Nickname
MCR
My Chem
The Black Parade
Spouse
Lindsey Ann Ballato (3 September 2007 - present)
Trivia
Frontman Gerard Way was a failed animator prior to forming the band.
My Chemical Romance consists of: Gerard Way (vocals), Frank Iero and Ray Toro (guitars), Bob Bryar (drums) and Mikey Way (bass). Matt Pelissier Originally played drums in the band but left and was replaced by Bob.
Bob was once a drum tech for The Used and met My Chemical Romance while on tour with them.
Gerard graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He then spent the next few years trying to work as a comic book artist before finally settling with Funhaus, a company which designed and sculpted Marvel Comics action figures for preschoolers.
In 2001, Gerard was trying to sell an animated television series to the Cartoon Network called "The Breakfast Monkey" about a Scandinavian flying imp who harnessed a special power called Breakfast Magic, allowing him to create and manipulate an assorted menu of breakfast food. (Cartoon Network turned down the pitch because they already had a food-related show in production, Aqua Teen Hunger Force.)
Mikey coined the band's name when he reshelved the book "Ecstacy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance", by Irvine Welsh, while working at a Barnes and Noble.
Ray studied film at William Paterson University before joining My Chemical Romance
Gerard Way and Mikey Way are brothers. Gerard is three years, five months, and two days older than Mikey.
Bob replaced Matt Pelissier in 2004. Matt was the original drummer and one of the founders of My Chemical Romance.
Gerard drew the cover art of the band's second album, "Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge".
Mikey learned to play bass specifically because My Chemical Romance needed a bass player.
Mikey was a intern at Eyeball Records, which was My Chemical Romance's debut label.
Guitarist Frank Iero suffers from Epstein Barr virus, a sickness that weakens the immune system which makes Iero fatigued and constantly ill.
In May of 2006, Mikey Way got Lasik eye surgery and will no longer have glasses. He has had glasses since he was 9 years old.
Bassist Mikey Way is engaged to girlfriend Alicia Simmons.
The band members hail from Belleville and Kearny, New Jersey, except drummer Bob Bryar, who is from Chicago, Illinois
Bob Bryar is the only member that is not married.
Personal Quotes
[Gerard] "If for one minute you think you're better than a sixteen year old girl in a Green Day t-shirt, you are sorely mistaken. Remember the first time you went to a show and saw your favorite band. You wore their shirt, and sang every word. You didn't know anything about scene politics, haircuts, or what was cool. All you knew was that this music made you feel different from anyone you shared a locker with. Someone finally understood you. This is what music is about."
[Mikey] "We always had a vision, but we weren't sure if it would translate or just come off as pretentious." (On starting the band)
Where Are They Now
(April 2006) Currently working on their third album with Rob Cavallo, which has been rumoured to be called The Black Parade
(March 2007) Currently on tour in the UK
source : www.imdb.com
January 18, 2009
My Chemical Romance
Mariah Carey
Date of Birth
27 March 1969, Huntington, New York, USA
Birth Name
Mariah Angela Carey
Nickname
Songbird
MC
Mirage
Mimi
The Voice
Height
5' 9¼" (1.76 m)
Mini Biography
Mariah Carey was born in Long Island, New York on March 27, 1969. Her parents are Patricia Hickey (Irish-American) and Alfred Roy Carey (African-American/Venezuelan). Mariah attended Greenlawn's Harborfields High School. In June of 1990 Mariah made her debut with "Mariah Carey" which entered at #73, but on August 4 1990 it reached #1. Her 1990 self-titled debut album went multi-platinum and spawned an extraordinary four consecutive #1 singles: "Vision of Love," "Love Takes Time," "Someday" and "I Don't Wanna Cry," and led to Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Vocalist. Her 1993 album titled Music Box went ten-times platinum. On September 30th 1995, she made music history. Her single "Fantasy" from her 1995 Daydream album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making her the first female artist to accomplish a number one debut in the U.S. Her other Daydream's single "One Sweet Day" remained for 16 weeks at the top of the charts. She is the only artist since The Beatles to have so many #1 singles and albums. With "Heartbreaker", the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow and also her 14 #1 single, she became the only artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s, and with "Heartbreaker" at its 60th week atop the Billboard's charts, she pushed ahead of The Beatles's 59-week record as the only artist with the most cumulative weeks spent atop Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Following "Heartbreaker", her second single "Thank God I Found You" also from her Rainbow album became her 15th #1. "We Belong Together" from her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi became her 16th #1 single and was also her first #1 without any guest artists since her song "My All" (also a #1 single) captured the top spot in May 1998. The single "Don't Forget About Us" also from her 2005 album Emancipation of Mimi became her 17th #1 single, tying her with Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Three more Grammy Awards were gained from The Emancipation of Mimi album. She is the most successful selling female artist in music history and is the only female artist to have the most #1 singles and albums and also holds the record for straight #1 singles and albums each year. Along with numerous awards and incredible vocal range, she also composes all of her own material, with the exception of song covers.
In April 2008, the single "Touch My Body" became her 18th #1 single, pushing her ahead of Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. Now she is the only artist since The Beatles to have as many number one singles and the only singer alive likely to succeed them.
Spouse
Nick Cannon (30 April 2008 - present)
Tommy Mottola (5 June 1993 - 5 March 1998) (divorced)
Trade Mark
Beauty mark just below her mouth.
Labels her albums, videos, photographs, and clothing with butterflies.
Spectacular range spanning 5 octaves.
Sings in long, intricate phrases in the Whistle register range (as heard on such songs as 'Emotions', 'Anytime you Need a Friend', 'Dreamlover', Bliss' and 'O Holy Night', etc.)
Trivia
Bought Marilyn Monroe's white lacquered baby grand piano at auction in October, 1999 for $600,000 plus commission.
Got her name from the song "They Call The Wind Maria" (spelled 'Maria' without the H, but pronounced 'Mariah'). The popular Lerner & Loewe musical Paint Your Wagon (1969), starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood, which was enjoying a great deal of success after its release in 1969, and the song containing Mariah's name, was a favorite of mother Patricia.
Worked a variety of odd jobs to support herself, including hat/coat-checker, hostess, hair sweeper in hair salons, and waitress. She stated that she got fired from all her jobs because of her attitude and was concentrating of becoming a backing singer and mixing demos.
Dated Latin singer Luis Miguel.
Attended Oldfield Middle School and Harborfield High School.
Father is Black/Venezuelan American. Mother is White Irish-American.
Honored by the Congressional Award in Washington, DC with the 1999 Horizon Award. The Horizon Award is a special recognition from the Joint Leadership of the United States Congress and the Congressional Award Board of Directors. The Horizon Award is presented to individuals from the private sectors who have contributed to expanding opportunities for all Americans through their own personal contributions, and who have set exceptional examples for young people through their successes in life.
The only female artist (and second artist or group ever) to have 18 #1 songs on the US Billboard Hot 100 charts.
Made her singing debut, age 20. [1990]
Had the nickname "Mirage" in high school, because she never showed up for class.
According to her spokesperson, Mariah suffered a physical and emotional breakdown, and spent the next couple weeks recovering in a Connecticut mental hospital. [25 July 2001]
Appeared on the benefit concert "A Tribute To Heroes" and sang the song "Hero" in dedication to the families, friends, victims, and heroes of the World Trade Center tragedy. [September 2001]
Signed an $80 million deal with Virgin Records for her next four albums. [2001]
Founder of Camp Mariah, a serene escape located in Fishkill, New York for inner-city youth to embrace the arts, introduce career opportunities, and build self-esteem.
Named one of People Magazine's '25 Most Intriguing People of 2001'.
Virgin Records bought out her $80 million contract for $28 million. The primary reason being the failure of her Glitter (2001) album and film. [26 January 2002]
Single 'One Sweet Day' holds the record for the single staying most weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 (a record 16 weeks)
With 18 #1 hits, she is in 2nd place among all artists with the most No. 1s in music history, with The Beatles remaining in first place with 20. She surpassed Elvis Presley's 17 #1 hits with "Touch My Body" as her 18th #1.
Owns a three floor apartment in New York City
Signed a three-album deal with Island/Def Jam records for a reported $21-24 million. She had already started work on a new album, which had no release date at that point. Meanwhile, WiseGirls (2002), her movie with Mira Sorvino, premiered on HBO in the fall of 2002. [May 2002]
Voted in at #36 in FHM's Sexiest Girls of 2002 poll, American edition.
Her seventh studio album, titled 'Charmbracelet', will be released on December 3, 2002, a week earlier than originally planned.
Is the most successful female singer-songwriter of all time, with 17 #1 hits and more than 160 million records sold worldwide.
Measurements: 34BC-22-35 (before implants in 1998). (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Her paternal Venezuelan grandfather's name was Francisco Nuñez. He changed his last name Nuñez to Carey after moving to New York City; he hoped an American name would help him make a good life in the US. He took the name Carey from his biological father. Francisco's mother Margarita Nuñez was with a man named Carey, but they were not married.
Used to be a backup singer for Brenda Starr.
The first single from the Glitter (2001) soundtrack, "Loverboy," was the #1 best selling single in the year 2001.
Has worked with an extensive amount of musicians, including: Brian McKnight, Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Cam'ron, Carole King, Céline Dion, Michael Jackson, 98 Degrees, Joe, Da Brat, Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott, Aretha Franklin, Shania Twain and many, many more.
She has twice recorded Phil Collins' song "Against All Odds", initially on her album "Rainbow" and then a collaboration with Westlife hit number one in the UK in 2000.
Her mother Patricia Hickey is a former mezzo-soprano New York City opera singer and a freelance vocal coach. Patricia was also Mariah's vocal coach. Her father Alfred Roy Carey was an aeronautical engineer.
Her highest note thus far was a G#7 (a few keys from the top of a piano) hit during two live performances of "Emotions" in 1991. Also, she has hit an A2 in her 1998 hit "My All," verifying her 5-octave range. Also, celebrity vocal coach Mark Baxter says that he has heard Mariah sing past the top note on the piano.
Her siblings are Alison and Morgan, and are significantly older by eight years.
Mariah writes and co-writes as well as produces and co-produces her own songs, including all of her number one hits (with the exception of her cover of "I'll Be There").
Her wedding to Tommy Mottola was modeled after the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Her excuse for using the royal wedding as basis for her own was that she never really had much interest in weddings as a girl, and she wanted to know what such a gala affair should be like. Even the tiara she wore, a family heirloom, was redesigned to look like Princess Diana's. Her wedding dress was an ivory-silk duchess satin gown designed by Vera Wang, with a 8.25 m (27') train and matching satin pumps. The whole affair cost almost $US0.5M, not including the 1893 sixpence Mariah put in one of her shoes for luck.
With "Heartbreaker," the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow, she became the only artist to top the charts in each year of the 1990s.
Made music history when "Fantasy" (from her 1995 album Daydream) became a #1. With "Fantasy", Mariah became the first female artist to debut at number one in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100s. "Heartbreaker," the first single from her 1999 album Rainbow became her 14#1 single, and with "Heartbreaker", it marked Mariah's 60th week atop the charts, which broke a long-standing 59-week record established by the Beatles as the artist with the most weeks at #1 in the 41-year history of the Billboard's Hot 100. "Thank God I Found You" also from Rainbow album was her 15 #1. "We Belong Together" from her 2005 album The Emancipation of Mimi became her 16th #1 single, is also Hot 100's Greatest Airplay Gainer, and moved to #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart to become her ninth #1 chart topper there. It is also her first #1 without any guest artists since her song "My All" captured the top spot in May 1998. "Don't Forget About Us" became her 17th #1 single, tying her with Elvis Presley's 17 #1 singles. She beat Elvis Presley's record with "Touch My Body" as her 18th #1 single.
Some of her prestigious awards include 5 Grammies, numerous grammy nominations, numerous Radio Music Awards, many American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award and the World Music Award for "World's Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium" to name a few.
Her mother Patricia discovered Mariah's talent in 1972 while rehearsing at home for her New York City Opera debut as Maddalena in Verdi's Rigoletto. Patricia said, "From the time Mariah was a tiny girl. she sang on true pitch; she was able to hear sound and duplicate it exactly. I missed my cue, but Mariah didn't. She sang it - in Italian - at exactly the right point. She wasn't even yet 3." From then on, Patricia began coaching Mariah.
Some of her albums feature the serif typeface friz quadrata.
Ranked #47 in Askmen's "Most Desirable Woman" (2001)
Ranked #99 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" (2001)
Ranked #17 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" (2000)
Some of her musical influences include Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Minnie Riperton and Stevie Wonder.
The Emancipation Of Mimi, named the biggest-selling album of 2005, generated an all-time career-high 8 Grammy nominations for Mariah. The album includes Mariah's 16th and 17th #1 career singles, "We Belong Together" and "Don't Forget About Us," respectively - which tied one of the most enduring chart records in Billboard Hot 100 history, Elvis Presley's 17 #1's. She passed Elvis Presley with her 18th #1 single "Touch My Body". Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 50 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to match or surpass the Beatles' all-time high 20 #1 hits.
For the first time in history, a non current song, "All I want for Christmas is you" (1994) reached the #1 spot in the Digital Songs and Tracks the week of December 22th 2005.
Was among the guests at Usher Raymond's 26th birthday party.
Her godmother is Patti LaBelle
Named #15 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)
Her longest note is in her song "Lead the Way", where she holds a note for about 21 seconds long. In full-voice (no Whistle) she can sing up to G6, as in the song "You're So Cold" where she Ad-Libs down to F2 (two notes lower than the A2 in 'My All') and back up to F6, seconds later, she hits F7# in the Whistle register.
Studied over 500 hours of beauty school and hair salon prior to becoming a singer.
Composes all of her own material, except for song covers.
Named #28 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).
Gave acclaimed performances at State Kremlin Palace, Moscow, and in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2003.
The first presents that Mariah indulged herself, were a Ford Mustang convertible and an apartment with a stunning view in New York's Upper East Side on the 21st floor of a high-rise building. She decorated it with her idol's posters (Marilyn Monroe) and lived there with her two cats Ninja and Thompkins.
Use to be a vegetarian but stopped for ex-husband Tommy Mottola.
Ranked #19 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
According to some reports, insured her body for $10M during the shooting of Glitter (2001).
Is mentioned in the Vanessa Hudgens song, "Promise" and the Freeway song "Flipside".
2001: Had a breakdown with the press, grabbed an interviewer's tape recorder and spoke directly to her fans: "I want them to know that this is a freaking, complete clown-fest".
Is the only act to have had a number one single in the US every year of the 1990's.
March 2003: The Guiness Book of World Records awarded her the record for the highest note hit by a human, after she hit the G7# note during a live performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner".
1998: Toured Australia and said the highlight of her trip was swimming with dolphins.
Her official website features "Mariahisms", her favorite sayings, including "Lamb", "Bing bong" and "Okie dokie smokey".
Admires Marilyn Monroe.
Named "America's Most Misunderstood Black Woman", by Essence magazine.
Failed her driver's license test three times.
In the mid 1990's, thanked her mother by buying her a house. She gathered her mother's possessions and put them in the new house, as well as framing photos and putting them on the wall. Then she pretended they were just looking at the house. Mariah says: "It was the most incredible thing I've ever been able to do".
Wanted to be a genie when she was a kid.
154 thousand copies of her new album, E=MC2, were sold on its first day of release. (April 2008).
Merited a place in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" (Artists & Entertainers section) with a tribute written by Stevie Wonder (Issue May 12, 2008).
Ranked #71 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
Has a dog named JJ.
Personal Quotes
[Madison Square Garden, 1995] This is for all of you out there tonight, reaching for a dream - don't ever give up! Never ever listen to anyone, when they try to discourage you, because they do that, believe me!
[taking a swipe at her critics at the 1999 Billboard Music awards] Forget the image, forget the ensemble, forget the rumors, forget the short skirts, the big hair, whatever! I owe this to the fans and I will never forget you so I want to accept this award on behalf of all of you. We've come a long way and I feel like I'm just getting started. Because as an artist, and most importantly as a person, I am genuinely happy to finally be free to be who I am. Thank you.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel . . . hopefully it's not a freight train!
Music is what I love and it's what I feel and it's in me and to know that I can do something that I enjoy and hopefully bring some enjoyment to other people through what I do is an incrediable feeling and I am just really thankful for it
[on the importance of her music] One person could say, "'Hero' is a schmaltzy piece of garbage', but another person can write me a letter and say, "I've considered committing suicide every day of my life for the last ten years until I heard that song and I realized after all I can be my own hero". And that, that's an unexplainable feeling, like I've done something with my life, ya know?
[interview in Hip Hop Magazine] A lot of the time they [the media] form the idea in listeners' minds. Calling me a "pop diva" without listening to my work so when I come out with an urban song it's like, "Pop diva goes black". I mean, puh-lease.
Butterflies are always following me, everywhere I go.
I'm not one of those people that goes into details of my personal life on national TV to get attention. Some things are better left unsaid
A lot of people are singing about how screwed up the world is, and I don't think that everybody wants to hear about that all the time.
I'm not vain, I'm insecure.
I decided to make my own ski-wear range after I found there were no fashion outfits for me to wear on the piste.
It's hard to be someone that people talk about and write about, you know? They don't know me.
I prayed very hard for this to happen and it happened. I don't even think about what I've achieved, I haven't focused on it and I wish I had, because I really want to enjoy it, and I don't know if I am enjoying it, because I am going through my life like a bulldozer. I still haven't marveled at it. I don't mind being compared to [Whitney Houston], there are people miles worse to be compared to, but if you really listen there's a difference.
People all of a sudden just see me and hear me having hit records and it seems to have come out of the blue. But really I have been working towards this my whole life, and this is what I say when people say I haven't paid my dues.
What I write is all from my imagination. Fact is, I haven't had time to experience all that, but that doesn't mean to say that I don't write from the heart, because I do. I put myself in other women's shoes, I can feel their pain and joy when I think about it. It's all the same, we're all women.
There's never been anything else in my life that inspired me at all. It's crazy, but I've always loved music and I've always known this was what I wanted to do. I can't remember a time when I didn't want to be a singer.
Someone said I never paid any dues. I feel my whole life was struggling, because we were poor. We were alone, we had nothing--no security. I feel I have paid my dues. I've been paying my dues all my life.
[on her parents' divorce] They went through some very hard times before I was born. They had their dogs poisoned, their cars set on fire and blown up. It put a strain on their relationship that never quit. There was always this tension. They just fought all the time.
I've always said that my father is half black and half Venezuelan and my mother is Irish. But people don't understand. They can't fathom that I'm African-American, Venezuelan and Irish.
And maybe there are some people out there who think a quarter Venezuelan is not a lot . . . Well, I may be only one quarter, but it's a strong quarter.
There was a time when all I was allowed to do was go to gay clubs, because my quote-unquote husband was so afraid of me being around straight people.
[on her glamor influences] Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress--I liked their little ensembles . . . You've got to throw Farrah Fawcett in there, too. I had the Farrah doll. She was my little style inspiration.
[on her height] I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be obliged to raise their head.
I rarely go to bed before 5 or 6 am. I am a girl of the night. I hate getting up before 2 pm. And when I get up, I don't have breakfast, just a slice of pizza. I'm composing my songs in bed, because I'm getting inspired when I'm about to sink into sleep. The night inspires me.
I'd humbly like to become an inspiration to the biracial kids, who are the population of the new millennium. I'm everything and nothing at the same time: white, black and Latino. If I've managed to be accepted, the others can do it, too.
I can remember when I told myself for the first time, "I'm going to be rich and famous". I was about 5 or 6. I was in my mother's car, an old green dirty car. My sister was there, too. She was humming; she was about 15, she had just gotten married because she was pregnant. We were on a supermarket parking lot, and I was looking at the wealthy people through the window; I told myself, "I am going to be a star and I'll buy all these things for us".
I was the world's worst waitress.
[on not wanting to have kids] I would feel violated . . . I know that's a kind of weird thing to say, but that's how I am . . . It's hard to have kids in this world. I don't think I could properly educate a child right now. Maybe in the future, but I actually haven't thought about it. For now I enjoy my dog Jack's company. It's definitely because of childhood traumatic stuff. The whole not wanting to have a baby as a baby.
Where Are They Now
(February 2005) Promoting her new album, The Emancipation of Mimi, which is due out in April 2005.
(April 2005) Released her 10th studio album, "The Emancipation Of Mimi".
(January 2006) Has released her latest record "The Emancipation Of Mimi: Ultra Platinum Edition". The record is a celebration of the record "The Emancipation Of Mimi"'s success. Four bonus tracks have been included into this special record.
(April 2006) Filming Tennessee (2008) and putting together a summer tour.
(May 2007) In Anguilla working on her new studio album.
source : www.imdb.com
Katie Holmes
Date of Birth
18 December 1978, Toledo, Ohio, USA
Birth Name
Kate Noelle Holmes
Height
5' 9" (1.75 m)
Mini Biography
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, Katie Holmes acted in high school theater productions before meeting a manager who encouraged her to go to LA for television's pilot season. She won a part in the acclaimed feature film The Ice Storm (1997) in her very first audition, but she didn't stop there. A videotape was sent to "Dawson's Creek" (1998), a new production by the acclaimed writer Kevin Williamson (Scream (1996/I), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)), which landed her the series regular role of Joey Potter.
Mini Biography
Born two months premature at four pounds, Kate Noelle Holmes made her first appearance on December 18, 1978, in Toledo, Ohio. Her parents, Martin and Kathleen, say that her strong-willed personality is probably from being born premature. Being the youngest in the Holmes clan, completing the family of three other sisters and one brother, Katie was always the baby. As a teenager, she began attending modeling school. When she was sixteen, her teacher invited her to go to a modeling competition with other girls from her class. She competed in the International Modeling and Talent Association by singing, dancing, and reciting a monologue from To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). By the end of that time in New York, Katie won many awards. But she said she didn't want to model because it wasn't challenging enough. So when she was seventeen, Katie went to Los Angeles to audition for movies. Luckily, on her second audition, she was cast in the movie, The Ice Storm (1997), directed by Ang Lee. Katie's character was Libbets Casey, a rich New Yorker, who is pursued by two of the main characters. It was a small part, but it marked the beginning of her professional acting career.
After the excitement of her first movie, Katie began sending in audition tapes for pilot shows. During that time, she was also starring in her all-girls Catholic high school musical, Damn Yankees, as Lola. After Kevin Williamson received her audition tape for his new show, "Dawson's Creek" (1998), the producers wanted her to come to Hollywood right away and read live for them. But because they wanted her to come on the opening night for Damn Yankees, Katie had to tell them she couldn't make it. Fortunately, the show's producers wanted her so much for that role, they rescheduled her callback and the result was she got the part as Joey Potter.
During her first year with "Dawson's Creek" (1998), Katie was able to do two movies, Disturbing Behavior (1998) and Go (1999), and, for the former, she won Best Breakthrough Female Performance in the 1999 MTV Movie Awards. The following year, she starred next to Michael Douglas in Wonder Boys (2000), playing Hannah Green, a published author and a boarder at her teacher's (Douglas) house, who has a crush on him, and tries to seduce him.
Her first leading role came in 2002, with Abandon (2002). She played a college student named Katie Burke, who is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend who vanished two years prior.
With "Dawson's Creek" (1998) coming to a close after six years in May of 2003, it was a bittersweet thing for all the cast. Accustomed to being in North Carolina filming ten months out of a year, the cast members now had the opportunity to make more movies. Katie demonstrated this in October, when she had two new movies, Pieces of April (2003) and The Singing Detective (2003), coming out in that month alone. Pieces of April (2003) is a charming Thanksgiving movie about April (Holmes), the black sheep of her family, who wants to give her family the perfect dinner before her mother passes on. The Singing Detective (2003) is a dark musical where the main character (Robert Downey Jr.) is a writer in a hospital for skin conditions who writes a dark world of seduction and murder in his mind. Katie Holmes plays the kind Nurse Mills who tends to his every need. She also gets to lip-sing and dance in this movie. Her 2004 movie schedule included the upcoming romantic movie First Daughter (2004), in which she plays the President's (Michael Keaton) daughter, Samantha, who wants to go to college without any Secret Service tagging along. Currently filming for release in 2005 is Batman Begins (2005), a new Batman movie where Katie plays Rachel Dawes, a childhood sweetheart and love interest to Batman/Bruce Wayne.
IMDb Mini Biography By: KatieJoWitter
Spouse
Tom Cruise (18 November 2006 - present) 1 child
Trivia
Her father Martin Joseph Holmes, Sr. is a lawyer, an attorney specializing in divorces, and her mother Kathleen (Kathy) A. Stothers is a homemaker and a philanthropist.
Voted as "Babe of the Year 98" (Årets Babe 98) by Expressen Fredag, Sweden.
Graduated from Notre Dame Academy, an all-girls Roman Catholic school in Toledo, Ohio.
Chosen as one of Teen People Magazine's "21 Hottest Stars Under 21". [1999]
Dated actor and co-star of "Dawson's Creek" (1998), Joshua Jackson, while filming Season 1 of the show and part of Season 2. She refers to him as her first love. They remain great friends.
Deferred attending Columbia University twice, but finally took a single photography class in the summer of 2000.
Bought a Wilmington, North Carolina townhouse, while filming "Dawson's Creek" (1998), and lived there for ten months of the year.
Turned down the lead role in 40 Days and 40 Nights (2002), due to scheduling conflicts.
Auditioned for the role of Ellie Christianson in Wicked (1998), but Julia Stiles won the part.
A small band from Japan have performed a song about her entitled "Katie".
Was lined up to have a 3 episode guest spot on "Friends" (1994) but had to pull out due to scheduling conflicts.
Likes to run three to four miles a couple of times a week to clear her head.
The first movie she ever saw was E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
Her fantasy role was playing Sydney in Scream 3 (2000).
The first concert she ever saw was Whitney Houston.
Her favorite movie is My Best Friend's Wedding (1997).
Sang Eponine's theme song, "On My Own" from Les Miserables, in an episode of "Dawson's Creek" (1998).
Three older sisters: Tamera (born c. 1968), Holly Ann, and Nancy Kay, Mrs. Blaylock (born c. 1975). One older brother: Martin Joseph, Jr. (born 1970), who works as a lawyer in Ohio.
Noisy underground British artist 'Firexit' has two songs with references to Katie, one called "K H" (Katie's initials) and a song called "The reason I can't have her" featuring samples of Katie singing 'On my own' from a "Dawson's Creek" (1998) episode.
Auditioned for the role as Buffy Summers in the series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1997), but was too young.
December 2003 - She and Chris Klein are engaged.
Bust 34C.
Ranked #35 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002).
Engaged to actor Chris Klein December 2003 - March 2005. They were together for five years.
Shares a birthday with Brad Pitt, Casper Van Dien, Christina Aguilera, DMX, film critic Leonard Maltin and legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg.
Engaged to Tom Cruise as of 17th June 2005.
Has worked with two Batmans. In Batman Begins (2005), she works with Christian Bale. Her previous film was First Daughter (2004), in which her father, the President, is played by Michael Keaton.
Named #22 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
Holmes's couch-jumping-worthy engagement ring is a Edwardian-style oval- shaped diamond ring of about 5 carats in a pave setting.
Katie and Tom Cruise became the parents of Suri Cruise on April 18, 2006 in Los Angeles. "Suri" weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches.
Ranked as #72 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement. (2005)
Her brother Martin Joseph, Jr. works as a lawyer in Ohio.
Friends with Victoria Beckham.
Named #90 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).
She and Tom Cruise both wore Armani at their wedding.
On November 18, 2006, married Tom Cruise at the Odescalchi Castle in Lake Bracciano, Italy in front of family and friends. Lots of celebrity guests included Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy, Richard Gere, Victoria Beckham and David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, John Travolta and Kelly Preston, Jenna Elfman, Bodhi Elfman and Leah Remini.
Stepmother of Tom Cruise children Isabella and Connor.
Best Man at her wedding to Tom Cruise was David Miscavige.
Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup.
Participated in and finished the New York Marathon in 2007.
Niece of former WCW Superstar Jimmy Golden.
Almost cast opposite Patrick Wilson (her co-star on Broadway's All My Sons), in the film version of Phantom of the Opera (2004) as Christine Daae', but was considered old to play the part.
Personal Quotes
"It's kind of fun being the cute, little one. In fact, I'm finding it hard to grow out of that."
"I know this sounds dorky, but I'm always having this out-of-body experience with my career. I can't wait to write it down. I can't wait to tell my grandchildren. It's amazing."
"I've kept in touch with a lot of my high school friends. When I'm home, I see them. It's really cool."
"It's important to try to be creative. I paint, and my mom is going to teach me how to make clothes. I think people should have passions."
"My family always keeps me in check. I have three older sisters, and they work their butts off. They're all very supportive of my career, but I know what's really important is kids and family."
"I felt so proud to be having a baby and so excited. And I felt closer to other women - to my sisters, to my mom. I felt empowered, like, 'I've given birth. I did it! There's nothing I can't handle. I've really enjoyed this time that I have taken to be with Suri as well as the challenges of the first couple of months: feeding and pumping, learning to decipher what each cry means - is she hungry? Is she tired? Does she need a fresh diaper? - and figuring out how to really help her."
Salary
Batman Begins (2005) $1,000,000
Pieces of April (2003) $0 (box office % only)
Phone Booth (2002) $500,000
Abandon (2002) $1,000,000
The Gift (2000) $200,000
Where Are They Now
(April 2002) Filming the movie Pieces of April (2003) with Oliver Platt.
(October 2002) Is back in Wilmington, North Carolina filming the 6th (and probably final) season of "Dawson's Creek" (1998).
(January 2004) Recently announced engagement to actor Chris Klein.
(April 2004) Filming Batman Begins (2005) in London, England.
(June 2005) Accepted marriage proposal from Tom Cruise at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
(April 2006) Gave birth to her first child, Suri, alongside future husband, Tom Cruise.
(September 2008) Starring on Broadway's All My Sons opposite John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest and Patrick Wilson
source : www.imdb.com
Princess Diana
Date of Birth
1 July 1961, Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England, UK
Date of Death
31 August 1997, Paris, France (road accident)
Birth Name
Diana Frances Spencer
Nickname
The People's Princess
Princess Di
The Queen of Hearts
Lady Di
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini Biography
Princess Diana was born July 1, 1961 at 7:45 PM weighing 7lb 12oz at Park House, Sandringham, Norfolk, England, UK. She had her christening at Sandringham Church in Norfolk. Her full name is Lady Diana Frances Spencer. On July 29, 1981 she married her Prince Charming - Prince Charles of Wales, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II. On June 21 1982 her first son was born - Prince William Arthur Phillip Louis Windsor. Two years later, on September 15 1984, Diana's second and youngest son was born - Prince Henry Charles Albert David Windsor. Later on she said that the time she was expecting Harry was the best time she and Charles ever had they were getting along so well. On August 26 1996, the "Fairy-Tale" marriage was over. A year later on August 31 1997, much of the world was in a state of mourning - their beloved Princess died in a car accident with boyfriend Dodi Fayed, along with the driver of the car. The only survivor was Dodi's bodyguard-Trevor Rhys-Jones. Diana today is still remembered by many as the "people's princess". She will always be remembered.
Mini Biography
Princess Diana was born Diana Frances Spencer on July 1, 1961. Her parents were Edward John and Frances Spencer Viscount and Viscountess Althorp, later Earl and Countess Spencer. When she was 6 her parents split up and her mother got married to Peter Shand-Kydd. Diana lived with her father her two older sisters and her younger brother Charles.
When she was about 8 she was sent to boarding school. After that she went to another boarding school and then finally to a school in Switzerland where only French was spoken. She was not what one would call an academic, and actually would be considered a high school drop out. When she was at her final boarding school in England she met Prince Charles for the first time. He was dating Diana's sister Sarah at the time and Diana was so exited about finally meeting him that she could not concentrate on her O level exams the following week.
It was only when her grandfather died that she inherited the title of Lady. Diana lived in an apartment with roommates and was a nanny and a school teacher when she got engaged to the Prince of Wales, Prince Charles. They got married in the summer of 1981 and on July 21 1982, Prince William Arther Phillip Louis was born. On September 15 1984, she had Prince Henry Charles Albert David. Her marriage started to fail then. In 1992 she and Prince Charles separated and in 1996 they divorced. She then lost the privilege of being called Her Royal Highness. In 1996 she fell in love with Dodi Fayed, the son of the owner of Harrods Department Store in London. On the night of August 31 1997, they were both tragically killed in a motor accident when the car they were in collided with a beam on the Pont D'Alma near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Her funeral was held on September 6 1997, just 9 days before Henry's 13th birthday. She is buried on an island at her ancestral home at Althorp.
Spouse
Prince Charles (29 July 1981 - 28 August 1996) (divorced) 2 children
Trivia
Buried on an island in Althorp, Northamptonshire, England, UK.
Two sons with Prince Charles: Prince William Windsor (b. 21 June 1982) and Prince Harry Windsor (b.15 September 1984).
Former daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.
Measurements: 34B-23-35 (at 1981 marriage), 36-27-37 (near her heaviest during her eating disorder- 1987), 33-22-34 (over-dieting as part of the disorder- 1990), 36B-26-36 (from 1995 bra purchase), 33B-23-36 (following divorce 1996), 34 1/2B-24-35 (ship-shape and swimsuit ready just before her tragic accident), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
Shoe size: 9A
Dress size 8.
"Candle In The Wind", the Elton John song about Marilyn Monroe, was changed to fit her, and performed by John at her funeral. Coincidentally, both women died at age 36.
Had her look-alike puppet in the French show "Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988).
Her death was used by Jean-Pierre Jeunet as a plot device for Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001).
Invited Supermodel Cindy Crawford to Buckingham Palace for dinner, when Prince William Windsor had a secret crush on the model.
Portrayed by Catherine Oxenberg, Edita Brychta, Julie Cox, and Nicola Formby.
Was a fan of the Swedish pop band Abba.
Step-granddaughter of Barbara Cartland.
Distantly related to actor Humphrey Bogart, who was her 7th cousin.
Once referred to Camilla Parker-Bowles as a rottweiler.
Appeared on the cover of People Weekly magazine a record-breaking 81 times. The "Goodbye Diana" issue (9/22/97) racked up sales of almost $3m making the issue the magazine's best-seller in its existence.
Fell in love with Dodi Fayed after a food fight on his father's yacht Jonikal.
Sister of Earl Charles Spencer (b. 1964), Sarah Spencer (b. 1955) and Jane Spencer (b. 1957).
Told an intimate friend that, while walking down the aisle in Saint Paul's Cathedral, she thought about turning back like "Elaine" did in The Graduate (1967)'.
Loved animated movies, especially the ones that were musicals.
Best friends with Lúcia Flecha Flecha de Lima, Rosa Monckton, Sarah Ferguson, Lana Marks, Lady Annabel Goldsmith and her daughter Jemima Khan.
The Brazilian ambassador Lúcia Flecha Flecha de Lima was her best friend.
When her photo made the cover of Time magazine after her untimely death, the Commemorative Issue sold more than 1 million copies at the newsstands.
Personal Quotes
"There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded." - "Panorama" (1953) Interview, 1995
"Any sane person would have left long ago. But I cannot. I have my sons."
"I'd like to be a queen in people's hearts but I don't see myself being queen of this country."
Where Are They Now
(2006) Release of the book, "Diana" by Sarah Bradford.
(2005) Release of the book, "Diana: Unseen Archives" by Alison Gauntlett.
(2007) Release of the book, "After Diana" by Christopher Andersen.
(2007) Release of the book, "The Diana Chronicles" by Tina Brown.
(2001) Release of the book, "Diana's Boys: William and Harry and the Mother They Loved" by Christopher Andersen.
(1998) Release of the book, "The Day Diana Died" by Christopher Andersen.
(1992) Release of his book, "Diana: Her True Story" by Andrew Morton.
(1994) Release of his book, "Diana: Her New Life" by Andrew Morton.
(1997) Release of his book, "Diana: Her True Story, In Her Own Words" by Andrew Morton.
(2004) Release of his book, "Diana, In Pursuit of Love" by Andrew Morton.
source : www.imdb.com
January 15, 2009
Kaka
Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (born April 22, 1982 in Brasília), better known as Kaká, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Brazil and the Serie A club A.C. Milan.
Kaká was born in Brasília, Brazil on the 22nd of April, 1982 to Simone Cristina dos Santos Leite and Bosco Izecson Pereira Leite. He has a younger brother, Rodrigo Ifrano dos Santos Leite, known as Digão, who has followed in Kaká's footsteps by playing football in Italy.
His nickname Kaká, from his native Portuguese, is pronounced as it is spelled, with the stress being on the second syllable as the accent signifies. It is a commonly used shortened form of "Ricardo" in Brazil, however, Kaká received his nickname from his little brother, Rodrigo, who could not pronounce the word "Ricardo" when they were young. Rodrigo called his older brother "Caca" which was later changed to "Kaká".
In September, 2000, at the age of 18, Kaká suffered a career-threatening and possibly paralysis-inducing spine fracture as a result of a pool accident. The worst did not occur, however, and Kaká fully recovered from the incident. He attributes his recovery to God and has since tithed his income to his church.
Kaká married Caroline Celico at the Reborn in Christ Church on December 23, 2005, two years after Kaká's move from São Paulo to Milan. Caroline was born on 26 July 1987 to Rosangela Lyra, the director of Dior in Brazil, and Celso Celico, an entrepreneur. She and Kaká met in 2001 while she was a student and he was playing for the São Paulo Football Club. The wedding was attended by about 600 people, including fellow Brazilian footballers Cafu, Ronaldo, Adriano, Dida, Júlio Baptista and (then) Brazilian national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira. Caroline plans to earn a business degree from a university in Milan.
Kaká is a devout evangelical Christian.
He is known to sport Christian gear from time to time: he has worn an "I Belong to Jesus" t-shirt on several occasions during matches, such as during the Brazilian team's celebration after their 2002 World Cup victory, and during Milan's Scudetto celebration in May 2004. He wears shoes customised with the same words written on them. Every time he scores he points his fingers to the sky as a sign of thanks to God, and, in what is possibly a first for a footballer at his level, he is proud that he was a virgin when he married.
Kaká made his debut at São Paulo FC in 2001 when he was 18 years old. In the first season, he scored 12 goals in 27 appearances, and 10 goals in 22 appearances in the following season. His performance attracted attention from European clubs, and it was AC Milan who won the race to sign him.
He joined AC Milan in 2003 for $8.5 m, a fee described as "peanuts" by club owner Silvio Berlusconi. Within a month, he became a first team regular, an he has been a starter ever since. He debuted in Serie A in an away match against Ancona, which Milan won 2-0. He scored 10 goals in 30 appearances that season, winning the Italian Serie A Championship and the European Super Cup.
Kaká was an integral part of the five-man midfield in the 2004-05 season, usually playing in a withdrawn role behind striker Andriy Shevchenko. He scored 7 goals in 36 league appearances, and also won the Italian Super Cup with the club. Milan finished second to Juventus in the Serie A, and lost the UEFA Champions League final to Liverpool on penalty kicks. He was voted the best midfielder of the Champions League tournament. He also ended up in the ninth place in the 2005 Golden Ball poll, earning 19 votes.
One of Kaká's most notable goals has been the one against Fenerbahçe SK in the AC Milan's first game in the 2005-06 Champions League, won 3-1 by the Rossoneri. It had pundits draw instant comparisons to Diego Maradona, as Kakà started his run from the midfield and skipped past three tackles before entering the area and finishing with a low shot under Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Volkan Demirel.
On April 9, 2006, he scored his first Rossoneri hat-trick against Chievo Verona. All three goals were scored in the second half.
In 2006, Real Madrid showed an interest in signing the 24 year old star, but Milan refused to sell him and Kaká signed a contract extension until 2011. He said he never wanted to go to Real and was happy at Milan.
On November 1, 2006, AC Milan moved to within a point of the UEFA Champions League knockout stages as Kaká scored a hat-trick to help the team win 4-1 against RSC Anderlecht. This was his second hat-trick at Milan and his first hat-trick in European competitions.
International career
Kaká playing for Brazil.Kaká made his international debut in January 2002 against Bolivia. He was a part of the national squad which won the 2002 FIFA World Cup, but did not see much action playing just 19 minutes of the first round match against Costa Rica. In 2003, he was the captain for the Gold Cup tournament in the US and Mexico, leading Brazil to the second place and scoring key goals against Colombia. Later, he was in action at the 2005 Confederations Cup, with Kaká scoring in the Confederation Cup final win over Argentina. (During the postmatch celebration, he and several of his teammates sported T-shirts with "Jesus Loves You" written in different languages.) He finished in joint tenth place in the voting for the 2004 FIFA World Player of the Year award. In the 2005 competition he finished two places higher. More recently, he helped Brazil qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Kaká has matured as a player and is currently considered as one of the best footballers from Brazil. He scored Brazil's first goal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Croatia on 13 June 2006. On September 3 of 2006 he scored one of his most brilliant goals for the Brazilian team after assisting a goal to a new team addition, Elano. Kaká received the ball off a deflection from an Argentina corner kick, and took the ball 3/4 of the field beating Argentine star Lionel Messi to score.
2006 World Cup
In the first match for Brazil, in group F, Kaká scored a goal in the 44th minute against Croatia. A left-foot strike from 25 meters led Brazil to the 1-0 victory. The media regarded him as the only member of the "magic quintet" – Adriano, Kaká, Ronaldo, Robinho and Ronaldinho – who produced in the match. Also against Ghana he wrote himself into the history books by assisting the goal that Ronaldo broke Gerd Muller's World Cup goalscoring record with. He was unable to carry his momentum into the next match and Brazil were eliminated by France in the quarter finals.
Trivia
* In Italian, the language of his current club team, the phonetic equivalent is written as Kakà. However, the player's shirt name is spelled KAKA' (with an apostrophe, rather than an accented 'A') for both his club in Milan and in the past for the Brazilian national team. In the World Cup 2006, the back of his shirt read KAKÁ. Kaká is also of Portuguese descent.
* Since November 2004, Kaká has been an Ambassador Against Hunger for the United Nations World Food Programme. He was the youngest ambassador at the time of his appointment.
source : kaka.soccerstar.org
Rihanna
Date of Birth
20 February 1988, St. Michael, Barbados
Birth Name
Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Nickname
RiRi
Caribbean Queen
The Barbados Babe
The New Princess of Pop
Thunder Thighs
Queen Of The R&B
Height
5' 9" (1.75 m)
Mini Biography
Rihanna was born on February 20, 1988, in a county in Barbados called St. Michael. She lived the life of a normal island girl going to Combermere, a top sixth form school, similar to grammar schools in the UK. Rihanna won a beauty pageant and performed Mariah Carey's "Hero" in a school talent show. Her life changed forever when one of her friends introduced her to Evan Rodgers, a producer from New York who was in Barbados for vacation with his wife, who is a native. Rodgers arranged for her to go to New York to meet Jay-Z, CEO of Def Jam Records. He heard her sing and knew she was going to be big and for more than just one song. She was 16 when she was signed to Def Jam. Rihnanna's debut album is out now. It's called "Music of the Sun".
Trivia
Was signed to Def Jam Records
Her musical inspirations include Alicia Keys, Beyoncé Knowles, and Mariah Carey.
Attended Combermere which is a sixth form school similar to technical school in America.
Performed Mariah Carey's "Hero" at her school's talent show.
Won a beauty pageant at her school.
Born to a black Barbadian father Ronald Fenty and a black Guyanese mother Monica Fenty.
She has two younger brothers Rorrey and Rajad.
Stated in an interview that her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to. Having a fellow black artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.
Ranked #8 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
Sampled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " by Michael Jackson from his " Thriller" album in her song "Please Don't Stop the Music".
Ranked #15 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
source : www.imdb.com
Christian Bale
Date of Birth
30 January 1974, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK
Birth Name
Christian Charles Philip Bale
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini Biography
The 10th Anniversary issue of "Entertainment Weekly" crowned Christian Bale as one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures" of the past decade, citing his incredible and legendary cult status on the Internet. EW also calls Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment" after his brilliant turn as the psychopathic yuppie serial killer in American Psycho (2000). And "Premiere" lauded him as one of the "Hottest Leading Men Under 30". Christian Bale has garnered a huge international audience ever since he wowed critics with his devastating performance in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Empire of the Sun (1987).
Bale made his professional debut opposite British comedian Rowan Atkinson on the London West End stage. He auditioned with 4000 other kids for the coveted role of James Graham in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). Bale received a special citation for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor from the National Board of Review -- an award specially created for his performance in "Empire". In the following decade, Welsh-born Bale has appeared in Shakespeare, dramas and comedies demonstrating a versatility, depth and range that has made him one of the best reviewed actors today and one of the most popular actors on the Internet. Bale is the youngest in a family of 3 older sisters (Erin, Sharon, and Louise Bale).
Spouse
Sibi Blazic (29 January 2000 - present) 1 child
Trade Mark
Often portrays obsessive characters.
Trivia
Hand-picked by director/writer Mary Harron and author Bret Easton Ellis to star in American Psycho (2000). Consequently, was noted by the media as the first star of American Psycho (2000), only to lose the part to Leonardo DiCaprio and then win it back again.
Is an excellent horseman and an avid reader.
He trained for 10 weeks in dancing and martial arts for the dance sequences in Newsies (1992) and Swing Kids (1993).
He has an uncanny ear for accents - he has used a different accent for each of his films to date.
Bale was handpicked by Winona Ryder for the coveted role of Laurie (Theodore Laurence) in Little Women (1994).
His father, David Bale, married feminist icon Gloria Steinem on September 3, 2000.
A devoted animal lover, Christian has two dogs [Mojo and Ramone] and three cats [Miriam, Molly, and Lilly], which are all strays that he found.
Christian is active in many organizations, including Ark Trust, Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Foundation, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the Redwings Sanctuary, and the Happy Child Mission, and a school for street kids in Rio De Janeiro.
His grandfather doubled for John Wayne in two movies, in Africa.
His first on-screen role was in 1983 at age 9 in a British commercial for Pac-Man cereal.
He replaced Leonardo DiCaprio for the film American Psycho (2000).
Stepson of feminist author Gloria Steinem
His father, David Bale, died on 30 December 2003, from brain lymphoma at the age of 62.
He was raised in England, Portugal and California.
His great-uncle, Rex Bale, was an actor.
His father was a former commercial pilot.
His mother was a former circus dancer.
He has three sisters: musician Erin Bale; computer professional Sharon Bale; and director/actress Louise Bale, who appeared in Newsies (1992).
His grandfather was a stand-up comic and children's entertainer.
Met his wife through Winona Ryder; she was Ryder's personal assistant.
With Batman Begins (2005), he has become the seventh actor to play Batman/Bruce Wayne in a live-action film. The others were: Lewis Wilson in 1943's, Robert Lowery in 1949, Adam West in the 1966, Michael Keaton for the first two installments of the Batman film series, to be replaced by Val Kilmer and George Clooney.
Dropped an amazing 63 pounds for his role as the emaciated insomniac Trevor Reznik in the film Maquinista, El (2004) with only a single vitamin consultation with a nutritionist to guide him. For the most part, he only ate salads and apples, chewed gum, smoked cigarettes, and drank nonfat lattes.
Considered getting formal acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) when he was twenty, but decided to focus on working instead.
Has been in 2 versions of the John Smith/Pocahontas story. He provides the voice of Thomas in Pocahontas (1995) and plays John Rolfe in The New World (2005).
Turned down the opportunity to reprise the role of Patrick Bateman in the Roger Avary-directed The Rules of Attraction (2002).
His wife, Sibi Blazic, gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl. The baby was born 27 March, 2005 in Santa Monica, California.
In the "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" radio interview first aired June 13, 2005, he admitted to Gross that because Batman is "such an American icon", he had decided not to perform his promotional interviews for the movie Batman Begins (2005) in his natural mixed Welsh/English accent. Instead he spoke to Gross in an almost inflection-less mid-American accent, only revealing his dialectic roots with a few words.
Has 3 older sisters: Erin, Sharon & Louise Bale'
Two of his most famous character's names have a difference of only one letter. Bateman and Batman.
Since a young age he was very ambitious about attending Drama School, and auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and the Central School of Speech And Drama at the age of twenty. He was accepted to all, but was convinced by his parents to continue working instead. To this day, he regrets not attending drama school for his personal passion of learning his craft.
The nameplate on his trailer for Batman Begins (2005) read "Bruce Wayne" as opposed to Bale's name.
First non-American actor to portray Batman/Bruce Wayne.
Is the youngest actor to portray Batman.
Owned a home he shared with his sister, Louise Bale, in Manhattan Beach.
Before he played "Batman" in Batman Begins (2005), his sister Louise Bale played Batman's mother in The Death of Batman (2003).
Auditioned for the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997) and almost got the role but people felt that it wouldn't be "fair" having two Brits playing two Americans (Rose was American as well, she says in the movie that the Titanic was a slave ship bring her back to America).
Considered for the role of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Is a distant relative to the 19th-Century thespian Lily Langtry.
Shares the role of Batman with Val Kilmer.
Since reading "Charlotte's Web", he does not eat red meat.
If he plays an American character, he will use an American accent in all the interviews related to the film. He says he does this so the audience isn't confused.
Daughter Emmaline, born 27 March 2005.
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#13). [2007].
Although born and raised in Wales, his family is actually English.
Was good friends with actor Heath Ledger.
His fans refer to themselves as "Baleheads".
His father was an activist and adventurer and his mother a circus dancer so he never lived in one place for very long while growing up.
A very private individual, he has never publicly confirmed the name of his daughter.
Beat out nearly 4,000 other auditions for the role of Jim Graham in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987).
Was introduced to acting by his sister, Louise.
Alongside Michael Keaton, he is the only other actor to portray Bruce Wayne/Batman in more than one live action film.
Has been a Vegetarian since the age of six.
Lives in Los Angeles with his family.
Was arrested over verbal assault allegations made by his mother and his sister just hours after he attended the European premiere of his movie The Dark Knight (2008) in London. Upon reviewing the case, the London police decided not to charge him with anything. [July 2008]
While working on Schindler's List, Steven Spielberg paid a visit to Bale on the set of Swing Kids (1993), as both movies were partially filmed in Prague.
Was considered for the part of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006).
Has said that he considers it an honor to have been called a "mofo" by Samuel L. Jackson in a movie.
C.Bale and wife belong to Board of Trustees in The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.
Personal Quotes
[interview in "Spin" magazine, March 1996] An actor should never be larger than the film he's in.
[on dealing with the resulting media attention of Empire of the Sun (1987) at age 13] It was horrific. I was almost crying in interviews and running away during press conferences, pretending I was going to the bathroom and just disappearing.
[on the sudden fame that resulted after Empire of the Sun (1987)] I enjoyed making the film, but I was shocked when I received all the attention when I got home to Bournemouth. Girls were all over me, boys wanted to fight me, and I was being asked to open local fêtes when all I wanted to do was ride my BMX bike in the woods. I told my parents I wasn't interested in doing anything again because the attention ruined it.
I don't want to know about the lives of other actors and I don't want people to know too much about me. If we don't know about the private lives of other actors, that leaves us as clean slates when it comes to playing characters. That's the point, they can create these other characters and I can believe them. I think if you're a good enough actor, that's the way to longevity in the film business. Keep everybody guessing.
I started my career without fans.
[on his 63-pound weight loss for "The Machinist" (Maquinista, El (2004))] I had a stupid kind of feeling of invincibility, like, "I can do it, I can manage it". I really did feel like I hit this point of enlightenment.
I always like that. Whenever there's a project where everyone's going, "Oooooh, it's a bit dodgy", I always like it. If you actually look at it, there tends not to be anything risky at all. Why did I start acting in the first place? I didn't do it to be mediocre or to please everybody all the time.
I'd love to remain a secret and still work, but I also want people to see the movies I'm in and get a higher profile because of that. I like to think that as long as you continue choosing diverse roles, you can avoid becoming predictable.
It's the actors who are prepared to make fools of themselves who are usually the ones who come to mean something to the audience.
[on his transformation into Patrick Bateman for American Psycho (2000)] The character is so vain and obsessed with his looks. While the psychology of the character was something that I could perform, you can't fake the physicality. Being English, I tend to enjoy going down to the pub far more than going to the gym, so it was very unnatural for me. I just had to convince myself that I loved it, which was the most difficult thing about playing this part. Working out is incredibly boring. I swear it's true that the bigger your muscles get, the fewer brain cells you have. I found I had to stop thinking when I was in the gym because if I thought about it, I'd realize how ridiculous it was that I was pumping iron when I could've been out having a drink and a cigarette and enjoying some lunch. I did three hours a day for six weeks with a personal trainer and some time before that. I ate an awful lot during training and then almost nothing during filming.
The only thing that I'm obsessed with is sleeping and, actually, it is more than an obsession, it is a pleasure. I love sleeping so much that I could do it 12 hours a day if I didn't have to turn on the alarm clock . . . and still, sometimes . . .
Our Batman [Batman Begins (2005)] is centered on the early days. It's an explanation. It's certainly not Batman No. 5. It's a reinvention. We want you to forget there has ever been a Batman before this one.
[on Batman Begins (2005)] I've never felt like the Batman character in the films was given as much time as any of the villains. The villains were always the most interesting characters, too. Batman has always been this very bizarre, almost blind character running through the middle of the story. Our film is different.
[on Batman Begins (2005)] I contacted them. I heard they were doing some low-budget Batman not aimed at kids and I was tantalized. I had appreciated the Batman movies, but I wasn't really a fan and I didn't know the TV series. But I read some of the graphic novels, and they were very dark and very interesting.
I spent about three weeks in Chicago last July doing night shoots [for Batman Begins (2005)]. It's a great city, but the humidity was tough under the Batsuit. Uh, it got a little bad. It's hot enough in the Batsuit, let alone in the Chicago heat.
I needed money because I had just bought a house, but I just kept saying, "I really can't do another movie that I know is not going to turn out the way I want it to, and that I have to make a lot of concessions in my head for".
For me, there's a bigger risk trying ['Batman Begins (2005)_]. Ultimately, the big point was that [Christopher Nolan], who you would not expect to be doing that kind of movie, was going to direct it, which is exactly what I was looking for, because you want to do something totally different from the other Batman movies. I always thought there could be a really good movie made about Batman and when I heard that Chris was doing it I thought, "Well, he's not a director that you would expect, therefore you're going to get the unexpected from him". I think there's a great potential for going very dark with it, it's a fascinating character, very complex psychologically, which I've never seen done. You know, you have the two extremes, which are both very good. You can either go the very camp Adam West TV series thing ["Batman" (1966)], which was great in its own way, or you can go more the way of the graphic "Dark Knight" novels which delve somewhat deeper.
I had spent weeks staring at the wall in my house out of depression because of things that had gone wrong and the choices I had made. When I read "The Machinist" [Maquinista, El (2004)], I just went, "Wow! This is perfect". I was having dreams about the character and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I felt like this one was going to save my arse, and pull me out of the depressed state I had got into.
I did other things, but my heart was never in it. A lot of actors say that theater's the thing for them. And that's great, and I'm not one to speak with any authority about it because of not having done it properly. For me, movies are what I love.
At first, I was somewhat hesitant to do the role [Batman Begins (2005)]. I mean, after all, Batman is an icon. But I remember, as clear as day, being at the grocery store the day the movie opened, and this little boy saw me. He couldn't have been more than five years old. He just walked right up to me and hugged me. He hugged me, and I was so moved by it that I hugged him back. Then he looked up at me and said, "You're my hero." And in that moment, I knew that not only as an actor that I had done my job, but that I had made the right decision to play Batman. And I've never looked back on my the decision to play Batman since.
[on playing Batman] You couldn't pull it off unless you became a beast inside that suit.
I only sound intelligent when there's a good scriptwriter around.
I'm English. Our dentistry is not world famous. But I made sure I got moldings of my old teeth beforehand because I miss them.
I don't think I'm like any of the characters I've played. They're all really far from who I am.
You can't help but find that violence is endlessly fascinating--and I mean true violence, not action-movie violence, just because it is used as the answer to so many problems. We're all taught as kids not to be violent, but you can't help but also see that violence is what works very often. Bullies thrive.
I think there's a kind of pretentiousness to the idea that serious work is only found in low-budget independent movies--I can't stand that snobbery.
I like being kept in the dark myself. You know, like mushrooms: Keep 'em in the dark and feed 'em shit. See, I think that's an enjoyable vegetable to be.
At the time that [Christopher Nolan] asked me to do it [Batman Begins (2005)] I actually couldn't do one push-up. They sent me to a trainer, who was having to hold my T-shirt at the back just to pull me up. I've come a long way from that.
[on filming Batman films during the summer] I'm not really looking forward to wearing a black rubber suit in the summertime in humid Chicago. If you see a pool of sweat through the city, follow it and you will find me.
[describing director Christopher Nolan's method for filming Batman Begins (2005)] We tend to shoot at night like some kind of covert operation. So, we have minimal people actually seeing me in that way.
[on being asked if he knew how big a flop Newsies (1992) was] You say something bad about "Newsies" and you have an awful lot of people to answer to.
He's a messed-up individual, as well. He's got all sorts of issues. He's just as twisted and messed-up as the villains he's fighting, and that's part of the beauty of the whole story. - on the character of Batman
(2007 - On his career) I've been able to work on movies that I like very much in the past few years, which I think have turned out how I had hoped that they would. And, I'm human, you know; that makes me feel good. I like it when people like what I do. I don't like it when people are laughing at me for what I do, you know? I mean, I'd love to say I was completely impervious to anybody's opinion, but that just ain't the truth. Of course, it matters. At the same time, there's also a danger when you start playing it too safe. After all, what am I paid to do? I'm paid to essentially make an ass out of myself, if needed. And occasionally, in doing that, you're going to fall flat on your face. But, I have learned, through doing that numerous times in my life, that there's also a ton of enjoyment to what other people see as humiliation. You can actually come to sort of thrive on that, because in a way, it kind of leads to a sort of fearlessness, if you genuinely don't mind. If the point is that you tried, I think that really is the most important thing. And, like you said, I feel like I've been very fortunate in the last couple of years that I've gotten to do what I loved, which is actually the making of movies, and on top of that, if I've liked how the movies have turned out themselves, then that's fantastic. But, to start getting too comfortable within that would be eventually to start churning out boring, boring chaff.
I'm accustomed to not having any map for my life. I'd be reaching for an Uzi if I knew what was going to happen every day. If anybody tells me I shouldn't jump, of course all I want to do is jump and show it can be done.
Life is not stable. There is a great strength that comes from not being shocked or scared by upheavals.
I don't think I was particularly in need of superheroes. I never had any fascination with Superman or Spider-Man or a Batman kind of character. If it happened at all, it was imagined characters that I had invented. My dad was a role model for me. He was a fascinating man. There was intrigue and entertainment growing up with him. He gave me an edict that I still pursue: "Life should never be boring."
Where Are They Now
(August 2003) Filming Maquinista, El (2004) in Spain.
(March 2004) Filming Batman Begins (2005) in London, England.
(August 2005) Thailand (Filming Rescue Dawn (2006)).
(2006) New Mexico - filming 3:10 to Yuma (2007).
(August 2007) Filming the Batman Begins (2005) sequel, The Dark Knight (2008).
(May 2008) In Wisconsin - filming Public Enemies (2009).
(July 2008) Filming 'Terminator Salvation' in New Mexico
source : www.imdb.com
John McCain
Date of Birth
29 August 1936, Canal Zone, Panama
Birth Name
John Sidney McCain III
Nickname
The Sheriff
The Maverick
McNasty
White Tornado
The Mac
Height
5' 8" (1.73 m)
Spouse
Cindy Hensley McCain (17 May 1980 - present) 4 children
Carol Shepp (3 July 1965 - February 1980) (divorced) 3 children
Trivia
Has been Senior Senator from Arizona since 3 January 1987.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona from 1983 to 1987.
Was the first sitting senator to host "Saturday Night Live" (1975).
The first time his appearance on "Saturday Night Live" (1975) aired, it was pre-empted in the Washington D.C./Baltimore metro area due to a sniper shooting.
Graduated fifth from the bottom of his class at the United States Naval Academy.
Favorite movie is Paths of Glory (1957).
As a U.S. Navy pilot, he was captured on 26 October 1967, after his plane was shot down while on a bombing run over Hanoi. He parachuted into a lake, breaking both arms and a leg. He was then imprisoned at the notorious North Vietnamese hell-hole, known as the Hanoi Hilton. He has described his five and a half year imprisonment as a nightmarish time, in which he was beaten and kept in solitary confinement. Twice he tried to hang himself, only to be cut down and assaulted by the guards.
At the time he was shot down, his father Admiral Jack McCain was Commander of the United States Pacific Fleet.
Good friends with Massachusetts senator John Kerry.
Longtime friend of Comedy Central show "The Daily Show" (1996) and of Jon Stewart.
His Senate seat was previously held by Barry Goldwater.
He is a second cousin seven times removed of President George Washington and a ninth cousin of Quincy Jones, both through the Washington line.
His candidacy for the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election has been endorsed by several celebrities including President George W. Bush, Henry Kissinger Sylvester Stallone and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
U.S. Senators William Cohen and Gary Hart were the best men at his second wedding (17 May 1980).
Retired from the Navy as a Captain (1981).
After adopting his first wife Carol's children Doug and Andy, she gave birth to their daughter Sidney in September 1966.
Born to Admiral John S. "Jack" McCain Sr. (1911-1981) and his wife Roberta Wright (born in 1912), he grew up with his older sister Sandy and his younger brother Joe.
Was an excellent wrestler in high school.
Once joked about Chelsea Clinton at a Republican fundraiser, saying "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno.", but later apologized (1998).
Is of Scotish-Irish descent.
Quit his two pack a day cigarette habit in 1979.
Children with second wife Cindy: 'Meghan McCain ' (b. 1984), John Sidney (b. 1986), James (b. 1988) and Bridget (b. 1991).
He has been treated for cancer four times.
Made the surprise choice of the little-known Alaskan Governor 'Sarah Palin' as his running mate, the first time a female candidate had been on the Republican ticket. The announcement fell on McCain's 72nd birthday and Palin's 20th wedding anniversary. (August 29, 2008).
Has his look-alike puppet in the French show "Guignols de l'info, Les" (1988).
Presidential campaign slogan: "Country first".
source : www.imdb.com
Daniel Craig
Date of Birth
2 March 1968, Chester, Cheshire, England, UK
Birth Name
Daniel Wroughton Craig
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini Biography
Daniel Craig, one of British theatre's most famous faces who was waiting tables as a struggling teenage actor with the NYT, is now starring as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006).
He was born Daniel Wroughton Craig on March 2, 1968, at 41 Liverpool Road, Chester, Cheshire, England. His father, Tim Craig, was a merchant seaman turned steel erector, then became landlord of 'Ring O' Bells' pub in Frodsham, Cheshire. His mother, Carol Olivia Craig, was an art teacher. His parents split up in 1972, and young Daniel Craig was raised with his older sister, Lea, in Liverpool, then in Hoylake, Wirral, in the home of his mother. His interest in acting was encouraged by visits to the Liverpool Everyman Theatre arranged by his mother. From the age of 6, Craig started acting in school plays, making his debut in the Frodsham Primary School production of Oliver!, and his mother was the driving force behind his artistic aspirations. The first Bond movie he ever saw at the cinema was Roger Moore's Live and Let Die (1973); young Daniel Craig saw it with his father, so it took a special place in his heart. He was also a good athlete and was a rugby player at Hoylake Rugby Club.
At the age of 14 Craig played roles in 'Oliver', 'Romeo and Juliet', and 'Cinderella' at Hilbre High School in West Kirby, Wirral, UK. He left Hilbre High at 16 to audition at the National Youth Theatre's (NYT) troupe on their tour in Manchester in 1984. He was accepted and moved down to London. There his mother and father watched his stage debut as Agamemnon in Shakespeare's 'Troilus And Cressida'. As a struggling actor with the NYT, he was toiling in restaurant kitchens and as a waiter. Craig performed with NYT on tours to Valencia, Spain, and to Moscow, Russia, under the leadership of director 'Edward Wilson' . He failed at repeated auditions at the Guildhall, but eventually his persistence paid off, and in 1988, he entered the Guildhall School of Music and Drama at the Barbican. There he studied alongside Ewan McGregor and Alistair McGowan , then later Damian Lewis and Joseph Fiennes , among others. He graduated in 1991, after a three-year course under the tutelage of Colin McCormack , the actor from the Royal Shakespeare Company. From 1992-1994 he was married to Scottish actress Fiona Loudon, their daughter, named Ella, was born in 1992.
Daniel Craig made his film debut in The Power of One (1992). His film career continued on television, notably the BBC2 serial 'Our Friends in the North' (1996). He shot to international fame after playing supporting roles in 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' (2001) and Road to Perdition (2002). He was nominated for his performances in the leading role in Layer Cake (2004), and received other awards and nominations. Craig was named as the sixth actor to portray James Bond, in October of 2005, weeks after he finished his work in Munich (2005), where he co-starred with Eric Bana under the directorship of Steven Spielberg .
Craig's reserved demeanor and his avoidance of the showbiz-party-red-carpet milieu makes him a cool 007. He is the first blonde actor to play Bond, and also the first to be born after the start of the film series, and also the first to be born after the death of the author Ian Fleming in 1964. Four of the past Bond actors: Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan have indicated that Craig is a good choice as Bond.
Spouse
Fiona Loudon (1992 - 1994) (divorced) 1 child
Trivia
Lived in London with German actress Heike Makatsch. [April 2001]
He has a daughter, Ella Craig (born 1992), who lives with his ex-wife 'Fiona Loudon' in London.
2000: Named as one of European films 'Shooting Stars' by European Film Promotion.
He was nominated for a 2002 London Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Number at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs.
One of the many actors considered to take over James Bond from Pierce Brosnan. He officially accepted the role in October, 2005.
Was the last actor considered for the role of "Rorschach" in the doomed movie adaptation of Alan Moore's comic-book mini-series, Watchmen (2009).
Father: Tim Craig
Mother: Olivia Craig
Older sister: Lea Craig
He is a good friend of supermodel Kate Moss.
Visited Sarajevo Film Festival (in post-war Bosnia) in 2005.
Esquire magazine's "Best dressed male" in 2006
Was the only member of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) cast to be a huge fan of the Tomb Raider video games. His favorite in the series was Tomb Raider II (1997) (VG), released in 1997.
His girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell accompanied him to the world premiere of Casino Royale (2006) in London. It was their first public appearance together.
He's a fan of Liverpool Football Club.
He is the first Bond actor to have been born after the Bond series began.
Appeared in Sharpe's Eagle (1993) (TV) with Sean Bean. Bean played the villain in GoldenEye (1995), which was directed by Martin Campbell, who also directed Casino Royale (2006).
Voted #7 in Elle (France) Magazine's "15 Sexiest Men" poll (June 2007).
One of 115 people invited to join AMPAS in 2007.
Is the shortest actor to play the role of James Bond, despite being relatively tall standing at 5 feet and 11 inches.
Good friend of actor Gaspard Ulliel.
October 2007 - Signed on to play James Bond in four more films after Casino Royale.
Lord Aisrael, his character from The Golden Compass (2007), was previously played by Timothy Dalton in a London theater production. Craig and Dalton have also, of course, shared the role of James Bond.
Graduated from Guildhall of Music & Drama (London) in 1991.
Quit smoking before making Casino Royale (2006).
Between 2005 and 2008, Craig played militant Jewish soldiers or fighters three times in fairly quick succession: in Sorstalanság (2005) ("Fateless"), he plays an American soldier who identifies himself as Jewish while liberating a concentration camp; in Munich (2005), he plays the most militant member of a team of Mossad agents assigned to assassinate the terrorists responsible for killing Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics; and in Defiance (2008), he plays one of three Jewish brothers who escape from Nazi-occupied Poland to join the resistance.
Ranked #29 in the 2008 Telegraph's list "the 100 most powerful people in British culture".
Is a big fan of Robert Altman films.
He was a fan of the fantasy trilogy, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, before he was cast in the the trilogy's first chapter The Golden Compass (2007).
Became good friends with Nicole Kidman, after they worked together on The Invasion (2007), and The Golden Compass (2007).
While incognito at a cinema in the USA, he was once asked if anyone had ever told him that he looked like Daniel Craig. He answered "no" and walked away.
Was forced to wear lifts during filming and premiers for Quantum of Solace (2008), due to Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton having slight height advantages over him.
Personal Quotes
I go through life thinking it's all going to end tomorrow.
I don't believe in self-promotion, really I can't be arsed.
People always say, "That stuff you did in Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon (1998) must have been difficult . . . but I say, "No, it wasn't really; that was some of the easier stuff to do", because it was always clear and made a lot of sense. It's when things are unclear and when you don't know what you're doing--that's when things are difficult.
As far as I'm concerned, I want to be nowhere else. It's difficult in film because everybody wants to make a safe bet with roles. But if you are going to do stuff then you should be getting strong reactions. I don't want audiences to be going, 'Yeah, that's all right.'
It's something else. I'm speechless. I've just got to step up to the plate and deal with it. I had a confidence about it but then that's because of the people around me who made me feel good about it. I knew positively on Monday. I was in Baltimore when I took the call. My first reaction was I needed a drink.
I hate handguns. Handguns are used to shoot people and as long as they are around, people will shoot each other. That's a simple fact. I've seen a bullet wound and it was a mess. It was on a shoot and it scared me. Bullets have a nasty habit of finding their target and that's what's scary about them.
I kind of feel that if you look at the track record of most Bonds - I mean Sean Connery obviously defined the part, and even he struggled for a while to get rid of the mantle. That's the pitfall and it could happen to me. I've been working so hard, for however long it is I've been doing this, to try and stick to doing stuff I totally believe in and that would be wiped out. I thought, God, this is all right: I'm doing what I want to do. And that was a huge weight off my shoulders.
I just wanted to see him [James Bond] make a few mistakes. I want to make the audience believe that it's all going to go wrong and then when it goes right it's much more exciting. Every day you pick up an injury and you're battered and bruised. If you're not physically fit then it's difficult to get through. I'm a Bond fan. If I go and see a Bond movie there are certain things I think should be in it. And they're there. We've got them in spades. Nobody knows more than I do how important this is, and it's my job to get it right.
[on the backlash from Bond fans] I didn't expect this backlash. You take it in, you can't help it. I've been trying to give 110% since the beginning, but after all the fuss, maybe I started giving 115%.
[interview in Entertainment Weekly magazine] If I went onto the Internet and started looking at what some people were saying about me - which, sadly, I have done - it would drive me insane.
[interview in Entertainment Weekly magazine] They [diehard James Bond fans] hate me. They don't think I'm right for the role. It's as simple as that. They're passionate about it, which I understand, but I do wish they'd reserve judgment.
I hope it's going to be liberating. I'm not putting any negative spin on this because to be typecast as James Bond is a very high-class problem for an actor, and I'm certainly going to try to get as much out of it as I can. Of course I am always going to think about whether it is going to limit what I do. I plan for it not to, but if it does, I'll approach that problem when it comes.
I wanted to do as much of the action work as I could, so that the audience can see it's me and it's real. I feel like I became a sportsman of sorts, and that meant acquiring injuries and carrying on and bashing through to the next level of pain. Although the stunt team did fantastic work to make sure that everything was as safe as possible, if you don't get bruised playing Bond, you're not doing it properly. I had black eyes, I had cuts, I was bruised, I had muscle strains, and I took a lot of painkillers. But it was part of the job. As much as I was hurt, the stuntmen were in much more pain.
I was affected by it - of course I was. What bothered me was that I was being criticized before I had done the work. I wasn't going to get into an argument with these people, so my only response was, 'See the movie and then you have the right to criticize, but first see what I am trying to do.' It strengthened my resolve. I was hurt by it, but it just made me try harder. The pressure was there. I know a lot of people feel very passionate about the Bond movies, but so do I, so I just got on with it. What I tried to achieve was just making a movie people will want to go and see, and I think we have made a great movie. One of the things I was criticized for was that I looked like a bad guy, but I was happy with that because I think true good guys have to step into the dark side to do their job. I wanted people to question Bond's morals and his judgment.
Sean Connery set and defined the character. He did something extraordinary with that role. He was bad, sexy, animalistic and stylish, and it is because of him I am here today. I wanted Sean Connery's approval and he sent me messages of support, which meant a lot to me.
[interview with David Giannarco, Hello! magazine, 11/27/06, about the plot for "Bond 12"] What we've done is set in process the idea that there's an organization out there and Bond is now after them. That's where we will pick up the next film. There's going to be a real element of revenge.
[on-set interview with David Giammarco, The Globe and Mail, 3/27/06] I got a personal trainer for Casino Royale (2006), which has been an absolute godsend. I knew I had to be in the best shape I could be, otherwise I would never survive it. Because at the end of the day, there isn't any painting-it-in for this movie. These stunts aren't going to be helped by CGI . . . what you're seeing is the real thing. And I've got the bruises to prove it!
[interview with David Giammarco, Hello! magazine, 11/27/06, on on being approached to take over the James Bond character] [Pierce Brosnan] and I had a few drinks over it and we discussed it. And his advice to me was, "Go for it!"--which I think is the best advice I could've gotten.
[on preparing for his second James Bond performance] Last time I did a lot of weights to bulk up. This time I'll do more running. I won't be as "no-neck". But when this guy takes his shirt off, he should look like he could kill someone.
I always wanted to be an actor. I had the arrogance to believe I couldn't be anything else.
Method actors suggest that you do sense memory exercises every time you do a scene. I use every method I can. Whatever works, I'll use.
Well, competition is so important, even when you're an artist. And if you deny that there's competition, then you're a liar. That's what gives you your ambition.
[on first hearing he had the role of James Bond) When [Bond producer Barbara Broccoli] rang me to tell me I'd got the part, I was buying dishwashing tablets in Whole Foods. I promptly dropped them and went and bought a bottle of vodka!
[remarking on an injury he sustained on the set of Quantum of Solace (2008)] I lost my fingerprint, so now I can go out and commit all sorts of crimes.
Where Are They Now
(January 2006) January 30th: Started shooting on his new film Casino Royale in the Bahamas.
(January 2008) (January 2008) January 4th: Started filming Quantum of Solace
(March 2008) In Chile, filming Quantum of Solace
(June 2008) Finished filming Quantum of Solace
source : www.imdb.com