In the early 90s, Sophie B. Hawkins was part of the generation of women who made VH-1 cool; her music was catchy and listenable soft rock with a soulful, serious edge. She is a lifelong environmentalist and supporter of animal rights, and she has written and spoken frequently about her political views. She is also an inspiration to late in life moms everywhere; her son Dashiell and daughter Esther were born when she was 43 and 50 years old, respectively.
In the 80s, when MTV was bringing slick images of New York and L.A. to America’s teens, John Mellencamp was the proud face and voice of Indiana. His timeless heartland sound remained constant through the different variations on his name under which his early records were released. Over the decades, he has collaborated with songwriters from a variety of genres, and he takes seriously his role in preserving America’s diverse musical traditions. Mellencamp has also spoken out about his political views.
Tony Shalhoub’s role on Monk, in which he played a detective with obsessive-compulsive disorder and a troubled past, was a harbinger of a new era of creativity in increasingly edgy TV comedies in the new millennium. Although Monk is the most iconic role he ever played, Shalhoub actually has great range as a voice actor and character actor; he has had roles in movies as different from each other as Barton Fink and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Shalhoub also established an award for Arab-American filmmakers.
There were plenty of teen heartthrobs to be seen on movie screens in the 80s, but no one played vulnerability quite like Ralph Macchio, who starred as Daniel in The Karate Kid and was part of the dazzling ensemble cast in The Outsiders. The generation-defining role inspired references in songs and on TV, leading eventually to Macchio having a recurring role on How I Met Your Mother. In 2012, Macchio proved that he is still sure-footed on Dancing With the Stars.
Sir Ben Kingsley, born Krishna Bhanji, is one of the great Thespians of his generation. His most famous role is as the title character in Gandhi, but he has also played well known roles in Twelfth Night, Hugo, and Lucky Number Slevin. He was knighted in 2002, and recently, he voiced the panther Bagheera in a fil, adaptation of The Jungle Book. His powerful, serene voice is sought after, and he has narrated many audio books on a variety of subjects.
