Vin Diesel

Full Biography
An overnight action film sensation who intrigued audiences when he seemingly emerged from nowhere in the summer of 2001, Vin Diesel actually made his first mark on the movie business as a filmmaker. His first two independent films screened at the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals after which the hulking, clean-shaven actor was snapped up by Hollywood and transformed into a movie star with high-octane hits “The Fast and the Furious” (2001) and “XXX” (2002). Diesel went on to receive decent reviews for his dramatic performance in “Find me Guilty” (2005), and found box office success with the Disney comedy “The Pacifier” (2005), but audiences were generally reluctant to accept him in anything but sequels to his breakout action films. The super-hype that surrounded the actor’s instant stardom quickly gave way to borderline has-been status, with the Diesel’s steadiest success coming in the form of seemingly endless revivals of his two best-known characters.

Born Mark Sinclair Vincent in New York City, NY on July 18, 1967, Vin Diesel began acting with the Theatre for the New City at the age of seven. After studying English at Hunter College, he began penning screenplays and making films. His short "Multi-Facial" debuted at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival and his first full-length feature, "Strays" (1997) premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. Written, co-produced, directed and starring Diesel, "Strays" was an ensemble drama about male friendships that many compared – sometimes unfavorably – with "Saturday Night Fever" (1977) and "Diner" (1982).

Diesel gave another strong performance in the ensemble of the Wall Street-centered thriller "Boiler Room" (2000), but his true breakout came with his starring role as hard-driving car thief and street gang racer Dominic Toretto in the surprise summer blockbuster, "The Fast and the Furious" (2001), in which The New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell characterized Diesel as a "slacker Robert Mitchum, if that's not redundant." Diesel became an overnight sensation that summer, with the relative unknown fueling curiosity about himself by evading questions about his sexuality and his ethnic background, revealing only that he was part Italian and considered himself “a person of color.”

Appearing in only a brief cameo in the 2005 sequel “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift,” Diesel tried to explore new territory with the sci-fi thriller “Babylon A.D.” (2008), adapted from the novel Babylon Babies by Maurice Georges Dantec. Diesel received a critical drubbing for the second-rate offering and retreated to a surefire hit territory by finally reprising his role in the fourth sequel “Fast & Furious” (2009), which reunited the cast of the original film. Unsurprisingly, the film broke box office records and reinvigorated Vin Diesel’s reputation as an action star. Meanwhile his distinctive voice continued to be one of his most valuable assets, and he lent it to the animated film “Rockfish” (2009) and video games “The Wheelmen” and “Chronicles of Riddick.”

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Jackie Chan

Full Biography
If Buster Keaton were alive and well and living in Hong Kong, directing and starring in kung fu comedies, the end eroduct would probably resemble the films of Jackie Chan. Chan's action sequences, while at least as thrilling as the very best of Hollywood, are further distinguished by meticulous, witty choreography that transforms potentially lethal action into elaborate clowning. As in Keaton's films, the viewer's laughter is sometimes stifled by awe at the sheer physical prowess on display.
With his disarming smile and compact (5'9", 150 lbs) yet muscular frame, Chan does not look or act like a traditional action hero. As The New York Post film critic Jami Bernard observed: "Unlike American action heroes, Chan often takes his lumps, takes the easy way out, or even opts to run." Most of the films that built his reputation have the amiable atmosphere of boys' adventures; they are light, good-natured and surprisingly chaste. Chan offers a benign alternative to such macho Hollywood stars as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jean-Claude Van Damme. What's more, as a trained martial artist, he could effortlessly kick their pampered butts.

Reputedly a veteran of more than 100 films (more than 40 as an adult), Chan first starred in cheaply produced martial arts movies (e.g., "New Fist of Fury" 1976), in which he aped the fearsome fighting style of the late, great Bruce Lee. He only became Asia's number one box-office star after perfecting his own disarming comic persona and a deliriously slapstick, yet acrobatic, fighting style to match. Chan does all his own stunt work and has almost been killed on several occasions. With his notoriety, no insurance company will underwrite his productions. He had to form the Jackie Chan Stuntmen Association after so many stuntmen were injured during the making of "Police Story" (1985) that none were willing to work with him again. Once he had assembled his own team, Chan trained them personally and paid their medical bills out of his own pocket. He also formed Jackie's Angels, a casting and modeling agency, to cast his increasingly elaborate productions.

Chan's life is already the stuff of Hong Kong legend. He has claimed that his family was so poor at the time of his birth that they offered to sell him to the British doctor who delivered him because they could not afford to pay the medical bill or feed their child. (They eventually reconsidered the sale.) Chan's father and mother found work, as a cook and maid respectively, at the French consulate in Hong Kong before moving to Australia to work at the US embassy when Chan was a small child. The six-year-old was sent back to HK alone in 1961 to be indentured to a ten year stint with the Chinese Opera Research Institute.

From five in the morning to nearly midnight, the young Chan endured an exceedingly rigorous training program in the techniques of Peking Opera. This entailed singing, dancing, mime, acrobatics and a variety of martial arts, all under threat of corporal punishment (caning) and food deprivation. Yu Shan Yuan, the strict master of the school, placed Chan--then called Yuan Lou--in a student performance group called the Seven Little Fortunes, where he began his more than three decade association with the supremely talented Samo Hung and Yuen Biao. The Three Brothers, as they came to call themselves, formed an awesomely coordinated action-comedy trio and performed in "Wheels on Meals" (1983) and "Dragons Forever" (1988), both directed by Hung, and the Chan-directed classic "Project A" (1983).

Chan began his film career at age eight in the Cantonese feature "Big and Little Wong Tin Bar" (1962). He went on to appear in a number of HK singing films. Chan is said to have been in more than 25 films by age ten. He graduated at age 17 and, using the name Chen Yuan Long, found work as a stunt man, martial arts fighter and extra at the Shaw Brothers studios. Chan was gratified to receive a compliment from Bruce Lee while serving as the stunt double for the dreaded Mr. Suzuki in "Fist of Fury/The Chinese Connection" (1971). Chan successfully executed what was reportedly the highest fall ever attempted in a HK film, duly impressing Lee.

Becoming the highest paid film artist in Hong Kong and cultivating an international following, Chan has surpassed the prematurely deceased Lee to become the biggest box-office draw in Japan and the rest of Asia. He has repeatedly set and broken box-office records with some of the most lavish productions in Asian cinema. Chan is also a sensation as a pop recording star; many of his films feature him singing the themes and performing numbers.

Beginning with "The Big Brawl" (1980), Chan also made several attempts to cross over to fame on the American screen with limited success: as part of the large comedy ensembles headed by Burt Reynolds in the two "Cannonball Run" racecar movies (1980, 1983) and as an unlikely NYC cop opposite Danny Aiello in "The Protector" (1985). Chan did not have creative control over these efforts nor did he coordinate the stunts. Though there was a devoted cult following in the English-speaking world familiar with his superlative HK productions developed, most Americans were not given a genuine chance to sample his creative wares. Chan avoided these pitfalls with "Rumble in the Bronx" (1996), his fifth English-language release.

Teamed with former stunt man/precision driver-turned-director Stanley Tong (who had helmed Chan's 1992 "Police Story III: Supercop") and pop star-actress Anita Mui (sometimes described as "the Asian Madonna"), Chan had creative control over "Rumble in the Bronx". Shot in Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia, this joint venture between Hong Kong's Golden Harvest and the US's New Line Cinema served up an old-fashioned story with state-of-the-art stunts bolstered with a major marketing campaign. Chan had arrived, turning up in numerous publications, getting keys to various cities and chatting on TV with David Letterman and Jay Leno. In the film, he portrayed a vacationing HK cop dealing with gangs and the mob in a quirky and rather quaint Bronx of the imagination. The nonsensical story provided an excellent showcase both for Chan's peerless athleticism and his engagingly boyish personality. Despite some unconvincing dubbing, reviewers and audiences were charmed and astounded. Raking in a quick $10 million, the modestly budgeted ($6 million) "Rumble" became the number one film of its opening week. America had finally discovered Jackie Chan. Executives promptly scrambled to bring in more of Hong Kong's most famous export.

While his next few films stumbled at the box office (i.e., "Mr. Nice Guy" 1998), "Rush Hour" (also 1998) proved to be a crowd pleaser, teaming the martial artist with rising comic actor Chris Tucker and led to the inevitable sequel (2001's "Rush Hour 2"). The immense popularity of the "Rush Hour" films set the tone for the next stage in Chan's U.S. career -- instead of being called on to carry a picture on his own, he would be teamed with a popular sidekick in action-oriented buddy comedies. The actor's next successful outing was with Owen Wilson in "Shanghai Noon" (2000), a highly amusing comedy-Western casting Chan as the Chinese Chon Wang (sounds like "John Wayne") seeking a kidnapped princess in the Old West with the help of Wilson's scalawag Roy O'Bannon. Once again Chan showed real charm as a fish-out-of-water, and provided a great foil for an up-and-coming comic actor.

In 2002, Chan joined with the less-comedically gifted Jennifer Love Hewitt in the action comedy "The Tuxedo," which was made with some verve and ingenuity but didn't lure large audiences; and in 2003, he rejoined Wilson for the sequel "Shanghai Knights" which took the two leads to London for a further dose of slapstick action. That same year, Chan starred in the English language Hong Kong actioner "The Medallion," playing a detective who suffers a fatal accident involving a mysterious medallion and is transformed into an immortal warrior with superhuman powers. Most critics found the film to be a fairly standard Chan outing, with a few eye-popping action stunts and a potent dose of Chan's charms, but otherwise unexceptional.

Chan next appeared headlining the all-star ensemble of "Around the World in 80 Days" (2004), a loose, comedic version of the classic Jules Verne novel in which Chan played Phileas Fogg's traveling companion, Passepartout--repositioned this time as the true star of the story, a Chinese thief traveling incognito and defending the eccentric Fogg from a variety of menaces and bizarre situations.

Family
father:Charles Chan (Worked at the French consulate in Hong Kong; subsequently worked at the American embassy in Australia; died in 2008, after battling with prostate cancer)
mother:Lee-Lee Chan (Worked at the French embassy in Hong Kong; subsequently worked at the American embassy in Australia; died in 2002)
son:J C Chan (Born c. 1982; sees his father three or four times a year)
wife:Lin Feng-jiao (Taiwanese; separated from Chan)




Profession(s):
Actor, producer, director, stunt choreographer, guild president, singer, executive, stuntman, extra, comic book creator, martial arts coordinator, dishwasher, bricklayer

Sometimes Credited As:
Chan Kong Sang
Chan Kwong-Sang
Chen Gang Shen
Chen Yuan Long
Cheng Leng
Cheng Lung
Fong Si Lung
Jacky Chan
Sing Lung
Yuan Lou
Yuen Lou

Companion(s)
Elaine Ng , Companion , ```..Was at one time crowned Miss Asia; Chan admitted to having a relationship with Ng during filming of "Gorgeous" (1999) at which time she became pregnant with his child


Education
Nah-Hwa Primary School Hong Kong
Chinese Drama Academy Hong Kong 1961


Education
Nah-Hwa Primary School Hong Kong
Chinese Drama Academy Hong Kong 1961


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Russell Crowe

Profession(s):
Actor, singer, musician, songwriter, producer, director, screenwriter, street performer, bingo-number caller, waiter, bartender


Sometimes Credited As:
Rus Le Roq
Russell Ira Crowe



Full Biography

A galvanizing presence whose prodigious talents earned him Hollywood's highest acting accolades, but whose mercurial – and occasionally violent – temperament put him in hot water publicly, actor Russell Crowe ultimately built a reputation as an A-list leading man, whose electric performances well overshadowed his so-called bad boy nature. With an intense breakout performance as a racist skinhead in the Australian-made “Romper Stomper” (1992), Crowe established himself as an actor on the rise. Crossing the Pacific, he exploded off the screen as a violent 1950s police detective in “L.A. Confidential” (1997), announcing loudly to American audiences that he had arrived on U.S. shores. Two years later, Crowe earned his first Academy Award nomination with a sterling performance as a tobacco executive trapped between telling the truth and protecting his family in “The Insider” (1999). But it was his turn as a Roman general-turned -professional fighter in “Gladiator” (2000) that brought home Oscar glory and cemented Crowe’s status as one of the truly gifted actors of his generation.
Born on Apr. 7, 1964 in Wellington, New Zealand, Crowe grew up in and around show business. His grandfather, Stan Wemyss, was a cinematographer whose footage of World War II earned him the title of Member of the Order of the British Empire. His parents, Alex and Jocelyn, were both film set caterers who moved the family to Australia because of better job opportunities, providing Crowe ready access when he began acting at age six. His first onscreen role was in an episode of the Australian TV series "Spyforce,” starring Jack Thompson – a part he landed thanks to his mother, who worked on the show. When Crowe was 14, the family moved back to their native New Zealand where his father took over managing a pub called The Flying Jug. About this time, Crowe began performing in rock bands under the name Rus Le Roq, though much of his early music was not especially well-received.

Determined to pursue a career in show business, Crowe returned to Australia when he was 18. Within a year of his return, Crowe landed a role singing and dancing on stage in an Australian production of "Grease.” While he spent two years (1986-88) touring as Dr Frank N Furter in "The Rocky Horror Show,” it was his turn in Willy Russell's "Blood Brothers" (1989) that caught the attention of director George Ogilvie, who cast him in a leading role the triangular drama "The Crossing" (1990). It was on the set of this film that he met his longtime girlfriend and later wife, actress-singer, Danielle Spencer. Playing a dishwasher who befriends a blind photographer in Jocelyn Moorhouse's "Proof" (1991) earned Crowe strong reviews, as well as the Best Supporting Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute. He copped a Best Actor trophy and international fame the following year for a blistering, yet nuanced performance as the vicious leader of a skinhead gang lashing out against a growing number of Asian immigrants in the controversial "Romper Stomper.” That same year, Crowe – who had been a musician since he was a teenager – formed the rock band 30 Odd Foot of Grunts with his old mates from Australia. Over the years, the band recorded several albums, none of which achieved any notable recognition or success.

With several films achieving success on the art house circuit, Crowe was established internationally and began to invoke comparisons with another transplanted Aussie, Mel Gibson. He followed up with an intriguing variety of offbeat projects, ranging from the historical drama "Hammers Over the Anvil" to the children's film "The Silver Stallion King of the Wild Brumbies" (both 1993). Crowe gave another splendid performance as a virginal Welsh Baptist in "Love in Limbo" (1993) and shone as a gay plumber living with his middle-aged father (Jack Thompson) as both search for love in "The Sum of Us" (1994). It was inevitable for Hollywood to woo him with roles like his gunslinger-turned-preacher in the punchy Sharon Stone-produced western, "The Quick and the Dead" and as the malevolent computer-generated serial killer in Denzel Washington’s star vehicle, "Virtuosity" (both 1995).

Thanks to Crowe’s brooding onscreen intensity, director Curtis Hanson offered him the plum role of Officer Bud White, a quick-tempered, brutal homicide detective in the superb adaptation of James Ellroy’s noir thriller "L.A. Confidential" (1997). Paired with fellow Aussie mate Guy Pearce and Oscar-winner Kevin Spacey, the actor completed a trio of detectives who investigate a web of police corruption and public scandal in 1950s Los Angeles. With a higher profile and an armload of good notices, Crowe next played a hockey player who gets the chance to play against a professional team in the David E. Kelley-scripted "Mystery, Alaska" before landing the choice role of tobacco industry whistle-blower Jeffrey Wigand in Michael Mann's fictional take on a true story, "The Insider" (both 1999). Crowe won particular acclaim – including a Best Actor Oscar nomination – for his characterization of a family man who risks his life and reputation to refute public testimony given by cigarette manufacturers. The fact the he was able to morph into a paunchy, balding middle-aged man believably, also added to the growing comparisons to Brando and DeNiro.

As a follow-up, Crowe buffed up and undertook the title role in Ridley Scott's big-budgeted summer release "Gladiator.” Playing Maximus, a fallen Roman general-turned-professional fighter, the actor more than dominated the film – he tore a hole in the big screen with his intensity – earning rave notices and a Best Actor Academy Award for his efforts. The role solidified Crowe as one of Hollywood's top actors and most bankable male movie stars. He rounded out the year playing a professional negotiator in kidnapping cases who comes to the aid of an American woman in a fictional South American country in "Proof of Life." The movie, however, was overshadowed by the media’s reporting of his brief fling with co-star Meg Ryan, whose then-marriage to Dennis Quaid was falling apart. A critical drubbing coupled with audience indifference – and some disgust over Crowe’s assumed corrupting of “America’s Sweetheart” by the press – put a final stake into the film, making it one of Crowe’s least memorable.

The disappointing box office and domestic scandal notwithstanding, Crowe emerged unscathed. He next portrayed John Nash, a real-life mathematician who descended into schizophrenia only to overcome his illness and go on to win a Nobel Prize in Ron Howard’s biopic "A Beautiful Mind" (2001). His beautifully realized, nuanced performance ranked as one of his best to date and earned the actor his third consecutive Best Actor Academy Award nomination, as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Unfortunately, the well-earned Oscar slipped through his fingers following the first of a series of public altercations which cast a temporary shadow over his onscreen accomplishments. During Crowe’s acceptance of a BAFTA for Best Actor for “A Beautiful Mind,” the BAFTA show’s producer cut him off mid-speech and mid-poem, causing a fracas backstage when Crowe reportedly pinned the producer against the wall, threatening him and hurling obscenities. Feeling put upon by the media's excessive attention to his personal life – especially his reputation as a brawler – Crowe retreated from the limelight for a spell, emerging only to marry longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend Danielle Spencer and to subsequently announce his impending fatherhood in 2003.

At the end of that year, however, Crowe's name was again on the lips of filmgoers, critics and the Hollywood elite following his much-praised performance in director Peter Weir's "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." In the rollicking, harrowing high-seas adventure based on the series of 20 historical novels by Patrick O'Brien, Crowe made for a perfect screen incarnation of Capt. "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, the skipper of the beleaguered British naval vessel the H.M.S. Surprise during the Napoleonic Wars, who wrestles with his conscience as he forces his crew to embark on a perilous pursuit of their enemy. Crowe's turn was immediately hailed as award-worthy, and the actor yet again demonstrated his lack of vanity and commitment to his craft when he physically bulked up to match the heavyset literary description of Lucky Jack. Though no Oscar nod was forthcoming, Crowe did receive a nomination for Best Actor in a dramatic role at the 2003 Golden Globes.

After a yearlong absence from the big screen, Crowe reunited for the third time with director Ron Howard for "Cinderella Man" (2005) and received yet another round of glowing reviews – and another Golden Globe nod – for his effective, charming turn as Depression-era fighter and folk hero Jim Braddock, who defeated heavyweight champ Max Baer in a 15-round slugfest in 1935. In his initial public appearances to promote the film, Crowe seemed more relaxed and at peace with himself than ever before. So it came as a bit of a shock when, in an even more publicized smackdown, the actor was arrested for assault in New York City the week of the film's debut after he allegedly threw a telephone at a hotel concierge in a fit of pique when he could not reach his wife in Australia. The actor subsequently appeared on “The Late Show” (CBS, 1993- ) alongside host David Letterman to publicly apologize for his by-then infamous short fuse, while pleading guilty in November 2005 to third-degree assault in a court of law. He paid $160 in court fees and was told to behave himself for a year, avoiding a more serious charge that could have landed him in prison and cost him his U.S. work visa.

With the ugliness of the assault behind him – at least legally – Crowe went back to work, starring in a couple of small budget films – perhaps, in part, to maintain a low profile. In “A Good Year” (2006), his second collaboration with Ridley Scott, Crowe played an investment banker operating in the cutthroat world of London finance who reluctantly agrees to take over a small vineyard after the death of his uncle (Albert Finney). It is in the open French countryside where he eventually learns – thanks in part to a local café owner (Marion Cotillard) – that life is meant to be savored. After providing the narration for “Bra Boys” (2007), an Australian documentary about a much-maligned surfer community living near the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, Crowe returned to high profile features with the gritty western “3:10 to Yuma” (2007). In it, he played an imprisoned desperado who convinces a desperate rancher (Christian Bale) to help him escape in exchange for a share of hidden loot. Also in 2007, Crowe played a detective who teams up with a former drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) in order to expose corrupt cops and foreign nationals profiting from smuggling heroin in the true-to-life drama, “American Gangster.”


Family
brother:Terry Crowe (older)
cousin:Martin Crowe
cousin:Jeff Crowe
father:Alex Crowe (married Crowe's mother in 1961)
grandfather:Stan Wemyss (named an MBE for his work shooting footage during WWII; Crowe wore the MBE to the 2001 Academy Awards)
mother:Jocelyn Crowe (married Crowe's father in 1961)
son:Charles Spencer Crowe (born December 21, 2003; mother, Danielle Spencer)
son:Tennyson Crowe (born July 7, 2006; mother is Danielle Spencer)
uncle:David Crowe (father of Jeff and Martin)
wife:Danielle Spencer (met while filming the "Crossing"; the pair had a lengthy on-again, off-again romance; engaged December 2002; married April 7, 2003)


Companion(s)
Jamie O'Neal , Companion , ```..dated in 1988
Meg Ryan , Companion , ```..began highly publicized relationship during filming of "Proof of Life" in 2000; separated in December 2000
Nicole Kidman , Companion , ```..rumored to have dated in 2002; a report was later released that the source who claimed to have witnessed them kissing, dancing, etc in Mexico had lied

Awards
BAFTA Award Best Actor "A Beautiful Mind" 2002 Australian Film Institute Global Achievement Award 2001 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Actor "A Beautiful Mind" 2001 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award Best Actor "A Beautiful Mind" 2001 Golden Globe Award Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama) "A Beautiful Mind" 2001 ShoWest Male Star of the Year 2001 The Actor Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role "A Beautiful Mind" 2001 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Actor "Gladiator" 2000 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award Best Actor "Gladiator" 2000 London Film Critics' Circle Award Best Actor "Gladiator" 2000 Oscar Best Actor "Gladiator" 2000 San Diego Film Critics Award Best Actor "Gladiator" 2000 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Actor "The Insider" 1999 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award Best Actor "The Insider" 1999 National Board of Review Award Best Actor "The Insider" 1999 National Society of Film Critics Award Best Actor "The Insider" 1999 Australian Film Institute Award Best Actor "Romper Stomper" 1992 Australian Film Institute Award Best Supporting Actor "Proof" 19

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Miley Cyrus

Full Biography
On the Disney Channel series “Hannah Montana” (2006- ), Miley Cyrus played a perky, charming middle-school student who just happened to lead a double life as the pop queen Hannah Montana, disguising her true identity by means of a wig. While the premise was the definition of hokey TV fabrications, it was actually not too far removed from Cyrus’ own life. The decidedly normal young girl from Nashville, TN, also happened to be the daughter of ‘90s country chart-topper-turned-actor Billy Ray Cyrus, and began launching her own singing career in addition to fronting “Hannah Montana.”
Born Nov. 23, 1992, Cyrus was the middle child of six, earning the name “Miley” due to her sunny outlook and beaming grin while still a baby. Dad Billy Ray dubbed her “Smiley,” which was later shortened to “Miley” (Cyrus’ birth name was Destiny Hope). Cyrus got an early taste of performing, thanks to her dad’s juggernaut music career, culminating in his best-selling (but since that time, much maligned) single, “My Achy-breaky heart.” As a toddler, she frequently appeared onstage at his concerts to perform a song or two with him. When the elder Cyrus moved into acting, his daughter caught the bug and wrangled a few appearances on his TV series “Doc” (PAX, 2001-04). This led to a small role in Tim Burton’s fantasy feature “Big Fish,” (2003) for which she was billed as Destiny Cyrus.

Bolstered by these appearances, Cyrus began pursuing an acting career in earnest, and at age 11, caught the eye of Disney Channel producers (including Michael Poryes, co-creator of the network’s biggest then hit, “That’s So Raven”) when they began casting for “Hannah Montana.” Concerns over her age and height (Cyrus is 5’ 4”) were dismissed once they saw her way with both a line and a song (Cyrus had a surprisingly mature voice for her age), and by the time she turned 13, the multi-talented girl was starring in her own Disney Channel series. Making it a true family affair, Dad Billy Ray joined her on the show to play her father-manager and dole out countrified advice (and to lend the exceptionally manic series a moment or two of quiet).

“Hannah Montana” debuted on The Disney Channel on March 26, 2004 to record ratings, solidifying the show as the network’s newest hit. The inevitable tie-in products soon followed – a soundtrack CD, with five songs crooned by Cyrus, including the title theme, “Best of Both Worlds,” which cracked the Billboard Top 100 singles charts; “Hannah”-related DVDs; video games; and other ephemera were snapped up to the delight of the young fans. Cyrus also contributed a version of “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” to the fourth volume of the phenomenally popular Disney Mania CD series in April of 2006 (she could also be heard on her father’s 2006 release, “Wanna Be Your Joe”). In June of that year, she performed as Hannah Montana live concert as Hannah Montana at Disney World, as well as signed a four-album deal with Disney’s Hollywood Records.

After an extremely lucrative and higher-profile 2007; one in which her "Hannah Montana" tour sold out astronomically – with parents desperate to appease their children by paying unreasonably high prices on E-bay or through scalpers. It was, simply, the tour of the year, dollar and hype-wise. However, the same week Cyrus graced the cover of People magazine in April of 2008, and only two weeks after performing two fan-friendly numbers on Fox's "American Idol Gives Back" charity special, Cyrus posed for a spread in Vanity Fair shot by legendary photographer, Annie Liebovitz, which erupted into a firestorm of controversy after the pictures were leaked onto the Internet. Posing semi-topless, with only a white sheet held in front, the backless photos of Disney's 15-year-old cash cow erupted into a mainstream media topic – the question of whether children, particularly young girls, were growing up too fast; too sexual, and whether the many outraged mothers who took to blogs or TV talk shows, were justified in their anger. Cyrus, herself, immediately issued an apology, proclaiming the shots were supposed to be "artistic," and that she never meant to offend the millions of tweens who looked up to her.


Profession(s):
actress, singer, musician

Sometimes Credited As:
Destiny Hope Cyrus
Hannah Montana
Miley Ray Cyrus


Family
brother:Braison Cyrus (Born c. 1994; mother, Leticia “Tish” Cyrus)
father:Billy Ray Cyrus (Born in 1961; best known for the 1992 hit single “Achy Breaky Heart”; co-starred in the Disney Channel series, "Hannah Montana" starring his daughter Miley Cyrus)
godmother:Dolly Parton (Appeared in an episode of “Hannah Montana”)
half-brother:Christopher Cody Cyrus (Born c. 1992; Billy's son from a previous relationship)
half-brother:Trace Cyrus (Born c. 1989; from mother’s previous relationship with Baxter Neal Helson; legally adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus)
half-sister:Brandi Cyrus (Born c. 1987; from mother’s previous relationship; legally adopted by Billy Ray Cyrus; guitarist in Miley’s band)
mother:Leticia Cyrus (Born c. 1967; AKA Tish; Miley’s manager; married Miley’s father Dec. 28, 1992)
sister:Noah Cyrus (Born c. 2000; mother, Leticia “Tish” Cyrus)


Companion(s)
Nicholas Jonas , Companion , ```..Born c. 1992; member of the rock trio The Jonas Brothers


Education
Heritage Middle School Franklin, TN

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Nicolas Cage

Though haunted by cries of nepotism early in his career, actor Nicolas Cage, nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, led anything but a charmed existence. At first credited as Nicolas Coppola, the actor found great difficulty being taken seriously by casting directors and his fellow actors. But when he changed his last name, he suddenly found a world of opportunity open up, starting with his first leading role in “Valley Girl” (1983). From there, Cage quickly earned a reputation – sometimes a bad one – for playing offbeat and sometimes bizarrely over-the-top characters in indie fare like “Birdy” (1984), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Raising Arizona” (1987)....

Full Biography

Though haunted by cries of nepotism early in his career, actor Nicolas Cage, nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola, led anything but a charmed existence. At first credited as Nicolas Coppola, the actor found great difficulty being taken seriously by casting directors and his fellow actors. But when he changed his last name, he suddenly found a world of opportunity open up, starting with his first leading role in “Valley Girl” (1983). From there, Cage quickly earned a reputation – sometimes a bad one – for playing offbeat and sometimes bizarrely over-the-top characters in indie fare like “Birdy” (1984), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Raising Arizona” (1987). After breaking through with a nationally recognized role in “Moonstruck” (1987), Cage found himself starring in challenging films that culminated in an Oscar-winning performance in “Leaving Las Vegas” (1995). Instead of being pigeonholed into low-budget films, he made the jump to action hero with “The Rock” (1995), “Con Air” (1997), “National Treasure” (2004) and “Ghost Rider” (2007), making Cage as diversified an actor as he was talented.
Born Nicolas Coppola on Jan. 7, 1964 in Long Beach, CA, Cage was raised by his father, August, a literature professor, and his mother, Joy, a modern dancer and choreographer who was hospitalized for severe depression, which kept her away from the family for long intervals. Because of his family’s deep show business roots – Uncle Francis was an Oscar-winning director and grandfather Carmine was an Oscar-winning composer – Cage became interested in becoming an actor at a young age. When he was 12, his parents divorced, leaving him to be raised by his father because his mother was considered unfit to retain custody. He later moved to San Francisco, where he performed in a production of “Golden Boy” at the American Conservatory Theatre. After moving back to Los Angeles, Cage made his onscreen debut on “The Best of Times” (ABC, 1981), a variety series that observed teenage life through songs, dance and skits. Cage then dropped out of Beverly Hills High School during his senior year to concentrate on acting fulltime. Making his feature debut, he made a brief appearance in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) before being cast by his uncle in S.E. Hinton’s “Rumble Fish” (1983).

Because he was billed early in his career as Nicolas Coppola, he had difficulty landing parts. When he did land parts, Cage heard cries of nepotism from his fellow cast mates. Instead of enduring the criticism, he simply changed his name – which was inspired by the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage – and immediately began to get cast with greater ease. Credited as Nicolas Cage for the first time, he channeled his frustrations in his initial leading role in "Valley Girl" (1983), playing a Hollywood punk who tries to win the heart of a sweet-natured Valley girl (Deborah Foreman). He made his first serious dramatic waves with a supporting role in the period romantic drama “Racing With the Moon” (1984), then played the sensitive, strong and fiercely loyal friend of a mentally-scarred Vietnam veteran (Matthew Modine) in Alan Parker's "Birdy" (1984). Due to his performance in “Valley Girl,” Uncle Francis was more than happy to cast him in a small role in “The Cotton Club” (1984), a film that greatly frustrated Cage to the point of trashing a trailer, thanks to Coppola keeping him on set for months after his initial three days of work; the director wanted him to hang around in case he had an idea that involved Cage’s character.

Despite the damage he caused on set, Cage was cast again by Coppola in the nostalgic look back at the 1960s, "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986). Criticized at the time for his over-the-top acting choices, Cage was nonetheless on the verge of making his big breakthrough. Because of his performance in “Peggy Sue,” Cher – who likened his strange, but compelling performance to watching a two-hour car crash – proposed him for the role of Ronny in "Moonstruck" (1987), a young bakery operator who falls head-over-heels for a widowed bookkeeper (Cher). Though the film’s star, Cher, received the lion’s share of praise – and an Oscar to boot – Cage managed to more than hold his own in an off-beat performance that marked his true emergence into the public consciousness. He next earned legions of independent film fans with a wild, borderline over-the-top performance in Joel and Ethan Coen’s screwball comedy, "Raising Arizona" (1987). Cage played H.I. McDonnough, an unsuccessful petty thief who marries his arresting officer (Holly Hunter), only to learn that the couple cannot conceive. When they hatch and execute a plan to steal a baby from a wealthy Arizonan business owner (Trey Wilson), all hell breaks loose, including the unleashing of a motorcycle-riding bounty hunter (Randall 'Tex' Cobb) who acts like the spawn of Satan himself.

Continuing with his penchant for independent film, Cage probably single-handedly guaranteed a perpetual cult status for "Vampire's Kiss" (1989) when he ate a live cockroach in another method-acting stunt; previously he had knocked out a tooth for the filming of "Birdy." In David Lynch's surrealist odyssey, "Wild at Heart" (1990), he was a violent ex-con with an Elvis Presley fixation – much like Cage in real life – who falls into a steamy relationship with the daughter (Laura Dern) of a rich, but mentally unstable Southern woman (Diane Ladd). Though critics united with the public in ignoring "Amos and Andrew" (1993), Cage’s wacky charm was central to the success of Andrew Bergman's comedy "Honeymoon in Vegas" (1992). Unfortunately Bergman couldn't repeat the formula for "It Could Happen to You" (1994), despite the presence of Cage in that cast. Returning to Sin City for Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas" (1995), Cage delivered an uncharacteristically subtle, multi-layered performance as an alcoholic writer who goes to Vegas to drink himself to death. Bringing warmth and humor to what could have been an unsympathetic role, Cage earned rave notices, while winning nearly every conceivable award, including his first Academy Award for Best Leading Actor.

Following his Oscar win, Cage unexpectedly reinvented himself as an action hero, starring in a trio of blockbuster muscle movies that elevated him to the ranks of aging icons Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Harrison Ford – certainly in terms of salary per picture. In his first big budget actioner, "The Rock" (1996), he played an at-first geeky FBI biochemist opposite Sean Connery – who was the only man ever to have escaped from Alcatraz – to free hostages on the famous island prison. Then in "Con Air" (1997), Cage matched his bad-luck good guy with offbeat Federal Marshall John Cusack to foil the machinations of some of the hardest criminals ever assembled, including a mastermind serial killer (John Malkovich). After playing a psychotic terrorist who swaps identities with FBI guy John Travolta in John Woo's "Face/Off" (1997), Cage enjoyed a respite from actioners in "City of Angels" (1998), a love story inspired by Wim Wenders' "Wings of Desire" (1988), before returning to action fare as corrupt homicide detective frantically searching for an assassin who killed the U.S. Secretary of Defense (Joel Fabiani) in Brian De Palma's crime thriller "Snake Eyes" (1998). In 1999, Cage starred in two edgy thrillers – the vile, depressing crime thriller about snuff films, "8mm," and the intriguing, but ultimately empty black comedy "Bringing out the Dead.”

In 2000, Cage returned to action movies, starring in the car theft movie "Gone in 60 Seconds." While short on character development and plot, the film was big on fast car chases – Cage was a well-known car enthusiast in his private life – and was a mild hit at the box office. Cage's next three films, however, did not fare as well – "Family Man" (2000), "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (2001) and "Windtalkers" (2002) all received lukewarm receptions. After becoming better known for his unorthodox personal life – such as his three-month marriage to Elvis' daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 2002 – Cage was ripe for a comeback when he starred as real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald in the reality-bending "Adaptation" (2002), in which Kaufman and director Spike Jonze attempted to mix the fact and fiction behind Kaufman's attempts to adapt the bestselling novel The Orchid Thief into a motion picture. Finding an ideal vehicle for his offbeat talents, Cage finally returned to the kind of edgy, quirky and unpredictable characterizations that distinguished him early in his career. Cage's whimsical portrayal of the Kaufman brothers earned him his second nomination for a Best Leading Actor at the Academy Awards.

In addition to his high-profile acting career, Cage frequently made headlines for his high-profile romances. He had an unorthodox marriage to actress Patricia Arquette, which started with a proposal the day they met, followed by him trying to accomplish a series of bizarre tasks to win her love, including finding a non-existent black orchid and obtaining a signature from the reclusive J.D. Salinger. After their divorced was finalized in 2001, Cage had an on-again, off-again relationship with his idol Elvis Presley’s sole heir, daughter Lisa Marie Presley. When their brief marriage ended in 2004, the actor surprised many with his marriage to Alice Kim, a former sushi waitress 20 years younger than Cage, a mere two months after his divorce from Presley was finalized. And more than one eyebrow was raised when the self-professed Superman fanatic named his son w/ Kim, Kal-El – the Man of Steel’s birth name on planet Krypton.

In 2002, Cage saw the release of his first directorial effort, "Sonny," about a man (James Franco) who wants out of the family business as a professional gigolo, which opened quietly amid mixed to unfavorable reviews. Cage followed up his "Adaptation" triumph with a much-admired turn in director Ridley Scott's "Matchstick Men" (2003), playing a small time con man with an abundance of pathological quirks who nevertheless comes alive when he discovers the 14-year-old daughter (Alison Lohman) he never knew he had. He made another return to action fare – this time in a more lighthearted and appealing mode – with the panned, but popular Jerry Bruckheimer-produced "National Treasure" (2004). In this box office hit, he played Benjamin Franklin Gates, the descendent of a treasure-hunting clan who seeks a war chest hidden by the Founding Fathers after the Revolutionary War. Next was a turn in "Lord of War" (2005) as Yuri Orlov, a globetrotting arms dealer struggling to stay one step ahead of his enemies – a relentless Interpol agent (Ethan Hawke), his chief business rival (Ian Holm), and a notorious African dictator (Eamonn Walker) – while also grappling his own conscience. “Lord of War” polarized critics – some hated it, while others praised it – but all agreed Cage turned in a finely etched performance.

Even better was his portrayal of the successful Chicago weather forecaster Dave Spritz, who nevertheless inspires total strangers to throw fast foot at him in director Gore Verbinksi's seriocomic, existential "The Weather Man" (2005). Playing a newly introspective man wresting with his own mediocrity and plagued with an inability to meaningfully connect with his family members – his accomplished writer father (Michael Caine), his estranged wife (Hope Davis) and his children – in ways both hilarious and heartbreaking. Cage delivered one of his most measured, effective and surprisingly low-key performances, sparking much awards season buzz that ultimately proved fruitless. After voicing Zoc, the ant wizard in “The Ant Bully” (2006), Cage starred as Port Authority officer John McLoughlin in Oliver Stone’s sober and heart-wrenching look at the September 11th terrorist attacks, “World Trade Center” (2006). Along with Officer Will Jimeno (Michael Pena), McLoughlin survived for 24 hours underneath the rubble after both towers had collapsed. “World Trade Center” opened up to generally positive reviews, though a few expressed concern that it was too soon for a film about the horrific events.

Cage was next seen in “The Wicker Man” (2006), Neil LaBute’s remake of the 1973 British movie about a Scottish police officer who goes to a remote island to find a missing girl and in the process discovers the inhabitants engaged in strange and secretive rituals. He then returned to the big budget fame and glory that defined his career. A lifelong comic book fan who flirted with virtually every comic book adaptation from Superman to Constantine, Cage finally settled on starring in "Ghost Rider" (2007), playing the flaming-skulled motorcycle-riding demon bounty hunter forced by contract to do the Devil’s bidding. Instead of the hard-drinking, heavy metal-loving character from the comics, Cage transformed him into a jelly bean-eating teetotaler who loves to listen to the Carpenters – a testament to the actor’s famed weirdness. Despite an online uproar from comic geeks over early leaked footage of the character’s distinctive flaming skull, “Ghost Rider” rolled to an easy box office take of $52 million over the course of a four-day holiday weekend – surprising given the typical antipathy of audiences for past mid-February releases. Meanwhile, Cage starred in “Bangkok Dangerous” (2008), playing a remorseless hit man whose life takes a turn toward the unexpected when he travels to Thailand to complete a series of contract killings.


Profession(s):
Actor, producer, director

Sometimes Credited As:
Nic Cage
Nicholas Cage
Nicholas Coppola
Nicholas Kim Coppola
Nicolas Coppola
Nicolas Kim Coppola



Family
aunt:Eleanor Neil Coppola (Born in 1936; married to Francis Ford Coppola)
aunt:Talia Shire (Born in 1946; formerly married to composer David Shire; later married to and widowed by producer Jack Schwartzman)
brother:Marc Coppola (Born in 1957; works as a New York radio personality)
brother:Christopher Coppola (Born Jan. 25, 1962; directed Cage in "Deadfall")
cousin:Jason Schwartzman (Born in 1980; son of Talia Shire and Jack Schwartzman; starred in "Rushmore" (1998) and "The Darjeeling Limited" (2007))
cousin:Robert Schwartzman (Born in 1982; son of Talia Shire and Jack Schwartzman)
cousin:Roman Coppola (Born in 1965; son of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola)
cousin:Sofia Coppola (Born in 1971; daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and Eleanor Coppola; directed "Lost in Translation" (2003) and "Marie Antoinette" (2006))
father:August Floyd Coppola (Pioneer in studies for the blind; divorced from Cage's mother c. 1976)
grandfather:Carmine Coppola (Paternal grandparent; born June 11, 1910; died April 26, 1991; shared 1974 Oscar for Best Original Score for "The Godfather, Part II")
grandmother:Italia Pennino (Paternal grandparent; born in 1912; died in 2004; known for her Italian cooking and published a cookbook called Mama Coppola's Pasta Book)
mother:Joy Vogelsang (Suffered from chronic depression; divorced from Cage's father c. 1976)
son:Kal-el Coppola Cage (Born Oct. 3, 2005 in New York City; mother, Alice Kim)
son:Weston Coppola Cage (Born Dec. 26, 1990; mother, Kristina Fulton)
uncle:Francis Ford Coppola (Born in 1939; directed Cage in the films "Rumble Fish" (1983), "The Cotton Club" (1984) and "Peggy Sue Got Married" (1986))
wife:Lisa Marie Presley (Began dating in spring 2001; separated in January 2002; married Aug. 10, 2002 in Hawaii; filed divorce papers in Los Angeles on Nov. 26, 2002; divorce finalized May 24, 2004)
wife:Alice Kim (Met at the restaurant where she worked as a sushi waitress; began dating Febuary 2004; married July 30, 2004, at a private Northern California ranch)
wife:Patricia Arquette (Born April 8, 1968; dated briefly c. 1987; married in April 1995; Cage filed for divorce in February 2000; couple briefly reconciled and Cage withdrew his suit; Arquette filed for divorce in November 2000; divorced finalized Aug. 29, 2001)



Companion(s)
Carrie Tivador , Companion , ```..Rumored to have dated in 2003
Kristen Zang , Companion , ```..Born c. 1974; together from 1992-94
Kristina Fulton , Companion , ```..Born c. 1957; mother of Cage's son Weston; separated from Cage in 1991
Lori Allison , Companion , ```..Briefly dated; later married Johnny Depp
Penelope Cruz , Companion , ```..Met during filming of "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" (2001); rumored to have briefly dated
Sarah Jessica Parker , Companion , ```..Had one-year relationship with Cage in the 1990s


Education
Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills, CA
American Conservatory Theatre San Francisco, CA


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Mary McCormack

Full Biography

Already an accomplished stage actress with credits in regional theater in her native New Jersey as well as in numerous Off-Broadway productions, attractive, blonde player Mary McCormack made her film debut with a small role in John Hughes' 1994 remake of "Miracle on 34th Street". A part opposite Robert Mitchum in 1995's little seen spoof "Back Fire!" followed, but her real breakthrough came on the ABC drama series "Murder One". A veteran of TV legal dramas, with guest appearances on the similarly themed "Law & Order" (NBC, 1994) and "The Wright Verdicts" (CBS, 1995), McCormack played the regular role of the high-minded and devoted junior attorney Justine Appleton. Her work attracted the attention of audiences and the casting agents for the much hyped film of radio personality Howard Stern's memoir "Private Parts" (1997). Given Stern's reputation, McCormack initially opted to pass on the part of his long-suffering wife Alison, but she was talked into reading the script by her agent. Excited by the dimensionality of the character, and the overriding love story theme of the script, she accepted the role. The film exposed her to a wider audience, and her heartfelt and humorous portrayal of Mrs. Stern not only changed minds about the self-proclaimed King of All Media, but opened eyes to the actress' abilities.
Featured roles in 1998's "The Alarmist", as Stanley Tucci's scheming assistant, and "Deep Impact", as a pilot, followed, and a busy filming schedule led to her near ubiquity on movie screens in 1999. She was an infertile woman married to a religious fanatic in "Getting to Know You" (which debuted at Sundance) before playing a DEA agent in "Harvest", a drama about farmers growing marijuana to financially preserve their land. McCormack was also featured as a romantic partner for director-star Clint Eastwood in the thriller "True Crime" and portrayed the wife of a small-time hockey player (Russell Crowe) who ends up in a game versus the New York Rangers in "Mystery, Alaska" (1999), a film produced and penned by David E Kelley. Additional projects featuring the actress included "The Big Tease", a comedy co-starring Frances Fisher and Craig Ferguson (who also scripted) about a small town Scottish hairdresser who enters the hairdressing world championships in Los Angeles; a supporting turn in "The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy"; and "Gun Shy" (all 2000), a Eric Blakeney action comedy film starring Liam Neeson and Sandra Bullock which bombed out of the gate. She also starred with Minnie Driver in the woefull crime comedy "High Heels and Low Lifes" (2001) as one of a pair of downtrodden regular gals caught up in a blackmail scheme, but the actress fared better in the ensemble of writer-director Bart Freundlich's film "World Traveler" (2001). She also had a fine but underutilized turn as Jeff Bridges' wife in the dramedy "K-PAX" (2001). McCormack was particularly excellent as the depressed, lovelorn masseuse in "Full Frontal" (2002), director Steven Soderbergh's arty,low-tech and chilly meditation on Los Angelenos. She next appeared as the adoptive mother of David Spade's full-grown ex-kiddie actor in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" (2003).

In addition to her numerous film appearances, in 1999 theatergoers saw McCormack return to the stage in a high-profile role utilizing her capable singing voice. She succeeded luminaries Natasha Richardson and Jennifer Jason Leigh as Sally Bowles in the popular Broadway revival of "Cabaret". A versatile performer, McCormack is convincing playing anything from a fresh-faced siren to a hard-nosed law enforcer. She returned to the stage, this time in London, as one of the stars of Neil LaBute's "bash, latter day plays", a collection of one-act plays.


Profession(s):
Actor, singer, intern at talent agency, cocktail waitress

Sometimes Credited As:
Mary C McCormack
Mary Catherine McCormack


Family
brother:Will McCormack (Born c. 1974; co-starred with sister in the independent comedy "Colin Fitz" (1997) and later appeared in "American Outlaws" (2001))
daughter:Margaret Morris (Born Sep. 3, 2004; father, Michael Morris)
daughter:Rose Morris (Father, Michael Morris)
father:William McCormack (Owned a car dealership and ice cream parlor; divorced from McCormack's mother in 1990)
husband:Michael Morris (Married in July 2003)
mother:Norah McCormack (Born c. 1942; divorced from McCormack's father in 1990)
sister:Bridget McCormack (Born c. 1967; taught at Yale Law School)


Companion(s)
Barnaby Harris , Companion , ```..Dated c. 1994


Education
William Esper Studios New York, NY acting
Wardlaw-Hartridge School Edison, NJ 1987
Trinity College Hartford, CT BA English, painting 1991

Stacey Dash

Full Biography
A strikingly pretty African-American young lead and character player, Dash garnered notice in the 1990s in a series of teen roles in both features and on TV. Of West Indian and Aztec Indian descent, with clear green eyes and a light complexion, the Bronx-born Dash decided to become an actor at an early age. Early TV work included a small role in the crusading lawyer TV-movie "Farrell for the People" (NBC, 1982) and she later did guest spots on "The Cosby Show" in 1984, as a friend of Denise Huxtable's with a secret to hide, and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" in 1994, as a pop star who captivates the series hero. Her first try at a TV series, "TV 101" (CBS, 1988-89), with Dash as a student of an ambitious high school journalism teacher, only lasted half a season, despite critical acclaim.
With her youthful beauty and her early start in acting, Dash has been cast most often as high school students, daughters of the protagonist, or smart and upwardly mobile ingenues. Feature work began with a role in "Enemy Territory" (1987) and she soon thereafter played Richard Pryor's rebellious daughter in the formula-bound comedy "Moving" (1988). A first lead in "Black Water/Tennessee Nights" (1989) only hit the US market when it was released on video five years later. Dash concentrated on TV for a while, but later appeared as the romantic interest in the popular action comedy "Mo' Money" (1992), although the film was centered on the antics of Damon and Marlon Wayans. After a supporting role in "Renaissance Man/By the Book" (1994), she enjoyed a breakthrough in features in the second lead of the surprise hit "Clueless" (1995). As Dionne, a Beverly Hills teen who shares with best friend Cher (Alicia Silverstone) a passion for fashion as well as a famous pop singer's name, Dash gave a winning performance in this satire of 90s materialism, one she reprised for the sitcom of the same name (ABC, 1996-97; UPN, 1997-99). She kept busy in features as well with a role in the crime drama "Cold Heart" (1997).

In 2003, Dash appeared in the comedy feature "View From The Top," joining an A-list cast which included Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate and Kelly Preston.

Profession(s):
actress

Family
brother:Darien Dash (CEO of DME Interactive Holdings, the first publicly traded African-American-owned internet company)
cousin:Damon Dash (former CEO and co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records)
daughter:Lola Lovell (born c. 2003; father, Brian Lovell)
son:Austin Williams (born c. 19991; father, Christopher Williams)

Companion(s)
Brian Lovell , Companion , ```..married in 1999; divorced in 2006
Christopher Williams , Companion , ```..have one child; no longer together

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Steven Spielberg

Perhaps the western world's most famous living filmmaker, Steven Spielberg succeeded in combining the intimacy of a personal vision with the epic requirements of the modern commercial blockbuster. Though his astonishing success delayed his acceptance as a serious artist for many years, few could deny that Spielberg’s work decisively influenced twentieth century filmmaking through his potent visual imagery and universally recognizable emotion. If nothing else, Spielberg’s films were landmarks in special effects, both in their visual and aural aspects, and they additionally possessed an uncanny knack for eliciting audience response.


Full Biography

Perhaps the western world's most famous living filmmaker, Steven Spielberg succeeded in combining the intimacy of a personal vision with the epic requirements of the modern commercial blockbuster. Though his astonishing success delayed his acceptance as a serious artist for many years, few could deny that Spielberg’s work decisively influenced twentieth century filmmaking through his potent visual imagery and universally recognizable emotion. If nothing else, Spielberg’s films were landmarks in special effects, both in their visual and aural aspects, and they additionally possessed an uncanny knack for eliciting audience response. Spielberg's success also allowed him to pursue numerous philanthropic and cultural projects like no other filmmaker of his generation. An active supporter of projects that affected modern Jewish life, Spielberg served as chairman for the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, an ambitious project devoted to filming interviews with Holocaust survivors. In addition, he was a vocal champion of artists’ rights and creative freedoms, whilst continuing to deliver beloved films that resonated with moviegoers the world over.
Born in Cincinnati, OH on Dec. 18, 1946, Steven Allan Spielberg was the eldest child of Arnold and Leahanni Spielberg. Because of his father’s job, the future film director spent much of his childhood in several places, as his family often moved. An awkward and lonely child growing up, Spielberg took solace in movies. The first film Spielberg ever saw – Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) – would have a lasting impact on the youngster’s life and opened his mind to the magic of moviemaking. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Spielberg did not attend a major university film program and was thus, largely self-taught. At age 16, Spielberg fashioned his first film, "Firelight” – a two-hour science fiction movie that a local movie house in Phoenix, AZ consented to run for one evening. The $400 production was Spielberg’s first real commercial success, earning him a profit of $100.

When Spielberg’s parents divorced in 1965 – an incident which deeply affected the sensitive youngster – he moved to Saratoga, CA and attended Saratoga High School. After graduation, Spielberg applied to U.S.C. film school, but was rejected three separate times. Spielberg opted to attend Long Beach State instead, but ended up dropping out before he got his degree. In 1968, the 22-year-old got a job at Universal Studios as an intern, thus marking the beginnings of one of Hollywood’s greatest careers. It was at Universal, that he made his first short film entitled “Amblin’” (1969). The 24-minute film sufficiently impressed executives at the television unit of Universal enough that Spielberg was offered a job as a TV director. In 1969, Spielberg made his directorial debut, helming the TV movie pilot for Rod Serling's "Night Gallery" (NBC, 1970-74). This led to more directing work on such weekly series as "Columbo" (NBC, 1971-78) and "Marcus Welby, M.D.” (ABC, 1969-1973). One of his early made-for-TV movies – "Duel" (ABC, 1972), starring Dennis Weaver – was released theatrically in Europe, where it enjoyed both critical and commercial success.

Spielberg's first theatrical film, "The Sugarland Express" (1974), was an entertaining and poignant tale about a Texas woman and her escaped convict husband fighting to regain custody of their baby. Loosely based on a true story, “Sugarland” delved into the concept of the broken family – a theme deeply personal to Spielberg – and one that he would later revisit in subsequent films. Well made, but poorly marketed, the film was a failure at the box office.

Spielberg's second film, however, the now-classic “Jaws” (1975), was a phenomenal success both critically and financially. Made for about $15 million, “Jaws” grossed an awe inspiring $260 million domestically, ushering in the modern age of the summer “blockbuster.” Ironically, the very film, which propelled Spielberg to the A-list of Hollywood directors, came dangerously close to ending his career before it had even begun. A legendarily troubled production from the start, “Jaws” had a score of obstacles to overcome – among them: a neophyte director, a disgruntled crew, a hostile writer and worst of all... a malfunctioning lead “actor.” When the automated shark created for the movie – nicknamed “Bruce” by the Spielberg and the crew – failed to work properly, the young director was forced to rely heavily on mood and suspense to suggest, rather than show, the great white. Spielberg’s desperate plan proved to be an inspired stroke of genius which not only kept audience members on the edge of their seat, but so frightened them with its air of underwater mystery, that beach-going dropped off sharply that summer. People were simply too afraid to go into the water.

His transcendent follow-up, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977), revealed the first flowering of his cinematic obsession with the magical world of childhood innocence, as well as the outside forces that inevitably threaten it. Though initially terrifying, as they were sight unseen, by the film’s end, the alien creatures in this revisionist work resembled strange and wondrous children as they exited the mother ship, presenting a more benign representation than the monstrous conquerors of 1950s sci-fi films. These beings offered the promise of life beyond the restrictions of middle-class conventions – something the bachelor director felt strongly about at that time in his then childless existence. When Richard Dreyfuss – cast again in a Spielberg film after his performance as Matt Hooper in “Jaws” – boards the mother ship for unknown adventures, it is the film's final grandiloquent embrace of the possible. The film – which came out the same year as the more effects-laden space movie, “Star Wars” – was the more cerebral hit, and the iconic shot of the child, Barry Guiler (Cary Guffey), standing in the red-lit doorway before being snatched away, remained a classic money shot.

Riding high after two back-to-back blockbusters, Spielberg attempted a colossal big-budget comedy with "1941" (1979) – a loud, sprawling and wildly uneven film about paranoia along California’s West Coast in the wake of Pearl Harbor. Though it ultimately turned a profit, the film, which starred then red-hot comics John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, was perceived as a bloated, self-indulgent flop. Spielberg took the blunt of the criticism – with many reviewers wondering if the Hollywood wunderkind had been anointed too soon.

A humbled Spielberg chose his next project carefully by planning to work under the watchful eye of a tough producer and one of his closest friends, George Lucas, on what would turn out to be one of his signature films – "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981). The movie introduced the world to Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), the iconic fedora-sporting archaeologist and intrepid adventurer that became the most popular screen hero since James Bond. Paying an obvious homage to the classic cliffhanger serials of their youth, Lucas recalled that Spielberg was highly stressed throughout the filming of “Raiders,” convinced that it would be his last chance to redeem himself after the failure of “1941.” Spielberg’s fears proved unfounded. “Raiders” became the biggest moneymaker of 1981 and earned a score of Oscar nominations, including one for Spielberg for Best Director. As if that were not enough, “Raiders,” in a way, inspired the penultimate Spielberg film, which would follow soon after.

During his “Raiders” shoot, Spielberg was so wearied by the rigors of location shooting in Tunisia and Peru, that he would relax by concocting a story – a little personal tale featuring a couple of kids and a lost alien. In doing so, Spielberg set the stage for his next project, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982). “E.T.” captured the hearts and minds of moviegoers of all ages and went on to become the highest-grossing film of all time until it was beaten by one of Spielberg’s own films, “Jurassic Park” in 1993. The film so wove its way into the fabric of pop culture, the phrase “E.T. phone home” became a classic line and the sale Reeses Pieces peanut butter candies went through the roof.

In 1984, Spielberg directed his first sequel, the much anticipated “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” Exceedingly violent and somewhat racist – specifically, in its depiction of Indian culture – the film inspired the MPAA to create the new PG-13 rating the following year. Bad blood abounded, as Spielberg and Lucas recoiled from the uproar of angry parents who thought they were taking their children to see a b-movie adventure; and instead watched along with their children as a live man’s heart was ripped from his chest. Despite the bad aftertaste, the film was nevertheless highly successful, both financially – and for Spielberg – personally, as well. It was while shooting the film that Spielberg met and fell in love with his future wife, Kate Capshaw, who was cast as Indiana Jones’ love interest, nightclub singer Willie Scott. Unfortunately, at the time, Spielberg was already married to actress Amy Irving with whom he had a son, Max. The two eventually divorced in 1989, but not before Spielberg had to pay Irving a whopping $100 million settlement – one of the largest in U.S. history.

The eighties also marked a shift in Spielberg's artistic and commercial concerns, as he began devoting more time to producing films and television programs. After scoring critical acclaim for directing the big-screen adaptation of Alice Walker’s "The Color Purple" (1985) and his World War II drama “Empire of the Sun” (1987), Spielberg oversaw the production of a series of popular escapist fantasies. Through his production company, Amblin Entertainment, Spielberg also produced several animated features and conventional genre films. He even diversified into TV with the fantasy anthology series, "Amazing Stories" (NBC, 1985-87), which he executive produced.

In the early 1990s, Spielberg reshifted his duties, once again making directing his main priority. Lending his name to various Amblin productions (while leaving the actual producing chores to others), Spielberg returned to the big screen with the crowd-pleasing fantasy “Hook” (1991), an expensive, quirky update of the classic J.M Barrie Peter Pan story. Budgeted at over $60 million, the film earned impressive box office, but due to an unprecedented deal brokered by Creative Artists Agency – wherein Spielberg and stars Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts split a huge cut of worldwide revenues – it failed to make much money for its studio. Despite the film’s mixed reviews, “Hook” was nevertheless notable for showing a newly emerging “grown-up” side to Spielberg, which revealed itself in his handling of such themes as parenthood, responsibility and old age. Spielberg’s next project – the $70 million CGI extravaganza “Jurassic Park” – represented a return to the kind of muscle-bound adventures that served Spielberg so well in the past. Though the cast of characters was relatively shallow, the film was a landmark in visual effects – bringing dinosaurs back to life! – and forever changed how action films were made. The film, which spawned two sequels, grossed an unprecedented $914 million worldwide and reestablished Spielberg as Hollywood’s golden boy.

Nonetheless, as Spielberg grew closer to middle age, so too did his need to be taken seriously. Long since dismissed as a maker of commercial entertainment for the masses, Spielberg now yearned for artistic legitimacy more than ever. In response, the filmmaker tackled a subject matter of deadly importance for his next project – specifically, the Holocaust – in his unforgettable World War II drama, "Schindler's List" (1993). Filmed in black-and-white with few stars and even fewer stylistic indulgences, this bleak version of Thomas Keneally's Booker Prize-winning novel marked a dramatic change-of-pace for this purveyor of warm WASPy visions. For once, he went against his instincts and made an impressively restrained, documentarian drama of Jewish suffering that built to a shattering, yet life-affirming conclusion. The resulting film earned Spielberg the most respectful notices of his career. That the film, which earned seven Oscars including Best Picture and, finally, Best Director, also grossed over $100 million domestically did not hurt either.

As an encore, Spielberg returned to familiar ground with the inevitable sequel "The Lost World: Jurassic Park" (1997), which merely rehashed the story of the far superior original. Although it made money, it was a forgettable film and largely derided by fans and critics alike. Spielberg then tackled the tricky historical drama "Amistad" (1997), based on a true story of a mutiny on a slave ship that spawned a legal battle in the U.S. Meticulously staged, the film was noted for its depiction of the Middle Passage, a harrowing portrayal of the conditions of slavery. Overly long and heavy on sentimentality, however, critical response to “Amistad” was only lukewarm.

Undaunted, Spielberg returned to the battlefields of WWII the following year for his next – and arguably, most acclaimed – film, "Saving Private Ryan” (1998), a three-hour fictionalized look at a heroic military rescue mission and the effect it had on those involved. Praised for its no-holds-barred depiction of war, the film was quickly anointed as one of the year's best by critics. In total, “Saving Private Ryan” earned over $200 million at the box office and 11 Academy Award nominations. Although it was heavily favored to take home the Best Picture award that year, the film ended up shockingly losing out to “Shakespeare in Love” (1998). For his effort, however, the Academy nevertheless reaffirmed their respect for Spielberg by awarding him his second Oscar for Best Director.

In the fall of 1994, Spielberg, recording mogul David Geffen, and former Disney production head Jeffrey Katzenberg, formed a new multimedia entertainment company. Christened DreamWorks SKG, the company produced live-action and animated features, TV programs, recordings and interactive computer software in a relatively cost efficient manner. According to Spielberg, DreamWorks would grant its filmmakers "moral rights" to protect the original versions of their films after release. The studio also decided to give its animators and screenwriters contracts that guaranteed them a share of a given film's success in defiance of the standard creative bookkeeping for the industry. Spielberg was slated to oversee the design of the studio's planned physical plant, laid out like a college campus on the old Howard Hughes aircraft site near the wetlands of Playa Vista, CA. However, after much back-and-forth debating, the Playa Vista site was scrapped and DreamWorks ended up being housed on the Universal lot, coexisting with Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment facilities. After a slow start, the mini-studio eventually came into its own with such box-office hits as "American Beauty" (1999), "Gladiator" (2000), "Shrek" (2001), "A Beautiful Mind" (2001) and "Minority Report" (2002) – all of which were either produced or co-produced by DreamWorks.

Still, directing – not producing – continued to remain Spielberg’s primary passion and he continued to explore the boundaries of his talents within a commercial context. Hoping to integrate his trademark crowd-pleasing sensibilities with bleaker, more philosophical views, Spielberg elected to make "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" (2001), a $90 million sci-fi fable about a Pinocchio-like android boy. The film, which had long been attached to one of Spielberg’s idols, Stanley Kubrick, boasted eye-popping visuals and fine performances from stars Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law. Even so, when all was said and done, “A.I.” was considered a noble failure, earning only $78 million in its domestic release. Fortunately, Spielberg returned to top blockbuster form the following year when he adapted Phillip K. Dick's sci-fi novella, "Minority Report," a fast-paced, intense sci-fi thriller starring Tom Cruise. The leanest, meanest Spielberg film in years, “Minority Report” proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the aging director still had what it took to stand toe-to-toe with Hollywood’s new generation of video-game inspired action directors.

Spielberg cannily chose to follow-up that artistic and commercial triumph by helming a refreshingly more down-to-earth affair in the form of the light-hearted drama, "Catch Me If You Can" (2003). Based on the true-life story of con man Frank Abagnale, Jr., the film starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, respectively, as Abagnale and the F.B.I. agent assigned to capture him. Not only did Spielberg succeed in flawlessly recreating the nostalgic innocence of the early 1960’s setting, he also managed to coax out DiCaprio's most charming and mature performance to date. The director reteamed with Tom Hanks a third time for a seemingly unlikely project, "The Terminal" (2004) – the tale of an Eastern European immigrant (Hanks) who, due to a political regime change and passport snafu, is forced to reside in a New York City airport terminal. Although the film had its share of wonderful moments, overall, it was regarded one of Spielberg’s more artificial-feeling efforts.

Much more effective was Spielberg's riveting remake of the H.G. Wells sci-fi classic, "War of the Worlds" (2005). Adding a contemporary spin on the familiar tale, Spielberg cast Tom Cruise as a working class father who must step up and protect his two children during a horrific alien invasion. By year's end, Spielberg – who had begun favoring a fast-paced production schedule for his projects – launched into another of his long-gestating passion projects. The result was "Munich" (2005), a tense chronicle of revenge and retribution following the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre. Working closely with two of the film's primary screenwriters, Eric Roth and, later, Tony Kushner, Spielberg took pains to craft a story that would offer a balanced look at the politically charged incident. Despite external criticisms over its politics and psychology, “Munich” succeeded as one of Spielberg’s masterworks, utilizing all of his talents as a cinematic storyteller to dizzying effect. As the year came to a close, Spielberg seemed poised to open a new chapter in his career. Having reached the end of his run as a movie executive/businessman, Spielberg oversaw the sale of DreamWorks SKG to Paramount Pictures. The former, having failed to fully flower as a full-fledged movie studio, nevertheless made Spielberg – along with his partners, Katzenberg and Geffen – a tidy profit and freed him to once again focus on directing full-time.

In 2007, industry trades announced Spielberg’s next project would be a fourth installment of the much-loved Indiana Jones series. Eighteen years after “Indian Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989), the new film re-teamed Spielberg with producer George Lucas and star Harrison Ford. Along for the ride, this time out, were Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett as a new Indy love interest and Shia LeBeouf as Indie’s son. Filming was set to begin in June 2007 for a tentative 2008 release – much to the pent-up anticipation of fanboys and girls around the world, who had been waiting for the great Indiana Jones revisit for almost two decades.



Profession(s):
producer, director, executive, screenwriter, restaurateur Sometimes Credited As:
Steven Allan Spielberg



Family
daughter:Destry Allyn Spielberg (Born on Dec. 1, 1996; mother, Kate Capshaw)
daughter:Mikaela George Spielberg (Born on Feb. 28, 1996; adopted with Capshaw)
daughter:Sasha Spielberg (Born in June 1990; mother, Kate Capshaw)
father:Arnold Spielberg (born c. 1918; lost relatives in the Holocaust; involved in the early development of computers; divorced from Spielberg's mother; remarried on April 6, 1997)
mother:Leah Adler (Had four children with Arnold (Steven the youngest); married to second husband, Bernie Adler; they own a kosher dairy restaurant called The Milky Way on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles)
sister:Anne Spielberg (Born on Dec. 25, 1949; co-wrote and co-produced "Big" (1988))
sister:Nancy Spielberg (Born in 1956)
sister:Sue Spielberg (Born in 1953)
son:Theo Spielberg (Born c. 1988; African-American; adopted by Capshaw before her marriage to Spielberg; adopted by Spielberg)
son:Sawyer Spielberg (Born on March 10, 1992; mother, Kate Capshaw)
son:Max Spielberg (Born June 1985; mother, Amy Irving; Spielberg and Irving share custody)
step-daughter:Jessica Capshaw (Born in 1976; Kate Capshaw's daughter by a previous marriage)
step-father:Bernie Adler (Married to Spielberg's mother)
step-mother:Bernice Colner (Married Arnold Spielberg on April 6, 1997)
wife:Amy Irving (Had on-again, off-again relationship from the late 1970s; married on Nov. 27, 1985 in Santa Fe, New Mexico; divorced in 1989)
wife:Kate Capshaw (Married on Oct. 12, 1991 at Spielberg's East Hampton, Long Island, New York estate; converted from Episcopalianism to Judaism c. 1993 after more than a year of study with an Orthodox rabbi)


Companion(s)
Holly Hunter , Companion , ```..Had breif relationship c. 1989
Margot Kidder , Companion , ```..Had realtionship in the early 1970s
Sarah Miles , Companion , ```..Had relationship in the early 1970s; Miles reportedly became pregnant and chose to have an abortion


Education
Saratoga High School Saratoga, CA
California State College Long Beach, CA BA English 1970

Sharon Stone

A self-described "übergeek" who couldn't get a date to her high school prom, Sharon Stone proved that brains (an IQ of 154) were certainly no impediment to forging a career in the entertainment industry, especially when capitalizing on naturally blonde good looks as a fetching piece of "eye candy" in movies both good and bad. The former beauty pageant contestant and Ford model made her film debut with a non-speaking part as a beautiful woman fleetingly glimpsed from a moving train in Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories" (1980) and then survived more than a decade of mostly mediocre parts to claw her way to stardom.


Full Biography
A self-described "übergeek" who couldn't get a date to her high school prom, Sharon Stone proved that brains (an IQ of 154) were certainly no impediment to forging a career in the entertainment industry, especially when capitalizing on naturally blonde good looks as a fetching piece of "eye candy" in movies both good and bad. The former beauty pageant contestant and Ford model made her film debut with a non-speaking part as a beautiful woman fleetingly glimpsed from a moving train in Woody Allen's "Stardust Memories" (1980) and then survived more than a decade of mostly mediocre parts to claw her way to stardom. A journalist's dream, she is one of the best interviews in Hollywood, talking smart, tough and funny (she once described former beau Dwight Yoakam as less appealing than a "dirt sandwich"), and bringing back an old-fashioned, high-octane glamour to her role as a "movie star.” Despite demonstrating considerable range as an actor, Stone has shown her true genius to be self-invention, creating a persona to rival that of stars like Joan Crawford and Betty Davis from a more style-conscious, bygone era.
The high points for Stone through the 1980s were few, though she did attract notice as Ryan O'Neal's conniving actress girlfriend in "Irreconcilable Differences" (1984) and as Robert Mitchum's daughter-in-law in the much-watched ABC miniseries "War and Remembrance" (1988). Mostly, she persevered as a stereotypical blonde in lackluster films like Wes Craven's "Deadly Blessing" (1981, whose saving grace was meeting best friend Mimi Craven, the director's ex-wife), "King Solomon's Mines" (1985) and its sequel "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold" (1987), "Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol" (1987) and a remake of "Blood and Sand" (1989, in a role that had done considerably more for Rita Hayworth). She didn't fare any better on the small screen either, including a regular role as the wife of a bed-wetting baseball pitcher in the short-lived "Bay City Blues" (NBC, 1983).

Stone's first real break came playing Arnold Schwarzenegger's kick-boxing secret agent "wife" in Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi actioner "Total Recall" (1990). After five more forgettable thrillers and comedies, she finally achieved the proverbial "overnight" success as a voracious bisexual crime writer in Verhoeven's controversial and popular erotic thriller "Basic Instinct" (1992), written by Joe Ezsterhas. Her panties-less, leg-crossing scene brought Stone much notoriety but has haunted her ever since. Though she really didn't want to do "Sliver" (1993), another sizzling sex melodrama written by Ezsterhas which did middling business stateside and smashing box office overseas, she couldn't find any other part she liked better, so she made the mistake of retreating into the much more familiar and conventionally sympathetic role as the victim of a psychotic voyeur. Trying to escape the sex-bomb trap, she begged for the frigid wife role (they offered her much more to play the girlfriend) in "Intersection" (1994) and scored great reviews despite its limited success.

Stone again flexed her international box-office clout paired with Sylvester Stallone in the explosive actioner "The Specialist" (1994), and though she couldn't make Sly sexy, her good work helped make the picture (which James Woods walked off with) worth watching. She liked the script for "The Quick and the Dead" (1995) and became its co-producer, paying half of Leonardo DiCaprio's wages out of her own salary when the project ran into difficulties. Stone looked terrific in Western duds playing something of a distaff version of a Clint Eastwood-like gunfighter, and director Sam Raimi helmed the smartly derivative tale with style to spare. Unfortunately, the critical reception was uneven, and the public stayed away. She rebounded as Ginger, the Vegas hustler who wins the heart of Robert De Niro, in Martin Scorsese's "Casino" (also 1995). No part before had ever made such heavy demands on the actress, and she was a revelation, letting loose with a corker of a performance as the beautiful and unstable, ultimately pathetic moll with no inner life that yielded a Best Actress Oscar nomination.

The now highly-paid, much-in-demand diva, boasting her own production company (Chaos) and a first-look deal with Miramax, filmed a remake of the noir classic "Diabolique" with Isabelle Adjani and Chazz Palminteri and played a death-row inmate whose lawyer (Rob Morrow) works to save her from execution in "Last Dance" (both 1996). The former (a pale imitation of the 1955 classic) was notable more for her battle with its producer over refusing to bare her flesh, while the latter, despite presenting a uniquely drab, unglamorous Stone, was in the wrong place at the wrong time, following so close on the heels of the previous year's "Dead Man Walking.” Protecting her hard-won stardom, Stone had became a clever manipulator of her public image, on heavy press days reportedly changing outfits between each interview and photo session, a practice unheard of since the days of Carole Lombard and Norma Shearer. Onscreen and off, she understood that her power resided in her unwillingness to relinquish her femaleness.

Stone's acting teacher Roy London had told her that audiences could love to hate her, and the advice made her a star. In her personal life, however, the wreckage of femme fatalities left in her wake solidified her image as an "ice princess,” a tag she sought to lose in order to be taken seriously as an actress. Stone went to work on changing the public's perception of her, crediting Miramax executive Harvey Weinstein with having the foresight to see she could convincingly play a relatively normal, single mother "when everyone else said it was impossible" (of course the fact that her production company ultimately provided financing for 1998's "The Mighty" made his decision infinitely easier.) That said, her strong, emotional performance in a secondary role confirmed her range, and her marriage to San Francisco Examiner editor Phil Bronstein helped with her transition from sex bomb to domestic goddess.

Having reached the age of 40, she intended to keep her clothes on, and her superstar clout led to the diversity she had craved in movies like "Antz,” the 1998 animated film which vocally reunited her with Woody Allen, "Sphere" (1998, cast as a biochemist in the lackluster Barry Levinson venture), "Gloria" (1999, a remake to unsettle John Cassavetes' final repose) and, terrifically, in "The Muse" (1999, playing the titular role to writer-director-star Albert Brooks, a Greek muse who lends her inspiration to Hollywood types, but not without turning their lives upside down with her demands). She appeared, in fine form, in a brief but pivotal appearance as the alcoholic wife of a horse breeder in the otherwise dismal "Simpatico" (also 1999). Although Stone would sometimes resurface in low-profile projects—including "Picking Up the Pieces" (2000), "Beautiful Joe" (2000) and in a charming turn opposite Ellen Degeneres in HBO's lesbian-themed "If These Walls Could Talk 2" (2000)—but her 1998-2003 marriage to San Francisco Chronicle publisher Phil Bronstein kept her away from Hollywood—geographically and on film—for many years (and produced at least bizarre anecdote: the publisher was bitten on the foot by a komodo dragon at the Los Angeles Zoo during a birthday visit there arranged by Stone in 2001). Also in 2001, the actress suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly proved fatal.

After filing for divorce from Bronstein, Stone returned looking as fit and fabulous as ever and lit up the big screen again in director Mike Figgis' sly reinvention of a haunted house thriller "Cold Creek Manor" (2003). Stone gave one of her most campy—and unsatisfying—turns as the villainous model-cum-mogul Laurel Hadare opposite Halle Berry in the lackluster "Catwoman" (2004) on screen, while off-screen she was the subject of a courtroom battle after producers backed out of an alleged verbal $19.36 million agreement for her to star in a sequel to "Basic Instinct"—she later settled, with part of deal including a planned sequel. After a brief appearance in the unsurprisingly rotten “Jiminy Glick in La La Wood” (2005), Stone played one of four ex-girlfriends tracked down by a man (Bill Murray) who received an anonymous letter from the mother of his unknown son in Jim Jarmusch’s “Broken Flowers” (2005).

At 48, an age when most actresses have had trouble even landing a role, Stone returned to the territory that made her famous when she starred in the long-talked-about sequel, “Basic Instincts 2: Risk Addiction” (2006). As promised, the nearly-50-year-old actress bared all in her return as the ice pick-wielding crime novelist Catherine Trammell, creating what she hoped would be a big enough stir to lure curiosity seekers into the multiplexes. But “Basic Instinct 2” took a critical and theatrical drubbing, while the actress received unbridled scorn for a performance that was deemed embarrassing and comical, though nothing compared to the media savagery she got for saying that she would “kiss just about anybody for peace in the Middle East” at a press conference in Israel. In a surprising turn later in the year, Stone was the recipient of warm praise for her mature and grounded performance in “Bobby” (2006), first time director Emilio Estevez’s engaging look at the 16 hours prior to Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s assassination at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles as seen through the eyes of several guests and employees. Oscar talk was high in the weeks following the film’s debut at the 2006 Venice Film Festival, where it received a nine-minute long standing ovation, particularly for Stone and costar Demi Moore.

Profession(s):
Actor, producer, model, counter girl, waitress

Family
aunt:Vonne Stone (father's sister; earned Master's in English literature and fine arts and encouraged Stone in her creative pursuits)
brother:Michael Stone (born in 1951; did two years at Attica prison for cocaine possession; self-described marijuana smuggler; made acting debut in "The Quick and the Dead" (1995) which sister co-produced; engaged briefly to British model and socialite Tamara Beckwith)
brother:Patrick Stone (younger)
father:Joseph Stone
husband:Michael Greenburg (married c. 1984; divorced in 1987; married for 22 months; met working on the TV film "The Vegas Strip Wars" (1984); was associate producer on "Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold" (1987); described Stone as a combination of Zsa Zsa Gabor and Arnold Schwarzenegger)
husband:Phil Bronstein (editor at San Francisco Examiner when pair wed on February 14, 1998; born c. 1951; underwent angioplasty in August 1999; seperated as of July 2003; divorced January 29, 2004)
mother:Dorothy Stone (studied bookkeeping at night and returned to high school, graduating in Stone's class)
sister:Kelly Stone (executive director, Planet Hope; born c. 1961)
son:Roan Joseph Bronstein (adopted; born on May 22, 2000 in Texas)


Companion(s)
Barry Josephson , Companion , ```..dated in 1995
Bernie Cahill , Companion , ```..linked in 2003 and 2004; no longer together
Bill McDonald , Companion , ```..engaged to be married, met on the set of "Sliver" 1993; dumped his wife Naomi Baca (now Mrs. Joe Eszterhas) for Stone; no longer together as of 1994
Bob Wagner , Companion , ```..worked on two 1995 movies starring Stone ("The Quick and the Dead" and "Casino"); Stone described him as "gorgeous, in a 70's playboy kind of way"; no longer together; she returned his engagement ring via Federal Express
Chris Peters , Companion , ```..son of Jon Peters; was reportedly devestated when Stone took up with Bill McDonald
Craig Ferguson , Companion , ```..briefly dated in 2005; rumored to be dating again as of Summer 2007
Dwight Yoakam , Companion , ```..Stone referred to him as a "dirt sandwich" after their breakup
Garry Shandling , Companion , ```..dated briefly; worked predicament into a segment of "The Larry Sanders Show" entitled "The Mr. Sharon Stone Show"
Hart Bochner , Companion , ```..dated briefly
Jim Connelly , Companion , ```..dated; no longer together
Michael Benasra , Companion , ```..dated in the summer of 1996



Education
Saegertown High School Saegertown, Pennsylvania
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro, Pennsylvania creative writing, fine arts 1977