A presenter, or host (sometimes hostess, in feminine form), is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies (also MC, emcee, or host) is a person that hosts or presents a show. In films, a presenter (but not a host) is a usually well-known executive producer credited with introducing a film or filmmaker to a larger audience. In broadcast media, especially British, a presenter is the person who hosts, narrates, presents, or takes the main role in the program.

Television presenter

A television presenter is a British term (American: host) for a person who introduces or hosts television programmes. Nowadays it is common for minor celebrities in other fields to take on this role, but there are also a number of people who have made their name solely within the field of presenting, particularly within children's television.

Some presenters may double as an actor, model, singer, comedian etc. Others may be subject matter experts, such as scientists or politicians, serving as presenters for a programme about their field of expertise. Some are celebrities who have made their name in one area, then leverage their fame to get involved in other areas. Examples of this latter group include British comedian Michael Palin who now presents programmes about travel (such as ), and Alan Alda, who has presented Scientific American Frontiers for over a decade.

The term is also used in other countries, such as Ireland. In the USA, such a person is typically called a host or an MC (Master of Ceremonies)

Radio presenter

Broadly speaking, radio presenter is the same as a television presenter, except that they present radio programmes instead of television programmes. Big name presenters include Scott Mills,Tony Blackburn, Dale Winton, Steve Wright, Chris Moyles, Ryan Diedericks (Ryan D), Howard Stern, Hamish and Andy etc.

Sports presenter

A sports commentator (also sports announcer, sports broadcaster, sportscaster, or sports presenter) is a type of journalist on radio and/or television who specializes in reporting or commentating on sporting events. Sportscasting is often done live.

Weather presenter

A weather presenter is a type of journalist on television who specializes in presenting weather forecasts.

References

Category:Broadcasting occupations

Name	Sara Carbonero
Birth date	February 03, 1984
Birth place	Corral de Almaguer, Toledo, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Occupation	Television presenter and sports journalist
Partner	Iker Casillas

Sara Carbonero Arévalo (born 3 February 1984 in Corral de Almaguer, Toledo) is a Spanish TV presenter for Telecinco and sports journalist. In July 2009, Carbonero, the girlfriend of Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, was voted "The Sexiest Reporter in the World" by FHM USA.

Press controversy

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup it was alleged that Carbonero, reporting during the match between Spain and Switzerland, had distracted Casillas, causing the unexpected Swiss victory. El País and the popular sports daily Marca to all run articles suggesting that the claims were preposterous and untrue.

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:People from Toledo (province) Category:Complutense University of Madrid alumni Category:Spanish journalists Category:Spanish television presenters

Name	Michael McIntyre
Caption	McIntyre at the British Academy Television Awards 2009
Birth name	Michael Hazen James McIntyre
Birth date	February 21, 1976
Birth place	Merton, London
Medium	Stand-up, television
Nationality	British
Active	1999 — present
Genre	Social satire, observational comedy
Website	http://www.michaelmcintyre.co.uk/
Spouse	Kitty McIntyre (2003 - present)

Michael Hazen James McIntyre (born 21 February 1976) is a British stand-up comedian. He is well-known for appearing at many British stand-up comedy events and for several roles on television stand-up programmes such as Live at the Apollo and his own show, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow. McIntyre has also appeared on television panel shows including Mock The Week, 8 out of 10 Cats and Have I Got News For You, and has made radio appearances.

McIntyre has released two stand-up DVDs. Live and Laughing was released in 2008 and featured material from his first nationwide tour, and Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley was released in November 2009 and featured his routine at Wembley Arena. Live and Laughing was the fastest selling debut stand-up DVD ever and Michael McIntyre: Hello Wembley became the fastest selling stand-up DVD ever selling over a million copies and reaching Number 1 in the DVD charts for Christmas 2009. In 2009 McIntyre performed live to half a million people and won Best Stand-up at The British Comedy Awards.

In 2010, McIntyre became the youngest-ever host of the Royal Variety Performance, at the London Palladium on 9 December. It was also announced that McIntyre will be a judge on Britain's Got Talent

Early life

McIntyre was born in Merton and raised in Hampstead. McIntyre's parents were both involved in showbusiness: his Canadian father, Ray Cameron, was one of the writers of The Kenny Everett Television Show and his Hungarian mother, Kati, was a dancer. McIntyre later attended Edinburgh University for a year before dropping out. He has said that he cannot remember whether it was Biology or Chemistry that he studied while there. He was nominated at the 2008 British Comedy Awards for Best Live Stand-up and nominated at the 2009 The South Bank Show Awards for Best Comedy. In 2008 he was the fastest selling comedian at the Edinburgh Festival . and sold out five nights at London's 3600 capacity Hammersmith Apollo. In 2009 he won Best Stand-up at the British Comedy Awards and performed for 500,000 people on his UK tour that included a record breaking six nights at Wembley Arena and four at The O2 Arena. His second DVD, Hello Wembley, was another hit.

He has confirmed in a recent interview that he will return with another arena tour in 2012.

Television and stage

Michael McIntyre has appeared three times on BBC One's Live at the Apollo and also on the Royal Variety Performance, in 2006, 2008 and 2010.

His routine on We Are Most Amused, staged at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 12 November 2008 in aid of the Prince's Trust, was also televised. This comedy gala celebrated the 60th Birthday of Prince Charles, and was performed in the presence of The Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

Among McIntyre's many comedy panel show appearances are Chris Moyles' Quiz Night, Mock the Week, 8 out of 10 Cats, Have I Got News for You, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Would I Lie To You?, and . On 13 February 2009, he was a guest on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on BBC One.

On 21 February 2009, McIntyre appeared live as a guest judge alongside head judge Anton du Beke and fellow guest Emma Bunton in the first round of Let's Dance for Comic Relief. He appeared on the show again in the final on 14 March 2009.

Beginning on 6 June 2009, McIntyre began hosting a BBC show on Saturday nights entitled Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow.

On 5 July 2009, McIntyre appeared on the BBC show Top Gear as the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car and achieved a respectable time of 1 minute 48.7 seconds. During his lap he almost rolled the car while going around Gambon corner, named after Sir Michael Gambon who, in only the eighth episode, did the same thing in the previous Reasonably Priced Car.

In December 2009, Michael cancelled a stand up show 30 minutes before he was due on stage after discovering that he would be performing to a room full of debt collectors. Michael had revealed only weeks earlier how he'd struggled with substantial debt only a few years before breaking through in to the mainstream. McIntyre stated that he would have gone against his principles by performing the show.

In 2010, McIntyre took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

In 2010, McIntyre joined CBeebies reading the story at The Bedtime Hour. He also appeared on the 2010 edition of The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, partnered with Alan Carr.

On 14th December 2010, it was announced that McIntyre would join the Britain's Got Talent judges panel in 2011, alongside David Hasselhoff and Amanda Holden.

Radio

Does The Team Think... - BBC Radio 2

Heresy, 4 Stands Up, Happy Mondays, The Unbelievable Truth - all for BBC Radio 4

"The Jon Richardson Show" BBC 6 Music

"The Jonathan Ross Show" BBC Radio 2

"The Chris Moyles Show" BBC Radio 1

Personal life

McIntyre lives in Muswell Hill, London with his aromatherapist wife, Kitty, and their two sons, Lucas (born 2005) and Oscar (born 2008).

McIntyre is a supporter of Tottenham Hotspur.

Whilst performing on stage in Wolverhampton in 2008, as he was walking back onto stage for his encore, McIntyre slipped, fell over and dislocated his shoulder. Many of the audience believed this to be part of his act and started to laugh; only after his manager came on stage to assist did they realise it was real.

Awards

Stand-up appearances

Television credits

''Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (BBC One)

The Graham Norton Show (BBC Two)

Live at the Apollo 2007/2008 (BBC One)

Royal Variety Performance 2006/2008/2010

Have I Got News For You (BBC One)

8 out of 10 Cats (Channel 4)

The Charlotte Church Show (Channel 4)

Richard & Judy (Channel 4)

The Law of the Playground (Channel 4)

Michael McIntyre Comedy Store Special (Paramount)

The Comedy Store (Paramount)

The World Stands Up (Paramount)

Big Brother's Little Brother (E4)

Big Brother's Big Mouth - Guest Presenter (E4)

Top Gear - Special Guest (BBC Two)

Series 4 Episode 11 (BBC2)

Mock the Week (BBC 2)

Would I Lie To You?

The One Show (BBC 1)

We Are Most Amused (ITV)

The Big Fat Quiz of the Year (Channel 4)

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross (BBC 1)

This Morning (ITV)

''CBeebies Bedtime Story (CBeebies)

Stand-Up DVDs

Live & Laughing (17 November 2008)

Hello Wembley! (16 November 2009)

References

External links

Official Site

Agent's Website

Official Fansite

Chortle page

Michael McIntyre Royal Variety Performance 2006 on YouTube

Michael McIntyre Royal Variety Performance 2008 on YouTube

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:British people of Hungarian descent Category:English people of Scottish descent Category:British people of Canadian descent Category:Edinburgh Comedy Festival Category:British stand-up comedians Category:British comedians Category:Old Merchant Taylors Category:People from Muswell Hill

Playername	Iker Casillas
Fullname	Iker Casillas Fernández
Dateofbirth	May 20, 1981
Cityofbirth	Móstoles, Madrid
Countryofbirth	Spain
Height
Currentclub	Real Madrid
Clubnumber	1
Position	Goalkeeper
Youthyears1	1990–1998
Youthclubs1	Real Madrid
Years1	1998–1999
Years2	1999
Years3	1999–
Clubs1	Real Madrid C
Clubs2	Real Madrid B
Clubs3	Real Madrid
Caps1	26
Caps2	4
Caps3	403
Goals1	0
Goals2	0
Goals3	0
Nationalyears1	1996
Nationalyears2	1996–1998
Nationalyears3	1997–1999
Nationalyears4	1999
Nationalyears5	1999
Nationalyears6	1999–2000
Nationalyears7	2000–
Nationalteam1	Spain U15
Nationalteam2	Spain U16
Nationalteam3	Spain U17
Nationalteam4	Spain U18
Nationalteam5	Spain U20
Nationalteam6	Spain U21
Nationalteam7	Spain
Nationalcaps1	1
Nationalcaps2	19
Nationalcaps3	10
Nationalcaps4	4
Nationalcaps5	2
Nationalcaps6	5
Nationalcaps7	116
Nationalgoals1	0
Nationalgoals2	0
Nationalgoals3	0
Nationalgoals4	0
Nationalgoals5	0
Nationalgoals6	0
Nationalgoals7	0
Pcupdate	19 December 2010
Ntupdate	18 November 2010

Iker Casillas Fernández (; born 20 May 1981) is a World Cup-winning Spanish goalkeeper who plays for the Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and serves as captain for both the Spanish national team and Real Madrid. As captain of the national side, he led a young Spanish team to their first European Championship in 44 years, his first senior international honour. In 2010, he led Spain to their first ever FIFA World Cup and won the Golden Glove for the tournament's best goalkeeper.

Since bursting onto the scene as a teenager, Casillas has been recognised as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, illustrated by the many awards he has received. He was nominated for the European Footballer of the Year award twice, ranking fourth overall in 2008 and continuing to be the highest-ranked goalkeeper again in 2009. At the end of 2009 he was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year for the third consecutive time. As of July 2010 Casillas is one of a very select group of players who have won all major club and national championship titles. In 2010, he was awarded with the Sports Prince of Asturias Award. On 19 October 2010, Casillas became the most capped goalkeeper of all time in the UEFA Champions League.

Early life

Iker was born on 20 May 1981 in Móstoles, Community of Madrid to José Luis Casillas, a civil servant in the Ministry of Education, and María del Carmen Fernández González, a hairdresser. Both his parents had emigrated from their home town of Navalacruz, Ávila.

As a young child in the 1980s, Casillas once forgot to post his father’s football pool coupons on the weekend his father had correctly predicted all 14 results; the family lost out on an estimated £1m.

Real Madrid

Casillas is a product of Real Madrid's youth system, and started in the junior squad during the 1990–91 season. He was first called up to the first team on the 27 November 1997 at age 16 to face Rosenborg in UEFA Champions League 1997–98, but it wasn't until the 1998–99 season that he debuted in the senior side, substituting Bodo Illgner. By the next season, he relegated Illgner to the bench and became first choice. In 2000, he became the youngest ever goalkeeper to play in a Champions League final when Real Madrid defeated Valencia 3-0, just four days after his nineteenth birthday.

Casillas lost his place in the side to backup César Sánchez after a patch of bad form during the 2001–02 campaign, but redeemed himself when Sánchez suffered an injury in the last minutes of 2002 Champions League final match. Casillas came on and pulled off several brilliant saves to deny a rampant Bayer Leverkusen the Champions League crown. The Whites won 2-1 and Casillas has maintained the number 1 shirt ever since.

The 2007–08 season was a fruitful season for Casillas. He helped Real Madrid reclaim their 31st La Liga title and conceded only 32 goals in 36 games to claim the Zamora Trophy. On 14 February 2008, he and then club captain Raúl were awarded new contract extensions. Casillas signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2017, with an automatic extension if he plays 30 competitive matches during the final season of the contract and a buy-out clause of £113 million. His performances earned him a spot in the UEFA Team of the Year for the second time.

In February 2009, Casillas equalled Paco Buyo's record of 454 matches played (for a goalkeeper) and has since surpassed it to become Real Madrid's most-capped goalkeeper of all time at only twenty-seven years old. During the 2009 summer transfer window, some Spanish media reported that Manchester City had launched a record £129 million bid for the goalkeeper. However the club denied the allegations saying that no such offer had been made. Manchester United had been rumoured to have enquired about him, but no price was announced. He had been linked with other Premier League clubs before but Casillas himself stated that he "had no intention of leaving" his boyhood club.

During the 2009–10 season on 4 October in a game against Sevilla F.C., Casillas made an extraordinary save; he ran from one side of his goal to the other and denied Diego Perotti in a one-on-one close range encounter. After the match, he received praise from fellow Spanish goalkeepers and England goalkeeping legend Gordon Banks, who stated "Casillas' reflexes are incredible. If he continues to play this well he will become one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the game."

International career

Casillas debuted for the national team in the U–17 level. At age 16, he was the youngest player in the Spanish squad that placed third at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Egypt. He was later made captain of the U-17's. Two years later, he went on to win the FIFA World Youth Championship and the UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup that same year. Initially second-choice, he soon worked his way up to first-choice and eventually earned his first senior cap following some brilliant performances at club level.

Casillas is currently the second-most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Spanish national team, behind Andoni Zubizarreta, who appeared in 126 matches. Following his full international debut at the senior level against Sweden (at 19 years and 14 days), Casillas was an unused substitute at Euro 2000. He was part of the roster for the 2002 World Cup, initially as the understudy to Santiago Cañizares. Coincidentally, Casillas became the first-choice goalkeeper when Cañizares had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury from a freak accident. At 21, he was one of the youngest first-choice goalkeepers in the tournament. He played an instrumental role in Spanish progression when he saved two penalties in the shoot-out during the round of 16 match against the Republic of Ireland, earning him the nickname "The Saint".

Casillas played in all eight Group six fixtures during Euro 2004 qualifying, conceding just four goals. He kept a clean sheet in the second leg victory of the playoff against Norway which ended 3-0 in Oslo, and started all of Spain's Euro 2004 matches. He was the first choice for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, captaining the team twice, but could not prevent La Roja from losing 3-1 to a Zidane-inspired France in the Round of 16.

With the exclusion of his ex-Real Madrid teammate Raúl from the squad for Euro 2008, Casillas was given the captain's armband. He started the first two Group D games against Russia and Sweden before being rested in place of second-choice goalkeeper Pepe Reina for Spain's group stage elimination of Greece. Casillas saved two penalties from Antonio Di Natale and Daniele De Rossi as Spain eliminated Italy in the quarterfinals with a 4–2 shootout win following a goalless draw on 22 June. Spain later went on to win the competition with a 1–0 win over Germany in the final on 29 June; Casillas kept clean sheets for the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final matches, with Sweden's first round goal by Zlatan Ibrahimović being the last one scored against him. On 29 June 2008 Casillas became the first goalkeeper-captain to lift the UEFA European Championship trophy when Spain beat Germany 1–0 in the final.

In October 2008, Casillas and deputy in goal Pepe Reina broke the national record for the longest time spent without conceding a goal. The pair went unbeaten for 710 minutes, longer than Spain's longest-serving gloveman Andoni Zubizarreta and Paco Buyo. Wesley Sonck of Belgium ended their goalless streak when he scored against them a 2010 World Cup qualifying match.

One of his saves during the quarterfinals versus South Korea during the 2002 FIFA World Cup was rated by FIFA as one of the top 10 saves of all time. Casillas was the highest ranked goalkeeper (4th place) in the 2008 Ballon d'Or behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and national teammate Fernando Torres.

He was named the world's best goalkeeper in 2008 by the IFFHS. He also came in third place in the best goalkeepers of all time ranking; beating Oliver Kahn.

On 5 September 2009, after a 5-0 win over Belgium in a qualifying match for the World Cup, Casillas equalled Andoni Zubizarreta's national record of 56 clean sheets, and during the Spanish team's next match against Estonia on 9 September 2009, he surpassed Zubizarreta as the record holder for the most Spanish international clean sheets (this being achieved in Casillas' 98th appearance for the national team, while Zubizarreta made 126 before his retirement).

On 14 November 2009, he made his 100th appearance for the Spanish squad in the friendly win over Argentina, making him only the third player in history of Spanish football to ever reach this far internationally. Only Andoni Zubizarreta, on 126, now stands ahead of him.

On 11 July 2010, he captained Spain to their first ever World Cup title with a 1-0 win against the Netherlands. In doing so he became the third ever goalkeeper to captain a World Cup winning side. He was voted the tournament's best goalkeeper and awarded the Golden Glove. In the course of the finals in South Africa he kept five clean sheets, conceded two goals, and saved a penalty in the quarter final against Paraguay. In the final, he made two crucial stops from Netherlands' Arjen Robben with the score at 0-0 after the Dutchman had passed all the defenders.

Statistics

All-Time Club Performance

Honours

Club

La Liga (4): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08

Supercopa de España (3): 2001, 2003, 2008.

UEFA Champions League (2): 1999–2000, 2001–02

UEFA Super Cup (1): 2002

Intercontinental Cup (1): 2002

Country

UEFA U-15 Championship: 1995

UEFA U-16 Championship: 1997

UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup: 1999

FIFA World Youth Championship: 1999

UEFA European Championship: 2008

FIFA Confederations Cup: 2009 Third place

FIFA World Cup: 2010

Individual

Bravo Award: 2000

Don Balón Award: Breakthrough Player 2000

UEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009

ESM Team of the Year: 2007–08

Zamora Trophy: 2007–08

UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008

FIFA World XI: 2008, 2009, 2010

FIFA/FIFPro World's best goalkeeper 2008, 2009, 2010

IFFHS Best Goalkeeper: 2008, 2009, 2010

ESM Best European Goalkeeper: 2008, 2010

FIFA.com Team of the Year: 2008 LFP best goalkeeper: 2008–09 FIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2010

FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010

Personal

Royal Order of Sporting Merit (Gold Medal): 2009–10 Favourite son of Navalacruz: 2010 Favourite son of Móstoles: 2010

Personal life

Since 2009, Casillas has been in a relationship with sports journalist Sara Carbonero.

Notes

References

# HISTORIA DEL FÚTBOL ESPAÑOL, SELECCIONES ESPAÑOLAS ISBN 978-84-8229-12-3-9

External links

Iker Casillas Biography and Videos

Iker Casillas Profile and Stats at Footbalistic

Profile on Real Madrid official website

2010 FIFA World Cup profile

BDFutbol profile

National team data

Transfermarkt profile

FootballDatabase career profile and statistics

ESPN Profile

FIFA profile

Compilation of some of his more famous saves

Petr Čech|after= Edwin van der Sar||years=2008}} Gianluigi Buffon|after=Incumbent||years=2010}} }}

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:People from Móstoles Category:Spanish footballers Category:Association football goalkeepers Category:Real Madrid Castilla footballers Category:Real Madrid C.F. players Category:Real Madrid C footballers Category:La Liga footballers Category:Spain under-21 international footballers Category:Spain international footballers Category:UEFA Euro 2000 players Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning captains Category:UEFA European Football Championship-winning players Category:FIFA Century Club Category:FIFA World Cup-winning captains Category:FIFA World Cup-winning players Category:Spanish Roman Catholics

Name	Elizabeth Taylor
Caption	Taylor photographed for Argentinean Magazine in 1947
Birth place	Hampstead, London, England
Birth name	Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor
Birth date	February 27, 1932
Other names	Liz Taylor
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1942–2003
Spouse	Conrad Hilton Jr. (1950–1951)Michael Wilding (1952–1957)Mike Todd (1957–1958)Eddie Fisher (1959–1964)Richard Burton (1964–1974)Richard Burton (1975–1976)John Warner (1976–1982)Larry Fortensky (1991–1996)
Children	Michael Howard Wilding, born on January 06, 1953Christopher Edward Wilding, born on February 28, 1955Elizabeth Frances Todd, born on August 06, 1957Maria Burton, born on August 01, 1961

Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, DBE (born 27 February 1932), also known as Liz Taylor, is an English-American actress. She is known for her acting talent and beauty, as well as her Hollywood lifestyle, including many marriages. Taylor is considered one of the great actresses of Hollywood's golden age.

The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh on its Female Legends list.

Early years (1932–1942)

Taylor was born in Hampstead, a wealthy district of north-west London, the second child of Francis Lenn Taylor (1897–1968) and Sara Viola Warmbrodt (1895–1994), who were Americans residing in England. Taylor's older brother, Howard Taylor, was born in 1929. Both of her parents were originally from Arkansas City, Kansas. Her father was an art dealer and her mother a former actress whose stage name was 'Sara Sothern'. Sothern retired from the stage when she and Francis Taylor married in 1926 in New York City. Taylor's two first names are in honour of her paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Mary (Rosemond) Taylor. A dual citizen of the UK and the U.S., she was born a British subject through her birth on British soil and an American citizen through her parents.

At the age of three, Taylor began taking ballet lessons with Vaccani. Shortly before the beginning of World War II, her parents decided to return to the United States to avoid hostilities. Her mother took the children first, arriving in New York in April 1939, while her father remained in London to wrap up matters in the art business, arriving in November. They settled in Los Angeles, California, where Sara's family, the Warmbrodts, were then living.

Through Hopper, the Taylors were introduced to Andrea Berens, a wealthy English socialite and also fiancée of Cheever Cowden, chairman and major stockholder of Universal Pictures in Hollywood. Berens insisted that Sara bring Elizabeth to see Cowden who, she was adamant, would be dazzled by Elizabeth's breathtaking dark beauty; she was born with a mutation that caused double rows of eyelashes, which enhanced her appearance on camera. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer soon took interest in the British youngster as well but she failed to secure a contract with them after an informal audition with producer John Considine had shown that she couldn't sing. However, on 18 September 1941, Universal Pictures signed Elizabeth to a six-month renewable contract at $100 a week.

Taylor appeared in her first motion picture at the age of nine in There's One Born Every Minute, her only film for Universal Pictures. Less than six months after she signed with Universal, her contract was reviewed by Edward Muhl, the studio's production chief. Muhl met with Taylor's agent, Myron Selznick (brother of David), and Cheever Cowden. Muhl challenged Selznick's and Cowden's constant support of Taylor: "She can't sing, she can't dance, she can't perform. What's more, her mother has to be one of the most unbearable women it has been my displeasure to meet." Universal cancelled Taylor's contract just short of her tenth birthday in February 1942. Nevertheless on 15 October 1942, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer signed Taylor to $100 a week for up to three months to appear as Priscilla in Lassie Come Home.

Career

Adolescent star

Lassie Come Home featured child star Roddy McDowall, with whom Taylor would share a lifelong friendship. Upon its release in 1943, the film received favourable attention for both McDowall and Taylor. On the basis for her performance in Lassie Come Home MGM signed Taylor to a conventional seven-year contract at $100 a week but increasing at regular intervals until it reached a hefty $750 during the seventh year. Her first assignment under her new contract at MGM was a loan-out to 20th Century Fox for the character of Helen Burns in a film version of the Charlotte Bronte novel Jane Eyre (1944). During this period she also returned to England to appear in another Roddy McDowall picture for MGM, The White Cliffs of Dover (1944). But it was Taylor's persistence in campaigning for the role of Velvet Brown in MGM's National Velvet that skyrocketed Taylor to stardom at the tender age of 12. Taylor's character, Velvet Brown, is a young girl who trains her beloved horse to win the Grand National. National Velvet, which also costarred beloved American favorite Mickey Rooney and English newcomer Angela Lansbury, became an overwhelming success upon its release in December 1944 and altered Taylor's life forever. Also, many of her back problems have been traced to when she hurt her back falling off a horse during the filming of National Velvet.

National Velvet grossed over US$4 million at the box office and Taylor was signed to a new long-term contract that raised her salary to $30,000 per year. To capitalize on the box office success of Velvet, Taylor was shoved into another animal opus, Courage of Lassie, in which a different dog named "Bill", cast as an Allied combatant in World War II, regularly outsmarts the Nazis, with Taylor going through another outdoors role. The 1946 success of Courage of Lassie led to another contract drawn up for Taylor earning her $750 per week, her mother $250, as well as a $1,500 bonus. Her roles as Mary Skinner in a loan-out to Warner Brothers' Life With Father (1947), Cynthia Bishop in Cynthia (1947), Carol Pringle in A Date with Judy (1948) and Susan Prackett in Julia Misbehaves (1948) all proved to be successful. Her reputation as a bankable adolescent star and nickname of "One-Shot Liz" (referring to her ability to shoot a scene in one take) promised her a full and bright career with Metro. Taylor's portrayal as Amy, in the American classic Little Women (1949) would prove to be her last adolescent role. In October 1948, she sailed aboard the RMS Queen Mary travelling to England where she would begin filming on Conspirator, where she would play her first adult role.

Transition into adult roles

When released in 1949, Conspirator bombed at the box office, but Taylor's portrayal of 21-year-old debutante Melinda Grayton (keeping in mind that Taylor was only 16 at the time of filming) who unknowingly marries a communist spy (played by 38-year-old Robert Taylor), was praised by critics for her first adult lead in a film, even though the public didn't seem ready to accept her in adult roles. Taylor's first picture under her new salary of $2,000 per week was The Big Hangover (1950), both a critical and box office failure, that paired her with screen idol Van Johnson. The picture also failed to present Taylor with an opportunity to exhibit her newly-realized sensuality. Her first box office success in an adult role came as Kay Banks in the romantic comedy Father of the Bride (1950), alongside Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. The film spawned a sequel, Father's Little Dividend (1951), which Taylor's costar Spencer Tracy summarised with "boring...boring...boring." The film was received well at the box office but it would be Taylor's next picture that would set the course for her career as a dramatic actress.

In late 1949, Taylor had begun filming George Stevens' A Place In The Sun. Upon its release in 1951, Taylor was hailed for her performance as Angela Vickers, a spoiled socialite who comes between George Eastman (Montgomery Clift) and his poor, pregnant factory-working girlfriend Alice Tripp (Shelley Winters).

The film became the pivotal performance of Taylor's career as critics acclaimed it as a classic, a reputation it sustained throughout the next 50 years of cinema history. The New York Times' A.H. Weiler wrote, "Elizabeth's delineation of the rich and beauteous Angela is the top effort of her career," and the Boxoffice reviewer unequivocally stated "Miss Taylor deserves an Academy Award." "If you were considered pretty, you might as well have been a waitress trying to act – you were treated with no respect at all", she later bitterly reflected.

Even with such critical success as an actress, Taylor was increasingly unsatisfied with the roles being offered to her at the time. While she wanted to play the leads in The Barefoot Contessa and I'll Cry Tomorrow, MGM continued to restrict her to mindless and somewhat forgettable films such as: a cameo as herself in Callaway Went Thataway (1951), Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), Ivanhoe (1952), The Girl Who Had Everything (1953) and Beau Brummel (1954).

Taylor had made it perfectly clear that she wanted to play the role of Lady Rowena in Ivanhoe, but the part had already been given to Joan Fontaine and she was handed the thankless role of Rebecca. When she became pregnant with her first child, MGM forced her through The Girl Who Had Everything (even adding two hours to her daily work schedule) so as to get one more film out of her before she became too heavily pregnant. Taylor lamented that she needed the money, as she had just bought a new house with second husband Michael Wilding and with a child on the way things would be pretty tight. Taylor had been forced by her pregnancy to turn down Elephant Walk (1954), though the role had been designed for her. Vivien Leigh, to whom Taylor bore a striking resemblance, got the part and went to Ceylon to shoot on location. Leigh had a nervous breakdown during filming, and Taylor finally reclaimed the role after the birth of her child Michael Wilding, Jr. in January 1953.

Taylor's next screen endeavor, Rhapsody (1954), another tedious romantic drama, proved equally frustrating. Taylor portrayed Louise Durant, a beautiful rich girl in love with a temperamental violinist (Vittorio Gassman) and an earnest young pianist (John Ericson). A film critic for the New York Herald Tribune wrote: "There is beauty in the picture all right, with Miss Taylor glowing into the camera from every angle...but the dramatic pretenses are weak, despite the lofty sentences and handsome manikin poses."

Taylor's fourth period picture, Beau Brummell, made just after Elephant Walk and Rhapsody, cast her as the elaborately costumed Lady Patricia, which many felt was only a screen prop—a ravishing beauty whose sole purpose was to lend romantic support to the film's title star, Stewart Granger.

The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) fared only slightly better than her previous pictures, with Taylor being reunited with The Big Hangover costar Van Johnson. The role of Helen Ellsworth Willis was based on that of Zelda Fitzgerald and, although pregnant with her second child, Taylor went ahead with the film, her fourth in twelve months. Although proving somewhat successful at the box office, she still yearned for meatier roles.

1955–1979

Following a more substantial role opposite Rock Hudson and James Dean in George Stevens' epic Giant (1956), Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for the following films: Raintree County (1957) opposite Montgomery Clift; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) opposite Paul Newman; and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) with Montgomery Clift, Katharine Hepburn and Mercedes McCambridge.

In 1960, Taylor became the highest paid actress up to that time when she signed a one million dollar contract to play the title role in 20th Century Fox's lavish production of Cleopatra,

Taylor won her first Academy Award, for Best Actress in a Leading Role, for her performance as Gloria Wandrous in BUtterfield 8 (1960), which co-starred then husband Eddie Fisher.

Her second and final Academy Award, also for Best Actress in a Leading Role, was for her performance as Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), playing opposite then husband Richard Burton. Taylor and Burton would appear together in six other films during the decade – The V.I.P.s (1963), The Sandpiper (1965), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), Doctor Faustus (1967), The Comedians {1967} and Boom! (1968).

Taylor appeared in John Huston's Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967) opposite Marlon Brando (replacing Montgomery Clift who died before production began) and Secret Ceremony (1968) opposite Mia Farrow. However, by the end of the decade her box-office drawing power had considerably diminished, as evidenced by the failure of The Only Game in Town (1970), with Warren Beatty.

Taylor continued to star in numerous theatrical films throughout the 1970s, such as Zee and Co. (1972) with Michael Caine, Ash Wednesday (1973), The Blue Bird (1976) with Jane Fonda and Ava Gardner, and A Little Night Music (1977). With then-husband Richard Burton, she co-starred in the 1972 films Under Milk Wood and Hammersmith Is Out, and the 1973 made-for-TV movie Divorce His, Divorce Hers.

1980–2003

Taylor starred in the 1980 mystery/thriller The Mirror Crack'd opposite Kim Novak. In 1985, she played movie gossip columnist Louella Parsons in the TV film Malice in Wonderland opposite Jane Alexander, who played Hedda Hopper; and also appeared in the miniseries North and South. Her last theatrical film to date was 1994's The Flintstones. In 2001, she played an agent in the TV film These Old Broads. She has also appeared on a number television series, including the soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, as well as the animated series The Simpsons—once as herself, and once as the voice of Maggie Simpson. She has not done any acting since 2003.

Taylor has also acted on the stage, making her Broadway and West End debuts in 1982 with a revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes. She was then in a production of Noel Coward's Private Lives (1983), in which she starred with her former husband, Richard Burton. The student-run Burton Taylor Theatre in Oxford was named for the famous couple after Burton appeared as Doctor Faustus in the Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) production of the Marlowe play. Taylor played the ghostly, wordless Helen of Troy, who is entreated by Faustus to 'make [him] immortal with a kiss'.

Retirement, 2003–present

In November 2004, Taylor announced that she had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart is too weak to pump sufficient blood throughout the body, particularly to the lower extremities: the ankles and feet. She has broken her back five times, had both her hips replaced, has survived a benign brain tumor operation, has survived skin cancer, and has faced life-threatening bouts with pneumonia twice. She is reclusive and sometimes fails to make scheduled appearances due to illness or other personal reasons. She now uses a wheelchair and when asked about it she said that she has osteoporosis and was born with scoliosis.

In 2005, Taylor was a vocal supporter of her friend Michael Jackson in his trial in California on charges of sexually abusing a child. He was acquitted.

On 30 May 2006, Taylor appeared on Larry King Live to refute the claims that she has been ill, and denied the allegations that she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and was close to death.

In late August 2006, Taylor decided to take a boating trip to help prove that she was not close to death. She also decided to make Christie's auction house the primary place where she will sell her jewellery, artwork, clothing, furniture and memorabilia (September 2006).

The February 2007 issue of Interview magazine was devoted entirely to Taylor. It celebrated her life, career and her upcoming 75th birthday.

On 5 December 2007, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and California First Lady Maria Shriver inducted Taylor into the California Hall of Fame, located at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts.

Taylor was in the news recently for a rumoured ninth marriage to her companion Jason Winters. This has been dismissed as a rumour. However, she was quoted as saying, "Jason Winters is one of the most wonderful men I've ever known and that's why I love him. He bought us the most beautiful house in Hawaii and we visit it as often as possible," to gossip columnist Liz Smith. Winters accompanied Taylor to Macy's Passport HIV/AIDS 2007 gala, where Taylor was honoured with a humanitarian award. In 2008, Taylor and Winters were spotted celebrating the 4th of July on a yacht in Santa Monica, California. The couple attended the Macy's Passport HIV/AIDS gala again in 2008.

On 1 December 2007, Taylor acted on-stage again, appearing opposite James Earl Jones in a benefit performance of the A. R. Gurney play Love Letters. The event's goal was to raise $1 million for Taylor's AIDS foundation. Tickets for the show were priced at $2,500, and more than 500 people attended. The event happened to coincide with the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike and, rather than cross the picket line, Taylor requested a "one night dispensation." The Writers Guild agreed not to picket the Paramount Pictures lot that night to allow for the performance.

In October 2008, Taylor and Winters took a trip overseas to England. They spent time visiting friends, family and shopping.

Other interests

Taylor has a passion for jewellery. She is a client of well-known jewellery designer, Shlomo Moussaieff. Over the years she has owned a number of well-known pieces, two of the most talked-about being the Krupp Diamond and the pear-shaped Taylor-Burton Diamond, which were among many gifts from husband Richard Burton. Taylor also owns the La Peregrina Pearl, purchased by Burton as a Valentine's Day present in 1969. The pearl was formerly owned by Mary I of England, and Burton sought a portrait of Queen Mary wearing the pearl. Upon the purchase of the painting, the Burtons discovered that the British National Portrait Gallery did not have an original painting of Mary, so they donated the painting to the Gallery. Her enduring collection of jewellery has been documented in her book My Love Affair with Jewelry (2002) with photographs by the New York photographer John Bigelow Taylor (no relation).

Taylor started designing jewels for The Elizabeth Collection, creating fine jewellery with elegance and flair. The Elizabeth Taylor collection by Piranesi is sold at Christie's. She has also launched three perfumes, "Passion," "White Diamonds," and "Black Pearls," that together earn an estimated US$200 million in annual sales. In fall 2006, Taylor celebrated the 15th anniversary of her White Diamonds perfume, one of the top 10 best selling fragrances for more than the past decade.

Taylor has devoted much time and energy to AIDS-related charities and fundraising. She helped start the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) after the death of her former costar and friend, Rock Hudson. She also created her own AIDS foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation (ETAF). By 1999, she had helped to raise an estimated US$50 million to fight the disease.

In 2006, Taylor commissioned a "Care Van" equipped with examination tables and X Ray equipment and also donated US$40,000 to the New Orleans Aids task force, a charity designed for the New Orleans population with AIDS and HIV. The donation of the van was made by the Elizabeth Taylor HIV/AIDS Foundation and Macy's.

In the early 1980s, Taylor moved to Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, which is her current home. She also owns homes in Palm Springs, London and Hawaii. The fenced and gated property is on tour maps sold at street corners and is frequently passed by tour guides.

Taylor was also a fan of the soap opera General Hospital. In fact, she was cast as the first Helena Cassadine, matriarch of the Cassadine family.

Taylor is a supporter of Kabbalah and member of the Kabbalah Centre. She encouraged long-time friend Michael Jackson to wear a red string as protection from the evil-eye during his 2005 trial for molestation, where he was eventually cleared of all charges. On 6 October 1991, Taylor had married construction worker Larry Fortensky at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. In 1997, Jackson presented Taylor with the exclusively written-for-her epic song "Elizabeth, I Love You", performed on the day of her 65th birthday celebration.

In October 2007, Taylor won a legal battle, over a Vincent van Gogh painting in her possession, View of the Asylum and Chapel at Saint Remy. The US Supreme Court refused to reconsider a legal suit filed by four persons claiming that the artwork belongs to one of their Jewish ancestors, regardless of any statute of limitations.

Taylor attended Michael Jackson's private funeral on 3 September 2009.

Personal life

Marriages

Taylor has been married eight times to seven husbands:

Conrad "Nicky" Hilton (6 May 1950 – 29 January 1951) (divorced)

Michael Wilding (21 February 1952 – 26 January 1957) (divorced)

Michael Todd (2 February 1957 – 22 March 1958) (widowed)

Eddie Fisher (12 May 1959 – 6 March 1964) (divorced)

Richard Burton (15 March 1964 – 26 June 1974) (divorced)

Richard Burton (10 October 1975 – 29 July 1976) (divorced)

Note; Between 1975 and 1976, Taylor was the "companion" to the Persian ambassador from Iran to Washington, Ardeshir Zahedi. They were dubbed "the hottest couple", and both divorced their significant others during their relationship. Taylor even traveled with him to Tehran for a time. Shah Reza Pahlavi convinced Zahedi to end his relationship with Taylor. Zahedi then introduced Taylor to John Warner, whom she married that same year.

John Warner (4 December 1976 – 7 November 1982) (divorced)

Larry Fortensky (6 October 1991 – 31 October 1996) (divorced)

Children

With Wilding (2 sons)

Michael Howard Wilding (born 6 January 1953)

Christopher Edward Wilding (born 27 February 1955)

With Todd (1 daughter)

Elizabeth Frances "Liza" Todd (born 6 August 1957)

With Burton (1 daughter)

Maria Burton (born 1 August 1961; adopted 1964)

In 1971 Taylor became a grandmother at the age of 39. She has 9 grandchildren.

Treatment for alcoholism

In the 1980s, she received treatment for alcoholism.

Filmography

List of awards and honours

Taylor was the second actress to win two Academy Awards both for Best Actress, the first award from a color film and the second from a black and white film. The first was Vivien Leigh. In 1999, Taylor was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

See also

List of notable brain tumor patients

Notes

References

"Ailing Liz Taylor is 'close to death'". Retrieved 27 April 2006, since refuted by publicist

Diamond Bug. "Elizabeth Taylor's life-long love affair with Jewelry". Retrieved 15 May 2005.

"Liz takes centre stage". (6 November 2005). New Sunday Times, p. 29.

"Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Kors talk fashion". (August 2006) Harper's Bazaar, p. 116.

Further reading

Spoto, Donald (1995). A Passion For Life: The Biography of Elizabeth Taylor. New York: HarperCollins, ISBN 0-06-017657-1

External links

Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF)

Elizabeth Taylor Resource Extensive biography, separate entries for each film, TV, stage, news archive, photographs, etc.

American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR)

Kennedy Center bio. for Elizabeth Taylor

Profile @ Turner Classic Movies

Category:1932 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:Actresses awarded British damehoods Category:AIDS activists Category:Alumni of University High School (Los Angeles, California) Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American Jews Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:British child actors Category:British film actors Category:British Jews Category:British stage actors Category:British television actors Category:Converts to Judaism Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Jewish actors Category:Kennedy Center honorees Category:People from Hampstead Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Presidential Citizens Medal recipients Category:Skin cancer survivors Category:Spouses of United States Senators

Name	Darren J. LaCroix
Birth date	1966, (age )
Birth place	Worcester, MA, USA
Residence	Las Vegas, NV
Nationality	American
Occupation	Keynote speaker, Author, Comedian
Alma mater	Bryant University (1988)
Website	http://darrenlacroix.com

Darren LaCroix is known as the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, keynote speaker, author, comedian and founder of The Humor Institute, Inc.

Early years

Darren was born in Worchester, MA. He graduated from Bryant University (1988). Darren was influenced by his college marketing professor Frank Bingham, motivational speakers Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins and Dr. Wayne Dyer. His mentors are Dave Fitzgerald, Vinnie Favorito, Rick Segel and his coach Patricia Fripp.

Business career

Comedian

Darren joined the Bose Speakers Toastmasters International Club to foster his dream of being a stand-up comedian. Darren may have been “born without a funny bone in my body” but he possessed the desire to learn and the willingness to fail, necessary to achieve his dream. The self-proclaimed “student of comedy” is living proof that humor is a skill that can be learned. Darren interviewed CEOs and business owners who made humor part of their business plan, culling from their successful practices and innovative principles that could be applied to any company. He developed an innovative technique of “customizing” humor that reveals the common frustrations and pet peeves about an organization, giving him ammunition that has audiences laughing down to their toes. LaCroix has created a ground breaking program, "Get More Laughs By Next Week"™ so you may learn his humor creation process at home. Darren LaCroix is a co-founder of The Humor Institute and a co-creator of The Humor Boot Camp®.

World Champion of Public Speaking

In 2001 Darren out spoke 25,000 contestants from 14 countries and became 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking. In his winning speech Darren LaCroix was talking about the fear of failure, about reaching for a goal and falling on your face, when suddenly he lurched forward and, well, literally fell on his face. Since becoming World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren has traveled the world demystifying the process of creating a powerful speech. He has roused audiences in faraway places like Saudi Arabia, China, Oman, Malaysia, and Taiwan with his inspirational journey from first-rate chump to first-class champ, proving anything is possible if you are willing to work for it.

Keynote Speaker, Educator, & Coach

Darren LaCroix learned how to be funny. Now he teaches people how to make other people laugh. It's his job. Funny stuff is serious business.

Besides teaching others how to be funny, LaCroix educates sales forces, CEOs, public speakers and others about humor and it actually turned out to be a better business than trying to be funny.

Darren LaCroix is also known as the person who helps speakers launch their careers in professional speaking. He has trademarked program "Get Paid to Speak by Next Week"®, which educates on how to start and run a speaking business. As a coach he supports speakers through his internet program, World Champions EDGE™. He co-created "How Professional Presenters Can Own the Stage", the program with new standards for advanced presentation skills.

As a keynote speaker since 1994, he brings his stories to conferences around the world. His clients include IBM, Fidelity investments, Sheraton Hotels, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Dunkin’ Donuts, Motorola, EMC2 Corporation, CVS, and numerous associations.

Author

Darren is a co-author of a book about Secrets and Strategies for Connecting with Any Audience.; co-author with Rick Segel of "Laugh & Get Rich:How to Profit from Humor in Any Business". The book is a collection of tools helping businesses to succeed. The book is now translated into three languages.

Producer

He is also an award-winning producer, his film Living and Laughing with Cancer: A Comedian’s Journey was honored at the Worldfest Houston film festival for its groundbreaking insights into humor and healing. The inspirational documentary about his best friend’s battle with cancer, brings humor and hope to those touched by life-threatening conditions.

References

External links

The Humor Institute

Humor Boot Camp®

Get Paid to Speak by Next Week®

Champions are willing to fail… are you?.

Humor411: Entertaining Motivating Inspiring.

Become a Master presenter: Connect, Persuade & Entertain like a Pro!.

World Champions' EDGE. Where Good Speakers Become GREAT!

"Winning" Toastmasters Motivational Speech by World Champion Darren LaCroix at NSA

Category:American motivational speakers Category:Business speakers Category:Marketing speakers Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American non-fiction writers Category:Living people Category:1966 births

Name	Christopher Hitchens
Color	green
Caption	Hitchens in 2007
Birthname	Christopher Eric Hitchens
Birthdate	April 13, 1949
Birthplace	Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK
Occupation	Writer and pundit
Alma mater	Balliol College, Oxford
Nationality	American/British
Religion	None
Genre	Polemicism, journalism, essays, biography, literary criticism
Spouse	Carol Blue (1989–present)
Children	Alexander, Sophia, Antonia
Relatives	Peter Hitchens (brother)
Influences	George Orwell, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Karl Marx, Rosa Luxemburg, Joseph Heller, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said, Salman Rushdie, Vladimir Nabokov, Richard Llewellyn, Aldous Huxley, PG Wodehouse, Evelyn Waugh, Paul Mark Scott, James Fenton, James Joyce, Albert Camus, Oscar Wilde, Conor Cruise O'Brien, Martin Amis, Kingsley Amis, Ian McEwan, Leon Trotsky, Colm Tóibín, Bertrand Russell, Wilfred Owen, Isaiah Berlin He is a staple of talk shows and lecture circuits and in 2005 he was voted the world's fifth top public intellectual in a Prospect/Foreign Policy poll.
Name	Hitchens, Christopher Eric
Short description	Author, journalist and literary critic
Date of birth	13 April 1949
Place of birth	Portsmouth, England, UK}}

Category:1949 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford Category:American atheists Category:American biographers Category:American essayists Category:American journalists Category:American Marxists Category:American media critics Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American people of English descent Category:American political pundits Category:American political writers Category:American humanists Category:Anti-Vietnam War activists Category:Atheism activists Category:British republicans Category:Cancer patients Category:English atheists Category:English biographers Category:English essayists Category:English humanists Category:English journalists Category:English immigrants to the United States Category:English Marxists Category:English people of Polish descent Category:English political writers Category:English socialists Category:Genital integrity activists Category:Marxist journalists Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Old Leysians Category:People from Portsmouth Category:Slate magazine people Category:Socialist Workers Party (Britain) members Category:The Nation (U.S. periodical) people Category:University Challenge contestants

Played for	Boston BruinsFlorida PanthersMinnesota Wild
Position	Left Wing
Shoots	Left
Height ft	5
Height in	11
Weight lb	196
Birth date	September 18, 1971
Birth place	Kitchener, ON, CAN
Draft	Round 3 #63 Overall
Draft year	1990
Draft team	Boston Bruins
Career start	1993
Career end	2001

This is Cam Stewart, the hockey player for the sportscaster, see Cam Stewart (sportscaster)

Cameron G. Stewart (born September 18, 1971 in Kitchener, Ontario) was a Canadian ice hockey forward, and is currently a minor-league assistant coach/front-office advisor with the Houston Aeros.

Stewart started his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 1993. He would also play with the Florida Panthers, and was an original member of the expansion Minnesota Wild. He retired from hockey due to problems he was experiencing from a concussion that he received while playing.

He has also played for the Providence Bruins (AHL), Cincinnati Cyclones (IHL), and Houston Aeros (IHL). He helped the Houston Aeros win a Turner Cup in the 1998–1999 season.

External links

Career Stats

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Boston Bruins draft picks Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers Category:Cincinnati Cyclones players Category:Florida Panthers players Category:Houston Aeros (IHL) players Category:Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players Category:Minnesota Wild players Category:People from Kitchener, Ontario Category:Providence Bruins players

Name	Bas Rutten
Other names	El Guapo ("The Handsome One")
Birth name	Sebastiaan Rutten
Birth date	February 24, 1965
Birth place	Tilburg, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Height
Weight
Style	Kyokushin Kaikan, Muay Thai, Shoot fighting, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Fighting
Fighting out of	Los Angeles, California, United States
Rank	2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo 2nd degree black belt in Kyokushin
Years active	1985–1999
Kickbox win	14
Kickbox kowin	14
Kickbox loss	1
Kickbox koloss	1
Kickbox draw	0
Mma win	28
Mma kowin	12
Mma subwin	13
Mma decwin	3
Mma loss	4
Mma subloss	3
Mma decloss	1
Mma draw	1
Sherdog	214

Sebastiaan "Bas" Rutten (born February 24, 1965) is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist and kickboxer. He was the UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak (21 wins, 1 draw). Rutten has beaten many MMA champions over the course of his career, including wins over UFC champions Frank Shamrock, Kevin Randleman, Guy Mezger and Maurice Smith, and wins over King of Pancrase world champions Masakatsu Funaki and Minoru Suzuki. He is currently the co-host of Inside MMA on HDNet.

As a fighter, one of his favorite tactics was the liver shot (both punch and kick), and he popularized its use in MMA. Rutten is known for his charisma and has capitalized on his celebrity since retiring from fighting in 1999. He has worked as a color commentator in several MMA organizations, including Pride, and has appeared in numerous television shows, movies, and video games. He also coaches MMA and has authored several instructional materials.

Early life

Rutten was born in Tilburg, Netherlands and became interested in martial arts at the age of 11 after watching Enter the Dragon. His conservative parents didn't allow him to pursue it at first. He started to train boxing at the backyard of an elementary school friend. He eventually started to train in Tae Kwon Do. He was very committed and eventually earned a 2nd degree Black Belt. He then began learning Kyokushin Karate, and earned a 2nd degree Black Belt.

In high school, he was physically weak and had eczema on his hands for which he was occasionally bullied.

Fighting career

Kickboxing

At the age of 20 he started competing in Muay Thai kickboxing. He fought 15 times and won the first 14, all by knockout in the first round. He was TKO'd in his final fight.

However, his lack (at that time) of ground-fighting experience led to a loss to the extraordinarily skilled Masakatsu Funaki. Rutten, realizing the importance of ground fighting, went to train with the master catch wrestler Funaki. The training paid off, as Rutten would KO the previously undefeated Minoru Suzuki with a liver shot due to a knee to the liver. Rutten later said that this win was one of the happiest moments of his life.

Just 20 days after the biggest win of his career to date, Rutten faced another steep test, fighting future UFC champion Ken Shamrock, who at the time was one of the best fighters in the Pancrase organization. Rutten turned in a hard effort but ultimately lost the fight via rear naked choke. Rutten bounced back after the loss to Shamrock with a submission win over Jason DeLucia.

Rutten then participated in one of the biggest events in mixed martial arts history to date, the King of Pancrase Tournament. The winner of this tournament would be crowned the first ever champion of Pancrase. He was one of the four #1 seeds in the tournament and his first fight was against MMA newcomer (and future UFC champion) Frank Shamrock. Rutten ended up losing a close (and somewhat controversial) decision in a fight that was considered to be a large upset, considering Rutten was a #1 seed in the tournament and Shamrock was, at the time, an unknown fighter making his MMA debut.

Rutten found a measure of redemption after the upset loss in the first round of the King of Pancrase Tournament by impressively choking out expert grappler and King of Pancrase Tournament Finalist Manabu Yamada in his next fight. With such an impressive showing against the tournament finalist, Rutten then received a rematch and a title shot against tournament winner and then current King of Pancrase Ken Shamrock for the King of Pancrase title, but lost early in the fight via submission due to a kneebar.

After his second loss to Shamrock, Rutten focused on grappling even harder than before and started training 2 to 3 times a day solely on submissions. Rutten would then go on to win 7 out of his next 8 fights by submission. He put together a series of wins against future UFC champions Frank Shamrock and Maurice Smith and eventually challenged King of Pancrase Minoru Suzuki for the title. Rutten would beat Suzuki for the second time, winning his first King of Pancrase title. After putting his title defenses on hold due to an injury, Rutten returned to the ring and beat interim King of Pancrase Frank Shamrock for the undisputed King of Pancrase title.

Rutten then avenged his loss to MMA legend Masakatsu Funaki in 1996 in what is considered to be one of the greatest fights in Pancrase history. Rutten described the war with Funaki in an interview:

Rutten then went on to defend his title against both Jason Delucia and Guy Mezger and in so doing became a three time King of Pancrase. In 1996, he relinquished his title in order to be present for the birth of his second daughter.

UFC

In 1998, Rutten signed with the UFC, the biggest MMA promotion in the United States. His first fight in the UFC was against Tsuyoshi Kohsaka at UFC 18, which Rutten won by KO in overtime.

On May 5, 1999, at UFC 20, Rutten faced Kevin Randleman for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. The first four minutes consisted of Rutten taking a lot of punishment from his guard. However, after the fight was stood up to check Rutten's cut, Rutten landed a devastating liver kick to Randleman's body to turn the tide of the fight. Randleman's pace slowed down considerably after the liver kick, which ultimately helped Rutten score judges' points by being the more active fighter. Rutten pounded away at Randleman from inside his guard, using elbow strikes to open up cuts on top of Randleman's head and punching Randleman to the face. This fight went into overtime, with Rutten taking a split decision victory to become the UFC Heavyweight Champion. Judging at that point was not based on the current 10 points per round system, but who the judges felt won the fight overall.

Rutten vacated the title later in the year, in order to drop down to middleweight (now known as light heavyweight) a weight closer to his natural weight, in a bid to try and become the first person to hold a UFC title in two weight classes.

Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz has credited Rutten for inspiration during his early days. Ortiz said; "I looked up to Bas Rutten. Bas was my idol. People were just so scared of fighting him, he was like the man. I thought that was what I need to do now. If I train as hard as he does then one day I'll be as good as him and two years later look where I am, I'm on top of the world. I'm got to say thanks to him, (Bas) for helping me out by making me believe in dreams."

Post-fight career

After his retirement from fighting in 1999, Rutten focused on becoming an actor, getting small parts on TV shows such as Martial Law, 18 Wheels of Justice, The King of Queens, and the Canadian series Freedom, as well as appearing in low budget movies such as Shadow Fury, The Eliminator, and the comedy short The Kingdom of Ultimate Power which was featured in the 2005 L.A. Film Festival. It also won the first prize at the short film festival in NY for "best comedy".

Rutten performed a few times for NJPW from 2000 to 2002, including an IWGP title match against Yuji Nagata.

Rutten was also the color commentator for the English productions of Pride Fighting Championships events, calling nearly every event from Pride 1 through the 2005 Grand Prix. Known for his sense of humor and first hand knowledge of the sport, Rutten quickly became a fan favorite commentator. In April 2006 he announced that he would not continue to announce for Pride, due to the constant flying to Japan, and being away from his family every month.

Rutten has a cameo in the video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" on the in-game TV show called "The Men's Room." He also did motion capture for the main character's fighting moves. He said that when he arrived at the motion-capture place in New York he asked the people in charge how violent they wanted to have it and they told him to "give it all he got". After two hours they stopped him and said, "It's OK, you don't have to go any further".

He was also featured in WCW vs. the World for the PlayStation, but was named "Thunder Dome" to avoid copyright laws.

On January 23, 2008, he was announced as the new Vice President, Fighter Operations reporting directly to IFL CEO Jay Larkin. His role was to build relations between the IFL and its fighters as well as work on potential match-ups between fighters. He also hosted the weekly shows "Battleground" and "International Fight League" with Kenny Rice. This all ended when IFL went out of business in late 2008.

Currently, he and Rice host Inside MMA, a weekly MMA variety show on HDNet. The pair also did remote English commentary and play-by-play for Dream events broadcast in North America on HDNet. The pair was eventually replaced by Guy Mezger and Michael Schiavello, who attend the events live in Japan. He is currently appearing in public health service ads, airing on Cartoon Network.

Coaching

He is certified as an instructor of both MTBN Thai Boxing and Pancrase.

Rutten coached Mark Kerr during the filming of the HBO documentary .

In 2006 Rutten was tapped to coach a team for the International Fight League, an MMA organization that focused on team combat. His team, the Anacondas, defeated the Silverbacks 3–2.

Rutten is a former investor in the Legends MMA gym in Hollywood and used to teach there occasionally.

Rutten is now a part owner of the MMA gym Bas Rutten's Elite Mixed Martial Arts in Thousand Oaks, California. He teaches an MMA class on Tuesdays.

He also trained former street fighter Kimbo Slice for his professional MMA bouts, as well as former Ring of Honor champion and NWA-TNA World champion Samoa Joe.

Last fight

On May 2006, Rutten announced his return to MMA competition. Cleared by doctors to fight again, Rutten was slated to face Kimo Leopoldo in the now defunct World Fighting Alliance on July 22, 2006, at The Forum in Los Angeles. Two days before the event, Kimo tested positive for Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. In place of Kimo, Rutten fought Ruben "Warpath" Villareal. Rutten took a first-round victory by way of technical knockout after low kicks left his opponent unable to stand. With that he brought up his professional record to 28 wins 4 losses and 1 draw.

Personal life

Rutten currently lives in Westlake Village, California with his second wife Karin and two daughters, Sabine (pronounced Sa-bee-nuh) and Bianca. He has another daughter, Rachel (pronounced Rah-SHEL), who lives with his ex-wife in The Netherlands.

Rutten is known by the moniker "", which means "The Handsome One" in Spanish. Rutten recently became a citizen of the United States.

Tattoos

Rutten has several tattoos, each of which is intended to help him spiritually and emotionally:

Championships and accomplishments

Pancrase Hybrid Wrestling

*King of Pancrase Openweight Championship (1 Time)

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC Heavyweight Championship (1 Time)

MMA record

Works

Bas Rutten's Big Book of Combat, Volumes One and Two (2002)

Bas Rutten's Big DVDs of Combat

Bas Rutten's Lethal Street Fighting (2003)

Bas Rutten's MMA Workout (2001)

Bas Rutten's Superior Free Fight Techniques

Bas Rutten's "Extreme Pancrase" No-Holds Barred Fighting System

Training with Bas Rutten "Never Back Down Special Features" 2008

References

External links

Official website

Bas Rutten commercial

Inside MMA at the HDNet website

Move It Movement Tour ad on Cartoon Network

Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:American sportspeople of Dutch descent Category:Dutch expatriates in the United States Category:Dutch kickboxers Category:Dutch mixed martial artists Category:Dutch karateka Category:Dutch Muay Thai practitioners Category:Dutch taekwondo practitioners Category:Heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Mixed martial arts broadcasters Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Category:Pride Fighting Championships Category:People from Tilburg