Biography

Ernest Hemingway's novels rank among the most influential and celebrated in history, while his life remains an obscure image shrouded in myth. In this feature-length portrait narrated by the author's granddaughter, actress Mariel Hemingway, BIOGRAPHY examines the remarkable life story of this legendary Nobel laureate. It is a fascinating trip through his world–from the hospital in Milan where he first found love to the resort community in the Midwest where he took his own life.

Born in 1950 in Illinois, Bill Murray eventually relocated to New York City, where he took his comedic talents to radio's National Lampoon Hour. In 1975, he was in an off-Broadway spin-off of the comedy radio show when Howard Cosell recruited him for a show called Saturday Night Live. Meanwhile, Lorne Michaels had his own Saturday Night Live running concurrently, and when Murray joined the cast in 1976, he began crafting the comedic persona that became his calling card for many films to come, from Stripes to Caddyshack.

Born on September 11, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, Kristy McNichol got her start in commercials as a child actress. She acted in the television drama Family, for which she won two Emmy Awards, and started a singing career. She starred in several films over the next decade, but an on-going battle with bipolar disorder harmed her productivity. She retired from acting in the late 1990s.

From ancient history to modern day, this special profile explores the myths and truths about witches. The program travels back 2000 years before Christianity when witches were considered great healers who prayed to the forces of nature and spans the centuries from the Inquisitions, to the Salem Witch Trials, to the modern day Wicca movement.

Born in New York City on April 4, 1965, Robert Downey Jr. began acting as a young child. He made his first film appearances and was a cast member on Saturday Night Live in the 1980s, but his growing success was marred by years of struggles with drug abuse. Eventually turning his life around, he earned a resurgence of critical and popular acclaim, and is considered one of Hollywood's A-list actors.

“Biography: Farrah Fawcett Forever” is a celebration of the life of actress Farrah Fawcett 10 years after her tragic death on June 25, 2009. Fawcett is an American icon whose influence on pop culture has been underestimated. After moving to Los Angeles from Texas, she found success as a model and began acting in a series of television roles. Her career exploded when she landed a starring role in one of the biggest TV hits of the ’70s, “Charlie’s Angels,” and released her iconic bathing suit poster.

Cate Blanchett is one of Hollywood's most respected actresses.

A popular actress largely known for her mix of sexy and often critically acclaimed performances, Scarlett Johansson is also a vocalist. Born November 22, 1984, Johansson became interested in performing around age three and eventually studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute for Young People. After making her stage debut opposite Ethan Hawke in the off-Broadway production of Sophistry, Johansson went on to appear in such films as The Horse Whisperer (1998), Ghost World (2001), and Eight-Legged Freaks (2002).

A household name in both the U.K. and U.S. thanks to his long-standing 30-year comedy career and more recent starring role in medical drama House, multi-talented Hugh Laurie is also lesser-known as a versatile and accomplished self-taught musician. Born James Hugh Calum Laurie, in Oxford, 1959, he was raised in the Scottish Presbyterian Church before attending prestigious Eton College and later Cambridge University, where he graduated with a degree in archaeology and social anthropology.

Famed musician and actress Queen Latifah was born on March 18, 1970, in Newark, New Jersey. Her debut album All Hail to the Queen sold more than 1 million copies, and the single "U.N.I.T.Y." earned Latifah her first Grammy Award. Latifah has also garnered acclaim for acting, earning her first Oscar nomination (best supporting actress) for her performance in the 2002 blockbuster musical Chicago.