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Kathryn Erbe, Earl Thomas Conely, Nicolas Cage

I saw a movie on television the other night called Stir of Echoes with Kevin Bacon. The actress playing his wife was Kathryn Erbe. She looks familiar. Where have I seen her?
—Patrick D., New Mexico

You might have seen Kathryn Erbe co-starring in the series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, airing on NBC. She was born in Boston and raised in Newton, Mass. The actress moves easily between stage, television, and the big screen. Shortly before graduating from New York University in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree, she was cast as Lynn Redgrave’s daughter in the 1989 sitcom Chicken Soup. After the short-lived Chicken Soup, she moved back to NYC and joined the cast of the Steppenwolf Broadway production of The Grapes of Wrath, which won the 1990 Tony Award for best play. Then she went on to play Richard Dreyfuss’ daughter in the movie What About Bob? She received a 1991 Tony Award nomination for her work in The Speed of Darkness. She is a member of both the Steppenwolf Theatre Co. and the Atlantic Theatre Co. Her movie credits include Rich in Love and Kiss of Death. She is married to actor and director Terry Kinney and has a daughter named Maeve.

I haven’t heard anything from Earl Thomas Conley in years. What happened to him? Is he still performing?
—Peggy Y. and Gloria G., Kentucky

Tired of music business politics and fighting vocal problems due to severe allergies, the consistent country chart-topper of the 1980s decided to slow down in 1991. He stopped making records for seven years and took some time to relax and recharge his creative energy. He concentrated on writing songs and put out a new album called Perpetual Emotion in 1998. He has a new album coming out this year. Conley, 61, was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, and showed an interest in art when he was young. He was ready to accept an art scholarship to college after graduating from high school but decided to join the Army instead where he started singing with a Christian trio. By the time he got out, he realized that he wanted to pursue music as a career. He found success as a songwriter in the 1970s. It took a while for him to make the move to performer, and he didn’t do well at first. But in 1981, he released Fire and Smoke, which reached No. 1 in a matter of weeks. He went on to chart 18 No. 1 songs during the 80s. His songs still resonate with fans, and he draws enthusiastic crowds at his concerts.

Nicolas Cage is an excellent actor. I heard he has famous relatives in show business. Who are they? Please tell me about Cage.
—Jolene M., Minnesota

Here’s a clue: The intense, 39-year-old actor was born Nicholas Coppola in Long Beach, Calif. That makes him nephew to famed director Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now), cousin of actress and director Sofia Coppola (The Virgin Suicides), and nephew of actress Talia Shire (Rocky, The Godfather). He’s also cousin to actor Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore). His father, August, was a comparative literature professor, and his mother, Joy, was a choreographer and dancer. Cage dropped out of Beverly Hills High School to pursue his acting career, and though he is credited as Nicholas Coppola in his first film, Fast Times At Ridgmont High, he decided to drop his famous last name to succeed on his own reputation. He’s known for his immersion in his roles, to the point of having two teeth pulled for Birdy and eating a live cockroach for Vampire’s Kiss. He won an Oscar for his wrenching portrayal of an alcoholic with a death wish in Leaving Las Vegas and easily switches from light comedy to heavy drama to offbeat independent films.

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