Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Venus
director	Roger Michell
producer	Kevin Loader
writer	Hanif Kureishi
starring	Peter O'TooleLeslie PhillipsJodie WhittakerRichard Griffithsand Vanessa Redgrave
music	David ArnoldCorinne Bailey Rae
cinematography	Haris Zambarloukos
editing	Nicolas Gaster
distributor	Buena Vista Pictures (UK)Miramax Films/FilmFour Productions (US)
released
runtime	95 minutes
country
language	English
budget	£3,000,000
gross	$7,261,490 }}

''Venus'' is a 2006 British comedy-drama film starring Peter O'Toole, Leslie Phillips, Vanessa Redgrave and Jodie Whittaker. It is directed by Roger Michell and written by Hanif Kureishi.

The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival and was put on limited release in the United States on 21 December 2006.

Plot

The plot concerns Maurice (Peter O'Toole), an elderly actor who finds himself increasingly attracted to his friend Ian's great-niece Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) while simultaneously finding himself in deteriorating health due to prostate cancer. Maurice's friend describes the great-niece as a trouble maker and a nuisance, but Maurice discovers that Jessie warms up to him when he starts interacting with her. He takes her to the National Gallery in London, England to view his favourite painting, the ''Rokeby Venus'', by the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez.

Jessie had expressed interest in modelling (Maurice initially mis-hears this as "yodelling") and Maurice arranges for Jessie to model nude for an art class. As a result of Jessie posing for the art class, and inspired by his favourite painting, Maurice decides to give Jessie the nickname "Venus". Maurice and Jessie develop a passive/aggressive relationship over the course of the film. Maurice is forward in terms of his attraction towards Jessie while Jessie occasionally indulges his whims to a limited extent, such as touching her hand and smelling her neck, but also retracts the indulgences when she feels that he has gone too far. The plot of the film revolves around the evolving friendship or relationship between the two characters. For Maurice, this appears to be the last attempt at something approaching a love life, as his prostate operation has left him impotent. For Jessie, it is less clear what she sees in Maurice. During the course of the film we see her do everything from exploiting him (trying to get him to buy her presents, trying to use his flat to have sex with a boy), taking care of him, flirting with him, and rejecting him sexually to engaging with him as a friend. During the course of the film we learn that she has been rejected by her mother and great-uncle for her promiscuous life style; it is implied that she is drawn to Maurice because he does not judge her as harshly as her family members have.

The plot comes to a head when Jessie becomes involved with a boy. The two young lovers convince Maurice to take a walk so that they can have sex. Maurice initially obliges the request, but returns to kick them out of his flat. A scuffle ensues and Jessie knocks down Maurice, injuring him. Jessie leaves with the boy and apparently spends the night out partying with him at clubs, later returning to check on Maurice. When the paramedics arrive, Maurice claims he cannot remember who attacked him, much to Jessie's surprise. Then Maurice calls for "Venus" to take care of him. Jessie, remorseful, agrees to look after Maurice. Some time later, after Maurice has at least partly recovered, he takes Jessie to the seaside at Whitstable in Kent. As they sit down by the water Maurice says to Jessie "Now, we can really talk", and dies, leaning on her.

Cast

Peter O'Toole as Maurice

Leslie Phillips as Ian

Jodie Whittaker as Jessie

Vanessa Redgrave as Valerie

Richard Griffiths as Donald

Cathryn Bradshaw as Jillian

Awards and reception

The film opened to generally positive reviews from critics. It was nominated for five British Independent Film Awards and earned Oscar, BAFTA, Screen Actors Guild, Broadcast Film Critics Association and Golden Globe nominations for O'Toole as Best Actor. Leslie Phillips also received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

O'Toole's Oscar nomination marked his eighth Best Actor nomination over a span of forty-five years. On 25 February 2007, at the 79th Academy Awards, he was beaten by Forest Whitaker (''The Last King of Scotland''), making O'Toole's eight nominations without victory a record.

References

External links

The Times Film Review: Venus

Review of ''Venus'' in ''ignore Magazine''

'Venus' director talks of talent and O'Toole

Category:2006 films Category:British films Category:English-language films Category:2000s comedy-drama films Category:Film4 Productions films Category:Films set in England Category:Films shot in Super 16 Category:Screenplays by Hanif Kureishi

fr:Venus (film, 2006) it:Venus (film) nl:Venus (film) ja:ヴィーナス (映画) pl:Venus (film) sv:Venus (film)

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Vanessa Redgrave
honorific suffix	CBE
birth date	January 30, 1937
birth place	Greenwich, London, England
spouse	Tony Richardson(m. 1962–1967, divorced)Franco Nero (m. 2006–present)
children	Natasha Richardson (deceased)Joely RichardsonCarlo Gabriel Nero
parents	Michael Redgrave (deceased)Rachel Kempson (deceased)
relatives	Corin Redgrave(brother, deceased)Lynn Redgrave(sister, deceased)
years active	1956–present
occupation	Actress }}

Vanessa Redgrave, CBE (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.

She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in ''As You Like It'' with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning both the Tony and Olivier Awards. On screen, she has starred in more than 80 films; including ''Mary, Queen of Scots'', ''Isadora'', ''Julia'', ''The Bostonians'', '' Mission: Impossible'' and ''Atonement''. Redgrave was proclaimed by Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams as "the greatest living actress of our times," and she remains the only British actress ever to win the Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Cannes, Golden Globe, and the Screen Actors Guild awards. She was also the recipient of the 2010 BAFTA Fellowship "in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film."

A member of the Redgrave family of actors, she is the daughter of Sir Michael Redgrave, the sister of the late Lynn Redgrave and the late Corin Redgrave, the mother of Hollywood actresses Joely Richardson and the late Natasha Richardson, and the aunt of British actress Jemma Redgrave.

Personal life and family

Redgrave was born in Greenwich, London, the daughter of actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. Laurence Olivier announced her birth to the audience at a performance of ''Hamlet'' at the Old Vic, when he said that Laertes (played by Sir Michael) had a daughter. She was educated at The Alice Ottley School, Worcester & Queen's Gate School, London before "coming out" as a debutante. Her late siblings, Lynn Redgrave and Corin Redgrave, were also acclaimed actors.

Redgrave's daughters, Natasha Richardson (1963–2009) and Joely Richardson (b. 1965) from her 1962–67 marriage to film director Tony Richardson, also built respected acting careers. Redgrave's son Carlo Gabriel Nero (''né'' Carlo Sparanero), by Italian actor Franco Nero (né Francesco Sparanero), is a writer and film director. She met Franco while filming ''Camelot'' in 1967, the year she divorced her husband Tony Richardson, who left her for the French actress Jeanne Moreau. Redgrave and Nero married on 31 December 2006. She is also the grandmother of Michaél and Daniel Neeson, Daisy Bevan, and Raphael and Lilli Sparanero.

In 1967, Redgrave was made a Commander (CBE) of the Order of the British Empire. It was reported that she declined a damehood in 1999.

From 1971 to 1986, she had a long-term relationship with actor Timothy Dalton, with whom she had starred in the film ''Mary, Queen of Scots''.

Within 14 months in 2009-2010, she lost both a daughter and her two younger siblings. Her daughter Natasha Richardson died on 18 March 2009 from a traumatic brain injury caused by a skiing accident. On 6 April 2010, her brother Corin Redgrave died, and on 2 May 2010, her sister Lynn Redgrave died.

Career

Stage

Vanessa Redgrave entered the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1954. She first appeared in the West End, playing opposite her brother, in 1958.

In 1960, Redgrave had her first starring role in Robert Bolt's ''The Tiger and the Horse'', in which she co-starred with her father. In 1962 she played Imogen in William Gaskill's production of ''Cymbeline'' for the Royal Shakespeare Company. In 1966 Redgrave created the role of Jean Brodie in the Donald Albery production of ''The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'', adapted for the stage by Jay Presson Allen from the novel by Muriel Spark. She won four Evening Standard Awards Best Actress Evening Standards Awards for Best Actress in four decades. She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a Revival in 1984 for ''The Aspern Papers''

In the nineties, her theatre work included Prospero in ''The Tempest'' at Shakespeare's Globe in London. In 2003 she won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's ''Long Day's Journey Into Night''. In January 2006, Redgrave was presented the Ibsen Centennial Award for her "outstanding work in interpreting many of Henrik Ibsen's works over the last decades." Previous recipients of the award include Liv Ullmann, Glenda Jackson, and Claire Bloom.

In 2007, Redgrave played Joan Didion in her Broadway stage adaptation of her 2005 book, ''The Year of Magical Thinking'', which played 144 regular performances in a 24-week limited engagement at the Booth Theatre. For this, she won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding One-Person Show and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play. She reprised the role at the Lyttelton Theatre at The Royal National Theatre in London to mixed reviews. She also spent a week performing the work at the Theatre Royal in Bath in September 2008. She once again performed the role of Joan Didion for a special benefit at New York's Cathedral of Saint John the Divine on 26 October 2009. The performance was originally slated to debut on 27 April, but was pushed due to the death of Redgrave's daughter Natasha. The proceeds for the benefit were donated to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Both charities work to provide help for the children of Gaza.

In October 2010 she starred in the Broadway premiere of ''Driving Miss Daisy'' starring in the title role opposite James Earl Jones. The show premiered on 25 October 2010 at the John Golden Theatre in New York City to rave reviews. The production was originally scheduled to run through 29 January 2011 but due to a successful response and high box office sales, was extended to 9 April 2011. In May 2011, she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for the role of Daisy in ''Driving Miss Daisy''.

In a poll of "industry experts" and readers conducted by ''The Stage'' in 2010, Redgrave was ranked as the ninth greatest stage actor of all time.

Early film work

Highlights of Redgrave's early film career include her first starring role in ''Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment'' (for which she earned an Oscar nomination, a Cannes award, a Golden Globe nomination and a BAFTA Film Award nomination); her portrayal of a cool London swinger in 1966's ''Blowup''; her spirited portrayal of dancer Isadora Duncan in ''Isadora'' (for which she won a National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress, a second Prize for the Best Female Performance at the Cannes film festival, along with a Golden Globe and Oscar nomination in 1969); and various portrayals of historical figures – ranging from Andromache in ''The Trojan Women'', to Mary, Queen of Scots in ''the film of the same name''. She also played the role of Guinevere in the film ''Camelot'' with Richard Harris and Franco Nero.

''Julia'' and related controversy

In 1977, Redgrave funded and narrated a documentary film on the Palestinian people and the activities of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. That same year she starred in the film ''Julia'', about a woman murdered by the Nazi regime in the years prior to World War II for her anti-Fascist activism. Her co-star in the film was Jane Fonda (playing narrator Lillian Hellman), who, in her 2005 autobiography, noted that:

When Redgrave was nominated for an Oscar in 1978, for her role in ''Julia,'' members of the Jewish Defense League (JDL), led by Rabbi Meir Kahane, burned effigies of Redgrave and picketed the Academy Awards ceremony to protest against both Redgrave and her support of the Palestinian cause.

Redgrave's performance in ''Julia'' garnered an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In her acceptance speech, Redgrave announced that neither she nor the Academy would be intimidated by "a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums – whose behaviour is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world, and to their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression."

Later in the broadcast veteran screenwriter and Oscar presenter Paddy Chayefsky told the audience members that

In 1978, Rabbi Meir Kahane published a book entitled ''Listen Vanessa, I am a Zionist'', which was later renamed ''Listen World, Listen Jew'', in direct response to Redgrave's comments at the Academy Awards. To this day many rightwing Jewish groups, such as the Jewish Defense League, consider Redgrave an opponent and a supporter of terrorism, citing remarks she has made such as, "Zionism is a brutal, racist ideology. And it is a brutal racist regime."

In June 2005 Redgrave was asked on ''Larry King Live'': "Regardless of distinctions about policy, do you support Israel's right to exist?" Redgrave replied that she did.

Later film career

Later film roles of note include those of suffragist Olive Chancellor in ''The Bostonians'' (1984, a fourth Best Actress Academy Award nomination), transsexual tennis player Renée Richards in ''Second Serve'' (1986); Mrs. Wilcox in ''Howards End'' (1992, her sixth Academy Award nomination, this time in a supporting role); crime boss Max in ''Mission: Impossible'' (1996, when discussing the role of Max, DePalma and Cruise thought it would be fun to cast an actor like Redgrave; they then decided to go with the real thing); Oscar Wilde’s mother in ''Wilde'' (1997); Clarissa Dalloway in ''Mrs. Dalloway'' (1997); and Dr. Sonia Wick in ''Girl, Interrupted'' (1999). Many of these roles and others, garnered her various accolades.

Her performance as a lesbian grieving the loss of her longtime partner in the HBO series ''If These Walls Could Talk 2'' earned her a Golden Globe for “Best TV Series Supporting Actress” in 2000, as well as earning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Miniseries. This same performance also led to an “Excellence in Media Award” by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). The award honours “a member of the entertainment community who has made a significant difference in promoting equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people”. In 2004, Redgrave joined the second season cast of the hit FX series ''Nip/Tuck'', portraying Dr. Erica Noughton, the mother of Julia McNamara, who is played by her real-life daughter Joely Richardson. She also made appearances in the third and sixth seasons. In 2006, Redgrave starred opposite Peter O'Toole in the acclaimed film ''Venus''. A year later, Redgrave starred in ''Evening'' and the acclaimed ''Atonement'', in which she garnered a Broadcast Film Critics Association award nomination for her performance that only took up seven minutes of screen time. In 2008, Redgrave appeared as a narrator in an Arts Alliance production, id – Identity of the Soul. In 2009, Redgrave starred in the BBC remake of ''The Day of the Triffids'', with her daughter Joely. In the midst of losing her daughter, Natasha Richardson, Redgrave signed on to play Eleanor of Aquitaine in Ridley Scott's version of ''Robin Hood'', which began filming shortly after Natasha's death. Redgrave later withdrew from the film for personal reasons. The part was given to her ''Evening'' co-star Eileen Atkins. She was next seen in ''Letters to Juliet'' opposite her husband Franco Nero.

She had small roles in ''Eva'', a Romanian drama film that premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival as well as in Julian Schnabel's Palestinian drama, ''Miral'' that was screened at the 67th Venice International Film Festival and played the role of Winnie the Giant Tortoise in the 2010 environmental animated film ''Animals United''. She has a supporting role in the Bosnia-set political drama, ''The Whistleblower'', which premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. Both ''Miral'' and ''The Whistleblower'' are scheduled for US theatrical release in 2011. Redgrave also narrates Patrick Keiller's semi-fictional upcoming documentary, ''Robinson in Ruins''.

She has also filmed leading lady roles for two upcoming 2011 historical films. This includes, Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut of Shakespeare's ''Coriolanus'' in which Redgrave plays Volumnia; and Roland Emmerich's ''Anonymous'' in which Redgrave plays Queen Elizabeth I.

Political activism

In 1980, Redgrave made her American TV debut as concentration camp survivor Fania Fénelon in the Arthur Miller-scripted TV movie ''Playing for Time'', a part for which she won an Emmy as Outstanding Lead Actress in 1981. The decision to cast Redgrave as Fénelon was, however, a source of controversy. In light of Redgrave's support for the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), even Fénelon objected to her casting. Redgrave was perplexed by such hostility, stating in her 1991 autobiography her long-held belief that "the struggle against anti-Semitism and for the self-determination of the Palestinians form a single whole."

In 1984, Redgrave sued the Boston Symphony Orchestra, claiming that the orchestra had fired her from a performance due to her support of the PLO. Lillian Hellman testified in court on Redgrave's behalf. Redgrave won on a count of breach of contract, but did not win on the claim that the Boston orchestra had violated her civil rights by firing her.

In 1995, Redgrave was elected to serve as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

In December 2002, Redgrave paid £50,000 bail for Chechen separatist Deputy Premier and special envoy Akhmed Zakayev, who had sought political asylum in the United Kingdom and was accused by the Russian government of aiding and abetting hostage-takings in the Moscow Hostage Crisis of 2002—in which 128 hostages lost their lives to the Chechen terrorists during a Russian special forces (OMON) action – and guerrilla warfare against Russia.

At a press conference Redgrave said she feared for Zakayev's safety if he were extradited to Russia on terrorism charges. He would "die of a heart attack" or some other mysterious explanation offered by Russia, she said. On 13 November 2003, a London court rejected the Russian government's request for Zakayev's extradition. Instead, the court accepted a plea by lawyers for Zakayev that he would not get a fair trial, and could even face torture, in Russia. "It would be unjust and oppressive to return Mr Zakayev to Russia," Judge Timothy Workman ruled.

In December 2003 it was revealed that Redgrave had declined the offer of being made a Dame from Tony Blair's New Labour government.

In 2004, Vanessa Redgrave and her brother Corin Redgrave launched the Peace and Progress Party, which campaigned against the Iraq War and for human rights. However, in June 2005 Redgrave left the party.

Redgrave has been an outspoken critic of the "war on terrorism". During a June 2005 interview on ''Larry King Live'', Redgrave was challenged on this criticism and on her political views. In response she questioned if there can be true democracy if the political leadership of the United States and Britain does not "uphold the values for which my father's generation fought the Nazis, [and] millions of people gave their lives against the Soviet Union's regime. [Such sacrifice was made] because of democracy and what democracy meant: no torture, no camps, no detention forever or without trial...[Such] techniques are not just alleged [against the governments of the U.S. and Britain], they have actually been written about by the FBI. I don't think it's being 'far left'...to uphold the rule of law."

In March 2006, Redgrave remarked in an interview with US broadcast journalist Amy Goodman: “I don't know of a single government that actually abides by international human rights law, not one, including my own. In fact, [they] violate these laws in the most despicable and obscene way, I would say.”

Goodman’s interview with Redgrave took place in the actress’s West London home on the evening of 7 March, and covered a range of subjects, particularly the cancellation of the Alan Rickman production, ''My Name is Rachel Corrie'', by the New York Theater Workshop. Such a development, said Redgrave, was an "act of catastrophic cowardice" as "the essence of life and the essence of theatre is to communicate about lives, either lives that have ended or lives that are still alive, [and about] beliefs, and what is in those beliefs."

In June 2006, she was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the Transilvania International Film Festival, one of whose sponsors is a mining company named Gabriel Resources. She dedicated the award to a community organisation from Roşia Montană, Romania, which is campaigning against a gold mine that Gabriel Resources is seeking to build near the village. Gabriel Resources placed an "open letter" in ''The Guardian'' on 23 June 2006, attacking Redgrave, arguing the case for the mine, and exhibiting support for it among the inhabitants: the open letter is signed by 77 villagers.

In December 2007, Redgrave was named as one of the possible suretors who paid the £50,000 bail for Jamil al-Banna, one of three British residents arrested after landing back in the UK following four years' captivity at Guantanamo Bay. Redgrave has declined to be specific about her financial involvement but said she was "very happy" to be of "some small assistance for Jamil and his wife", adding, "It is a profound honour and I am glad to be alive to be able to do this. Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) is a concentration camp."

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1958		Pamela Gray
1966		Leonie Delt
1966		Anne Boleyn
1966	''Blowup''	Unnamed
1967		Guinevere
1968	''''	Mrs. Clarissa Morris
1968	''''	Nina
1968	''Isadora''	Isadora Duncan
1969	''Oh! What a Lovely War''	Sylvia Pankhurst
1969	''''	Flavia
1970		Mary
1970	''''
1971		Mary, Queen of Scots
1971	''''	Sister Jeanne
1971		Immacolata Meneghelli
1971	''''	Andromache
1973	''''	Katherine Mansfield	Television film
1974		Mary Debenham
1975		Ann
1976	''''	Lola Deveraux
1977		Julia
1979		Agatha Christie
1979	''Yanks''	Helen
1979		Heddi Lindguist
1981		Fania Fenelon	Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
1982	''My Body, My Child''	Leenie Cabrezi	Television film
1983		Queen
1983		Cosima Wagner	Television miniseries
1984	''''	Olive Chancellor
1985		Jean Travers	National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress
1985	''Three Sovereigns for Sarah''	Sarah Cloyce
1985		Nancy
1986	''Comrades''	Mrs. Carlyle
1986		Sophia	Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
1986	''Second Serve''	Richard Radley / Renee Richards
1987	''Prick Up Your Ears''	Peggy Ramsay
1988	''Consuming Passions''	Mrs. Garza
1988	''''	Lady Alice More	Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
1990	''Romeo.Juliet''
1990		Sister Crucifix
1990	''Pokhorony Stalina''	English journalist
1990		Lady Torrance	Television film
1991	''''	Miss Amelia
1991	''Young Catherine''		Nominated – Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress – Miniseries or a Movie
1991		Blanche Hudson	Television film
1992		Ruth Wilcox	Nominated – Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1993	''''	Kate Benson
1993	''''	Nivea del Valle
1993		Sister Agata
1993	''Great Moments in Aviation''	Dr. Angela Bead
1993		Florence Latimer
1994	''Mother's Boys''	Lydia Madigan
1994	''Little Odessa''	Irina Shapira	Volpi Cup
1995	''''	Miss Bentley	Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1995	''The Wind in the Willows''	Narrator	Television Film
1996		Max
1996	''Two Mothers for Zachary''	Nancy Shaffell	Television film
1997		Elsa Lubing
1997		Lady Speranza Wilde
1997	''Mrs. Dalloway''	Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway
1997		Skelly
1997	''Bella Mafia''	Graziella Luciano	Nominated – Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film
1998		Robin Lerner
1998	''Lulu on the Bridge''	Catherine Moore
1999	''Cradle Will Rock''	Countess Constance LaGrange
1999		Mrs. Ruttenburn
1999		Dr. Sonia Wick
2000	''If These Walls Could Talk 2''	Edith Tress (segment "1961")
2000		Kalsan
2000	''''	Maddy Bennett
2001	''''	Annalise Hansen
2001	''Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story''	Countess Wilhelmina/Narrator
2002	''''	Clementine Churchill
2002		Rodian's Mother
2002	''Searching for Debra Winger''	Herself	Documentary
2002	''''	Esther Huish	Television film
2003	''Byron''	Lady Melbourne	Television film
2003	''Good Boy!''
2004	''''	Woman	Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
2004–2009	''Nip/Tuck''	Dr. Erica Noughton	Television series; 10 episodes
2005	''''
2005	''Short Order''	Marianne
2005	''''	Vera Belinskya
2006	''''	Sister Antonia
2006		Valerie
2006	''''	Penelope Keeling	Television film
2007	''''	Roberta Elliot
2007		Georgia Platts
2007		Ann Lord
2007		Older Briony Tallis
2008		Sky News Reader
2008	''Ein Job''	Hannah Silbergrau	Television film
2008	''Gud, lukt och henne''
2009		Eva
2009	''''	Durrant	Television miniseries
2010	''Letters to Juliet''	Claire Smith-Wyman
2010	''''	Madeleine Rees
2010	''Miral''	Bertha Spafford
2010		Winnie	English version
2011
2011	''Cars 2''	Mama Topolino
2011			''post-production''
2012	''Song for Marion''	Marion	''Filming''

References

External links

Vanessa Redgrave: Actress and Campaigner

"She's Got Issues" – ''The Observer'', 19 March 2006

Category:1937 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from London Category:Alumni of the Central School of Speech and Drama Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English film actors Category:English socialists Category:English stage actors Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People educated at Queen's Gate School Category:People from Greenwich Category:Tony Award winners Category:Workers Revolutionary Party (UK) members

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Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
Image size	200px
birth name	Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole
birth date	August 02, 1932
birth place	Location of birth uncertain; either Connemara, County Galway, Ireland or Leeds, Yorkshire, England
occupation	Actor
years active	1954–present
alma mater	Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
nationality	Irish and British
spouse	Siân Phillips (m. 1959–79)
Children	Kate O'Toole (b. 1960) Patricia O'TooleLorcan O'Toole, born on March 17, 1983 }}

Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole (born 2 August 1932) is an Irish actor of stage and screen who achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in ''Lawrence of Arabia''. He went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most competitive Academy Award acting nominations without a win. He has won four Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and an Emmy, and was the recipient of an Honorary Academy Award in 2003 for his body of work.

Early life

Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole was born in 1932. Some sources give his birthplace as Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, and others as Leeds, in West Riding of Yorkshire, England, where he grew up. O'Toole himself is not certain of his birthplace or date, noting in his autobiography that, while he accepts 2 August as his birthdate, he has a birth certificate from each country, with the Irish one giving a June 1932 birthdate. O'Toole is the son of Constance Jane (née Ferguson), a Scottish nurse, and Patrick Joseph O'Toole, an Irish metal plater, football player and racecourse bookmaker. When O'Toole was one year old, his family began a five-year tour of major racecourse towns in Northern England. He was raised Roman Catholic. O'Toole was evacuated from Leeds early in World War II and went to a Catholic school for seven or eight years, where he was "implored" to become right-handed. “I used to be scared stiff of the nuns: their whole denial of womanhood – the black dresses and the shaving of the hair – was so horrible, so terrifying,” he later commented. “Of course, that's all been stopped. They're sipping gin and tonic in the Dublin pubs now, and a couple of them flashed their pretty ankles at me just the other day.”

Upon leaving school O'Toole obtained employment as a trainee journalist and photographer on the ''Yorkshire Evening Post,'' until he was called up for national service as a signaller in the Royal Navy. As reported in a radio interview in 2006 on NPR, he was asked by an officer whether he had something he had always wanted to do. His reply was that he had always wanted to try being either a poet or an actor. O'Toole attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from 1952 to 1954 on a scholarship after being rejected by the Abbey Theatre's drama school in Dublin by the director Ernest Blythe, because he couldn't speak Irish. At RADA, he was in the same class as Albert Finney, Alan Bates and Brian Bedford. O'Toole described this as "the most remarkable class the academy ever had, though we weren't reckoned for much at the time. We were all considered dotty."

Career

O'Toole began working in the theatre, gaining recognition as a Shakespearean actor at the Bristol Old Vic and with the English Stage Company, before making his television debut in 1954. He first appeared on film in 1959 in a bit part. O'Toole's major break came when he was chosen to play T. E. Lawrence in David Lean's ''Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962), after Marlon Brando proved unavailable and Albert Finney turned down the role. His performance was ranked number one in ''Premiere'' magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time. The role introduced him to U.S. audiences and earned him the first of his eight nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

O'Toole is one of a handful of actors to be Oscar-nominated for playing the same role in two different films; he played King Henry II in both 1964's ''Becket'' and 1968's ''The Lion in Winter''. O'Toole played Hamlet under Laurence Olivier's direction in the premiere production of the Royal National Theatre in 1963. He has also appeared in Seán O'Casey's ''Juno and the Paycock'' at Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, and fulfilled a lifetime ambition when taking to the stage of the Irish capital's Abbey Theatre in 1970 to perform in Samuel Beckett's ''Waiting for Godot'' alongside Donal McCann. In 1980, he received wide critical acclaim for playing the director in the behind-the-scenes film ''The Stunt Man''. He received good reviews as John Tanner in ''Man and Superman'' and Henry Higgins in ''Pygmalion'', and won a Laurence Olivier Award for his performance in ''Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell'' (1989). O'Toole was nominated for another Oscar for 1982's ''My Favorite Year'', a light romantic comedy about the behind-the-scenes at a 1950s TV variety-comedy show, much like ''Your Show of Shows'', in which O'Toole plays an ageing swashbuckling film star strongly reminiscent (intentionally) of Errol Flynn.

In 1972, he played both Miguel de Cervantes and his fictional creation Don Quixote in ''Man of La Mancha'', the motion picture adaptation of the 1965 smash hit Broadway musical, opposite Sophia Loren. Widely criticised for using mostly non-singing actors and shunned by the public at the time, the film has gone on to become more of a success on videocassette and DVD, though there are those who still find fault with it. O'Toole's singing was dubbed by tenor Simon Gilbert, but the other actors sang their own parts. O'Toole and co-star James Coco, who played both Cervantes's manservant and Sancho Panza, both received Golden Globe nominations for their performances.

O'Toole won an Emmy Award for his role in the 1999 mini-series ''Joan of Arc''. In 2004, O'Toole played King Priam in the summer blockbuster ''Troy''. In 2005, he appeared on television as the older version of legendary 18th century Italian adventurer Giacomo Casanova in the BBC drama serial ''Casanova''. O'Toole's role was mainly to frame the drama, telling the story of his life to serving maid Edith (Rose Byrne). The younger Casanova, seen for most of the action, was played by David Tennant, who had to wear contact lenses to match his brown eyes to O'Toole's blue.

He was once again nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Maurice in the 2006 film ''Venus'', directed by Roger Michell, his eighth such nomination. Most recently, O'Toole co-starred in the Pixar animated film ''Ratatouille'', an animated film about a rat with dreams of becoming the greatest chef in Paris, as Anton Ego, a food critic. O'Toole appeared in the second season of Showtime's hit drama series ''The Tudors'', portraying Pope Paul III, who excommunicates King Henry VIII from the church; an act that leads to a showdown between the two men in seven of the ten episodes.

Personal life

In a BBC Radio interview in January 2007, O'Toole said that he had studied women for a very long time, had given it his best try, but knew "nothing." In 1959, he married Welsh actress Siân Phillips, with whom he had two daughters: award-winning actress Kate (b. 1960) and Patricia. Peter and Sîan were divorced in 1979. Phillips later revealed in two autobiographies that O'Toole had subjected her to mental cruelty — largely fuelled by drinking — and was subject to bouts of extreme jealousy when she finally left him for a younger lover.

O'Toole and his girlfriend, model Karen Brown, had a son, Lorcan Patrick O'Toole (born 14 March 1983, when O'Toole was fifty years old). Lorcan, now an actor, was a pupil at Harrow School, boarding at West Acre from 1996.

Severe illness almost ended his life in the late 1970s. Owing to his heavy drinking and a digestive defect from birth, he underwent surgery in 1976 to have his pancreas and a large portion of his stomach removed, which resulted in insulin-dependent diabetes. In 1978 he nearly died from a blood disorder. O'Toole eventually recovered and returned to work, although he found it harder to get parts in films, resulting in more work for television and occasional stage roles. However, he did appear in 1987's much-garlanded ''The Last Emperor''. He has resided in Clifden, County Galway, Ireland since 1963 and at the height of his career maintained homes in Dublin, London and Paris (at The Ritz which was the hotel where he was supposedly staying in the film ''How to Steal a Million''), but now keeps only his home in the Hampstead area of London. While studying at RADA in the early 1950s he was active in protesting against British involvement in the Korean War. Later, in the 1960s, he was an active opponent of the Vietnam War.

He is perhaps the only one of his "London" acting contemporaries not to be knighted. However, according to London's ''Daily Mail'', he was offered a knighthood or honorary knighthood in 1987, but turned it down for personal and political reasons.

In an interview with National Public Radio in December 2006, O'Toole revealed that he knows all 154 of Shakespeare's sonnets. A self-described romantic, O'Toole regards the sonnets as among the finest collection of English poems, reading them daily. In the movie ''Venus,'' he recites Sonnet 18, ''"Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day."'' O'Toole has written two memoirs. ''Loitering With Intent: The Child'' chronicles his childhood in the years leading up to World War II and was a ''New York Times'' Notable Book of the Year in 1992. His second, ''Loitering With Intent: The Apprentice,'' is about his years spent training with a cadre of friends at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. The books have been praised by critics such as Charles Champlin of the ''Los Angeles Times'', who wrote: "A cascade of language, a rumbling tumbling riot of words, a pub soliloquy to an invisible but imaginable audience, and the more captivating for it. O'Toole as raconteur is grand company." O'Toole spent parts of 2007 writing his third installment. This book will have (as he described it) "the meat," meaning highlights from his stage and filmmaking career.

O'Toole is a noted fan of rugby union, and used to attend Five Nations matches with friends and fellow rugby fans Richard Harris, Kenneth Griffith, Peter Finch and Richard Burton. (O'Toole, Harris and Burton have a combined 17 Oscar nominations.) He is also a lifelong player, coach and enthusiast of cricket. O'Toole is licensed to teach and coach cricket to children as young as ten.

O'Toole has been interviewed at least three times by Charlie Rose on ''The Charlie Rose Show.'' In the 17 January 2007 interview, O'Toole said that Eric Porter was the actor who had most influenced him. He also said that the difference between actors of yesterday and today is that actors of his generation were trained for "theatre, theatre, theatre." He also believes that the challenge for the actor is "to use his imagination to link to his emotion" and that "good parts make good actors." However, in other venues (including the DVD commentary for ''Becket''), O'Toole has also credited Donald Wolfit as being his most important mentor. In an appearance on ''The Daily Show with Jon Stewart'' on 11 January 2007, O'Toole said that the actor he most enjoyed working with was Katharine Hepburn, his close friend, with whom he played Henry II to her Eleanor of Aquitaine in ''The Lion in Winter.''

O'Toole remains close friends with his ''Lawrence of Arabia'' co-star Omar Sharif and his RADA classmate Albert Finney.

O'Toole is a fan of Sunderland A.F.C., as he told Chris Evans on an episode of ''TFI Friday,'' dated Friday, October 11, 1996. The allegiance may well have lapsed. Coincidentally, however, the mother of T. E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia, was born in Sunderland.

Although he lost faith in organised religion as a teenager, O'Toole has expressed positive sentiments regarding the life of Jesus Christ. In an interview for The New York Times, he said 'No one can take Jesus away from me...there’s no doubt there was a historical figure of tremendous importance, with enormous notions. Such as peace.' Earlier in the interview, he announced 'I am a retired Christian'.

Academy Award nominations

O'Toole has been nominated eight times for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, making him the most-nominated actor never to win the award.

! Year	! Film	! Winner	! Also Nominated
			Burt Lancaster – ''Birdman of Alcatraz (film)
			[[Richard Burton – ''Becket (1964 film)
		[[Cliff Robertson – ''Charly''	Alan Arkin – ''The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter''Alan Bates – ''The Fixer''Ron Moody – ''Oliver!''
			Richard Burton – ''Anne of the Thousand Days''Dustin Hoffman – ''Midnight Cowboy''Jon Voight – ''Midnight Cowboy''
	''The Ruling Class''	Marlon Brando – ''The Godfather'' (declined)	Michael Caine – ''Sleuth''Laurence Olivier – ''Sleuth''Paul Winfield – ''Sounder''
	''The Stunt Man''	Robert De Niro – ''Raging Bull''	Robert Duvall – ''The Great Santini''John Hurt – ''The Elephant Man (film)
	''[[My Favorite Year''
			Leonardo DiCaprio – ''Blood Diamond (film)

In 2003, the Academy honoured him with an The Charlie Rose Show'' in January 2007, his children admonished him, saying that it was the highest honour one could receive in the filmmaking industry. O'Toole agreed to appear at the ceremony and receive his Honorary Oscar. It was presented to him by Meryl Streep, who has the most Oscar nominations of any actress (16). However, his old friend Kenneth Griffith was bitterly disappointed that he had belittled himself to accept such a "ridiculous award."

Filmography

Stage appearances

1955–1958 Bristol Old Vic

''King Lear'' (1956) (Cornwall)

''The Recruiting Officer'' (1956) (Bullock)

''Major Barbara'' (1956) (Peter Shirley)

''Othello'' (1956) (Lodovico)

''Pygmalion'' (1957) (Henry Higgins)

''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1957) (Lysander)

''Look Back in Anger'' (1957) (Jimmy Porter)

''Man and Superman'' (1958) (Tanner)

''Hamlet'' (1958) (Hamlet)

''Amphitryon '38'' (1958) (Jupiter)

''Waiting for Godot'' (1957) (Vladimir)

1959 Royal Court Theatre

''The Long and the Short and the Tall'' (Bamforth)

1960 Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford

''The Taming of the Shrew'' (Petruchio)

''The Merchant of Venice'' (Shylock)

''Troilus and Cressida'' (Thersites)

1963 National Theatre

''Hamlet'' (title role) directed by Laurence Olivier

1963–1965

''Baal'' (Phoenix Theatre, 1963) (Baal)

''Ride a Cock Horse'' (Piccadilly Theatre, 1965)

1966 Gaiety Theatre, Dublin

''Juno and the Paycock'' (Jack Boyle)

''Man and Superman'' (Tanner)

1969 Abbey Theatre, Dublin

''Waiting for Godot'' (Vladimir)

1973–1974 Bristol Old Vic

''Uncle Vanya'' (Vanya)

''Plunder''

''The Apple Cart'' (King Magnus)

''Judgement'' (monologue)

1978 Toronto, Washington and Chicago

''Uncle Vanya'' (Vanya)

''Present Laughter'' (Gary Essendine)

''Caligula (film)'' (Tiberius)

1980–1999

''Macbeth'' (1980) (Macbeth) (Old Vic Theatre)

''Man and Superman'' (Theatre Royal, Haymarket)

''Pygmalion'' (Professor Higgins) (Shaftesbury Theatre, 1984, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, and Plymouth Theatre, New York, 1987)

''The Apple Cart'' (Theatre Royal Haymarket, 1986)

''Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell'' (Apollo Theatre, 1989, Shaftesbury Theatre, 1991 and Old Vic, 1999)

''Our Song'' (Apollo Theatre, 1992).

2008

''The Tudors" (Ireland, 2008)

References

External links

"Peter O'Toole as Casanova"

University of Bristol Theatre Collection, University of Bristol

The Making of ''Lawrence of Arabia'', Digitised BAFTA Journal, Winter 1962-3. With additional notes by Bryan Hewitt

Category:1932 births Category:Living people Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English people of Scottish descent Category:Irish people of Scottish descent Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Irish film actors Category:Irish stage actors Category:Irish television actors Category:People from County Galway Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members Category:Shakespearean actors

ar:بيتر أوتول an:Peter O'Toole bg:Питър О'Тул ca:Peter O'Toole cs:Peter O'Toole da:Peter O'Toole de:Peter O’Toole et:Peter O'Toole el:Πήτερ Ο' Τουλ es:Peter O'Toole eu:Peter O'Toole fa:پیتر اوتول fr:Peter O'Toole ga:Peter O'Toole hr:Peter O'Toole id:Peter O'Toole it:Peter O'Toole he:פיטר או'טול la:Petrus O'Toole lv:Pīters O'Tūls hu:Peter O’Toole nl:Peter O'Toole ja:ピーター・オトゥール no:Peter O'Toole pl:Peter O'Toole pt:Peter O'Toole ro:Peter O'Toole ru:О’Тул, Питер sr:Питер О'Тул sh:Peter O'Toole fi:Peter O'Toole sv:Peter O'Toole tl:Peter O'Toole th:ปีเตอร์ โอ ทูล tr:Peter O'Toole uk:Пітер О’Тул zh:彼得·奧圖

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Mariska Veres
background	solo_singer
birth name	Mariska Veres
born	October 10, 1947The Hague, Netherlands
died	December 02, 2006
instrument	Vocals
genre	Psychedelic Rock
occupation	Musician
years active	1963 – 2006
associated acts	Shocking Blue }}

Mariska Veres () (1 October 1947 - 2 December 2006) was a Dutch singer who was best known as the lead singer of the rock group Shocking Blue. Her appearance was striking, featuring kohl cosmetic-lined eyes, high cheekbones, and long jet black wig.

Family

Veres was born in The Hague. Her father was the Hungarian Romani violinist Lajos Veres; her mother was born in Germany of French and Russian parents. Her elder sister Ilonka accompanied her father on the piano. Her youngest sister, Irene, never had a career in music.

Singing career

Veres began her career as a singer in 1963 with the guitar band Les Mysteres. In 1964 this band made an EP (GTB-label, 10 copies only) and Mariska is singing on side 1: Summertime (solo) and Someone (a duet). In 2010 this EP will be re-released by record club Platenclub Utrecht (PLUT 009). On www.platenclubutrecht.nl you can see the sleeve and listen to a part of Summertime. In 1965 she joined the Bumble Bees, the Blue Fighters, Danny and his Favourites and General Four in 1966, and the Motowns later in 1966. She also played organ in the last band. In 1968 she was invited to join Shocking Blue to replace lead singer Fred de Wilde who had to join the army. In 1969/1970 Shocking Blue gained worldwide fame with the hit single "Venus". The month of their arrival in the United States gossip columnist Earl Wilson referred to Veres as a ''beautiful busty girl.'' However, when she joined Shocking Blue she made it clear to the other band members that romantic relationships were not going to happen.

Shocking Blue split up on 1 June 1974; Veres continued in a solo career until the band was reunited in 1984. This comeback turned out to be successful, but one of the other original members, Robbie van Leeuwen, stepped back from the group, partly because he had moved to Luxembourg but also because of the success of Bananarama's cover of "Venus".

Mariska Veres started the jazz group The Shocking Jazz Quintet in 1993, and recorded an album ('Shocking You') with pop songs from the 60's and 70's, now in a jazz version. From 1993 to 2006 she performed in yet another reincarnation of Shocking Blue (recorded the songs 'Body and Soul' and 'Angel', both produced by former member Robbie van Leeuwen), and also recorded an album with Andrei Serban in 2003, named 'Gipsy Heart', going back to her Romani roots. A version of "Venus" was posthumously released in 2007, a few months after her passing away, recorded with pianist/bandleader Dolf de Vries (on the album "Another Touch"). Mariska has recorded "Venus" four times: with Shocking Blue (1969), with the Mariska Veres Shocking Jazz Quintet (1993), with Formula Diablos (in English/Spanish, 1997), and with Dolf de Vries (a lounge version of "Venus", 2005/2006).

Death

Mariska Veres died of cancer on 2 December 2006, aged 59. Reminiscing to the Belgian magazine ''Flair'', she remarked about her early fame, "I was just a painted doll (back in those days), nobody could ever reach me. Nowadays, I am more open to people."

References

External links

The Shocking Blue Memorial Website (Defunct prior to 7/10)

Shocking Blue from Virginia Music Flash (Defunct prior to 7/10)

Category:1947 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Deaths from cancer Category:Dutch female singers Category:Dutch people of French descent Category:Dutch people of Russian descent Category:Female rock singers Category:People from The Hague Category:Romani people Category:Cancer deaths in the Netherlands

de:Mariska Veres el:Μαρίσκα Βέρες es:Mariska Veres he:מריסקה ורס hu:Veres Mariska nl:Mariska Veres ja:マリスカ・ヴェレス pl:Mariska Veres ru:Вереш, Маришка sv:Mariska Veres

Coordinates	34°03′″N118°15′″N
name	Pain of Salvation
origin	Eskilstuna, Sweden
landscape	yes
background	group_or_band
years active	1984−1991 (as Reality)1991−present (as Pain of Salvation)
genre	Progressive metal
label	InsideOut Music
associated acts	Crypt of KerberosQ-krunkers from HellThe Flower KingsProgramming DefacedTransatlantic
website
current members	Daniel GildenlöwFredrik HermanssonJohan HallgrenLéo Margarit
past members	Simon AnderssonDaniel MagdicJohan LangellKristoffer GildenlöwGustaf HielmMagnus JohanssonJoakim StrandbergMikael Pettersson }}

Pain of Salvation is a Swedish progressive metal band featuring Daniel Gildenlöw, who is the lyricist, chief composer, guitarist, and lead vocalist. Their sound is characterised by powerful, accentuated guitar work, broad vocal range, abrupt switching between heavy and calm passages, intense syncopation, and polyrhythmic experimentation. Another trademark of the band is that each album is a concept album. Some of the topics addressed in the band's albums include sexuality, war and its effect on family and humanity, environmental issues (such as nuclear power), the forming of the individual, and the nature of God, humankind, and existence.

Etymology

The name "Pain of Salvation" was devised by Daniel Gildenlöw, whose intention was to incorporate the notion of balance, which he believed to be of vital significance, e.g. good and bad, light and dark, life and death; pain and salvation.

:"I wanted a name that meant something, a name that was more than a cool expression. For me, Pain of Salvation has the meaning of balance. Taking the good with the bad. It is also a good expression in everyday use, when something does not go the way you planned; "well, that’s just the pain of salvation," to indicate that this is just a slight setback on an otherwise painless journey towards your goal."

:"The idea with the name is that everything has two sides, everything is in balance."

:"Imagine yourself exhausted in the middle of a desert... Sitting down will take away your pain, but it will kill you. The walk for water will hurt, but it may save your life."

:"I formed my first band at eleven, I called it Reality. When I turned 15, I decided to change, because I did not the same as in the age of 11. I tried to come up with a new band name. It was during a math lesson, I was writing band names. I wrote Pain of Salvation and it stuck. I showed it to my classmate, who later became a member of the band, he said too long, nobody would remember that!"

Biography

Early days (1984-1996)

In 1984, Daniel Gildenlöw (at the age of eleven) founded the band "Reality" in Eskilstuna, Sweden. One of the early members was Daniel Magdic, who would remain with the band until after the first album was eventually recorded in 1997. In 1987, Reality qualified to participate in the Swedish Annual Music Contest "Rock-SM" (this is the same contest that fellow Swedes Europe won in 1982, earning them international recognition in the early 80s). They were the youngest competitors ever to enter the competition and Daniel Gildenlöw also won the prize for "Best Vocalist".

1990 saw a number of line-up changes, including the addition of talented Johan Langell (then 14 years old) on drums; as the core composers Gildenlöw and Magdic found it difficult to fully implement their musical ideas with the current members. Also joining the band was Gustaf Hielm on bass guitar. Somewhat disillusioned and bored of the "Reality" moniker, Gildenlöw renamed the band to "Pain of Salvation" in 1991. For the next 3 years, the band achieved national success in several contests and competitions. Some of the songs performed during this era can be found on the earlier albums.

In 1994, Kristoffer Gildenlöw (Daniel’s younger brother) replaced Gustaf Hielm (who later went on to join fellow Swedish metal band Meshuggah) on the bass. This resulted in a steady group consisting of the Gildenlöws, Daniel Magdic and Johan Langell. The band entered a local studio soon after to record a demo, Hereafter, with a combination of old and new material. While they had recorded several tapes before, this was the first to be actually sent to a record company in the hope of procuring a record deal. This demo however was recorded without a keyboardist. To complete the line up (and sonic requirements) of the band, they began the search for one. It was through this Hereafter tape that Fredrik Hermansson got interested in the band and after an introduction to the band through a fellow student he got the invitation to do an audition. In the autumn of 1996, Fredrik Hermansson became the fifth member of the band.

First album recorded and released (1996-1997)

Two of the first companies that the band sent their demo to were Marquee/Belle Antique (a record company in Japan/Asia) and Roasting House (a professional recording studio in Malmö, Sweden). In early 1997, they entered the Roasting House Studio to record their debut studio album, ''Entropia'', which was released in Asia on the Marquee’s Avalon label in August 1997 to positive local reviews. As a result, Marquee decided to fly Daniel over to Tokyo, Japan in October for a week of promotional performances and interviews to the metal press. It was about this time that purchasing albums through online music stores was commonplace, and fans from around the world began to do so with ''Entropia''. As a result, interest in Pain of Salvation grew around the world progressive metal scene, leading to another licensing deal – this time for Romania with SC Rocris Discs in late 1997.

The album was eventually released in Europe in 1999, when Pain of Salvation signed to major progressive music label InsideOut Music following the success of their second album ''One Hour by the Concrete Lake''. It was also released in South America on Hellion Records in 1999.

Follow-up album and record label deal (1998-1999)

Preparations for the band’s second album were somewhat disrupted by the departure of Daniel Magdic from the band prior to recording. The departure was due to Magdic's continuing disagreements with the others over committing to the increasing demands of the band as a result of their initial success. He still remains a friend of the band to this day. After a short audition period, Johan Hallgren was his initial replacement. Johan had played for a short period together with Daniel in the band Crypt of Kerberos. Johan was immediately involved in the recording process, facing the daunting tasks of learning all the new songs with extreme short notice. Indeed, because of the complexity of the guitar parts in the new material, Daniel Gildenlöw was prepared to play all the guitar parts himself. Hallgren surprised all (he learned the whole album in three weeks), however, and was able to play on the album as a full member of the band. This worked out so well that he was announced as Magdic’s official replacement in April 1998.

The resultant album, ''One Hour by the Concrete Lake'', was released in Asia (once again on Avalon) in July 1998 with an even more positive reception than their debut album. It was immediately hailed as a classic masterpiece, receiving extensive attention from fans and magazines all around the world. It was described as heavier and darker than ''Entropia'', and considered a much more mature effort, with every existing positive about the band focussed and improved on. The buzz about the band had well and truly spread to Europe by now, and the multitude of positive reactions was the catalyst for the band to be signed to major progressive music label InsideOut Music and later their American counterpart, InsideOut Music America.

During the South American release (once again on Hellion) in May 1999, the band embarked on a European tour supporting fellow progressive metal bands Threshold (U.K.) and Eldritch (Italy). They also played at their first ProgPower festival in Tilburg, The Netherlands on November 14, 1999.

Critical acclaim (2000-2003)

After a short break to regroup, Pain of Salvation recorded their third album, ''The Perfect Element, part I'' in March to July 2000. Released in October 2000, the album garnered a huge response from media and fans all over the world. In support of the album, the band toured Europe again in September and October 2000, this time with Arena (UK). In February 2001 the band played their first show in the USA, as headliners of the famed ProgPower USA festival, with the likes of Symphony X and Evergrey. Later that month, they also paid a visit to Iceland.

In late 2001, Pain of Salvation recorded their fourth album, ''Remedy Lane''. It is remarkable in the fact that it was almost entirely written during a two-month period from August to September 2001 by Daniel Gildenlöw. Released in January of 2002, it was also greeted with extensive praise from the progressive metal community, being hailed as their finest creation yet. During the Remedy Tour, Pain of Salvation were invited as a special guest opener for Dream Theater.

Both albums (and the band's earlier catalogue) were now much more accessible to music listeners now that they were on a major label. They were hailed as bringing originality and diversity to the genre, which many followers had been considering quite stagnant. They are often praised for their excellent conceptual cohesion. ''The Perfect Element, part I'' is a work examining the events that form an individual as they move from adolescence through to adulthood. Scarsick, released in 2007, is ''The Perfect Element, part II'', although not in name. ''Remedy Lane'' is a part-autobiographical, part-fictional tale of a period of Daniel Gildenlöw’s life dealing with the issues of love, lust and life. Both albums were once again recorded at Roasting House Studio in Sweden.

On May 12, 2003, Pain of Salvation performed an acoustic concert in their hometown of Eskilstuna before a crowd of 80 special guests. The concert was recorded and released as ''12:5'' in early 2004. It featured dramatically rearranged versions of the band’s past material, owning to Daniel Gildenlöw’s desire not to simply create a “Pain of Salvation: Unplugged” record. As a result, the band and fans consider the album as a stand-alone work, and not just a 'live album'. The album was widely applauded for its audacity in re-interpreting past material in such a way, though others found the new versions of favourite songs much less enjoyable.

''"BE"'' (2004-2005)

For the better part of 2003 and 2004, the band worked on their most serious undertaking to date: a concept album about the nature of existence of God and humankind. It was Daniel Gildenlöw who has been working on and off on it since 1996. The recording of the album was preceded by a number of live shows in Eskilstuna, where the band performed the album in its entirety. The shows were full productions; with costumes, stage props and screen projections. They also featured a nine-part orchestra, ''The Orchestra of Eternity'', whom Gildenlöw had in mind while composing the music. As a result, the orchestra features prominently in the material, and is essential to its sound. After the conclusion of the shows, the material was tweaked and refined by Gildenlöw before the recording began in February 2004.

In September 2004, the band’s most ambitious album, ''"BE"'', was released. It was the first album to divide the fan-base in opinion, because of its musically experimental and philosophical nature; and perhaps also its lack of cohesive progressive metal pieces. It once again featured ''The Orchestra of Eternity'', and included a memorable song whereby the band had set up a phone line for fans from around the world to ring and leave their message on “God’s answering machine”. There was an overwhelming response from fans who laughed, cried and poured their soul into their messages. The messages were collated and presented with a peaceful instrumental accompaniment, resulting in what the band considers to be one of their most touching tracks they have ever recorded.

''Scarsick'' and the "Road Salt Sequence" (2005-present)

Pain of Salvation has not played in the United States since 2004, when Daniel Gildenlöw expressed his refusal to take part in the US policy of fingerprinting all out-of-country visitors, as well as his contempt for the Bush administration. He feels it infringes his democratic rights and personal integrity. On 22 January 2009 he announced his support for the newly elected President Barack Obama and said the band will be lifting their embargo on the country, but reaffirmed his position on the fingerprinting policy.

On 21 February 2006, Kristoffer Gildenlöw was asked to leave the band for not being able to attend rehearsals, since he lived in Holland and the band lived in Sweden. Kristoffer has a solo album planned for the future, as well as a side project called Dial, born with the release of "Synchronized" in 2007.

The next studio album ''Scarsick'' was released on January 22, 2007, despite having being leaked early in December 2006. The album met mixed reviews criticizing its different approach to the bands music, being significantly more band oriented than the previous album ''"BE"''. Interviews with Daniel revealed that Scarsick is a continuation of The Perfect Element, part I, using similar themes touched in that album. Because of Kristoffer's departure, Daniel played bass in the studio on the album. The band toured Europe, and a few shows outside of Europe, including one in Egypt. A touring bassist was recruited, and on March 10, 2007 he was made a full member of the band and is credited so on the second live DVD recorded. The concert featured on their second live DVD, Ending Themes (On the Two Deaths of Pain of Salvation) was performed in Amsterdam and it features a cover of the popular Leonard Cohen song Hallelujah. Following numerous delays, the DVD was released on March 24, 2009.

On April 29, 2007, an official statement was published on the official site announcing that Johan Langell was departing because of his desire to become a full-time parent and husband. He stayed with the band to finish the rest of the tour off before leaving completely. He also stated that he might remain on close terms with the band in order to teach drum parts to his replacement. On October 6, 2007, during the show at the "Motstøy" festival in Notodden, it was announced that Johan Langell's replacement will be Leo Margarit. Both drummers attended the show and Leo entered the band by doing a 3 minute drumsolo in the end of the song "Nightmist". Similarly, late in 2008, Simon Andersson left the band and was added to the graveyard section of the official website. An official statement regarding this incident was released by Simon indicating his decision to leave was understood by the rest of that band, further stating it would allow him more time on his own side projects as well as recuperation from the previous tour in support of Scarsick.

On February 13, 2009, it was announced on Myspace that Pain of Salvation would take part in Dream Theater's "Progressive Nation 2009" tour beginning in the summer. It would have been their first tour of America in more than 5 years. However, the recent bankruptcy of SPV forced both Pain of Salvation and Beardfish to back out of the tour because of a lack of financial backing.

In a recent interview with Inside the Pain, Daniel Gildenlöw stated that the new album was planned for release sometime in mid August, during their now cancelled Progressive Nation tour appearance, however this release date was not likely. On November 1, 2008, the band debuted a new song, "Mortar Grind", from their upcoming studio album and EP. According to the same interview with Inside the Pain, it was revealed that the new album would feature 2 CDs, 22 songs in a concept similar in style to that of Remedy Lane. The music written is 'different to anything the band has ever done before' featuring experimental and psychedelic style performances.

In a recent update on the band's official website, it was stated that the final steps in the completion of the new album were put on hold because of the bankruptcy of SPV. Recently however it was announced that InsideOut Music was picked up by Century Media, allowing progress on the album to continue.

On October 5, 2009, Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater announced that Pain of Salvation would be their supporting act for a tour of Australia.

In December 2009, it was confirmed that the title track of the new double album, "Road Salt," would be an entry in the 2010 edition of Melodifestivalen, Sweden's national final for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. The band performed during the first semi-final and qualified for the runners-up broadcast, on march 6th on Swedish national television. However, they did not progress to the finals, losing to Pernilla Wahlgren by a slim margin.

On February 19, 2010, Daniel Gildenlöw revealed on his Facebook page that the name of the first part of the Road Salt albums to be released later that year would be "Road Salt 1: Ivory". He also posted a brief lyrical excerpt from a song on the album called "Curiosity". The actual release dates were set for May 17 in most of Europe and June 8 in the U.S. The release includes both a standard edition and limited edition with a bonus track and extended versions of 'No Way' and 'Road Salt'. On May 9, Road Salt One leaked on the internet.

Pain of Salvation made their first tour of India in January with performances at Manfest organised by Indian Institute of Management(IIM), Lucknow on the 22nd of January and at Saarang, organised by Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Madras on the 29th of January.

On March 9, 2011, Daniel Gildenlöw announced on his Facebook page, that 'Road Salt Two' would be mixed and mastered in mid-May 2011, and released in September 2011. It is said to have a darker sound than Road Salt One. He also revealed the titles of several songs set to appear on the album: new, remixed versions of "Mortar Grind" and "Gone", "Conditioned", "Whole New Alone", "Healing Now", "1979", "To The Shoreline", "Through The Distance", "If You Wait", "Softly She Cries", "In The Physics of Grindlock", "Break Darling Break", and "The Deeper Cut". Moreover, he announced that the video to 'Where it Hurts' will be released globally in mid-March.

Band members

Current members

Daniel Gildenlöw: vocals, guitar (1984−present)

Johan Hallgren: guitar, backing vocals (1998−present)

Fredrik Hermansson: keyboards, synthesizers (1996−present)

Léo Margarit: drums, backing vocals (2007−present)

Touring members

Per Schelander: bass guitar, backing vocals (2008–present)

Daniel Karlsson: bass guitar, keyboards (2011–present)

Former members

Simon Andersson: bass guitar, backing vocals (2007–2008)

Johan Langell: drums, percussion, backing vocals (1989−2007)

Kristoffer Gildenlöw: bass guitar, cello, backing vocals (1994−2006)

Daniel Magdic: guitar, backing vocals (1987−1997)

Gustaf Hielm: bass guitar, backing vocals (1992−1994)

Magnus Johansson: bass guitar (1990–1992)

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Chart peak positions
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1997		*Released: August 1997
1998	''One Hour by the Concrete Lake''	*Released: July 1998
2000	''The Perfect Element, Part I''	*Released: 31 October 2000
2002	''Remedy Lane''	*Released: February 2002
2004		*Released: September 2004
2007	''Scarsick''	*Released: 22 January 2007
2010	''Road Salt One''	*Released: 17 May 2010
2011	''Road Salt Two''	*To be released: 26 September 2011

EPs

''Linoleum'' (2009)

Live albums

''12:5'' (2004)

''"BE" (Original Stage Production)'' (2005)

''Ending Themes (On the Two Deaths of Pain of Salvation)'' (2009)

Singles

''Ashes'' (2000)

''Road Salt (2010)

''Sisters'' (2010)

''Where It Hurts'' (2011)

Demos

''Hereafter'' (1996)

''Repent'' (91-92)

''Unknowing'' (1993)

Videography

''"BE" (Original Stage Production)'' (2005, live DVD)

''Ending Themes (On the Two Deaths of Pain of Salvation)'' (2009, live DVD)

References

Pain of Salvation. Pain of Salvation's official website. (Retrieved September 2005 onwards)

Foreword Brazil. Pain of Salvation's official Brazilian fan club.

* ''Biography'' . (History information)

InsideOut Music. Pain of Salvation at InsideOut Music. (Retrieved September 2005 onwards)

InsideOut Music America. Pain of Salvation at InsideOut Music America. (Retrieved September 2005 onwards)

The Pavement: Winter Edition 2005 nr.4 Interview with Fredrik Hermansson, pages 14–15

External links

Pain of Salvation's official website

0ne Hour by the Concrete Lake review on Lebmetal.com

Category:Swedish progressive metal musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1984 Category:Melodifestivalen contestants

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