birth name	Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon
birth date	March 22, 1976
birth place	New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
spouse
children	2
yearsactive	1991–present
occupation	Actress, film producer
website	}}

Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976), better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film ''The Man in the Moon'' in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie ''Wildflower''. In 1996, Witherspoon appeared in ''Freeway'' and followed that appearance with roles in three major 1998 films: ''Overnight Delivery'', ''Pleasantville'' and ''Twilight''. The following year, Witherspoon appeared in the critically acclaimed ''Election'', which earned her a Golden Globe nomination.

2001 marked her career's turning point with the breakout role as Elle Woods in the box office hit ''Legally Blonde'', and in 2002 she starred in ''Sweet Home Alabama'', which became her biggest commercial film success to date. 2003 saw her return as lead actress and executive producer of ''Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde''. In 2005, Witherspoon received worldwide attention and praise for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in ''Walk the Line'', which earned her an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Witherspoon married actor and ''Cruel Intentions'' co-star Ryan Phillippe in 1999; they have two children, Ava and Deacon. The couple separated at the end of 2006 and divorced in October 2007. Witherspoon married her second husband, talent agent Jim Toth, in 2011. Witherspoon owns a production company, Type A Films, and she is actively involved in children's and women's advocacy organizations. She serves on the board of the Children's Defense Fund (CDF) and was named Global Ambassador of Avon Products in 2007, serving as honorary chair of the charitable Avon Foundation. On December 1, 2010, Witherspoon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Early life and education [link]

Witherspoon was born at the former Southern Baptist Hospital (now the Ochsner Baptist Medical Center) in New Orleans, Louisiana, where her parents were living while her father was a student at Tulane University medical school. Her father, John Draper Witherspoon, Sr., is a Georgia-born otolaryngologist who previously served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army reserves. Her mother, Mary Elizabeth "Betty" (née Reese), is from Harriman, Tennessee, has a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing, and works as a professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University. Witherspoon claims descent from Scottish-born John Witherspoon, who signed the United States Declaration of Independence. She is also a descendant of Reformation leader John Knox. Because Witherspoon's father worked for the U.S. military in Wiesbaden, Germany, she lived there for four years as a child. After returning to the U.S., she spent her childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. She was raised as an Episcopalian.

Witherspoon was selected as a fashion model for a florist's television advertisements at age seven, which motivated her to take acting lessons. At age eleven she took first place in the Ten-State Talent Fair. Witherspoon received good grades in school; she loved reading and considered herself "a big dork who read loads of books." On mentioning her love for books, she said, "I get crazy in a bookstore. It makes my heart beat hard because I want to buy everything." She attended Stanford University as an English literature major. After completing one year of studies, she left Stanford to pursue an acting career.

Witherspoon is proud of the "definitive Southern upbringing" she received, which, as she said, gave her "a sense of family and tradition" and taught her about "being conscientious about people's feelings, being polite, being responsible and never taking for granted what you have in your life." Witherspoon is described as a "multi-achiever" and was given the nickname "Little Type A" by her parents. On discussing her early achievements, she told ''Interview'' magazine, "I just don't see any of it as that remarkable. Maybe that's the attitude I choose to have to keep me sane and keep my feet on the ground. I grew up in an environment where women accomplished a lot. And if they weren't able to, it was because they were limited by society."

Acting career [link]

Early work (1990–1998) [link]

In 1990, Witherspoon attended an open casting call for ''The Man in the Moon'' with some friends, intending to audition as a bit player. She was instead cast in the lead role of Dani Trant, a 14-year-old country girl who falls in love for the first time with her 17-year-old neighbor. Her performance was regarded as "memorably touching" by ''Variety'' magazine, and critic Roger Ebert commented, "Her first kiss is one of the most perfect little scenes I've ever seen in a movie." For this role, Witherspoon was nominated for the Young Artist Award Best Young Actress. Later that year, she made her TV acting debut in the cable movie ''Wildflower'', directed by Diane Keaton and starring Patricia Arquette. In 1992, Witherspoon appeared in the TV movie ''Desperate Choices: To Save My Child'', portraying a critically ill young girl. In 1993, she played a young wife in the CBS miniseries ''Return to Lonesome Dove'' and got a starring role as the leading character Nonnie Parker, a South African girl who must cross of the Kalahari, in the teen-aimed Disney film ''A Far Off Place''. In the same year, Witherspoon had a minor role in ''Jack the Bear'', which garnered her the Young Artist Award for Best Youth Actress Co-star. The following year, Witherspoon acted in another leading role as Wendy Pfister in the 1994 film ''S.F.W.'', directed by Jefery Levy.

In 1996, Witherspoon was offered parts in two major movies. She appeared in the thriller ''Fear'' alongside Mark Wahlberg (whom she dated) and Alyssa Milano, playing the role of Nicole Walker, a teenage girl with a handsome boyfriend who turns out to be a violent psychopath. She was also the leading actress in the thriller and black comedy ''Freeway'', starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland and Brooke Shields. Her character, Vanessa Lutz, is a poor girl living in Los Angeles, who, on the way to her grandmother's home in Stockton, encounters a freeway serial killer. The film received positive reviews from the press. Among them was the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', with Mick LaSalle commenting, "Witherspoon, who does a shrill Texas accent, is dazzling, utterly believable in one extreme situation after the other." Witherspoon's performance won her the Best Actress Award at the Cognac Police Film Festival and firmly established her as a rising star. The making of the movie also gave Witherspoon significant acting experience; as she said, "Once I overcame the hurdle of that movie – which scared me to death – I felt like I could try anything." Following completion of ''Freeway'' in 1997, Witherspoon took a break from acting in major movies for a year and began dating actor Ryan Phillippe. She returned to the screen in 1998 with major roles in three movies, ''Overnight Delivery'', ''Pleasantville'' and ''Twilight''. In ''Pleasantville'', Witherspoon starred alongside Tobey Maguire in a tale about a pair of 1990s teenage siblings who are magically transported into the setting of a 1950s television series. She portrayed the sister Jennifer, who is mainly concerned about appearances, relationships and popularity. Witherspoon's performance received good reviews and garnered her the Young Hollywood Award for Best Female Breakthrough Performance. Director Gary Ross said he firmly believed Witherspoon was going to be an outstanding movie star.

Early critical success (1999–2000) [link]

In 1999, Witherspoon starred alongside Alessandro Nivola in the drama thriller ''Best Laid Plans''; she played Lissa, a woman who schemes with her lover Nick to escape a small, dead-end town. In this same year, she co-starred with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe in the drama film ''Cruel Intentions'', a modern take on the 18th-century French novel ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses''. Her performance as Annette Hargrove was praised by the ''San Francisco Chronicle'': "Witherspoon is especially good in the least flashy role, and even when called upon to make a series of cute devilish faces, she pulls it off." Coincidentally, she appeared in a music video by Marcy Playground for the film's soundtrack. In the same year, Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick starred in the film adaptation of the 1998 novel ''Election'' by Tom Perrotta. She portrayed Tracy Flick, a competitive and ambitious over-achiever who runs for student body president. She received vast critical acclaim for her performance and won the Best Actress Award from the National Society of Film Critics and the Online Film Critics Society, a first Golden Globe nomination and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. Witherspoon also received a rank on the list of ''100 Greatest Film Performances of All Time'' by ''Premiere''. Academy Award – winning director Alexander Payne praised her: "She's got that quality that men find attractive, while women would like to be her friend. But that's just the foundation. Nobody else is as funny or brings such charm to things. She can do anything." In spite of her successful performance, Witherspoon noted in an interview that she struggled to find work after completing the film, due to typecasting. When analyzing the reasons behind her difficulty to find work, Witherspoon commented "I think because the character I played was so extreme and sort of shrewish – people thought that was who I was, rather than me going in and creating a part. I would audition for things and I'd always be the second choice – studios never wanted to hire me and I wasn't losing the parts to big box office actresses but to ones who I guess people felt differently about."

In 2000, Witherspoon received a supporting role in ''American Psycho'' and made a cameo appearance in ''Little Nicky''. She also appeared as a guest star in season six of ''Friends'', playing the role of Jill Green, Rachel Green's sister. The next year, Witherspoon provided the voice of Serena in the animated film ''The Trumpet of the Swan'', produced by Crest Animation Productions.

Worldwide recognition (2001–2004) [link]

2001 marked a significant turning point in Witherspoon's career, when she starred in the feature film ''Legally Blonde''. She portrayed Elle Woods, a fashion merchandising major who decides to become a law student in order to follow her ex-boyfriend to Harvard University. Speaking about Woods' character, Witherspoon said "When I read ''Legally Blonde'', I was like, 'She's from Beverly Hills, she's rich, she's in a sorority. She has a great boyfriend. Oh yeah, she gets dumped. Who cares? I still hate her.' So we had to make sure she was the kind of person you just can't hate." ''Legally Blonde'' was a box office hit, grossing US$96 million domestically. Witherspoon's performance earned her praise from critics, as the press began referring to her as "the new Meg Ryan". Roger Ebert commented, "Witherspoon effortlessly animated this material with sunshine and quick wit", and ''Salon.com'' noted that "she [Witherspoon] delineates Elle's character beautifully". Meanwhile, the ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' concluded, "Witherspoon is a talented comedian who can perk up a scene just by marching in full of pep and drive and she powers this modest little comedy almost single-handedly." For her work, Witherspoon garnered her second Golden Globe Best Actress nomination and an MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance.

Following the success of ''Legally Blonde'', Witherspoon starred in several roles. In 2002, Witherspoon provided the voice of the animated character Greta Wolfcastle in ''The Simpsons'' episode The Bart Wants What It Wants. In the same year, she portrayed Cecily in the comedy ''The Importance of Being Earnest'', a movie adaptation of the play by Oscar Wilde; she received a Teen Choice Award nomination for her performance. Her next feature film in 2002 was ''Sweet Home Alabama'', a movie directed by Andy Tennant. Alongside Josh Lucas and Patrick Dempsey, Witherspoon played Melanie Carmichael, a young fashion designer who intends to marry a New York politician but must return to Alabama to divorce her childhood sweetheart, from whom she has been separated for seven years. Witherspoon regarded this as a "personal role" in that the role reminded her of experiences she had when she moved from her hometown Nashville to Los Angeles. The movie became Witherspoon's biggest box office hit to date, earning over $35 million in the opening weekend and grossing over $127 million domestically in the US. Despite the commercial success, ''Sweet Home Alabama'' was given negative reviews by critics. It was called "a romantic comedy so rote, dull and predictable" by ''The Miami Herald'', and the press widely agreed that Witherspoon was the only factor that helped the movie attract a large audience. When describing Witherspoon's role in the movie, ''The Christian Science Monitor'' concluded, "She is not the movie's main attraction, she is its only attraction."

In 2003, Witherspoon followed up the success of ''Legally Blonde'' by starring in the sequel ''Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde''. Her character, Elle Woods, has become a Harvard-educated lawyer who is determined to protect animals from cosmetics-industry science tests. The sequel was not as financially successful as the first movie and it generated mostly critical reviews. ''USA Today'' considered the movie "plodding, unfunny and almost cringe-worthy", but also noted that "Reese Witherspoon still does a fine job portraying the fair-haired lovable brainiac, but her top-notch comic timing is wasted on the humorless dialogue." Meanwhile, ''Salon.com'' concluded that the sequel "calcifies everything that was enjoyable about the first movie". Despite being panned by critics, the sequel took over $39 million in its first five days in the U.S. box office charts and went on to gross $90 million in the US. Witherspoon received a $15 million paycheck for the role – a starting point to make her consistently one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses from 2002 onwards.

In 2004, Witherspoon starred in ''Vanity Fair'', adapted from the 19th-century classic novel ''Vanity Fair'' and directed by Mira Nair. Witherspoon's character – Becky Sharp – is a woman whose impoverished childhood turns her into an ambitious person with a ruthless determination to find fortune and establish herself a position in society. Witherspoon was pregnant during the filmmaking of this movie and was therefore carefully costumed to conceal her pregnancy. This pregnancy was not a hindrance to her work, as Witherspoon believed the gestation had in fact helped her portrayal of Sharp's character: "I love the luminosity that pregnancy brings, I love the fleshiness, I love the ample bosom—it gave me much more to play with", she said. The film and Witherspoon's portrayal of Sharp received good reviews, as ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote, "Nair's cast is splendid. Witherspoon does justice to the juicy role by giving the part more buoyancy than naughtiness." At the same time, ''The Charlotte Observer'' called her work "an excellent performance that's soft around the edges" and the ''Los Angeles Times'' concluded that Becky is "a part Reese Witherspoon was born to play".

''Walk the Line'' and post-Oscar work (2005–2009) [link]

In late 2004, Witherspoon began working alongside Mark Ruffalo on the romantic comedy ''Just Like Heaven''. Her character, Elizabeth Masterson, is an ambitious young doctor. On her way to a blind date she gets into a car accident, and is left in a coma. Her spirit returns to her old apartment where she later finds true love.

Earlier that year Witherspoon was chosen to portray June Carter Cash, the second wife of country music singer and songwriter Johnny Cash, in ''Walk the Line''. She never had the chance to meet Carter Cash, as Witherspoon was filming ''Vanity Fair'' at the time Carter Cash died. Witherspoon performed her own vocals in the movie, and her songs had to be performed in front of a live audience. When she learned that she had to perform live, Witherspoon was so worried that she asked her lawyer to terminate the film contract. "That was the most challenging part of the role," she later recalled in an interview, "I'd never sung professionally." Subsequently, she had to spend six months learning how to sing for the role. Witherspoon's portrayal of Carter Cash was well received by critics, and Roger Ebert wrote that her performance added "boundless energy" to the movie. She won several awards for her performance, including the Golden Globe Award, the Screen Actors Guild, the BAFTA and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role.

Besides critical success in the movie industry, Witherspoon and her co-star in ''Walk the Line'', Joaquin Phoenix, received a nomination for "collaborative video of the year" from the CMT Music Awards. Witherspoon expressed her passion for the movie: "I really like in this film that it is realistic and portrays sort of a real marriage, a real relationship where there are forbidden thoughts and fallibility. And it is about compassion in the long haul, not just the short easy solutions to problems." She also spoke about June Carter Cash, stating that she believed Carter Cash was a woman ahead of her time: "I think the really remarkable thing about her character is that she did all of these things that we sort of see as normal things in the 1950s when it wasn't really acceptable for a woman to be married and divorced twice and have two different children by two different husbands and travel around in a car full of very famous musicians all by herself. She didn't try to comply to social convention, so I think that makes her a very modern woman."

Witherspoon's first post-Oscar role came in the modern-day fairy tale ''Penelope'', co-starring Christina Ricci. Witherspoon played the supporting role of Annie, the best friend of Penelope, a girl who has a curse in her family. The film was produced by Witherspoon's company Type A Films and premiered at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. After the final release date of ''Penelope'' was delayed twice, the movie eventually had a February 2008 release.

Witherspoon was back in front of the camera again in November 2006, as shooting began for the political thriller ''Rendition''. She starred alongside Meryl Streep, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard and Jake Gyllenhaal, playing Isabella El-Ibrahim, the pregnant wife of a bombing suspect. ''Rendition'' was released in October 2007 and marked Witherspoon's first appearance in theaters in two years, since the 2005 release of ''Walk the Line''. The movie received mostly negative reviews and was generally considered a disappointment at the Toronto Film Festival. Witherspoon's performance was also criticized: "Reese Witherspoon is surprisingly lifeless", ''USA Today'' wrote, "She customarily injects energy and spirit into her parts, but here, her performance feels tamped down." In December 2007, Witherspoon began filming the holiday comedy ''Four Christmases'', a story about a couple who have to spend their Christmas Day trying to visit all four of their divorced parents, and in which she stars alongside Vince Vaughn. The film was released in November 2008. Despite only receiving average reviews by critics, the movie became a box office success, earning more than 120 million US dollars domestically and US$157m worldwide. Witherspoon next provided the voice for Susan Murphy, the main character of the computer-animated 3-D feature film ''Monsters vs. Aliens'', which had a March 27, 2009, release from DreamWorks Animation. In 2009, she also produced a spin-off film of Legally Blonde called Legally Blondes, featuring Camilla "Milly" Rosso and Rebecca "Becky" Rosso.

"Love triangle period" and commercial struggles (2010–present) [link]

With the exception of her animated role in ''Monsters vs. Aliens'', Witherspoon did not appear in a live action film for two years following the release of ''Four Christmases''. Witherspoon told ''Entertainment Weekly'' that the "break" was unplanned, stating that, "I just didn’t read anything I liked...There are a lot of really, really, really big movies about robots and things- and there’s not a part for a 34-year-old woman in a robot movie." Witherspoon returned with three films in 2010, 2011, and 2012, all centered around Witherspoon as a woman caught in a love triangle between two men. In an interview with MTV, Witherspoon jokingly referred to this trio of films as her "love triangle period".

The first film was James L. Brooks's romantic comedy ''How Do You Know'', which starred Witherspoon as a thirty-something former national softball player who struggles to choose between a philandering baseball star boyfriend (Owen Wilson) and a business executive being investigated for white collar crime (Paul Rudd). The movie was filmed over the summer and fall of 2009 in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., and released on December 17, 2010. The movie was both a critical and box office failure. Despite an over $100 million budget, the film earned only $7.6 million in its opening weekend, leading the ''Los Angeles Times'' to call it "one of the year's biggest flops". The movie earned mainly negative reviews from critics, scoring 35% on Rotten Tomatoes with 111 reviews as of late December 2010.

Next up for Witherspoon was a second movie based on a love triangle, the film adaptation of the 1930s circus drama ''Water for Elephants''. Witherspoon began circus training in March 2010 for her role as Marlena, a glamorous performer stuck in a marriage to a volatile husband (Christoph Waltz) but intrigued by the circus's new veterinarian (Robert Pattinson). Filming for the movie took place between late May and early August 2010 in various locations in Tennessee, Georgia and California. It was released on April 22, 2011, and received mixed critical reviews, with many citing a lack of chemistry between Witherspoon and Pattinson.

In September 2010, Witherspoon began principal photography in Vancouver for the third film, ''This Means War'', a 20th Century Fox spy comedy directed by McG. In the film, Witherspoon stars as a woman at the center of a battle between two best friends (played by Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who are both in love with her. The film had a "sneak-peak" release on Valentine's Day, before fully opening on February 17, 2012. The film was panned by critics (with a 25% Rotten Tomatoes rating), and fared poorly at the box office, taking fifth place on its opening weekend with sales of $17.6 million. The ''New York Times'' remarked that this "extended the box office cold streak for the Oscar-winning Ms. Witherspoon", and that while "Hollywood keeps trying to turn Reese Witherspoon into a Sandra Bullock or Julia Roberts for a new generation," the "new generation keeps refusing to take the memo."

Witherspoon's upcoming films signal a departure from the love triangle theme. In September 2011, nearly a year after beginning work on ''This Means War'', Witherspoon began filming Jeff Nichols's coming-of-age drama ''Mud'' in Arkansas. Witherspoon plays the supporting role of Juniper, the former girlfriend of a fugitive (Matthew McConaughey), who enlists two local boys to help him escape capture and rekindle his romance with Witherspoon's character. It is slated for a 2013 release, but premiered in May 2012 in competition for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

Witherspoon's next film will be Atom Egoyan's adaptation of the true crime book ''Devil's Knot'', which examines the controversial case of the West Memphis Three. Like ''Mud'', the story is set in Arkansas. Witherspoon will play Pam Hobbs, the mother of one of three young murder victims. The movie will begin filming in Georgia in June 2012. Egoyan has noted that although the role requires "an emotionally loaded journey", he "met with Reese, and...talked at length about the project, and she's eager to take on the challenge".

Witherspoon is subsequently attached to ''Big Eyes'', written and directed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski and produced by Tim Burton. Witherspoon will play Margaret Keane, an artist who produces wide-eyed portraits that became a sensation in the 1960s but were sold under the name of her husband Walter Keane (played by Ryan Reynolds), creating conflict between them.

It has also been rumoured that Witherspoon will produce (under the Type A banner) and star in both ''Pharm Girl'', a film about a woman who takes on the pharmaceutical industry, and a Peggy Lee biopic to be directed by Nora Ephron. Witherspoon's name has also been attached to a number of other possible future films, including the upcoming Sony Pictures film ''Sex Tape'', a Universal Pictures remake of the 1939 comedy ''Midnight'', scripted by Michael Arndt, and the horror film ''Our Family Troubles'', which she would produce through Type A with Jennifer Simpson, co-producer of ''Legally Blonde 2''.

Witherspoon received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on December 1, 2010, at 6262 Hollywood Blvd.

Other projects [link]

Witherspoon owns a production company called Type A Films. The company was at first believed by the media to have been named after her childhood nickname "Little Miss Type A." However, when asked about the company by ''Interview'' magazine, she clarified the name's origin: "... people think I named it after myself ... It was actually an in-joke with my family because at [age] 7 I understood complicated medical terms, such as the difference between type A and type B personalities. But I just wished I'd named the company Dogfood Films or Fork or something. You carry that baggage all your life."

Charitable work [link]

Witherspoon is actively involved in children's and women's advocacy organizations. She is a long-time supporter of Save the Children, an organization that helps children around the world through education, health care and emergency aid. She also serves on the board of the Children's Defense Fund, a child advocacy and research group. In 2006, Witherspoon was among a group of actresses who went to New Orleans, Louisiana in a CDF project to bring to light the needs of Hurricane Katrina victims. In this trip, she helped open the city's first Freedom School, as she met and talked with the children. Witherspoon later called this an experience that she would never forget.

In 2007, Witherspoon made her first move into the world of endorsements, as she signed a multi-year agreement to serve as the first Global Ambassador of cosmetic company Avon Products. She acts as a spokeswoman for Avon's cosmetic products and serves as the honorary chair of the ''Avon Foundation'', a charitable organization that supports women and focuses on breast cancer research and the prevention of domestic violence. Witherspoon is also committed to participating in cosmetics product development and appearing in commercial advertisements. Explaining her motives for joining the foundation, she said, "As a woman and a mother I care deeply about the well being of other women and children throughout the world and through the years, I have always looked for opportunities to make a difference."

In the media [link]

Witherspoon hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' on September 29, 2001, which was the first episode to air after New York City was devastated by the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11. In 2005, she was ranked No. 5 in ''Teen People'' magazine's list of most powerful young Hollywood actors. In 2006, Witherspoon was listed among the Time 100. Her featured article was written by Luke Wilson. In the same year, she was selected as one of the "100 Sexiest Women In The World" by the readers of ''FHM''. Witherspoon has appeared on the annual Celebrity 100 list by ''Forbes'' magazine in 2006 and 2007, at No. 75 and No. 80, respectively. ''Forbes'' also put her on the top ten Trustworthy Celebrities list. She was listed among CEOWORLD magazine's Top Accomplished Women Entertainers.

In 2006, ''Star'' fabricated a story saying Witherspoon was pregnant with her third child, which led to Witherspoon suing the magazine's parent company American Media Inc in Los Angeles Superior Court for privacy violation. She sought unspecified general and punitive damages in the lawsuit, asserting that the claim harmed her reputation because it suggested she was hiding the news from producers of her upcoming films.

Witherspoon has been featured four times in the annual "100 Most Beautiful" issues of ''People'' magazine. In 2007, she was selected by ''People'' and the entertainment news program ''Access Hollywood'' as one of the best dressed female stars of the year. A study conducted by E-Poll Market Research showed that Witherspoon was the most likable female celebrity of 2007. That same year, Witherspoon established herself as the highest-paid actress in the American film industry, earning $15 to $20 million per film. In April 2008, Witherspoon appeared as a guest star at the 2008 charitable campaign Idol Gives Back.

At the 2011 MTV Music Awards, while receiving the MTV Generation Award, Witherspoon criticized stars who have produced sex tapes and explicit photos.

In April 2011, she ranked 3rd on ''People''s annual Most Beautiful issue.

Personal life [link]

Witherspoon met American actor Ryan Phillippe at her 21st birthday party in March 1997. The couple became engaged in December 1998, and married in Charleston, South Carolina, on June 5, 1999, at Wide Awake Plantation. They have two children: a daughter named Ava Elizabeth Phillippe, born September 9, 1999, and a son Deacon Reese Phillippe, born October 23, 2003. In October 2006, Witherspoon and Phillippe announced that they had decided to separate formally after seven years of marriage. The following month, Witherspoon filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. In her petition she sought joint legal custody of their two children and sole physical custody, with full visitation rights for Phillippe. The couple had no prenuptial agreement and the couple would be entitled to half of all assets gained during the marriage under California law, with Witherspoon's being the more significant. Witherspoon requested that the court grant no spousal support for Phillippe, which he did not contest. On May 15, 2007, Phillippe filed for joint physical custody of the couple's children and made no motion to block Witherspoon from seeking support from him. Witherspoon and Phillippe's final divorce documents were granted by the Los Angeles Superior Court on October 5, 2007.

Throughout 2007, there was persistent speculation in the mass media about a romantic relationship between Witherspoon and her ''Rendition'' co-star Jake Gyllenhaal. After the finalization of Witherspoon's divorce in October 2007, Gyllenhaal and Witherspoon became more open with their relationship, particularly due to the release of paparazzi pictures that showed the couple vacationing together in Rome. In March 2008, Phillippe was the first to confirm the relationship in interviews conducted during the promotion of his latest film. The couple was reported to have split in December 2009.

In early February 2010, it was reported that Witherspoon had begun dating Jim Toth. At the time, Toth was a talent agent working for the Creative Artists Agency, which represents Witherspoon; in September 2010, he was promoted to also become one of the agency’s two heads of motion picture talent. Witherspoon and Toth announced their engagement in December 2010, and married on March 26, 2011 in Ojai, California at Libbey Ranch, Witherspoon's country estate. In March 2012, it was announced that the couple are expecting a baby, the third for Witherspoon, and first for Toth.

Filmography [link]

+ Actress
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1991	''''	Dani Trant	Nominated – Chicago Film Critics Association
1991		Ellie Perkins
1992	''[[Desperate Choices: To Save My Child''	Cassie
1993	''''	Nonnie Parker
1993	''Jack the Bear''	Karen Morris
1993	''Return to Lonesome Dove''	Ferris Dunnigan	TV miniseries
1994	''S.F.W.''	Wendy Pfister
1996		Vanessa Lutz
1996		Nicole Walker
1998		Mel Ames
1998	''Overnight Delivery''	Ivy Miller
1998		Jennifer/Mary Sue
1999	''Cruel Intentions''	Annette Hargrove	Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Supporting ActressNominated – Teen Choice Award for Sexiest Love SceneNominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Actress
1999		Tracy Flick	Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best ActressOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated – American Comedy Awards
1999		Lissa
2000	''[[Little Nicky''	Holly	Cameo appearance
2000		Evelyn Williams
2001	''''	Serena	Voice
2001	''Legally Blonde''	Elle Woods
2002	''''	Cecily Cardew
2002		Melanie Carmichael	Teen Choice Award
2003	''[[Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde''	Elle Woods	Executive Producer
2004		Becky Sharp
2005	''Walk the Line''	June Carter Cash	Academy Award for Best ActressAustin Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressBAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleBoston Society of Film Critics Award for Best ActressBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressFlorida Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressGolden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyKansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressLas Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNational Society of Film Critics Award for Best ActressNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressOnline Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressSan Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressSatellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading RoleTeen Choice Award for Choice ActressWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated – Empire Award for Best ActressNominated – MTV Movie Award for Best Performance
2005		Elizabeth Masterson
2006		Annie	Also producer
2007		Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi
2008	''Four Christmases''	Kate
2009	''Monsters vs. Aliens''	Susan Murphy / Ginormica	Voice
2010		Lisa
2011		Marlena Rosenbluth
2012		Lauren Scott
2012		Juniper	Post-Production
TBA	''Big Eyes''	Margaret Keane	Filming starts in Spring 2012
TBA	''Devil's Knot''	Pam Hobbs	Filming starts in Summer 2012

+ Producer
! Year	! Title	Notes
2003	''Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde''	Executive Producer
2006
2008	''Four Christmases''

+ Television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2000	''King of the Hill''	Debbie	2 episodesvoice
2000	''Friends''	Jill Green
2002	''''	Greta Wolfcastle	1 episodevoice
2003	''Freedom: A History of Us''	Various roles	3 episodes
2009	''Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space''	Susan Murphy / Ginormica	Halloween TV Specialvoice
2011-2012	''After Lately''	Herself	2 Episodes

Discography [link]

! Year	! Soundtrack
2005

References [link]

External links [link]

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Louisiana Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:American people of Scottish descent Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American philanthropists Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Military brats Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:People from New Orleans, Louisiana Category:Stanford University alumni Category:Young Artist Award winners

ar:ريس ويذرسبون an:Reese Witherspoon az:Riz Uizerspun bn:রিজ উইদারস্পুন be:Рыз Уізерспун be-x-old:Рыз Ўізэрспун bg:Рийз Уидърспун cs:Reese Witherspoon cy:Reese Witherspoon da:Reese Witherspoon de:Reese Witherspoon et:Reese Witherspoon el:Ρις Γουίδερσπουν es:Reese Witherspoon eo:Reese Witherspoon eu:Reese Witherspoon fa:ریس ویترسپون fo:Reese Witherspoon fr:Reese Witherspoon ga:Reese Witherspoon ko:리스 위더스푼 hy:Ռիզ Ուիզերսփուն hi:रीज विदरस्पून hr:Reese Witherspoon id:Reese Witherspoon is:Reese Witherspoon it:Reese Witherspoon he:ריס וית'רספון kn:ರೀಸ್‌ ವಿದರ್‌ಸ್ಪೂನ್‌ ka:რიზ უიზერსპუნი csb:Reese Witherspoon kk:Риз Уизерспун la:Reese Witherspoon lv:Rīza Viterspūna hu:Reese Witherspoon mk:Рис Витерспун mr:रीस विदरस्पून ms:Reese Witherspoon nah:Reese Witherspoon nl:Reese Witherspoon ja:リース・ウィザースプーン no:Reese Witherspoon nn:Reese Witherspoon pl:Reese Witherspoon pt:Reese Witherspoon ro:Reese Witherspoon ru:Уизерспун, Риз se:Reese Witherspoon simple:Reese Witherspoon sl:Reese Witherspoon sr:Рис Видерспун sh:Reese Witherspoon fi:Reese Witherspoon sv:Reese Witherspoon tl:Reese Witherspoon ta:ரீஸ் விதர்ஸ்பூன் te:రీస్ విథర్‌స్పూన్ th:รีส วิเธอร์สปูน tg:Рийс Уитерспоон tr:Reese Witherspoon uk:Різ Візерспун vi:Reese Witherspoon yo:Reese Witherspoon zh:麗絲·韋花絲潘

birthname
birth date	June 05, 1971
birth place	Boston, Massachusetts, United States
othername	Marky MarkMonk D
occupation	ActorProducerRapper (former)
yearsactive	1989–present
spouse	Rhea Durham(m. 2009–present; 4 children)
relatives	Donnie Wahlberg, Robert Wahlberg (brothers)
url	Official site }}

Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971) is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1989 debut as frontman with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's ''40 Hottest Hotties of the 90's''. Wahlberg is well known for his roles in films such as ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), ''Three Kings'' (1999), ''The Perfect Storm'' (2000), ''Planet of the Apes'' (2001), ''Rock Star'' (2001), ''The Italian Job'' (2003), ''I Heart Huckabees'' (2004), ''Four Brothers'' (2005), ''The Departed'' (2006), ''Invincible'' (2006), ''Shooter'' (2007), and ''The Fighter'' (2010), ''Date Night'' (2010). He has also served as the executive producer of the TV series ''Entourage'', ''Boardwalk Empire'' and ''How to Make It in America''.

Early life [link]

Wahlberg was born in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest of nine children, with siblings Arthur, Jim, Paul, Robert, Tracey, Michelle, Debbie (died in 2003 at age 44), and Donnie. His father was of half Swedish and half Irish ancestry, and his mother is of Irish, English, and French Canadian descent. Maternally, Wahlberg is distantly related to author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Wahlberg's mother, Alma Elaine ( Donnelly), was a bank clerk and nurse's aide, and Wahlberg's father, Donald Edward Wahlberg, was a Teamster who worked as a delivery driver. His parents divorced in 1982. Wahlberg had a Roman Catholic upbringing and attended Copley Square High School (but never graduated) on Newbury Street in Boston.

Racist assaults and attempted murder charges [link]

Wahlberg claims to have been in trouble 20–25 times with the Boston Police Department as a youth. By the age of 13, Wahlberg had developed an addiction to cocaine and other substances. At 15, he harassed a group of black school children on a field trip by throwing rocks and shouting racial epithets. When he was 16, while high on PCP, Wahlberg approached a middle-aged Vietnamese man on the street and, using a large wooden stick, knocked him unconscious (while calling him "Vietnam fucking shit"). He also attacked another Vietnamese man, leaving him permanently blind in one eye, and attacked a security guard (using foul language).

For these crimes, Wahlberg was charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to two years in jail at Boston's Deer Island House of Correction, of which he served 45 days. In another incident, the 21-year-old Wahlberg fractured the jaw of a neighbor in an unprovoked attack. "I did a lot of things that I regretted and I certainly paid for my mistakes," Wahlberg says. "You have to go and ask for forgiveness and it wasn't until I really started doing good and doing right, by other people as well as myself, that I really started to feel that guilt go away. So I don't have a problem going to sleep at night. I feel good when I wake up in the morning."

Career[link]

Music [link]

Wahlberg first came to fame as the younger brother of Donnie Wahlberg of the successful 1980s and 1990s boy band New Kids on the Block. Mark, at age thirteen, had been one of the group's original members, along with Donnie, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, and Jonathan Knight. However, he soon quit. It was his departure that eventually allowed Joe McIntyre to take his place as the fifth member of the group.

Wahlberg began recording as Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, earning a hit with "Good Vibrations" from the album ''Music for the People''. The record was produced by brother Donnie and later hit No.1 on The Billboard Hot 100, later becoming certified as a Platinum single. The second single, "Wildside," peaked at No.5 on ''Billboards'' Hot Singles Sales chart and at No.10 on The Billboard Hot 100. It was certified as a Gold Single. Marky Mark opened for the New Kids on the Block during their last tour. The second Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch LP, ''You Gotta Believe'', was not as successful as the prior, yielding only a minor hit single in the title track. Wahlberg later collaborated with the late reggae / ragga singer Prince Ital Joe on the album ''Life in the Streets''. The project combined rap and ragga vocals with strong eurodance music (as in the singles ''Happy People'', German No.1 hit ''United'', ''Life in the Streets'', and ''Babylon'') courtesy of Frank Peterson and Alex Christensen as producers.

He was also featured in the Black Label Society music video for "Counterfeit God", as a stand-in for the band's bassist.

Advertising [link]

Wahlberg first displayed his physique in the ''Good Vibrations'' music video and most prominently in a series of underwear ads for Calvin Klein shot by Herb Ritts, following it with Calvin Klein television advertisements. Magazine and television promotions would sometimes feature Mark exclusively or accompanied by model Kate Moss. Annie Leibovitz also shot a famous session of Mark Wahlberg in underwear for ''Vanity Fair'''s annual Hall of Fame issue. He also made a workout video titled ''The Marky Mark Workout: Form... Focus... Fitness'' (ISBN 1-55510-910-1).

Film [link]

Wahlberg dropped the "Marky Mark" moniker and began an acting career, making his debut in the 1993 TV movie ''The Substitute''. His big screen debut came the next year, with the Danny DeVito feature ''Renaissance Man''. A basketball fanatic, he caught the attention of critics after appearing in ''The Basketball Diaries'' in 1995, playing the role of Mickey alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, in a film adaptation of the Jim Carroll book of the same name. He also starred in the 1996 James Foley thriller ''Fear''.

He has earned many positive reviews after successful movies like ''Boogie Nights'' as Dirk Diggler, ''Three Kings'', ''The Perfect Storm'', ''The Italian Job'', and ''Four Brothers''. His performance in ''I ♥ Huckabees'' was voted best supporting performance of the year in the 2004 ''Village Voice'' Critics Poll. Wahlberg was originally cast as Linus Caldwell in ''Ocean's Eleven''; Matt Damon played the role instead. The two later worked together in ''The Departed''. Wahlberg was also considered for a role in the film ''Brokeback Mountain''. It was originally intended to star him and Joaquin Phoenix, but Wahlberg was uncomfortable with the film's sex scenes and his role ultimately went to Jake Gyllenhaal.

Wahlberg starred in the American football drama, ''Invincible'', based on the true story of bartender Vince Papale. He is also the executive producer of the HBO series ''Entourage'' which is loosely based on his experiences in Hollywood. He also appeared as a foul-mouthed Massachusetts State Police detective in Martin Scorsese's critically acclaimed thriller, ''The Departed'' in 2006, which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and an NSFC Best Supporting Actor award. Wahlberg has confirmed that he was approached to star in a sequel to ''The Departed'', but it is still early in development. The sequel would reportedly revolve around the Staff Sergeant played by Wahlberg.

To prepare for his role in ''Shooter'', Wahlberg attended long-range shooting training at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute near Pahrump, Nevada, and was able to hit a target at 1100 yards on his second day, a feat which usually takes weeks to achieve. He has said in a number of interviews that he will retire at the age of 40 to concentrate on parenthood and professional golf. However, in early 2007 he indicated that the latter was no longer the plan as "his golf game is horrible". He played Jack Salmon, a leading role in Peter Jackson's film of ''The Lovely Bones''. In 2007, he starred opposite Joaquin Phoenix in ''We Own the Night'', a movie about a family of police officers in New York City.

He starred in M. Night Shyamalan's ''The Happening'' as Eliot Moore, which premiered in movie theatres on June 13, 2008. The same year, he played the title role in ''Max Payne'', based on a video game of the same name. While promoting ''Max Payne'', Mark became involved in a playful feud with ''Saturday Night Live'''s Andy Samberg and threatened to "crack that big fucking nose of his." Samberg had done an impression of Wahlberg in a ''Saturday Night Live'' skit titled "Mark Wahlberg Talks To Animals." However, Wahlberg later appeared in a follow-up skit parodying both the original skit, Samberg's impression of Wahlberg, and his own threats to Samberg.

Personal life [link]

Family and relationships [link]

In the early '90s, Wahlberg dated former child actress Soleil Moon Frye. Wahlberg and model Rhea Durham have been together since 2001 and were married on August 1, 2009 at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills. The couple have four children, Ella Rae (born September 2, 2003), Michael Robert (born March 21, 2006), Brendan Joseph (born September 16, 2008) and Grace Margaret (born January 11, 2010). In a 2011 interview with USA Weekend, Wahlberg stated that he had taken his children to visit his old Dorchester neighborhood, saying ''"I want them to know that not everyone is as fortunate and how important it is to work hard and give back."''

His father, a US Army veteran of the Korean War, died on February 14, 2008.

Religion [link]

Wahlberg is a committed Roman Catholic, who attends daily Mass, credits his faith and a priest from his childhood for helping him turn his life around, and recognizes the seriousness of his faith.

Charity work [link]

Actively involved in charity, Wahlberg established the ''Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation'' in May 2001 for the purpose of raising and distributing funds to youth service and enrichment programs.

Wahlberg is also active with The Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. In an interview, Mark said that it's important to let the homeless know that people care about them and are working to help the impoverished get back on their feet.

Tattoos [link]

Wahlberg has four tattoos done by various artists including Paul Timman. The tattoos include Sylvester the cat with Tweety Bird in his mouth on his ankle, a design of his initials "MW" with his surname "Wahlberg" on his upper right arm, and a Bob Marley tattoo with "One Love" on his upper left arm. The final tattoo, which Wahlberg holds as his most meaningful, is the rosary tattooed around his neck, with a crucifix and the words "In God I Trust" resting over his heart. On January 9, 2012 Wahlberg was a guest on The Late Show With David Letterman. He spoke about his tattoos and stated he is in the process of having them removed. Initially he was told it would take 8-10 laser treatments however he required over 30 treatments and is still in the process of getting them removed. He cited his career and children as the reason for the removal of the tattoos. His first tattoo was as a young teenager and it was of a shamrock. Because it was not professionally done, he said the shamrock was not straight and had the Tweety Bird tattoo placed over it after arriving in Los Angeles.

Discography [link]

Filmography[link]

+ List of acting performances in film and television
Title	Year	Role	Notes
''''		Ryan Westerberg	Credited as "Marky Mark"
! scope="row"		Private Tommy Lee Haywood
''''		Mickey
! scope="row"		David McCall	Nominated — MTV Movie Award for Best Villain
! scope="row"		Pat O'Hara
''Boogie Nights''		Eddie Adams/Dirk Diggler	Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama
''''		Melvin Smiley
''''		Detective Danny Wallace
! scope="row"		Troy Barlow
''''		Leo Handler
''''		Robert "Bobby" Shatford
! scope="row"		Captain Leo Davidson
! scope="row"		Chris "Izzy" Cole
''''		Joshua Peters
''''		Charlie Croker	Main role
''I Heart Huckabees''		Tommy Corn	Village Voice Film Poll – Best Supporting PerformanceNominated — Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting ActorNominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
! scope="row"		Robert "Bobby" Mercer	Main role
! scope="row"			Main role
''''		Sgt. Sean Dignam
! scope="row"		GySgt. Bob Lee Swagger	Main role
''We Own the Night''		Captain Joseph "Joe" Grusinsky
''''		Elliot Moore	rowspan=2|Nominated — Razzie Award for Worst Actor
! scope="row"
''''		Jack Salmon
''Date Night''		Holbrooke Grant
''''		Detective Terry Hoitz	Lead role
''''		"Irish" Micky Ward
! scope="row"		Chris Farraday
! scope="row"		John
! scope="row"		Billy Taggart	''filming''
			''pre-production''

+ List of credits as producer
Title	Year	Role	Notes
! scope="row"		Executive producer
''We Own the Night''		Producer
''In Treatment''		Executive producer
''How to Make It in America''		Executive producer
''Boardwalk Empire''		Executive producer
''''		Producer
! scope="row"		Producer

References [link]

External links [link]

Category:1971 births Category:American film actors Category:American male models Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American rappers Category:American Roman Catholics Category:American television producers Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Living people Category:Actors from Boston, Massachusetts Category:American people of French-Canadian descent Category:American people of Swedish descent Category:American people convicted of assault Category:New Kids on the Block members

ar:مارك والبيرغ az:Mark Uolberq bn:মার্ক ওয়ালবার্গ bg:Марк Уолбърг ca:Mark Wahlberg cs:Mark Wahlberg da:Mark Wahlberg de:Mark Wahlberg et:Mark Wahlberg el:Μαρκ Γουόλμπεργκ es:Mark Wahlberg fa:مارک واهل‌برگ fr:Mark Wahlberg ga:Mark Wahlberg ko:마크 월버그 hy:Մարկ Ուոլբերգ hi:मार्क वाह्ल्बर्ग hr:Mark Wahlberg id:Mark Wahlberg it:Mark Wahlberg he:מארק וולברג sw:Mark Wahlberg hu:Mark Wahlberg mk:Марк Волберг ml:മാര്‍ക്ക് വാള്‍ബെര്‍ഗ്ഗ് mn:Марк Уолберг nl:Mark Wahlberg ja:マーク・ウォールバーグ no:Mark Wahlberg pl:Mark Wahlberg pt:Mark Wahlberg ru:Уолберг, Марк simple:Mark Wahlberg sr:Марк Волберг sh:Mark Wahlberg fi:Mark Wahlberg sv:Mark Wahlberg tl:Mark Wahlberg th:มาร์ก วาห์ลเบิร์ก tr:Mark Wahlberg uk:Марк Волберг vi:Mark Wahlberg zh:馬克·華伯格

birth name	Alyssa Jayne Milano
birth date	December 19, 1972
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
years active	1981–present
occupation	Actress, singer, producer
spouse	Cinjun Tate (1999)David Bugliari (2009–present; 1 child)
website	alyssa.com }}

Alyssa Jayne Milano (born December 19, 1972) is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom ''Who's the Boss?'' and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series ''Charmed''. She was also a series regular on the original ''Melrose Place'' portraying the role of Jennifer Mancini. Milano has a female sports apparel line, ''Touch''.

Early life [link]

Alyssa Milano is the daughter of Lin, a fashion designer and talent manager, and Thomas M. Milano, a film music editor. Milano was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Staten Island. She has a younger brother, Cory (born in 1982), who is also an actor. In a 2003 interview, Milano recalled having had a good childhood, having grown up in a "loving, true family."

Milano is a cousin to actors Eric Lloyd and Emily Ann Lloyd.

Career [link]

Early career [link]

Milano began her career at age eight after winning a role in an open audition for a national tour of ''Annie''. She was one of the four picked out of an audition with over 1,500 girls. She appeared in television commercials and off-Broadway productions.

At age 10, she won her first major role in the television show ''Who's the Boss?'' alongside Tony Danza, Judith Light, Danny Pintauro and Katherine Helmond. She co-starred as Samantha Micelli, the daughter of Danza's character. After Milano won the role, she and her father relocated from Staten Island to Hollywood. The rest of the family followed a year later, because her mother was initially unwilling to give up her home life "for a show that wasn't a guarantee." Although born and raised in Brooklyn, Milano had trouble getting this accent right because she worked to lose it to land more roles in the theater, including in a stage adaption of ''Jane Eyre''.

On stage, she starred in ''Tender Offer'', a one-act play written by Wendy Wasserstein, ''All Night Long'' by American playwright John O'Keefe, and the first American musical adaptation of ''Jane Eyre''. She returned to the theater in 1991, when she starred in and produced a Los Angeles production of ''Butterflies Are Free'' from December 26 until January 19, 1992.

In 1985, Milano was in the film ''Commando'' as Jenny Matrix, daughter of John Matrix (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Appearing at age 12 in an R-rated action film, Milano admitted she was sometimes "freaked out" by the weapons on set. A few years later this film was shown in Japan, prompting a producer to offer Milano a five-album record deal. Subsequently, she appeared opposite John Gielgud in the children's film ''The Canterville Ghost'' (1986). The film did not achieve much praise or attention, and ''Variety'' magazine noted in its review: "Milano as the catalyzing daughter Jennifer adapts to the ghostly Sir Simon without a qualm; that, of course, is the true charm of the story, but Milano doesn't exhibit enough presence to match the droll, charming Gielgud.

By the late 1980s, Milano was established as a teen idol, appearing in made-for-television teen films such as ''Crash Course'' and ''Dance 'til Dawn'' (both 1988). Both projects allowed her to work alongside close personal friend Brian Bloom. Bloom and his brother Scott worked with Milano in episodes of ''Who's the Boss''. This working camaraderie would later expand in 1993 when Milano guest starred in Brian's series ''The Webbers''. She produced a teen workout video in 1988 called ''Teen Steam'' and achieved some fame outside the USA with her music career, which lasted until the early 1990s. In 1991, Milano wanted to quit acting to pursue an academic career, but was unable to gain release from her contract.

When her role on ''Who's the Boss'' ended in 1992, Milano feared having trouble obtaining other roles, aware of the fate of many grown-up child stars in that period. Nevertheless, she was excited when she found out the show was cancelled, being ready "to move on." Milano tried to shed her "nice girl" image by appearing nude in several erotic films targeted at adults, such as ''Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story'' (1993), ''Embrace of the Vampire'' (1994), ''Deadly Sins'' (1995), and ''Poison Ivy II: Lily'' (1996), where she starred opposite Johnathon Schaech and Xander Berkeley.

In 1992, Milano auditioned for female lead as a homeless teenager in the independent film ''Where the Day Takes You''. Although the crew was reluctant to sign a former child star, she was given a small role as a prostitute in the production. She was noticed by the media, that helped her land the controversial role of Amy Fisher in the high profile TV movie ''Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story''. In 1994, she was considered to replace Shannen Doherty in ''Beverly Hills, 90210''. In 1996, Milano appeared opposite Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon in the thriller ''Fear''

Later roles [link]

Her performance in ''Fear'' led to a starring role in ''Hugo Pool'' (1997), her first film released through cinemas since ''Commando''. Despite the milestone, Milano was soon out of work and after a period of six months, she decided to return to television. She portrayed bad girl Jennifer Mancini on ''Melrose Place'' (1997–1998), Meg Winston in ''Spin City'', and most notably as Phoebe Halliwell on the eight-year run of the popular hit TV series ''Charmed'' (1998–2006). Her role on ''Melrose Place'' was offered to the actress by Aaron Spelling himself in late 1996. The stint garnered her new fame and she was named the most successful and popular actress on the primetime soap, alongside Heather Locklear. Milano and close friend Holly Marie Combs became producers for ''Charmed'' during the show's fifth season.

She played the role of Eva Savelot in MCI's commercials. In 2007, Milano filmed a pilot for ABC entitled ''Reinventing the Wheelers''. The series was not picked up for the 2007–2008 season, but instead, Milano appeared in ten episodes of the show ''My Name Is Earl''. This reunited her with Jaime Pressly, who guest-starred in the two-part Season 5 premiere of ''Charmed'', "A Witch's Tail".

Milano's commercial work includes appearing in the "Josie" music video by Blink-182, as well as 2007 television ads for Veet and Sheer Cover. She also appeared in mid-1980s commercial for Hi-C

Milano was part of TBS's special coverage installment ''Hot Corner'' for the 2007 Major League Baseball playoffs. She reported at Fenway Park during the ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. She also reported at Chase Field during the NLCS between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies.

Milano starred in the 2008 film ''Pathology'' alongside Milo Ventimiglia and was then cast in a television sitcom, ''Single with Parents'', which was pulled prior to production.

On March 20, 2009, it was announced that Milano would provide a voice for the ''Ghostbusters: The Video Game''. In a 2010 interview, she told the press that she had 'a blast' working on the game, although she recalled it being 'odd' having to grunt in a room alone. It was speculated that following the voice over in the video game, she was set to star in ''Ghostbusters III'', although Milano claimed she was never approached.

On March 24, 2009, her book on her baseball fandom, ''Safe At Home: Confessions of a Baseball Fanatic'', was released. Milano has signed on to star in and produce ''My Girlfriend's Boyfriend'', a romantic comedy in which she plays a woman with a relationship dilemma.

Milano starred in the sitcom ''Romantically Challenged'' as Rebecca Thomas, a recently divorced single mom attorney in Pittsburgh who has not dated "since Bill Clinton was president". The series premiered on ABC on April 19, 2010. On why she accepted the role, Milano commented: :"I was so attracted to the writing. Our creative showrunner is Ricky Blitt from ''Family Guy'' and I was struck at how funny the female characters were written. Usually the female characters are written pretty straightforward, like the straight-man but with Ricky’s writing, the women get to be equally as funny. That was what hooked me. James Burrows, who’s our director, is another major part of what attracted me to the show. It just seemed like a really good package and something that I could commit to in the long-term."

On May 16, 2010, the series was cancelled after four episodes had aired. On the show's cancellation, Milano wrote on her website: :"It would be so very, very, easy for me to be upset and bitter about [it]. But... I'm not upset or bitter. [..] I am well aware that I'm in a business that sometimes makes decisions that are inexplicable. Dealing with those decisions is almost just as much a part of the job as memorizing my dialogue. My only true sadness comes from not being able to see Ricky, Mr. Burrows, Josh, Kelly and Kyle's face every day."

Milano co-starred with Owen Wilson, Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate in the comedy ''Hall Pass'' (2011), in which she was cast in February 2010. She will produce and lead the cast of Lifetime's TV film ''Sundays at Tiffany's''. The latter will be her second collaboration with Lifetime, the first being 2008's ''Wisegal''. Milano appeared in the ensemble romantic comedy ''New Year's Eve''.

Milano will star in the upcoming ABC drama ''Mistresses'' about the romantic lives of four women.

Philanthropy [link]

Milano was appointed Founding Ambassador for the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, to which she donated $250,000. The Global Network is an alliance formed to advocate and mobilize resources in the fight to control neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Milano will work to raise awareness of NTDs by educating the mainstream media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people who are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.

Milano is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the United States. She traveled to India, Kosovo, as well as Angola, to work with UNICEF field officers there. In the fall of 2004, she participated in UNICEF's "Trick or Treat" campaign as an official spokesperson. She raised approximately $50,000 for South African women and children with AIDS by selling own and school's photo work. In the late 1980s, she appeared on Phil Donahue's talk show where she kissed Ryan White, a schoolboy ostracised for having AIDS, to show that she would not catch it from him.

In support of PETA, she appeared in an advertisement for them, advocating vegetarianism, in a dress made entirely of vegetables.

In honor of her 37th birthday (December 19, 2009), Milano ran an online fundraising campaign for Charity:Water. Her original goal was to raise $25,000, but a donation from her husband put her over the $75,000 mark on December 18. The fundraiser was scheduled to run until December 26.

Personal life [link]

Milano has dyslexia. In a 2004 interview, she explained how she deals with the disorder:}}

Milano is a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and writes a regular baseball blog on the Major League Baseball's website. In 2007, Milano launched her signature "Touch" line of team apparel for female baseball fans, selling it through her blog and Major League Baseball's website. It also became available in 2009 through a boutique store located in Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets. She has an interest in the Los Angeles Kings, a National Hockey League team, and is involved with a related clothing line. In 2008, she expanded that to NFL football, as a New York Giants fan. Since Milano is in the same hometown as NFL Network's Rich Eisen (Staten Island), she revealed some of her family's connections with the New York Giants.

Milano has eight tattoos on her body: one on each wrist and ankle, shoulder, neck, hip, and lower back. Milano is a vegetarian and appears in numerous PETA advertising campaigns for vegetarianism. Outside of acting, her hobbies include photography, humanitarian work, and spending time with her three dogs and eight horses. Milano has commented on her love for animals, and in a 2009 interview discussed one of her dogs, a German shepherd called Pinto, who had died at the age of 14; he had worked with the LAPD dogs and Milano had owned him for 10 years.

Milano dated actor Corey Haim from 1987 to 1990. She was engaged to Scott Wolf in 1993. She was married to musician Cinjun Tate for 10 months in 1999. She briefly dated Justin Timberlake in 2002. After one year of dating, she and CAA agent David Bugliari were engaged December 18, 2008. Milano and Bugliari married on August 15, 2009 in New Jersey, at the home of Bugliari's family. In February 2011, it was announced that Milano and Bugliari were expecting their first child, a baby boy. In August 2011 she gave birth to a son named Milo Thomas Bugliari.

Filmography [link]

+ Film
Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1984	''Old Enough''	Diane
1985		Jenny Matrix	Nominated—Young Artist Award for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Starring in a Feature Film–Comedy or Drama
1986	''''	Jennifer Canterville	TV movie
1988	''Crash Course''	Vanessa Crawford	TV movie aka ''Driving Academy''
1988	''Dance 'til Dawn''	Shelley Sheridan	Nominated—Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Special, Pilot, Movie of the Week, or Miniseries
1989	''Speed Zone!''	Lurleen	aka ''Cannonball Fever''
1992		Diana
1992	''Where the Day Takes You''	Kimmy
1993	''''	Fan	TV movie
1993		Eve
1993	''Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story''	Amy Fisher	TV movie
1993	''Candles in the Dark''	Sylvia Velliste	TV movie
1994	''Confessions of a Sorority Girl''	Rita Summers	TV movie
1994		Marian Delario/Power Corps Chief
1995		Cristina
1995	''Embrace of the Vampire''	Charlotte Wells
1995	''''	Amy Winslow	TV movie
1996		''Jimmy Zip''	Francesca
1996	''Poison Ivy II: Lily''	Lily Leonetti
1996		Margo Masse
1996	''Glory Daze''	Chelsea
1996	''To Brave Alaska''	Denise Harris	TV movie
1996		Amaryllis
1997	''Below Utopia''	Susanne	also credited as producer
1997	''Hugo Pool''	Hugo Dugay
1998	''Goldrush: A Real Life Alaskan Adventure''	Frances Ella 'Fizzy' Fitz	TV movie
2001	''Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure''	Angel	Nominated—Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Feature Production
2001	''Diamond Hunters''	Tracey Van der Byl	TV movie
2002	''Buying the Cow''	Amy
2002		Amy Kayne
2003	''Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star''	Cyndi
2005	''Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone''	26	(voice role)
2007	''''	Allegra
2008	''Wisegal''	Patty Montanari	TV moviealso credited as producer
2008		Gwen Williamson
2010	''DC Showcase: The Spectre''	Aimee Brenner	(voice role)
2010		Jesse Young	also credited as producer
2010		Jane	TV moviealso credited as producer
2011		Mandy Bohac
2011		Nurse Mindy
2011	''Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked''	Daphne Snow

+ Television, regular or recurring roles
! Year	! Title	! Role	Season	Notes
1984–92	''Who's the Boss?''	Samantha Micelli	1–8	196 episodesYoung Artist Award for Best Young Supporting Actress in a Television Series (1986)Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress, Starring in a Television, Comedy or Drama Series (1986)Best Young Female Superstar in Television (1988)Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite TV Actress (1988, 1989)Blimp Award–Favorite TV Actress (1990)
1997–98		Jennifer Mancini	5–7	40 episodes Recurring season 5 Seven episodes in Season 7, left to take lead role in ''Charmed''
1998–2006	''Charmed''	Phoebe Halliwell	1–8	178 episodes Became a producer at the beginning of season 4.Nominated—Blimp Award for Favorite TV Actress (2005)Nominated—Teen Choice Awards for TV–Choice Actress (2006)
2007	''Reinventing the Wheelers''	Annie		TV pilot
	''My Name Is Earl''	Billie Cunningham		Recurring in Season 3, episodes 6–22.
2008	''Single with Parents''	Lou		TV pilot
2010	''Romantically Challenged''	Rebecca Thomas	1	6 episodes
2010–present	''Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil''	Scarlett (voice)	1-2	Recurring Role
2011			(voice role)

+ Television, guest roles
! Year	! Series title	! Role	Episode title	Notes
1985		Jessica Sharp	"Frame Up"	Season 1, episode 4
1989	''Living Dolls''	Samantha Micelli	"It's My Party" ; "It's All Done with Mirrors"	Season 1, 2 episodes
1990	''Série rose''		"Softly from Paris"	Season 4, episode 1
1990	''''
1995		Hannah Valesic		Season 1, episode 17
1997	''Spin City''	Meg Winston	"They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"	Season 2, episode 11
1998	''Fantasy Island''	Gina Williams	"Superfriends"	Season 1, episode 2
2001	''Family Guy''	Herself	"Mr. Griffin Goes to Washington"	Season 3, episode 3
2001	''Spin City''	Meg Winston	"Rain on My Charades"	Season 5, episode 17
2004	''''	April Gorlock		Voice, season 2
2010		Kyra Blaine	"A Rose for Everafter"	Season 2, episode 12
2011-2012		Amy	"Tis Better to Have Loved and Flossed"TBA	Season 1, episode 2Season 2, episode 9

Discography [link]

The discography of American pop singer Alyssa Milano includes four studio albums, two compilations, and eleven singles. These albums were only commercially available in Japan, with the exception of one single that was only available in France and a charity single that was available in the US.

; Studio albums

Year	Information	Peak positions
		! style="width:30px;"
	''Look in My Heart''	* First Studio Album	* Released: March 25, 1989	* Formats: Vinyl, Cassette, CD	68
		* Second Studio Album	* Released: October 25, 1989	* Formats: Vinyl, Cassette, CD	15
	''Locked Inside a Dream''	* Third Studio Album	* Released: May 21, 1991	* Formats: Vinyl, Cassette, CD	19
	''Do You See Me?''	* Fourth Studio Album	* Released: September 18, 1992	* Formats: Vinyl, Cassette, CD	47

; Compilations

Year	Information	Peak positions
		! style="width:30px;"
	''The Best in the World: Non-Stop Special Remix/Alyssa's Singles''	* Remix/Hits Album	* Released: February 21, 1990	* Formats: Cassette, CD	9
	''The Very Best of Alyssa Milano''	* Hits Album	* Released: 1995 (Promo Only)	* Formats: CD	—

; Singles

Year	Single	Album	Peak positions
			! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"	! style="width:40px;"

Footnotes:

¹ Non-album single

² Only released in France

; Other recordings

"Teen Steam" – Theme song from ''Alyssa Milano's Teen Steam Workout Video'' (1988).

References [link]

External links [link]

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:American child actors Category:American film actors Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American television actors Category:American vegetarians Category:People from Staten Island Category:People from Brooklyn Category:Young Artist Award winners Category:American female singers

ar:أليسا ميلانو bg:Алиса Милано bs:Alyssa Milano ca:Alyssa Milano cs:Alyssa Milano da:Alyssa Milano de:Alyssa Milano et:Alyssa Milano el:Αλίσα Μιλάνο es:Alyssa Milano eo:Alyssa Milano eu:Alyssa Milano fr:Alyssa Milano fy:Alyssa Milano ko:알리사 밀라노 id:Alyssa Milano it:Alyssa Milano he:אליסה מילאנו hu:Alyssa Milano mk:Алиша Милано nl:Alyssa Milano ja:アリッサ・ミラノ no:Alyssa Milano pl:Alyssa Milano pt:Alyssa Milano ru:Милано, Алисса sq:Alyssa Milano simple:Alyssa Milano sk:Alyssa Milanová sl:Alyssa Milano sr:Алиса Милано sh:Alyssa Milano fi:Alyssa Milano sv:Alyssa Milano tr:Alyssa Milano uk:Алісса Мілано vls:Alyssa Milano zh:艾莉莎·米兰诺

name	Theater of Tragedy
background	group_or_band
origin	Stavanger, Norway
genre	Death/doom, gothic metal (early)Industrial rock, electropop (mid)Gothic metal (late)
years active	1993–2010
label	AFM / Candlelight (2006–10)Nuclear Blast (2000–05)Massacre/Century Media (1995–99)
website	Official site
current members	Raymond RohonyiNell SiglandFrank Claussen Vegard K. ThorsenLorentz AspenHein Frode Hansen
past members	Liv KristineTommy LindalTommy OlssonPål BjåstadGeir FlikkeidEirik T. Saltrø }}

Theatre of Tragedy was a Norwegian band from Stavanger, active between 1993 and 2010. They are best known for their earlier albums, which influenced the gothic metal genre.

Biography[link]

Theatre of Tragedy was founded on 2 October 1993. Drummer Hein Frode Hansen had recently quit his former band Phobia and started looking for a new musical project to play in. A friend of his told Hein that a band called Suffering Grief was looking for a new drummer, and after contacting them, he joined the band. At the time, Suffering Grief was composed of vocalist Raymond István Rohonyi and guitarists Pål Bjåstad and Tommy Lindal. No bassist had joined the band yet, but Eirik T. Saltrø had agreed to play with them in live concerts.

After finding a rehearsal place, the band decided to work upon a couple of piano arrangements composed by Lorentz Aspen. The vocals, at the time, were mostly entirely composed by raw death grunts.

After composing their first song, "Lament of the Perishing Roses", the band changed its name to La Reine Noir and then to Theatre of Tragedy. They subsequently invited singer Liv Kristine Espenæs to do female vocals for one song, but quickly invited her to join the band permanently.

In 1994, their first studio demo was recorded, and in 1995, the debut album ''Theatre of Tragedy'' was released, followed by ''Velvet Darkness They Fear'' in 1996 and the ''A Rose for the Dead'' EP in 1997, which contained unreleased material from ''Velvet Darkness They Fear''. Arguably, the band reached the apogee of its career in 1998, with the release of the critically acclaimed album ''Aégis''.

Released in 2000, ''Musique'' was a massive departure from the gothic metal sound that Theatre of Tragedy had developed over the previous three albums. The heavy guitars and Early Modern English lyrics were replaced by electropop and industrial-influenced metal. It was met with a very mixed reception, and while some older fans were understandably shocked by the new direction of the band, it did gain them a number of new fans.

With 2002's ''Assembly'', the band continued along the same musical path as on their previous album. It was seen as a more refined and confident electropop record than its predecessor. It was also the first album to feature their long-time session guitarist, Vegard K. Thorsen, as a full member of the band.

In August 2003, the band declared in an official statement on their website, that Liv Kristine was removed from the band's line-up due to "musical differences which could not be bridged".

Female singer Nell Sigland (from The Crest) joined Theatre of Tragedy on the following year. In winter 2004/2005 a short concert tour (together with Pain, Sirenia and Tiamat) with Sigland singing was performed.

The band released their sixth studio album ''Storm'' on March 24, 2006 and a European tour followed, with Gothminister as supporting act. The album's title song was released as a single on February 24, 2006. While still keeping on the industrial and electronic roots of the last two albums, the album showed a return to some of the sounds developed in their first albums.

On 2 October 2008, Theatre of Tragedy celebrated their 15th anniversary. In December 2008 the band posted a snippet of new track "Frozen," which was expected to be on the new album, on their MySpace music page:

::"''Time for some updates. Things are slowly moving forward with the next album. As usual with the Theatre machinery there is many things to take into consideration when doing stuff and recently we were forced to change collaborators for the production of the album, and postpone the recordings. But fear not the heavy responsibility has been entrusted to Alexander Møklebust (Zeromancer, Seigmen, Gåte, Monomen, Delaware etc) and the ToT crew will enter Room 13 in May and June for recordings and general mayhem! Estimated release from AFM is end of September. Rumor has it that there will be a vinyl version for the diehard fans. We will keep you posted.''"

In June 2009 saw the band reveal ''Forever Is The World'' as the title of the new album. Their 7th album, it was released in Europe on 21 September 2009, with the band making a step towards their earlier sound of ''Aégis''. A special Tour Edition of ''Forever Is The World'' was issued on March 12, 2010. The Tour Edition contained a bonus CD known as the "Addenda EP" which contains song reworkings and unreleased tracks.

Metal Mind Productions issued a press release in July stating that they were, with the co-operation of the band, re-releasing ''Musique'' and ''Assembly''. Both albums have been remastered and will be backed with bonus tracks. New liner notes and artwork are said to be a part of the package. Each album is limited to 2000 numbered copies.

On 1 March 2010, Theatre of Tragedy issued a statement informing fans of their decision to split on 2 October 2010. The statement cited personal desires to spend more time with family and an inability to juggle their everyday working lives with a "rock and roll" lifestyle. On 12 March, Theatre of Tragedy kicked off their farewell tour, "Forever is the World Tour". The Norwegian symphonic goth metal band Where Angels Fall played support on the European part of the tour. In September, fans helped the band to secure funds to finish their first and last DVD by making donations when the label pulled out most of the funding for the production.

Musical style[link]

The band made use of contrasting vocals – male bass vocals (making some use of death grunts) and female soprano singing (commonly referred to as "Beauty and the Beast" vocals) – and on their first three albums, presented lyrics written predominantly in Early Modern English. Starting from the album ''Musique'', however, Theatre of Tragedy made drastic changes to its style, which became significantly inspired by the industrial rock genre, abandoning Early Modern English writing and death grunts in the process.

Members[link]

Final lineup[link]

Nell Sigland – Vocals (2004–2010)

Raymond István Rohonyi – Vocals, Programming, Electronics (1993–2010)

Frank Claussen – Guitars (1997–2010)

Vegard K. Thorsen – Guitars (1999–2010)

Lorentz Aspen – Keyboards, Synthesizers (1993–2010)

Hein Frode Hansen – Drums (1993–2010)

Former members[link]

Pål Bjåstad – Guitars (1993–1995)

Tommy Lindal – Guitars (1993–1997)

Eirik T. Saltrø – Bass (1993–2000)

Liv Kristine Espenæs Krull – Vocals (1993–2003)

Geir Flikkeid – Guitars (1995–1997)

Tommy Olsson – Guitars (1997–1999)

Touring members[link]

Bjørnar Landa – Guitar (2006)

Erik Torp – Bass (2010)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

''Theatre of Tragedy'' (1995)

''Velvet Darkness They Fear'' (1996)

''Aégis'' (1998)

''Musique'' (2000)

''Assembly'' (2002)

''Storm'' (2006)

''Forever Is the World'' (2009)

Live Albums[link]

''closure:live'' (2001)

''Last Curtain Call'' (2011)

DVDs[link]

''Last Curtain Call'' (2011)

EPs[link]

''Theatre of Tragedy'' (demo, 1994)

''A Rose for the Dead'' (1997)

''Virago'' (1999)

''Inperspective'' (2000)

''Addenda'' (2010)

Singles[link]

"Der Tanz Der Schatten" (1996)

"Cassandra" (1998)

"Image" (2000)

"Machine" (2001)

"Envision" (2002)

"Let You Down" (2002)

"Storm" (2006)

"Deadland" (2009)

References [link]

External links[link]

Official website

Category:Norwegian gothic metal musical groups Category:Norwegian heavy metal musical groups Category:Norwegian doom metal musical groups Category:Norwegian rock music groups Category:Norwegian musical groups Category:Musical groups established in 1992 Category:1992 establishments in Norway Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2010 Category:Musical sextets Category:Musical groups from Stavanger Category:Former Massacre Records artists

af:Theatre of Tragedy cs:Theatre of Tragedy da:Theatre of Tragedy de:Theatre of Tragedy es:Theatre of Tragedy fa:ثیتر آو ترژدی fr:Theatre of Tragedy hr:Theatre of Tragedy it:Theatre of Tragedy lt:Theatre of Tragedy hu:Theatre of Tragedy nl:Theatre of Tragedy ja:シアター・オヴ・トラジディー no:Theatre of Tragedy pl:Theatre of Tragedy pt:Theatre of Tragedy ro:Theatre of Tragedy ru:Theatre of Tragedy sh:Theatre of Tragedy fi:Theatre of Tragedy sv:Theatre of Tragedy uk:Theatre of Tragedy

name	Armin van Buuren
alias	Gaia, AVB
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth name	Armin van Buuren
birth date	December 25, 1976
Birth place	Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands
origin	Koudekerk aan den Rijn, South Holland, Netherlands
instrument	Synthesizer, drum machine, equalizer, personal computer
genre	Trance Progressive Trance Uplifting Trance Neo-trance
occupation	Remixer, Producer, DJ, Composer, Musician, Pianist, Songwriter
years active	1995–present
label	Armada Music (2003–present), Vandit (Co-Joined), Ministry of Sound Australia
associated acts	Alibi, Dark Matter, Electrix, Lilmotion, Major League, Monsieur Basculant, Red & White, Technology, Triple A, Wodka Wasters, Nadia Ali, Christian Burns, Ferry Corsten, Adam Young, BT, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Guy Chambers
website	arminvanbuuren.com }}

Armin van Buuren (), (born 25 December 1976 in Leiden, Netherlands) is a Dutch trance producer and DJ. Between 2007 and 2010, he was voted number one in DJ Magazine's annual top 100 list of the most popular DJs. In the 2011 list, he ranked in second place. Since 2001, Van Buuren has hosted a weekly radio show called ''A State of Trance'', which claims to have around 15 million weekly listeners in 26 countries, which would make it one of the most listened-to radio shows in the world. His 2008 studio album, ''Imagine'', entered the Dutch album chart at #1, a first for a dance music artist in Dutch music history.

Personal life[link]

Armin van Buuren was born in Leiden, Netherlands on 25 December 1976, but grew up in Koudekerk aan den Rijn. Van Buuren started making music when he was 14. He was inspired by French electronic music composer, Jean Michel Jarre, and wished to become a great electronic music composer like Jarre.

He finished high school at the Stedelijk Gymnasium Leiden in 1995, and left for college to study law at Leiden University. While studying law, Van Buuren's interest for making music blossomed, and he began working as a DJ in a local club called Nexus. As his musical career began to take off, he put his law degree on hold, although he did return to finish law school in 2003.

On 18 September 2009, Van Buuren married Erika van Thiel in Wassenaar, Netherlands. They met during a vacation on Crete, and had been together for nine years prior to the marriage.

On 12 January 2011, Van Buuren announced the pregnancy of his wife Erika on Twitter. He hoped the baby, due that summer, would be his "best production ever." Their daughter, Fenna, was born on 24 July 2011.

Career[link]

1995–1999: Early career and success[link]

In 1995, Van Buuren had his first major success with a track called "Blue Fear", which was released under the Cyber Records label; he was 19 years old at the time. This track, which was produced in the "Euro Trance" mold, made it onto the UK Chart. Another successful track, "Communication" was released under the same label, and became popular in Ibiza, Spain in the summer of 1999. After being signed to AM PM Records, this track entered the UK Chart at No. 18 in 2000.

Van Buuren began his DJ career at club Nexus in Leiden, where he learned to play long DJ sets, which were regularly six to seven hours per set. During school holidays he played more than four times a week. In 1999, he met Dave Lewis who introduced him as a DJ in England and the United States. His career accelerated, entering the DJ magazine Top-100 in November 2001 at Number 27. He has played in more than 25 different countries and can often be found on the main stage at big summer festivals. Van Buuren played a record-breaking twelve and a half hour set for Dancetheater in The Hague (the Netherlands). In the United Kingdom he performs regularly at Passion (resident 2002), Godskitchen, Gatecrasher, Slinky, Ministry of Sound, Peach and Golden.

In the beginning of 1999, Van Buuren started his label Armind together with United Recordings. The first release, Gig – "One," was well received. The second release "Touch Me," under the name Rising Star was signed to Ministry of Sound in the UK, before the record was released.

By the time of his third release, Gimmick – "Free" was signed to R&S; Records, Van Buuren had managed to make his label popular very quickly. Under the surname Gaia he released "4 Elements" on Captivating Sounds, a sub-label of Warner Brothers. Teaming up with Tiësto, two new projects were born: Major League – "Wonder Where You Are?" was released on Black Hole Recordings and Alibi – "Eternity" was released on Armind. "Eternity" received club and chart success and was signed to Paul van Dyk's imprint Vandit Records. Another major collaboration followed this. Together with Ferry Corsten, Van Buuren recorded a riff-classic titled "Exhale" for the System F. album. Released as a single, this track reached gold status in less than a month.

2000–2004: ''A State of Trance'' and ''76''[link]

In 2000, Van Buuren started his own Armin van Buuren compilation series. He managed to find a balance between progressive house,and vocal trance music styles. His first compilation album, ''A State of Trance'' (not to be confused with his weekly A State of Trance radio shows), sold more than 10,000 copies and contains Van Buuren's well known remix of Moogwai, "Viola." His second album, ''Basic Instinct'' featured a new track: "Perpetuous Dreamer" – "The Sound of Goodbye." This track entered the Dutch charts in June 2001 at number 26. Later in the year, the track hit No. 1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. The third album, ''In Motion'' was released 6 August 2001. This album contained the real trance sound and was very popular in the United States. A fourth album, ''Transparence'', followed in 2002. In 2003, he worked with such artists such as DJ Seth Alan Fannin throughout a global tour on Dance Revolution in Europe, selling out to crowds of 20,000 people in Armin's home country of the Netherlands.

In March 2001, Van Buuren started his own radio show on ID&T; Radio (traditionally broadcast in Dutch and later English since ASOT 183). In this weekly two-hour show, entitled ''A State of Trance'', he plays the latest popular trance music tracks. His show and the artists he features are popularized by publishing the artists and track titles on his website. This radio-show/website combination has proven popular internationally. When ID&T; Radio changed genres in 2004, Van Buuren left and took ''A State of Trance'' with him. The show then moved to Fresh FM, a Dutch radio station. It is now a weekly feature on SLAM!FM, another Dutch radio station, DI.FM, an online radio station, and on XM Satellite Radio, channel 80 in the United States and Canada. A complete list of stations that broadcast ''A State of Trance'' can be found at the ASOT section of Armin's website. Also in 2004, Van Buuren remixed the 24 theme song into a trance hit. In June 2005, the 200th episode was celebrated in Amsterdam and subsequently aired on radio. The 250th (eight hour) anniversary episode was celebrated in Club Asta in The Hague, Netherlands, featuring Van Buuren, Jonas Steur, M.I.K.E., John Askew, Rank 1 and Menno de Jong.

In 2002, he had a residency at Glow in Washington D.C., and he has played all across North America in San Francisco, Vancouver, Houston, Toronto, Boston, Calgary, Charlotte, Chicago, Montreal, Detroit, Edmonton, Atlanta, Austin, Denver, New York City, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Seattle and at The Necto (nightclub). He has also regularly appeared at Amnesia on the island of Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain. In October that year, Van Buuren was voted Number 5 in the DJ Magazine 100 top DJ's. The following year, he jumped up to the No. 3 spot, and held 3rd place for the next three years. His work left him at the No. 2 spot, just below Paul van Dyk in the 2006 polls, and, in 2007, Armin reached #1, heading the 2007 DJ Mag Top 100. He was voted No. 1 again in 2008, 2009 and again in 2010.

In June 2003, Van Buuren released his debut studio album, ''76'', a 76-minute album divided into 13 tracks.

2005–present: ''Shivers'', ''Imagine'' and ''Mirage''[link]

On 8 August 2005, Van Buuren released his second studio album, ''Shivers''. On the album Van Buuren worked with artists such as Pakistani-American singer Nadia Ali, English singer Justine Suissa and American trance duo Gabriel & Dresden.

On 11 November 2006, he had a live performance called Armin Only in Ahoy Rotterdam for the second time (after 12 November 2005) with a nine hour solo set, where he performed to over 11,000 fans.

In the summer of 2007, Van Buuren recorded and released a live set at Amnesia, Ibiza. ''Universal Religion Chapter 3, Live from Amnesia at Ibiza'' was released on 28 September 2007 as a mix compilation on Armada Records and in the US as "Universal Religion 2008" on Ultra Records on 4 December 2007.

On 17 April 2008, Van Buuren released his third studio album, ''Imagine''. It features collaboration with singers such as Sharon den Adel of Within Temptation and Jacqueline Govaert of Krezip. The album debuted at number one on the Dutch Albums Chart. Since the release of ''Imagine'', Van Buuren has been working with Benno de Goeij and DJ-RA of Rank 1 on solo productions and remixes.

19 April 2008 saw the 3rd edition of Armin Only, this time in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, Netherlands. The event was attended by 16,000 fans and (partly) broadcast live on Dutch National TV. During the second half of 2008, Van Buuren took this show abroad, with visits to Australia, Romania, Poland, Belgium, and a special New Years Eve 2008 show at Together As One in Los Angeles, U.S.

On 29 September 2008, Armin won the DJ Award for "Best Trance DJ" at Ibiza along with other nominees, that of Tiësto, Ferry Corsten and Paul van Dyk.

On 12 January 2008, Van Buuren was given the "Buma Cultuur Pop Award," the most prestigious Dutch music award.

In 2009, Foreign Media Games announced the production of ''In The Mix: Featuring Armin van Buuren'', a music game being produced in collaboration with Cloud 9 Music and Van Buuren's Armada Music label. The title is scheduled to be released sometime in 2010 exclusively for the Wii console.

He has collaborated with his brother, guitarist Eller van Buuren, in such venues as ''Together As One'' in Los Angeles, U.S., on New Year's Eve 2009, as well as on Armin's 2008 album ''Imagine''.

On 3 March 2010, Van Buuren was awarded with the prestigious Golden Harp, for his musical work and contribution to Dutch music, by the music collecting society BUMA/STEMRA at the 2010 Buma Harpen Gala in Hilversum, the Netherlands.

On 23 June 2010, it was announced that Van Buuren's fourth studio album, ''Mirage'' was due to be released on 10 September. The first single "Full Focus", was released through iTunes Store on 24 June at midnight. The song peaked at number sixty in the Netherlands. One of the confirmed tracks from the album is a collaboration with English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor called ''Not Giving Up On Love'', which was released as a single from Bextor's fourth studio album, ''Make a Scene''. Armin also wrote a song for English singer Seal, but due to the release of his greatest hits album, ''Hits'', the collaboration never came together.

On 12 September 2010, Van Buuren launched "A State of Sundays", a new weekly 24-hour radio show aired on Sirius XM Radio

On 20 October 2010, Van Buuren won the award for Most Popular International DJ presented by The Golden Gnomes.

On 27 October 2010, Van Buuren was announced, for the 4th year running, as the number 1 DJ, and thus prolonging his title as 'Most Popular DJ in the World'.

The 2010 edition of ''Armin Only: Mirage'' kicked off on 13 November 2010, in Utrecht, Netherlands, with more shows coming in Saint-Petersburg, Kiev, Buenos Aires, Melbourne, Beirut, Poznań, Moscow and Bratislava .

On 27 November 2010, Van Buuren made his third appearance in Shanghai, China.

On 2 February 2012, Van Buuren mentioned a new studio album in the works on episode #546 of his radio show, "A State Of Trance".

A State of Trance 500 (ASOT 500)[link]

To mark the 10 year anniversary and 500th episode of his weekly radio show ''A State of Trance'', Van Buuren performed at five shows across five continents over five consecutive weeks along with various artists.

The first show was held on 19 March 2011 in Johannesburg, South Africa at the MTN Expo Center. In addition to Armin, Blake Jarrell, Protoculture, Lange, Leon Bolier, and Jorn van Deynhoven were performers. Super8 & Tab were to be part of the South African show, however a flight cancellation caused them to be absent for the event. The event was attended by over 20,000 people.

Miami's show was performed at the Ultra Music Festival on 27 March, and part of the show were Marcus Schossow, Alex M.O.R.P.H., Cosmic Gate, Gareth Emery, Ferry Corsten, ATB, and Sander van Doorn.

Argentina held the third celebration of ASOT 500 in club G.E.B.A Buenos Aires, with Heatbeat, Jochen Miller, Dash Berlin, Markus Schulz, John O'Callaghan and W & W. It was the only of the five ASOT 500 celebrations that was held outdoors. Van Buuren recorded a live video with his cell phone and uploaded it to Twitter while playing his live set.

ASOT 500 was celebrated in the Netherlands in Den Bosch. Accompanied by more than 30 DJs from countries all over the world, the event was attended by over 30,000 people. DJs present included Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery, Above & Beyond, Paul Oakenfold and Sean Tyas. The event was radio broadcast live to over 30 countries.

The final show was held in Sydney, Australia on 16 April at Acer Arena in Olympic Park. It was a sold out event weeks before the night. Artists present included Shogun, tyDi, Menno de Jong, Aly & Fila, and Alex M.O.R.P.H. Van Buuren played for three hours.

A State of Trance 550 (ASOT 550)[link]

In March 2012, Van Buuren performed in six shows across three continents as part of ASOT 550. He began his tour on March 1 in London, continued on to Moscow on March 7, and to Kiev, Ukraine on March 10. Then, he traveled to the United States to host his show at the Beyond Wonderland festival in Southern California. A week later on March 25, he closed out Ultra Music Festival 2012 for the 5th edition. This was followed by the final show in the Brabanthallen of Den Bosch, the Netherlands.

A State of Trance sponsored a tent at the Electric Daisy Carnival at Met Life stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 19, 2012, which by all accounts could be considered an unofficial extension of ASOT 550.

Discography[link]

''76'' (2003)

''Shivers'' (2005)

''Imagine'' (2008)

''Mirage'' (2010)

Year Mixes[link]

Van Buuren is well known for his annual "Year Mix" which incorporates clips and custom mashups from the year's most popular trance tracks. Each year-mix consists of about 85 individual releases, edited into a two hour mix which is released on double CD as well as aired on his weekly radio show at the end of each year. According to Van Buuren, each year-mix takes several months to make, including thousands of digital audio edits and hundreds of audio plugins.

References[link]

External links[link]

Artist Page on ArmadaMusic.com

Armin van Buuren's profile on Trancepedia

Armada Music – the record label of Armin van Buuren

Armin van Buuren – A State of Trance episodes

*Flowd - artist channel on *Flowd network.

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Ableton Live users Category:Armada Music artists Category:Club DJs Category:Dutch DJs Category:Dutch electronic musicians Category:Dutch record producers Category:Dutch trance musicians Category:Eurodance musicians Category:People from Leiden Category:People from Rijnwoude Category:Remixers Category:Dutch radio personalities

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