974 superheroine Foxy Brown, she became a major cult figure, as her character's fierce independence, no-nonsense attitude, and empowered spirit made her a role model for blacks and feminists alike. At the peak of her popularity, Grier even appeared on the covers of Ms. and New York magazines. Her films' often racy content also made her a sex symbol, and additionally she posed nude for the men's magazine Players. Successive action roles as gumshoe Sheba Shayne in 1975's Sheba, Baby and as the titular reporter Friday Foster further elevated Grier's visibility, but fearing continued typecasting she shifted gears to star opposite Richard Pryor in the fact-based 1977 auto-racing drama Greased Lightning. She did not reappear onscreen for four years, resurfacing to acclaim in 1981 as a murderous prostitute in Fort Apache, the Bronx; however, no other major roles were forthcoming, and she spent much of the decade appearing on television and in straight-to-cable features. A major role in the 1988 Steven Seagal action hit Above the Law marked the beginning of a comeback, and after appearing in 1993's Posse, Grier starred with fellow blaxploitation vets Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree, and Fred "the Hammer" Williamson in 1996's Original Gangstas, a throwback to the films of the early '70s. In 1997, the actress' career resurgence was complete with the title role in Jackie Brown, written in her honor by director and longtime fan Quentin Tarantino. Grier's tough, sexy portrayal of a jaded flight attendant earned praise from critics far and wide, as well as the promise of steady work. She could subsequently be seen in a consistently wide range of films, like Jawbreaker (1999), Holy Smoke (1999), The Invited, and Larry Crowne, in addition to a host of successful TV roles on shows like Smallville and The L Word.

Trivia: Robust American character actor Donald Diamond was generally typecast as a Spaniard or a Native American. He worked frequently on television and in films from the '50s through the early '70s.

Trivia: A versatile director and actor with roots on stage, screen, and film, Edmund Cambridge was a founding member of New York's renowned Negro Ensemble Company, which smashed color barriers in the 1940s, in addition to serving as stage manager of Jean Genet's off-Broadway smash The Blacks, which featured some of the most legendary African-American names in show business.Born September 18, 1920, in New York's Harlem Hospital, Cambridge began his theatrical career as a dancer and eventually worked his way to directing. Often the sole African-American face in numerous stage productions, it was Cambridge's dedication to the craft that drove him to collaborate with Douglas Turner Ward, Robert Hooks, and others in the founding of the Negro Ensemble Co. In addition to his role in founding that particular organization, he was also instrumental in the founding of Hollywood's Kirkpatrick-Cambridge Theater Arts School alongside fellow thespian Lincoln Kirkpatrick. As a director, Cambridge's work included Lonne Elder III's Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, James Baldwn's Amen Corner, and 227, a play that would later spawn a popular television series of the same name. With over 80 film and television credits to his name, the popular actor appeared on television in Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, and ER, with feature credits including Friday Foster (1975), Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey (1991), and Waking the Dead (2000). Cambridge's later work included an appearance on television's The Bernie Mac Show and in Steven Spielberg's Minority Report. On August 18, 2001, Edmund Cambridge died in the same hospital he was born following complications after an accidental fall. He was 81.

Trivia: British actor Robert Harris is best known for his ability to bring Shakespearean roles to life. Though most of his career was spent on stage, Harris also appeared in many feature films and occasionally on television. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, the London-born Harris took his first professional bow at the Westminister Theater following a 1932 production of J.M. Barrie's The Will. Harris made his Broadway debut in Noel Coward's Easy Virtue. Harris's film credits include The Fuzzy Pink Nightgown (1957), The Alamo (1960), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943).