Because of his Irish lineage, Pat O’Brien typically performed Irish and Irish-American roles and was coined as “Hollywood’s Irishman in Residence” by the media. He also starred as various characters including priests, cops, military figures, pilots, and reporters from the 30s and 40s. The Irish American actor was often in duo with Hollywood icon, James Cagney.
During his time with The Insider, his status was already in a precarious state following the appearance of voicemail recordings that contained provocative, lewd messages to an unidentified woman. The versatile actor was then formally discharged from the show when he sent a rude email to other workers regarding his (soon-to-be) replacement, Lara Spencer. Pat O’Brien authored his own autobiography, I’ll Be Back Right After This, that was published in 2014
Brian Williams, NBC Nightly News
On December 2, 2004, Brian Williams was named lead anchor of NBC Nightly News, a replacement for Tom Brokaw who was already heading for retirement. Brian’s first year in NBC was highlighted by two major news coverages: the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, with the latter garnering him critical acclaim. The New York Times described his coverage of the hurricane as a defining moment in his career.
Amidst his success with NBC Nightly News though, he was still kicked out following his confession that a story involving his helicopter being shot down in the air during the war on Iraq was a hoax. Today, Brian Williams is the host of The 11th Hour, with Brian Williams, on MSNBC.
Dana Plato, Diff'rent Strokes
Dana Michelle Plato was cast as Kimberly Drummond on the U.S. television sitcom, Diff'rent Strokes. In the show’s first debut on NBC, in 1978, it instantly became a big hit. Dana was featured on the popular TV sitcom at the start of 1978, well into 1984 and again from 1985 to 1986. The show was broadcast by two separate networks during Dana’s term.
With her sparkling charm, Dana Plato gave Diff’rent Strokes a unique flavor that contributed to its wide appeal to a broad range of audiences. The vibrant persona that she embodied on our TV screens, though, was entirely different from her real life persona, which was deeply affected by substance abuse. The actress tied the knot with a rock star, which led both to her pregnancy and, unfortunately, to her getting fired after producers became uneasy with her status. Dana Michelle Plato died at a very young age in 1999. The actress was just 34.
Bill Maher, Politically Incorrect
Bill Maher played the main role in Politically Incorrect, which was broadcast on Comedy Central for four years and then on ABC for a further five years. The late-night political talk show raked in an assortment of awards, including the Emmy award for Outstanding Technical Direction, Best Talk Show Series and a Genesis award for Best Television Talk Show. Bill Maher achieved a lot of award nominations, including 10 Emmy nominations, 2 TV Guide nominations, and 2 Writers Guild nominations.
In spite of the show’s success, Bill Maher was still axed following the 9-11 attack in New York because of his disturbing statements describing the people who “Kamikazee-d” their planes into the buildings and claiming they weren’t cowards and that the Americans “have been the cowards.” Those who loved Bill’s critical humor though, were able to see their idol rebound quickly. Today, the American comedian hosts Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO, a position he’s safely held onto since 2003.
Isaiah Washington, Grey's Anatomy
In 2005, Isaiah Washington was given the opportunity to play the part of talented cardio-thoracic surgeon, Dr. Preston Burke, on the ABC medical drama, Grey's Anatomy. Isiah’s performance in the show garnered him a couple of NAACP Image awards for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, as well as a Screen Actors Guild award. Aside from those awards, he was also named as one of "TV's Sexiest Men” by TV Guide in June of 2006 and one of “TV's Sexiest Doctors” in June of 2008. Before that, he was also considered as one of People magazine’s "50 Beautiful People” in May of 2006.
Isaiah, however, was permanently suspended from the Grey’s Anatomy show because of an epic homophobic rant in 2007. He made a comeback on the show in 2014, but only as a guest to expound one character’s history. Today, he plays a major role in the post-apocalyptic CW series, The 100.