Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 14-20

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Celebrity birthdays for the week of April 14-20

2019-04-09 22:14 Last Updated At：22:20

April 14: Country singer Loretta Lynn is 87. Actress Julie Christie is 79. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore is 74. Actor John Shea ("Gossip Girl," ''Lois and Clark") is 70. Actor Peter Capaldi ("Dr. Who," ''The Musketeers") is 61. Actor-turned-racecar driver Brian Forster ("The Partridge Family") is 59. Actor Brad Garrett ("Everybody Loves Raymond") is 59. Actor Robert Carlyle ("Once Upon A Time") is 58. Singer-guitarist John Bell of Widespread Panic is 57. Actress Catherine Dent ("The Shield") is 54. Drummer Barrett Martin (Screaming Trees) is 52. Actor Anthony Michael Hall is 51. Actor Adrien Brody is 46. Singer David Miller of Il Divo is 46. Rapper Da Brat is 45. Actor Antwon Tanner ("One Tree Hill") is 44. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar is 42. Actor Rob McElhenney ("It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia") is 42. Singer Win Butler of Arcade Fire is 39. Actor Claire Coffee ("Grimm") is 39. Actor Nick Krause ("The Descendants") is 27. Actor Graham Phillips ("The Good Wife") is 26. Actress Skyler Samuels ("Scream Queens") is 25. Actress Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine") is 23.

April 15: Actress Claudia Cardinale ("Son of the Pink Panther") is 81. Singer-guitarist Dave Edmunds is 76. Actor Michael Tucci ("Diagnosis Murder") is 73. Actress Lois Chiles ("Austin Powers") is 72. Actress Amy Wright is 69. Actress Emma Thompson is 60. Singer Samantha Fox is 53. Guitarist Ed O'Brien of Radiohead is 51. Actor Danny Pino ("Cold Case") is 45. Country singer Chris Stapleton is 41. Actor Luke Evans ("The Hobbit") is 40. Drummer Patrick Carney of The Black Keys is 39. Bassist Zach Carothers of Portugal. The Man is 38. Actor Seth Rogen is 37. Actress Alice Braga ("I Am Legend") is 36. Singer-songwriter Margo Price is 36. Drummer De'Mar Hamilton of Plain White T's is 35. Actress Samira Wiley ("Orange Is The New Black") is 32. Actress Leonie Elliott ("Call the Midwife") is 31. Actress Emma Watson ("Harry Potter" movies) is 29. Actress Maisie Williams ("Game of Thrones") is 22.

April 16: Actor Peter Mark Richman ("Dynasty") is 92. Singer Bobby Vinton is 84. Midnight Oil singer-turned-politician Peter Garrett is 66. Actress Ellen Barkin is 65. Actor Michael Gill ("House of Cards") is 59. Singer-bassist Jason Scheff (Chicago) is 57. Singer Jimmy Osmond is 56. Singer David Pirner of Soul Asylum is 55. Actor-comedian Martin Lawrence is 54. Actor Jon Cryer is 54. Actor Peter Billingsley ("A Christmas Story") is 48. Actor Lukas Haas is 43. Broadway actress Kelli O'Hara is 43. Actress Sadie Sink ("Stranger Things") is 17.

April 17: Actor David Bradley ("Game of Thrones") is 77. Musician Jan Hammer is 71. Actress Olivia Hussey is 68. Actor Clarke Peters ("Treme") is 67. Rapper Afrika Bambaataa is 62. Actor Sean Bean ("Lord of the Rings") is 60. Actor Joel Murray ("Dharma and Greg," ''The Artist") is 57. Singer Maynard James Keenan of Tool and of Puscifer is 55. Actress Lela Rochon is 55. Actor William Mapother ("Lost") is 54. Actress Leslie Bega ("The Sopranos") is 52. Actor Henry Ian Cusick ("Scandal," ''Lost") is 52. Actress Kimberly Elise is 52. Singer Liz Phair is 52. Rapper-actor Redman is 49. Actress Jennifer Garner is 47. Singer Victoria Beckham of the Spice Girls is 45. Actress Lindsay Korman ("Passions") is 41. Actor Tate Ellington ("Quantico") is 40. Actor Charlie Hofheimer ("24: Legacy") is 38. Actress Rooney Mara ("The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo") is 34. Actress Dee Dee Davis ("The Bernie Mac Show") is 23.

April 18: Actor Robert Hooks is 82. Actress Hayley Mills is 73. Actor James Woods is 72. Actress Cindy Pickett ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off") is 72. Keyboardist Walt Richmond of The Tractors is 72. Bassist Jim Scholten of Sawyer Brown is 67. Actor Rick Moranis is 66. Actor Eric Roberts is 63. Actress Melody Thomas Scott ("Young and the Restless") is 63. Actor John James ("Dynasty," ''The Colbys") is 63. Bassist Les Pattinson of Echo and the Bunnymen is 61. Actress Jane Leeves ("Hot In Cleveland," ''Fraiser") is 58. Ventriloquist Jeff Dunham is 57. Talk show host Conan O'Brien is 56. Actor Eric McCormack ("Will and Grace") is 56. Actress Maria Bello is 52. Actress Mary Birdsong ("Reno 911!") is 51. Actor David Hewlett ("Stargate: SG-1") is 51. Actress Fedro Starr ("Moesha") is 48. Actor David Tennant ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") is 48. Guitarist Mark Tremonti of Creed and of Alter Bridge is 45. Singer Trina of Trina and Tamara is 45. Actress Melissa Joan Hart ("Sabrina the Teenage Witch") is 43. Actor Bryce Johnson ("Pretty Little Liars") is 42. TV personality Kourtney Kardashian is 40. Actress America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") is 35. Actor Tom Hughes ("Victoria") is 34. Actress Ellen Woglom ("Marvel's Inhumans") is 32. Actress Vanessa Kirby ("The Crown") is 31. Actress Alia Shawkat ("Arrested Development") is 30. Actress Britt Robertson ("Under the Dome") is 29. Actress Chloe Bennet ("Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," ''Nashville") is 27. Singer Nathan Sykes of The Wanted is 26. Actor Moises Arias ("Hannah Montana") is 25.

April 19: Actress Elinor Donahue ("Father Knows Best") is 82. Keyboardist Alan Price of The Animals is 77. Actor Tim Curry is 73. Singer Mark "Flo" Volman of The Turtles is 72. Actor Tony Plana ("Ugly Betty") is 67. Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight is 54. Country singer Bekka Bramlett of Bekka and Billy is 51. Actress Kim Hawthorne ("Greenleaf") is 51. Actress Ashley Judd is 51. Singer Luis Miguel is 49. Actress Jennifer Esposito ("Blue Bloods") is 47. Actress Jennifer Taylor ("Two and a Half Men") is 47. Singer Madeleine Peyroux is 45. Actor James Franco is 41. Actress Kate Hudson is 40. Actor Hayden Christensen ("Star Wars Episodes II and III") is 38. Actress Catalina Sandino Moreno ("Che," ''Maria Full of Grace") is 38. Actress Ali Wong ("American Housewife") is 37. Actress Victoria Yeates ("Call the Midwife") is 36. Drummer Steve Johnson of Alabama Shakes is 34.

April 20: Actor George Takei ("Star Trek") is 82. Singer Johnny Tillotson is 81. Actor Ryan O'Neal is 78. Keyboardist Craig Frost of Grand Funk Railroad is 71. Actor Gregory Itzin ("24") is 71. Actress Veronica Cartwright ("Aliens") is 70. Actress Jessica Lange is 70. Actor Clint Howard is 60. Actor Crispin Glover is 55. Actor Andy Serkis ("Lord of the Rings") is 55. Country singer Wade Hayes is 50. Actor Shemar Moore ("Criminal Minds") is 49. Actress Carmen Electra is 47. Actor Joey Lawrence ("Blossom," ''Brotherly Love") is 43. Multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook of the Zac Brown Band is 41.

Buddhist monks and their dog captivate Americans while walking for peace

A group of Buddhist monks and their rescue dog are striding single file down country roads and highways across the South, captivating Americans nationwide and inspiring droves of locals to greet them along their route.

In their flowing saffron and ocher robes, the men are walking for peace. It's a meditative tradition more common in South Asian countries, and it's resonating now in the U.S., seemingly as a welcome respite from the conflict, trauma and politics dividing the nation.

Their journey began Oct. 26, 2025, at a Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Texas, and is scheduled to end in mid-February in Washington, D.C., where they will ask Congress to recognize Buddha’s day of birth and enlightenment as a federal holiday. Beyond promoting peace, their highest priority is connecting with people along the way.

“My hope is, when this walk ends, the people we met will continue practicing mindfulness and find peace,” said the Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara, the group’s soft-spoken leader who is making the trek barefoot. He teaches about mindfulness, forgiveness and healing at every stop.

Preferring to sleep each night in tents pitched outdoors, the monks have been surprised to see their message transcend ideologies, drawing huge crowds into churchyards, city halls and town squares across six states. Documenting their journey on social media, they — and their dog, Aloka — have racked up millions of followers online. On Saturday, thousands thronged in Columbia, South Carolina, where the monks chanted on the steps of the State House and received a proclamation from the city's mayor, Daniel Rickenmann.

At their stop Thursday in Saluda, South Carolina, Audrie Pearce joined the crowd lining Main Street. She had driven four hours from her village of Little River, and teared up as Pannakara handed her a flower.

“There’s something traumatic and heart-wrenching happening in our country every day,” said Pearce, who describes herself as spiritual, but not religious. “I looked into their eyes and I saw peace. They’re putting their bodies through such physical torture and yet they radiate peace.”

Hailing from Theravada Buddhist monasteries across the globe, the 19 monks began their 2,300 mile (3,700 kilometer) trek at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth.

Their journey has not been without peril. On Nov. 19, as the monks were walking along U.S. Highway 90 near Dayton, Texas, their escort vehicle was hit by a distracted truck driver, injuring two monks. One of them lost his leg, reducing the group to 18.

This is Pannakara's first trek in the U.S., but he's walked across several South Asian countries, including a 112-day journey across India in 2022 where he first encountered Aloka, an Indian Pariah dog whose name means divine light in Sanskrit.

Then a stray, the dog followed him and other monks from Kolkata in eastern India all the way to the Nepal border. At one point, he fell critically ill and Pannakara scooped him up in his arms and cared for him until he recovered. Now, Aloka inspires him to keep going when he feels like giving up.

“I named him light because I want him to find the light of wisdom,” Pannakara said.

The monk's feet are now heavily bandaged because he's stepped on rocks, nails and glass along the way. His practice of mindfulness keeps him joyful despite the pain from these injuries, he said.

Still, traversing the southeast United States has presented unique challenges, and pounding pavement day after day has been brutal.

“In India, we can do shortcuts through paddy fields and farms, but we can’t do that here because there are a lot of private properties,” Pannakara said. “But what’s made it beautiful is how people have welcomed and hosted us in spite of not knowing who we are and what we believe.”

In Opelika, Alabama, the Rev. Patrick Hitchman-Craig hosted the monks on Christmas night at his United Methodist congregation.

He expected to see a small crowd, but about 1,000 people showed up, creating the feel of a block party. The monks seemed like the Magi, he said, appearing on Christ’s birthday.

“Anyone who is working for peace in the world in a way that is public and sacrificial is standing close to the heart of Jesus, whether or not they share our tradition,” said Hitchman-Craig. “I was blown away by the number of people and the diversity of who showed up.”

After their night on the church lawn, the monks arrived the next afternoon at the Collins Farm in Cusseta, Alabama. Judy Collins Allen, whose father and brother run the farm, said about 200 people came to meet the monks — the biggest gathering she’s ever witnessed there.

“There was a calm, warmth and sense of community among people who had not met each other before and that was so special,” she said.

Long Si Dong, a spokesperson for the Fort Worth temple, said the monks, when they arrive in Washington, plan to seek recognition of Vesak, the day which marks the birth and enlightenment of the Buddha, as a national holiday.

“Doing so would acknowledge Vesak as a day of reflection, compassion and unity for all people regardless of faith,” he said.

But Pannakara emphasized that their main goal is to help people achieve peace in their lives. The trek is also a separate endeavor from a $200 million campaign to build towering monuments on the temple’s 14-acre property to house the Buddha’s teachings engraved in stone, according to Dong.

The monks practice and teach Vipassana meditation, an ancient Indian technique taught by the Buddha himself as core for attaining enlightenment. It focuses on the mind-body connection — observing breath and physical sensations to understand reality, impermanence and suffering. Some of the monks, including Pannakara, walk barefoot to feel the ground directly and be present in the moment.

Pannakara has told the gathered crowds that they don't aim to convert people to Buddhism.

Brooke Schedneck, professor of religion at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, said the tradition of a peace walk in Theravada Buddhism began in the 1990s when the Venerable Maha Ghosananda, a Cambodian monk, led marches across war-torn areas riddled with landmines to foster national healing after civil war and genocide in his country.

“These walks really inspire people and inspire faith,” Schedneck said. “The core intention is to have others watch and be inspired, not so much through words, but through how they are willing to make this sacrifice by walking and being visible.”

On Thursday, Becki Gable drove nearly 400 miles (about 640 kilometers) from Cullman, Alabama, to catch up with them in Saluda. Raised Methodist, Gable said she wanted some release from the pain of losing her daughter and parents.

“I just felt in my heart that this would help me have peace,” she said. “Maybe I could move a little bit forward in my life.”

Gable says she has already taken one of Pannakara’s teachings to heart. She’s promised herself that each morning, as soon as she awakes, she’d take a piece of paper and write five words on it, just as the monk prescribed.

“Today is my peaceful day.”

Freelance photojournalist Allison Joyce contributed to this report.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.