Group	ItaliansItaliani
Population	140,000,000Including those with Italian ancestry
Regions	56,400,000|regions = 56,000,000
Region1
Pop1	28-30 million
Ref1
Region2
Pop2	20 million
Ref2
Region3
Pop3	17.8 million
Ref3
Region4
Pop4	5,000,000
Ref4
Region5
Pop5	1,500,000
Ref5
Region6
Pop6	1,445,335
Ref6
Region7
Pop7	900,000
Ref7
Region8
Pop8	852,418
Ref8
Region9
Pop9	800,000
Ref9
Region11
Pop11	c. 600,000
Region12
Pop12	c. 500,000
Ref12
Region14
Pop14	153,700
Ref14
Region15
Pop15	133,500
Ref15
Region16
Pop16	100,000
Ref16
Region18
Pop18	35,000
Ref18
Region20
Pop20	18,996
Ref20
Region21
Pop21	15,000
Ref21
Region22
Pop22	10,000
Ref22
Languages	Italian and Italian dialects(Sicilian Southern Italian languages Corsican Sardinian Northern Italian languages Friulian)languages of resident countries
Religions	predominantly Roman Catholic, others
Footnotes	Italians by birth, not including an indeterminable number of Frenchmen of Italian ancestry numbering as much as five million. not including about 500.000 Italian-speaking Swiss people,

The Italian people () are a people that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence (though the principle of Jus Sanguinis is used extensively and arguably more favorably in the Italian nationality law), and are distinguished from people of Italian descent and, historically, from ethnic Italians living in the unredeemed territories adjacent to the Italian peninsula.

In addition to the 56 million Italians in Italy and 28,000 in San Marino, Italian-speaking, autochthonous groups are found in neighbouring countries: about 500,000 in Switzerland, a large, but undefined population in France (Nice, Corsica), and smaller groups in Slovenia and Croatia, primarily in Istria.

Because of wide-ranging and long-lasting diaspora, about 4 million Italian citizens and over 70 million people of full or part Italian ancestry live outside of Italy, most notably in South America, North America, Australia and other parts of Europe.

Italians have greatly influenced and contributed to science, the arts, technology, culture, cuisine, sport and banking abroad and worldwide. Italian people are generally known for their regionalism, attention to clothing, family values and devoutness to the Christian faith and association with the Catholic Church.

Genetics

Following recent scientific research carried out by geneticists, Italy has proven to be one of the last two remaining genetic islands across Europe (along with Finland), this due to the presence of the Alpine mountain chain that, over the centuries, has prevented large migration flows aimed at colonizing the Italian lands.

In addition to the indegenous Italic peoples, including the Latins, other groups have left traces. Proto-Celts had yet infiltrated and settled down in the western Po Valley area in the 13th century BC. The Etruscans, despite difficulty in tracing their true origins, were mainly based in Etruria (modern Tuscany) and parts of other regions. The ancient Greeks have left genetic traces in the South dating back to the age of the Italiotes of Magna Graecia.

Although Sardinians do not constitute a homogeneous population, Sardinia has unique genetic composition, when compared to other Italian, European and Mediterranean populations.

History

The Italian people have somewhat varied European origins apart from the original Ancient Italic peoples: Northern Italy had a Celtic presence in the area the Romans would temporarily refer to as Cisalpine Gaul (until its unification with the rest of Italia); the area of which they conquered from the Etruscans, Ligurians, and from the possibly Etruscan Raeti tribe. Their ubiety lasted until the Romans conquered and colonized the area in the 2nd century BC; the central portion of the Italian peninsula was inhabited by the Etruscans and Italic people; and parts of southern Italy and Sicily were settled by Greeks (see Magna Graecia) before being colonized by the Romans.

The Romans romanized the entire peninsula and preserved common unity until the fifth century AD. In the later centuries of the Western Roman Empire, the militarily-weakened Italian peninsula was infiltered by Germanic peoples crossing the Alps, establishing settlements in north-central Italy and to a lesser degree in the south. These Germanic tribes; however, were of a notably fewer number than the existing Roman population in Italy (numbering from around five to possibly ten million Italians, while the lombard migrations for instance numbered around 200,000 ), and thus, underwent rapid Romanization.

The Byzantine Greeks were an important power in southern Italy for five centuries, fighting for supremacy first against the Ostrogoths and later against the Lombards of Benevento. Greek speakers were fairly common throughout Southern Italy and Sicily until the 11th century when Byzantine rule ended: a few small Greek-speaking communities still exist in Calabria and Apulia

In 827 AD, the island of Sicily was invaded starting a period of Arab influence in Sicily. Arabs controlled Sicily until the Norman Christians conquered much of southern Italy and all of Sicily in 1091 AD.

For almost 400 years (12th to 15th centuries) after Norman rule, Swabian (German) and Angevin (French) swapped control of regions in Italy, predominately southern Italy and Sicily. During the 11th through 16th century the majority of city-states from Northern and Central Italy remained independent, nurturing the era now known as the Renaissance. Habsburg Spain and Bourbon Spain dominated in southern Italy. From the 16th C. right through to unification, most of the Italian states were controlled by the emerging European political powers, most notably the Austrian Habsburgs, Spain, and by the 19th C., Napoleonic France.

In 1720, Sicily came under Austrian Habsburg rule and was swapped between various European powers until Giuseppe Garibaldi conquered Sicily and southern Italy, allowing for the annexation of the former Kingdom of the Two Sicilies into the new Italian state in 1860 (see Risorgimento).

Since the 19th century, the economic conditions of the agrarian southern and north-eastern regions resulted in mass migration from these regions to the Americas, industrial parts of northern Italy, and to other parts of Western Europe such as France and Belgium. By the 1970s economic conditions in the poorer regions of Italy improved to the point that even the less-developed regions of South Italy received more immigrants than it sent outwards.

Today, the population of Italy is less concentrated in large cities than in other European countries, with 67% of Italians living in a major urban area- compared to 76% of French, 88% of Germans and 90% of Britons. The vast majority of Italians live outside of the large (over 1,000,000 population) cities.

Culture

From the Lombard invasion until the mid-nineteenth century, Italy was not the nation-state it is today. The Italian regions were fractured into various kingdoms, duchies, and domains. As a result, Italian dialects or regional minority languages and customs evolved independently. While all Italian states were similar and they retained basic elements of Roman language and culture, each developed its own regional culture and identity. As a result, even to this day, Italians define themselves primarily by their home region, province or city, and many still speak a local dialect or regional language in addition to standard Italian. Regional diversity is important to many Italians, and some regions also have strong local identities.

Language

In Italy, a standardised Italian language has steadily replaced the numerous dialects and Italic languages such as Gallo-Italic, Sicilian, Venetian, Sardinian, Friulian, Ladin, Franco-Provençal and Neapolitan. The standardised Italian language originated in literature of the 12th to 15th centuries, and was based on the dialects of Tuscany, along with influences of Sicilian and Venetian. In the 19th century, Italian became more common and helped unify the country.

Some non-Italian speaking minorities live in Italy and are Italian citizens. Thousands of German Bavarian speakers remain in the extreme northern province of Bolzano-Bozen. Portions of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region have a small Slovene-speaking minority of Slavic origin. A small cluster of French-speaking people live in the region of Aosta Valley and a small Catalan-speaking enclave in Sardinia goes back five centuries after first settled by Catalans from Catalonia in Spain. In addition, two minor Italic languages are spoken outside of modern Italy—Corsican in Corsica, France and Romansh in eastern Switzerland. In Istria and Dalmatia there are significant Italian speaking communities. There are several clusters of Albanian-speaking (Arbëreshë) communities in southern Italy, the language which belong to the 15th century Skanderbegians who fled Albania. The Maltese language is also spoken.

Religion

The most common religion practised by the Italian people of Italy is Roman Catholicism. This reflects the enormous influence the Catholic Church has had over the Italian peninsula. Such influence developed gradually beginning in the first century A.D. when according to local tradition and archaeological evidence, many towns of Roman Italy were evangelized. The bishops of Rome themselves trace their lineage back to Jesus Christ's apostle Peter. Moreover, Paul the Apostle's letter to the church in Rome is even one of the canonical books of the New Testament. During intermittent persecutions by the Roman authorities, the number of Christians among the Italian population increased, but especially after Emperor Constantine granted toleration to Christianity in 313 and the Emperor Theodosius I with the Edict of Thessalonica made Catholicism the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West in 476, the bishops of Rome gradually acquired civil authority over central Italy in the Papal States, a vestige of which is preserved in the Vatican City, today an independent state within Rome. A minority of Italians belong to other Christian denominations such as Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy, or belong to other religions such as Judaism.

Arts

, one of 19th century Italy's greatest literary figures]] The people of Italy have contributed significantly to world culture and scientific, and technological, progress continuously since ancient times. In the Arts, Italy gave birth to some of the most widely known sculptors, painters, architects, and the historically remarkable movement of Renaissance. Notable examples of Italian artists include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Caravaggio. In literature, poet Dante, writer Boccaccio and playwright and novelist Pirandello made cornerstone contributions to their fields. Italian composers, such as Scarlatti, Vivaldi, Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini, contributed to the evolution of western music, in whose context Italians are credited for the creation of the opera. Some of the most famous luthiers are Italians, like Andrea Amati, Antonio Stradivari, and the Guarneri family.

Science

Famous Italian scientists include Leonardo da Vinci, who made scientific investigations into anatomy, geology, botany, mechanics, hydraulics and aerodynamics; Galileo, the first to describe the laws of movement and use explicitly the experimental method; Alessandro Volta, the inventor of the electric battery; Antonio Meucci, inventor of the telephone (though his role in the invention was long disputed in the United States); Antonio Pacinotti, inventor of the direct-current electrical generator, or dynamo, and of the electric engine; Galileo Ferraris, inventor of the alternating-current motor; Eugenio Barsanti and Felice Matteucci, who patented the first working efficient internal combustion engine; Guglielmo Marconi, the first to develop the wireless broadcasting, known as radio; Enrico Fermi the discoverer of neutron chain reaction and builder of the first atomic pile, and Giulio Natta for his research in the polymerization of alkenes.

Italian contributions to architecture and engineering are numerous since ancient times. Renowned architects include Brunelleschi, Alberti, Michelangelo, Vasari, Palladio and Bernini.

The rise of humanism and modern commerce can be attributed to conditions found in Italy during the Renaissance. This ambience also lead to the rise of the "universal man", of which Leonardo da Vinci often is considered as the prime example.

Leonardo Pisano Bigollo, also known as Fibonacci was a mathematician whose system is used in the analysis of financial markets.

Cuisine

with tomato sauce, a symbolic dish in Italian cuisine.]] The Italian people are well-known for their contribution to cuisine; several of the world's most well-known dishes, including pasta, pizza, lasagne, risotto, tiramisù, panettone and baccalà, to name a few, are Italian dishes.

Ingredients and dishes vary by region (for example in Apulia there are "taralli", "frise", "pizzarieddi and orecchiette"; in Emilia Romagna there are "ravioli"). There are many significant regional dishes that have become both national and regional. Many dishes that were once regional, however, have proliferated in different variations across the country in the present day, like "lasagne". Cheese and wine (Brunello di Montalcino is one of the best wines in the world) are also a major part of the cuisine, playing different roles both regionally and nationally with their many variations and Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) (regulated appellation) laws. Coffee, and more specifically espresso, has become highly important to the cultural cuisine of Italy.

Italian diaspora

Over 70 million people of full or partial Italian descent live outside of Europe, with nearly 50 million living in South America (primarily Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay), about 19 million living in North America (United States and Canada) and 850,000 in Australia. Millions of others live in other parts of Europe (primarily France, Germany and Switzerland). Most Italian citizens living abroad live in other nations of the European Union.

There is a history of Italians working and living outside of the Italian peninsula since ancient times. Italian bankers and traders expanded to all parts of Europe and the Mediterranean, sometimes creating outposts. In medieval times, there was a significant permanent presence in Flanders, Lyon, Paris and outposts were created throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Since the Renaissance, the services of Italian architects and artists were sought by many of Europe's royal courts, as far as Russia. This migration, though generally small in numbers, and sometimes ephemeral, pre-dates the unification of Italian states.

Italy became an important source for emigrants after about 1870. More than 10 million Italians emigrated between 1870 and 1920. In the beginning (1870–1880), the main destination of the migrants were other European countries (France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg), where most Italians worked for some time and then returned to Italy. During this time many Italians also went to the Americas, especially to Brazil, Argentina and the United States. From about 1880 until the end of the early 1900s, the main destinations for Italian immigrants were Brazil, Argentina as well as Uruguay. Smaller migration patterns of Italians went to Mexico, the United States, and Corsicans constituted a large proportion of immigrants to Puerto Rico (see Corsican immigration to Puerto Rico).

New World

is centred. Lower East Side, circa 1900]] Italian immigration to Argentina began in the nineteenth century, just after Argentina won its independence from Spain. There are many reasons explaining the Italian immigration to Argentina: Italy was enduring economic problems caused mainly by the unification of the Italian states into one nation.

Italians arrived in Australia most prominently in the decades immediately following the Second World War, and they and their descendents have had a significant impact on the culture, society and economy of Australia. Italian migration to Australia prior to the Second World War was strongly influenced by the application of Australia's White Australia Policy which favoured Northern Italian migrants over Southern Italians. The 2006 Census counted 199,124 persons who were born in Italy, and Italian is the fifth most identified ancestry in Australia with 852,418 responses, excluding interfamily marriages . Italian Australians experienced a relatively low rate of return migration to Italy.

Brazil is home to 25 million Italian Brazilians, the largest number of people with full or partial Italian ancestry outside of Italy. The country was in need of workers to embrace the vast coffee plantations, and Italian immigrants became a main source of manpower for its agriculture and industry.

A substantial influx of Italian immigrants to Canada began in the early twentieth century when over a hundred thousand Italians moved to Canada. In the post-war years (1945-early 1970s) another influx of Italians emigrated to Canada, again from the south but also from Veneto and Friuli and displaced Italians from Istria.

Starting in the late 19th century until the 1950s, the United States became a main destination for Italian immigrants, most settling originally in the New York metropolitan area, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, New Orleans and Chicago. Many Italian Americans still retain aspects of their culture. In movies that deal with cultural issues, Italian American words and lingo are sometimes spoken by the characters. Although many do not speak Italian fluently, over 1 million speak Italian at home according to the 2000 US Census.

Europe

, French emperor and general, ethnically Italian of Corsican origin, whose family was of Italian (Genoese and Tuscan) ancestry.]] In a wave of temporary Italian migration, from 1920 to the early 1970s (peaking in the periods of WWI and WWII), Italian "guest workers" went mostly to Austria, Belgium, France, West Germany, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

Italian migration into what is today France has been going on, in different migrating cycles, for centuries, beginning in prehistoric times right to the modern age. In addition, Corsica passed from the Republic of Genoa to France in 1770, and the area around Nice and Savoy from the Kingdom of Sardinia to France in 1860. Initially, Italian immigration to modern France (late 18th to the early 20th C.) came predominantly from northern Italy (Piedmont, Veneto), then from central Italy (Marche, Umbria), mostly to the bordering southeastern region of Provence. reached the country starting in the late 19th century, most of whom eventually came back to Italy after the rise of Italian Fascism. Future Fascist leader Benito Mussolini emigrated in Switzerland in 1902, only to be deported after becoming involved in the socialist movement. A new migratory wave began after 1945, favoured by the lax immigration laws then in force.

Africa

Italian communities once thrived in the former African colonies of Eritrea (50,000 Italian settlers in 1935), Somalia and Libya (150,000 Italians settled in Libya, constituting about 18% of the total population). A significant portion of the pied-noir community of French Algeria was also of Italian descent, though much of this population naturalized as French citizens, and most migrated to France after Algerian independence.

Today, there are still some Italian descendents remnant in African nations since colonial days, although most returned to Italy or moved elsewhere after the second world war. There is a significant post-colonial immigrant community, however, in South Africa.

Autochthonous communities outside Italy

In both the Slovenian and Croatian portions of Istria, as well as in the city of Rijeka (Fiume), "Italian" can refer to autochthonous speakers of the Venetian language, natives in the region since before the inception of the Venetian Republic, and also to descendants of Italians that migrated to the area in the early to mid 20th C. when it was a part of Italy. It can also refer to Istrian Slavs who adopted the Italian culture and language as they moved from rural to urban areas, or from the farms into the bourgeoisie, since the time of the Austrian Empire through to the period of annexation to Italy. In the aftermath of the Istrian exodus following the Second World War, most Italian speakers consider themselves ethnic Italian and are today located in the south and west of Istria, and number about 35,000. The number of inhabitants with Italian ancestry is likely much greater but undeterminable.

The Dalmatian cities retained their Romanic culture and language in cities such as Zadar (Zara), Split (city) (Spalato) and Dubrovnik (Ragusa). The 1816 Austro-Hungarian census registered 66,000 Italian-speaking people amongst the 301,000 inhabitants of Dalmatia, or 22% of the total Dalmatian population. Today, they number under 1,000.

In France (County of Nice, parts of Savoy), autochthonous speakers of Italian dialects (Ligurian and Piedmontese languages), are natives in the region since before annexation to France in 1860, in addition to descendants of Italians that migrated to the areas when they were part of Italian states. The number of inhabitants with Italian ancestry is generally undeterminable, and the use of French language is now ubiquitous. In addition, Corsica was a part of the Republic of Genoa until 1770 and, until recently, most Corsicans spoke the Corsican language.

In figures

Italian citizens, any ethnicity

Italian-born, any citizenship

Full or partial descent

See also

List of Sardinians

List of Sicilians

List of people from Veneto

Demography of Italy

Italian Citizenship

Anti-Italianism

European ethnic groups

Genetic history of Europe

Italian language

References

Category:Ethnic groups in Europe Category:Ethnic groups in Italy Category:Ethnic groups in Croatia Category:Ethnic groups in Slovenia *Italians Category:Italian society Category:Romance peoples

Name	Pat Cooper
Birthdate	July 31, 1929
Birthname	Pasquale Caputo
Birthplace	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor/Comedian
Yearsactive	1963–present

Pat Cooper (born July 31, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. Cooper is primarily known for his stand-up routines, where he often makes reference to his Italian heritage from Mola di Bari, Italy. He was also a frequent guest on many radio shows, most notably The Howard Stern Show in the 1980s and 1990's, and more recently, Imus in the Morning and Opie and Anthony.

Early years

Pat Cooper was born Pasquale Caputo in Brooklyn, New York. He was a twice-over high school dropout (Manual Training High School, Brooklyn). For twelve years he was a sixth generation brick layer, and also had an extremely short career as a furrier in Manhattan's Garment District. But his weekends were spent being the funny guy at neighborhood block parties or local clubs' charity events. Soon though, he was paying his dues playing comedy clubs.

Performing career

Pat's big break came in 1963 via TV's Jackie Gleason Show. From there on it was the big time, playing the top nightclubs such as the 500 Club, Latin Casino, Palumbo's, Atlantic City and Las Vegas Hotels, and Casinos. It meant appearing on the same show as Frank Sinatra, Martin and Lewis, Tony Bennett, Sergio Franchi, Sammy Davis Jr., Connie Francis, Bobby Darin, Tony Martin and many others.

On May 2, 1969, Cooper and singer Jimmy Roselli premiered in their two man show at Broadway's Palace Theatre, New York.

On radio, Pat Cooper has made memorable guest appearances on such programs as The Howard Stern Show, Bob Grant and the Opie and Anthony Show (the latter on XM Satellite Radio on April 27, 2006, October 17, 2007, April 24, 2008, March 16, 2010 and November 16, 2010).

He was an occasional contributor to Colin Quinn’s late-night TV show on Comedy Central, Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn.

Cooper commented on the subject of comedy and comedians in the 2004 TV series Comedy Central Presents: 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time and in the 2005 film The Aristocrats.

In the Summer of 2007, Cooper was a featured interview on the HBO special—Brooklyn Dodgers...Ghosts of Flatbush.

Recording career

During the 1960s Cooper recorded albums for United Artists Records including: "Our Hero", "Spaghetti Sauce and Other Delights", "You Don't Have to be Italian To Like Pat Cooper" (1967), "An Italian Wedding" and "More Saucy Stories From..." (1968). Pat Cooper's comedy albums have sold millions of copies, and have earned Pat numerous gold and platinum records.

Acting career

Cooper appears in the episode “The Friars Club” of the TV series Seinfeld; he initially supports Jerry’s membership in the Friars Club but becomes upset when Jerry mistakenly walks out with a jacket belonging to the club.

Cooper also appeared in the films Analyze This and Analyze That.

Publishing career

In November 2010, Cooper published his autobiography, "How Dare You Say How Dare Me!" with co-authors Steve Garrin and Rich Herschlag. Legendary actor and comedian Jerry Lewis wrote the foreword. The book is published by Square One Publishers.

External links

Interview with Pat Cooper

Category:American comedians Category:American stand-up comedians Category:People from Brooklyn Category:American people of Italian descent Category:1929 births Category:Living people

Imgsize	220px
Caption	Rourke at the 2009 premiere of City Island
Birth name	Philip Andre Rourke, Jr.
Birth date	September 16, 1952
Birth place	Schenectady, New York, U.S.
Other names	Sir Eddie Cook
Occupation	Actor, professional boxer, screenwriter, music supervisor
Years active	Actor (1979–present)Boxer (1991-1994)

Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. (born September 16, 1952) is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films.

During the 1980s, Rourke starred in Diner, Rumble Fish, and the erotic drama 9½ Weeks, and received critical praise for his work in Barfly and Angel Heart. In 1991, Rourke, who had trained as a boxer in his early years, left acting and became a professional boxer for a period. He had supporting roles in several later films, including The Rainmaker, Buffalo '66, The Pledge, Get Carter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Man on Fire.

In 2005, Rourke made his comeback in mainstream Hollywood circles with a lead role in Sin City, for which he won awards from the Chicago Film Critics Association, the Irish Film and Television Awards and the Online Film Critics Society. In the 2008 film The Wrestler, Rourke portrayed a past-his-prime wrestler, and garnered a 2009 Golden Globe award, a BAFTA award, and a nomination for an Academy Award.

In 2010, he appeared in the blockbusters Iron Man 2 and The Expendables.

Early life

Rourke was born Philip Andre Rourke, Jr. in Schenectady, New York He was raised Roman Catholic and still practices his faith. His father, Philip Andre Rourke, Sr., an amateur body builder, left the family when Mickey was six years old. After his parents divorced, his mother, Ann, married Eugene Addis, a Miami Beach police officer with five sons, and moved Rourke, his younger brother, and their sister to southern Florida. There, he graduated from Miami Beach Senior High School in 1971.

During his teenage years, Rourke focused his attention mainly on sports. He took up self-defense training at the Boys Club of Miami. It was there that he learned boxing skills and decided on an amateur career. At age 12, Rourke won his first boxing match as a 118-pound bantamweight (53.5 kg), fighting some of his early matches under the name Andre Rourke. He continued his boxing training at the famed 5th Street Gym, in Miami Beach, Florida, where Muhammad Ali began his career. In 1969, Rourke, then weighing 140 lbs. (63.5 kg), sparred with former World Welterweight Champion Luis Rodríguez. Rodriguez was the number one-rated middleweight boxer in the world and was training for his match with world champion Conor Scullion. Rourke boxed Scullion and claims to have received a concussion in this sparring match.

At the 1971 Florida Golden Gloves, Rourke suffered another concussion in a boxing match. After being told by doctors to take a year off and rest, Rourke temporarily retired from the ring. From 1964 to 1972, he compiled an amateur record of 20 wins, 17 by knockout and 6 defeats, which included wins over Ron Carter, Charles Gathers and Joe Riles.

Early acting roles

In 1971, as a senior at Miami Beach Senior High School, Rourke had a small acting role in the Jay W. Jensen-directed school play, The Serpent. However, Rourke's interests were geared to boxing, and he never appeared in any other school productions. Soon after he temporarily gave up boxing, a friend at the University of Miami told Rourke about a play he was directing, Deathwatch, and how the man playing the role of Green Eyes had quit. Rourke got the part and immediately became enamored with acting. Borrowing 400 dollars from his sister, he went to New York in order to take private lessons with an acting teacher from the Actors Studio, Sandra Seacat. He received critical praise for his work in Barfly as the alcoholic writer Henry Chinaski (the literary alter ego of Charles Bukowski) and in Year of the Dragon. In 1987, Rourke appeared in Angel Heart. The film was nominated for several awards. It was seen as controversial by some owing to a sex scene involving Cosby Show cast member Lisa Bonet, who won an award for her part in the film. Although some of Rourke's work was viewed as controversial in the U.S., he was well-received by European, and especially French, audiences, who loved the "rumpled, slightly dirty, sordid ... rebel persona"

Rourke's acting career eventually became overshadowed by his personal life and career decisions. Directors such as Alan Parker found it difficult to work with him. Parker stated that "working with Mickey is a nightmare. He is very dangerous on the set because you never know what he is going to do." In a documentary on the special edition DVD of Tombstone, actor Michael Biehn, who plays the part of Johnny Ringo, mentions that his role was first offered to Rourke.

Boxing career

In 1991, Rourke decided that he "…had to go back to boxing" because he felt that he "… was self-destructing … (and) had no respect for (himself as) an actor."

During his boxing career, Rourke suffered a number of injuries, including a broken nose, toe, ribs, a split tongue, and a compressed cheekbone. He also suffered from short term memory loss.

His trainer during most of his boxing career was Hells Angels member Chuck Zito. Freddie Roach also trained Rourke for seven fights. Rourke's entrance song into the ring was often Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine."

Boxing promoters said that Rourke was too old to succeed against top-level fighters. Indeed, Rourke himself admits that entering the ring was a sort of personal test: "(I) just wanted to give it a shot, test myself that way physically, while I still had time." In 1995, Rourke retired from boxing and returned to acting.

Rourke's boxing career resulted in a notable physical change in the 1990s, as his face needed reconstructive surgery in order to mend his injuries. His face was later called, "appallingly disfigured." In 2009, the actor told The Daily Mail that he had gone to "the wrong guy" for his surgery, and that his plastic surgeon had left his features "a mess."

|- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|Boxing record |- | style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|6 Wins (4 knockouts, 2 decisions), 0 Losses, 2 Draws |- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res. | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd., Time | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes |- style="text-align:center;" |style="background: #dae2f1"|Draw || 6-0-2 || align=left| Andrew Banks |Majority draw || 4 || September 8, 1994 || align=left| Davie, Florida, USA |align=left| |- style="text-align:center;" |Win || 6-0-1 || align=left| Thomas McCoy |TKO || 3 || November 20, 1993 || align=left| Hamburg, Germany || |- style="text-align:center;" |Win || 5-0-1 || align=left| Bubba Stotts |TKO || 3 || July 24, 1993 || align=left| Joplin, Missouri, USA || |- style="text-align:center;" |Win || 4-0-1 || align=left| Tom Bentley |KO || 1 || March 30, 1993 || align=left| Kansas City, Missouri, USA || |- style="text-align:center;" |Win || 3-0-1 || align=left| Terry Jesmer |Decision || 4 || December 12, 1992 || align=left| Oviedo, Spain || |- style="text-align:center;" |style="background: #dae2f1"|Draw || 2-0-1 || align=left| Francisco Harris |Majority draw || 4 || April 25, 1992 || align=left| Miami Beach, Florida, USA |align=left| |- style="text-align:center;" |Win || 2-0 || align=left| Darrell Miller |KO || 1 , 2:14 || June 23, 1991 || align=left| Tokyo, Japan || |- style="text-align:center;" |Win || 1-0 || align=left| Steve Powell |Unanimous decision || 4 || May 23, 1991 || align=left| Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA |align=left|

1990s: return to acting

In the early 1990s, Rourke was offered and declined the role of Butch Coolidge, which later became Bruce Willis' role in Pulp Fiction. After his retirement from boxing, Rourke did accept supporting roles in several 1990s films, including Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of John Grisham's The Rainmaker, Vincent Gallo's Buffalo '66, Steve Buscemi's Animal Factory, Sean Penn's The Pledge and Sylvester Stallone's remake of Get Carter. Rourke also has written several films under the name Sir Eddie Cook, including Bullet, in which he co-starred with close friend Tupac Shakur.

While Rourke was also selected for a significant role in Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line, his part ended up on the editing room floor. Rourke also played a small part in the film Thursday, in which he plays a crooked cop. He also had a lead role in 1997's Double Team, which co-starred martial arts actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. It was Rourke's first over-the-top action film role, in which he played the lead villain. During that same year, he filmed Another 9½ Weeks, a sequel to 9½ Weeks, which only received limited distribution. He ended the 1990s with the direct-to-video films Out in Fifty, Shades and television movie Shergar, about the kidnapping of Epsom Derby-winning thoroughbred racehorse Shergar. Rourke has expressed his bitterness over that period of his career, stating that he came to consider himself a "has-been" and lived for a time in "a state of shame." Christopher Heard stated that actors/musicians Tupac Shakur, Johnny Depp, Sean Penn and Brad Pitt have "…animated praise for Rourke and his work." During a roundtable session of Oscar nominated actors held by Newsweek, Brad Pitt cited Rourke as one of his early acting heroes along with Sean Penn and Gary Oldman.

Despite having withdrawn from acting at various points, and having made movies that he now sees as a creative "sell-out" (the action film Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man), Rourke has stated that "…all that I have been through…[has] made me a better, more interesting actor." Rourke's renewed interest in pursuing acting can be seen in his statement that "… my best work is still ahead of me."

Rourke had a role in the movie version of The Informers, playing Peter, an amoral former studio security guard who plots to kidnap a small child.

In 2008, Rourke played the lead in The Wrestler, winner of the Golden Lion Award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, about washed-up professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson. In regards to first reading the screenplay, he stated that he originally "didn't care for it."

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He also spoke on personal concern and hesitance of being in a movie about wrestling, for he perceived it as being "prearranged and prechoreographed." However, as he trained for the film, he developed an appreciation and respect for what real-life pro wrestlers do to prepare for the ring:

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He trained under former WWE wrestler Afa the Wild Samoan for the part, and has received a British Academy (BAFTA) award, a Golden Globe award, an Independent Spirit Award, and an Oscar nomination as Best Actor. Rourke was pessimistic about his chances to win the Oscar as he had been, in the past, very vocal against Hollywood's establishment. Rourke lost the Oscar to Sean Penn, while Penn did acknowledge Rourke in his acceptance speech.

Rourke has written or co-written six scripts: Homeboy, The Last Ride, Bullet, Killer Moon, Penance and the latest, Pain. Of these, the first three were produced as movies between 1988 and 1996.

In early 2009, Rourke developed a small feud with WWE Superstar Chris Jericho, as part of a storyline. The storyline climaxed at WrestleMania XXV, when Rourke knocked out Jericho with a left hook after Jericho won his match against Jimmy Snuka, Ricky Steamboat, and Roddy Piper, with Ric Flair in their corner.

In 2009, Rourke starred in John Rich's music video for Shuttin' Detroit Down along side of Kris Kristofferson.

In 2009, Rourke voiced protagonist US Navy SEAL Dick Marcinko in the video game Rogue Warrior. The game received very poor reviews from critics.

In 2010, Rourke played the role of the main villain Whiplash in the film Iron Man 2, in an interview with Rip It Up Magazine he revealed that he prepared for the role by visiting Russian jail inmates. He also had a supporting role playing 'Tool' in Sylvester Stallone's The Expendables.

Political views

Rourke's political views came under fire when he claimed to have donated part of his salary from the 1989 film Francesco to the Provisional Irish Republican Army. He later retracted the statement, although he has an IRA symbol tattoo.

Personal life

Rourke has dated several celebrities, including Terry Farrell and Sasha Volkova. He has been married twice. In 1981, he married Debra Feuer, whom he met on the set of Hardcase (1981) and who co-starred with him in Homeboy (1990) as his love interest. The marriage ended in 1989, with Rourke subsequently commenting that making the film 9½ Weeks "was not particularly considerate to my wife's needs." The two have remained good friends, according to an interview Feuer gave in 2009. and Rourke at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.]]Wild Orchid co-star Carré Otis was briefly a cause célèbre following the release of the film owing to rumours that she and then-lover Rourke filmed an unsimulated sex scene. Otis married Rourke on June 26, 1992. In 1994, Rourke was arrested for spousal abuse. The charges were later dropped. The couple reconciled and also starred together in Exit in Red, but their marriage ended in December 1998. In November 2007, Rourke was arrested again, this time on DUI charges in Miami Beach. It is rumoured that Rourke is now engaged to Russian model Elena Kuletskaya and that they plan to marry in 2010.

In numerous TV and print interviews, he attributes his comeback after fourteen years to weekly meetings with a psychiatrist, "Steve," and to a Catholic priest he identified as "Father Pete."

In addition to his faith and his psychiatric treatment, Rourke has publicly attributed his comeback to his dogs. was a chihuahua-terrier mix.

Rourke gave his dogs credit during his Golden Globe Best Actor acceptance speech January 11, 2009: "I'd like to thank all my dogs. The ones that are here, the ones that aren't here anymore because sometimes when a man's alone, that's all you got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me." The day of the 2009 Golden Globes show, he told Barbara Walters that "I sort of self-destructed and everything came out about fourteen years ago or so ... the wife had left, the career was over, the money was not an ounce. The dogs were there when no one else was there." Asked by Walters if he had considered suicide, he responded:

Despite being identified as "Lowjack" in the transcription above, the dog in the anecdote was apparently Beau Jack, who sired two of Rourke's later pets, Loki and her littermate Chocolate. Beau Jack died in 2002, though Rourke gave him 45 minutes of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Chocolate was the subject of a children's book, Chocolate at the Four Seasons, about his temporary stay with producer Bonnie Timmerman. Chocolate returned to Rourke and died in 2006. He has had as many as seven dogs at one time, back in 2005.

Rourke is also a motorcycle enthusiast and uses motorcycles in some of his films.

Filmography

References

External links

Dialogus.net

Category:Actors Studio alumni Category:American boxers Category:American film actors Category:American screenwriters Category:American Roman Catholics Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Golden Orange Honorary Award winners Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute alumni Category:Actors from New York Category:People from Miami, Florida Category:People from Schenectady, New York Category:1952 births Category:Living people

Jordi Caballero is an actor, dancer, choreographer and producer for stage, film, and television. Caballero received a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the 2003 Method Fest Independent Film Festival for his role as Captain Madrid in the film I Witness co-starring James Spader and Jeff Daniels. He has also been a two-time American Choreography Award nominee. As an actor, Caballero is known for portraying characters of Spanish, Italian and Euro-Mediterranean descent.

Early career

Caballero’s love for the American way led him to the U.S. to pursue a career in acting and the performing arts. He earned a BFA in acting at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. During this period, he also cultivated his evolving interests in dance/performance art including theatrical and Latin styles. It was not long after that Caballero’s multiple talents as an actor, dancer, and choreographer brought him work in television, film and stage venues.

Acting career

One of Caballero’s first major television appearances was as a love interest to the character of Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO show Sex & The City. Several roles followed on shows such as Alias, Scrubs, , The Unit, Nip/Tuck, The Shield, Entourage, Brothers & Sisters, Rules of Engagement and Justified.

The romantic comedy Snow Days starring Bernadette Peters marked the beginning of Caballero’s film career. He has brought his combination of acting and movement talents to bear in such high profile films as Alex & Emma, Rent, and .

In 2007, he was an associate producer and co-star of Valentina’s Tango, opposite celebrated tango master Guillermina Quiroga.

Dance & Choreography

Caballero has worked for musical artists such as Cher, Madonna, Tony Bennett, Macy Gray and Jane’s Addiction among many others. In 2008 he choreographed for the Return of the Spice Girls tour.

Several television shows have called on Caballero’s talents. In 2006 he performed for The 78th Annual Academy Awards. In 2006 and then 2009 he performed on Dancing with the Stars. He has also appeared as a choreographer and guest judge on Bravo’s Step It Up and Dance in 2008, and worked on for UK television.

Filmography

References

External links

Jordi Caballero at TVGuide.com

Category:American dancers Category:American film actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Participants in American reality television series

Background	solo_singer
Alias	Foxy Doll, Mity
Born	September 04, 1974
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genre	Pop, rock, R&B;, dance
Occupation	Singer, dancer, model, actress
Years active	1995–present
Label	A&M; (2004–2009)
Associated acts	Pussycat Dolls

Carmit Bachar (; born September 4, 1974) is an American singer, dancer, model and actress. She was a member of the successful pop/R&B; group, The Pussycat Dolls and one of the main vocalists of the group, along with Nicole Scherzinger and Melody Thornton. Bachar left the group in February 2008. She is currently recording her debut album with a debut solo single to be released early 2011.

Early life

Bachar was born in Los Angeles, her father is of Israeli and Indonesian descent, while her mother is of Dutch and Chinese descent. She was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. She was raised in Encino, California. Both parents were dancers; her mother worked as a dance teacher at Bancroft Middle School of Performing Arts and her father worked with Elvis Presley and Marcel Marceau. Bachar competed internationally as a rhythmic gymnast for 10 years, and placed 5th in the U.S. Olympic trials in 1992. During her career competing on the U.S. National Team, she attended Hamilton Academy of Music in Los Angeles, studying music, dance, piano and viola.

Pussycat Dolls

Bachar joined the Pussycat Dolls in 1995 while they were a burlesque show. In 2002, she brought her friend Gwen Stefani to perform at the Pussycat Dolls show. Stefani brought along Interscope's Ron Fair and Jimmy Iovine. Later, the Dolls got signed at Interscope Records.

Carmit was a member of the Pussycat Dolls longer than any other performer. Most of the current members, including lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and Melody Thornton, were cast by co-founder Robin Antin in 2002 or 2003, when the group was being transformed into pop recording artists. As with the other Dolls, she was a salaried employee of Interscope Records.

In 2006 and 2007, she toured with the Dolls in support of their multi-million selling album PCD. She was one of the three lead vocalists in the group, and had lead parts in the songs "Beep", "Buttons", "I Don't Need a Man", "Hot Stuff (I Want You Back)", "Right Now" and "Tainted Love", among others.

In February 2008, reports surfaced that she was leaving the Pussycat Dolls to pursue solo projects. On March 8, 2008, Carmit officially announced her departure from the Pussycat Dolls on the group's official website. Melody Thornton gave Bachar special thanks in the 'Thank You' section of the Pussycat Dolls' second album Doll Domination.

Solo career

Dancer/actress/solo singer

Bachar has appeared in several films, including 13 Going on 30, Along Came Polly, and 2003's featuring the Pussycat Dolls.

In 1997, Bachar was credited as a dancer in the Nickelodeon Movies film, Good Burger.

As a freelance dancer she has toured or appeared live with several rock/pop acts. In 1999 and 2000, she was the "Livin' La Vida Loca" woman in Ricky Martin's world tour. In 2003 No Doubt's world tour, and appears on stage with Gwen Stefani during "Bathwater" in No Doubt's DVD Rock Steady Live. In 2001, she was a dancer for Aaliyah's music video "Rock the Boat". In 2004 she was a back-up dancer for Janet Jackson during the infamous Super Bowl half-time show. In 2004, she was a dancer for Beyoncé's tours and appears on Her 2004 DVD Live at Wembley. She appeared in more than 21 music videos including Macy Gray's "Sexual Revolution", Jennifer Lopez's "Ain't It Funny", Wyclef Jean's "Perfect Gentleman", The Black Eyed Peas's "Shut Up", Michael Jackson's "Blood On The Dance Floor", Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat", The Offspring's "Why Don't You Get a Job?" and also Beyoncé's "Crazy in Love".

The Zodiac Show

In 2001 in Los Angeles, Bachar, Lee Cherry, Scarlett Cherry and others started an 'underground' nightclub called Freedom. This became the occasional "multi-genre cabaret" The Zodiac Party which was first held at the Hollywood Athletic Club, then The Key Club. As of 2006, Bachar is still co-producing the event, which is now called The Zodiac Show. In August 2008 it was reported that Bachar will be doing another Zodiac Show, which she described as "a rock 'n' roll version of Cirque Du Soleil". The 2008 show was a huge success, and there will be another show in early 2010. The Zodiac Show may tour outside of the USA.

Charity

It has been reported that she wishes to form a non-profit organization called "Smile With Me": "I want to have my own charity for children and adults who are born with a cleft palate. I was born with one and I want to educate and inspire people by saying that inner beauty is more important than looks."

Bachar is an ambassador of "Operation Smile", a worldwide children’s medical charity that helps improve the health and lives of children and young adults born with facial deformities. In November 2007, she participated in an Operation Smile international medical mission in Bolivia, where she and her team organized creative stations for the kids like face and body painting, bookmaking, music and dance.

Solo music

Formerly Of...

In an interview with E! from March 2008, she mentioned that she wants to release a solo album in the future. In another interview with Savvy.com she said she worked with Macy Gray and that her album will be released in 2009. In June 2008, a song called "Carmasutra" appeared on Bachar's Myspace. She confirmed in her blog that it's an older demo song. In December 2008, an unfinished version of "Overrated" was leaked. In June 2009, she performed a new song called "Fierce" in nightclubs. It was produced by Jared Lee Gosselin, and written by Carmit Bachar, Kay Cola and Che'Nelle. Other producers she worked with are among others Justin Michael, Phillipe Bianco, Leo Mellace and Steve Catizone. Bachar's album is set to be released in early or mid-2010. In the September 2009 issue of Kee Magazine, Bachar revealed that her album will be titled "Formerly Of...". It was confirmed in the same interview that "Cream" would be the first single released from the album. A music video for the song "Keep On Smiling" was shot in early April.

;Songs recorded for the album

Detroit Diamond feat. Carmit (Limited Edition EP)

On 18. March 2010, rapper Detroit Diamond released an EP which featured a track with Carmit titled "Something 'Bout You", as well as Carmit's solo songs "Fierce" and "Cream". The EP, produced by Jared Lee Gosselin, is available on HMV.com.hk and also on iTunes and Amazon as digital download.

Other appearances

Bachar is featured in the 2007 song "Lo-Down" by Storm Lee on his album Soulfillapopkilla. Meanwhile she recorded background vocals for Macy Gray's album Big. She also collaborated with Vikter Duplaix on an upcoming song of his. Carmit recorded background vocals for the new single of Macy Gray, called "Beauty in the World".

Music videos

;Solo videos {|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! style="width:220px;"|Song ! Artist ! Director |- | 2011 | "Keep On Smiling" | Carmit Bachar | Voyeur Productions |}

;Video appearances {|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! style="width:220px;"|Song ! Artist ! Role |- | 1997 | "Blood on the Dancefloor" | Michael Jackson | dancer |- | rowspan="2"| 1998 | "Too Close" | Next | dancer |- | "One Week" | Barenaked Ladies | dancer/angel |- | rowspan="6"| 1999 | "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" | The Offspring | dancer |- | "Why Don't You Get a Job?" | The Offspring | stressed wife |- | "Take Me There" | Mya feat. Blackstreet & Mase | dancer |- | "You Need a Man | Shanice | dancer |- | "Every Morning" | Sugar Ray | dancer |- | "All n My Grill" | Missy Elliott | dancer |- | rowspan="2"| 2000 | "You're an Ocean" | Fastball | dancer |- | "Bathwater" | No Doubt | dancer |- | rowspan="4"| 2001 | "Perfect Gentleman" | Wyclef Jean | dancer |- | "Ain't It Funny" | Jennifer Lopez | gypsy dancer |- | "Rock the Boat" | Aaliyah | dancer |- | "Sexual Revolution" | Macy Gray | dancer |- | 2002 | "Hey Baby" | No Doubt | dancer |- | rowspan="3"| 2003 | "Crazy In Love" | Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z | dancer |- | "Baby Boy" | Beyoncé feat. Sean Paul | dancer |- | "Shut Up" | The Black Eyed Peas | dancer |- | 2006 | "Friend" | Scarlett | herself |- | 2009 | "Snap, Crackle, Pop" | Chonique Sneed | herself |}

Tours

{|class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! style="width:220px;"|Artist ! Tour ! Notes |- | 1999, 2000 | Ricky Martin | Livin' la Vida Loca World Tour | Livin' La Vida Loca Woman |- | 2003 | No Doubt | Rock Steady Life | appeared during "Bathwater" |- | rowspan="2"| 2004 | Janet Jackson | infamous Super Bowl half-time show | Back Up Dancer |- | Beyoncé | Live at Wembley | Dancer |- | 2006, 2007 | Pussycat Dolls | PCD World Tour | Herself |}

References

External links

Official site of Carmit's charity "Smile With Me"

Zodiac Show official site

Category:1974 births Category:2000s singers Category:2010s singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American people of Indonesian descent Category:American people of Asian descent Category:American people of Chinese descent Category:American dancers Category:American dance musicians Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:American people of Israeli descent Category:American musicians of Asian descent Category:American musicians of Indonesian descent Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:People of Indo descent Category:Pussycat Dolls members Category:Indo people Category:Living people