Browse Movies : Biography : U

Despite being born with one leg to a single-parent family on the wrong side of the tracks, Anthony Robles overcomes every obstacle to become an undefeated collegiate wrestling star, three-time All-American, 2011 NCAA National Champion, two-time ESPY Award winner and a National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee.

Susan Spencer-Wendel, a longtime court reporter is diagnosed with ALS, which destroys the nerves that power muscles including the lungs. She races against time to create a record of her life before her illness overcomes her. Spencer-Wendel and her 14-year-old daughter are fans of the reality show "Say Yes To The Dress," and so they head to Kleinfeld's so the teen can try on wedding dresses for her mom, which is always the plan before her mother took ill. Spencer-Wendel leaves behind money so her sister can eventually buy a dream dress there when her daughter is ready to get married.

Derek Boogaard, a shy over-sized man, learns to use his fists to make it to the National Hockey League and becomes a renowned hockey enforcer. The hulking 6'7" and 270 pounds Boogaard becomes known as the Boogeyman, and rarely loses a fight while playing for the Minnesota Wild and the New York Rangers. He gets addicted to painkillers from years of damage, and is found dead at age 28 after mixing prescription drugs with booze.

The story of legendary British war photographer Don McCullin. Working for the Sunday Times from the late 60’s to the early 80’s, he risked his life to photograph the harsh realities of war.

Rod Serling grows up outside of Syracuse, New York as the class clown, though he eventually matures enough to write for his high school newspaper. Immediately after graduation, he enlists in the U.S. Army and trains as a paratrooper. He is sent west to fight in the Philippines, where he sees death all around him each day. Though he is honored with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, Serling’s experience in the military haunts him and has a profound effect on his later work. After being discharged, Serling attends Antioch College, where he begins writing and performing in radio shows on campus. Following his radio days, Serling moves into television, writing for a local station in Cincinnati before going out on his own. He sells several scripts, but resents the compromises that network sponsors and censors force him to make, so he decides to create his own show, "The Twilight Zone."

The film will center on the life of Russ Meyer, the infamous director of sexploitation films, and his centerfold wife.

Jutta Kleinschmidt, who was born in Germany, buys her first motorcycle at age 18. After studying physics, she works at BMW for six years before quitting in 1992 to pursue her passion of motorsports. In 1997, she become the first woman ever to win a stage of The Dakar Rally – often called the most dangerous race on the planet. In 1999, she earns recognition – finishing third overall – as half of the first all-female team to stand on the winners' podium. In 2001, after 15 years of trying, Kleinschmidt wins the race.

In spite of having ALS, a disease that slowly paralyzes him and renders him almost speechless, Stephen Hawking gains international acclaim after authoring the best-selling book "A Brief History of Time."

The story of boxing legend Rocky Marciano will come to the big screen in his first authorized biopic, as yet untitled. The film will track Marciano from his Brockton, Mass. childhood up to his death in a plane crash in 1969. He stands as the only champion boxer to retire without a loss.

The mandolin-playing Bill Monroe, along with his band "The Blue Grass Boys," is credited with creating the bluegrass style of music.

In 1999, Jack Ma founds the Alibaba website from his garage. The site is a business-to-business portal to connect Chinese manufacturers with overseas buyers. In 2014, Ma eventually launches an IPO for Alibaba on the New York Stock Exchange and finishes the day with his company valued at $231 billion — more than Amazon and eBay combined — and making him the richest man in China and among the richest in the world with $26.5 billion.

Born in a broken home in Chicago, Anita O'Day leaves home at age 14 and tours the Midwest as a marathon dance contestant and sings for tips. She later performs with the big bands of Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton, teams with Charlie Parker and Louis Armstrong, and establishes a solo career that rivals those of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday and Sarah Vaughn.

Danny Basavich transforms from a successful pool hustler to the No.1-ranked professional billiards player in the nation.

An American singer, actor and filmmaker has his 15-year career in East Germany halted by his mysterious death in 1986.

Greg Louganis starts taking dance, acrobatics and gymnastics classes at 18 months, after witnessing his sister's classes and attempting to join in. By the age of three, he is practicing daily and is competing and giving public performances. He also takes up trampolining, and at the age of nine begins diving lessons after the family gets a swimming pool. Later, he goes on to win Olympic Gold Medals. Six months before the 1988 Olympics, Louganis is diagnosed with HIV but it's not until years later that he comes out as being gay.

A young boy is taught by his father, a racer, to ride motocross before he can even walk. The boy goes on to win racing titles by the time he is seven, and at sixteen becomes the first African American to win a major motosports title. The son's sudden success though strains his relationship with his dad.

Lenny Dykstra, a key part of the champion 1986 New York Mets, leads a checkered life after retiring from baseball in 1996. He is the subject of multiple investigations into his financial empire, which includes a jet charter company and a magazine marketed to professional athletes. He files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 and auctions off his World Series ring. Dykstra pleads guilty in 2012 to bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets and money laundering and is sentenced to six months in prison, 500 hours of community service, and is ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution.