Danny Hajek

Today, Susan Stamberg is a special correspondent for NPR.

The Inauspicious Start To Susan Stamberg's Broadcasting Career

Danny Hajek

Susan Stamberg is an NPR "founding mother" and the first woman to anchor a national nightly news program. But her radio debut was not so glamorous: a fake weather report on a local radio station.

Stephanie Izard says the Olive Garden helped to reignite a childhood passion for food. She went to Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona and later moved to Chicago where she opened up her first restaurant.

Salad Ties And Breadsticks: Star Chef Started At The Olive Garden

Danny Hajek

Stephanie Izard is the chef behind Chicago's award-winning Girl and the Goat restaurant — and the first woman to win on Bravo's Top Chef. But her food career began in the land of unlimited salad.

Zayas is best known for his role as Sergeant Angel Batista on the Showtime drama <em>Dexter</em>. "The one through line of all 8 years of that character was his integrity and honesty," Zayas says.

For 'Dexter' Star David Zayas, Acting Was A Long Shot Away

NPR Staff

The Bronx native grew up in a blue-collar household; a life in show business seemed far from reality. He spent time in the Air Force and as a cop before he finally gave his childhood dream a chance.

Jay Jackson, as Perd Hapley, interviews Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope during the sixth season of <em>Parks and Recreation</em>.

'I'm Perd Hapley, And I Just Realized I'm Played By An Actual Newscaster'

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Jay Jackson plays the hilariously odd newscaster on NBC's Parks and Recreation. But before he was a fake anchor, Jackson spent 22 years as a real TV reporter — and he became an actor by accident.

Nancy Cartwright voices the mischievous 10-year-old son, Bart, in the animated TV show, <em>The Simpsons</em>. "I don't know of any other character that has more catch-phrases than Bart," she says.

'Whoa, Mama!': A Voice Actress's Road To Fame As A 10-Year-Old Boy

Danny Hajek

Back in 1987, Nancy Cartwright made a risky, last-minute decision during an audition: Instead of trying out for the part of mild-mannered Lisa Simpson, she went for the role of rebellious Bart.

Leland Melvin with his dogs, Jake and Scout. "I snuck them into NASA to get this picture," Melvin says.

From Touchdowns To Takeoff: Engineer-Athlete Soared To Space

NPR Staff

When Leland Melvin pulled his hamstring during practice with the Dallas Cowboys, his NFL career was over. So he did the next logical thing: He joined NASA and became an astronaut.

After moving back home, Tom Toro didn't know what to do with his life. But a stack of magazines at a used book sale gave him an idea. "There they were," Toro says. "Cartoons in among the articles."

How'd A Cartoonist Sell His First Drawing? It Only Took 610 Tries

NPR Staff

Tom Toro was a directionless 20-something film school dropout. Then, after an inspired moment at a used book sale, he started submitting drawings to The New Yorker -- and collecting rejection slips.

During a wildlife survey in Madagascar, Mayor discovered a new species of mouse lemur. "[It] weighs less than two ounces, fits in the palm of your hands," she says.

Trading Pom-Poms For Field Boots: Mireya Mayor's Big Break

NPR Staff

The explorer's life plays out like an adventure film. But before she ever went diving with great whites, she was cheering for the Miami Dolphins — until a required science course changed her plans.

As a child, Emily Blunt had a stutter that was so bad, she could hardly say her own name. "The misdiagnosis [was] that I was a tense child," Blunt says. "And I wasn't. I was desperate to speak."

Desperate To Speak: How Emily Blunt Found Her Voice

Danny Hajek

The actress stars in the new film Into the Woods, in theaters Thursday. On screen she's a natural. But as a kid, she had a stutter so severe she could hardly say her own name.

Twenty-one-year-old Liu Jing sits in her apartment two stories underground in Beijing, China. Her laundry hangs above her head because there's nowhere else to put her clothes.

'A Universe Beneath Our Feet': Life In Beijing's Underground

NPR Staff

In China's capital city, even the humblest apartment can cost a fortune. But more affordable housing hides below the city's bustling streets, in tiny (and illegal) basements and bomb shelters.