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Raggedy, most definitely DaCaprio stole the grape movie. Actually, PA, and all, From Hell was about Jack the Ripper and was quite believable. It had a very sad ending, however.

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Les Paul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Les Paul (born June 9, 1915) is best known as a guitarist, and as one of the most important figures in the development of modern electric instruments and recording techniques. He is a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar (the Gibson Les Paul, which he helped design, is one of the most famous and enduring models), multitrack recording, and various reverb and echo effects.

Biography

Paul, born Lester William Polsfuss (the last name simplified later by his mother to Polfus) in Waukesha, Wisconsin, first became interested in music at the age of eight, when he began playing the harmonica. After an attempt at learning to play the banjo, Paul began to play the guitar. By 13, Paul was performing semi-professionally as a country-music guitarist. At the age of 17, Paul played with Rube Tronson's Cowboys. Soon after, he dropped out of high school to join Wolverton's Radio Band in St. Louis, Missouri on KMOX.

In the 1930s, Paul worked in Chicago, Illinois in radio, where he performed jazz music. Paul's first two records were released in 1936. One album was credited to Rhubarb Red, Paul's hillbilly alter ego, and the other was in the backing band for blues artist Georgia White.


Les Paul's 'The Log', one of the first solidbody electric guitars.Paul was unsatisfied by the electric guitars that were sold in the mid 1930s and began experimenting with a few designs of his own. Famously, he created The Log which was nothing more than a length of common "4 by 4" fence post with bridge, guitar neck, and pickup attached. For appearances he attached the body of an Epiphone jazz guitar, sawn lengthwise with The Log in the middle. This solved his two main problems - feedback, as the acoustic body no longer resonated with the amplified sound, and sustain, as the energy of the strings was not dissipated in generating sound through the guitar body.

In 1938, Paul moved to New York and landed a featured spot with Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians radio show. Paul moved to Hollywood in 1943, where he formed a new trio. As a last-minute replacement for Oscar Moore, Paul played with Nat King Cole and other artists in the inaugural Jazz at the Philharmonic concert in Los Angeles on July 2, 1944. Also that year, Paul's trio appeared on Bing Crosby's radio show. Crosby went on to sponsor Paul's recording experiments. The two also recorded together several times, including a 1945 number one hit, "It's Been a Long, Long Time." In addition to backing Crosby and artists like the Andrews Sisters, Paul's trio also recorded a few albums of their own in the late 1940s.

In 1941, Paul designed and built one of the first solid-body electric guitars (though Leo Fender also independently invented his own solid-body electric guitar around the same time, and Adolph Rickenbacker had marketed a solid-body guitar in the 30s). Gibson Guitar Corporation designed a guitar incorporating Paul's suggestions in the early fifties, and presented it to him to try. He was impressed enough to sign a contract for what became the "Les Paul" model (originally only in a "gold top" version), and agreed never to be seen playing in public, or photographed with, anything other than a Gibson guitar. That persisted until 1961, when Gibson changed the design without Paul's knowledge. He said he first saw the "new" Gibson Les Paul in a music store window, and disliked it. Though contract required him to pose with the guitar, he said it was not "his" instrument, and asked Gibson to remove his name from the headstock. Gibson renamed the guitar the "SG", and it also became one of the company's best sellers. Later, Paul resumed his relationship with Gibson, and endorses the instrument even today (though his personal Gibson Les Pauls are much modified by him - Paul always uses his own self-wound pickups on his guitars). To this day, the Gibson Les Paul guitar is used all over the world, both by novice and professional guitarists.

In 1947, Capitol Records released a recording that had begun as an experiment in Paul's garage, entitled "Lover (When You're Near Me)", which featured Paul playing eight different parts on electric guitar, some of them recorded at half-speed, hence "double-fast" when played back at normal speed for the master. This was the first time that multi-tracking had been used in a recording. Amazingly, these recordings were made, not with magnetic tape, but with wax disks. Paul would record a track onto a disk, then record himself playing another part with the first. He built the multi-track recording with overlaid tracks, rather than parallel ones as he did later. There is no record of how few 'takes' were needed before he was satisfied with one layer and moved onto the next.

Paul even built his own wax-cutter assembly, based on auto parts. He favored the flywheel from a Cadillac for its weight and flatness. Even in these early days, he used the wax disk setup to record parts at different speeds and with delay, resulting in his signature sound with echoes and birdsong-like guitar riffs. When he later began using magnetic tape, the major change was that he could take his recording rig on tour with him, even making episodes for his 15-minute radio show in his hotel room.

Paul was injured in a near-fatal automobile accident in January 1948 in Oklahoma, which shattered his right arm and elbow. Paul spent a year and a half recovering. Paul instructed the surgeons to set his arm at an angle that would allow him to cradle and pick the guitar.

In the early 1950s, Paul made a number of revolutionary recordings with wife, Mary Ford. These records were unique for their heavy use of overdubbing, which was technically impossible before Paul's invention of multitrack recording. Paul's multitracking system was made possible by the introduction of reel-to-reel audio tape recording, developed by Jack Mullin and the Ampex company in the late 1940s, with the backing of radio, film and recording star Bing Crosby.

Crosby gave Les Paul what was only the second of the now-famous Ampex Model 200 recorder, which was the world's first commercially-produced reel-to-reel tape recorder. Using this machine, Paul developed his tape multitrack system by adding an additional recording head and extra circuitry, allowing multiple tracks to be recorded separately and asynchronously on the same tape. Paul's invention was quickly developed by Ampex into commercially-produced two-track and three-track recorders, and these machines were the backbone of the professional recording studio, radio and TV industry in the 1950s and early 1960s.

In 1954 Paul, continued to develop this technology, by commissioning Ampex to build the first eight track tape recorder, at his expense. His idea, later known as "Sel-Sync," in which a specially-modified recording head could simultaneously record a new track and play back previously recorded ones, was the core technology for multi-track recording for the next thirty years.

During his early radio shows, Paul introduced the mythical "Les Paulverizer" device, which was supposed to multiply anything fed into it, like a guitar sound or a voice. This even became the subject of comedy, with Mary Ford multiplying herself and her vacuum cleaner with it so she could finish the housework faster (a typical joke in the pre-feminist era). Later Paul made the myth real for his stage show, using hidden equipment which over the years has become smaller and more visible. Currently he uses a small box attached to his guitar - it is not known how much of the device remains off-stage. He typically lays down one track after another on stage, in-sync, and then plays over the repeating forms he has recorded. With newer digital sound technology, such an effect is available commercially.

In the late 1960s, Paul went into semi-retirement, although he did return to the studio occasionally. He recorded an album Lester and Chester with Chet Atkins. He and Colleen divorced amicably in 1964, as she could no longer tolerate the itinerant lifestyle their act required of them.

In 1978, Les Paul and Mary Ford, were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. He received a Grammy Trustees Award for his lifetime achievements in 1983. In 1988, Paul was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Jeff Beck, who said, "I've copied more licks from Les Paul than I'd like to admit." Les Paul was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005 for his development of the solid-body electric guitar.

As of 2006, At the age of 90, Les Paul won two Grammys at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards for his album Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played. He also performs weekly at the Iridium Jazz Club on Broadway in New York City, despite the arthritis that has stilled all but two of the fingers on his left hand.

Michael J. Fox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael J. Fox (born June 9, 1961) is a Canadian-born actor, made famous by his roles as Marty McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy and as Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties from which he won three Emmy awards.

Biography

Born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, he adopted the J as an homage to character actor Michael J. Pollard, and to distinguish himself from the late Michael Fox (Canadian actor) who was a character actor active in film and television in the 1950s through the 1980s. According to information on IMDB.com this was also to prevent teen magazines from using his real middle initial in headlines such as "Michael, A Fox!". Since his father was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Michael and his family lived in various cities and towns across Canada including North Bay, Ontario, before finally settling in the Vancouver, British Columbia suburb of Burnaby after his father retired in 1971.

Fox moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career, which proved a hard road. His debut on American TV was in Letters From Frank, as Michael Fox. He quickly landed a series of parts in the movies Midnight Madness and Class of 1984 and guest roles on Lou Grant, Family, and Trapper John M.D.. Then he hit a dry spell that got so bad, he was forced to sell off pieces of his sectional couch, which went to actor Lance Guest.

He then auditioned for the role of smart aleck Republican Alex Keaton on the TV series Family Ties. The first audition did not go very well, as creator Gary David Goldberg did not think he was right for the part. But casting director Judith Weiner convinced Goldberg to give Fox another shot. Goldberg was convinced on the next audition, but now there was opposition from NBC executive Brandon Tartikoff. Goldberg was now fighting for Fox, and Tartikoff eventually relented, famously commenting, "Go ahead if you insist. But I'm telling you, this is not the kind of face you'll ever see on a lunch box". Years later, after Back to the Future opened to big success, Tartikoff received a lunch box in the mail that had Fox's picture on it. There was a note inside that read, "Eat crow, Tartikoff." Tartikoff kept the lunch box in his office for the rest of his career.

Family Ties struggled out of the gate, barely getting renewed in its first season. But in 1984, it was paired up with The Cosby Show on Thursday nights, and the two shows ranked in the top two for the Nielsen ratings until 1987, when Family Ties was moved to Sunday nights. Fox would win three Emmy Awards and one Golden Globe for his portrayal of Alex Keaton. A famous episode in 1987, called "A, My Name is Alex" was directed like a theatrical play, with Alex seeing a psychiatrist to cope with the death of his best friend. This episode was picked as the 68th best episode in TV history in a 1997 issue of TV Guide. In a 1999 issue, Alex Keaton was ranked #27 on their list of the 50 Greatest TV Characters Ever. Fox also met his future wife Tracy Pollan, when she portrayed Alex's girlfriend Ellen Reed in the 1985-1986 season.

Notable roles since then include the Back to the Future movies, Mars Attacks!, Teen Wolf, For Love or Money, The Secret of My Success, and the TV series Spin City from which he won his fourth Emmy award. He is the voice of Stuart Little in the series of movies based on the popular book by E. B. White, Chance in the Homeward Bound series, and Milo Thatch in Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He also guest starred in the comedy Scrubs, rather poignantly, as a doctor suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Fox has also written an autobiographical book, called Lucky Man, about his experience of young-onset Parkinson's disease, with which he was diagnosed in 1991 (although he did not go public with the information until 1998). Since then he has been a strong advocate of Parkinson's disease research, especially stem cell research, which he believes may one day help sufferers of Parkinson's and other debilitating illnesses. His foundation, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, was created to help advance this research.

In 2000, he announced that he would be retiring from the lead role of Spin City due to his illness. (A new lead character would be created for Fox's replacement, Charlie Sheen.)

In 2003, he wrote a pilot episode for a sitcom entitled Hench at Home, but it was not picked up.

In 2005, he opened the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, United States as a tribute to boxer Muhammad Ali, fellow Parkinson's sufferer.

In 2006, he guest starred in three episodes of Boston Legal as a lung cancer patient who uses his influence in an experimental drug test to ensure he receives the real drug instead of a placebo.

Fox married actress Tracy Pollan on July 16, 1988. The couple has four children: Sam (May 30, 1989), twins Aquinnah and Schuyler (February 15, 1994), and Esmé (November 7, 2001).

Johnny Depp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johnny Depp (born John Christopher Depp II, June 9, 1963) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor.

Life

Johnny Depp was born in Owensboro, Kentucky in 1963 to John Christopher Depp, Sr. and Betty Sue Palmer. The family moved to Miramar, Florida, in 1970 where he was primarily raised. He has one brother, Danny, and two sisters, Debbie and Christie (who now is Depp's personal manager). The Depp family is mostly of Irish, Cherokee and German descent. Depp's maternal great-grandmother, Minnie, was a full-blooded Cherokee, and his father is also of partial Cherokee heritage. His family was constantly on the move during Depp's childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than twenty different locations. Depp's mother bought him a guitar at age 13, and Depp began playing in garage bands.

Depp's parents divorced in 1978 when he was 15, and he dropped out of school a year later to become a rock musician. He played with a band named "The Kids," who had modest local success. The band set out for Los Angeles, California, to try to get a record deal. At this time they changed their name to "Six Gun Method." During this period, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of the drummer of the band, on December 20, 1983. This caused friction between the band members and they split, the record deal never having materialized. Depp also collaborated with the band "Rock City Angels" and co-wrote the song "Mary" which appeared on their debut for Geffen Records, "Young Man's Blues." In 1985, he and his close friend Earl Stevenson, a former U.S. Marine sergeant who also played his brother on A Nightmare on Elm Street, were both disappointed when they were turned down for a part in a music video being put together by the Wolf Brothers in Los Angeles.

Depp and his wife worked to make ends meet after moving in together. Depp's wife worked as a makeup artist, and he worked a variety of odd jobs (he even worked as a pen salesman for a time). Later, his wife introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to turn to acting to support himself and his wife. His film career took off slowly however, and in 1985 Depp divorced Allison. Since then, he has dated and been engaged to Sherilyn Fenn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. Depp is now in a long-term relationship with French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis, whom he met while filming The Ninth Gate in 1998. Together they have two children, daughter Lily-Rose Melody Depp (b. May 27, 1999) and son John Christopher Depp III (b. April 9, nicknamed Jack 2002). The family divides their time between Los Angeles and a villa in the South of France, but it has been rumored that Depp is considering moving to Connecticut. He also owns an island in the Caribbean, where he spends some of his time.

Depp has admitted to engaging in self-mutilation as a child due to the stress of dealing with family problems and his own insecurity. He has seven or eight scars from practicing self-harm. In a 1993 Details interview, he explained his self-injury by saying, "My body is a journal in a way. It's like what sailors used to do, where every tattoo meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist." His one-time fiancee, actress Winona Ryder doesn't agree with this, and has stated that Depp's scars came from running with scissorhands while doing the film Edward Scissorhands. In 1999, Depp admitted that to this day, his self-image and self-esteem are sometimes rocky, though he maintains that he is happier than he's ever been. [1].

Trivia

Depp, a musician, can be heard playing slide guitar on the Oasis song "Fade In-Out" (from Be Here Now, 1997); playing acoustic guitar in the movie Chocolat, playing on the soundtrack to the movie Once Upon a Time in Mexico (he wrote "Sands' Theme," although the track is credited to "Tonto's Giant Nuts"); on Shane MacGowan's first solo album; and as a member of P, a group featuring Butthole Surfers singer Gibby Haynes. (However, it has been acknowledged that Depp does not possess a good singing voice.) He also made an appearance on The Fast Show, with the "Suits you Sir!" sales men segment' a British comic sketch show.
Depp reportedly has 13 tattoos, including the inscriptions "Lily-Rose" (the name of his first-born child), "Betty Sue" (his mother's name), and "Wino Forever" (originally "Winona Forever"; Depp had the tattoo altered after his break-up with Winona Ryder); a sparrow that can be seen on his character Captain Jack in the film Pirates of the Caribbean is real also. The first one he got was the Native American on his arm, when he was seventeen.
Depp was chosen to be in A Nightmare on Elm Street because Wes Craven, the director, admired his brown eyes and considered them a good asset for the character.
Depp played the role of Hunter S. Thompson in the film based on the novel, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He is an avid fan of Thompson's work and was also a longtime friend of Thompson before Thompson committed suicide in 2005. Depp funded the construction of the giant Gonzo fist-shaped cannon that Thompson instructed was to be used to fire his ashes into the atmosphere.
Like many celebrities, Depp has had several run-ins with the law over the course of his career. His first arrest was in Vancouver for a late-night altercation in a hotel lobby. He was accused of selling drugs at his club The Viper Room, after actor River Phoenix died in front of the club from a drug overdose in 1993 though the owners were not involved in the tragic death. In 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York hotel suite. He was arrested again in 1999 for getting into a fight with paparazzi outside a restaurant while dining in London with his girlfriend, Vanessa Paradis.
In the film Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare, Depp, the star of the original 1984 A Nightmare On Elm Street, can be seen on a television screen. He is credited in the film's end titles as "Oprah Noodlemantra", a moniker he reportedly uses when staying in hotels to give himself something amusing to get up to when he receives wake-up calls. 12.
He dislikes fans taking pictures of his family and has threatened paparazzi who have attempted to photograph his children, telling a reporter in an interview that if he caught anyone doing so, he would "bite your nose off and swallow it.". [2]
Along with Sean Penn and Mick Hucknall Depp part-owns the Parisian restaurant-bar Man Ray.
Johnny Depp was the Mystery Slimed Celebrity at the 2005 Kids' Choice Awards.
He is a fan of musician Syd Barrett, and has mentioned that a film about his life story sounds like a great idea.
He has stated in many interviews his most memorable role is Edward Scissorhands.
In one interview, Depp stated "I lost my virginity somewhere around age thirteen. I did every kind of drug there was by fourteen, swiped a few six-packs, broke into a few classrooms, just to see what was on the other side of that locked door. Eventually, you see where it's headed and you get out."
For 6 months during the early 1980s, he played guitar for rock n' roll band; Rock City Angels. [3] Depp is said to be a keen guitar player and a big fan of the Rolling Stones.
After the filming of the Libertine with Johnny Vegas, Depp and Vegas went out on a drinking session in Vegas's hometown of St Helens, UK.
Depp was considered for roles in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Hulk, Interview with the Vampire, The Matrix, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Sin City, Speed, Titanic and the fifth Superman film (where he was considered for both Lex Luthor and Jor-El).
So far, he has appeared in five Tim Burton films: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Ed Wood (1994), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Corpse Bride (2005). He is also scheduled to star in Burton's film version Sweeney Todd, currently slated for a 2008 release. [4]

Quotes

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

"The beauty, the poetry of the fear in their eyes. I didn't mind going to jail for, what, five, six hours? It was absolutely worth it."

"Awards are not as important to me as when I meet a 10-year-old kid who says, 'I love Captain Jack Sparrow'"

"I'm not sure I'm adult yet"

"Ohh yeah.. I play with barbies all the time"

"Am I a romantic? I've seen "Wuthering Heights" 10 times. I'm a romantic."

"I don't pretend to be 'Captain Weird', I just do what I do."


"More than anything, I love being with my family. I'm like a total homebody, just hanging out with my kids."

"I'd just thank the people out there who have been with my up-and-down, weird-road, strange career and supported me and stuck with me all these years. I mean, they're my boss. That's what keeps me working."

"I don't want to be 85 years old and have my grandkids go, Ewwww. Grandpa did some dumb ****. I'd rather have them say, Wow, man, you're nuts!"

Natalie Portman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born: June 9, 1981
Jerusalem, Israel

Natalie Hershlag (Hebrew: נטלי הרשלג) (born June 9, 1981), better known by her stage name, Natalie Portman (Hebrew :נטלי פורטמן), is an Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning Israeli-American actress.

As a young child, Portman spent her school holidays attending theatre camps where she developed her love of acting. After some experience in an off-Broadway musical, she was cast in Léon at age twelve. During the mid-1990s, Portman had roles in films such as Heat, Everyone Says I Love You and Mars Attacks!, as well as having a major role in Beautiful Girls.

In the late 1990s, she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. She placed a priority on her education and pursued tertiary studies at Harvard University even though it had potential to conflict with her acting career. Recent roles include Garden State, Closer, and V for Vendetta. For Closer, she received a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Biography

Early life

Portman was born in Jerusalem. Her father, Avner Hershlag, is an Israeli medical doctor specializing in the research and treatment of human fertility and reproduction (reproductive endocrinology).[1] Her mother, Shelley Stevens, is a Jewish American housewife who now works as her agent (she is an artist[1] by hobby and not profession). Portman's father's family are descendants of Jewish immigrants from Poland and Romania, while her mother's family were Jewish immigrants from Austria and Russia; her paternal grandfather's parents died in Auschwitz and her Romanian-born great-grandmother was a spy for the British during World War II.[2]

Portman's parents met at a Jewish student center at Ohio State University, where Portman's mother was selling tickets. Portman's father returned to Israel, but the two corresponded and were married when Portman's mother visited Israel a few years later. When Portman was three years old, her family moved from Israel to her mother's native United States, where her father pursued his medical training. The family lived in Washington, D.C. in 1984 and then Connecticut in 1988, before finally settling down in Syosset, New York in 1990. Portman has said that although she "really love[s] the States", her "heart's in Jerusalem. That's where I feel at home."[2] Portman is an only child and very close to her parents, who are often seen with her at her film premieres; her mother always accompanied pre-adult Portman to filming locations.


Early career

Portman started taking dancing lessons at the age of four, performed in local troupes, and dreamed of dancing on Broadway. At the age of twelve Portman was discovered in a pizza parlor by an agent for Revlon, who offered her an opportunity to model. She asked to be introduced to acting talent scouts, and took "Portman", her grandmother's maiden name, as her professional stage surname.

Starting at age 13, Portman spent her school holidays attending upscale theatre camps Stagedoor Manor and Usdan Camp, where she forged her love for acting, playing roles in the camp productions such as the title character in Anne of Green Gables, Dream Laurey in Oklahoma! and Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. In 1993 Portman was handed her first professional role as an understudy for the off-Broadway musical Ruthless!.

Her inaugural experience in professional theatre led her to audition for Luc Besson's 1994 film Léon (aka The Professional). She was initially turned down for the role due to her youth, but further auditioning won her the part. Soon after Portman was given the part, she took Portman as her stage name in the interest of privacy. In the film, Portman plays an orphaned girl who befriends a much older assassin. Léon opened on November 18, 1994 and marked her feature film debut at age thirteen. That same year appeared in the short film Developing which aired on television.

1995-1999

She was cast in the high-budget action film Heat. Although she had a small role, she starred alongside some of the industry's biggest names such as Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Val Kilmer. Following the success of Léon, Portman had gained considerable fame for her performance and was approached for the role of Marty in Ted Demme's Beautiful Girls. Following an audition, she was cast in Woody Allen's comedy-musical Everyone Says I Love You. She was also given a role in Tim Burton's famously star-studded Mars Attacks!. She was the first choice to play Juliet in the 1996 film Romeo + Juliet, but turned it down because of the adult content and the age difference between her and Leonardo DiCaprio.


Portman as Queen Padmé Amidala in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999).In 1996, to Portman's surprise, casting director for the new Star Wars films Robin Gurland contacted her to see if she was interested in playing the female lead in the new films. Portman, still only 14 years old and having never seen the original three Star Wars films, was speculative at first about the commitment she was making and what impact it would have on her life, as the role would ultimately see her participate in three films over the course of a decade. After meeting with George Lucas and producer Rick McCallum she signed on to the prequel trilogy. Portman then auditioned for the role of Anne Frank in the Broadway revival of The Diary of Anne Frank. The decision to participate in this production caused her to pull out of the film The Horse Whisperer. In mid-1997, production began on the first of the three Star Wars prequel films, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.

She returned to complete her junior year in high school, whilst studying she also performed The Diary of Anne Frank. She did eight shows a week while attending classes full-time. The play was performed for a month at the Colonial Theater in Boston before making its Broadway debut at the Music Box Theater in early December. She would receive a Tony nomination for her role as Anne Frank. She was also offered a role in the film Anywhere But Here, but after reading the script turned down the role as her character was involved in a sex scene. Director Wayne Wang and actress Susan Sarandon rushed to her support and demanded a rewrite of the script, allegedly saying they would not continue their involvement in the film unless the young actress's wishes were respected. Portman was shown a new script and she happily joined the project. In early 1999, The Phantom Menace opened and became the highest grossing film of the year and the highest grossing film out of the Star Wars series. Its massive audience and mainstream appeal saw Portman become an instant star. Portman then signed on to play a persevering teenaged mother in Where the Heart Is. Anywhere But Here opened in late 1999; she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ann August.

2000-2005

After filming Where the Heart Is, Portman moved into the dorms of Harvard to pursue her bachelor's degree in psychology. She graduated in 2003. In July 2001, Portman opened in New York City's Public Theatre production of Chekhov's The Seagull, directed by Mike Nichols, playing the role of Nina alongside co-stars Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The play opened at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. That same year she was one of many celebrities who made cameo appearances in the comedy Zoolander. Attack of the Clones was filmed in Sydney during this time, including additional production in London.


Portman as Alice in the 2005 film Closer.In 2002, Attack of the Clones opened around the world. Portman was cast in a small role in the film Cold Mountain alongside Jude Law and Nicole Kidman. In 2004, Portman had starring roles in the independent movies Garden State and Closer. Garden State was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and won Best First Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards. Her role of Alice in Closer saw Portman win a Supporting Actress Golden Globe as well as a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

In 2005 she filmed Free Zone, the year also saw a close to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, with Revenge of the Sith released worldwide on May 19. The film was the highest grossing film of the year and was voted Favorite Motion Picture at the People's Choice Awards. Shortly before the film's opening, Portman shaved her head for her role in the film adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, V for Vendetta which was set to be released on November 5, but was pushed back to March 17, 2006. Her shaved head was first seen publicly at the Revenge of the Sith premieres. She kept her hair short for most of 2005, had a fauxhawk mohawk, and briefly sported a full mohawk in late August, saying that it was "kind of wonderful to throw vanity away for a bit".[3] During the latter part of 2005, Portman filmed Goya's Ghosts.

2006-present

Portman with her shorter hair after it was shaved for a scene in V for Vendetta (2006).Portman made her Saturday Night Live debut on March 4, 2006, as she hosted the show with band Fall Out Boy. In the episode, she portrayed herself as a gangsta rapper during a faux-interview with Chris Parnell (an SNL Digital Short), jokingly claiming that she cheated on exams at Harvard University while high on pot.[4] In the episode, she was also referred to as "Hershlag" (her actual surname) and played a fertility specialist (her father is a physician who specializes in fertility and reproduction).

V for Vendetta opened in early 2006. Portman portrayed Evey Hammond, a young woman who is saved from the secret police by the main character, V. Portman worked with a voice coach for the role, learning to speak in an English accent.[5]

Portman has commented on V for Vendetta's political relevance, and mentioned that her character, who joins an underground anti-government group, is "often bad and does things that you don't like" and that "Being from Israel was a reason I wanted to do this because terrorism and violence are such a daily part of my conversations since I was little", although the film "doesn't make clear good or bad statements. It respects the audience enough to take away their own opinion".[6] Portman's upcoming films include Goya's Ghosts and Free Zone (an Israeli film which received a limited U.S. theatrical release in April 2006). She is set to appear in the children's film Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, which will begin filming in April 2006; Portman has said she is "excited to do a kids movie".[5]

Personal life

Beliefs

Since a young age, Portman has held socially and environmentally conscious beliefs, becoming a member of the environmental song and dance troupe The World Patrol Kids at age 12. She is a self-proclaimed "animal lover," and has been a vegetarian since she was eight years old, the decision from which came after she witnessed a demonstration of laser surgery on a chicken while attending a medical conference with her father.

Portman has spent some of her free time involved in causes such as the Democrats' 2004 U.S. presidential campaign and ending poverty. In 2004 and 2005 she travelled to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that promotes micro-lending to help finance women-owned businesses in poor countries.[7] In an interview conducted backstage at the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia and appearing on the PBS program Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria she discussed micro-financing.[8]

Portman commented in an interview that "I'm much more like the product of a doctor than I am a Jew." On the concept of the afterlife, she comments "I don't believe in that. I believe this is it, and I believe it's the best way to live."[2]

Controversy

In August of 2000, tabloid photos surfaced of Portman sunbathing topless on a deserted Caribbean island near Saint Barts. "The creepy thing was there was someone there, someone following us," she said of the incident. "I was just so angry - it makes you feel dirty inside... OK, everyone's seen boobs, but I just don't like being objectified. I don't go wagging my boobs around in people's faces. I was on a deserted beach." She shrugs. "Today's paper is used to pick up tomorrow's poop - right?"[2]

Portman, who had recently read some of the works by W.E.B. DuBois, was interviewed for the August 2004 issue of Allure magazine where she was quoted as saying, "Oh my God! I'm not black, but I know what it feels like!" This prompted her to follow up with an apology letter to their editor, in which she wrote: "The 'it' I was referring to when I said, 'I know what it feels like,' was not intended to signify that I know 'how black people feel,' but rather that I know what DuBois's concept of double-consciousness feels like, in variation. Had my quote included what I actually said preceding that statement, perhaps my meaning would have been clearer."[9]

Portman also made headlines when she was moved away by Israeli Police on February 23, 2005 from Jerusalem's Western Wall after protests by religious Jews who were praying at the holy site. She and Israeli actor Aki Avni were filming a kissing scene near the Wailing Wall for the movie Free Zone. This was deemed to be immodest and men who were praying heckled the pair until police stepped in and suggested they return later. The site is under the authority of Orthodox Judaism, and Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, who is responsible for the site, said the actors' behaviour violated the code of conduct.[10]

It was reported that on July 8, 2005, Portman was pulled over by the NYPD while driving in a transit tunnel underneath New York City for looking unusual and having an expired registration. She had a shaven head from playing a freedom fighter in V for Vendetta, and had just arrived back in the United States from Israel and film shooting in Berlin. The policeman told her not to drive in the tunnel, but to take the bridge instead. "I've never had that happen to me before," Portman said. "It's supposedly random... I didn't understand that logic. If you're a suspect, don't take the tunnel, take the bridge?"[11]

Education

Portman held a 4.0 GPA throughout her high school career. She has said that she was "used to As" but admits to reading about institutional grade inflation in the Ivy Leagues in the New York Times. She reported on a talk show, "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star" and that her goal was to graduate from college even if it ruined her acting career. Despite her high profile and the affluence of her parents, at 13 she switched ("because I couldn't stand it anymore") to the public Syosset High School in Syosset, New York, graduating in June of 1999. Portman reportedly had to miss the premiere of Star Wars: Episode I so she could study for her high school final exams.[12]

After high school, Portman enrolled at Harvard University where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in Psychology on June 5, 2003. In 2005 Portman pursued graduate studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. Portman is credited as a research assistant to Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz's Case For Israel. She was a research assistant to Dr. Stephen M. Kosslyn's psychology lab as well, and made a cameo appearance as a guest lecturer for the Terrorism and Counterterrorism course at Columbia University in early March of 2006, discussing themes from her film V for Vendetta.[13]

In addition to her native Hebrew[14] and English, Portman has studied and/or can speak (to some degree) French,[15] Japanese,[15] and German.[16] She has recently been learning to speak Arabic.[17]

As a student, Portman co-authored two research papers which were published in professional scientific journals. Her 1998 high school paper on the "Enzymatic Production of Hydrogen" earned her a semi-finalist placement in the Intel Science Talent Search.[18] In 2002, she contributed to a study on memory called "Frontal Lobe Activation During Object Permanence" during her psychology studies at Harvard.[19]

Relationships

Portman keeps her personal life as far away from the media spotlight as possible. She has always had many close male friends and rumoured suitors who are frequently named as her boyfriends; the unverified gossip is often repeated as fact in tabloids and biographies. In reality, Portman has dated a couple of her college classmates, and has had alleged romantic links with actors including Gael Garcia Bernal,[20] Liron Levo,[21] Jake Gyllenhaal,[22] and Hayden Christensen.[23] In the May 2002 issue of Vogue Portman called actor/musician Lukas Haas and musician Moby her close friends.[24] She was linked to Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine, but he claims they are friends.[25]

Trivia

Portman was an understudy in the off-Broadway play, Ruthless!, in which Britney Spears had a role. At a Manhattan hotel in 2003 they co-hosted a carnival-themed New Year's Eve party together. [26]
A number of songs and albums are named after her, by artists such as Intel One,[27] Team Sleep,[28] Sage Francis, and Ozma.[29] The make-up brand Stila has a lip color named after her (a sheer plum titled "Natalie"),[30][31] and fashion designer Zac Posen has referred to her as his "muse".[32]

There were two nuns...

One of them was known as Sister Mathematical (SM),

and the other one was known as Sister Logical (SL).

It is getting dark and they are still far away from the convent.

SM: Have you noticed that a man has been following us for
the past thirty-eight and a half minutes? I wonder what he wants.

SL: It's logical. He wants to attack us.

SM: Oh, no! At this rate he will reach us in 15 minutes
at the most! What can we do?

SL: The only logical thing to do of course is to walk faster.

SM: It's not working.

SL: Of course it's not working. The man did the only
logical thing. He started to walk faster, too.

SM: So, what shall we do? At this rate he will reach us in one minute.

SL: The only logical thing we can do is split. You go that way and
I'll go this way. He cannot follow us both.

So the man decided to follow Sister Logical.



Sister Mathematical arrives at the convent and is
worried about what has happened to Sister Logical.

Then Sister Logical arrives.

SM: Sister Logical! Thank God you are here!
Tell me what happened!

SL: The only logical thing happened.
The man couldn't follow us both,so he followed me

SM: Yes, yes! But what happened then?

SL: The only logical thing happened. I started to run
as fast as I could and he started to run as fast as he could.

SM: And?

SL: The only logical thing happened. He reached me

SM: Oh, dear! What did you do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. I lifted my dress up.

SM: Oh, Sister! What did the man do?

SL: The only logical thing to do. He pulled down his pants.



SM: Oh, no! What happened then?

SL: Isn't it logical, Sister?
A nun with her dress up can run faster than man with his pants down .
And for those of you who thought it would be dirty,
.
.

I'll pray for you!

Haha! I was waiting for the punchline, but I didn't see it coming.

a/t a report from BBC NEWS-WALES "...some female fish would prefer to die rather than having sex...".
is this a peculiarity associated with living in wales ? :wink: :wink:
hbg

...BBC NEWS FROM WALES...

Thank you, Bob of Boston for the bio's. I love Johnny Depp's quotes. I think I know now why I identify with him.

Your joke about the nuns was wonderful, my Boston buddy. You don't have to pray for me. <smile>

hamburger, poor little female fishes, but I do understand the part about the demise of predators, and in a way that keeps the ecosystem unbalanced.

The following song has absolutely nothing to do with our theme, listeners, and that's why I can identify with the Depp man:

Thomas Moore:

1
Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish.
come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

2
Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
"Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure."

3
Here see the bread of life; waters flowing
forth from the throne of God, pure from above.
Come to the feast of love; come, ever knowing
earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.

Good morning, another day another song:


Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Song: Where the bands are

I hear the guitars ringin' out
Ringin' out down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out, girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
Yeah, tonight I wanna break my chains
Somebody break my heart
Somebody shake my brains
Downtown there's something that I wanna hear
There's a sound, little girl, keeps ringing in my ear

CHORUS:
I wanna be where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
Where the bands are
I wanna be where the bands are
I get off from work and I grab something to eat
I turn the corner and I drive down your street
Little gray houses darling looks like nowhere
But hey I know you're hiding in there
Come on out for just a little while
You know that heart of stone, girl, it just ain't your style
Tonight I wanna feel the beat of the crowd
And when I tell you that I love you
I wanna have to shout it out loud
Shout it out loud

(CHORUS)

I hear the guitars ringin' out again
Ringin' on down Union Street
I hear the lead singer shoutin' out and girl
I wanna be a slave to the beat
And I want something that'll break my chains
Something to break my heart
Something to shake my brains
There's a rocker's special on tonight
So meet me on down
'Neath the neon lights

(CHORUS)

Well, there's our Try, folks. He wants to be where the bands are and we ladies want to be:

Where the boys are, someone waits for me
A smiling face, a warm embrace
Two arms to hold me tenderly
Where the boys are, my true love will be
Hes walking down some street in town
And I know hes looking there for me
In the crowd of a million people,
Ill find my valentine
And then Ill climb to the highest steeple,
And tell the world hes mine
Till he holds me, Ill wait impatiently
Where the boys are, where the boys are
Where the boys are, someone waits for me
Till he holds me, Ill wait impatiently
Where the boys are, where the boys are,
Where the boys are, someone waits for me

Well, as we all know, everybody needs

Somebody
Bryan Adams

I bin lookin' for someone
Between the fire and the flame
We're all lookin' for somethin'
To ease the pain

Now who can you turn to
When it's all black 'n' white
And the winners are losers
You see it every night

I need somebody
Somebody like you
Everybody needs somebody

I need somebody
Hey what about you
Everybody needs somebody

When you're out on the front line
And you're watchin' them fall
Doesn't take long to realize
It ain't worth fightin' for

I thought I saw the Madonna
When you walked in the room
And your eyes were like diamonds
And they cut right through - Oh they cut right through

I need somebody
Somebody like you
Everybody needs somebody

I need somebody
Hey what about you
We all need somebody

Another night another lesson learned
It's the distance that keeps us sane
But when the silence leads to sorrow
We do it all again - all again

I need somebody
Somebody like you
Everybody needs somebody

I need somebody
Hey what about you
Everybody needs somebody

You're right, Arthur. Perfect response to our listeners delight.

In researching Connie Francis, I was amazed at the background and history of that lady. She speakls several languages; had manic depressive disorder; had a chance to go to medical school, but stuck with her vocal career, and although she hit the botton many times, she is still performing today.

So, for those determined Italians:

Here's one by Dean Martin:

(Please note: The text on this page has been automatically translated, and may therefore contain some misspellings and incorrect or bad language compared to the original version!)


Ev'rybody ama un momento qualcuno

cadute ev'rybody nell'amore in qualche modo.
Qualcosa nel vostro bacio appena mi ha detto
mio un momento è ora.

Ev'rybody trova qualcuno in qualche luogo

non ci è dire a dove l'amore può comparire.
Qualcosa nel mio cuore continua a dire
mio in qualche luogo è ora.

Ev'rybody ama un momento qualcuno

ed anche se il mio sogno era in ritardo

il vostro amore lo ha fatto bene degno attendere

per un po di tempo è ora.

Se lo avessi nella mia alimentazione

Assicurerei la ragazza ev'ry avere vostri fascini.
Allora minuto ev'ry
ora ev'ry

il ragazzo ev'ry troverebbe che cosa ho trovato nella vostra armi.

Ev'rybody ama un momento qualcuno

cadute ev'rybody nell'amore in qualche modo.
Qualcosa nel vostro bacio appena mi ha detto
mio un momento è qui.

It takes two to tango, so…

Bruce Springsteen lyrics
TWO FOR THE ROAD

It's one for the money, one for the show
I got one kiss for you honey so come on let's go
I didn't see it coming but girl now I know
It takes one for the running but two for the road

One thousand dreams whispered in the dark
But a dream's just a dream in one empty heart
It takes more than one to rev it up and go
So let's get it running, we're two for the road

Two one-way tickets and a diamond ring
Hell it don't matter what the rain might bring
When this world treats you hard and cold
I'll stand beside you, we're two for the road

When you're alone my love will shine the light
Through the dark and starless night
I'll hold you close and never let you go
Come on now honey, we're two for the road
I'll stand beside you and I'll never go
Come on now girl, we're two for the road

Thank goodness, Try. I was hoping for a contribution from you. Two for the Road was perfect and I love to tango, so ....



I touch your lips and all at once the sparks go flying
Those devil lips that know so well the art of lying
And though I see the danger, still the flame grows higher
I know I must surrender to your kiss of fire

Just like a torch, you set the soul within me burning
I must go on, I'm on this road of no returning
And though it burns me and it turns me into ashes
My whole world crashes without your kiss of fire

I can't resist you, what good is there in trying?
What good is there denying you're all that I desire?
Since first I kissed you my heart was yours completely
If I'm a slave, then it's a slave I want to be
Don't pity me, don't pity me

Give me your lips, the lips you only let me borrow
Love me tonight and let the devil take tomorrow
I know that I must have your kiss although it dooms me
Though it consumes me, your kiss of fire

I can't resist you, what good is there in trying?
What good is there denying you're all that I desire?
Since first I kissed you my heart was yours completely
If I'm a slave, then it's a slave I want to be
Don't pity me, don't pity me

Give me your lips, the lips you only let me borrow
Love me tonight and let the devil take tomorrow
I know that I must have your kiss although it dooms me
Though it consumes me, the kiss of fire!!!

Hey, folks. There's a movie called Last Tango in Paris. WOW!

I have never heard of this guy, then up he pops on an internet radio station and he is good.


MONTGOMERY GENTRY »
Good Clean Fun Lyrics

Eye on the crowd, baby
Looking for someone to satisfy my need
Someway or somehow
Gonna find someone to spend some time with me

Well I ain't looking at forever
Just a woman to treat a good man right
You look so good you got me thinking
You might satisfy my soul tonight

There's no harm done
I know you're the one
You don't have to worry
No hurry
The night's still young
I'm just looking for some good clean fun

I ain't looking for a woman
Who's always trying to put me down
I don't want nobody
Giving me that same old run around

I ain't leaving, I'm just leaning
And I'm looking for that good time thing
And I could tell by the way you're acting
Girl, you know exactly what I'm thinking

There's no harm done
I know you're the one
You don't have to worry
No hurry
The night's still young
I'm just looking for some good clean fun

Don't want to slow down, don't want to move too slow
I am so confused, I don't know what to do
So please don't think I'm moving in for the kill
If you don't want to love me somebody else will

(intrumental)

Don't want to slow down, don't want to move too slow
I am so confused, I don't know what to do
So please don't think I'm moving in for the kill
But if you don't want to love me somebody else will

No harm done
I know you're the one
You don't have to worry
No hurry
The night's still young
I'm just looking for some good clean fun
Looking for some
Oh, baby
Looking for some good clean fun
Looking for some"

Well, Try, we're right in stride, cause I just found out there was a group name Suede and Futon.

Suede:

She can walk out anytime, anytime she wants to walk out, that's fine,

She can walk out anytime, anytime she feels that life has passed her by,

And when I start my new life I won't touch the ground,

I'm gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground.



He can walk out anytime, anytime he wants to walk out, that's fine,

He can walk out anytime, across the sand, into the sea, into the brine,

And when I start my new life I won't touch the ground,

I1m gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground.



So we sold the car and quit the job

and shook some hands and wiped the make-up right off,

And we said our good-byes to the bank

left Seven Sisters for a room in a seaside shack,

And when I start my new life I won't touch the ground,

I'm gonna try hard this time not to touch the ground?



...it's by the sea we'll breed

...into the sea we'll bleed...

A Woman A Lover A Friend - Jackie Wilson

I want somebody
To hold my hand
Somebody to love me and understand
I want a woman (woman)
I want a lover (a lover)
I want a friend
(A woman, a lover, a friend)

Uum, I want somebody
To share my love
Yes, loving is something I've got plenty of
I want a woman (woman)
I want a lover (a lover)
I want a friend
(A woman, a lover, a friend)

I don't want a fancy gal
With powder and paint
And I don't want a woman
Who thinks she's a saint

I'm looking for someone
Who's not make believe
And doesn't mind giving
So that she may receive

There must be somebody
Some where around
That's looking for someone
To give pound for pound
I want me a woman, uumm (a woman)
I want a lover (a lover)
I want a friend
(A woman, a lover, a friend)

Yeaaaaah, I want her right now
A want my little girl anyway
I want her anyhow
Please, come on baby
Just be my little woman
Be my lover...

Let it Be
The Beatles (Lennon/McCartney)
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be. Yeah
There will be an answer, let it be.
And when the night is cloudy,
There is still a light that shines on me,
Shine on until tomorrow, let it be.
I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
There will be an answer, let it be.
Let it be, let it be,
Whisper words of wisdom, Letty be