Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Damon Wayans
birth name	Damon Kyle Wayans
birth date	September 04, 1960
birth place	New York City, New York,U.S.
medium	Stand-up, television, film, books
nationality	American
active	1982–present
spouse	Lisa Thorner (1984-2000) (divorced) 4 children
genre	Observational comedy, Improvisational comedy, Satire/Political satire
subject	Family, children, parenting, marriage, American politics, everyday life
notable work	Saturday Night LiveIn Living ColorMaj. Benson Payne in Major PayneMichael Kyle in My Wife and KidsDamon Thomas in Damon }}

Damon Kyle Wayans (; born September 4, 1960) is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.

Early life

Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager. He has five sisters, Elvira, Vonnie, Nadia, Kim, Diedre, and four brothers, actors Marlon Wayans, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Dwayne Wayans. He had a clubbed foot as a child. This attribute would also be given to his character in ''My Wife & Kids'' and his character on the cartoon series ''Waynehead''. Wayans attended Murry Bergtraum High School.

Career

Damon started doing stand-up comedy in 1982. His earliest film appearance was a brief cameo as an effeminate hotel employee in the 1984 Eddie Murphy film ''Beverly Hills Cop''. He was briefly on ''Saturday Night Live'' as a featured performer, before getting fired for playing his character as a flamboyant gay cop instead of a straight cop. His character was meant to only have one line but he started ad-libbing. He went against the script during the live performance. In the ''SNL'' book ''Live From New York'', it was stated that Wayans did this largely due to growing frustrations that his sketches were not being considered for the show and increasing stress. He also appeared in the syndicated TV series ''Solid Gold'' during the 1980s as a stand-up comedian. After that, he went on to co-create and appear in the TV-show ''In Living Color'' from 1990 to 1992, part of a team that was nominated for Emmy Awards all three years.

After ''In Living Color'', he starred in films such as ''The Last Boy Scout'', ''Major Payne'' and ''The Great White Hype'' and wrote and starred in the film ''Blankman''. He also appeared in Janet Jackson's video "The Best Things in Life Are Free" and was considered for the role of The Riddler in ''Batman Forever'' (the role went to Jim Carrey, his co-star from ''In Living Color'' and ''Earth Girls Are Easy'').

In 1996, he produced ''Waynehead'', a cartoon for the WB, loosely based on his own childhood growing up in a large family, starring a poor boy with a club foot. The show only lasted a season due to poor ratings. From 1997 to 1998, he was the executive producer of ''413 Hope St.'', a short-lived drama on the FOX network starring Richard Roundtree and Jesse L. Martin.

In 1998, he starred in a short-lived comedy titled ''Damon'', in which he played a Chicago detective. It aired on FOX. In 1999, his ''New York Times'' bestselling book ''Bootleg'' with co-author David Asbery was published; it is a humorous compilation of his observations about family.

In 2005, Damon Wayans was in a celebrity ad campaign for Hanes.

In 2006, he began starring in ''The Underground'', a sketch comedy series on Showtime. His son, Damon, Jr. also stars on the show.

He hosted the 2006 BET Awards which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on June 27, 2006.

In May 2008, Wayans was highlighted by the media for the production of a controversial video titled, "Abortion Man". This viral video portrays a young man in need of getting his pregnant girlfriend an abortion and thus calls upon Abortion Man for aid. Abortion Man (portrayed as a super hero) then finds the pregnant girl and proceeds to knee, punch and stomp the girls stomach until the fetus flies out. Some sources hold that this video is satire and is an attempt to show the violence and cruelty of abortion while other sources think the video is simply a product of Wayans' sense of humor.

For his outstanding role in the ABC comedy series ''My Wife and Kids'', Wayans earned four International Press Academy "Golden Satellite Award" nominations and four Emmy awards nominations for his acting and directing in the 1990s' series ''In Living Color''. He also added author of a serious fictional novel to his credits this past year with "Red Hats" which is the story of a suicidal 65-year-old woman who finds friendship and happiness when she joins The Red Hat Society.

Personal life

Wayans was married to Lisa Thorner, however they divorced in 2000. He is the father of Damon Wayans, Jr., Michael Wayans, Cara Mia Wayans, and Kyla Wayans. He is also the uncle of Damien Dante Wayans, Chaunté Wayans and Craig Wayans.

Wayans is a close personal friend of both NBA legend Michael Jordan and fellow ''In Living Color'' star Jim Carrey.

He won the People's Choice Awards for Favorite Male.

''In Living Color''

Characters

Lewis Scott.

Anton Jackson, a gross, drunken homeless man who hosts his own home-repair show and pops up in places where he shouldn't be

Blaine Edwards, one of the flamboyantly gay film critics in the "Men on..." series (this character and Anton Jackson were the only ''In Living Color'' recurring characters Wayans played when he hosted Saturday Night Live on an episode from the 1994–1995 season)

Handi Man, a mentally and physically disabled superhero

Head Detective, a police detective who was rebuilt to look like Mr. Potato Head after an accident

Homey D. Clown, a surly ex-con who performs as a kids' party clown as part of his parole agreement (written by Paul Mooney)

Father Hedley from the skit of "Hey Mon." Head of a Jamaican family who can never have too many jobs

Les Brothers of the Brothers Brothers

Timbuck, The Last Runaway Slave

Oswald Bates, a hyperliterate convict prone to malapropisms

The Wiz, a thief who runs the Homeboy Shopping Network, an operation for fencing stolen goods, with Iceman (played by Keenen Ivory Wayans)

Tom Brothers (''The Brothers Brothers'')

Reverend Ed Cash (partnered with Dr. Reverend Carl Pethos, played by Jim Carrey. Both were con artist preachers)

Blankman (1994 comedy film Blankman)

Major Payne (1995 film)

Impressions

Babyface (on ''Saturday Night Live'')

Don King (on ''In Living Color'')

Little Richard (on ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''In Living Color'')

Louis Farrakhan (on both ''Saturday Night Live'' and ''In Living Color'')

Redd Foxx (on ''In Living Color'')

Richard Pryor (on ''In Living Color)

Fab Morvan (on ''In Living Color'')

Jamie Foxx (on ''In Living Color'')

Filmography

! Year !! Title !! Role
1984	''Beverly Hills Cop''	Banana Man
1985–1986	''Saturday Night Live (TV Series)''	Various. Only featured never offered contract for permanent cast member
1986	''Triplecross (TV)''	Ornery Character #1
1987	''Hollywood Shuffle''	Body Guard #2/Willie
1987		Jerry
1987		Marvin Haven
1988		T-Bone
1988	''Earth Girls Are Easy''	Zeebo
1988		Percy
1988	''I'm Gonna Git You Sucka''	Leonard
1990	''Look Who's Talking Too''	Eddie (voice)
1990–1994	''In Living Color (TV Series)''	Various
1991	''The Last Boy Scout''	James Alexander 'Jimmy/Jim' Dix
1992	''Mo' Money''	Johnny Stewart
1993	''Last Action Hero''	Himself
1994	''Blankman''	Darryl Walker
1995	''Major Payne''	Maj. Benson Payne (main character)
1996	''Celtic Pride''	Lewis Scott
1996	''The Great White Hype''	James 'The Grim Reaper' Roper
1996		Rock Keats/Jack Carter
1998		Damon Thomas
1999	''Harlem Aria''	Wes
1999	''Goosed''	Dr. Steven Hemel
2000	''Bamboozled''	Pierre Delacroix
2001–2005	''My Wife and Kids (TV Series)''	Michael Kyle
2003	''Marci X''	Dr. S
2004	''Behind the Smile''	Charlie Richman
2006	''Farce of the Penguins (V)''	Hey, that's my ass! Penguin (voice)
2006		Various
2008		Keith
2010	''Untitled Damon Wayans Project (TV Series)''	TBA
2011	''Happy Endings (TV series)''	Francis Williams

References

External links

Category:1960 births Category:African American film actors Category:African American comedians Category:American comedians Category:American screenwriters Category:American stand-up comedians Category:African American television actors Category:American television writers Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:Wayans family

da:Damon Wayans de:Damon Wayans es:Damon Wayans fr:Damon Wayans it:Damon Wayans ht:Damon Wayans nl:Damon Wayans no:Damon Wayans pl:Damon Wayans pt:Damon Wayans ru:Уэйанс, Дэймон sr:Дејмон Вејанс fi:Damon Wayans

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
birth name	James Eugene Carrey
birth date	January 17, 1962
birth place	Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
occupation	Actor, comedian
years active	1979–present
spouse	(divorced) (divorced)
website	JimCarrey.com
signature	Firma de Jim Carrey.svg }}

James Eugene "Jim" Carrey (born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario. After gaining prominence in 1981, he began working at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles where he was soon noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who immediately signed him to open his tour performances. Carrey, long interested in film and television, developed a close friendship with comedian Damon Wayans, which landed him a role in the sketch comedy hit ''In Living Color'', in which he portrayed various characters during the show's 1990 season.

Having had little success in television movies and several low-budget films, Carrey was cast as the title character in ''Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'' which premiered in February, 1994, making more than $72 million domestically despite receiving mixed critical reception. The film spawned a sequel, ''Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls'' (1995), in which he reprised the role of Ventura. High profile roles followed when he was cast as Stanley Ipkiss in ''The Mask'' (1994) for which he gained a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and as Lloyd Christmas in the comedy film ''Dumb and Dumber'' (1994).

Between 1996 and 1999, Carrey continued his success after earning lead roles in several highly popular films including ''The Cable Guy'' (1996), ''Liar Liar'' (1997), in which he was nominated for another Golden Globe Award and in the critically acclaimed films ''The Truman Show'' and ''Man on the Moon'', in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Both films earned Carrey Golden Globe awards. Since earning both awards, Carrey continued to star in comedy films, including ''How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' (2000) where he played the title character, ''Bruce Almighty'' (2003) where he portrayed the role of unlucky TV reporter Bruce Nolan, ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' (2004), ''Fun with Dick and Jane'' (2005), ''Yes Man'' (2008), and ''A Christmas Carol'' (2009). Carrey has also taken on more serious roles including Joel Barish in ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' (2004) alongside Kate Winslet and Kirsten Dunst, which earned him another Golden Globe nomination, and Steven Jay Russell in ''I Love You Phillip Morris'' (2009) alongside Ewan McGregor.

Early life

Carrey was born in Newmarket, Ontario, the son of Kathleen (née Oram), a homemaker, and Percy Carrey, a musician and accountant. He has three older siblings, John, Patricia, and Rita. He was raised Roman Catholic. His mother was of French, Irish, and Scottish descent and his father was of French Canadian ancestry (the family's original surname was ''Carré''). After his family moved to Scarborough, Ontario, when Carrey was 14 years old, he attended Blessed Trinity Catholic School, in North York, for two years, enrolled at Agincourt Collegiate Institute for another year, then briefly attended Northview Heights Secondary School for the remainder of his high school career (all together, he spent three years in Grade 10).

Carrey lived in Burlington, Ontario, for eight years and attended Aldershot High School, where he once opened for 1980s new wave band Spoons. In a ''Hamilton Spectator'' interview (February 2007), Carrey remarked, "If my career in show business hadn't panned out I would probably be working today in Hamilton, Ontario at the Dofasco steel mill." When looking across the Burlington Bay toward Hamilton, he could see the mills and thought, "Those were where the great jobs were." At this point, he already had experience working in a science testing facility in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Career

Comedy

In 1979, under the management of Leatrice Spevack, Carrey started doing stand-up comedy at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, where he rose to become a headliner in February 1981, shortly after his 19th birthday. One reviewer in the ''Toronto Star'' raved that Carrey was "a genuine star coming to life." In the early 1980s, Carrey moved to Los Angeles and started working at The Comedy Store, where he was noticed by comedian Rodney Dangerfield, who signed the young comedian to open Dangerfield's tour performances.

Carrey then turned his attention to the film and television industries, auditioning to be a cast member for the 1980–1981 season of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live.'' Carrey was not selected for the position (although he did host the show in May 1996, and again in January 2011). Joel Schumacher had him audition for a role in ''D.C. Cab,'' though in the end, nothing ever came of it. His first lead role on television was Skip Tarkenton, a young animation producer on NBC's short-lived ''The Duck Factory,'' airing from April 12, 1984, to July 11, 1984, and offering a behind-the-scenes look at the crew that produced a children's cartoon. Carrey continued working in smaller film and television roles, which led to a friendship with fellow comedian Damon Wayans, who co-starred with Carrey as an extraterrestrial in 1989's ''Earth Girls Are Easy.'' When Wayans' brother Keenen began developing a sketch comedy show for Fox called ''In Living Color,'' Carrey was hired as a cast member, whose unusual characters included masochistic, accident-prone safety inspector Fire Marshall Bill, and masculine female bodybuilder Vera de Milo.

Film

Carrey made his film debut in ''Rubberface'' (1981), which was released as ''Introducing...Janet.'' Later that year, he won the leading role in Damian Lee's Canadian skiing comedy ''Copper Mountain,'' which included his impersonation of Sammy Davis Jr. Since the film had a less than one hour runtime consisting largely of musical performances by Rita Coolidge and Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins, it was not considered a genuine feature film. Two years later, in 1985, Carrey saw his first major starring role in the dark comedy ''Once Bitten,'' in the role of Mark Kendall, a teen virgin pursued by a 400-year-old female vampire, played by Lauren Hutton. After supporting roles in films such as ''Peggy Sue Got Married'' (1986), ''Earth Girls Are Easy'' (1988), and ''The Dead Pool'' (1988), Carrey did not experience true stardom until starring in the 1994 comedy ''Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,'' which premiered only months before ''In Living Color'' ended. ''Ace Ventura'' was panned by critics, and earned Carrey a 1995 Golden Raspberry Award nomination as Worst New Star. But the film was as embraced by fans as it was derided by critics. The Ventura character became a pop icon, and the film made Carrey a superstar. It was a commercial success, as were his two other starring roles from that year: ''The Mask'' and ''Dumb and Dumber''. In 1995, Carrey appeared as the Riddler in ''Batman Forever'' and reprised his role as Ace Ventura in ''Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.'' Both films were successful at the box office and earned Carrey multi-million-dollar paychecks. Carrey earned $20 million for his next film, ''The Cable Guy'' (directed by Ben Stiller), a record sum for a comedy actor. The film did not do well with critics, but Carrey quickly rebounded with the successful ''Liar Liar,'' a return to his trademark comedy style.

Carrey took a slight pay cut to play a more serious role to star in the critically praised science-fiction film ''The Truman Show'' (1998), a change of pace that led to forecasts of Academy Award nominations. Although the movie was nominated for three other awards, Carrey did not personally receive a nomination, leading him to joke that "it's an honor just to be nominated...oh no," during his appearance on the Oscar telecast. However, Carrey did win a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama and an MTV Movie Award for Best Male Performance. That same year, Carrey appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on the final episode of Garry Shandling's ''The Larry Sanders Show'', in which he deliberately ripped into Shandling's character. In 1999, Carrey won the role of comedian Andy Kaufman in ''Man on the Moon.'' Despite critical acclaim, he was not nominated for an Academy Award, but again won a Best Actor Golden Globe award for the second consecutive year. In 2000, Carrey reteamed with the Farrelly Brothers, who had directed him in ''Dumb and Dumber,'' in their comedy, ''Me, Myself & Irene,'' about a state trooper with multiple personalities who romances a woman played by Renée Zellweger. The film grossed $24 million on its opening weekend and $90 million by the end of its domestic run.

In 2003, Carrey reteamed with Tom Shadyac for the financially successful comedy ''Bruce Almighty''. Earning over $242 million in the U.S. and over $484 million worldwide, this film became the second highest grossing live-action comedy of all time. His performance in ''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'' in 2004 earned high praise from critics, who again predicted that Carrey would receive an Oscar nomination; the film did win for Best Original Screenplay, and co-star Kate Winslet received an Oscar nomination for her performance. (Carrey was also nominated for a sixth Golden Globe for his performance).

In 2004, he played the villainous Count Olaf in ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'', which was based on the popular children's novels of the same name. He was also inducted into the Canadian Walk of Fame that year. In 2005, Carrey starred in a remake of ''Fun with Dick and Jane'', playing Dick, a husband who becomes a bank robber after he loses his job. In 2007, Carrey reunited with Joel Schumacher, director of ''Batman Forever'', for ''The Number 23'', a psychological thriller co-starring Virginia Madsen and Danny Huston. In the film, Carrey plays a man who becomes obsessed with the number 23, after finding a book about a man with the same obsession. Carrey has stated that he finds the prospect of reprising a character to be considerably less enticing than taking on a new role. The only time he has reprised a role was with Ace Ventura. (Sequels to ''Bruce Almighty'', ''Dumb and Dumber'', and ''The Mask'' have all been released without Carrey's involvement.) As of December 2010, Carrey's films grossed over $2.3 billion in total.

In 2010, Carrey was the narrator of the documentary film, ''Under the Sea 3D''.

Personal life

Family and relationships

Carrey has been married twice, first to former actress and Comedy Store waitress Melissa Womer on March 28, 1987; the two were divorced in late 1995. Their only child, a daughter named Jane Erin Carrey, was born on September 6, 1987, in Los Angeles County. After his separation from Womer in 1994, Carrey began dating his ''Dumb and Dumber'' co-star Lauren Holly. They were married on September 23, 1996; the marriage lasted less than a year.

In December 2005, Carrey began dating actress and model Jenny McCarthy. They made their relationship public in June 2006. She announced on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' on April 2, 2008, that the two were then living together, but had no plans to marry; as they do not need a "piece of paper." In April 2010, Carrey and McCarthy ended their near five-year relationship.

In Los Angeles on February 27, 2010, Carrey announced via his Twitter account that he had become a grandfather when his daughter Jane gave birth to her first child with musician husband Alex Santana, who performs in the band Blood Money under the stage name Nitro. He announced that his grandson's name was Jackson Riley Santana.

On the 11th season of the reality show singing competition ''American Idol'', Carrey's daughter Jane auditioned during the January 22, 2012 episode. Jane was put through to the Hollywood round.

Citizenship

Carrey received U.S. citizenship in October 2004 and remains a dual citizen of both the United States and his native Canada.

Depression

Carrey discussed his bouts of depression in a November 2004 interview on ''60 Minutes''.

Friendship with Eckhart Tolle

Carrey is a great admirer and friend of author Eckhart Tolle, and in June 2009, Carrey gave an introduction for Tolle when together they headlined the first conference of the Global Alliance for Transformational Entertainment.

Beliefs

Carrey has been a critic of the scientific consensus that no evidence links the childhood MMR vaccination to the development of autism, and wrote an article questioning the merits of vaccination and vaccine research for the ''Huffington Post''. With former partner Jenny McCarthy, Carrey led a "Green Our Vaccines" march in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the removal of toxins from children's vaccines, out of a belief that children had received "too many vaccines, too soon, many of which are toxic".

Filmography

Title	Year	Role	Notes
''The Sex and Violence Family Hour''	1980	Various roles
''All in Good Taste''	1981	Ralph Parker
! scope="row"	1983	Bobby Todd
! scope="row"	1984	Lane Bidlekoff
! scope="row"	1985	Mark Kendall
''Peggy Sue Got Married''	1986	Walter Getz
''The Dead Pool''	1988	Johnny Squares
! scope="row"	1989	Comedian
''Earth Girls Are Easy''	1989	Wiploc
''High Strung''	1991	Death
''Doing Time on Maple Drive''	1992	Tim Carter
! scope="row"	1992	The Exterminator	Voice role
''Ace Ventura: Pet Detective''	1994	Ace Ventura
! scope="row"	1994		London Critics Circle Film Award for Newcomer of the Year (also for ''Ace Ventura: Pet Detective'')Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Dance Sequence (shared with Cameron Diaz)
''Dumb and Dumber''	1994	Lloyd Christmas	MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceMTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Lauren Holly)Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (shared with Jeff Daniels)
''Batman Forever''	1995		Nominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
''Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls''	1995	Ace Ventura
''The Cable Guy''	1996	Ernie "Chip" Douglas	Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorMTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceMTV Movie Award for Best VillainNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Fight (shared with Matthew Broderick)
''Liar Liar''	1997	Fletcher Reede	Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - ComedyMTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie Actor
''The Truman Show''	1998	Truman Burbank
''Simon Birch''	1998	Adult Joe Wenteworth
! scope="row"	1999	Andy Kaufman / Tony Clifton	Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best ActorGolden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated - American Comedy Award for Funniest Actor (Leading Role)Nominated - Canadian Comedy Award for Film - Male PerformanceNominated - London Critics Circle Film Award for Actor of the Year (also for '' ''[[Me, Myself & Irene">How the Grinch Stole Christmas (film)
''[[Me, Myself & Irene''	2000	Officer Charlie Baileygates/Hank	Teen Choice Award for Wipeout Scene of the SummerNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor - Comedy/Romance
! scope="row"	2000	The Grinch
! scope="row"	2001	Peter Appleton
! scope="row"	2003	The driver	2-minute short film
''Bruce Almighty''	2003	Bruce Nolan	Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorMTV Movie Award, Mexico, for Most Divine Miracle in a MovieTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor - ComedyNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformanceNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Jennifer Aniston)Nominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Morgan Freeman)
''Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind''	2004	Joel Barish	San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best EnsembleNominated - BAFTA Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleNominated - Empire Award for Best ActorNominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated - Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActorNominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite Leading ManNominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite On-Screen Chemistry (shared with Kate Winslet)Nominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor, Musical or Comedy FilmNominated - Saturn Award for Best Actor
''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events''	2004	Count Olaf	People's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male StarTeen Choice Award for Choice Movie Bad GuyNominated - MTV Movie Award for Best VillainNominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorNominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure/ThrillerNominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Liar
! scope="row"	2005	Dick Harper	Nominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorNominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Actor: Comedy
''The Number 23''	2007	Walter Sparrow / Fingerling
! scope="row"	2008		Voice roleNominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie
! scope="row"	2008	Carl Allen	MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic PerformancePeople's Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male StarNominated - Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Movie ActorNominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor: ComedyNominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy FitNominated - Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rockstar Moment
''I Love You Phillip Morris''	2009	Steven Jay Russell
! scope="row"	2009	Ebenezer ScroogeGhost of Christmas PastGhost of Christmas PresentGhost of Christmas Yet to Come
''Under the Sea 3D	2009	Narrator
! scope="row"	2011	Tom Popper
	2013	Steve Haines	''pre-production''

Television

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1980	''The All-Night Show''	Various voices	(voice only)
1981	''Rubberface''	Tony Moroni	Television movie
		Jerry Lewis Impersonator	Television series (uncredited)
''The Duck Factory''	Skip Tarkenton	Television series
1989	''Mike Hammer: Murder Takes All''	Brad Peters	Television movie
1990	''In Living Color''	Various roles	Television series
1992	''Doing Time on Maple Drive''	Tim Carter	Television movie
1994	''Space Ghost Coast to Coast''	Himself	Television series (two episodes)
2011		Finger Lakes guy	Episode: "Search Committee"Nominated - People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Guest Star

Other appearances

! Year	! Song	! Album
1998	"I Am the Walrus"

Other accolades

|- |2001 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Motion Picture Star in a Comedy | |- |2003 | rowspan="2"| Teen Choice Awards | rowspan="2"| Choice Comedian | |- |2004 | |- |rowspan=2| 2005 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Funny Male Star | |- | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Comedian | |- |2006 | MTV Movie Awards | MTV Generation Award | |- |2009 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Funny Male Star | |- |2012 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite TV Guest Star | |}

References

Further reading

External links

Category:1962 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Ontario Category:Comedians from Ontario Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Canadian comedians Category:Canadian expatriate actors in the United States Category:Canadian film actors Category:Canadian film producers Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States Category:Canadian impressionists (entertainers) Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:Canadian stand-up comedians Category:Canadian television actors Category:Canadian television writers Category:Canadian voice actors Category:Franco-Ontarian people Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Burlington, Ontario Category:People from Newmarket, Ontario Category:People from Scarborough, Ontario Category:Anti-vaccination activists

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Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Rachael Ray
birth name	Rachael Domenica Ray
birth date	August 25, 1968
birth place	Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
occupation	Television personality, author, celebrity chef
years active	2001–present
spouse	John Cusimano (2005 - present)
website	http://www.rachaelray.com }}

Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American television personality, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program ''Rachael Ray'' and three Food Network series, ''30 Minute Meals'', ''Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels'' and ''$40 a Day''. Ray wrote cookbooks based on the ''30 Minute Meals'' concept, and launched a magazine, ''Every Day with Rachael Ray'', in 2006. Ray's television shows have won two ''Daytime Emmy Awards''.

Personal life

Ray was born in Glens Falls, New York. Her parents are Elsa Scuderi, an Italian (Sicilian) American and James Ray, who is of French, Scottish and Welsh descent. She was raised on Cape Cod, Massachusetts where her family owned four restaurants. When Ray was 8, her family moved to Lake George, New York. Her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York.

In 1995 Ray moved to New York City. One of her first jobs there was at the candy counter at Macy's, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. Ray credits the concept of ''30 Minute Meals'' to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook. She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than thirty minutes. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a ''Today'' show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.

On September 24, 2005, in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Ray married John Cusimano, a lawyer and lead singer of the rock band The Cringe. She owns homes in Lake Luzerne, New York, and Manhattan's Greenwich Village.

Career

Cooking

Ray teaches simple recipes that she says can be completed in 30 minutes or less, although critics claim that her concept does not include preparation.

Ray says that her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry serve as a strong influence on her cooking. She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic and chicken stock to boost flavors. She believes that measuring "takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking" and instead favors approximations such as "half a palmful". To critics of her shortcut techniques, Ray responds, "I have no formal anything. I'm completely unqualified for any job I've ever had." She acknowledges that she cannot bake because it requires measured ingredients, that she cannot make coffee, and that she burns bread under the broiler.

On her television programs, she has used catchphrases such as "E-V-O-O" (extra-virgin olive oil), "yum-o," "G.B." (garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "entréetizer" (entrée-sized appetizer), "stoup" (cross between a soup and stew), and "choup" (thicker than a soup but thinner than a chowder). In 2007, ''The Oxford American College Dictionary'' announced the addition of the term ''EVOO,'' short for ''e''xtra-''v''irgin ''o''live ''o''il, which Ray had helped to popularize, and credited her with coining the phrase.

The set of ''30 Minute Meals'' uses a yellow Model 61C Chambers stove from the 1950s, notable for its top-opening broiler, super-insulated oven, and unique Thermowell.

On November 12, 2006, Ray and Mario Batali defeated the team of Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis on an episode of ''Iron Chef America'' during which cranberries were the secret ingredient. On March 18, 2007, Food Network debuted a Rachael Ray episode of its special ''Chefography'' series, on which she stated that "the worst day of [her] life" was ''Iron Chef America'', admitting to being anxious about it for weeks before. She also told commentator Alton Brown that she was "a cook, not a chef."

Television

In 2005, Ray signed a deal with Oprah Winfrey and King World Productions to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show. The show, ''Rachael Ray'', premiered on September 18, 2006. Recurrent appearances on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' were used to fuel the launch, much as Dr. Phil's show was spun off based on his own frequent visits to ''Oprah''. The show tapes in New York City. In coordination with the syndication announcement, Ray said, "People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to share."

Ray has appeared on ''The View'', ''The Today Show'', ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', ''The Late Show with David Letterman'', ''Nightline'', ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'', ''Larry King Live'', ''Cake Boss'' and the ''Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''.

For ''Sesame Street''’s 38th season, Ray appeared in an episode to present "pumpernickel" as the word of the day.

On January 12, 2008, Ray's television series ''Rachael's Vacation'' premiered on the Food Network. The show is a five-part food travelogue shot in various European countries.

In 2008 Ray became a producer of a Latin cooking show on the Food Network called ''Viva Daisy!''. The show starred Daisy Martínez.

In August 2009, Ray appeared as herself on ''Million Dollar Password (US game show)'' for charity for Yum-O! and her own charity for animal rescue with Regis Philbin.

Ray also appeared on the hidden camera show ''I Get That a Lot'', pretending to be an employee at a dry cleaners.

In September 2010, a new show, her first new cooking show in eight years, ''Rachael Ray's Week In a Day'' began airing on the Cooking Channel.

Magazines

In 2003, she posed for the men's magazine ''FHM''. A writer for ''The New York Times'' wrote, "The shots feature Ray in short-shorts with an exposed midriff, licking chocolate off a big wooden spoon, eating a strawberry and sitting in a sink, laughing as suds cascade down her thighs." In a March 2009 interview with ''Nightline'' co-anchor Cynthia McFadden, Ray defended her decision to pose in the magazine.

The Reader's Digest Association launched Ray's eponymous magazine, ''Every Day with Rachael Ray'' on October 25, 2005. The magazine featured seven issues in 2006, and increased to ten issues in 2007.

Product endorsements

In November 2006, Ray became a spokeswoman for Nabisco crackers. She appears in commercials and on boxes for the many Nabisco products. Many boxes with Ray's picture have her recipes.

In February 2007, WestPoint Home launched sheets, blankets, and coverlets designed by Ray. Within six months, WestPoint expanded Ray's bed and bath line to include the "Moppine", a two-in-one dish towel/oven mitt, as Ray is often seen with a kitchen towel over her shoulder that doubles for her as an ersatz mitt.

In March 2007, the Dunkin' Donuts company announced Ray as its celebrity endorser, mainly of its coffee, since she had denied being able to make coffee herself. As part of a promotional campaign, Ray describes the company's coffee as "fantabulous." Celebrity chef and Travel Channel personality Anthony Bourdain, however, disparagingly referred to Ray's affiliation with Dunkin' Donuts as "evil," and went on to compare it to "endorsing crack for kids."

In May 2007, Ray's recipes were made available on AT&T; cellular phones via the "Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run" feature.

In July 2008, Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food was introduced. The dog foods are created from recipes that Ray developed for her pit bull, Isaboo. All proceeds from the sale of these products go to Rachael's Rescue, a charity founded by Ray to help at-risk animals.

Awards and recognition

2004, ranked #92 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2004".

2006, ranked #71 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2006".

2006, ''30 Minute Meals'' received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show. Ray was also nominated for Outstanding Service Show Host.

2006, named one of ''Time'' magazine's 100 most influential people. She was nominated by fellow Food Network star Mario Batali. 2006, according to ''Forbes'' magazine, Ray earned about $6 million June 2005-June 2006. from her books and television shows (excluding her new series, ''Rachael Ray'').

February 21, 2007, Ray announced on her show that a wax creation was made of her and that this wax figure will be on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York City.

2007, nominated for Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Talk Show Host.

April 2007, Ray launched a charity, "The Yum-O! Organization", with help from Bill Clinton, to help children eat healthier. June 2008, ''The Rachael Ray Show'' received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment. June 2008, according to ''Forbes'' magazine, Ray earned about $18 million June 2007-June 2008 June 2009, according to ''Forbes'' magazine, Ray earned about $15 million in the year ending June 2009, as well as naming her as the 79th most powerful celebrity in the world. August 2009, ''The Rachael Ray Show'' received a second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment.

Charity work

In 2006, Rachael Ray launched a nonprofit organization called Yum-O! The mission of Yum-O! is to “empower kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. This is achieved by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids, and funding cooking education”.

Bibliography

''30 Minute Meals'' - (1999)

''Rachael Ray's Open House Cookbook'' - (2000)

''Comfort Foods'' - (2001)

''Veggie Meals'' - (2001)

''30-Minute Meals 2'' - (2003)

''Get Togethers: Rachael Ray 30 Minute Meals'' - (2003)

''Cooking Rocks!: Rachael Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids'' - (2004)

''$40 a Day: Best Eats in Town'' - (2004)

''Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals: Cooking 'Round the Clock'' - (2004)

''Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals for Kids: Cooking Rocks!'' - (2004)

''Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Get Real Meals : Eat Healthy Without Going to Extremes'' - (2005)

''Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats: A Year of Deliciously Different Dinners'' - (2005)

''Rachael Ray 2, 4, 6, 8: Great Meals for Couples or Crowds'' - (2006)

''Rachael Ray's Express Lane Meals'' - (2006)

''Rachael Ray: Just In Time'' - (2007)

''Yum-O! The Family Cookbook'' - (2008)

''Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book'' - (2008)

''Rachael Ray's Book Of 10: More Than 300 Recipes To Cook Every Day'' - (2009)

''Rachael Ray's Look and Cook'' - (2010)

References

External links

Rachael Ray's official site

Category:1968 births Category:American food writers Category:American people of French descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:American people of Welsh descent Category:American television chefs Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Food Network chefs Category:Living people Category:People from Barnstable County, Massachusetts Category:People from Warren County, New York

ar:رايتشل راي de:Rachael Ray es:Rachael Ray fa:ریچل ری fr:Rachael Ray gl:Rachael Ray mk:Рејчел Реј no:Rachael Ray simple:Rachael Ray fi:Rachael Ray sv:Rachael Ray

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
Name	Jon Elliot
Known for	Air America Radio Host
Occupation	Radio and TV Personality
Home town	San Diego, CA
Spouse	Kathy Elliot
Website	http://www.jonelliottshow.com/
Footnotes	}}

Jon Elliott (born June 14, 1947) is an American progressive talk radio personality, formerly featured on Air America Radio.

Business Experience

Prior to his radio career, Jon served as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of multiple companies.

Jon Elliott was CEO of Capital Television Network, a company created on April 18, 1988 out of bankrupt company Reliance Enterprises. Reliance Enterprises had ceased operations in January 1992, due to "the company's inability to attract the necessary funds to commence and sustain operations."

The company was eventually renamed Baymark Technologies and Jon served as President, CEO and CFO of Baymark Technologies until January 2006, at which time he resigned from the company as the company was restructured and renamed Implantable Vision.

Radio Work

In October 2004, ''The Jon Elliott Show'' began airing for two hours on Sunday afternoons on KLSD radio in San Diego, California. After he filled in for a few Air America hosts here and there, Jon's show was picked up nationally by Air America Radio in September 2006. Billed as ''This Is America with Jon Elliott'' and airing live Monday through Friday from 11 PM to 1 AM Eastern Time, the show was also carried on XM radio channel 167 America Left. The Air America show ended on May 15, 2009.

From Monday, May 18, 2009, through Thursday, September 18, 2009, Elliott had an afternoon show on XEPE AM 1700 San Diego, from 4 to 6 PM weekdays.

Jon Elliott is no longer on the air.

Randi Rhodes Incident

On October 14, 2007, Randi Rhodes sustained injuries that kept her off the air for several days. Jon Elliott falsely accused "Right-wingers" of physically attacking Rhodes. He based these allegations on an email that Rhodes wrote to the company saying she was mugged. Rhodes later admitted she fell while taking a smoke outside an Irish bar she had been patronizing and doesn't know what caused the fall. Jon apologized the next night for his role in the allegations.

References

External links

Official Jon Elliott website

This Is America on Air America website

Category:American talk radio hosts Category:American chief executives Category:1947 births Category:Living people

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Spike Lee
birth name	Shelton Jackson Lee
birth date	March 20, 1957
birth place	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
alma mater	Morehouse,NYUTisch School of the Arts
years active	1977–present
occupation	Actor, director, producer, screenwriter
spouse	Tonya Lewis (1993–present) }}

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983.

Lee's movies have examined race relations, the role of media in contemporary life, urban crime and poverty, and other political issues. Lee has won numerous awards, including an Emmy Award. He has also received two Academy Award nominations.

Early life

Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Jacqueline Carroll (née Shelton), a teacher of arts and black literature, and William James Edward Lee III, a jazz musician and composer. Lee moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York when he was a small child. (The Fort Greene neighborhood is home to Lee's production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, and other Lee-owned or related businesses.) As a child, his mother nicknamed him "Spike." In Brooklyn, he attended John Dewey High School. Lee enrolled in Morehouse College where he made his first student film, ''Last Hustle in Brooklyn''. He took film courses at Clark Atlanta University and graduated with a B.A. in Mass Communication from Morehouse College. He then enrolled in New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts in Film & Television.

Film career

Lee's thesis film, ''Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads'', was the first student film to be showcased in Lincoln Center's New Directors New Films Festival.

In 1985, Lee began work on his first feature film, ''She's Gotta Have It''. With a budget of $175,000, the film was shot in two weeks. When the film was released in 1986, it grossed over $7,000,000 at the U.S. box office. The reception of ''She's Gotta Have It'' led Lee down a second career avenue. Marketing executives from Nike offered Lee a job directing commercials for the company. They wanted to pair Lee's character from ''She's Gotta Have It'', the Michael Jordan-loving Mars Blackmon, and Jordan himself in their marketing campaign for the Air Jordan line. Later, Lee would be a central figure in the controversy surrounding the inner-city rash of violence involving Air Jordans. Lee countered that instead of blaming manufacturers of apparel, "deal with the conditions that make a kid put so much importance on a pair of sneakers, a jacket and gold". Through the marketing wing of 40 Acres and a Mule, Lee has also directed commercials for Converse, Jaguar, Taco Bell and Ben & Jerry's.

Awards, honors and nominations

Lee's film ''Do the Right Thing'' was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1989. Many people, including Hollywood's Kim Basinger (who announced her feelings live during that year's Oscar telecast), believed that ''Do the Right Thing'' also deserved a Best Picture nomination. ''Driving Miss Daisy'' won Best Picture that year and according to Lee in an April 7, 2006 interview with ''New York'' magazine, this hurt him more than his film not receiving the nomination.

His documentary ''4 Little Girls'' was nominated for the Best Feature Documentary Academy Award in 1997.

On May 2, 2007, the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival honored Spike Lee with the San Francisco Film Society's Directing Award. He was the recipient of the 2008 Wexner Prize.

Themes and style

Many of Lee's films are set in Brooklyn. Lee often appears in his films, from cameos (''Clockers'') to leading roles (''Do the Right Thing''). His films are referred to in their credits as "A Spike Lee Joint," except ''When the Levees Broke'', which is referred to as "A Spike Lee Film."

Lee films commonly feature a sequence depicting a "floating" effect, when a character seems to glide in the air like a ghost instead of walking, which is achieved by filming the actor on a camera dolly, framed so that his or her feet are not seen. Denzel Washington has been the focus of this shot in ''Mo' Better Blues'', ''Malcolm X'', and ''Inside Man''. Mekhi Phifer is given the same treatment in ''Clockers'', as well as Laurence Fishburne in ''School Daze'', and Zelda Harris in ''Crooklyn''. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Anna Paquin have similar shots in ''25th Hour''. This also occurs with Damon Wayans in the opening scene of ''Bamboozled''.

Lee incorporates baseball-related motifs in his movies. Examples include the New York Mets in ''Mo' Better Blues'' and ''Jungle Fever'', Dwight Gooden and Roger Clemens in ''Do The Right Thing'', Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente in ''Clockers'', Reggie Jackson and the New York Yankees in ''Summer of Sam'', and Jackie Robinson in ''Malcolm X'', amongst other recurring themes in his movies such as ''She Hate Me''.

Recurring actors

A number of actors have appeared in multiple Spike Lee productions. Spike's sister, Joie Lee, and John Turturro lead the list at nine films, followed by Roger Guenveur Smith and the late Ossie Davis, with seven films. !style="width:13em"

Actor !

''Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads''(1983) !! ''She's Gotta Have It''(1986) !! ''School Daze''(1988) !! ''Do the Right Thing''(1989) !! ''Mo' Better Blues''(1990) !! ''Jungle Fever''(1991) !! ''Malcolm X''(1992) !! ''Crooklyn''(1994) !! ''Clockers''(1995) !! ''Girl 6''(1995) !! ''Get on the Bus''(1996) !! ''4 Little Girls''(1997) !! ''He Got Game''(1998) !! ''Freak''(1998) !! ''Summer of Sam''(1999) !! ''The Original Kings of Comedy''(2000) !! ''Bamboozled''(2000) !! ''A Huey P. Newton Story''(2001) !! ''25th Hour''(2002) !! ''She Hate Me''(2004) !! ''Inside Man''(2006) !! ''When the Levees Broke''(2006) !! ''Miracle at St. Anna''(2008)

! Danny Aiello

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Michael Badalucco

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Thomas Jefferson Byrd

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Ossie Davis

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Kim Director

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Giancarlo Esposito

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Michael Imperioli

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Samuel L. Jackson

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Joie Lee

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John Leguizamo

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Delroy Lindo

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Lonette McKee

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Coati Mundi

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Charlie Murphy

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Bill Nunn

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Christopher Perez

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Wendell Pierce

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Dania Ramirez

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Theresa Randle

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Roger Guenveur Smith

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Wesley Snipes

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Leonard L. Thomas

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John Turturro

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Nicholas Turturro

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Denzel Washington

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Isaiah Washington

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Kerry Washington

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Steve White (actor)

Steve White

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Public figures as actors

Several well-known public figures have appeared in Spike Lee films portraying characters other than themselves. They include

Ray Allen (''He Got Game'')

Travis Best (''He Got Game'')

Mark Breland (''Summer of Sam'')

Jim Brown (''He Got Game'', ''She Hate Me'', ''Sucker Free City'')

Rick Fox (''He Got Game'')

Evander Holyfield (''Summer of Sam'')

William Kunstler (''Malcolm X'')

Nelson Mandela (''Malcolm X'')

Bobby Seale (''Malcolm X'')

Al Sharpton (''Malcolm X, Bamboozled'')

Wyatt Tee Walker (''Malcolm X'')

Controversy

In 2002, after remarks made by Mississippi Senator Trent Lott regarding Senator Strom Thurmond's failed presidential bid, Lee charged that Lott was a "card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan" on ABC's ''Good Morning America''.

After the 1990 release of ''Mo' Better Blues'', Lee was accused of antisemitism by the Anti-Defamation League and several film critics, who pointed to the characters of club owners Josh and Moe Flatbush in the film, which have been described as "Shylocks". Lee denied the charge, explaining that he wrote those characters in order to depict how black artists struggled against exploitation. Lee further expressed skepticism that Lew Wasserman, Sidney Sheinberg or Tom Pollock, the Jewish heads of MCA and Universal Studios, would have allowed antisemitic content in a film they produced. He also said he could not make an antisemitic film because Jews run Hollywood, and "that's a fact."

In the Knicks' 93–86 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, Reggie Miller scored 25 points in the 4th quarter. Lee was apparently taunting Miller throughout the 4th quarter, and Miller responded by making shot after shot. Miller also gave the choke sign to Lee. The headline of the ''New York Daily News'' the next day sarcastically said, "Thanks A Lot Spike". This was parodied in the ''Seinfeld'' episode "The Susie", in which Kramer, Lee and Miller ultimately reconcile and go to a strip club together.

In May 1999 The ''New York Post'' reported that Lee said of National Rifle Association President Charlton Heston, "Shoot him with a .44 Bulldog." Lee contended, "I intended it as ironic, as a joke to show how violence begets more violence," Lee said. "I told everyone there it was a joke. I said I did not want to read in the papers, 'Shoot Charlton Heston.'" Insisting that he had no reason to apologize, Lee further explained that his remark was in response to a question about whether Hollywood was responsible for the then-recent rash of school shootings, saying, "The problem is guns," he said. Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey issued a statement condemning Lee as having "nothing to offer the debate on school violence except more violence and more hate."

Lee sparked controversy on a March 28, 2004 segment on ABC when he said that basketball player Larry Bird was overrated because of his race, saying, "The most overrated player of all time, I would say it'd be Larry Bird. Now, Larry Bird is one of the greatest players of all time, but listen to the white media, it's like this guy was like nobody ever played basketball before him—Larry Bird, Larry Bird, Larry Bird, Larry Bird, Larry Bird."

In October 2005, Lee commented on the federal government's response to the 2005 Hurricane Katrina catastrophe. Responding to a CNN anchor's question as to whether the government intentionally ignored the plight of black Americans during the disaster, Lee replied, "It's not too far-fetched. I don't put anything past the United States government. I don't find it too far-fetched that they tried to displace all the black people out of New Orleans." On ''Real Time with Bill Maher'', Lee cited the government's past atrocities including the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.

At the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Lee, who was then making ''Miracle at St. Anna,'' about an all-black U.S. division fighting in Italy during World War II, criticized director Clint Eastwood for not depicting black Marines in his own WWII film, ''Flags of Our Fathers''. Citing historical accuracy, Eastwood responded that his film was specifically about the soldiers who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima, pointing out that while black soldiers did fight at Iwo Jima, the U.S. military was segregated during WWII, and none of the men who raised the flag were black. Eastwood also pointed out that his 1988 film ''Bird'', about the Jazz musician Charlie Parker featured 90% black actors, and sarcastically said that ''Invictus'', his then-upcoming movie about post-apartheid South Africa, would not feature a white actor in the role of Nelson Mandela. He angrily said that Lee should "shut his face". Lee responded that Eastwood was acting like an "angry old man", and argued that despite making two Iwo Jima films back to back, ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' and ''Flags of Our Fathers'', "there was not one black soldier in both of those films". He added that he and Eastwood were "not on a plantation." In fact, black Marines are seen in scenes during which the mission is outlined, as well as during the initial landings, when a wounded black Marine is carried away. During the end credits, historical photographs taken during the Battle of Iwo Jima show black Marines. Although black Marines fought in the battle, they were restricted to auxiliary roles such as ammunition supply, and were not involved in the battle's major assaults, but took part in defensive actions. Lee later claimed that the event was exaggerated by the media and that he and Eastwood had reconciled through mutual friend Steven Spielberg, culminating in his sending Eastwood a print of ''Miracle at St. Anna''.

During a lecture at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada on February 11, 2009, Lee criticized how some in the black community wrongfully associate "intelligence with acting white, and ignorance with acting black", admonishing students and parents to maintain more positive attitudes in order to follow their dreams and achieving their goals.

Personal life

Lee and his wife, attorney Tonya Lewis, had their first child, daughter Satchel, in December 1994. Spike Lee is a fan of the American baseball team the New York Yankees, basketball team the New York Knicks, and the English football team . One of the documentaries in ESPN's ''30 for 30'' series, ''Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks'', focuses partly on Lee's interaction with Miller at Knicks games in Madison Square Garden.

References

External links

in 2010

Ubben Lecture at DePauw University

Criterion Collection Essay on Spike Lee's ''Do the Right Thing''

Lee's Lens Exposes Inequalities, but he's no Revolutionary by Brendan Kelly, ''Canwest'', April 11, 2009

Category:1957 births Category:Actors from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American actors Category:African American film directors Category:African-American film producers Category:African American screenwriters Category:American documentary filmmakers Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American music video directors Category:American screenwriters Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:César Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Morehouse College alumni Category:New York University alumni Category:People from Atlanta, Georgia Category:People from Brooklyn

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