Victoria Beckham

Victoria Caroline Beckham (Born Victoria Caroline Adams; born 17 April 1974)^[1][2] is an English pop singer, songwriter, dancer, turned fashion designer, author, businesswoman, and occasional actress and model.

During her rise to fame with 1990s pop group the Spice Girls, she was dubbed Posh Spice, a nickname first coined by the British tabloid press. Since the Spice Girls followed separate careers, Beckham has dabbled in pop music, scoring four UK Top 10 singles as a solo artist. Her first single to be released, "Out of Your Mind", reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and is her highest chart entry to date. During her solo music career she has been signed to Virgin Records and Telstar Records.

Beckham has found more success as an internationally recognised and photographed style icon. She has had a significant career in fashion, designing a line of jeans for Rock & Republic and later designing her own denim brand, dVb Style. Beckham has brought out her own range of sunglasses and fragrance, entitled Intimately Beckham which has been released in the UK and America. In association with the Japanese store, Samantha Thavasa, she has produced a range of handbags and jewellery. In addition, she has released two bestselling books; one her autobiography, the other a fashion guide.

In her television ventures, she has had five official documentaries and reality shows made about her, some of which include Being Victoria Beckham and The Real Beckhams. Her last documentary to date was Victoria Beckham: Coming to America which documented her move to the United States with her family in 2007, but it was poorly received by American critics. She since made a cameo appearance in an episode of American TV series, Ugly Betty and been a guest judge on Project Runway.

She is married to English footballer David Beckham with whom she has three sons. The couple's joint wealth is estimated at £120 million.

Victoria Beckham was born to Anthony and Jacqueline Adams at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex and raised in the prosperous area of Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire.^[3] Beckham's father was an electronics engineer^[3] and the success of the family business meant a wealthy upbringing for Victoria and her siblings,^[1] Louise and Christian.^[4]

Beckham attended St. Mary's High School in Cheshunt and Jason Theatre School in Broxbourne. She was embarrassed by her family's wealth and often begged her father not to drop her off outside the school in their Rolls Royce.^[5] During her schooling days, Beckham was a victim of bullying, being made to feel like an outsider. She commented "Children were literally picking things up out of the puddles and throwing them at me. And I just stood there, on my own. No one was with me. I didn't have any friends."^[6]

After Beckham had watched the musical, Fame, it inspired her and she subsequently decided that she would want to become famous.^[7] It was then that her parents enrolled her at Jason Theatre School.^[1] At 17, she attended Laine Theatre Arts College in Epsom, Surrey and studied dance and modeling.^[1][2] She was also in a band called Persuasion.^[8]

Victoria Adams (known now as Victoria Beckham) joined the all-girl group Spice Girls, first called "Touch," in 1994, with Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Melanie Chisholm. She had previously answered an advertisement in The Stage in March 1993 which required girls who were "street smart, extrovert, ambitious and able to sing and dance".^[3]

The group's first single, "Wannabe", went to number one in the UK and the United States, and would be followed by eight other successful number one singles from their albums, Spice, Spiceworld and Forever.^[2] Each member of the group received a nickname from the media; Victoria Adams became "Posh Spice". The group was one of the most successful pop acts of the 1990s, selling over fifty-five million records worldwide.^[9] After the release of their third album, Forever (UK#2), which was much less successful than their previous two albums, the Spice Girls stopped recording, leading Beckham to try to build a solo career.

In 2007, the Spice Girls reformed and announced plans to embark upon a comeback tour,^[9] from which they were said to have made £10 million each ($20 million). ^[10] Victoria had previously stated that she and her former Spice colleagues were enjoying their solo careers in various fields. She said "We're all still doing our own thing."^[11] Their "Greatest Hits" album was released in early November, and the tour began on 2 December 2007. Beckham has stated "I wanted my children to see that Mummy was a pop star. It was the last opportunity for them to stand in a crowd full of people screaming for the Spice Girls."^[12] When Beckham had her hair coloured brown for the reunion tour, she stated that her sons immediately reacted by saying "Oh my goodness, it's Posh Spice. She's back."^[13] During one Spice Girls performance at London's The O2 Arena, her three sons accompanied her on stage during "Mama", along with the other Spice Girls' children.^[14] She is the only member of the group not to sing a solo song on the tour, instead doing a makeshift catwalk and pose in the style of a fashion show, whereas the others each perform a number from their solo careers.^[15] One critic wrote "This time around Posh gets the biggest cheer when she sings her solo lines. She knows it too - and it seems to give her more and more confidence as the show goes on."^[16]

Filmmaker, Bob Smeaton, has also directed an official documentary on the reunion. It is entitled Spice Girls: Giving You Everything and was first aired on Fox8 in Australia. It later aired in the United Kingdom on 31 December 2007 on BBC One.^[17]

As well as the sell-out tour, the Spice Girls were contracted to appear in Tesco advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each.^[18]

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Beckham

Cameron Diaz

LIMA, Peru - Cameron Diaz apologized Sunday for carrying a bag with a political slogan that evoked painful memories in Peru.

The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated “Shrek” films visited the Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru’s Andes on Friday carrying an olive green bag emblazoned with a red star and the words “Serve the People” printed in Chinese, perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong’s most famous political slogan.

The bags are marketed as fashion accessories in some world capitals, but in Peru the slogan evokes memories of the Maoist Shining Path insurgency that fought the government in the 1980s and early 1990s in a bloody conflict that left nearly 70,000 people dead.

“I sincerely apologize to anyone I may have inadvertently offended. The bag was a purchase I made as a tourist in China and I did not realize the potentially hurtful nature of the slogan printed on it,” Diaz said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.

On Friday, one prominent Peruvian human rights activist said Diaz should have been a little more aware of local sensitivities when picking her accessories.

In Sunday’s statement, the star of “There’s Something About Mary” said the purpose of her visit was to participate in a television show that celebrates Peru’s culture. The actress has been in Peru as part of “4 REAL,” a Canadian TV production that focuses on young community leaders around the world.

“I’m sorry for any people’s pain and suffering and it was certainly never my intention to reopen what I now know is a painful wound in this country’s history,” she said.

Diaz also spoke of Peruvians’ beauty and warmth and said she wished “for their continued healing.”

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19410813/

Judge says Sharon Stone’s son will live with she dad

SAN FRANCISCO - Actress Sharon Stone has lost another round of custody proceedings over her oldest son.

A San Francisco judge denied her request for primary custody of 8-year-old Roan, who’s been living with his father, newspaper executive Phil Bronstein. The couple divorced in 2004 after six years of marriage.

The judge ruled Sept. 12 that Bronstein’s home is more stable and structured, reaffirming a 2007 court order that the executive vice president of the San Francisco Chronicle has permanent sole custody of Roan.

Stone retains visitation rights.

The judge also said the parents must consult with each other before enrolling their child in any tutoring activities, and that Stone’s telephone number should be programmed into Roan’s cell and home telephones.

Stone has two other sons, Laird and Quinn, whom she adopted on her own.

A call to Stone’s lawyer was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26860808/

Carrie Underwood Gained Double Platinum

Carrie Underwood became the singer country first that gained double platinum from the association of the recorder company in America. The property song of one of the winners American Idol featured Before He Cheats as an editorial occupied the position of the peak while five weeks were endless in the ladder of American music. Moreover, the Underwood song in-download by more than two million people. As being launched by Female First, on Tuesday (5/2/2008), on the achievement of Recording Industry Association of America (Riaa), an association of the recorder company granted Underwood the appreciation double platinum. This appreciation was accepted by Underwood a week before the Grammy Awards pretext, on February 10. To Grammy Awards, Underwood entered the nomination of the song country best and the song was chosen the year.
Carrie Marie Underwood was born to Stephen and Carolyn Underwood in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was raised on her parents' farm in the rural town of Checotah, Oklahoma.^[6] She has two older sisters, Shanna(Underwood)Means and Stephanie(Underwood)Shelton. Her father, Stephen, worked in a paper mill and her mother was an elementary school teacher.^[7] During her childhood, Underwood had performed at Robbins Memorial Talent Show while also singing at the Free Will Baptist Church and later on for local events in Checotah, including Old Settler's Day and the Lion's Club.^[8] In 1996, she was in the process of getting a contract with Capitol Records, but the deal was canceled when the recording company's management changed.<sup>[9]



Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Underwood</sup>

The Profile Sarah Azhari

The artist Sarah Azhari (was born: Jakarta, on June 16 1977) was an actress and the pretty model from Indonesia. His relatives, Ayu Azhari, also were an actress. After some hijrah time to America to avoid the public's gossip around his baby's father, Albany Ray, the voluptuous film star and the pretty artist Sarah Azhari currently has been came back in his place of birth, Indonesia. The girl who took part in supporting the Love film of Tia Maria, at this time to live the three in his house, with his baby and a person baby sitter.Menurut his acknowledgment to the reporter Disctarra.Com, he often felt lonely in the house. If like this would Sarah opened the internet to chatting with the new acquaintance in Europe but also his friends in America. This habit went straight adheres up to now and he really kerajingan very much. "Usually if already nyerempet-nyerempet pornographic I enggak ladenin," said the woman sintal born in Jakarta, this June 16 1978. If already chatting he could spend time around 4 hours without being disturbed by who, understood his child has been According to his acknowledgment to the reporter Disctarra.Com, he often felt lonely in the house. If like this would Sarah opened the internet to chatting with the new acquaintance in Europe but also his friends in America. This habit went straight adheres up to now and he really kerajingan very much. "Usually if already nyerempet-nyerempet pornographic I enggak ladenin," said the woman sintal born in Jakarta, this June 16 1978. If already chatting he could spend time around 4 hours without being disturbed by who, understood his child has been that ngasuh. Sarah personally a time had been reported his friend, if his photographs that were seen syur was in a site, Sarah Azhari. Com. "At first I could be startled also, but after that I knew that not I." The photographs only produced by an engineering, continued the artist that headed debut in the glasses screen through the film the Keadilan action of the Sword fight. Sarah had tried to know whoever made his site in the internet. So he "mobilised" his friends in America to Traced his place. Results, the site himself that was in the country of Paman Sam. "I believed that was carried out by Indonesians personally that currently live in there," he said again, "results, Americans so knew had the artist that his name of Sarah Azhari." In fact, really died, I did not know- menahu who the manufacturer of the site, much less asking permission more previously was the same me. In fact this Beautiful Azhari brother did not feel this Beautiful Azhari brother objected, if this person co-operated with him. "Why enggak, if that together beneficial." But this not, he only wanted to take the profit from photographs of my face that already Contained in magazines, so he argued while laugh...

Aura Kasih is Singer from Indonesia

The Aura Kasih name was indeed still foreign in the world entertainment, but the finalist Miss Indonesia 2007 this will take part in enlivening the industry of homeland music by launching his first album that was given by the title of the ANGEL the TEASER. "I indeed not the singer who has been professional, but I liked to sing and like various musical kinds," said Aura Kasih in the launching press conference of his first album in Jakarta, on Wednesday (26/3). Aura said, the ANGEL's album the TEASER contained striped songs reggeae, dance hall, and pop that was encompassed in 10 songs under the Universal flag of Music Indonesia (UMI). The image that was featured by Aura in this album was the 'pretty' impression', tempted, and the section'. His mainstay song was Come On Bercinta that was energetic with the videoclip that installed the section's Aura pose in the minimal fashion bandage. This song was crowned as 'MTV Hot Seat Artist the' period' March-April 2008. The girl born in this February 26 1988 said the ANGEL the TEASER was chosen as the title of the album because the angel was the noose that was admired by him as the perfect noose. Whereas.....

Gillian Anderson has her own Odd Couples

LOS ANGELES - "X-Files" star Gillian Anderson has evidently drawn inspiration from "The Odd Couple" when it comes to naming her sons.

The 40-year-old actress has given birth to a boy named Felix, People magazine reported on Monday, almost two years after she delivered her first son, Oscar.

"The Odd Couple," a Broadway play written by Neil Simon in 1965, revolved around a neurotic newswriter named Felix and a slovenly sportswriter named Oscar who are forced to live together. A 1968 feature film starred Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau in the respective roles.

Anderson gave birth to Felix in London on October 15, People said. The father of both boys is her boyfriend, businessman Mark Griffiths. She also has a 13-year-old daughter, Piper, with the first of her two husbands.

Anderson was in movie theaters this year with two commercial disappointments, "X-Files: I Want to Believe," the second film based on the hit sci-fi TV series, and "How to Lose Friends & Alienate People."

Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27287896/

Cynthiara Alona is Models from Indonesia

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Jessica Alba

Jessica Marie Alba (born April 28, 1981)^[1] is an American television and film actress. She began her television and movie appearances at age 13 in Camp Nowhere and The Secret World of Alex Mack (1994). Alba rose to prominence as the lead actress in the television series Dark Angel (2000–2002), then expanding her résumé to film, predominantly within the confines of action and comedy.^[2][3] Alba later appeared in various films including Honey (2003), Sin City (2005), Fantastic Four (2005), Into the Blue (2005), Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007) and Good Luck Chuck of the same year.^[4][5]

Alba appears frequently on the "Hot 100" section of Maxim and was voted AskMen.com's number one on their list of "99 Most Desirable Women" in 2006, as well as "Sexiest Woman in the World" by FHM in 2007.^[6][7][8] She also appeared on the cover of Playboy, which was followed by a lawsuit that was later dropped.^[9] Alba has won various awards for her acting, including the Choice Actress Teen Choice Award and Saturn Award for Best Actress (TV) for her acting in the series Dark Angel.^[10]

Early life

Alba was born in Pomona, California^[1] to Catherine Alba (née Jensen) and Mark Alba. Her mother is of Danish and French Canadian descent and her father is of Mexican American descent (both his parents were born in California).^[11][12] She has a younger brother, Joshua. Her father's Air Force career took the family to Biloxi, Mississippi, and Del Rio, Texas before settling back in California when she was nine years old.^[3][12]

Alba's early life was marked by a multitude of physical maladies; she suffered collapsed lungs twice, had pneumonia 4-5 times a year, a ruptured appendix, and a tonsillar cyst. This isolated her from other children at school because she was in the hospital so often that no one knew her well enough to befriend her.^[13] She has also acknowledged suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder during childhood.^[14][15] Her health improved, however, when her family moved to California. She graduated from high school at age 16,^[16] and subsequently attended the Atlantic Theater Company.^[17]

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Alba

History of Jackie Chan

Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE^[1] (born Chan Kong Sang, 陳港生, on 7 April 1954) is an actor, action choreographer, film director, producer, martial artist, comedian, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer from Hong Kong.

Chan is one of the best-known names worldwide in the areas of kung fu and action films. In his films, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons and innovative stunts. Jackie Chan has been acting since the 1970s and has appeared in over 100 films. Chan has received stars on the Hong Kong Avenue of Stars and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a cultural icon, Chan has been referenced in various pop songs, cartoons and video games. Besides acting, Chan is a Cantopop and Mandopop star, having released a number of albums and sung many of the theme songs for the films in which he has starred. In 2008, Chan sang at the 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.^[2]

Childhood and beginnings

Chan was born in 1954 on Victoria Peak, Hong Kong (then a British Overseas Territory), as Chan Kong Sang (meaning "born in [Hong] Kong") to Charles and Lee-Lee Chan, refugees from the Chinese Civil War. He was nicknamed Pao Pao (Chinese: 炮炮, literally meaning "Cannonball") because he was always rolling around as an infant.^[3] Since his parents worked for the French Consul to Hong Kong, Chan spent his formative years within the grounds of the consul's residence in the Victoria Peak district.^[4]

Chan attended the Nah-Hwa Primary School on Hong Kong Island, where he failed his first year, after which his parents withdrew him from the school. In 1960, his father emigrated to Canberra, Australia, to work as head cook for the American embassy, and Chan was sent to the China Drama Academy, a Peking Opera School run by Master Yu Jim Yuen.^[4][5]

Chan trained rigorously for the next decade, excelling in martial arts and acrobatics.^[6] He eventually joined the Seven Little Fortunes, a performance group made up of the school's best students, gaining the stage name Yuen Lo in homage to his master. Chan became close friends with fellow group members Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, the three of them later to be known as the Three Brothers or Three Dragons.^[7]

At the age of 8, he appeared with some of his fellow "Little Fortunes", in the film Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (1962), with Li Li Hua playing his mother. Chan appeared with Li again the following year, in The Love Eterne (1963) and had a small role in King Hu's 1966 film, Come Drink with Me. In 1971, after an appearance as an extra in another King Hu film, A Touch of Zen, Chan began his adult career in the film industry, initially signing to Chu Mu's Great Earth Film Company.^[8] At the age of 17, he worked as a stuntman in the Bruce Lee films Fist of Fury and Enter the Dragon under the stage name Chen Yuen Long.^[9] He received his first starring role later that year, in Little Tiger of Canton, which had a limited release in Hong Kong in 1973.^[10]

After the commercial failures in his early ventures into films and trouble finding stunt work, Chan joined his parents in Canberra in 1976, where he briefly attended Dickson College and worked as a construction worker.^[11] A fellow builder named Jack took Chan under his wing, earning Chan the nickname of "Little Jack" which was later shortened to "Jackie" and the name Jackie Chan stuck with him ever since.^[12] In addition, Chan changed his Chinese name to Fong Si Lung, since his father's original surname was Fong.^[12]

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan

Jennifer Aniston: Actress

"When it's time for a change, stay out of Jennifer Aniston's way. The shaggy cut worn by Friends' sweet-but-spoiled Rachel was once America's must-have do. But while Aniston, 30, was flattered by the craze, she has moved on. Now, says her stylist Chris McMillan, her hair is "just long. She curses me every time I trim a tenth of an inch." That's not the only seismic shift for the Picture Perfect star. Late last spring she became the object of Brad Pitt's affection.

Among her other attributes, says makeup-artist friend Collier Strong, Aniston, 5'5", "has a body that rocks the world." And the star, who stays in shape with thrice-weekly workouts at the gym, learned early on to accentuate the positive. Longtime pal Andrea Bendewald, of the Suddenly Susan cast, says Aniston's makeup was "never gaudy" when they attended Manhattan's High School for the Performing Arts. The thanks goes to the influence of her mother, Nancy, a model-actress. (Her actor father, John, was a longtime regular on Days of Our Lives). And when she hit L.A. in the early '90s, Aniston reluctantly realized that she had to pare down. "It's unfortunate that Hollywood puts pressure on women to be thin," she told PEOPLE in 1997, "because it sends the wrong message." Still, she melted away 30 pounds in about a year. "She didn't bounce around from diet to diet," says Bendewald. "She just started eating better." And what happened to that girl-next-door image? That may have been a mirage in the first place. "She has a bit of that quality," says her father. "But you should be so lucky to find a girl next door like her."



Source : http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20128188,00.html

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Welsh-born actress Catherine Zeta-Jones first captivated U.S. film audiences with her swashbuckling turn in “The Mask of Zorro” (1998) – leaving moviegoers so mesmerized by her ebony-tressed old Hollywoodesque beauty, it was a wonder she was able to move beyond all the comparisons to Ava Gardner and Vivien Leigh – enough to garner respect as a serious actress. It was her impressive turn in “Traffic” (2000) and Oscar-winning scenery-chewing for her musical showstoppers in “Chicago” (2002) which firmly established her as a Hollywood A-lister. That, and a fairytale-likened marriage to one of the industry’s most respected actors-producers, Michael Douglas; thusly, entry into one of Hollywood’s most famous and respected families. Though critics and audiences alike were bowled over the exotic glamour and the fabled marriage, it was Zeta-Jones’ boldness and inherent working-class sass which figured just as heavily into her versatile appeal. Not to mention, having been raised in musical theater, Zeta-Jones – on top of all she had been blessed with – could trip the light fantastic and sing her heart out like any stage hoofer from movie musical days past.

Catherine Zeta-Jones was born Catherine Jones on Sept. 25, 1969 – or so the story went (rumors would persist that she was as much as 10 years older than her age, but she always denied the claims). Her mother Patricia was an Irish seamstress; her Welsh father Dai ran a confectionary company. Dai’s mother’s name — Zeta — would prove a helpful addition to her name when the aspiring actress began a career in a world full of Catherine Joneses. But that career would not begin for about five long years after Zeta-Jones was born in the Welsh seaside town of Swansea. She started taking dance classes at the age of four, and by the age of 10, was performing regularly with the local church-sponsored theater group and already harboring dreams of a career singing and dancing onstage. Unfortunately, she contracted a viral infection that not only kept her offstage and out of school for a period, it impaired her breathing and required a tracheotomy – traces of which would remain visible in the form of a tiny scar on her neck. Following her recovery, Zeta-Jones was enrolled in a private school to help her catch up on her missed studies – a move enabled in no small part by her parents netting a sizeable winning in a local lottery. The Jones’ moved to a nicer neighborhood, but their newly minted prep schooler was still an incurable performer. When she was not in local productions she was belting out Broadway numbers from atop the kitchen table for friends and family. Zeta-Jones’ father doubled as a supportive coach, taking her to auditions in London where the teen landed roles in productions of “Bugsy Malone” and “Annie.”

When Zeta-Jones was 14, a traveling musical theater production helmed by former Monkee Mickey Dolenz came to Swansea, casting local talent to participate in the chorus. Not only was Zeta-Jones chosen to perform, but producers cast her in a touring production of “The Pajama Game,” at which point she quit school, moved to London, and got her Actor’s Guild card. Camped out in the spare room of a former acting tutor, the promising newcomer lucked into the lead in a revival of “42nd Street” after her fill-in performance blew away producers and audiences. She logged an impressive schedule of eight shows per week for two years, and by the time she was 19, Zeta-Jones was ready for a change of pace. In 1989, she left London for a year of exploring Paris. While there, director Philip de Broca gave Zeta-Jones and her unbelievable exotic looks a screen debut in the feature “Sheherazade: 1001 Nights” (1990).

In 1991, Zeta-Jones returned to England and was offered a co-starring role as the eldest daughter in a boisterous farm family in the British TV series "The Darling Buds of May" (Yorkshire TV, 1991-93). The show was a hit, and its three-year run turned Zeta-Jones into a bona fide TV star in the UK. She began to land offers in the U.S., appearing in the TV film "Christopher Columbus: The Discovery" (1992) and an episode of “Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” (ABC, USA, 1992-96). The newcomer turned out memorable performances in the Eric Idle comedy flop "Splitting Heirs" (1993) and the "Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of "The Return of the Native" (CBS, 1994) before making a return to the stage in Kurt Weill’s “Street Scenes” with the British National Opera in 1994.

With her extensive performing background and certifiable star status in the UK, Zeta-Jones could take any path she wanted from stage to screen. She chose to move to Los Angeles and take a crack at American film stardom. “Blue Juice” (1995) and "The Phantom" (1996) failed to garner much notice but a supporting role in the CBS miniseries, "Titanic" (1996), caught the eye of filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who shared news of his find with director Martin Campbell. Campbell, blown away but her timeless beauty and its similarities to 1940s screen goddess Hedy Lamarr – once called “the most beautiful woman in the world back in the day” – cast Zeta-Jones in “The Mask of Zorro” (1998). The film was an instant hit and star-making role for Zeta-Jones, whose swordplay, horseback riding and flamenco dancing was imbued with a sexual charge that audiences found irresistible. American entertainment magazines were abuzz over this latest overseas import with her onscreen Castilian lisp and off-screen Hollywood glamour that earned comparisons to legendary radiant beauties like Lamarr and Gardner. Though she did not know it yet, this hard working, ambitious, exceedingly talented woman was about to become the epitome of the phrase – “the woman who has it all.”

Trumpeted as the next big thing, Zeta-Jones dazzled opposite Sean Connery in the romantic thriller "Entrapment" in 1999, for which she did many of her own stunts. But her onscreen May-December match-up with the aging Connery mimicked a real-life romance with actor-producer Michael Douglas, the dashing Hollywood heavyweight 25 years her senior. After seeing Zeta-Jones onscreen in “Zorro,” Douglas reportedly turned to a friend and said, “I don’t know who she is, but I’m gonna marry that woman.” Taking off like gangbusters, the two became parents and subsequently married in 2000, culminating in a reportedly $1 million dollar ceremony at New York’s Plaza Hotel. Anyone who was anyone was in attendance. Unfortunately the ceremony was overshadowed by high profile lawsuits concerning photo rights for the affair.

Prior to the nuptial circus, Zeta-Jones’ talents were criminally underused in the 1999 remake of "The Haunting," but she had a memorable cameo as the free-wheeling former girlfriend of John Cusack's central character in "High Fidelity" (2000). But it was with director Stephen Soderbergh’s epic “Traffic” (2000) that Zeta-Jones was first able to change public perception by gaining universal acclaim for her portrayal of a drug dealer’s wife who transforms from innocent bystander to business partner — a role she played while pregnant with she and Douglas’ first child. The stunning performance caused an outcry when Zeta-Jones was overlooked come Oscar time.

In 2001, Zeta-Jones was featured in "America's Sweethearts," a romantic comedy about a high-profile Hollywood couple, but that was soon forgotten when she displayed heretofore unseen (on the big screen) singing and dancing chops as the murderess Velma Kelly in the film version of the Broadway musical "Chicago” (2002). Her captivating performance earned Zeta-Jones an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress, as well as a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical. That same year, Zeta-Jones, named as one of People magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” signed on as the global spokeswoman for Elizabeth Arden cosmetics.

After a much-followed awards season that dovetailed with her second pregnancy, the actress returned to the screen in the dark Coen Brother comedy "Intolerable Cruelty" (2003), which, despite starring she an equally attractive and charismatic George Clooney, fell flat with audiences and critics. At that time, the beaming mother of two had also signed on as a spokesmodel for T-Mobile cellular phones.

Teaming for the first time with Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg, Zeta-Jones next appeared in "The Terminal" (2004) which, although she made a solid attempt to portray a romantically-challenged woman, she was simply too beautiful and sharp to be believed as a loser in love. She re-paired with Clooney and his heisting cohorts for the lackluster sequel "Ocean's Twelve" (2004), this time providing a love interest for Pitt. Zeta-Jones film appearances eased up over the next few years as she raised her two children and split time between the family’s estate in Bermuda and other homes in New York City, Spain, and Wales.

In 2005, Zeta-Jones reprised her role as Elena in "The Legend of Zorro" (2005), the character now estranged from her masked husband (Antonio Banderas) and trying to balance the thirst for adventure with the desire to be a responsible parent. Off-screen, Zeta-Jones continued to successfully strike that balance, starting her own production company Milkwood Productions, based out of her hometown of Swansea. Following her starring role as a chef in the predictable but moderately popular romantic comedy “No Reservations” (2007) Zeta-Jones was slated to enjoy her first producer credit with Milkwood’s debut, “Coming Out” (2008), a comedy in which Alan Cumming plays the gay coach of a Welsh Rugby team.

• Also Credited As:
  Catherine Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones
• Born:
  September 25, 1969 in Swansea, Wales
• Job Titles:
  Actor, Dancer, Singer

Family

• Brother: David Jones. born c. 1967
• Brother: Lyndon Jones. born c. 1972; works at Zeta-Jones' production company
• Daughter: Carys Zeta Douglas. born April 20, 2003; father Michael Douglas
• Father: David Jones. born c. 1944; formerly worked for a candy factory
• Grandmother: Kathleen Fair. maternal grandmother; died in June 2001
• Grandmother: Zeta Jones. paternal grandmother; source of Zeta-Jones' stage name
• Mother: Patricia Jones. born c. 1946
• Son: Dylan Michael Douglas. born August 8, 2000; father, Michael Douglas

Significant Others

• Companion: Jon Peters. reportedly turned down his marriage proposal in 1996 because "I want to be known as an actress rather than a Hollywood wife"
• Companion: Angus Macfadyen. briefly engaged in 1995
• Companion: John Leslie.
• Companion: Jon Peters. reportedly turned down his marriage proposal in 1996 because "I want to be known as an actress rather than a Hollywood wife"
• Companion: Mick Hucknall.
• Companion: Nick Hamm.
• Companion: Paul McGann.

Milestones

• 1981 Began her career playing "Annie" on stage
• 1986 Starred as Peggy Sawywer in West End production of the stage musical "42nd Street" (date approximate)
• 1990 Made feature film debut in the title role of Philippe de Broca's "Sheherazade/Les 1001 nuits"
• 1991 Co-starred in British TV series "The Darling Buds of May"
• 1992 Appeared in episode of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" (ABC)
• 1994 Starred in CBS TV-movie " The Return of the Native"
• 1995 Had title role in the English-language made-for-German-television miniseries "Catherine the Great"; aired in USA in 2000
• 1996 Made US miniseries debut in "Titanic" (CBS)
• 1996 Played the villainous Sala in "The Phantom"
• 1998 Breakthrough screen role opposite Anthony Hopkins and Antonio Banderas in "The Mask of Zorro"
• 1999 Appeared alongside Liam Neeson and Lili Taylor in the remake of "The Haunting"
• 1999 Starred opposite Sean Connery in "Entrapment"
• 2000 Had a memorable supporting role as John Cusack's beautiful but callous former girlfriend in "High Fidelity"
• 2000 Played the unsuspecting wife of a drug lord in Steven Soderbergh's acclaimed drama "Traffic"
• 2001 Featured in the romantic comedy "America's Sweethearts"
• 2002 Cast as murderess Velma Kelly in the film version of the hit Broadway musical "Chicago"; received a Golden Globe nomination
• 2002 Spokesperson for VoiceStream Mobile; replaced Jamie Lee Curtis
• 2003 Starred opposite George Clooney in "Intolerable Cruelty" directed by the Coen brothers
• 2003 Used her voice to bring the character Marina to life in the animation feature "Sinbad"
• 2004 Joined the ensemble cast of "Ocean's Twelve," the sequel to the 2001's "Ocean's Eleven" as the love interest to Brad Pitt's Rusty Ryan
• 2004 Starred as a flight attendant who falls for an immigrant (Tom Hanks), living in a New York airport in the romantic comedy "The Terminal"
• 2005 Reunited with Antonio Banderas and director Martin Campbell in the epic adventure "The Legend of Zorro"
• 2007 Starred as a master chef in the romantic comedy "No Reservations"
• Toured in "The Pajama Game"
• Will co-star opposite Guy Pearce's Houdini in "Death Defying Acts"

Source : http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019539/bio

Kareena Kapoor

Flag bearer of the most reputed and ancient families in Bollywood, Kareena Kapoor made her mark in the film industry, not through her enviable lineage, but because of oodles of talent that she posses and her hard work.

Prithviraj Kapoor, a pioneer of Indian theater and Hindi film industry, is her great grand father. Her grandfather Raj Kapoor is widely considered as Bollywood's original showman. Her parents Babita and Randhir Kapoor were both actors so was her grand father's brothers Shashi Kapoor and Shammi Kapoor and her uncles Rishi Kapoor and Rajiv Kapoor. Her sister Karisma Kapoor was one of the most successful actresses of the 90's.

Beboo, as she is fondly called, has a reputation of being a spontaneous actress. Just before the shots, she would be seen fooling around but once the camera is switched on, she transforms to the mood of the character so fast that she has surprising and won accolades from all of her co-stars and directors she has worked with.

Kareena is known for speaking her mind without thinking about its consequences and was misconceived as being arrogant, during her initial stages. For cheap publicity, some actresses would make some crude remarks about her, knowing that she would retort, but with age, she has wised-up.

Kareena's schooling was at Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai and then she went to Welham Girl's Boarding School, Dehradun and later Harvard summer school, for a short-term course in microcomputers and information technology. She then took an admission in Government Law College at Churchgate, after completing one year there, she realized that acting is what she want as a career and attended the Kishore Namit Kapoor acting school.

Kareena made an unconventional and rather bold debut along with Abishek Bachachan in J.P Dutta's Refugee (2000). Her performance got her rave reviews and filmmakers started queuing up at her door for her dates. But she then had to put up with a bad phase, when some of her much awaited films like 'Ashoka' and 'Yaadein' didn't do well but still she had more offers coming her way and producers were ready to give double her market price, realizing her potential. Such reaction from producer's part was unheard of in Bollywood, where usually actress of a flop film is sidelined.

Even though she was not the heroine in 'Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham', her performance as 'poo' was widely appreciated and the film also did well in box office. Then came 'Chameli', in which she played a prostitute. It fetched her lot of critical acclaim and she didn't had to look back after that. 'Aitraaz' and 'Hulchul' followed which were also successful. Critics as well as the audiences were taken aback by her acting prowess in 'Omkara', and her special dance appearance in 'Don' was also appreciated. She has a lot of prestigious projects coming up like Milenge Milenge with Shahid Kapoor, Bajirao Mastani with Salman Khan, Kismat Talkies with Hrithik Roshan, Lajjo with Aamir Khan directed by Mani Ratnam and Yash Raj's next film.

Kareena is currently dating Shahid Kapoor. A huge controversy erupted when a news channel released a video clipping of her kissing her boyfriend Shahid.

Source : http://www.kareenakapoor4u.com/

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Mary Kidman, AC (born June 20, 1967), is an Academy Award-winning actress, a UN Citizen of the World award winning humanitarian and a UNIFEM and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. In 2006, Kidman was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civilian honour.^[1] In 2006, she was also the highest-paid actress in the motion picture industry.^[2]

After making various appearances in film and television, Kidman received her breakthrough role in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. Her performances in several films, such as To Die For (1995), Moulin Rouge! (2001), and The Hours (2002), have won her much critical acclaim. In 2003, Kidman received her Star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California. She is also well-known for her former marriage to the actor Tom Cruise and her current marriage to the noted country musician Keith Urban. Because she was born to Australian parents in Hawaii, Kidman has dual citizenship of Australia and the United States.^[3]

Early career in Australia (1983–1989)

Kidman's first appearance in film came in 1983 when, as a fifteen year-old, she appeared in the Pat Wilson music video for the song "Bop Girl". By the end of the year she had secured a supporting role in the television series Five Mile Creek and four film roles, including BMX Bandits and Bush Christmas. During the 1980s, she appeared in several Australian productions, including the soap opera A Country Practice, the mini-series Vietnam (1986), Emerald City (1988), and Bangkok Hilton (1989).

[edit] Breakthrough (1989–1995)

In 1989, Kidman starred in Dead Calm as Rae Ingram, the wife of naval officer John Ingram (Sam Neill), held captive on a Pacific Ocean yacht trip by the psychotic Hughie Warriner (Billy Zane). The thriller film garnered strong reviews; the staff of Variety.com commented: "Throughout the film, Kidman is excellent. She gives the character of Rae real tenacity and energy."^[7] Meanwhile, critic Roger Ebert noted the excellent chemistry between the leads, stating, "...Kidman and Zane do generate real, palpable hatred in their scenes together."^[8] In 1990, she appeared opposite Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder, a stock car racing movie. After this, Kidman starred with Cruise in Ron Howard's Far and Away (1992). In 1995, Kidman featured in the ensemble cast of Batman Forever. On November 20, 1993 she hosted Saturday Night Live.^[9]

[edit] Critical success (1995–present)

Kidman's second film in 1995, To Die For was a satirical comedy that earned her praise^[10] from critics. She won a Golden Globe Award, and five other best actress awards for her portrayal of the murderous newscaster Suzanne Stone Maretto. In 1998, she appeared in the film Practical Magic along side Sandra Bullock. In 1999 Kidman and Cruise portrayed a married couple in Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick's final film.

Also in 1998, Kidman starred in the stage play The Blue Room, which opened in London. The play included Kidman's character briefly exposing her flesh to the audience.^[11]

In 2002 Kidman received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the 2001 musical film Moulin Rouge!, in which she played the courtesan Satine opposite Ewan McGregor. Consequently, Kidman received her second Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The same year she also had a well-received starring role in the horror film The Others. While in Australia filming Moulin Rouge!, Kidman injured her ribs; as a result, Jodie Foster replaced her as leading actress in the film Panic Room. In that film, Kidman's voice appears on the phone as the mistress of the husband of the lead character.

The following year, Kidman won critical praise for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours, in which the prosthetics applied to her made her almost unrecognisable. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for this role, along with a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA, and numerous critics awards. Kidman became the first Australian actress to win an Academy Award. During her Academy Award acceptance speech, Kidman made a teary statement about the importance of art, even during times of war: "Why do you come to the Academy Awards when the world is in such turmoil? Because art is important. And because you believe in what you do and you want to honour that, and it is a tradition that needs to be upheld."^[12]

In the same year, Kidman starred in three very different films. The first film, Dogville, by Danish director Lars von Trier, was an experimental film set on a bare soundstage. In the second film, she co-starred with Anthony Hopkins in the film adaptation of Philip Roth's novel The Human Stain. The third film, Cold Mountain, a love story of two Southerners separated by the Civil War, garnered her a Golden Globe Award nomination.

In 2004, Kidman appeared in the critically panned^{[citation needed]} remake of The Stepford Wives alongside Glenn Close, Faith Hill and Bette Midler. In September of the same year, Birth, in which the 37-year-old actress' character has an encounter with a 10-year-old boy (played by Cameron Bright) who attempts to convince her that he is a reincarnation of her dead husband, was met with a mixed reception primarily due to a scene where the boy strips and joins Kidman in the bathtub.^{[citation needed]} Despite this, the film was nominated for the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, and Kidman was nominated for another Golden Globe Award. Kidman's two movies in 2005 were The Interpreter and Bewitched. The Interpreter, directed by Sydney Pollack, received mixed reviews, while Bewitched, co-starring Will Ferrell and based on the 1960s TV sitcom of the same name, was generally panned by critics. Neither film fared well domestically, their box office sales falling well short of the production costs, but both films fared well internationally.^[13][14]

In conjunction with her success in the film industry, Kidman became the face of the Chanel No. 5 perfume brand. She starred in a campaign of television and print ads with Rodrigo Santoro, directed by Moulin Rouge! director Baz Luhrmann to promote the fragrance during the holiday season in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The three-minute commercial produced for Chanel No. 5 perfume made Kidman the record holder for the most money paid per minute to an actor after she reportedly earned US$3.71 million.^[15] During this time, Kidman was also listed as the 45th Most Powerful Celebrity on the 2005 Forbes Celebrity 100 List. She made a reported US$14.5 million in 2004-2005. On People magazine's list of 2005's highest paid actresses, Kidman was second behind Julia Roberts with a US$16 million to US$17 million per-film price tag.^[16] She has since passed Roberts as the highest paid actress.

Recently, Kidman appeared in the Diane Arbus bio-pic Fur, she also lent her voice to the animated film Happy Feet, which quickly garnered critical and commercial success; the film grossed over US$384 million dollars worldwide. In 2007, she starred in the science fiction movie The Invasion, directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, and played opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jack Black in Noah Baumbach's comedy-drama Margot at the Wedding. She also starred in the film adaptation of the first part of the planned His Dark Materials trilogy of films, playing the villainous Marisa Coulter. However, The Golden Compass''s failure to meet expectations at the North American box office has reduced the likelihood of a sequel.^[17]

She is also set to star in director Wong Kar-wai's next film, The Lady from Shanghai and Baz Luhrmann's Australian period film titled Australia, which is set in the remote Northern Territory during the Japanese attack on Darwin during World War II. Kidman will play opposite Hugh Jackman as an English woman feeling overwhelmed by the continent.

On June 25, 2007, Nintendo announced that Kidman would be the new face of Nintendo's advertising campaign for the Nintendo DS game More Brain Training in its European market.^[18]

Kidman was featured in a series of advertisements for Sky in Italy, speaking Italian during the spots.

Kidman was originally set to star in The Reader (film) a post-war Germany drama, but due to her pregnancy she had to back out of the film.^[19] Shortly after the news of Kidman's departure, it was announced that Kate Winslet would take over the role.^[20]

Singing

Not known as a singer prior to Moulin Rouge!, Kidman had several well-received vocal performances in the film. Her collaboration with Ewan McGregor on the song "Come What May" from the film's soundtrack debuted and peaked at 27 in the UK Singles Chart. Later she collaborated with Robbie Williams on the song "Somethin' Stupid", a cover of the old swing song on Williams' swing covers album Swing When You're Winning. It debuted and peaked at 8 in the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart, and at number 1 for three weeks in the UK. It was the UK Christmas number 1 Single for 2001.

In 2006, she provided her voice for the animated movie Happy Feet, along with vocals for the character Norma Jean's 'heartsong', which was a slightly altered version of "Kiss" by Prince. Kidman is set to sing in Rob Marshall's next movie, musical Nine, along with co-stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Penélope Cruz, Judi Dench, Sophia Loren and Marion Cotillard.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Kidman