Birthname	Mekhi Thira Phifer
Birth date	December 29, 1974
Birth place	Harlem, New York, U.S.
Years active	1995–present
Occupation	Actor, director, producer, rapper
Spouse	Malinda Williams (1999 - 2003)

Mekhi Thira Phifer (born December 29, 1974) He followed that role with another in the comedy spoof feature High School High (which also starred his former wife Malinda Williams) and continued by co-starring in the fright flick I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze, Jr.

He is perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Gregory Pratt on the medical drama ER, that he started in April 2002. Phifer left the show in September 2008, in the first episode of Season 15. His character was tragically killed off in the conclusion of the season 14 finale cliffhanger involving an ambulance explosion that was rigged to kill an injured FBI informant (Steve Buscemi). During his 6 years in the show, he was nominated twice for an NAACP Award.

Phifer’s television credits include the movies The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), HBO's Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground (1997), and Brian's Song (2001) (as former Chicago Bear Gale Sayers). He received additional notice for his performance opposite singer Beyoncé Knowles (from Destiny’s Child) on MTV’s alternative take on the Carmen legend with the movie (2001). Phifer guest-starred in the series and New York Undercover. Likewise, he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for another TV movie, A Lesson Before Dying, opposite Don Cheadle. In 2009, Phifer began a guest-starring arc on the Fox drama Lie to Me.

References

External links

Category:1974 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American film actors Category:African American film directors Category:African American television actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Harlem

Name	Parminder Nagra
Birthname	Parminder Kaur Nagra
Birth date	October 05, 1975
Birth place	Leicester, England, UK
Occupation	Actress
Yearsactive	1991 – present
Spouse	James Stenson (2009-present)

Parminder Kaur Nagra (born 5 October 1975) is an English actress of Indian descent. She came to international prominence in 2002 after starring in Bend It Like Beckham. She starred as Dr. Neela Rasgotra in the Emmy Award-winning American medical drama series ER for six years until the series ended on 2 April 2009. She is married to photographer James Stenson, with whom she has a son, Kai David Singh Stenson, who was born on 19 May 2009.

Biography

Early life

Nagra was born in Leicester, England, the daughter of working class Punjabi Jatt Sikh parents who emigrated to the UK from Punjab, India during the late 1960s. Her father, Sukha, was a factory worker who is believed to have separated from her mother, Nashuter, either when Nagra was a child shortly after or before her birth; he died in late December 2008. Nagra has two younger brothers and one younger sister. They were raised in a small terraced house in the Belgrave district of Leicester by her mother and stepfather, who worked as a bookkeeper at a cousin's transport company.

At the age of seven, Nagra suffered a burn while preparing a meal on the gas stove when her trousers caught fire. She was taken into the bathroom by an uncle who immersed her in cold water. When the burned fabric was later removed, her skin attached to it was removed as well and left a resulting scar on her right leg. The story was included into the film Bend It Like Beckham; however, the details were changed such that her character was burned while making beans on toast and her sister was the one who removed the trousers.

Education and early career

Nagra attended the Northfield House Primary School in Leicester. At her comprehensive school, Soar Valley College, she played viola in the youth orchestra and also appeared in her first theatrical productions. A few months after sitting her A-levels and leaving school, Nagra was approached by her former drama instructor, Jez Simons, about becoming part of the Leicester-based theatre company Hathi Productions, for which he served as the artistic director. She accepted and was cast as a chorus member in the 1994 musical Nimai presented at the Leicester Haymarket. Only a week into rehearsals, she was switched from the chorus to take the place of the lead actress, who had dropped out. Simons recalls that Nagra, while also a good singer and actress, had a quality that raised her above other actresses which led him to select her as the new lead. Nagra sometimes describes herself as having "fallen into" acting due to this unexpected turn of events.

The London years

Nagra left Leicester for London, forgoing university to pursue a theatrical career and her childhood ambition of becoming an actress. Nagra's first London theatrical job came in 1994 when she was cast as the Princess in the pantomime Sleeping Beauty, at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Although most critics seemed rather unimpressed with the show, Nagra's performance is notable in that she was a woman of colour portraying a traditionally white character. After Sleeping Beauty, Nagra worked with small Indian theatre companies such as Tara Arts and Tamasha. These roles eventually led to the radio and television appearances that also defined her career throughout most of the 1990s. She also appeared in "The 6th wonder of the World: the Kali Tutti Story", in 1994.

In 1996, Nagra took a small part in Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards, written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon and performed at Cottesloe, Royal National Theatre. It was there that she met Irish actor Kieran Creggan, with whom she later moved into a flat in Kennington, south London. Their relationship continued for five years.

Although lacking formal theatrical training, Nagra signed with veteran London-based agent Joan Brown, after which she was cast in her first television roles — a bit part on the British medical drama Casualty, and a small role in the television movie King Girl, in which Nagra played an abusive member of a girls' gang. In 1997, Nagra appeared in the three-part drama Turning World, starring Roshan Seth. The following year she appeared on Casualty for the second time. In 1999 she played the part of a convenience store clerk in the television movie Donovan Quick, starring Colin Firth. Also of note are appearances on the British comedy show Goodness Gracious Me. Nagra also starred in radio plays written including, amongst other, plays written by noted author and playwright Tanika Gupta. In 1998, Nagra was part of Dancing Girls of Lahore, a radio play co-written by her future Bend It Like Beckham co-star, Shaheen Khan. In 2001, Nagra provided the voice of a Muslim girl in Arena: The Veil, a docu-drama about women who choose to wear the Muslim head scarf. Her stage performances of this period are perhaps the most noteworthy. Not long after Fair Ladies at a Game of Poem Cards, Nagra was cast in 1997's Oh Sweet Sita, an adaptation of Indian mythology about Rama and his wife Sita. Starring in the title role of Sita, Nagra caught the attention of director Gurinder Chadha.

Nagra's other notable stage roles during this period are many and include appearances in Skeleton (1997), with critical acclaim for her "bright-eyed vivacity" as the village girl; A Tainted Dawn (1997), playing a Hindu boy accidentally left in Pakistan and raised by a Muslim couple; Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings & A Funeral (1998), showing her skills as a romantic comedienne, also to critical acclaim; Krishna's Lila — A Play of the Asian World (1999), as part of a five-person cast in a controversially titled piece; The Square Circle (1999), tackling the demanding role of an illiterate peasant girl who becomes a rape victim; and in River on Fire (2000), as Kiran, in a retelling of Sophocles' Antigone.

Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham was Nagra's breakthrough film. It was directed by British director Gurinder Chadha and also starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan and Keira Knightley, for whom this film was also a career breakthrough. In the film, Nagra plays Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra, a teenage Sikh football player who idolizes football superstar David Beckham and defies her traditional parents to pursue her dreams of playing football.

The small-budget picture was a critical and financial success in the United Kingdom, eventually making the leap around the world and to Canada and the U.S. where it earned over $30 million at the box office. The script, conceived by Chadha with her husband Paul Mayeda Berges and Guljit Bindra, was written with Nagra in mind. While initially indifferent to the game of football, Nagra found the football-centred story to be both funny and touching. She agreed to audition and eventually accepted the role. An intensive ten-week training course of the game Futsal, led by noted coach Simon Clifford, put Nagra through rigorous nine-hour-a-day workouts. Nagra learned to "bend" or curve the ball in flight, as she did in a scene in the film. In a nod to Nagra's actual life, director Chadha wrote and incorporated a scene about Nagra's scar into the film.

Nagra received critical and professional acclaim for her performance. She was nominated, and won, several awards, including the FIFA Presidential Award (2002), the first woman to have done so.Outstanding Achievement in Acting (Female) |ER |- |Teen Choice Awards |2004 |Nominated |Choice Breakout TV Star — Female |ER |- |Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards |2004 |Won |Best Television Actress |Second Generation (2003) |- |Movieline Young Hollywood Awards |2004 |Won |Breakthrough Performance by a Female |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |Internet Movie Awards |2004 |Nominated |Best Breakthrough Performance |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |Empire Awards |2003 |Nominated |Best Newcomer |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |7th Annual Hollywood Film Festival Awards |2003 |Nominated |Hollywood Actress of the Year |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |Ethnic Multicultural Media Awards |2003 |Nominated |Best Actress (Film) |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |Fédération Internationale de Football Association |2002 |Won |FIFA Presidential Award |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema |2002 |Won |Golden WaveBest Actress(Meilleure Comédienne Long Métrage) |Bend It Like Beckham (2002)Tied with Keira Knightley |- |British Independent Film Awards |2002 |Nominated |Most Promising Newcomer |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |European Film Awards |2002 |Nominated |Audience Award Best Actress |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |- |Carlton Multicultural Achievement Awards |2002 |Nominated |Film |Bend It Like Beckham (2002) |}

References

External links

NBC's ER website

Parminder Nagra Online (fansite)

Interview in the Leicester Mercury

Category:1975 births Category:British actors of South Asian descent Category:English film actors Category:English television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Leicester Category:English Sikhs Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:Jat people Category:Punjabi people

Name	Stacy Fuson
Issue	February 1999
Birth place	Tacoma, Washington
Birth date	August 30, 1978
Bust	34"C
Waist	24"
Hips	35"
Height
Weight
Preceded	Jaime Bergman
Succeeded	Alexandria Karlsen
Website	http://www.stacyfuson.com

Stacy Marie Fuson (born August 30, 1978 in Tacoma, Washington) She was also chosen as the 2005 St. Pauli Girl.

Fuson appeared on the television show Momma's Boys.

References

External links

Interview with Stacy Fuson in MIT Newspaper

Stacy Fuson's official Web site

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:People from Tacoma, Washington Category:Playboy Playmates (1990–1999)

Caption	Ronald McDonald in Thailand, 2005, greeting guests with the traditional Thai "wai" gesture
Gender	Male
Occupation	Clown mascot for the McDonald's fast food chain.
First	1963
Portrayer	Willard Scott, Bev Bergeron, Viv Weekes, George Voorhis, Bob Brandon, King Moody, Squire Fridell, Jack Deopke, Joe Maggard, and Brad Lennon
Creator	Willard Scott, George Voorhis and Terry Teene (Disputed)

Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and The Fry Kids. In recent years, McDonaldland has been largely phased out, and Ronald is instead shown interacting with normal kids in their everyday lives.

Many people work full-time making appearances in the Ronald McDonald costume, visiting children in hospitals. There are also Ronald McDonald Houses, where parents can stay overnight when visiting sick children in nearby chronic care facilities. Since August 2003, McDonald has been officially styled as the "Chief Happiness Officer" of the McDonald's Corporation.

History

Willard Scott

The origin of Ronald McDonald involves Willard Scott (a local radio personality who also played Bozo the Clown on WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. from 1959 until 1962), who performed using the moniker "Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown" in 1963 on three separate television spots. These were the first three television ads featuring the character.

George Voorhis/Terry Teene

George Voorhis was a late 20th-century American performer who performed under various monikers as a clown. He claims to have been the original Ronald McDonald. A 1963 newspaper clipping from the Valley News (a San Fernando Valley newspaper) identifies George Voorhis as Ronald McDonald at a "local McDonald's restaurant". According to George Voorhis and Terry Teene, in the early part of 1963, the pair created the original character and design of American advertising icon Ronald McDonald, including costume (featuring "French-fry bag pockets") and facial design, for a hired performance at a local Los Angeles, California area McDonald's restaurant.

McDonald's version

, 1999]] McDonald's does not mention Voorhis or claim that Willard Scott created Ronald in their statement: On March 28, 2000, Henry Gonzalez, McDonald's Northeast Division President, thanked Scott for creating Ronald McDonald, during a taped tribute to Scott on the Today Show.

In 1965, Roy Burgold assigned Aye Jaye as Boss Clown worldwide in charge of hiring, writing, creating shows, media handling, training, and major events such as The White House appearances, Macy Days, etc., and finally opening Ronald worldwide for 35 years. Aye Jaye was responsible for the hiring of hundreds of past field Ronalds.

Circus performer Coco the Clown (real name Michael Polakovs) was hired in 1966 to revamp Ronald's image, and it was he who created the now familiar costume and make-up.

In 2010, the Corporate Accountability International in Boston, Massachusetts suggested Ronald McDonald to retire due to childhood obesity, however McDonald's CEO Jim Skinner said there are no plans to retire Ronald McDonald.

Actors

as Ronald McDonald, from the first of three pre-recorded television advertisements to feature Ronald. Note the "food-tray hat".]] At any given time, there are dozens to hundreds of actors retained by McDonald's to appear as Ronald McDonald in restaurants and events. It is assumed, however, that the company uses only one actor at a time to play the character in national television commercials. Following is a list of such primary Ronald actors.

Willard Scott (Washington, D.C. 1963–1965)

Bev Bergeron (Southern California, 1966–1968)

George Voorhis (Southern California, 1968–1988)

Ray Rayner (1968–1969)

Bob Brandon (1970–1975)

King Moody (1975–1984)

Squire Fridell (1984–1991)

Jack Doepke (1990–1995)

Viv Weekes

David Hussey

Joe Maggard (1995–2007)

Brad Lennon (2007–present)

Various forms of the name "Ronald McDonald" as well as costume clown face persona, etc. are registered trademarks of McDonald's. McDonald's trains performers to portray Ronald using identical mannerisms and costume, to contribute to the illusion that they are one character.

McDonald's marketing designers and stylists changed elements of the Ronald McDonald character, persona, style, costume and clown face when they adopted the clown as a trademark, possibly in deference to "The Code", the tradition of clowns to scrupulously avoid copying other clowns' appearance or performance style.

Ronald in fiction

Charlton Comics obtained the license to publish four issues of a Ronald comic sold on newsstands in 1970–1971. Also, over the years several giveaway comics have been produced starring the character.

In the mid 1970s Ronald was among the corporate mascots depicted without permission in four chapters of the Judge Dredd epic The Cursed Earth. McDonald's was among the copyright owners that objected, resulting in the publisher printing a ½ page apology and pledging to never reprint the chapters in question.

Ronald (with Grimace) appears in the 1984 Little Golden Book Ronald McDonald And The Tale of the Talking Plant, written by John Albano and drawn by John Costanza.

He appears for a few seconds in Mac and Me, during a birthday scene set at a McDonalds. Academy Award-winning animated short film Logorama, as a criminal pursued by Michelin Man cops.

Animated video series

The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald was a series of retail animated direct-to-video features produced by the ka-chew! division of Klasky-Csupo for the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. A total of six forty-minute tapes were produced, released at various times between 1998 and 2003.

International localisation

.]] " gesture of greeting.]] In Thailand, Ronald McDonald greets people in the traditional Thai "wai" greeting gesture of both hands pressed together. The Thai version of the company mascot was created in 2002 by the local Thai franchise, McThai, as part of a "McThai in the Thai Spirit" campaign. The figure has also been exported to India and other countries where a similar gesture is used. In Japan, Ronald McDonald is called Donald McDonald due to a lack of a clear "r" sound in Japanese. A pair of McDonald's advertisements for the Tomato McGrand in Japan feature either a "sexy" male and female, both dressed in modern clothing with the Ronald McDonald color scheme.

Ronald McDonald is also the subject of a video game developed by Sega, and released in Japan in 1994.

References

Further reading

Schlosser, E. (2006) Chew on this: everything you don’t want to know about fast food. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Co.

External links

Ronald.com — the official website

Category:American clowns Category:Corporate mascots Category:McDonald's characters Category:Food advertising characters Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1963 Category:Fictional clowns Category:Film characters Category:Fast food

Name	Miley Cyrus
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Destiny Hope Cyrus
Born	November 23, 1992
Origin	Nashville, Tennessee,United States
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
Genre	Pop, Tish had two children from a previous relationship: Trace and Brandi. Billy Ray adopted Trace and Brandi when they were young.

|- |- |- |- |- |- Category:1992 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American Christians Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pop singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Bubblegum pop Category:Fascination Records artists Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Living people Category:Miley Cyrus

Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Franklin, Tennessee Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:Southern Baptists

Name	Emily Osment
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Emily Jordan Osment
Born	March 10, 1992Los Angeles, California
Instrument	Vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums
Genre	Pop rock, dance pop
Occupation	Actress, singer-songwriter, spokesmodel
Years active	1999–present
Label	Walt DisneyWind-up where her family still resides, to actor Michael Eugene Osment, Since then, she has gone on to do a number of roles, such as appearances on television shows like Touched by an Angel, Friends, and 3rd Rock from the Sun.
- bgcolor	"#CCCCCC" align="center"
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Name	Osment, Emily
Short description	American actress
Date of birth	March 10, 1992
Place of birth	Los Angeles

Category:1992 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from California Category:American acoustic guitarists Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American female guitarists Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American indie rock musicians Category:American pop singers Category:American rock singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:Bubblegum pop Category:Living people Category:Musicians from California Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Wind-up Records artists

Name	Cheryl Hines
Caption	Hines at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival
Birthdate	September 21, 1965
Birthplace	Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Yearsactive	1996–present

Cheryl Hines (born September 21, 1965) is an American actress and television director, best known for her role as Larry David's wife Cheryl on HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. In 2009 she made her directorial debut at the Tribeca Film Festival with Serious Moonlight.

Early life

Hines was born in Miami Beach, Florida, the daughter of Rosemary Graham Harbolt and James Hines, whom she has described as "sort of a redneck." where she was a member of the Young Actors Theatre throughout high school. Hines also attended Lively Technical Center and Tallahassee Community College, in Tallahassee.

Hines attended both West Virginia University and Florida State University, before graduating from the University of Central Florida.

Career

Before making her break in Hollywood, Hines worked as a waitress, television reporter and telephone operator, as well as a personal assistant to Rob Reiner when she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Though Reiner did not play a critical role in her career, he would come watch her shows when she began acting. Hines began her acting career by doing improvisational comedy at The Groundlings Theater. Among the people she studied with was Lisa Kudrow. She also learned to write comedy sketches, which served her well when working on Curb Your Enthusiasm, on HBO, as Larry David's fictional wife, Cheryl. The show is written as retroscripting, in which the plot outlines are generally and loosely drawn and the individual actors improvise to create the dialogue.

"When the show first came out, people from Tallahassee thought, 'Well, maybe Cheryl got married,'" she recalls of the show's initial reception. "Sometimes, I do feel like I live two lives."

In July 2006, Hines received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Curb Your Enthusiasm.

In films, she was one of the stars of RV opposite Robin Williams, Waitress with Keri Russell, and the 2008 mockumentary comedy The Grand, a spoof of the World Series of Poker.

Her 2009 directorial debut Serious Moonlight stars Meg Ryan with a script by the late Adrienne Shelly, Hines' co-star in Waitress.

During the 2009-2010 season of Brothers and Sisters she guest-starred as Kitty Walker McCallister's campaign manager, Buffy.

It was announced in July 2010 that Hines would be joining the cast of the new Nickelodeon film based on their series The Fairly Oddparents, A Fairly Odd Movie: Grow Up Timmy Turner!. She will serve as the voice of Wanda one of the main character's (Timmy) godmother.

Hines serves as the executive producer for the 2010 reality series School Pride, which follows the renovation of a different school each week.

Personal life

Hines married Paul Young, founder of the management firm Principato-Young, on December 30, 2002. Their daughter, Catherine Rose, was born on March 8, 2004. Cheryl serves on the Board of Trustees of United Cerebral Palsy.

On July 20, 2010, Hines and Young filed papers for their divorce after nearly eight years of marriage.

Filmography

at the premiere of Serious Moonlight, Hines's directorial debut]] {|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1997 | Unsolved Mysteries | Nurse | Episode 9.18 |- | 1998 | The Wayans Bros. | Helen | 1 episode "Six Degrees of Marlon" |- | 1998–1999 | Suddenly Susan | Debbie | 2 episodes; "The Cheerleaders", "Poetry in Notion" |- | 1999 | | Cheryl David | HBO special |- | 2000 | Friends | Woman no. 2 | 1 episode "The One with Rachel's Sister ". Uncredited |- | 2000–present | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Cheryl David | Series regular, 58 episodes |- | rowspan="2"| 2002 | So Little Time | | 1 episode "The Job" |- | Everybody Loves Raymond | Spencer's mother | 1 episode "Annoying Kid" |- | rowspan="3"| 2003 | Reno 911! | Lady at Trailer Park | 1 episode "Terrorist Training: Part 1" |- | Double Bill | Rose Goodman | TV movie |- | Wanda at Large | Dr. Linda | 1 episode "Did Wanda Say a Four Letter Word?" |- | 2004–2005 | Father of the Pride | Kate | Animated television series. 13 episodes |- | 2006 | Scrubs | Paige Cox | 1 episode "My New God" |- | 2007 | Jack's Big Music Show | Sudsy | 1 episode "Mel's Bath Day" |- | rowspan="3"| 2009 | Hannah Montana | Catherine York | 1 episode |- | In the Motherhood | Jane | 6 episodes |- | Labor Pains | Lisa | TV movie |- | 2010 | Brothers And Sisters | Buffy | Series guest star |- | 2010 | The Super Hero Squad Show | Stardust | 1 episode "Last Exit Before Doomsday!" |- | 2011 | | Wanda | TV movie |}

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Film ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1996 | Cheap Curry and Calculus | Short film | |- | 2004 | Along Came Polly | Catering Manager | Worldwide Total Gross: $171,963,386 |- | rowspan="3"|2005 | Cake | Roxanne | |- | | Sally | Worldwide Total Gross: $144,146,816 |- | Our Very Own | Sally Crowder | Festival and DVD-release only |- | rowspan="3"|2006 | Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas | Professor Adams | Limited release |- | RV | Jamie Munro | Worldwide Total Gross: $86,892,180 |- | Keeping Up with the Steins | Casey Nudelman | Domestic Total Gross: $4,339,241 (limited release) |- | rowspan="2"|2007 | Waitress | Becky | Worldwide Total Gross: $22,179,430 (limited release) |- | Goodnight Vagina | Meg March | Short film |- | rowspan="5"|2008 | The Grand | Lainie Schwartzman | Zak Penn film. Domestic Total Gross: $115,879 (limited release) |- | Henry Poole Is Here | Meg | Worldwide Total Gross: $1,879,368 (limited release) |- | Bart Got a Room | Beth Stein | Domestic Total Gross: $53,760 (limited release) |- | Space Chimps | Luna (voice) | Worldwide Total Gross: $64,787,979 |- | The Legend of Secret Pass | Nitika (voice) | |- | rowspan="3"|2009 | All in the Bunker | Eva Braun | Short film |- | The Ugly Truth | Georgia | |- | Serious Moonlight | Directorial debut | |-Brother and Sister Feb 21,2010 |}

References

http://www.examiner.com/x-8509-NY-Film-Reviews-Examiner~y2009m4d25-Moonlighting-as-director-a-chat-with-Cheryl-Hines

External links

Cheryl Hines interviewed by Adam Carolla

Category:1965 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Actors from Florida Category:Florida State University alumni Category:The Groundlings Category:Living people Category:People from Florida Category:University of Central Florida alumni

Caption	Hunt at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival
Birth name	Bonnie Lynne Hunt
Birth date	September 22, 1961 is an American actress, comedienne, writer, director, television producer and daytime television host.
Colwidth	30em

External links

Category:1961 births Category:Actors from Chicago, Illinois Category:American comedians Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American film actors Category:American film directors Category:American nurses Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television directors Category:American television writers Category:American voice actors Category:Female film directors Category:Female television directors Category:Living people Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:Second City alumni Category:Women comedians Category:Women screenwriters Category:Women television writers

Name	Beyoncé Knowles
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Born	September 04, 1981Beyoncé's autograph

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles (born September 4, 1981), commonly known simply by the mononym Beyoncé ( ), is an American Pop/R&B; singer, songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child. Knowles rose to fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B; girl group Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time.

During the hiatus of Destiny's Child, Knowles released her debut solo album Dangerously in Love (2003), which spawned the number one hits "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy" and became one of the most successful albums of that year, earning her a then record-tying five Grammy Awards. Following the group's disbandment in 2005, Knowles released B'Day in 2006. It debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and included the hits "Déjà Vu", "Irreplaceable" and "Beautiful Liar". Her third solo album I Am... Sasha Fierce, released in November 2008, included the anthemic "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)". The album and five of its singles, as well as the song "At Last", earned her six Grammy Awards, breaking the record for most Grammy Awards won by a female artist in one night. She is the elder sister of Solange, a singer-songwriter and actress.

Knowles was schooled at St. Mary's Elementary School in Texas, where she enrolled in dance classes, including ballet and jazz. Her talent in singing was discovered when her dance instructor began humming a song and she finished it, hitting the high-pitched notes. She also attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston She only lasted in the choir for two years. West coast R&B; producer Arne Frager flew into Houston to see them. He eventually brought them to his studio, The Plant Recording Studios, in Northern California, with Knowles' vocals being featured. As part of efforts to sign Girl's Tyme to a major label record deal, Frager's strategy was to début them in Star Search, the biggest talent show on national TV that time. Girl's Tyme participated in the competition but lost it because the song they performed was not good, Knowles herself admitted. To manage the group, Knowles' father (who was at that time a medical-equipment salesman) resigned in 1995 from his job. Not long after the inclusion of Rowland, Mathew cut the original lineup to four, with LeToya Luckett joining in 1993. Rehearsing in Tina's Headliners Salon and their backyards, the group continued performing as an opening act for other established R&B; girl groups of the time; Tina contributed to the cause by designing their costumes, which she continued to do throughout the Destiny's Child era. With the continued support of Mathew, they auditioned before record labels and were finally signed to Elektra Records. They moved to Atlanta to work on their first recording, only to be cut by the record company in 1995. They would return home to start over again. This would put a strain on the Knowles, and Beyoncé's parents separated briefly when she was 14. In 1996, the family reunited, and to coincide with that, the girls got a contract with Columbia Records. Together, they performed in local events and, after four years on the road, the group was signed to Columbia Records in late 1997. That same year, Destiny's Child recorded its major label début song, "Killing Time", for the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Men in Black. The following year, the group released its self-titled debut album, scoring their first major hit "No, No, No". That album established the group as a viable act in the music industry, amassing moderate sales and winning the group three Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards for "Best R&B;/Soul Single" for "No, No, No", "Best R&B;/Soul Album of the Year" and "Best R&B;/Soul or Rap New Artist". The group released their multi-platinum second album The Writing's on the Wall in 1999. The record features some of the group's most widely known songs such as "Bills, Bills, Bills", the group's first number-one single, "Jumpin' Jumpin'", and "Say My Name", which became their most-successful song at the time, and would remain one of their signature songs. "Say My Name" won the Best R&B; Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and the Best R&B; Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The Writing's on the Wall sold more than eight million copies.

Luckett and Roberson filed a lawsuit against the group for breach of contract. Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin appeared on the video of "Say My Name", implying that Luckett and Roberson had already been replaced. Eventually, Luckett and Roberson left the group. Franklin would eventually fade from the group after five months, as evidenced by her absences during promotional appearances and concerts. She attributed her departure to negative vibes in the group resulting from the strife.

After settling on their final lineup, the trio recorded "Independent Women Part I", which appeared on the soundtrack to the 2000 film, Charlie's Angels. It became their best-charting single, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for eleven consecutive weeks. Later that year, Luckett and Roberson withdrew their case against their now-former band mates, while maintaining the suit against Mathew, which ended in both sides agreeing to stop public disparaging. Luckett and Roberson refiled their lawsuit after Destiny's Child's third album, Survivor was released in May 2001, claiming that the songs were aimed at them. The album débuted at number one on U.S. Billboard 200 with 663,000 units sold.

2000-2004: Solo career development and Dangerously in Love

While Knowles was with Destiny's Child, she also made solo appearances. Knowles recorded a duet with Marc Nelson on the song "After All Is Said and Done" for the soundtrack to the 1999 film, The Best Man. In early 2001, while Destiny's Child was completing Survivor, Knowles landed a major role in the MTV made-for-television film, , starring alongside American actor Mekhi Phifer. Set in Philadelphia, the film is a modern interpretation of the 19th century opera Carmen by French composer Georges Bizet. Featuring many musical collaborators, the album contained a combination of uptempo and slow jam songs. Dangerously in Love debuted on the Billboard 200 at number one, and certified platinum four times by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, and reached the top-ten in eight charts worldwide. Knowles recorded the song, "Check on It" featuring Slim Thug, for the film's soundtrack. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Knowles her third number one on the chart as a solo artist.

Much of the theme and musical style of Knowles' second album were inspired by her role in Dreamgirls.

2008–2010: I Am... Sasha Fierce and Grammy Award record

" on her I Am... Tour]] Knowles released her third studio album, I Am… Sasha Fierce on November 18, 2008. During this time, Knowles was interviewed by USA Today and announced plans to take a break from music in 2010. She stated, "It's definitely time to take a break, to recharge my batteries. ... I'd like to take about six months and not go into the studio. I need to just live life, to be inspired by things again." On May 4, 2010, producer Jim Jonsin told Rap-Up TV that he sent Knowles a track he worked on for the album. While on the set of filming a television commercial for Vizio, Knowles was interviewed by Entertainment Tonight and confirmed reports that she had begun working on the album. "I'm actually in the studio now writing songs and producing ... I have a lot of live instruments that I'm putting into the tracks to try to change the sound and make my own genre of music. So, I'll be shooting videos and everybody will be watching them on their Vizio televisions soon." In January 2011, it was revealed Knowles had been in the studio with producer S1, who broke the news via his twitter account. She received co-writing credits for most of the songs recorded by the group, as well as her solo efforts. Known for writing personally driven and female-empowerment themed compositions, Knowles has stated that having Jay-Z in her life has changed a few of her thoughts about how men and women relate to one another, which helped her transition from writing songs such as "Independent Women" and "Survivor" to man-tending anthems such as, "Cater 2 U" in which she sings about bringing him slippers and drawing his bath. Knowles received three songwriting credits in a single year for co-writing "Irreplaceable", "Grillz" ("Soldier" was sampled on the song) and "Check on It", the only woman to achieve since Carole King in 1971 and Mariah Carey in 1991. In terms of credits, she is tied with Diane Warren at third with nine number-one singles. The band has supported Knowles in live performances, on her 2007 The Beyoncé Experience world concert tour, and her 2009 I Am... Tour. Renee Michelle Harris of the South Florida Times writes, Knowles "owns the stage with her trademark swagger and intensity... showcasing her powerful vocals without missing a note, often while engaged in vigorous, perfectly executed dance moves...no one, not Britney, not Ciara and not Rihanna can offer what she does—a complete package of voice, moves and presence." Knowles described Sasha as being "too aggressive, too strong, too sassy [and] too sexy", stating "I'm not like her in real life at all ... I'm not flirtatious and super-confident and fearless like her. What I feel onstage I don't feel anywhere else. It's an out-of-body experience. I created my stage persona to protect myself so that when I go home I don't have to think about what it is I do. Sasha isn't me. The people around me know who I really am." Although Sasha was born during the making of her 2003 hit single, "Crazy in Love", Knowles introduced her alter ego with the release of her third album, I Am... Sasha Fierce in 2008. In February 2010, Knowles announced in an interview with Allure magazine that "Sasha Fierce is done. I killed her". She then went on saying that she is comfortable enough with herself to be all of those things without an alias, stating "I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two." Some media even claimed that Jay-Z fashioned her to be a replica of Knowles. Mary J. Blige In an interview with MTV News, Kelly Rowland revealed she was inspired by Knowles' voice while recording her second album, Ms. Kelly. This prompted a legion of imitations and parodies from men and women all around the world posting videos of themselves onto YouTube attempting to perform the choreography. and Joe Jonas, US President Barack Obama and actor Tom Hanks. American Idol winner Jordin Sparks described her debut single, "Tattoo" as being very "Beyonce-ish." However, in 2010 Knowles surpassed all others by receiving a record breaking six awards out of ten nominations. In 2007, she became the first female artist to be awarded the International Artist Award at the American Music Awards. In February 2010, the RIAA listed her as the top certified artist of the decade, with a total of 64 certifications, including albums, digital songs, master ringtones and music videos. BET recognized Knowles as the second most influential artist of the decade In August 2010, VH1 listed Knowles at number 52 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. In November 2010, Billboard ranked her at 15th place on its list of the top 25 R&B;/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years (1985-2010). In 2006, The animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had criticized Knowles for wearing fur coats and using fur in her clothing line. In July 2009, Knowles and her mother, Tina launched a new junior apparel label, Sasha Fierce for Deréon, for back-to-school selling. The collection, which is inspired by Knowles' stage presence, consists of sportswear, outerwear, handbags, footwear, eyewear, lingerie and jewelry. In May 2010, Knowles teamed up with clothing store C&A; to release her Deréon clothing line labeled, Deréon by Beyoncé for C&A.; The collection was only made available in Brazilian C&A; stores. Knowles and Destiny's Child band mate, Kelly Rowland, along with the former's family, founded the Survivor Foundation, a charitable entity set up to provide transitional housing for 2005 Hurricane Katrina victims and storm evacuees in the Houston, Texas area. The Survivor Foundation extended the philanthropic mission of the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a multi-purpose community outreach facility in downtown Houston. Knowles donated $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund, which benefits victims of Hurricane Ike in the Houston area. She is organizing a fund raising benefit for Hurricane Ike relief through the Survivor Foundation. Knowles conducted food drives during stops on The Beyoncé Experience tour in Houston on July 14, Atlanta on July 20, Washington, D.C. on August 9, Toronto on August 15, Chicago on August 18, and Los Angeles on September 2, 2006. She remembers her mother, Tina Knowles, for finally saying to help her out of her depression, "Why do you think a person wouldn't love you? Don't you know how smart and sweet and beautiful you are?"

Relationship with Jay-Z

performing "Crazy in Love" on November 15, 2009.]] Since 2002, Knowles has been in a relationship with rapper Jay-Z, with whom she has collaborated several times. Rumors began to circulate about their relationship after Knowles was featured on his song, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde". In spite of persistent rumors about their relationship, they remained discreet about it. When asked again about the subject in September 2007, Jay-Z replied, "One day soon—let's leave it at that."

Discography

2003: Dangerously in Love

2006: B'Day

2008: I Am... Sasha Fierce

See also

Destiny's Child discography

Beyoncé Knowles videography

List of Beyoncé Knowles songs

List of Beyoncé Knowles concert tours

List of best-selling music artists

List of awards and nominations received by Beyoncé Knowles

List of artists who reached number one in the United States

Filmography

References

External links

Official American website

Category:1981 births Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:Actors from Texas Category:African American actors Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African American musicians Category:African American songwriters Category:African American models Category:American child singers Category:American dancers Category:American fashion designers Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American Christians Category:American Methodists Category:American music video directors Category:American pop singers Category:American record producers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:American people of Native American descent Category:Beyoncé Knowles Category:BRIT Award winners Category:Columbia Records artists Category:Destiny's Child members Category:English-language singers Category:American people of French descent Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Houston, Texas Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:Spanish-language singers Category:United Methodists Category:Native American singers Category:World Music Awards winners Category:African-American fashion designers Category:Louisiana Creole people

Name	Alison Waite
Caption	in 2006
Issue	May 2006
Birth place	Los Altos, California, U.S.
Birth date	November 10, 1981
Bust	34C in
Waist	24 in
Hips	34 in(86-60-86 cm)
Height
Weight
Preceded	Holley Ann Dorrough
Succeeded	Stephanie Larimore

Alison Waite (born November 10, 1981) is an American model. She was the Playboy Playmate of the Month for May 2006, appearing on the cover of the issue.

Waite was one of the four finalists for 2007 Playmate of the Year, along with Miss September 2006 Janine Habeck and Miss March 2006 Monica Leigh. The three lost to Miss July 2006 Sara Jean Underwood as featured on the E! reality TV series The Girls Next Door.

References

External links

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Playboy Playmates (2000–2009) Category:People from the Greater Los Angeles Area Category:San Diego State University alumni

Name	Akon
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Badara Akon Thiam
Born	April 16, 1973St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Origin	Dakar, Senegal
Genre	R&B;, hip hop, pop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	1996–present
Label	Universal, SRC, Konvict, UpFront, Kon Live
Associated acts	T-Pain, Kardinal Offishall, Colby O'Donis, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Sway DaSafo, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie
Url

Akon (born Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Badara Akon Thiam), (), In an interview with HitQuarters SRC A&R; Jerome Foster said, "What caught my attention right away was "Lonely", and I said, 'this kid is official - this is a huge record." Foster and SRC CEO Steve Rifkind immediately boarded a private plane to Atlanta to meet the young artist. Akon knew of Foster's work as producer Knobody and so there was a mutual respect for one another and the pair hit it off.

Akon's solo debut album, Trouble was released on June 29, 2004. It spawned the singles "Locked Up" and "Lonely", "Belly Dancer (Bananza)", "Pot Of Gold", and "Ghetto." The inspiration for his debut single allegedly came from his three-year stint in prison for ‘grand theft auto’. "Locked Up" reached the top 10 in the U.S. and the top five in the UK. "Ghetto" became a radio hit when it was remixed by DJ Green Lantern to include verses from rappers 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. The album is a hybrid of Akon's silky, West African-styled vocals mixed with East Coast and Southern beats. Most of Akon's songs begin with the sound of the clank of a jail cell's door with him uttering the word "Konvict". To coincide with the release of the Platinum (deluxe) edition of the album "Sorry, Blame It on Me" was the album's fifth single, debuted in August 2007 on the Hot 100 at number seven. The deluxe version was fully released on August 28, 2007. The final single was confirmed by Akon to be "Never Took the Time." Charges of endangering the welfare of a minor, a misdemeanor, and second-degree harassment, a violation, were filed, according to police Chief Donald F. Williams, and Akon was arraigned the two charges on December 3, 2007 in the town of Fishkill Court. Akon has the record for most nominations in the Most Earthshattering Collaboration category.

|- | || "Locked Up" || MTV2 Award || |- |rowspan="3"| || Akon || Male Artist of the Year || |- | "Smack That" (with Eminem) || Most Earthshattering Collaboration || |- | "The Sweet Escape" (with Gwen Stefani) || Most Earthshattering Collaboration ||

World Music Awards

In 2007 Akon won three World Music Awards:

(1) Best Selling R&B; Male Artist

(2) Best Selling African Artist

(3) Best Selling Internet Artist.

In 2008 Akon won:

(1) Best Selling African Artist

Note: Akon also won Artist Of The Year in 2007 by the Billboard Music Awards

Billboard Legacy

Made the Top Artists of the Year Chart in: 2009

Made the Billboard 200 Albums of the Year Chart in: 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004

Made the Billboard Hot 100 Songs of the Year Chart in: 2005, 2004

Premios Lo Nuestro

|- |rowspan="2"| 2010 || "All Up 2 You" (with Aventura and Wisin & Yandel) || Urban Song of the Year || |- | "All Up 2 You" (with Aventura and Wisin & Yandel) || Video Collaboration of the Year || |-

Tours

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania One-off Concert (2006).

Konvicted Tour (July to September 2007, then additional dates in 2008)

The Sweet Escape Tour with Gwen Stefani (April to July 2007)

The Good Girl Gone Bad Tour with Rihanna (Canadian-leg only, September – December 2008).

Konvict Muzik Tour with T-Pain, Australia only, October 26–27, 2009.

Brazilian Mini-Tour, (Brazil, January 2010)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1990s singers Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:African American singers Category:African American rappers Category:African American Muslims Category:American Muslims Category:American male singers Category:Dance musicians Category:Hip hop record producers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Musicians from New Jersey Category:Musicians from Missouri Category:Rappers from St. Louis, Missouri Category:People from Dakar Category:People from Newark, New Jersey Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:American people of Senegalese descent Category:American hip hop record producers Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:World Music Awards winners Category:Living people Category:Senegalese expatriates in the United States Category:1973 births