Danny Hajek

Jay Jackson, as Perd Hapley, interviews Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope during the sixth season of <em>Parks and Recreation</em>.

'I'm Perd Hapley, And I Just Realized I'm Played By An Actual Newscaster'

Danny Hajek

Jay Jackson plays the hilariously odd newscaster on NBC's Parks and Recreation. But before he was a fake anchor, Jackson spent 22 years as a real TV reporter — and he became an actor by accident.

Nancy Cartwright voices the mischievous 10-year-old son, Bart, in the animated TV show, <em>The Simpsons</em>. "I don't know of any other character that has more catch-phrases than Bart," she says.

'Whoa, Mama!': A Voice Actress's Road To Fame As A 10-Year-Old Boy

Danny Hajek

Back in 1987, Nancy Cartwright made a risky, last-minute decision during an audition: Instead of trying out for the part of mild-mannered Lisa Simpson, she went for the role of rebellious Bart.

Leland Melvin with his dogs, Jake and Scout. "I snuck them into NASA to get this picture," Melvin says.

From Touchdowns To Takeoff: Engineer-Athlete Soared To Space

NPR Staff

When Leland Melvin pulled his hamstring during practice with the Dallas Cowboys, his NFL career was over. So he did the next logical thing: He joined NASA and became an astronaut.

After moving back home, Tom Toro didn't know what to do with his life. But a stack of magazines at a used book sale gave him an idea. "There they were," Toro says. "Cartoons in among the articles."

How'd A Cartoonist Sell His First Drawing? It Only Took 610 Tries

Danny Hajek

Tom Toro was a directionless 20-something film school dropout. Then, after an inspired moment at a used book sale, he started submitting drawings to The New Yorker -- and collecting rejection slips.

During a wildlife survey in Madagascar, Mayor discovered a new species of mouse lemur. "[It] weighs less than two ounces, fits in the palm of your hands," she says.

Trading Pom-Poms For Field Boots: Mireya Mayor's Big Break

Danny Hajek

The explorer's life plays out like an adventure film. But before she ever went diving with great whites, she was cheering for the Miami Dolphins — until a required science course changed her plans.

As a child, Emily Blunt had a stutter that was so bad, she could hardly say her own name. "The misdiagnosis [was] that I was a tense child," Blunt says. "And I wasn't. I was desperate to speak."

Desperate To Speak: How Emily Blunt Found Her Voice

Danny Hajek

The actress stars in the new film Into the Woods, in theaters Thursday. On screen she's a natural. But as a kid, she had a stutter so severe she could hardly say her own name.

Twenty-one-year-old Liu Jing sits in her apartment two stories underground in Beijing, China. Her laundry hangs above her head because there's nowhere else to put her clothes.

'A Universe Beneath Our Feet': Life In Beijing's Underground

Danny Hajek

In China's capital city, even the humblest apartment can cost a fortune. But more affordable housing hides below the city's bustling streets, in tiny (and illegal) basements and bomb shelters.

Tony Little calls himself America's Personal Trainer. He was first inspired to produce workout videos after an injury left him largely homebound, and he saw Jane Fonda's exercise program on TV.

After Injury, Tony Little Told Himself: 'You Can Do It!'

Danny Hajek

The muscle man with the ponytail was once on track to become Mr. America. But a car accident shattered Tony Little's hopes of competing. Just when he hit rock bottom, he got a life-changing idea.

James Earl Jones was born in Mississippi and grew up in Michigan. He was adopted by his grandparents and eventually developed a stutter. "I'm still a stutterer," he says. "I just work with it."

James Earl Jones: From Stutterer To Janitor To Broadway Star

Danny Hajek

The 83-year-old was once a farm kid who didn't want to talk. Today, the unmistakable stage and screen actor (not to mention the voice of Darth Vader) still calls himself a "journeyman actor."

Betty White (left) stands alongside actor Eddie Albert in front of the a KLAC-TV camera during a broadcast of the live talk show, 'Hollywood on Television,' in 1952.

Betty White, The Golden Girl From The Golden Days Of Television

Danny Hajek

The Hot in Cleveland actress got her start over 60 years ago on a live TV show called Hollywood on Television. Now she's 92 years old, but she says that's no reason to quit show business.