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FAMOUS ONLY CHILDREN PROFILES

DESTINY'S CHILD: Robin Williams is one comedian and actor who has never stood still. As the only child of wealthy but sometimes distant parents, he learned to entertain himself at an early age. Once he decided that the theater was his passion, nothing could stop him. His life has been one of opportunity and tests that he has sometimes failed. Williams has never lost his edge and keeps looking for new ways to be creative as an actor, father, and member of the human race.

QUEEN OF THE GALAXY: Talent, focus, determination, and strong values all define only-child Natalie Portman, the star of George Lucas' Attack of the Clones. She has been acting since she was twelve, but her parents have raised her so well that she places more importance on her brain than her beauty. Now that she is a student at Harvard she is establishing her identity away from her parents and, like all college students, trying to figure out her place in the universe.

THE MOST MARVELOUS MAYOR: Before September 11, who would have thought that we would idolize the prickly Rudy Giuliani? After all, he was the mayor New Yorkers loved to hate. But we found out how important only-child determination is when the going gets rough. Rudy gave us the love and comfort we needed to survive September 11th. He was our anchor, our hope. His humanity shone through the inhumanity of those awful days and made us feel somehow more secure.
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TELLER OF PENN AND TELLER: According to The Los Angeles Times, Teller is the "silent half of those outrageous bad boys of magic, Penn & Teller." He is also the loving only child of Joe and Irene Teller. Teller adores his parents who have always supported and encouraged his artistry. In fact, he had such a wonderful childhood that he has written a book about his family entitled "When I am Dead All This Will Be Yours."
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TIPPER GORE: This is an only child with vision, warmth and a solid grasp of priorities. She chose traditional roles and still retains her individuality. Tipper is an advocate, a mother, grandmother, and an only child. Most of us became aware of Tipper in the mid 1980s when she led a highly aggressive battle against explicit music lyrics. Some found her crusade trite and conservative while others applauded her diligence and commitment. Regardless, it is Tipper's experience as an only child that has shaped her as a highly independent thinker. Even as a teenager, Tipper challenged the status quo. She rebelled against her conservative high school, and formed a band called The Wildcats for which she was the drummer. Ironically, she then fought against musicians like The Ramones and Frank Zappa over music lyrics and appropriate subject matter. Although her own daughters branded her 'uncool' and a prude when she attacked music lyrics, Tipper never wavered. Ultimately her efforts paid off with parental guidance warnings on CD packages. Tipper never let others' opinions keep her from doing what she thought was important.
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LILLIAN HELLMAN: Playwright Lillian Hellman was an only child who never compromised her integrity and wrote about subjects that were considered shocking in her day. Audacious, exuberant and adventurous, she discovered herself by testing her limits. Born on June 20, 1905, defeat simply wasn't part of Hellman's world. She was a woman of singular talent and courage who became one of the most eminent playwrights of the 20th century. The only child of Max Bernard Hellman, a Jewish shoe salesman, and Julia Newhouse Hellman, Lillian was independent from the beginning and grew up quickly. Her father's job forced the family to live in New York with her mother's relatives half of the year and in the south, with her father's two sisters, who ran a boarding house, for the other half. Caught literally and figuratively in the middle, as a child Lillian found that she was always ahead of her southern classmates and constantly behind her peers in New York. So she made her own rules and frequently skipped school.
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KAREEM-ABDUL JABBAR: Our "Only Child Profile," has made an enormous difference both on and off the basketball court. While he has often been called the greatest basketball player in history, he is also a writer, actor, producer, and a tireless volunteer for numerous charities. His parents placed a premium on education and made certain that their only child did well in school. They were ambitious in the best way for Kareem, so he was ambitious for himself.
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FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT: We went looking for one of the most influential only children of the 20th Century and decided that no one person had done more to shape our lives and assure our survival as a country than Franklin Roosevelt. Without his strength and vision the United States might not have come through the Despression without a revolution and there is a good chance that WWII would have been won by the Axis powers.
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ALAN GREENSPAN: The most powerful only child in America wasn't always interested in economics. Originally, he wanted to be a musician but realized that he was better at working with numbers than with notes. The only child of Herbert and Rose Greenspan, Alan Greenspan is considered by many to be the most powerful man in America. While the president is responsible for political policy,Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, makes decisions that influence people a little closer to home: their wallets. Power, tenacity and integrity, frequent characteristics of an only child, served Dr. Greenspan well throughout his career and lifetime.
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CARY GRANT: Most women, regardless of their age, would agree that Cary Grant was arguably the most charming movie star to grace the screen this century. As an actor he had everything -- marvelous comic timing, intelligence, and warmth. What woman wouldn't say yes to a date with Cary? He was that rarest of creatures, a gorgeous guy with class and style who appealed to women and had the respect of men. Grant was so convincing as the confident, dynamic lead that few people outside of his closest friends knew that the characters he portrayed weren't the real Cary Grant. In fact, Grant grew up pretty much unloved and unwanted. He literally raised himself and managed to survive an emotionally impoverished childhood.
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ADA BYRON: Born 1815, the only child of Lord Byron, Ada Byron grew up in a time when women were not encouraged to pursue education. Ada was an exception. Perhaps because there were no other children who needed attention, her mother and her mother's friends spent a great deal of time fostering Ada's intellectual interests, and she developed into one of the first computer programmers.
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FRANK SINATRA: Frank Sinatra, "The Chairman of the Board", was an only child whose self-confidence was never undermined. Like many only children, he learned from an early age to rely on his own instincts. He knew that he wanted - excellence and that's what he got. When Frank Sinatra died on May 14, 1998 at the age of 82, millions of people around the world recognized that a musical icon had passed. There will probably never be another singer like Sinatra. His phrasing and sense of timing were impeccable and his delivery of lyrics so personal that listeners often felt that they were in the confessional with him. Like the music he sang, Sinatra was a complex man. His talent was dazzling and he was often the bad boy with the baby face. What an intriguing package! Sinatra was a performer and entertainer par excellence, but that wasn't all. He was a movie star and a businessman. He was a generous philanthropist, and often helped friends out of financial trouble without having to be asked. He was a man of great style and taste.
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COLE PORTER: Cole Porter was born on June 9, 1891 and was musically inclined from an early age. He studied piano and violin at age six and was required to practice two hours every day in order to surpass his peers. Cole's mother spent much of the practice time with him, parodying popular tunes on the piano in order to keep his interest. This lyrical playfulness and repetition influenced Cole's creative sense of humor, evident in the lyrics he would later write. As a very beloved only child, Cole received much of his mother's attention and time. Cole Porter, a determined only child, kept writing even after a terrible accident changed his life forever. His songs and lyrics are immediately familiar: I Get a Kick Out of You, What Is This Thing Called Love?, Don't Fence Me In, and I've Got You Under My Skin. We know the phrases and the tunes but not many of us can attach them to the man who was the preeminent song writing genius of the 1920-30s, Cole Porter. But who was this folk legend and what were his contributions to this century's popular music?
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LAUREN BACALL: At age 19, Lauren Bacall became an overnight success in Hollywood, speaking the now-famous lines: "You know how to whistle, don't you? You just put your lips together--and blow." Starring alongside Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not, the young star mesmerized audiences with her striking good looks, low-pitched voice and on-screen charisma. Lauren was both beautiful and intelligent, but her acting career might not have flourished as it did without the direct influence of close family members. Her mother, Natalie Bacal, was responsible for imbuing the importance of sincerity and enduring hard work in achieving career success. The only child of a divorced working mother, Lauren says her mother was unquestionably the single most important influence on her life.
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Robin Williams