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Neil Jordan
Jordan at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	Neil Patrick Jordan (1950-02-25) 25 February 1950 (age 62) Sligo, Ireland
Occupation	Filmmaker/Novelist
Years active	1979–present
Spouse	Brenda Rawn (2004–present)
Website
http://www.neiljordan.com/

Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish filmmaker and novelist. He won an Academy Award (Best Original Screenplay) for The Crying Game. He also won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for The Butcher Boy.^[1]

Early life[link]

Jordan was born in County Sligo, the son of Angela (née O'Brien), a painter, and Michael Jordan, a professor.^[2] He was educated at St. Paul's College, Raheny. Of his religious background, Jordan said in a 1999 Salon interview: "I was brought up a Catholic and was quite religious at one stage in my life, when I was young. But it left me with no scars whatever; it just sort of vanished." He said about his current beliefs that "God is the greatest imaginary being of all time. Along with Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, the invention of God is probably the greatest creation of human thought."^[3] Later, Jordan attended University College Dublin, where he studied Irish history and English literature.

Career[link]

When John Boorman was filming Excalibur in Ireland, he recruited Jordan as a script consultant, which led to his doing second unit work. His first feature Angel, a tale of a musician caught up in the Troubles, starred Stephen Rea who has subsequently appeared in almost all of Jordan's films to date.

As a writer/director, Jordan has a highly idiosyncratic body of work, ranging from mainstream hits like Interview with the Vampire to commercial failures like We're No Angels to a variety of more personal, low-budget arthouse pictures.

Neil Jordan at the German premiere of The Brave One, 2007.

Themes[link]

Unconventional sexual relationships are a recurring theme in Jordan's work, and he often finds a sympathetic side to characters audiences would traditionally consider deviant or downright horrifying. His film The Miracle, for instance, followed two characters who struggled to resist a strong, incestuous attraction, while The Crying Game made complicated, likable characters out of an IRA terrorist and a transgender woman. Interview with the Vampire, like the Anne Rice book it was based on, focused on the intense, intimate interpersonal relationship of two undead men who murder humans nightly (although the pair never have sex, they are clearly lovers of a sort), accompanied by an equally lusty vampire woman who is eternally trapped in the body of a little girl. While Lestat (Tom Cruise) is depicted in an attractive but villainous manner, his partner Louis (Brad Pitt) and the child vampire Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) are meant to capture the audience's sympathy despite their predatory nature.

In addition to the unusual sexuality of Jordan's films, he frequently returns to the Troubles of Northern Ireland. The Crying Game and Breakfast on Pluto both concern a transgender character (played by Jaye Davidson and Cillian Murphy, respectively), both concern the Troubles, and both feature frequent Jordan leading man Stephen Rea. The two films, however, are very different, with Crying Game a realistic thriller/romance and Breakfast on Pluto a much more episodic, stylized, darkly comic biography. Jordan also frequently tells stories about children or young people, such The Miracle and The Butcher Boy. While his pictures are most often grounded in reality, he occasionally directs more fantastic or dreamlike films, such as The Company of Wolves, High Spirits, Interview with the Vampire and In Dreams.

Hollywood[link]

Jordan with Alicja Bachleda-Curus and Colin Farrell at the Ondine premiere, 2010 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

The critical success of Jordan's early pictures led him to Hollywood, where he directed High Spirits and We're No Angels; both were critical and financial disasters. He later returned home to make the more personal The Crying Game, which was nominated for six Academy Awards. Jordan won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the film. Its unexpected success led him back to American studio filmmaking, where he directed Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles.

Neil Gaiman announced during his The Today Show appearance on 27 January 2009, that Neil Jordan would be directing the film of his Newbery Medal-winning book The Graveyard Book.

Neil Jordan wrote and directed Ondine (2009), starring Colin Farrell and Alicja Bachleda-CuruÅ›

Neil Jordan's next feature is entitled Broken Dream and will feature Ben Kingsley and John Hurt ^[4] He will also direct an adaptation of the vampire play "Byzantium", starring Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton.^[5]

Personal life[link]

Jordan lives in a house on Sorrento Terrace in Dalkey, which is a part of the larger town of Dún Laoghaire in Ireland.^[6]

Filmography[link]

• Angel (1982) - Also Writer
• The Company of Wolves (1984) - Also Writer
• Mona Lisa (1986) - Also Writer
• High Spirits (1988) - Also Writer
• We're No Angels (1989)
• The Miracle (1990) - Also Writer
• The Crying Game (1992) - Also Writer
• Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
• Michael Collins (1996) - Also Writer
• The Butcher Boy (1997) - Also Writer/Executive Producer
• The End of the Affair (1999) - Also Writer/Producer
• In Dreams (1999) - Also Writer
• The Good Thief (2002) - Also Writer/Executive Producer
• Breakfast on Pluto (2005) - Also Writer/Producer
• The Brave One (2007)
• Ondine (2009) - Also Writer/Producer
• The Borgias (TV Series) (2011) - TV Series: Also Writer/Executive Producer
• Byzantium (2012)

Novels[link]

• Night in Tunisia (1976) – Short stories
• The Past (1980)
• The Dream of a Beast (1983)
• Sunrise with Sea Monster (1994)
• Shade (2005)
• Mistaken (2011)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Neil Jordan

• Neil Jordan's web site
• Neil Jordan at the Internet Movie Database
• Neil Jordan at AllRovi

v t e Recipients of the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature Heno Magee (1976) Desmond Hogan (1977) Peter Sheridan (1978) Kate Cruise O'Brien (1979) Bernard Farrell (1980) Neil Jordan (1981) Medbh McGuckian / Special Prize: Seán Ó Tuama & Thomas Kinsella (1982) Dorothy Nelson (1983) Ronan Sheehan (1984) Frank McGuinness (1985) Paul Mercier (1986) Deirdre Madden (1987) Glenn Patterson (1988) Robert McLiam Wilson (1989) Mary Dorcey (1990) Anne Enright (1991) Hugo Hamilton (1992) Gerard Fanning (1993) Colum McCann (1994) Philip MacCann (1995) Mike McCormack (1996) Anne Haverty (1997) David Wheatley (1998) Mark O'Rowe (1999) Claire Keegan (2000) Keith Ridgway (2001) Caitríona O'Reilly (2002) Eugene O'Brien (2003) Claire Kilroy (2004) Nick Laird (2005) Philip Ó Ceallaigh (2006) Kevin Barry (2007) Leontia Flynn (2008) Kevin Power (2009) Leanne O'Sullivan (2010) Dan Rooney Oscar Wilde Centre

Saoirse Ronan
Ronan at 2008 City of Ember Belfast Premiere
Born	Saoirse Una Ronan[1] (1994-04-12) 12 April 1994 (age 18)[2] New York City, New York,[3] U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2003–present

Saoirse Una Ronan (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsË iË?ɾˠʃə]; roughly SEER-shÉ™; born 12 April 1994^[1]) is an Irish film actress. She began her career as a child and came to international prominence in 2007 after co-starring in the film Atonement, which gained her nominations for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.^[4][5][6][7]

Ronan has since appeared in several Hollywood films, including the children's Christmas story The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (2007), with Tom Berenger and Joely Richardson, the romantic comedy I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007), the film adaptation of the science fantasy Young Adult novel City of Ember (2008), Death Defying Acts (2008), the war drama film The Way Back (2010) and Hanna (2011). She was awarded a Saturn Award and a second BAFTA Award nomination for her portrayal in Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones (2009).

Personal life[link]

Born in New York City, Ronan is the only child of Irish parents Paul and Monica Ronan – the former an actor^[8] – who were living in New York at the time.^[3] Her family is Catholic.^[9] She was raised in County Carlow, Ireland, having moved there when she was three years old.^[10] She is currently home schooled and lives in County Carlow.^[11][12] As a baby, she sometimes accompanied her father on the set when he was working on such films as The Devil's Own^[13] and Veronica Guerin (film).

Ronan supports the Irish Blue Cross, as the charity had reunited her with her runaway dog Sassie.^[14] On her name, she said, "'Seer-sha' is how Irish people pronounce my first name, but I would pronounce it 'Ser-sha,' like 'inertia'. It's Irish for 'freedom.' I recently found out that my middle name, Una, means 'unity' in Ireland. And I think my last name means 'seal.' So I’m a free, unified seal."^[1]

Career[link]

2003–2008[link]

She made her screen debut on Irish public service broadcaster RTÉ, in the 2003 primetime medical drama The Clinic and the 2004–2005 mini-serial Proof.^[15] During the same time, Ronan auditioned to play Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a role she eventually lost out to Evanna Lynch.^[16]

Ronan in 2007.

At the age of twelve, Ronan was asked to attend a casting call for Joe Wright's 2007 film adaptation of Ian McEwan's 2001 novel Atonement.^[17] She auditioned for and won the part of Briony Tallis, an aspiring 13-year-old novelist, who irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit. Starring alongside Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, Wright grew more and more impressed with Ronan on-set, who declared her role a "fantastic part [to play]."^[17] Budgeted at US$30 million, the film became a financial and critical success, resulting in a worldwide box office total of US$130 million and various awards, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film, Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama, and an 2008 Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.^[18] Ronan herself received rave reviews for her performance, with Ty Burr of the Boston Globe calling her "remarkable [and] eccentric,"^[19] and was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, ranking her among the youngest persons ever to be nominated for the latter.^[20]

Ronan's next film was Amy Heckerling's often-delayed romantic comedy film I Could Never Be Your Woman (2007). Initially shot in mid-to fall 2005 in Los Angeles and London, the film went straight-to-DVD in the United States and other major market territories after it had struggled to attract financing and several deals disintegrated during its post-production in spite of its budget of US$25 million.^[21] In the film, Ronan portrayed the character of Izzie Grossman, the pubescent daughter of a television show screenwriter, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who falls for a younger man (Paul Rudd), while Izzie falls in love for the first time herself. Upon its release, the independent project garnered generally lukewarm reviews, with Joe Leydon of Variety summing it as "a desperately unfunny mix of tepid showbiz satire and formulaic romantic comedy."^[22]

In 2008, Ronan starred in both Death Defying Acts and City of Ember. In Gillian Armstrong's supernatural romantic thriller Death Defying Acts, she played Benji McGarvie, the daughter of an impoverished and uneducated psychic, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, who begins a passionate affair with legendary magician Harry Houdini at the height of his career. Ronan was awarded an Irish Film & Television Award for her performance.^[20] Released to a mixed reception,^[23] the film was not a success at the box office, barely grossing US$8.3 million worldwide.^[24] In Gil Kenan's City of Ember Ronan starred as Lina Mayfleet, a teenager who must save the people of the fictional underground city named Ember. The fantasy film, based on the 2003 novel by Jeanne DuPrau, received mixed reviews from critics,^[25] and grossed US$17 million worldwide, well below its US$55 million budget.^[26]

2009–present[link]

Ronan at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival

In 2009, Ronan appeared alongside Rachel Weisz and Stanley Tucci in Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones (2009), an adaptation of the same-titled book by Alice Sebold. In the film, Ronan plays 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who, after being murdered, watches from the "in-between" as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death. Ronan and her family were originally hesitant for Ronan to accept her role in the film because of its subject matter, but agreed after meeting with Jackson, who described her as "just amazing on-screen."^[27] The Lovely Bones was released to mainly mixed reviews from critics,^[28] who criticised the film's story and its message.^[29] Praised for the acting however, particularly of Ronan, whose performance Richard Corliss of Time commented as "magic,"^[29] the film garnered various accolades, winning Ronan a Critics' Choice Award, a Saturn Award and a second BAFTA Award nomination for her portrayal the following year.^[20]

In 2010's The Way Back, directed by Peter Weir, Ronan played the character of Irena, a Polish orphan, who joins a group of prisoners who escape from the gulag in Siberia in 1940 and attempt to make a 4,000 mile trek to India. Shot on location in Bulgaria, India and Morocco alongside Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell and Ed Harris,^[30] the war drama film received generally positive reviews,^[31] with The Telegraph calling it "a journey that feels awful and heroic and unfathomable – and one you’ll want to watch again."^[32] Her performance in the film garnered Ronan her fourth Irish Film & Television Award.^[20]

In 2011, Ronan starred in the title role of the action thriller film Hanna, which marked her reunion with Atonement director Joe Wright.^[13]

In November 2011, Ronan took part in a promotion for the Irish Film Institute Archive Preservation Fund, in which she was digitally edited into popular Irish films of the past, such as Once and My Left Foot, as well as documentary footage on the arrival of John F. Kennedy at Dublin Airport and the GAA All-Ireland finals.^[33]

As announced, Ronan will play a teen assassin in Geoffrey Fletcher's directing debut Violet & Daisy.^[34] In addition, she will star as Melanie Stryder in Andrew Niccol's film adaptation of Stephenie Meyer's novel The Host,^[35][36] and appear in director Neil Jordan's adaptation of the play Byzantium.^[37] As reported, Ronan is in talks to play Daisy in the film adaptation of the 2004 novel How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff.^[38]

Filmography[link]

Further reading[link]

• Cluain Dolcain: A Brief Note, Charles Doherty, in Seanchas: Studies in Early and Medieval Irish Archaeology, History and Literature in Honour of Francis John Byrne, pp. 182–188, edited by Alfred P. Smyth, Four Courts Press, Dublin, 2000. ISBN 978-1-85182-489-2

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Saoirse Ronan

• Saoirse Ronan at the Internet Movie Database

Colin Farrell
Farrell at the premiere of Ondine at the Tribeca Film Festival, 28 April 2010
Born	Colin James Farrell (1976-05-31) 31 May 1976 (age 36) Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1996–present
Spouse	Amelia Warner (2001; divorced)
Partner	Kim Bordenave (2002–03; 1 child) Alicja Bachleda-Curus (2009–2010; 1 child)
Website
www.colinfarrell.org

Colin James Farrell (born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such films as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T.. In 2008 he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges.

Early life[link]

Farrell was born in Dublin, the son of Rita (née Monaghan), a housewife, and Eamon Farrell, a footballer who played for Shamrock Rovers F.C. and owned a company importing and exporting canned goods in Dublin City.^[1][2] He was raised as a Roman Catholic.^[3][4] His uncle Tommy Farrell also played for Rovers. Farrell has two sisters, Claudine (who is his personal assistant)^[5] and Catherine, and a brother, Eamon Jr. When he was ten, the Farrells moved to Castleknock, a Dublin suburb.^[6] Farrell was educated at St. Brigid's National School Castleknock followed by Castleknock College and Gormanston College. Farrell unsuccessfully auditioned for the Irish group Boyzone when he was still unknown.^[7] Farrell attended The Gaiety School of Acting, but dropped out and was cast in the part of Danny Byrne on Ballykissangel, a BBC television drama. Farrell appeared on the show seven times from 1998 to 1999. He was inspired to try acting after being brought to tears while watching E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.^[8]

Career[link]

Farrell had small parts in television shows and films, including the BBC drama Ballykissangel in 1998, and his film debut in Tim Roth's The War Zone.^[9] In 2000, he was cast in the lead role of Private Roland Bozz in Tigerland, an American film directed by Joel Schumacher. Farrell's next American films, American Outlaws (2001) and Hart's War (2002), were not commercially successful, but his 2003 films, including Phone Booth, S.W.A.T., and The Recruit were well-received box office successes. Although he has a pronounced Irish accent, Farrell uses an American accent in some of his films including American Outlaws and his breakthrough role, Tigerland.

Farrell roles as a supporting actor include his performances as an ambitious cop who chases after a potential criminal, played by actor Tom Cruise, in Minority Report (2002), and as the skilled villain Bullseye in Daredevil (2003). Matt Damon was originally offered the Minority Report role but he turned it down to appear in Ocean's Eleven.^[10] Farrell said "he had no problem" that people knew he was the producer's fall back pick after Damon declined.^[11] The character of Bullseye is that of an assassin with perfect accuracy and deep-rooted pride of it. Farrell was attached to this role in December 2001, though initially he was considered for the lead role as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, until Ben Affleck signed.^[12] Farrell was encouraged to keep his Irish accent as this version of Bullseye is from Ireland.^[13] Farrell had to read into Frank Miller's Daredevil comics to understand Bullseye "because the expression on the character's faces in the comic books, and just the way they move sometimes, and the exaggerations of the character I'm playing […] he's so over-the-top that you do draw from that. But it's not exactly a character you can do method acting for... you know, running around New York killing people with paper clips."^[14]

Farrell at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival

In late 2003, Farrell starred as a criminal who plots a bank heist with Cillian Murphy in the comedy Intermission, which held the record as highest-grossing Irish independent film in Irish box office history until 2006.^[15] In 2004, Farrell appeared in several independent films that received only a limited theatrical release in most countries, including A Home at the End of the World, which received some positive reviews.^[16][17] Farrell appeared in the title role of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's 2004 biographical film Alexander, which, while receiving some favourable reviews internationally, was poorly received in the United States.^[18] It was marked by controversy for portraying the ancient conqueror as bisexual, and received criticism from some historians for its portrayal of the ancient Persians,^[19] though others praised it for its accuracy in these regards as well.^[20][21] The movie grossed a total of $167 million worldwide, despite its poor showing within the United States, just exceeding its budget of $155 million.^[22]

Farrell's next film was 2005's Academy Award-nominated The New World, also a historical epic that was met with mixed reviews.^[23] Farrell played the leading role of Captain John Smith, the founder of 17th century colonial Jamestown, Virginia who falls in love with a beautiful Native American princess, Pocahontas, played by Q'Orianka Kilcher. The film received positive reviews, despite being released in only 811 theatres worldwide and having a relatively low box office gross.^[24][25]

The New World was followed by Ask the Dust, a romance film set in period Los Angeles and co-starring Salma Hayek. It received a very limited theatrical release and was not a financial success.^[26] 2006 brought more success in Farrell's career, as he appeared opposite Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's action-crime film Miami Vice. The film was a box office success grossing a total of US $164 million worldwide.^[27] Farrell was next seen in Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream, which premiered in 2007 and was distributed in the U.S. in early 2008. Farrell's next film, Martin McDonagh's In Bruges, opened the Sundance Film Festival in 2008; Farrell received his first Golden Globe nomination and win for his role as Ray, a hired hitman. Shortly thereafter, he appeared in Kicking It, a documentary following six homeless men from different countries as they attempt to qualify for the Homeless World Cup. Farrell appeared on screen and provided narration. The film released simultaneously in theatres and television, airing on ESPN2 with a very short window to DVD release. Farrell received positive press for his involvement in the heartwarming true-life tale, and enthusiastic reviews for the two dramatic roles that preceded it.

On 11 January 2009, he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor: Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges, in which he co-starred with Brendan Gleeson. The same year, he starred in Terry Gilliam's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, alongside Christopher Plummer. He was one of the actors, along with Johnny Depp and Jude Law, who helped complete the late Heath Ledger's role after he died before filming ended. They all played "Imaginarium" versions of Ledger's character Tony. He also took a supporting role as Tommy Sweet in Crazy Heart, alongside Academy Award-winning Jeff Bridges.

2010 saw the release of Ondine, a fantasy-drama directed by Neil Jordan, which stars Farrell as a fisherman. It also saw him star opposite Keira Knightley in the crime / romance London Boulevard. The film was directed by William Monahan, screenplay writer of The Departed and Body of Lies.

Farrell starred in the 2011 comedy movie Horrible Bosses, with Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis, directed by Seth Gordon. The film focuses on a trio of employees who plot to murder their titular tyrannical supervisors.^[28] Later that year, Farrell played the lead role in the Fright Night remake.^[29] Farrell joined Anton Yelchin, David Tennant, and Toni Collette in this story about a charismatic vampire who moves in next to a high school student. The film was released by Dreamworks, with Craig Gillespie having directed.

Upcoming films[link]

Farrell at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival

Farrell is involved in a film adaptation of Flann O'Brien's metafictional novel At Swim-Two-Birds alongside Cillian Murphy and Gabriel Byrne. Actor Brendan Gleeson will direct the film, which was scheduled for release in 2010.^[30] In October 2009, however, Gleeson expressed fear that, should the Irish Film Board be abolished as planned by the Irish State, the production may fall through.^[31]

Additionally, Farrell is set to star in Columbia Pictures' Total Recall (a remake of the 1990 film of the same name), which filmed from May to September 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Directed by Len Wiseman, the film is a new take on the Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi picture about a sleeper agent who is compelled to travel to a colony on Mars. Kurt Wimmer (Salt) wrote the script, which like the original is based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale."^[32]

Personal life[link]

Colin Farrell was reportedly married to English actress Amelia Warner from July 2001 to November 2001.^[33] However, in December 2011, Amelia Warner said that the marriage ceremony was not legal.^[34]

Colin and British writer Emma Forrest dated for over a year, an experience she discusses in depth in her memoir Your Voice In My Head. According to Forrest, they had planned to have a child together, before he ended the relationship.

Colin and US model Kim Bordenave became parents of James Padraig Farrell, born in 2003, in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. In October 2007, Farrell revealed that his son has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterised by intellectual and developmental delay.^[35]

Farrell and Ondine co-star Alicja Bachleda-Curus have a son, Henry Tadeusz Farrell, born in October 2009^[36] One year after the birth of their son, Alicja Bachleda Curus and Colin Farrell decided to end their relationship. ^{[37][dead link]}

Friendship with Elizabeth Taylor[link]

Farrell had reportedly grown very close to Elizabeth Taylor shortly before her death and was one of the few non-family members to attend her private funeral.^[38] He recited the poem The Leaden Echo and The Golden Echo by Gerard Manley Hopkins at her funeral, requested by Taylor herself.

Drug addictions[link]

In December 2005, Farrell voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation treatment center for addictions to recreational drugs and painkillers.^{[citation needed]} His publicist commented that Farrell had started taking painkillers due to a back injury.^{[citation needed]}

Sex tape[link]

In July 2006, Farrell filed a lawsuit suing his former girlfriend, Playboy model Nicole Narain, and the Internet Commerce Group (ICG) over the unauthorised public distribution of a 14-minute sex tape that Farrell made with Narain in 2003.^[39] It was leaked to ICG who tried to release it publicly. A Los Angeles judge issued an injunction barring the sale, distribution, or display of the tape.^{[citation needed]}

Narain claimed that she did not give the tape to anyone and was not sure if or how copies were taken from her. She originally said that she would work with Farrell to ensure that it remained private, but Farrell said that Narain was trying to release it in order to damage his acting career and "make money out of it", which Narain denies.^{[40][41][dead link]}

A trial date for the Narain lawsuit was set for 17 July 2006, but the judge allowed Farrell and Nicole to mediate until 20 April. On 16 April, the two reached a settlement with confidential terms. However, Farrell's lawsuit against ICG continued with a trial date set for 21 July 2006.^[42]

Stalker incidents[link]

Farrell has a stalking restraining order against telephone sex worker Dessarae Bradford.^[43]. Bradford had twice attempted to sue Farrell, alleging abusive messages, but the lawsuits were dismissed due to a lack of evidence provided by Bradford.^[44][45] Bradford also failed a lie detector test on an i TV program while attempting to support her claims and stories.^[46]

On 20 July 2006, as Farrell was being interviewed by Jay Leno on the set of The Tonight Show, Bradford evaded security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Leno's desk. Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, telling the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was led out of the studio, she shouted "I'll see you in court." Farrell's response was, "Darling, you're insane!" NBC security handed her to Burbank police, who eventually released her. After Farrell apologised to the audience, describing Bradford as "my first stalker", the show continued filming and the incident was edited out of the aired broadcast.^[45] The following day, Farrell obtained a restraining order against Bradford.^[43]

Bradford has recorded a song entitled "Colin Farrell is My Bitch" and has self-published a book called Colin Farrell: A Dark Twisted Puppy.^[44]

Celebrity status[link]

Farrell was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2003.^[47] He was also voted sixth in the World's "Sexiest Man" contest by Company magazine that same year.^[48]

In 2007, Farrell joined other celebrities to become an official games spokesman for the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China.^[49]

Filmography[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Colin Farrell

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Colin Farrell

• Colin Farrell at the Internet Movie Database
• Colin Farrell at AllRovi
• Colin Farrell – biography, filmography

The Creators is a non-fiction work of cultural history by Daniel Boorstin published in 1992 and is the second volume in what has become known as the Knowledge Trilogy. It was preceded by The Discoverers and succeeded by The Seekers.

Contents[link]

The Creators, subtitled A History of Heroes of the Imagination, is the story of mankind's creativity. It highlights great works of art, music and literature but it is more than a recitation or list. It is a book of ideas and the people behind those ideas. It encompasses architecture, music, literature, painting, sculputure, the performing arts, theater, religious expression and philosophy. It can be viewed as a companion to The Discoverers which chronicled the history of invention, exploration and technology. The Creators traces the creative process from pre-history Egypt to modern times and like The Discoverers, follows both a topical and chronological structure. Boorstin writes in "A Personal Note to the Reader", "After The Discoverers... "I was more than ever convinced that the pursuit of knowledge is only one path to human fulfillment. This companion book, also a view from the literate West, is a saga of Heroes of the Imagination. While The Discoverers told of the conquest of illusions - the illusion of knowledge - this will be a story of vision (and illusions) newly created..." If The Discoverers is the story of the inventive human mind then The Creators is the story of the searching soul. The work is in twelve major parts that have been grouped into four books.

The Riddle of Creation: Prologue[link]

Part I. "Worlds Without Beginning"

Part II. "A Creator God"

Book One: Creator Man[link]

Part III. "The Power of the Stone"

Part IV. "The Magic of Images"

Part V. "The Immortal Word"

Book Two: Re-creating the World[link]

Part VI. "Otherworldly Elements"

Part VII. "The Human Comedy: A Composite Work"

Part VIII. "From Craftsman to Artist"

Part IX. "Composing for the Community"

Part X. "Conjuring with Time and Space"

Book Three: Creating the Self[link]

Part XI: "The Vanguard Word"

Part XII. "The Wilderness Within"

Praise and criticism[link]

The Creators was widely praised by both professional and non-professional readers but had its share of critics. It has been criticized for factual mistakes, poor research, literary ignorance, incorrect conclusions, a bias toward Western culture to the exclusion of other cultures, a tendency to overlook the negative and lack of attribution.^[1] Kenneth S. Lynn, a Harvard professor of history, accused Boorstin of philosophical bias and blatant myth-making. He has been called superficial because his works are popular with the general public.^[2]

Writing style and themes[link]

Boorstin follows the pattern he established in the previous book, The Discoverers. The book is built around the lives and contributions of individuals. These vignettes are the anchor of the work and reflects the author's belief that history is molded by men and women of daring and genius rather than ideological movements or academic theories. The subtitles in all three books of the Knowledge Trilogy pay homage to this idea. The trail of personal vignettes stretches from Confucius to Pope Gregory to Bach to Mozart to Dostoyevsky - a panorama of creators. Boorstin also adheres to an incremental approach to history. Although genius is unpredictable, it still builds upon the accomplishments of those who came before. Repeatedly Boorstin links changes in the way we view ourselves to artistic and creative changes.

The Question of Western culture[link]

Boorstin announces in his "Note to the Reader" (above) that he approaches the subject from a Western orientation. His concern is not strictly identifying great creators and their creations but also asking "Why?" and this question forms the basis of his Western orientation. Why were European painting styles and techniques in constant flux while China's remained relatively unchanged? Why did music acquire polyphony and instrumentation and evolve into a myriad of related "styles" while Indian music saw little evolution? Why did architecture undergo such radical transformation in the West? Why did Europe become the land of literacy and books? These question led Boorstin to certain proposals.

He suggests that "people of the Book" (Jews and Christians) came to view themselves in a different light than other cultures. Their belief in a Creator God led them to view human creation as participating in God's creation. As their God created, so did they also. They became a creative people, scrutinizing, questioning and imagining.^[3] Other cultures had moments of creative impulses but the idea of creativity for its own sake was not sustained. Other cultures, for other reasons, declined the creative road. Hinduism viewed the universe and our lives as cyclic, having no beginning, ending only when we merged with the Oneness and escaped this world.^[4] Buddhism did not ask "Why" but instead preached submissive acceptance of our lot in life.^[5] Confucianism concerned itself not with ultimate questions about God and the universe but with rules for practical, daily life.^[6] Although China had an ancient painting tradition, the intertwining of calligraphy with art as well the codification of the rules for painting resulted in an unchanging, static style.^[7] Islam held that Allah alone was Creator and claiming an act of creation was considered heretical.^[8] The Koran itself was not considered a document penned by Muhammed but a sacred text created at the beginning of time.^[9] Islam went so far as to ban the display of the human image which had dire consequences for the development of painting, sculpture, photography and much of the performing arts in the Islamic world.

With the rest of the world thus discussed, Boorstin begins his journey with the first Western state, Greece. The Homeric poems of the Gods, recited so often, became theater when participants and spectators separated.^[10] Greece initiated the cultural patterns that persist and define the Western world - dance, theater, poetry, sports, sculpture, literature, architecture, philosophy and democracy. At some point they began asking and attempting to answer fundamental questions about the world and themselves. When Europe rediscovered the writings of Greek philosophers, an artistic Renaissance exploded upon the scene. Along the way, the reader is introduced to a pantheon of heroes of the imagination - Moses, Plato, Aristotle, Paul of Tarsus, Dante, Michelangelo, Dostoyevsky...all of whom advocated the free pursuit of learning. Boorstin considers this pursuit fundamental to Western culture.

Although the focus is on the West, references to other cultures are included. The chapter "The Road Not Taken: The Japanese Triumph of Wood", is devoted to Japanese architecture. Chinese art and the reasons for its unchanging nature over time are discussed in "The Painted Word: The Inward Path of Tao". Islam, its art and attitudes toward art, are featured in "Satan's Handiwork".

The impact of literature[link]

Literature and its development comprises a major portion of the book. This reflects the high regard in which Boorstin held the written word. He has stated that the book is the greatest technological invention of all time.^[11] He suggests that literary evolution both changed and reflected new ways of thinking about the self. Indeed, literature was the driving force behind changes in personal perspectives starting (once again) with Greece. In another reference to incrementalism he traces the path from writing to religious poetry, the two being intertwined. Boorstin suggests that poetry in both form and substance was written to remember. Prose, a new form of literature, emerged and with it the theater. The play was transformed from a religious exercise to a creative one that saw the appearance of comedy, drama and tragedy. Because prose was not in a form that made for easy memorization, a greater imagination was required by the author. The theater served those purposes admirably and Greeks both loved and excelled at the performing arts.^[12] The spectators who viewed these works began asking the same questions and changing their perspective.^[13]

The introduction of prose also led to education and the areas of study became the foundation of a Classical education to this day - rhetoric, logic, grammar, astronomy, mathematics and philosophy. The latter existed because of the skeptical nature of some Greek thinkers who dared to ask why; it could only exist because of prose. Boorstin proposes that prose also encouraged the development of democracy by inviting participation from the citizenry. Other literary forms rose. The epic and its tales of gods and heroes and their great deeds continued, although somewhat abated. History as story began with Herodotus (fifth century BC) and The Histories. But it was the novel, what Boorstin calls "re-creating life out of life",^[14] that democratized literature. The novel inspired new ways of thinking about ourselves and our world and the forms created were revelations to the Western mind - the essay, the biography, stories of our own feelings and views,^[15] adventure tales and streams of consciousness in which time itself is manipulated. The author had finally discovered the self as a resource of art, the internal rather than the external universe serving as the source of inspiration.^[16]

Other creations[link]

Boorstin places the origins of Western music in the liturgy of the Catholic Church. The early practice of congregational singing of psalms (adopted from Judaism) ceased with the introduction of the choir. This institution gave rise to the Gregorian chant and one of the most important creations in music, polyphony, still the hallmark of Western music.^[17] Over time, the emphasis within Music turned to the instruments rather than the human voice. Again, a change in attitude allowed the new event. Up to this time Church leaders had looked askance upon "wordless" music but the Reformation induced a change of assumptions. From Bach, the acceleration of instrument creation led to yet another peculian Western invention, the orchestra. Boorstin demonstrates repeatedly how one creation led to another and another. The concerto and symphony were created and opera caused a sensation. Music moved out of the palace into the concert hall for the masses.^[18] Music continued to evolve and new forms like atonality were heard in the rush to be creative and innovative.^[19]

As an example of megalithic architecture, Boorstin selects Stonehenge.^[20] The Pyramids of ancient Egypt ("Castles of Eternity") and the famous architecture of Greece ("Temples of Community") precede the work of the Romans. Concrete, the dome, the arch, one creation after another change the physical shells that gather and protect us. The final evolution of grand architecture, the skyscraper, gives us the architect as hero.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Creators

• Raymond Keating - Columns: Book Review: The Creators: A History of Heroes of the Imagination
• Hilton Kramer, NY Times, Entranced by the People Who Made History
• NNDB
• Answers.com - Daniel J. Boorstin
• Booknotes interview with Boorstin on Creators, December 6, 1992.

Elizabeth Davidson Fraser (born 29 August 1963) is a Scottish singer best known as the vocalist for the pioneer alternative rock group Cocteau Twins. Described by critic Jason Ankeny as "an utterly unique performer whose swooping, operatic vocals relied less on any recognizable language than on the subjective sounds and textures of verbalized emotions,"^[1] Fraser's distinctive singing earned much critical praise. She was once described as "the voice of God."^[2] Fraser's lyrics range from straight forward English to semi-comprehensible sentences and abstract mouth music. For some recordings, she used foreign words without knowing what they meant – the words acquired meaning for her only as she sung them. ^[3] Fraser has a soprano vocal range.^[4] She is as well known for her voice as her perfectionism and reclusive nature. ^[5]

Music career[link]

Fraser and Cocteau Twins[link]

Fraser was the vocalist and lyricist in Cocteau Twins, a group founded in 1981 by Robin Guthrie and Will Heggie. At the time, she was 17 years old, and had never thought of herself as a singer. Guthrie and Heggie noticed her dancing at a club one night, and asked her to join their band.^[6] After an on-off phase, the band recorded some tracks which were sent as demos to John Peel and Ivo Watts-Russell of 4AD which led to their being signed by the London-based label and a successful career in music.^[7] Fraser and Guthrie formed a relationship, and had a daughter, Lucy Belle, in 1989. Guthrie liberally used drugs and alcohol throughout the years they were together,^[8] and Fraser suffered a nervous breakdown during the recording of Four-Calendar Café.^[9] The couple broke up in 1992, still opting to continue a musical relationship until 1998, when Cocteau Twins were disbanded.

Fraser had an intense personal relationship with singer Jeff Buckley ^[10] and recorded a duet with him, "All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun", written by Buckley but never released commercially. Perhaps surprisingly for someone reportedly very shy, she speaks candidly about their relationship in the BBC documentary, Jeff Buckley: Everybody Here Wants You.^[11]

Cocteau Twins were due to perform for the North American Coachella Festival on 30 April 2005, but cancelled on 16 March 2005.^[12] The decision to cancel was taken by Fraser reportedly because of the emotional distress it caused her. Her former Cocteau Twins bandmate Simon Raymonde has since talked publicly about the decision saying that while he respected it, he regretted not being able to walk away with "£1.5 million ($2.5 million) tax-free." ^[13] Fraser has not commented on what she would have been paid.

During the years of working as part of Cocteau Twins, Fraser also collaborated with numerous artists, appearing on 4AD house band This Mortal Coil's first release along with her bandmates where her notable contributions included a cover version of Tim Buckley's "Song to the Siren", and providing one-off vocals for acts such as Felt (Primitive Painters), Dif Juz (Extractions LP), the Future Sound of London (Lifeforms EP), the Wolfgang Press, Ian McCulloch and others.

Post-Cocteau Twins[link]

After the breakup of Cocteau Twins in 1998, Fraser continued to collaborate with a range of performers, including The Future Sound of London, Elliot Goldenthal, Craig Armstrong, Massive Attack (including extensive tours performing with the band in 2006), and Peter Gabriel's millennium project OVO.

She has subsequently contributed to the soundtracks of several films, such as, In Dreams, Cruel Intentions, The Winter Guest and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (also uncredited in the soundtrack of the Fellowship of the Ring Extended Edition DVD), and has occasionally appeared as a guest artist on other musicians' projects. In 2005, she also participated in Yann Tiersen's album Les Retrouvailles. She sings in two pieces: "Kala" and "Mary".

Solo career[link]

Aside from the work with other artists, Fraser's solo career has been quiet. In 2000, a white label recording, Underwater, was released in a limited edition of only 200 copies. She contributed a cover version of "At Last I am Free" (originally by '70s band Chic, covered by Robert Wyatt) on the 2003 album Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before, a celebration of 25 year of Rough Trade Records.

In 2004, Fraser was invited to participate in a unique audio exhibit, "Shhh...", at London's Victoria and Albert Museum for which she produced a piece called "Expectant Mood", which has not been made commercially available.

Fraser reportedly signed to Blanco y Negro Records,^[14] but little is known about the progress of any recorded material.

In December 2006 New Music Express magazine reported that Elizabeth Fraser's solo album was due for release in early 2007. The album would have contained eight tracks, one of which was to be a cover version. No titles were announced and the album was never released. Its current status is unknown.

In November 2009 Fraser released a solo single, '"Moses", available on 12" and download through Rough Trade. The single was recorded some time ago with her partner of more than a decade – Massive Attack's drummer Damon Reece, and close friend Jake Drake-Brockman - and was a memorial to Jake Drake-Brockman.^[15][16]

In May 2012 in an exclusive report The Guardian confirmed that Elizabeth Fraser will play two dates as part of the Meltdown Festival at London's Southbank Centre in August 2012, curated by Antony Hegarty. ^[17] In that article, Fraser confirmed that she has assembled an album's worth of material and will showcase these at the event in addition to performing re-interpretations of some of the Cocteau Twins songs. Fraser also referred to the physical exertion involved in her singing against the wall of sound in many of the Cocteau Twins songs, of which she said it was "like an endurance test. I don't intend to do that again. I've been using my voice more gently." ^[18] Antony Hegarty referred to Fraser agreeing to perform as "unprecedented" and said further "that's going to be probably one of the centerpieces of the festival, Liz Fraser doing two nights. It's a really, really big deal." ^[19] Hegarty also described Fraser as one of the artists who "have used their platforms as cultural producers to challenge us . . . "^[20]

Website[link]

The official website Elizabethfraser.com was initially created by a fan, but was taken over by Fraser's management company on 22 March 2007. As of 30 November 2009 (2009 -11-30)^[update], the new site content is updated with news on the release for the new single "Moses".

Personal life[link]

Elizabeth Fraser was born in Grangemouth.^[21] She lives with her partner, musician Damon Reece (from the band Lupine Howl), in Bristol. She has two daughters, Lucy Belle Guthrie, her daughter by Robin Guthrie, and Lily, her daughter by Damon Reece.

Discography[link]

Main artist[link]

• Garlands (1982)
• Head over Heels (1983)
• Treasure (1984)
• Victorialand (1986)
• Blue Bell Knoll (1988)
• Heaven or Las Vegas (1990)
• Four-Calendar Café (1993)
• Milk and Kisses (1996)

Guest appearances[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website