Ask American Profile

I always enjoyed Brett Butler as a comedian and in her series Grace Under Fire. What is she doing now?
—Carole V., Alabama

She’s back on the road doing standup comedy, on what she calls the Gravel-Throated Harpie Tour, and just signed a deal with USA network to develop a pilot for a series. She also has an official website, where she regularly contributes her random thoughts, off-the-wall musings, and commentary on events of the day. Butler, 44, was born in Montgomery, Ala. The oldest of five girls, she grew up in Georgia and showed a knack for comedy early. She recalls performing her first standup routine at a school Christmas pageant when she was 8 years old. She married briefly at age 19. When the marriage ended after three years, she started waiting tables at a club in Texas where she started her comedy career. As she gained experience, she found a fan in comedian Robert Klein, who encouraged her to try her luck in New York. Her luck was pretty good, and soon she was invited to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Butler got her own cable special and eventually her ABC series, Grace Under Fire. She has written her autobiography titled Knee Deep In Paradise.

I’d like to know about Chipper Jones, who plays for the Atlanta Braves. Is he married, does he have children?
—A.B. Caver, Texas

It seems as if the 30-year-old outfielder, who is married with two sons, was born to play baseball. Jones grew up in Pierson, Fla. His dad was a high school teacher and baseball coach. Jones started tossing the ball at his dad’s practice sessions when he was just 3 years old. As soon as he was old enough, Jones went on to children’s minor league and Little League teams. Even when he didn’t have games or practice, Jones would play baseball with a friend, sometimes covering every position if there was no one else around. Naturally, he played in high school, first in his hometown and then at a private boarding school in Jacksonville, Fla. In June 1990, he was the first draft pick of the Braves. After learning the ropes in the minor leagues, Jones officially joined the Braves in 1995, helping the team win the World Series. He was voted National League Most Valuable Player in 1999.

I saw Teri Garr in a television movie. She seemed to have difficulty walking, but the role didn’t demand a physical impairment. Does she have a physical problem or an injury?
—Richard B., Ohio

Teri Garr, 53, recently revealed that she has multiple sclerosis, which affects the central nervous system. She started exhibiting symptoms nearly 20 years ago. As the disease progressed, it affected her ability to walk, as you noticed in the television movie you saw. Worried that speaking out about her MS would lead to a loss of work, Garr brushed off questions about her limping by saying she had bone spurs on her neck and spine. A new medication has helped her, and she has become a spokesman for the drug, talking to doctors, MS patients, and the public about how it has eased her symptoms. Garr began her career as a ballet dancer. She worked her way up through the show biz ranks—from go-go dancer in Elvis Presley films to sidekick on The Sonny and Cher Show—to roles in such films as Young Frankenstein, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Dumb and Dumber. She has worked steadily since being diagnosed with the disease.

Upload Your Own Stories, Photos and Videos

Every week, American Profile magazine brings you stories that celebrate the people and places that make America great. Now we want to hear your stories and see your photos, videos and even audio.

 Start Uploading Now!

 

Discuss this Article