Who is Kate Elizabeth Winslet

Who is Kate Elizabeth Winslet? She is an English actress and singer. She is noted for having played a wide range of diverse characters over her career, but is probably best-known for her critically acclaimed performances as Juliet Hulme in Heavenly Creatures (1994), Marianne Dashwood in Sense and Sensibility (1995), Rose DeWitt Bukater in Titanic (1997), Iris Murdoch in Iris (2001), Clementine Kruczynski in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and Sarah Pierce in Little Children (2006).
She has received the Screen Actors Guild Award, two BAFTA Awards, the Grammy Award and has been nominated for five Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes and an Emmy. At the age of 22, she broke the record for the youngest person to receive two Oscar nominations,[1] and each of her subsequent nominations has broken a further record: the youngest person to receive three, four, and five nominations. David Edelstein of New York Magazine hails Winslet as "the best English-speaking film actress of her generation".[2]

Kate Winslet was born 5 October 1975 in Reading, England, the daughter of Sally Ann (née Bridges), a barmaid, and Roger John Winslet, a swimming-pool contractor.[3] Both of her parents were also actors. Her maternal grandparents, Linda (Plumb) and Archibald Oliver Bridges, founded and operated the Reading Repertory, and her uncle, Robert Bridges, appeared in the original West End production of Oliver! Her sisters, Beth Winslet and Anna Winslet, are also actresses.
Winslet, raised as an Anglican, began studying drama at the age of eleven at the Redroofs Theatre School,[4] a co-educational independent school in Maidenhead, Berkshire, where she was head girl and appeared in a television commercial for Sugar Puffs cereal, directed by Tim Pope. Throughout her adolescence, she was severely bullied for being overweight and having large feet (which she inherited from her mother).[5][6]

Winslet's career began on television, with a co-starring role in the BBC children's science fiction serial Dark Season in 1991. This was followed by appearances in the made-for-TV movie Anglo-Saxon Attitudes in 1992 and an episode of medical drama Casualty in 1993, also for the BBC.
Her film career took off with praise and recognition in 1994 when she starred in a joint leading role, as Juliet Hulme in director Peter Jackson's critically acclaimed Heavenly Creatures, playing a vivacious and imaginative teen who helps her best friend (played by Melanie Lynskey) murder her mother, when they are not allowed to be together.
This role was followed by the successful film Sense and Sensibility (co-starring Emma Thompson), which made her well-known, especially in the UK. Winslet became famous worldwide after the 1997 release of Titanic, a massive hit which holds the record as highest-grossing film in history at more than US$1.8 billion in box-office worldwide. It went on to win 11 Academy Awards.[1]
She was also originally cast as Nola Rice in Woody Allen's movie, Match Point, but declined. She stated she had just finished two movies and wanted to spend time with her kids. The part went to Scarlett Johansson.
Winslet has been regarded as something of a critics' darling, generally receiving positive reviews for every one of her films. Despite Titanic's success, she has continued making lower-budget, independent films, including Hideous Kinky and Holy Smoke!; her roles in these smaller, more artistic films appear to be one of choice—she turned down the lead in Shakespeare in Love to make Hideous Kinky; ironically, she appeared as Ophelia in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet. She was even considered for the role of Satine in "Moulin Rouge!". Throughout her career, she often turned down roles in high profile films, such as Anna and the King and Éowyn in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. She has also taken several roles in studio "period dramas" like Quills, Titanic and Finding Neverland. For a time, she was given the nickname "Corset Kate".
In 2005, Winslet appeared in a television commercial for American Express. As part of the "My Life, My Card" campaign, the ad shows Winslet strolling around Camden Lock, in London, as she makes references to all the events that have happened to her film characters: going to prison for murder (Heavenly Creatures), being penniless and heartbroken (Sense and Sensibility), almost drowning (Titanic), losing her mind (Hamlet), having her memory erased (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), and being in Neverland (Finding Neverland). During the ad, she is shown holding items relating to her films; during the reference to Sense and Sensibility she thumbs through a copy of the book, and when she references Finding Neverland, she's holding a hook. When Winslet talks about nearly drowning at age 20 in Titanic, she is walking over a bridge with water underneath it, in reference to the iceberg and water seen in the film.

Winslet also appeared in an episode of BBC's comedy series Extras in August 2005, as a satirical version of 'herself'. She memorably told Andy and Maggie, the two characters who star in the series, that she was doing a film about the Holocaust because she was tired of losing out on Oscars, as at the time she had been nominated four times, and that everyone who does a film about the Holocaust wins an Oscar. She also (while dressed as a nun) was shown giving phone sex tips to the romantically challenged Maggie. Ricky Gervais (who is a native of the same town as Winslet, Reading, as is her husband Sam Mendes) later said on NPR that she was his favorite guest star.[7] Her performance in the episode did lead to her being nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series, but she did not win.
As of March 2007, Leonardo DiCaprio signed to co-star in Revolutionary Road with Winslet as Frank and April Wheeler, a 1950s couple who appear content on the surface but are withering internally. The film will be the first to reunite the notable duo, who have remained close since their first pairing in Titanic.

There are also talks that Winslet's husband, Sam Mendes and his production company, Neal Street Productions, purchased the film rights to the long-delayed biography of circus tiger tamer Mabel Stark. Winslet has stated that she has been eager to portray this complex woman for three years now and is looking forward to working with her husband on bringing this to the screen. (See Mabel Stark's page for more information on the project.)


Winslet has also enjoyed a brief taste of success as a singer, with her single What If from the soundtrack of Christmas Carol: The Movie, which reached #1 in Ireland and #6 in the UK (she also filmed a music video for the song). She has also participated in a duet with "Weird Al" Yankovic on the Sandra Boynton CD Dog Train, and sang in the 2006 film Romance and Cigarettes. She also sang an aria from La Boheme, called "Sono andati", in her film Heavenly Creatures, which is featured on the film's soundtrack. She was considered for the lead in Moulin Rouge! (which eventually went to Nicole Kidman); had she taken the part, she would have sung the full soundtrack.

While on the set of Dark Season, Winslet started a five-year romance with actor and writer Stephen Tredre. They moved to London during their relationship.

After their romance, she began a relationship with Rufus Sewell. After filming Titanic, Tredre died of bone cancer. Winslet was not at the premiere of Titanic because she was attending his funeral in London. She is good friends with Titanic co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.[8]

On 22 November 1998, Winslet married director Jim Threapleton. The two have a daughter, Mia Honey, who was born on 12 October 2000. After a divorce in 2001, Winslet began a relationship with Sam Mendes, whom she married on 24 May 2003 on the island of Anguilla in the Caribbean. Their son, Joe Alfie Mendes, was born on 22 December 2003. On the Tonight Show on 15 December 2008 Kate said that Joe Alfie currently prefers to be called Travier.
The media, particularly in England, have enthusiastically documented her weight fluctuations over the years. Winslet has been outspoken about her refusal to lose weight in order to conform to the Hollywood ideal. In February 2003, the British edition of Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine published photographs of Winslet which had been digitally enhanced to make her look dramatically thinner than she really was; Winslet issued a statement saying that the alterations were made without her consent. GQ issued an apology in the subsequent issue.

Winslet and her husband Mendes currently reside in New York City. They also own a manor house in the tiny village of Church Westcote in Gloucestershire, England. Winslet and Mendes spent £3 million on the secluded Westcote Manor, a rambling Grade II-listed house with eight bedrooms, set in 22 acres. They have reportedly spent more than £1 million on interior renovations, as well as restoring the original water garden, mulberry garden and orchard, all of which fell into disrepair when the former owner, equestrian artist Raoul Millais, died in 1999. more

Who is Julianne Hough?

Who is Julianne Hough (pronounced huff)? She is an American professional ballroom dancer and country music singer. She is most-widely known for her repeated appearances on ABC's program, Dancing with the Stars, which she won twice. She earned a Creative Arts Primetime Emmy nomination in 2007 for her choreography. ABC's 20/20 called her one of the "very best dancers on the planet."[1] Julianne's brother, Derek Hough, is also on Dancing with the Stars. Hough was signed to Mercury Nashville Records in December 2007. Her self-titled debut album was released May 20, 2008, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Country Album chart and #3 on the Billboard 200. This season Hough was partnered with Cody Linley.

Hough was born July 20, 1988, she grew up one of five[2][3] children from an LDS (Mormon) family in Salt Lake City. Her brother Derek Hough is also a professional dancer. She has three sisters named Sharee, Marabeth, and Katherine. All four of her grandparents were dancers, and her parents met while on a ballroom dancing team in college in Idaho.
Her formal training began at the Center Stage Performing Arts Studio in Orem, Utah, where she danced with Josh Murillo, among others, in Latin Ballroom; she began dancing competitively at nine. Her parents sent her and her brother to London for a year later to live and study with their coaches, Corky and Shirley Ballas, and to spare them the strife of divorce.[4] The Ballas' helped tutor the two Hough children alongside their own son, Mark, while schooling them at the Italia Conti Academy. They received training in song, theatre, gymnastics and many forms of dance, including jazz, ballet, and tap.[5][4] The three children formed their own pop music trio 2B1G ("2 Boys, 1 Girl") when Julianne was twelve,[6] performed at dance competitions in the U.K. and the U.S., and showcased in a UK television show.[7] At fifteen, Julianne Hough became the youngest dancer, and only American, to win both Junior World Latin Champion and International Latin Youth Champion at the Blackpool Dance Festival.
After five years in London, Hough returned to the U.S., first living with her mother for a year and attending Las Vegas Academy then returning to Utah to live with her father and graduating from Alta High.[8] She then moved on her own to Los Angeles to begin her career.

Hough's big break was when she appeared in the fourth season of the U.S. version of Dancing with the Stars, a televised ballroom dance competition. In her first season, she won with her partner, Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, making Hough the youngest professional dancer to win on the program. On November 27, 2007, Hough and her partner, two-time Indianapolis 500 champion Hélio Castroneves, became the winners of Season 5. Hough returned for season 6 with radio host/comedian Adam Carolla, but they were eliminated in the fourth week. In July 2008, Hough was nominated at the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards in the category of "Outstanding Choreography" for her Mambo "Para Los Rumberos" (performed with partner Hélio Castroneves) on Dancing with the Stars,[9] but lost to choreographer Wade Robson.
On August 25, 2008, the cast of Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 7) was announced, and Hough was partnered with Hannah Montana actor Cody Linley.[10] She was feeling stomach pains during her jitterbug performance and was immediately rushed to a hospital following the encore performance of her jitterbug with Cody. She subsequently had surgery to have her appendix removed on October 28, and now Linley and Hough "turned the time over to" Edyta Śliwińska. Hough hoped for a quick recovery so she could begin dancing again. She began training Cody again, but they were ultimately eliminated in the Semifinals Competition. She also appeared on the November 12 results show dancing the jive to Great Balls of Fire with her brother, Derek Hough, for the "Design-A-Dance" contest. Julianne and Derek were selected the favorite pros on the show by an online vote at ABC.com and won the honor of doing this special audience designed dance.
On November 20, 2008, Julianne told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show she would not be returning for the foreseeable future to Dancing with the Stars in order to further her country music career.[11]
Hough's first country music single "Will You Dance With Me" was released to iTunes and Wal-Mart in May 2007 to raise money for the American Red Cross. The song peaked at #100 on the Billboard Pop 100 chart.[12] She later signed with Universal Music Group Nashville.
Her self-titled debut album was recorded in Nashville and produced by David Malloy, who has worked with Reba McEntire, Eddie Rabbitt, among others. Hough's album, which met with mixed reviews,[13][14] debuted at #1 on the Top Country Albums chart on May 31, and also peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200.[15] Hough's second single, and the first to be released to country radio, "That Song in My Head" debuted on the Country charts in March.
Hough joined Brad Paisley's 2008 Tour, along with Jewel and Chuck Wicks. Hough, Paisley and Willie Nelson appear in the video for the Snoop Dogg song "My Medicine".[16]
Later in 2008, Hough released an EP of Christmas music entitled Sounds of the Season: The Julianne Hough Holiday Collection, which is available exclusively at Target stores.
On November 18, she performed her second single "My Hallelujah Song" at Dancing With the Stars, with her brother, Derek Hough, Mark Ballas and Lacey Schwimmer dancing. She also was eliminated off the show, being in 4th place.


Hough was previously engaged to dancer Zachary Wilson; they ended their engagement in May 2007.[17] Despite various rumors linking her romantically with various Dancing With the Stars partners,[18] and public courting by Kevin Connolly of Entourage fame,[19] Hough's first public relationship after Wilson was with country singer Chuck Wicks.[20] On December 2. 2008, TV Guide reported that Hough is hoping that Wicks will propose in the near future.[21]

Julianne Hough was diagnosed with endometriosis, which is a common condition in which tissue from the uterus lining grows outside the uterus. It often causes painful cysts and possibly infertility. Hough, 20, had to undergo an appendectomy in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on October 28, 2008 to remove her appendix, a cyst on her ovary, and scar tissue that had formed on her bladder and fallopian tubes.[22] more

Who is Jennifer Leann Carpenter?

Who is Jennifer Leann Carpenter? She is an American actress.

Carpenter was born 7 December 1979 in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville. She trained at the Walden Theatre Conservatory in Louisville, later the Juilliard School in New York City. Already before graduation she was cast in the Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's The Crucible starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney.


Carpenter first attracted critical attention for her performance in The Exorcism of Emily Rose; she earned the role partially due to her ability to contort her body and face in frightening ways (as Scott Derrickson explains on the DVD commentary, pointing out that most of her "demonic" contortions were achieved without the use of visual effects). She took home the 2006 MTV Movie Award for "Best Frightened Performance", and also received a Hollywood Life Breakthrough Award.

Carpenter currently plays the role of Debra Morgan in the Showtime television series Dexter which premiered 1 October 2006. Her portrayal of the title character's sister has impressed some critics, with Australian journalist Jack Marx describing her "cool and clumsy" performance as "so perfect that many viewers appear to have mistaken the character's flaws for the actor's".[1]

It was widely reported in 2007 that she is dating her Dexter co-star Michael C. Hall.[2] They announced in early January 2009 that they eloped on New Year's Eve in California.[3][4]

Who is Katherine von Drachenberg?

Who is Katherine von Drachenberg? The tattoo world knows her as Kat Von D, she is a tattoo artist and television personality. She is best known for her work as a featured tattoo artist on the TLC reality television show Miami Ink. A subsequent TLC series starring Von D, LA Ink, premiered August 7, 2007 in the United States and November 11, 2007 in the UK.

Born on March 8th, 1982, in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She moved to the United States when she was four settling in Colton, California.[1] Her father René von Drachenberg is of German descent and her mother, Sylvia Galeano has Spanish-Italian roots.[1] She speaks fluent Spanish and English[1]. She has a brother Michael and a sister named Karoline Smith.

Growing up in the Inland Empire [1], she made her first tattoo in 1996 with a homemade rig at age 14, an old english "J" on her ankle, a memento of a love gone-by.[2] In 1998, she began working in her first professional shop, Sin City Tattoo. This was a great period of growth in her work and led to her eventually moving to True Tattoo for a chance to work with Clay Decker and Chris Garver. This afforded her the opportunity to live and work in Hollywood, Los Angeles.[3] While working at True Tattoo, Von D met her ex-husband, Oliver Peck, and occasionally worked at his tattoo shop, Elm Street Tattoo, in Dallas, Texas. She was featured in the 2008 book Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by artist Kip Fulbeck.

She is currently dating Nikki Sixx from the band Mötley Crüe.
Kat is also starring in an upcoming film directed by Charlie Picemi, The Bleeding. Its plot follows a man on a mission to rid the world of vampires, one of which is Kat Von D. The film is set to open in 2009 and also stars Vinnie Jones, DMX, Michael Madsen and Michael Matthias.
In 2008, Kat was one of the contributors to Carrie Borzillo-Vrenna's book Cherry Bomb along with Dita Von Teese, Tori Amos, Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Terri Nunn, Lisa Loeb, Katy Perry, Jessicka, Samantha Maloney, Betsey Johnson, Anna Sui, and Louise Post. She gave tips on tattooing. [4][5]
Kat also has her own make-up line on Sephora, and is the creator of the Musink festival. She has a book compiling her artworks and tattoos coming out in January 2009.

Kat Von D has inked Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio, pro-skater/MTV star Bam Margera and fellow Jackass star Steve-O, Ja Rule, members of HIM, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance, The Game, Kerry King of Slayer, Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal, Marta of Bleeding Through, Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying, Dave Navarro,[6] Brent Hinds of Mastodon, Zacky Vengeance of Avenged Sevenfold [7], Lady Gaga [8], Mike Vallely of Revolution Mother, and Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead.

She also worked on a portrait of bandmate Mick Mars for her current boyfriend, Nikki Sixx.



Kat Von D was immortalized in the Eagles of Death Metal song "High Voltage,"




Kat Von D and Jesse James are engaged. the  queen of TLC's "L.A. Ink" and the chopper building former host of Spike TV's "Jesse James Is A Dead Man" . James divorce is less than a year old from Sandra Bullock'.


which was named after her shop and is featured on their third album "Heart On." In an interview[9], Eagles of Death Metal's Jesse Hughes said, "I wrote that for Kat Von D, because that girl's bad ass. I was spinning one night, Hollywood rolling, it was like five in the morning, she was still at her shop with a couple of people, her High Voltage shop, and I came rolling in, we had fun. I'm home by seven in the morning and I'm sitting thinking what a rad night that was. I love this job. Bomb, 'High Voltage,' and then it came out."

Von D was classically trained in piano beginning at age 6, and began listening to Misfits, The Ramones, and other punk rock at age 12.[7] She particularly appreciates Ludwig van Beethoven and Space Station Wagon.[7] She has also tattooed herself with the emblems of HIM, Turbonegro, ZZ Top, AC/DC, Slayer, and "Slutallica", a modified Metallica logo.[7]

Musical tastes

Von D was classically trained in piano beginning at age 6.^[13] She particularly appreciates Ludwig van Beethoven.^[13] Von D has tattooed herself with the emblems of the bands Misfits, HIM, Turbonegro, ZZ Top, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, Slayer, Mike Got Spiked and "Slutallica", a modified Metallica logo.^[13] She appeared in the music video of Alkaline Trio's Help Me, as well as HIM's Killing Loneliness. She also likes the band 30 Seconds To Mars and is featured on the cover of "This Is War" as one of the 2,000 fans chosen.

Filmography

As well as cameos and various chat show appearances, TV, film, and video game appearances include:

• Miami Ink, 2005-2006
• LA Ink, 2007-present
• MADtv, April 5, 2008
• The Bleeding as Vanya^[14]
• Tony Hawk: Ride (video game) unlockable skater, November 17, 2009

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Who is John Andrew Smoltz

John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967 in Warren, Michigan) is a Major League Baseball pitcher who was a free agent, but has signed with the Boston Red Sox.[1] He is predominantly known as a starter and former Cy Young Award winner. However, before the 2001 season, his 13th, he became a closer. In 2002 he became only the second pitcher in history to have had both a 20-win season and a 50-save season (the other being Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley). He is the only pitcher in Major League history to top both 200 wins and 150 saves. He became the 16th member of the 3,000 strikeout club on April 22, 2008 when he fanned Felipe Lopez of the Washington Nationals in the third inning in Atlanta.

Smoltz throws a four-seam fastball that has been clocked as high as 98 miles per hour, a strong, effective slider, and an 88–91 mph split-finger fastball that he uses as a strikeout pitch. He also mixes in a curveball and change-up on occasion, and in 1999, he began experimenting with both a knuckleball and a three-quarters delivery, though he rarely uses either in game situations today.[2]

John Smoltz was an All-State baseball and basketball player at Waverly High School in Lansing, Michigan before the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the 22nd round of the 1985 amateur draft.[3] He was the 574th selection of the draft.[4]

Smoltz played first for the Lakeland Flying Tigers minor league team and then moved on to the Glens Falls Tigers in 1987.[5] On August 12, 1987, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. The 1987 Tigers were in a three-team race, chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division lead. In need of pitching help, Detroit sent their 20-year-old prospect to the Braves for the 36-year-old veteran Doyle Alexander.


Smoltz made his Major League debut on July 23, 1988. He posted poor statistics in a dozen starts, but in 1989, Smoltz blossomed. In 29 starts, he recorded a 12–11 record and 2.94 ERA while pitching 208 innings and making the All-Star team. Teammate Tom Glavine also had his first good year in 1989, raising optimism about the future of Atlanta's pitching staff.

Smoltz began the 1991 season with a 2–11 record. He began seeing a sports psychologist, after which he closed out the season on a 12–2 pace,[6] helping the Braves win a tight NL West race. His winning ways continued into the 1991 National League Championship Series. Smoltz won both his starts against the Pittsburgh Pirates, capped by a complete game shutout in the seventh game, propelling the Braves to their first World Series since moving to Atlanta in 1966. Smoltz had two no-decisions against the Minnesota Twins, with a 1.26 ERA. In the seventh and deciding game, he faced his former Detroit Tiger hero, Jack Morris. Both starters pitched shutout ball for seven innings, before Smoltz was removed from the 0–0 game in the eighth. Morris had eventually pitched a 10-inning complete game victory.

The next year, Smoltz won fifteen regular season games and was the MVP of the 1992 National League Championship Series, winning two games. He left the seventh game trailing, but ended up with a no-decision as the Braves mounted a dramatic ninth-inning comeback win. In the World Series that year, Smoltz started two of the six games in the series, with a no-decision in Game Two and a win with the Braves facing elimination in Game 5.

Before the 1993 season, the Braves signed renowned control pitcher Greg Maddux, completing what many consider to be the most accomplished starting trio ever assembled on a single Major League team. Smoltz again won fifteen games, but suffered his first postseason loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS despite a 0.00 ERA.

Smoltz had a 6-10 record in the strike-shortened 1994 season, and during the break, had bone chips removed from his elbow. Returning as the Braves' #3 starter, he posted a 12–7 record in 1995. Smoltz had shaky postseason numbers, avoiding a decision despite a 6.60 ERA. But Smoltz and the Braves won their only World Series, thanks in great part to Maddux and Glavine, who had begun to overshadow Smoltz.

The following season, 1996, was Smoltz's best year as a professional. He went 24–8 with a 2.94 ERA and 276 strikeouts, including winning a franchise record fourteen straight decisions. He won the National League Cy Young with 26 of the 28 first-place votes. Smoltz's effectiveness in 1997 was only slightly less than his Cy Young season, but frugal run support limited him to a 15–12 record. Smoltz was also awarded a Silver Slugger Award for his batting.



Smoltz continued to post excellent statistics in 1998 and 1999, but he was spending significant time on the disabled list and missed about a fourth of his starts. In 1999, Smoltz began experimenting with both a knuckleball and a three-quarters delivery, though he rarely uses either in game situations today.[7]

He underwent Tommy John surgery prior to the 2000 season, missing the entire year. When he was unable to perform effectively as a starter in 2001, Smoltz made a transition to the bullpen, filling a void as Atlanta's closer down the stretch.

In 2002, his first full season as a closer, Smoltz broke the National League saves record with 55 saves (the previous record was 53; Éric Gagné would equal Smoltz's new record a year later). Smoltz finished third in the Cy Young Award voting. Injuries limited Smoltz slightly in 2003, but he still recorded 45 saves with a 1.12 ERA in 64.3 innings pitched. In 2004, Smoltz finished with 44 saves, but was frustrated with his inability to make an impact as a closer during another Braves' postseason loss.

By this point, Smoltz was all that remained of the once-dominant Atlanta Braves' rotation of the 1990s. Tom Glavine had moved on to play for the New York Mets, a divisional rival, while Greg Maddux returned to his old team, the Chicago Cubs.


After three years as one of baseball's most dominating closers, the team's management agreed to return Smoltz to the starting rotation prior to the 2005 season.

Smoltz's renewed career as a starter began inauspiciously. He allowed six earned runs in only 1 2/3 innings — matching the shortest starts of his career--as the Braves were blown out on Opening Day by the Florida Marlins. Poor run support contributed to an 0–3 start despite stronger pitching performances by Smoltz. After these initial difficulties, though, things fell into place. At the All-Star break, Smoltz was 9–5 with an ERA of 2.68 and was chosen for the 2005 NL All-Star team. Smoltz gave up a solo home run to Miguel Tejada in the second inning of the American League's 7–5 victory and received the loss. For his career, he is 1–2 in All-Star games, putting him in a tie for the most losses.

Smoltz finished 2005 at 14–7, with a 3.06 ERA with 169 strikeouts while allowing less than one hit per inning. Smoltz had answered the critics who doubted would be able to reach the 200 inning plateau after three years in the bullpen. Nonetheless, Smoltz's increased workload caused him to wear down towards the end of the season.

Despite a sore shoulder, Smoltz pitched seven innings in the Braves' 7–1 win over the Houston Astros in Game Two of the 2005 NLDS. It was the only game the Braves would manage to win in the series against the eventual National League champions. The victory over Houston gave Smoltz a 13–4 record as a starter (15–4 overall) with a 2.65 ERA in the postseason. He currently has more career postseason wins than any other player in history. He is followed by Andy Pettitte (14), Tom Glavine (14), and Greg Maddux (11).

In 2006, Smoltz finished the season with a record of 16–9, an earned run average of 3.49, and 211 strikeouts. He was tied for the National League lead in wins, and was third in strikeouts. The fact that the Braves bullpen blew six of Smoltz's leads in 2006 robbed him of a strong chance at a 20-win season.

On September 21, 2006, the Braves announced they had picked up Smoltz's $8 million contract option for the 2007 season. On April 26, 2007 Smoltz agreed to a contract extension with the Braves. The extension includes a $14 million salary for the 2008 season, a $12 million vesting option for 2009 dependent on Smoltz's ability to pitch 200 innings in 2008, and a $12 or $13 million team option for 2010 dependent on Smoltz's ability to pitch 200 innings in 2009.[8]

2007 was a year of reunions and milestones for Smoltz. On May 9, he faced Greg Maddux for the first time since July 10, 1992. Smoltz earned a win in a 3–2 victory over the San Diego Padres; Maddux received a no-decision. On May 24, exactly eleven years to the day after recording his 100th win, Smoltz recorded his 200th win against Tom Glavine.[9] He faced Glavine 3 other times faring 3–1 overall against him. On June 27, Smoltz, Glavine and Maddux all recorded wins on the same day. On August 19, 2007, Smoltz set the new Atlanta Braves strikeout record by striking out Arizona Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds. It was his 2,913th strikeout and he passed Phil Niekro on the Braves all-time list; striking out a season-high 12 in the game.[10] He finished the year 14–8 with a 3.11 ERA and 197 strikeouts. The stalwart pitcher was the only holdover on the Braves' roster from their 1991 worst-to-first season until Glavine returned to the Braves after an absence of several years following the 2007 season.

On April 22, 2008, Smoltz became the 16th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. He is one of four pitchers to strike out 3,000 batters for one team, joining Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson and Steve Carlton.

On April 28, 2008, Smoltz was placed on the 15 day disabled list due to an inflamed right shoulder.[11]



On May 1, 2008, Smoltz indicated that he intended to return to being a relief pitcher. After coming off the disabled list on June 2, 2008, he blew his first save opportunity in three years. Two days later, the Braves placed him back on the disabled list. John Smoltz underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on June 10, 2008.[12] His contract expired at the end of the season, and the Braves chose not to resign him.



On January 8, 2009 Smoltz reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with the Boston Red Sox worth $5.5 million with incentives. [13]


Smoltz met his wife at the Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta. Smoltz is a born-again Christian who has made Atlanta his home, and is Chairman of the Board at Alpharetta-based King's Ridge Christian School, and a member of the Presbyterian Church in America. He also has a home at Sea Island, a golf resort on the Georgia coast. Smoltz produced an automated campaign phone recording on behalf of the candidacy of Ralph E. Reed, Jr. for Lt. Governor of Georgia during the 2006 primary (Post) As a father of four children, he dedicated himself to the development of a new Christian school in the metropolitan Atlanta region. On February 9, 2007, Smoltz's agent, Lonnie Cooper, released a statement informing the public of the decision by Smoltz and his wife Dyan to divorce after 16 years of marriage.[14] Smoltz is a good friend of professional golfer Tiger Woods. The two often golf together.[15] Woods has stated that Smoltz is the best golf player outside the PGA Tour that he has observed.[16] John made his debut as a baseball commentator on August 16, 2008. He was the color-commentator along side Joe Simpson. Smoltz and his good friend Jeff Foxworthy teamed up for the charity event "An Evening With Smoltz and Friends" on November 9, 2008 at the Verizon Amphitheater in Alpharetta, GA to raise money for the John Smoltz Foundation, which has supported numerous charitable endeavors in the Atlanta area over the past decade.[17]



Eight-time All-Star (1989, 1992–93, 1996, 2002–03, 2005, 2007)
National League Championship Series MVP (1992)
Led the National League in Strikeouts (1992, with 215)
National League Cy Young Award winner (1996)
Holds Braves record for most wins in a season (1996, with 24)
Led the National League in wins (1996, with 24)
Counting his wins in the playoffs and All-Star Game, John Smoltz amassed 29 wins in 1996. The only higher such total in the last 70 years is Denny McLain who had 31 in 1968.

Fans at Turner Field stand and applaud after Smoltz's 3000th career strikeout on April 22, 2008.Holds Braves record for most strikeouts in a season (1996, with 276)
Led the Major Leagues in strikeouts (1996, with 276)
Led the National League in win percentage (1996)
Silver Slugger Award Winner for Pitcher (1997)
Finished 4th in National League Cy Young Award voting (1998)
Led the Major Leagues in Win Percentage (1998)
National League Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award winner (2002)
Finished 8th in National League MVP voting (2002)
Finished 3rd in National League Cy Young Award voting (2002)
Holds Braves record for most saves in a career (154)
Holds Braves record for most saves in a season (2002, with 55)
Led the Major Leagues in saves (2002, with 55)
Tied for National League lead in wins (2006, with 16)
Only pitcher to compile 200 wins and 150 saves
Holds Braves record for most strikeouts in a career (3,011)
Given the Branch Rickey Award for exceptional community service (2007)[18]
First pitcher in modern era (since 1900) to pitch exactly five shutout innings, strike out ten, and get the win (April 17, 2008 in the Braves' 8–0 win at Florida)[19]
16th pitcher in the major leagues to reach 3,000 strikeouts (April 22, 2008)

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Who is Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress and singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated. She rose to fame in teenage popular culture via her roles in the Fox series Party of Five, as Sarah Reeves, and the films I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel, as Julie James.

As a singer, Hewitt has been signed by Atlantic Records and Jive Records.[2] She is primarily known for her recordings in the pop genre and has a contralto vocal range. To date, her most successful single is the 2002 release "BareNaked". In addition, she has contributed music to the promotion or soundtracks of acting projects.[3]

Hewitt's physical appearance has been the subject of much media attention throughout her career. Named the sexiest woman in the world in 1999[4] and the sexiest woman on television in 2008,[5] she has been repeatedly honored by publications such as Maxim, TV Guide, FHM, and numerous readers of these periodicals. In 2007, paparazzi photos of Hewitt on a beach led to a much-publicized matter in which she defended her weight, and was supported by other celebrities. These incidents received coverage from People magazine.[6]

In addition to acting, Hewitt has also served as a producer on certain film or television projects.[7] Currently, she can be seen on the CBS television program Ghost Whisperer as Melinda Gordon, a young woman who can communicate with the ghosts of the dead.

Hewitt was born February 21, 1979 in Waco, Texas, the daughter of Patricia Mae (née Shipp), a speech-language pathologist, and Herbert Daniel Hewitt, a medical technician.[8] Hewitt grew up in Nolanville, Texas; after the divorce of her parents, Hewitt and her older brother, Todd Hewitt, were brought up by her mother. Her first name was given to her by her brother, after a girl he was fond of as a youngster, while her middle name, "Love", was given to her by her mother after her best friend in college.

As a young girl, Hewitt was attracted to music, which led to her first encounters with the entertainment industry. At the age of three, she sang "The Greatest Love of All" at a livestock show. Just a year after that, at a restaurant-dance hall, she entertained an audience with her version of "Help Me Make It Through the Night". By the time she was five, Hewitt already had tap dancing and ballet in her portfolio. At nine, she became a member of the Texas Show Team (which also toured in the Soviet Union). At the age of ten, at the suggestion of talent scouts and winning the title of Texas Our Little Miss Talent Winner, she moved to Los Angeles, California, with her mother to pursue a career in both acting and singing.


Jennifer Love Hewitt as one of the main dancers in the Dance! Workout With Barbie video, released in 1992.After moving to Los Angeles, Hewitt appeared in more than twenty television commercials. Her first break came as a child actor on the Disney Channel variety show Kids Incorporated (1989–1991), where she was credited as just Love Hewitt. During this time she danced in and sang all the songs for a live action video called Dance! Workout With Barbie released by Buena Vista.

In 1993, she played Pierce Brosnan's daughter in a pilot for NBC called Running Wilde, which featured Brosnan as a reporter for Auto World magazine whose stories cover his own wild auto adventures. However, the series wasn't picked up and the pilot never aired. Hewitt later had roles in several short-lived television series, such as Fox's Shaky Ground (1992–1993), ABC's The Byrds of Paradise (1994), and McKenna (1994–1995), and finally became a young star after landing the role of Sarah Reeves on the popular Fox Television show Party of Five (1995–1999). She assumed the role of Sarah after joining that show during its second season and continued it on the short-lived Party of Five spin-off, Time of Your Life (1999), which she also co-produced. The show was cancelled after only half a season.

Hewitt made her film debut in the independent film Munchie (1992). She became a film star after a lead role in the horror film I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), which enjoyed great box-office success (125,000,000 U.S. dollars worldwide). The film made Hewitt and her co-stars Freddie Prinze Jr., Ryan Phillippe, and Sarah Michelle Gellar some of the most popular young stars in the USA. She also appeared in the sequel I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), which, though ultimately not as successful as the first film, took in more money on its opening weekend. Other notable film roles have included the high-school comedy Can't Hardly Wait (1998) and a starring role with Sigourney Weaver in the romantic comedy Heartbreakers (2001).

In 2000, Hewitt appeared in The Audrey Hepburn Story. That same year, she was the "most popular actress on television" due to her Q-rating (a measurement of a celebrity's popularity) of thirty-seven. For that reason, Nokia chose her to become its spokesperson, because of her "fresh image", and her being "a symbol of youthfulness and wholesomeness".

In 2001, she appeared in the music video for the Enrique Iglesias song, "Hero", as the singer's love interest.

Hewitt wrote "I'm Gonna Love You" for the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame II because, although she was a well-known singer at the time, her character Madellaine was the only character who didn't sing in the movie. The song won an award for Best Song on DVD Awards.

Since September 2005, Hewitt has starred in the television series Ghost Whisperer. In Australia, Ghost Whisperer has been popular since its introduction; in the United States, the show averages 9–11 million viewers for each new episode. Hewitt has also auditioned for many roles. She was asked to play Juliet in Romeo + Juliet, but the director felt she wasn't modern looking. The role went to Claire Danes. She also had to give up the role of Darlene in Brokedown Palace because of scheduling conflicts. Hewitt also auditioned for the role of Elektra in Daredevil.


Hewitt in 2002In 1991, Meldac funded the recording of Hewitt's first album Love Songs, when she was just 12. The album was only released in Japan in 1992 where Hewitt became a pop star. Her explanation for her success in Japan is that the Japanese "love perky music. The poppier the music, the better."[9]

After she joined the cast of Party of Five in 1995, she signed to Atlantic Records, who rushed her first single and second album, Let's Go Bang, out in October.

Juggling her music career with her acting career, she recorded her follow-up in 1996. The first single, "No Ordinary Love", failed to chart and led to the album doing the same. Atlantic dropped Hewitt, who didn't return to the music scene for 3 years.

In 1999, she recorded the single "How Do I Deal" for the I Still Know What You Did Last Summer soundtrack. The song became Hewitt's first charting single by climbing to #59 on the Hot 100 and #36 on the Top 40 Mainstream. It also reached #8 in Australia.

In 2002, Hewitt signed to Jive Records and recorded her fourth album with singer/songwriter/producer Meredith Brooks. The first single, "BareNaked", became her biggest radio hit to date when it peaked at #24 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, #31 on the Adult Top 40 and #25 on the Top 40 Mainstream. It also climbed to #6 in Australia and #33 in the Netherlands. The moderate success of the single propelled her album of the same name to peak at #37 on the Billboard 200 and #31 in Australia. However, it only remained on the chart for 3 weeks. The second single, "Can I Go Now", failed to chart in the US, while managing to peak at #8 in the Netherlands and #12 in Australia.

Since 2003, Hewitt hasn't actively done anything in the music industry, but a compilation called Cool with You: The Platinum Collection was released in Asia.

In addition to starring in the 2004 film If Only, Hewitt also co-wrote and performed two songs for its soundtrack: "Love Will Show You Everything" and "Take My Heart Back".

She also appeared in the 2004 made-for-television musical A Christmas Carol, performing the singing role of Ebenezer Scrooge's fiance Emily.


Personal life
Hewitt is an honorary godparent of the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.[10]

She has dated singer-guitarist John Mayer,[11] talk show host Carson Daly, actor/model Kip Pardue, writer Chris Benson, singer-songwriter Rich Cronin, actor and singer Joey Lawrence, professional kayaker Brad Ludden, and actor Will Friedle.

Hewitt was engaged to Scottish actor Ross McCall, who she met when he made an appearance on Ghost Whisperer. After a year of dating, they became engaged In November 2007, while vacationing in Hawaii.[12] Paparazzi photographs secretly taken of Hewitt on vacation in a bikini led to harsh criticism of her body by bloggers. Hewitt responded: "I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized.... What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles."[13]

On January 5, 2009, People Magazine reported that Hewitt and McCall have called off their engagement.[14]

In 2002, conspiracy theorist and former social worker Diana Napolis was arrested for stalking and uttering death threats against Hewitt after "verbally confronting" the actress at the 2002 Grammy Awards, and the subsequent day attempted to pose as a friend to enter the premiere of The Tuxedo. Napolis also admitted to becoming involved in a shoving match with Love Hewitt's mother while confronting the actress. Napolis accused Hewitt, along with director Steven Spielberg, of controlling her thoughts through "cybertronic" technology and being part of a satanic conspiracy against her.[15][16][17] Napolis was charged with six felonies related to the incidents[18] pleading guilty after a year of involuntary commitment and released on bail with a condition that she was barred from contact with both Spielberg and Hewitt.[19]
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Lisa Bonet

Who is Lilakoi Moon? The world knows here as Lisa Bonet is an Emmy Award-nominated American actress. She is best known for portraying the character of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show and its spinoff A Different World.


Lisa Michelle Bonet was born November 16, 1967 in San Francisco, California. Her African American father, Allen, was an opera singer, and her Jewish American mother, Arlene, was a teacher as well as a younger sister who attended an elite private school in Marin County north of San Francisco. Lisa has had limited interaction with her family for several years for unknown reasons. [1][2] [3][4] Bonet attended Reseda High School in Reseda, California, and Celluloid Actor's Studio in North Hollywood where she majored in acting.[5]

After appearing in guest spots on television series as a child, Bonet landed the role of Denise Huxtable on The Cosby Show alongside Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashād, among others. In 1987, she left The Cosby Show to star in her own series, A Different World. That year, Bonet accepted the role of Epiphany Proudfoot in the movie Angel Heart opposite Mickey Rourke, directed by Alan Parker. Her part in the film was controversial: she appeared in a graphic sex scene with costar Rourke, and some scenes had to be cut to avoid an X rating.[6] After announcing her pregnancy during the run of A Different World, Bonet left the series.[7] The following year, she returned to The Cosby Show, but was fired in 1991 for "creative differences".[8][9]

After The Cosby Show, Bonet began to accept jobs on straight-to-video releases and made-for-TV movies. In 1998 she had a supporting role in Enemy of the State with Will Smith. In 2000, she appeared in the movie High Fidelity. In 2003, she played the role of Queenie in Biker Boyz which reunited her with former co-star Kadeem Hardison of A Different World.

In August 2006, Bonet appeared in a week-long A Different World reunion special that aired on Nick at Nite, along with fellow co-stars Hardison, Jasmine Guy, Cree Summer, Dawnn Lewis, Darryl M. Bell, and Sinbad. That same year, Bonet co-starred in the 2006 film Whitepaddy, alongside Sherilyn Fenn, Hill Harper, Debra Wilson, Karen Black, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.



On her 20th birthday, she eloped with singer Lenny Kravitz in Las Vegas. Bonet recalled of their relationship:

“ It was interesting when we were first finding out about each other, that our backgrounds were so similar. When I first told him my mom was Jewish, and he said 'So's my dad,' I thought that was both unusual and enchanting. I felt like, 'Okay, here's someone who really knows how it is.' And I think I trusted him a little more with my feelings and let him inside a little more than I ordinarily would have.[3] ”

She gave birth to daughter Zoë Isabella on December 1, 1988. She and Kravitz separated and eventually divorced in 1993.

It was around this time (1992) that Bonet legally changed her name to Lilakoi Moon, although she still uses the name Lisa Bonet for her entertainment career.[10]

On July 23, 2007, Bonet gave birth to her second child, daughter Lola Iolani Momoa. This is her first child with Jason Momoa, an actor noted for his roles in the television shows Baywatch and Stargate Atlantis.

In October 2008, Bonet announced she is expecting her third child and her second child with Momoa.[11] On December 15th Bonet and Momoa had a son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.[12] more
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