Ask American Profile

Kelly Willis, Jason Alexander and Gary Burghoff, Sophia Loren

I understand country singer Kelly Willis is married to songwriter Bruce Robison. Does he write some of her songs? Kelly Willis is a great singer and I wonder why she’s not better known.
—Stan, B, Oklahoma

Yes, there are a few Bruce Robison-penned songs on Kelly Willis’s albums, though he didn’t write them specifically for her. She chooses songs for her records from a number of different songwriters, and also writes some herself. “I just love Bruce’s sad songs,” she says. “One of these days I’ll probably do a record that’s all his.” Willis, 34, was born in Lawton, Okla., and discovered her love and talent for music as a teenager. As a high school student in Virginia, she made her first recording, a version of Elvis Presley’s Teddy Bear, at a make-your-own-record booth. That led to a stint in a rockabilly band and a move to Austin, Texas. Willis became a favored performer in Austin, and eventually signed with major Nashville label MCA. She had some success and great reviews with her three albums on the label. In the end, Nashville wasn’t the right place for her. “It just didn’t work, for a variety of reasons,” she says. Willis and Robison live in Austin, and have one son and twins on the way.

Is the guy who played George on Seinfeld the same person who played Radar on M*A*S*H?
—Lorene L., Arizona

The actors are not the same. Seinfeld’s George was played by Jason Alexander, 43, while Gary Burghoff, 59, is the man who played Radar in M*A*S*H. Alexander, a Tony-winning Broadway song and dance man, followed up Seinfeld with an attempt at his own sitcom called Bob Patterson. That didn’t work out, but he’s worked steadily, and in the fall, he was a visiting professor at the University of Southern California. He is scheduled to star this year in the Los Angeles production of the Broadway hit The Producers. He and his wife have two sons. Burghoff was the only original cast member from the movie M*A*S*H to re-create his role on television. He spent seven years on the series. Though he made some additional television appearances, he opted to work in regional theater afterward, rather than go on to another series, so he could spend more time with his family. He began painting, becoming quite successful with his pictures of wildlife. For a short time, he hosted a PBS show about pets and their families. He and his wife have two sons, and he also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Is Sophia Loren still acting? Does she have a fan club and where can I get an autographed photo?
—Kathy M, Georgia

Yes, the woman who has been deemed one of the world’s greatest beauties still acts on occasion. Most recently she starred in a movie written and directed by her son, Edourdo Ponti. The Italian film, Between Strangers, released in 2002 and shown at the Toronto Film Festival, was his directorial debut. Of course, it wasn’t so long ago that she appeared in major films such as Grumpier Old Men (1995) and Ready to Wear (1994). Now 69, she’s still active, a passionate cook, and a devoted wife and mother. Still strikingly beautiful, she once said, “There’s a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly defeat age.” Though she has an official website, it does not distribute autographed photos and there does not appear to be an official fan club that does.

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