April Celebrity Birthdays

April 3: Eddie Murphy

Edward Regan Murphy was born April 3, 1961 in Brooklyn, New York. This Saturday Night Live alum has been voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by The Comedian's Comedian and received a Golden Globe award in 2007 for his role in Dream Girls. He is a distinguished actor and has starred in several Nutty Professor films, as well as voiced "Donkey" in the Shrek movies. By the way, Shrek the Third is due out in 2007.

April 4: Robert Downey Jr.

Born April 4, 1965 in Greenwich Village, New York, Robert Downey Jr. has had his fill of life's ups and downs. The Golden Globe-winning actor (Ally McBeal) spent time during the 1990s in and out of jail for various drug-related charges, but has reportedly remained clean and sober since 2001. He tried his hand at a music career in 2004, and over the past few years, he has acted in such hits as Good Night and Good Luck and The Shaggy Dog. He will star in the 2008 release of Iron Man.

April 7: Russell Crowe

Academy Award-winning actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator) is known for many things -- his acting skills, Aussie accent and possibly most notably, his temperament. Over the years, Crowe, who was born April 7, 1964 in Wellington, New Zealand, has gained a reputation for having a temper, including an altercation at a New York City hotel in 2005. He also starred in numerous films including A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and L.A. Confidential. He was married in 2003 and has two children.

April 9: Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner

Hugh Hefner was born April 9, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois. Hef, as he is affectionately called, is the founder and editor-in- chief of Playboy magazine and an international icon for American sexuality. Hefner is dubbed the ultimate lifestyle entrepreneur and Playboy is the leading men's magazine in the world. He has been married twice and has four children. He now lives in his Beverly Hills, California mansion with his three girlfriends -- a lifestyle that is the topic for the E! reality show, The Girls Next Door.

April 12: David Letterman

As one of the kings of late-night television, David Letterman got his start in broadcasting as a radio talk show host. In 1982, he started his cutting-edge show, Late Night With David Letterman, which moved from NBC to CBS in 1993, following a feud with his network regarding Johnny Carson's replacement on The Tonight Show. His show has been nominated for 67 Emmy Awards and won 12 of the awards. Letterman, who was born April 12, 1947, lives with his girlfriend and their son in New York.

April 14: Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar was born April 14, 1977 in New York City. She is best known for her role as Buffy Anne Summers in the long-running television series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but her career has grown up right along with her. Her first role was on All My Children. She was featured on Maxim's "Hot 100" list. Gellar, who is married to actor Freddie Prinze Jr., has acted in several movies such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scooby-Doo. She has several projects due out in 2007.

April 17: Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner

From television to the silver screen and back again, Jennifer Garner has done it all. Born April 17, 1972 in Houston, Texas, Garner got her start in acting while attending Denison University as a chemistry major. Her first big acting job was on Felicity, which led her to the award-winning role as CIA Agent Sydney Bristow on the hit series, Alias. She has appeared in several films including 13 Going on 30, Pearl Harbor and Dude, Where's My Car? She and her husband, actor Ben Affleck, have one daughter.

April 19: Kate Hudson

Actress Goldie Hawn should be very proud of Kate Hudson -- after all, her daughter is following in her footsteps. Hudson, born April 19, 1979 in Los Angeles, California, has starred in such hits as Almost Famous, Dr. T. and the Women and Raising Helen. Like many Aries who have April celebrity birthdays, Hudson is ambitious and bold. She is divorced from her first husband, Chris Robinson, and is said to be dating actor Owen Wilson. She is expected to release two films in 2007.

April 22: Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson

What can you say about Jack Nicholson? With more than 60 acting awards under his belt, this Hollywood legend has starred in some of the best of the silver screen, including One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, A Few Good Men and Hoffa. He recently showed up at the 2007 Academy Awards sporting a very clean-shaven head in preparation for one of his latest films, The Buddy List, in which he plays a terminally ill cancer patient. That movie is due out in late 2007. Nicholson was born April 22, 1937 in Manhattan, New York.

April 28: Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir-Leno (Jay for short) was born April 28, 1950 in New Rochelle, New York. As Johnny Carson's replacement on The Tonight Show, Leno carries on the tradition of entertaining late-night television viewers. He is known for his wit, but also for his sensitive side. When Carson died in 2005, Leno did one night of the show as a tribute to his predecessor. He has announced that he will retire as the show's host in 2009, and Late Night host Conan O'Brien will be his replacement.

More April Celebrity Birthdays

Here are a few more notable April celebrity birthdays:

• April 3: Wayne Newton, Alec Baldwin
• April 15: Leonardo da Vinci
• April 16: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Martin Lawrence
• April 18: Melissa Joan Hart, Conan O'Brien
• April 19: Ashley Judd
• April 21: Queen Elizabeth II
• April 25: Al Pacino, Renee Zellweger
• April 27: Casey Kasem
• April 29: Jerry Seinfeld, Carnie Wilson