In the past, witches—or those alleged to be witches—were burned at the stake. They are a Halloween staple, portrayed as cackling, cauldron-stirring evil-doers. Far from such eerie depictions are the portrayals of witches in film and on television. Played by glamorous actresses, these witches have no warts on their faces, but rather ordinary lives and good intentions—with some supernatural powers to contend with. Here are some of the witches who have brought witchcraft into today's pop culture, on the big and small screens.
They've made us laugh. They've made us cry. They've made us nostalgic, and they've even made us vengeful. They're among Hollywood's most famous black actresses, appearing in classic films like The Color Purple, Poetic Justice, Soul Food, Dreamgirls and The Help, as well as on television and on the stage. Explore our collection of famous black actresses, including Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne and Angela Bassett.
Spanning jazz to soul to funk, to more contemporary genres like R&B, rap and pop, African-American musicians are responsible for chart-topping hits like "I Feel Good," "Respect," "Georgia on My Mind," "Let The Good Times Roll," "Good Golly Miss Molly" and "Thriller." Explore our collection of famous black musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, B.B. King, Duke Ellington, James Brown, Little Richard, Beyoncé Knowles, and more.
From Whitney Houston's unbelievable vocal range to Michael Jackson's spot-on pitch and unforgettable choreography, these are the famous black singers who, together, have unequivocally defined pop culture for the masses for more than a century. Explore this group to learn more about some of the world's most renowned African-American vocalists, including Josephine Baker, Whitney Houston, Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin, Beyoncé Knowles, Chuck Berry, Nina Simone, Mary J. Blige, André 3000, Janet Jackson and Gladys Knight.
Whether they're making you laugh or cry, black television actors like Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg, Gary Coleman, Taye Diggs and Debbie Allen have represented various aspects of the African-American experience on the small screen throughout the decades.
The rise of digital technology over the past decade, including mobile camera and video capabilities, has not only made web content more readily available to users, it's given users more control of that content—often through sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr. For some celebrities, this technological change has led to negative publicity. In some cases, scandalous photos or videos of stars have been leaked online or to the press. The very worst of those cases have left indelible marks on pop culture, leading to sex-scandal investigations, sales of sex tapes and major resignations, among other results. Explore Biography.com's group of celebrities caught naked, including Prince Harry, Kate Middleton, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Zac Efron and Paris Hilton, among several others.
Browse notable film actresses such as Debbie Harry, Lauren Bacall, and Kathy Bates.
Meet famous people past and present who were born in the month of March. Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Alexander Graham Bell, Eric Clapton, Billy Crystal, Shaquille O'Neal are just some of the folks who share a March birthday.
Take a look at famous people named Williams, such as Cootie Williams, George Washington Williams, and Andy Williams.
Published more than 150 years ago, Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol remains one of the most treasured Christmas stories. Its central character, Ebenezer Scrooge, is so miserly that his name has become synonymous with stinginess and a lack of Christmas spirit. Explore our group of actors who have played the notorious penny-pincher, from Alastair Sim to Albert Finney, Michael Caine and Buddy Hackett.
Browse notable singers such as Mariah Carey, Johnny Cash, and Linda Ronstadt.
Browse notable television actresses such as Eva Longoria, Joan Collins, and Jada Pinkett Smith.
Browse notable theater actresses such as Pearl Bailey, Jessica Tandy, and Penny Singleton.