By August of 1994, Craig Ferguson was established as one of Great Britain's leading comedians - he had just had huge success at the Edinburgh Festival. In January 1995 he moved to Los Angeles where he now works as an actor-writer-director-producer-creator.
name | Craig Ferguson |
---|---|
birth date | May 17, 1962 |
birth place | Glasgow, Scotland |
medium | Stand-up, television, film, music, books |
nationality | Scottish, American |
active | 1980–present |
genre | Observational comedy, satire/political satire/news satire |
subject | Everyday life, popular culture, self-deprecation, politics |
website | ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' |
spouse | Anne Hogarth (1983–86) (divorced)Sascha Corwin (1998–2004) (divorced) 1 childMegan Wallace-Cunningham (2008–present) 1 child |
notable work | Host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''Nigel Wick on ''The Drew Carey Show''Glaswegian in ''One Foot in the Grave''Gobber in ''How to Train Your Dragon'' }} |
Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, and producer. He is the host of ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', an Emmy Award-nominated, Peabody Award-winning late-night talk show that airs on CBS. In addition to hosting that program and performing stand-up comedy, Ferguson has written two books: ''Between the Bridge and the River'', a novel, and ''American on Purpose'', a memoir. He became a citizen of the United States in 2008.
Before his career as a late-night television host, Ferguson was best known in the United States for his role as the office boss, Nigel Wick, on ''The Drew Carey Show'' from 1996 to 2003. After that, he wrote and starred in three films, directing one of them.
His first visit to the United States was as a teenager to visit an uncle who lived on Long Island, near New York City. When he moved to New York City in 1983, he worked in construction in Harlem. Ferguson later became a bouncer at a nightclub, Save the Robots.
After a nerve-wrecking, knee-knocking first appearance, he decided to create a character that was a "parody of all the über-patriotic native folk singers who seemed to infect every public performance in Scotland." The character, "Bing Hitler" (actually coined by Capaldi as Ferguson started with the monogram of "Nico Fulton" but admittedly later stole the name for his "own nefarious ends"), premiered in Glasgow, and subsequently became a hit at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A recording of his stage act as Bing Hitler was made at Glasgow's Tron Theatre and released in the 1980s; a Bing Hitler monologue ("A Lecture for Burns Night") appears on the compilation cassette ''Honey at the Core.''
Ferguson's first television appearance was as Confidence on BBC sitcom ''Red Dwarf'' during the episode "Confidence and Paranoia".
Ferguson made his starring television debut in ''The Craig Ferguson Show'', a one-off comedy pilot for Granada Television, which co-starred Paul Whitehouse and Helen Atkinson-Wood. This was broadcast throughout the UK on 4 March 1990, but was not made into a full series.
He has also found success in musical theatre. Beginning in 1991, he appeared on stage as Brad Majors in the London production of ''The Rocky Horror Show'', alongside Anthony Head, who was playing Dr. Frank-N-Furter at the time. In 1994, Ferguson played Father MacLean in the highly controversial production of ''Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom'' at the Union Chapel in London. The same year, he appeared again at the Edinburgh Fringe, as Oscar Madison in ''The Odd Couple'', opposite Gerard Kelly as Felix and Kate Anthony as Gwendolin Pidgeon, who is now much better known as Aunty Pam in ''Coronation Street''; the play, which was relocated to 1990s Glasgow, later toured Scotland.
After enjoying success at the Edinburgh Festival, Ferguson appeared on ''Red Dwarf'', STV's ''Hogmanay Show'', his own show ''2000 Not Out'', and the 1993 ''One Foot in the Grave'' Christmas special ''One Foot in the Algarve.''
In 1993, Ferguson presented his own series on Scottish archaeology for Scottish Television entitled ''Dirt Detective.'' He travelled throughout the country examining archaeological history, including Skara Brae and Paisley Abbey.
His breakthrough in the U.S. came when he was cast on ''The Drew Carey Show'' as the title character's boss, Mr. Wick, a role that he played from 1996 to 2003. He played the role with an over-the-top posh English accent "to make up for generations of English actors doing crap Scottish accents." In his comedy special "A Wee Bit O' Revolution", he specifically called out James Doohan's portrayal of Montgomery Scott on Star Trek as the foundation of his "revenge". (At the end of one episode, though, Ferguson broke the fourth wall and began talking to the audience at home in his regular Scottish accent.) His character was memorable for his unique methods of laying employees off, almost always "firing Johnson", the most common last name of the to-be-fired workers. Even after leaving the show in 2003, he remained a recurring character on the series for the last two seasons, and was part of the 2-part series finale in 2004.
During production of ''The Drew Carey Show'', Ferguson devoted his off-time as a cast member to writing, working in his trailer on set in-between shooting his scenes. He wrote and starred in three films: ''The Big Tease'', ''Saving Grace'', and ''I'll Be There'', which he also directed and for which he won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Aspen, Dallas and Valencia film festivals. He was named Best New Director at the Napa Valley Film Festival. These were among other scripts that, "... in the great tradition of the movie business, about half a dozen that I got paid a fortune for but never got made." His other acting credits in films include ''Niagara Motel'', ''Lenny the Wonder Dog'', ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', ''Chain of Fools'', ''Born Romantic'', ''The Ugly Truth'', ''How to Train Your Dragon'', ''Kick-Ass'' and ''Winnie the Pooh''.
Ferguson has been touring the United States and Canada with a stand-up comedy show, and performed at Carnegie Hall on 23 October 2010.
''The Late Late Show'' averaged 2.0 million viewers in its 2007 season, compared with 2.5 million for ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. In April 2008, ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' beat ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' for weekly ratings (1.88 million to 1.77 million) for the first time since the two shows went head-to-head with their respective hosts.
By the end of 2009, Craig Ferguson topped Jimmy Fallon in the ratings with Ferguson getting a 1.8 rating/6 share and Fallon receiving a 1.6 rating/6 share.
Ferguson's success on the show has led at least one "television insider" to say he is the heir apparent to take over David Letterman's role as host of ''The Late Show''.
On 4 January 2009 Ferguson was a celebrity player on ''Million Dollar Password''.
thumb|272px|Ferguson in April 2008
In 2009, Ferguson made a cameo live-action appearance in the episode "We Love You, Conrad" on ''Family Guy''. Ferguson hosted the 32nd annual People's Choice Awards on 10 January 2006. ''TV Guide'' magazine printed a "Cheers" (Cheers and Jeers section) for appearing on his own show that same evening. From 2007 to 2010, Ferguson hosted the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on 4 July, broadcast nationally by CBS. Ferguson was the featured entertainer at the 26 April 2008 White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, DC.
Ferguson co-presented the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama with Brooke Shields in 2008. He has done voice work in cartoons, including being the voice of Barry's evil alter-ego in the "With Friends Like Steve's" episode of ''American Dad''; in ''Freakazoid!'' as Roddy MacStew, Freakazoid's mentor; and on ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' as the robot vampire NOS-4-A2. Most recently, he was the voice of Susan the boil on ''Futurama'', which was a parody of Scottish singer Susan Boyle. He makes stand-up appearances in Las Vegas and New York City. He headlined in the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal and in October 2008 Ferguson taped his stand up show in Boston for a Comedy Central special entitled ''A Wee Bit o' Revolution'', which aired on 22 March 2009.
British television comedy drama ''Doc Martin'' was based on a character from Ferguson's film ''Saving Grace'' – with Ferguson getting writing credits for 12 episodes. On 6 November 2009 Ferguson appeared as himself in a ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' special titled ''SpongeBob's Truth or Square''. He hosted Discovery Channel's 23rd season of ''Shark Week'' in 2010. Ferguson briefly appeared in Toby Keith's ''"Red Solo Cup"'' music video released on 10 October 2011.
Ferguson signed a deal with HarperCollins to publish his memoirs. The book, entitled ''American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot'', focuses on "how and why [he] became an American" and covers his years as a punk rocker, dancer, bouncer and construction worker as well as the rise of his career in Hollywood as an actor and comic. It went on sale 22 September 2009 in the United States. On 1 December 2010 the audiobook version was nominated for a Best Spoken Word Album Grammy.
In July 2009, Jackie Collins was a guest on ''The Late Late Show'' to promote her new book ''Married Lovers''. Collins said that a character in her book, Don Verona, was based on Ferguson because she was such a fan of him and his show.
Ferguson is also a fan of Scottish football team Partick Thistle F.C. as well as the British television show Doctor Who.
Ferguson has three tattoos: his latest, the Join, or Die political cartoon on his right forearm; a Ferguson family crest with the Latin motto ''Dulcius ex asperis'' ("Sweeter out of [or from] difficulty") on his upper right arm in honour of his father; and the Ingram family crest on his upper left arm in honour of his mother. He has often stated that his ''Join, or Die'' tattoo is to signal his patriotism.
Ferguson has two sisters (one older and one younger) and one older brother. His elder sister's name is Janice and his brother's name is Scott. His younger sister, Lynn Ferguson Tweddle, is also a successful comedienne, presenter, and actress, perhaps most widely known as the voice of Mac in the 2000 stop-motion animation film ''Chicken Run''. She is currently a writer on ''The Late Late Show''.
Ferguson has married three times and divorced twice as a result of what he describes as "relationship issues". His first marriage was to Anne Hogarth from 1983 to 1986, during which time they lived in New York. From his second marriage (to Sascha Corwin, founder and proprietor of Los Angeles' SpySchool), he has one son, Milo Hamish Ferguson, born in 2001. He and Corwin share custody of Milo, and live near each other in Los Angeles. On 21 December 2008, Ferguson married art dealer Megan Wallace-Cunningham in a private ceremony on her family's farm in Chester, Vermont. Ferguson announced 14 July 2010 on Twitter that they were expecting a child. He wrote: "Holy crackers! Mrs F is pregnant. How did that happen? ... oh yeah I know how. Another Ferguson arrives in 2011. The world trembles." The child, a boy named Liam James, was born 31 January 2011.
During 2007, Ferguson, who at the time held only British citizenship, used ''The Late Late Show'' as a forum for seeking honorary citizenship from every state in the U.S. He has received honorary citizenship from Nebraska, Arkansas, Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, New Jersey, Tennessee, South Carolina, South Dakota, Nevada, Alaska, Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Indiana, and was "commissioned" as an admiral in the tongue-in-cheek Nebraska Navy. Governors Jon Corzine (New Jersey), John Hoeven (North Dakota), Mark Sanford (South Carolina), Mike Rounds (South Dakota), Rick Perry (Texas), Sarah Palin (Alaska) and Jim Gibbons (Nevada) sent letters to him that made him an honorary citizen of their respective states. He received similar honors from various towns and cities, including Ozark, Arkansas; Hazard, Kentucky; and Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Ferguson became an American citizen on 1 February 2008 and broadcast the taking of his citizenship test as well as his swearing in on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''.
+ Film | |||
! Year | ! Title | ! Role | Notes |
1992 | ''The Bogie Man'' | ||
1998 | ''Modern Vampires'' | Richard | |
1999 | ''The Big Tease'' | Crawford Mackenzie | Writer |
2000 | Melander Stevens | ||
2000 | ''Born Romantic'' | Frankie | |
2000 | Matthew Stewart | Writer | |
2002 | ''Life Without Dick'' | Jared O'Reilly | |
2002 | ''Prendimi l'anima'' (''The Soul Keeper'') | Richard Fraser | |
2003 | Paul Kerr | Director, Writer | |
2004 | ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' | Person of Indeterminate Gender | |
2004 | ''Lenny the Wonder Dog'' | Dr. Wagner | |
2005 | Fisherman | ||
2006 | ''Niagara Motel'' | Phillie | |
2007 | Ted Truman | ||
2008 | ''Craig Ferguson: A Wee Bit O' Revolution'' | ||
2009 | Himself | ||
2010 | ''The Hero of Color City'' | ||
2010 | Gobber | Voice only | |
2010 | Himself | ||
2011 | Voice only | ||
2011 | ''Totally Framed'' | Jeffrey Stewart | |
2012 | Lord Macintosh | Voice only | |
2012 | David | Post-production | |
2014 | ''How to Train Your Dragon 2'' | Gobber | Voice only |
+Television | |||
! Year | ! Title | ! Role | Notes |
1988 | ''Red Dwarf'' | Confidence | |
1989 | ''The Big Gig'' | Himself | Regular Comic |
1993 | ''One Foot in the Grave'' | Glaswegian beach bully | Christmas Special "One foot in the Algarve" |
1994 | ''The Dirt Detective: A History of Scotland'' | Travel documentary series | Host |
1994 | ''The Ferguson Theory'' | Himself | Host |
1995–1996 | ''Maybe This Time'' | Logan McDonough | 18 episodes |
1995–1997 | ''Freakazoid!'' | Roddy MacStew | 7 episodes |
1996–2004 | ''The Drew Carey Show'' | Nigel Wick | 170 episodes |
2000 | ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command'' | NOS 4 A2 | Voice only, 5 episodes |
2005 | Oliver Davies | 1 episode | |
2005–present | ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' | Himself | Host |
2006 | ''American Dad!'' | Evil Barry | Voice only, Episode: ''With Friends Like Steve's'' |
2009 | ''Family Guy'' | Himself | Episode: ''We Love You, Conrad'' |
2009 | ''SpongeBob's Truth or Square'' | Himself | TV movie |
2010 | ''Futurama'' | Susan Boil | Episode: ''Attack of the Killer App'' |
2010 | ''Shark Week'' | Himself | Host |
2010 | ''Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon'' | Gobber | Voice only, TV short film |
Category:1962 births Category:American aviators Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American memoirists Category:American novelists Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Glasgow Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People with nocturnal enuresis Category:Scottish comedians Category:Scottish emigrants to the United States Category:Scottish memoirists Category:Scottish novelists Category:Scottish screenwriters Category:Scottish television actors Category:People from Cumbernauld Category:Actors from New York City Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California
de:Craig Ferguson es:Craig Ferguson fr:Craig Ferguson it:Craig Ferguson ja:クレイグ・ファーガソン no:Craig Ferguson pl:Craig Ferguson ru:Фергюсон, Крейг simple:Craig Ferguson fi:Craig Ferguson sv:Craig Ferguson zh:克雷格·费格斯This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
name | Chelsea Handler |
---|---|
birth name | Chelsea Joy Handler |
birth date | February 25, 1975 |
birth place | Livingston, New Jersey, U.S. |
medium | Television, stand-up, film, books, modeling |
nationality | American |
active | 1996–present |
genre | Observational comedy, news satire, blue comedy |
subject | Pop culture, celebrities, gossip |
notable work | Host of ''Chelsea Lately'' |
website | ChelseaHandler.com }} |
Chelsea Joy Handler (born February 25, 1975) is an American stand-up comedienne, humorist, television host, actress, model and best-selling author. She currently hosts the late-night talk show ''Chelsea Lately'' on the E! Cable Television Network. In 2009 she won a Bravo A-List Award. She also has her own column in ''Cosmopolitan'' and the UK celebrity magazine ''NOW''.
In 2007, Handler performed with the Hour Stand-Up Comedy Tour across the US. Her stand-up has been televised on Vh1's Love Lounge, Comedy Central's ''Premium Blend'', and HBO's broadcast of the ''Aspen Comedy Festival''. She was the host of the Fox show ''On The Lot''. The show, produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett, is a competition for aspiring filmmakers who are vying for a chance at stardom. She was replaced after one episode by former Robin & Company entertainment anchor, Adrianna Costa.
On November 15, 2010, it was announced that Handler's publishers had given her her own publishing imprint (Borderline Amazing/A Chelsea Handler Book). Handler has also signed a three book deal with the imprint, the first of which is called ''Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me'', where her coworkers and family members discuss what Handler has done, which was released in May 2011 and also hit #1.
On January 25, 2010, Handler confirmed via her late night talk-show that she had broken up with long-time boyfriend Ted Harbert who, as the CEO of Comcast Entertainment Group, oversees E! Entertainment Television. Handler began dating Harbert in 2006.
On the July 19, 2010, episode of her show, she confirmed she was dating ''Animal Planet'' star, animal handler, print model, and television producer Dave Salmoni. However, on September 2, when asked by guest Melanie Brown if she was single, Handler stated that she was.
On the April 18, 2011, episode of ''Chelsea Lately'', Handler announced to the audience that she was dating, again, and at the end of the show revealed a photo of herself and Andre Balazs at a table. When interviewed on ''E! News'' and ''Piers Morgan Tonight'' on May 10, 2011, she declined to confirm that she and Balazs were together. She also admitted to "casually" dating 50 Cent. She stated that she was respecting her current boyfriend's (Balazs) privacy because he has children. On the November 9, 2011, episode of her show, she revealed that she had broken up with Balazs.
Category:1975 births Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American Jews Category:American comedians Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television personalities Category:Living people Category:People from Livingston, New Jersey Category:Women comedians
de:Chelsea Handler es:Chelsea Handler it:Chelsea Handler nl:Chelsea Handler pl:Chelsea Handler pt:Chelsea Handler sh:Chelsea HandlerThis text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
name | Christina Applegate |
---|---|
birth date | November 25, 1971 |
birth place | Hollywood, California, U.S. |
occupation | Actress, producer |
nationality | American |
yearsactive | 1972–present |
spouse | Johnathon Schaech(m. 2001–2007; divorced) |
partner | Martyn LeNoble(2010–present) 1 child |
parents | Robert ApplegateNancy Priddy }} |
In 1986, Applegate won the role of Robin Kennedy (1986–1987), a policeman's daughter, on the police drama series ''Heart of the City''. Meanwhile, she was also seen guest starring in the sitcoms ''All is Forgiven'', ''Still the Beaver'', ''Amazing Stories'', and ''Family Ties'' episode ''Band on the Run'' (1987) as Kitten.
Applegate eventually scored her most memorable role of ditzy Kelly Bundy in Fox's comedy series, ''Married... with Children''. She portrayed her character for ten years (1987–97). While working on the series, Applegate was seen in ''Dance 'til Dawn'' (1988, NBC) and in ''Streets'' (1990), in which a teenage drug addict is stalked by a psychotic police officer. Applegate guest-starred in ''21 Jump Street'' (1988) and ''Top of the Heap'' (1991, as Kelly Bundy), and hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' (May 8, 1993) and ''MADtv'' (1996).
The character of Sue Ellen Crandell in the comedy feature ''Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead'' (1991) was Applegate's first starring role in a mainstream film. She followed it up with films such as ''Vibrations'' (1995), ''Across the Moon'' (1995), ''Wild Bill'' (1995), ''Mars Attacks!'' (1996), and ''Nowhere'' (1997). After the sitcom ''Married... with Children'' was canceled in May 1997, Applegate starred as Claudine Van Doozen in the independent feature ''Claudine's Return'' (a.k.a. ''Kiss of Fire''), was cast in the action-comedy ''The Big Hit'', and played the fiancée of a mob descendant in the Mafia satire ''Jane Austen's Mafia'' (1998).
Applegate was one of the founding members of the Pussycat Dolls, which debuted at Johnny Depp's Viper Room on the Sunset Strip in 1995. Applegate emceed for the group when they moved to The Roxy in 2002.
In 1998, NBC handed her the title role in their sitcom ''Jesse''. The series debuted in 1998, received rave reviews, and brought Applegate a People's Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV series and the TV Guide Award for Star of a New Series as well as a nomination at the Golden Globe Awards for Lead Actress in a Comedy. Though the series gained praise, it was canceled in 2000.
The new millennium saw Applegate playing the dual role of a 12th-century noblewoman, Princess Rosalind, and her 21st-century descendant, Julia Malfete, in the time-travel comedy ''Just Visiting'' (2001). After gaining wide notice for playing Cameron Diaz's level-headed best friend, Courtney Rockcliffe, in ''The Sweetest Thing'' (2002), Applegate continued to win roles in such movies as ''Heroes'' (2002), the airplane comedy ''View from the Top'' (2003), ''Wonderland'' (2003), ''Grand Theft Parsons'' (2003), ''Surviving Christmas'' (2004), and ''Employee of the Month'' (2004). Behind the screen, she was the executive producer of ''Comforters, Miserable'' (2001).
In addition to her screen work, Applegate has performed on stage in such productions as ''The Axeman's Jazz'', ''Nobody Leaves Empty Handed'', and ''The Runthrough'', as well as John Cassavetes' ''The Third Day'' (co-starring Gena Rowlands). In 2004, she debuted on the Broadway stage playing the title role of Charity Hope Valentine in a revival of the 1966 musical ''Sweet Charity''. She eventually took home the 2005 Theatre World Award and was nominated for a 2005 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
While appearing in ''Sweet Charity'', she broke her foot, and it was announced that the musical would close during previews. She persuaded the producers to rescind their decision and on April 18, 2005, she made her Broadway debut. ''Sweet Charity'' ended its Broadway run on December 31, 2005. In 2006, she appeared in an advertising campaign for Hanes titled "Look Who We've Got Our Hanes on Now". The campaign had started in 2005 but she, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Kevin Bacon were added to the ads in 2006.
In 2006, Applegate appeared in Jessica Simpson's music video "A Public Affair" alongside Eva Longoria, Ryan Seacrest, and Christina Milian.
Applegate starred in the ABC comedy ''Samantha Who?'' from October 15, 2007, until it was canceled on May 18, 2009. The series costarred Jean Smart, Jennifer Esposito, and Melissa McCarthy. The series was about a 30-year-old who, after a hit-and-run accident, develops amnesia and has to rediscover her life, her relationships and herself. Shortly after the cancellation was announced, Applegate began a campaign to get the show back into production, which was unsuccessful.
Applegate topped the list of People Magazine's ''Most Beautiful People'' in 2009.
In January 2009, Applegate appeared with her TV brother David Faustino (Bud Bundy from ''Married with Children'') in an episode of Faustino's show ''Star-ving''.
Applegate will appear in a biography of Elizabeth Montgomery, who died of colorectal cancer in 1995, of ''Bewitched'' fame in the upcoming film ''Everything Is Going to Be Just Fine'', due to be released in 2011.
She also loaned her voice to the character Catherine the Cat in the 3-D talking animal sequel ''Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore''. According to Applegate, she said it was her mother that wanted her to be involved in the film. Prior to Cats & Dogs 2, she voiced Brittany (one of the Chipettes) in ''Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel''.
Applegate is currently set to appear in NBC's upcoming comedy ''Up All Night'', playing a public relations agent, opposite Maya Rudolph and Will Arnett.
In 2008, Applegate began dating musician Martyn LeNoble. Applegate and LeNoble became engaged on Valentine's Day 2010. It will be the second marriage for both. On January 27, 2011, Applegate gave birth to their child, a daughter named Sadie Grace LeNoble.
Her close friends include Lance Bass. On July 1, 2008, her close friend and ex-boyfriend Lee Grivas was found dead of an apparent drug overdose.
Applegate is a vegetarian, and in 2007, appeared in an anti-fur ad for PETA.
In 2003, she was the spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day, which raises millions of dollars for breast cancer education and research.
Following her diagnosis with breast cancer, Applegate appeared on a television special entitled Stand Up to Cancer designed to raise funds for breast cancer research. The one hour special was broadcast on CBS, NBC, and ABC television networks on September 5, 2009.
In 2009, Applegate announced her plans to return as the ambassador for Lee National Denim Day.
In 2009, Applegate founded Right Action for Women, a charitable foundation dedicated to breast cancer screening for women, and focused on the type of MRI scan which saved her life.
+ Film | |||
Year | ! Film | ! Role | Notes |
1979 | ''Jaws of Satan'' | Kim Perry | |
1981 | ''Beatlemania (musical)#Beatlemania: The MovieBeatlemania'' || | Fan | Minor role |
1983 | ''Grace Kelly''| | Young Grace Kelly | Made-for-TV movie |
1988 | ''Dance 'til Dawn''| | Patrice Johnson | Made-for-TV movie; Starring role |
1990 | ''Streets (film)Streets'' || | Dawn | Lead role |
1991 | ''Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead''| | Sue Ellen Crandell | Lead role |
1995 | ''Vibrations''| | Anamika | Lead role |
1995 | ''Wild Bill (film)Wild Bill'' || | Lurline Newcomb | Supporting role |
1995 | ''Across the Moon''| | Kathy | Lead role |
1996 | ''Mars Attacks!''| | Sharona | Minor role |
1997 | ''Nowhere (film)Nowhere'' || | Dingbat | Supporting role |
1998 | ''Jane Austen's Mafia!''| | Diane Steen | Starring role |
1998 | ''''| | Pam Schulman | Lead role |
1998 | ''Claudine's Return''| | Claudine Van Doozen | Lead role |
1999 | ''Out in Fifty''| | Lilah | Supporting role |
2000 | ''''| | Emily | Lead role |
2001 | ''Sol Goode''| | Unknown | Uncredited |
2001 | ''Prince Charming (TV film)Prince Charming'' || | Kate | Made-for-TV movie; Lead role |
2001 | ''Just Visiting (film)Just Visiting'' || | Princess Rosaline/Julia Malfete | Lead role |
2002 | ''''| | Courtney Rockcliffe | Starring role |
2002 | ''Heroes''| | Wife | Minor role |
2003 | ''Grand Theft Parsons''| | Barbara | Starring role |
2003 | ''Wonderland (film)Wonderland'' || | Susan Launius | Minor role |
2003 | ''View from the Top''| | Christine Montgomery | Starring role |
2004 | ''Surviving Christmas''| | Alicia Valco | Starring role |
2004 | ''Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy''| | Veronica Corningstone | Starring role |
2004 | ''Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie''| | Veronica Corningstone | Starring role |
2004 | ''Employee of the Month (2004 film)Employee of the Month'' || | Sara Goodwin | Starring role |
2005 | ''Tilt-A-Whirl''| | Customer #1 | Supporting role |
2005 | ''Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas''| | Dr. Suzanne Bedford | Made-for-TV movie; Lead role |
2007 | ''Farce of the Penguins''| | Melissa (voice) | Starring role |
2008 | ''''| | Kim Powell | Supporting role |
2009 | ''Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel''| | Brittany (voice) | |
2010 | ''Going the Distance (2010 film)Going The Distance'' || | Corinne | Supporting role |
2010 | ''Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore''| | Catherine (voice) | |
2011 | ''Hall Pass (2011 film)Hall Pass'' || | Grace | |
2011 | ''Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked''| | Brittany (voice) | |
2011 | ''Everything Is Going to Be Just Fine''| | Elizabeth Montgomery | Lead role (in production) |
+ Television | ||||
Year | ! Title | ! Role | Notes | |
1972 | ''Days of Our Lives'' | Baby | ||
1981 | ''Father Murphy''| | Ada | 1 Episode | |
1984 | ''Charles in Charge''| | Stacy | 2 Episodes | |
1985 | ''Washingtoon''| | The Daughter | 1 Season; Starring role | |
1986 | ''Silver Spoons''| | Jeannie Bolens | 1 Episode: "A Family Affair" | |
1986 | ''All Is Forgiven''| | Simone | 1 Episode | |
1986 | ''Still the Beaver''| | Mandy / Wendy | 2 Episodes | |
1986 | ''Amazing Stories (TV series)Amazing Stories'' || | Holly | 1 Episode | |
1986–1987 | ''Heart of the City (TV series)Heart of the City'' || | Robin Kennedy | 1 Season; Starring role | |
1987 | ''Family Ties''| | Kitten | 1 Episode: "Band On The Run" | |
1987–1997 | ''Married... with Children''| | Kelly Bundy | 11 Seasons; Starring role | |
1988 | ''21 Jump Street''| | Tina | 1 Episode | |
1991 | ''Top of the Heap''| | Kelly Bundy | 2 Episodes | |
1993 | ''Saturday Night Live''| | Herself | Guest host: May 8, 1993 | |
1996 | ''MADtv''| | Herself | Guest host | |
1998–2000 | ''Jesse (TV series)Jesse'' || | Jesse Warner | 2 Seasons; Lead role | |
2002, 2003 | ''Friends''| | Amy Green | 2 Episodes: "The One With Rachel's Other Sister" | and "The One Where Rachel's Sister Babysits" |
2004 | ''King of the Hill''| | Colette/Attorney (voice) | 1 Episode: "My Hair Lady" | |
2005 | ''59th Tony Awards2005 Tony Awards'' || | Herself | Presenter: June 5, 2005 | |
2007 | ''61st Tony Awards2007 Tony Awards'' || | Herself | Presenter: June 10, 2007 | |
2007–2009 | ''Samantha Who?''| | Samantha Newly | 2 Seasons; Lead role | |
2008 | ''Reno 911!''| | Seemji | 1 Episode: "Did Garcia Steal Dangle's Husband?' | |
2009 | ''Star-ving''| | Herself | Episode 4: ""Married with Children"..The Movie" | |
2009 | ''Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special''| | Performer | ||
2011 | ''Up All Night (TV series)Up All Night'' || | Reagan | Lead role | |
2011 | ''So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. TV series)So You Think You Can Dance'' || | Herself | Guest judge |
Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from California Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American television actors Category:American vegetarians Category:American voice actors Category:Breast cancer survivors Category:Emmy Award winners Category:People from Hollywood Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:Pussycat Dolls members
ar:كريستينا أبلغيت bg:Кристина Апългейт ca:Christina Applegate cs:Christina Applegate da:Christina Applegate de:Christina Applegate et:Christina Applegate es:Christina Applegate eo:Christina Applegate fa:کریستینا اپلگیت fr:Christina Applegate gl:Christina Applegate hr:Christina Applegate id:Christina Applegate it:Christina Applegate he:כריסטינה אפלגייט lt:Christina Applegate hu:Christina Applegate nl:Christina Applegate ja:クリスティナ・アップルゲイト no:Christina Applegate pl:Christina Applegate pt:Christina Applegate ro:Christina Applegate ru:Эпплгэйт, Кристина simple:Christina Applegate sl:Christina Applegate sr:Кристина Еплгејт fi:Christina Applegate sv:Christina Applegate tl:Christina Applegate th:คริสตินา แอปเปิลเกต tr:Christina Applegate uk:Крістіна Епплґейт vi:Christina ApplegateThis text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
Birth name | Daniel Jacob Radcliffe |
---|---|
Birth date | July 23, 1989 |
Birth place | London, England |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1999–present |
known for | }} |
Radcliffe made his acting debut at age ten in BBC One's television movie ''David Copperfield'' (1999), followed by his film debut in 2001's ''The Tailor of Panama''. Cast as Harry at the age of eleven, Radcliffe has starred in eight ''Harry Potter'' films since 2001, with the final instalment released in July 2011. In 2007 Radcliffe began to branch out from the series, starring in the London and New York productions of the play ''Equus'', and the 2011 Broadway revival of the musical ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying''. ''The Woman in Black'' (2012) will be his first film project following the final ''Harry Potter'' movie.
Radcliffe has contributed to many charities, including Demelza House Children's Hospice and The Trevor Project. He has also made public service announcements for the latter. In 2011 the actor was awarded the Trevor Project's "Hero Award".
Following the release of the first ''Harry Potter'' movie, attending school became hard, with some students becoming hostile. Radcliffe said it was people just trying to "have a crack at the kid that plays Harry Potter" rather than jealousy. As his acting career began to consume his schedule, Radcliffe continued his education through on-set tutors. The actor admitted he was not very good at school, considered it useless, and found the work to be "really, really difficult." However, he did achieve A grades in the three Advanced levels he sat in 2006 but then decided to take a break from education and did not go to college or university. Part of the reason was he already knew he wanted to act and write. Another reason was it would be difficult to have a normal college experience. "The paparazzi, they’d love it,” he told ''Details'' magazine in 2007. "If there were any parties going on, they’d be tipped off as to where they were, and it would be all of that stuff."
The release of ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' (released as ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the United States) took place in 2001. The story follows Harry, a young boy who learns he is a wizard and is sent to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his magical education. He got a seven figure salary for the lead role but asserted that the fee was not "that important" to him. His parents chose to invest the money for him. The film broke records for opening-day sales and opening-weekend takings and became the highest-grossing film of 2001. With a total of US$974 million in ticket sales, ''Philosopher's Stone'' stands as the second most commercially successful in the series, behind the final installment. The adaptation met with strong reviews, and critics took notice of Radcliffe: "Radcliffe is the embodiment of every reader's imagination. It is wonderful to see a young hero who is so scholarly looking and filled with curiosity and who connects with very real emotions, from solemn intelligence and the delight of discovery to deep family longing," wrote Bob Graham of the ''San Francisco Chronicle''.
A year later, Radcliffe starred in ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'', the second instalment of the series. Reviewers were positive about the lead actors' performances but had polarised opinions on the movie as a whole. Stephen Hunter of the ''Washington Post'' labelled it "big, dull and empty", whereas Desson Thomson of the same publication had more positive feelings. Observing that Radcliffe and his peers had matured, ''Los Angeles Times'''s staff writer Kenneth Turan believed the novel's magic could not be successfully duplicated in the film. Nonetheless, it still managed to earn US$878 million, taking the second spot of the highest-grossing 2002 films worldwide behind ''The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers''
The 2004 release ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' marked the third in the series. While garnering the highest critical acclaim of the series and grossing US$795.6 million worldwide, the film's performance at the box office ranks the lowest in the series. Meanwhile, Radcliffe's performance was panned by critics, who found him to be "wooden", with ''New York Times'' journalist A. O. Scott writing that Watson had to carry him with her performance. Next was ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' in 2005. The film explored romantic elements, included more humour and saw Harry selected as a competitor in a dangerous multi-wizard school competition. ''Goblet of Fire'' set records for a ''Harry Potter'' opening weekend, as well as for a non-May opening weekend in the US and an opening weekend in the UK. In a 2005 interview, Radcliffe singled out the humour as being a reason for the movie's creative success.
Despite the success of the past movies, the future of the franchise was put into question as all three lead actors were unsure about signing on to continue their roles for the final two episodes. However, by 2 March 2007, Radcliffe signed for the final films, which put an end to weeks of press speculation that he would be denied the part due to his involvement in ''Equus''. Radcliffe reprised his role for the fifth time in ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' (2007), which details Harry's return to Hogwarts after his recent encounter with Lord Voldemort. It opened to positive responses from the press. IGN movie critic Steven Horn found ''Order of the Phoenix'' to be one of "those rare films that exceeds the source material" and Colin Bertram of New York's ''Daily News'' publication dubbed it the best movie in the series. Radcliffe has stated that he had formed a special bond with actor Gary Oldman while working with him on set and that director David Yates and actress Imelda Staunton made ''Order of the Phoenix'' the "most fun" film in the series to work on. His performance earned several nominations, and he picked up the 2008 National Movie Award for "Best Male Performance". As the fame of the actor and the series continued, Radcliffe and fellow ''Harry Potter'' cast members Rupert Grint and Emma Watson left imprints of their hands, feet, and wands in front of Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
On 15 July 2009, the series's sixth instalment, ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'', was released. It centres around Harry discovering an old book belonging to the Half-Blood Prince and beginning to learn more about Lord Voldemort's past. The film did considerably better than the previous movie, breaking the then-record for biggest midnight US showings, with US$22.2 million at 3,000 theatres and with US$7 million, giving the UK its biggest Wednesday ever. In its total run, ''Half-Blood Prince'' totalled in US$933 million ticket sales. The film remains one of the most positively reviewed entries within the series among film critics, who praised the film's "emotionally satisfying" story, direction, cinematography, visuals and music. At the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, Radcliffe received nominations for "Best Male Performance" and "Global Superstar".
For financial and scripting reasons, the last book was divided into two films that were shot back to back, drawing criticism from the book's fanbase. The actor defended the split, pointing out that it would have been impossible to properly adapt the final novel into a single film. He added that the last movie was going to be extremely fast-paced with a lot of action, while the first part would be far more sedate, focussing on character development. Had they combined them, those things would not have made it to the final cut. Filming lasted for a year, concluding in June 2010. On the last day of shooting, like most of the cast and crew, Radcliffe openly wept. ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1'' (2010) was released in November and grossed over US$950 million. Its most lucrative territory was the UK, where it reportedly had the highest-grossing three-day opening in history. Overseas, its earnings of US$205 million in 91 markets made it the top-grossing foreign opening for a non-summer picture. The movie received mostly favourable reviews in the media.
The final film, ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2'', was released worldwide starting on 13 July 2011 in Australia. It was named the most highly anticipated film of 2011 by Fandango users and won the National Movie Awards's "Must See Movie of the Summer" accolade. Radcliffe admitted that some people would never be able to separate him from the character but also said he is "proud to be associated with this film series forever." Despite positive feelings about the movies, he has no interest in doing more ''Harry Potter'' films. After Rowling suggested writing an eighth book, Radcliffe was asked if he would do another film; he replied: "[It is] very doubtful. I think 10 years is a long time to spend with one character." Despite devoting so much time to the series, Radcliffe has asserted that he did not miss out on a childhood like other child actors: "I’ve been given a much better perspective on life by doing ''Potter''.
At age 17, in a bid to show people he was not a kid anymore, he performed onstage in Peter Shaffer's play ''Equus'', which had not been revived since its first run in 1973. Radcliffe took on the lead role as Alan Strang, a stable boy who has an obsession with horses, at the Gielgud Theatre. The role generated significant pre-opening media interest and advance sales topped £1.7 million, as Radcliffe appeared in a nude scene. ''Equus'' opened on 27 February 2007 and ran until 9 June 2007. Radcliffe's performance received positive reviews as critics were impressed by the nuance and depth of his against-type role. Charles Spencer of ''The Daily Telegraph'' wrote that he "displays a dramatic power and an electrifying stage presence that marks a tremendous leap forward." He added: "I never thought I would find the diminutive (but perfectly formed) Radcliffe a sinister figure, but as Alan Strang, [...] there are moments when he seems genuinely scary in his rage and confusion." The production then transferred to Broadway in September 2008 with Radcliffe still in the lead role. Radcliffe stated he was nervous about repeating the role on Broadway because he considered American audiences more discerning than those in London. Radcliffe's performance was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.
After voicing a character in an episode of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' in late 2010, Radcliffe debuted as J. Pierrepont Finch in the 2011 Broadway revival ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'', a role previously held by Broadway veterans Robert Morse and Matthew Broderick. Other cast members included Rose Hemingway and Mary Faber. Both the actor and production received favourable reviews, with the latter receiving 9 Tony Award nominations. His first post-''Harry Potter'' project will be the 2012 supernatural thriller ''The Woman in Black'', which is adapted from the 1983 novel by Susan Hill and set for a February release in the UK. Radcliffe portrays a man sent to deal with the legal matters of a mysterious woman who has just died. Soon after, he begins to experience strange events and hauntings from the ghost of a woman dressed in black. He said he was "incredibly excited" to be part of the film and described the script as "beautifully written". ''Variety'' confirmed Radcliffe will star in the indie comedy ''The Amateur Photographer'', a film adaptation of the book of the same name, directed by Christopher Monger. Set in 1970, it follows a man (Radcliffe) who discovers his calling after being drafted by the residents of a small England mill town to serve as a photographer for their most personal moments.
Radcliffe is a supporter of the Liberal Democrats. He has voiced support for the political party's Nick Clegg and pledged to spend more time in the UK to help increase his profile to a younger audience. At the age of 16, Radcliffe became the youngest non-royal ever to have an individual portrait in Britain's National Portrait Gallery. On 13 April 2006, his portrait, drawn by Stuart Pearson Wright, was unveiled as part of a new exhibition opening at the Royal National Theatre, then moved to NPG where it resides.
He is a fan of underground and punk rock music, and is a keen follower of cricket, including cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. Writing short stories and poetry is also a passion. In November 2007, the actor published several poems under the pen name Jacob Gershona combination of his middle name and the Jewish version of his mother's maiden name Gresham in ''Rubbish'', an underground fashion magazine. He enjoys a close friendship with his fellow ''Harry Potter'' co-stars Emma Watson and Tom Felton and is tight-knit with his family, whom he credits for keeping him grounded.
Speaking out against homophobia, Radcliffe filmed public service announcements for The Trevor Project promoting awareness of gay teen suicide prevention beginning in 2009. He first learned of the organisation while working on ''Equus'' on Broadway in 2008 and has contributed financially to it. "I have always hated anybody who is not tolerant of gay men or lesbians or bisexuals. Now I am in the very fortunate position where I can actually help or do something about it," he said in a 2010 interview. In the same interview, he spoke of the importance of public figures advocating for equal rights. Radcliffe considers his involvement to be one of the most important things in his career. For his work for the organisation, he was given the "Hero Award" in 2011.
Radcliffe has supported various charities. He designed a Cu-Bed for Habitat's VIP Kids range, and all the royalties from the sale of the bed went directly to his favourite charity, Demelza House Children's Hospice, in Sittingbourne, Kent. Radcliffe has urged his fans to make donations in lieu of Christmas presents to him to that charity's Candle for Care program. In 2008, he was among several celebrities to donate their old eyeglasses to an exhibit honouring victims of the Holocaust. During the Broadway run of ''Equus'', the actor also auctioned off a pair of jeans he wore in the show for several thousand dollars. He has also donated money to Get Connected UK, a London-based free confidential national helpline for troubled youth.
He is reported to have earned £1 million for the first ''Potter'' film and around £15 million for the sixth movie. Radcliffe appeared on the ''Sunday Times'' Rich List in 2006, which estimated his personal fortune to be £14 million, making him one of the richest young people in the UK. In March 2009, he was ranked number one on the ''Forbes'' list of "Most Valuable Young Stars". By April, ''The Daily Telegraph'' measured his net worth at £30m, making him the 12th richest young person in the UK. According to the publication, he is expected to have amassed £70m by the time the series of movies concludes. Radcliffe was considered to be the richest teenager in England as of June 2009. In February 2010, he was named the sixth highest paid Hollywood male star and placed at number five on ''Forbes''s December list of Hollywood's highest-grossing actors, with the revenue of US$780 million thanks to one movie released that year: ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows''. The actor was reported in 2010 to have personal assets of £28.5 million, making him richer than Princes William and Harry. Despite his wealth, Radcliffe has said he does not have expensive tastes. His main expense is buying books: "I read a lot." He also stated that money would never be the focus of his life.
! Year | ! Title | ! Role | Notes |
2001 | ''The Tailor of Panama'' | Mark Pendel | |
2001 | Released as ''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'' in the US and India | ||
2002 | Harry Potter | ||
2004 | Harry Potter | ||
2005 | Harry Potter | ||
2007 | Harry Potter | ||
2007 | ''December Boys'' | Maps | |
2009 | Harry Potter | ||
2010 | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1'' | Harry Potter | |
2011 | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2'' | Harry Potter | |
2012 | Arthur Kipps | Post-production |
! Year | ! Title | ! Role | Notes |
1999 | young David Copperfield | Television film shown on BBC One | |
2005 | ''Foley and McColl: This Way Up'' | Traffic Warden/Himself | |
2006 | Boy Scout/Himself | ||
2007 | Jack Kipling | Television film shown on ITV | |
2010 | ''The Simpsons'' | Edmund | "Treehouse of Horror XXI", voice part |
2010 | Himself | BBC comedy panel game television program |
! Year | ! Title | ! Role | Notes |
2002 | ''The Play What I Wrote'' | Guest | Wyndham's Theatre |
2007 | Alan Strang | Gielgud Theatre | |
2008 | ''Equus'' | Alan Strang | Broadhurst Theatre |
2011 | ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' | J. Pierrepont Finch | Al Hirschfeld Theatre |
! Year !! Organisation !! Award !! Work !! Result | ||||
2001 | Best Young Performer | |||
2001 | Hollywood Women's Press Club | Male Youth Discovery of the Year | ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' | |
2001 | MTV Movie Awards | ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' | ||
2001 | Young Artist Awards | Best Ensemble in a Feature Film (shared with the movies cast) | ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' | |
2002 | Bravo Silver Otto | Best Male Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'' | |
2003 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Young Actor | ||
2003 | Bravo Silver Otto | Best Male Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' | |
2003 | SyFy Portal Genre Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' | |
2003 | Portal Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'' | |
2004 | Bravo Bronze Otto | Best Male Actor | ||
2004 | ITV Celebrity Awards | Young Talent of the Year | ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' | |
2005 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' | |
2005 | Portal Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'' | |
2006 | Bravo Golden Otto | Male Film Star | ||
2006 | MTV Movie Awards | ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' | ||
2006 | MTV Movie Awards | ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' | ||
2006 | Portal Awards | Best Actor/Movie | ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' | |
2006 | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' | |
2007 | Scream Awards | Fantasy Hero | ||
2007 | National Movie Awards | Best Male Performance | ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' | |
2008 | Empire Award | Best Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' | |
2008 | Bravo Golden Otto | Best Male Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' | |
2008 | MTV Movie Awards | ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' | ||
2008 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' | |
2008 | Theatregoers' Choice Awards | Dewynters London Newcomer of the Year | ||
2009 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Leading Actor in a Broadway Play | ||
2009 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Breakthrough Performance | ''Equus'' | |
2009 | Drama Desk Awards | ''Equus'' | ||
2009 | Drama League Award | Distinguished Performance Award | ''Equus'' | |
2009 | Scream Awards | Best Fantasy Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' | |
2010 | National Movie Awards | Best Performance | ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' | |
2010 | Portal Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' | |
2010 | Iconic Movie Star | |||
2010 | People's Choice Awards | Best On-Screen Team (shared with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) | ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' | |
2010 | MTV Movie Award | Best Male Performance | ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' | |
2010 | MTV Movie Award | Global Superstar | ||
2011 | National Movie Awards | Performance Of The Year | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' | |
2011 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Actor in a Broadway Play | ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' | |
2011 | Broadway.com Audience Award | Favorite Onstage Pair (with John Larroquette) | ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' | |
2011 | Drama Desk Award | ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' | ||
2011 | Outer Critic's Circle Award | Outstanding Actor In A Musical | ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' | |
2011 | BroadwayWorld.com | Best Leading Actor in a Musical | ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | |
2011 | MTV Movie Award | Best Kiss (shared with Emma Watson) | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' | |
2011 | MTV Movie Award | Best Fight (shared with Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' | |
2011 | MTV Movie Award | Best Male Performance | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' | |
2011 | Trevor Project | Trevor Hero Award | ||
2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' | |
2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Liplock (shared with Emma Watson) | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' | |
2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Summer Movie Star: Male | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2'' | |
2011 | Do Something Awards | Movie Star | ||
2011 | Portal Awards | Best Young Actor | ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1'' |
Category:1989 births Category:English atheists Category:English child actors Category:English film actors Category:English Jews Category:English people of Northern Ireland descent Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:Jewish actors Category:Jewish atheists Category:Living people Category:Actors from London Category:Old Citizens (City of London School) Category:People from Hammersmith Category:LGBT rights activists from England
af:Daniel Radcliffe als:Daniel Radcliffe ar:دانيال رادكليف bn:ড্যানিয়েল র্যাডক্লিফ bs:Daniel Radcliffe bg:Даниъл Радклиф ca:Daniel Radcliffe cs:Daniel Radcliffe cy:Daniel Radcliffe da:Daniel Radcliffe de:Daniel Radcliffe dv:ޑެނިއެލް ރެޑްކްލިފް et:Daniel Radcliffe es:Daniel Radcliffe eo:Daniel Radcliffe eu:Daniel Radcliffe fa:دنیل ردکلیف fr:Daniel Radcliffe ga:Daniel Radcliffe gl:Daniel Radcliffe ko:대니얼 래드클리프 hi:डैनियल रैड्क्लिफ़ hr:Daniel Radcliffe io:Daniel Radcliffe id:Daniel Radcliffe is:Daniel Radcliffe it:Daniel Radcliffe he:דניאל רדקליף jv:Daniel Radcliffe kn:ಡೇನಿಯಲ್ ರಾಡ್ಕ್ಲಿಫ್ ka:დენიელ რედკლიფი la:Daniel Radcliffe lv:Daniels Redklifs lb:Daniel Radcliffe lt:Daniel Radcliffe hu:Daniel Radcliffe mk:Даниел Редклиф mr:डॅनियेल जेकब रॅडक्लिफ ms:Daniel Radcliffe mn:Дэниэл Редклифф nah:Daniel Radcliffe nl:Daniel Radcliffe ja:ダニエル・ラドクリフ no:Daniel Radcliffe pl:Daniel Radcliffe pt:Daniel Radcliffe ro:Daniel Radcliffe qu:Daniel Radcliffe ru:Рэдклифф, Дэниэл sq:Daniel Radcliffe simple:Daniel Radcliffe sk:Daniel Radcliffe sl:Daniel Radcliffe sr:Данијел Радклиф fi:Daniel Radcliffe sv:Daniel Radcliffe tl:Daniel Radcliffe ta:டேனியல் ராட்க்ளிஃப் tt:Дэниел Редклифф th:แดเนียล แรดคลิฟฟ์ tr:Daniel Radcliffe uk:Деніел Редкліфф vi:Daniel Radcliffe bat-smg:Danielios Redklėfs zh:丹尼尔·拉德克利夫
This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
Name | "Weird Al" Yankovic |
---|---|
Background | solo_singer |
Birth name | Alfred Matthew Yankovic |
Alias | "Weird Al" Yankovic |
Birth date | October 23, 1959 |
Origin | Lynwood, California, U.S. |
Instrument | Vocals, accordion, keyboards |
Occupation | Record producer, satirist, parodist, singer-songwriter, musician, director, producer, actor |
Years active | 1976–present |
Genre | Parody, comedy, polka |
Religion | Christianity |
Label | Capitol, Scotti Brothers, Volcano |
Associated acts | Dr. Demento |
Website | www.weirdal.com }} |
Yankovic's success comes in part from his effective use of music video to further parody popular culture, the song's original artist, and the original music videos themselves, scene-for-scene in some cases. He directed later videos himself and went on to direct for other artists including Ben Folds, Hanson, Black Crowes, and The Presidents of the United States of America. In addition to recording his albums, Yankovic wrote and starred in the film, ''UHF'', and television show, ''The Weird Al Show''. He has also made guest appearances on many television shows, in addition to starring in ''Al TV'' specials on MTV.
Al's first accordion lesson, which sparked his career in music, was on the day before his sixth birthday. A door-to-door salesman traveling through Lynwood offered the Yankovic parents a choice of accordion or guitar lessons at a local music school. Yankovic claims the reason his parents chose accordion over guitar was "They figured there should be at least one more accordion-playing Yankovic in the world," referring to Frankie Yankovic, to whom he is not related directly. Also, Yankovic said, that "[his] parents chose the accordion because they were convinced it would revolutionize rock." He continued lessons at the school for three years before continuing to learn on his own. Yankovic's early accordion role models include Frankie Yankovic and Myron Floren (the accordionist on ''The Lawrence Welk Show''). In the 1970s, Yankovic was a big fan of Elton John and claims John's ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' album "was partly how I learned to play rock 'n roll on the accordion." As for his influences in comedic and parody music, Yankovic lists artists including Tom Lehrer, Stan Freberg, Spike Jones, Allan Sherman, Shel Silverstein and Frank Zappa "and all the other wonderfully sick and twisted artists that he was exposed to through the ''Dr. Demento Radio Show''." Other sources of inspiration for his comedy come from ''Mad'' magazine, Monty Python, and the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker parody movies.
Yankovic began kindergarten a year earlier than most children, and he skipped the second grade. "My classmates seemed to think I was some kind of rocket scientist so I was labeled a nerd early on," he recalls. As his unusual schooling left him two years younger than most of his classmates, Yankovic was not interested in sports or social events at school. He was a straight-A student throughout high school, which earned him the honor of becoming valedictorian of his senior class. Yankovic was active in his school's extracurricular programs, including the National Forensic League, a play based upon ''Rebel Without a Cause'', the yearbook (for which he wrote most of the captions), and the Volcano Worshippers club, "which did absolutely nothing. We started the club just to get an extra picture of ourselves in the yearbook."
Yankovic went on to California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo where he earned a degree in architecture.
During Yankovic's sophomore year as an architecture student at Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo, he became a disc jockey at the university's radio station, KCPR. Yankovic said he had been nicknamed ''Weird Al'' by fellow students and "took it on professionally" as his persona for the station. In 1978, he released his first recording (as Alfred Yankovic), "Take Me Down", on the LP, ''Slo Grown'', as a benefit for the Economic Opportunity Commission of San Luis Obispo County. The song mocked famous nearby landmarks such as the fountain toilets at the Madonna Inn.
In mid-1979, shortly before his senior year, "My Sharona" by The Knack was on the charts and Yankovic took his accordion into the restroom across the hall from the radio station (to take advantage of the echo chamber acoustics) and recorded a parody titled "My Bologna". He sent it to Dr. Demento, who played it to good response from listeners. Yankovic met The Knack after a show at his college and introduced himself as the author of "My Bologna". The Knack's lead singer, Doug Fieger, said he liked the song and suggested that Capitol Records vice president Rupert Perry release it as a single. "My Bologna" was released as a single with "School Cafeteria" as its B-side, and the label gave Yankovic a six-month recording contract. Yankovic, who was "only getting average grades" in his architecture degree, began to realize that he might make a career of comedic music.
On September 14, 1980, Yankovic was a guest on the ''Dr. Demento Show'', where he was to record a new parody live. The song was called "Another One Rides the Bus", a parody of Queen's hit, "Another One Bites the Dust". While practicing the song outside the sound booth, he met Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, who told him he was a drummer and agreed to bang on Yankovic's accordion case to help Yankovic keep a steady beat during the song. They rehearsed the song just a few times before the show began. "Another One Rides the Bus" became so popular that Yankovic's first television appearance was a performance of the song on ''The Tomorrow Show'' (April 21, 1981) with Tom Snyder. On the show, Yankovic played his accordion, and again, Schwartz banged on the accordion case and provided comical sound effects.
Yankovic recorded "I Love Rocky Road", (a parody of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" as recorded by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts) which was produced by Rick Derringer, in 1982. The song was a hit on Top 40 radio, leading to Yankovic's signing with Scotti Brothers Records. In 1983, Yankovic's first self-titled album was released on Scotti Bros. He released his second album ''"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D'' in 1984. The first single "Eat It", a parody of the Michael Jackson song "Beat It", became popular, thanks in part to the music video, a shot-for-shot parody of Jackson's "Beat It" music video, and what Yankovic described as his "uncanny resemblance" to Jackson. Peaking at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1984, "Eat It" remained Yankovic's highest-charting single until "White & Nerdy" placed at number 9 in October 2006.
In 1985, Yankovic co-wrote and starred in a mockumentary of his own life entitled ''The Compleat Al'', which intertwined the facts of his life up to that point with fiction. The movie also featured some clips from Yankovic's trip to Japan and some clips from the ''Al TV'' specials. ''The Compleat Al'' was co-directed by Jay Levey, who would direct ''UHF'' four years later. Also released around the same time as ''The Compleat Al'' was ''The Authorized Al'', a biographical book based on the film. The book, resembling a scrapbook, included real and fictional humorous photographs and documents.
Yankovic and his band toured as the opening act for The Monkees in mid-1987 for their second reunion tour of North America. Yankovic claims to have enjoyed touring with The Monkees, despite the fact "the promoter gypped us out of a bunch of money."
Yankovic also appeared on the Wendy Carlos recording of Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" as the narrator in 1988. The album also included a sequel of Camille Saint-Saëns's composition The Carnival of the Animals entitled the "Carnival of the Animals Part II", with Yankovic providing humorous poems for each of the featured creatures in the style of Ogden Nash, who had written humorous poems for the original. Rubén Valtierra joined the band on keyboards in 1991, allowing Yankovic to concentrate more on singing and increasing his use of the stage space during concerts.
A factual biographical booklet of Yankovic's life, written by Dr. Demento, was released with the 1994 box set compilation ''Permanent Record: Al in the Box''. The Dr. Demento Society, which issues yearly Christmas re-releases of material from Dr. Demento's Basement Tapes, often includes unreleased tracks from Yankovic's vaults, such as "Pacman", "It's Still Billy Joel To Me" or the live version of "School Cafeteria".
On January 24, 1998, Yankovic had LASIK eye surgery to correct his extreme myopia. In the same period, he shaved off his moustache and grew out his hair, thus radically changing his signature look (he had previously shaved his mustache in 1983 for the video of "Ricky" to resemble Desi Arnaz and 1996 for the "Amish Paradise" video). Yankovic reasoned, "If Madonna's allowed to reinvent herself every 15 minutes, I figure I should be good for a change at least once every 20 years." He parodied the reaction to this "new look" in a commercial for his nonexistent ''MTV Unplugged'' special. The commercial featured Yankovic in the short-haired wig from the music video for Hanson's "River", claiming his new look was an attempt to "get back to the core of what I'm all about", that being "the music".
Three of his latest albums feature the longest songs Yankovic has ever released. The "Albuquerque" track from ''Running with Scissors'' is 11 minutes and 25 seconds; "Genius in France" from ''Poodle Hat'' runs for 8 minutes and 56 seconds; "Trapped in the Drive-Thru" from ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' is 10 minutes and 53 seconds long. Before 2007 (apart from a one-off performance of "Albuquerque" in Albuquerque, New Mexico), these "epic" songs were not performed live in their entirety due to their length and complexity. ''(See Live performances for details)''
Yankovic has also started to explore digital distribution of his songs. On October 7, 2008, Yankovic released to the iTunes Store "Whatever You Like", a parody of the T.I. song of the same title, which Yankovic said he had come up with two weeks before. Yankovic said that the benefit of digital distribution is that "I don't have to wait around while my songs get old and dated—I can get them out on the Internet almost immediately." In 2009, Yankovic released four more songs: "Craigslist" on June 16, "Skipper Dan" on July 14, "CNR" on August 4, and "Ringtone" on August 25. These five digitally released songs were packaged as a digital EP titled ''Internet Leaks'', with "Whatever You Like" retroactively included in the set.
In 2011, Yankovic completed his thirteenth studio album. This album, titled ''Alpocalypse'', is his first studio album since ''Straight Outta Lynwood'', and was released on June 21, 2011. The album contains the five songs from the previous ''Internet Leaks'' digital download release, a polka medley called "Polka Face", a song called "TMZ" for which Bill Plympton created an animated music video, and five other new songs.
Yankovic had reported an interest in parodying Lady Gaga's material, and on April 20 announced that he had written and recorded a parody of "Born This Way" entitled "Perform This Way", to be the lead single for his new album. However, upon first submitting it to Lady Gaga's manager for approval (which Yankovic does as a courtesy), he was not given permission to release it commercially. As he had previously done under similar circumstances (with his parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful"), Yankovic then released the song for free on the internet. Soon afterwards, Gaga's manager admitted that he had denied the parody of his own accord without forwarding the song to his client, and upon seeing it online, Lady Gaga granted permission for the parody. Yankovic has stated that all of his proceeds from the parody and its music video will be donated to the Human Rights Campaign, to support the human rights themes of the original song.
Yankovic was also a judge for the 10th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.
Yankovic changed his diet to become a vegan in 1992, after a former girlfriend gave him the book ''Diet for a New America'' and he felt "it made [...] a very compelling argument for a strict vegetarian diet." When asked how he can "rationalize" performing at events such as the ''Great American Rib Cook-Off'' when he is a vegan, he replied "The same way I can rationalize playing at a college even though I’m not a student anymore."
In 2004, Yankovic's parents were found dead in their Fallbrook, California, home, apparently the victims of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from their fireplace that had been recently lit. The flue was closed, which trapped the carbon monoxide gas inside the house, suffocating them. Several hours after his wife notified him of his parents' death, Yankovic went on with his concert in Mankato, Minnesota, saying that "since my music had helped many of my fans through tough times, maybe it would work for me as well" and that it would "at least ... give me a break from sobbing all the time." Although Yankovic played the concert as planned, a scheduled meet and greet following the concert was canceled.
Although many of Yankovic's songs are parodies of contemporary radio hits, it is rare that the song's primary topic lampoons the original artist as a person, or the song itself. Most Yankovic songs consist of the original song's music, with a separate, unrelated set of amusing lyrics. Yankovic considered that his first true satirical song was "Smells Like Nirvana", which references unintelligible lyrics in Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Other satirical songs include "Achy Breaky Song", which refers to the song "Achy Breaky Heart", "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long", which refers to the repetitious lyrics in "Got My Mind Set on You", the unreleased "It's Still Billy Joel to Me", and Perform This Way", set to Lady Gaga's "Born This Way".
Yankovic's humor normally lies more in creating unexpected incongruity between an artist's image and the topic of the song, contrasting the style of the song with its content (such as the songs "Amish Paradise", "White & Nerdy", and "You're Pitiful"), or in pointing out trends or works which have become pop culture clichés (such as "eBay" and "Don't Download This Song").
Yankovic is the sole writer for all his songs and, for "legal and personal reasons", does not accept parody submissions or ideas from fans. There exists, however, one exception to this rule in the case of "Like a Surgeon". Madonna was reportedly talking with a friend and happened to wonder aloud when Yankovic was going to turn her "Like a Virgin" into "Like a Surgeon". Madonna's friend was a mutual friend of Yankovic's manager, Jay Levey, and eventually Yankovic himself heard the story from Levey.
Unlike other parody artists such as Allan Sherman, Yankovic strives to keep the backing music in his parodies the same as the original. While Sherman reproduced them orchestrally, Yankovic and his band essentially play the original song with new lyrics. Instead of using instrumental versions of the original songs, Yankovic and his band transcribe the original song by ear and re-record the song for Yankovic's parody version.
In addition to his parodies, Yankovic also includes a medley of various songs on most albums, each one reinterpreted as a polka, with the choruses or memorable lines of various songs juxtaposed for humorous effect. Yankovic has been known to say that converting these songs to polka was "...the way God intended." Because the polkas have become a staple of Yankovic's albums, he has said he tries to include one on each album because "fans would be rioting in the streets, I think, if I didn't do a polka medley."
Some of Yankovic's original songs are "style parodies" for which he chooses a band's entire body of work to honor/parody, rather than any single hit by that band. Such bands include Rage Against the Machine with "I'll Sue Ya" (which features many aspects of the hit song "Killing in the Name"), Devo with "Dare to Be Stupid", Talking Heads with "Dog Eat Dog", Frank Zappa with "Genius in France", Nine Inch Nails with "Germs", and Queen with "Ringtone". Others are style parodies in the style of a genre of music, rather than a specific band (for example, country music with "Good Enough For Now" and charity records with "Don't Download This Song").
Yankovic has contributed original songs to several films ("This Is the Life" from ''Johnny Dangerously''; "Polkamon" from the movie ''Pokémon: The Movie 2000'', and a parody of the James Bond title sequence in ''Spy Hard''), in addition to his own film, ''UHF''. Other songs of his have appeared in films or television series as well, such as "Dare to Be Stupid" in ''The Transformers: The Movie''.
One of Yankovic's recurring jokes involves the number 27. It is mentioned in the lyrics of several songs, and seen on the covers for ''Running With Scissors'', ''Poodle Hat'' and ''Straight Outta Lynwood''. Yankovic had originally just pulled the number 27 as a random figure to use in filling out lyrics, but as his fans started to notice the reuse of the number after the first few times, Yankovic began to purposely drop references to 27 within his lyrics, videos, and album covers. Yankovic explains that "It's just a number I started using that people started attaching a lot of importance to." Other recurring jokes revolve around the names Bob (the ''Al TV'' interviews often mention the name), Frank (e.g. "Frank's 2000" TV"), and the surname "Finkelstein" (e.g. the music video for "I Lost on Jeopardy", or Fran Dreischer's character, Pamela Finkelstein, in UHF). Also, a hamster called Harvey the Wonder Hamster is a recurring character in ''The Weird Al Show'' and the ''Al TV'' specials, as well as the subject of an original song on ''Alapalooza''. Some other recurring jokes include Yankovic borrowing, or being owed, $5. In a number of ''Al TV'' interviews, he often asks if he can borrow $5, being turned down every time. This motif also occurs in "Why Does This Always Happen to Me?", in which his deceased friend owes him $5. Another recurring joke is his attraction to female nostrils or nostrils in general. This also appears in numerous ''Al TV'' interviews as well as in several of his songs ("Albuquerque" and "Wanna B Ur Lovr" to name a few.) Yankovic also asks his celebrity guests if they could "shave his back for a nickel." This also appears in the song "Albuquerque". Yankovic has also put two backmasking messages into his songs. The first, in "Nature Trail to Hell", said "Satan Eats Cheez Whiz"; the second, in "I Remember Larry", said "Wow, you must have an awful lot of free time on your hands."
Yankovic's career in novelty and comedy music has outlasted many of his "mainstream" parody targets, such as Toni Basil, MC Hammer, and Men Without Hats. While most novelty artists are one-hit wonders, Yankovic's continued success (including the top 10 single "White & Nerdy" and album ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' in 2006) has enabled him to escape the stigma often associated with novelty music.
Several videos have included appearances by notable celebrities in addition to Yankovic and his band. Dr. Demento appeared in several of Yankovic's earlier videos, such as "I Love Rocky Road" and "Ricky". Actor Dick Van Patten is featured in both "Smells Like Nirvana" and "Bedrock Anthem"; Drew Carey, Emo Philips and Phil LaMarr appeared in "It's All About the Pentiums"; Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Donny Osmond, Judy Tenuta and Seth Green appeared in "White & Nerdy"; and Ruth Buzzi and Pat Boone appeared in "Gump". The video for "I Lost on Jeopardy" includes an appearance by Greg Kihn, the artist whose song, "Jeopardy", was being parodied, along with Don Pardo and Art Fleming, Jeopardy's original announcer and host, as themselves. Florence Henderson plays Al's Amish wife in "Amish Paradise".
While most videos that Yankovic creates are aired on music channels such as MTV and VH1, Yankovic has also worked with animation artists to create music videos for release with extended content albums. The DualDisc version of ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' features six videos set to songs from the release, including videos created by Bill Plympton and John Kricfalusi; one video, "Weasel Stomping Day" was created by the producers of the show ''Robot Chicken'', and aired as a segment of that program. As of fall 2010, Yankovic is again collaborating with Bill Plympton to create a video for a new song ("TMZ") which will appear on his upcoming album.
Dave Grohl of Nirvana said that the band felt they had "made it" after Yankovic recorded "Smells Like Nirvana", a parody of the grunge band's smash hit, "Smells Like Teen Spirit". On his ''Behind the Music'' special, Yankovic stated that when he called Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain to ask if he could parody the song, Cobain gave him permission, then paused and asked, "Um... it's not gonna be about food, is it?" Yankovic responded with, "No, it'll be about how no one can understand your lyrics." According to members of Nirvana interviewed for ''Behind the Music'', when they saw the video of the song, they laughed hysterically. Additionally, Cobain described Yankovic as "a musical genius."
Mark Knopfler approved Yankovic's parody of the Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing" for use in the film ''UHF'' on the provision that Knopfler himself be allowed to play lead guitar on the parody which was later titled "Money for Nothing/Beverly Hillbillies*". Yankovic commented on the legal complications of the parody in the DVD audio commentary for ''UHF'', explaining "We had to name that song 'Money for Nothing 'slash' Beverly Hillbillies 'asterisk' because the lawyers told us that had to be the name. Those wacky lawyers! What ya gonna do?" The ''Permanent Record: Al in the Box'' booklet referred to the song's "compound fracture of a title." When a fan asked about the song's title, Yankovic shared his feelings on the title, replying "That incredibly stupid name is what the lawyers insisted that the parody be listed as. I'm not sure why, and I've obviously never been very happy about it."
The Presidents of the United States of America were so pleased with "Gump", Yankovic's parody of their song "Lump", that they ended the song with Yankovic's last line instead of their own ("And that's all I have to say about that") on the live recording of "Lump" featured on the compilation album ''Pure Frosting''. In 2008, Yankovic directed the music video for their song "Mixed Up S.O.B."
The song "The Saga Begins" (a parody of Don McLean's "American Pie") accurately states the entire plot of ''The Phantom Menace'', despite being written before the film's release. Yankovic got the plot details from rumor websites. He was slightly unsure about Anakin proposing to Amidala, so he attended a US$500 screening to confirm, and ended up making only very minor alterations to the lyrics. McLean was pleased with the parody, and even told Yankovic that the parody's lyrics sometimes enter his mind during live performances. Yankovic's parody not only replicates the music from the original Don McLean song, but it also replicates the multi-layered rhyming structure in the verses and chorus. Additionally, George Lucas loved the song and a Lucasfilm representative told Yankovic, "You should have seen the smile on his face."
Chamillionaire was also very pleased, even putting Yankovic's parody "White & Nerdy" (a parody of "Ridin'") on his official MySpace page before it was on Yankovic's own page. Chamillionaire stated in an interview, "He's actually rapping pretty good on it, it's crazy [...] I didn't know he could rap like that. It's really an honor when he does that. [...] Weird Al is not gonna do a parody of your song if you're not doing it big." In September 2007, Chamillionaire credited "White & Nerdy" for his recent Grammy win, stating "That parody was the reason I won the Grammy, because it made the record so big it was undeniable. It was so big overseas that people were telling me they had heard my version of Weird Al's song."
Yankovic was briefly denied permission to parody Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" for his song "Perform This Way" for release on his next album, but through his release of the song on YouTube and subsequent spread via Twitter, Lady Gaga and her staff asserted that her manager had made the decision without her input, and Gaga herself gave Yankovic permission to proceed with the parody's release. Gaga was considered "a huge Weird Al fan", and she stated that the parody was a "rite of passage" for her musical career and considered the song "very empowering".
In 2003, Yankovic was denied permission to make a video for "Couch Potato", his parody of Eminem's "Lose Yourself": {{Block quote|Last year, Eminem forced me to halt production on the video for my 'Lose Yourself' parody because he somehow thought that it would be harmful to his image or career.}} For the ''Poodle Hat'' ''Al TV'' special, Yankovic raised the question of artistic expression in a fake interview with Eminem. As Yankovic has always done for his ''Al TV'' specials, he edited the footage of a previous Eminem interview and inserted himself asking questions for comic effect.
Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers expressed disappointment of Yankovic's parody of "Under the Bridge" and "Give it Away" called "Bedrock Anthem", saying that while he "[likes] Weird Al and everything", he "didn't think it was very good".
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page is a self-proclaimed Yankovic fan, but when Yankovic wished to create a polka medley of Led Zeppelin songs, Page refused. Yankovic was, however, allowed the very rare opportunity to re-record a sample of "Black Dog" for a segment of "Trapped in the Drive-Thru".
Paul McCartney, also a Yankovic fan, refused Yankovic permission to record a parody of Wings' "Live and Let Die", entitled "Chicken Pot Pie", because McCartney is a vegetarian and found the parody to be in bad taste.
In 2006, Yankovic gained James Blunt's permission to record a parody of "You're Beautiful". However, after Yankovic had recorded "You're Pitiful", Blunt's label, Atlantic Records, rescinded this permission, despite Blunt's personal approval of the song. The parody was pulled from Yankovic's ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' due to his label's unwillingness to "go to war" with Atlantic. Yankovic released the song as a free download on his MySpace profile, as well as his official website, and plays it in concert, since it was not Blunt himself objecting to the parody.
Yankovic often describes his live concert performances as "a rock and comedy multimedia extravaganza" with an audience that "ranges from toddlers to geriatrics." Apart from Yankovic and his band performing his classic and contemporary hits, staples of Yankovic's live performances include a medley of parodies, many costume changes between songs, and a video screen on which various clips are played during the costume changes. A concert from Yankovic's 1999 tour for the ''Running with Scissors'' album ("Touring with Scissors") was released on VHS in 1999 and on DVD in 2000. Titled ''"Weird Al" Yankovic Live!'', the concert was recorded at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael, California, on October 2, 1999. For legal reasons, video clips (apart from those for Yankovic's own music videos) could not be shown for the home release, and unreleased parodies were removed from the parody medley for the performance.
2003 saw Yankovic on tour overseas for the first time. Before 2003, Yankovic and his band had toured only the United States and parts of Canada. Following the success of ''Poodle Hat'' in Australia, Yankovic performed eleven shows in Australia's major capital cities and regional areas in October of that year. Yankovic returned to Australia and toured New Zealand for the first time in 2007 to support the ''Straight Outta Lynwood'' album.
On September 8, 2007, Yankovic performed his 1,000th live show at Idaho Falls, Idaho. Yankovic is scheduled to tour in the summer of 2010. The initial plan was to tour after his 13th album will be released, but in a podcast in May 2010, Yankovic revealed that the album would not be released before or during the tour, but sometime after.
Yankovic performed his first ever European mini-tour, including an appearance at the All Tomorrow's Parties music festival in Minehead, England in December 2010. Yankovic was picked to perform by the Canadian band Godspeed You Black Emperor who curated the festival's lineup. Yankovic played three other dates in the UK around his festival appearance before performing a single date in the Netherlands.
The film has since become a cult classic, with out-of-print copies of the VHS version selling for up to $100 on eBay until the release of the DVD in 2002. Yankovic occasionally shows clips from the film at his concerts (to which MGM, the film's current owner, initially objected in the form of a cease and desist letter). In an apparent attempt to make it more accessible to overseas audiences, where the term UHF is used less frequently to describe TV broadcasts, the film was titled ''The Vidiot From UHF'' in Australia and parts of Europe.
''UHF'' shows the creation of Yankovic's signature food—the Twinkie Wiener Sandwich. The snack consists of an overturned Twinkie split open as a makeshift bun, a hot dog, and Easy Cheese put together and dipped in milk before eating. Yankovic has stated that he has switched to using tofu hot dogs since becoming a vegetarian, but still enjoys the occasional Twinkie Wiener Sandwich.
Yankovic has hosted ''Al TV'' on MTV and ''Al Music'' on MuchMusic many times, generally coinciding with the release of each new album. For ''Poodle Hat'', ''Al TV'' appeared on VH1 for the first time. A recurring segment of ''Al TV'' involves Yankovic manipulating interviews for comic effect. He inserts himself into a previously conducted interview with a musician, and then manipulates his questions, resulting in bizarre and comic responses from the celebrity.
VH1 produced a ''Behind the Music'' episode on Yankovic. His two commercial failures (his film ''UHF'' and his 1986 album ''Polka Party!'') were presented as having a larger impact on the direction of his career than they really had. Also, Coolio's later disapproval of "Amish Paradise" was played up as a large feud. Much was also made over his apparent lack of a love life, though he got married shortly after the program aired.
Yankovic has done voice-overs for a number of animated series. He appeared in a 2003 episode of ''The Simpsons'', singing "The Ballad of Homer & Marge" (a parody of John Mellencamp's "Jack and Diane") with his band. The episode, "Three Gays of the Condo", in which Marge hires Yankovic to sing the aforementioned song to Homer in an attempt to reconcile their marriage, later won an Emmy Award for "Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)". Yankovic also had a cameo in a 2008 episode, entitled "That 90's Show", during which he records a parody of Homer's grunge hit "Shave Me" entitled "Brain Freeze" (Homer's song, "Shave Me", was itself a parody of Nirvana's "Rape Me") making Yankovic one of only a handful of celebrities to appear twice on the show playing themselves. He has had one notable appearance in the animated Adult Swim show ''Robot Chicken'' voicing a kid who becomes a giant robot. The episode also featured Al's music video, "Weasel Stomping Day". Yankovic is the voice for Squid Hat on the Cartoon Network show, ''The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy''. He is also the announcer of the cartoon's eponymous video game adaptation. Yankovic had a guest appearance voicing Wreck-Gar, a waste collection vehicle Transformer in the ''Transformers: Animated'' cartoon series; previously, Yankovic's "Dare to Be Stupid" song was featured in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'', during the sequence in which the Wreck-Gar character was first introduced; as such, the song is referenced in the episode. He also plays local TV talent show host Uncle Muscles on several episodes of ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job'' along with other appearances on the show. Weird Al has also supplied the voice of one-shot character 'Petroleum Joe' on ''The Brak Show''. He also voiced himself on a ''Back at the Barnyard'' episode.
An exhaustive list of television shows on which Yankovic has appeared is available on his official website.
In addition to his own, he has directed several videos for Hanson (the ''Titanic'' sequences in "River"), The Black Crowes ("Only a Fool"), Ben Folds ("Rockin' the Suburbs"), Jeff Foxworthy ("Redneck Stomp" and "Party All Night"), Blues Explosion ("Wail"), and The Presidents of the United States of America ("Mixed Up S.O.B"). He has cameo appearances in his videos for Blues Explosion, Hanson (as the interviewer), and Ben Folds (as the producer fixing Folds' "shitty tracks").
On November 10, 2009, Weird Al was a guest "internet scientist" on Rocketboom's "Know Your Meme" video series, in the installment on the topic of Autotune, hosted by Jamie Wilkinson.
Eric Appel produced a Funny or Die movie trailer for "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story", a fictional biographical film that parodies other films based on musicians; Yankovic (played by Aaron Paul) is seen hiding his "weirdness" from his parents (Gary Cole and Mary Steenburgen), making it big using song parodies with the help of Dr. Demento (Patton Oswalt), falling in and out of love with Madonna (Olivia Wilde), and fading into alcoholism and being arrested, where his father finally admits he is "weird" as well. Yankovic himself plays a music producer in the short.
Weird Al joined the band Hanson in their music video for "Thinking Bout Somethin" in which he plays the tambourine.
Yankovic contributes backing vocals for the song "Time" on Ben Folds' album ''Songs for Silverman''.
Yankovic also appeared in the recent ''Halloween II'' as himself on a news channel.
Yankovic was also one of many celebrities who took part in the NOH8 Campaign against Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in California.
Yankovic was approached by a beer company to endorse their product. Yankovic had turned it down because he believed that "a lot of my fans were young and impressionable." Yankovic later posted on his Twitter account that he never regretted the decision.
Yankovic cites these misattributions as "his only real beef with peer-to-peer file sharing sites": }}
A list of songs frequently misattributed to Yankovic can be found at The Not Al Page and a list of all commercially released songs recorded by Yankovic can be found on his website.
Similar to the Weird Al Star Fund, a second fan-driven campaign called "Make the Rock Hall 'Weird'" has tried to enshrine him into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, for which he has been eligible since 2004. Previous attempts to raise awareness for the campaign and support Yankovic's nomination included a petition drive from 2006 to 2007, which raised over 9000 signatures; an art competition in 2005; additionally, a documentary film about the campaign is currently being developed. In addition to these efforts, an ongoing campaign is underway in which supporters of Yankovic's nomination are requested to send "sincere, thoughtful" letters to the Rock Hall Foundation's headquarters in New York. The Hall has not considered Yankovic for nomination since the campaign started in 2004. A 2009 ''Rolling Stone'' poll named Weird Al as the top artist that should be nominated for the Hall of Fame, followed by Rush and The Moody Blues in the top ten."
rowspan=2 | Title | Releaseyear | Peak chart position | ||||
! style="width:3em;font-size:90%" | Billboard Comedy Album | ||||||
''"Weird Al" Yankovic">"Weird Al" Yankovic (album) | "Weird Al" Yankovic'' | 1983 | 139 | ||||
''"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D'' | 1984| | 17 | |||||
''Dare to Be Stupid'' | 1985| | 50 | |||||
''Polka Party!'' | 1986| | 177 | |||||
''Even Worse'' | 1988| | 27 | |||||
''UHF – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack and Other Stuff'' | 1989| | 146 | |||||
''Off the Deep End'' | 1992| | 17 | |||||
''Alapalooza'' | 1993| | 46 | |||||
''Bad Hair Day'' | 1996| | 14 | |||||
''Running with Scissors (album) | Running with Scissors'' | 1999| | 16 | ||||
''Poodle Hat'' | 2003| | 17 | 11 | ||||
''Straight Outta Lynwood'' | 2006| | 10 | 1 | ||||
''Alpocalypse'' | 2011| | 9 | 1 |
Note: Billboard Comedy Album chart was first published in November, 2004.
Title | Release year | |
''Another One Rides the Bus (EP) | Another One Rides the Bus'' | 1981 |
''Selections from Straight Outta Lynwood'' | 2006 | |
''Internet Leaks'' | 2009 |
Title | Release year | |
''Greatest Hits (Weird Al) | Greatest Hits'' | 1988 |
''The Food Album'' | 1993 | |
''Permanent Record: Al in the Box'' | 1994 | |
''Greatest Hits (Volume II)">Greatest Hits Volume II ("Weird Al" Yankovic album) | Greatest Hits (Volume II)'' | 1994 |
''The TV Album'' | 1995 | |
''The Essential "Weird Al" Yankovic'' | 2009 |
!Year | !Nominated work | !Award | !Result | |||
1984 | "Eat It" | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album | Best Comedy Recording | |||
Grammy Awards of 1986>1985 | ''Dare to Be Stupid'' | |||||
Grammy Awards of 1988>1987 | ''Polka Party!'' | |||||
rowspan="3" | Fat (song)>Fat" | Grammy Award for Best Concept Music Video | Best Concept Music Video | |||
''Even Worse'' | Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album | Best Comedy Recording | ||||
Peter and the Wolf">Peter and the Wolf ("Weird Al" Yankovic & Wendy Carlos album)>Peter and the Wolf'' | Grammy Award for Best Album for Children | Best Recording for Children | ||||
Grammy Awards of 1993>1992 | ''Off the Deep End'' | |||||
46th Grammy Awards>2003 | ''Poodle Hat'' | |||||
rowspan="2" | ||||||
52nd Grammy Awards>2009 |
Gold and platinum records
! Recording | ! Gold | ! Platinum | ! DoublePlatinum |
''"Weird Al" Yankovic'' | U.S. | ||
''"Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D'' | CanadaU.S. | U.S. | |
"Eat It" | AustraliaCanadaU.S. | ||
''Dare to be Stupid'' | U.S. | U.S. | |
''Even Worse'' | CanadaU.S. | U.S. | |
''"Weird Al" Yankovic's Greatest Hits'' | Canada | ||
''Off the Deep End'' | CanadaU.S. | CanadaU.S. | |
''The Food Album'' | U.S. | ||
''Alapalooza'' | CanadaU.S. | Canada | Canada |
''Greatest Hits Volume II'' | Canada | ||
''Bad Hair Day'' | CanadaU.S. | CanadaU.S. | |
''Running With Scissors'' | AustraliaCanadaU.S. | U.S. | |
''Straight Outta Lynwood'' | U.S. | ||
"White & Nerdy" | U.S. | U.S. |
The "White & Nerdy" single was certified platinum for digital downloads and gold for ringtone downloads in the U.S.
Video title !! Release date | |
''The Compleat Al'' | August 1985 |
July 21, 1989 | |
''The "Weird Al" Yankovic Video Library'' | May 1992 |
''Alapalooza: The Videos'' | December 1993 |
''"Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Collection'' | 1993 |
''Bad Hair Day: The Videos'' | June 1996 |
''"Weird Al" Yankovic: The Videos'' | January 1998 |
''"Weird Al" Yankovic Live!'' | November 23, 1999 |
''"Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection'' | November 3, 2003 |
''The Weird Al Show - The Complete Series'' | August 15, 2006 |
Category:1959 births Category:Accordionists Category:American accordionists Category:American comedy musicians Category:American male singers Category:American members of the Churches of Christ Category:American music video directors Category:American novelty song performers Category:American musicians of English descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:People of Yugoslav descent Category:American satirists Category:American singer-songwriters Category:American vegans Category:American vegetarians Category:American voice actors Category:California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo alumni Category:Christian vegans Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Nerdcore hip hop artists Category:Parody musicians Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Lynwood, California Category:Polka musicians
ar:ويرد أل يانكوفيك ca:Weird Al Yankovic cs:Weird Al Yankovic da:"Weird Al" Yankovic de:Weird Al Yankovic es:"Weird Al" Yankovic eo:"Weird Al" Yankovic fr:Weird Al Yankovic ko:위어드 알 얀코빅 hr:"Weird Al" Yankovic id:"Weird Al" Yankovic is:„Weird Al“ Yankovic it:"Weird Al" Yankovic he:וירד אל ינקוביק la:Alfredus Yankovic lv:"Dīvainais Els" Jenkeviks hu:Alfred Matthew Yankovic nl:"Weird Al" Yankovic ja:アル・ヤンコビック no:«Weird Al» Yankovic pl:Weird Al Yankovic pt:"Weird Al" Yankovic ro:„Weird Al” Yankovic ru:«Странный Эл» Янкович simple:Weird Al Yankovic sl:»Weird Al« Yankovic sr:Weird Al Yankovic fi:”Weird Al” Yankovic sv:"Weird Al" Yankovic th:"เวียร์ด อัล" แยนคอวิค tr:"Weird Al" Yankovic uk:«Дивний Ел» Янковик zh:「怪人奧爾」揚科維奇This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
The World News (WN) Network, has created this privacy statement in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to user privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for wn.com, as well as e-mail newsletters.
We do not collect personally identifiable information about you, except when you provide it to us. For example, if you submit an inquiry to us or sign up for our newsletter, you may be asked to provide certain information such as your contact details (name, e-mail address, mailing address, etc.).
When you submit your personally identifiable information through wn.com, you are giving your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If you would prefer that we not collect any personally identifiable information from you, please do not provide us with any such information. We will not sell or rent your personally identifiable information to third parties without your consent, except as otherwise disclosed in this Privacy Policy.
Except as otherwise disclosed in this Privacy Policy, we will use the information you provide us only for the purpose of responding to your inquiry or in connection with the service for which you provided such information. We may forward your contact information and inquiry to our affiliates and other divisions of our company that we feel can best address your inquiry or provide you with the requested service. We may also use the information you provide in aggregate form for internal business purposes, such as generating statistics and developing marketing plans. We may share or transfer such non-personally identifiable information with or to our affiliates, licensees, agents and partners.
We may retain other companies and individuals to perform functions on our behalf. Such third parties may be provided with access to personally identifiable information needed to perform their functions, but may not use such information for any other purpose.
In addition, we may disclose any information, including personally identifiable information, we deem necessary, in our sole discretion, to comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal proceeding or governmental request.
We do not want you to receive unwanted e-mail from us. We try to make it easy to opt-out of any service you have asked to receive. If you sign-up to our e-mail newsletters we do not sell, exchange or give your e-mail address to a third party.
E-mail addresses are collected via the wn.com web site. Users have to physically opt-in to receive the wn.com newsletter and a verification e-mail is sent. wn.com is clearly and conspicuously named at the point of
collection.If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter and promotional communications, you may opt-out of receiving them by following the instructions included in each newsletter or communication or by e-mailing us at michaelw(at)wn.com
The security of your personal information is important to us. We follow generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during registration and once we receive it. No method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100 percent secure, however. Therefore, though we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
If we decide to change our e-mail practices, we will post those changes to this privacy statement, the homepage, and other places we think appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.
If we make material changes to our e-mail practices, we will notify you here, by e-mail, and by means of a notice on our home page.
The advertising banners and other forms of advertising appearing on this Web site are sometimes delivered to you, on our behalf, by a third party. In the course of serving advertisements to this site, the third party may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser. For more information on cookies, you can visit www.cookiecentral.com.
As we continue to develop our business, we might sell certain aspects of our entities or assets. In such transactions, user information, including personally identifiable information, generally is one of the transferred business assets, and by submitting your personal information on Wn.com you agree that your data may be transferred to such parties in these circumstances.