The Celebrity Face

Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released three comedy albums: Harmful If Swallowed, Retaliation, and Rough around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden. Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album in 28 years and went double platinum. Cook performed an HBO special in the Fall of 2006, Vicious Circle, and has made numerous television appearances. As an actor, Cook has appeared in fifteen films since 1997, including Mystery Men, the 2005 film Waiting…, and starred in the 2006 comedy Employee of the Month and the 2007 comedy Good Luck Chuck. He also appeared in the 2007 thriller Mr. Brooks, which was a departure from his standard comedic roles. Cook recently had a supporting role in the 2007 film Dan in Real Life.

Early life

Dane Cook was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of George Cook (who now works at a golf course but at different times managed and ran a lumber yard, a window business and a rock club in Cambridge) and Donna Cook, a homemaker.

Cook grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb in an Irish Catholic family. He is the second youngest of seven siblings; he has a younger sister, one older brother and four older sisters. He attended Arlington High School, where he starred in the school production of Grease. In high school, Cook was very introverted and to help break through his shell, he took up drama and eventually fell in love with improvisation and sketch comedy.

As a teenager, Cook became interested in comedy when his father, former radio personality George Cook, gave him a tape recorder and microphone. Later, he would learn what it meant to be a stand-up comedian. He was enthralled with comedians who were not afraid to sweat on stage—Richard Pryor and Robin Williams—and was equally taken by those like Steven Wright and Bob Newhart, who could ignite a crowd while standing in one place for an hour.

Cook graduated in 1990 and began doing comedy that same year. Cook started comedy by being part of a three-man improv troupe called Al and the Monkeys with Robert Kelly and Al Del Bene. The troupe toured together for four years before disbanding. As he tells it, Cook’s comedy did not grow from pain or a need to fill some emotional void, but for simply the fun of entertaining

Stand-Up

Cook’s first comedy performance was at an open microphone night at Catch A Rising Star that was M.C’d by David Cross. Originally Cook went to watch the show but when he found out that a man by the name of Ernest Glenn didn’t show up for his set, Cook went onstage under the name Ernest Glenn. Afterwards Cook spent the next several years honing his act in local comedy clubs as well as performing in bars, laundromats, and Chinese restaurants. For the first five years of his career, Cook honed his act in Boston while living at home with his parents.

In 1995, Cook moved out of his parent’s basement to New York City and began performing in earnest. He also spent that time working the Comedy Club and College circuits. Two years later, he shuffled 3,000 miles west to Los Angeles, where he still lives today.

Cook’s big comedy break came in 1998 when he appeared on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. This started a relationship between Cook and Comedy Central that has lasted many years. In 2000, Cook did a half-hour special on Comedy Central Presents. Since then his special has won the Comedy Central Stand-up showdown twice in a row.

In 2003, Cook released his first CD/DVD entitled Harmful If Swallowed. The success of the album landed him a record contract with Comedy Central Records. The album is certified platinum. He released his second CD/DVD in 2005, entitled Retaliation. This album went double platinum and made Cook the first comic in 29 years to have an album at #4 on the Billboard charts. This earned him a place alongside best-selling comedy vets Bill Cosby, George Carlin, and Steve Martin.

The success of the album also landed him a comedy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, and then afterwards he joined Snoop Dogg (who introduced him) in presenting the award for Best New Artist.

On April 15, 2005 Cook performed his first HBO Special entitled Vicious Circle filmed "in the round" at the TD Banknorth Garden. The same year Cook shot two pilot episodes for his own sitcom, Cooked. The sitcom never got picked up and the two pilot episodes were later released on DVD as the Lost Pilot Episodes. That same year he embarked on a 30-day 20-show college tour called Tourgasm with his long time friends Robert Kelly, Gary Gulman, and Jay Davis. The tour was filmed and was later made into a 9-episode documentary on HBO.

On December 3, 2005, Cook hosted Saturday Night Live. He performed the longest monologue in the show’s history and it was one of the highest-rated SNLs of the season". He would then go on to host the premiere of season 32 of SNL a year later.

In 2006 Cook headlined for Dave Attell’s Insomniac Tour and hosted the 2006 Teen Choice Awards alongside Jessica Simpson. The following year he won the award for Best Comedian. On November 12, Cook became the second comic to sell out Madison Square Garden. He did two sold out shows in one night. The show was filmed and would later be put onto a DVD to be sold on Cook’s third comedy album.

Cook won the Big Entertainer Award at the VH1 Big in ‘06 Awards, and Rolling Stone magazine’s Hot Comic of the Year.

On November 13, 2007, Cook released his third CD/DVD entitled Rough around the Edges. The Album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart. During that time, he embarked on a tour of the same name. This was Cook’s first arena tour.

On April 10, 2007, Cook broke The Laugh Factory endurance record (previously held by Richard Pryor) by performing on stage for 3 hours and 50 minutes. Dave Chappelle would break the record five days later. On January 1, 2008, Cook again broke the club’s endurance record, by performing on stage for 7 hours

From May 23, 2008 to May 25, 2008 Cook renuited with Robert Kelly and Al Del Bene for 3 shows at The Coliseum in Caesars Palace. Then, from May 29, 2008 to June 4, 2008, the Trio went to Iraq to perform for the troops. During all of these shows Bene was the Emcee, Kelly was the Feature, and Cook was the Headliner.

Film

On October 6, 2006 Cook starred in his first leading role as the slacker boxboy Zach Bradley in Employee of the Month His co-stars were Jessica Simpson and Dax Shepard. Following its release, the film became the #1 most requested movie on AOL. Despite the poor critical response, the film managed open to nearly $12 million in its opening weekend, debuting at #4 just behind Open Season.."

On June 1, 2007, Cook co-starred in his first dramatic role as the devious photographer Mr. Smith in Mr. Brooks along with Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, and William Hurt.

On September 21, 2007, Cook starred as the dentist Charlie Logan in the release of Good Luck Chuck. with Jessica Alba and Dan Fogler. Critics viewed the film unfavorably, but it went on to gross over $55,000,000 worldwide as of January 17, 2008. It debuted as the #1 comedy in the US that week (#2 overall, behind Resident Evil). The Good Luck Chuck DVD sold over 210,000 copies in its first day of release (January 15, 2008).

On October 26, 2007, Cook co-starred as the cocky Mitch Burns in the release of Dan in Real Life along with Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche. The film grossed $11.8 million in 1,921 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #2 at the box office. As of December 26, 2007, it had grossed $46 million.

On September 19, 2008, Cook will star as ‘Tank’ in the movie My Best Friend’s Girl with Kate Hudson, Jason Biggs, and Alec Baldwin.

Style

Dane Cook’s style is principally energetic physical comedy. He combines observational humor and wordplay with a casual attitude. Cook says his onstage persona is a combination of the personalities of his mom, Donna , and his dad, George, “My mother is like a Looney Tunes cartoon. She’s wiggly,” Dane says. “She has the ability to tongue in cheek a lot, and do it in a way where she’s being physical. My dad is the polar opposite. He always had a little ‘what the fuck’ in his voice. Even if he knew nothing about what he was talking about, he could sell it. So I looked at these two extremely funny people and created a style of comedy from absorbing their actions."

His routines focus on his childhood, and his plans for the future, such as his "dream home". He will sometimes deliver jokes in the form of over-the-top rants with increasingly erratic body motions, pacing, waving, and jumping.

He explains that:
“ I wanted to create a stage persona for myself that allowed me to really speak about anything I want… So I can be a storyteller, I can be jokey, I can be corny, I can be a little vulgar, I can be a lot vulgar. And I’m not afraid to go anywhere to get the point of the joke across, even if I have to just blabber like an idiot until it becomes apparent that I’m telling a joke and that the audience should laugh. ”

Cook has also popularized what he calls the SUperFInger:
“ One night I did a bit on stage about 5 years ago at the Laugh Factory. I was talking about how the finger is lame now and it’s lost its pizazz. I said I wanted to upgrade the finger and so from now on people should use both the ring finger coupled with the middle finger. I called it the SUperFInger (or SU-FI) ”

In 2005, Cook started his own company to produce his albums and videos, which he named SUperFInger Entertainment.

Material

Numerous commentators have characterized Dane Cook’s humor as unfunny, banal, and lacking jokes. Comedian Ron White has criticized Dane Cook for his lack of real material and for his inflated ego; saying "(He) does not make me laugh, at all, in any way, shape or form." When asked about his opinion of Cook on The Howard Stern Show, comedian Nick DiPaolo said “he doesn’t make me laugh, but that doesn’t mean he’s not funny.” Andy Kindler, who has gone so far as to ridicule the purported unsophistication of Cook’s material on the Late Show with David Letterman, points out that much of Cook’s writing employs speculative premises, portrayed as axiomatic, resulting in observations that possess only the pretense of insight.

Delivery

Andy Kindler, known in industry circles for his exposing of common hack techniques and his derision of those who use them, often publicly criticizes and mocks Cook’s stage mannerisms in an effort to show such delivery to be devoid of significant style or development, constituting little more than a union of excessive pacing and exaggerated enunciation. A deliberate apparatus, Kindler propounds, used to impose a tone of frenzy on material that would otherwise reveal itself banal.

Plagiarism

After the release of his CD/DVD Retaliation, similarities were noticed between Cook’s work and material recorded on Louis C.K.’s 2001 album Live in Houston. The bits in question are Louis C.K.’s "Itchy Asshole", "Guy on a Bike", and "Naming Kids". In 2005, Dane Cook performed and released three similar routines on Retaliation. These are "Itchy Asshole", "Struck by a Vehicle," and "My Son Optimus Prime", respectively.

In 2005, on the message boards of comedy web site ‘A Special Thing’, C.K. posted a response to his fans who accused Cook of plagiarizing from him writing "Okay, this kid is stealing from me. And making lots of money. Three bits on one CD." Later, C.K. wrote "Just so you know, guys, I’m not going to do anything about this…. I’m not going to court over a bit called ‘Itchy Asshole.’" In an interview on the Free Beer & Hot Wings Morning Show in February 2007, C.K. stated that while the jokes are similar, the issue was "overblown" and may stem from a backlash against Cook’s popularity. However, C.K. accused Cook of being "bullyish" and litigious towards comedians for having similar material to his despite Cook claiming elsewhere that comedians often have similar material and it is not a big issue to him. C.K. also stated "Too bad the guy [Cook] can’t write enough." After pressure by the hosts for a statement, C.K. ended the interview by finally adding (possibly as a joke): "Fuck Dane Cook, he’s a cunt."

Comedian Joe Rogan has spoken on many occasions about Cook performing a bit on an episode of Premium Blend that Rogan had developed on I’m Gonna Be Dead Someday (sketch titled "Tigers Fucking"), and claims to have performed the routine earlier in clubs with Cook present.

Rob Sheffield criticized Dane Cook’s material in a Rolling Stone article from October 2006, claiming a joke he performed was originally done by Emo Philips.

Jim Breuer talked about Dane Cook’s reputation within the comedy industry, saying: "Everyone kills this guy… Not one comedian comes on (my Sirius radio show) and says `I’m so happy for him,’ which is weird. … They can’t stand this poor guy." He went on to explain that a lot of comedians "are upset because they really feel this guy has snatched a lot of material".

Yuk-Yuks controversy

On July 24, 2006, Cook asked for a guest spot at the Vancouver Yuk-Yuks comedy club. Initially he was set to go up at the end of the night, but upon arriving at the club he requested to go up before the headliner, Peter Kelamis. Cook went over his allotted time, and after several minutes of the "wrap it up" light flashing, the club cut his microphone and attempted to "play him off" with music. Cook acted as though it was a mistake and continued his set for another five minutes until the process was repeated. Cook then dropped the mic and walked off-stage, furious, and was heard screaming obscenities at club employees backstage. Kelamis then refused to take the stage, and later referred to Cook’s actions as "the most arrogant thing that I’ve ever seen in my life".

Mark Breslin, the founder of the comedy club chain, quickly apologized and blamed the club’s manager. Breslin stated in support of Cook, "I’m on Dane’s side totally, 100 percent." Breslin also explained that Kelamis was the last show that evening and there was no reason he could not have gone on late, stating "the tradition is that stardom trumps everything".

Other Behaviour

Cook is rumored to have been tossed out a ‘Smith & Wollensky’s Steakhouse’ after being "difficult". According to an employee: "His assistant ordered for him. He got a steak and sent it back three times… The chef was furious. Eventually we told him enough is enough." It is also rumored that during the tapings of Cook’s "World Series" commercial for TBS, which he did for free, he behaved rudely on set and "demanded blocks of tickets for postseason games in return for filming the commercials for free".

"Unfunniest Comic"

"Unfunniest Comic"In April, 2008 after a "March Madness" patterned tournament, Boston radio station WBCN DJs Fred Toucher and Rich Shirtenlieb named Cook "The Unfunniest Comic". Toucher explained Cook won the dubious honor because "he’s actually hated. People don’t hate others the way they do him. At least Foxworthy panders to rednecks. Dane’s stories are so weak you wouldn’t want to hear them over lunch."

Eviction Proceedings

In July, 2008, Dane Cook’s landlord began legal proceedings to have him and his girlfriend evicted from their apartment building after numerous complaints from their neighbours that they were letting Cook’s dog defecate in the common areas of the complex and not cleaning it up. The landlord claims that several warnings to the couple apparently went ignored, and that the dog continues to use the apartments’ common areas as a bathroom.

Kerry Washington (born January 31, 1977), is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles’ wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray (2004), as Kay Amin in The Last King of Scotland, and Alicia Masters in the 2005 live-action Fantastic Four film and its 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. She has also starred in the critically acclaimed independent films Our Song and The Dead Girl.

Early life

Washington, an African American, was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, the daughter of a successful real estate broker father and a professor and educational consultant mother. As a child, she performed in children’s musical theater with TADA! Youth Theater. She attended The Spence School in Manhattan, graduating in 1994; fellow alumni include Gwyneth Paltrow and Emmy Rossum. Washington went on to earn a theater degree in 1998 from George Washington University.

Personal life

Washington was engaged to actor David Moscow from October 2004 to March 2007.

As a sort of souvenir/memento, she usually tries to keep something from every character that she plays whether it is an item of wardrobe or a piece of furniture from the house that the character lived in.

Career

Washington made her screen debut in the ABC telefilm Magical Make-Over (1994). She was in the cast of the 1996 PBS sketch comedy-style educational series Standard Deviants, and she appeared in the short "3D" and the feature film Our Song in 2000. She went on to roles in several movies, including Save the Last Dance (2001), The Human Stain (2003), Spike Lee’s She Hate Me (2004), Ray (2004), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Little Man & I Think I Love My Wife (2007), and, in a departure, an accented, period role as a wife of 1970s Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the UK historical drama The Last King of Scotland (2006). Washington has also appeared in the recurring role Chelina Hall on the ABC television series Boston Legal, and in several episodes of the A&E cable-TV series 100 Centre Street.

She is the new spokeperson for L’Oréal starring in commercials and ads alongside fellow actresses Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria, and model Doutzen Kroes.

She also co-directed and appeared in the music video for hip-hop artist Common’s song, "I Want You", the fourth single off of his album Finding Forever.

In addition, Kerry serves as the narrator of the critically-acclaimed 2008 documentary about the New Orleans-based teenage TBC Brass Band entitled From the Mouthpiece on Back, which also lists The Roots as one of the executive producers of the movie.

She has also been known as apart of the African American group ‘Negro Hunters’ that find troubled black students in schools across the west coast and try to help them regain their way into an education..

Filmography

A moment with…Kerry Washington

When Kerry Washington told Chris Rock she wanted to play the flesh-flaunting home wrecker Nikki in I Think I Love My Wife (March 16), ”he laughed at me,” she recalls. He thought the Bronx-born beauty was better suited for the role of Brenda, his nurturing spouse. That was until Rock saw her play a sultry lesbian in Spike Lee’s She Hate Me (2004). By then, though, Washington had her own doubts. ”I got nervous because he was directing,” she says, adding, ”Head of State is not my favorite movie in the world.” Now, after working with Rock, she’s on a roll.

On Chris Rock, the actor ”Before this, I never thought of Chris as an actor. He really made an effort this time around. He hired one of the best acting coaches in the business and worked hard.”

On Alicia Masters, the character she reprises in this summer’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer ”The studio was looking for white actresses. I approached them and said, ‘Would you be willing to open this up?’ Now, when you watch the Fantastic Four cartoon, Alicia Masters is black. That’s huge.”

On becoming a sex symbol ”I Think I Love My Wife’s Nikki has nothing to do with Kerry Washington. That’s Kerry Washington with silicone stuck in her bra, smoking cigarettes and talking in a deep voice.”

On going to Africa to shoot The Last King of Scotland ”There’s this idea that as an African American you’re supposed to get off the plane in Africa and feel like you’re home. And — to be totally honest with you — I was terrified that I wasn’t going to have that response. I was like, ‘I don’t want to be a bad black person.”’ So what happened when she got there? ”I fell in love. I totally fell in love.”

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Milla Jovovich (born as Milica Jovović, on December 17, 1975) is an American model, actress, musician, and fashion designer. Over her career, she has appeared in a number of science fiction and action themed films, for which music channel VH1 has referred to her as the "reigning queen of kick-butt".

Jovovich began modeling at eleven, when Richard Avedon featured her in Revlon’s "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" advertisements, and she continued her career with other notable campaigns for L’Oreal cosmetics, Banana Republic, Christian Dior, Donna Karan and Versace. In 1988, she had her first professional acting role in the television film The Night Train to Kathmandu, and later that year she appeared in her first feature film, Two Moon Junction. Following more small television and film roles, she gained notoriety with the romance film Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991), the sequel to The Blue Lagoon. Jovovich then acted alongside Bruce Willis in the science fiction film The Fifth Element (1997), and later played the title role in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). In 2002, she starred in the video game adaptation, Resident Evil, which has gone on to spawn two sequels: Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) and Resident Evil: Extinction (2007).

In addition to her modeling and acting career, Jovovich released a critically acclaimed musical album, The Divine Comedy in 1994. She continues to release demos for other songs on her official website and contributes to film soundtracks as well; Jovovich has yet to release another album. In 2003, she and model Carmen Hawk created the clothing line Jovovich-Hawk. Now in its third season, the pieces can be found at Fred Segal in Los Angeles, Harvey Nichols, and over 50 stores around the world. Jovovich also has her own production company, Creature Entertainment.

Early life, family

Jovovich was born in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, the daughter of Bogdan Bogdanović Jovović, a Yugoslav pediatrician of Serbian extraction and Galina Loginova, a Soviet stage actress of ethnic Ukrainian-Russian descent.

Jovovich’s paternal family’s estate was at Metohija in Zlopek near Peć. Her paternal great-grandfather, Bogić Camić Jovović, was a flag-bearer of the Serbian Vasojevići clan and an officer in the guard of the King Nicholas I of Montenegro; his wife’s name was Milica. Her paternal grandfather, Bogdan Jovović, was a commander in the Priština military area, and later investigated finances in the military areas of Skopje and Sarajevo, where he uncovered massive gold embezzlement. He was punished for refusing to convict a friend of the crime. Later, the government briefly imprisoned him in Goli Otok for refusing to testify. When he feared that he could be arrested again, he escaped to Albania and later moved to Kiev. A different version of the story claims that he was the one who took the gold. Bogich later joined Bodgan in Kiev, where he and his sister graduated in medicine. In 2000, her grandfather, Bogdan Jovović, died in Kiev.

In 1981, when Jovovich was five years old, her family left the Soviet Union for political reasons and moved to London. They subsequently lived in Sacramento, California before settling in Los Angeles, California seven months later; Jovovich’s parents divorced soon after.

In 1988, as a result of her father’s relationship with an Argentinan woman, Jovovich’s half-brother Marco Jovovich, was born. Jovovich’s mother attempted to support the family with acting jobs, but found little success, and eventually resorted to cleaning houses to earn money. Both her father and mother provided house cleaning services for director Brian de Palma. Jovovich’s father was incarcerated for most of her childhood for partaking in an illegal operation with medical insurance; he was given a twenty year sentence in 1994, but was released in 1999 after serving five years in an American prison. Jovovich has stated that "Prison was good for him. He’s become a much better person. It gave him a chance to stop and think."

Jovovich attended public schools shortly after arriving in the United States, and learned fluent English in three months. During school, many of the students had teased her because she had immigrated from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Jovovich said, "I was called a Commie and a Russian spy. I was never, ever, ever accepted into the crowd". At age twelve in seventh grade, Jovovich left school to focus on her growing career. As a young teenager, she claimed to be rebellious, engaging in drug use, shopping mall vandalism, and credit-card fraud

Modeling career

At the age of nine, Jovovich began going to modeling auditions, and was signed by Prima modeling agency. At eleven, Jovovich was noticed by the photographer Richard Avedon. Avedon was head of marketing at Revlon at the time, and chose Jovovich to appear with models Alexa Singer and Sandra Zatezalo in Revlon’s "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" advertisements. In 1987, photographers Gene Lemuel and Peter Duke took polaroids of the twelve year old Jovovich, and Lemuel later showed the photographs to Herb Ritts. Impressed, Ritts re-shot the polaroids for the October 1987 cover of the Italian fashion magazine Lei; this was the first of her many cover shoots. In 1988, she made her first professional model contract. Jovovich was among other models who gained controversy for becoming involved in the industry at a young age.

Later Jovovich made it to the cover of The Face, which led to new contracts and covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Since then, she has graced over one hundred magazine covers, including Seventeen, Mademoiselle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar and In Style. Her modeling career has included various campaigns for Banana Republic, Christian Dior, Damiani, Donna Karan, Gap, Versace, Calvin Klein, DKNY, Coach, Giorgio Armani, H&M, and Revlon. Since 1998, Jovovich has been an "international spokesmodel" for L’Oreal cosmetics. She also appeared in the Pirelli calendar in 1998 and had a minor cameo in Bret Easton Ellis’s novel Glamorama, a satire of society’s obsession with celebrities and beauty.

In an article published in 2002, Jovovich was said to be Miuccia Prada’s muse and in an article published in 2003, Harpers & Queen magazine claimed Jovovich was Gianni Versace’s "favourite supermodel". In 2004, Jovovich topped Forbes magazine’s "Richest Supermodels of the World" list, earning a reported $10.5 million. In 2006, Jovovich was picked up by Spanish clothing line Mango as their new spokesmodel and is currently featured in their ad campaigns; she can also be seen in ads for Etro. She has noted that "Modeling was never a priority" and it instead enables her "to be selective about the creative decisions make".

Acting career: early work (1985-1993)

Jovovich’s mother had "raised to be a movie star" and in 1985, enrolled Jovovich to the Professional Actors school in California. In 1988, she appeared in her first professional role in the made for television film The Night Train to Kathmandu as Lily McLeod. Later that year she made her debut in a theatrically released picture with a small role, as Samantha Delongpre, in the romantic thriller Two Moon Junction. Following roles on the television series Paradise (1988) and Parker Lewis Can’t Lose (1990), Jovovich was cast as the lead as Lilli Hargrave in Return to the Blue Lagoon (1991). This sequel to The Blue Lagoon (1980) placed her opposite Brian Krause. Return to the Blue Lagoon lead to comparisons between her and child model-turned-actress, Brooke Shields (who had starred in the original) – Jovovich was often called by press the "Slavic Brooke Shields". The role also gained her controversy, much like Shields gained in The Blue Lagoon, for appearing nude at a young age. For her portrayal of Lili, Jovovich was nominated for both "Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture" in the 1991 Young Artist Awards, and "Worst New Star" in the 1991 Golden Raspberry Awards.

In 1992, Jovovich co-starred with Christian Slater in the comedy Kuffs. Later that year, she portrayed Mildred Harris in the Charlie Chaplin biographical film Chaplin. 1993 saw Jovovich in the Richard Linklater cult film Dazed and Confused, in which she played Michelle Burroughs, on screen girlfriend to Pickford (played by her then real life boyfriend Shawn Andrews). Jovovich was heavily featured in the promotional material for the film, however, upon the film’s release, she was upset to find her role was considerably trimmed from the original script. The bulk of Jovovich’s role was to be shot on the last day of filming, however, she was misinformed of the date, and ultimately had one line in the film, "No", in addition to singing a line from "The Alien Song" from her album, The Divine Comedy. Discouraged, she took a hiatus from acting roles, during which time she moved to Europe and began focusing on a music career.

Breakthrough (1997-2001)

Jovovich returned to acting in 1997 with a lead in the Luc Besson directed science fiction action film The Fifth Element, alongside Bruce Willis and Gary Oldman. She portrayed Leeloo, an alien who was the "perfect being". Jovovich said she "worked like hell: no band practice, no clubs, no pot, nothing" to acquire the role and impress Besson, whom she later married and eventually divorced. She took part in eight months of acting classes and karate practice prior to filming. Jovovich also co-created and mastered a 400-word alien language for her role. She wore a costume that came to be known as the "ACE-bandage" costume, a revealing body suit made of medical bandages designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier. The Fifth Element was selected as the opening film for the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and its worldwide box office gross was over $263 million, more than three times its budget of $80 million.The Fifth Element was often praised for its visual style and unique costumes, and film reviewer James Berardinelli, explained "Jovovich makes an impression, although her effectiveness has little to do with acting and less to do with dialogue". Jovovich was nominated for "Favorite Female Newcomer" at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards and "Best Fight" at the MTV Movie Awards. However, she was also nominated for "Worst Supporting Actress" at the Razzie Awards. Jovovich’s portrayal of Leeloo garnered a video game and a planned action figure, but the figure was never released due to licensing problems. In a 2003 interview, Jovovich said Leeloo was her favorite role to portray.

In 1998, Jovovich had a role in the Spike Lee drama He Got Game as abused prostitute Dakota Burns, appearing with Denzel Washington and Ray Allen. In 1999, she appeared in the music video for the song If You Can’t Say No by Lenny Kravitz. In 1999, Jovovich returned to the action genre playing the title role in The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc, re-uniting her with director Luc Besson. She was featured in armor throughout several extensive battle scenes, and cut her hair to a short length for the role. Jovovich received generally good reviews for her performance, although she also received a Razzie Award nomination for "Worst Actress". The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc did moderately well at the box office, gaining $66 million world wide. Afterwards, In 2000, Jovovich appeared as the troubled Eloise in The Million Dollar Hotel, a film based on a concept story by Bono of the band U2 and Nicholas Klein. Directed by Wim Wenders, Jovovich starred along side Jeremy Davies and Mel Gibson, in addition to providing vocals on the film’s soundtrack. Afterwards, she portrayed bar owner, Lucia, in the British western film The Claim (2000), and the evil Katinka in the celebrity cameo laced comedy Zoolander (2001).

International success (2002-2006)

In 2002, Jovovich starred in the horror/action film Resident Evil, released in the United States on March 15, 2002. Based on the CAPCOM video game series of same name, she portrayed Alice, the film’s hero who fights a legion of zombies created by the evil Umbrella Corporation. Jovovich had accepted the role of Alice because she and her brother had been fans of the video game franchise, saying "it was exciting for me just watching him play, I could sit for 5 hours and we would sit all day and play this game". Jovovich had performed all the stunts required in the film, save for a scene that would involve her jumping to a cement platform, which her management deemed too dangerous, and had trained in karate, kick-boxing and combat-training. The film was commercially successful, grossing $17 million on its opening weekend, and gaining $40 million domestically and $102 million worldwide. Later, she portrayed the manipulative gang wife Erin in No Good Deed (2002), Nadine in the romantic comedy You Stupid Man (2002), punk rocker Fangora ("Fanny") in Dummy (2003), and provided a guest voice on the television series King of the Hill. The role of Fangora in Dummy, allowed Jovovich to act in film with Oscar-winning Adrien Brody, who was a friend prior to filming. Jovovich found it easy to identify with this role because she felt Fangora, as opposed to previous characters, possessed similar qualities to the actress’s own life.

In 2004, Jovovich reprised the role of Alice in the sequel to Resident Evil, Resident Evil: Apocalypse. The role required her to do fight training for three hours a day, in addition to the three months prior to filming in which she had "gun training, martial arts, everything". Apocalypse received even more negative reactions from the critics than the first film. Following the release of the film, Jovovich was unhappy with the results and director Alexander Witt’s effort. She noted during an interview that year that her large action films take care of the commercial part of her career, while she acts in "independent little films that never come out" to appease her artistic side, and "It’s a good balance". The following year, she was featured in Gore Vidal’s faux trailer remake of Caligula, as Drusilla. In 2006, Jovovich’s film, the science fiction/action thriller Ultraviolet, was released on March 3. She played the title role of Violet Song jat Shariff, a role that also involved heavily choreographed fight sequences and Gun Kata, a fictional martial art combining statistical analysis and gunplay. It was not screened for critics, but when reviewed, it was critically panned, grossing $31 million world wide. That year Jovovich also starred in .45, as Kat, the revenge driven wife of a drug dealer.

Recent and future roles (2007)

In 2007, Jovovich reprised her role as Alice in Resident Evil: Extinction, the third of the Resident Evil series. The film grossed an estimated $24 million in 2,828 theaters on its opening weekend, topping the box office gross for that week. It opened stronger than its predecessor, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, which opened with $23 million in 3,284 theaters (over 450 more theaters than Extinction). In a March 2006 interview, Jovovich said that she would not appear in another action film "for a long time", expressing a desire to portray more diverse roles, but she added that talks of another sequel in the Resident Evil franchise were a "real possibility".

Jovovich was set to portray Amalia Bezhetskaya in Azazel in 2007, however, with the announcement of her pregnancy early that year, the film was postponed until Summer of 2008. Also in 2008 Milla will star in David Twohy’s A Perfect Getaway with Kiele Sanchez, Timothy Olyphant, and Steve Zahn. The film is a thriller about a newlywed couple (Milla and Zahn) on their honeymoon in Hawaii who run into two hikers who turn out to be vicious killers. Filming is scheduled to begin Spring 2008

Music career

Jovovich had begun working on a music album as early as 1988, when she was signed by SBK Records after the company heard a demo she recorded. In August 1990, she asserted in an interview that the then-forthcoming album would be "a mix between Kate Bush, Sinéad O’Connor, This Mortal Coil and the Cocteau Twins." After it was initially presented by SBK strictly as a pop album, Jovovich protested, insisting on using her personal poetry for lyrics and recording her own instrumental material. Jovovich had written the songs when she was fifteen, with the exception of a Ukrainian folk song, "In a Glade", that she covered. In April 1994, billed under her first name, she released The Divine Comedy, a title that was a reference to the epic poem by Dante Alighieri of the same name. Jovovich had chosen the title after seeing Russian artist Alexis Steele’s proposed cover artwork sketch for the then untitled album. Jovovich found that the sketch had "all the struggle that I’m singing about. It IS the divine comedy". The Divine Comedy was well received by critics, and featured pop-infused traditional Ukrainian folk songs that led to comparisons with musicians Tori Amos and Kate Bush. John McAlley of Rolling Stone called the album "remarkable", "strikingly mature and rich in invention" and as featuring "angst-laced poetry with vivid melodies and arrangements that find a common spirit in synth pop, European folk and psychedelic dream rock". Jovovich released the track "Gentleman Who Fell", with an accompanying music video, as the sole single from the album. The music video was originally directed by Lisa Bonet and featured Harry Dean Stanton, but Jovovich was unsatisfied with the results and decided to film another version. The second version of "Gentleman Who Fell", a homage to Maya Deren’s short film Meshes of the Afternoon (1943), was subsequently played on MTV. Jovovich toured the United States during most of 1994 to promote the album, opening for Toad the Wet Sprocket and Crash Test Dummies, as well as playing smaller acoustic sets. Jovovich had opted to perform in smaller and more intimate settings, turning down a musical appearance on Saturday Night Live. Following The Divine Comedy, she expressed interest in releasing a second album, having had ten songs ready for a future recording that was intended for a Summer 1996 release. However, Jovovich has yet to release a second album.

1998 saw the release of The Peopletree Sessions, a recording originally issued on David Turin’s Peopletree label only to end up on Cherry Red records after Jovovich and Turin fell out over its issuance. Jovovich claims that "she does not stand behind … in any way, shape or form." She had met The Peopletree Sessions producer David Turin through his wife, fashion photographer Kate Garner who had shot Jovovich for various magazines. Turnin had approached Jovovich to collaborate on songs with Perry Farrell, Steven Perkins, and producer duo the Dust Brothers, and she agreed, then recording music with Turnin. Afterwards, Jovovich received a CD from Turnin of 13 tracks, with cover art photographed by Garner, which Jovovich assumed to be for her own personal use. Turnin then released the album as Jovovich’s second album, to which Jovovich attempted to stop the sale of. She has taken legal action against Turnin and Garner. The album was given 4 out of 5 stars in The Guardian and has retained a cult following.

Formed in May 1999, Jovovich led a band called Plastic Has Memory, in which she sang and played guitar. The band was "much heavier and darker than the vaguely Ukrainian folk-sounding elements of her first album" and had a similar sound to a grunge and trip hop Portishead. Plastic Has Memory played about a dozen shows in Los Angeles and New York City for a potential Virgin Records album release, one of which Mick Jagger had attended. Though Plastic Has Memory was featured on Hollywood Goes Wild, a benefit celebrity compilation album, the group never formally released a record and is no longer together.

Jovovich has contributed tracks to several of her film soundtracks, as well as providing songs for film soundtracks in which she has not acted, including the soundtracks for The Million Dollar Hotel (2000), Underworld (2003), and Dummy (2003) in the latter category. In 2001, Jovovich was one of many celebrities whose vocals were featured in a cover of "We are Family" to raise money for the American Red Cross. She has appeared as guest vocalist on the song "Former Lover" on Deepak Chopra’s album, A Gift of Love II: Oceans of Ecstasy (2002) and Legion of Boom (2004) by The Crystal Method.

Since 2003, Jovovich has worked with musician Maynard James Keenan, of Tool and A Perfect Circle, on his side project Puscifer, contributing vocals to the track "REV 22:20", which was featured on various film soundtracks in its original or a remixed form.

Jovovich continues to write songs which she refers to as "demos", and which are provided for free in mp3 format on her official website. She provides license to freely download and remix the tracks, but reserves the right to sell and issue them.

Personal life

Jovovich currently resides in homes in Los Angeles and New York with her fiancé, film writer and director Paul W. S. Anderson. The two met while working on Resident Evil in which Anderson wrote and directed, and Jovovich starred. Anderson proposed to Jovovich in 2003, but the two separated for a period of time before becoming a couple again. The couple has stated that they "would love to , but maybe after the baby". On November 3, 2007, Jovovich gave birth to her and Anderson’s first child, a daughter, Ever Gabo Anderson. The child was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, one day before Jovovich’s due date of November 4th. Ever, a male Scottish name, was given to reflect Anderson’s Scottish heritage, while the middle name of Gabo (pronounced "Gabeau") was a combination of Jovovich’s parent’s names — the first two letters of mother Galina and the first two letters of father Bogie’s. Wim Wenders, who directed Jovovich’s film The Million Dollar Hotel, is the baby’s godfather. Jovovich has stated that she would like to have three children, saying through means of adoption as well. She has two miniature Maltese dogs, Bubbles and Madness.

Prior to her relationship with Anderson, Jovovich married on-screen boyfriend Shawn Andrews in 1992 while filming Dazed and Confused together. Andrews was 21, while Jovovich was 16; the marriage was annulled by her mother two months later. Shortly after the annulment, Jovovich moved to Europe and lived with her then boyfriend, Jamiroquai ex-bassist Stuart Zender, in London from 1994 to 1996. From 1996 to 1997, she dated photographer Mario Sorrenti. In a ceremony in Las Vegas, she married The Fifth Element director Luc Besson in 1997; they divorced in 1999. Later in 1999, during the filming of The Million Dollar Hotel, Jovovich dated co-star Jeremy Davies from May until the end of the year. Jovovich also dated her "idol", Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante, for seven months in 2000.

In 2006, Jovovich mentioned her interest in publishing her private diaries as an autobiography. She had kept a diary since childhood, writing about the locations she has traveled and "all the mad things that done". Jovovich has stated that she views publication as a way to "get it all into a book—like an autobiography", and it would have a "diary feel to it". However, she also commented that she was "…not sure how interested anyone would be in publishing it, or reading it, for that matter."

In addition to being a smoker, Jovovich has advocated the legalization of cannabis and appeared in a spread and on the cover for High Times. In an article published in 1994, she admitted that her only vices were cigarettes and cannabis. She practices yoga and meditates often in attempts to live a healthy lifestyle; although not affiliating with a certain religion, she prays and considers herself a "spiritual person". She avoids junk foods and prefers to cook for herself. She practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in addition to other varieties of martial arts. Jovovich also enjoys playing the guitar, writing in a diary, and writing poems and lyrics for songs.

Jovovich is multilingual—she can speak English, French, her maternal Russian and her paternal Serbian.

Filmography

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Ryan Thomas Gosling (born November 12, 1980) is an Academy Award, Golden Globe and two-time Screen Actors Guild award-nominated Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles in The Notebook, Half Nelson, and Lars and the Real Girl.

Early life

Ryan Gosling was born in London, Ontario, and raised in the small city of Cornwall, the son of Donna, a secretary, and Thomas Gosling, a paper mill worker. His parents, who were Mormons, divorced when he was young. He had difficulty in school and often engaged in fights with fellow students. On an appearance on the late night Canadian talk show Open Mike with Mike Bullard, Gosling told of how he was bullied in elementary school (he attended East Front Public School in Cornwall). His mother withdrew him from school and taught him at home from the age of ten. While Gosling’s mother was Mormon, he was not raised in a strictly devout household and never really identified with Mormonism. After returning to the public system he went to Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School. The family then relocated to Burlington, Ontario, where Ryan attended Lester B. Pearson High School (Burlington). Gosling dropped out at age seventeen.

When Gosling first came to live in Los Angeles in 1997, he was given a place to stay at the West Hollywood apartment of Director Ron Oliver (Goosebumps & Breaker High).

Career

Gosling has had no formal training as an actor. His first acting experience was in the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club, for which he auditioned on a whim at the age of thirteen. As a result, he appeared in the show alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake in the show’s sixth and seventh seasons. Later he appeared in other television series including Young Hercules, and Ron Oliver’s Goosebumps and Breaker High. His fame spread to the United States after he starred in the 2001 controversial drama The Believer, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. This success led to future films including Remember the Titans, The Slaughter Rule, and Murder by Numbers. Because of his turn as the romantic lead in the 2004 film The Notebook, Gosling was named one of People magazine’s Fifty Hottest Bachelors and the Show West Male Star of Tomorrow.

In preparation for his role as Dan Dunne, a drug-addicted, junior high school history teacher in the 2006 film Half Nelson, Gosling moved to Brooklyn, shadowed a middle school teacher, and studied the Civil Rights Movement (a subject with which his character is fascinated). In March 2007, Gosling won the Best Actor category at the Spirit Awards (formerly known as the Independent Spirit Awards) for his role in the movie. For the same role he was nominated for an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Broadcast Film Critics Association award as best actor. He also became the first Mickey Mouse Club member to be nominated for an Oscar.

Recently Gosling has starred in the film Fracture alongside Anthony Hopkins. He was to begin filming for The Lovely Bones in October 2007, but has since been replaced by Mark Wahlberg. It was subsequently reported that director Peter Jackson fired him because he was "too demanding" A few days later, however, Gosling denied these claims, explaining that his young age was behind the decision to replace him in the film. He said, "The age of the character versus my real age was always a concern of mine. Peter and I tried to make it work and ultimately it just didn’t. I think the film is much better off with Mark Wahlberg in that role. Peter Jackson is an incredible filmmaker and I’m here to tell you that he has things up his sleeve that are going to blow people’s minds. I’m going to be the first person in line to buy tickets." In 2007, Gosling was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Gosling made a surprise cameo appearance onstage at the Sacred Fools Theatre in Hollywood in the serialized play "Darque Magick" from writer/director Jenelle Riley. For months, the lead character in "Darque Magick" had been making references to his obsession with Gosling, finally culminating in the actor appearing in a videotaped plea for the character to return his dog.

On December 13, 2007, Gosling was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Lars and the Real Girl. A week later, he was subsequently nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. He had also received a Broadcast Film Critics Association nomination and won a Satellite Award for this performance as well. In February 2008, he was presented with the inaugural Independent Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. In her introduction, presenter Jenelle Riley called him "the most consistent and compelling actor working today."

On January 12th, 2008, it was announced on NME.COM that Courtney Love made an official announcement saying Ryan Gosling would portray her former husband, Kurt Cobain, in his upcoming bio film. In January 2008 it was announced that Gosling would be appearing in a reboot of the Jack Ryan franchise, By Any Means Necessary

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Personal life

Gosling divides his time between Toronto and Los Angeles, California. Gosling also has several homemade tattoos. He has a dog named "George" whom he rescued from a kennel in Los Angeles. He is a partner in Beverly Hills restaurant, "Tagine", which specializes in Moroccan cuisine.

He was in a relationship with his The Notebook co-star, fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams, but Gosling announced their breakup in the November 2007 issue of GQ. He calls Rachel one of the "greatest loves of his life." The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes had previously said that he was surprised to see the two together, as they argued a lot on the set of The Notebook.

Gosling notes Gary Oldman as his all-time favorite actor.

Filmography

Ryan Gosling Interview

LOS ANGELES, April 5 — When the actor Ryan Gosling was about 8, he says, he came home from school beaten and bloody. It was not the first time that had happened, and his mother ordered him back to school to bloody his tormentors.

So he did. Mr. Gosling, 23, recalled the incident: "I walked into school. Everything got really quiet. I found one of the kids in front of a urinal. I smacked his face into the tile, and he bled. The other kid was at his desk. I picked up a math textbook and made his nose bleed."

Then he went home and told his mother what he had done. "I was crying," he said. "I didn’t want to do it. I don’t like violence. And she was so sad." He took a breath."I never went back to that school again."

That little boy grew up to be the sensitive young actor who has grabbed Hollywood’s attention with performances in projects like "The Believer" (2001), an award-winning film in which he played the leading role, that of a Jew who becomes a charismatic neo-Nazi leader.

Now Mr. Gosling is starring in "The United States of Leland" as Leland Fitzgerald, an emotionally detached young man who has inexplicably murdered a mentally disturbed adolescent. At the centerpiece of a talented cast including Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey and Lena Olin, Mr. Gosling manages to hold the viewer’s attention with a kind of innocent intensity and a youthful pathos.

They are not qualities that he lacks in real life. Mr. Gosling is tall and handsome, though not conventionally so, with a slim, angular face and a slight frame slipped inside a pin-striped blazer. He has blond hair, a fuzzlike beard and faded blue eyes.

In a movie industry constantly on the prowl for young leading men, he looks very much like one possible answer to Hollywood’s continual casting quandaries. Mr. Gosling has a principal role in the forthcoming period romantic drama "The Notebook," as a young man obsessed by love. And at the annual ShoWest convention in March, he was named the Male Star of Tomorrow by movie exhibitors, a sign that theater owners think that his is a face that can sell tickets.

Nick Cassavetes, director of "The Notebook," said he had no doubt that Mr. Gosling would become a major actor, and a major star. "He doesn’t make a move that he doesn’t feel," Mr. Cassavetes said in a phone interview. "I just think: he’s 23, he might as well be 63 years old. He’s like one of those freaks, he kind of gets it. He’s honest, that’s really what you want out of an actor."

Not that Mr. Gosling quite knows where he wants to be in the Hollywood pantheon. Even the ShoWest recognition threw him a little. "I was confused as to why I was there," he said, noting that mainstream theater owners did not show either "The Believer" or another cutting-edge film, "The Slaughter Rule" (2002), a football movie about male bonding. "I kind of felt it was an opportunity to say I appreciate their acknowledgment of those choices," he said.

But acting was not a likely career path. Mr. Gosling was born in London, Ontario, and reared in a small paper mill town called Cornwall, where he knew he did not fit in. "I was very lost when I was young," he says, allowing himself a quick swig of a Heineken. "I was finding my way."

His parents divorced, and Mr. Gosling had continual trouble in school. "I didn’t play sports," he said. "I couldn’t read or write. I was a brat, always in trouble." He was frequently beaten up. The school put him in a special education class, where he studied with mentally handicapped children. "My teachers thought I was stupid," he said. "So did I."

After the fight that led to his leaving school, Mr. Gosling’s mother quit work to school him at home, helping him learn to read and write. She found creative ways to have him express his knowledge. "I gained self-confidence," he said. "In that time I felt, like, not so worthless."

But when he headed to high school, he felt again out of place, and dropped out. Fed up at 17, he got in his car and drove to Los Angeles — "somewhere where there might be a place for me," as he put it.

Though Mr. Gosling had no formal acting training, a Canadian agent took him on, and he won a brief role in a New Zealand television series (quickly canceled), then landed a spot as an extra in the Denzel Washington film "Remember the Titans," as a member of the football team.

But his first real acting job came in 2001 with "The Believer," an astonishing debut in which he played Danny Balint, a charismatic skinhead leader who happened to be Jewish. The movie, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, was so discomfiting to distributors (it is based on a true story) that despite the critical acclaim, the film barely made it into theaters.

But it was the role that convinced Mr. Gosling that acting could somehow provide an outlet for his own roiling emotions. "After I did `The Believer,’ things changed for me," he said. "I felt I had a place I could put the things I had inside of me into." It convinced him that movies could be "something you could care about, be passionate about," he said.

He continued: "I was moved by it. It was like truth — it wasn’t entertainment. I connected with how much Danny felt. His feelings consumed him. That’s a theme in all my characters. They feel too much. They become fanatical. Leland feels so much that he can’t feel at all."

Those characters seem connected, however unconsciously, to the lonely boy Ryan Gosling once was. Even his description of his roles sounds as if he might easily be describing himself. "I felt like Danny was not meant for this world," he observed. "Leland is definitely too sensitive for this life. If you’re small and weak and sensitive, there’s not much of a place for you here."

Mr. Gosling went on to talk about the Hollywood machine, how it makes him wary. He spoke about how his emotions sometimes betray him, and how movies can lie. "I don’t feel people are portrayed accurately on film," he said. "People are more complicated. Life is more complicated. I’ve never seen any love like movie love."

A couple of weeks ago, Ms. Gosling’s mother called him from Canada. "She said, `I have visions of you, and you’re trying to stay afloat in this capitalist ocean,’ " Mr. Gosling said. "She’s afraid I’m being packaged." He paused. "My mother was always a very wise woman."

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Jonathan Rhys Meyers (born Jonathan Michael Francis O’Keeffe; 27 July 1977) is an Irish film and television actor. He is known for playing morally ambiguous characters with great charisma and in his early career, for his androgynous appearance. His looks and distinct style allow him to also work as a model, most notably for Club Monaco, Versace, and Hugo Boss.

Early life

Meyers was born Jonathan Michael Francis O’Keeffe in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Geraldine Meyers and John O’Keeffe, who was a musician. His stage name is derived from his mother’s maiden name, Meyers.

Rhys Meyers was born with a serious heart problem and was baptized shortly after his birth, as it was feared he would not survive long enough for a traditional baptism ceremony. He spent the first few months of his life in the hospital. Meyers still lives in County Cork, Ireland where his family moved when he was a few months old. He has three younger brothers named Jamie, Alan and Paul.

When Rhys Meyers was three years old, his parents separated. His mother raised Jonathan and his brother Alan, while his other two brothers went to live at their grandmother’s house with their father. They had spoken every day for several years.

Career

Rhys Meyers was expelled from the North Monastery Secondary School at age 16, and spent much of his time hanging out in pool halls namely the Victoria Sporting Club on Patricks Quay and the Coliseum Leisure Centre on McCurtain Street. Casting agents looking for Irish boys to appear in War of the Buttons spotted Rhys Meyers at a Cork pool hall, the Victoria Sporting Club, and invited him to audition. Although he was passed over for War of the Buttons, the casting agents encouraged him to pursue a career in acting. His first film role came soon afterward, in A Man of No Importance (1994). In 1996 he appeared in Michael Collins, as Collins’ assassin.

Rhys Meyers has starred in television series including Gormenghast (2000) and in the CBS 4-hour mini-series Elvis (2005) as Elvis Presley alongside Rose McGowan as Ann-Margret. The latter earned him an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win. He is currently starring in the Showtime series The Tudors (2007) as young King Henry VIII. He was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Drama in 2007 for the role.

His film roles range from a David Bowie-inspired glam rock star in Velvet Goldmine (1998) to a dedicated girls’ football coach in Bend It Like Beckham (2002). He appeared in Vanity Fair (2004) alongside Reese Witherspoon. In 2005, Rhys Meyers starred in Woody Allen’s film Match Point, for which he received a Chopard Trophy at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, he appeared in Mission: Impossible III. Other projects include August Rush (2007) and "The Children of Huang Shi" (2007). He is rumored to be appearing in Danny Glover’s Haitian epic Toussaint (2008). He is also signed on to star as Lee Falk’s comic strip hero Mandrake the Magician in an upcoming movie directed by Chuck Russell, but is confirmed to star in Shelter along with Julianne Moore for an expected 2009 release.

Rhys Meyers also has experience as a singer. He did much of his own singing in the role of rock star Brian Slade in Velvet Goldmine, although some of these songs were replaced on the CD release of the soundtrack with alternate tracks by better-known vocalists. Rhys Meyers also sings briefly in the TV miniseries version of The Magnificent Ambersons. His singing voice is also featured in his film August Rush and on the film’s soundtrack on songs "Break," "Moondance," "This Time" and "Something Inside."

Rhys Meyers was chosen as the face for the Versace men’s collection of Autumn/Winter 2006 and Spring 2007, and he has also been the face of the Hugo Boss men’s fragrance range since 2005. He is signed to Independent Models in London.

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Personal life

Rhys Meyers has been romantically linked to several actresses in the past, including his Velvet Goldmine co-star Toni Collette. The pair were together for a year following the completion of the film and the actress has confessed to having suffered panic attacks for eight months following their breakup. Other short relationships include Rachael Leigh Cook (rumoured), Asia Argento (during the filming of B. Monkey), Irish model Glenda Gilson (rumoured), and Estella Warren (rumoured). He and co-star Scarlett Johansson both denied persistent rumors of romantic involvement while working on Match Point. His engagement to Dublin socialite/model Cha Cha Seigne, whom he considers his first true love, ended in separation in 2002. He has also been linked to English socialite Lady Victoria Hervey in the past and dated fashion model Lisa Butcher on and off for a year, beginning in the summer of 2002, where they met in France at a party held for the film The Importance of Being Earnest.

In 2004, Rhys Meyers met Reena Hammer, London-based student and heiress to mother Ruby Hammer’s cosmetics line (Ruby & Millie) and father George Hammer, owner of Urban Retreat Spa at Harrods. The relationship has been on and off through the years with frequent rumors of engagements. Ms. Hammer is often by his side for premieres, events, and at the November 2007 funeral of Jonathan’s mother. They attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala, in New York on Monday, May 5, 2008 and were most recently seen together on June 12, 2008 attending the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

In May 2005, Rhys Meyers checked into rehab facility Promises in California seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. On 24 April 2007, the Associated Press reported that Rhys Meyers returned to treatment. The actor’s representative Meredith O’Sullivan confirmed the news to People magazine citing his need to take a break from his busy schedule in order to maintain sobriety. On Sunday 18 November 2007 Rhys Meyers was arrested in Dublin Airport and charged with being drunk and in breach of the peace. He was later released on bail to appear at the Dublin District Court on 5 December 2007. He was in Dublin to promote his new movie August Rush on the Irish television programme Tubridy Tonight. The charges were later dropped.

On November 20, 2007, the actor’s mother, Geraldine Meyers-O’Keeffe, died after being admitted to the Mercy Hospital in Cork. She was 50 years old.

He owns houses and apartments in Nichols Canyon, Dublin, London and Morocco, splitting his time between Los Angeles and London when not working.

Filmography

Reign Man

Years removed from his pretty-boy days, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is ready to assume the throne.
By Justin Monroe

Contrary to what Medieval Times employees might tell you (before the jousting, and after the appetizers), kings aren’t born, they’re made—and Jonathan Rhys Meyers is no stranger to the coronation, having already been anointed twice. As the King of (Stolen) Rock ’n’ Roll in 2005’s TV movie Elvis and as England’s Henry VIII on Showtime’s hit The Tudors, Meyers learned that rulers grow into power, expectations, and even their own skin. In fact, the 30-year-old Ireland native has done all three since splashing off in the 1996 biopic Michael Collins.
Labeled “pretty” as a youth, Meyers spent his teens and much of his twenties portraying weak, physically androgynous, and sexually ambiguous characters that ranged from bisexual rocker to tortured male rape victim to Alexander the Great’s bitchy lover. In 2004, Meyers began bulking up to nab more commanding roles. After stepping into Elvis’s blue suede shoes—and winning a 2006 Golden Globe for it—he lived out your fantasies by catching Scarlett (Johansson) fever in Woody Allen’s Match Point. Then this past January, he manned up his damn self by going into rehab for alcoholism…and then doing it again in April. (Um, isn’t that called being Irish? We kid, we kid. Cheers!) Clear-headed, Meyers is now preparing for the November premieres of The Tudors’ second season and the romantic drama August Rush. Complex got down with the king to talk about sobriety, the difference between celebrity and real royalty, and keeping it in your pants…at least on-set.

Complex: August Rush isn’t the first film you’ve sung in. What do you think when you hear yourself sing?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: Oh, it’s dreadful. We don’t even have to continue with the question. I’m absolutely horrified and stunned that I could shame myself so much. I don’t like listening to myself speak.

C: Really?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: At this point in my career I don’t mind watching myself on camera; I’ve come to terms with my flaws. When I first started watching myself on camera I wasn’t happy, and yes, I’m still not happy, but it’s not with how I am physically but more with performance things. But I still don’t like listening to my own voice—it’s never quite convincing.

C: How did having an absent musician father inform your August Rush role—a musician separated from his son at infancy?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: I’m sure, in retrospect, it had some effect
because my father wasn’t there, but I don’t think I searched into that to play the character.

C: Did the parallels make it an emotionally taxing role?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: Oh, no, no. It was emotionally taxing because films are.

C: The Tudors got an Emmy nomination for outstanding casting, but none of the cast was recognized. Do you wish you could have the nominations committee beheaded?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: You’ve got to be realistic about awards because if you think you’re so deserving of them, then you’re probably not. Maybe it wasn’t my turn. I haven’t done enough yet; James Gandolfini, Kiefer Sutherland, Denis Leary, and James Spader, these are guys who have put in big time.

C: Is it true Snoop Dogg is a fan of The Tudors?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: I was told that. I’m a fan of his, so that’s really cool. I can just imagine Snoop being into this because it’s about the rise to power, about being a king. Paying the cost to be the boss.

C: [Laughs.] Sharp reference. Do you feel a kinship with Henry VIII?
Jonathan Rhys Meyers: Well, we don’t really have much in common. That’s one of the hardest parts of playing Henry VIII. Being born into royalty, you have an energy. You didn’t have to achieve power, it was given by birth. That’s something extraordinary. Unless you know what that’s like, you don’t know what that’s like. Everything that I’ve earned in my life I’ve had to earn because I wasn’t born a king. So to get into the mentality that every good thing that happens to you, every bit of wealth, every palace, every horse that you own, every woman you bed, you deserve, just by your birth, that’s quite an extraordinary thing.

read full interview with
Jonathan Rhys Meyers at Complex

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Gerard James Butler (born November 13, 1969) is a Scottish actor perhaps best known for his portrayal of King Leonidas in 300, The Phantom in the 2004 film version of The Phantom of the Opera, and Gerry Kennedy in P.S. I Love You.

Early life

Butler was born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of Margaret and Edward Butler. His great-grandparents were from Italy. Butler was raised in a Catholic working-class family. For the first two years of his life, he lived in Montreal, Quebec. When his parents divorced, his mother took him and his siblings, Lynn and Brian, back to Scotland, to her hometown of Paisley. He had no further contact with his father until he was sixteen years old. Butler’s father died of cancer when Gerard was 22.

Career

Butler graduated from Glasgow University Law School before embarking on his early career in stage plays. His first roles were in Coriolanus and in the stage version of Trainspotting. Butler landed his first film role as Archie Brown in 1997’s Mrs. Brown alongside Judi Dench and Billy Connolly. That same year, he appeared in a minor role in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies. He followed this with several appearances in various independent films and several television series in the UK, including a role in the series Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married and the films The Cherry Orchard, One More Kiss, and Harrison’s Flowers.

In 1999, he began filming his first lead role as Attila the Hun in the American TV miniseries Attila. During filming of Attila, the production actually stopped in order for him to film his second lead role as Dracula in Wes Craven’s Dracula 2000. Both films were released in 2000. In this early part of his career his most notable work was in The Jury, a critically acclaimed UK TV miniseries. In Timeline which was released in 2003, Butler once again starred alongside Billy Connolly. Based on the Michael Crichton book of the same name, Butler played archaeologist Andre Marek. Also in 2003, he starred as Terry Sheridan opposite Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. The following year he was cast in the title role of Joel Schumacher’s film rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, co-starring Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, and Ciaran Hinds. Prior to filming The Phantom of the Opera, Butler had completed the independent film Dear Frankie, which co-starred Emily Mortimer.

In 2005, he starred in The Game of Their Lives, a film based on a true story of the 1950 U.S. soccer team who beat England 1 - 0 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The same year he was cast in as Beowulf in the Sturla Gunnarsson film production of Beowulf & Grendel. Filmed entirely in Iceland, Beowulf & Grendel was widely released in Canada to moderate success. During filming, Butler also participated in and co-produced the documentary Wrath of Gods. Directed by Jon Gustafsson, the film documents the dramatic circumstances the cast and crew faced while making the film Beowulf & Grendel. Later this same year Butler began production of 300, in which he starred as King Leonidas of Sparta. The film, directed by Zack Snyder and co-starring Lena Headey, was released in March 2007. The film was an adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel of the same name based on events surrounding the Battle of Thermopylae in Greece circa 480 BC. 300 was released in the US on March 9, 2007. It currently holds the record for the highest opening weekend box office gross in the month of March at over $72 million during that first weekend. As of May 2007, 300 had a box office gross of $438 million after nine weeks. Butler received various awards for this role including "Action Star of the Year" at the Taurus World Stunt Awards and "Biggest Ass Kicker" at the 2007 Spike TV Guys’ Choice Awards.

In 2006, Butler completed filming Butterfly on a Wheel (renamed Shattered in the U.S.) and began work on PS, I Love You with Hilary Swank, based on Cecilia Ahern’s novel and released in December 2007. On July 7, 2007 Butler appeared at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London. In November 2007, an Entertainment Weekly readers’ poll named Gerard as #5 Ultimate Male Hottie of All Time. Later in November, Entertainment Weekly named Gerard as one of the Top 25 Entertainers of 2007.

Nim’s Island, which also stars Jodie Foster and Abigail Breslin, opened in cinemas on April 4, 2008. Butler was cast in the role of Nim’s father, Jack, and as Nim’s imaginary hero, Alex Rover. The dual role allowed Gerard to use his natural Scottish burr when playing Alex, while he adopted an American accent as Jack

.

Future roles

In 2005, Butler announced that he would play Robert Burns in the film Burns. Several tentative production dates have been set for the film, but they have been postponed due to scheduling and financing conflicts. Butler was also slated to play the role of Laurent in the new film adaptation of Emile Zola’s novel Thérèse Raquin, but he is no longer attached to the project due to a scheduling conflict with his upcoming role in the film Game.

In 2006, Butler announced that he was in negotiations for the role of Ivan Issacs in the upcoming film Priest, based on the graphic novel.

* The Untouchables: Capone Rising, the prequel to the film The Untouchables, was due to begin filming in October 2007 with Brian De Palma directing. Butler is cast as Jimmy Malone.

* GAME, a futuristic thriller, co-produced by Paramount and Relativity Media, began filming in November 2007 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Butler has been cast as Kable, the No. 1-ranked warrior in the highest-rated game, which is called "Slayers".

* RocknRolla, a gangster film directed by Guy Ritchie. Butler is cast as One-Two, a street-smart gangster involved in a lucrative real-estate scheme.

* Variety has reported that Butler has signed on to star opposite Katherine Heigl in the battle of the sexes comedy The Ugly Truth for Lakeshore Entertainment. Shooting is scheduled to begin in April, 2008.

* Butler has confirmed rumours that he will be starring in an extra feature on the DVD for Zach Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s Watchmen, "Tales of the Black Freighter".

* Butler will star in the first project of his Evil Twins production company, Law Abiding Citizen, slated for a 2009 release. The film begins shooting August 18 in Detroit, Michigan.

Filmography

Butler and Campbell a couple?

He thrust spears at Persian soldiers. She pitched a cell phone at her maid.

Gerard Butler, who plays Spartan King Leonidas in the blockbuster 300, has conquered the heart of supermodel Naomi Campbell.

Sources claim the Scottish-born actor and the 36-year-old English-born model have been spending a lot of time together in New York City, where Campbell recently completed five days of community service as punishment for throwing a cell phone at a former employee.

After finishing her sweeping and mopping duties inside a Department of Sanitation garage, Campbell jetted off to Miami to enjoy some of the tennis action at the Sony Ericsson Open.

But since returning to New York, she has been spotted out and about with Butler several times - even though the couple has managed to avoid being photographed together.

"She came out of the hotel first and got into a waiting SUV," an eyewitness told canada.com. "Then a few minutes later, Gerard came out and got into the vehicle. And when they arrived back, they got out of either side of the vehicle and went into the hotel separately."

Butler, whose films include Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and Phantom of the Opera, spent several years as a child living in Montreal. He returned to the city to make 300 and recently completed Butterfly on a Wheel, which was partially filmed in Vancouver.

Campbell has dated famous men like Robert DeNiro and Flavio Briatore and was briefly engaged to U2 bassist Adam Clayton

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