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.

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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.

Ralph Carter

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.

A Million Dreams @GreatestShowman 🎩 Full Video on: https://t.co/GMBTB2Kgy9 #AmillionDreams #GreatestShowman #butlins #skegness @RealHughJackman @RealMichelleW #zivzaifman #hughjackman #michellewilliams #rt pic.twitter.com/DsFCBfxyDq

— BOOMIN (@boominband) August 15, 2018

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 Greatest Showman

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.

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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.

Image source

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.