name	Kristen Bell
birthname	Kristen Anne Bell
birth date	July 18, 1980
birth place	Huntington Woods, Michigan, United States
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1992–present
partner	Dax Shepard (2007-present)
website	}}

Kristen Anne Bell (born July 18, 1980) is an American actress. Although her first film role was an uncredited appearance in ''Polish Wedding'', Bell previously acted in stage and musical productions. In 2001, she made her Broadway debut as Becky Thatcher in ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. After moving to Los Angeles, Bell landed various television guest appearances and small film parts before appearing in a lead role in the David Mamet film ''Spartan''. She gained fame and critical praise as the title role on the critically acclaimed television series ''Veronica Mars'' from September 2004 to May 2007.

During her time on ''Veronica Mars'', Bell appeared as Mary Lane in the film ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', a reprise of the role she had played in the New York theatrical production of the musical on which the film was based. She also portrayed the lead role in ''Pulse'', a remake of a J-Horror film. In 2007, she joined the cast of ''Heroes'' playing the character Elle Bishop, and ''Gossip Girl'' as the off-screen titular narrator. In 2008, she played the title character in the comedy movie ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall.'' She has since appeared in a number of comedy films, such as ''Fanboys'', ''Couples Retreat'', and ''When in Rome''. Bell was also the voice of Cora in ''Astro Boy'' and is the voice and face of Lucy Stillman in the ''Assassin's Creed'' video game series. Bell has received a Satellite Award and Saturn Award, and has been nominated several times for Television Critics Association Awards and Teen Choice Awards.

Early life and family

Bell was born and raised in Huntington Woods, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. She is the daughter of Tom Bell, the television news director for WOAI-TV in San Antonio, and Lori, a registered nurse. Bell is of Polish and Scottish descent. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and she has two half sisters, Sara and Jody, from her father's second marriage. She has four step-siblings from her mother's second marriage to John Raymond Avedian, Laura, John, Matt Avedian, and Megan. Bell has strabismus, which affects her right eye. She inherited it from her mother, who had it corrected as a child. Bell claims that if she does not get enough sleep, it aggravates the ailment. She calls her right eye "Wonky".

At the age of four, Bell claimed she did not like her first name. Her mother convinced Bell to go by her middle name of Anne instead; she used the name Annie until high school. She attended Burton Elementary school in Huntington Woods.

Just before her freshman year of high school, Bell's parents decided to pull her from the public school system. She then attended Shrine Catholic High School in nearby Royal Oak, where she took part in the drama and music club. During her time at the school, she won the starring role in the school's 1997 production of ''The Wizard of Oz'' as Dorothy Gale and also appeared in productions of ''Fiddler on the Roof'' (1995), ''Lady Be Good'' (1996), and ''Li'l Abner'' (1998). In 1998, the year she graduated, Bell was named the yearbook's "Best Looking Girl" by senior class vote.

When Bell was 17, her best friend, whom she met at age 11 during a Detroit community theater production, was killed in an automobile accident. Bell said that it was ''"both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. [...] Once you learn not to take people for granted, you live a lot happier life"''.

Shortly after her high school graduation, Bell moved to New York City to attend the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, majoring in musical theater. In 2001, during her senior year at New York University, Bell left a few credits shy of graduating to take a role in the Broadway musical version of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''.

Career

Early work (1992–2003)

In 1992, Bell went to her first audition and won a dual role as a banana and a tree in a suburban Detroit theater's production of ''Raggedy Ann and Andy''. Her mother had established her with an agent before Bell was 13, which allowed her to appear in newspaper advertisements for several Detroit retailers and television commercials. She also began private acting lessons. In 1998, she appeared with an uncredited role in the locally filmed movie ''Polish Wedding''.

Kristen Bell also portrays Sally Wister in The History Channel's Choosing Sides: Young Voices on the Revolution currently showing at Independence Hall visitors center in Philadelphia.

In 2001, Bell left New York University to take a key role as Becky Thatcher in the short-lived Broadway musical of ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''. That same year she made her credited film debut in ''Pootie Tang.'' Her one line in the film was cut and her appearance exists only as a scene shown during the credit sequence. Additionally, she auditioned for the television series ''Smallville'' for the role of Chloe Sullivan, a part eventually won by Allison Mack. In 2002, she appeared in the Broadway revival of ''The Crucible'' with Liam Neeson, Angela Bettis and Laura Linney. Bell then moved to Los Angeles, California in 2002 because of her friendship with writers Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, and appeared in a handful of television shows as a special guest, finding trouble gaining a recurring role in a television series. Bell had "tested like eight times and booked nothing and every show [she] tested for got picked up," including auditions for ''Skin'' and a Norm Macdonald series. In 2003, she landed a role in the Hallmark Channel movie ''The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay''.

Bell appeared on the show ''Punk'd''.

Breakout (2004–06)

In 2004, Bell appeared in the Lifetime television movie ''Gracie's Choice'', which received one of the network's highest ratings. She made her debut in a theatrically released film, with David Mamet's ''Spartan'', as Laura Newton, the kidnapped daughter of the U.S. President, acting alongside Val Kilmer. Bell also guest-starred on the HBO's drama ''Deadwood'' in a two-episode story arc ("Bullock Returns to the Camp" and "Suffer the Little Children").

At 24 she won the role of the title character in UPN's drama ''Veronica Mars'', which was launched in the fall of 2004. Created by Rob Thomas, the series starred Bell as the seventeen year old detective Veronica, which put her alongside actors Enrico Colantoni who played her father, Jason Dohring, Percy Daggs III and Ryan Hansen. Bell noted the parallels between the character of Veronica and her own life — Bell's parents had divorced and her best friend had also died, like that of Veronica. The series earned positive reviews from television critics, as did Bell's performance. Some critics felt that she was overlooked, however, and deserved an Emmy Award nomination.

In 2005, Bell starred in ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'', reprising the role she played in the short-lived 2001 off-broadway musical. The musical was a spoof of the 1936 exploitation film of the same name. ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical'' debuted on the Showtime network on April 16, 2005. On September 18, 2005, Bell performed the theme song from ''Fame'' on the "Emmy Idol" portion of the ''57th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards''. She and the cast of ''Veronica Mars'' were nominated for two Teen Choice Awards in 2005: "Choice Breakout Actress" and "Choice Breakout TV Show".

In 2006, Bell won the Saturn Award for "Best Actress on Television" for her acting on ''Veronica Mars'', while the series was nominated for "Best Network Television Show". Aside from working on ''Veronica Mars'', in April, Bell starred as Gracie in ''Fifty Pills'', an entry for the Tribeca Film Festival. She appeared in a short independent film called ''The Receipt'' and the horror film ''Roman'', which was directed by her ''The Crucible'' co-star Angela Bettis. Released on August 11, 2006, ''Pulse'' starred Bell as the lead Mattie. A remake of the Japanese horror film ''Kairo'', the film grossed US$27.9 million worldwide, however it garnered negative response from critics. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' commented, "despite the starring presence of Kristen Bell, [the] young actress has far less interesting material to work with here than she does as [the character] "Veronica Mars.""

Recent and future roles (2007–present)

''Veronica Mars'' continued on UPN until the third season, in which the show was renewed and returned on the newly created The CW. On January 19, 2007 CW Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff announced that, while she was pleased with the gradual improvement of ''Veronica Mars's'' ratings, the series would be put on hiatus after February sweeps to air a new reality series, ''Pussycat Dolls Present''. On May 17, 2007 Ostroff announced the cancellation of the series. The two-hour series finale aired in the United States on May 22, 2007, and on June 11, 2007 Thomas officially announced in an email to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that ''Veronica Mars'' had been canceled by the CW. A ''Veronica Mars'' feature film and comic book series continuation had been discussed, and for a short time there was talk of another collaboration between Bell and creator Thomas that would be unrelated to the ''Veronica Mars'' series.

Following the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'', Bell had voiced interest in appearing on ''Heroes'' because she was a fan prior to being cast. On July 29, 2007, during a train ride back to Los Angeles from the San Diego Comic-Con with ''Heroes'' actors Zachary Quinto and Masi Oka, and writers from the series, the writers had mentioned that if she "ever want[ed] to come on ''Heroes'', give us [writers] a call," to which Bell said she would "love to." She was also spoken to about a role on ''Lost'', but turned down the role to portray Charlotte Staples Lewis. Announced in August 2007, Bell was to portray Elle Bishop, a "mysterious young lady" with an "awesome power". She did not have to audition for the role of Elle, who made her first appearance in an October 2007 episode, and will appear in at least thirteen episodes during the run of the series. The casting of Bell, as ''Heroes'' creator Tim Kring explains, "was not easy to pull off", but because of the large ensemble cast of the series and multiple story arcs, "we found a way to jump into a small window in [Bell's] schedule." Concurrently with filming on ''Heroes'', she narrates as title character in the CW series ''Gossip Girl''.

Shortly after the cancellation of ''Veronica Mars'' in early 2007, Bell filmed on location in Hawaii for her starring role as the title character in the Judd Apatow comedy ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''. She noted that the improvisational comedy in the film was "a lovely experience". The film, written by and also starring Jason Segel, was released theatrically on April 18, 2008. Bell lent her voice and likeness to the video game ''Assassin's Creed'' which was released on November 13, 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and April 8, 2008 for the PC. Bell reprises her role of Lucy in ''Assassin's Creed II'' released on November 17, 2009, and again in ''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'', released on 16 November 2010. In the spring of 2006, she finished filming the ''Star Wars''-themed comedy ''Fanboys'', which had its release date pushed to January 14, 2008. This was due to additional funding given to director Kyle Newman to shoot new scenes, however, the busy schedules of the actors only allowed for filming in September 2007, thus moving the release date to accommodate that. Bell will voice the character of Marybelle in the animated feature ''Sheepish'', which also has a 2008 release date. She also starred in the 2009 comedies ''Serious Moonlight'', alongside Meg Ryan, and ''Couples Retreat'', which chronicled four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. Jason Bateman played her husband. On March 31, 2008, Bell began shooting for the Mark Steven Johnson-written Disney film ''When in Rome'' in locations in Rome and New York; the film was released in 2010. Bell reprised her role as Sarah Marshall for a cameo appearance in the film ''Get Him to the Greek'', a spin-off sequel from ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'', released June 4, 2010.

Bell has also said that when she is free from film and television roles, she would like to perform on stage again. She co-starred with singers Christina Aguilera and Cher in the movie-musical ''Burlesque'' which was released on Thanksgiving in 2010.

Bell had a cameo in ''Scream 4'', which was released on April 15, 2011. She is also attached to the films ''Everybody Loves Whales'' and ''Dance of the Mirlitons''.

She has also appeared in the music video for "Madder Red" by Brooklyn experimental rock band Yeasayer.

Bell portrays the role of "Mary Magdalene" in "The Truth & Life Dramatized Audio New Testament Bible," a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, fully-dramatized audio New Testament which uses the RSV-CE translation.

She recently shot the pilot for the new series ''House of Lies'' directed by Stephen Hopkins.

In the media

In 2005, Bell was named by ''Jane'' magazine as "one of the 11 people you'd most like to see naked", and in 2006, Bell was selected "World's Sexiest Vegetarian" on PETA's yearly poll. She was placed #68 on ''Maxim'''s 2005 "Hot 100" list, #11 in ''Maxim'''s 2006 "Hot 100" list, and #46 in ''Maxim'''s 2007 "Hot 100" list in which she was stated to have "single-handedly saved the CW from becoming the worst network ever." In 2006, ''Maxim'' also placed Bell at the top of the "Fall TV's Criminally Sexy Investigators" List. In 2008, she was featured at #59 on ''Ask Men'''s Top 99 Women of 2008 List. Reflecting on her admitted popularity with "geeks", Bell was voted the fourth sexiest woman on TV by the staff at ''Wizard'' magazine.

She stated to have never thought of herself as womanly because she "always play[ed roles] and look[ed] and act[ed] 10 years younger than [she is]", however as she explains, "Something magical happened when I turned 25 — I looked in the mirror and was like, You might not get carded for an R-rated movie anymore. Like I didn't have a little stick figure anymore." Bell has said that many of the characters she has played are tomboys because she was "not homely enough to play the nerdy girl and not nearly pretty enough to play the pretty girl".

Bell has been associated with the idea that "nerdy is the new cool", and she explains, "what was previously perceived as nerdy is now viewed as original. What I like about nerdiness, geekiness, is it doesn't really matter what you're into — it just means you're not a follower." She has also said, "I love nerds. Comic-Con junkies are the tastemakers of tomorrow. Isn't that funny? The tables have turned." Vanessa Juarez of ''Entertainment Weekly'' commented that Bell's role on ''Veronica Mars'', ''Heroes'' and as a ''Star Wars'' fanatic in ''Fanboys'' has "solidif[ied] her placement at the center of the geek universe", while Rodney Rothman stated, "I guess she's cornered the market on losers." Bell's work is often compared to Sarah Michelle Gellar's portrayal of the titular character on the cult television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. Frank Scheck of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' stated that Bell was "arguably the television successor [to Gellar's portrayal of Buffy] when it comes to fighting bad guys." Bell is sometimes confused with Lauren Conrad from the show ''The Hills''. "Yeah, sometimes fans yell, 'Hey, Lauren' to me, but usually from a distance," said Kristen.

Despite "new celebrity" status, Bell claims that she is not concerned because "no one ever recognizes [her] anyway". As Bell explains, "I hang out with Hayden quite a bit — they never take pictures of me. I just step to the side, and I push myself in front of her when she wants to get out of it, or put her in the car." Bell is a recurring guest on ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'', appearing in interviews as well as sketches. On the Late Late Show, she is shown to have garnered a humorous hostility towards Craig's robot skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson, claiming that she had wanted to be Craig's sidekick on his show and taking it upon herself to cut Geoff down every chance she gets.

In January 2011 it was announced that Kristen would be the new face of Neutrogena.

Personal life

At age 11, Bell became a vegetarian. In an interview with PETA, Bell stated, "I have always been an animal lover. I had a hard time disassociating the animals I cuddled with — dogs and cats, for example — from the animals on my plate, and I never really cared for the taste of meat. I always loved my Brussels sprouts!" During her time in Michigan, Bell fostered animals from Michigan Humane Society and she now supports the San Diego-based Helen Woodward Animal Center. Bell often attends fund raisers for the ASPCA and other non-profit organizations dedicated to protecting animals. She owns a Welsh Corgi-Chow Chow mix named Lola, a Welsh Corgi-Chihuahua mix named Shakey, and a black Labrador Retriever named Sadie, who was 11 years old when she was rescued from Hurricane Katrina and adopted by Bell in 2005.

She and many of those who worked on ''Veronica Mars'', including personal friend Ryan Hansen, are involved with the charity organization Invisible Children Inc. The goal of the organization is to create awareness regarding the plight of Northern Ugandans who are caught in the midst of a civil war between the government and Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army. Bell has also done a public service announcement for Do Something's Healthy Living Campaign.

Bell supported and campaigned for Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election. Along with Rashida Jones, she visited college campuses in Missouri to discuss the candidates and encourage voter registration. Bell has shown her support for the Writers Guild of America in the writer's strike, appearing in the picket lines in December 2007 stating, "the writers are just looking for some fairness."

In 2007, Bell ended a five-year relationship with former fiancé Kevin Mann, and went on to date actor Dax Shepard. As of January 2010, she is engaged to Shepard. She told ''Complex'' magazine that dating "makes me want to vomit. And not out of grossness — OK, a little bit out of grossness, but just nerves." Bell explains, "I've always been a serial monogamist."

As she is a Detroit native, she is also an avid fan of the Detroit Red Wings hockey team.

Filmography

;Film and television

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1998	''Polish Wedding''	Teenage Girl (uncredited)
2001	''Pootie Tang''	Record Executive's Daughter
2002	''The Cat Returns''	Hiromi (voice)	English version
2002	''People Are Dead''	Angela's Friend #1
2003	''The Shield''	Jessica Hintel
2003	''American Dreams''	Amy Fielding	Episode: "Act of Contrition"
2003	''The O'Keefes''	Virginia's Owner	Episode: "Substitute Teacher"Episode: "Jobs"
2003	''The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay''	Alison Dodge	TV movie
2003	''Everwood''	Stacey Wilson
2004	''Gracie's Choice''	Gracie Thompson	TV movie
2004		Laura Newton
2004		Flora Anderson	Episode: "List of Deadwood episodes#Season 1: 2004
2004–2007	''[[Veronica Mars''		64 episodes
2005	''Last Days of America''	Friend in New York #1	Video
2005		Mary Lane
2005		Nurse Laurie
2005	''The Receipt''	Pretty Girl	Short film
2006	''Fifty Pills''	Gracie
2006		Mattie Webber
2006		The Girl / Isis
2007	''Flatland: The Movie''	Hex (voice)	Short film
2007–2008		Elle Bishop	12 episodes
2007–present			87+ episodes
2008	''Forgetting Sarah Marshall''	Sarah Marshall
2008		Zoe
2009		Sara
2009	''The Cleveland Show''	Mandy (voice)	Episode: "Da Doggone Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance"
2009		Cora (voice)
2009	''Couples Retreat''	Cynthia
2009–2010	''Party Down''	Uda Bengt	Episode: "Stennheiser-Pong Wedding Reception"	Episode: "Party Down Company Picnic"
2010		Beth Martin
2010	''Astro Boy vs. The Junkyard Pirates''	Cora (voice)	Video short
2010	''Get Him to the Greek''	Sarah Marshall	Cameo
2010	''Lost Masterpieces of Pornography''	June Crenshaw	Video short
2010	''You Again''	Marni Olivia Olsen
2010		Nikki
2010	''Movie 43''	Supergirl	Post-production
2011	''Scream 4''	Chloe
2011	''Dance of the Mirlitons''	Corinne	Post-production
2012	''Everybody Loves Whales''	TBA	Filming
2012	''House of Lies''	Jeannie Van Der Hooven	Filming

; Theatre

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2001	''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer''	Becky Thatcher
2002	''The Crucible''	Susanna Walcott
2003	''Sneaux''
2004	''A Little Night Music''

; Video games

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2007	''Assassin's Creed''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness
2009	''Assassin's Creed II''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness
2009	''Astro Boy: The Video Game''	Cora
2010	''Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness
2011	''Assassin's Creed: Revelations''	Lucy Stillman	Voice & likeness

Awards

Wins

;2006 :Saturn Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Jury Prize at the Austin Fantastic Fest, for ''Roman'' :Family Film Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' (shared with Enrico Colantoni) ;2005 :Satellite Award, for ''Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical''

Nominations

;2009 :Teen Choice Award, for ''Heroes'' :Saturn Award, for ''Heroes'' :MTV Movie Award, for ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' ;2008 :Teen Choice Award, for ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' ;2007 :Saturn Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' ;2006 :Satellite Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Teen Choice Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' ;2005 :Satellite Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Saturn Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :Teen Choice Award, for ''Veronica Mars'' :TCA Award, for ''Veronica Mars''

References

External links

Kristen Bell at ''Complex''

Couples Retreat Video Interview at AMCtv.com

Category:American film actors Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American vegetarians Category:Actors from Michigan Category:People from Oakland County, Michigan Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Tisch School of the Arts alumni

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birth name	Kristen Jaymes Stewart
birth date	April 09, 1990
birth place	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1999–present
website	kristenstewart.com
signature	Kristen Stewart signature.svg90px }}

Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in ''The Twilight Saga''. She has also starred in films including ''Panic Room'' (2002), ''Zathura'' (2005), ''In the Land of Women'' (2007), ''The Messengers'' (2007), ''Adventureland'' (2009) and ''The Runaways'' (2010).

Early life

Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who has worked for Fox. Her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor originally from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. She has an older brother, Cameron Stewart, and an adoptive brother, Taylor. Stewart attended school until the seventh grade, and then continued her education by correspondence. She has since completed high school.

Career

Her whole family all worked behind the camera, and Stewart thought she would become a writer/director, but never considered being an actor. "I never wanted to be the center of attention – I wasn't that 'I want to be famous, I want to be an actor' kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I'd write my name on everything." Stewart's acting career began at the age of eight, after an agent saw her perform in her elementary school's Christmas play. After a year of auditioning, Stewart's first role was a nonspeaking part in the film ''The Thirteenth Year''. Then, she had another part in the film ''The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas'' as the "ring toss girl". She subsequently appeared in the independent film ''The Safety of Objects'', in which she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother (Patricia Clarkson). Stewart had a major role in the Hollywood film ''Panic Room'', playing the diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (Jodie Foster). The film received generally positive reviews, and Stewart garnered positive notices for her performance. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance.

After ''Panic Room''s success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, ''Cold Creek Manor'', playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid's and Sharon Stone's characters. She was again nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance. The following year, she played the character Maya in ''Fierce People'', directed by Griffin Dunne. After that film, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the supernatural thriller film ''The Messengers''.

In 2007, Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in ''In the Land of Women'', a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and Adam Brody. The film, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That same year, Stewart appeared in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed adaptation film ''Into the Wild''. For her portrayal of Tracy – a teenage singer who has a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless – Stewart received generally positive reviews. Salon.com considered her work a "sturdy, sensitive performance", and the ''Chicago Tribune'' noted that she did "vividly well with a sketch of a role." Her performance was not without detractors, however; ''Variety'''s critic Dennis Harvey wrote, "It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that way." After ''Into the Wild'', Stewart had a cameo appearance in ''Jumper'' and also appeared in ''What Just Happened'', which was released in October 2008. She also co-stars in ''The Cake Eaters'' an independent film that has only been screened at film festivals.

On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film ''Twilight'', based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same name. Stewart was on the set of ''Adventureland'' when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director. She stars alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008. ''Twilight'' was released domestically on November 21, 2008. Her performance garnered mixed reviews with some critcs calling her "the ideal casting choice" and praising her for conveying "Bella's detachment, as well as her need to bust through it" while others criticized her acting for being "wooden" and lacking variety in her facial expressions which they described as "blank". After the release of ''Twilight'', Kristen Stewart was awarded the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance for her portrayal as Bella Swan.

Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, ''The Twilight Saga: New Moon'' to critical acclaim, receiving much more positive reviews than her portrayal of the same character in ''Twilight''. Jordan Mintzer from ''Variety'' called Stewart "the heart and soul of the film" and praised her for giving "both weight and depth to dialogue...that would sound like typical chick-lit blather in the mouth of a less engaging actress, and she makes Bella's psychological wounds seem like the real deal" while critics who gave the film its worst reviews still found her performance "bringing plenty of soul" to the character. She reprised this role in ''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''.

Stewart has been nominated and presented with the BAFTA Rising Star award. At the 2010 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Stewart and ''Twilight'' co-star Taylor Lautner presented a tribute in honour of the horror movie genre.

In 2009, Stewart starred in ''The Yellow Handkerchief'', which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was released into theaters in 2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films. She also starred alongside James Gandolfini in ''Welcome to the Rileys'', which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010.

Stewart most recently portrayed rock star Joan Jett in ''The Runaways'', a biopic of the titular band from writer-director Floria Sigismondi. Stewart met with Jett over the 2008–2009 New Year to prepare for the role, and ended up prerecording songs in a studio for the film. She received nearly unanimous praise for her performance. Josh Tyler of ''Cinema Blend'' pronounced her to be "a modern day James Dean. She gives the kind of performance in ''The Runaways'' that hasn’t been seen on screen since his death. ''The Runaways'' is her ''Rebel Without a Cause'' ... she’s absolutely brilliant as Joan Jett." The ''Metro Times'' wrote, "It turns out that Stewart is actually really good at capturing Jett's icy, tough-but-cool girl swagger, adding the needed touches of vulnerability that transform it into a pretty terrific performance... Stewart is a genuine rock star here." Also, A. O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' noted "Ms. Stewart, watchful and unassuming, gives the movie its spine and soul."

She has been cast in the role of Mary Lou in an upcoming film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's cult classic novel ''On the Road''. Shooting began in August 2010.

Stewart was listed as the highest earning female actress in Hollywood in the "2010's Top Hollywood Top Earners List" compiled by ''Vanity Fair''. Throughout 2010, Stewart earned an estimated $28.5 million for all her movie appearances.

''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 1'' was released on November 18, 2011. The film was successful in the box office making $283.5 million its opening weekend. Though the film received negative reviews, Stewart's performance was mostly praised. Gabriel Chong said that Stewart's performance, calling it "mesmerising" and saying that she "makes [Bella's] every emotion keenly felt that runs the gamut from joy, trepidation, anxiety, distress and above all quiet and resolute determination" and the ''Village Voice'''s Dan Konis saying Stewart "beautifully underplays" the role. However, some critics found that despite Pattinson and Stewart's chemistry, the relationship came off like a "charade" or that none of the three leads were convincing in their roles.

In March 2011, it was confirmed that Stewart will playing the leading role in the film ''Snow White and the Huntsman''. Filming began on August 15 and is set to be released on June 1, 2012.

Stewart has also been attached to an upcoming big-budget, live-action adaptation of ''Akira'' from Warner Brothers for the role of Ky.

On December 6, 2011, Stewart was named number one on Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck.

She was named the new face of an unnamed Balenciaga perfume on January 13, 2012.

Personal life

Stewart currently lives in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles. She has expressed a desire to live and work in Australia, saying, "I want to go to Sydney University in Australia. My mom's from there." Apart from acting, she is also interested in attending college in the near future, saying, "I want to go to college for literature. I want to be a writer. I mean, I love what I do, but it's not all I want to do – be a professional liar for the rest of my life." In a 2008 interview with ''Vanity Fair'', Stewart stated that she dated Michael Angarano, her co-star from ''Speak''.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1999	''''	Girl waiting for drink	Uncredited
2000	''''	Ring toss girl	Uncredited
2001	''''	Sam Jennings	Limited release
2002	''Panic Room''	Sarah Altman
2003	''Cold Creek Manor''	Kristen Tilson
2004		Melinda Sordino
2004	''Catch That Kid''	Maddy
2004		Lila
2005		Maya Osbourne	Limited release
2005		Lisa
2007		Jessica "Jess" Solomon
2007	''In the Land of Women''	Lucy Hardwicke
2007	''''	Georgia	Limited release
2007		Tracy Tatro
2007		Young Robin	Short film
2008		Sophie	Cameo
2008	''What Just Happened''	Zoe
2008		Bella Swan
2009		Emily "Em" Lewin
2009	''''	Bella Swan
2010	''''	Martine	Limited release
2010	''''	Joan Jett
2010	''Welcome to the Rileys''	Mallory
2010	''''	Bella Swan
2011	''''	Bella Swan
2012	''Snow White & the Huntsman''	Snow White	Post-production
2012		Marylou	Post-production
2012	''''	Bella Swan	Post-production

Awards and nominations

+ List of awards and nominations
Year	! Title of work	! Award	! Category	! Result	Notes
2002	''Panic Room''	Young Artist Award	Best performance in a feature film- Leading Young Actress
2003	''Cold Creek Manor''	Young Artist Award	Best performance in a feature film- Supporting Young Actress
2004		Young Artist Award	Best performance in a feature film- Supporting Young Actress
2007		Young Artist Award	Best performance in a feature film- Supporting Young Actress
2007		Screen Actors Guild Award	Outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture		Entire Cast
2008		MTV Movie Award
2008		MTV Movie Award			Shared with Robert Pattinson
2008		Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie Actress Drama
2008		Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie Liplock		Shared with Robert Pattinson
2008		Scream Award	Best Fantasy Actress
2008		Scream Award	Best Ensemble Cast
2008		People's Choice Award	Favourite On-Screen Team		Shared with Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner
2008		People's Choice Award	Favourite Movie Actress
2009		Gotham Award	Best Ensemble cast		Entire cast
2009	''''	BAFTA Award
2009	''''		Cutest Couple		Shared with Taylor Lautner
2009	''''		Cutest Couple		Shared with Robert Pattinson
2009	''''	MTV Movie Award
2009	''''	MTV Movie Award			Shared with Robert Pattinson
2009	''''	Golden Raspberry Award			Shared with Robert Pattinson
2009	''''	Golden Raspberry Award	Worst Screen Couple		Shared with Taylor Lautner
2009	''''	Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie Actress Fantasy
2010	''The Runaways''	Teen Choice Award	Choice Movie Actress Drama
2010	''The Runaways''	MTV Movie Award	Best Kiss		Shared with Dakota Fanning
2010	''Welcome to the Rileys''	Milan International Film Festival	Best Actress
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''		Couple of the Year		Shared with Robert Pattinson
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''		Fave Kiss		Shared with Taylor Lautner
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Award	Fave Kiss		Shared with Robert Pattinson
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	Scream Award	Best Fantasy Actress
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	People's Choice Award	Favorite Movie Actress
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	People's Choice Award	Favourite On-Screen-Team		Shared with Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson
2010	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	People's Choice Award	Favorite Movie Star Under 25
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''		Movie Actress
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	MTV Movie Awards
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	MTV Movie Awards			Shared with Taylor Lautner
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	MTV Movie Awards	Best Kiss		Shared with Robert Pattinson
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie: Liplock		Shared with Robert Pattinson
2011	''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie: Liplock		Shared with Taylor Lautner

References

External links

Category:1990 births Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American people of Australian descent Category:American television actors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors

ar:كريستين ستيوارت an:Kristen Stewart az:Kristen Stüart bn:ক্রিস্টেন স্টুয়ার্ট bg:Кристен Стюарт ca:Kristen Stewart cs:Kristen Stewartová cy:Kristen Stewart da:Kristen Stewart de:Kristen Stewart et:Kristen Stewart es:Kristen Stewart fa:کریستن استوارت fr:Kristen Stewart ga:Kristen Stewart gv:Kristen Stewart gl:Kristen Stewart ko:크리스틴 스튜어트 hy:Քրիստեն Ստյուարտ hr:Kristen Stewart id:Kristen Stewart it:Kristen Stewart he:קריסטן סטיוארט jv:Kristen Stewart ka:კრისტენ სტიუარტი kk:Кристен Стюарт lv:Kristena Stjuarta hu:Kristen Stewart ml:ക്രിസ്റ്റെന്‍ സ്റ്റ്യുവര്‍ട്ട് nl:Kristen Stewart ne:क्रिस्टिन स्टेवार्ट ja:クリステン・スチュワート no:Kristen Stewart pl:Kristen Stewart pt:Kristen Stewart ro:Kristen Stewart ru:Стюарт, Кристен simple:Kristen Stewart sk:Kristen Stewartová sl:Kristen Stewart sr:Кристен Стјуарт sh:Kristen Stewart fi:Kristen Stewart sv:Kristen Stewart ta:கிறிஸ்டென் ஸ்டீவர்ட் th:คริสเตน สจ๊วต tr:Kristen Stewart uk:Крістен Стюарт vi:Kristen Stewart zh:克莉絲汀·史都華

name	Jimmy Kimmel
birth name	James Christian Kimmel
birth date	November 13, 1967
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
medium	Radio, Television, Film
nationality	American
active	1989–present
genre	Observational comedy, Current events, Insult comedy
subject	American culture, Everyday life, Celebrities
influences	David Letterman, Howard Stern
spouse	Gina Kimmel (1988–2003) (divorced) 2 children
domesticpartner	Sarah Silverman (2002–2007; 2008–2009) Molly McNearney (2009–present)
notable work	Creator and Host of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' (ABC) Creator and Co-Host of ''The Man Show''co-host of ''Win Ben Stein's Money'' (Comedy Central)co-host of ''Crank Yankers''

}}

James Christian "Jimmy" Kimmel (born November 13, 1967) is an American television host and comedian. He is the host of ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', a late-night talk show that airs on ABC. Prior to that, Kimmel was best known as the co-host of Comedy Central's ''The Man Show'' and ''Win Ben Stein's Money''. Kimmel is also a television producer, having produced shows such as ''Crank Yankers'', ''Sports Show with Norm Macdonald'', and ''The Andy Milonakis Show''.

Early life

Kimmel was born in the Mill Basin neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, the eldest of three children of Joann (née Iacono), a homemaker, and James Kimmel, an IBM executive. He is Roman Catholic and, as a child, served as an altar boy. Kimmel is of German and Irish descent on his father’s side and Italian descent on his mother’s side. His real life uncle, Frank Potenza, would later appear on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' as a regular from 2003 until his death in 2011.

The family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, when he was nine years old. He graduated from Ed W. Clark High School and then attended University of Nevada, Las Vegas for one year before attending Arizona State University for two years without completing a degree.

Career

Radio career

Kimmel began working in the radio industry while in high school, hosting a Sunday night interview show on UNLV's college station KUNV. While attending Arizona State University, he became a popular caller to the KZZP-FM afternoon show hosted by radio personalities Mike Elliott and Kent Voss in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1989, Kimmel landed his first paying job alongside Voss as morning drive co-host of ''The Me and Him Show'' at KZOK-FM in Seattle, Washington. Ten months later, Kimmel and Voss were fired by KZOK (for reasons unknown) and were fired again a year later at WRBQ-FM in Tampa, Florida. Kimmel went from Tampa to host his own show at KCMJ in Palm Springs, California, where Kimmel convinced a young Carson Daly to drop out of college and become his intern. After a morning stint at KRQQ In Tucson, Arizona, Kimmel landed at KROQ-FM in Los Angeles, California. He spent five years as "Jimmy The Sports Guy" for the Kevin and Bean morning show. During this time he met and befriended a struggling comedian named Adam Carolla.

Comedy Central

Kimmel began his television career as the comedic counterpart to Ben Stein on the game show ''Win Ben Stein's Money'', which began airing on Comedy Central in 1997. His quick wit and loutish everyman personality were counterpoints to Stein's monotone performing style and patrician demeanor. The combination earned the pair an Emmy award for Best Game Show Host.

In 1999, during his time with ''Win Ben Stein's Money'', Kimmel was also co-host with Adam Carolla and co-creator (with Daniel Kellison) of Comedy Central's ''The Man Show''. Kimmel permanently left ''Win Ben Stein's Money'' in 2001, replaced by comedian Nancy Pimental, who was eventually replaced by Kimmel's cousin Sal Iacono. ''The Man Show'''s success allowed Kimmel, Carolla and Kellison to create and produce, under the banner Jackhole Industries, ''Crank Yankers'' for Comedy Central (on which Kimmel plays the characters "Elmer Higgins", "Terrence Catheter", "The Nudge", "Karl Malone" and himself), and later ''The Andy Milonakis Show'' for MTV2. Kimmel also produced and co-wrote the feature film ''Windy City Heat'', which won the Comedia Award for Best Film at the Montreal Comedy Festival.

''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''

In January 2003, Kimmel permanently left ''The Man Show'' to host his own late-night talk show, ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' on ABC. ''Jimmy Kimmel Live'' was briefly also broadcast on Irish digital TV channel 3e. In the April 2007 issue of Stuffmagazine.com, Kimmel was named the "biggest badass on TV". Kimmel said it was an honor but clearly a mistake.

Since the show's second season, it has not actually been broadcast live. This is due to an incident during the 2004 NBA Finals in Detroit, when Kimmel appeared on ABC's halftime show to make an on-air plug for his show. He suggested that if the Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, "they're gonna burn the city of Detroit down ... and it's not worth it." Officials with Detroit's ABC affiliate, WXYZ-TV, immediately announced that night's show would not air on the station. Hours later, ABC officials pulled that night's show from the entire network. Kimmel later apologized. The incident led ABC officials to force Kimmel to tape his show an hour before it airs in most of the country to check for offending content.

Kimmel usually ends his show with, "My apologies to Matt Damon, we ran out of time." When Matt Damon did actually appear on the show to be interviewed, he walked in and sat down only to be told just a few seconds later by Kimmel, "Sorry, but once again we are completely out of time." Damon seemed to become angry.

In February 2008 Kimmel showed a mock music video with a panoply of stars called, "I'm Fucking Ben Affleck", as "revenge" after his then-girlfriend Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon recorded a similar video, "I'm Fucking Matt Damon". Silverman's video originally aired on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', and became an "instant YouTube sensation." Kimmel's "revenge" video featured himself, Ben Affleck, and a large lineup of stars, particularly in scenes spoofing the 1985 "We Are the World" video: Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Harrison Ford, Dominic Monaghan, Benji Madden and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, Lance Bass, Macy Gray, Josh Groban, Huey Lewis, Perry Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Pete Wentz, Meat Loaf, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Applegate, Dom Joly, Mike Shinoda, Lauren Conrad and Joan Jett, among others. After this Jimmy's sidekick, Guillermo, appeared in a spoof of The Bourne Ultimatum, which starred Damon. He was then chased down by Damon as Matt cursed about Kimmel being behind all this. Guillermo also stopped Damon on the red carpet one time and before he could finish the interview he said, "Sorry we are out of time." The most recent encounter was titled "The Handsome Men's Club" which featured Kimmel, along with other "Handsome Men" including Matthew McConaughey, Rob Lowe, Lenny Kravitz, and many more, speaking about being handsome and all the jobs that come with it. At the end of the skit Kimmel has a door slammed in his face by none other than Matt Damon, stating that they had run out of time and then Damon continues with a sinister laugh.

As a tradition, celebrities voted off ''Dancing with the Stars'' appear on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', causing Kimmel to describe himself as "the three-headed dog the stars must pass on their way to No-Dancing Hell". In the 2008 season of his show, Kimmel started another tradition of ceremonially burning the dancers' shoes after they were voted off ''DWTS''.

Other television work

In Spring 1996, Kimmel appeared as "Jimmy the Fox Guy" in promos on the Fox network.

Kimmel's other television work included being the on-air football prognosticator for ''Fox NFL Sunday'' for four years. He has had numerous appearances on other talk shows including, but not limited to, ''Live with Regis and Kelly'', ''The Howard Stern Show'', ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'', and ''The Late Show with David Letterman''. Kimmel has appeared on ''The Late Show'' five times, most recently on April 21, 2008. Kimmel served as roastmaster for the New York Friars' Club Roast of Hugh Hefner and Comedy Central Roasts of ''Pamela Anderson''. He has appeared on ABC's Dancing with the Stars, along with his parking lot security guard Guillermo.

In August 2006, ABC announced that Jimmy Kimmel would be the host of their new game show ''Set for Life''. The show debuted on July 20, 2007. On April 6, 2007, Kimmel filled in for Larry King on ''Larry King Live''. That particular show was about the paparazzi and Kimmel reproached Emily Gould, an editor from Gawker.com, about the web site's alleged stalking of celebrities. On July 8, 2007, Kimmel managed the National League in the 2007 Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game in San Francisco. He played in the game in 2004 and 2006 (Houston and Pittsburgh). On July 11, 2007, Kimmel along with basketball player LeBron James, hosted the 2007 ''ESPY Awards''. The show aired on ESPN on July 15, 2007. Kimmel hosted the American Music Awards on ABC four times, in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Kimmel guest hosted ''Live with Regis and Kelly'' during the week of October 22, 2007 – October 26, 2007, commuting every day between New York and Los Angeles. In the process, he broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest distance () travelled in one work week.

Kimmel has performed in several animated films, often voicing dogs. His voice appeared in ''Garfield'' and ''Road Trip'', and he portrayed Death's Dog in the ''Family Guy'' episode "Mr. Saturday Knight"; ''Family Guy'' creator Seth McFarlane later presented Kimmel with a figurine of his character on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!''. Kimmel also did voice work for ''Robot Chicken''. Kimmel's cousin "Sal" (Sal Iacono) has accepted and won a wrestling match with WWE superstar Santino Marella. On January 14, 2010, in the midst of the 2010 Tonight Show host and time slot conflict, Kimmel was the special guest of Jay Leno on ''The Jay Leno Show'''s "10 at 10" segment. Kimmel derided Leno in front of a live studio audience for taking back the 11:35 pm time slot from Conan O'Brien, and repeatedly insulted Leno. He ended the segment with a plea that Leno "leave our shows alone," as Kimmel and O'Brien had "kids" while Leno only had "cars".

Kimmel also made a brief appearance in the TV commercial "There's A Soldier In All Of Us" promoting the 2010 video game ''Call of Duty: Black Ops'', along with Kobe Byrant. He is seen taking cover from bullets, then firing an RPG-7 with the words ''PROUD N00b'' on it, with the aftershock from the weapon sending him tumbling backwards.

Personal life

Kimmel and his then fiancée, Gina, married in June 1988. They have two children, Katie (born 1991) and Kevin (born 1993). Katie Kimmel is an art student in Chicago. The marriage ended in separation in early 2002. Kimmel then dated comedian Sarah Silverman for five years, splitting with her in March 2009. He started dating current girlfriend, Molly McNearney, in October 2009. McNearney is also a co-head writer for ''Jimmy Kimmel Live''.

Kimmel plays the bass clarinet. He got a chance to showcase his talent during a July 20, 2008, concert in Costa Mesa, California, featuring the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, when he took the stage and played bass clarinet on their hit song "The Impression That I Get."

Kimmel has spoken publicly of being a narcoleptic.

Kimmel co-founded the annual LA Feast of San Gennaro, which celebrates Italian culture through entertainment, music and cuisine. The festival also honors outstanding members of the Los Angeles community and raises funds to aid needy children and families in the city. He hosted Los Angeles' eighth annual feast of San Gennaro from September 28 to 30, 2009. Kimmel served as Master of Ceremonies for the National Italian American Foundation's 34th Anniversary Gala in Washington, D.C., on October 24, 2009. He resides across the street from actor John Krasinski (well known for his role as Jim Halpert on the show ''The Office'') and his wife, actress Emily Blunt.

Awards

References

External links

ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live website

JimmyKimmel.Net

Jimmy Kimmel appears on Michael Eisner's talkshow on CNBC

Jimmy Kimmel interview

Appearance on HGTV's ''Designer's Challenge''

Jimmy is Maxim's #2 Dudeliest Dude 2007

Category:1967 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American game show hosts Category:American radio personalities Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:American television talk show hosts Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Radio personalities from the Las Vegas metropolitan area Category:University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni

ar:جيمي كاميل de:Jimmy Kimmel fr:Jimmy Kimmel id:Jimmy Kimmel it:Jimmy Kimmel he:ג'ימי קימל no:Jimmy Kimmel pl:Jimmy Kimmel pt:Jimmy Kimmel ru:Киммел, Джимми fi:Jimmy Kimmel th:จิมมี คิมเมล

birthname	Kristen Carroll Wiig
birth date	August 22, 1973
birth place	Canandaigua, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actress/Comedian
yearsactive	2003–present
website	http://www.kristenwiig.com/}}

Kristen Carroll Wiig (born August 22, 1973) is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live''. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including ''Bridesmaids'', ''MacGruber'', ''Flight of the Conchords'', ''Adventureland'', and ''Paul''. Her voice acting credits include "Ruffnut" in ''How to Train Your Dragon'' and "Lola Bunny" in the series ''The Looney Tunes Show''.

Early life

Wiig was born in Canandaigua, New York to an artist mother and a father who owned a lake marina. Wiig's father is of Norwegian and Irish ancestry and her mother is of English and Scottish descent. The name "Wiig" hails from the area of Sogn og Fjordane in Norway. She moved with her family to Lancaster, Pennsylvania at the age of three. Wiig later moved to Rochester, New York, where she attended and graduated from Brighton High School. Wiig went on to attend the University of Arizona with a major in art. She took an acting class in university to fulfill a course requirement; her teacher suggested she continue to act. She dropped out and relocated to Los Angeles, where she joined The Groundlings while working odd jobs to support herself.

Career

Early career

Before pursuing a career in comedy, Wiig worked a number of odd jobs.

When asked what kind of impact Wiig has had on comedy, ''SNL'' co-star Jason Sudeikis stated: "She had about thirty lives before she showed up at SNL. She's had a bunch of crazy jobs and crazy haircuts and has lived in about a dozen cities. And there's always a time when she'll say, 'Well, when I was a florist,' or 'When I sold peaches on the street,' or 'When I went to massage school…' Kristen's a journeyman who can start a sentence from any number of non sequiturs."

TV

Wiig's work has mostly been in comedy, including performing at the Empty Stage Comedy Theatre. In 2003, she appeared in the Spike TV show ''The Joe Schmo Show'', a spoof of reality television, in which she played "Dr. Pat", the quack marriage counselor.

Wiig debuted on ''Saturday Night Live'' shortly into its 31st season, on November 12, 2005. She survived a ''SNL'' budget cut, becoming a full member of the repertory cast at the beginning of the show's 32nd season in 2006. Her characters include Penelope, a neurotic attention-seeker; Kat in the musical duo Garth and Kat (frequently appearing on Weekend Update alongside Fred Armisen); Dooneese on the Lawrence Welk show; Mindy Grayson in the Secret Word sketches, Gilly, a highly mischievous schoolgirl; Sue, who can't control her excitement over surprises; The Target Lady, a clerk at the chain store and a kitsch collector; Shanna, an attractive and ditzy girl whose actions and stories gross people out; Cheryl Brown, a TV host for shows that give away big prizes that is always more excited about the prize than the winners; Judy Grimes, a nervous travel agent; Toni Ward, predatory host of the ''Cougar Den''; and Aunt Linda, a hard-to-please movie critic, both frequently appearing on Weekend Update. She has also played real-life people such as Suze Orman, Kathie Lee Gifford, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

Wiig was nominated for an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on ''Saturday Night Live'' for 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In December 2009, she headlined in the Christmas special "SNL Presents: A Very Gilly Christmas", which featured new sketches with her character Gilly and highlights of old clips.

Following Amy Poehler's departure in the 34th season to work on the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'', Wiig was the only female regular cast member on ''SNL'' until Abby Elliott was promoted to a repertory player in the show's 36th season.

In December 2008, Wiig was featured in ''Entertainment Weekly'''s list of 15 Great Performances for her various impersonations on ''Saturday Night Live'' and in April 2009, Wiig was featured in ''EW'''s list of the 25 Funniest Women in Hollywood. She also has a lead role as the voice of Lola Bunny in the new series ''The Looney Tunes Show''.

Film

Wiig made her big screen debut in Judd Apatow’s 2007 comedy ''Knocked Up'' as a passive-aggressive assistant. She also performed in Jake Kasdan's ''Walk Hard'', another Apatow-produced film, and in David Koepp's ''Ghost Town''. Wiig has also appeared in Greg Mottola's ''Adventureland'', Mike Judge's ''Extract'', and in ''Whip It'', Drew Barrymore's directorial debut. Wiig also had a lead role in Greg Mottola's ''Paul''.

In 2010, she appeared in the films ''MacGruber'', the animated comedy ''Despicable Me'', and Andrew Jarecki's ''All Good Things''.

In 2011, she starred in the film ''Bridesmaids'', which she co-wrote with fellow Groundlings performer Annie Mumolo for Universal Pictures; the film was released on May 13, 2011.

Personal life

Kristen Wiig was married to actor Hayes Hargrove from 2005 until 2009. She is currently dating actor, writer, and filmmaker Brian Petsos. The couple reside in New York City.

Awards

Kristen Wiig was named one of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2011. She also won Best Female Comedy Actress at the 1st Annual Comedy Awards in 2011.

Film and television

''Life, Death, and Mini-Golf'' ''Saturday Night Live'' '''' ''Unaccompanied Minors'' ''Knocked Up'' ''30 Rock'' ''Meet Bill'' '''' ''Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story'' ''Semi-Pro'' ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' ''Pretty Bird'' ''Ghost Town (film) ''Saturday Night Live Weekend Update Thursday'' ''Flight of the Conchords (TV series) ''Adventureland (film) ''Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs'' ''One Night Only'' ''Whip It!'' ''Extract (film) ''Bored to Death'' '''' ''How to Train Your Dragon (film) ''Date Night'' ''MacGruber (film) ''Despicable Me'' ''All Good Things (film) ''Paul (film) '''' ''Bridesmaids (2011 film) '''' ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' ''Friends with Kids''

Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2003	''''	Dr. Pat
2004	|	Debbie
2005–present	|	Various	TV SeriesNominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Comedy Series (2009–11)Won – The Comedy Awards – Television Comedy Actress (2011)
2006	|	Tux Shop Employee
2006	|	Carole Malone
2007	|	Jill
2007	|	Candace Van der Shark	Episode: Somebody to Love (30 Rock)>Somebody to Love
2007	|	Jane Whitman
2007	|	Janine
2007	|	Edith Cox
2008	|	Bear Handler
2008	|	Yoga Instructor	Unrated Version Only
2008	|	Mandy
2008	Ghost Town'' ||	Surgeon
2008	|	Various	TV Series: 6 Episodes
2009	Flight of the Conchords'' ||	Brahbrah	TV SeriesEpisode: "Love is a Weapon of Choice"
2009	Adventureland'' ||	Paulette	Gotham Awards>Gotham Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2009	|	Pudgy Beaver Mom	Voice Only
2009	|	Karen	Short film
2009	|	Maggie Mayhem
2009	Extract'' ||	Suzie
2009–2010	|	Jennifer Gladwell	TV Series: 3 Episodes
2010	|	Mrs. Stapleton	TV Series: 1 EpisodeVoice Only
2010	How to Train Your Dragon'' ||	Ruffnut	Voice Only
2010	|	Haley Sullivan
2010	MacGruber'' ||	Vicki St. Elmo
2010	|	Miss Hattie	Voice Only
2010	All Good Things'' ||	Lauren Fleck
2011	Paul'' ||	Ruth Buggs
2011–present	|	Lola Bunny	Voice Only
2011	Bridesmaids'' ||	Annie	Also Writer/Producer
2011	|	Ms. Juniper	TV Series: 1 EpisodeVoice Only
2011	|	Madame Hag	Voice Only
2012	|	TBA	Filming

References

External links

Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American impressionists (entertainers) Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:American vegetarians Category:American people of English descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Norwegian descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:The Groundlings Category:People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Category:People from Rochester, New York Category:People from Canandaigua, New York Category:University of Arizona alumni Category:Women comedians

de:Kristen Wiig fr:Kristen Wiig nl:Kristen Wiig ja:クリステン・ウィグ pl:Kristen Wiig pt:Kristen Wiig ru:Уиг, Кристен sv:Kristen Wiig

name	Suzanne Somers
birth name	Suzanne Marie Mahoney
birth date	October 16, 1946
birth place	San Bruno, California, U.S.
occupation	Actress, author, businesswoman, singer
years active	1963–present
spouse	Bruce Somers (1965–1968)Alan Hamel (1977–present)
website	http://www.suzannesomers.com/ }}

Suzanne Somers (born Suzanne Marie Mahoney; October 16, 1946) is an American actress, author, singer and businesswoman, known for her television roles as Chrissy Snow on ''Three's Company'' and as Carol Lambert on ''Step by Step''.

Somers later became the author of a series of best-selling self-help books, including ''Ageless: The Naked Truth About Bioidentical Hormones'' (2006), a book about bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She has also released two autobiographies, four diet books, and a book of poetry entitled "Touch Me" (1980). She currently features items of her design on ShopNBC.

She is criticized for her views on some medical subjects and her advocacy of the Wiley Protocol, which has been labelled as "scientifically unproven and dangerous". Her promotion of alternative cancer treatments has received criticism from the American Cancer Society.

Personal life

Born Suzanne Marie Mahoney in San Bruno, California, Somers was the third of four children in an Irish Catholic family. Her mother, Marion Elizabeth (née Turner), was a medical secretary, and her father, Francis Mahoney, was a laborer (loading beer into boxcars) and gardener. Her family attended church at St. Robert's Catholic Church in San Bruno.

She attended Capuchino High School, then she was accepted at San Francisco College for Women (commonly referred to as "Lone Mountain College") on a music scholarship, a Catholic school that is now a campus of the University of San Francisco. She left during her sophomore year, after becoming pregnant by Bruce Somers, whom she married, giving birth to Bruce Jr. on November 8, 1965. She left her husband three years later and began modeling. In 1971, her son was severely injured when he was hit by a car.

In 1968, Somers met her future husband Alan Hamel a then married man, while working on a game show. After a three year affair while Hamel was married, he finally divorced his wife to be with Somers. The couple married in 1977, and Hamel became her business manager.

In 2001 Somers announced that she had breast cancer, having a lumpectomy to remove the cancer followed by radiation therapy. She decided to forego chemotherapy in favour of alternative treatment.

On January 9, 2007, the Associated Press reported that a wildfire in Southern California had destroyed Somers' Malibu home.

Career

Early acting roles

She began acting in small roles during the late 1960s and early 1970s (including on various talk shows promoting her book of poetry, and bit parts in movies such as the "Blonde in the T-Bird" in ''American Graffiti'', and an episode of the American version of the sitcom ''Lotsa Luck'' as the femme fatale in the early 1970s), had an uncredited role as a topless pool girl in ''Magnum Force'' in 1974, and guest starred on the 1977 episode "Cheshire Project" on ''The Six Million Dollar Man''. She later landed the role of the ditzy blonde "Chrissy Snow" on the ABC sitcom ''Three's Company'' in 1977.

''Three's Company''

At the beginning of the fifth season, Somers demanded a hefty raise from $30,000 to $150,000 an episode and 10% ownership of the show's profit. Those close to the situation suggested that Somers' rebellion was due to husband Hamel's influences. When ABC denied her request, Somers boycotted the second and fourth shows of the season, due to several excuses such as a broken rib (which was false). She finished the remaining season on her contract, but her role was decreased to 60 seconds per episode. After her contract was terminated, she sued ABC for $2 million, claiming that her credibility in show business had been damaged. It went to an arbitrator who decided that Somers was owed only $30,000 due to a single missed episode for which she had not been paid. Other rulings favored the producers. Somers has said she was fired because she asked to be paid as much as the male actors on the show like Alan Alda of ''M*A*S*H'', and Carroll O'Connor of ''Archie Bunker's Place''.

Before the feud with ''Three's Company'' producers and ABC ended, rival network CBS knew that Somers was ultimately going to be available. They signed her to a contract and a development deal for her own sitcom, which was going to be called ''The Suzanne Somers Show'', in which she was to play an "over-the-top" airline stewardess. Once she was indeed available (after her firing from ''Three's Company''), CBS gave Somers – and the public – a timeframe in which to expect the show to hit the air, but due to a change in administration at CBS' entertainment division in early 1982, the brass ended up passing on the project. Also, Somers claimed in her book ''After the Fall'' (1998), that the producers of ''Three's Company'' kept sending cease and desist forms to CBS stating that Somers could not use any of her Chrissy Snow characterization, and that chilled the creative process.

Spokeswoman for the Thighmaster

During the 1980s, Somers became a Las Vegas entertainer. She was the spokeswoman for the Thighmaster, a piece of exercise equipment that is squeezed between one's thighs. Thighmaster was one of the first products responsible for launching the infomercial concept. During this period of her career, she also performed for US servicemen overseas.

''Playboy'' pictorials

Somers appeared in two ''Playboy'' cover-feature nude pictorials: in 1980 and 1984. The 1980 pictures were taken years before, when Somers was a struggling model and actress and did a test photoshoot for the magazine.

''She's the Sheriff''

At the height of her exposure as official spokesperson for Thighmaster infomercials, Somers made her first return to a series, although not on network television. In 1987, she starred in the sitcom ''She's the Sheriff'', which ran in first-run syndication. Somers portrayed a widow with two young kids who decided to fill the shoes of her late husband, a sheriff of a southern town. The show ran for two seasons.

''Step by Step''

In 1990, Somers returned to network TV, appearing in numerous guest roles and made-for-TV movies, mostly for ABC. Her roles in these, including the movie ''Rich Men, Single Women'', attracted the attention of Lorimar Television and Miller-Boyett Productions, who were developing a new sitcom. Somers had starred in the film with Heather Locklear, who inadvertently directed the focus of both production companies to Somers due to Locklear's starring role on ''Going Places'' (from Lorimar and Miller/Boyett). For Lorimar, this was asking Somers back, since they alone had produced ''She's the Sheriff''.

In September 1991, Somers returned to TV starring in the sitcom ''Step By Step'' (with Patrick Duffy), which ran for seven seasons. Playing off her rejuvenated career, Somers also launched a daytime talk show in 1994, albeit briefly, titled ''Suzanne Somers''. During ''Step By Step'''s final season, on CBS, she began co-hosting ''Candid Camera'' with Peter Funt.

''Candid'' cohost

From 1997–99, Somers cohosted the revised ''Candid Camera'' show, when CBS chose to bring it back with Peter Funt. Somers stayed for two years before PAX TV renewed the series without her.

''The Blonde in the Thunderbird''

In summer 2005, Somers made her Broadway debut in a one-woman show, ''The Blonde in the Thunderbird,'' a collection of stories about her life and career. The show was supposed to run until September, but was cancelled in less than a week after poor reviews and disappointing ticket sales. Somers blamed the harsh reviews (The New York Times referred to it as "''...a drab and embarrassing display of emotional exhibitionism masquerading as entertainment''") and told the New York Post: ''"These men [New York critics] are curmudgeons, and maybe I went too close to the bone for them. I was lying there naked, and they decided to kick me and step on me, just like these visions you see in Iraq."''

Views on medical subjects

Somers supports bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. Her book, ''Ageless'', includes interviews with 16 practitioners of bioidentical hormone therapy, but gives extra discussion to one specific approach, the 'Wiley Protocol'. Somers and T. S. Wiley, the originator of the Wiley Protocol, have been criticized for their advocacy of the Wiley Protocol. A group of seven doctors, all of whom utilize bioidentical hormone therapies to address health issues in women, issued a public letter to Somers and her publisher, Crown, in which they state that the protocol is "scientifically unproven and dangerous" and cite Wiley's lack of medical and clinical qualifications. its efficacy has never been tested and numerous groups have expressed concern over its safety and the misleading claims made by practitioners.

Her promotion of them, and Oprah Winfrey's support of her, has been the subject of an Associated Press article:

: ''The problem, for many doctors: These custom-compounded products are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.''

: ''Somers, whose hormone regimen involves creams, injections and some 60 supplements daily, got a huge boost earlier this year from Oprah Winfrey. "Many people write Suzanne off as a quackadoo," Winfrey said when Somers appeared on her show. "But she just might be a pioneer."''

: ''Yet Winfrey's tacit support of Somers gave her some of the worst press of her career. "Crazy Talk," Newsweek headlined an article on the talk show host earlier this year. Another headline, on Salon.com: "Oprah's Bad Medicine."''

In 2001, Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy, and radiation, but declined to undergo chemotherapy. In November, 2008, Suzanne Somers announced she was diagnosed with inoperable cancer by six doctors, but Somers learned a week later that she was misdiagnosed. During this time, she interviewed doctors about cancer treatments and these interviews became the basis of her book, ''Knockout'', about alternative treatments to chemotherapy. In her book ''Knockout'', Somers promotes alternative cancer treatments, for which she has received criticism from the American Cancer Society: She is opposed to water fluoridation.

Television work

''Anniversary Game'' (1969–1970)

''Mantrap'' (1971–1973)

''Lotsa Luck'' (c1973)

''The Big Ripoff (The Rockford Files)'' (Aired Oct, 1974)

''Sky Heist'' (1975)

''It Happened at Lakewood Manor'' (1977)

''Three's Company'' (cast member from 1977–1981)

''Happily Ever After'' (1978)

''Zuma Beach'' (1978)

''Hollywood Wives'' (1985) (miniseries)

''Goodbye Charlie'' (1985)

''She's the Sheriff'' (1987–1989)

''Rich Men, Single Women'' (1990)

''Step by Step'' (1991–1998)

''Keeping Secrets'' (1991)

''Exclusive'' (1992) (also co-executive producer)

''The Suzanne Somers Show'' (1994–1995)

''Seduced by Evil'' (1994)

''Devil's Food'' (1996)

''Love-Struck'' (1997)

''No Laughing Matter'' (1998)

''Candid Camera'' (co-host from 1998–2000)

''The Darklings'' (1999)

''Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List'' (2009) (Guest appearance)

''ShopNBC

Filmography

''Bullitt'' (1968)

''Daddy's Gone A-Hunting'' (1969)

''American Graffiti'' (1973)

''Magnum Force'' (1973)

''Ants (1977)

''Billy Jack Goes to Washington'' (1977)

''Yesterday's Hero'' (1979)

''Nothing Personal'' (1980)

''Totally Minnie'' (1987)

''Serial Mom'' (1994) (cameo)

''Rusty: A Dog's Tale'' (1998) (voice)

''Say It Isn't So'' (2001) (cameo)

Bibliography

References

External links

Category:1946 births Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American health and wellness writers Category:American self-help writers Category:American television actors Category:Game show models Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from San Mateo County, California Category:University of San Francisco alumni Category:Women comedians Category:People in alternative medicine Category:Breast cancer survivors Category:People from San Bruno, California

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