Leslie "Les" Blair (born 23 October 1941, Manchester, England, UK) is an English television, film and theatre director.

Gaining notoriety for his controversial mini-series '' Law And Order'' (shown in 1978 on BBC2), Blair has gone on to direct films characterised by their political and social awareness.

Blair currently teaches at the London Film School.

Filmography

''Blooming Youth'' (BBC ''Play for Today'', 1973)(TV)

''Bet Your Life'' (BBC ''Play for Today'', 1976)(TV)

'' Law And Order'' (1978)(TV)

''Only A Game'' (1981)(TV)

''The Nation's Health'' (1983) (TV)

''Number One'' (1985)

''Honest Decent And True'' (1986)(TV)

''London's Burning: The Movie'' (1986)(TV)

''Leave To Remain'' (1988)(TV)

''The Accountant'' (1989)

''News Hounds'' (1990)(TV)

''Filipina Dreamgirls'' (1991)

''Tracey Ullman: A Class Act'' (1992)(TV)

''Bad Behaviour'' (1993)

''Merrihill Millionaires'' (1993)(TV)

''Bliss'' (1995)(TV)

''Jump The Gun'' (1997)

''Stand And Deliver'' (1998)(TV)

''H3'' (2001)

External links

Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:English film directors Category:English television directors Category:People from London Category:People from Manchester

fr:Les Blair

birth name	Gary Leonard Oldman
birth date	March 21, 1958
birth place	New Cross, London, UK
spouse	Lesley Manville (1987–90)Uma Thurman (1990–92)Donya Fiorentino (1997–2001) Alexandra Edenborough (2008–present)
years active	1978–present
occupation	Actor, filmmaker, musician }}

Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor, voice actor, and musician. A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence in the mid-to-late 1980s with a string of performances that prompted pre-eminent film critic, Roger Ebert, to describe him as "the best young British actor around". He portrayed Sid Vicious in his acclaimed first leading role in ''Sid and Nancy'' (1986), and earned a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Actor for his second real-life portrayal, Joe Orton, in ''Prick Up Your Ears'' (1987). Oldman's role in ''Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead'' (1990) brought him an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actor, while his performance as a violent gunman for an Irish American gang in ''State of Grace'' (1990) earned him greater notice and critical acclaim in the United States. His international breakthrough came with his portrayals of Lee Harvey Oswald in ''JFK'' (1991), and Count Dracula in ''Dracula'' (1992)—the latter bringing him the Saturn Award for Best Actor. Oldman also attracted media attention for his marriage to actress Uma Thurman in the early 1990s. He went on to play the villain of a number of popular films in the 1990s, including ''True Romance'' (1993), ''Léon'' (1994) and ''The Fifth Element'' (1997). His performance as a zealous Republican congressman in ''The Contender'' (2000) earned him Screen Actors Guild- and Independent Spirit Award nominations in the Best Supporting Actor category.

Since the turn of the millennium, Oldman has gained notoriety in heroic roles, such as Sirius Black in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's ''Batman'' film trilogy and George Smiley in ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy''. In addition to leading and central supporting roles in big-budget films, he has frequently acted in independent films, and television shows such as ''Fallen Angels'' and ''Friends''—his performance in the latter bringing him an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2001. He is also known for providing the voice of Viktor Reznov in the popular ''Call of Duty'' video game series. Oldman has been cited as an influence by a number of successful actors, and has been described as one of the greatest actors never nominated for an Academy Award. Aside from acting, he has served as a producer on several films, and directed, wrote and co-produced ''Nil by Mouth'' (1997), a film partially based on his own childhood, for which he was nominated for the 1997 Palme d'Or and won two BAFTA Awards. In 2011, ''Empire'' readers voted Oldman an "Icon of Film", in recognition of his contributions to cinema.

Early life

Gary Oldman was born in London, the son of Kathleen (née Cheriton; b. 28 November 1919), a housewife, and Leonard Bertram Oldman (21 May 1921 October 1985), a former sailor who worked as a welder. Oldman has said that his father was an abusive alcoholic who left his family when Oldman was seven. Oldman was an accomplished singer and pianist as a child, but gave up music to pursue an acting career. His inspiration was Malcolm McDowell's performance in 1970 film ''The Raging Moon''. In a 1995 interview with Charlie Rose, Oldman said: "Something about Malcolm [McDowell] just arrested me, and I connected, and I said 'I wanna do ''that'''." Oldman retained his love for music, however, and can be seen singing and playing piano in the 1988 film ''Track 29'', and tracing over pre-recorded versions of Beethoven's music in ''Immortal Beloved''. Oldman attended the South East London Boys' School on Creek Road in Deptford, leaving school at 16.

Film career

''Sid & Nancy'' and foray into American cinema

After graduating with a BA in Acting from Rose Bruford College in Sidcup, Kent in 1978, Oldman spent almost eight years in theatre, winning a number of awards. During this time he appeared in several films such as ''Remembrance'' (1982) and ''Meantime'' (1984) and would have made his screen debut in Don Boyd's ''Gossip'' (1982) if that film had not collapsed. In 1986 he won his first starring role as the Sex Pistols' ill-fated bassist Sid Vicious in the 1986 motion picture ''Sid & Nancy''. The role launched Oldman's career and paved the way for work in Hollywood. Oldman's performance was highly regarded by many, perhaps most notably ex-Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon, who despite questioning the authenticity of some parts of the film, said of Oldman in his biography: "The chap who played Sid, Gary Oldman, I thought was quite good", and later called him a "bloody good actor". Oldman reportedly lost considerable weight for the role and was briefly hospitalised. His performance was ranked #62 in ''Premiere'' magazine's "100 Greatest Performances of All Time" and #8 in ''Uncut'' magazine's "10 Best actors in rockin' roles", the latter describing his portrayal as a "hugely sympathetic reading of the punk figurehead as a lost and bewildered manchild." After coming to prominence for his portrayal of Vicious, Oldman increased his profile during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s via starring roles in cult films such as ''Prick Up Your Ears'' (in which he played his second real-life portrayal: troubled playwright Joe Orton), ''Criminal Law'' (which marked Oldman's first use of an American accent), ''The Firm'', ''Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead'' and ''State of Grace'', with Janet Maslin referring to his work as "phenomenal" and Roger Ebert calling him "the best young British actor around." In late 1988, he starred opposite long-time hero Alan Bates in ''We Think the World of You'', and alongside Dennis Hopper and Frances McDormand in ''Chattahoochee'' (1989). Oldman moved to the United States in the early 1990s, where he has since lived. Oldman and other young British actors of the 1980s who were becoming established Hollywood film actors, such as Tim Roth, Bruce Payne, Colin Firth and Paul McGann, were dubbed the 'Brit Pack'.

Mainstream success in the 1990s

In 1991, Oldman starred in what was at that point the most significant role of his career as Lee Harvey Oswald in Oliver Stone's ''JFK''. The following year, he starred as Count Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's romance-horror ''Dracula''. A commercially successful film adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, it was a box office success worldwide. Oldman's performance is regarded by many as a staple of the horror genre, and was recognised by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films as the best male performance of 1992, who awarded Oldman the prestigious Best Actor award. Oldman would later become a popular portrayer of villains, he playing a violent pimp in ''True Romance'' (1993), corrupt DEA officer Norman Stansfield in ''Léon'' (1994) (ranked #43 in the Online Film Critics Society's "Top 100 Villains of All Time" in 2002) a sadistic prison warden in ''Murder in the First'' (1995) and a futuristic corporate tyrant in ''The Fifth Element'' (1997). Oldman also displayed a skill for world accents; along with the Transylvanian Count Dracula, Oldman played German-born Viennese composer Ludwig van Beethoven in ''Immortal Beloved'', and Russian terrorist Ivan Korshunov in the 1997 blockbuster ''Air Force One''. He also appeared as the Devil in the 1993 promo video to the Guns N' Roses single "Since I Don't Have You". Oldman also served as a Member of Jury at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.

Since 2000

Oldman appeared opposite Jeff Bridges as zealous Republican congressman Sheldon Runyon in ''The Contender'' (2000), in which he was also credited as a producer. He received a Screen Actors Guild award nomination for his performance. In 2001, he starred opposite Anthony Hopkins in ''Hannibal'', as Mason Verger, the only surviving victim of Hannibal Lecter. Oldman reportedly spent six hours per day in the make-up room to achieve the character's hideously disfigured appearance. It marked the second time Oldman had appeared opposite Hopkins, a personal friend who was part of the supporting cast of ''Dracula''. Oldman is uncredited in the film, reportedly over a dispute regarding top billing, which was going to co-star Anthony Hopkins and Julianne Moore. Oldman received an Emmy Award nomination for two guest appearances in ''Friends'' in 2001, appearing in the two-part episode "The One With Chandler and Monica's Wedding" as Richard Crosby, a pedantic actor who insists that "real" actors spit on one another when they enunciate, leading to the famous spitting scene between Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) and himself. Oldman agreed to appear in the series after meeting LeBlanc on the set of ''Lost in Space'' in 1998.

Oldman later landed a major role in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, playing Harry Potter's godfather Sirius Black. Oldman and star Daniel Radcliffe reportedly became very close during the filming of the series. In 2005, Oldman starred as James Gordon in Christopher Nolan's commercially and critically acclaimed ''Batman Begins'', a role he reprised in the even more successful sequel ''The Dark Knight'' (2008) and will reprise again in the upcoming installment ''The Dark Knight Rises'' (2012). Oldman co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 2009 version of ''A Christmas Carol'' in which Oldman played three roles. He had a starring role in David Goyer's supernatural thriller ''The Unborn'', released in 2009. In 2010, Oldman co-starred with Denzel Washington in ''The Book of Eli''. He also played a lead role in Catherine Hardwicke's ''Red Riding Hood''. Oldman voiced the role of villain Lord Shen in ''Kung Fu Panda 2''.

Oldman will appear as George Smiley in the 2011 re-adaptation of the John le Carré novel ''Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'', directed by Tomas Alfredson, also starring Colin Firth, Mark Strong and Tom Hardy.

He has also participated in the creation of ''The Legend of Spyro'' games produced by Sierra Entertainment, providing the voice to the Fire Guardian, Ignitus. He also voices Sergeant Reznov in the award-winning video games ''Call of Duty: World at War'' and ''Call of Duty: Black Ops'', the latter of which he also voiced a British scientist by the name of Daniel Clarke.

Other ventures

Filmmaking

In 1997, Oldman directed, produced, and wrote the award-winning ''Nil by Mouth'', a movie partially based on his own childhood. ''Nil By Mouth'' went on to win the BAFTA Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film (shared with Douglas Urbanski) and also the BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay, the Channel 4 Director's Award, and an ''Empire'' Award, and was declared by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts as one of the one hundred best films of all time. Recently, ''Nil By Mouth'' was listed by ''Time Out'' as number two of the top 50 best British films ever.

Oldman and producing partner Douglas Urbanski formed the SE8 GROUP to produce ''Nil By Mouth''. The company also produced ''The Contender'', which also starred Oldman. He was also credited as a producer. Some media outlets reported that Oldman was unhappy with the finished product and felt that DreamWorks had heavily edited the film to reflect their pro-Democratic leanings. These claims were later debunked; Oldman, not a U.S. citizen, was described as "so uninvolved in politics, he has never even declared a party affiliation". Oldman has finished his latest screenplay, ''Chang & Eng'', co-written with Darin Strauss, based on the author's book of the same name; SE8 Group will produce. In September 2006, Nokia Nseries Studio released the Oldman-directed short film ''Donut'', with music by Tor Hyams. The film was shot with an N93 in order to promote the phone. Oldman also directed the music video for "Red Rover", a song from Jewish rap group Chutzpah's second CD ''Hip Hop Fantasy'', shot entirely on the N93. Juliet Landau made a 25-minute documentary about the making of the video. In 2011, he directed a music video for Alex Eden's first single "Kiss Me Like the Woman You Loved" for Side Tracked Records.

Theatre

Oldman won a scholarship to the Rose Bruford College, where he received a BA in Theatre Arts in 1979. He had initially applied for enrolment into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but was refused entry. Oldman told Charlie Rose in 1995 that he was told to "find something else to do for a living". Rose, surprised, asked jokingly, "Have you reminded them of this?", to which Oldman replied that "the work speaks for itself." Following his graduation from Rose Bruford College, he later studied with the Greenwich Young People's Theatre and went on to appear in a number of stage plays including ''The Pope's Wedding'', for which he received ''Time Out'''s Fringe Award for Best Newcomer of 1985–1986 and the British Theatre Association's Drama Magazine Award as Best Actor of 1985. He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company during their 1985–86 London season, appearing in small-scale productions at the Pit and Almeida theatres.

Music

Oldman has had a keen interest in music from an early age. He is a proficient pianist and stated in a 1995 interview with Charlie Rose that he would rather be a musician than an actor. Oldman sang several tracks on the ''Sid and Nancy'' soundtrack, and sang and played live piano in the 1988 movie ''Track 29''. He traced over Beethoven compositions in 1994's ''Immortal Beloved''. He also tutored ''Harry Potter'' star Daniel Radcliffe on bass guitar. Oldman appeared on Reeves Gabrels' album ''The Sacred Squall of Now'', performing a vocal duet with David Bowie on the track "You've Been Around".

Popularity and influence

Oldman has long established a cult following among film fans. He is known for playing the primary antagonist in a number of popular motion pictures, which has seen him referenced in popular culture. MTV's ''Celebrity Deathmatch'' aired a match between Oldman and Christopher Walken, citing their portrayals of many memorable Hollywood villains. Oldman's portrayal of Count Dracula was also spoofed by Jim Carrey on Fox comedy series ''In Living Color''. In 1993, Oldman had a cameo role as the Devil in the promo video to the Guns N' Roses single "Since I Don't Have You"—he also played the Devil in the 2002 BMW short ''Beat The Devil'', alongside Clive Owen, James Brown and Marilyn Manson. He was drafted in to appear on the first ever cover of ''Loaded'' in 1994. On YouTube, Oldman is the subject of a number of tribute videos. In contrast to his often dark on-screen roles, Oldman's affable real-life demeanour has been noted, and he was named as one of ''Empire'' magazine's "100 Sexiest Stars in Film History" in 2007.

Allmovie has described Oldman as "capable of portraying almost any type of character", and as having "consistently amazed viewers with his ability to completely disappear into his roles." His performances during his career have provided inspiration for younger actors who would go on to enjoy successful Hollywood careers. Brad Pitt has described Oldman as his foremost acting "god", while Daniel Radcliffe has cited Oldman as the actor whose career he would most like to emulate. Ryan Gosling has named Oldman as his favourite actor. Other actors who have been influenced by Oldman include: Shia LaBeouf, Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Foster, Johnny Depp, Chris Pine, and Jason Isaacs. ''Dracula'' and ''Hannibal'' co-star, Anthony Hopkins, has described Oldman as "multi-talented", and as possessing "a great genius and flair for creativity." Oldman has garnered critical acclaim for his diverse performances and portrayals of real-life historical figures and is noted for his avoidance of the Hollywood celebrity scene, often being referred to as an "actor's actor". Oldman's performances have gained the admiration of prominent film critics: Roger Ebert has hailed him as "one of the great actors, able to play high, low, crass, noble", while Janet Maslin has called him a "phenomenal" actor who "since ''Sid and Nancy'' has taken on a string of new accents and dramatic identities with stunning ease." Oldman's portrayals of eccentric villains have occasionally polarized critics. He has recently stated, however, that he seeks to play more reserved roles at this stage in his career.

As of 15 December 2009, motion pictures starring Oldman as leading actor or supporting co-star have grossed over $2.5 billion at the United States box office, and over $6 billion worldwide.

Personal life

Despite numerous lead and supporting roles in major Hollywood productions, Oldman is intensely private with his personal life and is known for his stance on celebrity and the ideals of Hollywood, once stating that "being famous, that's a whole other career. And I haven't got any energy for it." Oldman was born and brought up in London, England, but moved to the United States in the early 1990s. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his young family.

Alcohol and legal problems

His problems with alcohol were well known during the early 1990s. After a string of alcohol-fuelled debacles he checked himself into Marworth treatment facility in Waverly Township, Pennsylvania, for alcoholism treatment in 1993. In subsequent interviews Oldman acknowledged his problems with alcohol, and called himself a recovering alcoholic on a 2001 interview with Charlie Rose. In 2001, former wife Donya Fiorentino claimed that Oldman had a drug habit and abused her, a claim which was investigated by the family courts, child custody evaluator, the police, and Los Angeles city attorney. Oldman was awarded legal custody of their children; Fiorentino was granted short court-monitored visits. Today, Oldman lives a teetotal lifestyle and attributes his success in beating his addiction to Alcoholics Anonymous, and has since publicly praised the organisation.

Marriages and family

On 31 December 2008, Oldman married singer Alexandra Edenborough in Santa Barbara, California in a private, formal ceremony.

Oldman has been married four times in total:

Lesley Manville (1987–1990)

Uma Thurman (1990–1992)

Donya Fiorentino (1997–2001)

Alexandra Edenborough (2008–present)

He has four sons: Alfie (b. 1988), from his marriage to Manville, Roberto, adopted with ex-girlfriend ''Isabella Rossellini'', and Gulliver Flynn (b. 20 August 1997) and Charlie John (b. 11 February 1999), from his marriage to Fiorentino. His sister, Laila Morse, is also an actress, best known as Mo Harris in the BBC's long-running series ''EastEnders''; she also had a role in Oldman's directorial debut, ''Nil by Mouth''. Oldman supports South East London football team Millwall.

Filmography

Films

+ Films
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1982	''Remembrance''	Daniel
1984		Coxy the Skinhead	TV
1984	''Morgan's Boy''	Colin	TV
1985	''Honest, Decent & True''	Derek Bates	TV
1986	''Sid and Nancy''	Sid Vicious
1987	''Prick Up Your Ears''	Joe Orton
1988	''Track 29''	Martin
1988		Ben Chase
1988		Johnny
1988		Clive "Bex" Bissell	TV
1989		Emmett Foley
1990
1990		Jackie Flannery
1990	''Henry & June''	Pop	Credited as Maurice Escargot
1991		Lee Harvey Oswald
1991	''Heading Home''	Ian Tyson	TV
1992		Count Dracula
1993	''True Romance''	Drexl Spivey
1993	''Romeo Is Bleeding''	Jack Grimaldi
1994		Norman Stansfield	Released as ''The Professional'' in the US
1994		Ludwig van Beethoven
1995	''Murder in the First''	Milton Glenn
1995		Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale
1996		Albert Milo
1997	''The Fifth Element''	Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg
1997		Ivan Korshunov
1998		Dr. Zachary Smith
1998	''Quest for Camelot''	Sir Ruber	Voice
1999		Pontius Pilate	TV
2000		Rep. Sheldon Runyon	Also executive producer
2000	''Monsignor Renard''	Unlisted	TV, uncredited
2001	''Nobody's Baby''	Buford Hill	Also producer
2001		Mason Verger
2001	''Friends''	Richard Crosby	TV (2 episodes)
2002	''Interstate 60''	O. W. Grant
2002	''The Hire: Beat the Devil''	The Devil	Short subject
2002	''Greg the Bunny''	Himself	TV (1 episode)
2003	''Tiptoes''	Rolfe
2003	''Sin''	Charlie Strom
2004	''Dead Fish''	Lynch
2004		Sirius Black
2004	''Who's Kyle?''	Scouse
2005	''Batman Begins''
2005		Sirius Black
2006	''The Backwoods''	Paul
2007		Sirius Black
2008
2009		Rabbi Joseph Sendak
2009	''Rain Fall''	Holtzer
2009			Voice
2009	''Planet 51''	General Grawl	Voice
2010	''The Book of Eli''	Carnegie
2011		Father Soloman
2011	''Kung Fu Panda 2''	Lord Shen	Voice
2011	''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	Sirius Black
2011		George Smiley
2011	''Guns, Girls and Gambling''	Elvis	''Filming''
2012	''The Wettest County in the World''	Floyd Banner	''Filming''
2012	''The Dark Knight Rises''		''Filming''

Video games

+ Video games
! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1998		Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg	Voice
2003	''Medal of Honor: Allied Assault''	Sgt. Jack Barnes	Voice
2003	''True Crime: Streets of LA''	Rasputin "Rocky" KuznetskovAgent Masterson	Voice
2006	''The Legend of Spyro: A New Beginning''		Voice
2007	''The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night''		Voice
2008	''The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon''		Voice
2008	''Call of Duty: World at War''	Sgt. Viktor Reznov	Voice
2010	''Call of Duty: Black Ops''	Captain. Viktor ReznovDr. Daniel Clarke	Voice

Awards and nominations

! Year !! Group !! Award !! Film/Show !! Result
		Most Promising Newcomer	''Sid and Nancy''
BAFTA Awards	Best Actor	''Prick Up Your Ears''
1988		ALFS Award for Actor of the Year	''Sid and Nancy''
1990	Independent Spirit Award	Best Leading Male	''Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead''
1992	Saturn Awards	Best Actor	rowspan=2
1993	MTV Movie Awards	Best Kiss (shared with Winona Ryder)
1995	Golden Raspberry Awards	Worst Screen Couple (shared with Demi Moore)
			rowspan="7"
	Best British Director of an Independent Film
Best Original Screenplay by a British Writer of a Produced Independent Film
Edinburgh International Film Festival	Channel 4 Director's Award
	Palme d'Or
	Empire Awards	Best Debut
	Favorite Supporting Actor – Action/Adventure	rowspan="3"
MTV Movie Awards	Best Fight (shared with Harrison Ford)
MTV Movie Awards	Best Villain
1999	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actor
	Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards	Alan J. Pakula Award	rowspan="3"
Independent Spirit Award	Best Supporting Male
Screen Actors Guild Awards	Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Emmy Awards	Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	''Friends''
USA Film Festival	Master Screen Artist Tribute Award
2003	DVD Exclusive Awards	Best Supporting Actor	''Interstate 60''
2005	Saturn Awards	Best Supporting Actor	''Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban''
2008	Scream Awards	Best Supporting Actor	rowspan=2
2009	People's Choice Awards	Best Cast (w/ Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal)
2011	Empire Awards	Film Icon

References

External links

Interview with Gary Oldman on his directorial debut – Nil by Mouth

Category:Alumni of Rose Bruford College Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:English voice actors Category:English video game actors Category:English film actors Category:English film directors Category:English screenwriters Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:People from Deptford Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:Saturn Award winners Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:1958 births Category:Living people

ar:غاري أولدمان az:Qari Oldmen bn:গ্যারি ওল্ডম্যান bg:Гари Олдман cs:Gary Oldman cy:Gary Oldman da:Gary Oldman de:Gary Oldman el:Γκάρι Όλντμαν es:Gary Oldman fa:گری الدمن fr:Gary Oldman ga:Gary Oldman gl:Gary Oldman ko:게리 올드만 hr:Gary Oldman id:Gary Oldman it:Gary Oldman he:גארי אולדמן ka:გერი ოლდმენი hu:Gary Oldman ms:Gary Oldman nl:Gary Oldman ja:ゲイリー・オールドマン no:Gary Oldman nn:Gary Oldman uz:Gary Oldman nds:Gary Oldman pl:Gary Oldman pt:Gary Oldman ro:Gary Oldman ru:Олдмен, Гэри sq:Gary Oldman simple:Gary Oldman sk:Gary Oldman sr:Гари Олдман sh:Gary Oldman fi:Gary Oldman sv:Gary Oldman tl:Gary Oldman th:แกรี โอลด์แมน tr:Gary Oldman uk:Гарі Олдмен zh:加里·奧德曼

name	Adrian Edmondson
birth name	Adrian Charles Edmondson
birth date	January 24, 1957
birth place	Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
active	1981–present
genre	Black comedy, Physical comedy, Musical comedy
influences	Monty Python, The Goodies, Rowan Atkinson
influenced	David Walliams, Matt Lucas, Stewart Lee
spouse	Jennifer Saunders (m.1985, 3 daughters)
notable work	Vyvyan Basterd in ''The Young Ones'' Edward 'Eddie' Elizabeth Hitler in ''Bottom }}

Adrian Charles "Ade" Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English comedian, writer, director, actor, and musician. He is probably best known for his comedic roles in the television series ''The Young Ones'' (1982–1984) and ''Bottom'' (1991–2003), for which he also wrote together with his long-time collaboration partner Rik Mayall.

Early life

Edmondson, the second of four children, was born in Bradford, West Riding of Yorkshire. As a child, he has spent time living with his family in a variety of places including Cyprus, Bahrain, and Uganda, where his father was a teacher in the armed forces. Edmondson attended Pocklington School in Yorkshire from 1968 to 1975 and later went to the University of Manchester to study drama, receiving a 2:1 degree, where he met his future comedy partner Rik Mayall. Edmondson and Mayall soon became best friends and before long found work on the burgeoning alternative comedy scene.

Comedy career

1980s

Under the name ''20th Century Coyote'', Edmondson and Mayall became one of the star attractions at The Comedy Store. Mayall told most of the jokes early in their act, and Edmondson would act-up in the background, developing his act to dismantle the club's piano, before he created his own material. As their popularity grew, Edmondson, Mayall, and other upcoming comedians including Nigel Planer, Peter Richardson, Alexei Sayle, and French and Saunders split away from the Comedy Store to set up their own venue: The Comic Strip club. ''The Comic Strip'' soon gained a reputation as one of the most popular comedy clubs in London and soon came to the attention of Channel 4. Edmondson and the others were commissioned to act in six self-contained half-hour films, using the group as comedy actors rather than stand-up performers. The series, entitled ''The Comic Strip Presents...'' debuted on 2 November 1982 (the opening night of Channel 4). The first episode to be broadcast was "Five Go Mad in Dorset", a parody of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, which drew anger from some viewers for the way it mercilessly satirised a children's classic. Edmondson starred as one of the five.

By the same time as ''The Comic Strip Presents...'' was being negotiated, the BBC signed up Edmondson, Mayall, Richardson, Planer and Sayle to star in ''The Young Ones'', a sitcom in the same anarchic style as The Comic Strip. (Richardson later decided not to proceed and was replaced by Christopher Ryan.) The show revolved around the shared house where four students lived during their study at Scumbag College. It was noted at the time of its first airing for its violent slapstick, with Edmondson's character as the main instigator, and this is a trait which has stayed with him throughout his career. The series captured public imagination and remains one of Britain's most popular sitcoms. During this time, Edmondson also appeared in a bank advertisement in what was, basically, his "Vyvyan" guise. Following the success of ''The Comic Strip Presents...'' and, to a greater extent, ''The Young Ones'', Edmondson and Mayall returned to their "Coyote" dynamic in the double act "The Dangerous Brothers" with Edmondson as "Sir Adrian Dangerous" in ''Saturday Live'' (1985–1987). In 1983, he appeared as the lead singer ''Vim Fuego'' in the spoof heavy metal band called ''Bad News'', with his ''Young Ones'' co-stars Rik Mayall, Nigel Planer and Peter Richardson of "Comic Strip Presents...".

On 11 May 1985, Edmondson married his ''Comic Strip'' fellow Jennifer Saunders, with whom he has three daughters: Eleanor, Beatrice and Freya. Edmondson's university nickname of "Eddie Monsoon," a play on his surname, inspired the name of Saunders' character, Edina Monsoon on ''Absolutely Fabulous'' and his own characters Eddie Catflap (''Filthy Rich & Catflap'') and Eddie Hitler (''Bottom''). Their joint production company is called Mr and Mrs Monsoon Limited. In 1986, Edmondson achieved a number one hit in the UK singles charts when he and his co-stars from ''The Young Ones'' teamed up with Cliff Richard to record a new version of "Living Doll" for the inaugural Comic Relief campaign. Despite having been killed off in the final episode of the series, Edmondson played Vyvyan one last time in the video. The same year he co-wrote the book ''How to be a Complete Bastard'' together with Mark Leigh and Mike Lepine. In 1987, he reunited with Planer and Mayall to star in ''Filthy Rich and Catflap''. The series was penned by ''The Young Ones''' co-writer Ben Elton and saw Edmondson display the same slapstick characteristics as Vyvyan, but was closer in personality to his later character "Eddie Hitler" in ''Bottom''. The show received critical acclaim but poor viewing figures and was cancelled after one series. 1987 also saw Edmondson co-starring with Mayall in the ITV sit-com ''Hardwicke House''. Due to the adverse reaction of both press and viewers however, ITV withdrew the series after two episodes, and the remainder has never been shown. In 1988, he released a follow up to ''How To Be A Complete Bastard'' called ''The Bastard's Book of the Worst''. In 1989 Edmondson made an appearance in an episode of ''Blackadder Goes Forth'' as The Red Baron, arch-nemesis to Mayall's character, Lord Flashheart. .

1990s

Edmondson played Brad Majors in the 1990 West End run of ''The Rocky Horror Show'', alongside Tim McInnerny as Frank-N-Furter and Ed Tudor-Pole as Riff-Raff. He also appears on the soundtrack album of the production. In 1991, Edmondson was teamed up with his comedy partner Rik Mayall once more, this time co-writing and co-starring in their own sitcom, ''Bottom''. Edmondson starred as "Edward Elizabeth Hitler" opposite Mayall's "Richard Richard." The series featured the slapstick and crude humour for which the pair had become famous, but also more in-depth character analysis. Mayall and Edmonson have said ''Bottom'' was aimed to be more than just a series of toilet gags, but a cruder cousin to plays like ''Waiting for Godot'' about the pointlessness of life. Edmondson played Estragon to Mayall's Vladimir in Samuel Beckett's play in the West End, in a production that opened at the Queen's Theatre on 30 September 1991. ''Bottom'' became very popular, but it was criticised for its often vulgar humour. Edmondson was also censured for essentially reprising the same character he had been playing for his entire career. It was also incarnated into five UK stage tours (1993, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003). The violent natures of these shows saw both Edmondson and Mayall ending up in hospital.

In 1993, Edmondson starred alongside Richard Briers in a black comedy called ''If You See God, Tell Him''. Edmondson played Gordon Spry, whose uncle (Briers) is paralysed and has a greatly reduced attention span. His erratic behaviour causes problems for Gordon. The series comprised four episodes, each 45 minutes long, and only broadcast once. The BBC has not repeated the series, although 1 episode was broadcast on BBC Four on 3 December 2007. In September 1995, Edmondson released his first (comic) novel, ''The Gobbler''. The same year he voiced "the animal", an advertising character for British snack Peperami. In 1996, he played the role of Ace Face/Bellboy at The Who's performance of ''Quadrophenia'' at London's Hyde Park. A video game called ''Animal'', featuring Peperami's "the animal", was released the same year, with the character being voiced by Ade Edmondson. In 1997-1998 he voiced engine stoker Jones, a major character in the animated series ''Captain Star''. In the 1998 ITV Pantomime, ''Jack and the Beanstalk'', Edmondson played Dame Dolly alongside Neil Morrissey, Denise Van Outon, Paul Merton, Julian Clary and Julie Walters. The show was broadcast on 25 December on ITV1 and continues to be shown every year around Christmas.

Following the 1997 ''Bottom'' stage tour, ''Hooligans Island'', Mayall and Edmondson worked on the idea of a ''Bottom'' film in which Richie and Eddie run a hotel. The two had been working on the script together, and were set to co-direct. In 1998 Mayall was seriously injured and spent a few days in a coma. Edmondson found this time very difficult. When Mayall came around he helped Edmondson complete the script while still in hospital, but it was decided that he was still not fit enough to direct, so Edmondson took the sole directing duties on what became ''Guest House Paradiso''. Since the 2003 ''Bottom'' tour, which ended on 12 December of that year, Edmondson has shown a lack of interest in working with his friend Mayall, claiming he is more difficult to work with since his accident. In December 2004 The ''Daily Mirror'' newspaper quoted him as saying: "It’s definitely time to stop. We're getting too old. We both realised that the show wasn't as engaging as it used to be. We were starting to look a bit ridiculous. [...] We're both nearly 50 and we're starting to feel slightly undignified talking about wanking and knobs constantly." Rik Mayall has repeatedly said that they will work together again, they just needed "a good idea."

2000s–present

Edmondson appeared regularly in series 4 of the BBC mystery series ''Jonathan Creek'', broadcast in 2003–2004. He had a lead role playing an NHS doctor in the comedy series Doctors and Nurses first broadcast in early 2004. In ''Surviving Disaster'', a BBC docu-drama about the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, broadcast at the start of 2006, Edmondson played the role of Dr Valeri Legasov. In 2005 Edmondson appeared as a celebrity model on ''Star Portraits'' with Rolf Harris. From 2005 to 2008 he appeared as Percy 'Abra' Durant in the medical drama ''Holby City''. In 2008 he played Henry Austen in the BBC produced film ''Miss Austen Regrets''. From 2008 onwards he has played Vernon in ITV sit-com ''Teenage Kicks''. In April 2009 Edmondson appeared on the cooking show ''Hell's Kitchen'', where he reached the final, coming second to winner Linda Evans. In a 2009 interview, Edmondson stated he was 'finally' referring to himself as Adrian rather than his established nickname Ade, as he felt it was time to 'grow up.'

Edmondson is a fan and current season ticket holder of Npower League One football team Exeter City and often watches them at home and away matches. He played the role of 'Captain Hook' in the Canterbury Marlowe Arena pantomime during its Christmas 2009 run. In April 2010, Edmondson confirmed to the Daily Express that he'd quit comedy, stating that his interest in it has declined for many years, and wanted to focus more on his band, claiming it is 'more fun than doing comedy.' He also played down the idea of a potential reunion with Rik Mayall, saying it is 'very unlikely'. In an August 2010 edition of Radio 4's ''Chain Reaction'' he clarified to Lee Mack that, he hadn't really quit but was focusing more on music and farming. He confirmed that he and Mayall often spoke of a reunion when they are old men. However, Mayall appeared during Edmondson's winning performance of The Dying Swan on BBC1's Lets Dance for Comic Relief, on 5 March 2011. On 28 March 2011 ITV1 launched the six-part series ''The Dales'', hosted by Edmondson in which he follows a number of families who live and work in the Yorkshire Dales. The show was recorded during 2010 by ''Shiver Productions'' for ITV Studios.

Music career

Edmondson has directed pop videos for ''Fiesta'' (1988) by The Pogues, ''Prime Mover'' (1987) by Zodiac Mindwarp, ''Like The Weather'' (1988) by 10,000 Maniacs, ''Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness'' (1988) by Sandie Shaw, and ''Hourglass'' by Squeeze (1987). A fan of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Edmondson performed vocals with them as part of their 2006 reformation and countrywide tour, and contributed vocals and writing for their 2007 album ''Pour l'Amour des Chiens''. Together with Maartin Allcock, Andy Dinan, and Troy Donockley, Edmondson founded the band The Bad Shepherds in 2008, performing punk and new wave classics on traditional instruments. The band have released two albums and toured in 2009, playing at places like the Trowbridge Village Pump Festival.

References

External links

Edmondson remarks on his Wikipedia page

Adrian Edmondson at BBCi

Jonathan Creek at BBCi

Category:English comedians Category:English television actors Category:The Comic Strip Category:English comedy writers Category:Alumni of the Victoria University of Manchester Category:People from Bradford Category:1957 births Category:Living people Category:Fame Academy participants Category:Old Pocklingtonians

ca:Adrian Edmondson es:Adrian Edmonson fr:Adrian Edmondson it:Adrian Edmondson nl:Adrian Edmondson no:Adrian Edmondson simple:Adrian Edmondson fi:Adrian Edmondson sv:Adrian Edmondson

name	Alison Steadman
birth date	August 26, 1946
birth place	Liverpool, England
occupation	Actor
years active	1971–present
spouse	Mike Leigh(m. 1973–2001, divorced)
partner	Michael Elwyn(1995–present) }}

Alison Steadman OBE (born 26 August 1946) is an English actress. She established her career with roles such as Beverley in ''Abigail's Party'' and Candice Marie in ''Nuts in May'' for the director Mike Leigh, to whom she was once married. In addition to her stage and radio work, she has had lead roles in ''The Singing Detective'', ''Pride and Prejudice'' and ''Gavin and Stacey''. In 1992 she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her role as Mari in ''The Rise and Fall of Little Voice''.

Personal life

Steadman was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England, the youngest of three sisters, the daughter of Marjorie (née Evans), who died of cancer, and George Percival Steadman, who worked for Plessey, an electronics firm, as a production controller. She secured a place to go to the East 15 Acting School in the autumn of 1966, where she first met Mike Leigh, during her second year. Later, in 1972, and in Manchester to shoot his television film ''Hard Labour'', Leigh drove over to Liverpool to see Ted Whitehead's play ''The Foursome'', (Steadman was in the Liverpool Everyman cast), and asked her to be in his film. "During the preparation of the film, Mike and Alison, as they both say, 'got together.' " They married in 1973 and had two sons, Toby in February 1978 and Leo in August 1981. They separated in 1995 and divorced in 2001. Her present partner is Michael Elwyn and she lives in Highgate, London.

Career

Stage work

Having left the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Steadman worked in various regional repertory theatres, starting at Lincoln, where her first role was that of the seductive schoolgirl Sandy in ''The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie''. She created the role of the monstrous Beverly in Mike Leigh's ''Abigail's Party'', which she reprised with the original cast on television. Steadman also appeared in ''The Rise and Fall of Little Voice'', ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', ''Entertaining Mr Sloane'', ''Hotel Paradiso'', and others in locations as diverse as the Royal Court, the Theatre Royal, the Old Vic, the Hampstead Theatre, the Nottingham Playhouse, the Everyman Liverpool and the National Theatre. She starred as Elmire in the 1983 RSC production of Molière's ''Tartuffe'', which was adapted for BBC television. In 2010, Steadman was cast as Madame Arcati in a revival of Noël Coward's ''Blithe Spirit'', which was scheduled for a national tour from November 2010 to March 2011.

Film

Steadman has appeared in many films, including ''Shirley Valentine'', ''The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen'', '' Confetti'', ''Clockwise'', ''P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang'', ''Wilt'' and ''A Private Function'', ''Life Is Sweet'' and ''Topsy Turvy''.

Television

Steadman's television work includes ''Fat Friends'' as Betty, ''Grumpy Old Women'', ''Stressed Eric'', ''Selling Hitler'', ''Let Them Eat Cake'', ''The Singing Detective'', ''No Bananas'', ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'', ''Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years'' as Pauline Mole, opposite James Bolam in the television film ''The Missing Postman'' and ''Pride and Prejudice'' as Mrs. Bennet.

Television productions directed by Leigh in which she has appeared include ''Nuts in May'', ''Hard Labour'' and ''Abigail's Party''. She also appeared in the BBC comedy ''The Worst Week of My Life''. From 2007 to 2010 she appeared in the BBC comedy ''Gavin & Stacey'' as Pamela. She was also in ''Fanny Hill'' on BBC Four in 2007.

Steadman starred with Myra Frances in ''Girl'', a 1974 BBC play, containing the first lesbian kiss on British television.

Radio

On radio, Steadman's talent for mimicry and character voices was given full rein in shows such as ''Week Ending'', ''Castle's on the Air'' and ''The Worst Show on the Wireless'', in both the latter of which she played the over-protective mother to Eli Woods' long-suffering ''Bunty/Precious''. From 1982 to 1984 she joined Eli Woods and Eddie Braben (Morecambe and Wise's scriptwriter) in the UK radio show ''The Show with No Name'' for the 13 episodes, in what can be described as an updated version of ''Round the Horne'' comedy sketch show. More recently, since 2002, she has starred as Mrs Naughtie in the series ''Hamish and Dougal''. In December 2009, she starred in the late Mike Stott's 'My Mad Grandad' on BBC Radio 4.

Awards and recognition

Invested as Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1999

Nominated for Best Actress by BAFTA for ''Fat Friends'' in 2001

Nominated for Best Actress by BAFTA for ''The Singing Detective'' in 1987

Awarded Best Actress by the US National Society of Film Critics for ''Life Is Sweet'' in 1992

Awarded the Olivier for Best Actress for ''The Rise and Fall of Little Voice'' in 1993

Nominated for the Olivier for Best Actress for ''The Memory of Water'' in 1998

References

External links

Biodata at Debrett's

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of the University of Essex Category:English film actors Category:English radio actors Category:English stage actors Category:English voice actors Category:English television actors Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Actors from Liverpool

de:Alison Steadman fr:Alison Steadman nl:Alison Steadman pl:Alison Steadman sv:Alison Steadman

Honorific-prefix	The Right Honourable
Name	Tony Blair
Alt	A photograph of a man with greying hair speaking into a microphone and gesturing with his left hand
Office	Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Deputy	John Prescott
Term start	2 May 1997
Term end	27 June 2007
Predecessor	John Major
Successor	Gordon Brown
Office2	Leader of the Opposition
Monarch2	Elizabeth II
Primeminister2	John Major
Term start2	21 July 1994
Term end2	2 May 1997
Predecessor2	Margaret Beckett
Successor2	John Major
Office3	Leader of the Labour Party
Term start3	21 July 1994
Term end3	24 June 2007
Deputy3	John Prescott
Predecessor3	Margaret Beckett
Successor3	Gordon Brown
Office4	Shadow Home Secretary
Leader4	John Smith
Term start4	19 July 1992
Term end4	21 July 1994
Predecessor4	Roy Hattersley
Successor4	Jack Straw
Office5	Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
Leader5	Neil Kinnock
Term start5	13 May 1989
Term end5	19 July 1992
Predecessor5	Michael Meacher
Successor5	Frank Dobson
Office6	Shadow Secretary of State for Energy
Leader6	Neil Kinnock
Term start6	7 June 1988
Term end6	13 May 1989
Predecessor6	John Prescott
Successor6	Frank Dobson
Office7	Shadow Minister of State for Trade
Leader7	Neil Kinnock
Term start7	14 May 1987
Term end7	7 June 1988
Predecessor7	Bryan Gould
Successor7	Robin Cook
Office8	Member of Parliament for Sedgefield
Majority8	18,449 (44.5%)
Term start8	9 June 1983
Term end8	27 June 2007
Predecessor8	Constituency Created
Successor8	Phil Wilson
Birth date	May 06, 1953
Birth place	Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Birthname	Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
Party	Labour
Spouse	Cherie Booth(m. 1980–present, 4 children)
Relations	Leo Blair (father)William Blair (brother)
Children	Euan, Nicky, Kathryn, Leo
Residence	Connaught Square
Alma mater	St John's College, Oxford
Occupation	Envoy
Profession	Lawyer
Networth	£3 million est.
Religion	Roman Catholic (2007–present)
Website	Tony Blair Office }}

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He resigned from all of these positions in June 2007.

Blair was elected Leader of the Labour Party in the leadership election of July 1994, following the sudden death of his predecessor, John Smith. Under his leadership, the party adopted the term "New Labour" and moved away from its traditional left wing position towards the centre ground. Blair subsequently led Labour to a landslide victory in the 1997 general election. At 43 years old, he became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. In the first years of the New Labour government, Blair's government implemented a number of 1997 manifesto pledges, introducing the minimum wage, Human Rights Act and Freedom of Information Act, and carrying out devolution, establishing the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales, and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Blair's role as Prime Minister was particularly visible in foreign and security policy, including in Northern Ireland, where he was involved in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. From the start of the War on Terror in 2001, Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of US President George W. Bush, notably by participating in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq. Blair is the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, the only person to have led the Labour Party to three consecutive general election victories, and the only Labour Prime Minister to serve consecutive terms more than one of which was at least four years long.

He was succeeded as Leader of the Labour Party on 24 June 2007 and as Prime Minister on 27 June 2007 by Gordon Brown. On the day he resigned as Prime Minister, he was appointed the official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East. In May 2008, Blair launched his Tony Blair Faith Foundation. This was followed in July 2009 by the launching of the ''Faith and Globalisation Initiative'' with Yale University in the USA, Durham University in the UK and the National University of Singapore in Asia to deliver a postgraduate programme in partnership with the Foundation.

Background and family life

Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 6 May 1953, the second son of Leo and Hazel Blair (''née'' Corscadden). Leo Blair, the illegitimate son of two English actors, had been adopted as a baby by Glasgow shipyard worker James Blair and his wife, Mary. Hazel Corscadden was the daughter of George Corscadden, a butcher and Orangeman who moved to Glasgow in 1916 but returned to (and later died in) Ballyshannon in 1923, where his wife, Sarah Margaret (née Lipsett), gave birth to Blair's mother, Hazel, above her family's grocery shop. George Corscadden was from a family of Protestant farmers in County Donegal, Ireland, who descended from Ulster-Scots settlers who took their family name from Garscadden, now part of Glasgow.

Life as a child

Blair has one elder brother, Sir William Blair, a High Court judge, and a younger sister, Sarah. Blair spent the first 19 months of his life at the family home in Paisley Terrace in the Willowbrae area of Edinburgh. During this period, his father worked as a junior tax inspector whilst also studying for a law degree from the University of Edinburgh. In the 1950s, his family spent three and a half years in Adelaide, Australia, where his father was a lecturer in law at the University of Adelaide. The Blairs lived close to the university, in the suburb of Dulwich. The family returned to the UK in the late 1950s, living for a time with Hazel Blair's stepfather, William McClay, and her mother at their home in Stepps, near Glasgow. He spent the remainder of his childhood in Durham, England, where his father lectured at Durham University.

Education

After attending The Chorister School in Durham from 1961 to 1966, Blair boarded at Fettes College, a prestigious independent school in Edinburgh, during which time he met Charlie Falconer (a pupil at the rival Edinburgh Academy), whom he later appointed Lord Chancellor. He reportedly modelled himself on Mick Jagger. His teachers were unimpressed with him, his biographer John Rentoul, reported that "All the teachers I spoke to when researching the book said he was a complete pain in the backside and they were very glad to see the back of him." Blair was arrested at Fettes, having been mistaken for a burglar as he climbed into his dormitory using a ladder after having been out late.

After Fettes, Blair spent a year in London, where he attempted to find fame as a rock music promoter before reading jurisprudence at St John's College, Oxford. As a student, he played guitar and sang in a rock band called Ugly Rumours. During this time, he dated future ''American Psycho'' director Mary Harron.

He was influenced by fellow student and Anglican priest Peter Thomson, who awakened within Blair a deep concern for religious faith and left-wing politics. While Blair was at Oxford, his mother Hazel died of cancer, which greatly affected him. After graduating from Oxford in 1975 with a Second Class Honours BA in Jurisprudence, Blair became a member of Lincoln's Inn, enrolled as a pupil barrister, and met his future wife, Cherie Booth (daughter of the actor Tony Booth) at the law chambers founded by Derry Irvine (who was to be Blair's first Lord Chancellor), 11 King's Bench Walk Chambers. He appears in a number of reported cases, for example as in ''Nethermere (St Neots) Ltd v Gardiner'' where he represented employers unsuccessfully in an attempt to deny female factory workers holiday pay.

Marriage and children

Blair married Cherie Booth, a Roman Catholic and future Queen's Counsel, on 29 March 1980. They have four children: Euan, Nicholas, Kathryn, and Leo. Leo was the first legitimate child born to a serving Prime Minister in over 150 years—since Francis Russell was born to Lord John Russell on 11 July 1849. Blair was criticised when it was discovered that one child had received private tuition from staff at Westminster School. All four children have Irish passports, by virtue of Blair's mother Hazel.

Personal health

Blair suffered from chest pains on Sunday 19 October 2003 and underwent a cardioversion at Hammersmith Hospital.

Religious faith

In an interview with Michael Parkinson broadcast on ITV1 on 4 March 2006, Blair referred to the role of his Christian faith in his decision to go to war in Iraq, stating that he had prayed about the issue, and saying that God would judge him for his decision: "I think if you have faith about these things, you realise that judgement is made by other people … and if you believe in God, it's made by God as well."

A longer exploration of his faith can be found in an interview with ''Third Way Magazine''. There he says that "I was brought up as [a Christian], but I was not in any real sense a practising one until I went to Oxford. There was an Australian priest at the same college as me who got me interested again. In a sense, it was a rediscovery of religion as something living, that was about the world around me rather than some sort of special one-to-one relationship with a remote Being on high. Suddenly I began to see its social relevance. I began to make sense of the world".

At one point Alastair Campbell, Blair's director of strategy and communications, intervened in an interview, preventing the Prime Minister from answering a question about his Christianity, explaining, "We don't do God".

Cherie Blair's friend and "spiritual guru" Carole Caplin is credited with introducing her and her husband to various New Age symbols and beliefs, including "magic pendants" known as "BioElectric Shields". The most controversial of the Blairs' New Age practices occurred when on holiday in Mexico. The couple, wearing only bathing costumes, took part in a rebirthing procedure, which involved smearing mud and fruit over each others' bodies while sitting in a steam bath.

Later on, Blair questioned the Pope's attitude towards homosexuality, arguing that religious leaders must start "rethinking" the issue. He was later rebuked by Vincent Nichols, the new archbishop of Westminster, who said that Catholic thinking was 'rather different' from the kind promoted by the former prime minister.

On 22 December 2007, it was disclosed that Blair, who in 1996, had been reprimanded by Cardinal Basil Hume for receiving Holy Communion at Mass despite not being a Catholic, in contravention of canon law, had converted to the Catholic faith, and that it was "a private matter". He had informed Pope Benedict XVI on 23 June 2007 that he wanted to become a Catholic. The Pope and his advisors criticised some of Blair's political actions, but followed up with a reportedly unprecedented red-carpet welcome, which included Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who would be responsible for Blair's Catholic instruction.

On 14 January 2009, Blair, upon a visit to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., described, in the guest book, his home as being 'Jerusalem'. This was followed shortly after, on the occasion of his addressing of the National Prayer Breakfast, by his discussion of the issue of religion in the world and the Middle East peace process in his address and how he spends so much of his time in the Holy Land and in the Holy City. He reported his Palestinian guide as bemoaning the fate of his nation looking to heaven and saying “Moses, Jesus, Mohammed: why did they all have to come here?" For Blair the Holy City is "a good place to reflect on religion: a source of so much inspiration; an excuse for so much evil."

According to Alastair Campbell's diary, Blair often read the Bible before taking any important decisions. He states that Blair had a "wobble" and considered changing his mind on the eve of the bombing of Iraq in 1998.

Early political career

Blair joined the Labour Party shortly after graduating from Oxford in 1975. During the early 1980s, he was involved in Labour politics in Hackney South and Shoreditch, where he aligned himself with the "soft left" of the party. He unsuccessfully attempted to secure selection as a candidate for Hackney London Borough Council. Through his father-in-law, Tony Booth, he contacted Labour MP Tom Pendry to ask for help in pursuing a Parliamentary career. Pendry gave him a tour of the House of Commons and advised him to stand for selection as a candidate in a forthcoming by-election in the safe Conservative seat of Beaconsfield, where Pendry knew a senior member of the local party. Blair was chosen as the candidate; at the Beaconsfield by-election, he won only 10% of the vote and lost his deposit, but he impressed Labour Party leader Michael Foot and acquired a profile within the party. In contrast to his later centrism, Blair made it clear in a letter he wrote to Foot in July 1982, that he had "come to Socialism through Marxism" and considered himself on the left. The letter was eventually published in June 2006.

In 1983, Blair found the newly created constituency of Sedgefield, a notionally safe Labour seat near where he had grown up in Durham. The branch had not made a nomination, and Blair visited them. Several sitting MPs displaced by boundary changes were interested in securing selection to fight the seat. With the crucial support of John Burton, Blair won their endorsement; at the last minute, he was added to the short list and won the selection over Les Huckfield. Burton later became Blair's agent and one of his most trusted and longest-standing allies.

Blair's election literature in the 1983 UK general election endorsed left-wing policies that Labour advocated in the early 1980s. He called for Britain to leave the EEC, though he had told his selection conference that he personally favoured continuing membership. He also supported unilateral nuclear disarmament as a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Blair was helped on the campaign trail by soap opera actress Pat Phoenix, his father-in-law's girlfriend. Blair was elected as MP for Sedgefield despite the party's landslide defeat in the general election.

In his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 6 July 1983, Blair stated, "I am a socialist not through reading a textbook that has caught my intellectual fancy, nor through unthinking tradition, but because I believe that, at its best, socialism corresponds most closely to an existence that is both rational and moral. It stands for cooperation, not confrontation; for fellowship, not fear. It stands for equality." The Labour Party is declared in its constitution to be a democratic socialist party rather than a social democratic party; Blair himself organised this declaration of Labour to be a socialist party when he dealt with the change to the party's Clause IV in their constitution.

Once elected, Blair's political ascent was rapid. He received his first front-bench appointment in 1984 as assistant Treasury spokesman. In May 1985, he appeared on BBC's Question Time, arguing that the Conservative Government's Public Order White Paper was a threat to civil liberties. Blair demanded an inquiry into the Bank of England's decision to rescue the collapsed Johnson Matthey Bank in October 1985 and embarrassed the government by finding a EEC report critical of British economic policy that had been countersigned by a member of the Conservative government. By this time, Blair was aligned with the reforming tendencies in the party (headed by leader Neil Kinnock) and was promoted after the 1987 election to the shadow Trade and Industry team as spokesman on the City of London. In 1987, he stood for election to the Shadow Cabinet, receiving 71 votes.

Blair became Shadow Home Secretary under John Smith. John Smith died suddenly in 1994 of a heart attack. Blair beat John Prescott and Margaret Beckett in the subsequent leadership election and became Leader of the Opposition. As is customary for the holder of that office, Blair was appointed a Privy Councillor.

Leader of the Labour Party

Blair announced at the end of his speech at the 1994 Labour Party conference that he intended to replace Clause IV of the party's constitution with a new statement of aims and values. This involved the deletion of the party's stated commitment to "the common ownership of the means of production and exchange", which was widely interpreted as referring to wholesale nationalisation. At a special conference in April 1995, the clause was replaced by a statement that the party is 'democratic socialist'. in spite of the continuing economic recovery and fall in unemployment that the Conservative government (led by John Major) had overseen since the end of the 1990–92 recession.

At the 1996 Labour Party conference, Blair stated that his three top priorities on coming to office were "education, education, and education".

Aided by the unpopularity of John Major's Conservative government (itself deeply divided over the European Union), "New Labour" won a landslide victory in the 1997 general election, ending 18 years of Conservative Party government, with the heaviest Conservative defeat since 1832.

During Smith's leadership of the Labour Party, there were discussions with Paddy Ashdown, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, about forming a coalition government if the next general election resulted in a hung parliament. After Blair became leader, these talks continued – despite virtually every opinion poll since late 1992 having shown Labour with enough support to form a majority. However, the scale of the Labour victory meant that there was ultimately never any need for a coalition.

Prime Minister

Blair became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 2 May 1997, serving concurrently as First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Labour Party. The 43-year old Blair became the youngest person to become Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812, at the age of 42. With victories in 1997, 2001, and 2005, Blair was the Labour Party's longest-serving prime minister, the only person to lead the party to three consecutive general election victories.

Northern Ireland

His contribution towards assisting the Northern Ireland Peace Process by helping to negotiate the Good Friday Agreement (after 30 years of conflict) was widely recognised. Following the Omagh Bombing on 15 August 1998, by members of the Real IRA opposed to the peace process, which killed 29 people and wounded hundreds, Blair visited the County Tyrone town and met with victims at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

War on Terror

In his first six years in office Blair ordered British troops into battle five times, more than any other prime minister in British history. This included Iraq in both 1998 and 2003; Kosovo (1999); Sierra Leone (2000) and Afghanistan (2001).

From the start of the War on Terror in 2001, Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of George W. Bush, participating in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq. The invasion of Iraq was particularly controversial, as it attracted widespread public opposition and 139 of Blair's MPs opposed it. As a result, he faced criticism over the policy itself and the circumstances in which it was decided upon. Alastair Campbell described Blair's statement that the intelligence on WMDs was "beyond doubt" as his "assessment of the assessment that was given to him." In 2009, Blair stated that he would have supported removing Saddam Hussein from power even in the face of proof that he had no such weapons. Playwright Harold Pinter and former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad accused Blair of war crimes. Testifying before the Iraq Inquiry on 29 January 2010, Blair said Saddam was a "monster and I believe he threatened not just the region but the world." Blair said that British and American attitude towards Saddam Hussein had "changed dramatically" after 11 September attacks. Blair denied that he would have supported the invasion of Iraq even if he had thought Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction. He said he believed the world was safer as a result of the invasion. He also said that there was "no real difference between wanting regime change and wanting Iraq to disarm: regime change was US policy because Iraq was in breach of its UN obligations."

Relationship with Parliament

One of his first acts as Prime Minister was to replace the then twice-weekly 15-minute sessions of Prime Minister's Questions held on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a single 30-minute session on Wednesdays. In addition to PMQs, Blair held monthly press conferences at which he fielded questions from journalists and – from 2002 – broke precedent by agreeing to give evidence twice yearly before the most senior Commons select committee, The Liaison Committee. Blair was sometimes perceived as paying insufficient attention both to the views of his own Cabinet colleagues and to those of the House of Commons. His style was sometimes criticised as not that of a prime minister and head of government, which he was, but of a president and head of state—which he was not. Blair was accused of excessive reliance on spin. He is the first British Prime Minister to have been formally questioned by police, though not under caution, while still in office.

Events prior to resignation

As the casualties of the Iraq War mounted, Blair was accused of misleading Parliament, and his popularity dropped dramatically. The Labour party's overall majority in the 2005 general election was reduced to 66. As a combined result of the Blair-Brown pact, Iraq war and low approval ratings, pressure built up within the Labour party for Blair to resign. On 7 September 2006, Blair publicly stated he would step down as party leader by the time of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference held 10–13 September 2007, having promised to serve a full term during the previous general election campaign. On 10 May 2007, during a speech at the Trimdon Labour Club, Blair announced his intention to resign as both Labour Party leader and Prime Minister. At a special party conference in Manchester on 24 June 2007, he formally handed over the leadership of the Labour Party to Gordon Brown, who had been Chancellor of the Exchequer. The resulting Sedgefield by-election was won by Labour's candidate, Phil Wilson. Blair decided not to issue a list of Resignation Honours, making him the first Prime Minister of the modern era not to do so.

Policies

In 2001, Blair said, "We are a left of centre party, pursuing economic prosperity and social justice as partners and not as opposites". Blair has rarely applied such labels to himself, but he promised before the 1997 election that New Labour would govern "from the radical centre", and according to one lifelong Labour Party member, has always described himself as a social democrat. However, Labour Party backbenchers and other left wing critics typically place Blair to the right of centre. A YouGov opinion poll in 2005 also found that a small majority of British voters, including many New Labour supporters, place Blair on the right of the political spectrum. The ''Financial Times'' on the other hand has argued that Blair is not conservative, but instead a populist. The new Clause IV of the Labour Party's constitution defines the party as "Democratic Socialist".

Critics and admirers tend to agree that Blair's electoral success was based on his ability to occupy the centre ground and appeal to voters across the political spectrum, to the extent that he has been fundamentally at odds with traditional Labour Party values. Some left wing critics have argued that Blair has overseen the final stage of a long term shift of the Labour Party to the right, and that very little now remains of a Labour Left. There is also evidence that Blair's long term dominance of the centre has forced his Conservative opponents to shift a long distance to the left, in order to challenge his hegemony there.

Blair has raised taxes (but did not increase income tax for high-earners); introduced a minimum wage and some new employment rights (while keeping Margaret Thatcher's anti-trade union legislation); introduced significant constitutional reforms; promoted new rights for gay people in the Civil Partnership Act 2004; and signed treaties integrating Britain more closely with the EU. He introduced substantial market-based reforms in the education and health sectors; introduced student tuition fees; sought to reduce certain categories of welfare payments, and introduced tough anti-terrorism and identity card legislation. Under Blair's government the amount of new legislation increased which attracted criticism. Blair increased police powers by adding to the number of arrestable offences, compulsory DNA recording and the use of dispersal orders.

Environmental record

Blair has criticised other governments for not doing enough to solve global climate change. In a 1997 visit to the United States, he made a comment on "great industrialised nations" that fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Again in 2003, Blair went before the United States Congress and said that climate change "cannot be ignored", insisting "we need to go beyond even Kyoto." His record at home tends to say something different. Blair and his party have promised a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide but during his term the emissions rose. The Labour Party also claimed that by 2010 10% of the energy would come from renewable resources but in fact only 3% currently does.

In 2000 Blair "flagged up" 100 million euros for green policies and urged environmentalists and businesses to work together.

Foreign policy

Relationship with the United States

Along with enjoying a close relationship with Bill Clinton, Blair formed a strong political alliance with George W. Bush, particularly in the area of foreign policy. At one point, Nelson Mandela described Blair as "the U.S. foreign minister". Blair has also often openly been referred to as "Bush's poodle". Kendall Myers, a senior analyst at the State Department, reportedly said that he felt "a little ashamed" of Bush's treatment of the Prime Minister and that his attempts to influence U.S. policy were typically ignored: "It was a done deal from the beginning, it was a one-sided relationship that was entered into with open eyes... There was nothing, no payback, no sense of reciprocity".

For his part, Bush lauded Blair and the UK. In his post-11 September speech, for example, he stated that "America has no truer friend than Great Britain".

The alliance between Bush and Blair seriously damaged Blair's standing in the eyes of many British people. Blair argued it is in Britain's interest to "protect and strengthen the bond" with the United States regardless of who is in the White House. However, a perception of one-sided compromising personal and political closeness led to serious discussion of the term "Poodle-ism" in the UK media, to describe the "Special Relationship" of the UK government and Prime Minister with the US White House and President. A revealing conversation between Bush and Blair, with the former addressing the latter as "Yo, Blair" was recorded when they did not know a microphone was live at the G8 conference in Russia in 2006.

Middle East policy and links with Israel

According to comments in the book, ''Blair'', written by Anthony Seldon, Blair had a deep feeling for Israel, born in part from his faith. Blair has been a long time member of the pro-Israel lobby group Labour Friends of Israel.

In 1994, Blair met Michael Levy, later Lord Levy, a pop music mogul and fundraiser. Blair and Levy became close friends and tennis partners.

During his first visit to Israel, Blair thought the Israelis bugged him in his car. He also went on to claim that the Israeli prime minister was merely an "armour-plated bullshitter".

Levy ran the Labour Leader's Office Fund to finance Blair's campaign before the 1997 General Election and raised £12m towards Labour’s landslide victory, Levy was rewarded with a peerage, and in 2002, Blair appointed Levy as his personal envoy to the Middle East. Levy praised Blair for his 'solid and committed support of the State of Israel'. Tam Dalyell, while Father of the House of Commons, suggested in 2003 that Blair's foreign policy decisions were unduly influenced by a cabal of Jewish advisers, including Levy and Peter Mandelson.

Blair, on coming to office, had been 'cool towards the right-wing Netanyahu government'. After the election in 1999 of Ehud Barak, with whom Blair forged a close relationship, he became much more sympathetic to Israel. From 2001 Blair also built up a relationship with Barak's successor, Ariel Sharon, and responded positively to Arafat, whom he had met thirteen times since becoming prime minister and regarded as essential to future negotiations. In 2004, 50 former diplomats, including ambassadors to Baghdad and Tel Aviv, stated they had 'watched with deepening concern' at Britain following the U.S. into war in Iraq in 2003. They criticised Blair's support for the Road map for peace which included the retaining of Israeli settlements on the West Bank.

In 2006 Blair was criticised for his failure to immediately call for a ceasefire in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. ''The Observer'' newspaper claimed that at a cabinet meeting before Blair left for a summit with Bush on 28 July 2006, a significant number of ministers pressured Blair to publicly criticise Israel over the scale of deaths and destruction in Lebanon. Blair was criticised for his solid stance alongside U.S. President George W. Bush on Middle East policy.

In March 2010 the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments revealed that 14 months after resigning as Prime Minister, Blair had served as a paid business consultant to an oil firm with interests in Iraq. The news raised concerns that he had profited financially from contacts he made during the Iraq war.

Relationship with media

Rupert Murdoch

Blair was reported to have been supported by Rupert Murdoch the founder of the News Corporation organisation. In 1995, while leader of the Opposition, Blair disclosed in the Commons register of interests that he was a guest of Murdoch when he flew to meet him in Hayman Island.

Contacts with UK media proprietors

A Cabinet Office freedom of information response, released the day after Blair handed over power to Gordon Brown, documents Blair having various official phone calls and meetings with Rupert Murdoch of News Corporation and Richard Desmond of ''Northern and Shell Media''.

The response includes contacts "clearly of an official nature" in the specified period, but excludes contacts "not clearly of an official nature." No details were given of the subjects discussed. In the period between September 2002 and April 2005, Blair and Murdoch are documented speaking 6 times; three times in the 9 days before the Iraq war, including the eve of the 20 March US and UK invasion, and on 29 January, 25 April and 3 October 2004. Between January 2003 and February 2004, Blair had three meetings with Richard Desmond; on 29 January and 3 September 2003 and 23 February 2004.

The information was disclosed after a three and a half year battle by the Liberal Democrats' Lord Avebury.

After taking office in 1997, Blair gave particular prominence to his press secretary, who became known as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (the two roles have since been separated). Blair's first PMOS was Alastair Campbell, who served in that role from May 1997 to 8 June 2001, after which he served as the Prime Minister's Director of Communications and Strategy until his resignation on 29 August 2003 in the aftermath of the Hutton Inquiry.

Relationship with Labour Party

Blair's apparent refusal to set a date for his departure was criticised by the British press and Members of Parliament. It has been reported that a number of cabinet ministers believed that Blair's timely departure from office would be required to be able to win a fourth election. Some ministers viewed Blair's announcement of policy initiatives in September 2006 as an attempt to draw attention away from these issues.

Blair forged friendships with several conservative European leaders, including Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Angela Merkel of Germany and more recently Nicolas Sarkozy of France.

Gordon Brown

After the death of John Smith in 1994, Blair and his close colleague Gordon Brown (they shared an office at the House of Commons) were both seen as possible candidates for the party leadership. They agreed not to stand against each other, it is said, as part of a supposed Blair-Brown pact. Brown, who considered himself the senior of the two, understood that Blair would give way to him: opinion polls soon indicated, however, that Blair appeared to enjoy greater support among voters. Their relationship in power became so turbulent that (it was reported) the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, often had to act as "marriage guidance counsellor".

During the 2010 election campaign Blair publicly endorsed Gordon Brown's leadership, praising the way he had handled the financial crisis.

Post-Prime Ministerial career

Diplomacy

On 27 June 2007, Blair officially resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after ten years in office, and he was officially confirmed as Middle East envoy for the United Nations, European Union, United States, and Russia. Blair originally indicated that he would retain his parliamentary seat after his resignation as Prime Minister came into effect; however, on being confirmed for the Middle East role he resigned from the Commons by taking up an office of profit. President George W. Bush had preliminary talks with Blair to ask him to take up the envoy role. White House sources stated that "both Israel and the Palestinians had signed up to the proposal". In May 2008, Blair announced a new plan for peace and for Palestinian rights, based heavily on the ideas of the Peace Valley plan.

During the first nine days of the 2008–2009 Israel-Gaza conflict, Blair was allegedly spotted at the opening of the Armani store at Knightsbridge. Aides said he had been in phone contact with other world leaders since the fighting began.

Private sector

In January 2008, it was confirmed that Blair would be joining investment bank JPMorgan Chase in a "senior advisory capacity" and that he would advise Zurich Financial Services on climate change. Some sources have claimed that his role at JP Morgan will pay more than $1m a year. This additional salary will contribute to annual earnings of over £7m.

Blair also gives lectures and earns up to US$250,000 for a 90-minute speech. Yale University announced on 7 March 2008 that Blair will teach a course on issues of faith and globalisation at the Yale Schools of Management and Divinity as a Howland distinguished fellow during the 2008–09 academic year.

Blair's links with, and receipt of an undisclosed sum from, UI Energy Corporation, a Korean company with oil interests in northern Iraq, have also been subject to media comment in the UK.

Speculation places his personal wealth at £60 million, mostly earned since his tenure as Prime Minister, and owns nine properties around the world. In July 2010 it was reported that his personal security guards claimed £250,000 a year in expenses from the tax payer, Foreign Secretary William Hague said; "we have to make sure that [Blair's security] is as cost-effective as possible, that it doesn't cost any more to the taxpayer than is absolutely necessary".

Tony Blair Associates

Blair has established ''Tony Blair Associates''. This firm will "allow him to provide, in partnership with others, strategic advice on a commercial and ''pro bono'' [free] basis, on political and economic trends and governmental reform."

European Council president speculation

In 2009, there there was speculation in the media that Blair was open to the idea of becoming the first President of the European Council, a post created in the Treaty of Lisbon that would come into force in 2009, if successfully ratified. Gordon Brown added his support, but noted that it was premature to discuss candidates before the treaty was approved. A spokesman for Blair did not rule out him accepting the post, but said that he was concentrating on his current role in the Middle East. Blair was later invited to speak on European issues at a rally of President Sarkozy 's party, the Union for a Popular Movement, on 12 January 2008, which fuelled speculation further.

There was opposition to Blair's candidacy for the job. In the UK, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats both said they would oppose Blair. In Germany, the leader of the Free Democrats, Guido Westerwelle, said that he preferred a candidate from a smaller European country. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker emerged as a rival to Blair's candidacy and had the backing for many of the smaller European member states. In November 2009, the Belgian PM Herman Van Rompuy was named President of the European Council.

Charity

On 14 November 2007, Blair launched the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, which aims to "increase childhood participation in sports activities, especially in the North East of England, where a larger proportion of children are socially excluded, and to promote overall health and prevent childhood obesity." On 30 May 2008, Blair launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation as a vehicle for encouraging different faiths to join together in promoting respect and understanding, as well as working to tackle poverty. Reflecting Blair's own faith but not dedicated to any particular religion, the Foundation aims to "show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world". "The Foundation will use its profile and resources to encourage people of faith to work together more closely to tackle global poverty and conflict," says its mission statement.

In February 2009, he applied to set up a charity called the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative, the application was approved in November 2009.

Memoirs

In March 2010, it was reported that Blair's memoirs, titled ''The Journey'', would be published in September 2010. In July 2010 it was announced the memoirs would be retitled ''A Journey''. It was announced on 16 August 2010 that Blair would give the £4.6 million advance and all royalties from his memoirs to a sports centre for badly injured soldiers. The book was published on 1 September and within hours of its launch had become the fastest-selling autobiography of all time. On 3 September Blair gave his first live interview since publication on ''The Late Late Show'' in Ireland, with protesters lying in wait there for him. On 4 September Blair was confronted by 200 anti-war and hardline Irish nationalist demonstrators before the first book signing of his memoirs at Eason's bookstore on O'Connell Street in Dublin, with angry activists chanting "war criminal" and that he had "blood on his hands", and clashing with Irish Police (Garda Síochána) as they tried to break through a security cordon outside the Eason's store. Blair was pelted with eggs and shoes, and encountered an attempted citizen's arrest for war crimes. Social networking media have been used to protest Blair's policies and legacy of unjustified and criminal war on Iraq

Portrayals and cameo appearances

Appearances

Blair made an animated cameo appearance as himself in ''The Simpsons'' episode, "The Regina Monologues" (2003) He has also appeared himself at the end of the first episode of The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, a British TV series about an unknown housewife becoming Prime Minister. On 14 March 2007, Blair appeared as a celebrity judge on ''Masterchef goes Large'' after contestants had to prepare a three course meal in the Downing Street kitchens for Blair and Bertie Ahern. On 16 March 2007, Blair featured in a comedy sketch with Catherine Tate, who appeared in the guise of her character Lauren Cooper from ''The Catherine Tate Show''. The sketch was made for the BBC Red Nose Day fundraising programme of 2007. During the sketch, Blair used Lauren's catchphrase "Am I bovvered?".

Portrayals

Michael Sheen has portrayed Blair three times, in the films ''The Deal'' (2003), ''The Queen'' (2006), and ''The Special Relationship'' (2009). Blair was portrayed by Robert Lindsay in the TV programme ''A Very Social Secretary'' (2005), and reprised the role in ''The Trial of Tony Blair'' (2007). He was also portrayed by James Larkin in ''The Government Inspector'' (2005), and by Ioan Gruffudd in ''W.'' (2008).

Blair in fiction and satire

When Blair resigned as Prime Minister, Robert Harris, a former Fleet Street political editor, dropped his other work to write ''The Ghost''. The CIA-influenced British Prime Minister in the book is said to be a thinly disguised version of Blair. In November 2007 it was announced that Roman Polanski was to direct the film version of the novel, and would be writing the script with Harris. The film was released in February 2010 in the US. Polanski's film saw Pierce Brosnan portray former-Prime Minister Adam Lang, and dramatises Blair's relationship with the United States, as well as the possibility of war crime charges.

Titles and honours

Styles from 1983 election

Mr Anthony Charles Lynton Blair MP (1983–1994)

''The Rt Hon'' Anthony Charles Lynton Blair MP (1994–2007)

''The Rt Hon'' Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (2007–present)

Honours

Privy Councillor (1994)

Congressional Gold Medal (2003)

Honorary Doctor of Law (LL.D.) from Queen's University Belfast (2008)

Presidential Medal of Freedom (2009)

Dan David Prize (2009)

Liberty Medal (2010)

In May 2007, before his resignation, it was reported that Blair would be offered a knighthood in the Order of the Thistle, owing to his Scottish connections (rather than the Order of the Garter, which is usually offered to former Prime Ministers). No such move has been made since, and Blair has reportedly indicated that he does not want the traditional knighthood or peerage bestowed on former prime ministers.

On 22 May 2008, Blair received an honorary law doctorate from Queen's University Belfast, alongside former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, for distinction in public service and roles in the Northern Ireland peace process.

On 13 January 2009, Blair was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. Bush stated that Blair was given the award "in recognition of exemplary achievement and to convey the utmost esteem of the American people" and cited Blair's support for the War on Terror and his role in achieving peace in Northern Ireland as two reasons for justifying his being presented with the award.

On 16 February 2009, Blair was awarded the Dan David Prize by Tel Aviv University for "exceptional leadership and steadfast determination in helping to engineer agreements and forge lasting solutions to areas in conflict". He was awarded the prize in May 2009.

On 13 September 2010, Blair was awarded the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was presented by former President Bill Clinton, and is awarded annually to men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.

Works

Blair, Tony (2010). ''A Journey'' Random House, ISBN 009192555X OCLC Number 657172683 London

Blair, Tony (2002). ''The Courage of Our Convictions'' Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0603-4 London

Blair, Tony (2000). ''Superpower: Not Superstate? (Federal Trust European Essays)'' Federal Trust for Education & Research, ISBN 1-903403-25-1 London

Blair, Tony (1998). ''The Third Way: New Politics for the New Century'' Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0588-7 London

Blair, Tony (1998). ''Leading the Way: New Vision for Local Government'' Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1-86030-075-8 London

Blair, Tony (1997). ''New Britain: My Vision of a Young Country'' Basic Books, ISBN 0-8133-3338-5 New York

Blair, Tony (1995). ''Let Us Face the Future'' Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0571-2 London

Blair, Tony (1994). ''What Price Safe Society?'' Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0562-3 London

Blair, Tony (1994). ''Socialism'' Fabian Society, ISBN 0-7163-0565-8 London

See also

Bush-Blair memo

Blair Ministry

Blairism

'Cash for Honours' scandal

Cultural depictions of Tony Blair

Impeach Blair campaign

Labour Party leadership election, 2007

Politics of the United Kingdom

Tony Blair Faith Foundation‎

Electoral history of Tony Blair

Notes

Further reading

Miscellany

Blair, T. (2004) "Blair, The Right Hon. A. C. L." from ''Who's Who'', 156th ed., London: A & C Black

Halsbury's Laws of England (2004), reference to impeachment in volume on Constitutional Law and Human Rights, paragraph 416

''The Queen'' (2006 film)

External links

Tony Blair's post-Downing Street official website

Tony Blair Faith Foundation

A Day in the Life an on-line documentary by Tony Blair on life as Prime Minister, at number-10.gov.uk

at www.pm.gov.uk

The Blair Years—Timeline at ''BBC News''

Special Report – The Blair years 1997–2007 at ''BBC News''

Official video showing Tony Blair celebrating 100 years of the Scout movement at Downing St

Hansard – Prime Ministers Question Time, 27 June 2007 – Official transcript of Tony Blair's final appearance in the Commons containing a mix of day to day business, tributes, quips and light hearted put downs.

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