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16:16:05 01/20/12
Not In The Face!! - "Paul": SXSW 2012 Showcasing Artist
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 16:16:05 01/20/12
Not In The Face!! - "Paul": SXSW 2012 Showcasing Artist
To quell the myths and misconceptions surrounding the Austin, Texas two-piece Not in the Face is not an easy task, as their truth is often much stranger than their fiction... The Men Jonathan Terrell (vocals, guitar, and harmonica) hails from the faraway land of Longview, TX where it is rumored that a band of traveling minstrels discovered him at the age of nine living amongst the wolves in the piney forest. Having no knowledge of the English language, the minstrels taught Jonathan to play guitar and he learned to speak by imitating the minstrels' songs. Those who have become close to Jonathan claim he still disappears from time to time to run with the wolves in order to draw inspiration for his songwriting. Jonathan has been delighting the East Texas and Austin live music scenes for several years in different arrangements as both a solo acoustic country-blues artist and with several incarnations of a back-up band. Wes Cargal (drums) is a former regional mot ocross superstar who was forced to give up his career after a tragic accident where he lost his left eye. He now sports a glass eye that is rumored to have been given to him when he made a deal with the devil at the crossroads in Gilmer, TX. Many claim the eye possesses dark magical powers that are the source of his drumming abilities. Wes has used these dark forces in such local acts as White Rhino, Alan Haynes, and as an occasional fill-in for Dale Watson. The Myth Legend has it Jonathan Terrell and Wes Cargal met ... From: sxsw Views: 42 3 ratings Time: 04:18 More in Music
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16:16:05 01/20/12
Not In The Face!! - "Paul": SXSW 2012 Showcasing Artist
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 16:16:05 01/20/12
Not In The Face!! - "Paul": SXSW 2012 Showcasing Artist
To quell the myths and misconceptions surrounding the Austin, Texas two-piece Not in the Face is not an easy task, as their truth is often much stranger than their fiction... The Men Jonathan Terrell (vocals, guitar, and harmonica) hails from the faraway land of Longview, TX where it is rumored that a band of traveling minstrels discovered him at the age of nine living amongst the wolves in the piney forest. Having no knowledge of the English language, the minstrels taught Jonathan to play guitar and he learned to speak by imitating the minstrels' songs. Those who have become close to Jonathan claim he still disappears from time to time to run with the wolves in order to draw inspiration for his songwriting. Jonathan has been delighting the East Texas and Austin live music scenes for several years in different arrangements as both a solo acoustic country-blues artist and with several incarnations of a back-up band. Wes Cargal (drums) is a former regional mot ocross superstar who was forced to give up his career after a tragic accident where he lost his left eye. He now sports a glass eye that is rumored to have been given to him when he made a deal with the devil at the crossroads in Gilmer, TX. Many claim the eye possesses dark magical powers that are the source of his drumming abilities. Wes has used these dark forces in such local acts as White Rhino, Alan Haynes, and as an occasional fill-in for Dale Watson. The Myth Legend has it Jonathan Terrell and Wes Cargal met ... From: sxsw Views: 47 3 ratings Time: 04:18 More in Music
17 Views
18:24:01 12/17/11
Top 5 Games For The Hardcore Gamer - Press Pause Daily
[LESS INFO] 17 VIEWS | ADDED 18:24:01 12/17/11
Jaime, the Press Pause Christmas Elf is here with a Top 5 list of games to get the hardcore gamer on your Christmas list.
SHOW NOTES:
5.
At number five we have L.A. Noire.
This game places you in the shoes of a cop in 1940’s Los Angeles as you solve crimes, and work your way up the ladder of the LAPD.
This game comes from Rockstar, who is well known for their gritty crime games. It features an engrossing story, and the graphics are some of the best out there.
4.
At number four is the sequel to one of 2009’s best games: Batman Arkham Asylum.
Batman Arkham City picks up a year after the events of the last game. Since then, a large section of Gotham has been sectioned off and turned into a prison for all of the worst of the worst.
The story finds Batman going into Arkham City to discover why the prison was built, and what it’s new warden, Hugo Strange is up to.
Bottom line, it’s Batman, his most famous rouge’s gallery, and a LOT of ass kicking. What more do you need. And hey...everyone wants to be batman.
3.
At number three we have a game that has been shattering sales records across the board: Modern Warfare 3. The latest in Activision’s massively successful Call of Duty series begins exactly where Moder Warfare 2 left off. You will play as several characters as you battle the forces of Russian Ultranationalist Vladimir Makarov.
If your gamer loves the thrill of shooter action, then this is the game for you. They will work their way through an intense single player story, and then they can take the battle online to test their skills against the world.
2.
At number two we have the latest in the long running Legend of Zelda series: Skyward Sword.
This story is set at one of the earliest points in this series’ long running continuity, taking place many years before the events of The Ocarina Of Time.
The game starts off in a floating city of Skyloft. Again you play as a character named Link as he sets out to save his friend Zelda from forces unknown, and have many adventures along the way.
This is the first game made especially for the Wii system, and utilizes the Wii Motion Plus for accurate controls. If your gamer loves Nintendo and the Zelda series, you can’t do wrong with this game.
1.
And last, at number one we have a game that needs no introduction. It is of course The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
There are of course millions of people who have been engrossed in the latest game in Bethesda’s long running game series.
Set 200 years after the end of the last game, you play as a “Dragonborn” as you venture out to defeat Alduin. You will travel the land of Skyrim, which is in the midst of a civil war after the assassination of it’s High King.
Your gamer will find a large open world to play in, non linear gameplay, and many quests to finish. This game will keep your gamer engrossed for hours and hours.
So if they are fans of a good RPG, then this is a definite no-brainer.
Well that will do it for our list of games for the hardcore gamer on your shopping list. We hope that this will be helpful to you, and we hope that you holidays are very special for you and yours. From our family to yours. Happy Holidays.
8 Views
15:47:54 10/11/11
Claudia Schiffer, Schumacher, Derrick & stars: German-flavored ads
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 15:47:54 10/11/11
Claudia Schiffer, Schumacher, Derrick & stars: German-flavored ads
On October 3rd, Germany celebrated the 20th anniversary of its reunification. Germany is not only the country where are made the best sausages and beers in the world. Germany's hits also include Claudia Schiffer, Michael Schumacher, the TV series Derrick, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and football. A remix featuring Claudia Schiffer, The Swedish actor Peter Stormare, the Italian fotball player Francesco Totti, the Formula One legends Michael Schumacher & Nico Rosberg, and the actor Horst Tappert aka Inspector Derrick. October 3rd : German unification anniversary Between traditions and self-derision Made in Germany Citro%eumln - Germany - 1998. A commercial featuring the model Claudia Schiffer. Pepsi - France - 2006. A commercial aired on FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 featuring Ronaldinho, David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Roberto Carlos, Raul & Frank Lampard. Berlitz - Norway - 2006. Volkswagen - USA - 2006. A commercial parodying MTV show "Pimp my ride" featuring Peter Stormare.Sky - Italy - 2006. A commercial aired on FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 featuring Francesco Totti. Dreamcast - United Kingdom - 2001. Mercedes-Benz - 2011. A commercial featuring Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg. Dutch police telephone number - The Netherlands - 2003. A commercial featuring Horst Tappert (Inspector Derrick). More commercials : www.youtube.com .. All rights reserved. For all inquiries, please mail to culturepub@wizdeo.com From: CulturePub Views: 1326 14 ratings Time: 05:56 More in Entertainment
3 Views
18:58:34 12/06/10
Don Meredith, Dallas Cowboys, MNF Legend, passes
[LESS INFO] 3 VIEWS | ADDED 18:58:34 12/06/10
Don Meredith
(knowyourdallascowboys.com) Don Meredith, better known for his time as Monday Night Football analyst, than Dallas Cowboys Quarterback, passed away due to a brain hemorrhage on Sunday. "Dandy Don" was 72 years old.
Meredith was the Cowboys first quarterback, a 3rd round draft pick out of SMU first to the Chicago Bears, then traded to Dallas. He wore the same jersey number 17 for both SMU and the Cowboys, and played in some of the NFL's most memorable games. Foremost among them was "The Ice Bowl" NFL Championship in 1967, where Dallas had the Green Bay Packers on the ropes until Packers QB Bart Starr scored on a sneak with just seconds left. (See the video at the bottom of this post.)
No, Don Meredith never got a Super Bowl win or appearance for the Cowboys, but he, with Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, General Manager Tex Scramm, and Director of Player Personel Gil Brandt, did give the team a heart and soul that's unforgettable. It's hard to say a person was "lovely" if you didn't know them, but when so many praise a person like Don Meredith for his charm, you have to go with it.
What I will remember most is how Meredith, perhaps more than Howard Cosell (rest in peace), made Monday Night Football fun to watch. You never knew what he was going to say, or what kind of verbal joust he would get into with Cosell. Unlike today, the relationship between Meredith and Cosell made Monday Night Football fun to watch, regardless of the matchup.
In fact, I wonder if ESPN's Monday Night Football of today can have that same level of banter. People are so sensitive now, it's fair to ask if Jon Gruden would haul off and bash Ron Jaworski in the mouth.
But I digress.
What I will also remember is Don Meredith singing "Turn Out The Lights" whenever a team was being blown out of the stadium. And Don Meredith was the one Monday Night Football host who referred to Oakland Raiders Legend Otis Sistrunk as being from The University of Mars because he was bald.
That was before Michael Jordan.
It's hard to find good videos of Meredith, but here's one by SMU Video on YouTube , of Don singing "Varsity" on the day his number was retired at SMU:
Don Meredith, RIP.
The Ice Bowl:
8 Views
23:07:00 07/30/10
Dinner For Schmucks, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Charlie St. Cloud
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 23:07:00 07/30/10
Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore In Theatres Friday, July 30
In the eternal battle between cats and dogs, one crazed feline has just taken things a paw too far.
Kitty Galore, a former elite agent for spy organization MEOWS, has gone rogue. In 48 hours, she plans to unleash a diabolical device designed to not only bring her canine enemies to heel but take down her former kitty comrades and make the world her scratching post.
Faced with this immediate and unprecedented threat, cats and dogs will be forced to work together for the first time in history in an unlikely alliance to save themselves--and their beloved humans--from global cat-astrophe.
It's time for the fur to fly.
The comedy "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," a blend of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry and computer animation in 3D, stars Emmy Award winner Christina Applegate ("Friends," "Samantha Who?"), Oscar® nominee Michael Clarke Duncan ("The Green Mile"), Emmy Award nominee Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother"), Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes ("Will & Grace"), James Marsden ("Hairspray"), two-time Oscar® nominee, Emmy and multiple Grammy Award winner Bette Midler, Oscar® nominee Nick Nolte ("Affliction," "The Prince of Tides"), Emmy Award winner Joe Pantoliano ("The Sopranos"), comedian and rapper Katt Williams ("The Katt Phenomenon"), Chris O'Donnell ("NCIS: Los Angeles"), Emmy Award nominee Jack McBrayer ("30 Rock"), SNL regular Fred Armisen ("Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy") and Paul Rodriguez ("Tortilla Soup," "Comic Relief VII").
The film is directed by Brad Peyton and written by Ron J. Friedman & Steve Bencich, based on characters created by John Requa & Glenn Ficarra. It is produced by Andrew Lazar and Polly Johnsen, with Brent O'Connor and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. The creative behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Steven Poster, production designer Rusty Smith, editor Julie Rogers and composer Christopher Lennertz.
Visual effects are supervised by Randy Starr, and animatronic effects by David Barclay. The animal actors appear through Boone's Animals for Hollywood, under the supervision of trainer Boone Narr.
"Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" will be presented in 3D where available.
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Mad Chance/Polymorphic Pictures Production: "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore," distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures. This film is rated PG by the MPAA for animal action and humor.
Charlie St. Cloud
Based on an acclaimed novel, Charlie St. Cloud is a romantic drama starring Zac Efron as a young man who survives an accident that lets him see the world in a unique way. In this emotionally charged story, he begins a romantic journey in which he embraces the dark realities of the past while discovering the transformative power of love. Accomplished sailor Charlie St. Cloud (Efron) has the adoration of mother Claire (Oscar® winner Kim Basinger) and little brother Sam (newcomer Charlie Tahan), as well as a college scholarship that will lead him far from his sleepy Pacific Northwest hometown. But his bright future is cut short when a tragedy strikes and takes his dreams with it. After his high-school classmate Tess (Amanda Crew) returns home unexpectedly, Charlie grows torn between honoring a promise he made five years earlier and moving forward with newfound love. And as he finds the courage to let go of the past for good, Charlie discovers the soul most worth saving is his own. www.charliestcloud.com Starring: Zac Efron, Amanda Crew, Donal Logue, Charlie Tahan, with Ray Liotta and Kim Basinger
Dinner For Schmucks
(Paramount)
Release: 07/30/2010
Tim (Rudd) is a rising executive who "succeeds" in finding the perfect guest, IRS employee Barry (Carell), for his boss's monthly event, a so-called "dinner for idiots," which offers certain advantages to the exec who shows up with the biggest buffoon. Genres: Comedy Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Jermaine Clement Directed By: Jay Roach Produced By:
Amy Sayres, Jay Roach, Jon Poll, Walter F. Parkes, Laurie MacDonald
9 Views
20:15:07 04/22/10
The Losers -starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoë Saldana, Chris Evans, Idris Elba, Columbus Short, Oscar Jaenada and Jason Patric
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 20:15:07 04/22/10
An explosive action tale of betrayal and revenge, “The Losers” centers around the members of an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. But the team—Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar—soon find that they have become the target of a deadly double cross, instigated from the inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max.
Making good use of the fact that they are now presumed dead, the group goes deep undercover in a dangerous plot to clear their names and even the score with Max. They are joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda, who is more than capable of scoring a few points of her own. Working together, when they’re not arguing amongst themselves, they have to stay one step ahead of the globetrotting Max—a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war for his own benefit. If they can take down Max and save the world at the same time, it’ll be a win-win for the team now known as The Losers.
“The Losers” stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Watchmen”) as Clay; Zoë Saldana (“Avatar,” “Star Trek”) as Aisha; Chris Evans (the “Fantastic Four” films) as Jensen; Idris Elba (“Obsessed”) as Roque; Columbus Short (“Stomp the Yard”) as Pooch; Oscar Jaenada (“Che: Part Two”) as Cougar; and Jason Patric (“In the Valley of Elah”) as Max.
Sylvain White (“Stomp the Yard”) directed the film from a screenplay by Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt, based upon the comic book series written by Andy Diggle, illustrated by Jock and published by DC Comics/Vertigo. “The Losers” is produced by Joel Silver, Akiva Goldsman and Kerry Foster, with Steve Richards, Andrew Rona, Sarah Aubrey and Stuart Besser serving as executive producers and Richard Mirisch co- producing.
The behind-the-scenes creative team was led by director of photography Scott Kevan (“Stomp the Yard”), production designer Aaron Osborne (“Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”), editor David Checel (“Stomp the Yard”), visual effects supervisor Richard Yuricich (“Orphan”), and costume designer Magali Guidasci (“Zombieland”). The music is by John Ottman (“Orphan,” “Valkyrie”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Dark Castle Entertainment, a Weed Road Pictures production, “The Losers,” to be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. The film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for scenes of intense action and violence, a scene of sensuality, and language.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Anyone else would be dead by now.
“The Losers have fun while they kick butt.” Director Sylvain White succinctly sums up the appeal of the ex-special forces unit that comes to the big screen from the pages of the popular DC/Vertigo comic book series, by the team of writer Andy Diggle and artist Jock.
As a fan of the original comics, White wanted to capture the same irreverent style in the film “The Losers.” He relates, “When I read the comics, the first thing that really struck me was the sense of humor Diggle and Jock were able to inject into a very action- driven story. It was such good source material, and I wanted to stay true to it by reflecting that tone in the movie.”
Producer Joel Silver agrees. “The great thing about ‘The Losers’ is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which originated with the comics, of course. But much of that attitude also came from the screenwriters, Peter Berg and James Vanderbilt, who brought so much to the table, and a lot came from Sylvain, who delivered a strong, visual cinematic style that I think feels fresh and hip and cool.”
Producer Akiva Goldsman was already familiar with Sylvain White’s work from the director’s feature film debut, “Stomp the Yard,” a drama centered around a step- dancing competition. “And yet,” Goldsman says, “there was a construct to the dancing in it that made it very much like martial arts, which spoke to the style he wanted to bring to this movie. Sylvain has a really good eye and a terrific sense of character and action. When he showed us what he wanted to do with ‘The Losers,’ we were all impressed.”
Employing his graphic arts background, White had created a full storyboard for the film that told the producers all they needed to know. “Sylvain came in and gave us a dazzling presentation,” recalls producer Kerry Foster. “He was so passionate and had such a clear vision for the movie that we knew he was the perfect choice to direct it.”
White says he not only drew inspiration from the original comic books but also from the screenplay. “It had a light tone paired with very gritty, visceral action. That can be a very difficult balance to maintain, but Peter and Jamie did it perfectly.”
James Vanderbilt, who collaborated with Peter Berg on the screenplay for “The Losers,” notes, “I was raised on Joel Silver movies like ‘Die Hard,’ ‘Lethal Weapon’ and ‘48 Hrs.,’ and that is my favorite type of action film—where there are real emotions, but not everything is so dire all of the time. The stakes are high, but the characters seem to be having a good time...and we have a good time with them.”
“The Losers are fun; you want to hang out with them,” White affirms. “They are not superheroes, they are real guys; in fact they’re underdogs who find themselves in what I would say is an extreme situation.”
“We’re not soldiers anymore. We’re fugitives.”
Despite what they are called, “The Losers” started out as anything but. Rather, they were an elite black ops unit, who were called upon for only the most perilous missions.
But in the jungles of Bolivia, while on a secret mission to eliminate a powerful drug and arms dealer, they are betrayed by a shadowy government operative named Max, who has his own reasons for wanting them eliminated...and almost succeeds.
“They’re left for dead and left taking the blame for the innocent lives that were lost on their mission,” White remarks. “Now they have to find their way back into the U.S. and redeem their names.”
Being presumed dead does have its advantages. But, although no one may be looking for them, five “dead men” can’t exactly walk back into the country without drawing unwanted attention. They need help and they find it in an unlikely source: Aisha, who is as beautiful as she is mysterious. Before they can reclaim their lives, however, they will have to deal with Max.
Each member of the team—Clay, Roque, Jensen, Pooch and Cougar—has a specialty that makes him individually strong. Together, they are unstoppable...or so they hope.
CLAY – OPERATIONAL CONTROL
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is Clay, The Losers’ man in command, whose entire identity had been wrapped up in being a soldier. After the team is betrayed, however, he is forced not only to fight for his country and his men but also his name.
Morgan offers, “His rank is colonel and that had defined him. Without that he has to question who he is, but he still has to lead this ragtag group. The leadership thing came naturally to me. It helped that I’m older than most of the guys in this movie, so I immediately wanted to kick their butts anyway,” he deadpans.
“Clay is a hardened man, but he has a definite sense of humor and I loved the dry wit of the script,” Morgan continues. “That can be difficult for a writer to capture on the page and a tricky thing for an actor to deliver. But I’m pretty sarcastic in real life,” he smiles. “In fact, I tend to be even a little dryer than Clay, so that worked well for me in playing the part.”
Sylvain White says he was sure Morgan was the right man for the role even before he actually met him. “He pulled up on his Harley and I knew instantly he was the guy. He’s got this very cool, mature energy about him, a kind of old soul quality that makes him a born leader. Jeffrey is very likeable, very approachable, but there is also a bit of a dark edge to him, which was something he was able to layer very well into the character of Clay as he spirals down into his obsession to take revenge on Max.”
“Jeffrey is that great combination of a tough guy with a heart of gold,” adds Goldsman about the actor, who played a very different kind of soldier in “Watchmen,” the film adaptation of the acclaimed DC Comics graphic novel. “He’s handsome and rugged and can appear dangerous, but at the same time be kind and sensitive. It’s a very mercurial quality that is hard to deliver, but he absolutely did.”
JENSEN – COMMUNICATIONS & TECH
Chris Evans plays Jensen, the team’s computer wizard, who can hack anything—or into anything—that comes his way. Even under cover on the other side of the world, he manages to keep up, via computer, with the standings of his niece’s 8-and- under soccer team, The Petunias.In terms of the family dynamic of the team, he is kind of the kid,” Evans admits. “He gets into mischief and cracks jokes at inappropriate times, but he cares about this group of people and loves what he does. He’s quick with a smile and has limitless energy. I enjoy playing guys like that because you can’t help but bring some of that attitude home with you.”
“Jensen is the geek with a gun,” White laughs. “Every character has moments of comic relief, but Jensen is probably the funniest guy in the movie. Chris had a ball with that because he is a genuinely funny person and was able to bring his own natural humor to the role. He is such a great guy to be around; he was always making us laugh, and that’s basically who Jensen is.”
“Chris was a wonderful addition to ‘The Losers’ cast,” Goldsman says of Evans, who is already a favorite of comic book genre fans for his role in the “Fantastic Four” movies and has just been announced as the new “Captain America.” “He is not only a talented and appealing actor, he also has the same sort of charm as Jensen, which is very engaging.”
ROQUE – DEMO & TACTICAL
Idris Elba plays Roque, an explosives expert, whose personal weapon of choice is a knife...the bigger the better. Roque has been Clay’s brother-in-arms for years, although Clay’s dogged determination to exact revenge on Max, at any and all costs, is now causing friction between the two old friends. “Roque is a no-nonsense type of character,” the actor observes. He’s a straight talker, very to the point. He’s an experienced soldier who’s not very emotional about the job; he just gets it done.”
White remembers, “When I first met with Idris, he told me about his ideas for how he could bring facets to the character of Roque because his story takes an unpredictable turn. He is an amazing actor; I knew he had the capacity to make his arc believable and yet surprising.”
“I liked the character of Roque, and that I had enough room to make it my own,” says Elba, who adds that there were other elements that appealed to him about the project. “The script was great—funny with a lot of larger-than-life action. And I’ve worked with Joel Silver before and am a fan of his movies, so that was another draw.”
“Idris is one of those go-to actors,” notes Silver who previously worked with the actor on “RocknRolla” and “The Reaping.” “I always know he’s going to give a great performance, no matter what the role. He can do drama, he can do comedy, he can do action, and there’s all of that in this movie. This is my third film with him, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.”
POOCH – TRANSPORTATION & HEAVY WEAPONS
Columbus Short takes on the role of Pooch, the group’s transportation expert, who “can rig, wire, fly, drive or commandeer any vehicle, and gets to shoot some pretty sweet weapons,” states Short.
Pooch also has the most personal motivation for wanting to return home. Short explains, “Pooch’s wife is about to have their first baby, and he desperately wants to get back in time to see his child be born. It makes Pooch kind of the heart of the group and adds to the guys’ individual reasons for wanting to clear their names.”
Short’s motivations for taking the role involved both the script and the director. “The storyline was great and the writing was very clever and witty; I laughed out loud reading some of the dialogue and I loved the action,” he comments.
The actor says he also appreciated the opportunity to reunite with Sylvain White, who had directed him in “Stomp the Yard,” which marked his first leading role. “Sylvain is a very collaborative director; he gave me the freedom to discover things about my character that weren’t necessarily in the dialogue. I couldn’t imagine a better experience than working with him again on this movie.”
White states, “I knew Columbus was perfect for Pooch from the get-go; I didn’t even have to think about it. When I read the script for ‘The Losers,’ I felt that the character was the emotional anchor of the team. He’s the family man and the kind of guy you want as a friend. And Columbus has a very warm soul and this sweet innocence about him that makes you care about him the second you meet him, so I pictured him as Pooch right off the bat.”
COUGAR – LONG-RANGE ELIMINATIONS
Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada is cast as Cougar, the unit’s crack sniper, who can hit any target with a steady hand, a cool eye and a quiet calm. “I loved playing a character who is more about sight than sound, more visual than verbal,” Jaenada offers. “Cougar may be the quiet type, but he’s always there watching out for his team. He’s the strong, silent guy in the movie.”
“Cougar is the mystery man of the crew,” says White. “I met Oscar and thought he was incredible; he has such an expressive face and an amazing presence. We needed someone who could act with his eyes, and that’s Oscar. He brought the character of Cougar to life in a way not many people could have.”
Kerry Foster emphasizes, “Oscar was such a boon to the cast. He enjoyed the idea of playing the guy who doesn’t need to speak to get his point across. He came in from Spain and wasn’t able to arrive until the day before we started shooting, and I think the other guys were sad to see him because he was clearly the coolest of the bunch,” Foster teases. “But he’s just the sweetest man and everybody loved working with him.”
“It’s pretty much a suicide mission.”
Despite their individual and combined skills, The Losers need help to sneak back into the U.S. undetected. That’s where Aisha comes in. Zoë Saldana plays the woman who proves to be either a formidable ally or a dangerous enemy...or both. It’s hard to know whose side she’s really on—other than her own—but Clay is about to learn she usually comes out on top.
“Aisha appears to them out of nowhere just when the guys think there is no hope for them to get back home,” says Saldana. “She makes them an offer that sounds too good to be true, but it’s also an offer they can’t refuse: she’ll get them back into the country, but then they have to deliver Max. They decide to take her up on it, but there is mistrust from the beginning because they don’t know what this woman is hiding up her sleeve,” the actress smiles.
White, who had been a fan of Saldana’s even before her recent roles in the sci-fi blockbusters “Avatar” and “Star Trek,” recalls, “When we started discussing the role of Aisha, I instantly thought of Zoë. She has remarkable acting chops, but she also has the physicality the role demanded. Aisha is not the lady in distress; quite the contrary, she’s the badass who actually rescues the men. She’s very capable, very strong and very determined, and Zoë brought her own genuine strength to her performance. She also happens to look very much like the character in the comic book, so we were thrilled when she said yes.” Joel Silver adds, “Zoë is beautiful and sexy and exciting—all the things Aisha needed to be. We wanted Aisha to be a match for the guys and then some. She’s tough, smart, opinionated and able to mix it up, and everything we expected of the character, Zoë delivered to the role.”
“You know that if we do this, we are waging a war against the Central Intelligence Agency.”
The man who targeted The Losers—and who is now their target—is Max, a shadowy and ruthless government operative, who is now operating by his own set of rules to keep America on top. And if a few billion dollars end up in his pocket along the way, even better.
Jason Patric, who plays the role of Max, affirms, “He has his own manifesto and a twisted sense of patriotism that I thought was funny and even a little topical today. Max has a bit of a swagger and an overconfidence, which I think he uses to hide the fact that he’s been beaten down in the past. But I just tried to have fun with it.”
“Max was probably the trickiest part to cast,” White asserts. “We wanted to cast against type, and Jason has never played a true bad guy in a movie before. He came in with some great ideas for the role, and I thought he would help me create a unique character who is different from other villains we’ve seen. He brought this quirkiness to his performance that I think really sets it apart.”
“Jason was terrific,” Foster agrees. “He made Max menacing and eccentric and funny all at the same time. He’s a villain you love to hate.”
As do all self-respecting villains, Max also has a henchman named Wade, because, as Patric says, “Every bad guy should have a thug.”
Wade is played by Holt McCallany, who offers, “Wade is a former special ops soldier, a very competent guy who has now kind of gone over to the dark side. He took all the skills he learned in the Special Forces and become a soldier of fortune. He’s a guy who’s essentially a mercenary. What makes him dangerous to The Losers is that he knows these guys. He knows their history and what they’re capable of...and what a threat they are.”
Judging by appearances, you can also tell what Wade is capable of. “You know Wade could physically take Max out any time he wanted to,” White allows. “But Max is smart enough and manipulative enough to have Wade following his orders, no matter how outrageous they are. Holt played the character with just the right balance of fear, loathing and respect.”
“CIA, NSA, Special Forces... We’re not them.”
Before the main cast of “The Losers” could portray a Special Forces unit they had to learn to behave like one. Former Navy SEAL Harry Humphries, who has served as the military advisor on a wide range of films, recently including “Iron Man” and “Transformers,” was the film’s military advisor and “training officer.” Humphries relates, “I come from the Special Operations community and I feel a great responsibility to them, so it was very important to me that the actors, who obviously didn’t have any prior tactical experience, look correct onscreen.”
He and his team put the cast of “The Losers” through a rigorous training regimen. “I didn’t try to turn them into total ninjas overnight,” says Humphries, “but I looked at what they would be required to do in the script and concentrated on those skill sets, like proper weapons handling, dynamic room entry, fire and cover, etc. They were all excellent students. I was very impressed.”
The actors had equal praise for their trainer. “Harry was a great instructor,” Idris Elba states. “He taught us quite a few tactical maneuvers. He made sure we looked realistic, especially handling the gear and the weapons.”
Columbus Short concurs, “Before I got there, I would not have known the first thing about dismantling or brandishing any sort of weapon. Now I feel like a weapons specialist. We were trained in the protocols known by every Special Forces operative in the world. It was very cool.”
Since Oscar Jaenada was still in Spain at the time, Humphries sent a trainer based in Europe to teach the actor the rudiments of being an expert sniper. Humphries notes, “A former British SAS (Special Air Services) Operative named Tony Smith went down to see Oscar in Madrid and just immersed Oscar for a week in the mental and physical requirements of precision rifle shooting.”
“It was very important for me to learn how to act like a real sniper,” Jaenada says. “Tony taught me the right way to hold the rifle and I also had to learn about precision and patience—when to know the perfect moment to take the shot.” Armorers Michael Papac and Vincent Flaherty worked closely with Humphries to select and supply the right weapons to use in each scene, including Cougar’s mammoth- scoped rifle, the Knights Armament SR-15.
Chris Evans points out that the most important thing he learned about the Special Forces was “I am not cut out to be one, that’s for damn sure,” he laughs. “We were out in the jungle doing those scenes, and I’m like, ‘I need water...I need a chair...I’m sweating...I’m tired...There’s mud, and bugs are biting me...’ We’ve got a whole team of ex-Navy SEALS consultants who never even break a sweat, and I’m wondering when lunch is.
Oh yeah, that’s not for me.
“But seriously,” Evans adds, “it was one of the coolest experiences I’ve had making movies. Where else would a guy like me get Navy SEAL training? It was fantastic.”
One important aspect of the actors’ training was learning to work together as a unit, which they all agree came naturally. “There is a shorthand between those guys, a special camaraderie, and I think we captured that,” says Jeffrey Dean Morgan. “Within one or two days, we realized it had fallen into place as far as us all feeling like one team...with Sylvain White as the maestro.”
White remarks, “The first time the cast was all assembled as a group they immediately bonded, and it was pretty clear that they had great chemistry between them. That’s the kind of thing you can’t really predict or bank on, so when it happens, you feel really fortunate. And I think it makes a big difference on the screen, too.”
“Welcome back to the land of the living.”
The action of “The Losers” unfolds around the world—from the jungles of Bolivia to New Mexico, from Mumbai to Dubai, and from Miami to Houston to Los Angeles, with various points in-between. Despite the diversity of the settings, the filmmakers were able to accomplish almost all of the principal photography on the island of Puerto Rico.
“We looked at quite a few places,” White recounts, “but when we got to Puerto Rico, we saw that the islandhas a great infrastructure and different locales. It was very convenient because we could ‘cheat’ a variety of terrains within a relatively small distance.”
“It was staggering what we found when we came to Puerto Rico to scout,” Foster confirms. “There is a city, obviously gorgeous beaches, a close approximation of a desert, and a rainforest that was ideal to double for Bolivia. It’s a beautiful island and the people could not have been more wonderful.”
Filming on Puerto Rico, the filmmakers also took advantage of the dramatic backdrop of the Arecibo Observatory, the world’s largest radio telescope. Jason Patric shot his first scenes there and, in the process, discovered something about himself. “I didn’t realize I have a lack of fondness for heights, but I do now,” the actor reveals. “It was a pretty daunting way to begin.”
To craft the look of the film, production designer Aaron Osborne first went to the source: the original comic books. “What I noticed is that they used two or three colors to represent the tone of each setting, so I really tried to enhance that.”
“Every chapter of the comic books is a new environment distinguished by different color palettes,” White observes. I really wanted to do that in the movie as well—where every time we are in a new city or country, the aesthetic of the film changes completely, so there is no homogeneous look. It’s very eclectic.”
White collaborated with Osborne and cinematographer Scott Kevan to break down the images of the scenes. “We charted the whole movie with certain color schemes for each location and different shades as we moved from day to night,” Osborne explains. “We were quite meticulous about it.”
Color also came into play in the work of costume designer Magali Guidasci, who deviated from tradition by dressing the main protagonist, Clay, mostly in black, while the villain, Max, mainly wore white or light pastels. “Clay is a black-and-white type of guy,” she says, “so he wears a black suit and white shirt—another type of uniform in its own way, make no mistake. Max is always in a very light color, if not pure white. We first see him in a white suit and black tie, as if to appear the opposite of Clay.”
Form followed function with Cougar’s trademark cowboy hat, which was the perfect accoutrement for a sniper whose eyes needed to be shielded from the deflecting glare of the sun. His clothes are in muted colors to allow him to fade into the background and he wears gloves with the trigger finger cut out. Function was also important in costuming Zoë Saldana as Aisha, in clothes that Guidasci describes as “simple and athletic. She wears boots where she can conceal extra weapons, but no heels for that lady. She needs to be agile—able to jump and kick ass.”
In keeping with Jensen’s fun-loving nature, the character wore a collection of T- shirts that were as colorful as his personality. The idea of the T-shirts began with the one Petunias shirt he wears to support his niece’s soccer team. Guidasci offers, “Then Sylvain came up with the idea for Jensen to have a different funny T-shirt for almost every scene. Some we found and some were created by our graphic designer, Eduardo Gomez, and we also tried to make some of them subtly apropos to the moment.”
Osborne notes that the filmmakers adopted the term “Loser style,” which did not refer to the clothes of the characters but rather their surroundings. He elaborates, “Let me put it this way: anything we built in ‘Loser style’ either got burned, destroyed, shot up or blown apart.”
For certain sets, where the action was going to be explosive, Osborne and his crew consulted with special effects coordinator John P. Cazin, as well as stunt coordinator and second unit director Garrett Warren. Clay’s hotel room in Bolivia was the most obvious example of a set that was literally designed to be demolished.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh, we’re building a motel room...no big deal,’” admits Osborne. “But we had to design layer-by-layer, working everything out with John regarding the special effects, since we were going to burn down the entire room, and also with Garrett on the stunts, because people were going to be thrown around and putting their fists through the walls. So what seems to be a normal motel room was actually planned to the utmost detail. Every piece of furniture had to be replicated several times over because we were either going to burn it or smash it.”
The motel room is destroyed over the course of an all-out brawl between Clay and Aisha, who, surprisingly, is more than a match for her larger opponent. “The fight scene between Clay and Aisha was amazing to create,” says Warren, who had recently worked with Saldana on “Avatar.” “They were both consummate professionals: Jeffrey is up for anything and Zoë has a dancer’s physicality and loves doing stunts. We just pulled out all the stops.”
“The thing I loved about the way Garrett designed the fight is that he made it very playful,” Saldana comments. “When Clay and Aisha meet, you think they’re about to hook up for a steamy scene and they end up kicking the crap out of each other. There’s something sexy about a woman who can hold her own against a man, especially when they find each other irresistible.”
“It was pretty hot,” Morgan agrees, though not necessarily referring to the attraction between the characters. “The flames in that room were real, so filming that scene really stood out for me.”
Hot and steamy proved to the watchwords for the entire cast and crew while working in tropical Puerto Rico. “It’s a beautiful place, but the heat and humidity were unrelenting,” Morgan attests. “Add a black suit and about 60 pounds’ worth of guns and gear, and it made filming the action scenes a special challenge. You can’t drink enough water because no matter where or when you’re shooting, you’re drenched in sweat. But the good news is you’re bound to lose a lot of weight,” he grins.
In planning the stunt sequences, Warren says, “I got my team together and we brainstormed to come up with some interesting, fun ways to shoot. I talked Sylvain into letting us fly him above one action scene on wires and he actually held the camera to film one of our guys doing Parkour-style moves, running and jumping over these large containers. That was a lot of fun...at least for us.”
White also worked with Scott Kevan to film the action from a perspective that brings moviegoers right into the fray. The director emphasizes, “We want the audience to experience certain pivotal moments through the eyes of the characters. It’s about positioning the camera inside the action and staying as close as possible to the actors. Sometimes it’s limiting, and other times it opens brand new doors. It was a fine line, but I think we were able to find a good combination.”
He continues, “I’m very proud of the action in this film, but what I think shines through the most is the fun tone and the great characters. I think ultimately that’s what I want to leave the audience with—having had a good time with ‘The Losers’...and wanting to do it again.”
ABOUT THE CAST
JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN (Clay) starred last year in the action thriller “Watchmen,” Zack Snyder’s controversial big screen adaptation of DC’s seminal graphic novel. Morgan played Edward Blake, a.k.a. The Comedian, whose murder sets off a potentially explosive investigation and reunites his former costumed colleagues, the Minutemen. Also in 2009, Morgan starred in Ang Lee’s independent feature “Taking Woodstock.”
Morgan is currently at work on the crime thriller “The Fields,” in which he and Sam Worthington star as detectives investigating several unsolved murders in Texas. In November, he stars in the remake of the action hit “Red Dawn,” playing a U.S. Special Forces soldier who helps the teenage rebels, known as the Wolverines, fight back against enemy forces that have invaded the United States. Prior to “Red Dawn,” Morgan filmed the suspense thriller “The Resident,” opposite Hilary Swank, his former co-star from “P.S. I Love You,” in which he played her prospective love interest.
His other upcoming films include Mikael Hafstrom’s period drama “Shanghai,” with John Cusack, and the murder mystery drama “All Good Things,” in which he stars with Kirsten Dunst, Ryan Gosling and Frank Langella under the direction of Andrew Jarecki. Morgan’s additional film credits include the independent comedy “Kabluey,” with Lisa Kudrow; the romantic comedy “The Accidental Husband,” opposite Uma Thurman; and a cameo role in David Dobkin’s holiday comedy “Fred Claus.”
Morgan first gained the attention of television audiences with a recurring role in ABC’s smash hit series “Grey’s Anatomy.” His dramatic arc as heart patient Denny Duquette, who wins the heart of Katherine Heigl’s Izzie Stevens in a star-crossed romance, made him a universal fan favorite. He has also had recurring roles on the hit CW series “Supernatural” and on the award-winning Showtime series “Weeds.”
ZOË SALDANA (Aisha) enjoyed a banner year in 2009, starring in back-to-back blockbusters. She capped the year starring as Neytiri in James Cameron’s history- making sci-fi epic “Avatar,” for which Saldana won an Empire Award for Best Actress. The film, which also starred Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver, broke numerous box office records on its way to becoming the highest-grossing motion picture of all time. Among its many honors, “Avatar” won a Golden Globe for Best Picture – Drama and earned nine Oscar® nominations, also including Best Picture.
Earlier last year, Saldana played Nyoto Uhura in the sci-fi action adventure hit “Star Trek,” about the early years of the legendary crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Directed by J.J. Abrams, the film also starred Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Eric Bana.
Saldana will next be seen in the Neil LaBute-directed comedy “Death at a Funeral,” in which she joins an ensemble cast that also includes James Marsden, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence, Columbus
Short and Luke Wilson.
Born and raised in New York, Saldana first gained attention with her memorable feature film debut in the starring role of Eva in “Center Stage,” directed by Nicholas Hytner. She followed with “Get Over It,” “Crossroads,” “Drumline,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,” and Steven Spielberg’s “Terminal,” for which she won a 2004 Young Hollywood One to Watch Award from Movieline magazine. Her additional film credits include “Haven,” “Guess Who” and “Vantage Point.”
In 2009, Saldana graced the cover of ELLE as one of the magazine’s “Top Women in Hollywood.”
CHRIS EVANS (Jensen) stars this August in Edgar Wright’s action comedy “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” with Michael Cera, Anna Kendrick, Jason Schwartzman, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. He also just wrapped production on Adam and Mark Kassen’s drama “Puncture,” in which he stars as a drug-addicted lawyer who takes on a major health supply corporation while battling his own personal demons.
Evans next starts filming opposite Anna Faris in Mark Mylod’s romantic comedy “What’s Your Number?,” about a woman revisiting all her ex-boyfriends in hopes of finding the man of her dreams. This summer, Evans is set to go into production on the action adventure “The First Avenger: Captain America,” in which he will star in the title role of the Marvel Comics superhero, under the direction of Joe Johnston.
Evans is also well known to moviegoers for his role in the hit “Fantastic Four” action adventures. His more recent film credits include Paul McGuigan’s sci-fi thriller “Push,” in which he starred opposite Dakota Fanning; the independent period drama “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond,” written by Tennessee Williams and also starring Bryce Dallas Howard; and David Ayer’s crime drama “Street Kings,” with Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker.
Raised in Massachusetts, Evans began acting in regional theatre before moving to New York, where he studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute. He made a few guest appearances on television series before landing his first feature film starring role in the comedy spoof “Not Another Teen Movie.” His early film work also includes “The Perfect Score,” with Scarlett Johansson, and “Cellular,” with Jessica Biel and Kim Basinger.
In 2005, teamed with Jessica Alba, Michael Chiklis and Ioan Gruffudd as a group of astronauts who gain individual super powers after being exposed to cosmic radiation in the blockbuster hit “Fantastic Four.” Two years later, he reprised the role of Johnny Storm, a.k.a. The Human Torch, in the summer action hit “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.”
Among Evans’ other film credits are Danny Boyle’s critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller “Sunshine,” with Cillian Murphy and Michelle Yeoh; “The Nanny Diaries,” opposite Scarlett Johansson; the independent drama “London,” opposite Jessica Biel; and Griffin Dunne’s “Fierce People,” with Diane Lane and Donald Sutherland.
IDRIS ELBA (Roque) recently starred in the hit 2009 thriller “Obsessed,” with Beyoncé Knowles and Ali Larter. Elba earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for his portrayal of a married man being stalked by a co-worker. He previously shared in a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination as a member of the main cast of Ridley Scott’s 2007 true-life drama “American Gangster,” with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
Elba has several film projects upcoming, including the crime drama “Takers,” with Matt Dillon, Zoë Saldana and Hayden Christensen, and the action adventure “Thor,” in which he stars with Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman under the direction of Kenneth Branagh. He also executive produced and stars in the independent film “Legacy,” which was chosen to close the 2010 Glasgow Film Festival, and has also been selected to screen at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Elba’s additional film credits include David S. Goyer’s horror thriller “The Unborn”; Guy Ritchie’s “RocknRolla,” as part of an ensemble cast that also included Gerard Butler, Thandie Newton and Tom Wilkinson; and the hit horror thriller “28 Weeks Later,” to name only a few.
On the small screen, Elba had a recurring role last season on the hit NBC series “The Office.” In his native England, he next stars in the title role of the BBC crime drama series “Luther,” set to debut in the UK in May. He first gained attention with his starring role as the de facto leader of a Baltimore drug empire in HBO’s acclaimed original series “The Wire,” for which he received an Image Award nomination. Additionally, he starred in the Channel 4 telefilm “All in the Game,” and gained another Image Award nod for his performance in the HBO movie “Sometimes in April,” as a Hutu soldier who tries to save his Tutsi wife and family during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Elba has also worked on the stage, including leading roles in several plays produced in London. Additionally, in New York, he starred in Sir Peter Hall’s off- Broadway production of “Troilus and Cressida,” receiving rave reviews for his portrayal of Achilles.
COLUMBUS SHORT (Pooch) previously collaborated with director Sylvain White as the star of the 2007 hit “Stomp the Yard,” which topped the box office in its first two weeks in release and brought Short an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Actor. He more recently won an Image Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the true-life drama “Cadillac Records,” about the birth of rock n’ roll in Chicago, in which Short starred with Beyoncé Knowles, Jeffrey Wright and Adrien Brody. He next stars in the ensemble comedy “Death at a Funeral,” alongside Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence, James Marsden, Luke Wilson and Zoë Saldana.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Short relocated with his family to Los Angeles at a young age and, by his early teens, had landed work in television commercials. He was a senior at Orange County School of the Arts when he was offered a part in Broadway‘s hit show “STOMP!” He went on to choreograph Britney Spears’ “In the Zone” tour.
Short began his film acting career in 2006 with starring roles in “Save the Last Dance: 2” and the comedy “Accepted,” with Jonah Hill and Justin Long. His subsequent film credits include “This Christmas,” opposite Idris Elba, Regina King and Chris Brown; the horror remake “Quarantine”; the thriller “Whiteout,” with Kate Beckinsale; and “Armored,” with Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne. On television, he played the young writer Darius on Aaron Sorkin’s acclaimed drama series “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.”
Short is also working behind the camera through his production company, Great Picture Show Productions. He most recently executive produced “Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming.”
OSCAR JAENADA (Cougar) is an award-winning actor in his native Spain, who is quickly becoming well known in the U.S. In 2005, he starred in the title role of “Camarón: When Flamenco Became Legend,” the true story of Camarón de la Isla. Jaenada earned a number of acting honors, including Spain’s prestigious Goya Award, for his portrayal of the legendary flamenco cantaor. He more recently starred in “Todos Estamos Invitados,” for which he won the Málaga Spanish Film Festival’s Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Toulouse Cinespaña Award for Best Actor.
American film audiences have also seen Jaenada in Jim Jarmusch’s thriller “The Limits of Control,” in which he co-starred with Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton, and Steven Soderbergh’s biopic “Che: Part Two,” starring Benicio Del Toro.
Born and raised in Barcelona, Jaenada later moved to Madrid to pursue his acting career. He started out in the local theatre and also landed roles on television. His breakthrough came in the widely acclaimed 2003 feature “November,” for which he received a Goya Award nomination and won several other awards, including a Toulouse Cinespaña Award for Best Actor.
JASON PATRIC (Max) first gained attention with his starring role in Joel Schumacher’s 1987 comedy thriller hit “The Lost Boys.” He went on to earn critical acclaim for his performances in the drama “The Beast of War,” the erotic thriller “After Dark, My Sweet,” and the crime drama “Rush.”
Patric subsequently starred in Walter Hill’s “Geronimo: An American Legend”; the title role in “The Journey of August King”; Barry Levinson’s “Sleepers”; and Neil LaBute’s “Your Friends and Neighbors,” which was also the first feature Patric produced under the banner of his production company, Fleece.
Patric’s more recent film credits include “Narc,” “The Alamo,” “Expired,” “Downloading Nancy,” “In the Valley of Elah,” and “My Sister’s Keeper.”
On Broadway, Patric starred as Brick in the revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” opposite Ashley Judd. His other theatre work includes productions of Neil LaBute’s “Bash”; “Beirut”; “Out of Gas on Lover’s Leap”; “The Tempest”; “Henry V”; and “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”
10 Views
17:46:49 04/11/10
Date Night starring - Steve Carell and Tina Fey
[LESS INFO] 10 VIEWS | ADDED 17:46:49 04/11/10
Action-comedy maestro Shawn Levy, the director of the blockbuster “Night at the Museum” franchise, teams up with two of the comedy world’s biggest talents, Steve Carell (“The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “The Office”) and Tina Fey (“Baby Mama,” “30 Rock,” “SNL”) for an adventure that turns a run-of-the-mill married couple’s date upside down – way upside down, in DATE NIGHT.
Phil (Carell) and Claire Foster (Fey) are a sensible, loving couple with two kids and a house in suburban New Jersey. The Fosters have their weekly “date night” – an attempt at re-experiencing the spice of the dates of yesteryear, involving the same weekly night out at the local Teaneck Tavern. Their conversations quickly drift from barely-date talk to the same chore-chat they have at the dinner table at home. Exhausted from their jobs and kids, their dates rarely end in fore- or any other kind of play, let alone romance.
After seeing two of their best friends – another married couple with kids in suburban New Jersey – split apart from living the same life they themselves lead, Phil and Claire begin to fear what may lie ahead: a state of bland indifference and eventual separation.
In an attempt to take date night off auto-pilot, and hopefully inject a little spice into their lives, Phil decides a change of plans is in order: take Claire into Manhattan to the city’s hottest new restaurant. The Fosters, however, don’t have reservations. Hoping to be seated sometime before the clock strikes twelve, they steal a no-show couple’s reservations. What could it hurt? Phil and Claire are now the Tripplehorns.
The real Tripplehorns, however, it turns out, are a thieving couple who are being hunted down by a pair of corrupt cops for having stolen property from some very dangerous people. Forced on the run before they’ve even finished their risotto, Phil and Claire soon realize that their play-date-for-parents has gone hilariously awry, as they embark on a wild and dangerous series of crazy adventures to save their lives. . . and their marriage.
The ritual “date night” dinner is something all too familiar to most married couples – even directors of blockbuster movies. “I was in the process of making the second Night at the Museum film,” recalls filmmaker Shawn Levy, “and, as is kind of our ritual, once a week, my wife and I go out to dinner.”
At one such dinner, the Levys found themselves sitting at the restaurant they frequented, ordering the same food, talking about the kids, what’s coming up that weekend, who’s going to buy the gift for which birthday party, etc., etc. “In the middle of all that, I said to my wife, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to do a movie about a date night, where you just did one thing differently? And, from there, you have an unraveling of everything, to the point of it threatening your life and your marriage, with all kinds of crazy stuff going on. But, in the midst of all that crazy stuff, you end up recapturing the vitality that date night was invented in the first place to preserve.’”
The next morning, Levy came in to his production company office and told his staff, “Okay, we’re going to do a movie called DATE NIGHT, and here’s what it’s about, and let’s get a writer. Let’s go.”
Levy’s search for a writer didn’t take very long. “I had written a small, quirky film, called ‘(Saint) Peter,’ which Shawn had read and fell in love with, recalls screenwriter Josh Klausner. “Shawn was determined to find something for us to work on together. He very graciously took a big chance and had me fly out, and we started brainstorming.”
Levy and Klausner met at Levy’s bungalow on the Fox lot, where they quickly broke the story. “We are both in the same stage of life,” Klausner says. “We both have children and go out on date nights, knowing what they’re supposed to be, but realizing they never end up being that anymore because there are so many other things that get in the way. So we started talking about those experiences.”
“We talked about our marriages,” Levy adds. “And we found that there are certain commonalities in trying to sustain a vibrant, romantic relationship,” and not simply becoming roommates. “It’s the question of in the midst of grownup life, how do you keep couple-hood fresh?”
DATE NIGHT was originally conceived as more of a suburban story centered around a parent-teacher conference night, but quickly evolved into, as Klausner calls it, “the perfect ‘North by Northwest’ setup” of mistaken identity.
“Shawn and I really wanted what spurs on the evening to be something that we all might do,” Klausner continues. “Phil and Claire simply can’t get a seat at a restaurant, and, since nobody’s answering the call for a reservation, they just decide, ‘What’s the harm in taking it?’ And it leads them down the rabbit hole. From there, they end up on the worst night of their lives, which ends up being the best night for their relationship.”
Levy describes the film as being “in the spirit of action comedies I remember fondly, like ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ or ‘48 Hrs.’ DATE NIGHT has a real hybrid tone, because it’s first and foremost a comedy. It also has a hefty dose of action, as well as a lot of heart, because it’s about the things that people deal with in relationships.”
For Levy, DATE NIGHT is a change from the family-friendly hits he’s helmed, like “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Pink Panther” and “Night at the Museum.” DATE NIGHT is more of an adult-skewing comedy,” Levy points out. “In a way, it’s the other side of the movies I’ve done, which have been focused on the child-parent relationships. DATE NIGHT is focused on the marriage side – what happens after the children go to sleep.”
Levy was keen to keep the emotional side of the story intact through the mayhem experienced by the characters. “If you’re making a movie about relationships and being a married couple, it must be more than just funny, because life doesn’t work that way,” the director explains. “This movie has some surprising moments of poignancy.”
“A lot of comedies these days feel like a compendium of gags tied together to follow a narrative story,” notes Klausner. “DATE NIGHT, at its heart, is about marriage and being in love with somebody, but at the same time, life gets in the way. It’s honest, which is something Steve and Tina wanted, too. I’m proud that this movie has preserved that soul.”
When Levy learned that Steve Carell and Tina Fey were hoping to find a project on which they could work together, he knew he had found his DATE NIGHT duo. “We got an early draft of the screenplay to Tina and Steve, who always struck me as the dream pairing for a movie about marriage,” Levy says. “They said, ‘Yeah, we relate to this, we want to do an action comedy that’s also honest about relationships.’ So they said they were in.”
While Levy usually takes a break between completing one feature and beginning the next, he found himself prepping DATE NIGHT while editing “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” in order to take advantage of his stars’ availability. “Steve’s and Tina’s series commitments [on, respectively, “The Office” and “30 Rock”] provides only a limited window for feature film work,” Levy explains. “They told us, ‘Look, we want to do this, but we’re free now, and we’re not going to be free in six months – what do we do?’ I said, ‘Well, we make the movie right now!’ I didn’t get a break between films, but I got a comedy with Steve Carell and Tina Fey, who are two of the most intelligent, interesting people working in comedy today. So a lot of my job was to come up with the idea, get the two perfect actors for the movie, and then get the hell out of the way.”
While slight alterations to the script were made to match the stars’ comedic voices, DATE NIGHT was essentially tailor-made for the pair. “It felt like the film was written for them,” says Klausner. Adds Levy: “Three minutes into this movie, you buy Steve and Tina as a married couple. They have a powerful chemistry together. They clicked completely on screen.”
Phil, says Carell, “feels underappreciated by his friends and family, but he sort of keeps that feeling close to his chest. He’s a very loving guy, but he and Claire have reached a plateau in their relationship. He needs to snap himself out of it, if possible. And the night that he and Claire experience together is a defibrillator for their marriage.”
Carell’s comedic skills, along with his ability to stir audiences’ hearts, made him the perfect choice for the role, Levy says. “Steve is super funny, and his chops as an actor are fantastic. He not only carries entire comedy sequences on his back, but three scenes later, he’s moving you to an emotional place with such sincerity and nuance. There’s no end to what he can do.”
Carell says his own date nights, like Phil Foster’s (and Levy’s and Klausner’s), leave much to be desired. “Sometimes the worst part of date night is actually leaving for the date – when you see your babysitter sitting down, getting all cozy, turning on the TV. That sometimes seems much better than the night that lies ahead.”
Fey, like Carell, has the ability to be riotously funny while still portraying the emotional side of her character realistically – to turn down the volume on jokes and simply allow them to happen. For example, in response to a nudge for sex from her husband, Fey’s Claire offers a very normal, ‘Yeah, hang on a minute” moment as she pulls out her dental mouth guard in preparation for sex with her husband, with enough drool to instantly turn off her mate.
“Besides being obviously really pretty and intelligent, Tina has a complete willingness to make an ass out of herself,” says Levy. She’s completely up for goofing on herself and being the butt of the joke, and that’s very charming.”
Fey describes Claire as “a working mom of two kids, who, like almost everyone I know, is just a little worn out by the day-to-day life of raising your kids, getting them out the door, getting them to school, having a job, keeping a house clean. She’s a good person who is just kind of worn into the ground a little bit. I certainly identify with how just physically tiring it is to be a parent and have a job – sometimes it feels like a real effort to just be present for your spouse.”
So which would be scarier – being in a boring marriage or being chased by the mob (both of which the Fosters experience in the film)? “I would say that being married to a person in the mob would be the scariest,” Fey jokes.
Along their night-from-hell journey, Phil and Claire encounter a cavalcade of characters on both sides of the law. Levy’s casting choices for these roles was sometimes unexpected – and always spot-on. His intent was to provide the story with a “Wizard of Oz”-like experience. “You’re with your heroes, but along the way, they’re being affected and changed by the people they meet, and I just thought wouldn’t it be fun if at every turn of the road, you’re surprised all over again by who has suddenly appeared in this movie. And the cast members fit the roles perfectly.”
The surprise apparently wasn’t limited to the audience. “I read the script,” says Fey,” and I thought, ‘Oh, these are really good parts for somebody.’ I never thought we would get this lucky to have that caliber of people in all these different parts.” Having what otherwise would have appeared to be small roles portrayed by big name actors only helps bring them alive, Carell notes. “When you see them acted out, they’re even better than they were on the page.”
And getting high-powered stars to join the DATE NIGHT team wasn’t just a matter of coincidence. “So many people were so keen to find a way to work with Steve and Tina – they just found a way to make it work,” says Levy.
Mark Wahlberg portrays a former real estate client of Claire’s the pair turns to in the middle of the night. “I play a guy named Holbrooke Grant, who is a security expert who Claire and Phil come to for help,” Wahlberg explains. “They just catch Holbrooke at a bad time – he’s with his beautiful Israeli girlfriend.” The pair ends up turning Holbrooke’s night upside down, as well.
Wahlberg had the simplest costume in the entire cast. “There is no wardrobe – just a pair of silk genie pants,” he recalls, noting that he regularly found himself freezing on the air-conditioned set. That the top half of his costume was missing (except for an ample supply of makeup covering Wahlberg’s countless tattoos), was a fact not lost on the female members of the cast and crew. “Mark was shirtless for three or four days,” Fey says, prompting a noticeable increase in the number of women who suddenly had additional tasks to address on set on the days he was on the job. “I had friends texting me, ‘Can I get on the Fox lot and visit you today?’” Fey laughs.
Also coming to the aid of the beleaguered couple is Taraji P. Henson, an Oscar® nominee for her work in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” who plays NYPD Detective Arroyo, who, though she doesn’t exactly believe the Fosters “chased by bad guys” story, begins to become suspicious of a couple of her colleagues. “She’s sort of a hero,” the actress says.
Playing thugs Collins and Armstrong, who are after the Fosters (whom they believe are the Tripplehorns) are Common and Jimmi Simpson. Common is a familiar face to audiences for his role as a murderous cop in “Street Kings” and for his work as a musical artists (his hits include “Love of My Life” and “Testify”). Simpson has made occasional appearances as Lyle the Intern on “The Late Show with David Letterman.”
Common describes the duo as “one of the many catalysts to get this mundane couple out of their comfort zone – mainly by shooting guns at them.” The two are essentially hunters, he adds, noting, “I’m the muscle.”
Collins and Armstrong’s formidable boss is gangster Joe Miletto, from whom the Tripplehorns have apparently stolen something of importance that he wants back. The casting of acclaimed actor Ray Liotta as Miletto delighted Carell and Fey. “We were shooting a scene with Ray one night,” recalls Carell, “and Tina looked over and said, ‘I feel like I am in a 3D version of ‘Goodfellas. Ray Liotta is actually walking up and talking to me.’ It was like a ride at a theme park.”
Playing a heavy in a comedy, particularly for actors used to appearing in dramatic films, requires a special knack, one which DATE NIGHT’s group of toughs embraced with gusto.
“It’s really in the writing, so it’s dependent on your commitment to it,” explains Liotta. “If the situation’s just a little more heightened, you’re going to laugh.” Common agrees: “Shawn expressed to us from the beginning – you’ve got to keep it real. The more real it becomes – because you’re playing off Steve and Tina – the funnier it becomes.”
Portraying the “real” Tripplehorns – actually a drug dealer named Taste and his wacky stripper girlfriend, Whippit – are James Franco and Mila Kunis. Despite their different life circumstances, the pair has much in common with the Fosters, being in the same spot in their relationship as their clean-cut counterparts. Notes Josh Klausner: “Whether you’re a drug dealer or a suburban husband, you still feel the pangs of ‘You never look at me the way you used to’ and ‘You don’t have time for me.’ What the two couples are going through is exactly the same,” making the exchanges between the two couples both hilarious and poignant at the same time.
Kunis describes the pair as “very passionate – when they’re angry, they’re very angry, and when they’re happy, they’re madly in love.” Whippit, specifically, she describes as a “psycho, who is very up and down. She goes through three different emotions within two and a half script pages.”
The name “Taste,” Franco says, is left over from an earlier concept of the character – a 6 ft. 7 in. bald man with “TASTE” tattooed on his forehead. “So when they asked me to be in the movie, I said, ‘Well, I’m certainly not that.’” The character’s description was then rewritten, but the name stuck. “I was up for facial tattoos, too,” Franco says with a laugh. “We just went for the cheesy ‘Grim Reaper.’”
Kristen Wiig and Mark Ruffalo play the Fosters soon-to-be-splitting couple friends, Haley and Brad Sullivan. “Their parting brings up the question about getting bored with your spouse and moving on, or just sticking it out,” says Wiig. “I think Haley plants the seeds in Claire’s mind.”
Also taking on key roles are “Gossip Girl’s” Leighton Meester as the Fosters’ babysitter Katy, and “The Dark Knight’s” William Fichtner as district attorney Frank Crenshaw.
All the cast members appreciated Levy’s ability to balance action and comedy, which in turn allowed his actors the freedom to come up with their own gags. “That’s the only way you can afford to have time to play around or to improvise and do extra takes,” notes Fey. “That only happens if everyone – especially your director – really knows what they’re doing.”
For Levy, there’s a method to the potential madness of improv. “Sometimes, after we’d get what I want, Steve and Tina would come to me and say, ‘You know what? Could I get one more take? I’ve got an idea that might lead somewhere.’ Sometimes we couldn’t use it, but more often than not, it was gold and it ended up in the movie,” such as the duo’s restaurant shenanigans game of guessing what’s up with the couple sitting across the way.
“Every person in any field wants to go to work and feel respected for what they do,” says the director. “So when you say to an actor, ‘We’re going to do the script that I’ve written for you, but I want to hear what’s in your head. I actually think that the ideas you come up with might be as legitimate or better than what we scripted,’ it makes your actors feel like partners and collaborators, and not mouthpieces. It makes them feel like part of the creative team, rather than a piece of machinery.”
MEET THE TWINS
While attempting to escape their pursuers, the Fosters “borrow” Holbrooke Grant’s car, the much-too-powerful-for-Phil Audi R8. When Phil inadvertently smashes into a taxi cab, the two vehicles’ bumpers become hopelessly locked together. Nonetheless, the chase continues, the conjoined twin automobiles smashing their way down Manhattan streets.
The complicated sequence came about when Levy and Klausner were brainstorming ideas for a chase scene. Concerned about repeating the oft-used, cliché urban car chase, Klausner recalls, “I remember sitting in a room with Shawn, telling him, ‘You know, do we really have to do a car chase, because how many times have we seen a car chase in these movies? How interesting can that be?’”
Levy then related to his writer a story from his teenage years. “He was just learning to drive, and was trying to park, but he ended up smashing into another car in front of him and getting stuck on that car. His father just drove by and shook his head.” Thus was born the idea of conjoined cars.
But just having two cars barreling down the street wasn’t enough. “Shawn wanted to do something that nobody had ever seen before,” says 2nd unit director and stunt coordinator Jack Gill, who planned and executed the sequence. “Once we got the basic idea of conjoining the cars, we began figuring out not only how to build the cars, but how to make it work comically. I then started adding eccentricities, like spinning them around in circles and having characters fire guns at them.”
Besides having six different cars that, each of which handled a specific aspect of the chase stunts, Gill built a 40 foot frame, upon which the Audi and cab bodies were placed. “So there’s just one rigid frame,” he explains. The stunt driver was situated at the leading end of the conjoined vehicles. “So when the cab is facing forwards, with the Audi ahead of it facing the wrong way, the stunt driver is actually driving from inside the Audi’s trunk, looking out the back so he can see where he’s going and drive around corners.” In addition, for most shots, the rig’s rear wheels – those under the rear end of the conjoined vehicles – could also steer, in the same manner as those of a hook-and-ladder fire truck.
Needless to say, don’t try this at home on your own Manhattan street.
New York City ordinances limited the production to the types of stunts that could be filmed on Manhattan streets. So following a week of night work in New York, the stunt team moved to downtown Los Angeles to complete the sequence.
“We had about six blocks to work with on Broadway, which was great,” Gill recalls. “We needed a long stretch locked down, because when you conjoin two cars together, you’ve got a thing that’s forty feet long – getting it up to speed and shutting it all down can be tough. You can’t just do it in two blocks.” The sequence was filmed with up to six cameras, including a special “balloon cam,” with wheeled buoys on each corner, which allowed the camera to be sent into the path of the speeding car pair and getting hit head-on, without damaging expensive camera equipment.
Carell did actually drive the R8 himself for a number of shots. “We wanted the car to have way too much power for a guy like Phil to handle,” says Gill. “So I asked Audi to disconnect the all-wheel drive, which meant putting all 560 horsepower into the rear wheels.” So what was Carell’s impression? “He said it felt like somebody hitting him in the back of the head with a shovel when he stepped on the gas.”
In one shot, Phil must make his way to the cab while Claire is driving the Audi at high speed. “We did all the transfers across the hood with doubles – that was all real,” notes Gill.
Close-ups of Carell and Fey were done against a green screen set at Twentieth Century Fox. Since the chase acrobatics had already been filmed, besides their scripted lines, Carell and Fey filled in the gaps with their gut-busting ad-libs. “I’d show them footage and explain to them, ‘Here’s what we did last week downtown with the real cars – what do you think?’” Gill says. “And we’d bounce off ideas until something really clicked. And then Shawn was always there to say, ‘You’re right on track here – that’s really funny!’ It really helps when you have a collaboration where everybody can talk ideas out.”
Even with all the excitement, Levy kept the scene’s theme on track. “Once we had the concept of having the two cars stuck together, then we could find a way to thematically tie it in to what the movie’s about, which is this couple that has to learn to communicate to survive,” he explains.
Indeed, even with all that happens to them on this fateful night, the Fosters achieve their goal: to reinvigorate their relationship and reconnect with the love and excitement that brought them together in the first place.
“DATE NIGHT is kind of like a fable,” says Levy. “It takes place over a very short period of time, but in some way, it’s timeless, because it’s a story about a journey two people make in their relationship. And we leave the night feeling like they will go back to their lives and no one except for the people involved that night might ever know what happened. We’ve watched them experience this crazy night, but the real adventure of their married life, now that they’ve found each other again, is just about to begin.”
“They’re comfortable enough again with each other to be able to say ‘Knock it off’ and ‘I love you’ within the same five minutes,” says Steve Carell.
Tina Fey has just one last piece of relationship advice: “Go on a date night and see DATE NIGHT.”
ABOUT THE CAST
STEVE CARELL (Phil Foster) has emerged as one of the most sought-after comedic actors in Hollywood. First gaining recognition for his contributions as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s Emmy® Award-winning “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Carell has successfully segued into primetime television and above-the-title status in the film world with equal aplomb.
Carell currently stars as Michael Scott, the pompous and deluded boss of a Pennsylvania paper company, in the Americanized adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ acclaimed British television series “The Office.” Now in its sixth season, the show continues to flourish in ratings and has earned Carell three Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe® nominations for his work on the show, and earned the Golden Globe in 2006. In the last two years, the show has won the Screen Actors Guild Award® for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Carell opened his first lead feature, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow, at #1, a spot it remained in for two straight weekends. The surprise hit of 2005 went on to gross more than $175 million worldwide and had #1 openings in 12 countries. The film generated over $100 million in DVD sales in North America alone. On an award level, the film was honored with an AFI Award® named one of 10 Most Outstanding Motion Pictures of the Year and took home Best Comedy Movie at the 11th annual Critics’ Choice Awards®. The film also earned Carell and Apatow a co-nomination for Best Original Screenplay by the Writers Guild Association.
In 2008, Carell starred as Maxwell Smart in the much-anticipated action-comedy “Get Smart,” opposite Anne Hathaway and Alan Arkin. The film grossed over $230 million worldwide. A sequel is due in 2011. He also lent his voice as “The Mayor of Whoville” in Twentieth Century Fox’s animated film “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” based on the children’s book written by Dr. Seuss. Directed by Jimmy Hayward (“Finding Nemo,” “Monsters, Inc.”), Carell played opposite Jim Carrey, and helped launch the film as an international success earning over $295 million worldwide.
In 2006, as part of an ensemble, he starred in “Little Miss Sunshine,” which earned an Academy Award® nomination for Best Picture and won the SAG Award™ for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The black comedy also starred Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette. Previous film credits for the actor include “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Bewitched, and “Dan in Real Life.” Carell’s feature film breakout role in “Bruce Almighty,” opposite Jim Carrey, led to a sequel starring Carell in 2007, “Evan Almighty.”
Carell recently announced the start of his new production company, Carousel Productions. Carell’s endeavors and successes in acting, writing and producing were an organic segue in the creation of Carousel Productions. Born in Massachusetts, Carell now resides in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Nancy Walls (NBC’s “Saturday Night Live”), whom he met while at the Second City Theater Group in Chicago, where both were members. He is the proud father of a daughter and a son.
TINA FEY (Claire Foster), one of the most visible and popular figures in television today, writes, executive produces and stars in NBC's three-time Emmy Award-winning comedy series “30 Rock,” a workplace comedy which takes place behind-the-scenes of a live variety show. Her performance as head writer Liz Lemon on the fictional “TGS with Tracy Jordan” has earned Fey an Emmy, two Golden Globes, three SAG Awards, and a People’s Choice Award®. This year alone, “30 Rock” won five Emmy Awards and was nominated for many others.
Prior to creating “30 Rock,” Fey completed nine seasons as head writer, cast member and co-anchor of the “Weekend Update” segment on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” Fey is an Emmy winner and two-time Writers Guild Award winner for her writing on SNL, also receiving an Emmy for her spoof of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Since her transition to being in front of the camera, Fey has won much acclaim, including being named one of Entertainment Weekly’s Entertainers of the Year, People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People (three times), and one of Time magazine’s Prestigious Time 100.
Other awards include, in 2008, a Producers Guild Award and a Writers Guild Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for “30 Rock.” She has also won two Gracie Awards and a Made in New York Award and has been nominated for a People’s Choice Award for Choice Comedy Actress and a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
Fey expanded to feature films in spring 2004 as both a screenwriter and an actress opposite Lindsay Lohan in the hit comedy “Mean Girls,” which earned her a nomination for a Writers Guild Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Most recently she starred alongside “Saturday Night Live’s” Amy Poehler in the film “Baby Mama” for Universal Pictures, which exceed the $50 million dollar mark at the U.S. box office. Fey also starred in the Ricky Gervais comedy “The Invention of Lying,” released in 2009.
MARK WAHLBERG (“Holbrooke Grant”) earned Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for his standout performance in Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed drama “The Departed.”
Wahlberg’s remarkable film career began with Penny Marshall’s “Renaissance Man” and “The Basketball Diaries” with Leonardo DiCaprio, followed by a star turn opposite Reese Witherspoon in the thriller “Fear.” He has enjoyed playing diverse characters for visionary filmmakers such as David O. Russell, Tim Burton and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Wahlberg’s breakout role in “Boogie Nights” established him as one of Hollywood’s most sought-after talents. He later headlined “Three Kings” and “The Perfect Storm” with George Clooney, and “The Italian Job” with Charlize Theron. He followed those with “I ♥ Huckabees,” “Four Brothers” and the football biography, “Invincible.” He then appeared in “Shooter,” based on the best-selling novel Point of Impact. Wahlberg reunited with “The Yards” director James Gray and co-star Joaquin Phoenix in “We Own the Night,” which Wahlberg produced.
In 2008, Wahlberg starred in M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Happening,” and in “Max Payne.” He recently appeared in director Peter Jackson’s adaptation of “The Lovely Bones.” Due out this year is “The Fighter” for director David O. Russell and “The Other Guys,” with Will Ferrell.
Wahlberg is an executive producer on “The Fighter” and “We Own the Night,” as well as on the HBO series “Entourage” and “In Treatment,” which have received six Golden Globe and three Emmy nominations.
Future projects include the new HBO series, “Boardwalk Empire,” with Martin Scorsese and “How to Make it in America,” along with other feature film projects. A committed philanthropist, he founded The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation in 2001 to benefit inner city children and teens.
TARAJI P. HENSON (“Detective Arroyo”) earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress portraying Brad Pitt’s mother in David Fincher’s highly acclaimed “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” Most recently, she starred in Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” which opened to number one at the box office.
For three years, Henson starred as Raina Washington, the youngest female detective on Lifetime’s “The Division.” She was also a regular on David E. Kelly’s “Boston Legal” and had a recurring role on ABC’s “Eli Stone.” Henson appeared in featured roles on “ER,” “Strong Medicine,” “CSI,” “House,” among others.
Henson received rave reviews for her role in Focus Features’ “Talk to Me” opposite Don Cheadle. Henson was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Feature Film at the 2005 Black Movie Awards and received the Best Actress nod at the 2006 BET Awards for her performance as Shug in the gutsy drama “Hustle & Flow,” produced by Oscar-nominated filmmaker John Singleton. She received two nominations at the 2006 MTV Movie Awards™ including Best Breakthrough Performance.
Upcoming films include “Karate Kid” opposite Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, which filmed on location in Beijing for Columbia. Henson plays Rainn Wilson’s love interest in the upcoming indie comedy “Peep World,» also starring Sarah Silverman. In the indie drama “Once Fallen,” Henson stars with Ed Harris and Brian Presley. She starred in Sony’s “Not Easily Broken” opposite Morris Chestnut, and opposite Forest Whitaker in “Hurricane Season.” She starred in Tyler Perry’s “The Family That Preys” with Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., the Howard University grad has a strong passion for helping disabled and less fortunate children and reveals, “I always stress to kids to have faith in themselves—the greatest recipe for success is self confidence.”
COMMON (Collins), a Grammy Award® winning artist, made his big screen debut as a musical performer in “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party,” in 2006. In January 2007, he made his acting debut co-starring opposite Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Alicia Keys and Ryan Reynolds in “Smokin’ Aces.” Since then he’s co-starred opposite Denzel Washington in “American Gangster,” directed by Ridley Scott; David Ayer’s “Street Kings,” starring Keanu Reeves and Forest Whitaker; and “Terminator Salvation,” directed by McG, starring Christian Bale.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
SHAWN LEVY (Director/Producer) is one of the most commercially successful film directors of the past decade. To date, his films have grossed over 1.5 billion dollars worldwide. Levy has honed his craft, seamlessly weaving comedy and heart into captivating stories that resonate with audiences. His youthfully enthusiastic approach to filmmaking is evident in the storylines and characters he creates – reflecting his joyful intensity for each project at hand.
Levy is currently developing several films to produce through his production company, 21 Laps, which is housed at Twentieth Century Fox. These projects include “The Ten Best Days of My Life” (with Amy Adams), “Neighborhood Watch,” “The Devil You Know” and “How to Talk to Girls” for Fox; “Factracker” for MGM; “The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp” and “The Cutlass Islands” for New Regency, “Men of Magic” for Universal; “The Berenstain Bears” for Walden; and “The Spectacular Now” and “Table 19” for Fox Searchlight.
Currently, Levy is in pre-production on the futuristic father-son boxing drama, “Real Steel,” starring Hugh Jackman, for Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks.
Levy’s 21 Laps recently produced the 2008 comedy «What Happens in Vegas,» starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, which went on to earn over $200 million worldwide.
Levy both produced and directed the blockbuster “Night at the Museum,” starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais, Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney, which grossed over $580 million worldwide and “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” starring a wide array of today’s most notable comedic talent including Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Jonah Hill, Bill Hader, Hank Azaria, Owen Wilson, Ricky Gervais and Steve Coogan, which grossed over $400 million worldwide.
He directed the successful 2006 comedy, “The Pink Panther,” starring Steve Martin, Kevin Kline, Beyoncé Knowles, and Jean Reno and served as the executive producer of “Pink Panther 2.” Levy also directed “Cheaper By The Dozen” starring Steve Martin, Bonnie Hunt, Ashton Kutcher and Hilary Duff, which went on to gross more than $200 million worldwide.
In 2002, Levy directed both the hit romantic comedy “Just Married,” starring Ashton Kutcher and Brittany Murphy, which grossed over $100 million and the family comedy “Big Fat Liar,” for Universal Pictures, with Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes.
Levy graduated at the age of 20 from the Drama Department of Yale University. He later studied film in the Masters Film Production Program at USC, where he produced and directed the short film Broken Record. This film won the Gold Plaque at the Chicago Film Festival, in addition to being selected to screen at the Director’s Guild of America.
JOSH KLAUSNER (Screenwriter) attended Princeton University, where he was involved in the theater community as an actor, playwright and director, and studied theater luminaries Bobby Lewis and Albert Innaurato. Klausner’s thesis play, “Scratch,” received the Francis LeMoyne Page Prize for Excellence in Theater. After graduation, Klausner co-created the short “Season of the Lifterbees,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992, and won the Time Warner Grand Prize at the Aspen Shortsfest and a regional AMPAS Student Academy Award for Best Dramatic Short.
In 1994, Klausner began working as an assistant to the Farrelly Brothers, on their first film, “Dumb & Dumber,” moving on to work as 2nd unit director on the Farrellys’ hit 1998 film, “There’s Something About Mary” and again in 2001’s “Shallow Hal.”
In 2000, Klausner wrote and directed HBO’s “The 4th Floor,” starring William Hurt, Juliette Lewis, Austin Pendleton and Shelley Duvall. He did additional screenplay work on “Shrek the Third,” and wrote the original screenplay and storyline for DreamWorks
Animation’s upcoming “Shrek Forever After,” to be released later this year.
Klausner is currently working on a number of feature film projects, including a live action adaptation of “Thomas the Tank Engine,” and an adaptation of Adena Hapern’s The Ten Best Days of My Life for Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps, which will star Amy Adams. He is also collaborating with Sir Paul McCartney on “High in the Clouds,” an upcoming animated feature film based on the former Beatle’s children’s book.
JOE CARACCIOLO, JR. (Executive Producer) began his career in film as a production manager on director Sidney Lumet’s “Running on Empty” and “The Verdict.”
Caracciolo executive produced the hit comedies “Marley & Me” starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, “What Happens in Vegas” starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher (for 21 Laps), and “The Devil Wears Prada” starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. His other executive producing credits include “Just My Luck,” starring Lindsay Lohan, “Hide & Seek,” a psychological thriller starring Robert De Niro and Dakota Fanning, and “Uptown Girls,” a comedic New York fairy tale starring Brittany Murphy and Dakota Fanning. Additionally, he produced the teen thriller “Swimfan,” directed by John Polson.
Caracciolo’s other feature film credits include James Foley’s “Glengarry Glen Ross,” Jon Amiel’s “Copycat,” and “The Man Who Knew Too Little,” and writer-director John Waters’ “Serial Mom,” “Pecker,” and “Cecil B. Demented.”
JOSH McLAGLEN (Executive Producer) has worked as an assistant director on dozens of blockbuster films alongside some of Hollywood’s top directors. He has been 1st AD on “Tango and Cash,” “Alien 3,” James Cameron’s “Titanic,” “The X-Files,” “Cast Away,” “The Polar Express, and “Beowulf,” the latter three for director Robert Zemeckis, and again for Cameron on “Avatar.”
In 2002, McLaglen began wearing a producer’s hat, working his way from associate producer (“The Polar Express”) to co-producer (“Beowulf,” “Avatar”) to executive producer. In 2006, he began working with director Shawn Levy, as both 1st AD and co-producer on “Night at the Museum,” becoming executive producer for that film’s sequel, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” as well as for “Date Night” and the upcoming “Real Steel.”
TOM McNULTY (Executive Producer) is the president of production at 21 Laps, a production company based at Twentieth Century Fox in Los Angeles. McNulty joined 21 Laps at its inception with the company’s principal, director Shawn Levy and has set up over a dozen film projects at Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers and New Line. 21 Laps films include “Cheaper By The Dozen 2,” as well as the hit comedy “What Happens In Vegas” starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, “St. Peter” starring Elizabeth Banks and Sam Rockwell, and “The Rocker,” the latter marking their first producing effort together.
Prior to joining Levy, McNulty was the executive vice president of production at Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions for over six years. There, he oversaw the development of the entire slate of films, notably “Mr. Deeds,” “Anger Management,” “50 First Dates,” “Are We There Yet,” “Click” and “Dickie Roberts Former Child Star.”
Prior to joining Happy Madison, McNulty was an executive at Out Of The Blue Entertainment, where he was an executive on “Big Daddy” and “Deuce Bigalow Male Gigolo.”
McNulty arrived in Hollywood as an actor, appearing in “Boys on the Side” opposite Whoopi Goldberg and “Escape from L.A.” with Kurt Russell. McNulty grew up on Long Island and attended The Catholic University of America in Washington DC.
DEAN SEMLER, ACS/ASC (Director of Photography) began his career in his native Australia, lensing “Mad Max 2” (aka “The Road Warrior” in North America) in 1982 for George Miller, for which Semler received an Australian Film Institute (AFI) nomination. Semler reteamed with Miller for “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.” Semler won both the AFI and Australian Cinematographers Society awards for the Aussie thriller “Razorback.”
By the late ‘80s, Semler was serving as director of photography on several U.S. productions, including “Cocktail” with Tom Cruise and Bryan Brown, and the western “Young Guns.” The following year, he returned to Australia for “Dead Calm,” starring Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill, for which Semler won the AFI award.
After filming the “Young Guns” sequel in 1990, Semler shot Kevin Costner’s “Dances With Wolves,” for which Semler received multiple honors, including an Academy Award and American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Award. He reteamed with Costner in 1995 for “Waterworld.”
Throughout the ‘90s and into the following decade, Semler shot the comedies “City Slickers,” “Nutty Professor II: The Klumps,” “Bruce Almighty,” and “Get Smart.” He also filmed Mel Gibson’s epic “Apocalypto.”
Most recently, Semler was director of photography on Roland Emmerich’s “2012,” and on “Secretariat,” starring Diane Lane and Scott Glenn.
DAVID GROPMAN (Production Designer), after working in television and independent films, designed the studio features “Of Mice and Men,” “Waiting to Exhale,” and “The Cider House Rules,” for which he was nominated for an Oscar.
Gropman received an Art Directors Guild award and BAFTA nomination for his design for “Chocolat.” Gropman worked on John Waters’ “Hairspray,” for which Gropman was nominated for a Satellite Award. The Art Directors Guild once again recognized Gropman with a nomination for period film design for “Doubt,” which takes place in the 1960s.
CHRISTOPHE BECK (Composer) reunites with Shawn Levy, after composing the scores for the Levy-helmed projects “Just Married,” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “The Pink Panther. Recently, Beck reteamed with director Chris Columbus on “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief,” after composing the score for Columbus’ “I Love You, Beth Cooper.”
The Montreal native started piano lessons at age five and was writing music for his first-ever band, Chris and The Cupcakes, before his teen years. During high school, Beck studied flute, saxophone, trombone and drums, and performed in rock bands. While studying music at Yale University, Beck had an epiphany, discovering that his talent for composing exceeded that for performing. He wrote two musicals with his brother Jason (a.k.a. Chilly Gonzales, the Berlin-based hip-hop recording artist), as well as an opera based on The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
Upon graduation from Yale in 1992, he moved to Los Angeles to attend USC's prestigious film scoring program, where he studied with Oscar winner Jerry Goldsmith, among others. Beck was immediately attracted to the creative challenges unique to the marriage of music and picture, and a personal recommendation from the head of the USC Music Department led to his first professional assignment, the Canadian TV series “White Fang.” Soon thereafter, he was asked to score a new TV series (then in its second season), “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” based on the 1992 cult classic film, for which he received the Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition during his three seasons with the show.
The prolific talent has scored 40+ feature films and nearly twenty television shows since 1993. His film compositions include a wide array of projects and genres including the action films “The Sentinel” and “Elektra,” the comedies “The Hangover,” “Drillbit Taylor,” “What Happens in Vegas,” “Charlie Bartlett,” “Pink Panther 2,” and “Bring It On,” and the dramas “Under the Tuscan Sun,” “Year of the Dog,” “Phoebe in Wonderland” and the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury nominee “The Greatest.”
Beck has also composed scores for “The Seeker: The Dark is Rising,” “School for Scoundrels,” “License to Wed,” “Fred Claus,” “We Are Marshall,” “Confidence,” “Yours, Mine and Ours,” “Taxi,” “A Cinderella Story,” “Saved!,” “Garfield” and its sequel, “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “American Wedding,” “Post Grad,” and “All About Steve.”
MARLENE STEWART (Costume Designer) earned her first credits working on music videos, including memorable designs for fashion-forward pop superstar Madonna. Stewart created image-shaping costumes for 11 Madonna videos, including “Vogue,” “Material Girl,” “Like a Prayer” and “Express Yourself.”
Stewart’s film work spans a wide variety of genres, periods and looks. She has collaborated with an intriguing array of directors, ranging from Alejandro González Iñárritu on “21 Grams” to Oliver Stone on “The Doors” and “JFK” to Michael Mann on “Ali” and Beeban Kidron on “To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar.”
Most recently, Stewart designed the costumes for Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder,” Nancy Meyers’s romantic comedy “The Holiday” and Kimberly Peirce’s drama “Stop-Loss.”
Her credits also include Andy Tennant’s “Hitch,” James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and “True Lies,” Mary Lambert’s “Siesta,” Joel Schumacher’s “Falling Down,” James L. Brooks’s “I’ll Do Anything,” Curtis Hanson’s “The River Wild,” Joe Pytka’s “Space Jam,” Rob Bowman’s “The X Files,” Tony Scott’s “Enemy of the State,” Dominic Sena’s “Gone in 60 Seconds,” David McNally’s “Coyote Ugly,” and Antoine Fuqua’s “Tears of the Sun.”
After earning a degree in History at the University of California, Berkeley, Stewart studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. She received the Bob Mackie Award for Design for her student work and began her design career by launching her own women’s clothing line, Covers. A Boston native, Stewart designed the costumes for three Madonna tours as well as tours for Cher, Paula Abdul, and Gloria Estefan. She created music video looks for Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Bette Midler, Debbie Harry, Smashing Pumpkins, the Bangles, and the Eurythmics, and was the first recipient of the American Music Awards’ Best Costume Design Award for the video “Material Girl.”
20 Views
15:40:50 12/30/09
The Book of Eli- DENZEL WASHINGTON's stunt work
[LESS INFO] 20 VIEWS | ADDED 15:40:50 12/30/09
Synopsis
In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. Empty cities, broken highways, seared earth--all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction. There is no civilization here, no law. The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water...or for nothing at all.
But they're no match for this traveler.
A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli (Denzel Washington) seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It's not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive--and continue.
Only one other man in this ruined world understands the power Eli holds, and is determined to make it his own: Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the self-appointed despot of a makeshift town of thieves and gunmen. Meanwhile, Carnegie's adopted daughter Solara (Mila Kunis) is fascinated by Eli for another reason: the glimpse he offers of what may exist beyond her stepfather's domain.
But neither will find it easy to deter him. Nothing--and no one--can stand in his way. Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity.
Alcon Entertainment presents a Silver Pictures production, a Hughes Brothers Film: "The Book of Eli." The film stars two-time Academy Award winner® Denzel Washington ("Training Day," "Glory"), Gary Oldman ("The Dark Knight," the "Harry Potter" films), Mila Kunis ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), Ray Stevenson ("Punisher: War Zone"), Jennifer Beals (Showtime's "The L Word"), Frances de la Tour and Michael Gambon (both of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire").
"The Book of Eli" is directed by the Hughes Brothers ("Menace II Society," "Dead Presidents") from a screenplay by Gary Whitta. It is produced by Joel Silver, Denzel Washington, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove and David Valdes. Steve Richards, Susan Downey and Erik Olsen serve as executive producers, with co-producers Steven P. Wegner, Yolanda T. Cochran and John David Washington.
The creative team includes director of photography Don Burgess, production designer Gae Buckley, editor Cindy Mollo and costume designer Sharen Davis. Jon Farhat is the visual effects supervisor. Music is composed by Atticus Ross, and the music supervisor is Deva Anderson. The Cast
DENZEL WASHINGTON (Eli/Producer) has been honored with five Academy Award® nominations, winning the Oscar® twice: in 1989 for his performance in "Glory" and again in 2001 for "Training Day." He has earned numerous additional awards and accolades throughout his acting career as well as recognition for his work as a director.
Currently, Washington is in production on director Tony Scott's action thriller "Unstoppable," which is scheduled for a 2010 release. In Spring 2010, he will also star on Broadway in the revival of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "Fences."
He most recently starred with John Travolta in Tony Scott's remake of "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three"; directed and starred in, with Forest Whitaker, "The Great Debaters'; starred with Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's "American Gangster," which grossed $43.6M in its first weekend to mark Washington's largest opening weekend to date; starred in Spike Lee's "Inside Man," with Clive Owen and Jodie Foster; and starred in Tony Scott's romantic thriller "Deja Vu." His other recent film work includes roles in Tony Scott's "Man on Fire," Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate," Carl Franklin's mystery thriller "Out of Time" and Antoine Fuqua's "Training Day," for which Washington earned an Academy Award® for his critically acclaimed performance as a grizzled LAPD veteran who shows a rookie narcotics cop the ropes on his first day.
December 2002 marked Washington's feature film directorial debut with "Antwone Fisher." Inspired by the best-selling autobiography Finding Fish , the film won critical praise and earned the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild of America, as well as NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Washington. Also in 2002, Washington earned an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as a down-on-his-luck father in "John Q," which established a Presidents Day weekend opening record.
In 2000 he starred in Jerry Bruckheimer's box office sensation "Remember the Titans," a fact-based film about the integration of a high school football team, and in "The Hurricane," which re-teamed him with "A Soldier's Story" director Norman Jewison. Washington received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and an Academy Award® nomination for his portrayal of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the 1960s world middleweight champion boxer wrongfully imprisoned of murder.
Washington's feature film credits include "The Bone Collector"; Gregory Hoblit's crime thriller "Fallen"; Spike Lee's "He Got Game"; the terrorist thriller "The Siege" and the critically acclaimed military drama "Courage Under Fire" for director Ed Zwick; Penny Marshall's romantic comedy "The Preacher's Wife," opposite Whitney Houston; Tony Scott's underwater action adventure "Crimson Tide," with Gene Hackman; the futuristic thriller "Virtuosity"; and the 1940s romantic thriller "Devil in a Blue Dress," co-produced by the actor's Mundy Lane Entertainment. Another critically acclaimed, Oscar® -nominated performance was his portrayal of the complex and controversial 1960s black activist Malcolm X in director Spike Lee's biographical epic "Malcolm X," hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the best films of 1992.
Washington took on a different role in 2000, producing the HBO documentary "Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks," nominated for two Emmy Awards. He also served as executive producer on the Emmy-nominated "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream," a biography for TBS. Additionally, he narrated "John Henry," which was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, and he was awarded the 1996 NAACP Image Award for his performance in the animated children's special "Happily Ever After: Rumpelstiltskin."
A native of Mt. Vernon, New York, Washington originally had his career sights set on medicine at Fordham University when a theatrical production during a summer camp counseling job introduced him to the stage. Upon graduation from Fordham, Washington attended the theater program at San Francisco's prestigious American Conservatory Theater and began his professional New York theater career with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park. This was quickly followed by numerous off-Broadway productions including "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men"; "When the Chickens Came Home to Roost," in which he portrayed Malcolm X"; "One Tiger to a Hill"; "Man and Superman"; "Othello"; and "A Soldier's Play," for which he won an Obie Award. Washington's more recent stage appearances include the Broadway production of "Checkmates" and "Richard III," which was produced as part of the 1990 Free Shakespeare in the Park series hosted by Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in New York City, and in 2005 he returned again to his theatre roots with a Broadway starring role as Marcus Brutus in "Julius Caesar." The show was well-received by critics and fans alike.
He made his Hollywood debut in the 1979 television film "Flesh and Blood," but it was Washington's award-winning stage performance in "A Soldier's Play" that captured the attention of the producers of the NBC series "St. Elsewhere," and he was soon cast in that long-running hit series as Dr. Phillip Chandler. His other television credits include "The George McKenna Story," "License to Kill," and "Wilma."
In 1982, Washington recreated his role from "A Soldier's Play" for Norman Jewison's well-received film version, re-titled "A Soldier's Story," and went on to star in Sidney Lumet's "Power"; Richard Attenborough's "Cry Freedom," for which he received his first Oscar® nomination; "For Queen and Country"; "The Mighty Quinn"; "Heart Condition"; "Glory," for which he won the Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor; and Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues." He also starred in the action adventure "Ricochet," Mira Nair's bittersweet comedy "Mississippi Masala," Kenneth Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing," Jonathan Demme's controversial "Philadelphia," and "The Pelican Brief."
GARY OLDMAN (Carnegie) is known to millions as Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black and Batman's crime-fighting partner Commissioner Gordon, as well as Dracula, Beethoven, Lee Harvey Oswald and Sid Vicious, to name just a few of the memorable roles he has created in nearly 20 years as a worldwide presence in motion pictures.
Oldman reprised the role of Commissioner Gordon in 2008's top-grossing film "The Dark Knight," having first portrayed Gordon in "Batman Begins." In 2007 he appeared for the third time as Sirius Black in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," following "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." He most recently starred with Jim Carrey in Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of Charles Dickens' holiday classic "A Christmas Carol."
Oldman began his career in 1979 on the London stage. Between 1985 and 1989 he acted exclusively at London's Royal Court Theatre and, in 1985, was named Best Newcomer by London's Time Out for his work in "The Pope's Wedding." That same year he shared the London Critics' Circle Best Actor Award with Anthony Hopkins.
In 1986, Oldman made his major feature film debut in "Sid & Nancy," winning the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his portrayal of punk rock legend Sid Vicious. The following year, he starred in Stephen Frears' "Prick Up Your Ears," winning the Best Actor Award from the London Film Critics Circle for his portrayal of doomed British playwright Joe Orton. He has since become one of the industry's most respected actors, appearing in both mainstream hits and acclaimed independent films. Oldman's early film credits also include Nicolas Roeg's "Track 29"; "Criminal Law"; "Chattahoochee"; Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead," for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor; "State of Grace"; "Henry & June"; Oliver Stone's "JFK," playing Lee Harvey Oswald; and the title role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula."
Oldman's subsequent film work includes memorable roles in Tony Scott's "True Romance"; "Romeo is Bleeding"; the Luc Besson films "The Professional" and "The Fifth Element"; "Immortal Beloved"; "Murder in the First"; Roland Joffe's "The Scarlet Letter"; Julian Schnabel's "Basquiat"; Wolfgang Petersen's "Air Force One"; the big screen version of "Lost in Space"; and Ridley Scott's "Hannibal."
In 1995, Oldman and manager/producing partner Douglas Urbanski formed the production company The SE8 Group, which produced Oldman's directorial debut feature "Nil by Mouth," which Oldman also wrote. The film was invited to open the 1997 50th Cannes Film Festival in the main competition, where Kathy Burke won the Best Actress Award for her role. In addition, Oldman won two BAFTA Awards for Best British Film and Best Screenplay; the Channel 4 Director's Award at the 1997 Edinburgh International Film Festival; and the Empire Award for Best Debut Film. He also executive produced and starred in the SE8 Group film "The Contender," which received two Oscar® nominations and brought Oldman a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
On the small screen, Oldman earned an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance as an alcoholic actor on the hit comedy series "Friends." His earlier television work includes the telefilms "Meantime," directed by Mike Leigh, and "The Firm," directed by Alan Clarke.
MILA KUNIS (Solara) most recently starred in the Mike Judge comedy "Extract," opposite Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. In 2008 she starred in Judd Apatow's hit comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" as Rachel, opposite Jason Segel, Kirsten Bell, and Jonah Hill, and in the action thriller "Max Payne," with Mark Wahlberg.
Kunis will next be seen in the upcoming feature comedy "Date Night," with Ray Liotta, Mark Ruffalo, Tina Fey, and Steve Carell as one of the characters Fey and Carell encounter as a couple on a date gone awry. She will also star in Darren Aronofsky's supernatural drama "Black Swan," opposite Natalie Portman, as the rival character Lilly. Both films are set for a 2010 release.
The Russian-born actress started her entertainment career by landing several television commercials. She is best known for her roles on two of the Fox Network's most successful shows: as Jackie Burkhart in "That 70's Show," for which she earned two YoungStar Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series, and as the voice of Meg on the hit show "Family Guy."
RAY STEVENSON (Redridge) is perhaps best known for his starring role in the HBO/BBC television series "Rome," portraying the legionary Titus Pullo to both critical and public acclaim. Since the series wrapped, he has been working non-stop in a wide variety of feature films.
Stevenson most recently starred in the fantasy thriller "Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," directed by Paul Weitz and based on the best-selling children's series by Darren Shan. In 2008, he was seen as the lead in "Punisher: War Zone," about the Marvel comics anti-hero Frank Castle and his quest to rid the world of evil after the death of his wife and daughter.
He will next be seen in director Jonathan Hensleigh's "The Irishman," as the title character in a true crime story of notorious mobster Danny Greene, with Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio and Val Kilmer, set for 2010. Hensleigh & Jeremy Walters wrote the screenplay based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, by Rick Porello. Also set for 2010 is Adam McKay's action comedy "The Other Guys," set in the world of the New York City cops, in which Stevenson stars with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Among his upcoming projects, Stevenson will play Volstagg, one of the leads in Marvel Comics' "Thor," inspired by the Shakespeare's Falstaff and described as being over 1,000 pounds of muscle and the life of the party. This will reunite him with director Kenneth Branagh, who acted opposite him in "Theory of Flight" for director Paul Greengrass.
Stevenson's film work includes Antoine Fuqua's "King Arthur," for producer Jerry Bruckheimer; the cult favorite "Outpost," for director Steven Barker; "The Return of the Native," opposite Catherine Zeta Jones; and "Some Kind of Life."
His stage work includes playing Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he played Roger in "Mouth to Mouth," by Kevin Ely, at the Albery Theatre in London, and, in 2003, appeared as Cardinal in "The Duchess of Malfi," by John Webster with Janet McTeer, at the Royal National Theatre.
Born in Northern Ireland, Stevenson grew up in England. He studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
JENNIFER BEALS (Claudia) most recently appeared in the French film "Joueuse," which made its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Beals was twice nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series by the NAACP Image Awards for her role in the acclaimed Showtime series "The L Word," which wrapped its sixth and final season in 2009. Her work on "The L Word" has earned numerous accolades and appreciation from groups including the Power Up Award, the GLAAD Golden Gate Award and the Golden Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress. The L Word Book , Beals' highly anticipated photographic journal, takes an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking Showtime series and is set for release in January 2010. More information is available at www.lwordbook.com.
Beals recently joined the cast of the Fox Network series "Lie to Me," in a recurring role as the ex-wife of series lead Tim Roth.
Among her most memorable roles, Beals starred opposite Campbell Scott in the critically acclaimed film "Roger Dodger," winner of the 2002 Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and Best First Film at the Venice Film Festival. She earned rave reviews for her role in VH-1's "They Shoot Divas, Don't They?" and was seen in the acclaimed "The Anniversary Party," written and directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cummings. In 2001, Beals starred in two Showtime features: the adaptation of Anne Rice's praised "A Feast of All Saints" and the WGA-nominated "A House Divided," in which she starred opposite Sam Waterston and Lisa Gay Hamilton and earned a Golden Satellite nomination as Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. For her extensive research for the film in Sparta, Georgia, where the story is based, she received an honorary Key to the City.
Originally from Chicago, Beals began her career after high school with a role in "Flashdance" that earned her a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress. She then entered Yale University to study American Literature and graduated with honors. Beals went on to make an indelible impression in Carl Franklin's drama "Devil in a Blue Dress," opposite Denzel Washington, and in Alan Rudolph's "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle."
In recent years, she has starred in a myriad of film roles, including the lead in "Twilight of the Golds," for which she earned a Golden Satellite Award. Her film credits include "The Grudge 2"; "My Name is Sarah"; "Runaway Jim"; "Catch That Kid"; Whit Stillman's "The Last Days of Disco"; Alexandre Rockwell's "In the Soup," which won the 1992 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at Deauville; "Four Rooms"; "Vampire's Kiss," with Nicolas Cage; Claude Chabrol's "Doctor M"; Nanni Moretti's "Caro Diario," which won the Director's Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival; and Samuel Fuller's "The Madonna and the Dragon." On the small screen, she has appeared in the critically acclaimed ABC series "Nothing Sacred."
Beals is a winner of the 1999 Maverick Award from the San Jose Film Festival and, in 2004, was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.
FRANCES DE LA TOUR (Martha) won a Tony Award for her performance as Mrs. Lintott in Alan Bennett's multi award-winning play "The History Boys," directed by Nicholas Hytner, and was also nominated for a BAFTA in the 2006 screen version of the stage play. She has earned three Olivier Awards: in 1980 for Best Actress in Tom Kempinski's "Duet for One," for which she also won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award; in 1984 for Best Actress in a Revival for "A Moon for the Misbegotten"; and in 1992 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "When She Danced."
De la Tour trained at the Drama Centre in London in the 1960s before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. Through 1971, her work there included the roles of Hoyden in "The Relapse" and Helena in Peter Brook's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." For the National Theatre, her credits include "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Les Parents Terribles," the title role in "St Joan" and "The Good Hope." Her additional theater work includes Matthew Warchus's "Boeing-Boeing," Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings," "Hamlet," Edward Albee's "Three Tall Women," "Anthony and Cleopatra" for the RSC and Noel Coward's "Fallen Angels," for which she received a Variety Club Best Actress Award. De la Tour can currently be seen on stage at the National in the limited engagement world premiere of "The Habit of Art," which reunites her with playwright Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner and also stars Michael Gambon.
De la Tour's filmography includes the comedy "Rising Damp," based on the popular television series, for which she won the Evening Standard's Best Actress Award. She more recently appeared as Madame Olympe Maxime in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and as Frau Eva in Andrei Konchalovsky's fantasy "Nutcracker: The Untold Story." She will next be seen alongside an all-star cast including Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," set for a 2010 release.
Her television appearances include the 1970s sitcom "Rising Damp," "Duet for One," for which she received a BAFTA Best Actress nomination, the BBC's "Waking the Dead," "Poirot: Death on the Nile," "Miss Marple: The Moving Finger," BBC's "Sensitive Skin" and, most recently, the CBS-TV series "3 lbs."
MICHAEL GAMBON (George) started his career with the Edwards/ Macliammoir Gate Theatre in Dublin. He joined the National Theatre for its inaugural season under Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic in 1963 and appeared there in "Hamlet," "Saint Joan," "The Recruiting Officer," "Andorra," "Philoctetes," "Othello," "The Royal Hunt of the Sun," "The Crucible," "Mother Courage," "Love for Love," "Juno and the Paycock" and "The Storm."
In repertory, principally at Birmingham Rep, Gambon played title roles in "Othello," "Macbeth" and "Coriolanus."
In the West End, he has appeared in Simon Gray's "Otherwise Engaged"; Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman Conquest"; "Just Between Ourselves"; "Alice's Boys," with Ralph Richardson; Harold Pinter's "Old Times; the title role in "Uncle Vanya"; "Tom and Clem" and "No Man's Land."
With the Royal Shakespeare Company, he spent a season at the Aldwych and later played the title part in "King Lear" and Antony in "Antony and Cleopatra," opposite Helen Mirren, both at Stratford and the Barbican.
For the National Theatre, Gambon has appeared in the premieres of Harold Pinter's "Betrayal," Simon Gray's "Close of Play," Christopher Hampton's "Tales From Hollywood," Alan Ayckbourn's "Sisterly Feelings," and "A Chorus of Disapproval," for which he won an Olivier Award, as well as "A Small Family Business," "Richard III," "Othello," "Tons of Money," the title role in "The Life of Galileo," "Volpone" and "Skylight." He recreated his starring role in the latter on Broadway in 1996 for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Also for the National Theatre, Gambon played Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge," which transferred to the Aldwych Theatre and for which he won all the major drama awards of 1987.
He was in Harold Pinter's "Mountain Language," "Cressida," at the Almeida, and Pinter's "The Caretaker," for which he earned an Olivier Award nomination. Gambon also directed the Platford Performance of Richard Harris' "Visiting Hour."
His television appearances include the BBC's first adventure series in color, "The Borderers," "Eyeless in Gaza," the series "The Other One," with Richard Briers, "The Seagull," "The Holy Experiment," Oscar," "Ghosts" and the Dennis Potter series "The Singing Detective," for which he won a BAFTA Award, a Broadcasting Press Guild Award and a Royal Television Society Award. He also starred in "The Heat of the Day," scripted by Harold Pinter from Elizabeth Bowen's novel, and was Archie Rice in John Osborne's "The Entertainer." More recently, he portrayed Lyndon Johnson in the HBO film "Path to War" and starred in HBO's "Angels in America," directed by Mike Nichols.
Gambon's film credits include "Turtle Diary," David Hare's "Paris By Night," "A Dry White Season," with Marlon Brando, "The Rachel Papers," Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover," "The Gambler," "Mobsters," "Clean Slate," "Toys," "Indian Warrior," "Wings of the Dove," "The Innocent Sleep," "Dancing at Lughnasa," "Sleepy Hollow," "The Insider," "Gosford Park," Open Range" and four of the Harry Potter films: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and 2009's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
In 1998, Gambon was awarded a KBE in the Queen's Honour List.
Genres: Epic Adventure Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver Directed By: James Cameron Produced By: James Cameron, Jon Landau
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19 Views
15:40:50 12/30/09
The Book of Eli- DENZEL WASHINGTON's stunt work
[LESS INFO] 19 VIEWS | ADDED 15:40:50 12/30/09
Synopsis
In the not-too-distant future, some 30 years after the final war, a solitary man walks across the wasteland that was once America. Empty cities, broken highways, seared earth--all around him, the marks of catastrophic destruction. There is no civilization here, no law. The roads belong to gangs that would murder a man for his shoes, an ounce of water...or for nothing at all.
But they're no match for this traveler.
A warrior not by choice but necessity, Eli (Denzel Washington) seeks only peace but, if challenged, will cut his attackers down before they realize their fatal mistake. It's not his life he guards so fiercely but his hope for the future; a hope he has carried and protected for 30 years and is determined to realize. Driven by this commitment and guided by his belief in something greater than himself, Eli does what he must to survive--and continue.
Only one other man in this ruined world understands the power Eli holds, and is determined to make it his own: Carnegie (Gary Oldman), the self-appointed despot of a makeshift town of thieves and gunmen. Meanwhile, Carnegie's adopted daughter Solara (Mila Kunis) is fascinated by Eli for another reason: the glimpse he offers of what may exist beyond her stepfather's domain.
But neither will find it easy to deter him. Nothing--and no one--can stand in his way. Eli must keep moving to fulfill his destiny and bring help to a ravaged humanity.
Alcon Entertainment presents a Silver Pictures production, a Hughes Brothers Film: "The Book of Eli." The film stars two-time Academy Award winner® Denzel Washington ("Training Day," "Glory"), Gary Oldman ("The Dark Knight," the "Harry Potter" films), Mila Kunis ("Forgetting Sarah Marshall"), Ray Stevenson ("Punisher: War Zone"), Jennifer Beals (Showtime's "The L Word"), Frances de la Tour and Michael Gambon (both of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire").
"The Book of Eli" is directed by the Hughes Brothers ("Menace II Society," "Dead Presidents") from a screenplay by Gary Whitta. It is produced by Joel Silver, Denzel Washington, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove and David Valdes. Steve Richards, Susan Downey and Erik Olsen serve as executive producers, with co-producers Steven P. Wegner, Yolanda T. Cochran and John David Washington.
The creative team includes director of photography Don Burgess, production designer Gae Buckley, editor Cindy Mollo and costume designer Sharen Davis. Jon Farhat is the visual effects supervisor. Music is composed by Atticus Ross, and the music supervisor is Deva Anderson. The Cast
DENZEL WASHINGTON (Eli/Producer) has been honored with five Academy Award® nominations, winning the Oscar® twice: in 1989 for his performance in "Glory" and again in 2001 for "Training Day." He has earned numerous additional awards and accolades throughout his acting career as well as recognition for his work as a director.
Currently, Washington is in production on director Tony Scott's action thriller "Unstoppable," which is scheduled for a 2010 release. In Spring 2010, he will also star on Broadway in the revival of August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama "Fences."
He most recently starred with John Travolta in Tony Scott's remake of "The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three"; directed and starred in, with Forest Whitaker, "The Great Debaters'; starred with Russell Crowe in Ridley Scott's "American Gangster," which grossed $43.6M in its first weekend to mark Washington's largest opening weekend to date; starred in Spike Lee's "Inside Man," with Clive Owen and Jodie Foster; and starred in Tony Scott's romantic thriller "Deja Vu." His other recent film work includes roles in Tony Scott's "Man on Fire," Jonathan Demme's "The Manchurian Candidate," Carl Franklin's mystery thriller "Out of Time" and Antoine Fuqua's "Training Day," for which Washington earned an Academy Award® for his critically acclaimed performance as a grizzled LAPD veteran who shows a rookie narcotics cop the ropes on his first day.
December 2002 marked Washington's feature film directorial debut with "Antwone Fisher." Inspired by the best-selling autobiography Finding Fish , the film won critical praise and earned the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild of America, as well as NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Washington. Also in 2002, Washington earned an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as a down-on-his-luck father in "John Q," which established a Presidents Day weekend opening record.
In 2000 he starred in Jerry Bruckheimer's box office sensation "Remember the Titans," a fact-based film about the integration of a high school football team, and in "The Hurricane," which re-teamed him with "A Soldier's Story" director Norman Jewison. Washington received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor and an Academy Award® nomination for his portrayal of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the 1960s world middleweight champion boxer wrongfully imprisoned of murder.
Washington's feature film credits include "The Bone Collector"; Gregory Hoblit's crime thriller "Fallen"; Spike Lee's "He Got Game"; the terrorist thriller "The Siege" and the critically acclaimed military drama "Courage Under Fire" for director Ed Zwick; Penny Marshall's romantic comedy "The Preacher's Wife," opposite Whitney Houston; Tony Scott's underwater action adventure "Crimson Tide," with Gene Hackman; the futuristic thriller "Virtuosity"; and the 1940s romantic thriller "Devil in a Blue Dress," co-produced by the actor's Mundy Lane Entertainment. Another critically acclaimed, Oscar® -nominated performance was his portrayal of the complex and controversial 1960s black activist Malcolm X in director Spike Lee's biographical epic "Malcolm X," hailed by critics and audiences alike as one of the best films of 1992.
Washington took on a different role in 2000, producing the HBO documentary "Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks," nominated for two Emmy Awards. He also served as executive producer on the Emmy-nominated "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream," a biography for TBS. Additionally, he narrated "John Henry," which was nominated for a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, and he was awarded the 1996 NAACP Image Award for his performance in the animated children's special "Happily Ever After: Rumpelstiltskin."
A native of Mt. Vernon, New York, Washington originally had his career sights set on medicine at Fordham University when a theatrical production during a summer camp counseling job introduced him to the stage. Upon graduation from Fordham, Washington attended the theater program at San Francisco's prestigious American Conservatory Theater and began his professional New York theater career with Joseph Papp's Shakespeare in the Park. This was quickly followed by numerous off-Broadway productions including "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men"; "When the Chickens Came Home to Roost," in which he portrayed Malcolm X"; "One Tiger to a Hill"; "Man and Superman"; "Othello"; and "A Soldier's Play," for which he won an Obie Award. Washington's more recent stage appearances include the Broadway production of "Checkmates" and "Richard III," which was produced as part of the 1990 Free Shakespeare in the Park series hosted by Joseph Papp's Public Theatre in New York City, and in 2005 he returned again to his theatre roots with a Broadway starring role as Marcus Brutus in "Julius Caesar." The show was well-received by critics and fans alike.
He made his Hollywood debut in the 1979 television film "Flesh and Blood," but it was Washington's award-winning stage performance in "A Soldier's Play" that captured the attention of the producers of the NBC series "St. Elsewhere," and he was soon cast in that long-running hit series as Dr. Phillip Chandler. His other television credits include "The George McKenna Story," "License to Kill," and "Wilma."
In 1982, Washington recreated his role from "A Soldier's Play" for Norman Jewison's well-received film version, re-titled "A Soldier's Story," and went on to star in Sidney Lumet's "Power"; Richard Attenborough's "Cry Freedom," for which he received his first Oscar® nomination; "For Queen and Country"; "The Mighty Quinn"; "Heart Condition"; "Glory," for which he won the Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor; and Spike Lee's "Mo' Better Blues." He also starred in the action adventure "Ricochet," Mira Nair's bittersweet comedy "Mississippi Masala," Kenneth Branagh's "Much Ado About Nothing," Jonathan Demme's controversial "Philadelphia," and "The Pelican Brief."
GARY OLDMAN (Carnegie) is known to millions as Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black and Batman's crime-fighting partner Commissioner Gordon, as well as Dracula, Beethoven, Lee Harvey Oswald and Sid Vicious, to name just a few of the memorable roles he has created in nearly 20 years as a worldwide presence in motion pictures.
Oldman reprised the role of Commissioner Gordon in 2008's top-grossing film "The Dark Knight," having first portrayed Gordon in "Batman Begins." In 2007 he appeared for the third time as Sirius Black in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," following "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" and "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." He most recently starred with Jim Carrey in Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of Charles Dickens' holiday classic "A Christmas Carol."
Oldman began his career in 1979 on the London stage. Between 1985 and 1989 he acted exclusively at London's Royal Court Theatre and, in 1985, was named Best Newcomer by London's Time Out for his work in "The Pope's Wedding." That same year he shared the London Critics' Circle Best Actor Award with Anthony Hopkins.
In 1986, Oldman made his major feature film debut in "Sid & Nancy," winning the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for his portrayal of punk rock legend Sid Vicious. The following year, he starred in Stephen Frears' "Prick Up Your Ears," winning the Best Actor Award from the London Film Critics Circle for his portrayal of doomed British playwright Joe Orton. He has since become one of the industry's most respected actors, appearing in both mainstream hits and acclaimed independent films. Oldman's early film credits also include Nicolas Roeg's "Track 29"; "Criminal Law"; "Chattahoochee"; Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead," for which he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor; "State of Grace"; "Henry & June"; Oliver Stone's "JFK," playing Lee Harvey Oswald; and the title role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula."
Oldman's subsequent film work includes memorable roles in Tony Scott's "True Romance"; "Romeo is Bleeding"; the Luc Besson films "The Professional" and "The Fifth Element"; "Immortal Beloved"; "Murder in the First"; Roland Joffe's "The Scarlet Letter"; Julian Schnabel's "Basquiat"; Wolfgang Petersen's "Air Force One"; the big screen version of "Lost in Space"; and Ridley Scott's "Hannibal."
In 1995, Oldman and manager/producing partner Douglas Urbanski formed the production company The SE8 Group, which produced Oldman's directorial debut feature "Nil by Mouth," which Oldman also wrote. The film was invited to open the 1997 50th Cannes Film Festival in the main competition, where Kathy Burke won the Best Actress Award for her role. In addition, Oldman won two BAFTA Awards for Best British Film and Best Screenplay; the Channel 4 Director's Award at the 1997 Edinburgh International Film Festival; and the Empire Award for Best Debut Film. He also executive produced and starred in the SE8 Group film "The Contender," which received two Oscar® nominations and brought Oldman a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
On the small screen, Oldman earned an Emmy nomination for his guest appearance as an alcoholic actor on the hit comedy series "Friends." His earlier television work includes the telefilms "Meantime," directed by Mike Leigh, and "The Firm," directed by Alan Clarke.
MILA KUNIS (Solara) most recently starred in the Mike Judge comedy "Extract," opposite Jason Bateman and Ben Affleck. In 2008 she starred in Judd Apatow's hit comedy "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" as Rachel, opposite Jason Segel, Kirsten Bell, and Jonah Hill, and in the action thriller "Max Payne," with Mark Wahlberg.
Kunis will next be seen in the upcoming feature comedy "Date Night," with Ray Liotta, Mark Ruffalo, Tina Fey, and Steve Carell as one of the characters Fey and Carell encounter as a couple on a date gone awry. She will also star in Darren Aronofsky's supernatural drama "Black Swan," opposite Natalie Portman, as the rival character Lilly. Both films are set for a 2010 release.
The Russian-born actress started her entertainment career by landing several television commercials. She is best known for her roles on two of the Fox Network's most successful shows: as Jackie Burkhart in "That 70's Show," for which she earned two YoungStar Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series, and as the voice of Meg on the hit show "Family Guy."
RAY STEVENSON (Redridge) is perhaps best known for his starring role in the HBO/BBC television series "Rome," portraying the legionary Titus Pullo to both critical and public acclaim. Since the series wrapped, he has been working non-stop in a wide variety of feature films.
Stevenson most recently starred in the fantasy thriller "Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant," directed by Paul Weitz and based on the best-selling children's series by Darren Shan. In 2008, he was seen as the lead in "Punisher: War Zone," about the Marvel comics anti-hero Frank Castle and his quest to rid the world of evil after the death of his wife and daughter.
He will next be seen in director Jonathan Hensleigh's "The Irishman," as the title character in a true crime story of notorious mobster Danny Greene, with Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio and Val Kilmer, set for 2010. Hensleigh & Jeremy Walters wrote the screenplay based on the book To Kill the Irishman: The War That Crippled the Mafia, by Rick Porello. Also set for 2010 is Adam McKay's action comedy "The Other Guys," set in the world of the New York City cops, in which Stevenson stars with Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. Among his upcoming projects, Stevenson will play Volstagg, one of the leads in Marvel Comics' "Thor," inspired by the Shakespeare's Falstaff and described as being over 1,000 pounds of muscle and the life of the party. This will reunite him with director Kenneth Branagh, who acted opposite him in "Theory of Flight" for director Paul Greengrass.
Stevenson's film work includes Antoine Fuqua's "King Arthur," for producer Jerry Bruckheimer; the cult favorite "Outpost," for director Steven Barker; "The Return of the Native," opposite Catherine Zeta Jones; and "Some Kind of Life."
His stage work includes playing Christ in the York Mystery Plays in 2000 at York Minster. In 2001, he played Roger in "Mouth to Mouth," by Kevin Ely, at the Albery Theatre in London, and, in 2003, appeared as Cardinal in "The Duchess of Malfi," by John Webster with Janet McTeer, at the Royal National Theatre.
Born in Northern Ireland, Stevenson grew up in England. He studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
JENNIFER BEALS (Claudia) most recently appeared in the French film "Joueuse," which made its American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Beals was twice nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series by the NAACP Image Awards for her role in the acclaimed Showtime series "The L Word," which wrapped its sixth and final season in 2009. Her work on "The L Word" has earned numerous accolades and appreciation from groups including the Power Up Award, the GLAAD Golden Gate Award and the Golden Satellite Award for Outstanding Actress. The L Word Book , Beals' highly anticipated photographic journal, takes an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking Showtime series and is set for release in January 2010. More information is available at www.lwordbook.com.
Beals recently joined the cast of the Fox Network series "Lie to Me," in a recurring role as the ex-wife of series lead Tim Roth.
Among her most memorable roles, Beals starred opposite Campbell Scott in the critically acclaimed film "Roger Dodger," winner of the 2002 Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival and Best First Film at the Venice Film Festival. She earned rave reviews for her role in VH-1's "They Shoot Divas, Don't They?" and was seen in the acclaimed "The Anniversary Party," written and directed by Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cummings. In 2001, Beals starred in two Showtime features: the adaptation of Anne Rice's praised "A Feast of All Saints" and the WGA-nominated "A House Divided," in which she starred opposite Sam Waterston and Lisa Gay Hamilton and earned a Golden Satellite nomination as Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries. For her extensive research for the film in Sparta, Georgia, where the story is based, she received an honorary Key to the City.
Originally from Chicago, Beals began her career after high school with a role in "Flashdance" that earned her a Golden Globe nomination and an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress. She then entered Yale University to study American Literature and graduated with honors. Beals went on to make an indelible impression in Carl Franklin's drama "Devil in a Blue Dress," opposite Denzel Washington, and in Alan Rudolph's "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle."
In recent years, she has starred in a myriad of film roles, including the lead in "Twilight of the Golds," for which she earned a Golden Satellite Award. Her film credits include "The Grudge 2"; "My Name is Sarah"; "Runaway Jim"; "Catch That Kid"; Whit Stillman's "The Last Days of Disco"; Alexandre Rockwell's "In the Soup," which won the 1992 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Audience Award at Deauville; "Four Rooms"; "Vampire's Kiss," with Nicolas Cage; Claude Chabrol's "Doctor M"; Nanni Moretti's "Caro Diario," which won the Director's Prize at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival; and Samuel Fuller's "The Madonna and the Dragon." On the small screen, she has appeared in the critically acclaimed ABC series "Nothing Sacred."
Beals is a winner of the 1999 Maverick Award from the San Jose Film Festival and, in 2004, was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.
FRANCES DE LA TOUR (Martha) won a Tony Award for her performance as Mrs. Lintott in Alan Bennett's multi award-winning play "The History Boys," directed by Nicholas Hytner, and was also nominated for a BAFTA in the 2006 screen version of the stage play. She has earned three Olivier Awards: in 1980 for Best Actress in Tom Kempinski's "Duet for One," for which she also won the Evening Standard Best Actress Award; in 1984 for Best Actress in a Revival for "A Moon for the Misbegotten"; and in 1992 for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for "When She Danced."
De la Tour trained at the Drama Centre in London in the 1960s before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. Through 1971, her work there included the roles of Hoyden in "The Relapse" and Helena in Peter Brook's production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." For the National Theatre, her credits include "Brighton Beach Memoirs," "Les Parents Terribles," the title role in "St Joan" and "The Good Hope." Her additional theater work includes Matthew Warchus's "Boeing-Boeing," Tennessee Williams' "Small Craft Warnings," "Hamlet," Edward Albee's "Three Tall Women," "Anthony and Cleopatra" for the RSC and Noel Coward's "Fallen Angels," for which she received a Variety Club Best Actress Award. De la Tour can currently be seen on stage at the National in the limited engagement world premiere of "The Habit of Art," which reunites her with playwright Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner and also stars Michael Gambon.
De la Tour's filmography includes the comedy "Rising Damp," based on the popular television series, for which she won the Evening Standard's Best Actress Award. She more recently appeared as Madame Olympe Maxime in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and as Frau Eva in Andrei Konchalovsky's fantasy "Nutcracker: The Untold Story." She will next be seen alongside an all-star cast including Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," set for a 2010 release.
Her television appearances include the 1970s sitcom "Rising Damp," "Duet for One," for which she received a BAFTA Best Actress nomination, the BBC's "Waking the Dead," "Poirot: Death on the Nile," "Miss Marple: The Moving Finger," BBC's "Sensitive Skin" and, most recently, the CBS-TV series "3 lbs."
MICHAEL GAMBON (George) started his career with the Edwards/ Macliammoir Gate Theatre in Dublin. He joined the National Theatre for its inaugural season under Laurence Olivier at the Old Vic in 1963 and appeared there in "Hamlet," "Saint Joan," "The Recruiting Officer," "Andorra," "Philoctetes," "Othello," "The Royal Hunt of the Sun," "The Crucible," "Mother Courage," "Love for Love," "Juno and the Paycock" and "The Storm."
In repertory, principally at Birmingham Rep, Gambon played title roles in "Othello," "Macbeth" and "Coriolanus."
In the West End, he has appeared in Simon Gray's "Otherwise Engaged"; Alan Ayckbourn's "The Norman Conquest"; "Just Between Ourselves"; "Alice's Boys," with Ralph Richardson; Harold Pinter's "Old Times; the title role in "Uncle Vanya"; "Tom and Clem" and "No Man's Land."
With the Royal Shakespeare Company, he spent a season at the Aldwych and later played the title part in "King Lear" and Antony in "Antony and Cleopatra," opposite Helen Mirren, both at Stratford and the Barbican.
For the National Theatre, Gambon has appeared in the premieres of Harold Pinter's "Betrayal," Simon Gray's "Close of Play," Christopher Hampton's "Tales From Hollywood," Alan Ayckbourn's "Sisterly Feelings," and "A Chorus of Disapproval," for which he won an Olivier Award, as well as "A Small Family Business," "Richard III," "Othello," "Tons of Money," the title role in "The Life of Galileo," "Volpone" and "Skylight." He recreated his starring role in the latter on Broadway in 1996 for which he was nominated for a Tony Award. Also for the National Theatre, Gambon played Eddie Carbone in Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge," which transferred to the Aldwych Theatre and for which he won all the major drama awards of 1987.
He was in Harold Pinter's "Mountain Language," "Cressida," at the Almeida, and Pinter's "The Caretaker," for which he earned an Olivier Award nomination. Gambon also directed the Platford Performance of Richard Harris' "Visiting Hour."
His television appearances include the BBC's first adventure series in color, "The Borderers," "Eyeless in Gaza," the series "The Other One," with Richard Briers, "The Seagull," "The Holy Experiment," Oscar," "Ghosts" and the Dennis Potter series "The Singing Detective," for which he won a BAFTA Award, a Broadcasting Press Guild Award and a Royal Television Society Award. He also starred in "The Heat of the Day," scripted by Harold Pinter from Elizabeth Bowen's novel, and was Archie Rice in John Osborne's "The Entertainer." More recently, he portrayed Lyndon Johnson in the HBO film "Path to War" and starred in HBO's "Angels in America," directed by Mike Nichols.
Gambon's film credits include "Turtle Diary," David Hare's "Paris By Night," "A Dry White Season," with Marlon Brando, "The Rachel Papers," Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover," "The Gambler," "Mobsters," "Clean Slate," "Toys," "Indian Warrior," "Wings of the Dove," "The Innocent Sleep," "Dancing at Lughnasa," "Sleepy Hollow," "The Insider," "Gosford Park," Open Range" and four of the Harry Potter films: "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" and 2009's "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."
In 1998, Gambon was awarded a KBE in the Queen's Honour List.
Genres: Epic Adventure Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sigourney Weaver Directed By: James Cameron Produced By: James Cameron, Jon Landau
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23:15:22 11/27/09
All In The Ball A Stage Kindly
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 23:15:22 11/27/09
A live performance filmed live at The Village in London's West End and edited by Samuel Pearce, of the new-writing revue "Bravo" produced by the A STAGE KINDLY New Musical Theatre Initiative which toured in October 2009. Full show details, casts biogs and free album downloads at www.astagekindly.com with details of the unique services we offer to writers involved in creating new musicals. Accteditations --> Running order and accreditations Act 1: I Can Sing - by Paul Katz and Michael Colby from 'Tales of Tinseltown'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. Chasing Rainbows - by Mark Kelser and Jon Bartlett from 'Whitechapel'. Sung by Frank Loman. Congratulations - by Michael Gordon Shapiro from 'The Charmed Life'. Sung by Charlotte Donald. She's The One - by Mark Kelser and Jon Bartlett from 'Whitechapel'. Sung by Adam Bayjou Sunflowers - by Anna Hurkmans and Raffaele Paglione from 'Vincent'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo Dreams Come True - by Mark Kelser and Jon Bartlett from 'Whitechapel'. Sung by Frank Loman. In A Perfect World - by Darryl Chute from 'Alison The Musical'. Sung by Giles Howe and Katy Lipson. Marry Me - by Noel Katz from 'The Company Of Women'. Sung by Charlotte Donald and Adam Bayjou The Jungle Song - by Paul Katz and Michael Colby from 'Tales of Tinseltown'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. It's Up To Me - by Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal and Julien Salvia from The Price And The Pauper. Sung by Charlotte Donald. Although I Often Feel - by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe from 'Soviet Zion'. Sung by Katy Lipson Lost For Words - by Giles Howe from 'Soviet Zion'. Sung by Giles Howe. Bite Your Lip - by Caden Jones and Robert Gould from 'After The Turn'. Sung by Adam Bayjou. Still Human Where It Counts - by Scarlett Deva Antaloczy and Nigel Osner from 'Rock Heaven'. Sung by The Cast of Bravo featured solo Giles Howe. Act 2: It's All In The Ball - by Darryl Chute from 'Alison The Musical'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo featuring Adam Bayjou. I'm Not In Love With Her - by David Reiser from 'All About Love'. Sung by Frank Loman Something - by Jim Farley and David Brush from 'The Big Picture'. Sung by Charlotte Donald and Cast of Bravo. Angel Delight - by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe from 'Turkish Delight The Opera'. Sung by Adam Bayjou Zofia, I Have News To Tell You - by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe from 'Soviet Zion'. Sung by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe. The Legend Of Mata Hari - by Anna Hurkmans and Raffaele Paglione from 'Don't Cry Butterfly'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. Don't Cry Butterfly - by Anna Hurkmans and Raffaele Paglione from 'Don't Cry Butterfly'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo and Frank Loman. It's Not Like I Thought It Would Be - by David Reiser from 'All About Love'. Sung by Charlotte Donald. Ya've Got What It Takes - by Jack Urbont and Michael Colby from 'Mrs McThing'. Sung by Frank Loman and Adam Bayjou. Now That He Is Gone - by David Reiser from 'All About Love'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. Just One Look - by Caden Jones and Robert Gould from 'After The Turn'. Sung by Adam Bayjou and Charlotte Donald. My Song - by Peter Milrose and Michael Colby from 'Quel Fromage'. Sung by Katy Lipson. My Chiropractors Hands - by Noel Katz from 'Spilt Milk'. Sung by Charlotte Donald and Cast of Bravo. The Rights Of Man - by Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal and Julien Salvia from Revolution. Sung by the Cast Of Bravo. CAST BIOGRAPHIES Further details at http://www.astagekindly.com Charlotte Donald recently graduated with an MA in Musical Theatre from Guildford School of Acting in 2009. Prior to this she graduated from Leeds University with a 2.1. (Hons) degree in Law. Her roles whilst studying at Leeds include Queenie in The Wild Party, Carmen in Fame, Polly in Crazy For You, Iola Stover in Parade and Helene in Sweet Charity. At GSA her roles included KC Downing in My Favourite Year and Clara in Passion. Charlotte has also appeared on Hollyoaks and A Touch of Frost. Arabella Rodrigo studied Jazz, Musical Theatre and Opera at the London College of Music. She was invited by Eddie Harvey to sing at the Ealing Jazz Festival in 2003, marking her professional debut. She then completed her training at the Royal Academy of Music, where she appeared in the choir for Jason Robert Brown and Friends (New Players Theatre 2005). Whilst at the Academy, her theatrical roles included Maria in Nine and Thaisa in Shakespeare's Pericles. Since graduating, her theatrical credits include Coco in the workshops of Desperately Seeking Susan (Criterion Theatre 2006), Mother Maria in Casanova (Tristan Bates Theatre 2007), Townswoman/cover Luisa in Zorro the Musical (UK tour 2008), The Girl in The Nightingale and the Rose (Arcola Theatre 2008), Claudia in Nine (Rose and Crown 2008), the lead singer in A Celebration of Sondheim (Rose and Crown 2008) and The Jason Robert Brown Songbook (Rose and Crown 2009). This year Arabella has been busy filming for A Drop of the Pure in Barcelona (Fascination Pictures 2009), in which she played the role of Natalia and then putting on her own production of December Songs in May (Rose and Crown 2009). She most recently played the lead role in both Gutter Press the Opera and the A STAGE KINDLY recital of Turkish Delight the Opera. She has also confirmed to create the role of Mirele in the forthcoming A STAGE KINDLY showcase of Giles Howe and Katy Lipson's new work, SOVIET ZION. Adam Bayjou graduated from the London School of Musical Theatre in 2008 with Distinction and immediately was cast in the World Premiere of the new musical making his professional debut in Rue Magique at the King's Head Theatre, London. His credits whilst in training included creating the role of Florim Picoli in Charles Miller and Kevin Hammonds' new musical Big Top (Bridewell Theatre); Javert/Foreman in a workshop of Les Miserables (directed by Ken Caswell); Franklyn Shepard in a workshop of Merrily We Roll Along (directed by Roger Haines) and Ferdinand in The Tempest. He recently starred as The British Man in the A STAGE KINDLY recital of Turkish Delight the Opera. Frank Loman has worked as a singer, actor, writer and director for almost 20 years. After appearing at Cabaret Confidential in 2009 he premiered his new cabaret Somewhat Over The Rainbow at the Leicester Square Theatre. He is proud to present this show at the Above The Stag Theatre parallel to swinging towels at Bathhouse - The Musical. In 2001 Frank made his West End debut in Les Mis?rables at the Palace Theatre as Babet and understudy for Enjolras. Other credits include West Side Story (Baby John & Tony), Cabaret (Kit-Kat-Girl Mausi), La Cage Aux Folles (Jean-Michel), She Loves Me (Stephen Kodaly), Dance of the Vampires - in Vienna, directed by Roman Polanski (Herbert & Professor Abronsius), Titanic and Les Mis?rables (Bishop of Digne). In Berlin he played Christian the poet in Moulin Rouge - New York Style as well as being the German dialogue coach and resident director for this production. Frank made his London cabaret debut in 2000 with his own show Stories at the Jermyn Street Theatre. He is a member of the London Show Choir - a newly formed group of 32 professional musical theatre performers who specialise in singing classic musical theatre tunes as well as presenting new opera work. He will feature in "Bravo". Katy Lipson is about to embark on the European Tour of 'The 12 Tenors' as Musical Director. She trained at the London School of Musical Theatre, and has a BMus from Goldsmiths University. She is not only a musician, but also a singer, actress, composer, and music/drama teacher. Her professional credits include the world premiere of Charles Miller's 'Jason and the Argonauts' at the Cochrane Theatre, London, the West End workshop of 'Zorro', 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at the Liverpool Everyman, and 'The Last 5 Years' at RADA. She was also Assistant Musical Director on the UK tour of 'Hot Flush' starring Sheila Ferguson and Marti Webb. Most recently Katy appeared in 'Chess in Concert' at The Royal Albert Hall, and she currently works as a vocal coach at The BRIT School. She co-wrote the musical-opera 'Turkish Delight The Opera' which recently was produced at the Rosemary Branch Theatre, Islington with composer Giles Howe and they are currently working on an epic new musical, 'Soviet Zion' which they showcased at the same venue. Katy is the musical director for A STAGE KINDLY and has performed as a vocalist in all three revues so far. Please visit here online at www.katylipson.com. Giles Howe recently performed in 'Chess in Concert' at the Royal Albert Hall, and is more recently toured China as a vocalist with The 12 Tenors. He will also be touring with the same company to Japan in January. He was recently a featured vocalist in a gospel choir in Stockholm where he was also involved in setting up the G%S Danshuset dance academy, and recently recorded his second project in Israel with a forthcoming single release: "Torn Between Two Memories". Further to this, he has also released an album of experimental vocal music for free online download, with another in the works. He choreographed and danced in the pantomimes 'Aladdin' and 'Cinderella' in Winchester, and teaches piano and singing. His extensive and diverse back catalogue of composition includes a postponed musical called 'Mind The Gap', and musical works-in-progress "Lady Jane" about the nine-day Tudor queen, and "The Juniper Tree". Please visit www.turkishdelighttheopera.com for a more detailed biography and some more examples of Giles' work. Katy and Giles met as students at UCL in 2002 whilst performing in Kander & Ebb's "Cabaret". They most recently worked together on the third London run of a musical called 'Turkish Delight the Opera,' which they wrote and produced. Katy has recently begun co-writing the score with Giles to his new libretto 'Soviet Zion' which they hope to stage in workshop form next year, following their informal recital of selections from the show at the Rosemary Branch on October 19th.
0 Views
22:37:53 11/27/09
1 I Can Sing A Stage Kindly
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 22:37:53 11/27/09
A live performance filmed live at The Village in London's West End and edited by Samuel Pearce, of the new-writing revue "Bravo" produced by the A STAGE KINDLY New Musical Theatre Initiative which toured in October 2009. Full show details, casts biogs and free album downloads at www.astagekindly.com with details of the unique services we offer to writers involved in creating new musicals. Accteditations --> Running order and accreditations Act 1: I Can Sing - by Paul Katz and Michael Colby from 'Tales of Tinseltown'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. Chasing Rainbows - by Mark Kelser and Jon Bartlett from 'Whitechapel'. Sung by Frank Loman. Congratulations - by Michael Gordon Shapiro from 'The Charmed Life'. Sung by Charlotte Donald. She's The One - by Mark Kelser and Jon Bartlett from 'Whitechapel'. Sung by Adam Bayjou Sunflowers - by Anna Hurkmans and Raffaele Paglione from 'Vincent'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo Dreams Come True - by Mark Kelser and Jon Bartlett from 'Whitechapel'. Sung by Frank Loman. In A Perfect World - by Darryl Chute from 'Alison The Musical'. Sung by Giles Howe and Katy Lipson. Marry Me - by Noel Katz from 'The Company Of Women'. Sung by Charlotte Donald and Adam Bayjou The Jungle Song - by Paul Katz and Michael Colby from 'Tales of Tinseltown'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. It's Up To Me - by Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal and Julien Salvia from The Price And The Pauper. Sung by Charlotte Donald. Although I Often Feel - by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe from 'Soviet Zion'. Sung by Katy Lipson Lost For Words - by Giles Howe from 'Soviet Zion'. Sung by Giles Howe. Bite Your Lip - by Caden Jones and Robert Gould from 'After The Turn'. Sung by Adam Bayjou. Still Human Where It Counts - by Scarlett Deva Antaloczy and Nigel Osner from 'Rock Heaven'. Sung by The Cast of Bravo featured solo Giles Howe. Act 2: It's All In The Ball - by Darryl Chute from 'Alison The Musical'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo featuring Adam Bayjou. I'm Not In Love With Her - by David Reiser from 'All About Love'. Sung by Frank Loman Something - by Jim Farley and David Brush from 'The Big Picture'. Sung by Charlotte Donald and Cast of Bravo. Angel Delight - by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe from 'Turkish Delight The Opera'. Sung by Adam Bayjou Zofia, I Have News To Tell You - by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe from 'Soviet Zion'. Sung by Katy Lipson and Giles Howe. The Legend Of Mata Hari - by Anna Hurkmans and Raffaele Paglione from 'Don't Cry Butterfly'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. Don't Cry Butterfly - by Anna Hurkmans and Raffaele Paglione from 'Don't Cry Butterfly'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo and Frank Loman. It's Not Like I Thought It Would Be - by David Reiser from 'All About Love'. Sung by Charlotte Donald. Ya've Got What It Takes - by Jack Urbont and Michael Colby from 'Mrs McThing'. Sung by Frank Loman and Adam Bayjou. Now That He Is Gone - by David Reiser from 'All About Love'. Sung by Arabella Rodrigo. Just One Look - by Caden Jones and Robert Gould from 'After The Turn'. Sung by Adam Bayjou and Charlotte Donald. My Song - by Peter Milrose and Michael Colby from 'Quel Fromage'. Sung by Katy Lipson. My Chiropractors Hands - by Noel Katz from 'Spilt Milk'. Sung by Charlotte Donald and Cast of Bravo. The Rights Of Man - by Ludovic-Alexandre Vidal and Julien Salvia from Revolution. Sung by the Cast Of Bravo. CAST BIOGRAPHIES Further details at http://www.astagekindly.com Charlotte Donald recently graduated with an MA in Musical Theatre from Guildford School of Acting in 2009. Prior to this she graduated from Leeds University with a 2.1. (Hons) degree in Law. Her roles whilst studying at Leeds include Queenie in The Wild Party, Carmen in Fame, Polly in Crazy For You, Iola Stover in Parade and Helene in Sweet Charity. At GSA her roles included KC Downing in My Favourite Year and Clara in Passion. Charlotte has also appeared on Hollyoaks and A Touch of Frost. Arabella Rodrigo studied Jazz, Musical Theatre and Opera at the London College of Music. She was invited by Eddie Harvey to sing at the Ealing Jazz Festival in 2003, marking her professional debut. She then completed her training at the Royal Academy of Music, where she appeared in the choir for Jason Robert Brown and Friends (New Players Theatre 2005). Whilst at the Academy, her theatrical roles included Maria in Nine and Thaisa in Shakespeare's Pericles. Since graduating, her theatrical credits include Coco in the workshops of Desperately Seeking Susan (Criterion Theatre 2006), Mother Maria in Casanova (Tristan Bates Theatre 2007), Townswoman/cover Luisa in Zorro the Musical (UK tour 2008), The Girl in The Nightingale and the Rose (Arcola Theatre 2008), Claudia in Nine (Rose and Crown 2008), the lead singer in A Celebration of Sondheim (Rose and Crown 2008) and The Jason Robert Brown Songbook (Rose and Crown 2009). This year Arabella has been busy filming for A Drop of the Pure in Barcelona (Fascination Pictures 2009), in which she played the role of Natalia and then putting on her own production of December Songs in May (Rose and Crown 2009). She most recently played the lead role in both Gutter Press the Opera and the A STAGE KINDLY recital of Turkish Delight the Opera. She has also confirmed to create the role of Mirele in the forthcoming A STAGE KINDLY showcase of Giles Howe and Katy Lipson's new work, SOVIET ZION. Adam Bayjou graduated from the London School of Musical Theatre in 2008 with Distinction and immediately was cast in the World Premiere of the new musical making his professional debut in Rue Magique at the King's Head Theatre, London. His credits whilst in training included creating the role of Florim Picoli in Charles Miller and Kevin Hammonds' new musical Big Top (Bridewell Theatre); Javert/Foreman in a workshop of Les Miserables (directed by Ken Caswell); Franklyn Shepard in a workshop of Merrily We Roll Along (directed by Roger Haines) and Ferdinand in The Tempest. He recently starred as The British Man in the A STAGE KINDLY recital of Turkish Delight the Opera. Frank Loman has worked as a singer, actor, writer and director for almost 20 years. After appearing at Cabaret Confidential in 2009 he premiered his new cabaret Somewhat Over The Rainbow at the Leicester Square Theatre. He is proud to present this show at the Above The Stag Theatre parallel to swinging towels at Bathhouse - The Musical. In 2001 Frank made his West End debut in Les Mis?rables at the Palace Theatre as Babet and understudy for Enjolras. Other credits include West Side Story (Baby John & Tony), Cabaret (Kit-Kat-Girl Mausi), La Cage Aux Folles (Jean-Michel), She Loves Me (Stephen Kodaly), Dance of the Vampires - in Vienna, directed by Roman Polanski (Herbert & Professor Abronsius), Titanic and Les Mis?rables (Bishop of Digne). In Berlin he played Christian the poet in Moulin Rouge - New York Style as well as being the German dialogue coach and resident director for this production. Frank made his London cabaret debut in 2000 with his own show Stories at the Jermyn Street Theatre. He is a member of the London Show Choir - a newly formed group of 32 professional musical theatre performers who specialise in singing classic musical theatre tunes as well as presenting new opera work. He will feature in "Bravo". Katy Lipson is about to embark on the European Tour of 'The 12 Tenors' as Musical Director. She trained at the London School of Musical Theatre, and has a BMus from Goldsmiths University. She is not only a musician, but also a singer, actress, composer, and music/drama teacher. Her professional credits include the world premiere of Charles Miller's 'Jason and the Argonauts' at the Cochrane Theatre, London, the West End workshop of 'Zorro', 'Jack and the Beanstalk' at the Liverpool Everyman, and 'The Last 5 Years' at RADA. She was also Assistant Musical Director on the UK tour of 'Hot Flush' starring Sheila Ferguson and Marti Webb. Most recently Katy appeared in 'Chess in Concert' at The Royal Albert Hall, and she currently works as a vocal coach at The BRIT School. She co-wrote the musical-opera 'Turkish Delight The Opera' which recently was produced at the Rosemary Branch Theatre, Islington with composer Giles Howe and they are currently working on an epic new musical, 'Soviet Zion' which they showcased at the same venue. Katy is the musical director for A STAGE KINDLY and has performed as a vocalist in all three revues so far. Please visit here online at www.katylipson.com. Giles Howe recently performed in 'Chess in Concert' at the Royal Albert Hall, and is more recently toured China as a vocalist with The 12 Tenors. He will also be touring with the same company to Japan in January. He was recently a featured vocalist in a gospel choir in Stockholm where he was also involved in setting up the G%S Danshuset dance academy, and recently recorded his second project in Israel with a forthcoming single release: "Torn Between Two Memories". Further to this, he has also released an album of experimental vocal music for free online download, with another in the works. He choreographed and danced in the pantomimes 'Aladdin' and 'Cinderella' in Winchester, and teaches piano and singing. His extensive and diverse back catalogue of composition includes a postponed musical called 'Mind The Gap', and musical works-in-progress "Lady Jane" about the nine-day Tudor queen, and "The Juniper Tree". Please visit www.turkishdelighttheopera.com for a more detailed biography and some more examples of Giles' work. Katy and Giles met as students at UCL in 2002 whilst performing in Kander & Ebb's "Cabaret". They most recently worked together on the third London run of a musical called 'Turkish Delight the Opera,' which they wrote and produced. Katy has recently begun co-writing the score with Giles to his new libretto 'Soviet Zion' which they hope to stage in workshop form next year, following their informal recital of selections from the show at the Rosemary Branch on October 19th.
9 Views
21:38:08 09/14/09
Cummunity 1st Look - Starring Chevy Chase, Joel McHale, and Ken Jeong.
[LESS INFO] 9 VIEWS | ADDED 21:38:08 09/14/09
From Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program") and Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about a band of misfits who attend Greendale Community College.
At the center of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked. With some help from his fellow classmates, Winger forms a study group who eventually learn more about themselves than their course work.
Also among the series stars who comprise the group are comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Chuck") as Pierce, a man whose life experience has brought him infinite wisdom; Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel") as Britta, the 28-year old drop out with something to prove; Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement") as Shirley, a sassy middle-aged divorcée; Danny Pudi ("Greek") as Abed, a pop culture junkie; Alison Brie ("Mad Men") as Annie, a high-strung perfectionist; Donald Glover ("30 Rock") as Troy, a former high school football star trying to find his way and Ken Jeong ("The Hangover") as Spanish professor, Señor Chang.
"Community" is a Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap, Russo Brothers production, Universal Media Studios production in association with Sony Pictures Television. Russ Krasnoff ("The Soloist"), Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), Joe Russo ("Arrested Development"), Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development"), Garrett Donovan ("Scrubs"), Neil Goldman ("Scrubs") and Gary Foster ("The Soloist") serve as executive producers. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the pilot, written by Harmon.
COMMUNITY BIOGRAPHIES
JOEL MCHALE
Jeff Winger
Joel McHale stars as Jeff Winger, a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
McHale is poised to make 2009 a breakout year. In addition to his starring role in "Community," he recently wrapped production on the Steven Soderbergh directed, Warner Independent dark, comedic thriller "The Informant" opposite Matt Damon. In the film, he plays an FBI agent working with agri-business insider Mark Whitacre (Damon) to stop a price-fixing scam. The film, based on Kurt Eichenwald’s 2000 bestseller, "The Informant: A True Story," will hit theatres in October 2009.
McHale is best known as the star of "The Soup," a weekly entertainment show that satirizes pop culture and current events. He also serves as a writer and producer on the show. McHale’s quick wit and sharp comedic timing have made "The Soup" a pop culture phenomenon and led to the success of "The Soup Presents" specials. McHale recently began touring the country to sold-out audiences with his stand-up act.
Born in Rome, Italy and raised in Seattle, Washington, McHale became a cast member on Comedy Central’s "Almost Live," a show from a group of Seattle-based performers that featured a mixture of skit comedy and stand-up. Following his run on "Almost Live," McHale completed the Actor’s Training Master Program at The University of Washington. After moving to L.A., McHale landed roles on "Will & Grace," "CSI: Miami" and, most recently, "Pushing Daisies." He also jumped onto the big screen with roles in "Spider-Man 2" and "Lords of Dogtown."
McHale currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his two sons.
CHEVY CHASE
Pierce
Chevy Chase stars as Pierce, a man whose life experience has brought him infinite wisdom, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
One of the most honored and beloved actors of his generation, Chase first came to national prominence as a writer and performer with the original cast of NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," for which he won two Emmy Awards. Soon after he had endeared himself to television audiences, Hollywood beckoned and Chase made his feature film debut in the comedy-thriller "Foul Play" with Goldie Hawn. His many memorable films include: "Caddy Shack," "Seems Like Old Times," "National Lampoon’s Vacation," "Fletch," "National Lampoon’s European Vacation," "Spies Like Us," "The Three Amigos," "Funny Farm," "Caddyshack I," "Fletch Lives," "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation," "Memoirs of an Invisible Man," "Cops and Robbersons," "Man of the House," "Vegas Vacation," " "Snow Day," "Ellie Parker," and last year’s "Funny Money."
In 1992, Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nation’s oldest undergraduate dramatic group, honored Chase as its "Man of the Year."
Chase began his career in comedy as a writer and performer for "Channel One," a local New York underground revue that satirized television. "Channel One" later became the basis for the film "The Groove Tube." He has written for Lily Tomlin and the Smothers Brothers, and earned a Writers Guild of America Award for writing "Alan King’s Energy Crisis, Rising Prices and Assorted Vices" TV special. In addition, he won an Emmy Award for co-writing "The Paul Simon Special."
In 2007, Chase received critical acclaim for his guest-starring role on NBC’s award-winning series "Law and Order." He followed that return to the small screen with a two-episode guest-appearance on the drama series "Brothers and Sisters." Most recently, Chase guest starred on the NBC series "Chuck" and has completed production on the feature film "Stay Cool," with Winona Ryder and Sean Astin, which is scheduled for release this year.
Chase resides in New York with his wife, Jayni, and their three daughters. He moved to the Northeast over a decade ago to be continually accessible to the needs of his family, including three daughters just entering adolescence, feeling that their needs would require more than just a mom and a working actor. He has been simply a "dad" as the kids have grown through changing seasons, hormones, and schools.
Now that they are 20, 24, and 26 years old, he has decided to once again get back to the work he loves: making movies and television.
GILLIAN JACOBS
Britta
Gillian Jacobs stars as Britta the 28-year-old dropout with something to prove in NBC’s new comedy series "Community."
Jacobs was most recently seen in Richard Kelly's film "The Box," starring Cameron Diaz and Frank Langella. Other film credits include "Choke," starring Sam Rockwell and Angelica Houston (Sundance Film Festival - Special Jury Prize Best Ensemble Acting) and the lead in Damian Harris’s "Gardens of the Night," which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Jacobs can also be seen in the upcoming films "Coach" directed by Will Frears, "Watching TV With the Red Chinese," "NoNames" and "Helena From the Wedding."
On the small screen, she has appeared in "Fringe," "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "Royal Pains." Jacobs will also be seen in the upcoming drama series "The Good Wife" and had a recurring role in "The Book of Daniel."
Her theater credits include "The Little Flower of East Orange" at the Public Theater, which was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. She also starred in "A Feminine Ending" off-Broadway at Playwright’s Horizons with Marsha Mason.
Jacobs is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Juilliard School's Drama Division.
KEN JEONG
Señor Chang
Ken Jeong stars as Señor Chang, a slightly unhinged Spanish professor, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Ken Jeong, known as the "scene stealer" is quickly establishing himself as the go-to character actor for today’s hit comedies. In the summer of 2009, Jeong appeared as the Asian-mobster "Mr. Chow" in the sleeper-hit comedy "The Hangover," also starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. The film stayed at the top of the box office two weekends in a row, and to date has grossed $205 million at the domestic box office.
Since his feature-film debut as the doctor in "Knocked Up" in 2007, Jeong has gone on to a number of memorable roles in a series of successful comedies. Directed, written and produced by Judd Apatow, Jeong’s first film grossed $219 million at the worldwide box office. In 2008 Jeong starred in his first major role as the villain, King Argotron, in "Role Models," opposite Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The film grossed over $90 million worldwide. The same year, Jeong had supporting roles in two other major comedies, "Pineapple Express and Step Brothers."
Jeong originally started on a different career path. He earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University and went on to attain his medical degree at the University of North Carolina. Jeong completed his Internal Medicine residence in New Orleans, all the while developing his comedy. In 1995, Jeong won the Big Easy Laff Off. The competition, which was judged by former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff and Improv founder Bud Friedman, turned out to be his big break as Tartikoff and Friedman urged Jeong to head to Los Angeles.
Once in Los Angeles, Jeong began performing regularly at the Improv and Laugh Factory, and was seen on a number of television shows including "The Office," "Entourage," and "MADtv." It wasn’t until his pivotal role as "Dr. Kuni" in "Knocked Up," though, that Jeong solidified himself as a feature-film comedian. In 2006 Jeong and fellow comedian Mike O’Connell also left a mark on YouTube as "Million Dollar Strong," a spoof rap duo. Since the video’s posting in 2006, the video has garnered over 1 million views and Jeong and O’Connell have been tapped by MTV Films to write and star in the film version.
Jeong will next be seen in the Will Ferrell produced film, "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" opposite Jeremy Piven. He will also be reunited with Bradley Cooper in the film "All About Steve," also starring Sandra Bullock. His additional upcoming films include the comedies, "Couples Retreat," "Despicable Me," and "The Zookeeper."
Jeong currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin daughters.
YVETTE NICOLE BROWN
Shirley
Yvette Nicole Brown stars as Shirley, a sassy middle-aged divorcée, in NBC’s new comedy series "Community."
As a young girl growing up in East Cleveland, Ohio, Brown dreamed of a career on stage and screen. She began her entertainment career as a vocalist while still in her teens, when after an impromptu audition for Michael Bivins (New Edition; Bell Biv DeVoe) she was signed to Motown Records as a part of the East Coast Family, a group of new talents that included Boyz II Men. Brown was featured on the Motown album, The East Coast Family Vol.1, which included the Top 20 single, "1-4-All-4-1." As a part of the East Coast Family, Brown appeared on MTV, Showtime at the Apollo, Vh1 and BET, while simultaneously completing coursework that led to a bachelor of fine & applied arts degree from the University of Akron. Following graduation, she packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles.
In just a short time, Brown has emerged as one of the most sought-after character actresses in Hollywood, highlighted by memorable appearances on numerous hit TV shows, including: "House," "Entourage," "The Office," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Two and a Half Men," "Malcolm in the Middle," "7th Heaven," "Fat Actress," "Til Death," "That’s So Raven," "Rules of Engagement," "Privileged" and "That ‘70s Show" among others. In addition, she has had recurring roles on "Boston Legal," "Girlfriends," "Sleeper Cell," "Half & Half" and "Drake & Josh." She also was a series regular on "The Big House."
In 2004, Brown made her feature film debut opposite Brittany Murphy, Holly Hunter and Kathy Bates in the hit romantic comedy "Little Black Book." The following year, she returned to the big screen in the Michael Bay action film "The Island," co-starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. Other film credits include roles in the Academy Award-winning adaptation of "Dreamgirls," the comedy "The Kid & I," and most recently, supporting roles in "Meet Dave," opposite Eddie Murphy, and "Tropic Thunder," directed by Ben Stiller and starring Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey, and "Hotel for Dogs," alongside Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle and Lisa Kudrow. In 2008, Brown reprised her role as "Helen" in the telefilm "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh," and she can be seen in the upcoming theatrical releases: "The Ugly Truth" with Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, and Cheryl Hines; "Repossession Mambo," opposite Jude Law and Forest Whitaker; and "500 Days of Summer" with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Brown lives in Los Angeles and in her free time loves to read, knit, write music and watch TV.
DANNY PUDI
Abed
Danny Pudi stars as Abed, a pop culture junkie, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Pudi, an actor and comedian originally from Chicago, graduated from Marquette University. He was the first Chris Farley Scholarship Award winner, and completed the Second City Chicago's Conservatory program.
On the small screen, Pudi’s credits include NBC’s "ER," "The Bill Engvall Show," as well as recurring roles on "Greek" and "Gilmore Girls." He can also be seen in the upcoming films "Road Trip 2: Beerpong" and the independent film "Thunder Geniuses" directed by Michael Clancy.
Pudi’s Los Angeles stage credits include "Huck & Holden," NBC's Diversity Showcase, "Token City" and the staged readings "Loyalties" and "Air Guitar High."
He is also a founding member of Siblings of Doctors, a trio of Indian-American comics that perform sketch comedy and improv at various comedy festivals around the country.
When he’s not working, Pudi is an avid runner and enjoys playing Yahtzee, vacuuming and drinking coffee. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
ALISON BRIE
Annie
Alison Brie stars as Annie, a high-strung perfectionist, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Brie can currently be seen as Trudy Campbell on the award-winning drama series "Mad Men," which returns in August 2009. She will also appear in a film titled "Montana Amazon" with Olympia Dukakis and Haley Joel Osment, slated for release later this year.
Brie was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of South Pasadena. Interested in acting at an early age, she began her career performing in community theatre shows at the Jewish Community Center in Los Feliz. After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Brie attended California Institute of the Arts where she received her B.F.A. in acting. While there, she was one of the original cast members in the world premiere of "The Peach Blossom Fan," performed as the inaugural theatre production at Disney's REDCAT Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Brie also studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland.
Since graduating, Brie has continued to work in all forms of media, including film, television and theatre. She has performed in the Blank Theatre Company’s Young Playwright's festival and in shows at the Odyssey, Write-Act, and Rubicon Theatres, receiving an Indy Award for her haunting performance as Ophelia in the Rubicon's production of "Hamlet." Brie guest-starred on Comedy Central and Disney's "Hannah Montana" and landed leading roles in some independent films before her current role in "Community."
Brie currently lives in South Pasadena, California.
DONALD GLOVER
Troy
Donald Glover stars as Troy, a former high school football star trying to find his way, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Glover is a talented actor, comedian and writer. He was born in California on Edwards Air Force Base and moved to Atlanta when he was four. There, he studied drama and the process of writing short plays, which he continued to study at New York University's Dramatic Writing program at the Tisch School of the Arts for four years.
He also studied improvisation and comedy writing with the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in New York and had the pleasure of improvising with the likes of Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz. Glover also performed on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" multiple times. He was hired as a staff writer on the show "30 Rock" while he was still a resident assistant at NYU. During his time at "30 Rock," the show has won two Emmys for best comedy, as well as a Writers Guild Award for best comedy.
Glover continues doing stand-up, sketch, and improv around New York City. His first feature, which he co-wrote, produced, scored and starred in, "Mystery Team," recently premiered at Sundance and will have a wide release this fall. Station: NBC Release Date: September 17, 2009
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1 Views
21:38:08 09/14/09
Cummunity 1st Look - Starring Chevy Chase, Joel McHale, and Ken Jeong.
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 21:38:08 09/14/09
From Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program") and Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development") comes "Community," a smart comedy series about a band of misfits who attend Greendale Community College.
At the center of the group is Jeff Winger (Joel McHale, "The Soup"), a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked. With some help from his fellow classmates, Winger forms a study group who eventually learn more about themselves than their course work.
Also among the series stars who comprise the group are comedy legend Chevy Chase ("Chuck") as Pierce, a man whose life experience has brought him infinite wisdom; Gillian Jacobs ("The Book of Daniel") as Britta, the 28-year old drop out with something to prove; Yvette Nicole Brown ("Rules of Engagement") as Shirley, a sassy middle-aged divorcée; Danny Pudi ("Greek") as Abed, a pop culture junkie; Alison Brie ("Mad Men") as Annie, a high-strung perfectionist; Donald Glover ("30 Rock") as Troy, a former high school football star trying to find his way and Ken Jeong ("The Hangover") as Spanish professor, Señor Chang.
"Community" is a Krasnoff Foster Entertainment, Harmonious Claptrap, Russo Brothers production, Universal Media Studios production in association with Sony Pictures Television. Russ Krasnoff ("The Soloist"), Dan Harmon ("The Sarah Silverman Program"), Joe Russo ("Arrested Development"), Anthony Russo ("Arrested Development"), Garrett Donovan ("Scrubs"), Neil Goldman ("Scrubs") and Gary Foster ("The Soloist") serve as executive producers. Joe and Anthony Russo directed the pilot, written by Harmon.
COMMUNITY BIOGRAPHIES
JOEL MCHALE
Jeff Winger
Joel McHale stars as Jeff Winger, a fast-talkin’ lawyer whose degree has been revoked, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
McHale is poised to make 2009 a breakout year. In addition to his starring role in "Community," he recently wrapped production on the Steven Soderbergh directed, Warner Independent dark, comedic thriller "The Informant" opposite Matt Damon. In the film, he plays an FBI agent working with agri-business insider Mark Whitacre (Damon) to stop a price-fixing scam. The film, based on Kurt Eichenwald’s 2000 bestseller, "The Informant: A True Story," will hit theatres in October 2009.
McHale is best known as the star of "The Soup," a weekly entertainment show that satirizes pop culture and current events. He also serves as a writer and producer on the show. McHale’s quick wit and sharp comedic timing have made "The Soup" a pop culture phenomenon and led to the success of "The Soup Presents" specials. McHale recently began touring the country to sold-out audiences with his stand-up act.
Born in Rome, Italy and raised in Seattle, Washington, McHale became a cast member on Comedy Central’s "Almost Live," a show from a group of Seattle-based performers that featured a mixture of skit comedy and stand-up. Following his run on "Almost Live," McHale completed the Actor’s Training Master Program at The University of Washington. After moving to L.A., McHale landed roles on "Will & Grace," "CSI: Miami" and, most recently, "Pushing Daisies." He also jumped onto the big screen with roles in "Spider-Man 2" and "Lords of Dogtown."
McHale currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and his two sons.
CHEVY CHASE
Pierce
Chevy Chase stars as Pierce, a man whose life experience has brought him infinite wisdom, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
One of the most honored and beloved actors of his generation, Chase first came to national prominence as a writer and performer with the original cast of NBC’s "Saturday Night Live," for which he won two Emmy Awards. Soon after he had endeared himself to television audiences, Hollywood beckoned and Chase made his feature film debut in the comedy-thriller "Foul Play" with Goldie Hawn. His many memorable films include: "Caddy Shack," "Seems Like Old Times," "National Lampoon’s Vacation," "Fletch," "National Lampoon’s European Vacation," "Spies Like Us," "The Three Amigos," "Funny Farm," "Caddyshack I," "Fletch Lives," "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation," "Memoirs of an Invisible Man," "Cops and Robbersons," "Man of the House," "Vegas Vacation," " "Snow Day," "Ellie Parker," and last year’s "Funny Money."
In 1992, Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the nation’s oldest undergraduate dramatic group, honored Chase as its "Man of the Year."
Chase began his career in comedy as a writer and performer for "Channel One," a local New York underground revue that satirized television. "Channel One" later became the basis for the film "The Groove Tube." He has written for Lily Tomlin and the Smothers Brothers, and earned a Writers Guild of America Award for writing "Alan King’s Energy Crisis, Rising Prices and Assorted Vices" TV special. In addition, he won an Emmy Award for co-writing "The Paul Simon Special."
In 2007, Chase received critical acclaim for his guest-starring role on NBC’s award-winning series "Law and Order." He followed that return to the small screen with a two-episode guest-appearance on the drama series "Brothers and Sisters." Most recently, Chase guest starred on the NBC series "Chuck" and has completed production on the feature film "Stay Cool," with Winona Ryder and Sean Astin, which is scheduled for release this year.
Chase resides in New York with his wife, Jayni, and their three daughters. He moved to the Northeast over a decade ago to be continually accessible to the needs of his family, including three daughters just entering adolescence, feeling that their needs would require more than just a mom and a working actor. He has been simply a "dad" as the kids have grown through changing seasons, hormones, and schools.
Now that they are 20, 24, and 26 years old, he has decided to once again get back to the work he loves: making movies and television.
GILLIAN JACOBS
Britta
Gillian Jacobs stars as Britta the 28-year-old dropout with something to prove in NBC’s new comedy series "Community."
Jacobs was most recently seen in Richard Kelly's film "The Box," starring Cameron Diaz and Frank Langella. Other film credits include "Choke," starring Sam Rockwell and Angelica Houston (Sundance Film Festival - Special Jury Prize Best Ensemble Acting) and the lead in Damian Harris’s "Gardens of the Night," which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Jacobs can also be seen in the upcoming films "Coach" directed by Will Frears, "Watching TV With the Red Chinese," "NoNames" and "Helena From the Wedding."
On the small screen, she has appeared in "Fringe," "Law and Order: Criminal Intent" and "Royal Pains." Jacobs will also be seen in the upcoming drama series "The Good Wife" and had a recurring role in "The Book of Daniel."
Her theater credits include "The Little Flower of East Orange" at the Public Theater, which was directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. She also starred in "A Feminine Ending" off-Broadway at Playwright’s Horizons with Marsha Mason.
Jacobs is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of the Juilliard School's Drama Division.
KEN JEONG
Señor Chang
Ken Jeong stars as Señor Chang, a slightly unhinged Spanish professor, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Ken Jeong, known as the "scene stealer" is quickly establishing himself as the go-to character actor for today’s hit comedies. In the summer of 2009, Jeong appeared as the Asian-mobster "Mr. Chow" in the sleeper-hit comedy "The Hangover," also starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. The film stayed at the top of the box office two weekends in a row, and to date has grossed $205 million at the domestic box office.
Since his feature-film debut as the doctor in "Knocked Up" in 2007, Jeong has gone on to a number of memorable roles in a series of successful comedies. Directed, written and produced by Judd Apatow, Jeong’s first film grossed $219 million at the worldwide box office. In 2008 Jeong starred in his first major role as the villain, King Argotron, in "Role Models," opposite Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. The film grossed over $90 million worldwide. The same year, Jeong had supporting roles in two other major comedies, "Pineapple Express and Step Brothers."
Jeong originally started on a different career path. He earned his undergraduate degree at Duke University and went on to attain his medical degree at the University of North Carolina. Jeong completed his Internal Medicine residence in New Orleans, all the while developing his comedy. In 1995, Jeong won the Big Easy Laff Off. The competition, which was judged by former NBC President Brandon Tartikoff and Improv founder Bud Friedman, turned out to be his big break as Tartikoff and Friedman urged Jeong to head to Los Angeles.
Once in Los Angeles, Jeong began performing regularly at the Improv and Laugh Factory, and was seen on a number of television shows including "The Office," "Entourage," and "MADtv." It wasn’t until his pivotal role as "Dr. Kuni" in "Knocked Up," though, that Jeong solidified himself as a feature-film comedian. In 2006 Jeong and fellow comedian Mike O’Connell also left a mark on YouTube as "Million Dollar Strong," a spoof rap duo. Since the video’s posting in 2006, the video has garnered over 1 million views and Jeong and O’Connell have been tapped by MTV Films to write and star in the film version.
Jeong will next be seen in the Will Ferrell produced film, "The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard" opposite Jeremy Piven. He will also be reunited with Bradley Cooper in the film "All About Steve," also starring Sandra Bullock. His additional upcoming films include the comedies, "Couples Retreat," "Despicable Me," and "The Zookeeper."
Jeong currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin daughters.
YVETTE NICOLE BROWN
Shirley
Yvette Nicole Brown stars as Shirley, a sassy middle-aged divorcée, in NBC’s new comedy series "Community."
As a young girl growing up in East Cleveland, Ohio, Brown dreamed of a career on stage and screen. She began her entertainment career as a vocalist while still in her teens, when after an impromptu audition for Michael Bivins (New Edition; Bell Biv DeVoe) she was signed to Motown Records as a part of the East Coast Family, a group of new talents that included Boyz II Men. Brown was featured on the Motown album, The East Coast Family Vol.1, which included the Top 20 single, "1-4-All-4-1." As a part of the East Coast Family, Brown appeared on MTV, Showtime at the Apollo, Vh1 and BET, while simultaneously completing coursework that led to a bachelor of fine & applied arts degree from the University of Akron. Following graduation, she packed her bags and moved to Los Angeles.
In just a short time, Brown has emerged as one of the most sought-after character actresses in Hollywood, highlighted by memorable appearances on numerous hit TV shows, including: "House," "Entourage," "The Office," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Two and a Half Men," "Malcolm in the Middle," "7th Heaven," "Fat Actress," "Til Death," "That’s So Raven," "Rules of Engagement," "Privileged" and "That ‘70s Show" among others. In addition, she has had recurring roles on "Boston Legal," "Girlfriends," "Sleeper Cell," "Half & Half" and "Drake & Josh." She also was a series regular on "The Big House."
In 2004, Brown made her feature film debut opposite Brittany Murphy, Holly Hunter and Kathy Bates in the hit romantic comedy "Little Black Book." The following year, she returned to the big screen in the Michael Bay action film "The Island," co-starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. Other film credits include roles in the Academy Award-winning adaptation of "Dreamgirls," the comedy "The Kid & I," and most recently, supporting roles in "Meet Dave," opposite Eddie Murphy, and "Tropic Thunder," directed by Ben Stiller and starring Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey, and "Hotel for Dogs," alongside Emma Roberts, Don Cheadle and Lisa Kudrow. In 2008, Brown reprised her role as "Helen" in the telefilm "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh," and she can be seen in the upcoming theatrical releases: "The Ugly Truth" with Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, and Cheryl Hines; "Repossession Mambo," opposite Jude Law and Forest Whitaker; and "500 Days of Summer" with Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Brown lives in Los Angeles and in her free time loves to read, knit, write music and watch TV.
DANNY PUDI
Abed
Danny Pudi stars as Abed, a pop culture junkie, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Pudi, an actor and comedian originally from Chicago, graduated from Marquette University. He was the first Chris Farley Scholarship Award winner, and completed the Second City Chicago's Conservatory program.
On the small screen, Pudi’s credits include NBC’s "ER," "The Bill Engvall Show," as well as recurring roles on "Greek" and "Gilmore Girls." He can also be seen in the upcoming films "Road Trip 2: Beerpong" and the independent film "Thunder Geniuses" directed by Michael Clancy.
Pudi’s Los Angeles stage credits include "Huck & Holden," NBC's Diversity Showcase, "Token City" and the staged readings "Loyalties" and "Air Guitar High."
He is also a founding member of Siblings of Doctors, a trio of Indian-American comics that perform sketch comedy and improv at various comedy festivals around the country.
When he’s not working, Pudi is an avid runner and enjoys playing Yahtzee, vacuuming and drinking coffee. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
ALISON BRIE
Annie
Alison Brie stars as Annie, a high-strung perfectionist, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Brie can currently be seen as Trudy Campbell on the award-winning drama series "Mad Men," which returns in August 2009. She will also appear in a film titled "Montana Amazon" with Olympia Dukakis and Haley Joel Osment, slated for release later this year.
Brie was born in Hollywood, California, and grew up in the Los Angeles suburb of South Pasadena. Interested in acting at an early age, she began her career performing in community theatre shows at the Jewish Community Center in Los Feliz. After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Brie attended California Institute of the Arts where she received her B.F.A. in acting. While there, she was one of the original cast members in the world premiere of "The Peach Blossom Fan," performed as the inaugural theatre production at Disney's REDCAT Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Brie also studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland.
Since graduating, Brie has continued to work in all forms of media, including film, television and theatre. She has performed in the Blank Theatre Company’s Young Playwright's festival and in shows at the Odyssey, Write-Act, and Rubicon Theatres, receiving an Indy Award for her haunting performance as Ophelia in the Rubicon's production of "Hamlet." Brie guest-starred on Comedy Central and Disney's "Hannah Montana" and landed leading roles in some independent films before her current role in "Community."
Brie currently lives in South Pasadena, California.
DONALD GLOVER
Troy
Donald Glover stars as Troy, a former high school football star trying to find his way, in the new NBC comedy series "Community."
Glover is a talented actor, comedian and writer. He was born in California on Edwards Air Force Base and moved to Atlanta when he was four. There, he studied drama and the process of writing short plays, which he continued to study at New York University's Dramatic Writing program at the Tisch School of the Arts for four years.
He also studied improvisation and comedy writing with the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in New York and had the pleasure of improvising with the likes of Amy Poehler and Horatio Sanz. Glover also performed on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" multiple times. He was hired as a staff writer on the show "30 Rock" while he was still a resident assistant at NYU. During his time at "30 Rock," the show has won two Emmys for best comedy, as well as a Writers Guild Award for best comedy.
Glover continues doing stand-up, sketch, and improv around New York City. His first feature, which he co-wrote, produced, scored and starred in, "Mystery Team," recently premiered at Sundance and will have a wide release this fall. Station: NBC Release Date: September 17, 2009
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