EMMY ROSSUM

Date of Birth
12 September 1986, New York City, New York, USA

Birth Name
Emmanuelle Grey Rossum

Nickname
Em
Emmy Grey

Height
5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Biography
It would seem that 2004, the year of her 18th birthday, will be remembered as pivotal for Emmy Rossum due to her appearance in two very different films, The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and The Phantom of the Opera (2004). Emmy's performance in the latter film gained her a Golden Globe nomination, and should assure that she will be a memorable presence in many films to come.

Being born and raised in New York City provided Emmy with the perfect place to start her professional career. After passing an audition at the Metropolitan Opera when she was 7 years old, she performed in more than 20 operas in six different languages at Lincoln Center, alongside such figures as Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. She was directed by Franco Zeffirelli in "Carmen." She left the opera when she entered her teenage years, as she had grown too tall to perform as a child. Emmy also appeared in a Carnegie Hall presentation of "The Damnation of Faust." She graduated from the Spence School, a private institution in Manhattan, in 1996 and then earned a high school diploma when 15 years old by taking online extension courses offered by Stanford University (Education Program for Gifted Youth). She later enrolled at Columbia University and studied art history and French.

In a change of venue, Emmy created the role of Abigail Williams in the daytime soap opera "As the World Turns" (1956) in 1997 and branched out in performances in the made-for-television movies Genius (1999) (TV) and The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000) (TV), in which she played the title character as a young teenager. Other television work included "Snoops" (1999), "Law & Order" (1990), and "The Practice" (1997).

Emmy made her theatrical feature debut in the indie film Songcatcher (2000), with her good friend Rhoda Griffis, which won the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2000. Rossum received an Independent Spirit Award nomination in the category of Best Debut Performance for her performance as an Appalachian orphan. She played an aspiring songwriter (the title character) in the romantic comedy Nola (2003). Cast as the ill-fated daughter of a small-business owner in Clint Eastwood's Mystic River (2003), she projected an aura of innocence that made her character's tragic death memorable and heartbreaking. This was her first major studio film.

After six months of filming her role as the fresh-faced but highly intelligent teenage damsel in distress The Day After Tomorrow (2004) in Montreal, she returned to New York and screen-tested for the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (2004) in full costume and makeup, and was finally selected for the part by Andrew Lloyd Webber after singing for him at his home. Although she was surprised to be chosen ahead of many better-known and older actresses considered for the part, the combination of her vulnerable, fragile beauty and fine, classically trained singing voice ultimately proved that she was perfectly cast. In preparation for the role, she took ballet classes for two months and started polishing her singing. Emmy has commented that, in her approach to acting, she draws heavily upon her own experiences, so she visited locations in Paris and conjured up what she terms "past memories" to draw upon in making her performance emotionally realistic. She stood on the roof of the Opéra Garnier, where Christine sings "All I Ask of You," and went underneath the opera house, where there is actually a gloomy, dark lake. She studied Degas's paintings of ballerinas in the Musée d'Orsay to learn how to stand like one.

Her next project Poseidon (2006) was a mainstream effort but since its release she has been more true to advice she obtained from Sean Penn when making Mystic River (2003) that she should be picky and only accept roles that are fun to do such as Dragonball: Evolution (2009).

Spouse
Justin Siegel (17 February 2008 - 28 December 2010) (divorced)

Trade Mark
Always kisses someone at least once

Dies or has a near death experience in each film

Beautiful soprano singing voice


Trivia
Attended the Spence School in Manhattan, an elite private girls' school that was also attended by Gwyneth Paltrow and Kerry Washington.

Has appeared in 20 different operas singing in five languages.

Had never seen the stage version of The Phantom of the Opera (2004) prior to filming the screen version.

Made her stage debut at seven years of age (she sang "Happy Birthday" for her audition) at the New York Metropolitan Opera. She made $5 a night singing with the children's choir. According to her, "There were horses onstage that were getting $150".

Her father is a banker and her mother is a corporate photographer.

Took cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu in London.

In preparation for her role in The Phantom of the Opera (2004), she attended a séance at the Spiritualist Association of Great Britian, where a medium talked to her about her late grandmother.

Won Best Young Actress in 2004 Critic's Choice Awards

She obtained her high school diploma online via a Stanford University program.

Has celiac disease, an autoimmune disease in which the body can't tolerate any foods containing gluten or wheat.

Is an only child.

Her favorite actors are Sean Penn (her Mystic River (2003) co-star) and Miranda Richardson (her The Phantom of the Opera (2004) co-star).

Attending Columbia University.

Hobbies include reading, horseback riding, and ballet.

Her favorite book is John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men".

Currently recording a pop album for Geffen Records [April 2006]

Cousin is Cecilia Becker, daughter of world-famous designer Vera Wang.

Her favorite designer is Ralph Lauren.

She is a fan of Audrey Hepburn.

Her favorite opera is "Carmen".

Used to be a vegetarian.

Studied acting with Flo Salant Greenberg of the Actor's Workshop in New York City for several years.

Is very close friends with singer/actress Ashlee Simpson.

Best friends with Leighton Meester, the actress and budding singer.

Was ranked #48 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 of 2010 list.


Personal Quotes
[on her audition with Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Phantom of the Opera (2004)] He had the most magnificent apartment I had ever seen and I was floored by it. I went in and started vocalizing with the accompanist and Andrew walked in as we were preparing. He didn't say hello, didn't introduce himself, and just sat down in front of me and said, "Shall we?" I thought to myself it was my one shot so I had better just stand up and do it, so I didn't introduce myself, I nodded to the accompanist and I did the two biggest numbers in the show. Then he stood up and said, "That was great. I'm Andrew."

[regarding her visit to a psychic who told her some accurate things about her late grandmother] I'm a very rational person but I pray every day.

The truth is, I probably didn't want to be friends with some of those girls [from prep school], because I found that a lot of their values were a little specious. Now, of course, all those girls are calling me and being like, "We should have lunch!" and I'm like, "Um . . . don't you remember how you didn't like me that much?"

I'm heavy on preparation . . . Some actors come to the set and don't know what scene they're playing, but that would make me crazy. It's not about control but perfectionism--my biggest vice and one of my biggest assets.

I'm convinced wearing those corsets for 14 hours at a time deformed me for life. I was 16 years old and still growing at the time of the shooting. I could barely breathe, and with Christine's intense emotions I hyperventilated and almost passed out. I think her name is Christine for a reason. She is Christ-like.

[about kissing Patrick Wilson in The Phantom of the Opera (2004)] In this one scene, it took three days to shoot and it's the scene where my character passionately kisses her fiancé for the first time. It was so complex with the snow coming down that it took three days to shoot. By the end of the three days I'd kissed him so much that my lips had swollen up--so much that I had to use an ice pack in between takes. Hardship, I know!

I like René Descartes' theory about a ball of wax. You can change its form from solid to liquid, but it's still the same ball of wax. With acting, you are the same person in a different form. You can only be what you know, and you only truly know yourself.

Sean Penn and Clint Eastwood have told me that I shouldn't feel that I need to be in the limelight or the spotlight all the time. A career is about longevity, as shown in their careers. So, I really want to only do the best things and work with the best people. That's what I strive to do.

I think of all my roles, I was best in Genius (1999) (TV).

... I'm on a TV show, which I'm so lucky to be on. It pays my rent, so I don't need to make a ton of money on music, and music has always been my first love. I'm not in this business for fame or money. That's something I learned from being a kid at the Met. The kids weren't unionized. We made 25 bucks a night and there were horses onstage - no joke - that were making $800. So when you're valued, at least monetarily, less than a farm animal, you realize you're there because you really love it.

[on if it it's a part of her career strategy to not be typecast as "a young hottie starlet"] ...actually don't think I have a strategy. I think in terms of instinct, if in my gut it feels like the right character, if I feel it's a story that needs to be told. Of course in retrospect it was an excellent idea to go do something that was not glamorous, because I think people did see me as princess-y after "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Poseidon" and big-budget movies. Looking back on it, if it was a strategy it would have been a really good one. It happened that I ended up emotionally attaching to a character that I was the right age for when they were casting it. This show ["Shameless"] had also been around for a couple of years. There was another incarnation of it at HBO with Woody Harrelson in the William H. Macy role, so I wouldn't have been the right age for it at that time. So much of Hollywood is luck.

[on if it appealed to her that the character of Fiona in "Shameless" is not glamorous] Yes, it did appeal to me to have a character who isn't in the least vain. As an actor, your own personal vanity can be a massive pitfall in terms of making a character believable. I feel more in this character to have my shoulders hunched and be in tattered clothes and have my hair knotted than I do when I'm dolled up.


Where Are They Now
(December 2004) Currently taking classes at Columbia University in the City of New York

(May 2008) Currently filming Dare (2009), a full-feature film from the Short Film of the same name (can be seen on "Logo").

(January 2009) Currently a spokesperson with a series of public service announcements for "Pinkitude.com", a breast cancer awareness website.

(March 2011) Manhattan, NY

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JULIANNE HOUGH

Date of Birth
20 July 1988, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Birth Name
Julianne Alexandra Hough

Nickname
Jules

Height
5' 4" (1.63 m)

Mini Biography
Julianne Alexandra Hough was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, the youngest of 5 children. Her mother is Mari Anne and her father is Bruce Robert Hough, a twice chairman of the Utah Republican Party. Her parents met in college, when they were both part of a ballroom dancing team. Her parents divorced and she has 9 stepsiblings from their second marriages.

Her mother was instrumental in her career in entertainment, enrolling her and her siblings in various performing classes from a very young age. She began her training in Latin Ballroom dancing at the Center Stage Performing Arts Studio in Orem, Utah. At age 10, along with her brother Derek Hough, she went to London, England, to study with coaches, Corky and Shirley Ballas. They attended the Italia Conti Academy with the Ballas' son, Mark Ballas. The three children performed as a pop music trio '2B1G' (2 Boys, 1 Girl) at dance competitions in the UK and the US. At age 15, Julianne won the Junior World Latin Champion and International Latin Youth Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival.

During this time in London, her parents divorced. She returned to the United States to live with her mother in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she attended the Las Vegas Academy. After a year, she moved back to Utah to live with her father and graduated from Alta High School. She then moved to Los Angeles, California to begin her career in entertainment. Julianne quickly landed her first job as a dancer on the ABC game show "Show Me the Money" (2006). She then went on tour as a company dancer with "Dancing with the Stars" and joined the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I) in season four.

Julianne is also known as a country singer. She released her debut album in 2008, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart and #3 on the Billboard 200. Her first acting role was in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) at age 13. She has appeared in her first lead role in the remake of Footloose (2011). Julianne is also actively involved in charities and humanitarian efforts including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Clothes Off Our Back, St. Jude's Children's Hospital and serves on the American Red Cross Cabinet.

Trivia
Julianne is the fifth and youngest child of her parents' marriage. Her siblings, starting with the eldest, are: sisters Sharee Hough, Mara Beth Hough and Katherine Hough; brother Derek Hough, who appeared with her on "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I). (They also have 9 stepsiblings from their parents' second marriages.) All have been active in theater arts since early childhood, inspired by their mother's enrolling them in numerous performing courses; they billed themselves as "The Blond Osmonds".

Last name is pronounced "Huff".

Ranked #30 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.

Had surgery to remove her appendix on October 28, 2008.

Country music singer and professional dancer.

Ex-girlfriend of actor Kevin Connolly and singer Chuck Wicks [2008-2009]. At age 18, she was engaged to Zack Wilson in 2006.

Has 15 nieces and nephews - Paris, Willow, Skye, Star, Bronson, Max, Griffin, Evelyn, Hayden, Tyler, Latelyn, AR and Quaid Wise (from sister Sharee Hough), Aidan Poole (from sister Mara Beth Hough), Ariana Phillips (from sister Katherine Hough).

One of her idols is Dolly Parton.

Julianne was head girl at the Italia Conti Academy.

Niece of John Hough and Tina Hough, owners of the Roosevelt Hotel in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.


Where Are They Now
(May 2007) She and partner, Apolo Ohno, were crowned the winners of "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I) Season 4.

(November 2007) She and partner Helio Castroneves are crowned the winners of "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I) Season 5.

(December 2007) Signed a record deal with Universal Music Group and is expected to release a country single in early 2008.

(March 2008) Eliminated on "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I) with Adam Carolla.

(November 2008) Was in fourth place on "Dancing with the Stars" (2005/I) with Cody Linley.

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DEBORAH KERR

Date of Birth
30 September 1921, Helensburgh, Scotland, UK

Date of Death
16 October 2007, Botesdale, Suffolk, England, UK (complications from Parkinson's disease)

Birth Name
Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer

Nickname
The English Rose

Height
5' 6" (1.68 m)

Mini Biography
Deborah Kerr was born on 30 September 1921 in Helensburgh, Scotland, the daughter of Captain Arthur Kerr-Trimmer. She was educated at Northumberland House, Clifton, Bristol. She first performed at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, London. She subsequently performed with the Oxford Repertory Company 1939-40. Her first appearance on the West End stage was as Ellie Dunn in "Heartbreak House" at the Cambridge Theatre in 1943. She performed in France, Belgium and Holland with ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association, or Every Night Something Awful) - The British Army entertainment service. She has appeared in many films from her first appearance in Major Barbara (1941).

IMDb Mini Biography By: Steve Crook <steve@brainstorm.co.uk>

Mini Biography
Born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer in Scotland in 1921, she was the daughter of a soldier who had been gassed in World War I. A shy, insecure child, she found an outlet for expressing her feelings in acting. Her aunt, a radio star, got her some stage work when she was a teenager, and she came to the attention of British film producer Gabriel Pascal, who cast her in his film of George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" (Major Barbara (1941)) and Love on the Dole (1941). She quickly became a star of the British cinema, playing such diverse roles as the three women in The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) and the nun in Black Narcissus (1947). In 1947 she "crossed the pond" and came to MGM, where she found success in films like The Hucksters (1947), Edward, My Son (1949) and Quo Vadis (1951). After a while, however, she tired of playing prim-and-proper English ladies, so she made the most of the role of the adulteress who romps on the beach with Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity (1953). The film was a success, and Kerr received her second Oscar nomination. She also achieved success on the Broadway stage in "Tea and Sympathy," reprising her role in the 1956 film version (Tea and Sympathy (1956)). That same year she played one of her best-remembered screen roles, "Mrs. Anna" in The King and I (1956). More success followed in Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), An Affair to Remember (1957), Separate Tables (1958), The Sundowners (1960), The Innocents (1961) and The Night of the Iguana (1964). Then in 1968 she suddenly quit movies, appalled by the explicit sex and violence of the day. After some stage and TV work in the 1970s and 1980s and swan song performances in The Assam Garden (1985) and Hold the Dream (1986) (TV), she retired from acting altogether. Kerr holds the record for the most Academy Award nominations for Best Actress without a win (six), but that was made up for in 1994, when she was given an Honorary Oscar for her screen achievements.

Spouse
Peter Viertel (23 July 1960 - 16 October 2007) (her death)
Anthony C. Bartley (28 November 1945 - 10 June 1960) (divorced) 2 children

Trade Mark
Playing 'classic' English ladies

Delicately pretty looks

Refined and repressed characters who go through harrowing emotional experiences


Trivia
Similar to her losing streak at the Oscars, Deborah was finally awarded a BAFTA "Special Award" in 1991 after being nominated four times. She did, however, win the New York Film Critics Award three times and the Golden Globe Award for The King and I (1956).

Her last public appearance was in 1994 when she was awarded an honorary Oscar after six failed nominations over the years. Miss Kerr, along with Thelma Ritter, is one of the few actresses to have received six nominations and not to have won an Oscar. On Oscar evening, Glenn Close presented a special tribute to her work, the Oscar audience watched clips of her films to music. Miss Kerr then appeared from behind the screen, obviously frail, in a blue pastel trouser suit and received a standing ovation from her peers. A life-long shy woman, Miss Kerr said, "I have never been so terrified in my life, but I feel better now because I know that I am among friends. Thank you for giving me a happy life." Following this, there was another standing ovation and Miss Kerr left the stage, which was to become her last official goodbye to Hollywood.

Awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1997/8 New Years Honours List.

Has two daughters from her marriage to Anthony C. Bartley: Melanie Jane Bartley (born December 27, 1947) and Francesca Ann Bartley (born February 23, 1951). Bartley was a WWII Royal Air Force squadron leader.

Her singing voice was dubbed by Marni Nixon in The King and I (1956).

Suffered from Parkinson's disease.

Joan Crawford was originally meant to play her role in From Here to Eternity (1953), but when she insisted on shooting the film with her own cameraman, the studio balked. They decided to take a chance and cast Ms. Kerr, who then was struggling with her ladylike stereotype, to play the adulterous military wife who has an affair with Burt Lancaster. The casting worked and Ms. Kerr's career thereafter enjoyed a new, sexier versatility.

Maureen O'Hara was originally meant to play her role in The King and I (1956), but Yul Brynner specifically asked for Deborah.

She is mother-in-law of actor John Shrapnel, who married her daughter, Francesca Shrapnel. She is, thus, also the grandmother of writer Joe Shrapnel and actors Lex Shrapnel & Tom Shrapnel.

Her brother Ted Trimmer was killed in a road-rage incident at the age of 78 (August 2004).

When she was a young girl, she had a strict "Victorian" grandmother who made her lie on her back, on the floor, for long periods of time, in order to "straighten her back" and ensure good posture.

She is the great-aunt of Benjamin Viertel.

In Italy, almost all of her films were dubbed by either Lidia Simoneschi or Renata Marini. She was occasionally dubbed by Dhia Cristiani, Andreina Pagnani and once by Gemma Griarotti in Quo Vadis (1951).

Was romantically involved with Burt Lancaster while filming From Here to Eternity (1953).

Originally when filming began on Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957), her co-star Robert Mitchum worried that Kerr would be like the prim characters she frequently played. However, after she swore at director John Huston during one take, Mitchum, who was in the water, almost drowned laughing. The two stars went on to have an enduring friendship which lasted until Mitchum's death in 1997.

Lived in Switzerland and Spain after retiring from acting, but returned to England to be with her family when her Parkinson's disease worsened.

Her surname is pronounced "car", not "care".

Her signature in cement for Graumans Chinese Theater in Hollywood was actually cast on the set of The King and I (1956) and not at the theater.

Patron of the National Society of Clean Air and Enviromental Protection in Britain from 1992 until her death in 2007.

Her aunt Phyllis Smale, running the Hicks-Smale Drama School in Bristol, became her first acting coach.

Born to Arthur Charles Kerr-Trimmer, a World War I veteran pilot who became a naval architect and civil engineer, and his wife Kathleen Rose Smale, she was originally trained to be a ballet dancer.

She was made a Fellow of the British Film Institute in recognition of her outstanding contribution to film culture.

Deborah Kerr, her husband Peter Viertel and her biographer Eric Braun all died within the space of five weeks in the fall of 2007. All were aged 86.

Received one of the longest standing ovations of all Honorary Oscar-recipients when she was awarded with an Honorary Oscar for her body of work in 1994.

Daughter-in-law of Salka Viertel and Berthold Viertel.

Is one of four Scottish actors to have received an Academy Award nomination. The others in chronological order are Mary Ure, Tom Conti and Sean Connery. As of 2011 Sean Connery is the only one to have won an Academy Award (for his performance in The Untouchables (1987)).


Personal Quotes
All the most successful people these seem to be neurotic. Perhaps we should stop being sorry for them and start being sorry for me - for being so confounded normal.

I came over here [Hollywood] to act, but it turned out all I had to do was to be high-minded, long suffering, white-gloved and decorative.

I am really rather like a beautiful Jersey cow, I have the same pathetic droop to the corners of my eyes.

[speaking in 1969] When I was under contract to MGM, with people like poor Robert Taylor and so many others, the cinema's job was solely entertainment. It filled a public need then. Now the cinema serves so many other purposes; it functions as psychiatrist, politician, message-maker, money maker and, incidentally, entertainer. But it's no good regretting that things are different. Times have to change.

When you're young, you just go banging about, but you're more sensitive as you grow older. You have higher standards of what's really good; you're fearful that you wont live up to what's expected of you.

[on John Wayne] He's a warm, kind-hearted, loving, generous, intellectual genius.

[on Alan Ladd] He was awfully good in putting across what he had, in looks and in manner; he had something very attractive -- a definite film personality which he had worked very hard to perfect.

I'm almost hysterical at the thought of making people cry with joy 30-odd years after ]Cary Grant] and I did our stuff. I've certainly shed tears at An Affair to Remember (1957), even though I know all the tricks of movie magic that went into it. Believe me, Cary and I knew how to kiss. When we did a love scene, we may not have been trying to swallow each other but, for those brief moments, we just loved each other.

I was mad about ballet, but I grew too tall, and when I eventually realized I'd never become the second Margot Fonteyn, I auditioned for a play instead and got the part.

[about her famous romantic beach scene with Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity (1953)] It had to have rocks in the distance, so the water could strike the boulders and shoot upward -- all very symbolic. The scene turned out to be deeply affecting on film, but, God, it was no fun to shoot. We had to time it for the waves, so that at just the right moment a big one would come up and wash over us. Most of the waves came up only to our feet, but we needed one that would come up all the way. We were like surfers, waiting for the perfect waves. Between each take, we had to do a total cleanup. When it was all over, we had four tons of grit in our mouths--and other places.

[about her work in From Here to Eternity (1953)] I don't think anyone knew I could act until I put on a bathing suit.

[on Elia Kazan] As you know, people will give their right arm, literally, and most of their blood to work with him. He's got a kind of incredible instinct with people. He's so in sympathy with all the fears and frights of actors, through having done it himself. And he's got a personal magic that gets within your very being.

I'd rather drop dead in my tracks one day than end up in a wheelchair in some nursing home watching interminable replays of The King and I (1956).

[after completing her first Hollywood film, "The Hucksters"] I always wondered what it would be like. You come 6,000 miles and then, suddenly, you've done it. It's like having a tooth out.


Salary
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) £5,000
The Night of the Iguana (1964) $250,000

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EMILY BROWNING

Date of Birth
7 December 1988, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Birth Name
Emily Jane Browning

Nickname
Em

Height
5' 2" (1.57 m)

Mini Biography
Australian actress Emily Browning was born in 1988 in Melbourne, Australia. She has two younger brothers. Her start in acting came after a classmate's father, involved in the acting business, noticed her "acting all ditsy" in a school play. Emily found an agent and was soon filming on location for the Hallmark TV-movie, The Echo of Thunder (1998) (TV). She received more roles from there, including parts in The Man Who Sued God (2001), opposite Billy Connolly, and Ned Kelly (2003), opposite Heath Ledger and Orlando Bloom. In that film, she had to hug Heath Ledger, and she said that all of her friends, who went to see the film, at the same time sent her a barrage of text messages about how lucky she was! Emily says she tries to avoid "cheesy" movies, and her big break came when she was on a press tour in LA for Ghost Ship (2002), that was filmed in Australia and released in America. In the same year, she won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Young Actress, and was nominated for the same award, the next year. Emily received some scripts when she was in LA and sent in a video audition for Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004). She received a call and was asked to come to LA for a proper audition, which won her the part. She spent months in LA filming, for the second time acting opposite Billy Connolly. Emily said she enjoyed the experience of making a big budget film in America, and says that although she's not sure what is coming next, she's hoping to do some more Australian work.

Trivia
Got her start in acting after being noticed in a school play.

Won the coveted role of Violet in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) after her agent gave her a pile of scripts for which to submit video auditions. She was phoned by the director of Lemony Snicket and asked to come to LA for an audition, which won her the part.

For her underwater scene in Ghost Ship (2002), she had to wear little weights so her dress wouldn't float up over her face.

Her parents' names are Shelley and Andrew.

Has two brothers; Nicholas (b. circa 1995) and Matthew (b. circa 1997).

She wanted to be a fashion designer when she was little, but she was "discovered" as an actress at age 8 in a school play.

She was scared she was going to get fired while filming Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004), because she'd be laughing at Jim Carrey so much.

Says she learned an American accent from watching "Sesame Street" (1969) as a child.

She has a cat named Jasper and a dog named Roxy.

She needed to wear heels for her costume in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) because Liam Aiken was much taller than she was.

Is featured briefly (archive footage from Ghost Ship (2002)) in the film Around the Bend (2004).

Took a 3-year acting break, starting in 2005, to finish school in Australia. She will return in the remake of A Tale of Two Sisters (2004), with Arielle Kebbel, Elizabeth Banks and David Strathairn.

Was cast as "Babydoll" in Sucker Punch (2011), after Amanda Seyfried was forced to drop out due to scheduling problems.

Replaced Mia Wasikowska in Sleeping Beauty (2011).

Has her nose and belly button pierced.

Ranked #90 in the 2011 FHM (Australia) list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".

In 2002, she won an AFI Young Actor's Award and in 2004 she represented them.

Has two younger brothers.

Per Stephenie Meyer's request, Browning was offered the part of "Bella" in Twilight (2008/I). She turned it down because she didn't want to be involved in a film franchise as it would distract her from her studies.

Ranked #28 in "The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World" for 2010.

Ranked #4 in the 2011 Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Faces.

She is a pescetarian (a vegetarian who eats fish).

Appeared as "Anna" in The Uninvited (2009) (a remake of A Tale of Two Sisters (2004)) with Arielle Kebbel (as "Alex") and Elizabeth Banks (as "Rachel").


Personal Quotes
I was lucky - the first eight productions I auditioned for, I got cast.

After Hollywood, you know if people are interested in you or in the fact that you've been in a movie. You know who your real friends are.

My family are very supportive and always have been. They weren't the kind of parents that pushed me into it. I know a lot of parents of kid actors I've worked with have pressured them into acting, but my parents are different. I'm really lucky to have them because they let me make my own decisions.

[on a scene that was cut in Sucker Punch (2011)]: I had a very tame and mild love scene with Jon Hamm. It was like heavy breathing and making out. It was hardly a sex scene... I think that it's great for this young girl to actually take control of her own sexuality. Well, the MPAA doesn't like that. They don't think a girl should ever be in control of her own sexuality because they're from the Stone Age. I don't know what the fuck is going on and I will openly criticize it, happily. So essentially, they got Zack to edit the scene and make it look less like she's into it. And Zack said he edited it down to the point where it looked like he was taking advantage of her. That's the only way he could get a PG-13 (rating) and he said, 'I don't want to send that message'. So, they cut the scene!

The whole point of our job is to be able to realistically portray a human being and if you don't experience life, if all you experience is acting and being on set, how on Earth are you going to be able to connect to real people and portray these characters? I realized if I want to do this, I have to have a life.

[on what you bring as an artist] You can't judge it and you can't analyze what you do, because what you bring is original and beautiful and special.

In my everyday life I'm a little bit nervous and not particularly brave. I feel like if I can be completely brave in my work then I'm doing something right.

I went to this weird little hippie primary school and we did a lot of plays. The first one was "Alice in Wonderland" and I played Alice. It was all in Italian - it was such a bizarre school.

I'm not going to do a pop album anytime soon. I'm not going to dye my hair blonde and wear pink mini-skirts.

I'm a massive daydreamer. I'm constantly lost within my own fantasies and my own thoughts personally, and I think maybe that is sort of represented in what we do for a living, the fact that we make believe everything and we escape into these other characters for a living.


Where Are They Now
(August 2004) Filming Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004).

(September 2005) At school in Melbourne, Australia, in Year 11.

(October 2006) Appearing in the music video, "Light Surrounding You", from the band, Evermore.

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ARIELLE KEBBEL

Date of Birth
19 February 1985, Winter Park, Florida, USA

Birth Name
Arielle Caroline Kebbel

Height
5' 8" (1.73 m)

Mini Biography
Arielle Caroline Kebbel (born February 19, 1985) is an American model and actress. Arielle is perhaps best known for her roles in films such as American Pie Presents: Band Camp, John Tucker Must Die, Vampires Suck, and Aquamarine, as well as TV series including The Vampire Diaries, Gilmore Girls, and Life Unexpected, on which she played Paige Thomas. She is often considered a Scream Queen, due to her work in notable horror films including The Uninvited and The Grudge 2.
Early life and modeling career
Kebbel was born in Winter Park, Florida. Her mother, Sheri, is a talent manager and owns a production company. Kebbel graduated from Crenshaw School in Winter Garden. Arielle was a contestant at the 2002 Miss Florida Teen USA beauty pageant. Before pursuing a career in acting, Arielle was a fulltime model. She has since appeared in publications such as Maxim, H, Lucky, Men's Health, Stuff and FHM. She also has visited high schools in the midwest currently

Acting career
Within the first week of moving to Los Angeles, California, Kebbel successfully auditioned for her first major role portraying Lindsay Lister on The CW's Gilmore Girls. She went on to become a major recurring role throughout the third, fourth and fifth season. Arielle has since appeared in television shows such as Entourage, Grounded for Life, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Vampire Diaries. She has been cast in two pilots Football Wives and No Heroics both developed for ABC which have not been picked up.

In 2004, Arielle made her film debut portraying a major supporting role alongside Kevin Hart, Tom Arnold and Snoop Dogg in the hip-hop comedy film Soul Plane. She has also had numerous notable roles in films such as Be Cool, The Kid & I, American Pie Presents: Band Camp and Reeker.

In 2005, Arielle was announced to portray the role of Carrie Schaeffer alongside Sophia Bush, Brittany Snow and Jesse Metcalfe in 20th Century Fox's John Tucker Must Die. Filming took place in Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada during the summer of 2005. The film received negative reviews from critics and made a profit at the box office earning worldwide $68,821,702.

In 2005, Arielle signed on for another 20th Century Fox film titled Aquamarine starring Sara Paxton and Emma Roberts and Joanna(JoJo) Levesque. Arielle portrays the role of the film's villain, Cecilia Banks. The film was released in March 2006, and had little box office success with earnings of $23 million worldwide.

In February 2006, Arielle was confirmed to be starring alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and Teresa Palmer in The Grudge 2. The film is a sequel to the 2004 Horror film, The Grudge which was a remake of the original Japanese film. Arielle described her role of schoolgirl Allison Flemming as "The girl you see in the background of all the pictures that wants to be a part of everything but never really is". Filming took place in Tokyo, Japan in April that same year. The film was released on October 13, 2006. The film managed to be a box office success earning over $70 million worldwide.

In 2006 Arielle was announced to star in the Indie Sports/Drama film Forever Strong alongside Penn Badgley, Sean Faris and Neal McDonough. Filming took place in August 2006 in Salt Lake City. This is both Penn and Arielle's second film together, having appeared alongside each other in John Tucker Must Die. The film suffered in development hell and received numerous pushbacks. The film was released on September 26, 2008 Straight-to-DVD. Critical reception was generally negative.

In February 2008, Arielle was announced to star as the central character Katherine in the Indie Horror Freakdog alongside Sarah Carter. The film received a limited cinema release on August 22, 2008 and was quickly released to DVD in February, 2009. Critical reception was universally negative. However, Darrell Moen's review described Kebbel's performance in the film as "Brilliant" and the film being a "Star-Vehicle" for her.

In March 2008 Paramount Pictures announced Arielle was portraying the role of Alex Ivers in the American Remake of the 2003 South Korean Horror film A Tale of Two Sisters. Emily Browning and Elizabeth Banks were confirmed to be co-starring. Filming took place in late 2008 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Despite performances of the cast being well received, critical reception was mixed to negative. The film managed to have a mixed response from the box office and earned $40 million worldwide.

In 2008 Screen Gems announced Arielle was to be starring alongside Danneel Harris, Carmen Electra and Regina Hall in the Comedy Mardi Gras. Filming took place in New Orleans in late 2008. The film has suffered numerous pushbacks with no official release being announced as of July 10, 2010.

Arielle also starred in the comedy The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, which premiered on September 9th, 2011 at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival. The film, slated for a wider release in 2012, is the directorial debut for writer/director/star Ryan O'Nan, and also features Michael Weston, Andrew McCarthy, and Jason Ritter.

Kebbel will appear in 90210 as Vanessa, starting in early December 2011. She will have a recurring role on the teen drama.

Magazine sexiest rankings
2010 "ANSWER THIS" motion picture filmed in Ann Arbor MI

Source
The Mini Biography is from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arielle_Kebbel. IMDb is not affiliated with, and neither endorses, nor is endorsed by Wikipedia or any of the authors who contributed to this article. The Wikipedia content may be available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, version 3.0 or any later version, available at: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/. Additional or other terms may apply. See Wikipedia Terms of Use for details. This webpage may use the Freebase schema, licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/.


Trivia
Was a contestant in the 2002 Miss Florida Teen USA Beauty Pageant.

Ranked #95 in Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.

Graduated from high school one semester early with a 4.3 GPA.

She actually booked her first job of "Lindsey Lister" on "Gilmore Girls" (2000), within the first week of moving to Los Angeles.

Works closely with the charitable organization "ReachBack LA".

Was the December 2006 entry in Stuff magazine's 2006-2007 pin up calendar.

Attended the Maile School in Winter Park, Florida. Other graduates include: Phil Moore, Shannon McGinnis, Tristan Ramel Greye, and Mandy Moore.

Ranked #54 in Croatian FHM magazine "100 sexiest woman in the world of 2008" list.

Lived across the hall from David Blue in a Hollywood apartment complex from 2004-2005.

Ranked #48 in Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2009 list.

Daughter of Sheri Kebbel.

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ELIZABETH BANKS

Date of Birth
10 February 1974, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA

Birth Name
Elizabeth Maresal Mitchell

Height
5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Biography
Actress Elizabeth Banks was born Elizabeth Mitchell in Pittsfield, a small city in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts near the New York border, on February 10, 1974. She describes herself as having been seen as a "goody two-shoes" in her youth who was nominated for the local Harvest Queen.

Banks left home to attend college at the University of Pennsylvania, from which she graduated Magna cum Laude, and went on to attend the Advanced Training Program at the prestigious American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, from which she graduated in 1996. She then moved to New York and worked in the theater as well as obtaining her first roles on-screen, small parts in movies and guest-star roles on television series. Seeking more screen work, Banks moved to Los Angeles and the supporting roles soon came, and required that she change her name to avoid confusion with another actress named Elizabeth Mitchell.

Her first breakthrough role was as Betty Brant, the secretary of the cantankerous newspaper tycoon in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man (2002). Banks followed up this performance with small roles in other movies: Swept Away (2002), Steven Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can (2002), Seabiscuit (2003), and The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005). In 2003, she won the Exciting New Face Award at the Young Hollywood Awards.

Although the winsome, beautiful Banks projected an exceptionally-charming screen presence that drew comparisons to Audrey Hepburn, she primarily remained in supporting roles. Audiences began to take notice when Banks took the lead in such films as Kevin Smith's Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) and as Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's biopic of George W. Bush, W. (2008/I).

In television, Banks was a recurring guest star on "Scrubs" (2001) as Dr. Kim Briggs, the love interest of Zach Braff's J.D. In 2010, she was cast as Alec Baldwin's love interest in season four of "30 Rock" (2006). Originally her character was only scheduled to appear in four episodes, but she was brought back as a recurring character for two more seasons, and earned Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for two consecutive years.

Now in the spotlight, Banks appeared in back to back films, co-starring in Our Idiot Brother (2011), Man on a Ledge (2012), What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012), and People Like Us (2012). She also won the highly coveted role as Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games (2012). In 2012-2013, she will also star in such films as Pitch Perfect (2012), Frank or Francis (????), and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013).

Banks married her husband, Max Handelman, a sports writer and producer, in 2003. They welcomed a son, Felix Handleman, who was born via a surrogate in March 2011.

Spouse
Max Handelman (5 July 2003 - present) 2 children

Trivia
Graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996, where she was a member of Delta Delta Delta. Was the first in her family to graduate from college.

Graduated from American Conservatory Theater's Advanced Training Program in 1998.

Enjoys fantasy football as a hobby.

Was considered for the role of Susan Storm/Invisible Girl in Fantastic Four (2005), as was Fernanda Romero.

Wife of Max Handelman. She and her husband work as a production team (Brownstone Productions). They met at the University of Pennsylvania.

College friends with Todd Lieberman.

Oldest of four children in a divided house. (Her mom was for the Boston Red Sox and her dad was for the New York Yankees.).

Converted to Judaism after marrying her husband in 2003.

Met President George W. Bush when Seabiscuit (2003) was screened at the White House. In Oliver Stone's W. (2008/I), she plays the role of Laura Bush, the president's wife.

Taking a course on flying the trapeze with a girlfriend (2008).

Her father, Mark Mitchell, was a factory worker for General Electric and her mother, Ann Mitchell, worked, until recently, in a bank.

As a young child, she was a contestant on the Nickelodeon game show "Finders Keepers" (1987).

Graduated from Pittsfield (Massachusetts) High School in 1992.

Poltergeist (1982) was the scariest movie she has ever seen. She saw it, with her sister, when she was eleven.

Is a major fan of David Letterman.

Turned down a role in The Crazies (2010) because the role was too similar to her character in Slither (2006), and she didn't want to repeat herself.

Got the role in Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) after Rosario Dawson turned it down.

Bad Santa (2003) is her favorite holiday movie.

Ranked #83 in the 2011 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World.".

Has a brother named Geoff.

Has a weakness for cupcakes.

Ranked #39 in the 2010 FHM UK list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World.".

In a 2012 interview with Slate, Elizabeth Banks said that she considered her role in the 1998 independent movie, Surrender Dorothy (1998), to be one of the worst mistakes in her career, so far. She also said that it was instrumental in her decision to attend drama school, so that she could receive training that would enable her never to have to be in this type of movie, again.

Returned to work 2 months after the birth of her son Felix in order to begin filming The Hunger Games (2012).

Former brownie and girl scout.

In 2012, she threw her support behind President Barack Obama in a highly personal video testimonial on the importance of federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

Became a mother for the 1st time at age 37, when her son, Felix Handelman, was born in March 2011 via surrogate. Child's father is her husband, Max Handelman.

Became a mother for the 2nd time at age 38, when her son, Magnus Mitchell Handelman, was born in November 2012, via surrogate. Child's father is her husband, Max Handelman.

Welcomed a second son via surrogate mid fall 2012, named Magnus Mitchell.


Personal Quotes
I really think that we do a disservice to young people in America by not being more open about sex. Abstinence programs do not work. It's a natural, physical thing having sex.

I'm pleased that Hollywood hasn't figured out how to pigeonhole me yet..."

I love physical comedy. I love Oscar Wilde, I love Shakespeare comedies, I love improv. I knew I had a knack for it at a certain level, but I came into this business as a classically trained drama student and that was my reputation. When you live in a leading lady's body, which I do, you have to constantly prove that you are funny.

Every once in a while I play a true idiot, and they're really fun to play.


Where Are They Now
(2009) Appeared in a commercial for L'Oreal Paris "Preference".

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ABIGAIL SPENCER

Date of Birth
4 August 1981, Gulf Breeze, Florida, USA

Birth Name
Abigail Leigh Spencer

Nickname
Abby

Height
5' 5" (1.65 m)

Mini Biography
Born and raised in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Abigail entered the pageant system at the age of four and won a state title at the age of 11. She credits this early experience with helping her deal gracefully with disappointments.

An accomplished vocalist, she traveled with her church choir to Germany in her freshman year at Gulf Breeze High school. A highlight of her sophomore year was her audition into the Broadway Theatre Project, helmed by Ann Reinking. Along with continuing to study drama and dance, her junior year was spent focusing on student government. It was in her senior year of high school that everything came together for Miss Spencer. Along with choreographing, directing and starring as "Rizzo" in a local production of "Grease", she beat out hundreds of other young hopefuls for the role of "Becca" and got the call from "All My Children" (1970). After attending her senior prom and her high school graduation ceremonies, Miss Spencer headed for Manhattan and "All My Children" (1970). In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, Pilate's and dance class.

Spouse
Andrew Pruett (2004 - present) (filed for divorce) 1 child

Trivia
Two brothers, Sterling, 13, and Yancy IV, 25, in 1999.

Friends with "One Tree Hill" (2003) actress Bethany Joy Lenz.

Her son Roman Pruett was born on September 19, 2008.

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RUSSELL CROWE

Date of Birth
7 April 1964, Wellington, North Island, New Zealand

Birth Name
Russell Ira Crowe

Nickname
Rusty

Height
5' 11" (1.80 m)

Mini Biography
Born in New Zealand, Russell has made his home in Australia since he was a small child. The son of movie set caterers, Russell got the acting bug early in life. Beginning as a child star on a local Australian TV show, Russell's first big break came with two films ... the first, Romper Stomper (1992), gained him a name throughout the film community in Australia and the neighboring countries. The second, The Sum of Us (1994), helped put him on the American map, so to speak. Sharon Stone heard of him from Romper Stomper (1992) and wanted him for her film, The Quick and the Dead (1995). But filming on The Sum of Us (1994) had already begun. Sharon is reported to have held up shooting until she had her gunslinger-Crowe, for her film. With The Quick and the Dead (1995) under his belt as his first American film, the second was offered to him soon after. Virtuosity (1995), starring Denzel Washington, put Russell in the body of a Virtual Serial Killer, Sid6.7 ... a role unlike any he had played so far. Virtuosity (1995), a Sci-Fi extravaganza, was a fun film and, again, opened the door to even more American offers. L.A. Confidential (1997), Russell's third American film, brought him the US fame and attention that his fans have felt he deserved all along. Missing the Oscar nod this time around, he didn't seem deterred and signed to do his first film with The Walt Disney Company, Mystery, Alaska (1999). He has recently achieved even more success and awards for his performances in Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001).

Spouse
Danielle Spencer (7 April 2003 - present) (separated) 2 children

Trade Mark
Fiery temper

Gravelly, smoke-burnished voice

Frequently plays exceptionally talented or smart individuals

Often works with directors Ron Howard and Ridley Scott.

Often plays characters based on real individuals

Frequently plays fathers or family who have usually suffered a loss


Trivia
Cousin of former New Zealand international cricketers Jeff Crowe and Martin Crowe.

Lost his front tooth playing rugby when he was ten. Never got it fixed until, at the insistence of the director for The Crossing (1990), who paid for it out of his own pocket.

First lead role when he was 25.

Tried a music career as a rockabilly singer sporting a large pompadour hairdo, playing under the name Russ Le Roq. Titled his first single "I Want to Be Like Marlon Brando". Later admitted that he had never even seen a Brando movie when he wrote and recorded the song.

After filming Gladiator (2000), he and some friends took a 4,000 mile motorcycle trip around Australia.

Owns a 560-acre farm in 7.5 hours North-West from Sydney.

Dropped out of high school.

Russell's rock group is named 30 Odd Foot of Grunts. They played their first US concert following Russell's success in Gladiator (2000) in Austin, Texas in August 2000. The tickets for the concert were selling for over $500 on e-bay.com.

Suffered a shoulder injury, which will require surgery, while filming Jodie Foster's Flora Plum (????). It is uncertain if the film will have to be recast. [5 September 2000]

Has starred in three films based on articles from Vanity Fair magazine. The Insider (1999) was based on a story by Marie Brenner named "The Man Who Knew Too Much". Proof of Life (2000) was based on the article "Adventures in the Ransom Trade" by William Prochnau. A Beautiful Mind (2001) was originally published in Vanity Fair as an excerpt of Sylvia Nasar 's book about John Forbes Nash.

Turned down the role of Logan/Wolverine in X-Men (2000).

He and his band, 30 Odd Foot Of Grunts, performed on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992). [16 August 2001]

Proudly displayed his grandfather's British Honours medal (MBE) while making his Oscar Winner speech in 2001.

Has indicated an interest in taking out Australian citizenship due to the amount of time and energy he spends Down Under (keeping his New Zealand citizenship as well).

Although his surname is of Irish or English extraction, he lists his background as "Norwegian and Maori."

When Crowe's acceptance speech for his Best Actor award during the British Film Awards was edited, Crowe shoved the producer of the show, Malcolm Gerrie, against a wall and cursed at him, telling him: "Who on Earth had the ... audacity to take out the best actor's poem? I'll make sure you never work in Hollywood". He later issued a full apology.

His grandfather was from Wrexham, Wales

Ranked #28 in Premiere's 2002 annual Power 100 List.

Following his involvement in a brawl in a London restaurant, Russell stated that he was under a lot of stress and announced that he was going back to Australia to relax and spend more time with his father and his long-time girlfriend singer, Danielle Spencer. [November 2002]

Discovered by British actor and musical director/writer Daniel Abineri, who gave Crowe his first professional acting role in a New Zealand tour of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show.' Abineri later awarded Crowe the title role in his first stage musical, 'Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom,' which premiered in Melbourne in 1989.

Ranked #30 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List.

Met spouse, Danielle Spencer in 1989 when they co-starred in the 1990 film, The Crossing (1990). Their co-star of the film, Robert Mammone (The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003)), was one of Crowe's groomsmen at their wedding.

Son-in-law of actor Don Spencer.

Took violin lessons in preparing for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) because his character, Jack Aubrey, played the violin several times during the movie.

First child with Danielle Spencer, a boy named Charles Spencer Crowe, born in Sydney (21 December 2003).

He wrote a song about Jodie Foster called "Other Ways of Speaking" with his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts.

Jodie Foster considers him a very good friend.

Plans to donate his brain to medical science when he dies.

29 January 2004 - Dislocated his shoulder while training for his upcoming boxing movie, Cinderella Man (2005). The injury delayed filming for two months.

On 7 June 2006, he formed a partnership with Australian businessman Peter Holmes a Court to buy a controlling stake in his favorite sports team, the Australian NRL team South Sydney Rabbitohs.

Was accepted into the prestigious drama school, The National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), in Sydney.

Ranked #97 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties

Good friends with Nicole Kidman. She also mentioned him in her oscar acceptance speech when she won 'Best Actress in a Leading Role' for The Hours (2002).

Premiere Magazine ranked him as #49 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

Once he was cast as Bud White in L.A. Confidential (1997), he read in the book that his character was the largest cop on the police force, off-putting for him due to his medium-sized frame (just under 6 feet). To capture a "big guy" presence, Crowe lived in a tiny flat in which he could barely fit through any of the doors. This experience, he said, made him come to the set feeling like a giant.

Is an avid supporter of the AFL team Richmond Tigers.

His former band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, used to cover a song by Newfoundland band, "Great Big Sea". While filming Cinderella Man (2005) in Toronto, Russell Crowe met Alan Doyle, lead singer of "Great Big Sea". The two ended up composing several songs together, working in Toronto and Australia, and Doyle produced Crowe's 2005 album My Hand, My Heart.

When his wife was pregnant with his first child Charles, he gave up drinking alcohol with her.

Is friends with Richard Tognetti, who gave him violin lessons for Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003).

His next album (tentatively titled "My Hand, My Heart") is produced by Alan Doyle, lead singer for the Canadian band, Great Big Sea.

He attended Vaucluse Public School in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney for part of his Infants and Primary Education in the 1970s.

Formed a new band, named "The Ordinary Fear of God"

His performance as Jeffrey Wigand in The Insider (1999) is ranked #23 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

A Beautiful Mind (2001) is ranked #93 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time (2006).

Was among the guests at Nicole Kidman's and Keith Urban's wedding

His wife Danielle gave birth to his second boy, Tennyson Spencer Crowe, on 7 July 2006 at 7:27am (AEST). The baby weighs 3.6 kg and was born at the Sydney Royal North Shore Hospital.

Despite liking the script very much, turned down About a Boy (2002).

Turned down the role of "Aragorn" in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy since filming on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) would coincide with Ron Howard's A Beautiful Mind (2001). However, Crowe really loved the idea of filming a movie in his home country, New Zealand, for an extended amount of time.

Turned down the role of Sgt. Norm 'Hoot' Hooten in Black Hawk Down (2001) due to scheduling conflicts.

Lives in a penthouse on Woollomoollo Wharf in Sydney, the Penthouse was reportedly sold to Crowe and wife Danielle Spencer for over $13.75 million.

Is a close friend of Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Lobbied Californian Govener Arnold Schwarzenegger against executing Stanley "Tookie" Williams. (December 2005).

The role of James J. Braddock (Cinderella Man (2005)) is his personal favorite.

Nearly finalized a deal to reunite with director Michael Mann on Collateral (2004), but scheduling conflicts with "Eucalyptus", a doomed film project, prevented him from taking the role, which later went to Tom Cruise.

Two opportunities of working with fellow Australian and good friend, Nicole Kidman, have fallen through. In 2005, they were set to star in Jocelyn Moorhouse's "Eucalyptus," which fell through due to disputes over the screenplay. And in 2006, Crowe dropped out of Australia (2008), Baz Luhrmann's long- gestating romantic Outback epic, due to a disagreement over a cut in Crowe's salary.

Was director Oliver Stone's dream choice for the title role in Alexander (2004).

Was considered for the role of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and its ensuing sequels.

His earnings in 2001 were estimated at $15.4 million by "Business Review Weekly".

Starred in 5 movies in 7 years (1997-2003) which ended up being nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. (L.A. Confidential (1997), The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000), A Beautiful Mind (2001) and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)). Gladiator (2000) and A Beautiful Mind (2001) won. A similar achievement was done by William Hurt in the 80s, he starred in 5 movies nominated for Best Picture in only 6 years between 1983 and 1988 but none of them won.

Was slated to star alongside Nicole Kidman in the movie adaptation of Murray Bail's novel "Eucalyptus", but this project was dropped.

Initially turned down L.A. Confidential (1997) because he doubted whether he could convincingly play such a tough character.

Big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the NHL.

Friends with University of Michigan head football coach Lloyd Carr.

Is a fan of English Football side Leeds United AFC.

According to Forbes, his movies averaged $5 of gross income for every dollar the actor got paid, making him the most overpaid celebrity in the business (December 2007).

Crowe's maternal grandfather, Stan Wemyss, was a cinematographer who, according to Crowe, produced the first film by New Zealander Geoff Murphy and was also named an MBE for filming footage of World War II. Crowe's maternal great-great-great grandmother was Māori and as a result Crowe is registered on the Maori electoral roll in New Zealand; Crowe also has Norwegian, Irish and British ancestry.

Gained 63 pounds for his role in Body of Lies (2008).

He was awarded the Australian Centenary Medal in the 2001 Queen's New Years Honours List for his services to Australian society and Australian film production.

Was the original choice for the role of Stonewall Jackson in Ron Maxwell's Civil War epic Gods and Generals (2003). Crowe was interested at first but later dropped out. The role went to Stephen Lang instead.

Quit smoking for the sake of his newborn children, but subsequently relapsed.


Personal Quotes
"One of the most painful things of the L.A. Confidential (1997) character I played was that the author, James Ellroy, kept telling me that Bud White wasn't a drinker. I said, 'come on, this is 1953. He's a blue-collar bloke, a cop. You're telling me he doesn't sit around with the boys after his shift and have a beer?' And Ellroy says, 'absolutely not'. So for five months and seven days, I didn't have a drink. It's probably the most painful period of my life".

[on winning the Best Actor Oscar] "If you grow up in the suburbs of anywhere, a dream like this seems kind of vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable. But this moment is directly connected to those imaginings. And for anybody who's on the downside of advantage, and relying purely on courage, it's possible."

"It's not really what I'd call a movie. I was stunned that Miramax wanted to buy it. I mean it's really rude. It showed me in a really bad light. It's also shoddily made. It's cobbled together." -- expressing surprise that a low-budget documentary of his band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunts, has been picked up for worldwide distribution.

"I felt this tap on my shoulder and I turned around and, you know that De Niro fellow? Well, he didn't say a word. He didn't say 'Hello', 'Good evening' or anything or 'Hi, I'm Robert'. He just looked at me and he nodded his head and he smiled. And he walked off." - About meeting Robert De Niro.

You don't have to like an actor to do a scene with him. You don't have to like a director. But it's just better if you do. And I think, you know, you've got to begin that with respect.

All that stuff, this public persona of me - let's call him 'the wild man' - that is not helpful. It doesn't make me more of a box office draw. It's the quality of my work that makes people want to go to my films.

I always say I've given 24 insufficient performances and I'm looking forward to the time in my life when I'll do something that I think is good. There's always stuff you can do better, stuff that maybe you didn't uncover enough. But if you do something that you truly believe is perfect, then that's got to be the last movie you do.

I'd like to play passionate women, but no one will let me.

If there's anything about someone's life that's important enough to make a movie about it, I have to take responsibility to get all of it right. It's a huge responsibility.

The older I get, the crotchetier I'm going to get about that integrity. I don't think, just because you have the public's attention, it's now a prerequisite for you to completely sell out your moral center. I don't think that's OK. If I ever stop being the guy that can answer your question straight and look you in the eye and give you my opinion, then I should stop making films.

I'm still excited by it. I still love the process. I want to make movies that pierce people's hearts and touch them in some way, even if it's just for the night while they're in the cinema; in that moment, I want to bring actual tears to their eyes and goosebumps to their skin. That's what motivates me, and it may sound strange but if you're not focused on the audience, why are you bothering to make a movie?

He has disappointed me many times over the past ten years, with his performances in substandard movies. [About Robert De Niro]

When I arrived in Sydney, I spent 22 weeks in this $50-a-week place with just a bed, a cupboard and the toilet halfway down the corridor. For the first time my parents were some distance away. I did a lot of thinking and realized I appreciated what my father had instilled in me. People think that because there is a dole there they should use it, and there are a lot of ways to misuse the system. I believe in singing for my supper. I'll never accept a grant because what I do should be able to be founded purely on free enterprise.

Mate, he did that to himself. I have little time for the Oliver Reeds of this business. I'm not pleased that he's gone. In fact, I never had a drink with Oliver, because I didn't want to encourage him. I'll go for long periods without a drink. When I'm on the farm by myself, it's not something I even think about. But I'm not afraid to have a beer in front of a studio executive. That doesn't make me a wild man. [About Oliver Reed]

I'm at the bottom of a well. I can't communicate how dark my life is right now. I'm in a lot of trouble. I'll do my best to solve the situation in an honorable way. I'm very sorry for my actions. I will spend the rest of my life if it takes it, trying to make it up with my wife. I'm pleased that my son isn't able to compute what's going on at the moment because that would be a heartbreaking thing. One thing that I don't want to do is imply that I'm trying to make out it's somebody else's fault It's not, I know it's my fault, I've got to face up to it and deal with it. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm just looking at what the situation is - it's a seven-year jail sentence.

After The Insider (1999), I know the exact chemical compounds in a commercial cigarette, but I've been smoking since I was 10. I know it's terrible, but I am a great fan of irony.

I believe if you take on characters for a living you can't make yourself into an icon in order to sell a pair of shoes.

I had a good laugh when Clooney tried to compare doing ads for suits, a car and a drink to what I do as a musician. An endorsement is about money. My music is from the heart.

I do my bit to improve the world but I think it's very important to get things done on the quiet. I'm sick to death of famous people standing up and using their celebrity to promote a cause. If I see a particular need, I do try to help. But there's a lot that can be achieved by putting a cheque in the right place and shutting up about it.

I don't do ads for suits in Spain like George Clooney or cigarettes in Japan like Harrison Ford. And on one level, people go, 'Well, more fault to you, mate, because there's free money to be handed out.' But to me it's kind of sacrilegious - it's a complete contradiction of the f**king social contract you have with your audience. I mean, Robert De Niro's advertising "American Express". Gee whiz, it's not the first time he's disappointed me. It's been happening for a while now.

I'd move to Los Angeles if Australia and New Zealand were swallowed up by a huge tidal wave, if there was a bubonic plague in England, and if the continent of Africa disappeared from some Martian attack.

Dani was three weeks early last time, she gave birth just a few days after she was chased down the street by four photographers. Nobody cares, particularly the photographers, nobody cares to focus on what that is. She was just walking down the street with her girlfriend and they rushed her - four of them all surrounded her. So she panicked and slipped and all this sort of stuff. If I'd been there that would have been a really serious situation. I tell you right now, they will be tarred and feathered if they hassle my pregnant wife again.

Well if what I've heard about it is fair dinkum that he spent $25 million making a movie that's shot in Aramaic and Latin and he's intending to release it without subtitles, I think he's got to get off the glue. What's the point of making a movie where people can't understand what's going on? I don't understand that. If you want it for reality or whatever, I think, 'Wow, what an amazing idea,' but also what a waste of time if nobody can get what the point is. Well, if we know the story, if we know it that well, why did he bother making it again? Mr Gibson, get off the glue! - On The Passion of the Christ (2004).

I'm a virtuoso in my job in that there's not an actor I can't go into a scene with and be absolutely confident that, whatever is required of my character, I can do it.

I just didn't want to work on that movie in the type of environment that was being created because of the needs of the budget. I do charity work, but I don't do charity work for major studios.

[on turning down the role of Morpheus in The Matrix (1999)] Well, "The Matrix" - I just didn't get it. I couldn't get past page 42. That world was just not interesting to me.

With "Lord of the Rings", if I did that I couldn't have done "A Beautiful Mind", and I just had to do "A Beautiful Mind". You can't do it all, and the people who try to usually end up not being able to focus at a certain level after a while. I mean, if I'm going to drink a bottle of wine, I drink a really good bottle of wine. [regarding his selectivity of his next film]

I respond to the call that says, "It's 185 A.D. You're a Roman general. You're being directed by Ridley Scott. That's something my imagination can get a hold of. [on what attracts him to prospective films]

In wars, no one wins, everyone loses. There are no heroes, there's only dead people. Movies can really change things and ... it becomes an educational process and I think that's the healthiest way of attacking anything. That's what I'm looking for.

[on an upcoming remake of the Robin Hood story] If you go back into the mythology, you get Robin the Beheader, who would chop off your head and your hands, take your money and keep it. So we'll have a look at that.

He was a gentle, beautiful man, a fine actor, a loyal friend. I feel deeply for his family - on the passing of friend and fellow actor, Heath Ledger.

[on spirituality] I think there's a karmic cycle, which is very, very obvious: you run around acting like a dick, and you get your ass kicked. The world just works that way.

People might say I'm uncompromising but really I am just a very straight-shooting man. If you look me in the eye and shake my hand I expect you to keep your end of the f***ing bargain. I do. It's simple.

[on theatre] Every now and then I get sort of romantic about it. But I've also got that cynical part of me where, when I read somebody saying, "I'm going back to the theatre. I'm going back to my roots," I'm like, "Oh, can't get a job, hey?"

[on studio demands for a sex scene in Gladiator (2000)] I'm sorry boys, but it doesn't suit the character. We can't be avenging the death of the wife and child, and stop for a bit of nookie along the way. I'm sorry, it's not gonna happen.

Do the maths - I have been smoking for 36 years, I would continuously lie to myself about how much I smoked. I was smoking 40 on an easy day, but on a day when I would be up at 4am and still up at midnight, then it was 60-plus and it just got to the point where my body was telling me I had to stop. (July 2010)

[1997, on L.A. Confidential (1997)] You go into these movies to play an American, you know. That's part of the fun of it for me. I can be an Australian in Australian films.

[1997, on perfecting accents] I was too kind of brave and proud to want a dialect coach because I thought that showed weakness in my armor. But then you just learn it's a more efficient way of doing it. A dialect coach is really important because it takes a certain technical responsibility off your shoulders. Otherwise, it would be very disruptive, because you've got to focus on the internal life of the character. The language is easy if you're not focusing on it, you know.

[on Oliver Reed] He drank himself to death. He sat on a bar stool until he fell off it and carried on drinking ... lying in his own piss and vomit, he continued to drink till he passed out. What did the tabloids say he drank on the day he died? Something like thirty beers, eight or ten dark rums and half a bottle of whiskey. In the end, he created such a weird energy around him that no one drinking with him cared.


Salary
Gladiator (2000) $5,000,000
Proof of Life (2000) $7,500,000
A Beautiful Mind (2001) $15,000,000
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) $20,000,000
Cinderella Man (2005) $15,000,000
Robin Hood (2010) $20,000,000

Where Are They Now
(January 2009) Nana Glen, New South Wales, Australia

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JOEL EDGERTON

Date of Birth
23 June 1974, Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia

Height
5' 11" (1.80 m)

Mini Biography
Joel Edgerton was born on 23 June, 1974 in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia. He went to Hills Grammar School in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, and after leaving, he attended Nepean Drama School in 1994. Joel has done many projects on stage and off, but most people will recognize him from his work on the Australian television show, The Secret Life Of Us, in which he played the character of Will. This gave him his first big break through in the television industry. For this role, he was nominated in 2001 for an AFI Award. As well as The Secret Life of Us, he has also appeared in other television projects such as The Three Stooges (2000) (TV), "Dossa and Joe" (2002), Secret Men's Business (1999) (TV), Never Tell Me Never (1998) (TV), and Saturn's Return (2001) (TV). Joel has done a lot of work on the theatrical stage having played King Henry in Henry V, Prince Hal in Henry III, and others including Road, Third World Blues, and Dead White Males. As well as acting he has also starred, co-written and produced the movie Bloodlock.

His first international break came from when he played Uncle Owen in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). Since then he has also starred in Ned Kelly (2003), King Arthur (2004), and the up coming Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).

Trade Mark
Cheekbones


Trivia
The Edgerton brothers have collaborated on several film projects.

Joel's brother, Nash Edgerton, was also in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). Nash was the stunt double for Ewan McGregor (Obi-wan Kenobi).

Joel appears in the video clip for Ben Lee's (Claire Danes's then-boyfriend) 2002 single 'Something Borrowed, Something Blue'. The clip was directed by Joel's brother, Nash Edgerton.

Attended Hills Grammar School in Sydney's north-west.

When he graduated from high school he attended University of Western Sydney-Nepean Kingswood Campus and studied Drama there

Is the second Star Wars actor to have played Sir Gawain in a King Arthur movie. Liam Neeson played the role in Excalibur (1981).

Auditioned for the role of "Ty-Zor" in McG's now-aborted version of "Superman."

Starred in Ned Kelly (2003) with Orlando Bloom. Bloom in turn starred with Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). Kiera also starred in King Arthur (2004) with Edgerton.

Studied acting at Theatre Nepean in Sydney, Australia.

Founding member of 'Blue-Tongue Films'.

His short film, Monkeys (2011), was selected for Australian short film event Final Cut in 2012, where it was awarded the Audience Favourite Prize alongside short films from award-winning filmmakers David Ludlow [Drifting (2010)] and Kelly Hucker [Kwik Fix (2010)].


Personal Quotes
[on Smokin' Aces] I'm not a huge advocate of violence for violence's sake, but what makes this film OK in that regard for me is that it's a heightened reality. It's kind of like Ocean's Eleven on acid - it's hyper-real, cartoon violence.

[on how important it is to him that he's involved in other facets of filmmaking besides acting] Well, it's great. I mean, it's great to have that opportunity. It's just been like, without meaning it to sound too arrogant, I have a lot of stuff in me that I know I can do and I've wanted to have the opportunity to do and now thanks to people like Gavin O'Connor and David Michod, I'm starting to kind of spread my wings a little bit more and get new opportunities. And I'm fucking ready for them and I'm dying to do more stuff, but at the same time I want to keep writing projects. I want to write characters that I want to play. I want to direct. I want to do a lot of stuff. I just don't want to do crap movies, man, because I just love that I can get up and talk about them and talk to journalists about stuff that I'm really proud of. I mean, fuck, man - there is so much money out there to be made out there in the industry, and unfortunately the most money gets given for the subpar quality projects, so I don't need money to survive. I don't need shit tons of money, I just want to be satisfied all the time, and I want to be proud. I don't want to sit here and talk to you and know that in your mind you're going, "I fucking hated this movie and this guy is a sellout and I hate him." So we've got high expectations of ourselves at Blue Tongue and I've just got a high expectation myself. And I know I've got a brother, Nash, who if I took a step too far out of line or did it a couple of times in a row in terms of choosing the wrong project, he would slap me down (laughs). And I'm like you - I just love good movies. And not every movie you're going to end up in is always going to turn out right, but at least walk into it with the right intention. I have an issue with the commercial aspect of moviemaking: I don't see why a movie can't make a lot of money and also be good. We see at least two or three of them every year. Like last year I think was a really good year for movies, and they made some money and they also satisfied people on a number of levels. But there is some shit movies out there now. - it fucking pisses me off - and I hate it when a shit movie comes out that's obviously made just to make money, and it does make that money and it lets everybody know that it's okay to make shit movies because you can get rich off of it. I hate those people (laughs). There has got to be a business, yes, obviously it's a film business. But at least try along the way.

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JASON STATHAM

Date of Birth
12 September 1967, Derbyshire, England, UK

Nickname
Jay

Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography
Jason Statham has done quite a lot in a short time. He has been a Diver on the British National Diving Team and finished 12th in the World Championships in 1992. He has also been a fashion model, black market salesman and finally of course, actor. He got the audition for his debut role as Bacon in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) through French Connection, for whom he was modeling. They became a major investor in the film and introduced Jason to Guy Ritchie, who invited him to audition for a part in the film by challenging him to impersonate an illegal street vendor and convince him to purchase fake jewelery. Jason must have been doing something right because after the success of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) he teamed up again with Guy Ritchie for Snatch. (2000), with co-stars including Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina and Benicio Del Toro. After Snatch. (2000) came Turn It Up (2000) with US music star Ja Rule, followed by a supporting actor role in the Sci-Fi film Ghosts of Mars (2001), Jet Li's The One (2001) and another screen partnership with Vinnie Jones in Mean Machine (2001) under Guy Ritchie's and Matthew Vaughn's SKA Films. Finally in 2002 he was cast as the lead role of Frank Martin in The Transporter (2002). Jason is also in the summer 2003 blockbuster remake of The Italian Job (1969), The Italian Job (2003), playing Handsome Rob.

Trade Mark
Deadpan, sarcastic delivery

Deep, gravelly voice

Stubble


Trivia
Did nearly all of his own stunts in The Transporter (2002), including car chase sequences, scuba diving sequences and fight sequences.

His break into the entertainment business came when an agent put him on an advertisement for the French Connection clothing company.

Prior to The Transporter (2002) he already had a background in martial arts which enabled him to perform his own fight sequences.

Was originally set play Private Cooper in Dog Soldiers (2002), but dropped out to star in Ghosts of Mars (2001).

Offered the role of Agent 47 in Hitman (2007/I) after Vin Diesel was dropped from the project. Timothy Olyphant eventually took the role.

Well trained in Mixed Martial Arts and is an expert in Kickboxing.

Has appeared in three different films in which his character gets attacked with an axe, The Transporter (2002), Transporter 2 (2005) and War (2007).

Has appeared twice in two different movies in a scene involving his character talking to himself in an elevator, during what appears to be a hallucination. Once in Revolver (2005) and once in Crank (2006).

Has appeared in two films with Ray Liotta, Revolver (2005) and In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2006), both in which he is the protagonist and Liotta is the antagonist.

Was in a relationship with English model and actress Kelly Brook for several years.

Paid $10,625,000 to purchase a 3,355-square-foot oceanfront house in the Malibu Colony in Malibu, California. In addition, since mid-2005 has owned a 2,281-square-foot house in Los Angeles' Hollywood Hills, which he purchased for $2.4 million. [2009]

Is in a relationship with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

Has appeared in two films which include the song "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by The Stooges: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Transporter 3 (2008).

Has worked twice with Chris Evans and Jessica Biel, first on Cellular (2004), then on London (2005/I).

Jason Statham spent 12 years on the British national diving team, competing on the 10-meter platform and the 3-meter springboard. In 1992, he was ranked 12th in the world as a platform diver.

Is friends with actor Vinnie Jones, and worked with him 3 times: first in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), then in Snatch (2000) and finally in Mean Machine (2001).

A keen supporter of Nottingham Forest Football Club.

Makes a fleeting appearance just over a minute and a half into the video for "Dream a Little Dream of Me", performed by British band The Beautiful South.


Personal Quotes
You ain't ever gonna get an Academy Award for doing Crank (2006) and you certainly won't for doing all the other movies I've done.

[on being directed by Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables (2010)] He is someone that you have to respect and with that he runs a very relaxed set.

[on preparing for action roles] I go to this gym full of stunt men. There aren't any TVs or treadmills there. This is a spit-and-sawdust kind of place. It has a lot of great training aids - trampolines and bags and every weapon ever invented to do harm to a human being. If you want to know how to throw a knife it's great.

Growing up where I did, you met a lot of colorful characters whose business was on the other side of the law, or more likely you didn't know what they were up to, and you never would. So playing those kinds of characters now, I can draw on that. The rest of it, you can practice or learn from books. But mostly, I draw from my experiences. That's all I have, you know.

You see a lot of action films, and it's almost (like) you can't tell who's doing what. It's chopped up so much, you just see a fist, a leg - it's all driven by the sound, boom, pow, boom. You wouldn't know what was happening otherwise. The people who inspired me growing up, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, that's the real deal. You see them, the camera's way back, there aren't a lot of cuts - you feel like you're really in there. Today, there's so much technology and green-screen and CGI, you can turn your grandma into an action star. But people are getting wise to that, I think. There's no substitute for the real thing.

[on performing in action movies] I've spent all those years learning how to do certain skills, and then that competitive spirit kicks in and you want to do the stunts. Basically, it's the the male competitive ego at work.


Salary
The Transporter (2002) $750,000
The Italian Job (2003) $450,000

Where Are They Now
(July 2005) Currently filming In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2006) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

(February 2009) Currently filming Crank: High Voltage (2009).

(October 2011) Sofia, Bulgaria: Filming The Expendables 2

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JAMIE FOXX

Date of Birth
13 December 1967, Terrell, Texas, USA

Birth Name
Eric Marlon Bishop

Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)

Mini Biography
Jamie's mother, Louise, was an adopted child. When her marriage to his father failed, his grandparents, Mark and Estelle Talley, stepped in and, at age 7 months, adopted him too. He says he had a very rigid upbringing that placed him in the Boy Scouts and the church choir. During high school, he played quarterback for his high school team and was good enough that he got press in Dallas newspapers. He studied music in college. He released a music album in 1994, "Peep This" and sings the theme song for his 1999 movie, Any Given Sunday (1999). However, in 1989, his life changed when a girl friend challenged him to get up onstage at the Comedy Club. In fact, he says he took his androgynous stage name because he learned that women got preference for mike time on open stage nights. That led to his being cast in "Roc" (1991) and "In Living Color" (1990) and ultimately to his own WB network TV series. He has a daughter, Corrine, born in 1995, who lives with her mother.

Trivia
1/8/00: First man of the decade to host "Saturday Night Live" (1975).

Was a football quarterback in high school.

He started as a stand up comedian.

Auditioned for the Cuba Gooding Jr. role in Jerry Maguire (1996).

Had the role of Slim in The Wood (1999), but had to drop out when he got the role of Willie Beamen in Any Given Sunday (1999).

2/04: Pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace involving charges of battery against a New Orleans policeman in a casino last April. He received two years probation and a $1500 fine.

His piano lessons started at the age of three at his grandmother's insistence.

His top five favorite songs are "Do Me, Baby" by Prince, "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye, "Always and Forever" by Heatwave, "It's All About the Benjamins" by Sean Combs and "Lady" by Lionel Richie.

Attended United States International University (now known as Alliant International University) from 1986 to 1988 on a music scholarship.

As a second grader, he was so talented in telling jokes that his teacher used him as a reward. If the class behaved, Foxx would tell them jokes.

In Ray (2004/I), he wore prosthetic eyelids which made him virtually blind.

Went to the United States International University in San Diego after graduation on a music scholarship.

Is the first person to have been nominated for three acting awards at the Golden Globes in the same year.

He said that Richard Pryor is his idol in comedy, Denzel Washington is his idol in acting, and that Steve Hardin is his idol in music.

His three Golden Globe nominations were announced on his 37th birthday.

Started out as a stand-up comedian, often doing imitations of former president Ronald Reagan.

On January 25th, 2005, he became one of the elite eleven thespians to have been nominated for both a Supporting and Lead Acting Academy Award in the same year for their achievements in two different movies. The other nine are Fay Bainter, Teresa Wright, Cate Blanchett, Barry Fitzgerald (he has been nominated in both categories for the same role in the same movie), Jessica Lange, Sigourney Weaver, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, Holly Hunter and Julianne Moore.

Is only the second male in history to receive two acting Oscar nominations in the same year for two different movies. The first male to do so was Al Pacino.

First African-American to be nominated for two Oscars in the same year.

At the 2005 Grammy Awards, he performed "Georgia on my Mind" with Alicia Keys as a tribute to Ray Charles, whom he portrayed in Ray (2004/I) the previous year and became good friends with him before he passed away.

As of January 25th, 2005, he became the sixth actor nominated for playing a pianist. The first to be nominated (and win) was F. Murray Abraham, who beat out co-star Tom Hulce for the Best Actor Oscar in Amadeus (1984). The second to be nominated was Holly Hunter, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her performance as a mute pianist in The Piano (1993). Geoffrey Rush won the Best Actor Oscar for his work in Shine (1996). In 2002, Adrien Brody won the Best Actor Oscar for his performance in The Pianist (2002). Foxx was nominated, and won, for his performance as the legendary musician Ray Charles in the hit biopic Ray (2004/I).

His Oscar win for Ray (2004/I) along with Morgan Freeman's win for Million Dollar Baby (2004), was the second time two African-Americans won Oscars in the same year. The first was in 2002 when Denzel Washington won Best Actor for Training Day (2001) and Halle Berry won Best Actress for Monster's Ball (2001).

He and Holly Hunter have both won Oscars for playing pianists - and for playing the piano themselves in their respective roles. In 1993, the same year that Hunter won Best Actress, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Firm (1993) in which she appeared opposite Tom Cruise. In 2004 Foxx was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Collateral (2004), also opposite Cruise.

Only one of a few actors to win the quadruple award crown during motion picture award season. Foxx won a Golden Globe, the SAG Award, the BAFTA Award and topped it off with the Oscar.

Was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" by People Magazine in 2005

Is a Miami Heat fan.

Invited to join AMPAS in 2005.

His 10-year-old daughter accompanied him to the Oscars in 2005.

Second actor to win an Academy Award for "Best Actor" and to have had a #1 billboard single ("Gold digger" by Kanye West). The first to do so was Bing Crosby.

To play Ray Charles from the years 1949 to 1979 for the movie Ray (2004/I), he dropped more than 30 pounds, going from 189 to 157.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Stealth (2005), however, he failed to receive a nomination.

During 2005 he was nominated nine times for both Best Actor in Ray (2004/I) and Best Supporting Actor in Collateral (2004). Eight out of those nine times he won Best Actor for Ray (2004/I) and lost for Best Supporting Actor for "Collateral (2004).

Idolizes R. Kelly and attributes his musical stylings, as well as personal style, to his influence.

His performance as Ray Charles in Ray (2004/I) is ranked #31 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

In 2006, a region of his Unpredictable Tour ad campaigns were by filmmaker, Shane Stanley.

Ray (2004/I), which he played the titled role in, is ranked #99 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time (2006).

Is one of only five performers to have both a Billboard #1 single and an Oscar for acting. The others are Barbra Streisand, Cher, Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby.

His "SSG Sykes" character in Jarhead (2005) ironically took place the same time (during the Gulf War of 1990) as his "In Living Color" (1990) stint.

He often impersonated Ray Charles when he was a cast member on "In Living Color" (1990), satirizing Charles' 1992 Diet Pepsi advertisements.

When he sings "I Got a Woman" for Ray (2004/I), he recites almost the same backup refrain in Kanye West's "Gold Digger".

While performing as a stand-up comedian, changed his last name to Foxx after one of his favorite comics Redd Foxx and changed his first name to Jamie because it could be a girls name as well. In comedy clubs, female comics often perform before the male comics so when a club manager read his name on the list, he would often be moved up on the list of performers.

Named one of People Magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" in 2006.

Won 22 awards for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray (2004/I).

Huge fan of Professional Wrestling.

Good friends with his Any Given Sunday (1999) Co-Star and current WWE Superstar Marty Wright.

He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Is one of 8 actors to have won an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Golden Globe Award, Critics' Choice Award, and SAG Award for the same performance. The others in chronological order are 'Geoffrey Rush' for Shine (1996), 'Philip Seymour Hoffman' for Capote (2005), Forest Whitaker for The Last King of Scotland (2006), 'Javier Bardem' for No Country for Old Men (2007), Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight (2008), and Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds (2009).

Lives in Hidden Valley, California.

Former roommate of Gary LeVox.


Personal Quotes
[on wearing prosthetic eyelids which made him blind in Ray (2004/I)] After six hours of being blind, you lose the sense of how a person is physically. It was amazing to hear the little buzzing voices all around you.

[2005 Academy Awards acceptance speech for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ray (2004/I)] I guess we got to do it again. "Oh, ah!" Yeah, you're ready. That's for Ray Charles. Give it up for Ray Charles and his beautiful legacy. And thank you, Ray Charles, for living. I got so many people to thank tonight. First I want to start it out with Taylor Hackford. Taylor, you took a chance, man. I mean that love for Ray Charles was deep, down in the earth. It's cracked open. And it's spilling. And everybody's drowning in this love. I thank you for taking a chance on this film. And thank you for waiting 15 years to get me to do it. I want to thank you. I want to thank Crusader. I want to thank my agents. I want to thank Rick Kurtzman. I want to thank Kim Hodges. I want to thank 'Steve Smooke'. I want to thank my managers, Jaime King [Jaime Rucker King] and Marcus King. Let's live this African-American dream. It's beautiful. I'm glad I'm with you. I ain't never leaving you. I'm glad I'm with you. I got a chance to meet a whole lot of people, experiencing this. And other people I want to thank, I want to thank my sister. Four feet, eleven inches of nothing but pure love. I want to thank my daughter for telling me just before I got up here, "If you don't win, dad, you're still good. I'm just ... I see Oprah [Oprah Winfrey] and I see Halle [Halle Berry]. I just want to say your names. I want to talk to you later. Both of you. Because Oprah got -- allowed me to meet somebody by the name of Sidney Poitier. And, yes, Sidney Poitier said, "I saw you once. And I looked in your eyes and there was a connection." And he says, "I give to you responsibility." So, I'm taking that responsibility tonight. And, thank you, Sidney. This is probably going to be the toughest part of this speech. My daughter shares my grandmother's name, "Marie." My grandmother's name is Estelle Marie Talley. She's not here tonight. And this is going to be the toughest part. But she was my first acting teacher. She told me to stand up straight. Put your shoulders back. Act like you got some sense. We would go places. And I would wild out. And she would say, "Act like you've been somewhere." And then when I would act the fool, she would beat me. She would whup me. And she could get an Oscar for the way she whupped me because she was great at it. And after she whipped me, she would talk to me and tell me why she whipped me. She said I want you to be a southern gentleman. She still talks to me now. Only now, she talks to me, in my dreams. And I can't wait to go to sleep tonight because we got a lot to talk about. I love you.

You know what? I never really factor Hollywood into anything. I'm a black actor, so I can't really control what Hollywood thinks. I gotta go do my thing, and my jokes have got to be funny. Whatever I do has got to be great.

CCH Pounder taught me one thing. She said, "Characters are like putting on a coat. You put the coat on while you work, you take the coat off after it's over. You need that freshness. I know people who stay in character, and it's the worst thing in the world. You can't go out. They're still in their character and the character residue is too much. I like to go do it, flip it on like a light switch and then flip it off. Then, when we come back in the next morning I flip it back on. That's what keeps things fresh for me.

I'd like to say I'm R&B's savior. Whether that's the truth or not, I'm definitely going out there with my mic and my shield to declare, "I am here to save R&B." I will have the people saying, "Sire, there is a man at the musical gates saying he is here to save R&B."

(2005) I'm a real person, and I'm angry. I'm trying to use this celebrity thing to get people some help. AIDS, poverty, racism-I want to be one of the hands that helps stop all that. I'll put it on my shoulders. I'll charge it to my account."I don't look around to see what others are doing. No, I see me. And I feel in my own heart that I'm not doing enough. I want to do more.

(On creating the name Jamie Foxx when he first started in showbiz) The way I looked at the whole situation was, if I fail as Jamie Foxx, I'll just change my name and come back as something else.

(2005) When I was growing up in Terrell, Texas, I felt that it was not where I was supposed to be. I knew that I was meant for a different destination. I think that the minute I was born, there was something inside telling me where I would go, it's like energy-an intangible destiny. And if you have someone to help clear your way ahead, it will take you where you're meant to go. (2005)

I come from Tyler, Texas, where the railroad tracks separated us. On one side it was all black. On the other side it was all white. Whenever there were white people on our side of town, either somebody was going to jail or somebody was coming for the insurance. It's a different flow. So when I got to LA, I know it sounds funny, but I was like, 'Man, we free.' It was amazing to me what I had been missing.

(2010, on staying grounded) My homies that are around me never give me that 'star pass.' I've hung out with some stars who are playing basketball and everyone let's them score all the baskets. Shooting pool, they let them make all the shots. My homies don't let me get away with that. Also, I think having that comic gene kind of makes you look at things in a different way. If you take yourself so seriously, eventually you end up one of those people having a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on their lives. You see them drawing the curtains and they don't even realize that they've kind of drifted off somewhere. You have to pay attention to it -- fame and success. When people are saying that you're at the top of the world, it's tough to kind of turn your back on it and say, 'Well, let me look at it in a different way.' Or, you can take advantage of it and really make yourself look bad.

When a project becomes magic and special it means that at certain points in the script it parallels your story.

[on riding a galloping horse in 'Django Unchained'] On the outside I look like Django, but on the inside I was Little Richard. "Oh no, Jesus! Jesus! Jesus, stop this horse!"


Salary
Miami Vice (2006) $10,000,000

Where Are They Now
(October 2007) Attended the premiere of The Kingdom (2007) in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Oct. 1st.

(August 2012) Paris, France

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