Biography of Cinema Legend Farrah Fawcett

24 July 2010

Actress and famous cancer spokesperson Farrah Fawcett was born February 2, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Farrah was famous around the world for her stunning good looks. She was one of America’s best known models in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and she will always be remembered as one of the original Charlie’s Angels.

Farrah was more of a reserved, smart girl in her younger years. She went to high school at W. B. Ray in Texas and was not surprisingly dubbed the most beautiful student for all four years she attended. After graduating in 1965, Farrah planned on studying microbiology and enrolled at The University of Texas.

By a chance meeting, Farrah crossed paths with a celebrity publicist. He convinced her to move out to California and to attempt modeling. Her parents were dead against this at the start, but after relenting, Farrah and her family made the trek to California in the summer of 1968. She landed modeling jobs immediately and was sought after for TV ads.

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All-time Icons of Cinema - Robert Redford

16 July 2010

Actor, director and mainstream political activist Robert Redford was born on August 18, 1936 in Santa Monica, California. Over the course of his long career, Redford has become increasingly generous with his charitable donations, and also increasingly political, famously standing directly against the latter Bush administration.

Redford was born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. and was an extremely talented baseball player when he was young. In fact, Redford landed a baseball scholarship and played at the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1955. Robert was one of the top college prospects in the nation until his mother died suddenly, leaving Robert shattered.

After being kicked off of the baseball team for drinking and an overall lack of performance, Redford set his sights on becoming a painter. He took a job at a Los Angeles oil field solely to fund his ambitions of moving to Paris and attending art school. He ended up studying with artists in Italy, but by 1958, Redford grew bored of the life.

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A Short Biography of Cinematic Legend Clint Eastwood

07 July 2010

World famous actor and director Clint Eastwood was born on May 31, 1930 in San Francisco, California. Acting in and directing feature films for over five decades, Eastwood is still working in the industry today. He is considered to be one of the greatest American actors ever and certainly one of the biggest stars in the Western genre.

Eastwood’s family was hit hard by the Great Depression. With an older sibling, his sister Jean, Clint had a relatively small family, and this worked in the family’s favor as they moved from San Fran to Oakland, California in the late 1930s. Clint attended and graduated from Oakland Technical High School in 1948.

Like many of the world’s most famous actors, Clint had no desire to act. In fact, it was the furthest thing from his mind as he worked a series of odd jobs. Eastwood tried his hands as a logger, a big-rig driver, a steel furnace worker, and even as a hay bailer. He continued to do odd jobs for nearly three years, until he was called to duty in 1950.

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Biography of Acting Legend Paul Newman

01 July 2010

World renowned actor Paul Leonard Newman was born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 26, 1925. Throughout Newman’s life, the talented performer tried various Hollywood roles on for size, but always managed to climb back into the “ladykiller” role that launched his career and made him famous.

Apart from being a celebrated actor, Newman was also an extremely charitable person. The successful food company he started, dealing primarily in salad dressings, earned millions of dollars annually. Paul donated every penny of his food company’s earnings to various charities around the globe.

Paul Newman never intended on being an actor. Growing up in an average family in Shaker Heights, Ohio, Newman wanted to be a professional athlete after falling in love with sports and spending days at his father’s sporting-goods store. He did act some as a child, however, in various school productions.

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Biography Of Screen and Stage Legend Fred Astaire

24 June 2010

Born on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, Fred Astaire is highly regarded as one of the earliest and most influential celebrity entertainers of the 20th century. His career, spanning Broadway, Hollywood and even the popular charts as a recording artist, is one of the most celebrated in American history.

Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz to second-generation German and Jewish immigrants. The family had moved to Nebraska due to Astaire’s father landing a job with a brewing company. Fred’s mother prompted her children to perform as a way to escape the drab surroundings, and Fred and his sister Adele soon started performing their act.

The family returned to New York City soon after Fred’s father lost his job. In 1905, the brother-sister act started to use the name Astaire instead of Austerlitz and the duo soon became known as the best child act in the area. After Adele sprung up a few inches taller than Fred, the pair took a break.

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Biography Of The Singer And Film Star Liza Minelli

19 June 2010

Liza Minnelli was born on March 12th, 1946 in Hollywood, California to Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli. Her parents were both active in the film industry her father was an acclaimed film director and her mother was successful in both film and music. While in High School she went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Performing Arts in New York.

At the young age of three Minnelli first appeared on film in a movie with her mother called In The Good Old Summertime. It wouldn’t be until 1963 that Minnelli would first start performing professionally on a regular basis. She won the Theatre World Award for her performance in The Best Foot Forward in 1963.

Minnelli was also active in the music industry when she was 19 she made her debut as a nightclub singer at the Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. In the years to follow she would appear in stage performances in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and even New York City. It would be this success that would give her the opportunity to record a number of albums for Capitol Records including Liza! Liza.

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Biography Of American Film Icon Faye Dunaway

15 June 2010

Academy Award-winning actress and American film icon Faye Dunaway was one of the most talented actresses working throughout the 1970s. She has starred in some iconic pictures, including Chinatown with Jack Nicholson and Bonnie and Clyde. Dunaway has managed to earn the respect of the establishment, even though she’s known for not always playing along.

The actress was born Dorothy Faye Dunaway on January 14, 1941 in Bascom, Florida. Dunaway’s life was unspectacular for the most part. Her mother was an average suburban housewife and her father was an Army NCO. After graduating from the University of Florida in 1962 having majored in theater, she joined the American National Theater and Academy.

Like most theater majors turned Hollywood star, Faye’s career took a natural path through Broadway. She earned a big role in 1962’s A Man for All Seasons, and she continued to act in on-state productions and in small screen roles over the next few years. Dunaway’s big break came in 1967 in The Happening. This is also the year she starred in Bonnie and Clyde - her first Oscar-nominated role.

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An Overview of Fashion Brand Twenty8Twelve by Sienna Miller

06 June 2010

Famous British model, actress and fashion designer Sienna Miller has recently risen above being known as the better half in Jude Law’s rocky relationship. With a hit fashion label called Twenty8Twelve, Miss Miller is showing an undeniable flair for trendy clothing and accessories. Launched in 2007, Twenty8Twelve is still doing well on its own.

Since Twenty8Twelve is one of the newest fashion lines, there isn’t a lot of history involved beyond the career of Sienna and a relationship with her sister Savannah. When the girls were still very young, Savannah displayed a knack for fashion while Sienna concentrated more on writing plays and on her dreams of becoming a famous actress.

Eventually, Sienna’s star shone bright enough to gain some recognition in the acting world. She started to become part of the Hollywood mainstream in the late 1990s and kept turning up in hit movies throughout the early 2000s. Her relationship with Jude Law helped to catapult her into the limelight, but Sienna ultimately carved out her own niche with her acting talents.

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A Short Biography of Motown Legend Diana Ross

27 May 2010

Known as one of R&B’s original divas, Diana Ross is a famous singer and actress who was instrumental in shaping the “Motown sound” in the 1960s and partly responsible for helping to change a country’s attitude about many social issues. As lead singer of the famous group The Supremes and as a solo artist, Ross has amassed over 100 million record sales across the globe.

Ross was born Diana Ernestine Earle Ross on March 26, 1944 in Detroit, Michigan. During the era, young black teenagers used to form into singing groups and perform on corners, in schools, or anywhere else they could showcase their music. Ross formed a group with some of her friends, including Mary Wilson and Florence Ballard. Barbara Martin was eventually added.

The group, known as The Supremes, was signed to Motown Records in 1961. Barbara Martin left the group in 1962, and instead of replacing her, the trio of girls powered on without a fourth member. Berry Gordy felt the set up was better this way. He also noticed that Diana stood out among the girls, and in 1963, Ross became the group’s lead vocalist.

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Biography of Austin Powers Star Michael York

20 May 2010

British actor Michael York was born March 27, 1942 in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire, England. Although York has been acting in film since the 1960s, he is best known for his recent work in the series of Austin Powers movies. Michael Myers’ three-part comedy series transformed a lot of the movie characters into pop culture icons, including York.

York lives in California today and is well known on the restaurant scene and in the liberal elite circles. He even appeared as himself in HBO’s hit comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing well with the series’ star Larry David as a partner investor in a money-pit-like venture.

Michael York is an Oxford-educated man who always showed great intelligence in his acting decisions. After growing up in Burgess Hill, Sussex, York started to pursue acting as a career in the mid 1950s. By 1956, he scored his first role in a production titled The Yellow Jacket. York would make his West End debut in 1959’s production of Hamlet.

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A Short Biography of Actress And Philanthropist Audrey Hepburn

18 May 2010

Iconic actress and philanthropist Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. To this day, Audrey remains one of Hollywood’s most loved stars, and she’s sometimes credited as the first legitimate non-blonde movie star in cinema history. She was well known for her beauty and grace on the screen, but she also became loved for her generosity off screen.

As a young girl, Audrey moved to England when her father’s job as an insurance agent meant the family needed to relocate. Due to the growing tensions in the world because of Hitler and the Nazis, Hepburn’s parents divorced in 1935. Her father was a Nazi sympathizer and all but wrecked the family with his ideology.

Although she was only 6 years old at the time, Audrey carried this traumatic experience with her for the rest of her life. She was forced to move again when the Nazi’s threatened invasion in 1939. She relocated to the Netherlands with her mother. Unfortunately, the Netherlands fell to Nazi occupation in 1940, so the family made the best of their surroundings and didn’t flee.

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Biography of Singer and Actress Olivia Newton John

15 May 2010

World famous singer and actress Olivia Newton John was born September 26, 1948 in Cambridge, England. Although the star is mostly known for her singing talents around the globe, having earned four Grammy awards and five number-one Billboard hits, she is also considered to be a talented actress.

Olivia was born into a highly academic family; however, she sought the limelight and decided at an early age to forego any ambition of academia. She moved to Australia when she was 5, and after only 10 years on the continent, Olivia started an all-girl singing group known as The Sol Four.

In that same year, she entered into a talent quest television show called Sing, Sing, Sing. She won this contest easily and, by 1963, John was a regular fixture on daytime television in Australia. The following year, a young Olivia returned to England and frequented the London scene, performing with a friend, Pat, in nightclubs and in cabaret.

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A Short Biography of Dudley Moore

26 April 2010

Talented actor and comedian Dudley Moore was born April 19, 1935 in Dagenham, London. Dudley was only 5 foot 2 inches tall, but his impressive swagger and comedic talents made him a hit with the ladies and earned him the nickname “The Sex Thimble.” Moore was an active performer until his death in 2002 at the age of 66.

Dudley’s story has become something of a legend where the actor is from. Being born to a lower working class family and raised in the notoriously meager East London, Moore always showed great determination in his life, overcoming his status, his height and a deformed left foot to lead an extremely successful life.

Although Moore had developed a joking personality at an early age, he didn’t necessarily aspire to be a comedian. Instead, Dudley wanted to become a musician. He began at an early age as a chorister and organist at church before earning a degree in music composition from Oxford and becoming an accomplished pianist.

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Legends of Cinema - Diane Keaton

20 April 2010

Award-winning actress, producer and director Diane Keaton was born January 5, 1946 in Los Angeles California. Keaton wasn’t the typical Hollywood type in her younger years, and her acting talents were in question for some time. However, after a storied career packed with blockbuster movies, Diane is now considered one of the industry’s premier actresses.

Keaton was born Diane Hall in California and is the oldest of four children. She was raised in an affluent community by parents with flourishing careers. Diane’s story isn’t the rags-to-riches saga that most fawn over, but her grit and determination is something to be admired for aspiring actors and actresses of the world.

Keaton wasn’t sure what she wanted to do with her life. It wasn’t until Diane witnessed her mother win the Mrs. Los Angeles pageant that she decided on a life of fame. Diane attended Santa Ana High School and participated actively in the school’s acting clubs. She also went to Santa Ana and Orange Coast College, where she studied acting.

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Legends of Cinema - John Travolta

15 April 2010

Iconic actor, dancer and singer John Travolta was born February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey. Travolta is sometimes referred to as the comeback kid, due to his early career that all but fizzled out until a timeless role in an independent film brought him back into the mainstream bigger and better than ever.

Travolta has the “everyman” appeal that makes his story very alluring to people of all ages looking for inspiration. As the youngest of six children in a quintessential Irish neighborhood, a young John Joseph Travolta wished to follow in his father’s footsteps as a football player before settling on acting.

His mother Helen was a small-time actor and singer who went on to become a high school English and drama teacher. After graduating from high school, John decided that her career path was more to his liking, and he jumped across the Hudson to New York and eventually landed a role in Broadway’s production of Over Here.

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Legends of Cinema - Jane Fonda

02 April 2010

Actress, fitness guru and stark political activist Jane Fonda was born on December 21, 1937 in New York, New York. Jane was a child of privilege, enjoying the fruits of her father’s - actor Henry Fonda - labor. From her plush surroundings in the big city, Fonda decided to follow in her father’s footsteps at a relatively early age.

Jane attended Vassar College after graduating high school, and soon after that, she began to study acting and working as a model. Eventually, with her own proven talents and her father’s name to prop her up, Jane landed a role in the 1960 film Tall Story. Although the film met only mediocre success, Fonda was a standout and her career began to take off.

The 1960s were a crazy time in Hollywood for actors. With the assassination of John F. Kennedy and a war in Vietnam that most in the elite culture shunned, more and more actors began to fervently speak out against America’s involvement overseas and even its lack of social justice here at home.

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Bio of David Bowie - a True Rock Enigma

30 March 2010

Almost impossible to describe with any one adjective, rock enigma David Bowie has been a world famous singer and actor for nearly five decades. Born January 8, 1947 in London as David Robert Hayward Jones, Bowie is perhaps the most famous glam rock entertainer of all time, sharing the title with - and earning it because of - his alter ego Ziggy Stardust.

David grew up in Brixton, a poor part of London, and claims to have decided on his career at a very early age. Bowie would turn to music for an escape, but unlike many who share a similar story, David’s musical tastes were perhaps more eclectic than any other music star in history.

By the time Bowie was a teenager, he was already on the music scene and trying out different bands. He fronted such bands at the King Bees, Mannish Boys, the Konrads and the Lower Third. David was also acting in small stage roles and working in advertising, and this reflected in his varying musical tastes.

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Meryl Streep - one of the greatest actresses of this generation

29 March 2010

Widely appreciated as one of the greatest actresses this generation, Meryl Streep was born June 22, 1949 in Summit, New Jersey. Since beginning her stage career in the early 1960s, Meryl has been a virtual powerhouse of the motion picture industry, starring alongside some of the greatest actors to ever grace the screen.

Meryl was born Mary Louise Streep and was raised in an upper middle class neighborhood in Bernardsville, New Jersey. After graduating as class valedictorian from Bernards High, she then enrolled at Vassar College in 1971 and earned her B.A. in Drama. After leaving Vassar, Streep then attended Yale.

At the Yale School of Drama, a young Meryl began to hone her craft while playing various roles in the school’s bevy of onstage productions. After graduating from Yale, Streep would then go on to perform in several theaters throughout New York City, including an appearance at the New York Shakespeare Festival.

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Legends of Cinema - Christopher Reeve

24 March 2010

Emblematic actor and stark advocate for stem cell research Christopher Reeve was born September 25, 1952 in New York City, New York. Although he will always be remembered as Superman, Reeve actually had a very long movie career that saw him suit up for various roles.

At an evening horse riding competition in Culpeper, Virginia in 1995, Reeve fell from his horse and landed on his neck, suffering extreme spinal cord injuries. He became a quadriplegic and required both a wheelchair and breathing machine until his death in 2004.

After the accident, Reeve launched himself into the movement for furthering research into stem cell technology. He is known to have said that he has led a fuller life since thew accident and today, both his Reeve-Irvine Research Center and Christopher Reeve Foundation continue to do great work in the field of spinal injuries and stem cell research.

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A Short Biography of Vanessa Redgrave

22 March 2010

Famous English actress Vanessa Redgrave was born January 30, 1937 in London, England. During the early to mid 1900s, the Redgrave’s were one of the UK’s most loved and well respected acting families.

Vanessa’s father, Sir Michael Redgrave, was a talented actor who worked alongside such legends as Laurence Olivier.

Vanessa’s entire family, past and present, were talented actors. Her sister Lynn appeared in films and on stage, and her brother Corin was a widely successful stage director and stage actor. After marrying actor Tony Richardson in the 1960s, Vanessa had two children, Natasha and Joely Richardson, who are both respected actors.

Growing up in such a family, Vanessa knew acting is what she wanted to do at an early age. Much of her childhood was spent watching her mother and father on the stage, as well as watching her family’s friends on the big screen, and by the time she was 20, Vanessa debuted in 1957’s play, A Touch of the Sun.

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Marilyn Monroe - One Of The Biggest Hollywood Icons

27 February 2010

Marilyn Monroe was undoubtedly one of the most famous actresses from the 1950s. She was born as Norma Jeane Mortenson but later baptized as Norma Jeane Baker.

Norma Jeanes childhood was everything but idealistic, her mother was mentally ill therefore she spent a great deal of time as a child in foster homes and orphanages.

Norma Jeane caught her first modeling break in 1946 when it was suggested by a photographer that she apply to The Blue Book Modeling Agency.

Norma Jeans career didnt come easy to her, as there were changes she needed to make in her life to make it happen. Some of the most notable at that time were dying her brunette hair to blonde and divorcing her husband who was unsupportive of her career.

She went on to have a very successful modeling career and would eventually become one of Blue Books most successful models. As a result of her success she was discovered by Ben Lyon from 20th Century Fox. After impressing company executives during a screen test Norma Jeane was offered a six month contract. The only catch was Norma Jeane needed a stage name, and with that Marilyn Monroe was born.

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Stage and Screen Acting Legend - Ellen Burstyn

18 February 2010

Edna Rae Gillooly, better known as Ellen Burstyn was born in Detroit Michigan on December 7th, 1932. When Ellen Burstyn was in High School she spent a great deal of her time dancing, cheerleading and was even on the student council. She also spent some time modeling for a local department store. She knew from a very young age that she wanted to be an actress so she devoted a lot of her time to her craft.

Ellen Burstyn eventually decided that an academic education was not in the cards for her so she quit school in 1950 to get married. This marriage only lasted five years. When the marriage was over she began to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She eventually found work in a Montreal Nightclub as a dancer and in 1957 she landed the leading role in a play called Fair Game.

Ellen Burstyn appeared to have a natural gift for acting, her role in Fair Game was granted many positive reviews. However, stage performing was not enough for her so she went on to conquer Hollywood next and she managed to land guest roles on a couple of television series using the name Ellen McCrae. She got married to Neil Burstyn during this time and had a son with him in 1962.

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Biography of Al Pacino

17 February 2010

Alfredo James Pacino better known simply as Al Pacino was born on April 25th, 1940. He is best known for his film work in the Godfather Trilogy and Scarface.

Life was not always easy for Al Pacino, his parents divorced when he was only two years old. His early years were a time of great struggle. He didnt do well in school and in fact dropped out when he was 17 because he was failing almost everything except English. His mother was not impressed with his decision and as a result of this he moved out of her house.

Al Pacino knew from early on that he wanted to be an actor and the only way he was going to succeed at this was to take acting lessons. He worked at many low paying public service positions in order to finance his dream. At this stage in his life it was not uncommon for him to be completely unemployed and at some points even homeless.

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Sean Connery - The Quintessential James Bond

21 December 2009

Sir Thomas Sean Connery, or Sean Connery as most know him, was born on August 25th, 1930, in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh, Scotland. As one of the world’s most celebrated actors, Connery has acted in numerous films over the years, including the James Bond series.

Though he is officially retired from acting now at the age of 77, Connery is often considered the best to ever don the title of 007. Connery has appeared in seven Bond films: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, and Never Say Never Again.

This daunting actor was discovered by Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli after other aspirants to the Bond role were eliminated. Cary Grant and James Mason, each a very popular actor respectively, refused to sign on to star in a series of films due to the studio’s low budget. Because of this, the producers were forced to hire an unknown.

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Biography of Jude Law

16 December 2009

Although the "Hollywood" culture is decidedly American, British actors and actresses have always been more than welcome into the elite California club; moreover, Britain has a large enough market for celebrities to thrive in as is, even without help from the west. Jude Law, what many would describe as a crossover, experiences the best of both worlds.

The English actor has been a star in his home country and over in the States for over a decade now, and though his career has slowed down a bit, it certainly hasn’t tapered off completely. Jude graces the covers of magazines and pops up in films as regular as the rain. Of course, these days it’s more like the California rain - a bit rarer than the UK’s.

David Jude Law was born December 29, 1972 in Lewisham, London, England. Jude would start his on-stage career early in life. His parents were both schoolteachers, and at only 13 years of age, he began acting in productions such as Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Unlike many young aspiring actors who graduate, attend drama school, and then claw their way through the ranks until that big break arrives, Jude was plucked out of school, barely a teenager, to act on the British soap Families. After this role garnered some success, Jude quit school altogether at 16.

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Bio of George Clooney

27 November 2009

From playing an oddball handyman on the Facts of Life to turning up the heat in ER, George Clooney made an acting leap that most actors only dream of. He was a multi-millionaire, being paid to work a few hours a day on a mega-hit television show as a well-respected doctor.

With the show airing until 2009, Clooney, if he would have stayed with the show, could have made in excess of 300 million dollars. Instead, he decided to aim for movies. Clooney is the proverbial self-criticizing actor. No matter what role he takes, he’s always looking for something that requires more skill and depth to pull off. After 27 years of acting, he’s had more than his fair share of opportunities.

George Timothy Clooney was born on May 6, 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky. Clooney did well in school and attended both Northern Kentucky University and the University of Cincinnati, but didn’t graduate from either school. George had his mind set on being an actor, and in 1984, he was cast in the series E/R.

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Frank Sinatra - An Entertainer for 6 Decades

18 November 2009

Ol’ Blue Eyes, the Chairman of the Board, and the man everyone could recognize as simply "The Voice": That was Francis Albert Sinatra. Born on December 12, 1915 in Hoboken, New Jersey, Sinatra was the son of a fire-fighting boxer and a politically-driven mother.

To anyone examining Frank’s legacy, it seems his career spanned the entire 1900s - a accolade that isn’t far off the truth at all. Sinatra was a singer, award-winning actor, and a director and producer of both film and music. When he died in 1998, the world lost one its most famous and most talented icons.

Sinatra started out his life wanting to be a professional sportswriter. It wasn’t until hearing Bing Crosby on the radio that a young Sinatra decided to give singing a try. Around the time WWII started, Sinatra’s singing career began to take off.

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Sienna Miller - truly one of Hollywood's �it� girls

13 November 2009

The movie industry seems to always have room for the blondes. In Sienna Miller’s case, she doesn’t fit the archetype mid-1900s voluptuous, glam blonde bombshell, but Hollywood does have a soft spot for her innocent charm and drop-dead gorgeous looks.

Unfortunately, as Miller’s career started, she was known simply as Jude Law’s girlfriend. As the two met and planned on getting married while starring together in the 2004 film Alfie, Law and Miller made tabloid headlines, first for their seemingly perfect relationship, and then again after news leaked about Jude’s philandering. Nevertheless, Miller survived this onslaught of bad publicity and her career is still pushing forward today.

Born December 28, 1981 in New York City, Sienna Rose Miller moved to England as a child with her family. She went to the Heathfield School in Ascot and studied for a while at the Lee Strasberg Institute.

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Biography of Brad Pitt

04 November 2009

There aren’t many men in the world who wouldn’t love to be Brad Pitt. The actor has led somewhat of a charmed life since becoming a movie star. He was with Friends beauty Jennifer Aniston for years before getting together with Angelina Jolie. He’s a perennial threat to win the Sexiest Man Alive award.

To top all this off, Pitt’s a selfless humanitarian who’s planning on running for the Mayor of New Orleans - where he and Jolie moved their family to be closer to Katrina victims. Add to that the fact that he’s paid in excess of 20 million dollars to shoot a film and you have the makings of a dream life.

But Brad wasn’t always Brad. Born William Bradley Pitt on December 18, 1963 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Brad and his family soon moved to Springfield, Missouri where the child was raised as a Southern Baptist. From a young age, Pitt displayed a flair for the spotlight.

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Angelina Jolie - One of the biggest stars in cinema today

20 October 2009

With a superstar husband who is literally the envy of most women in the world, Angelina Jolie could be famous for just that. Instead, the eccentric daughter of actor Jon Voight takes a more brazen approach. She is one of the most highly respected female actors of the current generation, and when it comes to humanitarian acts, few people in the world put more time and effort into helping people’s lives than Angelina Jolie.

Although she’s had her fair share of controversy, mostly stemming from her Mrs. Billy Bob Thornton days, Angelina has come out on the other side smelling like roses. She’s a top movie star with an extremely impressive resume.

Angelina Jolie Voight was born June 4, 1975 in Los Angeles, California. Jolie was born into celebrity. Her father is award-winning actor Jon Voight and her god-mother is Jacqueline Bisset. In 1976, while young Angelina was only a year old, Jon and Marcheline divorced and Marcheline took Angelina to the Palisades in New York to raise her.

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Jack Nicholson - one of the best actors in history

30 September 2009

Jack Nicholson is one of the most revered actors in Hollywood’s long and illustrious history. Starring in classics, like The Shining, Chinatown, and The Postman Always Rings Twice, early on in his career, Jack set the stage for a classic on-screen demeanor that he would carry on through mega-hits like The Witches of Eastwick, Wolf and The Bucket List.

Nicholson’s mere presence in A Few Good Men made the movie a smash hit. His famous line, "You can’t handle the truth!" is one of the most-repeated movie lines of all time. At 72 years of age, Nicholson is still going strong.

The man we know as "Jack" was born John Joseph Nicholson on April 22, 1937 in Neptune, New Jersey. A child of the Great Depression, Nicholson’s early life was typical Americana, and he got by on very little. Jack wanted to be an actor by the time he was finished with school, and shortly after he graduated at age 17, he moved out west to Los Angeles to try to break into the business.

Nicholson’s true life story is much like a Hollywood tale, and many actors have tried his approach since. He was working as an office boy at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and eventually caught a break and landed a role in The Cry-Baby Killer, a 1958 horror film by Roger Corman.

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Steve McQueen - One of America's best-loved actors

23 September 2009

Many say that if he was from the UK, Steve McQueen could have easily been the quintessential James Bond. Others claim that he was the original on-screen tough guy, the "King of Cool," and during the 1960s and 70s, McQueen’s roles as the antithesis of a hero made him one of the top box office draws of the day.

Fans of McQueen respected his humble roots. When Steve’s star was shining bright, America was going through a massive culture shift. Steve’s life reminded some that the American dream was still possible. He was a small-town boy from a broken home, with a poor education, but still managed to become one of the highest-paid actors in the business.

Elvis and The Beatles had an uber-fan following, but they were musicians primarily. McQueen had the same amount of fanfare for simply acting in movies. The only real difference was the primary gender of the fans. Every guy around wanted to be Steve. McQueen embodied what it meant to be your own person for many.

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Sir Michael Caine biography, one of England's finest actors

13 September 2009

Sir Michael Caine, one of England’s finest actors, has been part of a string of Hollywood blockbusters recently. With his work in Children of Men, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, and The Prestige, Caine proves that older actors still make quite an impression on the silver screen.

Currently, Caine is busy working on the latest Batman sequel with fellow Englishman Christian Bale. The 76-year-old actor is showing no signs of slowing down, and with multiple movies in the works, Caine’s latter years are shaping up to be much busier than his early ones.

Michael Caine was born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite, Jr. on March 14, 1933 in Rotherhithe, Southeast London, England. Caine grew up in Camberwell and was moved to North Runcton during WWII. In 1944, Caine earned a scholarship to Hackney Downs Grocers School, and in 1952, Caine served two years in the British Army. He would see combat in the Korean War.

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Bio of Movie Legend Bo Derek

27 August 2009

Bo Derek is perhaps the only actress in the history of Hollywood to be given a number as a nickname. During her heyday, people simply referred to Bo Derek as "10," complimenting her physical prowess as one of the most gorgeous starlets of the day; and not to mention the fact that she starred in a movie of the same name.

The 52-year-old actress is still appearing in the occasional role today, but her past films have almost all become instant classics, though for reasons other than acting. Movie buffs have an affinity for the Hollywood beauties of old, and Bo Derek is about as beautiful as they come.

Like a lot of actresses of the time, the name "Bo" was chosen for stage purposes; "Derek" was the last name of her former husband. She was born Mary Cathleen Collins in Long Beach, California on November 20, 1956.

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