Paul Newman

Full Biography

An iconic figure in Hollywood history, Paul Newman was an Academy Award-winning actor, director, and noted philanthropist who helped define the male lead in motion pictures from the mid-1950s through the 21st century. A background in Method acting helped to deliver his enormous personal charm, intelligence and strength of character to a wide variety of roles – from underdog boxer Rocky Graziano in “Somebody Up There Likes Me” (1955) and the damaged Brick in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958), to roguish anti-heroes in “Harper” (1966), “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969). He continued to command audiences and critics in his sixth and seventh decade in films like “The Color of Money” (1986), which earned him an Oscar; “Nobody’s Fool” (1994); and “The Road to Perdition” (2004), while off-screen, he set the standard for celebrity-driven charities with his Newman’s Own brand of foods, which brought $200 million to causes, and the Hole in the Wall Gang camp for seriously ill children.
Born Paul Leonard Newman in the Shaker Heights suburb of Cleveland, OH, on Jan. 26, 1925, he was the son of an affluent Jewish family who owned a sporting goods store. His interest in acting bloomed at an early age, thanks to his mother and uncle. He made his debut in a school production of “Robin Hood” at the age of seven. He graduated from high school in 1943 and spent three years at Ohio University, but was expelled before serving in the Navy during World War II as a radio operator. He returned to civilian life and earned his degree from Kenyon College in Ohio, with his intention being to study economics, but drama exhibited a stronger pull. In 1949, he married Jackie Witte, with whom he had three children – son Scott and daughters Stephanie and Susan. A brief return to Shaker Heights to run his family’s store after his father’s death in 1950 lend to feelings of discontentment, so he packed up his wife and children and relocated to New Haven, CT, where he enrolled in the Yale Drama School. Agents caught wind of his talent at a production there, and invited him to join the teeming throngs of actors seeking work in New York City.

Supporting roles in live television and plays followed, which eventually led to his Broadway debut in William Inge’s “Picnic” in 1953. While there, he also continued his studies at the acclaimed Actor’s Studio, making the acquaintance of another up-and-coming actor, Joanne Woodward, who was serving as an understudy on “Picnic.” Based on the strength of his performance in the Inge play, he was offered a contract with Warner Bros. and a starring role in a historical epic called “The Silver Chalice” (1955). The picture was critically dismissed. Newman considered it such a personal embarrassment that he later took out a full page ad in the Hollywood trades apologizing for his participation. During this period, he also auditioned opposite James Dean for the film “East of Eden” (1955), but the part went to Richard Davalos.

He returned to the stage in “The Desperate Hours,” but earned a reprieve from the movies via “Somebody Up There Likes Me” (1956) – an affecting biopic about fighter Rocky Graziano’s tenacious life and career from director Robert Wise. The film and Newman garnered praise from the press, leading him to launch into a string of commercially and critically successful pictures that highlighted his expansive range of talent. First, in Arthur Penn’s revisionist Western “The Left-Handed Gun” (1958), he was a imbecilic and murderous Billy the Kid, while he held his own as Tennessee Williams’s fallen football hero Brick opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Burl Ives in a somewhat truncated version of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (1958), which earned him his first Academy Award nomination and the admiration of female fans the world over.

In 1958, while shooting “The Long Hot Summer” (1958) – which earned him the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival – in Louisiana, he became re-acquainted with Joanne Woodward, who was the film’s female lead. The two soon fell in love, and after divorcing Jackie, Newman and Woodward were married in Las Vegas in 1958. The couple appeared in numerous films together and had three daughters, which they raised far from Hollywood in the affluent neighborhood of Westport, CT. Newman’s film career continued to burn white-hot throughout the early 1960s – he first landed on Quigley Publications’ list of top grossing stars in 1963 and would appear there 13 more times until 1986. His cheeky charm, good looks and magnetism made him a casting agent’s first choice for flawed heroes in films like “Paris Blues” (1961); “The Hustler” (1961), as pool shark Fast Eddie Felson; “Sweet Bird of Youth” (1962), after Newman had starred in the original Broadway run in 1960; and “Hud” (1963). The latter picture and “The Hustler” earned him two more Academy Award nominations and enduring status as an icon of cool among young acting aspirants and film buffs for decades to follow.

Newman’s star power carried him into the mid- and late 1960s with ease. He worked with Alfred Hitchcock on the thriller “Torn Curtain” (1966) and played some of his most memorable roles – including the detective Lew Archer, who was renamed for “Harper” (1966); an unbreakable Southern convict in “Cool Hand Luke” (1967), which brought him another Oscar nomination; and a charming version of the Western outlaw Butch Cassidy in the box office blockbuster “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969), opposite his good friend Robert Redford. Newman also made his debut as a director in 1968 with “Rachel, Rachel,” starring Woodward. Both his lead and the film earned Oscar nods, but his directorial effort only yielded a Golden Globe. Newman’s political activism also came to the forefront during the late sixties, through tireless campaigning for Eugene McCarthy’s 1968 presidential campaign. His association with McCarthy led to his being named on future President Richard Nixon’s infamous “Opponents List;” Newman, who ranked #19 out of 20, later commented that his inclusion was among the proudest achievements of his career.

Newman’s superstar status – he was the top-ranking box office star in 1969 and 1970 – allowed him to experiment with film roles during the 1970s, which led to quirky choices like “WUSA” (1970), “Sometimes a Great Notion” (1971), “Pocket Money” (1972), and “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” (1972) – all of which he also produced through First Artists, a company he established with fellow stars Sidney Poitier and Barbra Streisand. Newman also served as producer on the quirky drama “They Might Be Giants” (1969) starring his wife, Woodward, and directed her and their daughter Elinor in the 1972 film version of “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds.” He also developed a passion for auto racing after training with professionals for the 1969 drama “Winning.” By 1972, he was racing professionally and completed Le Mans’ 24-hour competition in 1979. The love of the racetrack would never leave him.

The 1970s also yielded two of Newman’s biggest hits – “The Sting” (1973), which reunited him with Redford, and “The Towering Inferno” (1974), which paired him with Steve McQueen for the first and only time. Newman also starred in the outrageous cult hit “Slap Shot” (1976) as an aging hockey star who coaches a farm team of misfits, and made two films with Robert Altman – “Buffalo Bill and the Indians” (1976) and the bizarre apocalyptic drama “Quintet” (1979) – neither of which boosted the director’s fading career.

In 1978, Newman lost his son Scott to drug addiction. Due to his tragic lose, he curtailed his film career for much of the late ‘70s, establishing the Scott Newman Center for Drug Abuse Prevention, while joining Woodward in passionate anti-drug campaigning. But by the early 1980s, Newman returned to filmmaking in several well-chosen projects that showcased his matured but undiminished skills. He was a beat cop caught between street violence and corrupt fellow officers in the violent “Fort Apache The Bronx” (1981); the son of a deceased crime figure who finds himself the focus of a dogged journalist’s investigation in Sydney Pollack’s “Absence of Malice” (1981); and a down-and-out lawyer who earns a chance at redemption in Sidney Lumet’s “The Verdict,” which brought another Academy Award nomination. The Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Hollywood Foreign Press followed in 1984.

With the help of writer A.E. Hotchner, in 1982, he launched Newman’s Own, a line of food products that donated all proceeds after taxes to charity. The brand bloomed largely with its first release – salad dressing – and eventually included everything from salsa and lemonade to popcorn. Four years later, he established the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang Camp –named after Butch and Sundance’s gang in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” – in his home state of Connecticut. The camp, which served as a year-round retreat and center for seriously ill children, operated entirely on outsider contributions and Newman’s own tireless campaigning. Less philanthropic but no less dear to the actor’s heart was the Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing auto team, which he co-founded in 1983. For his charitable efforts, Newman was awarded the Jean Hersholt Award in 1994.

In 1986, Newman won a special Oscar for his numerous “compelling screen performances.” That same year, he returned to one of his most famous roles – Fast Eddie Felson from “The Hustler” – in a sequel by Martin Scorsese called “The Color of Money.” Newman’s performance all but eclipsed up-and-comer Tom Cruise, leading him to collect his second Oscar in 1987. A brief return to regular film appearances followed, including turns in the atomic war drama “Fat Man and Little Boy” (1989), as colorful Southern governor Earl Long in “Blaze” (1989), and a pairing with Woodward as the heads of a conservative family in “Mr. and Mrs. Bridge” (1990) for James Ivory and Ismail Merchant.

Newman announced that he would retire from acting in 1995, though that statement proved short-lived. His gruff humor enjoyed a fine spotlight in the Coen Brothers’ quirky ‘50s-era comedy “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994), and he earned another Oscar nomination as a likable if flawed small town handyman who gets a chance to rebuild a relationship with his son in “Nobody’s Fool” (1995). “Twilight” (1998) surrounded Newman with such stellar peers as Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon, and James Garner, in a mystery-drama about infidelity and aging, while he provided much needed-gravity to the frothy romance “Message in a Bottle” (1999) and showed he had lost none of his sex appeal opposite Linda Fiorentino in the quirky comedy caper, “Where the Money Is” (2000). Two years later, he earned his first Oscar nomination for Supporting Actor as an Irish crime boss in “The Road to Perdition” (2002). Newman also became the oldest driver on a winning team when he participated in the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race in 1995.

In 2002, Newman returned to the stage after a 35-year absence to play the stage manager in a production of “Our Town” for the Westport Players (Woodward was the troupe’s artistic director). The show quickly transferred to Broadway, with Newman earning a Tony for his performance, as well as an Emmy for the 2003 broadcast of the show on PBS. Two years later, he took home the trophy – as well as a Golden Globe – for his turn as the cantankerous ne’er-do-well father of Ed Harris in the acclaimed HBO miniseries “Empire Falls” (2005). And he lent his gravely tones to the Pixar-animated feature “Cars” (2006), as Doc Hudson, the former racing champ who helps train Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), as well as the documentary “Dale” (2007), about the late racing champion Dale Earnhardt.

In 2007, Newman announced that he was retiring in May of that year, citing that he felt he was no longer able to perform at a level that pleased him. However, his charitable work continued unabated that year, with the actor donating $10 million to his alma mater, Kenyon College. It was later revealed that throughout 2005 and 2006, Newman quietly divested himself of his entire ownership in Newman’s Own, donating the money to his foundation, which totaled a whopping $120 million. Meanwhile, Newman expanded on his retirement when he stepped down as director of John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” for the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, CT, citing unspecified health issues.


Profession(s):
Actor, producer, director, screenwriter, professional race car driver, food company executive


Sometimes Credited As:
Paul Leonard Newman



Family
brother:Arthur S Newman Jr (Production manager on "Cool Hand Luke" (1967) and "Winning" (1969); associate producer of "Rachel, Rachel" (1968))
daughter:Claire Olivia Newman (Born in 1965; mother, Joanne Woodward)
daughter:Elinor Teresa Newman (Born April 8, 1959; mother, Joanne Woodward; founded and runs Newman's Own Organics in 1993)
daughter:Melissa Steward Newman (Born in 1961; mother, Joanne Woodward)
daughter:Stephanie Newman (Born in 1954; mother, Jacqueline Witte)
daughter:Susan Newman (Born in 1953; mother, Jacqueline Witte; produced her father's telefilm "The Shadow Box" (1980))
father:Arthur S Newman (Jewish of German descent; ran a profitable sports goods store; died May 11, 1950 at age of 56)
mother:Theresa Newman (Catholic of Hungarian descent; converted to Christian Science; worked in her husbands shop)
son:Scott Newman (Born in 1950; mother, Jacqueline Witte; appeared in such films as "The Towering Inferno" (1974) and "Fraternity Row" (1977); died Nov. 11, 1978 from an accidental drug overdose at age 28; Newman started the Scott Newman Center for drug abuse prevention in memory of his son)
wife:Jacqueline Witte (Married from 1949 to 1958; mother of son, Scott and daughters, Susan and Stephanie)
wife:Joanne Woodward (Met during the Broadway run of "Picnic" (c. 1953); Newman was starring in the play, Woodward was an understudy; married Jan. 28, 1958; Starred in many films together, such as "The Long, Hot Summer" (1958), "Winning" (1969) and "Mr. and Mrs. Bridge" (1990); Newman also dircted her in "Rachel, Rachel" (1968); together they have three daughters, Elinor Teresa, Melissa Steward and Claire "Clea" Olivia)


Education
Ohio University Athens, OH
Shaker Heights High School Shaker Heights, OH 1943
Kenyon College Gambier, OH BA economics 1949
Yale University New Haven, CT 1951
Actors' Studio New York, NY 1953




Awards

Golden Globe Award Best Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television "Empire Falls" 2006 Golden Globe Award Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made fo "Empire Falls" 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries "Empire Falls" 2006 Emmy Award Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie "Empire Falls" 2005 Berlin International Film Festival Award Best Actor "Nobody's Fool" 1995 National Society of Film Critics Award Best Actor "Nobody's Fool" 1995 New York Film Critics Circle Award Best Actor "Nobody's Fool" 1994 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award 1993 Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement 1992 Academy Award Best Actor in a Leading Role "The Color of Money" 1987 Honorary Academy Award 1986 National Board of Review Award Best Actor "The Color of Money" 1986 Screen Actors Guild Award Life Achievement 1986 Cecil B. DeMille Award Career Achievement 1984 Golden Globe Award Best Motion Picture Director "Rachel, Rachel" 1969 New York Film Critics Circle Award Best Director "Rachel, Rachel" 1968 Producers Guild of America Award Producer of the Year in Theatrical Motion Pictures "Rachel, Rachel" 1968 Golden Globe Award World Film Favorite (Male) 1966 Golden Globe Award World Film Favorite (Male) 1964 BAFTA Film Award Best Foreign Actor "The Hustler" 1962 Cannes Film Festival Award Best Actor "The Long, Hot Summer" 1958 Golden Globe Award Most Promising Newcomer (Male) 1957 Theatre World Award 1953

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Mental Deficiency

A noted psychiatrist was a guest at a party and his host, Banta, naturally broached the subject in which the doctor was most at ease.

"Would you mind telling me, Doctor," Banta asked "how you detect a mental deficiency in somebody who appears completely normal?"

"Nothing is easier," he replied. "You ask him a simple question which everyone should answer with no trouble. If he hesitates, that puts you on the track."

"What sort of question?"

"Well, you might ask him, 'Captain Cook made three trips around the world and died during one of them. Which one?'

Banta thought for a moment, and then said with a nervous laugh, "You wouldn't happen to have another example would you? I must confess I don't know much about history."

More jokes hit hare----JOKES

Nicolas Cage

Though haunted by cries of nepotism early in his career, actor Nicolas Cage, nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, led anything but a charmed existence. At first credited as Nicolas Coppola, the actor found great difficulty being taken seriously by casting directors and his fellow actors. But when he changed his last name, he suddenly found a world of opportunity open up, starting with his first leading role in “Valley Girl” (1983). From there, Cage quickly earned a reputation – sometimes a bad one – for playing offbeat and sometimes bizarrely over-the-top characters in indie fare like “Birdy” (1984), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Raising Arizona” (1987)....

Full Biography

Though haunted by cries of nepotism early in his career, actor Nicolas Cage, nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, led anything but a charmed existence. At first credited as Nicolas Coppola, the actor found great difficulty being taken seriously by casting directors and his fellow actors. But when he changed his last name, he suddenly found a world of opportunity open up, starting with his first leading role in “Valley Girl” (1983). From there, Cage quickly earned a reputation – sometimes a bad one – for playing offbeat and sometimes bizarrely over-the-top characters in indie fare like “Birdy” (1984), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Raising Arizona” (1987). After breaking through with a nationally recognized role in “Moonstruck” (1987), Cage found himself starring in challenging films that culminated in an Oscar-winning performance in “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995). Instead of being pigeonholed into low-budget films, he made the jump to action hero with “The Rock” (1995), “Con Air” (1997), “National Treasure” (2004) and “Ghost Rider” (2007), making Cage as diversified an actor as he was talented.
Born Nicolas Coppola on Jan. 7, 1964 in Long Beach, CA, Cage was raised by his father, August, a literature professor, and his mother, Joy, a modern dancer and choreographer who was hospitalized for severe depression, which kept her away from the family for long intervals. Because of his family’s deep show business roots – Uncle Francis was an Oscar-winning director and grandfather Carmine was an Oscar-winning composer – Cage became interested in becoming an actor at a young age. When he was 12, his parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his father because his mother was considered unfit to retain custody. He later moved to San Francisco, where he performed in a production of “Golden Boy” at the American Conservatory Theatre. After moving back to Los Angeles, Cage made his onscreen debut on “The Best of Times” (ABC, 1981), a variety series that observed teenage life through songs, dance and skits. Cage then dropped out of Beverly Hills High School during his senior year to concentrate on acting fulltime. Making his feature debut, he made a brief appearance in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) before being cast by his uncle in S.E. Hinton’s “Rumble Fish” (1983).

Because he was billed early in his career as Nicolas Coppola, he had difficulty landing parts. When he did land parts, Cage heard cries of nepotism from his fellow cast mates. Instead of enduring the criticism, he simply changed his name – which was inspired by the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage – and immediately began to get cast with greater ease. Credited as Nicolas Cage for the first time, he channeled his frustrations in his initial leading role in "Valley Girl" (1983), playing a Hollywood punk who tries to win the heart of a sweet-natured Valley girl (Deborah Foreman). He made his first serious dramatic waves with a supporting role in the period romantic drama “Racing With the Moon” (1984), then played the sensitive, strong and fiercely loyal friend of a mentally-scarred Vietnam veteran (Matthew Modine) in Alan Parker's "Birdy" (1984). Due to his performance in “Valley Girl,” Uncle Francis was more than happy to cast him in a small role in “The Cotton Club” (1984), a film that greatly frustrated Cage to the point of trashing a trailer, thanks to Coppola keeping him on set for months after his initial three days of work; the director wanted him to hang around in case he had an idea that involved Cage’s character.

Despite the damage he caused on set, Cage was cast again by Coppola in the nostalgic look back at the 1960s, "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986). Criticized at the time for his over-the-top acting choices, Cage was nonetheless on the verge of making his big breakthrough. Because of his performance in “Peggy Sue,” Cher – who likened his strange, but compelling performance to watching a two-hour car crash – proposed him for the role of Ronny in "Moonstruck" (1987), a young bakery operator who falls head-over-heels for a widowed bookkeeper (Cher). Though the film’s star, Cher, received the lion’s share of praise – and an Oscar to boot – Cage managed to more than hold his own in an off-beat performance that marked his true emergence into the public consciousness. He next earned legions of independent film fans with a wild, borderline over-the-top performance in Joel and Ethan Coen’s screwball comedy, "Raising Arizona" (1987). Cage played H.I. McDonnough, an unsuccessful petty thief who marries his arresting officer (Holly Hunter), only to learn that the couple cannot conceive. When they hatch and execute a plan to steal a baby from a wealthy Arizonan business owner (Trey Wilson), all hell breaks loose, including the unleashing of a motorcycle-riding bounty hunter (Randall 'Tex' Cobb) who acts like the spawn of Satan himself.

Continuing with his penchant for independent film, Cage probably single-handedly guaranteed a perpetual cult status for "Vampire's Kiss" (1989) when he ate a live cockroach in another method-acting stunt; previously he had knocked out a tooth for the filming of "Birdy." In David Lynch's surrealist odyssey, "Wild at Heart" (1990), he was a violent ex-con with an Elvis Presley fixation – much like Cage in real life – who falls into a steamy relationship with the daughter (Laura Dern) of a rich, but mentally unstable Southern woman (Diane Ladd). Though critics united with the public in ignoring "Amos and Andrew" (1993), Cage’s wacky charm was central to the success of Andrew Bergman's comedy "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992). Unfortunately Bergman couldn't repeat the formula for "It Could Happen to You" (1994), despite the presence of Cage in that cast. Returning to Sin City for Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995), Cage delivered an uncharacteristically subtle, multi-layered performance as an alcoholic writer who goes to Vegas to drink himself to death. Bringing warmth and humor to what could have been an unsympathetic role, Cage earned rave notices, while winning nearly every conceivable award, including his first Academy Award for Best Leading Actor.

Following his Oscar win, Cage unexpectedly reinvented himself as an action hero, starring in a trio of blockbuster muscle movies that elevated him to the ranks of aging icons Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford – certainly in terms of salary per picture. In his first big budget actioner, "The Rock" (1996), he played an at-first geeky FBI biochemist opposite Sean Connery – who was the only man ever to have escaped from Alcatraz – to free hostages on the famous island prison. Then in "Con Air" (1997), Cage matched his bad-luck good guy with offbeat Federal Marshall John Cusack to foil the machinations of some of the hardest criminals ever assembled, including a mastermind serial killer (John Malkovich). After playing a psychotic terrorist who swaps identities with FBI guy John Travolta in John Woo's "Face/Off" (1997), Cage enjoyed a respite from actioners in "City of Angels" (1998), a love story inspired by Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire" (1988), before returning to action fare as corrupt homicide detective frantically searching for an assassin who killed the U.S. Secretary of Defense (Joel Fabiani) in Brian De Palma's crime thriller "Snake Eyes" (1998). In 1999, Cage starred in two edgy thrillers – the vile, depressing crime thriller about snuff films, "8mm," and the intriguing, but ultimately empty black comedy "Bringing out the Dead.”

In 2000, Cage returned to action movies, starring in the car theft movie "Gone in 60 Seconds." While short on character development and plot, the film was big on fast car chases – Cage was a well-known car enthusiast in his private life – and was a mild hit at the box office. Cage's next three films, however, did not fare as well – "Family Man" (2000), "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (2001) and "Windtalkers" (2002) all received lukewarm receptions. After becoming better known for his unorthodox personal life – such as his three-month marriage to Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 2002 – Cage was ripe for a comeback when he starred as real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald in the reality-bending "Adaptation" (2002), in which Kaufman and director Spike Jonze attempted to mix the fact and fiction behind Kaufman's attempts to adapt the bestselling novel The Orchid Thief into a motion picture. Finding an ideal vehicle for his offbeat talents, Cage finally returned to the kind of edgy, quirky and unpredictable characterizations that distinguished him early in his career. Cage's whimsical portrayal of the Kaufman brothers earned him his second nomination for a Best Leading Actor at the Academy Awards.

In addition to his high-profile acting career, Cage frequently made headlines for his high-profile romances. He had an unorthodox marriage to actress Patricia Arquette, which started with a proposal the day they met, followed by him trying to accomplish a series of bizarre tasks to win her love, including finding a non-existent black orchid and obtaining a signature from the reclusive J.D. Salinger. After their divorced was finalized in 2001, Cage had an on-again, off-again relationship with his idol Elvis Presley’s sole heir, daughter Lisa Marie Presley. When their brief marriage ended in 2004, the actor surprised many with his marriage to Alice Kim, a former sushi waitress 20 years younger than Cage, a mere two months after his divorce from Presley was finalized. And more than one eyebrow was raised when the self-professed Superman fanatic named his son w/ Kim, Kal-El – the Man of Steel’s birth name on planet Krypton.

In 2002, Cage saw the release of his first directorial effort, "Sonny," about a man (James Franco) who wants out of the family business as a professional gigolo, which opened quietly amid mixed to unfavorable reviews. Cage followed up his "Adaptation" triumph with a much-admired turn in director Ridley Scott's "Matchstick Men" (2003), playing a small time con man with an abundance of pathological quirks who nevertheless comes alive when he discovers the 14-year-old daughter (Alison Lohman) he never knew he had. He made another return to action fare – this time in a more lighthearted and appealing mode – with the panned, but popular Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "National Treasure" (2004). In this box office hit, he played Benjamin Franklin Gates, the descendent of a treasure-hunting clan who seeks a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War. Next was a turn in "Lord of War" (2005) as Yuri Orlov, a globetrotting arms dealer struggling to stay one step ahead of his enemies – a relentless Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke), his chief business rival (Ian Holm), and a notorious African dictator (Eamonn Walker) – while also grappling his own conscience. “Lord of War” polarized critics – some hated it, while others praised it – but all agreed Cage turned in a finely etched performance.

Even better was his portrayal of the successful Chicago weather forecaster Dave Spritz, who nevertheless inspires total strangers to throw fast foot at him in director Gore Verbinksi's seriocomic, existential "The Weather Man" (2005). Playing a newly introspective man wresting with his own mediocrity and plagued with an inability to meaningfully connect with his family members – his accomplished writer father (Michael Caine), his estranged wife (Hope Davis) and his children – in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking. Cage delivered one of his most measured, effective and surprisingly low-key performances, sparking much awards season buzz that ultimately proved fruitless. After voicing Zoc, the ant wizard in “The Ant Bully” (2006), Cage starred as Port Authority officer John McLoughlin in Oliver Stone’s sober and heart-wrenching look at the September 11th terrorist attacks, “World Trade Center” (2006). Along with Officer Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), McLoughlin survived for 24 hours underneath the rubble after both towers had collapsed. “World Trade Center” opened up to generally positive reviews, though a few expressed concern that it was too soon for a film about the horrific events.

Cage was next seen in “The Wicker Man” (2006), Neil LaBute’s remake of the 1973 British movie about a Scottish police officer who goes to a remote island to find a missing girl and in the process discovers the inhabitants engaged in strange and secretive rituals. He then returned to the big budget fame and glory that defined his career. A lifelong comic book fan who flirted with virtually every comic book adaptation from Superman to Constantine, Cage finally settled on starring in "Ghost Rider" (2007), playing the flaming-skulled motorcycle-riding demon bounty hunter forced by contract to do the Devil’s bidding. Instead of the hard-drinking, heavy metal-loving character from the comics, Cage transformed him into a jelly bean-eating teetotaler who loves to listen to the Carpenters – a testament to the actor’s famed weirdness. Despite an online uproar from comic geeks over early leaked footage of the character’s distinctive flaming skull, “Ghost Rider” rolled to an easy box office take of $52 million over the course of a four-day holiday weekend – surprising given the typical antipathy of audiences for past mid-February releases. Meanwhile, Cage starred in “Bangkok Dangerous” (2008), playing a remorseless hit man whose life takes a turn toward the unexpected when he travels to Thailand to complete a series of contract killings.


Profession(s):
Actor, producer, director

Sometimes Credited As:
Nic Cage
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Coppola
Nicholas Kim Coppola
Nicolas Coppola
Nicolas Kim Coppola



Family
aunt:Eleanor Neil Coppola (Born in 1936; married to Francis Ford Coppola)
aunt:Talia Shire (Born in 1946; formerly married to composer David Shire; later married to and widowed by producer Jack Schwartzman)
brother:Marc Coppola (Born in 1957; works as a New York radio personality)
brother:Christopher Coppola (Born Jan. 25, 1962; directed Cage in "Deadfall")
cousin:Jason Schwartzman (Born in 1980; son of Talia Shire and Jack Schwartzman; starred in "Rushmore" (1998) and "The Darjeeling Limited" (2007))
cousin:Robert Schwartzman (Born in 1982; son of Talia Shire and Jack Schwartzman)
cousin:Roman Coppola (Born in 1965; son of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola)
cousin:Sofia Coppola (Born in 1971; daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola; directed "Lost in Translation" (2003) and "Marie Antoinette" (2006))
father:August Floyd Coppola (Pioneer in studies for the blind; divorced from Cage's mother c. 1976)
grandfather:Carmine Coppola (Paternal grandparent; born June 11, 1910; died April 26, 1991; shared 1974 Oscar for Best Original Score for "The Godfather, Part II")
grandmother:Italia Pennino (Paternal grandparent; born in 1912; died in 2004; known for her Italian cooking and published a cookbook called Mama Coppola's Pasta Book)
mother:Joy Vogelsang (Suffered from chronic depression; divorced from Cage's father c. 1976)
son:Kal-el Coppola Cage (Born Oct. 3, 2005 in New York City; mother, Alice Kim)
son:Weston Coppola Cage (Born Dec. 26, 1990; mother, Kristina Fulton)
uncle:Francis Ford Coppola (Born in 1939; directed Cage in the films "Rumble Fish" (1983), "The Cotton Club" (1984) and "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986))
wife:Lisa Marie Presley (Began dating in spring 2001; separated in January 2002; married Aug. 10, 2002 in Hawaii; filed divorce papers in Los Angeles on Nov. 26, 2002; divorce finalized May 24, 2004)
wife:Alice Kim (Met at the restaurant where she worked as a sushi waitress; began dating Febuary 2004; married July 30, 2004, at a private Northern California ranch)
wife:Patricia Arquette (Born April 8, 1968; dated briefly c. 1987; married in April 1995; Cage filed for divorce in February 2000; couple briefly reconciled and Cage withdrew his suit; Arquette filed for divorce in November 2000; divorced finalized Aug. 29, 2001)



Companion(s)
Carrie Tivador , Companion , ```..Rumored to have dated in 2003
Kristen Zang , Companion , ```..Born c. 1974; together from 1992-94
Kristina Fulton , Companion , ```..Born c. 1957; mother of Cage's son Weston; separated from Cage in 1991
Lori Allison , Companion , ```..Briefly dated; later married Johnny Depp
Penelope Cruz , Companion , ```..Met during filming of "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (2001); rumored to have briefly dated
Sarah Jessica Parker , Companion , ```..Had one-year relationship with Cage in the 1990s


Education
Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, CA
American Conservatory Theatre San Francisco, CA


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jimihendrixmemorial

Jimi Hendrix passed suddenly on September 18, 1970 while touring through London, England. When news of the tragedy made its way to James “Al” Hendrix, (Jimi's father) back in the United States, the wheels for a lasting memorial began to take shape. Al Hendrix requested that Jimi's body be brought back to his birthplace of Seattle, Washington so that a burial at a new family plot, located at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton could be performed.
Despite having barely enough funds to bring Jimi's body back to America, Al Hendrix created a family burial site, consisting of five plots; one for Jimi, half-brother Leon, half-sister Janie, Al Hendrix and his wife Ayako 'June'. With Jimi being the first laid to rest in the new family plot, a modest headstone engraved 'Forever In Our Hearts -- James M. "Jimi" Hendrix -- 1942-1970' was crafted. Despite Jimi's grand musical style, the simple headstone was all that Al could provide his son at that point.

Fourteen years later, with the passing of Nora Hendrix (Al's mother) in 1984, a decision was made to include her in the family plot. As the years continued to move forward, the Hendrix family, like most families continued to grow in significant numbers, with more than forty new additions to both immediate and extended families. As the family continued to grow, Al Hendrix always kept a small flickering flame on his mind, believing that creating a larger family plot where everyone could be buried together.

Thankfully, through all of this, Al Hendrix successfully regained the rights to his son's musical legacy in 1995. After a two and a half year legal battle, the legacy of Jimi Hendrix had finally come home to whom it rightfully belonged. With the control of the Hendrix legacy firmly in the grips of his family and the elder Hendrix, Al finally reaped some degree of financial security as a result. With the legacy firmly back in family hands, Al Hendrix was in a position to bring past wishes to life.

As Mr. Hendrix described in an interview in 1999, "with Jimi's music now in good hands, there is one important job left for me to take care of for my family. I have decided to create a memorial for Jimi at Greenwood Cemetery.

"A resting-place for a loved one is almost always a private issue dealt with quietly by family members. However, I have always understood that Jimi in some way belongs to his fans and the world.

"Understanding this, I recently joined with Greenwood Cemetery to create plans for a beautiful memorial on behalf of Jimi. This is something I always wished I could have done for my son, but I was not able to do so until now. With the creation of this new memorial, I am now able to make sure that there is a place where all my family can be buried together. This brings me great peace."

As Hendrix described, the proposed Jimi Hendrix Memorial is more than a place to celebrate the life of Jimi Hendrix, it will become the final resting place to other members of the Hendrix family. When the memorial is finished plans currently outline the relocation of several Hendrix family members to the new 54-plot memorial at Greenwood.

The new memorial will be a place for all to enjoy and a place to remember the life and the music of Jimi Hendrix. Al Hendrix's involvement in the creation of the new memorial was rooted at its very center. Following announcements of the memorial in September 1999, Hendrix explained, "I have been directly involved with every aspect of the memorial project.

"I hope that in the years to come, both my family and Jimi's fans will find peace, remembrance, and inspiration from this memorial. I shall continue to embrace all of the other tributes to Jimi throughout the world, but I hope that the memorial project at Greenwood Cemetery will come to be seen as my legacy to Jimi and my family."

Work on the project began in early 1999 after Mr. Hendrix and his daughter, Janie Hendrix commissioned architect Mark Barthelemy of Cold Springs Granite to design the proposed memorial. The interpretive design incorporates many of Jimi's lifelong beliefs, themes from his own music, input from surviving family members and several significant historical elements, all ensuring that the completed monument would be as unique as the life and music that it celebrates.

Over the years the Hendrix family recognized the need to create something more significant for the fans who help keep Jimi’s musical legacy alive. With more than 14 thousand fans from around the globe visiting Jimi's current grave at Greenwood Memorial Park every year, Al Hendrix sought to create something that would make visiting Jimi's final resting place a truly personal and memorable experience for everyone. In addition to Mr. Hendrix’s desire for a fitting monument to his son, he also wanted a memorial for Jimi that was more respectful to the surrounding graves. With the thousands of visitors that Jimi's grave receives annually, fans trying to pay their respect to Jimi often unwittingly trample the surrounding graves.

On September 24, 1999, Al Hendrix and members of the Hendrix family held a press conference at Greenwood Memorial Park to unveil the initial design and announce to the world his intentions of creating a lasting memorial for his son.

Following on the heels of the announcement of the Hendrix memorial, the family took some pressure from fans after incorrect information was published in news reports throughout the country. Shortly following that, Al Hendrix released a statement to fans to reiterate why he was moving forward with the memorial.

Since that time, work on the project continued, leading up to a public commemoration of the memorial on June 10, 2002, a day that would mark Al Hendrix’s 83rd Birthday. Sadly in late 2001, Mr. Hendrix’s health gradually deteriorated and attention to the project was diverted towards his health. Sadly, James “Al” Hendrix passes away at his Seattle home on April 17, 2002 at the age of 82.

Al was known for his deep affection for all those around him and he always had a special place in his heart for animals. Kindness, honor and loyalty were among his best characteristics. His is a spirit that will be truly missed yet his deeds will live on.

Just as Al Hendrix had strived to fulfill the dreams and preserve the legacy of his famous son, Jimi; surviving members of the Hendrix family vowed to keep Al Hendrix’s vision alive and to complete the projects that had already been started.

While Al Hendrix is no longer here to help see this project through to completion himself, his family has renewed their focus on the memorial project and are destined to see it to completion and a public dedication ceremony this June, to help mark what would have been Al Hendrix’s 84th birthday.

Since September, considerable work has been completed on the project including the construction of three granite pillars that brace the large granite dome that will cover a life-sized bronze statue currently being constructed in Italy. In November, the remains of Jimi Hendrix, his father Al Hendrix and step-mother Ayako were moved to their permanent burial sites around the memorial.

In the coming months, considerable more granite work and bronze accents will be added to the memorial and the life size bronze statue will be installed. As the project continues, this website will feature the latest information.
http://www.jimihendrixmemorial.com/

http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/

I no longer blow my own trumpet: Kareena

Kareena is the golden girl. Just when you started feeling sorry for her for bringing in her 27th birthday on Sunday all alone far away from family friends and boyfriend in Ladakh she surprises everyone and herself by seducing destiny to change its mind.

Nursing seriously sore throat, Kareena cheers herself up by informing that Saif might be visiting her in Ladakh for her birthday.

"I get the feeling that he's going to surprise me on my birthday. I know he'd want to. So yes, I'm pretty sure we'll be together on my birthday," she says with a sigh and gives Saif full marks for being an understanding boyfriend.

"He never complains about the lack of time between us. He knows this is the best time of my career. After Jab We Met the roles are just getting so much more interesting. Saif is extremely supportive. Besides he's very busy himself. So we snatch whatever time we get together."

Kareena says she has no time for anything besides work. "Such is my life these days.I've no time for family friends…or even for love.

Even the few hours that I have between schedules I use to shoot for endorsements, or whatever. So yes this is the most rewarding time of my life. But I miss my time with my mom, my sister and niece," sighs Kareena from Ladakh on the eve of her 27th birthday.

"I'm here in Ladakh for one of the most important films of my career Idiots. It can't get any hotter than Aamir Khan and Raj Kumar Hirani."

Throw Kareena into the dish and you have a real appetizer, I tell her.

Kareena laughs modestly. "I'm not saying that. I no longer blow my own trumpet. But it does feel good to be here shooting with such a brilliant team. I can't think of a better way to bring in my birthday.

But at the moment I'm feeling very under the weather. I landed here in the cold in Ladakh from the heat of Delhi and my throat has gone really sore. But work will go on."

As for the birthday on 21 September she'll have to celebrate it without family. "Mum can't brave it to Ladakh in this weather.

This was the day the ghastly bomb blasts in Delhi.

"In fact," shudders Kareena. "I was in Greater Kailash (the area where one of the bombs went off) in the morning of the blasts. It is so disturbing when such a thing happens right where you are. Why should anyone want to harm normal law-abiding peace-loving people?"

Looking forward to being together on her birthday, Kareena could possibly be getting a new Saif Ali Khan film for her birthday.

"He does want me to be in his next production Agent Vinod. But for me to agree to be in it both he and his partner (Dinesh Vijeyan) will have to plead on bended knees after not having me signed for their first film."

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Drona is my biggest, my best: Abhishek Bachchan

The countdown has begun for the two biggies that are slated for release this Idd: DRONA and KIDNAP. A lot is riding on these two films.

In terms of economics, both are expensive films. Plus, the careers of Abhishek Bachchan (DRONA) and Imran Khan (post JAANE TU… YA JAANE NA) are at stake. Will DRONA live up to the humungous expectations?

"It's my biggest and best film so far," Abhishek Bachchan tells me. He's supremely confident this time. "I don't speak like this, do I? But DRONA is different. It's the most expensive film I am associated with. Besides, Goldie (Behl; the director) has executed the subject remarkably," he states.

Abhishek and Goldie have got together after more than seven years (BAS ITNA SA KHWAB HAI was released in July 2001).

In between, in 2006, Goldie had plans of making a thriller with Abhishek, but decided on making an adventure fare instead. "Goldie was disheartened after his debut film failed. Later, he diversified into television; he wanted to make his company secure before he announced his next film," Abhishek reminisces.

Abhishek credits his directors for the (sterling) performances he has delivered in films like YUVA and GURU (Mani Ratnam) as also SARKAR and SARKAR RAJ (RGV).

"If at all DRONA works -- and I hope it does -- Goldie should get the credit for it. He has worked very, very hard. I am sure, the Indian audiences haven't seen an adventure film like DRONA before," he says confidently.

Abhishek has worked in the DHOOM series as also SARKAR and its sequel. There's talk that a sequel to DRONA is in the offing.

"Oh yes! Goldie has written so much in the intervening period that he's ready to take the DRONA series forward. In fact, the possibility of a sequel can easily be explored," he adds.

Romance Never Dies

An older couple were lying in bed one night. The husband was falling asleep but the wife felt romantic and wanted to talk.

She said, "You use to hold my hand when we were courting."

Wearily he reached across, held her hand for a second and tried to get back to ep.
sle
A few moments later she said, "Then you used to kiss me."

Mildly irritated, he reached across, gave her a peck on the cheek and settled down to sleep.

Thirty seconds later she said, "Then you use to bite my neck."

Angrily, he threw back the bed clothes and got out of bed.

"Where are you going ?" she asked.

"To get my teeth!"

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