Showing posts with label Actress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Actress. Show all posts

Monday, 12 March 2012

Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker








Sarah Jessica Parker, Actress: Sex and the City. Sarah Jessica Parker was born March 25, 1965, in Nelsonville, Ohio, American film, television, and theater actress and producer. The Lovely Collection and Covet. Hear the stories behind the fragrances and the moments that led to their face. Sarah Jessica Parker Women Celebrities Profile - Biography, Latest Photos, Pics, News, Gossip, Comments, Success and Sexiness Rating Sarah Jessica Parker to replace Demi Moore in the Linda Lovelace biopic.SARAH JESSICA PARKER EMMY AWARD SPEECH

Monday, 5 March 2012

Christie Brinkley

Christie Brinkley










Christie Brinkley (born February 2, 1954) is an American model and actress best known for her three consecutive appearances on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in the late 1970s and early 1980s, for her long-running contract with CoverGirl, the longest ever of any model in history,[2] and for her marriage to musician Billy Joel.
Brinkley has also worked as an illustrator, photographer, writer, and designer, and as an activist for human and animal rights and the environment.[3][4]
Her financial holdings were worth in 2008 an estimated USD $80 million, primarily as the owner of real estate, much of it in the Hamptons.[1] Brinkley is ranked third in the Daily Mail list "World's 20 richest models", released on February 2012.

Early life

Born Christie Lee Hudson in Monroe, Michigan,[6] Brinkley is the daughter of Herbert and Marjorie Hudson. Her mother moved to California, where she later married television writer Don Brinkley, and Christie adopted her stepfather's surname. Brinkley attended Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California, graduating in 1972. During this time, the family lived in Brentwood, Los Angeles. Brinkley was educated at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles and moved to Paris to study art in 1973.[6][7]
[edit]Career

Brinkley was discovered in 1973 by American photographer Errol Sawyer in a post office in Paris. He took her first modeling pictures and introduced her to John Casablancas of Elite Model Management agency in Paris.[8] Brinkley stated later: "I was basically a surfer girl from California. I never looked like a model."[7] After being introduced to Elite, where Brinkley also met the French photographer Patrick Demarchelier, she returned to California, and by the end of a lunch meeting with Nina Blanchard, Eileen Ford affiliate in Los Angeles, she had been booked for three national ad campaigns.[7]
Multiple appearances on the cover of Glamour soon followed, along with a record 20-year contract with cosmetics brand CoverGirl, the longest in the history of the modeling industry.[7] In 2005, CoverGirl again signed Brinkley, using her in ads in magazines and TV commercials for mature skin products.[9]
Brinkley appeared on three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Edition covers (1979,[10] 1980[11] and 1981)[12] - the first time that had happened — and appeared in the publication’s annual swimsuit issues and television specials for years to follow.
Brinkley was featured exclusively in the first Sports Illustrated Calendar and also released two of her own exclusive calendars to unparalleled success.[4] In 2005, Brinkley was featured in the special Sports Illustrated 40th Anniversary Issue’s Hall of Fame, celebrating the most revered figures in the magazine's history (photo).[13]
As an editorial model, Brinkley has appeared on over 500 magazine covers, including US, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Glamour and the best-selling issue of LIFE ever (photo). She has held major contracts with Chanel No. 19, Prell, MasterCard, Breck, Diet Coke, Anheuser-Busch, Got Milk?, Healthy Choice, Max Factor, Nissan, Noxema, Revlon, Clairol, Borghese Cosmetics, Danskin, Nu Skin, Yardley of London, Halston, Vogue Patterns, Gottex and Black Velvet, among others.[3][4]


At the Metropolitan Opera opening (September, 2008).
Brinkley played her first role as an actress in the 1983 hit National Lampoon's Vacation as "The girl in the red Ferrari" opposite Chevy Chase; she reprised that role in the 1997 sequel Vegas Vacation.[14] and later spoofed it in a 2008 DirecTV commercial interspliced with footage from Vacation.[15] In 2011, she appeared as herself in the documentary, King of the Hamptons, which was produced by filmmaker, Dennis Michael Lynch. The film premiered at the 2010 Hamptons International Film Festival.
On April 8, 2011, in New York, Brinkley made her stage debut as Roxie Hart in the long-running musical Chicago.[16] In August, she is contracted one month engagement to star in the London's production at Cambridge Theatre.[17]
As for television, Brinkley hosted Celebrity Weddings InStyle, the highest rated special in Lifetime's history, and her appearance on NBC's Mad About You was the broadcaster's highest rated half-hour episode, since the finale of The Cosby Show.[4]
In 1983, Brinkley appeared on the Today Show in a four-part segment featuring beauty tips and, in 1992, began her own television series Living in the 90's — With Christie Brinkley, a daily half-hour show on CNN.[18]
Brinkley made further television appearances, including Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue Specials[14] and music videos for Billy Joel (Uptown Girl, Keeping the Faith, All about Soul, River of Dreams, A Matter of Trust and Leningrad) and Mick Jones Just Wanna Hold.[3]
Brinkley appears with Chuck Norris in a long-running series of cable TV infomercials promoting Total Gym home fitness equipment.[3] In 2008, Brinkley and Dr. Carlon Colker promoted National Family Fitness Day with Xbox 360 at the Boy's and Girl's Club.[19]
In 1983, Brinkley wrote and illustrated a book on health and beauty titled Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book, which topped the New York Times best seller list.[3]
In 1990 Brinkley was, along with Cheryl Tiegs and Beverly Johnson, one of the three models featured as dolls produced by Matchbox Toys called The Real Model Collection.[20]
Brinkley illustrated the cover art for Billy Joel's 1993 triple platinum album River of Dreams. For this, Rolling Stone awarded her the honor of "Best album cover of the year".[9]
Brinkley has designed clothing patterns for Simplicity Pattern[18] and in March, 1994 helped design, for brand Nouveau Eyewear, her line of prescription glasses and sunglasses called Christie Brinkley Perspectives with worldwide sales.[3][4]
In Spring 1998, released her own signature fragrance, Believe.[7] Her jewelry collection is manufactured by Swank.[4]
In 1991, Brinkley was considered to have the ideal, all-American look with her blonde hair, blue eyes, slim figure, and soft features, when Allure first conducted a survey taking the pulse of the average American (men and women) searching for their beauty perceptions and preferences.[21]
In 1998, Playboy readers voted Brinkley one of the 100 Sexiest Women of the 20th Century.[22] Brinkley is ranked third in the AskMen.com Top 10 Supermodels Of All Time.[23] In 2011, Men's Health named her one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time", ranking her at No. 16.[24]
[edit]Personal life

In 1982, Brinkley had a romantic relationship with Olivier Chandon de Brailles (born September 17, 1955 in France), heir to the Moët-Chandon Champagne fortune. The two met at Studio 54 in New York City at a party promoting a calendar in which Brinkley appeared.[25] Chandon died a year later on March 2, 1983 in an auto-race car crash during a private pre-season practice session.[26][27][28]
Christie Brinkley has been married four times:


Modeling a dress by Calvin Klein at the 2005 Red Dress Collection fashion show in New York's Bryant Park.
In 1973, with French artist Jean-François Allaux (born in Rabat, Morocco) that ended in 1981 without children.[25]
In 1985, with musician Billy Joel (born May 9, 1949 in Long Island, New York) that ended in 1994 with one child Alexa Ray Joel.[29] Brinkley and Joel met in 1983 on the Island of St Barts, in the Caribbean. Joel and Brinkley were married on March 23, 1985 on a yacht on the Hudson River and this was the second marriage for both. Joel was 35 and Brinkley 31 and took their vows in a private ceremony attended by 175 family members and friends, including Paul Simon and the Stray Cats.[25]
In 1994 with Real estate developer Richard Taubman (born 1948). Brinkley and Taubman met in 1994 when a mutual friend introduced them. He proposed to her in May 1994 although she and Billy Joel were still married. They were married on December 22, 1994, in Telluride, Colorado near the area where they were both in a helicopter crash in March 1994. Brinkley was 40 years old and Taubman 46 and she announced at their wedding that they were expecting a baby boy. The marriage ended in 1995 with one child, Jack Paris Taubman.[25]
In 1996 with Peter Halsey Cook (born January 1, 1959, New Jersey), an architect. Cook and Brinkley first met in 1979 when he was modeling; their paths also crossed a few times after that. They were later reintroduced by a mutual friend, NBC's Jill Rappaport, and announced their engagement in August 1996. They married on September 21, 1996 at a ranch in Bridgehampton, New York. Brinkley was 42 and Cook 37. They had nearly 120 guests at their wedding, including Billy Joel. They had one child, Sailor Brinkley Cook.[25] They divorced on October 3, 2008.[30] Brinkley's first lawyer in the case was Robert Wallack, and she was later represented by Robert Stephan Cohen, both top divorce attorneys. The divorce proceedings, held in the summer of 2008, were regular tabloid fodder, in part due to Cook's admission that he had committed adultery with eighteen-year-old Diana Bianchi. Press and public interest increased with Cook's revelations that he had paid $300,000 to Bianchi in the hopes of forestalling a lawsuit and had spent thousands of dollars each month on internet pornography.[31][32] Brinkley and Cook settled out-of-court in July 2008, with Brinkley granting her fourth husband $2.1 million in exchange for custody of their two children and the retention of 18 disputed properties in the Hamptons. Additionally, Cook was granted parenting time with the children. Further details of the settlement were kept private.[9][33] The children became a focus of public attention when the former model contended that Cook used "overwhelming" physical force when unhappy with or disciplining the children. Alexa Ray Joel, Brinkley's daughter with ex-husband Billy Joel, testified about such behavior toward her, which Cook denied.[34] Peter Cook wanted a judge to appoint a parenting coordinator, demand Brinkley enroll in anger management classes and order her to cover his legal expenses.[35] In July 2008, a court-appointed psychiatrist, speaking during child custody proceedings in Brinkley's fourth divorce, testified that while he believed Brinkley should gain custody of her and Cook's children, both she and Cook need therapy.[36] Her divorce from Peter Cook was officially finalized on October 3, 2008.[30]
Brinkley has three children:
Alexa Ray Joel, (born December 29, 1985), with Billy Joel.[37] The name "Ray" was given to Alexa in honor of Ray Charles.[38]
Jack Paris Taubman, (born June 2, 1995), with Richard Taubman. He was later adopted by Peter Cook and named Jack Paris Brinkley Cook.
Sailor Lee Brinkley Cook (born July 2, 1998), with Peter Cook.
Brinkley and her children are fans of the New York Islanders ice hockey team. Brinkley began doing promotions for the team after being noticed at games.[39] In 2007, she showed her support by writing a blog for NHL.com and filming a commercial.[40]
Brinkley has one brother named Gregory Donald Brinkley, a nutritionist and father of one son and one daughter: Ian Amadeo Brinkley (born January 15, 1990) and Elliott Marie Brinkley (born January 5, 1997).[41]
Brinkley became a vegetarian when she was 13 years old and then got her entire family to become vegetarians.[42] She lives on Long Island in Sag Harbor, New York; she previously lived in Bridgehampton and Amagansett, Long Island.[18][43]
[edit]Other activities


Brinkley winds up to throw an autographed football into the audience during a USO show in the Eagle Sports Complex at Tuzla Air Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina (December 22, 1999).
Brinkley helped found a club for cutting, an equestrian sport in which a rider has two and one half minutes to cut as many cattle from a herd as he can.[18]
Since 1998, Brinkley has given nearly $100,000 to organizations and candidates of the Democratic Party of the United States, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, America Coming Together and Moveon.org.[43] In the New York delegation, Brinkley served as a delegate on the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.[44]
Brinkley supports animal rights, most notably through the organization PETA,[9] having previously spoken out against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.[45][46] She has also been involved in anti-nuclear activities and campaigned against the restarting of the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.[47][48]
In February 2007, Brinkley had emergency back surgery to correct a herniated disc that occurred after a ski trip in Aspen in December 2006, Colorado.[49][50]
[edit]Awards and achievements



December 1999, during a Christmas visit to the USO.
Top Picks, in 1993 by Rolling Stone Magazine for the artistic work Brinkley did on Billy Joel's cover album River of Dreams.[3][4]
2001 Merit Award, given by USO-The United Service Organizations Inc.. Brinkley traveled with the USO on goodwill missions to Sarajevo, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia and Italy entertaining the peacekeeping forces and visiting aircraft carriers and refugee camps. After participating in USA Secretary of Defense William Cohen’s Christmas tour to Kosovo, she was given the award in Washington DC for her efforts on behalf of American troops.[3][4]
Spirit of Achievement Award, at 2003 by "The Women’s Division" of Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University presented Brinkley for her charity work.[3][4]
Christie Brinkley Scholarship, at February, 2007 by The Ross School in Easthampton, Long Island, New York. This scholarship allow students interested in art or environment sciences get four free years at Ross High School.[51]
Heart Award, special honor from the American Heart Association in the "12th Annual Heart of the Hamptons Gala" for her commitment to helping children live healthier lives. Brinkley said she was very honored to receive the award from the AHA being convinced that the research from the organization made it possible for her mother to be alive after suffering five strokes.[52]
Smart Cookie Award, April 21, 2008, honored her and three other amazing charitable mothers in New York at the "Second Annual Smart Cookie Awards Gala", voted by Cookie Magazine readers.[53]
Humanitarian Award, given by March of Dimes. This organization is dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality through research, community services, education and advocacy.[54]
Merit Award, by the non-profit USA national organization Mothers Voices which mission is strengthens family communication about sex, sexual health and HIV/AIDS/STD prevention through education and awareness, mobilize parents and caregivers to become their child’s frontline sexual health educator.[4][55]
Mother of the Year, given by The National Mothers Day committee at a ceremony held in New York City.[3]
Merit Award , given by Make-A-Wish Foundation in New York. They work granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.[4][54]
Americas Mothers and Shakers, named by Redbook Magazine for her involvement in "STAR — Standing for Truth About Radiation".[3]
HBA's Positively Beautiful Award, named by HBA Global Expo on behalf of her work with the international charity Smile Train.[2][56]
Mothers Who Make A Difference Award, given by Love Our Children USA on the 2011 Sixth Annual edition, recognizing and supporting four celebrity moms for balancing motherhood, work and causes.

Friday, 24 February 2012

Kate Gosselin

Kate Gosselin









Kate Irene Gosselin (née Kreider; born March 28, 1975) is an American television personality. Gosselin achieved national recognition on the reality show Jon & Kate Plus 8, in which she and her then-husband Jon Gosselin are profiled as they raise their atypical family of sextuplets and twins.[3]
Kate Gosselin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is the second of five children to Charlene and Kenton Kreider. Her father is a pastor. She became a Registered Nurse after completing a diploma program at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. Gosselin then worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Reading Hospital until 2004.

Career

[edit]Reality TV


Kate and family on the cover of KoreAm in May 2007
The family was featured in a special on Discovery Health in September 2005 entitled Surviving Sextuplets and Twins. A year later they were featured in another special entitled Sextuplets and Twins: One Year Later. With high ratings from the specials, Discovery Health signed the couple to a reality series that aired beginning in April 2007, called Jon & Kate Plus 8, which documented their lives. To produce the show, the family was filmed for three or four days per week. The show's first two seasons aired on Discovery Health Channel and then moved to TLC.[3] The family received payment for appearing on the show.[5]
On June 22, 2009, an extended one-hour episode was aired. Jon and Kate announced that they were separating. The two had met with Pennsylvania attorneys on the day that the episode aired to finalize plans for divorce rather than separation. They explained, in separate interviews, that "the show must go on." However, TLC announced on June 23, 2009, that the show would be placed on hiatus effective immediately. According to TLC, Jon and Kate had moved the focus away from the family and the change in the dynamic, as well as the production difficulties that had occurred because the couple was no longer living together, made it unclear whether the show was still viable.[6]
On September 29, 2009, TLC announced the title of the show would be changed from "Jon & Kate Plus 8" to "Kate Plus 8," and would follow Kate as a single mother. Jon would continue to appear, albeit infrequently, on the show. The last episode was a season five finale on November 23, 2009, because of Jon's decision to stop filming.[7] Reruns of the show still air on TLC. Kate Gosselin filmed a talk show pilot with Paula Deen in September 2009. By the end of 2009, it had not been picked up by a television network. In late December 2009 it was also announced that Gosselin was no longer being considered for a role in the planned show because she was deemed "too controversial" by show executives.[8] Gosselin was a contestant on the tenth season of the television show Dancing With The Stars[9] and had expressed a strong desire to remain on the show and win despite widespread criticism of her dancing.[10] She was partnered with Tony Dovolani. She was eliminated from the competition on April 20, 2010.
In April 2010 TLC announced Gosselin would be getting her own show called Twist of Kate. The series will feature her traveling the country, visiting mothers who have written her letters about their stories.[11] TLC has a new series of specials planned called Kate Plus 8. However an unknown source told Life and Style magazine that Twist of Kate and her other reality specials had been cancelled.[12] TLC's reps and Gosselin have denied the claims, saying that neither show has been cancelled.[13]
Shortly after Gosselin was eliminated from Dancing With the Stars, rumors began flying that Gosselin would be featured on the upcoming edition of the popular TV show The Bachelorette. However, several people have denied this, including the show's creator, Mike Fleiss, and a rep for TLC. They did however, state that it would be interesting to place her in the show.[14]
On June 24, it was announced that Gosselin would be back as a co-host on The View on July 2, on which she has previously co-hosted twice.[15]
In August 2011, it was announced that "Kate Plus 8" would not be returning to TLC in September. The final episode of the show premiered on September 12, 2011.
[edit]Author
Gosselin has also written several non-fiction books. Her first book was published in November 2008, titled "Multiple Blessings." It debuted at number 5 on New York Times Best-Seller list, and sold over 500,000 copies by the end of 2009.[16] Her second book, "Eight Little Faces", was released in April 2009, and also debuted at number 5 on the New York Times Best-Seller list.[16] Her third book, titled "I Just Want You To Know" was released on April 13, 2010, selling approximately 10,000 copies in its first week and debuting at number 103 on the New York Times Best-Seller list.[16] Gosselin has been a contributing blogger to CouponCabin since November 22, 2011. “Kate has embraced coupons her entire life,” said Jackie Warrick, president at CouponCabin.com, according to the press release. “We look forward to sharing the unique insight she has gained over the years.” [17]
[edit]Personal life

Gosselin gave birth to twin girls, Cara Nicole and Madelyn Kate "Mady" on October 8, 2000 born at 35 weeks gestation.[18] The couple used fertility treatment to get pregnant because Kate was initially unable to conceive due to polycystic ovary syndrome. After further treatments, Gosselin became pregnant again and she gave birth to sextuplets on May 10, 2004, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, at the Penn State Hershey Medical Center. She gave birth at just shy of 30 weeks gestation. The sextuplets were born 10 weeks premature, which is common in the multiple births that result from fertility treatments. The early birth required that the six infants be placed on ventilators.[4] The sextuplets are, in order of birth, Alexis Faith, Hannah Joy, Aaden Jonathan, Collin Thomas, Leah Hope and Joel Kevin. According to her newest book, Kate revealed that very early in the pregnancy there were seven embryos, but one did not develop. The couple was featured in the NBC reality TV show Home Delivery, when their home in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, was renovated to accommodate the large family.[3]
The couple filed for divorce on June 22, 2009.[19] Jon and Kate have said that their eight children will remain in their Pennsylvania home, and the two of them will move back and forth to accommodate the custody agreement. On December 16, 2009, it was announced that the couple's divorce was finalized.[20] Kate had been granted the ownership of the family home and primary custody of the children.

Thursday, 23 February 2012

Kate Walsh

Kate Walsh









Kathleen Erin "Kate" Walsh (born October 13, 1967) is an American film and television actress, currently known for her role as Dr. Addison Montgomery on the ABC dramas Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice.

Early life

Walsh was born in San Jose, California and grew up in Tucson, Arizona. Her father was Irish, being a native of Navan in County Meath, Ireland and her maternal grandfather came from Italy.[1] Her mother Angela lives in Nevada and Walsh has four older siblings. She has two sisters and two brothers, Sean and Joe, who are film-makers. Walsh graduated from Catalina Magnet High School and later studied at the University of Arizona for a while,[2] where she got involved in regional theater. She now lives in Los Angeles. She was raised Roman Catholic.[3]
[edit]Career

[edit]Early career
Before modelling, Walsh worked at Burger King and Dairy Queen. She began as a model in Japan in the 1980s where she also taught English. Later she moved to Chicago and worked with the Piven Theatre Workshop. She also performed on National Public Radio in the production of the radio play Born Guilty. Walsh later moved to New York City and joined the comedy troupe Burn Manhattan on June 27, 1987, performing in a number of Off-Broadway plays.
[edit]Television roles
After playing Cathy Buxton in the "Stakeout" episode of Homicide: Life on the Street in 1996, her first major television appearance was in 1997, when she appeared on The Drew Carey Show as Carey's character's girlfriend Nicki. She wore a fatsuit in some episodes of the show, as the Nicki character was a formerly obese woman who lost weight and slowly started to gain it back. She went on to portray Carol Nelson in HBO's The Mind of the Married Man television series, and played Norm Macdonald's romantic interest in the sitcom The Norm Show. Walsh also made a guest appearance on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Mimosa, a transsexual. She sometimes appeared in sketches on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. She had a recurring role on Karen Sisco as Detective Marley Novak in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, she was cast in the ABC series, Grey's Anatomy, as Dr. Addison Montgomery, the estranged spouse of Derek Shepherd ("Dr. McDreamy", played by Patrick Dempsey).
It was announced in February 2007 that Walsh's Grey's Anatomy character Addison would be in a spin-off of Grey's Anatomy that began airing in September 2007. Taye Diggs, Tim Daly, Amy Brenneman, Chris Lowell and Audra McDonald have been cast in the spin-off, which has been given the name Private Practice.[4][5] Walsh returned to Seattle Grace as a guest star for episode thirteen in Season 4 and episodes 15 and 16 in Season 5 of Grey's Anatomy. She also briefly returned for an episode of the sixth season of Grey's Anatomy to help Mark Sloan with his newfound daughter, who is pregnant. Later in season 7 she returned to operate on Dr. Callie Torres (Sara Ramirez) because Callie was in a car crash and at this point she was pregnant.
She is currently playing the character of Addison Montgomery in the fourth season of Private Practice, for which ABC has ordered a full season of episodes.[6] On January 10, 2011 ABC picked up "Private Practice" for the 2011-2012 fall season (5th season). Walsh guest-starred in the musical episode of Grey's Anatomy, season 7 episode 18, "Song Beneath The Song".
Beginning in September 2007, Walsh has appeared in television commercials for the 2008 Cadillac CTS.[7] She is also the current spokeswoman for Caress' Exotic Oil Infusions body wash.[8]
[edit]Film roles
The crime drama Normal Life marked her film debut; she played the sister of a bank robber played by Luke Perry. She portrayed a kleptomaniac in the film Peppermills. Walsh also appeared in the cult movie, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Part 2. She had her first significant role in a major Hollywood production as Will Ferrell's wife in the family comedy, Kicking & Screaming, alongside Robert Duvall and Mike Ditka. Walsh has also appeared in several other films with Ferrell, including Bewitched (also with Nicole Kidman) and an "alternate film" to Anchorman titled, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie.
In 2003, Walsh appeared in Under the Tuscan Sun, with Diane Lane and Sandra Oh. She played the partner of Sandra Oh's character. Regarding her various lesbian roles, Walsh said: "Do I give off a girl-on-girl vibe, I wonder? Or is it because I’m tall? I guess the chicks just dig me!"[9]
Walsh was also set to star opposite John Cusack and Samuel L. Jackson in the supernatural thriller 1408, but she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts.[10] Walsh starred alongside Dennis Quaid and Paul Bettany in the biblical horror film Legion, that was released on January 22, 2010.[11] On May 9, 2011, she announced, via her Twitter, she has begun filming The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
[edit]Theatre
In May 2010, Kate Walsh made her off-Broadway debut opposite Paul Sparks in Atlantic Theater Company's world premiere of Stephen Belber's Dusk Rings a Bell. The new play began previews on May 19 and opened May 27 at Atlantic Stage 2 and played through June 26. The New York Times called it "a sublime, beautifully acted drama."[12]
She also had a long theater career in Chicago, which included roles in Happy Birthday Wanda June, The Danube, Moon Under Miami and Troilus and Cressida.
In New York, Walsh was a member of the improvisational comedy troupe Burn Manhattan and the New York City Players theater ensemble.[13]
[edit]Fashion
Kate Walsh founded Boyfriend LLC, a beauty and lifestyle company in 2010. The company launched its first product in November 2010: a perfume called "Boyfriend".[14] HSN, a leading multichannel retailer, and Walsh partnered to launch the "Boyfriend" fragrance with live appearances by the actress/entrepreneur on HSN, November 11 and 12.[15] Walsh's fragrance train case, including Boyfriend eau de perfume, pulse point oil and votive candles, sold out on day one exceeding sales expectations.[16]
Leading up to the launch of Boyfriend, Walsh released 8 webimercials written and directed by the actress herself, relaying the sentiments the Boyfriend scent was developed to evoke. Launched via various social media channels, including Twitter, YouTube and select blogs, the Boyfriend webimercials have been viewed more than 200,000 times to date and were released by Walsh prior to her appearance on HSN to drive excitement and anticipation.
[edit]Personal life

Walsh married movie executive Alex Young on September 1, 2007. They were married in the Ojai Presbyterian Church in Ojai, north of Los Angeles.[17] On December 11, 2008, it was announced that Young filed for divorce after 15 months of marriage.[18] On December 24, 2008, Walsh counterfiled for divorce, contesting the date of separation listed in Young's divorce papers.[19] The divorce was finalized February 5, 2010.[20]
In September 2009, Walsh launched her official website.[21]
[edit]Social and political activism

Since the summer of 2007, Walsh has been the spokesperson for Narcolepsy Network, working to promote national awareness of narcolepsy through infomercials and DVDs.[22]
In January 2008, Walsh participated in a video for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called, "Yes We Can", produced by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas.[23] She also campaigned for Obama in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, and Pennsylvania.[24]
In July 2008, Walsh was nominated as a candidate on the Unite for Strength slate for a place on the national governing board of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in elections scheduled for 18 September 2008.[25] On September 18, 2008, Walsh was elected to serve on the SAG board for a three year term. Walsh ran as a candidate with the Unite for Strength party who won 6 of the 11 Hollywood Division seats which were up for contention in the recent Screen Actor's Guild National Board elections.[26]
Walsh supports pet adoption and frequently campaigns for the cause. On February 7, 2008, she cut the ribbon to a new dog adoption center named Pedigree(R) Dogstore in Times Square.[27]
In 2005, Walsh joined the Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA)'s Board of Advocates, and in 2008 received the PPFA Maggie Award for an Artist who Stands Up for Reproductive Health and Freedom. Kate has participated in numerous Planned Parenthood activities, including national fundraisers, local Planned Parenthood affiliate events, the PPFA Awards Gala, and lobby day on Capitol Hill promoting the need for comprehensive sex education. In January 2009, Kate spoke at the Planned Parenthood Presidential Inauguration Brunch in Washington, DC.[28]
As announced in late 2009, Walsh partnered with the ocean conservancy and advocacy group Oceana to call for increased sea turtle protections. She joined experts from the group on a trip to the Virgin Islands to witness the turtles' hatching and moving to the sea. In her own words: "I want to get the word out and make people aware about the challenges facing sea turtles. I also want to help get legislation enacted to keep harmful fishing techniques to a minimum and help protect the sea turtles."[29]
Walsh referenced Oceana during a September 16, 2010 appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She told Leno that her dress was covered in sushi and sashimi as an homage to a dress made of beef worn by Lady Gaga at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards. While she claimed it was sustainable seafood, Walsh later admitted via her twitter account that the sushi was fake.[30]
She recently attended a meeting on Capitol Hill in which they marked the one year anniversary since the BP oil spill.

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Jessica Biel

Jessica Biel








Jessica Claire Biel (born March 3, 1982) is an American actress, model, and singer. Biel is known for her television role as Mary Camden in the long-running family-drama series 7th Heaven. She has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Stealth, The Illusionist, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and The A-Team, and the British movie Easy Virtue.

Early life

Jessica Claire Biel was born in Ely, Minnesota. Her mother, Kimberly (née Conroe), is a homemaker and spiritual healer. Her father, Jonathan Biel, worked for GE and was also an entrepreneur and business consultant.[2][3][4] She is of German, French, English, and Choctaw ancestry[5] and has a younger brother, Justin, born in 1985.[6][7] Biel's family moved frequently during her childhood, living in Texas, Connecticut, and Woodstock, Illinois, before finally settling in Boulder, Colorado. While growing up, Biel played soccer[8] and also trained as a gymnast.[4] From 2000 to 2002, she attended Tufts University.[9]
Early work

Biel initially trained to be a vocalist, and from age nine appeared in several musical productions in her hometown, playing lead roles in productions such as Annie, The Sound of Music, and Beauty and the Beast.[10] Biel auditioned for the a cappella choir the Tufts Amalgamates, but was not accepted.[9]
At twelve, Biel attended The International Modeling and Talent Association conference in Los Angeles where she was discovered and signed by a talent agency. She began modeling for print advertisements, and appeared in commercials for products such as Dulux Paint and Pringles.[2]
Biel also played the character Regrettal, a lead role in a low-budget musical short titled It's a Digital World. At fourteen, after auditioning for several television pilots, Biel was cast as Mary Camden, the second oldest child in the family drama 7th Heaven.
Career

1997–2002


Biel on board the USS Abraham Lincoln on June 18, 2004
Biel landed her first feature film role as Peter Fonda's granddaughter in the critically acclaimed drama Ulee's Gold, released in 1997. Her performance earned her a Young Artist Award.[citation needed] In spring 1998, during a break from filming 7th Heaven, she starred in I'll Be Home for Christmas, playing the love interest of Jonathan Taylor Thomas.[10]
When she posed topless in the March 2000 issue of Gear magazine, Biel sparked considerable controversy, as she was still under 18 at the time of the shoot. Producers of 7th Heaven were outraged, and brought legal action against Gear.[10] She later stated that she regrets the Gear shoot but considers it a learning experience.[11]
In 2001, Biel played the love interest of Freddie Prinze, Jr. in the baseball-themed film Summer Catch. The next year, she starred as promiscuous college student Lara in the ensemble film The Rules of Attraction, an adaptation of the Bret Easton Ellis novel.
2003–2005
Biel was cast in her first top-billing role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.[12] The film met with negative reviews but it was a commercial success, scoring the number-one spot in its opening week and going on to earn more than $80 million in the U.S.[12][13] In 2003, Biel began work on the third installment of the Blade film series, Blade: Trinity. Almost immediately after finishing it in 2004, she headed to Australia to shoot the action-thriller Stealth.[14]
Biel also made a cameo appearance in the 2004 film Cellular.
Biel was cast in the role of Ellen Kishmore in the romantic comedy Elizabethtown. She then played the title character in the indie film London.
2006–present


Biel at the 2005 Stealth premiere
Biel's film career blossomed[citation needed] when she played a turn-of-the-century duchess in the period piece The Illusionist, co-starring Edward Norton and Paul Giamatti.
Biel played an Iraq War veteran in the 2006 film Home of the Brave, a drama about soldiers struggling to readjust to society after facing the hardships of war.
In Next, Biel played alongside Nicolas Cage and Julianne Moore. She then played in the summer comedy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, co-starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James.
In late 2007, Biel signed on to play a stripper in Powder Blue, alongside Forest Whitaker (who also produced the film), Ray Liotta and Patrick Swayze.


Biel with Josh Lucas on the Stealth set.
At the start of 2008, Biel shot Easy Virtue, an adaptation of the play by Noël Coward. Like the play, the film is set in the 1920s and Biel plays young widow Larita, who impulsively marries John Whittaker in France and must face her disapproving in-laws on returning to England. The film premiered in September 2008 at the Toronto International Film Festival.[15] Critics praised Biel for her performance, with Todd McCarthy of Variety saying Biel "more than kept up" with veterans Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth and praising her "sparkling" performance.[16][17] The Hollywood Reporter described her performance as "an irresistible force of nature — a kind, witty, supremely intelligent and beautiful woman who ... is capable of rejoinders that thoroughly undercut her opponent's withering criticism."[18][dead link] Biel also performed two songs on the film's soundtrack, "Mad About the Boy" and "When the Going Gets Tough".
In 2009, Biel lent her voice to the animated science fiction film Planet 51.
In April 2008, Biel began working on the political satire Nailed, with Jake Gyllenhaal. The film centers around a woman who accidentally gets a nail lodged in her head, then travels to Washington D.C. to fight for better health care.
Biel performed the role of "Sarah Brown" with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a fully staged concert production of Guys and Dolls during the 2009 season at the Hollywood Bowl.[19][20] On the last night, she received a rousing standing ovation from 17,000 people.[4] She subsequently landed a part in Lincoln Center Theater's two-week-long workshop of the musical version of the Pedro Almodóvar classic Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, along with Salma Hayek.[4]
Personal life

Relationships
Biel dated actor Adam LaVorgna, her costar in I'll Be Home For Christmas and 7th Heaven, from 1998 to 2001.[21][22] She then dated actor Chris Evans from 2001-2006.[23][24]
Biel began dating singer and actor Justin Timberlake in January 2007.[25][26] After four years together, the couple announced their split in March 2011. However, by fall 2011 the couple appeared to have reunited, and in late December 2011, Timberlake proposed to Biel in the mountains of Jackson, Wyoming.
Charity work
On July 18, 2006, Biel participated in a charity auction to raise medical funds for Colorado teen Molly Bloom, who was injured in a limousine accident.[32] John Schiffner of Fergus Falls, Minnesota successfully bid $30,000 to have lunch with Biel. "I promise I'm a cheap date," Biel quipped. Biel and Schiffner lunched at The Palm restaurant in Denver, Colorado[33] on August 18, 2006.[34]
In early 2007, Jessica co-founded the Make the Difference Network[35] with her father and another business partner, Kent McBride.
In 2010, Biel climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with members of the United Nation Foundation to raise awareness of the global water crisis.[36] That same year, Biel's humanitarian and charity work (as well as her popularity with young people) earned her a nomination for a Do Something Award.

Saturday, 18 February 2012

Kristin Kreuk

Kristin Kreuk








Kristin Laura Kreuk (born December 30, 1982) is a Canadian actress and producer, known for her portrayal of Lana Lang in the American television series Smallville. She was also a regular cast member on the Canadian teen drama Edgemont, and has starred in movies such as Eurotrip and Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

Early life

Kreuk was born in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2] Her father, Peter Kreuk, is of Dutch descent; her mother, Deanna Che, is of Chinese descent, but was born in Indonesia; her maternal grandmother was born in Jamaica of Chinese descent.[3][4] Both parents are landscape architects. She has a sister named Justine, who is about five years younger.[citation needed] Kreuk trained in karate[5] and gymnastics at the national level until high school but quit in Grade 11 due to scoliosis.[5] She attended Edith Cavell Elementary School (vide Edith Cavell) and Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver.[citation needed]
Kreuk planned to study psychology, environmental science, or forensic science at Simon Fraser University, when a casting director for the CBC TV series Edgemont contacted her secondary school, looking for an Asian girl to play the part of a Chinese Canadian, Laurel Yeung, on show, which was shot in Vancouver. Kreuk's drama teacher convinced Kreuk, who had no previous acting experience other than in musicals at her high school, to audition for the role, which she won.[citation needed]
[edit]Career

[edit]Television
After shooting the first season of Edgemont (a teenage soap opera set at a Vancouver-area high school) and getting herself an agent, Kreuk landed the lead role of Snow White in a TV movie titled Snow White: The Fairest of Them All. The film, shot in Vancouver, also starred Miranda Richardson and was directed by Caroline Thompson. It aired on ABC, and later released on DVD, in 2002.[6] In 2003, Kreuk ended her role on Edgemont. In the summer of 2004, Kreuk took the role of Tenar for the Sci Fi Channel two-part miniseries Legend of Earthsea. The miniseries was filmed in Vancouver, directed by Rob Lieberman and broadcast on December 13, 2004.
After Snow White, Kreuk's agent sent an audition tape to screenwriters Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who at the time were putting together the cast of a show they had created for the WB Network entitled Smallville. The series, which was slated to be shot in Vancouver, revolves around the life of teenager Clark Kent before he becomes Superman. Gough and Millar called Kreuk to WB's studios in Burbank, California to audition for the role of Clark Kent's first love, Lana Lang. After seven seasons, Kreuk left Smallville in the beginning of 2008, when her character leaves town. She returned as a guest star in the show's season eight for five episodes to conclude her storyline.
In 2009, Kristin Kreuk signed on for a multi-episode arc in season three of Chuck.[7] She played Hannah, a computer troubleshooter who joins the Buy More Nerd Herd after being laid off from her previous job.
In 2010, she portrayed Ben Hur's sister Tirzah in the TV movie Ben Hur, which aired in Canada.
[edit]Advertising work
Neutrogena made her the spokesmodel for their new worldwide advertising campaign. In this role, Kreuk followed in the footsteps of fellow teen stars such as Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mandy Moore. In 2005, she renewed her contract with Neutrogena for another two years, making her the company's longest-serving model spokesperson.[8]
[edit]Films
In 2003, Kreuk appeared in her first feature film, with a minor role in Eurotrip, starring Scott Mechlowicz and Michelle Trachtenberg. The film, shot in Prague, Czech Republic, also featured cameos by Matt Damon and Lucy Lawless. It debuted in theaters on February 20, 2004.
In early 2005, Kreuk signed on to the independent feature film Partition. She plays Naseem, a vulnerable 17-year-old whose world is shattered by the trauma of the Partition of India in 1947; she falls in love with ex-British Indian Army officer Gian Singh (played by Jimi Mistry). Neve Campbell also stars. The film is directed by Vic Sarin and is a co-production between Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The film was released to Canadian theaters on February 2, 2007, with a subsequent Region one (US and Canada) DVD release on June 26, 2007.
In the summer of 2006, Kreuk starred in the short film, Dream Princess by comic book writer/artist Kaare Andrews. The film is a modern sci-punk retelling of the tale of Sleeping Beauty, with a twist.[9]
Kreuk starred in the 2009 film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, in which she played the title character, Chun Li.[10] The film received generally negative reviews.[11]
In early 2010, Kreuk signed onto the Japanese horror film Vampire.[12] In 2010, Kreuk also starred in the music video "I Heard" by musician Hill Zaini.[13][14]
Kreuk with Rosena Bhura, of who Kreuk met on the set of Partition, started a production company called Parvati Creative Inc, which focuses on “human-centric films as seen through a female lens”.[15][16] Parvati's first production is a short film starring Mark Hildreth and directed by Rick Rosenthal called Blink, of which Kreuk is listed as an executive producer.[17]
Kreuk stars as Heather in the 2011 film, Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy, based on Irvine Welsh's novel.
[edit]Charity work
Along with her friend Kendra Voth, Kreuk established "Girls By Design," a project to empower teenage girls through creative and educational endeavors.
Kreuk is an active member of Team Power Smart,[20] an organization dedicated to promoting energy conservation,[21] and a member of the American Red Cross.[22]
[edit]Personal life
Kreuk resides in her hometown Vancouver[23][24] with her French bulldog Dublin. As of late 2011, she bought a home in Los Angeles with her actor boyfriend Mark Hildreth. On her weblog on the Girls By Design website, she stated that she doesn't eat meat.

Thursday, 16 February 2012

Madeleine Stowe

Madeleine Stowe








Madeleine Stowe (born Madeline M. Stowe; August 18, 1958) is an American actress. She rose to prominence appearing in such films as Revenge, Stakeout, Unlawful Entry, The Last of the Mohicans, Blink, China Moon, 12 Monkeys, The General's Daughter and We Were Soldiers.
She currently stars as Victoria Grayson in the ABC drama series Revenge, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama in 2011.

Early life

Stowe, the first of three children, was born in Los Angeles, California[1][3] and raised in Eagle Rock, a suburb of Los Angeles. Her mother, Mireya (née Mora), had come from a prominent family in Costa Rica, and her father, Robert Stowe, a native of Oregon, was a civil engineer.[3][4][5] Stowe's father suffered from multiple sclerosis, and she accompanied him to medical treatments.[6]
Mireya Mora's parents were Federico Mora Carranza and Rosita Steinvorth Marín. Federico Mora, an accountant, was the son of Federico Mora Gutiérrez and Micaela Carranza Montealegre. Mr. Mora Gutiérrez was the son of General José Joaquín Mora Porras and María Dolores Gutiérrez de la Peña. General Mora was a younger brother of President Juan Rafael Mora Porras, President of Costa Rica between 1849-1859.[7]
Another important link is that of Micaela Carranza Montealegre. Her father was Bruno Carranza, President of Costa Rica in 1870, albeit briefly, as he resigned three months after taking power. His wife, Gerónima Montealegre Fernández was also the sister of President José María Montealegre Fernández, who governed from 1859-1863. He was behind the overthrow of President Juan Rafael Mora Porras and his eventual execution in 1860. José María Montealegre Fernández was firstly married to a sister of Juan Rafael Mora Porras, hence they had been brothers-in-law before José María Montealegre Fernández decided to overthrow and exile Juan Rafael Mora Porras, whose unlawful execution by firing squad led to the eventual abolition of the death penalty in Costa Rica.[8]
She originally aspired to become a concert pianist, taking piano lessons between the ages of 10 and 18. Stowe would later explain that playing the piano was a means of escape from having to socialize with other children her age. Her Russian-born music teacher, Sergei Tarnowsky, had faith in Stowe, even teaching her from his deathbed. Following his death at the age of 96, she quit, later commenting: "I just felt it was time to not be by myself anymore." Stowe went on her first date at the age of 18.[9]
[edit]Career



Madeleine Stowe in 2008
Stowe studied cinema and journalism at the University of Southern California. Not overly interested in her classes, she volunteered to do performances at the Solaris, a Beverly Hills theater, where a movie agent saw her in a play and got her several offers of appearances in TV and films.[citation needed]
For nearly fifteen years, Stowe appeared mostly in minor or supporting roles in movies and on TV. A few of her performances from this period are Stakeout, where she played with Richard Dreyfuss, and Revenge, which co-starred Kevin Costner. In 1992, she appeared in a supporting role as the wife of Kurt Russell in the gritty crime drama Unlawful Entry. Also that year, Stowe played Cora Munro in The Last of the Mohicans, which also starred Daniel Day-Lewis.
The next year, director Robert Altman cast Stowe in Short Cuts, in which she gave one of her most acclaimed screen performances as the wife of a compulsively lying and adulterous police officer played by Tim Robbins. The following year, Madeleine played a blind musician in the thriller Blink, co-starring Aidan Quinn. The year after that, she was a sympathetic psychiatrist in the science-fiction movie Twelve Monkeys.
In 1995, Stowe was chosen by Empire as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in film history".[10] Stowe postponed her acting career in 1996 to concentrate on motherhood. In 1998, she came back with The Proposition, then The General's Daughter in 1999.
In 2001, she starred in the science-fiction box office bomb Impostor. [11] In 2002 she starred in the movies We Were Soldiers with Mel Gibson and Avenging Angelo with Sylvester Stallone. In 2003, she starred in the thriller Octane.
In 2007 she appeared in the Jeff Goldblum detective drama Raines on NBC, a 2007 mid-season replacement. The series was canceled after two months. In 2009 she starred in the Lifetime movie The Christmas Hope. As of 2011, she stars as Victoria Grayson on ABC's television drama series Revenge.[12][13]
[edit]Personal life

In 1982, Stowe married Brian Benben, whom she met on the set of a television movie the previous year. They live near Johnson City, Texas, and have a daughter named May.[14]
In 2008, Stowe travelled to Haiti and helped found Artists For Peace And Justice. She is on the advisory board of this foundation.