Curtain Up, Fact Down: 50 Must-Know Facts About Actors – Part 7

In 1952, at the age of 18, Donnie Dunagan made history by becoming the Marine Corps' youngest-ever drill instructor. His dedication to service extended to three tours in Vietnam, during which he displayed extraordinary valor by earning three Purple Hearts. Additionally, Dunagan harbored a well-guarded secret for over 50 years-he had been a child actor and had provided the voice for young Bambi.

Federico Castelluccio, renowned for his role as Furio on "The Sopranos," possessed a unique talent beyond his acting career. He was an art expert who, to his credit, discovered a Renaissance painting that had been previously misidentified. This masterpiece was valued at approximately $10 million, which was way more than the $140,000 he had paid for it.

Bill Murray considers "Groundhog Day" to be the film he was destined to make and perhaps his most outstanding work. Prior to the movie, he was predominantly perceived as a comedic actor, but "Groundhog Day" transformed him into a multifaceted actor with a wide range of talents.

Matt Doherty, known for his role as Les Averman in the "Mighty Ducks" films, faced a unique challenge when cast in the first movie-he didn't know how to skate or play hockey. Nevertheless, by the time they filmed the third installment, he had risen to become the captain of his high school hockey team and received a scholarship offer to play in college.

In preparation for the film "Stargate," Kurt Russell received double his usual pay because he was the only actor at that time who had "zero unlikability" based on a global poll.

For his role in the film "Ray" (2004), Jamie Foxx had to wear eye prosthetics that would temporarily blind him for up to 12 hours each day. This demanding schedule left him with very little time for sleep, as he used his spare moments to practice playing the piano with a blindfold. His dedication paid off, as he went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his remarkable performance.

Actor Terrence Howard holds the unique belief that "1 × 1 = 2" and has even created his own mathematical language of logic called "Terrology" in an attempt to substantiate this claim. His dedication to this unorthodox hypothesis led him to leave an engineering degree program at the Pratt Institute after disagreements with a professor.

In 1955, Ray Liotta was adopted from an orphanage at the tender age of six months. In the 2000s, he enlisted the services of a private detective to locate his biological mother. The investigation revealed that he had one biological sister, one biological half-brother, and five biological half-sisters.

Danny Trejo opts not to perform his own stunts, citing the reason that he doesn't want to jeopardize the livelihoods of the approximately 80 people involved in the production just for the sake of proving his bravery.

In his youth, Nick Frost, known for his roles in the Cornetto Trilogy, faced significant challenges when his parents' business collapsed. The family was forced to move into a neighbor's home, and his mother experienced a stroke due to stress. Nick made the difficult decision to drop out of school and work to support his family. He was working as a waiter when Simon Pegg cast him in "Spaced."