Val Kilmer grew up in the San Fernando Valley the middle son of three boys (Mark the eldest; Wesley the youngest). During his high school years, Wesley drowned in the family's swimming pool, an incident Val claims inspired his subsequent performance in The Salton Sea (2002). Kilmer told Interview magazine during a 1991 conversation to promote The Doors (1991) that as a child, his family had employed a veteran of the Vietnam War, ongoing at the time, as a full-time babysitter. When the man found work elsewhere, the Kilmer family lost touch with him. Through Interview magazine they made an appeal for the Vietnam vet to reconnect with them.
His family has Scottish, Irish, Sephardic Jewish, Cherokee Native American (from a paternal great-grandmother), Swedish, German and distant Mongolian ancestry. He's the younger brother of Mark and older brother of Wesley.
Kilmer is a second cousin of journalist and poet Joyce Kilmer. His paternal grandfather was a gold miner in New Mexico. He's a father, with Joanne Whalley, of daughter Mercedes Kilmer (born October 29, 1991) and son Jack Kilmer (born June 6, 1995). His parents divorced when he was 9 years old. His father, Eugene, died in 1993.
Born
Val Edward Kilmer
December 31, 1959 (age 52)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Showing posts with label ACTOR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ACTOR. Show all posts
Minor Thing Secret About Daniel Radcliffe
Daniel Radcliffe had to decide, and he didn't make that decision lightly, what his first starring film role would be after the "Harry Potter" franchise ended in 2011. Despite demonstrating his acting range by starring in "Equus" and "How to Succeed in Business" on Broadway, the pressure was on for Radcliffe to prove he could play more than Potter on the big screen.
"The Woman in Black," a dark thriller about a recently widowed father who is haunted by his wife's death, has chosen by him . The movie will be in theaters Feb. 3. "I never expected the first thing I did after `Potter' to be a horror film or anything like that. That was one of the reasons it was intriguing to me as well because it was so unexpected," Radcliffe said in a recent interview. Growing up fast, getting praise from actor Sean Connery, who starred in James Bond films, and why he isn't ready to marry his longtime girlfriend, that's what he also talked about.
"The Woman in Black," a dark thriller about a recently widowed father who is haunted by his wife's death, has chosen by him . The movie will be in theaters Feb. 3. "I never expected the first thing I did after `Potter' to be a horror film or anything like that. That was one of the reasons it was intriguing to me as well because it was so unexpected," Radcliffe said in a recent interview. Growing up fast, getting praise from actor Sean Connery, who starred in James Bond films, and why he isn't ready to marry his longtime girlfriend, that's what he also talked about.
James Farentino Passed Away in Los Angeles
US actor James Farentino has died aged 73. He who appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, passed away at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles from heart failure, spokesman Bob Palmer said.
The 1980 science fiction film The Final Countdown, in which he starred alongside Kirk Douglas was one of his most well known films. In 1967, he won a Golden Globe newcomer award for his role in The Pad and How to Use It.
Farentino went on to land recurring roles on popular shows such as Dynasty, Melrose Place and The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, one of the last contract performers with Universal Studios in the 1960s. He also appeared several times in ER as George Clooney's estranged father.
He was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the television mini-series Jesus of Nazareth, in 1978. Aside from his acting, Farentino was almost as well known for his torrid personal life. Divorced three times, Farentino also dated one of Frank Sinatra's daughters, Tina. In 1994 their relationship made headlines after the actor pleaded no contest to stalking her.
The 1980 science fiction film The Final Countdown, in which he starred alongside Kirk Douglas was one of his most well known films. In 1967, he won a Golden Globe newcomer award for his role in The Pad and How to Use It.
Farentino went on to land recurring roles on popular shows such as Dynasty, Melrose Place and The Bold Ones: The Lawyers, one of the last contract performers with Universal Studios in the 1960s. He also appeared several times in ER as George Clooney's estranged father.
He was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the television mini-series Jesus of Nazareth, in 1978. Aside from his acting, Farentino was almost as well known for his torrid personal life. Divorced three times, Farentino also dated one of Frank Sinatra's daughters, Tina. In 1994 their relationship made headlines after the actor pleaded no contest to stalking her.
Honor To Clint Eastwood's Files
Smithsonian Bicentennial will be giving to The legendary Clint Eastwood, who has a fistful of Oscars and a Kennedy Center Honor. The actor and director will be honored at the opening of the Warner Bros. Theater at the National Museum of American History. The event is invitation-only, not making a lot of fans day.
The ribbon cutting will be done by Eastwood and Barry Meyer, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Warner Bros. paid for the renovation of the former auditorium with a $5 million gift. The theater will be a showcase for American film with mostly free programs, beginning Feb. 4 with a Humphrey Bogart tribute. An Eastwood series from June 22-24 will be featured.
The ribbon cutting will be done by Eastwood and Barry Meyer, chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Warner Bros. paid for the renovation of the former auditorium with a $5 million gift. The theater will be a showcase for American film with mostly free programs, beginning Feb. 4 with a Humphrey Bogart tribute. An Eastwood series from June 22-24 will be featured.
Friends Of comedian Patrice O'Neal Talk
When news broke on Tuesday that comedian Patrice O'Neal had died at 41 from complications of a stroke, those closest to him began to react to the sad news.
Ricky Gervais is one of the many friends and celebrity fans who has reacted to the news, recalling a fondness for the comedian's sense of humor and wit. "One of my favourite stand up comedians," he tweeted.
"So sad. RIP," Kevin Smith added. "I shared some air & some air time with the man on O&A; he was always funny & thoughtful. Patrice — he WILL be missed."
"Saturday Night Live" star Seth Meyers remembered the comic on Twitter as well. "RIP Patrice O'Neal," he wrote. "A day spent watching clips of him on-line is a day well spent."
Dane Cook knew the comic for a long time, and he shared his memories of him on Twitter. "I started my career w/ Patrice O'Neal," he wrote. "He was 1 of the best ever. Fond memories of road gigs, late night eats & laughs."
Pro wrestler Chris Jericho, who knew comedian Patrice O'Neal when he worked as a writer for the WWE, also tweeted about his passing. "Sad to hear about Patrice O'Neal. ... I met him when he was a WWE writer and worked w him many times," he wrote. "Sweet guy and very funny! God bless u man."
Comedian Patrice O'Neal frequently appeared on "Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn," and after hearing of his death, the "SNL" alum also took to Twitter: "Thanks to everybody for the Patrice ONeal comments. One of a kind. In heaven right now, charming half and infuriating half, then reversing."
It isn't just the comedy community that will miss comedian Patrice O'Neal. The Roots' ?uestlove remembered seeing the comedian at one of his last gigs before his death. "So grateful i got to see Patrice Oneal do his last NYC gig. man this is so devastating. he truly was one of my favorite comics. RIP," he tweeted.
A rep for comedian Patrice O'Neal confirmed the death to MTV News on Tuesday with this statement: "It is with terrible sadness we must report that comedian Patrice O'Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00 a.m. due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19. Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side. Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo, his stepdaughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia. The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family's request for privacy at this difficult time."
Ricky Gervais is one of the many friends and celebrity fans who has reacted to the news, recalling a fondness for the comedian's sense of humor and wit. "One of my favourite stand up comedians," he tweeted.
"So sad. RIP," Kevin Smith added. "I shared some air & some air time with the man on O&A; he was always funny & thoughtful. Patrice — he WILL be missed."
"Saturday Night Live" star Seth Meyers remembered the comic on Twitter as well. "RIP Patrice O'Neal," he wrote. "A day spent watching clips of him on-line is a day well spent."
Dane Cook knew the comic for a long time, and he shared his memories of him on Twitter. "I started my career w/ Patrice O'Neal," he wrote. "He was 1 of the best ever. Fond memories of road gigs, late night eats & laughs."
Pro wrestler Chris Jericho, who knew comedian Patrice O'Neal when he worked as a writer for the WWE, also tweeted about his passing. "Sad to hear about Patrice O'Neal. ... I met him when he was a WWE writer and worked w him many times," he wrote. "Sweet guy and very funny! God bless u man."
Comedian Patrice O'Neal frequently appeared on "Tough Crowd With Colin Quinn," and after hearing of his death, the "SNL" alum also took to Twitter: "Thanks to everybody for the Patrice ONeal comments. One of a kind. In heaven right now, charming half and infuriating half, then reversing."
It isn't just the comedy community that will miss comedian Patrice O'Neal. The Roots' ?uestlove remembered seeing the comedian at one of his last gigs before his death. "So grateful i got to see Patrice Oneal do his last NYC gig. man this is so devastating. he truly was one of my favorite comics. RIP," he tweeted.
A rep for comedian Patrice O'Neal confirmed the death to MTV News on Tuesday with this statement: "It is with terrible sadness we must report that comedian Patrice O'Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00 a.m. due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19. Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side. Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo, his stepdaughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia. The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family's request for privacy at this difficult time."
TOPLIST GREAT CLINT EASTWOOD'S MOVIE CHARACTER
10. Walt Kowalski, Gran Torino (2008)
Let’s be clear: I think this movie is a disaster. In my original review, I wrote that “Gran Torino plays like some sort of R-rated Hallmark made-for-TV movie,” and I stand by that. But one of the main problems with this formulaic piece of feel-good simplicity is that Eastwood out-acts everyone around him to a distracting level. He plays a growly Korean War vet who is a caricature of lots of roles he’s played before, but he still manages to give Walt Kowalski
a depth that the mostly amateur actors around him can’t even come close to. It feels like they are in a different movie, and it’s frankly uncomfortable to watch, creating a kind of dissonance with the tried-and-true formula that you think you are supposed to be seeing. If you’ve ever watched Gran Torino and felt something was a little “off” about it, that’s Eastwood bringing more to his character than it deserved.
9. Dave Garver, Play Misty for Me (1971)
The studio executives asked Eastwood why anyone would want to go see a movie where Clint Eastwood plays a radio DJ, and he reportedly answered that he wasn’t sure. What he knew is that the script was a button-pushing suspense thriller and he was ready to make his debut as a director. In fact, they wanted him as an actor and he volunteered as director just so he could start doing it. Jessica Walter, as the obsessed woman who stalks Eastwood’s character, got the Golden Globe for the showier role, but without his character’s aversion to commitment and self-centered cool demeanor, the movie wouldn’t have been as effective. The fact that a tough guy like Clint could be the victim of a crazed stalker made the film even scarier.
8. Red Garnett, A Perfect World (1993)
“I don’t know nothing. I don’t know a damn thing.” Those are the words spoken by Eastwood as Texas Ranger Chief Garnett at the end of the most underrated of all his classic films, A Perfect World, which Eastwood also directed. This film has another bit of nifty casting, in that Kevin Costner is playing the criminal-with-a-heart-of-gold part that a younger Eastwood would normally play, while Eastwood is the somewhat bumbling lawman who is on his tail. It’s a supporting role, for sure, but in his fancy airstream trailer with a feminist criminologist (Laura Dern) and trigger-happy sharpshooter (Bradley Whitford) in tow, Eastwood has plenty of opportunity to play off his co-stars. Things don’t turn out the way Garnett wants them to, and he is forced to re-examine the whole idea of good guys and bad guys.
7. Frank Horrigan, In the Line of Fire (1993)
Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot) knows his way around a taut thriller, and that’s exactly what he delivers here. But what sells the movie — which is essentially a cat-and-mouse game between a would-be-presidential-assassin (John Malkovich) and the secret service agent trying to stop him (Eastwood) — is Eastwood’s subtle performance. Frank is haunted everyday by the fact that President Kennedy was killed on his watch, and although Eastwood is playing another variation on the grizzled man of few words, he elevates the entire affair. Eastwood alone gives the movie the soul it might have otherwise been missing as he struggles to convince him self that he doesn’t have anything in common with the assassin who thinks they are cosmically linked. Of course, what gets rewarded come Oscar time? (Not subtlety!) John Malkovich got a supporting actor nomination for playing crazy, Clint got nada. See a pattern forming here? Speaking of patterns, how come we haven’t seen Morgan Freeman yet?
6. Josey Wales, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Eastwood took over directorial duties on this Civil War-set movie after having screenwriter/director Philip Kaufman fired, and ended up bridging the gap between traditional and revisionist Westerns. The title character from The Outlaw Josey Wales is still the strong-mostly-silent type, like the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western films that made Eastwood famous, but he also has a clearer sense of right and wrong. Although he probably prefers to be alone, Wales can’t help but take on companionship in the form of a Cherokee Chief, a grandma, and a love interest (his six-year romance with co-star Sandra Locke began here) during his quest for revenge. Eastwood makes Wales an altogether more likable outlaw without losing any of the inherent toughness his character usually have.
5. Robert Kincaid, The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Playing against type, Eastwood is a National Geographic photographer who falls in love with an Iowa housewife (Meryl Streep) and has a brief, passionate love affair. It’s not one of his classic films and it’s melodrama for sure, but Eastwood’s understated adaptation of Robert James Waller’s best-selling novel doesn’t pander. Staying away from overt sentimentality, Eastwood’s Kincaid begins as a fantasy figure for Streep’s bored housewife, but in Eastwood’s skilled hands, he becomes a three-dimensional person who slowly realizes how lonely he really is. A melancholy film about dreams that never happened, The Bridges of Madison County works because Eastwood allows the audience a peek behind his ever-manly veneer.
4. Harry Callahan, Dirty Harry (1971)
Would you believe me if I told you that this role was originally meant for Frank Sinatra? It’s hard to imagine, but true. So imprinted on the American consciousness is Eastwood’s take-no-shit, screw-personal-rights borderline fascist vigilante cop Dirty Harry that its star and character are forever linked. This movie was the one that cemented Eastwood as an icon, although Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983), and The Dead Pool (1988) kept Dirty Harry alive for years afterward, with diminishing returns. Could anyone else have said the line “You’ve got to ask yourself a question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” and pulled it off without cracking a smile or looking ridiculous doing so? No way. (Certainly Schwarzenegger couldn’t. He became known for his bad pre- and post-kill punchlines.) For better or worse, this is one character Eastwood will never escape.
3. Frankie Dunn, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Frankie is one of those hard-asses with a soft center that Eastwood knows inside and out, and his work as seen-it-all boxing trainer Frankie Dunn in the Best Picture winner Million Dollar Baby is the most emotionally affecting and humanistic of his career. It’s another restrained performance in a body of classic films, but the years of regret and guilt that have piled up on Frankie show in every inch of his body and Eastwood’s interactions with his co-stars ring with truth in every scene (even when some other characterizations border on camp). As with almost all of Eastwood’s best work, his Million Dollar Baby co-stars Hillary Swank and Morgan Freeman won Oscars, but nothing for him. (Well, if you don’t count his second Best Director award.) And, just to prove that nothing is sacred, I have to include this hilarious 5-second video (with significant SPOILERS) that reducesMillion Dollar Baby to a one-note joke, but also makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it.
2. Blondie, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
I could very well have picked any one of the Sergio Leone ‘Man-with-no-name’ Spaghetti Western trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but I’m going with this one because it’s the most well-known of the three. Sergio Leone may have meant the following quote from 1984 as an insult to Eastwood, but it ultimately showcases what it is about his poncho-clad character that makes him so unique: “Eastwood moves like a sleepwalker between explosions and hails of bullets, and he is always the same—a block of marble.” Although it was considered violent and morally repugnant by some critics at the time of its release, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is now rightly considered a masterpiece of its genre and the faint hint of humanity that Eastwood shows in this movie was enough to garner the audience’s sympathy and finally make him an international movie star. Blondie always looks like he’s one step ahead of the game, with another trick up his sleeve, even when his options seem to be exhausted. Isn’t it ironic that one of America’s best loved actor/directors initially made his name with an Italian film?
1. William Munny, Unforgiven (1992)
Clint Eastwood deconstructs the Western myth in this timeless tale of redemption and/or lack thereof and forms the most fully fleshed-out of all his Western characters in classic films with Unforgiven, which was the first movie he directed to win Best Picture. (Like that film, it also has co-star Morgan Freeman in common.) If anybody knows this territory, its Eastwood. Between a clever script that pokes fun at gunslingers while also looking seriously at the consequences of a hard and violent life and the weathered experience Eastwood brings to the table as an actor, Unforgiven is the whole package. Every Western he’s ever starred in felt like it was leading up to this film. Unforgiven is the ultimate final word on the genre from one of its masters, and his performance as antihero William Munny is an angry condemnation of those who may glorify the violent tendencies of some of Eastwood’s earlier characters. Compare, for instance, this quote from Munny in Unforgiven to the Dirty Harry quote in #4: “”It’s a hell of a thing killin’ a man. You take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.” Again, I have to mention the lack of attention to Eastwood’s acting again: Unforgiven won Best Picture and Best Director (while co-star Gene Hackman earned a well-deserved supporting win), but Eastwood lost Best Actor to … wait for it … Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, a late-term career pity award if there ever was one.
www.scene-stealers.com
Let’s be clear: I think this movie is a disaster. In my original review, I wrote that “Gran Torino plays like some sort of R-rated Hallmark made-for-TV movie,” and I stand by that. But one of the main problems with this formulaic piece of feel-good simplicity is that Eastwood out-acts everyone around him to a distracting level. He plays a growly Korean War vet who is a caricature of lots of roles he’s played before, but he still manages to give Walt Kowalskia depth that the mostly amateur actors around him can’t even come close to. It feels like they are in a different movie, and it’s frankly uncomfortable to watch, creating a kind of dissonance with the tried-and-true formula that you think you are supposed to be seeing. If you’ve ever watched Gran Torino and felt something was a little “off” about it, that’s Eastwood bringing more to his character than it deserved.
9. Dave Garver, Play Misty for Me (1971)
The studio executives asked Eastwood why anyone would want to go see a movie where Clint Eastwood plays a radio DJ, and he reportedly answered that he wasn’t sure. What he knew is that the script was a button-pushing suspense thriller and he was ready to make his debut as a director. In fact, they wanted him as an actor and he volunteered as director just so he could start doing it. Jessica Walter, as the obsessed woman who stalks Eastwood’s character, got the Golden Globe for the showier role, but without his character’s aversion to commitment and self-centered cool demeanor, the movie wouldn’t have been as effective. The fact that a tough guy like Clint could be the victim of a crazed stalker made the film even scarier.8. Red Garnett, A Perfect World (1993)
“I don’t know nothing. I don’t know a damn thing.” Those are the words spoken by Eastwood as Texas Ranger Chief Garnett at the end of the most underrated of all his classic films, A Perfect World, which Eastwood also directed. This film has another bit of nifty casting, in that Kevin Costner is playing the criminal-with-a-heart-of-gold part that a younger Eastwood would normally play, while Eastwood is the somewhat bumbling lawman who is on his tail. It’s a supporting role, for sure, but in his fancy airstream trailer with a feminist criminologist (Laura Dern) and trigger-happy sharpshooter (Bradley Whitford) in tow, Eastwood has plenty of opportunity to play off his co-stars. Things don’t turn out the way Garnett wants them to, and he is forced to re-examine the whole idea of good guys and bad guys.7. Frank Horrigan, In the Line of Fire (1993)
Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot) knows his way around a taut thriller, and that’s exactly what he delivers here. But what sells the movie — which is essentially a cat-and-mouse game between a would-be-presidential-assassin (John Malkovich) and the secret service agent trying to stop him (Eastwood) — is Eastwood’s subtle performance. Frank is haunted everyday by the fact that President Kennedy was killed on his watch, and although Eastwood is playing another variation on the grizzled man of few words, he elevates the entire affair. Eastwood alone gives the movie the soul it might have otherwise been missing as he struggles to convince him self that he doesn’t have anything in common with the assassin who thinks they are cosmically linked. Of course, what gets rewarded come Oscar time? (Not subtlety!) John Malkovich got a supporting actor nomination for playing crazy, Clint got nada. See a pattern forming here? Speaking of patterns, how come we haven’t seen Morgan Freeman yet?6. Josey Wales, The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
Eastwood took over directorial duties on this Civil War-set movie after having screenwriter/director Philip Kaufman fired, and ended up bridging the gap between traditional and revisionist Westerns. The title character from The Outlaw Josey Wales is still the strong-mostly-silent type, like the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western films that made Eastwood famous, but he also has a clearer sense of right and wrong. Although he probably prefers to be alone, Wales can’t help but take on companionship in the form of a Cherokee Chief, a grandma, and a love interest (his six-year romance with co-star Sandra Locke began here) during his quest for revenge. Eastwood makes Wales an altogether more likable outlaw without losing any of the inherent toughness his character usually have.5. Robert Kincaid, The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
Playing against type, Eastwood is a National Geographic photographer who falls in love with an Iowa housewife (Meryl Streep) and has a brief, passionate love affair. It’s not one of his classic films and it’s melodrama for sure, but Eastwood’s understated adaptation of Robert James Waller’s best-selling novel doesn’t pander. Staying away from overt sentimentality, Eastwood’s Kincaid begins as a fantasy figure for Streep’s bored housewife, but in Eastwood’s skilled hands, he becomes a three-dimensional person who slowly realizes how lonely he really is. A melancholy film about dreams that never happened, The Bridges of Madison County works because Eastwood allows the audience a peek behind his ever-manly veneer.4. Harry Callahan, Dirty Harry (1971)
Would you believe me if I told you that this role was originally meant for Frank Sinatra? It’s hard to imagine, but true. So imprinted on the American consciousness is Eastwood’s take-no-shit, screw-personal-rights borderline fascist vigilante cop Dirty Harry that its star and character are forever linked. This movie was the one that cemented Eastwood as an icon, although Magnum Force (1973), The Enforcer (1976), Sudden Impact (1983), and The Dead Pool (1988) kept Dirty Harry alive for years afterward, with diminishing returns. Could anyone else have said the line “You’ve got to ask yourself a question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” and pulled it off without cracking a smile or looking ridiculous doing so? No way. (Certainly Schwarzenegger couldn’t. He became known for his bad pre- and post-kill punchlines.) For better or worse, this is one character Eastwood will never escape.3. Frankie Dunn, Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Frankie is one of those hard-asses with a soft center that Eastwood knows inside and out, and his work as seen-it-all boxing trainer Frankie Dunn in the Best Picture winner Million Dollar Baby is the most emotionally affecting and humanistic of his career. It’s another restrained performance in a body of classic films, but the years of regret and guilt that have piled up on Frankie show in every inch of his body and Eastwood’s interactions with his co-stars ring with truth in every scene (even when some other characterizations border on camp). As with almost all of Eastwood’s best work, his Million Dollar Baby co-stars Hillary Swank and Morgan Freeman won Oscars, but nothing for him. (Well, if you don’t count his second Best Director award.) And, just to prove that nothing is sacred, I have to include this hilarious 5-second video (with significant SPOILERS) that reducesMillion Dollar Baby to a one-note joke, but also makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it.2. Blondie, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
I could very well have picked any one of the Sergio Leone ‘Man-with-no-name’ Spaghetti Western trilogy, A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), or The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, but I’m going with this one because it’s the most well-known of the three. Sergio Leone may have meant the following quote from 1984 as an insult to Eastwood, but it ultimately showcases what it is about his poncho-clad character that makes him so unique: “Eastwood moves like a sleepwalker between explosions and hails of bullets, and he is always the same—a block of marble.” Although it was considered violent and morally repugnant by some critics at the time of its release, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is now rightly considered a masterpiece of its genre and the faint hint of humanity that Eastwood shows in this movie was enough to garner the audience’s sympathy and finally make him an international movie star. Blondie always looks like he’s one step ahead of the game, with another trick up his sleeve, even when his options seem to be exhausted. Isn’t it ironic that one of America’s best loved actor/directors initially made his name with an Italian film?1. William Munny, Unforgiven (1992)
Clint Eastwood deconstructs the Western myth in this timeless tale of redemption and/or lack thereof and forms the most fully fleshed-out of all his Western characters in classic films with Unforgiven, which was the first movie he directed to win Best Picture. (Like that film, it also has co-star Morgan Freeman in common.) If anybody knows this territory, its Eastwood. Between a clever script that pokes fun at gunslingers while also looking seriously at the consequences of a hard and violent life and the weathered experience Eastwood brings to the table as an actor, Unforgiven is the whole package. Every Western he’s ever starred in felt like it was leading up to this film. Unforgiven is the ultimate final word on the genre from one of its masters, and his performance as antihero William Munny is an angry condemnation of those who may glorify the violent tendencies of some of Eastwood’s earlier characters. Compare, for instance, this quote from Munny in Unforgiven to the Dirty Harry quote in #4: “”It’s a hell of a thing killin’ a man. You take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.” Again, I have to mention the lack of attention to Eastwood’s acting again: Unforgiven won Best Picture and Best Director (while co-star Gene Hackman earned a well-deserved supporting win), but Eastwood lost Best Actor to … wait for it … Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman, a late-term career pity award if there ever was one.www.scene-stealers.com
Dennis Quaid Loves golf
Dennis Quaid
Dennis Quaid is Younger brother of Randy Quaid.
Son, with Meg Ryan, Jack Henry Quaid (b. 24 April 1992).
Is also a musician and occasionally performs with his band, "Dennis Quaid and the Sharks".
Wrote songs for 3 of his films: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), Tough Enough (1983), and The Big Easy (1986).
His favorite director of all time is David Lean.
Lived with and was engaged to Lea Thompson for three years. The couple met on the set of Jaws 3 (1983).
When singing with his band, Dennis Quaid and the Sharks, he always plays with bare feet in order to feel comfortable as if playing in his living room.
Separated from wife Meg Ryan on 28 June 2000 and finalized divorced papers [that said Meg Ryan was able to keep all her jewelry and have joint custody of son Jack and the family car, a Jeep Cherokee] on 16 July 2001.
Was scheduled to appear in the David Lean-directed "Nostromo" in 1991, before Lean died, and the production came to a halt.
Loves golf, and his handicap is 6.
His parents are William (Buddy Quaid) & Nita Quaid.
He has a half-brother called Buddy Quaid (born in 1974).
Was asked to play the role of Bob in Halloween (1978) because his then- girlfriend P.J. Soles was in the film, but he was working on another project and had to decline.
Attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas.
Became engaged to Kimberly Quaid in 2004.
He attended Pershing Jr. High School in Houston, Texas.
He is a licensed private pilot with single and multiengine instrument ratings. He also has a type rating for the Cessna Citation 500 series twin engine light jet. He regularly flies the jet to his property in Montana.
Brother-in-law of Evi Quaid.
His drama teacher at Bellaire High School and, then, the University of Houston was Cecil Pickett, father of Cindy Pickett.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his roles in the films The Alamo (2004) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004), he did not receive a nomination however.
Tested for the part of Luke Duke on "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979).
Turned down the role of Thomas Wayne in Batman Begins (2005).
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [November 16, 2005]
Third cousin of Gene Autry.
He and his ex-wife, Meg Ryan, have both appeared in remakes of films starring James Stewart. Quaid played Stewart's part in the remake of The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). Meg Ryan appeared in You've Got Mail (1998), which was a remake of The Shop Around the Corner (1940).
Announced that he & his wife, Kimberly Quaid, are expecting twins via gestational surrogate at the end of 2007.
Dennis and his wife, Kimberly, became the parents of twins, a boy and a girl, on November 8, 2007 in Santa Monica, California. Thomas Boone weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and Zoe Grace weighed in at 5 lbs. 9 oz.
His newborn twins have been placed in an intensive care unit in a Los Angeles-area hospital after they were reportedly given an accidental drug overdose on November 18, 2007.
His wife, Kimberly Buffington, is a real estate agent in Austin, Texas for Buffington Signature Homes. His father-in-law, Thomas B. Buffington, is the CEO of the company.
Uncle of Amanda Quaid.
Cousin of Corbett Tuck and Hillary Tuck.
He was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in march 2005 in Austin, Texas.
Was considered for the role of B.J. McKay in "B.J. and the Bear" (1978).
With Lea Thompson from 1983-1989.
Longtime friend of Brett Cullen. They both attended the University of Houston and were drama students of Cecil Pickett, father of Cindy Pickett.
Dennis Quaid is Younger brother of Randy Quaid.
Son, with Meg Ryan, Jack Henry Quaid (b. 24 April 1992).
Is also a musician and occasionally performs with his band, "Dennis Quaid and the Sharks".
Wrote songs for 3 of his films: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia (1981), Tough Enough (1983), and The Big Easy (1986).
His favorite director of all time is David Lean.
Lived with and was engaged to Lea Thompson for three years. The couple met on the set of Jaws 3 (1983).
When singing with his band, Dennis Quaid and the Sharks, he always plays with bare feet in order to feel comfortable as if playing in his living room.
Separated from wife Meg Ryan on 28 June 2000 and finalized divorced papers [that said Meg Ryan was able to keep all her jewelry and have joint custody of son Jack and the family car, a Jeep Cherokee] on 16 July 2001.
Was scheduled to appear in the David Lean-directed "Nostromo" in 1991, before Lean died, and the production came to a halt.
Loves golf, and his handicap is 6.
His parents are William (Buddy Quaid) & Nita Quaid.
He has a half-brother called Buddy Quaid (born in 1974).
Was asked to play the role of Bob in Halloween (1978) because his then- girlfriend P.J. Soles was in the film, but he was working on another project and had to decline.
Attended Bellaire High School in Bellaire, Texas.
Became engaged to Kimberly Quaid in 2004.
He attended Pershing Jr. High School in Houston, Texas.
He is a licensed private pilot with single and multiengine instrument ratings. He also has a type rating for the Cessna Citation 500 series twin engine light jet. He regularly flies the jet to his property in Montana.
Brother-in-law of Evi Quaid.
His drama teacher at Bellaire High School and, then, the University of Houston was Cecil Pickett, father of Cindy Pickett.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was suggested in the Worst Actor category for his roles in the films The Alamo (2004) and The Day After Tomorrow (2004), he did not receive a nomination however.
Tested for the part of Luke Duke on "The Dukes of Hazzard" (1979).
Turned down the role of Thomas Wayne in Batman Begins (2005).
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [November 16, 2005]
Third cousin of Gene Autry.
He and his ex-wife, Meg Ryan, have both appeared in remakes of films starring James Stewart. Quaid played Stewart's part in the remake of The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). Meg Ryan appeared in You've Got Mail (1998), which was a remake of The Shop Around the Corner (1940).
Announced that he & his wife, Kimberly Quaid, are expecting twins via gestational surrogate at the end of 2007.
Dennis and his wife, Kimberly, became the parents of twins, a boy and a girl, on November 8, 2007 in Santa Monica, California. Thomas Boone weighed in at 6 lbs. 12 oz. and Zoe Grace weighed in at 5 lbs. 9 oz.
His newborn twins have been placed in an intensive care unit in a Los Angeles-area hospital after they were reportedly given an accidental drug overdose on November 18, 2007.
His wife, Kimberly Buffington, is a real estate agent in Austin, Texas for Buffington Signature Homes. His father-in-law, Thomas B. Buffington, is the CEO of the company.
Uncle of Amanda Quaid.
Cousin of Corbett Tuck and Hillary Tuck.
He was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in march 2005 in Austin, Texas.
Was considered for the role of B.J. McKay in "B.J. and the Bear" (1978).
With Lea Thompson from 1983-1989.
Longtime friend of Brett Cullen. They both attended the University of Houston and were drama students of Cecil Pickett, father of Cindy Pickett.
Kenny Wormald grew up in Stoughton
Kenny Wormald
Date of Birth
27 July 1984, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Mini Biography
Kenny Wormald grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and began taking dancing lessons at the age of six. He won a string of dance contests
throughout the North East in his teens and took to dancing professionally.
He worked as a dancer and choreographer, appearing in a number of music videos and touring with Justin Timberlake. He made his TV debut in an episode of "The Drew Carey Show" (1995) in 2002, but he rose to worldwide fame in 2010 when Paramount announced that he was to star in the remake of Footloose (2011).
Trivia
Graduated from Stoughton High School in Stoughton, MA.
Started taking dance lessons at the Sherry Gold Studio after watching a New Kids on the Block video.
Wormald began dancing at the age of 6 after his mom saw him dancing to a New Kids On The Block video, and won numerous competitions: At eleven he won the Master Dance of New England, at thirteen Junior Mr. Dance of New England, Teen Dancer of Boston at fourteen, and Teen Mr. Dance of New England at fifteen. He was in a relationship with Ashley Roberts of the Pussycat Dolls for 3 years.
Date of Birth
27 July 1984, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Mini Biography
Kenny Wormald grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts, and began taking dancing lessons at the age of six. He won a string of dance contests
throughout the North East in his teens and took to dancing professionally.
He worked as a dancer and choreographer, appearing in a number of music videos and touring with Justin Timberlake. He made his TV debut in an episode of "The Drew Carey Show" (1995) in 2002, but he rose to worldwide fame in 2010 when Paramount announced that he was to star in the remake of Footloose (2011).
Trivia
Graduated from Stoughton High School in Stoughton, MA.
Started taking dance lessons at the Sherry Gold Studio after watching a New Kids on the Block video.
Wormald began dancing at the age of 6 after his mom saw him dancing to a New Kids On The Block video, and won numerous competitions: At eleven he won the Master Dance of New England, at thirteen Junior Mr. Dance of New England, Teen Dancer of Boston at fourteen, and Teen Mr. Dance of New England at fifteen. He was in a relationship with Ashley Roberts of the Pussycat Dolls for 3 years.
Steve McQueen was Never Secure As an "Actor"
Steve McQueen was one of the pleasures of 1960s moviegoing. He was and is a unique presence, the essence of cool, and a quintessential screen persona like Bogart, Clint Eastwood or John Wayne. His star burned bright but not long. He died at 50 from cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
He was the highest-paid actor in the world when he took a five-year break from movies. Unlike Paul Newman, he didn't adapt into middle-aged character roles. Unlike Eastwood, he didn't live long enough to develop a behind-the-scenes career. "I've got a feeling, I'm leaving stardom behind ..." he said. "I don't think I can be doing my kind of thing in the seventies; I want to be (a filmmaker on) the creative side of business."
He was never secure as an actor. "I really don't like to act," he said. "At the beginning I was real uncomfortable." Even at his peak, he was the type of actor who counted his lines in "The Towering Inferno" to make sure co-star Paul Newman didn't have
more.
McQueen minimized his talent, calling himself not an actor, but a reactor, not acknowledging that reacting is really what movie acting is all about. The great director John Ford said, "The secret is in people's faces and eyes." In that respect, McQueen was as brilliant as Gary Cooper. "Bullitt" director Peter Yates considered McQueen a marvelous actor, a study in movement.
McQueen had gotten Yates hired on the strength of the British director's first film, "Robbery," which had featured a highly regarded chase scene. In "Bullitt," McQueen is a San Francisco cop guarding a politically sensitive mob witness. When the witness is murdered, the cop becomes a political football.
Yates used McQueen well. He knew how the actor could command the screen in a close-up. You can't take your eyes off him. Several times in "Bullitt," Yates set up props in a crime scene investigation without McQueen knowing what was there, so in close-up we see the cop looking around, paying attention, and thinking as he figures things out.
Besides the technology of an early fax machine, "Bullitt" does not feel dated nearly 45 years later. McQueen's dark blue turtleneck under a brown sport coat could be in this month's GQ. Yates' insistence that the film be entirely shot on location in San Francisco, which was rarely used then, was unique, giving the film a dynamic, real and immediate atmosphere with the feel of a French or Italian film of the era.
"Bullitt" provided the template for the contemporary action film, especially in its famous 11-minute chase scene, featuring McQueen's 1968 Fastback Mustang GT flying over the hills of San Francisco in pursuit of the villains driving a shark-like Dodge Charger. With its always-moving camera, Oscar-winning editing and perfect sound design, the "Bullitt" chase scene is kinetic, sensory overload that never sacrifices character or emotional connectivity.
"Bullitt," like the '68 Mustang and its cool driver, remains a timeless classic.
He was the highest-paid actor in the world when he took a five-year break from movies. Unlike Paul Newman, he didn't adapt into middle-aged character roles. Unlike Eastwood, he didn't live long enough to develop a behind-the-scenes career. "I've got a feeling, I'm leaving stardom behind ..." he said. "I don't think I can be doing my kind of thing in the seventies; I want to be (a filmmaker on) the creative side of business."
He was never secure as an actor. "I really don't like to act," he said. "At the beginning I was real uncomfortable." Even at his peak, he was the type of actor who counted his lines in "The Towering Inferno" to make sure co-star Paul Newman didn't have
more.
McQueen minimized his talent, calling himself not an actor, but a reactor, not acknowledging that reacting is really what movie acting is all about. The great director John Ford said, "The secret is in people's faces and eyes." In that respect, McQueen was as brilliant as Gary Cooper. "Bullitt" director Peter Yates considered McQueen a marvelous actor, a study in movement.
McQueen had gotten Yates hired on the strength of the British director's first film, "Robbery," which had featured a highly regarded chase scene. In "Bullitt," McQueen is a San Francisco cop guarding a politically sensitive mob witness. When the witness is murdered, the cop becomes a political football.
Yates used McQueen well. He knew how the actor could command the screen in a close-up. You can't take your eyes off him. Several times in "Bullitt," Yates set up props in a crime scene investigation without McQueen knowing what was there, so in close-up we see the cop looking around, paying attention, and thinking as he figures things out.
Besides the technology of an early fax machine, "Bullitt" does not feel dated nearly 45 years later. McQueen's dark blue turtleneck under a brown sport coat could be in this month's GQ. Yates' insistence that the film be entirely shot on location in San Francisco, which was rarely used then, was unique, giving the film a dynamic, real and immediate atmosphere with the feel of a French or Italian film of the era.
"Bullitt" provided the template for the contemporary action film, especially in its famous 11-minute chase scene, featuring McQueen's 1968 Fastback Mustang GT flying over the hills of San Francisco in pursuit of the villains driving a shark-like Dodge Charger. With its always-moving camera, Oscar-winning editing and perfect sound design, the "Bullitt" chase scene is kinetic, sensory overload that never sacrifices character or emotional connectivity.
"Bullitt," like the '68 Mustang and its cool driver, remains a timeless classic.
ALL ABOUT BRAD PITT (5) END
Where IS BRAD PITT Now
(May 2003) Filming Troy (2004) in Malta.(May 2004) The cast of Ocean's Twelve (2004) are currently filming in Amsterdam.
(January 2006) His girlfriend Angelina Jolie is expecting their first biological child.
(May 2006) Girlfriend Angelina Jolie gave birth to the couple's second daughter, Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, on May 27, 2006 in Namibia, Africa.
(October 2006) In India with girlfriend Angelina Jolie, who is shooting for A Mighty Heart (2007).
(July 2008) Angelina Jolie gives birth to...
the couple's fifth and sixth children, son Knox Leon and daughter Vivienne Marcheline, in Nice, France.
(May 2009) In Mato Grosso, Brazil, filming The Lost City of Z (2012).
SALARY :
| Inglourious Basterds (2009) | $10,000,000 |
| The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) | $1,000,000 |
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) | $20,000,000 |
| Troy (2004) | $17,500,000 |
| Ocean's Eleven (2001) | $30,000,000 ($10m salary + backend participations) |
| Spy Game (2001) | $17,500,000 |
| The Mexican (2001) | $10,000,000 |
| Fight Club (1999) | $17,500,000 |
| Meet Joe Black (1998) | $17,500,000 |
| Seven Years in Tibet (1997) | $10,000,000 |
| The Devil's Own (1997) | $8,000,000 |
| Sleepers (1996) | $10,000,000 |
| Se7en (1995) | $4,000,000 |
| Kalifornia (1993) | $500,000 |
| Thelma & Louise (1991) | $6,000 |
| Cutting Class (1989) | $12,000 |
| Less Than Zero (1987) | $38 |
Sony Handycam HDR-PJ30V 32GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder with Projector + Sony Case + 16GB Card + Video Light + Battery + Tripod + Wide & Telephoto Lens Kit
ALL ABOUT BRAD PITT (4)
Considers Fitzcarraldo (1982), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) among his personal favorite movies.
Domestic Partner: Angelina Jolie (2005 - present).
Auditioned for the role of Mike in Phantasm II (1988) but director Don Coscarelli instead chose James LeGros.
Along with Angelina Jolie, he traveled to Syria and Jordan on a United Nations Goodwill visit to displaced Iraqi civilians. [October 2009]
Friends with Clint Eastwood.
Met ex-fiancée Gwyneth Paltrow on the set of Se7en (1995).
Was in a relationship with singer Sinitta Renay for two years during the 1980s.
Lives in Los Angeles, Malibu, Goleta, California, Benerville, France and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ex-son-in-law of John Aniston and Nancy Dow.
Ex-stepson-in-law of Sherry Rooney.
Appears in two films that take place in the Northwest during the first decades of the 20th Century, and in which he defends a Native American's right to be served alcohol in a bar: "A River Runs Through It" (1992) and...
"Legends of the Fall" (1994).
Personal Quotes
[US Weekly, 9/18/00] Being married means I can break wind and eat ice cream in bed.
I'm gonna design my own fleet of trailers. No! I'm gonna record an album like Jennifer Lopez. It'll be an acoustic version of KC & The Sunshine Band. Then maybe I'll design a line of clothes like [Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs] but all in synthetic fur.
I'd like to design something like a city or a museum. I want to do something hands on rather than just play golf which is the sport of the religious right.
[Viasat magazine, 5/01] Fame is a bitch, man.
[on what keeps him humble] You know, I telephoned my grandparents the other day, and my grandfather said to me, "We saw your movie." "Which one?" I said, and he shouted, "Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn't like?" I thought that was just classic. I mean, if that doesn't keep your feet on the ground, what would?
I'm one of those people you hate because of genetics. It's the truth.
Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.
[Time magazine, 10/13/97] You shouldn't speak until you know what you're talking about. That's why I get uncomfortable with interviews. Reporters ask me what I feel China should do about Tibet. Who cares what I think China should do? I'm a f---ing actor! They hand me a script. I act. I'm here for entertainment. Basically, when you whittle everything away, I'm a grown man who puts on makeup.
When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It's just a first impression. Then there's someone who doesn't catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them and they become the most beautiful thing in the world. The greatest actors aren't what you would call beautiful sex symbols. I'll tell you who my favorite actress is, Dianne Wiest, and you wouldn't call her a sex symbol. Dianne Wiest is, to me, the most beautiful woman on the screen.
[when asked by Conan O'Brien how he got into character as stoner Floyd in True Romance (1993)] I'm a method actor.
[In May, 2005, on his impending divorce to Jennifer Aniston] The thing I don't understand is looking at this as a failure. It's talked about like it failed, I guess because it wasn't flawless. Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually.
[2003] It's amazing what an impending midlife crisis will do for you, really. It got me motivated, having turned 40 in December.
[on having children] It really changes your perspective on the world. You know, I've had my day. I made some films, and I've really had a very fortunate life, and it's time for me to share that a little bit. Having children takes the focus off yourself, which I'm really grateful for. I'm so tired of thinking about myself. I'm sick of myself. You feel you want to be there and not miss out on anything. It's a true joy and a very profound love. You can write a book, you can make a movie, you can paint a painting, but having kids is the most extraordinary thing I've ever taken on.
[On how his children will influence his future roles] My thoughts these days are, "Oh, my God, what did I do? What are they going to see from the past?" It definitely colors what I'll approach in the future. I'll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions.
[on how his earlier, lesser film roles ultimately improved him as an actor]: I believe I'm quite capable and we, as people, can learn to do anything, and that's proof of it! And my education is on film, on record! Now I can take on anything that comes my way and find truth in it an do a pretty good job.
[About Quentin Tarantino) The set is heaven and he is God. Heretics are not allowed
(2010 - on New Orleans) Truthfully, my favorite sound in the entire world is opening up the balcony doors in the French Quarter and hearing four different sounds playing at once from the apartments across the way or down the street. It's a balmy night, twilight, and I'm drinking a beer, and this feeling just falls over me, of contentment. It gives me goosebumps to talk about it.
(On being dumped by ex-fiancee Jill Schoelen in 1989) She called me up in Los Angeles and was crying on the phone. She was lonely and there was a huge drama. At this point I had $800 to my name and I spent $600 of it getting a ticket from Los Angeles to Hungary to see her. I got there, went straight to the set where she was filming and that night we went out to dinner. She told me that she had fallen in love with the director of the film. I was so shocked I said, 'I'm outta here.' I spent my night in Budapest, sitting on a bench, smoking, with just a local bum to talk to who couldn't speak English. These are the days and nights you remember when you have success. I returned to America absolutely broke. This is why recognition does not bother me too much.
Fame makes you feel permanently like a girl walking past construction workers.
(2009) What's valuable to me has become clearer as I've got older. To me, it's about the value of your time and your day and the value of the people you spend it with. It's about me being a strong father and guide and a good match for my significant other. Then, if I'm going to go to work, it must be something of value to me. I'm much more experienced now, so I can find films that are interesting quicker and cut out the films that don't really matter. It means more to me now because my kids are going to see them, and I want them to be proud.
(1998, on why he moved to L.A.) A lot of the attraction before I came out was the fame, the lifestyle...now my motivation is more, 'I want to be good!'.
We make breakfast like everyone else and it's chaos and pancake batter splashed all over the place and bath time at night. Ultimately, I'm dad. I have the concerns a dad has. Is everyone safe? Am I spending enough time with them? These are the things that keep me awake.
[on comparing his own parenting style with that of his character in 'The Tree of Life']: They say actions speak louder than words. It's even more true with my kids. And so it's quite important to me not to put my frustrations on them or bring them in the door. I want to keep them to be free and not encumbered with my junk. In the film it's the exact opposite. I find it very sad, a very sad man who was embittered by his situation, doesn't feel he can get ahead, always feels like he's on the losing end, feels quite oppressed by his surroundings and predicament, doesn't know why it isn't working out for him and why is it working out for other people. That poisoned view of things.
There are no secrets in our house. We tell the kids, 'Mom and Dad are going off to kiss.'
(2011) I spent the '90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.
(2011, on Angelina Jolie) One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I'm so happy to have her.
(2011, on learning to be a parent) I was surprised at how automatic it is, how much of it is instinctual. And now I have a great confidence and trust in those instincts. I mean, one sound at night and you're awake and up because they may need you. Or when they start to have a tantrum, you know to divert them from spinning out by helping them focus on something. It just goes on and on. I tell them, 'You can make a mess, but you've got to clean it up.'
Sony Handycam HDR-PJ50V 220GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder with Projector with 16GB Card + (2) Batteries + Case + Tripod + Light Bracket + Lens Set + Cleaning Kit
Domestic Partner: Angelina Jolie (2005 - present).
Auditioned for the role of Mike in Phantasm II (1988) but director Don Coscarelli instead chose James LeGros.
Along with Angelina Jolie, he traveled to Syria and Jordan on a United Nations Goodwill visit to displaced Iraqi civilians. [October 2009]
Friends with Clint Eastwood.
Met ex-fiancée Gwyneth Paltrow on the set of Se7en (1995).
Was in a relationship with singer Sinitta Renay for two years during the 1980s.
Lives in Los Angeles, Malibu, Goleta, California, Benerville, France and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ex-son-in-law of John Aniston and Nancy Dow.
Ex-stepson-in-law of Sherry Rooney.
Appears in two films that take place in the Northwest during the first decades of the 20th Century, and in which he defends a Native American's right to be served alcohol in a bar: "A River Runs Through It" (1992) and...
"Legends of the Fall" (1994).
Personal Quotes
[US Weekly, 9/18/00] Being married means I can break wind and eat ice cream in bed.
I'm gonna design my own fleet of trailers. No! I'm gonna record an album like Jennifer Lopez. It'll be an acoustic version of KC & The Sunshine Band. Then maybe I'll design a line of clothes like [Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs] but all in synthetic fur.
I'd like to design something like a city or a museum. I want to do something hands on rather than just play golf which is the sport of the religious right.
[Viasat magazine, 5/01] Fame is a bitch, man.
[on what keeps him humble] You know, I telephoned my grandparents the other day, and my grandfather said to me, "We saw your movie." "Which one?" I said, and he shouted, "Betty, what was the name of that movie I didn't like?" I thought that was just classic. I mean, if that doesn't keep your feet on the ground, what would?
I'm one of those people you hate because of genetics. It's the truth.
Success is a beast. And it actually puts the emphasis on the wrong thing. You get away with more instead of looking within.
[Time magazine, 10/13/97] You shouldn't speak until you know what you're talking about. That's why I get uncomfortable with interviews. Reporters ask me what I feel China should do about Tibet. Who cares what I think China should do? I'm a f---ing actor! They hand me a script. I act. I'm here for entertainment. Basically, when you whittle everything away, I'm a grown man who puts on makeup.
When you see a person, do you just concentrate on their looks? It's just a first impression. Then there's someone who doesn't catch your eye immediately, but you talk to them and they become the most beautiful thing in the world. The greatest actors aren't what you would call beautiful sex symbols. I'll tell you who my favorite actress is, Dianne Wiest, and you wouldn't call her a sex symbol. Dianne Wiest is, to me, the most beautiful woman on the screen.
[when asked by Conan O'Brien how he got into character as stoner Floyd in True Romance (1993)] I'm a method actor.
[In May, 2005, on his impending divorce to Jennifer Aniston] The thing I don't understand is looking at this as a failure. It's talked about like it failed, I guess because it wasn't flawless. Me, I embrace the messiness of life. I find it so beautiful, actually.
[2003] It's amazing what an impending midlife crisis will do for you, really. It got me motivated, having turned 40 in December.
[on having children] It really changes your perspective on the world. You know, I've had my day. I made some films, and I've really had a very fortunate life, and it's time for me to share that a little bit. Having children takes the focus off yourself, which I'm really grateful for. I'm so tired of thinking about myself. I'm sick of myself. You feel you want to be there and not miss out on anything. It's a true joy and a very profound love. You can write a book, you can make a movie, you can paint a painting, but having kids is the most extraordinary thing I've ever taken on.
[On how his children will influence his future roles] My thoughts these days are, "Oh, my God, what did I do? What are they going to see from the past?" It definitely colors what I'll approach in the future. I'll try to be a little bit more mature about my decisions.
[on how his earlier, lesser film roles ultimately improved him as an actor]: I believe I'm quite capable and we, as people, can learn to do anything, and that's proof of it! And my education is on film, on record! Now I can take on anything that comes my way and find truth in it an do a pretty good job.
[About Quentin Tarantino) The set is heaven and he is God. Heretics are not allowed
(2010 - on New Orleans) Truthfully, my favorite sound in the entire world is opening up the balcony doors in the French Quarter and hearing four different sounds playing at once from the apartments across the way or down the street. It's a balmy night, twilight, and I'm drinking a beer, and this feeling just falls over me, of contentment. It gives me goosebumps to talk about it.
(On being dumped by ex-fiancee Jill Schoelen in 1989) She called me up in Los Angeles and was crying on the phone. She was lonely and there was a huge drama. At this point I had $800 to my name and I spent $600 of it getting a ticket from Los Angeles to Hungary to see her. I got there, went straight to the set where she was filming and that night we went out to dinner. She told me that she had fallen in love with the director of the film. I was so shocked I said, 'I'm outta here.' I spent my night in Budapest, sitting on a bench, smoking, with just a local bum to talk to who couldn't speak English. These are the days and nights you remember when you have success. I returned to America absolutely broke. This is why recognition does not bother me too much.
Fame makes you feel permanently like a girl walking past construction workers.
(2009) What's valuable to me has become clearer as I've got older. To me, it's about the value of your time and your day and the value of the people you spend it with. It's about me being a strong father and guide and a good match for my significant other. Then, if I'm going to go to work, it must be something of value to me. I'm much more experienced now, so I can find films that are interesting quicker and cut out the films that don't really matter. It means more to me now because my kids are going to see them, and I want them to be proud.
(1998, on why he moved to L.A.) A lot of the attraction before I came out was the fame, the lifestyle...now my motivation is more, 'I want to be good!'.
We make breakfast like everyone else and it's chaos and pancake batter splashed all over the place and bath time at night. Ultimately, I'm dad. I have the concerns a dad has. Is everyone safe? Am I spending enough time with them? These are the things that keep me awake.
[on comparing his own parenting style with that of his character in 'The Tree of Life']: They say actions speak louder than words. It's even more true with my kids. And so it's quite important to me not to put my frustrations on them or bring them in the door. I want to keep them to be free and not encumbered with my junk. In the film it's the exact opposite. I find it very sad, a very sad man who was embittered by his situation, doesn't feel he can get ahead, always feels like he's on the losing end, feels quite oppressed by his surroundings and predicament, doesn't know why it isn't working out for him and why is it working out for other people. That poisoned view of things.
There are no secrets in our house. We tell the kids, 'Mom and Dad are going off to kiss.'
(2011) I spent the '90s trying to hide out, trying to duck the full celebrity cacophony. I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Jennifer Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.
(2011, on Angelina Jolie) One of the greatest, smartest things I ever did was give my kids Angie as their mom. She is such a great mom. Oh, man, I'm so happy to have her.
(2011, on learning to be a parent) I was surprised at how automatic it is, how much of it is instinctual. And now I have a great confidence and trust in those instincts. I mean, one sound at night and you're awake and up because they may need you. Or when they start to have a tantrum, you know to divert them from spinning out by helping them focus on something. It just goes on and on. I tell them, 'You can make a mess, but you've got to clean it up.'
Sony Handycam HDR-PJ50V 220GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder with Projector with 16GB Card + (2) Batteries + Case + Tripod + Light Bracket + Lens Set + Cleaning Kit
ALL ABOUT BRAD PITT (3)
Dianne Wiest is his favorite actress.
Premiere Magazine ranked him as #50 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
A short while after completing A River Runs Through It (1992), he fled to Amsterdam where he briefly lived for three months by himself in a small basement apartment before returning to the USA to film Kalifornia (1993).
He and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston met on a blind date, which was arranged by their agent
He and his Ocean's Eleven (2001) / Ocean's Twelve (2004) co- stars, Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show "Friends" (1994), though not in the same episodes
Owns and plays Taylor Guitars
In 2001 renowned architect Frank O. Gehry renovated the wine cellar in the home in which Pitt and wife Jennifer Aniston lived. Pitt subsequently did an...
informal apprenticeship in Gehry's Los Angeles office.
Owns the rights to the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002). He wanted it to be remade with he and Tom Cruise in the leading roles. The movie was eventually remade as The Departed (2006). Pitt served as a producer on the movie.
On the invitation of Virgin CEO Richard Branson, he visited over 100 orphans affected by HIV at a facility run by The Salvation Army in South Africa as well as personally meeting Nelson Mandela and discussing Mandela's 46664 campaign (named for his prison ID number) to call attention to South Africa's devastating AIDS epidemic. After South Africa, he then flew to Ethiopia on behalf of DATA, a third-world lobby group co-founded by U2's Bono. [November 2004]
Has appeared in eight movies with a number in the title - and only one of them uses an actual number rather than spelling the word out. That is Se7en (1995), which is a combination of the two, He has appeared in 1 movie with the number Zero in the title, 1 with the number Two in the title, 3 with the number Seven in the title, 1 with the number Eleven and 2 with the Twelve.
He is a big fan of MTV's "Jackass" (2000). He even asked the cast if he could join them during on of their stunt jokes. He eventually made an appearance dressed in an ape outfit, in order not to be recognized, which would have ruined the joke.
Raised in Springfield, Missouri, and is an alumni of Kickapoo High School. Other alumni include Adrienne Wilkinson and Jay Kenneth Johnson.
Broke his arm during the filming of Se7en (1995). The injury was written into the movie.
Adoptive father of Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Zahara Jolie-Pitt with Angelina Jolie.
Wanted to play Darcy in Bride & Prejudice (2004), but wasn't able to work out the filming dates.
Daughter (with girlfriend Angelina Jolie) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born 27 May 2006 in Namibia, Africa.
Ranked #15 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #31 in 2005.
Was considered for two roles which went to Johnny Depp: Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Both were directed by Tim Burton.
The first commercial that Brad Pitt ever booked was through Matrix Talent Agency, Los Angeles. His agent was Linda Olhava, sister of film director Jody Lee Olhava.
Has Single Engine Land pilot license.
Occasionally flies a Cessna 208B Caravan belonging to Chivan Productions.
Initially didn't want to appear in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), although it was he who gave the script to director Doug Liman.
Originally cast as Colin Sullivan in The Departed (2006), but later dropped out. He continued to produce the film under his (and his then wife Jennifer Aniston's) production company, Plan B.
His first job was dancing in a chicken suit to draw in customers at an El Pollo Loco restaurant on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.
March 2007 - he and girlfriend Angelina Jolie adopted a 3-year-old boy named Pax Thien from Vietnam (born November 29th 2003).
Made a cameo appearance with Matt Damon for free in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) as a favor to Ocean's Eleven (2001) costar and close friend George Clooney - the film was Clooney's directorial debut.
Has been in 7 movies where the title contains the name of the character he plays: Johnny Suede (1991), Meet Joe Black (1998), Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Chad Schmidt (2010).
Considered for the role in Crimson Tide (1995) that eventually went to Denzel Washington.
Voted #6 in Elle (France) Magazine's "15 Sexiest Men" poll (June 2007).
Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup, as "the quarterback".
Was trained to handle weapons by renowned Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed, who has also trained such actors as Val Kilmer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Sam Elliot, Girard Swan, Ben Foster and Kurt Russell.
He and Russell Crowe were director Ridley Scott's first two choices for the lead in American Gangster (2007). Crowe was eventually cast.
Used to act at the Vandevort Theater in Springfield, Missouri. He still visits and donates to the theater.
Donated 5 million dollars of his own money to rebuild homes in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
In 2005, he earned $4,500,000 for a Heineken commercial that aired during the 2005 Super Bowl.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $35 million.
He is a Patron of the "Mineseeker Foundation" and the "Sole of Africa", a campaign dedicated to detecting and removing land mines in Africa. The Foundation's patrons include Nelson Mandela, Sir Richard Branson, Queen Noor, 'Graca Machel' and John Paul DeJoria.
Ranked #10 in the 2008 Forbes' The Celebrity 100 list. His girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, ranked #3.
On July 12th 2008, his longtime girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, gave birth to twins - a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline.
In Nov. 2005, he visited Pakistan with Angelina Jolie to see the impact of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. In 2006, Jolie and Pitt also went to Haiti where they visited a school supported by Yéle Haïti, a charity founded by Haitian-born hip hop musician Wyclef Jean.
Was officially in the BAFTA long-list for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Babel (2006), however he did not get the nomination.
AVer Information, CP155 Portable Document Cam RF (Catalog Category: Projectors / Overhead Projectors)
Premiere Magazine ranked him as #50 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
A short while after completing A River Runs Through It (1992), he fled to Amsterdam where he briefly lived for three months by himself in a small basement apartment before returning to the USA to film Kalifornia (1993).
He and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston met on a blind date, which was arranged by their agent
He and his Ocean's Eleven (2001) / Ocean's Twelve (2004) co- stars, Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Elliott Gould, all have guest-starred on the TV show "Friends" (1994), though not in the same episodes
Owns and plays Taylor Guitars
In 2001 renowned architect Frank O. Gehry renovated the wine cellar in the home in which Pitt and wife Jennifer Aniston lived. Pitt subsequently did an...
informal apprenticeship in Gehry's Los Angeles office.
Owns the rights to the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs (2002). He wanted it to be remade with he and Tom Cruise in the leading roles. The movie was eventually remade as The Departed (2006). Pitt served as a producer on the movie.
On the invitation of Virgin CEO Richard Branson, he visited over 100 orphans affected by HIV at a facility run by The Salvation Army in South Africa as well as personally meeting Nelson Mandela and discussing Mandela's 46664 campaign (named for his prison ID number) to call attention to South Africa's devastating AIDS epidemic. After South Africa, he then flew to Ethiopia on behalf of DATA, a third-world lobby group co-founded by U2's Bono. [November 2004]
Has appeared in eight movies with a number in the title - and only one of them uses an actual number rather than spelling the word out. That is Se7en (1995), which is a combination of the two, He has appeared in 1 movie with the number Zero in the title, 1 with the number Two in the title, 3 with the number Seven in the title, 1 with the number Eleven and 2 with the Twelve.
He is a big fan of MTV's "Jackass" (2000). He even asked the cast if he could join them during on of their stunt jokes. He eventually made an appearance dressed in an ape outfit, in order not to be recognized, which would have ruined the joke.
Raised in Springfield, Missouri, and is an alumni of Kickapoo High School. Other alumni include Adrienne Wilkinson and Jay Kenneth Johnson.
Broke his arm during the filming of Se7en (1995). The injury was written into the movie.
Adoptive father of Maddox Jolie-Pitt and Zahara Jolie-Pitt with Angelina Jolie.
Wanted to play Darcy in Bride & Prejudice (2004), but wasn't able to work out the filming dates.
Daughter (with girlfriend Angelina Jolie) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt was born 27 May 2006 in Namibia, Africa.
Ranked #15 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #31 in 2005.
Was considered for two roles which went to Johnny Depp: Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow (1999) and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005). Both were directed by Tim Burton.
The first commercial that Brad Pitt ever booked was through Matrix Talent Agency, Los Angeles. His agent was Linda Olhava, sister of film director Jody Lee Olhava.
Has Single Engine Land pilot license.
Occasionally flies a Cessna 208B Caravan belonging to Chivan Productions.
Initially didn't want to appear in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), although it was he who gave the script to director Doug Liman.
Originally cast as Colin Sullivan in The Departed (2006), but later dropped out. He continued to produce the film under his (and his then wife Jennifer Aniston's) production company, Plan B.
His first job was dancing in a chicken suit to draw in customers at an El Pollo Loco restaurant on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.
March 2007 - he and girlfriend Angelina Jolie adopted a 3-year-old boy named Pax Thien from Vietnam (born November 29th 2003).
Made a cameo appearance with Matt Damon for free in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) as a favor to Ocean's Eleven (2001) costar and close friend George Clooney - the film was Clooney's directorial debut.
Has been in 7 movies where the title contains the name of the character he plays: Johnny Suede (1991), Meet Joe Black (1998), Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Chad Schmidt (2010).
Considered for the role in Crimson Tide (1995) that eventually went to Denzel Washington.
Voted #6 in Elle (France) Magazine's "15 Sexiest Men" poll (June 2007).
Mentioned in the song High School Never Ends by Bowling for Soup, as "the quarterback".
Was trained to handle weapons by renowned Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed, who has also trained such actors as Val Kilmer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Sam Elliot, Girard Swan, Ben Foster and Kurt Russell.
He and Russell Crowe were director Ridley Scott's first two choices for the lead in American Gangster (2007). Crowe was eventually cast.
Used to act at the Vandevort Theater in Springfield, Missouri. He still visits and donates to the theater.
Donated 5 million dollars of his own money to rebuild homes in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
In 2005, he earned $4,500,000 for a Heineken commercial that aired during the 2005 Super Bowl.
In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $35 million.
He is a Patron of the "Mineseeker Foundation" and the "Sole of Africa", a campaign dedicated to detecting and removing land mines in Africa. The Foundation's patrons include Nelson Mandela, Sir Richard Branson, Queen Noor, 'Graca Machel' and John Paul DeJoria.
Ranked #10 in the 2008 Forbes' The Celebrity 100 list. His girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, ranked #3.
On July 12th 2008, his longtime girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, gave birth to twins - a boy, Knox Leon, and a girl, Vivienne Marcheline.
In Nov. 2005, he visited Pakistan with Angelina Jolie to see the impact of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. In 2006, Jolie and Pitt also went to Haiti where they visited a school supported by Yéle Haïti, a charity founded by Haitian-born hip hop musician Wyclef Jean.
Was officially in the BAFTA long-list for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Babel (2006), however he did not get the nomination.
AVer Information, CP155 Portable Document Cam RF (Catalog Category: Projectors / Overhead Projectors)
ALL ABOUT BRAD PITT (2)
Sued Damiani International, the company which created the wedding ring he gave Jennifer Aniston. According to Pitt, the ring was his design and was to be exclusive. The company has since been selling replicas and indicating Pitt/Aniston's endorsement of the ring. [18 July 2001]
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston spent $1 million on their wedding. [2000]
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston reached a settlement with Damiani International. The pair claimed the company agreed to never reproduce their wedding rings, but it manufactured and sold "Brad and Jennifer" rings in 18 karat white or yellow gold, featuring either 12 or 13 diamonds and costing about $1,000 apiece. Under the settlement, Pitt will now design jewelry for...
Damiani that Aniston will model in ads, and Damiani will stop selling the Pitt and Aniston copies. [11 January 2002]
For the last couple of years he has been the spokesman for Edwin Jeans ads in Japan. In 2001 he was also the face of the ads for a new Japanese canned coffee which is named Roots. Was replaced in these tv ads (2002) by Kevin Costner.
Studied acting with the late Roy London.
Did TV commercial for Toyota (Altis model) that aired only in Asia. The car became very popular and its sales resulted in Toyota getting an almost 32% share of the passenger car market.
Has a home at Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey.
Auditioned for the role of "J.D." in the 1988 cult classic film Heathers (1988) and, though he showed talent, casting directors thought him to be "too sweet" for the role, which later went to Christian Slater. He would later go on to a very similar role in the horror film Cutting Class (1989) in 1989.
Is mentioned by name in the Shania Twain hit song, "That Don't Impress Me Much."
He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Xi Xi chapter at The University of Missouri - Columbia.
After watching Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Pitt asked director Guy Ritchie if he could be in his next film. He couldn't master the English accent, so Ritchie gave him the role of Mickey the One Punch Pikey, an Irish fighter, in Snatch. (2000).
With Brad Grey's departure for Paramount and after the divorce settlement with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, he now solely owns Plan B Entertainment.
Tore his Achilles tendon during the production of Troy (2004), in which he plays, ironically, Achilles. His injury caused the production of Ocean's Twelve (2004) to be pushed back to April 2004. [2003]
Is the first man ever to be named "Sexiest Man Alive" twice by "People Magazine." (1994 and 2000).
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston campaigned in the United States to save "EastEnders" (1985) from being axed there [2003].
Showed his parents the "Chemical Burn" scene to convince them not to watch Fight Club (1999).
Got into better shape and eventually gained over 20 pounds of muscle for Troy (2004).
He has appeared in three movies with the number seven in the title (Se7en (1995), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)). He has also appeared in two movies with the number twelve in the title (Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Twelve Monkeys (1995)).
He was ranked #6 on VH1's "100 Hottest Hotties."
His high school nickname was Brad the "Pitt-bull."
He took Greek language lessons in secret to surprise his then-wife Jennifer Aniston who is of Greek ancestry.
Voted #1 in Company magazine's annual "100 Sexiest Men" poll, 2004.
His favorite movies are Planet of the Apes (1968) and Saturday Night Fever (1977).
Announced on January 7, 2005 that he and Jennifer Aniston are separating after 4 1/2 years of marriage.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Troy (2004). He did not receive a nomination, however.
General Electric, 14 MP Dig Cam/Projector-Black (Catalog Category: Cameras & Frames / Digital Point & Shoot)
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston spent $1 million on their wedding. [2000]
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston reached a settlement with Damiani International. The pair claimed the company agreed to never reproduce their wedding rings, but it manufactured and sold "Brad and Jennifer" rings in 18 karat white or yellow gold, featuring either 12 or 13 diamonds and costing about $1,000 apiece. Under the settlement, Pitt will now design jewelry for...
Damiani that Aniston will model in ads, and Damiani will stop selling the Pitt and Aniston copies. [11 January 2002]
For the last couple of years he has been the spokesman for Edwin Jeans ads in Japan. In 2001 he was also the face of the ads for a new Japanese canned coffee which is named Roots. Was replaced in these tv ads (2002) by Kevin Costner.
Studied acting with the late Roy London.
Did TV commercial for Toyota (Altis model) that aired only in Asia. The car became very popular and its sales resulted in Toyota getting an almost 32% share of the passenger car market.
Has a home at Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey.
Auditioned for the role of "J.D." in the 1988 cult classic film Heathers (1988) and, though he showed talent, casting directors thought him to be "too sweet" for the role, which later went to Christian Slater. He would later go on to a very similar role in the horror film Cutting Class (1989) in 1989.
Is mentioned by name in the Shania Twain hit song, "That Don't Impress Me Much."
He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Xi Xi chapter at The University of Missouri - Columbia.
After watching Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Pitt asked director Guy Ritchie if he could be in his next film. He couldn't master the English accent, so Ritchie gave him the role of Mickey the One Punch Pikey, an Irish fighter, in Snatch. (2000).
With Brad Grey's departure for Paramount and after the divorce settlement with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston, he now solely owns Plan B Entertainment.
Tore his Achilles tendon during the production of Troy (2004), in which he plays, ironically, Achilles. His injury caused the production of Ocean's Twelve (2004) to be pushed back to April 2004. [2003]
Is the first man ever to be named "Sexiest Man Alive" twice by "People Magazine." (1994 and 2000).
He and ex-wife Jennifer Aniston campaigned in the United States to save "EastEnders" (1985) from being axed there [2003].
Showed his parents the "Chemical Burn" scene to convince them not to watch Fight Club (1999).
Got into better shape and eventually gained over 20 pounds of muscle for Troy (2004).
He has appeared in three movies with the number seven in the title (Se7en (1995), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)). He has also appeared in two movies with the number twelve in the title (Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Twelve Monkeys (1995)).
He was ranked #6 on VH1's "100 Hottest Hotties."
His high school nickname was Brad the "Pitt-bull."
He took Greek language lessons in secret to surprise his then-wife Jennifer Aniston who is of Greek ancestry.
Voted #1 in Company magazine's annual "100 Sexiest Men" poll, 2004.
His favorite movies are Planet of the Apes (1968) and Saturday Night Fever (1977).
Announced on January 7, 2005 that he and Jennifer Aniston are separating after 4 1/2 years of marriage.
Was listed as a potential nominee on the 2005 Razzie Award nominating ballot. He was listed as a suggestion in the Worst Actor category for his performance in the film Troy (2004). He did not receive a nomination, however.
General Electric, 14 MP Dig Cam/Projector-Black (Catalog Category: Cameras & Frames / Digital Point & Shoot)
ALL ABOUT BRAD PITT (1)
Brad Pitt was born in 1963 in Oklahoma and raised in Springfield, Missouri. His mother's name is Jane Etta Hillhouse. His father, William (Bill) Pitt, worked in management at a trucking firm in Springfield. He has a younger brother, Douglas (Doug) Pitt and a younger sister Julie Neal Pitt. At Kickapoo High School, Pitt was involved in sports, debating, student government and school musicals. Pitt attended the University of Missouri, where he majored in journalism with a focus on advertising. He occasionally acted in fraternity shows. He left college two credits short of graduating to move to California. Before he became successful at acting, Pitt supported himself by driving strippers in limos, moving refrigerators and dressing as a giant chicken while working for "el Pollo Loco."
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 ...
Sexiest Stars in film history (#23). [1995]
Turned down a role as an astronaut in Apollo 13 (1995) to accept his role in Se7en (1995).
Posed for a campus calendar in... college.
A girl went to Pitt's Hollywood-area home shortly after midnight Jan. 7, 1999 and crawled in through an open window, dressed herself in his clothes and stayed for 10 hours before the alarm went off. Athena Rolando, 19, was ordered not to contact the actor and to stay 100 yards away from him for three years. [1999]
Ranked #32 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Mutally agrees to split with Gwyneth Paltrow. [June 1997]
Banned from entering China because of his role in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). [1997]
Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1997]
Engaged to actress Gwyneth Paltrow. [20 December 1996]
Donated $100,000 to the Discovery Center - a children's learning museum in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. [June 1996]
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1996]
His first starring role in a feature film was in The Dark Side of the Sun (1988), shot in pre-war Yugoslavia during the summer of 1988. As editing neared completion, civil war broke out in the region and much of the footage was lost. In 1996, after a five-year search, all of the lost footage was found and returned to producer Andjelo Arandjelovic, who is working on getting a distribution deal. Pitt was paid $1,523 per week for seven weeks. He played a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic Sea to search for a cure for a rare skin disease.
Purchased a mansion is Southern California from the actress who portrays "Elvira" (Cassandra Peterson). He reportedly paid $1.7 million for the house. This mansion is filled with antiques and has a "vampirish" look to it. [1996]
1994: Given title "Sexiest Man Alive" from People Magazine, after making Legends of the Fall (1994).
May 1992: Lived in Southern California with friend Buck Simmonds, who starred with him in A River Runs Through It (1992).
Dated Juliette Lewis. They met on the set of the NBC movie of the week Too Young to Die? (1990) (TV). They also did Kalifornia (1993) together.
He was the third choice for the role of J.D. in Thelma & Louise (1991). William Baldwin, the first choice, left to star in Backdraft (1991).
Had to learn to fly-cast for his role in A River Runs Through It (1992). He practiced on top of buildings in Hollywood. During these practices he frequently hooked himself in the back of his head.
Voted "Best Actor" by viewers of MTV's "The Big Picture" (1988) in 1995.
Was a journalism major in college with an advertising focus.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43. [1991]
Graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo. [1982]
Dropped out of the University of Missouri School of Journalism (Columbia, Missouri).
In high school was a member of the golf, tennis, and swim teams.
Belonged to the Key Club and the Forensics Club in High School.
Listed in "People Weekly"s "Most Intriguing People" list. (December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue)
He has a brother, Doug, born in 1966 and a sister, Julie Pitt, born in 1969.
Given title "Sexiest Man Alive" from People Magazine, Mr. Pitt was also People's choice in 1995. [2000]
Was considered for the lead in The Matrix (1999).
Has his teeth capped.
Sony Handycam HDR-PJ10 16GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder with Projector + 16GB Card + Wide Angle & Telephoto Lens + Flash + (2) Batteries + Case + Tripod + Accessory Kit
Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 ...
Sexiest Stars in film history (#23). [1995]
Turned down a role as an astronaut in Apollo 13 (1995) to accept his role in Se7en (1995).
Posed for a campus calendar in... college.
A girl went to Pitt's Hollywood-area home shortly after midnight Jan. 7, 1999 and crawled in through an open window, dressed herself in his clothes and stayed for 10 hours before the alarm went off. Athena Rolando, 19, was ordered not to contact the actor and to stay 100 yards away from him for three years. [1999]
Ranked #32 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]
Mutally agrees to split with Gwyneth Paltrow. [June 1997]
Banned from entering China because of his role in Seven Years in Tibet (1997). [1997]
Chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1997]
Engaged to actress Gwyneth Paltrow. [20 December 1996]
Donated $100,000 to the Discovery Center - a children's learning museum in his hometown of Springfield, Missouri. [June 1996]
Chosen by People (USA) magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. [1996]
His first starring role in a feature film was in The Dark Side of the Sun (1988), shot in pre-war Yugoslavia during the summer of 1988. As editing neared completion, civil war broke out in the region and much of the footage was lost. In 1996, after a five-year search, all of the lost footage was found and returned to producer Andjelo Arandjelovic, who is working on getting a distribution deal. Pitt was paid $1,523 per week for seven weeks. He played a young American taken by his family to the Adriatic Sea to search for a cure for a rare skin disease.
Purchased a mansion is Southern California from the actress who portrays "Elvira" (Cassandra Peterson). He reportedly paid $1.7 million for the house. This mansion is filled with antiques and has a "vampirish" look to it. [1996]
1994: Given title "Sexiest Man Alive" from People Magazine, after making Legends of the Fall (1994).
May 1992: Lived in Southern California with friend Buck Simmonds, who starred with him in A River Runs Through It (1992).
Dated Juliette Lewis. They met on the set of the NBC movie of the week Too Young to Die? (1990) (TV). They also did Kalifornia (1993) together.
He was the third choice for the role of J.D. in Thelma & Louise (1991). William Baldwin, the first choice, left to star in Backdraft (1991).
Had to learn to fly-cast for his role in A River Runs Through It (1992). He practiced on top of buildings in Hollywood. During these practices he frequently hooked himself in the back of his head.
Voted "Best Actor" by viewers of MTV's "The Big Picture" (1988) in 1995.
Was a journalism major in college with an advertising focus.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 43. [1991]
Graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo. [1982]
Dropped out of the University of Missouri School of Journalism (Columbia, Missouri).
In high school was a member of the golf, tennis, and swim teams.
Belonged to the Key Club and the Forensics Club in High School.
Listed in "People Weekly"s "Most Intriguing People" list. (December 25, 1995/January 1, 1996 issue)
He has a brother, Doug, born in 1966 and a sister, Julie Pitt, born in 1969.
Given title "Sexiest Man Alive" from People Magazine, Mr. Pitt was also People's choice in 1995. [2000]
Was considered for the lead in The Matrix (1999).
Has his teeth capped.
Sony Handycam HDR-PJ10 16GB 1080p HD Video Camera Camcorder with Projector + 16GB Card + Wide Angle & Telephoto Lens + Flash + (2) Batteries + Case + Tripod + Accessory Kit
JOHN WAYNE'S LIFE (7) END
In his later years John Wayne lived near Newport Beach, just south of Los Angeles where he had a beach house, and a yacht, The Wild Goose. His house has been torn down, but The Wild Goose sails on. It is now a tour boat offering dinner cruises to John Wayne fans young and old alike. Built from a retired Navy minesweeper, the custom interior of the yacht has polished wood almost everywhere you look. It was there that in his later years the Duke often entertained, hosting card games with his good friends Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and other big name stars of the time.
On Monday, May 18th, 1953, during divorce proceedings from his second wife Esperanza Baur, Wayne's annual gross income was publicly revealed to be $502,891.
Was a heavy smoker. After he died of lung cancer, his son made a point not to license footage of him smoking cigarettes. An exception was made for a scene in Thank You For Smoking, a satire of the tobacco industry.
Visited Stepin Fetchit in hospital in 1976 after the actor had suffered a stroke which ended his career.
He considered Maureen O'Hara one of his best friends and a true friend, over the years he was more open to her than anyone, When asked about her; he always replied "The Greatest guy I ever knew" They were friends for 39 years from 1940 till his death in 1979. Today Maureen O'Hara is ....
considered his best leading lady, they stared in 5 films together.
Great Western Savings erected a bronze statue by Harry Jackson of Wayne on a horse at its headquarters in Beverly Hills. Although the building was later bought by Larry Flynt, the statue still stands at its original location.
He appeared in at least one film for every year from 1926 to 1976, a record of fifty-one consecutive years.
His last name was suggested by Raoul Walsh. Walsh, having read a book about American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne, suggested "Wayne"; the studio added "John", hence, "John Wayne".
Aa a young man, Ethan Wayne was never allowed to leave the house without carrying cards that his father had autographed to hand out to fans.
According to Mel Brooks in his commentary of Blazing Saddles (1974), he wanted Wayne as The Waco Kid. Wayne told Brooks that he thought the script was "funny as hell", but turned it down because he feared the role would have been detrimental to his persona.
His nickname of "The Duke", was picked from his favorite horse, that he personally named Duke. He rode Duke, during the filming of Western movies, while acting, in his earlier years.
Was very close friends with Maureen O'Hara and often visited her house. She had a wing for him that she often referred to as 'The John Wayne Wing'.
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On Monday, May 18th, 1953, during divorce proceedings from his second wife Esperanza Baur, Wayne's annual gross income was publicly revealed to be $502,891.
Was a heavy smoker. After he died of lung cancer, his son made a point not to license footage of him smoking cigarettes. An exception was made for a scene in Thank You For Smoking, a satire of the tobacco industry.
Visited Stepin Fetchit in hospital in 1976 after the actor had suffered a stroke which ended his career.
He considered Maureen O'Hara one of his best friends and a true friend, over the years he was more open to her than anyone, When asked about her; he always replied "The Greatest guy I ever knew" They were friends for 39 years from 1940 till his death in 1979. Today Maureen O'Hara is ....
considered his best leading lady, they stared in 5 films together.
Great Western Savings erected a bronze statue by Harry Jackson of Wayne on a horse at its headquarters in Beverly Hills. Although the building was later bought by Larry Flynt, the statue still stands at its original location.
He appeared in at least one film for every year from 1926 to 1976, a record of fifty-one consecutive years.
His last name was suggested by Raoul Walsh. Walsh, having read a book about American Revolutionary War general Anthony Wayne, suggested "Wayne"; the studio added "John", hence, "John Wayne".
Aa a young man, Ethan Wayne was never allowed to leave the house without carrying cards that his father had autographed to hand out to fans.
According to Mel Brooks in his commentary of Blazing Saddles (1974), he wanted Wayne as The Waco Kid. Wayne told Brooks that he thought the script was "funny as hell", but turned it down because he feared the role would have been detrimental to his persona.
His nickname of "The Duke", was picked from his favorite horse, that he personally named Duke. He rode Duke, during the filming of Western movies, while acting, in his earlier years.
Was very close friends with Maureen O'Hara and often visited her house. She had a wing for him that she often referred to as 'The John Wayne Wing'.
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JOHN WAYNE'S LIFE (6)
At the Memorial Day finale at Knott's Berry Farm in Anaheim in 1964, Wayne and Rock Hudson flanked Ronald Reagan as the future President led 27,000 Goldwater enthusiasts in a roaring Pledge of Allegiance.
In 1965, after his battle with lung cancer, Wayne moved out of Hollywood to Newport Beach, where he lived until his death 14 years later. His house was demolished after he died.
During the early 1960s Wayne traveled extensively to Panama. During this time, the star reportedly purchased the island of Taborcillo off the main coast of Panama. It was sold by his estate after his death and changed many hands before being opened as a tourist attraction.
Lauren Bacall once recalled that while Wayne hardly knew her husband Humphrey Bogart at all, he was the first to send flowers and good wishes after Bogart was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in January 1956.
Along with Humphrey Bogart, Wayne was regarded as the heaviest smoker in Hollywood, sustaining five packs of unfiltered Camels until his first battle with cancer in 1964. While recovering from losing his lung he began to chew tobacco, and then ....
he started smoking cigars.
He lost the leading role in The Gunfighter (1950) to Gregory Peck because of his refusal to work for Columbia Pictures after Columbia chief Harry Cohn had mistreated him years before as a young contract player. Cohn had bought the project for Wayne, but Wayne's grudge was too deep, and Cohn sold the script to Twentieth Century-Fox, which cast Peck in the role Wayne badly wanted but refused to bend for. When the Reno Chamber of Commerce named Peck the top western star for 1950 and presented him with the Silver Spurs award, an angry Wayne said, "Well, who the hell decided that you were the best cowboy of the year?".
In his will were instructions that, because of his suffering from lung cancer, no film of him smoking should ever be shown again. The director of Thank You for Smoking (2005), Jason Reitman, had to petition Wayne's family in order to allow him to use a scene from Sands of Iwo Jima (1949), in which Wayne's character, Sgt. Striker, survives the battle only to be killed by a sniper after lighting a cigarette. After showing them the script and describing to them what the movie was about the family agreed to allow the scene to be shown.
He was badly sunburnt while filming 3 Godfathers (1948) and was briefly hospitalized.
Robert Aldrich, then president of the Directors Guild of America, stated in support of awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Wayne in 1979: "It is important for you to know that I am a registered Democrat and, to my knowledge, share none of the political views espoused by Duke. However, whether he is ill- disposed or healthy, John Wayne is far beyond the normal political sharp-shooting in this community. Because of his courage, his dignity, his integrity, and because of his talents as an actor, his strength as a leader, his warmth as a human being throughout his illustrious career, he is entitled to a unique spot in our hearts and minds. In this industry, we often judge people, sometimes unfairly, by asking whether they have paid their dues. John Wayne has paid his dues over and over, and I'm proud to consider him a friend, and am very much in favor of my Government recognizing in some important fashion the contribution that Mr. Wayne has made.".
He regarded Rio Bravo (1959) as the film marking his transition into middle age. At 51 Wayne was starting to get overweight and he believed he was too old to play the romantic lead any more. His last four movies since The Searchers (1956) had been unsuccessful, and he felt the only way to keep audiences coming was to revert to playing "John Wayne" in every film.
Broke his leg while filming Legend of the Lost (1957).
During the 1968 presidential election Wayne narrated a television advertisement vilifying the Democratic candidate Hubert H. Humphrey. The commercial was so controversial that the Republican National Committee had to stop it being shown, following thousands of complaints.
Fittingly, Wayne was buried in Orange County, the most Republican district in the United States. The conservative residents admired Wayne so much that they named their international airport after him. It is about four miles from the cemetery where he is buried.
At one time Wayne was considered for Rock Hudson's role as rancher Bick Benedict in George Stevens's epic western Giant (1956).
He had intended to make a trilogy of films featuring the character Rooster Cogburn, but the third film was canceled after Rooster Cogburn (1975) proved to be only a moderate hit at the box office. The third film was intended to be called "Sometime".
In the mid-1930s Wayne was hired by Columbia Pictures to make several westerns for its "B" unit. Columbia chief Harry Cohn, a married man, soon got the idea that Wayne had made a pass at a Columbia starlet with whom Cohn was having an affair. When he confronted Wayne about it Wayne denied it, but Cohn called up executives at other studios and told them that Wayne would show up for work drunk, was a womanizer and a troublemaker and requested that they not hire him. Wayne didn't work for several months afterward, and when he discovered what Cohn had done, he burst into Cohn's office at Columbia, grabbed him by the neck and threatened to kill him. After he cooled off he told Cohn that "as long as I live, I will never work one day for you or Columbia no matter how much you offer me." Later, after Wayne had become a major star, he received several lucrative film offers from Columbia, including the lead in The Gunfighter (1950), all of which he turned down cold. Even after Cohn died in 1958, Wayne still refused to entertain any offers whatsoever from Columbia Pictures, including several that would have paid him more than a a million dollars.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, issued a proclamation making 26 May 2007 "John Wayne Day" in California.
Bought a 135-foot yacht called "The Wild Goose" in 1962. Wayne agreed to make Circus World (1964), a film he hated, just so he could sail the vessel to Europe.
Suffered a stroke in 1974, which is why he can be seen talking out the side of his mouth in Brannigan (1975) and Rooster Cogburn (1975).
In 1962 he was paid a record $250,000 for four days work on The Longest Day (1962), and in the following year he was paid the same amount for two days work on The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).
On 20 August 2007, the Republican Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver announced that Wayne will be inducted into the California Hall of Fame located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento on 5 December 2007.
He has 25 appearances in the Top 10 at the US Box Office: 1949-1957 and 1959-1974.
After undergoing major lung surgery in 1964, Wayne would sometimes have to use an oxygen mask to breathe for the rest of his life. An oxygen tank was always kept in his trailer on locations. His breathing problems were particularly severe on airplanes, and while filming True Grit (1969) and Rooster Cogburn (1975), due to the high altitude. No photographs were allowed to be taken by the press of the veteran star breathing through an oxygen mask.
Often stated how he wished his first Oscar nomination had been for She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) instead of Sands of Iwo Jima (1949).
Ranked #11 in the 100 Most Influential People in the History of the Movies, according to the authors of the Film 100 Web site.
He has 25 appearances in the Top 10 at the US Box Office: 1949-1957 and 1959-1974.
Prior to making The Big Trail (1930), director Raoul Walsh told Wayne to take acting lessons. Wayne duly took three lessons, but gave up when the teacher told him he had no talent.
He was a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
Voice actor Peter Cullen based the voice of his most famous character, heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime from Transformers (2007), on the voice of John Wayne.
In the late 1970s Wayne made a series of commercials for the Great Western Savings Bank in Los Angeles. The day after the first one aired, a man walked into a GW Bank branch in West Hollywood with a suitcase, asked to see the bank manager, and when he was shown to the manager's desk, he opened up the suitcase to reveal $500,000 in cash. He said, "If your bank is good enough for John Wayne, it's good enough for me." He had just closed his business and personal accounts at a rival bank down the street and walked to the GW branch to open accounts there because John Wayne had endorsed it.
Actor and later California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cited Wayne as a role model from his childhood.
On Wednesday, January 25th, 1950, he became the 125th star to put his hand and footprints outside of Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
His Oscar win for True Grit (1969) was widely seen as more of a lifetime achievement award, since his performance had been criticized as over-the-top and hammy. In his Reader's Digest article on Wayne from October 1979, Ronald Reagan wrote that the award was both in recognition of his whole career, and to make up for him not receiving nominations for Red River (1948), She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) and The Searchers (1956).
The Shootist (1976) is widely considered the best final film by any major star, rivaled only by Clark Gable's role in The Misfits (1961) and Henry Fonda's role in On Golden Pond (1981).
During his career his movies grossed an estimated half a billion dollars worldwide.
Spoilers: Of the near 200 films Wayne made, he died in only eight: Reap the Wild Wind (1942) (octopus attack), The Fighting Seabees (1944) (gunshot/explosion), Wake of the Red Witch (1948) (drowning), Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) (gunshot wounds), The Alamo (1960) (lance/explosion), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) (natural causes), The Cowboys (1972) (gunshot wounds) and The Shootist (1976) (shotgun wounds). His fate in The Sea Chase (1955) is undetermined - he may have died when his ship sank, or he (and Lana Turner) may have made it to shore.
His father died of a heart attack in March 1937.
He very much wanted the role of Wild Bill Hickok in The Plainsman (1936), which he felt certain would make him a star, but director Cecil B. DeMille wanted Gary Cooper instead.
Michael Caine recalled in his 1992 autobiography "What's It All About?" that Wayne gave him two pieces of advice when they first met in Hollywood early in 1967. Firstly, on acting, Wayne told him, "Talk low, talk slow, and don't talk too much." Then Wayne added, "And never wear suede shoes. One time I was taking a piss when a guy next to me turned round and said, 'John Wayne!', and pissed all over my shoes.".
His first wife Josephine Alicia Saenz died of cancer in 2003, at the age of 94.
Actors Steve McQueen, Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris all cited Wayne as a huge influence on them, both professionally and personally. Like Wayne, each man rose to fame playing men of heroic action. Also, like Wayne, each man is a supporter of conservative causes and the Republican party, the exception being McQueen who, although a lifelong Republican, died in 1980.
Allegedly gave Sammy Davis Jr. the first cowboy hat he ever wore in a film.
After leaving the stage, during the 1979's Academy Awards ceremony, he was greeted by his old pal Sammy Davis Jr., who gave him a big bear hug. Davis later told a friend he regretted hugging Wayne so hard in his fragile condition. But Davis was told: "Duke Wouldn't have missed that hug for anything" (The idea of a 125Lb Sammy Davis Jr. worrying about hugging him "too hard" was a sad commentary on Wayne's failing health).
Wayne was asked to be the running mate for Democratic Alabama Governor George Wallace in 1968, but Wayne vehemently rejected the offer and actively campaigned for Richard Nixon. He addressed the Republican National Convention on its opening day in August 1968.
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JOHN WAYNE'S LIFE (5)
After his third wife Pilar Wayne left him in 1973, Wayne was happily involved with his secretary Pat Stacy for the remaining six years of his life.
Cited as America's Favorite Movie Star in a Harris Poll conducted in 1995.
In his films Wayne often surrounded himself with a group of friends/fellow actors (often unknown names but recognized faces), such as Ward Bond, Jim Hutton, Bruce Cabot, Ben Johnson, Edward Faulkner, Jay C. Flippen, Richard Boone, Chuck Roberson and his son, Patrick Wayne.
Directed most of The Comancheros (1961) because credited director Michael Curtiz was dying of cancer and was often too ill to work. Wayne refused to be credited as a co-director.
Gave the eulogy at the funerals of Ward Bond, John Ford and Howard Hawks.
Had plastic surgery to remove the lines around his eyes in 1969, which left him with black eyes and forced him to wear dark glasses for two weeks. He also had surgery to remove the jowls around his mouth.
Worked with Robert Mitchum's youngest son Christopher Mitchum in three films, Chisum (1970), Rio Lobo (1970) and Big Jake (1971). Wayne had intended on Christopher becoming part of his regular stock company of supporting actors, but fell out with him in 1973 in an argument over politics. Wayne told him, "I didn't know you was a pinko.".
Some of his films during the mid-1950s were less successful, forcing Wayne to work with pop singers in order to attract young audiences. He acted alongside Ricky Nelson in Rio Bravo (1959), Frankie Avalon in The Alamo (1960) and ...
Fabian in North to Alaska (1960).
Wayne was buried in secret and the grave went unmarked until 1999, in case Vietnam War protesters desecrated the site. Twenty years after his death he finally received a headstone made of bronze which was engraved with a quotation from his infamous Playboy interview.
Wayne nearly got into a fight with British film critic Barry Norman on two occasions, both times over politics. In November 1963, on the set of Circus World (1964), the two had a serious argument over Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign. Nearly six years later, while Wayne was promoting True Grit (1969), the two nearly came to blows on a train over the Vietnam War. Despite this, Norman wrote favorably of Wayne as an actor in his book "The Hollywood Greats" (1986).
Listed in the 1910 U.S. Census as Marion R. Morrison, living with his parents in Madison, Iowa.
In 1920, lived at 404 N. Isabel Street, Glendale, California, according to U.S. Census.
While filming True Grit (1969), Wayne was trying to keep his weight off with drugs - uppers for the day, downers to sleep at night. Occasionally, he got the pills mixed up, and this led to problems on a "The Dean Martin Comedy Hour" (1965) taping in 1969. Instead of taking an upper before leaving for the filming, he took a downer - and was ready to crash by the time he arrived on the set. "I can't do our skit," Wayne reportedly told Martin when it was time to perform. "I'm too doped up. Goddamn, I look half smashed!" Naturally, Martin didn't have a problem with that. "Hell, Duke, people think I do the show that way all the time!" The taping went on as scheduled.
Although he actively supported Ronald Reagan's failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 1976, Wayne paid a visit to the White House as a guest of President Jimmy Carter for his inauguration. "I'm pleased to be present and accounted for in this capital of freedom to witness history as it happens - to watch a common man accept the uncommon responsibility he won 'fair and square' by stating his case to the American people - not by bloodshed, be-headings, and riots at the palace gates. I know I'm a member of the loyal opposition - accent on the loyal. I'd have it no other way.".
Pilar Wayne wrote in her book "My Life with The Duke": "Duke always said family came first, career second, and his interest in politics third. In fact, although he loved the children and me, there were times when we couldn't compete with his career or his devotion to the Republican Party.".
After Ronald Reagan's election as Governor of California in 1966, Wayne was exiting a victory celebration when he was asked by police not to leave the building - a mob of 300 angry anti-war demonstrators were waiting outside. Instead of cowering indoors, Wayne confronted the demonstrators head on. When protesters waved the Viet Cong flag under his nose, Wayne grew impatient. "Please don't do that fellows," Duke warned the assembled. "I've seen too many kids your age wounded or dead because of that flag. So I don't take too kindly to it." The demonstrators persisted, so he chased a group of them down an alley.
In 1975, for the first time since his arrival in Hollywood 47 years earlier, he did not act in any movies. Production began in January of the following year for his last, The Shootist (1976).
In 1967 Wayne wrote to Democratic President Lyndon Johnson requesting military assistance for his pro-war film about Vietnam. Jack Valenti told the President, "Wayne's politics are wrong, but if he makes this film he will be helping us." Wayne got enough firepower to make The Green Berets (1968), which became one of the most controversial movies of all time.
In 1960 Frank Sinatra hired a blacklisted screenwriter, Albert Maltz, to write an anti-war screenplay for a film called The Execution of Private Slovik (1974) (TV). Wayne, who had actively supported the McCarthy witch hunts for nearly twenty years, recalled, "When I heard about it, I was so goddamn mad I told a reporter, 'I wonder how Sinatra's crony, Senator John F. Kennedy, feels about Sinatra hiring such a man.' The whole thing became a minefield ... I heard that Kennedy put pressure on Frank and he had to back down ... He ended up paying Maltz $75,000 not to write the goddamn thing.". Consequently the film was not made for fourteen years.
Campaigned for Sam Yorty in the 1969 election for Mayor of Los Angeles.
His great-nephew Tommy Morrison was diagnosed with HIV in 1996.
Announced his intention to campaign for Senator Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election after Goldwater had voted against the Civil Rights Act. However, Wayne was unable to do so when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in August of that year, and forced to undergo major surgery in the next month.
Directed most of Big Jake (1971) himself because director George Sherman, an old friend from Wayne's days at Republic, was in his mid-60s and ill at the time, and not up to the rigors of directing an action picture in the wilds of Mexico, where much of the film was shot. Wayne refused to take co-director credit.
His TV appearances in the late 1960s showed that Wayne had overcome his indifference to television. In addition to appearing on "The Dean Martin Comedy Hour" (1965), "The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour" (1969), he became a semi-regular visitor to "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (1967), often good-naturedly spoofing his macho image and even dressing up as The Easter Bunny in a famous 1972 episode.
Eventually the line between his personal views and his screen image blurred beyond recognition. His active membership in right-wing political organizations like the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals allowed him to use his celebrity to further causes he deemed worthy. In the 1950s he joined Walt Disney, Clark Gable, James Stewart and other entertainers to aid the House Un-American Activities Committee in ferreting out alleged Communists working in the film industry. He began hand- picking roles and financing the production of certain films, like Big Jim McLain (1952), which fit his strong anti-Communist political beliefs. These "message films" would often cost him, both personally and professionally; he lost a small fortune on the Vietnam War film The Green Berets (1968), allowing an errant sense of patriotism to oversimplify the story of soldiers conducting covert military actions in Southeast Asia. As television images exposed the horrors of battle to Americans, the film's romantic portrait of "gung-ho" optimism was often cited as an example of how completely out of touch Wayne and many of his conservative colleagues were with the complexities of the conflict.
After he finally won the Best Actor Oscar for True Grit (1969) his career declined. Chisum (1970), seemingly having little to do with Wayne, was released to mixed reviews and moderate business. Rio Lobo (1970) received very poor critical reception and proved to be a commercial disappointment. Big Jake (1971), pumped up with graphic action scenes and plenty of humor, made twice as much money as either of the previous two films. However, The Cowboys (1972) struggled to find an audience when first released, despite the fact that it received positive reviews and featured a very different performance from Wayne as an aging cattleman. The Train Robbers (1973) was largely forgettable and Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973) garnered him his worst reviews since The Conqueror (1956). His attempts to emulate Clint Eastwood as a tough detective were generally ridiculed due to his age, increasing weight and the predictable nature of the plots. McQ (1974) was only a moderate success and Brannigan (1975), although it was a better picture, made even less money. A sequel to True Grit (1969) titled Rooster Cogburn (1975), co-starring Katharine Hepburn, was critically reviled, but managed to be a minor hit. For the first time Wayne gave serious thought to retirement; however, he was able to make one final movie, a stark story of a gunfighter dying of cancer called The Shootist (1976) which, although Wayne received some of the best reviews of his career, struggled to get its money back.
Wayne did not serve during World War II. The knee injuries he received in College kept him from running the distances required by Military Standards.
Was a member of the far-right-wing John Birch Society.
Campaigned for Gerald Ford in the 1976 presidential election.
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JOHN WAYNE'S LIFE (4)
As a member of the right-wing Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, Wayne gave himself the role of super-personnel chief - ostensibly acting on behalf of political virtue, in "reviewing" the hiring of writers, actors and technicians with known or suspected left-wing sympathies.
Wayne appeared in a very uncomplimentary light in the Public Enemy song "Fight the Power," from the 1990 album "Fear of a Black Planet". Wayne has frequently come under fire for racist remarks he made about black people and Native American Indians in his infamous Playboy magazine interview from May 1971. He was also criticized for supporting Senator Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election, after Goldwater had voted against the Civil Rights Act, and for supporting segregationist former Alabama governor George Wallace during his presidential campaign in 1968.
Wayne denounced the subject of homosexuality in Tennessee Williams' Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) as "too disgusting even for discussion"--even though he had not seen it and had no intention of seeing it. "It is too distasteful," he ....
claimed, "to be put on a screen designed to entertain a family, or any member of a decent family." He considered the youth-oriented, anti-establishment film Easy Rider (1969) and Midnight Cowboy (1969), which to his dismay won the Best Picture Oscar in 1970, as "perverted" films. Especially when early in "Midnight Cowboy" Jon Voight dons his newly acquired Western duds and, posing in front of a mirror, utters the only words likely to come to mind at the moment one becomes a cowboy: "John Wayne!" Wayne told Playboy magazine, "Wouldn't you say that the wonderful love of these two men in 'Midnight Cowboy', a story about two fags, qualifies as a perverse movie?".
In 1971, owing to the success of Big Jake (1971), Wayne was Number 1 at the US Box Office for the last time.
By the early 1960s, 161 of his films had grossed $350 million, and he had been paid as much as $666,000 to make a movie.
Due to his political activism, in 1968 Wayne was asked to be the segregationist Governor of Alabama George Wallace's running mate in that year's presidential election. Wayne's response made headlines: "Wayne Wallace candidates? Wayne SAID 'B------t!'", as if he was shouting to the reporters.
While visiting the troops in Vietnam in June 1966, a bullet struck Wayne's bicycle. Although he was not within a hundred yards of it at the time, the newspapers reported he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of a sniper.
In December 1978, just a month before he was diagnosed with stomach cancer, he joined Bob Hope and Johnny Carson in offering his services to speak out publicly against government corruption, poverty, crime and drug abuse.
Producer-director Robert Rossen offered the role of Willie Stark in All the King's Men (1949) to Wayne. Rossen sent a copy of the script to Wayne's agent, Charles K. Feldman, who forwarded it to Wayne. After reading the script, Wayne sent it back with an angry letter attached. In it, he told Feldman that before he sent the script to any of his other clients, he should ask them if they wanted to star in a film that "smears the machinery of government for no purpose of humor or enlightenment", that "degrades all relationships", and that is populated by "drunken mothers; conniving fathers; double-crossing sweethearts; bad, bad, rich people; and bad, bad poor people if they want to get ahead." He accused Rossen of wanting to make a movie that threw acid on "the American way of life." If Feldman had such clients, Wayne wrote that the agent should "rush this script . . . to them." Wayne, however, said to the agent that "you can take this script and shove it up Robert Rossen's derrière." Wayne later remarked that "to make Huey Long a wonderful, rough pirate was great, but, according to this picture, everybody was shit except for this weakling intern doctor who was trying to find a place in the world." Broderick Crawford, who had played a supporting role in Wayne's Seven Sinners (1940), eventually got the part of Stark. In a bit of irony, Crawford was Oscar-nominated for the part of Stark and found himself competing against Wayne, who was nominated the same year for Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). Crawford won the Best Actor Oscar, giving Rossen the last laugh.
His image was so far-reaching that when Emperor Hirohito visited America in 1975, he asked to meet the veteran star. Wayne was quoted in the Chicago Sun Times as saying, "I must have killed off the entire Japanese army."
Allegedly thrust his Best Actor Oscar for True Grit (1969) to Richard Burton at the The 42nd Annual Academy Awards (1970) (TV), telling the Welsh actor, "You should have this, not me."
During the Vietnam War he was highly critical of teenagers who went to Europe to dodge the draft, calling them "cowards", "traitors" and "communists".
Despite his numerous anti-gay remarks in interviews over the years, Wayne co-starred with Rock Hudson in The Undefeated (1969), even though he knew of the actor's homosexuality. In this Civil War epic, the champion of right-wing political conservatism worked well with and even became good friends with Hudson, Hollywood's gayest (although it wasn't publicly known at the time) leading man.
In 1971 Wayne and James Stewart were traveling to Ronald Reagan's second inauguration as Governor of California when they encountered some anti-war demonstrators with a Vietcong flag. Stewart's stepson Ronald had been killed in Vietnam in 1969. Wayne walked over to speak to the protesters and within minutes the flag had been lowered.
In the final years of his life, with the resignation of President Richard Nixon and the end of the Vietnam War, Wayne's political beliefs appeared to have moderated. He attended the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter on 20 January 1977, and along with his fellow right-winger James Stewart he could be seen applauding Jane Fonda at AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Henry Fonda (1978) (TV). Later in 1978, Wayne uncharacteristically sided with the Democrats and President Carter against his fellow conservative Republicans over the issue of the Panama Canal, which Wayne believed belonged to the people of Panama and not the United States of America.
Offered Charlton Heston the roles of Jim Bowie and Colonel William Travis in his film The Alamo (1960), saying the young actor would be ideal for either part. Heston declined the offer because he did not want to be directed by Wayne, and because he feared the critical response to the right-wing movie. Wayne intended the epic to be an allegory for America's Cold War with the Soviet Union.
Separated from his wife Pilar Wayne in 1973, though they never divorced. When Louis Johnson, his business partner, sold all of their holdings in Arizona, The 26 Bar Ranch and the Red River Land and Cattle Company, Wayne's children got one half of it, $24,000,000. Pilar had already been taken care of at their separation.
Although media reports suggested he was to attend Elvis Presley's funeral in August 1977, Wayne didn't show up for it. Presley had once been considered for Glen Campbell's role in True Grit (1969).
Re-mortgaged his house in Hollywood in order to finance The Alamo (1960). While the movie was a success internationally, it lost him a great deal of money personally. For the next four years he had to made one film after another, including The Longest Day (1962) for which he was paid $250,000 for four days work. By early 1962 his financial problems were resolved.
Honored with an Army RAH-66 Helicopter, named "The Duke". Many people attended the naming ceremony in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, May 12th, 1998, including his children and grandchildren, congressmen, the president of the USO Metropolitan Washington, dignitaries and many military personnel. His eldest son Michael Wayne said at the ceremony, "John Wayne loved his country and he loved its traditions".
In 1973 he was honored with the Veterans of Foreign Wars highest award - The National Americanism Gold Medal.
Produced and starred in a 1940s radio show about an alcoholic detective titled "Three Sheets to the Wind".
When he was honored with a square at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood the sand used in the cement was brought in from Iwo Jima, in honor of his film Sands of Iwo Jima (1949).
"The Greatest Cowboy Star of All Time" was the caption to a series of comic books dedicated to him. The "John Wayne Adventure Comics" were first published in 1949.
His image appeared on a wide variety of products including: 1950 popcorn trading cards given at theaters, 1951 Camel cigarettes, 1956 playing cards, Whitman's Chocolates and - posthumously - Coors beer. The money collected on the Coors beer cans with his image went to the John Wayne Cancer Institute. One of the most unusual was as a puppet on "H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969), who also put out a 1970 lunch box with his image among the other puppet characters.
Barry Goldwater visited the set of Stagecoach (1939) during filming. They had a long friendship and in 1964 Wayne helped in Goldwater's presidential campaign.
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