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- Actor
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With his breakthrough performance as Eames in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi thriller Inception (2010), English actor Tom Hardy has been brought to the attention of mainstream audiences worldwide. However, the versatile actor has been steadily working on both stage and screen since his television debut in the miniseries Band of Brothers (2001). After being cast in the World War II drama, Hardy left his studies at the prestigious Drama Centre in London and was subsequently cast as Twombly in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down (2001) and as the villain Shinzon in Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
Edward Thomas Hardy was born on September 15, 1977 in Hammersmith, London; his mother, Elizabeth Anne (Barrett), is an artist and painter, and his father, Chips Hardy, is a writer. He is of English and Irish descent. Hardy was brought up in East Sheen, London, and first studied at Reed's School. His education continued at Tower House School, then at Richmond Drama School, and subsequently at the Drama Centre London, along with fellow Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender. After winning a modeling competition at age 21, he had a brief contract with the agency Models One.
Tom spent his teens and early twenties battling delinquency, alcoholism and drug addiction; after completing his work on Star Trek: Nemesis (2002), he sought treatment and has also admitted that his battles with addiction ended his five-year marriage to Sarah Ward. Returning to work in 2003, Hardy was awarded the Evening Standard Most Promising Newcomer Award for his theatre performances in the productions of "In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings" and "Blood". In 2003, Tom also co-starred in the play "The Modernists" with Paul Popplewell, Jesse Spencer and Orlando Wells.
During the next five years, Hardy worked consistently in film, television and theatre, playing roles as varied as Robert Dudley in the BBC's The Virgin Queen (2005), Bill Sikes in Oliver Twist (2007) and starring in "The Man of Mode" at the National Theatre. On the silver screen, he appeared in the crime thriller Layer Cake (2004) with Daniel Craig, Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006), and the romp Scenes of a Sexual Nature (2006).
In 2006, Hardy created "Shotgun", an underground theatre company along with director Robert Delamere, and directed a play, penned by his father for the company, called "Blue on Blue". In 2007, Hardy received a best actor BAFTA nomination for his touching performance as Stuart Shorter in the BBC adaptation of Alexander Masters' bestselling biography Stuart: A Life Backwards (2007). Hailed for his transformative character acting, Hardy was lauded for his emotionally and physically convincing portrayal in the ill-fated and warmhearted tale of Shorter, a homeless and occasionally violent man suffering from addiction and muscular dystrophy.
The following year, he appeared as gay hoodlum Handsome Bob in the Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla (2008), but this would be his next transformation that would prove his extensive range and stun critics. In the film Bronson (2008), Hardy played the notorious Charles Bronson (given name, Michael Peterson), the "most violent prisoner in Britain". Bald, pumped-up, and outfitted with Bronson's signature strongman mustache, Hardy is unrecognizable and gives a harrowing performance that is physically fearless and psychologically unsettling. Director Nicolas Winding Refn breaks the fourth wall with Hardy retelling his tales directly to viewers as well as performing them outright before an audience of his own imagining. The performance mixes terrifying brutality, vaudevillian showmanship, wry humor, and an alarming amount of commitment, and won Hardy a British Independent Film Award for Best Actor. The performance got Hollywood's attention, and in 2009, Hardy was named one of Variety's "10 Actors to Watch". That year, he continued to garner praise for his starring role in The Take (2009), a four-part adaptation of Martina Cole's bestselling crime novel, as well as for his performance as Heathcliff in a version of Wuthering Heights (2009).
Recent work includes the aforementioned breakthrough appearance in Inception (2010) alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine, Marion Cotillard and Elliot Page. The movie was released in July 2010 and became one of top 25 highest grossing films of all time, collecting eight Oscar nominations (including Best Picture) and winning four.
Other films include Warrior (2011), opposite Joel Edgerton, the story of two estranged brothers facing the fight of a lifetime from director Gavin O'Connor, and This Means War (2012), directed by McG and co-starring Reese Witherspoon and Chris Pine. Tom also starred in the heralded Cold War thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) with Colin Firth and Gary Oldman. Hardy rejoined Christopher Nolan for The Dark Knight Rises (2012); he played the villain role of Bane opposite Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Gary Oldman. Hardy's menacing physique and his character's scrambled, hard-to-distinguish voice became a major discussion point as the film was released.
Outside of performing, Hardy is the patron for the charity "Flack", which is an organization to aid the recovery of the homeless in Cambridge. And in 2010, Hardy was named an Ambassador for The Prince's Trust, which helps disadvantaged youth. On the recent stage, he starred in the Brett C. Leonard play "The Long Red Road" in early 2010. Written for Hardy and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, the play was staged at Chicago's Goodman Theater.
In 2015, Hardy starred as the iconic Mad Max in George Miller's reboot of his franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). He also collected a British Independent Film Award for his portrayal of both the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, in Legend (2015), and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role as John Fitzgerald in The Revenant (2015). Hardy also starred on the BBC series Peaky Blinders (2013), alongside Cillian Murphy, and on the television series Taboo (2017), both created by Steven Knight.
He has an outlaw biker story among other projects in development. In 2010, Hardy became engaged to fellow English actress Charlotte Riley, whom he starred with in The Take (2009) and Wuthering Heights (2009), and is raising a young son, Louis Thomas Hardy, with ex-girlfriend Rachael Speed. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours for his services to drama.- Tamera Kissen is a comedian, actress, influencer, model, and entrepreneur. Widely known for performing comical skits on social media (which gained her 1.7 million followers in just six months), her multi-talented personality has secured her top roles in commercial modeling campaigns (CoverGirl, Adidas, Google, etc.) and appearances in several major networks TV shows. The L.A. native played Simone in Dutch opposite Lance Gross, appeared on MTV's hit show, Wild N' Out, with Nick Cannon, and starred as Kitty on Fox's Rosewood with Morris Chestnut.
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Tommy Lee Jones was born in San Saba, Texas, the son of Lucille Marie (Scott), a police officer and beauty shop owner, and Clyde C. Jones, who worked on oil fields. Tommy himself worked in underwater construction and on an oil rig. He attended St. Mark's School of Texas, a prestigious prep school for boys in Dallas, on a scholarship, and went to Harvard on another scholarship. He roomed with future Vice President Al Gore and played offensive guard in the famous 29-29 Harvard-Yale football game of '68 known as "The Tie." He received a B.A. in English literature and graduated cum laude from Harvard in 1969.
Following college, he moved to New York and began his theatrical career on Broadway in "A Patriot for Me" (1969). In 1970, he made his film debut in Love Story (1970). While living in New York, he continued to appear in various plays, both on- and off-Broadway: "Fortune and Men's Eyes" (1969); "Four on a Garden" (1971); "Blue Boys" (1972); "Ulysses in Nighttown" (1974). During this time, he also appeared on a daytime soap opera, One Life to Live (1968) as Dr. Mark Toland from 1971-75. He moved with wife Kate Lardner, granddaughter of short-story writer/columnist Ring Lardner, and her two children from a previous marriage, to Los Angeles.
There he began to get some roles on television: Charlie's Angels (1976) (pilot episode); Smash-Up on Interstate 5 (1976); and The Amazing Howard Hughes (1977). While working on the movie Back Roads (1981), he met and fell in love with Kimberlea Cloughley, whom he later married. More roles in television--both on network and cable--stage and film garnered him a reputation as a strong, explosive, thoughtful actor who could handle supporting as well as leading roles. He made his directorial debut in The Good Old Boys (1995) on TNT. In addition to directing and starring in the film, he co-wrote the teleplay (with J.T. Allen). The film, based on Elmer Kelton's novel, is set in west Texas where Jones has strong family ties. Consequently, this story of a cowboy facing the end of an era has special meaning for him.- A veteran TV actress, Amy Davidson has seamlessly navigated the worlds of both comedy and drama with her undeniable talent and vivacious personality. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, she studied dance as a child, but soon discovered her true passion was acting. Amy moved to Los Angeles, where she continued to study her craft with a variety of coaches and as a result of her dedication and perseverance, she soon began what would be a long and fruitful relationship with television. After landing the role of "Kerry Hennessy," Davidson spent three seasons on the hit comedy 8 Simple Rules opposite Katey Sagal, Kaley Cuoco and the legendary John Ritter and James Garner. When the show ended its successful run, Amy continued to make audiences laugh opposite Betty White in Annie's Point, and then showcasing her range with dramatic turns starring in Lifetime's Limited Series Capture of the Green River Killer, with various appearances on All Rise, The Rookie, Better Call Saul, Criminal Minds, CSI, CSI:NY, Ghost Whisperer, House, Major Crimes, Vegas, Bones to name a few. Amy enjoyed filming Somebody to Love, the Brittany Murphy biopic, Finding Rose opposite Cybil Shepherd, James Brolin and Pam Greer, Girl on the Edge and Battle Scars, all films based on true stories. Finding her way back to her roots, Amy made audiences laugh with an appearance on the sitcom, Marlon and most recently is recurring on Killing It which premiers April 2022 on Peacock.
Always ready for her next challenge, Davidson continues to stretch her limits in every medium, as she remains one of Hollywood's multidimensional actresses. Amy resides in Los Angeles with her husband Kacy Lockwood, her son Lennox and her furry baby, Sophie. When she isn't in front of the camera, Amy is planting, running, hiking, and doing yoga. Anywhere and Everywhere. - Stunts
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Actor
Jonathan Eusebio is an assistant director and actor, known for Black Panther (2018), 300 (2006) and John Wick (2014).- Actor
- Soundtrack
David Rodman Annable was born on September 15, 1979, in Suffern, New York, to Tammi and Rodman John Annable. He has one sister named Rebecca and a half-sister named Stacy. His mother is Jewish and his father has English, German, Irish and French ancestry. Dave grew up in Walden, a small town in upstate New York.
Growing up, he enjoyed playing baseball, rugby and hockey. Dave even played for the local Plattsburgh team. He is also a big fan of the New York Giants, New York Mets and the New Jersey Devils. While he was still in New York, he attended SUNY Plattsburgh. Dave participated in the student-run Plattsburgh State Television, both acting and behind the camera. Among the shows that he hosted were "Late Night with Dave Annable", "Cardinal Sports", "Stay Tuned", "Cardinal Hockey", "On Campus Live" and "The Roommate Game".
Dave had a semester of college left and often commuted for commercial auditions, which took 8 hours from Plattsburgh by bus. Dave then decided to tell his parents that he considered dropping out of college to become a full-time actor. Although his parents did not approve of his decision at that time because college was very important in their family, they still gave Dave the support he needed.
He eventually attended the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City, generally associated with the Meisner technique of Sanford Meisner. There, he studied acting with Richárd Pintér. The 5'9" star appeared in a number of commercials which included "Reebok", 'Wendy's", "Starbust" and "Pepsi". He was also a featured actor in a "Mountain Dew" commercial with former NASCAR Rookie of the year, Kasey Kahne.
Dave first gained attention from the public when he played the role of "Aaron Lewis" on the short-lived television series, Reunion (2005), which aired on Fox in 2005. "Reunion" was a teen drama/murder mystery series which explored occurrences in the lives of twenty former high school friends from 1986 through 2005, and recounted events leading up to the murder of one of the major characters. Before starring in "Reunion", Dave already had guest roles on Third Watch (1999), Other People's Business (2003) and Spellbound (2002) as well as Little Black Book (2004).
He received his breakout role in 2006, when he was offered a regular starring role on the ABC family drama, Brothers & Sisters (2006). The show was about the trials and travails of the Walker family, with every family secret unveiled. He was among the first actors cast on the show before they began signing bigger names such as Calista Flockhart, Sally Field and Rob Lowe.
Dave played the role of "Justin Walker", a psychologically damaged Afghan war veteran suffering with drug problems. In fact, Dave mentioned in an interview that he had to lose 11 kg. to play the role because they needed someone skinny to portray his character's addiction problem. Dave also won a Prism Award for Best Performance in a Drama Series Multi-Episode Storyline for his role in Brothers & Sisters (2006).
In a recent interview, Dave mentioned that he has actually promised his mother that he would graduate after watching his younger sister graduate from Cornell University. Dave is taking online classes in Communications and will be graduating in May 2009. He also mentioned that he will be giving the commencement speech on his graduation day.
Despite all of his accomplishments in the showbiz industry, Dave is in fact still very humble. He enjoys spending time with his family and making people laugh.- Marisa attended an all-girl private school in East Los Angeles. Her career started when a Polaroid picture of the 13-year-old girl made its way into the hands of a Los Angeles modeling agency. By the age of 15, Marisa began to work as a print model and as a commercial actress. It wasn't long before demand became global, offering her opportunities to work in Singapore, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong and Italy.
Despite her success in modeling, it was acting classes that helped Marisa overcome her life-long shyness. After several guest appearances on Days of our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful, Ramirez finally got her big break in July 2000, when she was cast in the contract role of supermodel Gia Campbell on General Hospital. She left this role in December 2002 to star in the short-lived ABC drama, Miracles. During her time on GH, she was nominated for ALMA and NAACP Awards.
In April 2006, she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Jabot Cosmetics public relations consultant Carmen Mesta for five months. The character of Carmen was killed off. Ramirez briefly returned to the show in early 2007 as Carmen's cousin, Ines Vargas. Shortly after, she moved to Colombia to film the FOX summer series Mental, opposite Chris Vance and Annabella Sciorra.
In 2011, she was a series regular on Lifetime's "Against the Wall," playing Detective Lina Flores. Despite respectable ratings, the series was not renewed for a second season. Immediately prior to landing that role, Ramirez starred as Melitta on "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" which filmed in New Zealand. - Actor
- Director
- Additional Crew
Joshua Aaron Charles is an American actor. He is best known for the roles of Dan Rydell on Sports Night; Will Gardner on The Good Wife, which earned him two Primetime Emmy Award nominations; and his early work as Knox Overstreet in Dead Poets Society. He is the son of Allan Charles, an advertising executive. He is of Jewish heritage on his father's side, and has described himself as Jewish. He began his career performing comedy at the age of nine. As a teenager, he spent several summers at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Center in New York, and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts.- Caterina Murino was born on September 15, 1977, in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. In 1996 she took fourth place in the Miss Italy contest. Then she moved to Milan, where she began working as a model in commercials for MasterCard, Swatch, Mercedes-Benz and Nescafe, among other gigs. From 1999-2000 she studied acting at the Scuola di Cinema e Teatro di Francesca de Sapio in Italy.
In 1999 she made her acting debut in a stage production of "Richard III" and appeared in several Italian-language plays. In 2002 she began her film and television career with bit parts in Italian, German and French productions. Her breakthrough came in 2004, when she co-starred opposite Jean Reno in the French comedy The Corsican File (2004).
She is trilingual, speaking French, English and Italian. She is a versatile actress and a good athlete. Her talents include singing, dancing tango, flamenco and oriental dances, as well as horseback riding. She co-starred as Solange, one of three Bond girls, opposite Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006). - Actress
- Soundtrack
Musician and actress Chelsea Kane grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was a member of the Valley Youth Theater.
She made a couple of movie appearances before landing a starring role as both actress and musical performer in Bratz (2007), the movie inspired by the popular toys. Since then she has made several appearances in successful TV shows, as well as finishing third in the 2011 season of Dancing with the Stars (2005).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Ben Schwartz is known for playing Jean-Ralphio in the American comedy TV series "Parks and Recreation." He plays an annoying yet lovable character who thinks he is a player and a baller and often uses insurance money and his father's money to buy whatever he wants. Jean-Ralphio was created for Schwartz when he met co-creator of the show Michael Schur, and he often improvised his lines.- Actress
- Producer
Lauren Compton is an American actress, Stand-Up Comedian, viral content creator and host of the "First Date with Lauren Compton" podcast at YMH Studios. Lauren is a Cannes Film Festival Winner and known for her leading roles in ClownTown, Hell Girl and Help- a 10 million dollar 360 VR short film directed by Justin Lin. She is also recognized for her roles on Showtime's "I'm Dying up Here" and "Funny or Die."- Director
- Producer
- Writer
Oliver Stone has become known as a master of controversial subjects and a legendary film maker. His films are filled with a variety of film angles and styles, he pushes his actors to give Oscar-worthy performances, and despite his failures, has always returned to success.
William Oliver Stone was born in New York City, to Jacqueline (Goddet) and Louis Stone, a stockbroker. His American father was from a Jewish family (from Germany and Eastern Europe), and his mother, a war bride, was French (and Catholic). After dropping out of Yale University, he became a soldier in the Vietnam War. Serving in two different regiments (including 1rst Cavalry), he was introduced to The Doors, drugs, Jefferson Airplane, and other things that defined the sixties. For his actions in the war, he was awarded a Bronze Star for Gallantry and a Purple Heart. Returning from the war, Stone did not return to graduate from Yale. His first film was a student film entitled Last Year in Viet Nam (1971), followed by the gritty horror film Seizure (1974) for which he also wrote the screenplay. The next seven years saw him direct two films: Mad Man of Martinique (1979) and The Hand (1981), starring Michael Caine. He also wrote many screenplays for films such as Midnight Express (1978), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and Scarface (1983). Stone won his first Oscar for Midnight Express (1978), but his fame was just beginning to show.
1986 was the year that brought him much fame to the U.S.A. and the world. He directed the political film Salvador (1986) starring Oscar-nominated James Woods. However, his big hit was the Vietnam war film Platoon (1986) starring Charlie Sheen,Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and Francesco Quinn. Berenger and Dafoe received Oscar nominations for their roles as the polar opposite sergeants who each influence the tour of duty of Chris Taylor (Sheen). Stone won his first Oscar for directing this film, which won Best Picture and was a hit at the box office. After Platoon (1986), Stone followed up with the critically acclaimed Wall Street (1987). The movie, starring Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, focuses on the business world of tycoons and stock brokers. The film was well received and won an Oscar for Douglas' portrayal of the villainous Gordon Gekko. Stone returned immediately the following year with Talk Radio (1988), which talked of a foul-mouthed radio host (played by Eric Bogosian) who never fails to talk about the serious issues. Although it was not as successful as his last three films, Stone did not slow down at all. He directed Tom Cruise into an Oscar-nominated role in Born on the Fourth of July (1989).
The movie talked about the return of an embittered, crippled Vietnam soldier from the war. Although it failed to win Best Picture or Best Actor, Oliver Stone won an Academy Award for Directing, his third win to date. After Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Stone took a hand in producing several movies, including the Academy Award-winning film Reversal of Fortune (1990). He returned to the director's chair in 1991, once again with two films. Val Kilmer starred as the legendary and controversial Jim Morrison in Stone's psychedelic film The Doors (1991).
Despised by former Doors member Ray Manzarek, the film is nevertheless a wonderful achievement, with Kilmer pulling off an almost flawless impersonation of Morrison. Regardless of opinion, The Doors (1991) was overshadowed by Stone's colossal film JFK (1991), which Stone himself considers the best of his films. In Stone's movie, Jim Garrison tackles the conspiracy behind the murder of America's president John F. Kennedy. The large cast featured such well-known names as Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, John Candy, Joe Pesci, Donald Sutherland, and Walter Matthau. This film represented a change in Stone's works, because it was with this film that he really began to explore the different camera styles and combining them together to create a multi-dimensional way of showing a movie. JFK (1991), as with Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989), earned eight Oscar nominations and was one of Stone's most successful films. However, he failed to win a third Oscar for Best Director.
After this film, Stone directed his third Vietnam film to date. Heaven & Earth (1993) was a film about the war from the viewpoint of a Vietnamese girl, and also co-starred Tommy Lee Jones (who had received an Oscar nomination for JFK (1991)). Despite its new woman's perspective and several positive reviews, it was a box office failure. Stone was unfazed; his next film is perhaps his most notorious film to date. Adapting a screenplay by Quentin Tarantino, Stone made Natural Born Killers (1994) starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore and Rodney Dangerfield in his only dramatic performance. The film was received well at the box office, while review were very mixed. Because of the violence that people claimed was inspired by the film, it was compared to Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange (1971). As usual, Stone was at the center of controversial subjects; his next film Nixon (1995) was no exception. The film focused on the life of President Richard Nixon, played by Anthony Hopkins, while featuring another well-known cast, including Joan Allen in the role of Nixon's wife. Both went on to receive Oscar nominations, while Stone received his sixth Oscar nomination for Screenwriting. The film got mixed reviews, and failed to recoup its budget.
Aside from directing, Stone has worked as a producer on several different films. There was, of course, the successful film Reversal of Fortune (1990), which won Jeremy Irons an Oscar and also nominated the director for an Oscar. There was also the highly praised and successful emotional drama The Joy Luck Club (1993) which centered around four Chinese immigrant women whose relationships with their daughters is affected by their own lives. Another highly praised Oscar nominated film was Milos Forman's classic film The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) starring Woody Harrelson, Edward Norton, and Courtney Love. Whether the crime/action film The Corruptor (1999) or the brilliant war epic Savior (1998), Stone has worked in a variety of film genres.
Stone had directed ten films in nine years; now however, he began to slow down. He directed the film U Turn (1997) starring Sean Penn and Jennifer Lopez. As with Natural Born Killers (1994), it was a dark and twisted satire on violence, but did not have the same success as the former. Stone was set to direct several projects in the late 90's but they fell through and were not made. However, success came back to Stone in the Al Pacino film Any Given Sunday (1999). This sports movie centered on the life behind the game of football, and it starred an impressive cast that included frequent Stone collaborators James Woods and John C. McGinley. This film was one of his most successful box office films, and put him back on track.
The following years brought Stone no new theatrical films, though he did make three fascinating TV documentaries. Two of them, 'Looking for Fidel' and Comandante (2003) were interviews of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, while 'Persona Non Grata' was an interview of several Palestinian leaders. Stone was also set to direct American Psycho (2000) with Leonardo DiCaprio and Beyond Borders (2003), starring Angelina Jolie and at the time, Ralph Fiennes. However, Stone dropped out of both projects, as did a number of the actors mentioned. Finally, five years after Any Given Sunday (1999), Stone directed a film he'd long wanted to make; the colossal epic Alexander (2004). Starring Colin Farrell as the Macedonian leader, Stone attempted to capture the essence of Alexander the Great through his conquests of the known world. The film focused on Alexander's relationships with his parents (a brilliant performance by Val Kilmer and a less impressive one by Angelina Jolie) and his relationships with his wife and childhood friend/ gay lover (played by Rosario Dawson and Jared Leto respectively).
Alexander (2004) was a critical failure, and failed to win back its budget domestically. Despite being one of 2004's highest grossing films internationally, and recouping its budget through DVD sales, Stone's pet project was heavily criticized. Despite a far superior version (Alexander Revisited) being released on DVD, the film's reputation remains low by the majority. Stone was personally stung at these attacks, but managed to rebound, if mildly, with his hopeful film World Trade Center (2006). The film centers on two firefighters trapped in the rubble of the twin towers. It received good reviews, and allowed Oliver to step forward from his failure towards the possibility of more films.
In late 2007, besides a number of projects Stone was set to direct "Pinkville", which would have been his fourth Vietnam film to date. It was set to star a large number of well known actors such as Bruce Willis, Toby Jones, Channing Tatum, Michael Pitt, Woody Harrelson, and Michael Peña. However, a week before shooting was to begin, the Writer's Strike was started, and the finance for the film was cut, using the strike as an excuse. After Willis backed out of the project, it was eventually scuttled, much like Stone's early productions of Platoon (1986) and Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Stone turned to another project he had worked on with former Wall Street (1987) collaborator Stanley Weiser. The project was W. (2008), a biography on president George W. Bush. Stone initially cast Christian Bale in the role of Bush but the actor dropped out at the last minute. Josh Brolin was cast, and this followed with a large cast of well known Oscar nominated character actors such as Richard Dreyfuss, James Cromwell, and Ellen Burstyn. The film was made in a record four months, starting in June and released in October. The film opened to mixed reviews, and though film's budget was recouped, it was not a financial hit.
Stone then made the documentary South of the Border (2009), a documentary which focused on bringing to light the positive aspects of the left-wing governments in South America, particularly Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. Stone was much less critical than usual, instead making the documentary as a response to the harsh reputation that Chavez has in the States. The documentary was poorly received in the States. Stone also began work on Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). Starring Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Carey Mulligan, and Eli Wallach, the film focuses on the 2008 economic crisis, and the return of Gordon Gekko from prison. The film was screened at Cannes to positive reception, and hailed as Stone's triumphant return. After this, Stone made a film adaptation of "Savages", a novel by Don Winslow . The movie follows two highly successful marijuana growers (Taylor Kitsch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson ), whose shared girlfriend (Blake Lively) is kidnapped by a Mexican cartel and held for ransom. The movie also starred Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, John Travolta, and Emile Hirsch. The film was a return to the tense action and violence of Stone's earlier films, though it polarized many audience members due to the colorful narrations of Lively's vapid and naive character, as well as the film's ending.
After completing the ambitious and well-received television project The Untold History of the United States (2012), as well as a documentary on Hugo Chavez, Stone finally returned to feature films with Snowden (2016). Based on the life of American whistle blower Edward Snowden, Stone's film depicted his awakening to the truth behind the massive surveillances conducted by the NSA, and his attempt to warn the general public of what they did not know. The film was done independently, financed by Europeans on a low budget. It was also a return to form for Stone in a way that had not been seen since "Alexander". Joseph Gordon-Levitt, delivered a very strong performance as Snowden, with the supporting cast including Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans, Melissa Leo, Timothy Olyphant, and Nicolas Cage. Sadly, the film received a mixed response from critics, and was a box office disappointment.
Since then, Stone has returned to television for his next two projects. One is a series of interviews with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, and the other is directing a new fictional series based on the abusive Guantanamo prison. It will be his first venture into fictional television.
Oliver Stone is a three-time Oscar winner, and although he has mostly been stung by critics of his films, he remains a well-known name today in the film industry. The films he directed have been nominated for 31 Academy Awards, including eight for acting, six for screen writing, and three for directing. There is no denying that Stone has cemented himself a position among the legends of Hollywood.- Actress
- Writer
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Canadian-born Fay Wray was brought up in Los Angeles and entered films at an early age. She was barely in her teens when she started working as an extra. She began her career as a heroine in westerns at Universal during the silent era. In 1926 the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers selected 13 young starlets it deemed most likely to succeed in pictures. Fay was chosen as one of these starlets, along with Janet Gaynor and Mary Astor. Fame would indeed come to Fay when she played another heroine in Erich von Stroheim's The Wedding March (1928). She continued playing leads in a number of films, such as the good-bad girl in Thunderbolt (1929). By the early 1930s she was at Paramount working with Gary Cooper and Jack Holt in a number of average films, such as Master of Men (1933). She also appeared in such horror films as Doctor X (1932) and The Vampire Bat (1933). In 1933 Fay was approached by producer Merian C. Cooper, who told her that he had a part for her in a picture in which she would be working with a tall, dark leading man. What he didn't tell her was that her "tall, dark leading man" was a giant gorilla, and the picture turned out to be the classic King Kong (1933). Perhaps no one in the history of pictures could scream more dramatically than Fay, and she really put on a show in "Kong". Her character provided a combination of sex appeal, vulnerability and lung capacity as she was stalked by the giant beast all the way to the top of the Empire State Building. That was as far as Fay would rise, however, as this was, after all, just another horror movie. After "Kong", she began a slow decline that put her into low-budget action films by the mid '30s. In 1939 her 11-year marriage to screenwriter John Monk Saunders ended in divorce, and her career was almost finished. In 1942 she remarried and retired from the screen, forever to be remembered as the "beauty who killed the beast" in "King Kong". However, in 1953 she made a comeback, playing mature character roles, and also appeared on television as Catherine, Natalie Wood's mother, in The Pride of the Family (1953). She continued to appear in films until 1958 and television into the 1960s.- Emma Fuhrmann is an up and coming young talent with a deep body of work seldom seen in someone of her age. At just 9 years old she worked opposite Morgan Freeman in the Rob Reiner directed feature, "The Magic of Belle Isle", playing a girl who just wanted to learn more about imagination and where it comes from. She went on to star in a Warner Brothers/Happy Madison feature film, "Blended", with Drew Barrymore & Adam Sandler playing the quirky, deeply emotional middle daughter, Espn. Most recently, Emma can be seen in the epic Marvel Studios Avengers Endgame (2019) blockbuster as Cassie Lang starring alongside Paul Rudd.
Emma's first big break came when award winning director, David Nutter, hired her for the role of "Sissy Peele" in the pilot episode of NBC/Bruckheimer's "Chase." From there, she booked the film "Are We Listening?" in which she was nominated as best actress in a short by the Gideon Film Festival. Soon followed a heavy guest star role in an episode of NBC's "Prime Suspect" as Amanda Patterson, the only witness to her parent's murder. Emma then took that huge leap in her career, booking the lead role in Rob Reiner's film, "The Magic Of Belle Isle" starring alongside Morgan Freeman & Virginia Madsen. She then went on to play a lead role in the Warner Brothers/Happy Madison film "Blended" as Espn, the emotional middle child of Adam Sandler. The movie filmed for 7 weeks in South Africa and released in May of 2014. The indie film "Lost in the Sun" starring Josh Duhamel and Lynn Collins released in the fall of 2015. She has since gone onto star in the record breaking blockbuster film Avengers Endgame (2019) as Cassie Lang alongside Paul Rudd. Emma continues to pursue other film and television projects under the skilled direction of her team at Paradigm and Untitled Entertainment.
Emma has made it her personal endeavor to encourage and support non-profit organizations tied to under-privileged youth, military families, and animals both domestic and international. She has partnered with Gentle Barn, The Humane Society of the United States, the Alzheimer's Association, Swim Today/USA Swimming, Brat Pack 11 and has been a part of several DoSomething.org campaigns. - Actor
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Matt Shively is an American actor. Born and raised in Southern California. He is best known for his roles in Lopez Vs Lopez, The Real O'Neals, Father of the Year, True Jackson VP and Paranormal Activity 4. Matt is represented by Steven Gersh and Daisy Wu of Gersh Agency. As well as Richard Konigsberg of RKM Managment.- Actor
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Danny Nucci was born on 15 September 1968 in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria. He is an actor and director, known for Titanic (1997), Crimson Tide (1995) and Alive (1993). He has been married to Paula Marshall since 12 October 2003. They have one child. He was previously married to Terre Bridgham.- Actor
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John was born as John Bradley West in 1988. Brought up in Wythenshawe, South Manchester, he attended St Paul's High School and Loreto College, Hulme before going on to Manchester Metropolitan University from where he graduated in 2010 with a B.A. degree in acting. It was via his college website that he obtained his first big television role in the epic fantasy series 'Game of Thrones (2011)' though he has since moved nearer home to appear in 'Shameless (2004)'. He is also an accomplished drummer and has experience in stand up comedy.- Actress
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Gia Sandhu is a graduate of the world-renowned National Theatre School of Canada (NTS), where she earned her spot as one of twelve students selected to train in the acting program. Upon graduation she landed her first feature film, which notably premiered at the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and spawned a promising career in film and television. She was later handpicked as one of eight actors invited to study at the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) where she graduated from the Actors' Conservatory.- Actor
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Christian Cooke was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. He is an actor, writer and director.
'EMBERS', Christian's feature debut as writer/director, premiered at Raindance Film Festival where it was nominated for Best UK Feature. The film was produced by Mini Productions and Lorton Entertainment, who also produced Christian's last short film, 'EDITH', starring Peter Mullan and Michelle Fairley. 'EDITH' was long listed for both the BAFTA and BIFA for Best Short Film, as well as winning Best Short Film at both Norwich and Bolton Film Festivals. It has played at over 35 film festivals worldwide and can be seen on Amazon Prime.
As an actor, Christian starred in the limited series REMATCH for Disney + , playing Gary Kasparov, in a story chronicling the 1997 match between Kasparov and Deep Blue, from Oscar-nominee Yan England. REMATCH won the International Competition Grand Prix at Series Mania.
Christian starred in the new AMC series, 'THAT DIRTY BLACK BAG', alongside Dominic Cooper and Travis Fimmel, which is available to stream on Netflix.
Prior to this he starred in the limited series, 'BARKSKINS,' for Nat Geo, alongside David Thewlis, and based on the bestselling novel by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Annie Proulx.
Leading film roles include, 'POINT BLANK', for Netflix, alongside Frank Grillo, Anthony Mackie and Marcia Gay Harden. 'ELECTRICITY', directed by Bryn Higgins, 'LOVE ROSIE', opposite Sam Claflin and Lily Collins, 'HELLO CARTER', 'ROMEO & JULIET', 'UNCONDITIONAL LOVE' and 'CEMETERY JUNCTION', written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
On television, Christian has starred as the lead role in two BAFTA nominated miniseries: BBC's 'STONEMOUTH', opposite Peter Mullan, based on the acclaimed novel by Iain Banks, and Channel 4's critically acclaimed 'THE PROMISE', opposite Claire Foy. Other leading roles in television include the BBC/AMAZON miniseries, 'ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE', with Bill Nighy, the Sony Crackle series, 'THE ART OF MORE', alongside Dennis Quaid and Kate Bosworth, and the Starz series, 'MAGIC CITY', with Jeffery Dean Morgan.- Actress
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Though she was known best for drawing laughs as whiny, excitable characters throughout her raucous film and TV career, actress/comedienne Wendie Jo Sperber showed a brave, compassionate and humane side in the last years of her life.
The California girl was born on September 15, 1958, in Los Angeles and developed a driving passion for acting in her teen years. She went on to attend the Summer Drama Workshop at California State University, Northridge. Producer Allan Carr discovered this comic bundle when she invited him to see her in an L.A. stage review. He gave her an unbilled part in the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John smash musical Grease (1978) and she was off and running.
Other films quickly fell into place, notably I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) as a no-holds-barred Beatles fanatic, and the role of Linda McFly in Back to the Future (1985) and one of its sequels. Other films included Corvette Summer (1978), Steven Spielberg's 1941 (1979) and Bachelor Party (1984) starring Tom Hanks. Some of her tongue-in-cheek film roles were beneath her, particularly when they used her excess poundage as the butt of a cruel joke, but the actress proved quite game in such lowbrow, youth-oriented comedies as Moving Violations (1985) and Stewardess School (1986).
It was with a then fairly unknown Hanks and Peter Scolari that she earned her biggest laughs with the two-year run of Bosom Buddies (1980), which launched a number of inferior drag film/sitcoms. She also had series co-leads in Private Benjamin (1981), Women in Prison (1987), the plus-sized Babes (1990) and Hearts Afire (1992). In between were roles on the L.A. stage, including "Pizza Man," "Isn't It Romantic," "Reality and Other Nightmares" and Shakespeare's "As You Like It" starring Ron Silver.
At age 39, Wendie was diagnosed with breast cancer. While her career momentum was certainly compromised, the comedienne continued to pursue roles. She even appeared on a poignant breast cancer episode of Murphy Brown (1988). Her cancer went into remission at one point but returned with a vengeance in 2002 and spread throughout her body.
Instead of retreating, Wendie instead reached out and founded weSPARK Cancer Support Center in Sherman Oaks, California, in which free services, including support groups, information on the latest research and classes, provided invaluable aid to cancer patients, their families and friends. Her selfless determination throughout her illness to help others did not go unnoticed, earning several honors.
Eight years later, on November 29, 2005, Wendie lost her battle. She was survived by her parents and two children from a former marriage. Per her request, close friend, former actress Nancy Allen succeeded her as executive director of weSPARK, which continues to serve cancer patients and their families into the 2020's.- Jake Cherry was born on 15 September 1996 in New Jersey, USA. He is an actor, known for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Night at the Museum (2006) and Friends with Money (2006).
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Elisabeth Dermot Walsh was born on 15 September 1974 in Merton, Surrey, England, UK. She is an actress and director, known for Doctors (2000), Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky (2005) and Cleopatra (1999).- Actor
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Jackie Cooper was born John Cooper in Los Angeles, California, to Mabel Leonard, an Italian-American stage pianist, and John Cooper. Through his mother, he was the nephew of actress Julie Leonard, screenwriter Jack Leonard, and (by marriage) director Norman Taurog. Jackie served with the Navy in the South Pacific toward the end of World War II. Then, quietly and without publicity or fanfare, compiled one of the most distinguished peacetime military careers of anyone in his profession. In 1961, as his weekly TV series Hennesey (1959) was enhancing naval recruiting efforts, accepted a commission as a line officer in the Naval Reserve with duties in recruitment, training films, and public relations. Holder of a multi-engine pilot license, he later co-piloted jet planes for the Navy, which made him an Honorary Aviator authorized to wear wings of gold-at the time only the third so honored in naval aviation history. By 1976 he had attained the rank of captain, and was in uniform aboard the carrier USS Constellation for the Bicentennial celebration on July 4. In 1980 the Navy proposed a period of active duty at the Pentagon that would have resulted in a promotion to rear admiral, bringing him even with Air Force Reserve Brigadier General James Stewart. Fresh on the heels of a second directing Emmy, he felt his absence would impact achieving a long-held goal of directing motion pictures, and reluctantly declined. (The opportunity in films never materialized.) Holds Letters of Commendation from six secretaries of the Navy. Was honorary chairman of the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation and a charter member of VIVA, the effort to return POW-MIAs from Vietnam. Upon retirement in 1982, he was decorated with the Legion of Merit by Navy Secretary John F. Lehman Jr.. Other than Stewart, no performer in his industry has achieved a higher uniformed rank in the U.S. military. (Glenn Ford was also a Naval Reserve captain, and director and Captain John Ford was awarded honorary flag rank upon his 1951 retirement from the Naval Reserve).- Blu del Barrio is a non-binary actor who uses they/them pronouns. Del Barrio was in their final year of studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art when they auditioned for the role of Adira on Star Trek: Discovery (2017). Del Barrio has been acting in theater since the age of seven, and they're incredibly excited to make their television acting debut in season three of Star Trek: Discovery (2017)