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The Untold Truth Of Edward Furlong’s Ex-Wife – Rachael Bella

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• Rachael Bella Zvagelsky is an American actress and the ex-wife of Edward Furlong, a famous American actor and musician.
• She made her debut film appearance in 1993 and appeared in a number of movies and TV series before her retirement.
• She married Edward Furlong in 2006 and gave birth to their son Ethan Page Furlong.
• She is currently married to Ron Zvagelsky and has two children with him.
• She has a net worth of over $1 million while Edward Furlong's net worth is reputedly over $100,000.

Who is Edward Furlong’s ex-wife Rachael Bella? Wiki Bio

Rachael Bella Zvagelsky was born in Vermilion, South Dakota USA, on 13 March 1984 – her zodiac sign is Pisces and she holds American nationality. She is an actress, but perhaps best known for being the (now ex-) wife of Edward Furlong, a famous American actor and musician.

Childhood and education

Rachael spent the first three years of her life in Vermilion where she was raised by her mother, as her parents divorced shortly after she was born, then moving with her mother to New York and attending a local elementary school. Her mother attending college, eventually graduating and finding a well-paid job to support herself and Rachael, however, she soon became very ill, and upon enrolling at a local high school, Rachael also began working to financially support herself.

She attended a musical theatre class once a week, and when she turned eight she sang at school and was noticed by a New York agent who wanted her to become a stage actress; Rachael decided to wait and find child roles in movies and TV series. Upon matriculation in 2002, she didn’t enroll at college, but pursued her career as an actress.

Roles in movies

Rachael made her debut film appearance in 1993 when she portrayed Ruthie, one of the lead characters in the critically acclaimed German-American-Dutch comedy “When Pigs Fly” starring Alfred Molina and Marianne Faithfull, about a jazz musician who is barely earning enough money for a living. In the same year, Rachael was Young Teresa Santangelo in the drama film “Household Saints”, which starred Tracey Ullman and Vincent D’Onofrio, and covers three generations of women living in New York’s Little Italy after World War II; the movie won one award and was nominated for two others.

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Rachael was also cast to play Young Gigi in the drama movie “Love, Honor & Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage”, the story of Rosalie Bonnano, daughter of a mafia boss, who married the son of another mafia boss who was her father’s rival prior to the marriage – the film was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special.

In 1995, Rachael appeared as Betsy in the family drama movie “A Little Princess”, which starred Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, and Liesel Matthews and in the same year portrayed Suzie in the science fiction film “W.E.I.R.D. World”, which starred Dana Ashbrook and Marshall Bell and which is about the problems at the Wilson Emery Institute for Research and Development (W.E.I.R.D.).

In 1996, she played Betty Parris in the historical drama movie “The Crucible” which starred Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, and Paul Scofield, about a woman who is trying to accuse her lover’s wife of witchcraft in 1962; the movie was a huge success as it won four awards and was nominated for 29 others, including two Oscars.

Rachael then appeared as Young Nikki in the horror movie “The Devil’s Child”, which was directed by Bobby Roth and written by Pablo F. Fenjves. The year 1997 saw her as Meredith in the erotic drama “The Blood Oranges”, starring Sheryl Lee and James C Ronning, and in 2002 she played Rebecca ‘Becca’ Kotler in the critically acclaimed supernatural horror movie “The Ring” which starred Naomi Watts and Martin Henderson and which won 14 awards while it was nominated for 12 others.

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Two of Rachael’s following roles were as Haille in the American crime drama film “American Gun” in 2005, and in the independent movie “Jimmy and Judy” in which she played Judy in 2006, while the two of her final roles in movies before retirement were in “High Hopes” in 2006, and in the black comedy slasher movie “Drive-Thru” in 2007 which starred Leighton Meester and Nicholas D’Agosto and which won a Golden Trailer Award for Trashiest Trailer, despite receiving rather poor reviews.

Roles in TV series

Rachael made her debut TV series appearance in 1994, as the Little Girl in the episode “Grace and Beauty” of the romantic comedy series “Grace Under Fire” which starred Brett Butler and Casey Sander, and which follows a former alcoholic who, after divorcing her husband, is struggling to raise her three children by herself.

The series was a big success winning seven awards, while it was nominated for 22 others including three Golden Globes.

Her next role was as Sarah Gasner in the episode “Into That Good Night” of the medical drama series “ER”, which was a critical success, as it won 156 awards including a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama for Anthony Edwards, and was nominated for 367 other awards during its airing from 1994 to 2009. Rachael went on to play Lisa Matthews in the episode “Poor Richard’s Almanac” of the legal drama series “The Practice” in 2001, before briefly appearing as the Dead Girl in the episode “Lessons” of the critically acclaimed evergreen supernatural drama series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” in 2002 – the series won 52 awards and was nominated for 130 others including a Golden Globe in the six years it was airing.

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Three of Rachael’s final roles in TV series before she retired from acting were in the episode “Resilience” of the crime drama series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in 2002, the episode “Star Crossed” of the supernatural drama series “Tru Calling” in 2003, and the episode “Chapter 80” of the drama series “Boston Public” in 2004.

She has been keeping away from the media’s attention since her retirement, and it’s believed that Rachael has been working in the real estate business for over 10 years now.

Love life and relationships

Rachael met her first husband, Edward Furlong in 2002, when they were cast to appear in the same film – they dated for four years before marrying in a small ceremony attended by their closest friends and family on 19 April 2006.

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On 21 September 2006, Rachael gave birth to their son Ethan Page Furlong, but on 8 July 2009 she filed for divorce, eventually finalized on 30 June 2014 a year after she was granted a restraining order against Edward, having obtained a temporary restraining order against Edward back in 2010. Rachael was granted custody over Ethan during workdays, while Edward got to see him on weekends, however, after a test showed that Ethan was positive on cocaine, Edward’s visits to his son were supervised by a policeman.

On 30 July 2014, Rachael married Ron Zvagelsky in a small ceremony, and has given birth to their two children. The family of five including Ethan is currently residing at their home in Los Angeles, California.

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Hobbies and other interests

Rachael has been working as a singer since she retired from acting, and has performed in classy bars around Los Angeles – her favorite genre is jazz, and some of her favorite performers are Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Travelling is one of her main hobbies, as she’s been all around the US for both work and pleasure, and has also travelled to England and Spain in Europe, and been to Asia to visit friends in China. She is a lover of animals and has a pet dog, while her favorite animals are horses. She is a bit of a shopaholic, who goes shopping for clothes several times a week.

Rachael likes to watch movies late at night, and some of her favorite actors and actresses are Richard Gere, Mel Gibson and Anne Hathaway, while some of her favorite movies are “Gone in 60 Seconds”, “Braveheart”, and “Les Miserables”.

Appearance and net worth

Rachael is 36 years old. She has long black hair and brown eyes, is 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, and weighs around 128lbs (58kgs). As of June 2020, her net worth is estimated at over $1 million while Edward’s net worth is reputedly over $100,000.

Who is Edward Furlong? Wiki Bio

Edward Walter Furlong was born in Glendale, California USA, on 2 August 1977 – his zodiac sign is Leo and he holds American nationality. Edward is perhaps still best known for his portrayal of John Connor in the science fiction action movie “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, and which follows a cyborg who has to protect John Connor from another cyborg. The movie was a huge success, winning 36 awards including four Oscars, while it was nominated for 33 others.

For his performance, Edward won an MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Role, as well as a Saturn Award for Best Young Actor.

Edward was raised in Glendale by his mother Eleanor Torres, who was working at a youth center – his father abandoned the family before Edward had a chance to meet him. In 1990, Edward’s aunt Nancy Tafoya and her half-brother Sean Furlong gained custody of him, and they went on to serve as his managers when he launched his acting career. He attended a local high school, where he was physically active as he played football and soccer, matriculating in 1995.

He launched his acting career with his role in “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” in 1991, and was then invited to play supporting characters in the horror movie “Pet Sematary Two”, the drama “American Heart” in 1993, and the critically acclaimed drama movie “Little Odessa” in 1994.

He appear in several other movies before cast as one of the lead characters, Daniel Vinyard in the critically acclaimed crime drama film “American History X”, which also starred Edward Norton; the movie was a big success, and won four awards while it was nominated for 14 others, including an Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role (for Norton). He went on to portray the lead character Ron Decker in the crime drama movie “Animal Factory”, directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Willem Dafoe and Danny Trejo.

Some of his following roles were in the Italian movie “The Knights of the Quest” in 2001, the superhero film “The Crow: Wicked Prayer” in 2005, and the drama film “Living & Dying” in 2007, in which he played Sam, the lead character. He had a supporting role in the vigilante action comedy movie “The Green Hornet” in 2011, which starred Seth Rogen and Jay Chou and which won four awards, while his next notable performance was in the drama thriller movie “Crave” in 2012. Some of Edward’s latest roles in movies have been in the apocalyptic thriller “Aftermath” in 2014, the drama movie “A Winter Rose” in 2016, and the science fiction action film “Terminator: Dark Fate” in 2019.

Edward has also appeared in several TV series – his most notable performance was in the police procedural series “CSI: NY”, in which he portrayed Shane Casey in five episodes in 2006 and 2010.

Edward’s problems with alcohol, heroin, and cocaine began in the ‘90s, and he entered a rehabilitation program in October 2000 for the first time. He continued using drugs, and in September 2009 Rachael told the police that Edward hit her while he was under the influence of cocaine. In October 2012, the police arrested him after his now ex-girlfriend Monica Keena accused him of domestic violence, and after a month, he was re-arrested for the same offence, as well as in January 2013. He was sentenced to spend six months in jail in March 2013, after he assaulted Monica again, and after he was released in May 2013, he was arrested yet again for assaulting Monica. There is no news of any further exploits!

As the Managing Editor at The Legit, I direct a dynamic team dedicated to creating rich content that profiles the lives and accomplishments of influential figures. My commitment to detail and storytelling drives the production of biographies that truly engage our audience. I manage all aspects of the editorial process, from conducting thorough research to crafting vivid narratives, all while ensuring the accuracy and quality of our work. At The Legit, our goal is to offer our readers comprehensive profiles that provide deep insights into the realms of business, entertainment, and more. Through diligent research and engaging storytelling, we highlight the exceptional journeys and achievements of those who both inspire and intrigue us.

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Anon Amos

    June 26, 2022 at 10:48 pm

    The first pic in this article isn’t Rachael Bella.

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Actors

Naked Truth Of Kathleen Kinmont – Where is she today? Wiki

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Kathleen Kinmont is an American actress and author, who became known through her roles in action and horror movies, as well as her work on the popular television series in the 1990’s, “The Renegade,” with her former husband, actor Lorenzo Lamas.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Kinmont was born on 3 February 1965, in Los Angeles, California, USA, to parents Jack Smith, an electrical parts distributor, and Abby Dalton, an actress. She and her two brothers were raised in Toluca Lake in the San Fernando Valley, just 12 miles away from downtown Los Angeles.

Education

There is little information about her early years including her educational attainment, except that she matriculated from Our Lady of Corvallis High School, a Catholic school in Studio City, California in 1982.

Career

First Steps

In 1965, Kathleen debuted in the world of television when she was still a baby, along with her older brother, in the last season of “The Joey Bishop Show,” in which her mom was a series regular. By the time she finished high school, she had a brief modeling career and decided to pursue an acting career just like her mother. She debuted with a minor role in the movie called “Hardbodies,” a sex comedy released in 1984. One would think she would have it easy due to her mother’s connections, but she struggled through a few years, accepting minor roles. She even took part in movies that sometimes wouldn’t be released in theaters, but direct to video, such as “Nightforce” and “Winner Take All.”

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Her hard work paid off in 1988, when she was given a major role in “She-Wolves of the Wasteland,” also known as “Phoenix the Warrior.” She played the titular role of Phoenix with Peggy McIntaggart and Persis Khambatta, in which they battle for the last man on Earth during the post-apocalyptic era. It was followed in the same year by the horror movie “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers,” which was a commercial success.

Further Success

The following year she did an action movie, “Snake Eater II: The Drug Buster,” with Lorenzo Lamas, and the comedy-horror movie “Bride of Re-Animator,” and continued to make movies mostly in the action and horror-slasher genres.

A couple of them were with her husband Lorenzo Lamas, including “CIA Code Name: Alexa” and its sequel “CIA II: Target Alexa,” which were released in 1992 and 1993, respectively.

Their working relationship was successful, so that Lorenzo made her a regular in his television series “The Renegade,” which aired from September of 1992 up to April of 1997. She played the role of Cheyenne Phillips, who was part of the bounty hunter crew headed by Lorenzo’s character. While the series ran for five seasons, Kathleen was only part of the series until the fourth season – the official reason was that due to the separation of the couple, working together grew uncomfortable, not only for them but to the rest of the production crew as well.

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Kathleen also made numerous guest appearances, playing supporting roles in several TV series including favorite daytime series “Dallas” (1991), “Santa Barbara” (1992), and “Days of Our Lives” (2002). She was also seen in the popular lifeguard drama series, “Baywatch,” in 1994, and had the recurring role as Charlene Ballard in “Silk Stalkings” from 1997 to 1999. She was also part of Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, “That Thing You Do,” in 1996.

In the 2000’s, she was into making movies made for television, and also short movies; nothing significant that would make headlines, but her work as supporting cast was continuous.

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She also tried her hand in screenwriting for TV and movies, including for the short movie “Mrs. Sweeney,” and for the TV movie “BFF Ent Variety Comedy,” which she also co-produced, both released in 2013. Kathleen also wrote, co-produced and directed the pilot episode for “Fame Game” in 2014.

When web series became a new medium for entertainment, she accepted a recurring role in “Zoe Valentine” with Anna Cathcart, appearing in four episodes in 2019. She was also seen as a series regular in the TV series “Phoenix,” a sci-fi thriller aired in 2019 over at Amazon Prime Video.

This 2020, before the Covid19 pandemic happened, she was announced to be a part of the movie “The Whack Job,” with Richard Norton.

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Personal Life

Kathleen is currently single, living in Los Angeles with her daughter, Ayden Grace, and a dog named Bolt. She was previously married and divorced three times.

First Husband – Lorenzo Lamas

Her first husband was actor Lorenzo Lamas, whom she met through her mother when she was still a senior in high school. Abby was filming Falcon Crest with Lorenzo when he saw a picture of Kathleen in a swimsuit, and begged for an introduction. He was 25 and just divorced when they started to date. It didn’t work out as Lorenzo was a flirtatious ladies man who made a pass on one of her girlfriends during Kathleen’s 18th birthday, and during one Falcon Crest press tour Lorenzo had his publicist pregnant, whom he married before the birth of his son.

After a couple of years Lorenzo separated from his wife, and Kathleen started dating him again but he decided to reconcile with his estranged wife for his son’s sake, and Kathleen started dating other men. Lorenzo divorced his wife and tried winning Kathleen back, but she declined as she was engaged to another actor at that time. When they met again in 1987, he was engaged to another actress, but they made a vow that they wouldn’t marry anyone. Later that year, she broke off her engagement and reached out to Lorenzo, only to find out that he’d married his fiancée. After a while, he divorced his second wife and went back to Kathleen.

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This time he approached her parents and told them he couldn’t live without her, and on 25 January 1989, they were married at Graceland Chapel in Las Vegas with his children as best man and maid of honor. It was great for a time, but they filed for divorce after five years of marriage.

Second Husband – Jere Burns

In 1997 she married actor Jere Eugene Burns, who is best known for his villainous roles in the television series “Justified” and “Burn Notice.” The marriage lasted for about three years – they were divorced by 1999.

Third Husband – Doug Swander

She took the plunge again and married Doug Swander in 2006. There is no information about her third husband and about their marriage, but they divorced in 2011, since when she’s been officially single.

Interesting Facts

  • She wrote an illustrated book for children entitled “Magic and Beauty”, published on 4 November 2019 with April Ballantine providing the illustrations.
  • Among her three husbands, she remained close friends with Lorenzo Lamas and she would post about him on her Instagram account.
  • She has a penchant for getting engaged, as she’s said yes too many times to several marriage proposals from various men when she was younger, only to break them off after a few months. She claimed to be in love with love.
  • The real reason she was booted out from “The Renegade” was not solely because they were uncomfortable working as a former couple, but Kathleen said many bad things to the media about Lorenzo’s new girlfriend. Apparently, the new girl made a guest appearance in the TV series, and she didn’t like it.

Appearance

She stands 5ft 10ins. (1.78m) tall and weighs around 132lbs (60kgs). She maintains a fit body due to her love of Yoga and Meditation. She is Caucasian with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Net worth

Authoritative sources estimated Kathleen’s net worth to be over $3 million, as of June 2020.

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Danny Pintauro’s (Who’s the Boss?) Net Worth, Gay Wedding

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Danny Pintauro is an American actor born on 6 January 1976, in Milltown, New Jersey USA. He’s best known for this role in the 1984 TV series “Who’s The Boss”, and in the film “Cujo” from 1982.

Early Life

Daniel John Pintauro was born the son of John J. Pintauro, a manager of Italian and Polish origins, and Margaret L. Pintauro, who worked as an agent. There’s not much information about Danny’s early life, childhood and education, however, it’s known that in 1994 he took time away from his acting career to study in Middlesex County College in New Jersey, and then in Stanford University, from where he graduated with a Major in Drama and Theater in 1998. He also played in Leland Stanford University Marching Band, with the trumpet as his instrument.

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Career

Debut: 1982 – 1983

Danny started his career at the very young age of seven years old, when in 1982 he made his acting debut in the series “As the World Turns”, replacing actor Canaan Crouch in the role of Paul Ryan. He started this role on January 1983, and was eventually replaced by Elden Ratliff in February 1984.

His next role was Tad Trenton in the 1982 film “Cujo”, directed by Lewis Teague, an adaptation of the screenplay by Don Carlos Dunaway and Lauren Currier based on the novel by Stephen King of the same name.

“Cujo” is the story of a St. Bernard dog named Cujo. The dog struggles with the rabies disease caused by the bite of a bat, which provokes several changes in its behavior.

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After its owners get out of town to visit some relatives, Cujo becomes a blood-thirsty beast that kills everyone who comes close to the house. On the other side, Donna and her son Ted, who happened to arrive to Cujo’s owners’ house for a brief visit, are stuck in their car as they wait for an opportunity to escape Cujo.

The movie was released on 12 August 1983, and received poor reviews by critics, who described “Cujo” as ‘cliché’ and ‘a mess’. However, nowadays the movie is regarded as a horror movie classic, and has gathered appreciation from fans of Stephen King’s novel.

Who’s the Boss and Other Projects: 1984 – 1992

In 1984 Danny Pintauro started his most memorable role in the series “Who’s the Boss?” His role as Jonathan Bower would steal hearts around the US for the eight years the sitcom was on air on ABC, which lasted 196 episodes.

The show centers on the story of a former major league baseball player, Tony Micelli, and lawyer Angela Bower. Tony moves out to Connecticut along his daughter, Samantha to work as Angela’s housekeeper, who has a son named Jonathan. The show breaks gender stereotypes about domesticity, and portrays intellectual and sensitive characters.

When the show was aired for the first time in September 1984 Danny Pintauro was only eight years old, and when it finished after eight seasons in April 1992 he was 16 years old.

During that time Danny worked in several other productions, such as the film “The Beniker Gang” in 1984 and in the TV-Movie “Timestalkers” from 1987.

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The same year he was cast to appear in two episodes of the series “Highway to Hell” as Alex, then appeared as Kevin Worth in the TV-Movie “Jury Duty: The Comedy” in 1990. He also appeared in TV commercials for Liptons, Quacker Corn Brain and Lots-A-Noodles Cup-A-Soup. His constant work as an actor made him a present and memorable child-star in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Smaller Projects: 1992 – Present

After the end of “Who’s the Boss?” Danny didn’t receive many job offers as an actor, so he only participated in stage plays such as “The Velocity of Gary” and “Mommie Queerest”. In 1994 he took a break from acting to focus on his studies, and it wasn’t until 2001 that he made his TV comeback.

He appeared in the child-star edition of the TV-Show “The Weakest Link”, but was voted off it in the fourth round.

Five years later in 2006, he appeared in the film “The Still Life” directed by Joel Miller, a story about Julian Lamont, an artist who struggles to put his life together. Danny had the role of Stefan in this film.

In 2010, Danny participated in two TV series: “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”, and as Milton in “Laugh Track Mash-ups”. In 2017, Danny was cast in the role of Gary in the TV series “Unsure/Positive”, which tells the story of Kieran McCullay, who is diagnosed as HIV positive and tries to find the courage to tell his family and friends about it. Although the show started filming in 2017, it hasn’t been to air yet. In 2020 Danny appeared in “The Quarantine Bunch”, in which various former child-stars encourage people to stay home during the COVID-19 spread, by streaming various situations through Zoom.

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Other Jobs

As of 2020, Danny works in Las Vegas at Austin Pets Alive, an organization aiming to preserve animal life.

Personal Life

Sexuality

Danny Pintauro came out as homosexual in 1997, after the tabloid “National Enquirer” threatened to reveal it for him. He said: ‘I couldn’t deny it anymore. It was just the right time (post-Ellen) to come out… I’m proud to be gay’. Years later, Danny also said that he wanted to be a ‘beacon of light’ for the LGBT community.

Health

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2015, Danny reveled that he was diagnosed in March 2003 as HIV Positive. ‘I’m HIV positive’ he said to Winfrey. ‘And I have been for 12 years.’ ‘I went in for a regular checkup.

You know, as a responsible gay man, you’re getting an HIV test done every six months …. And you sort of waited two weeks on pins and needles, or at least I did, because I was just terrified of the idea of getting HIV.’

However, his diagnosis was relieving for Pintauro: ‘You’ve spent so much time terrified that you’re going to get it, and then you have it. You don’t have to be terrified anymore’.

Addiction

Danny also revealed to Oprah that at the time he got HIV, he was struggling with his addiction to Crystal meth. He revealed to People magazine that he started using drugs to explore his sexuality more deeply: ‘crystal meth takes away your inhibitions – you have no limits’. He continued ‘On crystal meth, you have no boundaries, you feel invincible. You feel incredibly heightened when it comes to your sexuality, and everything sounds and feels exciting to you’.

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He also revealed how his addiction was consuming his life: ‘It would make me so angry with myself that I had done it, and that I was now suffering through this three-day period of nonsense that I couldn’t even go to work or find a job or make something happen or even make myself some food. For me, that was so deeply upsetting, and it made me so angry that that was enough’.

Danny hasn’t consumed any drugs since quitting in 2005.

Marriage

Danny Pintauro married his boyfriend Wil Tabares on 3 April 2014, one year after their engagement, in a small and intimate beach ceremony. Pintauro told US Magazine: ‘The wedding was terrific and everyone was so happy to be there. We had fun!’.

Net Worth

Danny Pintauro has an estimated net worth of $600,000 as of early 2020, which is a result of his work as an actor, and as an Austin Pets Alive’s employee.

Appearance

Danny is a man of white ethnicity, with green eyes and blond hair. He’s 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall.

Interesting Facts

Danny Considers actress Judith Light as his ‘TV mom’, as she acted that role in the TV series “Who’s the Boss?”.

In 1997 after the National Enquirer threatened to reveal his sexuality, Danny asked Judith for advice on what he should do in such a situation. She encouraged him to say the truth: ‘as long as you give really responsible and mature answers, it can’t be a bad article’.

After Danny reveled himself as HIV positive, he has become an activist for HIV awareness.

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About Donna Douglas: Cause of Death, Spouses, Net Worth, Wiki

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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