Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Who is Isabel Rosario Dawson?

Who is Isabel Rosario Dawson? The entertainment and acting world knows Rosario Dawson  as an American actress, singer, and writer. She has appeared in films such as Kids, Men in Black II, 25th Hour, Sin City, Clerks II, Rent, Death Proof, The Rundown, Eagle Eye, Alexander, Seven Pounds, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Unstoppable.

Early life

Dawson was born May 9, 1979 in New York City. Her mother, Isabel Celeste, is a writer and singer of Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban descent. Rosario's biological father, Patrick C. Harris.[1][2] When she was eighteen, she married Greg Dawson, a construction worker, who "loved and raised Rosario as his own daughter"[1] (Dawson has stated that "He's always been my dad").[2] Rosario Dawson has one younger brother, Clay (b. 1983). Her parents divorced in 2006.
At the age of 26, Dawson's mother moved the family into an abandoned building squat on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where she and her husband gut renovated an apartment and installed the plumbing and electrical wiring for the building, creating affordable housing where their family and two children would grow up. Dawson has cited this when explaining how she learned "If you wanted something better, you had to do it yourself."[3][4]

Career

As a child, Dawson made a brief appearance on Sesame Street. At the age of 15, she was subsequently discovered on her front porch step by photographer Larry Clark and Harmony Korine, where Harmony lauded her as being perfect for a part he had written in his screenplay that would become the controversial 1995 film Kids. She went on to star in varied roles, ranging from independent films to big budget blockbusters including Rent, He Got Game, and Men in Black II.[5][6][7][8][9]
In 1999, Dawson teamed up with Prince for the re-release of his 1980s hit "1999."[10] The new remixed version featured the actress in an introductory voice over, offering commentary on the state of the world in the year before the new millennium.[11] The same year, she appeared in The Chemical Brothers' video for the song "Out of Control" from the album Surrender.[12] She is also featured on the track "She Lives In My Lap" from the second disc of the OutKast album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, in which she speaks the intro and a brief interlude towards the end. In 2001, Rosario appeared in the movie, Josie and the Pussycats

Dawson starred as "Naturelle," the love interest of a convicted drug dealer played by Edward Norton, in the 2002 Spike Lee film drama, 25th Hour. In the 2004 Oliver Stone film Alexander, she played the bride of Alexander the Great. In the autumn of 2005, Dawson appeared on stage as Julia in the Public Theater's "Shakespeare in the Park" revival of Two Gentlemen of Verona.[13] It was her first appearance on stage. “That park is so beautiful,” she said of New York's Central Park.[14]
In the film adaptation of the popular musical Rent in 2005, she played the exotic dancer Mimi Marquez, replacing the original Mimi, Daphne Rubin-Vega, who was pregnant and unable to play the part. She also appeared in the adaptation of the graphic novel Sin City, co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller where she played Gail, a prostitute-dominatrix. Also in that year, she appeared in a graphically violent scene in the Rob Zombie film The Devil's Rejects. Though the scene was cut from the final film, it is available in the deleted scenes on the DVD release.
She starred as Becky in 2006's Clerks II, and mentioned in Back to the Well, the making-of documentary, that the donkey show sequence was what made her decide to take the role. In May of the same year, Dawson, an avid comic book fan, co-created the comic book miniseries Occult Crimes Taskforce.[15] She was at the 2007 Comic-Con to promote the comic. She co-starred with former Rent alum Tracie Thoms in the Quentin Tarantino throwback movie Death Proof in 2007, part of the Tarantino/Robert Rodriguez double feature Grind House. She teamed up with friend Talia Lugacy, whom she met at the Lee Strasberg Academy, to produce and star in Descent.[16] On July 7, 2007, Dawson presented at the American leg of Live Earth.
In 2008, Dawson starred with Will Smith in Seven Pounds and in the Steven Spielberg produced Eagle Eye. Beginning in August, she starred in Gemini Division, an online-based TV series. In the computer animated series Afterworld she voiced the character Officer Delondre Baines.[17] On January 17, 2009, Dawson hosted Saturday Night Live. Later in the year, she voiced the character of Artemis in the animated Wonder Woman film.[18]
In 2009, Dawson performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.[19]
In 2009, Dawson also voiced the character of Velvet Von Black in Rob Zombie's animated feature, The Haunted World Of El Superbeasto
For the Kasabian album West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, she is featured singing on the track, "West Ryder Silver Bullet."
In 2010, she starred in the movies Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, as Persephone, and Unstoppable, as railway yardmaster Connie.
Dawson appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.[20]

Personal life

jay-z
Rosario dated rapper and businessman, Jay Z, in early 2000. She claimed in an interview with the NY Daily news that the rapper took her virginity. Dawson also dated former Sex and the City star Jason Lewis for two years. They lived together in Los Angeles until they separated in November 2006.[21] In December 2008, Dawson confirmed on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that she had been dating an international DJ whom she met in a French cafe.
Jason Lewis
Dawson is involved with the Lower East Side Girls Club[22][23] and supports other charities such as environmental group Global Cool, the ONE Campaign, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, Stay Close.org (a poster and public service ad campaign for PFLAG where she is featured with her uncle Frank Jump),[24] International Rescue Committee, and Voto Latino,[25][25][26] and she participated in the Vagina Monologues. She is on the V-Day Board. She attended both the Democratic National Convention as well as the Republican National Convention in 2008. In October 2008, Dawson became a spokeswoman for TripAdvisor.com’s philanthropy program, More Than Footprints,[27][28] involving Conservation International, Doctors Without Borders, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, and Save The Children. Also in October 2008, she lent her voice to the RESPECT! Campaign,[29] a movement aimed at preventing domestic violence. She recorded a voice message for the Giverespect.org Web site stressing the importance of respect in helping stop domestic violence.
Dawson is a supporter of Arsenal Football Club. On February 16, 2011, before an Arsenal FC vs FC Barcelona UEFA Champions League match, Dawson wrote on her official Twitter account: "I'll be happy with either team winning cuz I love them both but yes I'm a Gunner first & foremost sooooo #gooooArsenal."[30]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1995 Kids Ruby
1997 Girls' Night Out Girl
1998 He Got Game Lala Bonilla
Side Streets Marisol Hidalgo
1999 Light It Up Stephanie Williams
2000 Down to You Lana
King of the Jungle Veronica
2001 Josie and the Pussycats Valerie Brown
Sidewalks of New York Maria Tedesko
Trigger Happy Dee
Chelsea Walls Audrey
2002 Ash Wednesday Grace Quinonez
Men in Black II Laura Vasquez
The Adventures of Pluto Nash Dina Lake
25th Hour Naturelle Riviera
The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest Alisa
Love in the Time of Money Anna
2003 V-Day: Until the Violence Stops Herself Documentary
This Girl's Life Martine
Shattered Glass Andy Fox
The Rundown Mariana
2004 Alexander Roxana
This Revolution Tina Santiago
2005 Sin City Gail
Little Black Dress Haley
Rent Mimi Marquez
2006 Clerks II Rebecca "Becky" Scott
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints Laurie
2007 Grindhouse: Death Proof Abernathy Ross
Descent Maya
Robot Chicken Clara Palmer Episode: "More Blood, More Chocolate" (3.08)
2008 Explicit Ills Babo's Mom
Eagle Eye Zoe Perez
Gemini Division Anna Diaz 30 episodes
Seven Pounds Emily Posa NAACP Image Award For Best Actress
2009 Killshot Donna
Wonder Woman Artemis Voice
The Haunted World of El Superbeasto Velvet Von Black Voice
Un-broke: What You Need To Know About Money Herself Television special
SpongeBob's Truth or Square Herself
The People Speak Herself Documentary
2010 Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief Persephone
Unstoppable Connie Hooper
2011 Zookeeper Brenda Kayes
Girl Walks Into a Bar June
"Miss Representation" Herself

Awards and nominations

  • 2006, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Rent) Nominated
  • 2004, Rising Star Award Won
  • Black Movie Awards
  • 2006, Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Rent) Nominated
  • 2006, Best Actress (Rent) Nominated
  • 2006, Best Ensemble (Rent) Nominated
  • 2006, Best Supporting Actress (Sin City) Nominated
  • 2003, Best Supporting Actress (25th Hour) Nominated
  • 2000, Best Actress (Light It Up) Nominated
  • Broadcast Film Critics
  • 2006, Best Song (Rent) "Seasons of Love" Nominated
  • 2009, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Seven Pounds) Won
  • 2006, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Rent) Nominated
  • 2000, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Light It Up) Nominated
  • 2006, Best Kiss (Sin City) Nominated
  • 2006, Best Supporting Actress Comedy or Musical (Rent) Won
  • 2006, Gamer's Choice: Breakthrough Performance Won
  • 2009, Best Female Actor in a Dramatic Web Series Won
  • 2001, Film - Choice Breakout Performance (Josie and the Pussycats) Nominated
  • 2010, Choice Movie Actress: Fantasy (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief) Nominated[31]

 















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Who is Christopher Ashton Kutcher?

Who is Christopher Ashton Kutcher? The entertainment and acting world knows as Ashton Kutcher, as an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show. He also created, produced and hosted Punk'd, and played lead roles in the Hollywood films Dude, Where's My Car?, Just Married, The Butterfly Effect, The Guardian, and What Happens in Vegas. He is also the producer and co-creator of the supernatural TV show Room 401 and the reality TV show Beauty and the Geek. It was announced in May 2011 that Kutcher would replace Charlie Sheen in the hit CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men.

Early life

Kutcher was born February 7, 1978 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Larry Kutcher, a factory worker, and Diane (née Finnegan), a Procter & Gamble employee.[2][3][4] Kutcher was raised in a conservative Roman Catholic family,[5] with an older sister, Tausha, and a fraternal twin, Michael, who had a heart transplant when the brothers were young children. Kutcher attended Washington High School in Cedar Rapids for his freshman year before his family moved to Homestead, Iowa, where he attended Clear Creek Amana High School. In a 2010 interview on Late Night with David Letterman, Kutcher claimed to be an all-state linebacker who averaged 15 tackles per game in high school. According to a former coach, however, Kutcher played sparingly as a wide receiver on a team that won only two games in his entire high school football career. Kutcher also appeared in school plays.[6]
Kutcher's brother's cardiomyopathy caused his home life to become increasingly stressful. He has stated that "I didn't want to come home and find more bad news about my brother" and "kept myself so busy that I didn't allow myself to feel".[7] Kutcher admitted that during adolescence, he contemplated committing suicide. At thirteen, he attempted to jump from a Cedar Rapids hospital balcony, with his father intervening in the incident.[8] Kutcher's home life worsened as his parents divorced when he was sixteen. During his senior year, he broke into his high school at midnight with his cousin in an attempt to steal money; he was arrested leaving the scene. Kutcher was convicted of third-degree burglary and sentenced to three years' probation and 180 hours of community service. Kutcher stated that although the experience "straightened him out", he lost his girlfriend and anticipated college scholarships, and he was ostracized at school and in his community.[6]
Kutcher enrolled at the University of Iowa in August 1996, where his planned major was biochemical engineering, motivated by the desire to find a cure for his brother's heart ailment.[4] At college, Kutcher was kicked out of his apartment for being too "noisy" and "wild".[9] Kutcher stated, "I thought I knew everything but I didn't have a clue. I was partying, and I woke up many mornings not knowing what I had done the night before. I played way too hard. I am amazed I am not dead."[10] To earn money for his tuition, Kutcher worked as a college summer hire in the cereal department for the General Mills plant in Cedar Rapids, and sometimes donated blood for money.[11] During his time at UI he was approached by a scout at a bar called "The Airliner" in Iowa City and was recruited to enter the "Fresh Faces of Iowa" modeling competition. After placing first, he dropped out of college and won a trip to New York City to the International Modeling and Talent Association (IMTA) Convention. Following his stay in New York City, Kutcher returned to Cedar Rapids before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.[9]

Career

Modeling career

After participating as a modeling contestant in an IMTA competition (losing to Josh Duhamel) in 1998, Kutcher signed with the Next modeling agency in New York, appeared in ads for Calvin Klein, modeled in Paris and Milan, and appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial.

Television and film career


After some success in modeling, Kutcher moved to Los Angeles and, after his first audition, was cast as Michael Kelso in the television series That '70s Show, which debuted in 1998 and ended in 2006. Kutcher was cast in a series of film roles; although he auditioned but was not cast for the role of Danny Walker in Pearl Harbor (2001), (role went to Josh Hartnett),[12] he starred in several comedy films, including Dude, Where's My Car? (2000), Just Married (2003), and Guess Who (2005). He briefly appeared in the 2003 family film, Cheaper By The Dozen, playing a self-obsessed actor. His 2004 film The Butterfly Effect was an unusually dramatic role for Kutcher, playing a conflicted young man who fell in love with a girl named Kayleigh; the film received mixed to negative reviews, but was a box-office success.[6]
In 2003, Kutcher produced and starred in his own series on MTV's Punk'd as the host. The series involved various hidden camera tricks performed on celebrities. Kutcher is also an executive producer of the reality television shows Beauty and the Geek, Adventures in Hollyhood (based around the rap group Three 6 Mafia), and The Real Wedding Crashers and the game show Opportunity Knocks. Many of his production credits, including Punk'd, come through Katalyst Films, a production company he runs with partner Jason Goldberg.[13]
Because of scheduling conflicts with the filming of The Guardian, Ashton was forced not to renew his contract for the eighth and final season of That 70s Show, although he did appear in the first four episodes of it (credited as a special guest star) and returned for the show's series finale.[6]
Kutcher produced and starred in the 2010 action comedy, Killers, in which he played a hitman.[14]
In May 2011, Kutcher took Charlie Sheen's place on Two and a Half Men.[15] Kutcher's contract, which is for one year is believed to be worth nearly $20 million.[16]

Other work

Kutcher was part of the management team for Ooma, a tech start-up launched in September 2007. Ooma is in the Voice over Internet Protocol business and Ashton's role was as Creative Director. He was spearheading a marketing campaign and producing viral videos to promote this service. Kutcher has also created an interactive arm of Katalyst called Katalyst Media with his partner from Katalyst Films, Jason Goldberg. Their first site is the animated cartoon Blah Girls Ooma revamped its sales and marketing strategy with a new management team in the summer of 2008, replacing Ashton Kutcher as their creative director. Rich Buchanan, from Sling Media, became Ooma's Chief Marketing Officer.
He currently advertises for Nikon cameras.

Personal life


In 2003, Kutcher began dating actress Demi Moore. Moore and Kutcher married on September 24, 2005, in a private ceremony conducted by a Rabbi of the Kabbalah Center; the wedding was attended by about 150 close friends and family of the couple, including Bruce Willis, Moore's ex-husband.[17] In October 2010, Kutcher and Moore met with co-director of the Kabbalah Center Rabbi Yehuda Berg in Israel.[18]
Kutcher has invested in an Italian restaurant, Dolce[6] (other owners include Danny Masterson and Wilmer Valderrama) and a Japanese-themed restaurant named Geisha House located in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York.
Kutcher is a self-described fiscal conservative and social liberal.[19] He is a student of Kabbalah; his co-star, Natalie Portman, stated in 2011 that Kutcher "has taught me more about Judaism than I think I have ever learned from anyone else".[20]
On September 17, 2008, Kutcher was named the assistant coach for the freshman football team at Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles. However, he was unable to return in 2009 because he was filming Spread.[21][22]

Twitter presence

On April 16, 2009, Kutcher ("aplusk") became the first user of Twitter to have more than 1,000,000 followers,[23] beating CNN in the "Million followers contest".[24][25][26] Kutcher announced via Twitter that he would be donating $100,000 to a charity to fight malaria. However, there have been several reports that Twitter manipulated the contest's results by preventing users from "unfollowing" Kutcher or CNN.[27]

Controversy

In April, 2011 Kutcher and wife Demi Moore began a Public Service Announcement campaign claiming that "Real Men" do not engage the services of child prostitutes who are the victims of human trafficking. [28] Kutcher's claims that 100,000 - 300,000 American children were sold in to sexual slavery were criticised by newspaper The Village Voice, who gave evidence to the contrary. [29] Kutcher reacted to the criticism of his campaign by linking Village Voice to child prostitution themselves and using Twitter to request that Village Voice advertisers including American Airlines, Disney and Domino's Pizza withdraw their advertising from the publication. [30][31]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1998–2006 That '70s Show Michael Kelso 180 episodes
1999 Coming Soon Louie
2000 Down to You Jim Morrison
Reindeer Games College Kid
Dude, Where's My Car? Jesse Montgomery III
2001 Just Shoot Me! Dean Cassidy 1 episode
Texas Rangers George Durham
2002 Grounded for Life Cousin Scott 1 episode
2003–2007 Punk'd Himself/Host
2003 Just Married Tom Leezak
My Boss's Daughter Tom Stansfield
Cheaper by the Dozen Hank Supporting role
2004 The Butterfly Effect Evan Treborn Main role
2005 Guess Who Simon Green
A Lot Like Love Oliver Martin
Robot Chicken Various Voice
2006 Bobby Fisher
The Guardian Jake Fischer
Open Season Elliot Voice
2008 Miss Guided Beaux 1 episode
What Happens in Vegas... Jack Fuller Lead role
2009 Spread Nikki Main role
Personal Effects Walter[32] Main role
2010 Valentine's Day Reed Bennet Main role
Killers Spencer Aimes Main role
2011 No Strings Attached Adam Franklin Main role
2011–present Two and a Half Men
Main role

As a producer

Year Title Episodes Notes
2003–2007 Punk'd 69 episodes Executive producer/host
2003 My Boss's Daughter
Co-producer
2004 The Butterfly Effect
Executive producer
You've Got a Friend 8 episodes Executive producer
2005–2008 Beauty and the Geek 48 episodes Executive producer
2007 Adventures in Hollyhood 8 episodes Executive producer
Miss Guided 7 episodes Executive producer
Game Show in My Head
Executive producer
The Real Wedding Crashers 7 episodes Executive producer
Room 401 8 episodes Executive producer
2008 Pop Fiction
Executive producer
2008–2009 Opportunity Knocks
TV series (Executive producer)
2009 True Beauty
Executive producer
The Beautiful Life 5 episodes
Spread

2005 A Lot Like Love

2010 Killers
Executive producer

Awards

  • Kid's Choice Awards
    • 2004 – Favorite Movie Actor for Just Married, My Boss's Daughter and Cheaper by the Dozen – Nominated
    • 2004 – Favorite Television Actor for That '70s Show and Punk'dWinner
    • 2005 – Favorite TV Actor for That '70s Show and Punk'd – Nominated
    • 2007 – Favorite Voice in a Cartoon for Open Season – Nominated
  • People's Choice Awards
    • 2010 – Favorite Web Celeb – Winner
  • Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award
    • 2000 – Sierra Award Best Male Newcomer for Dude, Where's My Car? – Nominated
  • MTV Movie Awards
    • 2001 – Breakthrough Male Performance for Dude, Where's My Car? – Nominated
    • 2011 – Best Comedic Performance for No Strings Attached – Pending
  • Teen Choice Awards
    • 2010 – Choice: Movie Actor Romantic Comedy for Valentine's DayWinner


 


 


 

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Who is Angus Turner Jones?

Who is Angus Turner Jones? The entertainment and acting world knows Angus T. Jones as an American actor. He is best known for his role as Jake Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men (2003–present).





 

 

 

Career

Angus was born October 8, 1993 Aside from Two and a Half Men, Jones has also had supporting roles in the films See Spot Run, The Rookie, Bringing Down the House, George of the Jungle 2, and The Christmas Blessing.
Jones signed a contract guaranteeing him $7.9 million over two seasons (26 episodes), plus a $500,000 signing bonus. This amounts to $300,000 per episode of Two and a Half Men, making him the highest paid child star on television.[1][2]

Notable events

On June 7, 2008, Jones joined stars such as Dakota Fanning, Cuba Gooding Jr., Val Kilmer, and former Bringing Down the House co-star Kimberly J. Brown, to lend their support to the First Star Organization to help abused and neglected children.[3]
On August 26, 2008, Jones joined stars such as Madeline Zima, Thom Barry and Brandon Barash at the annual "Rock 'N Roll Fantasy Camp."[4]
On October 4, 2008, Jones was among many stars, including Miranda Cosgrove, Meaghan Jette Martin, Ray Liotta, Selena Gomez, and Shailene Woodley to attend the Variety's Power of Youth benefit for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.[5]
In October 2009, his Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer presented Jones with the award for the Rising Star of 2009 at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Rising Star Gala.[6]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Simpatico Five-Year-Old
2001 See Spot Run James
Dinner with Friends Sammy TV movie
ER Sean Gattney Episode: "Quo Vadis?"
2002 The Rookie Hunter Morris
Bringing Down the House Georgie Sanderson
2003 Audrey's Rain Tye Powell TV movie
George of the Jungle 2 George Jr.
2003–present Two and a Half Men Jake Harper Lead role
2005 The Christmas Blessing Charlie Bennett TV movie
2010 Hannah Montana Forever T.J. Guest star

 







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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...