A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally schools teaching classical languages but more recently academically-oriented types of secondary school.

The original purpose of medieval grammar schools was the teaching of Latin. Over time the curriculum was broadened, first to include Ancient Greek, and later English and other European languages, as well as the natural sciences, mathematics, history, geography and other subjects. In the late Victorian era, grammar schools were re-organised to provide secondary education across the United Kingdom with the exception of Scotland, which had developed a different system. Grammar schools of these types were also established in British territories, where they have evolved in different ways.

Grammar schools became the selective tier of the Tripartite System of state-funded secondary education operating in England and Wales from the mid-1940s to the late 1960s and continuing in Northern Ireland. With the move to non-selective comprehensive schools in the 1960s and 1970s, some grammar schools became fully independent and charged fees, while most others were abolished or became comprehensive. In both cases, many of these schools kept "grammar school" in their names. Some parts of England retain forms of the Tripartite System, and there are also a few surviving grammar schools in otherwise comprehensive areas. Some of the remaining grammar schools can trace their histories to before the 16th century.

Early grammar schools

From medieval times, a grammar school was a school for the teaching of Latin (and later other classical languages). Although the term scolae grammaticales was not widely used until the 14th century, the earliest such schools appeared from the 6th century, e.g. the King's School, Canterbury (founded 597) and the King's School, Rochester (604). The schools were attached to cathedrals and monasteries, teaching Latin – the language of the Church – to future priests and monks. Other subjects required for religious work were occasionally added, including music and verse (for liturgy), astronomy and mathematics (for the Church calendar) and law (for administration).

With the foundation of the ancient universities from the late 12th century, grammar schools became the entry point to a liberal arts education, with Latin seen as the foundation of the trivium. Pupils were usually educated in grammar schools up to the age of 14, after which they would look to universities and the Church for further study. The first schools independent of the church – Winchester College (1382) and Eton College (1440) – were closely tied to the universities, and as boarding schools became national in character. By contrast an example of an early grammar school founded by a medieval borough corporation is Bridgnorth Grammar School, founded in 1503 by Bridgnorth borough corporation.

During the English Reformation in the 16th century, most cathedral schools were closed and replaced by new foundations funded from the dissolution of the monasteries.

The dawn-to-dusk teaching was mostly the rote learning of Latin. In order to encourage fluency, some schoolmasters recommended punishing any pupil who spoke in English. It would be several years before pupils were able to construct a sentence, and they would be in their final years at the school when they began translating passages. By the end of their studies, they would be quite familiar with the great Latin authors, drama and rhetoric. Other skills, such as numeracy and handwriting, were neglected, being taught in odd moments or by travelling specialist teachers such as scriveners.

In 1755, Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary defined a grammar school as: a school in which the learned languages are grammatically taught; However by this time demand for these languages had fallen greatly. A new commercial class required modern languages and commercial subjects. In Scotland, the burgh councils updated the curricula of their schools, so that Scotland no longer has grammar schools in any of the senses discussed here, though some, such as Aberdeen Grammar School, retain the name.

In England, urban middle class pressure for a commercial curriculum was often supported by the school's trustees (who would charge the new students fees) but resisted by the schoolmaster, supported by the terms of the original endowment. Very few schools were able to obtain special Acts of Parliament to change their statutes, such as the Macclesfield Grammar School Act 1774 and the Bolton Grammar School Act 1788. Although he offered a compromise by which some subjects might be added to a classical core, the ruling set a restrictive precedent for grammar schools across England. Grammar schools seemed to be in terminal decline.

In the Victorian period, there was a great emphasis on the importance of self-improvement, and parents, keen for their children to receive a decent education, organised the creation of new schools with modern curricula, though often retaining a classical core. These newer schools tended to emulate the great public schools, copying their curriculum, ethos and ambitions, and often took the title "grammar school" for historical reasons. A girls' grammar school established in a town with an older boys' grammar school would often be named a "High School".

Under the Education (Administrative Provisions) Act 1907, all grant-aided secondary schools were required to provide at least 25% of their places as free scholarships for students from public elementary schools. Grammar schools thus emerged as one part of the highly varied education system of England and Wales before 1944.

There were over 1200 "maintained" grammar schools, which were fully state-funded. Though some were quite old, most were either newly created or built since the Victorian period, seeking to replicate the studious, aspirational atmosphere found in the older grammar schools.

There were also 179 direct grant grammar schools, which took between one quarter and one half of their pupils from the state system, and the rest from fee-paying parents. They also exercised far greater freedom from local authorities, and were members of the Headmasters' Conference. These schools included some very old schools, encouraged to participate in the Tripartite System. The most famous example of a direct grant grammar was Manchester Grammar School, whose headmaster, Lord James of Rusholme, was one of the most outspoken advocates of the Tripartite System.

Grammar school pupils were given the best opportunities of any schoolchildren in the state system. Initially they studied for the School Certificate and Higher School Certificate, replaced in 1951 by General Certificate of Education examinations at O-level (Ordinary level) and A-level (Advanced level). In contrast, very few students at secondary modern schools took public examinations until the introduction of the less academic Certificate of Secondary Education (known as the CSE) in the 1960s. Until the implementation of the Robbins Report in the 1960s, children from public and grammar schools effectively monopolised access to university. These schools were also the only ones that offered an extra term of school to prepare pupils for the competitive entrance exams for Oxbridge.

The Tripartite System was largely abolished in England and Wales between 1965, with the issue of Circular 10/65, and the 1976 Education Act. Most maintained grammar schools were amalgamated with a number of other local schools, to form neighbourhood comprehensive schools, though a few were closed. This process proceeded quickly in Wales, with the closure of such schools as Cowbridge Grammar School. In England, implementation was more uneven, with some counties and individual schools resisting the change.

The Direct Grant Grammar Schools (Cessation of Grant) Regulations 1975 forced these schools to decide whether to convert into comprehensives under local authority control or become entirely independent schools funded by fees. 51 direct grant schools chose to become comprehensives, 119 opted for independence, and 5 were "not accepted for the maintained system and expected to become independent schools or to close". There are thus many schools with the name "grammar" that are no longer free. These schools normally select their pupils by an entrance examination, and sometimes an interview.

By the end of the 1980s, all of the grammar schools in Wales and most of those in England had closed or become comprehensive. (Selection also disappeared from state-funded schools in Scotland in the same period.) While many former grammar schools ceased to be selective, some of them retained the word "grammar" in their name. Most of these schools remain comprehensive, while a few became partially selective or fully selective in the 1990s.

Contemporary British grammar schools

Today, "grammar school" commonly refers to one of the remaining fully selective state-funded schools in England and Northern Ireland. The National Grammar Schools Association campaigns in favour of such schools, while Comprehensive Future and the Campaign for State Education campaign against them.

England

At the 1995 Labour Party conference, David Blunkett, then education spokesman, promised that there would be no selection under a Labour government. However the party's manifesto for the 1997 election promised that "Any changes in the admissions policies of grammar schools will be decided by local parents." Under the Labour government's School Standards and Framework Act 1998, grammar schools were for the first time to be designated by statutory instrument. The Act also defined a procedure by which local communities could petition for a ballot for an end to selection at schools. Petitions were launched in several areas, but only one received the signatures of 20% of eligible parents, the level needed to trigger a ballot. Thus the only ballot held to date was for Ripon Grammar School in 2000, when parents rejected change by a ratio of 2 to 1. These arrangements were condemned by the Select Committee for Education and Skills as being ineffective and a waste of time and resources.

There are still 164 state-run grammar schools in existence. Only a few areas keep a formal grammar school system along the lines of the Tripartite System. In these areas, the eleven plus exam is used solely to identify a subset of children (around 25%) considered suitable for grammar education. When a grammar school has too many qualified applicants, other criteria are used to allocate places, such as siblings, distance or faith. Such systems still exist in Buckinghamshire, Rugby and Stratford districts of Warwickshire, the Salisbury district of Wiltshire, Stroud in Gloucestershire and most of Lincolnshire, Kent and Medway. Of metropolitan areas, Trafford and most of Wirral are selective.

In other areas, grammar schools survive mainly as very highly selective schools in an otherwise comprehensive county, for example in several of the outer boroughs of London. In some LEAs, as few as 2% of 11 year olds may attend grammar schools. These schools are often heavily over-subscribed, and award places in rank order of performance in their entry tests. They also tend to dominate the top positions in performance tables.

No further radical change is proposed by either of the main political parties. Although many on the left argue that the existence of selective schools undermines the comprehensive structure, the Labour government has delegated decisions on grammar schools to local processes, which have not yet resulted in any changes. Moreover government education policy appears to accept the existence of some kind of hierarchy in secondary education, with specialist schools, advanced schools, beacon schools and similar initiatives proposed as ways of raising standards. Many grammar schools have featured in these programmes, and a lower level of selection is permitted at specialist schools. Though many in the Conservative Party favour the expansion of grammar schools, since 2006 the Party's policy has been that no new grammar schools will be built, except to cope with population expansion in wholly selective areas such as Buckinghamshire and Kent. David Willetts, shadow education secretary, argued that because middle-class parents now invest so much in preparing their children for the tests, grammar schools no longer offer opportunities to gifted children from poorer backgrounds.

Northern Ireland

Attempts to move to a comprehensive system (as in the rest of the United Kingdom) have been delayed by shifts in the administration of Northern Ireland. As a result, Northern Ireland still maintains the grammar school system with most pupils being entered for the Eleven Plus. Since the "open enrolment" reform of 1989, these schools (unlike those in England) have been required to accept pupils up to their capacity, which has also increased. By 2006, the 69 grammar schools took 42% of transferring children, and only 7 of them took all of their intake from the top 30% of the cohort.

The 11-plus has long been controversial, and Northern Ireland's political parties have taken opposing positions. Unionists tend to lean towards preserving the grammar schools as they are, with academic selection at the age of 11, whereas republican politicians lean towards scrapping the Eleven Plus, despite vehement protestations from the majority of Catholic Grammar Schools, most notably by the board of governors at Rathmore Grammar in Finaghy, (a south Belfast suburb) and Lumen Christi (although co-educational) in Derry. The Democratic Unionist Party claimed to have ensured the continuation of the grammar school system in the Province as part of the St Andrews Agreement in October 2006. By contrast Sinn Féin claims to have secured the abolition of the 11+ and a veto over any system which might follow it.

The last government-run 11-plus exam was held in 2008 (for 2009 entry), but the Northern Ireland Assembly has not been able to agree on a replacement system for secondary transfer. The grammar schools have organised groupings to run their own tests, the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (mostly Catholic schools) and the Association for Quality Education. The Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education has accepted continued selection at Catholic grammar schools as a temporary measure, but wishes them to end the practice by 2012.

Grammar schools in other countries

Grammar schools were established in various British territories, and have developed in different ways since those territories became independent.

Australia

In the mid-19th century, private schools were established in the Australian colonies to spare the wealthy classes from sending their sons to schools in Britain. These schools took their inspiration from English public schools, and often called themselves "grammar schools". Early examples include Launceston Church Grammar School (1846), Pulteney Grammar School (1847), Geelong Grammar School (1855) and Melbourne Grammar School (1858). With the exception of the non-denominational Sydney Grammar School (1857) and Queensland grammar schools, all the grammar schools established in the 19th century were attached to the Church of England (now the Anglican Church of Australia). In Queensland, the Grammar Schools Act 1860 provided for the state-assisted foundation of non-denominational grammar schools. Ten were founded, of which 8 still exist. The first Australian grammar school for girls was Brisbane Girls' Grammar School (1875); others soon followed.

In the 1920s grammar schools of other denominations were established, including members of the Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria, and the trend has continued to the present day. Today, the term is defined only in Queensland legislation. Throughout the country, "grammar schools" are generally high-cost private schools. The equivalent of contemporary English grammar schools are selective schools.

Canada

Grammar schools provided secondary education in Ontario until 1871.

The first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe, advocated grammar schools for the colony to save the wealthy from sending their sons to the United States to be educated, but was unable to convince his superiors in London. He did however make a grant enabling John Stuart to set up Kingston Grammar School in 1795. After several abortive attempts to raise funding, the District Schools Act of 1807 provided support for one grammar school teacher in each district (of which there were then eight), but they were then left to their own devices. Finding the grammar schools unsuitable as preparation for university, lieutenant-governor Sir John Colborne founded Upper Canada College as a superior grammar school.

Legislation in 1839 allowed for more than one grammar school in a district, triggering a rapid but unstructured growth in numbers over the following two decades, rising to 86 in 1861. The schools became more independent of the Church of England, and also began to admit girls. However the schools were unsupervised, often underfunded and of varying standards. Some, like Tassie's School in Galt provided a traditional classical education, while many provided a basic education of poor quality. Chief Superintendent of Education Egerton Ryerson attempted to reform the schools in the 1850s and 1860s, moving control of the schools from counties (the former districts) to city authorities, securing their funding and introducing inspectors. However his efforts to convert the schools into classical schools for boys only were unsuccessful. In recognition of the broad curricula offered, grammar schools were re-designated as high schools by the Act to Improve the Common and Grammar Schools of the Province of Ontario of 1871. Schools able to offer classical studies were given additional funding as collegiate institutes.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, grammar schools are secondary schools primarily offering a traditional curriculum (rather than vocational subjects).

Republic of Ireland

Education in the Republic of Ireland has traditionally been organised on denominational lines. Grammar schools along the lines of those in Great Britain were set up for members of the Church of Ireland prior to its disestablishment in 1871. Some schools remain, as private schools catering largely for Protestant students. These are often fee-paying and accommodate boarders, given the scattered nature of the Protestant population in much of Ireland. Such schools include Bandon Grammar School, Drogheda Grammar School, Dundalk Grammar School and Sligo Grammar School. Others are among the many former fee-paying schools which have been absorbed into larger state-funded Community Schools, Community Colleges, and Comprehensive Schools, founded since the introduction of universal secondary education in the Republic by minister Donogh O'Malley in September 1967. Examples include Cork Grammar School, replaced by Ashton Comprehensive School.

Malaysia

Malaysia has a number of grammar schools, a majority of which were set up before its independence from the UK. The Grammar School in Kuala Terengganu continues to be known as such to this day and is a private educational institution.

Singapore

The most famous schools in Singapore for the scion of the rich and famous within South-east Asia are the Methodists schools, mainly Anglo-Chinese School, known as ACS and Methodist Girls' School (MGS). When Singapore was a British colony, English missionaries set up grammar schools such as the Raffles Institution (1823), Saint Joseph's Institution (1852), Raffles Girls' School (1879) and Canossa Convent (1879). After independence in 1965, all such schools were integrated into a unified national school system, but many later became independent or autonomous.

United States

Grammar schools on the British model were founded during the colonial period, the first being the Boston Latin School, founded as the Latin Grammar School in 1635. In 1647 the Massachusetts Bay Colony enacted the Old Deluder Satan Law, requiring any township of at least 100 households to establish a grammar school, and similar laws followed in the other New England colonies. These schools initially taught young men the classical languages as a preparation for university, but by the mid-18th century many had broadened their curricula to include practical subjects. Nevertheless, they declined in popularity owing to competition from the more practical academies. The name "grammar school" was adopted by schools for children from 10 to 14 years of age, and later by elementary schools. Current usage is slight and regional, with private academies calling themselves grammar schools in New York.

See also

Gymnasium (school)

Latin school

History of education in England

Debates on the grammar school

References

External links

A general timeline of British education

The situation of grammar schools today

Support Kent Schools

Q and A: Advanced schools, BBC News.

Grammar schools, The Guardian.

Category:Education in the United Kingdom Category:State schools in the United Kingdom Category:School types

Name	Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi
Caption	Polizzi at a party in Chicago in 2010.
Birth date	November 23, 1987
Birth place	Santiago, Chile
Birth name	Nicole Polizzi
Other names	Snooki
Occupation	Television personality
Years active	2009–present

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi (born November 23, 1987) is an American reality television personality who appeared on the MTV reality show Jersey Shore starting in 2009.

Early life

Nicole Polizzi was born in Santiago, Chile. and was adopted when she was six months old and was raised by Italian American parents. Polizzi earned her nickname, Snooki, in middle school when her friends named her after "Snookie", a (male) character in Save the Last Dance because she was the first of her friends to kiss a boy.

Polizzi grew up and attended school in Marlboro, New York, where she was a cheerleader. During high school, Polizzi suffered from an eating disorder, at one point weighing a mere 80 lbs. The 4 ft. 9 in. (145 cm) Polizzi attributes maintaining her position as a cheerleader partly led to her disorder.

Polizzi attended community college after graduating from Marlboro High School, where she studied to become a veterinarian.

Career

MTV first introduced Polizzi in Is She Really Going Out with Him?, a show that focused on women dating obnoxious or arrogant men. Polizzi and her beau, Justin, appeared in episode 14, "Jerz Pud".

Polizzi became part of the reality TV series Jersey Shore after responding to a Facebook advertisement she saw about auditioning. The New York Times identified her as "the breakout member of the cast". According to the New York Times, her actions on the show have caused her to be the target of public disdain while having a "strange appeal".

Polizzi's popularity on the first season of Jersey Shore, which earned her $5,000 per episode, now earns her $30,000 per episode. While shooting in Seaside Heights, a drunk man in a bar punched Polizzi in the face. The hit was deleted from future showings of the episode. Videos of the punch went viral on Youtube and were featured in many news media. After the punch was made public, Polizzi's appearance fees increased from $2,000 per event to $10,000 per event.

Polizzi presented an award at 2010 CMT Music Awards On July 27, 2010, the cast of Jersey Shore appeared at the New York Stock Exchange and Polizzi rang the opening bell. Polizzi and the cast of Jersey Shore appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010. Polizzi also appeared on TLC's Cake Boss episode "Snookie, Super Anthony & a Ship" on November 8, 2010, in which she orders a cake for her mom.

She was subsequently parodied in the South Park episode "It's a Jersey Thing", and is frequently caricatured on Saturday Night Live by actor Bobby Moynihan.

On September 30, 2010, it was announced that Polizzi would be writing a book entitled A Shore Thing. It will be released January 2011 and will describe her search for love on the boardwalk.

On November 7, 2010, Polizzi appeared at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Madrid, Spain.

Legal proceedings

On July 30, 2010, Polizzi was cited for a charge that is essentially equivalent to disturbing the peace at a Seaside Heights beach. On September 8, she pleaded guilty and a judge sentenced her to a $500 fine and community service. In handing down the sentence, Judge Damian G. Murray made a comment saying that she is "a Lindsay Lohan wannabe". Her arrest was taped for Season Three of Jersey Shore.

Personal life

Nicole Polizzi lives in Marlboro, New York.

References

External links

Category:Living people Category:American adoptees Category:American people of Chilean descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American television personalities Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from New York Category:People from Santiago Category:1987 births

Name	Kelsey Grammer
Caption	During Fleet Week, New York 2006
Birth name	Allen Kelsey Grammer
Birth date	February 21, 1955
Birth place	Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
Years active	1980–present
Occupation	Actor, comedian, producer, director, writer, voice artist
Spouse	Doreen Alderman (1982–1990)Leigh-Anne Csuhany (1992–1993)Camille Donatacci (1997–2011)

Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcoms Cheers and Frasier. He has been nominated for several Emmys, including one for playing his character on three sitcoms (the third being a guest appearance on Wings), as well as portraying the part on an episode of The John Larroquette Show, and has also worked as a television producer, director, writer, and as a voice artist. He has received many accolades for his role as the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons.

Early life and family tragedies

Grammer was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to Sally Grammer (née Cranmer, 1928-July 7, 2008), a singer, and Frank Allen Grammer, Jr., a musician and owner of a coffee shop and a bar & grill called Greer's Place. His parents divorced when Grammer was two. He attended Pine Crest School, a private preparatory school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for high school. Grammer then spent two years at the Juilliard School.

Grammer's family life has been plagued by tragedies. In 1968, when Grammer was thirteen years old, his father, whom he had seen only twice since his parents' divorce, was shot and killed.. In 1980, his twin half-brothers were killed in a scuba diving accident.

Career

Stage

After leaving Juilliard, he had a three-year internship with the Old Globe Theatre, in San Diego, in the late 1970s, before a stint in 1980 at the Guthrie Theater, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He made his Broadway debut in 1981, as "Lennox," in Macbeth, taking the lead role when Philip Anglim withdrew after receiving negative reviews. In 1983, he performed on the demo of the Stephen Sondheim–James Lapine production Sunday in the Park with George, starring Mandy Patinkin. Also featured on the demo was Christine Baranski, who later starred as Mrs. Lovett to Grammer's Sweeney Todd in the 1999 LA Reprise! production of Stephen Sondheim's . Grammer then played Michael Cassio in a Broadway revival of Othello, with James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer.

On April 18, 2010, Grammer made his Broadway musical debut playing the role of Georges in a revival of the Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical La Cage aux Folles, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical, losing to his co-star Douglas Hodge.

Television

His television career began in the early 1980s when he portrayed Stephen Smith in the NBC miniseries Kennedy. Grammer came to broader public attention as Dr. Frasier Crane in the NBC sitcom Cheers. Grammer's former Juilliard classmate and Broadway co-star Patinkin suggested Grammer to the New York casting director, and he got what was supposed to be a six-episode job but ended up as a regular cast member. The character became the center of the spin-off Frasier, arguably the most successful spinoff in TV history. In addition to starring, he also directed many episodes, especially during the second half of the series. In 2008, Grammer reprised his role of Dr. Frasier Crane in a commercial for Dr Pepper.

In 2001, he negotiated a US$700,000-per-episode salary for Frasier, and his 20-year run playing Dr. Frasier Crane ties a length set by James Arness in playing Marshall Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke from 1955 to 1975.

In 2005, he returned to series television on Fox, by attempting to create an American adaptation of The Sketch Show, a British sketch show. The main cast consisted of Malcolm Barrett, Kaitlin Olson, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Paul F. Tompkins, as well as Lee Mack from the British version of the show. Grammer appeared in only short opening and closing segments in each episode. Many of the sketches from the British version were recreated, such as the "California Dreamin'," "English Course," and "Sign Language" sketches. Only six episodes of the show were made, and it was canceled after only four of them had aired.

In addition to being producer, he guest-starred as the Angel of Death on Medium.

In 2007, Grammer returned to the sitcom format as the central character in the American sitcom Back to You, co-starring with Patricia Heaton. It was canceled by Fox after its first season.

Grammer's ABC sitcom Hank was canceled in its first season on November 11, 2009, with Grammer saying at the end, "Honestly, it just wasn't very funny."

He is currently in negotiations to host the American version of the British panel game, Quite Interesting.

Voice work

Grammer's smooth, deep voice and Mid-Atlantic accent make him popular for voiceover work. He has provided the voice of Sideshow Bob on The Simpsons, winning an Emmy for his work in the episode "The Italian Bob". He has appeared in twelve episodes since the show's inception in 1989, the most recent being "The Bob Next Door" that aired in May 2010. Grammer supplied the voices for "Stinky Pete the Prospector" in 1999 Disney/Pixar film Toy Story 2, Vladimir in the Fox animated movie Anastasia, (Rothbart) Barbie of Swan Lake, Zozi the Bear in the subsequently produced prequel Bartok the Magnificent, and the title character in the short-lived animated series Gary the Rat. He provided the opening speech and piano in The Vandals' song "Phone Machine" from the album Fear of a Punk Planet, and sang a rewritten version of the "grinch" on an episode of Just Shoot Me!. He was the voice of the mad scientist, Dr. Frankenollie, in the Mickey Mouse short Runaway Brain.

Production work

His production company, Grammnet Productions, produces the CW sitcoms Girlfriends and The Gamewhich is now on BET, the NBC drama Medium, and is involved in many other projects.

Other work

His film work includes the role of Dr. Hank McCoy (also known as the Beast) in , and he was the voice of Snowball in the live-action film adaptation of the George Orwell book Animal Farm. Grammer co-starred in the movie Swing Vote, playing the Republican incumbent. He played General George S. Patton in An American Carol. In 2010, he starred in "The Kelsey Grammer Bill Zucker Comedy Hour".

Grammer's voice has been featured in commercials. One of the earliest was a 1998 commercial for Honey Nut Cheerios, where he played the voice of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. He was the voice of the original GEICO gecko, a talking reptile created by The Martin Agency in 1999. In the commercial, the gecko pleads for people to stop calling him in error, mistaking gecko for GEICO. Since 2006, Grammer has provided the voice for television commercials advertising Hyundai.

Awards

He won a number of Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Golden Globes for his work on Frasier. He was the first American actor ever to be nominated for multiple Emmy awards for portraying the same character on three different television shows (Cheers, Frasier, and Wings).

Grammer has received at least 45 nominations for major awards and has won on 18 occasions. He has received 14 individual Emmy Award nominations for 4 different television shows (plus an additional 2 as part of the Frasier ensemble) and has won on 5 occasions. At the Golden Globes, he has received eight nominations and twice been victorious. He has received two People's Choice Awards, and in 1999 his directorial skills were recognized with a nomination for a Directors Guild of America award for directing an episode of Frasier. He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in . On May 22, 2001, he was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for television. On April 20, 2009, Grammer was presented the inaugural Television Chairman's Award at the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas. In 2010, Grammer enjoyed his first Tony Award nomination for "La Cage Aux Folles" as Best Leading Actor in a Musical.

The following table gives a selection of the awards he has won.

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Award ! Category |- | 1994 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |- | 1995 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |- | 1995 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Frasier) |- | 1996 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical (Frasier) |- | 1996 | American Comedy Award | Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series (Frasier) |- | 1998 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |- | 2001 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series Comedy/Musical (Frasier) |- | 2004 | Emmy | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Frasier) |- | 2006 | Emmy | Outstanding Voice-Over Performance (The Simpsons) |}

Personal life

Family

Grammer has been married three times.

His first marriage, to dance instructor Doreen Alderman, lasted from 1982 to 1990. They had one daughter, Spencer Grammer (born October 9, 1983), an actress on the CBS Daytime soap opera As the World Turns and the ABC Family show Greek.

After this marriage, Grammer had a daughter, Greer Kandace (born February 15, 1992), with hair and makeup stylist Barrie Buckner. and that, after talk of divorce, she attempted suicide, which resulted in the miscarriage of their child.

In 1994, he met 28-year-old Tammy Baliszewski, also known as Tammy Alexander, at a bar in Manhattan Beach, California. In December 1994, the two of them appeared on the cover of People magazine, announcing their engagement and Grammer's substance abuse problems. They broke up in 1995.

In August 1997, Grammer married Camille Donatacci, a former Playboy model. They met on a blind date in 1996. They have a daughter, Mason Olivia (born October 24, 2002), and a son, Jude Gordon (born August 28, 2005), both born to a surrogate mother.

On August 12, 2010, Grammer announced that he was going to be a father for the fifth time with girlfriend Kayte Walsh. On October 9, 2010, Grammer announced that Walsh had miscarried six weeks earlier. On December 28, 2010, Grammer announced their engagement.

Defamation lawsuit

In 1995, Grammer was sued by ex-girlfriend Cerlette Lamme for defamation of character and invasion of privacy over content he included in his autobiography So Far.

Sex tape lawsuit

In 1998, Grammer filed a lawsuit against Internet Entertainment Group, which Grammer claimed had stolen from his home a videotape of him having sex with a woman. IEG countersued Grammer, denying they were in possession of such a tape, and Grammer's suit was eventually dropped. IEG President Seth Warshavsky told the New York Post, "We have been presented with another Kelsey Grammer tape. But we have no plans to air it. We are still evaluating it at this time." Grammer later told Maxim, "Whether or not you’re a celebrity—even if you’re just an old slob with a video camera—you don’t realize you shouldn’t do it. So you throw the tape in the back of a dark closet until your old girlfriend remembers it’s there because you’re famous now and she’s not. But if you’re not prepared to do the time, don’t do the crime."

Copyright lawsuit

In August 2008, Bradley Blakeman, a former aide to George W. Bush, filed a copyright lawsuit in federal court on Long Island over Grammer's movie Swing Vote, claiming that parts of its plot and marketing had been stolen from him. The lawsuit claimed that Blakeman had given a copyrighted screenplay called Go November to Grammer in 2006, and that Grammer agreed to develop the project and star as a Republican president but instead ended up playing a similar role in Swing Vote, which was released on August 1, 2008. Grammer's spokesman dismissed the claims as "frivolous" and a "waste of time". The lawsuit claims that Blakeman's copyrighted screenplay had the same basic plot as Swing Vote.

Substance abuse

Grammer began drinking at age nine and became a frequent abuser of alcohol. In 1988, he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for drunk driving and cocaine possession. He was again arrested for cocaine possession in August 1990 and was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $500, and given 300 hours of community service. In January 1991, he was given an additional two years' probation for violating his original probation through additional cocaine use. In September 1996, he flipped his Dodge Viper while intoxicated and subsequently checked into the Betty Ford Center for 30 days.

Health problems

Grammer suffered a heart attack on May 31, 2008. He told Jay Leno on the July 24, 2008, airing of The Tonight Show that he had to wait one and a half hours for paramedics to arrive. He was hospitalized in Hawaii after he had symptoms while paddle-boarding with his wife, Camille. He was released on June 4, 2008, and was listed as "resting comfortably" at his Hawaiian residence. Seven weeks after his attack, Grammer told Entertainment Tonight that, although at the time his spokesman described the attack as mild, it was in fact more severe, almost leading to his death, as his heart had stopped.

Grammer thought Fox's decision to cancel his TV sitcom Back to You contributed to his health problems, stating that "It was a very stressful time for me, and a surprise that it was cancelled. But you know, everything that doesn't kill us—which it almost did—makes us stronger!"

On June 28, 2008, Grammer checked into an undisclosed New York hospital after complaints of feeling faint. His publicist said that it may have been due to a reaction to medication.

Politics

Grammer is a member of the Republican Party and has expressed an interest in someday running for United States Congress. Grammer was a guest at President George W. Bush's first inauguration. Grammer endorsed Rudy Giuliani in the 2008 presidential primary and later campaigned for John McCain in the general election.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Films |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1992 | Galaxies Are Colliding | Peter | |- | 1995 | Runaway Brain | Dr. Frankenollie | Short film |- | 1996 | Down Periscope | Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge | |- | 1997 | Anastasia | Vladimir | |- | 1998 | | Howard Spitz | |- | 1999 | Animal Farm | Snowball | |- | 1999 | New Jersey Turnpikes | Unknown | |- | 1999 | Standing on Fishes | Verk | |- | 1999 | Toy Story 2 | "Stinky Pete" the Prospector | |- | 1999 | Bartok the Magnificent | Zozi | Direct-to-video release |- | 1999 | Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas | Narrator | Direct-to-video release |- | 2001 | 15 Minutes | Robert Hawkins | |- | 2001 | Just Visiting | Narrator | Uncredited |- | 2003 | | Agent Banks | |- | 2003 | Barbie of Swan Lake | Rothbart | Direct-to-video release |- | 2004 | Teacher's Pet | Dr. Ivan Krank | |- | 2005 | | Mr. Skibness | Also executive producer |- | 2006 | | Dr. Henry 'Hank' McCoy/Beast | |- | 2007 | Even Money | Detective Brunner | |- | 2008 | Swing Vote | President Andrew Boone | |- | 2008 | An American Carol | General George S. Patton | |- | 2009 | Fame | Joel Cranston | |- | 2010 | Crazy on the Outside | Frank | |- | 2010 | Bunyan and Babe | Norm Blandsford | Post-production |- | 2010 | Middle Men | Frank Griffin | Post-production |- | 2010 | Alligator Point | Director | TBA |}

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Television |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1982 | Macbeth | Ross | TV film |- | 1983 | Kennedy | Stephen Smith | TV miniseries |- | 1984 | Kate & Allie | David Hamill | Episode 1.1: "Allie's First Date" |- | 1984 | George Washington | Lt. Stewart | TV miniseries |- | 1984–1985 | Another World | Dr. Canard | Recurring role |- | 1984–1993 | Cheers | Dr. Frasier Crane | Appeared in 201 episodes |- | 1986 | Crossings | Craig Lawson | TV miniseries |- | 1987 | Biography | George Washington | Episode: "Benedict Arnold" |- | 1987 | J.J. Starbuck | Pierce Morgan | Episode 1.3: "Murder in E Minor" |- | 1988 | Dance 'til Dawn | Ed Strull | TV film |- | 1989 | Top of the Hill | Unknown | TV film |- | 1989 | 227 | Mr. Anderson | Episode 4.24: "For Sale" |- | 1990 | | Mr. Brenna | Episode 4.12: "Maria and the Mister" |- | 1990–present | | Sideshow Bob | Has appeared in twelve episodes, Recurring Role. |- | 1991 | Baby Talk | Russell | Episode 1.7: "One Night with Elliot" |- | 1992 | Wings | Dr. Frasier Crane | Episode 3.16: "Planes, Trains and Visiting Cranes" |- | 1992 | | Captain Bateson | Episode 5.18: "" |- | 1993 | Roc | Detective Rush | Episode 2.25: "To Love and Die on Emerson Street: Part 2" |- | 1993 | Beyond Suspicion | Ron McNally | TV film |- | 1993 | Mike & Spike | Super Dog | Episode: "Person To Sea Creature" (voice only) |- | 1993–2004 | Frasier | Dr. Frasier Crane | Appeared in all 264 episodes;also executive producer and director of 37 episodes |- | 1994 | | Det. Frank Barlow | TV film |- | 1995 | | Dr. Frasier Crane | Episode 3.1: "More Changes" |- | 1996 | London Suite | Sydney Nichols | TV film |- | 1997 | Fired Up | Tom Whitman | Episodes 1.3: "Who's the Boss" and 2.3: "You Don't Know Jack"; also executive producer |- | 1998 | | Major General Partridge | TV film |- | 1998 | Just Shoot Me! | Narrator | Episode 3.10: "How the Finch Stole Christmas" |- | 1999 | Animal Farm | Snowball | TV film |- | 2000 | Stark Raving Mad | Professor Tuttle | 1.17: "The Grade" |- | 2001 | Neurotic Tendencies | N/A | TV film; executive producer, director and writer |- | 2000–2008 | Girlfriends | himself | Executive producer |- | 2001 | | Howard Greene | TV film |- | 2002 | Mr. St. Nick | Nick St. Nicholas/Santa Claus the 21st | TV film |- | 2002–2003 | In-Laws | N/A | Executive producer |- | 2003 | | George Washington | TV film |- | 2003 | Becker | Rick Cooper | Episode 5.13: "But I've Got Friends I Haven't Used Yet" |- | 2003 | Gary the Rat | Gary "The Rat" Andrews | Appeared in all 13 episodes;also executive producer |- | 2004 | | Ebenezer Scrooge | TV film |- | 2004 | | N/A | TV film; executive producer |- | 2005 | Kelsey Grammer Presents: The Sketch Show | Various characters | Appeared in all four aired episodes;also executive producer |- | 2005 | Out of Practice | N/A | Directed episodes 1.1 and 1.18 |- | 2006 | Medium | Angel of Death/Bob | Episode 2.21: "Death Takes a Policy"Also executive producer/Double Role |- | 2006 | My Ex Life | N/A | Director |- | 2006–2009 | | N/A | Executive producer |- | 2007 | Dash 4 Cash | N/A | TV film; executive producer |- | 2007 | Everybody Hates Chris | N/A | Directed episode 2.22: "Everybody Hates the Last Day" |- | 2007–2008 | Back to You | Chuck Darling | Appeared in all 17 episodesAlso executive producer |- | 2009 | Hank | Lead role | Also executive producer |- | 2010 | The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills | Himself | Filmed during his marriage to Camille Donatacci Grammer |- |2010 | 30 Rock | Himself |}

; Video games : The Simpsons Game (2007) – Sideshow Bob

References

External links

His Autobiography.

Category:1955 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:American voice actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Living people Category:Republicans (United States) Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:United States Virgin Islands actors

Birthdate	December 31, 1968
Birthplace	Scarborough, Ontario
Occupation	Stand-up Comedy
Website	http://www.gerrydee.com/ gerrydee.com

Gerry Dee (born Gerard Donoghue on December 31, 1968 in Scarborough, Ontario) is a Canadian stand-up comedian. Prior to his comic career, he was a physical education teacher and hockey coach at De La Salle College (Toronto) "Oaklands", a private co-ed high school in Toronto. He also attended and graduated from De La Salle in high school.

Dee was already relatively successful long before being on Last Comic Standing. He had already had his own comedy special on The Comedy Network in Canada, appeared on the Comedy Network special "The Nubian Disciples", and performed at the world famous Montreal Just for Laughs International Comedy Festival, having his segment aired on Just For Laughs. He has appeared in television commercials and has performed at many comedy clubs, including Just For Laughs and Yuk Yuks. Dee also had a role in the minor hit where he played the role of Donny.

Dee might be best known for placing third on the fifth season of Last Comic Standing. Gerry Dee had tried out for Last Comic Standing during the second and fourth seasons, but never advanced to the finals. He missed the birth of his daughter while appearing on the show.

Dee is of Scottish descent. He was also a University Varsity hockey and golf player during his college years. His earlier education was at St. Gabriel Catholic School (Bayview/Sheppard); he later studied Kinesiology at York University and Education at St. Francis Xavier University. His father was a bus driver for the TTC in Toronto for over 20 years.

Since late 2007, Dee has been the star of his own segment on Canadian cable channel The Score. These segments, entitled Gerry Dee: Sports Reporter, have Dee conducting humorous interviews and segments. The interviews have included such sports personalities as Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Cito Gaston and Randy Couture.

Dee also has also appeared in television commercials for Rogers, Wisers, KFC and Nissan, and is currently making guest appearances on CBC's "The Hour". He also played former Boston Bruins Winger Wayne Cashman in a CBC Mini series called Canada Russia '72.

He won a 2008 Canadian Comedy Award in the Best Male Stand-Up comic category.

Dee is now married to Heather Donoghue and has two young daughters. Heather coincidentally teaches at De La Salle College (Toronto) "Oaklands".

References

External links

Official website

Category:1968 births Category:Canadian comedians Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:Living people Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Scarborough, Ontario Category:People from Toronto Category:York University alumni