Thursday, December 25, 2008

Who is Megan Denise Fox ?


Who is Megan Denise Fox? She is an American actress and model. Fox's career in modeling and acting began with her winning several awards at the 1999 American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. She began her acting career with the film Holiday in the Sun (2001), later appearing in the films Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Crimes of Fashion, and the TV series The Help (all 2004). She is well known for her roles on the television series Hope & Faith (2004) and in the 2007 live-action film Transformers.

Fox has Irish, French and Native American ancestry. She was born May 16, 1986 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to Macey Tonachio, former Roane County, Tennessee Tourism Direct and Frank Fox. She grew up in nearby Rockwood, Tennessee. She was born as Megan Denise Foxx, with two X's in the last name, but changed it once she entered show business. She has one older sister. Fox began her training in drama and dance at the age of five in Kingston, Tennessee. She attended a dance class at the community center there, and was involved in Kingston Elementary School's chorus and the Kingston Clippers swim team. At age ten, after moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, she continued her training. She attended Morningside Academy, a private Christian school in Port St. Lucie during her middle school years and finished her high school education at St Lucie West Centennial High School in Port St. Lucie.


By age sixteen, Fox's talent created new opportunities for her in the entertainment world. She began acting and modeling upon winning several awards at the 1999 American Modeling and Talent Convention in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.]


Fox at Spike TV's 2007 Scream AwardsFox made her film debut in the 2001 film Holiday in the Sun as the spoiled heiress Brianna Wallace and rival of Alex Stewart (Ashley Olsen). She then landed guest appearances on Ocean Ave., What I Like About You, Two and a Half Men and The Help from 2003 to 2004. In 2004, Fox starred in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen alongside Lindsay Lohan. She was subsequently cast in her first recurring role in a television series on Hope & Faith, in which she portrayed Sydney Shanowski from 2004 through 2006.

Fox's big break arrived when she acquired the lead female role of Mikaela Banes in the 2007 live-action film Transformers, based on the toy and cartoon saga of the same name. She played the love interest of Shia LaBeouf's character Sam Witwicky. In June 2007, Fox was cast in How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, starring alongside Jeff Bridges, Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst. The character Fox portrayed is that of a young Hollywood starlet getting her first taste of fame. The film premiered in October 2008.

She is also signed on for two more Transormers sequels.

Fox has appeared in a five page spread for the November 2005 issue of the popular men's magazine FHM. She also posed for the March 2007 issue of FHM, the June 2007 issue of GQ, the July 2007 issue of Maxim, and the September 2007 issue of Arena. She was voted the Sexiest Woman in the World by FHM magazine in 2008, beating out Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba. Megan is also on the cover page for the Maxim October 2008 issue and the GQ October 2008 issue. Fox is represented by The Gersh Agency.

Fox will star opposite Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody in Diablo Cody's second feature film titled Jennifer's Body, which is due to be released in 2009. She was cast in October 2007. While filming the sequel of Transformers, Michael Bay, the movie's director, ordered the actress to gain 10 lbs, stating that he "does not like skinny girls."




Fox has been outspoken in her self-identification as a bisexual. In a frank interview with GQ Magazine, Fox said that she fell in love with a female stripper when she was eighteen and used the experience to illustrate her belief that "...all humans are born with the ability to be attracted to both sexes."

Since 2004, Fox has been involved with actor Brian Austin Green of Beverly Hills, 90210 and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles fame. They had been engaged to be married, but later separated after Megan claimed to be too young for such a commitment.

Fox has seven tattoos, including a poem on her ribcage, a symbol for strength on her neck, Green's name on her hip, a bull's eye on her lower back, a pink flamingo on her upper thigh, and a picture of Marilyn Monroe's face on her right arm. She also has one on her right shoulder that says "We will all laugh at gilded butterflies," a line from Shakespeare's play King Lear. more

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Who is Bernard Lawrence Madoff ?


Who is Bernard Lawrence Madoff? He is a businessman and former chairman of the NASDAQ stock market. He was born April 29, 1938. He started the Wall Street firm Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in 1960 and was its chairman until December 11, 2008, when he was arrested and charged with securities fraud.

Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, which is in the process of liquidation, was one of the top market maker businesses on Wall Street, often functioning as a "third-market" provider that bypassed "specialist" firms and directly executed orders over-the-counter from retail brokers. The firm also encompassed an investment management and advisory division that is now the focus of the fraud investigation.

On December 11, 2008, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Madoff on a tip-off from his sons, Andrew and Mark, and charged him with one count of securities fraud. On the day prior to his arrest, Madoff told his senior executives at the firm that the management and advisory segment of the business was "basically, a giant Ponzi scheme." Five days after his arrest, Madoff's assets and those of the firm were frozen and a receiver was appointed to handle the case. Madoff's alleged fraud may be valued at a loss of up to a $50 billion in cash and securities.Banks from outside the U.S. have announced that they have potentially lost billions in U.S. dollars as a result. To date, it is the largest investor fraud ever attributed to a single individual.

Madoff was a prominent businessman and philanthropist. The freeze of his and his firm's assets significantly affected businesses around the world and a number of charities, some of which, including the Robert I. Lappin Charitable Foundation, the Picower Foundation, and the JEHT Foundation, have been forced to close as a consequence of the fraud.

Investors have questioned Madoff's statement that he alone is responsible for the large-scale operation, and investigators are looking for others involved in the scheme.

Madoff was born in the New York City borough of Queens to a Jewish family. He is married to Ruth Madoff and has two sons, Mark and Andrew. Madoff has owned an ocean-front residence in Montauk since 1981. His primary residence, valued at more than $5 million, is on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Madoff is listed as chairman of his Upper East Side building's co-op board. He also owns a home in France and a $9.3 million mansion in Palm Beach, Florida on the Intercoastal Waterway just north of Flagler Memorial Bridge. He is a member of the Palm Beach Country Club and owns a 55-foot (17 m) fishing boat named "Bull".



Madoff started his firm in 1960 with an initial investment of $5,000 that he said was earned from working as a lifeguard and installing sprinklers. At first, the firm made markets (quoted bid and ask prices) via the National Quotation Bureau's Pink Sheets. In order to compete with firms that were members of the New York Stock Exchange, the firm began to use information technology to disseminate its quotes. After a trial run, the technology the firm helped develop became the NASDAQ. According to sources involved in the government inquiry into Madoff, the fraud might have gone back to the 1970s.

He was active in the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), a self-regulatory organization for the U.S. securities industry. His firm was one of the five most active firms in the development of the NASDAQ, and he served as its chairman of the board of directors, and on its board of governors.

Madoff's firm was "the first prominent practitioner" of "paying for order flow", in other words paying a broker to execute a customer's order through Madoff, which has been called a "legal kickback".[28] Using this method, the firm became the largest dealer in NYSE-listed stocks in the U.S., trading about 15 percent of transaction volume in these stocks.

Madoff viewed the payments as a normal business practice: "If your girlfriend goes to buy stockings at a supermarket, the racks that display those stockings are usually paid for by the company that manufactured the stockings. Order flow is an issue that attracted a lot of attention but is grossly overrated." Academics have questioned the ethics of these payments. Madoff has argued that these payments did not alter the price that the customer received.

He brought several relatives into his business. His brother, Peter, was a senior managing director. Both of Madoff’s sons, Mark and Andrew, joined the team after finishing their education. Charles Weiner, Madoff’s nephew, also joined the firm, and Peter Madoff’s daughter, Shana, took a job with the company as a lawyer.

His sons Mark and Andrew were allegedly unaware of the imminent insolvency of Madoff Investment Securities. According to the authorities, the sons confronted their father, asking him how the firm could pay bonuses if it could not pay investors, prompting Madoff's admission that he was "finished", after which they reported him to the authorities. The FBI investigation shows no signs of implicating family members of fraud, with federal authorities saying his wife Ruth is not accused of wrongdoing.


Before his arrest Madoff's family was involved in philanthropic circles. When his nephew, Roger Madoff, died of leukemia in April 2006, paid death notices appeared in newspapers from a range of charitable organizations, including the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Madoff donated approximately $6 million to lymphoma research after his son Andrew was diagnosed.

Madoff served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University, as well as Treasurer of its Board of Trustees. He resigned his position at Yeshiva University after his arrest. Madoff also serves on the Board of New York City Center, a member of New York City's Cultural Institutions Group (CIG).

Madoff undertook charity work for the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, and through The Madoff Family Foundation, a $19 million private foundation which he managed along with his wife, he donated money to hospitals and theaters. The foundation has also contributed to many Jewish educational, cultural, and health charities. The various organizations were mostly given charity funds backed by Madoff securities. Madoff was also a major contributor to the Democratic party.

In the wake of Madoff's arrest, the assets of the Madoff Family Foundation have been frozen by a federal court


This article may be too technical for a general audience. Please help improve this article by providing more context and better explanations of technical details, even for articles which are inherently technical.

Through the years, Madoff claimed his investment strategy consisted of purchasing blue-chip stocks and taking options contracts on them, although he may not have invested much at all.[39] In 1992, Madoff told The Wall Street Journal about his stock strategies: in the 1970s, he had placed invested funds in "convertible arbitrage positions in large-cap stocks, with promised investment returns of 18% to 20%."[39] Madoff said that beginning in 1982, he began using futures contracts on the stock index, and he said he was in index puts (a form of options contract) during the 1987 stock market crash.

Barron's Magazine reported in 2001[40] that a Madoff hedge fund document (a so-called "Offering Memorandum") described Madoff's strategy as follows: "Typically, a position will consist of the ownership of 30–35 S&P 100 stocks, most correlated to that index, the sale of out-of-the-money calls on the index and the purchase of out-of-the-money puts on the index. The sale of the calls is designed to increase the rate of return, while allowing upward movement of the stock portfolio to the strike price of the calls. The puts, funded in large part by the sale of the calls, limit the portfolio's downside."

This split-strike or collar trade involves three steps: 1) buying a stock at price X — say 100, 2) selling a call option with a strike price Y — say 120 — which is above X, and 3) purchasing a put option with a strike price Z — say 80 — which is below X. If the price of the stock is 125, which is above Y at expiration, the stock will be called away and the investor receives Y (120) for the stock. If the price is 70, which is below Z at expiration, the put can be exercised and Z (80) received in cash. This effectively caps the maximum gain (until the options expire) at the Y minus X (120 − 80 = 40), and the maximum loss at the X minus Z (100 − 80 = 20). The options transactions can generate positive or negative cash-flow depending on the cost of purchasing the put (say 3%), the premium received to write the call (say 4%) and dividends from the stock holdings (say 5%). To create an effective collar for a long-term stock holding, the option contracts should be rolled into contracts farther out prior to expiration.

Madoff's strategy as described in Barron's is not a perfect hedge since options are purchased/sold on an index which contains a much larger basket of stocks than the 30–35 purchased to hold. A few analysts performing due diligence on Madoff did raise alarms because they were unable to replicate the fund's past returns using historic price data for US stocks and options on the indexes. There is no credible evidence that Madoff actually made all the required trades dictated by this strategy. Barron's raised the possibility that Madoff's returns were not due to this strategy, but rather from front running the firm's brokerage clients.

Rival fund managers were unable to replicate the same returns, using the strategies from Madoff's quarterly reports


The New York Post reported that before his arrest Madoff "worked the so-called 'Jewish circuit' of well-heeled Jews he met at country clubs on Long Island and in Palm Beach." The New York Times reported that Madoff counted many prominent Jewish executives and organizations among those investing in his funds — Jeffrey Katzenberg, Eliot Spitzer, Yeshiva University, the Elie Wiesel Foundation, and charities set up by the publisher Mortimer Zuckerman and Hollywood film director Steven Spielberg. Among one of the most prominent Jewish promoters was J. Ezra Merkin, whose fund Ascot Partners steered $1.8 billion USD towards Madoff's firm.[46] A scheme like this that targets members of a particular religious or ethnic community is a type of affinity fraud.

Fairfield Greenwich Group, based in Greenwich, Connecticut, had a Fairfield Sentry fund which was one of several so-called feeder funds that gave foreign investors portals to Madoff. Fairfield, in turn, set up further feeder funds such as Lion Fairfield Capital Management in Singapore and Stellar US Absolute Return, all ultimately conduits to Madoff, having directed a total of $7 billion USD. The Wall Street Journal reported that "Several investors say Mr. Madoff's main go-between in Palm Beach was Robert Jaffe. Mr. Jaffe is the son-in-law of Carl Shapiro, the founder and former chairman of apparel company Kay Windsor Inc. and an early investor and close friend of Madoff. Jaffe, a philanthropist in Palm Beach, Florida, attracted many investors from the Palm Beach Country Club."

The large sovereign wealth fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority also indirectly invested US$400 million with Madoff. Madoff also promoted in Asia, most recently targeting China, though by that time, he was advertising to anyone with money (contrary to his initial strategy, when he handpicked investors).

The Madoff sales force were well-dressed, multilingual sales representatives in the financial capitals of Europe. Madoff's fund was also considered exclusive, as he was initially giving the appearance of being very selective of which investors to take on.

Madoff had a very successful track record year after year. Moderately-high consistent returns were a key factor in the perpetuation of Madoff's fraud for decades; other Ponzi schemes paid out higher returns in the neighborhood of at least 20 percent. A hedge fund run by Madoff, which described its strategy as focused on shares in the Standard & Poor's 100-stock index, averaged a 10.5 percent annual return over the past 17 years. Through November 2008, amid a general market collapse, the fund reported that it was up 5.6 percent year to date, while the year-to-date total return on the S&P 500-stock index had been negative 38 percent. One investor who declined to be named said “The returns were just amazing and we trusted this guy for decades — if you wanted to take money out, you always got your check in a few days. That’s why we were all so stunned.”

The operation was conducted out of floors 17 to 19 of the Lipstick Building, with 18 and 19 used for administration and stock-trading. The core of the business, the hedging, took place on the 17th floor, which was occupied by no more than 24 employees.[48] Since funds controlling billions as Madoff did would usually require hundreds of employees for the administrative work involved, employees from other floors say that they always assumed Madoff had an office in another location in addition to the Manhattan headquarters.


The victims of the alleged fraud are considering how to best recover some of their investments. The use of the legal doctrine of fraudulent conveyance in bankruptcy proceedings might mean that investors who withdrew their money before the fraud was revealed, might be forced to return their profits or even part of their initial investments. Returning funds is uncontroversial for clients who may have known that the Madoff's business was fraudulent, but it is not so clear for clients who were not aware of Madoff's activities.]The current statute of limitations on cases involving fraudulent conveyance is six years, which means that clients who withdrew their money from Madoff's firm more than six years ago could not lose their withdrawals. But clients who withdrew their funds less than six years ago might have to return their withdrawals.

Investors may also have access to funds from the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which offers assistance to investors of failed brokerage firms. Investors may receive a maximum of $500,000, but only for cash or securities that are missing from their accounts. It could take several years before investigations into the scandal are concluded and investors are able to file claims. Victims may also file suit to have taxes already paid on "fictitious income" restored to them.



The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is liquidating Madoff’s brokerage, with Irving Picard acting as trustee. The SIPC provides up to $500,000 in insurance for missing money or securities in individual brokerage accounts, but does not protect against bad investments.

Stephen Harbeck, president of the SIPC, stated that the investment management department's financial records will take six months to sort out. “There are some assets, but I have no idea what the relationships of the assets available are to the claims against them. The records are utterly unreliable on this case.”

Although Madoff filed a report with the SEC in 2008 stating that his advisory business had only 11–25 clients and about $17.1 billion in assets, dozens of investors have reported losses, and the SEC reports a $50 billion fraud. According to Bloomberg, “in all, companies, individuals and foundations have disclosed about $24 billion of investments with Madoff.” Those affected include banks, Wall Street investors, charities, and individuals.

In December 2008, the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity issued a press release on their website stating that nearly all of the foundation's assets (approximately $15.2 million USD) have been lost through Madoff's firm.


According to The Wall Street Journal the investors with the largest potential losses include:

Fairfield Greenwich Advisors, $7.50 billion
Tremont Capital Management, $3.30 billion
Banco Santander, $2.87 billion
Bank Medici, $2.10 billion
Ascot Partners, $1.80 billion
Access International Advisors, $1.40 billion
Fortis, $1.35 billion
Union Bancaire Privée, $1.00 billion
HSBC, $1.00 billion

The potential losses for these nine investors total $22.32 billion. Other investors, with potential losses between $100 million and $1 billion include Natixis SA, Carl J. Shapiro (a 95-year-old Boston philanthropist, and the individual who seems to have lost most, $500 million; see also above), Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC, BNP Paribas, BBVA, Man Group PLC, Reichmuth & Co., Nomura Holdings, Aozora Bank, Maxam Capital Management, EIM SA, and AXA SA. The potential losses for these investors total $4.02 billion. Twenty-three investors with potential losses of $500,000 to $100 million were also listed, with total potential losses of $540 million. They included Bramdean Alternatives run by Nicola Horlick, for example. The grand total potential losses in the Wall Street Journal table is $26.9 billion.



On 23 December 2008, one of the founders of Access International, Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, was found dead in his New York City office. Both of his wrists were slashed, in what appeared to be suicide.[83] Access International had invested $1.4 billion with Madoff's firm. De la Villehuchet had also invested his personal money with Madoff's business. De la Villehuchet came from a prominent French family and Access International had connections to wealthy and powerful aristocrats from Europe. [84] No suicide note was found at the scene. more

Who is Scarlett Johansson


Who is Scarlett I. Johansson? She was born November 22, 1984 in New York City to Melanie Sloan (of Polish descent) and Karsten Johansson (of Danish descent). She is an actress and singer of American and Danish citizenship. Scarlett showed a passion for acting at a young age and starred in many plays. She has a sister named Vanessa Johansson, a brother named Adrian, and a twin brother named Hunter Johansson born three minutes after her. Johansson rose to fame with her role in 1998's The Horse Whisperer and subsequently gained critical acclaim for her roles in Ghost World, Lost in Translation (for which she won a BAFTA), and Girl with a Pearl Earring, the latter two earning her Golden Globe Award nominations in 2003.

On May 20, 2008, Johansson debuted as a vocalist on her first album, Anywhere I Lay My Head, with cover versions of Tom Waits songs.


Johansson was born in New York City. Her father, Karsten Johansson, is a Danish-born architect, and her paternal grandfather, Ejner Johansson, was a screenwriter and director. Her mother, Melanie Sloan, a producer, comes from an Ashkenazi Jewish family from the Bronx. Johansson's parents met in Denmark, where her mother lived with Johansson's maternal grandmother, Dorothy, a former bookkeeper and schoolteacher. Johansson has an older sister, Vanessa, who is also an actress; an older brother, Adrian; a twin brother, Hunter, also an actor; and a half-brother, Christian, from her father's re-marriage.

Johansson grew up in a household with "little money" with a mother who was a "film buff". Johansson began her theater training by attending and graduating from Professional Children's School in Manhattan in 2002. She attended P.S. 41 in Greenwich Village for elementary school.



Johansson does not discuss her personal life with the press, saying "it's nice to have everybody not know your business." This has not stopped Johansson from sharing "select" opinions and personal details. Johansson's ex-boyfriend (and member of the band Steel Train), Jack Antonoff, wrote lyrics that refer to Johansson in the song "Better Love." Antonoff alludes to Johansson in the song "2 O'clock." She has been linked to many famous men, including Derek Jeter, Benicio del Toro, Jared Leto, Justin Timberlake and her Black Dahlia co-star Josh Hartnett. They dated for about two years until the end of 2006, with Hartnett citing their busy lives as the reason for the split. She dated Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds,and on May 5, 2008, it was reported that the two were engaged.

On September 27, 2008, Johansson and Reynolds were married at a quiet ceremony outside Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Johansson has expressed a concern about the potential conflict between the nature of human beings and the concept of monogamy. However, she has also stated "contrary to popular belief... [I am] not promiscuous" and that she works "really hard" when she's in a relationship "to make it work in a monogamous way." She gets tested for HIV twice a year, and has said "it's part of being a decent human" and it is "disgusting" and "irresponsible" when people do not do so.

Johansson is close to her twin brother Hunter, and often gives him advice on women and dating.

She has criticized the media and Hollywood for promoting an image that causes unhealthy diets and eating disorders among women, saying "that being ultra-thin is not sexy at all. Women shouldn't be forced to conform to unrealistic and unhealthy body images that the media promote."

Johansson appeared on the cover of the March 2006 issue of Vanity Fair in the nude alongside actress Keira Knightley and world-renowned fashion designer Tom Ford. In March 2006, she topped the U.S. edition of FHM's poll of the sexiest women alive (in the UK edition Johansson was third). In 2007, Maxim named Johansson #3 in their Hot 100 issue. In November 2006, Johansson was named "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire. In February 2007, she was named the "Sexiest Celebrity" of the year by Playboy.

About her religious affiliation, Johansson says: "That's a very personal question. I would rather not answer." She celebrates a "little of both" referring to Christmas and Hanukkah. She dislikes when celebrities thank God or Jesus in their award acceptance speeches. She described herself as Jewish when she was talking about Woody Allen. "I just adore Woody," she says. "We have a lot in common. We're New Yorkers, Jewish. We have a very easygoing relationship."

Johansson is a Global Ambassador for the aid and development agency, Oxfam. On March 14, 2008, a UK-based bidder by the name of Bossnour paid £20,000 for a 20 minute date with Johansson on an online auction for Oxfam on eBay. The bidder paid for a hair and make up treatment and the chance to accompany Johansson on her July premiere of He's Just Not That Into You.

She is a fan of the children's television show SpongeBob Squarepants. She supplied the voice of Mindy the Mermaid in The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie.

Together with Michael Caine, she co-hosted the 2008 Nobel Peace Concert.



Johansson is a Democrat. In 2004, she campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election. She was quoted as saying of George W. Bush's re-election, "[I am] disappointed. I think it was a disappointment for a large percentage of the population." Johansson campaigned for Barack Obama in Iowa on January 2, 2008; her efforts were targeted at small groups of younger voters, including Cornell College students and students at St. Paul Central in Minnesota on Super Tuesday. Johansson appeared in the 2008 music video for Black Eyed Peas front man Will.i.am's song, "Yes We Can", directed by Jesse Dylan. The song was inspired by Obama's speech following the 2008 New Hampshire primary. According to the FEC's website, she donated the maximum allowed amount of $2300 to the Obama campaign on May 8, 2008.

Johansson has also taken part in the anti-poverty campaign ONE which was organized by U2 lead singer Bono. more

Who is Jillian Michaels?

Who is Jillian Michaels? The world knows her as Jillian Michaels (personal trainer). Jillian Michaels is an American personal trainer, reality show personality, talk show host and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California.[2] Michaels is best known for her appearances on NBC's The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. She is also known for her appearance on talk show The Doctors. Since appearing on The Doctors, she and the other co-hosts have all been nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, as well as the show being nominated for Outstanding Informative Talk Show.

Career

As a personal trainer, Michaels uses a blend of strength training techniques with her clients, including kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, plyometrics, and weight training.[3] Michaels holds certifications with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), the National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA),[4] Kettlebell Concepts, and with the AFPA in nutrition and wellness.[5]
In January 2012, Michaels released a 90-day weight loss program titled Body Revolution. The program features new workouts, meal plans and other personal training regimens.[6]
Michaels' business partner and manager is Giancarlo Chersich. Together they operate Empowered Media, LLC.[7]

Media

Michaels has released over 15 DVDs since 2005, including Ripped in 30,[8] Extreme Shed and Shred[9] and Killer Buns and Thighs.[10] Her latest DVD release, Kickbox Fastfix, is scheduled for March 2012.
In addition to her DVDs, Michaels has also authored several books on health and wellness topics. Several of these books, including Master Your Metabolism and Unlimited, have made the New York Times Best Seller list.[11][12]
Michaels hosted a Sunday talk radio show on Los Angeles' KFI (640 AM) from 2006 through 2009.[13] Since February 2011, Michaels hosts a weekly podcast, The Jillian Michaels Show, through iTunes.[14] In December 2011 the show was among the podcasts honored by Apple in its App Store Rewind 2011, winning in the Best New Audio Podcast category.[15]
On October 21, 2008, she launched a new video game for the Wii, Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009[16][17] A year later, she launched a sequel called Fitness Ultimatum 2010. In 2011 Michaels released two more games, Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2011[18] and Jillian Michaels Fitness Adventure for the Xbox 360.[19]

The Biggest Loser

Michaels was an original trainer on the reality series The Biggest Loser when the show debuted in October 2004. On the show Michaels assumed the role of the Red Team trainer and remained in that capacity for the show's first two seasons. After her departure in 2006 she was replaced by Kim Lyons.[20] She returned to the show in 2007 as the Black Team trainer, competing against Lyons' Red Team and Bob Harper's Blue Team.[21] Along with Harper, Michaels was also a trainer in the Australian version of the show from 2006 to 2008.[22]
On December 7, 2010, Michaels announced via Twitter that the eleventh season of the show would be her last.[23] Michaels made her last appearance on The Biggest Loser in May 2011.
On September 4, 2012, it was announced that Michaels will return to The Biggest Loser in Season 14.[24]

Losing It With Jillian

On June 1, 2010, NBC debuted Losing It With Jillian, a spin-off of The Biggest Loser. In the show, Michaels focuses on one family per episode, visiting their home to work one-on-one with them for a week.[25][26]
Losing It With Jillian originally ran on NBC in June and July 2010. As of January 2012, all eight episodes of the series are available for viewing online.[27]

Contract with CBS Television Distribution

On May 6, 2011, CBS Television Distribution announced that Michaels had signed a multi-year deal to become a co-host the panel-discussion show The Doctors, as well as serve as a special correspondent on the CTD program Dr. Phil. Michaels had been a guest on The Doctors several times previously.[28] On the show, Michaels hosted a recurring segment called Ask Jillian, which dealt primarily with nutrition and diet topics.

Michaels left The Doctors in January 2012 after only half a season on the series, stating the arrangement "wasn't the fit both the show and I hoped for." Her possible return as a guest was not ruled out. Michaels will continue to appear periodically on Dr. Phil.[

Charities

Michaels is involved in a variety of charities, including the NFL's Play 60[31] the Clinton Foundation's Alliance for a Healthier Generation,[32] Stand Up to Cancer,[33] Working Wardrobes,[34] Hope for Haiti,[35] Sow a Seed and Dress for Success.[36] Michaels also devotes time to animal welfare causes, and she recently helped PETA rescue a racehorse from the slaughterhouse.[37]
Michaels serves as an adviser to the National Day of Dance for Heart Health, an organization that encourages people to exercise, have fun and to laugh, learn and dance for a healthier heart.[38] In January 2012 she was a participant in the Clinton Foundation's inaugural "Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation" conference.[39]

Investments

Michaels is currently an investor in Flywheel Sports, a chain of indoor cycling studios, and in Popchips.[40][41]

Controversy

In 2010, Michaels faced four separate lawsuits alleging ingredients in the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Calorie Control dietary supplement, the Jillian Michaels Maximum Strength Fat Burner and the Triple Process Total Body Detox and Cleanse were ineffective or dangerous.[42][43][44] In each instance, Michaels strongly denied the allegations, calling them "baseless." All four suits were dismissed.[45][46][47]
Michaels was the subject of a highly critical October 2010 op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times. The article claimed Michaels "is not actually a real fitness trainer — she's an actress playing the role of fitness trainer on TV and in a line of popular DVDs" and alleged she had let several of her fitness certifications lapse.[48] Michaels responded by threatening legal action for defamation, stating she had been an active physical trainer for 19 years and that none of her certifications have lapsed.[49] The newspaper published a correction citing her up to date certifications shortly thereafter and no legal action was taken.[50]

Personal life

Michaels was 18 February 1974. in Los Angeles, California to JoAnn McKarus and an undisclosed father,[51] and raised in Santa Monica. Devastated by her parents' divorce when she was 12, she struggled with weight problems during her early teens. In a 2009 episode of The Doctors, Michaels showed a photograph of herself at age 12, saying she weighed 175 pounds (79 kg) and was 5 feet (150 cm) tall. She began to take control of her weight problems at age 14 when her mother signed her up for martial arts classes. By age 17, Michaels was working as a personal trainer.
Michaels attended California State University, Northridge, supporting herself as a bartender and personal trainer during that time. After working briefly as an agent with International Creative Management, in 2002 Michaels opened the sports medicine facility Sky Sport & Spa in Beverly Hills.[52]
Michaels is close to her mother, brother and younger sister.[53] [54][55] She is the godmother of actress Vanessa Marcil-Giovinazzo's son, Kassius, born March 30, 2002.
Michaels is openly bisexual, stating “Let’s just say I believe in healthy love. If I fall in love with a woman, that’s awesome. If I fall in love with a man, that’s awesome. As long as you fall in love…it’s like organic food. I only eat healthy food, and I only want healthy love!” [56] She is the mother of a two year old daughter, Lukensia "Lu", adopted from Haiti in early May 2012, and a son, Phoenix, born to Michaels' partner Heidi Rhoades on May 3, 2012.[57]

DVDs

  • The Biggest Winner - How to Win by Losing: Shape Up-Front (September 2005), ASIN B000ACQXHW
  • The Biggest Winner - How to Win by Losing: Shape Up-Backside (September 2005), ASIN B000ACQXJA
  • The Biggest Winner - How to Win by Losing: Cardio Kickbox (December 2005), ASIN B000B7PNHW
  • The Biggest Winner - How to Win by Losing: Maximize - Back in Action (April 2006), ASIN B000B5XPJC
  • The Biggest Winner - How to Win by Losing: Maximize - Full Frontal (April 2006), ASIN B000B5XPII
  • Get Fit & Fab (December 2006), ASIN B004QSQMLS
  • Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred (March 2008), ASIN B00127RAJY
  • Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism (February 2009), ASIN B001NFNFN0
  • Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones (February 2009), ASIN B001NFNFMQ
  • Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown (March 2010), ASIN B0031XYLWG
  • Jillian Michaels: Shred-It With Weights (September 2010), ASIN B003TJM69C
  • Jillian Michaels: 6 Week Six-Pack (November 2010), ASIN B0042AGNB4
  • Jillian Michaels for Beginners: Backside (December 2010), ASIN B0042J7GSE
  • Jillian Michaels for Beginners: Frontside (December 2010), ASIN B0042J7GS4
  • Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 (March 2011), ASIN B004CRR9IS
  • Jillian Michaels Killer Buns & Thighs (September 2011), ASIN B0051GLDQI
  • Jillian Michaels Extreme Shed & Shred (December 2011), ASIN B005K8QI9E
  • Jillian Michaels Body Revolution (February 2012)
  • Kickbox Fastfix (March 2012), ASIN B006IRQU5S
  • Jillian Michaels Killer Abs (September 4, 2012)

Bibliography

















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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Who was Elizabeth Ann Hulette


Who was Elizabeth Ann Hulette? She was best known as Miss Elizabeth, was a U.S. professional wrestling manager. While working at International Championship Wrestling shows, Hulette met Randall Poffo, a wrestling performer with the stage name "'Macho Man' Randy Savage".

She gained international fame during the late-1980s and early-1990s in the World Wrestling Federation, and the mid-1990s in World Championship Wrestling in her role as the counterpart to "Macho Man" Randy Savage.




Elizabeth Ann Hulette (November 19, 1960 – May 1, 2003),


Miss Elizabeth's first major angle was during Savage's feud with George "The Animal" Steele in 1986. In the angle, Steele fell in love with Miss Elizabeth, angering Savage and leading to a series of matches. Their feud was one of the WWF's most popular of the 1980s; it carried on for more than a year, thanks to the feral Steele's continued innocent crush on Elizabeth. She also figured prominently in Savage's 1986 feuds with Hulk Hogan and Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat.

The year 1988 was a pivotal one for Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth. Hulk Hogan, who had been the Champion and the foundation upon which the WWF's popularity was built, lost the WWF World championship belt in a match against André the Giant. André the Giant then forfeited the belt to the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase due to an arrangement that they had prior to the match. President Jack Tunney declared that the belt cannot be forfeited to another individual. A tournament was held at WrestleMania IV to declare a new champion, which Randy Savage won. With Miss Elizabeth alongside him in the spotlight, she was the first female manager-valet to ever reach such a successful plateau.

Miss Elizabeth became the catalyst for the breakup of the Savage–Hogan relationship. During a 1989 tag team match that pitted the Mega Powers against The Twin Towers (Akeem "The African Dream" and The Big Bossman), Savage was thrown onto Miss Elizabeth, knocking her unconscious on the outside of the ring. Seeing this, Hogan scooped her up and, as the match continued, carried her to the backstage area for medical attention. Upon his return to the ring, Hogan was greeted with anger from Savage for having abandoned him in the midst of a match. Savage slapped his partner and left the ring area. Hogan continued the match, winning singlehandedly. Hogan exited the ring and reached the backstage area, where Savage attacked him, turning Savage heel.

Savage remained a heel for many months, eventually taking on Sherri Martel as his manager and dubbing himself "The Macho King" after defeating "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan for the "king of the ring" tournament crown in the later part of 1989. Miss Elizabeth was a full-time valet and did not officially wrestle in a single match. However, she engaged in a notable feud with Sherri Martel, including several catfight segments. When Savage and Martel began a heated feud with "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire, Miss Elizabeth came to their aid and joined forces with Rhodes and Sapphire. This came to a head at WrestleMania VI, where the two couples were engaged in the WWF's first mixed tag-team match. When Martel attempted to help Savage double-team Rhodes, Miss Elizabeth grabbed Martel by the hair. While the two women faced off, Sapphire took advantage of the situation, kneeling down behind Martel just as Miss Elizabeth pushed her. Martel lost her balance and gave Sapphire enough advantage to pin Martel for the win.

Miss Elizabeth disappeared from WWF television until WrestleMania VII, when Savage lost a retirement match to The Ultimate Warrior. Upon his loss, Martel began beating him and kicking the defeated man, until Elizabeth, who was sitting at ringside, entered the ring and defended Savage. Elizabeth grabbed Martel by the hair and threw her out of the ring, reuniting Savage and Elizabeth.

The couple then held a heavily promoted on-air wedding billed as "The Match Made in Heaven" at SummerSlam 1991 in New York's Madison Square Garden (the couple were officially married on December 30, 1984).[2] At the wedding reception, Elizabeth opened a gift package containing a live snake, which frightened her. This led to Savage coming out of retirement for a feud with Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Moments later, Roberts and The Undertaker crashed the reception and assaulted Savage. At the Tuesday in Texas pay-per-view, Savage pinned Roberts. Following the match, Roberts beat down Savage, then forced Elizabeth to beg him to stop the beating. Apparently dissatisfied with her begging, Roberts grabbed her by the hair and slapped her across her face. On the February 8, 1992 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event, Roberts, with a steel chair in tow, was waiting in the backstage area for Elizabeth and Savage to come through the curtain after a match. Roberts was about to strike Elizabeth with the chair, but Undertaker stopped him. This started Undertaker's feud with his former ally.

In her final WWF angle, WWF Champion Ric Flair bragged that he dated Elizabeth before Savage met her. Flair's tagline was, "She was mine before she was yours." He showed photos of himself with Elizabeth in casual situations, which were later printed in an issue of WWF Magazine. Flair, with Mr. Perfect as his "executive consultant", said that they were going to show a nude photo of Elizabeth on the screen at WrestleMania VIII, although this did not occur. Halfway through this match Elizabeth made her way to ringside against the wishes of WWF officials. After the match Flair tried to kiss Elizabeth who slapped him. Instead, Savage regained the belt in a match with Flair at the event, and WWF Magazine later revealed that the photos were doctored, as other photographs showed Elizabeth in the exact same poses and situations, but with Savage. Elizabeth's final WWF appearance took place on April 19, 1992 during an overseas tour of England. Randy Savage pinned Shawn Michaels after Miss Elizabeth, who had earlier been sent backstage, returned to prevent Sherri's interference.[3]

Savage and Liz divorced on September 18, 1992.


In January 1996, Miss Elizabeth returned to wrestling as a valet for Savage. She later turned against Savage and become Ric Flair's valet in the Four Horsemen. She later turned against the Four Horsemen and joined the New World Order (nWo) alongside Savage and Hogan. In June 1998, she parted ways with Savage once again by joining Hogan's side of the nWo, nWo Hollywood. Then, she accompanied Eric Bischoff on his way to the ring for the next few months.

Elizabeth briefly married Cary Lubetsky, a South Florida attorney, in December 1997. The wedding was held at the Cuban Hebrew Temple in Miami Beach. The marriage was short-lived, as the couple were divorced in 1998

On the January 4 episode of Nitro, Elizabeth was seen talking to police detectives. She claimed that Bill Goldberg was stalking her and that he even accosted her by the water cooler. She then filed charges against Goldberg. Goldberg was arrested later that night for aggravated stalking and taken into custody by police. However, later that night, Elizabeth admitted that she was lying. As it turned out, Elizabeth was a pawn for the nWo so that Goldberg wouldn't be able to have his scheduled title match with Kevin Nash later that night. Due to Goldberg's apparent absence, the returning Hulk Hogan took Goldberg's title shot in the match that became known as "The Fingerpoke of Doom". Soon after, Elizabeth accompanied Lex Luger, and sometimes Kevin Nash, to ringside. However, Luger injured his biceps at a February 1999 house show and they soon took time off the road.


In February, Elizabeth managed the short-lived partnership between Luger and Ric Flair. The three of them were known as Team Package. The trio's main goal was to take down Hulk Hogan, whom Luger had been publicly challenging to a match during the previous few weeks. Hogan made his return to WCW during the February 2 edition of WCW Thunder, and while his back was turned during an interview segment, Elizabeth came into the ring, baseball bat raised. However, Hogan quickly turned around and easily out-muscled the bat from her possession. As a receipt for her dastardly act, and in a throwback to his attacks on Sensational Sherri in the World Wrestling Federation, Hogan picked up Liz and held her up high in the air and delivered his patented atomic drop. However, Elizabeth no-sold the maneuver and quickly rolled out of the ring.Later that week, Hogan called into Bubba the Love Sponge's radio show to discuss his program with Luger, not to mention Elizabeth no-selling his atomic drop maneuver on the previous edition of Thunder. Hogan claimed that Elizabeth refused to take a bigger bump because she wasn't wearing any panties underneath her skirt. Shortly thereafter, Team Package went their separate ways as they fought various members of The New Blood. Elizabeth engaged in short-lived feuds with Vince Russo and Kimberly Page. On May 8, 2000, Elizabeth wrestled in her first official match against Daffney. She then competed in matches against Rhonda Singh and Madusa.

WCW released Elizabeth from her contract on August 17, 2000.


Despite being let go by WCW, Elizabeth and Luger stayed together as a couple. Friends of Elizabeth said the two were planning on getting married sometime in 2003. After her departure from wrestling, Hulette began working the front desk at Main Event Fitness in Marietta, Georgia, a gym that Luger had owned for years after he and Steve Borden opened it during their wrestling heyday.

Elizabeth was advertised to make her first wrestling appearance since her departure from WCW during the World Wrestling All-Stars tour of Europe in November 2002 and December 2002 alongside Luger.[8] She accompanied Luger on the tour overseas, but didn't appear on a single show. Elizabeth never made another wrestling appearance after her release from WCW. Luger ended up winning and losing the WWA World Heavyweight Championship in matches with Sting during the tour.

On April 19, 2003, Elizabeth was involved in a domestic dispute with Luger, who allegedly struck her in the garage of their townhouse in Marietta, Georgia. Cobb County police found Elizabeth with two bruised eyes, a bump on her head, and a cut lip. Luger was charged with a misdemeanor count of battery and released on $2,500 bond. Two days later on April 21, Luger was arrested for driving under the influence after rear-ending another car while driving his Porsche. According to the report on the arrest, Luger had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes and could not locate his driver's license. Luger had a 9-mm handgun in the car. Elizabeth was a passenger in the vehicle, and was sent home in a taxicab. Luger was also driving with a suspended license for not appearing in court on March 5, 2003 for a hearing on a previous offence (driving with expired tags and having no proof of insurance).


On May 1, 2003 in Marietta, Georgia, Luger called 9-1-1 from his home and reported that Elizabeth was not breathing. She did not respond to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and paramedics rushed her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Luger's phone call was later aired on an episode of WWE Confidential. Elizabeth and Luger were taking mixed pills of hydrocodone and Alprazolam (Xanax) with vodka. Luger was arrested later that day after a search of the residence revealed a number of illicit controlled substances, including anabolic steroids, OxyContin, synthetic growth hormone, testosterone, and Alprazolam. He was charged with 14 drug possession counts, 13 of them felonies. Luger pled guilty to the charges on February 3, 2005. He was given a $1,000 fine, and sentenced to 5 years probation.

Her final resting place is in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the Frankfort Cemetery next to her grandparents, the Sorgs.
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Who is Kirsten Caroline Dunst

Who is Kirsten Caroline Dunst? The world knows her as Kirsten Dunst, she is an American actress and singer. She made her film debut in Oedipus Wrecks, a short film directed by Woody Allen for the anthology New York Stories (1989). She appeared in Little Women (1994) opposite Winona Ryder and Claire Danes, before securing the role that brought her widespread recognition, as the vampire Claudia in Interview with the Vampire (1994). She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance.

Dunst became well known when she was cast as Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man films. Since then, she has played the title role in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006), and How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008). She will next star in the 2009 films All Good Things, and Sweet Relief.

Dunst made her singing debut in the film Get Over It (2001), in which she performed two songs. In the 2001 film The Cat's Meow, she performed Henry Creamer and Turner Layton's song "After You've Gone" for the end credits of the film. In 2008, Dunst admitted that she was battling with depression and checked herself into rehab, and discharged herself in March 2008. Dunst has dated playwright Jeff Smeenge, actor Jake Gyllenhaal and Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell.


Dunst was born born April 30, 1982 in Point Pleasant, New Jersey to Klaus and Inez Dunst. She has a younger brother, Christian. Her father was a medical services executive and her mother was an artist and former gallery owner. On her father's side, Dunst is of German descent and on her mother's side, is of Swedish descent.

Dunst lived in New Jersey until the age of six, where she attended Ranney School, before she moved with her mother and younger brother, to Los Angeles, California in 1991. In 1995, her mother filed for divorce from her father. In 1996, she began attending Notre Dame, a private Catholic high school in Los Angeles. Dunst graduated from Notre Dame in 2000 and left to continue in her acting career. When asked if she had any regrets about the way she spent her childhood, Dunst said: "Well, it's not a natural way to grow up, but it's the way I grew up and I wouldn't change it. I have my stuff to work out... I don't think anybody can sit around and say: 'My life is more screwed up than yours.' Everybody has their issues."



Dunst began her career as a child fashion model at the age of three in television commercials. She was signed with Ford Models and Elite Model Management. At the age of eight, Dunst made her film debut in Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks, a short film that was released as one-third of the anthology film New York Stories (1989). Soon after, she landed a small part in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) as Tom Hanks' daughter. In 1993, Dunst played Hedril in "Dark Page", the seventh season episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. At the age of 15, Dunst was the voice of the title character, Kiki, a 13-year-old apprentice witch, who leaves her home village to spend a year on her own, in the 1997 anime film Kiki's Delivery Service. She also had a recurring role as a child prostitute, Charlie Chiemingo, taken under the guidance of Doctor Doug Ross, played by George Clooney, on NBC's medical drama ER.

Dunst portrayed young Amy March in the 1994 film adaptation of Little Women. The film received generally good reviews; critic Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the film was the greatest adaptation of the novel, and also remarked on Dunst's performance: "The perfect contrast to take-charge Jo comes from Kirsten Dunst's scene-stealing Amy, whose vanity and twinkling mischief make so much more sense coming from an 11-year-old vixen than they did from grown-up Joan Bennett in 1933. Ms. Dunst, also scarily effective as the baby bloodsucker of Interview With the Vampire, is a little vamp with a big future."




She later appeared in the fantasy film Jumanji (1995), loosely based on Chris Van Allsburg's 1981 book of the same name. The story is about a supernatural and ominous board game which makes animals and other jungle hazards appear upon each roll of the dice. She was part of an ensemble cast that included Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, and David Alan Grier. The movie grossed $100 million worldwide. That same year, she was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People, which she repeated in 2002. In 1997, she was the voice of Young Anastasia in the animated musical film Anastasia.

Dunst was also offered the role of Angela in the 1999 drama film American Beauty, but turned it down because she did not want to appear in the film's suggestive sexual scenes or kiss co-star Kevin Spacey. Also adding, "When I read it, I was 15 and I don't think I was mature enough to understand the script's material." That same year, she appeared in the comedy Dick, alongside Michelle Williams. The film is a parody retelling the events of the Watergate scandal which lead to the resignation of then US president Richard Nixon.

She had the role of troubled adolescent Lux Lisbon in Sofia Coppola's independent film The Virgin Suicides. The film was screened at a special presentation at the 43rd San Francisco International Film Festival in 2000. The film received generally favorable reviews; The San Francisco Chronicle in review of the film, noted: "Dunst beautifully balances innocence and wantonness."

In 2000, she played Torrance Shipman the captain of a cheerleading squad in Bring It On. The film generated mostly critical reviews, with Charles Taylor of Salon.com noting: "'Bring It On' doesn't provide Dunst with as good a role as she had in last year's underrated political satire Dick or as she had earlier this year playing '70s dreamboat Rapunzel of The Virgin Suicides." While Jessica Winter of The Village Voice complimented Dunst, stating "Dunst... delivers a performance as sprightly and knowingly daft as her turn in Dick. She provides the only major element of Bring It On that plays as tweaking parody rather than slick, strident, body-slam churlishness." The movie grossed $68 million worldwide.

The following year, Dunst depicted the late American actress Marion Davies in The Cat's Meow (2001). The film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Derek Elley of Variety described the film as "playful and sporty" and said of Dunst, "[She] gives her best performance to date amid a skilled older cast. Believable as both a spoiled ingenue and a lover to two very different men, Dunst endows a potentially lightweight character with considerable depth and sympathy." In the Esquire review, Tom Carson called her performance "terrific". For her work, she won the Best Actress Silver OmbĂş category award at the 2002 Mar del Plata Film Festival. Also, in 2001, she had a role in the comedy Get Over It.


Dunst supported Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 US presidential election. She supported Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election.Viewed as a sex symbol, she was ranked in the "Hot 100 List" by Maxim magazine in 2003 and 2004.] She was ranked at number 59 on VH1's 100 Greatest Kid Stars.[80] Dunst was featured on Richard Blackwell's famous Best Dressed List for 2005.

Dunst confirmed that she was treated for depression early in 2008. She sought treatment at the Cirque Lodge treatment center in Utah. She explained that she had been feeling "low" in the six months prior to her going to rehab. In late March, she checked out from the treatment center and began filming All Good Things. In May, she went public with this information to "highlight the struggle faced by so many other successful women" and to dispel false rumors that had "been very painful for my friends and family". more

Monday, December 22, 2008

Kate Beckinsale

>Who is Kathryn Bailey? The world knows her as "Kate" Beckinsale. She is an English actress, known for her roles in the films Pearl Harbor (2001), Underworld (2003), Van Helsing (2004), and The Aviator (2004).

She was Born 26 July 1973 in Finsbury Park, London. Beckinsale is the daughter of actor Richard Beckinsale, who died from a heart attack in 1979, and actress Judy Loe. She has a paternal half-sister, Samantha, who is also an actress. Beckinsale's paternal great-grandfather was Burmese, and Beckinsale has said that she was "very oriental-looking" as a child.

Beckinsale attended the Godolphin and Latymer School, an all-girls independent school in London. In her teens, Beckinsale twice won the W. H. Smith Young Writers' competition — once for three short stories and once for three poems.After a rebellious adolescence, including a period of anorexia and starting a smoking habit, she followed in the footsteps of her parents and began her acting career. Her first role was in One Against the Wind, a television film about World War II that was first aired in 1991. Having gained three language A levels, Beckinsale studied French and Russian literature at New College, Oxford, though she did not finish her degree. She thought that having an academic background studying foreign language and literature would broaden her range of acting roles.



During her first year at Oxford, Beckinsale was offered a part in Kenneth Branagh's big-screen film, Much Ado About Nothing, adapted from the Shakespeare play. She spent her last year of studies in Paris, after which she decided to leave the university and concentrate on her acting career.[5] Kate starred in Haunted (1995) with Aidan Quinn and John Gielgud and in the 1996 TV film adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma. She subsequently appeared in a few low-profile films, including Shooting Fish and The Last Days of Disco, both in 1998. During this time, Beckinsale also appeared in television films and in stage roles, including the well-received Cold Comfort Farm, opposite British film and television notables Rufus Sewell, Eileen Atkins, Joanna Lumley and Stephen Fry.


object height="344" width="425"> was not a commercial success. Soon after, Beckinsale was cast in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor as the female lead, after actress Charlize Theron turned down the part. The film was one of the highest grossing films of its year. In the years following, she appeared in a series of American films that were high-profile, but were given a somewhat poor critical reception, including Serendipity (2001), Underworld (2003) and Van Helsing (2004). In 2005, she portrayed Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, a role for which she gained 20 pounds.

In 2006, Beckinsale was placed at #23 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World", after being #71 in 2005. She has also been placed at #16 in Maxim's "HOT 100" (2003), #63 in Stuff's "100 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002), and was chosen by the English magazine Hello! as "England’s #1 Beauty", also in 2002.

In January 2006, Beckinsale reprised her role as a vampire in the movie Underworld: Evolution, a sequel to her 2003 film, Underworld, again directed by her husband, Len Wiseman. The film opened at the #1 spot at the box office, grossing over $26 million in its first weekend of release. On 24 January 2006, Beckinsale was featured on the MTV series, Punk'd. The set-up for the segment took place at the Avalon Hotel in Los Angeles.

Also in 2006, Beckinsale appeared in the comedy Click, starring Adam Sandler, which opened on 23 June. Next, Beckinsale replaced Sarah Jessica Parker in the film Vacancy, released in 2007. Her next role was in Snow Angels, which was released in 2008.

At Comic-Con 2007, she expressed interest in playing Catwoman in the current Christopher Nolan-directed Batman films. In April 2007, during an interview promoting Vacancy, Beckinsale claimed no knowledge of the rumors linking her to a remake of Barbarella. "I was told on the set yesterday, someone said, 'Oh I hear you're doing Barbarella,' one of the grips. So that's the most official it's become. Every woman would consider Barbarella for a moment, but I don't know."

Beckinsale is signed to Independent Models in London.



Beckinsale and her ex-boyfriend Michael Sheen have a daughter, Lily Mo Sheen (born 31 January 1999). She reported in interviews that during her pregnancy with Lily was the only time she has ever stopped smoking. During the Underworld shoot, Beckinsale split from Sheen, who was also starring in the film. She became involved with the director of the film, Len Wiseman.[9] In June 2003, Beckinsale became engaged to Wiseman, and the two were married on 9 May 2004 in Bel-Air, California.

She is close friends with Victoria Beckham. To see more of Who You Is click here


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Who is Luigi "Geno" Auriemma?

W ho is  Luigi   " Geno "   Auriemma? The college basketball world recognizes him as the most successfull division 1  college bas...