Thespian may refer to:

An actor (of either sex)

A citizen of the ancient Greek city of Thespiae

A member of the International Thespian Society, an honor society that promotes excellence in high school theater

Name	Zack Snyder
Caption	Zack Snyder at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International
Birth date	March 01, 1966
Birth place	Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Birthname	Zachary Edward Snyder
Spouse	Deborah Snyder (September 25, 2004 – present)
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, producer and actor
Years active	1990–present

Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics miniseries of the same name, and later went on to direct the 2009 superhero film Watchmen, an adaptation of the comic book of the same name. He is the co-founder of Cruel and Unusual Films, a production company he established in 2004, alongside his wife Deborah Snyder and producing partner Wesley Coller. His most recent film was released in September 2010. He has also been hired by Warner Bros. to direct the next installment in the Superman film series, and the upcoming Sucker Punch on which he is credited as co-writer and director.

Personal life

Snyder was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and was raised in Greenwich, Connecticut. His father was an executive recruiter and his mother was a painter and a photography teacher at Daycroft School, which Snyder later attended. Zack attended Camp Owatonna in Harrison, Maine during the summer months as a child. Snyder's mother inspired him to study nude paintings a year after high school at Heatherley School of Fine Art in England, although he had already begun filmmaking. Afterward, Snyder attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (where his classmates included Michael Bay and Tarsem Singh). Snyder still lives in Pasadena with his second wife, producer Deborah Snyder, and has six children.

Career

Snyder went on to shoot, as a director and as a cinematographer, television commercials for such clients as the automobile companies Audi, BMW, Subaru and Nissan, among others. Other commercial work has been for clients including Nike, Reebok, and Gatorade.

Snyder made his feature film debut with the remake Dawn of the Dead (2004), and scored a box office hit with 300 (2007), adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics miniseries of the same name. His Warner Bros. film Watchmen was released on March 6, 2009. His follow-up project/animation debut titled was released on September 24, 2010. Zack Snyder is currently producing/co-writing/directing a film called Sucker Punch, which is scheduled for release on March 25, 2011. The film is based on a script, written by Snyder and Steve Shibuya, about an insane young woman in a mental hospital who fantasizes of escape with her fellow inmates.

He has announced that he will be directing the upcoming Superman: The Man of Steel film for Warner Bros., which will be a reboot of the franchise, and plans to write and direct a sequel to Legend of the Guardians.

300 controversy

Before the release of 300, Warner Bros. expressed concerns about the political aspects of the film's theme. Snyder relates that there was "a huge sensitivity about East versus West with the studio." Media speculation about a possible parallel between the Greco-Persian conflict and current events began in an interview with Snyder that was conducted before the Berlin Film Festival. The interviewer remarked that "everyone is sure to be translating this [film] into contemporary politics." Snyder replied that, while he was aware that people would read the film through the lens of contemporary events, no parallels between the film and the contemporary world were intended.

Style

Snyder often uses slow motion in fight scenes in his films, which Amy Nicholson of Boxoffice magazine remarked separates the director from other filmmakers who make multiple cuts and close-ups during a fight. A minute-long shot from 300 shows King Leonidas walking down as he slaughters his enemies, and the camera only dollys in and out to emphasize each kill.

Awards

Snyder's body of work has earned him a number of awards, including two Clio Awards and a Gold Lion Award for his Jeep "Frisbee" commercial. He also won an award for his humorous commercial "General's Party".

Filmography

Music videos

"Tomorrow" performed by Morrissey (1992)

"Desolation Row" performed by My Chemical Romance (2009)

References

External links

Cruel and Unusual Films – Snyder's production company

Snyder at MySpace

Zack Snyder at Believe Media

Zack Snyder Biography at Tribute.ca

Zack Snyder Directing 'Superman' at Deadline

Zack Snyder directing Superman reboot at The Hollywood Reporter

Category:1966 births Category:Advertising directors Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American screenwriters Category:Living people Category:People from Green Bay, Wisconsin Category:People from Greenwich, Connecticut

Name	Glenn Beck
Caption	Beck at the Time 100 Gala, 2010
Birth name	Glenn Edward Lee Beck
Birth date	February 10, 1964
Birth place	Everett, Washington, U.S.
Hometown	Mount Vernon, Washington
Education	Sehome High School
Nationality	American
Occupation	Political commentator, author, media proprietor, entertainer
Salary	US$ 32 million (2009–10)
Spouse	Claire (1983–1994)Tania (m. 1999)
Children	4
Website	http://www.glennbeck.com/
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
Residence	New Canaan, Connecticut
Home town	Mount Vernon, Washington

Glenn Edward Lee Beck (born February 10, 1964) is an American conservative radio and television host, author, entrepreneur and political commentator. He hosts The Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks; and also a cable news show on Fox News Channel. As an author, Beck has had six New York Times-bestselling books, with five debuting at #1. Beck is the founder and CEO of Mercury Radio Arts, a multimedia production company through which he produces content for radio, television, publishing, the stage, and the Internet.

Beck has received wealth and fame, as well as controversy and criticism. His supporters praise him as a constitutional stalwart defending traditional American values from secular progressivism, while his critics contend he promotes conspiracy theories and employs incendiary rhetoric for ratings.

Personal life

Early years

Glenn Lee Beck was born in Everett, Washington, to William and Mary Beck, who lived in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. The family later moved to Mount Vernon, Washington, where they owned and operated City Bakery in the downtown area. He is descended from German immigrants who came to the United States in the 1800s. Beck was raised as a Roman Catholic and attended Immaculate Conception Catholic School in Mount Vernon.

Glenn and his older sister moved with their mother to Sumner, Washington, attending a Jesuit school in Puyallup. On May 15, 1979, his mother drowned in Puget Sound, just west of Tacoma, Washington. A man who had taken her out in a small boat also drowned. A Tacoma police report stated that Mary Beck "appeared to be a classic drowning victim", but a Coast Guard investigator speculated that she could have intentionally jumped overboard.

After their mother's death, Beck and his older sister moved to their father's home in Bellingham, Washington, where Beck graduated from Sehome High School in June 1982. In the aftermath of his mother's death and subsequent suicide of his stepbrother, Beck has said he used "Dr. Jack Daniel's" to cope. At 18, following his high school graduation, Beck relocated to Provo, Utah, and worked at radio station KAYK. Feeling he "didn't fit in," Beck left Utah after six months, taking a job at Washington D.C.'s WPGC in February 1983. The couple divorced in 1994 amid Beck's struggles with substance abuse. A recovering alcoholic and drug addict, Beck has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

By 1994, Beck was suicidal, and imagined shooting himself to the music of his fellow Washingtonian, Kurt Cobain. Beck would later claim that he had gotten high every day for the previous 15 years, since the age of 16.

This was followed by Beck going on a "spiritual quest" where he "sought out answers in churches and bookstores." Beck would be baptized by his old friend, and current-day co-worker Pat Gray.

Beck announced in July 2010 that he had been diagnosed with macular dystrophy, saying "A couple of weeks ago I went to the doctor because of my eyes, I can't focus my eyes. He did all kinds of tests and he said, 'you have macular dystrophy ...you could go blind in the next year. Or, you might not." The disorder can make it difficult to read, drive or recognize faces.

Career

]] As an author, Beck has reached #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List in four separate categories : Hardcover Non-Fiction, Paperback Non-Fiction, and Children's Picture Books.

The Real America: Messages from the Heart and Heartland, Simon & Schuster 2003. ISBN 978-0-7434-9696-4

An Inconvenient Book: Real Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems, Simon & Schuster 2007. ISBN 978-1-4391-6857-8

The Christmas Sweater, Simon & Schuster 2008. ISBN 978-1-4165-9485-7

America's March to Socialism: Why We're One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades, 2008 (Audiobook) An Unlikely Mormon: The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck, Deseret Book 2008 (Audiobook). ISBN 978-1-59038-944-7

The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing 2009. ISBN 978-1-4169-9543-2

America's March to Socialism: Why We're One Step Closer to Giant Missile Parades Simon & Schuster Audio 2009 (Audio CD). ISBN 978-0-7435-9854-5

Glenn Beck's Common Sense: The Case Against an Out-of-Control Government, Simon & Schuster 2009. ISBN 978-1-4391-6857-8

Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government, Simon & Schuster 2009. ISBN 978-1-4165-9501-4

Idiots Unplugged, Simon & Schuster 2010 (Audio CD). ISBN 1-4423-3396-0

The Overton Window, Threshold Editions 2010. ISBN 1-4391-8430-5 Idiots Unplugged, 2010 (Audiobook) , Simon & Schuster 2010. ISBN 1-4423-3457-6.

Stage shows and speeches

In 2009, the Glenn Beck show was one of the highest rated news commentary programs on cable TV. For a Barbara Walters ABC special, Beck was selected as one of America’s "Top 10 Most Fascinating People" of 2009. In 2010, Beck was selected for the Times top 100 most influential people under the "Leaders" category.

Beck has referred to himself as an entertainer, and a "rodeo clown".

Time Magazine described Beck as "[t]he new populist superstar of Fox News" saying it is easier to see a set of attitudes rather than a specific ideology, noting his criticism of Wall Street, yet defending bonuses to AIG, as well as denouncing conspiracy theories about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) but warning against indoctrination of children by the AmeriCorps program. (Paul Krugman and Mark Potok, on the other hand, have been among those asserting that Beck helps spread "hate" by covering issues that stir up extremists.) What seems to unite Beck's disparate themes, Time argued, is a sense of siege. One of Beck's Fox News Channel colleagues Shepard Smith, has jokingly called Beck's studio the "fear chamber", with Beck countering that he preferred the term "doom room." The progressive watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting's (FAIR) Activism Director Peter Hart argues that Beck red-baits political adversaries as well as promotes a paranoid view of progressive politics. Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post has remarked that "Love him or hate him, Beck is a talented, often funny broadcaster, a recovering alcoholic with an unabashedly emotional style."

Critical biographies

In June 2010, investigative reporter Alexander Zaitchik released a critical biography titled , with a title mocking Beck's work, Common Sense. In an interview about the book, Zaitchik theorized that "Beck’s politics and his insatiable hunger for money and fame are not mutually exclusive", while stating: "Beck’s true religion is not Patriotism, Mormonism, or Conservatism. His true religion is cross-platform self-marketing ... According to Beck’s worldview, there’s no inherent contradiction between his sophisticated instinct for self-promotion, his propagandist rodeo clown act, his self-image as a media mogul, and his professed belief system. I think he actually believes that God wants him to make a ton of money and become this huge celebrity by fear mongering and generally doing whatever it takes in the media to promote right-wing causes."

In September 2010, Philadelphia Daily News reporter Will Bunch released The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama. One of Bunch's primary theses is that Beck is nothing more than a morning zoo deejay playing a fictional character as a money-making stunt.

Satire, spoof and parody of Beck

Beck has been the subject of mockery and ridicule by a number of humorists. In response to Beck's animated delivery and views, he was parodied in an impersonation by Jason Sudeikis on Saturday Night Live. The Daily Shows Jon Stewart has spoofed Beck's 9-12 project with his own "11-3 project", impersonated Beck's chalk board-related presentation style for an entire show, and quipped about Beck "finally, a guy who says what people who aren't thinking are thinking." Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report satirized Beck's "war room" by creating his own "doom bunker." Through the character Eric Cartman, South Park parodied Beck's television program and his commentary style in the episode "Dances with Smurfs". The Onion, a satirical periodical and faux news site, ran an Onion News Network video "special report" where it lamented that the "victim in a fatal car accident was tragically not Glenn Beck." Meanwhile, the Current TV cartoon SuperNews! ran an animated cartoon feature titled "The Glenn Beck Apocalypse", where Beck is confronted by Jesus Christ who rebukes him as the equivalent of "Sarah Palin farting into a balloon." Political comedian and satirist Bill Maher has mocked Beck's followers as an "army of diabetic mallwalkers", while The Buffalo Beast, named Beck the most loathsome person in America in 2010, declaring "It’s like someone found a manic, doom-prophesying hobo in a sandwich board, shaved him, shot him full of Zoloft and gave him a show."

Public disputes

Several incidents involving Beck and President Barack Obama have resulted in notable public controversy. In response to Obama's remarks on the Henry Louis Gates controversy, Beck argued that Obama has repeatedly shown "a deep-seated hatred for white people or the white culture," saying "I'm not saying he doesn't like white people. I'm saying he has a problem. This guy is, I believe, a racist." These remarks drew criticism, and resulted in a boycott promulgated by Color of Change. In 2009, the boycott resulted in at least 57 advertisers requesting their ads be removed from his programming, to avoid associating their brands with content that could be considered offensive by potential customers. He later apologized for the remarks, telling Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace that he has a "big fat mouth" and miscast as racism what is actually, as he theorizes, Obama's belief in black liberation theology.

In July 2009, Glenn Beck began to focus what would become many episodes on his TV and radio shows on Van Jones, Special Advisor for Green Jobs at Obama's White House Council on Environmental Quality. Beck was critical of Jones' involvement in STORM, a left wing non-governmental group, and his support for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, who had been convicted of killing a police officer. Beck spotlighted video of Jones referring to Republicans as "assholes", and a petition Jones signed suggesting that George W. Bush knowingly let the 9/11 attacks happen. In September 2009, Jones resigned his position in the Obama administration, after a number of his past statements became fodder for conservative critics and Republican officials. Time magazine credited Beck with leading conservatives' attack on Jones.

In 2009, Beck and other conservative commentators were critical of Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) for various reasons, including claims of voter registration fraud in the 2008 presidential election. In September 2009, he broadcast a series of heavily edited undercover videos by conservative activists James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles, which seemed to portray ACORN community organizers offering inappropriate tax advice to people who said they were engaged in illegal activities. Following the videos' release, the U.S. Census Bureau severed ties with the group while the U.S. House and Senate voted to cut all of its federal funding. Beck's lawyers argued that the site infringed on his trademarked name and that the domain name should be turned over to Beck. The WIPO ruled against Beck, but Eiland-Hall voluntarily transferred the domain to Beck anyway, saying that the First Amendment had been upheld and that he no longer had a use for the domain name.

Websites

As of 2009, GlennBeck.com was estimated to receive 5-million unique visitors per month. and Pat Gray, begun in 2010

Beck University, interactive classes offered beginning in July 2010

In August 2010, Mercury Radio Arts also launched the independent political blog, The Blaze.

See also

Beck University

Conservative talk

List of most-listened-to radio programs

References

External links

Glenn Beck's Official Website

Glenn Beck's Radio Program

Glenn Beck – The 912 Project

Glenn Beck's Common Sense Tour

Official Site at Fox News

Multimedia

A Day in the Life of Glenn Beck - photo slideshow by Time magazine

Katie Couric Interview of Glenn Beck - video by CBS News

"Brand it like Beck" - video interview by Forbes magazine

John Stossel: "Glenn Beck, Conservative Narcissist?" - video by ABC News

Glenn Beck Discusses his Mormonism - video testimonial at The Week

Category:American activists Category:American anti-communists Category:American Latter Day Saints Category:American magazine editors Category:American magazine founders Category:American political pundits Category:American political writers Category:Conspiracy theorists Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American people of German descent Category:Conservatism in the United States Category:Converts to Mormonism from Roman Catholicism Category:Environmental skepticism Category:People from Bellingham, Washington Category:People from Fairfield County, Connecticut Category:People from Mount Vernon, Washington Category:People from Seattle, Washington Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Tea Party movement Category:Writers from Washington (U.S. state) Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:Fox News Channel people

Name	Gene Simmons
Birth name	Chaim Witz [‏, ]
Stage name	Gene Simmons or The Demon
Born	August 25, 1949Haifa, Israel
Background	solo_singer
Occupation	Musician, songwriter, producer, actor, entrepreneur
Genre	Heavy metal, hard rock, glam metal
Instrument	Bass, Vocals, Guitar
Voice type	Bass
Associated acts	Kiss, Wicked Lester
Years active	1963–present
Url	Official Gene Simmons Website
Notable instruments	Cort Signature GS-1Gene Simmons Signature model}}

Gene Simmons (born August 25, 1949) is an Israeli-American rock bassist, singer-songwriter, musician, actor, and businessman. He is well known as "The Demon", the bassist in the hard rock band Kiss, a group he co-founded in the early 1970s.

Early life and career

Simmons was born Chaim Witz [‏, ] in Tirat Carmel, Haifa, Israel in 1949, and immigrated to Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City at the age of eight, with his mother Flóra Klein — a Jewish-Hungarian immigrant (who was born in Jánd, a village in Hungary). Florence and her brother, Larry Klein, were the only two members of her family to survive the Holocaust. His Hungarian-born father, Feri Witz, did not accompany them to the U.S. After arriving in the U.S., young Chaim Witz took the name Eugene Klein (later Gene Klein), Klein being his mother's maiden name. In the late 1960s, he changed his name to Gene Simmons, after legendary rockabilly performer Jumpin' Gene Simmons.

Simmons became involved with his first band, Lynx, then renamed The Missing Links, when he was a teenager. Eventually, he disbanded The Missing Links to form The Long Island Sounds, the name being a play on words relating to the estuary separating Long Island from Westchester County, New York, Connecticut and Rhode Island. While he played in these bands, he kept up odd jobs on the side to make more money, including trading used comic books. As "Gene Klein" he had become a member of science fiction fandom (coincidentally, the eye section of his "Demon" makeup with KISS would come from the wing design of comic book character Black Bolt), and during the 1966-1969 era published several science fiction fanzines; titles included Sirruish, Id, Cosmos (which eventually merged with Stilletto to become Cosmos-Stilletto and then Faun), Tinderbox, Sci-Fi Showcase, Mantis and Adventure. He also contributed to other fanzines, of which the best known is probably BeABohema.

Simmons attended Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, New York. He then joined a new band, Bullfrog Bheer, and the band recorded a demo, "Leeta"; this was later included on the Kiss box set. Simmons formed the rock band Wicked Lester in the early 1970s with Stanley Harvey Eisen (now known as Paul Stanley) and recorded one album, which was never released. Dissatisfied with Wicked Lester's sound and look, Simmons and Stanley attempted to fire their band members; they were met with resistance, and they quit Wicked Lester, walking away from their record deal with Epic Records. They decided to form the ultimate rock band, and started looking for a drummer. Simmons and Stanley found an ad placed by Peter Criscoula, known as Peter Criss, who was playing clubs in Brooklyn at the time; they joined and started out as a trio. Paul Frehley, better known as Ace Frehley, responded to an ad they put in The Village Voice for a lead guitar player, and soon joined them. Kiss released its self-titled debut album in February 1974. Stanley quickly took on the role of lead performer on stage, while Simmons became the driving force behind what became an extensive Kiss merchandising franchise. In 1983, while Kiss's fame was waning, the members took off their trademark make-up and enjoyed a resurgence in popularity that continued into the 1990s. The band hosted their own fan conventions throughout 1995, and fan feedback about the original Kiss members reunion influenced the highly successful 1996-1997 Alive Worldwide reunion tour. In 1998, the band released Psycho Circus, the first album in almost 20 years by the original line-up. Since then, the original line-up has once again dissolved, with Tommy Thayer replacing Ace Frehley on lead guitar and Eric Singer (who performed with Kiss from 1992 up through 1996) replacing Peter Criss on drums.

Equipment

Gene Simmons has used various bass guitars during his career including:

Axe Bass (Kramer or other brands, like Jackson)

Punisher Bass (Made by a lot of brands, as seen, B.C Rich or Jackson)

Spector Gene Simmons Signature

Pedulla Basses (mainly in the 1980s and early 1990s)

Gibson Grabber (mainly in Kiss' early years)

Gibson Ripper ( mainly in Kiss' early years )

Cort Guitars Signature GS-1 Bass

He uses Ampeg SVT CL Series amps with 8x10 cabinets. In 2010 Gene Simmons collaborated with Cort Guitars to make a his own signature bass line called the GS-AXE-2.

Personal life

Simmons, who has never been married, currently lives in Beverly Hills, California with longtime partner, former Playboy Playmate and actress, Shannon Tweed. They have two children: a son, Nick Simmons (born January 22, 1989), and a daughter, Sophie Simmons (born July 7, 1992). He formerly has had live-in relationships with Cher and Diana Ross. Simmons has also described himself as a supporter of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration. He supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq, writing on his website: "I'm ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn't theirs...in a country they've never been to... simply to liberate the people therein". In a follow-up, Simmons explained his position and wrote about his love and support for the United States: "I wasn't born here. But I have a love for this country and its people that knows no bounds. I will forever be grateful to America for going into World War II, when it had nothing to gain, in a country that was far away... and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps. She is alive and I am alive because of America. And, if you have a problem with America, you have a problem with me".

In a November 2010 episode of the CNN news commentary program ParkerSpitzer, Simmons stated that he regrets voting for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential election. He criticized the 2009 health care reform measure, and Simmons also remarked about Obama that he "couldn't find somebody, in retrospect, more unqualified." He said as well, "I want the government out of my life".

Controversies

In a February 4, 2002 interview on the NPR radio show Fresh Air with Terry Gross, Simmons said to Gross regarding his claim to have bedded about 4,600 women: "If you want to welcome me with open arms, I'm afraid you're also going to have to welcome me with open legs" (paraphrasing The Who's hit song "You Better You Bet"). To this Gross replied, "That's a really obnoxious thing to say." Simmons refused to grant permission to NPR to make the interview available online on the network's website. However, the interview is available online and appears in print in Gross's book All I Did Was Ask (ISBN 1-4013-0010-3). Some unauthorized transcripts are also available. NPR re-broadcast part of the interview on Fresh Air on Aug 31, 2007. Simmons's bandmate and Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley has frequently used the phrase "... welcomed us with open arms and open legs", and similar wording, in onstage patter through many years of Kiss concerts. In 2004, during an interview in Melbourne, Australia, Simmons described Islam as a "vile culture" wherein women had fewer rights than dogs. He described Islam as a threat, claiming that Muslims wanted to leave the Middle East and supplant non-Muslims in other parts of the world by force. The Muslim community took offense, with Australian Muslim of the Year, Susan Carland, asserting that Simmons' stereotyping of Muslims was inaccurate and that she never walked behind her husband as Simmons stated all Muslim women were required to do. Simmons later said on his website that he was talking specifically about Muslim extremists. In 2005, Simmons was sued by a former lover, Georgeann Walsh Ward, who alleged that she had been "defamed" in the VH1 documentary When Kiss Ruled the World, which she claimed portrayed her as an "unchaste woman" and implied that she had been merely a groupie rather than a committed girlfriend of Simmons. Ward insisted that she had been involved in an "exclusive monogamous relationship" with Simmons since before Kiss was formed. The suit was settled as of June 29, 2006. In 2010, anonymous members of the Internet forum 4chan launched a denial-of-service attack on Gene Simmons's website, effectively made the site unavailable as part of Operation Payback. When the site came back up, a threat against the attackers was posted on the website saying "First, they will be punished. Second, they might find their little butts in jail, right next to someone who's been there for years and is looking for a new girl friend [sic]." Shortly after, the website was again rendered unavailable, with 4chan users claiming responsibility. No arrests were made in the case.

Film and television work

Simmons has been the creative force behind such television projects as:

My Dad the Rock Star, a cartoon by the Canadian animation company Nelvana, about the mild mannered son of a Gene Simmons-like rock star.

Mr. Romance, a show created and hosted by Simmons on the Oxygen cable television channel.

Rock School, a reality show in which Simmons tries to make a rock band out of a group of students of Christ's Hospital School in the first season, and in the second, a group of kids from a comprehensive school in Lowestoft.

Gene Simmons Family Jewels, a reality show documenting the personal lives of Simmons, his girlfriend and his son and daughter.

On March 9, 2010, Simmons and Kiss co-founder Paul Stanley and E! Entertainment announced that they have finalized a production and development deal to create an as-yet-untitled comedic half-hour kids' television series.

Simmons appeared as a psychic working at the Mystic Journey Bookstore in Venice, California on the American hidden camera prank TV series I Get That a Lot.

Film appearances

Selected television guest appearances

{| class="wikitable" border="1" |- ! Year ! Show ! Episode ! Role ! Bandmates ! Miscellaneous |- | 1974 | The Mike Douglas Show | June 11, 1974 | Himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | Kiss' first national television appearance, performed "Firehouse" |- | 1976 | The Paul Lynde Halloween Special |October 29, 1976 |Himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | The band performed "Detroit Rock City" and "King of the Night Time World", Peter Criss performed "Beth" |- | 1985 | Miami Vice | "Prodigal Son" | Newton Blade | | |- | 1997 | Action League Now! | "Rock-A-Big-Baby" | Toy version of himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | Performed "Rock and Roll All Nite" |- | 1998 | MADtv | October 31, 1998 (#406) | Himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley. | Halloween special; performed in five sketches |- | 2001 | Family Guy | "A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas" | Animated version of himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | |- | 2002 | Family Guy | "Road to Europe" | Animated version of himself | Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley | |- | 2001 | Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? | May 27, 2001 | Himself | | Won $32,000 |- | 2002 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | September 6, 2002 | Himself | | |- | 2003 | King of the Hill | "Reborn to Be Wild" | Jessie | | |- | 2004 | Third Watch | "Higher Calling" | Donald Mann | | |- | 2004 | Third Watch | "Monsters" | Donald Mann | | |- | 2004 | Third Watch | "More Monsters" | Donald Mann | | |- | 2005 | American Idol | "Auditions: New Orleans" | Himself- guest judge | | |- | 2005 | Family Guy | "Don't Make Me Over" | Animated version of himself/ Prisoner #3 | | |- | 2005 | Mind of Mencia | Episode #1.7 | Himself | | |- | 2006 | The View | August 1, 2006 | Himself |2006 |Gene Simmons Family Jewels |- | 2007 | SpongeBob SquarePants | "The Battle of Bikini Bottom" | Sea Monster | | |- | 2007 | Shrink Rap | "Gene Simmons" | Himself | | UK's More4 show |- | 2008 | Entertainment Tonight | January 2, 2008 | Himself | | |- | 2008 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | January 18, 2008 | Himself | | |- | 2008 | Rachael Ray | March 11, 2008 | Himself | | |- | 2008 | Criss Angel Mindfreak | "Mindfreaking with the Stars" | Himself | | |- | 2008 | Ugly Betty | "The Kids Are Alright" | Himself | | |- | 2008 | Ugly Betty | "A Thousand Words by Friday" | Himself | | |- | 2008 | Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader? | Episode #3.9 | Himself | | Won $500,000 for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation charity |- | 2008 | The Celebrity Apprentice | First three episodes | Himself | | Fired in the third episode |- | 2008 | Jingles | | Celebrity judge | | Mark Burnett reality show |- 2009 Glenn Martin DDS Glenn Gary, Glenn Martin | 2009 | American Idol The magazine lasted five issues before being discontinued.

Further reading

Kiss and Make-Up, Gene Simmons (ISBN 0-609-81002-2)

Sex Money Kiss, Gene Simmons (ISBN 1-893224-86-4)

Kiss: The Early Years, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (ISBN 0-609-81028-6)

Kiss: Behind the Mask, David Leaf and Ken Sharp (ISBN 0-446-96524-6)

Ladies of the Night: A Historical and Personal Perspective on the Oldest Profession in the World, Gene Simmons (ISBN 1-59777-501-0)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1949 births Category:American baritones Category:American bloggers Category:American heavy metal bass guitarists Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American Jews Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Category:American male singers Category:American record producers Category:American rock singers Category:American voice actors Category:Children of Holocaust survivors Category:Israeli immigrants to the United States Category:Israeli Jews Category:Jewish American musicians Category:Jewish singers Category:Kiss (band) members Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:Participants in American reality television series Category:People from Staten Island Category:Science fiction fans Category:Singers from New York City Category:The Apprentice (U.S. TV series) contestants