Born  Cynthia Ann Crawford
February 20, 1966 (age 45)
DeKalb, Illinois, United States
Occupation  Model
Years active  1986–present
Height  5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Hair color  Brown
Eye color  Brown
Measurements  34B"-25.5"-36" (86-65-91 cm)
Spouse  Richard Gere (m. 1991–1995)
Rande Gerber (1998-present)
Children  Presley Walker (1999)
Kaia Jordan (2001)
Website
http://www.cindycrawford.com/

Early life

Crawford was born in DeKalb, Illinois, the daughter of Jennifer Sue Crawford-Moluf (née Walker) and John Crawford (not to be confused with actor and former Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford, of The Rifleman fame). She was discovered at the age of 16 by a newspaper photographer. He noticed Cindy at work during her summer job of detasseling corn and took a picture of her. The photo and positive feedback she received were enough to convince her to take up modeling. She entered the Elite Model Management's Look of the Year contest at 17 and was the runner-up. The Elite modeling agency in Chicago then started representing her.

Crawford graduated from DeKalb High School in 1984, as valedictorian. She won an academic scholarship to study chemical engineering at Northwestern University, which she attended for only one quarter. She dropped out in order to pursue a full-time modeling career. After working for photographer Victor Skrebneski in Chicago, Cindy moved to Manhattan in 1986; she was signed with the Elite New York modeling agency.

Career

During the 1980s and 1990s, Cindy Crawford was among the most popular supermodels, and a ubiquitous presence on magazine covers, runways, and in fashion campaigns. She was repeatedly and frequently featured on the cover of many magazines, including: Vogue, W, People, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Allure. A partial count in 1998 totalled over 400 appearances. Crawford also appeared in many fashion campaigns during her career, including those for Gianni Versace, Escada, Revlon, and Ink. She has also worked for Omega, Maybelline, and Clairol.

In 1987, Crawford appeared during the opening credits of the Michael J. Fox film The Secret of My Success. Three years later she appeared in the video for George Michael's "Freedom '90" alongside other models Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz and Naomi Campbell. Subsequently, Crawford played the lost love of Jon Bon Jovi in the video for his 1994 version of "Please Come Home For Christmas".

The red Versace dress which she wore to the 63rd Academy Awards in 1991 had a major influence on fashion, and many copies and fakes of the dress were produced. In 1992, Crawford—through GoodTimes Home Video and her company Craw Daddy Productions—made an exercise video with Radu Teodorescu named Cindy Crawford: Shape Your Body; although criticised by some for being unsafe, it was hugely successful and led to two equally lucrative followups, Cindy Crawford: The Next Challenge in 1993 (again with Radu) and Cindy Crawford: A New Dimension in 2000 (the latter, made with fitness expert Kathy Kaehler and produced not long after Cindy gave birth to her first child, was aimed at new mothers getting back into shape). In 2001, Cindy also made a shorter fitness video aimed at children, Mini-Muscles with Cindy Crawford and the Fit-wits, an animated production featuring the voices of Cindy (who also appears at the beginning in live action), Radu and Kobe Bryant.

The inaugural issue of George, a short lived political magazine in the 1990s, featured Crawford dressed like George Washington on the cover. In 2005, The American Society of Magazine Editors listed it as the 22nd best magazine cover of the last 40 years.

Crawford is 5 feet 9 inches tall, with brown hair and eyes. Her measurements are 34"-26"-35". Crawford's trademark is a mole (or "beauty mark") above her upper lip. She is so closely associated with this physical feature that she appeared in an advertising campaign for chocolates featuring commercials wherein she "licked off" her own mole. During the beginning of her career, the mole was removed from her earlier modeling pictures, including her first Vogue cover. Her resemblance early in her career to model Gia Carangi led her to being known as "Baby Gia".

Crawford has also been on TV and in films. From 1989 to 1995, Crawford was host of MTV's House of Style. In the early 1990s, Crawford starred in the Pepsi and Pepsi Stuff advertising. In 1995, Crawford broke into movies as the female lead in the movie Fair Game. Her performance was panned by critics-- Leonard Maltin commented "In her acting debut, supermodel Crawford makes a good jogger." The film was also a financial failure, with expenses of $50 million and $11 million takings at the box office. In 2001, she costarred as part of an ensemble cast in The Simian Line. Again the film was not successful or critically acclaimed, but Crawford's acting was not criticized. She has had many lesser roles guest starring on TV and as supporting roles, often playing herself. For example, in 2000, she was one of the celebrities (along with Victoria Silvstedt, Anna Falchi and Megan Gale) playing themselves in the Italian comedy Bodyguards - Guardie del corpo.

In July 1988, she posed nude for Playboy magazine in a shoot by photographer Herb Ritts. In October 1998, Crawford returned to the pages of Playboy for a second nude pictorial, again taken by Ritts.

Crawford has consistently ranked highly on lists of the world's sexiest people. She was ranked number 5 on Playboy's list of the 100 Sexiest Stars of the 20th century. A 1997 Shape magazine survey of 4,000 picked her as the second (after Demi Moore) most beautiful woman in the world. In 2002, Crawford was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People magazine. In her forties, she claimed #26 in the 2006 Hot 100 issue of Maxim magazine.

Fashion designer Michael Kors summed up her impact:
“  Cindy changed the perception of the ‘sexy American girl’ from classic blue eyed blonde to a more sultry brunette with brains, charm, and professionalism to spare.  ”

After modeling

Crawford quit modeling in 2000; however, she still appears from time to time in (and on the covers of) fashion magazines in new shoots. She continues to provide celebrity endorsement for a variety of projects. In 2005, Crawford created a line of beauty products with Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh called Meaningful Beauty for Guthy-Renker. Crawford has admitted to regularly receiving certain cosmetic procedures, including Botox and vitamin injections. She first saw a plastic surgeon at the age of 29.

In 2005, Crawford launched a new line of furniture under the "Cindy Crawford Home Collection" name. This collection is manufactured by HM Richards Inc., and is sold through many retailers including Art Van Furniture and Rooms To Go. She assisted in the creation of the line by directing the designers to include certain features, colors, or styles that fit the needs of families or reflected her own tastes. She also has a furniture line with Raymour & Flanigan and launched another home goods line with J. C. Penney in late 2009.

Crawford came back to modeling in May 2011, landing the cover of May 2011 issue of Vogue Mexico.

Personal life

Crawford was married to actor Richard Gere between 1991 and 1995; although they had no children, she cited him as one of the more influential people in her life (after her parents).[citation needed] She has been married to Rande Gerber since May 29, 1998, with whom she has two children, Presley Walker (born July 2, 1999) and Kaia Jordan (born September 3, 2001).[citation needed]

Activism and charity work

When Crawford was 10 years old, her younger brother Jeff - whom she continues to praise as "the fourth most influential person in my life" - died of leukemia. Since becoming a model, Crawford has made childhood leukemia a focal point of her charity work, donating proceeds of her calendars to medical research. She is also an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

In 2007, she became an official supporter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC. Crawford is on the Honorary Committee of the California Wildlife Center.

Political Endorsements

In 2011, Crawford endorsed Mitt Romney for President of the United States. The move came as slightly controversial due to Crawford's endorsement of incumbent President Barack Obama in 2008.

Filmography

Films

    Unzipped (1995)
    Catwalk (1995)
    Fair Game (1995) ... as Kate McQueen
    54 (1998) ...as VIP Patron
    Beautopia (1998) ...a critical documentary looking at the world of modeling
    Bodyguards (2000) ...as herself
    The Simian Line (2001) ...as Sandra

Videos

    Cindy Crawford: Shape Your Body Workout (1992)
    Cindy Crawford: The Next Challenge Workout (1993)
    Cindy Crawford: A New Dimension (2000)
    Duran Duran: Girl Panic! (2011)

Television

    MTV's House of Style (1989–1995) ...host
    Muppets Tonight!: Episode 5 (1996) as herself as special guest star
    Frasier: "Halloween" (1997) as Dorothy (voice only)
    3rd Rock From The Sun: "36! 24! 36! Dick!" (1998) as Masha, one of the invading Venusians. The episode aired after the Super Bowl.
    Sesame Street: Elmopalooza (1998)
    The Secret World of... Supermodels (1998)
    Sex with Cindy Crawford (1998) ...a one hour TV special about sex in the United States hosted by Crawford
    According to Jim: "Cars & Chicks" (2002) as Gretchen Saunders, manager of a car dealership
    Headliners and Legends: Cindy Crawford (2004)
    Sunrise (2007)
    Wizards of Waverly Place: "Fashion Week" (2009) as model Bibi Rockford

Born  3 September 1981 (age 30)
Northwood, Greater London, England
Nationality  British
Education  Haydon School
Occupation  Radio and television presenter
voice-over artist
Years active  1998–present
Employer  BBC Radio 1
Predecessor  Jo Whiley
Successor  Incumbent
Parents  Lin and Mick Cotton
Relatives  Bill Cotton (first cousin, twice removed, deceased)
Website
OfficialFearneCottonWebsite
BBC Radio 1 minisite

Biography

Cotton was born in Northwood, London to Lyn and Mick Cotton; she has a younger brother, Jamie. Her father was a sign writer for events such as Live Aid and her mother worked in alternative therapy. She grew up in Eastcote, Hillingdon and was educated at Haydon School. She is a pescatarian and an animal lover. She runs 5 km at least three times a week, and has participated in several half marathons for charity. Former BBC executive Bill Cotton (1928–2008) was her paternal grandfather's cousin. He was the son of the well-known entertainer and band leader Billy Cotton.

She began her presenting career in 1998, at the age of 17, with early morning GMTV children's programme The Disney Club, after she was discovered in a nationwide talent search during the show.

Cotton studied art at A level, a skill she made much use of whilst presenting the series Draw Your Own Toons. She also enjoys body art and claimed on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross that she has eleven tattoos over her body, the most notable of which is a fern leaf, covering her right hip up to her rib cage.

Cotton has been romantically linked to several celebrities including Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins, Fame Academy's Peter Brame, and Channel 4 presenter Steve Jones. Her long-term, on-again-off-again boyfriend is skateboarder Jesse Jenkins; he proposed on her 29th birthday. The engagement was called off and the couple split 9 months later.

She is best friends with fellow TV presenter Holly Willoughby, with whom she has co-presented several shows. Cotton and Sarah Cawood acted as two of the bridesmaids at Willoughby's wedding to Dan Baldwin on 4 August 2007.

Presenting career

UK children's TV

After being discovered by The Disney Club in 1996, Cotton continued with the show and with its replacement Diggit. She left in 2000, to concentrate on her other projects with CITV, including Draw Your Own Toons and Mouse, aimed at encouraging children to use computers.

Cotton joined CBBC in 2001 to present children's science programme Eureka TV. In 2002 she presented Finger Tips, an arts and crafts programme for children, with co-presenter Stephen Mulhern. She later co-presented on CBBC's Sunday morning show, Smile and on The Saturday Show. She has also made appearances in CBBC show 'Only in America' alongside her friend Reggie Yates.

UK mainstream TV and radio

In 2003 Cotton moved over to mainstream broadcasting. She and Simon Grant (her co-presenter from The Saturday Show) presented the spin-off show Top of the Pops: Saturday (later renamed Top of the Pops: Reloaded) that year. In 2004, she moved up to work alongside Reggie Yates on the main programme, Top Of The Pops (the then flagship chartshow for BBC-TV) becoming one of the last regular presenters for that programme, which ended in July 2006. Due to other commitments, she was unable to present the final show itself, appearing instead in a short film shown at the head of that show, in which she made her personal farewells. Cotton and Yates presented the one-off Christmas and New Year specials in both 2008 and 2009, as well as the Comic Relief special in 2009.

Cotton has hosted many reality TV programmes. In 2006 Cotton presented the second series of Love Island with Patrick Kielty on ITV, taking over from Kelly Brook. She also presented the Friday night live eviction programme that year for the Five reality TV series Make Me A Supermodel. In 2007, she took over from Ben Shephard as the host for the X Factor spin-off programme, The Xtra Factor on ITV2. She presented it for one series before resigning to work in America. Starting on 5 September 2007, Cotton hosted a dating programme, alongside Holly Willoughby, called Holly & Fearne Go Dating. In this programme they find dates for lonely singles.

Cotton has also presented many telethons. In July 2005 she presented Live 8 in Hyde Park. During the event, the British pop-star Robbie Williams flirted with her in front of the cameras, causing much speculation in the media at the time, but which was later repudiated by the pair. She has also hosted the BBC's annual telethon, Children in Need, alongside Terry Wogan and Natasha Kaplinsky, since 2005. On that first appearance in 2005, she was spectacularly sawn in half by Scott Penrose. In 2006, she designed the official BBC Children in Need t-shirt - featuring a henna style design of the charity's mascot, Pudsey Bear. In 2008, she hosted a Strictly Come Dancing special as part of Children in Need 2008.

She has hosted parts of the Red Nose Day telethon for Comic Relief (2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011) presenting several strands alongside Jonathan Ross and Lenny Henry. In 2009, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, alongside Ben Shephard, Gary Barlow, Alesha Dixon, Ronan Keating, Denise Van Outen and Chris Moyles, and Girls Aloud members Cheryl Cole and Kimberley Walsh. Cotton and others collapsed from altitude sickness during the five-day climb. She was in the first group (with Van Outen, Shephard and Cole) to reach the summit and helped raise £3.3m. Cotton filmed a video piece for Comic Relief about Malaria. She visited a children's Hospital in Uganda where she witnessed a young child in pain through Malaria. Cotton had to walk out the room and collapsed as she did so but was able to continue shortly after. The child died later. Cotton also recorded her voice for the BT Speaking Clock to raise funds for Comic Relief. In 2011, she appeared in an all-in-one swimsuit after viewers of Alan Carr's Late Hour of Red Nose Day donated over £1M to the charity via more than 100,000 text messages in less than an hour, joking that she felt she looked like a 13-year-old boy.

In September 2005 she joined BBC Radio 1, to present the Friday early morning slot with Reggie Yates, whom she had previously worked with on CBBC, Only in America and Top Of The Pops. Since 14 October 2007, Cotton and Yates have presented BBC Radio 1's Chart Show, taking over from JK & Joel, who had left the station. Cotton then became the first ever permanent female presenter of a BBC radio chart show. (Jo Whiley had preceded her as the first female presenter of The Official UK Top 40, as it was then called, but presented it only once, on November 24, 2002.)

Cotton has presented parts of the BBC's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest. On 20 May 2006 she read the United Kingdom's votes at the Eurovision Song Contest 2006, held in Athens, Greece. On 17 March 2007 she, along with Terry Wogan, hosted Making Your Mind Up 2007, the show to decide which song the UK sent to the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 in Helsinki, Finland. On the night, after the final "sing-off" between the two remaining acts, Wogan and Cotton simultaneously announced different winners. Since Wogan was the more experienced presenter, it was assumed that he was right. In fact, Wogan had accidentally announced the wrong artist, Cyndi, as the winner. Cotton had to persist in repeating the correct name until the confusion was resolved. The group Scooch was quickly proclaimed as the correct winner but came only second from bottom in the main competition, just avoiding Nil Points. Cotton also presented the United Kingdom's votes at the show itself, held in Helsinki, Finland on 12 May 2007.

She has made many other TV appearances in the UK.

She also presented the Isle of Wight Festival 2009 on ITV2 alongside Rufus Hound. On 16 July, it was announced that Cotton would become the new presenter of BBC Radio 1's weekday mid-morning show, taking over from Jo Whiley. Her new programme began on 21 September 2009.

It was reported in the press on July 21, 2009, that whilst presenting the Radio 1 Chart Show two days previously Cotton had been the target of threatening text messages. These messages had been sent via the station's listener SMS service and seem to relate to Cotton taking over Jo Whiley's show. Cotton was driven home after the show by police escort and a 21 year old male was arrested and charged with harassment.

Cotton presented Sport Relief 2010 alongside Patrick Kielty and others.

Cotton will host Sky1's latest talent search Must Be The Music.

US mainstream TV

In 2008, Cotton moved to the USA to host The Guinness Book of Records - Live. Cotton later co-hosted the NBC reality show Last Comic Standing. She resigned her presenting role on The X Factor spin-off The Xtra Factor to concentrate on her US career, and was replaced in that role by her friend Holly Willoughby. Cotton was also seen making a special appearance on the show of Katie Price and Peter Andre, where she was seen in a gift lounge before the Oscars.

TV appearances

    Diggit (1998–2001)
    Petswap (2001)
    The Saturday Show (2002–03)
    Smile (2002–04)
    Serious... (narrator, 2002)
    Comic Relief Does Fame Academy (2003)
    Top of the Pops: Saturday/Top of the Pops: Reloaded (2003–05)
    Top of the Pops (2004—present)
    Red Nose Day (2005—present)
    Live8 (2005)
    Children in Need (2005–08, 2010—present)
    Never Mind the Buzzcocks (2005, 2009)
    Eurovision Song Contest (2006, 2007)

    Love Island (2006)
    Only in America (2005)
    Make Me a Supermodel (2006)
    Brit Awards (2007)
    Oscars (2007)
    Making Your Mind Up (2007)
    Concert for Diana (2007)
    The Xtra Factor (2007)
    Holly & Fearne Go Dating (2007)
    Last Comic Standing (2008)
    Nelson Mandela: Happy 90th Birthday (2008)
    Guilty Pleasures (2008)
    Everybody Dance Now! (2008)
    Celebrity Juice (2008–present)

    Guinness World Records Smashed (2008)
    2009 BRIT Awards (2009)
    2009 Golden Globes (2009)
    Baftas 2009 (2009)
    Oscars 2009: Live from the Red Carpet (2009)
    The Truth about Online Anorexia (2009)
    Isle of Wight Festival (2009, 2010)
    iTunes Live Festival (2009, 2010)
    Fearne and.... (2009—present)
    2010 BRIT Awards (2010)
    BBC Children In Need (2005-present)
    Must Be The Music (2010)
    R1 Teen Awards (2010)
    2011 Brit Awards Nominations (2011)
    Red Nose Day show (2011)

Bibliography

Cotton and Holly Willoughby wrote an advice book entitled The Best Friends' Guide to Life which was published in October 2010.

Birth name  Jerry Lee Lewis
Also known as  The Killer
Born  September 29, 1935 (age 76)
Origin  Ferriday, Louisiana, U.S.
Genres  Rock and roll, country, rockabilly, blues, Honky tonk, gospel
Occupations  Singer, songwriter, pianist
Instruments  Vocals, piano, guitar
Years active  1954–present
Labels  Sun, Mercury, Sire/Warner Bros, MCA
Website  www.jerryleelewis.com

Lewis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, and his pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine listed his box set All Killer, No Filler: The Anthology number 242 on their list of "500 greatest albums of all time". In 2004, they ranked him number 24 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. His live album Live at the Star Club, Hamburg is often regarded by many music journalists and fans as one of the wildest and greatest rock and roll concert albums ever. In 2008, he was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.

Jerry Lee Lewis is one of the last surviving pioneers of '50s rock and roll music and the last remaining member of Sun Records Million Dollar Quartet and Class of 55 which altogether included Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, as well as Lewis himself.

Early life
Jerry Lee Lewis Drive in Ferriday, Louisiana

Lewis was born to the poor family of Elmo and Mamie Lewis in Ferriday in Concordia Parish in eastern Louisiana, and began playing piano in his youth with two cousins, Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Swaggart. His parents mortgaged their farm to buy him a piano. Influenced by a piano-playing older cousin, Carl McVoy (who later recorded with Bill Black's Combo), the radio, and the sounds from the black juke joint across the tracks, Haney's Big House, Lewis main influence growing up was Moon Mullican.

His mother enrolled him in Southwest Bible Institute in Waxahachie, Texas, so that her son would be exclusively singing his evangelical songs. But Lewis daringly played a boogie woogie rendition of "My God Is Real" at a church assembly that sent him packing the same night. Pearry Green, then president of the student body, related how during a talent show Lewis played some "worldly" music. The next morning, the dean of the school called Lewis and Green into his office to expel them. Lewis said that Green should not be expelled because "he didn't know what I was going to do." Years later Green asked Lewis: "Are you still playing the devil's music?" Lewis replied "Yes, I am. But you know it's strange, the same music that they kicked me out of school for is the same kind of music they play in their churches today. The difference is, I know I am playing for the devil and they don't."

After that incident, he went home and started playing at clubs in and around Ferriday and Natchez, Mississippi, becoming part of the burgeoning new rock and roll sound and cutting his first demo recording in 1954. He made a trip to Nashville circa 1955 where he played clubs and attempted to build interest, but was turned down by the Grand Ole Opry as he had been at the Louisiana Hayride country stage and radio show in Shreveport. Recording executives in Nashville suggested he switch to playing a guitar.
Lewis in the 1950s.

Lewis traveled to Memphis, Tennessee in November 1956, to audition for Sun Records. Label owner Sam Phillips was in Florida, but producer and engineer Jack Clement recorded Lewis's rendition of Ray Price's "Crazy Arms" and his own composition "End of The Road". During December 1956, Lewis began recording prolifically, as a solo artist and as a session musician for such Sun artists as Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. His distinctive piano can be heard on many tracks recorded at Sun during late 1956 and early 1957, including Carl Perkins' "Matchbox", "Your True Love", "You Can Do No Wrong", and "Put Your Cat Clothes On", and Billy Lee Riley's "Flyin' Saucers Rock'n'Roll". Formerly, rockabilly had rarely featured piano, but it proved an influential addition and rockabilly artists on other labels also started working with pianists.

On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley dropped in on Phillips to pay a social visit while Perkins was in the studio cutting new tracks with Lewis backing him on piano. Johnny Cash was also there watching Perkins. The four started an impromptu jam session, and Phillips left the tape running. These recordings, almost half of which were gospel songs, survived, and have been released on CD under the title Million Dollar Quartet. Tracks also include Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and "Paralyzed", Chuck Berry's "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", Pat Boone's "Don't Forbid Me" and Presley doing an impersonation of Jackie Wilson (who was then with Billy Ward and the Dominoes) on "Don't Be Cruel".

Lewis's own singles (on which he was billed as "Jerry Lee Lewis and his Pumping Piano") advanced his career as a soloist during 1957, with hits such as "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" and "Great Balls of Fire", his biggest hit, bringing him international fame, despite criticism for the songs' overtly sexual undertones which prompted some radio stations to boycott them. In 2005, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress.

According to several first hand sources, including Johnny Cash, Lewis himself, who was devoutly Christian, was also troubled by the sinful nature of his own material, which he firmly believed was leading himself and his audience to hell. This aspect of Lewis's character was depicted in Waylon Payne's portrayal of Lewis in the 2005 film Walk the Line, based on Cash's autobiographies.

Lewis would often kick the piano bench aside and play standing, rake his hands up and down the keyboard for dramatic accent, sit on the keyboard and even stand on top of the instrument. His first TV appearance, in which he demonstrated some of these moves, was on The Steve Allen Show on July 28, 1957, where he played the song "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On". It is widely believed that he once set fire to a piano at the end of a live performance, in protest at being billed below Chuck Berry.[citation needed] but he is quoted in an online article in Esquire Magazine as saying "I never set fire to a piano. I'd like to have got away with it, though. I pushed a couple of them in the river. They wasn't any good."

His dynamic performance style can be seen in films such as High School Confidential (he sang the title song from the back of a flatbed truck), and Jamboree. He has been called "rock & roll's first great wild man" and also "rock & roll's first great eclectic." Classical composer Michael Nyman has also cited Lewis's style as the progenitor of his own aesthetic.

Marriage to minor

Lewis's turbulent personal life was hidden from the public until a May 1958 British tour where Ray Berry, a news agency reporter at London's Heathrow Airport (the only journalist present), learned about Lewis's third wife, Myra Gale Brown. She was Lewis's first cousin once removed and only 13 years old. (Brown, Lewis, and his management all insisted she was 15). Lewis was nearly 23 years old. The publicity caused an uproar and the tour was cancelled after only three concerts.

The scandal followed Lewis home to America, and as a result, he was blacklisted from radio and almost vanished from the music scene. Lewis felt betrayed by numerous people who had been his supporters. Dick Clark dropped him from his shows. Lewis even felt that Sam Phillips had sold him out when the Sun Records boss released "The Return of Jerry Lee", a bogus "interview" cut together by Jack Clement from excerpts of Lewis's songs, which made light of his marital and publicity problems. Only Alan Freed stayed true to Jerry Lee Lewis, playing his records until Freed was removed from the air because of payola allegations.

Jerry Lee Lewis was still under contract with Sun Records, and kept recording, regularly releasing singles. He had gone from $10,000 a night concerts to $250 a night spots in beer joints and small clubs. He had few friends at the time whom he felt he could trust. It was only through Kay Martin, the president of Lewis's fan club, T. L. Meade, (aka Franz Douskey) a sometime Memphis musician and friend of Sam Phillips, and Gary Skala, that Lewis went back to record at Sun Records.[when?]

By this time,[when?] Phillips had built a new state-of-the-art studio at 639 Madison Avenue in Memphis, thus abandoning the old Union Avenue studio where Phillips had recorded B.B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Lewis, Johnny Cash and others, and also opened a studio in Nashville. It was at the latter studio that Lewis recorded his only major hit during this period, a rendition of Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" in 1961. In Europe other updated versions of "Sweet Little Sixteen" (September 1962 UK) and "Good Golly Miss Molly" (March 1963) entered the Hit Parade. On popular EPs, "Hang Up My Rock and Roll Shoes", "I've Been Twistin'", "Money" and "Hello Josephine" also became turntable hits, especially in nascent discothèques. Another recording of Lewis playing an instrumental boogie arrangement of the Glenn Miller Orchestra favorite "In the Mood", was issued on the Phillips International label under the pseudonym of "The Hawk," but disc jockeys quickly figured out the distinctive piano style, and this gambit failed.

Lewis's Sun recording contract ended in 1963 and he joined Smash Records, where he made a number of rock recordings that did not further his career.

His popularity recovered somewhat in Europe, especially in the UK and Germany, during the mid-1960s. A concert album, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg (1964), recorded with The Nashville Teens, is widely considered one of the greatest live rock and roll albums ever. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine writes: "Live at the Star Club is extraordinary, the purest, hardest rock & roll ever committed to record."

Family

Lewis has been married six times. His first marriage, to Dorothy Barton, lasted for 20 months, from February 1952 to October 1953 (although there is a possibility that Lewis may have married Barton earlier than 1952). In a 1978 People magazine interview Lewis stated "I was 14 when I first got married. My wife was too old for me; she was 17." His second marriage, to Jane Mitchum, was of dubious validity because it occurred 23 days before his divorce from Barton was final. They were married for four years, from September 1953 to October 1957, and had two children. He then married Myra Gale Brown in December 1957. The couple went through a second marriage ceremony because his divorce from Jane Mitchum was not complete before the first ceremony took place. Lewis and Myra had two children and were divorced in December 1970 after 13 years of marriage. Lewis's fourth marriage was to Jaren Elizabeth Gunn Pate, and ended when she drowned in the swimming pool at their home. They were married for 12 years, from October 1971 to August 1983.[clarification needed] His fifth wife was Shawn Stephens. This marriage ended with her death from a methadone overdose. They were married for three months, from June to August 1984. His sixth marriage was to Kerrie McCarver, with whom he had one child. This marriage lasted 20 years and ended in divorce in 2004.

Lewis has had at least four children. Two additional people have claimed to be his children, but they had no proof. In 1962, his son Steve Allen Lewis drowned in a swimming pool accident when he was three, and in 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jr., died at the age of  when he overturned the Jeep he was driving. His current living children are a son, Jerry Lee Lewis III, and a daughter, Phoebe Allan Lewis.

Later career

In the 1960s, Lewis's attempts at a comeback as a rock and roll performer had stalled during four years with Smash Records until he began recording country ballads.
Lewis in concert, in 1977

He had already recorded a country-oriented LP for the label Country Songs for City Folks. In 1968, his single "Another Place, Another Time" became a Top 10 success and led to a string of Top Ten singles including the 1968 number-one country single "To Make Love Sweeter For You" that brought Lewis renewed stardom among country music fans, much like that which ex-rockabilly Conway Twitty began to cultivate during that same time. His shift to country reflected the fact that he had grown up listening to the Grand Ole Opry.[citation needed] Lewis's country hits during this period include "What's Made Milwaukee Famous (Has Made a Loser Out of Me)", "She Still Comes Around (To Love What's Left of Me)", "She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye", "Once More With Feeling", "There Must Be More to Love Than This", "Touching Home", "Would You Take Another Chance on Me", "Me & Bobby McGee", "Think About It, Darlin'", "Sometimes a Memory Ain't Enough", and "Tell Tale Signs". Lewis's singles and albums were issued on Mercury records instead of Smash from 1970 on. Lewis's renewed popularity encouraged Sun International Inc. to issue previously unpublished recordings dating from 1963 including "Invitation to Your Party", "One Minute Past Eternity", "I Can't Seem To Say Goodbye" and "Waiting For A Train" on singles that also did well on the country music charts in 1969/70. Lewis's successes continued throughout the decade and he eventually began to re-emphasize his rock and roll past with hits like his 1972 revival of The Big Bopper's rock classic "Chantilly Lace" and "Drinkin' Wine Spo dee-o dee" as well as looking at middle age with the 1977 "Middle Age Crazy". In 1979, he signed with Elektra Records and had his last major country hit with 1981's "Thirty-Nine and Holding." He spent a very brief period with MCA Records in 1983 but left the label due to unspecified differences.

In 1989, a major motion picture based on his early life in rock & roll, Great Balls of Fire!, brought him back into the public eye, especially when he decided to re-record all his songs for the movie soundtrack. The film was based on the book by Lewis's ex-wife, Myra Gale Lewis, and starred Dennis Quaid as Lewis, Winona Ryder as Myra, and Alec Baldwin as Jimmy Swaggart. The movie focuses on Lewis's early career and his relationship with Myra, and ends with the scandal of the late 1950s. A year later, in 1990, Lewis made minor news when a new song he co-wrote called "It Was the Whiskey Talkin' (Not Me)" was included in the soundtrack to the hit movie Dick Tracy. The song is also heard in the movie, playing on a radio.

The public downfall of his cousin, television evangelist Jimmy Swaggart, resulted in more adverse publicity to a troubled family. Swaggart is also a piano player, as is another cousin, country music star Mickey Gilley. All three listened to the same music in their youth, and frequented Haney's Big House, the Ferriday club that featured black blues acts. Lewis and Swaggart have had a complex relationship over the years.
Linda Gail Lewis, touring with her brother, in 1977, in Ludwigshafen, Germany

Lewis's sister, Linda Gail Lewis has recorded with Lewis, toured with his stage show for a time and more recently recorded with Van Morrison.

"The Killer", a nickname he has had since childhood, is known for his forceful voice and piano production on stage. He was described by Roy Orbison as the best raw performer in the history of rock and roll music.

In 1986, Lewis was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That year, he returned to Sun Studio in Memphis to team up with Orbison, Cash, and Perkins along with longtime admirers like John Fogerty to create the album Class of '55, a sort of followup to the "Million Dollar Quartet" session, though in the eyes of many critics and fans, lacking the spirit of the old days at Sun.

In 1998 he toured Europe with Chuck Berry and Little Richard. On February 12, 2005, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by The Recording Academy (which also grants the Grammy Awards). On September 26, 2006, a new album titled Last Man Standing was released, featuring many of rock and roll's elite as guest stars. Receiving positive reviews, the album charted in four different Billboard charts, including a two week stay at number one on the Indie charts.

A DVD entitled Last Man Standing Live, featuring concert footage with many guest artists, was released in March 2007, and the CD achieved Lewis's 10th official gold disk for selling over half-a-million copies in the US alone. Last Man Standing is Lewis's biggest selling album of all time. It features contributions from Mick Jagger, Willie Nelson, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards and Rod Stewart, among others.

On November 5, 2007, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio honored Jerry Lee Lewis with six days of conferences, interviews, a DVD premiere and film clips, dedicated to him entitled The Life And Music of Jerry Lee Lewis. On November 10, the week culminated with a tribute concert compered by Kris Kristofferson. Lewis was present to accept the American Music Masters Award and closed his own tribute show with a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

On February 10, 2008, he appeared with John Fogerty and Little Richard on the 50th Grammy Awards Show, performing "Great Balls of Fire" in a medley with "Good Golly Miss Molly".

Lewis now lives on a ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi with his family.

On June 4, 2008, Jerry Lee Lewis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.

On July 4, 2008, he appeared on A Capitol Fourth and performed the finale's final act with a medley of "Roll Over Beethoven", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" and "Great Balls of Fire".

In October 2008 as part of a very successful European tour, Jerry Lee Lewis returned to the UK, almost exactly 50 years after his ill-fated first tour. He appeared at two London shows: a special private show at the 100 Club on October 25 and at the London Forum on October 28 with Wanda Jackson and his sister, Linda Gail Lewis.

2009 marked the sixtieth year since Lewis's first public performance when he performed "“Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee" at a car dealership on November 19, 1949 in Ferriday Louisiana.

In August 2009, in advance of his new album, a single entitled "Mean Old Man" was released for download. It was written by Kris Kristofferson. An EP featuring this song and four more was also released on amazon.com on November 11.

On October 29, 2009, Lewis opened the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Discography

Main article: Jerry Lee Lewis discography

Hits and awards

Between 1957 and 2006, the date of his release "Last Man Standing", 47 singles plus 22 albums (The Session counted as 2 albums) made the Top Twenty Pop, Jukebox, Rock, Indie and/or Country charts in US or UK. Fourteen[clarification needed] reached the number 1 position. He's had ten official gold disks, the latest being for the 2006 album 'Last Man Standing', plus unofficial ones issued by his record company Mercury for albums which sold over a quarter of a million copies. His 2006 duets CD Last Man Standing has sold over half a million worldwide, his biggest selling album ever. Jerry Lee Lewis is also among the Top 50 all-time Billboard Country artists. It is also rumored that the soundtrack album to the movie, Great Balls Of Fire, has now sold over a million copies. The original Sun cut of "Great Balls of Fire" was elected to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, and Jerry's Sun recording of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" received this honor in 1999. Only recordings which are at least 25 years old and have left a lasting impression can receive this honor. Along with Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Roy Orbison, Jerry received a Grammy in the spoken word category for the very rare album of interviews released with some early copies of The Class of 55 album in 1986. On February 12, 2005, Jerry received the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award the day before the Recording Academy's main Grammy Awards ceremony, which he also attended, picture below. On October 10, 2007, Jerry received the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame's American Music Masters Award. His newest album, Mean Old Man was released in September 2010 and reached Billboard's 200 album chart at #30.

Compositions by Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis has written or co-written many songs during his career:

    End of the Road, 1956 – this is indeed an original song and not the same as Irving Berlin's song (that inspired it) as the lyrics and melody are totally different apart from the refrain "the way is dark and the night is long" (which Lewis turns around) and "Waiting at the end of the road".
    Jerry's Boogie (a.k.a. 'Black Bottom Stomp'), 1956 – was previously recorded as Black Bottom Stomp by Jelly Roll Morton but Jerry Lee's rendition is his own and changes a lot of the old song.
    Lewis Boogie, 1956
    Pumpin' Piano Rock, 1957
    All Night Long, 1957
    High School Confidential, 1958
    Live & Let Live, 1958 – sometimes credited to Jerry Lee, but this actually was recorded by Bill Monroe, Moon Mullican, Gene Sullivan & Wiley Walker, and Jimmie Davis before.
    Memory Of You, 1958
    Hello, Hello Baby, 1958
    Baby, Baby, Bye Bye, 1960
    Lewis Workout, 1960
    Whole Lotta Twistin' Goin' On, 1962 – new lyrics
    He Took It Like A Man, 1963
    Baby, Hold Me Close, 1965
    My Baby Don't Love No One But Me, 1965
    Rockin' Jerry Lee, 1966
    What A Heck Of A Mess, 1966
    Lincoln Limousine, 1966
    Alvin, 1970
    Pilot Baby, 1980s
    Crown Victoria Custom '51, 1995
    New Orleans Boogie (Jerry Lee's Boogie), 1952
    Blues Like Midnight, 1980s–2000s – a 12 bar blues often done by Jerry Lee in concert. It is sometimes entirely based around Jimmie Rodgers verses but not recorded by Rodgers in this form. On other versions, Lewis adds in original verses as well.

Melissa Keller (born 1979 in Long Lake, Minnesota) is an American model and actress.

Keller began her modeling career when she was 15 years old and has modeled for Parasuco, Noxzema, GAP, Revlon, L'Oréal, Aveda, and for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 2002, 2003, and 2004. In addition to working with photographers on her Sports Illustrated shoots, she was the object/subject of Joanne Gair's body painting work. Sports Illustrated and Nissan previously held a sweepstakes allowing people to register for a chance to attend a sporting event with Keller.

Her film credits include Impact Point.

Name: 益子梨恵;;Name (romaji): Mashiko Rie;Profession: Actress;Birthdate: 1979-Jul-28;Birthplace: Tokyo, Japan;Height: 166cm;Star sign: Leo;Blood type: A;Talent agency: A-Team

TV Shows

    Engine (Fuji TV, 2005)
    Kuroi Taiyo (TV Asahi, 2006)
    Shimokita GLORY DAYS (TV Tokyo, 2006)
    Salaryman Kintaro 3 (TBS, 2002)

Movies

    Aihyoka: Chi-Manako (2007)
    Kamen Rider THE NEXT (2007)
    Umi no Yume, Tokai no Kyo (2004)

Born  July 7, 1963 (age 48)
New York, U.S.
Origin  California, U.S.
Genres  Rock, Acoustic
Occupations  Singer, Pianist, Songwriter.
Instruments  Vocals, piano, guitar, bass
Years active  1987–present
Labels  Reprise/Warner Bros. Records
550 Music/Epic/SME Records
VesperAlley Records
Website  vondashepard.com

Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was a child. She played piano from an early age. Her father is Richmond Shepard, a mime and improv actor. Vonda has three sisters: Armina, Rosetta (now Brianna) and Luana.

After performing as a backing singer for many years she was eventually given her own recording contract. Shepard's first chart appearance was in 1987 when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled "Can't We Try". Before this she tried out for the part of Michael J. Fox's sister in Light of Day but lost the part out to Joan Jett. She was also poised to sing on Peter Cetera's duet "The Next Time I Fall" but he picked Amy Grant instead. She released her first self-titled album in 1989 with little fanfare. The album did yield one chart single, "Don't Cry Ilene", a mid-tempo, piano-driven jazz-R&B flavored song dealing with the break-up of a relationship between a black woman and a white man, arising from adult peer pressure. The track is sung from the perspective of the woman's white female friend, who harbors a desire to have the man for herself, but keeps her distance out of respect for her friend. The song peaked at Number 17 on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary chart and stayed on the charts for 12 weeks.

After her third album, Shepard was signed up to appear on Ally McBeal after being spotted by the show's creator David E Kelley. While on the show she recorded two full soundtrack albums and was featured on two other Ally McBeal compilations. The songs Shepard recorded for Ally McBeal soundtrack albums were mainly covers of old songs with lyrics that paralleled what was happening in the title character's life onscreen. Since appearing in the show, Shepard has released two more studio albums and a live album.

Shepard has been married to music producer Mitchell Froom since 2004; they had their first child, Jack Froom, on 15 April 2006. She is also the stepmother to Froom's daughter from his marriage to Suzanne Vega, Ruby.

Shepard recently provided vocals on the score by James Newton Howard for the 2010 film, Love and Other Drugs, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway.

Albums

    Vonda Shepard 1989 US: Reprise/Warner Bros. Records, licensed to Vesper Alley Records in 1998
    The Radical Light 1992 US: Reprise/Warner Bros. Records, licensed to Vesper Alley Records in 1998
    It's Good, Eve 1996 US: Vesper Alley Records / UK: Epic Records
    Songs From Ally McBeal 1998 US: 550 Music/Epic/SME Records / UK: Epic Records Number 3 /Spain: Number 1
    By 7:30 1999 US: Jacket Records / UK: Epic Records Number 39
    Heart And Soul: New Songs From Ally McBeal 1999 US: 550 Music/Epic/SME Records / UK: Epic Records Number 9
    Chinatown 2002 US: Jacket Records / UK: Edel Music
    Live: A Retrospective 2005 US: Jacket Records
    From the Sun 2008 US: Redeye Distribution
    The Best of Ally McBeal - The Songs of Vonda Shepard / Sony Legacy / October 6, 2009

Compilation soundtracks

    Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas 2000 US: 550 Music/Epic/SME Records / UK: Epic Records
    Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life Soundtrack 2001 US: 550 Music/Epic/SME Records / UK: Epic Records
    The Best of Ally McBeal - The Songs of Vonda Shepard / Sony Legacy / October 6, 2009

Singles

Year  Song  Chart positions  Album
US AC  CAN AC  CAN  SPA
1989  "Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow"  —  —  —  —  Vonda Shepard
"I Shy Away"  —  —  —  —
1990  "Don't Cry Ilene"  17  —  —  —
1992  "Wake Up the House"  —  —  —  —  The Radical Light
1998  "Searchin' My Soul"  22  22  6  1  Songs from Ally McBeal
"Hooked on a Feeling"  —  —  —  7
1999  "Maryland"  —  —  —  —
"Tell Him"  —  —  —  29
"Baby, Don't You Break My Heart Slow" (with Emily Saliers)  21  8  —  —  Heart and Soul: New Songs from Ally McBeal
"Read Your Mind"  —  —  —  —
2000  "Someday We'll Be Together"  —  —  —  —
2001  "Chances Are" (with Robert Downey, Jr.)  —  —  —  —  Ally McBeal: For Once in My Life
2002  "Rainy Days"  —  —  —  —  Chinatown

Guest singles

    "Can't We Try" (duet with Dan Hill) - Pop Number 6, Adult Contemporary Number 2, 1987

Gabrielle Richens
Born  September 14, 1974 (age 36)
Kent, England, UK

Richens placed in the UK edition of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World in 2002 (41st), 2003 (69th) and 2004 (71st).

Richens shot to fame in Australia following her highly publicised relationship with professional rugby league footballer Solomon Haumono. The publicity surrounding their relationship focused on the manner in which the pair met and Haumono's actions subsequent to this. After having met Richens in a Sydney night club, Haumono, then a contracted player to the Canterbury Bulldogs Rugby League club, left for the United Kingdom to be with Richens. Haumono had not informed his family or his club of his decision and this highly jeopardised his rugby league career. Much debate was generated as to whether his contract with the Bulldogs should have been terminated upon his return to Australia as a result of his actions. Richens and Haumono are no longer together.

Richens captured the eye of the Australian public and rode the wave of popularity generated from her relationship with Haumono, eventually leading to an appearance in Ralph magazine.

Richens then posed nude for Australian Black+White magazine as well as the March 1999 Australian Playboy edition.

Richens returned to the United Kingdom at the end of 2001.

In 2001 Richens co-presented the television game show The Desert Forges (with Richard Fairbrass) for Five, and went on to present 3001: A Sex Oddity; a quirky, sex-orientated 'documentary' series in 2002. She was also the host of a short-lived Australian dating show called Love Rules.

Richens is a supporter of the British Heart Foundation.

Richens has appeared on two Australian celebrity reality shows Dancing with the Stars and Celebrity Survivor. She also appeared in an episode of CSI entitled "Time of Your Death" and an episode of How I Met Your Mother entitled "Single Stamina".

Born  Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski
May 28, 1977 (age 34)
Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S.
Occupation  Television host
Years active  2001–present
Known for  Co-hosting on The View
Religion  Christian
Spouse  Tim Hasselbeck (2002–present)
Children  One daughter and two sons

Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island. She is the daughter of Roman Catholic-school teacher and lawyer Elizabeth DelPadre and architect Kenneth Filarski. She has one brother, Kenneth, Jr., a lawyer and aspiring musician. As a child, she lived in Providence and Cranston, Rhode Island.

Hasselbeck was raised Roman Catholic and attended St. Mary School in Cranston, followed by St. Mary Academy - Bay View in Riverside, Rhode Island, where she graduated in 1995. She then attended Boston College, where she captained the women's softball team for two seasons, winning consecutive Big East championships. With a concentration on large scale paintings and industrial design, Hasselbeck graduated with a Fine Arts degree in 1999. Hasselbeck started working for Puma in 1998, while attending Boston College. After graduation, she worked for Puma shoes as a member of its design team before her television career.

Survivor and early career

In 2001, Hasselbeck was cast in Survivor: The Australian Outback, and was originally a member of the Kucha tribe. She was the last remaining member of that tribe in the game before being voted off on Day 39 and finishing fourth overall. As her luxury item, she brought a self-made immunity headdress.

In 2001, Hasselbeck was a judge at the Miss Teen USA Pageant. From 2002 to 2003 she hosted the Style Network's The Look for Less where she helped find stylish clothes for bargain prices.
The View

In the past, Hasselbeck has been open about owing much of her career to the influence of her husband's family, particularly her father-in-law, Don Hasselbeck. Although Hasselbeck previously saw herself as a "behind the scenes" kind of person and not interested in career television, or playing pundit, her agent was eager to showcase her competitive client and she auditioned for The View. In 2003, Hasselbeck was one of a number of women who guest-hosted to replace outgoing The View co-host Lisa Ling, who left the show at the end of 2002.

Hasselbeck typically represents the conservative position on The View. However, Hasselbeck has said that she calls herself neither a conservative nor a liberal. Her parents had an independent political stance, never telling their children for whom they voted. She has stated that the term "conservative" does not define her as a person.

On October 26, 2008, Hasselbeck appeared at Republican rallies in Florida, introducing Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

In August 2009, Hasselbeck, along with her co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, and Barbara Walters, won the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Talk Show Host. It follows over a decade of nominations for The View with no win. None of the co-hosts of the show were in Los Angeles to collect the award. For the first time, the show had not been nominated for Outstanding Talk Show as well.

Notable debates on The View

Hasselbeck has been involved in a number of heated debates on The View, including but not limited to:
    On August 2, 2006, Hasselbeck got into a heated debate in which she strongly opposed the Food and Drug Administration's plan to sell the "morning after pill" as an over-the-counter drug. Hasselbeck stated, "I believe that life begins at the moment of conception." She said the over-the-counter distribution of the pill should be banned even in cases of rape and incest, because "life still has value." Hasselbeck argued that advocates of the drug use the "rape or incest" exception as a "bait-and-switch" distraction from the goal of making it universally accessible. She argued if the "rape or incest" exception were all advocates cared about, they would not support its over-the-counter status.

    On May 23, 2007, Hasselbeck was involved in a heated on-air argument with co-host Rosie O'Donnell concerning the war in Iraq, which she supports and O'Donnell opposes. When O'Donnell asked, "655,000 Iraqi civilians dead. Who are the terrorists?" O'Donnell was criticized by conservative commentators[who?] for her question and she (O'Donnell) complained about Hasselbeck's unwillingness to defend O'Donnell's statements in the controversy that followed. Hasselbeck responded "defend your own insinuations," adding that she should not have to defend anyone else's words for them, especially when that person has a forum in which to present a defense.

    On October 3, 2007, Hasselbeck and The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg were discussing Senator Hillary Clinton's proposal that the U.S. Government provide a $5,000 savings bond for each child at birth. The conversation became heated when Hasselbeck stated it would lead to fewer abortions due to women wanting to keep the money.

Spokesperson for Pro-Form

In 2010, Hasselbeck became a spokesperson for ProForm's "ab GLIDER." She appeared on TV commercials for the product and provided a testimonial. The commercial offers a special package that includes Elisabeth's 3-minute rapid results DVD as well as her "Amazing Abs Eating Guide" and "Amazing Abs" DVD.
Personal life

On July 6, 2002, Hasselbeck married her college boyfriend, former professional football quarterback Tim Hasselbeck. They have a daughter, Grace Elisabeth born in 2005, and two sons, Taylor born in 2007, and Isaiah born in 2009.

Hasselbeck is a supporter of breast cancer awareness initiatives in the form of an internet-only PSA on breast cancer diagnosis.

Hasselbeck is living with celiac disease. She has written a book on the subject, The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide, which has appeared on several best-seller lists. On June 23, 2009, a lawsuit was filed in a federal court in Massachusetts alleging that her book was plagiarized from a self-published book by Susan Hasset. Hasselbeck released a statement calling the allegations baseless. The lawsuit was dismissed in November 2009 when the plaintiff's lawyer declined to pursue it, saying to the press that he believed some degree of plagiarism occurred, but it was not sufficient to justify monetary damages.

Born  July 1, 1982 (age 29)
Avon Lake, Ohio
Measurements  Bust: 34B in (86B cm)
Waist: 24 in (61 cm)
Hips: 27 in (69 cm)
Height  5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight  130 lb (59 kg; 9.3 st)

Carmella DeCesare
Ring name(s)  Carmella
Billed height  5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Billed weight  118 lb (54 kg)
Born  July 1, 1982 (age 29)
Avon Lake, Ohio
Billed from  Avon Lake, Ohio
Trained by  WWE
Debut  November 18, 2004

Modeling

She responded to Playboy's "Who Wants to Be a Playboy Centerfold?" search when it came to Cleveland and was selected as a finalist for the competition. She, however, had second thoughts and withdrew early in the taping of material for the Fox Network special that aired in the summer of 2002. DeCesare then changed her mind about posing for Playboy and was quickly named Cyber Girl of the Week in October 2002 and Cyber Girl of the Month in February 2003, before being selected as Playboy's Miss April in 2003.

She appeared in the 2005 Playmates at Play at the Playboy Mansion swimsuit calendar as calendar girl of March. The calendar was the inaugural Playmates at Play calendar and it was shot on the grounds of the Playboy Mansion in 2004. It was Playboy's first attempt at creating a non-nude swimsuit calendar featuring Playmates similar in style with those from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. In 2005, DeCesare received breast implants. In an episode of the E! reality-TV series The Girls Next Door in August 2005, she said that her implants looked fake because they were new and had not fully settled.

She modeled in the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

World Wrestling Entertainment

DeCesare made her first World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) appearance as a contestant in the 2004 WWE Diva Search.

Arrest

On September 10, 2004, she pled not guilty to assault in a Cleveland, Ohio court after a fight in a bar on August 21, 2004 with a woman named Kristen Hine. She was acquitted of the assault charge on January 12, 2005 but found guilty of violating a restraining order. She was sentenced to do twenty-four hours of community service, given one year probation, and fined $150. During the trial, DeCesare testified that Jeff Garcia, her boyfriend and at that time the quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, had been involved in an affair with Hine after DeCesare's and Garcia's relationship began. Garcia commented on the situation "It’s embarrassing that I am here today, to be caught up in a situation like this."

Marriage and current activities

DeCesare married former NFL and current UFL quarterback Jeff Garcia on April 21, 2007 at the CordeValle Resort in San Martin, California. They have a daughter named Presley who was born on April 28, 2008. The couple welcomed their second child, a son, in June 2009. The couple's third child, a son named Jax was born on September 21, 2010.

In a May 2007 interview with the Calgary Sun, Garcia hinted that since DeCesare is now his wife she will distance herself from Playboy. She is listed as the vice-president of Garcia's charity, the Garcia Pass It On Foundation.

Brandy Grace
Female
26 years old
Los Angeles, California, US
 

Mayhem #37193
Model

MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/brandygrace

About me
Looking to rebuild portfolio with sexy fashion shots or just something different and unique!  Please email me if interested in shooting sometime.

Born  Heather Renée Sweet
September 28, 1972 (age 38)
Rochester, Michigan, USA
Occupation  Burlesque model
Spouse  Marilyn Manson (m. 2005–2007)
Website
http://www.dita.net

Dita Von Teese was born Heather Renée Sweet on September 28, 1972, in Rochester, Michigan, the middle of three daughters. Her mother was a manicurist and her father was a machinist at a company that made graphite. She is of partly Armenian heritage.[verification needed]

Von Teese is well known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic retro style. This began at a young age and was fostered by her mother, who would buy clothes for her daughter to dress up in. Her mother was a fan of old, Golden-era Hollywood films, and it was from her that Von Teese developed a fascination with the actresses of that day, especially Betty Grable.

She was classically trained as a ballet dancer from an early age, and danced solo at age thirteen for a local ballet company. Though she originally wanted to be a ballerina, Von Teese states that "By 15 I was as good as I’d ever be." She was later to incorporate this element into her burlesque shows, where she frequently goes en pointe.

The family relocated from Michigan to Orange County, California, when her father's job moved. Von Teese attended University High School in Irvine.

As a teenager, Von Teese's mother took her to buy her first bra, made from plain white cotton, and gave her a plastic egg containing a pair of wrinkly, flesh-colored tights. Von Teese says she was disappointed as she had been hoping to receive beautiful lacy garments and stockings, of the type she had glimpsed in her father's Playboy magazines. This fueled her passion for lingerie. She worked in a lingerie store as a salesgirl when she was fifteen, eventually as a buyer. Von Teese has been fond of wearing elaborate lingerie such as corsets and basques with fully fashioned stockings ever since.

In college Von Teese studied historic costuming and aspired to work as a stylist for period films. She is a trained costume designer, often designing (and copyrighting) the photoshoots herself.

Fetish and glamour modeling
Dita on the red carpet at the 2010 Life Ball in Vienna

Von Teese achieved some level of recognition in the fetish world as a tightlacer. Through the wearing of a corset for many years, she had reduced her natural waistline to 22 inches (56 cm), and can be laced down as far as 16.5 inches (42 cm). A thin person already, Von Teese stands at 5 ft 5" (165 cm.) and weighs 114 pounds (52 kg).

Von Teese appeared on a number of fetish magazine covers, including Bizarre  and Marquis. It was around this time when she appeared on the cover of Midori's book, The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage.

Von Teese was featured in Playboy in 1999, 2001 and 2002, with a cover-featured pictorial in 2002.

The German metal band Atrocity chose her as the cover model for their 2008 album, Werk 80 II.

Burlesque

Dita is a prominent neo-burlesque performer

Von Teese is best known for her burlesque routines and is frequently dubbed "the Queen of Burlesque" in the press. Von Teese began performing burlesque in  and, as a proponent of New Burlesque, has helped to popularize its revival. In her own words, she "puts the tease back into striptease" with long, elaborate dance shows with props and characters, often inspired by 1930s and 1940s musicals and films. Some of her more famous dances have involved a carousel horse, a giant powder compact, a filigree heart and a clawfoot bathtub with a working shower head. Her feather fan dance, inspired by burlesque dancer Sally Rand, featured the world's largest feather fans, now on display in Hollywood's Museum Of Sex. Her signature show features a giant martini glass.

Her burlesque career has included some memorable performances. She once appeared at a benefit for the New York Academy of Art wearing nothing but $5 million worth of diamonds. Additionally, Von Teese became the first guest star to perform at the Parisian Crazy Horse cabaret club with her appearance in October 2006. Also in 2006, Von Teese appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model cycle 7 doing a workshop to teach the contestants about sexiness by means of burlesque dancing and posing. In 2007 Von Teese performed at the adult entertainment event Erotica 07 in London alongside Italian Rock noir band Belladonna.

Cameron Diaz performed a tribute to Von Teese's martini glass routine in the film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Von Teese's name appears in the credits, listed under "Special Thanks."

Von Teese's first book, which consisted of her opinions on the history of burlesque and fetish, Burlesque and the Art of the Teese/Fetish and the Art of the Teese, was published in 2006 by HarperCollins. Vanity Fair called her "a Burlesque Superheroine."

In 2008 Von Teese was one of the contributors to Carrie Borzillo's book Cherry Bomb.

Von Teese participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia as part of the stage performance for the German entry "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang." The act placed 20th out of 25 participants in the final round of the contest. Later, she said her cleavage was censored during the show because of her voluptuous figure.
[edit] Acting
Dita Von Teese at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Von Teese is also an occasional actress. In her early years she appeared in fetish-related, soft-core pornographic movies, such as Romancing Sara, Matter of Trust, in which she is billed as Heather Sweet, and also in two hard-core fetish films by Andrew Blake: Pin Ups  and Decadence.

In recent years she has appeared in more mainstream features, such as the 2005 short film, The Death of Salvador Dali, written by Delaney Bishop, which won best screenplay and best cinematography at recent festivals, including SXSW, Raindance Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival, and Best Actress for Von Teese at Beverly Hills Film Festival. She appeared in the feature films Saint Francis and The Boom Boom Room, both in 2007.

In addition to this, she has appeared in a number of music videos, including the video for the Green Day song "Redundant," the video for "Zip Gun Bop" by swing band Royal Crown Revue, Agent Provocateur's video for their cover of Joy Division's "She's Lost Control," and (performing her martini-glass burlesque routine) the video for "Mobscene" by Marilyn Manson. She has also been featured in a striptease/burlesque act in George Michael's live tour 2008, for the song "Feelin' Good."

However, Von Teese has said that acting is not at the top of her agenda and she would only take roles that she feels are right for her, stating, "I don't understand why women feel the need to go into acting as soon as they become famous...But I suppose if the part were aesthetically correct, then maybe I could consider it."

In early 2011, she played a femme fatale version of herself (stage name 'Rita von Squeeze') in an episode of CSI titled "A Kiss Before Frying"; her character seduces Greg Sanders in a plot inspired by film noir.

Fashion and modeling

At Selfridges, London, 2007.

Von Teese has appeared on a number of best-dressed lists and frequents the front row of fashion shows, particularly Christian Dior and Marc Jacobs, labels she is often seen wearing.

She has also done various catwalk work. During Los Angeles Fashion Week, Spring 2004, she modeled for former club kid Richie Rich's fashion label, Heatherette. In 2005 she appeared in the Autumn/Winter Ready-to-Wear show for Giambattista Valli, a former designer for Ungaro, in Paris. In the 2006 Milan Fashion Week, Von Teese was on the runway, opening for the Moschino diffusion label, Moschino Cheap & Chic, autumn/winter 2006/7 show. In 2007, she appeared twice in the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture show during the Paris Fashion Week. Additionally, she has starred in several ad campaigns. She appeared in Vivienne Westwood's spring/summer 2005 collection adverts and became the face of Australian clothing range Wheels and Dollbaby for their 2006/7 Spring/Summer advertising campaign. Currently, she is a spokesmodel for MAC Cosmetics. Von Teese has appeared in Vanity Fair, Vogue, Elle, and international issues of nearly every fashion magazine. She has also campaigned on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and appeared in their ads. Most recently she has designed a new lingerie range with Wonderbra.

In spite of this, Von Teese states that she never uses a stylist. "The one time I hired a stylist, they picked up a pair of my 1940s shoes and said, 'These would look really cute with jeans.' I immediately said, 'You’re out of here.'" She does her own make-up, and dyes her naturally blonde hair black at home. Von Teese's unique style is "inspired by eccentric women like Luisa Casati, Anna Piaggi, and Isabella Blow."

Personal life

Von Teese currently splits her time between her homes in Hollywood and Paris.

She is a collector of vintage china, particularly eggcups and tea sets, and drives a BMW Z4 and a 1965 Jaguar S-type. She also owned a 1939 Chrysler New Yorker from 1997 to December 2010.

Prior to her marriage, Von Teese had been romantically linked to vocalist/guitarist Mike Ness of Social Distortion and to actor Peter Sarsgaard. She has also spoken of several lesbian experiences including a long-term relationship with a woman when she was 20. She is currently dating French aristocrat Louis-Marie de Castelbajac.

She has been open about the plastic surgery she has undergone, having had breast implants and her beauty mark being artificial.

She participated at the PETA's campaign "Animal Birth Control (ABC)."

Relationship with Marilyn Manson

Marilyn Manson had been a long time fan, and was a member of her website. They first met when he asked her to dance in one of his music videos. Though she was unable to, the two kept in contact. On Manson's 32nd birthday, in 2001, she arrived with a bottle of absinthe, and they became a couple. Manson proposed on March 22, 2004 and gave her a 1930s, 7-carat (1.4 g), European round-cut diamond engagement ring. On November 28, 2005, they were married in a private, non-denominational ceremony in their home.

A larger ceremony was held on December 3 at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan (County Tipperary), Ireland, the home of their friend, Gottfried Helnwein. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky.

On December 29, 2006, Von Teese filed for divorce from Manson citing "irreconcilable differences." Von Teese left their house empty-handed on Christmas Eve, and was not able to get in touch with Manson to inform him of her intention to divorce him. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Von Teese says "I wasn't supportive of his partying or his relationship with another girl. As much as I loved him I wasn't going to be part of that." Von Teese also stated that she gave Manson an ultimatum, but says "It didn't work. Instead, it made me the enemy." Von Teese did not seek spousal support and seemed to have no interest in his assets. The news broke for the public and for Manson on his birthday on January 5, 2007, when he was served the divorce papers.

Filmography

Year  Film  Role  Notes
1995  Romancing Sara  Allison  Credited as 'Heather Sweet'
1997  Matter of Trust  Girl with C.T.  Credited as 'Heather Sweet'
1999  Pin-Ups 2   Credited as 'Dita'
2000  Decadence   Credited as 'Dita'
2001  Slick City: The Adventures of Lela Devin  Lela Devin  
Tickle Party: Volume 2   Credited as 'Dita'
2002  Bound in Stockings   
Naked and Helpless   
2004  Blooming Dahlia  Elizabeth Curt  
Lest We Forget: The Video Collection  Girl In Martini Glass  
2005  The Death of Salvador Dali  Gala  Won Best Actress at Beverly Hills Film Festival
2006  Saint Francis  Soul, Pica Bernard  
2007  Indie Sex: Extremes  Herself  Documentary
The Boom Boom Room  Adeline Winter  Filming
2011  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation  Agnes / Ellen Whitebridge / Rita von Squeeze  Episode: 'A Kiss Before Frying'

Additionally, Von Teese was a featured guest on the sixth episode (original air date: October 25, 2006) of Cycle 7 of America's Next Top Model. and as a coach in the Burlesque special Faking It. She also appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race. Dita Von Teese also appeared on stage at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest during the German entry.

Further reading

    Von Teese, Dita (2006). Burlesque and the Art of the Teese. Regan Books. ISBN.

Born  October 16, 1984 (age 26)
La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime, France
Height  5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Eye colour  Blue
Hair colour  Black
No. of adult films  396 as actress
15 as director (per IAFD)
Official website

Lauren started off studying as a cook for three years and worked in Paris as a pastry chef. After reading an ad in a newspaper from French porn director John B. Root, Lauren began filming six days later, in June 2003.

In November 2006, Lauren stated that she would stop performing in heterosexual pornographic scenes, and instead would focus more on directing pornographic films. Her directorial debut was for the gonzo pornography company Combat Zone with the film Plucked Then Fucked. She would continue to perform with women, in solo scenes, and in photo shoots. In 2007 she became Diabolic Video’s first female director, and directed a volume of the Unnatural Sex series. However, in her blog entries on Myspace, she stated that she was signed to Video Marc Dorcel in France, and as of late 2007 had performed in a gang bang scene with four male performers. She has also stated that she does not plan to retire from porn anytime soon.

Her work as a porn actress includes anal sex, ass to mouth and deep throat. She has a tattoo on her right forearm stating Quod Me Nutrit Me Destruit (What Nourishes Me Also Destroys Me).

Awards

    2007 AVN Award for Best Group Sex Scene, Video - Fashionistas Safado: The Challenge (with 11 others).
    2007 FICEB Ninfa for Most Original Sex Sequence - Fashionistas Safado (with 11 others)
    2008 AVN Award for Best Three-way Sex Scene - Fashionistas Safado: Berlin (with Katsuni and Rocco Siffredi)
    2008 AVN Award for Best Sex Scene in a Foreign-Shot Production – Furious Fuckers Final Race (with 9 others)

Born  27 January 1980
Bad Frankenhausen, Germany
Website
http://www.evapadberg.de/

Padberg was born in Bad Frankenhausen and grew up in Rottleben, Germany. In 1995, she applied for Bravo's Boy & Girl contest; she made it among the best ten models and gained the opportunity to do a test shooting for Louisa Models in Munich. In 1998, after having finished her Abitur, she started her professionel model career. Eva worked in Paris, Tokyo, and New York, e.g. for Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein and walked for different Prêt-à-Porter shows.

Besides the catwalk and the photo shootings, she became a frequently asked model for commercials and advertising campaigns: Since 2003, she has been the face of the world-known make-up-brand Astor. In May 2005, she appeared in the TV commercial of the candy brand "Gletscher Eis" and in September of the same year she became not only the new face of the Korean automobile manufacturer Kia Motors, but also the new cover top-model of the mail order company Otto and campaign model for Nintendo's Nintendogs. Since May 2006, she has been promoting the new drink "König Pilsener Lemon" of the brand König Pilsener.

In May 2004, Padberg was photographed for the German Playboy by Ellen von Unwerth. In 2005, she was voted "Sexiest Woman of the World" by the readers of FHM and became cover model of the magazine GQ in 2006.

She is also a singer and songwriter of Dapayk & Padberg, a well-known electronic club act. Together with her husband Niklas Worgt aka Dapayk, she released various singles followed by their first album Close Up on Mo's Ferry Prod. in September 2005.

In 2005, she started acting and had minor roles in her debut Maria an Callas (2006) and the film adaptation of the video game In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007). She also worked in the jury of Germany's Star Search and, in 2006, as a presenter for the Bambi award of Hubert Burda Media together with talk show host Harald Schmidt.

On July 29, 2006, after a relationship of ten years, she married the music producer Niklas Worgt. Padberg is active for numerous charitable projects such as SOS Children's Villages. She has also served as an ambassadress for UNICEF. Since May 2007, Eva has also represented Mercedes-Benz as a brand ambassador at international fashion and lifestyle events, including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Mexico.

In June 2010 she began collaborating with German Fairtrade fashion label armedangels together with Niklas Worgt. Their own t-shirt "Two Hearts - One Rhythm" is sold online.

Born  Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith
January 30, 1974 (age 37)
Westminster Hospital, London, England
Nationality  British
Alma mater  University of Bristol
SOAS, University of London
Known for  Writer, campaigner
Religion  Islam
Spouse  Imran Khan (1995 - 2004)

Born in London's Westminster Hospital as Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith, Khan is the eldest child of Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart and Anglo-French financier Sir James Goldsmith. Her parents started a polyamorous relationship in 1964 while they were married to different partners, but in 1978, they married for the sole purpose of legitimizing their children. She has two younger brothers, Zac and Ben, as well as five paternal and three maternal half-siblings, including Robin and India Jane Birley.

Khan grew up at Ormeley Lodge while attending the Old Vicarage preparatory school and Francis Holland School. Between the ages of ten and seventeen she was an accomplished "equestriene" equestrian in London. Khan enrolled at the University of Bristol in 1993, but dropped out to get married in 1995. Khan eventually submitted her dissertation in March 2002 gaining a 2:1 bachelor's degree in English. She later completed an MA in Middle Eastern Studies at SOAS, University of London, reading Modern Trends in Islam.

Marriage to Imran Khan

At 21, Jemima Goldsmith married the 42-year old retired Pakistani cricketer Imran Khan on 16 May 1995 in a traditional Islamic ceremony in Paris. The couple later participated in a civil ceremony on 21 June at the Richmond Register Office, which was followed by a midsummer ball at Ormeley Lodge. Raised a Protestant, she converted to Islam a few months before her wedding, citing the writings of Muhammad Asad, Gai Eaton, and Alija Izetbegović as her influences. She also learned to speak Urdu and wore traditional Pakistani clothes. In 2008, she wrote that she "over-conformed in eagerness to be accepted" into the "new and radically different culture" of Pakistan.

In 1999, in an accusation believed to have been politically motivated, Khan was charged in Pakistan with the non-bailable crime of illegally exporting tiles claimed to be centuries-old antiques of the Islamic era. She stayed with her mother for a year due to fear of incarceration and returned to Pakistan only after the case was dropped following General Pervez Musharraf's military coup. She returned to the UK full-time in September 2003 to study for a Masters degree at SOAS. Her ex husband has said that they decided to divorce because he never had time for his family owing to his life in Pakistani politics. Their divorce was announced on 22 June 2004.

Relationship with Hugh Grant

In 2004, Khan became involved in a romantic relationship with Hugh Grant. She gained a new level of prominence during the three years she and Grant were partners. A 2005 article in the Evening Standard magazine noted that while "Jemima's profile" was high during her first marriage, it was "soaring since she became involved with Hugh Grant". As he was followed relentlessly by the paparazzi and featured in print and television media worldwide, Khan's relationship with Grant was scrutinized extensively by the tabloids. A survey of visitors to London in 2005 showed that Khan and Grant were the couple with whom a majority of visitors wanted to travel the city. In 2007, Khan accompanied Grant on the red carpet at the London and New York premieres of his movie Music and Lyrics. After three years of the high profile romance, in February 2007, Grant announced that the couple had "decided to split amicably". Grant's spokesman added: "Hugh has nothing but positive things to say about Jemima."

Commentary and other writings

Khan was a feature writer and a contributing editor for British Vogue from 2008 to 2011. In 2011 Khan was appointed Vanity Fair’s new European editor-at-large. She is Associate Editor at the Independent newspaper. Khan has contributed op-eds to England's newspapers and magazines such as The Independent, The Sunday Times, The Evening Standard and the Observer. In 2008, she was granted an exclusive interview with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on the eve of the elections, for The Independent. She was a Sunday Telegraph columnist from 21 October 2007 to 27 January 2008.

Khan guest edited the New Statesman and themed the issue around freedom of speech. She interviewed the deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, and included contributions from Russell Brand, Tim Robbins, Simon Pegg, Oliver Stone, Tony Benn, Julian Assange and cover art by Anish Kapoor and Damien Hirst.

The magazine sold out and the website crashed. According to Nick Cohen in the Observer “Jemima Khan was by a country mile the best editor of the New Statesman that that journal has had since the mid-1970s.” Perhaps the most surprising piece in the magazine was "an unexpected scoop" from Hugh Grant who went undercover to hack Paul McMullan, a former News of the World journalist, who had been involved in hacking as a reporter.

However, one readers letter to the New Statesman, published in the following weeks edition stated: "Jason Cowley's choices for guest editor to date are surely calculated to aggravate the NS readership. First Alastair Campbell is invited to present his gloss on the New Labour story; now Jemima Khan (11 April issue) gets to produce a variant of Hello! magazine, wherein her glittering friends share with us the contents, not of their homes, but of their minds.

It takes considerable effort to avoid celebrities (and Old Etonians) nowadays, but I don't expect to be Trojan-horsed by a left-wing paper."

Charity and other works

In 1998, Khan launched an eponymous fashion label that employed poor Pakistani women to embroider western clothes with eastern handiwork to be sold in London and New York. Profits were donated to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital but the company was closed in 2001.

In 2001, she established the Jemima Khan Afghan Refugee Appeal to provide tents, clothing, food, and healthcare for Afghan refugees at Jalozai camp in Peshawar.

Khan became an Ambassador for UNICEF UK in 2001 and went on field trips to Kenya, Romania, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan, where she helped victims of the 2005 earthquake by raising emergency funds. She has promoted UNICEF's Breastfeeding Manifesto, Growing Up Alone and End Child Exploitation campaigns in the UK.

Khan is a supporter of the Soil Association, and children's charities like HOPING foundation for Palestinian refugee children. She is a patron of the Quilliam Foundation, recently set up by two reformed members of the extremist organisation Hizb ut Tahrir. In 2008, Khan received death threats from Islamic fundamentalists for supporting and speaking at the launch of the Muslim think-tank which preaches religious tolerance.

In 2007, Khan set up the Free Pakistan Movement. She, her family and friends, participated alongside hundreds of protestors in three demonstrations outside Downing Street to protest the state of emergency in Pakistan, during which her ex-husband was incarcerated.

In 2008, she modeled the relaunched Azzaro Couture fragrance and was a guest co-designer of a Spring 2009 collection for Azzaro, with her fee reportedly donated to UNICEF.

Together with John Pilger and Ken Loach, Jemima Khan was among the six people in Westminster Magistrates Court willing to post bail for Julian Assange when he was arrested in London on 7 December 2010. She has campaigned against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for freedom of information, attending Assange’s extradition hearings and speaking at the Stop the War Coalition's rally in defence of Wikileaks alongside Tony Benn and Tariq Ali.

Khan runs a charitable Foundation The Jemima Khan Foundation.

She sponsors the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, an explicitly subversive award given to the journalist that best “exposes Establishment conduct and its propaganda”.

Khan featured in the new television advertising campaign for The Independent newspaper and reportedly donated her fee to charity.

Social and personal life

As voted by readers of the Daily Telegraph, she won the Rover People's Award for the best dressed female celebrity at the 2001 British Fashion Awards. Khan was featured on Vanity Fair's Annual International Best-Dressed List in 2004, 2005 and 2007. She attended the Women of Achievement Reception at Buckingham Palace, on 11 March 2004.

Khan is known to be shy, modest, stylish, and levelheaded, with her ex-husband describing her as "very shy".

Khan has two sons from her marriage with Imran Khan, Sulaiman Isa (born 1996) and Kasim (born 1999). Because she wants to have the same last name as her children, she goes by Jemima Khan. On 29 December 2000, Khan and her family were on a British Airways jet to Kenya that was temporarily knocked off course and dived thousands of feet, after a mentally ill  passenger tried to seize controls in the cockpit. Her mother later said, "Jemima was frightened of flying even before the incident; she's petrified [now].".

Khan, like her two brothers, reportedly inherited around £300 million from her late father's £1.2 billion fortune (at 1997 currency rates). In 2010 Khan purchased the country house of Kiddington Hall near Woodstock in Oxfordshire for a reported £15 million, which is now currently under refurbishment. .

Lady Diana was a close friend of Khan’s, visiting her twice in Lahore, Pakistan the year that she died[citation needed] She holds dual British and Pakistani citizenship.

Birth name  John Paul Densmore
Born  December 1, 1944 (age 66)
Origin  Maine
Genres  Psychedelic rock, acid rock, blues rock, hard rock, blues, jazz fusion
Occupations  Musician
Drummer
Filmmaker
Instruments  Drums
Years active  1965–present
Labels  Elektra
Associated acts  The Doors
The Butts Band
Riders on the Storm
Tribaljazz
Website  johndensmore.com

Born in Maine, Densmore attended Santa Monica City College and Cal. State-Northridge; at the latter he studied ethnic music under jazz cellist Fred Katz.

He joined The Doors in 1965 and remained a member until the band's dissolution in 1973. Densmore met keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger at a Transcendental Meditation lecture. Densmore says, "There wouldn't be any Doors without Maharishi." According to Densmore's own book, he quit the band on one occasion in reaction to Morrison's increasingly self-destructive behavior, although he returned the next day. He repeatedly suggested that the band stop touring, but Krieger and Manzarek were resistant to this notion. After the Doors' last performance with Morrison in New Orleans in 1970, the band agreed to discontinue performing live.

Densmore allowed "Riders on the Storm" to be used to sell Pirelli Tires, in England only. Densmore later stated that he "heard Jim's voice" in his ears and ended up donating the money earned to charity. In 2002, Densmore vetoed an offer by Cadillac for $15 million for "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" because of his strong views to conserve the environment.

John formed a band with fellow ex-Doors Robby Krieger in 1973 called The Butts Band but disbanded after two albums in 1975. John Densmore left the world of rock-and-roll in the 1980s, moving to the world of dance as he performed with Bess Snyder and Co., touring the United States for two years.

In 1984, at La Mama Theatre in New York, he made his stage acting debut in Skins, a one-act play he had written. In 1985, he won the LA Weekly Theater Award for music with Methusalem, directed by Tim Robbins. The play Rounds, which he co-produced, won the NAACP award for theatre in 1987. In 1988, he played a feature role in Band Dreams and Bebop at the Gene Dynarski Theatre. He developed and performed a one-man piece from the short story, The King of Jazz, at the Wallenboyd Theatre in 1989. With Adam Ant, he co-produced Be Bop A Lula at Theatre Theatre in 1992. He has acted in numerous TV shows, most memorably as himself in the show Square Pegs, working as a drummer for Johnny Slash's band Open 24 Hours. His film credits include: Get Crazy with Malcolm McDowell, Dudes directed by Penelope Spheeris, and The Doors directed by Oliver Stone.

Densmore wrote his best-selling autobiography, Riders On The Storm (publ. 1990), about his life and the time he spent with Morrison and The Doors. In the first chapter Densmore describes the solemn day on which he and the band finally visited Morrison's grave around three years after he had actually died. As the drummer and an influential member of The Doors, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He and Robby Krieger worked as technical advisers on the 1991 film, The Doors, but while they were impressed with Val Kilmer's performance as Morrison, they were unhappy with the film as a whole.

Current projects

Densmore is reported to be working on a first novel, producing a documentary film, an after-care program for ex-criminal offenders titled Project Return directed by Leslie Neale. When time allows, he lectures in colleges throughout the United States.

Densmore, popular as a rock drummer, expressed a desire to return to his roots as a jazz drummer. In 2006, his new band, Tribaljazz, released their first album of original work.

Densmore played the rare Mod Orange Ludwig drum sets from 1967 to 1971. This was his signature set on most of The Doors videos and photo shoots. He also played a White Marine Pearl Ludwig set alternating between the two. He is seen playing a White Marine Pearl Gretsch set in some photo and video shots. This was his first set with The Doors.

Fictional portrayals

Densmore was portrayed by Kevin Dillon in the 1991 biopic The Doors.

Born  February 21, 1979 (age 32)
Origin  Waco, Texas, United States
Genres  Pop, soul
Occupations  Actress, singer, songwriter, director, producer, author, voice actress
Years active  1989–present
Labels  Atlantic (1995-1996), Jive (2002)

As a singer, Hewitt has been signed by Atlantic Records and Jive Records. She is primarily known for her recordings in the pop genre. Her most successful single on the Billboard Hot 100 is the 1999 release "How Do I Deal", which peaked at No. 59. In addition, she has contributed music to the promotion or soundtracks of acting projects.

Hewitt's appearance has been the subject of media attention throughout her career. She has been lauded as one of the most attractive women in the entertainment industry by publications such as Maxim, in which she was named the sexiest woman in the world in 1999, and TV Guide, which named her the sexiest woman on television in 2008. In 2007, paparazzi photos of Hewitt on a beach led to a much-publicized matter in which she defended her weight, and was supported by other celebrities. These incidents received coverage from People magazine.

In addition to acting, Hewitt has also served as a producer on some of her film and television projects. In 2010, Hewitt wrote a book on relationships entitled The Day I Shot Cupid. She also starred on the hit CBS television program Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, a young woman who can communicate with ghosts. She won a Saturn Award in 2007 and 2008 for Best Actress on Television. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her television movie The Client List.

Hewitt was born in Waco, Texas, and is the daughter of Patricia Mae (née Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician. Hewitt grew up in Nolanville, Texas. After the divorce of her parents, Hewitt and her older brother, Todd Hewitt, were brought up by her mother. She is of German, Italian and English descent.

As a young girl, Hewitt was attracted to music, which led to her first encounters with the entertainment industry. At the age of three, she sang "The Greatest Love of All" at a livestock show. Just a year after that, at a restaurant-dance hall, she entertained an audience with her version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night." By the time she was five, Hewitt already had tap dancing and ballet in her portfolio. At nine, she became a member of the Texas Show Team (which also toured in the Soviet Union). At the age of ten, at the suggestion of talent scouts and winning the title of Texas Our Little Miss Talent Winner, she moved to Los Angeles, with her mother to pursue a career in both acting and singing. In Los Angeles, Hewitt attended Lincoln High School where her classmates included Jonathan Neville, who became a talent scout and recommended Hewitt for her role in Party of Five.

Acting career

After moving to Los Angeles, Hewitt appeared in more than twenty television commercials. Her first break came as a child actor on the Disney Channel variety show Kids Incorporated (1989–1991), where she was credited as just Love Hewitt. During this time she danced in and sang all the songs for a live action video called Dance! Workout with Barbie released by Buena Vista.

In 1993, she played Pierce Brosnan's daughter in a pilot for NBC called Running Wilde, which featured Brosnan as a reporter for Auto World magazine whose stories cover his own wild auto adventures. However, the series was not picked up and the pilot never aired. Hewitt later had roles in several short-lived television series, such as Fox's Shaky Ground (1992–1993), ABC's The Byrds of Paradise (1994), and McKenna (1994–1995), and finally became a young star after landing the role of Sarah Reeves on the popular Fox Television show Party of Five (1995–1999). She assumed the role of Sarah after joining that show during its second season and continued it on the short-lived Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life (1999), which she also co-produced. The show was cancelled after half a season.

Hewitt made her film debut in the independent film Munchie (1992). She appeared as a choir member in "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" (1993) with Whoopi Goldberg and Lauryn Hill. She became a film star after a lead role in the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), which enjoyed great box-office success ($125,000,000 USD). The film gained Hewitt and her co-stars Freddie Prinze, Jr., Ryan Phillippe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar popularity. She appeared in the sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), which, though not as successful as the first film, took in more money on its opening weekend. Other notable film roles include the high-school comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998) and a starring role with Sigourney Weaver in the romantic comedy Heartbreakers (2001).

In 2000, Hewitt appeared in The Audrey Hepburn Story. That same year, she was the "most popular actress on television" due to her Q-rating (a measurement of a celebrity's popularity) of 37. For that reason, Nokia chose her to become its spokesperson, because of her "fresh image," and her being "a symbol of youthfulness and wholesomeness."

In 2001, she appeared in the music video for the Enrique Iglesias song, "Hero," as the singer's love interest. She also appeared in the LFO video for "Girl on TV".

Hewitt wrote "I'm Gonna Love You" for the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame II because, although she was a well-known singer, her character Madellaine was the only character who did not sing in the movie. The song won Best Song at the DVD Awards.

She also starred alongside Jackie Chan in the 2002 film The Tuxedo.

In September 2005, Hewitt starred in the television series Ghost Whisperer. In Australia, Ghost Whisperer has been popular since its introduction; in the United States, the show averaged 7.75 million viewers for its final season on CBS, which canceled the series in 2010. ABC expressed interest in picking up the show and asked the writers to not take new jobs, as the series had a good chance of returning. However, ABC later decided not to renew the show.

Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy starred in Cafe, an indie drama from writer-director Marc Erlbaum. Alexa Vega, Madeline Carroll, Daniel Eric Gold and Hubble Palmer appear as part of an ensemble of Philadelphia residents who frequent the local West Philly Grounds coffee shop where Hewitt's character Claire works.

On January 14, 2011, it was announced that Hewitt will direct the film Wait Till Helen Comes based on the novel by Mary Downing Hahn. This will be Hewitt's feature film directorial debut, she previously directed three episodes of Ghost Whisperer.

On January 30, 2011, Hewitt starred with Betty White in the Hallmark Hall of Fame film The Lost Valentine, shown on CBS in the US. She was also a co-producer of the film.
Music career
Hewitt in 2002

In 1991, Meldac funded the recording of Hewitt's first album Love Songs, when she was 12. The album was only released in Japan in 1992 where Hewitt became a pop star. Her explanation for her success in Japan is that the Japanese "love perky music. The poppier the music, the better."

After she joined the cast of Party of Five in 1995, she signed to Atlantic Records, who rushed her first single and second album, Let's Go Bang, out in October.

Juggling her music career with her acting career, she recorded her follow-up in 1996. The first single, "No Ordinary Love", failed to chart and led to the album doing the same. Atlantic dropped Hewitt, who did not return to the music scene for three years.

In 1999, she recorded the single "How Do I Deal" for the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack. The song became Hewitt's first charting single by climbing to No. 59 on the Hot 100 and No. 36 on the Top 40 Mainstream. It reached No. 8 in Australia.

In 2001, Hewitt appeared in Enrique Iglesias's "Hero" music video.

In 2002, Hewitt signed to Jive Records and recorded her fourth album with singer, songwriter and producer Meredith Brooks. The first single, "BareNaked", became her biggest radio hit to date when it peaked at No. 24 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, No. 31 on the Adult Top 40 and No. 25 on the Top 40 Mainstream. It also climbed to No. 6 in Australia and No. 33 in the Netherlands. The moderate success of the single propelled her album of the same name to peak at No. 37 on the Billboard 200 and No. 31 in Australia. However, it only remained on the chart for three weeks. The second single, "Can I Go Now", failed to chart in the US, while managing to peak at No. 8 in the Netherlands and No. 12 in Australia.

Since 2003, Hewitt has not actively done anything in the music industry, but a compilation called Cool with You: The Platinum Collection was released in Asia.

In addition to starring in the 2004 film If Only, Hewitt co-wrote and performed two songs for its soundtrack: "Love Will Show You Everything" and "Take My Heart Back". She appeared in the 2004 made-for-television musical version of A Christmas Carol, performing the singing role of Ebenezer Scrooge's fiance Emily.
Writing career

Hewitt wrote a book released in March 2010, called The Day I Shot Cupid, in which she writes of her experiences with love and dating. While talking about the book during a January 2010 interview on Lopez Tonight, she said that there is a chapter in it about "vajazzling" her "vajayjay" (decorating her vulva with Swarovski crystals). She said it looked "cute", revealed that she was currently vajazzled with "hot pink" crystals and recommended to all women that they also "vajazzle their vajayjays". This became a big internet hit with the video going viral, widespread news coverage and the term "vajazzling" becoming one of the most searched terms on Google the next day.
Other work

In November 2009, Jennifer Love Hewitt made a foray into comic books. Veteran writer Scott Lobdell scripted the 5-issue anthology, Jennifer Love Hewitt's Music Box, based on Hewitt's ideas. The series has been published by IDW Publishing, and has been compiled in a trade paperback.
Personal life
Charity work

Hewitt is an honorary godparent of the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.
Relationships

She dated Carson Daly, singer-guitarist John Mayer, professional kayaker Brad Ludden, actor Joey Lawrence, musician Rich Cronin and actor Will Friedle, among others. Cronin, the leader singer of the LFO, wrote the group's 1999 hit single, "Girl on TV" for Hewitt. She also appeared in the music video for the song.

Hewitt was engaged to Scottish actor Ross McCall, whom she met when he made an appearance on Ghost Whisperer in late 2005. After two years of dating, they became engaged in late 2007, while vacationing in Hawaii. However, on January 5, 2009, People magazine reported that Hewitt called off their engagement in late 2008. She began a relationship with Ghost Whisperer co-star Jamie Kennedy in March 2009. However, a year later, Hewitt and Kennedy ended their relationship. Hewitt began dating actor/director/writer Alex Beh in July 2010. In April 2011, Hewitt and Beh ended their relationship after nine months.
Stalking

In 2002, conspiracy theorist and former social worker Diana Napolis was arrested for stalking and uttering death threats against Hewitt and Steven Spielberg after "verbally confronting" the actress at the 2002 Grammy Awards, and the subsequent day attempted to pose as a friend to enter the premiere of The Tuxedo. Napolis also admitted to becoming involved in a shoving match with Hewitt's mother while confronting the actress. Napolis accused Hewitt, along with director Spielberg, of controlling her thoughts through "cybertronic" technology and being part of a Satanic conspiracy against her. Napolis was charged with six felonies related to the incidents. After a year of involuntary commitment, Napolis pleaded guilty and was released on bail with a condition that she was barred from contact with both Spielberg and Hewitt.
Bikini photo controversy

Paparazzi photographs secretly taken of Hewitt on vacation in a bikini led to harsh criticism of her body by bloggers. Hewitt responded: "I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized....What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles." She posed on the cover of Us Weekly 10 weeks later, having lost 18 lb since the photos were taken. She said she had lost the weight to boost her energy levels, while her trainer claims that she said the weight loss had nothing to do with critical comments. Hewitt later defended Jessica Simpson for receiving similar criticism saying, "It gets silly. We're all supposed to look how we're supposed to look. We're made to be different people."
Filmography
Film Title↓  Year↓  Role↓  Notes
Munchie  1992  Andrea Kurtz  Credited as Love Hewitt
Little Miss Millions  1993  Heather Lofton  Credited as Love Hewitt
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit  1993  Margaret  Credited as Jennifer "Love" Hewitt
House Arrest  1996  Brooke Figler  
Trojan War  1997  Leah Jones  
I Know What You Did Last Summer  1997  Julie James  
Can't Hardly Wait  1998  Amanda Beckett  
Telling You  1998  Deb Freidman  
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer  1998  Julie James  
The Suburbans  1999  Cate  
The Audrey Hepburn Story  2000  Audrey Hepburn  
Heartbreakers  2001  Wendy / Page Conners / Jane Helstrom  
The Hunchback of Notre Dame II  2002  Madellaine (voice)  Direct-to-video film
The Adventures of Tom Thumb and Thumbelina  2002  Thumbelina (voice)  Direct-to-video film
The Tuxedo  2002  Del Blaine  
Groove Squad  2002  Chrissy (voice)  Direct-to-video film
The Truth About Love  2004  Alice Holbrook  
If Only  2004  Samantha Andrews  
Garfield  2004  Liz  
A Christmas Carol  2004  Emily  Made-For-Television
Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber  2005  Katya Livingston  Made-For-Television
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties  2006  Liz  
Shortcut to Happiness  2007  The Devil  Filmed in 2001
Tropic Thunder  2008  Herself  Cameo appearance
Delgo  2008  Princess Kyla (voice)  
The Magic 7  2009  Erica (voice)  Television film
Yes, Virginia  2009  Mrs. Laura O'Hanlon (voice)  
Cafe  2010  Claire  
The Client List  2010  Samantha Horton  Lifetime original movie
The Lost Valentine  2011  Susan Allison  Hallmark Hall of Fame original movie
Jewtopia  TBA  Alison Marks  
Television Title↓  Year↓  Role↓  Notes
Kids Incorporated  1990–1991  Robin  3 Episodes
Running Wilde  1992  Unknown  Episode: "Pilot"
Shaky Ground  1992–1993  Bernadette Moody  8 Episodes
The Byrds of Paradise  1994  Franny Byrd  7 Episodes
McKenna  1994–1995  Cassidy McKenna  3 Episodes
Boy Meets World  1998  Jennifer Love Fefferman  Episode: "And Then There Was Shawn"
Hercules: The Animated Series  1999  Medusa (voice)  Episode: "Hercules and the Gorgon"
Party of Five  1995–1999  Sarah Reeves  99 Episodes
Time of Your Life  1999–2000  Sarah Reeves Merrin  19 Episodes
Family Guy  2002  Herself (voice)  Episode: "Stuck Together, Torn Apart"
American Dreams  2004  Nancy Sinatra  2 Episodes
In the Game  2005  Riley Reed  Two pilot episodes; canceled
Ghost Whisperer  2005–2010  Melinda Gordon  Lead role
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit  2010  Vicki Sayers  1 episode
Love Bites  2011  Herself  1 episode
Hot In Cleveland  2011   1 episode
Director filmography Title↓  Year↓  Role↓  Notes
Ghost Whisperer  2009–2010  Director, producer  TV Series
Episodes:

    4.13 "Body Of Water"
    5.01 "Birthday Presence"
    5.15 "Implosion"

Wait Till Helen Comes  2011  Director, producer  
Bad Taste in Men  TBA  Director, producer  TV Series
Production credits

    Time of Your Life (1999)
    The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000)
    Bunny (2000)
    Ghost Whisperer (2005–2010)
    The Client List (2010)
    The Lost Valentine (2011)
    Wait Till Helen Comes (2011)
    Bad Taste in Men (TBA)
    Go On Away (2013)

Discography
Albums
List of albums, with selected chart positions, sales figures, and certifications Title  Album details  Peak chart positions
US
  AUS
  NLD

Love Songs  

    Released: March 21, 1992
    Label: Meldac
    Formats: CD

 —  —  —
Let's Go Bang  

    Released: October 10, 1995
    Label: Atlantic
    Formats: CD

 —  —  —
Jennifer Love Hewitt  

    Released: September 3, 1996
    Label: Atlantic
    Formats: CD

 —  —  —
BareNaked  

    Released: October 8, 2002
    Label: Jive
    Formats: CD

 37  31  72
Cool with You: The Platinum Collection  

    Released: June 6, 2006
    Label: unknown
    Formats: CD

 —  —  —
Hey Everybody  

    Released: December 2007
    Label: unknown
    Formats: CD

 —  —  —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Singles
Year  Single  Chart peak positions  Album
U.S.
  U.S. Adult  AUS
  NZ
  NL
  SWI

1995  "Couldn't Find Another Man"  —  —  —  —  —  —  Let's Go Bang
1996  "No Ordinary Love"  —  —  —  —  —  —  Jennifer Love Hewitt
1999  "How Do I Deal"  59  —  8  5  —  —  I Still Know What You Did Last Summer Soundtrack
2002  "BareNaked"  124  31  6  26  33  —  BareNaked
2003  "Can I Go Now"  —  —  12  —  8  69
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Soundtracks

    From House Arrest:

        1996: "It's Good To Know I'm Alive"

    From I Still Know What You Did Last Summer:

        1998: "How Do I Deal?"

    From Disney's Superstars Hits:

        2002: "I'm Gonna Love You"

    From :Scooby-Doo And The Alien Invaders:

        2002: "Scooby Doo, Where Are You"

    From If Only:

        2003: "Love Will Show You Everything," "Take My Heart Back"

Music videos
Year  Title
1992  "Please Save Us The World"
1995  "Couldn't Find Another Man"
1996  "No Ordinary Love"
1999  "How Do I Deal"
2002  "I'm Gonna Love You (Madellaine's Love Song)"
2002  "BareNaked"
2003  "Can I Go Now"
Music video appearances
Year  Title  Artist(s)
1998  "Can't Get Enough of You, Baby"  Smash Mouth
1998  "High" (U.S. version)  Feeder
1999  "Girl on TV"  LFO
2001  "Hero"  Enrique Iglesias
2010  "Christmas Tonight"  Dave Barnes
Bibliography

    The Day I Shot Cupid (2010)

Awards and nominations
Year  Group  Award  Result  Film/Show
1990  Young Artist Award  Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast  Nominated  Kids Incorporated
1993  Young Artist Award  Outstanding Young Ensemble Cast in a Youth Series or Variety Show  Nominated
1994  Young Artist Award  Outstanding Youth Ensemble in a Cable or Off Primetime Series  Won
1996  Young Artist Award  Best Professional Actress/Singer  Nominated  
1997  YoungStar Award  Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama TV Series  Nominated  Party of Five
1998  Young Artist Award  Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actress  Nominated  I Know What You Did Last Summer
Blockbuster Entertainment Award  Favorite Female Newcomer  Won
Favorite Actress — Horror  Nominated
1999  MTV Movie Award  Best Female Performance  Nominated  Can't Hardly Wait
Blockbuster Entertainment Award  Favorite Actress — Horror  Won  I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
Teen Choice Award  Film — Choice Actress  Won
Film — Most Disgusting Scene  Nominated
TV — Choice Actress  Nominated  Party of Five
Young Artist Award  Best Performance in a Feature Film — Leading Young Actress  Nominated  Can't Hardly Wait
2000  Kid's Choice Award  Favorite Television Actress  Nominated  Party of Five
People's Choice Award  Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series  Won  Time of Your Life
2003  Kids' Choice Award  Favorite Female Butt Kicker  Won  The Tuxedo
Teen Choice Award  Choice Crossover Artist (Music/Acting)  Nominated  
2006  Saturn Award  Best Actress on Television  Won  Ghost Whisperer
Kids' Choice Award  Favorite Television Actress  Nominated
People's Choice Award  Favorite Female Television Star  Nominated
2007  Saturn Award  Best Actress on Television  Won
2008  People's Choice Award  Best Actress on Television  Nominated
Saturn Award  Best Actress on Television  Won
TV Land Award  Favorite Character from the "Other Side"  Nominated
2010  Golden Globe  Best Performance By An Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made For Television  Nominated  The Client List

Eyes: Blue
Hair: Auburn
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 95lbs.
DOB: December 9

1. Where are you from originally?
   Dallas, Tx
2. What are some of your hobbies/interests?
   Anything to do with animals. I feel that it is our responsibility to take care of them since we have taken their habitat and their hunt. I am especially active with large dog breeds. These animals were created by man and yet we continue to be fearful and cruel and operate from a place of basic ignorance. I love the outdoors and I love sports. The combination is unbeatable. I love to travel. Seeing new things, learning about history and human evolution, and learning new cultures really excites me. Anything artistic, charcoal, acrylics, stained glass, interior design… but especially writing and cooking.
3. What are your turn ons?
   Funny people, tree huggers, strong, silent types; men in uniforms; cops; long vacations; exotic locations; shoe shopping; and cowboy hats.
4. What are your turn offs?
   Puppy kickers, litterers, yuppies, liars, arrogance, insensitivity, "yes" men, negativity, hypocrites, dirty nails, bad shoes, Versace, really small cars, waterbeds, morningtime, and dead batteries.
5. What is your tattoo of?
   It is hard to see, but it is a rose with a teardrop of blood.
6. What does this represent?
   I am an only girl and my mother passed away when I was 2 years and 10 months old. We got to know each other well, being that we spent the last 3 years of her life and the first 3 of mine alone together. We both favor drawing and painting, especially flowers. So as the years went on, I designed this rose to represent the feminine bond unique to mother and daughter. It is moist with youth, opening to the sun and life and bleeding a teardrop. The teardrop is symbolic of love, life, death, and many tears of sadness.
7. Do you have any pets of your own?
   I have been blessed with 2 very unique dogs- Treeing Walker Coonhounds- which are much like English Foxhounds. My boy has been with me since 1993 and has become my family, my best friend, and my child.
8. Are you married or do you have a boyfriend?
   I get this one a lot. I wanted to be clear about my answer. I am very open about my past, but my policy is never to discuss my current personal life. Its not fair to those in my life to have personal things involving them made public. I hope that everyone understands.
9. Favorite Food?
   Veggies! I eat very healthfully, but I am especially fond of raw veggies.
10. Role Model?
    My beautiful grandmother.

Born  August 14, 1968 (age 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation  Executive
Spouse  Sylvester Stallone (1988-present)

Flavin was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in West Hills, Los Angeles, California, a district of Los Angeles, and currently resides in Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles. She has six siblings, two sisters Tricia and Julie, and four brothers Tom, Pat, Shannon and Mitch. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California. Jennifer's father died when she was 12 years old leaving her mother to care for 7 children. She started modeling at the age of 19 at the Elite Modeling Agency as a way to earn a good living.

Flavin has appeared as herself in multiple interview and documentary-style programs, including Hollywood Women, Good Day Live, American Gladiator, and The Contender – a boxing reality television series that also features Stallone. She also made a brief appearance in Rocky V.

Flavin is also the co-founder of Serious Skin Care, a company which sells beauty treatments and cosmetics via the Home Shopping Network.

Personal life

Flavin met Sylvester Stallone at a restaurant in Beverly Hills when she was 20 (in 1988). They were married on May 17, 1997 in a civil ceremony at The Dorchester Hotel in London, England followed by a chapel ceremony at Blenheim Palace in Oxford. Together they have had three daughters, Sophia Rose (b. August 27, 1996), Sistine Rose (b. June 27, 1998) and Scarlet Rose (b. May 25, 2002)

Born  Jennifer Lynn Connelly
December 12, 1970 (age 40)
Round Top, New York United States
Occupation  Actress
Years active  1984–present
Spouse  Paul Bettany (m. 2003–present)
Children  3

In 2002, Connelly won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress along with a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role as Alicia Nash in Ron Howard's biopic A Beautiful Mind. Other film credits include the Marvel superhero film Hulk, the thriller Dark Water, the drama Blood Diamond, the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still and the romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You.

Magazines including Time, Vanity Fair and Esquire, as well as the Los Angeles Times newspaper have included her on their lists of the world's most beautiful women.

Life and career
Birth and early life

Connelly was born in Round Top, New York in the Catskill Mountains to Ilene, an antiques dealer, and Gerard Connelly, a clothing manufacturer. Her father was a Roman Catholic with Irish and Norwegian ancestors, while her mother was a yeshiva-educated Jew of Polish and Russian stock. She was first raised in Brooklyn Heights, near the Brooklyn Bridge, where she attended Saint Ann's, a private school focused on the arts. The family moved to Woodstock, New York in 1976. Four years later the family returned to Brooklyn Heights where Connelly resumed her education at the same school.
Child modelling and early movie appearances

When Connelly was ten years old, an advertising executive friend of her father suggested she audition as a model. As a result she joined the Ford Modeling Agency and began modelling in print advertisements, before moving on to television commercials. She appeared on the cover of the issues of Seventeen magazine of April 1986, August 1986, April 1987, and December 1988. In December 1986 she recorded two pop songs for the Japanese market: "Monologue of Love" and "Message of Love", Connelly sang in phonetic Japanese as she did not speak the language.

After Connelly's frequent appearances as a model, her mother started to take her to acting auditions where she was selected for a supporting role as Deborah Gelly in Sergio Leone's 1984 gangster epic, Once Upon a Time in America. In a scene of the film, Connelly had to perform a ballet routine. During the audition for the role, and without any knowledge of the dance, she made random movements imitating it that finally convinced the director to include her in the cast. Connelly described the movie as "an incredibly idyllic introduction to movie-making". Her first leading role was as Jennifer Corvino in Italian giallo-director Dario Argento's 1985 film Phenomena, followed by the lead in the coming-of-age movie Seven Minutes in Heaven the same year.

Balancing work and school, she studied English for two years at Yale University in 1988 and 1989 before transferring to Stanford University in 1990 to study drama. There, she trained with Roy London, Howard Fine and Harold Guskin. Encouraged by her parents to continue with her film career, she left college and returned to the movies the same year.
1980s–1990s

Connelly gained public recognition with her next picture, the 1986 fantasy film Labyrinth, in which she played Sarah, a teenager on a quest to rescue her brother Toby from the World of Goblins, ruled by King Jareth (David Bowie). Although a disappointment at the box office, the film later became a cult classic. Her portrayal was lamented by the The New York Times: "Jennifer Connelly as Sarah is unfortunately disappointing. Perhaps Mr. Henson gave too much attention to his puppets and not enough to developing a compelling performance in his lead actress. She looks right, but she lacks conviction and seems to be reading rehearsed lines that are recited without belief in her goal or real need to accomplish it. Since the film has only five human characters – Sarah, her parents, who appear briefly at the beginning, baby Toby and Jareth, the goblin king – Sarah's role is very important". Two years later, she starred as a ballet student in the Italian film Étoile, and portrayed college student Gabby in Michael Hoffman's Some Girls.

In 1990 Dennis Hopper directed The Hot Spot with Connelly cast as Gloria Harper, a woman blackmailed by Frank Sutton (William Sadler). The movie was a box office failure. In the same year, director Garry Marshall considered her for the role of Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman, but ultimately felt that she was too young for the part. Connelly's next movie was the 1991 romantic comedy Career Opportunities, in which she starred alongside Frank Whaley. Criticized for exploiting Connelly's image, the complaints were caused by an ad that showed a scene where Connelly rode a mechanical horse while being looked at by Whaley. The cardboard had written on it the phrase "He's about to have the ride of his life". In an interview with Rolling Stone during her sophomore year at Yale, Connelly stated: "I don't know about anyone else, but that wasn't something I felt all that comfortable about. That sure as hell wasn't a subject that I was trying to learn about from my professor". The big-budget Disney film The Rocketeer followed later that year, but failed to ignite her career. New York Magazine said of her participation : "Connelly is properly cast; she has the moist, full-to-the-cheek bones sensuality of the Hollywood starlets of that period, but she's a little straight too". She appeared alongside Jason Priestley in the Roy Orbison music video for "I Drove All Night" the following year.

During the mid-1990s, Connelly demonstrated her ability to handle more mature roles with a 1995 appearance in the role of a collegiate lesbian in John Singleton's Higher Learning. She subsequently began to appear in small budget but well-regarded films, such as 1997's drama Inventing the Abbotts set in the late 1950s in which she played the part of Eleanor, one of the three daughters of the town millionaire Lloyd Abbott. Her next appearance was in the critically acclaimed 1998 science fiction film Dark City, where her supporting role was backed by renown actors as Rufus Sewell, William Hurt, Ian Richardson and Kiefer Sutherland.
Early 2000s
A brown haired woman, wearing a white dress with small flowers detail and a black ribbon in her hips. She is also wearing pendants. Behind her there is a woman dress with a white shirt and a white skirt with big flowers details.
Connelly in Central Park, New York City, June 2005

In 2000, Ed Harris directed Conelly in the biopic Pollock in which she played Ruth Kligman, Jackson Pollock's mistress. The same year she appeared in her breakthrough film, Requiem for a Dream, directed by Darren Aronofsky, and based on the novel of the same name. Connelly played Marion Silver, Harry's (Jared Leto) girlfriend in a movie that also starred Marlon Wayans and Ellen Burstyn and featured characters with different drug addictions who are all on the edge of mental breakdown. Critics acclaimed the individual performances, especially those of Connelly and Burstyn, due to the courage needed to demonstrate their characters' constant physical and mental degradation. Connelly stated that she was interested in the script for the depiction of the addictions of the characters and the impact in the life of their relatives and affections. Critic Elvis Mitchell wrote in The New York Times: "Ms. Connelly, too, whittled herself down to a new weight class, and it's her performance that gives the movie weight, since her fall is the most precipitous. By the end, when she curls into a happy fetal ball with a furtive smile on her face, she has come to love her debasement[...] Her dank realization is more disturbing than anything in the novel, and Ms. Connelly has never before done anything to prepare us for how good she is here." During 2000 she made her first television appearance as Catherine Miller, in the FOX drama series The $treet, about a brokerage house in New York City.

Also in 2000, she appeared in Waking the Dead, a film based on the 1986 novel of the same name playing Sarah Williams, an activist killed by a car bomb in Minneapolis while driving Chilean refugees. About her role, Connelly said: "Waking the Dead was the first film I worked on where whatever I did felt like my own thing. I was really trying to make something of the part and threw myself into it, so that meant a lot to me". The New York Times described her performance: "As Sarah, Ms. Connelly captures a burning ethereality and willfulness that are very much of the period. And she and Mr. Crudup connect powerfully in love scenes that convey the fierce tenderness of a relationship whose passion carries a tinge of religious fervor."

Connelly stated that she was excited after reading the script of Ron Howard's 2001 film A Beautiful Mind, which was loosely based on the 1998 biography of John Nash by the former New York Times' reporter Sylvia Nasar. She was hired by the film's producer, Brian Gazer, to portray Alicia Nash, the long-suffering wife of the brilliant, schizophrenic mathematician (played by Russell Crowe). Connelly was invited for an audition after her agent, Risa Shapiro, sent the producers a tape with a clip of the then-unreleased Requiem for a Dream. Other actresses who auditioned for the role included Rachel Weisz, Hilary Swank, Mira Sorvino and Frances O'Connor. Impressed by Connelly's charisma, she and the others were auditioned alongside Russell Crowe; Howard and the other producers noted the impressive chemistry between Crowe and Connelly and chose her for the part. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing over $313 million worldwide, and earned Connelly a Golden Globe, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Time called her performance "luminous" and Connelly stated afterwards: "[A Beautiful Mind] is the film I'm really proud of and really love." A.O. Scott of The New York Times said: "There is, for one thing, Ms. Connelly, keen and spirited in the underwritten role of a woman who starts out as a math groupie and soon finds herself the helpmeet of a disturbed, difficult man."

In Hulk (2003), she played Betty Ross, a scientist and former girlfriend of the main character, Bruce Banner. Connelly stated that director Ang Lee's philosophical perspective on the Marvel Comics superhero was what had sparked her interest in the project, she described Lee's perception as: "a family psycho-drama with hints of Greek tragedy". The film was a moderate success. It was followed the same year by The House of Sand and Fog, based on the novel by Andre Dubus III. She portrayed Kathy Nicolo, an abandoned wife whose inherited house is sold at auction to the Iranian emigre Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley). The struggles between Kathy and the foreign colonel intensify throughout the story as the characters enter a downward spiral of events. The film was generally well-received worldwide and received critical acclaim with a BBC reporter commenting, " convinces totally as a selfish, desperate and lonely woman who confesses to her brother, 'I just feel lost'."
2005–2007
A brown hair woman signing autographs. She has brown hair and wears a red dress. At a side there are fans.
Connelly at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009

After a two-year absence from the film scene, Connelly returned in the 2005 horror/psychological thriller Dark Water, which was based on a 2002 Japanese film of the same name. She played Dahlia, a frightened young woman traumatized by her past, who moves with her daughter (Ariel Gade) to an apartment on Roosevelt Island in New York City where paranormal happenings take place. In his review, critic Roger Ebert wrote: "I cared about the Jennifer Connelly character; she is not a horror heroine but an actress playing a mother faced with horror. There is a difference, and because of that difference, Dark Water works".

Both films that she appeared in the following year were nominated for multiple Academy Awards. She played a major role in an adaptation of the novel Little Children alongside Kate Winslet, a movie which focuses on the relationship between Sarah Pierce (played by Winslet) and Brad Adamson (Patrick Wilson). Connelly co-starred in Blood Diamond opposite Leonardo DiCaprio where she portrayed journalist Maddy Bowen, who is working on exposing the real story behind blood diamonds. New York Magazine praised her performance: "Connelly is such a smart, sane, unhistrionic actress that she almost disguises the fact that her character is a wheeze."

Her next appearance was as Grace in the drama Reservation Road with Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo, a film that saw limited release in 2007. By her own account, the character she played in the movie proved tougher than any of her previous roles. USA Today's Susan Wloszczyna commented: "The strong performances of Jennifer Connelly and Mark Ruffalo [...] raise the film above overheated melodrama".
2008–2011

In 2008, Connelly was named the face of the Balenciaga fashion house's advertisements and appeared in their publicity shots for 2009, as well as becoming the new face of Revlon cosmetics. Publications such as Vanity Fair, Esquire, and the Los Angeles Times have included Connelly in their rankings of the most beautiful women in the world.

Connelly appeared alongside Keanu Reeves in the 2008 remake of the 1951 science fiction film The Day The Earth Stood Still. She played Princeton University astrobiologist Helen Benson. Unlike the original movie, where Benson was a secretary and her romantic relationship with Klaatu was the focus of the story, the remake did not feature a love story and instead presented Benson in a troubled relationship between her and her stepson, portrayed by Jaden Smith. Astronomer Seth Shostak helped her understand the requisite professional jargon of her character.
A brown hair woman looks to the right. She is wearing a black sweater. In front of her there are two water jars and two microphones over a table with a grey carpet. Behind her there are logos of the comic conference.
Connelly at the press conference of Tim Burton's 9, at the 2009 Comic-Con International

She was included in the ensemble cast of the 2009 romantic comedy He's Just Not That Into You (which also featured Jennifer Aniston and Ginnifer Goodwin), based on the self-help book of the same name. Variety Magazine praised her portrayal: "Despite its layer of darkness Connelly gives a really rich performance as a woman whose principles back her into a corner". Her next project was a cameo appearance in the 2008 fantasy film Inkheart.

In 2009 she appeared in the costume drama biopic Creation, in which she played Emma Darwin, wife of Charles Darwin, opposite her real-life husband Paul Bettany. Set during the writing of On the Origin of Species, the movie depicts Darwin's struggle with the subject of the book as well as with his wife, who opposed his theories, and their mourning for their daughter Annie. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Darwin's wife, a religious woman who disapproved of her husband's theories, is played by Jennifer Connelly, Bettany's real-life wife, in the kind of casting that doesn't always work, but it does here. We believe in the Darwins' history together, their familiarity and affection. Connelly's English accent is also as good as Renée Zellweger's and Gwyneth Paltrow's. She doesn't get just the sounds right, but also the music and the attitude". She then voiced the character named "7" in the animation film 9.

What's Wrong With Virginia premiered on September 15, 2010, at the Toronto International Film Festival. In the film Connelly portrayed Virginia, a mentally unstable woman who has a 20-year affair with the local sheriff, whose daughter then starts a relationship with her son. According to Cinema Blend "Virginia is propped up by a strong central performance, with Connelly doing some of her best work in years".

In 2011, Connelly starred in Ron Howard's comedy The Dilemma, which premiered on January 14 that year. Connelly played Beth, opposite Vince Vaughn. Although the Austin Chronicle's review noted "Vaughn nails it, and his nicely nuanced everyguy performance is aided by the always-excellent Connelly", the movie opened to generally negative reviews. Variety Magazine wrote: "Connelly, though a shade looser and more spontaneous than usual, seems stuck at an emotional remove from the action". Her next project, George Ratliff's Salvation Boulevard, premiered during the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. In the film Connelly played Gwen, the wife of Carl Vanderveer (Greg Kinnear); the couple are members of the Church of the Third Millennium, led by pastor Dan (Pierce Brosnan).
Personal life
A brown hair woman signs autographs for fans. She wears a red dress. Behind her there is a blond man dressed with a suit. The woman and the man are facing a crowd of fans.
Connelly and her husband, Paul Bettany at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival

Connelly has stated that she prefers life with her husband and children when she is not working and in 2009 cited her family, with whom she lives in TriBeCa, New York City, as the most important thing in her life.

Her first son, Kai, was born in 1997, from her relationship with photographer David Dugan. In 2009, she stated "Becoming a mother has made all the difference in terms of learning to take more responsibility for myself and my life[...] Parenthood changed the way I do everything." Once a vegan, she gave it up during her first pregnancy. On January 1, 2003, she married the actor Paul Bettany, whom she met while working on A Beautiful Mind, in a private family ceremony in Scotland. The couple's first child and Connelly's second, Stellan, named after their friend, actor Stellan Skarsgård, was born the same year. She gave birth to her third child, Agnes Lark, on May 31, 2011 in New York City.

Connelly has contributed to several charities. On November 14, 2005, she was named Amnesty International Ambassador for Human Rights Education and featured in an advertisement highlighting the global need for clean water which encouraged donations for drilling projects in Africa, India, and Central America. On May 2, 2009, she participated in Revlon's annual 5k Run/Walk for Women along with Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel.

In 2010, along with TriBeCa neighbors including James Gandolfini, John Slattery, Casey Affleck, and Kirsten Dunst, Connelly filed a motion in the New York State Supreme Court to stop construction of a sanitation garage that was 5 feet (1.5 m) larger than legally allowed and that would increase truck traffic. Although New York City judge Jeffrey Oing initially granted a temporary restriction, the restraining order was lifted, and the appeals court later approved resumption of construction work.

Connelly speaks both Italian and French fluently.
Filmography
Year↓  Title↓  Role↓  Notes↓
1984  Once Upon a Time in America  Young Deborah Gelly  
1984  Phenomena  Jennifer Corvino  
1985  Seven Minutes in Heaven  Natalie Becker  
1986  Labyrinth  Sarah Williams  
1988  Étoile (Ballet)  Claire Hamilton / Natalie Horvath  
1988  Some Girls  Gabriella d'Arc  
1990  Hot Spot  Gloria Harper  
1991  Career Opportunities  Josie McClellan  
1991  The Rocketeer  Jenny Blake  Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
1992  Heart of Justice  Emma Burgess  TV Movie
1994  Of Love and Shadows  Irene  
1995  Higher Learning  Taryn  
1996  Mulholland Falls  Allison Pond  
1996  Far Harbor  Ellie  
1997  Inventing the Abbotts  Eleanor Abbott  
1998  Dark City  Emma Murdoch / Anna  
2000  Waking the Dead  Sarah Williams  
2000  Requiem for a Dream  Marion Silver  Nominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
2000  Pollock  Ruth Kligman  
2001  A Beautiful Mind  Alicia Nash  Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
American Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Empire Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2003  Hulk  Betty Ross  Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress
2003  House of Sand and Fog  Kathy Nicolo  Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
2005  Dark Water  Dahlia Williams  
2006  Little Children  Kathy Adamson  
2006  Blood Diamond  Maddy Bowen  
2007  Reservation Road  Grace Learner  
2008  The Day the Earth Stood Still  Helen Benson  
2008  Inkheart  Roxane  Cameo
2009  He's Just Not That Into You  Janine  
2009  9  7 (voice)  Character voiced for an Animated film
2009  Creation  Emma Darwin  
2010  What's Wrong with Virginia  Virginia
2011  The Dilemma  Beth  
2011  Salvation Boulevard  Gwen Vanderveer  

Born  12 February 1976 (age 35)
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Residence  London, England
Occupation  Television presenter

After her family relocated to the South of England when she was seven, Falconer moved to Leeds in 1994 to study Spanish and Italian, with minors in Latin, Geography and Management Studies. Whilst studying at university, she also launched her television career, managing to juggle both for a number of years. It was at the end of her third year that she had to choose one or the other as she was due to live in Italy and Spain for a year as part of her course. She was also offered a contract by ITV to make a documentary and a consumer show on the provision that she left her studies. Consequently she put her degree 'on hold'.

Falconer made her television debut in 1994 as a contestant on Blind Date, and later presented BBC Scotland's Big Country, ITV's documentary series "3D" and consumer show We Can Work It Out. She hosted travel shows, BBC 'Holiday' and ITV's "How to Holiday". She was the main co-host of Entertainment Today from its launch on in 2000 until its end in July 2008 on GMTV. She still is regularly seen on the red carpet hosting movie premieres in Leicester Square.

Her other work includes reporting on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in Australia for GMTV in 2003, 2004 and 2006, becoming the host of the National Lottery Draws in September 2006 and hosting Cirque de Celebrité in October 2007. She also worked on a show about '24' for Sky One '24 in 24' which she suggested in the first place so she could meet Keifer Sutherland! She has also actively participated in reality shows, winning BBC One's and Sport Relief's Only Fools on Horses in 2006. In the summer of 2007 Falconer starred as the 'hidden' celebrity in an episode of the CBBC gameshow Hider in the House. She was a contestant on All-Star Family Fortunes in December 2007. She also appeared on All-Star Mr and Mrs in February 2010. Falconer has also branched out into acting, having had roles in 'Taggart' and in Ecstasy, a film adaptation based on the #1 bestselling book Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance by Irvine Welsh.

She won the Sport Relief showjumping competition Only Fools on Horses riding an 8 year old 16 hands mare called J-Lo. Falconer has also posed for photographs in "Arena" and FHM dressed in a black brassiere and panties. She hosted three series of Fantasy Homes By the Sea. This series is also shown around the world including BBC Canada. Falconer is currently one of the hosts of the popular daytime quiz show Wordplay on Five.

In June 2009, she was unveiled as the face and body of Adore Moi underwear range by Ultimo.

She ran her first marathon in 2009, completing the London course in 3 hours 53 minutes. In 2010, she improved her time by 22 minutes, completing in 3 hours 31 minutes.

In summer 2009, Falconer was a guest presenter on STV's daily lifestyle show The Hour, alongside main anchor Stephen Jardine. She presented between 17–21 August. The Scottish magazine programme airs weekdays at 5pm.

She appeared as a celebrity contestant on ITV's The Cube transmitted on 21 November 2010.

She guest presented the ITV's This Morning on 25 March 2011, and on 12 April 2011, as it was revealed that Holly could be in labour. It was later revealed in the day, by Twitter, that Holly was indeed in labour. Jenni is due to cover Holly's maternity cover in the latter half of the six weeks.

On 11 August 2009, she announced that she had become engaged to long term partner James Midgley, an actor best known for his role in Cutting It, who now runs his own post production facility, after he proposed in New York City. She and Midgley were married on 3 June 2010 at the exclusive private members retreat Babington House. Guests included TV Presenters - Michael Underwood, Angelica Bell and Ben Shepard. and was covered by OK! magazine. She wore a dress by designer Peter Langner.
On 7 March 2011, the couple announced via Twitter that they were expecting their first baby in September 2011. The family live in London.

Falconer has described herself as obsessed by handbags and high heel shoes, and has a collection of bags, both affordable high-street and designer. The designer bags are by Marc Jacobs, Mulberry, Chloe, Bracher Emden, Vivienne Westwood, Prada and Gucci - as well as a few vintage bags.

Rachel Sterling is a 31 years old American Celebrity.
She was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA.
Rachel Sterling's birthday is November 11, 1979 & Her star sign is Scorpio.
Her height is 5' 4" (1.63 m), She has a Brown - Dark hair & Black Eyes.
Her nickname is: Rachie Rach.
Rachel Sterling's build is Slim.

Her list of relationships includes the names: Conrad Adamczak, Eli Gessner, Rick Salomon, J.c. Chasez.

Born  Jennifer Berry
July 18, 1983 (age 27)
Houston, Texas
Hair color  Brown
Eye color  Brown
Title(s)  Miss Oklahoma 2005
Miss America 2006
Major
competition(s)  Miss America 2006 (winner)

She won the Miss Oklahoma 2005 title in a state pageant held Tulsa on June 11, 2005. She competed as Miss Grand Lake, and was a double preliminary winner, winning awards for both talent and swimsuit. This was Berry's fifth attempt at the state title, as she placed third runner-up in 2004 and 2003, made the top 10 in 2002 and was unplaced in 2001.

Berry represented Oklahoma in the Miss America 2006 pageant broadcast from the Theatre for the Performing Arts on the Las Vegas Strip on January 21, 2006, the first time the pageant was held outside Atlantic City, New Jersey. During the preliminary competitions Berry won a preliminary talent award for her ballet en pointe performance. At the end of the final night, which involved interview, swimsuit, evening gown and talent competitions Berry won the Miss America title, the first titleholder crowned outside Atlantic City.

Her platform issue as Miss Oklahoma and Miss America was "Building Intolerance to Drunk Driving and Underage Drinking." She acted a national spokesperson for Mothers Against Drunk Driving during her reign and also worked on behalf of numerous other charities. Berry also had the opportunity to host the second annual Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant held in Orlando, Florida.

Berry graduated from Jenks High School in 2001, and attended the University of Oklahoma with a major in elementary education. She hopes to attain a Master's in education and become an elementary school teacher. She is a member of the Churches of Christ. She currently lives in North Carolina.

On April 28, 2007 she married Nathan Gooden in her hometown of Tulsa.

Bronze  2004 Athens  Beach Volleyball
World Championships
Silver  1997 Los Angeles  Beach Volleyball

McPeak has 72 career beach volleyball titles and $1.4 million USD in career earnings, which are third (behind Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh) and second (behind May-Treanor) respectively of any woman in the history of professional beach volleyball. She also won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics with partner Elaine Youngs. McPeak, at 5 feet 7 inches, is considered short for beach volleyball, which makes her success all the more remarkable.

College and Olympics

McPeak signed with the California Golden Bears out of Mira Costa High School, where she was teammates with her Mira Costa classmate and future beach partner Lisa Arce. At Cal, she was named National Freshman of the Year in 1987, before transferring to UCLA in 1990.

In 1990, she helped the UCLA Bruins to a national championship, the school's fifth of six titles.

At the 1996 Summer Olympics, McPeak partnered with Nancy Reno and did not win a medal despite high expectations. Team conflict is often cited as a cause of this, and McPeak's breast enlargement surgery has been cited as a potential cause of this conflict.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics, McPeak partnered with Misty May-Treanor and finished in fifth place.

Professional career

During the 2005 season, McPeak teamed up with Jennifer Kessy (now known as Jennifer Boss) and with Nicole Branagh for the 2006 season. After Branagh left to partner with Elaine Youngs, McPeak partnered with indoor volleyball player Logan Tom for the 2007 AVP season. She then partnered with Angie Akers.

McPeak was planning to retire after the 2008 AVP season, but decided to continue for the 2009 season. After three-straight ninth-place finishes in her first three AVP events of the season, she retired for good on May 6, 2009.

Since retiring from beach volleyball, McPeak works as a color commentator for Pac-10 volleyball shown on Fox Sports West, including most televised games of UCLA.

Personal

McPeak is married to former AVP commissioner Leonard Armato.

Awards and honors

McPeak was inducted into Volleyball Hall of Fame on October 30, 2009.

At UCLA, she was named to the All-NCAA Tournament Team following the '90 championship run, also earning All-Pacific Region and All-Pacific-10 first-team honors.

Born  Heidi Klum
June 1, 1973 (age 38)
Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Occupation  Actress, television host, model
Ethnicity  German
Height  5 ft 9.25 in (1.76 m)
Spouse  Ric Pipino (1997–2002)
Seal (2005–present)
Website
heidiklum.com

Klum was raised in Bergisch Gladbach, a town outside Cologne, by her German parents Günther, a cosmetics-company executive, and Erna, a hairdresser. A friend persuaded her to enroll in a national modeling contest called "Model 92". Out of 25,000 contestants, Klum was voted the winner on April 29, 1992 and offered a modeling contract worth US$300,000 by Thomas Zeumer, CEO of Metropolitan Models New York. As the winner, she appeared on the Gottschalk Late Night Show, a top German television show with host Thomas Gottschalk. She accepted the contract a few months later after graduating from school and decided not to try for an apprentice position at a fashion design school.

Acting and modeling

Heidi Klum has been on the cover of fashion magazines, including Vogue, Elle, and Marie Claire. She became widely known after appearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and for her work with Victoria's Secret as an "Angel". Klum has hosted the 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows. On October 1, 2010, the New York Post reported on its page six gossip column that Heidi Klum would be leaving Victoria's Secret. Klum said she's hanging up her wings and will not be walking in the November show.

In addition to working with well known photographers on her Sports Illustrated shoots, she was the object and subject of Joanne Gair body painting works in several editions from 1999 to 2006. She wrote the foreword to Gair's book of body paint work. She was a spokesmodel for McDonald's, Braun, Dannon, H & M, and Liz Claiborne, among others. She is currently a celebrity spokesmodel for Jordache and Volkswagen. In addition to modeling, she has appeared in several TV shows, including Spin City, Sex and the City, Yes, Dear, and How I Met Your Mother. She had a role as an ill-tempered hair model in the movie Blow Dry, played a giantess in the movie Ella Enchanted and was cast as Ursula Andress in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. She had cameo appearances in The Devil Wears Prada and Perfect Stranger.

Klum's other projects include music and video games. She is featured in the 2004 James Bond video game Everything or Nothing, where she plays the villain Dr. Katya Nadanova. She has appeared in several music videos, including Jamiroquai's video "Love Foolosophy" from their album A Funk Odyssey, Kelis's "Young, Fresh n' New", off her second 2001 album Wanderland and, most recently, the second video for her husband Seal's song "Secret" off his 2010 album Seal 6: Commitment. The latter video depicts the married couple sharing intimate moments while naked in bed; the concept was Klum's idea.

In July 2007, having earned $8 million in the previous 12 months, Klum was named by Forbes as third on the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels. In 2008, Forbes estimated her income at $14 million, putting Klum in second place. For 2009, Forbes estimated her income at $16 million. Klum is signed to IMG Models in New York City.

In 2008, Klum was a featured guest on an American Volkswagen commercial, where she was interviewed by a black Beetle. When she commented that German engineering is so sexy, she caused the Beetle to blush and turn red. She has been a part of several commercials for Volkswagen and McDonald's on German television.

In November 2008, Klum appeared in two versions of a Guitar Hero World Tour commercial, where she did a take on a Tom Cruise scene in Risky Business. In both versions, she lip-synced to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" while dancing around the living room with the wireless guitar controller.

In early 2009, Klum ventured into web-based videos, starring in "SPIKED HEEL: Supermodels Battle the Forces of Evil". The web-series starred model Coco Rocha and was directed by fashion documentarian Doug Keeve. In the story, Klum aka 'The Kluminator,' and her stylish sidekick Coco “The Sassy Superhero” Rocha battle the evil Dr. Faux Pas who is plotting to destroy Fashion Week. The heroines employ everything from blow-dryer guns to fist fights, in order to thwart Dr. Faux Pas' dastardly plans. The Kluminator and Girl Wonder avoid a chain of fashion disasters to neutralize a death ray that threatens to vaporize the community of fashionistas gathered in Bryant Park.

In 2010, Klum became the new face and creative advisor for European cosmetics brand Astor, where she sets artistic direction and designs new products and fashion forward color collections.

In October 2010, Klum parted ways with Victoria's Secret after 13 years of working with the brand. She provided a simple explanation in her official statement, stating "All good things have to come to an end. I will always love Victoria and never tell her secret. It’s been an absolute amazing time!"

It was reported on May 2011 that Klum trails far behind Bündchen at No. 2 with estimated earnings of $20 million on forbes' list of the World's Top-Earning Model (2010-2011). Noting that since ending her 13-year run as a Victoria's Secret Angel, Klum has become more of a businesswoman than a model. She's partnered with New Balance and Amazon.com to launch a clothing line and signed a 20-episode deal to host a new show on Lifetime, called Seriously Funny Kids.

Producing

Project Runway season three finalist Laura Bennett interviews Klum and Seal at the 59th Emmy Awards.

In December 2004, Klum became the host, judge and executive producer of the reality show Project Runway on the U.S. cable television channel Bravo, (airing on Lifetime television beginning in 2009) in which fashion designers compete for the opportunity to show their line at New York Fashion Week and receive money to launch their own fashion line. She received an Emmy Award nomination for the show for each of the first four seasons. In 2008, Klum and Project Runway received a Peabody Award, the first time a reality show won the award. Klum was nominated for an Emmy in 2008 for "outstanding host of a reality or reality-competition show" for Project Runway, the first year that category was recognized by the Emmys.

Klum has been the host, judge and co-producer of Germany's Next Topmodel the German version of the internationally successful reality television show, since 2006. All five seasons aired on the German TV station ProSieben.

Design and other business ventures

Klum designed clothing lines (one for men), featured in the German mail-order catalog "Otto". She designed shoes for Birkenstock, jewellery for Mouawad, a clothing line for Jordache, and swimsuits – featured in the 2002 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She was one of the designers of the Victoria's Secret lingerie line "The Body", named after the nickname she received following her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show appearance. Her Mouawad jewelry collection debuted on the cable shopping network QVC on September 14, 2006, and 14 of the 16 styles sold out after 36 minutes. Klum's clothing line for Jordache launched on April 30, 2008.

Klum has two fragrances, called "Heidi Klum" and "Me". She designed makeup for Victoria's Secret as part of their "Very Sexy Makeup Collection", titled "The Heidi Klum Collection". The first run debuted in Fall 2007. A second run was released in Fall 2008.

Klum was involved in the development of a namesake rose, the Heidi Klum rose, which is available in Germany.

For the 2008 US Open, Klum designed a screen print t-shirt which was sold at the US Open shop. It featured child-like butterfly pictures. Proceeds will go to a non-profit organization maintaining the park which is home to the US Open.

Heidi became Barbie's official ambassador for the doll's 50th anniversary in 2009, even having made a Barbie doll out of herself. On April 1 that same year, she appeared on the CBS television special, I Get That a Lot, as a girl working at a pizza shop. That same year, she appeared in advertising for Dannon's Light & Fit brand.

Klum and husband Seal announced in June 2010 that whey will be making a reality series on Lifetime entitled Love's Divine (after Seal's song of the same name.)

In January 2010, Klum launched 2 lines of maternity wear: Lavish by Heidi Klum for A Pea in the Pod, and Loved by Heidi Klum for Motherhood Maternity. Klum stated, "I experienced fashion challenges during my four pregnancies and combined my knowledge of what works in terms of style, comfort and practicality to create these lines".

In October 2010, Klum with New Balance, HKNB, launched a line of active woman's wear fashion clothing on Amazon.com.

Klum is a "Real Celebrity" on the website Stardoll, where she has a line of virtual jewelry, and a virtual clothing line called Jordache. Users can go to Klum's suite and interact with her by doing interviews, sending pending requests or dressing Klum's doll.

Other work

Klum is an artist, and had several of her paintings appear in various art magazines in the U.S. On September 27, 2002 she dedicated a sculpture she painted called "Dog with Butterflies" to commemorate the role of rescue dogs in the aftermath of September 11.

In 2004, Klum co-authored Heidi Klum's Body of Knowledge with Elle magazine editor Alexandra Postman. The book gives Klum's biography as well as her advice on becoming successful. Prior to that, Klum had been an occasional guest columnist for the German television network RTL's website. She wrote an essay for the German newspaper Die Zeit.

In November 2006, Klum released her debut single "Wonderland", written for a series of television advertisements for the German retailer "Douglas". Proceeds were given to a children's charity in her hometown of Bergisch Gladbach. She contributed to her husband Seal's 2007 album System, singing the duet "Wedding Day", a song that Seal wrote for their wedding.

Personal life

Klum married stylist Ric Pipino in 1997; the couple divorced in 2002.

Klum gave birth to her first child, Helene Boshoven "Leni" Klum on May 4, 2004 in New York City. According to Klum, Leni's biological father Flavio Briatore, is not involved in the child's life; she has stated emphatically that "Seal is Leni's father".

In early 2004, while still pregnant, Klum began a relationship with musician Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel; he was present for Leni's birth. Klum and Seal married on May 10, 2005, on a beach in Mexico. They have three biological children together: sons Henry Gunther Ademola Dashtu Samuel (born September 12, 2005) and Johan Riley Fyodor Taiwo Samuel (born November 22, 2006), and daughter Lou Sulola Samuel (born October 9, 2009). In December 2009, Seal officially adopted Leni, and her last name was changed to Samuel. Klum and Seal renew their vows to one another each year on their anniversary in front of family and friends.

On hearing her family referred to as a "patchwork family" in a German newspaper, Klum said, "I was, like, Hmm, is this an insult or is this positive? I talked to Seal about it, and we’re, like, it’s actually kind of great—we’re all different shades and we came together and we all love each other. They may call it black and white, but I’m not white, I’m a shade of brown and so is our daughter, Leni. She’s the lightest, then it’s me, then it’s our son, and then it’s Seal. So I think, Hey, it’s actually kind of nice to have a 'patchwork family.'"

In 2008, Klum became a naturalized American citizen, officially taking the oath to become an American citizen in order to cast her vote for then presidential candidate Barack Obama.

On November 21, 2009, she officially adopted the surname of her husband, Seal, and is now legally known as Heidi Samuel.

Legal issues

An unemployed Chemnitz butcher who used Klum's picture in advertising for a local dance on a flyer and a web page, contested her subsequent takedown notice in court and lost, forcing him to pay court costs of €2,300. German actress Jenny Elvers Elbertzhagen has pledged to pay on his behalf.

Filmography

Year  Film  Role
1998  54  VIP Patron
2001  Blow Dry  Jasmine
2003  Blue Collar Comedy Tour  Victoria's Secret Sales Girl
2004  Ella Enchanted  Brumhilda
The Life and Death of Peter Sellers  Ursula Andress
2007  Perfect Stranger  Victoria's Secret Party Host
2011  Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil  Heidi

Heidi Klum appeared in episodes of TV shows like Malcolm in the Middle (as a toothless hockey player) and Cursed. She has also guest-starred as herself in I Get That a Lot, Spin City, Sex and the City, CSI: Miami, How I Met Your Mother, Yes, Dear, Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. Further, the character of Katya Nadanova in the video game James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing features her voice.

Born  February 25, 1986 (age 25)
Hyōgo Prefecture
Height  1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Eye colour  Brown
Hair colour  Black
Ethnicity  Japanese

In 2004, Tezuka began her career in the gravure business as Ourei Harada. She was most noticeable feature was her G-cup breasts, a rarity in Japan not for their enormous size, but because they were easily recognizable implants.[citation needed] Her first photobook, Vanilla, was released in Japan just after her eighteenth birthday. This initial success was followed up with photoshoots in several magazines and websites. In 2004 she won the Miss Magazine annual gravure idol contest put on by publisher Kodansha. According to her blog, Tezuka retired from the gravure idol world as of March 31, 2007.

Tezuka returned to the media spotlight in May, 2008 by reporting via webcast on the press release for Metal Gear Solid 4 held by Sony in Tokyo. From the footage of this webcast it is apparent that she has had breast reduction during her previous retirement. Following her return to show business, Tezuka became a weather reporter for a regional company that provides cellphone updates.Her blog reopened during this time period only to shut down again on April 14, 2009.

On April 15, 2009, it was announced that Tezuka would be changing her stage name to Eiko Maeda and joining the pop idol group SKE48. This is a rather unusual career move for the former Japanese bikini idol who has had breast reduction surgery because even though SKE48 supposedly only allows new members who are under the age of 20, Maeda Eiko was able to join at the age of 23. On November 30, 2009 she moved to SKE48's sister group, SDN48, and change her stage name to Machiko Tezuka.

Selected works

    Vanilla -- Debut photo collection on March 25, 2004
    Jumbo -- Debut DVD on October 21, 2004

Chinese name  孔慶翔 (Traditional)
Chinese name  孔庆翔 (Simplified)
Born  January 13, 1983 (age 28)
Hong Kong
Occupation  Civil engineering university student, singer, actor
Genre(s)  Pop
Years active  2004–present

Originally from Sha Tin, Hong Kong, Hung moved to Camden, New Jersey in 1993 and graduated from the John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles. He was a student at University of California, Berkeley, and later dropped out to pursue his music career.

Initial fame

While studying civil engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, Hung auditioned for the third season of American Idol in San Francisco in September 2003.

He was the final auditioner on the January 15, 2004, installment, the coup de grâce of an hour-long episode that showcased other would-be pop stars, mostly lacking in talent.

"I want to make music my living," said Hung, before he started singing and dancing to Ricky Martin's "She Bangs". As judges Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul tried to restrain their laughter, judge Simon Cowell dismissed Hung's performance, remarking "You can't sing, you can't dance, so what do you want me to say?", to which Hung replied, "Um, I already gave my best, and I have no regrets at all." Jackson and Abdul applauded his positive attitude, with Abdul remarking, "That's the best attitude yet." Hung's response to Cowell's criticism starkly contrasts with the often confrontational rejoinders of other contestants. Hung added, "...you know, I have no professional training of singing and dancing," eliciting mock surprise from Cowell, who replied, "No? Well this is the surprise of the century." Hung was not admitted through to the next round.
Cult following

Hung rapidly gained a cult following. A William Hung fan site, set up by realtor Don Chin and his wife Laura, recorded over four million hits within its first week. Hung subsequently appeared on several television programs including Jimmy Kimmel Live!, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Entertainment Tonight, The George Lopez Show, The Late Show With David Letterman, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, The Howard Stern Radio Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dateline NBC, Arrested Development and CBS's The Early Show. Hung was featured in several national magazines and newspapers; he was parodied on Saturday Night Live and appeared on Celebrity Deathmatch. He was reportedly invited to perform at MTV's Asia Awards held in mid-February. Remixes of Hung's audition performance topped song request lists at a number of radio stations. An online petition to get Hung back to American Idol included more than 100,000 signatures by late February. Hung was brought back to American Idol as part of a mid-season special titled Uncut, Uncensored and Untalented, airing March 1, 2004. The special documented what it was like to experience the audition process and, in Hung's case, emerge as an inadvertent celebrity.
Record deal

William Hung was offered a $25,000 advance on a record deal from Koch Entertainment in 2004, and released three albums on that label in 2004 and 2005. The albums mainly consisted of covers of pop and rock songs, including "She Bangs".
Television, commercials and movies

Hung has appeared in commercials for the search engine Ask.com, the Game Show Network (spoofing Freddy Mercury and singing an off-key "We Are the Champions"), as well as the mobile phone service provider Cingular Wireless. He also appeared to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in May 2004 at the Rogers Centre for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Hung performing at Haas Pavilion in 2006

His first movie, a low-budget Hong Kong period comedy called Where is Mama's Boy (2004), was released in January 2005. Hung played a good-natured village kid who sells Chinese pancakes to pay his mother's medical bills. His character gets discovered as a singer, and helps a woman protect her business from her jealous, conniving elder sister. In the film, Hung played opposite veteran Hong Kong actress Nancy Sit and parodied his own American Idol performance with the song "Siu Beng" (Cantonese) ("Chinese Pancake"), an allusion to his American Idol audition song, "She Bangs." Despite solid financial backing and the involvement of Nancy Sit, the film was a box office flop.

Hung was the subject of a documentary called William Hung: Hangin' with Hung, a ninety minute film recounting his sudden rise to fame. Hung appeared as himself in a February 2006 episode of the television series Arrested Development titled "Fakin' It", acting as the front-man of a band, "William Hung and his Hung Jury", the house band for a fictional courtroom-themed show Mock Trial with J. Reinhold.

Hung has appeared in an episode of the MTV Show, Celebrity Deathmatch, where he battles Ricky Martin (who performed the original "She Bangs").

In the episode Sexual Harassment of the American version of The Office, the letters "WL HUNG" appear on Todd Packer's vanity plate and is mistaken to be a reference to Hung. The letters actually stood for "Well hung".

He has also appeared in Airline in which he missed his flight, then sang his infamous song once again for the cameras.

Hung has also been portrayed as a Chinese fairy in the Fairly OddParents movie, Fairy Idol. The fairy also sang horribly, but sang the Fairly OddParents theme song instead.

Hung also made a cameo appearance on an episode of George Lopez, auditioning as a wedding singer.

American Idol season 9 semi-finalist Todrick Hall auditioned in Dallas, Texas with an original audition song that mentioned Hung.
Controversy

Commentator Emil Guillermo claimed that Hung may have not gained much attention had he been of another race, and his popularity may be derived from his being a representation of the Asian stereotype, characterized by nerdiness, bucked teeth, studiousness, speaking with a strong "fresh off the boat" accent, and lacking singing talent or rhythm. Documentary filmmaker James Hou commented that "(a)s Asian Americans, we look through this racial lens, and we see this guy who embodies all the stereotypes we're trying to escape from." Many have argued that Hung's career arose out of mockery, and that the media exploited him as a joke rather than as a talented or inspirational figure. Ron Lin, former editor in chief of the UC Berkeley's Daily Californian notes that "(i)t's really difficult for Asian American males to break through and (Hung) may not be the most appealing example." However, in contrast to this viewpoint, in a 2008 American Idol Extra, Hung attributes his success in this when asked, "Why do you think it is that people gravitate towards William Hung so much?", Hung stated, "I believe it's my attitude and charisma, I tell people constantly, media, every where I go, just never give up on your dream."
Discography
Year  Album  Peak  Certifications
(sales threshold)
US  US
Indie
2004  Inspiration

    Released: April 6, 2004
    Label: Koch

 34  1  

    US Sales: 194,00

Hung for the Holidays

    Released: October 19, 2004
    Label: Koch

 —  22  

    US Sales: 29,00

2005  Miracle: Happy Summer from William Hung

    Released: July 12, 2005
    Label: Koch

Born  December 30, 1986 (age 24)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Alias(es)  Meggan, Meggan Malone, Meggan Powers
Height  5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight  100 lb (45 kg)
Eye colour  Green
Hair colour  Brown
Skin colour  White
Ethnicity  White
No. of adult films  22 (per IAFD)

Born in Houston, Texas, Mallone is of Cherokee and Irish-German descent. Mallone's mother, a full-blooded Cherokee from Oklahoma, gave her the Indian name "Moonstar". Mallone attended Lamar High School in Houston and worked as a fashion model before signing with Vivid.

She did two internet adult shoots before a photographer introduced her to Vivid Entertainment at the 2008 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo. She signed a one-year exclusive contract with Vivid on January 18, 2008. Within a month Mallone teamed up with fellow Vivid girl Briana Banks to appear on stage for a special comedy night that was broadcast on National Lampoon Radio (XM channel 154). Comedians performing that night included Rick Shapiro, from the HBO sitcom Lucky Louie as well as Taylor Negron, Lynn Shawcroft, and Nadine Rajabi. Mallone's first two movies for Vivid were Strictly Conversation and 20 Questions, directed by Paul Thomas.

Mallone appeared on the cover of the May 2008 AVN as well as the June 2008 cover of Hustler.

Awards

    2009 AVN Award nominee - Best New Starlet
    2010 AVN Award nominee – Best Tease Performance – Strip Tease

Selected filmography

    Cherries 62 (2008) Homegrown Video
    Matt's Models #6 (2008) Vivid Entertainment
    The Chronicles of Hornia (2008) Homegrown Video
    Meggan and Hanna Love Manuel (2008) Vivid Entertainment
    20 Questions (2008) Vivid Entertainment

Birth name  Mary Jane Blige
Born  January 11, 1971 (age 40)
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Origin  Yonkers, New York
Genres  R&B, soul, hip hop, hip hop soul
Occupations  Singer-songwriter, Rapper record producer, actress
Instruments  Vocals
Years active  1989–present
Labels  Uptown / MCA (1989–1996)
MCA (1997–2002)
Matriarch / Geffen (2003—present )
Website  mjblige.com

Blige started her musical career in 1992, releasing her multi-platinum US selling debut album, What's the 411? on MCA Records and Uptown. What's the 411? gave Blige her first Billboard 200 top ten album, which has continued since the release of her debut album until her latest album, Stronger with Each Tear (2009), which became Blige's seventh consecutive album to debut at number one or number two on the Billboard 200. As of 2010, Blige has sold over 50 million albums and 15 million singles worldwide.

Blige was born in The Bronx, New York. She is the second of four children born to parents Cora, a nurse, and Thomas Blige, a jazz musician. Blige was taught to sing by her father. When Blige was four, her father abandoned the family. At the age of five, Blige was molested by a family friend.

Blige spent her early years in Richmond Hill, Georgia, where she sang in a Pentecostal church. She later moved to Schlobohm Apartments in Yonkers, New York, where she lived with her mother, older sister, five cousins, and two aunts. She dropped out of Roosevelt High School in the eleventh grade.

At the age of 17, Blige recorded an impromptu cover of Anita Baker's "Caught Up In the Rapture" at a recording booth in the Galleria Mall in White Plains, New York. Her mother's boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Redd sent it to the president and CEO of the label, Andre Harrell. Harrell met with Blige and in 1989 she was signed to the label, becoming the company's youngest and first female artist.

Blige's early years consisted of session work as a background vocalist for the likes of Jeff Reed, who introduced her during a live performance at the Apollo Theater. A year later, she sung the hook on Father MC's hit "I'll Do 4 U" and was prominently featured at the end of the video singing.

What's the 411? (1992–1993)

Production for Blige's debut album began in 1992, with Sean "Puffy" Combs, who was at the time an A&R executive at Uptown who oversaw the project.

On July 28, 1992, Uptown Records released What's the 411?. "You Remind Me", the album's first single, peaked at number one on the R&B singles chart that summer. The second single, "Real Love", was released in the fall. It too topped the R&B singles chart, and became Blige's first top ten Hot 100 single, peaking at number seven. Both singles were certified gold for their sales volume.

More What's the 411? singles followed into 1993, including "Sweet Thing", a cover of Rufus's "Sweet Thing", and "Love No Limit". By the end of the year, What's the 411? had sold three million copies. Blige, meanwhile, released a hip hop single "You Don't Have to Worry". After the success of What's the 411, Sean "Puffy" Combs hailed the singer as "the queen of hip-hop soul". The name of her album, What's the 411? stems from her previous job as Directory Assistance operator. The album's success spun off What's the 411? Remix, a remix album released in December that was used to extend the life of the What's the 411? singles on the radio into 1994, as Blige recorded her follow-up album. With combined sales of over 5 million albums and singles from her debut album, Blige was the best selling female artist on the Uptown label.

My Life (1994–1995)

On November 29, 1994, Uptown Records released Blige's second album, My Life which was again overseen by Combs who also produced more than 50% of the album along with Washington DC native Carl "Chucky" Thompson (despite his having recently left the label), who with Thompson co-produced all but one of the album's tracks, and took over as Blige's manager. Unlike What's the 411?, Blige co-wrote a large body of the material, basing it on her personal life.

"Be Happy", the album's single, peaked at number 29 and number six on the Hot 100 and R&B singles chart, respectively. In early 1995, it was followed up with a cover of Rose Royce's 1976 hit "I'm Goin' Down", which became her first top 20 hit in the UK, peaking at number 12. Other My Life singles include "You Bring Me Joy" and "I Love You". "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" and "My Life" received heavy radio play, despite never being officially released as singles apart from the UK, where "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" became Blige's second top 20 hit from the album there. My Life was eventually certified triple platinum. In spite of its success and her growing fame, Blige later admitted that she was simultaneously dealing with long time bouts of drug addiction, alcoholism, and depression, as well as an abusive relationship with then-boyfriend K-Ci Hailey of Jodeci. Blige involved herself in several outside projects, recording a cover of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" for the soundtrack to the FOX series New York Undercover, and "Everyday It Rains" (co-written by R&B singer Faith Evans) for the soundtrack to the hip hop biopic, The Show. That summer she dueted with rapper Method Man on his song, "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" (which sampled Marvin Gaye's "You're All I Need to Get By", and for which she won a Grammy award.) Later in the year, she recorded the Babyface-penned and produced "Not Gon' Cry", for the soundtrack to the motion picture Waiting to Exhale. The platinum-selling single rose to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in early 1996, and became her biggest commercial hit at the time. Blige won her first Grammy Award – 'Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group' for her collaboration with Method Man. My Life was also nominated for Best R&B Album, but lost to TLC's CrazySexyCool.

Collaborations and other projects (1996–1997)

In 1996, after winning her first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for the platinum selling certified single, "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need to Get By with Wu Tang Clan member Method Man, later that year, she appeared on another Wu-Tang Clan member, Ghostface Killah's single, "All That I Got Is You", for which she co-wrote, and sung the second verse of the song, which is Ghostface Killah's account of his early boyhood.

She was unavailable for the music video, and was replaced by a backing singer named Megan Powell at the last minute; her original vocals remained on Ghostface Killah's debut album, Ironman.

In December of that year, My Life, was certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA.

In February 1997, Blige performed her hit at the time, "Not Gon' Cry" at the 1997 Grammy Awards, which gained her third Grammy Award nomination, her first for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, as Blige was recording the follow-up to My Life.

Share My World (1997–1998)

On April 22, 1997, MCA Records (parent company to Uptown Records, which was in the process of being dismantled) released Blige's third album, Share My World. By now, she and Combs had dissolved their working relationship. In his place were the TrackMasters who executive produced the project along with Steve Stoute. Sharing production duties were producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, R. Kelly, Babyface and Rodney Jerkins.

The album was made at a time where Blige was trying to "get her life together", by trying to overcome drugs and alcohol, as well as the ending of her relationship with Hailey. After an encounter with a person who threatened her life the previous year, she tried to quit the unhealthy life style and make more upbeat, happier music. As a result, songs such as "Love Is All We Need" and "Share My World", were made.

Share My World debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and spawned five hit singles: "Love Is All We Need" (featuring Nas), "I Can Love You" (featuring Lil' Kim), "Everything", "Missing You" (UK only) and "Seven Days." (featuring George Benson) The album became Blige's most commercially successful; selling three million copies in the U.S.. In early 1998, Blige won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album." That summer she embarked on the Share My World Tour, which resulted in a Gold-certified live album released later that year, simply titled The Tour. The album spawned one single, "Misty Blue."

Mary (1999–2000)

On August 17, 1999, Blige's fourth album, titled Mary was released. It marked a departure from her more familiar hip hop-oriented sound; this set featured a more earthy, whimsical, and adult contemporary-tinged collection of songs, reminiscent of 1970s to early 1980s soul.

On December 14, 1999, the album was re-released as a double-disc set. The second disc was enhanced with the music videos for the singles "All That I Can Say" and "Deep Inside" and included two bonus tracks: "Sincerity" (featuring Nas, Andy Hogan and DMX) and "Confrontation" (a collaboration with hip hop duo Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap originally from their 1999 album The Tunnel). The Mary album was critically praised, becoming her most nominated release to date, and was certified double platinum (selling over two million in sales.) It was not as commercially successful as Blige's prior releases, though all of the singles: "All That I Can Say", "Deep Inside", "Your Child", and "Give Me You" performed considerably on radio. In the meantime, MCA used the album to expand Blige's demographic into the nightclub market, as club-friendly dance remixes of the Mary singles were released. The club remix of "Your Child" peaked at number-one on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart in October 2000.

In 2001, a Japan-only compilation, Ballads, was released. The album featured covers of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed", and previous recordings of Aretha Franklin's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and Dorothy Moore's "Misty Blue".

No More Drama (2001–2002)

On August 28, 2001, MCA released Blige's fifth studio album, No More Drama. The album's first single, "Family Affair" (produced by Dr. Dre) became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for six consecutive weeks. It was followed by two further hit singles, the European only single "Dance for Me" featuring Common and the Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-produced title track (originally recorded for the Mary album), which sampled "Nadia's Theme", the piano-driven theme song to the daytime drama The Young and the Restless.

Though the album sold nearly two million copies in the U.S., MCA was underwhelmed by its sales, and subsequently repackaged and re-released the album on January 29, 2002. The No More Drama re-release featured a new album cover, deleted three of the songs from the original track listing, while adding two brand-new songs—one of which was the fourth single and top twenty Hot 100 hit "Rainy Dayz", (featuring Ja Rule), plus two remixes; one of the title track, serviced by Puff Daddy and the single version of "Dance for Me" featuring Common. The album sold another million-plus units (3.2 million in total) in the U.S. and seven million worldwide. Blige won a Grammy for 'Best Female R&B Vocal Performance' for the song "He Think I Don't Know." In April 2002, Blige performed with Shakira with the song "Love Is a Battlefield" on VH1 Divas show live in Las Vegas, she also performed "No More Drama" and "Rainy Dayz" as a duet with the returning Whitney Houston.

On July 22, 2002, MCA released Dance for Me, a collection of club remixes of some of her past top hits including the Junior Vasquez remix of "Your Child", and the Thunderpuss mix of "No More Drama." This album was released in a limited edition double pack 12" vinyl for DJ-friendly play in nightclubs.

Love & Life (2003–2004)

Mary J. Blige in September 2003

On August 26, 2003, Blige's sixth album Love & Life was released on Geffen Records (which had absorbed MCA Records.) Blige heavily collaborated with her one-time producer Sean Combs for this set. Due to the history between them on What's the 411? and My Life, which is generally regarded as their best work, and Blige having just come off of a successful fifth album, expectations were high for the reunion effort.

Despite the album debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and becoming Blige's fourth consecutive UK top ten album, Love & Life's lead-off single, the Diddy-produced "Love @ 1st Sight", which featured Method Man, barely cracked the top ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while altogether missing the top twenty on the Hot 100 (although peaking inside the UK top twenty). The following singles, "Ooh!", "Not Today" featuring Eve, "Whenever I Say Your Name"featuring Sting on the international re-release, and "It's a Wrap" fared worse. Although the album was certified platinum, it became Blige's lowest-selling to date. Critics and fans alike largely panned the disc, citing a lack of consistency and noticeable ploys to recapture the early Blige/Combs glory. Blige and Combs reportedly struggled and clashed during the making of this album, and again parted ways upon the completion of it.

The album became Blige's first album in six years to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 285,298 copies in first week.

Love & Life received mixed reviews from music critics. Allmusic gave it 4 stars and said the album "beamed with joy" and Rolling Stone gave it three stars, saying "You may not always love Blige's music, but you will feel her".

The album was eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA. To date the album has sold over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. and over 2,000,000 copies worldwide. The album was nominated for the Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 46th Grammy Awards.

The Breakthrough and Reflections – A Retrospective (2005–2006)

Geffen Records released Blige's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough on December 20, 2005. For the album, Blige collaborated with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Rodney Jerkins, will.i.am, Bryan Michael Cox, 9th Wonder, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Cool and Dre, and Dre & Vidal. The cover art was photographed by Markus Klinko & Indrani. It debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling 727,000 copies in its first week, it became the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist in SoundScan history, the fifth largest first-week sales for a female artist, and the fourth largest debut of 2005. Since its release, The Breakthrough has sold over three million copies in the U.S and over seven million copies worldwide, becoming one of the five best-selling albums of 2006.

The lead-off single, "Be Without You", peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while peaking at number one on the R&B chart for a record-setting fifteen consecutive weeks; it remained on the chart for over sixteen months. "Be Without You" found success in the UK (peaking in the lower end of the top forty) it became Blige's longest charting single on the UK Singles Chart. It is her second longest charting single to date. The album produced three more singles including two more top five R&B hits—"Enough Cryin'", which features Blige's alter ego Brook-Lynn (as whom she appeared on the remix to Busta Rhymes's "Touch It" in 2006); and "Take Me as I Am" (which samples Lonnie Liston Smith's "A Garden of Peace"). Blige's duet with U2 on the cover of their 1992 hit, "One" gave Blige her biggest hit to date in the UK, peaking at number two on the UK Singles Chart eventually being certified one of the forty highest-selling singles of 2006; it was her longest charting UK single. The success of The Breakthrough won Blige nine Billboard Music Awards, two American Music Awards, two BET Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and a Soul Train Award. She received eight Grammy Award nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards, the most of any artist that year. "Be Without You" was nominated for both "Record of the Year" and "Song of the Year". Blige won three: "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance", "Best R&B Song" (both for "Be Without You"), and "Best R&B Album" for The Breakthrough. Blige completed a season sweep of the "big three" major music awards, having won the American Music Awards in November 2006, the Billboard Music Awards in December 2006, and the Grammy Awards in February 2007.

In December 2006, a compilation called Reflections - A Retrospective was released. It contained many of Blige's greatest hits and four new songs, including the worldwide lead single "We Ride (I See the Future)". In the UK, however, "MJB da MVP" (which appeared in a different, shorter form on The Breakthrough) was released as the lead single from the collection. The album peaked at number nine in the U.S, selling over 170,000 copies in its first week, while reaching number forty in the UK. It has sold more than 1.6 million copies. In 2006, Blige recorded a duet with rapper Ludacris, "Runaway Love", which is the third single on his fifth album, Release Therapy. It reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 and the R&B chart. Blige was featured with Aretha Franklin and The Harlem Boys Choir on the soundtrack to the 2006 motion picture Bobby, on the lead track "Never Gonna Break My Faith". The song was nominated for a Golden Globe and won the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards.

Growing Pains (2007–2008)

Mary J. Blige posing for the photographers Markus Klinko & Indrani in 2007.

Blige's eighth studio album, Growing Pains, was released on December 18, 2007, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold 629,000 copies in its first week, marking the third time since Nielsen SoundScan began collecting data in 1991 that two albums sold more than 600,000 copies in a week in the United States. In its second week, the album climbed to number one, making it Blige's fourth number-one album. The lead single, "Just Fine", peaked at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Just Fine" was nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance", and Blige won "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for the Chaka Khan duet "Disrespectful" (featured on Khan's album Funk This) which Blige wrote.

Growing Pains was not released in the UK until February 2008, where it became Blige's fifth top ten and third-highest charting album.The Breakthrough and Reflections (A Retrospective) were released in the Christmas rush and therefore settled for lower peaks, although both selling more than her top five album Mary.[citation needed] "Just Fine" returned Blige to the UK singles chart top 20 after her previous two singles failed to chart highly. Subsequent singles from Growing Pains include "Work That", which accompanied Blige in an iTunes commercial, and "Stay Down".

Blige was featured on 50 Cent's 2007 album, Curtis, in the song "All of Me". In March 2008, she toured with Jay-Z in the Heart of the City Tour. They released a song called "You're Welcome". In the same period, cable network BET aired a special on Blige entitled The Evolution of Mary J. Blige, which showcased her career. Celebrities such as Method Man and Ashanti gave their opinions about Blige and her music. Blige is featured on singles by Big Boi, and Musiq Soulchild.

Growing Pains was nominated for and won the Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary R&B Album", at the 51st Grammy Awards held on February 8, 2009, earning Blige her 27th Grammy nomination, in a mere decade.

Blige went on the Growing Pains European Tour, her first tour there in two years. A tour of Australia and New Zealand was scheduled for June but was postponed due to "weariness from an overwhelming tour schedule" and then eventually canceled entirely.

On August 7, 2008, it was revealed Blige faced a US$2 million federal suit claiming Neff-U wrote the music for the song "Work That", but was owned by Dream Family Entertainment. The filing claimed that Dream Family never gave rights to use the song to Blige, Feemster or Geffen Records. Rights to the lyrics of the song used in an iPod commercial are not in question.

Stronger with Each Tear (2009–2010)

Blige performing "Lean On Me" at the "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial"

Blige returned to performing in January 2009 by performing the song "Lean on Me" at the Presidential Inauguration Committee's, "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial". Blige also performed her hit 2007 single, "Just Fine", with a new intro at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball after Barack Obama was sworn in on January 20, 2009. Blige appeared as a marquee performer on the annual Christmas in Washington television special.

Blige's ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear, was released on December 21, 2009, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 332,000 units in its first week of release. It became her fifth album not to take the top spot in the United States.

The lead single, "The One", which features Canadian rapper Drake, was released for airplay in June 2009, and was officially and digitally released in July 2009, peaking at number sixty-three on the Hot 100. Blige recorded "Stronger", as the lead single from the soundtrack to the basketball documentary "More Than a Game" in August 2009. The second single from Stronger with Each Tear, "I Am", was released in December 2009 and reached number fifty-five on the Hot 100. The third international single from the album, "Each Tear", was remixed with different featured artists from different countries, then being released in February 2010. The single failed to chart anywhere except in the UK where it reached number one-hundred-eighty-three and in Italy where it reached number one. The album's third U.S. single, "We Got Hood Love" featuring Trey Songz, was released in March 2010 and reached number twenty-five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart though it failed to reach the Hot 100. One of Blige's representatives reported to US Weekly magazine that a tour in support of Stronger with Each Tear will begin in the fall of 2010. On March 2010, Blige released Stronger with Each Tear in the United Kingdom, as well as in the European markets. The album performed modestly in the United Kingdom, debuting at number thirty-three on the UK Albums Chart and at number four on the UK R&B Chart. It reached the top 100 in other countries.
Blige performing live in September 2010.

Blige was honored at the 2009 BET Honors Ceremony and was paid tribute by Anita Baker and Monica. On November 4, 2009, Blige sang The Star-Spangled Banner at Yankee Stadium before the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies played the last game (game 6) of the World Series. Blige performed two songs from her ninth album as well as her previous hits, "No More Drama" and "Be Without You" along with the song "Color", which was featured on the Precious soundtrack. Blige appeared as a guest judge on the ninth season of American Idol on January 13, 2010.

On January 23, 2010, Blige released a track "Hard Times Come Again No More" with The Roots as well as performing it at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, Blige and Andrea Bocelli performed Bridge Over Troubled Water. Blige also performed on BET's SOS Help For Haiti, singing "Gonna Make It" with Jazmine Sullivan and "One." Blige also took part in February 2010's We Are the World 25 for Haiti, singing the solo originally sung by Tina Turner in the original 1985 We Are The World version. At the 41st NAACP Image Awards Blige won Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Album for Stronger with Each Tear. On November 18, 2010, Billboard revealed Mary J. Blige as the most successful female R&B/Hip Hop Artist on the Top 50 R&B/Hip Hop Artists of the Past 25 Years list. Mary came in at number 2 overall.

My Life II, The Journey Continues (2011–present)

On January 4, 2011 on Hot 97, Angie Martinez premiered a new version of Diddy-Dirty Money's "Someone to Love Me". The remix, titled "Someone to Love Me (Naked)", features new vocals from Blige and Lil Wayne. The song was released as an iTunes digital download single on March 29, 2011 and serves as a teaser until the official first single from the album. The video for the song was directed by Colin Tilley. The video premiered online via Vevo on April 4, 2011 and made their television debut on April 5, 2011 following BET’s “The Game.”

Rolling Stone revealed the tracks likely to make the final cut of Mary's tenth studio album are the Jerry Wonder-produced "Feel Inside" and "Beautiful Scars," a ballad by Diane Warren. Also describing the album as retro with lots of live instrumentation and soul samples. Mary has also teamed back up for production from long time collaboraters Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and Babyface. MTV.com revealed that the album titled My Life II, The Journey Continues, will be released September 3, 2011. The LP, recorded in Los Angeles and New York City, sees Mary looking toward the future while acknowledging the past. “From me to you, My Life II… Our journey together continues in this life,” explained Mary. “It’s a gift to be able to relate and identify with my fans at all times. This album is a reflection of the times and lives of people all around me.” The album will aso feature production from Kanye West and The Underdogs.

Mary was awarded Outstanding Female Artist at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards.

On June 26, 2011 Mary J. Blige performed a new single called It Ain't Over Till It's Over with Jadakiss and DJ Khaled at the BET Awards 2011. It will be on We the Best Forever

On July 5, 2011, Mary released the song The Living Proof as the lead single to the soundtrack of the film The Help

Acting career

In 1998, Blige made her acting debut on the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show playing a character, the apparently southern Ola Mae; a preacher's daughter who wanted to sing more than gospel music. Her father was portrayed by Ronald Isley of The Isley Brothers. In 2001, Blige starred opposite rapper Q-Tip in the independent film Prison Song. That same year, Blige made a cameo on the Lifetime network series, Strong Medicine; playing the role of Simone Fellows. Blige's character was the lead singer of a band who was sick, but would not seek treatment. In 2000, Blige was featured in a superhero web cartoon in junction with Stan Lee. Blige used the cartoon as part of her performance while on her 2000 Mary Show Tour. In 2004, Blige starred in an Off-Broadway play, The Exonerated. The play chronicled the experiences of death row inmates. Blige portrayed Sunny Jacobs, a woman who spent 20 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. In late 2005, it was reported that Blige landed the starring role in the upcoming MTV Films biopic on American singer/pianist Nina Simone. According to IMDB.com the film will be released in 2012.

In February 2007, Blige guest-starred on Ghost Whisperer, in an episode called "Mean Ghost", as the character Jackie Boyd, the school's cheer leader coach grieving for the death of her brother and affected by the ghost of a dead cheerleader. The episode features many of Blige's songs. In August 2007, Blige was a guest star on Entourage, in the role of herself, as a client of Ari Gold's agency. In October 2007, Blige was also a guest star on America's Next Top Model, as a creative director for a photo shoot by Matthew Rolston. In May 2009, Mary made a guest appearance on 30 Rock, as an artist recording a benefit song for a kidney. Blige also had a supporting role in Tyler Perry's Movie I Can Do Bad All By Myself, which was released in September 2009.

As of March 2011, Blige has signed on to star alongside Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, and Alec Baldwin in the film adaptation of the 80s jukebox hit musical 'Rock of Ages.' Blige will play Justice Charlier, the owner of a Sunset Strip gentlemen's club, when production begins in May 2011.

Business ventures

In 2004 Blige launched her own record label, Matriarch Records, distributed through Interscope.

In July 2010, Blige launched her first perfume, My Life (through Carol's Daughter), exclusively on HSN. The fragrance's unprecedented success broke sales records in hours and has been awarded two prestigious FIFI awards from the Fragrance Foundation. The newest fragrance, My Life Blossom launches on August 13, 2011 exclusively to HSN.

In October 2010 Blige released a line of sunglasses called "Melodies by MJB". The first Melodies collection will feature four styles with a total of 20 color options. Each style will represent a specific facet of Blige’s life. Essence magazine reported that in the spring of 2011, "Melodies by MJB" will extend their collection to offer more styles.

Blige's production company, along with William Morris Endeavor is also working on several TV and film projects.

Blige has had endorsement contracts with Reebok, Air Jordan, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Gap, Target, American Express, AT&T, M·A·C, Apple Inc. and Chevrolet.[citation needed] She has also been a spokesperson with Carol's Daughter beauty products and Citibank's with Nickelback program.

Personal life

During the early 1990s, Blige dated singer K-Ci from Jodeci. The affair ended in 1997. Blige also briefly dated rapper Nas. In 2000, Blige met record industry executive Martin Kendu Isaacs (known as "Kendu") who became her manager. The two were married on December 7, 2003, in a small private ceremony at Blige's home attended by 50 guests.

Blige earned her GED in 2010.

Blige has been a resident of Cresskill, New Jersey.

Philanthropy

In 2001, Mary performed "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Indigo, a tribute to Duke Ellington, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease

On May 9, 2008, The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, Inc. (FFAWN) was inaugurated at Roosevelt High School in Yonkers, New York. FFAWN's purpose is to inspire women "to reach their individual potential". The foundation offers scholarships and programs whose aim is to foster self-esteem and career development. The Mary J. Blige Center for Women has opened in Yonkers.

In 2008, Mary teamed up with Carol's Daughter executive Lisa Price to make a perfume which would be called "My Life". On July 31, 2010, Mary J. Blige was on 6 live televised Home Shopping Network specials to promote and sell her perfume. On that day, "My Life" sold a record breaking 60,000 + units. Her perfume was the first to sell over 60,000 bottles in one day on HSN. Also $1 from each purchase was donated to FFAWN her foundation for women to send more women to college.

Awards

    List of awards and nominations received by Mary J. Blige

Discography

Main article: Mary J. Blige discography

    1992: What's the 411?
    1994: My Life
    1997: Share My World
    1999: Mary
    2001: No More Drama
    2003: Love & Life
    2005: The Breakthrough
    2007: Growing Pains
    2009: Stronger with Each Tear
    2011: My Life II, The Journey Continues

Tours

    Share My World Tour (1998)
    The Mary Show Tour (2000)
    No More Drama Tour (2002)
    Love & Life Tour (2004)
    The Breakthrough Experience Tour (2006)
    Heart of the City Tour (with Jay-Z) (2008)
    Growing Pains European Tour (2008)
    Love Soul Tour (2008)
    Music Saved My Life Tour (2010–11)

Filmography
Main article: Mary J. Blige videography
Film
Year  Film & Television  Role  Notes
1998  The Jamie Foxx Show  Ola Mae  "Papa Don't Preach" (episode 14, season 2)
2001  Angel: One More Road to Cross  Guardian Angel  Direct to DVD
Prison Song  Mrs. Butler  Main Role
Strong Medicine  Simone Fellows  "History" (episode 4, season 2)
2007  Ghost Whisperer  Jackie Boyd  "Mean Ghost" (episode 15, season 2)
Entourage  Herself  "Gary's Desk" (episode 8, season 4)
2009  I Can Do Bad All By Myself  Tanya  Supporting Role
30 Rock  Herself  Guest
2010  American Idol  Guest judge/Herself  Auditions were held in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia Dome when Blige guest judged.
2012  Rock of Ages  Justice Charlier  

Born  Jessica Marie Alba
April 28, 1981 (age 30)
Pomona, California, U.S.
Occupation  Actress
Years active  1994–present
Spouse  Cash Warren (m. 2008–present)
Children  Honor Marie (b. 2008)

Alba is considered a sex symbol[citation needed] and often generates media attention for her looks. She appears on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted number one on AskMen.com's list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007. The use of her image on the cover of the March 2006 Playboy sparked a lawsuit by her, which was later dropped. She has also won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television, and a Golden Globe nomination for her lead role in the television series Dark Angel.

lba was born in Pomona, California to Catherine (née Jensen) and Mark Alba. Her mother is of Danish and French Canadian descent and her father is Mexican American. She has a younger brother, Joshua. Her father's Air Force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi and Del Rio, Texas, before settling back in California when she was nine years old. Alba described her family as being a "very conservative family – a traditional, Catholic, Latin American family" and herself as very liberal; she says she had identified herself as a "feminist" as early as age five.

Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of physical maladies. During childhood, she suffered from collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia 4–5 times a year, as well as a ruptured appendix and a tonsillar cyst. Alba became isolated from other children at school, because she was in the hospital so often due to her illnesses that no one knew her well enough to befriend her. Alba has also had asthma since she was a child. Alba has said that her family's frequent moving also contributed to her isolation from her peers. She has acknowledged that she has suffered from obsessive–compulsive disorder during her childhood. Alba graduated from high school at age 16, and she subsequently attended the Atlantic Theater Company.

Alba expressed interest in acting since the age of five. In 1992, the 11-year-old Alba persuaded her mother to take her to an acting competition in Beverly Hills, California, whose grand prize was free acting classes. Alba won the grand prize, and took her first acting lessons. An agent signed Alba nine months later. Her first appearance on film was a small role in the 1994 feature Camp Nowhere as Gail. She was originally hired for two weeks but her role turned into a two-month job in a leading role when one of the prominent actresses dropped out.

Alba appeared in two national television commercials for Nintendo and J.C. Penney as a child. She was later featured in several independent films. She branched out into television in 1994 with a recurring role as the vain Jessica in three episodes of the Nickelodeon comedy series The Secret World of Alex Mack. She then performed the role of Maya in the first two seasons of the television series Flipper. Under the tutelage of her lifeguard mother, Alba learned to swim before she could walk, and she was a PADI-certified scuba diver, skills which were put to use on the show, which was filmed in Australia.

In 1998, she appeared as Melissa Hauer in a first-season episode of the Steven Bochco crime-drama Brooklyn South, as Leanne in two episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210, and as Layla in an episode of The Love Boat: The Next Wave.[citation needed] In 1999, she appeared in the Randy Quaid comedy feature P.U.N.K.S.. After Alba graduated from high school, she studied acting with William H. Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, at the Atlantic Theater Company, which was developed by Macy and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and film director, David Mamet.

Alba rose to greater prominence in Hollywood in 1999 after appearing as a member of a snobby high school clique in the Drew Barrymore romantic comedy Never Been Kissed, and as the female lead in the 1999 comedy-horror film Idle Hands, opposite Devon Sawa.

Her big break came when writer/director James Cameron picked Alba from a pool of 1,200 candidates for the role of the genetically-engineered super-soldier, Max Guevara, on the Fox sci-fi television series Dark Angel. Co-created by Cameron, the series starred Alba, and ran for two seasons until 2002, earning her critical acclaim as well as a Golden Globe nomination. Alba later revealed that she had suffered from anorexia while in preparation for Dark Angel.
Blond woman having make-up applied on a movie set, surrounded by busy people.
Alba on the set of Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.

Alba has been well-received in popular culture. She received the Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress and Saturn Award for Best Actress (TV) for her role in Dark Angel. She has appeared on Maxim's Hot 100 list.[citation needed] In 2006, Alba received an MTV Movie Award for "Sexiest Performance" for Sin City. Her acting has also drawn criticism, however, as she was nominated for a 2007 Razzie Award for Worst Actress for her performances in Awake, Good Luck Chuck, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. She was also nominated for the same award in 2005 for her performances in Fantastic Four and Into the Blue.

Alba's most notable film roles have included an aspiring dancer-choreographer in Honey, exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in Sin City, and as the Marvel Comics character Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman in Fantastic Four. She then appeared in its sequel, in Into the Blue later that year, and Good Luck Chuck a few years later. Alba hosted the 2006 MTV Movie Awards and performed sketches spoofing the movies King Kong, Mission: Impossible 3, and The Da Vinci Code. In February 2008, she hosted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Science and Technical Awards. Alba has been represented by talent agents Patrick Whitesell and Brad Cafarelli.

In 2008, Alba made her acting transition to the horror-film genre in The Eye, a remake of the Hong Kong original. The film was released on February 1, 2008. Though the film was not well received by critics, Alba's performance was both positively and negatively received. Alba won a Teen Choice for Choice Movie Actress: Horror/Thriller and a Razzie Award for Worst Actress-nomination. Also in 2008, Alba starred alongside Mike Myers and Justin Timberlake in "box office bomb" The Love Guru. Alba was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Actress.

In late 2008, Alba signed on to star as the lead role in An Invisible Sign of My Own. The movie finished filming in November 2008. The film is in post-production and set to be released in 2011.

Alba starred alongside Kate Hudson and Casey Affleck in the film adaption of the book of the same name, The Killer Inside Me. In the movie, Alba played Joyce Lakeland, a prostitute. The film was released in 2010. Also in 2010, Alba starred in the romantic comedy Valentine's Day, alongside Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Emma Roberts, Ashton Kutcher, and Jennifer Garner. The film was released on February 12, 2010.

In August 2010 it was announced that Alba will appear in Spy Kids 4.
Public image
Cover shot of a svelte, young, blond woman wearing a bikini and looking intently into the camera.
Cover of the March 2006 issue of Playboy magazine. Alba objected to being on the cover of the magazine and filed suit, but later dropped the action.

In 2001, Alba was ranked No. 1 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list. She said that "I have to go to certain lengths to use sexuality to my advantage, while guiding people to thinking the way I want them to." In 2005, Alba was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, and also appeared in the magazine's 100 Most Beautiful list in 2007. In 2002, Alba was voted as the fifth Sexiest Female Star for 2002 in a Hollywood.com poll, No.4 in the Top 10 Sci-Fi Babes, No.6 in FHM's Sexiest Girls for their poll, and ranked at No.12 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" 2002 edition. In 2005, Alba was ranked at No.5 on the Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list.

On the cover of the March 2006 issue, Playboy magazine named Alba among its 25 Sexiest Celebrities, and the Sex Star of the Year. Alba was involved in litigation against Playboy for its use of her image (from a promotional shot for Into the Blue) without her consent, which she contends gave the appearance that she was featured in the issue in a "nude pictorial". However, she later dropped the lawsuit after receiving a personal apology from Playboy owner Hugh Hefner, who agreed to make donations to two charities that Alba has supported.

When reports surfaced that a 21-year-old Chinese girl was seeking plastic surgery to resemble Alba in order to win back an ex-boyfriend, the star spoke out against the perceived need to change one's appearance for love.
Smiling young woman with wavy hair pulled up in a loose bun, wearing a gold low-cut dress and accompanied by a man. She is signing autographs.
Alba in 2007 at the London premiere of Fantastic Four

In 2006, Alba ranked No.3 on E! Television's 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies. In 2006 readers of AskMen.com voted Alba No. 1 on 99 Most Desirable Women, while in 2007, Maxim Magazine placed Alba on the number 2 spot of their "Top 100". Both GQ and In Style had Alba on their June 2008 covers, and in May, after eight million votes, FHM (UK and USA editions) named Alba the winner as "2007's Sexiest Woman in the World". Alba has been regarded as one of the world's most attractive women, being named to Maxim's Hot 100 in 2008. In 2007, Alba was ranked in at No.1 in FHM's Sexiest Girls of 2007 poll, in the magazine's Latvian edition. Alba was ranked No.4 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars in 2007. In 2006 and 2007, Alba was voted No.1 as the most sexy woman in the world by the Norwegian FHM. Alba appeared in the 2009 Campari calendar. Campari printed 9,999 copies of the calendar featuring photos of Alba posing sexually in swimsuits, and high heels. In 2008, Alba was ranked No.34 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 list, was ranked No.2 on Wizard magazine's "Sexiest Women of TV" list, and was named in GQ Magazine one of the 25 Sexiest Women in film of all time. Alba is the only woman who has made the Maxim Magazine Hot 100 list in all the years it was published; from 2000 to 2011.

"I think there are ambitious girls who will do anything to be famous, and they think men in this business are used to women doing that. Contrary to how people may feel, I've never used my sexuality. That's not part of it for me. When I'm in a meeting, I want to tell you why I'm an asset, how I'm a commodity, how I can put asses in the seats, not, 'There's a chance you're going to be able to fuck me.' That's never been my deal."
Alba on not using her sex appeal in order to get her goals in her acting career, 200

Alba fears being typecast as a sex kitten based on the bulk of parts offered to her, commenting, "Somehow, I don't think this is happening to Natalie Portman." In the interview, Alba said she wants to be taken seriously as an actress but believes she needs to do movies that she would otherwise not be interested in to build her career, stating that eventually she hopes to be more selective in her film projects. Alba also maintains a strict no-nudity clause in her contract. She was given the option to appear nude in Sin City by the film's directors, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez, but declined the offer, saying, "I don't do nudity. I just don't. Maybe that makes me a bad actress. Maybe I won't get hired in some things. But I have too much anxiety". She remarked of a GQ shoot in which she was scantily clad, "They didn't want me to wear the granny panties, but I said, 'If I'm gonna be topless I need to wear granny panties."
Personal life
Religion

Alba was raised as a Catholic throughout her teenage years, but left the church after four years because she felt she was being judged for her appearance, explaining: "Older men would hit on me, and my youth pastor said it was because I was wearing provocative clothing, when I wasn't. It just made me feel like if I was in any way desirable to the opposite sex that it was my fault, and it made me ashamed of my body and being a woman".

Alba also had objections to the church's condemnations of premarital sex and homosexuality, and what she saw as a lack of strong female role models in the Bible, explaining "I thought it was a nice guide, but it certainly wasn't how I was going to live my life." Her "religious devotion [began] to wane" at the age of 15 when she guest-starred as a teenager with gonorrhea in the throat in a 1996 episode of the television series Chicago Hope. Her friends at church reacted negatively to her role, making her lose faith in the church. However, she has stated that she still holds her belief in God despite leaving the church.
Relationships and family
Jessica Alba with her husband Cash Warren (2010)

While filming Dark Angel in January 2000, Alba began a three year relationship with her co-star Michael Weatherly, which caused controversy due to their twelve year age gap. Weatherly proposed to Alba on her twentieth birthday, which she accepted. In August 2003, Alba and Weatherly announced that they'd ended their relationship. In July 2007, Alba spoke out about the breakup, saying "I don't know [why I got engaged]. I was a virgin. He was 12 years older than me. I thought he knew better. My parents weren't happy. They're really religious. They believe God wouldn't allow the Bible to be written if it wasn't what they are supposed to believe. I'm completely different." Alba had at one time said she envisioned a much older man as her ideal partner, making references to Morgan Freeman, Sean Connery, Robert Redford, and Michael Caine. She said, "I have this thing for older men. They've been around and know so much."

Alba met Cash Warren, son of actor Michael Warren, while making Fantastic Four in 2004. Alba married Warren in Los Angeles on Monday, May 19, 2008. On June 7, 2008, Alba gave birth to a baby girl, Honor Marie Warren, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. The first pictures of Honor Marie appeared in OK! magazine, which paid a reported $1.5 million for them. Alba has said that she would like to have more children. On February 16, 2011, Alba confirmed that she and Warren are expecting their second child.
Charity and politics

In 2005, Alba offered her acting talents for free, to raise money for AIDS charity Amfar at the Cannes Film Festival. The Industry had held a benefit for the US research foundation. Alba had caused "the greatest stir" by promising to star as an unpaid actress in one of The Lord of the Rings producer Bob Weinstein's movies, if Weinstein agreed to bid $100,000 for tennis lessons with sports stars Monica Seles and Boris Becker.

Alba's charity work includes participation with Clothes Off Our Back, Habitat for Humanity, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Project HOME, RADD, Revlon Run/Walk for Women, SOS Children Villages, Soles4Souls, and Step up. Alba openly endorsed and supported Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama during the 2008 primary season. Alba is an ambassador for the 1Goal movement to provide education to children in Africa.[citation needed]

Alba posed for a bondage-themed print advertising campaign by Declare Yourself, a campaign encouraging voter registration among youth for the 2008 United States presidential election. The ads photographed by Mark Liddell, which feature Alba wrapped in and gagged with black tape, drew national media attention. The ads were described by some as being "Shocking". Alba said of doing the advertisements that "it didn't freak me out at all." Alba also said "I think it is important for young people to be aware of the need we have in this country to get them more active politically," and "People respond to things that are shocking."

In June 2009, while filming The Killer Inside Me in Oklahoma City, Alba was involved in a controversy with residents when she pasted posters of sharks around town. Alba said that she was trying to bring attention to the diminishing population of great white sharks. Media outlets speculated that Alba would be pursued and charged with vandalism. On June 16, 2009, Oklahoma City police said that they would not pursue criminal charges against Alba, because none of the property owners wanted to pursue it. Alba apologized in a statement to People magazine and said that she regretted her actions. She later donated an undisclosed amount of money (over $500) to the United Way, whose billboard she had obscured with one of the shark posters.

In 2011, Alba participated in a two day lobbying effort in Washington D.C. in support of the Safe Chemicals Act, a revision of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976.
Filmography
Film
Year↓  Title↓  Role↓  Notes
1994  Camp Nowhere  Gail  Film debut
1995  Venus Rising  Young Eve  
1999  P.U.N.K.S.  Samantha Swoboda  
Never Been Kissed  Kirsten Liosis  
Idle Hands  Molly  
2000  Paranoid  Chloe  
2003  The Sleeping Dictionary  Selima  DVD Exclusive Award for Best Actress in a DVD Premiere Movie
Honey  Honey Daniels  Teen Choice Award for Breakout Movie Star, Actress – Drama/Action Adventure, Chemistry and Liplock
Nominated
2005  Sin City  Nancy Callahan  MTV Movie Award for Sexiest Performance
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated – Alma Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Nominated – Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Awards for Best Ensemble
Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Fantastic Four  Sue Storm / Invisible Woman  Nominated – Imagen Foundation Award for Best Actress
Nominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Hero
Into the Blue  Sam  
2007  Knocked Up  Herself  Uncredited Cameo
Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer  Sue Storm / Invisible Woman  Blimp Award for Favorite Female Movie Star
The Ten  Liz Anne Blazer  
Good Luck Chuck  Cam Wexler  
Awake  Sam Lockwood  
2008  The Eye  Sydney Wells  Teen Choice Award for Actress: Horror/Thriller
Meet Bill  Lucy  
The Love Guru  Jane Bullard  
2010  Valentine's Day  Morely Clarkson  
The Killer Inside Me  Joyce Lakeland  
Machete  Special Agent Sartana Rivera  
An Invisible Sign  Mona Gray  
Little Fockers  Andi Garcia  
2011  Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World  Marissa Cortez Wilson  
Television
Year↓  Title↓  Role↓  Notes
1994  The Secret World of Alex Mack  Jessica  "School Dance" (Season 1, Episode 5)
"Hoop War" (Season 1, Episode 2)
"The Accident" (Season 1, Episode 1)
1995–
1997  Flipper  Maya Graham  Recurring character
Nominated – Young Star Award-Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Daytime TV Program (1998)
1996  ABC Afterschool Special  Christy  "Too Soon for Jeff" (Season 25, Episode 1)
1996  Chicago Hope  Florie Hernandez  "Sexual Perversity in Chicago Hope" (Season 2, Episode 18)
1998  Brooklyn South  Melissa Hauer  "Exposing Johnson" (Season 1, Episode 12)
1998  Beverly Hills, 90210  Leanne  "Making Amends" (Season 8, Episode 23)
"The Nature of Nurture" (Season 8, Episode 25)
1998  The Love Boat: The Next Wave  Layla  "Remember?" (Season 1, Episode 2)
2000–
2002  Dark Angel  Max Guevara / X5-452  Lead Role
Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama (2000)
Won – Saturn Award for Best Actress on Television (2001)
Nominated – Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a TV Drama Series – Leading Young Actress (2001)
Won – Teen Choice Award for TV – Choice Actress (2001)
Won – TV Guide Award TV Guide Award for Breakout Star of the Year (2001)
Nominated TV Guide Award TV Guide Award for Actress of the Year in a New Series (2001)
Nominated – ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Series (2002)
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Actress in a Television Series (2002)
Nominated – Kid's Choice Award for Favorite Female Action Hero (2002)
Nominated – Teen Choice Award for TV – Choice Actress-Drama (2002)
2003  MADtv  Jessica Simpson  "Episode #9.5" (Season 9, Episode 5)
2004  Entourage  Herself  "The Review" (Season 1, Episode 2)
2005  Trippin'  Herself  "Costa Rica" (Season 1, Episode 6)
"Honduras" (Season 1, Episode 5)
2009  The Office  Sophie  "Stress Relief" (Season 5, Episode 15)
Awards
Photo of Alba posing with her Spike award. The award is shaped like a black spike.
Alba receiving an award at the Spike TV Awards
Year  Awards  Category  Nominated Work  Result
2001  ALMA Award  Breakthrough Actress of the Year  None  Won
2005  Young Hollywood Awards  Superstar of Tomorrow  None  Won
2007  TV Land Awards  Little Screen / Big Screen Star (Women)  None  Nominated
Spike TV Guys' Choice Awards  Hottest Jessica  None  Won
2008  People's Choice Awards  Favorite Female Action Star  None  Nominated
People's Choice Awards  Favorite Leading Lady  None  Nominated
(Source: IMDb.com)

Born  December 25, 1968 (age 42)
Copenhagen, Denmark
Height  5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Hair color  Brunette
Eye color  Blue/Green
Measurements  (US) 35-24-35 ;
(EU) 89-61-
Dress size  (US) 4 ; (EU)
Agency  Marilyn Model Agency
Website
http://www.helena-christensen.com

Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father is Danish, and her mother is Peruvian.

Miss Denmark

Christensen won the Miss Denmark crown in  and represented Denmark in Miss Universe 1986. She left her home soon afterwards to pursue modeling in Paris.

Modeling career

Christensen appeared on many magazine covers and in fashion campaigns during the 1990s. One noted campaign featured her in a 20 by 40-foot billboard in Times Square, bare, "except for a strategically placed banana leaf." She was in the Victoria's Secret catalog and in their television commercials as one of the signature Angels, along with Tyra Banks, Karen Mulder, Daniela Pestova, and Stephanie Seymour. She also became a spokesmodel for Revlon cosmetics.[citation needed]

In 1991, she starred in the music video for Chris Isaak's song "Wicked Game." The video was later featured on MTV's "Sexiest Video of All-Time", voted #4 on VH1's "50 Sexiest Video Moments", and voted #13 on VH1's "100 Greatest Videos".

Christensen is signed to Independent Models in London and 1/One Management in New York City, 2pm Model Management in Copenhagen.

Business

Christensen was creative director of Nylon magazine at its 1999 founding by publisher Marvin Scott Jarrett. She launched her own clothing line, Christensen & Sigersen, with life-long friend Leif Sigersen. The pair previously ran Butik, a shop in New York's West Village. Christensen has sold some of her vintage clothes line in her mother's store, the Yo-Yo Second Hand Shop, in Christianshavn, Copenhagen, Denmark. Christensen famously once said, when asked if normal girls would feel comfortable in her new clothing line, "I don't care. I have no clue. I don't think about anyone but me." The quote is printed on the back of Denis Leary's 2008 book, Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid.

Christensen is a photographer whose work has appeared in Nylon, Marie Claire, and ELLE. Her exhibition "A Quiet Story", curated by Jim Cook, premiered in at the Locus Gallery in Rotterdam, 2006, and HotelArena in Amsterdam, 2007. Her exhibition "Far From, Close" appeared at Dactyl Foundation in 2008/09, to benefit International Center of Photography educational programs and Chernobyl Children's Project International.

Breast cancer fundraising

Christensen launched the second Fashion Targets Breast Cancer campaign which involves the sale of exclusive designer t-shirts to raise millions for Ireland's Action Breast Cancer (Irish Cancer Society) and Europa Donna Ireland to help younger women with breast cancer.

Personal life

Christensen lived with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence on and off in France and Denmark for a period of five years in the early 1990s. She was in a long-term relationship with actor Norman Reedus with whom she has one child, a son named Mingus Lucien Reedus (born October 13, 1999). Reedus and Christensen split in 2003. While maintaining careers in photography and clothing design, Christensen remains a hands-on mother to Mingus. "He's all that matters," she says. "He's my best friend."

Christensen was a good friend of actor Heath Ledger. She was heading to his New York apartment on the day that he died, calling Ledger, only to get his voicemail message.

Christensen has an apartment in Copenhagen and lives in Manhattan, where she drives "the only type of car I've ever had," a Morris Minor. She reported in 2007 that she would be giving up her place in Monaco.

Christensen has claimed on several occasions to be a cheese addict.

Birth name  Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr.
Also known as  Prince of Soul
Born  April 2, 1939
Washington, D.C., US
Died  April 1, 1984 (aged 44)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres  R&B, soul, doo-wop, funk, quiet storm
Occupations  Singer-songwriter, composer, musician, record producer
Instruments  Vocals, keyboards, drums, percussion, clavinet, synthesizers, piano
Years active  1958–1984
Labels  Motown (Tamla-Motown), Columbia
Associated acts  The Moonglows, Martha and the Vandellas, Tammi Terrell, The Originals, Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Diana Ross, Harvey Fuqua, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Don Hussein

Because of solo hits such as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)", "Ain't That Peculiar", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and his duet singles with singers such as Mary Wells and Tammi Terrell, he was crowned "The Prince of Motown" and "The Prince of Soul".

His work in the early and mid-1970s, including the albums What's Going On, Let's Get It On, and I Want You, helped influence the quiet storm, urban adult contemporary, and slow jam genres. After a self-imposed European exile in the early eighties, Gaye returned on the 1982 Grammy-Award winning hit, "Sexual Healing" and the Midnight Love album before his death. Gaye was shot dead by his father on April 1, 1984. He was posthumously inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 2008, the American music magazine Rolling Stone ranked Gaye at number 6 on its list of The Greatest Singers of All Time, and ranked at number 18 on 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Early life (1939–1957)

Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. was born on April 2, 1939 at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, D.C.. His father, Marvin Gay, Sr., was a minister at the House of God (the House of God Headquarters is located in Lexington, KY), which advocated strict conduct and taught and believed in both the old and new Testament. His mother, Alberta Gay (née Alberta Cooper), was a domestic and schoolteacher. Gaye was the second eldest of four children. His younger brother, Frankie (1941–2001), would be one of the main sources of Gaye's musical development and later served as a soldier in the Vietnam War and embarked on a singing career upon his return to civilian life to follow in his elder brother's footsteps. His youngest sister, Zeola "Sweetsie" Gay (b. 1945), would later become the main choreographer of her brother's live shows. As a child, Gaye was raised in the Benning Terrace projects in southeast D.C.

Gaye's father was minister of a local Seventh-day Adventist Church for a time. By the time his eldest son was five, Marvin Sr. was bringing Gaye with him to church revivals to sing for church congregations. Gaye's father was assured all four of his children would follow him into the ministry and would later use his strict domineering to get his children to avoid secular activities including sports and secular music. Gaye's early home life consisted of violence as his father would often strike him for any shortcoming. Gaye and his three siblings were bed-wetters as children. Gaye would later call his father a "tyrannical and powerful king" and said he was depressed as a child, convinced that he would eventually "become one of those child statistics that you read in the papers" had he not been encouraged to pursue his dreams by his mother. By age fourteen, Gaye's parents moved to the Deanwood neighborhood of northeast D.C. The following year, Gaye's father quit the ministry after a disappointment over not being promoted as the Chief Apostle (head overseer) of the House of God Inc. Gaye said his father later developed alcoholism, which furthered tension between father and son.

Developing a love for music at an early age, Gaye was already playing instruments including piano and drums. Upon arriving to Cardozo High School, Gaye discovered doo-wop and harder-edged rhythm and blues and began running away from home to attend R&B concerts and dance halls defying his father's rules. Gaye joined several groups in the D.C. area including the Dippers with his best friend, Johnny Stewart, brother of R&B singer Billy Stewart. He then joined the D.C. Tones, whose members included another close friend, Reese Palmer, and Sondra Lattisaw, mother of R&B singer Stacy Lattisaw. Gaye's relationship with his father led him to run away from home and join the United States Air Force in hopes of becoming an aviator. However, discovering his growing hatred for authority, he began defying orders and skipped practices. Faking mental illness, he was discharged. His sergeant stated that Gaye refused to follow orders. Upon returning to his hometown, Gaye worked as a dishwasher to make ends meet. Gaye still dreamed of a show-business career, and rejoining Reese Palmer, the duo formed a four-member group calling themselves the Marquees.
[edit] Early career (1958–1962)
Main article: The Moonglows
A 1959 promotional picture of Harvey and the Moonglows. Gaye is located in the right of a seated Fuqua.

In 1958, the Marquees were discovered singing at a D.C. club by Bo Diddley, who signed them to Okeh Records, where they recorded "Wyatt Earp", with "Hey Little Schoolgirl" as its B-side. It received moderate success, but not the success Gaye and his band mates had hoped for. Later that year Harvey Fuqua, founder and co-lead singer of the landmark doo-wop group The Moonglows, recruited them, after the breakup of the original members, to be "The New Moonglows" which moved the formerly-named Marquees from Okeh to Chess Records. While there, the "new Moonglows" recorded background vocals for Chess recording stars Chuck Berry and Etta James. After "The Twelve Months of the Year", which featured a spoken monologue by Gaye, became a regional hit, the group issued "Mama Loochie", which was the first time Gaye sang lead on a record. The record was issued in late 1959 and became a hit in Detroit. Following a concert performance there, Gaye and other band members were arrested for small possession of marijuana. Afterwards, Fuqua decided to disband the group, keeping Gaye with him, as he favored him over the other members. In 1960, Harvey Fuqua had met Gwen Gordy and the couple embarked on both a personal and professional relationship. That year, the couple formed two record labels, the self-named Harvey Records, and Tri-Phi Records. Gaye was signed to the former label, whose other members including a young David Ruffin and Junior Walker. Gaye provided drums for The Spinners' first hit, "That's What Girls Are Made For", which was released on Tri-Phi. Stories on how Gaye eventually met Berry Gordy and how he signed to Motown Records vary. One early story stated Gordy discovered Gaye singing at a local bar in Detroit and that he had offered to sign him on the spot. Gaye's recollection, and also a story Gordy later reiterated, was that Gaye invited himself to Motown's annual Christmas party inside the label's Hitsville USA studios and played on the piano singing "Mr. Sandman". Gordy saw Gaye from afar and upon noting that Gaye was connected with Fuqua began to make arrangements to absorb Fuqua's labels to Motown bringing all of the labels' acts to Motown. Gordy said he immediately wanted to bring Gaye to Motown after seeing him perform, impressed by his vocals and piano playing. While working out negotiations, Fuqua would sell fifty percentage interest in Gaye to Gordy, which Gaye would find out later. After Gordy absorbed Anna and Harvey in March 1961, Gaye was assigned to Motown's Tamla division.

Gaye and Motown immediately clashed over material. While Motown was yet a musical force, Gaye set on singing standards and jazz rather than the usual rhythm and blues that fellow label mates were recording. Struggling to come to terms with what to do with his career, Gaye worked mainly behind the scenes, becoming a janitor, and also settled for session work playing drums on several recordings, which continued for several years. One of Gaye's first professional gigs for Motown was as a road drummer for The Miracles. Gaye developed a close friendship with the label's lead singer Smokey Robinson and they'd later work together. Though already a seasoned veteran of the road and almost exempt from Gordy's Artist Development, which began operating in 1961, Gaye was still required to attend schooling, which he refused. He eventually took advice from grooming director Maxine Powell to keep his eyes open while performing because "it looks like you're sleeping when you're performing". Gaye would later regret skipping the school saying he could've benefited more from it. Before releasing his first single in May 1961, he altered his last name to "Gaye", later stating that he added the 'e' because "it sounded more professional" and to emulate what Sam Cooke had done before releasing his first secular record following his split from the Soul Stirrers. A famous story about the name change came from author David Ritz, Gaye's confidant in later years, who said Gaye had said that he wanted to "quiet the gossip" of his last name and to distance himself from his father.

In May 1961, Tamla released Gaye's first single, "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide". The single flopped as a national release but was a regional hit in the Midwest, as was a follow-up single, the cover of "Mr. Sandman" (titled as just "Sandman" in Gaye's release in early 1962). In June 1961, Motown issued Gaye's first album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye compromising Gaye's jazz interests with a couple of R&B songs. The album tanked and no hit single came of it. A third regional hit, "Soldier's Plea", an answer to The Supremes' "Your Heart Belongs to Me", was the next release in the spring of 1962. Gaye had more success behind the scenes than in front. Gaye applied drumming on several Motown records for artists such as the Miracles, Mary Wells, The Contours and The Marvelettes. Gaye was also a drummer for early recordings by The Supremes, Martha and the Vandellas and Little Stevie Wonder. Gaye drummed on the Marvelettes hits, "Please Mr. Postman", "Playboy" and "Beechwood 4-5789" (a song he co-wrote). Later on, Gaye would be noted as the drummer in both the studio and live recordings of Wonder's "Fingertips" and as one of two drummers behind Martha and the Vandellas' landmark hit, "Dancing in the Street", which was another composition by Gaye, originally intended for Kim Weston. Gaye said he continued to play drums for Motown acts even after gaining fame on his own merit. For Gaye's fourth single, the singer was inspired to write lyrics to a song after an argument with his wife, Anna Gordy Gaye (née Anna Gordy). While working out the song, Gaye mentioned he had his first "major" power struggle with Motown head Berry Gordy over its composition. Gordy insisted on a chord change though Gaye was comfortable with how he wrote it, eventually Gaye changed the chord and the song was issued as "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" in September 1962. The song became a hit on the Hot Rhythm and Blues Sides chart reaching number eight and eventually peaked at number 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1963. A parent album, That Stubborn Kinda Fellow, was released in December 1962, the same month that Gaye's fifth single, "Hitch Hike", was released. That song reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100, bringing Gaye his first top forty single. Gaye's early success confirmed his arrival as a hit maker, and he landed on his first major tour as a performer on Motown's Motortown Revue.

Early success (1963–1966)

Gaye's career following his performances with the Motortown Revue assured him success. Gaye's next single, "Pride & Joy", became a major hit in the spring of 1963, reaching number-ten on the Billboard Hot 100, selling nearly one million copies. Later that year, Gaye repeated the success with the top thirty hit, "Can I Get a Witness", which found some leverage in the United Kingdom upon its release on Motown's UK label Stateside Records. Many of Gaye's early hits would later be heavily covered by acts such as The Rolling Stones, Dusty Springfield and The Who, performers who admired Gaye and American R&B music in general. Gaye's hits also was a big influence on the UK's mod scene with several mod groups including the future Elton John's Bluesology and Rod Stewart's Steampacket covering Gaye's hits there. Gaye's early hits were also a big influence on American producers, including Phil Spector, who nearly had a car accident while pulling over upon hearing "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" for the first time.

Gaye's hits continued throughout 1964. Several top twenty pop hits from this period included "You Are a Wonderful One", "Try It Baby" and "Baby Don't You Do It" kept Gaye's momentum building. Gaye made his first public TV performance on American Bandstand in 1964 and later became a fixture on the show and on other programs such as Shindig! and Hullaballoo. Gaye's popularity further increased after Motown released his first duet project, an album with Mary Wells titled Together. The duo had two hit singles, "Once Upon a Time" and "What's the Matter with You Baby". In late 1964, Gaye also appeared in the concert film, The T.A.M.I. Show where he performed his hits to an enthusiastic audience (with backing vocals by The Blossoms). Gaye reached the top ten in early 1965 with "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)", which sold close to a million copies. Gaye eventually scored his first immediate million-sellers in 1965 with the Smokey Robinson compositions, "Ain't That Peculiar" and "I'll Be Doggone". These songs and other singles released during the 1965–1966 period would be the result of Gaye's next release, Moods of Marvin Gaye.

Gaye struggled with his success. While deemed a "smooth song-and-dance ladies' man", he still aspired to perform more jazz work in his catalog. Because of his success, Motown allowed him to work on such recordings including When I'm Alone I Cry, Hello Broadway and a Nat King Cole tribute album, A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole. All three albums flopped. Gaye tried performing the songs onstage but soon stopped once he discovered that the crowds weren't too appreciative of the material. One proposed standards project, which took over two years to record, was shelved due to session problems. Gaye's performances at the Copacabana in 1966 also led to conflict between Gaye and Gordy as Motown had recorded the album for purposes of releasing it in early 1967. However due to a struggle, Motown eventually shelved it until it was later released three decades later. In early 1967, Gaye scored his first international hit with the duet, "It Takes Two", with Kim Weston, who ironically had already left the label when it became a hit. Only one televised performance of the song showed Gaye singing the song to a puppet. That year, Motown hooked Gaye up with veteran Philadelphia-based singer Tammi Terrell, who had an early stint with James Brown. Gaye would later say of Terrell that she was his "perfect partner" musically.
A screenshot of a 1967 performance by Gaye and Terrell during taping of the Today Show.

Tammi Terrell and I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1967–1969)

Main articles: Tammi Terrell and I Heard It Through the Grapevine

Terrell and Gaye's first major hit was the Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson composition, "Ain't No Mountain High Enough". The duo quickly followed up with the top five hit ballad, "Your Precious Love". Despite rumors of a romantic relationship – Gaye was married to Anna Gordy and Terrell was dating Temptations lead vocalist David Ruffin – both singers denied such a relationship with Gaye saying later that they had a brother-and-sister relationship, a statement reiterated by Ashford & Simpson. Other hit singles the duo scored within an eighteen-month period included "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" and "You're All I Need to Get By". Other hits such as "You Ain't Livin' till You're Lovin'" and "The Onion Song" found success in Europe. The duo's recording of "If This World Were Mine", the b-side of "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You", found modest success on the charts, the first sole Gaye composition to do so. The song later found major R&B success when Luther Vandross covered it with Cheryl Lynn over a decade later.

The duo was also a success together onstage with Terrell's easy-going nature with the audience contrasting from Gaye's laid-back approach. However, that success was short-lived. On October 14, 1967, while performing at Virginia's Hampden-Sydney College, Terrell collapsed in Marvin's arms. Terrell had been complaining of headaches in the weeks leading up to the concert, but had insisted she was okay. However, after being rushed to Southside Community Hospital, doctors found that Terrell had a malignant brain tumor.

The diagnosis ended her performing career, though she still occasionally recorded, often with guidance and assistance. Terrell ceased recordings in 1969 and Motown struggled with recording of a planned third Gaye and Terrell album. Gaye initially had refused to go along with it saying that he felt Motown was taking unnecessary advantage of Terrell's illness. Gaye only reluctantly agreed because Motown assured him recordings would go to insure Terrell's health as she continued to have operations to remove the tumor, all of which were unsuccessful. In September 1969, the third Gaye and Terrell duet album, Easy was released, with many of the songs subbed by Valerie Simpson, while solo songs recorded years earlier by Terrell, had overdubbed vocals by Gaye.
 
"I Heard It through the Grapevine"

"I Heard It through the Grapevine" was recorded by Gaye in April 1967, several months before Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded it. The song features an horror-based Wurlitzer piano solo, percussion and horns. Gaye's recording of it paved the way for what later became "psychedelic soul".
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Terrell's illness put Gaye in a depression; at one point he attempted suicide but was stopped by Berry Gordy's father. He refused to acknowledge the success of his song "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", released in 1967 by Gladys Knight & The Pips (his was recorded before, but released after theirs), his first number-one hit and the biggest selling single in Motown history to that point, with four million copies sold. His work with producer Norman Whitfield, who produced "Grapevine", resulted in similar success with the singles "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is". Meanwhile, Gaye's marriage was crumbling and he was bored with his music. Wanting creative control, he sought to produce singles for Motown session band The Originals, whose Gaye-produced hits, "Baby I'm For Real" and "The Bells", brought success.

What's Going On (1970–1972)

Main article: What's Going On

Tammi Terrell died of a brain tumor on March 16, 1970. Gaye was so emotional at her funeral that he talked to her lying in state as if she was going to respond. Gaye insisted, following Terrell's death, that he would no longer record duets with any other female performer nor was he ever going to perform on stage again since Terrell's collapse and subsequent death had spooked him. He already had apprehensions of performing, suffering bouts of stage fright throughout his performing career. Prior to Terrell's death, he had withdrawn from a scheduled performance citing an illness and was later sued for failure to appear. After Terrell's death he stopped doing any more live gigs and never really recovered completely from her passing. He had an inspiration, going back to 1968, to try out for the Detroit Lions football team. After a tryout in early 1970, he wasn't allowed to join the team though he gained friendships with two of its teammates, Mel Farr and Lem Barney. After helping to collaborate what became "What's Going On", he returned to Hitsville on June 1, 1970 to record the song, which was inspired by Gaye's brother's accounts of his experience at the Vietnam War and co-writer Renaldo "Obie" Benson of the Four Tops' disgust of police brutality after seeing anti-war protesters attacked in San Francisco.

Despite releases of several anti-war songs by The Temptations and Edwin Starr, Motown CEO Berry Gordy prevented Gaye from releasing the song, fearing a backlash against the singer's image as a sex symbol and openly telling him and others that the song "was the worst record I ever heard". Gaye, however, refused to record anything that was Motown's or Gordy's version of him. He later said that recording the song and its parent album "led to semi-violent disagreements between Berry and myself, politically speaking." Eventually the song was released with little promotion on January 17, 1971. The song soon shot up the charts topping the R&B chart for five weeks. Eventually selling more than two million copies, an album was requested, and Gaye again defied Gordy by producing an album featuring lengthy singles that talked of other issues such as poverty, taxes, drug abuse and pollution. Released on May 21, 1971, the What's Going On album instantly became a million-seller crossing him over to young white rock audiences while also maintaining his strong R&B fan base. Because of its lyrical content and its mixture of funk, jazz, classical and Latin soul arrangements which departed from the then renowned "Motown Sound", it became one of Motown's first autonomous works, without help of Motown's staff producers. Based upon its themes and a segue flow into each of the songs sans the title track, the concept album became the new template for soul music.

Other hit singles that came out of the album included "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" and "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)", making Gaye the first male solo artist to have three top ten singles off one album on the Billboard Hot 100. All three singles sold over a million copies and were all number-one on the R&B chart. International recognition of the album was slow to come at first though eventually the album would be revered overseas as a "landmark pop record". It has been called "the most important and passionate record to come out of soul music, delivered by one of its finest voices". The success of the title track influenced Stevie Wonder to release an album with similar themes, Where I'm Coming From, in April of that year. Following the release of the album and its subsequent success, Wonder rejected a renewing offer with Motown unless he was allowed creative control on his recordings, which was granted a year later. Gaye's independent success not only related to Motown recording artists, other R&B artists of the era also began to rebel against labels to produce their own conceptual albums. The Jackson 5, one of Motown's final acts to benefit from the label's "glory years" (1959–1972), tried unsuccessfully to get creative control for their own recordings and as a result left in 1975 for CBS Records.

Gaye's success was nationally recognized: Billboard magazine awarded him the Trendsetter of the Year award, while he won several NAACP Image Awards including Favorite Male Singer. Rolling Stone named it Album of the Year, and was nominated for a couple of Grammy Awards though inexplicably wasn't nominated for Album of the Year. In 1972, Gaye reluctantly stepped out of his stage retirement to perform selected concerts, including one at his hometown of Washington, D.C. performing at the famed Kennedy Center, a recording of the performance was issued on a deluxe edition re-release of the What's Going On album. Also in 1972, Gaye performed for Jesse Jackson's PUSH organization and also for a Chicago-based benefit concert titled Save the Children aimed at removing the plight of urban violence in Chicago's inner city. The latter performance was issued as part of a concert film released in early 1973, also titled Save the Children. Following its success, Gaye signed a new contract with Motown Records for a then record-setting $1 million, then the most lucrative deal by a black recording artist. With creative control, Gaye attempted to produce several albums throughout 1972 and early 1973 including an instrumental album, a jazz album, another conceptually-produced album of social affairs (the canceled You're the Man project) and an album with Willie Hutch co-producing. In late 1972, Gaye produced the score for the Trouble Man film and later produced the soundtrack of the same name. The title track was the only full vocal work of the album and was released as a single in the fall of 1972 eventually reaching number seven on the pop chart in the spring of 1973.
[edit] Let's Get It On and continued success in music (1973–1977)
Main articles: Let's Get It On and I Want You (album)
 
"Let's Get It On"

"Let's Get It On" was written by Gaye and producer Ed Townsend, originally as a gospel song, and later as a protest song before eventually turning into a funk-oriented love anthem. It became Gaye's second number-one hit in 1973.
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Gaye performing live at the Oakland Coliseum during his 1973–1974 tour

In late 1972, Gaye left Detroit and moved to Los Angeles but relocated to an area where he was far away from Motown, purchasing a house at the so-called "bohemian hippie" Topanga Canyon Boulevard district, which was a hotbed for musicians looking to get away from the trappings of the music industry and Hollywood itself. He continued to record music at Los Angeles' Motown studios (Hitsville West) and on March 18, 1973, recorded "Let's Get It On", reputedly inspired by Gaye's new-found independence, after separating from Anna Gordy the previous year. The single was released as a single in June of the year and became Gaye's second number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. It also was a modest success internationally reaching number thirty-one in the United Kingdom. With the success of its recording, Gaye decided to switch completely from the social topics that were on What's Going On to songs with sensual appeal.

Released in August 1973, Let's Get It On consisted of material Gaye had initially recorded during the sessions of What's Going On. It was hailed as "a record unparalleled in its sheer sensuality and carnal energy." Other singles from the album included "Come Get to This", which recalled Gaye's early Motown soul sound of the previous decade, while the then-controversial "You Sure Love to Ball" reached modest success but was kept from being promoted by Motown due to its sexually explicit nature. With the success of What's Going On and Let's Get It On, Motown demanded a tour. Gaye only reluctantly agreed when demand from fans reached a fever pitch. After a delay, Gaye made his official return to touring on January 4, 1974 at the Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. The recording of the performance, held by several music executives as "an event", was later issued as the live album, Marvin Gaye Live!. Due to Gaye's growing popularity with his increasing crossover audience and the reaction of the performance of "Distant Lover", which Motown later released as a single in late 1974, the album sold over a million copies. Gaye's subsequent 10-city tour, which took off that August, was sold-out and demand for more dates continued into 1975 while Gaye had struggled with subsequent recordings. A renewed contract with Motown in 1975 gave Gaye his own custom-made recording studio.

To keep up with demand and hype, Motown released Gaye's final duet project, Diana & Marvin, an album with Diana Ross, which helped to increase Gaye's audience overseas with the duo's recording of "You Are Everything" reaching number-five in the UK, number-thirteen on the Dutch chart, and number-twenty in Ireland, while the album itself sold over a million copies overseas with major success in the UK. The recording of Diana & Marvin had started in late 1971 and overdubbed sessions took place in 1972 but was shelved from a release until late 1973 following the release of Let's Get It On. Gaye toured throughout 1975 without new releases and collaborated in the studio producing songs for the likes of The Miracles (now without Smokey Robinson) and Yvonne Fair, helping to produce her version of Norman Whitfield's "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", featured on Fair's The Bitch is Black, while also assisting her in the background with his vocals. Later in 1975, Gaye shaved his head bald in protest to Rubin Carter's prison sentence. Gaye initially insisted to keep it bald until Carter's release though Gaye's hair and beard returned within a few months.
Gaye performs at the London Palladium in 1977.

In 1976, Gaye released his first solo album in three years with I Want You. The title track became a number-one R&B hit while also reaching the top twenty of the national pop chart. The first of his albums to embrace the then popular disco sound of the time, Motown released a double-A 12' of "I Want You" alongside another smooth dancer, "After the Dance". The songs found success as a unit on the Billboard Hot Disco chart, reaching number-ten. By itself "After the Dance", which wasn't intended as a second single, eventually reached number fourteen on the R&B chart with minor pop traction, eventually reaching number seventy-four. That year, Gaye faced several lawsuits with former musicians and also faced prison time for falling behind on alimony payments ordered by law following his first wife Anna Gordy filing legal separation after a 15-year marriage. Gaye avoided imprisonment after agreeing to do a tour of Europe, his first tour of such in little over a decade. His first stop was at London's Royal Albert Hall and then at the city's London Palladium, where a recording was later released in early 1977 as Live at the London Palladium. Gaye performed in France, Holland, Switzerland and Italy to packed audiences and then returned for several U.S. tour dates though he often suffered from exhaustion from some of the U.S. dates. Between 1975 and 1976, Gaye was recognized by major corporations including the United Nations for charitable work dedicated to children and to affairs related to black culture.

In the spring of 1977, Gaye released "Got to Give It Up, Pt. 1", which gave him his third number-one US pop hit, the final one Gaye released in his lifetime. The song also topped the R&B and dance singles chart and also found some international success reaching the top ten in England. Released as the only studio track from the Palladium album, its success kept Palladium on the charts for a year eventually selling over two million copies. It was recognized by Billboard as one of the top-ten selling albums of all time that year.

Here, My Dear and his final days at Motown (1978–1981)

Main article: Here, My Dear

In March 1977, his long, drawn-out court battle with former wife Anna Gordy ended. As a compromise to settle matters between the ex-couple over issues of alimony payments for their adopted son, Gaye's attorney until his death, Curtis Shaw, advised Gaye to remit a portion of the revenue that he was to get for his next studio album. Gaye entered the recording studio intending to produce a "lazy" album, but ended up with the sprawling double-album set, Here, My Dear, which was held up from release for over a year. Finally released after Motown's demand for new product in late 1978, the album was initially a flop, tanking after only a couple months on the charts. Its only single, "A Funky Space Reincarnation", peaked at number twenty-three on the R&B chart, in early 1979, becoming Gaye's first single since "Soldier's Plea" 17 years earlier to not hit the Billboard Hot 100.

Gaye became a figure on talk show circuits for most of 1979, mostly appearing on Dinah Shore's Dinah & Friends. He also toured in 1979, first in the United States, then in England and in Japan, the latter being the first time (and, as it turned out, the only time) he ever toured that country. As the year continued, Gaye found himself in trouble financially, and at home with second wife, Janis Hunter. The couple split up in 1979, nearly eighteen months after marrying, and by that fall, following a performance in Hawaii, Gaye decided to remain in the state, fearing he might be imprisoned for failing to pay the IRS millions in back taxes; in court, his attorney claimed that several items within the singer's luggage, including tax returns, were stolen from him while at an airport. Meanwhile, Gaye, now heavily in the throes of drug addiction, struggled to record. Reports stated that while in Hawaii, Gaye lived inside a bread truck. He initially had planned to release a standards album titled The Ballads but discarded it, fearing fans would be disappointed by no recognizable hits on it. The singer then intended to release an album of love songs aimed for the disco audience titled Love Man, but within a year, however, Gaye thought of expressing his feelings about a possible Armageddon, as well as his battles of the heart. Gaye changed the titles of all the songs, rewrote lyrics, and retitled the album, In Our Lifetime?, recording the album tracks while living in London in the middle of his exile.

A 1980 European tour followed, after Gaye made a deal with British promoter Jeffrey Kruger, who had looked after Gaye's 1976–1977 European tour and his Japanese engagement in 1979. Almost immediately, controversy arose, after Gaye failed to make the stage for Princess Margaret at the Royal Gala Charity Show. While Kruger recalls that Gaye showed up just as audiences were leaving, Gaye's musicians recalled that Gaye performed to the few that stayed for the performance though Princess Margaret had already left. Though Princess Margaret denied it, the international press printed the news as an "embarrassing snub", claiming that Gaye had deliberately arrived late. This led to a lawsuit between Gaye and Kruger that eventually settled out of court. While still in London, Gaye ran into problems when recordings of In Our Lifetime? were sent to Motown's offices back in Los Angeles, initially as rough mixes, to get Motown's response rather than intending to release it. However, desperate to release Marvin Gaye product, the label rushed the album out on January 15, 1981. Gaye was upset at the news, and accused the label of editing and remixing the album without his consent, putting out an unfinished song ("Far Cry"), altering the album art he requested, and removing the question mark from the title, muting its irony. Gaye vowed to never record another record for Motown. That summer, negotiations began to be made to release Gaye from the label. After several offers landed, Gaye accepted a deal for CBS Records, a deal that was finalized in March 1982.

Comeback and sudden death (1982–1984)

Main articles: Midnight Love, Sexual Healing, and Death of Marvin Gaye
 
"Sexual Healing"
"Sexual Healing" was written by Gaye alongside Odell Brown and David Ritz. Ritz said Gaye advised him to write a poem after telling the singer he needed "sexual healing" while living in Europe. The song became an international hit after its release in 1982.
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On the advice of Belgian concert promoter Freddy Cousaert, Gaye moved to Ostend, Belgium, in February 1981 where for a time he cut down on drugs and began to get back in shape both physically and emotionally. While in Belgium, Gaye began to make plans to renew his declining fortunes in his professional career, starting with a tour he titled "The Heavy Love Affair Tour" in England where he was greeted more warmly by the same London press that had criticized him of the Princess Margaret snub the previous year. The tour ended with two concert dates in Ostend. A documentary leading up to his Belgian concert performances titled Transit Ostend was initially released to just Belgian fans, and was later issued on VHS in bootleg copies following Gaye's death.

After signing with CBS' Columbia Records division in 1982, Gaye worked on what became the Midnight Love album. Gaye reconnected with Harvey Fuqua while recording the album and Fuqua served as a production adviser on the album, which was released in October 1982. The parent single, "Sexual Healing", was released to receptive audiences globally, reaching number-one in Canada, New Zealand and the US R&B singles chart, while becoming a top ten U.S. pop hit and hitting the top ten in three other selected countries including the UK. The single became the fastest-selling and fastest-rising single in five years on the R&B chart staying at number-one for a record-setting ten weeks. Gaye wrote "Sexual Healing" while at the village Moere, near Ostend. Curtis Shaw later said that Gaye's Moere period was "the best thing that ever happened to Marvin." The now-famous video of "Sexual Healing" was shot at the Casino-Kursaal in Ostend. "Sexual Healing" won Gaye his first two Grammy Awards including Best Male Vocal Performance, in February 1983, and also won Gaye an American Music Award for Favorite Soul Single. It was called by People magazine as "America's hottest musical turn-on since Olivia Newton John demanded we get "Physical".

    “  I don't make records for pleasure. I did when I was a younger artist, but I don't today. I record so that I can feed people what they need, what they feel. Hopefully, I record so that I can help someone overcome a bad time.  ”
    NME – December

The following year, he was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance again, this time for the Midnight Love album. In February 1983, Gaye performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the NBA All-Star Game, held at The Forum in Inglewood, California, accompanied by Gordon Banks who played the studio tape from stands. In March 1983, he gave his final performance in front of his old mentor Berry Gordy and the Motown label for Motown 25, performing "What's Going On". He then embarked on a U.S. tour to support his album. The tour, ending in August 1983, was plagued by Gaye's returning drug addictions and bouts with depression.

When the tour ended, he attempted to isolate himself by moving into his parents' house in Los Angeles. As documented in the PBS "American Masters" 2008 exposé, several witnesses claimed Marvin's mental and physical condition spiraled out of control. Groupies and drug dealers hounded Marvin night and day. He threatened to commit suicide several times after bitter arguments with his father. On April 1, 1984, Gaye's father fatally shot him when Gaye intervened in an argument between his parents over misplaced business documents. The gun had been given to his father by Marvin Jr. four months previously. Marvin Gaye would have celebrated his 45th birthday the next day. Doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor but he was deemed fit for trial and was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped when it was revealed that Gaye had beaten Marvin Sr. before the killing. Spending his final years in a retirement home, he died of pneumonia in 1998.

In 1987, Marvin Gaye Jr. was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He was also honored by Hollywood's Rock Walk in 1989 and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990. In 2005, Marvin Gaye Jr. was admitted into the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame. In 2007, two of Gaye's most important recordings, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "What's Going On", were voted Legendary Michigan Songs.

Personal life

Gaye and second wife Janis

Gaye married twice. His first marriage was to Berry Gordy Jr.'s sister, Anna Gordy, who was 18 years his senior. Marvin and Anna were married on January 8, 1964 when Gaye was 24 and Gordy was 42. The marriage imploded after Marvin began courting Janis Hunter, the daughter of Slim Gaillard, in 1973. Anna filed for divorce in 1975; the divorce was finalized in March 1977. Gaye's erotic and disco-tinged studio album I Want You was based on his relationship with Hunter. In his book Mercy, Mercy Me: The Art, Loves, and Demons of Marvin Gaye, author and music writer Michael Eric Dyson elaborated on the relationship between I Want You and the relationship Gaye had with Hunter, which influenced his music:

    "I Want You" is unmistakably a work of romantic and erotic tribute to the woman he deeply loved and would marry shortly, Janis Hunter (Janis Gaye). Gaye's obsession with the woman in her late teens is nearly palpable in the sensual textures that are the album's aural and lyrical signature. Their relationship was relentlessly passionate and emotionally rough-hewn; they played up each other's strengths, and played off each other's weaknesses.

In October 1976, he married Janis, who was 17 years old when they met. However, the marriage dissolved within a year. After attempts at reconciliation, Janis filed for divorce in 1979. The divorce was finalized in February 1981. During this time, Marvin began dating a model from the Netherlands named Eugenie Vis. In 1982 Gaye became involved with Lady Edith Foxwell, former wife of the British movie director Ivan Foxwell, and spent time with her at Sherston, her Wiltshire estate. Foxwell ran the fashionable Embassy Club and was referred to in the media as "the queen of London cafe society." The story of their affair was told by Stan Hey in the April 2004 issue of GQ. The report quoted writer/composer Bernard J. Taylor as saying he was told by Foxwell that she and Gaye had discussed marriage.

Gaye had three children. Marvin Pentz Gaye, III (b. 1965), who was adopted by his first wife Anna. The singer disclosed this in David Ritz's biography on Gaye, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, saying he was afraid of being criticized for not producing a child. Later, Gaye had two children with Janis Hunter, Nona Marvisa, nicknamed "Pie" by her dad (born September 4, 1974) and Frankie "Bubby" Christian Gaye (born November 16, 1975). Gaye introduced his daughter to a national audience during a show in 1975. Nona would do the same eight years later when her father was given a tribute by Soul Train. Nona has gone on to find success as a singer and actress. Gaye's eldest son was a music producer. Frankie is said to have taken work as an artist. Gaye also has two grandchildren: Marvin Pentz Gaye IV (b. 1995), born on the anniversary of his grandfather's death; and Nolan Pentz Gaye (b. 1997).

Musicianship

Marvin Gaye's musical style changed in various ways throughout his 26-year career. Upon his early recordings as member of The Marquees and Harvey & the New Moonglows in the late 1950s, Marvin recorded in a doo-wop vocal style. After signing his first solo recording contract with Motown, Marvin prompted staff members he wanted to record an adult album of standards and jazz covers. His first album, The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye, conveyed those genres including several doo-wop and blues songs.

The Motown Sound and psychedelic soul

Starting with his first charted hit, 1962's "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" through 1967's "Your Unchanging Love", Marvin's music featured a blend of black rhythm and blues and white pop music that came to be later identified as the "Motown Sound". Marvin's 1962–1964 hits reflected a dance-pop/rock 'n' roll approach while his 1965–1969 recordings reflected a pop-soul style. Backed by Motown's in-house band The Funk Brothers, pre-1970 Marvin Gaye recordings were built around songs with simple, direct lyrics supported by an R&B rhythm section with orchestral strings and horns added for pop appeal. Marvin's early hits were conceived by Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Mickey Stevenson and Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Marvin's sound started to change slightly in 1967 after he began working with producers Norman Whitfield, Ashford & Simpson and Frank Wilson. Whereas Marvin's early sound reflected a youthful exterior, later songs during that period including "You", "Chained", "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" and "That's the Way Love Is" were all recorded under the psychedelic soul sound of the late sixties and early seventies. "Psychedelic soul" mixed guitar-driven rock with soul-based grooves. Marvin's vocal style also changed during that period where he began singing in a gospel texture that had been only hinted at in previous recordings.

Social commentary and conceptual albums

In 1971, Marvin issued his landmark album, What's Going On. The album and its tracks were responsible in the changing landscape of rhythm and blues music as the album presented a full view of social ills in America, including war, police brutality, racism, drug addiction, environmentalism, and urban decay. Beforehand, recordings of social unrest had been recorded by the likes of (Curtis Mayfield &) The Impressions, The Temptations, Sam Cooke, Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown, but this was the first album fully devoted to those issues. The album was produced under what is called a song cycle and because of its theme of "what's going on" was considered one of the first concept albums to be released in soul music. Marvin's 1972 soundtrack Trouble Man, based on the blaxploitation film of the same name, mainly featured instrumentals with a few vocal runs, including songs with social commentary. Marvin's 1972 recordings outside that album – including "Where Are We Going", "Piece of Clay", "You're the Man" and "The World Is Rated X" – also raised social issues and was personal in nature. The songs were to be included in the unreleased 1972 album, You're the Man, which was canceled after the modest reception of the title single. Marvin issued his next "concept album" with 1973's Let's Get It On, based on the spiritual and erotic side of love and sex. Marvin released a similarly themed funk album in 1976, I Want You, before switching to personal issues with the albums Here, My Dear (1978) and In Our Lifetime (1981). The former album focused on Marvin's problems in his first marriage, while the latter focused on his own life struggles. Marvin's albums between 1971 and 1981 reflected a period where, as an Allmusic writer said, his music "not only redefined soul music as a creative force but also expanded its impact as an agent for social change".

From funk to disco to contemporary R&B

Starting in the early-seventies, Marvin's sound began to reflect the emerging sounds of funk and the later disco movement of the late 1970s. Marvin's double-sided 1976 single, "I Want You/After the Dance" and his 1977 hit, "Got to Give It Up" were his only successful attempts at recording disco-styled dance music whereas the 1978 single "A Funky Space Reincarnation", 1979's "Ego Tripping Out" and the 1981 singles "Praise" and "Heavy Love Affair" aimed at the funk-based urban audience. By itself, "I Want You", mixed funk with disco, soul and lite rock elements. With the release of 1982's triple-platinum Midnight Love and the massive platinum selling smash hit, "Sexual Healing", Marvin mixed the styles of funk and post disco with Caribbean and European-flavored pop music creating a mix that influenced the modern R&B sound. "Sexual Healing" was the biggest R&B hit of the 1980s – No.1 for 10 consecutive weeks. Some of Marvin's posthumous releases have been varied in nature: 1985's Dream of a Lifetime was produced mostly in an electro funk sound mostly in the first half of the album, while his posthumous "featuring" on rapper Erick Sermon's 2001 hit, "Music" brought him to a younger hip-hop audience.

Legacy and influence

According to several historians, Marvin Gaye's career "spanned the entire history of rhythm and blues from fifties doo-wop to eighties contemporary soul."  Critics stated that Gaye's music "signified the development of black music from raw rhythm and blues, through sophisticated soul to the political awareness of the 1970s and increased concentration on personal and sexual politics thereafter." Marvin's usage of multi-tracked vocalizing, recording songs of social, political and sexual issues, and producing albums of autobiographical nature have influenced a generation of recording artists of various genres. As an artist who broke away from the controlled atmosphere of Motown Records in the 1970s, he influenced the careers of label mates such as Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers and, later in Epic Records, Michael Jackson to gain creative control and produce/co-produce their own albums. The careers of later R&B stars such as Rick James, Prince, R. Kelly, D'Angelo, Janet Jackson, Lustevie, George Michael, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Bobby V and J. Holiday also were influenced by the music of Marvin Gaye. Marvin's erotically concept albums such as Let's Get It On and I Want You inspired similar albums released by Smokey Robinson, Barry White and his co-producer on I Want You, Leon Ware. Modern-day artists such as Teena Marie and Mary J. Blige have also referenced Marvin in their own songs. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him No.18 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Tributes and covers

In 1983, Spandau Ballet recorded the single "True" as a tribute to Marvin and the Motown sound he helped established. That same year, electro-funk group R. J.'s Latest Arrival mentioned him with their dance hit, "Shackles on My Feet". DeBarge's 1983 hit, "All This Love" was musically influenced by Marvin's sound and was rumored that they had wanted Marvin to record the song himself. However, Marvin had left the label before they could approach him.

On April 2, 1984, the day after Marvin's death, Duran Duran dedicated their live performance of "Save a Prayer" while on their Sing Blue Silver tour and appearing on their Arena album to him. Tribute songs to the singer included Diana Ross' "Missing You" and The Commodores' "Nightshift" became hits with each song reaching number-one on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart. Other artists who have either paid tribute to Marvin in a song or referenced him have included close friend and former Motown label-mate Edwin Starr, who released "Marvin" the month after his death, Teena Marie's "My Dear Mr. Gaye", Todd Rundgren's "Lost Horizon", the Violent Femmes' 1988 single "See My Ships", Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's 1989 R&B hit, "Silky Soul", ABC's 1987 single "When Smokey Sings" (Gaye's "What's Going On (song)" is sampled for the Miami Mix) and George Michael's "John and Elvis Are Dead" where Marvin is mentioned in one the final lines from the repeated chorus. Stevie Wonder wrote the song "Lighting Up the Candles" as a tribute to Gaye following his death and performed the song originally at Gaye's funeral service. Wonder later recorded the song for the Jungle Fever soundtrack.

In 1992, Israeli artist Izhar Ashdot dedicated his song "Eesh Hashokolad" to Gaye. Two tribute albums, 1995's Inner City Blues: The Music of Marvin Gaye (which featured Nona's version of "Inner City Blues") and 1999's Marvin Is 60 featured covers of Marvin's most famous material. Since the 1960s, Marvin's songs have been covered by a variety of artists. The Rolling Stones recorded "Baby Don't You Do It" early in their career. The Band also recorded "Baby Don't You Do It" numerous times under the Order of the Black title "Don't Do It"; the different versions, both studio and live, appear on several of their albums and box sets (the only one to be released as a single came from Rock of Ages), as well as in their 1976 concert film The Last Waltz. Rod Stewart during his early tenure with Steampacket covered "Can I Get a Witness". His 1965 hit, "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" was covered three times by Junior Walker in 1966, again in 1975 by James Taylor, and again in 2002 by gospel singer Helen Baylor. In Baylor's version she substituted the word "baby" for Jesus.

Gaye's 1968 hit "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" has been frequently covered with versions recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival, Roger Troutman, Edwin Starr and The California Raisins. Donny Hathaway performed a live version of "What's Going On" for his 1972 Live album while Cyndi Lauper recorded a top forty version of "What's Going On" in 1987, the song was re-recorded by a variety of contemporary pop, R&B and rap artists in 2001(again, including Nona) for AIDS benefit and was later dedicated to the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks. A few years after that, rock band A Perfect Circle covered the song in their own hard rock version. The singer's "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" was covered by rock band The Strokes which featured Eddie Vedder on lead vocals. R&B singer Angela Winbush covered "Inner City Blues" in 1994 and was recorded in a slightly different version by Gil-Scott Heron in the 1970s. Aaliyah covered "Got to Give It Up" on her album One in a Million.

Gospel–soul legends Mavis Staples and Aretha Franklin have each covered "Wholy Holy" from the What's Going On album while "Let's Get It On" was famously sampled by Shaggy on his breakthrough single, 1994's "Boombastic". Versions of "Sexual Healing" have been recorded by Soul Asylum, Ben Harper, Max-A-Million, Kate Bush, Neil Finn, Sarah Connor and Ne-Yo. Michael McDonald, Diana Ross and Amy Winehouse have all covered or redone their own versions of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", Marvin's 1967 hit with Tammi Terrell while Luther Vandross and Cheryl Lynn reinterpreted the Marvin/Tammi single, "If This World Were Mine" in 1982. Mary J. Blige and Method Man, with permission, sampled an interpolation of "You're All I Need to Get By" for their 1995 hit, "You're All I Need/I'll Be There for You". In June 2008, D'Angelo alongside Erykah Badu recorded Gaye's hit duo with Terrell, "Your Precious Love" for his "The Best So Far"...compilation album.

On April 2, 2006, on what would have been the singer's 67th birthday, a park near the neighborhood where Marvin grew up at in Washington, D.C. was renamed after him after a discussion with the City Council. "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" was covered by John Mayer in his Album As/Is, released in 2004. The cover also featured DJ Logic. Elton John's song "Club at the End of the Street" also mentions Marvin Gaye. On the 25th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's death, the singer's hometown of Washington, D.C. again honored the singer by renaming a street he grew up on called "Marvin Gaye Way".

Musical achievements and posthumous releases

Gaye scored 41 Top 40 hit singles on Billboard's Pop Singles chart between 1963 and 2001, 60 Top 40 R&B singles chart hits from 1962 to 2001, 18 Top Ten pop singles on the pop chart, 38 Top 10 singles on the R&B chart, three number-one pop hits and thirteen number-one R&B hits and tied with Michael Jackson in total as well as the fourth biggest artist of all-time to spend the most weeks at the number-one spot on the R&B singles chart (52 weeks). In all, Gaye produced a total of 67 singles on the Billboard charts in total, spanning five decades, including five posthumous releases.

The year a remix of "Let's Get It On" was released to urban adult contemporary radio, "Let's Get It On" was certified gold by the RIAA for sales in excess of 500,000, making it the best-selling single on Motown in the United States. Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is the best-selling international Motown single, explained by a re-release in Europe following a Levi 501 Jeans commercial in 1986.

On June 19, 2007, Hip-O Records reissued Gaye's final Motown album, In Our Lifetime as an expanded two-disc edition titled In Our Lifetime?: The Love Man Sessions, bringing back the original title with the question mark and included a different mix of the album, which was recorded in London and also including the original songs from the Love Man album, which were songs later edited lyrically for the songs that made the In Our Lifetime album. The same label released a deluxe edition of Gaye's Here, My Dear album, which included a re-sequencing of tracks from the album from producers such as Salaam Remi and Bootsy Collins.

His 1983 NBA All-Star performance of the national anthem was used in a Nike commercial featuring the 2008 U.S. Olympic basketball team. Also, on CBS Sports' final NBA telecast to date (before the contract moved to NBC) at the conclusion of Game 5 of the 1990 Finals, they used Gaye's 1983 All-Star Game performance over the closing credits. Most recently, it was used in the intro to Ken Burn's "Tenth Inning" documentary on the game of baseball.

In 2008, Gaye earned $3.5 million, and took 13th place in 'Top-Earning Dead Celebrities' in Forbes Magazine.

"I Heard It Through the Grapevine" one of his most famous songs, voted No.1 and greatest Motown song and his "What's Going On" is on the top five.

Documentaries and movies

A documentary about Gaye – What's Going On: The Marvin Gaye Story – was a UK/PBS USA co-production, directed by Jeremy Marre and was first broadcast in 2006; two years later, the special re-aired with a different production and newer interviews after it was re-broadcast as an American Masters special. Gaye is referenced as one of the supernatural acts to appear in the short story and later television version of Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes in "You Know They Got a Hell of a Band".

A play by Caryl Phillips called A Long Way from Home, focusing on Gaye's relationship with his father and his last years in Ostend, was broadcast by BBC Radio 3 in March 2008. It featured O. T. Fagbenle as Gaye and Kerry Shale as Marvin Gay Sr., with Rhea Bailey, Rachel Atkins, Damian Lynch, Alibe Parsons, Ben Onwukwe and Major Wiley. It was directed by Ned Chaillet and produced by Chris Wallis.

So far, three movies are currently being planned on Marvin's life. One movie, Sexual Healing, is based on the post-Motown career of Marvin Gaye's later years with Jesse L. Martin playing Marvin and James Gandolfini playing Marvin's Belgium-based mentor, concert promoter Freddy Cousaert. Another film, simply titled, Marvin, is also in plans for production with F. Gary Gray in helm to direct the film. This film, unlike Sexual Healing, will focus on Marvin's entire life story because unlike Sexual Healing, the second film was allowed rights to Marvin's Motown catalog. Musicians Common and Usher and actor Will Smith have either been rumored to or have aspired to play the singer possibly in the second film. A third film on Gaye is reportedly being produced by Motown with director Cameron Crowe.

Discography

Main article: Marvin Gaye discography

Studio albums

    1961: The Soulful Moods of Marvin Gaye
    1962: That Stubborn Kinda Fellow
    1964: When I'm Alone I Cry
    1964: Hello Broadway
    1965: How Sweet It Is to Be Loved by You
    1965: A Tribute to the Great Nat "King" Cole
    1966: Moods of Marvin Gaye
    1968: I Heard It Through the Grapevine
    1969: M.P.G.
    1970: That's the Way Love Is
    1971: What's Going On (#6 U.S.)
    1972: Trouble Man
    1973: Let's Get It On (#2 U.S.)
    1976: I Want You (#4 U.S.)
    1978: Here, My Dear
    1981: In Our Lifetime
    1982: Midnight Love (#7 U.S.; No.10 UK)
    1985: Dream of a Lifetime (posthumous)
    1985: Romantically Yours (posthumous)

Duet albums

    1964: Together (with Mary Wells)
    1966: Take Two (with Kim Weston)
    1967: United (with Tammi Terrell)
    1968: You're All I Need (with Tammi Terrell)
    1969: Easy (with Tammi Terrell)
    1973: Diana & Marvin (with Diana Ross)

 
U.S. and UK Top Ten singles

    1963: "Pride and Joy" (US #10)
    1964: "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" (US #6)
    1965: "I'll Be Doggone" (US #8)
    1965: "Ain't That Peculiar" (US #8)
    1967: "Your Precious Love" (US #5)
    1967: "If I Could Build My Whole World Around You" (US #10)
    1968: "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" (US #8)
    1968: "You're All I Need to Get By" (US #7)
    1968: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (US #1; UK #1)
    1969: "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby" (US #4; UK #5)
    1969: "The Onion Song" (UK #9)
    1969: "That's The Way Love Is" (US #7)
    1970: "Abraham, Martin & John" (UK #9)
    1971: "What's Going On" (US #2)
    1971: "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)" (US #4)
    1971: "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" (US #9)
    1972: "Trouble Man" (US #7)
    1973: "Let's Get It On" (US #1)
    1974: "You Are Everything" (UK #5)
    1977: "Got to Give It Up" (US #1; UK #7)
    1982: "Sexual Healing" (US #3; UK #4)
    1985: "Sanctified Lady" (US #2; US R&B)
    1986: "I Heard It Through the Grapevine (UK re-release)" (UK #8)

Filmography

Book icon  Book: Marvin Gaye
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    1965: The T.A.M.I. Show (documentary)
    1969: The Ballad of]]> http://www.dating-model.com/album-read-id-2501.html

Born  April 9, 1963 (age 48)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence  Paris, Île-de-France, France
Nationality  American
Education  The New School
Parsons School of Design
Occupation  Fashion designer
Awards  Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Labels  Marc Jacobs
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Louis Vuitton

Early life and education

Marc Jacobs was born to a Jewish family in New York City, New York. He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey, with his mother, sister and younger brother, where attended Teaneck High School; he also attended and graduated from the High School of Art and Design, located in New York City.

At age fifteen, Jacobs worked as a stockboy at Charivari, a now-defunct avant-garde clothing boutique located in New York City. He later attended The New School, located in New York City, studying at the university's art and design division; he was also captain of the ballet team. Jacobs also studied at the Parsons School of Design, also located in New York City. During his time at Parsons, Jacobs won the Perry Ellis Gold Thimble Award in 1984, and in the same year was also awarded the Chester Weinberg Gold Thimble Award and the Design Student of the Year Award.

Career

While still at Parsons, Jacobs designed and sold his first line of hand-knit sweaters. He also designed his first collection for Reuben Thomas, Inc., under the Sketchbook label. Following his studies at Parsons, Jacobs began to design at the Perry Ellis line after its founder, Perry Ellis, had died. Jacobs became prominent on the fashion scene when he designed a "grunge" collection for Perry Ellis, leading to his dismissal in 1993. With Robert Duffy, Jacobs' creative collaborator, and business partner since the mid-1980s, he formed Jacobs Duffy Designs Inc., which continues to this day. In a 2008 interview for O32c, Duffy indicated that he remains Jacobs's best friend and confidant.

In 1986, backed by Onward Kashiyama USA, Inc., Jacobs designed his first collection bearing the Marc Jacobs label. In 1987, Jacobs was the youngest designer to have ever been awarded the fashion industry's highest tribute, the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Perry Ellis Award for New Fashion Talent.[citation needed]

Jacobs and Duffy joined the women's design unit of Tristan Russo in 1989 as vice president and president, respectively. In addition, Jacobs oversaw the design of the various women's licensees. In 1992, the Council of Fashion Designers of America awarded Jacobs with The Women's Designer of the Year Award. In the same year, Duffy said in an 032c interview, he and Jacobs were fired from Perry Ellis after producing a highly "grunge" collection. In 1994, Jacobs produced his first full collection of menswear.

Jacobs is a prominent fixture in the New York City celebrity scene, having become something of a celebrity himself. The audience for his fashion shows typically includes celebrities like Kim Gordon and Vincent Gallo. Most of his collections make references to the fashions of past decades from the 1940s to the 1980s. Disputing the claim by the designer Oscar de la Renta that Jacobs is a mere copyist, Guy Trebay, a critic for The New York Times, has written "unlike the many brand-name designers who promote the illusion that their output results from a single prodigious creativity, Mr. Jacobs makes no pretense that fashion emerges full blown from the head of one solitary genius". Explaining his clothes, Jacobs has said "what I prefer is that even if someone feels hedonistic, they don't look it. Curiosity about sex is much more interesting to me than domination. ... My clothes are not hot. Never. Never."

In May 2009, Jacobs co-hosted, with fashion model Kate Moss, a "model and muse"-themed gala for the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute.

In April 2010, Marc Jacobs was included on Time 100, a list of the 100 most influential people in the world compiled by Time.

Louis Vuitton

In 1997, Jacobs was appointed Vuitton's creative director, where he created the company's first ready-to-wear clothing line.

Jacobs has collaborated with many popular artists for his Louis Vuitton collections. Through Vuitton, Jacobs has worked in conjunction with Stephen Sprouse, Takashi Murakami and most recently American artist Richard Prince and rapper Kanye West.

As of 2011, Jacobs remained Vuitton's creative director.

Eponymous company

In recent years, the Marc Jacobs brand has increased the number of boutiques and direct point of service locations. This is evident in the signature list of cities featured in the company's print advertisements (although such adverts do not provide an entirely accurate or exhaustive survey of the brand's retail operations). Some of these branded showrooms present only a certain portion of the company's several brands (The Marc Jacobs Collection, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Little Marc, a children's line). A number of branded boutiques, for instance, feature only the Marc by Marc Jacobs product line.[citation needed]
Marc Jacobs Logo

As of May 2008, Marc Jacobs boutiques in the U.S. included multiple locations in New York City as well as San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. Other U.S. locations include:

    Boston, Massachusetts
    Bal Harbour, Florida
    Las Vegas, Nevada
    North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
    Guam

    Chicago, Illinois
    Savannah, Georgia
    Provincetown, Massachusetts

Worldwide, other such stand-alone stores are found in:

Europe

    Copenhagen, Denmark
    London, England
    Madrid, Spain

    Moscow, Russia
    Paris, France

Middle East

    Beirut, Lebanon
    Doha, Qatar
    Dubai

    Kuwait
    Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Far East

    Japan

    Chiba
    Kobe
    Kyoto
    Matsuyama
    Nagano
    Nagoya

    Osaka (multiple locations)
    Sendai
    Shizuoka
    Tokyo (multiple locations)
    Tottori

Other Asia

    Seoul, Korea (multiple locations)
    Hong Kong (multiple locations)
    Taipei, Taiwan (multiple locations)
    Shanghai, China
    Beijing, China
    Chengdu, China

    Guangzhou, China
    Manila, Philippines
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Singapore
    Jakarta, Indonesia
    Bangkok, Thailand

Latin America

    Mexico City
    Sao Paulo

The various ready-to-wear and accessory collections are also widely available at leading department stores around the globe.

In February 2008, Jacobs was accused of plagiarism after it was revealed that a scarf from his collection had exactly the same design as a scarf created in the 1950s by Swedish designer Gösta Olofsson, after Esquire writer Rob Millan discovered the scarf's use in a print ad and reported the allegation in the January 2008 issue. In early March, Göran Olofsson, the son of Gösta Olofsson, and Jacobs settled on the issue through monetary compensation.

In 2009, Jacobs launched a shirt, sold at his stores, demanding the legalization of gay marriage.

In February 2010, Jacobs sued Ed Hardy for infringing on the designs of one of his embroidered handbags.

In 2006, he started a new line of body-splash fragrances in affordable huge ten-ounce bottles which are distributed by Coty. First only being sold in perfume boutiques, they have become more and more popular during the recent years.

Personal life

In 2009, Jacobs was ranked 15th on Out magazine's annual list of "50 Most Powerful Gay Men and Women in America".

Jacobs, who is openly gay was in a four-year relationship with stylist Jason Preston and was in a relationship with advertising executive Lorenzo Martone. In March 2009, Women's Wear Daily reported that the pair was engaged after a year of dating. In July 2009, the couple held their wedding in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Although they considered themselves a married couple, their marriage was not legally official until later that year. On July 23, 2010, Jacobs told Vogue.co.uk: "No I am not getting married." And on July 24, Martone announced via Twitter that he and Jacobs had not been together for two months.

Birth name  Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque
Born  December 20, 1990 (age 20)
Brattleboro, Vermont, United States
Origin  Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Genres  Pop, R&B
Occupations  Singer-songwriter, record producer, actress, Skateboarder, dancer
Years active  1998–present
Labels  Da Family, Blackground, Interscope
Website  jojoonline.com

JoJo's self-titled debut album was released in June 2004 and has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. The first single from the album, "Leave (Get Out)", was released in February 2004. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold by the RIAA. JoJo's second album, The High Road, was released in October 2006, and has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. The album's lead single, "Too Little Too Late", was released in August 2006 and reached number three on Billboard Hot 100. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA. Her first mixtape, Can't Take That Away from Me, was released exclusively to Rap-Up on September 7, 2010. The mixtape is a prelude to her upcoming third studio album formerly titled All I Want Is Everything, which is scheduled for an early 2011 release through Blackground and Interscope Records. The first single from the Mixtape, "In the Dark", was released exclusively to Rap-up.com on August 30, 2010.

On February 28, 2011, JoJo revealed the new title of her third album would be named Jumping Trains, named after one of her favorite songs on the upcoming Interscope Records project. She will announce the first single and shoot a video in the coming weeks. To hold over her patient fans. JoJo also has a film career. She made her first television appearance on The Bernie Mac Show. In 2006 she starred in two Hollywood films, Aquamarine, her film debut and RV. She has hosted the Ultimate Prom, and appeared in the movie True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet, which earned her a nomination at the Poptastic Awards.

JoJo was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, and raised in Keene, New Hampshire and Foxborough, Massachusetts. She has English, Irish, Polish, French, Scottish, and Native American ancestry. She grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Foxborough, in a low-income family. Her father sings as a hobby and her mother sang in a Catholic church choir and was trained in musical theater. Her parents divorced when she was three.[citation needed] JoJo's stage name comes from a childhood nickname.

As a child, JoJo listened as her mother practiced hymns. She started singing when she was two years and three months old by imitating, everything from nursery rhymes to R&B, jazz, and soul tunes. On the A&E's show Child Stars III: Teen Rockers, her mother claimed that JoJo had a borderline genius IQ. As a child, JoJo enjoyed attending Native American festivals and acted locally in professional theaters.

At age 7, JoJo appeared on the television show Kids Say the Darnedest Things: On the Road in Boston with American comedian and actor Bill Cosby and she sang a song from singer Cher. After auditioning in the television show Destination Stardom, JoJo sang Aretha Franklin's 1967 hit "Respect" & Chain of Fools. Soon after, The Oprah Winfrey Show contacted her, inviting her to perform. She performed on Maury, on one of the frequent "kids-with-talent" episodes, as well as many others. Reminiscing, she has stated that "when it came to performing, I just had no fear".

Music career
2001–05: Discovery and JoJo
Main article: JoJo (album)

At 6 years old, JoJo was offered a record deal, but her mother turned it down because she believed JoJo was too young for a music career. After appearing on talk shows and the McDonald's Gospel Fest performing Whitney Houston's "I Believe In You and Me" and competing on the television show, America's Most Talented Kids, but did not win the show and lost to Diana DeGarmo.[clarification needed] Record producer Vincent Herbert contacted her and asked her to audition for Blackground Records. During her audition for Barry Hankerson, Hankerson told her that the spirit of his niece, the late singer Aaliyah, had brought her to him. She was signed to the label, and had recording sessions with famed producers like The Underdogs and Soulshock & Karlin.

JoJo's live demo, Joanna Levesque, recorded in 2001, features covers of soul and R&B songs, including Wilson Pickett's 1966 "Mustang Sally", Etta James's 1989 "It Ain't Always What You Do (It's Who You Let See You Do It)", Aretha Franklin's 1968 "Chain of Fools" and 1969 "The House That Jack Built", The Moonglows' 1956 "See Saw", Stevie Wonder's 1972 "Superstition", and The Temptations' 1975 "Shakey Ground".

In 2003, at age 12, JoJo signed with Blackground Records and Da Family and begin working with some producers on her first debut album. JoJo's platinum-certified debut single "Leave (Get Out)" was released in 2004. Before the album's release, JoJo embarked on her first ever tour, the Cingular Buddy Bash with Fefe Dobson, Young Gunz and Zebrahead. The tour went to nine malls, starting at Atlanta's Northlake Mall and ending at South Shore Plaza. When the single reached number one on the Top 40 Mainstream, she became at age thirteen the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single in America. The first single was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, which made JoJo become the youngest MTV Video Music Award nominee. Her first album, the platinum-selling JoJo, followed, it peaked at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number ten on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling about 107,000 copies and reaching the top forty of the UK Albums Chart. JoJo co-wrote two of the album's songs, as well as wrote and co-produced one full track. In December 2004 she was nominated for Female New Artist Of The Year and Mainstream Top 40 Single Of The Year at the Billboard Music Awards. She is also the youngest artist to be nominated at the Billboard Music Awards.

Her second single, the gold-selling "Baby It's You" — which features rapper Bow Wow — peaked at number twenty-two in the U.S. and number eight in the UK. The final single from the self-titled album, "Not That Kinda Girl," was released in 2005 and peaked at number eighty-five in Germany. In mid-2005 rapper Eminem mentioned JoJo in his song "Ass Like That" along with many other popular teen female celebrities at the time.

In 2004 JoJo participated in "Come Together Now", a charity single to benefit the victims of the 2004 Asian Tsunami and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina. That year, she was requested by First Lady Laura Bush to perform at the 2004 Christmas in Washington special, broadcast by TNT and hosted by Dr. Phil and his wife Robin McGraw. Despite performing at other events for the Republican Party, she has stated that she "does not agree with the things that President George W. Bush has done in office. I'll leave it at that." JoJo hosted and performed at the Hope Rocks concert in 2005 to benefit City of Hope Cancer Center and co-hosted the 2006 TV Guide Channel's countdown to the Grammy Awards.
2006–07: The High Road
Main article: The High Road

JoJo's second album, The High Road, was released October 17, 2006. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. It was produced by Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz, J. R. Rotem, Corey Williams, Soulshock & Karlin and Ryan Leslie. It has received mainly positive reviews. JoJo says her next album really shows how she's grown up to her music and she feels more confident in her vocals and in the things that she sings about.

In the summer of 2006, the lead single from her second album, "Too Little Too Late", was released to radio stations. "Too Little Too Late" broke the record for the biggest jump into the top three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, moving from number sixty-six to number three in one week; this record was previously held by Mariah Carey with her 2001 single "Loverboy", which went from number sixty to number two. The album's second official single, "How to Touch a Girl", experienced less success. It charted just outside the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number seventy-six on the Billboard Pop 100. The single is one of her favorite songs from The High Road and was written by herself. On March 16, 2007, The Second JammX Kids All Star Dance Special broadcast a new song by JoJo entitled "Anything", which samples Toto's 1982 hit single, "Africa" but it did not have a music video. The album has sold over 550,000 and since been certified gold by the RIAA.

On July 20, 2007, JoJo's answer to "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston leaked on the Internet called "Beautiful Girls Reply". It debuted at number thirty-nine on the Billboard Rhythmic Top 40 chart one month later. JoJo left a message that she wanted her fans' input in deciding between "Coming for You" or "Let It Rain" as the next single, but it was canceled to release a third single for The High Road. She has also stated that she will be touring in the summer of 2007 in the U.S. and Europe in support of The High Road.

Though there has not been an official tour, she has been performing with a live band as part of the Six Flags Starburst Thursday Night Concert series during the summer of 2007. During some of these shows she has included medleys of her favorite popular songs from Beyoncé ("Déjà Vu"), Kelly Clarkson ("Since U Been Gone"), SWV, Gnarls Barkley, Jackson 5, Justin Timberlake ("My Love"), Maroon 5, Usher, Carlos Santana, Jill Scott, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Musiq Soulchild, and Amy Winehouse ("Rehab", replacing the title with "Boston"). In November 2007, JoJo she toured in Brasil at the Live Pop Rock Brasil.

On December 1, 2007, JoJo won the Boston Music Award for National Female Vocalist of the Year for "Too Little Too Late" and has performed.

In late 2007 JoJo stated that she had been writing songs for her third album, to be released when she turned eighteen. She wants her fans to see growth in her music. She is seeking a publisher so that she can sing some of her self-written songs.
2008–2010: Record label conflict and Can't Take That Away from Me
Main article: Can't Take That Away from Me

In an April 8, 2008 interview at the Hearst Tower for the "Ultimate Prom" party, JoJo stated that she is writing and producing an album in Boston and Atlanta. She has lined up producers Tank, DJ Toomp, J. Moss, Toby Gad, The Underdogs, Danja, J.R. Rotem, Billy Steinberg, Bryan-Michael Cox, Marsha Ambrosius, Madd Scientist, Tony Dixon, Eric Dawkins and J. Gatsby. Out of three quarters of the finished material, she wrote all but one song. She said it will be her most personal album to date with inspiration coming from a romantic breakup to finding a new relationship, as well as feeling sexier and more confident becoming a woman. The self-written title track is described as an inspirational anthem. On August 30, 2008, JoJo posted her own answer version of the song "Can't Believe It", which originally performed by T-Pain. On September 1, JoJo said that her album would be out early 2009. In 2008, R&B singer Ne-Yo sampled JoJo's second single "Baby It's You".

On October 14, 2008, JoJo sang the National Anthem before Game 4 of the ALCS at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. On December 9, 2008, JoJo was nominated again at the Boston Music Awards and was nominated for Outstanding Pop/R&B Act Of The Year but the singing group Jada has won this award.

In January 2009, JoJo stated on her official MySpace that she has working with producers Chad Hugo, Jim Beanz & Kenna and she currently is working very hard for her new album. She stated she had problems with her record label and she has changed her label from Blackground to Interscope Records.

In April 2009, JoJo stated in her MySpace blog that she is still signed to Blackground. Singer-songwriter Jovan Dais said in an interview he will work with DJ Toomp on JoJo's forthcoming album. He said: I'm really selective about who I work with because I'm not interested in it like that as far as working with so many different people. I really like JoJo. I like her music, I like her voice and I believe she's a true talent. We came up with some great material.

JoJo's song "Note to God" from her second album The High Road was recently covered by Filipina pop singer Charice.

On June 3, 2009, JoJo stated on her official YouTube account that she was waiting for her record label to sign a distribution deal to release her album, but apart from that she has finished work the forthcoming album. On June 10, 2009 samples of her songs written by Toby Gad "Fearless", "Touch Down" and "Underneath" leaked on the internet. JoJo posted on her official MySpace: "These songs are not on the album nor do they represent the sound or direction of this record". In few months time nearly 20 of her songs were leaked through a Youtube channel. She later stated that most of these leaked tracks will not make it to the new album. In mid July she said on her Myspace that she's writing songs for other recording artists and herself and vibing with some talented producers in Los Angeles.

In August 2009, it was reported that JoJo filed a lawsuit in New York against her record label Da Family Entertainment for putting her in musical limbo. The label will not let her out of her contract or let her record a new album. She is seeking $500,000 for her troubles and to be released from her contract. JoJo was released from her contract in October 2009 and a deal was reached to make Interscope Records her distributing label.

In October 2009, finally a deal was reached with Blackground Records to have JoJo's third album distributed by Interscope Records. JoJo had confirmed that on Twitter. She left Da Family Entertainment after six years and is now at Interscope. Her label is currently getting all the legal things together for her third album to be released in 2010.[dated info]

In late 2009, JoJo appeared in Timbaland's Shock Value II in a song called "Lose Control" and it's her first official song on an album after two years. In an interview in November she said that she's so excited to be on his record. She appeared in another song called "Timothy Where You Been" with the Australian band Jet as a background vocalist. In an Interview with Rap-Up, JoJo said about the album: "I wanted to do something that people would be like, ‘Wow, this girl has come a long way and she's really taking the reins, I wanted people to get a sense of who I am" and that Timbaland, Jim Beanz, The Messengers, Kenna, Chad Hugo & Pharell Williams work on her new record and in 2010 she's ready to come back and put the finishing touches on the album in January. On March 27, 2010 JoJo joined Timbaland and Justin Timberlake for the Manila Changing Lives Concert tour in support of Timbaland's Shock Value II album. Where she performed her song "Too Little Too Late" and the song "Lose Control" with Timbaland from the album. Less than two months later JoJo returned to Manilla for the Then & Now Massive Music Festival on May 15, 2010 with other artist like Baby Bash, Frankie J, Diana King, SWV and more. This time she performed several songs from her past two albums as well was two new songs "Play This Twice" and "Safe With Me" (which is one of the 26 leaked tracks) from her third album.

In the end of 2009, JoJo confirmed she was working with Clinton Sparks and Chester French on a mixtape for release in 2010. In July 2010, she confirmed in an Interview with Sam E. Goldberg that she will release her mixtape the month before the album. She announced on Twitter that her mixtape called Can't Take That Away from Me with the first single "In the Dark" produced by Jordan Gatsby. In August 2010, she gave in an Interview with Rap-Up more information about her upcoming mixtape, it set to release on September 7, 2010. The singer said about the mixtape: "This mixtape is more experimental, I was able to explore the full spectrum of things that interest me and inspire me musically. Whereas the album, I wanted to make pop records and radio hits and things that satisfy me, but particularly for All I Want Is Everything, it's more of a continuous body of work." She added that the mixtape is more different than her upcoming album All I Want Is Everything. The first single "In the Dark" is different than anything people have heard from her. She said about "In The Dark": It's a very sensual record and there's an undertone of sadness to it.

In November 2010, JoJo made a cameo appearance in Keri Hilson's music video for "The Way You Love Me" from her second studio album No Boys Allowed and was known as "Boots" for the video, where she plays as one of the sexy hunter girls in Keri's gang, alongside Faith Evans (Danja), Dawn (Money) as well as Rick Ross, Columbus Short, and Polow Da Don. In December 2010, JoJo made another cameo appearance in Clinton Sparks's Debut music video for "Favourite DJ" Ft Jermaine Dupri & DJ CLASS and at the end in the song "Sucks To Be You" which features LMFAO and JoJo. The video premiered on Clinton's official website on December 21. JoJo plays Clinton's crazy ex girlfriend. In January 2011 JoJo made yet another cameo appearance in the D'Hask music video for Tempat Ku alongside Marylin Manson and Tai Ling. The video was directed by Rock Jacobs.

In December 2010, JoJo stated that she was set to shoot another video for another one of the songs off the mixtape with director Alfredo Flores. It still has yet to be confirmed when the video will be shot and for what song. it is unknown if she will still shoot a video for another song off the mixtape, since she had been planning on shooting and releasing it either before the end of 2010 or before any promotion on the album is done.
2011–present: Jumping Trains
Main article: Jumping Trains

According the The New York Post, JoJo owns the final mastered copies of the record. According to JoJo's manager, via Twitter, JoJo is set to release the name of her first single by the end of February 2011. There is still no confirmed release date for the single nor the album yet. On February 18 JoJo begun her album packaging photoshoot for the third album and released a sneak peek at the album packaging shoot through her Twitter account. JoJo's manager Gita, said that they will be releasing an update on the single/album to be announced on 28 February. This will include the release of the name of JoJo's new single and possibly the announcement of the albums release date.

On February 28, JoJo revealed the new title of her third album, Jumping Trains, named after one of her favorite songs on the upcoming Interscope Records project. JoJo states that “My third album will be called Jumping Trains and it’s very symbolic for a variety of reasons,” explained JoJo. “Moving from Boston to L.A., transitioning from being a girl to being a young woman, living on my own, taking a different direction sonically, and just really finding myself and just jumping into a new chapter of life.” She will announce the first single and shoot a video in the coming weeks. To hold over her patient fans. JoJo's manager stated that they are expecting to shoot the video for the first single during the week of April 18. JoJo's manager confirmed that the first single will be called "The Other Chick" on the set of the music video. On May 14 the final song was released onto JoJo's official website at early hours of the morning after the unfinished version was leaked a week earlier.

In an interview with MuuMuse.com JoJo stated that "The Other Chick" will now only serve as the buzz single from the album “It’s something cool that’ll introduce people to a more mature me, I suppose. It’s edgy, but it’s a buzz single.” Instead, the album’s official first single will be released in the summer, with Jumping Trains to follow in the fall.
Acting career

JoJo has acted since age four. She did local theater, radio, and TV commercials in the New England area, and national TV shows from age seven. JoJo made her professional stage debut at eight in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream as Mustardseed at the Huntington Theater. She received her first union card from the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (AFTRA) at ten.

After appearing on the television series The Bernie Mac Show and American Dreams, JoJo was cast opposite Emma Roberts and Sara Paxton in Aquamarine, playing Hailey. The film opened on March 3, 2006, opening at number five with $7.5 million.

Her second major film, RV, a comedy starring Robin Williams, was released on April 28, 2006. It opened at number one and grossed $69.7 million. JoJo had to audition for the part five times, and eventually replaced an actress who had already been cast in the role.

JoJo stated that "no one hired an acting coach for me on the set of Aquamarine." She announced that she will be billed as "Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque" in her film roles, but that she will still be credited as simply "JoJo" for her music work.

In 2005, she was offered a role as Zoe Stewart in the hit television series Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel, but she turned down the role because she was not really interested doing a television show. She was more concerned with being a legitimate artist, and a film career was not really what she saw for herself.

On August 28, 2007, in an interview with BOP and Tiger Beat online, JoJo stated that she was working on a new film. On September 10, JoJo revealed that she would be traveling to Toronto to film a small screen adaptation of Lola Douglas' True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet and play the role of Morgan Carter with Golden Globe winner Valerie Bertinelli and 90210-star Shenae Grimes, to be broadcast on Lifetime television. The film was released on August 9, 2008 on Lifetime Television and on DVD on March 3, 2009.

On January 7, 2011, JoJo had been cast in a special episode of CBS's Hawaii Five-0 that will air after the AFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 23. JoJo will play Courtney Russell, the daughter of a Tsunami Warning Center scientist who goes missing on the eve of a big storm hitting the Honolulu coast. This is JoJo's first acting role since 2008.
Personal life

JoJo and her mother reside in Edgewater, New Jersey, and her recording studio is in Manhattan, New York City. She was home schooled for three years, has stated that "school was definitely a big part of my life". She performs well academically, receiving marks in the As and Bs.

JoJo dated American soccer player Freddy Adu from May 2005 until September 2006. Both met on the MTV show Fake ID Club while she was hosting it. JoJo made an appearance in the commentary box at a New England Revolution home game when they were playing D.C. United. Freddy Adu registered an assist in that game. A Washington Post article in November 2006 reported that the couple split after one year. JoJo mentioned on American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest that she and Adu were still good friends.

JoJo stated that she was single on the October 18, 2006 episode of Live with Regis and Kelly. She was also in the October 2006 issue of Teen People magazine confirming her breakup with Freddy Adu. She said: "I'm single right now and it's good. I'm so young. I'm going to be 16 in December and I'm just so busy. It's hard if you also want to date someone who has a high-profile profession; we were just both consumed with our own world..."

Since 2006 she's a good friend with actress Emma Roberts, Sara Paxton and Robin Williams' daughter Zelda Williams. She appeared with her father on the Behind the scene of JoJo's "Too Little Too Late".

On February 28, 2007, she was ranked at number ten in the list of Forbes top twenty earners under 25 with an annual earning of $1 million.

In August 2009, she confirmed that she graduated from high school and will focus very hard on her future projects. JoJo was accepted to Northeastern University but did not attend; she considered majoring in cultural anthropology.

In July 2009, JoJo was ranked at number five in the list "Barely Legal: The 10 Hottest ’90s Babies" by Complex.com, after Emma Roberts and Willa Holland.

Aside from singing and acting, JoJo is also a supporter of various charitable organizations such as Boys and Girls Club of America, World Vision, She's the First, Make A Wish Foundation, and many more.
Filmography
Film
Year  Film  Role  Notes
2002  Developing Sheldon  Young Elizabeth  Starring as Joanna Levesque
2004  Shark Tale  Herself  Starring as Joanna "JoJo" Levesque
2006  Aquamarine  Hailey Rogers  Main role
RV  Cassie Munroe  Main role
Film Made for Television or Video
Year  Title  Role  Channel
2008  True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet  Morgan Carter / Claudia Miller  made for television (Lifetime Television), Main role
Television guest appearances
Year  Title  Role  Notes
1998  Kids Say the Darndest Things  Contestant  Starring as Joanna Levesque
1999–2000  Destination Stardom  Contestant  Starring as Joanna Levesque
2002  The Bernie Mac Show  Michelle  1 episode
2003  America's Most Talented Kid  Herself — performer  1 episode
2004  American Dreams  Young Linda Ronstadt  1 episode
2005  Hope Rocks: The Concert with a Cause  Co-Host  made for television (Fox Television) , Starring as JoJo
2006  Romeo!  Herself  1 episode
2007  Punk'd  Herself  Season 8 - Episode 6
2010  House of Glam  Herself  Season 1 - Episode 4 - La La Land
2011  Hawaii Five-0  Courtney Russell  Season 1 - Episode 15 - Kai e'e
The Dance Scene  Herself  Cameo
Discography
Main article: JoJo discography

    JoJo (2004)
    The High Road (2006)
    Jumping Trains (2011)

Mixtapes

    Can't Take That Away from Me (2010)

Awards and nominations
Year  Presenter  Awards  Result
2004  MTV Video Music Award  Best New Artist with Leave (Get Out)  Nominated
Billboard Music Awards  Female New Artist Of The Year  Nominated
Mainstream Top 40 Single Of The Year with Leave (Get Out)  Nominated
2006  Teen Choice Award  Female Choice Breakout with Aquamarine  Nominated
2007  Boston Music Awards  National Female of The Year with Too Little, Too Late  Won
Hollywood Life 9th Annual Young Hollywood Awards  Breakthrough performance  Won
Young Artist Awards  Best Performance in a Feature Film with Aquamarine  Nominated
2008  Yahoo Music Awards  for over 10,000,000 downloads for Too Little, Too Late  Won
Boston Music Awards  Outstanding Pop/R&B Act Of The Year  Nominated
2009  Poptastic Award  Best TV Movie with True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet  Nominated

Born  18 August 1957 (age 53)
Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France
Years active  1977–present
Spouse  Jean-Pierre Rassam (?–1985) 1 child
Jacques Liebowitch (1992–1996) (divorced)
Partner  Francis Giacobetti (1 son b. 1988)

She is best known internationally for her role as the Bond girl Melina Havelock in the 1981 movie For Your Eyes Only, but she also acted in a number of mainstream European films throughout the 1980s and continues to do so in France.

She is also recognized for her work in Luis Buñuel's surrealist classic That Obscure Object of Desire (1977), and in the internationally successful film Too Beautiful For You (1989), for which she won the César Award for Best Actress. Also she received a César Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Rive droite, rive gauche (1984).

Bouquet was a model for Chanel in the 1980s-1990s. She is the widow of producer Jean-Pierre Rassam with whom she had a son, Dimitri Rassam. From 1997 to 2005, she dated actor Gérard Depardieu, with whom she had worked several times. Bouquet was engaged to him from 2003 to 2005.
In 1999 she was also a member of the jury of the 4th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Partial filmography

Bouquet with Gérard Depardieu at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

    La famille Cigale (1977)
    That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
    Il Cappotto di Astrakan (1979)
    Buffet froid (1979)
    Blank Generation (1980)
    For Your Eyes Only (1981)
    Bingo Bongo (1982)
    Der Tag der Idioten (1982)
    Mystère (1983)
    Le Bon roi Dagobert (1984)
    Rive droite, rive gauche (1984)
    Nemo (1984)
    Spécial police (1985)
    Double messieurs (1986)
    La Coda del diavolo (1986)
    Jenatsch (1987)
    New York Stories (1989)
    Trop belle pour toi (1989)
    Bunker Palace Hôtel (1989)
    Donne con le gonne (1991)
    Tango (1993)
    A Business Affair (1994)
    Grosse Fatigue (1994)
    Poussières d'amour – Abfallprodukte der Liebe (1996)
    Lucie Aubrac (1997)
    Le Rouge et le Noir (1997) (TV)
    En plein coeur (1998)
    Un pont entre deux rives (1999)
    Wasabi (2001)
    Embrassez qui vous voudrez (2002)
    Blanche (2002)
    Bienvenue chez les Rozes (2003)
    Feux rouges (2004)
    Les Fautes d'orthographe (2004)
    Nordeste (2005)
    Travaux, on sait quand ça commence... (2005)
    L'Enfer (2005)

TV

    Sex & the City episode An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux (2004)

Bibliography

    Goux, Yves (1998). "Interview, article and other trace". yvesgoux.net-koncept.com. Télémoustique. Retrieved 2006-10-26. (French)

Azzareya Curtis is African-American, an Egyptian father and Brazilian mother, who resides in New Jersey. Ms. Curtis has maintained that wonderful figure she had obtained through playing track in high school, staying at 125 lbs and still eating McD’s all the time! She has been in great demand, and has appeared in many magazines and websites. Moreover, she has also been hosting various shows, including some acting, as well as Campaign Ads & Billboard.

    Name: 瀬戸早妃 (せと さき)
    Name (romaji): Seto Saki
    Profession: Actress, gravure idol and model
    Birthdate: 1985-Jun-21
    Birthplace: Sendai, Miyagi, Japan
    Height: 162cm
    Star sign: Cancer
    Blood type: A
    Talent agency: Sun Entertainment

TV Shows

    Hana Yori Dango 2 (TBS, 2007)
    Kiraware Matsuko no Issho (TBS, 2006)
    Shimokita GLORY DAYS (TV Tokyo, 2006)
    Toritsu Mizusho! (NTV, 2006)
    Gekidan Engimono Otoko no Yume (Fuji TV, 2006)
    Hana Yori Dango (TBS, 2005)
    Haruka 17 (TV Asahi, 2005)
    Mito Komon (TBS, 2005, S34)
    Ju Nana Sai Natsu (17才夏。) (Asahi TV, 2003)

Movies

    Tokyo Raiders 2 (2005)

Trivia

    Education: Miyagi Girls' High School
    Skills: Piano, track, swimming, writing, playing the ukulele, riding the unicycle and painting
    Hobbies: Karaoke and listening to music

Born  November 21, 1963 (age 47)
Worthing, Sussex, England, UK
Occupation  Actress
Years active  1984–present
Spouse  Harry Hamlin (1991–1993) (divorced)

Sheridan was born in Worthing, West Sussex, England, the daughter of actress Sally Sheridan (née Adams). She attended school at Millfield in Somerset. In 1969, her mother was working alongside Greek-American actor Telly Savalas on the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple started an affair, and after completion of shooting Savalas moved the entire family to the United States. Her mother gave birth to a son, Nicholas Savalas, on 24 February 1973. Telly Savalas and Sally Sheridan separated in 1977, and the family split their time between the United States and England.

Nicollette Sheridan made her debut in the US primetime soap opera Paper Dolls in 1984, but her breakthrough came in 1986, when she joined the cast of the CBS primetime soap Knots Landing as "Paige Matheson". She started out in a recurring role, but was a series regular by the 1988-89 season. For her performance in the role, she won the 1990 Soap Opera Digest Award for "Outstanding Lead Actress: Prime Time" and the 1991 Soap Opera Digest Award for "Outstanding Heroine: Prime Time". The same year, she was named one of People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People". After the series ended in 1993, she appeared in several made-for-TV movies and the films Spy Hard and Beverly Hills Ninja, and auditioned for the role of Grace Adler on Will & Grace (on which she would later guest-star).

In 2004, Sheridan's role as Edie Britt in ABC's Desperate Housewives brought her renewed media attention. She was nominated for a 2005 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and was named #48 on Maxim's 2006 List. She was named 2004's "worst dressed" by Mr. Blackwell. She commented that: "I'd rather be number one on the worst-dressed list than number two on the best." Blackwell had earlier (TV Guide, July 22, 1989) praised her fashion sense: "daring ... with her panache, she brings it off without a hitch. For the adventurer in all of us, she's the one to watch".[citation needed]

Toward the close of the fourth season of Desperate Housewives, conflicting reports circulated regarding Sheridan's future in her role. While Hollywood.com reported in April that series creator Marc Cherry had said Sheridan would depart at the end of the season, another source stated that Sheridan was confident she would return for the series' fifth season. By 4 May 2008, Entertainment Weekly reported that Sheridan would likely make several appearances in the upcoming season, but not necessarily as a regular cast member. Sheridan reprised her regular role as Edie in Season 5 of Desperate Housewives, still a series regular, now married to McDonough's character. In February 2009, Sheridan announced her departure from Desperate Housewives. Her exit episode aired in April 2009 when Edie Britt was killed off in the series.

Sheridan was set to star in an upcoming CBS comedy series as a mother who battles with her British ex-husband to get her teenaged daughter to stardom, but the series was not picked up for the fall season by CBS.

Sheridan filmed a Hallmark Channel movie, Honeymoon for One, in Ireland, playing Eve Parker.

Relationships

From 1979 to 1985, Sheridan dated then-heartthrob singer and actor Leif Garrett. Two decades later, Garrett credited Sheridan for helping him at the start of his career, and said of her "She's a special person in my life."

Sheridan was married to actor Harry Hamlin from 1991 to 1993.

She began seeing Swedish personal trainer Nicklas Söderblom in 2004 and became engaged to him on New Year's Eve 2004; the pair called off the engagement in October 2005.

After their break-up, Sheridan returned to ex-boyfriend Michael Bolton, whom she had originally met in 1991. Bolton proposed on holiday in the Bahamas in March 2006. Sheridan was quoted as saying: "It's much sweeter the second time around". In 2006, Sheridan and Bolton sang a duet, "The Second Time Around", for the album Bolton Swings Sinatra. In March 2008, Sheridan posed naked for a London Fog charity ad which also featured Bolton. Sheridan and Bolton broke off the engagement later that year. She later dated professional skater Dorien Walker.

Lawsuit

On 5 April 2010, Sheridan filed a $20 million lawsuit against Desperate Housewives creator and producer Marc Cherry and ABC, alleging that she was assaulted by Cherry on the set of the show and was wrongfully fired when she reported the alleged abuse to the network. In her lawsuit, Sheridan claimed wrongful termination, assault and battery, gender violence, discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and age, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She also claimed that Cherry was abusive to other cast members and writers. ABC responded in a statement saying that while they were unaware of this particular complaint, they had investigated similar claims made by Sheridan and reportedly found them to be without merit.

The stars of Desperate Housewives (Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross and Eva Longoria) have pledged their support to help Marc Cherry in his battle against assault allegations made by Sheridan. The lawsuit was still under way as of September 2010. At the end of 2010, she removed abuse claims from the suit.

In February 2011, Sheridan won a battle in her Desperate Housewives lawsuit when a judge ruled the actress does not have to give further testimony about conversations with a lawyer she consulted. Sheridan's lawsuit had a hearing on 3 May 2011, followed by a trial which is tentatively scheduled for 8 June 2011.

For the second time, Sheridan averted another legal challenge to her lawsuit against Marc Cherry. The trial was to take place on October 17, 2011. However, her lawsuit has since been postponed.

Filmography

Year  Film/Television  Role  Notes
1984  Paper Dolls  Taryn Blake  13 episodes
1985  The Sure Thing  The Sure Thing  
1986  Dead Man's Folly  Hattie Stubbs  Credited as Nicolette Sheridan
Dark Mansions  Banda Drake  
Knots Landing  Paige Matheson  179 episodes (1986–1993)
Won Soap Opera Digest Awards for Outstanding Heroine: Prime Time (1990-1991)
1990  Deceptions  Adrienne Erickson  
Lucky/Chances  Lucky Santangelo  
1991  Paradise  Lily  1 episode
1992  Noises Off  Brooke Ashton / Vicki  
Somebody's Daughter  Sara  
1994  A Time to Heal  Jenny Barton  
Shadows of Desire  Rowena Ecklund  
1995  Virus  Marissa Blumenthal  
Indictment: The McMartin Trial  Grace  Uncredited
Silver Strand  Michelle Hughes  
1996  Spy Hard  Veronique Ukrinsky, Agent 3.14  
The People Next Door  Anna Morse  
1997  Beverly Hills Ninja  Allison Page/Sally Jones  
Murder in My Mind  Callain Pearson  
Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac  Paige Matheson  Uncredited
1998  I Woke Up Early the Day I Died  Ballroom Woman  
Dead Husbands  Alexandra Elston  
2000  Raw Nerve  Izabel Sauvestre  
The Spiral Staircase  Helen Capel  
2001  The Legend of Tarzan  Eleanor  26 episodes (voice)
2002  .com for Murder  Misty Brummel  
Haven't We Met Before?  Eliza/Kate/Emily Winton  
Tarzan & Jane  Eleanor  (voice)
2003  Static Shock  Darcy/Miss Moore  1 episode (voice)
Deadly Betrayal  Donna Randal  
Lost Treasure  Carrie  
Will & Grace  Dr. Danielle Morty  1 episode
Becker  Anna  1 episode
2004  Deadly Visions  Ann Culver  
The Karate Dog  White Cat  (voice)
Desperate Housewives  Edie Britt  5 seasons, 91 episodes (2004–2009)
Nominated Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film (2005)
Won Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2005,2006)
Nominated Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series(2007-2009)
2007  Code Name: The Cleaner  Diane  Nominated Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress (2008)
2008  Fly Me to the Moon  Nadia  (voice)
2011  Honeymoon for One  Eve Parker
Noah's Ark: The New Beginning  Zenna  (post-production) (voice)

Born  Matthew Weston Goss
29 September 1968 (age 42)
London, England, UK
Occupation  Singer
Years active  1987–present
Website
http://www.mattgoss.biz

Bros
Main article: Bros

Solo career

Matt Goss started his solo career in 1995, and has enjoyed chart success with singles such as "The Key". He recorded a duet "This Pain" with his friend, Denise Pearson of Five Star in 1997, although the song never saw commercial release. He was one of the chefs on Gordon Ramsay's Hells Kitchen (ITV).

Goss's single, "Firefly", remixed by Paul Oakenfold, reached #1 on the World Trance chart.

In June 2009, it was announced that he would be playing live shows at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. By January 2010, the live show had moved to Caesars Palace playing at Cleopatra's Barge every Friday and Saturday night. In June of the same year, Goss signed a three year contract with Caesars Palace. His live show is produced by the creator of the Pussycat Dolls and his manager Robin Antin. The show played for one night at the Royal Albert Hall, London on 19 October 2010 and returns on October 21 2011.

In February 2011, Goss appeared in a Yorkshire Tea television advertisement campaign.

Bibliography

Matt Goss authored two books: More Than You Know: The Autobiography published in 2005, and Bear Crimbo, a children's story published in 2010.

Discography

Singles

Year  Single  UK Singles Chart Position[4][5]  Album
1995  "The Key"  #40  The Key
1996  "If You Were Here Tonight"  #23
"Heaven is 10 Zillion Light Years Away"  —
1997  "Love Sweet Love"
as Co*Bra
 —  One
"Living for the City"
as Co*Bra
 —
2003  "I'm Coming With Ya"  #22  Non-album single
2004  "Fly"  #31  Early Side of Later

"I Need the Key"

Minimal Chic featuring Matt Goss
 #54  Non-album single
2006  "It's the End of the Road"  —
2009  "Evil"  —  Gossy

Albums

    1995 The Key
    1997 One (as Co*Bra)
    2004 Early Side of Later
    2009 Gossy

Born  May 16, 1983 (age 28)
Beaverton, Oregon, U.S.
Alias(es)  Lexxi, Lexi Tyler
Height  5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Eye color  Brown
Hair color  Brunette
Ethnicity  Italian/Spanish
No. of adult films  32 (per IAFD)

Tyler is married to mixed martial artist Rob McCullough. The couple had their first child, a son, in March 2010.

Filmography

    2005: Girlvana
    2005: The Boobs of Hazzard
    2006: All Girl Fantasies
    2007: Sophia Santi's Juice
    2007: Babysitters
    2008: Cheerleaders

Awards

    2008 AVN Award – Best All-Girl Sex Scene (Video) – Babysitters (2007)
    2009 AVN Award – Best All-Girl Group Sex Scene – Cheerleaders

Born  Elsa Benítez Yañez
December 8, 1977 (age 33)
Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico
Ethnicity  Hispanic
Height  5 ft 10.5 in (179 cm)
Measurements  34-24-34 (US); 86-61-86 (EU)
Weight  120 lbs (56 kg)
Dress size  8 (US); 38 (EU)
Shoe size  7 (US); 39 (EU)

Benítez participated in the 1992 Ford Supermodel of the World contest, finishing as a semifinalist. She rose to prominence after being chosen by photographer Steven Meisel and being featured many times in the American and Italian editions of Vogue for Meisel's layouts.

In 1996, she appeared on the cover of Vogue (Italy) three times, for the April, August and September covers.[citation needed] She has also appeared on the covers of ELLE, Glamour, Mademoiselle, Harper's Bazaar, and Marie Claire. Benítez has also done advertising campaign work for Dolce & Gabbana, Macy's, Episode, I-N-C, J.Crew, Óscar de la Renta, Rena Lange, Nine West, Valentino, and Jones New York, and has modeled for Victoria's Secret.Benítez appeared in the 1999 Pirelli Calendar that featured "Women Through the Decades."

She also appeared in Enrique Iglesias' music video "Love to See You Cry" in 2002. In 2003, she appeared in the ad for the perfume Mahora Guerlain, which was shot by Bruno Aveillan.

Benítez was selected to be on the cover of the 2001 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She has appeared in the Swimsuit Edition five times since her debut in the magazine. Benítez was one of the judges for the Miss Universe 2004 competition. In the 2004 issue, Sports Illustrated reported Benítez's story of nearly boarding the doomed TWA Flight 800–a Boeing 747 that exploded over the Atlantic soon after takeoff.

On July 2009, Benitez was officially announced to be the host of Mexico's Next Top Model.

She married former NBA player, Rony Seikaly, 12 years her senior, in September 1999, and she filed for divorce in August 2005. They have one daughter together, Mila, born February 2003.In April 2007, she started dating Italian movie producer Valerio Morabito.

Born  June 28, 1984 (age 27)
Milan
Occupation  TV Presenter, Socialite, model
Years active  2006–present
Parents  Bernie Ecclestone
Slavica Ecclestone
Website
www.tamaraecclestone.com

Ecclestone is the elder daughter of Croatian former Armani model Slavica and "Formula 1 Supremo" Bernie Ecclestone.

Born in Milan, Ecclestone was educated at the Francis Holland School in London and later studied, but did not complete, courses at the London School of Economics and University College London.

Ecclestone was engaged to Swiss scion Andreas r. k. Warnsing from mid-2009 to early 2010

Ecclestone is currently the presenter of Sky Sports Italia's coverage of the 2009 Formula 1 season. She has also been involved in a range of other lifestyle and glamour productions, after making her television debut in 2006 presenting the Red Bull Air Race World Championship for Channel 4.

Ecclestone has been involved in fundraising for the Great Ormond Street Hospital and other activities to benefit sick children. She also posed for an anti-fur advertisement for PETA.

Birth name  Skye Alexandra Sweetnam
Born  May 5, 1988 (age 23)
Origin  Bolton, Ontario, Canada
Genres  pop rock, power pop, electro rock, pop punk, teen pop
Occupations  Actres, Singer, Songwriter
Instruments  Vocal, guitar, piano
Years active  2002–present
Labels  

Capitol (2002–2009)
EMI (2002–present)
Associated acts  Tim Armstrong, James Robertson, The Matrix, Ak'Sent, Kate Todd, Britney Spears, Kaela Kimura
Website  skyesweetnam.com

Skye was born on May 5, 1988, to Deirdre and Greg Sweetnam. She was named after the Isle of Skye in Scotland. Along with her sister, Aurora, and her brother, Cam, she was born and raised in the small town of Bolton, Ontario, where she studied dancing and singing from a young age. She began singing at the age of 5, performing for family members and friends only. By her early teens she had moved on to songwriting, and recorded a demo with the help of a local Bolton music school, Rumball Music Studios. Sweetnam was also a full-time Regional Arts Program student at Mayfield Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario, majoring in drama. Within months of arriving at the school in Grade 9, she dropped out to pursue her career. She also went to Allan Drive Middle School in Bolton, Ontario.

Music career

2003–2005: Noise from the Basement

She worked with local producer and instrumentalist, James Robertson. Together, Robertson and Sweetnam worked on what would later become Noise from the Basement, her Capitol Records/EMI debut. The single "Billy S." appeared in July 2003 on the soundtrack to the movie How to Deal, and quickly took off in Canada. Two more singles were released from her debut and fared moderately on the charts. In 2004, Sweetnam went on tour over Europe and North America, as the opening act for Britney Spears on her Onyx Hotel Tour, although her performances were cut due to Spears' knee injury. In early 2005, the album was re-released with a DVD.

Skye eventually gained a bigger following with a younger crowd by doing theme songs for various television shows for children and teenagers, such as The Buzz On Maggie, Wayside, and Radio Free Roscoe, the latter of which she also guest starred on for one episode. Sweetnam then took part in five compilation albums for Disney: Radio Disney Jingle Jams, Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 8, DisneyMania 3, and DisneyRemixMania.

2006–2008: Sound Soldier

In 2006, Skye acted as the singing voice for Barbie in The Barbie Diaries. In 2006, she recorded the song "Boyhunter" in Simlish for the October 2006 release of The Sims 2: Pets. "Sugar Guitar" was featured in a Zellers commercial for the 2007 back to school season. It was also the 9th track featured in the Love For Nana - Only 1 Tribute CD for the Japanese comic Nana. Tim Armstrong and Sweetnam released the single "Into Action" in March 2007.

On August 30, 2007, Sweetnam performed at the CD release party for dodger, her first live performance since her August 4, 2005 Club Sea World in Sea World San Diego gig, and her with her new band. She performed brand new material including "Boyhunter", her version of "Into Action", "Makeout Song", "Ghosts", and "Music Is My Boyfriend".
Sweetnam was the opening act for Canadian Idol winner Kalan Porter on tour.
Sound Soldier was released 30 October 2007, the same day as Britney's Spears "Blackout" album. leading single Skye Sweetnam music video for "Human" was nominated for a 2008 MuchMusic Video Awards|2008 MuchMusic Video Award for Best Cinematography (MMVA Award)"Best Cinematography", but lost to Hedley' "She's So Sorry".
The album was released in Japan on February 14, 2008 as stated on her MySpace page, which also featured the bonus track "Girl Like Me".
For 2nd single EMI picked "Let's Get Movin'Into Action", which previously was released as a single from Tim's Armstrong solo album (in his version). Song was used on soundtracks for "Hotel For Dogs" and "Degrassi: The Next Generation". Skye directed herself two music videos for Music Is My Boyfriend and Babydoll Gone Wrong which she published on her youtube channel. Her song "Into Action" was featured in the 2010 movie, Ramona and Beezus.

2009–present: Sumo Cyco

On August 26, 2009 Skye posted on her twitter that she is recording vocals for a song for a video game that will be released in Japan. The song was later revealed as "Lava Rock," which appears on Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll. Skye provided vocals for the song "Where I Want To Be", a song on Jun Senoue's new album, The Works. She also directed a music video for Leah Daniels' song, "Northern Senorita", and for Ashes' song "Explode (Makes My Head)". It was later revealed that she also co-wrote two more songs for Ashes: "Reckless" and "Party Song."

Throughout 2009 and 2010 she released a number of songs from the making of Sound Soldier. In her Youtube make-up tutorials she has used the songs Rock n' Roll Baby, Love Sugar Sweet, Heartbreak and Boomerang. On April 7, 2010, Sweetnam released a song entitled "Stay" featuring Ak'Sent, on her MySpace page. It was promoted as one of her "Songs from the Vault." It was originally recorded for Sound Soldier, but "Boyhunter" was chosen instead, with Sweetnam "feeling that 'Stay' was stylistically different from the rest of the record". She posted a full demo of another song, "Boomerang," on July 9, 2010. In September 2010 she used two previously unreleased songs (MuSick and Wolves and Witches) as background music to a new make-up tutorial. As of October 16, 2010, both "MuSick" and "Wolves and Witches" appeared on Skye's myspace page as part of her "Songs from the Vault."

On April 25, 2009, Skye posted on her personal Twitter that she was at the studio. Prior to this, Skye also announced that she would be in the studio working on a new album. It was later revealed that the music she had been working on was with her new band Sumo Cyco. In the March of 2011 Skye and her band Sumo Cyco performed as the opening band for Hollywood Undead in Toronto.

Filmography

Year  Title  Role  Notes
2004  Radio Free Roscoe  Sydney DeLuca  Episode: "The Bad Boy"
Switched!  Herself  Episode: "Megan/Skye"
2006  The Barbie Diaries  Barbie  "Singing Voice"

Discography

Main article: Skye Sweetnam discography

    Noise from the Basement (2004)
    Sound Soldier (2007)

See also

    List of Skye Sweetnam songs

Awards and nominations

Year  Result  Award  Category  Nominated work
2006  Nominated  Juno Awards  New Artist Of The Year  None
2008  Nominated  MuchMusic Video Award  Best Cinematography  Human

Born  Kayleigh Emma Pearson
June 25, 1985 (age 26)
Bath, Somerset, England
Height  5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Hair colour  blonde
Eye colour  blue
Measurements  34B-26-36
34DD-26-36
Agency  International Model Management (IMM)
Website
http://www.officialkayleighpearson.com

Pearson attended the Bewdley High School and went on to study sports science at University College Worcester. She is a qualified and keen gymnast; she taught gymnastics at the age of 11 and is also qualified to run her own gym.

Pearson was the winner of FHM's (For Him Magazine) High Street Honeys competition in 2003, after Kayleigh sent a picture of herself to FHM. Her audition photo had been originally taken to send to her then-boyfriend, a soldier, to boost his morale while he was stationed in Iraq.

She was voted in FHM's list of the 100 Sexiest Women in 2004 (28), ] (56), 2006 (67) and 2007 (62).

Pearson released a single in 2004 with The Girls of FHM called "Do U Think I'm Sexy?" which reached #7 in the charts. Pearson released another single in 2006 with the other FHM High Street Honeys called "I Touch Myself" which reached #1 in the box charts.

In 2006 she had her breast size increased from 34B to 34DD. She appeared topless exclusively for the first time since getting her breasts enlarged, in Nuts magazine. Pearson has since posed topless for other magazines, including a further shoot for Nuts with fellow High Street Honey Tanya Robinson, who had also had her breasts enlarged in 2007.

Pearson is one of the original Candy Girls of the CandyCrib. Along with Louise Cliffe, Claire Andrisani, Natalie Oxley, Jerri Byrne, Hannah Joy Lewis, Jodie Nicholls and Krystle Gohel, she spent most of 2005 living in the CandyCrib - a reality TV show featuring the UK's top glamour models.

In 2008, she joined up with Lucy Pinder to present Pinder and Pearson's Late Night Love In, a countdown of music videos on MTV.

Born  Julie Ann White
February 14, 1968 (age 43)
Tempe, Arizona
Spouse  Matthew Asner (1992-1996)
Steven Soderbergh (2003–present)

Asner was born Julie Ann White in Tempe, Arizona, the daughter of Lee White, a furniture saleswoman. At the age of sixteen Jules was discovered at a modeling convention in Scottsdale, Arizona. She began her career as an Elite model. Jules and Cindy Crawford shared a bunkroom in the early years of her modeling career. In 1986, Jules graduated from McClintock High School in Tempe. She attended UCLA graduating with a degree in Political Science. In her early 20's she was briefly married to Matthew Asner, son of actor Edward Asner. On May 10, 2003, she married movie director Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh often credits Asner with influencing his female characters.

Jules Asner is an award winning journalist best known for her years as a long-time E! personality. During her peak with the network she hosted six hours of programming daily. Among the series she hosted were Revealed with Jules Asner, E! News Live and Wild On! as well as many live specials for the network. She received a Prism Award as well as a Gracie Award for her interview show 'Revealed with Jules Asner'.

Asner left E! in 2003 shortly before the ouster of then network president Mindy Herman. An article in the Los Angeles Times mentions that Herman stole gifts and mail intended for Asner.

In 2004 Jules signed a development deal with Sony Pictures Television to produce and host her own daytime talk show, Life & Style. The show was often referred to as a 'younger version of The View'. She was later joined by Cynthia Garrett, Lynne Koplitz, and Kimora Lee Simmons. Although cleared in 90% of the country, Sony was never able to secure a New York clearance for the show and the series was canceled after one season.

Prior to joining E!, Asner was an entertainment reporter for Reuters Television, Good Morning England, HCTV, The Entertainment Show on Sky Television, and Extra. Jules also hosted Live by Request on A&E and was a segment director and producer on now defunct tabloid show, Hard Copy.

The Weinstein Company/Miramax Books purchased the publishing rights to her first novel, Whacked. The book was released June 3, 2008.[4] "Whacked" was a top ten fiction bestseller on Amazon, and was in its third printing within the novel's first month of release.

In her thirties, the former model was sometimes included in magazine rankings of "sexy" women:

    Maxim magazine's Girls of Maxim gallery
    FHM-US's 100 Sexiest Women 2001 Ranked number 91
    FHM-US's 100 Sexiest Women 2002 Ranked number 51
    FHM-US's 100 Sexiest Women 2003 Ranked number 82

Born  Aída María Yéspica Jaime
15 July 1982 (age 28)
Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Height  176.8 cm / 5'8"
Hair color  black
Eye color  brown
Measurements  90-61-90

Aida Yespica's career began in the Venezuelan famous national pageant Miss Venezuela in 2002. As Miss Amazonas, she represented the state of Amazonas. The winner was Mariangel Ruiz but Yespica became a big favorite among the press. Her measurements 90-60-90 despite her average height (1.73m or 5'8") made her capture the attention of the press.

Aida Yespica Jaime moved to Milan, Italy to start her modeling career back in 2003. She has become a big star in the Italian entertainment business and has graced the covers of multiple magazines including GQ and Maxim. Aida appears regularly in Fashion TV and RAI doing photoshoots, fashion commercials or as a presenter.

Aida became a reality TV star through L'isola dei Famosi (Celebrity Survivor's Italian version) and Supervivientes (the Spanish version of Telecinco). Aida's fiery temperament made her a favorite among both Italian and Spanish fans. She is beginning to work as an actress; her first appearance is on the TV movie Domani è un'altra truffa.

Berlusconi Controversy

On January 2007 Veronica Lario, the wife of Italian [then former] Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi published a scathing front page letter to the editor in "La Repubblica" in which she asked Silvio Berlusconi to apologize for flirting openly with two women at a public event. In the letter, she said that her dignity had been violated. This letter was published on 31 January 2007 and Silvio Berlusconi's party issued a public statement saying he would always protect her dignity. At a recent awards dinner, Berlusconi was quoted as saying : "If I wasn't already married I would marry you right away" to Mara Carfagna, a representative of Forza Italia, and "With you I'd go anywhere" to Yéspica.

She was the girlfriend of footballer Matteo Ferrari and they have a baby boy, Aron, born on 27 November 2008. In January 2009 they split up after 2 years and the couple lived together in Turkey. Since April 2011 she lives in Spain and is currently the girlfriend of Mesut Özil.

MDC: How did you get your start?

Mary Alice: I grew up in Michigan, I didn’t know anyone in the fashion business; when I was 15 I had this little Harper’s Bazaar purse and I said, “I’m going to be the fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar.” Lucky for me, I had a mother and father who taught me anything was possible and supported my dreams. I started as a magazine baby; my career began at 22 working at Vogue then it was off to Allure. I went from there to being fashion director at Marie Claire, then fashion director at Harper’s Bazaar and I’m still a contributing fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar, so I really paid my dues at magazines on all levels. It was such an honor working for great editors like Glenda Bailey, Anna Wintour, Polly Mellen, Liz Tilberis and Linda Wells and I essentially grew up in the fashion business with these women as my mentors, but after 15 years working for magazines I sensed that the dynamic in fashion was changing. I wanted to do other things too and after all that time it just wasn’t quite enough for me somehow, so I stayed on as a contributor at Harper’s Bazaar, and started my own company.

MDC: Now what does consulting entail, exactly, because I know you do a lot of consulting.

Mary Alice: Consulting encompasses so many aspects of fashion, on any given day I could be styling a photo shoot, working with a young designer, getting an actress ready for the red carpet or acting as spokesperson for a major brand.

This job gives me a chance to do so many different things all with fashion and beauty at all levels of pop culture; I am working more and more with such a wide variety companies. For example, I just signed a contract with Amazon which is very exciting and involves a lot of social media and creating on-line content. Last year I consulted for USA Networks on the style direction of the stars on many of their hit shows which was extremely rewarding. I just signed with Sally Hansen as their Style Advisor and will act as a spokesperson for them in the media and an ambassador for them to the fashion community. I’ve also been doing a lot of TV and speaking engagements across the country for women of all ages, so as you can see, literally every day is different for me, but it all has one thing in common…style!

MDC: What makes the job exciting for you?

Mary Alice: I think it’s the balance of everything that makes it so much more interesting and challenging, and also seeing how I can utilize my career in fashion and beauty to help people feel good about themselves in such a positive way. I feel I’ve been successful by creating a niche, I am one of the few “style experts” or editors who has been lucky enough to experience and maintain a presence in all levels within the echelon of fashion and beauty and that makes me very unique. So no matter if I’m behind-the-scenes or in front of the camera, commentating, consulting, editing or acting as a spokesperson, it is all in the mix and I’m proud of that and I’ve worked really hard to be able to earn the right to do it all.

MDC: What have you learned from working with real women?

Mary Alice: When you really get out of our high-fashion bubble and go into the real world, you understand how much women want, need and love the world of fashion when it is brought to them in a trusted way that makes sense in their lives. When I go speak in cities like Boston, Chicago, Detroit, women love the glamour and the fantasy of the fashion life I have led but it’s that I can curate that world for them that makes it more even exciting to them. There is so much information and so many options out there and women don’t have time to sift through it all. I do and convey what products they need to know about and how to work it into their busy lives. They don’t just want the ‘everything is fabulous you look gorgeous darling’ take on it all. They want someone to tell them when something does not look good, when it isn’t worth their time and money and what they should invest and indulge in….they want the real deal, someone they can trust and believe in. The truth is that when you are working with real women they have all gone through the highs and lows of life. It is inspiring to dress a real woman because I can really see how fashion can be a momentary reprieve from the difficult things in their lives. It feels good to help someone gain their self-esteem back with fashion after going through an illness or tough time in their lives. Fashion should have a happy, feel good affect not the opposite. Although I adore working with models, have had many beautiful experiences with many of them, it is real women that make fashion a soulful endeavor for me.

MDC: Do you think the future of fashion is really more of a career like yours where you bridge the gap between high-fashion and mass market?

Mary Alice: It is hard to tell right now, because there used to be such a formula: you assisted at a magazine, paid your dues that way and gradually worked your way up to become an editor. That is still an OK way to do it, but I’ve seen so many bloggers and fashion personalities with very little experience coming out and doing videos, and next thing you know they’re sitting front-row. I do think this is a time where you have to break the rules and put an individual stamp on what you create in order to get noticed.

The millennials, which are all the younger kids coming up, they don’t want what someone else has created and they would much rather create their own idea of style. It’s much more of a super-choosy way of seeing things and they individualize everything from how they read, how they listen to music, how they see films, etc. There is a real DIY vibe and that has extended into the way they do their jobs. But the problem lies in the fact that if every third person is a “fashion expert/editor” where does the the integrity and authenticity lie? I do think that someone has more of a chance to be successful in the industry and they have a point of view, voice and following that emotionally connects with what they are selling or preaching!

MDC: Do you have advice for those young people just starting out?

Mary Alice: Be prepared to work. I achieved my dream of being a fashion director by the age of 35 because I put my career first and made a lot of personal sacrifices. A lot of people want to work in fashion because they think it’s all glamour and parties and fun: they have no idea! You can achieve great things in this industry, but you have to be constantly focused on the goal and be prepared to work all hours and give 100 percent. Sometimes we get interns wobbling into my studio in their platform Zara or H&M shoes…they can barely walk and it’s like “honey, go get your tennis shoes on and put that mini dress back in the bag. Get your jeans and t-shirt cause it’s not time to look pretty and do nothing, it’s time to work!”

MDC: Why do you think major corporations are so intrigued with fashion right now?

Mary Alice: Well, I think they have always been: look at Target, or that sort of retail model. Corporations have been successfully engaging with fashion for years, first it was the car companies getting involved in fashion week and then the technology companies. When that subsided with the recession, it left a lot designers struggling because often times these mass brands were the ones supporting them financially. Things became much more competitive with capsule collections and every one was vying to get that money. With the current youth-quake and the economic recovery, the money is coming back now and companies are even more eager to invest in fashion.

I think the way fashion is viewed has changed, it is taken more seriously now by women of a certain age and career status. They no longer have to play down their femininity to be taken seriously. Fashion that was once seen as frivolous to some women is now much more important to them. They seem to understand now more than ever before that you can be glamorous, you can have an individual flare, while still retaining your authority. They finally are getting that fashion can be embraced at all ages and sizes and that as a woman you can take chances, be your most feminine, indulge in fashion and play with the way you look and yet still be viewed as serious, powerful and intelligent.

MDC : Now when you’re working with an actress for a red carpet event like the Academy Awards, what is the process then?

Mary Alice: What I do for the red carpet is very strategic. When I work with an actress and their publicist, it is not about just about finding a pretty dress, for me there is a specific strategy to aligning the right brand with the right actress at the right time. Some girls become famous for the fashion they wear, rather than the movies they are in: being connected to the right brands and fashion events can help your career.

You also have to deal with the worst-dressed lists and commentary from bloggers when you’re dressing an actress. I tell a lot of the girls not to read the blogs if they’re going to make an outrageous style statement and have real style on the carpet you will get a lot of flack. Most of the time the most avant-garde, cool looks and labels are the things that get picked apart the most. If an outfit is really fashion-forward it gets torn apart, but if it’s pretty and simple, then everyone loves it and it becomes a “best-dressed” moment when in reality it is not all that great or fashion forward. People tend to like their fashion bland and predictable on the red carpet. Real risk takers must undergo ridicule to wear ground breaking fashion. It’s a thrill when a client wants to wear something because they love it and don’t care what people will say.

I was featured in a great documentary called “The Red Carpet Issue” that airs on The Sundance Channel, and it followed me around as we talked through the red carpet process. They also went to the house of Chanel, went into the world of Dior with actress Marion Cotillard, etc. It is an incredible film everyone should see and it speaks the truth about the about red carpet racket and how difficult it can be for stylists and actresses.

Personally, it’s very rewarding be able to have all of the tools and knowledge to make people look and feel their best when they hit the red carpet. There is this misconception we create the unattainable for real women and that what happens on the red carpet can never be achieved in real life. This is not true and when I speak to women I let them know that most of the actresses I’ve worked with have flaws just like they do and that with three hours, my tips and tricks and team, we can make any one of them look like a superstar too!

Harper’s Bazaar March 2009 cover / Sarah Jessica Parker

MDC: Tell us a bit about your charity work with Make-a-Wish.

Mary Alice: When I resigned from Harper’s Bazaar it was because I had achieved that dream, and I felt I was not using my bliss and personal power to make a difference in people’s lives. I was creating fashion imagery every day at one of the most important fashion magazines in the world, I got to travel, go to all the shows and live that lifestyle. It was fabulous, but all of a sudden I was 38 and it just hit me that this wasn’t enough. What allowed me to really keep my spirit intact and maintain a balance in my life was taking my passion for the industry and harnessing it to organizations like The Make-A-Wish Foundation, Freearts NYC, and Get Reel With Your Dreams and to be able to really use my talent and connections to help change lives.

As the Fashion Ambassador for MAW, I organize, produce and grant fashion wishes for kids that have suffered life threatening illnesses. When you experience the power of a wish it changes your life. I now have had the honor to grant wishes for the last 8 years and it is a very important part of my life and something I believe I was meant to do. The fashion community has really shown great support for MAW and all of my wishes have had so many designers, models, and celebrities contribute to making these wishes spectacular. I have been so inspired by the models who have come to support my wishes without ever asking for anything in return. Superstars like Brooke Shields, Gisele, Liya Kebede, Karolina Kurkova, Hilary Rhoda, Chanel Iman, Michelle Buswell, Tiuu, Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee, Lisa Cant, Rie and many more, have all helped over the years. Many of them love the experience because truthfully, if models, or anyone in this business can’t find outlets to share all the positive things about the industry or use what they have learned to help or inspire, then this business becomes very shallow, hollow and unhealthy fast. There are too many devastating things in life. When it comes to fashion I like it happy!

Born  Alicia Christian Foster
November 19, 1962 (age 48)
Los Angeles,
United States
Education  Bachelor's degree (magna cum laude)
Alma mater  Yale University
Occupation  Actress, producer, director
Years active  1966–present

Foster began acting in commercials at three years of age, and her first significant role came in the 1976 film Taxi Driver as the preteen prostitute Iris for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Also that year, she starred in the cult film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1989 for playing a rape survivor in The Accused. In 1991, she starred in The Silence of the Lambs as Clarice Starling, a gifted FBI trainee, assisting in a hunt for a serial killer. This performance received international acclaim and her second Academy Award for Best Actress. She received her fourth Academy Award nomination for playing a hermit in Nell (1994). Other popular films include Bugsy Malone (1976), Freaky Friday (1976), Maverick (1994), Contact (1997), Panic Room (2002), Flightplan (2005), Inside Man (2006), The Brave One (2007), and Nim's Island (2008).

Foster's films have spanned a wide variety of genres, from family films to horror. In addition to her two Academy Awards she has won two BAFTA Awards for three films, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a People's Choice Award, and has received two Emmy nominations.

Foster was born in Los Angeles, the daughter of Evelyn "Brandy" Ella (née Almond) and Lucius Fisher Foster III. Her father, a decorated Air Force lieutenant-colonel turned real estate broker, came from a wealthy background and left his wife before Jodie was born. Evelyn supported Jodie by working as a film producer. After appearing as a child in several commercials, Foster made her first credited TV appearance on The Doris Day Show. Her first film role was in the 1970 television movie Menace on the Mountain, which was followed by several Disney productions.

Foster attended a French-language prep school, the Lycée Français de Los Angeles, and graduated in 1980 as the valedictorian. She frequently stayed and worked in France as a teenager, and she still speaks the language fluently without an accent. She attended Yale University, and was a member of Calhoun College and Manuscript Society. She graduated magna cum laude, earning a bachelor's degree in literature in 1985. She was scheduled to graduate in 1984 but the shooting of then-President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley, Jr., in which Hinckley's fascination with Foster created unwanted adverse publicity for her, caused her to take a semester's leave of absence from Yale. She later gave the Class Day speech at her alma mater in 1994 and received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the university in 1997.

Fluent in French, Foster has dubbed herself in French-language versions of most of her films. In 2004, she took a minor role in the French WW1 film, A Very Long Engagement. She also understands German and can converse in Italian.

Foster has English and Irish roots, being the descendant of Mayflower passengers William Mullins and his wife Alice, and of Priscilla and John Alden. Another English ancestor is Samuel Eddy, born in 1608 in Kent, and one of her great-great-great grandmothers Eliza Platt was from Ireland.

Child star
File:Taxi Driver still 2.jpg
Foster in her role as the 12-year-old child prostitute Iris "Easy" Steensma in Taxi Driver when she was thirteen.
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Foster made nearly 50 film and television appearances before she attended college. She began her career at age three as a Coppertone Girl in a television commercial and debuted as a television actress in a 1968 episode of Mayberry R.F.D. She was managed by her mother. In 1969, she appeared in an episode of Gunsmoke, where she was credited as "Jody Foster". She is also credited as "Jodi Foster" for her 1970 Daniel Boone role and credited as "Jodie Foster" for her 1970 Adam-12 role. Although not a regular on The Courtship of Eddie's Father, she appeared from time to time as Eddie's friend Joey Kelly. She made her film debut in the 1970 TV movie Menace on the Mountain and was featured as Tallulah in Bugsy Malone in 1976. As a child, Foster made a number of Disney movies, including Napoleon and Samantha (1972) and One Little Indian (1973), and she continued to star in Disney films into her early teens. On television, she appeared in an episode of The Partridge Family titled "The Eleven-Year Itch", co-starred with Christopher Connelly in the 1974 TV series Paper Moon and alongside Martin Sheen in the 1976 cult film The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane. As a teenager, Foster made several appearances on the French pop music circuit as a singer. Commenting on her years as a child actress, which she describes as an "actor's career", Foster has said that "it was very clear to me at a young age that I had to fight for my life and that if I didn't, my life would get gobbled up and taken away from me." She hosted Saturday Night Live at age 14, making her the youngest person to host at that time until Drew Barrymore hosted at the age of seven.[citation needed] She also said,

    "I think all of us when we look back on our childhood, we always think of it as somebody else. It's just a completely different place. But I was lucky to be around in the '70s and to really be making movies in the '70s with some great filmmakers – the most exciting time, for me, in American Cinema. I learned a lot from some very interesting artists – and I learned a lot about the business at a young age, because, for whatever reason, I was paying attention; so it was kind of invaluable in my career."

Foster made her debut (and only official) musical recordings in France in 1977: two 7" singles, "Je T'attends Depuis la Nuit des Temps" b/w "La Vie C'est Chouette" and "When I Looked at Your Face" backed with "La Vie C'est Chouette". The A-side of the former is sung in French, the A-side of the latter in English. The B-side of both is mostly spoken word and is performed in both French and English. These three recordings were included on the soundtrack to Foster's 1977 French film Moi, fleur bleue.

Foster starred in three films in 1976: Taxi Driver, Bugsy Malone, and Freaky Friday. She was nominated for the Academy Award For Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Taxi Driver. She won two British Academy Film Awards in 1977: the BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer and the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performances in Bugsy Malone opposite Scott Baio and Taxi Driver opposite Robert De Niro. She received a nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her performance in Freaky Friday. As a teenager, she also starred in the Disney adventure Candleshoe (1977) and the coming-of-age drama Foxes (1980).

Target of fan obsession

John Hinckley, Jr. became obsessed with Foster after watching Taxi Driver a number of times, and stalked her while she attended Yale, sending her love letters to her campus mail box and even talking to her on the phone. On March 30, 1981, he attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan (shooting and wounding Reagan and three others) and claimed his motive was to impress Foster, then a Yale freshman. The media stormed the Yale campus in April "like a cavalry invasion", and followed Foster relentlessly.

Another man, Edward Richardson, followed Foster around Yale and planned to shoot her, but decided against it because she "was too pretty". This all caused intense discomfort to Foster and reporters have constantly been warned in advance not to bring up the subject in front of her, as she has been known to walk out of interviews if Hinckley's name is even mentioned. In 1991, Foster canceled an interview with NBC's Today Show when she discovered Hinckley would be mentioned in the introduction. Foster's only public reactions to this were a press conference afterwards and an article titled "Why Me?" that she wrote for Esquire in December 1982. In that article she wrote that returning to work on the film Svengali with Peter O'Toole "made me fall in love with acting again" after the assassination attempt had shaken her confidence. In 1999, she discussed the experience with Charlie Rose of 60 Minutes II.

Adult career

At the 61st Academy Awards Governor's Ball, March 29, 1989.

Unlike other child stars such as Shirley Temple or Tatum O'Neal, Foster successfully made the transition to adult roles, but it was not without initial difficulty, as several of the films in her early adult career were financially unsuccessful. These included The Hotel New Hampshire, Five Corners, and Stealing Home. She had to audition for her role in The Accused. She won the part and the first of her two Golden Globes and Academy Awards and a nomination for a BAFTA Award as Best Actress for her role as a rape survivor. She starred as FBI trainee Clarice Starling in the 1991 thriller The Silence of the Lambs, for which she won her second Academy Award and Golden Globe, and won her first BAFTA Award for Best Actress. This "sleeper" film marked a breakthrough in her career, grossing nearly $273 million in theaters and becoming her first blockbuster.

Foster made her directorial debut in 1991 with Little Man Tate, a critically acclaimed drama about a child prodigy, in which she also co-starred as the child's mother. She also directed Home for the Holidays (1995), a black comedy starring Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. In 1992, Foster founded a production company called Egg Pictures in Los Angeles. It primarily produced independent films until it was closed in 2001. Foster said that she did not have the ambition to produce "big mainstream popcorn" movies, and as a child, independent films made her more interested in the movie business than mainstream ones. She played Laurel Sommersby in Sommersby opposite Richard Gere, who would comment that "She's very much a close-up actress, because her thoughts are clear."

Foster starred in two films in 1994, first in the hugely successful western spoof Maverick and later in Nell, in which she starred as an isolated woman who speaks an invented language and must return to civilization. Her performance earned her nominations for her fourth Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and an MTV Movie Award, and won her a Screen Actors Guild Award and a People's Choice Award. In 1996, Women in Film awarded her the Crystal Award for outstanding women who, through their endurance and the excellence of their work, have helped to expand the role of women within the entertainment industry. In 1997, she starred alongside Matthew McConaughey in the science-fiction movie Contact, based on the novel by scientist Carl Sagan. She portrayed a scientist searching for extraterrestrial life in the SETI project. She commented on the script that "I have to have some acute personal connection with the material. And that's pretty hard for me to find."[citation needed] Contact was her first sci-fi film, and her first experience with a bluescreen. She commented,

    "Blue walls, blue roof. It was just blue, blue, blue. And I was rotated on a lazy Susan with the camera moving on a computerized arm. It was really tough."

The film was another huge commercial success and earned Foster nominations for numerous awards, including a Golden Globe. In 1998, an asteroid, 17744 Jodiefoster, was named in her honor. In 1999, she starred in the non-musical remake of The King and I titled Anna and the King, which became an international commercial success.
Foster at the 62nd Academy Awards ceremonies in 1990.

In 2002, Foster took over the lead role in the thriller Panic Room after Nicole Kidman dropped out due to a previous injury. The film costarred Dwight Yoakam, Forest Whitaker, Kristen Stewart and Jared Leto and was directed by David Fincher. It grossed over $30 million in its opening weekend in the United States, Foster's biggest box office opening success of her career so far. She then performed in the French-language film Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) (2004), speaking French fluently throughout. She returned to English-language films with the 2005 thriller Flightplan, which opened once again in the top position at the U.S. box office and was a worldwide hit. She portrayed a woman whose daughter disappears on an airplane that her character, an engineer, helped to design.

In 2006, Foster starred in Inside Man, a thriller directed by Spike Lee and co-starring Denzel Washington and Clive Owen, which again opened at the top of the U.S. box office and became another international hit. In 2007, she starred in The Brave One directed by Neil Jordan and co-starring Terrence Howard, another urban thriller that opened at No.1 at the U.S. box office. Her performance in the film earned her a sixth Golden Globe for Best Actress nomination and another People's Choice nomination, for Favorite Female Action Star. Commenting on her latest roles, she has said she enjoys appearing in mainstream genre films that have a "real heart to them".

In 2008, Foster starred in Nim's Island alongside Gerard Butler and Abigail Breslin, portraying a reclusive writer who is contacted by a young girl after her father goes missing at sea. The film was the first comedy that Foster has starred in since Maverick in 1994, and was also a commercial success.

Current projects

Foster was set to direct, as well as reunite with actor Robert De Niro, for the film Sugarland; however, the film was shelved indefinitely in 2007. Foster is developing a biopic of Leni Riefenstahl. She directs and stars opposite her Maverick co-star Mel Gibson in a black comedy titled The Beaver, out in April 2011.

Foster provided her voice in a tetralogy episode of The Simpsons titled "Four Great Women and a Manicure".

Foster recently stated that she would be involved with directing a sci-fi film. The film is still in the script stage, however, it is said to be a family-based film.

Personal life

Foster has two older sisters, Lucinda "Cindy" Foster (b. 1954), Constance "Connie" Foster (b. 1955), and an older brother, Lucius Fisher "Buddy" Foster (b. 1957). During the filming of both Taxi Driver and The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane, Connie was her stand-in. Buddy Foster had his own career for several years appearing in regular spots on television shows such as Hondo and Mayberry, R.F.D. Foster and her brother have been estranged for many years. In 1997, he wrote a book titled Foster Child in which he stated "I have always assumed Jodie was gay or bisexual." In the book, he writes that she was conceived in her father's office three years after their parents divorced when their mother went to him for child support. He also claims that her name was changed from "Alicia" to "Jodie" because it was a code "Jo D" for their mother's partner, Josephina Dominguez. Jodie Foster called the book:
“  A cheap cry for attention and money filled with hazy recollections, fantasies and borrowed press releases. Buddy has done nothing but break our mother's heart his whole life.  ”

Foster is intensely private about certain aspects of her personal life, notably her sexual orientation, which has been the subject of speculation.

Foster has two sons: Charles Foster (b. July 20, 1998) and Christopher "Kit" Foster (b. September 29, 2001). Foster gave birth to both children, but has not revealed the identity of the children's father(s).

In December 2007, Foster made headlines when, during an acceptance speech at Hollywood Reporter's "Women in Entertainment" event, she paid tribute to film producer Cydney Bernard, referring to her as "my beautiful Cydney, who sticks with me through the rotten and the bliss". Some media interpreted this as Foster coming out, as Bernard was believed to be her girlfriend since both met in 1992 during the filming of Sommersby. Foster and Bernard never attended premieres or award ceremonies together, nor did they ever appear to be affectionate with each other. However, Bernard was seen in public with Foster's children on many occasions. On May 15, 2008, several news outlets reported that Foster and Bernard had "called it quits".

Foster is an atheist and does not follow any "traditional religion". She has discussed the god of the gaps. Foster has "great respect for all religions" and spends "a lot of time studying divine texts, whether it's Eastern religion or Western religion". She and her children celebrate both Christmas and Hannukah. Some sources claim that Foster is a member of Mensa, but Foster stated that she is not a member, during an interview on Italian TV network RAI.

Filmography

List of acting credits in film and television Year↓  Title↓  Role↓  Notes
1968  Mayberry, R.F.D.  bit parts in 2 episodes  TV series
1970  Menace on the Mountain  Suellen McIver  TV
1970  Daniel Boone  Rachel  TV series, season 6, episode 24: "Bringing Up Josh"
1970  Adam 12  Mary  TV series, season 3, episode 6: "Log 55 Missing Girl"
1972  My Sister Hank  Henrietta "Hank" Bennett  TV
1972  Napoleon and Samantha  Samantha  
1972  Kansas City Bomber  Rita  
1972  The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan  Anne Chan (voice)  TV series
1973  Rookie of the Year  Sharon Lee  TV
1973  Alexander, Alexander  Sue  TV
1973  Partridge Family  Julie  TV series
1973  Tom Sawyer  Becky Thatcher  
1973  Kung Fu  Alethea Patricia Ingram  TV series
1973  One Little Indian  Martha McIver  
1973  The Addams Family  Pugsley (voice)  TV series
1974  Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore  Audrey  
1974  Smile, Jenny, You're Dead  Liberty Cole  TV
1974  Paper Moon  Addie Loggins  TV series
1975  The Secret Life of T.K. Dearing  T.K. Dearing  TV
1976  Taxi Driver  Iris Steensma  BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (also for Bugsy Malone)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1976  Echoes of a Summer  Deirdre Striden  aka The Last Castle
1976  Bugsy Malone  Tallulah  BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (also for Taxi Driver)
1976  The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane  Rynn Jacobs  Saturn Award for Best Actress
1976  Freaky Friday  Annabel Andrews  Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1977  Moi, fleur bleue  Isabelle Tristan (aka Fleur bleue)  aka Stop Calling Me Baby!
1977  Casotto  Teresina Fedeli  aka Beach House
1977  Candleshoe  Casey Brown  
1980  Foxes  Jeanie  Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Major Motion Picture
1980  Carny  Donna  
1982  O'Hara's Wife  Barbara O'Hara  
1983  Svengali  Zoe Alexander  
1984  The Hotel New Hampshire  Frannie Berry  
1984  The Blood of Others  Hélène Bertrand  aka Le Sang des autres
1986  Mesmerized  Victoria Thompson  
1987  Five Corners  Linda  Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Female
1987  Siesta  Nancy  
1988  Stealing Home  Katie Chandler  
1988  The Accused  Sarah Tobias  Academy Award for Best Actress
David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (tied with Sigourney Weaver for Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey and Shirley MacLaine for Madame Sousatzka)
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
1990  Catchfire  Anne Benton  aka Backtrack
1991  The Silence of the Lambs  Clarice Starling  Academy Award for Best Actress
BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
1991  Little Man Tate  Dede Tate  
1992  Shadows and Fog  Prostitute  
1993  Sommersby  Laurel Sommersby  
1994  Maverick  Mrs. Annabelle Bransford  
1994  Nell  Nell Kellty  David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actress
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1997  The X-Files  Betty (voice)  TV series, episode "Never Again"
1997  Contact  Dr. Eleanor Arroway  Saturn Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
1998  The Uttmost  Herself  Documentary
1998  Psycho  Woman in background  
1999  Anna and the King  Anna Leonowens  
2002  The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys  Sister Assumpta  
2002  Panic Room  Meg Altman  Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
2002  Tusker  Minnie  Animated voice over
2003  Abby Singer  Herself  
2004  A Very Long Engagement  Elodie Gordes  Un long dimanche de fiançailles
2005  Flightplan  Kyle Pratt  Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actress
2005  Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony  Herself  Guest appearance in episode 8
2006  Inside Man  Madeline White  
2007  The Brave One  Erica Bain  Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Irish Film Award for Best International Actress
Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress
2008  Nim's Island  Alexandra Rover  
2009  The Simpsons  Maggie Simpson (voice)  TV series, episode: "Four Great Women and a Manicure"
2011  The Beaver  Meredith Black  Also director
2012  Carnage  Penelope  Filming
2012  Elysium   Pre-production
Producer Year↓  Title↓  Notes
1986  Mesmerized  co-producer
1994  Nell  
1995  Home for the Holidays  
1998  The Baby Dance  (TV) executive producer
2000  Waking the Dead  executive producer
2002  The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys  
2007  The Brave One  executive producer
Director Year↓  Title↓  Notes
1988  Tales from the Darkside  (1 episode, "Do Not Open This Box")
1991  Little Man Tate  
1995  Home for the Holidays  
2011  The Beaver  

Born  Gisele Caroline Bündchen
20 July 1980 (age 30)
Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Ethnicity  German Brazilian
Height  1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Hair color  Light Brown
Eye color  Blue
Measurements  35-23-35.5 (89-59-90)
Weight  57 kg (130 lb; 9.0 st)
Dress size  37 EU/6 US/4 UK
Shoe size  38 EU/6 US
Agency  IMG Models
2pm Model Management
Spouse  Tom Brady (2009–present)
Website
http://www.giselebundchen.com.br

In the late 1990s, Bündchen became one of the first in a wave of Brazilian models to find success. In 1999, Vogue magazine dubbed her "The Return of the Sexy Model" and she was credited with ending the "heroin chic" era of modeling.

Bündchen was one of Victoria's Secret Angels from 2000 until 2006. Since 2004, she has been the highest-paid model in the world and the sixteenth richest woman in the entertainment industry with an estimated $150 million fortune. Models Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell have argued that Bündchen is the only true remaining "supermodel" and according to Forbes she may become the first ever billionaire supermodel.

As an occasional actress, she had supporting roles in Taxi (2004) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

From 2000 to 2005, Bündchen was in a much-publicized relationship with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio. She married New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in 2009.

Bündchen was born in the Brazilian town of Três de Maio and grew up in Horizontina, Rio Grande do Sul. She is of German-Brazilian heritage from both her parents, Vânia Nonnenmacher, a bank clerk pensioner, and Valdir Bündchen, a university teacher and writer. She has five sisters – Raquel, Graziela, Gabriela, Rafaela and her fraternal twin Patrícia, Gisele's junior by five minutes. Bündchen is Roman Catholic and speaks Portuguese as her native language. She also speaks Spanish and English.[dead link]
“  I was born in Horizontina, a town in the back-country of (Brazilian) state Rio Grande do Sul. The town was once mainly colonized by Germans. In the school which I attended, learning German was actually obligatory from third grade on. But being out of touch with the language for such a long time, I unfortunately forgot it. [...] I belong to the sixth generation of my family in Brazil.  ”

Originally, Bündchen wanted to be a professional volleyball player and considered playing for the Brazilian team, Sogipa. While in school, Bündchen was so thin that her friends used to call her "Olívia Palito" (Portuguese for Olive Oyl, Popeye's skinny girlfriend) and "Saracura" (a type of Brazilian shorebird).

In 1993, a then-13-year-old Bündchen joined a modeling course with her sisters Patrícia and Gabriela at her mother's insistence. The following year, Bündchen went to São Paulo on a school excursion to give them an opportunity to walk in a big city. In a shopping mall, while eating at McDonald's with her friends, Bündchen was discovered by a modeling agency. She was subsequently selected for a national contest, Elite Look of the Year, in which she placed second – Claudia Menezes, from Bahia, took first place. Bündchen placed fourth in the world contest, held in Ibiza, Spain. In 1996, Bündchen moved to New York City to begin her modeling career, debuting at Fashion Week.

Gisele Bündchen pioneered the "horse walk" – a stomping movement created when a model picks her knees up high and kicks her feet out in front.

She appeared on the cover of Vogue in July, November and December 1999. She won the VH1/Vogue Model of the Year for 1999, and a January 2000 cover gave her three consecutive Vogue covers and in December 2009 she appeared alongside of her husband Tom Brady on the cover of book The World in Vogue – People, Parties, Places. In 2000, she became the fourth model to appear on the cover of the music magazine Rolling Stone, when she was named "the most beautiful girl in the world." Bündchen has been on the covers of many top fashion magazines including W, Harper's Bazaar, ELLE, Allure, international editions of Vogue, as well as style and lifestyle publications such as i-D, The Face, Arena, Citizen K, Flair, GQ, Esquire, and Marie Claire. She has been featured both in the Pirelli Calendar 2001 and 200 and in broader market publications such as TIME, Vanity Fair, Forbes, Newsweek and Veja, more than 600 magazine covers throughout the world.

Bündchen consistently works with acclaimed photographers such as Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, and Patrick Demarchelier, and with renowned directors such as Jean Baptiste Mondino and Bruno Aveillan.

Photographed by Steven Meisel, she was presented on the September 2004 cover of American Vogue as one of the "Models of the Moment". In the December 2005 issue, New York magazine chose and publicized a list of 123 reasons to love New York City with reason number 43 being that Gisele Bündchen lived there.
Gisele.jpg

Claudia Schiffer said: "Supermodels, like we once were, don't exist any more" and reckoned that Gisele Bündchen was the only one close to earning the supermodel title.

Naomi Campbell said: "Models need to earn their stripes – I just think the term is used a little too loosely. Kate Moss is obviously a supermodel but, after Gisele, I don’t think there’s been one."

On 26 August 2008, the New York Daily News, in a list, named Bündchen the fourth-most-powerful person in the fashion world.

On 12 May 2009, The Independent, called her the biggest star in fashion history.

She is ranked No.1 as the Top Model Icon of All Time at models.com. She is also No.3 at the Money Girls list and The Sexiest Models. In 2011, CEOWORLD Magazine ranked her among their Top Accomplished Women Entertainers.
[edit] Nude photographs

On 11 April 2008, a black-and-white photo of Bündchen, shot by Irving Penn, was auctioned for US$193,000 (£96,000). The picture was one of dozens from the collection of Gert Elfering that were sold at Christie's International in New York. Bündchen's picture reached the highest price in comparison with the others.
[edit] Image inspiration
Gisele Bundchen4.jpg

In 2006, Elle magazine bosses surveyed the American leading stylists and asked them to name the star whose hair is a favourite for their clients. More than 50 percent gave Bündchen the title of best hair in Hollywood.

In February 2008, research results were publicized by The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS) to reveal how world celebrity images, which overwhelm popular media, influence people's choices and decisions to undergo plastic surgery. The question asked was "What influences do celebrities have on the decisions patients make?". The survey was sent to more than 20,000 plastic surgeons in 84 countries. Gisele Bündchen was among the most frequently mentioned celebrities. Bündchen won the abdomen and hair categories and took second place in the breasts category.

On January 2011, Bündchen came in first in the most desired female body on the 14th Annual Famed Hottest Looks survey, compiled by Beverly Hills plastic surgeons Dr. Richard Fleming and Dr. Toby Mayer. Even after giving birth in December 2009, her body was the most requested by the doctors' patients.
“  'Different body types are represented on the list because most women are shaped differently and want to look naturally beautiful,' explained Dr. Fleming. 'Some women want the lean look like Gisele [...]'  ”

Endorsements and earnings

Bündchen has been the face of a variety of advertising campaigns including several seasons of Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Victoria's Secret. She has appeared in advertisements for Nivea lotion and is the face of several Brazilian brands including Vivo, Multiplan (Shopping Malls), Colcci, Credicard (Citibank) and Volkswagen do Brasil. After C&A Brazil hired Bündchen as a spokesmodel and began airing television commercials, sales increased by 30%.

In May 2006, Bündchen signed a multi-million dollar deal with American giant Apple Inc.. She starred in an advertising campaign to promote the new Macintosh line through the Get a Mac advertisements. Also in 2006, Bündchen became the new face of Swiss luxury watchmaker Ebel.

She has her own line of sandals with footwear company Grendene called Ipanema Gisele Bündchen. Forbes puts her 53rd on their list of the most powerful celebrities of 2007 because of the international success of her shoe line, making the brand Ipanema the most sold Brazilian flip-flop in the world, surpassing the legendary Havaianas. Custom Ipanema flip-flops sell for as much as $230 a pair. She is also the owner of a hotel in the south of Brazil, the Palladium Executive.

On 1 May 2007, it was announced that Bündchen had ended her contract with Victoria's Secret.

In July 2007, having earned an estimated total of $33 million in the previous 12 months, Forbes magazine named her the world's top-earning model in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels.

During 2009–2010, she was reportedly the top earning supermodel, earning an estimated $25 million.

Edward Razek, chief marketing officer of Limited Brands, who worked with Bündchen during her Victoria's Secret career says, "She's an international icon who can also move product—from shampoo to couture."

On May Forbes ranked her, for the fifth consecutive time, as the world's top-earning model with an estimated $45 million over the past 12 months (2010–2011). Her earnings climbed $20 million over the previous year, thanks to an economic boom in her homeland of Brazil coupled with a 10% surge in the value of the Brazilian real against the dollar.

Other ventures

Bündchen lends her support and image to a number of charities and humanitarian causes, such as the I am African campaign, in which she painted her face to protest the lack of attention given to Africa's HIV/AIDS victims. Without receiving payment, Bündchen was, in 2006, the face of American Express Red Card, an initiative launched by U2 front man Bono and Bobby Shriver to send a percentage of monies earned from the financial transactions of this credit card to Africa's HIV/AIDS victims.

In 2009, she appeared almost simultaneously in 30 covers of the international issues of Elle magazines wearing (Product) Red clothing and posing with products from companies who support the same cause.

In 2003, Bündchen designed an exclusive and limited edition of platinum hearts, working with Platinum Guild International and Harper’s Bazaar, crafted by jewelers Gumuchian Fils. These platinum hearts were sold to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital which specializes in cancer treatment. She served as the spokesperson and campaign model for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. Bündchen already gave a São Paulo Fashion Week's payment check for Zero Hunger (in Portuguese: Fome Zero), a Brazilian-government program introduced by Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also in 2003.

She was, in 2009, one of the celebrities to sign up for the auction fundraiser of celebrities autographed iPods to raise cash for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, organised by Tonic.com.. The money is for the Music Rising institution which aims to recover and invest in the musical culture of the destroyed areas.

She promotes protecting the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Amazon Rainforest water sources, donating to this cause a percentage of profits from her line of sandals named Ipanema Gisele Bündchen. Also, Bündchen helps projects such as Nascentes do Brasil, ISA, Y Ikatu Xingu and De Olho nos Mananciais. Bündchen and Grendene, the company that produces and disseminates her line of sandals, also joined the Florestas do Futuro project for the reforestation of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The project was created by the NGO named SOS Atlantic Forest in 2004. The new forest, named for Grendene – Gisele Bündchen, started with 25,500 shoots of 100 different species, enough to revitalize an area of 15 hectares.

On 20 September 2009, she was designated Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

In January 2010, Bündchen donated US$1,500,000 to relief efforts for the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Since 2010, she worked on an animated web series called Gisele and the Green Team, to highlight green issues to educate kids and adults.

In March 2011, it was reported, Bundchen wrote a check for $1 million to the earthquake fund created by the Japanese Red Cross Society after Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake to hit the island nation in recorded history and the tsunami it unleashed. It was also reported she sent $250,000 to the Pacific Tsunami Fund and Save the Children and another $250,000 to a Japanese Red Cross earthquake fund.

Acting career

In 2004, Bündchen played the bank robbers' leader, Vanessa, in the 2004 remake Taxi. In 2006, she played a minor character in The Devil Wears Prada. She was also a cameo in the Apple computer advertising campaign opposite Justin Long and John Hodgeman as a Mac iMovie.

Personal life

Relationships

From 2000 to 2005, Bündchen was in a relationship with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

On Thursday, 26 February 2009, Bündchen married Tom Brady in a small Catholic ceremony at St. Monica Catholic Church in Santa Monica, California. On 5 April 2009, the couple remarried in a larger ceremony in Costa Rica, with Brady's son (whom he had with actress Bridget Moynahan) present. For the April ceremony, Bündchen wore a dress and veil designed by John Galliano.

In December 2009, Bündchen gave birth to a boy in Boston, named Benjamin Rein Brady—his middle name is in honor of Bündchen's mother's father Reinoldo.[clarification needed] They baptized him at 6 months in Santa Monica on 22 June 2010.

Bündchen caused controversy when she told Harper's Bazaar Magazine that breastfeeding should be a "worldwide law", but later moderated her comments on her blog, stating, "my intention [was to] make a comment about the importance of breastfeeding".

Born  December 3, 1981 (age 30)
Nagoya, Japan
Alias(es)  Morichī
Height  1.66 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Eye colour  Dark brown
Hair colour  Black
Ethnicity  Japanese

Filmography

Films

    2007 Tsubaki Sanjūrō (椿三十郎?)
    2006 Kamen Rider Kabuto: God Speed Love
    2004 A Litre of Tears

Anime Films

    2006 Bleach: Memories of Nobody

TV Series

    2002 Kamen Rider Ryuki as Megumi Asano.
    2006 The School of Water Business
    2011 Kamen Rider OOO (cameo)

Born  Kathryn Bridget Moynahan
April 28, 1971 (age 40)
Binghamton, New York, United States
Occupation  Actress, model
Years active  1999–present

Moynahan made her television debut in a guest appearance in the comedy series Sex and the City in 1999, where she would later have a recurring role as the character Natasha. The following year, she made her feature film debut in Coyote Ugly. She was then cast in a supporting role in Serendipity (2001). Moynahan has appeared in an eclectic range of films, including the action film The Sum of All Fears (2002), spy thriller The Recruit (2003), the science-fiction movie I, Robot (2004), and the political thriller Lord of War (2005).

Away from film, Moynahan starred in the ABC television series Six Degrees, which premiered in September 2006. The show, however, was not successful, as it was canceled after one season. Since then, she has returned to film, starring in low-budget features. Moynahan completed work in Elizabeth Allen's Ramona and Beezus, which was released in July 2010. Returning to television, Moynahan stars in the CBS drama Blue Bloods.

In her personal life, Moynahan was in a three-year relationship with screenwriter Scott Rosenberg. She was then in a high-profile relationship with NFL quarterback Tom Brady from 2004 to 2006. In August 2007, she gave birth to Brady's son, John Edward Thomas.

Moynahan was born in Binghamton, New York, the daughter of Irish American parents Mary Bridget (née Moriarty), a former school teacher, and Edward Bradley Moynahan, a scientist and former administrator at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has two brothers, Andy and Sean. When she was seven, her parents moved to Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Moynahan attended Longmeadow High School, where she was active with school athletics, where she captained the girls' soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams. In 1989, she graduated from Longmeadow High School. She has admitted that during her childhood, she was a tomboy.

Early work

After graduating from Longmeadow High School, Moynahan pursued a modeling career, though admits she never read fashion magazines growing up. She had accompanied a friend to a modeling audition in Springfield, Massachusetts and was signed by the modeling agency in place of her friend. She began her career appearing in department store catalogs in Springfield, during which time, she attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In her freshman year, Moynahan moved to New York at age 18 and, a year later, began appearing in magazines such as Vogue and Elle, as well as appearing on covers of other widely known magazines. In an interview given in July 2004, Moynahan, discussing her early work, said: "It was a crazy world that paid a lot of money. I liked being a model, but I knew it would never last, so I looked into acting."

During that time, she began doing soap and shampoo commercials, in addition to taking acting and art classes, which led her to pursue a career in acting. She studied acting at the Caymichael Patten Studio in New York and, in 1999, made her television debut as Natasha in HBO's romantic comedy Sex and the City. She would later have a recurring role in the show, until the divorce of her character from Mr. Big (Chris Noth). The following year, she appeared in smaller film roles, including parts in In the Weeds and Whipped.

Breakthrough

Moynahan made her feature film debut in the 2000 comedy-drama Coyote Ugly as Rachel, a bartender/dancer in a wild New York bar, a role that is considered Moynahan's breakthrough. She had accepted the role because she "thought it was interesting that the whole movie revolved around five women ... and my character was so strong and independent." The film garnered generally unfavorable critical reviews, but was a box office success, earning $133 million worldwide. Her next role was a supporting role in 2001 film Serendipity as Hally, the fiancée of John Cusack's character.

Moynahan was then cast opposite Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman in the action film The Sum of All Fears, based on Tom Clancy's book of the same name. Moynahan plays Dr. Catherine Muller, a strong, independent woman, and love interest for Affleck's Jack Ryan. Dave Larsen of the Dayton Daily News reported that the subplot involving Moynahan and Affleck was "the film's weakest point." The Sum of All Fears received ambivalent reviews, but was a commercial success, earning $193 million at the box office. Her next role was as a CIA trainee in The Recruit (2003). The movie was not well received, with Mike Clark of USA Today commenting that The Recruit is "less-than-middling melodrama whose subject matter and talent never click as much as its credits portend."

In 2004, Moynahan starred alongside Will Smith in Alex Proyas' science fiction movie I, Robot, loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short story collection of the same name. Moynahan portrays Dr. Susan Calvin, as a specialist in robot psychology. Upon release, I, Robot received mixed reviews, though critics enjoyed Moynahan's performance. Daniel Neman of Richmond Times-Dispatch, who disliked the film, concluded that she "turns in an able performance as Dr. Calvin, the convenient character." With revenue of $347 million worldwide, the film remains Moynahan's most commercially successful picture to date. Her next movie was in 2005's Lord of War, a political crime thriller, as Ava Fontaine Orlov, the wife of Nicolas Cage's character. In 2006, Maxim magazine named her number 96 on its annual "Hot 100" list.

In September 2006, away from film, Moynahan starred as Whitney Crane in the ABC television drama series Six Degrees, co-starring alongside Jay Hernandez, Erika Christensen, Hope Davis, Dorian Missick, and Campbell Scott. The series centered around six residents of New York City and their respective relationships and connections with one another, based on the idea of six degrees of separation. It debuted on September 20, 2006, and was watched by almost 13.3 million viewers. Six Degrees debuted to varied reception, with David Hinckley of the New York Daily News writing, "In theory, it's an intriguing concept for a series. But in practice, Six Degrees doesn't work at all in drawing you in at the start." The series was canceled after one season in May 2007.

Moynahan's next film role was in the November 2006 thriller Unknown, about a group of individuals kidnapped, and trying to work together how to escape from their captors. She was next seen in 2007, in Gray Matters, co-starring alongside Heather Graham and Tom Cavanaugh, before being cast in Henry Bean's comedy-drama Noise, as Helen Owen, the wife of David Owen (Tim Robbins). The movie was screened at a special presentation at the 2007 Rome Film Festival and was released in theaters in 2008.

In December 2008, Moynahan guest starred in two episodes of the ABC television comedy-drama Eli Stone, playing the titular character's (Jonny Lee Miller) former girlfriend. Returning to film, as the last feature she starred in was 2007's Noise, Moynahan appeared in Ramona and Beezus, playing the mother to Joey King and Selena Gomez's characters. The film was directed by Elizabeth Allen and released in July 2010. The following year, Moynahan starred alongside Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, and Michael Peña in the action science fiction feature Battle: Los Angeles (2011). Away from film, Moynahan stars in the CBS television drama Blue Bloods, playing a prosecutor named Erin Reagan.

Personal life

Moynahan was in a three-year relationship with screenwriter Scott Rosenberg. Moynahan dated NFL quarterback Tom Brady from 2004 until December 14, 2006. On February 18, 2007, Moynahan's representative confirmed to People that she was more than three months pregnant and that Brady was the father. On August 22, 2007, she gave birth to a baby boy, John Edward Thomas Moynahan, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. In a July 2008 interview in Harper's Bazaar, Moynahan discussed her willingness to raise her son (nicknamed "Jack") as a single mother. Despite media reports that Moynahan and Brady have an acrimonious relationship, it was revealed that the two have maintained "a civil relationship" since the birth of their son.

Moynahan resides in Pacific Palisades, California. In November 2009, it was announced that Moynahan had signed a deal with Garnier to appear in television and print advertising promoting their Nutrisse hair products.

Filmography

Year  Film  Role  Notes
2000  Row Your Boat  Apartment Owner  
In the Weeds  Amy  
Trifling with Fate  Fame  
Coyote Ugly  Rachel  
Whipped  Marie  
Sex and the City  Natasha  Episode: "Twenty-Something Girls vs. Thirty-Something Women"
Episode: "Ex and the City"
Episode: "Attack of the Five Foot Ten Woman"
Episode: "Drama Queens"
Episode: "Easy Come, Easy Go"
Episode: "Running with Scissors"
Episode: "What Goes Around Comes Around"
2001  Serendipity  Halley Buchanan  
2002  The Sum of All Fears  Dr. Cathy Muller  
2003  The Recruit  Layla Moore  
2004  I, Robot  Susan Calvin  
2005  Lord of War  Ava Fontaine  
2006  Six Degrees  Whitney Crane  
Unknown  Eliza Coles  
2007  Prey  Amy Newman  
Gray Matters  Charlie Kelsey  
Noise  Helen Owen  
2008  Eli Stone  Ashley Cardiff  Episode: "Help!"
Episode: "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
2010  Ramona and Beezus  Dorothy Quimby  
Blue Bloods  Erin Reagan  
2011  Battle: Los Angeles  Michele