- published: 15 Aug 2011
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John Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak (October 25, 1950 – June 17, 1989) was an American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981. Matuszak participated in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, where he placed ninth. As an actor, he is probably most remembered as deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies and Tonda in Caveman. His autobiography, Cruisin' with the Tooz, written with Steve Delsohn was published in 1987.
Matuszak was born in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, in 1950 to Audrey and Marvin Matuszak (not the same Marvin Matuszak who was a defensive lineman in the NFL and AFL). He was always big for his age, which became an advantage as a defensive lineman in football. When he eventually turned pro, he stood 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighed over 280 pounds (127 kilograms). He attended the University of Tampa where he was the star of their football team (incidentally, the football program at the University of Tampa ended after the 1974 season).
Sean Astin (born February 25, 1971) is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer best known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24. Most recently, he provided the voice for the title character in Disney's Special Agent Oso. Astin also served as campaign manager for his friend, Democratic entertainment industry businessman Dan Adler in California's 36th congressional district special election, 2011.
Astin was born Sean Patrick Duke in Santa Monica, California, the son of actress Patty Duke. At the time, it was reported that Desi Arnaz, Jr., was his biological father. In 1994, Astin discovered his father was Michael Tell, a music promoter and writer, and publisher of the newspaper The Las Vegas Israelite.
Tell's marriage to Patty Duke was annulled shortly before her marriage in 1972 to actor John Astin, who adopted Sean. In 1973, Duke gave birth to Astin's half-brother Mackenzie Astin, who also became an actor. Although Patty Duke and John Astin divorced in 1985, Sean Astin has written that he has always considered John his "real" father.
Wally George, born George Walter Pearch (December 4, 1931 – October 5, 2003), was an American conservative radio and television commentator. Calling himself the "Father of Combat TV" he gained national fame hosting the television talk show Hot Seat, which began in 1983 as a local show produced for KDOC, a UHF TV station in Anaheim, Orange County, California.
Born George Walter Pearch in Oakland, California, his father Walter Pearch worked in the marine shipping industry. His mother Eugenia Clinchard had been a vaudeville performer and child movie actress in Essanay Studios westerns starring Broncho Billy Anderson. George grew up in San Mateo and was in high school when his parents divorced, after which his mother moved to the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles.
At age 14 George was a disk-jockey at AM radio station KIEV in Glendale, California, followed by work at other radio stations in the state. In 1965 he was credited with writing an episode of the long-running television series Bonanza. In 1969 he launched The Wally George Show on FM radio station KTYM in Inglewood, California. Three years later he became producer and co-host of The Sam Yorty Show on Los Angeles television station KCOP with his political mentor Sam Yorty, who had been mayor of Los Angeles. By 1979 George had his own talk show at KCOP. This show later moved to KDOC in Anaheim where he launched Hot Seat in 1983. At this time KDOC had been on the air for a year and one of its early investors was singer Pat Boone.