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Bill Pullman, Janie Fricke, Henry Thomas

I’d like to know more about Bill Pullman. I’ve seen him in a few movies on television. My favorite was The Virginian, which he starred in, directed, and produced.
—Rita M., Arizona

Actually, you might have seen Pullman, 48, in more movies than you think. Remember the extremely stupid kidnapper in Ruthless People, the president in Independence Day, the sweet older brother in While You Were Sleeping? Comedy, drama, romance—he covers it all. Born in Hornell, N.Y., to a doctor dad and nurse mom, he was an outdoorsy type, very athletic, who planned to major in building construction in college. He loved the idea of building barns in the country. But he discovered an interest in theater after auditioning for a play and ended up with a master’s degree in directing for theater. He took a job teaching at Montana State University, eventually becoming chairman of the theater department. Finally, at age 37, he decided to pursue a professional acting career. After some theater work in New York, he nabbed the Ruthless People role and has acted steadily since. He maintained his interest in construction and built a barn on the California farm where he lives with his wife and three children. The Virginian was his film-directing debut. This year, he also played the lead in the Broadway play, The Goat.

Please tell me what you can about singer Janie Fricke, who wrote and sings I’ll Need Someone to Hold Me When I Cry. It’s such a beautiful song.
—Marilyn M., Nebraska

Born in South Whitley, Ind., Janie Fricke has released more than 20 albums and has had almost 40 hit singles in her career. She started singing in a small hometown church, then evolved into singing gigs in coffeehouses and school events. She embarked on a musical career in earnest after obtaining a degree in elementary education and became a successful jingle singer in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Memphis, Tenn., before settling in Nashville, Tenn. Fricke became a sought-after studio singer and worked with artists such as Loretta Lynn and Elvis Presley before landing her first major solo recording contract. She has been nominated for two Grammy awards and has won top female vocalist honors from the Country Music Association, the Academy of Country Music, and other groups. She tours frequently, and Fricke’s latest venture is a greatest hits project, recorded in Nashville in April and due out later this year. She also designs her own line of decorative home products. Fricke lives on a Dallas-area ranch with her husband and manager, Jeff Steele.

Has Henry Thomas done anything since E.T.?
—Doris M., New Mexico

He’s made just about 30 movies and television appearances. You probably even saw him in a few but didn’t connect the grown-up young man with the adorable child from E.T. For example, do you remember Brad Pitt’s youngest brother in Legends of the Fall? How about Matt Damon’s pal in All the Pretty Horses? Or the schoolteacher turned seaman, Ishmael, in the television version of Moby Dick? Most people probably didn’t make the connection though, since young Thomas was out of sight during his growing-up years. He kept working—mostly in foreign films, television movies, and independent or B films that went unnoticed by the public. He made some mainstream movies during this time, though, such as Cloak & Dagger and Valmont. In the latter, he co-starred alongside Annette Bening and Meg Tilly and had matured into a strapping 17-year-old. Now 31, the San Antonio native has a thriving career. Look for him in the upcoming Gangs of New York, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

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