Elisha Cuthbert
Cuthbert at the season finale screening of 24, May 2009
Born	Elisha Ann Cuthbert (1982-11-30) November 30, 1982 (age 29) Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1996–present

Elisha Ann Cuthbert (born November 30, 1982)^{[citation needed]} is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School. Her most prominent role is as Kim Bauer in the American action-thriller television series 24. Since 2011, she has been starring as Alex Kerkovich on the ABC comedy series Happy Endings.

Early life[link]

Cuthbert was born in Calgary, Alberta, the daughter of Patricia, a homemaker, and Kevin, an automotive design engineer.^[1] She has two younger siblings, Jonathan and Lee-Ann, and she grew up in Greenfield Park, near Montreal, Quebec. In 2000, she graduated from Centennial Regional High School and moved to Los Angeles at the age of 17 to pursue an acting career.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

Early career[link]

When she was 9, Cuthbert started modeling for various lines of children's clothing and also became a foot model.^[2] She made her first televised appearance as an extra in the horror-themed series for children Are You Afraid of the Dark?; she later became a series regular on the show.^{[citation needed]} Cuthbert also co-hosted Popular Mechanics for Kids, which was filmed in Montreal. Her reporting captured the attention of then–First Lady Hillary Clinton, who invited her to visit the White House.^[3]

Cuthbert landed her first role in a feature film in the family drama Dancing on the Moon (1997).^{[citation needed]} She appeared in several other Canadian family-themed movies and an airplane thriller, Airspeed. Cuthbert starred in the Canadian television movie Lucky Girl in 2001 and was awarded a Gemini Award for her performance.^[4]

Soon after her move to Hollywood, Cuthbert was cast in the role of Kim Bauer, daughter of federal agent Jack Bauer in the television series 24.^{[citation needed]} She appeared in the show's first three seasons, but not in its fourth;^{[citation needed]} she guest-starred in two episodes in the fifth season.^{[citation needed]} She also reprised her role as Kim Bauer in 24: The Game and again guest-starred in five episodes of the seventh season and in two episodes of the eighth season.^{[citation needed]}

2002–2005: Commercial success[link]

She began her Hollywood film career with small roles in Old School and Love Actually in 2003.

Cuthbert's next film, The Girl Next Door, featured her first lead role. She plays ex–porn star Danielle opposite Emile Hirsch. Cuthbert had reservations about taking the part, but was persuaded by director Luke Greenfield into accepting. She researched the role, speaking to actual adult actresses from Wicked Pictures and Vivid Entertainment.^[5] Upon its release, the film received comparisons to Risky Business,^[6][7] – although Cuthbert claims her character was not directly based on Rebecca De Mornay's character. Critics were divided; some praised the film for its boldness, while others, notably Roger Ebert, decried it as gimmicky and exploitative.^[8][9] Ebert wrote that he saw Cuthbert's character Danielle as "quite the most unpleasant character I have seen in some time."^[10]

In her next big-screen outing, Cuthbert starred with Paris Hilton and Chad Michael Murray in the 2005 remake of the classic horror film House of Wax. Cuthbert, along with the rest of the cast, was made up to look haggard. In one scene, her character was to attempt to open her mouth while her lips were sealed with glue. For the sake of realism, Cuthbert opted for real superglue over prosthetics.^[11] House of Wax was largely panned, with critics citing a range of flaws. It was called "notable for having some of the most moronic protagonists ever to populate a horror film," though out of those characters, critics tended to think Cuthbert "fares the best." Though receiving negative reviews the film was a box office success.^[12] Others noted Cuthbert as an "exception," playing her role "earnestly" and "fine."^[13][14]

2006–2007: Career transition[link]

At the 24 season finale in 2009.

Cuthbert's next film project was the indie film The Quiet, which she not only co-starred in but also co-produced and helped finance.^{[citation needed]} She played Nina, a temperamental 17-year-old cheerleader who suffers from sexual abuse. Cuthbert looked to her younger cousin for inspiration as to how to play a teenager.^[15] The Quiet, distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and received a limited release in Los Angeles and New York City on August 25, 2006, before expanding regionally on September 1.^{[citation needed]}

Cuthbert appeared in the music video for Weezer's "Perfect Situation" in early 2006, where she played the group's fictional original singer who threw a tantrum that led to Rivers Cuomo, the unlikely roadie, becoming the frontman of the band.^[16] Cuthbert also had a small role in Paris Hilton's music video for the song "Nothing In This World".^[17]

In 2007, Cuthbert appeared in the film, Captivity, a thriller centered around a fashion model taunted by a psychopath who has imprisoned her in a cellar,^[18][19] a role for which she was nominated for a Razzie award as "worst actress."^[20]

In He Was a Quiet Man, Cuthbert played Vanessa, a quadriplegic, starring opposite Christian Slater. The film was in limited release in 2007, and it was released on DVD in early 2008.^{[citation needed]}

2008–present[link]

In 2008, Cuthbert appeared in My Sassy Girl, a remake of a Korean film, starring alongside Jesse Bradford. Her next film is the family comedy The Six Wives of Henry Lefay with actor Tim Allen, in which she plays his daughter. She starred in the Canadian miniseries Guns. She appeared as a guest judge in season two, episode two of Project Runway Canada, where designers were challenged to create a "party dress" for Cuthbert.^{[citation needed]}

Cuthbert reprised her character Kim Bauer in the seventh season of 24 for five episodes.^[21] She also was scheduled to star in the CBS drama pilot Ny-Lon, playing a New York literacy teacher/record-store clerk who embarks on a transatlantic romance with a London stockbroker. The project, which was based on a British series starring Rashida Jones and Stephen Moyer, has since been canceled.^{[citation needed]}

Cuthbert is slated to voice Cleo, "the feline daughter of a wealthy kitty litter baron," in Cat Tale, an animated film set in a civilized world of cats and dogs.^[22]

In December 2009, ABC announced Cuthbert had joined the cast of The Forgotten in a recurring role as Maxine Denver, a Chicago professional.^[23] As of 2011, Cuthbert stars in the ABC ensemble comedy series Happy Endings with Zachary Knighton, Casey Wilson, Adam Pally, Damon Wayans Jr. and Eliza Coupe.

In the media[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012)

Cuthbert regularly secures a place in FHM and Maxim's annual "hottest women" lists. Her highest ranking was #4 in the 2008 UK Edition of FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World list. She was ranked #14 in 2003, #10 in 2004, #5 in 2005, #22 in 2006, #10 in 2007 and #7 in 2009. The U.S. Edition ranked her #53 in 2003, #63 in 2004, and #54 in 2006. She was not listed in the U.S. 2005 list. Cuthbert was ranked #10 by AskMen.com readers in the list "Top 99 Women of 2007." Maxim named her #92 in its 2006 Hot 100 list, #6 in 2008, and #43 in 2009, #65^[24] and the magazine features her in its Girls of Maxim Gallery. BuddyTV ranked her #33 on its TV's 100 Sexiest Women of 2011 list.^[25]

Personal life[link]

In 2005, she maintained a blog on the National Hockey League website, though she did not post for most of the season.^[26][27]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Elisha Cuthbert

• Elisha Cuthbert at the Internet Movie Database
• Elisha Cuthbert at Complex Magazine
• Elisha Cuthbert at Sky TV

Chad Michael Murray
Murray at the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End in Disneyland, 2007
Born	(1981-08-24) August 24, 1981 (age 30) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Other names	Chad Murray
Occupation	Actor Model (former)
Years active	1999-present
Spouse	Sophia Bush (m. 2005–2006)
Partner	Kenzie Dalton (2006–present; engaged)

Chad Michael Murray (born August 24, 1981) is an American actor, spokesperson and former fashion model. Murray is well known for portraying Lucas Scott in The CW young adult drama series One Tree Hill, in addition to the films A Cinderella Story, Freaky Friday and House of Wax. Popular among teenagers and young adults,^[1][2][3][4] he has posed on the cover of numerous mainstream magazines, including Rolling Stone, People, Vanity Fair and Entertainment Weekly.

Early life[link]

Murray was born in Buffalo, New York. He is the son of Rex Murray, an air traffic controller, and was abandoned by his mother at a young age. His abandonment issues were the main reasons he took the part of Lucas Scott.^[5][6]

Murray attended Clarence High School, in Clarence, New York.^[7] He became a fan of literature, and was heavily involved in playing football.^[5] In his late teens, he broke his nose. This led to reports during his careers that he had received a nose job. Murray clarified in a 2004 interview, "I got jumped in a Burger King when I was 18 and had my nose put on the other side of my face. It was three guys -- what the hell was I supposed to do? The doctors didn't even bother running X-rays. They just reset it. But it wasn't a nose job -- I hate the fact that people say it was a nose job!"^[8]

Career[link]

Early work[link]

In 1999, Murray headed for Hollywood where he supported himself modeling for such clients as Skechers, Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci.

Murray appeared in several guest-starring television roles, including an episode of Diagnosis: Murder and an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. In 1999, Murray was cast as Tristan DuGrey on Gilmore Girls; the role was one of the main characters in the first season of the series and then became a recurring character thereafter. Murray then appeared in several television films, such as Aftermath and Murphy's Dozen. Later that year, he portrayed the role Charlie Todd on the successful television series Dawson's Creek. In 2003, Murray appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures feature film, Freaky Friday alongside Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. The film was a major box office success, garnering a total of $110,222,438 in the United States alone. Critics were mostly positive in their reviews of the film, and the film garnered a "B" grade on Yahoo! Movies and an 88% "Certified Fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Murray also appeared in the television film The Lone Ranger where he portrayed the role of Luke Hartman.

Breakthrough[link]

Later that year, Murray won the main role of Lucas Scott in the successful WB television series One Tree Hill. The series quickly became the channel's biggest hit with over 4.50 million viewers on the first season's finale. The series was The WB's most successful and top rated television program when it first aired in 2003 and continued receiving top ratings for The CW. The series also earned Murray numerous awards, including two Teen Choice Awards, and spawned a book series which was successful among critics who praised the cast's performances and the original story lines. After Murray gained mainstream fame and media exposure, he also became a spokesperson for several high-profile deals. He and his One Tree Hill co-stars were the official endorsers for MasterCard and K-Mart.^[9] In addition, they endorsed the Cingular Wireless and Chevy Cobalt.^[10]

Following Murray's starring role on One Tree Hill in 2003, he appeared on the cover of several mainstream magazines such as Rolling Stone and People. That same year, he was voted as one of "TV's Sexiest Guys" in People magazine.^[11] In 2004, Murray starred in the romantic comedy A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff. Though the reviews were mostly negative, the film went on to become a moderate box office hit, and critics were impressed by Duff's performance.^[12][13] A Cinderella Story earned $70.1 million worldwide.^[14] The film led to many 2006 Teen Choice Awards wins for many categories. Later that year, Murray was named one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" by People magazine and appeared on the cover of the magazine.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, Murray starred in House of Wax. The film grossed $12 million in its first day. Though most film critics gave the film negative reviews, House of Wax earned over $68,766,121 worldwide. The film led to Murray receiving many 2006 Teen Choice Awards wins for many categories including "Choice Movie Actor: Action/Adventure/Thriller".^{[citation needed]}

In May 2009, The CW announced Murray would not be returning to One Tree Hill for its seventh season.^[15] A video of Murray was recorded in which he was telling fans that they did not want him back because they wanted to save money. However, Mark Schwann said in an interview that he had been offered "great things" to return to the show.^[16]

In 2010, Murray played Alicia Keys's love interest in her music video for "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)".^[17][18] Murray will also be co-starring in a film named Christmas Cupid with Ashley Benson and Christina Milian.^[19] The film is an ABC Family Original Movie and will be "more or about a comatose girl who visits her Christmas past, present, and future".^[20]

Murray released a novel in September 2011, titled 'Everlast' ^[21] In August 2011, it was announced by The CW that he will make a guest appearance as Lucas Scott in the upcoming and last season of One Tree Hill.^[22] The episode aired on February 22, 2012.

In March 2012, it was announced that he had been cast as the male lead in ABC's pilot Scruples.^[23]

Personal life[link]

Murray married One Tree Hill co-star Sophia Bush on April 16, 2005 after almost two years of dating. Five months after the wedding, Bush filed court papers to have their marriage annulled. Bush was denied the annulment, being granted a divorce instead. Before the divorce was finalized, Murray began dating Kenzie Dalton, a former cheerleader extra on One Tree Hill and the first runner-up in the 2005 Miss North Carolina Teen USA pageant. They later became engaged.^[24]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chad Michael Murray

• Official website
• Chad Michael Murray at the Internet Movie Database
• Chad Michael Murray interview