Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Dev Patel
birth date	April 23, 1990
birth place	Harrow, Greater London, England, United Kingdom
occupation	Actor
years active	2006–present }}

Dev Patel (Gujarati: દેવ પટેલ; born 23 April 1990) is a British actor. He is best known for playing Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's ''Slumdog Millionaire'' (2008), for which Patel won a number of awards, including a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Patel is also known for his role as Anwar Kharral in the British teen drama series ''Skins''.

Early life

Patel was born in Harrow, England, to Gujarati Indian parents, both of whom were born in Nairobi, Kenya, where there is a significant Indian community. His parents both emigrated from Kenya separately in their teens, and only met in London. His mother, Anita, is a carer, and his father, Raj, an IT consultant. He has one sibling, an older sister named Komal. He was raised in the Hindu faith.

Patel grew up in Rayners Lane, Harrow, and attended Longfield Middle School. He had his first acting role as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in the school's production of ''Twelfth Night''. Patel was given the Best Actor award for his performance and says that was the day he knew he wanted to become an actor. He later went to Whitmore High School, receiving an A* in GCSE Drama, for his "self-penned portrayal of a child in the Beslan school siege". During the exam Patel moved his examiner to tears. His drama teacher Niamh Wright has stated: "Dev was a gifted student who quickly impressed me with his innate ability to communicate a wide variety of characters imaginatively and creatively. ... He was awarded full marks for his GCSE performance to a live audience and the visiting examiner was moved to tears by his honest portrayal of a child in the Beslan school hostage crisis in Russia." He eventually completed his AS Levels in PE, Biology, History and Drama in 2007, while he was working in ''Skins''.

Martial arts

Patel said that as a kid, he was "bloody energetic" and used to get in trouble at school because of it. His mottel started training at the Rayners Lane Academy of Taekwon-do in 2000. He competed regularly in both national and international championships, including the 2004 AIMAA (Action International Martial Arts Association) World Championships in Dublin, where he won a bronze medal. The World Championships took place in October 2004, when he was a red belt competing in the junior division against other red and black belts. He made it to the semi-finals, where he lost to an Irish black belt named Niall Fitzmaurice in "a very close and tough fight", and ended up winning a bronze medal. He later gained a 1st dan black belt on 11 March 2006.

Acting career

Patel began his acting career in late 2006, when he auditioned for the E4 teen drama television series ''Skins''. Patel's mother saw the casting ad in a newspaper and took him to the audition even though he had a science exam the next day. After two auditions, he was cast in the role of Anwar Kharral, a British Pakistani Muslim teenager. According to fellow actors Mike Bailey (who played Sid Jenkins) and Hannah Murray (who played Cassie Ainsworth), the characterization of Anwar was partly based on the personality of Patel and the role was written specifically for him after he was cast in ''Skins''. Patel, who had no professional acting experience, said that on "the first day of shooting I didn't really know what to do." The first series of the show aired in January 2007 and went on to win the Rose d'Or for Drama in 2008 and receive a nomination for Best Drama Series at the 2008 BAFTA Television Awards. Patel reprised his role as Anwar for the second series of ''Skins'', which aired in February 2008. The second series of ''Skins'' won the Philips Audience Award at the 2009 BAFTA Television Awards in April 2009. In 2010 it was released that he would star in the Skins movie showing in summer 2011.

thumb|left|upright|Patel with ''Slumdog Millionaire'' co-star Freida Pinto at the 2008 Toronto International Film FestivalPatel made his feature film debut when he was cast in the role of Jamal Malik, the central character in Danny Boyle's film ''Slumdog Millionaire''. The character Jamal Malik is an Indian Muslim boy born and raised in the poverty of Bombay (known now as Mumbai) India. Boyle considered hundreds of young male actors, but found that Bollywood leads were generally "strong, handsome hero-types", not the personality he was looking for. Boyle's 17-year-old daughter Caitlin pointed him to the British television ensemble drama ''Skins'', of which Patel was a cast member. After five auditions for the role, the actor was eventually cast in August 2007. The film's producer found the original choice for the lead role, Ruslaan Mumtaz, too good looking for the role. Boyle said "I wanted a guy who didn't look like a potential hero; I wanted him to earn that in the film." To prepare for the role, Patel went along with Boyle while scouting for filming locations, where he was able to observe the Dharavi slums for himself. He also worked at a call centre for a day and in a hotel, where he washed dishes.

After the release of ''Slumdog Millionaire'' at the end of 2008, Patel went on to receive a number of awards for his performance, including a British Independent Film Award, National Board of Review (NBR) Award, Chicago Film Critics Association Award, and two Black Reel Awards for Best Actor and Best Breakthrough Performance. Patel was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards. The award eventually went posthumously to Heath Ledger for his performance in ''The Dark Knight'', though Patel did win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, which he shared with ten other cast members from ''Slumdog Millionaire''. On 8 January 2009, Patel won the Critics' Choice Award for Best Young Performer. He was also nominated for two London Critics Circle Film Awards, the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor, the 2009 BAFTA Award for Best Leading Actor, and European Film Award for Best Actor. The film itself won four Golden Globes, including Best Drama Film, and eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Patel played Zuko in M. Night Shyamalan's ''The Last Airbender'', a feature film adaptation of the animated series ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', which was released July 1, 2010, to extremely negative reviews. Despite being a commercial success, the film was a critical failure and Patel even received a Razzie Award nomination as worst supporting actor that year.

Patel starred in the short film, "The Commuter", which was directed by the McHenry Brothers to promote the Nokia N8 smartphone in the U.K. Fans who won a Nokia UK run competition starred alongside Dev Patel in the short film.

Patel will star in ''The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'', directed by John Madden, with Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith. The film, currently in post-production, is set in India, and he will play the role of a native Indian. For this role he had to take lessons in perfecting an Indian-English accent, as his native English accent was so strong the producers felt if he kept the accent the film would be less believable.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Awards	! Other notes
Television
		Anwar Kharral
	''Mister Eleven''	Waiter		Minor Role
	''More As This Story Develops''	Neal		TV Pilot
Film
	''Slumdog Millionaire''		Black Reel Award for Best Actor in a Motion PictureBlack Reel Award for Best Breakthrough PerformanceBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Young PerformerChicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising NewcomerScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureWashington D.C. Area Film Critics Award for Best NewcomerNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — British Independent Film Award for Most Promising NewcomerNominated — European Film Award for Best ActorNominated — London Critics Circle Film Award for Best British ActorNominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion PictureNominated — Saturn Award for Best ActorNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role	Protagonist Won 7 British Academy Film Awards
	''[[The Last Airbender	Zuko	Nominated - Razzie Award for Worst Supporting ActorNominated - Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with the entire cast)
	''The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel''	Unknown
		Anwar Kharral		Spin-off of the TV series.

Awards and nominations

Won

2008 Black Reel Award — "Best Actor" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2008 Black Reel Award — "Best Breakthrough Performance" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2008 British Independent Film Award (BIFA) — "Most Promising Newcomer" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2008 Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) Award — "Most Promising Performer" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2008 National Board of Review (NBR) Award — "Best Breakthrough Performance" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2008 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award — "Break Out On Camera" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2008 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) Award — "Best Breakthrough Performance" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 Critics' Choice Award — "Best Young Performer (Actor/Actress)" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 Richard Attenborough Film Award — "Best Breakthrough" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 Richard Attenborough Film Award — "Rising Star of the Year" — ''Slumdog Millionaire''

Nominated

2008 Black Reel Award — "Best Ensemble" — ''Slumdog Millionaire''

2008 Detroit Film Critics Society Award — "Best Newcomer" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 BAFTA Award — "Best Actor in a Leading Role" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 Evening Standard British Film Award — "Most Promising Newcomer" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 London Critics' Circle Film Award — "British Actor of the Year" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 London Critics' Circle Film Award — "Young British Performer Of The Year" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 NAACP Image Award — "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture" — ''Slumdog Millionaire'' 2009 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award — "Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role" — ''Slumdog Millionaire''

2009 MTV Movie Awards — Best Kiss — ''Slumdog Millionaire''

2009 MTV Movie Awards — Breakthrough Performance Male — ''Slumdog Millionaire''

2009 European Film Awards — Best Actor — ''Slumdog Millionaire''

2010 Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor and Worst Screen Couple with the entire cast - ''The Last Airbender''

References

External links

Agency profile

Category:1990 births Category:English actors of South Asian descent Category:English taekwondo practitioners Category:English film actors Category:English Hindus Category:English people of Indian descent Category:English television actors Category:Living people Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Harrow, London

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	David Letterman
pseudonym	Earl Hofert
birth date	April 12, 1947
birth place	Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
medium	Stand-up, talk show
nationality	American
genre	Observational comedy, surreal humor, deadpan
subject	Self-deprecation, everyday life
influences	Steve Allen, Johnny Carson, Jack Paar, Paul Dixon
influenced	Jimmy Kimmel, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Stewart, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon
website	CBS.com/latenight/lateshow
active	1974–present
domesticpartner	Regina Lasko (1986-2009)
spouse	Michelle Cook (1969–1977)Regina Lasko (2009–present)
Religion	Lutheran
notable work	Host of ''Late Night with David Letterman'' (NBC)Host of ''Late Show with David Letterman'' (CBS)
signature	David Letterman Autograph.svg

}} David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, ''Late Show with David Letterman'', broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman'' on NBC. Letterman recently surpassed friend and mentor Johnny Carson for having the longest late-night hosting career in the United States.

Letterman is also a television and film producer. His company Worldwide Pants produces his show as well as its network follow-up ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson''. Worldwide Pants has also produced several prime-time comedies, the most successful of which was ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', currently in syndication.

In 1996, David Letterman was ranked #45 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Early life and career

Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joseph Letterman (April 1915 – February 1973), was a florist of British descent; his mother Dorothy Letterman (''née'' Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays.

Letterman lived on the north side of Indianapolis (Broad Ripple area), not far from Speedway, IN, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he enjoyed collecting model cars, including racers. In 2000, he told an interviewer for ''Esquire'' that, while growing up, he admired his father's ability to tell jokes and be the life of the party. Harry Joseph Letterman survived a heart attack at age 36, when David was a young boy. The fear of losing his father was constantly with Letterman as he grew up. The elder Letterman died of a second heart attack at age 57.

Letterman attended his hometown's Broad Ripple High School at the same time as Marilyn Tucker Quayle (wife of the former Vice President) and worked as a stock boy at the local Atlas supermarket. According to the ''Ball State Daily News'', he originally had wanted to attend Indiana University, but his grades weren't good enough, so he decided to attend Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana. He is a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, and he graduated from what was then the Department of Radio and Television, in 1969. A self-described average student, Letterman endowed a scholarship for what he called "C students" at Ball State.

Though he registered for the draft and passed his physical after graduating from college, he was not drafted for service in Vietnam due to receiving a draft lottery number of 352 (out of 365).

Letterman began his broadcasting career as an announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—WBST—a 10-watt campus station which now is part of Indiana Public Radio. He was fired for treating classical music with irreverence.

Letterman then became involved with the founding of another campus station—WAGO-AM 570 (now WWHI, 91.3).

Letterman credits Paul Dixon—host of the ''Paul Dixon Show'', a Cincinnati-based talk show also shown in Indianapolis while Letterman was growing up—for inspiring his choice of career: :"I was just out of college [in 1969], and I really didn't know what I wanted to do. And then all of a sudden I saw him doing it [on TV]. And I thought: That's really what I want to do!"

Weatherman

Letterman began his career as a radio talk show host on WNTS (AM), and on Indianapolis television station WLWI (now called WTHR) as a local anchor and weatherman. He received some attention for his unpredictable on-air behavior, which included congratulating a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane and predicting hail stones "the size of canned hams." He would also occasionally report the weather and the day's very high and low temps for fictitious cities ("Eight inches of snow in Bingree and surrounding areas.") while on another occasion saying that a state border had been erased. ("From space you can see the border between Indiana and Ohio has been erased. I'm not in favor of this.") He also starred in a local kiddie show, made wisecracks as host of a late night TV show called "Freeze-Dried Movies" (he once acted out a scene from "Godzilla" using plastic dinosaurs), and hosted a talk show that aired early on Saturday mornings called "Clover Power," in which he interviewed 4-H members about their projects.

In 1971, Letterman appeared as a pit road reporter for ABC Sports' tape-delayed coverage of the Indianapolis 500. David is initially introduced as Chris Economaki in his job as a corner reporter. He interviews Mario Andretti who has just crashed out of the race and asks him a question about traffic on the course.

Move to Los Angeles

In 1975, encouraged by his then-wife Michelle and several of his Sigma Chi fraternity brothers, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California, with hope of becoming a comedy writer. He started off by writing material for comedian Jimmie Walker. He also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, a proving ground for unknown comics.

Letterman appeared in the summer of 1977 on the short-lived ''Starland Vocal Band Show''. He has since joked about how fortunate he was that nobody would ever see his performance on the program (due to its low ratings).

Letterman had a stint as a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show, ''Mary''; a guest appearance on ''Mork & Mindy'' (as a parody of EST leader Werner Erhard); and appearances on game shows such as ''The $20,000 Pyramid'', ''The Gong Show'', ''Password Plus'' and ''Liar's Club''. He also hosted a 1977 pilot for a game show entitled ''The Riddlers'' that was never picked up. He was also screen tested for the lead role in ''Airplane!'', a role that eventually went to Robert Hays.

His dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', and Letterman was soon a regular guest on the show. Letterman became a favorite of Carson's and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978. Letterman credits Carson as the person who influenced his career the most.

NBC

Morning show

On June 23, 1980, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on NBC, ''The David Letterman Show''. It was originally 90 minutes long, but was shortened to 60 minutes in August 1980. The show was a critical success, winning two Emmy Awards, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled in October 1980.

''Late Night with David Letterman''

NBC kept Letterman under contract to try him in a different time slot. ''Late Night with David Letterman'' debuted February 1, 1982; the first guest on the first show was Bill Murray. Murray also guested on January 31, 2012 – 30 years later. The show ran Monday through Thursday at 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time, immediately following ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (a Friday night broadcast was added in June 1987. It was seen as being edgy and unpredictable, and soon developed a cult following (particularly among college students). Letterman's reputation as an acerbic interviewer was borne out in verbal sparring matches with Cher (who even called him an asshole on the show), Shirley MacLaine, Charles Grodin, and Madonna. The show also featured comedy segments and running characters, in a style heavily influenced by the 1950s and '60s programs of Steve Allen. Although Ernie Kovacs is often cited as an influence on the show, Letterman has denied this.

The show often featured quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Pet Tricks", dropping various objects off the roof of a five-story building, demonstrations of unorthodox clothing (such as suits made of Alka-Seltzer, Velcro and suet), a recurring Top 10 list, the Monkey-Cam (and the Audience Cam), and a facetious letter-answering segment. The Top 10 list, several "Film[s] by My Dog Bob" in which a camera was mounted on Letterman's own dog (often with comic results), Stupid Human Tricks, Small Town News, and Stupid Pet Tricks (which had its origins on Letterman's morning show) all eventually moved with Letterman to CBS.

Other memorable moments included Letterman using a bullhorn to interrupt a live interview on ''The Today Show'', announcing that he was the NBC president while not wearing any pants; interrupting Al Roker on WNBC-TV's broadcast of ''Live at Five'' by walking into their studio (which occupied the same floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza as Letterman's studio); and staging "elevator races", complete with commentary by NBC Sports' Bob Costas. In one infamous appearance, in 1982, Andy Kaufman (who was already wearing a neck brace) appeared to be slapped and knocked to the ground by professional wrestler Jerry Lawler (though Lawler and Kaufman's friend Bob Zmuda later revealed that the event was staged.) In another memorable exchange, sex expert Dr. Ruth Westheimer included cucumbers in a list of handy sex objects that women could find at home. The following night, guest Ted Koppel asked Letterman "May I insert something here?" and Dave responded "OK, as long as it's not a cucumber."

''Late Show with David Letterman''

In 1992, Johnny Carson retired, and many fans believed that Letterman would become host of ''The Tonight Show''. When NBC instead gave the job to Jay Leno, Letterman departed NBC to host his own late-night show on CBS, opposite ''The Tonight Show'' at 11:30 p.m., called the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. The new show debuted on August 30, 1993 and was taped at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, where Ed Sullivan taped his eponymous variety series from 1948 to 1971. For Letterman's arrival, CBS spent $8 million in renovations. In addition to that cost, CBS also signed Letterman to a lucrative three-year, $14 million/year contract, doubling his ''Late Night'' salary. The total cost for everything (renovations, negotiation right paid to NBC, signing Letterman, announcer Bill Wendell, Shaffer, the writers and the band) was over $140 million.

But while the expectation was that Letterman would retain his unique style and sense of humor with the move, ''Late Show'' was not an exact replica of his old NBC program. Recognizing the more formal mood (and wider audience) of his new time slot and studio, Letterman eschewed his trademark blazer with khaki pants and white sneakers wardrobe combination in favor of expensive shoes, tailored suits and light-colored socks. The monologue was lengthened and Paul Shaffer and the "World's Most Dangerous Band" followed Letterman to CBS, but they added a brass section and were rebranded the "CBS Orchestra" as a short monologue and a small band were mandated by Carson while Letterman occupied the 12:30 slot. Additionally, because of intellectual property disagreements, Letterman was unable to import many of his ''Late Night'' segments verbatim, but he sidestepped this problem by simply renaming them (the "Top Ten List" became the "Late Show Top Ten", "Viewer Mail" became the "CBS Mailbag", etc.)

Popularity

The main competitor of ''The Late Show'' is NBC's ''The Tonight Show'', which was hosted by Jay Leno for nearly 16 years, but from June 1, 2009, to January 22, 2010, was hosted by Conan O'Brien. In 1993 and 1994, ''The Late Show'' consistently gained higher ratings than ''Tonight''. But in 1995, ratings dipped and Leno's show consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings from the time that Hugh Grant came on Leno's show after Grant's arrest for soliciting a prostitute.; Leno typically attracted about 5 million nightly viewers between 1999 and 2009. ''The Late Show'' lost nearly half its audience during its competition with Leno, attracting 7.1 million viewers nightly in its 1993–94 season and about 3.8 million per night as of Leno's departure in 2009. In the final months of his first stint as host of ''The Tonight Show'', Leno beat Letterman in the ratings by a 1.3 million viewer margin (5.2 million to 3.9 million), and ''Nightline'' and ''The Late Show'' were virtually tied. Once O'Brien took over ''Tonight'', however, Letterman closed the gap in the ratings. O'Brien initially drove the median age of ''Tonight Show'' viewers from 55 to 45, with most older viewers opting to watch ''The Late Show'' instead.

Following Leno's return to ''The Tonight Show'', however, Leno has regained his lead.

Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 Emmy Award nominations, winning 12 times in his first 20 years in late night television. From 1993–2009, Letterman ranked higher than Leno in the annual Harris Poll of ''Nation's Favorite TV Personality'' 12 times. For example, in 2003 and 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind only Oprah Winfrey, a year that Leno was ranked fifth. Leno was higher than Letterman on that poll three times during the same period, in 1998, 2007, and 2008.

Hosting the Academy Awards

On March 27, 1995, Letterman acted as the host for the 67th Academy Awards ceremony. Critics blasted Letterman for what they deemed a poor hosting of the Oscars, noting that his irreverent style undermined the traditional importance and glamor of the event. In a joke about their unusual names (inspired by a similar joke by Woody Allen), he started off by introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey, and then both of them to Keanu Reeves: "Oprah...Uma. Uma...Oprah," "Have you kids met Keanu?" This and many of his other jokes fell flat. Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the bad publicity garnered by Letterman's hosting caused a decline in the ''Late Show'''s ratings.

Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." He lampooned his stint two years later, during Billy Crystal's opening Oscar skit, which also parodied the plane-crashing scenes from that year's chief nominated film, ''The English Patient''.

For years afterward, Letterman recounted his hosting the Oscars, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued to hold Letterman in high regard and they had invited him to host the Oscars again. On September 7, 2010, he made an appearance on the premiere of the 14th season of ''The View'', and confirmed that he had been considered for hosting again.

Heart surgery hiatus

On January 14, 2000, a routine check-up revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely obstructed. He was rushed to emergency surgery for a quintuple bypass.

During the initial weeks of his recovery, reruns of the ''Late Show'' were shown and introduced by friends of Letterman including Drew Barrymore, including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and physician Louis Aronne, who frequently appears on the show. In a show of emotion, Letterman was nearly in tears as he thanked the health care team with the words "These are the people who saved my life!" The episode earned an Emmy nomination. For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying, "Bypass surgery: it's when doctors surgically create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get ''The Tonight Show!'' It's a whole different thing." In a later running gag he lobbied his home state of Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass." He also featured a montage of faux news coverage of his bypass surgery, which included a clip of Dave's heart for sale on the Home Shopping Network. Letterman became friends with his doctors and nurses. In 2008, a ''Rolling Stone'' interview stated "he hosted a doctor and nurse who'd helped perform the emergency quintuple-bypass heart surgery that saved his life in 2000. 'These are people who were complete strangers when they opened my chest,' he says. 'And now, eight years later, they're among my best friends.' "

Additionally, Letterman invited the band Foo Fighters to play "Everlong", introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song." During a later Foo Fighters appearance, Letterman said that Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour which they canceled to come play on his comeback episode.

Letterman again handed over the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Wilson and bandleader Paul Shaffer) in February 2003, when he was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles. Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts—including Tom Arnold and Kelsey Grammer—for new shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, Adam Sandler—who had been scheduled to be the lead guest—served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.

Re-signing with CBS

In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, ABC offered him the time slot for long-running news program ''Nightline'' with Ted Koppel. Letterman was interested as he believed he could never match Leno's ratings at CBS due to Letterman's complaint of weaker lead-ins from the network's late local news programs, but was reluctant to replace Koppel. Letterman addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that Letterman signed a new contract to host ''The Late Show with David Letterman'' through the fall of 2010. "I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute." Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the ''Late Show'' puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.'"

According to a 2007 article in ''Forbes'' magazine, Letterman earned $40 million a year. A 2009 article in ''The New York Times'', however, said his salary was estimated at $32 million per year. In June 2009, Letterman's Worldwide Pants and CBS reached agreement to continue the ''Late Show'' until at least August 2012. The previous contract had been set to expire in 2010, and the two-year extension is shorter than the typical three-year contract period negotiated in the past. Worldwide Pants agreed to lower its fee for the show, though it had remained a "solid moneymaker for CBS" under the previous contract.

On the February 3, 2011, edition of the ''Late Show'', during an interview with Howard Stern, Letterman said he would continue to do his talk show for "maybe two years, I think."

2007–2008 writers' strike

The Late Show went off air for eight weeks during the months of November and December because of the Writers Guild of America strike. Letterman's production company—Worldwide Pants—was the first company to make an individual agreement with the WGA, thus allowing his show to come back on air on January 2, 2008. On his first episode since being off air, he surprised the viewing audience with his newly grown beard, which signified solidarity with the strike. His beard was shaved off during the show on January 7, 2008.

Letterman and Carson

In spite of Johnny Carson's clear intention to pass his title to Letterman, NBC selected Jay Leno to host ''The Tonight Show'' after Carson's departure. Letterman maintained a close relationship with Carson through his break with NBC. Three years after he left for CBS, HBO produced a made-for-television movie called ''The Late Shift'', based on a book by ''New York Times'' reporter Bill Carter, chronicling the battle between Letterman and Leno for the coveted ''Tonight Show'' hosting spot. Letterman would mock the film for months afterward, specifically on how the actor playing him, John Michael Higgins, did not resemble him in the least.

Carson later made a few cameo appearances as a guest on Letterman's show. Carson's final television appearance came May 13, 1994, on a ''Late Show'' episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance during a 'Top 10 list' segment. The audience went wild as Letterman stood up and proudly invited Carson to sit at his desk. The applause was so protracted that Carson was unable to say anything, and he finally returned backstage as the applause continued (it was later explained that Carson had laryngitis, though Carson can be heard talking to Letterman during his appearance).

In early 2005, it was revealed that Carson still kept up with current events and late-night TV right up to his death that year, and that he occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used these jokes in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out of it." Letterman would do a characteristic Johnny Carson golf swing after delivering one of Carson's jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all of the opening monologue jokes during the first show following Carson's death were written by Carson.

Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor." Letterman also frequently employs some of Carson's trademark bits on his show, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band" and the "Week in Review."

Letterman and Oprah Winfrey

On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He shared pictures of his son and live-in girlfriend. The so-called feud between Letterman and Winfrey apparently ended in 2005 when Winfrey appeared on CBS's ''Late Show with David Letterman'' on December 2, in an event Letterman jokingly referred to as "the Super Bowl of Love". Winfrey had previously appeared on Letterman's show when he was hosting NBC's ''Late Night'' on May 2, 1989.

Winfrey and Letterman also appeared together in a Late Show promo that aired during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, with the two sitting next to each other on the couch watching the game. Since the game was played between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, the Indianapolis-born Letterman wears a Peyton Manning jersey, while Winfrey—who tapes her show in Chicago—is in a Brian Urlacher jersey. Three years later, during CBS's coverage of Super Bowl XLIV, the two appeared again, this time with Winfrey sitting on a couch between Letterman and Jay Leno. The appearance was Letterman's idea: Leno flew to New York City in an NBC corporate jet, sneaking into the Ed Sullivan Theater during the ''Late Show'''s February 4 taping wearing a disguise, meeting Winfrey and Letterman at a living room set created in the theater's balcony where they taped their promo.

Response to Internet death threat

On August 17, 2011, it was reported that a Muslim militant had posted a death threat against Letterman on a website frequented by Al-Qaeda supporters, calling on American Muslims to kill Letterman for making a joke about the death of an Al-Qaeda leader killed in a drone strike in Pakistan in June 2011. In his show on August 22, Letterman joked about the threat, saying "State Department authorities are looking into this. They're not taking this lightly. They’re looking into it. They're questioning, they're interrogating, there's an electronic trail — but everybody knows it's Leno."

Appearances in other media

Letterman appeared in issue 239 of the Marvel comic book ''The Avengers'', in which the title characters are guests on ''Late Night''. A parody of Letterman, named "David Endochrine," is gassed to death along with his bandleader named "Paul" and their audience in Frank Miller's ''The Dark Knight Returns''.

Letterman appeared in the pilot episode of the short-lived 1986 series "Coach Toast", and he appears with a bag over his head as a guest on Bonnie Hunt's ca. 1993 sitcom ''The Building''. He also appears in The Simpsons, as himself in a couch gag when The Simpsons find themselves (and the couch) in "Late Night with David Letterman." He had a cameo in the feature film ''Cabin Boy'', with Chris Elliott, who worked as a writer on Letterman's show. In this and other appearances, Letterman is listed in the credits as "Earl Hofert", the name of Letterman's maternal grandfather. He also appeared as himself in the Howard Stern biopic Private Parts as well as the 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic ''Man on the Moon'', in a few episodes of Garry Shandling's 1990s TV series ''The Larry Sanders Show'' and in "The Abstinence", a 1996 episode of the sitcom ''Seinfeld''. Letterman also made an uncredited appearance in the first episode of the third season of the sitcom The Nanny.

Letterman provided vocals for the Warren Zevon song "Hit Somebody" from ''My Ride's Here'', and provided the voice for Butt-head's father in the 1996 animated film ''Beavis and Butt-head Do America''.

In 2010, a documentary ''Dying to Do Letterman'' was released directed by Joke Fincioen and Biagio Messina featuring Steve Mazan, a stand up comic, who has cancer and wants to appear on the Letterman Show. The film won Best Documentary and Jury Awards at the Cinequest Film Festival. Steve Mazan published a same-titled book (full title, ''Dying to Do Letterman: Turning Someday into Today'' about his own saga.

Other projects

Worldwide Pants

Letterman started his own production company—Worldwide Pants Incorporated—which produced his show and several others, including ''Everybody Loves Raymond'', ''The Late Late Show'', and several critically acclaimed, but short-lived television series for Bonnie Hunt. Worldwide Pants also produced the dramedy program ''Ed'', which aired on NBC from 2000–2004. It was Letterman's first association with NBC since he left the network in 1993. During ''Ed's'' run, the star, Tom Cavanagh, appeared as a guest on ''The Late Show'' several times.

In 2005, Worldwide Pants produced its first feature film, ''Strangers with Candy'', which was a prequel to the Comedy Central TV series of the same title. In 2007, Worldwide Pants produced the ABC comedy series, ''Knights of Prosperity''.

Worldwide Pants made significant news in December 2007 when it was announced that Letterman's company had independently negotiated its own contract with the Writers Guild of America, East, thus allowing Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and their writers to return to work, while the union continued its strike against production companies, networks and studios who had not reached an agreement.

Record company

In late April 2010, several music industry websites reported that Letterman started a record label named Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music and signed his first artist, Runner Runner. Lucy Walsh announced on her MySpace page that she has been signed by Letterman and Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music and is working on her album.

Rahal Letterman Racing

Rahal Letterman Racing (RLR) is an auto racing team that currently races in the American Le Mans Series, and part-time in the Indy Racing League. It is co-owned by 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal and Letterman himself, and is based in Hilliard, Ohio. The team won the 2004 Indianapolis 500 with driver Buddy Rice. Letterman was a pit reporter for ABC in the 1971 Indianapolis 500.

American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming

American Foundation for Courtesy and Grooming is Letterman's private foundation. Through it, Letterman has donated millions of dollars to charities and other non-profits in Indiana and Montana, celebrity-affiliated organizations such as Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, universities such as Ball State, and other organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Salvation Army, and Doctors Without Borders.

Personal life

Marriages and long-term relationships

In 1969, Letterman married Michelle Cook; the marriage ended by divorce in 1977. He also had a long-term relationship with former head writer and producer on ''Late Night'', Merrill Markoe. Markoe was the mind behind several ''Late Night'' staples, such as "Stupid Pet/Human Tricks".

Letterman has a son, Harry Joseph Letterman (born on November 3, 2003), with Regina Lasko. Harry is named after Letterman's father. In 2005, police discovered a plot to kidnap Harry Letterman and ransom him for $5 million. Kelly Frank, a house painter who had worked for Letterman, was charged in the conspiracy.

Letterman and Lasko, who had been together since 1986, wed on March 19, 2009, during a quiet courthouse civil ceremony in Choteau, Montana, where he purchased a ranch in 1999. Letterman announced the marriage during the taping of his March 23 show, shortly after congratulating Bruce Willis for getting married the previous week. Letterman told the audience he nearly missed the ceremony because his truck became stuck in mud two miles from their house. The family resides in North Salem, New York, on a estate.

Stalking incident

Beginning in May 1988, Letterman was stalked by Margaret Mary Ray, a woman suffering from schizophrenia. She once stole his Porsche, repeatedly broke into his house, and camped out on his tennis court. Her exploits drew national attention, and Letterman occasionally joked about her behavior in his show, although never mentioning her name. After she committed suicide in 1998, Letterman told the ''New York Times'' that he had had great compassion for her, and publicly expressed sympathy.

Extortion attempt and revelation of affairs

On his October 1, 2009, show, Letterman announced that he had been the victim of an extortion attempt by someone threatening to reveal that he had had sex with several of his female employees, confirming the relationships. He stated that three weeks earlier (on September 9, 2009) someone had left a package in his car with material he said he would write into a screenplay and a book if Letterman did not pay him $2 million. Letterman said that he contacted the Manhattan District Attorney's office, ultimately cooperating with them to conduct a sting operation involving giving the man a phony check. Subsequently, Robert J. "Joe" Halderman, a producer of the CBS true crime journalism series ''48 Hours'', was arrested after trying to deposit the check. He was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury and pleaded not guilty to a charge of attempted grand larceny on October 2, 2009. Eventually, on March 9, 2010, he pleaded guilty to this same felony and served a 6-month jail sentence, followed by probation and community service.

A central figure in the case and one of the women Letterman had had a sexual relationship with was his longtime personal assistant Stephanie Birkitt who often appeared with him in his show. She had also worked for ''48 Hours''. Until a month prior to the revelations she had shared a residence with Halderman, who allegedly had copied her personal diary and used it, along with private emails, in the blackmail package.

On October 3, 2009, a former CBS employee, Holly Hester, announced that she and Letterman had engaged in a year-long "secret" affair in the early 1990s while she was his intern and a student at New York University.

In the days following the initial announcement of the affairs and the arrest, several prominent women, including Kathie Lee Gifford, co-host of NBC's ''Today Show'', and NBC news anchor Ann Curry questioned whether Letterman's affairs with subordinates created an unfair working environment. A spokesman for Worldwide Pants said that the company's sexual harassment policy did not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees. According to business news reporter Eve Tahmincioglu, "CBS suppliers are supposed to follow the company's business conduct policies" and the CBS 2008 Business Conduct Statement states that "If a consenting romantic or sexual relationship between a supervisor and a direct or indirect subordinate should develop, CBS requires the supervisor to disclose this information to his or her Company's Human Resources Department..."

On October 5, 2009, Letterman devoted a segment of his show to a public apology to his wife and staff. Three days later, Worldwide Pants announced that Birkitt had been placed on a "paid leave of absence" from the ''Late Show''. On October 15, CBS News announced that the company's Chief Investigative Correspondent, Armen Keteyian, had been assigned to conduct an "in-depth investigation" into Halderman's blackmail of Letterman.

Awards and honors

Awards

In his capacities as either a writer, producer, performer, or as part of a writing team, Letterman is among the most nominated people in Emmy Award history with 52 nominations, winning two Daytime Emmys and five Primetime Emmys since 1981. His nomination record is second only to producer Jac Venza, who holds the record for the most Emmy nominations for an individual (57). Letterman has been nominated every year since 1984, when he first appeared on late night television as the host of ''Late Night with David Letterman.'' Additionally, he has won four American Comedy Awards. Letterman was the first recipient of the Johnny Carson Award for Comedic Excellence at The Comedy Awards in 2011.

David Letterman Communication and Media Building

On September 7, 2007, Letterman visited his alma mater, Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, for the dedication of a communications facility named in his honor for his dedication to the university throughout his career as a comedian. The $21 million, David Letterman Communication and Media Building opened for the 2007 fall semester. It features state-of-the-art recording equipment and facilities. Thousands of Ball State students, faculty, and local residents welcomed Letterman back to Indiana. Letterman's emotional speech touched on his struggles as a college student and his late father, and also included the "top ten good things about having your name on a building", finishing with, "if reasonable people can put my name on a $21 million building, anything is possible."

At the same time, Letterman also received a Sagamore of the Wabash award given by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, which recognizes distinguished service to the state of Indiana.

References

External links

David Letterman's Feb. 24, 1978 appearance on ''90 Minutes Live''

Official ''Late Show'' biography

1999 article on Letterman from Salon.com

Tape of Letterman announcing affairs/extortion attempt on Late Show

Category:1947 births Category:Living people Category:American entertainment industry businesspeople Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Ball State University alumni Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Indianapolis, Indiana television anchors Category:IndyCar Series team owners Category:People from Indianapolis, Indiana Category:Weather presenters

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Graham Norton
birth name	Graham William Walker
birth date	April 04, 1963
birth place	Clondalkin, Dublin, Ireland
medium	Television, radio, stand-up
nationality	Irish
active	1992–present
genre	Observational comedy
subject	Everyday life, pop culture, current events, celebrities, sex
awards
notable work	''So Graham Norton''''V Graham Norton''''The Graham Norton Effect''''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture''''The Graham Norton Show'' }}

Graham William Walker, known by his stage name Graham Norton, (born 4 April 1963) is an Irish actor, comedian, television presenter and columnist. He is the host of comedy chat programme ''The Graham Norton Show'' on BBC One in the UK. ''Hot Press'' has described him as "the 21st century's answer to Terry Wogan", with both men sharing an Irish background and the common link of being a BBC Radio 2 presenter and the BBC television commentator of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Early life and career

Norton was born in Clondalkin, a suburb of Dublin, but grew up in Bandon, County Cork, Ireland. He was educated at Bandon Grammar School, in County Cork and then University College Cork but did not complete his studies.

In 1992 his stand-up comedy drag act in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as a tea-towel clad Mother Teresa of Calcutta made the press when Scottish Television's religious affairs department mistakenly thought he represented the real Mother Teresa.

His first appearances in broadcasting were in his spot as a regular comedian and panellist on the BBC Radio 4 show ''Loose Ends'', when the show ran on Saturday mornings, in the early 1990s. His rise to fame began as one of the early successes of Channel 5, when he won an award for his performance as the stand-in host of a late-night TV talk show usually presented by Jack Docherty. This was followed by a comic quiz show on Channel 5 called ''Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment'', which was not well received as a programme, but did further enhance Norton's individual reputation as a comic and TV host. In 1996, Norton co-hosted the late-night quiz show ''Carnal Knowledge'' on ITV with Maria McErlane.

In 1996, Norton played the part of Father Noel Furlong in three episodes ("Hell", "Flight Into Terror", "The Mainland") of the Channel 4 series ''Father Ted''. Father Noel Furlong was often seen taking charge of a small youth folk-group.

Channel 4

After this early success, Norton moved to Channel 4 to host his own chat shows including ''So Graham Norton'' and ''V Graham Norton''. As a performer who is not only openly gay, but also camp and flamboyant, it was here that Norton's act was fully honed as a cheeky, innuendo-laden joker.

In 2003, he was the subject of controversy when, on his show on Channel 4, he made a comedic reference to the recent death of Bee Gees singer Maurice Gibb. The Independent Television Commission investigated after complaints about this insensitivity were forwarded to it and eventually Channel 4 had to make two apologies: one in the form of a caption slide before the show, another from Norton in person.

Also in 2003, he was listed in ''The Observer'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy (though Norton is Irish, the bulk of his television career has been in the UK).

In the summer of 2004, Norton moved across the Atlantic to start a new venture in American television. ''The Graham Norton Effect'' debuted on 24 June 2004 on Comedy Central, and was also broadcast in the UK on BBC Three. In the midst of controversy surrounding Janet Jackson's Super Bowl performance, Norton was wary of moving into the market.

BBC

In 2005, Norton moved to the BBC and began hosting the Saturday evening reality TV series ''Strictly Dance Fever'' on BBC One, as well as a new comedy chat show, ''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture''. He also read stories some nights on the BBC children's channel CBeebies as part of ''Bedtime Hour''.

In 2006, Norton hosted the BBC One series ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?'' in which Andrew Lloyd Webber tried to find a lead actress for his West End version of ''The Sound of Music''. Norton has subsequently presented the 3 follow-up series: ''Any Dream Will Do'' in 2007, in which a group of males competed to win the role of Joseph in the West End production of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat''; ''I'd Do Anything'' in 2008, in which Andrew Lloyd Webber seeks to find the part of Nancy and Oliver for Sir Cameron Mackintosh's production of Lionel Bart's ''Oliver!''; and ''Over the Rainbow'' in 2010, following a similar format to find a new Dorothy for a ''Wizard of Oz'' West end Production.

Norton hosted various other shows for the BBC during this time, including ''When Will I Be Famous?'' (2007), ''The One and Only'' (2008) and ''Totally Saturday'' (2009). Since 2007, Norton has also been a regular host of The British Academy Television Awards. On 7 July 2007, Norton presented at Live Earth and undertook a trip to Ethiopia with the Born Free Foundation to highlight the plight of the Ethiopian wolf – the rarest canid in the world. In the same year, he was the subject of an episode of the BBC1 genealogy documentary ''Who Do You Think You Are?''.

Norton's chat show, ''The Graham Norton Show'', began on 22 February 2007 on BBC Two. Although in a format that he had not been involved in for 4 years, it is very similar to his previous Channel 4 shows. On 6 October 2009, the show moved to BBC One, in a new one-hour format.

In May 2010, he stood in for Chris Evans' breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. Later that month, it was confirmed that he would be replacing Jonathan Ross's Saturday morning slot on the same station.

In December 2011, the panel show ''Would You Rather...? with Graham Norton'' premiered on BBC America in the time slot immediately following ''The Graham Norton Show''. Recorded in New York, it is one of BBC America's earliest efforts at producing original programming, and is also the first panel game the channel has shown, either of British or American origin.

In January 2012, he called on listeners to his Radio 2 show to help find his car hours after it was stolen. He called it "The Great Car Hunt" and told listeners to “Keep your eyes out for it. It was filthy by the way."

Eurovision

Norton hosted the first annual ''Eurovision Dance Contest'' alongside Claudia Winkleman which was held on 1 September 2007 in London, England. The format was based on the BBC's ''Strictly Come Dancing'' and the EBU's ''Eurovision Song Contest''. Norton and Winkleman also hosted the 2008 Contest in Glasgow, Scotland.

In October 2008, it was confirmed by the BBC that Norton would replace Terry Wogan as the BBC's presenter for the UK heats of the ''Eurovision Song Contest'', in a show to be called ''Your Country Needs You''.

On 5 December 2008 it was announced that Norton would also take over from Wogan as the presenter of the main Eurovision Song Contest. The 54th Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Olimpiyskiy (Olympic) Stadium, Moscow on 16 May 2009.

Norton's jokes during his debut received some positive reviews from the British media. ''The Guardian'' noted his comments on Iceland's entry, which finished in second place, had "rooted around in a cupboard and found an old bridesmaid dress from 1987" and the Armenian singers, who finished in tenth place, were sporting traditional dress, "which would be true if you come from the village where Liberace is the mayor."

His comment “The bad news is you’re about to watch Albania. She’s only 17 so please bear that in mind. Where was her mother? Why didn’t she step in and say no?” which was made just before Albanian singer Kejsi Tola was set to take the stage dubbed an insult by many, sent ripples of outrage through not only Albania, but also the Albanian population in Britain.He then announced that Albania should get no points and that he didn't care what anybody else thought. There was a petition circling the net calling for a formal apology from Norton. The petition, which called his comment “very rude and insulting,” had drawn over 1,000 signatures.He never responded.

In 2011, he snarked that if Jedward's entry into the competition that year won, the twins would never sleep again. In the end, they were eighth. Earlier in that year's televote, he joked "Quick, someone take a picture", when The British entry that year went temporarily in the lead early on after high votes from Russia(4), Bulgaria(12) and Italy(10). In the end, the song dropped down the 11th, earning 100 points. Very annoyed, Norton claimed 'We were better than Jedward'.

Other

In July 2000 Graham was one of three judges of the Miss Lesbian Beauty Contest 2000 held at The Talk of London, Drury Lane. The contest was won by 42 year old Carol Hutchins who wowed the audience with her sit-down comedy routine from a wheelchair. Graham described Carol as a "very bright, funny lady."

Graham Norton played Mr. Puckov in the 2006 American comedy spoof film ''Another Gay Movie''. In 2007, Norton played Taylor in the romantic comedy film ''I Could Never Be Your Woman''.

Norton was involved in a high-publicity advertising campaign for the UK National Lottery as an animated unicorn, the stooge to a character based on Lady Luck (played by Fay Ripley). He has also advertised McVitie's biscuits.

In 2007, Norton featured in Girls Aloud and Sugababes' Comic Relief video for the single "Walk This Way."

In January 2009, Norton made his West End stage debut in a revival of ''La Cage Aux Folles'' at the Playhouse Theatre.

Since 2009, Norton has been the host of the comedy game-show ''Most Popular'' on US cable television channel WE tv.

Norton currently writes an advice column in ''The Daily Telegraph'' newspaper. In October 2010, these columns were made into a book entitled ''Ask Graham'', published by John Blake Publishing.

Personal life

Norton has stated that he felt "out of place" growing up in Ireland; his family are Protestant yet the Republic of Ireland is overwhelmingly Catholic. Norton took part in the TV programme, ''Who Do You Think You Are?'', to trace his ancestry. It was discovered that his family were originally planters sent over from England to take over Irish land. Some members of his family had fought for the British Monarchy during the Irish Rebellion of 1798 and taken part in a massacre of Catholics in Carnew Castle. Another member of his family was later killed in battle by the United Irishmen. Norton said he was comforted to find out that his family had resided in Ireland for generations.

In 1989 while living in London, Norton was mugged, beaten and stabbed by a group of attackers on the street. He says he lost half his blood and nearly died, and he was hospitalised for two and a half weeks.

Norton is openly gay.

Norton suffers from vitiligo, a skin disorder in which patches of depigmented skin occur.

Norton caused controversy on 7 October 2006, when he described ecstasy as "fantastic."

Immediately after hosting the BAFTAs in 2009, he said he returned home only to fall down his stairs and break two ribs. Some sources claimed that he presented the next Graham Norton Show on crutches, but this is not true, although he did make a comment about it, related to ''Pushing Daisies'', by saying "in ''Pushing Daisies'' people die in all sorts of bizarre ways... someone else was killed by a man dressed as a crash-test dummy, and some idiot almost died when he got drunk and fell down the stairs after presenting the BAFTAs. As if that could happen in real life!"

TV appearances

Main presenting credits

''Carnal Knowledge'' (TV series, co-presenter) (1996, 27 one hour shows)

''Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment''

''So Graham Norton'' (1998–2002)

''V Graham Norton'' (2002–2003)

''NY Graham Norton'' (2004)

''The Graham Norton Effect'' (2004–2005)

''Graham Norton's Bigger Picture'' (2005–2006)

''Strictly Dance Fever'' (2005–2006)

BBC/Andrew Lloyd Webber musical theater talent searches (2006–present)

* ''How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?'' (2006)

* ''Any Dream Will Do'' (2007)

* ''I'd Do Anything'' (2008)

* ''Over the Rainbow'' (2010)

''The Big Finish'' (2006–)

''When Will I Be Famous?'' (2007)

''The Graham Norton Show'' (2007–present)

''The British Academy Television Awards'' (2007)

''Live Earth'' (2007)

''Eurovision Dance Contest'' (2007)

''The One and Only'' (2008)

''Eurovision Dance Contest'' (2008)

''Eurovision: Your Country Needs You'' (2009–present)

''Eurovision Song Contest'' (UK commentator, 2009–present)

''Totally Saturday'' (2009)

''Most Popular'' (2009–present)

''Would You Rather...? with Graham Norton'' (BBC America, 2011–present)

Other television credits

''Rex the Runt'': A Crap Day Out ''Absolutely Fabulous'': Gay ''Who Do You Think You Are? (British TV series)

!Year!!Title!!Character!!Broadcaster
1996–98	''Father Ted'':	* Hell	* Flight into Terror	* The Mainland	Father Noel Furlong	Channel 4
rowspan=3	2001	|	The Plants voice	BBC
''Rex the Runt'': Patio	Osvalde Halitosis voice
''The Kumars at No. 42''	Himself
2002	|	Himself	BBC
rowspan=4	2007	Who Do You Think You Are?'' ||	Himself	BBC
''Saving Planet Earth''	*Saving Wolves	Himself	BBC
''Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List''
''Robbie the Reindeer'' in Close Encounters of the Herd Kind	Computer voice

Radio

''Just a Minute''

Sitting in for Steve Wright August 2009 BBC Radio 2

Sitting in for Chris Evans May /July 2010 BBC Radio 2

On 2 October 2010, he began his weekly BBC Radio 2 Saturday show taking over from Jonathan Ross. The show airs from 10.00am-1.00pm and combines a mixture of music, chat and celebrity guests.

2011/12 Radio 2 Saturday mornings

Filmography

''Stargay'' ''Another Gay Movie'' ''I Could Never Be Your Woman''

!Year!!Title!!Character!!Production
1999	|	Graham Solex	Canal+
2006	|	Mr. Puckov	Luna Pictures
2007	|	Taylor	The Weinstein Company

Stand-Up videos

''Live At The Roundhouse'' (19 November 2001)

Awards

1999 : Gaytime Award for ''Gay Entertainer of the Year''

2000, 2001, 2002 : BAFTA Award for Best Entertainment Performance - ''So Graham Norton''

2001 : RTS Television Award for Best Presenter - ''So Graham Norton''

2001 : TRIC Award TV Personality of the Year

2011 : BAFTA Award for Best Entertainment Performance - ''The Graham Norton Show''

References

External links

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of University College Cork Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters Category:Gay actors Category:Irish columnists Category:Irish expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Irish male comedians Category:Irish people of English descent Category:Irish television talk show hosts Category:LGBT comedians Category:LGBT people from Ireland Category:LGBT people from Ireland Category:LGBT people from Ireland Category:People from County Cork Category:People from Dublin (city) Category:Survivors of stabbing Category:United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest Category:LGBT broadcasters

cy:Graham Norton de:Graham Norton es:Graham Norton fy:Graham Norton ga:Graham Norton nl:Graham Norton no:Graham Norton pl:Graham Norton ro:Graham Norton sv:Graham Norton

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Dame Judi Dench
birth name	Judith Olivia Dench
birth date	December 09, 1934
birth place	York, England, United Kingdom
occupation	Actress, author
years active	1957–present
spouse	Michael Williams(1971–2001; widowed)
children	Finty Williams }}

Dame Judith Olivia "Judi" Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA (born 9 December 1934) is an English film, stage and television actress.

Dench made her professional debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. Over the following few years she played in several of William Shakespeare's plays in such roles as Ophelia in ''Hamlet'', Juliet in ''Romeo and Juliet'' and Lady Macbeth in ''Macbeth''. She branched into film work, and won a BAFTA Award as Most Promising Newcomer; however, most of her work during this period was in theatre. Not generally known as a singer, she drew strong reviews for her leading role in the musical ''Cabaret'' in 1968.

During the next two decades, she established herself as one of the most significant British theatre performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In television, she achieved success during this period, in the series ''A Fine Romance'' from 1981 until 1984 and in 1992 began a continuing role in the television romantic comedy series ''As Time Goes By''.

Her film appearances were infrequent until she was cast as M in ''GoldenEye'' (1995), a role she has played in each James Bond film since. She received several notable film awards for her role as Queen Victoria in ''Mrs. Brown'' (1997), and has since been acclaimed for her work in such films as ''Shakespeare in Love'' (1998), ''Chocolat'' (2000), ''Iris'' (2001), ''Mrs Henderson Presents'' (2005) and ''Notes on a Scandal'' (2006), and the television production ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells'' (2001).

Regarded by critics as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, and frequently named as the leading British actress in polls, Dench has received many award nominations for her acting in theatre, film and television; her awards include ten BAFTAs, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Tony Award. In June 2011, she received a fellowship from the British Film Institute (BFI).

She was married to actor Michael Williams from 1971 until his death in 2001. They are the parents of actress Finty Williams.

Personal life

Dench was born in Heworth, York, England, the daughter of Eleanora Olave (née Jones), a native of Dublin, and Reginald Arthur Dench, a doctor who met Judi's mother while studying medicine at Trinity College, Dublin. Dench was raised a Methodist until, at age 13, she attended The Mount School, a Quaker Independent Secondary school in York, becoming a Quaker. Her brothers, one of whom is actor Jeffery Dench, were born in Tyldesley, Lancashire. Notable relatives also include her niece, Emma Dench, a Roman historian and professor previously at Birkbeck, University of London, and currently at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 1971, Dench married British actor Michael Williams and they had their only child, Tara Cressida Frances Williams, known professionally as Finty Williams, on 24 September 1972.

Dench and her husband starred together in several stage productions, and the Bob Larbey British television sitcom, ''A Fine Romance'' (1981–84). Michael Williams died from lung cancer in 2001, aged 65.

Career

In Britain, Dench has developed a reputation as one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, primarily through her work in theatre, which has been her forte throughout her career. She has more than once been named number one in polls for Britain's best actress.

Early years

Through her parents, Dench had regular contact with the theatre. Her father, a physician, was also the GP for the York Theatre, and her mother was its wardrobe mistress. Actors often stayed in the Dench household. During these years, Judi was involved on a non-professional basis in the first three productions of the modern revival of the York Mystery Plays in the 1950s. In 1957, in one of the last productions in which she appeared during this period, she played the role of the Virgin Mary, performed on a fixed stage in the Museum Gardens. Though she initially trained as a set designer, she became interested in drama school as her brother Jeff attended the Central School of Speech and Drama. She applied and was accepted, where she was a classmate of Vanessa Redgrave, graduating with a first class degree in drama and four acting prizes, one being the Gold Medal as Outstanding Student.

In September 1957, she made her first professional stage appearance with the Old Vic Company, at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, as Ophelia in ''Hamlet'', then her London debut in the same production at the Old Vic. She remained a member of the company for four seasons, 1957–1961, her roles including Katherine in ''Henry V'' in 1958 (which was also her New York debut), and as Juliet in ''Romeo and Juliet'' in October 1960, directed and designed by Franco Zeffirelli. During this period, she toured the United States and Canada, and appeared in Yugoslavia and at the Edinburgh Festival.

She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in December 1961 playing Anya in ''The Cherry Orchard'' at the Aldwych Theatre in London, and made her Stratford-upon-Avon debut in April 1962 as Isabella in ''Measure for Measure''. She subsequently spent seasons in repertory both with the Nottingham Playhouse from January 1963 (including a West African tour as Lady Macbeth for the British Council), and with the Oxford Playhouse Company from April 1964. That same year, she made her film debut in ''The Third Secret''.

Prominence

In 1968, she was offered the role of Sally Bowles in the musical ''Cabaret''. As Sheridan Morley later reported: "At first she thought they were joking. She had never done a musical and she has an unusual croaky voice which sounds as if she has a permanent cold. So frightened was she of singing in public that she auditioned from the wings, leaving the pianists alone on stage". But when it opened at the Palace Theatre in February 1968, Frank Marcus, reviewing for ''Plays and Players'', commented that: "She sings well. The title song in particular is projected with great feeling."

After a long run in ''Cabaret'', she rejoined the RSC making numerous appearances with the company in Stratford and London for nearly twenty years, winning several best actress awards. Among her roles with the RSC, she was the Duchess in John Webster's ''The Duchess of Malfi'' in 1971. In the Stratford 1976 season, and then at the Aldwych in 1977, she gave two comedy performances, first in Trevor Nunn's musical staging of ''The Comedy of Errors'' as Adriana, then partnered with Donald Sinden as Beatrice and Benedick in John Barton's "British Raj" revival of ''Much Ado About Nothing''. As Bernard Levin wrote in ''The Sunday Times'': "...demonstrating once more that she is a comic actress of consummate skill, perhaps the very best we have."

One of her most notable achievements with the RSC was her performance as Lady Macbeth in 1976. Nunn's acclaimed production of ''Macbeth'' was first staged with a minimalist design at The Other Place theatre in Stratford. Its small round stage focused attention on the psychological dynamics of the characters, and both Ian McKellen in the title role, and Dench, received exceptionally favourable notices. "If this is not great acting I don't know what is", wrote Michael Billington in ''The Guardian''. "It will astonish me if the performance is matched by any in this actress's generation", commented J C Trewin in ''The Lady''. The production transferred to London, opening at the Donmar Warehouse in September 1977, and was adapted for television, later released on VHS and DVD. Dench won the SWET Best Actress Award in 1977.

In 1989, she was cast as Pru Forrest, the long-time silent wife of Tom Forrest, in the BBC soap opera The Archers on its 10,000th edition.

She had a romantic role in the BBC television film ''Langrishe, Go Down'' (1978), with Jeremy Irons and a screenplay by Harold Pinter from the Aidan Higgins novel, directed by David Jones, in which she played one of three spinster sisters living in a fading Irish mansion in the Waterford countryside.

Dench made her debut as a director in 1988 with the Renaissance Theatre Company's touring season, ''Renaissance Shakespeare on the Road'', co-produced with the Birmingham Rep, and ending with a three month repertory programme at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Dench's contribution was a staging of ''Much Ado About Nothing'', set in the Napoleonic era, which starred Kenneth Branagh and Samantha Bond as Benedick and Beatrice.

She has made numerous appearances in the West End including the role of Miss Trant in the 1974 musical version of ''The Good Companions'' at Her Majesty's Theatre. In 1981, Dench was due to play the title role of Grizabella in the original production of ''Cats'', but was forced to pull out due to a torn Achilles tendon, leaving Elaine Paige to play the role. She has acted with the National Theatre in London where, in September 1995, she played Desiree Armfeldt in a major revival of Stephen Sondheim's ''A Little Night Music'', for which she won an Olivier Award.

Popular success

In 1995, she took over the role of M (James Bond's boss) with the James Bond film series, starting with ''GoldenEye'' replacing Robert Brown. She has appeared in six James Bond films, including ''Casino Royale'' (2006) and its direct sequel ''Quantum of Solace'' (2008), making her the longest-running current cast member of the series.

She has won multiple awards for performances on the London stage, including a record six Laurence Olivier Awards. She also won the Tony Award for her 1999 Broadway performance in the role of Esme Allen in David Hare's ''Amy's View''. She has taken on the role of Director for a number of stage productions. Dench won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as Elizabeth I in the film ''Shakespeare in Love''.

Judi Dench has frequently appeared with her close friend Geoffrey Palmer. They co-starred in the series ''As Time Goes By'', where she played Jean Pargetter, becoming Jean Hardcastle after she married Lionel Hardcastle. The program spanned nine seasons. They also worked together on the films ''Mrs. Brown'' and ''Tomorrow Never Dies'', both filmed in 1997. Dench has also lent her distinctive voice to many animated characters, narrations, and various other voice work. She plays the role of "Miss Lilly" in the children's animated series ''Angelina Ballerina'' (alongside her daughter, Finty Williams, as the voice of Angelina) and as Mrs. Calloway in the Disney animated film ''Home on the Range''. She has narrated various classical music recordings (notably Mendelssohn's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', and Britten's ''Canticles-The Heart of the Matter''), and has appeared in numerous BBC radio broadcasts as well as commercials. Her many television appearances include lead roles in the series ''A Fine Romance'' and ''As Time Goes By''. In the United States, ''As Time Goes By'' has been repeated on PBS and on BBC America.

Recent years

Dench returned to the West End stage in April 2006 in ''Hay Fever'' alongside Peter Bowles, Belinda Lang and Kim Medcalf. She finished off 2006 with the role of Mistress Quickly in the RSC's new musical ''The Merry Wives'', a version of ''The Merry Wives of Windsor''.

Dench's more recent film career has garnered six Academy Award nominations in nine years for ''Mrs. Brown'' in 1997; her Oscar-winning turn as Elizabeth I in ''Shakespeare in Love'' in 1998; for ''Chocolat'' in 2000; for the lead role of writer Iris Murdoch in ''Iris'' in 2001 (with Kate Winslet playing her as a younger woman); for ''Mrs Henderson Presents'' (a romanticised history of the Windmill Theatre) in 2005; and for 2006's ''Notes on a Scandal'', a film for which she received critical acclaim, including Golden Globe, Academy Award, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild nominations.

In 2007, the BBC issued ''The Judi Dench Collection'', DVDs of eight television dramas: ''Talking to a Stranger'' quartet (1966), ''Keep an Eye on Amélie'' (1973), ''The Cherry Orchard'' (1981), ''Going Gently'' (1981), ''Ghosts'' (with Kenneth Branagh and Michael Gambon, 1987), ''Make and Break'' (with Robert Hardy, 1987), ''Can You Hear Me Thinking?'' (co-starring with her husband, Michael Williams, 1990) and ''Absolute Hell'' (1991).

Dench, as Miss Matty Jenkins, co-starred with Eileen Atkins, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton and Francesca Annis, in the BBC One five-part series ''Cranford''. The series began transmission in the UK in November 2007, and on the BBC's U.S. producing partner station WGBH (PBS Boston) in spring 2008.

Dench became the voice for the narration for the updated Walt Disney World Epcot attraction Spaceship Earth in February 2008.

In February 2008, she was named as the first official patron of the York Youth Mysteries 2008, a project to allow young people to explore the York Mystery Plays through dance, film-making and circus. This culminated on 21 June with a day of city centre performances in York.

She worked on the 22nd Bond adventure ''Quantum of Solace'' and reprised her role as M.

She is interested in horse racing and in partnership with her chauffeur Bryan Agar owns a four-year-old horse, "Smokey Oakey", who won the 2008 Brigadier Gerard Stakes.

She returned to the West End from 13 March-23 May 2009, playing Madame de Merteuil in Yukio Mishima's ''Madame De Sade'', directed by Michael Grandage as part of the Donmar season at Wyndham's Theatre. A year later, Dench renewed her collaboration with Sir Peter Hall at the Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' which opened in February 2010, when she played Titania as Elizabeth I of England in her later years: Queen of the Forest of Arden. On 31 July 2010, Dame Judi performed ''Send in the Clowns'' at a special celebratory Promenade Concert from The Royal Albert Hall as part of the Proms Season, in honour of composer Stephen Sondheim's 80th Birthday, the entire concert in honour of his music.

Public life

Dench was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1970 and promoted to Dame Commander of the order in 1988. She was appointed a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in 2005. In June 2011, she became a fellow of the British Film Institute (BFI).

Dench is a patron of The Leaveners, Friends School Saffron Walden and the Archway Theatre, Horley, UK. She became president of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London in 2006, taking over from Sir John Mills, and is also president of the Questors Theatre. In May 2006, she became an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. She is also patron of Ovingdean Hall School, a special day and boarding school for the deaf and hard of hearing in Brighton and Vice President of The Little Foundation.

Dench is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge. In 1996, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate (D.Univ) from Surrey University and in 2000-2001 she received an Honorary DLitt from Durham University. In July 2000, she was awarded a Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) by Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, where she actively supported their Drama School at the Gateway Theatre on Elm Row. On 24 June 2008, she was honoured by the University of St Andrews, receiving the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) at the university's graduation ceremony.

Dench has worked with the non-governmental indigenous organization, Survival International, campaigning in the defence of the tribal people, the Bushmen of Botswana and the Arhuaco of Colombia. She made a small supporting video saying the Bushmen are victims of tyranny, greed and racism.

On 22 July 2010, Dench was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by Nottingham Trent University.

Dr Hadwen Trust announced on 15 January 2011 that Dench had become a Patron of the trust joining existing high profile personalities, Joanna Lumley and David Shepherd.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1964		Miss Humphries
		Wife
''A Study in Terror''	Sally
''He Who Rides a Tiger''	Joanne
1968		Titania
1973		Katherine
1974		Laura Davidson
1978		Imogen Langrishe	(BBC television film)
		(narrator)
	Marcia Pilborough	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
	Eleanor Lavish	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1987		Nora Doel	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
1988	''A Handful of Dust''	Mrs. Beaver	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
		Mistress Quickly
	Bridget Mayor	Nominated — British Academy Television Award for Best Actress(Channel 4 television serial)
	''Jack and Sarah''	Margaret
''GoldenEye''
1996		Hecuba
	''Mrs. Brown''		BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleBAFTA Scotland
''[[Tomorrow Never Dies''	M
1998	''Shakespeare in Love''
	''Tea with Mussolini''	Arabella
''The World Is Not Enough''	M
	''Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport''	(narrator)	(documentary)
''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells''	Elizabeth
	Armande Voizin	Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting RoleNominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion PictureNominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
		Iris Murdoch
	Agnis Hamm	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting RoleNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
		Lady Bracknell
''Die Another Day''	M
2002–05	''Angelina Ballerina''	Miss Lilly	(voice)
2003	''Bugs!''	(narrator)	(short subject)
		Mrs. Caloway	(voice)
''The Chronicles of Riddick''	Aereon
''Bedknobs and Broomsticks''	Miss Price	(voice)
''Ladies in Lavender''	Ursula Widdington
		Lady Catherine de Bourgh
''Mrs Henderson Presents''	Mrs. Laura Henderson	St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated — Academy Award for Best ActressNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleNominated — [[British Independent Film Awards 2005
		(narrator)
	M
	Barbara Covett	British Independent Film Award for Best ActressEvening Standard British Film Award for Best ActressNominated — Academy Award for Best ActressNominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleNominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best ActressNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture DramaNominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for Best ActressNominated — London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the YearNominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading RoleNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
	''Go Inside to Greet the Light''	(narrator)
	(Miss Matty)
2008		M
		Mona Carvell
	Liliane La Fleur
		Mrs. Fairfax
''Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides''	Noblewoman	Cameo
''My Week with Marilyn''		post-production
	''Bond 23''	M	pre-production
''J. Edgar''	Anna Marie	Filming in Los Angeles

She has also lent her likeness and voice for the role of M in James Bond video games:

''Everything or Nothing''

''GoldenEye: Rogue Agent''

''Quantum of Solace''

''GoldenEye 007''

''Blood Stone''

Theatre work

Source: "Judi Dench: With a Crack in her Voice" by John Miller

As an actress

St Mary's Abbey

1957

:''York Mystery Plays'' - Virgin Mary Old Vic Company

1957

:''Hamlet'' - Ophelia :''Measure for Measure'' - Juliet :''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - First Fairy

1958

:''Twelfth Night'' - Maria (also USA tour) :''Henry V'' - Katharine (also USA tour)

1959

:''The Double Dealer'' - Cynthia :''As You Like It'' - Phebe :''The Importance of Being Earnest'' - Cecily :''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' - Anne Page

1960

:''Richard II'' - Queen :''Romeo and Juliet'' - Juliet (also Venice Festival) :''She Stoops to Conquer'' - Kate Hardcastle :''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - Hermia ::Also walk-on roles in ''King Lear'' and ''Henry VI (Parts 1 and 2)'' Royal Shakespeare Company RSC

1961

:''The Cherry Orchard'' - Anya, Aldwych Theatre

1962

:''Measure for Measure'' - Isabella, Stratford :''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - Titania, Stratford :''A Penny for a Song'' - Dorcas Bellboys, Aldwych Nottingham Playhouse Company

1963

:''Macbeth'' - Lady Macbeth (also West Africa tour) :''Twelfth Night'' - Viola (also West Africa tour) :''A Shot in the Dark'' - Josefa Lautenay, Lyric Theatre The Oxford Playhouse Company

1964

:''Three Sisters'' - Irina :''The Twelfth Hour'' - Anna

1965

:''The Alchemist'' - Dol Common :''Romeo and Jeannette'' - Jeannette :''The Firescreen'' - Jacqueline Nottingham Playhouse Company

1965

:''Measure for Measure'' - Isabella :''Private Lives'' - Amanda

1966

:''The Country Wife'' - Margery Pinchwife :''The Astrakhan Coat'' - Barbara :''St Joan'' - Joan Oxford Playhouse Company

1966

:''The Promise'' - Lika :''The Rules of the Game'' - Silia

1967

:''The Promise'' - Lika, Fortune Theatre Palace Theatre

1968

:''Cabaret'' - Sally Bowles RSC

1969

:''The Winter's Tale'' - Hermione and Perdita, Stratford :''Women Beware Women'' - Bianca, Stratford :''Twelfth Night'' - Viola, Stratford

1970

:''London Assurance'' - Grace Harkaway, Aldwych :''Major Barbara'' - Barbara Undershaft, Aldwych

1971

:''The Merchant of Venice'' - Portia, Stratford :''The Duchess of Malfi'' - Duchess, Stratford :''Toad of Toad Hall'' - Fielfmouse, Stoat and Mother Rabbit, Stratford No Company

1973

:''Context to Whisper'' - Aurelia, Royal, York :''Fanfare'' - Royal Opera House (with Laurence Olivier) :''The Wolf'' - Vilma, Oxford Playhouse (also at Apollo, Queen's & New London) West End

1974

:''The Good Companions'' - Miss Trant, Her Majesty's

1975

:''The Gay Lord Quex'' - Sophy Fullgarney, Albery RSC

1975

:''Too True to Be Good'' - Sweetie Simpkins, Aldwych

1976

:''Much Ado About Nothing'' - Beatrice, Stratford :''Macbeth'' - Lady Macbeth, Stratford (also Donmar Warehouse and Young Vic) :''The Comedy of Errors'' - Adriana, Stratford :''King Lear'' - Regan, Stratford

1977

:''Pillars of the Community'' - Lona Hessel, Aldwych

1978

:''The Way of the World'' - Millamant, Aldwych

1979

:''Cymbeline'' - Imogen, Stratford

1980

:''Juno and the Paycock'' - Juno Boyle, Aldwych No Company

1981

:''A Village Wooing'' - Young Woman, New End National Theatre

1982

:''The Importance of Being Earnest'' - Lady Bracknell, Lyttelton

:''A Kind of Alaska'' - Deborah, Cottesloe

1983

:''Pack of Lies'' - Barbara Jackson, Lyric RSC

1984

:''Mother Courage'' - Mother Courage, Barbican :''Waste'' Amy O'Connell, Barbican and Lyric West End

1986

:''Mr and Mrs Nobody'' - Carrie Pooter, Garrick National Theatre

1987

:''Antony and Cleopatra'' - Cleopatra, Olivier :''Entertaining Strangers'' - Sarah Eldridge, Cottesloe

1989

:''Hamlet'' - Gertrude, Olivier RSC :''The Cherry Orchard'' - Ranevskaya, Aldwych

1991

:''The Plough and the Stars'' - Bessie Burgess, Young Vic National Theatre

1991

:''The Sea'' - Mrs Rafi, Lyttelton

1992

:''Coriolanus'' - Volumnia, Chichester Royal Shakespeare Company

1992

:''The Gift of the Gorgon'' - Helen Damson, Barbican and Wyndham's National Theatre

1994

:''The Seagull'' - Arkadina, Olivier

1995

:''Absolute Hell'' - Christine Foskett, Lyttelton

:''A Little Night Music'' - Desirée Armfeldt, Olivier

1997

:''Amy's View'' - Esmé, Lyttelton

1998

:''Amy's View'' - Esmé, Aldwych West End and Broadway

1998

:''Filumena'' - Filumena, Piccadilly

1999

:''Amy's View'' - Esmé, Barrymore, New York

2001

:''The Royal Family'' - Fanny Cavendish, Theatre Royal Haymarket

2002

:''The Breath of Life'' - Frances, Theatre Royal Haymarket RSC

2003

:''All's Well That Ends Well'' - The Countess, Stratford and Gielgud West End

2006

:''Hay Fever'' - Judith Bliss, Theatre Royal Haymarket RSC

2006

:''The Merry Wives - The Musical'' - Mistress Quickly, Stratford Donmar Warehouse

2009

:''Madame de Sade'' - Madame de Montreuil, Donmar at Wyndham's Rose Theatre, Kingston

2010 ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - Titania (as Elizabeth I, Queen of the Forest of Arden)

Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park

2010 ''Into The Woods - Stephen Sondheim'' - Voice of The Giant

As a director

1988 - ''Much Ado About Nothing'', Renaissance Theatre Company

1989 - ''Look Back in Anger'' - Renaissance Theatre Company

1989 - ''Macbeth'' - Central School of Speech and Drama

1991 - ''The Boy from Syracuse'', Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

1993 - ''Romeo and Juliet'', Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Discography

''Cabaret'' (1968), Original London cast album CBS (1973)

''The Good Companions'' (1974), Original London cast recording (1974)

''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (1995); from ''Felix Mendelssohn'' as Recitant. Conducted by Seiji Ozawa

''A Little Night Music'' (1995) by Stephen Sondheim, Royal National Theatre Cast

''Nine'' (2009) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Awards and nominations

Theatre

; Awards

1977: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival – ''Macbeth''

1980: Evening Standard Award for Best Actress – ''Juno and the Paycock''

1980: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Revival – ''Juno and the Paycock''

1982: Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress – ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' and ''A Kind of Alaska''

1982: Evening Standard Award for Best Actress – ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' and ''A Kind of Alaska''

1984: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play – ''Pack of Lies''

1987: Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress – ''Antony and Cleopatra''

1987: Evening Standard Award for Best Actress – ''Antony and Cleopatra''

1987: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress – ''Antony and Cleopatra''

1996: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress – ''Absolute Hell''

1996: Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment – ''A Little Night Music''

1997: Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress – ''Amy's View''

1999: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play – ''Amy's View''

2004: Laurence Olivier Award: Special Award for Outstanding Contributions to British Theatre''

Television

; Awards 1967: BAFTA Television Award for Best Actress - ''Talking to a Stranger''

1982: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance - ''A Fine Romance'', Going Gently and The Cherry Orchard

1982: Broadcast Press Guild Award for Best Actress - ''A Fine Romance''

1985: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance - ''A Fine Romance''

2001: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress - ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells''

2001: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film - ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells''

; Nominations

1983: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance - ''A Fine Romance''

1984: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress - Saigon: Year of the Cat

1984: British Television Academy Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance - ''A Fine Romance''

1990: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress - ''Behaving Badly''

1998: British Television Academy Award for Best Comedy Performance - ''As Time Goes By''

2001: American Comedy Award for Funniest Female Performer in a TV Special - ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells

2001: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie - ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells''

2001: Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie - ''The Last of the Blonde Bombshells''

2008: British Academy Television Award for Best Actress - ''Cranford''

2008: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie - ''Cranford''

2008: Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film - ''Cranford''

2008: Satellite Award for Best Actress - Miniseries or Television Film - ''Cranford''

2010: Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie - ''Return to Cranford''

References

Further reading

Dench, Judi. ''And Furthermore''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2010. ISBN 9780297859673.

Lavery, Alison (ed.). ''The Judi Dench Handbook''. Emereo, 2010. ISBN 9781742446592.

Miller, John (ed.). ''Darling Judi: A Celebration of Judi Dench''. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004. ISBN 0-297-84791-0.

Trowbridge, Simon. ''The Company: A Biographical Dictionary of the Royal Shakespeare Company''. Oxford: Editions Albert Creed, 2010. ISBN 9780955983023.

External links

Judi Dench Biography

Judi Dench at the Royal Shakespeare Company performance database

As Time Goes By Central website

Judi Dench on Acting Regal

University of Bristol Theatre Collection, University of Bristol

The Company: A Biographical Dictionary of the RSC: Online database

Category:1934 births Category:Living people Category:Actresses awarded British damehoods Category:Alumni of the Central School of Speech and Drama Category:European Film Awards winners (people) Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:Best Drama Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Category:British racehorse owners and breeders Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:English film actors Category:English musical theatre actors Category:Former Methodists Category:English Quakers Category:English writers Category:English radio actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:English voice actors Category:Evening Standard Award for Best Actress Category:Honorary Fellows of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge Category:Interactive Achievement Award winners Category:Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour Category:Olivier Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from York Category:British people of Irish descent Category:Royal National Theatre Company members Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members Category:Shakespearean actors Category:Tony Award winners Category:BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress Category:People educated at The Mount School, York

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Sue Perkins
birth name	Susan Elizabeth Perkins
birth date	September 22, 1969
birth place	East Dulwich, London, England
nationality	English
genre	Comedy
notable work	''Mel and Sue''''The Supersizers Go...''''The Supersizers Eat...''
past members	}}

Sue Perkins (born 22 September 1969, East Dulwich, London) is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.

Mel and Sue

Susan Elizabeth Perkins is best known for her collaborations, especially presenting comedy material with Mel Giedroyc. As ''Mel and Sue'' the duo were short-listed for the Daily Express Best Newcomers Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993. After a few years writing for French & Saunders (occasionally appearing on their BBC series), they hosted a lunchtime show on Channel 4 called ''Light Lunch'', and an early evening version, ''Late Lunch''. The two met whilst students at Cambridge, where Perkins was a student at New Hall, and were both members of the long established comedy performance club, the Footlights. Perkins graduated in 1990 with a degree in English Literature.

Television

Perkins has also been a presenter on Channel 4's ''RI:SE'' and appeared in ''Celebrity Big Brother'' during 2002 in aid of a number of charities. During the series she had some notable dancing moments with eventual winner Mark Owen of Take That. Over the years she has made numerous appearances on BBC TV shows ''Have I Got News for You'', ''Mock the Week'', ''Room 101'', ''Celebrity Weakest Link'', ''Question Time'' and ''Newsnight''; she has often joked that the BBC pay her a regular wage for "blabbering on random shows". She made notable appearances as a 'field reporter' for Armando Iannucci vehicle ''The Saturday Night Armistice''.

Perkins hosted ''Good Evening, Rockall'' (second series), a short-lived news orientated panel game shown on BBC Choice. She appeared on the 7/10 and 9/10 episodes of BBC Four's 2006 language quiz show ''Never Mind the Full Stops''. She was also a team captain on ITV's ''Win, Lose or Draw Late'', appeared on ''Celebrity MasterChef'' in 2006, performed in early 2007 on ''Celebrity Poker'' and ''News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald'' in 2007.

In April 2007, she participated in ''Edwardian Supersize Me'' for the BBC with food critic Giles Coren, spending a week eating the equivalent of a wealthy Edwardian couple's food, whilst wearing a corset. The duo returned, in May 2008, with a series called ''The Supersizers Go...'' where they live, for a week, eating food based upon certain diets. The first programme saw them survive for a week on WWII rations, the second covers the English Restoration period, the third the Victorian period, the fourth the Seventies, the fifth the Elizabethan period and the sixth the Regency period.

In August and September 2008, Sue Perkins appeared in the reality TV talent show television series ''Maestro'' on BBC Two. During the series, a group of eight celebrities attempted (until eliminated) to learn to conduct orchestral, choral and operatic music. Perkins won the competition with her mentor conductor Jason Lai and conducted the orchestra at ''Proms in the Park'', part of the BBC's ''Last Night of the Proms''. Her "Maestro" section of the programme was broadcast live from Hyde Park, London on 13 September 2008, in front of a crowd of more than 30,000. During the programme, Perkins played three pieces and was accompanied during two of them by Lesley Garrett.

Also in 2008 Perkins narrated the series ''....and Proud'' on Virgin 1.

Sue Perkins appeared in a second 'Supersizers' series called ''The Supersizers Eat...'' with Giles Coren which started airing on BBC Two on 15 June 2009. In September and October 2009 she hosted the Channel 4 panel game ''The Big Food Fight''.

Perkins has filmed a documentary series with the working title ''A Band for Britain'' about brass bands. The series was officially announced in November 2009 as part of BBC Two's Winter/Spring 2009-10 season and aired in April 2010.

In 2010, she appeared on ''QI'', where host Stephen Fry embarrassed himself by absent-mindedly calling her Mel. Alan Davies responded by calling him Hugh.

Perkins has filmed two series which aired on BBC Two in 2010: ''Giles and Sue Live The Good Life'', with Giles Coren, and ''The Great British Bake Off'', a cookery competition series which she co-hosts with Mel Giedroyc. The latter began its second series in August 2011, beginning with a programme on cakes. She also narrated the 2011 game show ''Don't Scare the Hare''.

Conducting

Perkins guest-conducted the London Gay Symphony Orchestra on 11 October 2009, at St Anne's Church Garden in Soho, London, UK. She conducted two pieces, the Simpsons Theme by Danny Elfman, and the William Tell Overture by Rossini, the latter for the first time. On 30 October 2009, it was announced that Perkins would conduct the Dinnington Colliery Band at the DW Stadium in Wigan. The band will be performing the national anthems before the Rugby League Four Nations match between England and Australia.

Radio

Perkins is a panel member of Radio 4's ''The News Quiz'' and has made regular appearances on BBC Radio 2's ''It's Been a Bad Week''. She occasionally appears as a panelist on another popular Radio 4 show, ''Just a Minute'', and has won the game in series 55, against Paul Merton (and others).

She was the chairman of BBC Radio 4's ''The 99p Challenge'' until the show finished in 2004. Perkins appeared every day in the last half hour of Mark Radcliffe's afternoon radio show on BBC Radio 2, when he sat in for Steve Wright. Since 2006 Perkins has been a panellist on a Radio 4 show, ''The Personality Test'', a quiz show about the host, presented by a different host each week. Past hosts include Gyles Brandreth and Rick Wakeman, and other panelists include Robin Ince, Lucy Porter, and Will Smith. Perkins is a regular cast member of Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show.

While presenting a Radio 4 documentary on the Lake District's competition "The World's Biggest Liar", she rather controversially ended up winning it.

In December 2008 she was a guest on ''Private Passions'', the biographical music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3.

Books

Perkins was a judge for the 2009 Man Booker Prize.

Edinburgh Festival appearances

Perkins has performed two stand-up comedy solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, "Spectacle Wearer Of The Year 2006" in 2005 and "The Disappointing Second Show" in 2006.

Personal life

Perkins went to the independent Croham Hurst School in Croydon with the ''BBC Breakfast News'' presenter Susanna Reid. She later studied at New Hall, Cambridge University where she did her first stand-up show, before becoming a teacher.

Perkins currently lives in Penzance, Cornwall. She was outed as a lesbian in 2002 by her ex-girlfriend Rhona Cameron during Cameron's appearance on ITV's ''I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!''

References

External links

Official MySpace

Official Mel and Sue website (has not been updated in many years)

Sue Perkins at Biogs.com

Sue Perkins Management - Debi Allen

Sue Perkins Twitter feed

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of New Hall, Cambridge Category:British people of Cornish descent Category:Celebrity Big Brother UK contestants Category:English comedians Category:English television presenters Category:People from Croydon Category:People from East Dulwich Category:Lesbian actors Category:LGBT comedians Category:LGBT people from England Category:Women comedians