Some people prefer to go by their initials instead of their full names. This list features famous individuals who use initials, including first, middle, or both. Writers, actors, athletes, and musicians have used initials in place of full names for as long as surnames have existed. Examples include William H. Macy, E. B. White, and Vivica A. Fox. You'll find the full names of people who use initials, like Samuel L. Jackson's middle name. Note that this list excludes those who use initials as pseudonyms, such as W. C. Fields, born William Claude Dukenfield, and Louis C.K., whose real last name is Székely. Historically, using initials has been a habit of the wealthier classes, including many politicians and U.S. Presidents. The Screen Actors Guild may require an initial to distinguish between individuals with the same name, like Vivica A. Fox. Authors J. K. Rowling and S. E. Hinton have used initials to their advantage. In some cases, like Harry S. Truman, the initial has no name behind it. Singers Mary J. Blige, AJ McLean, and K.D. Lang are also known for using initials. Famous authors J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin are known by their initials. Check out the list of famous people who go by their initials below. Were you surprised by the real names behind these celebrities with initials?
About this list
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John F. Kennedy, known as JFK, shaped American history. He was born May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was the second of nine children in the influential Kennedy family. Kennedy studied at elite schools. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard University in 1940. Health issues affected Kennedy early on; he faced a near-fatal case of Addison's disease. Kennedy started his political career after World War...
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Samuel L. Jackson was born December 21, 1948, in Washington D.C., USA. His mother raised him in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Jackson's early life differed from Hollywood glamour. He went to Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. There, Jackson took part in activities like theater. College sparked his interest in acting. This interest grew into a full passion. Jackson started his acting career with small parts in films and TV shows during the 1970s and 1980s. His big break came in
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J.K. Rowling, born Joanne Rowling in 1965, is a famous British author and philanthropist. People around the world know her for creating the 'Harry Potter' series. Rowling moved from writing stories on napkins to becoming a top author. She grew up in Gloucestershire, England. Books filled Rowling's early life, setting up her writing goals. The 'Harry Potter' series started as a simple idea during a train trip from Manchester to London in 1990. Ho
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Taraji P. Henson, an award-winning actress, is a recognized Hollywood figure. People know her for strong performances in TV and film. Henson was born September 11, 1970, in Washington D.C. Her path to fame involved determination and toughness. She graduated from Howard University with a Fine Arts degree. Then, she moved to Los Angeles with only her talent and ambition. Henson got her breakthrough role in the 2001 film *Baby Boy*, showing acting skill that brought more chances. She further solidified he
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Michael J. Fox, known for talent, resilience, and helping others, was born June 9, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Fox found his love for acting young. By age 15, Fox starred in a successful Canadian TV show called *Leo and Me*. His drive to achieve more led him to Los Angeles in 1979. There, he got the part of Alex P. Keaton in the sitcom *Family Ties*. This role put Fox in the spotlight and earned him three straight Emmy Awards. The late 1980s saw Fox
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Katherine Von D, born Katherine Von Drachenberg on March 8, 1982, in Montemorelos, Nuevo León, Mexico to Argentine parents, is an artist in tattooing, television, music, and beauty. She moved to California at age four. Von D dropped out of school at 16 to become a tattoo artist. Body art passion pushed her career forward; she became a prominent figure in tattooing. Von D entered reality television when she was c
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Vivica A. Fox was born in South Bend, Indiana, on July 30, 1964. She is an American actress and producer known for dynamic roles on big and small screens. Fox began acting in 1983, moving to California for her dream. She first gained attention on daytime television, appearing on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives. Her acting in big films raised her status. Fox starred as Jasmine Dubrow in the 1996 sci-fi film Independenc
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Hunter S. Thompson became a journalism luminary with his "Gonzo Journalism." Born July 18, 1937, in Louisville, Kentucky, Thompson's life showed rebellion and a strong need for truth. Early years involved defying authority, leading to service in the United States Air Force. This time formed the base for his writing. Thompson gained fame with the 1967 publication Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga, a book resulting from Thompson living
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Franklin Delano Roosevelt, known as FDR, served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. Born January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York, Roosevelt came from wealth, giving him education that sharpened his leadership. He graduated from Harvard University in 1903 and later attended Columbia Law School. Roosevelt began his political career when he was elected a state senator in New York in 1910, starting a path to the presidency
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Todd Joseph Miller was born June 4, 1981, and works as an American actor and comedian. He made his acting debut in Cloverfield in 2008. From 2010 to 2014, he voiced Tuffnut Thorston in the first two How to Train Your Dragon films. From 2014 to 2017, he starred as Erlich Bachman in the HBO sitcom Silicon Valley and played Marvel Comics character Weasel in the 2016 Deadpool and its 2018 sequel, Deadpool 2. Miller also appeared in films like Yogi Bear, She's Out of My League, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Big Hero 6, Office Christmas Party, The Emoji Movie, and Ready Player One.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th U.S. President, achieved great things. He was born in Denison, Texas, on October 14, 1890. His humble start built the base for his later work. After graduating from West Point in 1915, Eisenhower entered the military. This career lasted over thirty years. It ended with his role as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II. Eisenhower showed military skill leading the successful D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944.
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Harry S. Truman, the 33rd U.S. President, came from humble Midwestern roots. His decisive leadership shaped American history during key 20th-century moments. Truman was born in Missouri in 1884. His early life showed hard work and integrity from rural values. Farming and small business built his career. This gave him deep feeling for everyday Americans, a trait central to his presidency. Truman's political career started with his election as a county.
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Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak, born July 31, 1979, is an American actor, writer, comedian, and director. Novak wrote and produced episodes of The Office (2005–2013). He also played Ryan Howard in that show.
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Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (HUB-ərd; March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) wrote science fiction and fantasy stories. He also founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard wrote Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health and started groups to push Dianetics. In 1952, Hubbard lost Dianetics rights in bankruptcy court. He then founded Scientology. Hubbard guided the Church of Scientology into a global group. Smithsonian magazine cited Hubbard as one of the 100 most significant.
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Jerome David Salinger (January 1, 1919 – January 27, 2010) was an American writer. His novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is well known. Salinger grew up in Manhattan. He started writing short stories while in school. His father pushed him toward the meat-importing business. Salinger worked in Europe but hated the slaughterhouses. He left Austria one month before Nazi Germany annexed it on March 12, 1938. In 1942, he started dating Oona O'Neill, daughter of playwright Eugene O'Neill. He found her self-absorbed, yet he
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Andrea Joy Cook, born July 22, 1978, is a Canadian actress. She is best known for playing Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds. Cook appeared in films like The Virgin Suicides (1999), Out Cold (2001), and Final Destination 2 (2003).
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Mary J. Blige, an iconic music figure, gained influence through her soulful voice and the evolution of R&B. She was born January 11, 1971, in The Bronx, New York. Blige signed with Uptown Records in 1989, becoming the youngest and first female artist on the label. Her 1992 debut album, What's the 411?, succeeded commercially. This album boosted her career and changed R&B by mixing soulful melodies with hip-hop beats.
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William H. Macy built a career across four decades in American film and television. Macy came from Miami, Florida. He was born March 13, 1950. Macy moved to Georgia. There, he studied veterinary medicine at Bethany College in West Virginia, finding a passion for theater. Macy then moved to Goddard College in Vermont to study under playwright David Mamet. This relationship started his professional career.
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John C. Reilly shows comedic skill and acting depth across entertainment. He was born in Chicago in 1965, a child in an Irish-Lithuanian family. Reilly began acting interest in high school, joining the theater program at DePaul University. He moved to screen acting in the late 1980s. By the early 1990s, Reilly became a character actor. He gained recognition for roles in films like Casualties of War and Days of Thund.
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Cecil B. DeMille became a powerful force during Hollywood's birth. DeMille shaped the early classic Hollywood narrative filmmaking style. DeMille played a more important role than D.W. Griffith in shaping the Hollywood system. Films like "The Squaw Man" (1914), "Brewster's Millions" (1914), and "The Cheat" (1915) show this. "The Cheat's" commercial success let DeMille expand his work. He made the comedy "Don't Change Your Husband" (1919) and his first attempt.
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William S. Burroughs was called "the Godfather of the Beat Generation." Burroughs did not share traits with post-war sons of immigrants who formed America's first unique literary movement. Burroughs came from an upper middle-class background in Missouri. His occult-obsessed mother and a family cook filled him with stories of Irish witchcraft. Burroughs read pulp novels constantly. Teen Burroughs admired Jazz Era gangsters. A serious injury treated with morphine gave him a taste for opiates in New York during World War II.
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M. Night Shyamalan, Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan by birth, is a globally recognized filmmaker of Indian-American descent. Shyamalan earns renown for crafting suspenseful stories with surprising twists. He carved a place in supernatural and sci-fi cinema. His birthplace, Mahe, India, and growing up in the Penn Valley region of Philadelphia shaped his filmmaking style and themes. Shyamalan started filmmaking young, receiving a Super-8 camera as a gift. This sparked his path.
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Susan B. Anthony (February 15, 1820 – March 13, 1906) acted as an American social reformer and women's rights activist. She played a key role in the women's suffrage movement. Growing up in a Quaker family committed to social equality, she gathered anti-slavery petitions at age 17. In 1856, she became the New York state agent for the American Anti-Slavery Society. In 1851, she met Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who became her lifelong friend and coworker in women's rights work. They founded the New York Women's State Temperance Society in 1852.
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Theodore Raymond Knight, born March 26, 1973, is an American actor. He is known for his role as Dr. George O'Malley on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Knight acted on stage since age five. He starred in Broadway, off-Broadway, and theatre productions in his home state of Minnesota. He earned a Drama Desk Award nomination for his performance in MCC Theater's Scattergood in 2003.
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George R. R. Martin did not prioritize his characters over his stories like other fantasy writers. Martin often killed his characters or left them headless in his books. This type of character assassination set Martin's work apart. The former television writer gained worldwide acclaim for his best-selling epic fantasy novel series, starting with A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One (1996). Martin's compelling fantasy saga featured kings, knights, swords, and otherworld.
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Herbert George Wells (September 21, 1866 – August 13, 1946) was an English writer. He wrote many genres, including dozens of novels, short stories, and works on social commentary, history, satire, biography, autobiography, and even two books on recreational war games. People now remember him mostly for his science fiction novels; he is called the "father of science fiction" alongside Jules Verne and Hugo Gernsback. During his life, he was most known as a forward-looking, even prophetic social critic who used his writing skills to advance science.
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Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) wrote fiction. His works showed the Jazz Age's excess and flamboyance. Fitzgerald found popular success and money during his life, but critics gave him little praise until after his death. Fitzgerald, a major member of the 1920s "Lost Generation," now holds a spot as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, The Great Gatsby, and Tender Is the Night.
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Michael C. Hall moved from theater experience to the small screen. He quickly became a recognizable figure, playing many different, often opposite, roles. These roles built him a strong, loyal fanbase. His performance as the uptight gay mortician David Fisher on "Six Feet Under" (HBO, 2001-05) earned him a breakthrough. Before that dark comedy, Hall was a respected actor known for taking over Alan Cumming's role as the sexually suggestive emcee in a Broadway production.
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J.J. Abrams became a screenwriter and TV producer, turning into a major Hollywood feature director. Abrams created highly watched TV shows and huge blockbusters at the same time. Abrams started with weak scripts for "Taking Care of Business" (1990) and "Regarding Henry" (1991). Abrams made his first impact on culture with the hit drama "Felicity" (The WB, 1998-2002). Abrams built his name with the spy drama "Alias" (ABC, 2001-06), which made Jennifer Garner the lead actress.
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Robert Sylvester Kelly, born January 8, 1967, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former semi-professional basketball player. Kelly released "Ignition (Remix)," "Bump & Grind," and "I Believe I Can Fly." He won three Grammy Awards in 1998 for these songs. Kelly sold over 75 million records globally. This made him the most successful R&B male artist of the 1990s and a top-selling music artist worldwide. Since the 1990s, many allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct involving underage girls have targeted Kelly.
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Darryl Lynn Hughley, born March 6, 1963, is an American actor and stand-up comedian. Hughley hosted BET's ComicView from 1992 to 1993. He played the main character on the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys. Hughley was one of the "Big Four" comedians in The Original Kings of Comedy. He hosted CNN's D. L. Hughley Breaks the News. He worked as a correspondent for The Jay Leno Show on NBC. Hughley also worked as a local radio personality and interviewer in New York City. In early 2013, D.L. Hughley placed 9th on Dancing with the Stars.
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George A. Romero, the Pittsburgh filmmaker, dubbed the "Grandfather of Zombies." He shaped the contemporary horror film scene and started the zombie apocalypse subgenre. His first film, "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), raised the level of on-screen violence and gore. Romero also offered a satirical look at American society, showing the changes of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Romero started a craze for zombies and created many imitators.
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Warren Gamaliel Harding served as the 29th U.S. president from 1921 until his death in 1923. Harding joined the Republican Party and became a popular U.S. president. Scandals, like Teapot Dome and his affair with Nan Britton, damaged his public image. Many historical rankings place Harding among the worst presidents. Harding lived in rural Ohio, moving only for political work. As a young man, he bought The Marion Star.
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Paul W.S. Anderson, a self-proclaimed video game enthusiast, made his biggest hit by adapting a popular game for the screen with "Mortal Kombat" (1995). The film, based on the controversial arcade and console series, earned over $70 million at the box office. This success let Anderson adapt games into movies. The film also let Anderson perfect his visual style: interesting settings and fast editing. Anderson used this style in "Resident Evil" (2002) and "Alien vs. P".
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Lyndon B. Johnson, known as LBJ, greatly affected America during the mid-twentieth century. Born in Texas in 1908, Johnson moved from a simple rural background to become the 36th U.S. President. Johnson focused on public service, political skill, and civil rights. His political career began when he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas in 1937. He showed he was a skilled lawmaker and tactician, rising fast.
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David O. Russell quickly earned a reputation as an original, forward-thinking director in Hollywood. His debut, "Spanking the Monkey" (1994), opened doors for Russell. Russell became a rare talent getting studio backing for personal, risky films that usually got good reviews but little money. After the softer "Flirting with Disaster" (1996), Russell achieved a big success with "Three Kings" (1999). This success put Russell in the top group of working directors. Russell maintained
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John C. McGinley built an entertainment career through talent, versatility, and dedication. He was born in New York City in 1959, showing an early interest in acting and storytelling. After Millburn High School, McGinley went to Syracuse University, getting his Master's in Theater in 1984. He sharpened his skills at the Acting Studio, learning from William Esper, a famous acting teacher. McGinley broke through with Oliver Stone's 1986 war film, Platoon, where he played the h
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Robert Lawrence Stine (born October 8, 1943), also known as Jovial Bob Stine and Eric Affabee, is an American novelist, short story writer, television producer, screenwriter, and executive editor. Stine is called the "Stephen King of children's literature." He wrote hundreds of horror fiction novels, including books in the Fear Street, Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, and The Nightmare Room series. Stine also wrote a Space Cadets trilogy, two Hark gamebooks, and many joke books. By 2008, Stine's books sold over 400 million.
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Thomas Stearns Eliot (September 26, 1888 – January 4, 1965), "one of the twentieth century's major poets," wrote essays, published books, wrote plays, and acted as a literary and social critic. Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to a prominent Boston Brahmin family. He moved to England in 1914 at age 25 and settled, worked, and married there. Eliot became a British subject in 1927 at age 39, giving up his American passport. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" (1915) gained wide attention; critics saw it as a masterpiece of the Modernist movement.
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William Edward Burghardt Du Bois (doo-BOYSS; February 23, 1868 – August 27, 1963) was an American sociologist, historian, civil rights activist, Pan-Africanist, author, writer, and editor. Du Bois grew up in a relatively tolerant and integrated community in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. After finishing graduate studies at the University of Berlin and Harvard, where he became the first African American to earn a doctorate, Du Bois became a professor of history, sociology, and economics at Atlanta University. Du Bois helped found the National Association for the Advancement of Co
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Arthur C. Clarke, a literary icon behind the 20th century's great science fiction film "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), wrote fiction and futurist work. Clarke pioneered satellite communications ideas, predicted space stations and the internet, and pictured a future where humanity used space and sea exploration instead of fighting. Clarke wrote over 100 fiction and non-fiction books. Clarke gained unusual fame as an author and succeeded in other media, including hosting his own TV show, "Arthur C. Clarke's"
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John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and banker. He dominated Wall Street's corporate finance during the Gilded Age. As head of J.P. Morgan and Co., he drove industrial consolidation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Morgan arranged the 1892 merger of Edison General Electric and Thomson-Houston Electric Company to create General Electric. He also played key roles in forming the United States Steel Corporation, International Harvester, and AT&T.
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George C. Scott, a major American actor, built a four-decade Hollywood career. He was born October 18, 1927, in Wise, Virginia. People knew him for intense acting and a unique voice. Hardship shaped his character early on. Scott served in the Marine Corps during World War II. He studied drama at the University of Missouri's School of Journalism. His career took off with the role of General "Buck" Turgidson i.
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Science fiction author Philip K. Dick gained respect from literary circles after his 1982 death, despite mainstream audience neglect. Hollywood also took an interest in Dick. Dick wanted to be a major author but stayed in science fiction. He earned respect from colleagues and fans, though this rarely brought much money. Dick wrote over 40 novels and 120 short stories, living a life near poverty.
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Sheila E., from the Escovedo musical family, often worked with rock icon Prince. She started performing as a teenager with her father Pete Escovedo and uncle Alejandro in the Latin funk band Azteca. She played session musician for Marvin Gaye and George Duke. Sheila E. entered the spotlight with her Top 30 solo debut, The Glamorous Life (1984). This album yielded a Top 10 single on the title track, a sultry song about decadent living written by Prince that matched his Purple funk style.
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John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) became the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States and an American law enforcement administrator. He got the job as director of the Bureau of Investigation, the FBI's predecessor, in 1924. Hoover helped found the FBI in 1935. He served as director for another 37 years until his death in 1972 at age 77. Hoover grew the FBI into a bigger crime-fighting agency than it started as and introduced many modernizations to police work.
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Clive Staples Lewis, born November 29, 1898, died November 22, 1963, was a British writer and lay theologian. He held English literature positions at Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge University (Magdalene College, 1954–1963). People know him for fiction like *The Screwtape Letters*, *The Chronicles of Narnia*, and *The Space Trilogy*, and for non-fiction Christian apologetics such as *Mere Christianity*, *Miracles*, and *The Problem of Pain*. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien were close friends. They both taught English at the English faculty.
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A.J. McLean worked on many projects during his entertainment career. McLean started with roles in "Backstreet Boys in Concert" (1998-99) and "Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life" (CBS, 2000-01). He also appeared in "MTV Cribs" (MTV, 2000-08), "Olive Juice" (2000) starring Leighanne Wallace, and "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" (2001). McLean worked on Seth Rogen and Jay Baruchel's box office hit "This Is The End" (2013). Recently, McLean appeared on the Nick Carter documentary "Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of" (2015).
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Julius Robert Oppenheimer (April 22, 1904 – February 18, 1967) was an American theoretical physicist and a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Oppenheimer headed the Los Alamos Laboratory during the war. He is credited as the "father of the atomic bomb" for his role in the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons. The first atomic bomb exploded on July 16, 1945, during the Trinity test in New Mexico. Oppenheimer later mentioned words from the Bhagavad.
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Christa B. Allen became famous as the star of the teen sitcom "Cake" (CBS, 2006). Actress Christa B. Allen then moved to prime-time TV with recurring roles in the soap opera "Revenge" (ABC, 2011-2015) and the family sitcom "Baby Daddy" (ABC Family, 2012-). Born in Wildomar, CA in 1991, the youngest of nine siblings started acting lessons at age nine. She made her on-screen debut as a young Jennifer Garner in the body swap comedy "13 Going on 30" (2004). Allen had a supporting role in the TV movie "A Merry Little Christmas" (2006) and a guest spot on the psychic drama "Medium" (NBC, 2005-2011).
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