Miley Cyrus

Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana. Cyrus recorded music for the soundtracks, Hannah Montana (2006) and Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), released by Walt Disney Records. With the success of the Hannah Montana franchise she established herself as a teen idol. In 2007, Cyrus signed to Hollywood Records to pursue a solo career. She embarked upon the Best of Both Worlds Tour the same year, in which she performed as both herself and in character as Hannah Montana. The tour was eventually turned into a high-grossing concert film entitled Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert (2008). In July 2008, Cyrus released her first solo album, Breakout (2008), which was commercially successful.
She began her foray into film by providing the voice of "Penny" in the animated film Bolt (2008). Cyrus earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for her performance of Bolt's theme song, "I Thought I Lost You". She also reprised her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009). The Hannah Montana: The Movie' soundtrack introduced her to new audiences within country and adult contemporary markets.
She began to cultivate an adult image in 2009 with the release of The Time of Our Lives (2009), an extended play which presented a more mainstream pop sound, and by filming The Last Song (2010), a coming-of-age drama film. The former included Cyrus's best-selling single, "Party in the U.S.A." (2009). A studio album titled Can't Be Tamed was released in 2010 and presents a new dance-pop sound. The music video and lyrics of the album's lead single, "Can't Be Tamed", portrays a more sexualized image for the entertainer. Cyrus ranked number thirteen on Forbes' 2010 Celebrity 100. In April 2011, Cyrus was named the 64th hottest woman in the world on Maxim's Hot 100. In May 2011, Cyrus was also named the 89th sexiest woman in the world on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the world.

Miley Cyrus - Party In The U.S.A.


Miley Cyrus - The Climb - Official Music Video (HQ)


Miley Cyrus - 7 Things


Miley Cyrus - Can't Be Tamed


Miley Cyrus - Who Owns My Heart


Miley Cyrus - When I Look At You


Miley Cyrus Starkey Hearing Gala Red Carpet interview








Early life

Cyrus was born on November 23, 1992 in Nashville, Tennessee to Letitia "Tish"[8] (born Finley) and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus.[9][10] Her parents named her Destiny Hope because they believed that she would accomplish great things with her life. They gave her the nickname "Smiley", which was later shortened to "Miley", because she smiled so often as a baby.[11] Cyrus suffers from a mild heart condition causing tachycardia which, though not dangerous, is often bothersome.[12] She is of Irish, Scottish, English, French, Welsh, Dutch and Cherokee ancestry.[13]
Against the wishes of her father's record company,[14] Cyrus's parents secretly married a year after Cyrus's birth on December 28, 1993.[10][15] Tish had two children from a previous relationship: Trace and Brandi. Billy Ray adopted Trace and Brandi when they were young.[16] She has a half-brother, Christopher Cody, Billy Ray's son from a brief relationship, born the same year as Miley; he grew up with his mother in South Carolina.[14] Tish and Billy Ray had two more children, Braison and Noah. Cyrus's godmother is entertainer Dolly Parton.[17] Cyrus was very close to her paternal grandfather, Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus.[18] Cyrus has paid her grandfather several tributes since his death in 2006, including eventually changing her middle name to "Ray".[19] According to Cyrus's father, "A lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray, but that's not true. She did that in honor of my dad, because the two of them just loved each other to pieces."[12]
Cyrus grew up on a 500-acre (2.0 km2) farm in Franklin, Tennessee, approximately an hour away from Nashville,[20] and attended Heritage Elementary School.[21] She was raised Christian and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church prior to moving to Hollywood in 2005. She attended church regularly while growing up and wore a purity ring.[22] Several of Cyrus's siblings also eventually entered the entertainment business: Trace became a vocalist and guitarist for the electronic pop band Metro Station,[23] Noah became an actress, and Brandi became a guitarist.[24]
Career

2001–05: Early work
In 2001, when Cyrus was eight, she and her family moved to Toronto, Canada while her father filmed the television series Doc.[25] Cyrus said watching her father film the show inspired her to pursue acting. After Billy Ray took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of Mamma Mia! at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Cyrus grabbed his arm and told him, "This is what I want to do, daddy. I want to be an actress."[26] She began taking singing and acting classes at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto.[27] In her first role, Cyrus played a girl named Kylie on Doc.[11] In 2003, Cyrus was credited under her birth name for her role as "Young Ruthie" in Tim Burton's Big Fish.[28]
At age 11, Cyrus learned about the casting for what became Hannah Montana, a Disney Channel children's television series about a school girl with a secret double life as a teen pop star. Cyrus sent in a tape auditioning for the show's best friend role, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead, "Chloe Stewart".[1] After sending in a new tape and flying to Hollywood for further auditions,[29] Cyrus was told that she was too young and too small for the part.[29][30] However, her persistence and ability to sing in addition to act led the show's producers to invite her back for further auditions. Cyrus eventually received the lead, renamed "Miley Stewart" after herself, at the age of twelve.[29] During this time, she also auditioned with Taylor Lautner for the feature film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D and it came down to her and another actress, but Cyrus started doing Hannah Montana instead.[31]
As Cyrus's career took off, Tish Cyrus made several critical decisions regarding her daughter's representation. She signed Cyrus with Mitchell Gossett, director of the youth division at Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty. Gossett, who specializes in creating child stars, had arranged for Cyrus's auditions for Hannah Montana and is credited with "discovering" her.[32][33] For Cyrus's music career, Tish followed the advice of Dolly Parton, Cyrus's godmother and a singer herself, and signed Cyrus with Jason Morey of Morey Management Group. "Dolly said the Moreys are people you can trust around your daughter," Tish Cyrus recalls, "and she said they have good morals, which is not always the case in this business."[34] According to trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter, Parton's advice was "the best advice [Tish] could [have gotten] on who should rep her daughter."[34] Tish also recruited Billy Ray's business manager to manage her daughter's finances. Tish herself continues to co-manage or produce many of Cyrus's career decisions.[34] For her education, Cyrus enrolled at Options for Youth Charter Schools[35] and studied with a private tutor on the set of her television show.[36]


Cyrus performing on the Best of Both Worlds Tour
2006–07: Hannah Montana and Meet Miley Cyrus
Hannah Montana became an instant hit and propelled Cyrus to teen idol status, according to The Daily Telegraph.[28] The series premiered on March 26, 2006 to the largest audience ever for a Disney Channel show[37] and soon became one of the highest-rated series on basic cable, elevating Cyrus's wealth and fame along with it.[38] Time magazine reports that Cyrus's "phenom[enal]" success is due partially to her talent and partially to "Disney learning to use its vast, multimedia holdings" and market Cyrus and Hannah Montana appropriately.[39] Cyrus eventually became the first artist to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and music within The Walt Disney Company.[32]
Cyrus's first single was "The Best of Both Worlds", the theme song to Hannah Montana, which was released on March 28, 2006.[40] "The Best of Both Worlds" is credited to "Hannah Montana", the pop star Cyrus portrays on the series by the same name. As with other songs credited to Montana, Cyrus typically dressed as the character when performing the song live.[41] Cyrus's first release under her own name was a cover of James Baskett's "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", released on April 4, 2006 on the fourth edition of DisneyMania.[42] Dressed as Hannah Montana, Cyrus opened for The Cheetah Girls on twenty dates of their The Party's Just Begun Tour, beginning on September 15, 2006.[43] On October 24 of same year, Walt Disney Records released the first Hannah Montana soundtrack. Of the nine tracks on the soundtrack performed by Cyrus, eight were credited to "Hannah Montana" and one, a duet with her father titled "I Learned from You", was credited to Cyrus as herself. The album peaked at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.[44]
The second season of Hannah Montana premiered on April 23, 2007, and ran until October 12, 2008.[45] Cyrus signed a four-album deal with Disney-owned Hollywood Records and, on June 26, 2007, released a double-disc album. The first disc was the soundtrack to the second season of Hannah Montana, while the second, titled Meet Miley Cyrus, was Cyrus's debut album credited to her own name. The double-disc album peaked at number one on the Billboard 200[46] and was later certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[47] Meet Miley Cyrus generated "See You Again", Cyrus's first single to be released under her own name and her first top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.[48] In Fall 2007, Cyrus launched her first tour, the Best of Both Worlds Tour, to promote Meet Miley Cyrus and the Hannah Montana soundtracks. With the Jonas Brothers, Aly & AJ, and Everlife as her opening acts, Cyrus toured from October 17, 2007 to January 31, 2008 with stops in the U.S. and Canada.[49] Tickets sold out in minutes and were scalped for up to $2,500 and an average of $214, well above their $26–$65 face value.[50] A Ticketmaster official commented, "Hell hath no fury like the parent of a child throwing a tantrum. People who have been in this business for a long time are watching what's happening, and they say there hasn't been a demand of this level or intensity since The Beatles or Elvis."[51]
2008–09: Breakout, transitions and film career launch


Cyrus at 2008 MTV Video Music Awards.
After the end of the Best of Both Worlds Tour in January 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, a 3D concert film of the tour, on February 1, 2008 for what was expected to be a one-week run. The film earned over $31 million [52] at the box-office and an average of $42,000 per theater, twice the expected total, convincing Disney executives to extend the release for an indefinite run. "We don't want to turn away kids from the theaters who couldn't get into the concerts," said Chuck Viane, Disney's chief of distribution.[53] The film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records/Hollywood Records on March 11, 2008 and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.[54]
On July 22, 2008, Cyrus released her second studio album under her own name, entitled Breakout. Cyrus said Breakout was inspired by "what's been going on in my life in the past year."[55] Cyrus co-wrote eight out of twelve songs on the album.[55] "Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever, [...] I just hope this record showcases that, more than anything, I'm a writer."[56] The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart[57] and its lead single, "7 Things", peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[58][59] She hosted the 2008 CMT Music Awards with her father in April[60] and the 2008 Teen Choice Awards by herself in August.[61] Cyrus provided the voice of Penny in the 2008 computer-animated film Bolt, which was released on November 21, 2008 to critical acclaim.[62] Cyrus also co-wrote and recorded the song "I Thought I Lost You" as a duet with John Travolta for the film, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.[63] In September 2009, she participated in the charity single "Just Stand Up!" in support of the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer[64] and in the City of Hope Benefit Concert in support of cancer research and training programs.[65] She also became involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an environmentalist group, for which she recorded the charity single "Send It On" along with several other Disney Channel stars.[66]


Cyrus performing on the Wonder World Tour
Cyrus had already begun transitioning to a more grown-up image in late 2008, when her representatives negotiated a deal for novelist Nicholas Sparks to write the screenplay and novel basis for a film that would serve as a star vehicle for Cyrus by introducing her to audiences older than the young fans she had gained through Hannah Montana.[67] Sparks and co-writer Jeff Van Wie developed The Last Song.[67] It was important to Cyrus that she not be type cast as a singer: "I didn't want to be a singer in another film. I don't want to do that anymore. You have no idea how many musicals show up on my door. I want to do something a little more serious."[68] In March 2009, Cyrus published Miles To Go, a memoir co-written by Hilary Liftin chronicling her life through age sixteen.[69] Cyrus starred as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in Hannah Montana: The Movie, released April 10, 2009. Both the film and its soundtrack, which contained twelve songs performed by Cyrus,[70] achieved commercial success.[71][72] The soundtrack's lead single, "The Climb", became a Top 40 hit in twelve countries[73] and introduced Cyrus to listeners outside her typical teen pop audience.[74] Cyrus had considered ending Hannah Montana after its third season, which finished production on June 5, 2009,[75] but Disney retained and exercised its option for a fourth season.[76]
Production on The Last Song lasted from June 15, 2009 to August 18, 2009.[77] In between, Cyrus launched the third Hannah Montana soundtrack, recorded the extended play The Time of Our Lives, and released the EP's lead single, "Party in the U.S.A."[78] Cyrus said The Time of Our Lives "is a transitioning album. [...] really to introduce people to what I want my next record to sound like and with time I will be able to do that a little more."[79] "Party in the U.S.A." debuted at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 for her best-ever ranking on the chart.[80] The Time of Our Lives was released in conjunction with a clothing line co-designed by Cyrus and Max Azria for Walmart.[81]
From September 14, 2009 to December 29, 2010, Cyrus toured on her Wonder World Tour to promote Breakout and The Time of Our Lives.[citation needed] On December 7, 2009, Cyrus performed for Queen Elizabeth II and numerous other members of the British Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, North West England.[82]
2010: Can't Be Tamed and focus on film career


Cyrus at 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards.
Production on the fourth and final season of Hannah Montana began on January 18, 2010.[83] In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Cyrus appeared on the charity singles "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti" and "Everybody Hurts".[84][85] Her third studio album, Can't Be Tamed, was released on June 21, 2010. The album's first single is the title track, "Can't Be Tamed". The single was released for sale on May 18, 2010 and entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight.[86] Cyrus's costumes and dances while promoting Can't Be Tamed were also considerably more provocative than previous performances, arousing media criticism.[87] After releasing the album, Cyrus intends to take a break from the music industry in order to focus on her film career.[88] She commented, "I've not taken, like, acting lessons or anything, but it doesn't mean I don't need to because I'm sure I do [...] I'm probably going to go book an acting coach."[89] Cyrus has also decided to opt out of college for the same reason, saying "I'm a firm believer that you can go back at any age you want, because my Grandma went back to college at 62 [...] For right now, I really want to focus on my career. I've worked hard to get to where I am now, and I want to enjoy it while it lasts."[90][91][92]
Cyrus starred in The Last Song, which was released on March 31, 2010, and received generally poor reviews, as did Cyrus's performance.[93] Nonetheless, the film was commercially successful, grossing more than $88 million at the worldwide box office.[94] According to box-office analyst Exhibitor Relations, the film marked "a successful transition to adult roles for Miley Cyrus."[95]
The fourth and final season of Hannah Montana began airing on Disney Channel on July 11, 2010 and was ended on January 16, 2011.[96]
As of December 2010, Cyrus is set to star in two more films, LOL: Laughing Out Loud and So Undercover. In LOL, a remake of a 2008 French teen comedy, Cyrus plays "a daughter who is involved with all the wrong kids, doing drugs, failing school, but [...whose] mother has her on this perfect pedestal" and says "[She] just fell in love with the story."[97] Miley's character loses her virginity, smokes cannabis, gets wasted and kisses two girlfriends on the lips.[98] She will also star in So Undercover, an action comedy film. Cyrus will play the part of "a tough, street-smart private eye hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority."[99] She will learn street fighting for the role.[99]
2011–present: Gypsy Heart Tour and Fourth Studio Album


Performing on the Gypsy Heart Tour in 2011
In February 2011, Cyrus confirmed she'd done with acting for the foreseeable future, and was making plans to go back to music with a massive tour. She tells E! Online, "No movies lined up. I'm going on tour.".[100]
Cyrus hosted Saturday Night Live on March 5, 2011, where she performed in several sketches. She also sang a brief song about her several controversies, such as the bong incident, the photo of her friend and she eating a Twizzler, and the "pole dance" on a hotel pole at the Teen Choice Awards, stating "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect." [101][102]
In March 2011, father Billy Ray Cyrus confirmed on talk show, The View, that Miley had been in talks with producer Dr. Luke on a new album, despite her earlier announcement that she'd be focusing more on acting in the future.[103]
On April 29, 2011, Cyrus embarked on her international Gypsy Heart Tour in South America and ended the tour on July 2, 2011 in Australia.
In June 2011, Cyrus was named by M (magazine) as the richest teen star with an estimate net worth of $120 million, leaving behind Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez.[104] In July 2011, it was announced that she would record her fourth studio album and she has no plans to sign onto any other film projects.[105]
Earnings

In 2008, Cyrus earned $25 million, up from her earnings of $18 million in 2007, and was ranked number 35 on Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100" list.[106] Parade magazine reported she was the richest teenage celebrity and that her franchise would be worth approximately $1 billion by the end of the year.[107] In 2009, Forbes ranked her #29 on the Celebrity 100 and reported she had earned a total of $25 million.[108] Then Cyrus got ranked number thirteen on Forbes' 2010 Celebrity 100 ranking $48 million.[5] From the $48 million she made between June 2009 to June 2010 made her the no. 4 highest earners under 30 and the youngest on the list.[109] between June 2010 and June 2011, Cyrus earned $54 million.[110]
From working on Hannah Montana, Cyrus got paid $15,000 per episode she did on the hit show, making her the 6th highest paid child star on television behind fellow Disney stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse and Keke Palmer with $20,000 for their shows. Also, she is behind friend and Disney star Selena Gomez that makes $25,000 per episode of her show, Nick star Miranda Cosgrove with $180,000 per episode of her show, and one time co-star Angus T. Jones that got paid $250,000 for each episode of his show.[111] Though she had not got paid as much as other Disney stars,when she was 17 she was named #19 on the "Top 20 World's Richest Female Singers Of All Time" list with over $100 million in 5 years active throughout her career, which made her the youngest female artist on the list.[112] In 2011, she was named #1 on the "Top 10 Richest Teens In Hollywood" with $120 million.[113]
Personal life & Image

In an interview, friend and actor Tyler Posey stated that he and Cyrus met on the set of the show Doc, and that they shared their first kiss on the show. He then stated that he and Cyrus dated for 2 years and then broke up when they were 11.[114]


Cyrus on the Red Carpet at Vh1 Divas 2009.
Cyrus told Seventeen magazine that she and Nick Jonas had dated for two years and "were in love", but were "fighting a lot" by the end.[115] After the break-up, Cyrus says that she initially "rebell[ed] against everything Nick wanted me to be. And then I was like, I've got to be by myself for now, and just figure out who I really am."[115]
In February 2008, Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux opened a YouTube account and began posting videos of what they called The Miley and Mandy Show. The show, described as a "YouTube hit," is said to be filmed for fun by Cyrus and Jiroux and to be entirely their work, with Cyrus and Jiroux editing the footage together.[116]
With Cyrus's increased success came increased media attention. In a May 2008 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Francois Navarre, the proprietor of the X17 photo agency, said Cyrus's market value had picked up considerably after the Vanity Fair photo controversy: "She's started to sell more. [...] It used to be $300, and now it's $2,000 for a picture."[117] Estimates for a picture of the then-15 year old's first kiss ranged from $30,000 to $150,000.[117] Navarre noted that Cyrus rarely behaved against her wholesome image or went out without a parent and stated, "She has people waiting for the moment she starts to be less traditional. [...] It's natural. Any teenager. But it's going to come very fast. [...] As soon as her mom lets her go out by herself. It's going to start to be interesting."[117] Time magazine included her on the 2008 Time 100, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her write-up was written by former child star Donny Osmond, who warned, "As an idol to tweens the world over, singer-actress Miley Cyrus, 15, is riding a huge tidal wave at the pinnacle of her career; this is as it should be. I hope she enjoys it. [...] Within three to five years, Miley will have to face adulthood. [...] As she does, she'll want to change her image, and that change will be met with adversity."[118]
Cyrus celebrated her 16th birthday at Disneyland with a charity fundraiser for Youth Service America, a youth volunteer service organization.[119][120][121]
At the end of 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Cyrus the fourth best-selling female artist[122] and the fifth best-selling singer overall.[123]
In June 2009, Cyrus ended her nine-month relationship with model Justin Gaston shortly before flying to Georgia to film The Last Song.[124] While filming later that month, Cyrus began dating her co-star in The Last Song, Australian actor Liam Hemsworth.[125] She later called him her "first serious boyfriend".[126] In August 2010, it was confirmed that her relationship with Hemsworth had ended.[127][128] Cyrus and Hemsworth were seen together a month later, and were reportedly back together.[129] It was announced in early November that the couple had split again.[130] On March 31, 2011, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have reportedly rekindled their relationship.[131] On June 20, Cyrus confirmed in a interview on the DirtTv in Australia that she and Hemsworth are still rocking and still are together.[132][133]
On October 26, 2010, less than a month before Cyrus's eighteenth birthday, her father Billy Ray Cyrus filed for divorce from her mother in Tennessee, citing irreconcilable differences.[134] In a statement made to People the next day announcing the split, the couple said, "As you can imagine, this is a very difficult time for our family... We are trying to work through some personal matters. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."[135] However, on March 18, 2011, Cyrus's father announced on The View that he had dropped the divorce.[136]
Cyrus is the youngest recording artist ever with four #1 albums in less than 3 years.[137]
In June 2011, Cyrus was named by the Rolling Stones magazine a queen of pop, she was named #8 based on album sales selling 2.027 million copies.[138] also, she was named #7 based on digital tracks selling 14.763 million digital copies,[139] #5 based on youtube views with 784,667,358 views,[140] #12 based on radio airplay with 216 airplay's,[141] #11 based on Billboard hot 100 appearances with 164.2 points,[142] and #9 based on social networking with 14.9 million Facebook likes, and 1.4 million Twitter followers.[143] lastly, she was named #6 based off the gross of her tours with 66.5 million dollars in grossing,[144] #14 based off award wins, in this case the Teen Choice Awards didn't count and only mainstream-awards counted such as the Grammy Awards and awards like that in the music category,[145] #14 based on album reviews.[146] out of all the rankings for the categories, she was name on the official "Queen of Pop" list at #8 behind Beyonce, Katy Perry, best friend Taylor Swift, her inspiration Britney Spears and many more. She also beat out Carrie Underwood, Nicki Minaj, Adele, Christina Aguilera, and many more.[147]
Controversies



Cyrus and his daughter, Miley, performing "Ready, Set, Don't Go" at the Kids' Inaugural: "We Are the Future." - January 19, 2009; Washington D.C.
In December 2007, a brief controversy emerged when photos Cyrus had posted on her private MySpace account, depicting her and a female friend sharing a piece of licorice and "almost kissing", were spread across the internet, prompting rumors of lesbianism. Cyrus comments, "For me, I was like, That's two girls—it's not a big deal. But they got spread around. Like someone copied and pasted and said, Omigod, look at this, and blah blah blah."[148]
In April 2008, several provocative images of Cyrus in her underwear and swimsuit were leaked onto the web by a teenager who hacked Cyrus's Gmail account.[149][150][151][152] Cyrus described the images as "silly, inappropriate shots" and stated, "I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone."[153][154] On April 25, 2008, the televised entertainment program Entertainment Tonight reported that Cyrus, then 15, had posed topless for a photoshoot taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair.[155] On April 29, 2008, The New York Times clarified that though the pictures left an impression that she was bare-breasted, Cyrus was wrapped in a bedsheet and was actually not topless.[156] Some parents expressed outrage at the nature of the photograph, which a Disney spokesperson described as "a situation [that] was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines." Gary Marsh, president of entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, was quoted by Portfolio magazine to have said, “For Miley Cyrus to be a 'good girl' is now a business decision for her. Parents have invested in her a godliness. If she violates that trust, she won't get it back."[156] In response to the Internet circulation of the photo and ensuing media attention, Cyrus released a statement of apology on April 27, 2008: "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."[156] Leibovitz also released a statement: "I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful."[156][157]
In May 2008, Gossett, Cyrus's longtime acting agent, left Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty for United Talent Agency, partially with the hope of "giving Cyrus the major-agency backing that would support a widening career", according to The Hollywood Reporter.[34][158] About a year later in June 2009, Cyrus left both Gossett and UTA, which had recently negotiated her deals for The Last Song and the fourth season of Hannah Montana, and joined the Creative Artists Agency, which had already represented her for music.[159] Nikki Finke, who broke the news, reported, "Is this fair to UTA? Of course not. But I hear the decision was made by Miley's mother Trish [sic] Cyrus".[160]
Cyrus's performance of "Party in the U.S.A." at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards incited a media uproar, with some viewers criticizing Cyrus's provocative outfit and inclusion of a brief pole dance as inappropriate for her age, then sixteen, and for her young fans.[161][162] Conversely, Newsday reported that her sexualization "has been coming for some time."[163] Ian Drew, senior editor of US Weekly, said, "She already has this risque image, so it really wasn't much of a stretch. That's how Britney [Spears] took off. She was the good girl gone bad, and it looks to be working for Miley as well."[163] Cyrus was also criticized that year for dating Gaston, five years her senior,[164] and for a photo displaying Cyrus and friends making "slant-eyed" expressions, which the Organization of Chinese Americans claimed was offensive to the Asian community.[165] Cyrus apologized for the photo on her website, defending her actions and saying, "In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy face."[166]
Later in 2010, TMZ released a video of Cyrus, then 16, giving Adam Shankman, producer of The Last Song, a lap dance at the film's wrap party.[167][168][169] Cyrus's father defended her actions, saying Miley was just "having fun" and that "it's what people her age do".[170] Later that year in December, TMZ released a video of Cyrus, which took place five days after her 18th birthday at her Los Angeles home, in which she is seen smoking from a bong. She claimed she was smoking the psychoactive plant salvia divinorum, although this has not been confirmed by anybody but Cyrus herself.[171][172][173] Salvia is legal in the state of California, and Cyrus was of legal age at the time the video was shot.[174] Cyrus's father expressed his sadness regarding the matter on Twitter, saying, "Sorry guys. I had no idea. Just saw this stuff for the first time myself. I'm so sad. There is much beyond my control right now".[175][176]
Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes
2003 Big Fish Young Ruthie Film debut
2007 High School Musical 2 Girl at pool Cameo
2008 Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Herself 3D Concert film
2008 Bolt Penny Voice-over Role
2009 Hannah Montana: The Movie Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana Based on TV series
2010 The Last Song Veronica "Ronnie" Miller Film adaption of book
2010 Sex and the City 2 Herself Cameo
2011 Justin Bieber: Never Say Never Herself Cameo
2011 LOL: Laughing Out Loud Lola Remake of French film
2011 So Undercover Molly Release: October 13, 2011[177]
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2001–2003 Doc Kylie Recurring role
2006–2011 Hannah Montana Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana Lead role
2006 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana "That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" (Season 2, Episode 20)
2006–2008 Disney 365 Herself In 9 episodes, 2006–2008.
2007 The Replacements Celebrity Star (voice) "Frog Prince" (Season 2, Episode 5)
2007–2008 The Emperor's New School Yata (voice) Recurring role
2009 The Suite Life on Deck Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana "Double-Crossed" (Season 1, Episode 21)
2011 Saturday Night Live Herself Host, March 5 episode.
Discography

Main article: Miley Cyrus discography
Main article: Hannah Montana discography
Studio albums
Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus (2007)
Breakout (2008)
Can't Be Tamed (2010)
Extended plays
The Time of Our Lives (2009)
Tours

Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–08)
Wonder World Tour (2009)
Gypsy Heart Tour (2011)

Source from Wikipedia.com

Adrienne Janic

Adrienne Janic (Serbian Cyrillic: Адриана Јанић), (born July 25, 1974), sometimes credited simply as AJ, is an American actress and television host of Serbian and Mexican descent.

Adrienne Janic Photoshoot


Adrienne Janic official hosting reel



Adrienne Janic talks about Drifting and Hot Import Nights


Naturally Savvy TV presents Adrienne Janic


Adrienne Janic (AJ from Chip Foose's Overhaulin) gets a 1968 Pontiac Firebird built by Year One





Career

She has primarily worked as a television host including as a co-host of the Discovery Channel's Overhaulin', an automotive, reality-television series. She was also a host of Hot Import Nights (2008), an automotive show on the Speed Channel.
She has appeared in several films including appearing as an extra in the film National Lampoon's Cattle Call (2006). From 2004 to 2006, Janic was one of the Fantanas, a group of promotional models who were created to promote The Coca-Cola Company's Fanta brand of soft drinks in the U.S.

Personal life

She is married to Bud Brutsman, a video producer and television producer.


Reference from Wikipedia.com

Adela Noriega

Adela Noriega (born Adela Amalia Noriega Méndez on October 24, 1969 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican television actress.
She is best known for her work in telenovelas and some of her most notable works include Quinceañera, Dulce desafío, María Isabel, El privilegio de amar, El manantial and Amor real.
Her success has led her to be known as one of the "Queens" of the genre.


Adela Noriega


La vida de Adela Noriega


Adela Noriega, Eduardo Yanez ( Guadalupe)


adela noriega 5


Adela Noriega habla de Thalia y Luis Miguel


Adela Noriega ¿Embarazada?


Biography

Early life
Adela Noriega was born in México City on October 24, 1969. Her father died when she was very young and her mother passed away in 1995. She has two siblings, Reyna and Alejandro.
[edit]Career
She was discovered at the age of 12 in a commercial centre while she was walking with her mother. Soon after that she appeared in TV commercials and music videos. Her first role was at the age of 14 in the telenovela Principessa and shortly after in Juana Iris. In both she interpreted villains. She then was a guest on the comic show Cachún Cachún Ra Ra! for a few years.
In 1986, she was given her first lead role in Yesenia, a historical telenovela where she played a gypsy. From then on she began to work solely as a leading actress of many successful telenovelas.
In 1987, she obtained the lead role in Quinceañera co-starring with singer Thalía. Quinceañera was the first telenovela for adolescents and dealt with topics such as drugs, rape and gangs.
The year after, she returned to television as the rebellious Lucero Sandoval in teen telenovela Dulce Desafío alongside Eduardo Yáñez.
In 1993 she obtained a contract with Telemundo and played the lead role in the successful telenovela Guadalupe. For signing a contract with a different company, she was banned from Televisa.
In 1995, she worked in Colombia for RTI, starring in Maria Bonita alongside Fernando Allende.
In 1997 she returned to Televisa and starred in a remake of María Isabel with Fernando Carrillo.
A year later she starred in El privilegio de amar alongside Helena Rojo.
In 2001 she starred in El Manantial alongside Mauricio Islas for which she earned another TVyNovelas award.
In 2003 she returned as Matilde Peñalver y Beristain in the highly acclaimed historical telenovela Amor Real.
Her most recent starring role was as lead female character Sofía Elizondo in Fuego En La Sangre in 2008.
[edit]Filmography

[edit]Television
Year Telenovela Role Notes
2008 Fuego en la sangre Sofía Elizondo Acevedo Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress
Nominated - Premios Fama for Best Lead Actress
2005 La esposa virgen Virginia Alfaro Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress
2003 Amor Real Matilde Peñalver y Beristain de Fuentes Guerra New York Latin ACE Award for Best Actress
TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress[1]
Laurel de Oro for Best Actress
Califa de Oro for Best Actress
Sol de Oro for Best Actress
2001 - 2002 El Manantial Alfonsina Valdés Rivero New York Latin ACE Award for Best Actress
TVyNovelas Awards for Best Lead Actress[2]
Sol de Oro for Best Actress
1998 - 1999 El privilegio de amar Cristina Miranda TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress
1997 - 1998 María Isabel María Isabel TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress[3]
1995 - 1996 Maria Bonita Maria Reynoso 'Maria Bonita' RTI Colombia
1993 - 1994 Guadalupe Guadalupe Zambrano Santos Telemundo
1988 - 1989 Dulce Desafio Lucero Sandoval TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress[4]
1987 - 1988 Quinceañera Maricruz Fernández TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress
1986 Yesenia Yesenia Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Young Actress
1985 Juana Iris Romina Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Female Revelation
1984 - 1987 Cachún cachún ra ra! Adela Nominated - TVyNovelas Awards for Best Revelation in Comedy
1984 Principesa Alina
[edit]Film
Year Film Role
1985 Un sábado más Lucía
1984 Los amantes del señor de la noche
[edit]Music videos
Year Song title Role Artist
1985 Palabra de honor Love interest Luis Miguel
1985 Corazon de fresa Love interest Lucia Mendez

Reference from Wikipedia.com

Harry Belafonte

Harold George "Harry" Belafonte, Jr. (originally Belafonete; born March 1, 1927) is an American singer, actor, and social activist. He was dubbed the "King of Calypso" – a title which he was very reluctant to accept (according to the documentary Calypso Dreams) – for popularizing the Caribbean musical style with an international audience in the 1950s. Belafonte is perhaps best known for singing the "Banana Boat Song", with its signature lyric "Day-O." Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for civil rights and humanitarian causes, and was a vocal critic of the policies of the George W. Bush Administration.

JAMAICA FAREWELL ORIGINAL-- HARRY BELAFONTE


Harry Belafonte Day-O ( Banana Boat )


Harry Belafonte - Island In The Sun


Harry Belafonte on His Support for the Civil Rights Movement & Using Music to "Spread Truth"

Early life

Born Harold George Belafonte, Jr., at Lying-in Hospital, New York City, New York, Belafonte was the son of Melvine (née Love) – a housekeeper (of Jamaican descent) – and Harold George Belafonete, Sr., a Martiniquan who worked as chef in the Royal Navy.[2][3][4][5] From 1932 to 1940, he lived with his grandmother in her native country of Jamaica. When he returned to New York City he attended George Washington High School[6] after which he joined the Navy and served during World War II.[4] At the end of the 1940s, he took classes in acting at the Dramatic Workshop of The New School in New York with the influential German director Erwin Piscator alongside Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis, Walter Matthau, Bea Arthur, and Sidney Poitier, while performing with the American Negro Theatre. He subsequently received a Tony Award for his participation in the Broadway revue John Murray Anderson's Almanac.

Music career



Belafonte in John Murray Anderson's Almanac on Broadway, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1954
Belafonte started his career in music as a club singer in New York, to pay for his acting classes. The first time he appeared in front of an audience he was backed by the Charlie Parker band, which included Charlie Parker himself, Max Roach, and Miles Davis among others. At first he was a pop singer, launching his recording career on the Roost label in 1949, but later he developed a keen interest in folk music, learning material through the Library of Congress' American folk songs archives. With guitarist and friend Millard Thomas, Belafonte soon made his debut at the legendary jazz club The Village Vanguard. In 1952 he received a contract with RCA Victor.
[edit]Calypso
His first widely–released single, which went on to become his "signature" song with audience participation in virtually all his live performances, was "Matilda", recorded April 27, 1953. His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) became the first LP to sell over 1 million copies (Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" and Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons", both singles, had previously surpassed that mark). The album is number four on Billboard's "Top 100 Album" list for having spent 31 weeks at number 1, 58 weeks in the top ten, and 99 weeks on the U.S. charts. The album introduced American audiences to Calypso music (which had originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the early 20th century) and Belafonte was dubbed the "King of Calypso," a title he wore with reservations, since he had no claims to any Calypso Monarch titles.


Calypso (1956)
One of the songs included in the album is the now famous "Banana Boat Song" (listed as "Day O" on the original release), which reached number five on the pop charts, and featured its signature lyric "Day–O."[7]. His version was based on a 1954 recording by Louise Bennett. Belafonte based his version on a 1954 recording by Jamaican folk singer Louise Bennett[8]. His other smash hit was "Jump in the Line".
Many of the compositions recorded for Calypso, including "Banana Boat Song" and "Jamaica Farewell", gave songwriting credit to Irving Burgie, Belafonte and his team, but were really previously recorded Jamaican mento songs sold as calypso. The original Jamaican versions can now be heard on the "Jamaica—Mento1951–1958" [9] CD released in 2010.
[edit]Middle career
While primarily known for Calypso, Belafonte has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. His second–most popular hit, which came immediately after "The Banana Boat Song," was the novelty tune "Mama Look at Bubu," also known as "Mama Look a Boo–Boo" (originally recorded by Lord Melody in 1956), in which he sings humorously about misbehaving and disrespectful children. It reached number eleven on the pop chart.
In 1959 He starred in Tonight With Belafonte a nationally televised special, that featured Odetta who sang Water Boy and who performed a duet with Belafonte of A Hole in The Bucket that hit the national charts in 1961.[10] Belafonte continued to record for RCA through the 1950s to the 1970s. Two live albums, both recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1959 and 1960, enjoyed critical and commercial success. From his 1959 album, Hava Nagila became part of his regular routine and one of his signature songs.[11] He was one of many entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the inaugural gala of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. That same year he released his second Calypso album, Jump Up Calypso, which went on to become another million seller. During the 1960s he introduced several artists to American audiences, most notably South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. His album Midnight Special (1962) featured the first–ever record appearance by a then young harmonica player named Bob Dylan.
As The Beatles and other stars from Britain began to dominate the U.S. pop charts, Belafonte's commercial success diminished; 1964's Belafonte at The Greek Theatre was his last album to appear in Billboard's Top 40. His last hit single, A Strange Song, was released in 1967, and peaked at number 5 on the Adult contemporary music charts. Belafonte has received Grammy Awards for the albums Swing Dat Hammer (1960) and An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba (1965). The latter album dealt with the political plight of black South Africans under Apartheid. He earned six Gold Records.[12]
[edit]Later recordings and other activities
Belafonte's album output in the 1970s slowed after leaving RCA. From the mid–1970s to early 1980s he spent the greater part of his time touring Japan, Europe, Cuba and elsewhere. His involvement in USA for Africa during the mid–1980s resulted in renewed interest in his music, culminating in a record deal with EMI. He subsequently released his first album of original material in over a decade, Paradise in Gazankulu, in 1988. The album contains ten protest songs against the South African former Apartheid policy, and as of 2011 was his last studio album. In the same year, Belafonte, as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador attended a symposium in Harare, Zimbabwe to focus attention on child survival and development in Southern African countries. As part of the symposium, he performed a concert for UNICEF. A Kodak video crew filmed the concert, which was released as a 60–minute concert video entitled "Global Carnival". It features many of the songs from the album Paradise in Gazankulu and some of his classic hits. Also in 1988, Tim Burton used "The Banana Boat Song" and "Jump in the Line" in his movie Beetlejuice.
Following a lengthy recording hiatus, An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends, a soundtrack and video of a televised concert were released in 1997 by Island Records. The Long Road to Freedom, An Anthology of Black Music, a huge multi–artist project recorded during the 1960s and 1970s with RCA, was finally released by the label in 2001. The album was nominated for the 2002 Grammy Awards for Best Boxed Recording Package, for Best Album Notes and for Best Historical Album.[citation needed]


The Turn the World Around number on The Muppet Show.
Belafonte was the first African–American to win an Emmy, with his first solo TV special Tonight with Belafonte (1959). During the 1960s he appeared on TV specials, alongside such artists as Julie Andrews, Petula Clark, Lena Horne, and Nana Mouskouri. He was also a guest star on a memorable episode of The Muppet Show in 1978, in which he performed his signature song "Day–O" on television for the first time. The episode is best known for Belafonte's rendition of the spiritual song, "Turn the World Around", which he performed with Muppets that resembled African tribal masks. It became one of the series' most famous performances. It was reportedly Jim Henson's favorite episode, and Belafonte reprised the song at Henson's memorial in 1990. "Turn the World Around" was also included in the 2005 official hymnal supplement of the Unitarian Universalist Association, "Singing the Journey."[13]
Belafonte received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He performed sell–out concerts globally through the 1950s to the 2000s. Due to illness he was forced to cancel a reunion tour with Nana Mouskouri, planned for the spring and summer of 2003, following a tour in Europe. His last concert was a benefit concert for the Atlanta Opera on October 25, 2003.[14] In a 2007 interview he stated that he had since retired from performing.[15]
[edit]Film career



Belafonte at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival
Belafonte has starred in several films. His first film role was in Bright Road (1953), in which he appeared alongside Dorothy Dandridge. The two subsequently starred in Otto Preminger's hit musical Carmen Jones (1954). Ironically, Belafonte's lyrics in the film were dubbed by an opera singer, as Belafonte's own singing voice was seen as unsuitable for the role. Using his star clout, Belafonte was subsequently able to realize several then–controversial film roles. In 1957's Island in the Sun, there are hints of an affair between Belafonte's character and Joan Fontaine. The film also starred James Mason, Dandridge, Joan Collins, Michael Rennie, and John Justin. In 1959, he starred in and produced Robert Wise's Odds Against Tomorrow, in which he plays a bank robber uncomfortably teamed with a racist partner (Robert Ryan). He also co–starred with Inger Stevens in The World, the Flesh and the Devil. Belafonte was offered the role of Porgy in Preminger's Porgy and Bess, where he would have once again starred opposite Dandridge, but he refused the role because he objected to its racial stereotyping.
Dissatisfied with the film roles available to him, he returned to music during the 1960s. In the early 1970s Belafonte appeared in more films among which are two with Poitier: Buck and the Preacher (1972) and Uptown Saturday Night (1974). In 1984, Belafonte produced and scored the musical film Beat Street, dealing with the rise of hip–hop culture. Belafonte next starred in a major film again in the mid-1990s, appearing with John Travolta in the race–reverse drama White Man's Burden (1995); and in Robert Altman's jazz age drama Kansas City (1996), the latter of which garnered him the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also starred as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States in the TV drama Swing Vote (1999). In late 2006, Belafonte appeared in the role of Nelson, a friend of an employee of the Ambassador Hotel played by Anthony Hopkins, in Bobby, Emilio Estevez's ensemble drama about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
[edit]Personal life

[edit]Family
Belafonte and Marguerite Byrd were married from 1948 to 1957. They have two daughters: Adrienne and Shari. Shari Belafonte, married to Sam Behrens, is a photographer, model, singer and actor. In 1997, Adrienne Biesemeyer and her daughter Rachel Blue founded the Anir Foundation/Experience.[16] Anir focuses on humanitarian work in southern Africa.
On March 8, 1957, Belafonte married second wife Julie Robinson (former dancer with the Katherine Dunham Company). They had two children, David and Gina Belafonte. David Belafonte (a former model and actor) is an Emmy-winning producer and the executive director of the family-held company Belafonte Enterprises Inc. A music producer, he has been involved in most of Belafonte's albums and tours. He married Danish model, singer and TV personality Malena Belafonte, born Mathiesen, who won silver in Dancing with the Stars in Denmark in 2009. Malena Belafonte founded Speyer Legacy School, an award winning private elementary school for gifted and talented children. David and Malena's daughter Sarafina attended this school. Gina Belafonte is a TV and film actress and worked with her father as coach and producer on more than six films. Gina helped found The Gathering For Justice, an intergenerational, intercultural non-profit organization working to reintroduce nonviolence to stop child incarceration. She is married to actor Scott McCray.
In April 2008, Belafonte married Pamela Frank.[17] Belafonte lived in a 17-room apartment at 300 West End Avenue (corner of 74th Street) in New York City for 50 years. In 2007, he sold his fifth-floor apartment to Abigail Disney for ten million eight hundred thousand dollars. In October 1998, Belafonte contributed a letter to Liv Ullmann's book Letter to My Grandchild.[18]
[edit]Political and humanitarian activism

Belafonte's political beliefs were greatly inspired by Paul Robeson, the singer and activist who mentored him. Robeson was a controversial figure who supported the Soviet Union throughout the Cold War. Robeson opposed not only racial prejudice in the United States, but also western colonialism in Africa. Belafonte's success did not protect him from racial discrimination, particularly in the American South. Belafonte refused to perform there from 1954 until 1961. In 1960, he appeared in a campaign commercial for Democratic Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy.[19] Kennedy later named Belafonte cultural advisor to the Peace Corps.
At the ACLU of Northern California's annual Bill of Rights Day Celebration In December 2007, Belafonte gave the keynote address and was awarded the Chief Justice Earl Warren Civil Liberties Award. The 2011 Sundance Film Festival featured the documentary film "Sing Your Song", a biographical film focusing on Belafonte's contribution to and his leadership in the civil rights movement in America and his endeavours to promote social justice globally.[citation needed]
[edit]Civil rights activist
Belafonte supported the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and was one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s confidants. He provided for King's family, since King made only $8,000 a year as a preacher. Like many civil rights activists, Belafonte was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. He bailed King out of the Birmingham City Jail and raised thousands of dollars to release other civil rights protesters. He financed the Freedom Rides, supported voter registration drives, and helped to organize the March on Washington in 1963.


Belafonte (center) at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C with Sidney Poitier (left) and Charlton Heston.
During "Freedom Summer" in 1964, Belafonte bankrolled the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, flying to Mississippi that August with $60,000 in cash and entertaining crowds in Greenwood. In 1968, Belafonte appeared on a Petula Clark primetime television special on NBC. In the middle of a song, Clark smiled and briefly touched Belafonte's arm, which made the show's sponsor, Plymouth Motors, nervous. Plymouth wanted to cut the segment, but Clark, who had ownership of the special, told NBC that the performance would be shown intact or she would not allow the special to be aired at all. Newspapers reported the controversy and, when the special aired, it grabbed high ratings. Belafonte appeared on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and performed a controversial "Mardi Gras" number with footage intercut from the 1968 Democratic National Convention riots. CBS censors deleted the segment.
[edit]Humanitarian activist
In 1985, he helped organize the Grammy Award winning song "We Are the World", a multi-artist effort to raise funds for Africa. He performed in the Live Aid concert that same year. In 1987, he received an appointment to UNICEF as a goodwill ambassador. Following his appointment, Belafonte traveled to Dakar, Senegal, where he served as chairman of the International Symposium of Artists and Intellectuals for African Children. He also helped to raise funds—alongside more than 20 other artists—in the largest concert ever held in sub-Saharan Africa. In 1994 he went on a mission to Rwanda and launched a media campaign to raise awareness of the needs of Rwandan children.
In 2001 he went to South Africa to support the campaign against HIV/AIDS. In 2002, Africare awarded him the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award for his efforts to assist Africa. In 2004 Belafonte went to Kenya to stress the importance of educating children in the region. Belafonte has been involved in prostate cancer advocacy since 1996, when he was diagnosed and successfully treated for the disease.[20] On June 27, 2006, Belafonte was the recipient of the BET Humanitarian Award at the 2006 BET Awards. He was named one of nine 2006 Impact Award recipients by AARP The Magazine.[21]
On October 19, 2007, Belafonte represented UNICEF on Norwegian television to support the annual telethon (TV Aksjonen) in support of that charity and helped raise a world record of $10 per inhabitant of Norway. Belafonte was also an ambassador for the Bahamas.[citation needed] He is on the board of directors of the Advancement Project.[22]
[edit]Political activist
Belafonte has been a longtime critic of U.S. foreign policy. He began making controversial political statements on this subject in the early 1980s. He has, at various times, made statements opposing the U.S. embargo on Cuba; praising Soviet peace initiatives; attacking the U.S. invasion of Grenada; praising the Abraham Lincoln Brigade; honoring Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and praising Fidel Castro.[23] Belafonte is additionally known for his visit to Cuba which helped ensure hip-hop’s place in Cuban society. According to Geoffrey Baker’s article “Hip hop, Revolucion! Nationalizing Rap in Cuba,” in 1999, Belafonte met with representatives of the rap community immediately before meeting with Fidel Castro. This meeting resulted in Castro’s personal approval of (and hence the government’s involvement in), the incorporation of rap into his country’s culture.[24] In a 2003 interview, Belafonte reflected upon this meeting’s influence:


Belafonte speaking at the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington, D.C
“When I went back to Havana a couple years later, the people in the hip-hop community came to see me and we hung out for a bit. They thanked me profusely and I said, why? and they said, because, your little conversation with Fidel and the Minister of Culture on hip-hop led to there being a special division within the ministry and we've got our own studio.”[25]
Belafonte was active in the anti–Apartheid movement. He was the Master of Ceremonies at a reception honoringAfrican National Congress President Oliver Tambo at Roosevelt House, Hunter College, in New York City. The reception was held by the American Committee on Africa (ACOA) and The Africa Fund.[26] He is a current board member of the TransAfrica Forum [27] and the Institute for Policy Studies.[28]
In December 2007 he endorsed John Edwards for the 2008 Presidential Election.
[edit]Opposition to the George W. Bush Administration
Belafonte achieved widespread attention for his political views in 2002 when he began making a series of comments about President George W. Bush, his administration and the Iraq War. During an interview with Ted Leitner for San Diego's 760 KFMB, in October 2002, Belafonte referred to a quote made by Malcolm X.[29] Belafonte said:
“ There is an old saying, in the days of slavery. There were those slaves who lived on the plantation, and there were those slaves who lived in the house. You got the privilege of living in the house if you served the master, do exactly the way the master intended to have you serve him. That gave you privilege. Colin Powell is committed to come into the house of the master, as long as he would serve the master, according to the master's purpose. And when Colin Powell dares to suggest something other than what the master wants to hear, he will be turned back out to pasture. And you don't hear much from those who live in the pasture. ”
Belafonte used the quote to characterize former United States Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, both African-Americans. Powell and Rice both responded, with Powell calling the remarks "unfortunate" [30] and Rice saying "I don't need Harry Belafonte to tell me what it means to be black." [31]


Harry Belafonte at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival
The comment was brought up again in an interview with Amy Goodman for Democracy Now! in 2006.[32] In January 2006, Belafonte led a delegation of activists including actor Danny Glover and activist/professor Cornel West to meet with President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez. In 2005, Chávez, an outspoken Bush critic, initiated a program to provide cheaper heating oil for poor people in several areas of the United States. Belafonte supported this initiative.[33] During the meeting with Chávez, Belafonte was quoted as saying, "No matter what the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world, George W. Bush says, we're here to tell you: Not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people... support your revolution." [34] Belafonte and Glover met again with Chávez in 2006.[35] The comment ignited a great deal of controversy. Hillary Clinton refused to acknowledge Belafonte's presence at an awards ceremony that featured both of them.[36] AARP, which had just named him one of its 10 Impact Award honorees 2006, released this statement following the remarks: "AARP does not condone the manner and tone which he has chosen and finds his comments completely unacceptable." [37] During a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speech at Duke University in 2006, Belafonte compared the American government to the 9/11 hijackers, saying, "What is the difference between that terrorist and other terrorists?" [38] In response to criticism about his remarks, Belafonte asked, "What do you call Bush when the war he put us in to date has killed almost as many Americans as died on 9/11 and the number of Americans wounded in war is almost triple? [...] By most definitions Bush can be considered a terrorist." When he was asked about his expectation of criticism for his remarks on the war in Iraq, Belafonte responded: "Bring it on. Dissent is central to any democracy." [39][40]
In another interview, Belafonte remarked that while his comments may have been "hasty", nevertheless he felt the Bush administration suffered from "arrogance wedded to ignorance," and its policies around the world were "morally bankrupt".[41] In January 2006, in a speech to the annual meeting of the Arts Presenters Members Conference, Belafonte referred to "the new Gestapo of Homeland Security" saying, "You can be arrested and have no right to counsel!" [42] During the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day speech at the Duke University in January 2006, Belafonte said that if he could choose his epitaph, it would be, "Harry Belafonte, Patriot." [43]
[edit]Discography

Further information: Harry Belafonte discography
[edit]Filmography



Belafonte with wife Pamela in April 2011
Bright Road (1953)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Island in the Sun (1957)
The Heart of Show Business (1957) (short subject)
The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1959)
Odds Against Tomorrow (1959)
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1970) (documentary) (narrator)
The Angel Levine (1970)
Buck and the Preacher (1972)
Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
A veces miro mi vida (1982)
Drei Lieder (1983) (short subject)
Sag nein (1983) (documentary)
Der Schönste Traum (1984) (documentary)
We Shall Overcome (1989) (documentary) (narrator)
The Player (1992) (Cameo)
Ready to Wear (1994) (Cameo)
Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream (1995)
White Man's Burden (1995)
Jazz '34 (1996)
Kansas City (1996)
Scandalize My Name: Stories from the Blacklist (1998) (documentary)
Fidel (2001) (documentary)
XXI Century (2003) (documentary)
Conakry Kas (2003) (documentary)
Ladders (2004) (documentary) (narrator)
Mo & Me (2006) (documentary)
Bobby (2006)
Motherland (2009) (documentary)
Sing Your Song (2011) (documentary)
[edit]Television work

Sugar Hill Times (1949–1950)
Tonight With Belafonte (1959)
Petula (1968)
A World in Music (1969)
Harry & Lena, For The Love Of Life (1969)
A World in Love (1970)
Free to Be… You and Me (1974)
The Muppet Show (1978)
Grambling's White Tiger (1981)
Don't Stop The Carnival (1985)
An Evening With Harry Belafonte And Friends (1997)
Swing Vote (1999)
Tanner on Tanner (2004)
That's What I'm Talking About (2006) (miniseries)
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006) (miniseries)
[edit]Concert videos

Don't Stop The Carnival (1985)
Global Carnival (1988)
An Evening With Harry Belafonte And Friends (1997)
[edit]Stage work

John Murray Anderson's Almanac (December 10, 1953 – June 26, 1954)
3 for Tonight (April 6 – June 18, 1955)
Moonbirds (October 9–10, 1959) (producer)
Belafonte at the Palace (December 15, 1959 – closing date unknown)
Asinamali! (April 23 – May 17, 1987) (producer)
[edit]Quotation

“ The sham engineers of the music industry, who steer the wheels of public opinion, are driving the good features of calypso into the ground. I shudder to think what these greedy men will eventually do to this true art form. ”
— NME – May 1957[44]

Reference from Wikipedia.com

Abigail Clancy

Abigail Marie "Abbey" Crouch (née Clancy; born 10 January 1986) is a British lingerie and catwalk model and television presenter.

Abbey Clancy


SOCCER WAGS Abigail Clancy Bodypainting, SI Swimsuit 2010


Abbey Clancy sizzles in Majorca, part one


Abbey Clancy sizzles in Majorca, part two



Abbey Clancy Legs


Abbey Clancy: Umbro World Champions Collection Interview - Representing England Football


Early life

Born in Liverpool, the oldest of four children born to Karen (née Sullivan) and Geoffrey Thomas Clancy, Clancy formed girl band Genie Queen, who were managed by Andy McCluskey from Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD).[1]
[edit]Career

[edit]Modelling
In summer 2006, the second cycle of Living TV's Britain's Next Top Model included Clancy as one of the thirteen finalists in the competition, competing over 10 weeks for a modelling contract. Clancy made it to the final runway show with fellow contestant Lianna Fowler, but at the final judging Clancy lost out to Fowler.
Since appearing on Britain's Next Top Model, Clancy has modeled for several magazines and newspapers. In May 2007, Clancy appeared on the front cover of Arena magazine,[2] and modelled the Triumph Bonneville Motorbike in the Daily Mail newspaper.[3] [4] Clancy was chosen to appear in Sports Illustrated magazine in the 2010 swimsuit edition.[5] Clancy was featured for her sporting connection to Peter Crouch and was photographed for the magazine wearing only body paint to make it appear as if she was wearing an England shirt.[6][7][8]
Clancy appeared in a 2010 campaign for Umbro sportswear, modelling an England shirt, along with other footballer's wives and girlfriends from countries that have won the World Cup.[9]
Clancy walked in the Giles Deacon Ready-To-Wear line Giles Spring 2011 collection.[10]
In March 2011 Clancy appeared on the Elite Model Management: New York division website. She also graced the August 2011 cover of UK Esquire (magazine) shot by photographer Solve Sundsbo.
[edit]Television
Clancy has appeared as a talking head in the documentaries Slave to Fashion and The Ultimate Bikini Guide for Channel 4, as a guest on programmes such as Richard & Judy, The Chris Moyles Show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, GMTV, This Morning and in her own reality TV series Abbey and Janice: Beauty and the Best which followed her attempts to break the Los Angeles modelling scene with Janice Dickinson as her mentor. The show aired from 14 May to 18 June 2007 on Living TV.
Clancy featured in the third series of Hell's Kitchen.[11] She was the third contestant to be voted off the show by the public, and the fifth to leave overall.
On 10 May 2009, Clancy featured on Chris Moyles' Quiz Night alongside Patsy Kensit. She won her episode and was the overall winner of the first series.[12]
Clancy also co-hosted the ITV2 series, The Fashion Show with model Michelle de Swarte and George Lamb.[13] Her cousin Chloe Cummings, made the top 13 contestants in the fifth cycle of Britain's Next Top Model, of which Clancy herself was a guest in episode 8, being the first ex-contestant from the Top Model franchise to appear on the judging panel.
On 22 December 2009, Clancy appeared as a "contestant" on a spoof version of Blind Date as part of an episode of Alan Carr: Chatty Man in which Cilla Black was a guest.
In April 2010, Clancy was featured in ITV2's The Parent Trip along with her mother Karen. She also appeared as a panellist on A League Of Their Own.
Clancy was a regular guest on James Corden's World Cup Live.
She also co-hosted the reality TV show Great British Hairdresser in 2011.
[edit]Media recognition

Clancy was ranked 37th in FHM magazine's annual 100 sexiest women in the world poll of 2007 but dropped down to number 55 the following year.[14] In 2009, Clancy had moved up to 12th place,[15] and in 2010 she went up to 10th place in the annual poll.
[edit]Personal life

Abbey Clancy's brother Sean is a professional football player, now with Fleetwood Town in the Blue Square Premier.[19]
Clancy started dating footballer Peter Crouch in 2006. The couple were engaged from July 2009.[20] Their daughter Sophia Ruby was born 14 March 2011. On 30 June 2011, Clancy and Crouch married at Stapleford Park Hotel in Leicestershire. [21]

Reference from Wikipedia.com

James Franco

James Edward Franco (born April 19, 1978) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, film producer, author, painter, and performance artist. He left college in order to pursue acting and started off his career by making guest appearances on television series in the 1990s. Franco landed a lead part on the short-lived cult hit television program Freaks and Geeks and later achieved recognition for playing the titular character in the TV biopic James Dean (2001), for which he was awarded a Golden Globe Award. He achieved international fame with his portrayals of Harry Osborn in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.
Franco has been acclaimed for both dramatic and comedic work in projects and has appeared in an eclectic range of projects since the 2000s. Ranging from period to contemporary pieces, and from major Hollywood productions to less publicized indie films, as well as fantasy movies to biopics and soap operas. Other notable films include Pineapple Express, a stoner comedy that earned him his second Golden Globes nomination, the Harvey Milk-biopic Milk (both 2008) as well as Danny Boyle's 2010 movie 127 Hours, about real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston's struggle to free his hand from a boulder. His performance in 127 Hours earned him nominations for many high-profile awards, including the Academy Awards, Golden Globe and SAG Awards.
Franco has hosted Saturday Night Live twice as well as the 83rd Academy Awards with Anne Hathaway. He volunteers for the Art of Elysium charity.

James Franco on James Franco, Part 1


James Franco


Magazine: 14 Actors Acting - James Franco


James Franco on Jimmy Kimmel Live PART 1


Working With James Franco's Nana: NEWSWEEK's 2011 Oscar Roundtable


The Late Show with Dav...: David Letterman - James Franco's Oscar Review




Early life and family

Nicknamed "Ted", James Edward Franco was born in Palo Alto, California. His mother, Betsy Lou (née Verne), is a poet, author, and editor, and his father, Douglas Eugene Franco, runs a non-profit agency and a shipping container company; the two met as students at Stanford University.[1][2][3] Franco's father is of Portuguese and Swedish descent[4] and Franco's mother is Jewish, a descendant of immigrants from Russia (her family's surname had been changed from "Verovitz" to "Verne").[5][6] His paternal grandmother, Marjorie (Peterson) Franco, is a published author of young adult books;[3][7] his maternal grandmother, Mitzie (Levine) Verne, owns the Verne Art Gallery, a prominent art gallery in Cleveland, and was an active member in the National Council of Jewish Women.[8][9][10]
Franco's family upbringing was "academic, liberal and largely secular."[11] He grew up in California with his two younger brothers, Tom and Dave ("Davy"), the latter of whom is also an actor.[12] Talented at mathematics, Franco interned at Lockheed Martin.[1] Franco was often encouraged by his father to get good grades and did exceptionally well on his SATs.[11] He graduated from Palo Alto High School in 1996, where he acted in plays.[1][13] In his high school years, Franco was arrested for underage drinking, graffiti and for being a part of a group that stole designer fragrances from department stores and sold them to classmates.[14] These arrests led to him briefly becoming a ward of the state. Facing the possibility of juvenile hall, a judge decided to give Franco a second chance.[15] "It was teen angst. I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I was shy. I changed my ways just in time to get good grades", he recalled of his troubles with the law.[11]
Although the idea of becoming a marine zoologist interested him, Franco had always secretly wanted to become an actor but feared rejection.[15] He enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an English major,[16] but dropped out after his freshman year against his parents' wishes[1] to pursue a career as an actor, since he would have to have waited two years to audition for their acting program.[15] Franco instead chose to take acting lessons with Robert Carnegie at the Playhouse West.[13] Around this time, Franco took up a late-night job at McDonald's to support himself since his parents refused to do so. He was a vegetarian until working there.[14] While working at the establishment, for his acting classes, he would practice accents on customers.[15] Knowing that the aspiring actor was doing his best to follow his passion, Carnegie poignantly told Franco to pay him what he could and later on pay him back.


Acting career

[edit]Early work
After 15 months of training, he began auditioning in Los Angeles, and started professionally acting in 1997 with guest roles on television shows. His first break came in 1999, after he was cast in a leading role on the short-lived but well-reviewed television series Freaks and Geeks.[17] The program, which ran for 18 episodes and was canceled due to low viewership, later became a cult hit among audiences.[18] He has since described the series as "one of the most fun" work experiences that he has had.[19] In another interview, Franco said: "When we were doing Freaks and Geeks, I didn’t quite understand how movies and TV worked, and I would improvise even if the camera wasn’t on me ... So I was improvising a little bit back then, but not in a productive way."[20] Franco made his film debut in a brief role in the 1999 Drew Barrymore-starring Never Been Kissed and his first major movie was the romantic teen comedy Whatever It Takes (2000), in which he played popular jock Chris. The latter is a modern day remake of the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac.[21][22]
He was subsequently cast as the title role in director Mark Rydell's 2001 TV biopic James Dean.[23][24] To immerse himself in the role, Franco went from being a non-smoker to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, dyed his dark brown hair blond, and learned to ride a motorcycle as well as play guitar and the bongos.[23] To have a greater understanding of Dean, Franco spent hours with two of Dean's associates. Other research included reading books on Dean and studying his movies.[23] While filming James Dean, the actor, to get into character, cut off communication with his family and friends, as well as his then-girlfriend. "It was a very lonely existence," he notes. "If I wasn't on a set, I was watching James Dean. That was my whole thinking. James Dean. James Dean."[23] Despite already being a fan of Dean, Franco feared he might be typecast if he'd captured the actor too convincingly. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly wrote: "Franco could have walked through the role and done a passable Dean, but instead gets under the skin of this insecure, rootless young man."[25] He received a Golden Globe Award and nominations for an Emmy Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award (SAG).[26][27][28]
[edit]2002–2007


Franco at the Spider-Man 3 premiere, April 2007
In the 2002 superhero film Spider-Man, Franco played Harry Osborn, the son of the villainous Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) and best friend of the title character (Tobey Maguire). Originally, Franco was considered for the lead role of Spider-Man/Peter Parker in the film,[29] though the lead went to Maguire. Todd McCarthy of Variety noted that there are "good moments" between Maguire and Franco in the film.[30] Spider-Man was a commercial and critical success.[31] The movie grossed $114 million during its opening weekend in North America and went on to earn $822 million worldwide.[32] He next starred in Sonny, a 2002 release in which he was directed by fellow actor Nicolas Cage. It was Cage's involvement that had attracted Franco to the film.[33] Set in 1980s New Orleans, Sonny follows the titular character (Franco) returning home after just being discharged from the Army. To prepare for his role, he met with sex workers or people who had previously been prostitutes.[33] The movie was panned by critics, with the New York Posts Lou Lumenick calling it an "instant candidate for worst movie of the year."[34] Franco was cast as a homeless drug addict in the drama City by the Sea (2002) after co-star Robert De Niro saw a snippet of his work in James Dean.[23] He lived on the streets for several days to better understand the subject of the matter[35] as well as talk to former or still using drug addicts.[33] Both projects were released in September.
Following City by the Sea, he co-starred alongside Neve Campbell in Robert Altman's ballet movie The Company (2003).[11] The success of the first Spider-Man film led Franco to reprise the role in the 2004 sequel, Spider-Man 2. The movie was well received by critics,[31] and it proved to be a big financial success, setting a new opening weekend box office record for North America.[36] With revenue of $783 million worldwide, it became the second highest grossing film in 2004.[32] The following year he made and starred in the black comedy The Ape[11] and the 2005 war film The Great Raid, in which he portrayed Robert Prince, a captain in the United States Army's elite Sixth Ranger Battalion. In 2006, Franco co-starred with Tyrese Gibson in Annapolis and played legendary hero Tristan in Tristan & Isolde, a period piece dramatization of the Tristan and Iseult story also starring English actress Sophia Myles. For the former, he did eight months of boxing training and for the latter, he practiced horseback riding and sword fighting.[37] He then completed training for his Private Pilot Licence in preparation for his role in Flyboys,[14] which was released in September 2006; the same month, Franco appeared briefly in The Wicker Man, the remake of the seminal horror film. Also in 2006, he made a cameo appearance in the romantic comedy The Holiday.[24]
He again played Harry Osborn in Spider-Man 3 (2007). In contrast to the previous two films' positive reviews, Spider-Man 3 was met with a mixed reception by critics.[31] Nonetheless, with a total worldwide gross of $891 million, it stands as the most successful film in the series, and Franco's highest grossing film to date.[32] In this same year, Franco made a cameo appearance as himself in the Apatow-directed comedy Knocked Up, which starred Freaks and Geeks alumni Seth Rogen, Jason Segel and Martin Starr.[14] Franco co-starred with Sienna Miller in the low-budget independent films Camille, a dark fantasy dramedy about a young newly wed couple and Interview, where he appears in a voice only role, both 2007 movies that were ignored by audiences and critics alike. Among his other 2007 projects were Good Time Max, which Franco wrote, directed and starred in. The movie premiered at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival and centers around two talented brothers who take very diverse paths in life, one going on to become a doctor whilst the other sibling (Franco) experiences unemployment and uses drugs. The actor choose to cast himself in that role because, "It was really just a process of elimination. I was better suited for this role than the responsible surgeon."[38]
[edit]2008–2010
He next starred in Pineapple Express (2008), a stoner comedy co-starring and co-written by Rogen and produced by Apatow.[19][39] Of Franco's character, Apatow said, "You tell him, 'Okay, you're going to play a pot dealer,' and he comes back with a three-dimensional character you totally believe exists. He takes it very seriously, even when it's comedy."[40] In her New York Times review, critic Manohla Dargis wrote: "He’s delightful as Saul, loosey-goosey and goofy yet irrepressibly sexy, despite that greasy curtain of hair and a crash pad with a zero WAF (Woman Acceptance Factor). It’s an unshowy, generous performance and it greatly humanizes a movie that, as it shifts genre gears and cranks up the noise, becomes disappointingly sober and self-serious."[41] His performance earned him a second Golden Globe nomination, for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.[26] He has stated in some interviews that he no longer uses cannabis (although he has occasionally alluded to his smoking marijuana, most notably during an extended segment on The Colbert Report[42]) he was awarded High Times magazine Stoner of the Year Award for his work in Pineapple Express.[43] In 2008 he also appeared in two films by American artist Carter exhibited at the Yvon Lambert gallery in Paris.[44] On September 20, 2008, he hosted the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL),[45] and a second time on December 19, 2009.[46]
Franco starred opposite Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, and Emile Hirsch in Gus Van Sant's Milk (2008).[47] In the film, he played Scott Smith, the boyfriend of Harvey Milk (Penn). Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times, in review of the film, wrote: "Franco is a nice match for him [Penn] as the lover who finally has enough of political life."[48] For his performance in the film, Franco won the Independent Spirit Award in the category for Best Supporting Actor.[49] In late 2009, he joined the cast of the daytime soap opera General Hospital on a recurring basis. He plays Franco, a multimedia artist much like himself,[1] who comes to Port Charles with unfinished business with mob enforcer Jason Morgan (Steve Burton).[50] Franco has called his General Hospital role performance art. In March 2011, he will reprise his role in two episodes of General Hospital.[51] In September 2011, Franco will repirse his role as Robert "Franco" Frank for an extened stay.[52]
In 2010 was a prolific year for Franco. He kicked off the year by making an appearance on the sitcom 30 Rock where he played himself and carried on a fake romance with Jenna Maroney (Jane Krakowski) in a scheme concocted by their respective agents.[53] After appearing in the commercial successes Date Night, an action comedy, and Eat Pray Love, an adaption of a self help novel, Franco played poet Allen Ginsberg in the drama Howl, released on September 24.[6] The latter, about his most known poem and the trial about the work, premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and earned modest reviews.[31]
"I didn't have many actors to act opposite with. So the crew and the director and the writer, they all became my co-stars in a way and we all had this one character to share in. I, it was my body but we were all kinda jammed in there [the gully].
“”
Franco on filming 127 Hours[54]
His next project was 127 Hours, where he portrayed real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston and was directed by Academy Award-winner Danny Boyle. It was given a limited release starting on November 5, 2010.[55] 127 Hours centered on Ralston trying to free his hand after it became trapped under a boulder in a ravine while canyoneering alone in Utah and resorting to desperate measures in order to survive, eventually amputating his arm. During the 5 week, 12 hours per day shoot, Franco would only leave the gully set to use the lavatory and would read books such as academic textbooks to keep busy.[56] Franco later called making 127 Hours a once in a life time experience.[54] To date, 127 Hours is one of his most well-reviewed movies[31] and was also a commercial success, commissioning $57.5 million against an $18 million budget.[55] His performance earned him universal acclaim from critics. Subsequently, he was nominated for most of the high-profile awards, notably an Academy Award, Golden Globe and SAG as well as winning an Independent Spirit Award.
[edit]2011–present
On February 23, Franco made a cameo appearance on NBC's Minute to Win It where the real-life Ralston was participating as a contestant playing for charity.[57] After having an uncredited cameo in the opening scene of The Green Hornet (2011),[58] he starred opposite Natalie Portman and Danny McBride in the Medieval fantasy comedy Your Highness[59] on April 8. In it he plays Fabious, a prince who teams up with his brother (McBride) to rescue Fabious' soon to be bride (played by Zooey Deschanel). In May 2010, he was cast to star in Rupert Wyatt's $90 million budgeted Rise of the Planet of the Apes, a reboot of the Planet of the Apes series[60] which will be released on August 5. Franco has also announced that in the fall of 2011, he will appear on Broadway with Nicole Kidman in the upcoming revival of Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams, which will be directed by David Cromer.[61] Franco will star alongside Winona Ryder in a film entitled The Stare, which is to be directed by Jay Anania. Production is expected to begin in New York on May 6, 2011. He was cast as a drug-addicted lawyer in Cherry, which will start shooting the following month in California and also star Heather Graham.[62] He dropped out of the indie While We're Young[63] to star in Oz: The Great and Powerful, a Disney prequel to L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), as the Wizard, superseding Johnny Depp. Filming began in July.
At the end of September 2010, the actor acquired the rights to Stephen Elliott's The Adderall Diaries, with the intentions to adapt, direct and star in it.[64] It was announced in January 2011 that the actor has planned to not only star in but direct himself in The Night Stalker, a film version of author Philip Carlo's book about the 1980s serial killer, Richard Ramirez. Co-screenwriter to the screenplay, Nicholas Constantine, was initially unconvinced that Franco would be right for the movie, until he learned of Franco's desire to be a director and later watched three of his short films, one of which featured a serial killer, ultimately confirming to the writer that the actor had a darker side.[65] One of his other upcoming projects, The Iceman, with reunite Franco with Michael Shannon, after the two worked together on the short film Herbert White. The movie is based upon real-life contract murderer Richard Kuklinski, who notoriously froze his victims.[66] The actor also has plans to direct a film version of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.[67]
[edit]Other projects

Franco produced and directed a documentary titled Saturday Night documenting a week in the production of an episode of SNL.[68] The film began as a short for an NYU class but grew due to his two episodes as host, while short stories he wrote for other classes appeared in Esquire and McSweeney's.[1] In summer 2010, the fictional Franco from General Hospital held an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, while the real Franco held an exhibit at the museum based on his experiences on the soap opera.[1] One of his short movies, The Clerk's Tale, was screened in competition at the Hamptons Film Festival at the end of 2010.[64]
On October 19, 2010 Scribner published a collection of short stories called Palo Alto: Stories by Franco.[69] The book is named after the California city where Franco grew up and is dedicated to many of the writers he worked with at Brooklyn College. Inspired by some of Franco's own teenage memories,[37] Palo Alto consists of life in Palo Alto as experienced by a series of teenagers who spend most of their time indulging in driving drunk, using drugs and taking part in unplanned acts of violence. Each passage is told by a young narrator.[70] The book has received mixed reviews; Los Angeles Times called it "the work of an ambitious young man who clearly loves to read, who has a good eye for detail, but who has spent way too much time on style and virtually none on substance."[69] The Guardian said that Franco's "foray into the literary world may be met with cynicism in some quarters, but this is a promising debut from a most unlikely source."[71] Writing in the New York Times, reviewer and fellow author Joshua Mohr praised Franco for how, in the story "American History", he juxtaposed historical parts with a present-day social commentary that "makes the we wonder how much we’ve actually evolved in post-bellum America."[72]
In January, the actor screened his multimedia project entitled Three's Company The Drama, in which he merges video and art to update the former sitcom, at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.[73] Franco reunited with Milk director Van Sant to make Unfinished, a project that features two movies: Endless Idaho and My Own Private River. Endless Idaho showcases edited outtakes, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage from the 1991 movie My Own Private Idaho, while My Own Private River focuses on the late actor River Phoenix.[74] The idea for the exhibition was conceived after Van Sant introduced unused footage from the 1991 film to Franco, inspiring him to turn it into something more. Unfinished opened from February 26 to April 9 at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills.[74]
On February 27, 2011, he and Anne Hathaway hosted the 83rd Academy Awards. The two were selected to help the awards show achieve its goal of attracting a younger audience.[75] Franco had previously said that he accepted the job for the experience and because it was like a once in a lifetime opportunity.[76] Numerous media viewers criticized Franco for his discontent and lack of energy on stage and the show was widely panned, with some reviewers dubbing it the worst telecast in its history.[77][78][79] The actor later spoke about his hosting in an interview on The Late Show with David Letterman. He explained that when accepting the job he never had high hopes, adding “It was never on my list of things to do. It doesn’t mean I didn’t care and it doesn’t mean I didn’t try, right?” Regarding allegations that he was under the influence of marijuana while hosting, Franco commented "I think the Tasmanian Devil would look stoned standing next to Anne Hathaway. She has a lot of energy!" He concluded that he tried his best and could have had "low energy" during the telecast.[80]
In May, Franco made his dance-theater directorial debut at New York's Stella Adler studios, where he narrated all the performances. Entitled "Collage" and described as a "mixed-media piece", the show featured live dance, theater, music, and poetry. Tickets were free but were be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.[81] The actor will also direct two short films for songs ("Blue" and "That Someone Is You") by R.E.M. from their album Collapse Into Now (2011).[82] Franco continued his career as a filmmaker with The Broken Tower, a 90-minute docudrama shot in black and white about poet Hart Crane, who committed suicide by jumping off the steamship SS Orizaba.[83] It originally started out as his maters thesis.[84] After being screened at 2011's Los Angeles Film Festival – among more than 200 feature films, short projects, and music videos from more than 30 countries to be selected – [85] it is slated for a 2012 theatrical release.
[edit]In the media



Franco being interviewed in 2011
He has been described as having "an unusually high metabolism for productivity...a superhuman ability to focus".[1] Viewed as a sex symbol, Franco was named the Sexiest Man Living in 2009 by Salon.com.[86]
There has often been frequent media coverage of Franco, particularly regarding his interest in going to colleges. In addition to that, Franco has also claimed to have been strongly misquoted by reports in the media[87] and news outlets reporting erroneous information about him.[88] This led to the actor being parodied in an episode of SNL's Weekend Update segment, which an Entertainment Weekly writer deemed "clever".[89] In a 2011 interview, he stated:
"I’ve been perceived as this guy yelling, 'Hey, look at me. I want attention.' I’m not going to school to get articles written about me. I’m just going to school. But the fact that I’m going to school or that someone takes a picture of me sleeping is like, 'We’re gonna jump on that and criticize him for his antics.' What antics? I write. I make movies. I’m going to school. I hosted the Oscars. I take these projects seriously."[87]
In response to questions regarding his sexuality now that he has portrayed three gay characters during his acting career, he insists he finds plenty more dimensions to the characters than their bedroom proclivities. "Or, you know what," he quipped, "maybe I’m just gay."[90] Those rumors led to a Gawker article linking him to a New York Post Page Six blind item about a closeted gay actor, nicknamed "the Gay Rapist". Despite the victim of the alleged attack denying that it was Franco, two magazines then contacted Franco's lawyer to alert them that they might run stories suggesting his involvement, but were unable to as at least part of their stories were fabricated.[87] However, Gawker refused to take their article down as they were simply reporting what another outlet published and instead offered him a chance to make a comment about the speculation on its website. He declined, hoping it would die down. The actor later called the episode very offensive because he has friends who have been raped.[87]
[edit]Personal life

In 2008, he was named as the new face of Gucci's men's fragrance line.[91][92] Regarding his secular upbringing, Franco told The Guardian that he feels as if he has "missed out on the Jewish experience", but has been told not to worry about that by his Jewish friends. He said in the same interview that he likes "the idea of religion as a source of community." When asked if he was a "believer", he responded "In God? I don't know. Yes. To a certain extent. It's a complicated question."[11] After meeting on the set of Whatever It Takes, Franco dated co-star Marla Sokoloff for five years.[93] He was in a relationship with actress Ahna O'Reilly for several years since around 2006. [93][94] He confirmed their separation in an interview for Playboy magazine's August 2011 issue, saying that his interest in education got between them.[87]
[edit]Education

Dissatisfied with his career's direction,[1] Franco reenrolled at UCLA in the fall of 2006 as an English major with a creative writing concentration. He received permission to take as many as 62 course credits per quarter compared to the normal limit of 19,[95] while still continuing to act. He received his undergraduate degree in June 2008 with a GPA over 3.5.[95][1][96] For his degree, Franco prepared his departmental honors thesis as a novel under the supervision of Mona Simpson.[1][97] While at the university, the actor studied French, the Holocaust, philosophy of science, and American literature among other things. To continue acting, he would study on film sets.[11]
He was selected as the commencement speaker at his alma mater, UCLA, and was to speak at the ceremony on June 12, 2009. On June 3, however, a press release announced Franco's cancellation due to a scheduling conflict, making it the second cancellation in a row, after commencement speaker Bill Clinton had canceled the appearance.[98] On January 26, 2011, Franco and the Harvard Lampoon released a satirical video on prominent comedy website Funny or Die mocking his last-minute cancellation.[99]


Franco, just before he gets a ride in the Blue Angels No. 7, a two-seat FA-18B, in August 2006
He moved to New York to simultaneously attend graduate school at Columbia University's MFA writing program, New York University's Tisch School of the Arts for filmmaking (NYU),[91][100][101][102] and Brooklyn College for fiction writing,[95] while occasionally commuting to North Carolina's Warren Wilson College for poetry.[1] He received his MFA from Columbia in 2010.[103] Franco is a PhD student in English at Yale University[104] and will also attend the Rhode Island School of Design.[1] The actor opted against watching the 2011 Academy Award nominees be announced (where he was a top contender) in favor of attending class. "I’m not gonna miss class to go and presume that I’m going to be nominated, but if you want to bring out a camera crew to Yale and wait and see if I get nominated, I’d be happy to step out of class and say I’m very grateful", he commented.[105]
He has been accepted to the University of Houston for the doctoral (PhD) program in literature and creative writing and plans to enroll in fall 2012. Franco—who was one of 20 people to be selected out of 400 applicants—originally planned to enroll for fall 2011, but has asked to defer for a year.[106] Having previously shown a desire to teach, in March 2011, it was announced that Franco will teach a fall semester course on modifying poetry into short films to ten to twelve third-year graduate film students at NYU. The course will focus mainly on production, meaning that the students will be in charge of creating their own film based on poetry. At the time of the announcement the actor had yet to put together a syllabus, but has until the summertime to do so.[107]
When asked about his education, Franco said that he loves school and that it keeps him focused as well as grounded. "I go to school because I love being around people who are interested in what I’m interested in and I’m having a great experience… I’m studying things that I love so it’s not like it’s a chore", he told the Washington Post, according to a New York Magazine article.[108] Franco has also credited his education for helping him "take acting seriously" when his parents did not see it as a successful post-college career.[15] Franco developed an aptitude for art—painting in particular—during his high school years while attending the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA).[13] Franco has said painting was the "outlet" he needed in high school, and he "has actually been painting longer than he has been acting."[109] His paintings were displayed publicly for the first time at the Glü Gallery in Los Angeles, from January 7, through February 11, 2006.[13][110] He launched his first European art exhibition in 2011 at Peres Projects in Berlin.[70]
He enjoys reading on the set of his films. Pineapple Express producer Judd Apatow has said of him: "He's a very education-minded person. We used to laugh because in between takes he'd be reading The Iliad on set. We still haven't read The Iliad. It was a very difficult book. With him, it was always James Joyce or something."[111]
[edit]Charitable work

Franco has said aiding others is "the key to life, the key to happiness" and, "as an actor, you can get wrapped up in yourself and your career...A little secret is one of the greatest ways to break that is to stop thinking about yourself for a second."[112] When Franco was at a point in his life where he wanted to give back but was unsure how, he asked his Spider-Man co-star Kirsten Dunst for advice. At the suggestion of Dunst, he started volunteering at the charity Art of Elysium, where she also volunteers, which helps kids with serious medical conditions. He said the experience helped save his life. In January 2011, at the Art of Elysium Heaven Gala in Los Angeles, Franco was honored for his work at the hospital, receiving the Spirit of Elysium accolade.[113]
On March 31, 2011, the actor took part in "An Evening with James Franco", a Washington DC dinner benefit for 826DC, a non-profit foundation created to help neighborhood students reach their goals, as well as provide after-school literature programs and workshops which encourage them to improve their writing skills. Franco became involved with Dave Egger's 826 National after Eggers asked him to do a conceptual idea for the program, and he directed a documentary for them and has since been a supporter of them. At the event, Franco spoke about how he thought schools needed to be more original with their literature programs. "Writing can do things that video cannot", he added.[114]
In April, Franco autographed a T-shirt that will be auctioned-off through the Yoshiki Foundation, with the proceeds being donated for the Japanese tsunami relief occurring in 2011.[115] On June 14, he was honored by amfAR, the foundation for AIDS research, at the Museum of Modern Art. Franco received the Piaget Award of Inspiration for his humanitarian work and contributions to men’s style.[116]
[edit]Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1998 1973 Greg TV film
1999 To Serve and Protect Matt Carr TV film
1999 Never Been Kissed Jason Way
2000 At Any Cost Mike
2000 If Tomorrow Comes Devin
2000 Whatever It Takes Chris
2001 Mean People Suck Casey
2001 Some Body Apartment guy 3 Uncredited
2001 James Dean James Dean TV film
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor in Television Film
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2002 Blind Spot Danny
2002 Mother Ghost Skateboarder guy
2002 Sonny Sonny Phillips limited release
2002 City by the Sea Joey Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor
2002 Spider-Man Harry Osborn
2002 Deuces Wild Tino
2003 The Company Josh
2004 Spider-Man 2 Harry Osborn
2005 The Ape Harry Walker Direct-to-video
2005 The Great Raid Captain Prince
2005 Fool's Gold Brent Also writer and director
2006 Grasshopper Travis Short film
2006 Tristan & Isolde Tristan
2006 Annapolis Jake Huard
2006 The Wicker Man Bar guy No.1
2006 Flyboys Blaine Rawlings
2006 The Dead Girl Derek
2006 The Holiday Himself Uncredited
2007 Spider-Man 3 Harry Osborn / New Goblin Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (with Tobey Maguire)
2007 Knocked Up Himself Uncredited
2007 In the Valley of Elah Sergeant Dan Carnelli
2007 Finishing the Game Dean Silo/"Rob Force"
2007 An American Crime Andy
2007 Interview Boyfriend on phone
2007 Camille Silas Parker
2007 Good Time Max Max Verbinski Also writer and director
2008 Pineapple Express Saul Silver Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Fight
2008 Nights in Rodanthe Dr. Mark Flanner Uncredited
2008 Milk Scott Smith Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2010 Shadows & Lies William Vincent
2010 Date Night Thomas Tripplehorn/ Felton
2010 Eat Pray Love David
2010 Howl Allen Ginsberg
2010 127 Hours Aron Ralston Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
Indiana Film Journalists Association Award for Best Actor
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
New York Film Critics Online Award for Best Actor
Santa Barbara International Film Festival Award for Outstanding Performance
Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor
Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment
Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor
2011 The Green Hornet Danny "Crystal" Clear Cameo uncredited
2011 Your Highness Fabious
2011 The Broken Tower Hart Crane Also director, writer, editor and producer
2011 Rise of the Planet of the Apes Will Rodman post-production
2011 In Praise of Shadows[117] William Vincent post-production
2012 The Stare Tyrone post-production.
Franco is also producing
2012 Cherry Filming
2013 Oz: The Great and Powerful Oz Filming starts in July
Series television
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Pacific Blue Brian
1999 Profiler Stevie
1999–2000 Freaks and Geeks Daniel Desario
2001 The X-Files Officer No.2
2009–2011 General Hospital Franco
2010 30 Rock Himself Episode: "Klaus and Greta"
[edit]Selected works

Franco, James. "A Star, a Soap and the Meaning of Art." The Wall Street Journal, December 4, 2009.
Franco, James. "Just Before the Black." Esquire, March 24, 2010.
Franco, James (2010). Palo Alto: Stories. Scribner. ISBN 978-1439163146.

Reference from Wikipedia.com