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Coordinates: 53°25′48″N 1°21′26″W / 53.4301°N 1.3572°W / 53.4301; -1.3572

Rotherham
Rotherham Town Hall
Rotherham  Rotherham shown within South Yorkshire
Population	117,262 (2001 Census)
OS grid reference	SK4392
Metropolitan borough	Rotherham
Metropolitan county	South Yorkshire
Region	Yorkshire and the Humber
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ROTHERHAM
Postcode district	S60–S63, S65–S66
Dialling code	01709 0114 01909
Police	South Yorkshire
Fire	South Yorkshire
Ambulance	Yorkshire
EU Parliament	Yorkshire and the Humber
List of places: UK • England • Yorkshire

Rotherham ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire, Rotherham, at 6 miles (10 km) from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham. According to the 2001 Census the population of Rotherham at that time was 117,262.

History[link]

Early history[link]

Rotherham in the late Mediaeval period

Although there were Iron Age and Roman settlements in the area covered by the town, Rotherham was not founded until the early Middle Ages. It established itself as a key Saxon market town, lying on a Roman road near a forded part of the River Don.^[1]

By the late Saxon period, Rotherham was at the centre of a large parish on both sides of the River Don. Following the Norman Conquest, an absentee lord, Nigel Fossard, was put in place. His successors the De Vescis rarely visited the town and did not build a castle or contribute to the town's civic life, but maintained a Friday market and a fair. In the mid 13th century, John de Vesci and Ralph de Tili gave all their possessions in Rotherham to Rufford Abbey. The monks collected tithes from the town and gained rights to an additional market day on Monday and to extend the annual fair from two to three days.^[2]

The townsmen of Rotherham formed the "Greaves of Our Lady's Light", an organisation which worked with the town's three guilds. It was suppressed in 1547 but revived in 1584 as the Feoffees of the Common Lands of Rotherham, and remains in existence.^[2]

In the 1480s the Rotherham-born Archbishop of York, Thomas Rotherham, instigated the building of The College of Jesus to rival the colleges of Cambridge and Oxford. It was the first brick building in what is now South Yorkshire and taught theology, singing, grammar and writing.^[2]

The College and new parish church of All Saints made Rotherham an enviable and modern town at the turn of the 16th century. The college was dissolved in 1547 in the reign of Edward VI, its assets stripped for the crown. Much of the college building remains intact but hidden from view in the town centre.^[2] By the end of the 16th century, Rotherham had fallen from a fashionable college town to a notorious haven of gambling and vice. The history of Thomas Rotherham and education in the town are remembered in the name of Thomas Rotherham College.^[3]

Memorial brass of the Swift family, All Saints Church, Rotherham, later owners of Broom Hall

Industrial Revolution[link]

The region had been exploited for iron since Roman times, but it was coal that first brought the Industrial Revolution to Rotherham. Exploitation of the coal seams was the driving force behind the improvements to navigation on the River Don, which eventually formed the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Navigation system of navigable inland waterways.

Rotherham iron was very highly regarded for its strength. Iron, and later steel, became the principal industry in Rotherham, surviving into the 20th century. The Walker family built an iron and steel empire in the 18th century, their foundries producing high quality cannon, including some for the ship of the line HMS Victory, and cast iron bridges, one of which was commissioned by Thomas Paine.^[4]

Rotherham's cast iron industry expanded rapidly in the early 19th century, the Effingham Ironworks, later Yates, Haywood & Co, opened in 1820. Other major iron-founders included William Corbitt and Co; George Wright and Co of Burton Weir; Owen and Co of Wheathill Foundry; Morgan Macauley and Waide of the Baths Foundry; the Masbro’ Stove Grate Co belonging to Messrs. Perrot, W. H. Micklethwait and John and Richard Corker of the Ferham Works.

The Parkgate Ironworks was established in 1823 by Sanderson and Watson, and changed ownership several times. In 1854, Samuel Beal & Co produced wrought iron plates for Isambard Kingdom Brunel's famous steamship the SS Great Eastern.^[5] In 1864, the ironworks was taken over by the Parkgate Iron Co. Ltd, becoming the Park Gate Iron and Steel Company in 1888. The company was purchased by Tube Investments Ltd in 1956 and closed in 1974. Steel, Peech and Tozer's massive Templeborough steelworks (now the Magna Science Adventure Centre) was, at its peak, over a mile (1.6 km) long, employing 10,000 workers, and housing six electric arc furnaces producing 1.8 million tonnes of steel a year. The operation closed down in 1993.

Joseph Foljambe established a factory to produce his Rotherham plough, the first commercially successful iron plough.^[6]

A glass works was set up in Rotherham in 1751, and became Beatson Clark & Co, one of the town's largest manufacturers, exporting glass medicine bottles worldwide. Beatson Clark & Co was a family business until 1961, when it became a public company. The glass works operated on the same site, although the family connection ceased and the company is owned by Newship Ltd, a holding company linked to the industrialist John Watson Newman. It continues to the manufacture glass containers for the pharmaceutical, food and drinks industries.^[7] In the 19th century, other successful industries included pottery, brass making and the manufacture of cast iron fireplaces. Precision manufacturing companies in the town include AESSEAL, Newburgh Engineering, Precision Magnetics, Orkot Composites and Darron Oil Tools SBO. Rotherham is the location of the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP).

Milling grain into flour was a traditional industry in Rotherham, formerly in the Millmoor area, hence Rotherham United F.C.'s nickname "The Millers". Flour milling continued at the Rank Hovis town mill site on Canklow Road^[8] until September 2008.^[9] The site of the mill is a warehousing and distribution facility for Premier Foods.

Floods of 2007[link]

Ulley reservoir

Rotherham was affected by the floods in the summer of 2007, which brought disruption to the town, closed roads, schools, the local transport system and damaged personal and commercial property. The Parkgate Shopping centre was flooded, with shops suffering damage and losing stock. Ulley Reservoir caused major concern when its dam showed signs of structural damage, threatening to break and release the water into Canklow, Catcliffe, Treeton, Whiston areas and an electrical sub-station serving Sheffield.^[10] Rother FM evacuated its studios in the danger area, causing its sister station, Trax FM, to broadcast on the Rother FM frequency. Fire service and police officers used thirteen high-powered pumps to lower the water level in the reservoir and reduce pressure on the dam wall, which was damaged but held. By summer 2008, the reservoir and surrounding country park reopened.

A new wetland and flood storage area, Centenary Washlands, has since been built by Rotherham Council and the Environment Agency to prevent flooding in the future. Sheffield Wildlife Trust manages the site as a local nature reserve.

Governance[link]

Like most of South Yorkshire, Rotherham is a Labour Party stronghold. Its seat in the House of Commons has been held by Labour MPs continuously since a by-election in 1933. Denis MacShane, the current Member of Parliament for Rotherham, has held the seat since a by-election in 1994 precipitated by the death in office of James Boyce.

Economy[link]

Rotherham is amongst the leaders in advanced manufacturing in the UK. The main Corus Engineering Steels (CES) plant produces steel for products worldwide, including Renault Formula One cars and the Airbus A380 "super jumbo" aeroplane. The smaller (CNS) site based close to the old Templeborough Melting Shop & Rolling Mills site produces hot rolled narrow strip to high tolerances for the aeronautical and agricultural industries. The future of the steel industry in Rotherham is in doubt in light of the financial crisis of 2007-2009. Rotherham's economic reliance on supplying the automobile industry with raw steel led to the announcement of a significant scale-back of operations in January 2009. This, combined with the closure of Rotherham's Burberry clothing factory led to the most significant economic crisis in the borough since the 1980s.

Over the next 20 years, Rotherham is expected to receive £2 billion in investment from private industry. The town's economy, when combined with that of Sheffield, is growing faster than Leeds and Manchester.^[11] In July 2010, statistics from Yorkshire Forward showed that Rotherham had attracted new investment and industry from abroad.^[12] The Advanced Manufacturing Park has attracted major companies including Rolls Royce and Castings Technology International (Cti). Technology developed on the AMP is utilised in leading edge projects within Formula One and the next generation of military and commercial aircraft, including the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Because of Rotherham's proximity to the Meadowhall Centre in the Lower Don Valley, and Sheffield city centre, it does not have a wide range of big name stores for a town its size. The town centre includes major high street stores, several independent stores, markets, cafes, restaurants and bars. Shops include a large Tesco, JD Sports, New Look and Primark. There are indoor and outdoor markets and a street market during the week. There are restaurants, cafes and bars around the town centre.^[13] Outside the centre is Parkgate Shopping Park, which is linked to the town centre by a free shuttle bus.

Regeneration[link]

2007 saw the start of an urban regeneration project known as the "Rotherham Renaissance". The project aimed at creating a vibrant town centre and included apartments, shops, outdoor cafés, and a new theatre.^[14] The project was developed from European Union Objective 1 funding. As of July 2010^[update], The Old Market and Keppel Wharf on the waterfront are open and include a mix of apartments, with retail and restaurant space on the ground floor. The old market building has won design awards. Also complete is Imperial Buildings which was renovated and reopened. A leisure complex and a NHS health village on the waterfront have opened.

New council headquarters incorporating a Customer Service Centre, Cafe, Library and Gallery Space will open in Riverside House on the former Guest & Chrimes factory site by April 2012. Rotherham United football club is building a new 12,000 seat stadium on the adjacent site. Rotherham Central railway station is being rebuilt. Forge Island (the current Tesco site) will form an anchor project containing a Cultural Quarter with retail space, theatre, library and arts centre when Tesco has moved to a new base in the Commercial Quarter.^[15] All Saints Building has been demolished.

Transport[link]

Rotherham is connected to the rest of the country by the M1 and the M18 motorways.

Geography[link]

This section requires expansion.

Beyond the town centre and away from the Don Valley, the Rotherham district is largely rural, containing a mixture of farming and mining communities as well as the large Wentworth Woodhouse estate, where the last surviving kiln of the Rockingham Pottery can be seen.

Demography[link]

Landmarks[link]

Rotherham Minster

Rotherham Minster in All Saints Square dates from the 15th century and includes parts from earlier Saxon and Norman structures. It was described by Pevsner as "the best perpendicular church in the country", and by Simon Jenkins as "the best work in the county".

Close to the town centre is the 15th century Chapel of Our Lady of Rotherham Bridge (or "Chapel on the Bridge"), beside Chantry Bridge (a road bridge opened in the 1930s). It is one of four surviving bridge chapels in the country. The chapel was restored in 1923, having been used as the town jail and a tobacconist's shop.

Boston Castle

Built in the 18th century, Clifton House houses Clifton Park Museum. The remains of the 16th century College of Jesus are in the town centre. Boston Castle, in the grounds of Boston Park, was built as a hunting lodge by Thomas, 3rd Earl of Effingham between 1773 and 1774 to mark his opposition to British attempts to crush the Americans in their war for independence. It is named after Boston, Massachusetts, the scene of the Boston Tea Party.^[17]

On the outskirts of Rotherham, a brick built glass making furnace, the Catcliffe Glass Cone, is the oldest surviving structure of its type in Western Europe and one of four remaining in the United Kingdom - the other surviving cones can be found in Wordsley in the West Midlands, Lemington Glass Works and Alloa in Scotland. Threatened with demolition in the 1960s, it has been preserved as a Scheduled Ancient Monument and stands as a focal point in a sheltered housing complex. At Maltby near Rotherham, the medieval ruins of the Cistercian Roche Abbey are a popular tourist destination.

Culture and attractions[link]

Museums[link]

Furnace at the Magna Centre, Rotherham

The Magna Science Adventure Centre, an interactive science and adventure centre built in a former steel works in Templeborough, has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the region.^[18]

Clifton Park Museum medium-sized municipal museum situated in Clifton Park. Admission is free.

Entertainment[link]

The Civic Theatre and an Arts Centre is in the town centre.

The Westgate district of the town centre is home to many pubs, bars and clubs and is the focal point of Rotherham's nightlife. .

Events[link]

Rotherhams holds several public event through the year:- A fashion show Rotherham Rocks in July, takes place in 'All Saints Square' and Rotherham by the Sea, in August, is held in the same location, where it is transformed into a seaside beach with sand, deckchairs and other traditional seaside attractions. Rotherham Show is an annual event, held in Clifton Park, with stalls from all sectors of the community, shows and live bands.

Parks[link]

Clifton park, in the town centre, includes sport facilities, an outdoor paddling pool, a small fairground and an adventure park.

Minster Gardens, is an urban park in the heart of the town centre, next to Rotherham Minster and All Saints Square. It has an amphitheatre and space for open air events, with stepped seating, lawns, grass terracing and a meadow area.

In popular culture[link]

Jamie Oliver's television series Jamie's Ministry of Food, broadcast on Channel 4 in 2008 was based in Rotherham. He aimed to make Rotherham "the culinary capital of the United Kingdom" by his 'Pass it on' scheme. He tried to teach people to cook fresh food and establish healthy eating as part of daily life.^[19] The town is mentioned in the Arctic Monkeys' song "Fake Tales of San Francisco" in the lyric, "Yeah I'd love to tell you all my problem. You're not from New York City, you're from Rotherham".

Rotherham has produced many classic and progressive rock bands, supported by the Classic Rock Society, such as Deadline, Saxon, Jive Bunny, Bring Me the Horizon, and Disarm.

Sport[link]

Rotherham United Football Club play in Football League Two. The team currently play at the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield whilst a new stadium is being built on the town centre's Guest & Chrimes site. Historically the town was represented by Rotherham Town and Rotherham County, who both played in the Football League.

Rotherham Titans rugby union team reached the Guinness Premiership in 1999 and 2003 before being relegated. The club plays at the Clifton Lane Sports Ground. The town is also represented in rugby league by the Rotherham Giants of the Rugby League Conference.

Formula One team Virgin Racing are based in Dinnington in the borough. ChampCar and former Formula One driver Justin Wilson is from Woodall, which is in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham.^[20] Motorcycle speedway racing was staged in the town about 1930.

Hurdler Chris Rawlinson, Olympic gold medallist sailor Paul Goodison, Olympic silver medallist Peter Elliott and former England goalkeeper David Seaman are from Rotherham.

Freedom of the borough[link]

The Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Shaukat Ali and Col Simon Newton, Yorkshire Regiment

On Monday 3 August 2009 Rotherham became the first town to bestow the Freedom of the Borough on the Yorkshire Regiment, giving it the right to march through the town with "flags flying, bands playing and bayonets fixed". At a ceremony outside the Town Hall, the Regiment paraded two Guards of soldiers who had recently returned from Iraq and the Colours of the 3rd Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's), led by the Kings Division Band, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Vallings, the battalion commanding officer. The Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor Shaukat Ali, on behalf of the borough, presented the Freedom Scroll to Colonel Simon Newton, who accepted the honour for the regiment. The regiment is the only military unit to become Honorary Freemen of the Borough.

Notable people[link]

Comedian Sandy Powell was born in Rotherham. The town has produced several other entertainers who started on the Working men's club circuit, such as Duggie Brown. Christopher Wolstenholme of Muse and Dean Andrews, of Life On Mars, and artist Margaret Clarkson were all born in Rotherham.^[21] Rob McVeigh, a contestant on Any Dream Will Do hails from Rotherham.

Rotherham is the hometown of the Chuckle Brothers, Arsenal and England goalkeeper David Seaman, along with World Cup and English Premier League referee Howard Webb. Actors Liz White and Ryan Sampson also hail from Rotherham, as does former Conservative Party leader William Hague and Sir Donald Coleman Bailey. Presenter James May grew up in Rotherham.

Twin towns[link]

Rotherhams official twin town is:

• Saint-Quentin, France^[22]

Partner towns[link]

Rotherham has three partner towns:^[23]

• Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• Riesa, Germany
• Zabrze, Poland

See also[link]

Yorkshire portal

• Rotherham Tramway
• Trolleybuses in Rotherham

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rotherham

Wikisource has the text of the 1920 Encyclopedia Americana article Rotherham.

• Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
• Boston Castle, Rotherham, website
• Rotherham in the Domesday Book

Jeremy Clarkson
Clarkson, 2006
Born	Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (1960-04-11) 11 April 1960 (age 52)[1] Doncaster, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Residence	Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England Langness, Isle of Man
Nationality	British
Other names	Jezza
Education	Repton School Hill House School, Doncaster
Occupation	Broadcaster, author, journalist, talk show host
Years active	1988–present
Employer	BBC, The Sun, The Sunday Times
Known for	Presenting: Top Gear (2002) Top Gear (1977) Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld Robot Wars Jeremy Clarkson's Extreme Machines Clarkson Clarkson's Car Years Speed You Don't Want To Do That Jeremy Clarkson: Meets the Neighbours The Victoria Cross: For Valour Inventions That Changed the World Jeremy Clarkson: The Greatest Raid of All Time
Notable work(s)	See below
Home town	Doncaster, England
Salary	£2 million (est.)[2]
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[3]
Spouse	Alexandra James (m. 1989–1990) «start: (1989-09)–end+1: (1991)»"Marriage: Alexandra James to Jeremy Clarkson" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.db.wn.com/index.php/Jeremy_Clarkson) (divorced) Frances Cain (m. 1993) «start: (1993-05)»"Marriage: Frances Cain to Jeremy Clarkson" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.db.wn.com/index.php/Jeremy_Clarkson)
Children	3
Parents	Shirley and Eddie Clarkson

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May. He also writes weekly columns for The Sunday Times and The Sun.

From a career as a local journalist in Northern England, Clarkson rose to public prominence as a presenter of the original format of Top Gear in 1988. Since the mid-1990s, Clarkson has become a recognised public personality, regularly appearing on British television presenting his own shows and appearing as a guest on other shows. As well as motoring, Clarkson has produced programmes and books on subjects such as history and engineering. From 1998 to 2000 he also hosted his own chat show, Clarkson.

His opinionated but humorous tongue-in-cheek writing and presenting style has often generated much public reaction to his viewpoints. His actions both privately and as a Top Gear presenter have also sometimes resulted in criticism from the media, politicians, pressure groups and the public.

Despite the criticism levelled against him, he has also generated a significant following from the public at large, being credited as a major factor in the resurgence of Top Gear as one of the most popular shows on the BBC.

Personal life[link]

Clarkson was born in Doncaster to travelling salesman Edward Grenville Clarkson and teacher Shirley Gabrielle Ward.^[4] His parents, who ran a business selling tea cosies, put their son's name down in advance for a number of private schools with no idea how they were going to pay the fees, until at the last moment, when he was 13, they made two Paddington Bear stuffed toys for each of their children. These proved so popular that they started selling them through the business with sufficient success to be able to pay the fees for Clarkson to attend Hill House School, Doncaster and later Repton School.^[5] By his own account, he was expelled from Repton School for "drinking, smoking and generally making a nuisance of himself."^[6]

Clarkson played the role of a public schoolboy, Taplin, in a BBC radio Children's Hour serial adaptation of Anthony Buckeridge's Jennings novels until his voice broke.^[7]

Clarkson is twice-married. His first wife was Alexandra James (now Hall). In May 1993 he married his manager,^[4] Frances Cain (daughter of VC recipient Robert Henry Cain) in Fulham. The couple currently live in the town of Chipping Norton, situated in the Cotswolds, with their three children.^[8] Clarkson is a member of the Chipping Norton set. ^[9] Known for buying him car-related gifts, for Christmas 2007 Clarkson's second wife bought him a Mercedes-Benz 600.^[10] In September 2010 Clarkson was granted a privacy injunction against his first wife to prevent her from publishing claims that their sexual relationship continued after his second marriage. (See AMM v HXW)^[11] He voluntarily lifted the injunction in October 2011,^[12] commenting that: "Injunctions don’t work. You take out an injunction against somebody or some organisation and immediately news of that injunction and the people involved and the story behind the injunction is in a legal-free world on Twitter and the Internet. It’s pointless."^[11][13]

Clarkson's fondness for wearing jeans has been blamed by some for the decline in sales of denim in the mid 1990s, particularly Levi's, because of their being associated with middle aged men, the so-called 'Jeremy Clarkson effect'.^[14] After fashion gurus Trinny and Susannah labelled Clarkson's dress sense as that of a market trader, he was persuaded to appear on their fashion makeover show What Not to Wear in order to avoid being considered for their all-time worst dressed winner award.^[15] Their attempts at restyling Clarkson were however all rebuffed, and Clarkson stated he would rather eat his own hair than appear on the show again.^[16][17]

For an episode of the first series of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? broadcast in November 2004, Clarkson was invited to investigate his family history. It included the story of his great-great-great grandfather John Kilner (1792–1857), who invented the Kilner jar: a container for preserved fruit.^[8][18]

Clarkson is reportedly a big fan of the rock band Genesis and attended the band‘s reunion concert at Twickenham Stadium in 2007. He also provided sleeve notes for the reissue of the album Selling England by the Pound as part of the Genesis 1970–1975 box set. He uses his love for Genesis to mock his fellow presenter of BBC Top Gear, Richard Hammond.^[19]

Clarkson has been involved in a protracted legal dispute about access to a "permissive path" across the grounds of his second home on the Isle of Man since 2005, after reports that dogs had attacked and killed sheep on the property.^[20] Clarkson and his wife had claimed that four sheep were deliberately killed after being chased into the sea by a dog let off its lead.^[21] He eventually lost the dispute after the Isle of Man government started a public inquiry and was told to re-open the footpath in May 2010.^[22] The decision was affirmed by the Isle of Man High Court.^[23]

Clarkson is also an avid birdwatcher, his favourite bird apparently being the Peregrine Falcon.^[24]

Clarkson also has 3 donkeys, mentioned in his book The World According To Clarkson, called Geoff, Eddie and Kristen Scott-Donkey

Career[link]

Writing career[link]

Clarkson's first job was as a travelling salesman for his parents' business selling Paddington Bear toys.^[25] He later trained as a journalist with the Rotherham Advertiser, before also writing for the Rochdale Observer, Wolverhampton Express and Star, Lincolnshire Life and the Associated Kent Newspapers.

In 1984, Clarkson formed the Motoring Press Agency (MPA), in which, with fellow motoring journalist Jonathan Gill, he would conduct road tests for local newspapers and automotive magazines. This developed into pieces for publications such as Performance Car.^[26] He has regularly written for Top Gear magazine since its launch in 1993.

Clarkson went on to writing articles for a diverse spectrum of readers through regular columns in both the mass-market tabloid newspaper The Sun, and for the more 'up market' broadsheet newspaper The Sunday Times. The Times columns are republished in The Weekend Australian newspaper. He also writes for the "Wheels" section of the Toronto Star.

In addition to newsprint, Clarkson has written humorous books about cars and several other subjects. Many of his books are collections of articles that he has written for The Sunday Times.

Television[link]

Clarkson's first major television role came as one of the presenters on the British motoring programme Top Gear, from 27 October 1988 to 3 February 2000,^[27] in the programme's original format, and then again from 20 October 2002, when it was relaunched in a new format after a brief period off the air. He is credited with co-presenters James May and Richard Hammond as turning Top Gear into the most-watched TV show on BBC Two,^[28] rebroadcast to over 100 countries around the world.^[29] While closely associated with presenting motoring shows through the original Top Gear and Motorworld, by the late 1990s Clarkson had diversified into presenting programmes on other topics, beginning as presenter of the UK version of Robot Wars. At the same time his television presence also branched out into appearances on a number of other shows, both as guest and guest host. From 1998 for three years he had his own talk show, Clarkson, hosting 27 half-hour episodes aired in the United Kingdom between November 1998 and December 2000, and featured guest interviews with musicians, politicians and television personalities. In his television career, Clarkson went on to present a number of documentaries focused on non-motoring themes such as history and engineering, although the motoring shows and videos continued. Alongside his stand-alone shows, many often mirror the format of his newspaper columns and books, combining his love of driving and motoring journalism, with the examination and expression of his other views on the world, such as in Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld, Jeremy Clarkson's Car Years and Jeremy Clarkson Meets the Neighbours.

Clarkson's views are often showcased on television shows. In 1997, Clarkson appeared on the light hearted comedy show Room 101, in which a guest nominates things they hate in life to be consigned to nothingness. Clarkson despatched caravans, houseflies, the sitcom Last of the Summer Wine, the mentality within golf clubs, and vegetarians. His public persona has seen him make several appearances on the prime time talk shows Parkinson and Friday Night with Jonathan Ross since 2002. By 2003, his persona was deemed to fit the mould for the series Grumpy Old Men, in which middle-aged men talk about any aspects of modern life which irritate them. Since the topical news panel show Have I Got News for You dismissed regular host Angus Deayton in October 2002, Clarkson has become one of the most regularly used guest hosts on the show in a role which attracts a sideways look at current affairs. On a more serious platform, Clarkson has appeared as a panellist on the political current affairs television show Question Time twice since 2003.

In 2007 Clarkson won the National Television Awards' Special Recognition Award. Also in 2007, it was reported that Clarkson earned £1 million a year for his role as a Top Gear presenter, and a further £1.7 million from books, DVDs and newspaper columns.^[30]

In 2007, Clarkson and co-presenter James May were the first people to reach the magnetic North Pole in a car,^[31] chronicled in a Top Gear polar special.^[32] Clarkson more recently sustained minor injuries to his legs, back and hand in an intentional high-speed head-on collision with a brick wall while making the 12th series of Top Gear.^[33]

Opinions and influence[link]

This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please consider splitting content into sub-articles and summarizing the key points of the subject. (March 2012)

Politics[link]

Clarkson is in favour of personal freedom and very much against government regulation, stating that government should "build park benches and that is it. They should leave us alone."^[34] He has a particular contempt for the Health and Safety Executive. He has often criticised the Labour Governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, especially the 'ban' culture, frequently fixating on the bans on smoking and 2004 ban on fox hunting.

Jeremy Clarkson's comments have both a large amount of supporters and opposers. He often comments on the media-perceived social issues of the day such as the fear of challenging adolescent youths, known as 'hoodies'. In 2007 Clarkson was cleared of allegations of assaulting a hoodie while visiting central Milton Keynes, after Thames Valley Police said that if anything, he had been the victim.^[35] In the five-part series Jeremy Clarkson: Meets the Neighbours he travelled around Europe in a Jaguar E-Type, examining (and in some cases reinforcing) his stereotypes of other countries.

As a motoring journalist, he is frequently critical of government initiatives such as the London congestion charge or proposals on road charging. He is also frequently scornful of caravanners and cyclists. He has often singled out John Prescott the former Transport Minister, and Stephen Joseph^[36] the head of the public transport pressure group Transport 2000 for ridicule.

Environment[link]

Clarkson is unsympathetic to the green movement and has little respect for groups such as Greenpeace—he believes that the "eco-mentalists" are a by-product of the "old trade unionists and CND lesbians" who had found a more relevant cause—^[37] but "loves the destination" of environmentalism and believes that people should quietly strive to be more eco-friendly.^[38] Regarding windfarms, he says that in the future, they will be described as "a reminder of the time when mankind temporarily took leave of its senses and decided wind, waves and lashings of tofu could somehow generate enough electricity for the whole planet"^[39] Clarkson has unorthodox views regarding global warming: although he believes that higher temperatures are not necessarily negative and that anthropogenic carbon dioxide production has a negligible effect on the global climate,^[38] but is aware of the negative potential consequences of global warming, saying "let's just stop and think for a moment what the consequences might be. Switzerland loses its skiing resorts? The beach in Miami is washed away? North Carolina gets knocked over by a hurricane? Anything bothering you yet?"^[40]

In an attempt to prove the press and public furore over the 2007 UK child benefit data scandal was a fuss about nothing, he published his own bank account number and sort code, together with instructions on how to find out his address, in The Sun newspaper, expecting nobody to be able to remove money from his account. He later discovered that someone had been able to set up a monthly direct debit for £500 to Diabetes UK.^[41][42]

Clarkson has been highly critical of the United States and more recently President Barack Obama. In an article after Obama was sworn into office, Clarkson wrote (in reference to Americans) "they have got it into their heads that Barack Obama is actually a blend of Jesus, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King."^[43] Clarkson has also been very critical of the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.^[44] He referred to America as the United States of Total Paranoia, commenting that one needs a permit to do everything except for purchasing weapons.^[45]

Himself[link]

Whilst Clarkson states such views in his columns and in public appearances, his public persona does not necessarily represent his personal views, as he acknowledged whilst interviewing Alastair Campbell saying "I don't believe what I write, any more than you (Alastair Campbell) believe what you say"^[46]

Clarkson has been described as a "skilful propagandist for the motoring lobby" by The Economist^[47] and a "dazzling hero of political incorrectness" by the Daily Mirror.^[48] With a forthright and sometimes deadpan delivery, Clarkson is said to thrive on the notoriety his public comments bring, and has risen to the level of the bête noire of the various groups who disagree with his views. On the Channel 4 organised viewer poll, for the 100 Worst Britons We Love to Hate programme, Clarkson polled in 66th place. By 2005, Clarkson was perceived by the press to have upset so many people and groups, The Independent put him on trial for various 'crimes', declaring him guilty on most counts.^[40]

Media[link]

Responses to Clarkson's comments are often directed personally, with derogatory comments about residents of Norfolk leading to some residents organising a "We hate Jeremy Clarkson" club. In The Guardian's 2007 'Media 100' list, which lists the top 100 most "powerful people in the [media] industry", based on cultural, economic and political influence in the UK, Clarkson was listed as a new entrant at 74th. Some critics even attribute Clarkson's actions and views as being influential enough to be responsible for the closure of Rover and the Luton manufacturing plant of Vauxhall.^[49] Clarkson's comments about Rover prompted workers to hang an "Anti-Clarkson Campaign" banner outside the defunct Longbridge plant in its last days.

The BBC often plays down his comments as ultimately not having the weight they are ascribed. In 2007 they described Clarkson as "Not a man given to considered opinion",^[18] and in response to an official complaint another BBC spokeswoman once said: "Jeremy's colourful comments are always entertaining, but they are his own comments and not those of the BBC. More often than not they are said with a twinkle in his eye."^[50] Some of his opponents state they take the view he is a man that should be ignored. Kevin Clinton, head of Road Safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has stated "We don't take what he says too seriously and hopefully other people don't either."^[51]

On his chat show, Clarkson, he caused upset to the Welsh by placing a 3D plastic map of Wales into a microwave oven and switching it on. He later defended this by saying, "I put Wales in there because Scotland wouldn't fit."^[52][53][54]

Recognition[link]

In 2005, Clarkson received an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from the Oxford Brookes University.^[55] His views on the environment precipitated a small demonstration at the award ceremony for his honorary degree, when Clarkson was pied by road protester Rebecca Lush.^[56] Clarkson took this incident in good humour, responding 'good shot' and subsequently referring to Lush as "Banana girl".^[57][58][59] Clarkson has spoken in support of hydrogen cars.^[34]

In 2008, an internet petition was posted on the Prime Minister's Number 10 website to "Make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister". By the time it closed, it had attracted 49,446 signatures. An opposing petition posted on the same site set to "Never, Ever Make Jeremy Clarkson Prime Minister" attracted 87 signatures. Clarkson later commented he would be a rubbish Prime Minister as he is always contradicting himself in his columns.^[34] In their official response to the petition, Number 10 agreed with Clarkson's comments.^[60]

In a 2008 poll of 5,000 female members of an online dating website, Clarkson came third in a poll of MISAs—Men I Secretly Adore—behind Jonathan Ross and Phillip Schofield. Characteristically, Clarkson was upset not to have come top.^[61]

In response to the reactions he gets, Clarkson has stated "I enjoy this back and forth, it makes the world go round but it is just opinion"^[34] and "I don't have any influence over what people do, I really don't. It makes no difference what I say. Top Gear is just fluff. It's just entertainment – people don't listen to me."^[62] On the opinion that his views are influential enough to topple car companies, he has argued that he has proof that he has had no influence. "When I said that the Ford Orion was the worst car ever it went on to become a best-selling car."^[34]

Clarkson was ranked 49th on Motor Trend Magazine's Power List for 2011, its list of the fifty most influential figures in the automotive industry.^[63]

Military interests[link]

Clarkson has a keen interest in the British Armed Forces and several of his DVDs and television shows have featured a military theme, whether it be flying in military jets or several Clarkson focused Top Gear spots having a military theme such as Clarkson escaping a Challenger 2 tank in a Range Rover, a Lotus Exige evading missile lock from an AH-64D Apache helicopter, a platoon of Irish Guardsmen shooting at a Porsche Boxster and Mercedes-Benz SLK, or using a Ford Fiesta as a Royal Marine landing craft. Clarkson visited British troops in Baghdad in October 2005.^[64]

Clarkson presented a programme looking at recipients of the Victoria Cross, in particular focusing on his father-in-law, Robert Henry Cain, who received a VC for actions during the Battle of Arnhem in World War II.^[65]

In 2007, Clarkson wrote and presented Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time, a documentary about the World War II Operation Chariot, a 1942 Commando raid on the docks of Saint-Nazaire in occupied France. At the end of 2007 Clarkson became a patron of Help for Heroes,^[66] a charity aiming to raise money to provide better facilities to wounded British servicemen. His effort led to the 2007 Christmas appeal in The Sunday Times supporting Help for Heroes.^[67]

Clarkson borrowed a Lightning (serial XM172), an RAF supersonic jet fighter of the Cold War era, which was temporarily placed in his garden and documented on his TV show Speed.

Engineering interests[link]

Clarkson is passionate about engineering, especially pioneering work. In Inventions That Changed the World Clarkson showcased the invention of the gun, computer, jet engine, telephone and television. He has previously criticised the engineering feats of the 20th century as merely improvements on the truly innovative inventions of the Industrial Revolution. He cites the lack of any source of alternative power for cars, other than by "small explosions". In Great Britons, as part of a public poll to find the greatest historical Briton, Clarkson was the chief supporter for Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a prominent engineer during the Industrial Revolution credited with numerous innovations. Despite this, he also has a passion for many modern examples of engineering. In Speed and Extreme Machines Clarkson rides and showcases numerous vehicles and machinery. Clarkson was awarded an honorary degree from Brunel University on 12 September 2003, partly because of his work in popularising engineering, and partly because of his advocacy of Brunel.^[68]

In his book, I Know You Got Soul he describes many machines that he believes possess a soul. He cited the Concorde crash as his inspiration, feeling a sadness for the demise of the machine as well as the passengers. Clarkson was a passenger on the last BA Concorde flight on 24 October 2003. Paraphrasing Neil Armstrong he described the retirement of the fleet as "This is one small step for a man, but one huge leap backwards for mankind", and that the challenge of building Concorde had been a greater human feat than landing a man on the Moon.^[69]

His known passion for single- or two-passenger high-velocity transport led to his brief acquisition of an English Electric Lightning F1A jet fighter XM172, which was installed in the front garden of his country home. The Lightning was subsequently removed on the orders of the local council, which "wouldn't believe my claim that it was a leaf blower", according to Clarkson on a Tiscali Motoring webchat. In fact, the whole affair was set up for his programme Speed, and the Lightning is now back serving as gate guardian at Wycombe Air Park (formerly RAF Booker).^[70]

In a Top Gear episode, Clarkson drove the Bugatti Veyron in a race across Europe against a Cessna private aeroplane. The Veyron was an £850,000 technology demonstrator project built by Volkswagen to become the fastest production car, but a practical road car at the same time. In building such an ambitious machine, Clarkson described the project as "a triumph for lunacy over common sense, a triumph for man over nature and a triumph for Volkswagen over absolutely every other car maker in the world."^[71] After winning the race, Clarkson announced that "It's quite a hollow victory really, because I've got to go for the rest of my life knowing that I'll never own that car. I'll never experience that power again."^[72]

Cars[link]

Ownership[link]

Clarkson owns or has owned:

• Volvo XC90^[73]
• Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE^[74]
• Lotus Elise 111S^[75]
• Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser^[76]
• Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black^[77]
• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster^[77]
• BMW M3 CSL^[77]
• Honda CR-X^[77]
• Ferrari F355^[77]
• Ford GT^[78]
• Lamborghini Gallardo^[77]
• Volkswagen Scirocco 1^[79]
• Volkswagen Scirocco 2^[79]

In addition to the many cars he has owned, as a motoring journalist, Clarkson regularly has car companies deliver a choice of cars to his driveway for testing.

Clarkson wanted to purchase the Ford GT after admiring its inspiration, the Ford GT40 race cars of the 1960s. Clarkson was able to secure a place on the shortlist for the few cars that would be imported to Britain to official customers, only through knowing Ford's head of PR through a previous job. After waiting years and facing an increased price, he found many technical problems with the car. After "the most miserable month's motoring possible," he returned it to Ford for a full refund. After a short period, including asking Top Gear fans for advice over the Internet, he bought back his GT. He called it "the most unreliable car ever made", owing to never being able to complete a return journey with it.^[78] In 2006 Clarkson ordered a Gallardo Spyder and sold the Ford GT to make way for it. In August 2008 he sold the Gallardo because "idiots in Peugeots kept trying to race [him] in it" [Jeremy Clarkson – "The Italian Job" DVD]. In October, he also announced that he had sold his Volvo XC90. However, in January 2009, in a review of the car printed in The Times, he wrote: "I’ve just bought my third Volvo XC90 in a row and the simple fact is this: it takes six children to school in the morning."^[73]

Likes[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)

Clarkson often enthuses about whether a car gives you the proper "driving experience". He talks about needing to feel the front wheels connected to your fingers through the steering wheel. His preferred cars need to stir a passion and exhibit a 'soul', and look good, such as his preferred sportscar marque, Ferrari. Clarkson is often seen to be more than willing to accept several other flaws in a car such as practicality, build quality, reliability, if the basic criteria of performance and styling are deemed to have been met. Clarkson seems to be an admirer of any car that delivers performance and features for less money than traditionally known 'superior' marques, such as the Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and Holden Monaro (marketed in the UK under the Vauxhall brand). He is also known for liking the Noble M12. However, sometimes his liking of cars is more in respect because they do not possess this 'soul' although it is portrayed in the TV show as a legitimate love. It was like that with the Nissan GT-R. He said that it's great but 'sometimes I'd like it to go down the front of my trousers and have a little rummage' implying the GT-R's lack of 'soul'.

Despite not liking Rover or Vauxhall, Clarkson does have an affection for the British makes Jaguar and Aston Martin, but has previously described this success as being down to the combination of British ingenuity with foreign funding, management, and marketing. In terms of SUVs, Clarkson has spoken very highly of the Czech-made Škoda Yeti, calling it possibly the best car in the world; and used 20 minutes of a Top Gear episode putting the Yeti through a number of challenges to support his point.^[80] Clarkson often applies national stereotypes to cars, i.e. German cars are well built but too serious, Italian cars are stylish but temperamental, American cars are powerful but cheaply made, Japanese cars are hi-tech but soulless, and the present intermixing of nationalities in the global car industry becomes a source of comment.

Clarkson has a particular fondness for Alfa Romeos, and has owned several. He contends that "you cannot be a true petrolhead until you've owned one... it's like having really great sex that leaves you with an embarrassing itch." In his book I Know You Got Soul the Alfa Romeo 166 was one of only three cars classified as having that "special something". Clarkson quotably called the Brera, Alfa's latest sports car, "Cameron Diaz on wheels".^[81] Despite his love for Alfa Romeos, he was very critical of the company's supercar, the 8C Competizione. In both Top Gear and his 2009 video special Thriller, Clarkson had no doubts about the car's beauty, but panned the poorly-designed suspension, comparing it to a Ford Mustang.

Clarkson has had mixed views on the Porsche 911 sports cars, feeling them to have uninspiring styling. He is also not a fan of the rear-engined flat six layout, feeling it a fundamentally flawed design. He has, however, often complimented the technical aspects and practicalities of many Porsches, over say the equivalent Ferrari of the time. In reviewing a 2003 Porsche 911 GT3 though, Clarkson conceded that Porsche had finally overcome the natural tendency of a Porsche mechanical layout to lose the grip in the rear tyres in a bend, and stated it was the first Porsche he had ever seriously considered buying. Clarkson also praised Porsche's supercar, the Carrera GT, in an October 2004 episode of Top Gear, and even commented that it's one of the most beautiful cars he has ever driven. Clarkson has also expressed fondness for late-model V8 Holdens, available in the UK rebadged as Vauxhalls. Of the Monaro he said, "It's like they had a picture of me on their desk and said [Australian accent] 'Let's build that bloke a car!'" and "I can't believe it... I've fallen in love... with a Vauxhall!"^[82] Clarkson suffered two slipped discs that he attributed to driving the Monaro, which he described as being "back-breakingly marvellous".^[83]

Dislikes[link]

Clarkson often derides any car that in his view might be bought by a Premier League footballer such as Wayne Rooney. Clarkson will often pick faults in the trim or build quality in any car he dislikes. He will also use his substantial frame to criticise any model with inadequate front or rear leg room or head room, and to criticise the throttle or brake pedal positions. Clarkson also dislikes gadgetry if it detracts from or seeks to control the experience of driving, commenting that the only saving grace of the increasingly hi-tech BMW M5 was that in M mode all gadgetry was switched off, and it subsequently retained the performance characteristics of historical M5s. He has frequently criticised the Mercedes-Benz practice of releasing a model and option list to suit every conceivable customer demand.

One of Clarkson's most infamous dislikes was of the British car brand Rover, the last major British owned and built car manufacturer. This view stretched back to the company's time as part of British Leyland. Describing the history of the company up to its last flagship model, the Rover 75, he stated "Never in the field of human endeavour has so much been done, so badly, by so many." In the latter years of the company Clarkson blamed the "uncool" brand image as being more of a hindrance to sales than any faults with the cars. On its demise, Clarkson stated "I cannot even get teary and emotional about the demise of the company itself – though I do feel sorry for the workforce."^[84]

Clarkson is also well known for his criticism of Vauxhalls^[85][86] and has described Vauxhall's parent company, General Motors, as a "pensions and healthcare" company which sees the "car making side of the business as an expensive loss-making nuisance".^[86] In spite of this, he has expressed approval of several recent Vauxhall models including the VXR models, the Monaro, VXR8 and Maloo, (both originally Australian Holdens) and the Zafira people carrier. Clarkson has expressed particular disdain for the Vauxhall Vectra, describing it as "One of my least favourite cars in the world. I've always hated it because I've always felt it was designed in a coffee break by people who couldn't care less about cars" and "one of the worst chassis I've ever come across".^[87] After a Top Gear piece by Clarkson for its launch in 1995, described by The Independent as "not doing [GM] any favours",^[88] Vauxhall complained to the BBC and announced, "We can take criticism but this piece was totally unbalanced."^[89]

Clarkson is known for destroying his most hated cars in various ways, including crushing a Yugo with a tank, catapulting a Nissan Sunny with a trebuchet, dropping a Porsche 911 onto a caravan (after plunging a piano onto the bonnet and dousing it in hydrochloric acid, amongst other things), getting a Land Rover and a box labelled "CND" to destroy a Citroën 2CV, allowing his American friend "Billy Bob" to destroy a Toyota Prius by shooting it with an arsenal of weaponry, shooting a Chevrolet Corvette with a helicopter gunship, dismantling a Buick Park Avenue with a bulldozer, or tearing a Lada Riva in half. In an episode of Top Gear, Clarkson bought a Maserati Biturbo just to drop a skip on it to show how much the model had ruined Maserati's reputation. In Jeremy Clarkson: Heaven and Hell (2005), he bought a brand-new Perodua Kelisa, proceeded to attack it with a sledgehammer, tore it apart with a heavy weight while being suspended in mid-air and finally blew it up.^{[citation needed]}

Most notably, the car which sees the most hatred from Clarkson is the G-Wiz or REVAi as it is known outside the UK. In a segment of Top Gear's news, a clip was shown of David Cameron driving a G-Wiz on the Top Gear test track. When Kristin Scott Thomas appeared on the show it was revealed that she drove a G-Wiz around London while performing in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. On Jeremy Clarkson's solo DVD Supercar Showdown the G-Wiz was bashed continuously by Clarkson in a number of staged segments, being raced first by a Renault Alpine A610 and losing, and then losing to a heavy wooden table carried by four men. The table was then placed on its side and the G-Wiz rammed it at 40 mph, bouncing off and destroying the front of the vehicle. In the final episode of series 10 of Top Gear the G-Wiz was turned into a radio-controlled car and its electrical systems modified so that it could beat a Ford Mustang Shelby GT (incorrectly identified as a 500 hp Shelby Mustang GT500) in a race, it was then raced against a scale model R/C car, which carried a bomb to destroy both vehicles before they could finish the race. Nevertheless, the G-Wiz was named as Top Gear's "Worst Car of the Year". Presenter James May called it the "most stupid, useless, and dangerous car to stalk the earth".^{[citation needed]}

Controversy[link]

Clarkson's comments and actions have sometimes resulted in complaints from viewers, car companies, and national governments.

Offensive remarks[link]

In October 1998, Hyundai complained to the BBC about what they described as "bigoted and racist" comments he made at the Birmingham Motor Show, where he was reported as saying that the people working on the Hyundai stand had "eaten a dog" and that the designer of the Hyundai XG had probably eaten a spaniel for his lunch. Clarkson also allegedly referred to those working on the BMW stand as "Nazis", although BMW said they would not be complaining.^[50] In a later incident during a Top Gear episode broadcast on 13 November 2005, Clarkson, while talking about a Mini design that might be "quintessentially German", made a mock Nazi salute, and made references to the Hitler regime and the German invasion of Poland by setting the GPS system to Poland.^[90]

In April 2007, he was criticised in the Malaysian parliament for having described one of their cars, the Perodua Kelisa, as the worst in the world, "its name was like a disease and suggested it was built in jungles by people who wear leaves for shoes". A Malaysian government minister countered, pointing out that no complaints had been received from UK customers who had bought the car.^[91][92]

While in Australia, Clarkson made disparaging remarks aimed at the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, in February 2009, calling him a "one-eyed Scottish idiot" and accused him of lying. These comments were widely condemned by the Royal National Institute of Blind People and also Scottish politicians who requested that he should be taken off air.^[93][94] Furthermore, the comments were condemned as racist.^[95][96][97] He subsequently provided a qualified apology for remarks regarding Brown's "personal appearance".^[98]

In July 2009 though, Clarkson was reported to have called the Prime Minister Brown "a silly cunt" during a warm-up while recording a Top Gear show.^[99] Although several newspapers reported that he had subsequently argued with BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow,^[100] who was present at the recording, the BBC denied that he had been given a "dressing down".^[101] John Whittingdale, Conservative chair of the Culture Select Committee remarked: "Many people will find that offensive, many people will find that word in particular very offensive [...] I am surprised he felt it appropriate to use it."^[100]

On 6 July 2010, Clarkson reportedly angered gay rights campaigners after he made a remark on Top Gear that did not get aired on the 4 July's episode. But guest Alastair Campbell wrote about it on Twitter. Clarkson apparently said he "Demanded the right not to get bummed". The BBC later said that they cut this remark out as they "edited down" the interview as it was too long to fit into the show.^[102]

His 4 September 2011 column for The Sun newspaper drew angry remarks^[103] in response to Clarkson's call to abolish the Welsh language: "I think we are fast approaching the time when the United Nations should start to think seriously about abolishing other languages. What’s the point of Welsh for example? All it does is provide a silly maypole around which a bunch of hotheads can get all nationalistic."

Wikinews has related news: 'Have them all shot': BBC gets 21,000+ complaints over Jeremy Clarkson's public sector striker comments

On 30 November 2011 while being interviewed on the BBC's The One Show, Clarkson commented on the UK's public sector strike that day, lauding the capital's empty roads. After mentioning the BBC's need for balance, he said, "I would take them outside and execute them in front of their families." The programme later apologised for his remarks, with further apologies issued by Clarkson and the BBC.^[104] These remarks had attracted 21,335 complaints to the BBC within 36 hours; the BBC also received 314 messages of support for Clarkson.^[105]

In his 3 December 2011 column for The Sun Clarkson epitomised those who choose to jump in front of trains as "Johnny Suicide" and argues that following a death, trains should carry on their journeys as soon as possible. He adds: "The train cannot be removed nor the line re-opened until all of the victim's body has been recovered. And sometimes the head can be half a mile away from the feet." ... "Change the driver, pick up the big bits of what's left of the victim, get the train moving as quickly as possible and let foxy woxy and the birds nibble away at the smaller, gooey parts that are far away or hard to find."^[106]

In another column for The Sun in January 2012, Clarkson was criticised for making a joke about the deaths of 23 Chinese cockle pickers in Morecambe Bay in 2004.^[107]

On 12 January, the Indian High commission lodged a formal complaint with the BBC over the "tasteless" antics of Jeremy Clarkson's Top Gear Christmas special where he mocked India's culture and people. During the 90-minute special, which was aired twice over the Christmas break, Clarkson made a string of jokes about Indian food, clothes, toilets, trains and history.^[108]

On an episode of Top Gear broadcast on 5 February 2012, Clarkson compared a Japanese Car/Camper van to a person with a growth on their face. A major UK charity that supports people with facial disfigurements, Changing Faces, complained to the BBC and Ofcom after Clarkson's remarks.^[109]

Road safety[link]

Clarkson readily discusses high speed driving on public roads, and criticises road safety campaigns involving cameras and speed bumps. In 2002 a Welsh Assembly Member Alun Pugh wrote to BBC director general Greg Dyke to complain about Clarkson's comments that he believed encouraged people to use Welsh roads as a high speed test track. A BBC spokesman said that suggestions Clarkson had encouraged speeding were "nonsense".^[110] Clarkson has also made similar comments about driving in Lincolnshire.^[111] As of 2004 Clarkson was reported as having a clean licence.^[112] In a November 2005 Times article, Clarkson wrote on the Bugatti Veyron, "On a recent drive across Europe I desperately wanted to reach the top speed but I ran out of road when the needle hit 240mph", and "From the wheel of a Veyron, France is the size of a small coconut. I cannot tell you how fast I crossed it the other day. Because you simply wouldn’t believe me."^[113] In 2007 the celebrity lawyer Nick 'Mr. Loophole' Freeman got a charge against Clarkson of driving at 86 mph in a 50 mph zone on the A40 road in London dropped, on the basis that the driver of the car loaned to Clarkson from Alfa Romeo could not be ascertained.^[114] In 2008 the BBC faced calls to sack Clarkson after he claimed in a talk at the Hay Festival to have been given a speeding ticket for driving at 186 mph on the A1203 Limehouse Link road in London.^[115] At the same talk he stated he had "never been pulled over for speed while working on Top Gear. I don't drive very fast."^[62] The reported version of events by the Daily Mail were disputed by a BBC spokesman.

Piers Morgan feud[link]

From 2000 to 2006, Clarkson had a public feud with Piers Morgan, which began when Morgan published pictures of Clarkson kissing his BBC producer, Elaine Bedell.^[116]

On the final Concorde flight, Clarkson threw a glass of water over Morgan during an argument.^[116] In March 2004 at the British Press Awards, he swore at Morgan and punched him before being restrained by security; Morgan says it has left him with a scar above his left eyebrow.^[117] In 2006 Morgan revealed that the feud was over, saying "There should always be a moment when you finally down cudgels, kiss and make up."^[116] Clarkson also mentioned that despite not getting on with Morgan, he can at least be in the same room as him.

[edit] Activities on Top Gear

In 2004, the BBC apologised unreservedly and paid £250 in compensation to a Somerset parish council, after Clarkson damaged a 30-year-old horse-chestnut tree by driving into it to test the strength of a Toyota Hilux.^[118] In December 2006 the BBC complaints department upheld the complaint of four Top Gear viewers that Clarkson had used the phrase "ginger beer" (rhyming slang for "queer") in a derogatory manner, when Clarkson picked up on and agreed with an audience member's description of the Daihatsu Copen as being a bit "gay".^[119] The Top Gear: Polar Special was criticised by the BBC Trust for glamorising drink driving in a scene showing Clarkson and James May in a vehicle, despite Clarkson saying to the camera "Don't write in to complain about us drinking and driving, because we're sailing!" (As they were on top of frozen water.)^[120] They stated the scene "was not editorially justified" despite occurring outside the jurisdiction of any drink driving laws.

In November 2008, Clarkson attracted over 500 complaints to the BBC when he joked about lorry drivers murdering prostitutes.^[121][122] The BBC stated the comment was a comic rebuttal of a common misconception about lorry drivers and was within the viewer's expectation of Clarkson's Top Gear persona.^[121] Chris Mole, the Member of Parliament for Ipswich, where five prostitutes were murdered in 2006, wrote a "strongly worded" letter to BBC Director-General Mark Thompson, demanding that Clarkson be sacked.^[122] Clarkson dismissed Mole's comments in his Sunday Times column the following weekend, writing, "There are more important things to worry about than what some balding and irrelevant middle-aged man might have said on a crappy BBC2 motoring show."^[123] On the next Top Gear programme, Clarkson appeared sincerely apologetic and stated "It has been all over the news and the internet and after many complaints I feel I must apologise." However, instead of apologising for his comments, he went on to say "I'm sorry I didn't put the [Porsche] 911's time on the board last week" (after he set it on fire in the previous week's show), much to the studio audience's amusement. Andrew Tinkler, chief executive of the Eddie Stobart Group, a major trucking company, stated that "They were just having a laugh. It’s the 21st century, let’s get our sense of humour in line."^[121]

In 2009, in an episode filmed in Romania, when reaching the countryside areas, Clarkson said the crew was in Borat's country. This remark caused an official reaction from Romanian embassy in London.

In an episode aired after the watershed on 1 August 2010, Clarkson described a Ferrari F430 Speciale as "speciale needs". He said the car owned by co-presenter James May looked "like a simpleton". Media regulator Ofcom investigated after receiving two complaints, and found that the comments "were capable of causing offence" but did not censure the BBC.^[124]

The 2011 Top Gear Christmas Special featured Clarkson visiting India and driving around in a Jaguar with an external toilet added to the back of the car. He commented, "This is perfect for India because everyone who comes here gets the trots." A day after the broadcast, the BBC had received 23 complaints;^[125] the special was watched at the time of broadcast by approximately five million people.^[126]

Filmography[link]

Presenter[link]

Other roles[link]

DVDs[link]

1. "Top Gear: Supercars" (With Tiff Needell) (1994, BBC Video, VHS).
2. "Top Gear: Classic Cars" (With Quentin Willson) (1995, BBC Video, VHS).
3. "Motorsport Mayhem" (1995, Arison International, VHS/DVD).
4. "More Motorsport Mayhem" (With Steve Rider) (1996, Arison International, VHS).
5. "Motorworld" (1996, BBC Video, VHS).
6. "Unleashed On Cars" (1996, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
7. "Extreme Machines" (1997, BBC Video, VHS).
8. "Apocalypse Clarkson" (1997, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
9. "Top Gear: The Fast & Furious" (With Tiff Needell) (1997, BBC Video, VHS).
10. "The Most Outrageous Jeremy Clarkson Film In The World...Ever!" (1998, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
11. "Top Gear: The Fast & Furious II" (With Tiff Needell) (1998, BBC Video, VHS).
12. "Head To Head" (1999, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
13. "At Full Throttle" (2000, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
14. "Speed" (2001, BBC Video, VHS).
15. "Top 100 Cars" (2001, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
16. "No Limits" (2002, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
17. "Shoot Out" (2003, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
18. "Hot Metal" (2004, VCI Video, VHS/DVD).
19. "Heaven & Hell" (2005, 2|Entertain, DVD).
20. "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" (2006, 2|Entertain, DVD).
21. "Supercar Showdown" (2007, 2|Entertain, DVD). (Amazon.co.uk. copies come with 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
22. "The Collection" (2008, 2|Entertain, DVD).
23. "Thriller" (2008, 2|Entertain, DVD). (Play.com. copies come with 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
24. "Duel" (2009, 2|Entertain, DVD). (Top Gear Magazine offer includes 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
25. "The Italian Job" (2010, 2|Entertain, DVD). (2-Disc edition copies come with 'Behind The Scenes' DVD)
26. "War Stories" (2011, 2|Entertain, DVD).
27. "Powered Up" (2011, 2|Entertain, DVD).

Bibliography[link]

• Two books containing the best columns from previous publications, entitled "The Collected Thoughts Of Clarkson" and "Never Played Golf" were issued by Top Gear Magazine, in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld (1996), ISBN 0-563-38730-0
• Clarkson on Cars: Writings and Rantings of the BBC's Top Motoring Correspondent (1996), ISBN 0-86369-964-2
• Clarkson's Hot 100 (1997), ISBN 1-85227-730-0
• Jeremy Clarkson's Planet Dagenham: Drivestyles of the Rich and Famous (1998), ISBN 0-233-99335-5
• Born to Be Riled: The Collected Writings of Jeremy Clarkson (1999) (re-published 2007), ISBN 0-563-55146-1
• Jeremy Clarkson's Ultimate Ferrari (2001), ISBN 1-84065-358-2
• The World According To Clarkson (2004), ISBN 0-7181-4730-8
• Clarkson on Cars (2004), ISBN 0-14-101788-0
• I Know You Got Soul (2004), ISBN 0-7181-4729-4
• Motorworld (2004), ISBN 0-14-101787-2
• The World According to Clarkson 2: And Another Thing... (2006), ISBN 0-7181-4985-8

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jeremy Clarkson

• Jeremy Clarkson at the Internet Movie Database
• Archive of Clarkson's Sunday Times columns
• Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)

Barry Elliott (born 24 December 1944) and Paul Elliott (born 18 October 1947), better known as the Chuckle Brothers, are British comedians. They are best known for their work on their BBC show ChuckleVision, which celebrated its 21st series in March 2010 with a tour called An Audience with the Chuckle Brothers, which started in January 2010 and ended in May 2010.^[1] The comedy of the Chuckle Brothers usually derives from slapstick and other visual gags, and their catchphrases include "To me, to you" and "Oh dear, oh dear".

Early lives[link]

The brothers were born in Rotherham to Amy and James Patton Elliott in 1944 and 1947. Their father was a well-known Gang Show performer whose stage name was Gene Patton; he worked with the 18-year-old Peter Sellers in 1943 in 'The No. 10 Gang' and gave performances in London, Orkney, Iceland and the Hebrides, the Far East, India and Burma. They have elder brothers called Jimmy and Brian, who are known professionally as The Patton Brothers and who featured in The Black and White Minstrel Show.^[2]

Television[link]

The Chuckle Brothers won the television talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967 and then New Faces in 1974.^[3] Despite this they did not find real success until the advent of their own television show for the BBC in 1985, Chucklehounds. These were short shows aimed at pre-school children that had no dialogue, in which they dressed in giant dog costumes. They quickly moved on to their most famous show, ChuckleVision, in 1987. In 1998, ChuckleVision was nominated for a Children’s BAFTA Award in the category Best Children's Television Series. Jimmy, and Brian Patton, the real life brothers of the pair, also make regular appearances on the show. In 2007, recording began on the 20th series. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the four brothers appeared as a quartet on TV. They are remembered for their performance in 1982 on 3-2-1.^{[citation needed]}

They also presented a game show called To Me, To You!, named after their catchphrase. The basic format involved two teams, competing each round for prizes on a trolley (made to resemble a bamboo structure to fit in with the "treasure island" theme of the show). By rolling a die the teams had to get the trolley to their end of the board. The "squares" leading up to their end of the board often represented challenges. The rounds ended when this was achieved and new prizes were put on the trolley, which was reset to the centre. The show lasted for three series before the pair took a break from entertainment citing "exhaustion" as the main reason.^{[citation needed]}

The brothers appeared in the TV series Celebrity Coach Trip during November 2010 and won the show, lasting the whole trip.^[4]

ChuckleVision is now the UKs longest running current "sitcom", since Last of the Summer Wine was cancelled in 2010.^{[citation needed]}

On 7 November 2011 the pair starred in a set of TV commercials for UK based van insurance comparison website, Van Compare.^[5]

Stage[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. (May 2011)

As well as regular television appearances, Paul and Barry appear on stage throughout the year all over the UK. Past shows have included - The Adventures of the Chuckle Brothers, The Chuckle Brothers in – Trouble at Sea, Raiders of the Lost Bark, Barry Potty and his Smarter Brother Paul in the Chamber of Horrors, Star Doors, Pirates of the River Rother, Doctor What & the Return of the Garlics, Spooky Goings On and Spooky Goings On 2. Live recordings of Pirates of the River Rother and Spooky Goings On 2 were released in 2007, the latter under the title The Chuckle Brothers – Spooky Goings On Live!..^[6]

In November — December 2007, they toured their Pantomime Aladdin to many theatres up and down the UK.^[7] Barry starred as Aladdin and Paul as his brother Wishie Washee, as they did battle against the evil Abanazer. This starred the illusionists Safire, Simon Harvey as Abanazar, Luke Jasztal as Widow Twankey, Charlotte Sullivan as So Shi and Amanda Poyner as the Princess. This pantomime also featured a group of dancers known as The Chucklettes. The choreography for the show was created by the Chuckle Brothers' niece , Debbie Baggott who runs her own dance school — Debonair Dance Academy^[8] and all of the Chucklettes are members.

Their 2008 tour, "Indiana Chuckles and The Kingdom of the Mythical Sulk" was set in ancient Egypt, based on the Indiana Jones movies. The illusionists Safire joined them once again, making it their sixth outing with the Chuckles. They performed two new illusions along with a new black art act up their sleeves, to fit in with the Egyptian theme. The Patton Brothers also toured with them once again. Also, it was announced under their biography section of their website that this will also be released as a DVD, as with Pirates of the River Rother & Spooky Goings On 2, with a release date set at 22 September 2008.^[9] In May 2008 they appeared in the BBC documentary series Comedy Map of Britain. At Christmas 2008 the Chuckle Brothers appeared in Aladdin at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend.

A brand-new show named Chuckle Trek — The Lost Generation was staged around the country in 2009. It was set in space.^[10]

For Christmas 2009, the Chuckle Brothers toured the UK with a pantomime called A Christmas Chuckle.

In 2010 the brothers toured the UK with a special 21st anniversary show, "An Audience With The Chuckle Brothers", a mix of comedy sketches and a question session from the audience. The brothers are set to tour once again in November and December 2010 with the Christmas show "The Twelve Days Of Christmas".

In 2011 the brothers toured in the UK with a new show called Barry Potter and his Full Blood Brother Paul in The Ghostly Shadows. The Patton Brothers and Safire joined them again. In Wolverhampton they stayed for two days rather than the usual single day in each venue.

In December 2011 they starred in the panto 'Cinderella' in Hull.

Television appearances[link]

• Opportunity Knocks (1967)
• New Faces (1974)
• Lenny and Jerry (1979)
• The Good Old Days (1980)
• 3-2-1 (1982)
• The Freddy Starr Showcase (1983)
• Chucklehounds (1985)
• Chucklevision (1987-present)
• To Me, To You! (1996-1998)
• The Weakest Link (2007)
• Chucklemaths (2009)
• Come Dine With Me (2010)
• Celebrity Coach Trip (2010)
• Van Compare adverts (2011)
• Pointless Celebrities (2012)

Chuckle Brothers Live[link]

• 1995: To You, To Me
• 1996: Live and in Trouble
• 1997: The Chuckle Brothers Summer Roadshow
• 1998: The Adventures of the Chuckle Brothers
• 1999: Trouble At Sea
• 2000: The New Adventures of the Chuckle Brothers
• 2001: Spooky Goings On
• 2002: Raiders of the Lost Bark
• 2003: Star Doors — The Chuckles Strike Back
• 2004: Barry Potty and his Smarter Brother Paul in The Chamber of Horrors
• 2005: Pirates of the River Rother
• 2006: Doctor What and The Return of the Garlics
• 2007: Spooky Goings On 2
• 2008: Indiana Chuckles and The Kingdom of the Mythical Sulk
• 2008: Aladdin (Late 2008 Christmas Special)
• 2009: Chuckle Trek  — The Lost Generation
• 2009: A Christmas Chuckle (Late 2009 Christmas Special)
• 2010: An Audience With...The Chuckle Brothers
• 2010: The Twelve Days Of Christmas (Late 2010 Christmas Special)
• 2011: Barry Potty And His Full Blood Brother Paul in The Ghostly Shadows
• 2011: Cinderella (late 2011 Christmas Special) (Hull only)
• 2012: Pirates Of River Rother 2: In Stranger Tights [1] (all venues except Bristol)
• 2012: Spooky Going On 3 (Llandudno)
• 2012: Barry Potty And His Scar Loved Brother Paul in The Cup of Waters (unconfirmed)
• 2013?: Batman and Robin (unconfirmed)

The 2005 tour, Pirates of The River Rother, the 2007 tour, Spooky Goings On 2 and the 2008 tour, Indiana Chuckles and the Kingdom of the Mythical Sulk, have all been released on DVD.

A short, edited version of the 1996 tour was also released under the name of "The Chuckle Brothers In Trouble". The DVD features a rehearsal performance of the show, with no audience present. The original DVD can be seen on YouTube.

The 2010 tour "An Audience With...The Chuckle Brothers", took the format of a variety show with classic sketches, audience questions, musical performances, puppetry, film clips, magic, and an audience participation version of the 'to me, to you' game show, celebrating 21 years of Chucklevision. The only place they did not visit was the Bristol Hippodrome. The Late 2011 Christmas Panto Cinderella will only be shown in Hull.

The 2005 Tour Pirates of River Rother will also be having another tour in 2012, under the name Pirates of River Rother 2: In Stranger Tights. Tour dates can be seen on the official website.

3D Film[link]

In 2010, a 3D spoof-horror film was suggested to be in early development, with an aim to film in May/June 2011.^[11] As of March 2012, no further mention of this project has been made, and it's seemingly unlikely to be produced between the brothers' busy touring schedule in 2012.

Recognition[link]

Although TVGoHome has described the Chuckles as "Britain's most wizened and suspect comedy duo",^[12] recognition has come to the brothers. On 31 January 2007 Rotherham United chairman Denis Coleman announced that the brothers had both been made honorary presidents of the football club.^[13]

In November 2007, Loaded magazine launched a campaign for the brothers to be knighted, by calling for people to write to The Queen. This was picked up by a group on social networking website Facebook.

In 2008, they were honoured with the Special Award at the Children's BAFTA Awards.^[14]

Personal life[link]

In April 2007, while on holiday on the Greek island of Kefalonia, Paul broke his nose and received cuts and bruises when he lost control of his motorbike after suddenly braking to avoid a shepherd and his flock of goats. Tourists who stopped at the accident, instead of helping him out, shouted out the Chuckle Brothers' catchphrase: "To me, to you."^[15]

The brothers also support Rotherham United football club.^[16]

Rotherham 'free school' controversy[link]

In December 2010, Barry Elliott announced his support for a proposal that one of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government's ideological 'free schools', a taxpayer-funded school independent of the local authority, should be set up in Rotherham.^[17] It also became clear that Elliott's son's teacher girlfriend, Charlotte Blencowe, a former Conservative Party local election candidate with a history of controversial comments on Twitter, hoped to become Headteacher of the new school.^[18] Further questions were raised by a local newspaper in February 2012, when it emerged that the Education Secretary, Michael Gove, had approved the school's initial bid even though Rotherham Council could find no evidence that it had any premises or staff in place and no indication of pupil numbers. Ms Blencowe, for her part, claimed that she had not spoken recently to Barry Elliott about the project.^[19]

Death hoax[link]

An urban legend purporting Barry Chuckle's death from a heart attack has been in circulation since at least 2008. In 2010, the Chuckle Brothers issued a statement on their web site confirming that the story was "complete and utter rubbish".^[20] The BBC reported that the death hoaxes had upset young viewers, and had shocked Barry Elliott when they resurfaced.^[21] The hoax was said to have spread via Facebook in 2008, but resurfaced in 2010 via Twitter.^[21]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Paul Elliott at the Internet Movie Database
• Barry Elliott at the Internet Movie Database
• Chuckle Brothers Official Tour Website
• Metro Online article about Paul's accident

Rooney Mara
Mara at the Paris premiere of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2012
Born	Patricia Rooney Mara (1985-04-17) April 17, 1985 (age 27)[1] Bedford, New York, United States
Other names	Patricia Mara, Tricia Mara
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2005–present

Patricia Rooney Mara (born April 17, 1985)^[1] is an American film and television actress. Mara made her acting debut in 2005 and has gone on to star in films including A Nightmare on Elm Street, the remake of the 1984 horror film, and The Social Network. Mara rose to prominence starring as Lisbeth Salander, the title character in the 2011 version of the film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first of three Sony Pictures films based on Stieg Larsson’s Millennium book series. For her performance in the film, she received critical acclaim and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.

Mara is also known for her charity work. She oversees the charity Uweza Foundation, which supports empowerment programs for children and families in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, one of the largest slums in Africa. She is also the younger sister of actress Kate Mara.

Early life and family[link]

Mara was born and raised in Bedford, New York, a town in Westchester County, north of New York City.^[2] The daughter of Timothy Christopher Mara, the vice president of player evaluation for the New York Giants, and Kathleen McNulty (née Rooney), a part-time real estate agent,^[3] she has two brothers, Daniel and Conor, and an older sister, Kate.^[4]

Mara has Irish roots on both sides of her family. Her "Rooney" ancestors originate in Newry, County Down.^[5] Through her maternal grandmother, she is also of Italian descent.^[6][7] Her paternal grandfather, Wellington Mara, the long-time co-owner of the Giants, was succeeded in that position by her uncle, John Mara. Her maternal grandfather, Timothy James "Tim" Rooney, has run Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York since 1972.^[8][9] Mara is the great-granddaughter of both New York Giants founder Tim Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, Sr.^[10] Her great-uncle, Dan Rooney, is chairman of the Steelers, the United States Ambassador to Ireland, and the co-founder of The Ireland Funds charitable organization.

After graduating from Fox Lane High School in 2003,^[11] she went to Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia in South America for four months as part of the Traveling School, an open learning environment. She attended George Washington University for a year, and then transferred to New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she studied psychology, international social policy, and nonprofits,^[12][4] graduating in 2010.^[13]

Mara was inspired to act by seeing musical theatre and classic movies, like Gone with the Wind (1939), Rebecca (1940), and Bringing Up Baby (1938), with her mother.^[14] She also wanted to be like her sister, Kate Mara, a professional actress. Patricia resisted pursuing acting as a child, stating to The Journal News that "it never seemed that honorable to me, and I guess I was always afraid that I might fail."^[2] Her first and only role in high school was Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, which she got after being signed up to audition by a friend.^[15] Mara acted in a few student films while at NYU, and then began her career in acting,^[2] first auditioning at the age of nineteen.^[4]

Acting career[link]

2005–2009[link]

Mara first appeared as an extra in films which starred her sister, including a bit-part in the 2005 direct-to-video horror film Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. She found work in television, making her professional debut in a 2006 episode of the drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as a girl who bullies overweight children.^[16] She guest-starred on the legal drama Women's Murder Club in 2007, and played a drug addict in an episode of The Cleaner in 2008.^[17] Mara appeared in the feature films Dream Boy and Friends (With Benefits) that year, and guest-starred as Megan for two episodes of NBC's ER in 2009.

Mara at the Hamptons International Film Festival, 2009

Mara landed her first lead role in Tanner Hall, a coming-of-age film which tells the story of four teenage girls set in a New England boarding school. She played Fernanda, who has an affair with a married family friend (Tom Everett Scott).^[18] The feature was the debut of filmmakers Tatiana von Fürstenberg and Francesca Gregorini.^[19] Tanner Hall debuted at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release in September 2011.^[20] Mara dropped her first name, Patricia, to be known professionally by her middle name after working on the project. "I never really liked my first name," Mara stated to Paper magazine. "I never felt like a Tricia. And Rooney is more memorable".^[21] Her father and younger brother also go by their middle names.^[22]

Mara's experience led to other film work. She appeared in the comedy Youth in Revolt in 2009, starring Michael Cera and directed by Miguel Arteta. Mara played Taggarty, the love interest of Cera’s best friend. Her character tries to sleep with 50 guys before she goes to college.^[23] The film was based on the 1993 cult novel of the same name by C.D. Payne.^[24] Mara had auditioned for the starring role, but was offered the smaller part when the lead went to Portia Doubleday.^[25]

Mara appeared in the independent film Dare in 2009, starring Emmy Rossum. She played Courtney, a high school senior set on expanding her life experience.^[26] Mara also filmed The Winning Season that year, starring Emma Roberts and Sam Rockwell, playing a high school basketball player in a story similar to The Bad News Bears.^[27] Her character has an affair with a 40-something year old shoe salesman (Kevin Breznahan).^[28] Dare and The Winning Season premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Mara was included on Filmmaker magazine's list of "25 New Faces of Independent Film" that year.^[14]

Mara starred in a remake of the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street.^[29] She played the protagonist Nancy Holbrook, a teenage girl who is eager to leave town after graduating from high school.^[30] Mara began shooting the film in Chicago on May 5, 2009, directed by Samuel Bayer.^[31] Mara told Filmmaker that she felt that her Nancy was "completely different from the original" and "the loneliest girl in the world".^[14] Mara had signed on to continue her role if a sequel was made.^[32] She stated to Vogue that she disliked the experience of making the film so much, that it made her question if she wanted to be an actress.^[4] Mara appeared at the Hamptons International Film Festival in October 2009 as part of its Breakthrough Performers Program, where she was tutored by Sharon Stone.^[33]

2010–present[link]

Mara appeared in the 2010 film The Social Network by David Fincher, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake.^[34] Her character breaks up with Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, which inspires him to start the social networking website.^[21]

In August 2010, Mara was cast as the lead in a film adaptation of the Millennium book trilogy by Stieg Larsson. She played Lisbeth Salander, a damaged bisexual computer hacker who helps journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) attempt to solve a series of murders.^[35] Mara won the role over several other actresses, including Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, and Carey Mulligan, after two and a half months of auditions and screen tests.^[36][37] David Fincher directed the first film, based on the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, with Scott Rudin producing. The other books, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, will also be adapted, depending on box office performance.^[38] Fincher initially did not picture her as the character but changed his mind when she auditioned.^[39] He convinced executives at Columbia Pictures to cast her for the part.^[40]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo began shooting in Sweden in September 2010.^[41] Mara did not consider the film to be a remake, but another interpretation of the novel. "I plan on giving my interpretation of the character", she stated to Variety.^[42] Mara's long brown hair was cut short and dyed black, in a style reminiscent of 1970s punk and 1980s goth fashions. She also had each of her ears pierced four times, and had her brow and right nipple pierced for the role. Her nose and lip piercings were fake. She kept the nipple piercing so that it would not need to be re-pierced for a sequel.^[1] Mara's eyebrows were bleached, and she wore a temporary dragon tattoo.^[37] She began preparing for the role by starting to skateboard and kickbox, and underwent dialect and computer training. She also visited Stockholm, the setting of the novel.^[43] The film was released on December 20, 2011.^[44] Mara received universal critical acclaim and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance.^[45] On January 24, 2012, Mara received her first Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Actress for this role.

In late 2011 it was revealed that Mara had joined the cast of Terrence Malick's latest film, Lawless alongside Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett and Haley Bennett.^[46] Listed as a musical drama that's scheduled to be released sometime in 2013, the plot line of the movie has largely been kept under wraps thus far. An official logline released by FilmNation in February 2012^[47] described Malick's picture as a story of "two intersecting love triangles" and, "sexual obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas."

Rooney Mara has also signed on to appear in Steven Soderbergh's 2013 film adaptation of A Bitter Pill. As the lead character, Emily Hawkins, she'll play "a woman who turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison."^[48] Co-starring alongside Mara in the crime drama/thriller are actors Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vinessa Shaw.

In late April 2012, Rooney was named as the choice replacement for Carey Mulligan in Spike Jonze's upcoming film project. Variety reported^[49] that Mulligan had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, and Mara has apparently been selected to fill in alongside Amy Adams, Joaquin Phoenix and Samantha Morton. Though details of her role are unclear, Mara would be the final element needed for Jonze to wrap up the planning phase and start filming, according to Variety. The script, penned by Jonze himself, revolves around a man who falls in love with the voice of a computer.

Charity work[link]

Kibera is one of the largest slums in Africa

Mara founded the charity Faces of Kibera, which aimed to provide housing, food, and medical care for orphans in Kibera, a Nairobi, Kenya slum. The charity's goal was to build an orphanage in the region, for which 6 acres of land have been purchased.^[2] The charity auctioned memorabilia from the Steelers and Giants, as well as training camp events on eBay to raise money.^[10]

Mara visited the area as a volunteer in 2006 and was moved to help the orphans, many whose parents have died from AIDS and HIV-related illnesses. She began the charity due to her frustration with the growing number of nonprofits that are just business opportunities. "The people who need help aren’t really getting it. So I started my own", she told Interview magazine in 2009.^[23] Mara was not really working yet when she started the charity, so later found it challenging to balance her charity work and acting career. "I need to do both; I can't just do acting,“ she stated to The Journal News.^[2]

In January 2011, Faces of Kibera merged with Uweza Foundation which runs community-based empowerment programs in Kibera, including soccer leagues and after-school tutoring. Uweza is a Swahili word meaning opportunity, ability, and power.^[50] Mara serves as the president of the board of directors for the foundation.^[51]

Personal life[link]

Mara moved to Los Angeles in early 2007, and lived with her sister temporarily.^[52] Although they do not live together anymore, Mara felt that the experience brought them closer together, and they still regularly discuss the film business and movie scripts.^[2] As of January 2012, Mara lives in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.^[1] She described football as "....the glue that holds our family together," to the New York Post.^[53] She includes Gena Rowlands among the actors who inspire her, especially her performances in A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Opening Night (1977).^[14]

NFL ties[link]

Her mother's family founded the Pittsburgh Steelers and her father's family founded the New York Giants. The families have maintained at least partial ownership of both teams since their foundings.

Filmography[link]