Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
birth date	August 16, 1954
birth place	Kapuskasing, Ontario
birth name	James Francis Cameron
nationality	Canadian
citizenship	Canadian
networth	$650 million (est.)
education	Brea Olinda High School
alma mater	Fullerton College
home town	Chippawa, Ontario
residence	Permanent Los Angeles, California secondary Permanent New Zealand
years active	1978–present
spouse(s)	Sharon Williams (1978–1984)Gale Anne Hurd (1985–1989)Kathryn Bigelow (1989–1991)Linda Hamilton (1997–1999)Suzy Amis (2000–present)
occupation	Film director, producer, editor, screenwriter, environmentalist, explorer
Notable works	''The Terminator'', ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', ''Avatar'', ''Titanic'', ''Aliens'', ''True Lies'', ''The Abyss''
influences	Stanley Kubrick, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ridley Scott, George Lucas, Roger Corman, Steven Spielberg
influenced	David Fincher, Jonathan Mostow, Kathryn Bigelow, Rupert Wyatt, McG, Sam Raimi, Robert Rodriguez, Steven Spielberg, Joss Whedon, Alister Grierson, Duncan Jones
website	}}

James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian film director, film producer, deep-sea explorer, screenwriter, visual artist, editor, environmentalist and inventor. His writing and directing work includes ''Piranha II: The Spawning'' (1981), ''The Terminator'' (1984), ''Aliens'' (1986), ''The Abyss'' (1989), ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991), ''True Lies'' (1994), ''Titanic'' (1997), and ''Dark Angel'' (2000–2002). In the time between making ''Titanic'' and his return to feature films with ''Avatar'' (2009), Cameron spent several years creating many documentary films (specifically underwater documentaries), and also co-developed the digital 3D Fusion Camera System. Described by a biographer as part-scientist and part-artist, Cameron has also contributed to underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies.

He has been nominated for six Academy Awards overall, and received half of them, three Oscars for ''Titanic''. In total, Cameron's directorial efforts have grossed approximately US$2 billion in North America and US$6 billion worldwide. Without adjusting for inflation, Cameron's ''Titanic'' and ''Avatar'' are the two highest-grossing films of all time at $1.84 billion and $2.78 billion respectively. In March 2011 he was named Hollywood's top earner by ''Vanity Fair'', with estimated 2010 earnings of $257 million.

Background

Cameron was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, 1954, the son of Shirley (Lowe), an artist and nurse, and Phillip Cameron. His paternal great-great-great-grandfather emigrated from Balquhidder, Scotland in 1825; thus, he descends from Clan Cameron.

Cameron grew up in Chippawa, Ontario with his brother Davie Cameron and attended Stamford Collegiate School in Niagara Falls; his family moved to Brea, California in 1971 when he was 17. Cameron enrolled at Fullerton College, a 2-year community college, in 1973 to study physics. He switched to English, then dropped out before the start of the fall 1974 semester.

After dropping out of Sonora High School, he went to further his secondary education at Brea Olinda High School. After graduating, he worked several jobs such as truck driving and wrote when he had time. During this period he taught himself about special effects: "I'd go down to the USC library and pull any thesis that graduate students had written about optical printing, or front screen projection, or dye transfers, anything that related to film technology. That way I could sit down and read it, and if they'd let me photocopy it, I would. If not, I'd make notes."

After seeing the original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Cameron quit his job as a truck driver to enter the film industry. When Cameron read Syd Field's book ''Screenplay'', it occurred to him that integrating science and art was possible, and he wrote a ten-minute science fiction script with two friends, entitled ''Xenogenesis''. They raised money and rented camera, lenses, film stock, and studio, and shot it in 35mm. To understand how to operate the camera, they dismantled it and spent the first half-day of the shoot trying to figure out how to get it running.

Early career

While continuing to educate himself in film-making techniques, Cameron started working as a miniature-model maker at Roger Corman Studios. Making rapidly produced, low-budget productions taught Cameron to work efficiently and effectively. He soon found employment as an art director in the sci-fi movie ''Battle Beyond the Stars'' (1980). He did special effects work design and direction on John Carpenter's ''Escape from New York'' (1981), acted as production designer on ''Galaxy of Terror'' (1981), and consulted on the design of ''Android'' (1982).

Cameron was hired as the special effects director for the sequel of ''Piranha'', entitled ''Piranha II: The Spawning'' in 1981. The original director, Miller Drake, left the project due to creative differences with Ovidio Assonitis. Cameron was hired by Assonitis to take over, giving him his first directorial job. (He had worked previously with producer Roger Corman.) The interior scenes were filmed in Italy while the underwater diving sequences were shot at Grand Cayman Island.

The movie was to be produced in Jamaica. On location, production slowed down due to numerous problems and adverse weather conditions. James Cameron was fired after failing to get a close up of Carole Davis in her opening scene. Ovidio ordered Cameron to do the close-up the next day before he started on that day’s shooting. Cameron spent the entire day sailing around the resort to reproduce the lighting but still failed to get the close-up. After he was fired, Ovidio invited Cameron to stay on location and assist in the shooting. Once in Rome, Ovidio took over the editing and Cameron was struck down by food poisoning. Suffering from his illness, one night he had a nightmare about an invincible robot hitman sent from the future to kill him, giving him the idea for ''The Terminator'', which would later catapult his filming career.

Major films

''The Terminator'' (1984)

After completing a screenplay for ''The Terminator'', Cameron decided to sell it so that he could direct the movie. However, the production companies he contacted, while expressing interest in the project, were unwilling to let a largely inexperienced feature film director make the movie. Finally, Cameron found a company called Hemdale Pictures, which was willing to let him direct. Gale Anne Hurd, who had started her own production company, Pacific Western Productions, had previously worked with Cameron in Roger Corman's company and agreed to buy Cameron's screenplay for one dollar, on the condition that Cameron direct the film. Hurd was signed on as producer, and Cameron finally got his first break as director. Orion Pictures distributed the film.

Initially, for the role of the Terminator, Cameron wanted someone who wasn't exceptionally muscular, and who could "blend into" a normal crowd. Lance Henriksen, who had starred in ''Piranha II: The Spawning'', was considered for the title role, but when Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cameron first met over lunch to discuss Schwarzenegger playing the role of Kyle Reese, both came to the conclusion that the cyborg villain would be the more compelling role for the Austrian bodybuilder; Henriksen got the smaller part of LAPD detective Hal Vukovich and the role of Kyle Reese went to Michael Biehn. In addition, Linda Hamilton first appeared in this film in her iconic role of Sarah Connor, and later married Cameron.

''The Terminator'' was a box office hit, breaking expectations by Orion Pictures executives that the film would be regarded as no more than a sci-fi film, and only last a week in theaters. It was a low-budget film which cost $6.5 million to make, cutting expenses in such ways as recording the audio track in mono. However, ''The Terminator'' eventually earned over $78 million worldwide.

''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985)

During the early 1980s, Cameron wrote three screenplays simultaneously: ''The Terminator'', ''Aliens'', and the first draft of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II''. While Cameron continued with ''The Terminator'' and ''Aliens'', Sylvester Stallone eventually took over the script of ''Rambo: First Blood Part II'', creating a final draft which differed radically from Cameron's initial version.

''Aliens'' (1986)

Cameron next began the sequel to ''Alien'', the 1979 film by Ridley Scott. Cameron named the sequel ''Aliens'', and again cast Sigourney Weaver in the iconic role of Ellen Ripley. According to Cameron, the crew on ''Aliens'' was hostile to him, regarding him as a poor substitute for Ridley Scott. Cameron sought to show them ''The Terminator'' but the majority of the crew refused to watch it and remained skeptical of his direction throughout production. Despite this and other off-screen problems (such as clashing with an uncooperative camera man and having to replace one of the lead actors – Michael Biehn of ''Terminator'' took James Remar's place as Corporal Hicks), ''Aliens'' became a box office success, and received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Weaver, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound, and won awards for Best Sound Effects Editing and Best Visual Effects. In addition, the film and its lead actress made the cover of ''TIME'' magazine as a result of its numerous and extensive scenes of women in combat - these were almost without precedent and expressed the feminist theme of the film very strongly.

''The Abyss'' (1989)

Cameron's next project stemmed from an idea that had come up during a high school biology class. The story of oil-rig workers who discover otherworldly underwater creatures became the basis of Cameron's screenplay for ''The Abyss'', which cast Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Michael Biehn. Initially budgeted at $41 million U.S. (though the production ran considerably over budget), it was considered to be one of the most expensive films of its time, and required cutting-edge effects technology. Because much of the film takes place underwater and the technology wasn't advanced enough to digitally create an underwater environment, Cameron chose to shoot much of the movie "reel-for-real", at depths of up to . For creation of the sets, the containment building of an unfinished nuclear power plant was converted, and two huge tanks were used. The main tank was filled with of water, and the second with . The cast and crew resided there for much of the shooting.

''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991)

After the success of ''The Terminator'', there had always been talks about a sequel to continue the story of Sarah Connor and her struggle against machines from the future. Although Cameron had come up with a core idea for the sequel, and Schwarzenegger expressed interest in continuing the story, there were still problems regarding who had the rights to the story, as well as the logistics of the special effects needed to make the sequel. Finally, in late-1980s, Mario Kassar of Carolco Pictures secured the rights to the sequel, allowing Cameron to greenlight production of the film, now called ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''.

For the film, Linda Hamilton reprised her iconic role of Sarah Connor. In addition, Schwarzenegger also returned in his role as The Terminator, but this time as a protector. Unlike the T-800, who is made of a metal endoskeleton, the new villain of the sequel, called the T-1000, was a more advanced Terminator made of liquid metal, and with polymorphic abilities. The T-1000 would also be much less bulky than the T-800. For the role, Cameron cast Robert Patrick, a sharp contrast to Schwarzenegger. Cameron explained, "I wanted someone who was extremely fast and agile. If the T-800 is a human Panzer tank, then the T-1000 is a Porsche."

Cameron had originally wanted to incorporate this advanced-model Terminator into the first film, but the special effects at the time were not advanced enough. The ground-breaking effects used in ''The Abyss'' to digitally depict the water tentacle convinced Cameron that his liquid metal villain was now possible.

TriStar Pictures agreed to distribute the film, but under a locked release date only about one year after the start of shooting. The movie, co-written by Cameron and his longtime friend, William Wisher, Jr., had to go from screenplay to finished film in just that amount of time. Like Cameron's previous film, it was one of the most expensive films of its era, with a budget of about $100 million. The biggest challenge of the movie was the special effects used in creating the T-1000. Nevertheless, the film was finished on time, and released to theaters on July 3, 1991.

''Terminator 2'', or ''T2'', as it was abbreviated, broke box-office records (including the opening weekend record for an R-rated film), earning over $200 million in the United States and Canada, and over $300 million in other territories, and became the highest-grossing film of that year. It won four Academy Awards: Best Makeup, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, and Best Visual Effects. It was also nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, but lost both Awards to ''JFK''.

James Cameron announced a third Terminator film many times during the 1990s, but without coming out with any finished scripts. Kassar and Vajna purchased the rights to the Terminator franchise from a bankruptcy sale of Carolco's assets. ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' was eventually made and released in July 2003 without Cameron's involvement. Jonathan Mostow directed the film and Schwarzenegger returned as the Terminator.

Cameron reunited with the main cast of ''Terminator 2'' to film ''T2 3-D: Battle Across Time'', an attraction at Universal Studios Florida, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Japan. It was released in 1996 and was a mini-sequel to ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''. The show is in two parts: a prequel segment in which a spokesperson talks about Cyberdyne, and a main feature, in which the performers interact with a 3-D movie.

''True Lies'' (1994)

Before the release of ''T2'', Schwarzenegger came to Cameron with the idea of making a remake of the French comedy ''La Totale!'' Titled ''True Lies'', with filming beginning after ''T2'''s release, the story revolves around a secret-agent spy who leads a double life as a married man, whose wife believes he is a computer salesman. Schwarzenegger was cast as Harry Tasker, a spy charged with stopping a plan by a terrorist to use nuclear weapons against the United States. Jamie Lee Curtis and Eliza Dushku played the character's family, and Tom Arnold the sidekick.

Cameron's ''Lightstorm Entertainment'' signed on with Twentieth Century Fox for production of ''True Lies''. Made on a budget of $115 million and released in 1994, the film earned $146 million in North America, and $232 million abroad. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects.

''Titanic'' (1997)

Cameron expressed interest in the famous sinking of the ship . He decided to script and film his next project based on this event. The picture revolved around a fictional romance story between two young lovers from different social classes who meet on board. Before production began, he took dives to the bottom of the Atlantic and shot actual footage of the ship underwater, which he inserted into the final film. Much of the film's dialogue was also written during these dives.

Subsequently, Cameron cast Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates, Frances Fisher, Gloria Stuart, Bernard Hill, Jonathan Hyde, Victor Garber, Danny Nucci, David Warner, Suzy Amis and Bill Paxton as the film's principal cast. Cameron's budget for the film reached about $200 million, making it the most expensive movie ever made at the time. Before its release, the film was widely ridiculed for its expense and protracted production schedule.

Released to theaters on December 19, 1997, ''Titanic'' grossed less in its first weekend ($28.6 million) than in its second, ($35.4 million), an increase of 23.8%. This is unheard of for a widely released film, which is a testament to the movie's appeal. This was especially noteworthy, considering that the film's running time of more than three hours limited the number of showings each theater could schedule. It held the No. 1 spot on the box-office charts for months, eventually grossing a total of over $600 million in the United States and Canada and more than $1.8 billion worldwide. ''Titanic'' became the highest-grossing film ever made, until Cameron's 2009 film ''Avatar''. The CG visuals surrounding the sinking and destruction of the ship were considered spectacular. Despite criticism during production of the film, it received a record-tying 14 Oscar nominations (tied with ''All About Eve'') at the 1998 Academy Awards. It won 11 Oscars (also record-tying with ''Ben-Hur'' and later ''The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King''), including Best Picture, Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Song, Best Original Dramatic Score, and the Best Director award for Cameron. Upon receiving the award, Cameron exclaimed, "I'm king of the world!", in reference to one of the main characters' lines from the film. In March 2010, Cameron revealed that ''Titanic'' will be re-released in 3D in April 2012, in order to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the actual ship.

''Spider-Man'' and ''Dark Angel'' (2000–2002)

Cameron had initially next planned to do a film of the comic book character Spider-Man, a project developed by Menahem Golan of Cannon Films. Columbia hired David Koepp to adapt Cameron's treatment into a screenplay, and Koepp's first draft is taken often word-for-word from Cameron's story, though later drafts were heavily rewritten by Koepp himself, Scott Rosenberg, and Alvin Sargent. Columbia preferred to credit David Koepp solely, and none of the scripts before or after his were ever examined by the Writers Guild of America, East to determine proper credit attribution. Cameron and other writers objected, but Columbia and the WGA prevailed. In its release in 2002, ''Spider-Man'' had its screenplay credited solely to Koepp.

Unable to make ''Spider-Man'', Cameron moved to television and created ''Dark Angel'', a superheroine-centered series influenced by cyberpunk, biopunk, contemporary superhero franchises, and third-wave feminism. Co-produced with Charles H. Eglee, ''Dark Angel'' starred Jessica Alba as Max Guevara, a genetically enhanced transgenic super-soldier created by a secretive organization. Cameron's work was said to "bring empowered female warriors back to television screens[...] by mixing the sober feminism of his ''The Terminator'' and ''Aliens'' characters with the sexed-up Girl Power of a Britney Spears concert." While a success in its first season, low ratings in the second led to its cancellation. Cameron himself directed the series finale, a two-hour episode wrapping up many of the series' loose ends.

Documentaries (2002–2009)

In 1998 James and John David Cameron formed a digital media company, earthship.tv which became Earthship Productions. The company produced live multimedia documentaries from the depths of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. With Earthship Productions, John Cameron's recent projects have included undersea documentaries on the (''Expedition: Bismarck'', 2002) and the ''Titanic'' (''Ghosts of the Abyss'' (2003, in IMAX 3D) and ''Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure'' (2005)). He was a producer on the 2002 film ''Solaris'', and narrated ''The Exodus Decoded''.

Cameron is a leading advocate for stereoscopic digital 3-D films. In a 2003 interview about his IMAX 2D documentary ''Ghosts of the Abyss'', he mentioned that he is "going to do everything in 3D now". He has made similar statements in other interviews. ''Ghosts of the Abyss'' and ''Aliens of the Deep'' (also an IMAX documentary) were both shot in 3-D and released by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, and Cameron did the same for his new project, ''Avatar'' for 20th Century Fox & Sony Pictures' Columbia Pictures. He intends to use the same technology for ''The Dive'', ''Sanctum'' and an adaptation of the manga series ''Battle Angel Alita''.

Cameron was the founder and CEO of Digital Domain, a visual effects production and technology company.

In addition, he plans to create a 3-D project about the first trip to Mars. ("I've been very interested in the Humans to Mars movement—the 'Mars Underground'—and I've done a tremendous amount of personal research for a novel, a miniseries, and a 3-D film.") He is on the science team for the 2011 Mars Science Laboratory.

Cameron announced on February 26, 2007, that he, along with his director, Simcha Jacobovici, have documented the unearthing of the Talpiot Tomb, which is alleged to be the tomb of Jesus. Unearthed in 1981 by Israeli construction workers, the names on the tomb are claimed, by Cameron, to correlate with the names of Jesus and several individuals closely associated with him. Cameron further claims to have DNA tests, archaeological evidence, and Biblical studies to back up his claim. The documentary, named ''The Lost Tomb of Jesus'', was broadcast on the Discovery Channel on March 4, 2006.

''Avatar'' (2009)

In June 2005, Cameron was announced to be working on a project tentatively titled "Project 880" (now known to be ''Avatar'') in parallel with another project, ''Battle Angel'' (an adaptation of the manga series Battle Angel Alita). Both movies were to be shot in 3D. By December, Cameron stated that he wanted to film ''Battle Angel'' first, followed by ''Avatar''. However in February 2006, he switched goals for the two film projects and decided to film ''Avatar'' first. He mentioned that if both films are successful, he would be interested in seeing a trilogy being made for both.

''Avatar'' had an estimated budget of over $300 million and was released on December 18, 2009. This marked his first feature film since 1997's ''Titanic''. It is composed almost entirely of computer-generated animation, using a more advanced version of the "performance capture" technique used by director Robert Zemeckis in ''The Polar Express''. James Cameron wrote an 80 page scriptment for ''Avatar'' in 1995 and announced in 1996 that he would make the film after completing ''Titanic''. In December 2006, Cameron explained that the delay in producing the film since the 1990s had been to wait until the technology necessary to create his project was advanced enough. The film was originally scheduled to be released in May 2009 but was pushed back to December 2009 to allow more time for post production on the complex CGI and to give more time for theatres worldwide to install 3D projectors. Cameron originally intended ''Avatar'' to be 3D-only. The film went on to break the record for highest-grossing film ever, beating Cameron's previous film ''Titanic''. ''Avatar'' also became the first movie to ever earn more than $2 billion worldwide. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and won three for Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction. Cameron lost the award for Best Director to his ex-wife, Kathryn Bigelow, who also took Best Picture with her film ''The Hurt Locker''.

Cameron was declared as the highest earner in Hollywood for 2010 earning $257 million for his blockbuster hit, in a survey listing the top 40 earners by Vanity Fair.

Critics of "Avatar" have said that it continues to perpetrate the "White Messiah" myth. Film-maker Neil Diamond described it in an interview as "Dances with Pocahontas in Space."

Planned films

In October 2010, Cameron signed an agreement with Fox to direct two sequels to ''Avatar'', which are scheduled to be released in December 2014 and December 2015. Another project Cameron has announced a personal commitment to shoot is a film on the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as told through the story of Tsutomu Yamaguchi, a man who survived both attacks. Cameron met with Yamaguchi just days before he died in 2010.

Awards

Cameron received the Bradbury Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 1991—but, being primarily thought of as a genre filmmaker, he did not receive any major mainstream filmmaking awards prior to ''Titanic''. With ''Titanic'', Cameron received Academy Awards for Best Film Editing (shared with Conrad Buff and Richard A. Harris), Best Picture (shared with Jon Landau), and Best Director. He also won a Golden Globe Award for best director for the film.

In recognition of "a distinguished career as a Canadian filmmaker", Carleton University, Ottawa, awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts on June 13, 1998. Cameron accepted the degree in person and gave the Convocation Address.

He also received an honorary doctorate in October 1998 from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, for his accomplishments in the international film industry.

In 1998, Cameron attended convocation to receive an honorary doctorate of Laws from Ryerson University, Toronto. The university awards its highest honor to those who have made extraordinary contributions in Canada, or internationally.

In 1999, Cameron received the honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton, where he had been a student in the 1970s. He received the degree at the university's annual Commencement exercises that year, where he gave the keynote speech.

In recognition of his contributions to underwater filming and remote vehicle technology, the University of Southampton awarded Cameron the honorary degree of Doctor of the University. Cameron received his degree in person at the graduation ceremony in July 2004.

On June 3, 2008, it was announced that he would be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. On December 18, 2009, the same day ''Avatar'' was released worldwide, Cameron received the 2,396th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On February 28, 2010 James Cameron was honored with a Visual Effects Society (VES) Lifetime Achievement Award.

With ''Avatar'', Cameron has been nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Picture (shared with Jon Landau), Best Director and Best Film Editing (shared with John Refoua and Stephen E. Rivkin) and received the Golden Globe for Best Picture and Best Director. Cameron and ''Avatar'' lost the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture to Cameron's former wife Kathryn Bigelow for her film, ''The Hurt Locker''.

On September 24, 2010 James Cameron was named Number 1 in The 2010 Guardian Film Power 100 list. In a list compiled by the British magazine New Statesman in September 2010, he was listed 30th in the list of "The World's 50 Most Influential Figures 2010".

Awards

''Rambo: First Blood Part II'' ''[[Aliens (film) ''[[Aliens (film) ''The Abyss'' ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' ''True Lies'' ''[[Titanic (1997 film) ''[[Titanic (1997 film) ''Ghosts of the Abyss'' ''Avatar (2009 film)

Year	! Film	! Role	! Notes
style="text-align:center;"	1984	''The Terminator''	Director, Writer
style="text-align:center;"	1985	|	Writer	1986	Aliens">Golden Raspberry Award
style="text-align:center;"	1986	Aliens'' ||	Director, Writer	Academy Award for Best Sound EditingAcademy Award for Best Visual EffectsNominated for Academy Award for Best ActressNominated for Academy Award for Best Original ScoreNominated for Academy Award for Best Sound MixingNominated for Academy Award for Best Film EditingNominated for Academy Award for Best Art Direction
style="text-align:center;"	1989	|	Director, Writer	Academy Award for Best Visual EffectsNominated for Academy Award for Best Art DirectionNominated for Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated for Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing
style="text-align:center;"	1991	|	Director, Writer and Producer	Academy Award for Best MakeupAcademy Award for Best Sound MixingAcademy Award for Best Sound EditingAcademy Award for Best Visual EffectsNominated for Academy Award for Best CinematographyNominated for Academy Award for Best Film Editing
style="text-align:center;"	1994	|	Director, Writer and Producer	Nominated for 1997	Titanic">Academy Awards
style="text-align:center;"	1997	Titanic'' ||	Director, Writer, Producer and Editor	Academy Award for Best DirectorAcademy Award for Best PictureAcademy Award for Best Film EditingAcademy Award for Best CinematographyAcademy Award for Best Costume DesignAcademy Award for Best Visual EffectsAcademy Award for Best Sound MixingAcademy Award for Best Sound EditingAcademy Award for Best Original ScoreAcademy Award for Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Art DirectionNominated for Academy Award for Best ActressNominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated for Academy Award for Best Makeup
style="text-align:center;"	2003	|	Director and Producer	Nominated by the Broadcast Film Critics Association for Best Documentary
style="text-align:center;"	2009	Avatar'' ||	Director, Writer, Producer and Editor	Academy Award for Best Cinematography Academy Award for Best Visual Effects Academy Award for Best Art DirectionNominated for Academy Award for Best PictureNominated for Academy Award for Best DirectorNominated for Academy Award for Best Film EditingNominated for Academy Award for Best Original ScoreNominated for Academy Award for Best Sound EditingNominated for Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing

Casting

Cameron often casts certain actors more than once in his films. Cameron has consistently worked with Bill Paxton, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Jenette Goldstein and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Actor !! ''Xenogenesis (film)

Xenogenesis'' (1978) !! ''Piranha II: The Spawning'' (1981) !! ''The Terminator'' (1984) !! ''Aliens'' (1986) !! ''The Abyss'' (1989) !! ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991) !! ''True Lies'' (1994) !! ''Titanic'' (1997) !! ''Expedition: Bismarck'' (2002) !! ''Ghosts of the Abyss'' (2003) !! ''Avatar'' (2009)!! ''Avatar 2'' (2014)!! ''Avatar 3'' (2015)

! William Wisher, Jr.

|

Lance Henriksen

|

Bill Paxton

|

Michael Biehn

|

1

Earl Boen

|

Linda Hamilton

|

Arnold Schwarzenegger

|

Jenette Goldstein

|

Sigourney Weaver

|

Zoe Saldana

|

Sam Worthington

|

¹ His reprised role of Reese was cut from the theatrical release, but restored in the DVD's Special Edition Version. ² Although Wisher Jr. has written some of Cameron's works, he is listed in the above table as an actor.

Recurring themes

Cameron's films have recurring themes and subtexts. These include the prospects of nuclear holocaust (the Skynet takeover scenario from both Terminator films), attempts to reconcile humanity with technology (as seen in ''Aliens'' and ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''), humanity repeating the same mistakes, the dangers of corporate greed (''Aliens'', ''Avatar''), strong female characters (Sarah Connor, Neytiri, and Ellen Ripley being the most famous), and a strong romance subplot.

While ''The Abyss'' dealt with deep sea exploration (shot on a studio set), Cameron himself became an expert in the field of deep sea wreckage exploration, exploring the wreckage of Titanic and Bismarck. Cameron will return to this theme with ''The Dive'', shooting from a minisub.

So important is technology in Cameron's films that he waited years for the technical tools of the craft to advance sufficiently to realize his vision for ''Avatar'', for which he had special 3-D cameras developed.

Filmography

Cameron has contributed to many projects as either a writer, director, producer, or as a combination of the three.

Cameron's first film was the 1978 science fiction short film ''Xenogenesis'', which he directed, wrote and produced. Cameron's films have grossed a total of over $7 billion worldwide.

In addition to works of fiction, Cameron has directed and appeared in several documentaries including ''Ghosts of the Abyss'' and ''Aliens of the Deep''. He also contributed to a number of television series including ''Dark Angel'' and ''Entourage''. He plans to shoot a small drama film after the Avatar trilogy, just to prove that 3D works even for domestic dramas. His next movie is called Myth.

Personal life

Cameron has been married five times: to Sharon Williams (1978–1984), Gale Anne Hurd (1985–1989), director Kathryn Bigelow (1989–1991), and Linda Hamilton (1997–1999, daughter Josephine born in 1993). Cameron dated Hamilton since 1991, but the two didn't marry until 1997. Eight months after the marriage, however, they separated, and within days of Cameron's Oscar victory with ''Titanic,'' the couple announced their divorce. As part of the divorce settlement, Cameron was forced to pay Hamilton $50 million. Hamilton later revealed that the reason for their divorce was not only Cameron's blind devotion to his work to the exclusion of almost everything else, but also that he had been having an affair with Suzy Amis, an actress he cast in ''Titanic.''. He married Amis in 2000, and they have one son and two daughters. Cameron lives in Malibu, California with his wife. On February 2 the Associated Press said Cameron will be moving to New Zealand to film Avatar.

Hurd was the producer of Cameron's ''The Terminator'', ''Aliens'', and ''The Abyss'', and the executive producer of ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''. Hamilton played the role of Sarah Connor in both ''Terminator'' films. Amis played the part of Lizzy Calvert, Rose's granddaughter, in ''Titanic''. Both Cameron (''Avatar'') and Bigelow (''The Hurt Locker'') were nominated for the Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA Award for Best Director for films released in 2009. Cameron won the Golden Globe, whilst Bigelow won the Oscar and the BAFTA for Best Director, becoming the first woman to win either.

Cameron is a member of the NASA Advisory Council and is working on the project to put cameras on an upcoming manned Mars mission. Cameron has also given speeches and raised money for the Mars Society, a non-profit organization lobbying for the colonization of Mars.

In June 2010, Cameron met in Washington with the EPA to discuss possible solutions to the 2010 BP oil spill. Later that week at the All Things Digital Conference, he attracted some notoriety when he stated, "Over the last few weeks I've watched...and [been] thinking, 'Those morons don't know what they're doing'." Reportedly, Cameron had offered BP help to plug the oil well, but they declined. The oil spill was eventually stopped using techniques similar to what Cameron recommended.

Although Cameron has lived his entire adult life in the United States, he remains a Canadian citizen. Cameron applied for American citizenship but withdrew his application after George W. Bush won the presidential election in 2004.

Cameron calls himself "Converted Agnostic", and says "I've sworn off agnosticism, which I now call cowardly atheism". As a child he described the Lord's Prayer as being a 'tribal chant'.

On March 7, 2012, Cameron took the Deepsea Challenger submersible to the bottom of the New Britain Trench in a five-mile-deep solo dive; he plans to visit the deepest part of the Mariana Trench ''Challenger Deep'' later in the year.

Reputation

Cameron has been labeled by one collaborator, author Orson Scott Card, as selfish and cruel. When asked about working with Cameron on the novelization of ''The Abyss'', Card said the experience was "hell on wheels. He was very nice to me, because I could afford to walk away. But he made everyone around him miserable, and his unkindness did nothing to improve the film in any way. Nor did it motivate people to work faster or better. And unless he changes his way of working with people, I hope he never directs anything of mine. In fact, now that this is in print, I can fairly guarantee that he will never direct anything of mine. Life is too short to collaborate with selfish, cruel people."

After working with Cameron on ''Titanic'', Kate Winslet decided she would not work with Cameron again unless she earned "a lot of money." She said that Cameron was a nice man, but she found his temper difficult to deal with. In an editorial, the British newspaper ''The Independent'' said that Cameron "is a nightmare to work with. Studios have come to fear his habit of straying way over schedule and over budget. He is notorious on set for his uncompromising and dictatorial manner, as well as his flaming temper."

Sam Worthington, the latest lead actor to work with Cameron, stated on the ''Jay Leno Show'' that Cameron had very high expectations from everyone, and would often use a nail gun to nail the film crew's cell phones to a wall above an exit door in retaliation for unwanted ringing during production. Other actors, such as Bill Paxton and Sigourney Weaver, have praised Cameron's perfectionism. Weaver said of Cameron: "He really does want us to risk our lives and limbs for the shot, but he doesn't mind risking his own."

Additionally, composer James Horner refused to work with Cameron for ten years following their strained working relationship on 1986's ''Aliens,'' but they would eventually settle their differences, and Horner would go on to score both ''Titanic'' and ''Avatar'' for Cameron.

References

Further reading

Matthew Wilhelm Kapell and Stephen McVeigh, eds., The Films of James Cameron: Critical Essays. McFarland & Company, 2011.

External links

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Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
name	Jennifer Lopez
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jennifer Lynn Lopez
alias	J.Lo
birth date	}}

| genre = | occupation = Actress, businesswoman, dancer, recording artist | years_active = 1986, 1991–present | label = Epic, Island, Work | website = }} Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), often known by her moniker J.Lo, is an American actress, businesswoman, dancer and recording artist. She began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color''. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller ''Money Train''. Her first leading role was in the biographical film ''Selena'' (1997), in which she earned an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress. She earned her second ALMA Award for her performance in ''Out of Sight'' (1998). She has since starred in various films, including ''The Cell'' (2000), ''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), ''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), ''Shall We Dance?'' (2004), ''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), and ''The Back-up Plan'' (2010).

Lopez came to prominence within the music industry following the release of her debut studio album ''On the 6'' (1999), which spawned the number one hit single "If You Had My Love". Her second studio album, ''J.Lo'' (2001), sold eight million copies worldwide; it was number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 the same week her film ''The Wedding Planner'' led the Box Office. ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'' (2002) became her second consecutive album to debut at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200. Her third and fourth studio albums – ''This Is Me... Then'' and ''Rebirth'' – peaked at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200. In 2007 she released two albums: her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', and her fifth English studio album, ''Brave''. Lopez returned to music and released her seventh studio album, titled ''Love?'', on April 19, 2011, which produced her most successful single to date, "On the Floor". Her contributions to the music industry have garnered her numerous achievements, including two Grammy Award nominations; two Latin Grammy Award nominations; three American Music Awards, amongst six nominations. She has amassed estimated sales of over 55 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' ranked her as the 27th Artist of the 2000s decade. In 2010, Lopez became a member of the judging panel for the American reality television competition ''American Idol''. Lopez has been selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012 for the "Recording" category.

She led ''People en Español''s list of "100 Most Influential Hispanics" in February 2007. That year, Lopez made the ''Forbes'' magazine's list of "The 20 Richest Women In Entertainment," ranking ninth. She has parlayed her media fame into a fashion line and various perfumes with her celebrity endorsement. A fashion icon, several of her dresses have received considerable media attention, most notably the Jungle green Versace dress which she wore at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000—voted the fifth most iconic dress of all time. Outside of her work in the entertainment industry, Lopez advocates for human rights and vaccinations, and is a supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. In 2011 she was named the most "Beautiful Person" by ''People'' magazine in its annual issue. As of 2011, her wealth is estimated to be $150 million.

Early life and career beginnings

Lopez was born on July 24, 1969, in The Bronx, New York, and was raised on Blackrock Avenue in the borough's Castle Hill neighborhood. She is the daughter of Puerto Rican parents Guadalupe (née Rodríguez), a kindergarten teacher, and David Lopez, a computer specialist, both born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Lopez was raised as a Roman Catholic. She has two siblings, Lynda and Leslie. Lopez spent her entire academic career in Catholic schools, finishing at the all-girls Preston High School in the Bronx. She financed singing and dancing lessons for herself from the age of nineteen. After attending Baruch College for one semester, Lopez divided her time between working as a notary public in a legal office, dance classes, and dance performances in Manhattan night clubs. She had a small part in the 1987 film ''My Little Girl'', at the age of sixteen. After months of auditioning for dance roles, Lopez was selected as a dancer for various rap music videos, a 1990 episode of ''Yo! MTV Raps'', and as a backup dancer for the New Kids on the Block and their performance of their song "Games" for the American Music Awards in 1991. She gained her first regular high-profile job as a "Fly Girl" dancer on the television comedy program ''In Living Color'' from 1991–1993. Soon after, Lopez became a backup dancer for Janet Jackson and made an appearance in her 1993 video "That's the Way Love Goes".

Entertainment career

1993–98: Acting debut and film breakthrough with ''Selena'' and ''Out Of Sight''

Lopez's first television job as an actress was on the Fox series ''South Central''. She also made guest appearances in ''Second Chances'' and ''Hotel Malibu''. She then appeared in the made-for-television film ''Nurses on the Line: The Crash of Flight 7''. Lopez's first serious screen role was in Gregory Nava's 1995 drama ''My Family'', playing the character of Young Maria in the 1920s. After starring alongside Jimmy Smits and Edward James Olmos in ''My Family'', which earned her a Independent Spirit Award nomination, Lopez starred in the action film ''Money Train'', opposite Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1996, she reportedly beat out Ashley Judd and Lauren Holly for the supporting role in Francis Ford Coppola's 1996 comedy ''Jack'' starring Robin Williams. She then starred opposite Jack Nicholson in Bob Rafelson's well-received noir thriller ''Blood and Wine'' (1996). thumb|left|200px|Lopez earned widespread acclaim for her role as "Selena" Lopez's first big break came in 1997, when she was chosen to play the title role in ''Selena'', a biopic of the Tejano pop singer Selena. Despite having previously worked with Nava on ''Mi Familia'', Lopez was subjected to an intense auditioning process before landing the role. Production of the movie began in mid 1996. Lopez played Selena in her 20s, while Rebecca Lee Maza played Selena in her younger years. During pre-production, Mexican-American activists were highly critical that Jennifer Lopez, a New York City native born to Puerto Rican parents, was selected to play Selena. They preferred an actress with Mexican roots. However, after seeing Lopez's portrayal of Selena, they revised their opinions and were more accepting of Nava's decision. Lopez earned widespread outstanding reviews and praise from critics for her portrayal of Selena. Kenneth Turan from ''Los Angeles Times'' film critic Kenneth Turan while giving the film a mixed review, he wrote that ''Selena'' was not just a celebration of Selena's life, but the actress who played her. Joe Baltake said that Lopez was "is sensational in the title role" and complimented her for pulling off lip-syncing to Selena's original tracks as her own, as she wasn't a trained singer at the time. She garnered multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award nomination for "Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy". Lopez has won an MTV Movie Award. ''Selena'' had a budget of $20 million, and grossed $35 million

Later that year, Lopez appeared in two major films. She starred in the horror film ''Anaconda'' alongside Ice Cube and Jon Voight, playing the role of Terri Flores, a director who is shooting a documentary while traveling through the Amazon River. Despite being a modest box office hit, the film was critically panned. Lopez then starred as the leading actress in the neo-noir film ''U Turn'', which is based on the book ''Stray Dogs'', starring alongside Sean Penn and Billy Bob Thornton. In 1998, she had one of her most acclaimed roles, starring opposite George Clooney in ''Out of Sight'', Steven Soderbergh's adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel. Cast as a deputy federal marshal who falls for a charming criminal, Lopez won rave reviews for her performance and in the process she became the first Latina actress to earn over $1 million for a role. That same year, she provided the voice for Azteca on the computer-animated film ''Antz''.

1999–01: Musical debut with ''On the 6'', ''J.Lo'' and continued box office success

By May 1999, publicity for Lopez's debut album had begun, and the news spread fast. Lopez's debut album ''On the 6'', a reference to the 6 subway line she used to take growing up in Castle Hill, was released on June 1, 1999, and reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' 200. Her debut single, "If You Had My Love" was released on May 21, 1999. It debuted at the lower ends of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at 64, and due to high airplay and sales, it reached the top spot on June 12, 1999, her first number-one lead single; it remains her only song to reach the top spot without a feature. It stayed on the chart for a total of 25 weeks, and in addition peaked at number-two on ''Billboard'' Pop Songs Chart. Looking back on the record's success, during an interview in 2011, Lopez stated "Still I think about that and still it's like wow, my first record I ever did went to number one. It's just an overwhelming feeling. This does not happen all the time. This is a very special thing." It was proceeded by the release of "Waiting For Tonight", which peaked at number eight on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and was a dance club hit. Prior to the release of "Waiting For Tonight" as a single, a Spanish language Latin-flavored ballad with Marc Anthony (her husband from 2004 to 2011), "No Me Ames" was released and failed to chart on major charts. ''On the 6'' featured guest artists such as Big Pun and Fat Joe on the track "Feelin' So Good", which had moderate success on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, however failed to reach the top 50. "Let's Get Loud", the final single, earned Lopez a Grammy Award nomination in the "Best Dance Recording" category in 2001 Grammy Awards. "Waiting for Tonight" was nominated for the same category the previous year. "No Me Ames" received two nominations at the 2000 Latin Grammy Awards – "Best Pop Duo/Group with Vocal Performance" and "Best Music Video". In addition, Lopez was nominated for more awards then any other at the 1999 The Billboard Music Video Awards, scoring seven nominations in total, leading the likes of Christina Aguilera. ''On The 6'' had sold three million copies worldwide by August 2000. With the release and promotion of ''On The 6'' over, Lopez had successfully converted herself from film star to pop star within 12 months. Lopez then starred opposite Vincent D'Onofrio, in the psychological thriller film ''The Cell'', released on August 18, 2000. She portrayed Catherine Deane, a child psychologist who uses virtual reality to enter into the minds of her patients to coax them out of their comas. The film was released in August 2000 and became a box office success opening at number one. By August 2000, Lopez had begun work on her sophomore album. ''J.Lo'', was released on January 23, 2001 and debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, exceeding sales of 270,000 copies in its first week. In addition, the album dethroned The Beatles's ''1'' from the top spot. At the same time, her romantic comedy film, ''The Wedding Planner'', which she stard in alongside Matthew McConaughey led box office receipts, making Lopez the first female to have a film and an album at number one in the country, in the exact same week. ''J.Lo'' was more urban oriented than ''On the 6''. The lead single, "Love Don't Cost a Thing", was her first number-one single in the United Kingdom and took her into the top five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She followed it up with "Play" which gave her another top 20 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached number three in the UK. Her next single were "I'm Real" reached number one on the Hot 100, as well as spending over a year on the chart, with a total of 62 weeks. "I'm Real" was controversial for using a sample of the song "Firecraker"; which singer Mariah Carey had wanted to sample first. It was later shockingly announced that Carey's ex husband, Tommy Mottola had instructed record executive Irv Gotti to give Lopez the sample before Carey, and Lopez hadn't any knowledge of this at all. "Ain't It Funny" was released however didn't receive proper commercial promotion in the United States therefore ineligible for charting on the Hot 100. To capitalize on this, Lopez asked The Inc. Records (then known as Murder Inc.) to remix both songs ("I'm Real" and "Ain't It Funny), which featured rap artists Ja Rule (on both) and Cadillac Tah (on the "Ain't It Funny" remix). "Ain't It Funny (murder remix)" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for several weeks, and led Radio Airplay and Pop Songs charts. On July 24, 2001, She re-released ''J. Lo'' on her 32nd birthday with the remix of "I'm Real" as a bonus track. Also, "Si Ya Se Acabó" was released in Spain, due to the success "Que Ironia." In 2001, Lopez performed on tour on the ''Let's Get Loud "Live in Puerto Rico" Concert''. ''J.Lo'' has sold 4 million copies in the United States alone. On September 27, 2004, a box set was released by Epic Records featuring ''On The 6'' and ''J.Lo'' combined. Lopez next role, in the supernatural romance film ''Angel Eyes'' released May 2001, was a box office flub and failed to garner a proper audience, in addition film critics were not impressed either.

2002–06: ''J to tha L-O! The Remixes'', ''This Is Me... Then'', focus on film and ''Rebirth''

Following the success of the re-release of ''J. Lo'', Lopez decided to devote an entire album to the remix effort, releasing ''J to tha L–O! The Remixes'', on February 5, 2002. This album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the first remix album in history to debut at the top on the chart, selling over 150,000 copies in its opening week. Featured artists on ''J to tha L-O! The Remixes'' included P. Diddy, Fat Joe, and Nas, and the album included rare dance and hip hop remixes of past singles. It is the third all-time biggest-selling remix album in history, after Michael Jackson's ''Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix'', The Beatles' ''Love'' and Madonna's ''You Can Dance'', having sold a total of 1.5 million copies as of October 2010. In addition, it dethroned Alan Jackson's ''Drive'' from the number one spot on the chart, which had spent 3 consecutive weeks at the top. ''J to tha L-O: The Remixes'' sold 624,000 copies within its first month, and stayed in the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200 for a month, too. It remained the only album to debut at number one in the United States for nearly 10 years, until Justin Bieber's remix effort in 2011 debuted at the top spot with similar opening sales. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" which was previously on her ''J.Lo'' album was released as a single; impacting the charts by July 2007 and reached the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "I'm Gonna Be Alright" spent 23 weeks on the chart. In May 2002, she starred in the thriller film Enough as Slim, a woman abused by her husband and on the run from him. The film garnered negative reviews, however the fight scene at the finale chapter of the movie in which Slim kills her husband was praised. In addition, the film was considered a "kick-butt, female empowerment" movie. Lopez released her third studio album, ''This Is Me... Then'', on November 26, 2002. It was dedicated to her then fiancé, actor Ben Affleck. The songs, in particular the fifth track, "Dear Ben" detailed her romantic relationship with Affleck. The album debuted at number six (her lowest debut as of that time) however contained her highest first-week sales of over 310,000 copies; more then double to that of ''J to tha Lo: The Remixes''. It moved to 2 on the chart later on, where it peaked, and spent 40 weeks on the chart. By February 2003 (5 months following its initial release) it remained in the Top 10, managing to average around 80,000 copies per week. The album's lead single, Jenny from the Block" (featuring Jadakiss and Styles P) was released and reached the third spot on the Hot 100. The song "intones her (Lopez) modest childhood roots vowing she wishes to remain simple despite her diamonds." Its accommodating music video featured Lopez and her then fiancé, Ben Affleck under the scrutiny of the paparazzi. ''This Is Me ... Then'' spawned three other singles , "All I Have" (featuring LL Cool J) being the second, reached number one on the Hot 100, and "I'm Glad" and "Baby I Love U!" were the final two singles released from the album, peaking at 32 and 72 on the Hot 100 respectively. The video for "I'm Glad" recreated scenes from the 1983 film ''Flashdance'', leading to a lawsuit over copyright infringement, which was later dismissed. In addition, ''This Is Me Then'' included a cover of Carly Simon's 1978 "You Belong to Me". The album has sold 2.5 million copies in the United States, lower then her previous studio albums. Following her third studio effort, Lopez took a musical hiatus to focus on her film career. She appeared alongside Ralph Fiennes in the romantic comedy film ''Maid in Manhattan'', released on December 13, 2002. Her character, Marisa Ventura, is a struggling single mother who lives in the Bronx and makes her living cleaning rooms in a super-luxurious Manhattan hotel, and gets mistaken for a socialite by a princely politician. ''Maid in Manhattan'' was a box office hit, opening at number one. ''The New York Times'' compared the film's storyline to her 2002 song, "Jenny from the Block", commenting, "In her new single, ''Jenny From the Block,'' Jennifer Lopez declares that despite her enormous wealth and global fame, she has not lost touch with her roots." ''Gigli'' a film which Lopez starred as a Lesbian, across her then-lover Ben Affleck was released on August 1, 2003, and was a box office flub, and is often considered one of the worst films ever made. In 2004, once again she starred in another movie with Ben Affleck, Jersey Girl, but only grossed $36 million at the box office and received poor reviews. In August 2003, (after the international flub of "''Gigli''") it was announced that Lopez was star in ''Shall We Dance?''. The move was released in 2004, in which Lopez starred as Paulina alongside Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon; it reached the third spot at the Box Office.''Shall We Dance?'', grossed $112,238,000, at the international box office. Domestically, ''Shall We Dance?'' grossed $57,890,460 and a total of $170,128,460 worldwide. By this time, Lopez was well established as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and the highest-paid Latin actress in Hollywood history, though she's never had a film grossing over $100 million in the USA. She was on ''The Hollywood Reporter'''s list of the top ten actress salaries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Lopez released her fourth studio album, ''Rebirth'', on March 1, 2005. The lead single was "Get Right"., reaching 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and was a dance club hit. The song reached number one in the United Kingdom. The video for "Get Right" has Lopez portraying many different characters in a nightclub and sporting several different looks and occupations. Following the release of "Get Right", the album debuted (and peaked) at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 261,000 copies in its opening week. It quickly fell off the charts, and produced one more single, "Hold You Down", which featured Fat Joe, reached number 64 on the Hot 100 while it peaked at number six in the UK and ascended to the top 20 in Australia. The song "Cherry Pie" was intended to be released as a single, however due to low sales (despite a high start) of ''Rebirth'' these plants were scrapped. ''Rebirth'' was certified Platinum in the U.S. by the RIAA; selling over 700,000 copies so far in the United States, and has enjoyed international success. In May 2005, the film ''Monster-in-Law'' was released. It was Jane Fonda's first movie in several years. It featured Lopez as Charlie, an artist who is pitted against her fiance's conniving mother when she doesn't accept her as her son's girlfriend (or soon-to-be wife). However, the $43-million film became a box-office smash debuting at number one, earning $83 million ($154.7 worldwide) during its theatrical run in summer 2005. Lopez received $15 million for her role in ''Monster-in-Law''. Later, she starred in a film entitled ''An Unfinished Life'', which did not do well; only reaching 11 at the Box office. In 2006, Lopez was featured in LL Cool J's single "Control Myself", which was released on February 1, 2006. It reached number four on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart, Lopez's first collaborative Top 10 Hit in the U.S. since 2003. Also that year, she was in the movie ''Bodertown''; The movie is based on a series of unsolved murders in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, a ''maquiladora'' border city across the Río Bravo del Norte (Rio Grande) from El Paso, Texas. Estimates of the murders conflict, yet, conservatively speaking over four hundred women, maybe many more, have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered since 1993 in and around Ciudad Juárez. Lopez garnered a few awards and recognition for this part. The film wasn't a large success, though. Jennifer was one of the recipients of the Women in Film Crystal Award, after her appearance in ''Bordertown''.

2007–08: ''Como ama una Mujer'', ''Brave'' and career break

From early 2006, it was reported that Lopez was to release a full Spanish language album. Contactmusic.com said that Lopez would "prove critics wrong" and prove that she actually has a voice, through this new project. Upon the eve of the album's release, Lopez explained that she had previously aimed to sing in Spanish, however her career took a different path. Lopez officially released her first full Spanish-language album, ''Como ama una Mujer'', on March 23, 2007. It was one of few Latin albums to debut within the top 10 of the ''Billboard'' 200, debuting at number 10. The album was a natural and large success within the Latin community, reaching number one on ''Billboard'' Top Latin Albums. The record enjoyed moderate international success, reaching the top 10 in countries such as Italy, Germany, Greece, Poland and Austria, however was her first album to fail on the U.K. charts, charting briefly somewhere under the Top 100 mark. thumb|left|Lopez with husband Marc Anthony (right) and Greek singer Kostas Martakis (left), who opened her September 2008 concert in Athens. ''Como ama una Mujer'' marks the highest debut sales in the United States for a Spanish album and the highest digital sales for a Spanish album. It went straight to number one in Switzerland. ''The York Press'', on the album, stated that "Lopez stunned many with her Spanish language Como Ama una Mujer, which at last proved that she is a major musical force." For promotion of ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', Lopez traveled with her husband, Marc Athony, back to the Bronx, to meet fans and sign copies of her album in her hold neighbourd. Over 500 people attended. In an interview, Lopez stated "It touches my heart to be able to bring this album back to my neighborhood, back to my home." Her husband, singer Marc Anthony, produced the album with Estefano, except for "Qué Hiciste", which Anthony co-produced with Julio Reyes. The lead single, "Qué Hiciste" (Spanish for "What Did You Do"), was released to radio stations in January 2007. It peaked at 86 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number one on the Hot Latin Songs and the Hot Dance Club Play. It also went top ten on the European chart. The video for the song was the first Spanish-language video to peak at number one on MTV's ''Total Request Live'' daily countdown. The second single released is called "Me Haces Falta" and the third is "Por Arriesgarnos". Lopez won an American Music Award for Favorite Latin Artist in 2007, which she won again four years later in 2011. Lopez performed "Qué Hiciste" on Reality singing competition ''American Idol'', in the same week she was a mentor; she is the first person to perform a Latin (non-english) song on the hit show. On July 24, 2007 (Lopez's birthday) ''Billboard'' magazine reported that Lopez and husband Marc Anthony would "co-headline" a worldwide tour called "Juntos en Concierto" starting in New Jersey on September 29. The tour launched September 28, 2007 at the Mark G. Etess Arena and ended on November 7, 2007 at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. In August 2007, Lopez collaborated on the feature film, ''El Cantante'', with her husband – singer-actor Marc Anthony. Ms. Lopez, who's also a producer of the film, "does enough acting for the two of them in her role as Puchi, Héctor’s wife" while creating a very interesting and edgy performance. The film is in English, with creative use of subtitles for songs with Spanish lyrics. On August 15, 2007, it was confirmed that Lopez had begun working on her fifth English language album, and sixth studio album overall, that was confirmed for a release on October 9, 2007. The title was announced as ''Brave''. The lead single was announced as "Do It Well", which was serviced to radio stations and released in August. It debuted at 12 on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling only 53,000 copies in its opening week. Commercially, it was her least successful album. "Do It Well" managed to reach 31 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, but remained on the chart only for a mere nine weeks. It earned mixed to negative reviews, Rashod D. Ollison from ''The Sun'' said that "Brave – was not to daring". However, there were a ''few'' positive reviews. ''The York Press'' compared ''Brave'' to Britney Spears' album due for release around the same time. Praising Lopez for not needing digital enhancement of her voice in "Brave" compared to Spears, they turned their favor to ''Brave'' instead of ''Blackout'' despite praising Spears' for delivering a "decent album". Aside from this, ''Brave'' garnered negative or mixed reviews, who complained that despite the title, there was nothing brave about it. She collaborated with producers Midi Mafia, J. R. Rotem, Lynn and Wade and Ryan Tedder, with Rotem working on some tracks with writing partner Evan "Kidd" Bogart. Earlier, on August 26, 2007, ABC premiered a promo for the fourth season of ''Desperate Housewives'', featuring a snippet of the song "Mile in These Shoes". "Do It Well" was released as the lead single and reached the top 20 in many countries. "Hold It, Don't Drop It" was released as the second single in certain European territories only. The third single was set to be the title track "Brave", and it was even posted on director Michael Haussman's official website that filming of the music video for the song had completed, however, the release of "Brave" as a single was eventually scrapped, most likely due to low album sales. ''Brave'' has sold over 160,000 copies only (which sales are comparable to that of Lopez' previous ''first'' week sales of her first five albums).

2010–present: ''American Idol'', ''Love?'' and comeback

While pregnant with twins Max and Emme, Lopez had been writing material for her seventh studio album ''Love?'', with a planned release for the summer of 2010. A song titled "Fresh Out the Oven" featuring Miami rapper Pitbull surfaced online in October 2009 but her record label said that it was simply a buzz single. It topped the Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The project's official lead single, "Louboutins", had its radio debut on November 23, 2009, following the song's premiere and performance at the 2009 American Music Awards. The song only managed to enter the Hot Dance Club Play chart six weeks after release and reaching number 1, however, it failed to enter any other chart, including the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. On January 27, 2010, it was announced that Lopez would guest-star on an episode of ''How I Met Your Mother'' as Anita Appleby, a no-nonsense author of self-help books that teach women how to mold men into "relationship machines" through the power of denial. In February 2010 Lopez and her record label of ten years, Epic Records, parted ways. Lopez's manager, Benny Medina, confirmed the news, saying "Jennifer had a wonderful relationship with the Sony Music Group, and they have shared many successes together, but the time was right to make a change that best serves the direction of her career as an actress and recording artist... She is grateful and appreciative to everyone at Sony for all that they accomplished together." Lopez later released a statement to the media where she said that she had already completed her contractual obligations with Sony Music Entertainment and Epic Records and decided it was for the best to end the partnership on amicable terms. She added that she found a new "home" [record label] for the album 'Love?'. Shortly after being spotted talking to Island Def Jam's chairman and CEO L.A. Reid, it was confirmed on March 19, 2010 that Lopez signed with Island Def Jam, and was working on new material for ''Love?'' with RedZone Entertainment (Kuk Harrell, The-Dream and Tricky Stewart). In April 2010, she appeared in the romantic comedy ''The Back-up Plan''. The film debuted at the top spot at the Box Office.

In June 2010, following the departure of Ellen DeGeneres from ''American Idol'', it was reported that Lopez was in talks to join season ten's judging panel. However, it was then reported that Lopez was out of the running due to "outrageous demands", something which returning ''Idol'' producer, Nigel Lythgoe responded to by saying "[Jennifer] is in no way a diva, I've worked with her on quite a few occasions and I have never yet seen her be a diva." He did not confirm or deny reports of the contract negotiations between Lopez and the other ''Idol'' producers. Both Lopez and husband, Marc Anthony, were being considered for a role on ''The X Factor'' for their appeal to 'Latin' and 'International' markets. Lopez's involvement in ''The X Factor'' was ruled out when the media reported that she had accepted an offer to become a judge on season ten of ''Idol'', despite being offered roles on both shows. The announcement was made official on September 22, 2010. MTV said "the deal was mutually beneficial to all those involved" whilst CNN reported that Lopez was viewing it as a decision to revive her career while ''Idol'' producers believe Lopez and Steven Tyler's appointments will strengthen viewing figures. The public agreed that Lopez was a more suitable judge replacement for Ellen, as she had experience within the music industry, which DeGeneres lacked.

In January 2011 Lopez's new single, "On the Floor", featuring American rapper Pitbull surfaced online. Behind the single was producer RedOne, who predicted that it was going to be a "big hit". The song samples Kaoma's 1989 hit "Lambada". On March 3, 2011 "On The Floor" debuted at nine on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 after selling 170,000 copies, the highest debut of her career, and her highest charting of any sort since "All I Have". Later that night, the video for "On The Floor" debuted on ''American Idol''. The song peaked at three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and peaked at number one in over fifteen different countries, and over twenty different charts. Worldwide, it was the fourth best selling digital single of 2011 with sales of 8.4 million copies. The video for "On The Floor" as a result of its ''American Idol'' premiere has received 480 million views on Lopez's VEVO channel on YouTube, the second most watched video of all time. ''Love?'''s second single written by Taio Cruz, "I'm Into You" was released on April 1, 2011 and features rapper Lil Wayne it debuted at 72 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, and peaked at 41 in August 2011. In addition, the song was a dance club hit, peaking at number one on ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs, and number nine in the United Kingdom. The video for "I'm Into You" was released, co-starring William Levy as her lover in the video. ''Love?'' was released on May 3, 2011, and opened at five on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 83,000 copies. It was a moderate success, and viewed as a humble comeback from Lopez, as many had considered her recording career well over. Lopez has been selected for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012, in the "Recording" category, along with Boyz II Men. "Papi" was released on September 13, 2011 and charted at 96 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became her 11th number one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Songs chart. The following month, she was named "Women of the year" by ''Glamour Magazine''. Lopez was then featured on will.i.am's song from his upcoming album, ''#willpower'', "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" and she was also featured in the music video. By the end of November 2011, it was confirmed that Lopez would be releasing a greatest hits album by 2012, in which her vocal producer and The-Dream were on board.

On December 13, 2011, Lopez was named the "World's greatest musical comeback act" announced by ''Los Angeles Times'', a ranking from an accuracast, a digital search that analyzed over a billion Google searches since 2004. Lopez ranked ahead of comebacks from artists such as Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin. On December 22, 2011, the former head of Island Def Jam, L.A. Reid, announced via twitter that Lopez' Greatest Hits album would be arriving soon. On December 25, 2011 Lopez was named "Best Comeback" act by Billboard.com Reader's Poll, leading with 47% of votes for the title, beating out Kelly Clarkson (17%) and Evanescence (12%). She was also ranked 43rd most successful artist of 2011. In late 2011, Lopez worked with ex-husband Marc Anthony and director-choeographer Jamie King on a Latin talent series created by Simon Fuller, called ''¡Q'Viva! The Chosen''. Filming of the show began in October 2011. It follows Lopez and Anthony as they travel across 21 countries to find new talent. It is slated to air on the first quarter of 2012 on Univision. During an interview with ''Extra TV'' Lopez confirmed that she had been working on new music and a possible tour, Lopez had also previously talked about the possibility of a tour after the release of ''Love?'' around June 2011, which never materialized, as it could have jeapordised her position as a judge on ''American Idol''. Lopez's film, ''What to Expect When You're Expecting'', in which she will play Holly. The film will be released to theaters on May 11, 2012. Another film which Lopez has shot her parts for, ''Parker'' will be released in 2012. Lopez will portray Leslie. Lopez voices Shira in the upcoming animated film, ''Ice Age: Continental Drift'' which is the fourth movie in the ''Ice Age'' series.

Business ventures

Fashion

Lopez launched a clothing line in 2001. Entitled JLO by Jennifer Lopez, the line included different types of clothing for young women, including jeans, T-shirts, coats, belts, purses, and lingerie, a jewelry line, and an accessory line that includes hats, gloves, and scarves. Lopez participated in the Louis Vuitton Winter 2003 campaign. In 2003, she launched a new clothing line called ''Sweetface'', which was closed in 2009. In late 2007, Lopez retired JLO by Jennifer Lopez and launched a new juniors' line called JustSweet. Her fashion lines have featured at many New York Fashion Week events. In 2011, Lopez launched her clothing line at Kohls, which she labelled as affordable and completely her style. Her ex, Marc Anthony, also put out his clothing line for Kohls at the same time.

Production company

Lopez owns the film and television production company Nuyorican Productions, which was launched as early as 2003. It was co-founded with her manager Benny Medina, who was supposed to receive half the producing revenue from the company. Lopez split with Medina shortly after the company was founded, but they later restored their business relationship.

Nuyorican Productions produced mini-series broadcast on Univisión, which Jennifer was a co-executive producer of; the shoe was names after her CD ''Como Ama Una Mujer'', it ran in five episodes from October 30 to November 27, 2007, and starred Adriana Cruz. Another show that came from her production company, "Brethren" which FOX gave script commitment, and it later aired on the channel. The production company, which has produced "Taming Ben Taylor", "Nannyland" and "Amigas Sweet 15 Club" has signed deals with FOX for films to be made.

Endorsements

Lopez ventured in the perfume industry with her debut ''Glow by J.Lo'', which can be purchased anywhere including every-day shopping outlets like Macy's and pharmacy chains. Lopez said that she wanted Glow to be "Sexy and sensual." ''Glow by J.Lo'' has a scent of orange, grapefruit, jasmine, orris, Irises, vanilla and musk. Lopez re-visited Glow later, creating a limited edition spin-off, ''Miami Glow by J.Lo''. ''Still'' was released as the third major fragrance in October 2003; it is described as "the scent of a woman," and "A scent that captures the way a woman feels when she has discovered herself. Real and true. Serene and sensual." ''Glow by J.Lo'' and ''Still'' were very successful in the fragrance market.

In 2005, Lopez launched three fragrances: ''Miami Glow'', ''Love At First Glow'' and ''Live''. In 2006, she released another fragrance, ''Glow After Dark'', a perfume suited to night theme. In 2008, she released her ''Deseo'' fragrance line, which featured ''Deseo'', ''Deseo Forever'' and ''Deseo For Men'', her first male fragrance. ''Live Platinum'' was released in 2008 as well. ''Sunkissed Glow'' and ''My Glow'' were released in 2009; ''My Glow'' was inspired by the birth of her twins, and the top was an angel/baby. TLC, a division of Discovery Communications Inc, had signed Lopez to an unscripted reality series about the launching of her new fragrance, but the series never materialized. Her next fragrance, ''Blue Glow By J.Lo'' which was a refreshing "watery feel" fragrance.

Her 15th fragrance is ''Love and Glamour'', which was launched in June and released to counters in October, 2010. Her 16th fragrance is ''L.A Glow'', inspired by L.A. Nightlife. Lopez launched her 17th fragrance, ''Love & Light'' In July 2011. She launched it on HSN where she appeared for six hours, and the perfume sold 51,000 bottles in that amount of time, her most successful fragrance launch to date. Apart from Fragrances, Lopez has endorsed several other products.

In 2003, Lopez was in a pepsi commercial featuring Beyoncé Knowles and David Beckham entitled "Samurai". She endorses several L'Oréal products, and was named "L'Oréal Paris Global Brand Ambassador" In December 2010. She has shot several adds for the endorsement deal. Lopez's recent L’Oreal EverSleek campaign made its debut during the Golden Globes ad break, kicking it off in a big way. Products that Lopez has endorsed for L'Oreal recently include El Vive Triple Resist, True Match, Color Riche, GlamShine, and Voluminous Lashes commercials, the EverSleek commercial and print ads, and the Infallible Lip Color and ElVive Triple Resist print ads. In 2011, Lopez endorsed and promoted a variety of products. In addition to L'Oréal, lopez endorses Gillette women's products, such as the "Get Your Goddess Showing" project. She was named the first ever "Gillette-Venus Global Ambassador" In 2011, too. She recorded a cover of "Venus" by Shocking Blue for her Gillette-Venus advertisement. Lopez is a spokesperson for Harmon Kardon home surround sound system. Lopez is the face of TOUS Jewelry. Lopez is a spokesperson for Lux shampoo in Japan, appearing in the product's television commercials. As of late 2011, she promotes FIAT cats in the United States. Her advertisements for the brand have garnered negative reviews, and in January 2012 a United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) group told Lopez to end her endorsement for problems with the FIAT brand which "freely does business with a regime that is developing an illegal nuclear weapons program."

Philanthropy

Lopez is an avid supporter of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and was presented with the Children's Humanitarian Award at the hospital's inaugural Noche de Niños gala in September 2004. Lopez continues to attend the annual red carpet event and is a regular visitor to the hospital. The singer participated in the Nautica Malibu Triathlon benefiting the hospital in 2008. In May 2009, Lopez formed The Maribel Foundation, with the goal of supporting Children's Hospital Los Angeles and improving health care internationally. On February 14, 2007, Lopez received the Artists for Amnesty International award "in recognition of her work as producer and star of ''Bordertown'', a film exposing the ongoing murders of hundreds of women in the border city of Juárez, Mexico". Nobel Peace Prize winner José Ramos-Horta presented the award to Lopez at the Berlin International Film Festival. She also received special recognition and thanks from Norma Andrade, co-founder of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa A.C. ("May Our Daughters Return Home, Civil Association"), an organization consisting of mothers and families of the murdered women of Juárez. Lopez has also been involved in promoting vaccination for whooping cough. Lopez is working with Sounds of Pertussis and March of Dimes to promote awareness about the disease and encourage vaccination of adults to prevent spread of disease to infants.

Lopez owns a foundation with her sister, Lynda Lopez, entitled ''The Maribel Foundation''. The name ''Maribel'' is Marc's sister who died due to a brain tumor. The foundation was publicly launched on ''Larry King Live'', in which Lopez and her sister appeared in June 2010. In a letter from the official website, Lopez said that the foundation was important as it braught a "greater sense of security and well-being to under-served and under-privileged communities." The foundation will help parents who haven't access to medical services and health care facilities, and therefore can't be informed about critical child and health care topics. ''The Maribel Foundation'' worked with Telemedicine clinics abroad and near to increase healthcare for serious cases. "Telemedicine" is a delivery system that uses technology (telecommunications) to conduct medical diagnoses, consultations, treatments, transfers of data, education of physicians, and dissemination of public health alerts and/or emergency updates. The program is mainly reaching out to those living in under privileged or deserted areas without proper medical services. The foundation can also save children's lives who have serious diseases; as it provides them services over communication from elsewhere. Prior to the foundation; at 2008's annual Woman's Conference, oh her foundation, Lopez said "My foundation will prioritize the importance of empowerment. I have lots of big dreams and envision big changes toward proper healthcare, prenatal care, pediatric care. And that, coming together in the biggest possible way is what I believe women are capable of." Also at this Woman's Conference, Lopez confirmed that she was building a foundation for woman, health, children and education. The foundation's slogan is "Where children are concerned, there is no time to lose."

For her foundation, Lopez recording a song, "One Step At a Time", dedicated to her twins. It was included on an album for the foundation, ''Every Mother Counts'' a CD which was released exclusively only to Starbucks from April 2011; the money was donated to the foundation. The album was devoted fully to mothers. Lopez was one of the recipients of Love Our Children USA's “Mothers Who Make A Difference” awards in 2009. On October 25, 2011, ''The Maribel Foundation'' received a $500,000 dollar donation pledge from Samsung and Best Buy. An advertisement featuring Lopez promoting Samsung products for ''The Maribel Foundation'' has aired.

Honors and awards

During her career, Lopez has had various nominations, awards and achievements. For her contributions to the music industry and her film work, she has garnered 7 American Music Award nominations (winning 3), 18 MTV Video Music Awards nominations (winning 2), 9 MTV Europe Music Award nominations (winning 3), 2 Grammy Award nominations, 2 Latin Grammy Award nominations, 1 Golden Globe nomination, 9 ALMA Award nominations (winning 3), 2 Billboard Music Awards nominations (winning 2), 12 Billboard Latin Music Awards nominations (winning 5), 4 World Music Awards nominations (winning 2), 2 Brit Award nominations, 5 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards nominations (winning 3) among others.

Her role in the 1998 film ''Out of Sight'' earned her a paycheck of over $1 million, making her the world's highest paid Latin actress. In 2001, Lopez became the first female to have a film and album both be number one at the same time in the United States. Lopez has been recognized by ''People en Español'' magazine as both the cover subject for the "50 Most Beautiful" issue in 2006 and the "100 Most Influential Hispanics" issue in February 2007. In 2011, she was named "World's Most Beautiful Woman" by People's Choice magazine.

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''Us Weekly'' named Lopez as Style Icon of the 2000–2010 decade.

Lopez's most memorable Fashion moment in her career was the Green Versace "Jungle Dress" that she wore at the 42nd Grammy Awards In 2000. A poll by Debenhams, published in the ''Daily Telegraph'', voted it the fifth most iconic dress of all time. It has been cited along with the Elizabeth Hurley's black Versace dress as being the top dresses that made Versace a household name and the turning point in designer Donatella Versace's career after the death of her brother Gianni Versace. The dress is currently on display at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. For her Fashion sense, Lopez has earned several awards including a VH1 Award and Vogue Fashion Award in 1999 for "Most Fashionable Female Artist", achieving multiple other awards since for outstanding achievements and recognition. Lopez was complimented in an article for ''ELLE'', the author wrote – "She wears little visible makeup, and with her hair in a bun, huge hoop earrings, and a long halterdress on, she’s squarely in casual-mother mode, a style Diane von Furstenberg describes as “exotic and earthy." Lopez cites Urban, Edgy Bronx style as a contribution to her continuing fashion style. Lopez says she is a fan of "Glamour" and "Old Hollywood Movie Stars" as a fashion sense.

Aside from her fashion sense in clothes, Lopez has changed her personal appearance multiple times, scoring several different hairstyles over the years. Lopez's two-piece (eventually stripped down to a body-suit) "train dress highlighting her curves and flawless skin" at the 2011 American Music Awards was both welcomed and praised but was received mixed and negatively, too. Despite popularity and favoritism with her outfits, Lopez has also received negativity; the dress she wore in 2011 to the BAFTA Gala gave her the title of "Worst Dressed" of the evening along with others, most likely due to her open-abs section. Lopez's frequent use of animal fur in her clothing lines and personal wardrobe has brought the scorn of people concerned with animal rights. At the Los Angeles premiere of ''Monster-in-Law'', more than 100 protesters from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a demonstration to highlight their concerns.

Personal life

Starting in 1984, when Lopez was 15 and in high school, she began dating David Cruz. They split up in 1994, but remained close; Lopez said in 2004, "He's a friend and he probably knows me better than anyone else".

Lopez's first marriage was to Cuban-born Ojani Noa on February 22, 1997. Lopez met Noa while he worked as a waiter at a Miami restaurant. They divorced in January 1998. Lopez later employed Noa as the manager of her Pasadena restaurant Madre's in April 2002, but he was fired in October 2002. After Noa sued Lopez over the termination, they drew up a confidentiality agreement. In April 2006, Lopez sued to prevent Noa from publishing a book containing personal details about their marriage, contending it violated their confidentiality agreement. In August 2007, a court-appointed arbitrator issued a permanent injunction forbidding Ojani Noa from "criticizing, denigrating, casting in a negative light or otherwise disparaging" Lopez. She was awarded $545,000 in compensatory damages, which included nearly $300,000 in legal fees and almost $48,000 in arbitration costs. Noa was also ordered to hand over all copies of materials related to the book to Lopez or her attorney. In November 2009, Lopez sued Noa for breach of contract and invasion of privacy, citing a previous confidentiality agreement between the two, to prevent Noa from releasing his planned film, "How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The JLo and Ojani Noa Story", and alleged "previously unseen home video footage". On December 1, 2009, judge James Chalfant granted a temporary injunction against Noa and his agent, Ed Meyer, barring them from distributing the footage in any forum. Lopez's lawyer said that he will return to court to make it permanent, stressing that "there wasn't anything even close" to a sex tape in Noa's possession: "It's private and personal, but it wasn't a sex tape. They are innocent and they have been misrepresented... to increase value and media attention". After the hearing, Noa said he planned to fight the injunction: "It's not about the money, it's about my life".

Lopez next had a two and a half year relationship with hip-hop mogul Sean Combs. Combs allegedly showered Lopez with diamonds and jewlery, the inspiration for her 2000 hit, "Love Don't Cost a Thing". On December 27, 1999, Lopez and Combs were at Club New York, a midtown Manhattan nightclub, when gunfire erupted between Combs' entourage and another group. Lopez and Combs were being driven away from the scene when they were chased and stopped by the police. A gun was found in the front seat of their vehicle. Combs was charged with felony gun possession. Stress over Combs' trial and pursuit by the press multiplied their problems, and Lopez terminated her involvement with Combs one year later. During a related civil suit in 2008, the plaintiff's lawyer said Lopez had “nothing to contribute to the case”.

Her second marriage was to her former backup dancer, Cris Judd. She met Judd while filming the music video for her single "Love Don't Cost a Thing." The two were married on September 29, 2001, at a home in the L.A. suburbs. Prior to the marriage, it had been reported by the tabloids in June 2001 that Lopez was expecting, which never turned out to be true. Their marriage effectively ended in June 2002, when Lopez began publicly dating Ben Affleck. They were divorced in January 2003. On April 12, 2002, Lopez opened a Cuban restaurant in the South Lake district of Pasadena, California named ''Madre's'' with her family. In July 2008 ''Madre's'' closed down for unknown reasons.

Her relationship with Affleck was highly publicized, with the media dubbing the couple "Bennifer". Lopez announced her engagement to Affleck in November 2002, after Affleck gave her a six-carat pink diamond ring worth a reported $1.2 million. Lopez promised interviewers that Affleck was indeed "the one", and that they would soon have a family. The marriage, planned for September 14, 2003 in Santa Barbara, California, was called off just hours before the event. They announced the end of their engagement in January 2004. Their relationship was parodied on the ''South Park'' episode "Fat Butt and Pancake Head", which aired on April 16, 2003. In 2003, Lopez and Affleck acted together in the film ''Gigli'' and in the 2004 film ''Jersey Girl''. He also appeared in her "Jenny from the Block" video.

Marriage to Marc Anthony and motherhood

Less than two months after her break-up with Affleck, Lopez was seen with singer Marc Anthony, a longtime friend with whom she had worked in music videos. They had briefly dated in the late 1990s, before his first marriage and her second. Lopez and Anthony were recording a duet together in early 2004, for Lopez's then-upcoming film ''Shall We Dance?''. In October 2003, Anthony became separated, for the second time, from his first wife, former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres, with whom he has two children. Torres filed for divorce three months later. Lopez and Anthony married in a quiet home wedding on June 5, 2004, four days after his divorce from Torres was final.

Lopez's guests had been invited to an "afternoon party" at Lopez's house and had not been made aware that they were actually going to her wedding. The couple had planned not to publicize their marriage early on, allowing more privacy and time together in an otherwise intrusive environment. Days after the wedding, Anthony refused to comment on their marriage during interviews which were scheduled earlier to promote a new album "Amar Sin Mentiras" (To Love Without Lies). In February 2005, Lopez confirmed the marriage, and added that "everyone knows. It's not a secret". A few months later, Anthony's daughter, Ariana, appeared at the end of Lopez's music video "Get Right" as her little sister. Regarding his marriage and family life, Anthony maintains a private and sometimes defensive stance with the media, which has influenced Lopez to set some boundaries with interviewers.

On November 7, 2007, the last night of her "En Concierto" tour, Lopez confirmed she was expecting her first child with husband Marc. The announcement ended months of speculation over the pregnancy. Her father later confirmed on February 5, 2008, that she was expecting twins. Lopez gave birth on February 22, 2008 to fraternal twins, a girl and a boy, Emme Maribel Muñiz, and Maximilian "Max" David Muñiz. The twins were introduced in the March 11, 2008 issue of ''People'' magazine, for which the magazine paid $6 million.

By January 2008, Lopez lived with her family in Brookville, New York, on Long Island. Her mother, Guadalupe Lopez, moved into the gated home in June that year. In June 2008 Lopez was hit with a $5 million-dollar lawsuit after her guard dog allegedly attacked her 40-year-old women, causing her back troubles. Marc Anthony, too was later added to this lawsuit for equal ownership of the German Sheppard. On July 15, 2011, following seven years of marriage to Anthony, the couple's representative announced that the couple were separating. It has been speculated that during Lopez marriage to Marc Anthony, he tried to control her fashion wardrobe according to ''Us Weekly'' among other sources. Anthony allegedly wanted Lopez to dress more appropriately for a mother of two and a forty-year old.

In September 2011, Lopez purchased a home in the Hamptons for $18 million. Lopez is a practitioner of Krav Maga. She is also active on social networking site Twitter. As of 2012, media has focused on Lopez's alleged relationship with her back-up dancer, Casper Smart. Anthony himself has also an open relationship with Venezuelan model Shannon De Lima.

Religion

It was reported that Lopez and Marc Anthony were taking professional business meetings at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre in Hollywood, California, in late 2006. It was also rumored that Lopez and Anthony became Scientologists during that period with the help of Angelo Pagan, the husband of ''The King of Queens'' actress and Scientologist Leah Remini. Just prior to those reports, Lopez said to NBC, "I'm not a Scientologist, I was raised Catholic. But it's funny the way people come at it. To me it's so strange. These are some of the best people I've ever met in my life." She added, "My dad has been a Scientologist for 20 years. He's the best man that I know in my life and so, it's weird to me that people want to paint it in a negative way." It has been reported that a factor in Lopez's break with Anthony was over the religious education of their twins; Lopez desired to send the children to a "specialist Scientology school" a position Anthony disagreed with.

Works

Discography

''On the 6'' (1999)

''J.Lo'' (2001)

''This Is Me... Then'' (2002)

''Rebirth'' (2005)

''Como ama una Mujer'' (2007)

''Brave'' (2007)

''Love?'' (2011)

Filmography

''Selena'' (1997), Selena Quintanilla

''Anaconda'' (1997), Terri Flores

''The Cell'' (2000), Catherine Deane

''The Wedding Planner'' (2001), Mary Fiore

''Angel Eyes'' (2001), Sharon Pogue

''Enough'' (2002), Slim Hiller

''Maid in Manhattan'' (2002), Marisa Ventura

''Monster-in-Law'' (2005), Charlie

''Bordertown'' (2006), Lauren Adrian

''The Back-up Plan'' (2010), Zoe

See also

List of Puerto Ricans

List of songs recorded by Jennifer Lopez

Marc Anthony

''American Idol''

Notes

References

External links

Official website for Jennifer Lopez fragrances

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:American dancers Category:American dance musicians Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American fashion businesspeople Category:American fashion designers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American musicians of Puerto Rican descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American pop singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:English-language singers Category:Hip hop singers Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American women Category:Idol series judges Category:Krav Maga practitioners Category:Latin pop singers Category:Musicians from New York City Category:Notaries Category:People from the Bronx Category:Puerto Rican actors Category:Puerto Rican female singers Category:Spanish-language singers

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Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
name	Ja Rule
landscape	yes
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jeffery Atkins
birth date	February 29, 1976Queens, New York, U.S.
other name	Loki, Ruleyork
medium	Film, television
nationality	American
spouse	Iesha Atkins (1994–present; 3 children)
notable work	Pain Is Love
genre	Hip hop, east coast hip hop
occupation	Rapper, Actor, Songwriter
years active	1993–present
label	Def Jam, The Inc., Mpire Music Group, Fontana Distribution
Associated acts	Ashanti, Bobby Brown, DMX, Irv Gotti, Fat Joe, Memphis Bleek
website	}}

Jeffrey Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor from Queens, New York City.

Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' and its single "Holla Holla". From 2000 to 2004, Ja Rule had several hits that made the top 20 of the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, including "Between Me and You" with Christina Milian, "I'm Real (Murder Remix)" with Jennifer Lopez, "Always on Time" with Ashanti, "Mesmerize" also with Ashanti, and "Wonderful" with R. Kelly and Ashanti. During the 2000s, Ja Rule was signed to The Inc. Records, which was formerly known as Murder Inc. and was led by Irv Gotti.Ja rule has sold over 30 million records worldwide and was the fastest selling rapper in 2001. He is also known for some well-publicized feuds with other rappers (in-particular 50 Cent and Eminem)

Early life

Atkins was born in the Queens borough of New York City. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness by his mother, health care worker Debra Atkins, and grandparents. At the age of five his sister died from breathing complications, leaving him as an only child. He attended Public School 134 in Hollis, a school he has described as having a predominantly black student body. He has said got into many fights at the school because of his small size, so his mother transferred him to Middle School 172 in Glen Oaks, which he has described as a "white school".

Music career

Atkins began his rap career in 1994 with his classic hip hop group Cash Money Click. told Curtis Waller of MTV News that his stage name "Ja Rule" came from a friend who addressed him by that name; other friends called him "Ja". In 1995, he made his first appearance on Mic Geronimo's "Time to Build" which featured Jay-Z and DMX, who were also in their early stages of their careers. In 1998, he was a featured guest on Jay-Z's hit single "Can I Get A..." along with Amil.

''Venni Vetti Vecci'' (1999)

His debut album ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' was released in 1999. Singles included "Holla Holla" and "It's Murda" with Jay-Z and DMX. "Holla Holla" reached #35 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. ''Venni Vetti Vecci'' was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 12, 1999.

''Rule 3:36'' (2000)

Ja Rule returned in 2000 with his new single "Between Me and You", which featured Christina Milian. "Between Me and You" reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Put It On Me" reached #8 on the Hot 100. Ja's second album, ''Rule 3:36'', was released on October 10, 2000. ''Rule 3:36'' debuted at #1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 chart and was certified triple platinum.

''Pain Is Love'' (2001)

During the late summer of 2001, Ja Rule released his third studio album, ''Pain Is Love''. "Living It Up", featuring Case, reached #11 on the Hot 100, and "Always on Time", which featured Ashanti, reached #1 on the Hot 100. Like its predecessor, ''Pain Is Love'' topped the ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified triple platinum. By 2007, 3.6 million copies of ''Pain Is Love'' had been sold. Ja Rule could also be heard on Artists against AIDS Worldwide's single "What's Going On."

''The Last Temptation'' (2002)

''The Last Temptation'', Ja Rule's fourth album, was released on November 19, 2002. It featured the two Billboard Top 10 singles "Thug Lovin'" (#8) and "Mesmerize" (#2), another duet with Ashanti. ''The Last Temptation'' debuted at #4 on the ''Billboard'' 200. ''The Last Temptation'' was certified platinum in December 2002.

''Blood in My Eye'' (2003)

''Blood in My Eye'' although intended to be a mixtape, was his fifth album and the last released under the "Murder Inc." label, which renamed itself "The Inc." several days after the album release. It spawned the one and only hit "Clap Back" which reached #5 on the Top 100 and won him the Source Awards'"Fat Tape" song of the year. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 100 and #1 on the Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums chart selling 139,000 copies in its first week of release. It has since sold over 468,000 copies in the U.S. In October 2003, Ja Rule met with Minister Louis Farrakhan, who wanted to intervene and prevent escalating violence in the feud between Ja Rule and 50 Cent.

''R.U.L.E.'' (2004)

Ja Rule's sixth studio album ''R.U.L.E.'' was released in November 2004 debuting at number 7 selling 166,000 copies in its first week of release. Its lead single was "Wonderful" featuring R. Kelly and Ashanti which peaked on the Billboard Top 100 Singles at #5. The single was followed by the street anthem New York featuring Fat Joe and Jadakiss which charted at #27. The third single was the love song "Caught Up" featuring Lloyd and Ashanti which charted at #15. The track "The Manual" was also a single in the UK where it peaked at #9. The RIAA certified ''R.U.L.E.'' Gold on January 14, 2005, and by October 2007, the album had sold 658,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Hiatus, departure from Def Jam (2005–2009)

On December 6, 2005, The Inc. released ''Exodus'', a greatest hits album whose only new tracks were the song "Me" and intro and outro tracks. ''Exodus'' was the last album on Ja Rule's contract with The Inc. After the release of this compilation, Ja Rule took a hiatus from recording music.

In 2005, The Inc. Records came under investigation because of drug trades by Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, who was associated with Irv Gotti. This led to Def Jam Recordings refusing to renew The Inc.'s contract. From 2005 to 2006, Gotti searched for other labels until finally reaching a deal with Universal Records (ironically part of the same company as Def Jam).

In 2009, Ja Rule recorded a new song with Brazilian singer Wanessa, "Fly", sung entirely in English despite the singer's nationality. The song also received a version named "Meu Momento", also featuring Ja Rule, in which Wanessa sings in Portuguese. "Fly" was released as a single in Brazil in April. The song was ranked number #1 on Crowley/Brazil, and it was nominated in the "Hit do Ano" ("Hit Song of the Year") category at the 2009 MTV Video Music Brasil awards show, where Ja Rule and Wanessa performed together for the first time.

Ja Rule also ended his long running feud with his former Def Jam labelmate DMX at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors in September. Ja Rule announced that he was no longer signed to The Inc. Records, the label he has been with since its beginnings in 1997.

''Pain Is Love 2'' (2011-Present)

In February 2011, It was announced that Ja Rule is working on another album called ''Pain Is Love 2'', naming it after the original 2001 triple platinum album (''Pain Is Love''). It will feature production from the producers on the original ''Pain Is Love'' album in order to "recreate magic". He had planned on releasing it June 7, although later decided to delay the release date in order to allow more time to perfect the "level and quality of the records" and to avoid "doing an injustice to his fans." ''Pain Is Love 2'' was slated for an October 11, 2011 release date but had been pushed back yet again, this time to February 28, 2012. To make up for the delay Ja Rule released a new track called "Falling to Pieces" which was produced by 7 Aurelius. The song samples The Script's "Breakeven". On October 2, 2011, another track off the EP was released called "Spun a Web" which was also produced 7 Aurelius and samples Coldplay's "Trouble". The following day a teaser music video premiered on YouTube and the official music video was released on October 11.

Acting career

During his break from rapping, Ja Rule had an appearance as a street racer in ''The Fast and the Furious''. In 2004 He appeared in several movies including ''Back in The Day'' with Ving Rhames and Pam Grier and ''Half Past Dead'' as Steven Segal's co-star. He also starred in the movie ''The Cookout'' with Queen Latifah.

Personal life

Family

In April 2001, Ja Rule married Aisha Atkins whom he met in junior high school. They have a daughter, Brittney, and two sons, Jeffrey, Jr. and Jordan.

Legal issues

In 2003, he allegedly punched a man in Toronto, who later sued Ja Rule. The issue was settled out of court.

In 2004, police investigated whether a feud involving The Inc. led to fatal shooting outside a nightclub party hosted by Ja Rule and Leon Richardson where they thought he shot Proof of D12.

On July 1, 2004, Ja Rule was arrested with Don Rhys for driving with a suspended license and possessing marijuana.

In July 2007, Ja Rule was arrested for gun and drug possession charges along with Lil Wayne, and Don Rhys who served eight months in prison during 2010 for attempted possession of a weapon stemming from the arrest. New York Supreme Court judge Richard Carruthers rejected Ja Rule's argument that the gun was illegally obtained evidence. On December 13, 2010, Ja Rule received a two-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to attempted possession of a weapon after the aforementioned 2007 concert. On March 8, 2011 Ja Rule's surrender date for his two year prison sentence was set for June 8. His publicist said that Ja Rule will turn himself into authorities. He will go to Rikers Island first, then be sent to a state facility in Upstate New York.

In July 2011, Ja Rule received an additional 28-month prison sentence for tax evasion, failing to pay taxes on more than $3 million in earnings between 2004–2006.

Feuds

50 Cent/G-Unit Records

Before signing with Interscope Records, 50 Cent engaged in a well-publicized feud with Ja Rule and his label Murder Inc. Records. 50 Cent claimed that the feud began in 1999 after Ja Rule spotted him with a man who robbed him of his jewelry. However, Ja Rule claimed the conflict stemmed from a video shoot in Queens because 50 Cent did not like Ja Rule "getting so much love" from the neighborhood. A confrontation occurred in a New York studio where rapper Black Child, a Murder Inc. artist, stabbed 50 Cent, which resulted in him having three stitches. .

In his book, 50 Cent details how Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff tried to resolve the conflict between him and Ja Rule. Allegedly, McGriff asked 50 Cent to leave them alone because of the money involved. 50 Cent insinuated the conflict had something to do with the shooting where he was ambushed and shot.

Since then, Black Child publicly insulted 50 Cent twice in, "There's a Snitch in the Club", and "You the Wanksta". In both songs, Black Child details violent actions directed toward 50 Cent The exchange of insult tracks released from both parties culminated in Ja Rule releasing ''Blood in My Eye'', which was an album that returned additional insults to 50 Cent. Ja Rule eventually tried to squash the feud with 50 Cent by using minister Louis Farrakhan in a televised interview. However, the attempt at peace lost credibility as the interview was scheduled a day before ''Blood in My Eye'' was released. As a result, most fans, along with 50 Cent, dismissed the interview as a blatant publicity stunt. Because of the ongoing feud between the two, 50 Cent's labelmates Eminem, Dr. Dre, Obie Trice, D12, DMX, and Busta Rhymes have also become involved and have also released tracks which insult Ja Rule.

Ja Rule later released ''R.U.L.E.'' with the successful single, "New York", featuring Jadakiss and Fat Joe in which Ja Rule took subliminal shots at 50 Cent. This single prompted 50 Cent to enter a feud with the two featured artists (see article on "Piggy Bank" for details).

Although it seemed that the feud was over, Ja Rule returned with a track entitled "21 Gunz". In response, Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent released the track "Return of Ja Fool" on Lloyd Banks' mixtape ''Mo Money in the Bank Pt. 4, Gang Green Season Starts Now''.

In an interview with MTV, Ja Rule acknowledged his defeat against 50 Cent and stated that his new album, ''The Mirror'', will not be continuing any past feuds that he has engaged in. He said: }}

Eminem

The conflict started after 50 Cent signed to Shady Records and Aftermath. Ja Rule stated that he had a problem with Eminem and Dr. Dre for signing someone he disliked. On November 19, Ja Rule and Irv Gotti were special guests on Star and Bucwild's morning show on Hot 97 NYC. Irv Gotti had some legal documents stating the order of protection 50 has on him.

Ja Rule threatened that, if 50 Cent released any songs with defamatory or insulting lyrics directed at him, he would take legal action towards both of them. However, Dr. Dre was the one who produced 50 Cent's track "Back Down" in 2003 from the album ''Get Rich Or Die Tryin''', which made derogatory comments toward Murder Inc., and Ja Rule's immediate family members. "

Busta Rhymes joined the conflict when he was featured on the track "Hail Mary 2003", with Eminem and 50 Cent. The song, a remake of Tupac Shakur's song "Hail Mary", was done partially as a response to Ja Rule's remake of another Tupac song, "Pain" (retitled "So Much Pain"). The rappers felt that Rule could never amount to Tupac, and so made the track, mocking him for trying to "imitate" the deceased rap icon. Eminem prevented Ja Rule from appearing on any of the "new" Tupac songs he produced, including those on ''Loyal to the Game''.

The conflict escalated when Ja Rule released, "Loose Change" (actually released before "Hail Mary"), in which he insulted 50 Cent, called Eminem by the name "Feminem", falsely announced Dr. Dre as "bisexual", and claimed that Suge Knight knew of Dre "bringing transvestites home". The song also includes lyrics that insulted Eminem's mother, Debbie, his then ex-wife, Kim, and even referenced his then 8-year-old daughter, Hailie. "

These lyrics offended Eminem deeply, causing him to immediately get his rap group D12 involved, as well as the major part of his label, including Obie Trice, his close friend. Eminem then made the track Bully, and together, he and Trice responded with a song titled "Doe Rae Me" (aka "Hailie's Revenge"). Eminem also made a reference to Ja Rule's insult toward Hailie in "Like Toy Soldiers", by saying:

"I need to be the leader, my crew looks for me to guide 'em, if some shit ever does pop off, I'm supposed to be beside 'em. That Ja shit I tried to squash it, it was too late to stop it. There's a certain line you just don't cross and he crossed it. I heard him say Hailie's name on a song and I just lost it."

Since then the feud has cooled down.

DMX

Ja Rule started off as friends with DMX, as well as Jay-Z. DMX, Jay-Z and Ja Rule were part of a group at the time named Murder Inc. (The name was later used by Ja's producer Irv Gotti for his record label.) They recorded songs under the name together. DMX and Jay-Z also guest starred on Ja Rule's first album on the track "It's Murda". Eventually Ja Rule's feuds with Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, and Eminem went away.

The two rappers waged a war of words for years after DMX accused Ja Rule of copying his hardcore style on records. DMX admitted that he initially wanted to end with his rap rival when he was released from jail in 2005 before making peace: "Gotti came to me in jail and said I want to make peace with you and him", said DMX, "I was like, 'Alright Gotti, let's do it. But I need five minutes in a room with your man. I got to put my hands on him.'"

DMX and Ja Rule finally ended their feud at VH1's 2009 Hip Hop Honors.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Venni Vetti Vecci'' (1999)

''Rule 3:36'' (2000)

''Pain Is Love'' (2001)

''The Last Temptation'' (2002)

''Blood in My Eye'' (2003)

''R.U.L.E.'' (2004)

''Pain Is Love 2'' (2012) ''Renaissance Project'' (2012) ;Other albums

''Exodus'' (2005)

''The Mirror'' (2008)

Awards and nominations

Year !! Award/Nomination
rowspan="2"	2001	Source Hip-Hop Music Award Won for Single of the Year – "Put It on Me"
MTV Video Music Awards nomination for Best Rap Video – "Put It on Me"
	Won for Best Hip-Hop Video – "I'm Real/I'm Real (Murder Remix)>I'm Real (Murder Remix)"
MTV Video Music Awards nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video – "Always on Time"
American Music Award nominated for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group – "Put It on Me"
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap Album – ''Pain Is Love''
Grammy Awards nominated for Best Rap/Song Collaboration – "Livin' It Up"
World Music Awards Won for World's Best-Selling Rap Artist
BET Awards Won for Best Male Hip-Hop Artist Artist
GQ Men of the Year Award Won for Musician of the Year
Teen Choice Awards Won for Male Artist of the Year
NAACP Image Awards Won for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Artist
Soul Train Music Award nomination for Best Rap/Soul or Rap Album of the Year – ''Pain Is Love''
	Source Award Won for R&B;/Rap Collboration of the Year – "Thug Lovin'"
American Music Award nomination for Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B; Male Artist
Grammy Awards nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration – "Always on Time"
2004	Source Award Won for Phat Tape Song of the Year – "Clap Back"
2009	MTV Video Music Brasil nomination for Hit do Ano (Song of the Year) – "Fly (Wanessa Camargo song)>Fly"

Filmography

+ List of film and television credits
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2000		David "Gage" Williams
2000		Himself
2001	''Crime Partners''	Hitman
2001		Edwin
2002	''Half Past Dead''	Nicolas 'Nick' Frazier
2003	''Scary Movie 3''	Agent Thompson
2003	''Pauly Shore Is Dead''	Himself
2004	''The Cookout''	Bling Bling
2004		Hip Hop Bar Performer
2005		Reggie Cooper
2005		Smiley
2006		Terrence Dufresne
2009	"Just Another Day	himself
2009	''Don't Fade Away''	Foster
2009	''Kiss and Tail: The Hollywood Jumpoff''	himself
2010	''Wrong Side of Town''	Razor
2011	''I'm in Love with a Church Girl''	Miles Montego	His real son plays the younger version of himself, Miles.
2012	''The Cookout 2''	Bling Bling	Sequel to The Cookout
2013	''Goat''	Willie

References

External links

The Inc. artist website (archived)

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:African American actors Category:African American rappers Category:American film actors Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:People from Queens Category:Rappers from New York City Category:The Inc. Records artists Category:TVT Records artists Category:Prisoners and detainees of New York Category:People convicted of drug offenses Category:People convicted of fraud

ar:جا رول cs:Ja Rule da:Ja Rule de:Ja Rule es:Ja Rule fr:Ja Rule fy:Ja Rule ko:자 룰 hr:Ja Rule id:Ja Rule it:Ja Rule he:ג'ה רול lv:Ja Rule nl:Ja Rule ja:ジャ・ルール no:Ja Rule pl:Ja Rule pt:Ja Rule ro:Ja Rule ru:Аткинс, Джеффри simple:Ja Rule fi:Ja Rule sv:Ja Rule th:จา รูล tr:Ja Rule

James Altucher is a hedge fund manager and author.

He holds a BS in computer science from Cornell University and a master's degree in the same subject from Carnegie Mellon University. Altucher is the founder of StockPickr, which was sold to TheStreet.com in 2007. He also was the founder of Reset, a developer of websites for entertainment companies (HBO, Miramax, New Line, BMG, Sony, etc), which was sold in 1998.

He was a weekly columnist from 2004-2009 for ''The Financial Times'', and wrote articles for ''The Street.com'', ''Seeking Alpha'', and ''Daily Finance''. He has appeared on CNBC, and has written several books on investing. Altucher is a frequent guest contributor to The Daily Ticker feature on Yahoo! Finance.

Ideas and Theories

Altucher expressed scepticism about climate change in an article for the ''New York Post'', stating that the world has been cooling since 1998.

Altucher advocates legalizing insider trading, arguing that "it would force asset prices to more quickly attain their 'true value'", and that the crime is extremely expensive to detect and prosecute. He is also an advocate of the idea that one shouldn't send one's kids to college and that one should never own a home.

Publications

See also

Paper trading

Toby Crabel

Stu Rose

Jake Burton Carpenter

Monroe Trout

References

External references

Op-Ed of James Altucher at controlledgreed.com

Altucher Confidential website

Category:Cornell University alumni Category:Carnegie Mellon University alumni Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Hedge fund managers

Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
Name	Sergej Ćetković
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sergej Ćetković
Origin	Podgorica, Montenegro (formerly Titograd, Yugoslavia)
Genre	Pop, Ballad
Occupation	Singer
Years active	1998–present
Label	Goraton
Website	www.sergejcetkovic.com
Past members	}}

Sergej Ćetković (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Сергеј Ћетковић, ) is a popular Montenegrin singer in former Yugoslavia.

Biography

Sergej Ćetković was born in Podgorica, Montenegro on 8 March 1976.

He made his first contact with music when he was only seven years old. His first appearance was as a member of the youngest Montenegrin group at that time called ''Vatrena srca'' (Passionate hearts). He played piano and sang vocals. It was then when he felt the need to become a part of the professional ''musical life''. He started his career as a singer in 1998 at the well known festival called Sunčane skale with the song ''Bila si ruža'' (You were a rose). Two years after his solo debut, he published his first CD called ''Kristina'' in December 2000. The CD was big success and young publishing company Goraton bought the copyrights from Pogorica's Hi-Fi centre and reprinted the CD with new label and started to sell it in all territories of former Yugoslavia.

Exactly two years after his first CD, he published his second CD called ''Budi mi voda'' (Be my water) in December 2002 with 12 new songs with the company Goraton. In 2003 he participated at Budva's festival (Budvanski festival) with the song ''Postojim i ja'' which won the best arrangement award. In 2005, Goraton published his ''The Best Of'' compilation.

After this, Sergej presented to the media his third CD called ''Kad ti zatreba'' with 10 new songs. The most popular song from this last album is called ''Pogledi u tami''.

In year 2007, he had an extremely successful tour throughout Serbia and Montenegro, which was completely sold out, and for every town, additional evenings had to be scheduled. Such success was unexpected by, perhaps, everyone. The biggest hit of the tour was the song ''Pogledi u tami''.

He is expected to release a new album in March 2010.

Discography

Kristina (2000)

Budi mi voda (2003)

Kad ti zatreba (2005)

Pola moga svijeta (2007)

2 minuta (2010)

Compilations

The best of (2005)

Sergej Live (2006)

External links

Official Website

{{s-ttl|title= Serbian Oscar Of Popularity''The Male Pop Singer of the Year'' |years=2010}}

Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:People from Podgorica Category:Montenegrin musicians Category:Montenegrin male singers

sr:Сергеј Ћетковић sh:Sergej Ćetković