birth name	Djimon Dia Hounsou
birth date	April 24, 1964
birth place	Cotonou, Benin
occupation	Actor/Model
years active	1990–present
wife	Kimora Lee Simmons (2009-present; 1 child) }}

Djimon Diaw Hounsou (pronounced ; born April 24, 1964) is a Beninese-American actor and model. As an actor, Hounsou has been nominated for two Academy Awards.

Hounsou became a naturalized American citizen in 2007. He was reluctant to renounce his Beninese citizenship and therefore opted to become a dual citizen of both Benin and the United States, effectively rendering him a Beninese-American. Hounsou is one of just twenty-seven people in the world today to be officially recognized by this nationality.

Early life

Djimon Hounsou was born in Cotonou, Benin, in 1964, to lbertine and Pierre Hounsou, a cook. He emigrated to Lyon in France at the age of thirteen with his brother, Edmond. In 1987, he became a model and established a career in Paris. He moved to the U.S. in 1990.

Career

In 1989 he appeared in a music video of Straight Up by Paula Abdul. Hounsou's film debut was in the 1990 Sandra Bernhard film ''Without You I’m Nothing'', and he has had television parts on ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' and ''ER'' and a guest starring role on ''Alias'', but received a larger role in the science fiction film ''Stargate''. His first on-screen appearance was in the 1990 Janet Jackson video “Love Will Never Do (Without You)” from Rhythm Nation 1814, which co-starred Antonio Sabàto, Jr. He also starred in a 2002 Gap commercial directed by Peter Lindbergh, dancing to a rendition of John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" by Arrested Development's Baba Oje.

He received wide critical acclaim and a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role as Cinqué in the 1997 Steven Spielberg film ''Amistad''. He gained further notice as Juba, in the 2000 film ''Gladiator''. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for ''In America'', in 2004, becoming the fourth African male to be nominated for an Oscar (along with Basil Rathbone, Cecil Kellaway and Omar Sharif). That same year, Charlize Theron, a South African actress, was nominated for Best Actress and won for her work in ''Monster'', and was the first time that one African man and one African woman were nominated for an Oscar in the same year. In 2006, he won the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''Blood Diamond''; he received Broadcast Film Critics Association, Screen Actors Guild Award, and Academy Award nominations for this performance.

On February 24, 2007, it was announced that Hounsou would be the new Calvin Klein underwear model. Starting with the Fall 2007 season, he was featured in the brand’s global print advertising campaign including the launch of their new Calvin Klein Steel product line.

Hounsou also acted in a supporting role in the 2009 science fiction film ''Push'', as Agent Henry Carver.

In 2010, Hounsou was featured as the narrator in ESPN's running series of "32 teams, 1 dream" commercials for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Director Tim Story recently mentioned to IGN that if he was to do a third ''Fantastic Four'' movie, he would like to have Hounsou as the Black Panther. In November 2008, it was announced that Hounsou will be providing the voice of the Black Panther in the upcoming animated series of the same name. David Jaffe, Game Director of ''God of War'', expressed interest in seeing Hounsou portray the hero and main character, Kratos, in a possible upcoming movie based on the hit video game of the same name. However, it is believed that plans for the movie have been scrapped because nothing has been said of the movie since 2005. He has signed on to play Abdiel in the film version of John Milton's Paradise Lost with Benjamin Walker and Bradley Cooper.

Personal life

In 2007, Hounsou began dating model/CEO of Baby Phat, Kimora Lee Simmons. On May 30, 2009, Simmons gave birth to their son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou, reportedly named because Kenzo means 3 (Kimora's third child). Hounsou is now a naturalized United States citizen, residing in Los Angeles. Hounsou and Simmons visited Hounsou's family in his native Benin in the summer of 2008. While there, the two participated in a traditional commitment ceremony. The couple were adorned in traditional clothing and used the ceremony, in the presence of Hounsou's family, to solidfy that they are "dedicated to each other 100%." The two, however, emphasized that the ceremony was not a wedding. As of April 2010, the pair are not engaged. However, in the début of Kimora Lee Simmons' show, "Life in the Fab Lane", he was billed as her husband.

Hounsou spoke at the Summit on Climate Change at the United Nations, on Tuesday, September 22, 2009. On Tuesday, December 1, 2009, Hounsou told French media that developed countries “need to be held accountable” for their contribution to climate change.

Filmography

+ List of film and television credits
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
	''Beverly Hills, 90210''	doorman
	Ex-boyfriend
1992		Prisoner on bench
1994		Horus Guard
	''The Small Hours''
	Cinque	NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion PictureNominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture DramaNominated - Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
''Ill Gotten Gains''	Fyah
1998	''Deep Rising''	Vivo
1999		Mobalage Ikabo	6 episodes
		Juba	Nominated - Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favourite Supporting ActorNominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
''The Middle Passage''	Narrator	(documentary) (narrator in US version)
		Victor Onuka	1 episode
''The Tag''	Marshall
	''Le Boulet/Dead Weight''	Detective Youssouf
	Abou Fatma
	Matelo
''Heroes''		(short subject)
	''Biker Boyz''	Motherland
''Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life''	Kosa
		Kazari Bomani	(season 3, Mr Bomani) 3 episodes
		Midnite
''Beauty Shop''	Joe
	Albert Laurent
		Solomon Vandy	Black Reel Award: Best Supporting Actor
	Ajihad
2008		Jean Roqua
2009		Henry Carver
2010		Caliban
2011		unknown
2011		Curtie Church
2012	''[[Paradise Lost''	Abdiel

Awards/nominations

Academy Awards

*2004 Best Supporting Actor: In America (Nominated)

*2007 Best Supporting Actor: Blood Diamond (Nominated)

Black Reel Awards

*2004 Best Supporting Actor: In America (Winner)

*2007 Best Supporting Actor: Blood Diamond (Winner)

Broadcast Film Critics

*2007, Best Supporting Actor: Blood Diamond (Nominated)

Golden Globes

*1998, Best Actor-Drama: Amistad (Nominated)

Independent Spirit Awards hon

*2004, Best Supporting Male: In America (Winner)

NAACP Image Awards

*1998, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Amistad (Winner)

*2004, Outstanding Supporting Actor: In America (Nominated)

*2007, Outstanding Supporting Actor: Blood Diamond (Winner)

National Board of Review

*2006, Best Supporting Actor: Blood Diamond (Winner)

Screen Actors Guild

*2001, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: Gladiator (Nominated)

*2004, Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture: In America (Nominated)

*2007, Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Blood Diamond (Nominated)

References

External links

Punching Up His Career Courant.com (March 10, 2008)

Djimon Hounsou: The Push Interview with Kam Williams

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American people of Beninese descent Category:French film actors Category:French people of Black African descent Category:French people of Beninese descent Category:Beninese emigrants to the United States Category:French television actors Category:Independent Spirit Award winners Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States Category:People from Cotonou

da:Djimon Hounsou de:Djimon Hounsou es:Djimon Hounsou fr:Djimon Hounsou gl:Djimon Gaston Hounsou ko:디몬 하운수 id:Djimon Hounsou it:Djimon Hounsou he:דג'ימון הונסו sw:Djimon Hounsou hu:Djimon Hounsou nl:Djimon Hounsou ja:ジャイモン・フンスー no:Djimon Hounsou pl:Djimon Hounsou pt:Djimon Hounsou ru:Хонсу, Джимон sr:Џимон Хансу sh:Djimon Hounsou fi:Djimon Hounsou sv:Djimon Hounsou tl:Djimon Hounsou tr:Djimon Hounsou

name	Kimora Lee Simmons
birth name	Kimora Lee Perkins
birth date
birth place	St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
height
haircolor	Black
eyecolor	Brown
website	}}

Kimora Lee Simmons (née Perkins; born May 4, 1975) is an American fashion model, author, and former president and Creative Director for Phat Fashions.

Early life

Simmons was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her mother, Joanne Perkins, is Korean-born Japanese who later worked as a Social Security Administrator. She was adopted by an American serviceman during the Korean War and she now goes by her own mother's Japanese name, Kyoko. Kimora's father, Vernon Whitlock Jr., is African American, has worked as a Federal Marshal, an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigator, a bail bondsman, and is currently a barber in St. Louis.

Growing up in the northern St. Louis suburb of Florissant, Missouri, Kimora was the target of schoolyard bullying and teasing, because of her height (she was 5 feet, 10 inches tall by the time she was 10 years old) and mixed ancestry. To help her, Kimora's mother enrolled her in a modeling class when she was eleven years old. Two years later she was discovered by Marie-Christine Kollock (a representative for seminal Paris Agency Glamour) at a Model Search in Kansas City (organized by Kay Mitchell) and sent to Paris.

Kimora is a graduate of Lutheran North High School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Fashion business

Just after her thirteenth birthday, Kimora was awarded an exclusive modeling contract with Chanel and went to work under the tutelage of Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld. She quickly gained attention in the fashion world when she closed Lagerfeld's haute couture show in 1989. "Everything people thought was weird about me before", Kimora told ''People Weekly'', "was now good".

In 2004, Russell Simmons sold Phat Farm to Kellwood Company for $140 million. When Russell stepped down as CEO of Phat Fashions LLC in September 2007, Kimora—who was already Creative Director of Baby Phat (which was a branch off Phat Farm Industries)—was promoted by Kellwood to President and Creative Director of Phat Fashions. It was her goal to fashion Baby Phat, launched in 1999, into an "aspirational lifestyle brand". Her couture line, KLS, launched in Fall 2007.

A self-help book written by Kimora, ''Fabulosity: What It Is and How to Get It'', was published by HarperEntertainment in February 2006. The book is set to function as a 'lifestyle manual' on everything from spirituality and finances to fashion and beauty. She has also launched five perfumes for women: ''Goddess'', ''Golden Goddess'', ''Seductive Goddess'', ''Baby Phat Fabulosity'', ''Love me'', and the last fragrance she put out from her time with Baby Phat, ''Dare Me''.

On September 1, 2010, Simmons parted ways with Baby Phat and its management company, Kellwood. The details as to why Kimora was removed as Creative Director haven't been very clear; some blog sites are claiming that it was because Kimora was spending too much money on company pursuits and giving far too much pay to herself and her children. Since the split, Kimora plans to launch her KLS collection and Kouture by Kimora Brands. She also has an exclusive brand coming to Macy's that will offer stylish clothes for under $40.

Film and television

Simmons has appeared in small roles in television and films including ''Beauty Shop'', ''Brown Sugar'', ''Waist Deep'', and ''Little Nicky''. She has also appeared in music videos for Ginuwine and Usher.

In 2003, Simmons signed on as one of the judges on ''America's Next Top Model, Cycle 1''. She was scheduled to return to the show as a judge starting with cycle 14. However, she changed her plans and did not return to the show as judge. She has been a co-host of Sony Television's syndicated talk show ''Life & Style''.

On August 5, 2007, season one of her reality TV show, ''Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane'', premiered on Style Network. The show chronicles her daily life and routine as a mother and then-CEO of Phat Fashions.

Personal life

On December 20, 1998, Kimora married Russell Simmons. They have two daughters; Ming Lee (born January 21st 2000) and Aoki Lee (born August 16th 2002). Kimora and Russell officially separated in March 2006. Although the couple had split some time before, they continued to live together up to this point.

By March 2007, Kimora was dating actor and model Djimon Hounsou, and in March 2008, she filed for divorce from Russell. The divorce was finalized in January 2009.

In the summer of 2008, Kimora and Hounsou participated in a traditional Benin wedding ceremony, and in May 2009, their son, whom they named Kenzo Lee Hounsou was born.

She established the Kimora Lee Simmons Scholarship Fund at her high school alma mater in St. Louis to provide college tuition support for academically successful girls with financial needs and is an active member of youth advocacy organizations including Amfar, The G&P; Foundation, Keep a Child Alive, Hetrick-Martin Institute and Rush Philanthropic where she is on the Board of Directors. The mayor of St. Louis presented Simmons the key to the city and named March 18, 2008 "Kimora Day" in St. Louis.

References in modern culture

On the ''RuPaul's Drag Race'' episode on February 22, 2010, contestant Jujubee portrayed Kimora Lee Simmons in a ''Match Game''-like game show segment where contestants portrayed celebrities.

Filmography

Film
! Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
1993		Model	Alternative title: ''The Concierge''
1999	''The Big Tease''	Dick Miyaki's Hair Model
2002		Herself
	''Beauty Shop''	Denise
	Female Reporter #1
2006	''Waist Deep''	Fencing House Lady
Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
2001		Shamira	1 episode
2007–present	''Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane''	Herself

References

External links

Official website of Kimora Lee Simmons

BabyPhat

Simmons' interview at OSMOZ

Simmons' ''Vibe'' Profile

Category:1975 births Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American people of Japanese descent Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:African American models Category:American models of Korean descent Category:American models of Japanese descent Category:Living people Category:People from St. Louis, Missouri Category:Reality television participants

da:Kimora Lee Simmons es:Kimora Lee Simmons fr:Kimora Lee it:Kimora Lee Simmons pt:Kimora Lee Simmons simple:Kimora Lee Simmons fi:Kimora Lee Simmons

birth date	July 26, 1945
birth name	Helen Lydia Mironoff
birth place	Chiswick, London, England
occupation	Actor
years active	1965–present
spouse	Taylor Hackford(1997–present)
partner	Taylor Hackford(1986–1997)
website	Official site }}

Dame Helen Mirren, DBE (born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.

Early life and family

Mirren was born Helen Lydia Mironoff in Queen Charlotte's Hospital, Chiswick, West London. Her father, Vasiliy Petrovich Mironov (1913–1980), was of Russian origin, and her mother, Kitty (née Kathleen Alexandrina Eva Matilda Rogers; 1909–1996), was English. Mirren's paternal grandfather, Colonel Pyotr Vasilievich Mironov, was in the Tsarist Army and fought in the 1904 Russo-Japanese War. He later became a diplomat, and was negotiating an arms deal in Britain, when he and his family were stranded during the Russian Revolution. The former diplomat became a London cab driver to support his family.

His son, Helen Mirren's father, changed the family name to the Scottish-sounding Mirren in the 1950s and became known as Basil Mirren. He played the viola with the London Philharmonic before World War II, and later drove a cab and was a driving-test examiner, before becoming a civil servant with the Ministry of Transport. Mirren's mother was from West Ham, East London, and was the 13th of 14 children born to a butcher whose father had been the butcher to Queen Victoria. Mirren considers her upbringing to have been "very anti-monarchist".

The first house she remembers living in was in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, when she was two or three years old, after the birth of her younger brother, who was named Peter Basil after his grandfather and great-great-grandfather. Mirren was the second of three children, born two years after her older sister Katherine ("Kate"; born 1942). She later lived in Leigh-on-Sea.

Education

Mirren attended St Bernard's High School for Girls in Southend-on-Sea, where she acted in school productions, and subsequently a teaching college, the New College of Speech and Drama in London, "housed within Anna Pavlova's old home, Ivy House" on the North End Road – which leads from Golders Green to Hampstead, N. London. At age eighteen, she auditioned for the National Youth Theatre and was accepted. By the time she was 20, she was Cleopatra in the NYT production of ''Antony and Cleopatra'' at the Old Vic, which led to her signing with the agent Al Parker.

Theatre

Early years

Her work for the NYT led to Mirren joining the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), playing Castiza in Trevor Nunn's 1966 staging of ''The Revenger's Tragedy'', Diana in ''All's Well That Ends Well'' in 1967, Cressida in ''Troilus and Cressida'' and Phebe in ''As You Like It'' in 1968, Julia in ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' in 1970, and Tatiana in Gorky's ''Enemies'' at the Aldwych and the title role in ''Miss Julie'' at The Other Place in 1971. She also appeared in four productions, directed by Braham Murray for Century Theatre at the University Theatre in Manchester between 1965 and 1967.

In 1970 Director/producer John Goldschmidt made the documentary film ''Doing Her Own Thing'' about Mirren at the Royal Shakespeare Company. The film was made for ATV and shown on the ITV Network in the UK.

In 1972–73 Mirren worked with Peter Brook's International Centre for Theatre Research, and joined the group's tour in North Africa and the US which created ''The Conference of the Birds''. Returning to the RSC she played Lady Macbeth at Stratford in 1974 and at the Aldwych Theatre in 1975.

As reported by Sally Beauman in her 1982 history of the RSC, Mirren, while appearing in Nunn's ''Macbeth'' (1974) and in a highly publicised letter to ''The Guardian'' newspaper, attacked both the National Theatre and the RSC for their lavish production expenditure, declaring it "unnecessary and destructive to the art of the Theatre," and adding, "The realms of truth, emotion and imagination reached for in acting a great play have become more and more remote, often totally unreachable across an abyss of costume and technicalities..." There were no discernible repercussions for this rebuke of the RSC.

West End and RSC

At the Royal Court in September 1975 she notably played rock star Maggie in ''Teeth 'n' Smiles'', a musical play by David Hare, which was revived at Wyndham's Theatre in May 1976 winning her the Plays & Players Best Actress award, voted by the London critics.

From November 1975 Mirren played in West End repertory with the Lyric Theatre Company as Nina in ''The Seagull'' and Ella in Ben Travers' new farce ''The Bed Before Yesterday'' ("Mirren is stirringly voluptuous as the Harlowesque good-time girl": Michael Billington, ''The Guardian'', 10 December 1975). At the RSC in Stratford in 1977, and at the Aldwych the following year, she played a steely Queen Margaret in Terry Hands' production of the three parts of ''Henry VI'', while 1979 saw her 'bursting with grace' with an acclaimed performance as Isabella in Peter Gill's otherwise unexceptional production of ''Measure for Measure'' at Riverside Studios.

In 1981 she returned to the Royal Court for the London premiere of Brian Friel's ''Faith Healer''. In the same year she also received acclaim for her performance in the title role of John Webster's ''The Duchess of Malfi'', a production of Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre which transferred to The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London. Reviewing her portrayal for ''The Sunday Telegraph'', Francis King wrote: "Miss Mirren never leaves it in doubt that even in her absences, this ardent, beautiful woman is the most important character of the story."

Her performance as Moll Cutpurse in ''The Roaring Girl'' at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in January 1983, and at the Barbican Theatre April 1983), "swaggered through the action with radiant singularity of purpose, filling in areas of light and shade that even Thomas Middleton and Thomas Dekker omitted." – Michael Coveney, ''Financial Times'', April 1983.

After a relatively barren sojourn in the Hollywood Hills, she returned to England at the beginning of 1989 to co-star with Bob Peck at the Young Vic in the London premiere of the Arthur Miller double-bill, ''Two Way Mirror'', performances which prompted Miller to remark: "What is so good about English actors is that they are not afraid of the open expression of large emotions" (interview by Sheridan Morley: ''The Times'' 11 January 1989). In ''Elegy for a Lady'' she played the svelte proprietress of a classy boutique, while as the blonde hooker in ''Some Kind of Love Story'' she was "clad in a Freudian slip and shifting easily from waif-like vulnerability to sexual aggression, giving the role a breathy Monroesque quality" (Michael Billington, ''The Guardian'').

Broadway debut

A further stage breakthrough came in 1994, in an Yvonne Arnaud Theatre production bound for the West End, when Bill Bryden cast her as Natalya Petrovna in Ivan Turgenev's ''A Month in the Country''. Her co-stars were John Hurt as her aimless lover Rakitin and Joseph Fiennes in only his second professional stage appearance as the cocksure young tutor Belyaev. "Instead of a bored Natalya fretting the summer away in dull frocks, Mirren, dazzlingly gowned, is a woman almost wilfully allowing her heart's desire for her son's young tutor to rule her head and wreak domestic havoc....Creamy shoulders bared, she feels free to launch into a gloriously enchanted, dreamily comic self-confession of love." (John Thaxter, Richmond & Twickenham Times, 4 March 1994).

Mirren was twice nominated for Broadway's Tony Award as Best Actress (Play): in 1995 for her Broadway debut in ''A Month in the Country'', now directed by Scott Ellis ("Miss Mirren's performance is bigger and more animated than the one she gave last year in an entirely different London production", Vincent Canby in the NY Times, 26 April 1995). Then again in 2002 for August Strindberg's ''Dance of Death'', co-starring with Sir Ian McKellen, their fraught rehearsal period coinciding with the terrorist attacks on New York on September 11, 2001 (as recorded in her ''In the Frame'' autobiography, September 2007).

National Theatre

Mirren had an unhappy experience at the National Theatre in 1998 when she played Cleopatra to Alan Rickman's Antony. In 2000 Nicholas Hytner, who had worked with Mirren on the film version of ''The Madness of King George'', cast her as Lady Torrance in his revival of Tennessee Williams' ''Orpheus Descending'' at the Donmar Warehouse in London. Michael Billington, reviewing for ''The Guardian'', described her performance as "an exemplary study of an immigrant woman who has acquired a patina of resilient toughness but who slowly acknowledges her sensuality."

At the National Theatre in November 2003 she again won praise playing Christine Mannon ("defiantly cool, camp and skittish", ''Evening Standard''; "glows with mature sexual allure", ''Daily Telegraph'') in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' directed by Howard Davies.

“This production was one of the best experiences of my professional life, The play was four and a half hours long, and I have never known that kind of response from an audience ... It was the serendipity of a beautifully cast play, with great design and direction, It will be hard to be in anything better.” (''In the Frame'', September 2007).

She played the tragic title role in Jean Racine's ''Phèdre'' at the National in 2009, in a production directed by Nicholas Hytner. The production was also staged at the amphitheater of Epidaurus on 11 and 12 July 2009.

Selected stage credits

Cleopatra, ''Anthony and Cleopatra'', Old Vic Theatre, London, 1965

Cathleen, ''Long Day's Journey Into Night'', Century Theatre, Manchester,England 1965

Kitty, ''Charley's Aunt'', Century Theatre, Manchester, 1967

Nerissa, ''The Merchant of Venice'', Century Theatre,Manchester, 1967

Castiza, ''The Revenger's Tragedy'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, England, 1967

Diana, ''All's Well That Ends Well'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1967

Cressida, ''Troilus and Cressida'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1968

Hero, ''Much Ado about Nothing'', Aldwych Theatre, 1968–1969

Win-the-Fight Littlewit, ''Bartholomew Fair'', Aldwych Theatre, 1969

Lady Anne, ''Richard III'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1970

Ophelia, ''Hamlet'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1970

Julia, ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1970

Tatyana, ''Enemies'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1971

Harriet, ''The Man of Mode'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1971

Title role, ''Miss Julie'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1971

Elayne, ''The Balcony'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, 1971

Isabella, ''Measure for Measure'', Riverside Studios Theatre, London,1974

Lady Macbeth, ''Macbeth'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1974, then Aldwych Theatre, 1975

Maggie, ''Teeth 'n' Smiles'', Royal Court Theatre, London, 1975, thenWyndham's Theatre, London, 1976

Nina, ''The Seagull'', Lyric Theatre, London, 1975

Ella, ''The Bed before Yesterday'', Lyric Theatre, 1975

Queen Margaret, ''Henry VI, Parts I, II and III'', Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1977, then Aldwych Theatre, 1978

Title role, ''The Duchess of Malfi'', Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, England, 1980, then Mound House Theatre, London, 1981

Grace, ''Faith Healer'', Royal Court Theatre, 1981

Cleopatra, ''Antony and Cleopatra'', Pit Theatre, London, 1983

Moll Cutpurse, ''The Roaring Girl'', Barbican Theatre, London, 1983

Marjorie, ''Extremities'', Duchess Theatre, London, 1984

''Madame Bovary'', 1987

Angela, "Some Kind of Love Story," and dying woman, "Elegy for a Lady," in ''Two-Way Mirror'' (double-bill), Young Vic Theatre, *London, 1989

''Sex Please We're Italian'', 1991

Natalya Petrovna, ''A Month in the Country'', London, 1994, then Criterion Theatre, New York City, 1995

''Antony and Cleopatra'', Royal National Theatre, London, 1998

''Collected Stories'', London, 1999

Lady Torrance, ''Orpheus Descending'', Donmar Warehouse, London, 2000

Alice, ''Dance of Death'', Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 2001–2002

''Mourning Becomes Electra'', Lyttelton Stage, Royal National Theatre, 2003

''Phedre'', National Theatre, 2009

Also appeared as Susie Monmican, The Silver Lassie; in ''Woman in Mind'', Los Angeles.

Film

Mirren has also appeared in a large number of films throughout her career. Some of her earlier film roles include ''Age of Consent'', ''O Lucky Man!'', ''Caligula'', ''Excalibur'', ''2010'', ''The Long Good Friday'', ''White Nights'', ''When the Whales Came'' and ''The Mosquito Coast''. She appeared in ''Some Mother's Son'', ''Painted Lady'', ''The Prince of Egypt'' and ''The Madness of King George''. One of her other film roles was in Peter Greenaway's ''The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover'', as the eponymous thief's wife, opposite Michael Gambon. Her favourite film is ''Teaching Mrs. Tingle'', in which she plays sadistic History teacher, Mrs Eve Tingle.

Mirren continued her successful film career when she starred more recently in ''Gosford Park'' with Maggie Smith and ''Calendar Girls'' where she starred with Julie Walters. Other more recent appearances include ''The Clearing'', ''Pride'', ''Raising Helen'', and ''Shadowboxer''. Mirren also provided the voice for the supercomputer "Deep Thought" in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. During her career, she has portrayed three British queens in different films and television series: Elizabeth I in the television series ''Elizabeth I'' (2005), Elizabeth II in ''The Queen'' (2006), and Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, in ''The Madness of King George'' (1994). She is the only actress ever to have portrayed both Queens Elizabeth on the screen.

Mirren's title role of ''The Queen'' earned her numerous acting awards including a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award, among many others. During her acceptance speech at the Academy Award ceremony, she praised and thanked Elizabeth II and stated that she had maintained her dignity and weathered many storms during her reign as Queen. Mirren later appeared in supporting roles in the films ''National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets'', ''Inkheart'', ''State of Play'', and ''The Last Station'', for which she was nominated for an Oscar.

In preparation for her role as a retired Israeli Mossad agent in the film ''The Debt'', Mirren reportedly immersed herself in studies of Hebrew language, Jewish history, and Holocaust writing, including the life of Simon Wiesenthal, while in Israel in 2009 for the filming of some of the movie's scenes. The film is a remake of a 2007 Israeli film of the same name (Hebrew: Ha-khov).

Television

Mirren is known for her role as detective Jane Tennison in the widely viewed ''Prime Suspect'', a multiple award-winning television drama that was noted for its high quality and popularity. Her portrayal of Tennison won her three consecutive BAFTA awards for Best Actress between 1992 and 1994.

Some of Mirren's other television performances include ''Cousin Bette'' (1971); ''As You Like It'' (1979); ''Blue Remembered Hills'' (1979); ''The Twilight Zone'' episode "Dead Woman's Shoes" (1985); ''Losing Chase'' (1996); ''The Passion of Ayn Rand'' (1999), where her performance won her both the Emmy and the Golden Globe; ''Door to Door'' (2002); and ''The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone'' (2003). In 1976, she appeared with Laurence Olivier, Alan Bates and Malcolm McDowell in a production of Harold Pinter's ''The Collection'' as part of the ''Laurence Olivier Presents'' series. She also played Elizabeth I in 2005, in the television serial ''Elizabeth I'', for Channel 4 and HBO, for which she received an Emmy Award. Mirren won another Emmy Award on 16 September 2007 for her role in ''Prime Suspect: The Final Act'' on PBS in the same category as in 2006.

Mirren hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' on 9 April 2011.

Awards and recognition

Film awards

In 1984, Mirren won Best Actress for her role in the film ''Cal'' at the Cannes Film Festival and the 1985 Evening Standard British Film Awards. In 1994 and 2001, she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for her roles in ''The Madness of King George'' and ''Gosford Park'', respectively. In 1995, she had also been awarded for Best Actress once again in Cannes for playing Queen Charlotte in ''The Madness of King George''. In 2002, she received the SAG Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for ''Gosford Park''. Mirren is the first female actress to be nominated for three acting performances at the Golden Globe Awards in the same year. She won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Leading Role in the movie drama category for Stephen Frears' ''The Queen'' in 2006 (along with two nominations in the Actress in a Mini-series or TV Movie category for ''Elizabeth I'', and ''Prime Suspect: Final Act''). She won both Golden Globes for ''The Queen'' and ''Elizabeth I'' and also won two SAG awards the same year for the same roles. Mirren is the third actor to win two Golden Globes in the same year, and the first ever to win for both leading roles in TV and film in the same year. She is one of only three actresses (the first was Liza Minnelli in 1973 and then decades later Helen Hunt) to win a Golden Globe, an Oscar and an Emmy for performances given in the same year.

Along with the Golden Globe, Mirren's acclaimed performance in ''The Queen'' won her the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actress. She also received Best Actress awards from the Venice Film Festival, Broadcast Film Critics, National Board of Review, Satellite Awards, Screen Actors Guild and a BAFTA, as well as critics awards from all over the world. Entertainment Weekly recently ranked her Number 2 for Entertainer of the Year for 2006 and also won the award for best actress in film at the new Greatest Britons Awards for her role in ''The Queen''. In 2007, Mirren became an Honorary Patron of the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College Dublin.

She won the Best Actress award at the 2009 Rome International Film Festival for her performance as Tolstoy's wife in ''The Last Station''.

Academy Award nominations

Best Actress

* '''2006 – ''The Queen''

* 2009 – ''The Last Station''

Best Supporting Actress

* 1994 – ''The Madness of King George''

* 2001 – ''Gosford Park''

Television awards

Mirren won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Mini-series or TV Movie in 1997 for her role in ''Losing Chase''. She received two nominations in the Actress in a Mini-series or TV Movie category for ''Elizabeth I'', and ''Prime Suspect: The Final Act'', where she only won the Golden Globe for her title role performance in ''Elizabeth I''. In that same year she won an SAG award for that same role. Mirren also won an Emmy for her role in ''Elizabeth I'' in category Lead Actress in a Mini-Series or a Movie in 2006. She had previously won an Emmy twice before, in that same category, in 1996 for her role in ''Prime Suspect: Scent of Darkness'' and in 1999 for ''The Passion of Ayn Rand''.

At the end of a triumphant year of awards for her acclaimed movie performance as Queen Elizabeth II in ''The Queen'', Dame Helen also collected a 2007 Emmy Television award as Best Actress in a Mini-Series for her performance as Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison in ''Prime Suspect: The Final Act''. She now has four Emmy awards. This seventh, and apparently concluding instalment, of the ''Prime Suspect'' saga portrayed Tennison as an alcoholic destined for retirement. It was screened in the US on the public service network PBS.

Emmy Awards

Awards won are indicated by bold lettering.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

1993 – ''Prime Suspect 2''

1994 – ''Prime Suspect 3''

1996 – ''''Prime Suspect 4'': "Scent of Darkness"''

1997 – ''Prime Suspect 5: Errors of Judgment''

1999 – ''The Passion of Ayn Rand''

2003 – ''The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone''

2004 – ''Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness''

2006 – ''Elizabeth I''

2007 – ''Prime Suspect: The Final Act''

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

2003 – ''Door to Door''

Critics' Circle Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts

Each year, since 1988, The Critics' Circle has presented an award for Distinguished Service to the Arts voted for by all members of the Circle embracing: Dance, Drama, Film, Music, Visual Arts and Architecture. At a celebratory luncheon, on 10 April 2007 in the National Theatre's Terrace Restaurant, the award for 2006 was presented to Dame Helen Mirren. As David Gritten, chairman of the Film section made clear, the decision to make the award was voted on in November 2006, well in advance of the awards hubbub that surrounded her performance in ''The Queen''. Accepting the award, an engraved crystal rose bowl, Mirren described it as the most useful she has ever received, while reflecting poignantly that this now "might be the last award I will win in my life. It has been a most incredible year. You do the work and then....." Previous recipients include Peter Hall (1988), Judi Dench (1997) and Ian McKellen (2003).

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire

On 5 December 2003, she was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE). When she received the honour, Mirren commented that Prince Charles was "very graceful" but forgot to give her half of the award. Another person had to remind him to give Mirren the star. She also said that she felt wary about accepting the award and had to be persuaded by fellow comrades to accept the DBE. In 1996, she had declined appointment as a Commander of the order (CBE).

Personal life

Mirren married American director Taylor Hackford (her partner since 1986) on 31 December 1997, his 53rd birthday. The ceremony took place at the Ardersier Parish Church near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. The couple had met on the set of ''White Nights''. It is her first marriage, and his third (he has two children from his previous marriages). Mirren has no children and says she has "no maternal instinct whatsoever."

In the August 2011 issue of Esquire magazine, Mirren said, "I am quite spiritual. I believed in fairies when I was a child. I still do sort of believe in the fairies. And the leprechauns. But I don't believe in God."

Mirren's autobiography, ''In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures'', was published in the UK by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in September 2007. Reviewing for ''The Stage'', John Thaxter wrote: "Sumptuously illustrated, at first sight it looks like another of those photo albums of the stars. But between the pictures there are almost 200 pages of densely printed text, an unusually frank story of her private and professional life, mainly in the theatre, the words clearly Mirren's own, delivered with forthright candour."

In 1990, Mirren stated in an interview that she is an atheist.

In a ''GQ'' interview in 2008, Mirren stated she had been date raped as a student and had often taken cocaine at parties during the 1980s. She stopped using the drug after reading that Klaus Barbie made a living from cocaine dealing.

On 11 May 2010, Mirren attended the unveiling of her waxwork at Madame Tussauds London. The figure reportedly cost £150,000 to make and took four months to complete.

Controversy

In July 2010, during the Anglo-American BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Mirren declared herself to be "embarrassed and mortified at being British" had England defeated the US at football during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. "I was so relieved it was a draw because, you know, if Britain had beaten America, what with BP, which to my mind stands for bloody p***-poor."

This provoked an angry response in the UK, where British tabloid ''The Daily Mail'' accused her of being disloyal and cynically playing up to her American audience.

References in pop culture

The Mars Volta on their 2008 album The Bedlam in Goliath have a song called "Ilyena" that is named after Mirren. Mars Volta lyricist/singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala has stated an affinity for Mirren.

Filmography

+Film and television credits	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1967	''Herostratus''
1968	''''	Hermia
1969	''Red Hot Shot''
1969		Cora Ryan
1972	''Miss Julie''	Miss Julie
1972	''Savage Messiah''	Gosh Boyle
1973	''O Lucky Man!''	Patricia
1975	''Caesar and Claretta''	Claretta Petacci
1976	''Hamlet''	Ophelia (character)
1979	''''	Joanne
1979		[[Caesonia
1980	''Hussy''	Beaty
1980	''''	Alice Rage
1980	''''	Victoria
1981		Morgana
1984		Marcella
1984		Tanya Kirbuk
1984		Princess Amelia	TV series: 1 episode
1985	''Heavenly Pursuits''	Ruth Chancellor
1985	''Coming Through''	Frieda von Richtofen Weekley
1985		Galina Ivanova
1986	''''	Mother Fox
1988		Lydia Neuman
1989	''When the Whales Came''	Clemmie Jenkins
1989	''''	Georgina Spica
1990	''Bethune: The Making of a Hero''	Frances Penny Bethune
1990	''''	Caroline
1991		Jane Tennison	TV series
1991		Lilia Herriton
1993	''''	Annie Marsh
1993		Geruth
1994	''''
1995	''''	Snow Queen	(voice)
1996	''Some Mother's Son''	Kathleen Quigley	Also Associate Producer
1992	''Losing Chase''	Chase Phillips	TV
1997	''Critical Care''	Stella
1998	''Sidoglio Smithee''
1998	''''	The Queen	(voice)
1999	''''	Ayn Rand
1999	''Teaching Mrs. Tingle''	Mrs. Eve Tingle
2000	''Greenfingers''	Georgina Woodhouse
2001	''''	Doctor
2001		The Boss
2001	''Happy Birthday''	Distinguished Woman	Also Director
2001		Amy
2001	''Gosford Park''	Mrs. Wilson
2003	''''	Karen Stone	TV
2003	''Calendar Girls''	Chris Harper
2004	''''	Eileen Hayes
2004	''Raising Helen''	Dominique
2005	''''	Deep Thought	(voice)
2005
2005	''Shadowboxer''	Rose
2006	''''	Queen Elizabeth II
2007	''National Treasure: Book of Secrets''	Emily Appleton
2008		Elinor Loredan
2009		Cameron Lynne
2009	''''
2010	''Love Ranch''	Grace Bontempo
2010	''''
2010		Ida
2010		Victoria
2010	''Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole''	Nyra	(voice)
2011		Lillian Hobson
2011	''''	Rachel Singer

Further reading

''Command Performance'', a profile of Helen Mirren written by John Lahr in The New Yorker magazine, 2 October 2006

''In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures'' (autobiography) by Helen Mirren, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2007 ISBN 978-0-297-85197-4.

*Rather than writing an autobiography Helen Mirren was commissioned by Alan Samson at Orion Books to write about her life in a series of chapters based on pictures from her extensive personal collection of photography and memorabilia. Edited by Chris Worwood, with whom she worked on the Award-winning HBO series ''Elizabeth'', the book covers every aspect of her life from her aristocratic Russian heritage to her days with Peter Hall's RSC company to her Academy Award for ''The Queen''.

References

External links

Official website

Helen Mirren at the MBC Encyclopedia of Television

Helen Mirren Biography at Tiscali

The Helen Mirren Appreciation Society, official fan club

Arifa Akbar, "Helen Mirren: The good, the bad and The Queen", (interview), ''The Independent'' (London), 27 May 2007

Kevin Maher, ''Dame Helen Mirren: I'm an Essex Girl'' (interview), ''The Times'' (London), 12 February 2010

Morley Safer profile of Helen Mirren on ''CBS'' ''60 Minutes'', 7 January 2007

Category:1945 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Essex Category:Actresses awarded British damehoods Category:Alumni of Middlesex University Category:Audio book narrators Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Emmy Award winners Category:English atheists Category:English film actors Category:English people of Russian descent Category:English radio actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:English voice actors Category:European Film Award for Best Actress winners Category:Golden Orange Honorary Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Westcliff-on-Sea Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members

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birth date	December 15, 1952
birth place	Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
years active	1986–present
occupation	Director
spouse	Elliot Goldenthal }}

Julie Taymor (born December 15, 1952) is an American director of theater, opera and film. Taymor's work has received many accolades from critics, and she has earned two Tony Awards out of four nominations, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design, an Emmy Award and an Academy Award nomination for Original Song. She is widely known for directing the stage musical, ''The Lion King'', for which she became the first woman to win the Tony Award for directing a musical, in addition to a Tony Award for Original Costume Design. She was the director of the Broadway musical ''Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' but left in March 2011, following artistic differences with the producers.

Early life and education

Taymor was born in Newton, Massachusetts, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Bernstein), a political science teacher, and Melvin Lester Taymor, a gynecologist, both of Jewish descent. Taymor's interest in theatre took root early in her life. At the age of seven, she was already drawing her sister into stagings of children's stories for her parents. By age nine, she was entranced by the Boston Children's Theatre and became involved with them. In high school, she became interested in international travel, and made trips to both Sri Lanka and India with the Experiment in International Living. Being the youngest member of theatre groups became common, as she joined Julie Portman's Theatre Workshop of Boston at the age of 15. Yearning for a more in-depth approach, Taymor went to Paris to study with L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. During her studies there, she became exposed to mime which helped in the development of her physical sensibilities.

Although in 1970 Taymor was enrolled in Oberlin College in Ohio, she sought experience with Joseph Chaikin's Open Theatre and other companies and studied through correspondence. Hearing that director Herbert Blau would be moving to Oberlin, she returned there and auditioned successfully, becoming, once again, the youngest member of a troupe. In 1973, Taymor attended a summer program of the American Society for Eastern Arts in Seattle. The instructors were performers of Indonesian topeng masked dance-drama and wayang kulit shadow puppetry. This would prove to have a great effect on Taymor in later years. Taymor graduated from Oberlin College with a major in mythology and folklore and Phi Beta Kappa honors in 1974.

Career

After college, Taymor used a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to study pre-Bunraku puppetry on Awaji Island, Japan, to learn more about experimental theatre, puppetry and visually oriented theatre. Taymor's greatest acclaim as a director for the stage has come from the popular musical ''The Lion King'' (1997), an adaptation of the animated film. Taymor received two Tony Awards for her work on ''The Lion King'', one for Direction and one for Costume Design, making her the first woman to receive a Tony Award for directing a musical.

In 1991, Taymor won the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship ("genius" award) for her innovative work in theatre.

Taymor has also worked in film in recent years, directing ''Titus'' (1999) and ''Frida'' (2002). Both movies received positive reviews for their stylish filming; ''Frida'' was the more acclaimed of the two, garnering Oscar nominations in six categories and winning in two (Best Makeup and Best Original Score). Taymor and her husband Goldenthal were co-nominees in the Best Original Song category.

For the Metropolitan Opera 2005-06 season, Taymor directed a successful production of ''The Magic Flute''. It was revised for the 2006-07 season and, in addition to full-length performances, was adapted for a 100-minute version over the Holiday season to appeal to children. That version of the opera was the first of a series of NCM Fathom ''Live on the Big Screen'' presentations of MET operas downloaded via satellite to movie theaters across North America and parts of Europe for the 2006-07 season.

In June 2006, Taymor directed the opera ''Grendel'' for the Los Angeles Opera, starring Eric Owens, which was also presented as part of the Summer 2006 Lincoln Center Festival in New York City. Taymor's more recent work has been as director of the film ''Across the Universe'', a 1960s love story set to the music of The Beatles and starring Jim Sturgess and Evan Rachel Wood. The film opened in September 2007 and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical in 2008.

In November 2008, Taymor directed a film version of Shakespeare's ''The Tempest'', released in December 2010.

In April 2007, it was announced that Marvel Studios was preparing to make a musical adaptation of ''Spider-Man'' for Broadway. Taymor was selected to direct the show and write the book with Glen Berger. The production features music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge. The musical, ''Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark'', was scheduled to begin previews on November 28, 2010, at the Foxwoods Theatre, with the repeatedly-delayed official opening night finally held on June 14, 2011. On March 9, 2011, it was reported by ''The New York Times'' that Taymor would be leaving her role as director of "Spider-Man" after disputes with the show's producers, who wanted to drastically alter the existing storyline and general artistic direction.

In a March 14, 2011 piece by Roger Friedman, it was reported that Taymor will receive her original ''Spider-Man'' credits, with sources saying that ''Spider-Man'' producer Michael Cohl and Bono did bring in a script doctor, music supervisor and other new members for the creative team.. As of June 2, 2011, Laura Penn, the executive director of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, confirmed rumors of the ongoing dispute between Taymor and the show's producers about director’s fees that Taymor has not received from the production .

Taymor was the 2010 Commencement speaker for her alma mater, Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio.

Work

Stage

''The Tempest'' (1986, by Shakespeare, abridged) - Director, puppetry. at Classic Stage Company (NY).

'' Oedipus Rex'' (1992, by Igor Stravinsky) - Director, puppetry. at Sito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto (also taped for TV, released 1993 / released DVD)

''Juan Darién: A Carnival Mass'' (1996) – Director, co-bookwriter, co-scenic designer, co-costume designer, mask designer, puppet designer– Tony Award co-nomination for Best Scenic Design, Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Musical ''The Lion King'' (1997, new musical by Elton John) – Director, lyricist for the song ''Endless Night'', costume designer, co-mask designer, co-puppet designer– Tony Award winner for Best Direction of a Musical, Tony Award co-nomination for Best Original Score, Tony Award winner for Best Costume Design

''The Green Bird'' (2000, new musical by Goldenthal) – Director, mask designer, puppet designer

''The Magic Flute'' (2005, opera by Mozart) - Director. at Metropolitan Opera (NY), live broadcast for theatrical (HD). DVD selling at Operahouse only.

''Grendel'' (2007, new opera by Goldenthal) - Librettist, Director

''This Is It'' (2009, live concert show by Michael Jackson) - production consultant, designer

''Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' (2010, new musical adaptation of Spider-Man) – Director, co-author, mask designer

Filmography

''Fool's Fire'' (1992) (TV)

''Oedipus Rex'' (1993) (opera)

''Titus'' (1999)

''Frida'' (2002)

''Across the Universe'' (2007)

''The Tempest'' (2010)

References

External links

Interview with Julie Taymor - Subtitles to Cinema

Julie Taymor profile at PBS website

Video from "60 Minutes" segment on "Spiderman:Turn Off the Dark," Nov 28, 2010, including interviews with Taymor

''60 Minutes'' segment, Nov 28, 2010, text version

Category:1952 births Category:American Jews Category:American film directors Category:American theatre directors Category:Costume designers Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Female film directors Category:Living people Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Olivier Award winners Category:Opera directors Category:Oberlin College alumni Category:People from Boston, Massachusetts Category:Tony Award winners Category:Watson Fellows

ar:جوليا تيمور de:Julie Taymor es:Julie Taymor fr:Julie Taymor gl:Julie Taymor it:Julie Taymor ja:ジュリー・テイモア pl:Julie Taymor pt:Julie Taymor ru:Тэймор, Джулия simple:Julie Taymor

name	Marc Anthony
background	solo_singer
birth name	Marco Antonio Muñiz
birth date	September 16, 1968
birth place	New York City, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	Latin, salsa, pop, Latin pop, dance-pop, freestyle (early)
occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor
years active	1989–present
label	RMM Records & Video, Columbia, Sony Music Latin
website	www.marcanthonyonline.com
spouse	Jennifer Lopez(2004–present, now separated) (two children: Emma Maribel Muriz, Maximillion David Muriz) }}

Marc Anthony (born Marco Antonio Muñiz; September 16, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, actor and producer. Anthony is the top selling tropical salsa artist of all time. The two-time Grammy and three-time Latin Grammy–winner has sold more than 12 million albums worldwide. He is best known for his Latin salsa numbers and ballads. He was married to Singer and Actress Jennifer Lopez from 2004 to 2011, when the couple announced their separation.

Anthony has won numerous awards and his achievements have been honored through various recognitions. He was the recipient of the 2009 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Chair's Award. He also received the "2009 CHCI Chair's Lifetime Achievement Award" on September 16, 2009. Anthony holds the record having the most number-one singles on the Billboard Tropical Songs.

Anthony is a minority owner/limited partner of the Miami Dolphins NFL team.

Early life

Marc Anthony was born Marco Antonio Muñiz in New York City to Guillerminna, a housewife, and Felipe Muñiz, a musician and hospital lunchroom worker. His parents named him after Mexican singer Marco Antonio Muñiz. He was raised Roman Catholic.

Singing career

Muñiz began his career as a session vocalist for freestyle and Underground New York house music acts. After changing his name to avoid confusion with his namesake, Anthony worked as a songwriter and backing vocalist for pop acts including Menudo and the Latin Rascals. His first album was a freestyle music record, "Rebel", in 1988 on Bluedog Records. That same year he wrote and produced "Boy I've Been Told" for fellow freestyle artist Sa-Fire. Then in 1989, he sang backup vocals for Ann-Marie on the freestyle club hit, "With or Without You" produced by Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry. A year later, 1990, with Little Louie Vega and Todd Terry, Marc wrote and whispered a duet with Chrissy I-eece, called "You Should Know By Now". In 1991, he sang backing vocals on another freestyle track by Edmond titled "Come Back To Me". In 1992, still working with Todd Terry, he provided vocals for "Love Change" which is on the flip-side of a 12" vinyl released by Elan and The Powermachine titled "Here's Your Hat", production of Todd Terry. At the same time, he collaborated with music producer Little Louie Vega, who featured the singer on many another freestyle-flavored club hits "Ride On The Rhythm" and the "When The Night Is Over" album, which featured the Freestyle classic "Time". In 1992, Vega and Anthony opened for Latin bandleader Tito Puente at New York's Madison Square Garden. After 1992, he changed his style from freestyle to salsa and other Latin styles.

RMM Records

Otra Nota (1993) Anthony was initially reluctant to become a salsa musician and declined an offer to make a salsa album when Ralph Mercado, president of RMM Records, asked him. Anthony was in a taxi when he heard Juan Gabriel's hit song, "Hasta Que Te Conocí" which influenced him to change his mind and ask Mercado if he could record it as a salsa tune. Inspired by the music of Tito Puente, Rubén Blades and Juan Gabriel, Anthony released his Spanish-language debut, ''Otra nota'', in 1993. Anthony performed at the Radio y Musica Convention hosted by Alfredo Alonso. "Si Tu No Te Fueras", "El Ultimo Beso", "Palabras Del Alma", The album also included a cover of Bread's song, "Make It with You". Subsequent tours throughout the Americas, including an opening slot for Blades, established Anthony as one of the new stars in salsa. In 1994, he was featured in La India's album ''Dicen Que Soy'', on the song "Vivir Lo Nuestro".

His 1995 follow-up, ''Todo a su tiempo'', won Anthony a ''Billboard'' award for Hot Tropical Artist of the Year. The album was also nominated for a Grammy with songs like "Te Conozco Bien", "Hasta Ayer", "Nadie Como Ella", "Se Me Sigue Olvidando", "Te Amare", and "Llegaste A Mi". The album has sold more than 800,000 copies and has become established gold in the US and in Puerto Rico.

Anthony's next Spanish language album, ''Contra la Corriente'', was followed by the television special ''Marc Anthony: The Concert from Madison Square Garden'', broadcast on HBO on Valentine's Day 2000. The special was nominated for Music Special of the Year from ''TV Guide''. The album's song "Y Hubo Alguien" became his first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot Latin Tracks Chart and the first by a salsa musician. The album became the first salsa album to enter the English language ''Billboard'' 200 chart. After an ongoing battle with RMM, he severed ties with Ralph Mercado and left the label in 1999.

Move to Sony

Anthony subsequently recorded the duet "No Me Ames" with Jennifer Lopez on her album ''On the 6'', giving her an assist in her Spanish language crossover attempt.

In 1999, riding the crossover wave of Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin in the Anglophone market, Anthony, working with producers Walter Afanasieff, Cory Rooney, Dan Shea, and Rodney Jerkins, released an English-language, self-titled album with the US Top 5 single "I Need to Know", and the Spanish version, "Dímelo". His song "You Sang To Me" was featured in ''Runaway Bride''. A dance version was remixed by Dutch producer Rene Van Verseveld. The album debuted at number eight on the ''Billboard'' album chart, and six weeks later went platinum; it eventually was certified triple platinum.The song "I Need To Know" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

In 2001, he debuted another salsa album, ''Libre'', which was certified gold with songs like "Celos", "Este Loco Que Te Mira", and "Viviendo". The album spent 14 weeks at the number-one spot on the ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums chart. The year after that, he made another English-language album, ''Mended''.

In June 2004, Anthony released a Latin pop album, ''Amar Sin Mentiras''. The following month, he reintroduced its songs with a danceable salsa rhythm in another album, ''Valio La Pena''. The song "Escapémonos" was a duet with Jennifer Lopez. In the 2005 Latin Grammy Awards, his ''Amar Sin Mentiras'' won best Latin Pop Album of The Year, and his ''Valió La Pena'' won Best Tropical Album of the Year. Lopez and Anthony performed "Escapémonos" at the 2005 Grammy Awards.

On July 11, 2006, Anthony released ''Sigo Siendo Yo'', a Spanish greatest-hits album. On May 2010 realized "Iconos" – as tribute of old Latin songs by artists such as José Luis Perales, Juan Gabriel and José José.

Acting career

Anthony played supporting roles in projects including 1995's ''Hackers'', and 1996's ''Big Night'' and ''The Substitute''. He appeared with Rubén Blades and Puerto Rican pop singer Ednita Nazario in Paul Simon's 1998 stage musical, ''The Capeman'', which ran for 68 performances. He had a role in Martin Scorsese's 1999 drama ''Bringing Out the Dead'', and in 2001, opposite Salma Hayek, was in the film ''In the Time of the Butterflies''. In ''Man On Fire'' (2004), Anthony, opposite Denzel Washington, played a wealthy businessman who hires a former U.S. Marine to protect his daughter from kidnappers in Mexico City. In 2007, Anthony starred in ''El Cantante'', a biographical drama about the life of salsa music legend Héctor Lavoe, who died in 1993 from AIDS complications. Anthony's then-wife, Jennifer Lopez, narrated the story and portrayed Lavoe's wife. The film, released in August 2007, received weak reviews. In 2010, Anthony guest-starred in two episodes of the TNT medical drama "HawthoRNe" as a detective and the title character's (Jada Pinkett Smith) love interest. He was later named the executive music producer of the show. In 2011, Anthony in partnership with Lopez Simon Fuller, and concert director Jamie King launched ''Q'Viva: The Chosen'', a reality television talent search for Latin American performers.

Appearances

He appeared at the Movies Rock concert along with his wife Jennifer Lopez in 2007 where he performed Simon & Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson".

Anthony sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" when Oscar De La Hoya fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. for the WBC Welterweight title.

On September 21, 2001 he also sang the national anthem at Shea Stadium in the first game after the attack on the World Trade Center. On September 28, 2008, he sang the national anthem again at Shea Stadium for the New York Mets final regular season game. Also in 2001 he appeared in the 30th anniversary concert celebration 30 years of Michael Jackson's music. On September 11, 2011, he once again sang the national anthem at Citi Field in remembrance of the 10 year anniversary of the attacks.

On October 12, 2009, Anthony sang the national anthem as the Miami Dolphins played their fifth regular season game against the New York Jets.

In 2010, Anthony appeared alongside Pitbull on the Cypress Hill single "Armada Latina" for their latest album, ''Rise Up''.

On June 25, 2010, Anthony performed as part of a tribute concert to Michael Jackson on CBS News' The Early Show.

In August, 2010, Anthony guest-starred in two episodes of the television series ''HawthoRNe'' as Detective Nick Renata.

On November 11, 2010 Anthony performed his cover of "Y Como Es El" along with the original singer José Luis Perales at the Latin Grammys.

On June 12, 2011 Anthony performed "The Star Spangled Banner" before Game 6 of the 2011 NBA Finals.

On July 22, 2011 Anthony appeared on the Pitbull single "Rain Over Me" for Pitbull's latest album, PlanetPit

Personal life

In 1994, Anthony's ex-girlfriend Debbie, a NYC police officer, gave birth to their daughter Ariana.

Marc married former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres on May 9, 2000 in Las Vegas. They have two sons, Cristian Marcus Muñiz (February 5, 2001) and Ryan Adrian Muñiz (August 16, 2003). It was a rocky marriage, and they separated in early 2002. They later reconciled and renewed their vows in a formal ceremony on December 7, 2002 at San Juan's Cathedral in Puerto Rico. The rocky marriage came to an end in October 2003 with Dayanara filing for divorce in January 2004. Less than a week after the divorce was finalized, Marc Anthony married Jennifer Lopez on June 5, 2004. To help in her recovery from the divorce, Dayanara traded her engagement ring for a diamond-encrusted Cartier watch and wrote the book ''Married to Me: How Committing to Myself Led to Triumph After Divorce''.

When his divorce proceedings began, Anthony was spotted with long-time friend Jennifer Lopez. Prior to his first marriage and her second, they had briefly dated. Lopez and Anthony recorded a duet in 2004, for Lopez's film ''Shall We Dance?'' Lopez and Anthony married on June 5, 2004, less than a week after his divorce was finalized on June 1. Guests had been invited to an "afternoon party", unaware they were attending a wedding. In February 2005, Lopez said about the marriage, "Everyone knows. It's not a secret." Months later, Anthony's daughter appeared in Lopez's video "Get Right".

Twins Emme Maribel Muñiz and Maximillian David Muñiz were born February 22, 2008. ''People'' paid $6 million for the first photos of the twins. As of at least January 2008, Anthony and his family reside in Brookville, New York, on Long Island.

In 2009, Anthony and Lopez purchased a stake in the Miami Dolphins. They joined several personalities in buying small stakes in the club, including Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Venus and Serena Williams, and Fergie.

On July 15, 2011, Anthony and Lopez announced their separation. Even though they are separating, their upcoming international talent show, "!Q'Viva!" and Kohl's fashion and home lines will go as planned.

By 2012, he had started to date model Shannon de Lima.

Discography

{{external media | align = center | audio1 = You may listen to Marc Anthony's interpretation of Hernandez' "Preciosa" here | audio2 = and "Lamento Borincano" here }}

Studio albums

1991: ''When the Night is Over''

1993: ''Otra Nota''

1995: ''Todo a Su Tiempo''

1997: ''Hasta Que Te Conoci''

1997: ''Contra la Corriente''

1999: ''Marc Anthony''

2001: ''Libre''

2002: ''Mended''

2004: ''Amar Sin Mentiras''

2004: ''Valió la Pena''

2006: Sigo siendo yo

2007: ''El Cantante''

2010: ''Iconos''

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1988	''East Side Story''	Flaco	Singer
1993	''Carlito's Way''	Cameo Appearance	Sings "Parece Mentira"
1994	''Natural Causes''	Marine Guard
1995		Agent Kee
1996	''Big Night''	Cristiano
1996	''The Substitute''	Juan Lucas
1999	''Bringing Out The Dead''	Noel
2001		Lio
2004		Samuel Ramos
2007	''El Cantante''	Héctor Lavoe
2010–2011	''HawthoRNe'' (TV series)	Officer Nick Renata	Guest: "A Mother Knows", "Picture Perfect"Main Season 3
2011	''Lopez Tonight'' (Talk Show)	Himself	Guest
2011	''The Tonight Show'' (Talk Show)	Himself	Guest

Awards and nominations

See also

List of famous Puerto Ricans

List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)

List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart

References

External links

Official Website

Marc Anthony at Billboard.com

Category:1968 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dance musicians Category:American male singers Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:Columbia Records artists Category:American freestyle musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Latin pop singers Category:Living people Category:People from New York City Category:Salsa musicians Category:Songwriters from New York Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Jennifer Lopez

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