March 26, 2009

Johnny Depp

John Christopher Depp II was born on June 9th, 1963, in Owensboro, Kentucky, however he was raised in Flordia. He dropped out of school at age 15 in hopes of becomming a rockstar. He fronted several bands including The Kids who once opened for Iggy Pop. Depp got into acting after a visit to Los Angeles, California, with his former wife, Lori Anne Allison, who introduced him to Nicholas 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. Depp became known in the industy as serious, somewhat dark, idiosyncratic performer, consistently selecting roles that surprised critics and audiences alike. He has teamed up with director Tim Burton several times after Edward Scissorhands in the films Ed Wood (1994) and in Sleppy Hollow (1999) playing the lead role of Ichabod Crane.

Some of his most popular films today are the Pirates of the Caribbean seires which includes Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At The World's End (2007).

In a kind of ironic twist: Depp was allergic to chocolate as a child and in 2005 he stared in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Off-screen, Depp has dated several female celebrities, and has been engaged to 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. They have the same names of the two main characters in Legend (1985).

In 1999 Depp was arrested for getting into a fight with the paparazzis in front of a restaurant in London. 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.

March 25, 2009

Jake Gyllenhaal

Jacob Benjamin Gyllenhaal was born on December 19th, 1980, in Los Angeles, California, to director Stephen Gyllenhaal and producer/screenwriter Naomi Foner. Jake is the brother to Maggie Gyllenhaal who played his sister in Donnie Darko (2001).

Gyllenhaal made his film debut at age eleven in City Slickers (1991) playing Billy Crystal's son and established himself as an up-and-comming actor in films such as October Sky (1999) before being cast as Donnie Darko. In 2002 he worked with Jennifer Aniston in The Good Girl and in the 2004 science fiction blockbuster The Day After Tomorrow he co-stared with Dennis Quaid. Jake is still good friends with Aniston.

Gyllenhaal's performance in Jarhead (2005) with Jamie Foxx came as a surprise to critics and fans, alike. Gyllenhaal played a markedly hostile, masculinely violent Marine during Gulf War I, while balancing this with the sensitive, vulnerable qualities of the lead character. Brokeback Mountain (2005), in which he co-starred with Australian actor Heath Ledger as sheep herders who fall in love in the 1960s and depicts their relationship over the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s. The film went on to win four Golden Globes, four BAFTA Awards and was nominated for a leading eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Gyllenhaal was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Brokeback Mountain (2005). Jake is also the godfather of Matilda Rose Ledger, daughter of actor Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams. (Source http://www.imdb.com/)

Jake Gyllenhaal's most notable relationship was with actress Kirsten Dunst. He is currently dating Reese Witherspoon and has asked her to marry him to which she replied that it just wasn't the time. He is good friends with Maroon 5's frontman Adam Levine who he has known since kindergarden. Gyllenhaal's favorite book is "To Kill A Mockingbird" and has a German Shepherd named "Atticus" and a Puggle named "Boo Radley" after the characters. When asked who his idols are he said Anthony Quinn, Paul Newman, Sean Penn, Bruce Springsteen and Bono.

Quotes:

"I admire actors and artists who devote just as much time to their life as they do to their work."

"I fooled around with Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams got pregnant." Interview about filming Brokeback Mountain (2005), 2006."

"We live in a sad time where actors are politicians & politicians are actors."

March 23, 2009

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio was born on November 11th, 1974, in Hollywood, California. His name allegedly derives from his German mother Irmalin's having experienced a sudden kick from her unborn boy while enjoying a DaVinci painting at the Uffizi. One year after Leo's birth his parents divorced.

Leo's experience with film began at the young age of five when he appeared on his favorite show Romper Room and was nearly thrown off the set for misbehaving. After a series of commercials, educational films, occasional parts on TV series, he got his breakthrough part as Toby in This Boy's Life (1993). He co-stared with Robert DeNiro and Ellen Barkin. At age 10, his agent advised him to change his name to a more American- friendly Lenny Williams. Needless to say, he did not follow that advice.

His first Academy Award nomination came from his part of a mentally retarted boy named Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) in which he co-stared with the great actor Johnny Depp. Other equally difficult roles played by Leo include a drug troubled Jim Carroll (The Basketball Diaries), a tormented homosexual poet Rimbaud (Total Eclipse), the angry teenage son of a harried mother in (Marvin's Room), and the love-struck young soul of Romeo (Romeo + Juliet).

Superstardom came to Leo with his portrayal of Jack Dawson in 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film ever, tied with Ben Hur for most Academy Awards (11), though Leo himself was not nominated. He co-stared with the great actress Kate Winslet and the two still remain friends. After a few low rated films, Leo achieved another hit with Catch Me If You Can, the true story of the con-man Frank Abagnale Jr. Other successful films include The Departed, Blood Diamond, and Body of Lies.

In Leo's most recent film, Revolutionary Road, he reunites with his Titanic co-stars, Kate Winslet and Kathy Bates, after 10 years.

On his wide range of roles: "The best thing about acting is that I get to lose myself in another character and actually get paid for it. It's a great outlet. As for myself, I'm not sure who I am. It seems that I change every day."

Leonardo DiCaprio is an A-list star who will continue to make amazing films for many years to come.

March 22, 2009

Matt Damon- October 8th, 1970

Matthew Paige Damon was born on October 8th, 1970, in Boston Massachusetts. His mother, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, a college professor, and his father, Kent Damon, a tax preparer, are now divorced. Matt's older brother, Kyle, is a sculpor.

Damon's first film role was a one-line part in Mystic Pizza (1988). His full potential as a serious actor was realized by Hollywood power brokers when Damon became a Gulf War vet-turned-heroin addict in Courage Under Fire (1996). With his childhood friend and fellow actor, Ben Affleck, they created the screenplay for the popular film Good Will Hunting, in which they co-star.

Now a well known actor in Hollywood and across the world, Matt Damon has stared and will continue to star in many successful films. Some of his most successful films are the Bourne series which includes The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum. Theses are all based on the popular novels by author Robert Ludlum. Matt is also set to star in another Bourne film which is untitled.

Another one of Damon's more recent successes is his role in the, 2006, Martin Scorsese film The Departed where he co-stared with Leonardo Dicaprio and Jack Nicholson, two big actors in the industry.

Damon is married and has two daughters and one step-daughter.

Matt Damon is a very modest actor and even wanted to turn down the award of People's Sexiest Man Alive for 2007. Here is what he said in the letter to People magazine:

First off, I must say I was floored when I heard you guys voted me the Sexiest Man Alive for 2007. I guess all the campaigning finally paid off. Ditching Clooney as a campaign manager and going with Brad for the final push was an emotional decision, but I knew it was going to be tight and the youth vote was going to make or break me. So, thanks for making my political calculus look so sound.

Unfortunately, after all those years out on the trail, the meet and greets, the fund-raisers, the stump speeches, I've finally come to terms with the fact that this is a mantle I wasn't meant to hold. The main problem for me in accepting an award like this is that when I do interviews they are to promote a project I'm involved with. So if the questions get too personal, I can always say, "Sorry, I'll pass on that one, I'd rather talk about Bourne 18: Jason Meets Freddy," or whatever.

This interview would be to promote, well, me. And as shameless a self-promoter as I am, invariably the questions will turn toward things like fatherhood, and although this is my favorite topic in private (in fact, I rarely shut up about it), it would mean some extra unwanted attention on my little ones. I'm really trying to give them as little of the celebrity stuff as I can.

So ultimately, I think you wouldn't get as good an issue as you might with someone else. I mean, who the hell wants to read an exposé about some guarded actor who didn't get the memo and keeps refusing to answer really basic questions?

The point is, if you agree to participate in something like this then you have to have some fun with it and I just don't think I'd be much fun.

Don't get me wrong, though. I was really shocked and happy (Lucy said I actually blushed) when I heard the news. So I can't thank you enough for that.

You gave an aging suburban dad the ego boost of a lifetime. My 9-year-old step­daughter now thinks I'm cool – well, cooler – and although the rest of the world will remain in the dark about this, my wife now knows she's married to almost the sexiest guy alive. And that fact alone may get me out of doing the dishes once in a while . . .

See you down the road,

MATTY

As you can clearly see from this letter, Matt Damon is a great guy and one of the best actors in Hollywood. Many people will be pleased to see great work from him in the future.

March 21, 2009

Emile Hirsch- March 13th, 1985

Emile Davenport Hirsch was born in Palms, California on March 13th, 1985. His father, David Hirsch, is a producer and his mother, Margaret Davenport, is an artist.

Hirsch began performing in the late 1990s, starring in several television series, and became known as a film actor after his performances in Lords of Dogtown, The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, Into The Wild, and Milk. In 2008 Emile stared in the kids' film Speed Racer, and appeared in Milk along side Sean Penn who directed him in the film Into The Wild.

Hirsch's sister, Jenny, introduced him to acting. Hirsch grew up in Los Angeles, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lived with his mother after his parent's divorce. Emile attened Paul Revere Middle School and the Academy of Music at Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles.

One of Hirsch's most popular films is Into The Wild which portrays the true story of Christopher McCandless- a college graduate who was annoyed and had unfavorable views of society and chooses to travel and live in the wilderness with the minimum supplies necessary to survive. McCandless donated his remaining $24,000 to charity and changes his name to Alexander Supertram so he cannot be found by his family. He lives away from his family for 2 years with no contact, hitch-hiking across the deserts of Western America until he can get to Alaska to live totally alone in the wild. Through his travels he meets many interesting people and has the adventure of a lifetime. It is a truely amazing film. A masterpiece.

Emile's portrayal of McCandless is fantastic and is partly due to an amazing director/actor, Sean Penn. In Hirsch's most recent film, Milk, he stars with Penn and plays Cleve Jones. He has said in interviews that is was very strange working with Penn as an actor and not a director. On the set of Into The Wild they had a dynamic of Emile working infront of the camera and Sean behind it. With this film they were face to face and it was a totally different expierence.

Milk also has the actor chosen for March 20th, 2009, James Franco. And like Franco, Emile Hirsch is well on his way to becoming an acting legend.

Emile Hirsch Quote: "I think I've always been half out of my shell and half in. Sometimes I can be extremely wild and sometimes I can be extremely shy. It just depends on the day."

March 20th, 2009

James Franco- April 19, 1978

James Edward Franco was born in Palo Alto, California on April 19th, 1978. He grew up with two younger brothers and graduated from Palo Alto high school in 1996 where he was voted 'best smile'. He went on to UCLA to and majored in English. James was very shy and to overcome this he got into acting while studing there. Much to his parents' dismay, he left school after one short year. He moved on to Robert Carnegie's Playhouse West to study intesively for 15 months. James then moved on to pursuing his dream of becomming an actor in Hollywood. He landed himself a leading role on the short-lived show "Freaks and Geeks" (1999). At the time the show was not a hit and was canceled after its first year. Once the show was over he stared in Whatever It Takes (2000) where he met is future girlfriend, Marla Sokoloff.

He is best known to his younger audience as Peter Parker's (Spiderman's) best friend, Harry Osbourne. Although James auditioned for the part of Peter Parker, Tobey Maguire. James and Tobey are close friends and he used to babysit Tobey's daughter on the set of Spiderman 3.
As the saying goes, "Gotta do what ya' gotta do," James Franco started smoking for his role in "James Dean" (2001), although he hated it.

Franco's most recently finished role, as of 2009, is "Milk" (2008). Franco co-stars with Sean Penn who plays Harvey Milk, a gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official. James took the role of Scott Smith, who is called Scotty in the film. Scotty was Harvey's (Sean's) boyfriend for part of the movie and always a friend from the first time they met.

In his spare time Franco likes to relax by painting and has said, "I needed an outlet in highschool and came across painting. I've actually been painting longer than I've been acting. A movie is a collaborative effort, and with paiting you just have yourself."
On his childhood dreams James has said, "When I was a child, I wanted to be an actor, but I had really bad buck teeth. I didn't want to get braces, but my mom said I couldn't be an actor if I didn't get the braces. So, I got the braces.

Franco is a phenomenal actor who with each role is on his way to becomming an acting legend.

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