The CBS sitcom ‘Ghosts’ debuted in October of last year and was recently renewed for a second season. Coincidentally, it stars two actors who graduated from Wootton High School in Rockville. The show is about a married couple in New York, Samantha and Jay, who believe that their dreams have come true when they inherit a beautiful country home. They soon find that it is falling apart and inhabited by ghosts who died on the mansion’s grounds and are now bound to the area until they can reach the afterlife. Jay cannot see or hear the ghosts, but Samantha, after having a near-death experience, can.
Jay, the male lead, is portrayed by Utkarsh Ambudkar. Ambudkar was born in nearby Baltimore, but was raised in Rockville while his parents worked at NIH in Bethesda. The 38 year old actor graduated from Wootton High School and is well known for his roles as a VJ for MTV Desi, Donald in Pitch Perfect, Rishi in the Mindy Project, Skatch in Mulan, and more. Below you’ll see Ambudkar’s rap from the 2020 Oscars.
Actor Utkarsh Ambudkar (@UTKtheINC) gave us all a little update at the Oscars last night. He graduated from Wootton!
He is well known as Donald from Pitch Perfect and Rishi (Mindy’s younger brother) from The Mindy Project, as well as other projects. pic.twitter.com/Oh08yI4SMx
— The MoCoShow (MCS) (@TheMoCoShow) February 10, 2020
Richie Moriarty portrays one of the ghosts, Pete Martino, who was a girl Scouts leader who died in 1985 from being shot through the neck with an arrow. He moved to Rockville with his family at the age of 5 and attended Fallsmead Elementary School. The 41 year old actor also graduated from Wootton High School. He can also be seen in What We Do in the Shadows on FX, in the Netflix hits Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, season seven of Orange Is the New Black, and more. Below you’ll see Moriarty in his first grade talent show at Fallsmead Elementary School in Rockville:
Jackass Forever took the #1 box office spot this past weekend, grossing over $23 million in its first weekend in theaters. The comedy is the fourth Jackass movie and is based on the American reality comedy television series created by MoCo natives Jeff Tremaine and Spike Jonze along with actor Johnny Knoxville. Tremaine and Jonze were childhood friends, both growing up in MoCo and graduating from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda in the mid 80s and are both executive producers of all the Jackass movies, including Jackass Forever.
Tremaine is the former editor of the skating culture magazine Big Brother and a former art director of the influential BMXmagazine GO. He was also a former professional BMX rider. Tremaine has directed and produced all the movies in the Jackass franchise and was also the executive producer on the MTV reality series Rob and Big, and the executive producer of Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, Ridiculousness, Nitro Circus, and Adult Swim’s Loiter Squad.
Jonze began his career as a teenager photographing BMX riders and skateboarders for Freestylin’ Magazine and Transworld Skateboarding, and co-founding the youth culture magazine Dirt. Moving into filmmaking, he began shooting street skateboarding films, including the influential Video Days (1991). Jonze co-founded the skateboard company Girl Skateboards in 1993 with riders Rick Howard and Mike Carroll. Jonze’s filmmaking style made him an in-demand director of music videos for much of the 1990s, resulting in collaborations with Sonic Youth, R.E.M., Beastie Boys, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, Weezer, Kanye West and more.
The early inspiration for Jackass came when Knoxville was an aspiring actor who pitched an idea to test self-defense equipment on himself. This captured the interest of Jeff Tremaine’s skateboarding magazine Big Brother. Some of the stunts were recorded and included in Big Brother‘s “Number Two” video. Eventually a demo of the stunt/prank television show was created and pitched to several networks. Saturday Night Live made an offer to make the show the subject of a recurring segment, which was rejected. A bidding war between Comedy Central and MTV, but the trio of Tremaine, Jonze, and Knoxville accepted a deal half hour show on MTV.
Jackass originally aired for three seasons on MTV between October 2000 and February 2002. The show debuted on October 1, 2000. After the second episode had aired MTV gained its highest Sunday ratings in its history, featuring a cast of nine carrying out stunts and pranks on each other or the public. Jackass Forever’s strong opening weekend has added to the $1.7 billion worldwide gross of the movie series.
Issa Rae was born in Los Angeles. After moving to Senegal for a couple years where her father, a pediatrician, attempted to open a hospital, her family moved to Potomac, Maryland.
While growing up in Potomac, she was in a gifted and talented program at Cold Spring Elementary School. Rae was quoted as saying that in her time in Potomac, she grew up with “things that aren’t considered ‘Black,’ like the swim team and street hockey and Passover dinners with Jewish best friends.”
“It was like living in a Saturday-morning ‘Saved by the Bell,’” Rae recalled in an interview with The Washington Post. “I had friends from every ethnicity. I went to a gifted and talented school with a bunch of nerds. It was great.”
The WaPo interview identified her years in Potomac as providing a touchstone for her. “Being black there was easy,” she wrote in an essay for the Huffington Post about racial identification. “I never really had to put much thought into my race and neither did anybody else. I knew I was black. I knew there was a history that accompanied my skin color and my parents taught me to be proud of it. End of story.”
Even her hair was a matter of pride when she lived in Potomac, she said in a piece written for Transitioning Movement, an offshoot of the beauty Web site Carolsdaughter.com. Having ethnically diverse friends “was great for my self-esteem. I was celebrated for being different; for having superhero hair that defied gravity and recoiled with lightning speed elasticity. My hair texture was the subject of awe, confusion and probably envy. I loved it.”
Rae and her family moved back to Los Angeles after she completed elementary school, which ended her time in Montgomery County. She remained in LA with her family for the majority of her teenage years. She graduated from King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science, where she started acting and went on to attend and graduate from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in African and African-American Studies. As a college student, she made music videos, wrote and directed plays, and created a mock reality series called Dorm Diaries for fun. At Stanford, Diop met Tracy Oliver, who helped produce Rae’s YouTube series, Awkward Black Girl (which was the pre-cursor to Insecure), and starred on the show as Nina.
Issa Rae has achieved wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer, and star of the HBO television series Insecure, for which she has been nominated for multiple Golden Globes Awards and Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2018 she was one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influencial People. She also recently starred in the popular movie The Photograph.
Insecure ended its 5-year run earlier this week. The series has received rave reviews and the Boston Globe recently lauded Rae for using the series to show people that they can be their authentic self without worry. “It’s always been a show about growth” Rae said in a recent interview with Vulture. Rae has achieved heights the little girl from Cold Spring Elementary School would be proud of.
Featured photo courtesy of HBO
Ben Stein grew up in the Woodside Forest neighborhood of Silver Spring. He attended Montgomery Hills Junior High with Sylvester Stallone in the late 50s. Stein then moved on to Blair High School, where he was a year ahead of Goldie Hawn and graduated with journalist, Carl Bernstein (teamed with Bob Woodward to do much of the original reporting on the Watergate Scandal, which led to the eventual resignation of President Richard Nixon).
He majored in economics at Columbia University’s Columbia College and graduated with honors before graduating as valedictorian from Yale Law School.
After a stint as a lawyer in Connecticut and Washington D.C., he became a college professor at American University, Cal, and Pepperdine.
Stein jumped into politics as a speechwriter and lasers for President Richard Nixon and President Gerald Ford. Time magazine even speculated that he could be Deep Throat, but it was later revealed to not be the case.
His acting career took off when he portrayed a teacher who spoke in monotone in the 80s hit Comedy, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, with Matthew Broderick. He played a similar monotonous character in for a decade or so in Clear Eyes commercials before landing his own game show, Win Ben Stein’s Money, on Comedy Central.
Though He currently lives in California, Ben Stein still owns an apartment at Watergate building in Washington D.C.
Photos courtesy of the 1961 Montgomery Blair High School yearbooks.
Former NBA All-Star Buck Williams and his wife, Mimi, are downsizing from their six-bedroom, nine-bathroom Georgian mansion in Potomac and have listed many items in an estate sale.
Williams, a North Carolina native, attended and played for the University of Maryland from 1978-1981. At Maryland, he earned All-ACC honors in 1980 and 1981.
His 17-year NBA career was highlighted by three All-Star Game appearances, a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Rookie team selection, an All-NBA second team selection and four selections to the first and second NBA All-Defensive teams.
Williams led the Nets in rebounding for most of the 1980s and as of the beginning of 2017, he remained the Nets’ all-time leader in total rebounds, games played, minutes played, rebounds per game, and free throws made.
The Potomac mansion was built for the former NBA star back in 2002.
The catalog with current prices, descriptions and sizes can be found here.
Pick up for all items will be October 29 and 30 in Potomac and bidding ends at 7pm tonight.
703.889.8949 for questions & information
Hocus Pocus has been a Halloween favorite for a couple decades now, but did you know there’s a MoCo connection in the 1993 film?
Not quite as big of a connection as the Sanderson sisters graduating from a local high school, but something fun nonetheless.
Sean Murray, the actor who portrayed Thackery Binx (as a cat and later as a human), was born at Bethesda Navy Hospital.
He grew up on several military bases, so he didn’t spend too much time in MoCo aside from his very early years.
In addition to his role as Thackery Binx, Murray is known for his role as Special Agent Timothy McGee on NCIS and his role as Danny Walden in the military drama series JAG.
Halloweentown star, Kimberly J. Brown, is also from MoCo. Read about that here.
Montgomery Planning staff recommends approval of new two-story building for Woodlin Elementary School in Silver Spring.
Fun Fact: Sylvester Stallone and Dave Chappelle both attended Woodlin Elementary School in Silver Spring.
Actor Sylvester Stallone grew up in Silver Spring, attending Woodlin Elementary School and Montgomery Hills Junior High. He was enrolled as a student at Blair High School for a brief period of time before leaving for Philadelphia after getting into a little bit of trouble in the area.
Comedian Dave Chappelle was born in D.C. and raised in Silver Spring. He attended Woodlin Elementary School and has often mentioned riding the Red Line while growing up in the area.
Per Montgomery Planning:
• The Proposal will replace the existing one-story elementary school and childcare facility with a two-story elementary school fronting on Brookville Road to accommodate up to 740 students and approximately 65 faculty and staff, as well as a new childcare facility that will accommodate up to 127 children and 20 faculty/staff. The reduced building footprint and reconfiguration of parking and circulation provides additional open space for the students.
• The proposal provides a bus loop on Brookville Road for morning and afternoon bus activity, and a second vehicular access from Luzerne Avenue for student and childcare drop-off and faculty parking.
• The proposal requires a Forest Conservation Plan and Variance for the removal of 10 specimen trees, which is evaluated under a separate staff report.
• The site design of the proposed school on this relatively small site presents a two-story massing on Brookville Road with an attached one-story childcare facility on Luzerne Avenue. The parking has been reconfigured but retained on the “service” side of the site west of the school while the eastern portion of the site has been given over to expanded open and play areas for the children. Bus circulation, as recommended in the Master Plan, has been relocated to Brookville Road, while parent and faculty circulation has been minimized and located next to the main entrances for the school and childcare facility.
• Planning and MCDOT staff have discussed with MCPS necessary improvements along Brookville Road to include a turn lane for buses, a Master-Planned buffered sidepath, and a pedestrian crossing. MCPS has identified that their approved budget cannot accommodate these improvements. Staff for both Departments have therefore conditioned the approval of the Mandatory Referral on their implementation/facilitation so that supplemental budget discussions may take place in the future.
Per the recommendation, MCPS should comply with the following recommendations:
1. Pedestrian Safety
The Applicant should install the following pedestrian safety facilities to improve student and community access to the Site:
a. The Applicant should provide improved sidewalks that are a minimum of five feet in width with a grass buffer that is a minimum of six feet in width.
b. The Applicant should provide ADA accessible sidewalks on-site that are a minimum of five feet wide.
c. The Applicant should provide high-visibility crosswalks on the eastern crossing of Brookville Road and Montgomery Street.
d. The sidewalks along the Site frontage should continue in material and grade across the driveway to remind motorists to watch for potential conflicts with pedestrians and students entering the school site.
2. Bicycle Facilities
a. In conformance with the 2018 Bicycle Master Plan the Applicant should install the recommended
sidepath along the Brookville Road frontage consisting of a 10-foot asphalt path and a minimum three-foot buffer. In lieu of constructing the facility, the Applicant should leave a minimum of 13 feet behind the curb, devoid of permanent structure such that Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) can install the master-planned sidepath in the future.
b. Bicycle Parking: The Applicant should provide 38 short-term bicycle spaces near the main entrances to the building in accordance with the 2020 Bicycle Parking Guidelines.
3. Site Circulation and Access
Per the approval letter from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation (see Condition 4), prior to release of the right-of-way permit the Applicant shall construct a left-turn lane on southwest- bound Brookville Road for buses entering the proposed on-site bus loop. Prior to the permit stage, the applicant shall submit for DPS and MCDOT-Division of Traffic Engineering & Operations review and approval plans that detail the necessary roadway improvements for the left turn lane.
More information on the project can be found here.
Featured photo shows Woodlin Elementary School and school photos of Sylvester Stallone and Dave Chappelle from their elementary school years.
Katie Ledecky, MoCo native and one of the greatest swimmers of all-time, has decided to move her home base from Stanford in California to Gainesville, Florida. Today she announced the move along with the Florida Gators announcing her joining the swim team as a volunteer coach. Ledecky has won 7 Olympic gold medals and 15 world championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer. She is also the world record holder in the women’s 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle (long course), and holds the fastest-ever times in the women’s 500-, 1000-, 1500-, and 1650-yard freestyle events.
She will continue her training in Florida, and released the following statement: “Stanford has been my second home for the last five years. It will always have a special place in my heart. Having completed my college degree this year, I am moving east to be closer to home and family. I’ve decided to train at the University of Florida with Coach Anthony Nesty and the outstanding mid-distance and distance training group there. I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the next phase of my swimming career. My years at Stanford have been nothing short of incredible. I’m so grateful for my coach Greg Meehan, as well as my teammates, professors, friends, and everyone in the larger Palo
Alto/Menlo Park area who have supported me through these years.”
Katie Ledecky, one of the greatest female swimmers of all-time, visited Little Flower School in Bethesda yesterday. Ledecky provided words of encouragement to current students at the school while proudly wearing her most recent gold and silver medals from the recent 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held this summer). She and her Team USA Swimming teammate Phoebe Bacon both attended the school while growing up right here in MoCo.
Ledecky has won 7 Olympic gold medals and 15 world championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer. She is also the world record holder in the women’s 400-, 800-, and 1500-meter freestyle (long course), and holds the fastest-ever times in the women’s 500-, 1000-, 1500-, and 1650-yard freestyle events. The school posted the following message and pictures on its social media: “Little Flower School Alumna KATIE LEDECKY came back for a visit! Thank you Katie for being an amazing role model and inspiration to our entire Cardinal Community. We are so proud of you! 🥇🏊♀️🇺🇸
#CardinalCommunity #CardinalsCare #ADWcommUNITY”
Each year, Variety celebrates the live-action, scripted TV producers whose series made the biggest impact over the course of the year.
This year two Montgomery County natives were featured in the article. Darren Star, for Emily in Paris and Younger, and Chris Van Dusen for Bridgerton.
Star grew up in Potomac. He attended Wyngate ES, Cabin John MS (then Junior High), and graduated from Churchill.
After graduating from UCLA, he went on to create hit shows like Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place, and Sex and the City. Beverly Hills 90210 was originally going to be named Potomac 20854 and focus on teens growing up in the area, before a change was made to sunny California.
He created and wrote Emily in Paris for Netflix (it was recently renewed for a second season), and continued his work on the TV Land series he created, Younger.
Van Dusen grew up in Montgomery County as well, graduating from Watkins Mill High School in 1997.
Van Dusen worked on Grey’s Anatomy from 2005 to 2012, and, although uncredited, assisted in the transformation of Grey’s Anatomy into its spin-off, Private Practice. He was also a producer and writer on the ABC drama, Scandal.
He created the period drama, Bridgerton, which became the number one show on Netflix. The show is based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton collection novels.
Prior to his role in HBO’s “Gossip Girl” reboot, Ivan Carlo grew up in Germantown– attending Clopper Mill Elementary School, Roberto Clemente Middle School, and Northwest High School.
The actor credits Northwest High School’s production of “Hairspray” as his inspiration for getting into acting, according to a recent interview in Newscene Magazine.
According to the interview, Carlo got his start in musical theatre and branched out into television roles, having recently appeared in Oxygen’s “One Deadly Mistake” and landing a role in HBO’s Gossip Girl reboot.
“Gossip Girl” was a popular CW teen drama that ran from 2007 to 2012. HBO has rebooted the series and brought it back. It’s available to stream now on HBO Max, with episodes debuting every Thursday.
You can catch Carlo in episode 4, playing the role of Ravi Solis.
Featured photo courtesy of Ivan Carlo’s Instagram.
