Celebrity Trackdown

Tilly, Jennifer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 16:24:00 +0000

T.M.C.E.
(Talent Management Company)
7985 Santa Monica Blvd.
Suite 550
West Hollywood, CA 90046
USA

Date of Birth
16 September 1958, Harbor City, California, USA

Birth Name
Jennifer E Chan

Nickname
The Unabombshell

Height
5' 6½" (1.69 m)

Biography

An actress who always attracts audiences' attention, Jennifer Tilly is by turns funny, sexy, compassionate, compelling and often all at once.

Her breakthrough movie role tapped into all of those qualities failing singer Blanche "Monica" Moran in Steve Kloves' The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) opposite brothers Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges. A few years later, Jennifer earned an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the aspiring but hopelessly untalented actress Olive Neal in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway (1994). She has become well-known to filmgoers for both major studio and independent films. In Tom Shadyac's blockbuster Liar Liar (1997) she kept pace with Jim Carrey. Her steamy performance opposite Gina Gershon helped make Lana Wachowski's and Andy Wachowski's Bound (1996) a breakout indie success at the Sundance Film Festival and then in theatrical release. It also expanded Jennifer's already significant gay and lesbian following.

She successfully cultivated another fan base with the revitalization of the "Child's Play" horror comedy franchise. For Ronny Yu's Bride of Chucky (1998), the filmmakers turned to Jennifer to create the character who would spark the series in a new direction. She met the challenge and established a new horror icon in Tiffany. This Halloween, in Rogue Pictures' all-new Seed of Chucky (2004), written and directed by series creator Don Mancini, Jennifer again takes the popular series to the next level; she stars as Tiffany and as herself, the deadly doll's favorite actress, who soon becomes an unwitting hostess in more ways than one.

Jennifer's pitch-perfect voiceover work as Tiffany is not the only instance of her being able to incarnate a character from the vocal chords out. Families know her distinctive cadences from the recent Disney hits Home on the Range (2004) (in which Jennifer voiced a new-age bovine), directed by Will Finn and John Sanford; The Haunted Mansion (2003) (in which Jennifer acted from the neck up only), directed by Rob Minkoff; and the Pixar blockbuster Monsters, Inc. (2001) (voicing Mike's love interest Celia), directed by Pete Docter, David Silverman and Lee Unkrich.

She began her acting career as a teenager, putting herself through the theater program at Stephens College in Missouri by winning writing competitions. She then headed to Los Angeles. While she continued to act on the stage (earning a Dramalogue Award for her performance in "Vanities"), movies and television immediately came calling for the actress with the unique voice and visage.

Over the years Jennifer has made memorable appearances on some of television's best series, including "Hill Street Blues" (1981) (in a recurring dramatic role), "Cheers" (1982), "Moonlighting" (1985), "It's Garry Shandling's Show." (1986) and "Frasier" (1993). In addition, she has been a favored guest on a number of talk shows, from "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962) to "The Arsenio Hall Show" (1989) to (currently) "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992). Those interview segments have encouraged viewers to expect the unexpected from her interplay with the host and the studio audience.

Her many films over a two-decade span include Neil Jordan's High Spirits (1988), Oliver Stone's The Doors (1991), Richard Benjamin's Made in America (1993), Roger Donaldson's The Getaway (1993), Joe Pytka's Let It Ride (1989), P.J. Castellaneta's Relax... It's Just Sex (1998), Michael Radford's Dancing at the Blue Iguana (2000), Peter Bogdanovich's The Cat's Meow (2001) (in which she played Louella Parsons).

Jennifer has also continued to act on the stage. She won a Theater World Award for her performance in off-Broadway's "One Shoe Off" and starred on Broadway in the 2001 revival of "The Women" (which was later taped for, and broadcast on, PBS).

Spouse
Sam Simon (1984 - 1991) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Her voice

Trivia

Went to high school at Belmont High School, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Sister of actress Meg Tilly. She also has an older brother, Steve Tilly and a younger sister named Rebecca Tilly.

Attended Stephens College, in Columbia, Missouri (majored in drama)

Has one cat, Corky.

She has won a Theater World Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her work in Tina Howe's play "One Shoe Off" at The Joseph Papp Theater. She also received a Dramalogue Award for her work in the play "Vanities". She won a Gemini Award for Best Actress for her role in Showtime's made-for-TV film Heads (1994) (TV) and a nomination for a Cable ACE Award for her work on "It's Garry Shandling's Show." (1986).

Avid lover of fashion and has 400 pairs of shoes.

Lenny von Dohlen, who co-starred with Jennifer in Bird of Prey (1995) and her sister Meg Tilly in Leaving Normal (1992), said, "They have a fountain of emotion that keeps coming, even after someone yells cut, but the fountain comes from different bodies of water," he adds. "Meg is an ocean, Jennifer is a rushing river."

In high school, everyone called Jennifer, Meg, and their younger sister Becky the Three Musketeers.

She ranked #23 in Celebrity Sleuth 25 Sexiest Women of 1995

Measurements: 36C-24-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

She has played a hot, ditzy, sexy love interest for Kelsey Grammer's Frasier Crane character when he was trying to get over other women on "Cheers" (1982) and again on "Frasier" (1993) (though she was not playing the same character).

Is 1/2 Caucasian and 1/2 Chinese

In 2005, won the Ladies-Only No Limit Texas Hold 'Em event at the World Series of Poker, becoming the first celebrity to win an open (as opposed to celebrity-only) WSOP tournament and earn a World Series bracelet. She beat out exactly 600 other women to take the championship.

Initially involved in Los Angeles Equity waiver theater, she was a one-time member for several years with Lonny Chapman's Group Repertory Theatre.

Followed up her World Series of Poker win with a victory in the "World Poker Tour" (2003) Ladies Night, to be broadcast during the fourth season of WPT.

Her real-life boyfriend is professional poker player Phil Laak (aka "The Unabomber"). They met at a charitable invitational poker tournament.

Formerly engaged to actor Lou Diamond Phillips.

Personal Quotes

Everyone said that if you want to be a real actor, go to New York. If you want to sell out, go to LA. And I thought - I want to sell out!

A way you can get really good abs in film is you get your makeup artist to paint shadows--faux washboard. But if you see me in a movie and I have great abs, it means I have a great body double.

Spending time with Jim on a stage is an incredibly weird experience! I found myself unable to act seriously! Hard to shoot with the master of comedy!

I still haven't made a film that defines who I am.

"If I was like some of the characters I played, I'd probably be dead by now".

I was the most popular person in my family. I was like a celebrity. All my sisters would fight over who got to sleep with me. I was always thinking up all the games, telling all the stories, and had the best clothes. I was the entertainment. We didn't have television and we didn't have movies, and I was always the boss. I'd write these plays and I'd make everybody be in them. Once, I had this idea that we'd put all the beds on top of one another so there would be only one bed, but it would be a really big, tall bed. Then we'd take turns sleeping on that bed while everybody else slept on the floor. Like, for a month. Everyone thought that was a great idea. I don't know why. I guess because we grew up way, way out in the country and we never had any neighbors.

On her curves and her frequent cleavage baring characters; "People are always accusing me of having implants."

[On Seed of Chucky (2004)] "It's really gruesome, but it's a heartwarming story."

About Madonna: "We went to a club once. The doorman opened the rope for me but closed it on Madonna - he didn't recognize her. She wouldn't have gotten in, but I put in a good word for her." (In Style magazine, Sept/2006)

Everyone had a nickname. Mine couldn't be Jennifer "the boob" Tilly! (On her new poker career while on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".)

That Hollywood thing, where everybody hugs and kisses everybody else - I always stiffen. It's an assumed familiarity. It's phony.

I have to tell you, I'm not like Demi Moore, where the tears trickle prettily down my cheeks. My whole face screws up and it's like, 'Oh please, get a room.' [on why she never chooses roles that involve crying]

(1996) Meg and I didn't have any connections in Hollywood. I think it's amazing that two girls who grew up really poor in rural Canada came to Hollywood and have successful careers and get nominated for Oscars out of nowhere-out of an idea I had. The thing is, we're tremendously aggressive; we say, "This is what I want, why can't that be me?" I just knew I had to be an actress. I had some vision-this was when I was seven or eight-of myself at 40, a housewife with curlers in her hair, watching TV and crying because I had never followed my dream of being an actress. I always remember having that vision.

(1996) The first time I met Quentin Tarantino was so funny. He said, 'Jennifer, there's something I've always wanted to ask you.' and I'm thinking, 'Which of my distinguished movies is he going to ask about'. He goes, 'Moving Violations! How did you do that scene in the anti-gravity chamber?' I thought he was making fun of me, but then I realized he was serious. My friend who was with me said, 'How come I've never heard you mention Moving Violations?' So I brushed it off and said, 'Well, it was like my first movie.' Quentin went, 'No, no, no, the first movie you ever did was No Small Affair, with Jon Cryer and Demi Moore.' And I'm thinking, 'If you weren't Quentin Tarantino, I'd think you were a stalker.'

Bound (Unrated)
HighRoller Magazine (Dec 2005/Jan 2006) (Jennifer Tilly -It's Her World Now)
JENNIFER TILLY 11X14 COLOR PHOTO
American Strays
Hide and Seek
Relax It's Just Sex
Made in Romania
JENNIFER TILLY 11X14 COLOR PHOTO
Man With a Gun
Jennifer Tilly Lollipop Signed Photo
Sexy Halloween Costumes World Poker Tour Casino Gambler Girl Jennifer Tilly Lady Luck Costume Leg Avenue By Fenvy Small, Black/Red
Jericho Mansions
World Poker Tour Winners: Dave Ulliott, Joe Hachem, Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Jennifer Tilly, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Gordon, Scotty Nguyen
Signed Laak, Phil / Tilly Jennifer 8x10

Depp, Johnny

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:51:00 +0000

United Talent Agency
(Talent Agency)
9560 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 500
Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2401
USA
Phone: (310) 273-6700
Fax: (310) 247-1111
Official website

Date of Birth
9 June 1963, Owensboro, Kentucky, USA

Birth Name
John Christopher Depp II

Nicknames
Mr. Stench
Colonel

Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)

Biography

Born John Christopher Depp in Owensboro, Kentucky, on June 9, 1963, Johnny Depp was raised in Florida. He dropped out of school at age 15 in the hopes of becoming a rock musician. He fronted a series of garage bands including The Kids, which once opened for Iggy Pop. Depp got into acting after a visit to Los Angeles, California, with his former wife, Lori Anne Allison (Lori A. Depp), who introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage. He made his film debut in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). In 1987 he shot to stardom when he replaced Jeff Yagher in the role of undercover cop Tommy Hanson in the popular TV series "21 Jump Street" (1987).

In 1990, after numerous roles in teen-oriented films, his first of a handful of great collaborations with director Tim Burton came about when Depp played the title role in Edward Scissorhands (1990). Following the film's success, Depp carved a niche for himself as a serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He continued to gain critical acclaim and increasing popularity by appearing in many features before re-joining with Burton in the lead role of Ed Wood (1994). In 1997 he played an undercover FBI agent in the fact-based film Donnie Brasco (1997), opposite Al Pacino; in 1998 he appeared in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), directed by Terry Gilliam; and then, in 1999, he appeared in the sci-fi/horror film The Astronaut's Wife (1999). The same year he teamed up again with Burton in Sleepy Hollow (1999), brilliantly portraying Ichabod Crane.

Depp has played many characters in his career, including another fact-based one, Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001). He stole the show from screen greats such as Antonio Banderas in the finale to Robert Rodriguez's "mariachi" trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003). In that same year he starred in the marvelous family blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), playing a character that only the likes of Depp could pull off: the charming, conniving and roguish Capt. Jack Sparrow. Now Depp is collaborating again with Burton in a screen adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

Off-screen, Depp has dated several female celebrities, and has been engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. He was married to Lori Anne Allison in 1983 but they divorced her in 1985. Depp is living with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children: Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999 and Jack, born in 2002.

Johnny Depp is perhaps one of the most versatile actors of his day and age in Hollywood, who has recuperated his image greatly since his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), with a supporting cast of Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, and Geoffrey Rush.

Though highly successful now, Depp's early life, strangely, was as a rebel, and he took to vandalism and narcotics. He dropped out of school when he was 15, and he fronted a series of music-garage bands, including one named The Kids. However, it was when he married Lori Anne Allison (Lori A. Depp) that he took up the job of being a ballpoint-pen salesman to support himself and his wife. A visit to Los Angeles, California, with his wife, however, happened to be a blessing in disguise, when he met up with actor Nicolas Cage, who advised him to turn to acting, which culminated in Depp's film debut in the low-budget horror film, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), where he played a teenager who falls prey to dream-stalking demon Freddy Krueger. Three years later, Depp achieved fame as police cop Tom Hanson in the series "21 Jump Street" (1987) (1987-90), and in 1990, he was firmly established as a leading Hollywood actor with the Tim Burton movie Edward Scissorhands (1990), where he played a sad-faced, tragic hero who has scissors for hands.

From then on, Depp was selective of his choice of roles in movies, and he more often than not played dark, sinister characters on-screen. He played an undercover FBI agent in Donnie Brasco (1997), in which he co-starred with Al Pacino; a druggie in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998); and in two more Tim Burton ventures, Ed Wood (1994) and Sleepy Hollow (1999), with Christina Ricci and Casper Van Dien. He filmed a fifth Tim Burton film, Corpse Bride (2005), as well as being committed for another Tim Burton production, where he plays Willy Wonka in the upcoming Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), based on the classic children's novel by Roald Dahl.

During his career, Depp has, unfortunately, gotten himself under bad public scrutiny. He was accused of selling drugs at his own club, The Viper Room, in regard to the legendary celebrity, River Phoenix, who died outside the club due to drug overdose in 1993. The following year, Depp was arrested for smashing and trashing a New York suite. And, in 1999, he was arrested in London for being in a fight with paparazzi outside a restaurant.

Although he gained popularity since the success of Edward Scissorhands (1990), Depp wasn't hugely famous for many years until his portrayal of the suave, charming Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in 2003. With the film's enormous success, it has opened several doors for his career and even included an Oscar nomination. He appeared as the central character in the Stephen King-based movie, Secret Window (2004); as the kind-hearted novelist James Barrie in the factually-based Finding Neverland (2004), where he co-starred with Kate Winslet; and most recently as Rochester in the British film, The Libertine (2004).
IMDb Mini Biography By: Sidhartha Shankar

Spouse
Lori A. Depp     (24 December 1983 - 7 March 1986) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Highly defined cheek-bones

Frequently plays freakishly eccentric outcasts whose oddities are misunderstood by society, and usually have a flamboyant appearance and mannerism. Examples: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1994), Dead Man (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Before Night Falls (2000), the "Pirates of the Caribbean"trilogy, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

Frequently works with director Tim Burton.

Frequently bases his performances on rock stars.

Trivia

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" (#1). [1995]

Daughter, with Vanessa Paradis, Lily-Rose Melody Depp. [27 May 1999]

Arrested for being in a fight with paparazzis in front of a restaurant in London. [January 1999]

Ranked #67 in Empire (UK) magazine's The Top-100 Movie Stars of All Time list. [October 1997]

Chosen by People (USA) Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World. [1996]

Voted Empire's (UK) Sexiest Male Movie Star of All Time. [1995]

Has twice recorded with British band Oasis. Most notably, he plays lead slide guitar on the track "Fade In-Out", from the 1997 album Be Here Now. Noel Gallagher, Oasis's lead guitarist, was allegedly too drunk to perform it himself, so celebrity pal Depp stepped in and nailed the lead on one take.

Arrested for trashing a New York hotel room. Depp claimed that an armadillo was responsible, saying that he had found the animal hidden in a closet and it had gone crazy, wrecking the hotel room before leaping out the window. [1994]

Ex-fiancées: Sherilyn Fenn, Kate Moss, Jennifer Grey and Winona Ryder.

When engaged to Winona Ryder, he had "Winona forever" tattooed on his arm. After the broke up, he had the n and a surgically removed to simply say "Wino forever!"

Was the guitarist in a band called The Kids.

Currently plays in a band called P.

Adopted Goldeneye, the one-eyed Andalusian horse who played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane's steed in Sleepy Hollow (1999), thereby saving him from the glue factory.

Got his "Betty Sue" tattoo May 31, 1988.

Named one of E!'s Top 20 Entertainers of 2001.

Son, John Chrisopher Depp III, born to him and Vanessa Paradis on April 9, 2002, in Neuilly, France, He is called "Jack" by everyone.

Chosen #2 on E!'s 25 sexiest entertainers list

With Chuck E. Weiss, Depp reportedly paid US $350,000 for the Central Nightclub in Los Angeles, California, and turned it into the Viper Room at 8852 Sunset Blvd. Other stars in contention to buy the club in 1993 included Arnold Schwarzenegger and, separately, Frank Stallone.

Lists British comedy "The Fast Show" (1994) -- renamed "Brilliant" for US television -- as his favorite TV program of all time. He used to take tapes of the series on tour with him to keep him amused. Made a guest appearance in the last-ever sketch in its last-ever episode.

Was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine in 2001.

Wrote the foreword to Mark Salisbury's biography of Tim Burton, "Burton on Burton." He credits Burton's belief in him for rescuing him from being "a loser, an outcast, just another piece of expendable Hollywood meat."

Johnny's two children with Vanessa Paradis have the same names of the two main characters in Legend (1985): Lily (b. 1999) and Jack (b.2002).

His long-time girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis, is a popular singer-songwriter in her native France, as well as an aspiring actress.

Gave Noel Gallagher a white guitar with the letter "P" on it, which he regularly plays during Oasis' gigs. "P" is the name of a band that Depp was in.

Has a song about him by the late famed schizophrenic Chicago street artist Wesley Willis.

Parents: John Christopher Depp and Elizabeth "Betty" Sue Wells. His parents divorced when he was 15.

He wanted some of his teeth to be gold-capped for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) but thought the producers would never agree. He found a dentist and had lots more capped than he wanted. Disney boss Michael Eisner like them but thought there were way too many and told Depp to remove all but a few.

Resides in France, Los Angeles, and an island he owns in the Bahamas. Divides his time in France between Meudon, a suburb of Paris and a villa in Plan-de-la-Tour, an hour outside of St Tropez in Southern France.

Siblings: Danny (D.P. Depp), Christi Dembrowski, and Deborah (Debbie).

Was People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2003.

The building in which Depp's Viper Room is housed was once owned by infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel.

Chosen as E!'s 2003 Entertainer of the Year.

According to the liner notes for the soundtrack CD of Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), he wrote his own theme music, the music for Sands (Track 9 on the CD).

Shot all of his scenes in nine days for Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), but after his filming was done he didn't want to leave. So he suggested to Robert Rodriguez that he play a small part, the priest that Antonio Banderas talks to in the church, and use his Marlon Brando impression.

Reportedly based his portrayal of "Ichabod Crane" in Sleepy Hollow (1999) on "Withnail" from Withnail & I (1987), as played by Richard E. Grant.

Has been in seven films in which the title contains the name of the character he plays: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Cry-Baby (1990), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1994), Donnie Brasco (1997), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007).

Persuaded actor Rey-Phillip Santos to give acting a try.

Received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 19 November 1999. Tim Burton and Martin Landau were guest speakers.

Has a niece, Megan: she works for popular online entertainment magazine TYCP.

Was ranked #5 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties.

Based the character of Captain Jack Sparrow on rock legend Keith Richards and the Looney Tunes character, Pepe Le Pew.

Purchased Bela Lugosi's Los Angeles home.

Sports his son's nickname, Jack, tattooed on his arm and a beaded bracelet made by his daughter Lily Rose.

Is hugely interested in Jack the Ripper.

Ranked #4 in TV Guide's list of TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols (23 January 2005 issue).

Has something in common with actor Robert Englund, famed for portraying dream-stalking Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" movies. Both of them appeared in the first A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and both had played characters with blades for hands: Englund as Freddy Krueger, and Depp as the title character in Edward Scissorhands (1990). And, strangely, both of them were born in June, with their birthdays three days apart, and they share the same height, which is 5' 10".

A movie buff (with a somewhat encyclopedic knowledge of older films), he admits he watches few movies any more, other than the children's films that his "kiddies" prefer. He also enjoys most of them.

Loves watching animated films with his daughter such as Shrek (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003).

Co-owns a restaurant/club in Paris called Man Ray (named after avant-garde artist Man Ray) with Sean Penn and John Malkovich. The restaurant is located in a renovated theater and serves Tibetan cuisine.

Premiere Magazine ranked him as #47 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

When he was cast as "Willy Wonka" in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), many newspapers published headings about "Depp's Willy" and "Deppy's Willy is a Bit Wonkier".

Apparently conceived his portrayal of Edward D. Wood Jr. as a cross between Ronald Reagan (the wobbly-headed thing), the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz (1939), and the voice of Casey Kasem.

Dropped out of high school at 16 to pursue a career as a musician.

As a teen, he and his punk/new wave band "The Kids" opened for Iggy Pop, Duran Duran, and The B-52's, among others.

As a child, he was allergic to chocolate.

In 2004, Renée Zellweger accepted the Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role" on his behalf, because he wasn't present at the awards ceremony

Learned French to be able to converse with Vanessa Paradis' parents.

He also played slide for an acoustic recording of Fade Away, recorded in 1995 for the War Child: Help album.

Had come into professional contact with the great screen villains Vincent Price and Christopher Lee. Price co-starred with Depp in Edward Scissorhands (1990), and Lee co-starred with him in Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005). Oddly, all of them were Tim Burton films.

Great admirer of Marlon Brando. He was also good friends with the legendary actor, who described Depp as one of the greatest actors of his generation.

Although unable to attend, he was awarded the Gary Cooper Spirit of Montana Award at the 2005 HatcH audiovisual festival in Bozeman, Montana. HatcH honored Depp for his outstanding career and his role as a mentor and inspiration to young and aspiring artists.

Has portrayed a real-life character in ten films: Edward D. Wood Jr. in Ed Wood (1994), Lt. Victor/Bon Bon in Before Night Falls (2000), Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Insp. Fred Abberline in From Hell (2001), Joseph Pistone/Donnie Brasco in Donnie Brasco (1997), George Jung in Blow (2001), J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland (2004), 'John Wilmot, The Second Earl of Rochester' in The Libertine (2005), Jack Kerouac in The Source (1999) (TV), and John Dillinger in Public Enemies (2009).

Sherilyn Fenn's name is scrawled across his helmet in Platoon (1986).

He has said in interviews that he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent, with some Navajo as well. Asked the origin of his last name by James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio, Johnny Depp said his name means "idiot" in German.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), however, he failed to receive a nomination.

His ownership of the Viper room ended in 2004, he signed it over to Amanda Fox, the daughter of his missing partner in the club, Anthony Fox.

Was voted the Second Greatest Actor (behind Marlon Brando) in British Channel Channel 4's Greatest Actor Poll.

His performance as Edward Scissorhands in _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ is ranked #22 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is ranked #79 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

Friend of Christina Ricci.

Reportedly based his portrayal of "Ichabod Crane" in Sleepy Hollow (1999) on "Withnail" from Withnail & I (1987), as played by Richard E. Grant.

Ranked #1 in the "Best Hollywood Signers 2006" list by "Autograph Collector" magazine (May 2006).

Was close with his grandfather who died when he was 7 years old.

His performance as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) is ranked #87 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time (2006).

His performance as Edward Scissorhands in _Edward Scissorhands (1990)_ is ranked #65 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Ranked #18 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #23 in 2005.

A rule he has towards fans requesting his autograph and picture is that no photography is allowed of his children.

Is the only actor to be nominated for the Oscar in the Lead Actor category in a Disney film (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)).

Frequently cites Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)) and Edward Scissorhands (1990) as the favorite characters that he has played.

Oliver Stone seriously considered casting him in Charlie Sheen's role in Platoon (1986), but the studio thought Depp was "too young." Sheen is actually two years younger than Depp!

Was Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski's very first choice for the role of "Neo" in The Matrix (1999). Since Depp wasn't considered a box-office friendly name, Warner Bros. decided on casting Keanu Reeves instead.

Has been described as the "jester of cinema, the Method clown." His incredibly bizarre on-screen persona brings to mind the off-screen behavior of the late Marlon Brando, who was famously eccentric and quirky once he retired from acting.

Once painted on a billboard featuring his "21 Jump Street" (1987) character because he didn't like his picture or the message the billboard gave. He was stopped by a security guard who actually let him finish what he was doing when he realized it was Johnny's own face.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) is the sixth film that Depp and Tim Burton worked on together, with the other five being Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Corpse Bride (2005), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Ed Wood (1994) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

He was good friends with Hunter S. Thompson until his death. Depp helped to fulfill Thompson's last wish after the writer died. Thompson wanted his remains to be shot out of a 150 foot long canon.

Born in Kentucky but moved to Florida at age 7.

He is the youngest of 4 children.

Has admitted in interviews that one of his favorite pastimes is watching cartoons (especially Dave The Barbarian of whom he is a big fan) with his children.

Named after his father John Christopher Depp.

Was considered for the role of Florentino Ariza in Love in the Time of Cholera (2007), but director Mike Newell refused to work with big name Hollywood stars. Javier Bardem got the role instead.

Owns a customised 1960's 650cc Triumph Bonneville motorcycle.

Has 2 silver teeth.

Originally cast as John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), but turned it down after being overworked with other movies he was shooting.

Is a great admirer and good friend of Tom Baker.

His children have the same names as "Mad" Jack and Lilly the Mermaid from the movie Magic Island (1995) (V).

Was engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, whom he met on the set of the 1985 short student film "Dummies" directed by Laurie Frank. Their engagement was broken off after three years and a half.

He is a fan of The Rolling Stones and the gypsy musical group Taraf de Haidouks.

Turned down the role of Jack Traven in action hit Speed (1994/I).

2007 - Ranked #21 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.

Was named Empire Magazine's #5 in the list of 100 Sexiest Stars.

In 2007, it was reported by Forbes Magazine that his earnings for the year 2006 were estimated to be $92 million.

Was named Top Money Making Star for the second year in a row in the 76th annual Quickley Publishing Co. poll for year 2007.

He is a godfather of Tim Burton son Billy Ray Burton.

Donated $2 million to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. He gave the gift as thanks for the treatment his daughter Lily-Rose received at the facility in March 2007 after contracting an E. Coli infection that caused kidney failure.

Was a fan of the British improvisational show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Good friend of Serbian film director Emir Kusturica.

Guest with Jim Jarmusch of Belgrade Film Festival FEST in 1992. With Jarmusch, Emir Kusturica and Serbian Rock n'Roll band Partybreakers (Partibrejkersi) he held a concert.

Has a nightclub named after him in Tartu, Estonia. The nightclub is called "Who wouldn't like Johnny Depp?".

Was originally set to play the lead character Jean-Dominique Bauby in Julian Schnabel movie The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007). However, he dropped from the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Good friend with actress Helena Bonham Carter, partner of his best friend Tim Burton.

Made a voice message for 17-year-old British girl who has been in a coma for five months. Parents of the girl asked him to tape a voice message because he's the favorite actor of their daughter and they will play that message to her everyday hoping she'll wake up. Depp was touched by the letter and he said that he'll do whatever he can to help. (25 March 2008).

Co-wrote the song "Mary" by the Hard Rock band Rock City Angels.

Was originally supposed to play the on screen version of Billy Loomis in the original version of Scream 2 (1997), but was replaced by Luke Wilson.

He and Vanessa Paradis grow grapes and have wine making facilities in their vineyard in Plan-de-la-Tour north of Saint-Tropez.

Closed down the "Viper Room" for two weeks after River Phoenix died there and he also closed it on every 31 October until 2004 (when he sold his share of the club), which was the date of Phoenix's death.

Nicolas Cage got him his first acting job.

Ranked #6 in the 2008 Forbes The Celebrity 100 list.

Fan of popular British series "Midsomer Murders" (1997). He also stated that he would like to make a guest appearance in this long-running show.

Was originally going to play opposite the English comedian Sally Phillips, in The Man Who Killed Don Quixote which Terry Gilliam was going to direct. But the movie got scrapped.

He has expressed interest in getting French, British or Australian citizenship when he retires from an active movie career,.

Donated his fee earned for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) to the daughter of late Heath Ledger. Jude Law and Colin Farrell did the same thing after Depp gave that idea.

Was considered for the role of Cal McCaffery in State of Play (2009) after Brad Pitt dropped out. The role went to Russell Crowe instead.

Was considered for the role of Detective Trupo in American Gangster (2007).

Is scared of clowns.

Was considered one of the top three actors of his generation by Dustin Hoffman, his costar in Finding Neverland (2004).

Based his characterization of Edward D. Wood Jr. on a mixture of "the blind optimism of Ronald Reagan, the enthusiasm of "The Tin Man" from The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Casey Kasem".

Turned down the role of Bruce Banner in Hulk (2003).

Named beaches on his own island in Bahamas after his wife Vanessa Paradis, his children and public figures like Hunter S. Thompson & Marlon Brando. There is also a patch of water named "Heath's Place" after Heath Ledger.

Was considered for the role of Pumpkin/Ringo in Pulp Fiction (1994), but Tim Roth was cast instead.

Close friend of Abigail Breslin.

Is a fan of "Doctor Who" (1963).

People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" in 2009.

Received the prestigious Career Achievement Award at 2009. Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF). Festival Patron Sean Connery presented Depp with his award.

Attended the Küstendorf Film and Music Festival in Serbia. [January 2010]

Nominated for Grammy award along with Douglas Brinkley in the category of Best Album Notes for Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Music from the Film. [2010]

At 2010 People's Choice Awards he won the award for Favorite Movie Actor Of The Decade. Depp was honored by Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) co-star Sacha Baron Cohen.

Was present during the filming of then-girlfriend Sherilyn Fenn's movie The Wraith (1986) and was living in the film crew's hotel with Fenn. [1986]

While dining at Chicago's famous Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse with a group of friends, including Public Enemies (2009) co-star Marion Cotillard and director Michael Mann, Depp dropped a mammoth tip in the amount of $4,000 on a bill for $4,400, in effect, leaving an incredible 90% gratuity. The party of 15 were celebrating a red carpet screening of Depp's then latest release Public Enemies (2009). [June 2009]

When Alice in Wonderland (2010) became only the sixth film to cross the $1 billion gross mark, Depp became the third actor who acted in two movies that passed $1 billion mark. Previously that record was broken by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006). The other two actors who have accomplished this are Orlando Bloom and Bernard Hill.

Personal Quotes

Anything I've done up till 27 May, 1999 was kind of an illusion, existing without living. My daughter, the birth of my daughter, gave me life.

[on the money he makes] You use your money to buy privacy because during most of your life you aren't allowed to be normal.

I don't pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.

[On Vincent Price] One of the most incredible moments I've ever had was sitting in Vincent's trailer . . . I was showing him this first-edition book I have of the complete works of [Edgar Allan Poe], with really amazing illustrations. Vincent was going nuts over the drawings, and he started talking about The Tomb of Ligeia (1964). Then he closed the book and began to recite it to me in this beautiful voice, filling the room with huge sounds. Such passion! I looked in the book later, and it was verbatim. Word perfect. It was a great moment. I'll never forget that.

The only creatures that are evolved enough to convey pure love are dogs and infants.

One of the greatest things I've ever seen happen was the morning I opened the newspaper and it said that some very powerful government officials had decided to change the name of "french fries" to "freedoom fries" and "french toast" to "freedom toast". It was impressive. I wanted to write a letter to them just to thank them, just for proving globally that they were absolute imbeciles.

America is dumb. It's like a dumb puppy that has big teeth that can bite and hurt you, aggressive. My daughter is four, my boy is one. I'd like them to see America as a toy, a broken toy. Investigate it a little, check it out, get this feeling and then get out.

Taken in context, what I was saying was that, compared to Europe, America is a very young country and we are still growing as a nation. It is a shame that the metaphor I used was taken so radically out of context and slung about irresponsibly by the news media. There was no anti-American sentiment. In fact, it was just the opposite. I am an American. I love my country and have great hopes for it. It is for this reason that I speak candidly and sometimes critically about it. I have benefited greatly from the freedom that exists in my country and for this I am eternally grateful.

France and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing, though, is that people there know how to live! In America they've forgotten all about it. I'm afraid that the American culture is a disaster.

[on his character in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)] Captain Jack Sparrow is like a cross between [error] and Pepe Le Pew.

I can remember when I finished Edward Scissorhands (1990), looking in the mirror as the girl was doing my make-up for the last time and thinking -- it was like the 90th or 89th day of shooting -- and I remember looking and going, "Wow, this is it. I'm saying goodbye to this guy, I'm saying goodbye to Edward Scissorhands". You know, it was kind of sad. But in fact, I think they're all still somehow in there.

With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying.

The only gossip I'm interested in is things from the Weekly World News - 'Woman's bra bursts, 11 injured.' That kind of thing.

I'm an old-fashioned guy . . . I want to be an old man with a beer belly sitting on a porch, looking at a lake or something.

[when asked by James Lipton on "Inside the Actors Studio" (1994) what attracts him to funny hats] I don't know, maybe I just read too much Dr. Seuss as a kid.

[asked if he is a romantic] Am I a romantic? I've seen Wuthering Heights (1939) ten times. I'm a romantic.

[about being dragged behind a carriage in the woods on Sleepy Hollow (1999)] I wasn't afraid of getting hurt. I was just afraid that the horses may relieve themselves on the journey.

I'm shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I've done everything I can to avoid it.

When kids hit one year old, it's like hanging out with a miniature drunk. You have to hold onto them. They bump into things. They laugh and cry. They urinate. They vomit.

This is a rumor-filled society and if people want to sit around and talk about whom I've dated, then I'd say they have a lot of spare time and should consider other topics... or masturbation.

The character I've played, that I've responded to, there has been a lost-soul quality to them.

Sure, I find it touching, honestly, but awards are not as important to me as when I meet a ten-year-old kid who says, "I love Captain Jack Sparrow" . . . that's real magic for me.

The term "serious actor" is kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? [Like] "Republican party" [or] "airplane food".

On a film you start to get closer and closer with the people you're working with, and it becomes like this circus act or this travelling family.

If you turn on the television and see the horrors that are happening to people in the world right now, I think there's no better time to strive to have some kind of hope through imagination. I think it's a time to close your eyes and try to make a change, or at least hope to make a change, or we're going to explode.

I suppose nowadays it's all a question of surgery, isn't it? Of course the notion is beautiful, the idea of staying a boy and a child forever, and I think you can. I have known plenty of people who, in their later years, had the energy of children and the kind of curiosity and fascination with things like little children. I think we can keep that, and I think it's important to keep that part of staying young. But I also think it's great fun growing old.

All the little films I've done that were perceived by Hollywood as these obscure, weird things, I always thought could appeal to a larger audience. I mean, box office is such a mystery to me that I can't . . . you know . . . I have enough trouble doing my own gig.

[asked why he hides his looks behind strange wigs, fake teeth and girly squeals] I think it's an actor's responsibility to change every time. Not only for himself and the people he's working with, but for the audience. If you just go out and deliver the same dish every time . . . it's meat loaf again . . . you'd get bored. I'd get bored.

We had been shooting [Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)] for about a month, and I was beginning to get nervous because there weren't any phone calls. I called my agent and asked, "Has no one called from the studio to complain or say, 'Hey, what's he doing?' or 'Hey, he's freaking us out?' " And when she said, "No", I thought, "Christ, I'm not doing enough! Something's wrong!" Then some of the studio brass came over to the set, and they were sitting in my trailer and I was all decked out as Wonka with the little bangs. And I just had to know. So I said, "Okay, who was the first one, when you started seeing the dailies, that got a little worried?" And there was this beautiful 30-second silence. And [Warner Bros. president] Alan F. Horn finally said, "Yeah, that was me". I felt better instantly.

[on Gene Wilder's comment on the remake of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)] Hearing about that was disappointing, but I can understand where he's coming from, I guess. The one thing I didn't understand was that apparently he was quoted as saying, "Well, they just did this for money". Well, hey, man, where have you been? When didn't they ever do anything for money? Nobody's ever made a film in the history of cinema where they weren't expecting some return on their dough.

[on his daughter, Lily-Rose] I see this amazing, beautiful, pure angel-thing wake up in the morning, and nothing can touch that. She is the only reason to wake up in the morning, the only reason to take a breath. Everything else is checkers.

[on director Tim Burton] He can ask me everything. If he wants me to have sex with an aardvark in one of his next movies, then I will do that.

[on reactions to his directorial debut] You know what was traumatizing, what was very, very strange in terms of this film I directed a few years back called The Brave (1997). Well, I guess I wouldn't say traumatizing, but I would say weird: at the premiere of the film the reception of it was beyond any expectation that I had. I had no idea I'd be looking at [Bernardo Bertolucci] or [Michelangelo Antonioni] sitting there watching my film. And then to receive the applause that my film got, it was so incredible. And then the next day the majority of the American press just turn it into this horrible thing. Once again, everybody is entitled to their opinion, man. Maybe it's a bad film? Maybe it's a good film? To me it's just a film. It's something I needed to make.

I started out as a guitarist in the early '80s. I hooked up with a guy who idolized James Dean and he gave me a copy of the Dean biography, "The Mutant King", which I thought was really interesting. While reading the book I watched Rebel Without a Cause (1955), and I thought, "Wow, this guy really has something", and I was hooked. I wasn't really into acting at the time - but James Dean was the catalyst.

I don't have a mental picture of the houses we lived in because there were so many.

[on being an uncle] My sister Christi had a baby when I was 17, and I had just heard about crib death. The horrible thing was that it wasn't understood. For some unknown reason the baby would stop breathing. So I would sneak into where the baby was sleeping and put my hand in her crib, hold her little finger, and I'd sleep on the floor like that. It was stupid, I'm sure. But I thought the warmth of my hand might help, that maybe if she felt my pulse it would remind her to breathe.

Marlon Brando is maybe the greatest actor of the last two centuries. But his mind is much more important than the acting thing. The way that he looks at things, doesn't judge things, the way that he assesses things. He's as important as, uh... who's important today? Jesus, not many people... Stephen Hawking!

There's nothing - you know - nothing else like music. Nothing that touches us on that, uh, that deep level. Music can open up so many emotions that we didn't know we had. It's the magical thing about musicals, you know, on the stage or on film or whatever. Love songs. They work so well because music touches us, emotionally, where words alone can't.

As a teenager I was so insecure. I was the type of guy that never fitted in because he never dared to choose. I was convinced I had absolutely no talent at all. For nothing. And that thought took away all my ambition, too.

[asked by Rolling Stone if there was a "gay undercurrent" in his character Capt. Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean' films] Well, there was a great book I read . . . What was it called? "Sodomy and the Pirate Tradition". A very interesting book. I wasn't exactly going for that with the character. And Keith is not flamboyant in his actions. Keith is pretty stealth. But with Jack, it was more that I liked the idea of being ambiguous, of taking this character and making everything a little bit . . . questionable. Because women were thought to be bad luck on ships. And these pirates would go out for years at a time. So, you know, there is a possibility that one thing might lead to another.

[Marlon Brando] wanted me to escape movies for a while - "Take a year off. Go on. Study Shakespeare". So it's one of the things that keep ricocheting around in my head. He told me that by the time he had got to the point where he felt he could do "Hamlet", it was too late. So he said, "Do it now, do it while you can". And I would like to do it - although it's one of the more frightening ideas I've had. I think as an actor it is good to feel the fear of failing miserably. I think you should take that risk. Fear is a necessary ingredient in everything I do. But if I do "Hamlet" it will probably be in a small theater on a small stage and it will have to be very, very soon because I'm getting a little long in the tooth for it.

Having kids was a huge change for me. Becoming a father. But I think more than changing, I feel like I've been revealed to myself, I kind of found out who I was. When you meet your child for the first time and you're looking at this angel, you start realizing what an idiot you've been for so many years and how much time you've wasted. As far as being feet-on-the-ground, once again my kids and ['girlfriend Vanessa Paradis] have given me a proper foundation. A sense of home that I never had in my life, a real sense of a place to be.

I loved playing Edward Scissorhands (1990) because there's nothing cynical, jaded or impure about him. It's almost a letdown to look in the mirror and realize I'm not Edward.

What I said was, the United States of America is a young country compared to Europe, compared to, you know, other countries. We're young. We're 200 and something years old.

[on director Tim Burton] What more can I say about him? He is a brother, a friend, my godson's father. He is a unique and brave soul, someone that I would go to the ends of the earth for, and I know, full and well, he would do the same for me.

(on preparing to sing as Sweeney Todd] It's a bit like jumping into cold water. There's no preparing, you just do it.

[about Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)] It was mentioned that they were considering a movie based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and I said I was in. There was no screenplay, no director, nothing. For some unknown reason, I just said I was in.

[about girlfriend Vanessa Paradis] I pretty much fell in love with Vanessa the moment I set eyes on her. As a person, I was pretty much a lost cause at that time in my life. She turned all that around for me with her incredible tenderness and understanding.

I love our house in the country. I can walk to the nearby village and have a coffee and no one pays any notice. I'm just another dad with my daughter on my knee. The time I've spent in France with [girlfriend Vanessa Paradis] has solidified my belief that I can keep a major distance from Hollywood and still keep in the game. Acting is my living, but I don't want to live it. Living in France is the first time I can honestly say I feel at home.

There's a drive in me that won't allow me to do certain things that are easy. I can weigh all the options, but there's always one thing that goes: "Johnny, this is the one." And it's always the most difficult - it's always the one that will cause the most trouble.

All the amazing people that I've worked with - Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman - have told me consistently: don't compromise. Do your work, and if what you're giving is not what they want, you have to be prepared to walk away.

[about Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)] I only wanted to be in a movie that my kids could see.

I had never experienced that before. And it's been fun to visit Hollywood and talk to studios as a bankable actor for a change.

I've been around long enough to know that one week, you're on the exclusive list of guys who can open a movie, and then the next week, you're off the list. It's been a fun ride, and I'm enjoying it for all it's worth.

[about Edward D. Wood Jr.] Like him I also grew up feeling like an obtuse piece of machinery. It was the same feeling I had about Edward Scissorhands."

(about his mother, Betty Sue) Years and years I watched her wait tables. I'd count her change at the end of the night. She cursed like a sailor, played cards and smoked cigarettes.

I was a weird kid. I wanted to be Bruce Lee. I wanted to be on a SWAT team. When I was five, I think I wanted to be Daniel Boone.

My cousins had a gospel group and they came down and played gospel songs, and that was the first time I ever saw an electric guitar. I got obsessed with the electric guitar, so my Mom bought me one from them for $25. I was about twelve years old. Then I locked myself in a room for a year and taught myself how to play, learned off records, and then I started playing in little garage bands. The first group I was ever in was called Flame. Then I was in The Kids. They were the ones who moved to Hollywood.

[about living in the small town of Miramar as a kid] Miramar was like Endora, the town in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). It had two identical grocery stores opposite each other and nothing much ever happened there.

At first we'd wear T-shirts that said "Flame" on them. At 13 I was wearing plain T-shirts. Then I used to steal my mom's clothing. She had all these crushed velvet shirts with French-cut sleeves. And, like, seersucker bell bottoms. I dreamed of having platforms, but couldn't find any.

I'd been in high school three years, and I may have just walked in yesterday. I had, like, eight credits. I was in my third year of high school and I didn't want to be there. I was bored out of my mind and I hated it.

I hung around with bad crowds. We used to break and enter places. We'd break into the school and destroy a room or something. I used to steal things from stores.

[about one of his old teachers asking for an autograph] I mean, what was I supposed to say? He'd failed me. I remember one time this teacher yelled at me so heavily in front of the entire class. He didn't have any time for me then, and now, all of a sudden, he wants my autograph? They all thought I was going to end up a drug addict, in jail.

I started smoking at 12, lost my virginity at 13 and did every kind of drug there was by 14. Pretty much any drug you can name, I've done it. I wouldn't say I was bad or malicious, I was just curious. I certainly had my little experiences with drugs. Eventually, you see where that's headed and you get out.

I played rock'n'roll clubs in Florida. I was underage, but they would let me come in the back door to play, and then I'd have to leave after the first set. That's how I made a living, at about $25 a night. At times we could make $2,100 - we used to make that for the entire group and the road crew, which is a lot.

My father left and my mother was deeply hurt and sick physically and emotionally. That's a very traumatic thing for a family to go through, so we all pulled together and did the best we could.

These are the most important people in my life. You know, I would die for these people. If someone were to harm my family or a friend or somebody I love - I would eat them. I might end up in jail for 500 years - but I would eat them.

I remember carving my initials on my arm and I've scarred myself from time to time since then. In a way your body is a journal and the scars are sort of entries in it.

I can remember my parents fighting and us kids wondering who was going to go with whom if they got divorced.

[about his first marriage] I guess I have very traditional kinds of sensibilities about that kind of stuff - you know, a man and a woman sharing their life together and having a baby, whatever - and I think for a while I was trying to right the wrongs of my parents because they split up when I was a kid, so I thought I could do it differently - make things work. I had the right intentions, but the wrong timing - and the wrong person. But I don't regret it; I had fun and I learned a lot.

You know, I was married, when I was 20. It was a strong bond with someone, but I can't necessarily say I was in love. That's something that comes around once, man, maybe twice if you're lucky. And I don't know that I experienced that, let's say, before I turned 30.

[about a scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)] I love this stuff. The kid falls asleep and it's all over, he's sucked right into the bed and spit out as blood. His bloody body rises straight out and then topples over, too. I heard somebody talk about having a dummy shot out of the bed, but I said, "Hey, I want to do this! It'll be fun! Lemme do it!"

[about A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)] I was just not what [director Wes Craven] had written for the story. He had written the part of a big, blond, beach jock, football player guy. And I was sort of emaciated, with old hairspray and spiky hair, earrings, a little catacomb dweller. Then five hours later that agent called me and said, "You're an actor".

[about his career as a salesman] The last couple of times I did it, I just said, "Listen, you don't want this stuff, man".

[about his job of selling pens over the phone] I was working a day job selling ink pens over the phone and getting maybe $100 a week, but I thought, "What have I got to lose?"

[about The Kids in Hollywood] It was horrible. There were so many bands it was impossible to make any money. So we all got side jobs. We used to sell ads over the telephone. Telemarketing. We got $100 a week. We had to rip people off. We'd tell them they'd been chosen by so-and-so in their area to receive a grandfather clock. They would order $500 worth of these fucking things and we would send them a cheap grandfather clock. It was horrible.

I like to think that I'm very considerate of other people's feelings, and I was trained as a small child to always try my best at everything. I think I'm a mixture of romantic and realist. I'm a realist about some stuff, but I also wholeheartedly believe that in a society where people get divorced every five minutes you can still stay married for 50 or 75 years. It's been done and it's beautiful. When I see a couple celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary, I just think that it's totally incredible.

(About his early relationship) I don't regret any of them. I had a good time. Most of what's been written about me has been completely false. People have created an image that has absolutely nothing to do with me, and they have the power to sell it, to shove it down the throats of people. I'm an old-fashioned guy who wants marriage and kids.

(About Platoon) I went to read for Oliver Stone, and Oliver scared the shit out of me! I read for him and he said, "OK, I need you for ten weeks in the jungle." It was a great experience.

I made some shitty movies when I was first starting out, but I'm not embarrassed by them, especially as I didn't think I was going to be an actor - I was just trying to make some money. I was still a musician. When I first started out I was just given the opportunity, and there was no other way to make that kind of money. Apart from crime. I couldn't believe how much they were paying me.

[on the difficulties of his singing in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)] The one [song] that was probably the most challenging was "Johanna [Act II]"... And as far as I was concerned, when Stephen Sondheim writes the note and it has to be held for this many beats, you do it. I don't care if you're from Miramar or Kentucky or you're an ass and you don't sing. It doesn't matter. Don't be a pussy, you fucking hold that note. You can't cheat. You can't whisper. You can't do the William Shatner thing. You just gotta belt it out. So I really beat myself up, making sure I could hold those notes. In "Johanna," some are, like, twelve beats. That was a bugger. At one point, I was very close to passing out-- I got dizzy and saw black. But that's what Sondheim wrote, so that's what you do.

(About teen magazines) They had come to me in the beginning and said, "We want you to do these interviews and stuff for these magazines," and I said, "What magazines?" And they said, "Sixteen! Teen Beat! Teen Dream! Teen Poop! Teen Piss! Teen Shit!"

(About Peter DeLuise, friend from 21 Jump Street) If Peter wasn't on the show I would have gone insane or jumped into the river. He's my savior.

(About his character in 21 Jump Street) Hanson is not someone I'd want to have pizza with. I don't believe in having undercover cops in high school - it's spying. The only thing I have in common with Tom Hanson is that we look alike.

(About 21 Jump Street) I got a call from my agents, who said, "These people want you to come and read for this TV thing." And I said, "No, no, no, no, no". I didn't want to sign some big contract that would bind me for years. So they hired somebody else to do it, and they fired him after about a month, and then they called me again and said, "Would you please come in and do it?" My agent said, "The average span of a TV series is thirteen episodes, if that. One season." So I said OK.

When I see someone who just follows their dream and succeeds, and just does basically what they want to do and doesn't have to answer to anyone, obviously not harming anyone, that's great.

Now it's starting to get to profound [things]. She sat me down the other day, sort of like, "Dad, I need to have a talk with you." You know, she's four. I said, "Alright sweetheart, what do you got?" She said, "I just want to ask you three questions." I said, "Ok, what do you got?" She said, "Is God afraid of dogs?" I thought about it. I said, "No honey, I don't think he is. Probably not." She said, "Ok. Has He seen the dinosaurs?" I said, "Yes, I think he has." And then she said, "Does God have a maid?" And I didn't know how to answer it!

(About 21 Jump Street) I'm afraid I started navel-gazing. I started thinking like, There are 365 days in a year, but for 275 of those days, I'm saying someone else's words. And they're bad words. And I only get to say my own for 90 days.

Kids write to me and say they are having these problems or they want to commit suicide or something. It's scary. I have to say, Listen, I'm just an actor, not a professional psychologist. If you need help, you should go and get it.

I've gotten weird letters, suicide letters, girls threatening to jump if I don't get in touch with them. So you think, This is bullshit, but then you think, What if it's not? Who wants to take that chance? I write them back, tell them to hang in there - if things are that bad they have to get better. But I'm not altogether stable myself, so who am I to give advice?

It's scary. It's terrifying. People come up to you and start crying. Everybody compares everyone to James Dean these days. If you're lucky they mention Brando or DeNiro. They invite you to put on an instant image.

(About teen magazines) Those are things that are out of my control. It's very nice to be appreciated, but I'm not really comfortable with it. I've never liked being the centre of attention. It comes with the territory.

(about his high school) I was around 15 when I left. I went back 2 weeks later, thinking "You know what, this is crazy, I should go back." So I went back, and I talked to the dean of the school, and he said, "Johnny... we don't *want* you to come back." He said, it was really sweet actually, "You have this music thing, I think you should run with it. That's your passion, you should go with it." So I did.

[on buying a private island] Money doesn't buy you happiness, but it buys you a big enough yacht to sail right up to it.

[on Elizabeth Taylor] The best old-school dame I've ever met. A regular, wonderful person.

I have a really soft spot for blondes. I find myself attracted to blonde women the most.

I'm not sure I could give up pork. Steak, OK. Maybe hamburgers. But nothing in the world can make me stop eating swine. I mean, I had a great-grandmother, Mimmy, who ate the greasiest food you ever saw and chewed tobacco till the day she died, and she lived to be 102.

I pray on airplanes. I get instant religion during takeoff, then when we're safely in the air I sit there thinking about the fact that any little thing that goes wrong could send us crashing to the ground.

(On growing up) We moved like gypsies. From the time I was five until my teens we lived in 30 or 40 different houses. That probably has a lot to do with my transient life now. But it's how I was raised so I thought there was nothing abnormal about it. Wherever the family is, that's home. We lived in apartments, on a farm, in a motel. Then we rented a house, and one night we moved from there to the house next door. I remember carrying my clothes across the yard and thinking, This is weird, but it's an easy move.

(1996 - On fame) If there's anything I really want, it's privacy. You do get to where your money can help your family, and that's a great thing. You can buy that wristwatch you want, too. But mostly you now have to pay for simplicity. You use your money to buy privacy because during most of your life you aren't allowed to be normal. You're on display, always looked at, which puts you at a disadvantage for the people looking at you know that it's you. They say, "It's you!" But you don't know them. That's bad for an actor because the most important thing you can do is observe people. And now you can't because you're the one being observed.

(On first seeing himself on-screen) I got sick. I went to see dailies on Nightmare on Elm Street. I was 21, and didn't know what was going on. It was like looking in a huge mirror. It wasn't how I looked that bothered me, though I did look like a geek in that movie. It was seeing myself up there pretending.

(Joking about Ryan Reynolds taking over the title "Sexiest Man Alive 2010") I feel emasculated.I feel like I've been beaten down like some horrible ... you know, like some pathetic harp seal. But, I mean, that's how it goes, isn't it?I think I can work my way forward, but will I try for it again? No. ... I worked so hard to gain that title.

Depp and Vanessa Pardis produce wine from grapes grown in their villa's vineyard and participate in Wine Fests in the local village of Plan-de-la-Tour, where they live.

Co-owned a restaurant, Man Ray, in Paris near the Champs Elysee with John Malkovich, Sean Penn, and Mick Hucknall.

Salary
The Rum Diary (2011)     $15,000,000
Rango (2011)     $7,500,000
Alice in Wonderland (2010)     $50,000,000
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)     $20,000,000
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)     $18,000,000
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)     $10,000,000
Donnie Brasco (1997)     $5,000,000
Nick of Time (1995)     $5,000,000

Where Are They Now

(November 2004) Working with the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the Montblanc and the National Arts Initiative to give children more access to the Arts.

(July 2005) Shooting the two Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, in the Caribbean.

(July 2006) He and his production company, 'Infinitum Nihil Production', are in the process of getting two in-development projects made, The Rum Diary (2011) and Shantaram (2011). Looking to reprise his role as Hunter S. Thompson as his first post-'Pirates' role.

(January 2007) Currently preparing for the role of Sweeney Todd/Benjamin Barker in the Tim Burton film version of Stephen Sondheim's thrilling masterpiece Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Filming begins in early Feb 2007 for a late 2007 release.

(March 2008) Filming Public Enemies (2009) on location in Columbus, Wisconsin and Crown Point, Indiana.

(April 2008) Filming Public Enemies (2009) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

(April 2009) Filming The Rum Diary (2011) in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.

(October 2010) Filming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) in Greenwich, England.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (Special Collector's Edition)
Public Enemies (Single-Disc Edition)
Johnny Depp Triple Feature (Benny & Joon / Edward Scissorhands / From Hell)
Johnny Depp Movie (At Piano) Poster Print - 24x36
Cry-Baby Girl Tattoo Johnny Depp Black T-Shirt , Small
Alice in Wonderland
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Sleepy Hollow
Don Juan DeMarco
Benny and Joon
Johnny Depp - portrait, Wall Poster, 23x34
Dead Man
I Heart / Love Johnny Depp T-Shirt, Adult L, Black
Finding Neverland (Widescreen Edition)
The Ninth Gate
Inside the Actors Studio: Johnny Depp
5 BRAND NEW Johnny Depp One Inch Buttons / Pins
Johnny Depp: The Illustrated Biography
Blow
Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Cry Baby (Director's Cut)
Sleepy Hollow
Johnny Depp Movie (Bathtub) Poster Print - 24x36

Schwarzenegger, Arnold

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:41:00 +0000

Creative Artists Agency
(Talent and Literary Agency)
2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles, CA 90067
USA
Phone: (424) 288-2000
Fax: (424) 288-2900
Official website

Date of Birth
30 July 1947, Thal, Styria, Austria

Birth Name
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger

Nicknames
Arnie
Austrian Oak
Conan the Republican
Styrian Oak
The Governator
The Running Man
Conan the Governor

Height
6' 2" (1.88 m)

Mini Biography

Growing up in a small, isolated village in Austria, he turned to bodybuilding as his ticket to a better life. Prior to that he served a mandatory one year in the Austrian military (beginning in 1965). After conquering the world as arguably the greatest bodybuilder who ever lived, he went to America to make his name in motion pictures. Hampered by his impossible name and thick accent, success eluded him for many years. It wasn't until he found the tailor-made role of Conan that he truly came into his own as a performer. A succession of over-the-top action films made him an international box office star. By alternating violent action films with lighter, comedic fare, he has solidified his position as one of the most popular - if not the most popular - movie stars in the world. After his long, and successful movie career, he ran in the California recall. He is now the Governor of California, yet another celebrity to be elected to the position.

With an almost unpronounceable surname and a thick Austrian accent, who would have ever believed that a brash, quick talking bodybuilder from a small European village would become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, marry into the prestigious Kennedy family, amass a fortune via shrewd investments and one day be the Governor of California!

The amazing story of uber-star Arnold Schwarzenegger is a true "rags to riches" story of the penniless immigrant making it in the land of opportunity, the United States of America. Arnold was born on July 30th, 1947 in the town of Thal, Austria and, from a young age, he took a keen interest in physical fitness and bodybuilding, going on to compete in several minor contests in Europe. However, it was when he emigrated to the United States in 1968 at the tender age of 21 that his star began to rise. Up until the early 1970's, bodybuilding had been viewed as a rather oddball sport, or even a mis-understood "freak show" by the general public, however two entrepreneurial Canadian brothers Ben Weider and Joe Weider set about broadening the appeal of "pumping iron" and getting the sport respect, and what better poster boy could they have to lead the charge, then the incredible "Austrian Oak", Arnold Schwarzenegger. Over roughly the next decade, beginning in 1970, Schwarzenegger dominated the sport of competitive bodybuilding winning five Mr. Universe titles and seven Mr. Olympia titles and, with it, he made himself a major sports icon, he generated a new international audience for bodybuilding, gym memberships worldwide swelled by the tens of thousands and the Weider sports business empire flourished beyond belief and reached out to all corners of the globe.

However, Schwarzenegger's horizons were bigger than just the landscape of bodybuilding and he debuted on screen as "Arnold Strong" in the low budget Hercules in New York (1969), then director Bob Rafelson cast Arnold in Stay Hungry (1976) alongside Jeff Bridges and Sally Field, for which Arnold won a Golden Globe Award for "Best Acting Debut in a Motion Picture". The mesmerizing Pumping Iron (1977) covering the 1975 Mr Olympia contest in South Africa has since gone on to become one of the key sports documentaries of the 20th century, plus Arnold landed other acting roles in the comedy The Villain (1979) opposite Kirk Douglas, and he portrayed Mickey Hargitay in the well- received TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story (1980) (TV). But, what Arnold really needed was a super hero / warrior style role in a lavish production that utilized his chiseled physique, and gave him room to show off his growing acting talents and quirky humor.

Conan the Barbarian (1982) was just that role. Inspired by the Robert E. Howard short stories of the "Hyborean Age" and directed by gung ho director John Milius, and with a largely unknown cast, save Max von Sydow and James Earl Jones, "Conan" was a smash hit worldwide and an inferior, although still enjoyable sequel titled Conan the Destroyer (1984) quickly followed. If "Conan" was the kick start to Arnold's movie career, then his next role was to put the pedal to the floor and accelerate his star status into overdrive. Director James Cameron had until that time only previously directed one earlier feature film titled Piranha Part Two: The Spawning (1981), - which stank of rotten fish from start to finish - however Cameron had penned a fast paced, science fiction themed film script that called for an actor to play an unstoppable, ruthless predator - The Terminator (1984). Made on a relatively modest budget, the high voltage action / science fiction thriller The Terminator (1984) was incredibly successful worldwide, and began one of the most profitable film franchises in history. The dead pan phrase "I'll be back" quickly became part of popular culture across the globe. Schwarzenegger was in vogue with action movie fans, and the next few years were to see Arnold reap box office gold in roles portraying tough, no-nonsense individuals who used their fists, guns and witty one-liners to get the job done. The testosterone laden Commando (1985), Raw Deal (1986), Predator (1987), The Running Man (1987) and Red Heat (1988) were all box office hits and Arnold could seemingly could no wrong when it came to picking winning scripts. The tongue-in-cheek comedy Twins (1988/I) with co-star Danny DeVito was a smash and won Arnold new fans who saw a more comedic side to the muscle- bound actor once described by Australian author / TV host Clive James as "a condom stuffed with walnuts".

The spectacular Total Recall (1990) and "feel good" Kindergarten Cop (1990) were both solid box office performers for Arnold, plus he was about to return to familiar territory with director James Cameron in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). The second time around for the futuristic robot, the production budget had grown from the initial film's $6.5 million to an alleged $100 million for the sequel, and it clearly showed as the stunning sequel bristled with amazing special effects, bone-crunching chases & stunt sequences, plus state of the art computer-generated imagery. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) was arguably the zenith of Arnold's film career to date and he was voted "International Star of the Decade" by the National Association of Theatre Owners. Remarkably, his next film Last Action Hero (1993) brought Arnold back to Earth with a hard thud as the self-satirizing, but confusing plot line of a young boy entering into a mythical Hollywood action film confused movie fans even more and they stayed away in droves making the film an initial financial disaster. Arnold turned back to good friend, director James Cameron and the chemistry was definitely still there as the "James Bond" style spy thriller True Lies (1994) co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Arnold was the surprise hit of 1994!

Following the broad audience appeal of True Lies (1994), Schwarzenegger decided to lean towards more family-themed entertainment with Junior (1994) and Jingle All the Way (1996), but he still found time to satisfy his hard-core fan base with Eraser (1996), as the chilling "Mr. Freeze" in Batman & Robin (1997) and battling dark forces in the supernatural action of End of Days (1999). The science fiction / conspiracy tale The 6th Day (2000) played to only mediocre fan interest, and Collateral Damage (2002) had it's theatrical release held over for nearly a year after the tragic events of Sept 11th 2001, but it still only received a lukewarm reception. It was time again to resurrect Arnold's most successful franchise and, in 2003, Schwarzenegger pulled on the biker leathers for the third time for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Unfortunately, directorial duties passed from James Cameron to Jonathan Mostow and the deletion of the character of "Sarah Connor" aka Linda Hamilton and a change in the actor playing "John Connor" - Nick Stahl took over from Edward Furlong - making the third entry in the "Terminator" series the weakest to date.

Schwarzenegger contributed cameo roles to The Rundown (2003), Around the World in 80 Days (2004) and The Kid & I (2005) and took political office in 2003 as the Governor of California, effectively suspending his film career for the foreseeable future.

Schwarzenegger married TV journalist Maria Shriver in April, 1986 and the couple have four children.
IMDb Mini Biography By: firehouse44@hotmail.com

Spouse
Maria Shriver     (26 April 1986 - present) 4 children

Trade Mark

Frequent movie line: "I'll be back."

Often has his character say comedic one liners that puncuate the action.

Many of his films have his characters doing feats of strength to match his muscular look, eg Commando (1985) where he is first seen in the film carrying a whole tree trunk on his shoulder.

Frequently has some type of action scene in bathrooms. (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), True Lies (1994) and Kindergarten Cop (1990).

His accent.

Films often have a chase sequence or action scene in a shopping mall.(Commando (1985), True Lies (1994), Kindergarten Cop (1990), _Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) _, _Jingle All The Way (1996) _)

Trivia

October 1997: Ranked #20 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.

Children with Maria Shriver, Katherine Eunice (born December 13, 1989), Christina Maria Aurelia (born July 23, 1991), Patrick Arnold (born September 18, 1993) and Christopher Sargent Shriver (September 27, 1997).

April 1997: Underwent heart surgery to correct a congenital heart valve condition.

Called by the Guinness Book of World Records, "the most perfectly developed man in the history of the world."

Noted fan of cigar smoking.

His voice in Hercules in New York (1969) was dubbed.

Was part-owner of Planet Hollywood and Schatzi restaurants.

Advocate for the Republican party.

He reprised his Terminator character for the theme park attraction T2 3-D: Battle Across Time (1996), a short film which uses an enhanced 3-D process that makes the film really appear to jump out at the audience.

His production company is Oak Productions.

1983: Became a US citizen.

His wife Maria Shriver is a niece of the late President John F. Kennedy and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.

1979: Graduated from University of Wisconsin-Superior with a major in international marketing of fitness and business administration.

2000: Sold off his Planet Hollywood stock and is no longer a part owner of the chain.

The soccer stadium in Graz, Austria (his home town) is named after him.

Was considered for the title role in the 1970s TV series "The Incredible Hulk" (1978), but was reportedly deemed not tall enough. His former bodybuilding competitor, Lou Ferrigno, ultimately won the part.

After leaving Austria for the first time, he came to England to work, earning under £30 a week.

1996: Received an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Superior, in recognition of his charitable works.

Son-in-law of Sargent Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver.

At his bodybuilding peak his chest was 57", waist 34", biceps 22", thighs 28½", calves 20", and his competition weight was 235 lbs (260 lbs off-season).

September 2001: He and Warner Bros. agreed to postpone the release of Collateral Damage (2002) indefinitely in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks on America. The plot centers around a firefighter who lost his family in a terrorist bomb attack.

9/7/01: Sues International Game Technology for the unauthorized use of his voice and likeness in slot machine games. His lawyer told the press he was seeking $20 million in damages, which is the amount he believes he would have received had he approved the use.

Childhood friends stated that he often said his goals in life were to move to America, become an actor, and marry a Kennedy. He accomplished all three.

Underwent a genioplasty -- a procedure in which his jaw has been moved back so that it no longer juts out.

Was the first private citizen in the U.S. to own a Humvee (High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle).

May 2002: Lobbied to promote anti-juvenile delinquency initiative on California ballot that would commit the state to allocate $400 million for extracurricular activities and tutoring for students, kindergarten through ninth grade.

June 2002: Received an honorary doctorate from Chapman University in Orange, CA.

Franco Columbu was best man at Arnold's wedding.

1/29/03: Underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff as a result of an injury on the set of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003). Was in a sling for three to four weeks, but it was not expected to delay the completion of the movie.

2003: Ranked #9 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s.

The character Rainier Wolfecastle in "The Simpsons" (1989) is based on him.

Won Mr. Olympia title seven times (1970-1975, 1980).

James Cameron originally wanted him for the role of Kyle Reese in The Terminator (1984), but after reading the script, Arnold asked Cameron to let him play the part of the Machine. Cameron replied "No, no! Reese is the star! He's the big hero! And the Terminator hardly has any lines!" but Arnold asked him to "trust me".

8/6/03: Announced his candidacy for the Governorship of California on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992).

Suffered a back injury (among other various assorted injuries) while filming Conan the Barbarian (1982) when the dogs who were chasing him jumped him from behind and he fell down the rock he was climbing to escape them.

In Demolition Man (1993), Sandra Bullock's character Lenina Huxley is telling Sylvester Stallone's character John Spartan about the Arnold Schwarzenegger Presidential Library, explaining that, based on the sheer popularity of Schwarzenegger's movies, a Constitutional amendment was passed in order for Schwarzenegger to run for President, which, according to Huxley, he did. In 2003, ten years after this film's release, Schwarzenegger ran for the office of Governor of California, and won the election on 7 October 2003. While Schwarzenegger is not eligible to run for the presidency by present laws (as a naturalized citizen, not a native-born citizen as required by the Constitution), most past presidents have been governors of their respective home states. Some members of Congress are currently considering an amendment to the Constitution to allow foreign-born US citizens to be allowed to run for the Presidency, specifically with Schwarzenegger in mind, although other members of Congress are strongly opposed to the idea.

Had one elder brother, Meinhard (1946-1971).

His mother was Aurelia Jadrny (1922 - 2 August 1998) and his father was Gustav Schwarzenegger (Graz, 1907 - 1973), married in Murzsteg, 20 October 1945. His mother's surname is Czech.

10/7/03: Was elected Governor of California as a Republican.

Turned down the role of John McClane in Die Hard (1988). The role went to Bruce Willis instead. Ironically, Willis has a line in the film where he says that the terrorists "have enough explosives to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger".

TV Guide selected Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992) to run for Governor of California as the greatest TV moment of 2003.

Said that filming the climatic fight at the end of Predator (1987) was made difficult by the fact that the late Kevin Peter Hall, who played the Predator, couldn't see through his mask.

Has the record for winning the most major bodybuilding events in history, 13 (1 Mr. Junior Western Europe, 7 Mr. Olympias, and 5 Mr. Universes).

After he had started lifting weights as a teenager, he noticed that his body was becoming disproportionate. His arms, shoulders and chest were developing nicely, but his calves and lower legs weren't coming along as he wanted. To motivate himself to work harder on his calves, he cut off all of his pants (trousers) at the knee. Walking around like that, people would look at (and maybe even laugh at) the big man with 'chicken' legs. It worked.

His father, Gustav Schwarzenegger, nicknamed him "Cinderella" as a child and his older brother, Meinhard, constantly picked on him growing up. Both men were killed while driving under the influence.

Along with Earl Boen, he is one of only two actors to appear in all of the first three of the "Terminator" films (The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)). However, neither he nor Boen appeared in the fourth film, Terminator Salvation (2009).

Only the second governor in California's history to be born in a foreign country. John Downey, the 7th Governor of California, was born in Ireland and served from 1860-1862.

Has his look-alike puppet in the French show "Les guignols de l'info" (1988).

Went AWOL from the Austrian army to enter his first bodybuilding contest.

Stumped for President George W. Bush the weekend before his re-election in Ohio, as Schwarzenegger has always had a strong relationship with Ohio.

He was voted the 53rd Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Has played a character who died in only four of his films: The Terminator (1984), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), End of Days (1999) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003).

Was considered for the role of the gentle giant Fezzik in the 1970s when William Goldman's book "The Princess Bride" was first proposed to be made into a film (The Princess Bride (1987)).

Had his first romantic scene in a movie with actress Sandahl Bergman, in Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Is good friends with fellow bodybuilder Sven-Ole Thorsen who, ironically, portrayed "Thorgrim," one of his leading foes, in Conan the Barbarian (1982).

Turned down a request to reprise his Conan character in Kull the Conqueror (1997) (originally titled "Conan the Conqueror"). Also, he was supposed to play Conan in Red Sonja (1985), though ultimately, a new character was created who was essentially Conan in everything but name.

Is the only person to receive Razzie nominations for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple (with himself cloned) in the same year. All for the same movie, The 6th Day (2000).

His life strangely mirrors the life of Conan from Conan the Barbarian (1982). Conan was born in a small village and grew up to be a physically powerful man, due to years of slavery. After winning great fame as a gladiator, he is given to wine and women, but later rejects this hedonistic lifestyle and goes on to perform great heroic feats and eventually is crowned king. Arnold was born in a small Austrian town and took up weightlifting as he got older. After achieving success as a bodybuilder, he indulged in drug abuse and womanizing, but he later rejected this and went on to become a vocal supporter of social causes, and was eventually elected governor of California.

Performed many of his own stunts in his films, owing largely to the fact that it was hard to find stunt doubles who matched his size. Billy D. Lucas, Joel Kramer and Peter Kent eventually became his personal stunt doubles and close friends.

His famous line "I'll be back", which originated from The Terminator (1984), was originally written as "I'll come back".

Initially refused to star in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) because James Cameron, who created the character and directed the first two films, would not be directing the third installment. Arnold tried to persuade Cameron to do the third film but Cameron declined and, feeling that the Terminator character was as much Arnold's as it was his own, Cameron advised Arnold to just do the third film and ask for a lot of money.

While filming the behind the scenes documentary for the special edition DVD of Conan the Barbarian (1982), the microphone hit him in the head at the end of the interview, to which he immediately joked "You see, I can't even do an interview about Conan without getting hurt".

2004: Addressed the Republican National Convention.

The etymology for Arnold is "Eagle Power."

Grew up in a house that had no phone, no fridge and no toilet.

Was the spokesperson for Japanese DirecTV, a competitor to Quentin Tarantino's endorsed local satellite TV operator SkyperfecTV.

Was considered for the title role in Flash Gordon (1980). The part eventually went to Sam J. Jones instead, because producer Dino De Laurentiis felt Schwarzenegger's German accent was ill-suited for this role. DeLaurentiis (in his heavy Italian accent) told Schwarzenegger, "You have an accent! I cannot use you for Flash Gordon! No! Flash Gordon has no accent! I cannot use you! No!" Ironically, Jones had to temporarily get rid of his own Texas accent for said role.

While filming Predator (1987) he became close friends with co- star Jesse Ventura, who was also later elected a state governor (Minnesota).

John Milius originally intended him to do the narration of Conan the Barbarian (1982) but the studio didn't trust his accent, so the narration was performed by Mako instead, who played the wizard.

Withdrew from the city of Graz the right to use his name in association with its soccer stadium and returned his "Ehrenring" (ring of honor) after some politicians in the town had started a campaign against Schwarzenegger due to his refusal to stop the execution of convicted killer Stanley Tookie Williams (20 December 2005).

The Green Party of Austria has resolved to strip Schwarzenegger of his Austrian citizenship due to his support for the death penalty.

12/12/05: As governor, he refused to grant clemency to convicted quadruple murderer and former gang leader Stanley Tookie Williams, who had been on Death Row for 24 years.

November 2005: He was soundly defeated on all four propositions of his "special election", which cost the state of California an estimated $45 million. Schwarzenegger accepted personal responsibility for the defeat, and appointed a Democrat as his new Chief of Staff.

Second actor to be elected Governor of California. The first was Ronald Reagan.

December 2001: Broke six ribs in a motorcycle crash.

February 2005: He and his 12-year-old son Patrick were injured in a traffic accident when a car ran into Arnold's motorcycle. Patrick was in a sidecar. Arnold received 15 stitches.

He has been nominated for a Razzie Award as Worst Actor eight times during his career, and in 2004 received a special award for being the "Worst Razzie Loser of Our First 25 Years."

His performance as The Terminator in the "Terminator" films is ranked #40 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Was asked to reprise his "Dutch" character from the first Predator (1987) film for the sequel, but he declined because he didn't like the script. He chose to do Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) instead.

Children - Katherine Eunice (born December 13, 1989), Christina Maria Aurelia (born July 23, 1991), Patrick Arnold (born September 18, 1993) and Christopher Sargent Shriver (September 27, 1997).

Was asked to appear in a sequel to his 1985 film Commando (1985) but declined.

He keeps the sword he used in Conan the Barbarian (1982) in the Governor's office in California.

Is a huge fan of professional wrestling.

11/7/06: Easily re-elected as Governor of California.

He is the first member of the Kennedy family to become a state Governor.

12/23/06: Broke his right femur while skiing in Sun Valley, ID.

Although German is his native language, all his movies have been dubbed into German by Thomas Danneberg for the German-speaking market because his strong Austrian accent doesn't fit with the type of roles he plays.

1992: He joined President George Bush in New Hampshire and asked voters to "send a message to Pat Buchanan: Hasta la vista, baby".

Related to actor George Wyner, who is also a close friend.

Early in his career he appeared as a contestant on "The Dating Game" (1965).

Was considered for the role of Judge Dredd in Judge Dredd (1995) in the early development stages. The part went to fellow Planet Hollywood founder Sylvester Stallone.

In his childhood considered John Wayne his idol and role model. As Governor of California, he issued a proclamation making 26 May 2007 "John Wayne Day" in the state.

Producer Joel Silver wanted Schwarzenegger to play "Doctor Manhattan" in a film adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel Watchmen (2009) at one point.

Acted with another future governor, Jesse Ventura, of Minnesota, in Predator (1987) and The Running Man (1987).

Had stitches in his hand from the taking-off-airplane-to-tarmac stunt he performed for Commando (1985).

Late October 2007: Personally flew to Malibu, CA, to survey the damage done by wildfires before any other politician, including the President.

Was attached to do another film adaptation of the pulp hero Doc Savage (after the failed 1975 film) in the late 1990s, but the project never got off the ground.

Father of Patrick Schwarzenegger.

Publicly endorsed his close friend Senator John McCain's bid to win the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election.

He ended his association with Planet Hollywood early in 2000, saying the investment had not had the level of success he had expected.

He saved a man's life while on vacation in Hawaii in 2004 by swimming into the sea to rescue him from drowning.

Considered for the role of Robert Neville in I Am Legend back in 1996 with Ridley Scott as the director.

As an environmentally conscious politician, always uses carbon credits when flying between his governor's office in Sacramento to his house in L.A., California.

Turned down the role of Animal Mother in Full Metal Jacket (1987) and opted to do The Running Man (1987) instead.

Considered for the main role in Strange Days (1995) but the job went to Ralph Fiennes instead.

Was the original choice to play the title character in RoboCop (1987).

Attended the funeral of Ronald Reagan in 2004, whom he considered a great hero.

Due to the dismal failure of Conan the Destroyer (1984), Schwarzenegger rarely ever did sequels to his own movies. He's turned down sequels to Commando (1985), Predator (1987), Total Recall (1990) and True Lies (1994), as well as the third Conan film which became Kull the Conqueror (1997). The only exception he ever made was Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003).

Honored by the Congressional Award in Washington, DC on June 25, 2002 with the Horizon Award. The Horizon Award is a special recognition from the Joint Leadership of the United States Congress and the Congressional Award Board of Directors. The Horizon Award is presented to individuals from the private sectors who have contributed to expanding opportunities for all Americans through their own personal contributions, and who have set exceptional examples for young people through their successes in life.

Was good friends with WWE Hall of Famer André the Giant.

With the exception of Around the World in 80 Days (2004), in which he only appeared in a supporting role, has starred in three movies with the word "Day" in the title, and all three make a biblical reference: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), End of Days (1999) and The 6th Day (2000).

Has been crucified in two movies: Conan the Barbarian, and End Of Days, where he was tied to a cross.

Was seriously considered for the role of Dr. Manhattan/Jon Osterman in one of the many failed attempts at adapting Alan Moore's Watchmen into film. Ultimately, director Zach Snyder cast Billy Crudup for the 2009 adaptation.

The character Arnold the Pitbull featured on Tiny Toons Adventures (1990), voiced by Rob Paulsen, was a parody of him.

Was considered for the role of Harry Stamper in Armageddon (1998/I).

Was considered for the role of President James Mitchell in Air Force One (1997).

Lives in Los Angeles, California and Ketchum, Idaho.

Before he became a household name, Schwarzenegger appeared with bodybuilding buddies Franco Columbu and Frank Zane on the sleeve of Grand Funk Railroad's 1974 album "All the Girls in the World Beware!!!" Band member faces were cleverly superimposed on their muscle-bound bodies.

Personal Quotes

I was always interested in proportion and perfection. When I was 15 I took off my clothes and looked in the mirror. When I stared at myself naked, I realized that to be perfectly proportioned I would need 20-inch arms to match the rest of me.

[Interview in "Starlog" magazine in 1991, explaining his reluctance to do sequels to most of his successful films from the '80s] There's so little time to do all the things I want to do that I can't see any reason to get bogged down in sequels.

Everything I have ever done in my life has always stayed. I've just added to it . . . but I will not change. Because when you are successful and you change, you are an idiot.

I know that if you leave dishes in the sink, they get sticky and hard to wash the next day.

I would rather be Governor of California than own Austria.

I love the Hong Kong style of action movies, but that only looks good for small guys. The reason why the whole style was developed over there was because those guys were very puny guys - they're not powerful-looking guys, they're also not powerful guys. There's no weightlifting champion coming out of Hong Kong - maybe in the bantam division or the lightweight division or something like that, but normally you don't have really strong men coming out of there . . . they had to learn a technique that small people can do that are as effective as the big guy's strength. So that's where the martial arts came from.

In the beginning I was selfish. It was all about, "How do I build Arnold? How can I win the most Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympic contests? How can I get into the movies and get into business?" I was thinking about myself . . . As I've grown up, got older, maybe wiser, I think your life is judged not by how much you have taken but by how much you give back.

[during his campaign for California governor, about his history of "misbehavior"] Where I did make mistakes, or maybe go overboard sometimes . . . I regret that. This is a different Arnold.

[on his fight scenes with the female T-X in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)] How many times do you get away with this - to take a woman, grab her upside down and bury her face in a toilet bowl? The thing is you can do it, because, in the end, I didn't do it to a woman - she's a machine. We could get away with it without being crucified by who knows what group.

[on his decision to run for governor of California] It was the most difficult decision in my life - except the one in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax.

[after being pelted with an egg at a political rally] This guy owes me bacon now . . . you can't have egg without bacon.

[responding to criticism during a televised debate] I just realized I have the perfect part for you in "Terminator 4."

[victory speech after having won election as Governor of California] I will not fail, I will not disappoint you, I will not let you down.

The worst I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.

There's a lot of people who want me to get out of acting and want me to run for governor. I think it's mostly movie critics.

You have to remember something: Everybody pities the weak; jealousy you have to earn.

I took more abuse in Predator (1987) than I did in Conan the Barbarian (1982). I fell down that waterfall [40 feet] and swam in this ice-cold water for days and for weeks was covered in mud. It was freezing in the Mexican jungle. They had these heat lamps on all the time, but they were no good. If you stayed in front of the lamps, the mud dried. Then, you had to take it off and put new mud on again. It was a no-win situation. The location was tough. Never on flat ground. Always on a hill. We stood all day long on a hill, one leg down, one leg up. It was terrible.

[referring to Democrats at a political rally in Ontario, California, in 2004] If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, "I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers" . . . if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men.

[at the 2004 Republican National Convention] Speaking of acting, one of my movies was called True Lies (1994). It's what the Democrats should have called their convention.

President [George Bush] knows you can't reason with people that are blinded by hate. But let me tell you something: Their hate is no match for our decency, their hate is no match for the leadership and the resolve of George Bush.

[Talking about his Conan the Barbarian (1982) director]: John Milius used to call himself the dog trainer. Guess who were the dogs?

[From an interview about his reaction to reading the original The Terminator (1984) screenplay] I have read a lot of action adventure scripts, and this definitely was one of the best. I knew that I wanted to play the part of the Terminator as soon as I started reading.

[About being taken seriously] I don't care. The important thing to me is that I'm doing work that people enjoy out there, that the movie makes good money, that the studio makes the money back, and that I'm having a great time at what I'm doing. I don't even consider myself serious. So how do I expect people to take me serious? I think this whole Hollywood thing has to be taken much looser . . . it's just entertainment.

"There were various stepping-stones in my career. One of them was Conan the Barbarian (1982), because it was the first time I did a film with that kind of budget and I had the title role. The next big stepping-stone was The Terminator (1984). With "The Terminator", I think people became aware of the fact that I didn't really have to take my shirt off or run around and expose my muscles in order to sell tickets. After I did "The Terminator" and we had seen it be more successful than the Conan films, people then sent me a variety of different kinds of scripts - all in the action-adventure genre, but they were not muscle movies or Viking movies or pirate movies or anything like that.

[Talking about playing the Terminator] I had to act like a cyborg, which meant I couldn't show any kind of human fear or reaction to the fire, explosions, or gunfire that was going off around me. That can be difficult when you're walking through a door with its frame on fire, trying to reload a gun, and at the same time thinking in the back of your mind that people have accidents doing these kinds of stunts and that it might be my turn.

[About more sequels to The Terminator (1984)] I don't necessarily want to leave the magic of the Terminator movies behind, and who says we have to? According to what we know about the future, there were hundreds of Terminators built. The story of the Terminator could go on forever.

[From an interview expressing concern over making Conan the Destroyer (1984) less brutal than its predecessor, Conan the Barbarian (1982)] I think it's a mistake. I know Sylvester Stallone made an extra $20 million because he got a PG rating for Rocky III (1982), but it's a matter of how much you want to stay within the character's reality. Can you slaughter people and never see blood? Is it possible? You must have battles. That's part of life, war, and the world of Conan.

[Talking about director Richard Fleischer] The first day Fleischer came to see me work out, he told me, "Arnold, could you put on some more muscles?" I couldn't believe it! It turned out that Fleischer thought [John Milius'] decision to keep Conan clothed throughout the first film was a mistake. Fleischer believes that people want to see my body much more often than they did the first time around, so they will. I spend most of my time in Conan the Destroyer (1984) fighting off people while I'm dressed in a loincloth.

[About the dog accident while making Conan the Barbarian (1982)] One of them hit me too soon. It caught me off guard and I went right over the ledge. I fell ten feet and landed on my back. I was covered with scratches and bruises. It was probably a pretty good beginning for this movie, though. It set the tone for the whole time we were there. This was going to be fun . . . but dangerous.

[Talking about director John Milius] "There never would have been a Conan movie without him.

[on Warren Beatty] There are some people who are close to him that say he is just starving for attention, and that's the way he gets attention. Other people said, "Look, he's not working and he just feels like he should maybe get involved in politics". Instead, I just think that maybe he is jealous that I did jump in. I find it silly, because I respect his work.

Well, I think because a lot of people don't know why I'm a Republican, I came first of all from a socialistic country which is Austria and when I came over here in 1968 with the presidential elections coming up in November, I came over in October, I heard a lot of the press conferences from both of the candidates, [Hubert H. Humphrey] and [Richard Nixon], and Humphrey was talking about more government is the solution, protectionism, and everything he said about government involvement sounded to me more like Austrian socialism. Then when I heard Nixon talk about it, he said open up the borders, the consumers should be represented there ultimately and strengthen the military and get the government off our backs. I said to myself, "What is this guy's party affiliation?" I didn't know anything at that point. So I asked my friend, "What is Nixon?" He's a Republican. And I said, "I am a Republican". That's how I became a Republican."

[On refusing to grant clemency to condemned killer Stanley Tookie Williams] After studying the evidence, searching the history, listening to the arguments and wrestling with the profound consequences, I could find no justification for granting clemency. The facts do not justify overturning the jury's verdict, or the decisions of the courts in this case.

[After undergoing heart surgery in 1997] We made, actually, history, because it was the first time ever that doctors could prove that a lifelong Republican has a heart.

As a kid - as a kid I saw socialist - the socialist country that Austria became after the Soviets left. Now don't misunderstand me: I love Austria and I love the Austrian people. But I always knew that America was the place for me. In school, when the teacher would talk about America, I would daydream about coming here. I would daydream about living here. I would sit there and watch for hours American movies, transfixed by my heroes, like John Wayne. Everything about America seemed so big to me, so open, so possible.

I have no sexual standards in my head that say this is good or this is bad. Homosexual - that only means to me that he enjoys sex with a man and I enjoy sex with a woman. It's all legitimate to me.

I didn't think about money. I thought about the fame, about just being the greatest. I was dreaming about being some dictator of a country or some savior like Jesus.

I'm 6'2". I've heard rumors that I'm really much shorter in real life - like 5'6" or something like that - which is ridiculous. I can assure you this is not the case. People look up to me, and not just because I do a lot of work in the community. I mean, most people really look up to me.

California will not wait for our federal government to take strong action on global warming. We won't wait for the federal government. We will move forward because we know it's the right thing to do. We will lead on this issue and we will get other western states involved. I think there's not great leadership from the federal government when it comes to protecting the environment.

Money doesn't make you happy. I now have $50 million but I was just as happy when I had $48 million.

[in a 1987 interview] I have to give the audiences what they enjoy seeing while I try to bring in a little something new, with different movies, different time periods and all those things. But what's important is to entertain the people -- everything else means nothing.

[On his late friend and role model, body builder Reg Park]: Reg was a dear friend, an extraordinary mentor and a personal hero. Other than my parents, there may be no single person who had more to do with me becoming the person I am today than Reg. He was like a second father to me. It was Reg who impressed upon me how hard I would have to work if I wanted to achieve my dreams. I'll always remember him making me do calf-raises with 1,000 pounds at 5 o'clock in the morning.

[on Terminator Salvation (2009)] I think it's cool to continue on with the franchise, in case I want to jump over again and get into the acting after I'm through here (as Governor of California).

There are such high standards and now there are always new standards being set for action. You see that with Iron Man (2008) and with The Dark Knight (2008) and that other film this summer, um, Wanted (2008). That was an excellent movie! There was this train coming down from a bridge, falling, and they're fighting inside the train car. Jesus, that is unbelievable that you can do that. To have the imagination to write it and the talent to shoot it and make it real on the screen. It's a whole new dimension.

With Batman and Terminator, those big movies, there's a certain expectation and if you don't live up to it, if the movie is not a 10, then the business will be soft. If Terminator Salvation (2009) is pushing it forward, it will be breaking records all the time. If director McG has the T4 and the kind of shots that has the audience thinking, 'Now how did he do that?' -- then it is 'Terminator' and you can blow everyone away and every record at the box office.

[on Terminator Salvation (2009)] I hope they do well, and I hope it is a huge hit. I do hope it creates a spectacle on the screen. That is what James Cameron created.

[on watching Will Ferrell movies] In those you howl for two hours and you feel like you get a six-pack of ab muscles from all the laughs!

[on Terminator Salvation (2009)] I wasn't sure who the Terminator was. I don't know if there is one or if he's the star or the hero. These are the things that determine the success and how strong the movie will be.

I know California is supposed to be a place where dreams come true, but my life has gone way beyond the dream. My dream was to come to America, become the greatest bodybuilder of all time and do what Reg Park had done by going into Hercules movies. And if that worked out, I was going to build a gym business and then live happily ever after. Then all of a sudden I shot right by my dream. I stopped doing the strong man stuff, did the Terminator movies and became the highest-paid actor in Hollywood. I got $30 million for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), you know.

[on the death of Michael Jackson] Michael was a pop phenomenon who never stopped pushing the envelope of creativity. Though there were serious questions about his personal life, Michael was undoubtedly a great entertainer and his popularity spanned generations and the globe.

[On the death of Patrick Swayze] Patrick Swayze was a talented and passionate artist who struck a memorable chord with audiences throughout the world. He played a wide range of characters both on stage and in movies and his celebrated performances made the hard work of acting look effortless - which I know from experience is not easy. As a fan and as an actor, I admired Patrick and I know that he will be dearly missed. On behalf of all Californians, Maria and I send our deepest condolences to Patrick's family, friends and fans.

I am here to spend. I love to spend Hollywood's money! (June 1993).

[On Sylvester Stallone in The Expendables (2010)] It is a great inspiration for people to see someone at his age still at the top of his game -- acting, writing, directing, doing his own stunts and fight scenes -- I mean, what an amazing talent. And for him to still be so athletic and be able to rip off his shirt and have a six-pack is just unbelievable.

[On the death of Tony Curtis] Tony Curtis was a Hollywood icon, a great performer and artist and devoted family man. I saw his extraordinary talent and ability to inspire generations of Americans firsthand on the set of Christmas in Connecticut (1992) (TV)' and will always remember our times together.

[On a return to movies when his term as Governor of California ends] I have no idea. So it depends if someone comes with a great script or a great idea...you know, would I still have the patience to sit on the set and to do a movie for three months or six months? All of those things, I don't know, but I did have a meeting with James Cameron, we talked about some very important things.

The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.

(On the power of visualizing your goals) When I was very young, I visualized myself being and having what it was that I wanted. The mind is really so incredible. Before I won my first Mr. Universe, I walked around the tournament like I owned it. The title was already mine. I had won it so many times in my mind that there was no doubt I would win it. Then, when I moved on to the movies, the same thing. I visualized myself being a successful actor and earning big money. I could feel and taste success. I just knew it would happen.

[On the passing of Elaine Kaufman] Elaine was an early supporter of my acting career and would often call to let me know when an influential writer or producer came in so I could stop and schmooze.

Salary
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)     $30,000,000
Collateral Damage (2002)     $25,000,000
The 6th Day (2000)     $25,000,000
End of Days (1999)     $22,000,000
Batman & Robin (1997)     $25,000,000
Jingle All the Way (1996)     $20,000,000
Eraser (1996)     $20,000,000
Junior (1994)     $15,000,000
True Lies (1994)     $15,000,000
Last Action Hero (1993)     $15,000,000
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)     $12,000,000
Kindergarten Cop (1990)     $12,000,000
Total Recall (1990)     $11,000,000
Red Heat (1988)     $8,000,000
The Terminator (1984)     $75,000
Conan the Barbarian (1982)     $250,000
Hercules in New York (1969)     $12,000

Where Are They Now

(October 2003) Is now the Republican Governor-elect of California

(August 2003) Running for Governor of California on the Republican ticket.

(December 2003) Refused to take the salary for Governor of California. Uses private jet at his own expense.

(2006) Release of the book, "Fantastic: The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger" by Laurence Leamer.

(December 2006) (around Christmas) Broke his leg when skiing with his family in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA.

(November 2003) (17 November 2003) Sworn in as Governor of California.

(November 2006) Reelected as Governor of California

Pumping Iron (25th Anniversary Special Edition)
The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding : The Bible of Bodybuilding, Fully Updated and Revised
Arnold Schwarzenegger Comedy Favorites Collection (Twins / Kindergarten Cop / Junior)
Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder
Arnold's Bodybuilding for Men
Total Recall
Arnold Schwarzenegger Working Out Movie Poster Print - 16x20
The Governator: From Muscle Beach to His Quest for the White House, the Improbable Rise of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Conan the Barbarian - Collector's Edition
Red Sonja
Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Biography (Greenwood Biographies)
Fantastic : The Life of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Collateral Damage / Eraser
Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Portrait
Schwarzenegger Collection(Predator / Commando / True Lies)
Arnold Schwarzenegger - Musclebound - Success Quotes 11x17 Poster
Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (Pelham Practical Sports)
Kindergarten Cop

Hanks, Tom

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:22:00 +0000

Playtone
(Production Company)
P.O. Box 7340
Santa Monica, CA 90406-7340
USA
Phone: (310) 394-5700
Fax:
Official website
Note: Tom Hanks' Production Company

Date of Birth
9 July 1956, Concord, California, USA

Birth Name
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks

Height
6' (1.83 m)

Mini Biography

Born in California, Tom Hanks grew up in what he calls a "fractured" family. His parents were pioneers in the development of marriage dissolution law in that state, and Tom moved around a lot, living with a succession of step-families. No problems, no abuse, no alcoholism, just a confused childhood. He had no acting experience in college and, in fact, credits the fact that he couldn't get cast in a college play with actually starting his career - he went downtown, auditioned for a community theater play, was invited by the director of that play to go to Cleveland, and there his acting career started. He met his second wife, actress Rita Wilson on the set of the his television show "Bosom Buddies" (1980), she appeared in one episode in the second season (1981) - they have two children and Tom has another son and daughter by his first wife. In 1996, he made his first step behind the camera, directing as well as starring and writing the film That Thing You Do! (1996).

Spouse
Rita Wilson (30 April 1988 - present) 2 children
Samantha Lewes (24 January 1978 - 19 March 1987) (divorced) 2 children

Trade Mark

Playing conflicted regular guys

Trivia

Is a frequent guest host on "Saturday Night Live" (1975).

Received the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U. S. Navy's highest civilian honor, on Veterans Day 1999 for his work in the movie Saving Private Ryan (1998).

Entertainment Weekly chose him as the only actor worthy of $20 million.

Dislocated his shoulder when he fell through a rotting floor in a building in Germany while scouting locations with Steven Spielberg for the HBO series "Band of Brothers" (2001) (1999).

Second actor to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, for his work in Philadelphia (1993) and Forrest Gump (1994). The first was Spencer Tracy, for Captains Courageous (1937) and Boys Town (1938).

Ranked #17 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list (October 1997).

Attended Skyline High School in Oakland, California.

Attended Chabot College in Hayward, California.

Attended California State University, Sacramento.

Voted best actor by the readers of "Us" magazine (1995).

Younger brother of Sandra Hanks and Larry Hanks and older brother of Jim Hanks.

After a one-shot guest appearance on "Happy Days" (1974), producer Ron Howard asked him to read for a secondary part in Splash (1984), and he got the lead instead.

Father, with first wife Samantha Lewes, of Colin Hanks (born on 24 November 1977) and Elizabeth Hanks (born on 17 May 1982).

Marriedhis first wife Samantha Lewes (real name: Susan Dillingham) two months after their son Colin's birth.

Hanks cited the help of a nearby ice cream shop which helped him gain 30 pounds for his role in A League of Their Own (1992).

Received emergency treatment for serious staph infection in leg after returning from overseas location shoot (1999).

Was asked to play the title role in Jerry Maguire (1996).

Born at 11:17 AM

His Oscar acceptance speech for 1993's Philadelphia (1993) led to the plot of the movie In & Out (1997). Hanks thanked a gay teacher in his speech.

Has another brother who is a professor at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Received American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, presented by fellow Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, the youngest ever to receive that award (12 June 2002).

Returned to his old high school, Skyline High School in Oakland, California, to dedicate a renovated theater named for Rawley T. Farnsworth, the retired drama teacher he thanked in his Philadelphia (1993) Oscar speech. Oakland Tribune reports Hanks donated about 1/4 of the $465,000 cost of the project. Then he led the audience of some 1000 people in a chorus of "There's No Business Like Show Business" (6 March 2002).

According to Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), he is a huge Trekkie and the first time the two met, Star Trek was the only thing he wanted to talk about. Hanks was actually the original choice to play Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and desperately wanted to play the role, but had to back out due to his earlier commitment to That Thing You Do! (1996).

Is a member of the International Thespian Society (a group supporting theatre for high school students internationally).

Father, with Rita Wilson, of Chet Hanks (born on 4 August 1990) and Truman Theodore (born on 26 December 1995).

Jim Lovell, whom Hanks played in Apollo 13 (1995), is actually left-handed, but Hanks refused to write with his left hand for the movie.

He is a third cousin, four generations removed, of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Their common ancestor is John Hanks (1680 - 1740), who was the great-great-grandfather of Lincoln, and the great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather of Tom Hanks. It is commonly (albeit incorrectly) reported that they are fourth cousins, four times removed, but Thomas Hanks (b. 1819) and Abraham Lincoln were both great-great-grandchildren of John Hanks, making them third cousins. Tom Hanks was Thomas Hanks' great-great-grandson, making his relation to Abraham Lincolns four generations removed.

Ranked #13 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #15 in 2002.

Is a diehard Cleveland Indians baseball team fan.

Ranked #1 on Star TV's Top Ten Box Office stars of the 1990s (2003)

Lost 30 lbs. for his role in Philadelphia (1993).

Gained and later lost 50 lbs. for his role in Cast Away (2000).

Is a fan of English Premier League soccer team Aston Villa and was presented with a shirt on a TV show with the print 'Hanks 1' on the back.

Has been referred to by many as "the modern James Stewart".

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith, pg. 205-206. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

His heroic Oscar-winning gay character Andrew Beckett in the 1993 film Philadelphia (1993) was ranked #49 on the Amerian Film Institute's heroes list of the 100 years of The Greatest Screen Heroes and Villians.

He was voted the 26th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

His three favourite bands/artists are Elvis Presley, Patrick Rondat and Alabama Thunderpussy.

His first wife Samantha Lewes died of cancer 14 years after their divorce.

Had made three films with director Steven Spielberg, all of which are tied to Europe. Saving Private Ryan (1998) revolved around his character and his infantry unit seeking out a missing private in Europe during WW II. Catch Me If You Can (2002) involved his character tracking down Frank Abagnale Jr. in France and in The Terminal (2004), his character was from the fictional eastern European country of Krakohzia.

Home of Tom Hanks

(Click to Enlarge)

Shortly before the release of Columbia Pictures' Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001), he was one of several actors speaking out against the use of "synthespians" (computer-generated actors) in the place of flesh-and-blood humans. Nevertheless, he took the lead role in the computer-animated film The Polar Express (2004), a film highly-publicized for its use of new (and expensive) technique of digital actors.

Between 1994 and 2004, he was the performer nominated for the most Academy Awards (four times, along with Sean Penn, Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Judi Dench and Ed Harris) and won the most (twice).

Was considered for the role of Peter Banning (Peter Pan) in Hook (1991).

Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2005 and 2007 Razzie Award nominating ballots. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category on the 2005 ballot for his roles in the films The Polar Express (2004) (referred to as "Bi-Polar Express" on the ballot), The Ladykillers (2004) and The Terminal (2004). He was suggested again in the Worst Actor category two years later, for his performance in The Da Vinci Code (2006). He failed receive either nomination.

Has been good friends with Bruce Springsteen since his youth.

He once worked as a hotel bellman. Some of the celebrity guests whose bags he carried were Cher, Sidney Poitier, Slappy White and Bill Withers.

Premiere Magazine ranked him as #28 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).

He is an environmental conservationist and often advocates and supports natural causes.

In three of his movies, he has had a scene where he is stranded at sea: Splash (1984), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), and Cast Away (2000).

Has worked with two actors who played Howard Hughes. In Philadelphia (1993), he worked with Jason Robards, who played Hughes in Melvin and Howard (1980) for director Jonathan Demme. His cast mate in Catch Me If You Can (2002) was Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Hughes in The Aviator (2004) for Martin Scorsese.

He and actress Meg Ryan have been co-stars in three movies as love interests: Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and You've Got Mail (1998).

Shares his birthday with Jack White, David O'Hara, Courtney Love, Chris Cooper, O.J. Simpson and Donald Rumsfeld.

His ancestors originally came from England. The name "Hanks" can be traced back several centuries.

Born to Amos Mefford Hanks, a chef, and his wife Janet Marylyn Frager, a hospital worker, his parents divorced in 1960.

Has been Member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Actors Branch) since 2001.

Related to Bill Cosby's wife Camille O. Cosby (née Camille Olivia Hanks), as both share a biological lineage to Abraham Lincoln through his mother, Nancy Hanks.

Stepson of the former Frances Wong, whom his father married in 1965.

Sold popcorn and peanuts as a teenager at the Oakland Coliseum.

His performance as Josh Baskin in Big (1988) is ranked #15 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

His performance as Chuck Noland in Cast Away (2000) is ranked #46 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

He and President George Bush are both related to 19th-century Presidents. Bush, a Republican, is descended, by way of his mother's family, from Franklin Pierce, one of the last Democratic presidents before Abraham Lincoln. Hanks, a Democrat, is descended from the family of Lincoln's mother.

His top five all-time favorite films are 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), The Godfather (1972), Fargo (1996), Elephant (2003) and Boogie Nights (1997), with Stanley Kubrick's film holding the top ranking.

His performance as Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump (1994) is ranked #43 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Is the third most-represented actor (behind Sidney Poitier and Gary Cooper) on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time, with four of his films making the list. They are: Forrest Gump (1994) at #37, Philadelphia (1993) at #20, Apollo 13 (1995) at #12, and Saving Private Ryan (1998) at #10.

Ranked #16 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #16 in 2005 as well.

Biography/bibliography in: "Contemporary Authors". Volume 244, pages 199-202. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2006.

He once shared a record (with Tom Cruise and Will Smith) as the actor to star in the most consecutive $100 million-grossing movies (7). As of 2008, Smith holds the record alone with 8 movies.

Frequently works with director Steven Spielberg, and is related to Nancy Hanks, the mother of Abraham Lincoln. Ironically, he is not involved in Spielberg's film about Lincoln, despite his frequent involvement in historical projects.

Both his maternal grandparents, though born in California, had Portuguese ancestry, originally from the Azores Islands.

Forbes magazine estimated his 1999 earnings at $71.5 million.

Cited as America's Favorite Movie Star in Harris Polls conducted in 2002, 2004, 2005, a record number of times as the #1 favorite. Harrison Ford and Clint Eastwood are the only other actors to have achieved that feat.

Was a member of Monty Python for one night only, filling in for John Cleese, at A Concert For George.

Married Rita Wilson at Saint Sophia's Church, converting from Roman Catholicism to Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Was in attendance at Princess Diana's funeral along with Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, among others.

Auditioned for the role of Joel in Risky Business (1983), which eventually went to Tom Cruise.

Has also credited Joe Spano, former co-star of the TV series "Hill Street Blues" (1981), as being another of his most important early inspirations.

Favorite baseball team is the Cleveland Indians. He purchased a stone in the front of Jacob's Field when it was built.

In 2007, Forbes Magazine reported that his earnings were estimated to be $74 million the previous year.

The asteroid "12818 tomhanks" was named after him.

Enjoys collecting typewriters, purchasing over 80 of them around the globe.

Publicly endorsed Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.

Is a die hard Oakland Raiders fan. Featured in the documentary Rebels of Oakland: The A's, the Raiders, the '70s (2003) (TV).

Is a fan of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (1999), and has expressed desire to one day guest star on the show.

Is a fan of "Doctor Who" (1963).

Was originally cast in the dual role of "Charlie Kaufman/Donald Kaufman" in Adaptation. (2002), but later dropped out. Nicolas Cage, who went on to receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his performance, was cast instead.

When he appeared on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" (2009), Conan's last NBC show in L.A. (Jan. 22, 2010), the Tonight Show Band played The Beatles' "Lovely Rita" as Hanks made his entry, undoubtedly a nod to the lovely Rita Wilson, Tom's beloved wife.

Lives in Pacific Palisades, Malibu, California and Ketchum, Idaho.

Personal Quotes

It's just as hard . . . staying happily married as it is doing movies.

I've made over 20 movies, and 5 of them are good.

[on the CGI used in The Polar Express (2004)] It's the same stuff they used in that fourth "Lord of the Rings" movie. Or was it the 19th "Lord of the Rings" movie? You know, the one where Boldo and Jingy travel across the bridge? I don't know, I don't know their names. When I watch "Lord of the Rings", I just think, "Someone got their finger stuck on the word processor for too long".

[interview in "Women's World", 10/11/05] If you're funny, if there's something that makes you laugh, then every day's going to be okay.

I do not want to admit to the world that I can be a bad person. It is just that I don't want anyone to have false expectations. Moviemaking is a harsh, volatile business, and unless you can be ruthless, too, there's a good chance that you are going to disappear off the scene pretty quickly. So appearances can be deceptive, particularly in Hollywood.

My wife keeps on telling me my worst fault is that I keep things to myself and appear relaxed. But I am really in a room in my own head and not hearing a thing anyone is saying.

Some people go to bed at night thinking, "That was a good day." I am one of those who worries and asks, "How did I screw up today?"

I love what I do for a living, it's the greatest job in the world, but you have to survive an awful lot of attention that you don't truly deserve and you have to live up to your professional responsibilities and I'm always trying to balance that with what is really important.

I must say that I do wrestle with the amount of money I make, but at the end of the day what am I gonna say? I took less money so Rupert Murdoch could have more?

My favorite traditional Christmas movie that I like to watch is All Quiet on the Western Front (1930). It's just not December without that movie in my house.

The year I was born, 1956, was the peak year for babies being born, and there are more people essentially our age than anybody else. We could crush these new generations if we decided to.

Regarding the WGA Strike and how it could affect the Academy Awards: The show must go on, that is one of the tenets of everything. I am a member of the board of governors of the Academy, and we definitely want to put on a great show and honor the films that have come out in the course of the year. I just hope that the big guys who make big decisions, up high in their corporate boardrooms and what not, get down to honest bargaining and everyone can get back to work.

As you know, the election between [Thomas] Jefferson and John Adams was filled with innuendo, lies, a bitter, partisan press and disinformation. How great we've come so far since then.

In this business, careers are based upon longevity.

If I was to direct Ron Howard, I guarantee you, I would put him through a living hell every day. I would demand so much of him. We wouldn't quit until he leaves the set crying. Weeping! Spent!

My work is more fun than fun but, best of all, it's still very scary. You are always walking some kind of high wire. I guess it's like being a sportsman. When people ask great football stars or cricketers what they will miss most when the time comes to stop, they'll tell you that it's that moment when the ball comes to them. In that moment, there's that wonderful anxiety, that feeling of "Please don't let me screw this up". If I didn't have the chance to do what I do, it's that I would miss more than anything. That terror is what makes me feel alive. It's a wonderful feeling, unlike anything else in the world.

[on Charlie Wilson] Wilson may have lived his life in a certain way, but to give him his due, he severed the Achilles' heel of the Soviet Union. It was just nine months after they pulled out of Afghanistan that the Berlin wall came down. And one of the reasons it fell was that the Soviet government knew that the cream of its armed forces had been decimated by a bunch of people in a place called Afghanistan. That meant they couldn't defend their borders in East Germany and Poland. That has Charlie Wilson all over it.

On The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990): When we were making it, that movie was huge. We couldn't make a move anywhere in New York City. Everybody was talking about it. Everybody was miscast, me particularly. Brian De Palma deals with iconography more than filmmaking. He is the most uncompromising filmmaker - both in a good way and a bad way - that you'll ever come across. This is the guy who made Scarface (1983). So his take on it one just one of those things. You can't take a book like that, that has changed the way people talk and think and change it into a palatable movie, or alter the thrust of what the source material is talking about. It may not translate in a way that is going to work.

[on "The Pacific" (2010)] Back in World War II, we viewed the Japanese as 'yellow, slant-eyed dogs' that believed in different gods. They were out to kill us because our way of living was different. We, in turn, wanted to annihilate them because they were different. Does that sound familiar, by any chance, to what's going on today?

[In a New York Times article on Julia Roberts]: What am I, just another in your long line of I Love Julia calls?

Salary
Toy Story 3 (2010)    $15,000,000
Angels & Demons (2009)    $50 000 000
The Da Vinci Code (2006)    $18,000,000 + profit participation
Cast Away (2000)    $20,000,000
The Green Mile (1999)    $20,000,000
Toy Story 2 (1999)    $5,000,000
You've Got Mail (1998)    $20,000,000
Saving Private Ryan (1998)    $40,000,000+ (gross and profit participations)
Toy Story (1995)    $50,000
Forrest Gump (1994)    $70,000,000 (gross and profit participations)
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)    $5,000,000
The 'burbs (1989)    $3,500,000
Punchline (1988)    $5,000,000
Big (1988)    $1,750,000
Splash (1984)    $70,000
He Knows You're Alone (1980)    $800

Turner and Hooch
Angels & Demons [Blu-ray]
You've Got Mail (Deluxe Edition)
The Terminal (Widescreen Edition)
Cast Away (Widescreen Edition)
The Tom Hanks Comedy Favorites Collection (The Money Pit / The Burbs / Dragnet)
Every Time We Say Goodbye
Big
Splash (20th Anniversary Edition)
Angels & Demons (Single-Disc Theatrical Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Two-Disc Extended Cut + BD Live) [Blu-ray]
Road to Perdition (Widescreen Edition)
Forrest Gump (Two-Disc Special Collector's Edition)
Tom Hanks Triple Feature
Joe Versus the Volcano
The Money Pit
A League of Their Own
Philadelphia
Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition)

Winfrey, Oprah

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:01:00 +0000

Harpo Studios, Inc.
(Oprah's Production Company)
1058 West Washington Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60607
USA
Phone: (312) 633-1000

Born: Oprah Gail Winfrey
January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA

Oprah’s life until she was 6 years old, was spent on a farm in Kosciusko, where she lived with her grandmother. Oprah says that her grandmother significantly contributed to her having a successful by teaching her to read and write. Her grandmother taught her a love of reading and books, which may have contributed to her founding Oprah's book club. Oprah’s grandmother told her time after time that she was “gifted" reinforcing her confidence at a young age that she was special. These are probably the things that gave her the courage to face the life of obstacles that was her future.

At age six, Oprah was sent to live with her mother in Milwaukee, where she suffered sexual abuse. When she was 9, she was raped by a cousin, sexually abused by a male friend of her mom's, and Oprah’s uncle molested her. She kept the abuse, anger, and pain to herself. By age 13, she started to become rebellious, and had run away and got into trouble. Her mother sent her to a juvenile detention facility, but there were no available beds. She was then shipped off to Nashville to live with her father. “As strict as he was,” Oprah says, “he had some concerns about me making the best of my life, and would not accept anything less than what he thought was my best.”

Her father lay down the rules, enforcing a curfew and demanding she achieve good grades while encouraging her to be the best that she could be. Through his positive encouragement, she was able to turn her life around. Oprah enrolled and was accepted to Tennessee State University where studied performing arts and speech. At 17 years old, she was hired for her first job at WVOL radio in Nashville. About two years later, she left that job for a position as a news anchor with WTVF-TV, also in Nashville. Oprah relocated to Baltimore in 1976, joining WJZ-TV as a news anchor and within two years, she was hosting “People Are Talking,” while continuing as a news reporter and anchor woman, where she remained for eight years.

Oprah's House

(Click to Enlarge)

In 1984, Oprah got a job with WLS-TV to host, “AM Chicago.” Its prime competition was Phil Donahue and its ratings were very low. Within one month of Oprah hosting the show its ratings had far exceeded those of Donahue’s. Oprah’s show had become one of the most popular in Chicago. By September 1985, the show’s name had been changed to “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” In less than a year, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” had expanded to an hour. By 1986, it was the number one talk show in the nation. In 1987, Oprah’s talk show had received two “Daytime Emmy Awards,” for “Outstanding Host,” “Outstanding Direction,” and “Outstanding Talk/Service Program.” In 1988, Oprah won a second Emmy for “Outstanding Talk/Service Program.” The same year Oprah received the International Radio and Television Society’s “Broadcaster of the Year Award.” Oprah was only the fifth woman and also the youngest person ever to win the award.

Oprah was a great fan of Alice Walker’s, “The Color Purple.” In a recent TV interview, Oprah said that she walked to work with a backpack filled with copies of the book. She would stop people along the way and give them copies. She felt everyone should read “The Color Purple.” In 1985, Oprah auditioned and was chosen, to play Sophie in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of “The Color Purple.” Her performance in The Color Purple was an instant hit. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for “Best Supporting Actress.” She was also nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Oprah loved acting. She was accepted for a part in “Native Son,” an adaptation of the 1940 classic by Richard Wright. The critics lauded her performance. Oprah had a desire to produce quality entertainment. This prompted her to form her own production company, HARPO Productions Inc. (Oprah spelled backwards.) The company was based in Chicago. In October 1988, HARPO Productions acquired all rights for the “Oprah Winfrey Show.” Oprah now controlled her own destiny. She was the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show.

In 1989, HARPO Productions produced, “The Women of Brewster Place.” Oprah starred in the mini-series, as well as being the Executive Producer. In 1993, “There Are No Children Here,” and “Before Women Had Wings,” were produced by HARPO. Oprah starred in and produced both of these shows. For ten years Oprah had been working on what she referred to as her “baby.” In 1998, the film, “Beloved,” was released at the box office. It was a complete failure and Oprah’s first. She was devastated.

Oprah’s memories of a childhood scarred by sexual abuse motivated her to initiate a campaign to establish a national database for convicted child abusers in 1991. She testified before a US Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a National Child Protection Act. President Clinton passed the “Oprah Bill,” in 1993. This database is now available to all law enforcement agencies. Time Magazine voted Oprah one of the “100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century.” In 1998, the National Academy of Television Arts and Science presented her with a “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Oprah’s Book Club selections became instant bestsellers. For her service to books and authors, she was presented with the National Book Foundation’s 50th Anniversary gold medal in 1999. In 2000, Oprah’s “Angel Network,” began presenting a “Use Your Life Award,” of $100,000. To people who are “using their life to improve the life of others.” In 2003, Forbes Magazine listed Oprah as the first African-American woman to become a billionaire. Oprah Winfrey was born facing almost insurmountable obstacles. She has overcome them all to give America a lasting legacy, including Oprah magazine. Oprah has walked through the fire. Instead of letting this fire overtake her life, she has become a woman forged in fire.

Up Close: Oprah Winfrey
The Oprah Winfrey Show: 20th Anniversary Collection
Life
Oprah Winfrey: "I Don't Believe In Failure" (African-American Biography Library)
The World According to Oprah: An Unauthorized Portrait in Her Own Words
Beloved
Oprah: A Biography
O's Big Book of Happiness: The Best of O, The Oprah Magazine: Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews, and Inspiration
The Oprah Phenomenon
O's Guide to Life: The Best of O, The Oprah Magazine (Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews and Inspiration)
Oprah Winfrey Speaks: Insights from the World's Most Influential Voice
Finding Oprah's Roots - Finding Your Own

Abdul, Paula

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:49:00 +0000

Fan Mail Address:

Paula Abdul
c/o Jeff Ballard Public Relations
4814 North Lemona Avenue
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
USA

Paula Abdul, Inc.
Rosner & Ullman
(Company)
9200 W. Sunset Blvd.
Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90069
USA
Phone: (310) 470-4500

Date of Birth
19 June 1962, San Fernando, California, USA

Birth Name
Paula Julie Abdul

Height
5' 2" (1.57 m)

Mini Biography

Paula Abdul grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. She began taking dance lessons when she was eight. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was senior class president and head cheerleader. After graduating in 1980, she started college at Cal State-Northridge, majoring in TV and radio. After joining the L.A. Lakers cheerleaders, she became head cheerleader/choreographer after only a few months, eventually dropping out of college to dance and choreograph full-time. She was recruited by The Jacksons to choreograph their 1984 "Torture" video, the first in a long list of videos and movies she would choreograph. She branched out into singing with her first CD, "Forever Your Girl", which had lackluster sales until the single "Straight Up" exploded onto the charts in December 1988 and she has been a popular singer/dancer ever since, enhanced by her stint as a judge on the hit series "American Idol" (2002).

Her father (Harry Abdul) is of Sephardic Jewish background from Syria. Her mother is also Jewish and was born in Canada. Her parents have lived in Syria, Brazil, and Canada - and this varied background has contributed to incredibly different stories in the press about her nationality and/or religion. Daughter of Harry Abdul (once a livestock trader in Brazil) and Lorainne Abdul (former assistant to film director Billy Wilder, grew up in Hollywood, California. Since the age of seven, she sung and danced in community musical theatre groups while traveling around America. She took tap dance lessons as well, in which she was awarded a scholarship to tap dancing school. Later on in life, she attended Cal State-Northridge College in which she majored in Broadcast radio. During that time, she auditioned for the Los Angeles Lakers NBA Cheerleading team, and that led her to a spot as a cheerleader on the squad earning some $50 a game during her freshman year.

Later on she decided to take up choreography, working with artists such as the Jacksons and the Rolling Stones. Nowadays, she organises dance camps for young children to come to and have fun during the summer. Paula has won many musical awards, such as a Grammy, 7 MTV video awards, 2 Emmy awards, and 2 People's Choice Awards. On top of all that she's had two #1 hit albums and seven #1 hit singles. To add to that she has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. She has done well for herself, and plans to write/sing/choreograph for as long as she can.
IMDb Mini Biography By: dviper98

Spouse
Brad Beckerman (24 October 1996 - 1997) (divorced)
Emilio Estevez (29 April 1992 - 10 May 1994) (divorced)

Trivia

Choreographed videos for several artists such as George Michael, Deborah Gibson, Dolly Parton, Janet Jackson, and ZZ Top.

Former L.A. Lakers cheerleader.

Grammy award winning singer.

Dancer, Choreographer.

She appeared in and choreographed Janet Jackson's "Nasty" and "What Have You Done For Me Lately?" music videos.

She said a few lines on Chunky A's (Arsenio Hall) song "Dope, The Big Lie." The song appears on the Chunky A album "Large And In Charge.".

Paula spent her honeymoon with ex-husband Emilio Estevez in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Her first album, "Forever Your Girl", took over 2 years to reach the top of Billboard's album charts in 1990 and spawned four #1 singles.

Her father is of Syrian Jewish descent and her mother is a Canadian Jew. Her parents divorced when she was a child.

Had 6 #1 hits from 1989-1991. They include "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", "Opposites Attract", "Rush Rush", and her last #1 on September 1991 "The Promise Of A New Day".

Measurements: 34B-23-36 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)

Her 1989 #1 hit "Straight Up" was ranked #81 on VH1's 100 Greatest Dance Songs.

In a guest appearance on "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" (1999) on 18 May 2004, she remarked that she is no longer a vegetarian.

When she was growing up, Michael Bolton was her babysitter.

Has a star on Hollywood Boulevard.

3/24/05: A Los Angeles court sentenced her to two years probation and ordered her to pay $1100 after she pleaded no contest to an involvement in a hit-and-run incident in December of 2004.

Has an older sister named Wendy

Her favorite love song is "The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack.

Former daughter-in-law of Martin Sheen and Janet Sheen

Former sister-in-law of Ramon Estevez, Renée Estevez and Charlie Sheen.

Big fan of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.

Ranked #85 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.

She has a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Co-wrote, with Kara DioGuardi, Kylie Minogue's UK #1 hit "Spinning Around".

Her idol is Gene Kelly. She used to wish that he was her father.

Personal Quotes

[on her style of choreography] When people expect me to go right, I'll go left. I'm unpredictable.

When you wish upon a star, you just might become one.

Where Are They Now

(February 2003) Working on a new album

(May 2005) She is a judge on Fox Television's reality show, "American Idol" (2002).

(May 2005) Is one of three judges on the wildly successful hit show "American Idol" (2002).

Straight Up
Greatest Hits: Straight Up!
Forever Your Girl
Rush, Rush
Straight Up (Single Version)
Video Hits (Paula Abdul)
Cold Hearted
Paula Abdul - Greatest Hits
Dance Like There's No Tomorrow
Opposites Attract
Paula Abdul's Get Up and Dance!

Paula Abdul: A Real-Life Reader Biography
Spellbound
I'm Just Here For The Music
Vibeology
Blowing Kisses In The Wind
Paula Abdul: Under my Spell Live [VHS]

Gibson, Mel

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:10:00 +0000

Fan Mail Address:

Mel Gibson
Icon Productions
808 Wilshire Blvd.
4th Floor
Santa Monica, CA 90401-1894
USA

Phone: (310) 434-7300
Fax: (310) 434-7377

Secondary Address:

Shanahan Management Pty Ltd.
(Talent Management Company)
Level 3
Berman House
91 Campbell Street
Surry Hills, NSW 2010
Australia
Phone: +61 2 8202 1800
Fax: +61 2 8202 1801

Date of Birth
3 January 1956, Peekskill, New York, USA

Birth Name
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson

Height
5' 9¾" (1.77 m)

Mini Biography

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson was born on January 3, 1956, in Peekskill, New York, USA as the sixth of eleven children to parents Hutton Gibson, a railroad brakeman, and Ann Gibson, who was born in Australia and died in December of 1990. Though born in the US, Mel and his family moved to New South Wales, Australia. After high school, Mel studied at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, performing at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts alongside future film thespians Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush. After college, Mel had a few stints on stage and starred in a few TV shows. Eventually, he was chosen to star in Mad Max (1979) and in a movie called Tim (1979), co-starring Piper Laurie. The small budgeted movie Mad Max (1979) made him known worldwide, while Tim (1979) garnered him an award for Best Actor from the Australian Film Institute (equivalent to the Oscar). Later, he went on to star in Gallipoli (1981), which earned him a second award for Best Actor from the AFI. In 1980, he married Robyn Moore and had seven children. In 1984, Mel made his American debut in The Bounty (1984), which co-starred Anthony Hopkins. Then in 1987, Mel starred in what would become his signature series, Lethal Weapon (1987), in which he played "Martin Riggs". In 1990, he took on the interesting starring role in Hamlet (1990/I), which garnered him some critical praise. He also made the more endearing Forever Young (1992) and the somewhat disturbing The Man Without a Face (1993). 1995 brought his most famous role as "Sir William Wallace" in Braveheart (1995), for which he won two Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director. From there, he made such box office hits as The Patriot (2000), Ransom (1996), and Payback (1999/I). Today, Mel remains an international superstar mogul, continuously topping the Hollywood power lists as well as the Most Beautiful and Sexiest lists. His $25 million paycheck for The Patriot (2000) is the latest milestone for actor's salaries.

Spouse
Robyn Moore     (7 June 1980 - 13 April 2009) (divorced) 7 children

Trade Mark

Often acts and directs stories involving an individual who is persecuted, and fights for justice

Has often portrayed a widower, in films such as Mad Max (the sequels), Lethal Weapon film series, Braveheart, The Patriot, Signs, and Edge of Darkness.

Often portrays men who seek revenge for the murder of family or friends

Rugged, chiseled features

Rich, gravelly voice

Piercing blue eyes

Often plays angry or deranged characters.

Trivia

Ranked #12 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

Born at 4:45pm-EST.

Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world. [1996]

Educated at University of New South Wales, Australia.

Attended drama school with Judy Davis. They played Romeo and Juliet together.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world. [1991]

Chosen by People magazine as one of the "50 Most Beautiful People" in the world. [1990]

Trained at NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Arts). As well as Judy Davis, other fellow students, during his time there, included Colin Friels.

Awarded the AO (Officer of the Order of Australia), Australia's highest honor, in mid-1997.

Roommates with Geoffrey Rush after college (the National Institute of Dramatic Art) when they were in an acting company (called Jane Street) together that was affiliated with NIDA. Geoffrey Rush trained at La Cocq Mime School in France.

He took up acting only because his sister submitted an application behind his back. The night before an audition, he got into a fight, and his face was badly beaten, an accident that won him the role.

Older brother of actor Donal Gibson.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the "100 Sexiest Stars" in film history (#37). [1995]

Chosen as People Magazine's first "Sexiest Man Alive." [1985]

Is a big fan of The Three Stooges.

First studied drama at the New Zealand Drama School, Toi Whakaari in Wellington, New Zealand. After getting accepted he completed the course and used this as a foot-in into NIDA in Australia in 1975.

He and his wife met through a dating service in Australia.

Has a horseshoe kidney (two kidneys fused into one).

Owns a production company, Icon International, with branches in the USA, Australia and the UK.

Ranked #15 in Premiere's 2003 annual "Power 100" list. Had ranked #17 in 2002.

His voice in Mad Max (1979) was dubbed for the film's US release.

The doctor who delivered him into the world is believed to be Charles Sweet, grandfather of filmmaker Jay Ruzicka.

He was a part of the movment dubbed the "Australian New Wave" by the press. They were a group of filmmakers and performers who emerged from Down Under at about the same time in the early 1980's and found work in other parts of the world. Other members included actress Judy Davis and directors George Miller, Gillian Armstrong and Peter Weir.

He was the first Australian actor to be paid $1,000,000 for a film role.

Almost turned down the role of William Wallace in Braveheart (1995) because he thought he was too old for the role. He asked the producers if he could direct it instead. A compromise was made, he could direct the movie if he agreed to portray Wallace.

Shares birthday with J.R.R. Tolkien.

His father, Hutton Gibson, moved the family from upstate New York to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in 1968 after winning as a contestant on "Jeopardy!" (1964).

For The Passion of the Christ (2004), which he directed, wrote and produced, he spent 25 million dollars of his own money. Back in 1992, he started doing research for the movie that was not released until 2004.

Has 8 children from two women: seven children from his marriage to Robyn Gibson: daughter, Hannah Gibson (born 1980); twin sons, Edward Gibson and Christian Gibson (born 1982); son, Willie Gibson (born 1985); son, Louis Gibson (born 1988); son, Milo Gibson (born 1990); son, Tommy Gibson (born 1999); daughter, Lucia (born (2009) from his relationship with Oksana Grigorieva.

Son, Christian Gibson, is a freshman at the University of Colorado at Boulder. [Fall 2001]

Was considered for the role of James Bond in GoldenEye (1995).

Ranked #10 in Premiere's 2004 annual "Power 100" list. Had ranked #15 in 2003. He is the highest-ranked actor on the 2004 list.

Has his own private chapel in his grounds, where he attends mass every day.

He was voted the 48th "Greatest Movie Star" of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Ranked number 1 on Forbes 2004 "Celebrity 100 List". He was the highest paid celebrity in 2004 with a reported $210,000,000 salary from his The Passion of the Christ (2004) profits, plus a potential $150,000,000 that is yet to be accounted for. He made more money than Oprah Winfrey ($210,000,000), J.K. Rowling ($147,000,000), Tiger Woods & Michael Schumacher ($80,000,000 each) and Steven Spielberg ($75,000,000) in 2004.

In Portuguese, his name means "honey."

Was considered for the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman (1989).

Was considered for the role of Wolverine in X-Men (2000).

Son of the controversial Hutton Gibson and Anne Gibson.

In the movie Forever Young (1992), he needed to appear older in the last few scenes. Because his eyes were so bright blue, no matter how many wrinkles they put on him, he did not look authentically older. So, he had to wear gray contacts, in order to look old.

Along with Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Richard Attenborough and Kevin Costner one of 6 people to win and Academy Award for "Best Director", though they are mainly known as actors.

Was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in May 2003, and gave the commencement address.

Ranked #15 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List. Had ranked #10 in 2004.

His favourite films include, The Big Country (1958), Double Indemnity (1944), and Spartacus (1960)

His family line goes back several generations in Australia, but his ancestors originally came from Ireland and Scotland.

Was offered the role of Eliot Ness in The Untouchables (1987), but had to decline because he was already working on one of the Lethal Weapon films.

He turned down the role of Harvey Dent/Two Face in Batman Forever (1995), due to scheduling conflicts with Braveheart (1995).

Sold his home in Connecticut in July 2010 to settle his divorce with ex-wife Robyn.

When Apocalypto (2006) is finished, he plans to donate six replicas of Mayan pyramids and several movie-set villages.

Flew to Fiji in early December 2004 where he bought the 2,160 hectare island of Mago from a Japanese hotel chain for $15 million. He plans to turn the Pacific paradise, that is home to forty residents, mostly coconut farmers and their families, into his own personal retreat. The South Pacific island boasts two lagoons and stunning white-sand beaches. The sale was finalized in March 2005.

Gibson has been widely perceived as a conservative Republican, even though he has never identified himself as such. In March 2004 he expressed doubts over the Iraq war, in particular the failure to find weapons of mass destruction, although he maintained that President George W. Bush had "done a lot of good" elsewhere. At the People's Choice Awards ceremony in January 2005, Gibson again condemned the Iraq war and praised the liberal director Michael Moore and his documentary film Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004). Many of Gibson's positions are in accordance with traditional Catholicism. He released a statement in March 2005 condemning the euthanasia of Terri Schiavo, and has criticized stem cell research.

He was the original choice to play Jack Stanton in Primary Colors (1998) but lost out to John Travolta.

He was named after the Church of St. Mel in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland where his mother's family is from.

Was spoofed in both "South Park" (1997) and "Family Guy" (1999), and both of the times he was spoofed, there was a reference to the Looney Tunes cartoons. In the "South Park" (1997) episode "The Passion of the Jew", his character acts a lot like Daffy Duck in the cartoon Yankee Doodle Daffy (1943), while scaring Stan and Kenny, in the hopes that they will both torture him. And in the "Family Guy" (1999) episode "North by North Quahog", he chases Peter and Lois Griffin to the top of Mount Rushmore and is tricked into walking off a ledge, to which he plummets to the ground, very much like Wile E. Coyote does in several cartoons.

His wife, Robyn, filed for divorce in April, 2009. They had already been separated since August 2006.

His performance as "Mad" Max Rockatansky in the "Mad Max" trilogy is ranked #78 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Braveheart (1995) is ranked #62 on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time.

Ranked #17 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #15 in 2005.

Turned down the role of Sgt. John McLoughlin in World Trade Center (2006) to direct Apocalypto (2006) instead.

On July 28, 2006, he was arrested for drunk driving in Malibu, California. He did three-year probation following the misdemeanor drunken driving arrest in which he made derogatory comments about Jews and women.

On the 1st of August 2006, he checked himself into a recovery program for alcohol abuse. His wife, Robyn, separated from him that same month.

Pleaded no contest to DUI on 17 August 2006 and was ordered to attend one year of Alcholics Anonymous meetings. For the first four-and-a-half months, he must attend those meetings five times a week, and for the remainder of the time, he must attend three times a week. Gibson was also ordered to pay $1200 in fines and penalties and $100 in restitution.

Father-in-law of Kenny Wayne Shepherd.

Played a pilot in four movies: Bird on a Wire (1990), Air America (1990), Forever Young (1992) and Ransom (1996).

Has bipolar disorder.

Moved to Sydney, Australia at age 12 with his family.

Received the Chairman's Visionary Award from Latin Business Association Chairman Rick Sarmiento during the 2006 Latino Global Business Conference and Digital Expo in Beverly Hills, California, on 2 November 2006. Gibson's appearance marked his first public appearance since his DUI arrest on 28 July in Malibu.

Director Martin Scorsese sent him the script for The Departed (2006), offering him the role of Ellerby. Gibson was unable to accept the role as he was starting production on Apocalypto (2006) that same year. Alec Baldwin later took the role.

Oliver Stone has tried casting him twice. Once as Jim Garrison in JFK (1991), and another time as Sgt. John McLoughlin in World Trade Center (2006).

Cited as America's Favorite Movie Star in Harris Polls conducted in 1996 and 2003.

A chain smoker for most of his career, in 2004 Gibson's wife persuaded him to limit his addiction to just three cigarettes a day. However this did not last.

Turned down the role of "The Terminator" in James Cameron's The Terminator (1984).

Actor Girard Swan formerly worked as his stand in and photo double.

Was considered for the role of Robert Clayton Dean in Enemy of the State (1998).

On 27 January 1997, nine lesbian and gay filmmakers met with Gibson on the set of Conspiracy Theory (1997). Conceived and sponsored by GLAAD, the day long event gave the filmmakers the opportunity to meet with director Richard Donner, producer Joel Silver, and co-stars Patrick Stewart and Julia Roberts. A 40-minute lunch with Gibson, however, found the filmmakers not only discussing the inner workings of the industry but also Gibson's troubled relationship with the lesbian and gay community.

Endorsed the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of California in the 2006 mid-term elections.

In interviews promoting The Passion of the Christ (2004), Gibson admitted that depression had led him to contemplate suicide, and that he made the film to "heal" himself.

Along with Rolf Harris and Clive James, Gibson publicly supported keeping Queen Elizabeth II as head of state in an Australian poll in 1999.

Voted the most powerful Christian in Hollywood in a poll by religious website Beliefnet.com in October 2007.

He was awarded the honorary A.O. (Officer of the Order of Australia) in the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to the Australian film industry.

In April, 2009, made a first public appearance together with his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva who was then three-months pregnant with his child.

Due to the worldwide recession in 2008, his personal fortune is reported to have declined from around $900 million to $650 million.

He and Oksana Grigorieva became the parents of a girl, Lucia, on October 30, 2009 in Los Angeles.

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) (aka The Road Warrior) is his favorite out of the "Mad Max" series.

Turned down the chance to voice a parody of himself in the "Family Guy" (1999) episode "North by North-Quohag". He later admitted in an interview that he regretted the decision because he thought the episode was hilarious.

Split from Oksana Grigorieva [April 14, 2010].

Has been under restraining order since July, 2010, after an episode of domestic violence with his then girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. In return, he filed for a restraining order against ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva. (June 2010).

Was investigated for domestic violence by Malibu/Lost Hills station detectives, in reference to an incident between him an ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva on January 6, 2010. [July 2010]

Personal Quotes

I like directing much better. It's more fun, that's all there is to it. It's essentially the same job, which is storytelling, but you have more control over the way you want to tell the story. It's a high. I love it.

My fears: everything from being afraid that I'm going to run out of cream for my cornflakes right up to someone chopping my privates off.

On his involvement in Braveheart (1995) as actor, director and producer: "If you're going to wear three hats, you'd better grow two more heads."

There is no salvation for those outside the Church...I believe it. Put it this way. My wife is a saint. She's a much better person than I am. Honestly. She's like, Episcopalian, Church of England. She prays, she believes in God, she knows Jesus, she believes in that stuff. And it's just not fair if she doesn't make it, she's better than I am. But that is a pronouncement from the chair. I go with it.

On his religious beliefs: "I'm not a done deal. I'm a work in progress. I'm still extremely flawed."

You can't live up to what people expect. Nobody can. But I guess that's my problem, not theirs.

About the The Passion of the Christ (2004): This movie is about faith, hope, love and forgiveness. Themes that are as important now as they were in Jesus' time.

I wasn't exactly the most zealous keeper-of-the-flame, you know? I was a pretty wild boy quite frankly. Even now when I'm trying more than I was before, I still fail every day at some level, but that's being human.

I'd like to be able to wake up early every morning, but I don't. I'd like to quit smoking. I'd like to never lose my temper. The list goes on and on. I'd even like to get dressed by myself, and not have other people watching me.

I did a lot of crazy things so I'm surprised to be alive.

On human embryonic stem cell research: "I found that the cloning of human embryos will be used in the process and that, for me, I have an ethical problem with that. Why do I, as a taxpayer, have to fund something I believe is unethical?"

"The fear mongering we depict in this film reminds me a little of President Bush and his guys." [On Apocalypto (2006)]

I feel a strange kinship with Michael [Moore]. They're trying to pit us against each other in the press, but it's a hologram. They really have got nothing to do with one another. It's just some kind of device, some left-right. He makes some salient points. There was some very expert, elliptical editing going on. However, what the hell are we doing in Iraq? No one can explain to me in a reasonable manner that I can accept why we're there, why we went there, and why we're still there.

On his decision to cut a scene in which Caiaphas says "his blood be on us and on our children" soon Pontius Pilate washes his hands of Jesus: "I wanted it in. My brother said I was wimping out if I didn't include it. But, man, if I included that in there, they'd be coming after me at my house. They'd come to kill me."

Asked whether The Passion of the Christ (2004) would be offensive to Jews today: "It's not meant to. I think it's meant to just tell the truth. I want to be as truthful as possible. But when you look at the reasons Christ came, he was crucified - he died for all mankind and he suffered for all mankind. So that, really, anyone who transgresses has to look at their own part or look at their own culpability."

"Vatican II corrupted the institution of the church. Look at the main fruits: dwindling numbers and pedophilia." - Time, January 27, 2003

I might go and go somewhere no-one can find me. You know where that is? You know where the place is no-one can find you? I was thinking of pitching my tent right next to the weapons of mass destruction. Then no-one would find me.

I got to a very desperate place. Very desperate. Kind of jump-out-of-a-window kind of desperate. And I didn't want to hang around here, but I didn't want to check out. The other side was kind of scary. And I don't like heights, anyway. But when you get to that point where you don't want to live, and you don't want to die, it's a desperate, horrible place to be. And I just hit my knees. And I had to use The Passion of the Christ (2004) to heal my wounds.

Asked whether his opposition to abortion and support for capital punishment makes him feel isolated in Hollywood: "Some kind of a dinosaur? No, you know you have to have these opinions about these things. I'm pretty firm on stuff like that. I don't feel like I'm howling in a hurricane. I just try to do my bit the way I think it should be done."

"I probably sound like some egotist, you know, saying that the Roman Church is wrong, but I believe it is at the moment, since Vatican II." (1990)

Opposition to The Passion of the Christ (2004) kind of put me back on my heels a little bit ... I expected some level of turbulence because when one delves into religion and politics - people's deeply held beliefs -- you're going to stir things up ... But it was a surprise to have shots being fired over the bow while I was still filming, and then to have various loud voices in the press - people who hadn't seen the work - really slinging mud.

Asked if he felt besieged by the opposition to The Passion of the Christ (2004): Beseiged? No, not really. They're pretty pathetic actually. I sort of look at them now and feel sorry for them. They've given their best shot, they kind of came out with this mantra again and again and again, 'He's an anti-Semite, he's an anti-Semite, he's an anti-Semite, he's an anti-Semite.' I'm not. But they like to say that in newspapers. So it's kind of how those, anything repeated often enough slowly amalgamates into some sort of accepted truth.

Obviously, nobody wants to touch something filmed in two dead languages. They think I'm crazy, and maybe I am. But maybe I'm a genius.

There's something to do with the Federal Reserve that Lincoln did, Kennedy did and Reagan tried. I can't remember what it was. My dad told me about it. Everyone who did this particular thing that would have fixed the economy got undone. Anyway, I'll end up dead if I keep talking.

My biggest weakness is that I'm excessive. Fortunately for everyone concerned, I'm not as excessive as I used to be.

I think the Lethal Weapon movies contain my favorite performances. It sounds really crummy, I know, but although the work doesn't look hard, it's difficult to create effortless on screen.

What worries me is that people will take this as fact. I'm not angry, per se, that it refutes everything I hold sacred, the foundations of my beliefs. The Da Vinci Code (2006) is an admitted work of fiction but it cleverly weaves fact into maverick theories in a way that will appear plausible to some.

To be certain, neither I nor my film is anti-Semitic. The Passion is a movie meant to inspire, not offend. My intention in bringing it to the screen is to create a lasting work of art and engender serious thought among audiences of diverse faith backgrounds, or none, who have varying familiarity with this story. If the intense scrutiny during my twenty-five years in public life revealed I had ever persecuted or discriminated against anyone based on race or creed, I would be all too willing to make amends. But there is no such record. Nor do I hate anybody - certainly not the Jews ... They are my friends and associates, both in my work and social life. Thankfully, treasured friendships forged over decades are not easily shaken by nasty innuendo. Anti-Semitism is not only contrary to my personal beliefs, it is also contrary to the core message of my movie ... For those concerned about the content of this film, know that it conforms to the narratives of Christ's passion and death found in the four Gospels of the New Testament ... This is a movie about faith, hope, love and forgiveness - something sorely needed in these turbulent times.

I'm not a preacher, and I'm not a pastor. But I really feel my career was leading me to make The Passion of the Christ (2004). The Holy Ghost was working through me on this film, and I was just directing traffic. I hope the film has the power to evangelize.

[on his drunk driving relapse]: "I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry. I have battled with the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse."

Hollywood is a factory. You have to realize that you are working in a factory and you're part of the mechanism. If you break down, you'll be replaced.

The precursors to a civilization that's going under are the same, time and time again. What's human sacrifice if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?

I'll always continue to work. I've never much depended on anyone but myself, as far as that goes. And, hey, I'm not under the illusion that everything's just going to be hunky-dory work-wise forever. I've never been under that illusion. Things could go away tomorrow.

"I was subjected to a pretty brutal public beating. The film came out and, you could have heard a pin drop. Not even the crickets weren't chirping. But the other thing I never heard was one single word of apology. I thought I dealt with that stuff. But the human heart can bear the scars of resentment, and it will come out when you're overwrought and you take a few drinks." - On the hostile critical response to The Passion of the Christ (2004)

My dad taught me my faith. I believe what he taught me. The man never lied to me in his life. People said, 'Well, he's just an old kook.' He's not an old kook. He's very intelligent. He's in complete possession of all his mental faculties. And if he says something he has a reason why he says it and he can back it up. Mensa wanted this guy, okay? He's very intelligent.

They're not blameless in the Mideast conflict. Now when you're loaded the balance of how you see things comes out the wrong way. Let me be real clear, here. In sobriety here, in front of you, national television ... that I don't believe that Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world. I mean, that's an outrageous, drunken statement.

"Film-making is what I love now. I don't want to be the star of a movie anymore." (December 2006)

I felt like sending Michael Richards a note. I feel really badly for the guy. He was obviously in a state of stress. You don't need to be inebriated to be bent out of shape. But my heart went out to the guy. They'll probably torture him for a while and then let him go. I like him.

[In response to winning more Oscars after his first]: "It's a wonderful feeling, but I'm not gonna kill myself trying to win another one."

"I've been chased by automobiles doing dangerous things on the freeway. People have tried to spit on me. It's made me totally paranoid. One day a gay group confronted me. They had signs, they were screaming and frothing at the mouth - pure hatred. It was wild." - After making apparently homophobic remarks in a 1992 interview with a Spanish magazine

Everyone always presumes I'm a Republican. I'm not. I couldn't vote for either one of those guys in the last election. I looked at the pair of them and was like, 'What do you want to do - get punched or get kicked?' It was a terrible choice to have to make. So I found somebody else on the ballot who was an independent who I liked the sound of. I can't even remember his name.

I am politically incorrect, that's true. Political correctness to me is just intellectual terrorism. I find that really scary, and I won't be intimidated into changing my mind. Everyone isn't going to love you all the time.

I shouldn't have said it, but I was tickling a bit of vodka during that interview, and the quote came back to bite me on the ass. - On his controversial 1992 interview with a Spanish magazine

I had really good highs but some very low lows. I found out recently I'm manic depressive. (2002)

It's a hard game and everybody gets knifed at some point. But what's become really clear to me is that it's not rocket science at the end of the day. I wish I had that youthful spring in my step I once had, but hopefully, in some ways, I'm a lot better as far as maturity goes. (2009)

Some people said that in telling the story we messed up history. It doesn't bother me because what I'm giving you is a cinematic experience, and I think films are there first to entertain, then teach, then inspire. There probably were historical inaccuracies - quite a few. But maybe there weren't, who's to say, because there was very little history about the man. It wasn't necessarily authentic. In some of the stuff I read about him, he wasn't as nice as he was on film. We romanticised it a bit, but that's the language of film - you have to make it cinematically acceptable. Actually, he was a monster - he always smelled of smoke because he was always burning people's villages down. He was like what the Vikings called a 'berserker'. But we kind of shifted the balance a bit because somebody's got to be the good guy and somebody the bad guy, and every story has its own point of view. That was our bias. - On Braveheart (1995)

William Wallace was around 28 when he died and I was already ten years older than that, although at least my knees weren't wrinkly!

When all's said and done, I did a pretty good hatchet job on my marriage. I'm to blame, if you're inclined to judge.

Nobody is without sin. You have to try to make amends if you can. You have to shut up and move on and not whine about it. And you have to deal with it like a man. You've just got to accept your own culpability.

I feel sorry for Tiger Woods. Why are we talking about this when we're sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan? He's being used as a diversion, and it just drives me crazy.

I have aged. It's just a natural part of the holy human condition. What am I going to do? Get surgery? That just looks weird. Besides, that must hurt, so what's the point? I think I'm a lot better because maturity brings things out. I just wish I had that youthful spring again. But it's a trade-off, right?

I did have bodyguards for a little while but it's a drag. If your number's up, its up. If I'm lying in bed and somebody comes into my room, I'll either wake up or I won't. And I'll either hit 'em with my big stick that I've got or my gun that I have stowed away... or they'll hit me. Look, in this day and age, you've got to be tooled up.

I try and eat right but I don't work out much. I quit smoking so that's something in the right direction. I just don't do anything fun anymore. But that's dying, isn't it? You die in stages. You let things go in pieces. It's more than halfway through, right? Life's experiences, whether they be pleasant, unpleasant, torturous or excruciatingly wonderful and blissful, season you somehow and hopefully you learn from them. Isn't that what it's about?

[on his return to acting after 8 years with Edge of Darkness (2010)] I think any kind of hiatus one takes in an artistic journey is going to make a huge difference. The pause will inform the choices that you make. I kind of felt I was getting stale so being away for a while has been good.

[on his infamous anti-semitic rant to police in 2006] It's said that I went into a rant, but I think it went on for about five words. I was drunk. It just turned into a big thing. I apologized profusely -- not once but three times. So what's the problem? It's four years ago. Do I need to apologize again?

Barack Obama is a man with an impossible task on his hands. He got left a mess and I wish him all the best but I don't think he's going to fix it in five minutes and probably not in his entire tenure.

[On why he temporarily quit acting after Signs (2002)] I felt ham-fisted. M. Night Shyamalan told me I was just doing too much. I looked around and I was the oldest guy on the set and I felt like the least sophisticated. I decided I needed to rethink everything. I got into this because I wanted to be good. I walked away because I don't know that I was bringing much new to anything. Another seven or eight years of living informs the choices one makes.

You ask anybody what their number one fear is and it's public humiliation. Multiply that on a global scale and that's what I've been through. It changes you. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's really that simple. You can't do anything but live in the moment and leave the future in the hands of providence and don't regret the past too much. Maybe just take a lesson from it.

Feminists don't like me, and I don't like them. I don't get their point. I don't know why feminists have it out for me, but that's their problem, not mine.

Salary
Signs (2002)     $25,000,000
We Were Soldiers (2002)     $25,000,000
The Patriot (2000)     $25,000,000
Chicken Run (2000)     £ 1,000,000
Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)     $25,000,000
Conspiracy Theory (1997)     $20,000,000
Ransom (1996)     $20,000,000
Maverick (1994)     $15,000,000
Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)     $10,000,000
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)     $1,200,000 (Australia)
The River (1984)     $500,000
Attack Force Z (1982)     $A1000 / Week
Gallipoli (1981)     $A35,000
Mad Max (1979)     $15,000 (Australia)
Summer City (1977)     $400 (Australian)

How to send your fan mail and autograph requests to Mel Gibson?

If you want to request an autograph, follow the guidelines below. If you just want to mail a letter with the address above, and do not want anything back, then you can stop reading!

*If you live in USA send a properly stamped and self addressed envelope (minimum size 8.5" x 4") with your request letter and a photo. You can include a piece of cardboard to keep the photo from bending in shipping and also add "Do Not Bend" on the envelopes. Send your letter and wait. On average, there is going to be a 3+ month wait for a response. If you do not live in USA, add several* International Reply Coupons. The International
Reply Coupons (IRC) will be used by the receiver to purchase american stamps. You can only get them at your post office. Place the IRCs into the envelope, not on it. For more information on reply coupons click here. *For information on postage prices to receive a letter from USA click here

Lethal Weapon: 4 Film Favorites
Mel Gibson's Apocalypto (Widescreen Edition)
We Were Soldiers (Widescreen Edition)
The Patriot (Special Edition)
Edge of Darkness
Braveheart (Special Collector's Edition)
Ransom (Special Edition)
Hamlet
Payback - The Director's Cut (Special Collector's Edition)
The Passion of the Christ (Widescreen Edition)
What Women Want
The Man Without a Face
Tequila Sunrise
Signs (Vista Series)
Conspiracy Theory (Keepcase)
The Bounty
The Road Warrior / Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (Double Feature)
Gallipoli
Maverick (Snap Case)