Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Tom Cruise





Full Biography

In 2006, actor Tom Cruise was named Forbes magazine’s most powerful celebrity, with three Golden Globe Awards, three Academy Award nominations, and an average paycheck of over $60 million dollars a film. The actor’s flair for dramatic intensity – paired with his on-screen charisma and boyishly handsome smile – were the stuff of bona fide movie stars, harkening back to the matinee idols of the 1940s and ‘50s. He had come a long way since 1983’s “Risky Business,” when his exuberant fit of dancing in his boxer shorts made film history. That underwear-clad breakout ignited a career which rapidly bypassed the teen arena and his fellow actors of the time – especially after the release of a certain testosterone-injected film called “Top Gun” (1986). Not only did Cruise become the sex symbol du jour with his shirtless portrayal of Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, he inspired a whole generation of young boys to want to become elite Navy fighter pilots. Despite a few missteps such as “Cocktail” (1988) and “Days of Thunder” (1990), Cruise proved the critical naysayers wrong when be began nailing performances of real depth in films like “The Color of Money”(1986), “Rain Main” (1988), and “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989). Audiences of both genders flocked to see him play the hotshot-on-the-brink-of-transformation in “The Firm” (1993) and “Jerry Maguire” (1996), as well as the polished hero of the “Mission Impossible” franchise and “War of the Worlds” (2005). Cruise’s appeal survived even critically reviled films, with mainstream moviegoers flocking to artful outings like Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut” (1997) and Cameron Crowe’s surreal “Vanilla Sky” (2001) simply because the name above the title was Tom Cruise.
But after over a 20-year-run of great professional success – as well as an admired coupling with wife Nicole Kidman – the worlds most bankable star hit a rough patch – to say the least – after a run of high-profile antics turned him into consistent tabloid fodder. Following a brutal divorce from Kidman and a head-scratching hook-up with Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, his Scientology-backed attack on actress Brooke Shields’ pharmaceutical treatment of post-partum depression was followed by uncharacteristically showy pronouncements of love for another unlikely girlfriend, Katie Holmes. In one unfortunate moment – jumping on Oprah Winfrey’s couch to proclaim his sudden love for Holmes – Cruise became a late night talk show punchline literally overnight. The media circus culminated with a “South Park” (Comedy Central, 1997- ) episode skewering his supposed sexual orientation and the severing of ties by longtime studio partner Paramount who unceremoniously and very publicly dumped him, citing his eccentric behavior in the press of late. Ever focused and diligent, Cruise rebounded to become head of MGM’s UA Films, though it remained to be seen whether his stint in PR hell would have a long-lasting effect on his status as the biggest film star of his generation.


Thomas Cruise Mapother IV was born on July 3, 1962, the only son of a hardscrabble family that would grow to include three sisters. Mapother III was an electrical engineer, abusive and prone to losing his jobs, which forced the family to move several times a year to look for work. Cruise was born in Syracuse but lived in Louisville, KY; Winnetka, IL; and Ottawa, Ontario, before his mother finally had enough of her “bullying” husband. She left Mapother (and his last name) in 1974 and took her children back to her hometown of Louisville. Cruise was enrolled in a total of 15 schools during his nearly 12 years of education, and his constant outsider status – coupled with a diagnosis of the then little understood disorder, dyslexia – made school life a constant challenge. His mother worked three jobs to support a family of preteens, with many a Christmas coming and going without presents. Her determination to survive rubbed off on her hard-working kids, and her future movie star son would often cite her as the source of his belief that he could make any kind of life for himself that he chose.

Cruise spent his freshman year at a seminary boarding school in Cincinnati, OH on a scholarship. Despite appreciating the respite of stability he received at the seminary, however, he concluded that the priesthood was not for him. He settled with his mother and new stepfather in Glen Ridge, NJ, and started to make a go of it as an athlete at his new school – that is, until he suffered a knee injury during a wrestling match. In response to being sidelined, Cruise turned to the drama department, having been a lifelong movie fanatic and the family comedian. He was a natural, appearing in school productions of “Guys and Dolls” and “Godspell,” and with can-do determination, Cruise dispensed with high school during his senior year; instead heading straight to New York in 1980, where he got a job as a busboy and began hitting the audition circuit.

Still reeling from the 18-year whirlwind that was his life up to that time, Cruise’s intensity and hunger for success left an overwhelming impression on commercial casting agents looking for fresh-faced, non-threatening teens to represent their products. Within a year, the peripatetic Cruise was in Los Angeles, where he met Paula Wagner, an agent at Creative Artists Agency, who would subsequently guide his film career. After making his feature debut in a small role in the notorious Brooke Shields vehicle "Endless Love" (1981), Cruise gained attention for a supporting role as an increasingly lunatic gung-ho cadet in "Taps" (1981). He had originally been cast in a small three-line role in the film, but the director was so taken with his intensity, that he bumped Cruise up to a more visible role alongside stars Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton.

In 1983, a mere three years after bussing tables, Cruise fully burst onto the scene with four major studio Hollywood features. His rough and tumble roots took hold as one in a pack of “greasers” in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders,” a melodramatic adaptation, but memorable for its gaggle of up-and-coming heartthrobs like Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Patrick Swayze. Cautious not to limit her client to typecasting as an angry rebel, Cruise’s agent focused on his athleticism and boyish charisma with a role opposite "older woman" Shelly Long in "Losin' It" (1983), a middling teen coming-of-age comedy. “Risky Business” (1983), however, turned Cruise into an overnight sensation. In his portrayal of an anxious, affluent, suburban teen poised precariously on the brink of young adulthood, Cruise created a resonant protagonist for young Reagan-era audiences. He even put on some extra pounds to emphasize the softness and vulnerability of the character who flirts with illicit capitalism. In his star-making scene, Cruise, clad in a button-down Oxford shirt, boxer shorts, and Wayfarer sunglasses, played air guitar and danced wildly to Bob Seger's anthem, "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll." Audiences lapped it up, the Golden Globe awards recognized him with a nomination, and it was enough to woo co-star Rebecca De Mornay, who embarked on a two-plus year relationship with the breakout star.

Cruise performed well in a more naturalistic mode in "All the Right Moves" (1983), a sober high school football drama which pitted him against hot-headed coach Craig T. Nelson, and fared modestly at the box office – a brief full frontal nudity shot a la Cruise did not hurt returns either. His next move was not as wise for a growing sex symbol – growing his hair long and donning green tights for Ridley Scott's colossal fantasy flop, "Legend" (1985). Already ready to break the mold, however, Cruise solidified his star status and established his onscreen persona with one of the signature hits of the 1980s – and possibly, the film most heavily identified with him – “Top Gun" (1986). With flying sequences edited to the rhythms of pop tunes, the film functioned as both a Navy recruiting ad and a glossy romantic adventure between Lt. Maverick and his Top Gun instructor, Charlie (Kelly McGillis). No longer the engaging boy-next-door, Cruise's Maverick was a prototype for Cruise roles to come – a cocky loner who plays by his own rules, confronts a crisis, then is triumphantly transformed with his success. While “Risky Business” might have made him a star – it was “Top Gun” that made him the biggest movie star in the world.

Cruise selected his next roles and planned his career carefully, teaming with talented directors and co-stars for "The Color of Money" (1986) and "Rain Man" (1988). The former – Martin Scorsese's sharply made, nicely textured sequel to 1961's "The Hustler" – cast him as a talented but arrogant small-time pool hotshot; a younger, greener version of Paul Newman's Fast Eddie Felsen. They made an eclectic pair, with Cruise's boisterous All-American boy versus Newman's seasoned con man, and though the old stud picked up the Best Actor Oscar, he was clearly passing the mantle to the new stud. Off screen, the actor fell in love and married actress Mimi Rogers in what was seen as an odd pairing, not only due to the couple’s age difference. The marriage lasted less than three years (1987-1990) but Rogers’ legacy lived on in Cruise’s lifetime affiliation with Scientology, to which he was introduced by the actress. In 1988, Cruise broadened his serious dramatic credentials with director Barry Levinson’s "Rain Man," playing another self-centered hotshot who begrudgingly forges a relationship with his autistic brother (Dustin Hoffman), only to find it changes his entire outlook on life. Hoffman shone as the idiot savant and again, a Cruise co-star took home the Oscar, but Cruise was equally important to the Oscar-winning Best Picture equation and Hoffman pointed this out to anyone who would listen.

Time spent working with the politically-active Newman on “The Color of Money” had had a profound consciousness-raising effect on Cruise, who next chose Oliver Stone's anti-war "Born on the Fourth of July" (1989) to counter his contribution to the jingoistic "Top Gun." For Stone's "Fourth of July,” he earned a Golden Globe win and an Oscar nomination for a hard-hitting portrayal of paraplegic Vietnam veteran activist Ron Kovic. When he did not pick up the gold statue, many people believed he had been robbed. Cruise stumbled a bit with his next two projects, though "Days of Thunder" (1990) introduced him to the next love of his life, Nicole Kidman, and inaugurated a long-term association with screenwriter Robert Towne. Scalded by critics, it still raked in $166 million worldwide, and in December of 1990 the co-stars were married, making the then unknown Aussie actress a star overnight. But there was no upside to "Far and Away" (1992), a goofy period romance also co-starring Kidman.

Cruise returned to box office clover by successfully confronting an iconic Jack Nicholson in Rob Reiner's court-martial drama, "A Few Good Men" (1992). Cruise's wunderkind lawyer bent on toppling his corrupt bosses in "The Firm" (1993) could have been a brother to his character in "A Few Good Men.” Despite a stellar supporting cast (Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Holly Hunter), he carried the smooth adaptation of John Grisham's giant bestseller, tackling the deceptively difficult character with a vibrancy that led to box office success. Director Sydney Pollack and scriptwriters Towne, David Rabe, and David Rayfiel brought a few extra plot twists and added dramatic and ethical complexity to the attractive and entertaining tale. The same year, Cruise and his agent Paula Wagner formed Cruise/Wagner productions in an effort to garner the actor more creative and financial control over his projects. The production company negotiated an exclusive partnership with Paramount Pictures – a rarity at that time.

Cruise raised eyebrows – and more than a few hackles – by accepting the central role of the vampire Lestat in Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire" (1994). Many balked at the idea of the All-American go-getter playing the decadent, ambisexual European predator of Anne Rice's novel. Rice herself was the harshest critic, as she traveled about the country trashing the casting decision while on a book tour. Sporting blond locks and blue contact lenses over his green eyes, Cruise eventually won Rice's approval, and the film earned mixed reviews while doing brisk business. In 1996, Cruise/Wagner Productions rolled out their first feature, the post-Cold War espionage "Mission: Impossible" (1996). Based on the nostalgic 1960s TV show, the project had languished in various development hells before Cruise got involved, and rumors abounded of his clashing with director Brian De Palma over budgetary and story matters. Nonetheless, despite international location shooting, high-tech stunts, computer-generated visual effects and last-minute re-writes by an assortment of writers (including Towne again), "Mission: Impossible" came in on time and under budget at approximately $67 million, with Cruise deferring his $20 million actor's salary. Though many critics deemed it an extravagant but cold vanity production with a confusing storyline, most admired the cinematic technique, and the mixed reviews did not inhibit ticket buyers, proving the actor could attract crowds to a movie that did not even have to entirely make sense. The man could essentially do not wrong.

The sweetly offbeat romantic comedy "Jerry Maguire" (1996), in which he played the shallow, back-stabbing sports agent, provided a sort of mid-career breakthrough for Cruise. For years he had portrayed irresistible smoothies, turning the world on with his smile while piloting fighter jets and driving race cars. Though it was a classic Cruise performance, bursting with the usual cocky charm and charisma, there was an added dimension of desperation and a new maturity to his screen persona. He had played characters who were up against the ropes before, but perhaps never so convincingly. Here was a slickster whose powers had failed him, exposing a seldom seen vulnerability which made his character’s eventual comeback that much sweeter. This time, the critics and moviegoers reached consensus, and Cruise garnered a Golden Globe win and his second Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Three years would pass before he returned to the screen – though in 1998, he and Wagner produced "Without Limits," screenwriter Towne's biopic about fabled long distance runner Steve Prefontaine (Billy Crudup).

Cruise took himself out of the blockbuster game at the height of his career to work on a series of riskier, more artful ventures, beginning with the legendary director Stanley Kubrick’s "Eyes Wide Shut,” in which he starred opposite his wife for the first time since "Far and Away." The couple relished their time working with the cinematic genius who was known for his perfectionist, obsessive filmmaking vision. Little did they or anyone else know that the erotic thriller would be Kubrick’s final work. The film was controversial for its sexual content, requiring editing to achieve an NC-17 rating in the U.S. Despite the fact that critics were divided over its merit, "Eyes Wide Shut" was a significant notch in Cruise's artistic belt and well worth the tens of millions of dollars he gave up as the 18-week shoot ballooned to 52 weeks over 15 months. Following the arduous shoot and mixed reaction to "Eyes Wide Shut," Cruise took on a pivotal role in Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble drama, "Magnolia" (1999). Playing a cocky sex guru who runs seminars designed to empower men, the actor offered a charismatic turn that was alternately chilling and humorous and earned him another Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination.

Cruise segued back to leading parts in more mainstream work, reprising his heroic role as Ethan Hunt in the big-budget, special effects laden "Mission Impossible: 2" (2000), directed by John Woo. The international espionage thriller centered around the containment of a deadly virus and grossed over $420 million dollars. With the actor’s lucrative production deal, he enjoyed a $75 million pay day. Next, Cruise reunited with Crowe for a remake of the perception-bending Spanish film, "Abre los ojos" (1997). It was during the making of that film, titled "Vanilla Sky" (2001), that Cruise endured a very public and acrimonious split from Kidman as he entered into a relationship with "Vanilla Sky" co-star Penelope Cruz. Cruise and Kidman later amicably worked out their divorce battles for their two adopted children's sake, but to say the initial split was not bitter would be way off, with Cruise simply stating “Nic knows what she did” as his explanation for divorce just shy of 10 years of marriage.

"Vanilla Sky" opened to mixed reviews, seen as a competent and often compelling puzzle with a somewhat unsatisfying endgame. Cruise's performance as a successful publisher who finds his life taking a turn for the surreal after a car accident with an obsessive lover, was seen as appropriately intense, but perhaps a little over-the-top in his efforts to subvert his pretty boy looks with Hollywood-made scars. He returned to his more familiar, heroic territory with Spielberg’s "Minority Report" (2002), a crackerjack collaboration filled with skillful action sequences and a thought-provoking expansion of sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick's premise of a future where police use precognitives to prevent murders before they happen. Playing Detective John Anderton, the head of the special unit who finds himself the subject of a manhunt after the psychics predict that he will commit a murder, Cruise was in top form on the run from his own officers. And as usual, Cruise insisted on doing almost all of his own stunts, lending even more authenticity to his action star status.

Cruise turned in one of his more nuanced performances for director Ed Zwick in "The Last Samurai" (2003), playing Capt. Nathan Algren, an alcoholic veteran of Custer's battles with Native Americans who travels to Japan to help Westernize the Imperial army, only to be captured by a rebellious samurai leader (Ken Watanabe). He eventually embraces the ways of the bushido code, finding his lost honor along the way. Although the film followed the slightly patronizing white-man-embraces-and-improves-indigenous culture template, Cruise's initial anguish and subsequent reclaiming of his soul was skillfully and subtly conveyed by the actor, earning him a Golden Globe nomination. His hot streak continued unabated with another of his finest roles, the cold-hearted assassin Vincent, who hijacks a good-hearted L.A. cabbie (Jamie Foxx) to drive him on his deadly rounds in "Collateral" (2004). Wearing a grey wig and beard stubble, Cruise used his trademark intensity to his advantage in a rare villainous role, while his inherent charm also gave the character a compelling quality.

In 2005, Cruise's personal life began to overshadow his professional career in a PR nightmare that would taint the leading man’s reputation for years to come. After breaking things off with Penelope Cruz, for better or worse, he replaced his publicist of 14 years, Pat Kingsley, with his older sister Lee Anne DeVette, an active Scientologist. Since 1990, Cruise had been a proponent of the often mysterious, Hollywood-based Church of Scientology founded by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, having credited his studies there with "curing" him of the dyslexia, among other benefits. But Cruise’s affiliation was generally accepted as a movie star eccentricity – that is, until he used his faith to back an attack on "Endless Love" co-star Brooke Shields, who had recently released a biography that described taking antidepressants to relieve her post-partum depression. Based on the Scientology belief that psychiatry is a “pseudo science” that “kills,” Cruise publicly criticized Shields and suggested that vitamins would have been a suitable treatment for her diagnosis. Shields – not to mention legions of mothers, mental illness sufferers and the psychiatric community – were outraged.

The incident was followed by a curiously timed announcement that Cruise and actress Katie Holmes – who was 16 years younger and three inches taller than Cruise – were madly in love – though neither could give a direct answer to just when they had met and how long before declaring undying love to one another. Cruise’s uncharacteristically animated antics and the couple's often unconvincing physical interaction fueled speculations that the romance was a massive publicity stunt, intended to offset the Brooke blunder and highlight the stars’ upcoming summer film releases – Cruise, the Steven Spielberg-directed "War of the Worlds;" Holmes, "Batman Begins." Cruise made a bizarre appearance on Oprah Winfrey's talk show to proclaim his love for Holmes, jumping on the host's furniture and dragging a seemingly reluctant Holmes before the cameras. Holmes, who had been quoted years earlier as saying that as a girl she dreamed of marrying Cruise, presented Cruise with a career achievement award on the MTV Movie Awards. Both appeared separately before David Letterman to further spin their love story. By all accounts, it was showy, uncharacteristic behavior for the actor who had a highly professional reputation onscreen and off. Rumors persisted that Holmes was one of several actresses who had basically auditioned for the role of Cruise girlfriend, in exchange for instant A-list ascension. There was no denying the speed with which the relationship took off – what with meeting in April 2005 and marriage proposal in June. The hard sell of how much “in love” they were with one another, effectively backfired with a very skeptical public.

Much to the dismay of everyone involved with “War of the Worlds” – particularly Spielberg, who knew focus was no longer on his film; but more his star’s latest public hijinks – Cruise continued to defend his attack on Brooke Shields in a sharply worded exchange with "Today Show" co-host Matt Lauer. During the infamous exchange in which he continually called Lauer “glib,” he aggressively derided psychiatry as a "pseudo-science," provoking a formal rebuke from the American Psychiatric Association. Around the same time he was also reportedly instrumental in opening up the secretive church and inviting journalists to sample its practices. Holmes began taking Scientology courses, and suspiciously dumped her Hollywood handlers in favor of his.

Nearly lost in all of Cruise's public appearances was the release of "War of the Worlds" (2005), the fourth film adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells story. A mostly masterful exercise in cinematic suspense and terror, the film was buoyed by a strong performance by Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a working class deadbeat dad who must protect his two children during a horrific alien invasion. In spite of the media brouhaha (or perhaps because of it) “War of the Worlds” was Cruise’s top grossing film to date at over $590 million dollars worldwide.

The media saturation lasted beyond the run of the summer blockbuster, especially when it was announced in October that Holmes was pregnant with his child. In November, Paul Bloch replaced DeVette as Cruise’s publicist, and though the move was reportedly made to enable his sister to focus on managing her brother’s philanthropic affairs, it was perceived as damage control in light of the hit Cruise’s image had taken since her installment. For a spell, Cruise’s outlandishness seemed quelled until an episode of the animated series “South Park” (Comedy Central, 1997-), which satirized Scientology and made not-so-veiled jokes questioning Cruise’s sexuality – a persistent rumor that had dogged the actor since he sued several parties in 1998 and 2001 for publishing allegations of his homosexuality. Under pressure from its parent company Paramount – also Cruise/Wagner Productions parent company – Comedy Central yanked the episode after only one airing, lead some to speculate that Cruise exerted his star power behind the scenes—an assertion that was publicly denied. Matt Stone and Trey Parker – the show’s fearless creators – were not afraid to call out Cruise on his power play – being dubbed “Closetgate” by The L.A. Times – even taking out ads, proclaiming tongue-in-cheek that they themselves were "servants of Xenu" and that the "million-year war for Earth" had only just begun, presumably now that their show had been screwed with backdoor deals.

After months of fawning and speculation, Cruise and Holmes — dubbed “TomKat” by a smug media – had a baby girl named Suri on April 18, 2006. The high profile pregnancy was followed by the virtual disappearance of Holmes from public and an absence of baby photos, inspiring conspiracy theories that perhaps there had never been a baby at all. Meanwhile, Cruise began making the media rounds for his next film, “Mission: Impossible 3” (2006). The third installment in the franchise depicted a retired Ethan Hunt (Cruise) living a slower-paced life while training new IMF agents until he is called back to action to do battle with Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons dealer who may turn out to be Hunt’s toughest adversary yet. The film’s opening weekend box office receipts fell short of expectations, and a USA Today/Gallup poll showed that only 35 percent of those surveyed held a “favorable opinion” of the actor, the vast majority voicing disapproval over his Scientology proselytizing and the incident with Brooke Shields.

Citing an apparent wane in Cruise’s popularity, Paramount Pictures announced an end to its 14-year relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions on Aug. 22, 2006. In a bombshell heard round the world, Sumner Redstone, Chairman of Viacom, (Paramount's parent company), declared Cruise's “recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount." Hollywood insiders surmised that Paramount’s decision was purely financial, as the Cruise/Wagner cut of box office and DVD sales was well above the norm and affecting the studio’s profit. Meanwhile Cruise/Wagner Productions claimed that they had recently landed financing from a private investor and had been planning to split from Paramount anyway. In September, another bit of coincidentally-timed publicity took attention away from Cruise’s business woes when Vanity Fair gave the public their first view of Suri in a 22-page Cruise family photo spread, shot by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. In November, the couple were finally wed in a ceremony in Italy, and news of the wedding was paired with another happy ending — Cruise/Wagner productions had struck a deal with MGM to run the ailing United Artists Films.

Back at work and with his nuclear family firmly in place, Cruise seemed poised to put the previous 18 months of turmoil behind him and resume his status as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. The first release from CEO Wagner and producer Cruise was Robert Redford’s November, 2007, release “Lions for Lambs.” Cruise took a co-starring role as an ambitious senator in the highly-anticipated film, which sought to explore tough issues about the war in Afghanistan and war in general through three interconnected storylines.


Profession(s):


Actor, producer, director Sometimes Credited As:
Thomas Cruise Mapother Family
cousin:Amy Mapother (born c. 1973; sister of William)
cousin:William Mapother (born in 1965; brother of Amy; appeared in "Mission: Impossible 2" and the tv series "Lost")
daughter:Suri Cruise (born April 18, 2006; mother, Katie Holmes)
daughter:Isabella Jane Kidman Cruise (adopted by Cruise and Kidman in January 1993; born weighing 9 pounds on December 22, 1992 in Florida)
father:Thomas Cruise Mapother III (born in October 1934 in Kentucky; divorced cruise's mother in 1974, when Cruise was 11; never paid child support; Cruise and his father reconciled before he died of cancer on January 9, 1984)
sister:Cass Mapother (born c. 1963; owns a restaurant in New Jersey)
sister:Marian Mapother (born c. 1961; has a teaching degree)
sister:Lee Anne DeVette (born c. 1959; works in publicity and marketing for Cruise's company; took over as Cruise's publicist in 1994; dropped as publicist in order to oversee the day to day operations of Tom Cruise's philanthropic activities in 2005)
son:Connor Anthony Kidman Cruise (born on January 17, 1995 in Florida; adopted by Cruise and Kidman in early February 1995)
wife:Katie Holmes (began dating April 2005; became engaged June 17, 2005 atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France; married November 18, 2006 in a 15th-century castle outside of Rome in Bracciano, Italy; they had "officialized their marriage in Los Angeles prior to their departure for Italy")
wife:Mimi Rogers (married on May 9, 1987 (with Emilio Estevez as best man); divorced in January 1990)
wife:Nicole Kidman (born on June 20, 1967; married on December 24, 1990 in Telluride, Colorado (this time with Dustin Hoffman as best man); first appeared together in "Days of Thunder" (1990); later co-starred in "Far and Away" (1992) and "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999); announced separation in February 2001; Cruise filed for divorce on February 7, 2001; divorce finalized on August 8, 2001)
Companion(s)
Melissa Gilbert , Companion , ```..dated in 1982
Penelope Cruz , Companion , ```..worked together on "Vanilla Sky"; went public with relationship in July 2001; no longer together as of January 2004
Rebecca De Mornay , Companion , ```..involved during and after filming of "Risky Business"; lived together for 2 1/2 years (c. 1983-85)



Education
Glen Ridge High School Glen Ridge, New Jersey

Awards

MTV Movie Award Best Male Performer "Mission: Impossible 2" 2001
Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actor "Magnolia" 1999
John Huston Award for Artists Rights 1999
National Board of Review Award Best Ensemble "Magnolia" 1999
MTV Movie Award Best Male Performance "Jerry Maguire" 1997
Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) "Jerry Maguire" 1996
Golden Satellite Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) "Jerry Maguire" 1996
National Board of Review Award Best Actor "Jerry Maguire" 1996
NATO/ShoWest Award International Box Office Star 1992
Chicago Film Festival Best Actor Award "Born on the Fourth of July" 1990
Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) "Born on the Fourth of July" 1990
People's Choice Award Favorite Motion Picture Actor 1990


Milestones

2007 Portrayed Presidential hopeful, Senator Jasper Irving in Robert Redford's "Lions for Lambs"
2006 Reprised role of Ethan Hunt for "Mission: Impossible III," with J.J. Abrams making his feature-film directorial debut
2006 On August 22, 2006, Paramount Pictures announced it was ending its 14-year relationship with Cruise/Wagner Productions
2006 With business partner Paula Wagner, signed a two-year development deal with an investment partnership headed by Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder
2006 Partnered with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to resurrect United Artists; will star in and produce films for the studio, and production partner Paula Wagner will serve as chief executive officer
2005 Starred in Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," based on H.G. Wells' novel, which chronicles a Martian invasion of Earth
2004 Played a contract killer in Michael Mann's "Collateral"
2003 Starred in the epic drama "The Last Samurai"; received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Dramatic role
2002 Teamed with Steven Spielberg for "Minority Report"
2002 Narrated the IMAX film "Space Station"
2001 Reunited with director Cameron Crowe on "Vanilla Sky", a loose remake of the Spanish film "Obra los ojos/Open Your Eyes"
2000 Reprised role of Ethan Hunt in the sequel "M:I-2" ("Mission: Impossible 2"), directed by John Woo; also produced with Wagner
1999 Acted in Paul Thomas Anderson's ensemble drama "Magnolia", playing a foul-mouthed cable TV sex guru; earned Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination
1998 Produced (with Wagner) "Without Limits", Robert Towne's biopic about fabled distance runner Steve Prefontaine
1998 Accepted (with Kidman) substantial libel damages from Express Newspapers over allegations that their marriage was a "hypocritical sham"; the Cruises donated the money to charity
1996 Feature producing debut (with partner Wagner), "Mission: Impossible"; also acted, deferring $20 million salary
1996 Earned second Best Actor Oscar nomination for lead performance as sports agent "Jerry Maguire"
1996 - 1998 Filmed lead role in Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999), starring opposite Kidman; project reteamed him with Pollack (acting this time) who replaced Harvey Keitel after filming had started
1994 Portrayed Lestat in Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire", adapted by Anne Rice from her novel; eventually won over Rice who had publicly campaigned against his casting
1993 Scored with Sydney Pollack's "The Firm", the first film adaptation of a John Grisham novel
1993 Awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
1993 TV directorial debut with "Frightening Frammis", an episode on Showtime's "Fallen Angels" series, starring Isabella Rossellini and Peter Gallagher
1992 Reteamed with Kidman for "Far and Away", Ron Howard's would-be epic of Irish settlers in the American west
1992 Hit blockbuster gold as a Navy lawyer in Rob Reiner's "A Few Good Men"
1992 Along with his partner, former CAA agent Paula Wagner, signed an exclusive production pact with Paramount Pictures to produce his films
1990 First story credit (shared with Robert Towne), "Days of Thunder", directed by Tony Scott; also first film with future wife Nicole Kidman
1990 Renounced his devout Catholicism for the Church of Scientology, claiming its teachings had cured him of his dyslexia
1989 Earned first Best Actor Oscar nomination portraying paralyzed Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic in Oliver Stone's "Born on the Fourth of July"
1988 Turned in top-drawer performance opposite Dustin Hoffman (who collected the Best Actor Oscar) in Barry Levinson's "Rain Man"
1986 Roared to first position in the annual exhibitors' poll of the top ten box office stars on the strength of the blockbusters "Top Gun" (directed by Tony Scott) and "The Color of Money" (directed by Mar
1983 Persuaded director Francis Ford Coppola to cast him in a small role in the feature "The Outsiders"
1983 Breakthrough film role, as high school student Joel Goodson in "Risky Business"
1983 Starred as goal-oriented high school football player in "All the Right Moves"
1981 Met Paula Wagner, then an agent at Creative Artists Agency
1981 Film acting debut in "Endless Love"
1981 Cast in a small role in "Taps"; bumped up to a major supporting role after another actor failed to measure up during the mock-boot-camp rehearsals for the film; first gained critical attention
1974 Fled Canada (and his father) for the USA with his mother and three sisters at age 12
Diagnosed as dyslexic as a child; has claimed in interviews he was "misdiagnosed"
Attended a dozen schools before he was 12 years old
Took up acting in high school after losing his place on wrestling team due to a knee injury
Portrayed Nathan Detroit in a high school production of "Guys and Dolls" during his senior year


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Friday, March 14, 2008

Peeking Behind 'The Painted Veil' With Naomi Watts



Even when she’s in a state of exhaustion, Naomi Watts is capable of delivering a remarkable performance. Just ask Edward Norton, Watts’ co-star in The Painted Veil, the new adaptation of the classic 1925 W. Somerset Maughm novel.

“When Naomi showed up in Beijing, she was coming off of King Kong,” Norton told Hollywood.com. “We had to do a lot of those scenes in the house in China, which are some of the heaviest scenes in the movie…This was literally the first week of filming and it was very, very challenging to do that without reference points to what the scenes are before that.”

“She was very tired,” the actor continued. “I watched her, saw her kind of take a deep breath and do that thing that I think really, really good actors do: instead of combating the state that she was in, she just took it and put it right into the work. She just embraced the way she was feeling in that moment and said, ‘Well, that's what this is. I'm not going to try to layer something over the top.’ I think that was beautiful, because it was perfect for the state that Kitty is in. I think that any actor who is worth anything fights the eternal struggle between what goes on up in here and the releasing of that and just getting into it.

“It was almost the most intimate interaction with another actor that I've ever had, certainly,” Norton explained. “I haven't done a film where the two roles were that inextricably intertwined with each other. I just could not have asked for a better tango partner in a way.”

Hollwyood.com sat down with the actress herself to learn about the other side of that dance.

Hollywood.com: What drew you to the character of Kitty?


Naomi Watts: I loved Kitty from the moment that I first read the script. She just kind of leapt off of the page. She was sort of ahead of her time, or at least she thought that she was, and refused to conform to conventions and just sort of swept up in this frivolous world of who's who and how one should look. She can't stand her family sort of breathing down her neck and constantly saying ‘You've got to do something and you have to be married.’ She was sort of enjoying just floating by and the attention of many rather than focusing on just one person. So when she gets this proposal it's a form of escape. It's like, ‘Please, let me just get out of here.’ The fact that he's going to an exotic place sounds even more exciting. Then when she has the affair and just continues to be a self-destructive person and when he starts punishing her when they get to the new place, I just loved her transformation there. I thought that it was important to commit to these flaws in her so that the transformation is that much greater, and her journey is more powerful.

HW: You also served as a producer on The Painted Veil and stuck by it on its lengthy journey to the screen. What did that entail?


NW: In terms of being a producer on this, I think that this was a long journey and it took a long time to find it's feet and there were many obstacles along the way. By getting onboard as a producer it was really just to show my passion for it. And quite often you're attached to something and if it doesn't get up and go soon, it can loose its shine, if you will, and get a little bit lackluster if no one else is jumping onboard. But this never lost its shine. Edward and I championed it and then we found John [Curran].

HW: Having worked with John previously in We Don't Live Here Anymore, what did you see in him that made you believe he was the best director for the project? NW: I knew that he'd be able to handle this material brilliantly because of his ability to understand the relationships and the conflict within that and without judgment, even putting humor in the most awkward of places. Really creating that collaborative workspace was good. And sometimes when you fight for what you believe is right for your character you don't want to come across as seemingly being an actor who's trying to buy more screen time or something. You want to have the voice from a point of view that is thinking of the whole film. I think that for me it was important that the backstory was there, that she was running away from something. And that we didn't get straight into the love story and that there were temptations there to get the story moving at times and really slimming down that beginning part of the story. I really felt that it was important for that to happen.

HW: Did you feel emotionally beat up after finishing this film?


NW: No, actually, I felt the opposite. King Kong was so physically draining, eight months of fourteen hours a day jumping and running and being punched and pushed and pulled. It really did take its toll, and I'm not a big person. So this was a luxury. The emotional aspect of it was exhausting, but we had time. We actually had quite a luxury of time and we moved from place to place.

HW: What do you prefer to do, Naomi, the huge-scale King Kong type movies or more intimate films like this?


NW: They're so different, and I probably never would've done King Kong without someone like Peter Jackson. It's just not like the stuff that I normally gravitate towards, but it was a great experience and really just different from what I've done. I do like the intimacy of an independent film and the collaborative workspace. I mean, every day we started with probably a two-hour discussion about how we felt that this scene should go. Sometimes there would be disagreements and there were often three varying ideas to honor. So there was something great about that that we did see when we looked at it in different ways and sometimes the ideas we shared, and then other times not so much. We just kind of played them all out. On a bigger movie it's a much more controlled environment and there are so many other things going on, particularly on a film like King Kong where there are FX to consider and stunts and all kinds of other things. I'm fortunate to have been able to have done something like that and then flip back to an independent film—perhaps something that might not have been so easy to get off the ground because the tone is too obscure, things like King Kong can help that.

HW: Was the love scene hard to do?


NW: Not really. I mean, you find yourself anticipating them a lot and you get in your head and you think, 'Oh, how do we see this? How are we going to play it and how much am I going to show?' but once you're there you're there. With the love scene between Walter and Kitty it was great because it's such a pivotal point and it's almost animalistic, the hunger and the desperation to just connect with a human being and all of that tension, but then I really fought for not just that, but to then have a tender moment and that finally that they were able to be gentle and accept and receive. So that was important, to have both of those because I think it expresses a lot.

HW: You have a strong sense of style and a background in high fashion. Do the period clothes help you define a character like this, and do you have much input in deciding what you're going to wear?


NW: Well, really, with a period film you kind of leave it up to the experts, but you want to know that someone isn't going to put orange on me because I can't wear orange—my skin just is going to look disgusting. But I really think that's a period that celebrates women and I think that [costume designer] Ruth [Myers] did an incredible job. She knows period like no one. The Flapper in the '20's just started showing the knees and it's very rebellious and the short haircut showing the neck – those are all things that help you get closer to the character and I do love clothes for that reason in film.

HW: You changed your hair color for this movie as well. Was that your decision?


NW: Yeah, it was. We fought over it too. But actually in the end, basically we arrived there. I always saw Kitty as a brunette. I thought that she was somehow more exotic with it and stronger, and it felt very authentic to the period. John always saw Kitty as a blonde and so we had two wigs made and we did camera tests. But in the end, come on, you did go for it. I always said, 'It's up to you.' I'm always scared. I always start with a strong idea. I always have strong ideas and you fight for it and then suddenly everyone is going to go along with what you've chosen and then you think, 'I hope that this is the right one.'

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Britney Spears





Full Biography
A bubbly, blonde pop music sensation who built a fan base with a girl-next-door sweetness, catchy tunes, flashy dance moves and a magnetic sexual appeal, Britney Spears went from a small-town Louisiana girl to the veritable heir to Madonna's media saturation crown, beginning with the release of her first single in 1998 and holding fast well into the next millennium – and much like Madonna, the attention quickly shifted away from her artistry and focused squarely on her personal dramas. Starting in 2004, a much mocked marriage to back-up dancer, Kevin Federline, the birth of two babies in quick succession, and a seemingly self-imposed exile from the music industry kept her name in the forefront – though mainly as a gossip curiosity piece.
Born Dec. 2, 1981 in the rural Louisiana town of Kentwood to parents Jamie and Lynne Spears, the young girl started training for her future superstar status as a small child. A skilled dancer and gymnast – as well as a capable singer – Spears had the determination and stamina to get to the top, starting her career in the entertainment industry early – too early, in fact – for producers of the revamped "The Mickey Mouse Club" (The Disney Channel, 1989-1994). Producers of the star-making kiddie show turned down the talented youngster because of her age when she first auditioned in 1990. Mindful of her potential, Spears was hooked up with an agent and temporarily moved with her mother and baby sister to New York City the following year. Here, she starred in the off-Broadway production, "Ruthless," a stage comedy loosely based on "The Bad Seed." Playing the evil but seemingly angelic child was an enjoyable role for the 10-year-old Spears, who next wowed judges with her debut performance on the televised talent competition, "Star Search" (CBS, 1983-2004) in 1992. A year later, she was finally welcomed into the cast of the "Mickey Mouse Club," becoming a part of an elite cast that included future TV star Keri Russell as well as fellow teen pop luminaries Justin Timberlake and J.C. Chasez of *NSYNC and Christina Aguilera. As part of the ensemble, she could do all the dancing, acting and singing her heart desired, but unfortunately, the show ended its run in the midst of only her second season.

When "MMC" called it a day in 1994, the young star-in-the-making returned to Louisiana and attended a private junior/senior high school in nearby McComb, MS, but missed the excitement of the entertainment world. In 1997, she signed with Jive Records, beginning a partnership that would make Spears a household name. In 1998, she toured the malls of America a la teen pop star Tiffany did a decade earlier, getting her bouncy, blonde image into the minds of the people while, at the same time, getting her promo tape into their stereos. Her debut single "...Baby One More Time" was a smash hit in the last days of 1998, thanks, in part, to the provocative schoolgirl uniform-sporting music video that accompanied the catchy and oddly edgy tune. While the fresh-faced teen sensation improbably crooned "My loneliness is killing me," audiences of all ages were transfixed – from middle-aged men creepily fixating on the singer's short plaid kilt and midriff-baring blouse, to seven-year-old girls hopping around the playground, strangely pleading "Hit me baby, one more time." Spears' debut album went multi-platinum while her single stayed at the top of the charts in the first months of 1999. Upping her visibility, Spears' controversial Rolling Stone cover (clad only in a bra and hot pants, surrounded by stuffed animals while talking on the phone) had parent groups up in arms when the overtly sexy image hit stands in April – nearly eight months before the star's 18th birthday. Meanwhile, Spears and her inner circle began a long-standing policy of sending mixed messages, proclaiming the star's commitment to Southern, church-going values and remaining a virgin until she married.

Appearances on a myriad of specials and awards shows and a guest stint on the ABC sitcom "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (ABC/WB, 1996-2003) helped keep her in the minds and hearts of the public in between record releases. When her follow-up effort, Oops!... I Did It Again dropped in 2000, her audience welcomed it with open wallets. Another round of multi-platinum sales were made, and the video for the lead-off title track won the performer more kudos, proving her dance talents with an eye-catching routine in a fetching red vinyl catsuit. When Spears appeared at that year’s “MTV Video Music Awards,” tearing off a man's tuxedo to reveal a flesh colored body suit, her sexy image was solidified. Indeed, it became central to her routinely controversial image, with fans and media debating over lurid topics such as whether or not the young star had received breast implants. Spears' sex appeal was tempered for her more family value-minded fans by her sweet and seemingly chaste relationship with longtime boyfriend (and former Mouseketeer) Justin Timberlake – by then, the lead singer of the hugely popular boy band *NSYNC, which shared the same musical management as Spears. Expressing herself, showing her versatility and growing up in the public eye while losing very few of her original preteen fans, the singer seemed poised to stand the test of time.

Though potential roles in the TV series "Dawson's Creek" (WB, 1998-2003) and the feature "Scary Movie" (2000) came to naught – reportedly due to her busy schedule – new projects with Spears' name attached sprung up frequently. Rumors of her co-starring with hot Latin singer Ricky Martin in a sequel to the 1987 hit musical, "Dirty Dancing," were not realized, but the singer/dancer made another major impression on TV viewers. Following a second erotically charged performance on the 2001 “MTV Music Video Awards,” during which she undulated in a barely-there harem outfit to her new song "I'm a Slave for U" while an albino python wrapped around her neck, viewers of both sexes were blown away yet again by her brazen “barely legal” performance. Britney-mania continued with her saucy performance in the HBO live concert, "Britney Spears: Live in Las Vegas" (2001) – a production that demonstrated her adult sex appeal as much as it did her propensity to lip-synch. Not satisfied with just conquering the music market, Spears tried her hand at publishing, co-authoring with her mother the autobiographical tome Britney Spears' Heart to Heart (2000) and the novel A Mother's Gift (2001) – the latter of which was turned into the ABC Family Channel telepic, "Brave New Girl" (2004), which Spears and her mother co-executive produced.

After much build-up, at last the young diva made her big-screen acting debut – with a healthy dash of the more proven skill, singing – in "Crossroads" (2002). Directed by Tamra Davis, the critically panned flick focused on three childhood friends on a road trip of self-discovery. Neither the mawkish film nor Spears' candy-coated, “aw-shucks” performance were exactly Oscar material, but it did appeal to a certain audience of die-hard Spears fans – namely the preteen and teen female and occasional smitten male. A blight on an otherwise world-conquering 2002 – including opening her own New York restaurant NYLA (which became a spectacular failure) and continuing to tour around the globe –was Spears’ very public break-up with Timberlake, amid sordid rumors of infidelity on her part. On the defensive, Timberlake rather ungentlemanly confirmed to much feigned shock that he and Spears had, indeed, put an end to her much-discussed virginity (as well as latter outing her as the cheater in his future solo hit single and video, “Cry Me a River”). Amidst all the professional solo triumphs and personal set-backs, she found time for a brief cameo in the comedy hit, "Austin Powers: Goldmember" and to record songs for a variety of film soundtracks.

By 2003-04, the media saturation of Spears and her fellow teeny-bopper idols (including Aguilera, Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC) resulted in the beginnings of the inevitable backlash, with the singer making news more for her personal escapades than professional activities. In a move many saw as desperate for all parties involved, Spears made headlines when, during an appearance on the 2003 “MTV Music Video Awards,” she opened the show in a musical sequence opposite her idol Madonna and her reported rival Aguilera, in which she shared a lip-lock with the Material Girl. That was followed by the release of her fourth album, In the Zone, in which the singer further pushed provocative boundaries in an obvious attempt to establish herself as a grown-up artist and to capitalize on her always buzzed-about sexpot charms. The album received a critical drubbing in most quarters and did not entirely live up to commercial expectations. The disc still provided hit singles, including the ubiquitous dance floor favorite "Toxic" and its controversial, overtly sexy music video, which was briefly relegated to late-night-only airings on MTV. Oddly, during the promotional period for the album, Spears appeared in many increasingly provocative, skin-baring photographs, including a recreation of a 1960s-era Angie Dickinson shot with her bare bottom peaking out of a strategically stretched sweater for the cover of Esquire, yet she claimed in interviews she did not approve the shots, still trying to project – albeit, unconvincingly at this point – an innocent, girl-next-door persona.

The wild child beneath the surface was bubbling over into her public persona, with the mainstream and tabloid press endlessly chronicling every juicy aspect of her behavior – which allegedly included late night partying and hook-ups with celebrity lotharios Fred Durst and Colin Farrell. The dam seemingly broke loose in January of 2004, when the singer shocked fans with a surprise marriage to her childhood friend Jason Alexander in an apparently booze-fueled New Year's Eve wedding in Las Vegas – something she called "a joke that had gone too far." The marriage was annulled within 55 hours (with a lucrative pay-off to Alexander), but that did not stop Spears' shocking second rush to the altar later that same year – this time to seemingly gold-digging back-up dancer, Kevin Federline. This union was not without its controversy either, as at the start of their romance, Federline was an expectant father involved in a relationship with actress Shar Jackson – who had already bore him one child not long before. Their engagement was announced in June, with plans for a fall 2004 wedding. Somewhere between romances, Spears continued to self-promote with faux-revelatory documentary specials on MTV, ABC and E! networks, and she performed a surprisingly uninspired live version of her universally panned Onyx Hotel tour for the HBO special "Britney Spears: Live in Miami" (2004). The blonde idol pulled out of the final leg of her poorly received tour after injuring her knee in June of that year, requiring surgery and four months of recuperation (she also admitted that her head "really wasn't into" the tour).

As a newly married woman in September of 2004, Spears increasingly found herself the subject of snarky bloggers and tabloid magazines. Much of it she brought on herself, as she was constantly photographed leaving gas station bathrooms barefoot and chowing down on Cheetos while cruising around town in a number of luxury vehicles. Worse yet, she often looking disheveled and messy coming in and out of seemingly every fast food restaurant in the greater Los Angeles area. And interestingly enough to the public – she seemed not to care what people thought of her or her new husband. This was most apparent when Spears and Federline sold home movies taken during their courtship to UPN, resulting in the May, 2005 premiere of their reality show, "Britney & Kevin: Chaotic" – complete with the questionable catchphrase: “Can you handle our truth?” By this time, it seemed the answer was no – and that no one cared to. Critics were less than kind, to say the least. In fact, the show made the couple an even bigger laughing stock than before, what with the constant stream of nonsensical baby-talk, mugging close-ups and uncomfortable pawing of one another. But Spears seemed happy – especially after giving birth to her first child, Sean Preston in September, 2005.

Not long after her son’s birth, however, Spears found that the media had zeroed in on something more sensitive than her fashion sense or choice in men – her mothering skills. In a quick succession of scandalous incidents, starting in early 2006, Spears was photographed driving with her infant son on her lap; with her infant son in the wrong car seat, facing the wrong way in a convertible – and finally – tripping on a NYC street, almost dropping the baby, while teetering on heels and trying to hold onto a glass of water. The public lambasting of Spears as bad mom was at an all time high that spring – enough that by the third incident in New York, some celebrity first-time mothers and organizations stuck up for her, especially after video footage shot through a restaurant window hit the internet, clearly showing Spears clinging to her baby and crying after the tripping incident.

By the fall, the public scorn seemed to shift and redirect toward Federline – especially after he was spotted all over L.A. and Vegas, partying with cronies, while his wife, now pregnant with their second son was M.I.A. When a bedraggled Spears was forced to do damage control by sobbing to Matt Lauer on a notorious “Dateline NBC” interview in June, fans began counting down the days until Spears come to her senses and left the man they considered the ruin of the old Britney. The week the wannabe rapper released his first album, Playing with Fire – to a unanimous and expected critical beatdown – the public got its wish. On Nov. 7, Spears filed for divorce from Federline, citing “irreconcilable differences” and asking for physical and legal custody of one-year-old Sean and two-month-old Jayden, but for Federline to receive reasonable visitation rights. Spears gave the date of separation as the day before – the same day she flaunted her revamped post-pregnancy physique during a surprise appearance on “The Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS, 1993- ).

Following her divorce announcement, Spears made news of a different kind. Free from her troubled marriage, the singer began a seemingly non-stop series of nights-on-the-town – first, with fellow party girl, Paris Hilton, then by herself or with new friends. When Spears was shot on three different occasions getting out of cars sans underwear, she became the toast of celebrity blogs and late night comics the world over – many of whom seemingly relished Spears' new out-of-control lifestyle. Her parenting again was called into question, as everyone – including her estranged husband, who was now, looking more and more the stable parent – wondered who was at home, minding the boys while Spears hit the club scene. Her partying ways continued into the new year, along with rumors of lesbian behavior dropped by her brief boyfriend, model Isaac Cohen, who spilled the beans to the press of her supposed sexual appetites. During the months of nighttime cavorting, Spears changed her hair color repeatedly – and after a one-day stint in rehab for undisclosed reasons – shaved it off altogether, leaving fans in shock at her radical appearance.

The weekend after photos of a bald Spears hit the media, the troubled star checked herself into rehab for another one-day stint, only to take off with no explanation. Only days later, after an alleged confrontation with Federline, who reportedly threatened to take the boys away if she did not reenter rehab, Spears once again entered Promises Malibu, her mother Lynne driving her back again. Things went from bad to worse once Spears was released on March 20. Allegedly feeling her family and manager had turned against her by forcing her to seek help that she did not believe she needed, she began cutting people out – including even her mother, whom Spears reportedly believed was siding with her soon-to-be ex-husband in his quest for custody. Things went from bad to worse once Spears was released from Promises on March 20. Allegedly feeling her family and manager had turned against her by forcing her to seek help that she did not believe she needed, she began cutting people out – including even her mother, whom Spears reportedly believed was siding with her soon-to-be ex-husband in his quest for custody.

In a summer of seemingly one train wreck after another, Spears started appearing in the press wearing a variety of hats with wig attached, attacking a photographer with an umbrella, spontaneously frolicking in the ocean in her underwear, making out with a college-age extra while skinny-dipping in a hotel pool and hitting clubs left and right – all while Federline began lining up witnesses for his custody fight – including issuing subpoenas covertly to many in his ex's inner circle, including assistants, nannies and her long-time manager, Larry Rudolph. After a disastrous photo shoot with OK magazine in August – during which Spears reportedly seemed "out of it," went to the bathroom with the door open, wiped her greasy fingers on expensive frocks and then took off with some of the pricey wardrobe provided without even finishing the interview or shoot – things seemed to be reaching a boiling point for the girl who had cut out everyone in her life who cared for her. When the singer was announced as the opening act of the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, public interest ran high – could she pull it off? Performing her first single off her first studio album in some time, "Gimme More," Spears bombed so spectacularly – that even she appeared to realize it, giving up mid-song. Her lip-synching was off, her dance moves lethargic and she even stumbled a bit just walking through her routine. It did not help matters that she was poured into a sequined bikini that was not flattering to her figure. Critics wasted no time slamming the singer, who reportedly left the stage in tears, for not only phoning it in, but for partying in Vegas non-stop in the days leading up to the anticipated performance.

If Britney-watchers thought that things could not get worse for the former pop princess, they were wrong. Only weeks after the VMA disaster, a judge ordered Spears to surrender custody of her two children to her ex-husband, ruling that Federline would take custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James only two days after said ruling “until further order of the court.” The order stemmed from an unspecified oral motion made by Federline’s attorneys and was handled in a closed-door hearing. The judge’s order did not state the reason for the change in custody and all transcripts of the proceedings were ordered sealed. However, that did not prevent many in even the mainstream "respectable" media from taking a stab at what moved the process from court-ordered parenting classes and drug/alcohol testing to losing physical custody only days after the previous rulings that still allowed for 50/50 custody. Some suggested it was because she had recently been photographed driving with the children in the backseat, sans a valid California driver's license; others guessed it might be a failed drug/alcohol test. Whatever the reasons, the ruling surprised many with its abruptness. Spears responded by chirping happily to paps who followed her to her tanning salon, but not long after, her long-estranged mother and her little sister arrived from Kentwood. After missing her first scheduled visit, it was announced that the judge was suspending her visitation rights only two weeks after the original ruling. The reason given: Spears had failed to comply with the judges orders; the specificity of which, was not given, leading to further speculation.

Spears remained relatively quiet throughout the rest of 2007, following the court’s Oct. 1 custody ruling. But she was back in the news in a big way on Jan. 3, 2008, when, following a scheduled visit, she refused to turn over Sean Preston and Jayden James to Federline’s bodyguard. The bodyguard arrived at her Beverly Hills home at 7 p.m. to pick up the children, but Spears failed to relinquish them; a violation of her visitation rights. Police arrived on the scene around 8:30 after receiving a call about a “custodial dispute,” followed shortly by Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan. Soon, news helicopters, paparazzi and an ambulance were also on the scene – Spears allegedly locked herself in a bathroom with Jayden and refused to come out. Eventually, the fire department and a mental evaluator arrived, and her two children were finally whisked away and delivered to Federline around 11 p.m. Spears was detained by police, who said she was allegedly “under the influence of an unknown substance,” before being sent by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she remained for 72 hours under a 5150 hold – an involuntary confinement administered when a person has been deemed a danger to themselves or others as the result of a mental disorder.

After making news in mid-January for failing to report to a child custody hearing, Spears was seen again leaving her home in an ambulance during the wee-hours of the night on Jan. 31, 2008. Apparently, the singer had not slept for several days, prompting her psychologist – who felt her condition had deteriorated – to call in police and have her brought to UCLA Medical Center on a “mental evaluation hold.” She was again placed on a 5150, with the possibility of an additional 14-day hold looming over her. In the meantime, her parents petitioned the court to take over her health and finances in conservatorship, as well as start the restraining order process to keep Spears’ sketchy “manager” Sam Lufti away from their daughter. In little more than a day and a half, Jamie Spears and a lawyer were granted conservatorship and Lufti was indeed looked at by the courts as a threat to Spears. A restraining order was issued after Lynne Spears terrifying declaration was leaked to the press – including allegations of Lufti drugging her daughter, cutting her phone lines, allowing paparazzi in her house and hiding her dog to upset her. No sooner had Spears 14-day hold been announced, then the singer was released quietly from the hospital for outpatient care – supposedly for a bipolar disorder.


Profession(s):
singer, Actor, music producer Sometimes Credited As:
Britney Jean Spears Family
brother:Bryan Spears (Born c. 1977)
father:Jamie Spears (Born c. 1953; divorced from Lynn)
husband:Jason Allen Alexander (Childhood friend; married in Las Vegas on Jan. 3, 2004; marriage annulled 2 days later)
husband:Kevin Federline (Began dating March 2004, while his ex-girlfriend was pregnant with their second child; engaged in June 2004; married Sep. 18, 2004 at a private home in Studio City, CA; some sources show that the wedding ceremony that occurred on Sep. 18 was a "faux" ceremony, and that the real date of the start of their wedding was Oct. 6, 2004; filed for divorce in November 2006, citing "irreconcilable differences"; divorce finalized July 30, 2007)
mother:Lynne Spears (Born c. 1955; divorced from Jamie Spears)
sister:Jamie Lynn Spears (Born April 4, 1991; starred in the Nickelodeon television series "Zoey 101")
son:Sean Preston Federline (Born Sep. 14, 2005; father, Kevin Federline)
son:Jayden James Federline (Born Sep. 12, 2006; father, Kevin Federline)
Companion(s)
Adnan Ghalib , Companion , ```..Began dating in December 2007
Columbus Short , Companion , ```..Rumored to be the cause of her 2002 split from Justin Timberlake
Fred Durst , Companion , ```..Announced on the "Howard Stern Show" that he slept with Spears in 2003; Spears denied they were ever involved
Isaac Cohen , Companion , ```..Cohen's agent confirmed they were dating as of December 2006; they spit two months later
Justin Timberlake , Companion , ```..Member of the popular singing group *NSYNC; the two appeared together on the "Mickey Mouse Club" in the early 1990s; dated for three years; split in 2002
Nick Carter , Companion , ```..Member of the singing group "Backstreet Boys"; rumored to have dated in 2002


Education
Park Lane Academy McComb, MS
Professional Performing Arts School New York, NY 1991



Milestones
2007 Opend the MTV Video Music Awards with her new single "Gimme More"
2006 Appeared on Dateline NBC to discuss tabloid rumors about an impending divorce from her husband, future career plans, her emotional state and motherhood
2005 Starred in a six-part reality series titled "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic" (UPN), which mixed footage shot during the pair's whirlwind engagement in 2004
2005 Guest starred on an episode of "Will & Grace," (NBC) as a Christian conservative sidekick to Sean Hayes' character, Jack, who hosts his own talk show
2004 Signed a five year deal with Elizabeth Arden to develop fragrance, cosmetics and skin care products
2004 Received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording for the song "Toxic"
2004 Released Greatest Hits: My Prerogative featuring three new songs, including "My Prerogative" and "Do Somethin'"
2003 Recieved Star on the Hollywood walk of Fame
2003 Released fourth album In the Zone, which featured Madonna on it's first single "Me Against the Music"
2002 Feature film acting debut in "Crossroads", directed by Tamra Davis
2002 Started production company called Britney Spears Productions
2002 Opened restaurant called NyLa in New York City; terminated her relationship with the restaurant, citing mismanagement and management's failure to keep her fully updated
2001 Hosted the American Music Awards telecast on ABC
2000 Lent her vocal talents to an episode of "The Simpsons", playing herself
2000 Followed up with the successful sophomore effort Oops!... I Did it Again
2000 Appeared in a McDonald's commercial filmed in Canada but refused to film a non-union United States-produced commercial for Clairol's Herbal Essence shampoo during the commercial actors' strike; donate
1999 Released multiplatinum debut album ...Baby One More Time
1999 Guested on an episode of the sitcom "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" (ABC)
1998 Went on a promotional shopping mall tour
1998 First single, "...Baby One More Time"
1997 Signed with Jive Records
1993 - 1994 Was a cast member on "Mickey Mouse Club"
1992 Competed on the syndicated talent series "Star Search"; won for her debut performance, but was defeated the following week
1991 Moved with mother and sister to New York City to pursue an acting career
1991 Starred in the Off-Broadway production "Ruthless," a comedic remake of "The Bad Seed"
1990 Auditioned for the Disney Channel series "The Mickey Mouse Club"; at eight was considered too young by producers
1989 Trained as a gymnast at age seven
1987 Began dance lessons at the age of five
Returned to Louisiana

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Camilla Belle





Full Biography
Oscillating between high tension and high camp projects, exotic young actress Camilla Belle became one of Hollywood’s new “It” girls after surviving both a brutal killer in “When a Stranger Calls” (2006), as well as the mordantly funny suburbs in “The Chumscrubber” (2005).
Born on Oct. 2nd, 1986 in Los Angeles, CA to an American father and Brazilian mother, Belle (whose real name is Camilla Belle Routh) was named after actress Renata Sorrah's character, in the Brazilian soap opera, "Cavalo de Aço." An attractive brunette child, Belle landed her first modeling gig for a national print ad at the ripe old age of nine months. The ambitious youngster segued smoothly into acting, appearing in minor roles in network and cable television movies such as “Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth” (NBC, 1993), “Empty Cradle” (ABC, 1993) and “Deconstructing Sarah” (USA Network, 1994). She went on to appear in several more made-for-TV movies and direct-to-video movies, including “Annie: A Royal Adventure” (ABC, 1995), “Poison Ivy 2” (1996) and the Jimmy Smits’ vehicle, “Marshal Law” (Showtime, 1996).

Belle segued to the big screen as one of the orphans in Alfonso Cuaron’s exquisite 1995 remake of “A Little Princess,” which led to small roles in major studio films, including Steven Spielberg’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park” (1997) and the Nicole Kidman/Sandra Bullock chick-flick “Practical Magic” (1998), in which she portrayed a young Bullock – all before the age of twelve.

While attending Marlborough, an elite, all-girls high school, Belle hit a bit of a dry spell work-wise, finding time to appeared in a few forgettable films in the late 1990s. Her only semi high-profile project was the HBO thriller “The Patriot” (1998) in which she played Steven Seagal’s daughter. In her downtime, Belle found time to study classical piano (with aspirations of going pro) and modern language (with the University of Edinburgh offering her a chance to study their modern language program). She also became actively involved in various charities, including becoming an international spokesperson for “Kids With a Cause,” a program created to provide help for children suffering from poverty, hunger, neglect and abuse.

Now a young woman on the verge of movie stardom, Belle starred in the critically acclaimed 2005 indie film, “The Ballad of Jack and Rose,” playing the daughter of Daniel Day-Lewis' character. The film, her first in nearly four years, received a limited theatrical release, but Belle was labeled an "impressive newcomer” nonetheless. That same year, Belle also landed a major role in the dark comedy, “The Chumscrubber.” Following two solid but little seen films, Belle got the chance of a lifetime, headlining a major release. Cast in Screen Gems' horror film remake of the 1979 slasher classic, “When a Stranger Calls (2006), Belle gave an appropriately sympathetic portrayal of a young babysitter being harassed on the phone by an unknown killer who is closer than she knows.

Shortly after the release of “When a Stranger Calls,” Belle was seen in “The Quiet” (2006), a psychological drama about a family whose dark secrets get exposed after adopting a recently orphaned deaf girl harboring her own disturbing past. Belle was then cast opposite Steven Strait in the Warner Bros. film, “10,000 B.C.” – a prehistoric epic to be directed by Roland Emmerich of “Independence Day” and “Day After Tomorrow” fame. Scheduled for a 2007 release, the film was shot on location in South Africa and Namibia.


Profession(s):
Actor Sometimes Credited As:
Camilla Belle Routh Family
father:Jack Routh
mother:Christina Routh (Designed a fashion line in her native Brazil; currently manages daughter's career)

Education
Marlborough School Los Angeles, CA

Filmography
Push - ( Kira Hudson / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
10,000 B.C. - ( Evolet / 2007 / Released / )
The Quiet - ( Dot / 2006 / Released / )
When a Stranger Calls - ( Jill Johnson / 2006 / Released / )
The Ballad of Jack and Rose - ( Rose Slavin / 2005 / Released / )
The Chumscrubber - ( Crystal Falls / 2005 / Released / )
The Invisible Circus - ( Young Phoebe Aged 10 & 12 / 2001 / Released / )
Rugrats in Paris - The Movie - ( Song Performer / 2000 / Released / )
Practical Magic - ( Sally / 1998 / Released / )
The Lost World: Jurassic Park - ( Cathy Bowman / 1997 / Released / )
A Little Princess - ( Jane / 1995 / Released / )

Friday, March 7, 2008

Kiss Defined

Prof. of Computer Science: A kiss is a few bits of love compiled into a byte.
Prof. of Algebra: A kiss is two divided by nothing.
Prof. of Geometry: A kiss is the shortest distance between two straight lines.
Prof. of Physics: A kiss is the contraction of mouth due to the expansion of the heart.
Prof. of Chemistry: A kiss is the reaction of the interaction between two hearts.
Prof. of Zoology: A kiss is the interchange of unisexual salivary bacteria.
Prof. of Physiology: A kiss is the juxtaposition of two orbicular ors muscles in the state of contraction.
Prof. of Dentistry: A kiss is infectious and antiseptic.
Prof. of Accountancy: A kiss is a credit because it is profitable when returned.
Prof. of Economics: A kiss is that thing for which the demand is higher than the supply.
Prof. of Statistics: A kiss is an event whose probability depends on the vital statistics of 36-24-36.
Prof. of Philosophy: A kiss is the persecution for the child, ecstasy for the youth and homage for the old.
Prof. of English: A kiss is a noun that is used as a conjunction; it is more common than proper; it is spoken in the plural and it is applicable to all.
Prof. of Engineering: Uh, What? I'm not familiar with that term.

Kiss Defined

Prof. of Computer Science: A kiss is a few bits of love compiled into a byte.
Prof. of Algebra: A kiss is two divided by nothing.
Prof. of Geometry: A kiss is the shortest distance between two straight lines.
Prof. of Physics: A kiss is the contraction of mouth due to the expansion of the heart.
Prof. of Chemistry: A kiss is the reaction of the interaction between two hearts.
Prof. of Zoology: A kiss is the interchange of unisexual salivary bacteria.
Prof. of Physiology: A kiss is the juxtaposition of two orbicular ors muscles in the state of contraction.
Prof. of Dentistry: A kiss is infectious and antiseptic.
Prof. of Accountancy: A kiss is a credit because it is profitable when returned.
Prof. of Economics: A kiss is that thing for which the demand is higher than the supply.
Prof. of Statistics: A kiss is an event whose probability depends on the vital statistics of 36-24-36.
Prof. of Philosophy: A kiss is the persecution for the child, ecstasy for the youth and homage for the old.
Prof. of English: A kiss is a noun that is used as a conjunction; it is more common than proper; it is spoken in the plural and it is applicable to all.
Prof. of Engineering: Uh, What? I'm not familiar with that term.

The Hottie and the Nottie Movie Stills





Kajol new brand ambassador of Anchor White toothpaste




Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) After promoting Whirlpool appliances and Tata Indicom, now Bollywood's talented actress Kajol will now be the new brand ambassador of Anchor White toothpaste.

Commenting on her new role, Kajol said: "For me, my family always comes first. Becoming a mother has made me very conscious about my family's health and oral care needs. I am proud to be their brand ambassador."

Sashi Nair, president sales and marketing of Anchor, said: "At Anchor, we believe that the finest products should be affordable to every one. Anchor White provides consumers with the best oral care and we hope to propagate this belief further with the help of our new brand ambassador Kajol who shares our brand philosophy and imbibes our brand values."


Celebrity News

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Drew Barrymore





Full Biography

An adorable child star who overcame an out-of-control adolescence and reclaimed her post as America's mischievous but pure-hearted sweetheart, Drew Barrymore rode a career rollercoaster spanning two decades before the age of 25. The product of an acting dynasty that runs from great-great-grandmother Louisa Lane Drew through grandfather John Barrymore, the youngest Barrymore showed promise from the start, appearing in commercials before the age of one. While her lineage was responsible for some notice, the saccharine-free sweetness of her performance as little Gertie in the 1982 classic "ET, The Extra-Terrestrial" won Barrymore acclaim reserved for the truly talented. Her watchability propelled many a subsequent film, including the otherwise unremarkable Stephen King adaptations "Firestarter" (1984) and "Cat's Eye" (1985). A victim of 1980s Hollywood lifestyle, Barrymore had too much too soon, and began to attract less attention for her acting than for the increasingly sordid tabloid stories about her pre-adolescent addictions to drugs and alcohol. After undergoing rehab and—another Barrymore tradition—publishing a memoir, "Little Girl Lost" (1989), the resilient teen made an impressive comeback in the early 90s, riding a wave of both celebrity and controversy.
Still possessing the angelic glow of her childhood, but with an added air of trouble, Barrymore portrayed Lolita-like teens in "Poison Ivy" (1992), "Guncrazy" (1992) and the ABC-TV movie "The Amy Fisher Story" (1993), based on the sordid case of the Long Island teenager who shot the wife of her former lover. The actress returned to big-budgeted features with the disappointing Western "Bad Girls" (1994), then was cast alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Mary-Louise Parker in the touching "Boys on the Side" (1995), a female road movie that capitalized on Barrymore's undeniable charm, and showcased an acting depth that had not previously been completely realized. In 1995, she took on two other disparate roles, first playing a suicidal teen opposite Chris O'Donnell in the sweetly acted if critically panned "Mad Love,” followed by a cameo role as the glitzy but inherently childlike femme fatale Sugar in "Batman Returns,” a Marilyn Monroe inspired character that it seemed Barrymore was born to play. This role reunited her with Joel Schumacher, a big supporter of hers who gave her a break on the enjoyable "2000 Malibu Road,” a short-lived trashy soap on CBS in 1992.

During her post-rehab comeback, Barrymore reappeared in the gossip columns with colorful extracurricular antics. Unlike her previous drug related escapades, the young woman seemed much more in control of every situation, with some spontaneous free-spirited nudity ranking as the most shocking of her activities. Among the more memorable capers was a birthday dance for bemused talk show host David Letterman which culminated in her flashing her breasts for Dave's eyes only. Barrymore additionally garnered much newsprint by stripping on stage at a trendy New York performance space and posing for Playboy. In another movie star rite-of-passage, she endured a month-long marriage to a Welsh bar owner. Audiences responded positively to her carefree spirit and the harmless stunts that peppered the actress' road to adulthood.

Blonde and beautiful, with a warm, open smile and a somewhat devilish fire in her eyes, Barrymore certainly looks like the perfect American icon, a fact not lost on director Wes Craven who hired her for a pivotal role in his tongue-in-cheek slasher flick "Scream" (1996). As the biggest name in the cast, Barrymore brilliantly opted for the role of the first victim, helping to establish the film as a new thriller experience, bucking the preset conventions of the horror genre. She followed with a turn in the ensemble of Woody Allen's odd musical "Everyone Says I Love You" (1996), gracefully and sympathetically portraying a tony New York City daughter of privilege, reminding audiences and co-stars alike of her Hollywood royalty roots. (Although unlike her co-stars, her singing voice was dubbed by a professional.) Barrymore had a popular hit with 1998's "The Wedding Singer,” perfectly playing the sweetly captivating Julia opposite Adam Sandler in this enjoyable 1980s-set romantic comedy.

Also in 1998, the actress happily took on Cinderella in "Ever After,” embroidering the story with a female empowering modern sensibility. Barrymore was thrilled with the character, a smart, sensitive, but staunch young woman dealing with family issues, as well as the structure of the film, which differed from the traditional beautiful girl with ugly oppressors saved by a fairy godmother story. The result was a charming and affirming romance, with Barrymore proving more than capable of carrying a film as the primary star. The quirky comedy "Home Fries" (1998) came next, starring the actress as a pregnant fast food worker who falls in love with the her unborn child's adult would-be stepbrother (played by Barrymore's then-companion Luke Wilson). The actress veritably lit up the screen with her inimitable spirit and radiance. A sharp and thoughtful businesswoman as well, her Flower Films (formed in 1994) secured a deal with Fox 2000 that led to the charming 1999 comedy "Never Been Kissed,” in which she essayed a twentysomething reporter posing as a high school student for an undercover assignment.

Under her banner Flower Films productions, Barrymore joined forces with Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu in a big screen version of the 70s campy TV series "Charlie's Angels" (2000). A box-office hit, the film was, in the words of one critic, "an appealing mix of sexy, tongue-in-cheek fun; high-energy action; slick production values; and more chick-flick worthy outfits/hairdos than you can bat an eyelash at." The following year, Barrymore undertook her most demanding role to date, portraying a teenager who gets pregnant, eventually marries and then raises her child as a single mother in "Riding in Cars with Boys.” Playing a character that aged from 16 to her mid-30s, she offered a strong turn that showed a previously untapped range and depth.

Barrymore has also displayed a certain savvy behind the scenes, serving as a producer on several projects via her company, Flower Films, with her partner Nancy Juvonen. Along with producing and developing her own starring vehicles—including "Never Been Kissed," "Charlie's Angels" and a remake of "Barbarella"—she also shepherded the much-admired "Donnie Darko" (2001) in which she had a small role. In 2002, Barrymore co-starred with Julia Robert in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind," directed by George Clooney, delivering a more womanly performance as Penny, the somewhat fictionalized girlfriend of real-life game show producer Chuck Barris. Displaying her typical warmth and patented adorable qualities, Barrymore was also mature, real and vulnerable. She next reunited with Diaz and Liu for the sequel "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" (2003). The trio demonstrated, once again, their expertise as masters of espionage, martial arts, and disguise, and as producer of the film Barrymore scored a major buzz-building coup by personally luring Hollywood expatriate Demi Moore out of semi-retirement to play the movie's villainess. That same year, Barrymore also produced and co-starred in the broad comedy "Duplex" opposite Ben Stiller, playing an upwardly mobile couple whose home owning dreams become a nightmare when they encounter the seemingly sweet old lady next door.

In 2004, just days after becoming the sixth member of her famed family to receive a star of Hollywood's Walk of Fame, Barrymore was reunited on-screen with her "Wedding Singer" co-star Sandler in "50 First Dates," a screwy romantic comedy that cast her as Lucy Whitmore, a woman who suffers from a disorder that eliminates her short term memory each day, forcing a smitten veterinarian (Sandler) to win her heart anew every 24 hours. Again wearing the hats of both producer and star, Barrymore returned to the romantic comedy genre again for "Fever Pitch" (2005), playing a corporate climber whose idyllic romance with a schoolteacher (Jimmy Fallon) is threatened by his insane devotion to the Boston Red Sox. The film, directed by the Farrelly brothers from the Nick Hornby novel, was a winsome, appealing effort that showcased both stars warm-hearted charm.

Next she generously made an all-important appearance in tyro filmmaker Brian Herzlinger's shameless "My Date With Drew" (2005), a documentary chronicling his attempts to meet Barrymore, a supposed lifelong crush, in 30 days before having to return the video camera he purchased—the film's attempts to be goofily romantic were undermined by the real objects of Herzlinger's infatuation: himself and his nascent film career. After voicing the schoolteacher Maggie in the animated “Curious George” (2006), Barrymore played the quirky plant lady with a penchant for writing lyrics who falls for a washed-up ‘80s pop star (Hugh Grant) struggling to write a hit song in the middling romantic comedy “Music & Lyrics” (2007). Barrymore then appeared in director Curtis Hanson’s relationship drama, “Lucky You” (2007), playing a young singer from Bakersfield with more heart than talent pursued by an exceptionally talented poker player (Eric Bana) who takes advantage of his opponents across the table, but actively avoids long-term commitments in his personal life.


Profession(s):
Actor, producer, worked in a coffee house Sometimes Credited As:
Drew Blythe Barrymore

Family
aunt:Diana Barrymore (Born in 1920; died in 1960)
father:John Barrymore Jr (Born June 4, 1932; separated from Barrymore's mother before her birth, they divorced in 1984; was estranged from daugther for most of his life; died of cancer, Nov. 29, 2004 at age 72)
godmother:Anna Strasberg
grandfather:John Barrymore (Born in 1882; highly acclaimed matinee idol of stage and screen in the 1920s and 30s; known as 'The Great Profile'; died in 1942)
grandmother:Dolores Costello (Popular star of silent films who made a memorable comeback in "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942))
great-aunt:Ethel Barrymore (Legendary stage performer who in her later years played character roles in Hollywood films; Oscar winner as Best Supporting Actress for "None But the Lonely Heart" (1944))
great-aunt:Helene Costello (Sister of Dolores Costello, also a silent screen star)
great-grandfather:Maurice Barrymore (Born in 1847; popular stage actor and matinee idol; died of syphilis in 1905)
great-grandfather:Maurice Costello (Known as 'The Dimpled Darling'; was one of the first matinee idols of the screen (beginning c. 1908))
great-grandmother:Georgianna Drew (Born in 1855; died in 1893)
great-great-grandfather:John Drew
great-great-grandmother:Louisa Lane Drew (First woman theater manager in USA)
great-uncle:Lionel Barrymore (Born in 1878; famed, prolific actor who worked primarily in Hollywood over the course of his lengthy career; Oscar winner as Best Actor for "A Free Soul" (1931); died in 1954)
half-brother:John Blyth Barrymore (Born in 1954; father, John Barrymore; mother, Cara Williams; experienced own struggles with addictions)
half-sister:Jessica Barrymore (Older; father, John Barrymore; mother, Nina Wayne)
half-sister:Blyth Dolores Barrymore (Born in 1962; father, John Barrymore; mother, Gabriella Palazzoli)
husband:Jeremy Thomas (Welsh-born; married March 20, 1994 after a five-week courtship; together for 19 days; filed for divorce May 10, 1994; divorced 11 months later)
husband:Tom Green (Began dating in March 2000; announced engagement in July 2000; eloped to the South Pacific in March 2001; remarried in ceremony before friends and family on July 6, 2001; Green filed for divorce on Dec. 17, 2001; divorced finalized in 2002)
mother:Ildiko Jaid (Separated from Barrymore's father before her birth; they divorced in 1984; posed for Playboy magazine in September 1995, eight months after her daughter did in January 1995)
Companion(s)
Alec Pure , Companion , ```..Born c. 1976; no longer together
Brandon Davis , Companion , ```..Briefly dated in 2002
Eric Erlandson , Companion , ```..Born c. 1963; guitarist with the rock group Hole (featuring Courtney Love); Barrymore nicknamed him 'String Bean' (he stands 6'4"); no longer together
Fabrizio Moretti , Companion , ```..Began dating May 2002; split briefly in the fall of 2002; rumored to be engaged as of January 2003; ended relationship in January 2007
James Walters , Companion , ```..Born July 1969; announced one-year engagement in August 1992; separated in January 1993
Jeremy Davies , Companion , ```..Dated briefly in 1999
Joel Shearer , Companion , ```..Dated in 2002
Justin Long , Companion , ```..Began dating August 2007
Luke Wilson , Companion , ```..Born c. 1971; worked with Barrymore in "Best Men" (1997) and "Home Fries" (1998); together from 1996 to 1999
Phedon Papamichael , Companion , ```..Together c. 1992; no longer together
Spike Jonze , Companion , ```..Dated for a few months in 2007; no longer together
Val Kilmer , Companion , ```..Rumored to have been involved c. 1995; Barrymore has said they were only friends

Filmography


Entering Ephesus - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Everybody's Fine - ( - Cast / / Announced / )
He Loves Me - ( Producer / / Announced / )
He Loves Me - ( - Cast / / Announced / )
I'm With the Band - ( / / Announced / )
Surrender Dorothy (Warner Bros) - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Surrender Dorothy (Warner Bros) - ( / / Announced / )
The Au Pairs - ( Producer / / Announced / )
Whip It! - ( Director / / Announced / )
Whip It! - ( Executive Producer / / Announced / )
Beverly Hills Chihuahua - ( Chloe / 2008 / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
He's Just Not That Into You - ( Producer / 2008 / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
He's Just Not That Into You - ( Mary / 2008 / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Grey Gardens - ( Little Edie / / Lensing/Awaiting Release / )
Lucky You - ( Billie Offer / 2007 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures International )
Lucky You - ( Song Performer / 2007 / Released / Warner Bros. Pictures International )
Manufacturing Dissent - ( Herself / 2007 / Released / )
Music and Lyrics - ( Sophie Fisher / 2007 / Released / )
Music and Lyrics - ( Song Performer / 2007 / Released / )
Curious George - ( Maggie / 2006 / Released / )
Fever Pitch - ( Producer / 2005 / Released / )
Fever Pitch - ( Lindsey / 2005 / Released / )
50 First Dates - ( Lucy Whitmore / 2004 / Released / )
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - ( Producer / 2003 / Released / )
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle - ( Dylan / 2003 / Released / )
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind - ( Penny / 2003 / Released / )
Duplex - ( Nancy / 2003 / Released / )
Duplex - ( Producer / 2003 / Released / )
Donnie Darko - ( Karen Pomeroy / 2001 / Released / )
Donnie Darko - ( Executive Producer / 2001 / Released / )
Freddy Got Fingered - ( Davidson's Receptionist / 2001 / Released / )
Riding in Cars With Boys - ( Beverly Donofrio / 2001 / Released / )
Skipped Parts - ( Fantasy Girl / 2001 / Released / )
Charlie's Angels - ( Producer / 2000 / Released / )
Charlie's Angels - ( Dylan / 2000 / Released / )
Titan A.E. - ( of Akima / 2000 / Released / )
Best Men - ( Hope / 1999 / Released / Ribeiro )
Never Been Kissed - ( Josie Geller / 1999 / Released / )
Never Been Kissed - ( Executive Producer / 1999 / Released / )
Ever After - ( Danielle / 1998 / Released / )
Home Fries - ( Sally / 1998 / Released / Village Roadshow Pictures Worldwide )
Pariah - ( The Lavender Mob / 1998 / Released / )
The Wedding Singer - ( Julia / 1998 / Released / Alliance Releasing )
Wishful Thinking - ( / 1998 / Released / Shochiku Company, Ltd. )
Inside the Goldmine - ( Daisy / 1997 / Released / )
Everyone Says I Love You - ( Skylar / 1996 / Released / Village Roadshow Pictures Worldwide )
Scream - ( Casey / 1996 / Released / Spentzos Films )
Batman Forever - ( Sugar / 1995 / Released / )
Boys on the Side - ( Holly / 1995 / Released / )
Mad Love - ( Casey / 1995 / Released / )
Bad Girls - ( Lilly Laronette / 1994 / Released / )
Motorama - ( Fantasy Girl / 1993 / Released / )
No Place To Hide - ( Tinsel Hanley / 1993 / Released / )
Wayne's World 2 - ( Bjergen Kjergen / 1993 / Released / )
Poison Ivy - ( Ivy / 1992 / Released / Ascii Pictures )
Far From Home - ( Joleen Cross / 1989 / Released / )
See You in the Morning - ( Cathy Goodwin / 1989 / Released / Greater Union Distributors )
Stephen King's Cat's Eye - ( Our Girl / 1985 / Released / )
Firestarter - ( Charlie McGee / 1984 / Released / UIP The Film Consortium )
Irreconcilable Differences - ( Casey Brodsky / 1984 / Released / )
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - ( Gertie / 1982 / Released / UIP The Film Consortium )
Altered States - ( Margaret Jessup / 1980 / Released / )

Awards
People's Choice Award Favorite Leading Lady 2008
People's Choice Award Favorite On-Screen Chemistry "50 First Dates" 2005
ShoWest Award Distinguished Decade of Achievement in Film 2005
MTV Movie Award Best On-Screen Team "50 First Dates" 2004
MTV Movie Award Best On-Screen Team "Charlie's Angels" 2001
ShoWest Award Comedy Star of the Year 2000
MTV Movie Award Best Kiss "The Wedding Singer" 1998