“A year before Sire Records founder Seymour Stein coined the term “new wave” to describe the pop-flavored punk bands emerging in 1977, Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers had already launched the movement. When the band’s self-titled first album came out 50 years ago this month, its approach was considerably less strident than that of most punk group…

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Lydia Corbett, 91, is a French-English painter and sculptor who, in 1954, sat for Pablo Picasso and was the subject of about 60 works, turning her hair style into a sensation. Her upcoming Redfern Gallery exhibit in London opens on Nov. 4. She spoke with Marc Myers. [Photo above of Sylvette David, 19, later known as Lydia Corbett, on a hillside overlook…

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Regina Hall is an actress known for the films Scary Movie and four of its sequels, Support the Girls and One Battle After Another. She co-stars in “The Five Star Weekend” miniseries on Peacock. She spoke with Marc Myers. [Photo above of Regina Hall in Savannah, Ga., in 2025 by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images]

“Acting was the furthest thing from my mind as a …

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Mary-Louise Parker is a Tony- and Emmy-winning actor known for TV’s “Weeds,” “The West Wing” and “Angels in America.” She co-stars in the film “Young Washington.” She spoke with Marc Myers. [Photo above of Mary-Louise Parker]

“I was born overly sensitive. This is a tricky thing to say because sometimes it can sound as if you’re paying yourself a complime…

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Millie Bobby Brown is a British actress known for TV’s Stranger Things and the films Damsel, The Electric State and the Enola Holmes franchise. She stars in Netflix’s Enola Holmes 3. [Millie Bobby Brown in New York in 2023 by Katie McCurdy]

“I was born with partial hearing loss in my left ear. My first surgery to fix the problem came when I was less tha…

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Gene Simmons, 76, is a bassist and co-founder of the rock band KISS and of Simmons/Hamilton Productions, which recently released the new film “Deep Water.” He is currently on tour as a solo artist. [Photo above of Gene Simmons in 2025 by John Cotter/Sound Exchange]

If you have a WSJ.com subscription, you can read my House Call column with Gene Simmons he…

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Sam Worthington, 49, is an Australian actor known for the “Avatar” film franchise, “Everest” and “Under the Banner of Heaven” miniseries. He stars in the Netflix crime series “I Will Find You.” [Photo of Sam Worthington in Toronto by Ted Belton/Netflix]

If you have a WSJ.com subscription, you can read my House Call column with Sam Worthington here.

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The seven love songs on Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band feature melodramatic storylines, and though the album has a strong dance feel, it defies category and remains a cult classic. Dr. Buzzard climbed to No. 22 on the Billboard 200, helped significantly by the hit single “Cherchez La Femme,” which peaked at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. …

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Dusty Baker, 76, is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and manager who won two World Series championships and a Gold Glove Award. He is the author of “Crossroads” (Crown), a memoir. [Photo of Dusty Baker by Michael Zagaris]

If you have a WSJ.com subscription, you can read my House Call column with Dusty Baker here.

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Alison Brie, 43, is an actor, producer and writer known for the series “Mad Men” and “GLOW,” the sitcom “Community” and the horror movie “Together.” She co-stars in the film “Masters of the Universe.” [Photo of Alison Brie by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP]

If you have a WSJ.com subscription, you can read my House Call column with Alison Brie here.

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Kerri Kenney-Silver, 56, is an actor and comedian known for the film “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” and TV’s “Reno 911!” and “Love.” She co-stars in “The Four Seasons” series on Netflix. [Photo above of Kerri Kenney-Silver by Ari Michelson]

If you have a WSJ.com subscription, you can read my House Call column with Kerri Kenney-Silver here.

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In his teens, rather than follow the crowd and emulate the styles of star tenor saxophonists of the late 1940s, Sonny Rollins, who died on Monday at age 95, played with a sound that was distinctly his own. A towering influence on jazz’s postwar evolution and a prolific composer of songs that became jazz standards, Mr. Rollins was seldom satisfied with h…

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Convinced Tavares was on a roll as disco surged, Capitol teamed the vocal group of brothers with Freddie Perren, a hit-making producer, songwriter and arranger. Released 50 years ago this month, “Sky High!” peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200. Its single “Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel” reached No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and sold a half-million …

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The ‘Boroughs’ co-star and Oscar-winning actor on her vivid imagination, watching TV in sunglasses and landing a role in ‘Tootsie.’ Davis, 70, is an Oscar-winning actor known for “Beetlejuice,” “A League of Their Own” and “Thelma & Louise.” She co-stars in the Netflix sci-fi series “The Boroughs.” [Photo above of Geena Davis in Los Angeles in 2026 by Mi…

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The clinical psychologist on mediating problems between her mother and father, her two-chapter childhood and working with patients in front of the camera. Orna Guralnik is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice and is on the faculty of New York University. She is the therapist on Couples Therapy, the Paramount+ documentary series.…

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The M.I.A. actor on his parents eloping in Cuba, the nickname Marlon Brando gave him and what he lost in the L.A. wildfires. Cary Elwes is an English actor known for the films The Princess Bride, Saw and the Mission: Impossible franchise, as well as TV’s Stranger Things. He stars in the new Peacock crime series M.I.A. [Photo above of Cary Elwes by Andre…

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The star on his pursuit of comedy, following in Conan O’Brien’s footsteps at Harvard and his friendship with Mindy Kaling. B.J. He’s known for TV’s The Office and the films Inglourious Basterds, The Founder and Vengeance. He co-stars in The Devil Wears Prada 2. [Photo above of B.J. Novak in Los Angeles in 2025 by Julian Ungano]

If you have a WSJ.com subs…

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The music on their debut album, “Ramones,” released 50 years ago this month, was so primitive that the 14 short tracks took just seven days and $6,400 to record. Though it peaked at only 111 on the Billboard album chart, and its two singles— “Blitzkrieg Bop” and “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”—failed to chart, top rock critics and the underground press rave…

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The Normal and Ballistic actress on her Rocky Horror Picture Show obsession, her childhood rebelliousness and her many tattoos. The British actress is known for the series Game of Thrones and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, as well as the 300 action-film franchise. She currently stars in the new films Ballistic and Normal. [Photo above of Lena …

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The ‘Miniature Wife’ star on how a third-base mishap led to the stage and why ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ was her big break. The actress, director and producer known for the film series “Pitch Perfect” and “The Hunger Games,” and TV’s “Modern Family” stars in the new Peacock series “The Miniature Wife.” [Photo above of Elizabeth Banks by Art Streiber/NBC …

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