Celebrities Born in March Trivia Quiz

Answer: Daniel Craig

Craig brought a new dimension to the fictional secret agent James Bond during his five instalment tenure in the role. Commencing with "Casino Royale" (2006) and finalizing with "No Time to Die" in 2021, Daniel brought a level of emotional complexity to the character, explored his vulnerabilities and allowed us to take a view of Bond's past.

Beyond this character, he had roles in "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001) and received praise for his performance as the cocaine distributor, known as XXXX, in "Layer Cake" (2004), a role that brought him to notice with the powers that be in Hollywood. "Layer Cake" is a 2004 British crime drama directed by Matthew Vaughn. Also starring Tom Hardy and Sienna Miller it centres around an unnamed cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) who is looking to step away from the trade with a view to setting up a legitimate business.

He has been featured in the drama "Defiance" (2008), teamed up with Harrison Ford in the science fiction episode that was the western "Cowboys & Aliens" (2011), and followed that up with the mystery thriller, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" in the same year.

Craig worked alongside Rachel Weisz, on stage at the National Theatre Studio in London, while performing in the play "Les Grandes Horizontales" in 1994. The pair commenced dating in 2010 and married the following year. An avid fan of the Liverpool Football Club, Daniel has also recognized for his tireless work with numerous charities and, in April 2015, he was appointed the first global advocate for the elimination of mines and explosive hazards by the United Nations.

Footnote: James Bond is a fictional Secret Service agent created by British author Ian Fleming. Fleming used him in twelve novels, the first being "Casino Royale" which was published in 1953 and a further two sets of short stories, Also known by his code number "007", Bond has translated well into film, the first being "Dr. No" which launched in 1962 with Sean Connery in the lead role.

Answer: John Stockton

John Stockton's NBA (National Basketball Association) career ran from 1984 to 2003. In that time he played for only one franchise...the Utah Jazz. Considered to be one of the greatest point guards to have played the game, he led his team into the finals in every season that he played but only got to contest two Championships. Both were losses to the Chicago Bulls.

Stockton won a gold medal at the Barcelona Summer Olympic Games and backed that up with another in 1996 at Atlanta. His record on the court, however, is stellar.

Stockton's loyalty extended beyond the courts. Born in Spokane, Washington, he still resides there, with his wife Nada, who he wed in 1986 and with whom he has had six children.

Footnote: Beyond the accolades that John Stockton achieved during his career with Utah, his numbers in the game are extraordinary. He was named in the All-Star team a staggering ten times and led the league in assists for nine years in a row. During the 1990-91 season he set a new record for assists in a single season, an amazing 1,164. Thirty five years later, that mark still stood. He would retire with a NBA career record of 15,806 assists and 3,265 steals.

Answer: James Van Der Beek

While in middle-school, James played the role of Reuben in a production of "Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat". It inspired him to persuade his mother to get him to New York City where his aim was to become a professional actor. At the age of sixteen he scored the stage role of Fergus in "Finding the Sun" (1993), and the solid reviews he received became the first stepping stone toward that career.

A successful audition in 1997 saw him secure the title role of Dawson Leery in the television teen drama series "Dawson's Creek" (1998-2003). The show was a massive success in a six season run that saw it syndicated globally. This led to movie roles for Van Der Beek. "Varsity Blues" (1999) was followed by an uncredited role in "Scary Movie" (2000), then "The Rules of Attraction" (2002), and "Formosa Betrayed" in 2009.

After divorcing Heather McComb, his first wife, in 2010, James married Kimberly Brook that same year. The pair have six children.

Footnote: "Dawson's Creek" (1998-2003) is a coming-of-age teen drama series that follows the story of four friends making the transition from adolescence to adulthood. James Van Der Beek plays the title character, Dawson Leery, initially, a fifteen year old boy who dreams of being a great filmmaker. His best friend and love interest is "Joey" Potter (Katie Holmes) and the foursome is rounded off by Pacey Winter (Joshua Jackson) and Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams).

Answer: Lou Costello

With Bud Abbott, Lou Costello formed one of comedy's great double acts. The pair are best known for their baseball parody routine "Who's on First", which they first performed on radio during "The Kate Smith Hour" in 1938. The skit would become their signature routine.

In 1927, Lou Costello was inspired to hitchhike his way to Hollywood after watching (and admiring) the work of the silent film actor Charlie Chaplin. In 1934 he married Anne Battler, and the pair remained together until Lou's passing in 1959. He teamed up with Bud Abbott in 1936 and their partnership blossomed, to the extent that the pair were the highest paid entertainers in the United States during World War II. A string of films soon followed and, among them were, "Buck Privates" (1941) and "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948).

By the 1950s, the pair were being seen everywhere, however, this proved to be to their detriment as the overexposure soon led to a decline in their popularity and they were soon overtaken by another comedic duo in Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Abbott and Costello went their separate ways in 1957 but Lou would suffer a massive heart attack two years later and pass away three days short of his 53rd birthday.

Footnote: The premise behind Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First" routine revolves around Lou Costello endeavouring to identify the players on a fictional baseball team where the names of the players are mostly questions. This, in turn, creates a circular situation that Abbott's character is in total control of but Lou's character gets exceeding frustrated with. For example, the name of the player on first base is "Who", so when Lou asks "Who's on first", Abbott responds with "Correct".

Answer: Mariah Carey

Known for her five-octave vocal range, Mariah was listed as the fifth greatest singer of all time by Rolling Stone magazine in 2023. She made an instant name for herself with the release of her self-titled debut album in 1990 and became the first singer to have their first five singles reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Successful albums such as "Music Box" (1993), "Daydream" (1995), "Butterfly" (1997) and "The Emancipation of Mimi" (2005) soon followed. "Music Box", which was Mariah's third LP sold over 8 million copies in the US alone, giving it diamond status sales, sold more than 28 million copies internationally and provided Mariah with two Grammy nominations.

Carey has sold in excess of 220 million albums, set a new standard for the most number ones on Billboard's Hot 100 by a solo artist (19), has won five Grammy awards and has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.

Mariah has been married twice, first to Tony Mottola between 1993 and 1998 and then to Nick Cannon in 2008. In 2011 she gave birth to her twin children, Moroccan and Monroe, but in 2016, she and Nick filed for divorce.

Footnote: There were four singles released from Mariah Carey's third studio album "Music Box". First up was "Dreamlover" (July, 1993) for which Mariah was nominated for a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1994. "Hero" was released less than four months later and this also earned Mariah a Grammy nomination in the same category but, this time, in the 1995 awards. "Without You/ Never Forget You" was released in January of 1994 and this was backed up by "Anytime You Need a Friend" in May of 1994.

Answer: Freddie Prinze Jr.

Freddie met Sarah Michelle Gellar on the set of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997), where he had a starring role as the fisherman, Ray Bronson. The pair began dating in 2000 and married in 2002. Keeping it in the family, the couple would star together in the action version of the based on the long-running animated franchise "Scooby-Doo" (2002). The pair also featured in its sequel "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" (2004), "Happily N'Ever After" (2006) and the television series "Star Wars Rebels" (2014-18), where Freddie provided the voice for Kanan Jarrus.

Freddie would also have recurring roles in the television shows "Boston Legal" (2004) and "24" (2010), as well as starring in his own self-titled sit-com "Freddie" (2005-06). An avid WWE fan, he has been spotted at several of their events and has contributed creatively toward the SmackDown brand. He is also a purple belt in the art of Brazilian jui-jitsu.

Footnote: Based on the long-running animated TV series, "Scooby-Doo: The Movie" was released in 2002. The gang, made up of the self-obsessed glory hog Fred Jones (Freddie Prinze Jr.), the fashion conscious damsel who regularly finds herself in distress Daphne Blake (Sarah Michelle Gellar), the nerdy but studious Velma Dinkley (Linda Cardellini), the cowardly Great Dane and the team's mascot Scooby-Doo (voiced by Neil Fanning) and Scooby's best friend "Shaggy" Rogers (Matthew Lilliard), are called onto a horror themed resort island where the owner believes the tourists have been placed under a demonic spell.

Answer: Irene Cara

Cara, an American singer and actress, was born in 1959 and rose to fame, ironically, playing Coco Hernandez in the 1980 film "Fame". She also sang the film's theme song, which went to number one on the charts of a number of countries across the globe and made it to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Three years later she consolidated this position by singing the theme song to the musical film "Flashdance". The song, "Flashdance... What a Feeling", reached the coveted number one position on those same Billboard charts and also allowed Irene to share an Academy Award for Best Original Song and win a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1984.

Cara married stuntman and film director Conrad Palmisano in 1986, but the pair would divorce five years later. They had no children. Heart disease would take her life in 2022 at the age of 63.

Footnote: "Flashdance" is a 1983 romance drama that features Jennifer Beals as a young steel mill worker who dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Whilst the film was generally panned by critics the soundtrack, which was assembled by Georgio Moroder, gained plaudits. The soundtrack spawned a number of hits. Among these were Michael Sambello's "Maniac" and Irene Cara's "Flashdance... What a Feeling".

Answer: Shaquille O'Neal

O'Neal's career in the NBA (National Basketball Association) spanned 19 years, during which time he played for six teams and won four NBA championships. Now considered one of the best players the game has seen, he was selected by Orlando Magic as the first overall pick in the 1992 draft. His class was on display from the outset, winning the Rookie of the Year Award in the 1992-93 season and he led the Magic into the finals in 1995. In 1996 he moved to the LA Lakers where he spent eight seasons and was fundamental in the franchise winning three Championships. He then played for the Miami Heat from 2004-08, where he won his fourth Championship, moved to the Phoenix Suns (2008-09), the Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10) before finishing his career with the Boston Celtics in 2010-11.

Shaq's achievements on the court are numerous and too lengthy to list here but, standing high on that roster would be being named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2000 and winning an Olympic gold medal at the Atlanta Games in 1996. Likewise, his investments have also proved fruitful but the ideal that caught this writer's eye was his purchasing of mortgages for Orlando homeowners who were facing foreclosure and then selling the properties back to them under more affordable terms.

In 2002 he married Shaunie Nelson. The couple had four children together, but went their separate ways in 2011.

Footnote: During his nine seasons with the LA Lakers, O'Neal, as mentioned, led the franchise to three NBA Championships. What wasn't mentioned was that in all three finals he was voted the MVP (Most Valuable Player). His form was such, during this time, that he was selected for the All-Star game on seven occasions, winning the MVP award for the 2000 game. That was a significant year for Shaq, as he also led the league in scoring.

Answer: Jerry Lewis

Nineteen year old Jerry Lewis first met Dean Martin, then a 27 year old singer, at the Glass Hat Club in New York City in 1945. The following year they were a double act, performing at the 500 Club in Atlantic City. The partnership, which relied on Martin being the smooth, straight-man to Lewis' zany antics, blossomed into the biggest comedy act of the late 1940s through to the mid 1950s. What was merely a night club act soon turned into radio shows, television programmes, charity appearances, fourteen buddy movies and, even, a DC comic strip.

In 1957 the pair went their separate ways, but each was to go on and have a successful solo career. Lewis would host "The Jerry Lewis Show" (1963-67) on television and star in over 30 solo movies. He was at his best playing a lovable, rubber-faced dork in movies such as "The Bellboy" (1960), "The Disorderly Orderly" (1964) and "The Patsy", also in 1964.

The year 1966 saw the debut of the "Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon" (in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Association), cementing an association that Lewis had formed fifteen years prior. Over the years, the telethon would become a huge television event, generate enormous pledges from the public and create new levels of fundraising, some of which would be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. Though the event also courted its fair share of controversy, there is little doubt that the venture provided valuable funding that would be plowed into research toward treating the condition. Lewis' efforts in this regard were recognized by the various awards he received, including a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

Lewis wed Patti Palmer in 1944, with whom he had six sons. However, the marriage was clouded by Lewis' regular infidelities, which he was open about, and the pair would divorce in 1983. Lewis would remarry that same year, to "San Dee" Pitnik and the pair would remain together until Lewis' passing in 2017.

Footnote: Arguably, the best of Lewis' solo films was "The Nutty Professor" (1963), where Lewis combines manic slapstick with maudlin pathos, playing a nerdy professor who creates a potion that turns him into a smooth talking ladies man. The film, at its core, is a parody of the 1886 novella, "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Lewis' nerdy school professor conducts classroom experiments that are usually a disaster. He is clumsy, awkward and very uncomfortable around women. When he gets embarrassed by a high school bully he creates a formula that transforms him into smooth talking, suave and handsome ladies man, that he christens Buddy Love. The problem is that Buddy is also a narcissistic sociopath.

Answer: Timothy Dalton

Dalton shot to international prominence when he was appointed as the fourth actor to portray James Bond for Eon Productions. Taking over from Roger Moore, who played the role of Bond as a light-hearted playboy, Dalton pushed for a grittier version of the super spy and took him into darker areas, with a more sardonic sense of humour. His two outings as the super spy were "The Living Daylights" (1987) and "Licence to Kill" (1989).

Though he was star of the superhero film "The Rocketeer" in 1991, he is better known for his historical and period dramas such as "The Lion in Winter", "Wuthering Heights" (1970), "Cromwell" (1970), and "Mary, Queen of Scots" (1971).

Like his James Bond compadre, Dalton is a soccer fan and is a staunch supporter of the Manchester City Football Club. He had a 15 year relationship with Vanessa Redgrave, who he'd met on the set of "Mary, Queen of Scots", briefly dated Stephanie Powers and Whoopi Goldberg, and followed those with a relationship with Oksana Grigorieva (1995-2003), with whom he has a son.

Footnote: The 1991 film "The Rocketeer" stars Billy Campbell as the titular character, a stunt pilot, who discovers a rocket-pack that enables him to fly without the aid of an aircraft. He uses it to rescue a friend which gains national attention. Now, the FBI is in pursuit of him, as is Howard Hughes from whom the rocket-pack was initially stolen. But wait, there's more... there's also a bunch of Nazi thugs, led by Timothy Dalton, who stole the pack from Hughes in the first place and they are now desperate to get it back.