On these pages…..

. An up-to-date list of the stars you have selected to receive this honor.

. Five short bios each issue chosen from your favorites.

. A gallery of pictures, pictures, pictures to cover your wall!

. The latest news about our future legends…personal and professional!

. The Mailbag for all your letters, personal anecdotes, candids of yourself and/or your   favorite star that we can all share.

Hugh Jackman

Susan Sarandon

In Memoriam….

Christopher Reeve 1952 - 2004

Jerry Orbach 1935 - 2004

Christopher Reeve September 25th 1952- October 10th, 2004

He now walks unassisted in Heaven’s byways. “He never wanted to be ordinary” a childhood friend revealed when she heard of his death. Christopher would rise far above ordinary literally by accident because his true spirit soared when his physical body deserted him.

Born in New York City but raised in New Jersey after his parents divorced, Chris graduated from Cornell and then studied at Juilliard under the celebrated John Houseman. He made his Broadway debut opposite Katharine Hepburn in “A Matter of Gravity” in 1976. Then he segued from the Broadway stage to the television screen in both daytime dramas and prime time dramatic roles. I list among my favorites his roles in the “Black Fox” series and his role as Pinkerton in “The Rose and the Jackal”, a movie made for television.

In 1978 Chris got the role that made him famous around the world. He became Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter aka Superman with Margot Kidder as Lois Lane. He would go on to play the caped crusader in three more blockbusters. But Chris had other roles in his resume as well…the writer involved in a romance out of the past in “Somewhere in Time”, the psychopathic student in ‘Death Trap”, the Southerner in “The Bostonians” and the amoral yuppie in “Street Smart”.

Then, in May, 1995, tragedy struck when the throughbred horse he
was riding balked at a rail jump and pitched Chris forward head
first to the ground. The fall paralyzed him from the neck down.
He wrote in his autobiography that at the hospital he silently
mouthed to Dana “Maybe we should let me go” as he realized the
severity of his condition. Dana replied “You are still you. And I
love you”. Chris always felt those words saved his life.

He met Dana in Williamstown, Massachusetts when she was singing in a club there. They were married in 1992 and had a son, Will. That made their family five in all with Christopher’s two children, Matthew and Alexandra, from his 10 year relationship with Gae Exton.

Christopher was only able to make small advances in his own recovery in the 9 years he had but he made giant steps in his efforts to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries and personally sponsored research funding in pursuit of a cure for brain and spinal cord paralysis. He was receiving treatment for a pressure wound that had become infected (bedsores are a common problem in paralysis). Then, on Saturday, September 24 th, he suffered cardiac arrest at his home in Pound Ridge, New York and fell into a coma. He died of heart failure the next day without ever regaining consciousness, his family at his bedside.

In Christopher’s own words…”A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles”. Christopher Reeve was, indeed, a superhero.

Dana and Chris

Getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jerry Orbach October 20th, 1935 - December 28th, 2004

When he died, they dimmed the lights on Broadway because, before there was “Dirty Dancing” or even “Law and Order”. …. Jerry Orbach belonged to them.

Jerome Bernard Orbach was New York-born and he never forgot his roots. His father Leon was a vaudeville actor and his mother Emily a radio singer and the family moved frequently. But no matter where they touched down they took the Bronx and Staten Island with them. After high school in Waukegan, Illinois, Jerry studied drama at the University of Illinois and again at Northwestern but he had left his heart in New York City. He went back and continued to study acting and singing with Lee Strasberg, Mazel Scweppe and others.

In 1957, Jerry made his Broadway debut in a revival of “The Threepenny Opera” playing Mack the Knife. He followed that with the role of El Gallo in the off Broadway production of “The Fantasticks” and sang that beautiful song “Try to Remember” (his voice is still heard on the original cast album). He created the character of Paul Berthalet, the puppeteer in “Carnival” (1961), played Sky Masterson in “Guys and Dolls” and Jigger Craigin in “Carousel” both in 1965. Jerry went on to win a Tony award for “Promises, Promises” and do the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in “Chicago”. . In 1969 he was considered the one of the best song and dance men on Broadway. His last major stage musical came in 1980 when he played Julian Marsh in the original “42 nd Street” .

Jerry made over 33 films including “Brewster’s Millions” (1985), Dirty Dancing” (1987), Someone To Watch Over Me” (1987), Crime and Misdemeanors” (1989) and “The Cemetery Club” (1993). Walt Disney borrowed his voice for several animated features including Pierre in “The Enchanted Tiki Room – Under New Management” and Lumiere in “Beauty and the Beast”. But it was his portrayal of the gruff, wisecracking detective Lenny Briscoe of “Law and Order”, takeout coffee cup in hand, that made him a household face. Sam Waterston who plays assistant D.A. Jack McCoy recalled “He always knew his lines....and yours, too”.

Jerry Orbach was married to Elaine Cancilla since 1979 and they lived…..where else….in New York City!. He had two sons, Chris and Tony from a previous marriage to Marta Curro. They were with him at the end when Jerry lost his battle with prostate cancer on Tuesday, December 28 th, 2004. The following night, he received Broadway’s ultimate tribute….. they dimmed the lights along the Great White Way.