A role-playing game (RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development. Actions taken within the game succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.

There are several forms of RPG. The original form, sometimes called the ''tabletop RPG'', is conducted through discussion, whereas in live action role-playing games (LARP) players physically perform their characters' actions. In both of these forms, an arranger called a game master (GM) usually decides on the rules and setting to be used and acts as referee, while each of the other players plays the role of a single character.

Several varieties of RPG also exist in electronic media, including multi-player text-based MUDs and their graphics-based successors, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Role-playing games also include single-player offline role-playing video games in which players control a character or team who undertake quests, and may include capabilities that advance using statistical mechanics. These games often share settings and rules with tabletop RPGs, but emphasize character advancement more than collaborative storytelling.

Despite this variety of forms, some game forms such as trading card games and wargames that are related to role-playing games may not be included. Role-playing activity may sometimes be present in such games, but it is not the primary focus. The term is also sometimes used to describe roleplay simulation games and exercises used in teaching, training, and academic research.

Purpose

Both authors and major publishers of tabletop role-playing games consider them to be a form of interactive and collaborative storytelling. Events, characters and narrative structure give a sense of a narrative experience, and the game need not have a strongly-defined storyline. Interactivity is the crucial difference between role-playing games and traditional fiction. Whereas a viewer of a television show is a passive observer, a player at a role-playing game makes choices that affect the story. Such role-playing games extend an older tradition of storytelling games where a small party of friends collaborate to create a story.

While simple forms of role-playing exist in traditional children's games of make believe, role-playing games add a level of sophistication and persistence to this basic idea with additions such as game facilitators and rules of interaction. Participants in a role-playing game will generate specific characters and an ongoing plot. A consistent system of rules and a more or less realistic campaign setting in games aids suspension of disbelief. The level of realism in games ranges from just enough internal consistency to set up a believable story or credible challenge up to full-blown simulations of real-world processes.

Varieties

Role-playing games are played in a wide variety of media ranging from the spoken tabletop form, to physically acting out characters in LARP or playing characters virtually in digital media. There is also a great variety of systems of rules and game settings. Games that emphasize plot and character interaction over game mechanics and combat sometimes prefer the name storytelling game. These types of games tend to minimize or altogether eliminate the use of dice or other randomizing elements. Some games are played with characters created before the game by the GM, rather than those created by the players. This type of game is typically played at gaming conventions, or in standalone games that do not form part of a campaign.

Tabletop

Tabletop or ''pen-and-paper'' (PnP) RPGs are conducted through discussion in a small social gathering. The GM describes the game world and its inhabitants. The other players describe the intended actions of their characters, and the GM describes the outcomes. Some outcomes are determined by the game system, and some are chosen by the GM.

This is the format in which role-playing games were first popularized. The first commercially available RPG, ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (D&D;), was inspired by fantasy literature and the wargaming hobby and was published in 1974. The popularity of D&D; led to the birth of the tabletop role-playing game industry, which publishes games with a wide variety of themes, rules, and styles of play.

This format is often referred to simply as a ''role-playing game''. To distinguish this form of RPG from other formats, the retronyms ''tabletop role-playing game'' or ''pen and paper role-playing game'' are sometimes used, though neither a table nor pen and paper are strictly necessary.

Live action

A LARP is played more like improvisational theatre. Participants act out their characters' actions instead of describing them, and the real environment is used to represent the imaginary setting of the game world. Players are often costumed as their characters and use appropriate props, and the venue may be decorated to resemble the fictional setting. Some live action role-playing games use rock-paper-scissors or comparison of attributes to resolve conflicts symbolically, while other LARPs use physical combat with simulated arms such as airsoft guns or foam weapons.

LARPs vary in size from a handful of players to several thousand, and in duration from a couple of hours to several days. Because the number of players in a LARP is usually larger than in a tabletop role-playing game, and the players may be interacting in separate physical spaces, there is typically less of an emphasis on tightly maintaining a narrative or directly entertaining the players, and game sessions are often managed in a more distributed manner.

Electronic media

Tabletop role-playing games have been translated into a variety of electronic formats. As early as 1974, the same year as the release of Dungeons & Dragons, unlicensed versions of it were developed on mainframe university systems under titles such as ''dnd'' and ''Dungeon''. These early computer RPGs influenced all of electronic gaming, as well as spawning the role-playing video game genre. Some authors divide digital role-playing games into two intertwined groups: single player games using RPG-style mechanics, and multiplayer games incorporating social interaction.

Single-player

Single player role-playing video games form a loosely defined genre of computer and console games with origins in role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, on which they base much of their terminology, settings and game mechanics. This translation changes the experience of the game, providing a visual representation of the world but emphasizing statistical character development over collaborative, interactive storytelling.

Multi-player

Online text-based role-playing games involve many players using some type of text-based interface and an Internet connection to play an RPG. Games played in a real-time way include MUDs, MUSHes, and other varieties of MU*. Games played in a turn-based fashion include play-by-mail games and play-by-post games.

Massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs) combine the large-scale social interaction and persistent world of MUDs with graphic interfaces. Most MMORPGs do not actively promote in-character role-playing, however players can use the games' communication functions to role-play so long as other players cooperate. The majority of players in MMORPGs do not engage in role-play in this sense.

Computer-assisted gaming can be used to add elements of computer gaming to in-person tabletop role-playing, where computers are used for record-keeping and sometimes to resolve combat, while the participants generally make decisions concerning character interaction.

Gamemaster

One common feature of many RPGs is the role of gamemaster, a participant who has special duties to present the fictional setting, arbitrate the results of character actions, and maintain the narrative flow. In tabletop and live action RPGs the GM performs these duties in person. In video RPGs many of the functions of a GM are fulfilled by the game engine, however some multi-player video RPGs also allow for a participant to take on a GM role through a visual interface called a ''GM toolkit'', albeit with abilities limited by the available technology.

See also

Role-playing game terms

Gaming conventions

Timeline of role-playing games

List of role-playing game artists

List of designers of role-playing games

List of publishers of role-playing games

List of role-playing games by name

List of role-playing games by genre

List of campaign settings

Polish role-playing games

Japanese role-playing games

Notes

References

External links

RPG.Net - RPG community and database

Category:Role-playing

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name	Esperanza Spalding
background	solo_singer
born	October 18, 1984Portland, Oregon, U.S.
genre	Jazz, jazz fusion, bossa nova, neo soul
occupation	Musician, composer, educator, bandleader
instrument	Vocals, upright bass, bass guitar, violin, oboe, clarinet
years active	2000-present
associated acts	Stanley Clarke, Patti Austin, Noise for Pretend
label	Heads Up International, Hush, Merge
website	}}

Esperanza Spalding (born October 18, 1984) is an American multi-instrumentalist best known as a jazz bassist and singer, who draws upon many genres in her own compositions. In 2011, she won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards, making her the first jazz artist to win the award.

Early life and early education

Spalding grew up in the King neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, a neighborhood she describes as "ghetto" and "pretty scary". Her mother raised her and her brother as a single parent.

Spalding has a diverse ethnic background. She notes, "My mom is Welsh, Hispanic, and Native American, and my father is black." She also has an interest in the music of other cultures, including that of Brazil, commenting, "With Portuguese songs the phrasing of the melody is intrinsically linked with the language, and it’s beautiful".

Her mother shares Spalding's interest in music, having nearly become a touring singer herself. But while Spalding cites her mother as a powerful influence who encouraged her musical expansion, she attributes her inspiration for pursuing a life in music to watching classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma perform on an episode of ''Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood'' when she was four.

By the time Spalding was five, she had taught herself to play the violin and was playing with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. Spalding stayed with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon until she was fifteen and left as concertmaster. Due to a lengthy illness when she was child, Spalding spent much of her elementary school years being homeschooled, but also attended King Elementary School in Northeast Portland. During this time she also found the opportunity to pick up instruction in music by listening to her mother's college teacher instruct her mother in guitar. According to Spalding, when she was about 8 her mother briefly studied jazz guitar in college; Spalding says, "Going with her to her class, I would sit under the piano. Then I would come home and I would be playing her stuff that her teacher had been playing." Spalding also played oboe and clarinet before discovering the bass in high school. She is able to sing in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Discovering the bass

Spalding had intended to play cello, but discovered the bass during a one-year stint at age 14 at the prestigious performing arts high school, The Northwest Academy, to which she had won a scholarship. The school was not a good fit, but the bass was. Spalding found high school "easy – and boring" and dropped out. When asked in 2008 why she plays the bass instead of some other instrument, Spalding said that it wasn't a choice, but the bass "had its own arc" and resonated with her. Spalding says that for her discovering the bass was like "waking up one day and realizing you’re in love with a co-worker". By the time she randomly picked up the bass in music class and began experimenting with it, she had grown bored with her other instruments. Her band teacher showed her a blues line for the bass which she later used to secure her first gig. After that, she went in to play the bass daily and gradually fell in love.

When she was 15 or 16 years old, Spalding started writing lyrics for music for the local indie rock/pop group Noise for Pretend, touching on any topic that came to mind. Although she had taken a few private voice lessons which taught her how to protect her voice, her primary singing experience had come from "singing in the shower", she said, before she started performing vocals for Noise for Pretend. Her desire to perform live evolved naturally out of the compositional process, when she would sing and play simultaneously to see how melody and voice fit together, but she acknowledges that performing both roles can be challenging. In a 2008 interview, she said, "[W]hat can be difficult is being a singer, in the sense that you are engaged with the audience, and really responsible for emoting, and getting into the lyrics, melody, etc and being an effective bassist/band leader."

Education and career

Spalding left high school at 16 and, after completing her GED, enrolled on a music scholarship in the music program at Portland State University, where she remembers being "the youngest bass player in the program." Although she lacked the training of her fellow students, she feels that her teachers nevertheless recognized her talent. She decided to instead apply to Berklee College of Music on the encouragement of her bass teacher, and did well enough in her audition to receive a full scholarship. In spite of the scholarship, Spalding found it a challenge meeting living expenses, so her friends arranged a benefit concert that paid her airfare and a little extra.

Spalding's savings did not last long. Broke and exhausted, she considered leaving music and entering political science, a move jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny discouraged, telling Spalding she had "the 'X Factor'" and could make it if she applied herself. During her time at Berklee, her primary bass instructor was John Lockwood.

Touring

Spalding had begun performing live in clubs in Portland, Oregon as a teenager, securing her first gig at 15 in a blues club when she could only play one line on bass. One of the seasoned musicians with which she played that first night invited her to join the band's rehearsals "so she could actually learn something", and her rehearsals soon grew into regular performances spanning almost a year. According to Spalding, it was a chance for her to stretch as a musician, reaching and growing beyond her experience. Her early contact with these "phenomenal resources", as she calls the musicians who played with her, fostered her sense of rhythm and helped nurture her interest in her instrument.

Patti Austin hired Spalding to tour with her internationally after Spalding's first semester at Berklee, where Spalding supported the singer on the Ella Fitzgerald tribute tour "For Ella". In 2008, Spalding recalled the tour as educational, helping her learn to accompany a vocalist and also how to sustain energy and interest playing the same material nightly. She continued to perform with Austin periodically for three years. During the same period, while at Berklee, Spalding studied under saxophonist Joe Lovano before eventually touring with him. They began as a trio, expanding into a quartet before joining quintet US5 and traveling across the United States from New York to California.

She does not consider herself a musical prodigy. "I am surrounded by prodigies everywhere I go, but because they are a little older than me, or not a female, or not on a major label, they are not acknowledged as such," says Spalding.

Teaching

Spalding was the 2005 recipient of the Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship. Almost immediately after graduation from college later the same year, Spalding was hired by Berklee College of Music, becoming one of the youngest professors in the institution's history, at age 20. As a teacher, Spalding tries to help her students focus their practice through a practice journal which can help them recognize their strengths and what they need to pursue. As of 2008, she was also in the process of developing several courses for students at Berklee, including one that focuses "on transcribing as a tool for learning harmony and theory". Since that time, Spalding currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Solo records and collaborations

Spalding has recorded three albums ''Junjo'' (2006), ''Esperanza'' (2008) and ''Chamber Music Society'' (2010). The first was created to display the dynamic that she felt among her trio. Though ''Junjo'' was released solely under her name, Spalding considers it "a collaborative effort." With ''Esperanza'', Spalding's material was meant to be more reflective of herself as an artist, with musicians selected to best present that material. Ed Morales wrote in PopMatters on June 23, 2008 that ''Esperanza'' is "a sprawling collage of jazz fusion, Brazilian and even a touch of hip-hop." Siddhartha Mitter wrote in ''The Boston Globe'' on May 23, 2008 that "the big change" in ''Esperanza'' "is the singing..... This makes [''Esperanza''] a much more accessible album, and in some ways more conventional." In ''Chamber Music Society'', inspiration from her earlier days as a concertmaster is apparent in her fusion of three-piece string ensemble with piano, keyboards, drums and percussion. As Patrick Jarenwattananon wrote for NPR Music, "the finished product certainly exudes a level of sophisticated intimacy, as if best experienced with a small gathering in a quiet, wood-paneled room."

In addition to these albums, Spalding has collaborated with Fourplay, Stanley Clarke, Christian Scott, Donald Harrison, Joe Lovano, Niño Josele, Nando Michelin, and Theresa Perez.

Her next project, scheduled for release in late 2011, is an album currently titled ''Radio Music Society'', which she hopes will showcase jazz musicians in an accessible manner suitable for mainstream radio. She plans to record ''Radio Music Society'' in May. With ''Radio Music Society'', she hopes to incorporate her own musical compositions with covers of such artists as the Beach Boys and Wayne Shorter. She also plans to record an album with Milton Nascimento in the future. In February 2011, she released a vinyl version of her ''Chamber Music Society'' album which included a bonus track titled "Morning" that will be included on her new ''Radio Music Society'' album.

Critical reception

Gary Burton, Executive Vice President at Berklee, said in 2004 that Spalding had "a great time feel, she can confidently read the most complicated compositions, and she communicates her upbeat personality in everything she plays." Ben Ratliff wrote in ''The New York Times'' on July 9, 2006 that Spaldings voice is "light and high, up in Blossom Dearie's pitch range, and she can sing quietly, almost in a daydream" and that Spalding "invents her own feminine space, a different sound from top to bottom."

Ratliff wrote in ''The New York Times'' again, two years later, on May 26, 2008 that one of Spalding's central gifts is "a light, fizzy, optimistic drive that's in her melodic bass playing and her elastic, small-voiced singing" but that "the music is missing a crucial measure of modesty." He added, "It's an attempt at bringing this crisscrossing [of Stevie Wonder and Wayne Shorter] to a new level of definition and power, but its vamps and grooves are a little obvious, and it pushes her first as a singer-songwriter, which isn't her primary strength." Pat Metheny said in 2008 it was immediately obvious "that she had a lot to say and was also unlike any musician I had ever run across before. Her unique quality is something that goes beyond her pretty amazing musical skills; She has that rare 'x' factor of being able to transmit a certain personal kind of vision and energy that is all her own."

Andrés Quinteros wrote in the Argentinian periodical, ''26Noticias'' on October 28, 2008 that Spalding is one of the greatest new talents on the jazz scene today.

In February 2011, at the 53rd Grammy Awards, Spalding won the "Best New Artist" award.

Influences and attitude toward music and jazz

Spalding cites jazz bassists Ron Carter and Dave Holland as important influences on her music; Carter for the "orchestration" of his playing and Holland for the way his compositional method complements his personal style. She has described the saxophone player Wayne Shorter, and singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento, as heroes. She has also noted her preference for the music of Brazil.

Spalding says she loves fusion music and was influenced by a "wonderful arc that started 40 years ago where people kept incorporating modern sounds into their music." She has expressed concerns that jazz has wandered from its roots, suggesting that jazz has lost its street value and its relevance to "the Black experience to the Black Diaspora and beyond" now that has been co-opted by the "seasoned 'art' community." She notes that in its early days, jazz was "popular dance music" and "the music of young people who considered themselves awfully hip", and believes "hip-hop, or neo-soul ... is our 'jazz' now as far as the role these genres play in the music genre lineage...."

Spalding, who has expressed a desire to be judged for her musicianship rather than her sex appeal, believes that female musicians must take responsibility to avoid oversexualizing themselves. and that in order to write original music, one must read and stay informed about the world. She has said she models her career on those of Madonna and Ornette Coleman.

Performances

Some of Spalding's high-profile performances include: ;2009 Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony and Concert On December 10, at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies, Spalding performed at Oslo City Hall in honor of the 2009 Laureate President Barack Obama and again at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert the following day. She was personally selected by Obama, as per the tradition of one laureate-invited-artist to perform.

;2009 Park City Jazz Festival Spalding also was the featured final act for the opening night of the 2009 Park City Jazz Festival in Park City, Utah, one of the top jazz festivals in the country. She closed the show with a number along with bass artists Brian Bromberg and Sean O'Bryan Smith, who also performed earlier that day.

;2010 BET Awards As a tribute to Prince, Spalding was invited to sing along with Patti LaBelle, Alicia Keys, and Janelle Monáe. Spalding performed the 1987 hit single "If I Was Your Girlfriend."

;2010 Austin City Limits (PBS-TV) On February 7, 2010, Spalding became the most searched person and second most searched item on Google as a result of her appearance the previous evening on the PBS television program ''Austin City Limits''.

;2011 Roots Picnic On June 4, 2011, Spalding performed at The Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, sharing the stage with The Roots, Nas and Wiz Khalifa.

Discography

Solo albums

!Original release date	!Album	!Label
April 18, 2006	''Junjo''	Ayva Music
May 20, 2008		Heads Up International
August 17, 2010	''Chamber Music Society''	Heads Up International

Notes

With Noise for Pretend

!Original release date	!Album	!Label
October 30, 2001	''Blanket Music/Noise For Pretend''	Hush Records
July 2, 2002	''Happy You Near''	Hush Records

With Stanley Clarke

!Original release date	!Album	!Label
October 16, 2007	''The Toys of Men''	Heads Up International

With Nando Michelin

!Original release date	!Album	!Label
November 21, 2006	''Duende''	Fresh Sound New Talent
January 4, 2010	''Reencontro''	Blue Music Group

With M. Ward

!Original release date	!Album	!Label
March 18, 2003	''Transfiguration of Vincent''	Merge Records

With Mike Stern

!Original release date	!Album	!Label
August 11, 2009	''Big Neighborhood''	Heads Up International

References

Further reading

Murphy, Sarah, "Student Profile: Esperanza Spalding", Berklee College of Music, April 2004

External links

Official website

Esperanza Spalding interview for OnTheGig.com

Esperanza Spalding interview for allaboutjazz.com

Who is Esperanza Spalding and how did she beat Justin Bieber? - includes interview for Billboard.com (2011).

VIDEO: Esperanza Spalding Performance and Interview at The Roots Pinic (2011)

Category:1984 births Category:African American musicians Category:American jazz double-bassists Category:American jazz singers Category:American musicians of Mexican descent Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Berklee College of Music faculty Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Portland, Oregon Category:Women in jazz

de:Esperanza Spalding es:Esperanza Spalding fr:Esperanza Spalding it:Esperanza Spalding nl:Esperanza Spalding ja:エスペランサ・スポルディング pl:Esperanza Spalding pt:Esperanza Spalding ru:Сполдинг, Эсперанса sv:Esperanza Spalding

name	Margaret Rutherford
birth date	May 11, 1892
birth place	Balham, London, England, UK
death date	May 22, 1972
death place	Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, England, UK
birth name	Margaret Taylor Rutherford
occupation	Actress
years active	1925–67
spouse	Stringer Davis (1945–1972) (her death) }}

Dame Margaret Taylor Rutherford (known as Margaret Rutherford) DBE (11 May 1892 – 22 May 1972) was an English character actress, who first came to prominence following World War II in the film adaptations of Noel Coward's ''Blithe Spirit'', and Oscar Wilde's ''The Importance of Being Earnest''. In 1963 she won the best supporting actress Oscar as The Duchess of Brighton in ''The VIPs.''

She is probably best-known for her 1960s performances as Miss Marple in several films based loosely on Agatha Christie's novels.

Early life

Born in Balham, London, she was the only child of William Rutherford Benn and his wife Florence, née Nicholson. Her father's brother Sir John Benn, 1st Baronet was a British politician, and her first cousin once removed is British politician Tony Benn.

As an infant, Margaret Rutherford and her parents moved to India. She was returned to Britain when she was three to live with an aunt, a professional governess Bessie Nicholson, in Wimbledon, England, after her pregnant mother, Florence, committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree. Her father returned to England as well.

Her father suffered from mental illness, having a nervous breakdown on his honeymoon, and was confined to an asylum. He was eventually released on holiday and on 4 March 1883, he murdered his father, the Reverend Julius Benn, a Congregational church minister, by bludgeoning him to death with a chamberpot; shortly afterward, William tried to kill himself as well, by slashing his throat with a pocketknife. After the murder, William Benn was confined to the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum. Several years later he was released, reportedly cured of his mental affliction, changed his surname to Rutherford, and returned to his wife, Ann (née Taylor). His continued mental illness resulted in his being confined once more to Broadmoor in 1904; he died in 1921.

Margaret Rutherford was educated at Wimbledon High School, and, from the age of about 13, at Raven's Croft School, a boarding school at Sutton Avenue, Seaford, where she is listed, aged 18, on the 1911 census.

Stage career

Rutherford worked as a teacher of elocution and then went into acting later in life, making her stage debut at the Old Vic in 1925, aged 33. Her physical appearance was such that romantic heroines were out of the question, and she soon established her name in comedy, appearing in many of the most successful British plays and films. "I never intended to play for laughs. I am always surprised that the audience thinks me funny at all", Rutherford wrote in her autobiography. Rutherford made her first appearance in London's West End in 1933 but her talent was not recognised by the critics until her performance as Miss Prism in the play ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' at the Globe Theatre in 1939. In 1941 Noel Coward's ''Blithe Spirit'' opened on the London stage at the Piccadilly Theatre, with Coward himself directing. Rutherford played Madame Arcati, the bumbling medium, a role which Coward had earlier envisaged for her.

Rutherford had a distinguished theatrical career alongside her film successes. Totally against type, she played the sinister housekeeper Mrs Danvers in Daphne du Maurier's ''Rebecca'' at the Queen's Theatre in 1940. Her post-war theatre credits included Miss Prism in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' again at the Haymarket Theatre in 1946 and Lady Bracknell when the same play transferred to New York in 1947. She played an officious headmistress in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' at the Apollo Theatre in 1948 and such classical roles as Madame Desmortes in ''Ring Round the Moon'' (Globe Theatre, 1950), Lady Wishfort in ''The Way of the World'' (Lyric Hammersmith, 1953 and Saville Theatre, 1956) and Mrs Candour in ''The School for Scandal'' (Haymarket Theatre, 1962). Her final stage performance came in 1966 when she played Mrs Malaprop in ''The Rivals'' at the Haymarket Theatre, alongside Sir Ralph Richardson. Unfortunately, her declining health meant she had reluctantly to give up the role after a few weeks.

Film career

Although she made her film debut in 1936, it would be Rutherford's turn as Madame Arcati in David Lean's film of ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945) that would actually establish her screen success. This would become one of her most memorable performances, with her bicycling about the Kent countryside, cape fluttering behind her. Interestingly, it would also establish the model for portraying that role forever thereafter. She was Nurse Carey in ''Miranda'' (1948) and Professor Hatton Jones in ''Passport to Pimlico'' (1949). She reprised her stage roles of the headmistress alongside Alastair Sim in ''The Happiest Days of Your Life'' (1950) and Miss Prism in Anthony Asquith's ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (1952).

More comedies followed, including ''Trouble in Store'' (1953) with Norman Wisdom, ''The Runaway Bus'' (1954) with Frankie Howerd and ''An Alligator Named Daisy'' (1955) with Donald Sinden and Diana Dors. Rutherford then rejoined Norman Wisdom in ''Just My Luck'' and co-starred in ''The Smallest Show on Earth'' with Virginia McKenna, Peter Sellers and Leslie Phillips (both 1957). She also joined a host of distinguished comedy stars, including Ian Carmichael and Peter Sellers, in the Boulting Brothers' satire ''I'm All Right Jack'' (1959).

In the early 1960s she became synonymous with Miss Jane Marple in a series of four films loosely based on the novels of Agatha Christie. Rutherford, then aged 70, insisted on wearing her own clothes for the part and having her husband appear alongside her. In 1963 Christie dedicated her novel ''The Mirror Crack'd'' : "To Margaret Rutherford in admiration". Christie reportedly did not approve of the 1960s films as they portrayed Marple as a comedy character and were not faithful to the original plots.

In 1963 Rutherford was awarded an Academy Award and Golden Globe as Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the absent-minded, impoverished, pill-popping Duchess of Brighton, the only light relief, in Terence Rattigan's ''The V.I.P.s'', a film featuring a star-studded cast led by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. She appeared as Mistress Quickly in Orson Welles' film ''Chimes at Midnight'' (1965) and was directed by Charlie Chaplin in ''A Countess from Hong Kong'' (1967), starring Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren, which was one of her final films.

Rutherford was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 and was raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1967.

Personal life

Rutherford married character actor Stringer Davis in 1945 and the couple appeared in many productions together. They were happily together until Rutherford's death in 1972. Davis adored Rutherford, with one friend noting: "For him she was not only a great talent but, above all, a beauty." Davis rarely left her side. He was private secretary and general dogsbody – lugging bags, teapots, hot water bottles, teddy bears and nursing Rutherford through periods of depression. These illnesses, often involving stays in mental hospitals and electric shock treatment, were kept hidden from the press during Rutherford's life. In the 1950s, Rutherford and Davis unofficially adopted the writer Gordon Langley Hall, then in his twenties. Hall later had gender reassignment surgery and became Dawn Langley Simmons, under which name she wrote a biography of Rutherford in 1983.

Death

Rutherford suffered from Alzheimer's disease at the end of her life and was unable to work. Davis cared for his wife devotedly at their Buckinghamshire home but she died on 22 May 1972, aged 80. Many of Britain's top actors, including Sir John Gielgud, Robert Morley and Joyce Grenfell, paid tribute at a memorial service, where 90-year-old Sybil Thorndike praised her friend's enormous talent and recalled that Rutherford had ''"never said anything horrid about anyone"''.

Rutherford and Davis (who died in 1973) are interred alongside each other in the graveyard of St. James's Church, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.

Selected stage performances

''Blithe Spirit''

''The Way of the World''

''The Importance of Being Earnest'', as Miss Prism and in New York (1947) as Lady Bracknell, directed by John Gielgud

''The School for Scandal''

''The Solid Gold Cadillac''

''The Rivals''

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1936		Housekeeper
1936	''Dusty Ermine''	Evelyn Summers aka Miss Butterby, old gang moll
1936		Bit role	uncredited
1937	''Missing, Believed Married''	Lady Parke
1937		Maggie Carberry
1937	''Big Fella''	Nanny	uncredited
1937		Mrs. Baldwin
1941	''Spring Meeting''	Aunt Bijou
1941	''Quiet Wedding''	Magistrate
1943		Mrs. Towcester
1943	''''	Rowena Ventnor
1944	''English Without Tears''	Lady Christabel Beauclerk
1945		Madame Arcati
1947	''While the Sun Shines''	Dr. Winifred Frye
1947	''Meet Me at Dawn''	Madame Vernore
1948		Nurse Carey
1949	''Passport to Pimlico''	Professor Hatton-Jones
1950	''''	Muriel Whitchurch
1950	''Quel bandito sono io''	Mrs. Dotherington	Also released as ''Her Favorite Husband''
1951	''''	Lady Pond
1952	''Curtain Up''	Catherine Beckwith/Jeremy St. Claire
1952	''Miss Robin Hood''	Miss Honey
1952	''''	Miss Letitia Prism
1952	''Castle in the Air''	Miss Nicholson
1953	''Innocents in Paris''	Gwladys Inglott
1953	''Trouble in Store''	Miss Bacon
1954	''''	Miss Cynthia Beeston
1954	''Mad About Men''	Nurse Carey
1954		Clara Hilton
1955	''''	Prudence Croquet
1957	''''	Mrs. Fazackalee
1957		Mrs. Dooley
1959	''I'm All Right Jack''	Aunt Dolly
1961		Lady Vivian
1961	''Murder, She Said''	Miss Jane Marple
1963	''Murder at the Gallop''	Miss Jane Marple
1963	''''	Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII
1963	''''
1964	''Murder Most Foul''	Miss Jane Marple
1964	''Murder Ahoy!''	Miss Jane Marple
1965	''Chimes at Midnight''	Mistress Quickly
1965	''''	Miss Jane Marple	uncredited cameo
1967	''''	Miss Gaulswallow
1967		Princess Ilaria
1967	''''	Mother Goose	voice

References

Further reading

Rutherford, Margaret, as told to Gwen Robyns. ''Margaret Rutherford: An Autobiography''. W. H. Allen, London. 1972.

Simmons, Dawn Langley. ''Margaret Rutherford. A Blithe Spirit''. London, 1983.

Merriman, Andy, ''Margaret Rutherford: Dreadnought with Good Manners''. London, Aurum Press. 2009. ISBN 9781845134457

External links

Performances in Theatre Archive, University of Bristol

Category:1892 births Category:1972 deaths Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Category:English actors Category:English film actors Category:English stage actors Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire Category:Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Category:Disease-related deaths in England Category:Actresses awarded British damehoods Category:People from Balham Category:People from Buckinghamshire Category:People educated at Wimbledon High School

an:Margaret Rutherford ca:Margaret Rutherford cy:Margaret Rutherford da:Margaret Rutherford de:Margaret Rutherford es:Margaret Rutherford eo:Margaret Rutherford fr:Margaret Rutherford it:Margaret Rutherford he:מרגרט רתרפורד hu:Margaret Rutherford nl:Margaret Rutherford ja:マーガレット・ラザフォード no:Margaret Rutherford pl:Margaret Rutherford pt:Margaret Rutherford ru:Рутерфорд, Маргарет sr:Маргарет Радерфорд fi:Margaret Rutherford sv:Margaret Rutherford tl:Margaret Rutherford yo:Margaret Rutherford

name	Glynis Johns
birth date	October 05, 1923
birth place	Pretoria, South Africa
years active	1935–1999
occupation	Actress, dancer, pianist, singer, philanthropist
spouse	Anthony Forwood(m. 1942-1948, divorced)David Foster(m. 1952, divorced)Cecil Henderson(m. 1960-1962, divorced)Elliott Arnold(m. 1964, divorced)
children	Gareth Forwood }}

Glynis Johns (born 5 October 1923) is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer (notably of "Send in the Clowns", which she originated in Stephen Sondheim's ''A Little Night Music''). With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer. She is also an accomplished dancer, and was qualified to teach ballet by the age of ten.

Early life

Johns was born in Pretoria, South Africa, the daughter of Alys Maude (née Steele-Payne), a pianist, and Mervyn Johns (1899–1992), the British stage and film actor. Her roots are in West Wales, and she was born in Pretoria while her parents were performing on tour there.

Career

Johns made her first stage appearance in Buckie’s Bears as a child ballerina at the Garrick Theatre in 1935. She made her 1938 film debut in the movie version of Winifred Holtby's novel, ''South Riding''. In 1944, she appeared with her father in ''Halfway House'', and in 1948 starred as a mermaid in ''Miranda'' (Johns later reprised the role in a 1954 sequel, ''Mad About Men''). In 1952, she co-starred in the movie version of Arnold Bennett's novel ''The Card''. She made a successful transition to Hollywood, appearing in ''Personal Affair'' (1953) starring Gene Tierney and in ''The Court Jester'' (1956) as Danny Kaye's love interest. The following year, she starred in the especially sad Christmas film ''All Mine to Give''. Johns received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the 1960 film ''The Sundowners''. One of her best known film roles was that of Winifred Banks, the children's mother, a suffragette, in ''Mary Poppins'' (1964). Her last film appearance was in the 1999 film ''Superstar''.

Johns has also appeared on television and on stage, most memorably in Stephen Sondheim's musical ''A Little Night Music''. The song "Send in the Clowns" was written with her in mind, and in 1973, she won a Tony award for her role in the musical. She later appeared in London in ''Cause Célèbre'' by Terence Rattigan. In the 1962-1963 television season, Johns guest starred in the CBS anthology series ''The Lloyd Bridges Show''. She played opposite Sir Rex Harrison in his final stage production Somerset Maughm's The Circle in 1990. She also starred in the premiere of Horton Foote's ''A Coffin in Egypt'' in 1998 at the Bay Street Theatre as Myrtle Bledsoe.

In the fall of 1963, she and Keith Andes starred as a married couple in her sitcom-drama television series called ''Glynis''. In the story, Glynis is a mystery writer, and Andes is a criminal defense attorney. The program was cancelled after thirteen weeks.

Personal life

Johns has been married four times. One of her husbands was Anthony Forwood (1942–1948), with whom she had her only child, Gareth Forwood (1945–2007), who was a British actor. (Anthony Forwood was later Sir Dirk Bogarde's life companion and manager.) She once remarked that she was wed so often because she married all of her lovers, although she never married the film director Antony Darnborough to whom she was engaged for a time in the early 1950s. Johns was also married to David Foster, who at the time was chairman of Colgate Palmolive International.

Filmography

''Murder in the Family'' (1938)

''South Riding'' (1938)

''Prison Without Bars'' (1938)

''On the Night of the Fire'' (1939)

''Under Your Hat'' (1940)

''The Briggs Family'' (1940)

''The Thief of Bagdad'' (1940) (uncredited)

''The Prime Minister'' (1941) (uncredited)

''49th Parallel'' (1941)

''The Adventures of Tartu'' (1943)

''The Halfway House'' (1944)

''Perfect Strangers'' (1945)

''This Man Is Mine'' (1946)

''Frieda'' (1947)

''An Ideal Husband'' (1947)

''Third Time Lucky'' (1948)

''Miranda'' (1948)

''Dear Mr. Prohack'' (1949)

''The Blue Lamp'' (1950) (uncredited)

''State Secret'' (1950)

''Flesh & Blood'' (1951)

''No Highway'', released in the U.S. as ''No Highway in the Sky'' (1951)

''The Magic Box'' (1951)

''Appointment with Venus'' (1951)

''Encore'' (1951)

''The Card'' (1952)

''The Sword and the Rose'' (1953)

''Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue'' (1953)

''Personal Affair'' (1953)

''The Weak and the Wicked'' (1954)

''The Seekers'' (1954)

''The Beachcomber'' (1954)

''Mad About Men'' (1954)

''Josephine and Men'' (1955)

''The Court Jester'' (1956)

''Loser Takes All'' (1956)

''Around the World in Eighty Days'' (1956)

''All Mine to Give'' (1957)

''Another Time, Another Place'' (1958)

''Last of the Few'' (1959)

''Shake Hands with the Devil'' (1959)

''The Spider's Web'' (1960)

''The Sundowners'' (1960)

''The Cabinet of Caligari'' (1962)

''The Chapman Report'' (1962)

''Papa's Delicate Condition'' (1963)

''Mary Poppins'' (1964)

''Dear Brigitte'' (1965)

''Batman'' (1967)

''Don't Just Stand There!'' (1968)

''Lock Up Your Daughters!'' (1969)

''Under Milk Wood'' (1972)

''The Vault of Horror'' (1973)

''The Happy Prince'' (1974) (voice)

''Mrs. Amworth'' (1975, short)

''Three Dangerous Ladies'' (1977)

''Little Gloria... Happy at Last'' (1982) (TV)

''Cheers'' (1983) (TV) Season One - Mrs. Helen Chambers

''Murder in the Family'' (1985) (Miniseries)

''Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School'' (1988) (TV) (voice)

''Zelly and Me'' (1988)

''Nukie'' (1993)

''The Ref'' (1994)

''While You Were Sleeping'' (1995)

''Superstar'' (1999)

Theatre (selected)

1936-36 ''St Helena'', Old Vic

1937 ''Judgement Day'', Embassy and Strand

1938 ''Quiet Wedding'', Wyndham’s

1941 ''Quiet Weekend'', Wyndham’s

1943 ''Peter Pan ''(Peter), Cambridge Theatre

1950 ''Fools Rush In'', Fortune

1950 ''The Way Things Go'', Phœnix

1952 ''Gertie'' (title role), Broadway

1956 ''Major Barbara'' (title role), Broadway

1963 ''Too True to Be Good'', Broadway

1966 ''The King’s Mare'', Garrick

1969-70 ''A Talent to Amuse'', Phoenix Theatre

1969-70 ''Come As You Are'', New Theatre

1971-72 ''Marquise'', The Hippodrome, Bristol

1973 ''A Little Night Music'' (Tony Award for best musical actress), Broadway

1975 ''Ring Round the Moon'', Los Angeles

1976 ''13 Rue de l’Amour'', Phœnix

1978 ''Cause Celebre'' (Best Actress Award, Variety Club), Her Majesty's Theatre

1980-81 ''Hay Fever'', Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

1980-90 ''The Boy Friend'', Toronto

1989-90 ''The Circle'', Broadway

1998 ''A Coffin in Egypt'', Bay Street Theatre

References

External links

Glynis Johns images

Category:1923 births Category:Living people Category:Tony Award winners Category:Welsh film actors Category:Welsh musical theatre actors Category:Welsh stage actors Category:Welsh television actors

cy:Glynis Johns de:Glynis Johns fr:Glynis Johns it:Glynis Johns ru:Джонс, Глинис fi:Glynis Johns sv:Glynis Johns tl:Glynis Johns

name	Kamal Haasan
birth name	Kamal Haasan
birth date	November 07, 1954
birth place	Paramakudi, Madras State, India
residence	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
occupation	Film actor, producer, director, screenwriter, songwriter, playback singer, lyricist
yearsactive	1959–present
spouse	Vani Ganapathy(1978–1988)Sarika Haasan(1988–2004)
domesticpartner	Gouthami Tadimalla (2004–present)
children	Shruti Haasan (born 1986)Akshara Haasan (born 1991) }}

Kamal Haasan (; born 7 November 1954) is an Indian film actor, screenwriter, and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting. Kamal Haasan has won several Indian film awards, including four National Film Awards and numerous Filmfare Awards, and is known for having starred in the largest number of films submitted by India in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In addition to acting, screenwriting and directing, he has also featured in films as a songwriter, playback singer, choreographer and lyricist. His film production company, Rajkamal International, has produced several of his films. In 2009, he became one of very few Indian actors to have completed 50 years in cinema. Kamal Haasan is also a recipient of an Honorary doctorate by Sathyabama University.

After several projects as a child artist, Kamal Haasan's breakthrough into lead acting came with his role in the 1975 drama ''Apoorva Raagangal'', in which he played a rebellious youth in love with an older woman. He secured his second Indian National Film Award for his portrayal of a guileless school teacher who tends a child-like amnesiac in 1982's ''Moondram Pirai''. He was particularly noted for his performance in Mani Ratnam's Godfatheresque Tamil film ''Nayagan'' (1987), which was ranked by ''Time'' magazine as one of the best films of all time. Since then he has gone on to appear in other notable films such as his own productions, ''Hey Ram'' and ''Virumaandi'', as well as the ''Dasavathaaram'', in which he appeared in ten distinct roles.

Career

Debut as child artiste: 1959-1963

After shifting from Paramakudi with his family for his mother's medical treatment, Kamal Haasan was enrolled at Holy Angels school in T. Nagar. As a child, he became interested in dance. There are two versions regarding his entry into films. One version has it that, as a little boy, he accompanied a doctor who went to treat an ill woman at the home of movie mogul A V Meyyappa Chettiar (father of AVM Saravanan). On hearing loud shouting from a first-floor tenant of the bungalow, the doctor became uneasy. Young Kamal Haasan strode up the stairway to ask the noisemaker not to shout over the phone as someone was ill, leaving the person astonished. An impressed Meyyappa Chettiar later provided him an entry into films. The other version is that when young boy Kamal Haasan accompanied a family doctor of Meyyappa Chettiar to his house, producer AVM Saravanan noticed Kamal as a hyperactive child. She took him over and introduced to AV Meyyappa Chettiar who was looking for a young boy to play a role in the movie ''Kalathur Kannamma''.

Kamal Haasan made his film debut as a four-year-old child artist in ''Kalathur Kannamma'', which was directed by A. Bhimsingh and released on 12 August 1959. He was cast along with the veteran Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan, winning the National Film Award for Best Child Artist. He acted as a child actor in five other Tamil films in the subsequent few years co-starring with Sivaji Ganesan and M. G. Ramachandran. On seeing Kamal's interests in arts, his parents supported and helped him join the TKS Nataka Sabha, an old-style theatre. T. K. Shanmugam was Kamal's guru in the theatre. During this period, he continued with his school education at Hindu High School in Triplicane while still being a prominent part of the theatre troupe. He learned acting by watching his guru Shanmugam perform on stage and acquired his interest in make-up from Shanmugam.

Breakthrough and experimentation: 1970-1975

Following a seven-year hiatus from films, Haasan returned to the industry with the hope of joining the technical crew in films but was selected to appear in supporting roles in several films. He re-entered the film industry playing his first adult role in ''Maanavan'' (1970), appearing only for a dance sequence. It was followed by supporting roles in films such as, ''Annai Velankani'' for which he was also an assistant director. His first notable role was in K. Balachander's ''Arangetram'' (1973). He played antagonistic characters in ''Sollathaan Ninaikkiren'' and Gumasthavin Magal, both co-starring Sivakumar. His first character role was in ''Aval Oru Thodar Kathai'' (1974), another female-centric film of K. Balachander. After a few more films in Tamil, he did ''Naan Avan Illai'', which was the final supporting role before establishing himself as a lead actor.

He won his first regional Filmfare Award in his Malayalam debut film ''Kanyakumari'' (1974), in which he played the lead role. Soon he graduated to play lead roles. However, his first major break as a lead actor came in ''Apoorva Raagangal'', for which he also won his first Filmfare award in Tamil. The film dealt with the exploration of age-gap relationships and went on to win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. For his role, he learned the mridangam. It is considered as one of the all-time classics of Tamil cinema and was directed by his mentor, K. Balachander. The film also saw the entry of Rajnikanth, who would play prominent roles in several films of Haasan and later went on to become one of the most successful actors in the Tamil film industry.

Success in the south: 1976-1980

The late 1970s was a period that saw Haasan's continued collaboration with K. Balachander, who cast him in many of his social-themed films. In 1976, Balachander cast him as a womaniser trying to woo many women in ''Manmadha Leelai'' which was followed by ''Oru Oodhappu Kan Simittugiradhu'', which won him his second consecutive Regional Filmfare (Tamil) Best Actor Award. Later, Kamal Haasan appeared in the drama ''Moondru Mudichu'' with Rajinikanth and Sridevi, another Balachander film. ''Avargal'' (1977) was one of the most sensitive movies on woman liberation, for which he learnt the art of ventriloquism. The film was also remade in Telugu as ''Idi Katha Kaadu'' (1979) with Haasan repeating his role. ''16 Vayathinile'' won him his third consecutive best actor award, where he appeared as a village bumpkin, along with Rajinikanth and Sridevi. In 1977, he starred in his first Kannada film, ''Kokila'', which was the directorial debut of another friend and mentor, Balu Mahendra. The same year, he acted in a Bengali film, Kabita. In 1978, he debuted in the Telugu film industry as a lead actor with the cross-cultural romantic film, ''Maro Charithra'' directed by K. Balachander. The film was regarded a cult-classic and was also Haasan's first major hit. His fourth consecutive Filmfare award came with ''Sigappu Rojakkal'', an anti-hero thriller in which he played a psychopathic sexual killer.

Few of the other famous films in this period were the Telugu film ''Sommokadidhi Sokkadidhi'', where he played dual roles, the musical entertainer ''Ninaithale Inikkum'', the snake horror film ''Neeya'' and ''Kalyanaraman''.

At the end of this period, he had won six regional Best Actor Filmfare Awards, including four consecutive Best Tamil Actor Awards and became a famous actor in South India by having starred in all languages.

Bollywood foray: 1980s

Kamal Haasan's pairing with the actress Sridevi continued with Tamil classic ''Varumayin Niram Sigappu'' in 1980, where he played an unemployed youth. Kamal Haasan also made a guest–cameo appearance in the Rajnikanth's ''Thillu Mullu''. He made his Bollywood debut with ''Ek Duuje Ke Liye'', the remake of his Telugu-language film, ''Maro Charithra'', also by K. Balachander which earned him his first Filmfare nomination. He made his 100th film appearance in 1981 with ''Raja Paarvai'', which also marked his debut in film production. Despite this film's relatively poor reception at the cinemas, his portrayal of a blind session violinist earned him a Filmfare Award. Following a year of starring in commercially-oriented films, he won his first of three National Awards for Best Actor with his portrayal of a school teacher who looks after an amnesia patient in Balu Mahendra's ''Moondram Pirai'', alter reprising the role in the Hindi version, ''Sadma''. During this time he concentrated more in Bollywood acting in remakes of his Tamil films, most famously ''Yeh To Kamaal Ho Gaya'' and ''Zara Si Zindagi''. In 1983, he appeared in ''Sagara Sangamam'', directed by Kasinadhuni Viswanath. His portrayal as a drunkard classical dancer fetched him his first Nandi Award for Best Actor and second Filmfare Best Telugu Actor Award.

After the successful multi starrer ''Raaj Tilak'' in 1984, he acted in ''Saagar'', released in 1985, for which he was awarded both the Filmfare Best Actor Award and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Award at the same ceremony for this role. The film was India's representative for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film in 1985. ''Saagar'' portrayed him alongside Rishi Kapoor. The same year, he appeared in ''Geraftaar'' alongside Amitabh Bachchan. He featured in Tamil cinema's first sequel ''Japanil Kalyanaraman'', which followed up his previous ''Kalyanaraman''.

In 1986, he again colloborated with K. Vishwanath in ''Swathi Muthyam'' which portrayed him as an autistic person attempting to change society. The film was India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1986. The enormous response to these films in Tollywood helped him capture a strong audience in Andhra Pradesh, and many of his later Tamil films were regularly dubbed in Telugu. Following ''Punnagai Mannan'', in which he portrayed dual roles including a satire of Charlie Chaplin as Chaplin Chellappa and ''Vetri Vizha'' as an amnesiac, Kamal Haasan appeared in Mani Ratnam's 1987 film ''Nayagan''. ''Nayagan'' portrays the life of an underworld don in Bombay. The story revolved around the life of a real-life underworld don called Varadarajan Mudaliar, while sympathetically depicting the struggle of South Indians living in Mumbai. He received his third Indian National Award for his performance and ''Nayagan'' was nominated by India as its entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the Academy Awards in 1987. It was included in the Time top 100 movies list. In 1988, Kamal Haasan appeared in his only silent film to date, ''Pushpak'', a black comedy. In 1989, he appeared in three roles (one of which was that of a dwarf) in ''Apoorva Sagodharargal''. He then performed dual roles in ''Indrudu Chandrudu'', winning the Filmfare Best Actor Award and Nandi Awards for his performance. In 1989, Kamal Haasan starred in his last original Malayalam film as hero to date, titled ''Chanakyan''. The multi-starrer film was critically acclaimed and was a hit.

The 1980s saw the transformation of Kamal Haasan from a young heart-throb performer in Tamil films to a nationally acclaimed star appreciated for his method acting. By the end of 1980s, he had entered and tasted success in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi film industries, had received Filmfare awards at each of these film industries, three National awards and had his performances recognized at international film festivals.

Tryst with comedy: 1990s

In 1990, ''Michael Madhana Kamarajan'' saw Kamal Haasan go one step further from ''Apoorva Sagodharargal'', acting in four different roles as quadruplets. It started an ongoing collaboration with Crazy Mohan, a dialogue writer, for future comedy films. The film became a blockbuster, and his portrayals were all critically praised; one cook role formed the crux for a future venture by his production house. Kamal Haasan won successive Best Actor awards for his portrayal of the deranged, obsessive protagonist in ''Guna'' and ''Thevar Magan'', where he played the son of actor Sivaji Ganesan. ''Guna'' met with critical acclaim but failed commercially, while the latter became a big success and was remade into Hindi as ''Virasat''. Kamal Haasan was credited for the story and became India's submission for the Academy Awards that year. After a series of films such as ''Singaravelan'', ''Maharasan'' and ''Kalaignan'', he played a cheated villager in the emotionally draining and underrated classic ''Mahanadi''. Six years after it released, it was premiered at the Rotterdam festival. He then began to appear in comedies such as ''Sathi Leelavathi'', based on the English film ''She-Devil''. The film, his home production, featured him opposite comedienne Kovai Sarala and its success led to further regional remakes. He also renewed his collobaration with Kasinadhuni Viswanath in his last Telugu-language film to date, ''Subha Sankalpam''. In 1995, Kamal Haasan starred in the police story ''Kuruthipunal''. His success in ''Kuruthipunal'' was followed by his third National Film Award for Best Actor, for the film ''Indian''. Playing dual roles of a freedom fighter and his untrustful son, the film also won Kamal Haasan regional awards and plaudits for his portrayal. Moreover, both films were also selected as India's submissions for the Academy Awards in their respective release years.

Kamal Haasan appeared as a woman in ''Avvai Shanmughi'', inspired by the Hollywood production ''Mrs. Doubtfire''. He initially chose noted adfilm maker Shantanu Sheorey to direct the Hindi remake of ''Avvai Shanmughi'', titled ''Chachi 420''. But unhappy with the complaints after five days of shoot and after checking the actual result, he took over as director. In 1997, Kamal Haasan began his first directorial venture, the biopic of Mohammed Yusuf Khan, ''Marudhanayagam'', which failed to complete its schedules with only half an hour and a trailer being recorded during its shoot. ''Marudhanayagam'' had been speculated to be the biggest and most expensive film in Indian cinema with a number of high profile actors technicians signing up for roles. Moreover, the film was launched in a highly publicized ceremony by Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom during her visit to India in 1997. Due to budget constraints, the film failed to materialize into a feature film, but he has since stated his interest in building up funds for the project.

''Hey Ram'' and onwards: 2000-present

Following a two-year hiatus in Indian cinema, he opted against reviving his magnum opus, ''Marudhanayagam'', and filmed his second directorial venture, ''Hey Ram'', a period drama told in flashback with a semi-fictional plot centering around India's Partition and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Kamal Haasan also took on roles as the writer, the lyricist and the choreographer as well as producing the film under his home banner. The film, also featured Shahrukh Khan and was India's submission for the Academy Awards that year. His following film was ''Aalavandhan'', where he portrayed two distinct roles, for one of which he had his head shaved bald and gained ten kilograms. To play the other army major in Alavandaan (Abhay, in Hindi), he went to the NDA for a crash course. The Hindi version Abhay was distributed by reputed Shringar Films. Despite much publicity prior to release, the film failed commercially, and he opted to repay distributors who had suffered losses with the film.

Following a series of successful comedies in ''Thenali'', ''Panchathantiram'' and ''Pammal K. Sambandam'' and a couple of guest appearances, Kamal Haasan directed his third feature film in ''Virumaandi'', a film about the death penalty which won the Best Asian Film award at Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival. Kamal Haasan also appeared in ''Anbe Sivam'' alongside Madhavan. Priyadarshan, who started the film, departed allowing commercial director Sundar C to complete the film. ''Anbe Sivam'' told the story of Nallasivam, enacted by Kamal Haasan as a communist. Kamal Haasan's performance was highly lauded by critics with ''The Hindu'' stating that he "has once again done Tamil cinema proud".

Kamal Haasan then appeared in the remake film ''Vasool Raja'' alongside Sneha. In 2006, Haasan's long delayed project, ''Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu'' emerged as a blockbuster. In 2008, he appeared in K. S. Ravikumar's ''Dasavathaaram'' portraying ten distinct roles in the venture, which remains one of the most expensive Indian films ever made. Featuring him opposite Asin Thottumkal, the film became the highest grossing film ever in Tamil cinema, beating the previous 2007 record, and won him critical praise for his performance. In Canada, the film was distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the first Tamil film to be done so. The film ultimately grossed more than 250 crores worldwide. He had written the story and screenplay for the project.

Following the completion of ''Dasavathaaram'', Kamal Haasan opted to direct his fourth directorial venture, with a film tentatively titled ''Marmayogi'', which after a year of pre-production became stalled. He then opted to produce and star in a venture, ''Unnaipol Oruvan'', co-starring him with Mohanlal. The film, which had Shruti Haasan appear as the music director, became a successful venture for him at the box office. Kamal Haasan worked on his fifth collaboration with Ravikumar, in ''Manmadan Ambu'', for which he also wrote the dialogues and screenplay. The film also featured Madhavan and Trisha Krishnan and was released in December 2010. The story revolves around a man who hires a detective to find out if he is being cheated by his fiancée. This film completed one month successfully but was officially declared an average film.

Off-screen contributions

In addition to acting, Kamal Haasan has also played various roles behind the camera and is known for his involvement in several aspects of film-making. He wrote the story and/or screen-play for many of his films including ''Raja Paarvai'', ''Apoorva Sagodharargal'', ''Guna'', ''Thevar Magan'', ''Mahanadhi'', ''Hey Ram'', ''Aalavandhan'', ''Anbe Sivam'', ''Nala Damayanthi'', ''Virumaandi'', ''Dasavathaaram'' and ''Manmadhan Ambu''. His film production company, Rajkamal International, has produced several of his films. He also directed the films ''Chachi 420'', ''Hey Ram'' and ''Virumaandi''. He considered taking up film direction full time, if ''Hey Ram'' was a success, but did not do so as the film was a box office failure. In 2010, he stated his intention to direct more films as many young actors had wished to work under him and gain his direct guidance. He wanted to turn a technician after his comeback into adult roles. Speaking about it in a lighter vein, he once said, "Film makers like K. Balachander told me that I won’t be able make much money by being a technician. So the end result is that the star Kamal funds the technician Kamal in pursuing his dreams". Kamal has attended workshops for make-up techniques in US for several years and once trained as a make-up man under Michael Westmore.

Kamal Haasan is also well known as a song-writer. He first penned lyrics for ''Hey Ram'' and followed it with films like ''Virumaandi'', ''Unnai Pol Oruvan'' and ''Manmadhan Ambu''. They were well received by his peers in the Tamil film industry. Kamal Haasan is also a playback singer. He has sung close to 70 songs in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and English.

Personal life

Family

Kamal Haasan was born in the town of Paramakudi in the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, to a criminal lawyer named D. Srinivasan and his wife Rajalakshmi. He was born as an Iyengar Brahmin. Kamal Haasan was the youngest of four children, the others being Charuhasan, Chandrahasan and Nalini Raghu. His father was a martinet. He wanted all his sons (Chandrahasan, Charuhasan, Kamalahaasan) to study and do well. The two elder brothers followed their father’s example and studied law. Kamal spent his childhood learning everything except staying focussed on his studies.

Kamal Haasan had referred to his parents in couple of his films, with references being made in ''Unnaipol Oruvan'' as well as in the song Kallai Mattum from ''Dasavathaaram''. His eldest brother Charuhasan, like Kamal Haasan, is a National Film Award-winning actor, who appeared in the Kannada film ''Tabarana Kathe'', among others. Kamal's niece (Charuhasan's daughter), Suhasini is also a National Film Award winner and is married to director and fellow Award winner Mani Ratnam, who collaborated with Kamal Haasan on 1987's ''Nayagan''. Chandra Haasan has appeared as the producer for several of Kamal Haasan's films as well as being an executive of Kamal Haasan's home production company, Rajkamal International. His brother's daughter Anu Hasan has appeared in several films in supporting roles, most notably in Suhasini's ''Indira''. His sister Nalini Raghu is a dance teacher. Kamal Haasan later named an auditorium after his sister as Nalini Mahal. Her son, Gautham, played Kamal Haasan's grandson in his directorial venture, ''Hey Ram''.

Relationships

Despite his celebrated film career, his personal life had some setbacks which have been exploited by the media. In his early career, he co-starred in several films with actress Srividya. The pair were reported to have been a part of a notorious affair in the 1970s, with their relationship being explored in the 2008-released Malayalam film, ''Thirakkatha'' by Renjith, with Anoop Menon portraying Kamal Haasan and Priyamani playing Srividya. Srividya, who died in 2006, was visited by Kamal Haasan at her bedside during her final days. In 1978, at the age of 24, Kamal Haasan married danseuse Vani Ganapathy, who was older than he was. Vani put on the mantle of costume designer for her husband's movies and was publicized for walking along with Haasan into the Filmfare Awards South ceremony of 1980 immediately after their wedding. However, the couple split after ten years together, after Kamal Haasan began dating fellow actress Sarika, confirming in a later interview that he and Vani have never been in touch since their divorce.

Subsequently, Kamal Haasan and Sarika lived together from 1988, opting to marry only after having their second child. Of the two children: Shruti Haasan (born 1986) and Akshara Haasan (born 1991), the former is a singer as well as an upcoming actress, while the latter is pursuing higher studies in Bangalore. Sarika took a break from acting soon after her marriage with Kamal Haasan. However, she replaced his ex-wife, Vani Ganapathy, as Haasan's costume designer, with acclaimed work in ''Hey Ram''. The couple filed for divorce in 2002, with Sarika estranging herself from Kamal Haasan by the end of the procedure in 2004. His intimate relationship with co-star Simran Bagga, who is twenty-two years younger, became the reason for the split. However, Haasan's relationship with Simran, who appeared opposite him in two consecutive ventures with ''Pammal K. Sambandam'' and ''Panchathantiram'', was short-lived as Simran went on to marry her childhood friend in late 2003. Haasan now lives with former actress Gouthami Tadimalla, who co-starred with him in several films in the late 80s and early 90s. He had helped her during her traumatic experience suffering from breast cancer and the pair have been in a domestic relationship since 2005. Along with Shruti and Akshara, Gouthami's daughter, Subbalakshmi, from an annulled marriage also lives with them.

Religious views

Kamal Haasan, despite being born into a Hindu Brahmin family, has declared himself as an atheist; many of his films, notably ''Mahanadi'' and the two films co-written by Kamal Haasan (''Anbe Sivam'' and ''Dasavathaaram''), have featured anti-theistic views. Kamal Haasan, has also been mistaken for a Muslim due to the Islamic nature of his surname, and was famously stopped for his name at Toronto Pearson International Airport in 2002. The name originated from a friend of his father, Yaakob Hassan, a Muslim freedom fighter who spent time in prison with Kamal Haasan's father while imprisoned by the British. Yaakob Hassan had protected Srinivasan from other prisoners who hated the Brahmins. Later, he paid tribute to his friend by incorporating part of his name into his sons’ names.

Humanitarian work

Kamal Haasan is actively involved in several social service activities through his fan clubs under the banner ''Kamal Narpani Iyakkam''. (Kamal Welfare Association) His fan clubs are involved in organising blood and eye donation drives and donating education materials to school students. He received the first Abraham Kovoor National Award for his Humanist Activities and Secular Life in 2004. He has turned his fan associations into social service organisations. He was also the project ambassador of Hridayaragam 2010, a fundraiser to set up an orphanage for HIV/AIDS-affected children. In September 2010, Kamal Haasan launched a children’s cancer relief fund and presented roses to children with cancer at Sri Ramachandra University in Porur on the outskirts of Chennai. He has also pledged to endorse consumer products and use the money for social service.

Literary contributions

Kamal Haasan was involved in running the magazine ''Mayyam'', which was run by the Kamal Haasan Welfare Association (Narpani Iyakkam). His views on a wide range of issues including cinema, child and drug abuse and the Kashmir conflict, have been collected and published as a book titled ''Thedi Theerpom Va'' (''Come, Let's Solve Together''), by his fan association. His interest in Tamil literature and his own writing skills are well known.

Awards and honours

Kamal Haasan, a Padma Shri holder, is the most decorated actor in terms of awards in the history of Indian cinema. He holds the record for the most number of National Film Awards for an actor; three awards for Best Actor, one each for Best Child Artist and Best Film. The 1992 Tamil film ''Thevar Magan'' which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil was produced by Kamal Haasan. He also won the President's Gold Medal for his debut film ''Kalathur Kannamma'' which was later categorised as the National Film Award for Best Child Artist in 1960, thus taking his tally to five. Moreover, Kamal Haasan holds a record nineteen Filmfare Awards, ranging across five languages. After his latest award in 2000, he wrote to the organization requesting exemption from further awards. In 2003, his films ''Hey Ram'', ''Pushpak'', ''Nayagan'' and ''Kuruthipunal'' were showcased under the "Director in Focus" category at the Rotterdam Film Festival. In 2004, ''Virumaandi'' won the very first "Best Asian film" award at Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival (PiFan).

In 2005, Sathyabama Deemed University awarded Kamal Haasan an honorary doctorate. He received the Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Award for Excellence in Indian Cinema at the 2006 ceremony of the inaugural Vijay Awards. He received the Living Legend Award in 2007 from FICCI, which recognizes outstanding personalities from the entertainment arena and honors them with awards at their annual global convention, FRAMES. In 2010, the United Progressive Alliance government organised a retrospective of Kamal Haasan's films. During that event, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the actor fell under a special category, as his cinema broke barriers of language and region. The same year, the Government of Kerala honoured him for completing 50 years in Indian cinema during the inauguration of statewide Onam celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram. A light-and-sound show titled “Suvarna Kamalam” to mark Kamal’s 50 years in Indian cinema, conceived by director T. K. Rajiv Kumar, was the highlight of the evening.

Kamal Haasan is also a recipient of the Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1979. Other recognitions includes a string of Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Nandi Awards, Screen Awards and Vijay Awards, including four separate awards for his performance in ''Dasavathaaram''. In 2009, Kamal Haasan was appointed as the chairman of FICCI Media and Entertainment Business Conclave, organised by the entertainment division of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Acclaim and criticism

Kamal Haasan, widely respected and admired in the Indian film industry, is often praised as someone who would have won many Oscars, if he had been born outside India. His mentor K. Balachandar, while agreeing with such sentiment, says in that case Kamal would not have been able to have a diverse acting career and the adulation he has now. Mani Ratnam, who directed Kamal in ''Nayagan'', has claimed he has missed working with Kamal. Veteran Tamil actor Nagesh rated Kamal Haasan as the best actor he had seen. Kamal Haasan's contributions to films have been lavishly praised by his peers in the Indian film industry like Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachan and Aamir Khan. Younger actors and film makers like Surya, Madhavan, Bala consider Kamal Haasan as their inspiration. His list of admirers go beyond cinema. M. F. Husain has claimed, he found Kamal Haasan as the most exciting Indian film-maker/actor.

Kamal Haasan has been accused of reusing story lines, plot elements from Western films without crediting them and also for using sexually explicit scenes and themes. He has also been accused of elitism, of offending religious sentiments and of being superficial about the social issues he depicts in his films. He has also been dubbed as an actor who consciously overshadows his co-artists. Other criticisms of Kamal Haasan include complaints about his obsession with needless perfection, which has caused some of his films to overshoot their budgets.

Notable filmography

! Year	! Film	! Role	! Language	Notes
1959	''Kalathur Kannamma''	Selvam	Tamil
1974			Malayalam	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam
1975	''Apoorva Raagangal''	Prasanna	Tamil	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil
1977	''16 Vayathinile''	Chappani	Tamil	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – TamilTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
1977		Vijayakumar
1978	''Maro Charitra''	Balu
1978	''Sigappu Rojakal''	Dileep	Tamil	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil
1978	''Yaetta''	Ramu	Malayalam	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam
1981	''Aakali Rajyam''	Rangadu	Telugu	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Telugu
1982	''Moondram Pirai''	Srinivasan	Tamil	National Film Award for Best ActorTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
1983	''Sagara Sangamam''	Balakrishna	Telugu	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – TamilNandi Award for Best Actor
1985	''Saagar''	Raja		Filmfare Award for Best ActorNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
1986	''Swathi Muthyam''	Sivayya	Telugu	Nandi Award for Best Actor
1987	''Nayagan''		Tamil	National Film Award for Best Actor
1988	''Pushpak''	Pushpak		Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Kannada
1989	''Apoorva Sagodharargal''	Sedhupathy,Raja,Appu	Tamil	Filmfare Award for Best Film – TamilTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best ActorAlso producer and screenwriter
1989	''Indrudu Chandrudu''	Indrudu,Chandrudu	Telugu	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – TeluguNandi Award for Best Actor
1992	''Thevar Magan''	Shakthivelu Thevar	Tamil	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – TamilTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best ActorAlso producer and screenwriter
1996		Senapathy Bose,Chandra Bose	Tamil	National Film Award for Best ActorFilmfare Award for Best Actor – TamilTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor
2000	''Hey Ram''	Saket Ram	Tamil	Filmfare Award for Best Actor – TamilAlso producer, director, and screenwriter
2004	''Virumaandi''	Virumaandi	Tamil
2008	''Dasavathaaram''		Tamil	Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best ActorNominated—Filmfare Award for Best Actor – TamilAlso screenwriter

References

External links

Category:National Film Award winners Category:Indian film directors Category:Tamil actors Category:Tamil film directors Category:Tamil playback singers Category:Indian agnostics Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Indian film actors Category:Filmfare Awards winners Category:Indian amateur radio operators Category:Telugu film actors Category:Tamil people Category:Kannada film actors Category:Non Malayali actors acted in Malayalam-language films Category:Indian actors Category:People from Chennai Category:Tamil screenwriters Category:Kollywood playback singers Category:People from Tamil Nadu Category:Indian screenwriters Category:Indian film producers Category:Hindi film actors

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