This week's birthday girls know how to attract attention.
Holly Hunter (3/20/58) - 51. Hunter had a Lana Turner moment when she was stuck in an elevator with playwright Beth Henley, which led to her getting a part on Broadway in Henley's Crimes of the Heart. Hunter traded New York for Los Angeles and found small parts in TV and films. Her break came in friends Joel and Ethan Coens' film Raising Arizona followed by Broadcast News. She went on to star in Steven Spielberg's Always and with Richard Dreyfuss in Roe vs. Wade and Once Around. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in The Firm, won the Oscar for The Piano, starred with Danny DeVito and Queen Latifah in Living Out Loud and playing tennis pro Billie Jean King in When Billie Beat Bobby. In 2007, Hunter became an executive producer and gave herself a starring role in Saving Grace for which she's received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nominations.
Hunter has a long time relationship with actor Arliss Howard. She was married to Polish cinematographer Janusz Kaminski from 1995-2001. Her partner since 2004 has been actor Gordon MacDonald. In 2006 at 47, Hunter and MacDonald welcomes twins boys, whose names the couples seem to be keeping unwraps.
Best line: I have tried to be as eclectic as I possibly can with my professional life, and so far it's been pretty fun.
Diana Ross (3/26/44) - 65. At age 15 and living in the projects of Detroit, Diana Ernestine Ross, started her famed music group The Supremes (originally named the Primettes) with neighborhood friends Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown (later replaced by Barbara Martin). In 1961 the group signed with Motown Records. Martin left the group and Motown elected Ross as official lead singer of the group, which years later caused friction with Wilson and especially Ballard who was later ousted by Motown and replaced by Cindy Birdsong. Motown also changed the name of the group to Diana Ross and the Supremes.
In the 1960's The Supremes had twelve number-one hit singles, second only to The Beatles, including Ain't No Mountain High Enough, I'm Still Waiting, Touch Me in the Morning, Do You Know Where You're Going To, Love Hangover, Upside Down, Endless Love and Chain Reaction. Motown launched Ross's solo career in the late 1960's and the singer made her final appearance with The Supremes in January 1970. In 1972, Ross gave a fabulous portrayal of Billie Holiday in Motown's Lady Sings the Blues. Ross's success continued through the 1970's and '80 but her music struggled to find an audience in the U.S., in the 1990's. She starred, with critical acclaim, in the 1990's movies Out of Darkness and Double Platinum. In 2000, Ross planned a reunion tour of The Supremes but this failed due hard past feelings and dispute over money by Wilson and Songbird. Ross has continued to make albums and found greater success in the United Kingdom. The movie Dreamgirls was said to be based on The Supremes.
Ross has been married twice: to business manager Robert Ellis Silberstein for 6 years and Norwegian tycoon Arne Næss for 13 years. She has five children: Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein (Rhonda Ross Kendrick), the biological daughter Motown CEO Berry Gordy who was married at the time, Tracee Joy Silberstein (Tracee Ellis Ross), Chudney Lane Silberstein (Chudney Ross), Ross Arne Næss and Evan Olav Næss (Evan Ross).
Best lines: If someone asks me something that I really don't want to do, I say no. I have to trust that. And I'm not afraid to talk money.
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