Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, Viacom Productions and Paramount Television that aired from 2000 to 2004.

The hour-long comedy-drama starred Tom Cavanagh as Edward Jeremy Stevens, the protagonist, Julie Bowen as his love interest Carol Phyllis Vessey, Josh Randall as his friend Dr. Mike Burton, Jana Marie Hupp as Mike's wife Nancy, Lesley Boone as their friend Molly Hudson, and Justin Long as awkward high-school student Warren Cheswick. Other supporting cast members included Michael Genadry and Ginnifer Goodwin as Warren's friends Mark and Diane, and Michael Ian Black, Mike Starr, Rachel Cronin, and (later) Daryl Mitchell as the employees of Stuckeybowl, Ed's bowling alley. Long term guest stars included John Slattery as Dennis Martino and Sabrina Lloyd as Frankie Hector. The show was created by executive producers Jon Beckerman and Rob Burnett.^[1] David Letterman is also credited as one of the show's executive producers.^[2]

Ed received casting, writing, and directing Emmy nominations in 2001. Tom Cavanagh received a Golden Globe nomination and a TV Guide Award for his work on the program.

In 2004, despite a campaign by fans to keep the series on the air, NBC cut the show from their lineup because of poor ratings.

Premise[link]

The show revolved around Cavanagh's Ed Stevens, a hotshot New York lawyer who on the same day is fired from his job (for drafting a contract with a misplaced comma that ended up costing his firm $1.6 million) and comes home to discover his wife sleeping with a mailman^[2] (the wife makes the point that it is not their mailman in particular, but another mailman).

Deciding to spend some time in his hometown of Stuckeyville, Ohio, he is reunited with friends that he has missed, as well as Carol Vessey, a woman he had a crush on in high school.^[3] Determined to win Carol's heart, he decides to stay, buying a rundown bowling alley and setting up a new law firm in the process, being nicknamed the "Bowling-Alley Lawyer" ("I am a lawyer, I own a bowling alley. Two separate things").^[4]

Ed also had a number of running gags, such as bowling alley employee Phil (Michael Ian Black) hatching ludicrous schemes usually to gain fame and/or fortune, ten-dollar bets between Ed and Mike that would require one of them to do something extremely embarrassing, mentions of Arbor Day as a big holiday, and various characters named "Godfrey" appearing in many episodes. The series also dealt with issues of social popularity and self esteem both through Ed—who was unpopular in high school and yet had a crush on stereotypically popular blond cheerleader Carol Vessey—and through Molly, Carol's coworker and friend who was similarly unpopular in high school and continues to have self esteem issues due to her being overweight.

Episodes[link]

$10 bets[link]

Over the course of the series, Mike and Ed challenged one another to $10 bets, in which one would compel the other to do something embarrassing or unpleasant for the promise of $10.

• Episode 2: Mike challenges Ed to meow loud enough to make a guy sitting on a bench turn around.
• Episode 3: Mike bets Ed that he cannot drink an entire bottle of pancake syrup.
• Episode 4: Ed puts Mike up to ordering a burger using only two words: “burger me.”
• Episode 5: At the Smiling Goat, Mike bets Ed that he can`t walk up to a woman at the bar and offer to buy her a drink – with beer nuts in his mouth.
• Episode 6: At the mayoral debate, Ed challenges Mike to go over to a man and call him “Mommy.” One problem: it turns out this man actually knows Mike.
• Episode 7: In the supermarket, Mike bets Ed he can`t ask a clerk where the lettuce is – pronouncing it “let-oos”. “What kind of jackass calls it let-toos?” asks the clerk.
• Episode 8: Mike bets Ed he can`t place his lunch order in rhyme at the local diner. The waitress also happened to be the same as who took the infamous “Burger me” order.
• Episode 9: Mike bets Ed that he can`t eat some of the dog food “pat?” that he has prepared for Troy. Before Mike can finish, Ed gulps down a cracker loaded with the stuff.
• Episode 11: Ed bets Mike that he can`t walk up to a stranger in the bowling alley and sing Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack`s mushy ballad “Tonight I Celebrate My Love.”
• Episode 12: Mike bets Ed that he can`t order a Shirley Temple when he goes out with Bonnie Hane for drinks at the Smiling Goat. This episode also featured a spoof of $10 bets: Nancy (as Mike) challenges Molly (as Ed) to call the waitress at their favorite restaurant “fancy pants”.
• Episode 13: Mike bets Ed he can`t approach a stranger on a park bench and touch the man`s bald spot.
• Episode 14: Mike bets Ed can`t call the Reverend Carver “Padre”. The message is delivered on a slip of paper, given to Ed by Nancy.
• Episode 15: Ed bets Mike can`t speak in a British accent to Hillary Sanders, a fellow Stuckeyville High alum, who comes into the Smiling Goat.
• Episode 16: Mike bets Ed he`ll give him 10 bucks to give him 10 bucks. Ed turns it around and bets Mike he can`t give Ed twenty bucks for ten bucks.
• Episode 17: Ed bets Mike ten bucks that he can`t do “the Snake Dance” in front of a bunch of people waiting at a bus stop.
• Episode 18: Ed bets Mike ten bucks he can`t finish his dinner in the restaurant without wearing his shirt.
• Episode 19: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to smear wedding cake on his face after giving the toast at Ari and Barbara`s wedding.
• Episode 20: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to yell “I love kitties!” at the top of his lungs in the bowling alley.
• Episode 21: Ed bets Mike 10 bucks to kiss Kenny on the cheek. Mike turns the bet into a European-style greeting, hoping it will help ease the awkwardness of the situation.
• Episode 22: Mike offers Ed ten bucks if he doesn`t have to listen to the latest Carol Vessey/Ed Stevens saga. Ed keeps talking, and Mike ups the ante to $1000. Ed declines, making this the first ten dollar bet in which the challenge was not accepted.
• Episode 23: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to kiss the garden gnome of a neighbor who is out tending his lawn–the fact that Mr. Gordon will see Ed do it makes it hilarious.
• Episode 25: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to sit on a horse ride at the playground and yell “Look at me everybody! I`m a cowboy! Yee haw!”
• Episode 26: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to ask the waitress to wrap his one remaining french fry.
• Episode 27: Mike bets Ed $6 to go hug a giant chicken who is advertising for a local restaurant. Ed refuses to do it for only $6 and instead turns the bet on Mike for $10.
• Episode 29: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to go over to two women at the farmer`s market and introduce himself as a jackass. Ed walks over to do just that, when one woman turns around and asks, “What do you want, jackass?” Mike has paid the woman ten bucks to say this to Ed, who insists Mike pay up.
• Episode 30: Mike bets Ed $10 to eat a potato chip, despite Ed`s 20 year quest to “eat just one”. Ed initially refuses, but backs off when Mike calls an end to the ten dollar bets, declaring Ed the loser.
• Episode 32: Mike bets Ed ten bucks he can`t get a Stuckeybowl patron to say “tater tots” in 30 seconds or less. Despite Ed`s best effort, it takes 32 seconds, and the ten buck streak is ended.
• Episode 33: While at the barbershop with Ed and Mr. Pazutti, Mike bets Ed $10 to let the barber put temporary red dye in Ed`s hair.
• Episode 37: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to order a brandy at the bar by saying the word “brandy” 20 times.
• Episode 42: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to go up to a patron in the Goat and ask for his autograph, pretending to believe the patron`s Kenny Rogers. The man finally acquiesces after being unable to “convince” Mike that he`s not Kenny Rogers.
• Episode 44: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to wolf whistle at a man. Despite Ed`s claims that this crosses a line, Mike claims no line has been established. Ed goes through with the bet, after bumping into Dennis and Carol.
• Episode 45: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to ask a passerby where a hotel is all the while cranking up the volume on the radio and making the man shout out the directions.
• Episode 47: After a rousing discussion on how male ostriches impress females, Mike bets Ed ten bucks to impress a woman at the bus stop, using his best ostrich impression. Ed goes up to the woman, rests on what he supposes are his hocks, flaps his “wings” and screams like a banshee.
• Episode 48: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to play song A55 on the jukebox at the bar. Ed does, and the jukebox blares “It`s Raining Men”. Patrons all through the bar stare at Ed wonderingly, as Mike laughs.
• Episode 53: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to stand on a chair and bark out the tune of Jingle Bells.
• Episode 55: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to go up to a Stuckeybowl Snack Bar patron and being a running commentary on the guy`s behavior in true sports commentator form.
• Episode 57: Mike bets Ed ten bucks he can`t make Frankie laugh in under one minute. Ed gets her to laugh in four seconds flat by smearing cheesecake all over his face.
• Episode 61: Little Mike bets Little Ed ten cents to go talk to Barbara at Jeff Jacobs`s bar mitzvah.
• Episode 64: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to go into the bathroom, stand at the urinal, and compliment the man next to him.
• Episode 65: Ed bets Mike ten bucks to grow a mustache.
• Episode 67: Mike bets Ed ten bucks to call the judge in his court case “Sally.”
• Episode 72: Mike is taking Sarah around for a dry run of trick or treating to Ed`s house. Ed bets Mike ten bucks to don Sarah`s pirate cap and hook and go to a neighbor`s to trick or treat.
• Episode 73: Mike offers his “old buddy” Mitch ten bucks to put his head in a punch bowl. When Mitch refuses, Mike dunks his own head instead, but Mitch won`t cough up the cash.
• Episode 80: Mike makes Ed wear a mud facial mask (like Nancy and Gunter wore while watching television together) while they drink together at the Goat.
• Episode 83: Ed bets Mike to pretend to drunkenly drop trou during his toast. When Mike pulls his pants down from atop a table (as appalled and astonished guests look on) he reveals the words “MOZEL TOV” printed on the back on his boxer shorts.

Production[link]

The pilot[link]

While the premise of the show hinges on the changes in Ed's life in New York and his initial return to Stuckeyville, the pilot which illustrated these events was not aired as part of the series. A summary using footage from the pilot, however, did appear at the beginning of the first regular episode.^[3]

In addition, the pilot also contained some notable casting choices, with Donal Logue portraying Phil and Janeane Garofalo guest-starring as Ed's ex-wife Liz. Michael Ian Black replaced Logue as Phil in re-shot scenes of the first episode and for the entire series, and a number of different actresses played Liz in her few appearances (for example, Lea Thompson played the character in several episodes near the end of the series).

The show was originally called Ed, then titled Stuckeyville when in development at CBS, and then renamed Ed again when it was picked up by NBC.^[5]

Locations[link]

Although set in the fictitious town of Stuckeyville, Ohio, the majority of the series was actually shot in various towns in northern New Jersey including Montclair, Hillsdale, Haworth, Westfield, Cranford, Nutley, Ridgewood, Harrington Park, Allendale and Northvale and Rockland County, New York (Tappan, Nyack). Many of the street names and towns mentioned on the show are real New Jersey street and town names. The opening sequence showed Ed driving past the Rialto movie theater in the downtown of Westfield. Stuckeybowl was actually the former Country Club Lanes in Northvale, NJ, and also served as the show's headquarters. Many of the show's other sets were built in a cleared out portion of the bowling alley such as the interiors of Stuckeyville High School, the courtroom, and The Smiling Goat. Country Club Lanes went out of business several years ago, and was completely demolished in the late Spring of 2006, to make room for new housing.

Theme song[link]

The opening credits theme song for the majority of the show's run was "Next Year" by Foo Fighters,^[6] except during the entire second season when Clem Snide's "Moment in the Sun" was used. Season three reverted to "Next Year" in the United States, after resolving the "complicated business reasons" that prevented its use the previous year.^[7] "Moment in the Sun" continued to be used outside the U.S., although the end credits list "Next Year" as the opening theme.

A framed Foo Fighters poster hung on the wall of Stuckeyville High School principal Molly Hudson's office.

Nielsen Ratings[link]

Cast[link]

Main characters

Ed Stevens (Tom Cavanagh) is the main character of the series. After his wife cheated on him, he returned to his hometown of Stuckeyville. His best friend is Michael Burton (Josh Randall), who is now a doctor at a practice and happily married to his wife, Nancy Burton (Jana Marie Hupp). Ed reconnects with his old high school crush, Carol Vessey (Julie Bowen), who has become a high school English teacher. Her friend, Molly Hudson (Lesley Boone) teaches science at the same high school. Warren Cheswick (Justin Long) is an awkward high school student who has a crush on Carol, his English teacher.

On a whim, Ed buys the local bowling alley, Stuckeybowl. Besides Ed, Stuckeybowl has only three employees, Phil Stubbs (Michael Ian Black), Shirley Pifko (Rachel Cronin), and Kenny Sandusky (Mike Starr). Later, Kenny leaves and Eli Cartwright Goggins (Daryl Mitchell) joins Stuckeybowl. Starving for business, Phil comes up with the idea to combine Ed's legal knowledge with bowling. Ed comes to represent many of the townspeople in court.

Supporting cast

Dr. Walter Jerome (Marvin Chatinover) is a doctor who owns the practice where Mike works. He wants Mike to succeed in his practice, so he is strict in his methods. Mark Vanacore (Michael R. Genadry) is Warren's best friend and closest confidant. Diane Snyder (Ginnifer Goodwin) is also Warren and Mark's friend. Jessica Martell (Robin Paul) is the object of Warren's affections.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Ed (TV series)

• Ed at AllRovi
• Ed at the Internet Movie Database
• Ed at TV.com
• Ed at epguides.com
• Fan photos of Stuckeybowl location

Coordinates: 52°14′52.92″N 1°19′23.12″W / 52.2480333°N 1.3230889°W / 52.2480333; -1.3230889

Ed Bishop (June 11, 1932 - June 8, 2005) was an American film, television, stage and radio actor based in Britain.

Early life[link]

Bishop served in the US Army from 8 October 1952 to 24 September 1954, working as a disc jockey with the Armed Forces Radio at St. Johns in Newfoundland. At the time of discharge, his rank was Corporal.

After graduating in Theatre Arts from Boston University, he won a Fulbright Scholarship to study for two years at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, from which he graduated in 1959 and almost immediately found work in the British theatre and film industries. He adopted the first name "Edward" at this time for professional reasons. His first Broadway appearance was as Villebosse in David Merrick's production of Jean Anouilh's The Rehearsal in 1963, though he returned to Britain in 1964.

Career[link]

Bishop made his film acting debut in a small role in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 adaptation of Lolita (as an ambulance driver). In 1963 he played an American astronaut going to the moon in the movie The Mouse on the Moon. He had small roles in the James Bond films You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever, plus a cameo scene in The Bedford Incident. He also appeared in 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which he played the Captain of the Aries 1B space-station-to-moon shuttle. The role initially featured dialogue, though this was later cut from his scenes.

Bishop has appeared in various film and television projects created by producer Gerry Anderson, and perhaps his most prominent screen role of all was as Commander Ed Straker in Anderson's science fiction series, UFO, which was produced in 1969-1970 and broadcast during 1970-1971. Prior to this, he had appeared in Anderson's science fiction film Journey to the Far Side of the Sun and provided the voice of Captain Blue for Anderson's 1967 Supermarionation puppet series, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

For his role in UFO, Bishop had his dark hair dyed blonde, though he eventually started wearing a blonde wig instead. As this was before the advent of Unisex hairdressing salons, prior to wearing a wig Bishop had had to resort to having the dyeing process done at ladies hairdressers in Mayfair. Bishop kept one of the wigs he wore in UFO as a souvenir and was also given the Certina wristwatch he wore on the show, and before his death, said that he planned to pass it on to his eldest grandson.^[1] Bishop was the only cast member of UFO to appear in every episode of the series.

In later years, appeared in films such as Saturn 3 (though was uncredited), Twilight's Last Gleaming, and Whoops Apocalypse (he also appeared in the TV series version). Bishop also provided vocal work for the 1974 animated TV series of Star Trek and appeared in the final episode of the British WWII POW drama Colditz, Bishop appears as Lt. Col. Harrity. In the 1980s, he made several appearances on The Kenny Everett Television Show and had a role in the children's television series Chocky's Children.

On radio, in 1977-78 he played the private eye Philip Marlowe in six adaptations of Raymond Chandler's stories for the BBC, the last of them, Farewell, My Lovely, produced almost a decade after the others, as the rights had previously been unavailable. In 1981, Bishop performed a vocal narrative on the song "Norman Bates" by the British synthpop band Landscape.

Bishop continued to act on film, TV and radio, usually in British and European productions, and was a frequent guest at science fiction conventions. Bishop and fellow Anderson-actor Shane Rimmer (another American actor who often worked in the UK) often joked about how often their professional paths crossed and termed themselves "Rent-a yank". They appeared together as NASA operatives in the opening of You Only Live Twice and as USN sailors in The Bedford Incident. In 1989, Bishop was reunited with Rimmer and another Anderson actor, Matt Zimmerman, in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study In Scarlet. Bishop and Rimmer also toured together in theatre shows including Death of a Salesman in the 1990s and also appeared in the BBC drama/documentary Hiroshima (2005), one of Bishop's last TV projects.

In 2000, Bishop briefly reprised the role of Captain Blue in a trailer for the new Captain Scarlet series. He did not, however, reprise the role for the actual series, which would not debut until five years later.

In 2002, Bishop recorded a commentary for the DVD release of UFO. In 2003, he performed in the Doctor Who audio drama, Full Fathom Five, produced by Big Finish Productions.

Personal life[link]

He was also politically active, participating in the March 2004 British protest against the Iraq war. Bishop had already showed his disapproval of the military-industrial complex some years earlier, in a notable act of political theatre: in 1993 he gatecrashed an arms-trade fair held in Aldershot, Hampshire whilst dressed to resemble Augusto Pinochet.^[2] During the Aldershot protest he met photographer Jane Skinner, who later became his third wife.

Grave in Saint Lawrence churchyard, Napton, Warwickshire

Ed Bishop was married three times:

1. Jane Thwaites, 1955; (divorced)
2. Hilary Preen, 1962; 4 children - a son and 3 daughters (divorced 1996)
3. Jane Skinner, 2001 (widow)

Bishop died five days after the death of one of his UFO co-stars, Michael Billington. Bishop succumbed to a chest infection^{[disambiguation needed ]} contracted while undergoing treatment for an undisclosed blood disease.^[3] He is buried in the churchyard of the Parish Church of Saint Lawrence in Napton, Warwickshire. His grey sandstone tombstone has a peace symbol prominently engraved on it. Its design is very similar to the one situated two metres on the right, which marks the grave of his son Daniel (16 May 1967 - 18 January 1988), who was killed in a car accident in Cumbria.

Bishop's epitaph reads: From This Valley They Say You Are Going. We Shall Miss Your Bright Eyes And Your Smile.

His life and work was honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in May 2006. He is survived by his widow and three daughters from his second marriage: Georgina, Jessica and Serina.

Quote[link]

"Ed Bishop is one of the most talented people I've ever worked with, and my only sadness was that he didn't go on to become an international star, I would have loved him to, have perhaps been James Bond" - Gerry Anderson - UFO producer.^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

Biography portal

• Ed Bishop at the Internet Movie Database
• Ed Bishop at AllRovi
• Ed Bishop at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Ed Bishop at Find a Grave
• Obituary in The Independent newspaper

The-Dream
The-Dream performing on September 10, 2008 in New York City.
Background information
Birth name	Terius Youngdell Nash
Born	(1977-09-20) September 20, 1977 (age 34) Rockingham, North Carolina, U.S.
Genres	R&B, pop, hip hop
Occupations	singer-songwriter, record producer
Years active	1998–Present
Labels	Def Jam, Radio Killa
Associated acts	Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Los Da Mystro, Jennifer Lopez, Electrik Red, Rihanna, Kanye West, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Drake Fabolous, Jamie Foxx
Website	the-dreammusic.com

Terius Youngdell Nash (Born September 20, 1977), better known by his stage name The-Dream, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is known for co-writing chart topping hits such as "Baby" for Justin Bieber, "Umbrella" for Rihanna and "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" for Beyoncé, as well as for his three solo albums, Love Hate, Love vs. Money, and Love King.

Early life[link]

Terius Nash was born in Rockingham, North Carolina and moved with his mother, Reva Nash, to Atlanta at the age of 3. He played trumpet, drums, and guitar as a child.^[1] His mother died in 1992 when Nash was fifteen years old, an event which would inspire him to write songs.^[2] He states that the death of his mother gave him a "soft spot" for women, which he credits to his desire to write songs about female empowerment such as Rihanna's "Umbrella".^[2] He moved in with his grandfather, a concrete mason who instilled a strong work ethic in young Nash. Of his grandfather, Nash recalls "He came out of a bad time for blacks in the South, but even though we lived in the hood, we had a boat, some cars and a house that was paid for. So I’ve always had a different outlook on life. There’s nothing I can’t do."^[3]

Music career[link]

Background[link]

Nash met R&B producer Laney Stewart in 2001; Stewart helped him get a publishing deal after writing "Everything" for B2K's album Pandemonium!.^[1] Under the pen name "The-Dream", Nash began writing lyrics for many popular artists. He spent two years working on Nivea's second album Complicated, which he executive produced, and continued to write and produce with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Laney's brother, which led to Rihanna's 2007 smash hit "Umbrella". The success of "Umbrella" boosted Dream's music career, and in 2007, he signed a deal with Def Jam Records.^[4]

Solo[link]

Following the deal with Def Jam Records, The-Dream began working on his debut studio album Love Hate.^[4] The album was produced by The-Dream's production partner Tricky Stewart, and Carlos "LOS Da Maestro" McKinney, and featured Fabolous and Rihanna.^[5] The album was written and recorded in eight days with twelve tracks making the final cut. Some of the tracks were written in regards to The-Dream's personal life, most notably "Nikki," written about his ex-wife Nivea and how he has moved on since their divorce.^[6] The-Dream explained the title, Love Hate, as short for, "Love me all summer, hate me all winter, because they love you when you hot and when you're cold they don't... I'm hot right now and they love me, but I was cold and they wasn't fuckin' with me."^[6] Released December 11, 2007 on The-Dream's Def Jam-imprint Radio Killa Records,^[7] Love Hate moved 59,000 copies and debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200.^[8] Love Hate also peaked at #5 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[9] The album received generally positive reviews from critics, as Rolling Stone called it "one of the most likable R&B records of the year" and UrbanMusicReviews.com said that the singer has "hit a home run."^[10]

On March 10, 2009 The-Dream released his second album Love vs. Money.^[11] He re-teamed with his production partner Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, who produced most of the tracks on the album, and Los Da Maestro.^[12] He also enlisted the help of Lil Jon for the song "Let Me See the Booty".^[8] Love vs. Money debuted at number two on the Billboard 200, selling 151,000 copies in its first week.^[13] It also entered at number one on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and at number three on its Top Digital Albums chart in March 2009.^[14][15] Upon its release, the album received general acclaim from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 83/100 from Metacritic.^[16]

During the making of Love King, he recorded a song with T-Pain and expressed that he would like to make a collaborative album with Kanye West in the future.^[17] In January 2010, The-Dream officially stated he was finished recording the album and he called it the best of his three albums.^[18] The first single, "Love King", was released on March 16, 2010 for digital download. The album was released on June 29, 2010.^[19]

Before the album's release, the-Dream announced that Love King will be his last solo album.^[8][20] When Love King was released, the lyrics to the song "Sex Intelligent Remix" announced plans to release a new solo album called Love Affair and even gave the specific release date of June 7, 2011. In February 2011, The-Dream announced that the album is not titled "Love Affair" anymore, he stated that it is now titled "The Love, IV" and that he scrapped the June 7, 2011 release date and has set a new release date of August 2011.^[21] One week after anouncing that August release date, he said the he is pushing the album up and is hoping to release it on June 7 as promised.^[22] In June 2011, the album's title was changed yet again, this time to "Love IV: Diary of a Madman", it was also announced that it will released on September 20, 2011.^[23] On June 7, 2011; he released double promotional singles titled "Body Work" and "Fuck My Brains Out" to the internet.^[24] The Dream was not able to release "The Love, IV (Diary of a Mad Man)" on September 20, 2011 as planned and it was announced that the album got pushed back indefinitely due to "contract talks" with Def Jam Records.^[25] The-Dream then released a free 10-track album to the internet entitled 1977 on August 31, 2011.^[26][27] The-Dream also plans to release a 13-track studio album entitled Nikki: The Chronicles, which will follow his infatuation with the woman he sang about on 2007’s Love Hate and 2010’s Love King.^[28] In October 2011, Dream announced that he is personally pushing back the release of The Love; IV (Diary of A Madman) and that it will now be released in 2012. Dream also announced his plans to release his first international album, titled 1984: Persona of Love, it is set for release sometime in 2012, the album is a "persona album" and is inspired by his recent trip overseas.^[29] In February 2012, it was announced that the "The Love; IV (Diary of A Madman)" will be released on April 17, 2012.^[30] In March 2012, it was announced that "The Love; IV (Diary of A Madman)" has been re-titled "Love IV MMXII" and that its release date been pushed back to Summer 2012.^[31] In May 2012, it was announced that the album will be released on August 14, 2012.^[32]

Production[link]

In addition to working with Nivea and Rihanna, The-Dream also began writing for numerous artists, most notably J. Holiday's "Bed", Usher's "Moving Mountains", Yung Joc's "Coffee Shop" and Jesse McCartney's "Leavin'". He also co-wrote Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body", Ciara's "High Price," and took part in co-writing a majority of Mary J. Blige's 2007 Growing Pains album, including the smash hit "Just Fine". Recently^[when?] he featured in Drake (entertainer)'s album Thank Me Later the song "Shut It Down".

In December 2007, The-Dream was nominated for Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "Umbrella", but lost to Amy Winehouse's "Rehab". However, in June 2008, The-Dream won the award for Best New Artist at the 2008 BET Awards. Throughout 2008, The-Dream appeared on a number of records including Plies' "Please Excuse My Hands" with Jamie Foxx, LL Cool J's "Baby", Gym Class Heroes' "Cookie Jar" and Kardinal Offishall's "Gimme Some". In addition, The-Dream signed female R&B girl-group Electrik Red to Radio Killa Records and they released their debut album, How to Be a Lady: Volume 1, under the label.^[33] The-Dream and production partner Christopher "Tricky" Stewart produced "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" off Beyoncé's album I Am… Sasha Fierce, co-produced two tracks ("Just Like Me" & "Digital Girl") and was featured on Jamie Foxx's album Intuition, and worked with Mario and Lionel Richie.^[8] He will also be featured on a number of upcoming albums from; Phyzikal, Ciara, Sterling Simms, Young Chris, Dear Jayne, Brandy and Cassie.

In early 2009, The-Dream began working with Christina Milian on her fourth studio album Elope,^[34] which led to her signing a joint-deal with Radio Killa Records.^[35] The-Dream said that when he was building his label, he went looking for Milian because he believed she was a talented singer.^[36] The singer confirmed that her second single would be a duet with The-Dream called "Supersonic".^[37]

Throughout 2009, The-Dream has also been working on new material for Mariah Carey, Brandy, and Diddy. Diddy's song "Change" is described by The-Dream as, "probably one of the best male records I've ever written...the best record I've written besides 'Umbrella'. The-Dream also worked on Jennifer Lopez's single Louboutins from her 7th album Love? by Sony Music. The song did not chart at the Billboard Hot 100 but charted at number 1 on the Hot/Dance Club Chart. He keep working on more tracks for her album which was released in Spring 2011 by Def Jam.^{[dated info][8][dated info]} He also collaborated on, produced and wrote Snoop Dogg's "Gangsta Luv", which is on the 2009 album Malice n Wonderland.

The-Dream and Tricky Stewart have worked on Ciara's fourth studio album titled "Basic Instinct", which was released on December 14, 2010, and was executive produced by the trio. He co-wrote her lead single titled "Ride", which was released in April 2010, and went on to become a R&B smash hit and her twelfth top ten hit on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.^[38]

The-Dream received a fair amount of backlash for his cover of singer Aaliyah's song "One in a Million". Upon the release of the song, fans of Aaliyah bombarded radio shows and blog sites with distaste for The-Dream's rendition.^[39]

He also worked alongside Tricky Stewart on Jessica Simpson's Christmas album titled Happy Christmas, released on November 22, 2010, and also working on Simpson's upcoming pop album, to be released in 2011.^{[dated info]}

The-Dream produced a music single for Kim Kardashian, "Jam (Turn It Up)", released in March 2, 2011 and then worked on Beyoncé's album titled 4, released on June 28, 2011.

On March 16, 2012, Billboard posted an interview with The-Dream, where he talked about having been given the opportunity to go in to the studio in a few weeks to work with Shakira, and how excited he is for the track.^[40]

Personal life[link]

The-Dream married girlfriend Nivea in 2004, whom he had been dating for one year. Together they had three children, daughter Navy Talia (on May 10, 2005); and twin sons London and Christian (April 2006). They had been married for three years when Nivea filed for legal separation in December 2007. The-Dream said that although he was in love with Nivea, his lack of experience in a family growing up meant he was "not taught how much more than love does it take to run a relationship. Like, 'cause love isn't just where it's gonna end. It can't start and stop with love. There has to be a certain amount of knowledge and patience that's acquired in order to keep it going and keep it straight, and I found out the hard way".^[41]

The-Dream began dating Christina Milian in early 2009; she became pregnant. The Daily Mail reported that "the pregnancy was a surprise, but they were getting married regardless".^[42] They then became engaged in June 2009.^[43] In August, it was reported that they had applied for a marriage license in Los Angeles. On September 4, 2009, The-Dream married Christina Milian at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas.^[44] The-Dream said in an interview that Nivea was still a good friend of his, and that she was also friends with Milian.^[45] Milian gave birth to their daughter Violet Madison Nash on February 26, 2010.^[46] Milian and The-Dream announced their separation on July 12, 2010 ^[47] after photos surfaced of The-Dream vacationing with his assistant.^[48]

In addition to music, The-Dream revealed he is currently working on a TV reality series for MTV where he will scout aspiring singers,^[8] and plans to release a clothing line called Millionaire Love Affair.^[33]

Discography[link]

Studio albums

• Love Hate (2007)
• Love vs. Money (2009)
• Love King (2010)
• Love IV MMXII (2012)

Free album

• 1977 (2011)

Awards and nominations[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Ed Harris
Harris at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	Edward Allen Harris (1950-11-28) November 28, 1950 (age 61) Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, director, screenwriter
Years active	1978–present
Spouse	Amy Madigan (1983–present)

Edward Allen "Ed" Harris (born November 28, 1950) is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his performances in Appaloosa, The Rock, The Abyss, Apollo 13, A Beautiful Mind, A History of Violence, The Truman Show, and The Hours. Harris has also narrated commercials for The Home Depot and other companies. He is a three-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, along with an Academy Award for Best Actor nomination for the title role in Pollock.

Early and personal life[link]

Harris was born in Englewood Hospital, and raised in Tenafly,^[1] the son of Margaret, a travel agent, and Robert L. Harris, who sang with the Fred Waring chorus and worked at the bookstore of the Art Institute of Chicago.^[2] He has an older brother, Robert, and a younger brother, Spencer. His parents were originally from Oklahoma.^[3] Harris was raised in a middle-class Presbyterian family.^[4][5][6] He graduated from Tenafly High School in 1969, where he played on the football team, serving as the team's captain in his senior year.^[7][8] He was a star athlete in high school,^[1] and competed in athletics at Columbia University in 1969. Two years later his family moved to New Mexico, and he followed, after having discovered his interest in acting in various theater plays. He enrolled at the University of Oklahoma to study drama.^[1] After several successful roles in the local theater, he moved to Los Angeles, and enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts.

Harris's wife is actress Amy Madigan. The couple married on 21 November 1983, while they were filming Places in the Heart in which they played an adulterous couple. They have a daughter, Lilly Dolores Harris, born in 1993.^[9]

Career[link]

Harris at the premiere of A History of Violence at the Toronto International Film Festival, 2005

Harris's first important film role was in Borderline with Charles Bronson. In Knightriders (1981), he played the king of a motorcycle-riding renaissance-fair troupe in a role modeled after King Arthur.

In 1983, Harris became well known, after playing astronaut John Glenn in The Right Stuff.^[1] Twelve years later, a film with a similar theme led to Harris being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his portrayal of NASA flight director Gene Kranz in Apollo 13.^[1]

Further Oscar nominations arrived in 1999, 2001, and 2003, for The Truman Show, Pollock, and The Hours, respectively. Harris also portrayed a German Army sniper, Major Erwin König, in Enemy at the Gates (2001). He appeared as a vengeful mobster in David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005) and as a police officer alongside Casey Affleck and Morgan Freeman, in Gone, Baby, Gone (2007), directed by Ben Affleck. Also in 2007, he appeared in National Treasure: Book of Secrets as antagonist Mitch Wilkinson.

Along with theatrical films, he has starred in television adaptations of Riders of the Purple Sage (1996) and Empire Falls (2005).

Harris made his cinema directing debut in 2000, with Pollock, in which he starred as the acclaimed American artist Jackson Pollock.^[1] He has also portrayed such diverse real-life characters as William Walker, a 19th Century American who appointed himself president of Nicaragua, in the film Walker, Watergate figure E. Howard Hunt in the Oliver Stone biopic Nixon, composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the film Copying Beethoven, and Senator John McCain in HBO's made-for-television drama Game Change.

Harris has directed a number of theater productions as well as having an active stage acting career. Most notably, he starred in the production of Neil LaBute's one-man play Wrecks at the Public Theater in New York City and later at the Geffen Theater in Los Angeles. For the LA production, he won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award. Wrecks premiered at the Everyman Theater in Cork, Ireland and then in the US at the Public Theater in New York.

Harris and wife Amy Madigan starred together in Ash Adams' indie crime drama Once Fallen, alongside Brian Presley, Sharon Gless, Adams himself, and a large all-star cast. It was released in 2010.

Anti SAG/AFTRA merger[link]

On 30 March 2012, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) completed a merger of equals to form a new union SAG-AFTRA. Harris along with former SAG President Edward Asner, Martin Sheen, Valerie Harper as well as voice actors Michael Bell and Wendy Schall to name a few are adamantly opposed to such as merger and have filed a lawsuit against SAG President Ken Howard and several SAG Vice Presidents seeking to have the merger overturned and the two unions separated to their pre-merger organizations.^[10][11] The lawsuit is currently working its way through the court system.

Filmography[link]

References[link]