Many famous people were born on this day, but for today’s Celebrity Birthday of the Day, I wanted to select someone you might not recognize. Richard Brooks’ career trajectory is similar to that of many other actors – he studied acting and dance at the Interlochen Academy of Arts in Michigan and moved to New York City following his graduation to pursue acting roles on the stage. He later moved to Los Angeles and expanded his repertoire to include television roles, with early parts in series and made-for-TV features such as Hill Street Blues, The Hidden, and ER. He also began to appear in movies, including Wes Craven’s Shocker and The Crow: City of Angels. Brooks also released a solo R&B album in the early 2000’s, and continues to appear in film and TV roles today. Some of his more notable recent roles were small parts on Law & Order and NYPD Blue, but the coolest roles he’s ever performed were on the all-too-short-lived TV shows G vs. E (Good vs. Evil) and Firefly, in which he played the villain of the final episode. Brooks turns 49 today.