FAMOUS PEOPLE AND THEIR SHIH TZUS
We thought we'd list the people (alive or deceased) who's had lovable Furbabies in their lifetimes, and their quotes, if any, and photos with their Babies. From time-to-time, we gather more and more once we are able to get some. If you know anyone not listed below and have anything to furnish, please contact us! Thanks in advance...
(Tzus' names in quotes after dash) Movieline magazine's June 2001 issue p. 71 features a list of 'Hollywood's Favorite Breeds of Dogs' and the Shih Tzu is on the list next to Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Chocolate Lab, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, Jack Russell Terrier, Poodle, Coton de Tulear, King Charles Spanial, Wheaten Terrier, Maltese, and Pound Puppy. A Tzu calendar (October 2000 / published by BrownTrout ) appeared in the 2001 movie, Sweet November, starring Keanu Reeves & Charlize Theron. (I have it!) in 1999, a black/white Tzu named "Aubrey" appeared on TV's Saturday Night Live with guest host, actress Drew Barrymore (who played cute little Gertie in E.T.) as 'Sugarbreath' in a dog show spoof! He's also slated to appear in a yet-released Woody Allen film. He's owned by Alice Kane of New York City (natch!). In 1995, a black/white Tzu named "Achy" - J.K.'s Achy Breaky Heart, UDX,ASCA,UD,CGC (top obedience in 1998) -- appeared in the Whitney Houston movie, Waiting to Exhale, where it was filmed in Phoenix, Arizona. He's owned by Phoenix resident Jan McClure. The new Benji for the upcoming Benji Returns: Rags to Riches movie, is believed to be part Tzu / part Lhasa. She (yes, a girl) was adopted from the Humane Society by Joe Camp like the original 1970s Benji, after being found wondering the streets in Mississippi! Brooke Shields, whose Tzu was trained by the famed celebrity dog trainer, Captain Haggerty, who also trained my California friend's Hearing Dog, Rocky. Read about it in my Page 2 of Hearing Dogs site...
Elizabeth Taylor (actress of National Velvet)
Jean Harlow - "Pretty Poison", both of whom appeared in the pages of The Shih Tzu Reporter magazine's September/October 1979 issue (I wonder what became of her Tzu when Ms. Harlow died tragically...)
Cloris Leachman (actress, 'Phyllis' of "Mary Tyler Moore" & Miss America (Chicago) 1946 runner-up) - one of her Tzus was tragically run over by a vehicle right on Cloris' driveway of her home.
Jane Seymour (actress)- "Suki" (or "Souki"?)
Helene Udy (of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman TV series) - "Sadie"
Zsa Zsa Gabor (who, in 1993, donated $2,000 to the Shih Tzu Fanciers of Southern California (STFSC) rescue group)
Betty Buckley (as "Abby" of Eight Is Enough TV series and currently on Broadway) - "Jesse" (who shares Betty's stage performance!) & "Bridget" & "Gemma"
Pearson Marx (author of "On the Way to the Venus De Milo") - "Isabelle"
Larry L. King (author of "The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public") - "Bandit" & "Buster"
Betty White (TV's Golden Girls, Mary Tyler Moore) - "Panda", a black/white rescue
Jacinda Barrett (MTV's The Real World series) - "Legend"
Shirley Jones (Partridge Family) - "Lulu" on The Pet Shop cable-TV series, a rescue
Andie MacDowell (model & actress) - "Lollipop"
Kim Basinger (actress)- 7(!) Tzus
Brandy Norwood (teen singer & actress "Moesha") - "Feather"
Yul Brynner (actor)
Oleg Cassini (fashion designer) - "Mr. Flinton" & "Maximillian" a white/tan
Phyllis Diller (comedienne) - "Fang"
Queen Elizabeth of England - "Choo Choo"
Dalai Lama (Tibetan religious leader)
Robert A.F. Thurman (director of Tibet House and father of actress Uma Thurman (nominee for best actress at the Academy Awards for Pulp Fiction))
Greg Maddox (pro football player) - 2 Tzus
Bill Gates (billionaire founder of Microsoft)
Geri Halliwell ("Ginger" of the British teeny bop all-girl group Spice Girls) - "Ginger" (apt., and yes, her Tzu is cinnamin-colored!) & "Harry" (see Geri holding Harry for the front cover of New Woman / June 2001 magazine and also at play: "Harry's saved my life. I got him at a shelter and he sleeps with me and I squeeze him and cuddle him. I was a bit lonely and now I've got Harry. I totally recommend a dog!")
Vidal Sassoon (hairdresser to the celebs) - 2 black/white Tzus- "They're the only Shih Tzus with geometrical haircuts, " he quips.
Mary Jo Slater (MGM studio V.P. as casting director of Showtime cable's The Outer Limits; also, mother of actor Christian Slater (Heathers, Pump Up the Volume, Broken Arrow) - "Chan" (who appeared in Jim Carrey's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective)
Tatiana Patitz (internationally top model)- 1 Tzu w/ black mask
Jo-Carroll Dennison (Miss America 1942) - "Tooey"
Hanson (teen singing group-3 blond brothers) - "Wicket"-R.I.P.
Lara Flynn Boyle (Twin Peaks, The Practice)- appeared on TV's Rosie O'Donnell Show, where she quoted her tiny Tzu pup as being 'wall-eyed' because they look like they're staring at the wall.
Henry Fonda (actor of On Golden Pond) - 1976 ad
Joy Behar (TV's The View) - seen in People magazine (11-12-01, p. 120) holding a Tzu.
Frank Sinatra (ol' blue eyes crooner)
Maurice Gibb (British musical group the BeeGees) - "Brownie"
Sally Kirkland (Oscar-winning actress of Anna) - "Shiva"
Ali Landry (Miss USA 1996 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)), Doritos commercial girl) - "Cosmo" (who was seen on an episode of The Sharon Osbourne Show w/ Ali together)
Margherite "Peggy" Guggenheim - several Tzus
Victoria Principal (TV's Dallas as "Pam Ewing")
Amelia Kinkade (primarily animal communicator & model/actress/dancer in MTV rock videos & niece of actress Rue McClanahan of TV's The Golden Girls)- "Hercules"
Jerry Lewis (comic actor partnered with Dean Martin & telethon host)- "Lady" & "Jolie"
Vanessa Williams (former Miss America and singer/actress)- "Sebastian"
Jeff Gordon (professional racer)- Tzu mix
Jewel Kilcher (poet singer from Alaska) and also featured in Sept. 20, 2004 p. 160 of People magazine
Nicole Richie (adopted daughter of singer Lionel of the Commodores and the 2nd half of the spoiled-rich girls on reality TV's The Simple Life 2)- "Honey Child"
Paula Deen (Georgian restauranteur of The Lady & Sons and host of "Paula's Home Cooking" on cable-TV's Food channel)- "Otis" & "Max" (who participated in her re-marriage!) & "Cody" & "Bodine" (& "Magnolia" (deceased of cancer))
Anna Nicole Smith (busty Marilyn Monroe-esque model/actress) and daughter Dannielynn w/ Larry Birkhead- "Puppy" & "Frankenstein"
Beyoncι Knowles (singer and member of Destiny's Child)- "Munch-Munch"
Kay Ballard (actress of TV's Mothers-in-Law w/ Eve Arden)- 2 Tzus
Fantasia Barrino (contestant singer of TV's American Idol)- "Diva"
Annemarie Lucas (supervisory special investigator at New York City-based ASPCA and star of Animal Planet cable-TV's Animal Precinct)- "Phoebe", a Yorkie/Tzu mix ('Benji-faced w/ designer dog body'). Annamarie and a severely neglected b/w Tzu (not Phoebe) were seen in a TV commercial for ASPCA.
Kevin Aucoin (make-up artist to celebrities)- "Nikki" & "Alex"
Eileen Fulton (soap TV's As the World Turns)- "Simone Signoret" & "Sir Laurence Olivier"
David Hasselhoff (TV's Baywatch)- "Rusty"
Diane Lane (actress in A Little Romance and Unfaithful)- Chihuahua-Tzu mix (shorthair)
Joe Pantoliano (Ralphie of The Sopranos)- 2 Tzus
Miley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus- "Loco" (whom she so named because "It's crazy!"), who's on the Most Eligible Pets list in Animal Fair magazine
singer Mariah Carey
Jane Dayus-Hinch (wedding planner on cable TV's Wedding S.O.S. whose Tzu was seen on the show
actor Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid, The Outsiders, TV's Eight Is Enough, TV's Ugly Betty)- "Ginger"
Ramona Singer (cable-TV's Housewives of NYC)
Jessica Szohr (TV's Gossip Girl)- "Watson"
TV's Judges Jerry and Judy (Sheindlin)! - "Lulu" [a Lulu lookalike appeared in the show montage introductory, as well as in publications with Judy] - There was a Tzu who appeared in an episode of The People's Court, where Jerry complimented to the owner (plaintiff), saying that it was a good specimen; also another episode with the plaintiff suing the defendent to cover the high bills for surgery/treatment of eye problems due to breeding (the defendant won); also another episode where Judge Marilyn Milian had to decide on the fate of the Tzu pick of a litter as a result of an accidental pregnancy (plaintiff wanted pup and lost case to defendant); there was an episode of TV's Judge Judy featuring dog scuffling between Tex the Tzu and a Chihuahua. Other Tzu notables: TV's Judge Joe Brown (an episode showing a Tzu, whose owner wanted money back because he felt his Tzu was defective; the defendant won) and another episode featuring a custody battle for Scrappy the Tzu (plaintiff won) and another episode featuring the plaintiff wanting compensation that her Tzu / Maltese mix she adopted from the defendant turned out to be a terrier-looking mix as it grew (defendant won due to contract protection), TV's Curtis Court about a Tzu named Sparkles who was attacked by pit bulls and ran away for 3 weeks where he was later found by a young boy (the plaintiff won for vet. bills, among other costs), there was also a case on cable TV's Animal Court on Animal Planet channel where litigants disputed on a bad bill of sale deal involving the purchasing of a Tzu (the plaintiff won) and another case where the plaintiff's Tzu was mauled & killed by the defendant's Pit Bull (plaintiff won for vet. bills & value of dog) and also another episode of a dispute for half a refund & keeping of a Tzu who became blind is a result of genetics and also another episode featuring Dolly the Tzu belonging to the plaintiff who was stolen from the defendant's property with other Tzus during a burglary (plaintiff won and got a new Tzu pup from the defendant, who's a breeder), TV's Judge Alex about an ex-couple fighting for custody of 3 Tzus "Spider", "Taurus", & "Nappi" (who's missing)...male defendant deservedly won and also another case featuring a plaintiff wanting compensation for vet. bills from the defendant for selling her a Tzu who died of a genetic defect (she lost because there was no written agreement for compensation but only for a replacement Tzu)...plaintiff also had a b/w Tzu with her in attendance, TV's The Maury [Povich] Show (an episode about making over Moms' trashy looks; one madeover Mom strode out holding a Tzu), a Kibbles-N-Bits TV commercial (showing a gold/white Tzu riding around on a broom all happy because of being fed this dog food brand) and a Mighty Dog TV commercial featuring a gorgeous black/white Tzu walking, The Planet's Funniest Animals [videos], a cable-TV show on Animal Planet (showing a Tzu walking on a treadmill and another Tzu in an inflated plastic boat being moved around in a little pool), TV's Home Improvement where Tim Allen's character mentioned 'Shih Tzu' in one scene, TV's ER in a scene where 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned, TV's Hollywood Squares, where a 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned when quizzing on the snot-nosed breed (correct answer was a Pug and not a Tzu!), TV's Today where someone said some guy looked like a 'Shih Tzu' in heat(?!), TV's Caroline in the City quoting a 'Shih Tzu' as an annoying little dog like a poodle or a rat (??), TV's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? where host Regis Philbin asked a contestant who the BIS winner of the 2001 Westminster Dog Show was and mentioned a Shih Tzu/other breeds in multiple choice (answer: Bichon Frisι...winner was correct), TV's The Late Late Show with host Craig Kilborn mentioning a 'Shih Tzu' in one of his quips, TV's The Rosie O'Donnell Show where a guest's Tzu named Max is marrying a Lhasa in a doggie wedding, TV's Spin City where 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned, TV's Whose Line Is It Anyway? where 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned about stepping in dog doo(?), TV's The Montel Williams Show where 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned as a non-biter [so true]! Cosmopolitan magazine (showing a Tzu in a Victoria's Secret-like negligee) and another issue dated September 2005 p. 252 featuring a Tzu in an article about pros & cons of having Toy breeds, Oriental Trading mail-order catalogue among a couple of other catalogues (showing a Tzu wearing an Angel costume), pets.com magazine (showing a Tzu wearing a tutu for the Take Your Dog to Work Day event, People magazine (11-6-00) featuring 2 Tzus each being held by movie actors [from the hilarious movie Best in Show...keep a close eye on those Tzus, esp. the ending] stating a dog gets paid $250 / day for working in Hollywood and also another issue (6-30-03) featuring an article about animal hospice inspired by the founder's neighbor's Tzu w/ a broken back, Animal Fair Spring/Travel 2001 issue featured freelance writer Tina Traster's article 'Legal Beagle' (p. 81) about pet attorneys...the author's credits on p. 89 stated Ms. Traster has a Tzu named "Chelsea", Animal Planet's Petsburgh USA (showing Tzus in a segment about animal behaviorism) and also another segment featuring a Tzu named "Gracie" about being introduced to a new baby, Animal Planet's Vet School Confidential (featuring a black/white Tzu being treated and wearing an E-collar), TV's Martha Stewart Living (showing occasional Tzu pups just playing around on a table w/ various animals featuring semi-regular guest pet expert Marc Morrone who also hosts TV's The Pet Shop and who uses a Tzu on the set, too) and another Tzu was also featured in the November 2004 p. 101 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine owned by a New York family, TV's Crossing Over (a series featuring a spiritual/channeling host) where members of the audience mentioned a 'little white Shih Tzu' who passed on and another series Animal Planet's Pet Psychic featuring a Tzu & a jealous bird, TV's Ed where a 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned, TV's 20 / 20 featuring taxidermy where a Tzu being taxidermized was profiled, TV soap Days of Our Lives where 'Shih Tzu' was mentioned, a Shih Tzu character named "Lulu" appeared in cable-TV Christmas movie Three Days, black/white Tzu "Coda" (there was also a deceased "Koshi") was featured on Animal Planet cable-TV's Hollywood Unleashed, cable-TV Animal Planet's Animal Precinct featuring a rescued severely matted 17-year-old Tzu named Jesse who also suffered from cataracts, cable-TV Animal Planet's Dog Days featuring Prada the Tzu, a Shih Tzu was featured in the Dec. 2, '02 issue of People magazine about Hero Pets, author Janet Wilson's book The Art of Stencil Embossing featured a sample card w/ a photo of colorful Tzus, including her own named "Blackie", a Tzu was featured with a Yorkie & a model (a spread about dressing like ladies!) in the October 2003 issue of Glamour magazine p. 284 and also a b/w Tzu in the July 2005 issue p. 182, it looked like a back view in a video montage of a Tzu on Dr. Phil Show and also other episodes featuring 3 Tzus, a photo of a Tzu was featured each in the May 2003 & March 2004 issues of Dog World magazine about grooming & showing small breeds, a Tzu was in a segment of TV's Married...with Children, a prize-winning owner holding a Tzu was featured in a Publisher's Clearinghouse Prize Patrol TV commercial, a Tzu was seen in the Goldie Hawn movie Wildcats, a Tzu was featured in the August 2003 issue (p. 12) of Dog World magazine in an article about a connection between dust mites & dermatitis, a Tzu was featured in the Miles Kimball mail-order catalogue modeling a fleece dog coat, 2 Tzus were seen riding in a wagon in an episode of Rachael Ray's $40 a Day / New Orleans segment, Louisiana cooking/traveling series, a Tzu was in cable-TV HGTV's House Hunters (dog's name was "Billie" and this episode featured her bachelor purchasing a house for the first time and adopting Billie for companionship), an episode featuring taking dogs to work daily on Pet Story featured a Tzu named "Dawson", a Tzu was featured on Animal Planet's Animal Miracles, a Tzu was featured very briefly-blink of an eye in the very beginning- in a TV commercial for Ben Gay product, a b/w Tzu owned by homeowner Nicole Gurley was featured on the HGTV cable-TV show Decorating Cents in a segment about re-arranging a living room in North Scottsdale Arizona, 2 Tzus named Max & Rebel were seen modeling Jazzy Pet Couture faux fur sweaters & shirts (hawked by Cindy Adams, Hollywood gossip columnist) on QVC cable-TV channel, a red/white show-to-pet quality Tzu named "Jackson" owned by columnist Sue Jeffries was featured in the Nov. '04 p. 16 issue of Dog World magazine, a Tzu owned by Carol Gibbons was seen in an episode of cable-TV Lifetime's How Clean Is Your House?, a Tzu was featured in the TV commercial for Oust air freshener product, a Tzu named Mai Mai was featured in Feb. 2005 issue p. 86 of Ladies' Home Journal magazine about playing cupid, a brindle Tzu was featured in a fashion ad (leg warmers) in Apr. 1 '08 issue p. 150 of Family Circle magazine, a Tzu was profiled on Animal Planet's Who Gets the Dog? about which of the 3 couples who gets to adopt the Tzu, a Tzu named Sueki was featured on digital cable-TV's Dog Whisperer about walking-on-leash training, an imperial Tzu was seen in an infomercial-type TV commercial featuring ionic home groom pro product, a Tzu was briefly seen on a segment of TV's Oprah owned by a messy homeowner, a Tzu appeared on the front cover of Creative Knitting magazine's November 2005 issue, a Tzu owned by 'Amy' the crystal meth addict(!) and her family and another Tzu (who needed grooming badly) owned by a pill popper(!) and her family were featured on separate episodes of cable-TV's Intervention, a muddied Tzu is on p. 154 of the photographic book Eyes of the Storm about Hurricanes Katrina & Rita published by The Dallas Morning News, a Tzu named Snuggles owned by Guiding Light soap opera actress Crystal Hunt and her mother was featured on HGTV's Pet Pads, Pet Parenting 101 on cable-TV's Fine Living featured a Tzu as a 'co-host' among a couple more Tzus on the episode, 2 b/w & 1 g/w Tzus were seen in three episodes of TV's Wife Swap, a Tzu was seen in an episode of cable-TV's Sons of Hollywood, a Tzu was seen in an episode on HGTV's Designed to Sell, a Tzu was featured in Home Again TV commercial, a Tzu who was a teen girl's pet was briefly seen in a segment of TV's 20 / 20 about the downfall of being today's teen, a gold/white 16-week-old Tzu named "Cali" was one of the 'althetes' of Animal Planet's 2008 Puppy Bowl IV where she was described as being afraid of a vacuum and was seen preferring to explore the field rather than play 'football' with the other pups(!), a Tzu named "Sophie" & another Tzu-mix named "Mesa" (16-week-old who won a silver medal for mastering the agility equipments) ) were the 'olympians' representing China for Animal Planet's 2008 Puppy Games, a Tzu named "Lady" was on UK TV's It's Me Or the Dog about training the family's new Doberman pup "Harvey" how to be more gentle with Lady and not get too excitable or rough out in public [Note: I was incensed at the beginning of this episode when Harvey kept 'bullying' Lady to play with him and no one on the show put a stop to that, although the father at one bit did lift Lady away from Harvey. Lady had to keep defending herself by either barking or hiding under/between the furniture just to get Harvey to leave her alone- poor Lady! Not cute or funny!! I was a bit livid watching this whole debacle but am glad in the end of the episode that Harvey mellowed out and learned how to play-nice with Lady. Whew, I feel better now.] and another Tzu was featured briefly in another episode about beginner agility practice, 4 severely neglected / very matted Tzus were seized from a home (actually a shed) of a former breeder (who got old and wheelchair-bound) by the Houston, Texas SPCA in summer of '07- breeder's daughter was supposed to look after them but failed to do so and criminal charges were filed against her for animal cruelty and the Lone Star Shih Tzu & Lhasa Apso Rescue of Texas
was fostering them- the incident was seen on cable-TV's Animal Cops: Houston that first aired on Apr. 1 '08, 2 Tzus named "Coco" (1st season) & "Flippy" (2nd season) were featured clients in 2 separate episodes of cable-TV's Groomer Has It and another matted Tzu named "Teddy" (1st season) by his new adoptive family was also featured in another episode (1st season winner Groomer of the Year, Artist Knox, has a pet Tzu named "Bumpy Johnson" (a 4-year-old who was named after the Laurence Fishburne character in the 1997 movie Hoodlum)! Both star in the spin-off of 2009's Beverly Hills Groomer) and have an official website, 2 more Tzus named "Gizmo" and "Sasha" were also featured in Beverly Hills Groomer), a Tzu pup lounging inside a duffel purse was seen in the yard-sale segment of The Style Network's Clean House, a b/w Tzu was briefly seen in an episode of A&E's Paranormal State, an episode on Animal Planet's Dogtown featured a b/w rescue Tzu named Gertie (among other rescue Tzus) and g/w rescue Barney (another episode) which is a TV series about a no-kill Best Friend's Animal Sanctuary based in Kanab, Utah, a Tzu was spotted in a distance in an episode on TV's Operation Repo, a profile on Tzus were featured in an episode on Animal Planet's Dogs 101, Tzus were seen in an episode of The Style Network's Split Ends. Last update as of September 14, 2009
© 1999-2009 THE SHIH TZU FORUM
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