Find me.

Custom Search

Results.

See Here

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Rihanna


Rihanna Biography


Name :Rihanna

Birth name : Robyn Rihanna Fenty

Nickname : RiRi,
Caribbean Queen,
The Barbados Babe,
The New Princess of Pop,
Thunder Thighs,
Queen Of The R&B

Date of birth : February 20, 1988

Place of birth : Saint Michael, Barbados

Profession : Singer

Genre(s) : R&B, reggae, pop

Height : 5' 8

Rihanna Trivia
  • Was signed to Def Jam Records
  • Her musical inspirations include Alicia Keys, Beyonce Knowles, and Mariah Carey.
  • Attentend Combermere which is a sixth form school similar to technical school in America
  • Performed Hero at her school's talent show
  • Won a Beauty Pageant contest at her school
  • She born to a black Barbadian father Ronald Fenty and a black Guyanese mother Monica Fenty.
  • She has two younger brothers Rorrey and Rajad.
  • She stated in an interview that her friend and former Island Def Jam record label artist Fefe Dobson was someone that she admired and looked up to. Having a fellow black artist writing, singing, and performing the music she truly loves.
  • She was ranked #8 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
  • Sampled "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " by Michael Jackson from his " Thriller" album in her song "Please Don't Stop the Music".
  • She wasranked #15 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
Rihanna Detailed Biography
Robyn Rihanna Fenty born on February 20, 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados. She is a Barbadian (Bajan) R&B singer with influences from Raggamuffin/Dancehall and Pop. Rihanna's musical inspirations include Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce Knowles.

Rihanna was born on the Caribbean island of Barbados in the parish of St. Michael. She was discovered by music producer Evan Rogers while he was vacationing in Barbados with his wife Jackie, who is also a Bajan. Rogers, along with his partner Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record demo material that was sent to various recording companies including Def Jam, where Rihanna auditioned for CEO Jay-Z and was signed on-the-spot. Her debut album Music of the Sun was released during the summer of 2005 and was led by the single "Pon de Replay", which peaked at number two on both the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles chart. The second single, "If It's Lovin' That You Want", was less successful than its predecessor but stilled reached the top twenty in most regions. The album itself peaked within the top ten in Australia, Canada, and the U.S., and within the top forty in the UK. Music of the Sun has received several Platinum certifications around the world since its release, and has helped solidify Rihanna's presence on the music scene. In 2006, Rihanna landed several endorsement deals, including ones for Nike and J.C. Penney. In addition to a cameo role in Bring It On 3, she is also releasing her next album, titled A Girl Like Me, this spring. The lead single off the album "S.O.S. (Rescue Me)" was recorded for her recent endorsement deal with Nike. Rihanna is an Arabic name.

Album information Music of the Sun Released: August 30, 2005 (U.S.) W.W. Sales: 2,500,000 (est.) Chart positions: #7 AUS, #8 CAN, #35 UK, #10 U.S. Certifications: Platinum (CAN), 2�� Platinum (JPN), Gold (UK), Gold (US) Singles: 2005: "Pon de Replay" #6 AUS, #2 UK, #2 U.S. 2005: "If It's Lovin' That You Want" #9 AUS, #11 UK, #36 U.S. 2006: "Let Me" #48 JPN - never officially released in the US A Girl Like Me Released: April 11, 2006 (U.S.) Chart positions: TBD Certifications: TBD Singles: 2006: "S.O.S. (Rescue Me)" #56 U.S. 2006: "Unfaithful"

Megan Fox


Megan Fox Biography -


Name :Megan Fox

Birth name : Megan Denise Fox

Nickname : Mega Fox , Foxy Megan

Date of birth : 16 May 1986

Place of birth : Tennessee, USA

Proffession : Actress

Height : 5' 6" (1.68 m)


Megan Fox Trivia -
  • Megan Fox was named #68 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement.
  • She was ranked #18 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
  • She has Irish, Italian, French and Cherokee ancestry.
  • She is friend of Jennifer Blanc, Kellan Rhude, Amanda Seyfried, and Michael Biehn.
  • She was ranked #17 on interview magazines faces to watch "Future Stars of Tomorrow".
  • She was voted #1 sexiest woman by FHM readers for 2008.
  • She was ranked #16 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
  • She is a lover of animals and has owned dogs, cats, birds, squirrels and a pig.
  • She is both a fan of comic books and video . Her favorite artist is the recently deceased Michael Turner.
  • She names Shia LaBeouf as one of her favorite people ever.
  • She was ranked #1 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25'(2008).
  • Megan and Brian Green have called off their engagement. They have been dating since 2004.
  • She ranked #2 in FHM 100 Sexiest Women 2009.

Padma Lakshmi


Padma Lakshmi Biography -


Name :Padma Lakshmi

Date of birth : 1970

Place of birth : Madras, India

Spouse : Salman Rushdie

Padma Lakshmi Trivia -
  • Speaks five languages.
  • Has a seven inch scar on her inside arm as a result of a major auto crash that she was in as a child.
  • She hosts "Padma's Passport" on the Food based on her popular cookbook, "Easy Exotic: A Model's Low-fat Recipes From Around The World".
  • Officially announced engagement to author Salman Rushdie on February 14, 2004, the 15th anniversary of the infamous fatwa against Rushdie for writing the novel The Satanic Verses.
  • Was discovered by a photographer while spending part of her senior year studying in Spain and he convinced her to begin modeling.
  • Measurements: 36C-23-35 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
  • Attended Clark University in Massachusetts, USA.

Padma Lakshmi Detailed Biography -

From high-fashion model to host of a cooking show might appear to be an unlikely journey, but not if you're Padma Lakshmi.

Even when traveling around the world as a model, Padma was always on the lookout to add to her culinary repertoire. Born in southern , she had warm childhood memories of cooking with her female relatives as they carefully grated coconuts, shelled peas, and trimmed fresh mangoes.

As she globe-trotted on photo shoots, she found comfort in preparing recipes from her childhood, and soon she branched into the cuisines of the countries she visited. "My first big editorial shoot was in Morocco...where I learned about fiery harissa and couscous. While shooting French lingerie in Bali, I learned how to make a low-calorie fish dish I tasted there."

Padma spent much of her adolescence in the . She attended Clark University in Massachusetts and received a bachelor's degree in theater arts. Although she had wanted to be a model from a young age, her mother was determined that college should come first. "My mother's ideas on the subject were quite clear," Padma notes. "If I was beautiful at seventeen, I would be beautiful at twenty-one when I graduated from college."

While studying in Spain during her last semester of college, she was sent on her first modeling job. Since then, she has been featured in such magazines as Vogue, Elle, and Glamour, and has worked with many international designers. Her career has also taken her into feature films and television in Germany and Italy. Among other places, she has lived in Milan and Los Angeles, and she's currently a resident of New York. In 1999, Padma published a cookbook called Easy Exotic: A Model's Lowfat Recipes from Around the World (Hyperion).

Tom Cruise


Tom Cruise Biography -


Name :Tom Cruise

Birth Name : Thomas Cruise Mapother IV

Date of Birth : July, 3, 1962

Place of Birth : Syracuse, New York, USA

Height : 5'9''

Weight : 170 lbs.

Sign : Cancer

Wife : Nicole Kidman(Divorced),Mimi Rogers (Divorced),Penélope Cruz (domestic partner- 2001–2004)

Education : Education

Occupation : Actor, Director, Producer

Father : Thomas Cruise Mapother III (electrical engineer; deceased)

Mother : Mary Lee Mapother

Siblins : Lee Anne Mapother (publicist), Marian Mapother (teacher), Cass Mapother (restaurateur)

Fan Mail : Tom Cruise
C/O Creative Artists Agency
9830 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
USA

Age : 46

Tom Cruise Trivia -
  • Tom is cousin of actor William Mapother and Amy Mapother.
  • He was being chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#41) (1995).
  • Tom ranked #3 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list (October 1997).
  • He was chosen by "People" magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world (1997).
  • He was voted as Best Dressed Male Movie Star (1997).
  • He stopped to help a hit and run victim and paid her hospital bills. The victim was aspiring Brazilian actress Heloisa Vinhas (1996).
  • He caused a stir in the medical community when he claimed, in an interview, that Scientology cured him of his dyslexia (1992).
  • While he was working with Paul Newman in the The Color of Money (1986), he engaged in much conversation with the politically active actor. The resulting conscious raising changed him from an actor who ignored the jingoistic tone of Top Gun (1986) to a performer who chose a film with a strong anti-war tone, Born on the Fourth of July (1989) to counter his contribution to the former film.
  • He has three sisters: Marian, Lee Anne De Vette and Cass. Lee Anne became his publicist in 2004 after he left Pat Kingsley.
  • He was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world (1991).
  • Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world (1990).
  • Graduated from Glen Ridge High School in New (June 1980).
  • At age 14, he enrolled in a seminary to become a priest. He dropped out after one year.
  • He took up acting after losing his place on a high school wrestling team due to a knee injury.
  • He has two adopted children with Nicole Kidman: Isabella Jane Cruise (born December 22, 1992) Connor Antony Cruise (Connor Cruise) (born January 17, 1995).
  • Is right handed when writing, but does most things left handed.
  • Mission: Impossible (1996) gave him a total of $70 million with percentage of gross included.
  • Enjoys skydiving, scuba diving, and piloting his Pitts Special S-2B stunt plane
  • Recently restored an older the township of Biltmore Forest, a town within the city limits of Asheville, North Carolina (2000).
  • Chosen "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine (1990).
  • Received the John Huston Award for Artists Rights in 1998.
  • Was considered for the lead in The Matrix (1999).
  • Cruise earned roughly $75 million for Mission: Impossible II (2000). He did this by turning down any upfront salary, for instead taking a back-end deal that landed him 30% of the film's gross for both his producing and acting duties.
  • Attended Packanack School in Wayne, New Jersey from first through third grade.
  • Filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Michael Davis, a man who allegedly offered to sell videotapes of himself having sex with the actor. The lawsuit accuses Davis of making the statements "in order to hurt the plaintiff and gain widespread publicity for himself." (May 2001).
  • HeLived together with Vanilla Sky (2001) co-star Penélope Cruz from 2001 to 2004.
  • Instead of his affair with Penélope Cruz damaging both their careers, it only boosted it.
  • Suffers from dyslexia.
  • Earned his pilot's license in Toronto, Canada in 1994.
  • He didn't stay for the remainder of the 2002 Academy Awards after opening them because it was his turn to look after his and ex-wife Nicole Kidman's children. He reportedly left the Kodak Theatre by a back after opening proceedings and dashed home to watch the rest of the event on TV with his adopted kids Conor and Isabella.
  • For 1988, he became the first actor to have the distinction of starring in both the year's Oscar winner for Best Picture, Rain Man (1988) and the year's Razzie "winner" for Worst Picture, Cocktail (1988).
  • Ranked #14 in Premiere's 2003 annual Power 100 List. Had ranked #16 in 2002.
  • Ranked #4 in Star TV's Top 10 Box Office Stars of the 1990s (2003)
  • Born to Thomas Mapother III (15 October 1934 - January 1984), an electrical engineer, and his wife Mary Lee Pfeiffer, a special education teacher.
  • Has two dogs called Basil and Murray and a cat called Harvey.
  • First actor in history to star in five consecutive films that grossed $100 million in the USA: A Few Good Men (1992), The Firm (1993), Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994), Mission: Impossible (1996), Jerry Maguire (1996).
  • Briefly attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky and was a paperboy for the Louisville Courier-Journal.
  • Wore braces on his flashy, million-dollar smile in 2002 to correct a misaligned bite.
  • Announced that his relationship with Penélope Cruz had ended in January 2004. [March 2004]
  • Has appeared in films opposite four directors who have also directed his films. Sydney Pollack, who directed The Firm (1993), appeared in Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed Magnolia (1999), appeared as an extra in Minority Report (2002). Minority Report (2002) director Steven Spielberg appeared in Vanilla Sky (2001) and Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002). Cameron Crowe, who directed Jerry Maguire (1996) and Vanilla Sky (2001), appeared in Minority Report (2002).
  • Will not allow his likeness to be used in video games or for action figures.
  • While filming Days of Thunder (1990) at Daytona International Speedway, he drove one of the Hendricks Motorsports R&D cars around the track. The best time recorded was a lap at 205 MPH.
  • He was voted the 31st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.
  • Lives with his sister Cass and her three children in Los Angeles (September 2004).
  • Spoke at his niece's, Lee Anne De Vette's daughter, graduation from the Delphian School.
  • Ranked #18 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties
  • Lost out to actor Peter Barton for the lead role in "The Powers of Matthew Star" (1982).
  • Renée Zellweger thanked him in her Oscar acceptance speech when she won 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role' for Cold Mountain (2003).
  • Attended the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City.
  • Channel 4's 'Ultimate Film' show states that, in terms of UK cinema audience rather than revenue, Cruise's most successful film in the UK was Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002).
  • While a student at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre, he studied one of his courses under legendary acting teacher Sanford Meisner.
  • Studied drama at the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse, in conjunction with the Actors Studio, New School University, New York.
  • Was named the #1 top money-making star at the box office in Quigley Publications annual poll of movie exhibitors a record seven times between 1986 and 2005. Being crowned the top box office champ in 2005 put Cruise one title ahead of Tom Hanks, who has been named #1 at the B.O. six times. Bing Crosby and Burt Reynolds both were named #1 for five consecutive years, and Clint Eastwood also has been #1 five times, but non-consecutively.
  • He has been named to the Top 10 Poll of Money-Making Stars 18 times, as ranked by Quigley Publications' annual poll of movie exhibitors. With his 18th appearance on the B.O. list, he moved out of a tie for 4th place tie with Paul Newman (17 appearances on the list) into a tie for #3 with Gary Cooper. John Wayne is #1 on the all-time list, with 25 appearances in the Top 10, followed by Clint Eastwood with 21 appearances on the list. Gary Cooper rounds out the top three. Due to his young age and continued popularity, it is conceivable that within 10 years, he will exceed Wayne as the #1 box office champ ever.
  • Has donated to charities such as The Ashley Flint Fund, The Tsunami Relief Fund, Themoms.biz Diabetes Fund, Hillary Rodham Clinton's Campaign and The Church of Scientology.
  • Premiere Magazine ranked him as the #3 Greatest Movie Star of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature (2005).
  • Studied with renowned acting coach Phil Gushee at Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, New York.
  • His character Lt. Daniel Kaffee in A Few Good Men (1992) was based on real life U.S. Navy JAG Corp Donald Marcari, who now works as an attorney with Marcari, Russotto, and Spencer P.C. in Cheaspeake, Virginia.
  • The name Mapother is pronounced like "MAY bother", only with a P.
  • Time magazine once described him as a "baby-faced Christopher Reeve".
  • Ranked #14 on Premiere's 2005 Power 50 List. He is the highest ranked actor on the list.
  • Engaged to actress Katie Holmes (17 June 2005).
  • Proposed to Katie Holmes at the Eiffel Tower in Paris
  • Was the original choice for the role of Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999).
  • Emilio Estevez served as best man at his wedding to Mimi Rogers.
  • Celebrated his 43rd birthday atop the holiday box office with War of the Worlds (2005).
  • His May 2005 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (1986) was named the #1 "Celebrity Meltdown Ever" by TV Guide Magazine.
  • Owns and operates " Miss" a WWII P-51 Mustang.
  • He and his former girlfriend Penélope Cruz appeared together in Vanilla Sky (2001)
  • He and ex-wife Nicole Kidman made 3 movies together: Days of Thunder (1990), Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and Far and Away (1992). They met on the set of Days of Thunder (1990)
  • While attending the London premiere of War of the Worlds (2005), he was squirted in the face with water during a prank interview. His reaction on camera was stern but not livid. The culprit was charged with assault.
  • He was in two different movies featuring the song "Iko Iko" on its soundtrack - Rain Man (1988) by The Belle Stars and Mission: Impossible II (2000) by Zap Mama.
  • He is a big fan of British singer Joss Stone.
  • Has played a soldier in six different movies. Taps (1981), Top Gun (1986), Born on the Fourth of July (1989), A Few Good Men (1992), The Last Samurai (2003) and Valkyrie (2008).
  • Has worked with an impressive list of master filmmakers: Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Oliver Stone, Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg..
  • Tom and Katie Holmes became the parents of Suri Cruise, who was born on April 18, 2006 in Los Angeles. "Suri" weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz. and was 20 inches.
  • In the past twenty years since his first hundred million dollar grosser (Top Gun (1986)), only six of his films have failed to reach that status.
  • Was originally to star in Enemy of the State (1998), but scheduling conflicts with Eyes Wide Shut (1999) forced him to miss out on the film. His part went to Will Smith.
  • Wears a mask on six different movies. In all of the three "Mission: Impossible" movies and in Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Vanilla Sky (2001) and Minority Report (2002), where the injection that makes his face disfigured can be considered as a futuristic mask.
  • Topped Forbes magazine's "100 Top Celebrities" list in 2006 ahead of The Rolling Stones and Oprah Winfrey (June 2006).
  • Ranked #14 on Premiere's 2006 "Power 50" list. Had ranked #14 in 2005 as well. He is the highest-ranked actor on the list.
  • Stepfather of his children Isabella and Connor is Keith Urban
  • Is talked about in the song "Though the Wire" by Kanye West.
  • Was ranked # 1 in Forbes Celebrity 100 Who Made Bank (2006).
  • On August 22, 2006, Viacom Chairman Sumner Redstone announced through the "Wall Street Journal" that Viacom' Paramount subsidiary was terminating its development dealt with Cruise after 14 years. Redstone said the firm terminated its deal with Cruise due to the under-performance of Mission: Impossible III (2006) (which had been expected to gross $100-150 million more than it did), which he attributed to Cruise's "bad behavior". Movie pundits were somewhat surprised by the announcement, as Cruise remains the top B.O. draw in and was Paramount's cash cow. Cruise's films reportedly have accounted for 32% of Paramount Pictures' revenues in the last six years, and he was named the Top Box Office draw for a record 7th time by Quigley Publications for the year 2005. As part of its machinations before severing its connections with Cruise, Paramount leaked to the press the information that the deal was worth $10 million annually; however, the development deal actually was for $3 million per annum. At the time of the announcement, Cruise and his advisers were considering Paramount's new offer of $2 million per year in development money when Redstone dropped his bombshell. The news gave rise to speculation that Paramount has run out of cash as it reportedly has told other development partners with which it has deals to use their own cash for the rest of the year, with the proviso they will be reimbursed come 2007.
  • In September of 2006, he visited actress Brooke Shields at her home and personally apologized to her for criticizing her in 2005 about her use of prescription medication to overcome her post partum depression. Touched by the gesture, Brooke accepted his apology.
  • He once shared a record with Tom Hanks as the actor to star in the most consecutive $100 million-grossing movies (7). Both were surpassed by Will Smith who reached eight in 2008.
  • Resurrected United Artists together with MGM executives to produce and star in some of the company's projects (November 2006).
  • The years of birth of his wives are 11 years apart: Mimi Rogers was born in 1956, Nicole Kidman in 1967 and Katie Holmes in 1978.
  • Although they officialized their marriage in Los Angeles prior, he and Katie Holmes celebrated their wedding in the Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, Italy. The ceremony was performed by a Scientology minister in front of more than 150 relatives and friends including Hollywood superstars such as Jim Carrey, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Russell Crowe, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Richard Gere, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Kirstie Alley. Italian pop opera purveyor Andrea Bocelli serenaded the newlyweds (18 November 2006).
  • He and Katie Holmes both wore Armani at their wedding.
  • He and Katie Holmes honeymooned in the Maldives.
  • Best Man at his wedding to Katie Holmes was his best friend David Miscavige.
  • Once lived in Ottawa, , Canada & attended the same high school as Bryan Adams.
  • Donated to Hillary Rodham Clinton's electoral campaign for the U.S. Senate together with his then wife Nicole Kidman (2000).
  • Considered for the role, in Crimson Tide (1995), that went to Denzel Washington.
  • Mentioned in the song 'High School Never Ends' by 'Bowling For Soup'.
  • Was offered for the lead of Reign Over Me (2007).
  • According to Forbes, for each dollar he got paid, Cruise's movies averaged $11 of gross income (December 2007).
  • Attended St. Raphael The Archangel Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky.
  • Although the shooting of Valkyrie (2008) caused controversy in Germany due to his Scientology membership, he was awarded at the Bambi Awards for "Courage", a category, newly created by the organizers to honor him for "tackling a story that had never been covered by Hollywood before". The decision was also heavily criticized by journalists and politicians (2 December 2007).
  • The Japan Memorial Day Association declared 10 October 2006 "Tom Cruise Day".
  • Due to his friendship to David Beckham, he became a supporter of Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.
  • When attending a Franciscan seminary in Cincinatti, he aspired to become a priest.
  • Has German and English ancestry from his father's as well as German and Irish ancestry from his mother's family.
  • Was introduced to Scientology by his ex-wife Mimi Rogers.
  • In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated his earnings for the year to be $31 million.
  • Mentioned in song "Faudrait leur dire" by French rap band "3eme oeil".
  • Listed at Number 7 on "The Top 10 Box Office Moneymakers of 2007".
  • Is the only actor to ever work with all of the following directors; Oliver Stone in Born on the Fourth of July (1989), Martin Scorsese in The Color of Money (1986), Stanley Kubrick in Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and Steven Spielberg in Minority Report (2002).
  • Huge fan of professional wrestling.
  • Has married two actresses who played Batman's love interest. Nicole Kidman from Batman Forever (1995) and Katie Holmes from Batman Begins (2005).
  • Is reportedly a huge fan of The Simpsons. However, he has twice turned down guest roles; once for the part of "Tom," which was written specifically for him, in the episode "Brother From The Same Planet" (eventually voiced by regular Phil Hartman) and the other alongside his then-wife Nicole Kidman in the episode "When You Dish Upon A Star" (eventually voiced by then-couple Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger).
  • Considered for the role, in End of Days (1999), that went to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
  • Was going to play as Tom Warshaw in House of D (2004) and opted to do War of the Worlds (2005) instead.
  • In 1974, when Cruise was 11, his parents divorced.
  • He is of German, English and Welsh descent.
  • Has "attended" Harvard Law School in 2 movies: A Few Good Men (1992) and The Firm (1993).
  • He once shared a record (with Tom Hanks and 'Will Smith) as the actor to star in the most consecutive $100 million-grossing movies (7). As of 2008, Smith holds the record alone with 8 movies.
  • Was considered for the role of Frank Roberts in The Indian Runner (1991).
  • Went to an audition for the part of Howard Keach in Harry & Son (1984). He didn't get the part, but the director, Paul Newman remembered him, and decided that he wanted Cruise for The Color of Money (1986).
  • His acting idol is Paul Newman. Much to the delight of Cruise, they became good friends during work on The Color of Money (1986). Newman got him into racing, and Cruise ultimately raced on his team.
  • He became good friends with Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton during the making of Taps (1981).
  • Nine actors so far have got an Oscar nomination for their role in a movie co-starring Tom Cruise. Paul Newman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, Holly Hunter, Cuba Gooding Jr, Ken Watanabe, Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.
  • From late January to early February 2009, he along with wife, Katie Holmes and daughter, Suri, spent several days in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil staying at the famous Copacabana Palace Hotel. They were in town for a vacation (which included a helicopter tour over Rio) as well as to promote his film Valkyrie.
  • Visited Moscow, Russia for the first time. He told the press that since he was a boy he had always dreamed of visiting the city. He stayed at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton which offered sweeping views of the Red Square, Bolshoi Theatre and the History Museum. [January 25, 2009]

Tom Cruise Detailed Biography -
Tom Cruise is one of the most influential and powerful men in Hollywood, however, it wasn't always that way. He has had to fight his way to the top of tinseltown's A-list. Even now he constantly has to prove himself to nay-sayers who question his competence and talent.Cruise seemed to have had to struggle throughout his life. He was born into poor family that frequently moved while his father searched for work. He found it difficult to make friends because of the relocating and his troubles were only compounded by the fact that he had a form of dyslexia. He may have not been an academic success, but he was determined.. While he was still young his father left the family and Tom was thwarted with new responsibilities which he took very seriously.He developed his physique and competed in many sports. However, after suffering a knee injury that snuffed out any athletic possibilities, Cruise spent a year in a Franciscan monastery and considered becoming a priest. But after appearing in a few high school plays, he realized where his true calling lay.

He set aside a maximum limit of ten years to build an acting career and headed off to New York to begin his quest. Impoverished and barely scraping by, he started his assent towards super stardom.Much of the early 1980's were spent on forgettable teen flicks that did little to enhance his career. However, with keen business sense he managed to reinvent himself in Hollywood. By the mid 80's he was starring in some of the top grossing films including ''Top Gun,'' ''The Color of Money,'' ''Rain Man,'' and ''The Fourth of July''(receiving an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award)He was one of the highest paid actors in the world by 1990. Cruise was reportedly paid $15 million a picture in such blockbuster hits as ''Interview with the Vampire,'' ''Mission: Impossible,'' and ''Jerry Maguire'' (for which he received another Oscar nomination).

This years release of ''Magnolia'' garnered Cruise with a Golden Globe Award and an yet another Academy Award nomination. He was originally supposed to have a cameo role in the flick but it ballooned into 45 minutes of the 3 hour movie. Cruise was so eager to join the cast of ''Magnolia'' that he took a pay cut to be part of the budgeted $30 million movie.

Cruise is kind and thoughtful man who is well known for his generosity and compassion. He is one of the best liked members of the movie community. Tom has been happily married to actress Nicole Kidman since December of 1990 and the couple share 2 adopted children.

Bar Refaeli


Bar Refaeli Biography -


Name :Bar Refaeli

Date of birth : June 4, 1985

Place of birth : Hod HaSharon, Israel

Profession : Model, actor

Height : 1.74 m

Measurements : 89-60-89 (EU)

Hair : Light brown

Eye : Blue

Bar Refaeli Trivia -
  • She is the first Israeli model to be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine.
  • She was ranked #45 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
  • She started modeling at age 11.
  • Measurements: 35-24-35 (US); 89-61-90 (EU).
  • As of 3/2009, Leonardo DiCaprio is considering converting to Judaism to marry her.
  • Girl of Leonardo DiCaprio.
Bar Refaeli Detailed Biography -
Bar Refaeli was born in 1985 in Hod HaSharon, Israel. At the age of eight months, she began her modeling career appearing in commercials.

At the age of fifteen Refaeli was featured in campaigns for the fashion brands Castro and Pilpel. She also starred in a commercial for Milki. She won the title "Model of The Year" in a beauty contest in 2000 and 2001. She was also chosen to be the home model of Renuar fashion and appeared in their summer 2002 and winter 2003 catalogues.

Refaeli appeared in the French 'ELLE' magazine. She was the first Israeli model to be featured in Sports Illustrated. She appeared on the cover of the March 2006 issue of GQ among many others. She appeared in the 2007 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for which she posed with Aerosmith.

Refaeli has also co-starred in Israeli TV series Pick Up in 2005. Rafaeli will star in an English language film "Session" in 2009, which will be directed by Israeli Haim Bouzaglo.

Previously, Refaeli had relationship with Baywatch actor David Charvet and Uri El-Natan, then she began a relationship with American actor Leonardo DiCaprio in November 2005 after meeting him at a party.

Michelle Obama


Michelle Obama Biography -


Name :Michelle Obama

Birth name : Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

Date of Birth : January 17, 1964

Place of Birth : Chicago, Illinois

Nationality : American

Proffession : Lawyer

Religion : Protestant (UCC)

Spouse : Barack Obama

Children : Malia Ann and Sasha (Daughters)

Height : 5'10"


Michelle Obama Detailed Biography -

Michelle Obama, whose birth name is Michelle LaVaughn Robinson, was born on January 17, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, Frasier Robinson, is a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain. Her mother, Marian Robinson, is a secretary at Spiegel's catalog

. She grew up in the South Shore community area of Chicago. Michelle graduated from Whitney Young High School in 1981 and went on to major in sociology and minor in African American studies at Princeton University, where she graduated 'cum laude' with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. She mostly traces her to pre-Revolutionary War African Americans in the American South; much of her family still resides in the state of South Carolina.

At Princeton, Michelle challenged the teaching methodology for French because she felt that it should be more conversational. As part of her requirements for graduation, she wrote a thesis entitled, "Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community". She obtained her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. While at Harvard, she participated in political demonstrations advocating the hiring of professors who are members of minorities.

After graduating from Harvard, Michelle accepted a position at a downtown Chicago law firm. In 1989 she was asked to mentor a summer associate from Harvard name Barack Obama. Their relationship started with a business lunch and then a community organization meeting where he first impressed her. The couple married in October 1992. They have only two daughters.

Michelle's professional relationships were helpful when her husband in 2004, then a state senator, ran for the United States Senate, where he faced a primary dominated by some of the Democratic Party's most powerful political families. In this 2004 race, Obama had the support of influential black business leaders, some of whom had closer ties to his wife than they did to him. According to Newsweek, a former boss of Michelle Obama's, a powerful black woman Valerie Jarrett, chair of the Chicago Stock Exchange, served as finance chair of Barack Obama's U.S. Senate campaign.

After Barack Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate, Barack and Michelle choose to keep their children in Chicago, where Michelle continued her career as well.

Mickey Rourke


Mickey Rourke Biography -


Name :Mickey Rourke

Date of birth : 16 September 1956

Place of birth : Schenectady, New York, USA

Birth name : Philip Andre Rourke Jr.

Height : 5' 11

Profession : Actor

Mickey Rourke Trivia -
  • Studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute.
  • Became a professional boxer in 1991 but retired in 1995
  • Filmed a role in The Thin Red Line, that eventually got cut.
  • Arrested by the LAPD and charged with spousal abuse. [July 1994]
  • Owns a gym in Westcalled Shapiro.
  • Was rushed to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in L.A. His reps said it was for an allergic reaction to cough syrup he was taking to battle the flu. Rourke was released a few hours later. [19 April 1999]
  • Appeared as a thug in the Enrique Iglesias filmclip "Hero".
  • Was first considered for the role of Axel Foley in Beverly Hills Cop. It was eventually passed on to Sylvester Stallone, and, after many script revisions, Eddie Murphy.
Mickey Rourke Detailed Biography -
Mickey Rourke was born Phillip Rourke in , an overtown ghetto in City, Florida. As a teenager his family moved to Miami Beach and young Phil attended Miami Beach Senior High School. While at the school he briefly took an acting class with Jay Jenson. Jenson counted among his drama students Andy Garcia & Brett Ratner. However, at the time, Rourke's interest lay in boxing. Fighting out of Miami Beach's Fifth Street Gym and the Elizabeth Varrick Gym in Coconut Grove, Phil Rourke rolled up a 20-4 amateur boxing record with 17 knockouts. Rourke never lost his "love" for boxing. At the height of his movie career, he decided to become a professional boxer. He turned pro under the nickname, Marielito, and ran up a "glossy" undefeated record of 6-0-2. He never received the "world title shot" he desired. As a matter of fact, his move towards pro boxing almost ended his acting career.

Robert Pattinson


Robert Pattinson Biography -


Name :Robert Pattinson

Birth name : Robert Thomas-Pattinson

Nickname : Rob, Rpattz

Date of birth : May 13, 1986

Place of birth : London, England

Profession : Actor, model

Height : 6' 1" (1.85 m)

Trade Mark : Messy hair

Robert Pattinson Trivia -
  • He is an excellent musician playing guitar and keyboards.
  • He attended Harrodian private school in London.
  • He has two older sisters, Lizzy and Victoria.
  • Was taught how to scuba dive for his role in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" in 2005.
  • He takes interest in Football(soccer), Skiing, Snowboarding, and more.
  • His acting inspiration is Jack Nicholson.
  • He was ranked #23 on Moviefone's 'The 25 Hottest Actors Under 25'(2008).
  • He was chosen by the Hollywood Film Festival Award Committee as the recipient of the 2008 New Hollywood Award.
  • He was awarded Best Actor 2008 at the Strasbourg Film festival for his performance as Art in the film How To Be.
  • He beat 3,000 people to play Edward in the movie 'Twilight'.
  • He was named as Yahoo's Top Movie Heart Throb of 2008.
  • He was named as Rolling Stone Magazine's Hottest Actor of 2008
  • He was named by Entertainment Tonight (ET) as their top hunk of 2008.
  • He was named as one of the LA Times Breakout Stars of 2008.
  • He was named as one of Forbes Breakout Stars of 2008.
  • Awarded Hello Magazine's Most Attractive Man Award of 2008.
  • Invited an obsessive fan out for dinner when he was having a bad day.

Robert Pattinson Detailed Biography -
Robert "Rob" Pattinson born 13 May 1986) is an English actor and former model, best known for playing Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

He became involved in amateur theatre through the Barnes Theatre Club. After some backstage experience there, he took on acting roles. He caught the attention of an acting agent in a production of Tess of the D'Urbervilles, and began looking for professional roles.

Since then he has performed in an amateur version of Macbeth at the Old Sorting Office Arts Centre (also in West London), as well as trying his hand at modelling, for which he was sometimes credited as Robert Thomas-Pattinson.

He had supporting roles in the made for television film Ring of the Nibelungs (2004), and in director Mira Nair’s 2004 Vanity Fair, although his scenes in the latter were deleted, and only appear on the DVD version.

He was slated to appear in a stage production of The Woman Before in May 2005, but was fired shortly before the opening night. He was replaced by Tom Riley.

In late 2005, Pattinson appeared as the character Cedric Diggory in the film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Consequently, he was named that year's British Star of Tomorrow by Times Online and has more than once been touted as the next Jude Law, and was considered for the 2007 membership list for The Coterie as an honorary member.. He names Jack Nicholson as his acting inspiration.

He has a role in the as-yet unreleased short film The Summer House, the film How To Be and will next work on the vampire film After Dark.

Tom Hanks


Tom Hanks Biography -


Name :Tom Hanks

Birth Date : July 9, 1956

Birth Place : Concord, California, USA

Birth Name : Thomas J. Hanks

Height : 5' 11''

Education : Chabot Junior College in Hayward, California (attended one year)
Skyline High School in Oakland (graduated)
California State University i

Nationality : American

Profession : Actor, director, writer

Wife : Rita Wilson (actress; married on April 30, 1988), Samantha Lewes (married in 1980; separated in 1985; divorced in 1987)

Claim to fame : as Kip Buffy Wilson in Bosom Buddies (1980)

Fan Mail : Tom Hanks
Po Box 900
Beverly Hills, Ca 90213
USA


Tom Hanks Trivia -
  • Tom Hanks has been cast to star in an upcoming movie adaption best selling mystery "The Vinci Code". Hanks will play the role of Robert Langdon, the Harvard professor who undertakes a modern day quest for the Holy Grail in a thriller steeped in purpoted secrets about the early christian Church. (2nd Dec 2004)
  • Hanks and Gary Goetzman's production company Playtone has acquired the movie rights to Jeanne DuPrau's young adult novel The City of Ember. (November 2, 2004)
  • Russell Crowe, George Clooney, Tom Hanks and Hugh Jackman are battling for the lead role in movie adaptation of best-seller The Da Vinci Code. (2004)
  • Is spending his summer holiday with his family on a small Aegean Sea island reachable only by a slow ferry. (June 23, 2004)
  • Has ruled out the possibility of embarking on a political career because he'd much rather spread his message through acting. (June 17, 2004)
  • Teams up with Imax Corp. to produce a 3D documentary about NASA's historic lunar voyages called MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION. (March 4, 2004)
  • His production company Playtone is teaming up with HBO again for a drama series pilot Big Love. (January 7, 2004)
  • Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks and John Travolta helped Mickey Mouse celebrate his 75th birthday yesterday by designing larger-than-life statues of the Disney icon. (November 20, 2003)
  • Tom Hanks, Martin Sheen, Carrie Fisher and Cybill Shepherd are teaming up to oppose Schwarzenegger's bid to become Governor of California. (August 25, 2003)
  • Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are reuniting to mount a new 10-part WWII miniseries, dubbed for now UNTITLED WORLD WAR II PACIFIC THEATER PROJECT, which is on the fast track at DreamWorks. (July 22, 2003)
  • Was one of the most powerful celebrity according to 2003 Forbes Top 100 Celebrity List (#9)
  • Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson are furious with a construction company they hired to build their hideaway in Idaho -- The actors were hoping to keep their 10-acre Ketchum home a super secret, and were horrified when Storey Construction revealed all in a $1.9 million suit, which claims Hanks and Wilson owe them $1.9 million for work they completed on the hideaway. (June 21, 2003)
  • Hanks' production company has struck a deal to produce a CGI feature adaptation of classic tale, THE SPIDER AND THE FLY -- The fable concerns a gullible young fly who is flattered by a wily spider who tries to charm him into her web. (May 10, 2003)
  • Not content at remaking 1955 Brit classic THE LADYKILLERS with chums Joel and Ethan Coen, Hanks has turned his attention to yet another masterpiece of yesteryear, Akira Kurosawa's 1952 movie, IKIRU -- A heartbreaking and intimate film about mortality, there's not a samurai in sight as Kurosawa tells the story of a low-level bureaucrat who learns he has terminal stomach cancer and subsequently tries to have some impact on the world. (March 26, 2003)
  • Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg are in final talks to reteam for the airport comedy TERMINAL � The movie will star Hanks on a down-on-his-luck immigrant from Europe who takes up permanent residence at a New York after his passport becomes null and void due to a war that erases his homeland from the map; hilarity will supposedly ensue as Hanks befriends the airport staff and falls head-over-heels for a flight attendant. (February 8, 2003)
  • Reunited rockers Phish have apologized for duping fans into thinking Tom Hanks was part of their New Year's Eve show in New York -- The group announced the movie star at the start of their Madison Square Garden set and a man with Hanks' features stepped onto the stage to wish fans a happy new year. (January 8, 2003)
  • Hanks� publicists said Friday that an onstage cameo at Phish's New Year's Eve concert by someone identified as Hanks was almost certainly not him -- news outlets reported that Hanks appeared briefly on stage at the jam band's Madison Square Garden concert, but his publicists said he was going with his family for a skiing holiday and had no plans to be in New York. (January 4, 2003)
  • Hanks is to star in the Coen Brothers' remake of classic Ealing comedy THE LADYKILLERS � In the 1955 black comedy Hanks will reprise Guinness' role as a criminal mastermind, who plots to rob a riverboat only to be thwarted in his attempts to get away with the perfect crime by his innocent landlady. (December 12, 2002)
  • Hanks would reunite with director Ron Howard for DOWNTOWN -- he's about ready to play what could be his biggest stretch in a long time: a gay cop in 1960s Cleveland who must solve his lover's murder. (November 14, 2002)
  • Former FBI agent Joseph Shea can count on some thrills from seeing Hanks portray him in Steven Spielberg�s upcoming movie CATCH ME IF YOU CAN � but since Hanks' character in the movie goes by a different name, Shea won't get any royalties or other payments. (November 11, 2002)
  • Hanks tops Entertainment Weekly's 2002 Power Issue list of the most formidable entertainers in for delivering strong grosses for the atypically dark ROAD TO PERDITION, snagging Emmys for BAND OF BROTHERS, and even having the savvy to coproduce the surprise smash MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. (October 11, 2002)
  • Hanks�s 1995 hit, director Ron Howard's APOLLO 13 has been reconfigured to be shown in 70mm IMAX, under the reconfigured title, APOLLO 13: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE. (September 18, 2002)
  • Presented Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for Oprah Winfrey at the 54th annual Emmys. (September 2002)
  • Hanks hankers there's only one role he'd still love to play - James Bond.
  • Says he's not letting his young kids see his screen performance as a gun-toting mobster in ROAD TO PERDITION because it's too violent.
  • Hanks said he was leaving the Deauville Festival of American Cinema to be home in time for his children's first day of school.
  • Has a private exhibition of snapshots from the sets of his films in his Hollywood home.
  • Wilson, the volleyball that kept Tom Hanks' character company on a deserted island in the hit CAST AWAY (2000), sold for $18,400 in an of movie props in 2001.
  • FALL (1999): Dislocated his shoulder when he fell through a rotting floor in building in Germany while scouting locations with Steven Spielberg for prospective HBO series, BAND OF BROTHERS.
  • After a one-shot guest appearance on HAPPY DAYS (1974), producer Ron Howard asked him to read for a secondary part in SPLASH (1984), and he got the lead instead.
  • Asked to play the title role in JERRY MAGUIRE (1996).
  • He is a direct descendant of Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln's mother.
  • His Oscar acceptance speech for 1993's PHILADELPHIA (1993) led to the plot of the movie IN & OUT (1997). Hanks thanked a gay teacher in his speech.
  • Received emergency treatment for serious staph infection in leg in summer, 1999 after returning from overseas location shoot.
  • Received the Distinguished Public Service Award, the U. S. Navy's highest civilian honor, on Veterans Day 1999 for his work in the movie SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998).
  • Voted best actor by the readers of the US Magazine in 1995.
  • Was only first actor to win back-to-back Oscars since Tracy Spencer for CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS (1937) and BOYS TOWN (1938).
  • In BIG (1988), to give star Hanks an idea of how a 12 year-old would behave, director Penny Marshall, filmed each grown-up scene with David Moscow (Young Josh) playing Hanks's part. Hanks then copied Moscow's behavior.
  • Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and Steven Ambrose passed each of the scripts around to real-life soldiers of Easy-Company to guarantee the authenticity of the mini-series BAND OF BROTHERS (2001).
  • Was the first choice to replace Michael Keaton as Batman in BATMAN FOREVER (1995).
  • Several actors from APOLLO 13 (1995) including: Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, and Gary Sinise visited U.S. Space and Rocket Center Space Camp program and worked on their simulators before production of the movie began to help them get a feel for what it would be like to work in zero gravity.
  • In interviews for APOLLO 13 (1995), the real Jim Lovell had said that he thought Kevin Costner looked a little bit like him, but Costner was never cast. When Brian Grazier and Imagine Entertainment got the rights to the script, Ron Howard signed on to direct and knowing that Tom Hanks was an Apollo/space buff, sent the script to him. They set a meeting and Hanks agreed to play Jim Lovell during Hanks' and Howard's first meeting about the film.
  • Considered for the role of Larry Flynt in THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT (1996).
  • Gained 30 pounds in preparation for his role in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (1992). He attributed the weight he gained to a nearby Dairy Queen.
  • His character in A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, Jimmy Dugan, is loosely based on real-life baseball slugger Jimmie Foxx.
  • In the scene in which his character tells the rest of the unit what he does for a living back at home, Hanks' speech was much longer in the original script. But Hanks felt that his character wouldn't have said so much about himself, and he told director Steven Spielberg so. Spielberg agreed, and the speech was shortened. (SAVING PRIVATE RYAN)
  • Initially opposed to hiring Everett Scott in THAT THING YOU DO! because of Scott's strong resemblance to a younger Hanks; but he was convinced by his wife, Rita Wilson, who thought Scott was cute.
  • Lost 12kg during his role for PHILADELPHIA (1993)
  • Met his wife Rita Wilson while making VOLUNTEERS (1985).
  • Originally considered for the role of Zephram Cochrane in STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT (1996).
  • Was originally going to play the Old Paul Edgecomb but the makeup tests didn't make him look credible enough to be an elderly man. Dabbs Greer was cast instead as the older Paul Edgecomb. (THE GREEN MILE (1999).
  • Slinky's line, I may not be a smart dog, but I know what road kill is is a reference to FORREST GUMP which starred Hanks the voice of Woody. (TOY STORY 2 (1999).
  • Written and directed by Hanks THAT THING YOU DO! (1996) contains characters named James Mattingly and Leonard Haise. Hanks previously played James Lovell in APOLLO 13 (1995), which had other characters named Ken Mattingly, John Leonard Swigert, and Fred Haise.
  • In FORREST GUMP (1994), his younger brother Jim doubles for him in many of his mindless running sequences.
  • In FORREST GUMP (1994) Hanks patterned his accent after the little boy who played young Forrest, who actually talked that way.
  • FORREST GUMP (1994): The girl in the school bus with the red hair is his daughter Elizabeth.
  • Production of CAST AWAY (2000) was halted for a year so Hanks could lose fifty pounds and grow out his hair for his time spent on the deserted island.
  • A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) is reportedly his favorite film.
  • Hanks said that he would make FORREST GUMP (1994) only if all the events that took place were true to historical reality.
  • On the day that he shot the football running scenes in FORREST GUMP (1994) he had been suffering from influenza.
  • Has had 11movies that have grossed over $100 million at the US box office. These are; SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, TOY STORY, TOY STORY 2, YOU'VE GOT MAIL, THE GREEN MILE, APOLLO 13, A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, PHILADELPHIA, BIG, CAST AWAY, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and the most famous- FORREST GUMP.
  • Is now paid $20million per movie
  • One of his childhood dreams was to be an astronaut. The closest he has felt to acheiving this is playing Jim Lovell in APOLLO 13.
  • Played two successful romantic commedy with Meg Ryan, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993) and YOU'VE GOT MAIL (1998). Both movies about blind date, one in radio era and in 1998, Hanks met Ryan through the internet.
  • In the popular UK film magazine 'Empire' Tom Hanks was voted the 17th Best Actor of all time

Tom Hanks Detailed Biography -
Born in Concord, California on July 9, 1956 Thomas J. Hanks was the third of four children of Amos and Janet Hanks. His parents divorced when young Tom was 5 years old. His first gained prominence in the early eighties by landing a co-starring role in the TV series "Bosom Buddies," where he played a man forced to dress in drag in order to be able to stay at a women's-only hotel. The show was cancelled after only two seasons. After this inauspicious start, Hanks didn't make any real waves until 1984, when his big break came along in the form of a Disney film about a mermaid. The film was Splash!, and it was a tremendous box-office success. The young actor then starred in a string of unremarkable comedies such as Bachelor Party (1984), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), and Volunteers (1985), and for a while it seemed like his career had reached a plateau. In 1988, however, Hanks starred in Penny Marshall's Big, which earned him an Oscar? nomination and many favorable reviews. In the film, Hanks displayed a more poignant side to his comedy that hadn't really been on display before, proving himself a versatile performer. This versatility was showcased even more in A League of Their Own (1992), where Hanks played an out-of-shape ex-baseball player coaching a women's team.

The very next year, Hanks went completely against character by playing a homosexual living with AIDS in Philadelphia (1993). His portrayal was a revelation, and showed audiences an entirely new facet of his considerable talent. He won the Academy Award for the role, and it was the turning point in his career. The next year Hanks achieved one of Hollywood's rarest doubles by earning back-to-back Oscars, only the second actor ever to do so. This time, the film was Forrest Gump, a picture which was notable not only for Hanks' memorable one-liners but for its clever special effects as well. Hanks was now officially A-list.

His run of successes continued with films like Apollo 13 (1995), Toy Story (1995), and Saving Private Ryan (1998), as well as a couple of very popular films with co-star Meg Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and You've Got Mail (1998). All of these were both critical and commercial hits; another measure of Hanks' abilities. His most recent projects were The Green Mile (1999), Toy Story 2 (1999), and Cast Away (2000), for which he received his fifth Academy Award nomination. In addition, Hanks has found success wearing other hats, having executive-produced a pair of remarkable television miniseries: "From the Earth to the Moon" (1998) and "Band of Brothers" (2001). He is married to actress Rita Wilson.

sponsors