Johnny Depp

Date of birth (location)
9 June 1963
Owensboro, Kentucky, USA
Hanson


Birth name
John Christopher Depp II
Nickname
"Mr. Stench" (self-chosen)
"Colonel" (given to him by Hunter S. Thompson)
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini biography

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

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

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

Apart from his on-screen life, Depp has dated several female celebrities off-screen, including failed engagements to Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder, and Kate Moss. He was married to Lori Anne Allison in 1983 but then divorced her in 1985. Currently, Depp is living with French singer-actress Vanessa Paradis, with whom he has two children: Lily-Rose Melody, born in 1999 and Jack, born in 2002.


Johnny Depp is perhaps one of the most versatile actors of his day and age in Hollywood, who has recuperated his image greatly since his portrayal of Captain Jack Sparrow in the acclaimed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), with a supporting cast ofBirth name
John Christopher Depp II
Nickname
"Mr. Stench" (self-chosen)
"Colonel" (given to him by Hunter S. Thompson)
Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Mini biography

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

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

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

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

Although he gained popularity since the success of Edward Scissorhands (1990), Depp wasn't hugely famous for many years until his portrayal of the suave, charming Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) in 2003. With the film's enormous success, it has opened several doors for his career and even included an Oscar nomination. He appeared as the central character in the Stephen King-based movie, Secret Window (2004); as the kind-hearted novelist James Barrie in the factually-based Finding Neverland (2004), where he co-starred with Kate Winslet; and most recently as Rochester in the British film, The Libertine (2004).
IMDb mini-biography by
Sidhartha Shankar
Spouse
Lori A. Depp (24 December 1983 - 1986) (divorced)
Trade mark

Highly defined cheek-bones

Frequently plays freakishly eccentric outcasts whose oddities are misunderstood by society, and have a usually flamboyant appearance and mannerism. Examples: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Dead Man (1995), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Before Night Falls (2000), and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) & Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006).
Trivia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Arrested for trashing a New York apartment. [1994]

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

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

Was the guitarist in a band called The Kids.

Currently plays in a band called P.

Grew up in Florida.

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

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

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

Son, Jack, born to him and Vanessa Paradis on April 10, 2002, in Neuilly, France, weighing just over 7 lbs.

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

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

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

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

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

Appears in Tom Petty's 1991 music video "Into the Great Wide Open."

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

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

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

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

Parents: John Christopher and Betty Sue Palmer. His parents divorced when he was 15.

He wanted some of his teeth to be gold-capped for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) but knew that the directors would never agree, so he went out and got lots more than he wanted capped, pretending that he wanted all his teeth capped to negotiate with the directors. He then showed the directors, and they decided to make him give up a few, so he got some taken off.

Resides in France and Los Angeles.

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

Was People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 2003.

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

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

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

Shot all of his scenes in 9 days for Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), but after his filming was done he didn't want to leave. So he suggested to Robert Rodriguez that he play a small part, the priest that 'Antonio Banderas' talks to in the church, and use his Marlon Brando impression.

Reportedly based his portrayal of Ichabod Crane in _Sleepy Hollow (1999)_ on Withnail, from _Withnail and I (1987)_ , as played by Richard E. Grant.

Has been in six films in which the title contains the name of the character he plays: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Cry-Baby (1990), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), and Donnie Brasco (1997).

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

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

His niece Megan works for popular online entertainment magazine TYCP.

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

Based the character of Captain Jack Sparrow on rock legend Keith Richards.

Shares a birthday with Michael J. Fox and Natalie Portman.

Purchased Bela Lugosi's Los Angeles home.

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

Is a huge fan of Jack the Ripper.

He has said in a number of interviews that he is of Cherokee, Irish, and German descent.

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

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

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

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

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

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

When he was cast as Willy Wonka, many newspapers published headings about "Depp's Willy" and "Deppy's Willy is a Bit Wonkier."

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

Dropped out of high school at 16

As a teen, he and his band "The Kids" performed for Iggy Pop.

As a child, he was allergic to chocolate.

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

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

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

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

Great admirer of Marlon Brando.

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

Has portrayed a real-life character in seven films: Edward D. Wood Jr. (Ed Wood (1994)), Lt. Victor/Pon Pon (Before Night Falls (2000)), Hunter S. Thompson (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), Insp. Fred Abberline (From Hell (2001)), Joseph Pistone/Donnie Brasco (Donnie Brasco (1997)), George Jung (Blow (2001)) and J.M. Barrie (Finding Neverland (2004)).

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

His parents divorced when he was 15.

Has mostly Irish, German, and Cherokee ancestry, with some Navajo as well. "Depp," however, is a French surname.

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

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

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

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

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

Friend of Christina Ricci.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moved to a villa in France with Girlfriend Vanessa Paradis and his daughter Lily Rose Melody Depp in 1999.

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

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

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

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

Has a niece called Megan

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

"Sweeney Todd" will be the sixth time that Depp and Tim Burton work together. The other five being "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride", "Edward Scissorhands", "Ed Wood", and "Sleepy Hollow".

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

Born in Kentucky but moved to Florida at age 7.
Personal quotes

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

On the money he makes: "You use your money to buy privacy because during most of your life you aren't allowed to be normal."

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

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

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

"I was ecstatic when they re-named 'French Fries' as 'Freedom Fries.' Grown men and women in positions of power in the U.S. government showing themselves as idiots."

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

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

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

On his character in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003): "Captain Jack Sparrow is like a cross between Keith Richards and Pepe Le Pew."

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

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

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

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

When asked by James Lipton on _"Inside The Actor's Studio" (1987)_ what attracts him to funny hats: "I don't know, maybe I just read too much Dr. Seuss as a kid."

After being asked if he is a romantic: "Am I a romantic? I've seen 'Wuthering Heights' ten times. I'm a romantic."

Talking on the Sleepy Hollow (1999) set about what it was like being dragged behind a carriage in the woods: "I wasn't afraid of getting hurt. I was just afraid that the horses may relieve themselves on the journey."

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

"When kids hit 1 year old, it's like hanging out with a miniature drunk. You have to hold onto them. They bump into things. They laugh and cry. They urinate. They vomit."

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

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

"Sure, I find it touching, honestly, but awards are not as important to me as when I meet a 10-year-old kid who says, 'I love Captain Jack Sparrow' ... That's real magic for me."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Marlon wanted me to escape movies for a while - 'Take a year off. Go on. Study Shakespeare.' So it's one of the things that keep ricocheting around in my head. He told me that by the time he had got to the point where he felt he could do Hamlet, it was too late. So he said, 'Do it now, do it while you can.' And I would like to do it - although it's one of the more frightening ideas I've had. I think as an actor it is good to feel the fear of failing miserably. I think you should take that risk. Fear is a necessary ingredient in everything I do. But if I do Hamlet it will probably be in a small theater on a small stage and it will have to be very, very soon because I'm getting a little long in the tooth for it."
Salary
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $20,000,000
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) $18,000,000
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) $10,000,000
Where are they now

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

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

(July 2006) He and his production company, Infinitum Nihil Productions, are in the process of getting two in-development projects made, _The Rum Diary (2008)_ and Shantaram (2008). Looking to reprise his role as Hunter S. Thompson as his first post-'Pirates' role.

Daniel Radcliffe

Dan was born as Daniel Jacob Radcliffe to Alan and Marcia Radcliffe on July 23rd, 1989. He lives in Fulham, a suburb inside of London. He has great support from his parents, and also loves their company, as well as the company of his two dogs, Binka and Nugget.
Dan knew he wanted to act when he was five years old, but he did not land a part in Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist' television production, but landed a role in David Copperfield, another of Charles' famous classics, released in 2000. A friend had suggested to him that he should audition, and then got the role thousands of other boys had auditioned for.
Dan later took a smaller part in John Boorman's 'The Tailor of Panama' as Mark Pendel.

Chris Columbus, director of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, as well as Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, saw Dan in 'David Copperfield' and brought Dan in for the auditions.

Dan's father had gotten a phone call while he was in the bath, and Dan was so happy that he actually cried!

Since then, Dan has portrayed Harry Potter through movies 1-4, and is currently filming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, scheduled for release in 2007.
-----
When Dan isn't filming and getting tutored on the set, he attends an all boys school. He loves to play the bass guitar, and even took lessons, but since he has been so busy, the lessons had stopped. For now.
His favourite TV show is The Simpsons, and he loves to see movies and go to rock concerts. His style of music is punk, and listens to groups such as The Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Bloc Party, and many, many others!!
Dan has admitted that he prefers listening to actual CD's instead of an iPod, because he likes to read the CD sleeve, which is very cool =)
-----
In the future, Dan has considered continuing the acting career, or becoming a director or writer. But for now, we can all enjoy his amazing talents portraying our favourite fictional, and probably the most magical character, Harry James Potter.
-----
Where are you on the highway of life?
From Go-Quiz.com
(info from DanRadcliffe.com)
^Last Updated October 10th, 2005^
Full Name : Daniel Jacob Radcliffe
Nickname : Dan
Date of Birth: July 23, 1989
Place of Birth: London, England
Star Sign : On the cusp of Cancer and Leo
Chinese Zodiac Sign : Snake
Hair : Brown
Eyes : Gray/Blue
Height : Currently about 5'8'' September
Pets : Two border terrier dogs - Binka and Nugget
School : Attends a private school for boys in London when not filming
Countries Visited : America, Australia, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Holland, Japan, China, Northern Ireland, Panama, Turkey, Scotland, and South Africa
Dan on Living in London : "London is always busy. It is a place that you can never be bored in as there are always so many things to do."
Dan's Harry Qualities : "Loyal, Curious, and we both always get into trouble"
Musical Instrument : Bass Guitar. Dan quote :: "Gary Oldman (a fellow bass guitarist) taught me some new tunes which was great fun."

Catchphrase : "Cool!" or "Amazing!"
Hobbies : Writing, running, watching movies, music, reading, Playstation, learning magic (he took magic lessons with British illusionist Paul Kieve)
Music Interests : Dan is a HUUUUUGE music fan (mostly guitar rock) and some of his current or recent favorite listening matter includes: The Strokes, The Libertines, The Pixies, Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, The Futureheads, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, The Distillers, Audioslave, Nirvana, The Zutons, The Cribs, Stereophonics, British Sea Power, Rolling Stones, Modest Mouse, The Stranglers, The Undertones, David Bowie, ColdPlay, Deftones, Blur, The Music, Muse, Zwan, The Clash, Sufjan Stevens, Hard-Fi, Editors, and Dogs.
HP Book : Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
HP Script : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
HP Character : Hagrid and the Weasleys
HP Scene : Shrieking Shack (from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban); The Chess Board, Final Chamber, Devil's Snare scenes (from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
HP Word : "Voldemort"
Magic Ability : Invisibility
Movies : 12 Angry Men, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Bowling for Columbine, LA Confidential, The Usual Suspects, Lost In Translation, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Crash
TV Show : The Simpsons
Classic TV Show : Dad's Army, Yes Minister
Author : Iain Banks
Books : The Power and the Glory by Graham Green, Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome, In Watermelon Sugar by Richard Brautigan, Germinal by Emile Zola, and The War of Don Emmanuels Nether Parts by Louis De Bernieres.
Video Game : Simpsons "Road Rage" and sport games
Gadget : iPOD
Soccer Team : Fulham Football Club
NHL Hockey Team : Phoenix Coyotes
Candy : Mars Bar
Dessert : Vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce
Soda : Diet Coke
Breakfast : Toast with chocolate spread
Food : Fish
Munchies : Honey Nut Cheerios or a glass of milk with Jammy Dodgers Biscuits.
Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor : Phish Food, Caramel Chew Chew
Animal : Wolf
Car : Red Cadillac (like The Great Red Shark in the movie "Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas")
Color : Blue and Yellow
Holiday : Christmas
Season : Summer
Number : Nine
Subject in School : English
Country : America
Actresses : Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Kate Winslet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kate Hudson, Renee Zellweger, Jodie Foster, Kirsten Dunst, Natalie Portman, and Cameron Diaz
Actors : Tom Hanks, Ben Stiller, Jude Law, Ed Harris, Robert DeNiro, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cary Grant and Peter Sellars
Idol : Gary Oldman
Guys' Guy : Sid Vicious
Superhero : Spider-Man
Britney or Christina? : Christina
PS2 or XBOX? : PS2
Food : Junk food, cake (well, OK, maybe he might have a piece occasionally...)
Subject in School : Math, French
Chores : He still has to make his bed and tidy his room
Pet Peeve : Being patronized

Christian Bale

Date of birth (location)
30 January 1974
Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Birth name
Christian Charles Philip Bale
Nickname
Chris
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini biography

The 10th Anniversary issue of "Entertainment Weekly" crowned Christian Bale as one of the "Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures" of the past decade, citing his incredible and legendary cult status on the Internet. EW also calls Bale one of the "Most Creative People in Entertainment" after his brilliant turn as the psychopathic yuppie serial killer in American Psycho (2000). And "Premiere" lauded him as one of the "Hottest Leading Men Under 30". Christian Bale has garnered a huge international audience ever since he wowed critics with his devastating performance in Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Empire of the Sun (1987).

Bale made his professional debut opposite British comedian Rowan Atkinson on the London West End stage. He auditioned with 4000 other kids for the coveted role of James Graham in Spielberg's Empire of the Sun (1987). Bale received a special citation for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor from the National Board of Review -- an award specially created for his performance in "Empire". In the following decade, Welsh-born Bale has appeared in Shakespeare, dramas and comedies demonstrating a versatility, depth and range that has made him one of the best reviewed actors today and one of the most popular actors on the Internet. Bale is the youngest in a family of 3 older sisters (Erin, Sharon, and Louise Bale).
IMDb mini-biography by
Harrison Cheung < hcbfc@christianbale.org>
Spouse
Sibi Blazic (29 January 2000 - present) 1 child
Trivia

Hand-picked by director/writer Mary Harron and author Bret Easton Ellis to star in American Psycho (2000). Consequently, was noted by the media as the first star of American Psycho (2000), only to lose the part to Leonardo DiCaprio and then win it back again.

Is an excellent horseman and an avid reader.

He trained for 10 weeks in dancing and martial arts for the dance sequences in Newsies (1992) and Swing Kids (1993).

He has an uncanny ear for accents - he has used a different accent for each of his films to date.

Bale was handpicked by Winona Ryder for the coveted role of Laurie (Theodore Laurence) in Little Women (1994).

His father, David Bale, married feminist icon Gloria Steinem on September 3, 2000.

A devoted animal lover, Christian has two dogs [Mojo and Ramone] and three cats [Miriam, Molly, and Lilly], which are all strays that he found.

Christian is active in many organizations, including Ark Trust, Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Foundation, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the Redwings Sanctuary, and the Happy Child Mission, and a school for street kids in Rio De Janeiro.

His grandfather doubled for John Wayne in two movies, in Africa.

His first on-screen role was in 1983 at age 9 in a British commercial for Pac-Man cereal.

Born in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire.

He replaced Leonardo DiCaprio for the film American Psycho (2000).

Stepson of feminist author Gloria Steinem

His father, David Bale, died on 30 December 2003, from brain lymphoma at the age of 62.

He was raised in England, Portugal and California.

His great-uncle, Rex Bale, was an actor.

His father was a former commercial pilot.

His mother was a former circus dancer.

He has three sisters: Erin Bale, a musician; Sharon Bale, a computer professional; and Louise Bale, a director/actress - she appeared in Newsies (1992).

His grandfather was a stand-up comic and children's entertainer.

Met his wife through Winona Ryder; she was Ryder's personal assistant.

With Batman Begins (2005), he has become the seventh actor to play Batman/Bruce Wayne in a live-action film.

Dropped an amazing 63 pounds for his role as the emaciated insomniac Trevor Reznik in the film Maquinista, El (2004) with only a single vitamin consultation with a nutritionist to guide him. For the most part, he only ate salads and apples, chewed gum, smoked cigarettes, and drank nonfat lattes.

Considered getting formal acting training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) when he was twenty, but decided to focus on working instead.

Has been in 2 versions of the John Smith/Pocahontas story. He provides the voice of Thomas in Pocahontas (1995) and plays John Rolfe in The New World (2005).

Turned down the opportunity to reprise the role of Patrick Bateman in the Roger Avary-directed The Rules of Attraction (2002).

His wife gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl. The baby was born 27 March, 2005 in Santa Monica, California.

In the "Fresh Air with Terry Gross" radio interview first aired June 13, 2005, he admitted to Gross that because Batman is "such an American icon", he had decided not to perform his promotional interviews for the movie Batman Begins (2005) in his natural mixed Welsh/British accent. He instead spoke to Gross in an almost-inflection less mid-American accent, only revealing his dialectic roots with a few words.

Has 3 older sisters: Erin, Sharon & Louise Bale'

Two of his most famous character's names have a difference of only one letter. Bateman and Batman.

Since a young age he was very ambitious about attending Drama School, and auditioned for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and the Central School of Speech And Drama at the age of twenty. He was accepted to all, but was convinced by his parents to continue working instead. To this day, he regrets not attending drama school for his personal passion of learning his craft.

Auditioned for the role of Robin/Dick Grayson in Batman Forever (1995). About ten years later, he was cast as Batman/Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins (2005).

The nameplate on his trailer for Batman Begins (2005) read "Bruce Wayne" as opposed to Bale's name.

First non-American actor to portray Batman/Bruce Wayne.

Is the youngest actor to portray Batman.

Owned a home he shared with his sister, Louise Bale, in Manhattan Beach.

Before he played Batman in Batman Begins, his sister Louise played Batman's mother in The Death of Batman.

Auditioned for the role of Jack Dawson in Titanic (1997)

Considered for the role of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
Personal quotes

"An actor should never be larger than the film he's in." (Spin, March 96)

On dealing with the resulting media attention of Empire of the Sun (1987) at age 13: "It was horrific. I was almost crying in interviews and running away during press conferences, pretending I was going to the bathroom and just disappearing."

On the sudden fame that resulted afterEmpire of the Sun (1987): "I enjoyed making the film, but I was shocked when I received all the attention when I got home to Bournemouth. Girls were all over me, boys wanted to fight me, and I was being asked to open local fetes when all I wanted to do was ride my BMX bike in the woods. I told my parents I wasn't interested in doing anything again because the attention ruined it."

"I don't want to know about the lives of other actors and I don't want people to know too much about me. If we don't know about the private lives of other actors, that leaves us as clean slates when it comes to playing characters. That's the point, they can create these other characters and I can believe them. I think if you're a good enough actor, that's the way to longevity in the film business. Keep everybody guessing."

"I started my career without fans."

On his 63 pound weight loss for the movie "The Machinist" (Maquinista, El (2004)): "I had a stupid kind of feeling of invincibility, like, 'I can do it, I can manage it.' I really did feel like I hit this point of enlightenment".

"I always like that. Whenever there's a project where everyone's going, 'Oooooh, it's a bit dodgy,' I always like it. If you actually look at it, there tends not to be anything risky at all. Why did I start acting in the first place? I didn't do it to be mediocre or to please everybody all the time."

"I'd love to remain a secret and still work, but I also want people to see the movies I'm in and get a higher profile because of that. I like to think that as long as you continue choosing diverse roles, you can avoid becoming predictable."

"It's the actors who are prepared to make fools of themselves who are usually the ones who come to mean something to the audience."

On his transformation into Patrick Bateman for American Psycho (2000): "The character is so vain and obsessed with his looks. While the psychology of the character was something that I could perform, you can't fake the physicality. Being English, I tend to enjoy going down to the pub far more than going to the gym, so it was very unnatural for me. I just had to convince myself that I loved it, which was the most difficult thing about playing this part. Working out is incredibly boring. I swear its true that the bigger your muscles get, the fewer brain cells you have. I found I had to stop thinking when I was in the gym because if I thought about it, I'd realize how ridiculous it was that I was pumping iron when I could've been out having a drink and a cigarette and enjoying some lunch. I did three hours a day for six weeks with a personal trainer and some time before that. I ate an awful lot during training and then almost nothing during filming."

"The only thing that I'm obsessed with is sleeping and, actually, it is more than an obsession, it is a pleasure. I love sleeping so much that I could do it 12 hours a day if I didn't have to turn on the alarm clock...and still, sometimes..."

"Our Batman is centered on the early days. It's an explanation. It's certainly not Batman No. 5. It's a reinvention. We want you to forget there has ever been a Batman before this one."

On Batman Begins (2005): "I've never felt like the Batman character in the films was given as much time as any of the villains. The villains were always the most interesting characters, too. Batman has always been this very bizarre, almost blind character running through the middle of the story. Our film is different."

On Batman Begins (2005), which is in no way a low-budget film: "I contacted them. I heard they were doing some low-budget Batman not aimed at kids and I was tantalized. I had appreciated the Batman movies, but I wasn't really a fan and I didn't know the TV series. But I read some of the graphic novels, and they were very dark and very interesting."

"I spent about three weeks in Chicago last July doing night shoots. It's a great city, but the humidity was tough under the Batsuit. Uh, it got a little bad. It's hot enough in the Batsuit, let alone in the Chicago heat."

"I needed money because I had just bought a house, but I just kept saying, `I really can't do another movie that I know is not going to turn out the way I want it to, and that I have to make a lot of concessions in my head for.'"

"For me, there's a bigger risk trying Batman. Ultimately, the big point was that Chris Nolan [Memento], who you would not expect to be doing that kind of movie, was going to direct it, which is exactly what I was looking for, because you want to do something totally different from the other Batman movies. I always thought there could be a really good movie made about Batman and when I heard that Chris was doing it I thought, `Well, he's not a director that you would expect, therefore you're going to get the unexpected from him.' I think there's a great potential for going very dark with it, it's a fascinating character, very complex psychologically, which I've never seen done. You know, you have the two extremes, which are both very good. You can either go the very camp Adam West TV series thing, which was great in its own way, or you can go more the way of the graphic Dark Knight novels which delve somewhat deeper."

"I had spent weeks staring at the wall in my house out of depression because of things that had gone wrong and the choices I had made. When I read The Machinist, I just went, `Wow! This is perfect.' I was having dreams about the character and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I felt like this one was going to save my arse, and pull me out of the depressed state I had got into."

"I did other things, but my heart was never in it. A lot of actors say that theater's the thing for them. And that's great, and I'm not one to speak with any authority about it because of not having done it properly. For me, movies are what I love."

"At first, I was somewhat hesitant to do the role. I mean, after all, Batman is an icon. But I remember, as clear as day, being at the grocery store the day the movie opened, and this little boy saw me. He couldn't have been more than five years old. He just walked right up to me and hugged me. He hugged me, and I was so moved by it that I hugged him back. Then he looked up at me and said "You're my hero." And in that moment, I knew that not only as an actor that I had done my job, but that I had made the right decision to play Batman. And I've never looked back on my the decision to play Batman since."- On his decision to play Batman

[on playing Batman] "You couldn't pull it off unless you became a beast inside that suit."

"I only sound intelligent when there's a good script writer around."

"I'm English. Our dentistry is not world famous. But I made sure I got moldings of my old teeth beforehand because I miss them."

"I don't think I'm like any of the characters I've played- they're all really far from who I am."
Where are they now

(August 2003) Filming Maquinista, El (2004) in Spain.

(March 2004) Filming Batman Begins (2005) in London, England.

(August 2005) Thailand (Filming Rescue Dawn (2006)).

Hugh Jackman

Date of birth (location)
12 October 1968
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Birth name
Hugh Michael Jackman
Height
6' 2½" (1.89 m)
Mini biography

Born in Sydney of English parentage, and the youngest of 5 children, Jackman has a Communications degree with a journalism major from the University of Technology Sydney. After graduating, he pursued drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, immediately after which he was offered a starring role in the ABC TV prison drama "Correlli" (1995), opposite his future wife Deborra-Lee Furness. Several TV guest roles followed, as an actor and variety compere. An accomplished singer, Jackman has starred as Gaston in the Australian production of Beauty and the Beast. He appeared as Joe Gillis in the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard. In 1998, he was cast as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's production of Trevor Nunn's Oklahoma. Jackman has made two feature films, the second of which, Erskineville Kings (1999), garnered him an Australian Film Institute nomination for Best Actor in 1999. Recently, he won the part of Logan/Wolverine in the Bryan Singer- directed comic book movie X-Men (2000). In his spare time, Hugh plays piano, golf and guitar and likes to windsurf.
IMDb mini-biography by
Anonymous
Spouse
Deborra-Lee Furness (11 April 1996 - present) 2 children
Trivia

For Sunset Boulevard (as Joe Gillis), he won a Variety Club, a Mo and a Green Room Award as best male actor in a musical. He was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award in 1998 as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's Oklahoma!.

Adopted a son, Oscar Maximillian Jackman, in May 2000 (b. 15 May 2000).

Met wife while co-starring in the Australian TV series "Correlli" (1995).

Chosen as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" 5 years in a row, 2000-2004.

He was one of the presenters at the 2002 Academy Awards, but says he'll think twice about attending again. He says, "I slept for about an hour and I'd have liked a little bit of sushi to come down. There'll be a lot of drunken parties back home and people betting and that's usually what I'm at, so getting up there in a suit and talking for a little bit is kind of bizarre."

He sang "People Will Say We're in Love" from "Oklahoma!" with Shirley Jones, when they reprised their respective roles of Curly and Laurie, at the opening of Fox Studios in Sydney.

He was a last-minute addition to the X-Men (2000) cast. Dougray Scott was originally cast as Wolverine, but Mission: Impossible II (2000) required two extra months of shooting.

According to the comic books, Wolverine stands 5-feet-3-inches in height. Jackman, who plays Wolverine, stands a whole foot taller than his character.

Has starred in four movies with Halle Berry: X-Men (2000), Swordfish (2001), X2 (2003), and _X3 (2006)_ .

He was nominated for a 1999 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for the 1998 season for Best Actor in a Musical for his role in "Oklahoma".

Was offered the role of "Captain William Gordon" in The Rising: Ballad of Mangal Pandey (2005).

While filming Van Helsing (2004), he accidentally broke an extra's hand.

Favorite curse word is "bullshit".

Voted one of "The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People magazine [2003]

Named Best Actor in a Musical by Drama Desk in New York for his portrayal of Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz" (April 2004).

Won Broadway's 2004 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for his portrayal of Australian singer/songwriter Peter Allen in "The Boy From Oz". Jackman also served as host for the televised ceremony for the American Theatre Wing's annual Antoinette Perry (aka Tony) Awards in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Before attending WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts), he did a year acting program called "The Journey" at the Actors Centre in Sydney

His parents separated when he was 8. His mother then moved to England, leaving his father to raise him and his four siblings by himself in Australia.

In the X-Men movies, he plays Wolverine; in Van Helsing (2004), he goes after a monster called The Wolfman.

He is terribly near-sighted and has extremely blurry vision when he isn't wearing contacts. Even when hosting the Tonys and "Saturday Night Live" (1975), Jackman memorized almost everything he had to say so he wouldn't have to struggle to read.

His favorite food is sushi.

Once said in an interview with Jay Leno that he is a fan of the "Friday The 13th" film series, and he became an actor because he wanted to play Jason in one.

Favorite word is "panache."

Due to his committment to Van Helsing (2004), had to decline the offer to play Frank Castle in The Punisher (2004). Both films ended up receiving a "BOMB" rating from film critic Leonard Maltin.

Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Van Helsing (2004). However, he did not receive a nomination.

Expressed great fondness for the comic book character Superman. Ironically, Superman is owned by DC Comics, the rival company of Marvel Comics, which owns X-Men and Wolverine.

He admitted after X-Men (2000) that it was difficult to summon up the rage and darkness necessary for the character of Logan/Wolverine and it took weeks of work with Bryan Singer to find the right tone for the character. After that, however, it was relatively easy for him to play the angry character.

Has started his own movie production company, "Seed Productions", with his friend John Palermo. The first films they will be producing with this company are X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and the Wolverine spin-off.

Adopted a girl, Ava Eliot Jackman (b. July 10, 2005), in July 2005.

Was School Captain during his final year of high school, a school also attended by Australian actors Adam Garcia, Andrew Johnston, Reg Livermore, Hugo Weaving, writer Stuart Beattie and radio host John Laws.

His two children have 'play time sessions' with Rupert Murdoch's younger children in New York.

Had to take stunt driving classes to prepare for his role in Swordfish (2001). .

His stunt double for Van Helsing (2004) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) was Richard Bradshaw, his brother-in-law (sister's husband).

He had never seen an episode of "Saturday Night Live" (1975) until he agreed to host the show. The producers sent him tapes of episodes so he could understand the format of the show. He later said that his favorite was the one hosted by Conan O'Brien.

Often his wife and, sometimes, members of his family stay with him while he is shooting on location.

His mother abandoned the family when he was 8 and moved back to England. His father, an accountant, brought up five children himself. The first 18 months of his life were actually spent with his godparents.

Fluent in German.

Doesn´t smoke in real life. He says he finds it horrible to smoke in movies.

Was among the guests at Nicole Kidman's and Keith Urban's wedding

Wants to produce and star in a film based on the life of "The Incredible Hulk" (1978) actor Bill Bixby.

Frequently gets offered roles based on comic books. He was offered The Punisher (2004), Daredevil (2003), Hulk (2003), Iron Man (2008), "Mr. Fantastic" in Fantastic Four (2005) and as "Jonathan Kent" in Superman Returns (2006).

He and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, suffered through two miscarriages, which they point to as the most difficult point in their lives. Both of their children are adopted.

Is left-handed, although often seen doing things right handed(such as shooting, much like actor Keanu Reeves.).
Personal quotes

(On turning down the chance to play Richard Gere's character in the Harvey Weinstein-produced film Chicago) "I thought I was too young for the role. You have some 34-year-old guy up against Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger and it becomes a different movie. At one point, Harvey was telling me they were thinking of Kevin Spacey, and I told him, 'That's exactly right. You should hire him.' Then I was in New York when the movie opened and the queue was around the block. I sat down and thought that I had probably made the biggest mistake. But I still honestly think that it was the right thing to do. I still think I was too young for that part."

"Finally something my family can be proud of"

"Now I meet people with full-color Wolverine tattoos on their backs. Thank God I did okay, because I think if I handn't, they'd spit on me in the street." - on his role of Wolverine

"There is something very secretive about the way they cast that role. I've never had an official call asking: 'Are you interested or not', but there's no guy I know who wouldn't want that role - and that includes me. Anyone who says otherwise is lying." [on the now [Nov. 2004] opened spot for the next James Bond]

"I never read comics as a kid, and when I was slipped the comics under my trailer door, Bryan Singer didn't want us to read them. He was very frightened that we would come out with these 2D characters, and I was amazed at how helpful they were, the images more than the story. The images, and how they capture emotion or an action sequence in just, say, three images - I have to say I used them as inspiration for some of the fighting stances or techniques. The way Wolverine stands and how he looks." - [on Comic books]

"I didn't do the motion capture work; I didn't do any of that. I don't know if they've used my voice or not, they probably have.. I did a lot of recordings on the first movie for dolls and videogames, so they probably just used the same stuff." - [on Wolverine videogame]

"People can stick pins in it, put in the freezer. It's far more dangerous than a videogame." - [about his action figures]

"The character I play is actually only 1.6 meters [5' 3"]. Before I had any kind of acting profile I was encouraged to lie about my height. I was told to say I was about six foot [1.83m] tall. I was worried about it when I first had my audition because pleasing fans of the franchise is important. My height was brought up on the Internet. They didn't think it was right. A lot of people who never met me think I'm very short. Jimmy Marsden (Cyclops), who's only 10cm [4 inches] shorter than me, was put on boxes and platforms in our scenes together. You'll notice that every character in X-men looks taller than me."

"I've always felt that if you back down from a fear, the ghost of that fear never goes away. It diminishes people. So I've always said 'yes' to the thing I'm most scared about. The fear of letting myself down -- of saying 'no' to something that I was afraid of and then sitting in my room later going, 'I wish I'd had the guts to say this or that' -- that galvanizes me more than anything."

"Acting is something I love. It's a great craft that I have a lot of respect for. But I don't think it's any greater challenge than teaching 8 year olds or any other career. In my life, I try not to make it more important than it is and I just hope that rubs off on the people around me."

"Becoming a father, I think it inevitably changes your perspective of life. I don't get nearly enough sleep. And the simplest things in life are completely satisfying. I find you don't have to do as much, like you don't go on as many outings."

"I have shocking teeth... I'm being a little facetious-I just went to the dentist the other day, and he looked at my teeth and went, 'Oh, my God, you've got gray teeth.'"
Where are they now

(August 2003) New York City, in rehearsal for the Broadway stage show "The Boy From Oz".

(October 2003) The Boy from Oz opened on Broadway, October 16, 2003, at the Imperial Theatre.

(August 2005) Filming X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) in Victoria, British Columbia

Orlando Bloom

Date of birth (location)
13 January 1977
Canterbury, Kent, England, UK


Birth name
Orlando Jonathan Blanchard Bloom
Nickname
Orli
OB
Height
5' 11" (1.80 m)
Mini biography

Orlando Bloom was born in Canterbury, Kent, England on January 13, 1977. The man he briefly knew as his father, Harry Bloom, was a legendary political activist who fought for civil rights in South Africa. But Harry died of a stroke when Orlando was only four years old. After that, Orlando and his older sister, Samantha Bloom, were raised by their mother, Sonia, and family friend, Colin Stone. When Orlando was 13, Sonia revealed to him that Colin was actually his biological father.

Orlando attended St. Edmunds School in Canterbury but struggled in many courses because of dyslexia. He did embrace the arts, however, and enjoyed pottery, photography and sculpturing. He also participated in school plays and was active at his local theater. As a teen, Orlando landed his first job: he was a clay trapper at a pigeon shooting range. Encouraged by his mother, he and his sister began studying poetry and prose, eventually giving readings at Kent Festival. Orlando and Samantha won many poetry and Bible reciting competitions. Then Orlando, who always idolized larger-than-life characters, gravitated towards serious acting. At the age of 16, he moved to London and joined the National Youth Theatre, spending two seasons there and gaining a scholarship to train with the British American Drama Academy. Like many young actors, he also auditioned for a number of television roles to further his career, landing bit parts in British television shows "Casualty" (1986), "Midsomer Murders" (1997) and "Smack the Pony" (1999). He also appeared in the critically acclaimed movie Wilde (1997).

He then attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. It was there, in 1998, that Orlando fell three stories from a rooftop terrace and broke his back. Despite fears that he would be permanently paralyzed, he quickly recovered and returned to the stage. As fate would have it, seated in the audience one night in 1999 was a director named Peter Jackson. After the show, he met with Orlando and asked him to audition for his new set of movies. After graduating from Guildhall, Orlando began work on the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, spending 18 months in New Zealand bringing to life "Legolas", a part which made him a household name. Today, he is one of the busiest and most sought-after actors in the industry.
IMDb mini-biography by
J.W. Braun
Trivia

During the filming for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), he fell off his horse and broke one of his ribs.

Chosen as one of Teen People Magazine's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25." [2002]

Originally auditioned to play the role of "Faramir" in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy but lost out on that role and was instead asked to play the role of Legolas.

Learned to surf during the filming of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy in New Zealand.

He won the 2002 MTV Movie Award for "Breakthrough Male."

Was nominated with the entire The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) cast for "Best Ensemble Acting" at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Won the award at the 2002 Empire Awards for "Best Debut."

Underwent a great deal of training with knives, horseback riding, canoeing and archery before his role as Legolas.

According to Screensavers.com, Orlando Bloom replaced Britney Spears at the top of the website's celebrity download index in January, 2004.

On People (USA) magazine's '50 Most Beautiful' list [2004].

Web-site Ananova.com chose him as the sexiest actor in Britain. [2004]

One of People magazine's "Hottest Bachelors" in 2004.

His cousin, the photographer/director Sebastian Copeland, is Brigitte Nielsen's ex-husband.

He made archery a very popular sport in the UK. Many youngsters saw him with a bow in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and decided to join archery schools.

Chosen as Teen People's #1 Hottie for the October 2004 issue.

Chosen as the sexiest male movie star by Empire Magazine. Overall he was 3rd; ahead of him were Keira Knightley (1st) and Angelina Jolie (2nd). [September 2004]

He used to be a vegetarian, but he had to go back to eating meat when he was filming The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).

Named as one of nine "off the charts" sexy superstars by People Magazine in 2004, along with Jake Gyllenhaal, Usher Raymond, Colin Farrell, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Bruce Willis, and Johnny Depp.

Was visited by Countess Seidy Maria Lopez during the filming of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) in New Zealand.

Received a great amount of "stage combat" training while at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (as part of the drama program in conjunction with the British Academy of Stage and Theatre Combat), which helped prepare him a great deal in the characters he has choosen to play, that fight with swords, bows and knives.

He has received an invitation to join the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford Upon Avon, which he plans to do in the near future when he has some time off from working on film. His goal is to perform Hamlet on the Swan stage (RSC main), one of Shakespeare's most challenging works.

Voted #1 star most women would like to kiss under the mistletoe in a poll for Sky Movies.

Has an older sister, Samantha Bloom.

Graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama (1999)

Amusingly enough, his 2000 guest appearance in the television show, "Midsomer Murders" (1997) references and discusses J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece "The Lord of the Rings" (Particularly "Lothlorien"), for which he was eventually cast (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)).

Found his dog, Sidi, while filming Kingdom of Heaven (2005).

Shares his birthday with Liya Kebede, Traci Bingham, Penelope Ann Miller and Nick Clooney.

Wears a replica of the One Ring that says "To wherever it may lead." It was given to him by one of the makeup artists on LOTR.

Is "mildly dyslexic".

Has three A-Levels. One A in Art, one A in Photography and one C in Religious Studies.

Can speak French.

His first car was a dark green VW Golf that costed £160.

His first job was as a clay trapper at a pigeon shooting range when he was 13.

His favourite vegetable is spinach.

First concert he attended was in Canterbery watching Jamiroquai.

Supports English football team Manchester United.

He used to smoke, but quit in 2002, which started making him bite his nails instead.

Was listed as a potential nominee on both the 2005 and 2006 Razzie Award nominating ballots. He was suggested in the Worst Supporting Actor category on the 2005 ballot for his performance in the film Troy (2004). And he was suggested again the next year in the Worst Actor category for his performances in the films Elizabethtown (2005) and Kingdom of Heaven (2005). He failed to receive either nomination.

Ranked 76 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties.

Is 18 months younger than Judy Greer but still plays her big brother in Elizabethtown (2005).

Split with girlfriend Kate Bosworth [September 5, 2006].
Personal quotes

On his character Legolas and the way Legolas moves: "Legolas doesn't speak a lot - he prefers to let his actions speak for him. Legolas' moves are smooth and elegant, like a cat. You know how cats can jump and land steadily on their paws? That's what I'm trying to do. There's a strength in that, but it's very balletic. It's also bloody hard to do without falling over!"

"It's all very surreal. I've had two very fantastic experiences. In Lord of the Rings and in Black Hawk Down. I feel very lucky. I'm sort of doubly excited."

"I'm rather accident-prone, I have to admit. I've broken my back, my ribs, my nose, both my legs, my arm, my wrist, a finger and a toe and cracked my skull three times."

On how he got the part in Black Hawk Down (2001): "My character breaks his back, and I had mentioned I had done that when I was up for the part. Who knows why one actor gets a job and another doesn't? I think it was just good timing that I happened to be there and I had had the experience - I mean, I was lucky."

"I broke my back. I fell out of a window... some friends had a roof terrace on the landing before their apartment, and I fell off the drain pipe. It gave way, actually, and I fell three floors. I was told I might not walk again. So, for about four days,I was contemplating that as a serious part of reality. Then they operated, and I walked out of the hospital in about twelve days."

"Vig used to call me 'elf boy,' and I'd call him 'filthy human.' As an Elf, I never got a scratch on me, never got dirty. And Vig would come out with blood and sweat all over him. And he'd say to me, 'Oh, go manicure your nails.'"

On his 2002 Empire Award: "I think my mum will have [my award] in pride of place somewhere beside my grandmother on the mantelpiece."

"We have these digs at each other. Viggo will go on about Elves and how they're always doing their nails and brushing their long, blonde hair, and being all prissy. And I just say: Well, at least I'm going to live forever! Got that? LIVE FOREVER!"

"You have to be quite serious about tattoos [because] they're there forever."

"For a young actor like me to have the oportunity to work with the genre of actors and directors on 'Lord Of The Rings' is unbelievable. There was no, should I should I not. It was like, where do I sign up! It was just bonkers. It was like here, have a life."

"It's a bit strange to be included in those sexiest people polls and all that sort of thing. I don't really even know who I'm up against!"

"Elf Envy...they all had it."

"Aged nine, I had this girlfriend, and we used to have running races in the park to see who would be her boyfriend for the day. I wanted to be like Superman and fly in and rescue her. Once I realised Superman was an actor, I thought, 'That's for me.'"

On being in love in general: "I'm in love with love. It's heavenly when you're falling for someone and you can't stop thinking about her."

"The girls have got a bit excited. I spoke to my agent and she says she's wading through the fan mail. We've got bags of it. I'm like, 'OK, well, what do we do with that, then?' And she explains that we're sending them pictures and stuff, which is great."

"It was like a drama school of its own, being on set. Peter [Jackson] is a genius. Ian McKellen is the greatest theatre actor in Britain. He's somebody I look at and say, 'That's what I would like to do.' I had studied videos of his performances, so it was bizarre to be thrown into an environment with him."

"The thing with Ridley [Scott] is he's been doing this forever, he knows what it is he wants and how to get it. There's absolutely no messing around on set. Having said that, he's very accessible to actors, very open to what you want to do and willing to talk about it. He casts people who he feels are going to bring something to the role and allows them to take care of the situation, to do what it is that they do."

"I'm quite sensitive to women. I saw how my sister got treated by boyfriends. I read this thing that said when you are in a relationship with a woman, imagine how you would feel if you were her father. That's been my approach, for the most part."

"Theatre is something that I feel very important for an actor to keep doing. I think it keeps you sharp. But at the moment I'm intrigued with movies and filmmaking. It hasn't lured me away from theatre, but I'm just going to try to ride this wave and then jump onto another and see how far it takes me."

"I did send a girl a plane ticket, asking her for a visit, I guess that's quite romantic."

"I'd like to grow old gracefully or pain free at least."

[Talking about his relationship with Kate Bosworth]: "There's been a lot of heat because we decided to take some time out. But we're really close. It's unfortunate everything has to be for public display. It's hard when you travel. It makes relationships a challenge. I've always kept everything close to the vest, and that's how I intend to play everything. We've both got a big year ahead, and we thought, just for this year, we'd give each other some time to grow."

"I know how lucky I am. I've no complaints about the work."

"Fame and celebrity were not something that I contemplated because they were too far ahead to imagine."

"When I'm not working, I prefer to sit and do nothing. The simple things suddenly become more enjoyable".

"If life isn't about humanity, then tell me what it's about, because I'd love to know".

"It's the best gig in the world, are you kidding me?" [on Pirates of the Carribean]

"I always feel like a pirate."
Salary
Elizabethtown (2005) $3,000,000
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) $2,000,000
Where are they now

(August 2003) Filming "Troy" in Mexico.

(November 2003) Filming Haven in Cayman Islands.

(January 2004) In Spain filming "Kingdom of heaven"

(March 2004) Filming "Kingdom of Heaven" in Morocco.

(July 2004) Filming "Elizabethtown" in Kentucky, USA

(March 2005) In LA and the Caribbean filming Pirates of the Caribbean 2 and 3.

(November 2004) Filming the movie Elizebethtown

(January 2006) Filming Pirates of the Caribbean 3 in the Bahamas.

Geoffrey Rush

Date of birth (location)
6 July 1951
Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini biography

Raised in Brisbane, Australia after his parents' split, actor Geoffrey Rush's early interest in theatre led to his 1971 stage debut in "Wrong Side of the Moon" with the Queensland Theatre Company. Known for his classical work over the years, he scored an unexpected hit with his role as Snoopy in the musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" the following year. A few years later he moved to France for studying but returned to his homeland within a short time and continued work as both actor and director with the Queensland stage group. He made an inauspicious debut in films with the 1981 feature Hoodwink (1981) and didn't have his first major role until playing Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night (1987), but remained a durable presence for the most part on stage with acclaimed productions in "The Diary of a Madman" in 1989 and "The Government Inspector" in 1991. Geoffrey suffered a temporary nervous breakdown in 1992 due to overwork and rested for a time. Filmgoers finally took notice with his performance in Children of the Revolution (1996), which led to THE role of a lifetime as the alarmingly dysfunctional piano prodigy David Helfgott in Shine (1996). Rush's astonishing tour-de-force performance won him every conceivable award imaginable, including the Oscar, Golden Globe, British Film Award and Australian Film Institute Award. The role not only put him on the international map, but on the "A" list in Hollywood. His homely mug yet completely charming and captivating demeanor allowed him to dissolve into a number of fascinating historical portrayals over the years, notably as Javert in Misérables, Les (1998), Walsingham in Elizabeth (1998), and as the Marquis de Sade in Quills (2000). On the other hand, he's allowed himself to have a bit of hammy fun in such box office escapism as Mystery Men (1999), House on Haunted Hill (1999), The Banger Sisters (2002), Finding Nemo (2003) and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003). More than validating his early film success, two more Oscar nominations came his way in the same year for Quills (2000) (best actor) and Shakespeare in Love (1998) (support actor) in 2000. Geoffrey's amazing versatility continues to impress, most recently as the manic, comedic genius Peter Sellers in a 2004 biopic The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004).
IMDb mini-biography by
Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
Spouse
Jane Menelaus (1988 - present) 2 children
Trivia

He adapted Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais's play "The Marriage of Figaro", with Neil Armfield, for the inaugural production in the new Optus Playhouse in the Queensland Performing Arts Complex, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in September, 1998. He also played the title role of Figaro in the same production.

Children: Angelica (1992) and James (1995)

Once lived with Mel Gibson while they were in college.

He began his acting career with the Queensland Theatre Company in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Has an Arts Degree from the University of Queensland.

Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Queensland, in Australia.

Attended the Jacques Lecoq School of Mime, Movement and Theater.

Actively involved with Melbourne Community Groups in preserving historical landscapes from adverse development; particularly in regard to Camberwell Railway Station where he organized a protest march, attended by Barry Humphries amongst other luminaries (2004).

He was named Alumnus of the Year by the University of Queensland (Australia) in 1998.
Personal quotes

[Regarding he and Joseph Fiennes appearing in both Shakespeare in Love (1998) and Elizabeth (1998)] "He got to make love to Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett. All I got was an Oscar nomination".

"My career has been in theatre for 23 years, with spits and coughs in bits and pieces of films. Scott [Hicks] very nicely said my entire career had been my audition [for the role in Shine (1996)]".
Where are they now

(May 2004) Currently lives in Melbourne, Australia