Entertainment Trivia … Did You Know

For as long as I can remember, I have loved “collecting” entertainment trivia, random bits and pieces of information about the entertainment world and those who work within that industry.

Over the years, it has proven worthwhile that I love collecting entertainment trivia (it’s funny how your brain can remember certain things, forget others or even block some things out) because that knowledge has come in handy when talking with friends about television and movies.

With that thought in mind, I decided to compile just some of the trivia items that I have shared in recent conversations with some of my friends; and I am curious if any of our readers were aware of the following before reading them below.

Did You Know…

That actress Debra Messing – of Will & Grace fame – appeared in a commercial for Clairol back in 1994 before she hit it big on TV and then in 2000 after she had conquered Hollywood (so to speak) she appeared in another Clairol commercial.

Videos for both of those commercials are featured below:

Debra Messing in 1994 Clairol Commercial:

Debra Messing in 2000 Clairol Commercial:

Did You Know…

That actor Jamie Bamber – of Battlestar Galactica fame – and actress Anastasia Griffith – who has appeared in the shows Damages, Trauma, Copper and Once Upon a Time – are brother and sister.

Did You Know…

That actor Theo James – who is best known for playing Four in the Divergent series of movies and David in the last two Underworld films – played Mr. Pamuk, the lover of Lady Mary who unexpectedly died in her bed in the first season of Downton Abbey.

Ryan is sitting on the floor on the bottom left

Did You Know…

That Ryan Gosling appeared in the Mickey Mouse Club alongside then unknown singers Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.

They also appeared in the kid’s show alongside actress Keri Russell – of Felicity and The Americans fame – fellow NYSNC member JC Chasez and actress Nikki DeLoach from the MTV series Awkward and the Hallmark Channel movies Christmas Land and A Dream of Christmas.

Did You Know…

Actors Tom Cruise and widely recognized character actor William Mapother are cousins. Viewers will recognize William from countless movies and TV appearances, but he is probably best known for his role of Dr. Ethan Rom on the TV juggernaut Lost.

Milana as Lily in AT&T on left and as Sloane in This Is Us on right

Did You Know…

That the actress – Milana Vayntrub – who plays Sloane Sandburg on the hit NBC series This Is Us – she is the playwright and actress in the play for which Kevin Pearson (series regular Justin Hartley) is doing off-off-off-Broadway – is known as saleswoman Lily Adams in the AT& commercials.

Paul in Sabrina on left and Billions on right

Did You Know…

Actor Paul Giamatti – who stars in the Showtime series Billions alongside Homeland alum Damien Lewis – had a small role in the 1995 remake of the classic film Sabrina.

Matt in Mystic Pizza on left, The Martian in the middle and Jason Bourne on right

Did You Know…

That actor Matt Damon – Jason Bourne and The Martian star himself – had a very small part in the 1988 fan favorite film Mystic Pizza – playing the younger brother of Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr. (actor Adam Storke), who was the current boyfriend [if you will] of Daisy Arujo (actress Julia Roberts BEFORE she hit it big in Steel Magnolias and Pretty Woman).

Did You Know…

Actor Daniel Gillies from The Originals and actress Rachael Leigh Cook from the film She’s All That and the TV show Perception have been married since 2004 and appeared in the independent film Broken Kingdom for which Daniel served as the director and writer as well as star.

Did You Know…

That actor Jeremy Renner – Hawkeye himself of Marvel fame – appeared in the 2003 music video “Trouble” by singer Pink. He was the sheriff of the town featured in the music video.

Here is the video as proof:

Did You Know…

That actress Catherine Zeta-Jones – you know the Welsh beauty from Zorro and Chicago fame, who is married to Michael Douglas – appeared in the 1996 cult classic film The Phantom alongside actor Billy Zane, original Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Kristy Swanson, Everwood and Hairspray star Treat Williams and The Man in the High Castle star Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

Lili as Zombie in H&R Block commerical and as Lily in Agents of SHIELD on right

Did You Know…

That the actress in one of the recent H&R Block commercials that features Mad Men alum Jon Hamm – actress Lili Birdsell, she is the one that looks like a zombie – is the same actress who starred as Lucy Bauer, the murderous ‘ghost’ in the first half of the fourth season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Did You Know…

That actor Brent Bailey and actress Joanna Sotomura, who starred in the lead roles in the popular streaming series Emma Approved appeared as a couple in a commercial for Kay Jewelers. Here is the video of that commercial:

So, were you aware of any or all of these trivia items? Please share below; and be on the look-out for more “Did You Know…” pieces here at NiceGirlsTV.