Adrienne Barbeau, honestly, what a legend. Born out in Sacramento back in ‘45, she’s had one hell of a ride—like, she kicked off her career on the sitcom Maude, which, if you haven’t seen it, was pretty groundbreaking for its time. Folks mostly know her from horror though, especially the stuff with John Carpenter. Yeah, she was married to him too, so talk about a power couple. Movies like Someone’s Watching Me!, The Fog, and Escape from New York? All her. She’s basically a scream queen, but with more attitude than most. Teamed up with George Romero a couple of times too—remember Creepshow? That was her, chewing the scenery. She even did a stint with Wes Craven in Swamp Thing, which is this weird superhero-monster flick from the early ‘80s. Not to mention, if you were a ‘90s kid glued to Batman: The Animated Series, she was the voice of Catwoman. That raspy, cool vibe? All Barbeau. And Broadway, don’t even get me started. She was the OG Betty Rizzo in Grease, way before the movie. Aside from acting, she’s also an author. Knocked out a memoir—There Are Worse Things I Could Do—and even wrote a bunch of vampire rom-com novels. Not bad for someone who started out as the Mobil Oil exec’s daughter, right? The woman’s got range for days, and she’s not slowing down anytime soon.
Back in the mid-60s, she was shaking it up as a go-go dancer in some smoky New York nightclub, the kind of joint with more than a few wiseguys lurking in the shadows. Yeah, the Mafia had their fingerprints all over that place—classic NYC, right? Between dodging trouble and hustling for tips, she was also clawing her way onto Broadway, dreaming of something bigger than cheap drinks and sleazy regulars. Life behind the velvet rope wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it paid the bills while she auditioned for the next big show. Then, outta nowhere, the owner decided to ditch the scene and turn the whole club into a bikini bar. That was it for her; she wasn’t about to stick around for that downgrade. She hung up her go-go boots, walked out, and never looked back—swapping the club’s neon lights for the bright lights of Broadway, chasing something real.
Some movies just stick with you, you know? Swamp Thing (1982) is one of those cult classics that refuses to fade away, no matter how many decades roll by. The plot’s pretty wild: a scientist, Alec Holland, gets caught up in some shady government experiments out in the middle of a swamp (where else?). Things go sideways—there’s sabotage, explosions, and suddenly, Holland’s transformed into this hulking, mossy creature. You’d think that’d be the end of his story, but nope. He’s got enemies hunting him, a love interest to protect, and a whole lot of existential drama to wade through—literally. The movie’s this weird blend of horror, romance, and campy superhero vibes, with a dash of 80s cheese for good measure. It’s messy, but that’s half the charm. People keep coming back to it, month after month, like it’s some secret club.
June 11, 1945
5′ 2″ (1.57 m)
Konidela Ram Charan
Sacramento, California, USA
Yes, William Dalton Van Zandt
Joseph Barbeau and Surekha
80 years old