Some Very Famous People Were Born and Died Today on My Mother’s Birthday

Today is my mother’s birthday. She was born Harriet Rosalyn on August 16, 1937, to my grandparents Esther and Morris in West Philadelphia. She met my dad, Harold, in high school and they were married on March 1, 1959, when my mom was 21 years old. Yes, you read correctly, my parent’s names are Harriet and Harold.

There have been a lot of famous births and deaths on this date. About 8 months before my parent’s wedding, on my mom’s 21^st birthday, Madonna Louise Ciccone was born, on August 16, 1958.

Madonna shared in an interview that when she started her career she didn’t think about what she could do to help people. She was only concerned about getting her songs on the radio. She’s happy that she has made a difference in people’s lives. Madonna says, “A lot of people come up to me and say ‘You saved my life.’" I can back that up because "La Isla Bonita" got me through some really tough times.

There are a few more notable celebrities that share my mother’s birthday. Actor Steve Carell turns 61, best known for his role as Michael Scott in The Office. Oscar-winning New York-born actress Angela Bassett is 65 today (What's Love Got to Do with It, Black Panther). Also, Kathie Lee Gifford has hit the big 70. She was on Regis and Kathie Lee for 15 years. She also co-hosted the fourth hour of The Today Show with Hoda Kotb for 11 years. Kathie Lee’s husband, the late Frank Gifford, was also born on August 16^th.

My mother’s birthday is also, sadly, the day that many very famous celebrities have died. On my Mom’s 9^th birthday in 1948, Babe Ruth died. Also, dying on Mom’s birthday, her 40^th, was Elvis Presley. And then in 2018, on Harriet’s 81^st birthday, Aretha Franklin.

So if you’re keeping track, my Mom celebrated her day of birth on the same days we lost “The Sultan of Swat,” “The King of Rock and Roll,” and “The Queen of Soul.”

Happy birthday, Mom!

Steve Carell is one of the most versatile comedic actors in Hollywood. He's widely recognized for portraying Michael Scott in the American version of The Office television series. Carell has received numerous accolades for his acting in film and television. He was born on August 16, 1962, in Massachusetts, as the youngest of four brothers. His father, Edwin, was a mechanical engineer, and his mother, Harriet Theresa, was a psychiatric nurse. In high school, Carell played ice hockey and lacrosse. He also took up playing the fife (a small flute similar to the piccolo) with his family.

With an interest in history, Steve received a degree in the subject from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, in 1984. While there, Carell was a member of Burpee's Seedy Theatrical Company, a student-run improvisational comedy troupe, while being a goalie on the school's Big Red hockey team for four years. He even was a disc jockey for the school's campus radio station WDUB under the name "Sapphire Steve Carell."

Early in his performing career, Carell acted onstage in a touring children's theater company. He later starred in the comedy musical Knat Scatt Private Eye and in a television commercial for Brown's Chicken in 1989. Carell made his film debut in a minor role as Tesio in 1991's family comedy Curly Sue. It was in 1996 that Steve was a cast member of The Dana Carvey Show, a short-lived sketch program that lasted one season. Though the comedy program only lasted seven episodes, it has been credited with forging Carell's career. Steve went on to star in several back-to-back comedy films in the 2000s, including 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, the fan-favorite The 40-Year-Old Virgin a year later, Evan Almighty, Get Smart, and Date Night.

He's got 84 acting credits below his belt. Take a look at our top 5 picks of Steve Carell's funniest roles in movies (Not that that is the reason why The Office isn't included here.)

Carell's first animated film role was as the Felonious Gru in the Despicable Me franchise. His wild accent is an entertaining watch for a children's movie that adults can appreciate. He has reprised the role in all five films, even voicing the younger version of the character in 2022's Minions: The Rise of Gru.

In this 2008 action comedy starring alongside Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, and Terence Stamp, Carell plays a highly intellectual analyst who dreams of becoming a field agent like Johnson's Agent 23. While taking on this action role, Carell blends perfectly comedy and action with hilarious yet impressive scenes with Hathaway.

Carell's loveable dimwit character Brick Tamland is one of his most hilarious roles to date. As part of the four-man team, Brick is the weatherman for KVWN news. He often blurts out irrelevant information, and with an IQ of 48, is known for being mentally challenged.

From the movie that gave us "Ahh!!! Kelly Clarkson!" Steve Carell's Andy is an awkward introvert. His co-workers at Smart Tech are on a mission to helping Andy finally lose his virginity. Director Judd Apatow said Carell's Andy "didn't have to be that weird. Everybody has some built-in performance anxiety and for some people, it prevents them from taking risks and they simply stop trying." But Carell really took one for the team here: the waxing scene was real. He didn't have to act like it hurt. And his castmates didn't have to act horrified.

Steve Carell's funniest role goes to this performance as Barry in the 2010 comedy film starring alongside Paul Rudd. Carell's character has a fascinating hobby of taxidermy mice into dioramas based on famous artwork, called "Mousterpieces." Rudd's Tim invites Barry to a dinner after finding him to be an eccentric person with a special talent, only to be used as entertainment for his bosses.