Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Ellen Page
birth name	Ellen Philpotts-Page
birth date	February 21, 1987
birth place	Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
occupation	Actress
years active	1997–present
website	}}

Ellen Philpotts-Page (born February 21, 1987), known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film ''Juno''. She won back-to-back Austin Film Critics Association Awards for Best Actress for her roles in ''Juno'' and ''Hard Candy''.

She is also known for her starring roles in ''Inception'', ''Super'', ''Smart People'', ''Juno'', and ''Whip It'', and as Katherine "Kitty" Pryde in ''X-Men: The Last Stand''. In addition, Page received attention in Canada for award-winning roles in ''Pit Pony'' and ''Marion Bridge'', as well as television shows ''Trailer Park Boys'' and ''ReGenesis''.

In 2008, Page was nominated for ''Time's'' 100 Most Influential People list and placed #86 on ''FHM'''s Sexiest Women in the World list, and moved up to #70 for 2010. In June 2008, Page was named on ''Entertainment Weekly's'' future A-List stars list.

Early life

Page was born and raised in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, the daughter of Martha Philpotts, a teacher, and Dennis Page, a graphic designer. She attended the Halifax Grammar School until grade 10, spent some time at Queen Elizabeth High School, and graduated from the Shambhala School in 2005. She also spent two years in Toronto, Ontario studying in the Interact Program at Vaughan Road Academy, along with close friend and fellow Canadian actor Mark Rendall. Growing up, Page enjoyed playing with action figures and climbing trees.

Career

Page began acting at age 4, appearing in numerous school plays. She first acted in front of the camera in 1997 at age 10 in the CBC television movie ''Pit Pony'', which later spun off into a television series. This led to more roles in a number of small Canadian films and television series, notably playing Treena Lahey in Season 2 of ''Trailer Park Boys''. At 16, she was cast in ''Mouth to Mouth'', an independent film shot in Europe. Page starred in the 2005 movie ''Hard Candy'' and gained praise for "one of the most complex, disturbing and haunting performances of the year". She also appeared in ''X-Men: The Last Stand'' as Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), a girl who can walk through walls. In the previous X-Men movies, the part had been used in brief cameos played by other actresses, but never as a main character. As the title character in ''Juno'', Page garnered substantial praise; A. O. Scott of the ''New York Times'' noted her as being "frighteningly talented" and Roger Ebert said, "Has there been a better performance this year than Ellen Page's creation of Juno? I do not think so". Page was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in ''Juno'', but lost to Marion Cotillard in ''La Vie En Rose''. The role, however, did win her several other awards, including a Canadian Comedy Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Satellite Award. Page also has starred in ''Smart People'', which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Although released after ''Juno'', ''Smart People'' was shot earlier. Her other film credits include ''An American Crime'', which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival; ''The Tracey Fragments'', which was released in November 2007 in Canada and May 2008 in the U.S.; and ''The Stone Angel''.

In 2007, she was attached to play the title character in an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's ''Jane Eyre'' and had planned to work on an as-yet unmade film entitled ''Jack and Diane'' opposite Olivia Thirlby, with whom she co-starred in ''Juno'' but it was announced in August 2009 that her role in ''Jack and Diane'' would now be played by the actress Alison Pill. Before his death in January 2008, Heath Ledger had discussed with Page the idea of starring in his directorial debut, ''The Queen's Gambit''. Page hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' on March 1, 2008 and on May 3, 2009, she guest starred in the episode "Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh" of the animated series ''The Simpsons'' as a character named Alaska Nebraska, a parody of Hannah Montana. She also starred in Drew Barrymore's directorial debut, ''Whip It'', alongside Juliette Lewis, Marcia Gay Harden, Drew Barrymore and Kristen Wiig. The film premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and had its wide release on October 2, 2009.

She features in Michael Lander's film ''Peacock'', opposite Cillian Murphy, Susan Sarandon, Bill Pullman and Josh Lucas, which was released in 2010 despite an original release date of 2009. In August 2009, Page began shooting the thriller ''Inception'', a film directed by Christopher Nolan and co-starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ken Watanabe. The film was released on July 16, 2010.

She is attached to star in the film ''Super'', and will reportedly play Stacie Andree in an upcoming film about Laurel Hester.

, she serves as a spokesperson for Cisco Systems in a series of ads appearing in three commercials set in Page's hometown of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. On May 26, 2010 it was reported in a column on "Deadline Hollywood" and by ''Entertainment Weekly'' that Page will star in the new HBO series ''Tilda'' alongside Diane Keaton, who plays the title role. ''Tilda'' is based on the life of Nikki Finke, the founder of the influential Hollywood blog, DeadlineHollywood.com. ''Tilda'' was reportedly dropped by HBO due to friction between the creators. She is also the narrator of the documentary on colony collapse disorder, ''Vanishing of the Bees''.

In April 2011 it was announced that Ellen Page would be co-starring in a Woody Allen film titled ''The Bop Decameron'' alongside Jesse Eisenberg, Penélope Cruz, and Alec Baldwin.

Personal life

Page resides in her hometown of Halifax, Nova Scotia and has two dogs named Julie and Sprout. She is prone to walking and talking (somniloquy) in her sleep. In 2008, Page was one of 30 celebrities who participated in an online ad series for U.S. Campaign for Burma, calling for an end to the military dictatorship in Myanmar. She describes herself as a pro-choice feminist.

In 2008, Page spent a month living in an eco-village, studying permaculture at the Lost Valley Educational Center outside Eugene, Oregon.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1997	''Pit Pony''	Maggie Maclean	TV movieNominated—Young Artist Award
1999–2000		Maggie Maclean	Twenty-nine episodes, main character
2001–2002	''[[Trailer Park Boys''		Five episodes, recurring character
2002		Helene	"Pilot"
2002		Joanie
2002	''''	Jocelyn
2003	''Ghost Cat''	Natalie Merritt
2003		Trish
2003	''Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story''	Young Lisa
2003		Jennifer
2003	''Love That Boy''	Suzanna
2004	''ReGenesis''	Lilith Sandström
2004	''''	Stella Blackstone
2004	''Wilby Wonderful''	Emily Anderson
2005		Hayley Stark	Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best ActressNominated—Empire Award for Best Female NewcomerNominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
2005		Sherry
2006	''X-Men: The Last Stand''
2007	''An American Crime''	Sylvia Likens
2007	''''	Tracey Berkowitz
2007		Juno MacGuff	Austin Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressCentral Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressChicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressDetroit Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressFlorida Film Critics Circle Pauline Kael Breakout AwardHouston Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressIndependent Spirit Award for Best Lead FemaleLas Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNational Board of Review Award for Best Breakthrough Performance - FemaleSt. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: ComedyTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Breakout FemaleToronto Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceMTV Movie Awards - Best Female PerformanceNominated—Academy Award for Best ActressNominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best ActressNominated—Empire Award for Best ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated—National Movie Award for Best Performance - FemaleNominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated—MTV Movie Awards - Best Kiss (Shared with Michael Cera)Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
2007	''''	Arlene
2008	''Smart People''	Vanessa Wetherhold
2009	''''	Alaska Nebraska	"Waverly Hills 9-0-2-1-D'oh", guest star
2009		Bliss Cavendar/Babe Ruthless
2009	''Vanishing of the Bees''	Narrator	Environmental documentary
2010		Maggie
2010	''Inception''	Ariadne	MTV Movie Award for Best Frightened PerformanceNominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (Shared with Joseph Gordon-Levitt) Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best WTF Moment (Shared with Leonardo DiCaprio)Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best EnsembleNominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
2010		Libby / Boltie
2011	''[[Freeheld''	Stacie Andree
2012	''The Bop Decameron''	Shannon

Awards and nominations

BAFTA

Nominated for the 2008 Orange Rising Star Award

Academy Awards, USA

Nominated for the 2008 Oscar, Category: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for ''Juno'' (2007)

2010 Scream Awards

* Nominated for Best Science Fiction Actress

See also

List of current child actors from Canada

List of former child actors from Canada

References

External links

Category:1987 births Category:Actors from Nova Scotia Category:Canadian child actors Category:Canadian feminists Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian television actors Category:Gemini Award winners Category:Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead winners Category:Living people Category:People from Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Jonathan Ross
birth name	Jonathan Stephen Ross
birth date	November 17, 1960
birth place	Camden, London, England
nationality	British
occupation	Broadcaster, film critic
years active	1987–present
spouse
children	2 daughters, 1 son
parents	Martha Ross }}

Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE (born 17 November 1960) is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011. Ross also hosted his own radio show on BBC Radio 2, and acted as a film critic and presenter of the ''Film'' programme. Other regular roles have included being a regular panellist on the comedy sports quiz ''They Think It's All Over'' from 1999 to 2006, and presenting the annual British Comedy Awards from 1991 to 2007, and 2009 onwards.

Ross began his television career as a programme researcher, before débuting as a television presenter for ''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross'' on Channel 4 in 1987. Over the next decade he had several radio and television roles, many through his own production company, Channel X. In 1995 he sold his stake in Channel X, and embarked on a career with the BBC. In 1999, Ross took over presenting the ''Film'' programme from Barry Norman, and also began presenting his own radio show, while two years later he began hosting ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. For the chat show, Ross won three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards for Best Entertainment Performance, in 2004, 2006 and 2007. By 2006 Ross was believed to be the BBC's highest paid star. In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to broadcasting. Ross has been involved in controversies throughout his broadcasting career. As a result, in 2008 he wrote a semi-autobiographical work titled ''Why Do I Say These Things?'', detailing some of his life experiences.

Ross has been married to the author, journalist and broadcaster Jane Goldman since 1988; they have three children. Ross and Goldman have together established the television production company Hotsauce TV. Ross is known as an avid fan and collector of comic books and memorabilia, and has written his own comic book, ''Turf''. Ross is known for his distinctive voice, flamboyant style of dress, and his light-hearted banter. He is also known for his characteristic difficulty in pronouncing the sound 'r'.

Personal

Ross was born in Camden, London, England on 17 November 1960, a son of British actress and radio presenter Martha Ross. He grew up in Leytonstone and is the brother of journalist, television editor, and media personality Paul Ross; TV producer/actor Miles Ross; TV producer Simon Ross, and music industry professional Adam Ross. He was educated at Norlington School for Boys, a comprehensive school at the same time as his elder brother Paul, and at Leyton County High School for Boys, a comprehensive school. He also attended Southampton College of Art, now known as Southampton Solent University. He then studied Modern European History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University of London.

Ross married author/journalist/broadcaster Jane Goldman, nine years his junior, in 1988, when Goldman was 18. They have since had three children: Betty Kitten (named after Bettie Page), Harvey Kirby (named after Jack Kirby, a comic book creator whom Ross especially admires), and Honey Kinney. The family lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Ross and others have used his rhotacism for comic effect and he is sometimes known as "Wossy," including on his Twitter feed (@wossy).

Ross is known for owning exotic pets. He is a big music fan and the first band he saw live was punk rockers X-Ray Spex at Islington's Hope and Anchor pub in North London. He is a big fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, Queen (he was in the audience for Queen at Wembley), British punk rock, Spandau Ballet, Sparks, ''Star Trek'', ''Doctor Who'' (his favourite Doctor was Jon Pertwee), and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London with Paul Gambaccini and released ''Turf'', his first comic book, in 2010, with American artist Tommy Lee Edwards. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book ''Saviour''. Ross is also greatly interested in Japan, presenting a BBC-TV series on many different aspects of Japanese culture, ''Japanorama'', for three series between 2002–07. He was a regular at London's ''Blitz'' club during the early 1980s (famous for the Blitz Kids). He is a fan and friend of the singers Morrissey and George Michael.

He is a close friend of comedian Ricky Gervais and bought him a kitten after Gervais' previous cat, Colin, had died. The cat's name is Ollie and was presented to him on an episode of Ross' talk show ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''. He was one of the special celebrity guests in the final episode of Gervais's second season of ''Extras'', in which Gervais's character, Andy Millman, and Ross were shown to be the best of friends after a fictional appearance on ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''.

He is also a friend of author Neil Gaiman, and he and his wife appear in Gaiman's short story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch", collected in ''Fragile Things''.

In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols on his Radio 2 show.

When talking to Colin Farrell on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' on 19 February 2010, Ross claimed not to have consumed alcohol for ten years.

Ross has attended a fund raiser for the James Randi Educational Foundation called ''The Amazing Meeting'' in London in 2009 and 2010. Interviewed by Rebecca Watson, Ross described himself as a big fan of James Randi and the other speakers – who were mainly prominent sceptics – and said that he and his wife had come to have a sceptical view of the world. Ross has been supportive of Simon Singh's efforts to defend an accusation of libel by the British Chiropractic Association and Ross has posed for the ''Geek Calendar 2011'', a fund raiser for the libel reform in the UK.

At a book signing event in Central London in September 2010, Ross stated that as a youngster he went to school in Leyton (Leyton Senior High School) and supports Leyton Orient F.C.

On 6 June 2011, it was announced that Ross' beloved pug Mr Pickle had been killed in an accident on board a train while Ross was filming a new travelogue show for ITV. Mr Pickle was well known to both viewers and listeners of Ross' TV and radio shows.

Career

Child actor

Following the acting lead of his mother, who appeared as an extra on television shows such as ''East Enders'', Ross appeared in television ads as a child actor. His first, for the breakfast cereal Kellogg's Rice Krispies, gave him his television debut in 1970, when he was 10 years old. He also appeared in an ad for the laundry detergent Persil.

Early career

Ross began his adult career as a researcher on the Channel 4 show ''Loose Talk''. After leaving this, he worked on various other shows before beginning another research job on ''Soul Train'', which became ''Solid Soul''. It is believed his first appearance on television was as an extra in the 1981 ''It Ain't Half Hot, Mum'' episode, ''The Last Roll Call''.

Channel X: 1987–95

Whilst on ''Solid Soul'', he met fellow researcher Alan Marke, and the two devised what would prove to be a breakthrough hit for Ross in 1987, ''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross''.

The pair based their concept on the successful American show ''Late Night with David Letterman'', and formed a new production company called Channel X, to produce a pilot. Ross was not originally slated as the show's host, but with little time to find one Jonathan Ross stepped in and made his television debut on the show in January 1987.

While the series was initially a co-production with Colin Calendar, ownership transferred to Marke and Ross, meaning that the latter retained a great deal of control as well as being presenter. The show proved popular for both Ross and for Channel 4, making him one of the major personalities on the channel.

A year later, his documentary series ''The Incredibly Strange Film Show'' introduced many to the works of cult filmmakers like Sam Raimi and Jackie Chan.

In 1989, he co-presented the biennial BBC charity telethon ''Comic Relief'', the same year he launched ''One Hour with Jonathan Ross'' a short lived chat show on Channel 4, most notable for the game show segment "Knock down ginger" which introduced comedians such as Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to television.

In 1991, he presented the annual ''British Comedy Awards'' on ITV. He has presented the event each year since, but in 2008 announced he would be stepping down from the role following his suspension from the BBC. In 1992 he presented an interview with Madonna about her ''Erotica'' album and ''Sex Book'' promotion.

In 1993, he was the narrator for ''FIA Formula One 1993 Season Review'' video.

Ross has appeared in numerous television entertainment programmes on several channels throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was a regular panellist on the sports quiz ''They Think It's All Over'', and hosted the panel game ''It's Only TV...But I Like It''. Other projects include the BBC joke-quiz ''Gagtag'', the Channel 4 variety show ''Saturday Zoo'', new-acts showcase ''The Big Big Talent Show'', and the ITV programme ''Fantastic Facts''.

In 1995 he left Channel X, despite its profitable nature. He was quoted in a 1998 article as stating:

Television 1995–2006

In 1995 he presented ''Mondo Rosso'', a programme about old ''cult'' films. He took over presenting of the Film programme, the BBC's long-running cinema review series, in 1999 after Barry Norman left the show. Ross himself has made a number of cameo appearances in films, playing himself in the Spice Girls' film ''Spice World'' (1997) and voicing the character of Doris in the UK version of ''Shrek 2'' (2004). He also played himself in ''Only Fools and Horses'', presenting ''Goldrush'', a fictional television quiz on which the main character, Del, was a contestant. In 2001 he voiced characters in two episodes of the animated comedy series ''Rex the Runt''. In the 30 October episode of ''Film 2006'', Ross also claimed that he had appeared as an extra in the 1981 film 'The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin', as an Israeli soldier raiding Entebbe Airport. He also appeared on the first pilot show for ''Shooting Stars'', acting as a team captain.

BBC Radio: 1999–2010

Ross began presenting a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2 in 1999. He has also presented radio shows for BBC Radio 1 and Virgin Radio (having previously worked on Richard Branson's earlier venture, ''Radio Radio''), as well as the now-defunct commercial radio network service ''The Superstation'', where his producer was Chris Evans.

From 23 May 2009, Ross' BBC Radio 2 show was pre-recorded 24 hours before broadcast. This decision was made to make the show more watertight and, according to the press, to make sure any of Ross's off-the-cuff comments might be edited out.

Ross' show on Radio 2 last aired on 17 July 2010 when his contract at the BBC ended.

''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'': 2001–10

On 2 November 2001, Ross began presenting his chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''.

In 2005, Ross anchored the BBC television coverage of the Live 8 concerts. Later that year he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by The Sex Pistols (which was banned by the BBC when released in 1977) on his BBC Radio 2 Saturday morning show. On 21 June 2006 Ross was made a Fellow of University College London, where he studied.

In early 2006, Ross announced that after eight years he was quitting his regular panellist seat on the sport/comedy quiz show ''They Think It's All Over'', stating:

However, after Ross' departure, only two more episodes of the show were made before it was cancelled.

In January 2006 he presented ''Jonathan Ross' Asian Invasion'', broadcast on BBC Four. The three-part documentary followed Ross as he explored the film industry in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, interviewing directors and showcasing clips. His interest in Asian culture and his self confessed love for anime and video games led him to making three series of BBC Three show ''Japanorama'', as well as producing another series for the same channel called ''Adam and Joe Go Tokyo'', starring Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. He produced the latter programme through his own production company Hot Sauce.

In June 2006, a bidding war was sparked between BBC and other broadcasters for Ross' services. Although other broadcasters were unsuccessful in poaching Ross, it is believed that their bids were higher than the BBC during negotiations. ITV, who bid for Ross, poached chat host Michael Parkinson around the same time. Ross became the highest paid television personality in Britain, when a new BBC contract secured his services until 2010, for a reported £18 million (£6 million per year).

On 25 June 2006, he performed at the Children's Party at the Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday. In August 2006, Ross was enlisted to ask the first question since the transition from beta for the Yahoo Answers in UK and Ireland. On 16 March 2007, Ross hosted Comic Relief 2007 alongside Fearne Cotton and Lenny Henry. On 7 July 2007 Ross presented at the Live Earth concert.

Starting on 10 September 2007 he presented the BBC Four series ''Comics Britannia'', about the history of the British comic. This forms the core of a Comics Britannia season, which includes another documentary, ''In Search of Steve Ditko'', by Ross.

In May 2008, Ross won the Sony Gold Award "Music Radio Personality of the Year".

On 3 August 2008, on BBC1, he hosted ''Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army''.

In 2010, Ross took part in ''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'', a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

On 7 April 2010, Ross' first comic book was published. Turf was written by Jonathan himself and drawn by artist Tommy Lee Edwards. In 2011, Ross wrote an introduction for ''The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1'', a collection of work by the American comics artist featured in Ross' 2007 documentary.

In one of his last appearances on the show, Ross was bundled on repeatedly by Gary Lineker, Ross Noble, Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett & Tinie Tempah, after a performance of Gorillaz' iconic song "Clint Eastwood" & "On Melancholy Hill".

Leaving the BBC (2010)

On 7 January 2010, Ross confirmed that he would leave the BBC in July 2010, having decided not to renegotiate his contract. This would see him leave all his regular BBC roles, namely his Friday night chat show, Radio 2 show and a film review programme, although he would be continuing with some specials, such as Comic Relief and the BAFTA Awards.

Explaining the decision, Ross said:

Although I have had a wonderful time working for the BBC, and am very proud of the shows I have made while there, over the last two weeks I have decided not to re-negotiate when my current contract comes to an end. While there, I have worked with some of the nicest and most talented people in the industry and had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest stars in the world, and am grateful to the BBC for such a marvellous experience. I would like to make it perfectly clear that no negotiations ever took place and that my decision is not financially motivated

The decision came a day after it was announced that Graham Norton had signed a two year deal with the BBC, and the BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas speculated Norton would be a ready-made replacement for Ross's chat show role, while Mark Kermode of BBC Radio 5 Live was a potential successor in the film review role, but that "replacing Ross on radio will be harder". Ross last appeared on the film programme in Episode 10 of ''Film 2010 with Jonathan Ross'' aired on 17 March 2010. After Kermode publicly ruled himself out on 26 March, Claudia Winkleman was announced 30 March 2010 as his replacement as host of ''the Film programme'', who was to host Film 2010 from September 2010.

Ross's final ''Friday Night'' chat show episode aired on 16 July 2010, with David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Mickey Rourke and Roxy Music as guests. Ross ended the show with an affectionate tribute to his guests and to the audience, while mentioning that he had promised his friend Morrissey that he would remain composed and "wouldn't cry". His final Radio 2 show was broadcast the following day. Patrick Kielty initially took over Ross' Radio 2 slot from 24 July 2010 after which Graham Norton took over permanently.

2010 onwards (ITV and Cinemoi)

On 14 December 2010, Jonathan Ross announced his creative partnership with CineMoi, the UK's first and only independent French film channel. His deal with the company gives him a multi-faceted role as presenter, producer, creative director and shareholder in the company. A life long cinephile Ross has a unique perspective on French film and hopes to encourage 'first-timers' to explore a world of film that differs slightly from that of the regular Hollywood fare.

On 19 December 2010, Ross presented a three hour Channel 4 list show, ''100 Greatest Toys'', with the broadcaster describing Ross as a "huge toy enthusiast with a private collection that would rival any museum's."

In 2011, he presented ''Penn & Teller: Fool Us'' on ITV, a collaboration with magicians Penn & Teller.

Ross's new chat show ''The Jonathan Ross Show'' began on 3 September 2011 on ITV1, drawing an audience of 4.3m viewers, compared to the 4.6m for his finale on the BBC show. The first series will run for thirteen weeks. Speaking about the new show, Ross said: "I am thrilled and excited that after a short break I will be rolling up my sleeves and creating a brand new show for ITV1."

Controversies

BBC contract

In April 2006, Ross, along with other BBC personalities, had details of his fees leaked to the tabloid press. It was claimed at the time, by a then unidentified BBC mole, that Ross earned £530,000 (equivalent to £10,000 per show) per year for hosting his Radio 2 show. While refusing to comment specifically on the leak in line with the BBC policy on the matter, Ross did hint during his radio show that the figure was exaggerated; in addition to this, any pay highlighted as being 'his' would actually be split between himself and his producer/co-presenter on the show, Andy Davies.

David Cameron interview

In June 2006, when Conservative Party leader David Cameron appeared on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', Ross began a line of questioning relating to Conservative ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, culminating in the question "Did you or did you not have a wank thinking of Margaret Thatcher?". Ross was defended by the BBC publicly, but repeat showings of the interview have been banned.

Heather Mills comment

In 2006, Ross was criticised when he made a joke against Heather Mills, soon after she and Paul McCartney announced they were to divorce. He branded Mills, who only has one leg, a "fucking liar" and that he "wouldn't be surprised if we found out she's actually got two legs".

"1,000 journalists" comment

On 5 December 2007, Ross joked at the ''British Comedy Awards'' that his salary meant that he was "apparently worth 1,000 BBC journalists". His quip came shortly after the BBC had announced plans for more than 2,000 jobs cuts, and was condemned as "obscene" by the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists. Ross has denied this saying that he was commenting on a piece that was written in a newspaper about his salary being that of 1,000 journalists:

"You know where that came from? The newspapers. After the fee was announced, they said, 'The BBC says he's worth 1,000 journalists', so on the Comedy Awards I made a joke that began, 'Apparently I'm worth 1,000 journalists according to the newspapers.' Every time it's quoted, is the word 'apparently' ever used? Which does change the meaning somewhat."

The Russell Brand Show and Andrew Sachs

Following a guest appearance by Ross on ''The Russell Brand Show'' broadcast on 18 October 2008, Ross was suspended for 12 weeks without pay by the BBC on 29 October, after a series of answer phone messages were left for 79-year-old actor Andrew Sachs regarding Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie, by Russell Brand and Ross, which were broadcast on the pre-recorded show. After little initial interest, a media story about the calls generated a high number of complaints. Brand resigned from the BBC, while Ross was suspended without pay. BBC director general Mark Thompson stated that Ross should take the disciplinary action as a "final warning". The BBC was later fined £150,000 by Britain's broadcast regulator for airing the calls.

On 21 November 2008, the BBC Trust said that the phone calls were a "deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification". The trust gave its backing to Ross's 12 week suspension but recommended that no further action be taken against him. He returned to work in January, and the first episode of a new series of ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross'' with guests Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry and Lee Evans, and music from Franz Ferdinand, was broadcast on 23 January 2009.

Gwyneth Paltrow interview

The BBC Trust ruled that Ross’ interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, broadcast on 2 May 2008, breached editorial guidelines. They ruled that bad language in an episode of Ross's pre-recorded BBC1 chat show, ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', in which the presenter told Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow he "would fuck her" was "gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive". The trust said it disagreed with the judgement made by BBC management that the episode should be broadcast uncensored, adding that the comment was made in an "overly sexual way" and that it had upheld a number of complaints made about the edition of ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. The trust reminded BBC staff that "the casual gratuitous use of the most offensive language is not acceptable on the BBC in accordance with the BBC's existing guidelines and practices", adding that "this particularly applies in entertainment programmes".

''Hannah Montana'' comment

On 13 May 2009, Ross was accused of homophobia after a comment he made on his radio show. In which he said,

If your son asks for a ''Hannah Montana'' MP3 player, then you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption in later life, when they settle down with their partner.

An incorrect version of this quote was also circulated, in which Ross was accused of saying:

If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his … erm … partner home.

Ofcom received 61 complaints following the comment. A representative from the BBC defended Ross saying the comment was made "purely in jest" and that "Jonathan is not homophobic in any sense and never meant for his comments to be taken seriously." On 7 July 2009, Ofcom ruled that Ross did not breach the broadcasting code. They wrote in their opinion that "the comment was clearly presented as a joke intended to make light of the reactions that some parents may have if their child chooses a toy that is very widely recognised to be designed and marketed for the opposite sex" and that the nature of the joke and tone and manner in which it was presented "made clear that it was not intended to be hostile or pejorative towards the gay community in general." Stonewall criticised the ruling; saying "the fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying."

Video games

''Fable III''

Year	! Video game	! Role	! Notes
2007	''Halo 3''	UNSC Marine
2010	|	Barry Hatch

Honours and Awards

2006, made a Fellow of University College, London (UCL), into which his alma mater, SSEES, had been absorbed.

2012, Special Recognition award at the National Television Awards.

References

Further reading

''Jonathan Ross: The Biography'', Neil Simpson, John Blake Publishing Ltd (31 July 2007), ISBN 184454432X

''Why Do I Say These Things?'', Jonathan Ross, Bantam Press (16 October 2008), ISBN 0593060822

External links

''The Jonathan Ross Show'' on itv.com

Interactive video talk by Jonathan Ross on Ealing studios for the British Film Institute

Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century actors Category:21st-century writers Category:Alumni of Southampton Solent University Category:Alumni of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:English film actors Category:English film critics Category:English radio DJs Category:English television actors Category:English television presenters Category:English television producers Category:English television talk show hosts Category:English television writers Category:English voice actors Category:Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Camden Town Category:People from Leytonstone

cy:Jonathan Ross de:Jonathan Ross (Moderator) es:Jonathan Ross fr:Jonathan Ross nl:Jonathan Ross pl:Jonathan Ross pt:Jonathan Ross simple:Jonathan Ross sv:Jonathan Ross

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
name	Bill Maher
birth name	William Maher, Jr.
birth date	January 20, 1956
birth place	New York, New York, U.S.
alma mater	Cornell University
medium	Stand-Up, Television, Film, Books
nationality	American
active	1979–present
genre	Satire, Political satire, News Satire, Observational comedy
subject	American politics, current events, American culture, pop culture, freedom of speech, environmentalism, religion, human sexuality, recreational drug use, libertarianism, American liberalism, American conservatism
influences	Steve Allen, George Carlin, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Robert Klein, Don Rickles, Gore Vidal, Lenny Bruce
notable work	Elliot on Charlie HooverHost of Politically Incorrect Host of Real Time with Bill Maher''Religulous''
website	BillMaher.com
footnotes	}}

William "Bill" Maher, Jr. (; born January 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called ''Politically Incorrect'' originally on Comedy Central and later on ABC.

Maher is known for his political satire and sociopolitical commentary, which targets a wide swath of topics including: religion, politics, bureaucracies of many kinds, political correctness, the mass media, greed among people and persons in positions of high political and social power, and the lack of intellectual curiosity of the electorate. He supports the legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage, and serves on the board of PETA. He is also a critic of religion and is an advisory board member of Project Reason, a foundation to promote scientific knowledge and secular values within society. In 2005, Maher ranked at number 38 on Comedy Central's 100 greatest stand-up comedians of all time. Bill Maher received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star on September 14, 2010.

Early life and education

Maher was born in New York City, the son of Julie (née Berman), a nurse, and William Maher, Sr., a network news editor and radio announcer. He was raised in his Irish American father's Catholic religion, remaining unaware that his mother was Jewish until his early teenage years. Maher's family stopped attending church services when Maher was thirteen, due to his father's disagreement with the Catholic Church's position on birth control.

Maher was raised in River Vale, New Jersey, and graduated from Pascack Hills High School in Montvale in 1974. He received a B.A. in English and history from Cornell University in 1978.

Early career

Maher began his career as a stand-up comedian and actor. He was host of the New York City comedy club Catch a Rising Star in 1979. Thanks to Steve Allen, he began appearing on Johnny Carson's and David Letterman's shows in 1982. He made limited television appearances including a recurring role in ''Sara'' (1985), appeared in ''Max Headroom'' (1987), two separate appearances on ''Murder, She Wrote'' (1989, 1990), a recurring role in ''Charlie Hoover'' (1991) and other productions. He has also appeared in several films, usually in a comic role. His feature film debut was in ''D.C. Cab'' (1983), and he also appeared in ''Ratboy'' (1986) ''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death'' (1988) and ''Pizza Man'' (1991), among others.

Television career

''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher''

Maher assumed the host role ''Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher'', a late-night political talk show that ran on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997 and on ABC from 1997 to 2002. The show regularly began with a topical monologue by Maher preceding the introduction of four guests, usually a diverse group of individuals from show business, popular culture, political pundits, political consultants, authors, and occasionally news figures. The group would discuss topical issues selected by Maher, who also participated in the discussions. Jerry Seinfeld, a regular guest on the show, stated that ''Politically Incorrect'' reminded him of talk shows from the 1950s and 60s "when guests interacted with each other as much as with the host."

''Politically Incorrect'' won an array of awards, including an Emmy Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, two CableACE awards for Best Talk Show Series, and a Genesis Award for Best Television Talk Show. Maher earned numerous award nominations for his producing, writing and hosting of ''Politically Incorrect'', including ten Emmy nominations, two TV Guide nominations, and two Writers Guild nominations. ABC decided against renewing Maher's contract for ''Politically Incorrect'' in 2002, after he made a controversial on-air remark shortly after the September 11 attacks. He agreed with his guest, conservative pundit Dinesh D'Souza, that the 9/11 terrorists did not act in a cowardly manner (in rebuttal to President Bush's statement calling 9/11 hijackers cowards). Maher said, "We have been the cowards. Lobbing cruise missiles from two thousand miles away. That's cowardly. Staying in the airplane when it hits the building. Say what you want about it. Not cowardly. You're right." Maher later clarified that his comment was not anti-military in any way whatsoever, referencing his well-documented longstanding support for the American military.

In the context of the attacks, some corporate advertisers found the comment too insensitive and controversial. Several companies, including FedEx and Sears Roebuck, pulled their advertisements from the show, costing the show more than it returned.

The show was cancelled on June 16, 2002, and the Sinclair Broadcast Group had dropped the show from its ABC-affiliated stations months prior. On June 22, 2002, just six days after the cancellation of ''Politically Incorrect'', Maher received the Los Angeles Press Club president's award (for "championing free speech"). Maher was on the board of judges one year for the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award.

Maher's remarks after 9/11 were not the first time he had sparked controversy on ''Politically Incorrect''. In the same year, Maher was widely criticized for comparing dogs to retarded children. He apologized for his comments.

''Real Time with Bill Maher''

In 2003, Maher became the host, co-producer and co-writer of ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', a weekly hour-long political comedy talk show on the cable television network HBO. During an interview, Maher told Terry Gross (on NPR's ''Fresh Air'') that he much prefers having serious and well-informed guests on his program, as opposed to the random celebrities that fleshed out his roundtable discussions on ''Politically Incorrect''.

As with his previous show, ''Politically Incorrect'', Maher begins ''Real Time'' with a comic opening monologue based upon current events and other topical issues. He proceeds to a one-on-one interview with a guest, either in-studio or via satellite. Following the interview, Maher sits with three panelists, usually consisting of pundits, authors, activists and journalists, for a discussion of the week's events. In the segment "New Rules" at the end of each show, Maher delivers a humorous editorial on popular culture and American politics.

In late May 2005, Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus sent a letter to Time Warner's board of directors requesting ''Real Time'' be cancelled after remarks Maher made after noting the military had missed its recruiting goals by 42 percent. Bachus said he felt the comments were demeaning to the military and treasonous. Maher stated his highest regard and support for the troops and asked why the congressman criticized him instead of doing something about the recruitment problem.

''Real Time'' has earned widespread praise. It has been nominated for more than ten Primetime Emmy Awards and six Writer's Guild awards. In 2007, Maher and his co-producers were awarded the Television Producer of the Year Award in Variety Television.

In early 2006, ''Real Time'' was released as an audio CD, along with another CD entitled ''Bill Maher's New Rules'' which features clips, segments and teasers from Real Time. Starting with Episode 67 (2-23-06), ''Real Time'' became available in the USA on iTunes as a free weekly audio podcast.

Maher holds the record for the most Emmy nominations without a win, having been nominated on 22 occasions and not winning once. Eleven of the nominations were for ''Politically Incorrect'', while nine were for ''Real Time.'' The other two were nominations for two of his HBO comedy specials: ''Bill Maher: I'm Swiss'' and ''Bill Maher: The Decider.''

HBO announced in July 2011 the show was renewed for a tenth season.

Christine O'Donnell

On September 17, 2010, Maher aired a clip of Delaware Republican Senatorial candidate Christine O'Donnell from the October 29, 1999 episode of his old show ''Politically Incorrect'' on his current show ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', where she discussed that she had "dabbled in witchcraft." This was one of the most notable of numerous controversial statements by O'Donnell that made her the most covered candidate in the 2010 mid-term election cycle.

Political commentator

Maher is a frequent commentator on various cable news networks, namely CNN, MSNBC, and HLN. Maher has regularly appeared on CNN's ''The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer'' and has also been a frequent guest on MSNBC's ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'', ''The Rachel Maddow Show'' and ''Countdown with Keith Olbermann''. Maher has also appeared as a guest on HLN's ''The Joy Behar Show''.

Maher hosted the January 13, 2006 edition of ''Larry King Live'', on which he was a frequent guest. Maher appeared as a special guest on the June 29, 2010 edition of the show, on which CNN anchor Larry King announced his retirement. Maher co-emceed the final show of ''Larry King Live'' on December 16, 2010 with Ryan Seacrest.

Since May 2005, he has been a contributing blogger at ''The Huffington Post''.

Views and beliefs

Politics

Maher eschews political labels, referring to himself as "practical". In the past, he has described himself as a libertarian and has also referred to himself "as a progressive, as a sane person".

Maher favors a partial privatization of Social Security, ending corporate welfare and federal funding of non-profits, and legalization of gambling, prostitution, and marijuana. Maher is a member of NORML's Advisory Board, an organization which supports regulated legalization of marijuana. He describes himself as an environmentalist, and he has spoken in favor of the Kyoto treaty on global warming on his show ''Real Time''. He often criticizes industry figures involved in environmental pollution.

Maher is a board member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. He has expressed his distaste for the pharmaceutical and health care industries in general, on the grounds that they make their money out of curing people who are made sick by consuming unhealthy food that corporations urge upon the public. He maintains that mass consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is a contributor to the rise in frequency of obesity in the United States. :" If you believe you need to take all the pills the pharmaceutical industry says you do, then you're already on drugs!"

Before the 2004 U.S. presidential election, Maher became candid in his stated opposition to the re-election of George W. Bush and in his support for John Kerry.

Known for protesting against the demonization of the word "liberal", during the campaign Maher criticized Kerry for being ashamed of the word. On his show, the comedian has noted the paradox of people claiming they distrusted "elite" politicians while at the same time wanting elite doctors to treat them and elite lawyers to represent them in court. Maher supports the death penalty, the legality of abortion and euthanasia. Since the 9/11 attacks, he has endorsed the use of racial profiling at airports.

He was originally against the Iraq War, and has summarized his opinion by saying that the United States and the world have had to pay too high a price for the war. He is skeptical of Iraq surviving without civil war.

In the 2008 U.S. presidential election, Maher announced his support for Barack Obama. Although Maher welcomed Obama's electoral victory, he has subjected him to criticism once in office for not acting boldly on health care reform and other progressive issues.

Religion

Maher is highly critical of religion, and views it as not worth the bother. He has referred to himself as an apatheist, instead of an agnostic or atheist, on ''Scarborough Country'' on April 24, 2007, and again in July 2011. He has reiterated this stance in subsequent interviews, rejecting both the certitude of the existence, as well as the certitude of nonexistence of deities, concluding, "I'm saying that doubt is the only appropriate response for human beings." He is an advisory board member of author Sam Harris's The Reason Project, a foundation that promotes scientific knowledge and secular values within society.

Maher and director Larry Charles teamed up to make the feature film ''Religulous'' (2008), described by trade publication ''Variety'' as a documentary "that spoofs religious extremism across the world." It was released on October 3, 2008.

While Maher is critical towards Christianity, he is an outspoken critic of religion as a whole, including Islam. On October 29, 2010, during a Real Time segment, Maher commented on a news story saying that the name Mohammed had become the most popular baby name in the United Kingdom. He asked, "Am I a racist to feel alarmed by that? Because I am. And it’s not because of the race, it’s because of the religion. I don’t have to apologize, do I, for not wanting the Western world to be taken over by Islam in 300 years? Sharia law is being institutionalized in England? Well, then I am right, I should be alarmed." He later defended his comments on CNN, saying, "And when I say Westerner, I mean someone who believes in the values that Western people believe in that a lot of the Muslim world does not. Like separation of church and state. Like equality of the sexes. Like respect for minorities, free elections, free speech, freedom to gather. These things are not just different from cultures that don’t have them. … It’s better. … I would like to keep those values here."

Maher received the Richard Dawkins Award for 2009 from Atheist Alliance International "for his efforts to further the values science and reason in the world."

Maher was ranked first by MormonVoices, a group associated with Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, on its Top Ten Anti-Mormon Statements of 2011 list for saying "By any standard, Mormonism is more ridiculous than any other religion".

Health care

Maher has stated that the AMA is a powerful lobbying group and one of the primary reasons why the United States had failed to enact health care reform.

On August 24, 2009, Maher was a guest on ''The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien'' and on the topic of getting universal health care legislation passed, Maher stated that Obama should forget about trying to get 60 votes for it, "he only needs 51." "Forget getting the sixty votes or sixty percent — sixty percent of people don't believe in evolution in this country — he just needs to drag them to it, like I said, they're stupid; get health care done, with or without them."

Maher has expressed the view that most illness is generally the result of poor diet and lack of exercise, and that medicine is often not the best way of addressing illness. In an episode of his show about the 2008 presidential candidates' health plans, Maher stated that poor nutrition is a primary cause of illness, and that "the answer isn't another pill."

In a discussion with Michael Moore about the film ''Sicko'', Maher asks, "The human body is pretty amazing; it doesn't get sick, usually, for no reason. I mean, there's some genetic stuff that can get to you, but, basically, people are sick in this country because they're poisoned. The environment is a poisoning factor, but also, we gotta say, they poison themselves. They eat shit. People eat shit, and that's, to my way of thinking, about 90 percent of why people are sick, is because they eat shit. Would you agree?"

On October 9, 2009, on his HBO show, Maher debated the effectiveness of flu vaccinations with Bill Frist and stated, "Why would you let them be the ones to stick a disease into your arm? I would never get a swine flu vaccine or any vaccine. I don’t trust the government, especially with my health." Maher also expressed skepticism about the seriousness of the swine flu and whether completely healthy people could die from it. His comments have generated criticism, and his remarks have been called unscientific and even harmful.

Maher responded to the criticism, noting, "What I've read about what they think I'm saying is not what I've said. I'm not a germ theory denier. I believe vaccinations can work. Polio is a good example. Do I think in certain situations that inoculating Third World children against malaria or diphtheria, or whatever, is right? Of course. In a situation like that, the benefits outweigh costs. But to me living in Los Angeles? To get a flu shot? No." (see Vaccine controversy)

Criticism of 9/11 conspiracy theories

Maher has been a critic of 9/11 conspiracy theories. On October 19, 2007, Maher confronted several 9/11 truthers and had them ejected from his show audience after they interrupted the live show numerous times by calling out from the audience. The incident drew significant media attention and praise from Fox News talk show host and frequent critic John Gibson.

Personal life

Maher has never married. In 2003, he began dating former Playboy Cyber Girl Coco Johnsen. In November 2004, at the end of their 17-month relationship, she sued him for USD $9 million for "pain and suffering" for alleged "insulting, humiliating and degrading racial comments." Her suit stated that Maher promised to marry her and father her children, support her financially, and purchase a Beverly Hills home. Her suit also alleged that she quit her job as a flight attendant and occasional model to be with him. Maher's lawyers in their response filed on November 23, 2004, in Los Angeles Superior Court said Maher is a "confirmed bachelor, and a very public one at that" who "never promised to marry [Johnsen] or to have children with her."

Maher's filing stated that "When the dating ended, [Johnson] (sic) launched a campaign to embarrass, humiliate, and extort ridiculous sums of money from Bill Maher." Johnsen accused another former boyfriend of rape and kidnapping in 1997, and the charges were later dismissed for lack of evidence. Her lawsuit against Maher was dismissed on May 2, 2005.

Maher enjoys his bachelor status and states that he does not want to get married. On his website, he is quoted as saying, "I'm the last of my guy friends to have never gotten married, and their wives — they don't want them playing with me. I'm like the escaped slave — I bring news of freedom."

In 2005, he began dating Karrine Steffans, best-selling author and former hip hop model. When commentators suggested there was a pattern to his dating because both his girlfriend and former girlfriend were black, Maher said, "People say I'm into black women. Robert De Niro is into black women. I'm just into women who are real, and they happen to be black."

Credits

Bibliography

''True Story : A Novel'', 1994 (ISBN 0-7432-4251-3)

''Does Anybody Have a Problem With That? Politically Incorrect's Greatest Hits'', 1996 (ISBN 0-679-45627-9)

''Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? The Best of Politically Incorrect'', 1997 (ISBN 0-345-41281-8)

''When You Ride Alone You Ride With Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism'', 2003 (ISBN 1-893224-90-2)

''Keep the Statue of Liberty Closed: The New Rules'', 2004 (ISBN 1-932407-47-2)

''New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer'', 2005 (ISBN 1-59486-295-8)

''The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody but Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass'', 2011 (ISBN 0-39915-841-3)

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Title	! Role
1983	''D.C. Cab''	Bob
	''Rags to Riches''	Freddie
''Club Med''	Rick
''Ratboy''	Party Guest
1987	''House II: The Second Story''	John
1988		Maxwell Taylor
1989	''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death''	Jim
1991	''Pizza Man''	Elmo Bunn
1996	''Don't Quit Your Day Job!''	Comic's Table
1997	''Bimbo Movie Bash''	Unknown
1998	''EDtv''	Himself
2001	''Tomcats (film)''	Carlos
2005		Himself
		Himself
''Religulous''	Himself
2009	''New Rules: Best of''	Himself
2010	''Sex, Drugs & Religion (2010)''	Himself
HBO Specials
! Year	! Title	! Role
1989	''One Night Stand''	Himself
1992	''One Night Stand''	Himself
1995	''Stuff that Struck Me Funny''	Himself
1997	''The Golden Goose Special''	Himself
2000		Himself
2003	''Victory Begins at Home''	Himself
2005	''I'm Swiss''	Himself
2007		Himself
2010		Himself
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role
1985		Marty Lang
		Unknown
	Haskel
1989–90	''Murder, She Wrote''	(2 episodes)
1990	''The Midnight Hour''	Host
1991	''Charlie Hoover''	Elliot
1992	''Say What?''	Host
	''Married... with Children''	Adam Gold
''Roseanne''	Photographer
1997	''Dharma & Greg''	Himself
1993–2002	''Politically Incorrect''	Host
2002	''Just for Laughs''	Himself
2003–present	''Real Time with Bill Maher''	Host
2008	''True Blood''	Himself
2010		Himself
2010	''Family Guy''	Himself

References

External links

in 2004

HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" site

2006 Maher Interview with ''The A.V. Club''

2009 Maher Interview with writers at the ''Religulous'' DVD release

Category:1956 births Category:Writers from New York Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:Writers from New Jersey Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:American agnostics Category:American cannabis activists Category:American film actors Category:American libertarians Category:American satirists Category:American stand-up comedians Category:American television actors Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Cornell University alumni Category:American comedians of Irish descent Category:American writers of Irish descent Category:Living people Category:People from Beverly Hills, California Category:People from River Vale, New Jersey Category:Religious skeptics Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Actors from New York City Category:Drug policy reform activists Category:Animal rights advocates

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Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
birthname	Michael Austin Cera
birth date	June 07, 1988
birth place	Brampton, Ontario, Canada
instruments	Vocals, guitar, Hurdy-Gurdy, mandolin
occupation	Actor, occasional musician
yearsactive	1998–present
homepage	}}

Michael Austin Cera (; born June 7, 1988) is a Canadian actor best known for his roles in ''Arrested Development'','' Youth in Revolt, Superbad'', ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'', ''Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist'' and ''Juno''. Cera received the 2008 Canadian Comedy Award for best male performance for his work in ''Superbad''.

Early life

Cera was born in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Linda, a native of Quebec, and Luigi Cera, a technician who is originally from Sicily. His parents both worked for Xerox. Cera has an older sister, Jordan, and a younger sister, Molly. He became interested in acting after viewing ''Ghostbusters'' repeatedly when sick with the chicken pox at the age of three. He memorized all the dialogue and idolized Bill Murray. He enrolled in The Second City Toronto and took improvisation classes.

Acting

His first role was an unpaid appearance in a Tim Hortons summer camp commercial. That eventually led to a Pillsbury commercial in which he poked the Pillsbury Doughboy, his first role with lines.

Rise

Cera's career began when he was cast as Larrabe Hicks in the Canadian television series ''I Was a Sixth Grade Alien'' in 1999. In 2002, Cera played the young Chuck Barris in ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'' and he also provided the voice for Brother Bear in ''The Berenstain Bears'' animated series. Also in 2002, he was cast in ''The Grubbs'', a new Fox TV series. It received a poor critical response, including an E! Online review that called it "the worst sitcom ever produced". He also voiced Josh Spitz in the cartoon ''Braceface''. He played George Michael Bluth in the award-winning television series ''Arrested Development'' for three seasons before it was canceled. In 2005, he starred as Harold in the award winning short film ''Darling Darling'', for which he was awarded Best Actor at the San Gio Festival in Verona, Italy. In 2006, he created and starred in a parody of ''Impossible is Nothing'', a video résumé created by Aleksey Vayner. He also guest-starred in an episode of teen noir drama ''Veronica Mars'' – in the episode "The Rapes of Graff", which also featured ''Arrested Development'' co-star Alia Shawkat – and also in the Adult Swim series ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!''

Cera, along with best friend Clark Duke, wrote and starred in a series of short videos released on their website. The idea came from Duke, who was enrolled at Loyola Marymount University and did it for his film school studies. In 2007, they signed a deal with CBS Television to write, produce, direct, and act in a short-form comedy series entitled ''Clark and Michael''. The show featured guest stars such as David Cross, Andy Richter and Patton Oswalt, and was distributed via CBS's new internet channel, CBS Innertube. Duke and Cera are both members of the band The Long Goodbye.

Cera also appeared in a staged comedy video that shows him being fired from the lead role of the film ''Knocked Up'' after belittling and arguing with the director, in a scene that mocks the David O. Russell blow up on the set of ''I Heart Huckabees''.

Continuation into movies

Cera starred alongside Jonah Hill in the film ''Superbad'', which was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. The film opened in North America on August 17, 2007. In November 2007, he hosted ''Saturday Night Live on strike'', a live staged version of ''SNL'' not shown on television due to the 2007 Writers Guild of America Strike. Also in 2007, Cera co-starred in ''Juno'' as Paulie Bleeker, a teenager who accidentally impregnates his long-time school-friend Juno (Ellen Page). ''Arrested Development'' star Jason Bateman co-starred in the movie, but they did not share any scenes together. For ''Superbad'' and ''Juno'', Cera won Breakthrough Artist in the Austin Film Critics Association Awards 2007.

In 2007, Cera appeared in the comedy short "Drunk History", playing Alexander Hamilton in a comedic retelling of Hamilton's duel with Aaron Burr.

Cera stars in the independent film ''Paper Heart'', released August 7, 2009. It was written by and co-stars Charlyne Yi, and premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival where it won a screenwriting award. Cera and Yi composed the movie's soundtrack. He also starred alongside Jack Black in the 2009 comedy ''Year One'', which received overwhelmingly negative reviews.

In 2009, Cera's first published short story, "Pinecone", appeared in ''McSweeney's Quarterly''. In January 2010, Cera starred in a film adaptation of the novel ''Youth in Revolt'', in the role of the lead character, Nick Twisp.

On the August 3, 2010 episode of ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', Cera described getting lost in Red Rocks Park, and his relief when found by other hikers.

Cera played the titular character in the film adaptation of the graphic novel ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'', released in August 2010.

Upcoming projects

According to press reports, Cera will appear in the ''Arrested Development'' film.

Sherwood Schwartz is on the record as saying he would like to see Cera play Gilligan in the film remake of ''Gilligan's Island''.

Cera was being considered for the voice of the new Muppet, Walter, for ''The Muppets'', but the role was given to muppeteer Peter Linz. Cera is set to star in a film by Sebastian Silva in Chile, and he is “spending five hours a day learning Spanish," for the role.

Music

In 2010 Cera contributed mandolin and backing vocals to the Weezer song "Hang On" from their album ''Hurley''. Cera has also established himself as the touring bass player in Mister Heavenly, an indie rock band originating in the American northwest. Cera also played bass and sang back up during songs in both ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'' and ''Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist''.

Filmography

Film

''Frequency (film) ''Stolen Miracle'' ''Confessions of a Dangerous Mind'' ''Superbad (film) ''Extreme Movie'' ''Paper Heart'' ''Youth in Revolt (film) ''Arrested Development (film)

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
rowspan="2"	1999	''Switching Goals''	Taylor
''What Katy Did''	Dorry
rowspan="4"	2000	Frequency'' ||	Gordy Jr., Age 10
''Steal This Movie!''	america Hoffman, Age 7–8
''Ultimate G's: Zac's Flying Dream''	Young Zac
''Custody of the Heart''
rowspan="4"	2001	|	Brandon McKinley
''My Louisiana Sky''	Jesse Wade Thompson
''The Familiar Stranger''	Young Ted Welsh
''Walter and Henry''	Crying Kid
	2002	|	Chuck Barris, Age 8 and 11
rowspan="3"	2007	Superbad'' ||	Evan
''Wayside: The Movie''	Todd
''Juno (film)	Juno''	Paulie Bleeker
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Fred
''Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist''	Nick O'Leary
rowspan="2"	2009	|	Himself
''Year One (film)	Year One''	Oh
rowspan="2"	2010	Youth in Revolt'' ||	Nick Twisp / François Dillinger
''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World''	Scott Pilgrim
rowspan="1"	2012	Arrested Development'' ||	George Michael Bluth>George-Michael Bluth	Announced

Television

1999 ''Rolie Polie Olie'' ''La Femme Nikita (TV series) ''The Berenstain Bears (2003 TV series) ''Braceface'' ''Arrested Development (TV series) ''Wayside (TV series) ''Veronica Mars'' ''Clark and Michael'' ''Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!'' ''Children's Hospital (web series) ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the Animation''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
	|	''I Was a Sixth Grade Alien''	Larrabe Hicks	Series regular
	1998–2001	|	Little Gizmo	Four Episodes, voice only
	2000	La Femme Nikita'' ||	Jerome	Season four, one episode
	2001–2003	The Berenstain Bears'' ||	Brother Bear	Series regular, voice only
	2001–2005	|	Josh Spitz	Series regular, voice only
	2003–2006	Arrested Development'' ||	George Michael Bluth	Series regular
	2005–2007	Wayside'' ||	Todd (Pilot)	Pilot, voice only
	2006	|	Dean Rudolph	The Rapes of Graff, Guest Spot
	2007	|	Mikey Cera	Series regular
	2007	|	Jaime Stevens	Season One, Episode Three
	2008, 2010-present	Children's Hospital'' ||	Sal Viscuso	Recurring, voice only
	2010	|	Scott Pilgrim	Promo for the movie ''Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

See also

List of current child actors from Canada

List of former child actors from Canada

References

External links

''Clark and Michael'' official site

''Michael Cera's Crew Profile on The 1 Second Film''

Category:1988 births Category:Canadian child actors Category:Canadian expatriate actors in the United States Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian people of Sicilian descent Category:Canadian television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Brampton

ar:مايكل سيرا zh-min-nan:Michael Cera ca:Michael Cera da:Michael Cera de:Michael Cera es:Michael Cera fr:Michael Cera ga:Micheal Cera ko:마이클 세라 id:Michael Cera it:Michael Cera he:מייקל סרה nl:Michael Cera ja:マイケル・セラ no:Michael Cera pl:Michael Cera pt:Michael Cera ru:Сера, Майкл simple:Michael Cera sr:Мајкл Сера fi:Michael Cera sv:Michael Cera tr:Michael Cera

Coordinates	12°2′36″N77°1′42″N
Name	Justin Long
birthname	Justin Jacob Long
birth date	June 02, 1978
birth place	Fairfield, Connecticut
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1999–present
domestic partner	''Drew Barrymore'' (2006–2008)
website	}}

Justin Jacob Long (born June 2, 1978) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films ''Galaxy Quest'', ''Jeepers Creepers'', ''Dodgeball'', ''Live Free or Die Hard'', ''He's Just Not That into You'', ''Drag Me to Hell'', and ''Youth in Revolt'', and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a Mac" advertising campaign.

Early life

Long, the middle of three brothers, was born in Fairfield, Connecticut. His father, Raymond James Long, was a philosophy and Latin professor at Fairfield University, and his mother, Wendy Lesniak, is an actress who has mostly appeared on stage. Long had a conservative Roman Catholic upbringing. His grandmother is Sicilian. His older brother, Damian, is a local stage actor as well as a teacher and theater director at Weston High School. His younger brother, Christian, appears in Justin's film ''Accepted'' as the school mascot. Long attended Fairfield College Preparatory School, a Jesuit school, and Vassar College, where he was a member of the sketch comedy group Laughingstock and starred in several plays, including ''Butterflies Are Free''. Long worked at Sacred Heart University as an acting instructor/counselor for a children's theater group.

Career

Long's film credits include ''Idiocracy'', ''Waiting...'', ''Jeepers Creepers'', ''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story'', ''The Break-Up'', ''Crossroads'', ''Galaxy Quest'', ''Dreamland'', ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' and ''Live Free Or Die Hard''. He was also a regular on the NBC TV series ''Ed'' (2000–2004), playing socially awkward Warren Cheswick. He voiced the character of Alvin in 2007's ''Alvin and the Chipmunks'' and played the main character in the 2006 comedy film ''Accepted''.

He made a guest appearance in the 2006 documentary, ''Wild West Comedy Show''. In 2007, he co-starred with Bruce Willis as a "white-hat hacker" in ''Live Free or Die Hard'' and had a role in the film, ''The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang''.

Long is known for his depiction of a Mac in Apple's “Get a Mac” campaign. The campaign features commercials in which Long as a Mac and John Hodgman as a PC engage in playful banter about "the strengths of the Mac platform and weaknesses of the PC platform."

Long also had a small role in the 2008 comedy ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'', where he plays Brandon St. Randy, a gay porn star. In 2009, he starred in ''He's Just Not That into You'' along with co-star Ginnifer Goodwin and ''After.Life'' opposite Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci. He also provided the voice of Humphery in ''Alpha and Omega'' (2010), starring with Hayden Panettiere. Also in 2010, Long starred in the comedy ''Going the Distance'' with Drew Barrymore. He was cast as a one-armed Civil War veteran in Robert Redford's ''The Conspirator''.

Long read the audiobook version of Judy Blume's ''Then Again, Maybe I Won't'' and Stephen King's ''Everything's Eventual''. From July 7–18, 2010, he appeared in a production of ''Samuel J. and K.'' at the Williamstown Theatre Festival.

On August 16, 2010, he co-hosted ''WWE Monday Night RAW'' with ''Going the Distance'' co-stars Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1999	''Galaxy Quest''	Brandon
		Donald
	Darry Jenner
	2002		Henry
	2003	''Jeepers Creepers 2''	Darry Jenner	cameo
	''Raising Genius''	Hal Nestor
''Hair High''	Dwayne	voice
''Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story''	Justin
''Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie''	Chris Harken
	''Robin's Big Date''	Robin
	Dean
	''Herbie: Fully Loaded''	Kevin
	''The Sasquatch Gang''	Zerk Wilder
''That 70s Show''	Andrew Davis
	Mookie
''The Break-Up''	Christopher Hirons
''Accepted''	Bartleby “B” Gaines
''Idiocracy''	Dr. Lexus
	''Live Free or Die Hard''	Matt Farrell
''Battle for Terra''	Senn
''Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story''	George Harrison	uncredited
	''Strange Wilderness''	Junior
	Spoonie
''Zack and Miri Make a Porno''	Brandon St. Randy
	Justin	deleted scene
		Alex
''Still Waiting...''	Dean	uncredited
	Chase Revere	Straight-to-DVD
	Todd
''Drag Me to Hell''	Clay
''Funny People''	Himself	cameo
''Planet 51''	Lem	voice
	Troop Leader Adam Devlin	uncredited
''After.Life''	Paul
''Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel''	Alvin	voice
		Paul Saunders
	Garrett
''Megamind''	Brainbots	voice
	Humphrey
		Nicholas Baker
	Luke Burn
	Alvin	voice
''Bunnicula''	Peter Monroe

References

External links

Mac Ads

RadarOnline Article about Apple not bringing Long back, and bringing him back after all

Interview with Justin Long at SuicideGirls.com

Video interview with Justin Long at the premiere of ''The Break-Up''

"Robin's Big Date" on Transbuddha.com

Category:1978 births Category:Actors from Connecticut Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Sacred Heart University faculty Category:Apple Inc. advertising Category:Living people Category:People from Fairfield County, Connecticut Category:Vassar College alumni Category:American people of Sicilian descent

ar:جوستين وونغ da:Justin Long de:Justin Long es:Justin Long fa:جاستین لانگ fr:Justin Long ko:저스틴 롱 id:Justin Long it:Justin Long he:ג'סטין לונג sw:Justin Long hu:Justin Long nl:Justin Long ja:ジャスティン・ロング no:Justin Long pl:Justin Long pt:Justin Long ro:Justin Long ru:Лонг, Джастин fi:Justin Long sv:Justin Long th:จัสติน ลอง zh:賈斯汀·隆