Who is Lauren Wood?

A singer-songwriter and voice-over artist, Lauren Wood, is perhaps still known best for her single “Fallen” featured in the Oscar-nominated (Best Actress in a Leading Role) movie “Pretty Woman”, starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. The single “Fallen” is referred to as one of the most beautiful love songs, and the soundtrack from the mentioned movie has sold over 20 million copies worldwide bringing Lauren Wood international fame.

To learn more about her journey from shy teenage girl to world-renowned and awarded artist, keep on scrolling.

Early life, family, and education

Born Ilene Rappaport also known as Chunky, the singer has never revealed her birthdate. It is known that she hails from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA, thus she holds American nationality, and Lauren comes from a family of Caucasian descent.

Being secretive when it comes to her personal matters, Lauren hasn’t shared the names of her parents or their occupations, however, in her interview for Rivetin Griffs, she said that both of her parents were very supportive of her music career. She added that she was raised with a really good and fun-loving attitude, although she was shy while she was a teenager.

Lauren said that her parent’s support helped her to overcome shyness and she recalls that her mother used to tell her that she can do anything.

When it comes to Lauren’s educational background, she attended a local high school. It’s believed that upon matriculating she enrolled in college, although Lauren hasn’t confirmed this assumption.

From shy teenager to Grammy-nominated artist

Lauren launched her music career forming the band called Rebecca and the Sunnybrook Farmers, back in the middle ’60s. In 1972, Lauren sang the backup vocals on the album “The Grand Wazoo” by Frank Zappa.

In the following year, she formed another band, called Chunky, Novi & Ernie, with her cousin, Novi Novog, a viola player, and Ernie Emerita, a bassist. The trio released their debut album in 1973, and the second was released in 1977.

Two years later, Lauren released her debut self-titled album for Warner Bros. Records, which although a solo album, in the lower right corner there were words ‘featuring Novi and Ernie’. Some of the guests who were heard on Lauren’s album were Michael McDonald, Patrick Simmons, Steve Lukather, and many others.

Lauren also wrote for artists such as Larry Coryell, Cher, Warren Hill, and Nicolette Larson, among many other popular singers. In 1981, Lauren released her second album “Cat Trick”, and soon after, she vanished from the music scene.

She spent time writing songs and performing for television and movie soundtracks. Worth mentioning is her single “Wounded in Love”, featured in the 1986 comedy “Police Academy 3: Back in Training”.

The aforementioned mega-hit song “Fallen” was, without a doubt, the most crucial single for her music career. Lauren received multiple prizes and praises for the song, which is perhaps one of the most intriguing love ballads.

Another notable single was Lauren’s duet with Michael McDonald, and the song “Please Don’t Leave” was number five hit on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

In the late ‘90s, Lauren founded her record label, Bad Art Records, and in 1999, she released her third album, which was also self-titled. Her fourth album, entitled “Love, Death & Customer Service” was released in 2006.

In 2020, Warner Bros. Records re-released and remastered Lauren’s albums, “Lauren Wood” and “Cat Trick”.

Acting career and voice-over credits

Lauren made her acting debut in an episode of the series “Throb” in 1986. Three years later, she was heard as a Singer in “Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland”. In 2002, Lauren voiced the characters of Elf and Fidgety Kid in two episodes of the animated series “Rugrats”. She was next heard in “Rugrats Pre-School Daze” and “All Grown Up!” in 2005, and in 2007, she was seen as Carly in an episode of the series “The Chase”.

Lauren sang the theme song for the series “Just Shoot Me!”, and was heard on many national commercials for brands such as Nintendo, Nike, and Budweiser. As a background vocal, Lauren was heard in commercials for Cadillac, Oldsmobile, and 7 Up.

When it comes to movies, Lauren recorded voice-over for animations such as “The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea”, “Jackie Chan Adventures”, and “The Tigger Movie”. For the last one, she sang five songs, including the hit “Someone Like Me Lullabee”.

Lauren was also heard singing in the jukebox musical comedy “Mamma Mia!”, starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Amanda Seyfried, and Stellan Skarsgård. She sang “Dancing Queen”, “SOS”, “Take a Chance on Me”, and “Super Trouper”.

The album was nominated for the Grammy Award- Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.

Love life and relationships

As mentioned, Lauren is quite secretive when it comes to her private life, and she hasn’t spoken about her relationships. She has been the subject of numerous rumors about her love life and even her sexual orientation was questioned, however, she remained tight-lipped about these assumptions.

Some rumors were saying that she was in a relationship with Michael McDonald since the two were often seen together performing all around the US and worldwide. The rumors stopped in 1983 when Michael married Amy Holland, also a singer.

There have been rumors saying that Lauren was in a relationship with the late singer Allee Willis, and the two collaborated on the songs “In The Dark” and “Ain’t Got Nothing For Me”. In one of her interviews, Lauren said that Allee was her girlfriend for four years, however, it isn’t clear if this was just a close friendship or something more.

As of April 2023, it seems that Lauren is single, she hasn’t been married or engaged and doesn’t have children.

How rich is Lauren Wood?

Lauren has made a fortune as a multi-talented artist and the owner of the international hit. She earns as the record label owner. Also, she must have earned a higher amount of money shooting commercials for various popular brands. According to sources, as of April 2023, Lauren’s net worth has been estimated at over $9 million.

Who is Ralph Carter?

Ralph Carter is a former American television actor as well as a singer, who is probably still most famous for being the child star of the 1970s three-time Golden Globe-nominated TV sitcom series “Good Times”, in which he appeared as Michael Evans.

Early Life

Ralph David Carter was born under the astrological sign of Gemini on the 30 May 1961, in New York City.

Except that he is of American nationality and African American ethnicity, there aren’t any other relevant details regarding his early life, family members or educational background.

Acting and Music Career

Ralph’s acting career began at his age of only nine, when he made his debut appearance on Broadway in the musical stageplay “The Me Nobody Knows” in 1971. This was followed by a streak of appearances in theatrical productions such as “Dude” and “Via Galactica”.

Being recognized as a rising star and honored with the Drama Desk Award as the Most Promising Performer, young Ralph was cast for the role of Travis Younger in the Judd Woldin’s Broadway musical entitled “Raisin”. This performance had earned him another Drama Desk Award in 1973 as well as the Theatre World Award in 1974, which were both eventually followed by a nomination for the prestigious Tony Award later in 1974.

Carter’s critically acclaimed Broadway’s performances caught the eye of the American Oscar-nominated director, producer and writer Norman Lear, who in 1974 cast Ralph for the recurring role of Michael Evans in his television comedy series “Good Times“. A spin-off show of “Maude”, the CBS’ sitcom follows a story of Florida and James Evans, portrayed by Esther Rolle and John Amos respectively, and their three children living in Chicago’s black neighborhood housing project.

Ralph portrayed the character of the couple’s youngest child who, due to his passionate activism earned the nickname ‘the militant midget’. Carter continued his role through the show’s run of six seasons and over 130 episodes, until 1979 when it was eventually cancelled.

After performing several songs from the original soundtrack of “Good Times”, at the age of 15 in 1976, Mercury Records released Carter’s debut studio album entitled “When You’re Young and in Love” – it premiered on the TV program “Soul Train”, after which the album’s single named “Extra Extra (Read All About It)” peaked at No. 12 on the US Billboard’s chart.

In 1985, Carter released a single entitled “Get It Right”.

Carter’s latest on-screen acting engagement occurred in 1987, when he starred in the short ‘rock operetta’ movie “Donny’s House”, while his most recent on-stage appearance dates back to 2005 when he starred in The Classical Theater of Harlem company’s stageplay “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death”.

In 2002 Carter wrote a premise for an episode for the Primetime Emmy Award-nominated TV comedy series “The King of Queens”, while in 2006 he wrote lyrics for the song “Shakin'” that was featured in the comedy movie “The Groomsmen”.

Personal Life

At a Christmas Party in 1982, Carter first met Lisa Parks with whom he shortly after began a relationship.

After almost four years of dating, the couple became engaged in 1986, and married six months later in February 1987. Prior to their separation in 1992, the couple was blessed with two children, sons named Michael and James. Since 1994, Ralph has been married to River York, with whom he’s welcomed two daughters, named Jessica and Vivica and a son called Phoenix.

Net Worth

Have you ever wondered how much wealth this former juvenile acting star has accumulated so far? How rich Ralph Carter is nowadays? Authoritative sources in the field have estimated that, speaking as of mid-2020, the total of his net worth revolves around $1 million, primarily acquired through his previous acting career, as well as his efforts in the music industry.

Who is Ziv Zaifman?

Ziv Zaifman was born on 7 July 2004, in Clearwater, Florida, USA, and is an actor as well as a singer, best known for his work on the film “The Greatest Showman”. While he didn’t have a role in the film, he provided the singing voice for actor Ellis Rubin, who was portraying a young PT Barnum.

The Riches of Ziv Zaifman

As of early-2020, Ziv Zaifman has a net worth estimated to be over $200,000 earned through a bit of success in the entertainment industry. He’s been involved in a few acting projects, though “The Greatest Showman” remains as his biggest success commercially. As he is still young, time will tell if he will continues in the acting field or pursue another.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Ziv grew up in Florida, and at a young age demonstrated talent in singing. He loved performing, and aspired to find a career as a film actor, using his talents in singing to help him land roles in musicals or the like.

One of his first acting roles was in an episode of the show “The Blacklist” in 2017; starring James Spader, it follows the story of a criminal who was formerly an officer in the US Navy, and after eluding the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for many years, he gives himself up to become an informant, convincing them that he’s compiled a blacklist of all the most dangerous criminals in the world, and is willing to give up the information in exchange for immunity.

The show has been acclaimed throughout its run, which made it a great first step for Zaifman, though he only had a small role in one episode.

PT Barnum – A History

Zaifman’s next project would be his most career-defining so far, as the singing voice of Ellis Rubin in “The Greatest Showman”. The show is a biographical film, depicting the life of showman Phineas Taylor Barnum or PT Barnum, who founded the Barnum and Bailey Circus, which for its entire run marketed itself as “The Greatest Show on Earth”, hence the name of the film.

Barnum was a small business owner who discovered a desire to pursue a career in entertainment. He first purchased Scudder’s American Museum which he used as a platform to market various hoaxes such as the Fiji Mermaid, actually a monkey sewn into a fish, making it look like the skeleton of a mermaid. These hoaxes were what he would become known for though – in 1850, he partnered with opera singer Jenny Lind for an American tour spanning 150 nights, for which he paid her an unprecedented $1000 a night for her work. While he suffered numerous setbacks during this period, his museum flourished, expanding and gaining the first aquarium in the US.

The Later Career of PT Barnum

While Barnum’s most enduring and celebrated achievement was his circus, his later career was marked with service in the government, as he became a member of the Connecticut Legislature. He was highly inclined to a change in the US Constitution, opposed to practices of slavery, expressing his Christian beliefs that a soul should not be subject to involuntary servitude. He also fought for causes such as street lighting, prostitution laws, liquor limitations, and better water supply to the state, plus establishing the Bridgeport Hospital in 1878.  Most of these achievements were overshadowed by his traveling circus and museum filled with freaks, as the public would call it.

The Success of The Greatest Showman

The film gained a lot of traction since its announcement, gaining high profile acting talents such as Hugh Jackman, Zendaya, and Zac Efron. The film takes inspiration from Barnum’s museum and his career in entertainment, most notably his work with Lind as well as his circus. The film’s production took most of 2017, with its release scheduled for later in the year. The film had a mixed reception from critics, though it did not stop generally positive acclaim for its music, production, and acting performances. Hugh Jackman gained numerous nominations for his work, and the music of the film gained numerous nominations, with the song “This Is Me” winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song.

While its soundtrack gained a lot of attention, it was also noted that several actors didn’t sing their respective songs. Zendaya, Hugh and Zac performed their songs, while Loren Allred provided the voice for actress Rebecca Ferguson, who portrayed the Swedish Nightingale Jenny Lind. Ziv also sang, and can be heard on the track “A Million Dreams”. The film was successful commercially, becoming the third highest-grossing musical in the US, earning a total of $435 million worldwide, as opposed to its $84 million budget.

Recent Work and Personal Life

Since the success of “The Greatest Showman”, Zaifman has had one other film project, a follow-up from his work in the previous film, cast in the 2018 independent film “To Dust”, which starred Matthew Broderick and Geza Rohrig.

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and tells the story of a Jewish man who tries to move forward after losing his wife to cancer. He then finds an unusual partnership with a rabbi and a biology professor.

Following his work there, things have been quiet for Ziv in the last few years. The speculation is that he is continuing his education, and may eventually take more acting opportunities as thery comes. However, there is also a possibility that he may not follow through with his initial acting work, as is the case for several child actors.

Ziv is young and single, not likely focused on finding any long term relationship as he is still focused on education. He’s also just begun in his career in the entertainment industry, which may leave him little in terms of time for a girlfriend. Not a lot of information has been revealed about him, apart from his love for singing and acting.