Nicholas Cage Wallpapers
Nicholas Cage Wallpapers
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Cage
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Nicholas Cage Pictures
Nicholas Cage Pics
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Cage Biography
Nicholas Cage Biography
Actor. Born Nicolas Coppola on January 7, 1964, in Long Beach, California, to choreographer Joy Vogelsang and literature professor August Coppola. Cage has two older brothers, Marc and Christopher. He is the nephew of film director Francis Ford Coppola and, as a youth, visited his uncle often at his San Francisco home. At age 15, Cage fell in love with acting during a summer class at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. He dropped out of Beverly Hills High School to pursue an acting career, making his debut on television in 1981. He changed his name to Nicolas Cage as a way to separate his identity from that of his famous uncle. He chose the name Cage as a tribute to comic-book superhero Luke Cage.Cage is known for his edgy, intense personality both on and off the screen, as well as for his passion for method acting. He is said to have had two teeth pulled for his role in Birdy (1984), slashed his arm for Racing With the Moon (1984) and swallowed a live cockroach for Vampire's Kiss (1992). He is also alleged to have destroyed a street vendor's remote-controlled car in a fit of rage while preparing for his role as a mobster in The Cotton Club (1984).
Cage got his start in teenage comedies, with his debut in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982, also featuring Sean Penn), followed by a leading role as a punk rocker in Valley Girl (1983). Francis Ford Coppola gave him a small role in his critically acclaimed Rumble Fish (1983). His first serious dramatic role was opposite Matthew Modine in Birdy (1984). This was followed by Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), the Coen Brothers' comedy Raising Arizona (1987), Moonstruck (1987, starring Cher), David Lynch's bizarre Wild at Heart (1990), Vampire's Kiss (1992) and the comedy Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). By 1994, Cage was valued at about $4 million per picture, but agreed to star in Mike Figgis' Leaving Las Vegas (1995) for only $240,000 because of the strength of the role. It paid off- his portrayal of the alcoholic screenwriter earned him a Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Since 1995, Cage has made a series of action thrillers, including The Rock (1996), Con Air (1997), John Woo's Face/Off (1997, opposite John Travolta), and Brian De Palma's Snake Eyes (1998). In 1998, he starred in the romantic City of Angels with Meg Ryan. After returning to the action genre with the poorly-rated 8MM and headlining Martin Scorsese's dark Bringing Out the Dead in 1999, Cage reportedly received a $20 million paycheck for the action extravaganza Gone in 60 Seconds, costarring Angelina Jolie.
Cage played a more traditional romantic lead in his next two movies, the Christmas 2000 release The Family Man and the World War II-era epic Captain Corelli's Mandolin, starring the much-in-demand actress and Spanish import Penelope Cruz. In December 2002, Cage launched his directorial debut, the $5 million independent film Sonny, about a male gigolo who struggles to free himself from his madam mother. Cage also starred in Adaptation, playing both ill-tempered screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and twin brother Donald. Upcoming projects include costarring with Chow Yun-Fat in director John Woo's action Western Land of Destiny and starring and coproducing Dead to Rights, a movie version of the hugely popular video game. The busy actor also starred in director Jon Turteltaub's 2004 holiday blockbuster National Treasure, playing an archaelogist-historian who believes a treasure map is hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
Mel Gibson And his wife Pictures
Mel Gibson And his Wife Pics
Mel Gibson And his wife
Mel Gibson And his wife
Mel Gibson And his wife
Mel Gibson Profile And Pictures
Profile
Name: Mel GibsonBorn: 3 January 1956 (Age: 55)
Where: Peekskill, New York, USA
Height: 5' 11"
Awards: Won 2 Oscars, 1 Golden Globe
Mel Gibson Pics
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Friday, 23 September 2011
Mel Gibson Biography
Name: Mel GibsonBorn: 3 January 1956 (Age: 55)
Where: Peekskill, New York, USA
Height: 5' 11"
Awards: Won 2 Oscars, 1 Golden Globe
Biography:
Way before Russell, Cate and Hugh Jackman, even before Geoffrey Rush and Sam Neill, the Antipodes could boast of a mega-star in the Hollywood firmament. One of the brightest, in fact. Mel Gibson was without doubt one of the biggest action heroes of the Eighties and Nineties. Furthermore, when he decided to produce, direct and star in his own action movie, Braveheart, he even snapped up a couple of Oscars - a very, very rare occurrence in the genre. Following this with his self-financed mega-hit The Passion Of The Christ and the epic Apocalypto, he even looked set to out-do Clint Eastwood and become the most successful actor-turned-director of modern times.
Yet Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson isn't, strictly speaking, Australian at all. He was born on the 3rd of January, 1956, in Peekskill, New York, the sixth of eleven children. His father, Hutton, was a brakeman for New York Central Railroad and, considering New York City no place to raise children, moved the family north to Croton-on-Hudson, then on to nearby Verplanck Point and, by 1961, on to a farmhouse at Mount Vision. Times were hard and Hutton figured he'd run the farm and do his rail job too. So he spent weekdays in New York City while the family (isolated by mother Anne's inability to drive) stuck out on the farm. It was tough, but a great place to be a kid.
In 1964, disaster struck when Hutton suffered a serious work accident and lost his job. The Gibsons were forced to move into cheap rented accommodation, with the older children having to take jobs, while Hutton entered into a compensation battle with the company. It would take three years to work out. When it did, though, it worked out well. Hutton was a strict and traditional Catholic - having at one point studied for the priesthood - and did not really approve of the cultural changes in the Sixties, regarding the hippies' penchant for mind-expansion and promiscuity as a sad sign of moral decline. Consequently, when he won $145,000 compensation, and a further $21,000 from the Jeopardy! gameshow (very bright, the Gibsons), he decided to take the family to Australia, Anne's homeland (her mother had been an opera singer who'd emigrated to the States).
It's been said that the Gibsons moved to escape the draft for Vietnam. Not true. Hutton had served in WW2 and truly despised war, but his sons could still have been drafted from Australia. Indeed, Mel's eldest brother WAS drafted, only to fail the initial tests. Also, Anne had an extended family there which would surely help as Hutton recovered from the accident.
So, off they went, via Ireland, Scotland, England and Rome, where the kids were shown their Celtic heritage (Mel's the name of an Irish saint - and it's NOT Melvin) and spent time at the Vatican.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Matt Damon Wallpapers
Matt Damon Wallpapers
Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matt Damon Biography
Matt Damon Biography
Born: October 08, 1970 
One who graduated from obscure actor to Hollywood icon in just a few years, Matt Damon became an instant sensation when he co-wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting with longtime buddy and collaborator Ben Affleck.
A native of Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was born on October 8, 1970, Damon grew up in prosperous surroundings with his tax preparer father, college professor mother, and older brother. At the age of ten, he befriended Affleck, a boy two years his junior who lived down the street. Educated at Cambridge's Rindge and Latin School, Damon landed his first role in a Hollywood production before the age of 18, with a one-scene turn in Mystic Pizza (1988). Not long after, Damon gained acceptance to Harvard University, where he studied for three years before dropping out to pursue his acting career. During his time there, he had to write a screenplay for an English class, that served as the genesis of Good Will Hunting.
Arriving in Hollywood, Damon scored his first big break with a plum role in School Ties opposite Affleck. As the film was a relative flop, Damon's substantial role failed to win him notice, and he was back to laboring in obscurity. It was around this time, fed up with his Hollywood struggles, that Damon contacted Affleck, and the two finished writing the former's Harvard screenplay and began trying to get it made into a film. It was eventually picked up by Miramax, with Gus Van Sant slated to direct and Robin Williams secured in a major role, opposite Damon as the lead. Before Good Will Hunting was released in late 1997, Damon won some measure of recognition for his role as a drug-addicted soldier in Courage Under Fire; various industry observers praised his performance and his dedication to the part, for which he lost forty pounds and suffered resulting health problems. Any praise Damon may have received, however, was overshadowed the following year by the accolades he garnered for Good Will Hunting. His Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Best Screenplay win alongside Damon, and strong performance in the film virtually guaranteed industry adulation and steady employment, a development that became readily apparent the following year with lead roles in two major films. The first, John Dahl's Rounders, cast Damon as a card shark with a serious gambling addiction, who risks his own personal safety when he becomes entangled with a reckless loser buddy (Edward Norton).
Damon's second film in 1998, Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan, brought him even greater recognition. As Ryan's title character, Damon headlined an all-star line-up and received part of the lavish praise heaped on the film and its strong ensemble cast. The following year, Damon signed for leads in two more highly anticipated films, Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr. Ripley and Kevin Smith's Dogma. The former cast the actor against type as the title character, a psychotic bisexual murderer, with a supporting cast that included Cate Blanchett, Jude Law, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Dogma also allowed Damon to cut against the grain of his nice-guy persona by casting him as a fallen angel. One of the year's more controversial films, the religious comedy reunited him with Affleck, as well as Smith, who had cast Damon in a bit role in his 1997 film, Chasing Amy. Damon next delivered noteworthy performances in a pair of low-grossing, low-key dramas, The Legend of Bagger Vance and All the Pretty Horses (both 2000), before appearing in director Steven Soderbergh's blockbuster remake of the Rat Pack classic Ocean's Eleven the following year. 2002 found the actor vacillating between earnest indie projects and major Hollywood releases. Behind the camera, Damon joined forces with filmmaker Chris Smith for the Miramax-sponsored Project Greenlight, a screenplay sweepstakes that gave the winner the opportunity to make a feature film and have the process recorded for all to see on an HBO reality series of the same name.
Toward the end of 2001, Damon scored a box office triumph with director Doug Liman's jet-setting espionage thriller The Bourne Identity. With this effort, Damon proved once again that he could open a film with just as much star power as his best friend and colleague. Better yet, Bourne reinforced Damon's standings with the critics, who found his performance understated and believable. The press responded less favorably, however, to Damon's reunion project with Van Sant, the experimental arthouse drama Gerry (2003). Also in 2003, Damon starred opposite Greg Kinnear in the Farrelly Brothers' broad comedy Stuck On You, as the shy half of a set of conjoined twins.
In 2004, Damon reprised the role of Jason Bourne in The Bourne Supremacy. As the actor's biggest leading-man success to date, it reinforced Damon's continued clout with audiences. Staying on the high-powered sequel bandwagon, he reunited with Brad Pitt and George Clooney for the big-budget neo-rat pack sequel Ocean's Twelve later that year. 2005 was somewhat lower-key for the actor, as he toplined Terry Gilliam's disappointing The Brothers Grimm and joined the sprawling ensemble of Syriana. After working seemingly non-stop for a few years, Damon claimed only a call from Martin Scorsese would get him to give up his resolve to take some time off. Sure enough, that call came. The Departed, an American remake of the Hong Kong mob-mole thriller Infernal Affairs, co-starred Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Playing the squirmy, opportunistic cop to DiCaprio's moral, tormented mobster, Damon underplayed his part to perfection while holding his own opposite his two co-stars. Damon then took the lead role in the Robert De Niro-directed CIA drama The Good Shepherd. In 2007, the actor once again returned to box office franchises for the sequels Ocean's Thirteen and The Bourne Ultimatum, the latter of which netted him -- by far -- the largest opening-weekend take of his career to that point. 2009 was another great year for the hard-working star. His turn as the unstable federal informant in Steven Soderbergh's wicked comedy The Informant! earned him rave reviews, and his supporting work in Clint Eastwood's Invicus, as the leader of the South African rugby team, earned Damon nominations from the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy. In 2010 he reteamed with Eastwood for the supernatural drama Hereafter, and continued working with the best filmmakers of his time by landing a supporting role in the Coen brothers remake of True Grit.
Meanwhile, Damon tried his hand at small screen work with a memorable recurring role as
Carol, an airline pilot and sometime boyfriend of Liz Lemon, on the NBC situation comedy 30 Rock. Additional big screen projects in 2011 included a reunion with Steven Soderbergh for the ensemble thriller Contagion, a lead as a congressman opposite Emily Blunt in director George Nelfi's romantic sci-fi thriller The Adjustment Bureau, and a starring role as a widower who purchases a zoo to bring his family back together in Cameron Crowe's comedy-drama We Bought a Zoo. Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
John Cusack Wallpapers
John Cusack Wallpapers
John Cusack
John Cusack
John Cusack
John Cusack
Hollywood Actor John Cusack Biography
John Cusack Biography
Name: John Cusack
Born: 28 June 1966 (Age: 45)
Where: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 6' 3"
Awards: 1 BAFTA and 1 Golden Globe nominations
Biography:
Engaging and accessible onscreen, protective and guarded in private, actor John Cusack built an exceptional career by making unusual film choices and steering clear of the Hollywood machine. Originally a member of the notorious Brat Pack from the early 1980s, starring in the likes of "Better Off Dead" (1985) and "One Crazy Summer" (1986), Cusack managed to accomplish the rare feat of flourishing as a dramatic actor, beyond the confines of teen comedies. Even during his height as a teen comedy star, Cusack had already been branching out, appearing in John Sayles' "Eight Men Out" (1988) and forming his own Chicago-based theater company. But it was his starring turn in Cameron Crowe's eternal "Say Anything" (1990) that propelled Cusack into the limelight. From then on the actor had his pick of the litter, typically choosing films that fell out of the mainstream, like "Grosse Point Blank" (1997), "Being John Malkovich" (1999) and "High Fidelity" (2000). While he did pepper in the occasional blockbuster, "Con Air" (1997) chief among them, Cusack retained his flare for the unconventional, solidifying his reputation as an actor of high quality and integrity.
Cusack was born June 28, 1966 in Evanston, IL into an Irish Catholic family. His father, Richard, was a screenwriter, actor and advertising executive, and his mother, Nancy, was a math teacher. When he was 9-years-old, Cusack followed older sisters Ann and Joan to the Piven Theater Workshop in Evanston, a theater run by family friends. Cusack began appearing in local stage productions, commercials and industrial films by the time he was in Nichols Junior High. When he reached the tender age of 16, he made his feature debut in the teen sex comedy "Class" (1983), followed by an appearance in "Grandview U.S.A." (1984) and a small role as the nerdy friend of Anthony Michael Hall in "Sixteen Candles" (1984). After graduating from Evanston Township High School, he attended New York University, but dropped out after less than a year. Meanwhile, Cusack landed a leading role in "The Sure Thing," playing a college student on a cross-country road trip to claim the title girl, instead falling for his uptight traveling companion. Also in 1985, he was featured in the Disney Depression-era adventure "The Journey of Natty Gann" and starred as a heartbroken teen Lane Myer in the classic comedy "Better Off Dead."
Cusack reunited with Reiner with a significant and well-acted cameo as Wil Wheaton's late older brother in "Stand By Me" (1986), then starred in "One Crazy Summer," director Savage Steve Holland's follow up to "Better Off Dead." After a starring role in the inanely madcap comedy "Hot Pursuit" (1987), Cusack began his segue into adult acting with roles in John Sayles' acclaimed look on the 1919 Black Sox scandal "Eight Men Out" and the odd comedy "Tapeheads" (1988). As part of the ensemble of "Eight Men Out," Cusack gave a moving performance as third baseman Buck Weaver, who prized the love of the game over money, but still ended his career in disgrace despite protesting his innocence till the day he died. Less admirable, however, was Ivan Alexeev, his incompetent and sleazy character in "Tapeheads." Starring alongside Tim Robbins (with whom he was previously paired in "The Sure Thing"), the duo portrayed enterprising music video directors and proved a winning team. While "Tapeheads" did little box office business, the wacky comedy enjoyed cult favorite status on the video store shelves.
While most of his early work was marked by affable, but slightly neurotic characters, he hit new heights with a starring role in "Say Anything." Having already graduated to adult parts, the actor took this teen role, recognizing it as an excellent way to end that portion of his career. Cusack's note perfect portrayal of Lloyd Dobler was a highlight of this remarkable film, helping the smart, idealistic and sensitive character become a favorite with awkward teens for years to come. Also in 1989, Cusack starred as a nuclear physicist in the fascinating "Fat Man and Little Boy," a drama focusing on the personal struggles behind the manufacture of the atomic bomb. The following year, he starred in "The Grifters," Stephen Frears' modern take on film noir featuring the actor as a con artist with a mother (Anjelica Huston) and love interest (Annette Bening) who are also masters of deception. Unfortunate miscasting marred the predictable "True Colors" (1991), with audiences unable to accept the charming Cusack as an opportunistic political climber and the often villainous James Spader as an ethically sound justice crusader despite both turning in strong performances.
Instead of riding the momentum of his success in adult roles, Cusack took small parts, often in odd projects, for the next couple of years. He first collaborated with Woody Allen in "Shadows and Fog" (1991) with a considerably smaller role than one with his reputation might be expected to play. In 1992, he had a cameo as a misguided revolutionary in the very strange "Roadside Prophets" and also appeared in Tim Robbins' impressive directorial debut "Bob Roberts." Cusack appeared again with Robbins as himself in Robert Altman's Hollywood satire "The Player" (1992), then followed with a supporting role in the period drama "Map of the Human Heart" (1993). His return to the starring fore was a role in the small film "Money for Nothing" (1993), playing an unemployed man who finds $1 million that fell from an armored car. Cusack was reportedly unhappy with the final edit of the film, arguing that it didn't focus much on character, making a potentially arresting film far less remarkable. Reuniting with Woody Allen, he appeared in the entertaining "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994), playing a playwright who sacrifices his ideals for success on the Great White Way. Playing the straight man off his eccentric co-stars, Cusack gave a strong performance in a role typically essayed by the director. He quickly followed with a supporting part in Alan Parker's period comedy "The Road to Wellville" (1994), then starring role in the independent "Floundering" (1994).
In 1996, Cusack gave a notable performance as a young, idealistic deputy mayor alongside Al Pacino in the well-made drama "City Hall." An uncharacteristic turn in 1997's action blockbuster "Con Air" opened doors for the actor to make his feature debut as a producer and screenwriter with "Gross Pointe Blank" (1997). This highly amusing and well-crafted black comedy starred Cusack as a hit man who returned to his home town for his high school reunion with the dual purpose of doing a job and winning back his former sweetheart (Minnie Driver). The film proved Cusack as a player with many talents, thanks to the film production arm of New Crime Productions which went on to develop future projects. Rounding out a busy year, he lent his voice to Dimitri, the male lead, in the animated feature "Anastasia" (1997) and gave an impressive performance in Clint Eastwood's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (1997). The actor's skill for floating above an unbelievable situation and seeming like the only sane person in the film was used to its fullest by Eastwood in this compelling drama. The actor was featured in the ensemble cast of the Terrence Malick's celebrated return to film, meditative World War II drama "The Thin Red Line" (1998), in which he was cast as a captain who leads a charge to take a hill held by the enemy. Cusack made a rare television appearance in the HBO Western "The Jack Bull" (1999), a film scripted by his father. A long-in-development project, the film cast the actor as a justice-seeking horse trader on the wrong side of the law and was produced by New Crime Productions.
On the big screen, Cusack was featured as an oddly likable but high-strung air traffic controller in Mike Newell's comedy "Pushing Tin" (1999) who competes with colleague Billy Bob Thornton. True to form, he also made a cameo appearance as a pilot integral to the plot in the period romance "This Is My Father," directed by Paul Quinn. In the spirit of experimental endeavors, Cusack starred in the conceptual fantasy "Being John Malkovich," helmed by celebrated music video director Spike Jonze, then portrayed Nelson Rockefeller in Tim Robbins' "Cradle Will Rock" (1999), the true story of a Depression-era struggle between artistic and political interests. Next up for the actor was "High Fidelity" (2000), Stephen Frears' adaptation of Nick Hornby's best selling novel, with the story moved from London to Chicago and starring Cusack as an immature thirtysomething record shop owner unlucky in love. Cusack - who was also involved in developing and producing the feature - was at his anti-romantic romantic lead best in the film, utterly convincing and relatable, even when his fringe-loving character was behaving his worst. Although unacknowledged by the major awards circuit, the film was a capstone performance for the actor.
Unfortunately, Cusack's long high-quality streak faltered when he took roles in a pair of clunky, conventional mainstream studio comedies, the shockingly unfunny "America's Sweethearts" (2001), striking few sparks as part of a Hollywood love triangle opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as a glam movie star and Julia Roberts as her no-longer plump or dowdy sister and assistant; and the sweet-but-too-pat "Serendipity" (2001) - lifting the film with his enormous likeability, Cusack evidenced better chemistry with real-life pal Jeremy Piven than he did with romantic lead Kate Beckinsale when the two played lovers whom fate seems determined to bring together. The actor fared better in the more serious and less commercial "Max" (2002), writer-director Menno Menyjes' study of the relationship between youthful, frustrated artist Adolph Hitler (Noah Taylor) and Jewish art dealer Max Rothman (Cusack). The critically praised film won the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Fest in 2003. Cusack scored again in another atypical role in "Identity" (2003), an audience-pleasing thriller in which Cusack plays one of 10 strangers who, while stranded by a storm together in a hotel, discover the unexpected connections between one another - even as they begin to turn up dead one by one.
In another shrewd and yet still commercial career move, Cusack took the lead in "Runaway Jury" (2003), an adaptation of author John Grisham's bestselling legal potboiler, playing Nicholas Easter, a jury member caught up in a deadly conflict when a master jury manipulator tries to control the outcome of a controversial verdict. After an appearance in the less-than-satisfying comedy "Must Love Dogs" (2005) opposite Diane Lane, the actor was especially effective as the lead in director Harold Ramis' bleak, comic film noir "The Ice Harvest" (2005), in which he played a mob accountant trying to survive a violent, icy Christmas Eve after he and his partner (Billy Bob Thornton) steal a small fortune from his boss (Randy Quaid). After appearing in "The Future is Unwritten" (2007), a documentary about punk rocker J Strummer, Cusack returned to horror fare with "1408" (2007), playing a horror novelist who locks himself into a notoriously haunted motel to write his latest project, only to get a taste of his own fiction. In "War, Inc." (2008), a wartime satire co-written by Cusack, he played a conscience-conflicted hitman hired by the former U.S. vice president (Dan Aykroyd) to assassinate the oil minister (Lyubomir Neikov) of the fiction Turaqistan. He next was featured in "2012" (2009), director Roland Emmerich's CGI-fueled disaster flick about a global cataclysm that brings about the end of the world, as predicted by the Mayan calendar which comes to an end that fateful year.
Also Credited As:John Paul Cusack
Born:John Paul Cusack on June 28, 1966 in Evanston, Illinois, USA
Job Titles:Actor, Director, Playwright, Producer, Screenwriter
Family:
Brother: Bill Cusack. Born c. 1964; appeared in Ed Wood (1994)
Father: Dick Cusack. Owner of film production company; appeared in The Fugitive (1993); died June 2, 2003
Mother: Nancy Cusack.
Sibling: Ann Cusack. Born May 22, 1961; appeared in Grosse Point Blank (1997)
Sibling: Joan Cusack. Born Oct. 11, 1962; appeared together in films like Say Anything (1989), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) and High Fidelity (2000)
Sister: Susie Cusack. Born c. 1971
Significant Others:
Companion: Alison Eastwood. Appeared together in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Companion: Claire Forlani. Dated c. 1997-98; no longer together
Companion: Corina Katt. Reportedly dated in 1998; she claims they were just friends
Companion: Jodi Lyn O Keefe. Dated in 2003
Companion: Minnie Driver. Briefly dated; no longer together
Companion: Neve Campbell. Together from 1998-2002
Education:
Evanston Township High School, Evanston , Illinois
Nichols Junior High, Evanston , Illinois
Piven Theater Workshop, Evanston , Illinois
New York University, New York , New York
Born: 28 June 1966 (Age: 45)
Where: Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height: 6' 3"
Awards: 1 BAFTA and 1 Golden Globe nominations
Biography:
Engaging and accessible onscreen, protective and guarded in private, actor John Cusack built an exceptional career by making unusual film choices and steering clear of the Hollywood machine. Originally a member of the notorious Brat Pack from the early 1980s, starring in the likes of "Better Off Dead" (1985) and "One Crazy Summer" (1986), Cusack managed to accomplish the rare feat of flourishing as a dramatic actor, beyond the confines of teen comedies. Even during his height as a teen comedy star, Cusack had already been branching out, appearing in John Sayles' "Eight Men Out" (1988) and forming his own Chicago-based theater company. But it was his starring turn in Cameron Crowe's eternal "Say Anything" (1990) that propelled Cusack into the limelight. From then on the actor had his pick of the litter, typically choosing films that fell out of the mainstream, like "Grosse Point Blank" (1997), "Being John Malkovich" (1999) and "High Fidelity" (2000). While he did pepper in the occasional blockbuster, "Con Air" (1997) chief among them, Cusack retained his flare for the unconventional, solidifying his reputation as an actor of high quality and integrity.
Cusack was born June 28, 1966 in Evanston, IL into an Irish Catholic family. His father, Richard, was a screenwriter, actor and advertising executive, and his mother, Nancy, was a math teacher. When he was 9-years-old, Cusack followed older sisters Ann and Joan to the Piven Theater Workshop in Evanston, a theater run by family friends. Cusack began appearing in local stage productions, commercials and industrial films by the time he was in Nichols Junior High. When he reached the tender age of 16, he made his feature debut in the teen sex comedy "Class" (1983), followed by an appearance in "Grandview U.S.A." (1984) and a small role as the nerdy friend of Anthony Michael Hall in "Sixteen Candles" (1984). After graduating from Evanston Township High School, he attended New York University, but dropped out after less than a year. Meanwhile, Cusack landed a leading role in "The Sure Thing," playing a college student on a cross-country road trip to claim the title girl, instead falling for his uptight traveling companion. Also in 1985, he was featured in the Disney Depression-era adventure "The Journey of Natty Gann" and starred as a heartbroken teen Lane Myer in the classic comedy "Better Off Dead."
Cusack reunited with Reiner with a significant and well-acted cameo as Wil Wheaton's late older brother in "Stand By Me" (1986), then starred in "One Crazy Summer," director Savage Steve Holland's follow up to "Better Off Dead." After a starring role in the inanely madcap comedy "Hot Pursuit" (1987), Cusack began his segue into adult acting with roles in John Sayles' acclaimed look on the 1919 Black Sox scandal "Eight Men Out" and the odd comedy "Tapeheads" (1988). As part of the ensemble of "Eight Men Out," Cusack gave a moving performance as third baseman Buck Weaver, who prized the love of the game over money, but still ended his career in disgrace despite protesting his innocence till the day he died. Less admirable, however, was Ivan Alexeev, his incompetent and sleazy character in "Tapeheads." Starring alongside Tim Robbins (with whom he was previously paired in "The Sure Thing"), the duo portrayed enterprising music video directors and proved a winning team. While "Tapeheads" did little box office business, the wacky comedy enjoyed cult favorite status on the video store shelves.
While most of his early work was marked by affable, but slightly neurotic characters, he hit new heights with a starring role in "Say Anything." Having already graduated to adult parts, the actor took this teen role, recognizing it as an excellent way to end that portion of his career. Cusack's note perfect portrayal of Lloyd Dobler was a highlight of this remarkable film, helping the smart, idealistic and sensitive character become a favorite with awkward teens for years to come. Also in 1989, Cusack starred as a nuclear physicist in the fascinating "Fat Man and Little Boy," a drama focusing on the personal struggles behind the manufacture of the atomic bomb. The following year, he starred in "The Grifters," Stephen Frears' modern take on film noir featuring the actor as a con artist with a mother (Anjelica Huston) and love interest (Annette Bening) who are also masters of deception. Unfortunate miscasting marred the predictable "True Colors" (1991), with audiences unable to accept the charming Cusack as an opportunistic political climber and the often villainous James Spader as an ethically sound justice crusader despite both turning in strong performances.
Instead of riding the momentum of his success in adult roles, Cusack took small parts, often in odd projects, for the next couple of years. He first collaborated with Woody Allen in "Shadows and Fog" (1991) with a considerably smaller role than one with his reputation might be expected to play. In 1992, he had a cameo as a misguided revolutionary in the very strange "Roadside Prophets" and also appeared in Tim Robbins' impressive directorial debut "Bob Roberts." Cusack appeared again with Robbins as himself in Robert Altman's Hollywood satire "The Player" (1992), then followed with a supporting role in the period drama "Map of the Human Heart" (1993). His return to the starring fore was a role in the small film "Money for Nothing" (1993), playing an unemployed man who finds $1 million that fell from an armored car. Cusack was reportedly unhappy with the final edit of the film, arguing that it didn't focus much on character, making a potentially arresting film far less remarkable. Reuniting with Woody Allen, he appeared in the entertaining "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994), playing a playwright who sacrifices his ideals for success on the Great White Way. Playing the straight man off his eccentric co-stars, Cusack gave a strong performance in a role typically essayed by the director. He quickly followed with a supporting part in Alan Parker's period comedy "The Road to Wellville" (1994), then starring role in the independent "Floundering" (1994).
In 1996, Cusack gave a notable performance as a young, idealistic deputy mayor alongside Al Pacino in the well-made drama "City Hall." An uncharacteristic turn in 1997's action blockbuster "Con Air" opened doors for the actor to make his feature debut as a producer and screenwriter with "Gross Pointe Blank" (1997). This highly amusing and well-crafted black comedy starred Cusack as a hit man who returned to his home town for his high school reunion with the dual purpose of doing a job and winning back his former sweetheart (Minnie Driver). The film proved Cusack as a player with many talents, thanks to the film production arm of New Crime Productions which went on to develop future projects. Rounding out a busy year, he lent his voice to Dimitri, the male lead, in the animated feature "Anastasia" (1997) and gave an impressive performance in Clint Eastwood's "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (1997). The actor's skill for floating above an unbelievable situation and seeming like the only sane person in the film was used to its fullest by Eastwood in this compelling drama. The actor was featured in the ensemble cast of the Terrence Malick's celebrated return to film, meditative World War II drama "The Thin Red Line" (1998), in which he was cast as a captain who leads a charge to take a hill held by the enemy. Cusack made a rare television appearance in the HBO Western "The Jack Bull" (1999), a film scripted by his father. A long-in-development project, the film cast the actor as a justice-seeking horse trader on the wrong side of the law and was produced by New Crime Productions.
On the big screen, Cusack was featured as an oddly likable but high-strung air traffic controller in Mike Newell's comedy "Pushing Tin" (1999) who competes with colleague Billy Bob Thornton. True to form, he also made a cameo appearance as a pilot integral to the plot in the period romance "This Is My Father," directed by Paul Quinn. In the spirit of experimental endeavors, Cusack starred in the conceptual fantasy "Being John Malkovich," helmed by celebrated music video director Spike Jonze, then portrayed Nelson Rockefeller in Tim Robbins' "Cradle Will Rock" (1999), the true story of a Depression-era struggle between artistic and political interests. Next up for the actor was "High Fidelity" (2000), Stephen Frears' adaptation of Nick Hornby's best selling novel, with the story moved from London to Chicago and starring Cusack as an immature thirtysomething record shop owner unlucky in love. Cusack - who was also involved in developing and producing the feature - was at his anti-romantic romantic lead best in the film, utterly convincing and relatable, even when his fringe-loving character was behaving his worst. Although unacknowledged by the major awards circuit, the film was a capstone performance for the actor.
Unfortunately, Cusack's long high-quality streak faltered when he took roles in a pair of clunky, conventional mainstream studio comedies, the shockingly unfunny "America's Sweethearts" (2001), striking few sparks as part of a Hollywood love triangle opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones as a glam movie star and Julia Roberts as her no-longer plump or dowdy sister and assistant; and the sweet-but-too-pat "Serendipity" (2001) - lifting the film with his enormous likeability, Cusack evidenced better chemistry with real-life pal Jeremy Piven than he did with romantic lead Kate Beckinsale when the two played lovers whom fate seems determined to bring together. The actor fared better in the more serious and less commercial "Max" (2002), writer-director Menno Menyjes' study of the relationship between youthful, frustrated artist Adolph Hitler (Noah Taylor) and Jewish art dealer Max Rothman (Cusack). The critically praised film won the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Fest in 2003. Cusack scored again in another atypical role in "Identity" (2003), an audience-pleasing thriller in which Cusack plays one of 10 strangers who, while stranded by a storm together in a hotel, discover the unexpected connections between one another - even as they begin to turn up dead one by one.
In another shrewd and yet still commercial career move, Cusack took the lead in "Runaway Jury" (2003), an adaptation of author John Grisham's bestselling legal potboiler, playing Nicholas Easter, a jury member caught up in a deadly conflict when a master jury manipulator tries to control the outcome of a controversial verdict. After an appearance in the less-than-satisfying comedy "Must Love Dogs" (2005) opposite Diane Lane, the actor was especially effective as the lead in director Harold Ramis' bleak, comic film noir "The Ice Harvest" (2005), in which he played a mob accountant trying to survive a violent, icy Christmas Eve after he and his partner (Billy Bob Thornton) steal a small fortune from his boss (Randy Quaid). After appearing in "The Future is Unwritten" (2007), a documentary about punk rocker J Strummer, Cusack returned to horror fare with "1408" (2007), playing a horror novelist who locks himself into a notoriously haunted motel to write his latest project, only to get a taste of his own fiction. In "War, Inc." (2008), a wartime satire co-written by Cusack, he played a conscience-conflicted hitman hired by the former U.S. vice president (Dan Aykroyd) to assassinate the oil minister (Lyubomir Neikov) of the fiction Turaqistan. He next was featured in "2012" (2009), director Roland Emmerich's CGI-fueled disaster flick about a global cataclysm that brings about the end of the world, as predicted by the Mayan calendar which comes to an end that fateful year.
Also Credited As:John Paul Cusack
Born:John Paul Cusack on June 28, 1966 in Evanston, Illinois, USA
Job Titles:Actor, Director, Playwright, Producer, Screenwriter
Family:
Brother: Bill Cusack. Born c. 1964; appeared in Ed Wood (1994)
Father: Dick Cusack. Owner of film production company; appeared in The Fugitive (1993); died June 2, 2003
Mother: Nancy Cusack.
Sibling: Ann Cusack. Born May 22, 1961; appeared in Grosse Point Blank (1997)
Sibling: Joan Cusack. Born Oct. 11, 1962; appeared together in films like Say Anything (1989), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) and High Fidelity (2000)
Sister: Susie Cusack. Born c. 1971
Significant Others:
Companion: Alison Eastwood. Appeared together in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997)
Companion: Claire Forlani. Dated c. 1997-98; no longer together
Companion: Corina Katt. Reportedly dated in 1998; she claims they were just friends
Companion: Jodi Lyn O Keefe. Dated in 2003
Companion: Minnie Driver. Briefly dated; no longer together
Companion: Neve Campbell. Together from 1998-2002
Education:
Evanston Township High School, Evanston , Illinois
Nichols Junior High, Evanston , Illinois
Piven Theater Workshop, Evanston , Illinois
New York University, New York , New York
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Hollywood Actor John Travolta Full Biography
John Travolta Biography
The youngest of six kids, John Joseph Travolta was born on Feb. 18, 1954, and raised in Englewood, NJ. In contrast to the round robin dinner table slapping of the "Saturday Night Fever" Manero family, Travolta's home was a liberal, artistic haven, with his older siblings involved in local theater and his mother Helen's solid background as a singer, actress, and drama teacher. Travolta wanted to be onstage from the start, and was fortunate to gain early exposure to theater, dance, and art films at home. His father Salvatore - co-owner of the family business Travolta Tire Exchange - had built a stage in the basement, but Travolta, nicknamed "Bone" because he was so skinny, hardly needed it, as he would perform for anyone, anywhere, at the drop of a hat. His parents enrolled him in drama school in New York, where he learned the holy trinity of old-school entertainment: singing, acting and dancing. By the age of 12, he was appearing in local productions.
At 16, Travolta landed his first professional role in a summer stock production of "Bye Bye Birdie." Following his junior year of high school, he dropped out to pursue entertainment, moving in with his sister Ann in Manhattan. He began building a resume with off-Broadway dramas and musicals, TV commercials, and even recorded a few pop singles for local record labels. In Hollywood, Travolta spent a couple of years trying to break into the business, but after a few guest spots on medical and cop dramas, returned to New York where he debuted on Broadway in "Grease." He wasn't Danny Zuko material yet, but while touring for nearly a year as a supporting player, he was determined that he would one day take the lead. Travolta landed on Broadway's boards again in 1974 in the Tony-nominated musical, "Over Here." The same year, the budding pilot who had been squirreling away his acting money for flying lessons, finally earned his wings. Having grown up in the flight path of LaGuardia airport, he was about the join the ranks of jet setters that used to pass overhead - in more ways than one.
Travolta flew to New Mexico to play a small part in the film "Devil's Rain" (1975), and upon his return was met with a casting call for an ABC sitcom called "Welcome Back Kotter." He proved to be a perfect choice to play Vinnie Barbarino, an inner-city remedial high school student, resident stud and head of a clique of wiseass underachievers called The Sweathogs. His feathered-haired sex appeal - combined with his faux naiveté and occasionally outrageous physical comedy - made him the breakout star of the ensemble cast, his likeness appearing on an avalanche of merchandising tie-ins. The music industry smelled a pop star in the making, handing the actor a series of bland ballads including "Let Her In," which reached number 20 on the Billboard charts.
The well-rounded entertainer continued to explore his range, first as a taunting bully to wide-eyed Sissy Spacek in Brian DePalma's teen telekinesis classic "Carrie" (1976). The same year he was beloved as an immune deficient teen in ABC's legendary telefilm, "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble" (1976). While filming the classic melodrama, Travolta began a romantic relationship with his onscreen mother, Diana Hyland, who was 18 years his senior and an unexpected choice for a young heartthrob who likely had his pick of young, nubile romantic partners.
With "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), John Travolta transitioned from TV and pop music personality to full-fledged movie star. The choice Bee Gees soundtrack and flashy dance sequences were enough to bring in audiences seeking a peek into the high-energy, indulgent world of a New York City disco. But it was Travolta's flawless - and Oscar-nominated - portrayal of a 20-year-old paint store clerk beginning to outgrow his roots that resonated so universally and provided the film's depth. Tony Manero was the king of his local Brooklyn disco, but an emerging understanding of his dead-end life began to crumble his foundation, his desire for something better embodied by a love interest who knew firsthand of the promised land just across the river in Manhattan. The film worked on every level and quickly became a favorite of audiences and critics alike, not to mention how it fueled the dying embers of the fading disco trend with a best-selling soundtrack.
During shooting of "Fever," Travolta was dealt a heavy card when the love of his life, Diana Hyland, now a cast member of "Eight is Enough" (ABC, 1977-81), cast as mother of the large clan, died of cancer, reportedly in Travolta's arms. Despite knowing she was fatally ill, she had been the one person who had insisted he take on the role of Manero. He suffered an equal blow in 1978 with the loss of his influential and supportive mother.
Coming off such an intense double-dose of grief, the 22-year-old soldiered ahead with another career-defining role in the 1950s high school musical, "Grease" (1978). The production was a bold undertaking for all involved, as American cinema was just coming off a run of character-based dramas and had not seen a big screen musical in a decade. Travolta took the risk, finally realizing his early dream of playing greaser bad boy Danny Zuko, and wooing the proper Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John). The film was admittedly less substantive than "Saturday Night Fever," but Travolta's singing, dancing, and dimpled charm sparkled, cementing his role as a bona fide movie star. "Grease" received five Golden Globe nominations and became Hollywood's highest grossing film musical of all time, with Travolta scoring his first major hit single with the film's best-selling soundtrack - his duet with Newton-John, "You're the One that I Want."
Travolta continued to prove his talent as an icon of specific cultural movements in the well-received "Urban Cowboy" (1980), which chronicled a macho Texas refinery worker with a tumultuous young marriage and a mean competitive streak on his local honkytonk's mechanical bull. The film spawned another hit soundtrack and jumpstarted a revival of country music and its accompanying cowboy hats and boots. Brian De Palma's "Blow Out" (1981) offered Travolta one of his most complex roles yet - a dedicated film sound recordist who accidentally records a political assassination. Though the result was a richly shaded portrait of the hack artist as fallen idealist, "Blow Out" stalled at the box-office, as did a pumped-up Travolta in "Staying Alive" (1983), the laughable Sylvester Stallone-directed sequel to "Saturday Night Fever." In this sequel, Manero had moved to conquer Broadway, starring in a ridiculous Hell-inspired production called "Satan's Alley," while at the same time, trying to woo two lady dancers at the same time - the good girl (Cynthia Rhodes) and the diva star (Finola Hughes). In fact, the only memorable aspect of the movie, was the lead song, "Far From Over," sung by Stallone's brother, Frank.
After being the most popular film star of the 1970s, the versatile actor subsequently languished for nearly a decade in mostly forgettable, unpopular films. He could literally, as the cliché g s, not get arrested in Hollywood. His most "notable" work during this phase was the horrible work-out film "Perfect" (1985) co-starring an equally scantily clad Jamie Lee Curtis. Better was the 1987 ABC-TV special: Harold Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter," a one-act, two-character play directed by Robert Altman, in which Travolta played a Cockney hit man. It was not until the 1989 sleeper hit "Look Who's Talking," that Travolta would become associated with a major box-office success, along with his Scientology buddy, Kirstie Alley - though, in this case, neither star was the main attraction. This romantic comedy featured the then popular gimmick of presenting a baby's thoughts in voice-over (Bruce Willis) and generated two more gigs for the former superstar - "Look Who's Talking Too" (1990) and "Look Who's Talking Now" (1993). At least he was in a hit movie and was handed over a decent paycheck.
During this period, Travolta met actress Kelly Preston and the pair married in 1991 in a Scientology ceremony that was later determined to be not legally binding, necessitating an additional ceremony. Travolta had been active with the church since a chance reading of its tome Dianetics in 1975, crediting his instant rise to success afterwards to its teachings. The couple had their son Jett in 1992, the same year that Travolta wrote and illustrated an airplane-themed children's book called Propeller One-Way Night Coach. At that time in his career, Preston was the bigger name in film - and that was not saying much. He literally was a has-been at the age 40.
But then 1994 arrived. In that year, Travolta's career and street cred sprang back to life with Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" (1994). In the filmmaker's jarringly funny and violent non-linear crime spree, Travolta was relatively heavy-set, long-haired and wearing earrings - his Vincent Vega, a strangely sympathetic hit man with a heroin habit and a disconcertingly innocent view of the world. Tarantino's inventive style was highly-praised and the film's influence on the independent film genre assured that Travolta would again be forever associated with a memorable moment in pop culture history. Overnight, the resuscitated star found himself deluged with scripts and deals, offering him the biggest paydays to date of his estimable career, as well as a second Oscar nomination for Best Actor. Travolta would in fact give props to Tarantino - known for his quirky casting tastes - for giving rebirth to his career.
Older and wiser than his first time on the A-list, Travolta was able to parlay his "Pulp Fiction" success into even greater stardom than he had known in the 1970s or early 1980s. He worked non-stop, taking advantage of film opportunities like Barry Sonnenfeld's popular adaptation of Elmore Leonard's "Get Shorty" (1995), in which he garnered acclaim for his portrayal of Chili Palmer, the ultra-cool hit man who becomes entranced by Hollywood. In "White Man's Burden" (1995), Travolta starred with Harry Belafonte in an ambitious film about discrimination that won mixed critical notices and little audience support. He followed with John Woo's action-adventure thriller, "Broken Arrow" (1996), in which he played a pilot who masterminds an extortion plot against the US government.
Off-screen, Travolta was by now a licensed pilot for a variety of classes of aircraft and kept a personal fleet of planes at his home in Florida. In 1996, he reportedly received an $8 million fee for "Phenomenon," in which he played a man who develops superior abilities after being struck by a white light. The press virtually overlooked this indiscretion, and studios continued to line up for his services. In his spare time, Travolta continued to fly the friendly skies, eventually earning his shot at flying jumbo jets.
That $8 million fee was a bargain compared to what Travolta was soon earning (but significantly more than the $140,000 he earned for his comeback film). He finished 1996 as a fallen angel in Nora Ephron's "Michael," before unleashing a juggernaut line-up in 1997-98. It was almost as if he wanted to make as many films as possible before his luck ran out again. He was again paired with John Woo for "Face/Off," a lyrical thriller about identity exchange that wove together sadistic cruelty and grotesque sentimentality with breathtaking assurance. Although most critics despaired over Costa-Gavras' "Mad City" (1997) and panned Travolta's singularly stupid character, he found himself on surer ground in Nick Cassavetes' romantic drama, "She's So Lovely" (1997), which matched him with far better results opposite Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn and afforded him a role of some nuance. He received $20 million (or more) to portray Governor Jack Stanton, a thinly veiled adaptation of then-President Bill Clinton, in Mike Nichols' "Primary Colors" (1998). He also squeezed in performances as an attorney battling powerful corporations on behalf of toxic poisoning victims in "A Civil Action" and was part of a star-studded cast including Sean Penn, John Cusack, Gary Oldman and George Clooney in Terrence Malick's war pix, "The Thin Red Line" (1998).
After appearing in the unsuccessful and highly ridiculed apocalyptic alien movie written by Ron L. Hubbard, "Battlefield Earth" (2000) which he also produced - and which many perceived as a vanity project and payback to Scientology - Travolta and Preston gave birth to a daughter Ella and redeemed papa's film career as another top-notch bad guy in the otherwise routine action thriller, "Swordfish" (2001). Unfortunately, the forgettable film was more notable for Halle Berry's nude scene than for anything else. With the routine thriller "Basic" (2003), Travolta played a DEA agent investigating a mysterious disappearance - which suggested that the actor was formally stuck in one of his career ruts. His subsequent role, as the villainous money-launder Howard Saint in the comic book superhero adaptation "The Punisher" (2004) was a step in the right direction performance-wise, walking a fine line between a realistic performance and moments of high camp, but the film itself was not overwhelming.
Travolta delivered a strong performance in his follow-up, "Ladder 49" (2004), playing a veteran firefighter who tries to impart practical wisdom to a promising up-and-comer (Joaquin Ph nix). Although the part was not entirely suited to Travolta's strengths, the actor made the most of the supporting role. He easily slipped back into character as Chili Palmer for the entertaining sequel "Be Cool" (2005), in which Chili segues from the movie biz into the music industry. After an unusual two-year hiatus from the big screen - he had been working incessantly since "Pulp Fiction" - Travolta emerged in "Wild Hogs" (2007), a big, dumb and wildly successful road comedy about four middle-aged men (Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy) who set out to prove their manhood with a freewheeling, cross-country motorcycle trip. Despite a bevy of bad reviews, "Wild Hogs" reaped a box office whirlwind, but with the musical "Hairspray" (2007), critics and audiences alike were in agreement that Travolta was still the real deal - a genuine star.
Playing a role originated by famed drag queen Divine in the original John Waters film, Travolta was outrageously entertaining as Edna Turnblad, the 1960s working class Baltimore mom of wannabe TV dance star Tracy Turnblad (Nikki Bosky). The role necessitated an agonizing amount of prosthetics and makeup to transform Travolta into a Hefty Hideaway spokes model, but the veteran stage star still danced his way into a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The summer blockbuster went on to become the third top grossing musical of all time, with "Grease" still holding strong in first position. Meanwhile, Travolta made a rare foray into animated features, voicing the lead character in the popular and acclaimed "Bolt" (2008), a family adventure about a famous television dog who discovers that his fictional powers are of no use when he g s on a real-life cross-country journey to reunite with his costar (voiced by Miley Cyrus). Travolta earned a Golden Globe nomination for performing the song "I Thought I Lost You."
While awaiting the Golden Globes ceremony on vacation with his family in The Bahamas, tragedy struck when Travolta's son, Jett, died after suffering a seizure. A caretaker at the hotel where the family was staying found him unconscious on the bathroom floor. Jett was rushed to Rand Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. He was only 16. Travolta and Preston had in the past confirmed that Jett had a developmental issues they linked to Kawasaki Syndrome, an inflammatory disorder known to cause heart disease. Nine months after their son's death, Travolta revealed his son was actually autistic during court testimony he was forced to give after Bahamian officials tried to extort money from him regarding the circumstances of Jett's death.
Also Credited As:John Joseph Travolta
Born:John Joseph Travolta on February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA
Job Titles:Actor, Dancer, Singer, Author, Illustrator
Family:
Brother: Joey Travolta. Older
Brother: Sammy Travolta. Older
Daughter: Ella Bleu. Born April 3, 2000; mother, Kelly Preston
Father: Salvatore Travolta. (1913-1995); semi-professional football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company
Mother: Helen Travolta. Irish-American; appeared in The Sunshine Sisters, a radio vocal group; acted and directed before becoming a high school drama and English teacher; was director of a summer theater until her family grew to six children; was 42 when John, the last child, was born; died of cancer in 1979
Sister: Annie Travolta. Older
Sister: Ellen Travolta. Older
Sister: Margaret Travolta. Older
Son: Benjamin Travolta. Born Nov. 23, 2010; mother, Kelly Preston
Son: Jett Travolta. Born April 13, 1992; mother, Kelly Preston; parents claimed he suffered from Kawasaki disease; died Jan. 02, 2009 after suffering from a seizure at his family s vacation home at the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island; parents later admitted he was autistic
Significant Others:
Companion: Diana Hyland. Met while co-starring in the TV-movie The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976); Travolta was 18 years her junior; died of cancer on March 28, 1977
Companion: Marilu Henner. Met while touring in Grease in 1972; had on-again, off-again relationship until 1985
Wife: Kelly Preston. Born Oct. 13, 1962; met while filming The Experts (1989); engaged in January 1991; married Sep. 5, 1991 in Paris, France by a French Scientologist minister (was legally invalid); remarried in a legal union on Sep. 12, 1991 in Florida; was previously married to actor Kevin Gage from 1986-1989; also was briefly engaged to Charlie Sheen in 1989 and lived with George Clooney
Education:
Dwight Morrow High School, Englewood , New Jersey
Milestones:
1966 Stage debut in Who Will Save the Plowboy? at age 12
1970 Dropped out of high school at age 16
1974 Made Broadway debut in Over Here! ; acted opposite the Andrews Sisters for 10 months
1975 Cast as Vinnie Barbarino on Welcome Back, Kotter (ABC); began appearing with less frequency toward the end of its run
1975 Made feature film debut in a bit part in The Devil s Rain
1976 Had featured role in Brian De Palma s Carrie
1976 TV-movie debut, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (ABC)
1977 First starring role in a feature, as Tony Manero, in Saturday Night Fever ; earned Best Actor Oscar nomination
1978 Reprised stage role for the feature version of Grease
1980 Starred with Debra Winger in Urban Cowboy
1981 Reteamed with De Palma for Blow Out
1987 Returned to TV to co-star in Harold Pinter s The Dumb Waiter ; a one-act play directed by Robert Altman
1989 Initially revived career with Look Who s Talking but did not follow up on movie s success
1990 Co-wrote screenplay and starred in Chains of Gold
1994 Revitalized feature acting career with an acclaimed portrayal of a junkie hitman in Quentin Tarantino s Pulp Fiction ; earned second Best Actor Academy Award nomination
1995 Cast as Chili Palmer in Barry Sonnenfeld s Get Shorty ; starred with Gene Hackman, Rene Russo and Danny DeVito
1996 First film with John Woo, Broken Arrow
1997 Starred opposite Nicolas Cage in second film with director John Woo Face/Off
1998 Played attorney Jan Schlichtman who battles powerful companies on behalf of the victims of toxic poisoning in A Civil Action ; based on the book by Jonathan Harr
1998 Portrayed Governor Jack Stanton in the political feature, Primary Colors ; helmed by Mike Nichols
2000 Realized dream project of starring in the feature adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard s sci-fi novel Battlefield Earth ; film and performance was panned by critics
2000 Starred opposite Lisa Kudrow in the Nora Ephron-directed Lucky Numbers
2001 Portrayed a spy in the thriller Swordfish
2003 Played a DEA agent in dramatic thriller Basic
2004 Cast as Chief Kennedy in the drama Ladder 49 also starring Joaquin Phoenix
2004 Cast opposite Thomas Jane in The Punisher
2004 Co-starred with Scarlett Johansson in A Love Song for Bobby Long
2005 Again played Chili Palmer, his charater from the hit film Get Shorty in its sequel Be Cool
2007 Cast in the comedy-adventure Wild Hogs, as one of four middle-aged friends who take a freewheeling motorcycle trip
2007 Portrayed housewife Edna Turnblad in the film version of the Broadway musical Hairspray ; earned a Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actor
2008 Lent his voice to the title character, a small white German Shepherd, in the animated feature Bolt ; earned a Golden Globe nomination for performing the song I Thought I Lost You
2009 Co-starred with Robin Williams in the comedy, Old Dogs ; also starred wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Travolta
2009 Played the villainous role in Tony Scott s remake of The Taking of Pelham 123
2010 Played an FBI Agent, opposite Jonathan Rhys Meyers, in From Paris with Love ; co-written by Luc Besson
Acted in Off-Broadway productions
Appeared in the original Broadway production of Grease (also toured with show for 10 months)
Began acting career in summer stock in New Jersey Read more...
Hollywood Actor Jim Carrey Wallpapers
Jim Carrey Wallpapers
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey Profile/Biography
Jim Carrey Profile
Full/Alt: names:James Carrey, James Eugene Carrey
Born: 17 January 1962 (Age: 49)
Date of Birth:Wednesday January 17 1962
Where: Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Height: 6' 2"
Nationality:Canada
Awards: Won 2 Golden Globes, nominated for 1 BAFTA
Biography:
Hollywood funnyman Jim Carrey was born on January 17, 1962 in Newmarket, Ontario. Born James Eugene Carrey, he was the youngest of 4 children. His mother Kathleen was a home-maker and his father Percy was an accountant and musician. Even as a young child, Jim loved to perform for anyone who would watch. He was even given time at the end of each school day to perform a stand-up routine for his classmates while in junior high. Due to financial difficulties, the family relocated to Scarborough, Ontario when Jim was in grade nine. Finances were so tight for the Carrey family that they resorted to living out of a Volkswagen camper van until they re-gained financial stability.
WHEN JIM LEFT HOME:
When Jim was 15, he made his professional stand-up debut at Toronto’s famous Yuks Yuks Comedy club. He officially dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to continue working on his routines and impersonations. He made the move to Los Angeles at the age of 19 and performed his comedic routines regularly at Mitzi Shore’s Comedy Club. He was soon spotted by veteran comedian Rodney Dangerfield who signed him as his opening act for an upcoming national tour.
Jim made the transition from live stand-up comedy to acting in the late 1980’s. Despite starring in a few movies (Once Bitten, Peggy Sue Got Married, Earth Girls are Easy), he didn’t become a house-hold name until he starred in the television comedy show Living Color in 1990.
JIM’S ACTING CAREER:
In 1994, Jim Carrey solidified his status in Hollywood by starring in the three huge box office hits. First up was Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. This role seemed perfectly suited to his physical and outrageous brand of humor. Next was The Mask whom he co-starred with breakout star Cameron Diaz. Finally, he ended off the year with his starring role in the Farrelly brothers’ Dumb and Dumber. Officially a box office staple, studios clamored to have Jim star in their movies. Over the next 15 years, his ever expressive face and impersonations were seen in Hollywood hits such as Batman Forever, The Cable Guy (for which he earned $20 million), Liar Liar, The Truman Show, Man on the Moon, Me, Myself & Irene, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and countless other films. With such a wide ranging career, Jim shows no signs of slowing down as he currently films Mr. Popper’s Penguins.
JIM’S PERSONAL LIFE:
As with many Hollywood stars, Jim Carrey has had his share of well-publicized relationships. His first marriage was to Melissa Womer whom he met while working at Mitzi Shore’s Comedy Club back in 1987. Together, they have one daughter, Jane Erin Carrey. Jim and Melissa separated in 1994 and officially divorced in 1995. After his separation from Melissa, he began dating Lauren Holly, his Dumb and Dumber co-star. Although they married in 1996, the marriage was short-lived and ended in divorce less than a year later. He began dating Renee Zellweger, his Me, Myself & Irene co-star in 2000. However, the relationship ended in a broken engagement late 2000. Jim’s personal life stayed out of the tabloids until 2005 when he and actress/model Jenny McCarthy began dating. Despite dating for 5 years, their relationship ended amicably in 2010.
JIM’S SUCCESS:
Although Jim Carrey has never won or been nominated for a coveted Academy award, he has won two Golden Globes for his work in the Truman Show and Man on the Moon. He has also been nominated and won several People, MTV, Teen and Kid’s Choice awards. In 1998, he was given a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. In addition to his acting career, Jim has launched several public awareness campaigns, most notably the political repression in Burma and his bout with depression. A dual citizen of USA and Canada since 2004, he now resides in Brentwood, Los Angeles.
Friday, 16 September 2011
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