Sunday, August 7, 2011
Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (born 7 October 1959) is an English A&R executive, television producer, entrepreneur and celebrity. He is known in the United Kingdom and United States for his role as a talent judge on TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent and American Idol. He is also the owner of the television production and music publishing house Syco.
As a judge, Cowell is known for his blunt and often controversial criticisms, insults and wisecracks about contestants and their abilities. He is also known for combining activities in the television and music industries, having promoted singles and records for various artists, including television personalities. He was most recently featured on the seventh series of The X Factor and the fifth series of Britain's Got Talent. In September 2011, he will feature as a judge on the first season of the American version of The X Factor.
In 2010, the British magazine New Statesman listed Cowell at number 41 in a list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".
Simon Cowls best insults
Funny Simon Cowell Insults - MUST SEE
Chris Sligh embarasses Simon Cowell & makes him look stupid
KARA DIOGUARDI SHARES THOUGHTS ON SIMON COWELL, THE X-FACTOR
Simon Cowell makes an unexpected Visit to the London X Factor Auditions at the O2
Simon Cowell Pokes Fun at Idol and Kisses Paula Abdul in First X-Factor Promo
Simon Cowell on Rebecca Black LOL
Early life
Cowell was born in Lambeth, London and brought up in Elstree, Hertfordshire. His father, Eric Philip Cowell (1918–1999),[2] was an estate agent developer and music industry executive; his mother, Julie Brett (née Josie Dalglish), is a former ballet dancer and socialite.[4] Cowell's paternal grandparents, Joseph Cowell and Esther Malinsky, were English Jews,[5] and his maternal grandfather was Scottish.[6] He has one brother and three half-brothers; younger brother Nicholas Cowell, half-brother John Cowell, half-brother Tony Cowell and half-brother Michael Cowell. Michael is the oldest, followed by John, Tony, Simon and Nicholas respectively.[citation needed]
Cowell attended Radlett Preparatory School and the independent Dover College as did his brother, but left after taking GCE O levels. He passed in English Language and Literature and then attended Windsor Technical College where he gained another GCE in Sociology.[7] At the age of 17, he dated model Paula Hamilton.[8] Cowell took a few menial jobs—including, according to Tony, working as a runner on Stanley Kubrick's The Shining[9]—but did not get along well with colleagues and bosses, until his father who was executive at the recording giant EMI Music Publishing, managed to get him a job in the mail room.[10]
Career
Cowell's father's connections originally got him rehired as the assistant to an A&R man. From there onwards, Simon worked his way up and eventually got promoted to a music publishing[11] position but left during the early 1980s to form E&S Music with his boss at EMI, Ellis Rich (later Chairman of the Performing Right Society). The company had several hit records at one point with five singles in the UK top 40. The offices were in a converted gentleman's washroom in the NCP car park on Brewer Street in London's Soho district. Cowell left by mutual agreement a few years later. He worked for Iain Burton, manager of choreographer Arlene Phillips, co-founder of dance group Hot Gossip and of nascent independent record label Fanfare Records. Cowell worked with Burton for eight years at Fanfare where he achieved his first real success in the music industry, becoming a partner and building Fanfare into a highly successful 'indie' pop label. Fanfare had numerous top ten hits with various pop artists and particularly Sinitta, selling more than half a million of her debut single 'So Macho', and more than half a million albums of 'Rondo Veneziano'.[12] Next in 1984, Cowell and Burton met up with Pete Waterman for the first time.
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman formed the songwriting and record producing trio known as Stock Aitken Waterman.[13] Stock Aitken Waterman helped Fanfare during the second half of the 1980s producing several hit singles for Sinitta and licensing The Hit Factory SAW Compilation Albums to Fanfare. Next in 1989, Fanfare's parent, Public Company, found itself in difficulties, forcing Fanfare into the hands of BMG, and an in-debt Cowell was forced to move back in with his parents. Later that year, he became an A&R consultant for BMG.
Subsequently, Cowell signed up a number of acts to S-Records that became successful, including Curiosity Killed the Cat, Sonia, Five, Westlife, Robson & Jerome, and Ultimate Kaos. He also released several novelty recordings featuring the likes of wrestlers of the World Wrestling Entertainment, Teletubbies,[14] Zig and Zag and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, that were huge successes.[3] Cowell set up another label, Syco Music, in 2002 which later became part of Columbia Records and Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Artists such as Leona Lewis, Il Divo and contestants from The X Factor and America's Got Talent are released on Syco. Cowell explained, "There has to come a point when I will step down from being on camera and remain behind the scenes because you can't keep doing this forever...I think by [the end of my contract] that the public will be sick to death of me anyway and it will be time to go."[15]
In 2006, Cowell signed to two more record-breaking deals. In the USA, he agreed to remain as a judge on American Idol, earning £20 million (US$33 million) per season for another five years. He also has a deal with FOX which allows his production company to broadcast Got Talent and American Inventor on other networks, but he may not appear on them. In the UK, he signed a "golden handcuffs" deal with ITV, worth approximately £6.5 million a year for three years, which gave ITV rights to his talent show The X Factor, a British singing talent show, and Grease Is The Word, a musical talent show to find the stars of a Grease production in London's West End. In late 2005, he signed a new contract to remain working for Sony BMG.
In 2010, Cowell finalised a deal which secures the long-term business future of Syco with Sony Music Entertainment.[16] The deal will also see him launching a US version of X Factor on 11 September 2011.[17]
Idol franchise and Il Divo
Main article: Idol series
Cowell was given the role of judge on the first series of Pop Idol by then ITV Controller of Entertainment Claudia Rosencrantz[18] in 2001, he was then judge on the first season of American Idol in 2002. With his notoriously critical reputation, Cowell is likened to TV personalities, such as Judge Judy, and Weakest Link's Anne Robinson. Though comparable to Anne Robinson, Cowell has expressed his dislike for her and has commented in an interview, "I hate her and I hate her show because it's just an act".[19] Cowell's prominence grew, fed by his signature phrase, "I don't mean to be rude, but ...", inevitably followed by an unsparingly blunt appraisal of the contestant's talents, personality, or even physical appearance. A lot of these one-liners were the product of coaching that Cowell received from noted publicist Max Clifford.[20] Cowell also appeared on the one-off World Idol programme in 2003, where it became clear that each country's version of the Idol had attempted to come up with its own "Simon Cowell" type personality. In 2003, Cowell placed No 33 on Channel 4's list of the all-time 100 Worst Britons. Cowell's S Records signed the top two finishers of the first season of Pop Idol, Will Young and Gareth Gates, both of whom went on to have No 1 UK hits. Efforts begun in 2001 materialised in 2004, when Cowell returned to his group manufacturing roots with his latest brainchild, the internationally successful operatic pop group Il Divo,[21][22] consisting of three opera singers and one pop singer of four different nationalities. Inspired by the success of Il Divo, Simon created a child version, Angelis, beating competition from many similar groups emerging at Christmas 2006.
On 11 January 2010, Cowell's exit from American Idol was made official. The 2010 season was Cowell's last on the show. It was also announced that Fox has acquired the rights to an American version of Cowell's popular British show, The X Factor, which is slated to begin production in autumn 2011.[23][24]
The X Factor
See also: The X Factor.
In 2004, with Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, Cowell was a judge on the first series of the British television music competition The X Factor, which he created using his production company, Syco. The X Factor was an instant success with the viewers and will begin its eighth series in 2011.
Leona Lewis, the winner of the third series of The X Factor, was signed to Cowell's label Syco and has gone on to become an international star,[citation needed] with number one singles and album sales around the world. Cowell returned for a fourth series on 18 August 2007 alongside Osbourne, Walsh and new judge, Dannii Minogue. Walsh had previously been sacked from the judging panel by Cowell for the fourth series, and was subsequently replaced by Brian Friedman, who was a judge on Grease Is the Word. Walsh was later brought back a week into the auditions by Cowell when he and Osbourne realised that they missed Walsh and that without him, there was no chemistry between the judges. Cowell returned for the fifth series in 2008, with Walsh, Minogue and new judge Cheryl Cole, as Sharon Osbourne decided to quit before the show began.[25][26]
The X Factor has been confirmed to return to Australian television in 2010 on the Seven Network with Kyle Sandilands, Ronan Keating, Guy Sebastian and Natalie Imbruglia as judges.[27] Matthew Newton will host the show.[28] Auditions will begin in May 2010.
Cowell will also launch the U.S. version of The X Factor in September 2011 on American broadcaster Fox. It was announced that he would be a judge both on the UK and US editions of the show, which will air at similar times of the year,[16][17] but MTV officially reported on 17 April 2011 that this was not true; Cowell will no longer be a judge in the UK version.,[29] but instead will be an enormous presence backstage.[30]
In October 2010, Cowell signed new three-year deals with ITV for both Britain's Got Talent and The X Factor.[31]
Got Talent franchise
Main articles: America's Got Talent, Britain's Got Talent, and Got Talent
Following the success of the Idol and X-Factor franchises, Cowell, his company Syco, and its business partners developed a talent show format open to performers of any kind, not only singers, but also dancers, instrumentalists, magicians, comedians, novelty acts, and so on. The origins of the Got Talent format can be traced to the British show Opportunity Knocks, which began as a radio programme in the 1940s and later transferred to television, where it was an ITV staple for several decades. Looking further back, Opportunity Knocks had its roots in the variety show traditions of British music hall and American vaudeville.
Cowell is the executive producer of America's Got Talent,[32] which debuted in June 2006, along with Fremantle producers of the Idol series, but he does not appear on the show due to the terms of his American Idol contract. The show was a huge success for NBC, drawing around 12 million viewers a week, and beating So You Think You Can Dance on FOX (produced by rival and Idol creator Simon Fuller).
Britain's Got Talent[33] debuted on ITV in June 2007. Cowell appears as a judge alongside Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan. The show was a ratings success and second and third seasons followed in 2008 and 2009. The third series featured a publicity coup when Susan Boyle[33][34][35] made a global media impact with her regional audition performance comparable to that of any previous talent show series winner.
American Inventor
On 16 March 2006, Simon Cowell's next competition show, American Inventor,[36][37] debuted on ABC. Fledgling entrepreneurs from across the United States competed to see who could come up with the best new product concept. The 2006 winner, Janusz Liberkowski,[38][39] received $1 million and the opportunity to develop his idea into a business. The show returned one more time in 2007 for a second season.
Celebrity Duets
In 2006, Cowell executive-produced Celebrity Duets,[40] which was described as "an Idol show for Hollywood superstars." The show was hosted by Wayne Brady, and its judges were Marie Osmond, Little Richard[41] and David Foster.
Grease Is the Word
Cowell was also the executive producer of Grease Is the Word for ITV. This show set out to find performers to play Danny and Sandy in the 2007 West End revival of Grease. It was hosted by Zoe Ball and judged by Britons David Ian and Sinitta and Americans David Gest and Brian Friedman. The musical theatre casting concept had already been introduced by the BBC with the ratings hit How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, but Cowell's show was not the hoped for success. He himself said, "It has been slaughtered by the critics – and rightly so. It is far too similar to our other formats."[42]
Rock Rivals
Cowell collaborated with UK production company Shed Media to produce 2008 ITV drama series Rock Rivals, which is based on an X Factor type show.
Other activities
Cowell has been involved in charity work for many years.[43] He supports children from The Association Of Children's Hospices and invites them backstage to the screenings of The X Factor.[44] When he can, he stops by some of the hospices to visit the children.[44] He also supports animal rights and has appeared in a video for PETA in which he reminds drivers of the cruelty to animals that can occur when their pets are locked in cars in the summer.[45][46] In view of his charitable works, particularly the production of the charity single Everybody Hurts in aid of victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, as well as his services to the music industry, there was considerable media speculation as to whether Cowell would receive a knighthood in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours, a proposal allegedly put forward by former Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.[47] Cowell stated that he believed his chances of receiving the honour were "zero" following what he described as being a "royal row";[48] ultimately Cowell did not receive an honour in the list.
In December 2003, Cowell published his autobiography titled I Don't Mean to be Rude, but.... In it, he told the whole story of his childhood, his years working in music and experiences on Pop Idol, Pop Stars Rivals, and American Idol, and finally, his tips for being successful as a pop star.
Cowell has appeared as a guest voice in an episode of The Simpsons ("Smart and Smarter"), in which he gets beaten up by Homer Simpson (while criticising Homer's punches).[49][50] His voice was also heard on an episode of Family Guy ("Lois Kills Stewie"), in which he told Stewie that his singing was so awful that he should be dead.[51][52][53] He made an MTV Movie Award-winning cameo appearance as himself in Scary Movie 3, where he sits in judgment during a battle rap (and subsequently gets killed by gunfire for criticising the rappers). He also appears in the DVD version of Shrek 2 as a judge in Far Far Away Idol, and also provided the voice.[54]
He appeared on an episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (the original British version) and Saturday Night Live in 2004. Cowell has also guest-starred (filling in for Regis Philbin) in the popular talk show Live with Regis and Kelly during American Idol's finalist week in early 2006. Cowell was once the fastest "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" on BBC's motoring show Top Gear, driving a Suzuki Liana around the show's test track in a time of 1:47.1. When Top Gear retired the Liana along with its rankings after the eighth series, Cowell was the eighth fastest overall and the third fastest non-professional driver. On 11 November 2007 Cowell yet again appeared on Top Gear, achieving a time of 1:45.9 thus putting him ahead of Gordon Ramsay and back at the top of the table.[55] Cowell introduced entertainer Dick Clark at the 2006 Primetime Emmy Awards. He was seen on Comic Relief Does The Apprentice where he donated £25,000 for a fun fair ticket. Cowell has also appeared on the MTV shows Cribs and Punk'd. On Punk'd, Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson set him up to believe his $400,000 Rolls Royce was stolen and had caused an accident by using a nearly identical car.[56]
Cowell was chosen as the first subject of the re-launched This Is Your Life in an episode broadcast on 2 June 2007. He was presented with the Red Book by Sir Trevor McDonald while presenting American Idol.[57]
On 1 July 2007 Cowell appeared alongside Randy Jackson and Ryan Seacrest as a speaker at the Concert For Diana, held at Wembley Stadium.
Simon Cowell was a partner in the Royal Ascot Racing Club, a thoroughbred horse racing syndicate which owned the 2005 Epsom Derby winner, Motivator.[58]
In May 2010, he portrayed himself again, in another episode of The Simpsons, "Judge Me Tender".
In December 2010, he was added as a new entry to the latest edition of Who's Who.[59]
Personal life
In late 2002, Cowell started dating longtime friend Terri Seymour. In November 2008, TV Guide reported that Cowell and Seymour had since broken up.[60]
Cowell is the godfather of pop singer Sinitta's adopted children.[61]
Upon his appearance on Top Gear, it was revealed that Cowell pays more than £21.7m per year in income tax, suggesting that his taxable income is over £54.25m per year with income tax at the time approximately 40%.[62][63] (NB: UK Income Tax 40% for earnings over £34,600). Cowell was estimated to have a fortune of £200 million in the Sunday Times Rich List of 2011, making him the sixth richest person in the British music industry.[64]
Cowell has admitted to using Botox.[65]
Cowell has a $22 million, 11,550 sq ft (1,073 m2) home in Beverly Hills.[66]
In May 2009, in the Daily Mail tabloid newspaper, Cowell revealed that he is often plagued by "dark moods and miserable thoughts". He claims that he has considered seeking therapy for this, stating that it would be a 'long session'.[67]
Cowell became engaged to make up artist Mezhgan Hussainy in February 2010. They met on the set of American Idol.[68]
Cowell endorsed David Cameron to be Prime Minister and claimed that he has the 'substance and the stomach to navigate us through difficult times'.[69] In the aftermath of the election, it was reported that he had fallen out with fellow X Factor judge Cheryl Cole (who had declared her support for Labour and Gordon Brown) in a telephone conversation about politics.
reference from Wikipedia.com
Saturday, August 6, 2011
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Eva Green
Eva Green
Eva Gaëlle Green (born 5 July 1980) is a French actress and model.
Green performed in theatre before making her film debut in The Dreamers (2003), which generated controversy over her numerous nude scenes. She achieved greater fame for her parts in Kingdom of Heaven (2005), and in the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, for which she won a BAFTA. She has also modeled for numerous brands.
eva green
Eva Green 'Cracks'
Eva Green and Orlando Bloom in Kingdom of Heaven
Arsène Lupin - Eva Green als Clarisse de Dreux-Soubise
Eva Green Interview
Eva Green and Miss Jean Brodie sit to discuss their new movie, 'Cracks'
Beautiful Eva Green
"Perfect Sense" Trailer Ewan McGregor, Eva Green (HD)
Early life
Eva Green was born in Paris, the daughter of French actress Marlène Jobert and Swedish dentist Walter Green. Her mother, a Pied-Noir, was born in Algeria. Green's mother is Jewish.[2][3] Green was raised without religion;[4] she has said "I feel like a citizen of the world. Life and cinema don't have borders."[5] Green was born two minutes earlier than her fraternal twin sister, Joy.[6] She grew up in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. Green has described her family as "bourgeois",[7] and has said that her sister is very different from her.[8] Green is a natural dark blonde; she dyed her hair black aged 15.[9][10] French-Swedish actress Marika Green is her aunt.
Green was raised in France, attended and graduated from the American School of Paris, an English-speaking institution,[9] and also spent time between Ramsgate, London and Ireland.[11] Green was quiet in school,[8] and developed an interest in Egyptology when she visited the Louvre at age seven.[12] At age 14, after seeing Isabelle Adjani in The Story of Adele H., Green decided to become an actress. Her mother initially feared that an acting career would be too much for her sensitive daughter, but later came to support young Eva's ambitions.[11]
[edit]Career
At 17,[13] Green enrolled in St. Paul Drama School in Paris for three years, and then spent 10 weeks at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London.[1] Green stated that in drama school, "I always picked the really evil roles. It's a great way to deal with your everyday emotions."[14] Green trained at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in New York City,[15] before she returned to Paris, where she performed in several plays.[11] Green was nominated for a Molière Award for her performance in Jalousie en Trois Fax.[16]
Director Bernardo Bertolucci discovered Green in 2002, and described her as "so beautiful, it's indecent". She accepted his invitation to star in The Dreamers (2003), despite her parents' initial objections because of Maria Schneider's accounts of being traumatized while filming Bertolucci's Last Tango in Paris.[11] In the film, Green performed extensive nude scenes, which she said felt natural on set;[17] she was embarrassed when her family saw the film, however.[11] Her performance was well-received, with some comparing her to Liv Tyler.[15] Green expressed surprise when a minute was cut from the film for the American market, stating, "[T]here is so much violence, both on the streets and on the screen. They think nothing of it. Yet I think they are frightened by sex."[11] Green's next film after The Dreamers was Arsène Lupin (2004), in which she portrayed Lupin's love interest, a light-hearted role she enjoyed, although she has stated that she generally prefers more complex characters.[16]
Her performance in The Dreamers convinced Ridley Scott to cast Green in Kingdom of Heaven (2005), a film about the Crusades where she played Sibylla of Jerusalem. Green performed six screen tests, and was hired with only a week before principal photography began.[1] Green found the atmosphere of coming onto a film so late tense and exciting, and also liked the film's ambiguity in approaching its subject matter.[14] To her disappointment, much of her screen time was cut.[1] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com praised her performance: "She doesn't quite know what to do with her character's stilted dialogue, but she carries herself so regally that you barely notice."[18] Nev Pierce of the BBC, however, called her character "limp".[19] Green was satisfied when her character's complex subplot was restored in the director's cut.[20] Total Film noted the new scenes completed her performance: "In the theatrical cut, Princess Sibylla sleeps with Balian and then, more or less, loses her mind. Now we understand why. Not only does Sibylla have a young son, but when she realises he's afflicted with leprosy just like her brother Baldwin, she decides to take his life shortly after he's been crowned king."[21]
Green at the Orange British Academy Film Awards in London's Royal Opera House (2007).
Green was considered for parts in The Constant Gardener (a role that went to Rachel Weisz) and The Black Dahlia.[11] She was cast at the last minute in the role of Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale (2006).[12] Green was approached in mid-2005 but turned it down.[20] Principal photography was already underway, and director Martin Campbell noted casting the role was difficult because "we didn't have the final script and a Bond girl always had the connotation of tits 'n' ass." Campbell saw Green's performance in the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven,[22] and approached Green again. She read the script, and found the character of Vesper far deeper than most Bond girls.[20] Green's performance was well received: Entertainment Weekly called her the fourth best Bond girl of all time;[23] IGN named her the best femme fatale, stating "This is the girl that broke – and therefore made – James Bond";[24] and she won a BAFTA and an Empire award for her performance. Both awards were voted for by the British public.[25]
Green portrayed the witch Serafina Pekkala in the 2007 film adaptation of The Golden Compass (which, coincidentally, also starred Casino Royale's Daniel Craig, although they did not have any scenes together). She found it difficult being flown on a harness because of her fear of heights, which led her to refuse to reshoot a scene on her last day of filming.[10] Green hoped the religious themes of the book would be preserved,[20] but references to Catholicism were removed from the film.[26] Green next appeared in Franklyn, as Emilia,[27] a schizophrenic woman[28] whose multiple personalities are split between tormented artist (which Green compared to real-life figures Sophie Calle and Tracey Emin)[29] and another, which she described as, "full of life, very witty, big sense of humor".[28] She also filmed Cracks, the directorial debut of Jordan Scott, Ridley Scott's daughter, where she plays a mysterious teacher at a girls' school named Miss G, who falls in love with one of her pupils.[10] In March 2009, she appeared in Womb, where she plays a woman who clones her dead husband. It is a collaboration between actor Matt Smith and director Benedek Fliegauf.[30]
She was considered for the lead female role in Un Secret (2007) before it was played by Cécile de France.[31]
She was initially approached for the female lead in Lars von Trier's controversial film Antichrist (2009). According to Trier, Green was positive about appearing in the film, but her agents refused to allow her. The unsuccessful casting attempt took two months of the film's pre-production process. Anglo-French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg was cast in the role.[32]
Green will star in the first, ten-part season of Starz's series, Camelot, as the sorceress Morgan le Fay.[33] Green stated, "This is such an iconic story and you have 10 episodes to explore a character. It's not a girlfriend role that you could have in a movie. It's a real ballsy character. She has some guts."[34]
In February 2011, Green was cast as Angélique Bouchard in Tim Burton's film adaptation of Dark Shadows.[35]
[edit]Modeling
In addition to her acting career, Green has modeled for Breil, Emporio Armani, Lancôme, Heineken,[12] and Christian Dior SA's "Midnight Poison" perfume, in an advert directed by Wong Kar-wai.[9]
[edit]Personal life
Green considers herself nerdy:[12] "When people first meet me, they find me very cold. I keep myself at a distance, and I think that's why I'm so drawn to [acting]. It allows me to wear a mask."[13] She moved to Primrose Hill, London in mid-2005.[6] She prefers the "village-like" atmosphere of the London neighbourhood: "I feel more centred when I'm [there]."[11] She lives alone, jokingly referring to her border terrier, Griffin, as her "husband".[12] She is an atheist.[4]
She dated New Zealand actor Marton Csokas after meeting him on the set of Kingdom of Heaven, but the couple announced their split in 2009.[36]
She followed in her mother's footsteps by supporting Unicef.[10] She has also expressed interest in returning to the theatre,[17] and has no plans to go to work in Hollywood because, "The problem with Hollywood is that the studios are super powerful, they have far more power than the directors. My ambition at this moment is just to find a good script."[37] She added she would probably just get typecast as a femme fatale there.[10]
She has no particular fitness regime, because, "I'm French and I'm lazy, which means I smoke and I don't exercise",[38] though she does run and she practices pilates. Green finds dieting too stressful.[37] She thinks of herself as an international actress:[16] she can speak both her native French and English fluently,[11] and is also learning Japanese[39] as well as perfecting an American accent.[16]
[edit]Filmography
Year Film Role Notes and Awards
2003 The Dreamers Isabelle Nominated – European Film Awards for Best Actress
2004 Arsène Lupin Clarisse de Dreux-Soubise
2005 Kingdom of Heaven Sibylla
2006 Casino Royale Vesper Lynd BAFTA Rising Star Award
Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer
Nominated – Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated – National Movie Awards for Best Performance by a Female
Nominated – Irish Film and Television Awards for Best International Actress
2007 The Golden Compass Serafina Pekkala
2009 Franklyn Emilia
Cracks Miss G
2010 Womb Rebecca
2011 Perfect Sense Susan
Camelot Morgan Le Fay TV Series
2012 Dark Shadows Angelique Bouchard Collins Filming
References from Wikipedia.com
Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva (born February 9, 1980) is an American actress. Born in the Soviet Union, she was a professional gymnast before going on to star in the films The Invisible, Adventureland and Spread.
Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva HOT HOT HOT!
Margarita Levieva, Sebastian Stan, - "Spread" - Official Trailer [HQ]
Justin Chatwin and Margarita Levieva Journey Don't Stop Believing
Margarita Levieva
Margarita Levieva , Jimmi Simpson , - Knights of Badassdom | trailer US (2011) SDCC Summer Glau
Personal life
Levieva, a Russian Jew, was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). At the age of three, she began the rigorous training program of a competitive rhythmic gymnast.[3] Levieva continued to train for the next 13 years, winning competitions in Russia and eventually going on to compete in the United States after emigrating.
When she was 11, Levieva's mother moved her and her twin brother to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in New York City.[3] She attended high school in Secaucus, New Jersey. Levieva majored in economics at NYU and worked as a fashion buyer.[3] Her continuing interest in acting led her to be accepted into the Meisner Training Program at the William Esper Studio.
In 2005, New York Magazine featured her as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in New York.
Career
Levieva made a guest appearance on Law & Order: Trial by Jury in 2005. In 2006, she starred in the Fox series, Vanished. Her feature film credits include The Invisible, the independent film Billy's Choice, and Noise starring Tim Robbins, Bridget Moynahan, and William Hurt.
In 2009, Levieva played Lisa P. in the comedy Adventureland. The same year, she made an appearance in the NBC drama Kings (in the episode "First Night") and starred in the play The Retributionists.[4]
She also stars in HBO's How to Make it in America.
[edit]Filmography
Year Film/Series Role
2004 Billy's Choice Julie Romano
2005 N.Y.-70 Cindy
Law & Order: Trial by Jury Stephanie Davis
2006 The Prince Isabelle
Vanished Marcy Collins
2007 David's Apartment DeeDee
The Invisible Annie Newton
Noise Ekaterina Filippovna
2009 Spread Heather
Kings Claudia
Adventureland Lisa P.
2010 How to Make It in America Julie
The Stand Up Veronica
2011 The Lincoln Lawyer Reggie Campo
Knights of Badassdom Beth
Reference from Wikipedia.com
Jeff Conaway
Jeff Conaway
Jeffrey Charles William Michael Conaway (October 5, 1950 – May 27, 2011), known as Jeff Conaway, was an American actor, best known for his roles in the movie Grease and the U.S. television series Taxi and Babylon 5. He directed the 1992 film Bikini Summer II. Conaway was on the hit TV show Celebrity Rehab. He died of pneumonia in May 2011.
'Taxi,' 'Grease' Star Jeff Conaway Dies at 60
Jeff Conaway's Last Interview He Sings & Talks Oscar on What's Up Orange County
Daniel Baldwin vs Jeff Conaway - Celebrity Rehab - "unbeknownst"
Jeff Conaway Talks To Cameras At Beso Restaurant
JEFF CONAWAY ("TAXI"): "BOBBY WHEELER" BREAKDOWN
JEFF CONAWAY ("GREASE")
Early life
Jeff Conaway was born in Manhattan, New York City, and raised in the Astoria, Flushing, and Forest Hills neighborhoods of the borough Queens. His father, Charles,[4] was an actor, producer and publisher.[5] His mother, Helen, an actress who went by the stage name Mary Ann Brooks,[4] taught music at New York City's Brook Conservatory.[5] They divorced when he was 3,[5] and Conaway and his two older sisters lived with his mother.[6] He also spent time living with his grandparents in South Carolina, which gave him enough of a Southern accent[6] that when he accompanied his mother to a casting call for director Arthur Penn's Broadway play All the Way Home, the 10-year-old Conaway landed a featured role as one of four boys.[5] The 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning play was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and ran 333 performances and one preview from November 29, 1960 to September 16, 1961.[7] Conaway remained for the entire run, then toured with the national company of the play Critic's Choice.[5]
Conaway worked as a child model, and attended high school at the Quintano School for Young Professionals.[5] After playing with the rock band 3 1/2 for a time, beginning at age 15,[5] he attended the North Carolina School of the Arts[5][8] and later transferred to New York University.[5]
[edit]Career
While at NYU, he appeared in television commercials and had the lead in a school production of The Threepenny Opera.[5] He made his movie debut in the 1971 romantic drama Jennifer on my Mind.[5]
[edit]Grease and Taxi
The following year, Conaway appeared in the original cast of the Broadway musical Grease, as an understudy to several roles including that of the lead male character, Danny Zuko, and eventually succeeded role-originator Barry Bostwick.[4][9] He played the role for 2 1/2 years while his friend John Travolta, with whom he shared a manager, later joined the show, playing Doody in the chorus.[4][10] The two would reunite in the 1978 motion picture musical Grease, in which Travolta played Zuko and Conaway his buddy Kenickie.[4]
After breaking into series television in 1975 with Happy Days, followed by other sitcom and drama appearances and three more movies including Grease, Conaway was cast as vain, struggling, but goodhearted actor Bobby Wheeler in the workplace comedy Taxi, which premiered in fall 1978. He had appeared in an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show for the same producers, and, he said in 1987, was originally considered for the role of John Burns, which eventually went to Randall Carver:
But then one day I got the whole script and became real interested in the actor character, then called Bobby Taylor. And [the producers] said they had been thinking along the same lines, so I read again. Later I got a call from [original casting director] Joel Thurm, who says, 'Well, it's not good news, but it's not bad news either.' He says I'm the only choice for a white actor, but that they'd had a meeting and thought that maybe Bobby should be black and that now they're looking at black actors. ... So I went back to read, and it was me, Cleavon Little, and somebody else.... I ended up reading with [star] Judd [Hirsch] and it went really well."[11]
Conaway left Taxi after the third season. Part of the reason was his drug abuse after season one.[4]Taxi writer Sam Simon recalled in 2008 that during production of Simon's first script for that show, a missing Conaway was found in his dressing room too high on drugs to perform, and that his dialogue for that episode was divided between his co-stars Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd who delivered the jokes well enough so that Conaway's absence had little negative impact on the actual episode. This caused the show's producers to realize that he was expendable and contributed to Conaway's eventual firing.[12] But Conaway also felt creatively stymied:
I wanted to do things with Bobby, but as the show went on, I could see I wasn't going to get that chance. ... Lemme tell you – I loved Bobby, I identified with Bobby. So, yeah, I kind of took everything personally. I had a lot of meetings with [the producers] because I was unhappy. ... Sure, partially it was ego, but let me do what I do best. It was frustrating. I remember leaving the studio feeling guilty and unhappy. I just couldn't appreciate it and use it as just a job, as a learning experience. Instead I saw it as, 'Hey, anybody could do this character.' Like nobody else could do Louie or Jim, they were such defined characters. But Bobby – anybody could walk in and say, 'Hi, Alex.'"[13]
Conaway went on to star in the short-lived 1983 fantasy-spoof series, Wizards and Warriors. He made guest appearances on such shows as Barnaby Jones, George and Leo and in four episodes of Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in films such as Jawbreaker, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark and Do You Wanna Know a Secret?. From 1994–1999, he played Sergeant Zack Allan, on Babylon 5. From 1989–90, he was cast on The Bold and the Beautiful, in the role of "Mick Savage". In 1993, he appeared onstage in Real Life Photographs.[citation needed]
[edit]Music career
In addition to acting, Conaway also dabbled in music. In the mid-1960s, he was the lead singer and guitarist for a rock band, The 3 1/2. They recorded four singles for Cameo Records in 1966 and 1967:
"Don't Cry To Me Babe" / "R & B In C" (Cameo 425, 1966)
"Problem Child" / "Hey Mom Hey Dad" (Cameo 442, 1966)
"Hey Gyp" / "Hey Kitty Cool Kitty" (Cameo 451, 1967) (This single was produced by Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits, who also wrote the B-side. The A-side is a song by Donovan.)
"Angel Baby (Don't You Ever Leave Me)" / "You Turned Your Back On Love" (Cameo 485, 1967)
In 1979, Conaway recorded a self titled debut album for Columbia Records. "City Boy" was released as a single. Bruce Springsteen's manager, Mike Appel, produced the album.
The CD Saints & Sinners, by Vikki and Kenickie, was released independently via the internet in 2008, featuring Conaway singing and rapping with Vikki Lizzi (Spinoza). They promoted the CD on The Howard Stern Show on April 2, 2008 and performed live shows in the Los Angeles area.
[edit]Personal life
[edit]Marriages
Conaway was married three times. His first short-lived marriage, at 21, to a dancer he had been seeing for two years, was annulled.[5] His second marriage, from 1980 until their divorce in 1985, was to Rona Newton-John, elder[14] sister of his Grease co-star Olivia Newton-John. His third marriage was to Keri Young from 1990 until their divorce.[15]
[edit]Health problems
After experiencing a crisis in the mid-1980s, Conaway came to grips with the fact that he had a substance abuse problem. He underwent treatment in the late 1980s and often spoke candidly about his addictions.[citation needed]
By the mid-2000s however, he had relapsed. Conaway appeared in VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, but was forced to leave and entered rehab. In early 2008, Conaway appeared with other celebrities in the VH1 reality series Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew. The show revealed that Conaway was addicted to cocaine, alcohol, and painkillers, and that he was in a codependent relationship with his girlfriend Vikki Lizzi,[16] also a user of prescription opiates. Conaway had suffered a back injury earlier in his career on the set of Grease while filming the "Greased Lightning" scene, which had been exacerbated more recently as a result of lifting boxes in his home.
Conaway's appearance on the show's first and second seasons drew much attention due to his severely crippled state, his constant threats of leaving the facility and his frequent inability to speak clearly. Upon arrival at the Pasadena Recovery Center (which was filmed as part of Celebrity Rehab's first episode) Conaway, using a wheelchair, arrived drunk, mumbling to Dr. Drew that the night previous he had binged on cocaine and Jack Daniel's whiskey.
During the second episode of Celebrity Rehab's first season, Conaway, fed up with his dorsalgia, withdrawal symptoms and the humiliation of having to be assisted while using the toilet, told Dr. Pinsky that he was thinking of killing himself. After Pinsky asked him to elaborate upon how he would carry out a suicidal act, Conaway glared at the mirror in his room and said "I see myself breaking that mirror and slicing my fucking throat with it." During group sessions, Conaway revealed "torture" from his childhood, as older boys in his neighborhood would put him into dangerous situations, tying him up and threatening him. When he was seven years old, he was a victim of pedophiles and child pornographers.[17] Conaway stated that he had been an addict since he was a teenager.[18]
With John Travolta's support, Conaway took courses and auditing from the Church of Scientology to cope with his drug problem and depression,[19] although he did not intend to become a Scientologist.[20][21][22]
In June 2009, Conaway and Vikki joined Celebrity Rehab cast mate Mary Carey at the premier of her spoof flick Celebrity Pornhab with Dr. Screw.[23]
In August 2009, Conaway was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight. In the interview, the actor claimed he was much better after a fifth back operation, and that he had yet to use painkillers again. He also discussed unscrupulous doctors and enablers.[24]
In March 2010, shortly after the death of actor Corey Haim, Conaway told E! News that he had warned Haim about dying due to prescription drug abuse.[25]
[edit]Death
On May 11, 2011, Conaway was found unconscious from what was initially described as an overdose of substances, believed to be pain medication, and was taken to Encino Tarzana Medical Center in Encino, California, where he was listed as being in critical condition and in a coma.[26] After the initial reports, Dr. Drew Pinsky, who had treated Conaway for substance abuse, said the actor was suffering not from a drug overdose but rather from "pneumonia with sepsis", for which he was placed into an induced coma.[27][28] Though his pneumonia was not directly caused by drugs, his use of them hampered his ability to recognize how ill he was, and prevented him from seeking treatment for pneumonia until it was too late.[29]
On May 26, 2011, Conaway's family took him off life support after doctors decided there was nothing they could do to revive him. Conaway died the following morning at the age of 60.[1][29] Pinsky attributed his death to his addiction, stating, "What happens is, like with most opiate addicts, eventually they take a little too much ... and they aspirate, so what's in their mouth gets into their lungs ... That's what happened with Jeff" - describing aspiration pneumonia.[30]
Conaway is survived by his sisters, Michelle and Carla.[31]
[edit]Awards
Golden Globe Award
1978 nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Comedy or Musical Series (for Taxi)[32]
1979 nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Comedy or Musical Series (for Taxi)[32]
[edit]Filmography
1971: Jennifer on My Mind — Hanki
1976: The Eagle Has Landed — Frazier
1977: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden — Lactamaeon
1977: Pete's Dragon — Willie
1978: Grease — Kenickie
1984: Covergirl — T.C. Sloane
1986: The Patriot — Mitchell
1988: Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — Travis
1989: Ghost Writer — Tom Farrell
1989: Tale of Two Sisters — Taxi driver
1989: The Banker — Cowboy
1990: The Sleeping Car — Bud Sorenson
1991: A Time to Die — Frank
1991: Total Exposure — Peter Keynes
1992: Almost Pregnant (direct to video) — Charlie Alderson
1992: Bikini Summer II — Stu Stocker (also director)
1992: Eye of the Storm — Tom Edwards
1992: Mirror Images — Jeffrey Blair
1993: Alien Intruder (direct to video) — Borman
1993: In a Moment of Passion — Werner Soehnen
1993: It's Showtime
1993: L.A. Goddess — Sean
1993: Sunset Strip — Tony
1994: 2002: The Rape of Eden — Reverend
1997: The Last Embrace — Jagger
1998: Shadow of Doubt — Bixby
1999: Jawbreaker — Marcie's Father
1999: Man on the Moon — Himself
2001: Dating Service
2001: Do You Wanna Know a Secret? — Agent Owen Sacker
2002: Curse of the Forty-Niner — Reverend Sutter
2002: The Biz — Gavin Elliot
2003: Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star — Himself[33]
2004: Pan Dulce — Gabriel Levine
2004: The Corner Office — Dick
2004: Y.M.I. — Digger's Dad
2005: From Behind the Sunflower — Leo
2006: Living the Dream — Dick
2006: The Pool 2 — Agent Frank Gun
2006: The Utah Murder Project — Sheriff Dan Patterson
2008: Wrestling — Franklin Conner
2010: Dante's Inferno - Abandon All Hope — Circles Introduction[34]
2010: Dark Games — Tom Doyle
2011: Dante's Inferno Animated — Circles Introduction
2011: Dante's Inferno Documented — Circles Introduction[35]
[edit]Television work
1975: Happy Days — Rocko (2 episodes, 1975–1976)
1975: Joe Forrester (1 episode, 1975)
1976: Barnaby Jones — Jeff Saunders (2 episodes, 1976–1977)
1976: Mary Tyler Moore — Kenny Stevens (1 episode, 1976)
1977: Delta County, U.S.A. — Terry Nicholas
1978: Kojak — Bert Gaines (1 episode, 1978)
1978: Taxi — Bobby Wheeler (50 episodes, 1978–1982)
1979: Breaking Up Is Hard to Do — Roy Fletcher
1980: For the Love of It — Russ
1981: The Nashville Grab — Buddy Walker
1983: Making of a Male Model — Chuck Lanyard
1983: Wizards and Warriors — Prince Erik Greystone (10 episodes, 1983)
1984: Murder, She Wrote — Howard Griffin (4 episodes, 1984–1994)
1985: Berrenger's — John Higgins (11 episodes, 1985)
1985: The Love Boat — Andy Jackson (1 episode, 1985)
1985: Who's the Boss? — Jeff (1 episode, 1985)
1986: Matlock — Daniel Ward (2 episodes, in 1986 and 1993)
1987: Bay Coven — Josh McGwin
1987: Hotel — Eric Madison (1 episode, 1987)
1987: Mike Hammer — Harry Farris (2 episodes, in 1984 and 1987)
1987: Stingray — Ty Gardner (1 episode, 1987)
1987: Tales from the Darkside — Peter (1 episode, 1987)
1987: The Bold and the Beautiful — Mick Savage (unknown episodes, 1989–1990)
1988: The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission — Sgt. Holt
1989: Freddy's Nightmares — Buddy Powers (1 episode, 1989)
1989: Monsters — Phil (1 episode, 1989)
1990: Good Grief — Winston Payne (1 episode, 1990)
1990: Shades of L.A. — Richard (1 episode, 1990)
1994: Babylon 5 — Zack Allan (74 episodes, 1994–1998)
1995: Burke's Law — Dr. Alex Kenyon (1 episode, 1995)
1995: Hope & Gloria — Bud Green (1 episode, 1995)
1996: Mr. & Mrs. Smith — Rich Edwards (1 episode, 1996)
1997: George & Leo (1 episode, 1997)
1998: Babylon 5: The River of Souls — Zack Allen
1998: Babylon 5: Thirdspace — Zack Allen
1999: Babylon 5: A Call to Arms — Zack Allen
2000: L.A. 7 — Manager of Radio Station (1 episode, 2000)
2004: She Spies — Zachary Mason (1 episode, 2004)
2006: The John Kerwin Show — Guest (1 episode, 2006)
Reference from Wikipedia.com