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Ryan O'Neal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Birth name Patrick Ryan O'Neal
Born April 20, 1941 (1941-04-20) (age 65)
Los Angeles, California, United States

Patrick Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an Oscar-nominated American actor.





Biography

Early life

Born in Los Angeles, California to an Irish-American Hollywood movie screenwriter Charles O'Neal and actress Patricia Callaghan, O'Neal first became famous on the soap opera Peyton Place.


Hollywood career

His role in Love Story gained him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Further starring roles have been in Paper Moon (co-starring his daughter, Oscar-winner Tatum O'Neal), the Stanley Kubrick directed Barry Lyndon, and the Love Story sequel, Oliver's Story.

O'Neal starred in a series of films directed by Peter Bogdanovich and was the second highest grossing movie star in 1972. However his film career had faded by the end of the decade. He has also appeared in several television series.


Personal life

O'Neal has been in a very long-term (off and on again) relationship with actress Farrah Fawcett. He also publicly dated Diana Ross for some time. He was also previously married to actresses Joanna Moore and Leigh Taylor-Young. He has four children: Tatum O'Neal and Griffin O'Neal (with Moore), Patrick O'Neal (with Taylor-Young) and Redmond O' Neal (with Fawcett).


Health problems

In 2001 he was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) leukemia[1]. As of 2006, it is in remission.[2] After struggling with leukemia, Ryan was frequently seen at the side of his former companion, Farrah Fawcett, during her own bout with cancer.[3]


2007 Family Incident and Arrest
This section documents a current event.
Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

Ryan O'Neal was arrested for allegedly assaulting his son, Griffin, in Malibu, police said Sunday, February 4th, 2007.[4]

Ryan, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge[5] of a firearm and released on $50,000 bond.[6]

According to O'Neal's manager Neil Hassman, the incident occurred when the younger O'Neal threatened the elder with a fireplace poker. It was reported at the same time that this confrontation left a 22-year-old woman with injuries unrelated to the firing of the handgun; the origins of her injury and the responsible party had not been identified as of February 5.[1] The 22-year old woman was later confirmed as JoAnne Berry, Griffin O'Neal's girlfriend.[7]

O'Neal in an interview with the Los Angeles Times charges that his son grazed him "four or five times" with the fireplace poker and that when he ducked to avoid the swinging weapon, Griffin "hit his own girlfriend in the head." O'Neal adds that he got "nervous" because of the woman's pregnancy. "I fled to my room," he says, "and I got my gun." When Griffin pursued him anew, says Ryan, he fired his gun "into the banister" to scare Griffin into fleeing. This is not the first time O'Neal has been accused of assaulting his son Griffin; rumors have circulated concerning O'Neal's temper with his children for some time, gaining some traction with allegations made by his daughter Tatum. In the early 1980s a fight between Ryan and Griffin O'Neal over the latter's drug use left the younger man with two teeth missing.[8]

Complicating matters, a separate report claimed that the cause of the altercation was that Griffin had chained his half-brother Redmond to a staircase in the belief the younger man intended to buy illegal drugs, and that Ryan, discovering the chain on his return from a dinner in honor of Farrah Fawcett, flew into a rage in which he (rather than Griffin) began waving the poker. According to this scenario--sourced to "unidentified law-enforcement officials"--Ryan may have been responsible for the injuries to Miss Berry. Given the weakness in the sources, and the lack of any public statement by Griffin, the veracity of this story will become more clear if and when an indictment is made.[9]

While we wait for our hawk to refresh his feathers, Let's tie one on with Tai.

http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=2620721#2620721

And here's a dedication to BioBob's pc.

In my adobe hacienda
There's a touch of Mexico,
Cactus love lighter than orchids
Blooming in the patio,
Soft desert stars and the strum of guitars,
Make ev'ry evening seem so sweet,
In my adobe hacienda
Life and love are more complete.

Jessica Lange
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Birth name Jessica Phyllis Lange
Born April 20, 1949 (1949-04-20) (age 57)
Cloquet, Minnesota, USA
Notable roles Frances Farmer in Frances
Patsy Cline in Sweet Dreams
Academy Awards

Best Actress
1994 Blue Sky
Best Supporting Actress
1982 Tootsie

Jessica Phyllis Lange (born April 20, 1949) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress.





Biography

Early life

Lange, the third of four children, was born in Cloquet, Minnesota to Dorothy Florence Sahlman and Albert John Lange. Her maternal grandparents were of Finnish descent, while her paternal grandfather was German and her paternal grandmother was Dutch.[1] She studied art briefly at the University of Minnesota before going to Paris where she studied mime. She returned to New York City in 1973 and took acting lessons while working as a waitress and a fashion model for the Wilhelmina modeling agency.


Career

Lange was nominated for an Best Actress Oscar for the 1989 film, Music BoxIn 1976, Dino De Laurentiis cast her in his motion picture remake King Kong, which started and almost ended her career. The unfavorable reviews were devastating but critics took notice when she made an impressive turn in Bob Rafelson's remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981).

Her performance in her next film, Frances (1982), in which she portrayed actress Frances Farmer, was highly lauded and earned her a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. She received two nominations that year, the other as Supporting Actress in the comedy Tootsie (1982), for which she won. She continued giving impressive performances through the 80s and 90s in films such as Sweet Dreams (1984) (playing country/western singer Patsy Cline), Music Box (1989), Men Don't Leave (1990), and Blue Sky (1994) for which she won the Best Actress Academy Award.


Lange's former home in Stillwater, MinnesotaLange once stated that her role as Patsy Cline in the film Sweet Dreams was her all time favorite role because of Cline's fascinating character.

In 1992, Lange made her Broadway debut opposite Alec Baldwin in Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. In 2000, she appeared on the London stage as Mary Tyrone in Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night. In 2005, she returned to Broadway in another Tennessee Williams' play, The Glass Menagerie with actor Christian Slater. The revival was met with mostly negative reviews in New York, although was acclaimed by the european press.


Personal life

Lange was married to photographer Paco Grande from 1970-1981. Since 1982, she has lived with playwright/actor Sam Shepard. She has three children, Alexandra (born 1981) with dancer/actor Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Hannah Jane (born 1985) and Walker Samuel (born 1987) with Shepard. Lange currently lives in New York City.

Lange is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. She has also been a public critic of President George W. Bush, once remarking "I despise him and his entire administration." [1]

Luther Vandross
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Background information
Birth name Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr.
Born April 20, 1951
Manhattan, New York, USA
Origin New York City,
New York, United States
Died July 1, 2005
Edison, New Jersey, USA
Genre(s) R&B, soul
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, producer
Years active 1968 - 2003
Label(s) Cotillion, Epic, Virgin, J, Legacy
Website LutherVandross.com

Luther Ronzoni Vandross, Jr. (April 20, 1951 - July 1, 2005) was an eight-time Grammy-winning American R&B and soul singer and songwriter. During his career, Vandross sold over 25 million albums[1] and won eight Grammy awards[2] including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. He won four Grammy Awards in 2004 including the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for the track "Dance With My Father",[3] co-written with Richard Marx.




Biography

1951-1980: Early life and career

Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City, he was born in Smith Housing Project. At the age three he began playing the piano. Vandross grew up in a musical family that moved to the Bronx when he was thirteen. His sister sang with vocal group The Crests[3] who had a number two hit in the early 1960's with "Sixteen Candles". Vandross' father died of diabetes when Vandross was eight years old.[3] His life-changing moment came when at the age of thirteen he heard Dionne Warwick sing "Anyone Who Had A Heart" (a song he would cover in his later years).[citation needed]

Vandross was in a vocal group, "Shades of Jade", in high school which once played at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.[4] His first recording credit was as producer of the album Soul Christmas in 1968 and appeared as a vocalist on the Quincy Jones album Best in 1969. He was also a member of a theater workshop at the time and appeared on the first episode of Sesame Street in November 1968.[5]

He attended Western Michigan University for a year, but then dropped out to continue pursuing a career in music.[6]

His next recording credit was on an album by Roberta Flack in 1972. Vandross wrote "Everybody Rejoice",[7] for the 1975 Broadway musical and 1978 movie The Wiz. He also appeared as a choir member in the movie.[8] Having co-written "Fascination" for David Bowie's Young Americans, he went on to tour with him as a back-up vocalist in September 1974.[9][5]

Vandross also sang backing vocals for Diana Ross, Roberta Flack, Carly Simon, Chaka Khan, Donna Summer, Bette Midler, Chic, and Barbra Streisand. During the beginning of his career, Vandross was content to remain mostly in the background, as a producer and backup singer for other artists. Flack encouraged Vandross into starting his own career. She believed he was an incredible talent who, in addition to his songwriting and production skills, deserved to be heard.[citation needed]

Before his breakthrough, he released two albums with a singing group he formed, also called Luther, on Cotillion Records.[citation needed] The group had a successful single entitled "It's Good for the Soul", although their two albums - the self-titled Luther in 1976 and This Close to You in 1977 - were not successful. Vandross bought back the rights to these albums after the record label dropped the group, preventing their later re-release.[citation needed]

Vandross also wrote and sang commercials jingles during the late 1970s & early 1980s,[3] earning upwards of $600,000 per year around the New York area.[citation needed] He created and often sang jingles for such advertising campaigns as Kentucky Fried Chicken's "We Do Chicken Right",[citation needed] NBC's "Proud As A Peacock"[citation needed] and The US Army's "Be All You Can Be".[citation needed] Vandross also voiced a cartoon character named Zack for 3 Saturday morning animated PSA spots for ABC Television called "Zack of All Trades".[citation needed] Vandross continued his successful career as a popular session singer during the late 70's. His lead vocals can be heard on the Gregg Diamond produced single "Hot Butterfly" from Bionic Boogie in 1978 which gained moderate club success.[citation needed]


1980-2003: Career success

With some contributions from friend and songwriter/producer, Wayne K. Garfield[citation needed] (see the 11th chapter of Luther's biography?-Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross by Craig Seymour (Harper-Collins)), Vandross finally made his long desired career breakthrough as a featured singer with the vaunted pop-dance act Change, a studio concept created by French-Italian bussinessman Jacques Fred Petrus (1949-1986) with songs written and produced by his Italian co-workers Davide Romani, Paolo Gianolio and Mauro Malavasi. Their 1980 hits, "A Lover's Holiday" (by Romani and Willoughby), "The Glow of Love" (by Romani, Malavasi and Garfield) and "Searching" (by Malavasi), of which Vandross sang on the last two, opened up the world for Vandross. And there was no doubt about whether Vandross liked the song "The Glow of Love". In an interview that Vibe Magazine did with him in 2001 Vandross said, "Wayne, this is the most beautiful song I've ever sung in my life."[citation needed] Vandross was also originally intended to perform on the second and highly successful Change album "Miracles" in 1981, but declined the offer as Petrus offered too little money and Vandross was replaced by James "Crabs" Robinson. Vandross' decision rapidly led to a recording contract with Epic Records that same year but didn't stop him from doing some background vocals on "Miracles" and on the new Petrus created acts, NYC band, The B. B. & Q. band in 1981. During that hectic year Vandross jump-started his second attempt at a solo career with his debut album, Never Too Much. In addition to the hit title track, it contained a version of the Burt Bacharach / Hal David song "A House Is Not a Home". The album went double platinum,[citation needed] with the song "Never Too Much" reaching number-one on the R&B charts. This period also marked the beginning of frequent songwriting collaboration with bassist Marcus Miller, who played on many of the tracks and would also produce or co-produce a number of tracks for Vandross.

Vandross released a series of successful albums during the 1980s and continued his session work with guest vocals on groups like Charme in 1982. However, Vandross' performance of "The Glow Of Love", garnered his first number one recording atop Billboard's Dance/Club charts for an incredible 16 weeks which was acknowledged by a " #1 Chart Longevity Award " from Billboard's Dance Music Forum as well as the "#3 all-time greatest dance hit recording" from Billboard's 100th Anniversary issue![citation needed] Interestingly enough, superstar Janet Jackson's Grammy Award-winning, multi-chart, multi-platinum recording, "All For You", which was based upon "The Glow Of Love" made industry history as the first-ever record to be added to all major radio formats on the day of release. Although the albums were very successful overall, many of his earlier albums made a much bigger impact on the R&B charts.[citation needed] Vandross had more modest success on the pop charts during this time. During the 1980s, Vandross had two other singles that reached number-one on the R&B charts: "Stop to Love", in 1986, and a duet with Gregory Hines?-"There's Nothing Better Than Love."[citation needed] He was also an in-demand producer;[citation needed] he was at the helm for Aretha Franklin's albums Jump To It and Get It Right. In 1983, the opportunity to work with his main music influence, Dionne Warwick, came true. Vandross produced and wrote songs in addition to singing on How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye, her fourth album for Arista. The title track duet became a smash hit overall on the charts, but especially on the R&B and Adult Contemporary chart.[citation needed] The album's second single, "Got a Date" became a moderate hit. The "How Many Times Can We Say Goodbye" album is still highly sought after.[citation needed]

The 1989 compilation of greatest hits, The Best of Luther Vandross...The Best of Love, included the ballad "Here and Now", the first Vandross single to chart in the Billboard pop chart top ten. He also won his first Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in the 1991. "Here and Now" became a staple at weddings, and on Soft AC radio.[citation needed] In addition, the song allowed him to expand his musical horizons beyond R&B; his songs also became popular on smooth jazz radio.


Vandross' From Luther With Love: The Videos DVDMore albums followed in the 1990s, beginning with 1991's Power of Love which spawned two top ten pop hits. He won his second Best Male R&B Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 1992 with the track "Power of Love/Love Power" winning the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in the same year. In 1992, "The Best Things in Life Are Free", a duet with Janet Jackson from the movie Mo' Money became a hit.

In 1993, Vandross had a nonspeaking role in the Robert Townsend movie Meteor Man. He played a hit man who plotted to stop Townsend's title character.

Vandross hit the top ten again in 1994 with Mariah Carey, doing a cover of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross's hit duet "Endless Love." The song appears on his album Songs. He also appears on Frank Sinatra's posthumous Duets album. In the Grammy Awards of 1997, he won his third Best Male R&B Vocal for the track "Your Secret Love". A second greatest hits album, released in 1997, compiled most of his 1990s hits and was his final album released through Epic Records. After releasing I Know on Virgin Records, he signed with J Records. His first album on Clive Davis's new label, entitled Luther Vandross, was released in 2001, and it produced the hits "Take You Out", "Grown Thangs" and "I'd Rather".[citation needed]

In 2003, Vandross released the album Dance With My Father The title track, which was dedicated to the memory of the younger Vandross' childhood dances with his father, won Luther and his co-writer, Richard Marx, the 2004 Grammy Award for Song Of The Year. The song also won Vandross his fourth and final award in the Best Male R&B Vocal Performance category. The album was his first to reach number one on the Billboard album chart.[citation needed] The video for the title track features a various celebrities alongside their fathers and other family members. Celebrities such as Beyoncé, Celine Dion, Jason Kidd, Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones submitted home videos or pictures of their families for the music video.[citation needed]

Vandross's last known recording was his signature version of "One Shining Moment",[citation needed] CBS's closing theme song of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.


2003-2005: Illness and death

Vandross had diabetes,[3] a disease that ran in his family, as well as hypertension. His weight fluctuated over the years, with Vandross weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg) at his heaviest.[citation needed] His father, Luther Sr., died of complications from diabetes when Luther Jr. was seven years old. Luther Jr.'s two sisters and a brother also predeceased him.[citation needed] On April 16, 2003, Vandross suffered a stroke in his home in Manhattan.[3] Though the cause of Vandross' stroke was not specifically attributed to diabetes, diabetics have been identified as being much more susceptible to strokes than non-diabetics.

He appeared briefly on videotape at the 2004 Grammys to accept his Song of the Year award. Other than an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was never seen in public again. On the videotape on which Vandross appeared, he sent an emotional message that said: "Whenever I say goodbye it's never for long because I believe in the power of love".[3] Vandross died on July 1, 2005 at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey at the age of 54.[5] At this time, the cause of death was not known, although hospital spokesman Rob Cavanaugh has said that Vandross never recovered from the 2003 stroke.[citation needed] It was reported that he died peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.[citation needed] The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a friend of Vandross, described him as "a boy so mellow, so powerful; a boy of rare, rare vintage. We lost Luther very early because of his medical condition, but his legacy will be a powerful legacy."[citation needed]

His funeral was in New York City on July 8, 2005.[10] After two days of viewing, Vandross was laid to rest in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus, New Jersey.[11]


Personal life

During Vandross's entire career, he was dogged by questions regarding his sexuality. A lifelong bachelor, his name was never romantically linked in the media with women. Although Vandross never explicitly denied being gay, he never publicly acknowledged it either. He generally attempted to steer questioners away from the issue altogether by saying that his busy lifestyle made marriage difficult and indicated that it wasn't what he wanted.[12] After his death, an article in Out magazine had several of Vandross' friends, including gay comedy writer Bruce Vilanch, claiming that Luther was indeed a very unhappily closeted gay man.[13]


Influences and followers

Vandross was inspired by the soul divas of the 1960s and 1970s: Dionne Warwick, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross, and Aretha Franklin, whom he eventually produced.

Vandross' songs have also been performed numerous times by American Idol contestants. Notable covers include Season 1 Finalist Tamyra Gray's version of "Dance With My Father" on Boston Public and "A House Is Not a Home", which many consider one of the greatest performances in the show's history.[citation needed] Second season winner Ruben Studdard has also performed "A House Is Not a Home" and?-more infamously?-"Superstar".[citation needed] R&B artist Keyshia Cole included a version of "Never Too Much" on her 2005 debut album The Way It Is.

Vandross performed many covers of older songs, such as "Since I Lost My Baby" (originally recorded by The Temptations), "Love the One You're With" (originally recorded by Stephen Stills), "Superstar/Until You Come Back to Me" ("Superstar" was a hit for The Carpenters and "Until You Come Back To Me" was a 1974 hit for Aretha Franklin), "Love Won't Let Me Wait" (originally recorded by Major Harris), "Always and Forever" (originally recorded by Heatwave), "If This World Were Mine" (a duet with Cheryl Lynn, originally recorded by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell), "Creepin'" and "Knocks Me Off My Feet" (both originally recorded by Stevie Wonder), "Hello" (the 1984 number-one hit by Lionel Richie), "Lovely Day" (originally recorded by Bill Withers), "Killing Me Softly" (a hit for Roberta Flack) and the Bacharach/David standard, "A House Is Not A Home." Vandross's hit "Love Power" included snippets of the soul classic "The Power of Love". Another hit, "Bad Boy (Having a Party)", contained a passage from Sam Cooke's "Having a Party".

Vandross inspired his J Records labelmate, Ruben Studdard, the American Idol winner of 2003.[citation needed] Besides Studdard, Vandross also inspired countless other artists, both male and female, such as Boyz II Men, Usher, Beyoncé Knowles|Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Brandy.[citation needed] It was with Beyoncé that he recorded yet another cover of a well-known song, "The Closer I Get to You", originally recorded by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway.


Legacy

Tribute

On September 20, 2005, the album So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross was released. The album is a collection of some of Luther's songs performed by various artists, including Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Fantasia, Beyoncé, Donna Summer, Alicia Keys, Cissy Houston, Elton John, Celine Dion, Wyclef Jean, Babyface, Patti LaBelle, John Legend, Angie Stone, Jamie Foxx and Aretha Franklin (who won a Grammy for her rendition of "A House Is Not a Home.")


Posthumous releases

Luther Vandross's final label, J Records, released a song called "Shine"?-an upbeat R&B track that samples Chic's disco classic "My Forbidden Lover". "Shine" became a massive Top 20 Urban radio hit[citation needed]. The success of the "Shine" led to club mixes of the single. The Freemasons Club Mix of "Shine" became popular on Dance format radio stations and clubs across the U.S..[citation needed] This and a track entitled "Got You Home" are previously unreleased songs that appeared on The Ultimate Luther Vandross, a greatest hits album on Epic Records/J Records/Legacy Recordings that was released August 22, 2006.

Carmen Electra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Birth name Tara Leigh Patrick
Born April 20, 1972 (1972-04-20) (age 35)
Sharonville, Ohio, USA
Notable roles Lani McKenzie in Baywatch
Drew Decker in Scary Movie
Herself in Date Movie

Tara Leigh Patrick (born April 20, 1972), professionally known as Carmen Electra,[1] is an American glamour model, television personality, singer and actress.




Biography

Early life

Tara was born in Sharonville, Ohio, a suburb of Cincinnati, to Patricia, a vocalist, and Harry Patrick, an entertainer and guitarist; her mother died of a brain tumor in 1998. She had an older sister, Debbie, who died from a heart attack, also in 1998.[2] Tara attended the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Princeton High School in Sharonville and also attended, very briefly, Forest Park High School.[3]


Career

After moving to California, she met singer Prince (a Minneapolis native), who persuaded her to change her name to Carmen Electra. Soon after, she signed a recording contract with Paisley Park Records, Prince's company, marking the start of a short-lived rap career, which included one album.

In 1995, Electra started appearing in various television programs. Then, in May of 1996 she was featured in a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, the first of several. This exposure led to higher profile television appearances, including Baywatch (cast member from 1997-1998) and MTV's Singled Out. She returned to Baywatch for the 2003 reunion movie, Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.

Electra has appeared in several films, such as Good Burger (1997), The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human (1999), the horror spoof Scary Movie (2000) and also appeared in Scary Movie 4 (2006), Epic Movie (2007), and the remake of the 1970s TV show Starsky & Hutch (2004). She has also made cameo appearances as herself in the comedy American Dreamz. She regularly performed with the exotic dance troupe The Pussycat Dolls. Electra also created the highly successful Carmen Electra Aerobic Striptease series of DVDs which combines classic stripping moves with a low impact workout. Her most recent movie appearance is a leading role in the british film I Want Candy.

Her acting work is generally panned by critics.[4]

In 2005, she joined the voice cast of the animated series Tripping the Rift, replacing Gina Gershon as the voice of the sexy android "Six". In late 2006, Carmen began to be featured in commercials by Taco Bell.

Electra is the current spokesmodel for Ritz Camera Centers, appearing in their television and print ads with CEO David Ritz. She is featured in some video spoofs of Lonelygirl15 that are advertising Epic Movie.

She is a playable character in the video game Def Jam: Fight for New York and is one of the celebrity challenges in the video game, ESPN NFL 2K5, along with Steve-O, Jamie Kennedy, and others.


Personal life

Carmen Electra was previously romantically involved with rap star B Real of Cypress Hill from 1995 to 1998. Electra achieved publicity during her on-again, off-again marriage to basketball star Dennis Rodman from 1998 to 1999. The wedding to Rodman took place at Little Chapel of the Flowers in Las Vegas, Nevada. Later, she had a brief affair with Tommy Lee, the ex-husband of Pamela Anderson.

On November 22, 2003, Electra married Dave Navarro, former lead guitarist for the rock bands Jane's Addiction and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. The couple documented their courtship and marriage in an MTV celebreality show called 'Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen & Dave.[5] On 17 July 2006, she and Navarro announced their separation. Their rep confirmed their separation to Star Magazine. Electra filed for divorce on 10 August. It was finalized on February 20, 2007.[6][7] She was recently linked with Joan Jett romantically, but Electra's publicist has insisted they are "just friends".


Trivia

In 2006, Electra stated that when she was eight years old she had a "little girl crush" on Joan Jett. [8][9]

Daffynitions Not Found in Webster's. . . .

Secret: what we tell everyone not to tell anyone.

Hospital: where you might wind up if you get run down.

Nudist: a person who is never clothes-minded.

Twins: womb-mates.

Tension: what the sergeant shouts to the troops.

Bargain Basement: a place where what you seize is what you get.

Zinc: what you do if you can't zwim.

Paralyze: a couple of fibs.

Bacteria: rear entrance to a cafeteria.

Seamstress: a real material girl.

Diploma: the person you call when your toilet backs up.

Operetta: an employee of the phone company.

Calculator: a product you can count on.

Microwave: a head full of tiny curls.

Jail cell: a bar room.

Golf cart: a vehicle with a fore cylinder engine.

Minister: a man who is the soul support of his family.

Cashew: the noise a nut makes when it sneezes.

Stupendous: advanced stupidity.

Hurricane: what Abel said to his brother when he was late for school..

Well, folks, our hawkman is through as he gives us some definitions to groan by. Love the "hurricane", BioBob. Hope you are able to continue.

Until our picture person arrives. (and we all know her, so no need to name)here's a song that interests me for many reasons.

Luther Vandross
Shine
Ya'll came here to gave it up
So come on and show me what you got
It's about to be on baby non-stop
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine
Nobody but stars in here tonight
Dancing underneath the party light
When I see you working that body right
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine

I've been waiting, now I'm ready for the main event
All the ladies and the players in here just to kill
Choose a winner who has flavor looking on for style
Only the best can pass this test, let me check you out

In the mist of a fierce competition
Get a view from a better position
A little closer now you got my attention
Maybe your my, my, my superstar
Keep showing me moves that are blazing
Cause you're teasing my imagination
Don't believe I can fight temptation
I think you already know that

Ya'll came here to gave it up
So come on and show me what you got
It's about to be on baby non-stop
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine
Nobody but stars in here tonight
Dancing underneath the party light
When I see you working that body right
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine

Your time, your time to shine
Shine, shine, shine, shine groove shine
Your time, your time to shine
Shine, shine, shine, shine it's alright

Spotlight search for someone special could you be the one
If you're nothing, don't get jealous, just keep moving on
Feet to the beat so hot the heat, spraying of the shine
So cling, so fresh, a real good kiss so I'm gonna make you mine

In the mist of a fierce competition
Get a view from a better position
A little closer now you got my attention
Maybe your my, my, my superstar
Keep showing me moves that are blazing
Cause you're teasing my imagination
Don't believe I can fight temptation
I think you already know that

Ya'll came here to gave it up
So come on and show me what you got
It's about to be on baby non-stop
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine
Nobody but stars in here tonight
Dancing underneath the party light
When I see you working that body right
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine

Your time, your time to shine
Shine, shine, shine, shine groove shine
It's alright, alright to shine
Shine, shine, shine, shine it's alright

Ya'll came here to gave it up
It's about to be on baby non-stop
Nobody but stars in here tonight
When I see you working that body right

Ya'll came here to gave it up
So come on and show me what you got
It's about to be on baby non-stop
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine
Nobody but stars in here tonight
Dancing underneath the party light
When I see you working that body right
Tonight you're gonna get your time to shine

Your time, your time to shine
Shine, shine, shine, shine groove shine
It's alright, alright to shine
Shine, shine, shine, shine it's alright

Good Morning WA2K.

Picture time:

and good morning to you, Raggedy pup. Great pictures, PA.

We're looking at Lloyd, Bruce, Ryan, Jessica, Luther, and Carmen.

Sorry, Miss Electra. Your name reminded me of this. <smile>

Don José

La fleur que tu m'avais jetée
dans ma prison m'était restée,
flétrie et sèche, cette fleur
gardait toujours sa douce odeur;
et pendant des heures entières,
sur mes yeux, fermant mes paupières,
de cette odeur je m'enivrais
et dans la nuit je te voyais!
Je me prenais à te maudire,
à te détester, à me dire:
pourquoi faut-il que le destin
l'ait mise là sur mon chemin!
Puis je m'accusais de blasphème,
et je ne sentais en moi-même,
je ne sentais qu'un seul désir,
un seul désir, un seul espoir:
te revoir, ô Carmen, oui, te revoir!
Car tu n'avais eu qu'à paraître,
qu'à jeter un regard sur moi,
pour t'emparer de tout mon être,
ô ma Carmen!
Et j'étais une chose à toi!
Carmen, je t'aime!

Translation.

Don José
In prison I kept lovingly
The flower you had thrown at me.
Though it had faded and turned dry,
It still smelled sweet as time went by;
And I would put that special flower
On my closed eyes, hour after hour.
Drunk with that fragrance, I felt light,
And there I saw you in the night!
At times I would begin to hate you,
To curse you and to execrate you,
To say: why did it have to be
That fate brought her so close to me!
Then I thought that faith had defied me,
And I only felt deep inside me,
I only felt but one desire,
But one desire, one hope, one yen,
To see you, Carmen, yes, see you again!
For all you needed was to be there,
To throw a fleeting glance my way,
To have full mastery of me there,
Oh, Carmen, dear!
And all you did with me was play!
Carmen, I love you!

Lord have mercy how I adore Caruso

That's All You Gotta Do
Brenda Lee

[Written by Jerry Reed]

Anytime you're feeling low
And you got no place to go
You don't have to be blue
Here is all you gotta do

Call me on the telephone
Tell me that you're all alone
And I'll come a runnin' to you
Baby that's all you gotta do

All you gotta do when you're lonesome
Is to call on me
And I'll come a runnin' to you
As a fast as I can

I'll love and squeeze you
Uh-huh-huh
I'll try to please you
'Cause baby, I want you to be my lovin' man

I've been waiting for the chance
Needing you to start a romance
And if you feel the same way too
Here's all you gotta do

Tell me just a how you feel
Tell me that your love is real
And I'll give my heart to you
Baby, that's all you gotta do

---- Instrumental Interlude ----

All you gotta do when you're lonesome
Is to call on me
And I'll come a runnin' to you
As a fast as I can

Uh-huh-huh
I'll love and squeeze you
Uh-huh-huh
I'll try to please you
'Cause baby, I want you to be my lovin' man

I've been waitin' for the chance
Needing you to start a romance
And if you feel the same way too
Here's all you gotta do

Tell me just a how you feel
Tell me that your love is real
And I'll give my heart to you
Baby, that's all you gotta do

FATS DOMINO - I'M GONNA BE A WHEEL SOMEDAY


A# A#

A#
I'm gonna be a wheel someday
I'm gonna be somebody
I'm gonna be a real gone cat
C A#
Then I won't want you
Everything's gonna go my way
and I won't need nobody
I'm gonna be a real gone cat
C A#
Then I won't want you

D#
You can cry
A#
While you were high high high
C
If you were wondering why I don't look at you
F
When I go rolling by

A#
I'm gonna be a wheel someday
I'm gonna be somebody
I'm gonna be a real gone cat
C A#
Then I won't want you


A#////// C A#/////// C# D# A# C F A#/////// C A#|

A# A#

A#
I'm gonna be a wheel oneday
I'm gonna be somebody
I'm gonna be a real gone cat
C A#
Then I won't want you
A#
Everything's gonna go my way
and I won't need nobody
I'm gonna be a real gone cat
C A#
Then I won't want you

D#
You can cry
A#
While you were high high high
C
If you were wondering why I don't look at you
F
When I go rolling by

A#
I'm gonna be a wheel oneeday
I'm gonna be somebody
I'm gonna be a real gone cat
C A#
Then I won't want you

A#////// C A#

Hot Frogs on the Loose

By the light of the Tennessee moon
From the bilious bubbles of a black lagoon
They make a hound dog howl a SWAT team swoon
Hot frogs on the loose

They've multiplied since '53
Slurping nuclear debris
Amphibious fabulous fancy free
Hot frogs on the loose


Hippity hoppity here they come
Radioactive lookin' for fun
If you kiss 'em look out for the tongue
Hot frogs on the loose

They got little skinny legs and big bug eyes
Fraternizing's not advised
They like you like they like flies
Hot frogs on the loose

They got a chicken nugget body and a whopper leap
In your bedroom while you sleep
They'll make your Geiger counter beep
Hot frogs on the loose


You can put the pedal to the metal till the rubber squeals
Squish 'em with your tires you got hot wheels
How you know how it feels to be a
Hot frog on the loose

Please do not keep them as pets
Sauteing them may bring regrets
Make a citizen's arrest of a
Hot frog on the loose

Frogs for peace frogs for defense
Don't be nervous don't be tense
We've got a sure-fire three-foot fence
To keep the hot frogs from gettin loose

Carole King - Smackwater Jack


Now, Smackwater Jack,
He bought a shotgun
'Cause he was in the mood
For a little confrontation.
He just a-let it all hang loose;
He didn't think about the noose.
He couldn't take no more abuse
So he shot down the congregation.

You can't talk to a man
With a shotgun in his hand.

Now, Big Jim the chief
Stood for law and order.
He called for the guard to come
And surround the border.
Now, from his bulldog mouth,
As he led the posse south,
Came the cry, "We got to ride
To clean up the streets
For our wives and our daughters!"

You can't talk to a man
When he don't wanna understand.
No, no, no, no, no.

The account of the capture
Wasn't in the papers,
But you know, they hanged ol' Smack right then
Instead of later.
You know, the people were quite pleased
'Cause the outlaw had been seized
And on the whole, it was a very good year
For the undertaker.

You know, you know, you can't talk to a man
With a shotgun in his hand.
A shotgun in his hand.
Smackwater Jack bought a shotgun.
Yeah, Smackwater Jack bought a shotgun.
Oh, Smackwater Jack, yeah.
Talkin' 'bout Smackwater Jack, yeah.
Talkin' 'bout a-Smackwater Jack, now.
Talkin' 'bout Smack.
Talkin' 'bout Jack.
Smackwater Jack, yeah.

Well, edgar, all ya gotta do is be a wheel and the world is at your feet. Thanks for Brenda and Fats, Texas.

My goodness, folks, there's that cowboy in the company of frogs and kings. Where have you been?

The weather is wild here. The wind is coming on strong; as a matter of record it reminds me of this Carol song.

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around

Oh baby When I see your face
Mellow as the month of May
Oh darling I cant stand it
When you look at me that way

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you're around

Oh darling When you're near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that, My emotions
Are something I just cant tame
Ive just got to have you baby

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down

I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold all over

I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
tumbling down, tumbling down...

just got home from seeing tai chi on her birthday, we had a nice little get together with some extended family, and then tai and her husband went off to a little port town (port dover) for a perch and pickerel dinner, and overnight stay and some shopping tomorrow before heading home

here's what john prine had to say about fishing

Fish And Whistle
John Prine

I been thinking lately about the people I meet
The carwash on the corner and the hole in the street
The way my ankles hurt with shoes on my feet
And I'm wondering if I'm gonna see tomorrow.

Father forgive us for what we must do
You forgive us we'll forgive you
We'll forgive each other till we both turn blue
Then we'll whistle and go fishing in heaven.

I was in the army but I never dug a trench
I used to bust my knuckles on a monkey wrench
Then I'd go to town and drink and give the girls a pinch
But I don't think they ever even noticed me.

Father forgive us for what we must do
You forgive us we'll forgive you
We'll forgive each other till we both turn blue
Then we'll whistle and go fishing in heaven.

Fish and whistle, whistle and fish
Eat everything that they put on your dish
And when we get through we'll make a big wish
That we never have to do this again again? again????

On my very first job I said thank you and please
They made me scrub a parking lot down on my knees
Then I got fired for being scared of bees
And they only give me fifty cents an hour.

Father forgive us for what we must do
You forgive us we'll forgive you
We'll forgive each other till we both turn blue
Then we'll whistle and go fishing in heaven.

How delightful, dj. I wondered what had happened to Tai.

Well, Canada, I love that song by John Prine, especially this line that gave me a smile:

"...you forgive us; we'll forgive you.."

Needed that smile tonight, folks, 'cause I just saw where another desperate man killed himself and one of his hostages in a NASA building in Texas.

So, let me say goodnight with a song from John Prine that is a pleasant memory. (Thanks, dj, for introducing me to your John)

Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone

The movie wasn't really doing so hot
said the new producer to the old big shot
its dying on the edge of the great Midwest
Sabu must tour or forever rest.

Hey look ma
here comes the elephant boy
bundled all up in his corduroy
headed down south towards Illinois
from the jungles of East St. Paul.

His manager sat in the office alone
staring at the numbers on the telephone
wondering how a man could send a child actor
to visit in the land of the wind chill factor.
Sabu was sad the whole tour stunk
the airlines lost the elephant's trunk
the roadie got the rabies and the scabies and the flu
they was low on morale but they was high on (dew?)

Goodnight, all

From Letty with love

Anthony Quinn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Birth name Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn
Born April 21, 1915
Chihuahua, Mexico
Died June 3, 2001, age 86
Boston, Massachusetts, United States (pneumonia and respiratory failure, while suffering from terminal throat cancer)
Other name(s) Ant Quinn
Spouse(s) 1) Katherine DeMille (October 3, 1937-January 21, 1965) 4 children
2) Jolanda Addolori (January 2, 1966-August 19, 1997) 3 children
3) Kathy Benvin (1997-June 3, 2001) 2 children
Notable roles Zampano in La Strada

Anthony Quinn (April 21, 1915 Chihuahua, Mexico - June 3, 2001 Boston, Massachusetts) was a two-time Academy Award-winning Irish American and Mexican-American actor, as well as a painter and writer. He is perhaps best known in the US for his roles in two Hollywood films, the title role in Zorba the Greek and his Oscar-winning performance in Viva Zapata!, while in the rest of the world he is associated with his role of the brutish circus strongman Zampanò in Federico Fellini's La Strada.




History

Antonio Rudolfo Oaxaca Quinn was born to an Irish father and a Mexican mother, a combination that later facilitated his playing a wide range of ethnic roles. He grew up in the Boyle Heights and the Echo Park neighborhoods of Los Angeles, California, attending the Polytechnic High School and later Belmont High School. He did not graduate; in the 1990s, Tucson High School in Tucson, Arizona awarded him a high school diploma.

In his youth, Quinn boxed, then studied art and architecture under Frank Lloyd Wright at the latter's Arizona residence and Wisconsin studio, Taliesin, and the two men became friends. When Quinn revealed that he was drawn to acting, Wright encouraged this major change in career direction.

After a brief stint in the theater, Quinn launched his film career playing character roles in several 1936 films, including Parole (his debut) and The Milky Way. He mainly played "ethnic" villains in Paramount films through the 1940s in films such as Dangerous to Know (1938) and Road to Morocco. By 1947, he was a veteran of over 50 films and had played everything from Indians, Mafia dons, Hawaiian chiefs, Filipino freedom-fighters, Chinese guerrillas, and comical Arab sheiks, but he was not a major star. So he made a successful return to the theater, including playing Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire on Broadway.

Returning to the screen in the early 1950s, Quinn specialized in tough, macho roles. He was cast in a series of B-adventures like Mask of the Avenger (1951). A big break was his playing opposite Marlon Brando in Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata! (1952). His supporting role as Zapata's brother won Quinn his first Oscar, the first Mexican-American to win any Academy Award. He appeared in several Italian films starting in 1953, turning in one of his best performances as a dim-witted, thuggish, and volatile strongman in Federico Fellini's La Strada (1954), playing alongside Giulietta Masina. Quinn won his second Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for portraying the painter Gauguin in Vincente Minnelli's Van Gogh biopic, Lust for Life (1956). This award was all the more remarkable given that he was onscreen for all of 8 minutes. The following year, he received yet another Oscar nomination for his part in George Cukor's Wild Is the Wind. In The River's Edge (1957), he played the husband of the former girlfriend (played by Debra Paget) of a killer, played by Ray Milland, who turns up with a stolen fortune and forces Quinn and Paget at gunpoint to guide him safely to Mexico. Quinn starred in The Savage Innocents 1959 (film), in which he starred as Inuk, who finds himself caught between two clashing cultures.


As the decade came to a close, Quinn allowed his age to show, and he began his transformation into a major character actor. His formerly trim physique filled out, his hair grayed, and his once smooth, swarthy face weathered into an appealing series of crags and crinkles. His careworn demeanor made him a convincing Greek resistance fighter in The Guns of Navarone (1961), an ideal ex-boxer in Requiem for a Heavyweight, and a natural for the role of Auda ibu Tayi in Lawrence of Arabia (both 1962). In that year, he also played the title role in Barabbas, based on the novel by Pär Lagerkvist. The film is an Easter season favorite down to the present day. The success of Zorba the Greek in 1964 was arguably the high water mark of Quinn's career, and resulted in another Oscar nomination. Later successes that decade include his title role in the The Magus, based on the novel by John Fowles, and The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969).

In the 1970s, Quinn became known as a ham, albeit a well-respected one. In 1971, he starred in the short-lived television drama Man in the City. In 1977, He starred in the movie Mohammad, Messenger of God (aka The Message) about the origin of Islam, and the message of prophet Mohammad. His subsequent television appearances were sporadic (among them Jesus of Nazareth).

On January 5, 1982, the Belvedere County Public Library in East Los Angeles was renamed in honor of Anthony Quinn. The present library sits on the site of his family's former home.[1]

In 1982, he starred in the Lion of the Desert, together with Irene Papas, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, and John Gielgud. Quinn played the real-life Bedouin leader Omar Mukhtar who fought Mussolini's Italian troops in the deserts of Libya. The film, produced and directed by Moustapha Akkad, is now critically acclaimed, but performed poorly at the box office because of negative publicity in the West at the time of its release, stemming from its having been partially funded by Libya's Muammar al-Qaddafi. In 1983, he reprised his most famous role, playing Zorba the Greek for 362 performances in a successful revival of the Kander and Ebb musical Zorba.

His film career slowed during the 1990s, but Quinn nonetheless continued to work steadily, appearing in Jungle Fever (1991), Last Action Hero (1993), and A Walk in the Clouds (1995). In 1994, he played Zeus semi-regularly on the syndicated series Hercules.

Quinn spent his last years in Bristol, Rhode Island. He died aged 86 from pneumonia and respiratory failure while suffering from terminal throat cancer, shortly after completing his role in the film Avenging Angelo (2002). His funeral was held in a Baptist church; late in life, he had joined the Four Square evangelical Christian community. He is buried in a family plot near Bristol.


Trivia

When Quinn made an appearance on The Tonight Show hosted by Jay Leno, the orchestra played Syrtaki aka "Zorba's Dance", the theme from Zorba the Greek. Quinn came on stage dancing a few steps of the dance, to huge applause. But once seated, he remarked, "I hate that song! Everywhere I go, they play that song!"


Family

Quinn's personal life was as volatile and passionate as the characters he played in films.

1) The actress Katherine DeMille (Cecil B. DeMille's adopted daughter) (1937-1965), by whom he had three children; they were divorced in 1965.
2) The costume designer Iolanda Quinn (Jolanda Addolori) (1966-1997). The union crumbled in 1993 when Quinn impregnated his secretary;
3) Kathy Benvin (1997-2001) the two had a second child in 1996.
Quinn had three known mistresses and fathered a total of 13 children, among them Alex A. Quinn, Francesco Quinn, Lorenzo, Valentina, and Sean Quinn, a New Jersey real estate agent.


Painting and writing

Prior to his acting career, Anthony Quinn painted and sketched winning various awards and competitions throughout his teenage years. Fine art later gave Anthony Quinn an identity outside the world of acting?-unscripted and his own. Always searching and exploring, Anthony Quinn worked on perfecting his artistic style throughout the world wherever filming and his output of paintings and sculptures was extraordinary. He championed many of the concepts central to modernist sculpture, including "truth to material," direct carving, and inspiration from so-called primitive art, all of which became central to twentieth century practice. "Found Art" as Anthony Quinn called it was another inspiration?-he found art in everything from tree branches and shells to architectural fragments.

In the early 1980s Anthony Quinn's art began to be exhibited on an international level. His work is now represented in both public and private collections throughout the world.

Since his death in 2001, Anthony Quinn's art has grown significantly in popularity selling in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. More recently, his art has increased in cultural importance and evolved from commercial gallery setting to the institution of the fine art museum through an international traveling exhibition. Various publications have been written on Anthony Quinn's artistic drive and style and his work continues to be interpreted and studied.

He wrote two memoirs, The Original Sin (1972) and One Man Tango (1997), a number of scripts, and a series of unpublished stories currently in the collection of his archive.

Currently Anthony Quinn's art and collection is on a national tour of the United States. It is premiering in Daytona Beach, FL, at the Smithsonian accredited Museum of Arts & Sciences, sponsored by Lentz Plastic Surgery. The collection, Anthony Quinn: A Lifetime of Creating & Collecting Art, will be on display until May 20, 2007. For more info, log on to www.moas.org.


Quotes

"In Europe an actor is an artist. In Hollywood, if he isn't working, he's a bum."
"I never get the girl. I wind up with a country instead."

Silvana Mangano
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Silvana Mangano (April 21,[1] 1930 - December 16, 1989) was an Italian actress.

Known for her appearance, at a young age she won a Miss Rome beauty pageant, which led her to cinema. The movie that brought her to stardom was Bitter Rice and she continued to have success in cinema without ever surpassing Sophia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida's level of stardom.


Biography

Born in Rome to an Italian father and an English mother, Mangano lived in poor times caused by the war. Trained for seven years as a dancer, she was supporting herself as a model.


In 1946, at age 16, Mangano won the Miss Rome beauty pageant and through this she obtained a rôle in a Mario Costa movie. One year later she became a contestant in the Miss Italia contest. Potential actress Lucia Bosé became "The Queen", among Mangano and several other future stars of Italian cinema such as Gina Lollobrigida, Eleonora Rossi Drago and Gianna Maria Canale.

Mangano's earliest connection with filmmaking occurred through her romantic relationship with actor Marcello Mastroianni. This led her to a movie contract, though it would take some time for Mangano to ascend to international stardom with her stunning performance in Bitter Rice (Riso Amaro, Giuseppe De Santis, 1949). Thereafter, she signed a contract with Lux Films, in 1949, and later married Dino De Laurentiis, on the verge of becoming a known producer.[1]

Though she never scaled the heights of her contemporaries Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida, Mangano remained a favorite star between the 1950s and 1970s, appearing in Anna (Alberto Lattuada, 1951), The Gold of Naples (L'oro di Napoli, Vittorio De Sica, 1954), Mambo (Robert Rossen, 1955), Theorem (Teorema, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1968), and Death in Venice (Morte a Venezia, Luchino Visconti, 1971).

Married to Bitter Rice producer Dino De Laurentiis, Mangano had four children, one of whom, daughter Raffaella, coproduced with her father on Mangano's next-to-last film, Dune (David Lynch, 1984). Her granddaughter is Giada De Laurentiis, hostess of Everyday Italian on the Food Network.

Following surgery on December 4, 1989 that left her in a coma, Mangano died of lung cancer in Madrid, Spain during the late night/early morning hours between the 15th and the 16th of December 1989.[1]

Charles Grodin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Charles Grodin (born April 21, 1935 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA) is an American actor and former cable talk show host.





Biography

Early life

Grodin was born in Pittsburgh to Orthodox Jewish American parents Theodore Grodin, who sold wholesale supplies, and Lena, who worked as an assistant in the family's store; his maternal grandfather was a Russian Jewish immigrant who came from a long line of Rabbis and moved to Pittsburgh at the turn of the 20th century. He has an older brother, Jack.

Grodin attended the University of Miami, but did not graduate. His first acting role was in a 1962 Broadway production of Tchin-Tchin. He made his film debut in the 1964 comedy, Sex and the College Girl, which was filmed in Puerto Rico and not released for several years. In 1965, he began working as an assistant to director Gene Saks.


Career

Grodin, a student of Lee Strasberg and Uta Hagen, began appearing on several television series during the 1960s, and played an obstetrician in the 1968 horror film, Rosemary's Baby. During the late 1960s, he also co-wrote and directed Hooray! It's a Glorious Day...and All That, a Broadway play, and directed Lovers and Other Strangers, also on Broadway.

After having a supporting role in 1970's comedy, Catch-22, Grodin was cast in the lead role of the film The Heartbreak Kid, which was released in 1972 and gained Grodin recognition as a comedy actor. He subsequently appeared in several notable 1970s films, including the 1976 version of King Kong and the hit 1978 comedy, Heaven Can Wait. During this period, he frequently appeared on Broadway, and was also involved in producing several plays, including Thieves, which he also directed.

In 1977, Grodin hosted an episode of the NBC sketch show, Saturday Night Live. He and the writers decided beforehand to play the show as if he had missed dress rehearsals and was clumsily ad-libbing his way through his sketches. Much like Andy Kaufman before him, his comic scenario was taken a bit too literally by the audience, and he was never asked to host again.

His 1980s roles included Neil Simon's Seems Like Old Times, opposite Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn, and 1988's well-reviewed comedy, Midnight Run, a buddy movie co-starring Robert De Niro.

Grodin's career took a turn in 1992, when he played the nervous family man in the kids' comedy Beethoven, opposite Bonnie Hunt. The film was a surprise box-office hit, and he reprised the role in the 1993 sequel. His last film role to date was in 1994's It Runs in the Family (a.k.a. My Summer Story), which received only a limited release and was a sequel to the film A Christmas Story. After a 12-year long hiatus from film, Grodin will return to acting in the Zach Braff comedy The Ex.

Grodin was a commentator for 60 Minutes II starting in 2000, and hosted his own issues-oriented talk show, The Charles Grodin Show, on CNBC from 1995 to 1998. In 2004, Grodin wrote The Right Kind of People, an off-Broadway play about Co-op boards in certain buildings in Manhattan.

Grodin's commentaries continue to be heard on New York City radio station WCBS and other affiliates of the CBS Radio Network, as well as on the CBS Radio Network's Weekend Roundup.

Grodin is also a best-selling author; his works include It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here, Spilled Milk and Other Clichés and How I Get Through Life.

Usually adopts a faux antagonistic attitude during his semi-regular appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman. Seemingly miffed or angry, his act is strictly tongue-in-cheek as he lobs verbal attacks at the host.


Personal life

Grodin has a daughter, Marion, from his first marriage. He is currently married and has a son from the marriage, Nicky (born 1988).

Andie MacDowell
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Birth name Rosalie Anderson MacDowell
Born April 21, 1958 (1958-04-21) (age 49)
Gaffney, South Carolina,
United States
Spouse(s) Paul Qualley (1986-1999)
Rhett Hartzog (2001-2004)
Notable roles Ann in sex, lies, and videotape
Carrie in Four Weddings and a Funeral
Rita in Groundhog Day

Andie MacDowell (born Rosalie Anderson MacDowell on April 21, 1958 in Gaffney, South Carolina) is an American screen actress.




Life and work

MacDowell dropped out of Winthrop College as a sophomore in 1978 and signed with Elite Model Management. She appeared in print and television advertisements for the cosmetic and haircare company L'Oreal, a job she continued after she got her first role as an actress. A series of television commercials for Calvin Klein drew attention to her and led to her 1984 film debut in Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, a role in which her lines were rerecorded by Glenn Close because her southern accent was too pronounced. In 1985, she had a small part in St. Elmo's Fire, but her film career seemed to have stalled.

Four years later, MacDowell hit her professional stride. Director Steven Soderbergh cast her in the 1989 independent film sex, lies, and videotape; her performance earned her several award nominations and led to a series of starring roles in films such as Green Card, The Object of Beauty, and Short Cuts.

As of 2006, her biggest successes were in the box office hits Groundhog Day and Four Weddings and a Funeral. The latter was a critical and commercial success and did much to make leading man Hugh Grant a star, although it has to be noted that MacDowell's performance in the film has been a source of ridicule in the United Kingdom ever since. In particular, her delivery of the line "Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed." has been featured on clip shows as a memorably excruciating cinematic moment.[1] The film remains popular nonetheless.

MacDowell was married from 1986 to 1999 to fellow former model and rancher Paul Qualley, whom she met while both were posing for GAP ads. The couple have a son and two daughters. She was married to Atlanta, Georgia businessman Rhett Hartzog from 2001 to 2004.

MacDowell currently resides in Biltmore Forest, North Carolina.