name	Below
director	David Twohy
producer	Darren AronofskySue Baden-PowellEric Watson
writer	Lucas SussmanDarren AronofskyDavid Twohy
starring	Bruce GreenwoodMatthew DavisOlivia WilliamsHolt McCallanyScott FoleyZach GalifianakisJason FlemyngDexter Fletcher
music	Graeme RevellTim Simonec
cinematography	Ian Wilson
editing	Martin Hunter
studio	Dimension Films
distributor	Miramax FilmsDimension Films
released
runtime	105 minutes
country
language	English
gross	$605,562 }}

''Below'' is a 2002 World War II horror film directed by David Twohy. It was written by Lucas Sussman, Darren Aronofsky and David Twohy, and stars Bruce Greenwood, Olivia Williams, Matthew Davis, Holt McCallany, Scott Foley, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Flemyng and Dexter Fletcher.

It was filmed on location in Lake Michigan (for exteriors, using the World War II-era U.S. Navy submarine, USS ''Silversides'') and at Pinewood Studios.

Plot

The USS ''Tiger Shark'' is a submarine on patrol in the Atlantic Ocean in 1943. The submarine is ordered to pick up survivors spotted adrift by a British PBY Catalina patrol plane. At the wreck site, they retrieve three lone survivors — a British nurse and two sailors, one wounded — of a British hospital ship that was torpedoed several days earlier. As they pick up the survivors the ''Tiger Shark'' spots a German warship bearing down on them. The submarine has several encounters with the German warship and suffers heavy damage from depth charges in the process.

Immediately after the first attack the Commanding Officer of the ''Tiger Shark'', Lieutenant Brice (Bruce Greenwood), discovers that the wounded sailor is actually a German POW, Luftwaffe pilot and family man Ben Archerlift. Brice confronts him because he thinks the German is responsible for making strange noises to betray their position to the German warship and believes it was an act of sabotage and then shoots him dead when the German panicked and grabbed for a scalpel to protect himself. Meanwhile, eerie events begin to manifest themselves that seem to be related to the recent death of the previous captain, Lieutenant Commander Winters. Winters had been killed after the ''Tiger Shark'' torpedoed and sank a German ship. Winters had ordered the sub to surface and had then gone topside with his senior officers to make sure the ship had sunk and to see if there were any survivors. According to LT Brice, Winters had wanted a souvenir from the wreck and had fallen and hit his head on the side of the sub while reaching for his souvenir, then fell into the ocean and drowned before he could be rescued.

However, as the eerie events mount — disembodied voices are heard, a series of mechanical problems keeps the submarine turning back towards the site of the sunken German ship, and crewmen are killed at an alarming rate from various problems — the British nurse and sailor, and Odell, one of the junior officers on the ''Tiger Shark'', begin to suspect that more is going on than just mechanical problems. They also begin to question Brice's version of how and why Captain Winters died.

It is revealed that three senior officers, Brice, Loomis and Coors, were responsible for the death of Captain Winters and that the British hospital ship was mistaken for a German ship and was sunk by the ''Tiger Shark''. The three officers could not afford this blot on their records and conspired to suppress the story, killing Captain Winters as he tried to save the wounded in the ocean to make up for his and his crew's drastic mistake. This is discovered after Coors is mysteriously killed while working on the exterior of the sub, and Loomis drowns after trying to escape the boat while submerged, in a craze after seeing Winters' ghost on board.

After numerous accidents that completely cripple the boat, only five on board are still alive: Brice, Odell, Claire, Stumbo, and eccentric crewman Weird Wally. After the sub finally surfaces, Brice and Claire face each other down on the surface deck of the disabled submarine. Claire has spotted another ship in the area and tries to get its attention, but Brice holds her at gunpoint. His remorse over the accident overcomes him, and he shoots himself in the head, falling dead into the ocean. The four survivors are picked up by ship spotted by Claire, which turns out to be British. The ''Tiger Shark'' sinks away from the surface, coming to rest on the ocean floor next to the British hospital ship.

Cast

Bruce Greenwood as Lieutenant Brice

Matthew Davis as Ensign Douglas Odell

Olivia Williams as Claire Paige

Holt McCallany as Lieutenant Paul Loomis

Scott Foley as Lieutenant Steven Coors

Zach Galifianakis as Weird Wally

Jason Flemyng as Stumbo

Dexter Fletcher as Kingsley

Nick Chinlund as Chief

Andrew Howard as Hoag

Christopher Fairbank as Pappy

Production

The producers used the , a World War II-era based in Muskegon, Michigan, for exteriors of the "USS ''Tiger Shark''." The sub was towed out into Lake Michigan.

Matthew Leitch and Dexter Fletcher appeared together in the HBO miniseries ''Band of Brothers'', where they were also under the command of an officer named Winters.

Reception

The film gained an approval rating of 63% on Rotten Tomatoes with 41 out of 65 reviews calling it fresh. Reviewers on Metacritic gave a mixed response with a 55% approval rating based on 20 reviews. ''Below'' also gained mixed reviews in the press. ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the film a B+ rating, calling it a "handsome, haunting submarine thriller". Edward Guthmann from the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' gave a mainly negative review stating that the dialogue was "heavy on sarcasm and puncturing insults, never captures the World War II period but sounds ridiculously anachronistic". ''Variety Magazine'' gave the movie a mixed review stating that "the strenuous seriousness the film applies to an idea that is finally silly at its core steadily increases the impression of overwrought artificiality as matters progress".

Films of similar theme

Some films that possess the same war/horror genre are listed below:

''The Keep'' (1983) by Michael Mann, about a group of German soldiers fighting a demon in World War II-era Romania.

''The Bunker'' (2001) by Rob Green, about a group of German soldiers hiding in a bunker from the American enemy.

''Deathwatch'' (2002) a British film set in World War I about a group of British soldiers who capture an abandoned German trench where supernatural forces start killing them.

''Dog Soldiers'' (2002) by Neil Marshall, about a group of soldiers ending up fighting werewolves during a routine exercise.

''R-Point'' (2004) Korean horror film about a group of soldiers sent to investigate the disappearance of another unit.

''The Hills Have Eyes 2'' (2007) Directed by Martin Weisz, a group of National Guard soldiers in training get attacked by Mutants hiding in Mine Shafts on a Top Secret Military Base.

''Outpost'' (2008) British horror film about a group of mercenaries in war torn Eastern Europe who find a World War II German bunker haunted by Nazi ghosts.

''The Guard Post'' (2008) Korean horror film from the same director as ''R-Point'' about a group of soldiers sent to investigate a border post where the soldiers manning it have killed each other due to a mysterious virus.

''The Objective'' (2008) Directed by Daniel Myrick, A CIA agent accompanied by U.S. Special Forces search for an Afghan Cleric encounter supernatural forces.

''Red Sands'' (2009) by Alex Turner, about a squad of U.S. soldiers on assignment in Afghanistan that gets isolated and the soldiers kill each other one by one while being haunted by a djinn.

References

External links

Below review at RogerEbert.com

Category:2002 films Category:2000s horror films Category:American horror films Category:English-language films Category:Films directed by David Twohy Category:Ghost films Category:Submarine films Category:Supernatural thriller films Category:World War II navy films

de:Below (Film) fr:Abîmes (film) it:Below hu:Merülés a félelembe ja:ビロウ (映画) ru:Глубина (фильм, 2002) sv:Below (film) tr:Diptekiler (film)

name	Nick Chinlund
birth name	Zareh Nicholas Chinlund
birth date	November 18, 1961
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
occupation	Actor
yearsactive	1990–present }}

Zareh Nicholas "Nick" Chinlund (born November 18, 1961) is an American actor.

Biography

Early life

Chinlund was born in New York City. He attended the Friends Seminary in Lower Manhattan, later moving to Albany, NY in order to participate in Albany High School's varsity basketball program. Chinlund had designs on further pursuing basketball at Brown University and majoring in history, but was sidelined with a shoulder injury. The resulting injury left a two inch scar on his left shoulder.

Career

With his narrow eyes and gravelly voice, Chinlund is frequently cast as villainous or smarmy characters . After appearing in small roles on episodic television, Chinlund came to prominence when he guest starred on ''The X-Files'' second season episode ''Irresistible'' playing serial killer Donnie Pfaster. In 2000 he had a small role in episode one of Gilmore Girls. In 2002 he had a recurring role in two episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer: "Listening to Fear" and "Into the Woods".

In recent years, Chinlund has been seen in several independent projects, notably ''A Brother's Kiss'' (1997). He also served as the executive producer of the film, which was directed by childhood friend Seth Zvi Rosenfeld. ''A Brother's Kiss'' was filmed in and around the neighborhood where Chinlund and Rosenfeld grew up. The film tells the story of two brothers, Lex (Chinlund) and Mick (Michael Raynor), who grow up in the hard streets of New York. Chinlund continued in his long vein of independent features with roles in ''Chutney Popcorn'' (1999), ''Amy's Orgasm'' (2001), ''Goodnight Joseph Parker'' (2004) and ''Sinner'' (2007).

Recently, Chinlund starred in a few big-screen movies, including ''Tears of the Sun'' (2003) with Bruce Willis, ''Con Air'' (1997) with Nicolas Cage, ''The Chronicles of Riddick'' (2004) with Vin Diesel and directed by David Twohy, who also directed Chinlund in the underwater thriller ''Below'' (2002), and ''Ultraviolet'' (2006) with Milla Jovovich. He also reprised his ''X-Files'' role as Donnie Pfaster for a seventh season episode called ''Orison''. Chinlund was also in ''Training Day'' with Denzel Washington, ''Eraser'' with Arnold Schwarzenegger and ''The Legend of Zorro'' with Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Chinlund has also made guest appearances in the long-running TV drama series ''Law & Order'', as well as in its spinoff, ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit''. Chinlund had originally screen-tested for the co-starring role of Elliot Stabler in the latter show, according to Christopher Meloni, who won the role.

As with his film roles, he played villainous roles in those two shows, most notably as a defense attorney and an unethical journalist in the original ''Law & Order'', and a serial killer in ''Special Victims Unit''. Chinlund also played an American-Indian Casino President and CEO, "Chief Doug Smith" in the fourth season episode Christopher of the hit HBO original series, ''The Sopranos''. In 2009, he made an appearance on Castle in the first season episode Home Is Where The Heart Stops. In 2010, he made an appearance on a sixth-season episode of House titled ''The Down Low'', playing a drug dealer named Eddie.

Awards

Best Actor in a Leading Role, Sinner, 41st Annual Brooklyn Arts Council International Film & Video Festival

Filmography

! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1990	''The Ambulance''	Hugo
1992	''Lethal Weapon 3''	Hatchett
		Commander
	Deputy Tomay
		Jeremy Avery
	Pinkerton Detective O'Brady
''Red Shoe Diaries 4: Auto Erotica''
''Reform School Girl''	Dr. Ted Meeks
1995	''Letter to My Killer''	Nick Parma
1996		WITSEC Agent Nick Calderon
		Bob Morgan
''Rough Riders''	Frederick Remington
''Con Air''	William 'Billy Bedlam' Bedford
''A Brother's Kiss''	Lex
1998	''Frogs for Snakes''	Iggy
	''Chutney Popcorn''	Mitch
	Dr. Jake Sandler	TV
	''Once in the Life''	Mike Murphy
''Something Sweet''	Lee
''Auggie Rose''	Salesman
	''Training Day''	Tim
''Amy's Orgasm''	Matthew Starr
	''100 Mile Rule''	Paul
	Chief
	''Bun-Bun''	Father 2
''Tears of the Sun''	Michael 'Slo' Slowenski
	''The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury''	Toombs	Voice
''The Chronicles of Riddick''	Toombs
''Goodnight, Joseph Parker''	Joseph Parker
	''The Legend of Zorro''	Jacob McGivens
''Desperate Housewives''	Detective Sullivan
2006		Vice-Cardinal Ferdinand Daxus
		Anthony
''The Fifth Patient''	John Reilly
	''Ball Don't Lie''	Anthony
	Sgt. Roberts
''The Onion Movie''	Bryce Brand
	''Wyvern''	Jake
	Evan Mitchell
2010		Eddie
2011		Sportsmaster	voice

References

External links

Goodnight Joseph Parker

Film Threat review of SINNER

Category:1961 births Category:American film actors Category:Actors from New York City Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Brown University alumni

de:Nick Chinlund fr:Nick Chinlund no:Nick Chinlund pl:Nick Chinlund pt:Nick Chinlund sv:Nick Chinlund

This is a list of people whose names in English are commonly appended with the phrase "''the Great''", or who were called that or an equivalent phrase in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes such as ''e Bozorg'' and ''e azam'' in Persian and Urdu respectively.

In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to be a colloquial version of the Old Persian title "Great King". This title was first used by the conqueror Cyrus II of Persia.

The Persian title was inherited by Alexander III of Macedon (336–323 BC) when he conquered the Persian Empire, and the epithet "Great" eventually became personally associated with him. The first reference (in a comedy by Plautus) assumes that everyone knew who "Alexander the Great" was; however, there is no earlier evidence that Alexander III of Macedon was called "''the Great''".

The early Seleucid kings, who succeeded Alexander in Persia, used "Great King" in local documents, but the title was most notably used for Antiochus the Great (223–187 BC).

Later rulers and commanders began to use the epithet "the Great" as a personal name, like the Roman general Pompey. Others received the surname retrospectively, like the Carthaginian Hanno and the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great. Once the surname gained currency, it was also used as an honorific surname for people without political careers, like the philosopher Albert the Great.

As there are no objective criteria for "greatness", the persistence of later generations in using the designation greatly varies. For example, Louis XIV of France was often referred to as "The Great" in his lifetime but is rarely called such nowadays, while Frederick II of Prussia is still called "The Great". A later Hohenzollern - Wilhelm I - was often called "The Great" in the time of his grandson Wilhelm II, but rarely later.

Rulers

Abbas I of Persia (1571–1629), Shah of Iran

Akbar (1542–1605), ruler of the Mughal Empire of South Asia, mainly India

Alain I of Albret (1440–1522), French aristocrat

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), King of Macedonia, Persia, Greece, Egypt, and all of Mesopotamia

Alexander I of Georgia (1386–1446), King of Georgia

Alfonso III of León (c. 848-910), King of León, Galicia and Asturias

Alfred the Great (848/849-899), King of Wessex

Antiochus III the Great (c. 241–187 BC), ruler of the Seleucid Empire

Ashoka the Great (c. 304–232 BC), Indian emperor of the Maurya dynasty

Ashot I of Iberia “the Great”(died 826/830), presiding prince of Iberia (modern Georgia),

Askia Mohammad I (c. 1442–1538), ruler of the Songhai Empire

Bhumibol Adulyadej (born 1927), King of Thailand

Bolesław I Chrobry (967-1025), sometimes called "the Great", first King of Poland

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the following section)

Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (1736–1809), founder and ruler of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (in what is now Thailand)

Cnut the Great (c. 985 or 995-1035), King of Denmark, England, Norway and parts of Sweden

Casimir III the Great (1310–1370), King of Poland

Catherine the Great (1729–1796), Empress of Russia

Chandragupta II (reigned 375-413/415), also known as Vikramaditya, ruler of the Gupta empire in India

Charlemagne (died 814), King of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans

Chulalongkorn (1853–1910), King of Siam (now Thailand)

Chlothar II (584-629), King of Neustria and King of the Franks

Conrad, Margrave of Meissen (c. 1097-1157), Margrave of Meissen

Constantine I (c. 272-337), Roman emperor

Cyaxares the Great (c. 625-585 BC), third king of Media

Cyrus the Great (c. 600 BC or 576 BC–530 BC), founder and ruler of the Persian or Achaemenid Empire

Darius the Great (550 – 486 BC), third ruler of the Persian Empire

Devapala (died 850), ruler of the Pala Empire in the Indian subcontinent

Dionysius I, Greek tyrant of Syracuse

Ferdinand I of León and Castile (c. 1015–1065), King of León and Count of Castile

Frederick the Great (1712–1786), King of Prussia

Genghis Khan (1162?-1227), founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire

Gero (c. 900–965), ruler of Marca Geronis, a very large march in Europe

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden (1594–1632), King of Sweden, founder of the Swedish Empire, and noted military leader

Gwanggaeto the Great, King of Goguryeo, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea

Hanno the Great, the name of three leaders of Carthage, in the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd centuries BC

Henry I, Duke of Burgundy (946–1002)

Henry IV of France (1553–1610), King of France and King of Navarre

Herod the Great (73/74 BC-4 BC), King of Judea

Hugh the Great (898-956), Duke of the Franks and Count of Paris

Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France

Hugh I, Count of Vermandois (1057–1101)

Humphrey I de Bohun (died c. 1123), Anglo-Norman aristocrat

Ivan III of Russia (1440–1505), Tsar of Russia

John I of Portugal (1358–1433), King of Portugal and the Algarve

John II of Aragon (1398–1479), King of Aragon and, through his wife, King of Navarre

Justinian I (483-565), Byzantine Emperor

Kamehameha I (c. 1758-1819), first King of Hawai'i

Kanishka (died c. 127), ruler of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia and parts of India

Kvirike III of Kakheti (1010–1029), King of Kakheti in eastern Georgia

Kublai Khan (1215–1294), Mongol ruler in the 13th century and Emperor of China; founder of the Yuan Dynasty

Llywelyn the Great (c. 1172–1240), Prince of Gwynedd and de facto ruler of most of Wales

Louis I of Hungary (1326–1382), King of Hungary, Croatia and Poland

Mangrai the Great (1238–1317), Lanna, northern Thailand

Emperor Meiji (1852–1912), Emperor of Japan

Mircea I of Wallachia (1355–1418)

Mithridates II of Parthia (died 88 BC), ruler of the Parthian Empire (in present day Iran)

Mithridates VI of Pontus (134 BC–63 BC), ruler of Pontus and the Bosporan Kingdom

Mstislav I of Kiev (1076–1132), Grand Prince of Kievan Rus

Narai (1633–1688), King of Ayutthaya (in what is now modern Thailand)

Naresuan (1555–1605), King of Ayutthaya

Odo the Great (died c. 735), Duke of Aquitaine

Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor (912-973)

K'inich Janaab' Pakal (603-683), ruler of the Mayan city-state of Palenque

Parakramabahu I of Polonnaruwa (1123–1186), King of Sri Lanka

Peter Krešimir IV of Croatia (died 1075), King of Croatia

Peter the Great (1672–1725), Tsar of Russia

Peter III of Aragon (1239–1285), King of Aragon and King of Sicily

Pompey (106 BC-48 BC), military and political leader of the late Roman Republic, rival of Julius Caesar

Radama I (1793–1828), first king of greater Madagascar

Raja Raja Chola I (c. 947-1014), Indian emperor of the Cholas.

Rajendra Chola I (reigned 1014–1044), Tamil King of India

Ramesses II (reigned 1279 BC – 1213 BC), considered the greatest pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

Ram Khamhaeng (around 1237 to 1247-1298), King of Sukhothai (in present day Thailand)

Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona (1082–1131), also Count of Provence and various other counties

Rhodri the Great (c. 820–878), King of Gwynedd (in present day Wales)

Roman the Great (after 1160-1205), Grand Prince of Kiev

Saladin (c. 1138-1193), Kurdish Sultan of Egypt and Syria, founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, and victor over the Crusaders

Samudragupta (c. 335–375), ruler of the Gupta empire in the Indian subcontinent

Sancho III of Navarre (c. 992-1035), King of Kingdom of Navarre

Sargon of Akkad (died c. 2215 BC), ruler of the Akkadian Empire

Sejong the Great (1397–1450), Korean king

Shapur II (309-379), king of the Sassanid Empire, Persia

Simeon I of Bulgaria (864/865-927), ruler of the First Bulgarian Empire

Stephen III of Moldavia (1433–1504), Prince of Moldavia (Romania)

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia (c. 1308-1355), King of Serbia and Emperor of the Serbs and Greeks

Taksin (1734–1782), King of the Thonburi Kingdom (Thailand)

Timur (1336–1405), better known as Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Dynasty

Theobald II, Count of Champagne (1090–1151), Count of Blois and of Chartres as Theobald IV, Count of Champagne and of Brie

Theodoric the Great (454-526), King of the Ostrogoths, regent of the Visigoths and a viceroy of the Byzantine Empire

Theodosius I (347-395), Roman emperor

Tigranes the Great (140-55 BC), Emperor of Armenia

Tiridates III of Armenia (285-339), King of Armenia

Umar (c. 586 to 590–644), second caliph of the Muslim Empire

Valdemar I of Denmark (1131–1182), King of Denmark

Valentinian I (364-375), Roman Emperor

Vladimir I of Kiev (c. 958-1015), ruler of Kievan Rus

Vytautas (c. 1350-1430), archduke of the Lithuanian Grand Duchy

William I, Count of Burgundy (1020–1087), Count of Burgandy and Mâcon

William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969-1030), also Count of Poitou

Xerxes I (519-465 BC), King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire (Persia)

Yu the Great (c. 2200-2100 BC), legendary ruler in ancient China

Religious figures

Abraham the Great of Kashkar (ca. 492-586), monk and saint of the Assyrian Church of the East

Abraham Kidunaia (died c. 366, hermit, priest, and Christian saint of Mesopotamia

Albertus Magnus (1193/1206–1280), medieval German philosopher and theologian

Anthony the Great (c. 251–356), early Christian saint of Egypt

Babai the Great (c. 551–628), Assyrian church leader

Basil of Caesarea (330-379), Greek bishop and theologian

Bruno the Great (925–965), Archbishop of Cologne and Duke of Lotharingia (also listed in the previous section)

Euthymius the Great (377-473), abbot and Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint

Gertrude the Great (1256-c. 1302), German Benedictine, mystic, theologian and Roman Catholic saint

Pope Gregory I (c. 540-604)

Hiyya the Great, 3rd-century rabbi, Palestine

Pope John Paul II (1920–2005)

Pope Leo I (c. 391 or 400-461)

Macarius of Egypt (c. 300-391), Egyptian hermit

Pope Nicholas I (c. 800-867)

Photius I of Constantinople (c. 810–c. 893), Eastern Orthodox saint and Patriarch of Constantinople

William of Maleval (died 1157), founder of the Catholic congregation of Williamites

Other

Beli Mawr, a figure in medieval Welsh literature and genealogies

Emmy the Great, folk singer

Matteo Rosso the Great, Roman politician and father of Pope Nicholas III

Prokop the Great, Hussite general in Bohemia

See also

Epithet

List of monarchs by nickname

List of nicknames of European Royalty and Nobility: G-I

James, son of Zebedee, also known as James the Greater, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus

Ajax (mythology), called Ajax the Greater

Notes

Category:Monarchs Great, List of people known as The Category:Greatest Nationals Category:Epithets

bs:Spisak osoba znanih kao Veliki id:Daftar tokoh dengan gelar yang Agung jv:Daftar pamimpin ingkang dipun paringi julukan Ingkang Agung la:Magnus lt:Sąrašas:Žmonės, vadinami Didžiaisiais ja:称号に大が付く人物の一覧 ru:Великий (прозвище) sl:Seznam ljudi z vzdevkom Veliki sv:Lista över personer kallade den store th:รายพระนามกษัตริย์ที่ได้รับสมัญญานามมหาราช vi:Đại đế

Name	Ronan Keating
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Ronan Patrick John Keating
Born	March 03, 1977Swords, Dublin, Ireland
Genre	Pop, dance pop, folk rock, electropop
Occupation	Musician, singer-songwriter, television/radio personality, actor, composer
Years active	1993–present
Label	Polydor
Associated acts	Boyzone
Website	}}

Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish recording artist, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Keating debuted on the professional music scene alongside Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately, in 1994 as the lead singer of Boyzone. His solo career started in 1999, and resulted in 9 studio albums. Keating gained worldwide attention when his single "''When You Say Nothing at All''" was featured in the film ''Notting Hill'' and peaked at number one in several countries. As a solo artist, Keating has sold over 22 million records worldwide. Along with Boyzone, Keating has sold over 40 million records worldwide, and in Australia he is best known as a judge on ''The X Factor.

Keating has worked as a charity campaigner most notably for the Marie Keating Foundation, a foundation that raises awareness for breast cancer. It is named after his mother, who died of the disease. Keating's fortune is around £12 million.

Life and career

Early life, marriage and Boyzone: 1994–99

Ronan Keating was born on 3 March 1977, the youngest of five children. Keating grew up on the Northside of Dublin and Co Meath. His father Gerry Keating was a lorry driver; his mother Marie was a hairdresser and had her own salon in Dunshaughlin, Co Meath. Keating has one sister: Linda, and three brothers: Ciaran, Gerard and Gary. Keating was a track and field athlete and represented Ireland in several tournaments, winning the All Ireland under-13 200m title. Keating also worked as an assistant in a shoe shop just as his siblings emigrated to the United States.

Keating is also godfather to Mackenzie Bannatyne. Keating joined the band Boyzone on 1993. Keating, Keith Duffy, Richard Rock, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately were chosen as Boyzone members. Rock would later leave the group before being replaced by Mikey Graham. The group performed in various clubs and pubs before being signed by PolyGram in 1994 and released a cover version of "Working My Way Back to You" by The Four Seasons. The group also released a cover version of "Love Me for a Reason" which would peak on several charts. In 1998, his mother died at the age of 54 from breast cancer, resulting in the establishment of the Marie Keating Foundation. Keating married Yvonne Connolly in April 1998 and together, the couple have three children: Jack (born 15 March 1999), Marie (born 18 February 2001) and Ali (born 7 September 2005).

From 1994-1999, Boyzone released 3 studio albums and 1 compilation album before disbanding in 2000.

''Ronan'' and ''When You Say Nothing At All'': 1999–2000

In 1999, while still a member of Boyzone, Keating recorded a version of "When You Say Nothing At All" for the motion picture ''Notting Hill''. The single peaked at number one in the UK charts, leading to a successful solo career. Keating released his debut solo album entitled ''Ronan'' in 2000, peaking at number one in the UK Albums Chart. The album was given several negative reviews, however, it sold over 750,000 copies and became one of the top selling albums of the year in the United Kingdom. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, and have been certified four-times platinum by the British Phonographic Industry for sales of 1.2 million copies. In the singer's native Ireland, the album debuted at number two. The album also became a commercial success in other European countries, where it charted within the top ten of eight countries. In 2001, ''Ronan'' was certified two-times platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry for shipments of two million copies inside Europe.

The album produced four UK and Irish top-ten singles: "When You Say Nothing at All" (originally recorded for the soundtrack of the 1999 film ''Notting Hill''), "Life Is a Rollercoaster", "The Way You Make Me Feel", and "Lovin' Each Day", the latter of which was featured on the re-release edition of the album, and later on Keating's second album, ''Destination'' (2002).

Solo career: 2000–07

After the successful debut album ''Ronan'', Keating continued on with his solo career and since has released four more studio albums: ''Destination'' (2002), ''Turn It On'' (2003), ''10 Years of Hits'' (2004) and ''Bring You Home'' (2006), four of which peaked at number one in the UK Albums Chart. Keating collaborated with several major stars, including Elton John, Lulu, LeAnn Rimes and the Bee Gees, for these albums.

Keating and Paul Brady co-wrote the 2001 hit single "The Long Goodbye", one of Keating's most loved hits amongst fans and a huge hit for Brooks & Dunn in the United States. Keating and Brady won the "BMI European song-writing award" for the single. In 2003, Keating was named Rear of the Year - an award given to celebrities with a notable posterior. In October 2007, Keating was listed in the ''Guinness Book of Records'' for being the only artist ever to have 30 consecutive top 10 singles in the UK chart, beating the likes of Elvis Presley. Keating also embarked on two world tours, won the Ivor Novello and BMI songwriting awards, released an autobiography, had a role as ambassador for Christian Aid and earnt sales in excess of 22 million albums worldwide. In 2007 he released 2 fragrances,the range consists of a female fragrance, Hope By Ronan, which is based upon musk and amber scents and a male scent, Believe by Ronan, based on Sicilian Lemon, Lavender and Clary Sage smells. All proceeds go to the Marie Keating foundation.

Keating performed at the 2006 FIFA World Cup opening party at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, in front of an audience of nearly 250,000 people, and posed nude for Cosmopolitan magazine's 10 Years of Naked Centrefolds. On May 9, 2007, Keating became the first international number-one selling foreign artist to perform a concert in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Keating also performed at the Olympic Stadium Indoor Arena. Keating has dueted with Elton John at Madison Garden in New York and has sung for the Pope twice and performed for Prince Charles at the Prince's Trust 30th birthday, which took place at the Tower of London. He performed on stage for the Swedish Royal family at Crown Princess Victoria's birthday celebrations, and at the opening ceremony of the 19th European Athletics Championships in Gothenburg.

''Back Again... No Matter What'' and Stephen Gately's death: 2007–10

On 5 November 2007, Keating confirmed that Boyzone would reunite for a special appearance on the BBC's annual fundraiser, Children in Need, performing a medley of hits, although had not yet commented on the possibility of a new tour or album. Soon, the Boyzone went on a 29-date tour. The tour, taking in cities such as Cardiff, Newcastle, Liverpool, London at the O2 Arena and Wembley, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Newcastle, Nottingham, Edinburgh Castle and the RDS in Dublin. Stephen Gately, close friend and bandmate of Keating, died on 10 October 2009 of a pulmonary edema, or fluid in the lungs. This left Keating devastated.

In 2009 Keating co-wrote the song "Believe Again" sung by Niels Brinck, who won the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix and represented Denmark in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow where it qualified for the final from the second semi-final and finished in 13th place with 74 points. Following the success of Ronan Keating's album ''Songs For My Mother'', he has recorded another entitled ''Winter Songs''. Teaming up again with ''Songs For My Mother'' producer Steve Lipson, Keating pulled together eleven songs that evoked memories of winter and Christmas for him. ''Winter Songs'' is a mix of traditional and modern festive classics, including tracks from artists such as Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell and Sugarland along with perennials "Silent Night" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas". The album also includes two brand new songs, "Its Only Christmas" and "Scars". In March 2010 the new Boyzone album ""Brother" was released and went to number one in UK and Ireland.

On 12 November 2010, Keating released his seventh studio album entitled, ''Duet'' in Australia and New Zealand. "Believe Again" was released as the lead single from the album and features guest vocals from Australian singer, Paulini

Brother tour and ''When Ronan Met Burt'': 2011–present

He joined Boyzone on their tour of the UK and Ireland during February and March 2011 with a 21 date tour of the Ireland and UK with their arena-based Brother Tour. Bringing some Antipodean sunshine to proceedings were the soulful vocals of singer/songwriter Guy Sebastian, support act from Australia. On the 21st March 2011 a new album from Ronan Keating was released worldwide named When Ronan Met Burt. In April he will make his film debut in Australia to shoot scenes for the top secret project.

He performed at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany in front of a 16,500 crowd.

In September 2011, he is set to swim the Irish sea 90 km stretch from Dublin to Holyhead to raise $1.6 million for Cancer Research Britain and the Marie Keating Foundation. From September he will rejoin the judging panel on the Australian version of the X Factor.

Ronan Keating has announced that Boyzone are recording and will release a new album towards the end of 2011.

Charity work

In October 2005, shortly after joining Christian Aid and the Trade Justice Campaign in 2004, Keating went to Rome where he was appointed as a UN Goodwill Ambassador via the Food and Agricultural Organisation.

Keating ran in the London Marathon on 13 April 2008 to raise money for Cancer Research, with a personal best time of 3hr 59min. He has also walked the length of Ireland twice, each time raising money for the Marie Keating Foundation, now linked to Cancer Research in the UK. Each year the foundation holds charity balls and various events, raising funds to keep their mobile units on the road.

In 2009, Keating climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Comic Relief; joining him were Gary Barlow, Chris Moyles, Ben Shephard, Kimberley Walsh, Denise van Outen, Fearne Cotton, Alesha Dixon and Cheryl Cole.

In June 2009, Keating received a Special Achievement Award from Cancer Research UK - he was singled out for his work with them since 2006. He, along with the Marie Keating Charity, has helped to raise over £1.7 million for the UK charity. This money is used to fund three special mobile units which raise awareness throughout the UK.

In October 2009, he pulled out of the Chicago Marathon due to the sudden death of his bandmate Stephen Gately; he had intended to run in memory of his mother.

In September 2011, he is set to swim the Irish sea 90 km stretch from Dublin to Holyhead to raise money for cancer charities and set a new Guinness World Record for open water swimming when he takes part in the relay with a 10-member team which will also include business tycoon Sir Richard Branson. They aim to raise $1.6 million for Cancer Research Britain and the Marie Keating Foundation when they tackle the feat in September.

Awards

Over the years he has won ''Smash Hits'' Best Solo Male. He was given a tree in London's Hyde Park for performing for The Prince's Trust. He also has a World Music Award for the best selling Irish artist.

Other work

Presenting

On 3 May 1997, Keating presented the Eurovision Song Contest along with Carrie Crowley. He presented the MTV Europe Music Awards in 1997 and 1999, and co-presented the MTV Asia Awards in 2002 with Mandy Moore. He also hosted Miss World 1998.

On 20 April 2009, Keating guest co-hosted ''The Morning Show'' in Australia alongside Kylie Gillies, while the show's regular male co-host Larry Emdur was on holiday. In addition, he has stood in for Steve Wright on his ''Sunday Love Songs'' on BBC Radio 2. He currently presents a Sunday request show on Magic 105.4 FM.

In a section for the Jeremy Clarkson 2009 DVD ''Duel'', Keating was invited to take part in an off-road race to find "the fastest off-road celebrity", along with newsreader Kate Silverton, Rugby player Matt Dawson, and Clarkson. He came third overall, after being forced to abandon the car with only 20 seconds left to complete the course to disarm the on-board time bomb.

Keating is a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor on the Seven Network in 2010. Season one has him mentoring the over 25's category. His fellow Boyzone bandmembers helped him in the judges' house selection of the contest. He was the winning mentor for the 2010 Season; his over 25 artist Altiyan Childs won the show.

He appeared as a guest on episode 7, series 5 of Celebrity Juice along with Kimberley Walsh and Chipmunk.

Acting

Keating has recently stated he would like to break into acting, but does not intend to stop working as a recording artist. He recently auditioned for a role in the upcoming fantasy movie "The Hobbit" and was unsuccessful. The film is based on the J. R. R. Tolkien novel of the same name.

April 2011 Ronan will start shooting his first movie in Australia. It is a romantic musical comedy called "Goddess", his co-star is British Actress Laura Michelle Kelly. The film's being directed by Mark Lamprell who also directed 'Babe - Pig in the city' and is due for release in 2012.

Controversy

Louis Walsh

When Keating announced he wanted to take a break from Boyzone Louis Walsh continued to manage his career. Keating achieved a number one hit with "Life is a Rollercoaster" in 2000 while his album sold 4.4 million copies. Keating and Walsh later agreed to part company and then had a bitter falling out. Walsh told the press: "[Keating] wasn't the most talented one — he's not a great singer and he's got no personality." Keating later told ''Closer'' magazine: "That man absolutely tried to ruin me and if he thinks we can ever hug and make up he can forget it. I haven't heard from him in three years and I wouldn't have a problem if I never saw him again. He's not a nice character."

The feud between the two men had apparently ended by March 2008 and they helped in selecting the finalists in the Groups category in ''The X Factor'', a reality show in the UK.

Thom Yorke

Keating has criticised Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke several times in the press throughout late 2008 and early 2009, calling him a "muppet" and an "idiot" due to Yorke allegedly ignoring Keating at a hotel. Shortly after Keating's remarks, Kanye West and Miley Cyrus also complained about Yorke's alleged rudeness. In response to the accusations, Yorke left a blog on Radiohead's official site for those who were not among "those people I have managed to offend by doing nothing."

Personal life

Keating married model Yvonne Connolly in April 1998 and together, the couple have three children — Jack (born 15 March 1999), Marie (born 18 February 2001) and Ali (born 7 September 2005). Following the death of mother Marie in 1998 of breast cancer, the family home, which Keating had bought at the age of eighteen, was sold, rendering his father Gerry homeless and resulting in a bitter feud between father and son — Gerry was not invited to his son's wedding, which took place in Nevis. The two later reconciled after two years without communication.

Discography

''Ronan'' (2000)

''Destination'' (2002)

''Turn It On'' (2003)

''10 Years of Hits'' (2004)

''Bring You Home'' (2006)

''Songs for My Mother'' (2009)

''Winter Songs'' (2009)

''Duet'' (2010)

''When Ronan Met Burt'' (2011)

See also

List of Eurovision Song Contest presenters

References

External links

Ronan Keating- The Official Britain and Ireland Website

Marie Keating Foundation

Ronan Keating "This is Who I Am" Interview Heat World, June 2009

FAO Goodwill Ambassador website

}}

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Bayside, Dublin Category:Boyzone members Category:Eurovision Song Contest presenters Category:Irish male singers Category:Irish pop singers Category:Ivor Novello Award winners Category:People from Swords, Dublin Category:People of the Year Awards winners Category:The X Factor judges Category:World Music Awards winners

cy:Ronan Keating da:Ronan Keating de:Ronan Keating es:Ronan Keating fr:Ronan Keating hi:रोनेन कीटिंग id:Ronan Keating it:Ronan Keating kk:Ронан Китиң ms:Ronan Keating nl:Ronan Keating ja:ローナン・キーティング no:Ronan Keating pl:Ronan Keating pt:Ronan Keating ru:Китинг, Ронан fi:Ronan Keating sv:Ronan Keating th:โรแนน คีทติง tr:Ronan Keating vi:Ronan Keating zh:罗南·基廷

name	Clann Zú
background	group_or_band
origin	Melbourne, Australia
genre	Post rock Folk rockArt rock
years active	1999–2005
label	G7 Welcoming Committee
associated acts	Non-Intentional Lifeform, My Disco, The Black Hundred
website	clannzu.com
current members	Benjamin AndrewsRussell FawcusDeclan de BarraLiam AndrewsLach Wooden
notable instruments	}}

Clann Zú was an Australian and Irish band that formed in Melbourne in 1999.

Biography

The forming members drew inspiration from an eclectic mix of musical styles, such as punk, rock, folk, electronic, and classical. Their fusion of Celtic folk, electronic music, and rock has created a unique epic soundscape full of powerful atmospheric sounds and off-beat instrumentation. Their songs are bilingual, utilising both Irish and English lyrics.

Before the band's breakup, it was signed to G7 Welcoming Committee Records, an independent record label established by Chris Hannah and Jordan Samoleski—of labelmates Propagandhi—and Regal in 1997.

Clann Zú's second album, ''Black Coats & Bandages'', was released in June 2004. This saw a move away from the traditional Irish and folk influences which had characterised their first LP, ''Rua''. Despite this stylistic departure they retained and indeed increased their use of the Irish language, with two songs ("T-éan Bán" and "An Deireadh Scéal") sung entirely in Irish.

The animated video for the song "Five Thousand More", created by vocalist de Barra, was featured in various festivals and online film and animation sites worldwide, including the 47th Cork International Film Festival. They subsequently released an animated video to accompany an Irish version of "Crashing to the Floor" in mid-2003.

Clann Zú released the following statement, announcing their break-up, on their website in May 2005: "Clann Zú regret to announce that it is no longer continuing to tour or record. Such is the life of a band. Benjamin and Liam will continue to tour and record with My Disco on the Crashing Jets label and Declan de Barra will continue with his own solo project."

Russell Fawcus recently joined The Black Hundred, with former members of Oneironaut, Season, and The Grand Silent System. The Black Hundred are set to release their first album by January 2009 on 9" vinyl and CD.

Discography

''Clann Zú'' EP (2000, self-released)

''Demos For Black Coats & Bandages (2002)''

''Red-Emitting Light Organ'' EP (2003)

''Rua'' LP (2003, G7 Welcoming Committee Records)

''Black Coats & Bandages'' LP (2004, G7 Welcoming Committee Records)

Members

Benjamin Andrews – electric guitar

Russell Fawcus – electric violin, keyboard

Declan de Barra – vocals, bodhrán

Liam Andrews – bass guitar

Lach Wooden – sound manipulation

External links

G7 Welcoming Committee Records

Declan de Barra's site

Summer 2004 Interview with Declan

Category:Victoria (Australia) musical groups Clann Zu Category:Australian post-rock groups Category:Gaelic punk

be-x-old:Clann Zú ca:Clann Zú de:Clann Zú it:Clann Zú pl:Clann Zú ru:Clann Zú uk:Clann Zú