masked and anonymous
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about the ensemble

MASKED AND ANONYMOUS attracted an extraordinary ensemble of established performers, who signed on to play key supporting roles or appear as one of the richly drawn characters that cross Jack Fate's path.

ANGELA BASSETT (Mistress) personifies a sense of dignity and pride whenever she appears on screen. She has time and again showcased her skills in film and television as an actress, and executive producer. She has won seven NAACP Image Awards for her work in MALCOLM X, WAITING TO EXHALE, MUSIC OF THE HEART, THE SCORE, HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK, which also earned her a Black Film Award at the Acapulco Black Film Festival in 1999. She also won an Image Award for WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, which earned her a Golden Globe in addition to an Academy Award nomination. In addition to her acting credits, Bassett has served as an executive producer for OUR AMERICA and the made-for-TV movie THE ROSA PARKS STORY. Bassett can next be seen in MR. 3000 with Bernie Mac.

STEVEN BAUER (Edgar) co-starred in the Academy Award nominated TRAFFIC opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and most recently in the independent feature NOLA, in addition to the TNT miniseries "King of Texas" opposite Patrick Stewart. Bauer received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in SCARFACE in 1984 and an Emmy nomination for Best Actor in 1991 for his performance in DRUG WARS: THE CAMARENA STORY. His film credits include THIEF OF HEARTS, THE BEAST, RUNNING SCARED, SHE'S IN THE ARMY NOW, Brian DePalma's RAISING CAIN and HBO's SWORD OF GIDEON. He also starred in the hit series "Wiseguy" and NBC's "From Here to Eternity".

BRUCE DERN (Editor) has built a career on critically-acclaimed, award-winning performances throughout four decades, earning him a reputation as one of the most talented, versatile and prolific actors of his generation. He received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the classic Vietnam-era drama COMING HOME, which also earned him a Golden Globe nomination. He received a second Golden Globe nomination for THE GREAT GATSBY and a Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON. Dern also earned a NSFC Award for his role in DRIVE, HE SAID. His extensive feature credits include the documentary A DECADE UNDER THE INFLUENCE, Billy Bob Thornton's ALL THE PRETTY HORSES, THE HAUNTING, TATTOO, MULHOLLAND FALLS, THE BURBS, SILENT RUNNING, POSSE, THE FAMILY PLOT and WILD RIVER. In addition to classic television series like "The Fugitive" and "The F.B.I.", Dern made guest-starring appearances on "Bonanza", "The Big Valley", "Gunsmoke", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", "The Outer Limits" and "The Dick Powell Show". Dern recently finished production on the independent feature MILWAUKEE, MINNESOTA, and will next star in the indie drama MADISON, which focuses on the world of hydroplane boat racing and MONSTER, starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci.

ED HARRIS (Oscar Vogel) will be featured in a collection of diverse films this year - co-starring this summer with Joaquin Phoenix in BUFFALO SOLDIERS; and this fall, starring in Michael Tollin's RADIO with Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Debra Winger, and Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN with Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman.

Recently, Harris added a handful of nominations to his credit, including his fourth Academy Award nomination, for his portrayal of the troubled poet in Stephen Daldry's THE HOURS. This followed his directorial debut, POLLOCK, in which he starred as the pioneering abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock and subsequently landed him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He directed his co-star, Marcia Gay Harden, to a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Pollack's wife.

Harris always brings an exceptional passion to every role he takes, among them, in Ron Howard's A BEAUTIFUL MIND, Jean-Jaques Annaud's ENEMY AT THE GATES, Chris Columbus' STEPMOM, Peter Weir's THE TRUMAN SHOW, Howard's APOLLO 13, Michael Bay's THE ROCK and Clint Eastwood's ABSOLUTE POWER. Harris' additional films include THE RIGHT STUFF, THE FIRM, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, PLACES IN THE HEART, STATE OF GRACE, JUST CAUSE, THE ABYSS, JACKNIFE, TO KILL A PRIEST, Agnieska Holland's THE THIRD MIRACLE and George Romero's now cult classic, KNIGHTRIDERS.

His television credits range from HBO's "The Last Innocent Man" to Showtime's "Paris Trout" and most notably, TNT's film adaptation of Zane Grey's "Riders of the Purple Sage" in which Harris co-produced and co-starred with his wife, Amy Madigan. Harris made his acclaimed New York stage debut in Sam Shepard's "Fool for Love," his award-winning Broadway debut in George Furth's "Precious Sons" and has gone on to star in "Prairie Avenue", Murray Mednick's "Scar", "A Streetcar Named Desire", "The Grapes of Wrath", "Hamlet" and "Sweet Bird of Youth."

VAL KILMER (Animal Wrangler) has given many unforgettable performances throughout his career - from his critically acclaimed role as Doc Holliday in TOMBSTONE to his personification of Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's THE DOORS. Current projects for Kilmer are WONDERLAND, where he stars as John Holmes, MINDHUNTERS with Christian Slater, David Mamet's SPARTAN, BLIND HORIZON with Neve Campbell and Ron Howard's THE MISSING. Kilmer's extensive feature credits include TOP GUN, WILLOW, TRUE ROMANCE, BATMAN FOREVER, THE SAINT, AT FIRST SIGHT, THE SALTON SEA and POLLACK. His television credits include "Saturday Night Live", "Gore Vidal's Billy the Kid", "The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains" and "One Too Many". Kilmer, who was the youngest student ever admitted to the drama department at Julliard, began his career on the stage and made his feature debut in 1984 in TOP SECRET!

CHEECH MARIN (Prospero) is a paradox in the world of entertainment. As an actor, director, writer and composer on dozens of feature films and albums since 1978, he's a man who has enough talent, humor, and intelligence to do just about anything. He is well known to television audiences for his starring role opposite Don Johnson in the CBS hit series "Nash Bridges". Marin wrote, starred in and composed the music for THINGS ARE TOUGH ALL OVER, CHEECH & CHONG'S NICE DREAMS, CHEECH & CHONG'S NEXT MOVIE, CHEECH & CHONG'S UP IN SMOKE and BORN IN EAST LA, which he also directed. Additionally, Marin has appeared in over 50 films including the first SPY KIDS, SPY KIDS II, THE GREAT WHITE HYPE, TIN CUP, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, DESPERADO, SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE, GHOSTBUSTER II and TROOP BEVERLY HILLS. As a voice performer, he has appeared in THE LION KING, OLIVER AND COMPANY, and SANTO BUGITO. His most recent projects include Robert Rodriguez's SPY KIDS III and ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO with Johnny Depp and Salma Hayek.

CHRIS PENN (Crew Guy #2) received the Best Actor Award at the 1996 Venice Film Festival for his performance in THE FUNERAL and a Golden Globe for Best Ensemble Cast in Robert Altman's SHORT CUTS. His extensive feature credits include over 30 films, among them MULHOLLAND FALLS, RESERVOIR DOGS, TRUE ROMANCE, DECEIVER, FOOTLOOSE, AT CLOSE RANGE and RUSH HOUR. Penn's recent projects include MURDER BY NUMBERS, KISS KISS BANG BANG, and REDEMPTIO. He's currently filming STARSKY & HUTCH for Warner Bros. Penn made his acting debut at the age of 16 in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 classic RUMBLEFISH.

GIOVANNI RIBISI (Soldier) continues to deliver unforgettable performances, positioning him as one of the most respected, versatile and sought-after young actors in film today. Awards he has earned to date include winning the ShoWest Male Star of Tomorrow award in 1999 for his performance in THE OTHER SISTER, an IFP Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Male for THE GIFT and an AFI Actor of the Year nomination for the HBO original film SHOT IN THE HEART. Ribisi's film credits include SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS, SUBURBIA, THE BOILER ROOM, ALL THE RAGE, THE POSTMAN, THAT THING YOU DO!, SCOTCH AND MILK, LOST HIGHWAY and FIRST LOVE, LAST RITES. His most recent projects include starring roles in HEAVEN opposite Cate Blanchett, the Civil War drama COLD MOUNTAIN with Nicole Kidman, BASIC with John Travolta, traveling to Japan to shoot Sofia Coppola's LOST IN TRANSLATION, and Jan Sardi's LOVE'S BROTHER. He just finished a starring role in Adam Goldberg's I LOVE YOUR WORK with Franka Potente and Jason Lee.

MICKEY ROURKE (Edmund) burst onto the scene with two riveting performances in the 1980's - BODY HEAT and DINER - and has not looked back during a career that has left audience with indelible impressions from his performances. Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award in 1988 for BARFLY, his impressive list of feature credits include A PRAYER FOR THE DYING, DESPERATE HOURS, RUMBLE FISH, THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, ANGEL HEART, YEAR OF THE DRAGON, THE PLEDGE, ANIMAL FACTORY, THE RAINMAKER, NINE 1/2 WEEKS, HEAVEN'S GATE and 1941. Recently, Rourke competed Jonas Akerlund's SPUN and Robert Rodriguez's ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO.

RICHARD SARAFIAN (President) has complied a versatile career that has spanned over five decades as a director, actor and writer. As a director, he has helmed films such as ANDY (which he also wrote and produced), RUN WILD RUN FREE, THE LOLLY-MADONNA WAR, VANISHING POINT, THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING, THE NEXT MAN, FRAGMENT OF FEAR and SUNBURN. On the small screen, his directing credits on television include "The Twilight Zone", "Maverick", "Gunsmoke", "I Spy", "The Gangster Chronicles", "Splendor in the Grass", "Liberty", "77 Sunset Strip", "Ben Casey" and "Dr. Kildare". Sarafian's acting credits include BUGSY, BOUND, RUBY, DON JUAN DEMARCO, BLUE STREAK and the TV movie "Gotti".

CHRISTIAN SLATER (Crew Guy #1) has starred on and off Broadway, appeared in more than 20 feature films and also produces and directs. Currently shooting Peter Richardson's CHURCHILL: THE HOLLYWOOD YEARS with Neve Campbell, Slater stars later this year in Renny Harlin's MINDHUNTERS with Val Kilmer. He most recently co-starred with Nicolas Cage in John Woo's WINDTALKERS and made several guest appearances on ABC's "Alias" and NBC's "The West Wing." Following his motion picture debut in 1985's THE LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN, Slater co-starred in Jean-Jacques Annaud's THE NAME OF THE ROSE, Francis Ford Coppola's TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM and Michael Lehmann's black comedy HEATHERS. Slater's filmography also includes BED OF ROSES, BROKEN ARROW, THE CONTENDER, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, MURDER IN THE FIRST, PUMP UP THE VOLUME, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES, TRUE ROMANCE and UNTAMED HEART. He also co-produced and starred in HARD RAIN and BASIL, and starred in and executive produced Peter Berg's dark comedy, VERY BAD THINGS. In 1996, he made his directorial debut with the short film, MUSEUM OF LOVE, for Showtime.

Born and raised in New York, Slater attended the prestigious Dalton School and the Professional Children's School. He made his stage debut at the age of 9 in "The Music Man" with Dick Van Dyke. More recently, Slater garnered critical acclaim for his starring role in the Broadway production of "Side Man", in addition to Broadway credits including "Macbeth", "David Copperfield" and "Merlin". Off-Broadway, Slater appeared in "Landscape of the Body", "Between Daylight", "Boonville", "Dry Land" and "Somewhere's Better".

SUSAN TYRRELL (Ella the Fortuneteller) has been an actress for over three decades. She was nominated for an Academy Award in 1973 for her role in FAT CITY, starring Jeff Bridges and won a Saturn Award for BAD in 1977. Her film credits include: SHOOT OUT, TO KILL THE KING, ZANDY'S BRIDE, THE KILLER INSIDE ME, WIZARDS, LOOSE SHOES, SUBWAY RIDER, NIGHT WARNING, LIAR'S MOON, ANGEL, THE KILLERS, FLESH & BLOOD, FAR FROM HOME, CRY-BABY, POISON IVY: THE NEW SEDUCTION and BUDDY BOY. Additionally, Tyrrell's voice appeared in DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD, THE CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE and the television show "Extreme Ghostbusters."

TRACEY WALTER (Desk Clerk) has gathered extensive feature credits as a versatile character actor, appearing in ERIN BROCKOVICH, MAN ON THE MOON, MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, BELOVED, DESPERATE MEASURES, PLAYING GOD, MATILDA, JUNIOR, MONA MUST DIE, PUBLIC ENEMY #2, PHILADELPHIA, CITY SLICKERS, DELUSION, THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, PACIFIC HEIGHTS, YOUNG GUNS II, BATMAN, FREDDY'S NIGHMARES, MARRIED TO THE MOB and ANNIE HALL.

FRED WARD (Drunk) received a Golden Globe Award for Best Ensemble Cast for his performance in Robert Altman's SHORT CUTS. His recent films include starring roles in TWO SMALL BODIES, RED TEAM, DANGEROUS BEAUTY, SWEET HOME ALABAMA, ABANDON and ENOUGH. Ward's film credits include Altman's THE PLAYER, REMO WILLIAMS: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS, ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ, SILKWOOD, EQUINOX, CORKY ROMANO, SWING SHIFT, THE RIGHT STUFF, HENRY AND JUNE, THE NAKED GUN 33 1/3: THE FINAL INSULT, TREMORS I & II and MIAMI BLUES, which he also co-produced. Ward is currently developing independent films as both an actor and director.

ROBERT WISDOM (Lucius) graces each of his diverse roles with a powerful, profound and cool presence that allows him to take on bold and provocative performances. He has gathered extensive feature credits, including FACE/OFF, MIGHT JOE YOUNG, THAT THING YOU DO!, CRAZY LIKE A FOX, COASTLINES, HOLLYWOOD PALMS, OSMOSIS JONES, ROCKY ROAD, DANCING AT THE BLUE IGUANA, STIR and THE HEIST. His additional television credits include HBO's IF THESE WALL COULD TALK, SAHARA, CRACKER and FOR LOVE OR COUNTRY: THE ARTURO SANDOVAL STORY. Wisdom has also made extensive television guest-starring appearances, including "Boomtown", Kingpin", NYPD Blue", "The District", "ER" and "Poirot". Recently roles include starring opposite Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham Carter in HBO's highly acclaimed LIVE FROM BAGHDAD, Todd Solondz's STORYTELLING, Danny DeVito's DUPLEX, and a TV pilot executive produced by Joel Silver called "Future Tense". He is currently shooting Taylor Hackford's UNCHAIN MY HEART.

The balance of the outstanding supporting cast includes (in alphabetical order): MICHAEL PAUL CHAN (BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATMAN FOREVER, MAVERICK, THE JOY LUCK CLUB) as the Guard; ALEX DESERT (HIGH FIDELITY and SWINGERS) as Valentine; TREVA ETIENNE (EYES WIDE SHUT and BLACK HAWK DOWN as Percy; DAN FRISCHMAN (HEAD OF THE CLASS and KENAN & KEL) as Eddie Quicksand the Ventriloquist; Emmy Award winner EDDIE GORODETSKY (director and writer for "Dharma and Greg" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air") as Bacchus; NOEL GUGLIEMI (TRAINING DAY and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) as The Inmate; SHAWN MICHAEL HOWARD (EXTEME DATING, and 3000 MILES TO GRACELAND) as Nestor and nine-year old TINASHE KACHINGWE (CALL ME CLAUS and CORA UNASHAMED) as Mrs. Brown's daughter, who sings an a cappella version of Dylan's classic, The Times They Are A Changin'.

Additionally, Emmy Award winner BRUCE KIRSCHBAUM (writer for "The Ben Stiller Show", "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Seinfeld") appears as Dion; REGGIE LEE (BLACK HOLE, REALITY SCHOOL and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS) plays the Armed Man, while the Government Soldier is played by ANTONIO DAVID LYONS (THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, and AMERICAN HISTORY X); Independent Spirit Award nominee DAVENIA MCFADDEN (RANDOM HEARTS, DOUBLE JEOPARDY and MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING) plays the Bus Driver; SAM SARPONG (ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR and KING RIKKI) plays Blunt; Independent Spirit Awards nominee, SUSAN TRAYLOR (TEMPEST EYE and A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT) is Mrs. Brown and The Caretaker is played by PERLA WALTER (FEMME FATALE and FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3).