Sam Harris has been lauded by critics as one of the most powerful forces on the stage. A multi-platinum recording artist, Sam was added to Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of “The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.” He first burst into the public eye on the television’s STAR SEARCH, pulling 25 million viewers a week and launching a career that now spans four decades. Jimmy Fallon called his now legendary performance of “Over the Rainbow” “One of the greatest performances ever on television ever!” 

Brian Sonia-Wallace is the Poet Laureate of Los Angeles and the author of The Poetry of Strangers (Harper Collins). They are the former Poet Laureate of West Hollywood, an Academy of American Poets Fellow, and the Poet-in-Residence for both Amtrak and the Mall of America. Brian has written over 10,000 poems for strangers across the world on a manual typewriter. He teaches at UCLA Extension and leads school outreach for Get Lit - Words Ignite.

Sheryl Recinos, MD, is a proud alumna and board member of My Friend's Place. She credits MFP for giving her a safe space as a teen and ultimately helping her find her permanent exit from homelessness. She is grateful that her three adult children never had to experience homelessness as she did, and wants that for all young people. She dreams of a world where we solve youth homelessness and protect all young people.

Garland Whitt is a Los Angeles–based actor and storyteller who has spent his career bringing a wide range of characters and stories to life. His selected film credits include Training Day, The Hurricane, Save the Last Dance, Dolemite Is My Name, and the award-winning independent film Blind Faith. On television, his credits include Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and The Notorious B.I.G. and Mike, among other appearances. His voice-over work includes Netflix’s Emmy Award–winning animated series The Last Kids on Earth. He is especially grateful to join My Friend's Place in celebrating and amplifying the voices of young people whose stories deserve to be heard. He is honored to help bring their words, experiences, and imaginations to life.

Seychelle Gabriel has worked for two decades in TV, film, voiceover and video games. She voiced "Asami Sato" in Nickelodeon's The Legend of Korra, and most recently appeared in the miniseries Daisy Jones & the Six, as well as The Tomorrow War starring Chris Pratt. She graduated from UCLA in 2023 with a degree in Ethnomusicology. She loves My Friend's Place and the work they do for the young people!

Tru was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and is the proud son of two United States Army veterans. He calls the tiny town of Waynesville, Missouri, home! He plays Officer Aaron Thorsen on ABC’s The Rookie and voices Cuphead on Netflix’s The Cuphead Show, as well as Black Panther on Disney+’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends. Tru is also a Main Company member at The Groundlings Theatre. 

Daniel Riordan is an American actor and voice actor with a career spanning more than four decades. On screen, he appeared in films such as Ed Wood, Jingle All the Way (as Turbo Man), Dreamgirls, and Authors Anonymous, starred as Captain Zoom in the 1995 TV movie The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space, and played three different roles across three Star Trek series. He is best known for his voice work, most notably as Alduin, the main antagonist of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, as well as Megatron/Galvatron in Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Primarch Victus in Mass Effect 3, and Yorick in League of Legends.

Mike Wade is a Los Angeles native, born on Sunset Blvd. He holds a B.A. in Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino, where he took his first acting classes as a senior. Mike went on to study at the Howard Fine Acting Studio in Los Angeles and is a graduate of the Joanne Baron / D.W. Brown Studio in Santa Monica, California.

Mike aspires to play an active role in shaping the best world for future generations. He is passionate about being involved in programs that provide children with the tools they need to reach their dreams. He believes that children are the future and it is our collective responsibility to help nurture their greatness.

Credits include Fitz Small on Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy, in addition to For the People, Timeless, and NCIS. Mike can currently be seen as Lt. Soto on SEAL TEAM for Paramount+.

Maddy Murden is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, and filmmaker. She has been performing for more than 15 years, with a passion for telling stories that are emotionally honest, character-driven, and a little unexpected. Maddy is a graduate of UCLA, where she studied English and Creative Writing. She also produces, writes, directs, and edits her own award-winning and festival-selected films, exploring storytelling both in front of and behind the camera. She is honored to be part of Stories That Make Us and grateful for the opportunity to bring the young people’s words and experiences to life.

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