Trivia: Brash and brassy comedian Roseanne is a one-of-a-kind talent who during her career has undergone many substantial changes that have transformed her from trailer-trash queen to one of the most powerful women in Hollywood. Around age 18, Roseanne Barr moved to a Colorado hippie commune where she met Bill Pentland. They married in 1973 and moved to Denver, where they struggled to support their three subsequent children. By the mid-'70s, Roseanne was working as both a cocktail waitress and a window dresser to help feed her family. Impressed by her quick, caustic wit and funny insights into women, men, and domestic life, friends and patrons suggested she take her stories on-stage at a local comedy club. It was on-stage where she honed her famous characterization of the dumpy, domineering, and earthy "Domestic Goddess." Within a few years, Roseanne had become one of the most popular standup acts in Denver, and in 1983 she headed for Hollywood to further her career. She quickly landed a gig at The Comedy Store and then appeared on the ABC television special Funny. During rehearsal, she was spotted by a talent scout from The Tonight Show, who promptly booked her for an appearance. It was a great success. In 1988, her innovative and distinguished television sitcom, Roseanne, debuted on ABC and centered on the struggles of an overweight, domineering mother and her raucous, working-class family that is often on the brink of financial and personal crisis but always manages to somehow hang together. Roseanne and her brood were real people facing real problems that weren't always neatly solved in 30 minutes. The shows were often simultaneously poignant and hilarious; until its last two seasons, Roseanne topped the ratings, and won numerous awards and honors. During the course of the show, the many changes in Roseanne's personal life were reflected on the air. When she underwent breast-reduction surgery, her character did too. When she married Tom Arnold in 1990, he became a part of her show and she proudly billed herself as Roseanne Arnold. When the marriage broke up, he disappeared and she began billing herself only as Roseanne. She eventually married her bodyguard Ben Thomas and at the age of 43 had herself impregnated via in vitro fertilization. Her character, Roseanne Conner, also got pregnant. Even the plastic surgeries she has had on her face have received some treatment on the show, in this case via the opening credits, wherein her photographs from the past nine seasons reflect her change from the frowzy to the almost glamorous. Her series ended in May 1997. Though best known for her television work and live performances, Roseanne has also made periodic stabs at a movie career; she made her debut as a vengeful housewife opposite Meryl Streep in the comedy She-Devil (1989). The film received decidedly mixed reviews, and Roseanne's subsequent film appearances have been in cameos or small supporting roles. Over her career, Roseanne has received numerous awards, including an Emmy, several People's Choice Awards, Golden Globes, and an American Comedy Award. She was the fourth woman ever to become the star attraction at a Friar's Club celebrity roast. Back in the late '80s through the early '90s, Roseanne's tumultuous personal life, her often public and ill-timed abrasive nature coupled with her phenomenal popularity made her a favorite target of tabloid newspapers. Never one to shy away from such issues, she tells her own story in two books, the best-selling My Life As a Woman (1989) and My Lives (1994). She has also been frequently skewered by critics and wags who have difficulty accepting the fact that through sheer force of will, she has been able to overcome all obstacles to become a powerful and successful woman.

Trivia: Matriculating from Illinois State University, actress Laurie Metcalf was one of the charter members of Chicago's groundbreaking Steppenwolf Theatre troupe. She moved on to New York in the early '80s, winning a 1984 Theatre World Award and an Obie for her performance in Balm in Gilead. In films since 1985, the flexible Metcalf has been seen in director Susan Seidelman's Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and Making Mr. Right (1987), and also in several other highly regarded productions, notably Uncle Buck (1989), JFK (1991), and Mistress (1992). Metcalf is best known to the TV-watching public for her Emmy-winning portrayal of Roseanne Conner's police-officer sister, Jackie Harris, on the long-running sitcom Roseanne. In 1997, following the demise of her television series, Metcalf turned in a deliciously over-the-top performance as the tightly wound aspiring reporter Debbie Salt in Scream 2. In the decades to come, Metcalfe would find success on shows like Norm and The Big Bang Theory, as well as movies like Stop-Loss Georgia Rule. Despite her hectic schedule, Laurie Metcalf still finds time for an occasional return-to-the-womb appearance at the Steppenwolf Theatre, usually in the company of fellow Steppenwolfians John Malkovich, Gary Sinise, and/or Glenne Headly.

Trivia: A staple of Western-themed films and television series, veteran character actor Rayford Barnes began his onscreen career with John Wayne in Hondo, and in recent years appeared on television in Walker, Texas Ranger and ER. After beginning his career in New York training with Stella Adler and the Neighborhood Playhouse, Barnes moved to San Francisco to open his own theater, and later relocated to San Francisco, where he landed his role in Hondo. A veteran of WWII, Barnes made regular appearances on such TV series as Gunsmoke, The Virginian, and Little House on the Prairie while concurrently appearing in Westerns like The Wild Bunch and The Hunting Party. Rayford Barnes died on November 11, 2000, at St. Andrews Medical Center in Santa Monica, CA. He was 80.

Trivia: When James Brolin was 15, his parents invited Hollywood producer/director William Castle to dinner. Impressed by Brolin's self-confidence and teen-idol looks, Castle invited him to audition for a film role at Columbia Pictures. When he failed to land the part, Brolin decided to "show 'em" by studying diligently for an acting career, eventually logging 5,000 hours of class time. While still attending U.C.L.A., he landed a small role on the Bus Stop TV series, which led to a 20th Century Fox contract. For the next five years, he marked time with bits and minor roles in such Fox features as Take Her, She's Mine (1963), Goodbye Charlie (1964), Von Ryan's Express (1965), Our Man Flint (1966), and Fantastic Voyage (1966). His first real break came with a peripheral but noticeable recurring role on the 1966 TV Western The Monroes. In 1968, Brolin finally attained stardom with his Emmy-winning characterization of Dr. Steve Kiley on the popular TV medical series Marcus Welby, M.D. During his five years with Welby, Brolin returned to films to play such choice roles as the unbalanced Vietnam vet in Skyjacked (1972) and ill-fated vacationer John Blaine in Westworld (1973). The most conspicuous of his post-Welby film assignments was 1976's Gable and Lombard, a cinematic atrocity redeemed only slightly by Brolin's earnest portrayal of Clark Gable. His most endearing screen assignment was his extended cameo as P.W. in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985), and in 1992 he had one of his strongest roles to date as a wayward father in Allison Anders' Gas Food Lodging. Periodically returning to television, Brolin has starred on the weekly series Hotel (1983), Angel Falls (1993), and Extremities (1995). James Brolin is the father of actor Josh Brolin, who co-starred with his dad in the made-for-cable Finish Line (1989). In 1998, Brolin assumed one of his most high-profile real-life roles to date as the husband of Barbra Streisand, whom he married in July of that year.He remained one of the most respected actors of his generation and continued to work steadily for directors all over the world. In 2002 he was cast in Martin Scorsese's epic historical drama Gangs of New York. In 2003 he took a cameo part in Bright Young Things. In 2004 he returned for the Bridget Jones sequel, and took a bit part in Mike Leigh's Vera Drake. He worked in a number o animated films including Doogal, Valiant, and Robots. In 2007 he had the title role in Longford, a historical drama about the infamous Moor Murders, and the next year he was part of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls.He became part of the Harry Potter family with Half-Blood Prince, and played King William in the costume drama The Young Victoria, all in 2009. In 2010 he reunited with Mike Leigh and earned excellent reviews yet again for Another Year, and the next year he helped support Meryl Streep to an Oscar play the dutiful husband to The Iron Lady.