Varsity Blues 1999 premiere
Thursday January 7th, Paramount Theatre 5555 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
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Jon Voight is an American actor of German and Slovak descent. He has won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his role as paraplegic Vietnam War veteran Luke Martin in the war film "Coming Home" (1978). He has also been nominated for the same award other two times. He was first nominated for his role as aspiring gigolo Joe Buck in "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), He was last nominated for the award for his role as escaped convict Oscar "Manny" Manheim in "Runaway Train" (1985). He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, for his role as sports journalist Howard Cosell (1918-1995) in "Ali" (2001).
In 1938, Voight was born in Yonkers, New York. His parents were professional golfer Elmer Samuel Voight (original name Elemír Vojtka) and his wife Barbara Agnes (Kamp). His paternal grandfather was a Slovak immigrant, as were the parents of his paternal grandmother. His maternal grandfather was a German immigrant, as were the parents of his maternal grandmother. His maternal great-uncle was political activist Joseph P. Kamp (1900-1993), a leader of the anti-communist organization "Constitutional Educational League".
Voight has two siblings: volcanologist Barry Voight (1937-) and singer-songwriter James Wesley Voight (pseudonym Chip Taylor, 1940-). Barry is most famous for first predicting and then investigating the eruption of Mount St. Helens (1980). James is most famous for writing the hit songs "Wild Thing" (1965) and "Angel of the Morning" (1967).
Voight was educated at Archbishop Stepinac High School, an all-boys Roman Catholic high school located at White Plains, New York. At the time, the school was operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. He took an interest in acting in his high school years, performing a comedic role in the school's annual musical, "The Song of Norway". He graduated in 1956, at the age of 18.
Voight continued his education at The Catholic University of America, located in Washington, D.C.. He majored in art, and graduated in 1960. He was 22-years-old at the time of graduation. He then moved to New York City, having decided to pursue an acting career.
In the early 1960s, Voight primarily worked as a television actor. He guest starred in episodes of then-popular television series, such as "Naked City", "The Defenders", "NET Playhouse", "12 O'Clock High", and "Gunsmoke". His first notable theatrical role was playing the illegal immigrant Rodolfo in a 1965 Off-Broadway production of the play "A View from the Bridge" (1955) by Arthur Miller (1915-2005). In the play, Rodolfo is the love interest of the American girl Catherine, and disliked by her uncle and guardian Eddie Carbone (who is in love with his niece).
Voight made his film debut in the superhero comedy "Fearless Frank" (1967), playing the role of the eponymous superhero. Frank was depicted as a murder victim who gets resurrected and granted superpowers by a scientist. Voiight's second film role was playing historical gunman and outlaw Curly Bill Brocius (1845-1882) in the Western film "Hour of the Gun" (1967). The historical Brocius was an an enemy of the Esrp family, and was killed by Wyatt Earp (1848-1929).
Voigh't third film appearance was "Midnight Cowboy" (1969), his first great success. He played the role of a naive hustler from Texas who tries to become a gigolo in New York City. The film was critically acclaimed, and became the only X-rated feature to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Voight was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but the award was instead won by rival actor John Wayne (1907-1979).
Voight's first role in the 1970s was playing lieutenant Milo Minderbinder in the black comedy "Catch-22" (1970). The film was based on a 1961 satirical novel by Joseph Heller (1923-1999), and offered a satirical view on war and bureaucracy. Voight's next role was playing the left-wing student A in the political drama "The Revolutionary" (1970).
Voight found further critical acclaim with the thriller film "Deliverance" (1972), playing Atlanta businessman Ed Gentry. In the film, Gentry and his first are targeted by villainous mountain men in the northern Georgia wilderness. The film earned about 46 million dollars at the domestic box office, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
His subsequent roles included idealistic schoolteacher Pat Conroy in "Conrack" (1974), journalist Peter Miller in "The Odessa File" (1974). His next great success was playing paraplegic war veteran Luke Martin in "Coming Home" (1978), in a role inspired by the life of war veteran and anti-war activist Ron Kovic (1976-). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for this film. His co-star Jane Fonda (1937-) won her second Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in this film.
Voight's early 1980s roles included conman Alex Kovac in "Lookin' to Get Out" (1982) and widowed father J. P. Tannen in "Table for Five" (1983). His next big success was the role of escaped convict Oscar "Manny" Manheim in "Runaway Train" (1985). He was again nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but the Award was instead won by rival actor William Hurt (1950-).
Voight's next role was that of Jack Chismore in the drama film "Desert Bloom" (1986). Chismore is depicted as a war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who is trying to raise three stepdaughters. He frequently abuses his stepdaughter Rose Chismore (played by Annabeth Gish), but is genuinely concerned for her safety when Rose runs away from home. This film was Voigh's last film role for several years, as he took a hiatus from acting.
Voight returned to acting with the drama film "Eternity" (1990), where he was also the screenwriter. The film deals with reincarnation, as a medieval war within brothers continues in modern American politics. Following his return to acting, Voight started appearing frequently in television films and miniseries. He also guest-starred in a 1994 episode of "Seinfeld", playing himself.
Voight returned to film acting with the crime drama "Heat" (1995), where he had a minor role as a fence. He had a more substantial role in the spy film "Mission: Impossible" (1996), where he played spymaster James Phelps. The film was an adaptation of the popular television series "Mission: Impossible" (1966-1973), about the adventures of a group of secret agents. The role of James Phelps was previously played by actor Peter Graves (1926-2010). The film was a great commercial success, earning about 458 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
Voight appeared in six different films in 1997, one of the busiest years of his career. The most notable among them was the horror film "Anaconda" (1997), where he played obsessive hunter Paul Serone, the film's main antagonist. The film won about 137 million dollars at the box office, despite a mostly negative critical reception. For this role, Voight was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor. He lost the award to rival actor Kevin Costner (1955-).
His next notable role was that Thomas Brian Reynolds, agent of the National Security Agency (NSA) in the action thriller "Enemy of the State" (1998). In the film, the NSA conspires to expand the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies over individuals and groups, at the cost of American citizens' right to privacy. The film was another box office success in Voight's career, earning about 251 million dollars at the box office.
In the same year, Voight played inspector Ned Kenny in the crime film "The General" (1998). The film was loosely based on the career of Irish crime boss Martin Cahill (1949-1994), who was nicknamed "the General". The film was critically acclaimed and director John Boorman won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director.
Voight's next notable role was that of domineering coach Bud Kilmer in the sports film "Varsity Blues" (1999). The film dealt with the difficulties in the life of the players of a Texas-based high school football team, and was not expected to attract much attention by audiences. It earned about 54 million dollars at the box office, making it a modest box office hit. It is credited with introducing Voight to a next generation of fans.
Voight's final film in the 1990s was "A Dog of Flanders" (1999), based on a 1872 novel by Ouida (1839-1908). He played the role of artist Michel La Grande, the mentor of Nello (played by Jeremy James Kissner), who is eventually revealed to be Nello's biological father. The film failed at the box office, failing to earn as much as its modest budget.
Voight appeared in no film released in 2000, but had a busy year in 2001. He appeared in several box office hits of the year. He played President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945, term 1933-1945) in the war drama "Pearl Harbor", Lara Croft's father Lord Richard Croft in the action film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", coal-miner and working class father Larry Zoolander in action comedy "Zoolander", and sports journalist Howard Cosell in the biographical film "Ali". For his role in "Ali", Voight was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The award was instead won by rival actor Jim Broadbent (1949-). It was Voight's fourth and (so far) last nomination for an Academy Award.
Voight had a notable role playing Pope John Paul II (1920-2005, term 1978-2005) in the miniseries "Pope John Paul II" (2005). He was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, but the award was instead won by rival actor Andre Braugher (1962-).
Voight had a supporting role as John Keller, United States Secretary of Defense in the science fiction film "Transformers" (2007). The film was based on the Transformers toy line by Hasbro.It earned about 710 million dollars at the box office, one of the most commercially successful films in Voight's career.
In 2009, Voight had a notable television role, playing Jonas Hodges, the CEO of a Virginia-based private military company in the then-popular television series "24" (2001-2010, 2014). He was a main antagonist in the seventh season of the series. His role was inspired by the careers of Hessian colonel Johann Rall (c. 1726-1776), German industrialist Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach (1907-1967), and private military company CEO Erik Prince (1969-).
His 2010s notable film roles include the role of Dracula's enemy Loonardo Van Helsing in the horror film "Dracula: The Dark Prince" (2013), football coach Paul William "Bear" Bryant (1913-1983) in the sports drama "Woodlawn" (2015), and newspaper owner Henry Shaw Sr. in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" (2016). "Fantastic Beasts" earned about 814 million dollars at the worldwide box office, being one of the most commercially successful films that Voight ever appeared in.
In 2020, was 82-years-old, and he is still working as an actor.- Actor
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Shawn Wayne Hatosy is an American film and television actor and director. He is best known for his roles in the films In & Out, The Faculty, Outside Providence, Anywhere but Here, The Cooler, and Alpha Dog. He is also well known for his role as Detective Sammy Bryant on the TNT crime drama series Southland and is starring as Andrew "Pope" Cody in the TNT crime drama series, Animal Kingdom, based on the 2010 Australian film of the same title.- Composer
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Simon Says is known for Melanie Martinez: Leeches (2025), Martin Garrix & Bebe Rexha: In the Name of Love (2016) and Avenir (2023).- Actor
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Ron Lester gained celebrity status at an early stage in his career, but his draw in Hollywood seemed to be based on one physical characteristic: his weight. Obese since 5 years old, by the time he was 30 years old, Ron weighed 508 pounds. Hollywood hired him as the lovable fat kid but his health was in serious danger. With the support of his friends, family, and co-workers, Ron decided to go through an experimental (at the time) type of gastric bypass surgery that almost took his life. When he recovered from flat-lining on the operating table Ron began to lose the weight - and his celebrity identity. 348 pounds were lost in under two years and he's had 14 plastic surgeries to tighten and remove excess skin. Now Ron has a hard time getting the roles he once won. Admits food was his 'drug of choice' to cover up pain from often being the new kid in school (he changed schools often due to discipline problems), and the death of 22 close friends and family members throughout his life.
Ron died in 2016 in Dallas, Texas, of liver and kidney failure.- Writer
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The New York Times declared New York University professor Andrew Levitas "has the Midas touch" when describing his continued work across multiple creative platforms. Levitas' Metalwork Installations® are widely regarded as a breakthrough in connecting photography, sculpture, and contemporary art. Levitas' "Organic Abstractions" (paintings built from homemade pigments and organic materials - in some cases entire trees) have also received critical acclaim. In 2008, Levitas was honored as one of only a handful of American artists ever accepted to show with the prestigious Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. Recent exhibition highlights include: METALWORK PHOTOGRAPHY®: A SURVEY/ WORKS BY ANDREW LEVITAS which was the first ever single artist exhibition in PHILLIP'S Berkeley Square and Metalwork Photography®: Sculptures at Phillips de Pury & Co. in Manhattan. Recent acquisitions include The National Museum Wales as well as 10 Downing Street.
Levitas' feature film directorial debut Lullaby, from his own screenplay, stars Amy Adams, Richard Jenkins, Terrence Howard, Jennifer Hudson, and Garrett Hedlund. The film, an exploration of patients' rights, was described by Pete Hammond (Deadline) as a "strong human drama" with "Jenkins a true actor's actor, delivering a very Oscar-worthy supporting turn."
Levitas' latest directing project Minamata stars Johnny Depp, Bill Nighy, and Hiroyuki Sanada. The film follows photojournalist W. Eugene Smith (Depp) who takes on a secret commission by Life magazine and travels to the Japanese coastal town of Minamata to expose corporate negligence and government cover-ups by documenting one of the world's most horrifying environmental disasters.
Levitas has also produced The White Crow (Ralph Fiennes, Adele Exarchopoulos), My Zoe (Julie Delpy, Daniel Brühl, Gemma Arterton), Georgetown (Vanessa Redgrave, Annette Bening), Farming (Kate Beckinsale, Gugu Mbatha-Raw), The Gateway (Bruce Dern, Olivia Munn, Frank Grillo), and The Quarry (Michael Shannon) among others.
Levitas maintains studios in New York and London. He is Global Patron of The Wilderness Foundation.- Actor
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Charles Stan Frazier was born on 23 April 1968. He is an actor, known for Scooby-Doo (2002), Wild Things (1998) and The Sweetest Thing (2002). He has been married to Jennifer Casinelli since 2 April 2003.- Actor
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Mark McGrath was born on 15 March 1968 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Scooby-Doo (2002), Wild Things (1998) and The Sweetest Thing (2002). He has been married to Carin Kingsland McGrath since 24 September 2012. They have two children.- Actor
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Danny Masterson was born on 13 March 1976 in Nassau County, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for That '70s Show (1998), Dracula 2000 (2000) and Face/Off (1997). He has been married to Bijou Phillips since 18 October 2011. They have one child.- Actor
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Paul William Walker IV was born in Glendale, California. He grew up together with his brothers, Caleb and Cody, and sisters, Ashlie and Amie. Their parents, Paul William Walker III, a sewer contractor, and Cheryl (Crabtree) Walker, a model, separated around September 2004. His grandfather, William Walker, was a Pearl Harbor survivor and a Navy middleweight boxing champion, while his maternal grandfather commanded a tank battalion in Italy under General Patton during World War II. Paul grew up active in sports like soccer and surfing. He had English and German ancestry.
Paul was cast for the first season of the family sitcom, Throb (1986) and began modeling until he received a script for the 1994 movie, Tammy and the T-Rex (1994). He attended high school at Village Christian High School in Sun Valley, California, graduating in 1991. With encouragement from friends and an old casting agent who remembered him as a child, he decided to try his luck again with acting shortly after returning from College.
He starred in Meet the Deedles (1998), a campy, silly but surprisingly fun film which failed to garner much attention. However, lack of attention would not be a problem for Paul Walker for long. With Pleasantville (1998), he appeared in his first hit. As the town stud (a la 1950s) who more than meets his match in modern day Reese Witherspoon, he was one of the most memorable characters of the film. That same year, Paul and his then-girlfriend Rebecca had a baby girl named Meadow Walker (Meadow Rain Walker). Even though Paul publicly admitted that Meadow was not planned, he said that she is his number one priority. Paul and Rebecca separated and Meadow lives with her mother in Hawaii. She often visited with Paul as his homes in Santa Barbara and Huntington Beach, California.
Roles in the teen hits Varsity Blues (1999), She's All That (1999) and The Skulls (2000) cemented Walker's continued rise to celebrity. He was chosen to be one of the young stars featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's annual Hollywood issue in April 2000. While the other stars on the cover, brooded and tried their best to look sexy and serious, Paul smiled brightly and showed why he is not part of the norm. This is one young actor who certainly stood apart from the rest of the crowd, not only with his talent but with his attitude. The Dallas Morning News commented in March of 2000 that, "Paul is one of the rarest birds in Hollywood- a pretension free movie star." The latest blockbuster hit, The Fast and the Furious (2001), had raised his stardom to an even higher level.
His fighting scenes in movies lead to a passion for martial arts. He has studied various forms of Jujitsu, Taekwondo, Jeet Kune Do and Eskrima. Paul mentioned in a magazine interview that he had hoped enroll in the Keysi Fighting Method when it comes to the United States. Other than practicing martial arts, Paul enjoyed relaxing at home with his daughter, Meadow Rain, surfing near his Huntington Beach abode, walking his dogs and just driving.
When Paul seriously did get a break from the entertainment business, he said he loved traveling. Paul had traveled to India, Fiji, Costa Rica, Sarawak, Brunei, Borneo and other parts of the Asian continent. Tragically, Paul Walker died in a car crash on Saturday November 30, 2013, after attending a charity event for "Reach Out Worldwide".
Several of Paul's films were released after his death, include Hours (2013), Brick Mansions (2014), and his final starring role in The Fast and the Furious series, Furious 7 (2015), part of which was completed after his death. The film's closing scenes paid tribute to Walker, whose character met with a happy ending, and rode off into the sunset. He appeared archival footage in Fast X (2023).- Actor
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James David Van Der Beek was born on March 8, 1977 in Cheshire, Connecticut, as the oldest of three children of Melinda (Weber), a gymnastics studio owner and Broadway dancer, and Jim Van Der Beek, a cell phone company executive. He has a brother named Jared who was born in 1979, and a sister named Juliana who was born in 1981. James started acting at 13 after suffering a concussion playing football that prevented him from playing for a year on doctor's orders. He landed the role of Danny Zuko in his school production of "Grease." After that, the acting bug sank in and the next three years he spent time doing local theater. Around 16, he and his mother went to New York City to find an agent and possible auditions. A year later, he was cast in an off-Broadway play called "Finding the Sun." After doing another play called "Shenandoah" in 1994, James received an academic scholarship to Drew University in NJ, where he was working towards obtaining a major in English with a minor in sociology and also at that time he won the role of Rick Sanford in the movie Angus (1995). In 1996, he won a very small supporting role in I Love You, I Love You Not (1996) which starred Claire Danes. After that film his acting career was at a dead end and he decided to continue with his schooling and eventually made the Dean's list. The college experience soon became old for James, so he took some time off to travel and when he returned he auditioned for a role in Dawson's Creek (1998). He won the lead in the show, and his life changed forever. Though James has taken a hiatus from his college studies to shoot the series, he still plans to finish his degree. He has starred in several hit films over the past couple of years, like Varsity Blues (1999) andTexas Rangers (2001).- Actor
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Scott Caan is the son of tough guy actor James Caan. While it is obvious that he admires tough method actors like Marlon Brando and Sean Penn, Scott also has a strong egalitarian streak, evidenced by his reasoning for baring his body in films. He is quoted as saying that originally only the women in the scene were to be nude, but that he felt it really sexist, so he stripped too.
Scott was born on August 23, 1976 in Los Angeles, California. He spent his childhood being shuttled between his parents' homes. His mom is actress and model Sheila Ryan; the Caans divorced when Scott was a year old. He has an older half-sister, Tara, and three younger half-brothers: Alexander, Jacob, and James. His paternal grandparents were German Jewish immigrants.
Self-described as a bad kid who was always getting into trouble, Scott initially steered clear of acting, opting to play sports instead. Scott benefited from his father's hands-on approach to child rearing; the elder Caan reportedly took a five-year hiatus to coach all of his son's little league teams. He also pursued his love of hip-hop by forming a group with his friend The Alchemist; as The Whooliganz, the duo made inroads on the music scene and signed an ll-fated contract with Tommy Boy Records.
It did not take long for Scott to appear in front of the camera; in 1995, he took roles in a couple independent films, Star Struck (1996) and A Boy Called Hate (1995). Critical of his performances, Scott enrolled at Playhouse West in Los Angeles to study acting. Roles in more indies followed, including Bongwater (1998) and Gregg Araki's Nowhere (1997).
His first major film was also a hit; he had a supporting role in Enemy of the State (1998) for director Tony Scott. He then appeared (in the buff) in Varsity Blues (1999) as a wisecracking receiver. By now, Scott had built a reliable reputation for playing strong-minded characters with a sense of humor, exemplified by his work in movies such a Boiler Room (2000), Ready to Rumble (2000), and his second hit picture, Gone in 60 Seconds (2000).
Scott's star rose with a fun supporting turn in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven (2001) remake. At this time he had more indie turns in the films American Outlaws (2001), Novocaine (2001), and Sonny (2002) - Nicolas Cage's directorial debut starring James Franco. Scott followed up with his own directorial outing, Dallas 362 (2003). Scott reprised his role as Turk Malloy in Ocean's Twelve (2004), then took a supporting roles in two very different pictures: the sexy, ocean-bound thriller Into the Blue (2005) and in Nicole Holofcener's indie comedy, Friends with Money (2006). 2006 marked Caan's return to the director¹s chair, with The Dog Problem (2006), and soon was back for Ocean's Thirteen (2007).
Over the past few years, Scott made memorable appearances as a recurring character on Entourage (2004). He has a starring role in the remake of the TV series Hawaii Five-0 (2010).
Scott has also established himself as a photographer, having been mentored in the medium by cinematographer Phil Parmet. In 2009, he published his book, Scott Caan Photographs, Vol. 1.- Actor
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Christopher Ashton Kutcher was born on February 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Diane (Finnegan), who was employed at Procter & Gamble, and Larry Kutcher, a factory worker. He has a fraternal twin brother, Michael, and a sister, Tausha. He is of Czech (father) and Irish, German, and Czech (mother) descent. He grew up in rural Homestead, Iowa, graduating from Clear Creek-Amana High School in Tiffin, Iowa. In 1997, Kutcher was a biochemical engineering student at the University of Iowa and was discovered by a local talent scout. In 2010, Kutcher was named one of Time Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People. He created the Demi and Ashton Foundation, to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide. Kutcher is mostly known for playing Michael Kelso in That '70s Show (1998) and is co-founder of Katalyst, a studio for social media.- Actress
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Born in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Ali began modeling at age 13, and traveled the world before moving to Los Angeles to study acting. Her first professional acting job was a role on the television series Chicago Sons (1997). She received her breakthrough in the high school football drama Varsity Blues (1999) which included her infamous whipped cream bikini scene. Roles in the horror films House on Haunted Hill (1999) and Final Destination (2000) further transitioned her career as an actress.
Acting alongside Colin Farrell, Larter starred in the Western comedy, American Outlaws (2001) which performed poorly at the box office. That year, she also starred as Brooke Taylor Windham in the comedy Legally Blonde (2001) with Reese Witherspoon.
Not happy with how things were going, Larter moved to New York in 2002 to reassess her life and career. She reprized her role as Clear Rivers in the sequel Final Destination 2 (2003), for which she received star billing. A year later, she made a cameo appearance as herself on the pilot to the HBO comedy drama Entourage (2004) and starred in Three Way (2004) as Isobel Delano. She had a role in A Lot Like Love (2005) as Gina.
Larter moved back to Los Angeles in 2006 where she auditioned for a role in the NBC sci-fi drama Heroes (2006). The pilot premiered on 25 September 2006 to successful ratings and many critics declaring it "the new Lost (2004)". The series ran for a total of 77 episodes over four seasons when it was canceled due to diminishing ratings and high production costs. There has been interest in a mini-series or a movie to wrap up story lines.
During her time on Heroes (2006), Larter made several appearances on film. The first was the Bollywood film Marigold (2007), where she received a seven-figure salary. The movie was met with primarily negative reviews. She also starred in Resident Evil: Extinction (2007), part 3 of the popular film franchise based on the Capcom video games. She played Claire Redfield, based on the video game character of the same name. The movie was a box office success, tripling its production budget albeit being a critical flop. Larter also appeared in the caveman comedy Homo Erectus (2007) which was released direct-to-DVD. The film co-starred Hayes MacArthur, an actor whom she was engaged to marry in December 2007.
In 2009, Larter starred opposite Beyoncé and Idris Elba in the thriller Obsessed (2009). The film opened at number one at the box office but was met with negative reviews, with some critics comparing it to Fatal Attraction (1987). It was also this year that Larter and MacArthur married in a small ceremony in Maine; among the guests was Larter's close friend, Amy Smart. The couple has two children.
She reprized her role as Claire Redfield in Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2016), directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.- Actress
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Amy Smart was born in Topanga Canyon, California to Judy, who worked at a museum, and John Boden Smart, a salesman. She has German, English, and Irish ancestry.
Smart was a relatively new arrival when she first gained notice for her supporting roles in the 1999 hit teen films Varsity Blues (1999) and Outside Providence (1999). The Los Angeles native got her start in TV-movies and made her feature debut in Stephen Kay's The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997), which was screened at 1997's Sundance Film Festival alongside Keanu Reeves. She was briefly seen in Paul Verhoeven's big-budget sci-fi actioner Starship Troopers (1997) with actor Casper Van Dien and had an impressive turn in the vastly different, quirkily independent How to Make the Cruelest Month (1998), in which she played Dot, the graceful golden girl who seduces the one-time boyfriend of her sister, troubled protagonist Bell (Clea DuVall). The by-the-numbers horror film Campfire Tales (1997) followed in 1997, along with the topically chilling but clumsily executed Internet stalker thriller Dee Snider's Strangeland (1998), written and produced by and starring the titular Twisted Sister frontman as a deranged torturer who meets his victims in web chatrooms. Amy reached her widest audience with a co-starring role opposite James Van Der Beek in Brian Robbins' surprise box office hit "Varsity Blues (1999)". She played Jules Harbor, a girl who longs for life beyond her small town's high-school-football-obsessed culture but is tied to it as sister of the injured star quarterback (Paul Walker) and girlfriend of his idealistic replacement (Van Der Beek). Her next role was that of Shawn Hatosy's upper-class love interest in Michael Corrente's poignant 1970s-era comedy "Outside Providence (1999)". Based on Peter Farrelly's novel, the film followed a working-class teen (Hatosy) sent by his abrasive but loving father (Alec Baldwin) to a tony prep school after running into trouble at home.- Actress
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Melissa grew up in Sayville, New York. Her acting career started at the age of four, when she did a commercial for a bathtub toy called Splashy. Her mother, Paula Hart, has been her agent from the beginning. Melissa is the oldest of eight children, some from her mother's second marriage. Six sisters, Trisha Hart, Elizabeth Hart, Emily Hart, Alexandra Hart-Gilliams, Samantha Hart, and Mackenzie Lee Hart, who is the only sibling who never appeared on Melissa's TV series, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996). Her brother is Brian Hart.
Melissa performed in two plays as the youngest member of New York's Circle Repertory Lab Company: "Beside Herself" in 1989 (starring Lois Smith and William Hurt) and "Imagining Brad" in 1990. She was also in the National Actors Theater production of "The Crucible" on Broadway with Martin Sheen (as understudy of three of the children in the play). Melissa cites Shirley Temple and Audrey Hepburn as early acting inspirations and still collects memorabilia of the former. For the past few years, she has been juggling acting and attending New York University. She's now living in Connecticut.- Actress
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Since she was a child performer on numerous hit series including The Wonder Years and Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Lindsay Sloane has made a career of hilarious comedic turns. Her last series regular role was on the CBS sitcom reboot of The Odd Couple, opposite Matthew Perry. She has also recently recurred on the A24 series, I'm Sorry, and USA's Playing House.
Sloane can next be seen opposite Shailene Woodley, Sebastian Stan and Jamie Dornan in Drake Doremus' feature, Endings, Beginnings. Past feature credits include the hit Warner Bros. comedies, Horrible Bosses and Horrible Bosses 2. She also co-starred in multiple studio comedies, including The Other Guys, Bring It On, She's Out Of My League and The In-Laws.- Actor
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Matthew Lillard was born in Lansing, Michigan to Paula and Jeffrey Lillard. He lived with his family in Tustin, California, from first grade through high-school graduation. The summer after high school, he was hired as an extra for Ghoulies Go to College (1990). Matthew was the MC of the Nickelodeon program SK8 TV (1990) in 1989. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, California. With a friend he started the Mean Street Ensemble theater company, which functioned until 1991, when he moved to New York City to attend the theater school Circle in the Square. Manager Bill Treusch got him auditions for Serial Mom (1994) and he was cast as Chip. He also began another theater company, The Summoners.- Ariana Richards is an American film and television actress, artist, and producer. Her official website is GalleryAriana.
Born on September 11, 1979 in Healdsburg, California, U.S. as Ariana Clarice Richards, she is the older sister of actress Bethany Richards.
Whether she's working on a busy, noisy sound-stage, or quietly painting in her studio, one thing is certain; Ariana Richards is one of the most accomplished young artists of her generation.
As an actress, Ariana has worked in the industry since her television commercial debut (as a ballerina) at the age of seven. In 1991, she won the Young Actors Award as "Best Young Actress Starring in a TV movie", for her memorable role in the season's biggest ratings hit, Switched at Birth (1991). She won the same award in 1992 for her role in the CBS, Locked Up: A Mother's Rage (1991).
Feature film projects include Angus (1995) with George C. Scott (1927-1999) and Kathy Bates, Grand Tour: Disaster in Time (1991) with Jeff Daniels, Tremors (1990) with Kevin Bacon, and Spaced Invaders (1990). Notable TV appearances have included guest starring roles on Empty Nest (1988), My Sister Sam (1986) and The Golden Girls (1985) and starring roles in the tele-films Broken Silence: A Moment of Truth Movie (1998) and The Princess Stallion (1997)
It was her role as Lex Murphy in the Steven Spielberg 1993 blockbuster film Jurassic Park (1993) that catapulted Ariana into international celebrity. "Are you doing anything this summer?" Spielberg had asked her...
Little did she know that while on location in Hawaii, her two worlds of acting and painting would merge. During breaks from shooting, Ariana painted in watercolor a self portrait of herself, and co-star Joseph Mazzello, alongside a Brachiosaurus. She presented the work to Spielberg who had the work framed and placed in his home. And shortly after the filming of Jurassic Park (1993), she rendered a famous watercolor of the chilling "kitchen scene" where her character sees the silhouette of a live raptor very near while the spoon of Jello quivers in her hand.
Since filming Jurassic Park (1993), Ariana completed a BS Degree from Skidmore College, New York, where she graduated with honors in Drama and Art. She has since become one of the most celebrated young portrait artists of our time. Art has long been a tradition in her family. Her own genealogy can be traced back to the early Italian Renaissance with Carlo Crivelli, a contemporary of Botticelli. Ariana's ongoing work shows the classical influence of the Old Masters, along with the dynamics of Impressionist artists.
She divides her time between her art studio locations in the United States, South America, and Western Europe, where she travels with her family. - Actor
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Wilmer Valderrama has amassed an extensive acting resume in film and television that solidified him in Hollywood as a sought-after leading man. Valderrama starred in Fox's sci-fi series Minority Report (2015) as Will Blake, a new police detective on the force. The series, which also starred Meagan Good and Stark Sands, was a sequel to the Steven Spielberg-directed movie set 10 years after the end of Pre-crime in D.C. Valderrama also starred as Carlos Madrigal, the main villain in Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's first original series From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series (2014) on El Rey Network. Valderrama voiced Prince Charming in the John H. Williams animated film Charming (2018), opposite Ashley Tisdale, Avril Lavigne, and Demi Lovato. Valderrama starred in the indie dramas To Whom It May Concern (2016), from French director Manu Boyer, and The Adderall Diaries (2015), opposite Amber Heard and James Franco, which premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival. His other film credits include Larry Crowne (2011), From Prada to Nada (2011), and Summer Catch (2001). Most recognized for his role as Fez on Fox's Emmy-nominated series That '70s Show (1998), a role that garnered him numerous Teen Choice Awards and an ALMA Award nomination. Valderrama also lent his voice to the character Manny on the Disney Channel's animated children's program Handy Manny (2006). His other television credits include Awake (2012), Raising Hope (2010), Suburgatory (2011), Royal Pains (2009), and Wizards of Waverly Place (2007). Behind the camera, Valderrama created and produced the MTV series Yo Momma (2006), also serving as the host for all three seasons, in addition to producing other MTV series such as Punk'd (2003), Blowin' Up (2006), and Trippin (2005). As for his philanthropic efforts, Valderrama has directed several PSAs for multiple organizations such as Voto Latino, where he stands as co-chair, and the Environmental Media Association, where he is an executive board member. Valderrama is the spokesperson for CHCI, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and is the founder of their Ready 2 Lead program, which educates and empowers the Latino youth. He also worked with President Barack Obama's Organizing for Action campaign on future efforts involving immigration reform and education. Born in Miami, Valderrama moved to Venezuela with his family at the age of 3. Valderrama is fluent in both Spanish and English. When Valderrama was 13, his family relocated to Los Angeles.- Bethany Richards was born on 2 August 1983 in Healdsburg, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Angus (1995), Out on a Limb (1992) and The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1998).
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Brian Robbins is President of Kids & Family Entertainment for ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks, with oversight of all strategy, creative and business operations for the company's kids and young-adult focused brands including Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick, Nicktoons, Nickelodeon Studios and Awesomeness. He also has purview over The Nick Experience, Nickelodeon's experiential division which includes live shows, as well as Nick's domestic consumer products business.
Robbins most recently served as President of Nickelodeon, responsible for evolving the global brand leader in kids and family entertainment for a new generation of young audiences by enhancing its robust content offerings and expanding its cultural footprint on next-generation platforms and in film.
Prior to that, Robbins was President of Paramount Players, a production division of Paramount Pictures that develops, produces and markets feature films from original source material and in collaboration with Viacom flagship brands Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and BET.
Projects led by Robbins under the Paramount Players division include: Nobody's Fool, directed by Tyler Perry and starring Tiffany Haddish; What Men Want directed by Adam Shankman and starring Taraji P. Henson; the adaptation of Trevor Noah's autobiography Born a Crime; and film versions of classic Nickelodeon shows Rugrats and Dora the Explorer, among others.
Prior to establishing Paramount Players, Robbins founded multi-platform media company Awesomeness, which Viacom purchased in July 2018. As Founder & CEO, he drove all Awesomeness creative, producing hit web series and films Expelled, Guidance, Foursome, t@gged, and Freakish, as well as theatrical release Before I Fall.
A prolific producer of television, film and digital media, Robbins is best known for executive producing numerous popular and critical television hits aimed at teens and young audiences, including the long-running CW series Smallville and One Tree Hill; Nickelodeon's All That and Kenan and Kel; Disney Channel's Sonny With a Chance and So Random; and Spike TV's Blue Mountain State. He also produced the popular WB series What I Like About You and HBO's Arli$$.
In feature film, his director and producer credits include Paramount Pictures' Coach Carter, Hardball, Varsity Blues and Good Burger; Disney's Wild Hogs and Shaggy Dog; DreamWorks' A Thousand Words; and Sony's Radio, along with many other works.
Robbins is the recipient of a Directors Guild Award, a Peabody Award, and the Pioneer Prize by the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He is based in Los Angeles, CA.- Laura Robbins is known for Homicide: Life on the Street (1993), American Gothic (1995) and Matlock (1986).
- Eliel Swinton was born on 27 March 1975 in West Hills, California, USA. He is an actor, known for Varsity Blues (1999) and MTV Movie Special: Varsity Blues (1999).
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Robert Wuhl was born on 9 October 1951 in Union Township, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Arli$$ (1996), Batman (1989) and Bull Durham (1988). He has been married to Barbara Koldys Capelli since May 1983.- Thomas F. Duffy was born on 9 November 1955 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Varsity Blues (1999) and Super 8 (2011).