:''Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services (PBS) in Malta or Public Broadcast Service (PBS) in Barbados or Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels in the United States.''

Name	PBS
Logo
Type	Broadcast television network
Country	United States
Available	Nationwide
Slogan	''Be more''
Key people	Paula Kerger, President and CEO
Launch date	October 5, 1970
Former names	National Educational Television (1952–1970)
Picture format	480i (SD)720p/1080i (HD)|
Website	pbs.org
Footnotes	}}

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American non-profit public broadcasting television service with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia.

PBS is the most prominent provider of television programs to U.S. public television stations, distributing series such as ''PBS NewsHour'', ''Masterpiece'', and ''Frontline''. Since the mid-2000s, Roper polls commissioned by PBS have consistently placed the service as America's most-trusted national institution. However, PBS is not responsible for all programming carried on public TV stations; in fact, stations usually receive a large portion of their content (including most pledge drive specials) from third-party sources, such as American Public Television, NETA, WTTW National Productions and independent producers. This distinction is a frequent source of viewer confusion.

PBS also has a subsidiary called National Datacast (NDI), which offers datacasting services via member stations. This helps PBS and its member stations earn extra revenue.

Overview

PBS was founded on October 5, 1970, at which time it took over many of the functions of its predecessor, National Educational Television (NET), which later merged with station WNDT, Newark, New Jersey, to form WNET. In 1973, it merged with Educational Television Stations.

Unlike the model of America's commercial broadcasting television networks, in which affiliates give up portions of their local advertising airtime in exchange for network programming, PBS member stations pay substantial fees for the shows acquired and distributed by the national organization.

This relationship means that PBS member stations have greater latitude in local scheduling than their commercial broadcasting counterparts. Scheduling of PBS-distributed series may vary greatly from market to market. This can be a source of tension as stations seek to preserve their localism, and PBS strives to market a consistent national line-up. However, PBS has a policy of "common carriage" requiring most stations to clear the national prime-time programs on a common broadcast programming schedule, so that they can be more effectively marketed on a national basis.

Unlike its radio counterpart, National Public Radio, PBS has no central program production arm or news department. All of the programming carried by PBS, whether news, documentary, or entertainment, is created by (or in most cases produced under contract with) other parties, such as individual member stations. WGBH in Boston is one of the largest producers of educational television programming, including ''American Experience'', ''Masterpiece Theater'', ''Nova'', ''Antiques Roadshow'' and ''Frontline'', as well as many other children's and lifestyle shows. News programs are produced by WETA-TV (''PBS Newshour'') in Washington, D.C., WNET in New York and WPBT in Miami. The ''Charlie Rose'' interview show, ''Secrets of the Dead'', ''NOW on PBS'', ''Nature'', and ''Cyberchase'' come from or through WNET in New York. Once a program is offered to, and accepted by, PBS for distribution, PBS (and not the member station that supplied the program) retains exclusive rights for rebroadcasts during the period for which such rights were granted; the suppliers do maintain the right to sell the program in non-broadcast media such as DVDs, books, and sometimes PBS licensed merchandise (but sometimes grant such ancillary rights as well to PBS).

PBS stations are commonly operated by non-profit organizations, state agencies, local authorities (e.g., municipal boards of education), or universities in their city of license. In some U.S. states, PBS stations throughout the entire state may be organized into a single regional "subnetwork" called a state network (e.g., Alabama Public Television). Unlike public broadcasters in most other countries, PBS does not own any of the stations that broadcast its programming (i.e., there are no PBS Owned-and-operated stations (O&O;) anywhere in the country). This is partly due to the origins of the PBS stations themselves, and partly due to historical broadcast license issues.

In the modern broadcast marketplace, this organizational structure is considered outmoded by some media critics. A common restructuring proposal is to reorganize the network so that each state would have one PBS member which would broadcast state-wide. However, this proposal is controversial, as it would reduce local community input into PBS programming, especially considering how PBS stations are significantly more community-oriented, according to the argument, than their commercial broadcasting counterparts.

In 1994, ''The Chronicle of Philanthropy'', an industry publication, released the results of the largest study of charitable and non-profit organization popularity and credibility. The study showed that PBS was ranked as the 11th "most popular charity/non-profit in America" from over 100 charities researched, with 38.2% of Americans over the age of 12 choosing "love" and "like a lot" for PBS.

In December 2009, PBS signed up for the Nielsen ratings audience measurement reports for the first time.

"Viewers Like You"

Beginning on October 2, 1989, the phrase "Viewers Like You" has been used to indicate PBS's gratitude to viewers of PBS that contributed to the production costs. The phrase appears in the list of underwriters, at the start and end of all PBS programs with viewer contributions.

Formats

; 1970–1989 Prior to October 2, 1989, donations by viewers of PBS members were recognized as contributions from "Funding for this program was made possible by (the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and) this (station) and other public television stations." The on-screen text just showed "Public Television Stations". ; 1989–1999 From 1989 to 1999 the announcement consisted of:

The underwriting announcement, accompanied by a slide.

The words "Viewers Like You" (with "You" written out in yellow script in the early days) instead of showed "Public Television Stations".

The announcer instead says "Funding for this program was provided (by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and) by the (annual) financial support of Viewers Like You".

; 1999–present Beginning on November 1, 1999, the PBS underwriting guidelines required all announcements to read, "This program was made possible (by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and) by contributions to your PBS station from Viewers Like You. Thank You."

Programming

Primetime

Fine arts (''Great Performances'', ''Live from the Metropolitan Opera'', ''Live from Lincoln Center'', and ''Evening at Pops'')

Drama (''Mystery!'', ''American Playhouse'', and ''Masterpiece'')

Science (''Nova'' and ''Scientific American Frontiers'')

History (''American Experience'', ''History Detectives'')

Public affairs (''Frontline'', ''NOW on PBS'', ''Jermey Clarkson'', ''Wide Angle'', ''PBS NewsHour'', ''Nightly Business Report'')

Independent films (''P.O.V.'', and ''Independent Lens'')

Exercise

''Power Yoga: Mind and Body''

''Wai Lana Yoga''

''Priscilla's Yoga Stretches''

''Body Electric''

''Allaire Back Fitness''

''Fitness Show''

''Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews''

''Classical Stretch: The Esmonde Technique''

''Sit and Be Fit''

Daytime/children

{| | valign=top |

''3-2-1 Contact''

''A Place of Our Own

''Arthur''

''Barney & Friends''

''Between the Lions''

''Boohbah''

''Bob the Builder''

''Brum (TV Series)

''Caillou''

''Clifford the Big Red Dog (TV series)''

''Curious George (TV series)''

''Cyberchase''

''Dragon Tales''

''Dinosaur Train''

''FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman''

''It's a Big Big World''

''Kratts' Creatures''

''Liberty's Kids''

| width=60px |  || valign=top |

''Little Critter''

''The Magic School Bus''

''Make Way For Noddy''

''Martha Speaks

''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood''

''The Puzzle Place''

''Reading Rainbow''

''Rosie and Jim''

''Super Why!''

''Sesame Street''

''Shining Time Station''

''Sooty''

''Teletubbies''

''The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That''

''The Electric Company (2009 TV series)''

''Villa Alegre''

''Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?''

''Wishbone''

''Zoboomafoo''

''ZOOM''

|} PBS Kids has also imported British children's series from the BBC and ITV (for example, ''Tots TV'', ''Teletubbies'', ''Boohbah'', and ''Thomas the Tank Engine''), as well as children's shows from Canada (i.e., ''The Big Comfy Couch'', ''Theodore Tugboat'', ''Wimzie's House'' and ''Polka Dot Door''). On June 4, 2007, their first imported Australian children's TV series debuted on PBS – ''Raggs''. Some of the programs subsequently moved to commercial television (for example, ''Ghostwriter'', and ''The Magic School Bus'').

However, PBS is not the only distributor of public television programming to the member stations. Other distributors have emerged from the roots of the old companies that had loosely held regional public television stations in the 1960s. Boston-based American Public Television (former names include Eastern Educational Network and American Program Service) is second only to PBS for distributing programs to U.S. non-commercial stations. Another distributor is NETA (formerly SECA), whose properties have included ''The Shapies'' and ''Jerry Yarnell School of Fine Art''. In addition, the member stations themselves also produce a variety of local shows, some of which subsequently receive national distribution through PBS or the other distributors.

PBS stations are known for rebroadcasting British television costume dramas and comedies (acquired from the BBC and other sources); consequently, it has been joked that PBS means "Primarily British Series". However, a significant amount of sharing takes place. The BBC and other media outlets in the region such as Channel 4 often cooperate with PBS stations, producing material that is shown on both sides of the Atlantic. Less frequently, Canadian, Australian, and other international programming appears on PBS stations (such as ''The Red Green Show'', currently distributed by syndicator Executive Program Services); the public broadcasting syndicators are more likely to offer this programming to the U.S. public stations. PBS is also known for broadcasting British comedy and science fiction programs such as '''Allo 'Allo!'', ''Are You Being Served?'', ''The Benny Hill Show'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Father Ted'', ''Fawlty Towers'', ''Harry Enfield and Chums'', ''Keeping Up Appearances'', ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', ''Mr. Bean'' and ''Red Dwarf''.

Contributing stations

Stations and/or networks that have produced or presented PBS-distributed programming include:

KAET, Phoenix, Arizona

KUAT-TV, Tucson, Arizona

KETS, Little Rock, Arkansas

KVPT, Fresno, California

KVIE, Sacramento, California

KPBS, San Diego, California

KQED, San Francisco, California

KTEH, San Jose, California

Rocky Mountain PBS, Colorado

Connecticut Public Television

WHYY-TV, Wilmington, Delaware/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WETA-TV, Washington, D.C.

WUFT, Gainesville, Florida

WPBT, Miami, Florida

WSRE, Pensacola, Florida

WEDU, Tampa, Florida

WXEL-TV, West Palm Beach, Florida

KHET, Honolulu, Hawaii

WTTW and WYCC, Chicago, Illinois

WTIU, Bloomington, Indiana

WYIN, Gary, Indiana

WFYI, Indianapolis, Indiana

Iowa Public Television

Kentucky Educational Television

Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Maine Public Broadcasting Network

Maryland Public Television

WGBH-TV, Boston, Massachusetts

WTVS, Detroit, Michigan

WGVU-TV, Grand Rapids, Michigan

Twin Cities Public Television, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Mississippi Public Broadcasting

KCPT, Kansas City, Missouri

KETC, St. Louis, Missouri

Nebraska Educational Telecommunications

New Hampshire Public Television

NJTV

WNET, Newark, New Jersey/New York City

WMHT-TV, Albany, New York

WSKG-TV, Binghamton, New York

WNED-TV, Buffalo, New York

WLIW, Garden City, New York

WCFE-TV Mountain Lake PBS, Plattsburgh, New York

WXXI-TV, Rochester, New York

WCNY-TV, Syracuse, New York

WTVI, Charlotte, North Carolina

Prairie Public Broadcasting, Fargo, North Dakota

UNC-TV

WCET-TV, Cincinnati, Ohio

WVIZ, Cleveland, Ohio

WOSU-TV, Columbus, Ohio

WGTE-TV, Toledo, Ohio

Oklahoma Educational Television Authority

Oregon Public Broadcasting

WQLN, Erie, Pennsylvania

WITF-TV, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

WQED, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WSBE-TV, Rhode Island

South Carolina Educational Television

South Dakota Public Television

WKNO, Memphis, Tennessee

KLRU, Austin, Texas

KAMU-TV, College Station, Texas

KEDT, Corpus Christi, Texas

KERA-TV, Dallas, Texas

KUHT, Houston, Texas

KTXT-TV, Lubbock, Texas

KLRN, San Antonio, Texas

Vermont Public Television

WHRO, Norfolk, Virginia

KCTS-TV, Seattle, Washington

WMVS and WMVT-Milwaukee Public Television, Wisconsin

Wisconsin Public Television

PBS networks

{| class= "wikitable" |- ! Network !! Notes |- | PBS YOU || began 1998; ended January, 2006 |- | PBS KIDS || began October 11, 1993 as a block and 1999 as a TV network; ended 2005 as a TV network |- | PBS Kids Sprout || began September 26, 2005 |- | PBS World || began in 2006; nationwide launch August 15, 2007 |- | PBS-HD || HDTV feed to member stations |- | PBS Satellite Service || 24-hour alternate network that provides a mixed variety of programming selected from PBS's regular network service, as well as for carriage on packaged satellite providers |- | Create || began in 2007 has shows on painting, cooking, traveling, and home improvement. |}

PBS has also spun-off a number of TV networks, often in partnership with other media companies: PBS YOU (ended January 2006, and largely succeeded by American Public Television's Create), PBS KIDS (ended October 1, 2005), PBS KIDS Sprout, PBS World (commenced August 15, 2007), and PBS-DT2 (a feed of HDTV and letterboxed programming for digitally equipped member stations), along with packages of PBS programs that are similar to local stations' programming, the PBS Satellite Service feeds. PBS Kids GO! was promised for October 2006, but PBS announced in July that they would not be going forward with it as an independent network feed (as opposed to the pre-existing two-hour week daily block on PBS).

Some or all are available on many digital cable systems, on free-to-air (FTA) TV via communications satellites, as well as via direct broadcast satellite. With the transition to terrestrial digital television broadcasts, many are also often now available as "multiplexed" (multicasting) channels on some local stations' standard-definition digital signals, while DT2 is found among the HD signals. PBS Kids announced that they will have an early-morning Miss Lori and Hooper block with four PBS Kids shows usually around 08:00. With the absence of advertising, network identification on these PBS networks were limited to utilization at the end of the program, which includes the standard series of bumpers from the "Be More" campaign.

Regional networks

While various digital subchannels are operated on a regional or statewide basis, the creation of individual PBS member stations or groups of stations is called a state network. While not operated or controlled by the national PBS organization, these extra channels typically rebroadcast portions of the programming from the main PBS service in addition to local and regional public affairs coverage and are carried as subchannels of existing PBS stations.

{| class= "wikitable" |- ! Channel !! Origin !! Areas served |- || Alabama Public Television (APT) || Alabama Educational Television Commission || Alabama statewide |- || The Florida Channel || WFSU-TV || Florida statewide |- || Florida Knowledge Network || Florida Department of Education || Florida statewide |- || Kentucky Educational Television || Various || Kentucky statewide, neighboring states |- | Minnesota Channel || Twin Cities Public TV || Minnesota, portions of North Dakota |- | NET || Nebraska Educational Telecommunications Commission || Nebraska |- || ThinkBright TV|| WNED-TV || New York statewide, except New York City, Syracuse and Rochester |- || OETA OKLA || Oklahoma Educational Television Authority || Oklahoma statewide |- || Wisconsin Channel || Wisconsin Public Television || nearly all of Wisconsin |- || GPB Knowledge, GPB Kids || Georgia Public Broadcasting || nearly all of Georgia |- || UNC-NC, UNC-KD, UNC-ED, UNC-EX (future)|| UNC-TV || nearly all of North Carolina |- || South Carolina Channel|| ETV South Carolina || nearly all of South Carolina |- || The Ohio Channel || WVIZ || nearly all of Ohio |- || Smoky Hills Public Television || KOOD || Central and Western Kansas (Wichita Metro Area on satellite only) |}

Also carried on some PBS stations are Create (American Public Television, how-to programming), MHz WorldView (Commonwealth Public Broadcasting, international news) and V-me (WNET, Spanish language educational). None of these services form part of the main PBS network.

PBS Kids

Founded in 1993, PBS Kids is the brand for children's programming aired by PBS in the United States. The PBS Kids network, which was established in 1999 and ran for seven years, was largely funded by DirecTV. The channel ceased operation on October 1, 2005, in favor of a new joint commercial venture, PBS Kids Sprout. However, the original programming block still exists on PBS.

Sports broadcast on PBS

The network has shown some sporting events in its history.

During the 1970s and 1980s PBS was the leading American tennis broadcaster. Bud Collins and Donald Dell were PBS announcers. PBS was the first American network to regularly broadcast tennis tournaments. PBS also broadcast ''Tennis for the Future'', hosted by Vic Braden.

In 1982, PBS, ESPN and ABC provided the first thorough American television coverage of the FIFA World Cup. PBS aired same day highlights of the top game of the day. Toby Charles was PBS' play-by-play announcer.

From 1984 to 1987, PBS broadcast Ivy League football. Dick Galiette and Upton Bell called games for the first season and Marty Glickman and Bob Casciola called the games in 1985. In 1986, PBS increased its coverage and had two announcing teams, Brian Dowling and Sean McDonough, who had been the sideline reporter for the prior two seasons were the play by play announcers and Bob Casciola and Len Simonian were the color analysts. For the final season McDonough and Jack Corrigan were the game announcers and Mike Madden was the sideline reporter.

Another PBS sports series was '''', an interview series hosted by Jim Palmer. ''The Sporting Life'' premiered in 1985 and was canceled soon after.

Many state public broadcasting stations, such as Georgia Public Broadcasting, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, and Nebraska Educational Television, broadcast high school sports championships, and college sports games not seen on commercial TV (such as baseball, gymnastics, tennis, etc.).

Criticism and controversy

Public need

PBS was founded to provide diversity in programming at a time when most television was broadcast over the public airwaves by only three privately owned national networks (as opposed to the multitude of programming sources provided by today's private cable or satellite delivery services). There is debate as to whether or not the PBS system has outlived its public necessity. Public television proponents maintain that the original mandate to provide universal access, particularly to rural viewers and those who cannot afford to pay for the private television services, remains vital. In addition, they argue that PBS provides some types of critical television shows which would not be shown at all on the commercial broadcasting television networks and television channels, including extensive non-commercial educational children's programming, scientific exposition, in-depth documentaries and investigative journalism.

On-the-air fundraising

Since 53% to 60% of public television's revenues come from private membership donations and grants, most stations solicit individual donations by methods including fundraising, pledge drives or telethons which can disrupt regularly scheduled programming. Some viewers find this a source of annoyance since normal programming is often replaced with specials aimed at a wider audience to solicit new members and donations.

Political/ideological bias

The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 required a "strict adherence to objectivity and balance in all programs or series of programs of a controversial nature". It also prohibited the federal government from interfering or controlling what is broadcast.

Banned by PBS: Muslims Against Jihad On July 19, 2007, Fox News carried published "Banned by PBS: Muslims Against Jihad," charging the network of ''liberal bias.''

In at least one instance (a 1982 broadcast of the United States Information Agency program ''Let Poland be Poland'' about the martial law declared in Poland in 1981), Congress has expressly encouraged PBS to abandon its conventional position of non-partisan neutrality. The program, a protest against the imposition of martial law by a Soviet-backed régime, contained commentary from many well-known celebrities. While widely viewed in the U.S., it met with skepticism on the part of European broadcasters due to concerns that the show, "provocative and anticommunist," was intended as propaganda.

Individual programs have been the targets of organized campaigns by those with opposing views, including former United States Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.

Kenneth Tomlinson, who took over at Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in 2003, began his tenure by asking for Karl Rove's assistance in overturning a regulation that half the CPB board have practical experience in radio or television. Later he appointed an outside consultant to monitor the regular PBS program ''NOW with Bill Moyers''. Told that the show had "liberal" leanings, Moyers eventually resigned in 2005 after more than three decades as a PBS regular, citing political pressure to alter the content of his program and saying Tomlinson had mounted a "vendetta" against him. Moyers eventually returned to host ''Bill Moyers Journal'', after Tomlinson resigned. Subsequently, PBS made room temporarily for conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, formerly of MSNBC and co-host of CNN's ''Crossfire'', and ''The Journal Editorial Report'' with Paul Gigot, an editor of ''The Wall Street Journal'' editorial page (this show has since moved to Fox News Channel) to partially balance out the perceived left-leaning PBS shows. On November 3, 2005 CPB announced the resignation of Tomlinson amid investigations of improper financial dealings with consultants.

Tax money issues

One criticism is that PBS's viewers are substantially wealthier than the average American. Thus, the tax funding of PBS is, according the critics, a transfer of money from the poor to the rich.

Another criticism is that PBS has extensively used its tax subsidized programs in order to lobby for tax money to itself by airing numerous advertisements urging its listeners to call Congress regarding PBS.

See also

References

Further reading

B.J. Bullert, ''Public Television: Politics and the Battle over Documentary Film'', Rutgers Univ Press 1997

Barry Dornfeld, ''Producing Public Television, Producing Public Culture'', Princeton University Press 1998

Ralph Engelman, ''Public Radio and Television in America: A Political History'', Sage Publications 1996

James Ledbetter, ''Made Possible by: The Death of Public Broadcasting in the United States'', Verso 1998

External links

PBS "Red Book" (presentation guidelines for PBS programming)

Video interview with PBS President Paula Kerger

''Current'', the newspaper about public TV and radio in the United States

Twitter Page

{| class=wikitable width="99%" style="background: #EAEAFF; margin-right:0;" | :Related navpages: :* Sports television in the United States :* U.S. broadcast television :* World Radio Network |}

Category:Commercial-free television networks Category:Companies established in 1970 Category:Television channels and stations established in 1970 Category:Companies based in Virginia

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name	Jon Hamm
birthname	Jonathan Daniel Hamm
birth date	March 10, 1971
birth place	St. Louis, Missouri United States
alma mater	University of Missouri
occupation	Actor
years active	2000–present
domesticpartner	Jennifer Westfeldt }}

Jonathan Daniel "Jon" Hamm (born March 10, 1971) is an American actor who works primarily in television. For much of the mid-1990s, Hamm lived in Los Angeles as a struggling actor appearing in small parts in multiple television series, including ''Providence'', ''The Division'', ''What About Brian'' and ''Related''. In 2000 he made his feature film debut in Clint Eastwood's space adventure, ''Space Cowboys''. The following year, Hamm appeared in the independent comedy, ''Kissing Jessica Stein'' (2001) in a minor role.

Hamm gained global recognition for playing advertising executive Don Draper in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'', which premiered in July 2007. Hamm's performance earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series in 2008. Aside from his work on ''Mad Men'', Hamm appeared in the 2008 science fiction remake, ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' and claimed his first leading film role in the independent thriller ''Stolen'' (2010). Hamm had a supporting role in the 2010 crime film ''The Town'' and in ''Sucker Punch'' and ''Bridesmaids'' in 2011.

Early life

Hamm was born on March 10, 1971, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Deborah, a secretary, and Daniel Hamm, who ran a decades-old family trucking company that declined due to the growth of container shipping. Hamm's parents divorced when he was two years old, and he lived with his mother in Creve Coeur, Missouri, until she was diagnosed with terminal cancer when he was 10. Hamm moved in with his father, but after a few years his father became ill and died when Hamm was 20. Teachers and friends' parents filled in as parental figures.

}} Hamm attended the private John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, where he was a member of the football, baseball, and swim teams and dated future actress Sarah Clarke. Hamm's first acting role was as Winnie the Pooh in first grade; at 16, he was cast as Judas in ''Godspell'', and enjoyed the experience, though he did not take acting seriously. Following graduation in 1989, Hamm enrolled at the University of Texas, but left during his sophomore year, after his father's death. Hamm returned home to attend the University of Missouri. At Missouri he answered an advertisement from a theater company looking for players in a production of ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', auditioned, and was cast in the production. Other roles followed, such as Leon Czolgosz in ''Assassins'', Hamm's only musical to date.

After graduating in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Hamm returned to his high school to teach eighth-grade acting as a gesture of repayment for the school's support during his adolescent years. One of his students was Ellie Kemper, an actress best known for her role on ''The Office''.

Career

Early work

Hamm has known actor Paul Rudd for many years, and visited Hollywood to see him in 1992. Not wishing to stay in a "normal career", Hamm moved to Los Angeles permanently in 1995 with an automobile and $150. He moved into a house with four other aspiring actors and began working as a waiter while attending auditions.

}} Finding employment as an actor was difficult despite representation by the William Morris Agency because, unlike other actors his age, he could not be cast in youth-oriented productions like ''Dawson's Creek'' due to his older appearance. In 1998, having failed to obtain any acting jobs after three years, he was dropped by William Morris. Hamm continued working as a waiter, and briefly as a set designer for a softcore pornography film. After repeatedly failing to obtain promising roles, he set his 30th birthday as a deadline to succeed in Hollywood, observing that:

In 2000, Hamm obtained the role of romantic firefighter Burt Ridley on NBC's drama series ''Providence''. His one-episode contract grew to 19, and led him to quit waiting tables. Hamm made his feature film debut with one line in Clint Eastwood's space adventure ''Space Cowboys'' (2000); more substantial roles followed in the independent comedy ''Kissing Jessica Stein'' (2001) and the war film ''We Were Soldiers'' (2002), during filming of which he turned 30. His career was further bolstered when he played the recurring role of police inspector Nate Basso on Lifetime's television series ''The Division'' from 2002 to 2004. Other minor roles followed on the television series ''What About Brian'', ''CSI: Miami'', ''Related'', ''Numb3rs'', ''The Unit'', and ''The Sarah Silverman Program''. Hamm's ''Mad Men'' castmate Eric Ladin had said that one of the reasons he looks up to Jon is that while he "made it" later than most actors, Hamm never gave up on acting.

Worldwide recognition

Hamm received his breakthrough role in 2007 when he was cast from more than 80 candidates as the protagonist character Don Draper in AMC's drama series ''Mad Men''. In the series, set in a fictional 1960s advertising agency, he plays a suave advertising executive with an obscure past. Hamm recalled, "I read the script for ''Mad Men'' and I loved it. [...] I never thought they'd cast me—I mean, I thought they'd go with one of the five guys who look like me but are movie stars", and that an actor with a "proven track record" would likely have been chosen if another network had aired the show. He went through numerous auditions, and explained each time to the casting directors what he could bring to the character, if given the part. Alan Taylor and ''Mad Men'' creator Matthew Weiner thought that Hamm was too handsome for the role, but decided that "it was perfect to cast sort of the perfect male in this part"; Weiner also sensed that the actor had not been raised by his parents, similar to Draper's backstory.

Hamm used memories of his father to portray Draper, a well-dressed, influential figure in business and society hiding great inner turmoil and facing changes in the world beyond his control. ''Mad Men'' debuted on July 19, 2007, with almost 1.4 million viewers. It quickly developed a loyal audience, with the show and Hamm receiving strong reviews. Robert Bianco of ''USA Today'' was complimentary of Hamm, noting that his interpretation of Draper was a "starmaking performance". ''The Boston Globe'''s Matthew Gilbert called Hamm a "brilliant lead". For his work, he won a Golden Globe Award in the category of Best Actor in a Television Series Drama in 2008. Also in 2008 he was nominated for both a Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor and an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actor. In 2009, Hamm was again nominated for a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award in the same categories, and received another Emmy nomination for Best Actor. In 2010, Hamm received his third Golden Globe nomination.

Hamm's next film role was in the 2008 science fiction film ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'', a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. Although the film received negative reviews, it was financially successful, earning $230 million worldwide at the box office. Hamm hosted the sixth episode of the 34th season of ''Saturday Night Live'' on October 25, 2008. He played various roles, including Don Draper in two sketches. He returned to host again on January 30 and October 30, 2010. In 2009, Hamm guest starred in three episodes of the NBC situation comedy show ''30 Rock'' as Drew Baird, a doctor who is a neighbor and love interest of Liz Lemon's (Tina Fey). For these performances, he received an Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

Hamm's film projects post 2009 included the independent mystery thriller ''Stolen'' and his first leading role, in which he plays a man trying to demystify the circumstances surrounding his son's kidnapping. ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s Frank Scheck stated that the feature never came together, and said that Hamm was unable to do much with his "underwritten role". Hamm had a voice cameo in the animated feature ''Shrek Forever After'', released in May 2010, as an ogre leader named Brogan. He appeared as an FBI agent in ''The Town'' with Ben Affleck; after receiving "about 40 scripts that were all set in the 60s, or had me playing advertising guys", Hamm was pleased that the film offered a role "the opposite to Don Draper". The feature received generally favorable reviews, and earned $144 million worldwide. His next acting role was as defense attorney Jake Ehrlich in the independent drama ''Howl'', based on Allen Ginsberg's 1956 poem of the same name. On December 12, 2010, Hamm made a guest appearance as an FBI supervisor on Fox's animated series ''The Simpsons''. Returning to film, he appeared in Zack Snyder's 2011 action-fantasy movie ''Sucker Punch'', as the character High Roller, and the doctor. Hamm has signed on to appear and produce the independent feature ''Friends With Kids'' which centers around a group of friends whose lives are changed as the couples in the group begin to have children.

Personal life

Since 1997, Hamm has been in a long-term relationship with actress and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt. They own homes in Los Angeles and the Upper West Side in New York. In an interview discussion about his relationship with Westfeldt, Hamm said: "We may not have a piece of paper that says we're husband and wife, but after 10 years, Jennifer is more than just a girlfriend. What we have is much deeper and we both know that. To me, people [should] get married when they're ready to have kids, which I'm not ruling out." Hamm, along with Westfeldt, has appeared in Gap related campaign advertisements. In April 2009, Hamm and Westfeldt formed their own production company, Points West Pictures.

Although his role as Don Draper requires him to smoke, Hamm gave up smoking when he was 24. He revealed in an interview that while on set he does not smoke actual cigarettes, but herbal cigarettes that do not contain any tobacco or nicotine.

Internationally viewed as a sex symbol, Hamm was named one of ''Salon.com''s Sexiest Man Living in 2007, and was named one of ''People'' magazine's Sexiest Men Alive in 2008. Hamm also won ''GQ''s 'International Man' award in September 2010. In November 2008, ''Entertainment Weekly'' named him one of their Entertainers of the Year. He again was named one of the magazine's Entertainers of the Year in 2010. Hamm is an avid golfer and tennis player. He is a devoted fan of the National Hockey League (NHL) team the St. Louis Blues, even appearing in two television spots advertising for the team. He is also a fan of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team the St. Louis Cardinals.

In March 2010, Hamm was hired by Mercedes-Benz as their new voiceover for their campaign with the S400 Hybrid vehicle. Hamm replaced actor Richard Thomas.

Hamm and Westfeldt are advocates of animal rescue and have adopted their own dog, a mutt named Cora, from the Much Love Animal Shelter in California

Filmography

Feature films

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
2000	''Space Cowboys''	Young Pilot No.2
2001	''Kissing Jessica Stein''	Charles
2002	''We Were Soldiers''	Capt. Matt Dillon
2006	''Ira and Abby''	Ronnie
2007	''The Ten''	Skydiving Guide Chris Knarl
2008		Dr. Michael Granier
2009		Hank Ackerley	Voice OnlyUncredited
		Tom Adkins Sr.
''Shrek Forever After''	Brogan	Voice Only
		Uncredited
	Adam Frawley
	Jake Ehrlich
		High Roller/Doctor
	Ted	Uncredited
2012	''Friends with Kids'		Also Producer

Television

! Year	! Television Show	! Role	! Notes
		Burt Ridley
''The Trouble with Normal''	Jackson
''The Hughleys''	Buzz	Episode: "Lies My Valentine Told Me"
2001	''Early Bird Special''	Red-Headed Cop	Episode: "Pilot"
	''The Division''	Inspector Nate Basso
''Gilmore Girls''	Peyton Sanders	Episode: "Eight O'Clock at the Oasis"
	''CSI: Miami''	Dr. Brent Kessler	Episode: "Three-Way"Episode: "Payback"
	Dr. George Forrester	Episode: "Who's Your Daddy"Episode: "The Lonely Hunter"
''Charmed''	Jack Brody	Episode: "Ordinary Witches"
	''The Unit''	Wilson James
''What About Brian''	Richard Povich
''Numb3rs''	Richard Clast	Episode: "Hardball"
''Related''	Danny	Episode: "Related"
2007	''The Sarah Silverman Program''	Cable Guy	Episode: "Muffin' Man"
2007–present	''Mad Men''	Don Draper	Appears in every episode
2009–2010	''30 Rock''	Dr. Drew Baird	Episode: "Generalissimo"Episode: "St. Valentine's Day"Episode: "The Bubble"Episode: "Anna Howard Shaw Day"Episode: "Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land"Episode: "Live Show"
	''Childrens Hospital''	Derrick Childrens	Episode: "The Sultan's Finger"
''The Simpsons''	FBI Investigator	Episode: "Donnie Fatso"

Music Videos

! Year	! Artist	! Video	! Role	! Notes
	The Lonely Island	"Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde" (ft. Rihanna)	Bank Hostage	cameo
Herman Dune	"Tell Me Something I Don't Know"	Non-specific	lead

Awards and nominations

|- |rowspan="6"|2008 |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Satellite Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="8"|2009 |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''30 Rock'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Satellite Award for Best Actor - Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="6"|2010 |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''30 Rock'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |rowspan="7"|2011 |''Mad Men'' |Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | |- ||''Mad Men'' |Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Critics' Choice Television Award Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |''Mad Men'' |Television Critics Association Individual Achievement in Drama | |- |''Mad Men'' |Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series | |- |align="center" colspan=5| |}

References

Further reading

Rochlin, Margy. "Those Were the Good Old Days? Hardly". ''The New York Times''. September 30, 2007. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Alston, Joshua. "Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm: Get 'Bad,' Get 'Mad,' And You'll Get Glad". ''Newsweek''. December 31, 2007. Accessed June 4, 2009.

Hainey, Michael. "The Man In The Gray (Indestructible) Suit". ''GQ''. January 1, 2008. Accessed June 18, 2009.

Wilson, Benji. "Jon Hamm: Why Mad Men was an instant star". ''The Daily Telegraph''. March 14, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Seltzer, Ian. "Jon Hamm: Suave, Successful, Mad Man". ABC News. July 14, 2008. Accessed April 28, 2009.

Ryan, Maureen. "'Mad Men' Calvacade of Stars, Part 2: Jon Hamm". ''Chicago Tribune''. July 15, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Guest, Jocelyn. "Jon Hamm of 'Mad Men' on the Future of Don Draper". ''New York Magazine''. July 24, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Neuman, Clayton. "Q&A; – Jon Hamm". AMC. October 26, 2008. Accessed February 12, 2009.

Wolf, Jeanne. "Jon Hamm's Sudden Fame". ''Parade Magazine''. Accessed April 27, 2009.

Hill, Erin. "Jon Hamm: 'Everyone Deserves a Little Good-Natured Ribbing'". ''Parade Magazine''. March 11, 2010. Accessed March 11, 2010.

Torvalds, Linus. "Pearls before swine..". ''LINUS' BLOG''. February 28, 2011. Accessed May 24, 2011.

External links

Category:1971 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Living people Category:Actors from Missouri Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:University of Missouri alumni Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners

ar:جون هام da:Jon Hamm de:Jon Hamm es:Jon Hamm fr:Jon Hamm it:Jon Hamm he:ג'ון האם ka:ჯონ ჰემი nl:Jon Hamm ja:ジョン・ハム (俳優) no:Jon Hamm pl:Jon Hamm pt:Jon Hamm ru:Хэмм, Джон fi:Jon Hamm sv:Jon Hamm tr:Jon Hamm

name	Jennifer Westfeldt
birth date	February 02, 1970
birth place	Guilford, Connecticut
nationality	American
occupation	Actress and writer
partner	Jon Hamm (1997–present) }}

Jennifer Westfeldt (born February 2, 1970) is an American actress and screenwriter known for the hit 2001 independent film ''Kissing Jessica Stein'', which she co-wrote with Heather Juergensen and in which the two women starred.

Early life

Born in Guilford, Connecticut to a Swedish-American father and Jewish mother, Westfeldt was raised in her mother's religion. She graduated from Guilford High School and attended Yale University, where she sang with the a cappella group Redhot & Blue. She is a member of the untitled family of Wästfelt in the nobility of Sweden.

Acting career

After acting off-Broadway in ''Lipschtick'', a series of sketches she co-wrote with Juergensen, she relocated to Hollywood, where she was cast in a recurring role in ''Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place'' during its first season on ABC. In 2001 she was featured in three episodes of ''Judging Amy''. Additional television credits include appearances in ''Grey's Anatomy'' and ''Numb3rs'', a regular role in ''Notes from the Underbelly'', and the television movie ''Before You Say I Do'' with David Sutcliffe.

Westfeldt made her feature film debut in the 2001 screen adaptation of the Joy Fielding novel ''See Jane Run''. Later that year she appeared in her breakthrough role, the titular character in ''Kissing Jessica Stein'', for which she and Juergensen were nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. The film was an extended version of one of the sketches they had written for ''Lipschtick''.

In 2004, Westfeldt starred opposite Paul Schneider in the film ''How to Lose Your Lover'' and made her Broadway debut in a revival of ''Wonderful Town''. Her performance won her the Theatre World Award and a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. She returned to the stage as a victim of the House Un-American Activities Committee opposite Josh Radnor in ''Finks'', which premiered at the Powerhouse Theater in Vassar College in Poughkeepsie in July 2008.

Westfeldt wrote, produced, and stars in ''Ira and Abby'', which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2006.

In 2010, she was a guest star for the show ''24'' for the eighth season. She first appeared in the first four episodes of the season which aired January 17, 2010 and January 18, 2010. She returned to the season in a couple of the final episodes of the series.

Personal life

Westfeldt has been in a relationship with actor Jon Hamm since 1997.

References

External links

Interview on AOL Television

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Guilford, Connecticut Category:Actors from Connecticut Category:American film actors Category:American stage actors Category:American television actors Category:American Jews Category:Jewish actors Category:Swedish nobility Category:American people of Swedish descent Category:Yale University alumni

de:Jennifer Westfeldt fr:Jennifer Westfeldt it:Jennifer Westfeldt pt:Jennifer Westfeldt tr:Jennifer Westfeldt

name	Tavis Smiley
birthname	Tavis Smiley
birth date	September 13, 1964
birth place	Gulfport, MississippiUnited States
age	46
education	Indiana University (B.A., public affairs, 2003)
occupation	Talk show host Author Entrepreneur Advocate Philanthropist
ethnicity	African-American
religion	Christian
credits	''Tavis Smiley'' host (2004–present)''The Tavis Smiley Show'' from PRI (radio) host(2005-present)"Smiley & West" co-host (2010-present)''BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley'' host (1996–2001)
url	http://www.tavistalks.com/ }}

Tavis Smiley (; born September 13, 1964) is a talk show host, author, liberal political commentator, entrepreneur, advocate and philanthropist. Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi and grew up in Kokomo, Indiana. After attending Indiana University, he worked during the late 1980s as an aide to Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles. Smiley became a radio commentator in 1991, and starting in 1996 he hosted the talk show ''BET Talk'' (later renamed ''BET Tonight'') on BET. Controversially, after Smiley sold an exclusive interview of Sara Jane Olson to ABC News in 2001, BET declined to renew Smiley's contract that year. Smiley then began hosting ''The Tavis Smiley Show'' on NPR from 2002 to 2004 and currently hosts ''Tavis Smiley'' on PBS on the weekdays and "The Tavis Smiley Show" from PRI. Most recently, he and close friend Dr. Cornel West have joined forces for their own radio talk show, "Smiley & West". They were featured together interviewing musician Bill Withers in the 2009 documentary film ''Still Bill''.

Early years

Tavis Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, the son of Joyce Marie Roberts, a single mother who first became pregnant at age 18. On September 13, 1966, just shy of his second birthday, his mother married Emory Garnell Smiley, a non-commisioned officer in the U.S. Air Force. It would not be until a few years later that Tavis would learn the identity of his biological father, whom he identifies in his autobiography, ''What I Know For Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America'' only as "T."

His family soon moved to Indiana because his stepfather had been transferred to Grissom Air Force Base near Peru, Indiana. Upon arriving in Indiana, the Smiley family took up residence in a crowded mobile home in the small town of Bunker Hill, Indiana. Smiley's immediate family size was increased following the homicide of his aunt, whose death left five children with no stable home. Smiley's parents agreed to take in and raise their five orphaned nieces and nephews. Joyce and her husband also had eight children of their own over the years, resulting at one point in 13 children and Mr. and Mrs. Smiley all living in the trailer-home. Smiley's mother was a very religious person, and the family attended the local New Bethel Tabernacle Church, part of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World. The Smiley children were forbidden from listening to secular music at home and going to the movie theater and could watch television shows that their parents felt were family-friendly. When Tavis Smiley was in seventh grade, New Bethel pastor Elder Rufus Mills accused Tavis and his siblings of "running wild, disobeying their teacher, disrespecting their teacher, disrespecting the sanctity of this building, and mocking the holy message being taught" during Sunday School. According to Smiley's account of the incident, Smiley's Sunday School teacher became more confused as she was asking questions about the Book of John, and while other students "responded by giggling and acting a little unruly," he and his sister Phyllis "remained quiet". Garnell whipped Tavis and Phyllis with an extension cord, wounding the two children. The next day at school, administrators found out about the children's injuries. The local newspaper in Kokomo reported on the beating and the legal proceedings against Garnell, and Tavis and Phyllis were sent to foster care temporarily, Garnell told his children that the judge decided that he had "overreacted" and found he and Joyce as "concerned parents who were completely involved in our children's lives and well-being".

Smiley became interested in politics at age 13 after attending a fundraiser for U.S. Senator Birch Bayh. At Maconaquah High School in Bunker Hill, Indiana, a school that Smiley described as "98 percent white", Smiley was active in student council and the debate team, even though his parents were "skeptical of all non-church extracurricular activities."

College and political career

In 1982, Smiley enrolled in Indiana University Bloomington (IU). Because Smiley's parents refused to complete financial aid papers, Smiley entered Indiana University with only $50 and a small suitcase. Administrators let Smiley complete the paperwork to become a full-time student. The summer after his freshman year, Smiley worked, attended summer classes, and lived off campus with Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball players, then being coached by Bobby Knight. Smiley was accepted into the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity during his sophomore year and became business manager of his dormitory, a member of the student senate, and director of minority affairs. After his friend Denver Smith was killed by Indiana police officers who claimed to have acted in self-defense, Smiley helped lead protests to defend Smith, whom he believed had been wrongfully killed. Those protests led Smiley to a work-study internship at the office of Bloomington mayor Tomilea Allison. Being paid $5 an hour, Smiley wrote letters to local residents, researched for Mayor Allison, and helped write positions on local issues. Mayor Allison rebuked Smiley for padding his time sheets and had Smiley work off the extra hours without pay. During his first semester of junior year, Smiley was under academic probation and blamed his extracurricular activities for interfering with his studies. When Smiley visited Los Angeles to attend a national student leaders' convention, the cousin of his roommate introduced Smiley to football star Jim Brown. Brown introduced Smiley to fellow football player George Hughley, who worked for Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley and connected Smiley to Mayor Bradley's staff. Every week since meeting Bradley's staff, Smiley wrote a letter to the mayor's office asking for an internship and once personally flew to Los Angeles to appeal. However, by summertime he received a letter from the city stating that all internship positions were filled. Smiley then handwrote a letter to the mayor that he said represented his feeling "from the heart", and Bradley called Smiley to say that he had a position available for Smiley. As the internship was unpaid but counted for college credit, the Bloomington Community Progress Council funded Smiley with $5,000 for living expenses in Los Angeles, and Brown allowed Smiley to live as a houseguest during September 1985. Starting the next month, Smiley lived in the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity house in the University of Southern California. At City Hall, Smiley worked at the Office of Youth Development on the 22nd floor.

Twice, Smiley considered quitting college, first during junior year, and then after finishing his internship with Mayor Bradley. Bradley successfully convinced Smiley to return to college, and Smiley did. Smiley took the LSAT twice, as he was considering attending Harvard Law School. However, in his senior year, he failed a test in a computer class after being accused of copying another student's, so he failed that class and several others and lacked nine hours of credits and thus did not graduate from IU. Following a hiring freeze by the government of Los Angeles, Smiley served as an aide to Mayor Bradley until 1990. A 1988 article in the ''Los Angeles Times'' identified Smiley as "a Bradley administrative assistant who works in South Los Angeles." In 2003, Smiley officially received his degree from Indiana University in public affairs.

Radio and television career

Campaigning for a seat on the Los Angeles City Council in 1991 against incumbent Ruth Galanter, Smiley finished fourth among 15 candidates. Smiley became a radio commentator, broadcasting one-minute daily radio segments called ''The Smiley Report'' on KGFJ radio. With Ruben Navarrette, Jr., Smiley co-hosted a local talk show in Los Angeles where his strongly held views on race and politics, combined with his arguments regarding the impact of institutional racism and substandard educational and economic opportunities for inner-city black youth, earned him attention on the ''Los Angeles Times''. His commentaries focused on local and national current-affairs issues affecting the African-American community. For six months, Smiley worked on a community news program on a local cable network and spent six more months working on television in Montreal.

In 1996, Smiley became a frequent commentator on the ''Tom Joyner Morning Show'', a nationally syndicated radio show broadcast on black and urban stations in the United States. He developed a friendship with host Joyner; together they began hosting annual town hall meetings beginning in 2000 called "The State of the Black Union" which were aired live on the C-SPAN cable television network. These town hall meetings each focused on a specific topic affecting the African-American community, featuring a panel of African-American leaders, educators, and professionals assembled before an audience to discuss problems related to the forum's topic, as well as potential solutions. Smiley also used his commentator status on Joyner's radio show to launch several advocacy campaigns to highlight discriminatory practices in the media and government and to rally support for causes such as the awarding of a Congressional Gold Medal to civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Smiley also began building a national reputation as a political commentator with numerous appearances on political discussion shows on MSNBC, ABC, and CNN.

Also in 1996, Smiley began hosting and executive producing ''BET Tonight'' (originally ''BET Talk'' when it first premiered), a public affairs discussion show on the Black Entertainment Television (BET) network. Smiley interviewed major political figures and celebrities and discussed topics ranging from racial profiling and police brutality to R&B; music and Hollywood gossip. Smiley hosted ''BET Tonight'' until 2001, when in a controversial move, the network announced that Smiley's contract would not be renewed. This sparked an angry response from Joyner, who sought to rally his radio audience to protest BET's decision. Robert L. Johnson, founder of BET, defended the decision, stating that Smiley had been fired because he had sold an exclusive interview to ABC News without first offering the story to BET, even though Smiley's contract with BET did not require him to do so. Smiley countered with the assertion that he had offered the story — an interview with Sara Jane Olson, an alleged former member of the Symbionese Liberation Army — to CBS, which, along with BET, was owned by Viacom. Smiley ultimately sold the interview to rival network ABC, he said, only after CBS passed on the interview, and suggested that his firing was payback for the publicity he gained as a result of providing an exclusive interview to ABC. Ultimately BET and Viacom did not reverse their decision to terminate Smiley's contract.

Smiley was then offered a chance to host a radio talk show on National Public Radio. He served as host of ''The Tavis Smiley Show'' on NPR until December 2004 when he announced that he would be leaving his NPR show, citing the network's inability to reach a more diverse audience. Smiley launched a weekly version of his radio program ''The Tavis Smiley Show'' on April 29, 2005, distributed by NPR rival Public Radio International. On October 1, 2010, Tavis Smiley turned the second hour of his PRI program into Smiley & West co-hosted by his longtime collaborator Dr. Cornel West. Smiley also hosts ''Tavis Smiley'', a late night talk show televised on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) network and produced in association with WNET in New York.

Smiley moderated two live presidential candidate forums in 2007: a Democratic forum on June 28 at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a Republican forum on September 27 at Morgan State University in Baltimore.

Smiley appears on the ''Democracy Now!'' show.

Controversy over Presidential Candidate Barack Obama

On April 11, 2008, Tavis Smiley announced that he would resign in June 2008 as a commentator on the ''Tom Joyner Morning Show''. He cited fatigue and a busy schedule in a personal call to Joyner. However Joyner—referring to several commentaries in which Smiley was critical of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama—indicated otherwise on his program, stating: "The real reason is that he can't take the hate he's been getting regarding the Barack issue—hate from the black people that he loves so much." Prior to the public controversy and being elected President, Obama had been on Smiley's PBS show six times.

''The Covenant with Black America''

In March 2006, ''The Smiley Group'' and Third World Press published ''The Covenant with Black America'', a collection of essays by black scholars and professionals edited by Smiley. The book covers topics ranging from education to healthcare as discussed in several "State of the Black Union" forums.

Described by the publisher as a national plan of action to address the primary concerns of African-Americans related to social and economic disparities but seen by others as a self-promoting rehash of old ideas, the book became the first non-fiction book by a Black-owned publisher to be listed as the number-one non-fiction paperback in America by The New York Times Best Seller list.

Awards and contributions

Smiley was honored with the NAACP Image Award for best news, talk, or information series for three consecutive years (1997–99) for his work on ''BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley''.

Smiley's advocacy efforts have earned him numerous awards and recognitions including the recipient of the Mickey Leland Humanitarian Award from the National Association of Minorities in Communications.

In 1999, he founded the Tavis Smiley Foundation, which funds programs that develop young leaders in the black community. Since its inception, more than 6,000 young people have participated in the foundation's Youth to Leaders Training workshops and conferences.

His communications company, The Smiley Group, Inc., serves as the holding company for various enterprises encompassing broadcast and print media, lecturers, symposiums, and the Internet.

In 1994, ''Time'' named him one of America's 50 Most Promising Young Leaders. ''Time'' would later honor him in 2009 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World." In May 2007, Smiley gave a commencement speech at his alma mater, Indiana University at Bloomington, Indiana. In May 2008, he gave the commencement address at Connecticut College, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate. In May 2009, Smiley was awarded an honorary doctorate at Langston University after giving the commencement address there.

On December 12, 2008, Smiley received the Du Bois Medal from Harvard University's W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research.

He would also be awarded the 2009 Interdependence Day Prize from Demos in Istanbul, Turkey.

Indiana University recently honored Smiley by naming the atrium of its School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) building, The Tavis Smiley Atrium.

Smiley would be named No. 2 change agent in the field of media behind Oprah Winfrey in EBONY magazine's POWER 150 list.

Bibliography

''Just a Thought: The Smiley Report'' (ISBN 0-963-69523-1)

''Doing What's Right: How to Fight for What You Believe—And Make a Difference'' (ISBN 0-385-49931-0)

''Hard Left'' (ISBN 0-385-48404-6)

''Keeping the Faith: Stories of Love, Courage, Healing, and Hope from Black America'' (ISBN 0-385-72169-2)

''How to Make Black America Better: Leading African Americans Speak Out'' (ISBN 0-385-72087-4)

''On Air:The Best of Tavis Smiley on the Tom Joyner Morning Show'' (ISBN 1-890194-33-6)

''The Covenant with Black America'' (ISBN 0-88378-277-4)

''What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America'' (ISBN 978-0-385-50516-1; ISBN 0-388-50516-7)

''Accountable: Making America As Good As Its Promise

''Fail Up'' (ISBN 1-401-93390-4)

References

Further reading

LaRue, William. "Tavis Smiley: NPR Host Brings Latenight Talk to PBS." ''Syracuse (NY) Post-Standard'', 1 February 2004, STARS section, pp. 4–6.

Slade, Scott. "Author Issues Wakeup Call." ''Kokomo (IN) Tribune'', 20 June 1996, p. 7.

External links

www.tavistalks.com Official web site

Tavis Smiley on WNET/PBS

Tavis Smiley at NPR

Tavis Smiley: The State of the Black Union Interview

Tavis Smiley on Rev. Martin Luther King and His Opposition to the Vietnam War - video by ''Democracy Now!''

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:African American radio personalities Category:American journalists Category:American memoirists Category:American Pentecostals Category:American philanthropists Category:American political writers Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Indiana University alumni Category:National Public Radio personalities Category:People from Gulfport, Mississippi Category:People from Kokomo, Indiana Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:People from Montreal Category:People from Peru, Indiana Category:Public Radio International personalities

de:Tavis Smiley fa:تویس سمایلی sv:Tavis Smiley

birth date	August 11, 1965
birth place	St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States
occupation	Actress
yearsactive	1996–present
spouse	Julius Tennon (2003–present) }}

Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965) is an American actress. Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in ''King Hedley II'' (2001). She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the 2010 production of ''Fences''. She won a second Drama Desk Award for ''Intimate Apparel'' (2004).

Her films include ''Traffic'' (2000), ''Antwone Fisher'' (2002), and ''Solaris'' (2002). Her eight-minute-long performance in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's ''Doubt'' (2008) garnered several honors, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Early life

Davis was born on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina. Her mother, Mary, was a maid and factory worker, and her father, Dan Davis, was a horse trainer. Her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island when she was two months old.

Davis credits in part her involvement in the arts at her Alma mater, Central Falls High School, for her love of stage acting. Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the college. She was involved in the federal TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Student Support Services programs. While Davis was a teenager, her talent was recognized by Bernard Masterson when, as director of Young People's School for the Performing Arts in Rhode Island, he awarded Davis a scholarship into that program.

She also attended the Juilliard School for four years, characterizing the experience as a "hot mess".

Career

In 2001, she was awarded the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Tonya in ''King Hedley II'', a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy." She has also received two Drama Desk Awards, for her work in ''King Hedley II'' and, in 2004, for her work in an off-Broadway production of ''Intimate Apparel'' by Lynn Nottage.

Davis appears in numerous films, including three films directed by Steven Soderbergh - ''Out of Sight'', ''Solaris'' and ''Traffic'', as well as ''Syriana'', which Soderbergh produced. Viola is also the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the first scene in ''Ocean's Eleven''. She also gave brief performances in the films ''Kate & Leopold'' and ''Antwone Fisher''. Her television work includes a recurring role in ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''; a starring role in the short-lived ''Traveler''; and a special guest appearance in "Badge", a ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' episode.

In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaption to the Broadway play, ''Doubt'' with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. She was nominated for several awards for this performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

On June 13, 2010, Davis won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson's ''Fences''. She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after Phylicia Rashād.

Davis played the role of Dr. Minerva in ''It's Kind of a Funny Story'', a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden with Ryan Fleck, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini.

In August 2011, Davis joined Octavia Spencer, Emma Stone and Bryce Dallas Howard in DreamWorks' production of ''The Help'', in which she played the stalwart domestic, "Aibileen Clark." The film was directed by Tate Taylor, and produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus, Michael Barnathan, and Mark Radcliffe. Her role has garnered her critical acclaim, and has started buzz for various awards nominations.

Personal life

Davis has been married to actor Julius Tennon since June 2003. They have two children from Tennon's previous relationships.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996	''''	Nurse
1998	''Out of Sight''	Moselle
2000		Social Worker
2001	''''	Robin
2001	''Kate & Leopold''	Policewoman
2002	''Far from Heaven''	Sybil
2002		Eva May	Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2002		Gordon
2005		Grandma
2005	''Syriana''	CIA Chairwoman	uncredited
2006	''''	Tonya Neely
2006		Mother in hospital
2007		Detective Parker
2008		Jean
2008		Mrs. Miller
2009		Ellen
2009		Dr. Judith Franklin
2009	''Law Abiding Citizen''	Mayor April Henry
2010	''Knight & Day''	Director George
2010	''Eat Pray Love''	Delia
2010		Dr. Minerva
2010	''Trust''	Gail Friedman
2011		Aibileen Clark
2011

Television

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996	''NYPD Blue''	Woman	Episode: "Moby Greg"
1996	''New York Undercover''	Mrs. Stapleton	Episode: "Smack is Back"
1998	''''	Platoon Sgt. Fanning
1998	''Grace & Glorie''	Rosemary Allbright
2000	''Judging Amy''	Celeste	Episode: "Blast from the Past"
2000		Nurse Lynnette Peeler	19 episodes
2001	''Amy & Isabelle''	Dottie
2001		Dr. Eleanor Weiss	Episode: "You Can Count On Me"
2001	''''		Episode: "The Men from the Boys"
2001	''Third Watch''	Margo Rodriguez	Episode: "Act Brave"
2002	''Father Lefty''
2002	''Law & Order: Criminal Intent''	Terry Randolph	Episode: "Badge"
2002	''''	Dr. Georgia Davis	Episode: "Remembrance"
2002	''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation''	Attorney Campbell	Episode: "The Execution of Catherine Willows"
2003		Stevie Morgan	Episode: "Third Strike"
2003	''''	Aisha Crenshaw	Episode: "We the People"
2004		Hannah Crane	9 episodes
2005		Molly Crane
2005		Victoria Rossi	Episode: "Shock"
2006		Molly Crane
2006		Molly Crane
2006	''Without a Trace''	Audrey Williams	Episode: "White Balance"
2006	''Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story''	Diane Barrino
2007	''Fort Pit''
2007	''Jesse Stone: Sea Change''	Molly Crane
2007		Agent Jan Marlow	8 episodes
2008		Ellen Snyder	Episode: "Double Negative"
2008	''''	Dr. Charlene Barton
2003–08	''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''	Donna Emmett	7 episodes from 2003 until 2008
2009	''United States of Tara''	Lynda P Frazier

Theatre Credits

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1996	Seven Guitars	Vera	BroadwayMar 28, 1996 - Sep 8, 1996Theatre World AwardNominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayNominated - Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
1997	God's Heart	Eleanor	Off Broadway
1998		2nd Fisherman/Lychorida/Bawd	Off Broadway
	Everybody's Ruby	Ruby McCollum	Off Broadway Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
The Vagina Monologues	Performer (Replacement)	Off Broadway
2001	King Hedley II	Tonya	Broadway May 1, 2001 - Jul 1, 2001Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
2004	Intimate Apparel	Esther	Off Broadway Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
2010		Rose	Broadway Revival Apr 26, 2010 - Jul 11, 2010Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a PlayTony Award for Best Actress in a Play

References

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Actors from South Carolina Category:African American film actors Category:African American stage actors Category:African American television actors Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Living people Category:Rhode Island College alumni Category:Tony Award winners

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