Paul Haggis
Paul Haggis, April 2007
Born	Paul Edward Haggis (1953-03-10) March 10, 1953 (age 59) London, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter, and producer
Years active	1975–present
Spouse	Diane Christine Gettas (1977–94) Deborah Rennard (1997–present)

Paul Edward Haggis (born March 10, 1953) is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.

Early life and education[link]

Haggis was born on March 10, 1953, in London, Ontario,^[1] the son of Mary Yvonne (née Metcalf) and Edward H. Haggis.^[2] He was raised as a Catholic,^[3] but considered himself an atheist until joining the Church of Scientology.^[4] The Gallery Theatre in London, Ontario, was owned by his parents, and Haggis gained experience in the field through work at the theatre.^[5] He attended St. Thomas More Elementary School,^[6] and after being inspired by Alfred Hitchcock and Jean-Luc Godard, proceeded to study art at H. B. Beal Secondary School.^[1] After viewing Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blowup, he traveled to England with the intent of becoming a fashion photographer.^[1] Haggis later went back to Canada to pursue studies in cinematography at Fanshawe College.^[1] In 1975, Haggis moved to Los Angeles, California, to begin a career in writing in the entertainment industry.^[1][5]

Career[link]

Haggis began to work as a writer for television programs, including The Love Boat, One Day at a Time, Diff'rent Strokes, and The Facts of Life.^[5] With The Facts of Life, Haggis also gained his first credit as producer.^[5] During the 1980s and 1990s, Haggis wrote for television series including The Tracey Ullman Show, Due South, L.A. Law, and EZ Streets.^[5] He helped to create the television series Walker, Texas Ranger, Family Law, and Due South.^[5] Haggis served as executive producer on series including Michael Hayes and Family Law.^[5]

He gained recognition in the film industry for his work on the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby, which Allmovie described as a "serious milestone" for the writer/producer, and as "his first high-profile foray into feature film".^[5] Haggis had read two stories written by Jerry Boyd, a boxing trainer who wrote under the name of F.X. Toole.^[5] Haggis acquired the rights to the stories, and developed them into the screenplay for Million Dollar Baby. Clint Eastwood portrayed the lead character in the film.^[5] Eastwood also directed the film, and used the screenplay written by Haggis.^[5] Million Dollar Baby received four Academy Awards including the Academy Award for Best Picture.^[5]

After Million Dollar Baby, Haggis worked on the 2004 film Crash.^[5] Haggis came up with the story for the film on his own, and then wrote and directed the film, which allowed him greater control over his work.^[5] Crash was his first experience as director of a major feature film.^[5] Critical reception of Crash was positive, and Roger Ebert called it the best film of 2005.^[5] It received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, in addition to four other Academy Award nominations.^[5] Haggis received two Academy Awards for the film; Best Picture (as its producer), and Best Writing for his work on the screenplay.^[5] With Million Dollar Baby and then Crash, Haggis became the first individual to have written Best Picture Oscar-winners in two consecutive years.^[7]

Personal life[link]

Haggis lives in Santa Monica, California.^[8]

After maintaining active membership in the Church of Scientology for 35 years, Haggis left the organization in October 2009.^{[9][10][11][12]} He was motivated to leave Scientology in reaction to statements made by the San Diego branch of the Church of Scientology in support of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative which banned gay marriage in California.^[11] Haggis wrote to Thomas Davis, the Church's spokesman, and requested that he denounce these statements; when Davis remained silent, Haggis responded that "Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent."^[11][12][13] Haggis went on to list other grievances against Scientology, including its policy of disconnection, and the smearing of its ex-members through the leaking of their personal details.^[11][12] The Observer commented on defections of Haggis and actor Jason Beghe from Scientology, "The decision of Beghe and Haggis to quit Scientology appears to have caused the movement its greatest recent PR difficulties, not least because of its dependence on Hollywood figures as both a source of revenue for its most expensive courses and an advertisement for the religion."^[14] In an interview with Movieline Haggis was asked about similarities between his film The Next Three Days and his departure from the Scientology organization; Haggis responded, "I think one’s life always parallels art and art parallels life."^[15] In February 2011, The New Yorker published a 25,000-word story, "The Apostate", by Lawrence Wright, detailing Haggis's allegations about the Church of Scientology. The article ended by quoting Haggis: "I was in a cult for thirty-four years. Everyone else could see it. I don’t know why I couldn’t."^[4]

Filmography[link]

Film[link]

Haggis at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

Television[link]

Video Games[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Haggis has been nominated for dozens of awards.^[18]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	California portal
	Film portal
	Ontario portal
	Scientology portal

• List of Canadian directors
• List of film and television directors
• List of film director and cinematographer collaborations
• List of film producers
• List of British and Commonwealth Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of Big Five Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of Big Three Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of people who have won multiple Academy Awards in a single year
• List of people from Santa Monica, California
• List of people from London, Ontario
• List of former Scientologists
• Scientology controversies

Further reading[link]

• Wells, Barry. "Paul Haggis wants to inspire London students". Alt London (www.altlondon.org). http://www.altlondon.org/article.php?story=20060909170849642. 
• Forsythe, Coco (January 27, 2008). "Down In The Valley". FutureMovies (www.futuremovies.co.uk). http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/filmmaking.asp?ID=232. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paul Haggis

Wikinews has news related to: Paul Haggis

• Paul Haggis at AllRovi
• Paul Haggis at the Internet Movie Database
• Paul Haggis at the TCM Movie Database
• Works by or about Paul Haggis in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Sean Penn
Penn at the premiere for Milk at the Castro Theatre, San Francisco, October 2008
Ambassador-at-large for Haiti
Incumbent
Assumed office January 31, 2012
President	Michel Martelly
Personal details
Born	Sean Justin Penn (1960-08-17) August 17, 1960 (age 51) Los Angeles County, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Madonna (1985–1989) Robin Wright (1996–2010)
Relations	Aimee Mann (sister-in-law), Leo Penn (father), Eileen Ryan (mother), Chris Penn (brother), Michael Penn (brother)
Children	1 son, 1 daughter
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Alma mater	Santa Monica College
Occupation	Actor, screenwriter, director, producer
Religion	Agnostic
Awards	Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award, Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award

Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his left-wing political and social activism (including humanitarian work). He is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River (2003) and Milk (2008), as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.

Penn began his acting career in television with a brief appearance in a 1974 episode of Little House on the Prairie, directed by his father Leo Penn. Following his film debut in 1981's Taps and a diverse range of film roles in the 1980s, Penn emerged as a prominent leading actor with the 1995 drama film Dead Man Walking, for which he earned his first Academy Award nomination and the Best Actor Award at the Berlin Film Festival. Penn received another two Oscar nominations for Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and I Am Sam (2001), before winning his first Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 for Mystic River and a second one in 2008 for Milk. He has also won a Best Actor Award of the Cannes Film Festival for She's So Lovely (1997), and two Best Actor Awards at the Venice Film Festival for Hurlyburly (1998) and 21 Grams (2003).

Penn made his feature film directorial debut with 1991's The Indian Runner, followed by the drama film The Crossing Guard (1995) and the mystery film The Pledge (2001). In 2002, Penn directed one of the 11 segments of 11'09"01 September 11, a compilation film made in response to the September 11 attacks. His fourth feature film, Into the Wild (2007), garnered critical acclaim and two Academy Award nominations.

In addition to his film work, Penn is known for his political and social activism, most notably his criticism of the George W. Bush administration, his contact with the Presidents of Venezuela and Cuba, and his humanitarian work in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Penn also attracted media attention for his previous marriages to pop icon Madonna and actress Robin Wright.

Early life[link]

Penn was born in Los Angeles County, California,^[1] the middle son of actor and director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan (née Annucci). His older brother is musician Michael Penn. His younger brother, actor Chris Penn, died in 2006. His paternal grandparents were Jewish emigrants from Lithuania and Russia,^[2][3][4] while his mother is a Catholic of Italian and Irish descent.^[4][5] Penn was raised in a secular home^[2] and is an agnostic.^[6] He attended Santa Monica High School^[7] and began making short films with some of his childhood friends, including actors Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, who lived near his home.^[8]

Career[link]

Acting[link]

Penn appeared in a 1974 episode of the Little House on the Prairie television series as a then blond-haired extra when his father, Leo, directed some of the episodes.

Penn launched his film career with the 1981 action-drama Taps, where he played a key role, as a military high school cadet, opposite protagonist Timothy Hutton.^[8] Tom Cruise also made one of his first film appearances, as another cadet. A year later, Penn appeared in the hit comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High, in the role of surfer-stoner Jeff Spicoli, with his character helping popularize the word "dude" in popular culture.^[8] In 1983, Penn appeared as Mick O'Brien, a troubled youth, in the drama Bad Boys.^[8] The role earned Penn favorable reviews and jump-started his career as a serious actor.

In 1985, Penn played Andrew Daulton Lee in the film The Falcon and the Snowman, which closely followed an actual criminal case.^[8] Lee was a former drug dealer by trade, convicted of espionage for the Soviet Union and originally sentenced to life in prison, later being paroled in 1998. Penn later hired Lee as his personal assistant, partly because he wanted to reward Lee for allowing him to play Lee in the film; also, he was a firm believer in rehabilitation and thought Andrew Lee should be successfully reintegrated into society, since he was a free man again.^[9]

At the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.

In 1986, he starred in the drama At Close Range, opposite Christopher Walken.^[8] The film featured his then-wife Madonna's single "Live to Tell". The music video for the song, which featured clips from the film, played heavily on MTV and helped promote the film. Penn stopped acting for a few years in the early 1990s, having been dissatisfied with the industry, and focused on making his directing debut.^[8]

Penn, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times, has won the award twice. The Academy first recognized his work in nominating him for playing a racist murderer on death row in Tim Robbins' 1995 drama Dead Man Walking. Penn was nominated again for his comedic performance as an egotistical jazz guitarist in Woody Allen's 1999 release Sweet and Lowdown. He received his third nomination after portraying a mentally-handicapped father in 2001's I am Sam. Penn finally won for his role in Clint Eastwood's 2003 Boston crime-drama Mystic River. In 2004, he played a disturbed man bent on killing the president in The Assassination of Richard Nixon. He was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2004.^[10]

In 2006, he portrayed populist governor Willie Stark (based on Huey Long) in an adaptation of the classic American novel All the King's Men, though the film was a critical and commercial failure. In November 2008, Penn earned rave reviews for his portrayal of real-life gay-rights icon and politician Harvey Milk in the biopic Milk and was nominated for best actor for the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.^[11] The film also earned Penn his fifth nomination and second win for the Academy Award for Best Actor. In 2010 he starred as Joseph Wilson in Fair Game, a film adaptation of Valerie Plame's 2007 memoir. Penn co-starred with Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain in the drama The Tree of Life which won the Palme d'Or at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Directing[link]

In 1991, Penn made his directorial debut with The Indian Runner, a film based on Bruce Springsteen's song "Highway Patrolman", from the Nebraska album.^[8] He also directed music videos, such as Shania Twain's "Dance with the One That Brought You" and Lyle Lovett's "North Dakota" in 1993, and Peter Gabriel's "The Barry Williams Show" in 2002. He has since directed three more films, all of which^{[citation needed]} were well-received by critics: The Crossing Guard in 1995, The Pledge in 2001, and Into the Wild in 2007.

Personal life[link]

Penn with Robin Wright in 2006

Penn was engaged to actress Elizabeth McGovern, his co-star in 1984's Racing with the Moon. Penn's personal life began to attract media attention when he married pop star Madonna in 1985. The two starred in the panned and much-derided Shanghai Surprise, directed by Jim Goddard, and Madonna dedicated her third studio album True Blue to Penn, referring to him in the liner notes as "the coolest guy in the universe".^[12] The relationship was marred by violent outbursts against the press, including one incident for which he was arrested for assaulting a photographer on a film set; Penn was sentenced to 60 days in jail in mid-1987, of which he served 33 days.^[13] It is also alleged that when Penn discovered the paparazzo in his hotel room, he hung him by his ankles from the ninth-floor balcony.^[14] Later in the marriage, Penn was charged with felony domestic assault, a charge for which he pleaded to a misdemeanor.^[15] Penn and Madonna divorced in 1989.

He soon began a relationship with actress Robin Wright, and their first child – a daughter named Dylan Frances – was born in 1991. Their second child, a son whom they named Hopper Jack, was born in 1993. Penn and Wright married in 1996 and lived in Ross, California. The relationship went through on-and-off periods in the late 2000s (decade).^{[citation needed]} The couple filed for divorce in December 2007, but reconciled several months later, requesting a court dismissal of their divorce case.^[16] In April 2009, Penn filed for legal separation, only to withdraw the case once again when the couple reconciled in May.^[17][18][19] On August 12, 2009, Wright Penn filed for divorce again.^[20][21] The couple's divorce was finalized on July 22, 2010, with the couple reaching a private agreement on child and spousal support, division of assets, and custody over their underage son.^[22]

Political and social causes[link]

Penn has been active in supporting several political and social causes. On June 10, 2005, Penn made a visit to Iran. Acting as a journalist on an assignment for the San Francisco Chronicle, he attended a Friday prayer at Tehran University.^[23]

On January 7, 2006, Penn was a special guest at the Progressive Democrats of America, where he was joined by author and media critic Norman Solomon, Democratic congressional candidate Charles Brown, and activist Cindy Sheehan. The "Out of Iraq Forum", which took place in Sacramento, California, was organized to promote the anti-war movement calling for an end to the War in Iraq.

In August 2008, Penn made an appearance at one of Ralph Nader's "Open the Debates" Super Rallies. He protested the political exclusion of Nader and other third parties.^[24]

In October 2008, Penn traveled to Cuba, where he met with and interviewed President Raúl Castro.^[25]

In March 2010 he called for the arrest of those referring to Hugo Chávez of Venezuela as a dictator ^[26]

In February 2012, he stood beside Hugo Chávez while Venezuela supported the Syrian government during the 2011–2012 Syrian uprising.^[27]

Criticism of President Bush[link]

Penn at an anti-war rally in Washington, D.C., January 27, 2007

On October 18, 2002, Penn placed a US$56,000 advertisement in the Washington Post asking then President George W. Bush to end a cycle of violence. It was written as an open letter and referred to the planned attack on Iraq and the War on Terror.^[28] In the letter, Penn also criticized the Bush administration for its "deconstruction of civil liberties" and its "simplistic and inflammatory view of good and evil."^[29] Penn visited Iraq briefly in December 2002.^[28]

This advertisement was cited as a primary reason for the development of his relationship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. In one of his televised speeches, Chávez used and read aloud an open letter Penn wrote to Bush.^[14] The letter condemned the Iraq War, called for Bush to be impeached, and also called Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice "villainously and criminally obscene people.".^[30] In August 2007, Penn met with Chávez in Caracas for two hours, after which Chávez praised him for urging Americans to impeach Bush. Penn also visited a new film studio on the outskirts of Caracas, though he did not speak publicly.^[30]

On April 19, 2007, Penn appeared on The Colbert Report and had a "Meta-Free-Phor-All" versus Stephen Colbert that was judged by Robert Pinsky. This stemmed from some of Penn's criticisms of Bush. His exact quote was "We cower as you point your fingers telling us to support our troops. You and the smarmy pundits in your pocket– those who bathe in the moisture of your soiled and blood-soaked underwear– can take that noise and shove it."^[31][32] He won the contest with 10,000,000 points to Colbert's 1.^[33]

On December 7, 2007, Penn said he supported Ohio Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich for U.S. President in 2008, and criticized Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Penn questioned whether Bush's twin daughters supported the war in Iraq.^[34]

Hurricane Katrina[link]

In September 2005, Penn traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. He was physically involved in rescuing people,^[35] although there was criticism that his involvement was a PR stunt as he hired a photographer to come along with his entourage.^[36] Penn denied such accusation in an article he wrote for The Huffington Post.^[37]

Director Spike Lee interviewed Penn for his documentary When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, about Hurricane Katrina.

Support for same-sex marriage[link]

Filming Milk, 2008

On February 22, 2009, Penn received the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Milk. In his acceptance speech, Penn said " ... I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support. We've got to have equal rights for everyone!"^[38]

2010 Haiti earthquake: Manager of Relief Organization and Tent Camp[link]

After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Sean Penn co-founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization and has been running a 55,000 person tent camp.^[39]

Due to his visibility as an on-the-ground advocate for rescue and aid efforts in the aftermath, Penn was designated by president Michel Martelly as Ambassador-at-Large for Haiti, the first time that a non-Haitian citizen has been designated as such in the country's history. Penn received the designation on January 31, 2012.^[40]

Falkland Islands/Malvinas controversy[link]

In February 2012 Penn met with the President of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in Buenos Aires where he made a statement on the long-running dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands saying "I know I came in a very sensitive moment in terms of diplomacy between Argentina and the UK over the Malvinas islands. And I hope that diplomats can establish true dialogue in order to solve the conflict as the world today cannot tolerate ridiculous demonstrations of colonialism. The way of dialogue is the only way to achieve a better solution for both nations."^[41][42][43] The comments evoked strong reactions in the British media, with one satirical article in The Daily Telegraph requesting that Penn "return his Malibu estate to the Mexicans."^[44] Penn described the deployment of Prince William to the region as a "provocation" and a message of "pre-emptive intimidation", citing war ships that would accompany him, and stated "My oh my, aren't people sensitive to the word colonialism, particularly those who implement colonialism."^[45][46] In a piece written in The Guardian, Penn wrote that the legalisation of Argentinian immigration to the "Malvinas/Falkland Islands is one that it seems might have been addressed, but for the speculative discovery of booming offshore oil in the surrounding seas this past year."^[46][47] Of the furore, Lauren Collins wrote in The New Yorker "As of today, Sean Penn is the new Karl Lagerfeld—the man upon whom, having disrespected something dear to the United Kingdom, the British papers most gleefully pile contempt".^[48]

Pakistan[link]

Penn gained significant attention in Pakistani media when he visited Karachi and Badin in 2012.

On 23 March 2012, he visited flood-stricken villages of Karim Bux Jamali, Dargah Shah Gurio and Peero Lashari in Badin District. He was accompanied by US Consul General Willian J. Martin and distributed blankets, quilts, kitchen items and other goods amongst flood survivors.^[49][50]

On 24 March 2012, Penn also visited Bilquis Edhi Female Child Home and met Pakistan’s iconic humanitarian worker Abdul Sattar Edhi and his wife, Bilquis Edhi. He also laid floral wreaths and paid respect at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi.^[51][52]

Filmography and awards[link]

On December 18, 2006, Penn received the Christopher Reeve First Amendment Award from the Creative Coalition.^[53]

Actor[link]

Director[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sean Penn

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Sean Penn

• Sean Penn at the Internet Movie Database
• Sean Penn at the Internet Broadway Database
• Guardian Interview, April 8, 2005
• Esquire magazine interview/profile
• Sean Penn's visit to Iran at the San Francisco Chronicle
• Smiles for Smirks by Sean Penn, The Huffington Post, April 21, 2009
• Sean Penn on Managing a Tent Camp of 55,000 Displaced Haitians – video report by Democracy Now!

Petra Němcová
Němcová in 2007
Born	Petra Němcová (1979-06-24) 24 June 1979 (age 33) Karviná, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)[1]
Height	1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Hair color	Brown[1]
Eye color	Hazel[1]
Measurements	33B-24-34 (US) 84-61-86.5 (EU)[1]
Weight	117 pounds (53 kg)
Manager	Next Model Management: New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Paris, and Milan; Unique One, Mikas, View Management
Website
http://www.petranemcova.org

Petra Němcová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpɛtra ˈɲɛmtsovaː]; born 24 June 1979 in Karviná, Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic) is a Czech model, television host, author, and philanthropist. She is the founder and chair of the Happy Hearts Fund. In December 2004, she was injured in Thailand by a tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake; her fiancé, photographer Simon Atlee, was killed in the tsunami.

Early life[link]

Petra Němcová was born June 24, 1979 in Communist Czechoslovakia. She grew up in Karvina with her sister Olga. As a child she was teased at school for sharing her name with the famous Czech author Bozena Němcová. She was scouted on the streets of Prague by "Next Model Management". Upon signing with the renowned agency Němcová moved to Milan.

Career[link]

Modeling[link]

Petra Němcová was scouted walking through the streets in Prague. In 1995 she won the Czech Elite Model Look. Upon signing with Next Models, Němcová moved to Milan where her career flourished. She was featured in campaigns for Benetton, Bulgari Sunglasses, Cartier, Clarins, Cortefiel, Dirk Bikkembergs, Fortunoff, Graff, HP Intel Personal Computer, HS, Intimissimi, John Lewis, Lancaster, La Perla, La Senza, Maidenform, Max Factor, Pantene Pro-V, Passport, Playtex, Rampage, Schwarzkopf, Victoria's Secret, and Wild Orchid. Additionally, she has appeared on the covers of Madame Figaro, Elle, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Flare, Vegas, Glamour, FHM, and Sports Illustrated. From 2000 to 2004, she has walked for designers Lolita Lempicka, Gai Mattiolo Erreuno, Matthew Williamson, Custo Barceloa, Blunauta, Dirk Bikkembergs, Gugliemo Cappone, Luciano soprani, Marina Babini,Yumi Katsura, Akadius, and Michino Koshino.^[2]

Němcová was featured on the cover of the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and appeared in the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 editions.^[1] In addition to working with world class photographers on her Sports Illustrated shoots, she was the object/subject of Joanne Gair's body painting work.^[3]

Petra is currently signed to Mikas in Stockholm, View Management in Barcelona, Unique One in Prague, and "Next Model Management" in London, Paris, Milan, New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

Television[link]