# Huh...Things I learned recently **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587 "2008-04-01T21:34:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/41 "2008-04-02T17:20:50Z")
Eliza Dukshu of Buffy fame was the daughter in True Lies. The actor who plays Ethan in Lost is Tom Cruise’s cousin. 2/3 of the actors I was told I looked like growing up have since come out of the closet. Giving “props” refers to “proper respect”. One of the Cheers regulars was in Star Wars TESB. ---
**Author:** ![chrissysissystar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5e9695/32.png) [@chrissysissystar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrissysissystar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/42 "2008-04-02T17:30:17Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] The little girl from Terry Gilliam’s _Adventures of Baron Munchausen_ played Ana in 2004’s zombie fick _Dawn of the Dead_. [/QUOTE] Who also was the writer and director of the movie \*Away from Her \* which was nominated for an Oscar for original screenplay in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/43 "2008-04-02T17:31:34Z")
Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship fame was the ‘singer’ in the [jazzy numbers](http://youtube.com/watch?v=YcRBEqq-tGY) short bits that appeared on “Sesame Street.” Mariska Hartigay of [Law & Order: SVU](http://imdb.com/name/nm0002127/) is the daughter of Jayne Mansfield (and was in the backseat of the car in her mother’s fatal car crash!) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/44 "2008-04-02T17:33:06Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] One of the Cheers regulars was in Star Wars TESB. [/QUOTE] Was that Cliffy in the snowspeeder? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/45 "2008-04-02T17:41:18Z")
One of Jayne Mansfield’s husbands, Matt Cimber, was the co-creator of “GLOW,” the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/46 "2008-04-02T17:47:00Z")
Ian Holm, who played Bilbo in LOTR, was also the evil droid in the first _Alien_. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/47 "2008-04-02T18:01:13Z")
I just read yesterday that Socks the Cat is still alive at the age of 18. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/48 "2008-04-02T18:01:36Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Was that Cliffy in the snowspeeder? [/QUOTE] Cliffy also is the missle officer who yells “function negative sir!” in Christopher Reeve’s _Superman_. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/49 "2008-04-02T18:07:03Z")
[QUOTE=Karen Lingel] Monk’s first assistant, Sharonna, was the one who kept “crying in baseball” in a _League of Their Own_. [/QUOTE] Another _League of Their Own_ cast factoid: The actress who played Geena Davis’s kid sister pitcher is the same actress who played Rebecca, the _Tank Girl_. I only realized this for the first time this last weekend when I tuned in to laugh at the absurdity that is _Tank Girl_ again. ---
**Author:** ![Sanity\_Challenged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@Sanity\_Challenged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sanity_Challenged)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/50 "2008-04-02T18:13:27Z")
Robia LaMorte, who played Jenny Calendar on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was a dancer in several music videos for Prince. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/51 "2008-04-02T18:17:50Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] Cliffy also is the missle officer who yells “function negative sir!” in Christopher Reeve’s _Superman_. [/QUOTE] Cliffy is also in [Gandhi](http://imdb.com/title/tt0083987/), he’s an army officer who drives Candace Bergin’s character to meet Gandhi. The best part is that his voice is clearly dubbed in by another actor. (although I didn’t just learn that recently…) ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/52 "2008-04-02T18:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=gwendee] Furthermore I learned during this that on the West Wing, Mallory’s last name was not McGarry, it was O’Brien. Was that ever explained? [/QUOTE] I’m pretty sure O’Brian was her mother’s maiden name, which I would guess she took when her parents seperated. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/53 "2008-04-02T18:26:43Z")
[sup]1[/sup]Ted “Lurch” Cassidy supplied the grumbles for Lou Ferrigno’s “Hulk.” And another Bill Bixby related factoid I just found out. . . Bill Bixby’s son with ex-wife [sup]2[/sup]Brenda Benet died tragically at a young age. That I knew. Benet kinda lost it over his death and committed suicide some time after that. That I also knew. Benet was involved in a girl-girl relationship with a minor (Tammy Bruce) at the time of her suicide. That was news. [sup]1[/sup] Lurch also supplied countless cartoon voices [sup]2[/sup] My first viewing of Brenda Benet was when she oozed out of the back room of the “Lucky Spot” bar in the movie walking tall. My teen-age eyes practically popped out of my head because this was on network TV. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/54 "2008-04-02T18:36:39Z")
[QUOTE=fessie] Ian Holm, who played Bilbo in LOTR, was also the evil droid in the first _Alien_. [/QUOTE] He was also the voice of Frodo in the 1981 BBC radio adaptation of _The Lord of the Rings_. My biggest “say what?” was learning that CNN anchor Anderson Cooper is the son of fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/55 "2008-04-02T18:40:58Z")
[QUOTE=tanstaafl] My biggest “say what?” was learning that CNN anchor Anderson Cooper is the son of fashion designer Gloria Vanderbilt. [/QUOTE] That is news (no pun intended) to me right now! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/56 "2008-04-02T19:11:34Z")
[QUOTE=jackdavinci] 2/3 of the actors I was told I looked like growing up have since come out of the closet. [/QUOTE] So…do you have something you need to tell us? 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/57 "2008-04-02T19:39:26Z")
Clancy Brown: 1. Kurgen in Highlander. 2. Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants. 3. Lex Luthor on Justice League. 4. Dr. West on ER. He seems to bounce from Good to Evil! ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/58 "2008-04-02T19:53:54Z")
[QUOTE=Noelq] Clancy Brown: 1. Kurgen in Highlander. 2. Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants. 3. Lex Luthor on Justice League. 4. Dr. West on ER. He seems to bounce from Good to Evil! [/QUOTE] Sgt. Zim in _Starship Troopers_. ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/59 "2008-04-02T20:16:03Z")
Actor Charles Durning was a POW during World War 2. He was awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts from combat. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587/60 "2008-04-02T20:20:54Z")
[QUOTE=The New and Improved Superman] Mariska Hartigay of [Law & Order: SVU](http://imdb.com/name/nm0002127/) is the daughter of Jayne Mansfield (and was in the backseat of the car in her mother’s fatal car crash!) [/QUOTE] [nitpick]Hargitay[/nitpick] And her father (Mickey Hargitay) was once Mr. Universe, and starred as Hercules in a film. No surprise she ended up so attractive! [QUOTE=furryman] Walter Houston did the voice of Gandalf in “The Hobbit” cartoon. This is one of my picks for perfect casting in a movie. [/QUOTE] After telling how he vanquished the Balrog, did he say “No brag, just fact”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/huh-things-i-learned-recently/443587.md?page=4)