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.

Who was Donna Douglas?

The late American actress and singer Donna Douglas was born as Doris Ione Smith in Pride, Louisiana USA, on 26 September 1932, meaning that Libra was her zodiac sign. She appeared in 43 TV series and movies, and is perhaps still remembered best for starring as Elly May Clampett in all the 274 episodes of the family comedy series “The Beverly Hillbillies”, which Paul Henning created, and which also starred Buddy Ebsen and Irene Ryan. It follows a hillbilly family who’ve just become wealthy and have moved to Beverly Hills; the series aired from 1962 through 1971, and won three of its 21 award nominations.

Education and early life

Donna was raised in Pride alongside her one older sibling, by their mother Elma (nee Robinson) who was a housewife, and father Emmett Ratcliff Smith Sr. who worked at Standard Oil.

Donna became interested in acting while attending St. Gerard Catholic High School, while she was also into playing basketball and softball with her peers. She matriculated in 1951, and then found work to financially support herself, while she was named Miss Baton Rouge sometime in the mid-1950s, and Miss New Orleans in 1957, and then moved to New York City to pursue a career in the movie industry.

Roles in TV series

Donna made her debut TV series appearance in the 1959 comedy “The Steve Allen Plymouth Show”, and the same year saw her play Nancy in the episode “The Casino” of the crime drama “Tightrope”; she could then have been seen appearing in an episode of the family comedy “Bachelor Father”, the adventure “Whirlybirds” and the critically acclaimed family comedy “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”.

She was mostly focused on shooting for “The Beverly Hillbillies” in the ‘60s, and only appeared in a couple of other TV series in the decade, such as the drama “Sam Benedict”, the crime drama “The Defenders” and the family fantasy comedy “Mister Ed”.

From 1970 through 1972, Donna played Annabelle and Gloria Gilchrest in the romantic comedy “Love, American Style”, which starred William Callaway, Barbara Minkus and Stuart Margolin, and is a collection of short love stories; the series won four of its nine award nominations. Donna also remains known for playing Mrs Ferrell in the science fiction “Project U. F. O.”, created by Harold Jack Bloom, and which starred Caskey Swaim and Edward Winter; it follows two men employed by the US government as they’re investigating UFO sightings.

Donna retired from acting in 1981, but returned to voice Ellie Mae in the 1989 episode “Mario Hillbillies” of the animated action adventure “The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!”, and to play a supporting character in the 1999 episode “California, Here We Come” of the romantic family comedy “The Nanny”.

Roles in movies

Donna’s debut film role was playing Woman on Sidewalk in the critically acclaimed 1959 action adventure mystery “North by Northwest”, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and which starred Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. It follows an advertising executive who’s trying to hide from a group of foreign spies, as they believe him to be a government agent; the film won nine of its 22 award nominations, including three Oscar nominations for Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction – Set Direction, Color and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

Some of Donna’s following roles were in the drama “Career” and the family musical comedy “Li’l Abner” both in 1959, and the 1960 romantic musical comedy “Bells Are Ringing”.

In 1961, she portrayed Deborah, Peter’s Secretary in the romantic comedy “Lover Come Back”, directed by Delbert Mann, and which starred Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall. It follows a man who’s been left with a campaign for a product which is yet to be invented, and the film won two of its eight award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

Donna had only two other film roles prior to retiring, playing Frankie in the 1966 romantic musical comedy “Frankie and Johnny” and Elly May Clampett in the 1981 comedy “The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies”, while she was later featured in the 2008 short family drama “Chronicles of Life Starfish” and the 2013 family drama “Chronicles of Life Trials”.

Other credits

Donna sang the song “Look Out Broadway” in the 1966 movie “Frankie and Johnny”, and the song “Real Love” in the 1999 video game “Grand Theft Auto 2”.

Some of her talk-show appearances were in “TV Land’s Top Ten”, “Biography” and “The Jim Bakker Show”.

Awards and nominations

Donna was named Miss Golden Globe in 1963, and won a 2004 TV Land Award for Favorite ‘Fish Out of Water’, for her and her colleagues performance in “The Beverly Hillbillies”.

Career after acting

Donna became a real estate agent upon retiring from acting, but only worked the job for two years as she then returned to the film industry, appearing in several TV series and movies, and helping friends with writing and producing their projects.

She became a motivational speaker, giving speeches at schools and churches across the USA, and was also a gospel singer. Donna published her first children’s book “Donna’s Critters and Kids: Children’s Stories with a Bible Touch” sometime in the 2000s, and it was followed by her second “Miss Donna’s Mulberry Acres Farm” in November 2011; she published her cookbook “Southern Favorites with a Taste of Hollywood” in 2013.

Love life and marriages

Donna was married twice. She and her first husband, non-celebrity American Roland Bourgeois Jr. exchanged vows in 1951, and Donna gave birth to their son Danny Bourgeois in 1954; she and Roland divorced in the same year, for unknown reasons.

Her second husband was the late American film editor and director Robert M. Leeds; they married in 1971 and divorced in 1980.

Donna didn’t speak about other men whom she had perhaps been with, she was single at the time of her death, had married twice and had a son with her first husband Roland Bourgeois Jr.

Interesting facts about Donna

She enrolled at Rhema Bible Training Center in 1982, graduating with a degree in children’s ministry in 1984.

Her closest friend was the late American actor and dancer Buddy Ebsen (born as Christian Ludolf Ebsen Jr), who passed away aged 95 on 6 July 2003.

Donna and Curt Wilson filed a lawsuit against The Walt Disney Company and some of its employees on 10 June 1993, claiming that their 1992 comedy movie “Sister Act” was plagiarized from the book “A Nun in the Closet”; The Walt Disney Company won the case. She also filed a federal lawsuit against CBS Consumer Products and Mattel on 4 May 2011, claiming that they used her appearance for a Barbie doll; the case was settled on 27 December 2011.

Donna spent the last years of her life answering her fan mail, being with her friends and family members, and gardening.

Death, appearance and wealth

Donna was 82 when she died from pancreatic cancer on 1 January 2015, at Baton Rouge General Hospital, and so would’ve been 90 today. She had blue eyes and blonde hair, was 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall and weighed around 150lbs (67kgs).

Donna’s net worth was estimated at over $500,000 at the time of her death.

Who is Mackenzie Phillips?

American actress and singer Laura Mackenzie Phillips was born in Alexandria, Virginia USA, on 10 November 1959, meaning that Scorpio’s her zodiac sign. She’s appeared in 55 TV series and movies, but is perhaps still known best for playing Carol in the 1973 comedy movie “American Graffiti”, which George Lucas wrote and directed, and which starred Paul Le Mat, Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss. It follows a group of teenagers who’ve just matriculated from a local high school, and are now spending their last night together; the movie won nine of its 27 award nominations, including five Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Candy Clark) and Best Director, amongst others.

Education and early life

Mackenzie was raised in Alexandria by her mother Susan Stuart Adams, who was a housewife, and father John Edmund Andrew Phillips, the late American singer-songwriter and guitarist who was a member of the folk rock vocal group The Mamas & Papas. Mackenzie’s brother is Jeffrey Phillips, and half-siblings Chynna Phillips, who’s today a famous singer and actress, Bijou Lilly Phillips Mastersons who’s a model, actress and singer, and Tameriane Phillips.

Mackenzie grew up being interested in music, and was 12 when she and her friends founded a band; she was noticed by a casting agent while they were performing, and was cast to appear in her first movie, playing Doris in the 1973 drama “Go Ask Alice”. Mackenzie made her debut TV series appearance in the following year, playing Chessie Wallace in the episode “Roadblock” of the drama “Movin’ On”.

She studied at Highland Hall Waldorf School while simultaneously working on her acting career; Mackenzie matriculated in 1978 and then chose not to enroll at college.

Roles in movies

In 1975, Mackenzie played Robin Williams in the drama “Miles to Go Before I Sleep”, and the remainder of the decade saw her appear in the 1975 comedy “Three to Get Ready”, and in 1979 the drama “Fast Friends” and the war comedy “More American Graffiti”.

She played one of the main characters J. J. in the 1982 romantic crime drama “Love Child”, written and directed by Larry Peerce, and which also starred Amy Madigan and Beau Bridges. It tells the true story of Terry Jean Moore, who was sentenced to seven years behind bars for stealing $5 – the movie was nominated for only a single award. Mackenzie then played Deyna in the 1986 drama “Kate’s Secret”, and her following film role came in 1998, when cast to play Connie in the drama “True Friends”.

In 2002, she portrayed Mary Burge in the biographical family drama “Double Teamed”, directed by Duwayne Dunham, and which starred Poppi Monroe, Annie McElwain and Teal Redmann; it follows two sisters who’ve become professional basketball players. Mackenzie appeared in only two other films in the 2000s: the 2005 fantasy mystery “The Jacket” and the 2009 drama “Radio Needles”.

The year 2013 saw her star as Jamie in the crime drama “She Made Them Do It”, directed by Grant Harvey, and which also starred Jenna Dewan and Sarah Jo Pender. It tells the true story of Sarah Pender who was found guilty of planning two murders, and the film was nominated for a Canadian Cinema Editors Award for Best Editing in Television Movie or Mini-Series.

Mackenzie’s three most recent film roles have been in the 2015 family drama “Girl on the Edge”, the 2016 drama “Sacred Journeys”, and the 2018 drama “North Blvd”.

Roles in TV series

The ‘70s saw Mackenzie appear in an episode or two of various series, such as the crime mystery “Baretta”, the comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, and the romantic biographical comedy “Eleanor and Franklin”.

From 1975 through 1983, she played Julie Cooper Horvath in 130 episodes of the comedy “One Day at a Time”, created by Whitney Blake and Norman Lear, and which starred Bonnie Franklin, Pat Harrington Jr. and Valerie Brertinelli. It follows the life of a divorced mother, and the series won seven of its 25 award nominations. Mackenzie appeared in only one other TV series in the ‘80s, playing Carol Needom in the 1985 episode “Murder in the Afternoon” of the crime mystery “Murder, She Wrote”.

The mid-1990s saw her appear in single episodes of the romantic drama “Beverly Hills, 90210”, the romantic drama “Melrose Place”, and the romantic comedy “Caroline in the City”, then from 1999 through 2001, Mackenzie starred as Molly Phillips in the popular family adventure mystery “So Weird”. It was created by Tom J. Astle, also starred Cara DeLizia and Patrick Levis, and follows a pre-teen girl who keeps witnessing supernatural occurrences, but nobody believes her; the series was nominated for seven awards. Some of Mackenzie’s other TV series appearances in the 2000s were in an episode of the crime mystery “The Division”, another crime mystery “Without a Trace”, and the family comedy “7th Heaven”.

Most recently, from 2017 through 2020, she played Pam in nine episodes of the hit comedy “One Day at a Time”, in which Todd Grinnell, Justina Machado and Isabella Gomez starred, and which was created by Mike Royce and Gloria Calderon Kellett. It follows a large Cuban-American family living under the same roof, and the series won 15 of its 66 award nominations.

Other credits

Mackenzie sang the song “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” in the 1976 episode “Happy New Year” of the comedy series “One Day at a Time”, and the song “Junk Food Junkie” in the 1977 episode “John Byner” of the musical comedy “The Jacksons”.

She received special thanks for the 2004 historical science fiction documentary movie “Empire of Dreams: The Story of the ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy”.

Some of Mackenzie’s most recent talk-show appearances have been in “Stars in the House”, “America Recovers” and “Entertainment Tonight”.

Awards and nominations

Mackenzie won a Meritorious Achievement Award at the 2012 LA Femme International Film Festival.

She was also nominated for a 2005 TV Land Award for Favorite Singing Siblings, for her and Valerie Bertinelli’s performance in “One Day at a Time”, and a 2017 Behind the Voice Actors Award for Best Vocal Ensemble in a New TV series, for her and her colleagues’ performance in “Milo Murphy’s Law”.

Drug addiction and scandals

Mackenzie revealed in her 2009 memoir “High on Arrival” that she was 11 when she began taking cocaine, and that her father took it with her, as well as injected her with it. She was fired from the series “One Day at a Time” in 1980 aged 20, because of her drug and alcohol abuse, having nearly killed herself twice by overdosing. She returned to the series after having completed a rehab program, but soon began using cocaine again, and was permanently fired in 1983; she continued using cocaine until the first half of the ‘90s, but has since been clean.

Mackenzie also revealed that she was raped by her father in 1979, the night before she was to marry her first husband, and that she was then in a sexual relationship with her father for a while, describing it as ‘sort of Stockholm syndrome’; the two stopped having sex after Mackenzie became pregnant, and her father paid for her abortion.

Love life and marriages

Mackenzie’s been married thrice, and has revealed that she’s bisexual. Her first husband was British rock ‘n’ roll band manager Jeffrey Sessies, who’s probably only known for being a son of the late British businessman and raconteur Arden Frederick ‘Freddie’ Sessier; Mackenzie and Jeffrey married in 1979, but divorced two years later.

She and her second husband, British rock ‘n’ roll guitarist Michael Barakan aka Shane Fontayne exchanged vows in 1986, divorced in 2000,and have a son Shane Barakan, born in 1987.

From 2005 through 2007, Mackenzie was married to her third husband Keith Levenson.

She’s yet to speak of other people who she’s perhaps been with, Mackenzie’s unattached as of April 2023, has been married thrice, and has a son with her second husband Michael Barakan.

Interesting facts and hobbies

Mackenzie’s appeared in a number of talk-shows, most notably in the third season of the show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” in January 2010, to speak about her rehabilitation, as well as to urge people to stop using drugs.

Mackenzie’s followed by more than 50,000 people on Instagram, and has uploaded over 260 pictures and videos onto the network, most of which show her spending time with her dog and friends.

She’s a philanthropist and has worked with several charity organizations, mostly enjoying helping the youth, and abandoned animals.

Mackenzie loves to read books in her spare time; her favorite genre’s psychology, and her favorite book is “Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman.

Her favorite actresses are Katharine Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman, and some of Mackenzie’s favorite movies include “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, “The African Queen” and “Bringing Up Baby”.

Height, eyes and wealth

Mackenzie’s age is 63. She has brown eyes and hair, is 5ft 7ins (1.71m) tal, ,and weighs around 135lbs (62kgs).

Mackenzie’s net worth’s been estimated at over $1 million, as of April 2023.