birth name	John Joseph Travolta
birth date	February 18, 1954
birth place	Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
occupation	Actor, singer, dancer, producer, writer
years active	1969–present
religion	Roman Catholic (until 1975)Scientologist (1975-present)
spouse
children
residence	Jumbolair subdivision; Ocala, Florida
website	http://www.travolta.com }}

John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, dancer, and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' and starring in the box office successes ''Saturday Night Fever'' and ''Grease''. Travolta's acting career declined in the early 1980s and continued to deteriorate for the rest of the decade. His career enjoyed a resurgence in the 1990s with his role in ''Pulp Fiction'', and he has since continued starring in Hollywood films, including ''Face/Off'', ''Ladder 49'', and ''Wild Hogs''. Travolta was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for ''Saturday Night Fever'' and ''Pulp Fiction''. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in ''Get Shorty''.

Early life[link]

Travolta, the youngest of six children, was born and raised in Englewood, New Jersey, an inner-ring suburb of New York City. His father, Salvatore Travolta (November 1912 – May 1995), was a semi-professional American football player turned tire salesman and partner in a tire company. His mother, Helen Cecilia (née Burke, January 1912 – December 1978), was an actress and singer who had appeared in ''The Sunshine Sisters'', a radio vocal group, and acted and directed before becoming a high school drama and English teacher. His siblings, Joey, Ellen, Ann, Margaret, and Sam Travolta, have all acted. His father was a second-generation Italian American and his mother was Irish American; he grew up in an Irish-American neighborhood and has said that his household was predominantly Irish in culture. He was raised Roman Catholic, but converted to Scientology in 1975.

Career[link]

Early career[link]

After attending Dwight Morrow High School, Travolta moved across the Hudson River to New York City and landed a role in the touring company of the musical ''Grease'' and on Broadway in ''Over Here!'', singing the Sherman Brothers' song "Dream Drummin'". He then moved to Los Angeles to further his career in show business.

Travolta's first California-filmed television role was as a fall victim in, ''Emergency!'' (S2E2), in September 1972, but his first significant movie role was as Billy Nolan, a bully who was goaded into playing a prank on Sissy Spacek's character in the horror film, ''Carrie'' (1976). Around the same time, he landed his star-making role as Vinnie Barbarino in the TV sitcom ''Welcome Back, Kotter'' (1975–1979), in which his sister, Ellen, also occasionally appeared (as Arnold Horshack's mother). The show aired on ABC.

1970s stardom[link]

Around this time, Travolta had a hit single entitled "Let Her In", peaking at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the next few years, he appeared in two of his most noted screen roles: Tony Manero in ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977) and as Danny Zuko in ''Grease'' (1978). The films were among the most commercially successful pictures of the decade and catapulted Travolta to international stardom. ''Saturday Night Fever'' earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. At age 24, Travolta became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Best Actor Oscar. His mother and his sister Ann appeared as extras in ''Saturday Night Fever'' and his sister Ellen appeared as a waitress in ''Grease''. Travolta performed several of the songs on the ''Grease'' soundtrack album. In 1980, Travolta inspired a nationwide country music craze that followed on the heels of his hit film, ''Urban Cowboy'', in which he starred with Debra Winger.

Downturn[link]

After ''Urban Cowboy'', Travolta starred in a series of financial and critical failures that sidelined his acting career. These included ''Perfect'', co-starring Jamie Lee Curtis, and ''Two of a Kind'', a romantic comedy reteaming him with Olivia Newton-John. During that time he was offered, but turned down, lead roles in what would become box office hits, including ''American Gigolo'' and ''An Officer and a Gentleman'', both of which went to Richard Gere.

Resurgence[link]

In 1989, Travolta starred in ''Look Who's Talking'', which grossed $297,000,000, making it his most successful film since ''Grease''. Travolta continued to the two sequels ''Look Who's Talking Too'' (1990) and ''Look Who's Talking Now'' (1993). But it was not until he played Vincent Vega in Quentin Tarantino's hit ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), for which he received an Academy Award nomination, that his career revived. The movie shifted him back onto the A-list, and he was inundated with offers. Notable roles following ''Pulp Fiction'' include a movie-buff loan shark in ''Get Shorty'' (1995), an FBI agent and terrorist in ''Face/Off'' (1997), a desperate attorney in ''A Civil Action'' (1998), a Bill Clinton-esque presidential candidate in ''Primary Colors'' (1998), and a military detective in ''The General's Daughter'' (1999).

2000–present[link]

Travolta also starred in ''Battlefield Earth'' (2000) based on a work of science fiction by L. Ron Hubbard, in which he played the leader of a group of aliens that enslaves humanity on a bleak future Earth. The film received almost universally negative reviews and did very poorly at the box office. Travolta played Mrs. Edna Turnblad in the remake of ''Hairspray'', his first musical since ''Grease''.

Personal life[link]

Travolta was in a relationship with actress Diana Hyland, whom he met while filming ''The Boy in the Plastic Bubble''; Hyland died of breast cancer in 1977.

Travolta married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. The couple had a son, Jett (1992–2009). Their daughter, Ella Bleu, was born in 2000. On May 18, 2010, Travolta and Preston announced that she was pregnant with the couple's third child, later confirmed to be a boy. Their son, Benjamin, was born on November 23, 2010 in Florida.

Travolta and Preston have regularly attended marriage counseling; Travolta has stated that therapy has helped the marriage.

Travolta is a certified private pilot and owns five aircraft, including an ex-Qantas Boeing 707–138 airliner. The plane bears the name ''Jett Clipper Ella'' in honor of his children. Pan American World Airways was a large operator of the Boeing 707 and used Clipper in its names. The 707 aircraft bears the marks of Qantas, as Travolta acts as an official goodwill ambassador for the airline wherever he flies. His $4.9 million estate in the Jumbolair subdivision in Ocala, Florida, is situated on Greystone Airport with its own runway and taxiway right to his front door.

On November 24, 1992, Travolta was piloting his Gulfstream N728T at night above a solid undercast, when he experienced a total electrical system failure, while flying under instrument flight rules into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. During the emergency landing he almost had a mid-air collision with a USAir Boeing 727, an event attributed to a risky decision by an air traffic controller.

On September 13, 2010, during the first episode of the final season of her talk show, Oprah Winfrey announced that she would be taking her entire studio audience on an 8-day expenses-paid trip to Australia, with Travolta serving as pilot for the trip. He had helped Winfrey plan the trip for over a year.

Travolta has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975 when he was given the book ''Dianetics'' while filming the movie ''The Devil's Rain'' in Durango, Mexico. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, joining other celebrities in helping with the relief efforts, Travolta flew his 707 full of supplies, doctors, and Scientologist Volunteer Ministers into the disaster area.

In May 2012, an anonymous masseur filed a lawsuit against Travolta citing claims of sexual assault and battery. A lawyer for Travolta said that the allegations were "complete fiction and fabrication" and someone wanting their 15 minutes of fame. Travolta's counsel also stated that his client would be able to prove that he was not in California on the day in question and asserted that Travolta would "sue the attorney and Plaintiff for malicious prosecution" after getting the case thrown out. A second masseur later joined the lawsuit making similar claims.

Son's death[link]

On January 2, 2009, Travolta and Preston's son, Jett, died while on their vacation in The Bahamas. A Bahamian death certificate was issued, attributing the cause of death to a seizure. Jett, who had a history of seizures, reportedly suffered from Kawasaki disease as an infant. On September 24, 2009, Travolta and Preston confirmed speculation that their son had autism and suffered regular seizures. They made their statements while giving testimony after a multi-million dollar extortion plot against them regarding the circumstances of their son's death. After a mistrial, Travolta dropped the charges. Travolta has credited his family and faith in helping him survive the tragic death of his son, and in moving forward with his film career.

Filmography[link]

+ List of film and television credits
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1975	''''	John	TV movie
1975	''''	Danny
1976	''''	Tod Lubitch
1976		Billy Nolan
1977	''Saturday Night Fever''	Tony Manero
1978	''Moment by Moment''	Strip Harrison
1978
1980	''Urban Cowboy''	Buford 'Bud' Uan Davis
1981	''Blow Out''	Jack Terry
1983		Tony Manero
1983		Zack Melon
1985		Adam Lawrence
1987		Ben	TV segment "The Dumb Waiter"
1989	''Look Who's Talking''	James Ubriacco
1989	''''	Travis
1990	''Look Who's Talking Too''	James Ubriacco
1991		Jack Cabe
1991	''Eyes Of An Angel''	Bobby	aka ''The Tender''
1991	''Chains of Gold''	Scott Barnes	TV movie; also writer
1992	''Boris and Natasha: The Movie''	Himself	cameo
1993	''Look Who's Talking Now''	James Ubriacco
1994		Vincent Vega
1995		Chili Palmer
1995		Louis Pinnock
1996
1996		George Malley
1996	''Orientation: A Scientology Information Film''	Himself	short subject
1996		Maj. Vic 'Deak' Deakins
1997		Himself	documentary
1997		Sam Baily
1997	''Face/Off''	Sean Archer/Castor Troy
1997	''She's So Lovely''	Joey Giamonti	also executive producer
1998	''''	Jan Schlichtmann
1998	''''	Brigadier General Quintard
1998	''Junket Whore''	Himself	documentary
1998		Governor Jack Stanton	Nomination—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1999	''''	Warr. Off. Paul Brenner/Sgt. Frank White
1999	''Our Friend, Martin''	Kyle's dad	animated educational film, voice only
2000	''Welcome to Hollywood''	Himself	mockumentary; cameo
2000	''Lucky Numbers''
2000			also producerRazzie Award for Worst Actor
2001	''Domestic Disturbance''	Frank Morrison
2001		Gabriel Shear
2002	''Austin Powers in Goldmember''	"Austinpussy" Johann van der Smut (Goldmember) / Himself	cameo
2003		Tom Hardy
2004	''Ladder 49''	Captain Mike Kennedy
2004	''''	Bobby Long
2004	''''	Howard Saint
2005	''Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D''		narrator; documentary
2005	''Be Cool''	Chili Palmer
2006		Elmer C. Robinson
2007	''Wild Hogs''	Woody Stevens
2007
2008		Bolt the Dog	voice
2009	''''	Benard Ryder
2009		Charlie Reed
2010		Charlie Wax
2012		Dennis
2013		Emil Kovac

+ List of credits in series television
! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1972	''Emergency!''	Chuck Benson	Episode: "Kids"
1972	''Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law''		Episode: "A Piece of God"
1973	''''	Eddie Halley	Episode: " Frozen Smoke"
1974		Danny	Episode: "Saturday's Child"
1975–1979	''Welcome Back, Kotter''		Credited as "Special Guest Star" (Season 4 only)

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

! Year	! Album	! style="width:50px;"
1974	''Over Here!''
1976	''John Travolta''
1977	''Can't Let You Go''
	''Travolta Fever''
1983	''Two of a Kind''
1986	''The Road to Freedom''
1996	''Let Her In: The Best of John Travolta''
2003	''The Collection''
2007	''Hairspray''

Singles[link]

"Dream Drummin (1974)

"Easy Evil" (1975)

"Can't Let You Go" (1975)

"You Set My Dreams To Music" (1976)

"Goodnight Mr. Moon" (1976)

"Rainbows" (1976)

"Settle Down" (1976)

"Moonlight Lady" (1976)

"Right Time Of The Night" (1976)

"Big Trouble" (1976)

"What Would They Say" (1976)

"Back Doors Crying" (1976)

"Let Her In" (1976) – #10

"Whenever I'm Away From You" (1976) – #38

"Slow Dancin'" (1976)

"It Had To Be You" (1976)

"I Don't Know What I Like About You Baby" (1976)

"All Strung Out On You" (1977) – #34

"Baby, I Could Be So Good At Lovin' You" (1977)

"Razzamatazz" (1977)

"You're the One That I Want" – #1 (1978) (w/ Olivia Newton-John)

"Sandy" (1978)

"Greased Lightnin" (1978) – #47

"Never Gonna Fall in Love Again" (1980)

"Take A Chance" (1983) (w/ Olivia Newton-John)

"Two Sleepy People" (1997) (w/ Carly Simon)

"I Thought I Lost You" (2008) (w/ Miley Cyrus)

See also[link]

List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest Nominees for Best Actor

References[link]

Further reading[link]

Tast, Brigitte (ed.) ''John Travolta''. (Hildesheim/Germany 1978) ISBN 3-88842-103-9.

External links[link]

John Travolta: A Passionate Ambassador of Aviation

Category:1954 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from New Jersey Category:American aviators Category:American dancers Category:American film actors Category:American male singers Category:American musical theatre actors Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American pop singers Category:American Scientologists Category:American television actors Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Converts from Roman Catholicism Category:Former Roman Catholics Category:Living people Category:People from Englewood, New Jersey

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background	solo_singer
birth date	September 26, 1948
birth place	Cambridge, England, UK
origin	Melbourne, Australia
instrument	Vocals, piano, guitar, recorder
genre	Pop, country, soft rock
occupation	Singer, actress, songwriter, entrepreneur
years active	1963–present
label	Uni, MCA, EMI, Pye, Festival
associated acts	Cliff Richard, John Travolta, Electric Light Orchestra, John Farrar, Helen Reddy, Bruce Welch
website	olivianewton-john.com
spouse	Amazon John Easterling (2008–present)Matt Lattanzi (1984–95) (divorced) 1 child }}

Olivia Newton-John, AO, OBE (born 26 September 1948) is an English-Australian singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles (including two platinum) and 14 of her albums (including two platinum and four double platinum) have been certified gold by the RIAA. Her music has been successful in multiple formats including pop, country and adult contemporary and has sold an estimated over 100 million albums worldwide. She co-starred with John Travolta in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical ''Grease,'' which featured one of the most successful film soundtracks in Hollywood history.

Newton-John has been a long-time activist for environmental and animal rights issues. Since surviving breast cancer in 1992, she has been an advocate for health awareness becoming involved with various charities, health products and fundraising efforts. Her business interests have included launching several product lines for Koala Blue and co-owning the Gaia Retreat & Spa in Australia.

Newton-John has been married twice. She currently lives with her second husband, John Easterling, in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida. She is the mother of one daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, with her first husband, actor Matt Lattanzi.

Life and career [link]

Early life and beginnings [link]

Olivia Newton-John was born in Cambridge, England, to a Welsh father, Brinley ("Bryn") Newton-John, and a German-born mother, Irene Born, the eldest child of the Nobel prize-winning atomic physicist Max Born. Her mother's family had left Germany before World War II to avoid the Nazi regime (Newton-John's maternal grandfather was Jewish, and her maternal grandmother was of paternal Jewish ancestry). She is a distant relative to Ben Elton. Her maternal great-grandfather was jurist Victor Ehrenberg and her matrilineal great-grandmother's father was German jurist Rudolf von Jhering. Newton-John is the youngest of three children, following brother Hugh, a doctor, and sister Rona, an actress who was married to ''Grease'' co-star Jeff Conaway from 1980 until their divorce in 1985. Newton-John's father was an MI.5 officer on the Enigma project at Bletchley Park who took Rudolf Hess into custody during World War II. In 1954, when she was six, Newton-John's family emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where her father worked as a professor of German and as Master of Ormond College at the University of Melbourne.

At fourteen Newton-John formed a short-lived all-girl group, Sol Four, with three classmates often performing in a coffee shop owned by her brother-in-law. She became a regular on local Australian radio and television shows including HSV-7's ''The Happy Show'' where she performed as "Lovely Livvy". She also appeared on the ''Go Show'' where she met future duet partner, Pat Carroll, and future music producer John Farrar (Carroll and Farrar would later marry). She entered and won a talent contest on the television program ''Sing, Sing, Sing,'' hosted by 1960s Australian icon Johnny O'Keefe, performing the songs "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses". Newton-John was initially reluctant to use the prize she had won, a trip to England, but travelled there nearly a year later after her mother encouraged her to broaden her horizons.

Newton-John recorded her first single, "Till You Say You'll Be Mine" b/w "Forever", in England for Decca Records in 1966. Newton-John was homesick in England for her then-boyfriend, Ian Turpie, with whom she had co-starred in the Australian telefilm, ''Funny Things Happen Down Under.'' Newton-John would repeatedly book trips back to Australia that her mother would subsequently cancel. Newton-John's outlook changed when Pat Carroll also moved to England. The two formed a duo called "Pat and Olivia" and toured nightclubs in Europe. (In one incident, they were booked at Paul Raymond's Revue in Soho, London. Dressed primly in frilly, high-collared dresses, they were unaware that this was a strip club until they began to perform onstage.) After Carroll's visa expired forcing her to return to Australia, Newton-John remained in England to pursue solo work until 1975. She became engaged to the Shadows' guitarist Bruce Welch, but they never married.

Newton-John was recruited for the group Toomorrow formed by American producer Don Kirshner who was also the music consultant for the earliest recordings of the Monkees. In 1970, the group starred in a "science fiction musical" film and recorded an accompanying soundtrack album both named after the group. The project bombed and the group disbanded.

Early success [link]

Newton-John released her first solo album, ''If Not For You'' (No. 158 Pop), in 1971. The title track, written by Bob Dylan and previously recorded by Beatle George Harrison for his 1970 album, ''All Things Must Pass,'' was her first international hit (No. 25 Pop, No. 1 Adult Contemporary ("AC")). Her follow-up single, "Banks of the Ohio", was a Top 10 hit in England and Australia. She was voted Best British Female Vocalist two years in a row by the magazine ''Record Mirror.'' She made frequent appearances on Cliff Richard's weekly show, ''It's Cliff Richard'', and starred with him in the telefilm, ''The Case.''

In 1974, Newton-John represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Long Live Love". The song was chosen for Newton-John by the British public out of six possible entries. (Newton-John later admitted that she disliked the song.) Newton-John placed fourth at the contest held in Brighton behind ABBA's winning "Waterloo". All six Eurovision contest song candidates were recorded by Newton-John and included on her ''Long Live Love'' album, her first for the EMI Records label.

In the United States, Newton-John's career floundered after ''If Not For You.'' Subsequent singles including "Banks of the Ohio" (No. 94 Pop, No. 34 AC) and remakes of George Harrison's "What Is Life" (No. 34 AC) and John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" (No. 119 Pop) made minimal chart impact until the release of "Let Me Be There" in 1973. The song reached the American Top 10 on the Pop (No. 6), Country (No. 7), and AC (No. 3) charts and earned her a Grammy for Best Country Female and an Academy of Country Music award for Most Promising Female Vocalist. The album, ''Let Me Be There,'' charted No. 1 on Country Albums for two weeks as well as No. 54 on the Billboard 200.

The ''Long Live Love'' album was released in the United States as ''If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' with the six Eurovision songs dropped for four different, more country-oriented tracks intended to capitalize on the success of "Let Me Be There". The title track was the first single reaching No. 5 Pop, No. 2 Country (her best country placement to date) and No. 2 AC. The next single, "I Honestly Love You", became Newton-John's signature song. Written and composed by Jeff Barry and Peter Allen, the ballad became her first No. 1 Pop (two weeks), second No. 1 AC (three weeks) and third Top 10 Country (No. 6) hit and earned Newton-John two more Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance-Female. The success of both singles helped the album reach No. 1 on both the Pop (one week) and Country (eight weeks) Albums charts.

Newton-John's country success sparked a debate among purists who believed a foreigner singing country-flavoured pop music did not belong in country music. In addition to her Grammy for "Let Me Be There", Newton-John was also named the Country Music Association Female Vocalist of the Year in 1974, defeating more established nominees Loretta Lynn, Canadian Anne Murray, Dolly Parton and Tanya Tucker. This outrage led to the formation of the short-lived Association of Country Entertainers (ACE). Newton-John was eventually supported by the country music community. Stella Parton, Dolly's sister, recorded "Ode to Olivia" and Newton-John recorded her 1976 album, ''Don't Stop Believin','' in Nashville.

Encouraged by expatriate Australian singer Helen Reddy, Newton-John left England and moved to the United States. Newton-John topped the Pop (one week) and Country (six weeks) Albums charts with her next album, ''Have You Never Been Mellow.'' The album generated two singles – the John Farrar penned title track (No. 1 Pop, No. 3 Country, No. 1 AC) and "Please Mr. Please" (No. 3 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC). Newton-John's pop career cooled with the release of her next album, ''Clearly Love.'' Her streak of five consecutive gold Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 ended when the album's first single, "Something Better to Do", stopped at No. 13 (also No. 19 Country and No. 1 AC). Although her albums still achieved gold status, she did not return to the Top 10 on the Hot 100 or Billboard 200 charts again until 1978.

Newton-John's singles continued to easily top the AC chart, where she ultimately amassed ten No. 1 singles including a record seven consecutively:

"I Honestly Love You" (1974) – 3 weeks

"Have You Never Been Mellow" (1975) – 1 week

"Please Mr. Please" (1975) – 3 weeks

"Something Better to Do" (1975) – 3 weeks

"Let It Shine"/"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (1976) – 2 weeks

"Come on Over" (1976) – 1 week

"Don't Stop Believin'" (1976) – 1 week

She also provided a prominent, but uncredited, vocal on John Denver's "Fly Away" single which was succeeded by her own single, "Let It Shine"/"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," at No. 1 on the AC chart. ("Fly Away" returned to No. 1 after the two week reign of "Let It Shine".) Newton-John also continued to reach the Country Top 10 where she tallied seven Top 10 singles through 1976's "Come on Over" (No. 23 Pop, No. 5 Country, No. 1 AC) and six consecutive (of a career nine total) Top 10 albums through 1976's ''Don't Stop Believin''' (No. 30 Pop, No. 7 Country). She headlined her first U.S. television special, ''A Special Olivia Newton-John,'' in November 1976.

By mid-1977, Newton-John's AC and country success also began to wane. Her ''Making a Good Thing Better'' album (No. 34 Pop, No. 13 Country) failed to be certified gold, and its only single, the title track (No. 87 Pop, No. 20 AC), did not reach even the AC Top 10 or the Country chart. Later that year, ''Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits'' (No. 13 Pop, No. 7 Country) became her first platinum album as she prepared to launch a new phase in her career.

''Grease'' [link]

Newton-John's career soared after starring in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, ''Grease,'' in 1978. She was offered the lead role of Sandy after meeting producer Allan Carr at a dinner party at Helen Reddy's home. Burned by her ''Toomorrow'' experience and concerned that she was too old to play a high school senior (she turned 29 during the latter 1977 filming), Newton-John insisted on a screen test with the film's co-star, John Travolta. The film accommodated Newton-John's Australian accent by recasting her character from the play's original American Sandy Dumbrowski to Sandy Olsson, an Australian who vacations and then moves with her family to the United States. Newton-John previewed some of the film's soundtrack during her second American network television special, ''Olivia,'' featuring guests ABBA and Andy Gibb.

''Grease'' became the biggest box-office hit of 1978. The soundtrack album spent 12 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 and yielded three Top 5 singles for Newton-John: the platinum "You're The One That I Want" (No. 1 Pop, No. 23 AC) with John Travolta, the gold "Hopelessly Devoted to You" (No. 3 Pop, No. 20 Country, No. 7 AC) and the gold "Summer Nights" (No. 5 Pop, No. 21 AC) with John Travolta and the film's cast. The former two songs were written and composed by Newton-John's long-time music producer, John Farrar, specifically for the film. ("Summer Nights" was from the original play written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.) Newton-John became the second female (after Linda Ronstadt in 1977) to have two singles – "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Summer Nights" – in the Billboard Top 5 simultaneously. Newton-John's performance earned her a People's Choice award for Favorite Motion Picture Actress. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Actress in a Musical and performed the Oscar-nominated "Hopelessly Devoted to You" at the 1979 Academy Awards.

The film's popularity has endured through the years. It was re-released for its 20th anniversary in 1998 and ranked as the second highest grossing film behind ''Titanic'' in its opening weekend. It was most recently re-released in July 2010 as a sing-along version in select American theatres. The soundtrack still sells strongly enough to often appear on ''Billboard's'' Top Soundtracks chart.

New image [link]

Newton-John's transformation in ''Grease'' from goody-goody "Sandy 1" to spandex-clad "Sandy 2" emboldened Newton-John to do the same with her music career. In November 1978, she released her next studio album, ''Totally Hot,'' which became her first solo Top 10 (No. 7) album since ''Have You Never Been Mellow.'' Dressed on the cover all in leather, the album's singles "A Little More Love" (No. 3 Pop, No. 94 Country, No. 4 AC), "Deeper than the Night" (No. 11 Pop, No. 87 Country, No. 4 AC), and the title track (No. 52 Pop) all demonstrated a more aggressive and uptempo sound for Newton-John. Although the album de-emphasized country, it still reached No. 4 on the Country Albums chart. Newton-John released the B-side, "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round," of the "Totally Hot" single to Country radio peaking at No. 29 (as well as No. 82 Pop and No. 25 AC), becoming her last charted solo Country airplay single to date.

Newton-John began 1980 by releasing "I Can't Help It" (No. 12 Pop, No. 8 AC), a duet with Andy Gibb from his ''After Dark'' album, and by starring in her third television special, ''Hollywood Nights.'' Later that year, she appeared in her first film since ''Grease'' starring in the musical ''Xanadu'' with Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. Although the movie was a critical failure, its soundtrack (No. 4 Pop) was certified double platinum boasting five Top 20 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Newton-John charted with "Magic" (No. 1 Pop, No. 1 AC), "Suddenly" with Cliff Richard (No. 20 Pop, No. 4 AC) and the title song with the Electric Light Orchestra (No. 8 Pop, No. 2 AC). (The Electric Light Orchestra also charted with "I'm Alive" (No. 16 Pop, No. 48 AC) and "All Over the World" (No. 13 Pop, No. 46 AC).) "Magic" was Newton-John's biggest Pop hit to that point (four weeks at No. 1) and still ranks as the biggest AC hit of her career (five weeks at No. 1). The film has since become a cult classic and the basis for a well-reviewed Broadway show that ran for more than 500 performances beginning in 2007 and was nominated for four Tony Awards including Best Musical. (A successful international tour of the show followed.)

In 1981, Newton-John released her most successful studio album, the double platinum ''Physical.'' The title track, written by Steve Kipner and Terry Shaddick, spent ten weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, matching the then record of most weeks spent at No. 1 in the rock era held by Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life." The single was certified platinum and it ultimately ranked as the biggest song of the decade. (In 2008, Billboard ranked the song No. 6 among all songs that charted in the 50-year history of the Hot 100.) "Physical" even earned Newton-John her only placement ever on the R&B; Singles (No. 28) and Albums (No. 32) chart. The ''Physical'' album spawned two more singles, "Make a Move on Me" (No. 5 Pop, No. 6 AC) and "Landslide" (No. 52 Pop).

The provocative lyrics of the title track prompted two Utah radio stations to ban the single from their playlists. (In 2010, Billboard magazine ranked this as the most popular single ever about sex.) To counter its overtly suggestive tone, Newton-John filmed an exercise-themed video that turned the song into an aerobics anthem and made headbands a fashion accessory outside the gym. Newton-John became a pioneer in the nascent music video industry by recording a video album for ''Physical'' featuring videos of all the album's tracks and three of her older hits. The video album earned her a fourth Grammy and was aired as an ABC prime time special, ''Let's Get Physical,'' becoming a Top 10 Nielsen hit. The success of ''Physical'' led to an international tour and the release of her second hits collection, the double platinum ''Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2'' (No. 16 Pop), which yielded two more Top 40 singles: "Heart Attack" (No. 3 Pop) and "Tied Up" (No. 38 Pop). The tour was filmed for her ''Olivia In Concert'' television special which premiered on HBO in January 1983. The special was subsequently released to video earning Newton-John another Grammy nomination.

Newton-John re-teamed with Travolta in 1983 for the critically and commercially unsuccessful ''Two of a Kind,'' redeemed by its platinum soundtrack (No. 26 Pop) featuring "Twist of Fate" (No. 5 Pop), "Livin' in Desperate Times" (No. 31 Pop), and a new duet with Travolta, "Take a Chance" (No. 3 AC). Newton-John released another video package, the Grammy-nominated ''Twist of Fate,'' featuring videos of her four songs on the ''Two of a Kind'' soundtrack and the two new singles from ''Olivia's Greatest Hits Vol. 2.''

The same year, Newton-John and Pat Carroll founded ''Koala Blue.'' The store, originally for Australian imports, evolved into a chain of women's clothing boutiques. The chain was initially successful, but it eventually declared bankruptcy and closed in 1992. Newton-John and Farrar would later license the brand name for a line of Australian produced wines, confections, and bed/bath products. Newton-John married her long-time boyfriend, actor Matt Lattanzi, in December 1984. The couple had met four years earlier while filming ''Xanadu.'' Their daughter, Chloe Rose Lattanzi, was born in January 1986. (They divorced in 1995.)

Newton-John's music career cooled again with the release of her next studio album, the gold ''Soul Kiss'' (No. 29 Pop), in 1985. The album's only charted single was the title track (No. 20 Pop, No. 20 AC). Due to her pregnancy, Newton-John limited her publicity for the album. The video album for ''Soul Kiss'' featured only five of the album's ten tracks (concept videos for the album's singles "Soul Kiss" and "Toughen Up" as well as performance videos of the tracks "Culture Shock", "Emotional Tangle" and "The Right Moment").

Motherhood and advocacy[link]

After a nearly three-year hiatus following the birth of Chloe, Newton-John resumed her recording career with the 1988 album, ''The Rumour.'' The album was promoted by an HBO special, ''Olivia Down Under,'' and its first single, the title track, was written and produced by Elton John. Both the single (No. 62 Pop, No. 33 AC) and the album (No. 67 Pop) fizzled as the nearly 40 year-old Newton-John seemed "old" when compared with the teen queens Debbie Gibson and Tiffany ruling the Pop charts at that time. (Ironically, this album was praised by critics as more mature with Newton-John addressing topics such as AIDS, the environment and single-parent households.) The second single, "Can't We Talk It Over in Bed," did not chart, but was released in 1989 by Grayson Hugh, the song's arranger, as "Talk It Over" becoming a Top 20 Pop hit. A year later, Newton-John recorded her self-described "self-indulgent" album, ''Warm and Tender.'' Inspired by her daughter, who appeared on the album cover, the album featured lullabies and love songs for parents and their children. This album, the last one produced by John Farrar, also failed to revive her recording career struggling to No. 124 Pop.

Newton-John was primed for another comeback in 1992 when she compiled her third hits collection, ''Back to Basics – The Essential Collection 1971–1992'', and planned her first tour since her ''Physical'' trek ten years earlier. Shortly after the album's release, Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer forcing her to cancel all publicity for the album including the tour. (Newton-John received her diagnosis the same weekend her father died.) Newton-John recovered and since became a tireless advocate for breast cancer research and other health issues. She is a product spokesperson for the Liv-Kit, a breast self-examination product. She is also partial owner of the Gaia Retreat and Spa in Byron Bay, Australia advertised as "the ideal place to renew, refresh, and restore your mind, body and soul."

Newton-John's advocacy for health issues was presaged by her prior involvement with many humanitarian causes. Newton-John cancelled a 1978 concert tour of Japan to protest the slaughter of dolphins caught in tuna fishing nets. (She subsequently rescheduled the tour when the Japanese government assured her the matter was being addressed.) She was a performer on the 1979 ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' for the UN' International Year of the Child televised worldwide. During the concert, artists performed songs for which they donated their royalties, some in perpetuity, to benefit the cause. She was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations Environment Programme. In 1991, she became the National Spokesperson for the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund/CHEC (Children’s Health Environmental Coalition) following the death of four year old Colette Chuda, a family friend, from cancer. (Chuda was featured along with Newton-John and daughter Chloe on the cover of Newton-John's ''Warm and Tender'' album.)

Newton-John's cancer diagnosis also affected the type of music she recorded. In 1994, she released ''Gaia: One Woman's Journey'' which chronicled her ordeal. This was the first album on which Newton-John wrote all of the songs encouraging her to become more active as a songwriter thereafter. In 2005, she released ''Stronger Than Before,'' sold exclusively in the United States by Hallmark. Proceeds from the album's sales benefited breast cancer research. The album featured the song "Phenomenal Woman" based on the poem by Maya Angelou that featured guest vocals from Diahann Carroll, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Delta Goodrem, Amy Holland, Patti LaBelle and Mindy Smith – all survivors of or affected by cancer.

The following year, Newton-John released a healing CD, ''Grace and Gratitude.'' The album was sold exclusively by Walgreens also benefitting various charities including Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. The CD was the "heart" of their ''Body – Heart – Spirit'' Wellness Collection which also featured a re-branded Liv-Kit and breast-health dietary supplements. Newton-John re-recorded some tracks from ''Grace and Gratitude'' in 2010 and re-released the album as ''Grace and Gratitude Renewed'' on the Green Hill music label. The ''Renewed'' CD includes a new track, "Help Me to Heal," not featured on the original album. The ''Renewed'' CD yielded Newton-John's first appearances on the Billboard Christian Albums (No. 36), Christian & Gospel Albums (No. 54) and New Age Albums (No. 2) charts.

In 2008, Newton-John raised funds to help build the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre in Melbourne, Australia. She led a three-week, 228 km. walk along the Great Wall of China during April joined by various celebrities and cancer survivors throughout her trek. The walk symbolized the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery. Newton-John released a companion CD, ''A Celebration In Song,'' the following month in Australia and later worldwide featuring new and previously recorded duets by "Olivia Newton-John & Friends." Her "Friends" included Jann Arden, Jimmy Barnes, John Farrar, Barry Gibb, Delta Goodrem, Sun Ho, Richard Marx, Cliff Richard, Melinda Schneider, Amy Sky and Keith Urban. (The album was re-released by Green Hill Records with different artwork in 2011.) In October, Newton-John helped launch the www.liv.com website and teamed with fitness franchise Curves to distribute one million Liv-Aid breast self-examination aids for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Newton-John collaborated with producer David Foster to record "Hope Is Always Here" for the November 2009 television special, ''Kaleidoscope.'' The song was written and composed for the show's performance by another breast cancer survivor, figure skater Dorothy Hamill. The song was released as a digital single after the show aired.

Newton-John was featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docu-drama, ''1 a Minute,'' released in October 2010. The documentary was made by actress Namrata Singh Gujral and featured other celebrities who survived breast cancer or were affected by the disease. During the same month, Bluewater Productions released a comic book featuring Newton-John to coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Newton-John was listed as president of the Isle of Man Basking Shark Society between 1998 and 2005.

Later career [link]

Newton-John continued to record and perform pop-oriented music as well. In 1998, she returned to Nashville to record ''Back with a Heart'' (No. 59 Pop). The album returned her to the Top 10 (No. 9) on the Country Albums chart. Its first single was a re-recording of "I Honestly Love You" produced by David Foster and featuring Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds on background vocals that charted Pop (No. 67) and AC (No. 18). Country radio dismissed the song, though it did peak at No. 16 on the Country Sales chart. The album track, "Love Is a Gift," won Newton-John a 1999 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song after being featured on the daytime serial, ''As The World Turns''.

Newton-John's subsequent secular albums were released primarily in Australia. Newton-John, John Farnham and Anthony Warlow toured Australia as ''The Main Event.'' The live album won an ARIA Award for Highest Selling Australian CD and was also nominated for Best Adult Contemporary Album. She and Farnham performed "Dare to Dream" at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In 2002, Newton-John released ''(2),'' a duets album featuring mostly Australian artists (Tina Arena, Darren Hayes, Jimmy Little, Johnny O'Keefe, Billy Thorpe, Keith Urban) as well as a heartfelt "duet" with the deceased Peter Allen. The same year, Newton-John was inducted into Australia's ARIA Hall of Fame. ''Indigo: Women of Song,'' a tribute album covering songs by female artists such as Joan Baez, the Carpenters, Doris Day, Nina Simone, Minnie Riperton and others, was released in 2004. Newton-John dedicated the album to her mother, who had died the previous year.

Newton-John also released several Christmas albums. In 2000, she teamed with Vince Gill and the London Symphony Orchestra for '''Tis the Season'' sold exclusively through Hallmark. The following year, she released ''The Christmas Collection'' which compiled seasonal music previously recorded for her Hallmark Christmas album, her appearance on Kenny Loggins' 1999 TNN Christmas special and her contributions to the ''Mother and Child'' and ''Spirit of Christmas'' multi-artist collections. (Green Hill Records re-released this album with different artwork in 2010.) In 2007, she re-teamed with her ''Grace and Gratitude'' producer, Amy Sky, for ''Christmas Wish'' (No. 187 Pop) which was sold exclusively by Target in its first year of release.

Newton-John acted occasionally since ''Two of a Kind''. She appeared in a supporting role in the 1996 AIDS drama, ''It's My Party''. In 2000, she appeared in a dramatically different role as Bitsy Mae Harling, a lesbian ex-con country singer, in Del Shores' ''Sordid Lives''. Newton-John reprised her role for ''Sordid Lives: The Series'' which aired one season on the LOGO television network. The series featured five original songs written and composed by Newton-John specifically for the show. In 2010, Newton-John starred in the film ''Score: A Hockey Musical'', released in Canada. Newton-John portrayed Hope Gordon, the mother of a home-schooled hockey prodigy. The film opened the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival.

Newton-John's television work included starring in two Christmas films, ''A Mom for Christmas'' (1990) and ''A Christmas Romance'' (1994) – both Top 10 Nielsen hits. Her daughter, Chloe, starred as one of her children in both ''A Christmas Romance'' and in the 2001 Showtime film ''The Wilde Girls.'' Newton-John guest-starred as herself in the sitcoms ''Ned and Stacey'', ''Murphy Brown'', and ''Bette'', and made two appearances as herself on ''Glee''. For her first ''Glee'' appearance, Newton-John re-created her "Physical" video with series regular Jane Lynch. The performance was released as a digital single, returning Newton-John to the Billboard Hot 100 (No. 89) for the first time since her 1998 re-release of "I Honestly Love You". In Australia, Newton-John hosted the animal and nature series ''Wild Life'' and guest starred as Joanna on two episodes of the Australian series ''The Man From Snowy River''.

Newton-John met gaffer/cameraman Patrick McDermott a year after her 1995 divorce from Matt Lattanzi. The couple dated on and off for nine years. McDermott disappeared following a 2005 fishing trip off the California coast. Various theories abounded regarding his disappearance ranging from his death by accident or foul play to McDermott staging his disappearance to avoid child support payments to his ex-wife, actress Yvette Nipar. Newton-John, who was in Australia at her Gaia Retreat & Spa at the time of his disappearance, was never a suspect in McDermott's disappearance and has refused to comment on any speculation. A US Coast Guard investigation released in 2008 "suggest[ed] McDermott was lost at sea," although some have claimed contact with McDermott since his disappearance.

Newton-John returned to the tabloid headlines again in 2007 when it was revealed that her daughter Chloe was recovering from anorexia.

Newton-John released another concert DVD, ''Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony: Live at the Sydney Opera House,'' and a companion CD, ''Olivia's Live Hits,'' in January 2008. An edited version of the DVD premiered on PBS station, WLIW (Garden City, New York), in October 2007 and subsequently aired nationally during the network's fund-raising pledge drives. This was Newton-John's third live album after the 1981 Japanese release, ''Love Performance,'' and her 2000 Australian release, ''One Woman's Live Journey''.

In 2008, Newton-John took part in the BBC Wales programme Coming Home about her Welsh family history.

In June 2008, Newton-John secretly wed John ("Amazon John") Easterling, founder and president of natural remedy firm, Amazon Herb Company. The couple had first met 15 years earlier, but they only became romantically involved in 2007. (Like Newton-John, this was Easterling's second marriage.) The couple married alone in a private Incan spiritual ceremony in Cuzco, Peru on June 21 followed nine days later by a legal ceremony on the Jupiter Island beachfront in Florida. There were no guests at either service since the couple preferred to marry simply and privately. Only Newton-John's daughter, Chloe, was aware of the nuptials. The couple did not announce their marriage until a 4 July barbecue at Newton-John's Malibu, California home, where guests were surprised with the news. The wedding was confirmed thereafter by ''HELLO!'' Magazine which published exclusive pictures of both weddings. In June 2009, the Easterlings purchased a new $4.1 million home in Jupiter Inlet, and Newton-John sold her home in Malibu, California.

In January 2011, Newton-John began filming ''A Few Best Men'' in Australia with director Stephan Elliott in the role of mother of bride. The groom is played by (Xavier Samuel).

Current activities[link]

Newton-John still tours occasionally. Her recent public performances have included charitable functions to promote products such as Zamu. In 2012, Newton-John embarked on an Asian Tour of Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. An Australian Tour of Perth, Melbourne and Sydney is scheduled as well.

Discography [link]

''If Not for You'' (1971)

''Olivia'' (1972)

''Let Me Be There'' (1973)^a

''Long Live Love'' (1974)

''If You Love Me, Let Me Know'' (1974)^b

''Have You Never Been Mellow'' (1975)

''Clearly Love'' (1975)

''Come on Over'' (1976)

''Don't Stop Believin''' (1976)

''Making a Good Thing Better'' (1977)

''Totally Hot'' (1978)

''Physical'' (1981)

''Soul Kiss'' (1985)

''The Rumour'' (1988)

''Warm and Tender'' (1989)

''Gaia: One Woman's Journey'' (1994)

''Back with a Heart'' (1998)

'''Tis the Season'' (2000)

''(2)'' (2002)

''Indigo: Women of Song'' (2004)

''Stronger Than Before'' (2005)

''Grace and Gratitude'' (2006)

''Christmas Wish'' (2007)

''A Celebration in Song'' (2008)

Notes:

a: Released with a different track listing in the North America. Also released in certain territories as ''Music Makes My Day''.

b: North American release of ''Long Live Love''. Also features tracks from previous releases and the new title track.

Filmography[link]

''Toomorrow (film) ''The Case'' ''A Special Olivia Newton-John'' ''Only Olivia'' ''Olivia'' ''Xanadu (film) ''Two of a Kind (1983 film) ''She's Having a Baby'' ''Mothers & Others'' ''A Mom for Christmas'' ''A Christmas Romance'' ''It's My Party (film) ''Sordid Lives'' ''The Wilde Girls'' ''A Night with Olivia'' ''Live in Japan '03'' ''Sordid Lives: The Series'' ''Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List'' ''1 a Minute'' Herself ''A Few Best Men''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1965	''Funny Things Happen Down Under''	Olivia
1970	Toomorrow'' ||	Olivia	Lead role
1972	|	Herself	BBC2 TV special w/Cliff Richard & Tim Brooke-Taylor
1976	|	Herself	TV special
1977	|	Herself	TV special
rowspan="2"	1978	|	Herself	TV special
''Grease (film)	Grease''	Sandy Olsson
rowspan="2"	1980	Xanadu'' ||	Terpsichore>Kira	Lead role
''Hollywood Nights''	Herself
1983	Two of a Kind'' ||	Debbie Wylder	Lead role
1988	|	Herself	Cameo
1989	|	Herself	TV special
1990	|	Amy Miller	Lead role in television film
rowspan="2"	1991	|	Julia Stonecypher	Lead role in television film
''Madonna: Truth or Dare''	Herself
1996	It's My Party'' ||	Lina Bingham	Supporting role
2000	|	Bitsy Mae Harling	Supporting role
2001	|	Jasmine Wilde	Lead role in television film
2002	|	Herself	TV special
2003	|	Herself	TV special
2008	|	Bitsy Mae Harling	Supporting role in TV Series
2009	|	Herself	Guest appearance
rowspan="3"	2010	|	Herself	Documentary
''Glee (TV series)	Glee''	| Special guest – 2 episodes: "Bad Reputation" and "Journey"
''Score: A Hockey Musical''	Hope Gordon
2011	|	Barbara Ramme	Supporting role

Awards and honors[link]

Tours[link]

If Not for You Tour (1972)

Clearly Love Tour (1975)

Love Performance Tour (1976)

Totally Hot World Tour (1978)

Physical World Tour (1982–83)

The Main Event Tour (1998)

Greatest Hits Tour (1999)

One Woman's Live Journey Tour (1999)

Millennium Tour (2000)

30 Musical Years Tour (2001)

Heartstrings World Tour (2002–05)

2006 World Tour (2006)

Grace and Gratitude Tour (2006)

Body Heart & Spirit Tour (2007)

An Evening with Olivia Newton-John (2007–09)

2010 World Tour (2010)

2011 United States Tour (2011)

A Summer Night with Olivia Newton-John (2012)

See also[link]

List of best-selling music artists

List of songs by Australian artists which reached number-one on the Hot 100 (USA)

List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

Olivia (The Biography of Olivia Newton-John), Tim Ewbank. (2008). Piatkus books. ISBN 978-0-7499-0983-3.

Wood, Gerry. (1998). "Olivia Newton-John." In ''The Encyclopedia of Country Music.'' Paul Kingsbury, Editor. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 380–1.

The Story of the Shadows by Mike Read. 1983. Elm Tree books. ISBN 0-241-10861-6.

Rock 'n' Roll, I Gave You The Best Years Of My Life – A Life In The Shadows by Bruce Welch ISBN 0-670-82705-3 (Penguin Books).

External links [link]

Gaia Retreat

Great Walk To Beijing

ON-J Cancer Centre Appeal

Breast Health

Newton-John, Olivia (1948–) National Library of Australia, ''Trove, People and Organisation'' record for Olivia Newton-John

Category:1948 births Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Living people Category:Actors from Melbourne Category:ARIA Award winners Category:ARIA Hall of Fame inductees Category:Australian country singers Category:Australian dance musicians Category:Australian expatriate actors in the United States Category:Australian female singers Category:Australian film actors Category:Australian people of English descent Category:Australian people of German descent Category:Australian people of Jewish descent Category:Australian people of Welsh descent Category:Australian pop singers Category:Australian television actors Category:Breast cancer survivors Category:British Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:British soft rock musicians Category:EMI Records artists Category:English people of Jewish descent Category:English country singers Category:English dance musicians Category:English expatriates in the United States Category:English female singers Category:English film actors Category:English emigrants to Australia Category:English pop singers Category:English people of German descent Category:English people of Welsh descent Category:English television actors Category:Daytime Emmy Award winners Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 1974 Category:Grammy Award winners Category:MCA Records artists Category:Musicians from Cambridgeshire Category:Naturalised citizens of Australia Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Cambridge Category:Pye Records artists Category:Singers from Melbourne Category:Uni Records artists Category:Pop singers Category:Film actors Category:Australian multi-instrumentalists Category:Australian Living Treasures

bg:Оливия Нютън-Джон ca:Olivia Newton-John cs:Olivia Newton-John cy:Olivia Newton-John da:Olivia Newton-John de:Olivia Newton-John et:Olivia Newton-John es:Olivia Newton-John eo:Olivia Newton-John fa:الیویا نیوتن جان fr:Olivia Newton-John fy:Olivia Newton-John ga:Olivia Newton-John ko:올리비아 뉴튼 존 id:Olivia Newton-John is:Olivia Newton-John it:Olivia Newton-John he:אוליביה ניוטון-ג'ון la:Olivia Newton-John lv:Olīvija Ņūtona-Džona lt:Olivia Newton-John hu:Olivia Newton-John nl:Olivia Newton-John ja:オリビア・ニュートン＝ジョン no:Olivia Newton-John pl:Olivia Newton-John pt:Olivia Newton-John ro:Olivia Newton-John qu:Olivia Newton-John ru:Ньютон-Джон, Оливия simple:Olivia Newton-John sr:Оливија Њутон-Џон fi:Olivia Newton-John sv:Olivia Newton-John tl:Olivia Newton-John th:โอลิเวีย นิวตัน-จอห์น tr:Olivia Newton-John uk:Олівія Ньютон-Джон wuu:欧里维娅 zh:奧莉維亞·紐頓-約翰

name	Jonathan Ross
birth name	Jonathan Stephen Ross
birth date	November 17, 1960
birth place	Camden, London, England
nationality	British
occupation	Broadcaster, film critic, Talk show host, Comedian
years active	1987–present
spouse
children	2 daughters, 1 son
parents	Martha Ross }}

Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE (born 17 November 1960) is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011. Ross also hosted his own radio show on BBC Radio 2, and acted as a film critic and presenter of the ''Film'' programme. Other regular roles have included being a regular panellist on the comedy sports quiz ''They Think It's All Over'' from 1999 to 2006, and presenting the annual British Comedy Awards from 1991 to 2007, and 2009 onwards.

Ross began his television career as a programme researcher, before débuting as a television presenter for ''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross'' on Channel 4 in 1987. Over the next decade he had several radio and television roles, many through his own production company, Channel X. In 1995 he sold his stake in Channel X, and embarked on a career with the BBC. In 1999, Ross took over presenting the ''Film'' programme from Barry Norman, and also began presenting his own radio show, while two years later he began hosting ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. For the chat show, Ross won three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards for Best Entertainment Performance, in 2004, 2006 and 2007. By 2006 Ross was believed to be the BBC's highest paid star. In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to broadcasting. Ross has been involved in controversies throughout his broadcasting career. As a result, in 2008 he wrote a semi-autobiographical work titled ''Why Do I Say These Things?'', detailing some of his life experiences.

Ross has been married to the author, journalist and broadcaster Jane Goldman since 1988; they have three children. Ross and Goldman have together established the television production company Hotsauce TV. Ross is known as an avid fan and collector of comic books and memorabilia, and has written his own comic book, ''Turf''. Ross is known for his distinctive voice, flamboyant style of dress, and his light-hearted banter. He is also known for his characteristic difficulty in pronouncing the sound 'r'.

Personal[link]

Ross was born in Camden, London, England on 17 November 1960, a son of British actress and radio presenter Martha Ross. He grew up in Leytonstone and is the brother of journalist, television editor, and media personality Paul Ross; TV producer/actor Miles Ross; TV producer Simon Ross, and music industry professional Adam Ross. He was educated at Norlington School for Boys, a comprehensive school at the same time as his elder brother Paul, and at Leyton County High School for Boys, a comprehensive school. He also attended Southampton College of Art, now known as Southampton Solent University. He then studied Modern European History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University of London.

Ross married author/journalist/broadcaster Jane Goldman, ten years his junior, in 1988, when Goldman was 18. They have since had three children: Betty Kitten (named after Bettie Page), Harvey Kirby (named after Jack Kirby, a comic book creator whom Ross especially admires), and Honey Kinney. The family lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb.

Ross and others have used his rhotacism for comic effect and he is sometimes known as "Wossy," including on his Twitter feed (@wossy).

Ross is known for owning exotic pets. He is a big music fan and the first band he saw live was punk rockers X-Ray Spex at Islington's Hope and Anchor pub in North London. He is a big fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, Queen (he was in the audience for Queen at Wembley), British punk rock, Spandau Ballet, Sparks, ''Star Trek'', ''Doctor Who'' (his favourite Doctor was Jon Pertwee), and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London with Paul Gambaccini and released ''Turf'', his first comic book, in 2010, with American artist Tommy Lee Edwards. He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book ''Saviour''. Ross is also greatly interested in Japan, presenting a BBC-TV series on many different aspects of Japanese culture, ''Japanorama'', for three series between 2002–07. He was a regular at London's ''Blitz'' club during the early 1980s (famous for the Blitz Kids). He is a fan of the singers Morrissey and George Michael.

He is a friend of comedian Ricky Gervais and bought him a kitten after Gervais' previous cat, Colin, had died. The cat's name is Ollie and was presented to him on an episode of Ross' talk show ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''. He was one of the special celebrity guests in the final episode of Gervais's second season of ''Extras'', in which Gervais's character, Andy Millman, and Ross were shown to be the best of friends after a fictional appearance on ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross''.

He is also a close friend of author Neil Gaiman, and he and his wife appear in Gaiman's short story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch", collected in ''Fragile Things''.

In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols on his Radio 2 show.

When interviewing Colin Farrell on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' on 19 February 2010, Ross claimed not to have consumed alcohol for ten years.

Ross has attended a fund raiser for the James Randi Educational Foundation called ''The Amazing Meeting'' in London in 2009 and 2010. Interviewed by Rebecca Watson, Ross described himself as a big fan of James Randi and the other speakers – who were mainly prominent sceptics – and said that he and his wife had come to have a sceptical view of the world. Ross has been supportive of Simon Singh's efforts to defend an accusation of libel by the British Chiropractic Association and Ross has posed for the ''Geek Calendar 2011'', a fund raiser for the libel reform in the UK.

At a book signing event in Central London in September 2010, Ross stated that as a youngster he went to school in Leyton (Leyton Senior High School) and supports Leyton Orient F.C.

On 6 June 2011, it was announced that Ross' beloved pug Mr Pickle had been killed in an accident on board a train while Ross was filming a new travelogue show for ITV. Mr Pickle was well known to both viewers and listeners of Ross' TV and radio shows.

Career[link]

Child actor[link]

Following the acting lead of his mother, who appeared as an extra on television shows such as ''East Enders'', Ross appeared in television ads as a child actor. His first, for the breakfast cereal Kellogg's Rice Krispies, gave him his television debut in 1970, when he was 10 years old. He also appeared in an ad for the laundry detergent Persil.

Early career[link]

Ross began his adult career as a researcher on the Channel 4 show ''Loose Talk''. After leaving this, he worked on various other shows before beginning another research job on ''Soul Train'', which became ''Solid Soul''. It is believed his first appearance on television was as an extra in the 1981 ''It Ain't Half Hot, Mum'' episode, ''The Last Roll Call''.

Channel X: 1987–95[link]

Whilst on ''Solid Soul'', he met fellow researcher Alan Marke, and the two devised what would prove to be a breakthrough hit for Ross in 1987, ''The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross''.

The pair based their concept on the successful American show ''Late Night with David Letterman'', and formed a new production company called Channel X, to produce a pilot. Ross was not originally slated as the show's host, but with little time to find one Jonathan Ross stepped in and made his debut on the show in January 1987.

While the series was initially a co-production with Colin Calendar, ownership transferred to Marke and Ross, meaning that the latter retained a great deal of control as well as being presenter. The show proved popular for both Ross and for Channel 4, making him one of the major personalities on the channel.

A year later, his documentary series ''The Incredibly Strange Film Show'' introduced many to the works of cult filmmakers like Sam Raimi and Jackie Chan.

In 1989, he co-presented the biennial BBC charity telethon ''Comic Relief'', the same year he launched ''One Hour with Jonathan Ross'' a short lived chat show on Channel 4, most notable for the game show segment "Knock down ginger" which introduced comedians such as Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to television.

In 1991, he presented the annual ''British Comedy Awards'' on ITV. He has presented the event each year since, but in 2008 announced he would be stepping down from the role following his suspension from the BBC. In 1992 he presented an interview with Madonna about her ''Erotica'' album and ''Sex Book'' promotion.

In 1993, he was the narrator for ''FIA Formula One 1993 Season Review'' video.

Ross has appeared in numerous television entertainment programmes on several channels throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was a regular panellist on the sports quiz ''They Think It's All Over'', and hosted the panel game ''It's Only TV...But I Like It''. Other projects include the BBC joke-quiz ''Gagtag'', the Channel 4 variety show ''Saturday Zoo'', new-acts showcase ''The Big Big Talent Show'', and the ITV programme ''Fantastic Facts''.

In 1995 he left Channel X, despite its profitable nature. He was quoted in a 1998 article as stating:

Television 1995–2006[link]

In 1995 he presented ''Mondo Rosso'', a programme about old ''cult'' films. He took over presenting of the Film programme, the BBC's long-running cinema review series, in 1999 after Barry Norman left the show. Ross himself has made a number of cameo appearances in films, playing himself in the Spice Girls' film ''Spice World'' (1997) and voicing the character of Doris in the UK version of ''Shrek 2'' (2004). He also played himself in ''Only Fools and Horses'', presenting ''Goldrush'', a fictional television quiz on which the main character, Del, was a contestant. In 2001 he voiced characters in two episodes of the animated comedy series ''Rex the Runt''. In the 30 October episode of ''Film 2006'', Ross also claimed that he had appeared as an extra in the 1981 film 'The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin', as an Israeli soldier raiding Entebbe Airport. He also appeared on the first pilot show for ''Shooting Stars'', acting as a team captain.

BBC Radio: 1999–2010[link]

Ross began presenting a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2 in 1999. He has also presented radio shows for BBC Radio 1 and Virgin Radio (having previously worked on Richard Branson's earlier venture, ''Radio Radio''), as well as the now-defunct commercial radio network service ''The Superstation'', where his producer was Chris Evans.

From 23 May 2009, Ross' BBC Radio 2 show was pre-recorded 24 hours before broadcast. This decision was made to make the show more watertight and, according to the press, to make sure any of Ross's off-the-cuff comments might be edited out.

Ross' show on Radio 2 last aired on 17 July 2010 when his contract at the BBC ended.

''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'': 2001–10[link]

On 2 November 2001, Ross began presenting his chat show ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''.

In 2005, Ross anchored the BBC television coverage of the Live 8 concerts. Later that year he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by The Sex Pistols (which was banned by the BBC when released in 1977) on his BBC Radio 2 Saturday morning show. On 21 June 2006 Ross was made a Fellow of University College London, where he studied.

In early 2006, Ross announced that after eight years he was quitting his regular panellist seat on the sport/comedy quiz show ''They Think It's All Over'', stating:

However, after Ross's departure, only two more episodes of the show were made before it was cancelled.

In January 2006 he presented ''Jonathan Ross' Asian Invasion'', broadcast on BBC Four. The three-part documentary followed Ross as he explored the film industry in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, interviewing directors and showcasing clips. His interest in Asian culture and his self confessed love for anime and video games led him to making three series of BBC Three show ''Japanorama'', as well as producing another series for the same channel called ''Adam and Joe Go Tokyo'', starring Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. He produced the latter programme through his own production company Hot Sauce.

In June 2006, a bidding war was sparked between BBC and other broadcasters for Ross' services. Although other broadcasters were unsuccessful in poaching Ross, it is believed that their bids were higher than the BBC during negotiations. ITV, who bid for Ross, poached chat host Michael Parkinson around the same time. Ross became the highest paid television personality in Britain, when a new BBC contract secured his services until 2010, for a reported £18 million (£6 million per year).

On 25 June 2006, he performed at the Children's Party at the Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday. In August 2006, Ross was enlisted to ask the first question since the transition from beta for the Yahoo Answers in UK and Ireland. On 16 March 2007, Ross hosted Comic Relief 2007 alongside Fearne Cotton and Lenny Henry. On 7 July 2007 Ross presented at the Live Earth concert.

Starting on 10 September 2007 he presented the BBC Four series ''Comics Britannia'', about the history of the British comic. This forms the core of a Comics Britannia season, which includes another documentary, ''In Search of Steve Ditko'', by Ross.

In May 2008, Ross won the Sony Gold Award "Music Radio Personality of the Year".

On 3 August 2008, on BBC1, he hosted ''Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army''.

In 2010, Ross took part in ''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'', a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

On 7 April 2010, Ross's first comic book was published. Turf was written by Jonathan himself and drawn by artist Tommy Lee Edwards. In 2011, Ross wrote an introduction for ''The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1'', a collection of work by the American comics artist featured in Ross' 2007 documentary.

In one of his last appearances on the show, Ross was bundled on repeatedly by Gary Lineker, Ross Noble, Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett & Tinie Tempah, after a performance of Gorillaz' iconic song "Clint Eastwood" & "On Melancholy Hill".

Leaving the BBC (2010)[link]

On 7 January 2010, Ross confirmed that he would leave the BBC in July 2010, having decided not to renegotiate his contract. This would see him leave all his regular BBC roles, namely his Friday night chat show, Radio 2 show and a film review programme, although he would be continuing with some specials, such as Comic Relief and the BAFTA Awards.

Explaining the decision, Ross said:

Although I have had a wonderful time working for the BBC, and am very proud of the shows I have made while there, over the last two weeks I have decided not to re-negotiate when my current contract comes to an end. While there, I have worked with some of the nicest and most talented people in the industry and had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest stars in the world, and am grateful to the BBC for such a marvellous experience. I would like to make it perfectly clear that no negotiations ever took place and that my decision is not financially motivated

The decision came a day after it was announced that Graham Norton had signed a two-year deal with the BBC, and the BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas speculated Norton would be a ready-made replacement for Ross's chat show role, while Mark Kermode of BBC Radio 5 Live was a potential successor in the film review role, but that "replacing Ross on radio will be harder". Ross last appeared on the film programme in Episode 10 of ''Film 2010 with Jonathan Ross'' aired on 17 March 2010. After Kermode publicly ruled himself out on 26 March, Claudia Winkleman was announced 30 March 2010 as his replacement as host of ''the Film programme'', who was to host Film 2010 from September 2010.

Ross's final ''Friday Night'' chat show episode aired on 16 July 2010, with David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Mickey Rourke, and Roxy Music as guests. Ross ended the show with an affectionate tribute to his guests and to the audience, while mentioning that he had promised his friend Morrissey that he would remain composed and "wouldn't cry". His final Radio 2 show was broadcast the following day. Patrick Kielty initially took over Ross' Radio 2 slot from 24 July 2010 after which Graham Norton took over permanently.

2010 onwards (ITV and Cinemoi)[link]

On 14 December 2010, Jonathan Ross announced his creative partnership with CineMoi, the UK's first and only independent French film channel. His deal with the company gives him a multi-faceted role as presenter, producer, creative director and shareholder in the company. A life long cinephile Ross has a unique perspective on French film and hopes to encourage 'first-timers' to explore a world of film that differs slightly from that of the regular Hollywood fare.

On 19 December 2010, Ross presented a three hour Channel 4 list show, ''100 Greatest Toys'', with the broadcaster describing Ross as a "huge toy enthusiast with a private collection that would rival any museum's."

In 2011, he presented ''Penn & Teller: Fool Us'' on ITV, a collaboration with magicians Penn & Teller.

Ross's new chat show ''The Jonathan Ross Show'' began on 3 September 2011 on ITV1, drawing an audience of 4.3m viewers, compared to the 4.6m for his finale on the BBC show. The first series will run for thirteen weeks. Speaking about the new show, Ross said: "I am thrilled and excited that after a short break I will be rolling up my sleeves and creating a brand new show for ITV1." Ross will also host a panel show from 2012 called Trending Topics also for ITV. The show will involve the social-network site Twitter. In Spring 2012, Ross appeared in the ITV panel show Mad Mad World. Ross is currently planning to film a television piece with Lucha Britania.

Controversies[link]

BBC contract[link]

In April 2006, Ross, along with other BBC personalities, had details of his fees leaked to the tabloid press. It was claimed at the time, by a then-unidentified BBC mole, that Ross earned £530,000 (equivalent to £10,000 per show) per year for hosting his Radio 2 show. While refusing to comment specifically on the leak in line with BBC policy on the matter, Ross did hint during his radio show that the figure was exaggerated; in addition to this, any pay highlighted as being "his" would actually be split between himself and his producer/co-presenter on the show, Andy Davies.

David Cameron interview[link]

In June 2006, when Conservative Party leader David Cameron appeared on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', Ross began a line of questioning relating to Conservative ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, culminating in the question "Did you or did you not have a wank thinking of Margaret Thatcher?". Ross was defended by the BBC publicly, but repeat showings of the interview have been banned.

Heather Mills comment[link]

In 2006, Ross was criticised when he made a joke against Heather Mills, soon after she and Paul McCartney announced they were to divorce. He branded Mills, who has only one leg, a "fucking liar" and that he "wouldn't be surprised if we found out she's actually got two legs".

"1,000 journalists" comment[link]

On 5 December 2007, Ross joked at the ''British Comedy Awards'' that his salary meant that he was "apparently worth 1,000 BBC journalists". His quip came shortly after the BBC had announced plans for more than 2,000 jobs cuts, and was condemned as "obscene" by the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists. Ross has denied this saying that he was commenting on a piece that was written in a newspaper about his salary being that of 1,000 journalists:

"You know where that came from? The newspapers. After the fee was announced, they said, 'The BBC says he's worth 1,000 journalists', so on the Comedy Awards I made a joke that began, 'Apparently I'm worth 1,000 journalists according to the newspapers.' Every time it's quoted, is the word 'apparently' ever used? Which does change the meaning somewhat."

The Russell Brand Show and Andrew Sachs[link]

Following a guest appearance by Ross on ''The Russell Brand Show'' broadcast on 18 October 2008, Ross was suspended for 12 weeks without pay by the BBC on 29 October, after a series of answer phone messages were left for 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs regarding Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie, by Russell Brand and Ross, which were broadcast on the pre-recorded show. After little initial interest, a media story about the calls generated a high number of complaints. Brand resigned from the BBC, while Ross was suspended without pay. BBC director general Mark Thompson stated that Ross should take the disciplinary action as a "final warning". The BBC was later fined £150,000 by Britain's broadcast regulator for airing the calls.

On 21 November 2008, the BBC Trust said that the phone calls were a "deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification". The trust gave its backing to Ross's 12 week suspension but recommended that no further action be taken against him. He returned to work in January, and the first episode of a new series of ''Friday Night With Jonathan Ross'' with guests Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry and Lee Evans, and music from Franz Ferdinand, was broadcast on 23 January 2009.

Gwyneth Paltrow interview[link]

The BBC Trust ruled that Ross’s interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, broadcast on 2 May 2008, breached editorial guidelines. They ruled that bad language in an episode of Ross's pre-recorded BBC1 chat show, ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'', in which the presenter told Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow he "would fuck her" was "gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive". The trust said it disagreed with the judgement made by BBC management that the episode should be broadcast uncensored, adding that the comment was made in an "overly sexual way" and that it had upheld a number of complaints made about the edition of ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. The trust reminded BBC staff that "the casual gratuitous use of the most offensive language is not acceptable on the BBC in accordance with the BBC's existing guidelines and practices", adding that "this particularly applies in entertainment programmes".

''Hannah Montana'' comment[link]

On 13 May 2009, Ross was accused of homophobia after a comment he made on his radio show, in which he said,

If your son asks for a ''Hannah Montana'' MP3 player, then you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption in later life, when they settle down with their partner.

An incorrect version of this quote was also circulated, in which Ross was accused of saying:

If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his … erm … partner home.

Ofcom received 61 complaints following the comment. A representative from the BBC defended Ross, saying the comment was made "purely in jest" and that "Jonathan is not homophobic in any sense and never meant for his comments to be taken seriously." On 7 July 2009, Ofcom ruled that Ross did not breach the broadcasting code. They wrote in their opinion that "the comment was clearly presented as a joke intended to make light of the reactions that some parents may have if their child chooses a toy that is very widely recognised to be designed and marketed for the opposite sex" and that the nature of the joke and tone and manner in which it was presented "made clear that it was not intended to be hostile or pejorative towards the gay community in general." Stonewall criticised the ruling; saying "the fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying."

Video games[link]

''Fable III''

Year	! Video game	! Role	! Notes
2007	''Halo 3''	UNSC Marine
2010	|	Barry Hatch

Honours and awards[link]

2006, made a Fellow of University College, London (UCL), into which his alma mater, SSEES, had been absorbed.

2012, Special Recognition award at the National Television Awards.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

''Jonathan Ross: The Biography'', Neil Simpson, John Blake Publishing Ltd (31 July 2007), ISBN 1-84454-432-X

''Why Do I Say These Things?'', Jonathan Ross, Bantam Press (16 October 2008), ISBN 0-593-06082-2

External links[link]

''The Jonathan Ross Show'' on itv.com

Interactive video talk by Jonathan Ross on Ealing studios for the British Film Institute

Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:20th-century writers Category:21st-century actors Category:21st-century writers Category:Alumni of Southampton Solent University Category:Alumni of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies Category:BAFTA winners (people) Category:English film actors Category:English film critics Category:English radio DJs Category:English television actors Category:English television presenters Category:English television producers Category:English television talk show hosts Category:English television writers Category:English voice actors Category:Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:People from Camden Town Category:People from Leytonstone

cy:Jonathan Ross de:Jonathan Ross (Moderator) es:Jonathan Ross fr:Jonathan Ross nl:Jonathan Ross pl:Jonathan Ross pt:Jonathan Ross simple:Jonathan Ross sv:Jonathan Ross

Name	Miley Cyrus
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Destiny Hope Cyrus
Birth date	November 23, 1992
Birth place	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genre	Pop, country pop, dance, electropop, teen pop
Occupation	Actress, musician
Instrument	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	2001–present
Label	Walt Disney, Hollywood
Associated acts	Hannah Montana, Billy Ray Cyrus, Demi Lovato
Url	100pxSignature of Miley Cyrus.}}

Miley Ray Cyrus (born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom ''Hannah Montana''.

Cyrus recorded music for the soundtracks, ''Hannah Montana'' (2006) and ''Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus'' (2007), released by Walt Disney Records. With the success of the ''Hannah Montana'' franchise she established herself as a teen idol. In 2007, Cyrus signed to Hollywood Records to pursue a solo career. She embarked upon the Best of Both Worlds Tour the same year, in which she performed as both herself and in character as Hannah Montana. The tour was eventually turned into a high-grossing concert film titled ''Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert'' (2008). In July 2008, Cyrus released her first solo album, ''Breakout'' (2008), which was commercially successful.

She began her foray into film by providing the voice of "Penny" in the animated film ''Bolt'' (2008). Cyrus earned a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song for her performance of ''Bolt''s theme song, "I Thought I Lost You". She also reprised her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' (2009). The ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' soundtrack introduced her to new audiences within country and adult contemporary markets.

She began to cultivate an adult image in 2009 with the release of ''The Time of Our Lives'' (2009), an extended play which presented a more mainstream pop sound, and by filming ''The Last Song'' (2010), a coming-of-age drama film. The former included Cyrus's best-selling single, "Party in the U.S.A." (2009). A studio album titled ''Can't Be Tamed'' was released in 2010 and presents a new dance-pop sound. The music video and lyrics of the album's lead single, "Can't Be Tamed", portrays a more sexualized image for the entertainer. Cyrus ranked number thirteen on ''Forbes'' 2010 Celebrity 100. For the 2011 ''Guinness World Records'', she was named the “Most Charted Teenager” following her 29th US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart entry on November 7, 2009 with “Party in the USA”.

Early life[link]

thumb|Cyrus at the 2010 Academy Awards.

Cyrus was born on November 23, 1992, in Nashville, Tennessee, to Letitia Jean "Tish" (née Finley) and country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Her parents named her Destiny Hope because they believed that she would accomplish great things with her life. They gave her the nickname "Smiley", which was later shortened to "Miley", because she smiled so often as a baby. Cyrus suffers from a mild heart condition causing tachycardia which, though not dangerous, is often bothersome.

Against the wishes of her father's record company, Cyrus's parents secretly married a year after Cyrus's birth on December 28, 1993. Tish had two children from a previous relationship: Trace and Brandi. Billy Ray adopted Trace and Brandi when they were young. She has a half-brother, Christopher Cody, Billy Ray's son from a brief relationship, born the same year as Miley; he grew up with his mother in South Carolina. Tish and Billy Ray had two more children, Braison and Noah. Cyrus's godmother is entertainer Dolly Parton. Cyrus was very close to her paternal grandfather, Democratic politician Ronald Ray Cyrus. Cyrus has paid her grandfather several tributes since his death in 2006, including eventually changing her middle name to "Ray". According to Cyrus's father, "A lot of people say Miley changed her name to Miley Ray because of Billy Ray, but that's not true. She did that in honor of my dad, because the two of them just loved each other to pieces."

Cyrus grew up on a farm in Franklin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville, and attended Heritage Elementary School. She was raised Christian and was baptized in a Southern Baptist church prior to moving to Hollywood in 2005. She attended church regularly while growing up and wore a purity ring. Several of Cyrus's siblings also eventually entered the entertainment business: Trace became a vocalist and guitarist for the electronic pop band Metro Station, Noah became an actress, and Brandi became a guitarist.

Career[link]

2001–05: Career beginnings[link]

In 2001, when Cyrus was eight, she and her family moved to Toronto, Canada while her father filmed the television series ''Doc''. Cyrus said watching her father film the show inspired her to pursue acting. After Billy Ray took her to see a 2001 Mirvish production of ''Mamma Mia!'' at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Cyrus grabbed his arm and told him, "This is what I want to do, daddy. I want to be an actress." She began taking singing and acting classes at the Armstrong Acting Studio in Toronto. In her first role, Cyrus played a girl named Kylie on ''Doc''. In 2003, Cyrus was credited under her birth name for her role as "Young Ruthie" in Tim Burton's ''Big Fish''.

At age 11, Cyrus learned about the casting for what became ''Hannah Montana'', a Disney Channel children's television series about a school girl with a secret double life as a teen pop star. Cyrus sent in a tape auditioning for the show's best friend role, but received a call asking her to audition for the lead, "Chloe Stewart". After sending in a new tape and flying to Hollywood for further auditions, Cyrus was told that she was too young and too small for the part. However, her persistence and ability to sing in addition to act led the show's producers to invite her back for further auditions. Cyrus eventually received the lead, renamed "Miley Stewart" after herself, at the age of twelve. During this time, she also auditioned with Taylor Lautner for the feature film ''The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D'' and it came down to her and another actress, but Cyrus started doing ''Hannah Montana'' instead.

As Cyrus's career took off, Tish Cyrus made several critical decisions regarding her daughter's representation. She signed Cyrus with Mitchell Gossett, director of the youth division at Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty. Gossett, who specializes in creating child stars, had arranged for Cyrus's auditions for Hannah Montana and is credited with "discovering" her. For Cyrus's music career, Tish followed the advice of Dolly Parton, Cyrus's godmother and a singer herself, and signed Cyrus with Jason Morey of Morey Management Group. "Dolly said the Moreys are people you can trust around your daughter," Tish Cyrus recalls, "and she said they have good morals, which is not always the case in this business." According to trade magazine ''The Hollywood Reporter'', Parton's advice was "the best advice [Tish] could [have gotten] on who should rep her daughter." Tish also recruited Billy Ray's business manager to manage her daughter's finances. Tish herself continues to co-manage or produce many of Cyrus's career decisions. For her education, Cyrus enrolled at Options for Youth Charter Schools and studied with a private tutor on the set of her television show.

2006–07: ''Hannah Montana'' and ''Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus''[link]

thumb|Cyrus performing on the Best of Both Worlds Tour

''Hannah Montana'' became an instant hit and propelled Cyrus to teen idol status, according to ''The Daily Telegraph''. The series premiered on March 26, 2006, to the largest audience ever for a Disney Channel show and soon became one of the highest-rated series on basic cable, elevating Cyrus's wealth and fame along with it. ''Time'' magazine reports that Cyrus's "phenom[enal]" success is due partially to her talent and partially to "Disney learning to use its vast, multimedia holdings" and market Cyrus and ''Hannah Montana'' appropriately. Cyrus eventually became the first artist to have deals in television, film, consumer products, and music within The Walt Disney Company.

The first single was "The Best of Both Worlds", the theme song to ''Hannah Montana'', which was released on March 28, 2006. "The Best of Both Worlds" is credited to "Hannah Montana", the pop star Cyrus portrays on the series by the same name. As with other songs credited to Montana, Cyrus typically dressed as the character when performing the song live. Cyrus's first release under her own name was a cover of James Baskett's "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah", released on April 4, 2006, on the fourth edition of ''DisneyMania''. Dressed as Hannah Montana, Cyrus opened for The Cheetah Girls on twenty dates of their The Party's Just Begun Tour, beginning on September 15, 2006. On October 24 of same year, Walt Disney Records released the first ''Hannah Montana'' soundtrack. Of the nine tracks on the soundtrack performed by Cyrus, eight were credited to "Hannah Montana" and one, a duet with her father titled "I Learned from You", was credited to Cyrus as herself. The album peaked at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart.

The second season of ''Hannah Montana'' premiered on April 23, 2007, and ran until October 12, 2008. Cyrus signed a four-album deal with Disney-owned Hollywood Records and, on June 26, 2007, released a double-disc album. The first disc was the soundtrack to the second season of ''Hannah Montana'', while the second, titled ''Meet Miley Cyrus'', was Cyrus's debut album credited to her own name. The double-disc album peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and was later certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). ''Meet Miley Cyrus'' generated "See You Again", Cyrus's first single to be released under her own name and her first top ten hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In fall 2007, Cyrus launched her first tour, the Best of Both Worlds Tour, to promote ''Meet Miley Cyrus'' and the ''Hannah Montana'' soundtracks. With the Jonas Brothers, Aly & AJ, and Everlife as her opening acts, Cyrus toured from October 17, 2007, to January 31, 2008, with stops in the U.S. and Canada. Tickets sold out in minutes and were scalped for up to $2,500 and an average of $214, well above their $26–$65 face value. A Ticketmaster official commented, "Hell hath no fury like the parent of a child throwing a tantrum. People who have been in this business for a long time are watching what's happening, and they say there hasn't been a demand of this level or intensity since The Beatles or Elvis."

2008–09: ''Breakout'', transitions and film career launch[link]

thumb|upright|Cyrus at 2008 MTV Video Music Awards

After the end of the ''Best of Both Worlds Tour'' in January 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released ''Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert'', a 3D concert film of the tour, on February 1, 2008, for what was expected to be a one-week run. The film earned over $31 million at the box-office and an average of $42,000 per theater, twice the expected total, convincing Disney executives to extend the release for an indefinite run. "We don't want to turn away kids from the theaters who couldn't get into the concerts," said Chuck Viane, Disney's chief of distribution. The film's soundtrack was released by Walt Disney Records/Hollywood Records on March 11, 2008, and peaked at number three on the ''Billboard'' 200.

On July 22, 2008, Cyrus released her second studio album under her own name, titled ''Breakout''. Cyrus said ''Breakout'' was inspired by "what's been going on in my life in the past year." Cyrus co-wrote eight out of twelve songs on the album. "Songwriting is what I really want to do with my life forever, [...] I just hope this record showcases that, more than anything, I'm a writer." The album debuted at #1 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200 chart and its lead single, "7 Things", peaked at number 9 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. She hosted the 2008 CMT Music Awards with her father in April and the 2008 Teen Choice Awards by herself in August. Cyrus provided the voice of Penny in the 2008 computer-animated film ''Bolt'', which was released on November 21, 2008, to critical acclaim. Cyrus also co-wrote and recorded the song "I Thought I Lost You" as a duet with John Travolta for the film, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In September 2009, she participated in the charity single "Just Stand Up!" in support of the anti-cancer campaign ''Stand Up to Cancer'' and in the City of Hope Benefit Concert in support of cancer research and training programs. She also became involved in Disney's Friends for Change, an environmentalist group, for which she recorded the charity single "Send It On" along with several other Disney Channel stars.

thumb|upright|Cyrus performing on the Wonder World Tour

Cyrus had already begun transitioning to a more grown-up image in late 2008, when her representatives negotiated a deal for novelist Nicholas Sparks to write the screenplay and novel basis for a film that would serve as a star vehicle for Cyrus by introducing her to audiences older than the young fans she had gained through ''Hannah Montana''. Sparks and co-writer Jeff Van Wie developed ''The Last Song''. It was important to Cyrus that she not be type cast as a singer: "I didn't want to be a singer in another film. I don't want to do that anymore. You have no idea how many musicals show up on my door. I want to do something a little more serious." In March 2009, Cyrus published ''Miles to Go'', a memoir co-written by Hilary Liftin chronicling her life through age sixteen. Cyrus starred as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana in ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'', released April 10, 2009. Both the film and its soundtrack, which contained twelve songs performed by Cyrus, achieved commercial success. The soundtrack's lead single, "The Climb", became a Top 40 hit in twelve countries and introduced Cyrus to listeners outside her typical teen pop audience. Cyrus had considered ending ''Hannah Montana'' after its third season, which finished production on June 5, 2009, but Disney retained and exercised its option for a fourth season.

Production on ''The Last Song'' lasted from June 15, 2009, to August 18, 2009. In between, Cyrus launched the third ''Hannah Montana'' soundtrack, recorded the extended play ''The Time of Our Lives (EP)'', and released the EP's lead single, "Party in the U.S.A." Cyrus said ''The Time of Our Lives'' "is a transitioning album. [...] really to introduce people to what I want my next record to sound like and with time I will be able to do that a little more." "Party in the U.S.A." debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for her best-ever ranking on the chart. ''The Time of Our Lives'' was released in conjunction with a clothing line co-designed by Cyrus and Max Azria for Walmart.

From September 14, 2009, to December 29, 2010, Cyrus toured on her Wonder World Tour to promote ''Breakout'' and ''The Time of Our Lives''. On December 7, 2009, Cyrus performed for Queen Elizabeth II and numerous other members of the British Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance in Blackpool, North West England.

2010–2011: ''Can't Be Tamed'', focus on film career, and Gypsy Heart Tour[link]

thumb|upright|Cyrus at 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards soundcheck.

Production on the fourth and final season of ''Hannah Montana'' began on January 18, 2010. In the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Cyrus appeared on the charity singles "We Are the World: 25 for Haiti" and "Everybody Hurts". Her third studio album, ''Can't Be Tamed'', was released on June 21, 2010. The album's first single is the title track, "Can't Be Tamed". The single was released for sale on May 18, 2010, and entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number eight. Cyrus's costumes and dances while promoting ''Can't Be Tamed'' were also considerably more provocative than previous performances, arousing media criticism. After releasing the album, Cyrus intends to take a break from the music industry in order to focus on her film career. She commented, "I've not taken, like, acting lessons or anything, but it doesn't mean I don't need to because I'm sure I do [...] I'm probably going to go book an acting coach." Cyrus has also decided to opt out of college for the same reason, saying "I'm a firm believer that you can go back at any age you want, because my Grandma went back to college at 62 [...] For right now, I really want to focus on my career. I've worked hard to get to where I am now, and I want to enjoy it while it lasts."

Cyrus starred in ''The Last Song'', which was released on March 31, 2010, and received generally poor reviews, as did Cyrus's performance. Nonetheless, the film was commercially successful, grossing more than $88 million at the worldwide box office. According to box-office analyst Exhibitor Relations, the film marked "a successful transition to adult roles for Miley Cyrus." The fourth and final season of ''Hannah Montana'' began airing on Disney Channel on July 11, 2010, and was ended on January 16, 2011. Cyrus filmed two more films, ''LOL: Laughing Out Loud'' and ''So Undercover'' in 2010. In ''LOL'', a remake of a 2008 French teen film of the same name, Cyrus plays "a daughter who is involved with all the wrong kids, doing drugs, failing school, but [...whose] mother has her on this perfect pedestal" and says "[She] just fell in love with the story." Cyrus' character loses her virginity, smokes cannabis, gets wasted and kisses two girlfriends on the lips. She will also star in ''So Undercover'', an action comedy film. Cyrus will play the part of "a tough, street-smart private eye hired by the FBI to go undercover in a college sorority." She learned street fighting for the role.

Despite her earlier announcement that she'd be focusing more on acting in the future, in February 2011, Cyrus confirmed she had no films lineup and was going to go on tour. On April 29, 2011, Cyrus embarked on her international Gypsy Heart Tour in South America and ended the tour on July 2, 2011, in Australia. Cyrus hosted ''Saturday Night Live'' on March 5, 2011, where she performed in several sketches. She also sang a brief song about her several controversies, such as the bong incident, the photo of her friend and she eating a Twizzler, and the "pole dance" on a hotel pole at the Teen Choice Awards, stating "I'm sorry that I'm not perfect." In March 2011, father Billy Ray Cyrus confirmed on talk show, ''The View'', that Cyrus had been in talks with producer Dr. Luke on a new album. In July 2011, it was announced that she would record her fourth studio album and she has no plans to sign onto any other film projects. However, it was reported on August 2, 2011, by Contact Music that Cyrus has signed on to star in a comedy in which she plays a woman who broke a promise to God.

Cyrus released on YouTube a remix of her song "Liberty Walk" in November 2011, dedicated to the Occupy movement, which she referred to as, "the thousands of people who are standing up for what they believe in."

2012–present: ''LOL'', ''So Undercover'', and focus on music career[link]

In January 2012, it was announced that Cyrus would be on ''Punk'd''. Cyrus would be on the show alongside friend and co-star in her new film ''So Undercover'', Kelly Osbourne. Cyrus and Osbourne on an episode of the show would punk reality star and TV personality Khloé Kardashian Odom. They punk Khloe by having a young food delivery man pretends to get his family jewels caught in his zipper while using Miley's bathroom.

On January 24, the album ''Chimes of Freedom: Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International'' was released in honor of Bob Dylan, Cyrus covered Dylan's song "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" from his 15th studio album ''Blood on the Tracks'', in which she also made a music video. Cyrus's version of the song earned positive reviews from music critics.

In February, Cyrus dropped out of the animated comedy ''Hotel Transylvania'', in which she was meant to play the role of Mavis, the daughter of Dracula who is voiced by Adam Sandler, the movie also stars Andy Samberg, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, and David Spade. It was later announced that she will be replaced by fellow Disney star and friend Selena Gomez. She later announced that she dropped out of the film because she wanted to work on her music this year.

Earnings[link]

In 2008, Cyrus earned $25 million, up from her earnings of $18 million in 2007, and was ranked number 35 on ''Forbes'' magazine's "Celebrity 100" list. ''Parade'' magazine reported she was the richest teenage celebrity and that her franchise would be worth approximately $1 billion by the end of the year. In 2009, ''Forbes'' ranked her #29 on the ''Celebrity 100'' and reported she had earned a total of $25 million. Then Cyrus got ranked number thirteen on ''Forbes'' 2010 Celebrity 100 ranking $48 million. From the $48 million she made between June 2009 to June 2010 made her the no. 4 highest earners under 30 and the youngest on the list. between June 2010 and June 2011, Cyrus earned $54 million.

From working on Hannah Montana, Cyrus got paid $15,000 per episode she did on the hit show, making her the 6th highest paid child star on television behind fellow Disney stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse and Keke Palmer with $20,000 for their shows. Also, she is behind friend and Disney star Selena Gomez that makes $25,000 per episode of her show, Nick star Miranda Cosgrove with $180,000 per episode of her show, and one time co-star Angus T. Jones that got paid $250,000 for each episode of his show. Though she had not got paid as much as other Disney stars,when she was 17 she was named #19 on the "Top 20 World's Richest Female Singers Of All Time" list with over $100 million in 5 years active throughout her career, which made her the youngest female artist on the list. In 2011, she was named #1 on the "Top 10 Richest Teens in Hollywood" with $120 million.

Personal life and image[link]

thumb|left|upright|Cyrus on the Red Carpet at VH1 Divas 2009

A Christian, she was baptized in a Southern Baptist church in 2005.

In February 2008, Cyrus and her friend Mandy Jiroux opened a YouTube account and began posting videos of what they called ''The Miley and Mandy Show.'' The show, described as a "YouTube hit," is said to be filmed for fun by Cyrus and Jiroux and to be entirely their work, with Cyrus and Jiroux editing the footage together.

With Cyrus's increased success came increased media attention. In a May 2008 interview with ''The Los Angeles Times'', Francois Navarre, the proprietor of the X17 photo agency, said Cyrus's market value had picked up considerably after the ''Vanity Fair'' photo controversy: "She's started to sell more. [...] It used to be $300, and now it's $2,000 for a picture." Estimates for a picture of the then-15 year old's first kiss ranged from $30,000 to $150,000. Navarre noted that Cyrus rarely behaved against her wholesome image or went out without a parent and stated, "She has people waiting for the moment she starts to be less traditional. [...] It's natural. Any teenager. But it's going to come very fast. [...] As soon as her mom lets her go out by herself. It's going to start to be interesting." ''Time'' magazine included her on the 2008 ''Time'' 100, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Her write-up was written by former child star Donny Osmond, who warned, "As an idol to tweens the world over, singer-actress Miley Cyrus, 15, is riding a huge tidal wave at the pinnacle of her career; this is as it should be. I hope she enjoys it. [...] Within three to five years, Miley will have to face adulthood. [...] As she does, she'll want to change her image, and that change will be met with adversity."

Cyrus celebrated her 16th birthday at Disneyland with a charity fundraiser for Youth Service America, a youth volunteer service organization.

In June 2009, Cyrus ended her nine-month relationship with model Justin Gaston shortly before flying to Georgia to film ''The Last Song''. While filming later that month, Cyrus began dating her co-star in ''The Last Song'', Australian actor Liam Hemsworth. She later called him her "first serious boyfriend". In August 2010, it was confirmed that her relationship with Hemsworth had ended. Cyrus and Hemsworth were seen together a month later, and were reportedly back together. It was announced in early November that the couple had split again. They have since rekindled their relationship.

At the end of 2009, ''Billboard'' magazine ranked Cyrus the fourth best-selling female artist and the fifth best-selling singer overall. Also in 2009, at the age of sixteen, she became the youngest artist to have four number one albums on the charts.

Controversies[link]

thumb|Cyrus performing at the Kids Inaugural: We Are the Future concert in 2009.

In December 2007, a brief controversy emerged when photos Cyrus had posted on her private MySpace account, depicting her and a female friend sharing a piece of licorice and "almost kissing", were spread across the internet, prompting rumors of lesbianism. Cyrus comments, "For me, I was like, That's two girls—it's not a big deal. But they got spread around. Like someone copied and pasted and said, Omigod, look at this, and blah blah blah."

In April 2008, several provocative images of Cyrus in her underwear and swimsuit were leaked onto the web by a teenager who hacked Cyrus's Gmail account. Cyrus described the images as "silly, inappropriate shots" and stated, "I am going to make mistakes and I am not perfect. I never intended for any of this to happen and I am truly sorry if I have disappointed anyone." On April 25, 2008, the televised entertainment program ''Entertainment Tonight'' reported that Cyrus, then 15, had posed topless for a photoshoot taken by photographer Annie Leibovitz for ''Vanity Fair.'' On April 29, 2008, ''The New York Times'' clarified that though the pictures left an impression that she was bare-breasted, Cyrus was wrapped in a bedsheet and was actually not topless. Some parents expressed outrage at the nature of the photograph, which a Disney spokesperson described as "a situation [that] was created to deliberately manipulate a 15-year-old in order to sell magazines." Gary Marsh, president of entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, was quoted by ''Portfolio'' magazine to have said, "For Miley Cyrus to be a 'good girl' is now a business decision for her. Parents have invested in her a godliness. If she violates that trust, she won't get it back." In response to the Internet circulation of the photo and ensuing media attention, Cyrus released a statement of apology on April 27, 2008: "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about." Leibovitz also released a statement: "I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful."

In May 2008, Gossett, Cyrus's longtime acting agent, left Cunningham Escott Slevin Doherty for United Talent Agency, partially with the hope of "giving Cyrus the major-agency backing that would support a widening career", according to ''The Hollywood Reporter''. About a year later in June 2009, Cyrus left both Gossett and UTA, which had recently negotiated her deals for ''The Last Song'' and the fourth season of ''Hannah Montana'', and joined the Creative Artists Agency, which had already represented her for music. Nikki Finke, who broke the news, reported, "Is this fair to UTA? Of course not. But I hear the decision was made by Miley's mother Trish Cyrus".

thumb|left|Cyrus performing during the Wonder World Tour, in 2009.

Cyrus's performance of "Party in the U.S.A." at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards incited a media uproar, with some viewers criticizing Cyrus's provocative outfit and inclusion of a brief pole dance as inappropriate for her age, then sixteen, and for her young fans. Conversely, ''Newsday'' reported that her sexualization "has been coming for some time." Ian Drew, senior editor of ''US Weekly'', said, "She already has this risque image, so it really wasn't much of a stretch. That's how Britney [Spears] took off. She was the good girl gone bad, and it looks to be working for Miley as well." Cyrus was also criticized that year for dating Gaston, five years her senior, and for a photo displaying Cyrus and friends making "slant-eyed" expressions, which the Organization of Chinese Americans claimed was offensive to the Asian community. Cyrus apologized for the photo on her website, defending her actions and saying, "In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity! I was simply making a goofy face."

Later in 2010, TMZ released a video of Cyrus, then 16, giving Adam Shankman, producer of ''The Last Song'', a lap dance at the film's wrap party. Cyrus's father defended her actions, saying Miley was just "having fun" and that "it's what people her age do". Later that year in December, TMZ released a video of Cyrus, which took place five days after her 18th birthday at her Los Angeles home, in which she is seen smoking from a bong. She claimed she was smoking the psychoactive plant ''salvia divinorum'', although this has not been confirmed by anybody but Cyrus herself. Salvia is legal in the state of California, and Cyrus was of legal age at the time the video was shot. Cyrus's father expressed his sadness regarding the matter on Twitter, saying, "Sorry guys. I had no idea. Just saw this stuff for the first time myself. I'm so sad. There is much beyond my control right now".

In a video obtained by ''The Daily'', taking place at Cyrus' 19th birthday party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, Cyrus went to the microphone and addressed the crowd. Immediately after her Bob Marley-themed birthday cake had been brought out, Cyrus said, "You know you're a stoner when your friends make you a Bob Marley cake. You know you smoke way too much f****n' weed." One week later, Cyrus' representative stated that Cyrus was just being a "smart-ass" and that the Bob Marley cake had just been an "inside joke" with Cyrus and her friends, as Cyrus' friend, Kelly Osbourne had been calling her "Bob Miley" since Cyrus' 2010 salvia incident.

Filmography[link]

+ Film	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2003	''Big Fish''	Young Ruthie	Film debut
2007	''High School Musical 2''	Girl at pool	Cameo
2008	''Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert''		3D Concert film
2008		Penny	Voice-over RoleNominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best SongNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Original SongNominated—Kids Choice Awards for Favorite Voice From an Animated Movie
2009	''Hannah Montana: The Movie''		Based on TV seriesNickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for Best Movie ActressMTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie	Film adaption of book[[Teen Choice Awards">36th People's Choice Awards
2010	''''	Veronica "Ronnie" Miller	Film adaption of book[[Teen Choice Awards for Choice movie Hissy FitTeen Choice Awards for Choice Music: Love Song Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards 2010
2010	''[[Sex and the City 2''	Herself	Cameo
2011		Herself	Cameo
2012		Lola
2012	''So Undercover''	Molly	Without release date

+ Television	! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2001–2003		Kylie	Recurring role (3 episodes)
2006–2011	''Hannah Montana''		Lead role
2006–2008	''Disney Channel''	Herself / Hannah Montana	Contestant, special performer
2006	''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody''	Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana	"That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana" (Season 2, Episode 20)
2006–2008	''Disney 365''	Herself	In 9 episodes, 2006–2008.
2007	''''	Celebrity Star (voice)	"Frog Prince" (Season 2, Episode 5)
2007–2008	''''	Yata (voice)	Recurring role
2008	''E! True Hollywood Story''	Herself	TV special documentary
2009	''''	Miley Stewart / Hannah Montana
2011	''Saturday Night Live''	Herself	Host, March 5 episode.
2011		Herself	Back-to-school special.
2012	''The Conversation''	Herself	Interview series. April 14 episode.
2012	''Punk'd''	Herself	Guest on MTV prank series.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

''Meet Miley Cyrus'' (2007)

''Breakout'' (2008)

''Can't Be Tamed'' (2010)

Extended plays[link]

''The Time of Our Lives'' (2009)

''iTunes Live from London '' (2009)

Live albums[link]

''Best of Both Worlds Concert'' (2008)

Soundtracks[link]

''Hannah Montana'' (2006)

''Hannah Montana 2'' (2007)

''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' (2009)

''Hannah Montana 3'' (2009)

''Hannah Montana Forever'' (2010)

Tours[link]

Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–08)

Wonder World Tour (2009)

Gypsy Heart Tour (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

See also [link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

External links[link]

}} |- |- |- |- |- |-

Category:1992 births Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Tennessee Category:American child actors Category:American child singers Category:American female singers Category:American film actors Category:American pop singers Category:American pop singer-songwriters Category:American television actors Category:American voice actors Category:Bubblegum pop Category:Child pop musicians Category:Fascination Records artists Category:Hollywood Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Tennessee Category:People from Nashville, Tennessee Category:Southern Baptists Category:Walt Disney Records artists Category:Young Artist Award winners

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birth date	November 22, 1958
birth place	Santa Monica, California, U.S.
occupation	ActressAuthorBlogger
years active	1977–present
spouse	Christopher Guest (1984–present) }}

Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress and author. Although she was initially known as a "scream queen" because of her starring roles in several horror films early in her career, such as ''Halloween'', ''The Fog'', ''Prom Night'', and ''Terror Train'', Curtis has since compiled a body of work that spans many genres, and has won BAFTA and Golden Globe awards. Her 1998 book, ''Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day'', made the best-seller list in ''The New York Times''. Curtis has appeared in advertisements, and is a blogger for The Huffington Post online newspaper. She is married to actor, screenwriter, and director Christopher Guest.

Early life[link]

Curtis was born in Santa Monica, California, to actor Tony Curtis and actress Janet Leigh. Her paternal grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants and two of her maternal great-grandparents were Danish. Curtis's parents divorced in 1962, after which her mother married Robert Brandt. Curtis has an older sister, Kelly Curtis, who is also an actress, and several half-siblings (all from her father's remarriages), Alexandra, Allegra, Ben, and Nicholas Curtis (who died in 1994 of a drug overdose). Curtis attended Westlake School in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills High School, and graduated from Choate Rosemary Hall. Returning to California in 1976, she attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. She considered majoring in social work, but quit after one semester to pursue an acting career.

Career[link]

Film[link]

Curtis's film debut occurred in the 1978 horror film ''Halloween'', in which she played the role of Laurie Strode. The film was a major success and was considered the highest grossing independent film of its time, earning accolades as a classic horror film. Curtis was subsequently cast in several horror films, garnering her the title, "scream queen".

Her next film was the horror film ''The Fog'', which was helmed by ''Halloween'' director John Carpenter. The film opened in February 1980 to mixed reviews but strong box office, further cementing Curtis as a horror film starlet. Her next film, ''Prom Night'', was a low-budget Canadian slasher film released in July 1980. The film, for which she earned a Genie Award nomination for Best Performance by a Foreign Actress, was similar in style to ''Halloween'', yet received negative reviews which marked it as a disposable entry in the then-popular "slasher film" genre. That year, Curtis also starred in ''Terror Train'', which opened in October and was met with negative reviews akin to ''Prom Night''. Both films performed only moderately well at the box office. Curtis had a similar function in both films - the main character whose friends are murdered, and is practically the only protagonist to survive. Film critic Roger Ebert, who had given negative reviews to all three of Curtis' 1980 films, said that Curtis "is to the current horror film glut what Christopher Lee was to the last one-or Boris Karloff was in the 1930s". Curtis later appeared in ''Halloween II'', ''Halloween H20: 20 Years Later'' and ''Halloween: Resurrection'', as well as giving an uncredited voice role in ''Halloween III: Season of the Witch''.

Her role in 1983's ''Trading Places'' helped Curtis shed her horror queen image, and garnered her a BAFTA award as best supporting actress. 1988's ''A Fish Called Wanda'' achieved near cult status – while showcasing her as a comedic actress; she was nominated for a BAFTA as best leading actress. She won a Golden Globe for her work in 1994's ''True Lies''. Her recent film roles include Disney's ''Freaky Friday'' (2003), opposite Lindsay Lohan, filmed at Palisades High School in Pacific Palisades, California, near where Curtis and Guest live with their children. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for this film.

In October 2006, Curtis told ''Access Hollywood'' that she had closed the book on her acting career to focus on her family. She returned to acting after being cast in June 2007 in Disney's live-action-animated film, ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'', co-starring opposite Piper Perabo as one of three live-action characters in the film. She also starred in the 2010 comedy film ''You Again'', opposite Kristen Bell and Sigourney Weaver.

Television[link]

Curtis made her television debut in an episode of ''Columbo'', but her first starring TV role was opposite Richard Lewis in the situation comedy ''Anything But Love'', which ran for four seasons from 1989 through 1992. Her performance as Hannah Miller received both a Golden Globe and People's Choice Award. She appeared as nurse Lt. Duran in the short-lived television series, ''Operation Petticoat''; based on the big-screen version which starred her real-life father.

She starred in the 1981 TV film, ''Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story'', playing the part of the eponymous doomed Playmate. She earned a Golden Globe nomination for her work in TNT's adaptation of the Wendy Wasserstein play ''The Heidi Chronicles''. More recently, Curtis starred in the CBS television movie ''Nicholas' Gift,'' for which she received an Emmy nomination. Curtis also appeared in the science fiction series, ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', and an early episode of ''The Drew Carey Show''. Jamie Lee Curtis was a game-show panelist on several episodes of ''Match Game''.

In 2012, she appeared in three episodes of the television series ''NCIS'', playing the role of Dr. Samantha Ryan, a potential romantic interest of Special Agent Gibbs. It has been hinted that her role may be a recurring one. During an interview, she openly said that if they could develop a story line that she would be more than happy to be on the show more. If the role is made recurring, it will be at least the second time Harmon has worked with Curtis; he played her fiancée and later husband in the 2003 remake of ''Freaky Friday''

Children's books[link]

Working with illustrator Laura Cornell, Curtis has written a number of children's books, all published by HarperCollins Children's Books.

''When I Was Little: A Four-Year Old's Memoir of Her Youth'', 1993.

''Tell Me Again About The Night I was Born'', 1996.

''Today I Feel Silly, and Other Moods That Make My Day'', 1998; listed on the ''New York Times'' best-seller list for 10 weeks.

''Where Do Balloons Go?: An Uplifting Mystery'', 2000.

''I'm Gonna Like Me: Letting Off a Little Self-Esteem'', 2002.

''It's Hard to Be Five: Learning How to Work My Control Panel'', 2004.

''Is There Really a Human Race?'', 2006.

''Big Words for Little People'', ISBN 978-0-06-112759-5, 2008.

''My Friend Jay'', 2009, edition of one, presented to Jay Leno

''My Mommy Hung the Moon: A Love Story'', 2010.

Invention[link]

In 1987, Curtis filed a US patent application that subsequently issued as Patent No. 4,753,647. This is a modification of a diaper with a moisture proof pocket containing wipes that can be taken out and used with one hand. Curtis refused to allow her invention to be marketed until companies started selling biodegradable diapers, although the full statutory term of this patent expired February 20, 2007 and is now in the public domain.

Humanitarian and political causes[link]

In March 2012, Curtis was featured with Martin Sheen and Brad Pitt in a performance of Dustin Lance Black's play, '''8''' — a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage — as Sandy Stier. The production was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre and broadcast on YouTube to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.

Personal life[link]

Curtis married actor Christopher Guest on December 18, 1984, becoming Lady Haden-Guest when her husband inherited the Barony of Haden-Guest in 1996, upon the death of his father. The couple have two adopted children (Annie, b. 1986; Thomas b. 1996). Curtis is actor Jake Gyllenhaal's godmother.

On her website, Curtis tells her young readers that she "moonlights as an actor, photographer, and closet organizer." She takes time to support various philanthropic groups. Curtis was Guest of Honor at the 11th annual Gala and Fundraiser in 2003 for Women in Recovery, Inc., a Venice, California-based non-profit organization offering a live-in, twelve-step program of rehabilitation for women in need. Past honorees of this organization include Sir Anthony Hopkins and Angela Lansbury. Curtis is also involved in the work of the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, serving as the annual host for the organization's "Dream Halloween" event in Los Angeles, launched every year in October.

Curtis appeared on the cover of the May/June 2008 issue of ''AARP Magazine,'' with gray hair and in water up to her chest.

Curtis was an alcoholic who was once addicted to pain killers that she began using after a routine cosmetic surgical procedure. She became sober in 1999 and maintains that recovery is the greatest achievement of her life.

Curtis has appeared in advertisements for Activia since 2007, and is a blogger for ''The Huffington Post'' online newspaper. During California's 2008 General Election, Curtis appeared in the "YES on Prop 3" TV advertisements.

Filmography[link]

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Film appearances
Year	Title	Role	Notes
1978		Laurie Strode
	''The Fog''	Elizabeth Solley
	Kim Hammond
''Terror Train''	Alana Maxwell	Nominated — Genie Award for Best Performance by a Foreign ActressNominated — Saturn Award for Best Actress
	''Escape from New York''	Narrator, computer voice
''Roadgames''	Pamela 'Hitch' Rushworth
''Halloween II''	Laurie Strode
1982	''Halloween III: Season of the Witch''	Phone Operator	voice only, uncredited
1983	''Trading Places''	Ophelia	BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
		Anna Winter
''The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension''	Sandra Banzai	featured in DVD extended version
''Grandview, U.S.A.''	Michelle 'Mike' Cody
		Jessie
1986	''As Summers Die''	Whitsey
1987		"Amazing Grace and Chuck"
	''Dominick and Eugene''	Jennifer Reston
''A Fish Called Wanda''	Wanda Gershwitz	Nominated — BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading RoleNominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
1990		Megan Turner	Festival du Film Policier de Cognac
	''[[Queens Logic''	Grace
	Shelly DeVoto
1992		Claire Cooper
	''My Girl 2''	Shelly DeVoto Sultenfuss
''Mother's Boys''	Judith 'Jude' Madigan
''True Lies''	Helen Tasker	American Comedy Awards
1996		Janet Beindorf
1997	''[[Fierce Creatures''	Willa Weston
	''Halloween H20: 20 Years Later''	Laurie Strode/Keri Tate
	Sierra Kahan
''Nicholas' Gift''	Maggie Green	Nominated — Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a Movie
1999		Kelly Foster
2000	''Drowning Mona''	Rona Mace
	''The Tailor of Panama''	Louisa Pendel
''Daddy and Them''	Elaine Bowen
2002	''Halloween: Resurrection''	Laurie Strode
2003		Tess Coleman/Anna Coleman	Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated — Saturn Award for Best ActressNominated — Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
2004	''Christmas with the Kranks''	Nora Krank
2005	''The Kid & I''	Herself
2008	''Beverly Hills Chihuahua''	Aunt Viv
2010	''You Again''	Gail

border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9;> ''The Love Boat'' ''Operation Petticoat'' ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series) ''She's in the Army Now'' ''Callahan'' ''Tall Tales & Legends'' ''As Summers Die'' ''Anything But Love'' ''The Heidi Chronicles'' ''The Drew Carey Show'' ''Nicholas' Gift'' ''Pigs Next Door'' ''A Home for the Holidays'' ''NCIS (TV series)

colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Television appearances
Year	Title	Role	Notes
rowspan="3"	1977	''Quincy M.E.''	Girl in Dressing Room
''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries''	Mary
''Columbo''	WaitressWaitress
rowspan="2"	1978	|	Linda	Episode: Till Death Do Us Part, Maybe/Chubs/Locked Away
''Charlie's Angels''	Linda Frey
1978–1979	|	Lt. Barbara Duran	23 Episodes
1979	Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' ||	Jen Burton	Episode: Unchained Woman
rowspan="2"	1981	|	Pvt. Rita Jennings	TV Movie
''Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story''	Dorothy Stratten
rowspan="2"	1982	|	Rachel Bartlett	TV Movie
''Money on the Side''	Michelle Jamison
1985	|	Annie Oakley	Episode: Annie Oakley
1986	|	Whitsey Loftin	TV Movie
1989–1992	|	Hannah Miller	Series Regular	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, 1989 Nominated —Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, 1991
1995	|	Heidi Holland	TV Movie	Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film>Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
1996	|	Sioux	Episode: Playing a Unified Field
1998	|	Maggie Green	TV Movie
2000	|	Clara	Voice
2005	|	TV Program Host	TV Movie
2012	NCIS'' ||	Dr. Samantha Ryan	5 episodes

References[link]

External links[link]

for Jamie Lee Curtis & Laura Cornell books

Jamie Lee Curtis interview

Category:1958 births Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California Category:American people of Hungarian-Jewish descent Category:American children's writers Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (television) winners Category:British baronesses Category:Choate Rosemary Hall alumni Category:Living people Category:People self-identifying as alcoholics Category:People from Santa Monica, California Category:Saturn Award winners Category:University of the Pacific (United States) alumni Category:American activists Category:American philanthropists

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